Global legal business DWF has announced Sir Nigel Knowles as its new chairman.Sir Nigel was a partner at DLA Piper for nearly 40 years and is credited with spearheading the rapid globalisation of the firm. He retired in June 2016.He takes over the reins at DWF from Alan Benzie who served for 10 years and was praised by managing partner and CEO Andrew Leaitherland for helping transform DWF from a regional law firm in north west England expanded to a global business with offices including Sydney, Paris, Chicago, Dubai, Singapore and Panama.In welcoming the new chairman, Leaitherland noted the value of his experience at DLA Piper: "His vision and talent for creating what has become one of the world's most successful law firms will be of enormous benefit to our clients and people as we focus on the next stage of our journey."King & Wood Mallesons has opened its 12th office in China expanding into the regional market of Nanjing.KWM Nanjing will include five partners senior council and associates initially when it opens in November 2017.It will work closely with the firm's Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou offices along with the wider KWM network which will total 27 offices globally.Ashurst has appointed David Staiano as its global director of business development and marketing.With over 20 years experience, hes held similar roles at law firms Simmons & Simmons and Mayer Brown, and was also head of client programs at Deloitte.He joins Ashurst's executive team and will be based in London. Eversheds Sutherland has opened three new offices taking its total to 66 in 32 countries.The firms new locations are in Luxembourg Moscow and St Petersburg and follow the opening of the Dusseldorf office last month.The expanding global firm created from a combination of Eversheds and Sutherland also saw the launch of Eversheds Harry Elias in Singapore and Brunei earlier this year.The new Luxembourg office will initially focus on investment funds and corporate clients, while the Russian offices will be full-service. A judge in the UK resorted to using Google Translate in court last 30 August because of a defendants limited grasp of English.Jaroslaw Nowacki, appeared before Judge Euan Ambrose over a charge related to possessing a knife without good reason or lawful authority.During the preparation for the trial, the judge found that Nowacki was originally from Poland and needed a translator. Ambrose decided to delay the hearing until 6 September so the court could find a translator, the Bath Chronicle reported.Nowacki was also ordered to speak to a lawyer before he returns, as the suspect was not represented by a barrister at that time. The report said Nowacki did not understand Ambrose, which is why the judge resorted to typing out his message on Google Translate.Whether Google Translate will accurately translate what I want to say I dont know, said the judge as quoted by the paper. Nowacki understood the message and the case was adjourned.Police officers arrested Nowacki in 14 July after receiving reports of a man bearing a knife in Bath, England. The suspect was apprehended outside The Forum, a famous art deco cinema.This wasnt the first time Googles app was used in a UK court. Last month, a quick-thinking barrister in the used Google Translate to help a defendant after the Mandarin speaker was not provided a translator during her appearance.Joan Smith had to download Google Translate on her phone to help Xiu Ping Yang, who was being accused of food hygiene breaches at her Chinese restaurant in Eston, North Yorkshire, The Law Society Gazette reported. Smith is a direct-access barrister and she was at the Teesside Magistrates Court last week for an unrelated case.An interpreter wasnt present and it became clear the defendant could not speak English. She didnt understand what the judge or prosecutors were saying to her or what was happening, she told the Gazette. The clerk asked if anyone had any way of communicating with her. No one had phones on them and the council said they didnt know of anyone who could interpret. NEDC kWh kW The American and British sites are now preparing to welcome the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with production expected to kick off by December. Deliveries of the compact-sized EV are scheduled to start in January 2018, with the automaker hoping to sell a lot of Leafs. Or Leaves, whatever the plural may be.Were proud to continue manufacturing the Nissan Leaf at three plants globally, declared Fumiaki Matsumoto, the executive vice president of manufacturing and supply chain management. The Nissan Leaf is the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility with its many advanced technologies. Nissan employees in Oppama, Smyrna and Sunderland are excited to continue producing the most popular electric vehicle in the world, he concluded.Regarding popularity, it should be noted the Tesla Model S sold better than the Nissan Leaf in the U.S. in the first eight months of 2017. The all-new Model 3 is also pretty much in demand, whereas the Chevrolet Bolt is now available all across the U.S. In Europe, meanwhile, the badge-engineered Opel and Vauxhall Ampera-e are selling ok-ish, especially in Norway.Priced at less than $30,000 before the federal tax credit of $7,500, the 2018 Nissan Leaf is less expensive than main competitors Model 3, Bolt, and Ampera-e in Europe. For the money, the Japanese automaker offers an EPA-rated 150 miles of range. That'd be 378 kilometers () in Europe.In terms of powertrain, the 40lithium-ion battery channels electricity to a 147-horsepower (150 PS) and 236-lb.ft. (320 Nm) electric motor. Front-wheel-drive and benefitting from torsion beam-type rear suspension, the Leaf needs 40 minutes to quick-charge its battery up to 80 percent. From 3and 6 kW plugs, make that 16 and 8 hours, respectively. Well, if only cars were reduced to their exterior design and their cold hard technical data, choosing one would be so much easier. We've seen so many cases where certain models looked and sounded great on paper, and then turned out to be real turds once you got to drive them.The reverse can be true as well. Look at the old Suzuki Swift Sport, for example. It's got perfectly tame looks and a 1.6-liter four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with 136 horsepower. Normally, you wouldn't touch it with a stick if you were out for a fun-to-drive car, and yet had you tried it, you would have been hard pressed to find anything even remotely as much fun for that kind of money. And the same could be said about a Mazda MX-5 as well.The Renault Megane RS is far from a sleeper like the Swift Sport was, but that doesn't mean it's not full of character as well. The fact it once held the Nurburgring record for front-wheel-driven cars says a lot about the heritage of the model and the pressure lying on the new one's shoulders.But the French seem to have prepared it well. With 300-odd horsepower from either a 2.0-liter or a 1.8-liter four-pot turbo and four-wheel-steering, the hot hatch is ready to take its crown back from the Honda Civic Type-R which posted a 7:43.8 time on the Nordschleife.This clip shows the RS on another legendary European track - the Belgian circuit of Spa Francorchamps. Don't expect to see much of the car - it seems Renault is doing the corporate thing and ignores the fact the pictures have been leaked - but do get ready for a dose of adrenaline. To be more precise, the launch lineup will only involve the base model and the Cayenne S . The first is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 delivering 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of twist. As for the 2019 Cayenne S, this packs a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, which produces 440 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.Porschephilles might be familiar with the latter hp number being mentioned when talking about the Cayenne, since this also happens to be the output of the second-generation Cayenne GTS.Along with the Turbo, the Turbo S E-Hybrid and possibly a pair of diesel models, the GTS should be among the badges that land later on in the high-riding model's life.Until that happens, we've brought along a rendering that gives you an idea of how the GTS will look (pixel tip to X-Tomi ). Expected horsepower bump aside, the badge should also bring a host of small tech changes aimed at improving the connection between the driver and the machine.However, there are wild rumors floating around that state the GTS badge won't return to the Cayenne. This forum chat is mostly based on the story of the 2017 Panamera range, which still hasn't received these three letters (those looking for extra punch compared to the S models can aim for the 550 hp Turbo versions).Back in the day when the Panny and the Cayenne used naturally aspirated engines, the GTS was a tech delight, with the atmospheric V8 tweaking resulting in a memorable exhaust note. The switch to twin-turbo V6 power meant the badge lost a bit of its shine, but, given the always-rich Zuffenhausen lineup means we need to take such dismissal rumors with a massive grain of salt. The Italian company is stepping into a new level of performance with the introduction of the new Desmosedici Stradale 90-degree V4 engine, a unit that inherits so much MotoGP technology youd wonder how its street legal.The motorcycle that will be fitted this wonder of technology will be the Panigale V4, which is set to debut on November 5th. However, someone close to the Ducati testing team decided fans shouldnt be waiting for that long and snapped these shots which have spread over the internet like malware.Thankfully, these are the best quality spy shots so far, and they clearly show the production version Panigale V4, fact also reinforced by the fairing sticker proudly displaying its name in white.The photos show the bike follows the Panigale design quite close with elements like the split headlights, underbody exhaust, thin tail section, and single-sided swing arm being in place. A noticeable difference can be seen in the headlight cutouts which are larger than previous iterations to probably incorporate air ducts.The motorcycle also appears to come with fully electronically adjustable USD Ohlins fork and offset rear shock, Brembo brakes, LED lights, and a very aggressive riding position.Apart from that, the Panigale V4 will come with a shift-assisted manual gearbox, slipper clutch, and multiple riding modes to adapt its power to road conditions. Speaking of which, Ducati says its new V4 engine makes over 210 horsepower and is a few kilos lighter than its most powerful L-twin thanks to extensive use of aluminum and magnesium.For an in-depth look at new Desmosedici Stradale V4, you can check out our dedicated article here Princess Juliana Airport, on the Island of St. Martin, has been severely damaged by Hurricane Irmas Category 5 winds. Maho Beach, where tourists take photos under jets landing on the islands 7,500-foot runway, is entirely underwater in recent photos. The same photographs show a thick layer of sand covering 30 feet of the runway overrun area. Winds reported at 185 miles per hour knocked down fences, destroyed jetways and threw heavy objects through windows in the terminal. The terminal area forecast from the airport immediately prior to the storm advised pilots they could expect winds from a heading 300 at 140 knots, gusting to 160 knots. Princess Juliana Airport is the islands only airport capable of supporting heavy jets, which is limiting efforts to aid the beleaguered island. One government official said 95% of the island has been destroyed by Irma. The runway at Saint Martin Grand Case Airport, on the islands north shore, is only 3,900 feet long. At least two people have been killed on the island by the storm, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in decades. Armenia confirmed its participation in the latest U.S.-led military exercises held in Georgia before dropping out of them, the Georgian Defense Ministry insisted late on Thursday. The annual Agile Spirit exercises began near the town of Akhaltsikhe on September 3, bringing together around 500 troops from the U.S. Marine Corps and some 1,000 soldiers from Georgia and five other countries. Both the U.S. and Georgian militaries said last week that Armenia will also take part in the ten-day exercises. A Georgian official said Yerevan abandoned that intention a few days before their start. Deputy Defense Minister Artak Zakarian acknowledged on Monday that the Armenian military planned to join the exercises. But he said that Armenia never officially stated that it will definitely participate. The Armenian Defense Ministry seemingly contradicted that explanation in a statement issued later on September 4. It said a decision not to send Armenian soldiers to the Agile Spirit 20 wargames was made right from the beginning because they were not deemed of primary significance to the Armenian Armed Forces. The Georgian Defense Ministry countered, however, that Armenian military officials confirmed participation of three Armenian officers in the multinational exercise when they attended the final planning conference for the drills in July. The Georgian side was notified shortly before the active phase of Agile Spirit 2017 that the Armenian officers would not be able to take part in the military exercise, the ministrys press office said in a written statement to RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). The reason for the refusal was not explained. Senior representatives of President Serzh Sarkisians Republican Party (HHK) have dismissed suggestions that Armenia dropped out of the maneuvers under pressure from Russia, its main military ally. Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin criticized in July exercises frequently organized by NATO in Georgia, saying that they undermine regional security. As recently as in the first half of August, some 30 Armenian soldiers took part in larger U.S.-led exercises that were held near Tbilisi. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the 2,800 troops participating in the Noble Partner drills during an August 1 trip to Georgia. Incidentally, Armenias arch-foe Azerbaijan skipped the Noble Partner drills but chose to participate in the Agile Spirit wargames. 8 September 2017 15:52 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Having people in the correct positions is one of the key building blocks to success for any government. You wouldnt want to see Shakira in position of the finance minister, no matter how beautiful her voice or performance on stage are, as these talents would probably not come in handy during economic crisis. However, this simple rule 'Putting someone in the wrong position can torpedo the efforts' is ignored in Armenia. One can cite a number of positions in the government that are occupied by wrong people. Most recently such an appointment was made in the Shirak region of the country. Mesrop Bznuni, who is an agronomist by profession and has no connection with the healthcare, has been appointed the head of the Health Department of the Shirak Regional administration, Armenian newspaper Past reported. For appointment to such a high position, membership in Dashnaktsutyun [Armenian nationalist and socialist political party] is more important than the legal requirement, the agency noted. Earlier, Aram Antonyan, who was appointed the head of the department of territorial administration and local government of the Shirak Region, presented fake documents related to experience. Ex-justice Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan, who was dismissed from the post in May 2017, was mainly remembered for her sexy look and corruption cases. Armenians criticized her a lot for rising corruption, inactivity of the ministry, and depressing situation in Armenian prisons... In May, doctor urologist Ara Babloyan, was appointed Speaker of Armenia's National Assembly. Then, Armenian film director Tigran Khzmalyan, head of the "European Choice" initiative, said that the appointment of a urologist proves that President Serzh Sargsyan perfectly diagnoses the nation. I simply did not know that, in fact, the most dangerous one of our diseases is the genito-urinary tract. Apparently, Sargsyan knows this better, and he does not prove for the first time that he is brilliant at diagnosing, he then said, pointing to senseless appointments and decisions of the government. There are dozens of such unclear appointments in Armenia, and obviously all of them together are the reason for Armenias failure to get out of the crisis that it has been experiencing for many years. The economic and social situation in Armenia continues to remain terrible and deteriorates even more. In 2014, the GDP of Armenia was $11.6 billion, but decreased to $10.7 billion in 2016. Meanwhile, the state budget suffers from deficit every year. Due to this, the country constantly takes foreign loans. The national debt in 2014 was $4.4 billion and now it already exceeds $6 billion. All the failures of the government affect the Armenian population and their outflow from the country increases. Many of those who have remained in Armenia are poor people. Some sources state that nearly half of the country's population lives in poverty, on less than $2 a day. However, the Armenian government continues its wrong policy year by year, and it seems that unclear and senseless appointments in the ranks of the Armenian authorities will not cease in the near future. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 11:01 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The 27th Economic Forum, which started in the Polish city of Krynica-Zdroj on September 5, continues its work. Annual Economic forum in Poland, which is attended by more than 3,000 guests, is one of the most large-scale conferences held in Central and Eastern Europe. Toghrul Mammadli, a chief consultant of the Council on State Support to NGOs under the Auspices of the President of Azerbaijan, addressed the plenary session entitled "Eight years of the Eastern Partnership failures, achievements and the future" on September 7. He shared the statistical data on the results achieved in 25 years of Azerbaijan-European Union cooperation, and spoke about the future prospects of this cooperation and Azerbaijan's role in energy security of Europe. During his speech at the session, Mammadli also spoke about the aggressive policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan, and the murder of two Azerbaijani civilians in July during Armenian Armed Forces shelling of Azerbaijani villages, and called the Armenians barbarians. On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces, flagrantly violating all norms of international humanitarian law, fired the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region with heavy artillery. As a result, the aggressors killed 51-year-old Sahiba Allahverdiyeva and her toddler granddaughter Zahra Guliyeva. In addition, 52-year-old Salminaz Guliyeva suffered shrapnel wounds, and the personal property of the villagers was deliberately destroyed. By committing such provocations against Azerbaijani civilians living near the frontline, the Armenian side deliberately seeks to cause damage to them and tries to make their life difficult and risky. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 18:09 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Armenian armed forces have once again set fire to the occupied territories of Aghdam region of Azerbaijan, APA reported on September 8. The fire is expanding in five directions on a massif in Aghdam region, which is under Armenian occupation . Armenians frequently commit such arsons in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which also spread to the frontline settlements. Such attacks are an evidence that Armenians seek to cause harm to Azerbaijan and its citizens by making life near the border difficult and risky for them. Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 12:30 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Baku will offer a package of investment projects to Jordanian companies at the upcoming meeting of the Azerbaijan-Jordan intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for late November, a source told Trend on September 8. The previous meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission was held in Baku in 2011. In May 2017, the Jordanian government proposed to intensify the work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation with Azerbaijan after a six-year break. The sides plan to discuss the prospects of expanding economic and trade cooperation, creating joint ventures, as well as hold a business forum with the participation of businessmen of the two countries. The two countries may develop cooperation in agriculture, tourism, ICT, pharmaceutics and other spheres. Jordanian companies intend to expand their participation in pharmaceutical and agrarian markets of Azerbaijan. Jordan recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established in February 1993. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Jordan was opened in March 2006, the Jordan embassy opened in March 2007. Today the products of more than 10 Jordanian companies, involved in food, pharmaceutical and other industries, are present in the Azerbaijani market. The Azerbaijani side intends to attract Jordanian companies to the investment projects. More than 30 Azerbaijan-Jordan intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements have been concluded since 2006, covering a wide range of issues of interaction in various sectors. The Jordan Kingdom relates to Azerbaijan as reliable economic and political ally. Jordan repeatedly voiced intention to activate ties with Azerbaijan, which turns recently to the leading country in South Caucasus and to invest heavily in economy of the country. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Jordan amounted to about $5.8 million in January-July 2017, which is by 78.5 percent more compared to the same period of 2016, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 11:56 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has allocated $1.7 billion for implementation of 151 projects in the country since the beginning of its cooperation with Azerbaijan. Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev revealed the figure at a meeting with EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti, who is currently on a visit in Baku. The minister added that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to cooperation with the EBRD. He informed the EBRD president about recent reforms that have been implemented in Azerbaijan in various spheres of economy, especially those aimed at developing the private sector. In turn, Chakrabarti expressed satisfaction with his visit to Baku. He pointed out the importance of such visits for holding EBRD-Azerbaijan talks. The EBRD head also shared his opinions regarding the possibilities of expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan. The sides also mulled financial support to the private sector, the Southern Gas Corridor project, transport infrastructure and a domestic waste management project. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) also allocated over 294 million since the beginning of cooperation to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijan. Within the visit, the delegation was received by President Ilham Aliyev, who noted that the EBRD's loan portfolio in Azerbaijan is about $3 billion, praising the fact that its major part is being channeled into the private sector. He described this as a clear manifestation of the expansion of the private sector of Azerbaijan's economy. The EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991. As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies. The Bank was established to support countries of the former Eastern Bloc in the process of establishing their private sectors. To that end, it offers "project financing" for banks, industries and businesses, for new ventures or existing companies. One of the main priorities of the EBRD in Azerbaijan for 2017 is support the local corporates with direct financing. The EBRD continues to pursue investments in energy projects, especially where there is a gap to improve efficiency and energy security. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli 8 September 2017 12:10 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Jihad Azour, director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which includes Azerbaijan, will arrive in Baku on September 13 for a one-day visit. This is Azours first visit to Azerbaijan, therefore, it is of familiarization character, the IMF Baku office told Trend on September 8 . Jihad Azour assumed the new position as director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of IMF on March 1, 2017. He served as Lebanons Finance Minister in 2005-2008 and has held a wide range of posts in the private sector. IMF office was opened in 1992 in Baku. In 1995-2005, the Fund allocated loans worth $577.3 million to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan fully repaid the loans. There has been no need of Azerbaijan to apply to the IMF for financial resources since 2005. Therefore, since 2006, the IMF and Azerbaijan have cooperated within the framework of consultations and technical assistance missions in main areas of macroeconomic policy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 12:38 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Railway departments of Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia and Poland signed a protocol of the meeting of the Coordinating Committee for the Development of the South-West International Transport Route on September 7. The document was signed by Javid Gurbanov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Evgeny Kravtsov, acting chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Railways JSC, Wadysaw Szczepkowski, director for corporate affairs at the Polish State Railways JSC, Mamuka Bakhtadze, director general and chairman of the board of directors at the Georgian Railways JSC, and Saeed Mohammadzadeh, head and chairman of board at the Iran Railways, the Ukrainian Railways reported. Javid Gurbanov noted that the route "South-West" has great potential, adding: "We want to develop it, because it has already earned, the main thing is to attract more cargo, and for this each of the participating countries develops its railway and port infrastructure. In his turn, Evgeny Kravtsov said the signing of the protocol was preceded by two years of intensive cooperation among the project participants. Addressing the meeting, Szczepkowski stressed that the project participants will popularize the route in the transportation market, adding that a South-West corridor website is already operating. Bakhtadze underlined that the project participants will introduce through rates, which will help attract additional cargo to the international route. Mohammadzadeh added, taking his turn, that the Iranian side promotes the development of the route and develops the infrastructure inside the country. The main role of the South West corridor is the realization of goods transportation between EU countries and India. This corridor passing through Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and Poland reduces time loss for the goods transportation between Europe and India. The protocol on the development of combination of different modes of transportation via International Transport Corridor South-West between the heads of railways, maritime and ports of Azerbaijan, Iran, Georgia and Ukraine was signed in Baku on 12 January 2016. Due to the created conditions, it is possible to transport cargo on the route for 15 days, overcoming the distance of more than 7,000 kilometers, delivering goods from India to Europe. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 16:31 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijans insurance companies that are members of the Green Card international motor insurance system, issued 5,662 international insurance policies for vehicles in August, the Compulsory Insurance Bureau of Azerbaijan (ISB) said on September 8. The number of issued insurance policies increased by 3.3 times compared to the same period of 2016. The insurance premiums on these contracts amounted to 266,950 manats, which is 2.7 times more than in the same period of 2016. As many as 4,975 of the signed contracts accounted for insurance of cars, 338 - trucks, 302 - trailers, 43 - buses and 4 - for insurance of motorcycles. The Green Card system has been functioning since 1951. The system became operational in Azerbaijan in January 1, 2016. The main objective of the Green Card System is settlement of claims of persons injured as a result of road accidents involving foreign registered vehicles, ensuring that victims of accidents involving foreign registered vehicles are not disadvantaged, as well as facilitation of the movement of vehicles across international borders by the use of an internationally acceptable insurance document. In 2016 insurance companies of Azerbaijan, within the Green Card system issued 10,514 international insurance policies for vehicles. Some 7,497 of these agreements were signed with owners of vehicles driving to Turkey and Iran, 2,569 to Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, and 448 to other countries included in the system of Green Card. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 17:09 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan has once again become Georgia's top investor, show the latest data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia. Azerbaijan invested $224.2 million in the neighboring country in the first half of 2017. The volume of investments invested by Azerbaijan fell by 20.3 percent in comparison with the same period of the previous year. In general, Azerbaijan accounts for 36.6 percent of foreign direct investment invested in the Georgian economy. Along with Azerbaijan, among the major investors in Georgia are the Netherlands (12.4 percent) and Turkey (11.3 percent). Investments were invested in the sectors of transport and communications, energy, construction of hotels and restaurants and real estate. Azerbaijan and Georgia are successfully cooperating in the political, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural spheres. The two countries are connected by several important regional projects, including the Baku-Supsa, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipelines, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Azerbaijan mainly exports petroleum, petroleum oils and gases, gypsum, anhydrite, plaster and other products to Georgia, while motor cars, live bovine animals, bars and rods of iron, as well as cement, make up the majority of imported goods from Georgia to Azerbaijan. M Moreover, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR is deeply involved in the energy market in the neighboring South Caucasus republic. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 17:50 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Railway agencies of Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Odessa on the joint operation of a permanent rail-ferry service for the development of freight traffic along the EU-Ukraine-Black Sea route - Georgia - Azerbaijan - Caspian Sea - the countries of the Asian region using ferries of "Ukrzaliznytsya" (Ukrainian Railways). The Memorandum was signed during the second International High-Level Transport Conference "Integrated Transport Corridors Europe-Asia", by the head of Ukrainian Railways Evgeny Kravtsov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Georgian Railways Mamuka Bakhtadze, and Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov. The Memorandum provides for the creation of a joint venture for operating ferries of the Ukrzaliznytsya for the development of the route the Baltic Sea - the Black Sea - the Caspian Sea. Partnership with our colleagues from Georgia opens new prospects for the implementation of this project. To ensure competitive transportation it is necessary to create not only a modern system of rail freight transport, but also to organize a complex work with the use of ferry crossings and establish close cooperation between the railways. Creation of a joint venture for operating ferries will serve for this, Kravtsov said. The parties agreed to take measures to establish a joint venture for the operation of rail ferries on the Black Sea for effective cooperation in organizing the transport of goods along the route EU-Ukraine-Black Sea-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Caspian Sea-the countries of the Asian region. "Ukrzaliznytsya" has two ferries "Heroes of Plevna" and "Heroes of Shipka". To date, these ferries have received certificates of ownership and certificates of the right to sail under the State Flag of Ukraine. "Integrated Transport Corridors Europe-Asia" was held on September 8 and brought together ministers, deputy ministers and heads of companies from Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, China, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Hungary. The participants discussed a range of issues, including different routes for transportation of goods via the transport corridors of participating countries, creation of a single technical and technological infrastructure for transportation of goods in European and Asian and application of advanced and digital technologies in the organization of transport processes. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 18:03 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Afghanistan is willing to enter European markets through Azerbaijan, said Siyam Psarlai. Highlighting that over the past two years, the trade relations between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have improved, the representative of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries said that Kabul may use this chance and increase the supply of goods to Europe through the territory of Azerbaijan. Psarlai further said the Afghan government should improve its trade relations with neighboring and Central Asian countries by implementing clear policies. Afghanistan and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February 2017 on cooperation in the field of trade. The Memorandum was signed with the aim of expanding trade and economic relations between the two countries, as well as with the aim of expanding bilateral cooperation between the private sector of the two countries. Afghanistan imports machineries, fuel and iron from Azerbaijan. The trade turnover with Afghanistan amounted to $13.37 million in January-July 2017, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. The entire amount of trade fell on the export of Azerbaijani products to this country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 14:24 (UTC+04:00) By Ali Mustafayev Syrian Armenians, in search of safe life, are migrating to Armenia, but they discover that they've jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Thousands of Syrian Armenians fleeing the war in their country have been welcomed by the Armenian authorities, who have given them citizenship and settled them in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. But, this resettlement is both a consequence and a possible cause of new conflict and fragility. Since early 2012, Armenia has been accepting Armenians seeking to escape Syrias civil strife. Baku has repeatedly stressed that Armenia is following a dangerous way by settling Syrian refugees in the occupied lands, where they face difficult living conditions and the threat of a looming war. Resettlement of Syrian Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is a highly provocative plan on the part of Armenia, and aims to change Nagorno-Karabakh`s demographic structure. By doing this, Armenia seeks to acquire a stronger position in the probable future peace talks. From another perspective, however, this is an attempt to keep the issue unresolved for years. Moreover, Yerevan aims to promote the flow of capital. Resettlement of Syrian Armenians prompts the diaspora to extend help to these people; therefore, this will promote and improve the image of the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian expert, specializing on issues related to the Middle East, Iran and post-Soviet area, member of Russian Academy of Sciences Farhad Ibrahimov believes that Armenia will use the native refugees to repopulate the border territories of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Noting that the colonization of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian refugees from Syria is in direct interests of the Armenian government, he said that these steps are made to provide the frontline with potential military forces in case of another military escalation with Azerbaijan. Hundreds of young Armenians emigrate from the country each year to escape the military service. Armenian MP Aram Manukyan earlier mentioned that at least 2,000 under-age children leave the country annually. This is only an official statement, while experts urge that the real figure is rather worse. Syrian Armenians realize this policy and for this reason they divided into groups. One group of Armenians leave Syria, heading for Lebanon, Jordan and the U.S. Another group of immigrants, who have already migrated to Armenia, leave the country for Russia or European countries. Preference to leave Armenia, which supposed to be a home for Syrian Armenians comes not only from the governments aggressive policy, but from the weak economy and to do business, feed themselves and their families. Syrian businessman Mikael Karapet, emigrated from Syria with his family after the beginning of the military conflict. His attempts to start a new business in Armenia have failed due to bribary and oligarchs. Karapet, talking to local media, complained of impossibility of doing business in Armenia, adding that he is one out of a large number of businessmen failing to find their places in local market. Not only refugees from Syria, but even Armenian natives are forced to leave the country because of unemployment, poor economic situation and regular violations of human rights. Despite the tragic statistic data, Armenia continues to push itself into a grave. Population loss has turned into the norm in this poor country, which tries to populate the occupied lands of Azerbaijan to further pursue its aggressive policy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 16:48 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The issue of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be discussed at regular sessions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), Assembly's President Christine Muttonen told reporters in Baku on September 8. She said the Parliamentary Assembly is a good platform for discussing existing conflicts in the OSCE area. "Parliamentarians from various member countries regularly raise issues concerning their countries at the organization," she noted. Undoubtedly, we expect the issue of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be included in the OSCE PA agenda." Muttonen added that the OSCE PA Rapporteur Kristian Vigenin is actively working towards restoring peace and stability in the region. We, together with our Azerbaijani partners, are working to restore stability in the region and in the interests of peoples well-being, she said. Muttonen also added that there is good cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the organization is interested in its further development. Muttonen arrived in the country on September 7, and was received by President Ilham Aliyev on Friday morning. Speaker of Azerbaijan`s Parliament Ogtay Asadov met Muttonen later during the day. The consequences of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the current state of peace talks were touched upon during the meetings in Baku. The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is more than two-decade-old, but still actual. It began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Today, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. In 1992, the OSCE established the Minsk Group in order to resolve the conflict by peaceful means. However, the organization, co-chaired by Russia, the U.S. and France, still fails to find a solution to the problem. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 17:59 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Religious leaders of Azerbaijan and Russia intend to contribute to pacification of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Prior to the trilateral meeting of Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian religious leaders on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Moscow, the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia met with Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, Trend reported. The two religious leaders met at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in the Danilov monastery in Moscow on September 8. Patriarch Kirill thanked Sheikhulislam for his visit to Moscow and noted his great contribution to the development of dialogue among religions and peoples. They expressed readiness to continue cooperation in the field of peacekeeping and voiced hope that the upcoming trilateral meeting will contribute to the settlement of the conflict in the South Caucasus. The trilateral meeting of Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian religious leaders will be also held today in Moscow. Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, but they have not been enforced to this day. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have also produced no results so far. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 7 September 2017 14:56 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov in Baku on September 7, Azertac reported. The head of state said the Azerbaijani side was pleased to create conditions for another meeting of Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov with his western counterparts. President Ilham Aliyev said these negotiations contribute to preventing risks and strengthening mutual confidence. "We are interested in reducing tension on a global scale and we are pleased to hold these important talks for the second time in Baku." President Ilham Aliyev described Baku`s hosting these talks as an example of confidence in Azerbaijan and a clear manifestation of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. The head of state highlighted successful cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in military and military-technical areas as well as in all other fields. Touching upon the recently held International Army Games, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan also hosts these competitions. The head of state said that despite joining these games not long ago, Azerbaijan has already become an active participant. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that military, military-technical cooperation between the two countries will continue to successfully develop. The President added that Valery Gerasimov`s visit is the good opportunity to discuss the issues on the agenda and cooperation prospects. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan successfully cooperate in all fields, including military and military-technical spheres. He said the two countries enjoy traditionally friendly relations, describing Azerbaijan as Russia`s strategic partner. Touching upon the International Army Games, Valery Gerasimov noted that if last year the Azerbaijani team competed in two events, this year it participated in five competitions and organized one of the events. They also exchanged views over cooperation prospects. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00) A memorial to military figures of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic has been unveiled in the Polish capital of Warsaw. The memorial commemorates Lieutenant General Suleyman bey Sulkevich and Colonel Veli bey Yadigar. Azerbaijani Minister of Defence, Colonel Genral Zakir Hasanov attended the unveiling ceremony along with the staff of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Warsaw, leadership of Polands Armed Forces, Polish MPs, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Institute of National Remembrance of Poland, Azertac reported. Hasanov, addressing the event, emphasized historically close relations between Poland and Azerbaijan. He said the opening of the memorial is of symbolic importance and will contribute to the development of military cooperation between the two countries. Suleyman bey Sulkevich played an important role in the establishment of national military units and the building of the national defense system in the capacity of Chief of Staff of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from March 1919 to February 1920. Veli bey Yadigar was a colonel in the Army of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and fled to Poland after the Bolchevik occupation of Azerbaijan in 1920. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 10:30 (UTC+04:00) By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere congratulations to you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Macedonia Independence Day, said President Aliyev in his letter. We are satisfied with the current level of Azerbaijani-Macedonian ties, noted the president. I hope that friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries will continue to develop and expand in the best interests of our nations. On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your activities, and the friendly people of Macedonia peace and prosperity, added the Azerbaijani president. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 11:20 (UTC+04:00) President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen in Baku on September 8, Azertac reported. Saying the OSCE attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan, Christine Muttonen noted that the organization`s representative in Azerbaijan spared no efforts to develop this cooperation. She also pointed out the active work of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA, saying they have put forward significant initiatives and resolutions. Underlining that this is her first visit to Azerbaijan as president of the OSCE PA, Christine Muttonen hailed President Ilham Aliyev`s attention to the educational institutions. She praised the fact that school- and education-related issues are among key priorities for Azerbaijan, emphasizing the importance of what has been done in the country in this regard, particularly construction of new schools. Highlighting the recent initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan and the projects implemented in the country, President Ilham Aliyev noted that these factors also contribute to international cooperation. The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan has already become a center of multiculturalism and intercultural dialogue, saying the country is periodically hosting significant events with the involvement of various international organizations. Providing an insight into the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has spared no efforts to ensure a fair and peaceful settlement of the dispute through negotiations, while the Armenian side is interested in delaying the peace talks. The head of state noted that education is crucial in the development of children and youth. Saying he inspects the newly built and overhauled schools in Baku ahead of each academic year, President Ilham Aliyev hailed the improving quality of education in Azerbaijan. He described education as one of the key priorities for the country, pointing out the fact that during the years of independence the Azerbaijani government managed to maintain the level of the population`s literary close to 100 per cent. The President expressed his confidence that the visit of president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen to Azerbaijan will be successful and fruitful. They also exchanged views on the current state and prospects of the talks on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 14:51 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Bozdag Hokmali, one of the numerous volcanoes located in Absheron, has caused numerous deformations and cracks in houses built on the sediments of the volcano. Mud volcanoes are extremely common on Earth, while over 400 of about 1,000 mud volcanoes of the world are located in Azerbaijan, with the majority in Absheron and Gobustan. They can range from a few metres across to the size of a small mountain. The head of the expedition of the National Geological Exploration Service, Aziz Garalov, told Trend that many villas have been built in the north side of Bozdag Hokmali, ie, towards the Khirdalan-Mushfig direction. Garalov, speaking about the danger of living near the mud volcano, said that Bozdag Hokmali last erupted roughly 10 years ago. But, the mud volcano can erupt in the future. The slope was cut off to build houses in many areas, including close to the center of the volcano, despite warnings. As a result, many buildings have been damaged by cracks. The width of some cracks reached 50 cm, said Garalov. Mud volcanoes behave a little like their molten-rock counterparts, going through long periods of inactivity with periodic violent eruptions. Mud volcanoes, however, spew out not molten hot lava from the Earths mantle, but usually a cold mixture of gas, water and solids. Every 20 years or so, volcano ignites and its flame height can reach hundreds of meters. For instance, Keyraki mud volcano erupted in Baku on June 12. The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry reported that the eruption lasted for 15 minutes and the mud waste covered an area of 3.5 hectares. Lokbatan mud volcano erupted on the shore of the Caspian Sea oil field in May. A depth of the volcano reached 4 kilometers, while the eruption lasted for only 4 minutes. Otman Bozdag volcano, on of the biggest in the world, erupted in the suburb of Baku in February 2017. As a result of the volcanic eruption, the flame rose to the height of 350 meters. Mud waste covered an area of about 10-12 hectare. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 15:36 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan will send humanitarian aid to Rohingya Muslims, suffering from the illegal actions of the Myanmar government. The humanitarian aid will be sent upon the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, according to the Emergency Situations Ministry. The humanitarian aid will be delivered via Azerbaijani cargo airline Silk Way Airlines to Bangladesh, which temporary sheltered Rohingya Muslims. Rohingya Muslims have faced discrimination in Myanmar for generations. They are not classified as a distinct group under citizenship laws and have limited rights. Previously, Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry condemned the mass violence against the Muslim population in Myanmar. "We do support the efforts of the international community, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to stop this violence, the ministry spokesman said. Rakhine, which lies in western Myanmar, has seen simmering tension between its Buddhist and Muslim populations since communal violence broke out in 2012. Violence once again broke out in the Rakhine state in late August after security forces launched an operation against Rohingya Muslims, forcing at least 120,000 people, including women and children to flee and seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. The Myanmar government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, is accused of using disproportionate force and destroying homes of Rohingya. The U.N. documented mass gang-rape, killings -- including infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances. Rohingya representatives have said approximately 400 people have been slain in the crackdown. As of September 5, some 123,600 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh, according to the UN. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 10:43 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Norways IKM Cleandrill company is interested to work in Azerbaijan, as it sees the country is a strong market with ongoing offshore drilling activities, Managing Director Tom Hasler told Trend. IKM Cleandrill has been awarded a contract for riserless mud circulating system services by Total E&P ABSHERON BV on behalf of JOCAP, Joined Operating Company for Azerbaijans Absheron project. The contract will include the installation of IKMs MRR500 mud recovery system onto a new semisubmersible drill rig named after Heydar Aliyev, and provision of subsea drilling fluid pumping services as part of Absheron projects drilling campaign. "The duration of this project is not yet finalized. We hope for a long relationship with Absheron project," said Hasler. "It is also an area where our services (top-hole mud recovery) are in demand due to the typical methods of drilling." The companys managing director further noted that IKM Cleandrill targeted this project as the start of an expanding business in the area for its services. "We are very excited to enter the region and expect to win further work in the area," added Hasler. In late 2016, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and TOTAL signed a framework agreement on the main contractual and commercial principles regulating the program of the first phase of Absheron fields development. The first phase of the fields development envisages drilling of one well at a sea depth of 450 meters. The production will stand at up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year and these volumes will be used in Azerbaijans domestic market. It is planned to produce first gas from the field in 2019. TOTAL is expected to adopt the final investment decision on Absheron by late 2017 and the first appraisal well will be drilling in late 2017. The approximate cost of the first phase is estimated at $1 billion. Absherons reserves are estimated at 350 billion cubic meters of gas and 45 million tons of condensate, according to the estimations of SOCAR geologists. Absheron project will be operated by JOCAP (50 percent SOCAR, 50 percent TOTAL). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 15:18 (UTC+04:00) By Ali Mustafayev Several EU member states have opposed Germanys decision to suspend Turkeys EU membership talks amid recent tensions between Ankara and Berlin. Finlands Foreign Minister Timo Soini voiced his countrys support for the continuation of Turkeys EU membership process, Anadolu Agency reported. "I think that it is always useful to have a dialogue," he told reporters ahead of an informal EU foreign affairs meeting in Estonia on Thursday, and dismissed cutting negotiations with Turkey despite "problems". If we do not talk to each other, this is not a very constructive way to go forward, he added. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius also turned down recent calls by German politicians to end Turkeys EU talks, and warned that such a move could have counterproductive consequences. We should continue the process and the engagement, he stressed. "We should not push Turkey away. Turkey is a great country, a strategically important country for all of us," Boris Johnson, U.K. Foreign Secretary, told reporters outside an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Estonia. Johnson said European countries should recognize that Turkey had been experiencing difficult times since the defeated coup attempt last year. The future of Turkeys EU membership talks has become a major topic in the German parliamentary elections campaign on September 24. Germany's political parties, especially the current coalition partners to Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) led by Martin Schulz and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, have promised to increase the pressure on Turkey and put an end to Turkey's EU accession talks as part of their election campaigns. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is running for re-election, promised earlier to raise the possibility of suspending or ending Turkeys EU membership talks in discussions with her counterparts, at a summit in Brussels next month. Ties between Turkey and European states have been strained since the defeated coup attempt in Turkey last year as Ankara accused European countries of failing to show strong solidarity with the Turkish Government against the attempted military takeover. Ankara also criticized Germany, Belgium and several other European countries for turning a blind eye to outlawed groups and terrorist organizations hostile to Turkey. European officials have repeatedly questioned widespread investigations by the Turkish authorities into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Ankara accuses of having organized the defeated military coup attempt. However, Ankara insists it is acting to maintain security in the country, which has seen hundreds of its citizens killed in terrorist attacks by different groups over the past years. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 14:41 (UTC+04:00) The Turkish military has killed four PKK terrorists in the southeastern Sirnak province on September 8. The Sirnak Governor's Office reported that, after an unmanned air vehicle located five terrorists in the Guclukonak district, attack helicopters were sent to the area, Anadoly Agency reported. The air forces killed four of the five terrorists during the ongoing operation in the early hours of Friday. The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 September 2017 15:23 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Russian Armed Forces General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Petr Pavel, chairman of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreed to continue contact during a meeting in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on September 7. The two generals exchanged views on the international security situation in Europe and the Middle East during the meeting and both agreed to continue talking. This face to face meeting demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military communication, in line with NATOs policy of transparency and ongoing dialogue at the political level with senior Russian leadership, the press service of NATO told Trend via email. During the meeting, Pavel and Gerasimov agreed to continue using the military lines of communication in the future, according to the message. The meeting is believed to be "a follow-on" from the phone call between Gerasimov and Pavel on March 3, 2017. In February 2017, Baku hosted another high-ranking meeting between the Chiefs of General Staff of the US Armed Forces and Russia. In 2014, NATO decided to suspend practical cooperation with Russia, while maintaining a political dialogue at the level of ambassadors and above. Russia has repeatedly stated that it was not Moscow that suspended agreements with NATO and that's why the alliance should take steps to reanimate the interaction. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz TWIN FALLS People who support letting undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children stay in the country and oppose a proposal to lease beds at the Jerome County jail to hold immigration detainees are planning a rally in Twin Falls on Saturday. The Southern Idaho Progressive Coalition, Legislative District 25 Democrats and J.U.M.P. (Jerome UnitedMaking Progress) are organizing the rally, which will go from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the steps of the Twin Falls County Court House on Shoshone Street North. Community leaders and local recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals plan to speak. We believe that all Dreamers deserve to stay and continue to be the productive and passionate people the are, said Paul Sturman, with the Southern Idaho Progressive Coalition. Along with this we are strongly against ICE procuring beds in Jerome. It only promotes mistrust and separation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been looking into leasing beds in Jerome to hold up to 50 detainees a night. Opponents worry an increased ICE presence could mean more deportations in the area. As of early July, county commissioners were waiting for a finished proposal from ICE, and Commissioner Charlie Howell said Thursday evening he hasnt heard anything new since then. DACA was a policy of President Barack Obamas letting some undocumented immigrants who were brought here as minors live and work in the country without fear of deportation. President Donald Trump said earlier this week he plans to revoke it in six months, while urging Congress to pass something to address the issue before then. 8 September 2017 16:01 (UTC+04:00) By Ali Mustafayev A Federal Appeals Court denied the Trump administrations request to block more travelers from six Muslim-majority nations and permitted all vetted refugees to be admitted. The September 7- decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could significantly decrease the number of people stopped from traveling to the U.S. under President Trumps travel ban. The ban currently halts nearly all refugee resettlement and travel by foreign nationals from six mostly Muslim countries unless they have close connections in the U.S. The ban approved in January 2017 barred travel to the U.S. by nationals from Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Iran for 90 days and stopped all refugee resettlement for 120 days. Trump also more than halved the number of refugees who could eventually be admitted in 2017 to 50,000 from the 110,000 cap established under former President Barack Obama. Federal appeals courts had blocked the ban until June, when the Supreme Court said it could take effect as long as it did not stop travel of anyone with a bona fide relationship to the U.S. The ban policy of Donald Trump led to mass demonstrations of opposing people throughout the country. The panel of judges did not decide whether the ban is legal. That question is left to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear arguments over the issue on October 10. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Building health systems resilient to climate change, improving access to essential medicines for all and intensifying efforts to end tuberculosis are among key issues discussed at a meeting The Seventieth Regional Committee session of WHO South-East Asia Region, the annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region, is being hosted by Maldives this year from 6 10 September and includes health ministers and senior health ministry officials of the Regions 11 Member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. First day of the meeting emphasized the need to make health for all a top priority in WHO South-East Asia Region as health ministers, leaders and officials. At the inauguration of the Seventieth Regional Committee session of WHO South-East Asia, the governing body meeting of WHO in the Region Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region said, The challenges we all face are real and complex. We are committed to the achievement of universal health coverage. Every single country is making headway and we have powerful means to measure progress. Universal health coverage (UHC) is the best and most powerful means we have at our disposal for changing peoples lives through better health, she said, emphasizing how sustained investment in health will ensure hard-won economic progress continues. WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom, said there is nothing better you can do for the people of your countries than to invest in strengthening your health systems. This includes ensuring the right number of health workers with the right skills, in the right places, to give the right care, at the right time. It means ensuring that essential medicines are available, and that people do not have to choose between buying medicine and buying food. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Health Minister of Maldives, and Dr Mohamed Shainee, the special envoy of the President of Maldives and the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, addressed the inaugural session of the annual meeting being hosted by Maldives this year. Second day of the meeting recognised the immense and increasing public health risks caused by climate change, Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region unanimously endorsed the Male Declaration, committing to build health systems able to anticipate, respond to, cope with, recover from and adapt to climate-related shocks and stress. Climate change is happening, and is a risk to public health. Whether from greater severity and intensity of extreme weather events, changes in the spread and abundance of disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes, or changes to the physical environment that cause displacement or threaten livelihoods, climate change is already having an impact across our Region. Todays Declaration demonstrates the commitment of the South-East Asia Regions Member countries to take effective and immediate action, Dr Khetrapal sai The Declaration being adopted at the Seventieth Regional Committee session of the WHO South-East Asia Region the Regions highest decision-making body builds on recent initiatives at country, regional and global levels to tackle the public health risks caused by climate change. The Declaration is accompanied by a Framework for Action to be implemented between 2017 and 2022, and calls on UN agencies and other international organizations, development partners, philanthropic agencies, academic and civil society organizations to mobilize human, financial and technical resources for this purpose. Building health systems resilient to climate change, improving access to essential medicines for all and intensifying efforts to end tuberculosis are among key issues discussed at a meeting The Seventieth Regional Committee session of WHO South-East Asia Region, the annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region, is being hosted by Maldives this year from 6 10 September and includes health ministers and senior health ministry officials of the Regions 11 Member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. First day of the meeting emphasized the need to make health for all a top priority in WHO South-East Asia Region as health ministers, leaders and officials. At the inauguration of the Seventieth Regional Committee session of WHO South-East Asia, the governing body meeting of WHO in the Region Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region said, The challenges we all face are real and complex. We are committed to the achievement of universal health coverage. Every single country is making headway and we have powerful means to measure progress. Universal health coverage (UHC) is the best and most powerful means we have at our disposal for changing peoples lives through better health, she said, emphasizing how sustained investment in health will ensure hard-won economic progress continues. WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom, said there is nothing better you can do for the people of your countries than to invest in strengthening your health systems. This includes ensuring the right number of health workers with the right skills, in the right places, to give the right care, at the right time. It means ensuring that essential medicines are available, and that people do not have to choose between buying medicine and buying food. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Health Minister of Maldives, and Dr Mohamed Shainee, the special envoy of the President of Maldives and the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, addressed the inaugural session of the annual meeting being hosted by Maldives this year. Second day of the meeting recognised the immense and increasing public health risks caused by climate change, Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region unanimously endorsed the Male Declaration, committing to build health systems able to anticipate, respond to, cope with, recover from and adapt to climate-related shocks and stress. Climate change is happening, and is a risk to public health. Whether from greater severity and intensity of extreme weather events, changes in the spread and abundance of disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes, or changes to the physical environment that cause displacement or threaten livelihoods, climate change is already having an impact across our Region. Todays Declaration demonstrates the commitment of the South-East Asia Regions Member countries to take effective and immediate action, Dr Khetrapal said The Declaration being adopted at the Seventieth Regional Committee session of the WHO South-East Asia Region the Regions highest decision-making body builds on recent initiatives at country, regional and global levels to tackle the public health risks caused by climate change. The Declaration is accompanied by a Framework for Action to be implemented between 2017 and 2022, and calls on UN agencies and other international organizations, development partners, philanthropic agencies, academic and civil society organizations to mobilize human, financial and technical resources for this purpose. We came to Omaha to celebrate a baby's 1st birthday, the son of friends of ours. The city was much bigger than we realized and seems there is a lot of things to do around town. It was easy to get around in some ways because the main street, Dodge Street, runs for miles and miles from one end of town to the other. We did get to one of the malls, which is an outdoor mall, which had many great stores, and the biggest sports store we have ever seen. It had a ferris wheel inside for the kids to entertain while parents shopped. And the exterior of the mall area was decorated in Fall festivities. Our friends took us down to the old part of town with the brick streets and quaint places to ear. And our hotel was pet friendly! We made some new friends. Show more Show less JEROME A new truck stop off of Interstate 84 could draw more travelers to Jeromes downtown. Mr. Gas/Lynch Oil has announced its plans to build a convenience store to 1223 Main St. W. (Highway 25), off of Exit 165. The 15-acre property will be developed for a 9,000 square-foot store and restaurant, 16 gas and diesel pumps and parking. The approximately $6 million project also brings needed infrastructure to accommodate three other future developments. We are proud to assist the city of Jerome by extending their water and sewer service all the way to the I-84 Exit 165, in hopes of developing the west end of Jerome with future businesses and industry, Mr. Gas President Nick Lynch said in a statement. Development will require about 2,000 feet of pipe, he said. Jerome Mayor David Davis said the store is a great gateway project to bring travelers to a part of town they may not have visited otherwise. Its a long-term vision of the city and part of their strategic plan to improve Main Street all the way out, Jerome 20/20 Executive Director Larry Hall said. The Mr. Gas will have large restrooms inside the store and 165 parking spaces for semis. We want to be known as a great place for families to stop and rest along their journey through the lovely state of Idaho, Lynch said. We also want to be a great stop for the local community to grab their daily essentials on the go. The quick-service restaurant, Hall said, will be critical to attracting people to the site. Theyre hoping obviously for something thats different, he said. Lynch is actively recruiting for the restaurant. His family-owned, fourth-generation company has been in Burley since 1923. It has opened seven Mr. Gas stations in south-central Idaho. Lynch Oil has owned the Jerome County property for seven years. The Lynch Oil storage tanks already on site are a supply source for the companys fuel trucks. It was always our intention to build a travel center there, Lynch said. The planning for the development took about two years of coordination between multiple entities. This project has been a great joint effort between the County and City of Jerome, Jerome County Commissioner Charlie Howell said. Fuel tanks were installed on site last week. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for late September, with an opening scheduled for early 2018. TWIN FALLS An off-duty sheriffs captain has been charged with drunken driving. Twin Falls County Sheriffs Capt. Brent Hilliard is on suspension as a result of the charges, Sheriff Tom Carter said Friday. Hilliard was driving south on U.S. 93 at 7:43 p.m. Thursday when stopped by a county deputy at about milepost 32 north of Hollister, Capt. Tim Miller told the Times-News. Hilliard was not driving a county vehicle. The sheriffs office immediately turned over the case to the Idaho State Police to avoid a conflict of interest, Miller said. Hilliard was charged but not booked into jail, ISP Capt. Ismael Gonzales said. Carter told the Times-News that it was too early to release more information because the incident is still under investigation by the ISP. Hilliard has been with the sheriffs office since 1996. Carter promoted him to captain on Jan. 1, 2011. SHOSHONE State and federal agencies are lifting Stage 1 fire restrictions across south-central Idaho. The change is effective at midnight Sunday, the Twin Falls District Bureau of Land Management announced Friday. Agencies are lifting restrictions because theres a lower wildfire threat, thanks to lower evening temperatures and higher overnight humidity. Affected areas include federal and state forests and lands in Elmore, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Owyhee and Twin Falls counties, according to a statement. Shoshone zone: All Twin Falls District BLM, state and private lands north of I-84 to Highway 20, from King Hill to Massacre Rocks State Park. Three Creek Zone: All Twin Falls District BLM, state and private lands from I-84 south to Idaho/Nevada border. West of Highway 93 to Bruneau Canyon. Cassia Zone: All Twin Falls District BLM, state and private lands from I-84/I-86 south to Idaho/Utah/Nevada border. East of Highway 93 to Cassia County/Oneida County line. Fire restrictions are still in effect for the Sawtoth North Zone, which spans north of Highway 20 to the northern Sawtooth National Forest Boundary. Fire managers want to remind community members to never leave campfires unattended; to keep water, dirt and a shovel near your fire; to make sure your fire is completely out before leaving; and to never use fireworks, exploding targets or tracer rounds on or near public land. A wave of Sydney investors in the Melbourne apartment market is tipped to strengthen in the next few months. Lower prices and higher immigration levels are the lures for Sydney buyers put off by the harbour city's more expensive entry points. One-bedroom apartment prices start at around $425,000 at Botanic, 25 Coventry St, Southbank. Credit:SJB Architects Conversely Melbourne investors are increasingly discouraged by new stamp duty regulations which remove discounts for non-home buyers. The shift comes as Urbis' apartment report showed a 40 per cent decrease in apartment sales across Australia in the June 2017 quarter. A former chief of the prudential regulator and a former boss of the consumer watchdog have been appointed to the APRA panel examining the culture of the embattled Commonwealth Bank. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced on Friday that former APRA boss John Laker, former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Graeme Samuel and company director Jillian Broadbent would conduct the review of CBA it announced in late August. The review came in the wake of numerous scandals including allegations of money laundering, unfair denial of life insurance claims and financial planning rip-offs. In a statement APRA said: "The goal of the inquiry is to identify any shortcomings in the governance, culture and accountability frameworks and practices within CBA, and make recommendations as to how they are promptly and adequately addressed." After travelling more than 3500km, students from Yakanarra Community School in Western Australia have launched their song book at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. The students and elders presented the Yakanarra Song Book, a collection of 14 illustrated songs about place, animals, hunting and fishing, most of which were written in the Walmajarri language. "It's a massive day because the children have been practicing in their language, they've written, they've illustrated the book, they've travelled here and now they've had to sing the songs and perform them in a world that's so different from their own," Yakanarra principle Helen Unwin said. The students performed three songs from the book with elders Jessie Moora and Mary Vanbee taking the lead. Alleged Queensland police whistleblower Rick Flori says he will press on despite being ordered to stand trial on misconduct charges on Friday. The former Surfers Paradise officer's efforts to have the matter permanently stayed were waved away in a pre-trial hearing at Southport District Court, with a mention for the trial set on November 2. Alleged whistleblower cop Rick Flori leaves the Brisbane Supreme Court. Credit:Jorge Branco Flori has been accused of allegedly leaking footage to the media in 2012 of police beating a handcuffed man in the basement of a Gold Coast police station. He could face jail time if found guilty. Flori had alleged the criminal charges were only brought against him following a Supreme Court ruling in 2014 which made evidence gathered by police following the execution of a search warrant inadmissible for a disciplinary hearing. A Fraser Coast retiree had forgotten he had entered a Gold Lotto draw when he saw reports of a mystery winner of a multimillion-dollar lotto jackpot. Now he's $30 million richer. The man won the entire Oz Lotto division one prize on Tuesday night, but with an unregistered ticket the Golden Casket authorities had no way of contacting him to pass on the good news. The Hervey Bay man discovered his win after watching the news. The Hervey Bay man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Golden Casket he had forgotten about his lotto ticket until he saw reports the $30 million prize was still unclaimed. Id heard there had been a win in Hervey Bay but it just didnt register Id forgotten about my ticket, he said. A pair of men could face jail time or fines of more than $375,000 each after an echidna stolen from the wild was found in a Lockyer Valley home. A Police executed a search warrant on the Prenzlau home on August 17 and uncovered a live female echidna and a carpet python, along with several weapons, including a rifle. It is an offence under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 to keep a protected animal and the offence of stealing an echidna from its natural habitat carries a maximum two-year jail penalty or a $378,450 fine. The live female echidna was found during a police raid at Prenzlau on August 17. Detective Inspector Lance Vercoe said he believed it was the first time a person had been charged in Queensland for keeping a class 1 protected animal under the Nature Conservation Act. A good day of fishing has three elements - good friends, a good catch and a good story. And WA recreational fisher Ben Willmott bagged a trifecta on Wednesday when he and his mates caught their bag limits of dhufish in tranquil waters off the coast of Moore River, north of Perth. With enough fun and fish in the bag, they were pulling up a large cuttlefish at the end of their trip when they spotted something very big moving through the water. "This huge Great White came up after the cuttlefish and swam up right close to the boat," Mr Willmott told WAtoday. Discord on the floor of the 2016 Democratic Convention during a US election influenced by Russia. Credit:New York Times To do this, such propaganda must play up the "opposing other". That's evident in Facebook's recent disclosure that Russian sources spent $US100,000 on ads that "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum". Once upon a time Russian propaganda pointed to a brighter future: the Soviet Union's 1967 Pavilion at the Montreal Expo. Credit:Wikicommons It's also clear in efforts by Facebook to remove tens of thousands of accounts publishing false information in the lead-up to the French election in May and the German election that will begin this month. Elevating fear and confusion, and amplifying disinformation around political and social matters, all contribute to the goal of sowing discord in democracies. One Nation senator Pauline Hanson wearing a burqa during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra in August. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen If there is any common thread in the propaganda, says Irisova, it is a profoundly negative one for the liberal values that underpin Western democracy. "In general, we can see a promotion of an idea that liberal values can't confront modern threats," she says. A better future: US Vice-President Richard Nixon and Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev (to Nixon's left, pointing) and Leonid Brezhnev (to Nixon's right) view a model kitchen at the American National Exhibition in Moscow in 1959. To be sure, that is a theme echoed by many Putin-friendly politicians, from Hanson - who has made alienating comments to Muslims - to Trump, who came to power declaring the US in decline. Happy days aren't here again Ben Nimmo of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab. Credit:Twitter/@benimmo This negative propaganda marks a contrast with the Cold War, when the East and West promoted, or propagated, competing political visions to the global public. The Soviet Union funded elaborate displays at international events replete with images that touted an idealised "people's democracy" of communism. Olga Irisova of the Russian affairs journal Intersection Project. The US responded in kind with idealised visions of capitalism. Ben Nimmo of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab says the message coming out of Moscow today is no longer "'Our system is better than yours'; instead it's 'Your system is no better than ours'." Today, the common theme to Russian propaganda is simply the failure of Western liberal ideals, whether an emphasis on the failure of liberal values, or the emphasis on the West betraying its own liberal values, Nimmo says. While it's true the Kremlin has embraced "strident nationalism, church and family values organisations, ultra-conservatism" and it maintains Soviet-era connections to the West from communism, the links don't add up to a cohesive ideological worldview, he says: "Russia certainly doesn't have the messianic zeal of the Soviet times." But it's not just the message that's changed. It's the medium too. Promoting or engaging with divisive themes online - through social media, diplomatically and elsewhere - helps skew the broader democratic discussion. Honest debate about the role of banks in society is oversimplified into a discussion of "elites" and "rigged systems". Political differences about the balance of immigration become a referendum on Islam, with all Muslims being conflated with terrorists. Talk of so-called "white genocide" distorts real discussion of society, including race and demographics. Poison the well In this way, the use of propaganda is not to win the battle of ideas, such as was seen in the 20th century, but to prevent productive discussion from happening in democracies at all. Call it the "poison the well" approach. Russian propaganda is "destructive, not productive", the Rand Corporation's Christopher Paul told Fairfax Media. "They [the Russians] want to tear down truth, trust, credibility, discourse, and democracy," says Paul, co-author of the landmark "Firehose of falsehood" analysis, which details how high volumes of misinformation and fake news are used to distort and disrupt political debate. "Sometimes they are seeking to create specific effects, but often they are just undermining the credibility of any and all information," he says. When you consider the role of trust in a society, including trust in information to guide public debate, it's not a trivial target. This presents a special difficulty for democracies facing generational challenges such as secular stagnation or the failure of free market economics to deliver prosperity for the middle class. An added dimension is technological; how can society remain unified in a time of digital disruption? Not only is technology creating a divide in the job market, but the structure of the internet and social media encourages people to build communities with other like-minded people, which in turn tends to Balkanise society. Psychology It should be no surprise that what makes 21st-century propaganda effective is psychology rather than ideology. "It is very important here to understand that propaganda cannot be effective if there are no corresponding ideas and stereotypes entrenched in a given society," Irisova says. Thanks to today's technology, fringe voices can make themselves appear more numerous than they really are. New designations are coined and disseminated and used to divide (and bots are helpful in this way on social media). Some terms, such as "neo-McCarthyists" or "alt-right", are new, while others - such as "Antifa" - are dredged up from the past. In the 20th century, one answer to communist propaganda was for democracies to amplify credible reporting consistently while rebutting misinformation at home and abroad. But in today's chaotic information environment, consistency in propaganda doesn't matter nearly as much as shaping the first impression the public has of any given topic. That's why Russian information networks combine strong breaking news in specific areas such as terrorism with distorting misinformation and conspiracy theories in others. "Propagandists gain advantage by offering the first impression, which is hard to overcome," as Paul and his colleague Miriam Matthews have written. Once a false impression is out there, it's hard to dislodge: Sweden is the world's rape capital; Seth Rich was 'killed' for his inside knowledge of the Clinton campaign; German-Russian girl Lisa F was raped by Muslim refugees. If the impression can be skewed, it's a powerful tool to sow chaos and confusion in a country's political conversation. If a nation can't understand its own politics, the wheels of its democracy slow or even stop. Rather than a longer-term strategic propaganda that relies on an alternative vision for the world, the propaganda effort today is more tactical, with the crosshairs moved to whatever controversy is likely to divide and confuse citizens. The internet lowers the bar for entry to anyone with the will to use controversy and division to deceive and demoralise. But unlike communist times, there is little to no alternative positive future to the messages promoted by Russia about democracy. But the actual John Howard, instead of declining the ABC's inexplicable invitation, put on his pompous, statesman's voice and testified of the DPRK's Kim Jong-un that "He's an evil man. He's evil he combines the deficiencies of evil and a lack of balance". "My shameful mistake when I was PM in joining in the USA's invasion of Iraq (please forgive me, Australia!) so as to cravenly do the warlike Americans' bidding means I've no credibility at all in foreign affairs matters. So if you'll excuse me now, I'll get back to my knitting." A better, less narcissistic version of John Howard would have declined modestly the ABC's approach, marvelling "Why on earth do you want to talk to me about this?" The nation needed the ABC's recent interview with John Howard about North Korea as badly as a tradie needs a glass hammer, as badly as lovers need a knitted condom. The next day PM Malcolm Turnbull asked if he agreed with his predecessor that Kim Jong-un is evil said that, yes, he did. While trying not to listen to John Howard talking about North Korea (something I needed as much as a bunyip needs a laptop) my ears did prick up at his characterisation of Kim Jong-un as an embodiment of "evil". There is something quaint and ancient about the concept. Yes Kim Jong-un is despicable, but is he "evil"? Is he the personification of what Christians are referring to when they chirrup the Lord's Prayer with its request to Our Father in Heaven to please "deliver us from evil"? Evil (is there any such thing?) seems a funny old notion. Unless of course one is an American because polling finds that some 70 per cent of Americans believe in the Devil and believe that he (for sexistly, the Devil is never imagined to be a woman, except of course in Marty Robbins' classic 1962 hit song Devil Woman) generates all the evil there is in the world. In Marty's immortal song the Devil Woman lurks "with evil on her mind" and in medieval England the Devil man and his demons were, with evil on their minds, thought to be everywhere. I am reading a new book, Medieval Graffiti about how in medieval times the superstitious peasantry would scratch and carve symbols (thousands of these works survive today) into the fabric of their local churches. The purpose of these works, the scholarly author explains, was "to ward off evil". Japan: The United States of America has "a strong determination" to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis using military action if necessary, one of Japan's most senior defence figures has said. In saying so, former defence minister Satoshi Morimoto has brushed aside widespread expert views that the rogue regime will drift into becoming a full nuclear power because there is no plausible way to stop them. The remarks also reflect a powerful strain of thought in Japan that the situation cannot be allowed to limp along until Kim Jong-un gets what he wants. The former defence minister told Fairfax Media the next few weeks will be a crucial period of high tension and brinkmanship on the peninsula. "North Korea strongly insists the US has to accept the North as a nuclear power. The US cannot do anything like that. So Washington has no intention, absolutely no intention, to open the dialogue with North Korea this time," said Mr Morimoto, who now serves as a special adviser to current Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera and is influential and well-connected within the government of Shinzo Abe. Hong Kong: The number of Rohingya who have fled fighting in western Myanmar has climbed sharply to 270,000, placing a huge strain on camps in Bangladesh where they are seeking shelter, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. On Thursday, the UN agency said about 164,000 Rohingya had fled since fighting broke out in late August. Rohingya scuffle to get aid from local volunteers at Kutupalong, Bangladesh, on Friday. Credit:AP Two refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh that were already home to nearly 34,000 Rohingya refugees "are now bursting at the seams," Duniya Aslam Khan, a spokeswoman for the refugee agency, said in a statement. "The limited shelter capacity is already exhausted," she said. "Refugees are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land in the Ukhiya and Teknaf areas." Senators Malcolm Roberts and Matt Canavan, who have both been caught up in questions over dual citizenship. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In 1988 the court decided Robert Wood's eligibility. At the time of election he was "a British citizen who had not received Australian citizenship". The court held him ineligible. Then came the big case of Phil Cleary in 1992. Cleary had handsomely won the normally safe Labor seat of Wills as an independent when the Keating government was on the nose. His election was challenged because he was a teacher and therefore holding an office of profit under the Crown, which is also prohibited by Section 44. Cleary was held to be ineligible. The court ordered a new election, not a recount as the court has done in cases of a senator's ineligibility. Interestingly, though, the challenger to Cleary came fourth in the election and needed to knock out the Liberal and Labor candidates as well. As it happened they were born in Switzerland and Greece. They had taken out Australian citizenship decades ago and were utterly Australian. What did the court do? Five of the seven judges concentrated on international law. They said that if a country's citizenship laws bestowed citizenship upon a person and provided for a renunciation of it in a way recognisable in international law then the Australian parliamentary candidate had to renounce or retract citizenship of that country according to that country's law or fall foul of Section 44. In short, eligibility for the Australian Parliament would be determined by the acceptability under international law of foreign citizenship law. Sure, all the judges accepted that a mischievous law foisting citizenship upon Australians unawares would not offend Section 44. But a majority said that if a foreign power's law gave someone their citizenship in a way acceptable to international law, that person would need to take all reasonable steps to renounce that citizenship, especially if the country provided the means of doing so, or fall foul of Section 44. The majority held that the Swiss and the Greek had not taken all reasonable steps because Swiss and Greek law provided for a citizenship-renunciation process which they did not do. The majority held that the candidates of Greek and the Swiss origin were therefore ineligible. The two minority judges, Mary Gaudron and William Deane, however, put a different view. They looked at the purpose of Section 44. They took the sensible view that people who had taken out Australian citizenship decades ago and did not avail themselves of the foreign country's passports, social security and the like should not fall foul of Section 44 even if they had not gone through the foreign county's renunciation procedures. Gaudron was especially incisive. She pointed to the fact that at the time these two candidates took out citizenship the oath used the words: "renouncing all other allegiances". It no longer does. But Gaudron and Deane were in a minority. However, they represented what has now matured into an independent Australian jurisprudence. Deane, in minority, in a related area said Australia could not deport people convicted of crimes who had lived in Australia for a long time since childhood even if they had not taken out citizenship. At that time the government was attempting to deport someone who had come with his parents from eastern Europe as a toddler and could only speak Aussie English after he was convicted of some medium range offence. My guess is that the court will shun all this external stuff about whether international law would recognise that a foreign country had conferred upon someone who is basically Australian their citizenship and whether that conferring was of an moment in Australian law. I think that they will come around to the Deane-Gaudron view that we decide who are Australians according to Australian laws, not foreign laws and international laws. It seems absurd that someone who has sworn at a citizenship ceremony that their allegiance is to Australia cannot stand for parliament without having to worry about the law of a foreign country and international law to see whether they have to take active steps to get rid of a foreign citizenship. The Australian swearing in should be enough. It seems absurd that someone born in Australia (or born of Australian parents while they were temporarily overseas) cannot stand for parliament without having to worry about the law of a foreign country and international law to see whether they have to take active steps to get rid of a foreign citizenship. The Australian birth should be enough. But how could the High Court rule in such a way, against the precedent of an earlier case? Well, they can do it quite easily because one thing has not been stressed about the Cleary case. Once the court had held that Cleary was ineligible and there should be a new election, all else was irrelevant. It was obiter dicta, as the lawyers say. Everything the judges said about the challenge to the other two candidates on the ground of their dual citizenship was legally irrelevant. Interesting, but non-binding. In the case of Heather Hill in 1999 the court concentrated on whether Britain was somehow not a "foreign power". The court held Britain was a foreign power. Hill was born in Britain, but critically had used her British passport after taking out Australian citizenship, unlike the Swiss-born and Greek-born in Cleary's case. So this case would not prevent a rethink of Cleary's case even though Hill was held to be ineligible. I expect the unexpected. The High Court will err on the side of not applying foreign and international law to whether someone can stand for the Australian Parliament. Birth or citizenship ceremony should be enough unless you have actively used your foreign citizenship to get a passport or social security, for example. Accused marijuana smuggler Peyton Eidson, who allegedly lived a secret life as a fugitive in north Queensland for almost 30 years, has been refused bail in a San Francisco court out of fears he may flee to Mexico or Australia. Mr Eidson, 72, a US citizen, who was transported from Australia to California last week to face charges alleging he was the leader of an Asia-US marijuana smuggling operation in the 1980s, had hoped to be released on bail at Thursday's hearing in the US District Court. Mr Eidson was arrested in 1985 but he allegedly fled to Australia, where he ran a health spa. Credit:Fairfax Media Australia Mr Eidson's lawyer Erick Guzman rejects suggestions his client is a flight risk and plans to file an appeal on the bail ruling. Mr Guzman fears Mr Eidson, who is battling medical issues and has been in custody since last week's arrival in the US, will deteriorate further if he remains in the harsh US jail system. More than half (51%) of professionals working with the agri-food industry believe that Brexit could offer a positive opportunity for Ireland. This is according to a survey carried out among members of the Agricultural Science Association (ASA). This figure marks a significant increase in positive sentiment, up 23 percentage points from 28% in 2016. The findings were released in advance of the annual Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference which takes place in the Killashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare. The ASA survey was completed by members of the professional body in July 2017. It found that members believe Brexit will reduce Ireland's dependence on the UK and encourage new market opportunities (37%). Furthermore, members found it encouraging that Brexit will mean that Ireland is the only English speaking country in the EU which they believe presents the country with an advantage (16%). Todays conference, which marks 75 years of the ASA, will welcome over 400 delegates who will hear from a host of leading Irish and international agri-food leaders delivering insights on how the industry can remain competitive in an era of immense global change. Speaking in advance of his opening address at this mornings conference, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan said, "The annual ASA Conference is a welcome opportunity for agri-food operators to take stock of their current and future requirements to compete in an ever-changing global environment. Europe is the world's leading agri-food trading bloc thanks to our enduring commitment to quality, standards and innovation." He added, "I firmly believe we can maintain this competitive advantage if we plan for the future now - taking into account evolving global consumer trends, improving our uptake of innovation and technology in the sector, delivering more sustainable production systems while building stronger trade relationships with our global partners." Source: www.businessworld.ie It was announced today that Companies across Ireland will benefit from a new 300 million long-term lending programme announced by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Dublin earlier today. The new company financing scheme marks the first ever direct lending by the European Investment Bank to Irish midcap firms. Furthermore, it was also announced today that new cooperation with Ibec was also formally agreed that will further build on the strengthened commitment of the European Investment Bank to support private sector investment in Ireland. Details of the new Ireland Midcap Programme Loan were outlined to business leaders at a workshop at Ibec headquarters in Dublin. Company representatives were able to discuss financing challenges and investment requirements with senior EIB corporate finance experts and hear first hand from a number of Irish companies whose investment has been supported by the EIB in recent years. Speaking today, The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe said, "This ground-breaking initiative from the EIB will provide a significant investment boost to midcap companies based in Ireland. Previously, the EIBs direct loan offerings in Ireland would have focused on larger corporates. However, with this programme the EIB is specifically targeting and directly lending to smaller, midcap size companies." Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy added, "Irish business has been the driving force behind the economic recovery. Todays agreement is another step towards improving the competitiveness of companies in Ireland and ensuring their continued growth. We are delighted to enter into a promotional partnership with the EIB. The EIBs new lending programme for Irish business is a welcome source of new and alternative investment." 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Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Modified On Sep 08, 2017 01:46 PM By Raunak Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) urged the Government to ban 15 year-old vehicles to curb the menace of pollution. The apex channel of communication between Indias automotive industry and the Government, SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), has requested to ban 15 year-old vehicles plying on roads. According to SIAM, this will largely help in keeping a check on the rising pollution levels in the country. The body urged the Government to come up with a legislation to bar old vehicles, which are also heavily polluting the atmosphere, pan India. At the Siams 57th annual convention, Vinod K Dasari, President, SIAM ( also CEO and MD, Ashok Leyland) said: "Auto industry is doing a lot of work to reduce pollution. We are working to move to BS-VI emission norms. In order to reduce pollution, we request the government to ban vehicles which are 15 years old". SIAM advised the Government to come up with a dedicated board for the automotive sector for the growth of our market, which is one of the largest in the world. SIAM also insisted on increasing design capability, which would aid the Make-in-India programme. This national automotive board would assist the Government in framing policies as the industry has faced a lot of hurdles of late due to frequently changing policies, especially the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST). For the uninitiated, the GST was implemented from July 1, 2017, which made cars cheaper across the spectrum (except Hybrids), but it has been revised again a month later for luxury cars and SUVs. Check out: Plug-in Hybrids Can Be Indias Best Foot Forward Towards Electrification Published On Sep 08, 2017 01:14 PM By Rachit Shad This ramped up target topples the one shared by the British carmaker last year, which was to offer greener iterations of half of its new lineup by the end of the decade In July 2017, we learnt that the UK is on its way to ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles from the year 2040. This news came in a number of months after the British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced its plans to electrify half of its new lineup by 2020. That target, however, has now been revised by JLR as the Coventry-based auto giant is prepping to offer greener iterations of all its cars by the end of this decade. Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover, reiterated the fact by saying, We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles. JLR showcased the concept of its first electric model last year in the form of the I-Pace. This model will be built in JLRs production facility in Austria which, unlike the production house in the companys homeland, is fully equipped to manufacture electric cars. The British automaker, which produced 5.5 lakh out of the 17 lakh cars produced in UK last year, has said that it wants to build electric models in its home market. However, a number of factors must be in place first, primarily the support from the government and academia. Even if the support comes from the relevant bodies, the company could still face the implications of Brexit, which could leave its car exports tackling lengthy customer delays and tariffs of up to 10 per cent. This, in turn, would have adverse effects on the feasibility of vehicle production in the UK. Apart from JLR, all major carmakers across the globe are also working towards a greener, safer and autonomous future of transportation. Joining the transformation journey include tech giants like Google, Apple and Bosch. In recent times, extensive testing of electric, autonomous vehicles has been on the rise. Japanese carmaker Nissan unveiled the next-gen, all-electric Leaf a few days ago. The company has confirmed that the new model will be tested extensively in India. Will this be the stepping stone for our country to achieve its super-ambitious target of all-electric transportation by 2030? We sure hope so. The world still stands in wonder as to how human beings have walked to top of the hierarchy, by assimilating knowledge and using the same to create new things. We have been on a continuous process since time immemorial, and one of the most valuable things that we have learned is the importance of education. Education is not just ideas and concepts. It is the use of communication to read and to write and doing so telling the world about a new discovery, a hypothesis or a poem. In such matters, one has to know to read and write to gain and give information. This is done only through the means of Literacy. International Literacy Day: Skills You Need To Hone In Digital Literacy What Is Literacy? The ability to read and write is basically called Literacy. If one is able enough read and write a script they are considered literate. And though proficiency in writing and reading doesn't mean that one is competent in terms of intelligence, but it does help one get there. As the modern times are increasingly advancing, the meaning of literacy is also evolving. Today, literacy is not just about reading and writing but also the ability to use a language, images, numbers and the use of digital means to communicate, understand, acquire knowledge and spread information. What Is International Literacy Day? Every year, International Literacy Day is observed on September 8 across the world. This is an opportunity provided for the government and civil societies to highlight their improvements. When literacy is one amongst the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there is a lot of responsibility on everyone across the globe. International Literacy Day Themes International Literacy Day 2020 - "Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond" International Literacy Day 2019 - "Literacy and Multilingualism" International Literacy Day 2018 - "Literacy and Skills Development" What UNESCO Is Saying About International Literacy Day Every year, the day is celebrated with a theme. This year, Literacy Day will be commemorated under the theme of ''Literacy and Skills Development.'' UNESCO has planned many events across the world to commemorate the day. The web page of UNESCO, for the International Literacy Day, reads, ''Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist, and at the same time the demands for skills required for work, evolve rapidly. This year, International Literacy Day explores and highlights integrated approaches that simultaneously can support the development of literacy and skills, to ultimately improve people's life and work and contribute to equitable and sustainable societies.'' Events Planned In India By UNESCO On International Literacy Day 2018 Literate And Empowered Women This is organised in three districts across India. The three districts are Dahod (Gujarat), Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) and Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh). The event will start at 11.30 am on September 8, 2018. Women Literacy: Influence And Impart It is organised by the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension, Savitribai Phule Pune University. The event will take place on September 8, 2018. Knowledge To Life This event will take place at Saintgits College of Applied Sciences in Kerala on September 8, 2018. One who attends this event will experience the basic necessities of life through literacy. Event Organised By Ministry Of Human Resource Development The HRD ministry will be organising a panel discussion on International Literacy Day on September 8, 2018. The HRD minister, Prakash Javadekar, will be the chief guest and minister of the state for HRD, Upendra Kushwaha, will be the guest of honour. The event will take place at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi at 11.30 am. History Of Literacy Day The initial observance started in the year 1965, from September 8 to 19 when during a World Conference of Ministers of Education in Tehran, Iran the world agreed on the need to remove every mark of illiteracy off the world. The next year on October 26, 1966 the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized the 14th general conference and announced that September 8 will be celebrated every year as International Literacy day. Why Do We Need Literacy Day? All over the world, schools, colleges and various institutions observe the importance of literacy. The reason is very statistical. To talk about the world, 775 million adults do not have basic literacy skills. South and West Asia have the lowest regional adult literacy rate of 58.6 per cent. Countries like Burkina Faso with 12.8 per cent and Niger with 14.4 per cent have the lowest around the world. One must also keep the fact in mind that there is clear connection between poverty and literacy and between the discrimination against the female gender and literacy. Which gives way for more problems in the society. 5 Things Students Should Learn from Wrestling Champion Kavita Devi International Literacy Day 2017 Every year the day is celebrated with a theme. This year the Literacy Day will be commemorated with under the theme of 'Literacy in a Digital World.' The event will be organized at the Headquarters of UNESCO in Paris. The focus will be on how certain sort of literacy skills are required for people in today's age to move and communicate through the advancing digitally focused society. The web page of the UNESCO for the International Literacy Day reads, "...digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way people live, work, learn and socialise everywhere. They are giving new possibilities to people to improve all areas of their lives including access to information; knowledge management; networking; social services; industrial production, and mode of work. Smart Classes: A New Era of Learning However, those who lack access to digital technologies and the knowledge, skills and competencies required to navigate them, can end up marginalised in increasingly digitally driven societies. Literacy is one such essential skill." There are 2017 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes, which will be awarded in a ceremony to recognize the contribution of people and communities around the world in terms of the year's theme. Social Media: For Better Learning Methods and Career Opportunities Celebrations Of Literacy Day 2017 In India The Indian Government will be celebrating the International Literacy Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by felicitating the Saakshaar Bharat Awards to Districts, Gram Panchayats, NGOs and States who have done extremely well in the area of literacy and education. The celebrations for the same were inaugurated. The 51st Literacy Day, brings good news for the country as the Educational Statistics 2015-16 shine on the fact that the literacy rate in India has increased to 69.3 per cent in the year 2011 from the 61.0 per cent in the year of 2001. The country has also seen an increase in literacy in women, which has moved up to 59.3 per cent in 2011 from the 47.8 per cent in 2001. We hope that the commemoration of days like International Literacy Day will bring the need for perfect literacy much more out there. So keep doing your bit! Happy International Literacy Day! Also Read: Learning Disability- A Reality: Know More! The Finance Ministry has pushed down a scheme which aimed at providing Rs.8,700 crore as fund to seven of top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). This move was taken as a part of the effort that is being taken to push forth the global standing of the institutes. The Vishwajeet Project, was rejected at the proposal of the Human resources Department Ministry of the country. The rejection will be a setback to the premier institutes of the country which are known to be the hub for programes in science and technology. The reason for such a step comes after the significant drop that has been seen, in the worldwide rankings of the IITs. The funds which was to be Rs 1,250 crore, to each institute over a period of five years was to be used by the institutes to reboot the infrastructure and bring in foreign faculty as well to get into tie ups with international institutions. The aim was to make sure that many other improvements were made to move up in the QS and Time Global Institution rankings. The Reason for the Turn Down None of the Indian Institute of Higher Education have achieved spot in the top 200 of the 14th edition of the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings. The Rankings were announced on Tuesday, and with the absence of the IITs on the list, gave way for serious concern about the situation of the Indian education. The finance ministry had sent the request by the HRD Ministry for the in-principle approval along with a note which mentioned that the IITs must look into the 'fundamental issues' like autonomy to fix the fees, raising the resources and strengthening the existing schemes. The Rankings of IITs IIT Bombay remained in its 351-400 band, IIT Delhi and Kanpur ,moved down from the 401-500 band to 501-600. IIT Madras was in the worst case scenario, finding itself in the 601-800 band. The Finance Minster agreed on the fast the IITs must be focusing on building world-class laboratories by using the grants that already exist or by using the recently launched Institute of Eminence Scheme. An official said, "Under the Institute of Eminence scheme, 10 select government institutes will be given approximately Rs 1,000 crore. The finance ministry suggested that the IITs compete for that scheme instead of expecting funds through the Vishwajeet project." Indian Universities Slip in World University Rankings 2017: Know Why!" title=" Indian Universities Slip in World University Rankings 2017: Know Why!" /> Indian Universities Slip in World University Rankings 2017: Know Why! Following the rising protests against NEET in Tamilnadu, the Supreme Court today banned all such protests that might spawn a law and order situation in the state. What does the order say? A Bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed that NEET was upheld as the sole basis for admission to MBBS and BDS courses and any public protests, road blocks and breakdown of normal public life against it would amount to contempt of court. The court ordered the State Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to ensure that law and order is maintained in the State. It issued notice to both officers. Fresh Trouble Stirs For Medical Aspirants as HC Stays NEET Results What is Supreme Court judgement on NEET? According to the judgement, it is the duty of the State government to ensure peaceful dwelling in the state and that anybody who intimidates people to protest against NEET, including the political parties will be subjected to severe action. The court had also ordered the State Advocate General to appear before it on September 18 and explain the reason for the stirring protests in Tamilnadu against NEET following the suicide of a 17-year-old State Board student, S. Anitha, who had approached the Supreme Court against admission via NEET in the State. Why are protests against NEET in Tamilnadu? Anita, a NEET aspirant had committed suicide in her hometown as she could not clear NEET. It is to be noted that she had scored 1176 in her class 12 exams and yet could not qualify in the medical admissions. Following this gory incident, Tamilnadu is in a state of chaos as various groups, even irrelevant to education have started protesting against the NEET as it had resulted in the student's death. NEET Row: Find Out the Reason for TN Girl Anita's Suicide Petition to stop anti-NEET protest The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer G.S. Mani, had asked the court to intervene and direct the State government to maintain the law and order situation. "The agitations and road blocks create a law and order situation which is very dangerous. The State authority unable to keep the situation under control," the petition said. It asked the court to "not permit political parties and the public to conduct illegal strike/boycott/human chain/road blocking/rail roko or any other mode of a strike against NEET." Solution for NEET problem The petition said, the State authorities should come to the aid of State Board students by upgrading the syllabus to make it on par with the CBSE. This would help the State Board students to compete in NEET with their CBSE counterparts on equal terms. NEET 2017: After Students, Colleges Get to Suffer! Baturaja II plant will start commercial operations this month 08 September 2017 The Semen Baturaja II plant of Baturaja Cement Corp will start commercial operations this September after undergoing two months of trials. According to Baturaja Cement's General Director, Rahmad Pribadi, the schedule for operations was moved ahead by a month, from 1 October. The Indonesian plant will increase the overall production capacity at the site by 1.85Mta. The Baturaja II works will also raise its production capacity by 92.5 per cent, or 3.85Mt, in 2018 from 2Mt this year. The new unit will be built in Baturaja, South Sumatra, with an investment value of IDR3.4trn (US$0.25bn). Meanwhile, Baturaja Cement Corp has set up a forest engineering business scheme to increase production output and environmental sustainability. Mr Pribadi said Baturaja Cement is already cooperating with the Faculty of Forestry from the Gadjah Mada University to conduct research on the plan. The plan will not only see the company plant more trees but also let the soil recover following the deposits of hazardous materials and making it more suitable for replanting. "The soil that contains traces of cement is poisonous. Before cement mining was conducted, it was difficult to grow plants due to the low water content. This is what we are working on now. We process the soil after we mine the cement, so it becomes healthy for the plants to grow," Mr Pribadi said. Published under These Are the Most Shocking U.S. Political Scandals of All Time Political scandals have been around since the beginning of American history. Though we hope to elect morally upright people to lead us, politics and dishonesty can go hand-in-hand. From Watergate to recent election controversy, these are the 18 most shocking political scandals of all time. Well never forget the most infamous affair of all time (page 9). 1. The Pentagon Papers In 1971, military analyst and former marine, Daniel Ellsberg, started a political maelstrom when he leaked classified documents detailing the United States military and political involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The New York Times received his top-secret information, which revealed that the U.S. had lied to Congress and American citizens throughout four presidential administrations. Claiming executive authority, President Nixon tried to suspend the publication of the Pentagon Papers. But the Supreme Court ruled in favor of press freedom, allowing newspapers to publish the classified study. Next: This unsettling scandal remains unresolved. 2. Russian interference with the 2016 election Granted, we dont know a lot about the Russian interference scandal, which is still being explored. But its certainly the biggest thing in politics right now. We do know a Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had extensive talks with people linked to the Russian government concerning Hillary Clinton. We also know that other senior campaign officials were also willing to discuss the election with the Russians, as well as Donald Trump Jr. Then there are the charges against Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, and Rick Gates, a political consultant. Manafort and Gates were charged with secretly working as agents of a foreign (Russian-backed) government for years, hiding their income from that work and lying about it to federal investigators, reads the New York Times. Next: Hillary Clinton will never live this scandal down. 3. Hillary Clintons emails A year prior to her race against Trump, in 2015, it came out that Clinton used a private email server for official communications during her time as Secretary of State. Her correspondences included 110 emails containing classified information (at the time of being sent) and about 2,100 emails that were not initially marked classified, but were eventually marked as such by the State Department. In the midst of the 2016 presidential election, the FBI held an investigation regarding Clintons emails. On July 5, 2016, FBI Director James Comey announced that Clintons actions were extremely careless, but he didnt think she should face any charges. The day after, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that no charges would be filed. Next: Would you bend the law to appease terrorists? 4. The Iran-Contra affair In 1985, President Ronald Reagan did something he swore hed never do: negotiate with terrorists. According to The Washington Post, the Iran-Contra Affair consisted of three parts: First, the Reagan administration sold arms to Iran, a country desperate for material during its lengthy war with Iraq. Then, Iran was to use its influence to help gain the release of Americans hostages in Lebanon. Lastly, the arms were purchased at high prices, with the excess profits diverted to fund the Reagan-favored contras [right-wing militant groups who opposed the socialist government] fighting Nicaraguas Sandinista government. Reagan admitted he sold the weapons but denied discussing the release of hostages in exchange for arms (he later admitted to it in 1987). Attorney General Edwin Meese later revealed that some proceeds from the missile exchange were missing. Oliver North, an aide to Reagans National Security Council, had diverted the funds to bankroll the contras, reports US News. Next: A not-so-secret invasion results in death. 5. Bay of Pigs When Fidel Castro overthrew General Fulgencio Batista with his guerilla army in 1959, the U.S. State Department and the CIA knew they had to do something. For the next two years they tried to remove Castro from power to no avail. Finally, they devised a plan they thought would finally overthrow Castro: A secret invasion with 1,400 U.S.-trained Cubans who had fled when Castro took over. Castro learned of the invasion and was ready to fight as soon as the invaders arrived. The hugely outnumbered Cubans surrendered after less than 24 hours of fighting. Castro and his army killed 114 and took over 1,100 prisoner. Next: This informant learned that secrets are no fun. 6. Edward Snowdens exile After giving thousands of classified documents to the media, former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden received charges of DOJ with espionage, according to CNN. He quickly flew to Russia to seek asylum. Snowdens position that authorities have access to phone calls, e-mails and other communications far beyond constitutional bounds has inspired millions to reconsider the access that government has to their information. In 2015, the White House maintained that Snowden should return to the U.S., rejecting a petition to pardon him. However, with his asylum in Russia extended until 2020, Edward Snowden can continue his crusade for government transparency and information privacy. He maintains that mass surveillance is a global problem and needs a global solution. Next: The sexual assault comment heard round the world 7. Grab them by the p- On Oct. 7, 2016, The Washington Post released a video of 2017 Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, graphically and aggressively speaking with TV host Billy Bush about how he sexually assaults women, because when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. While Democrats thought the video would cost Trump the race, Republican reactions varied. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Trumps running mate Mike Pence, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus all voiced disappointment about Trumps philosophy concerning women but did not withdraw their support. After the tape released, Trump faced numerous allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from women before going on to win the election. Next: This CIA Directors mistress had access to classified info. 8. David Petraeuss messy affair Retired General David Petraeus saw his career go down the drain when the public learned of his affair with Paula Broadwell, his former biographer. As if that wasnt bad enough, the then-Director of the CIA had leaked classified information to Broadwell during their time together from November 2011 to July 2012. Throughout the investigation, the FBI found eight binders of classified material in an unlocked desk drawer at Petraeuss home. He resigned from the CIA in November 2012. However, Petraeus later pled guilty to mishandling classified information. He received two years probation as well as a $100,000 fine more than double the amount requested by the U.S. Justice Department. Next: This presidential affair may be the most notorious of all time. 9. The Lewinsky scandal Soon after her unpaid internship began, Monica Lewinsky and President Clinton began their affair. By December, she earned a paid position in the White House. (The Washington Post said, if nothing else, she was an extremely hard worker.) In April 1996, Lewinsky moved to a job in the Pentagon because some expressed concern that she spent too much time with the president. While there, she opened up to co-worker Linda Tripp about the affair. But Tripp was secretly recording their conversations, according to US News. Tripp eventually sent the recordings to Kenneth Starr, who investigated Clintons alleged sexual harassment of Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones. Clinton repeatedly denied claims of his relationship with Lewinsky until he admitted on August 17, 1998 to having a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. Next: You cant make up this kind of political drama 10. Watergate Possibly the most recognizable political scandal is Watergate. On the morning of June 17, 1972, police arrested a burglars in the Democratic National Committee office, located in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. This group orchestrated a similar break-in a month prior to steal copies of top-secret documents and bug the office phones. But the wiretaps didnt work the first time, so they tried again during the June 17 break-in. Though it wasnt immediately clear whether the Watergate intruders had connections to Richard Nixon, suspicions ran high, especially thanks to the Washington Post. Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played a critical role in exposing Nixon, along with their anonymous source, Deep Throat, later revealed as former Associate Director of the FBI, Mark Felt. Next: Blurring the line between business and politics 11. Trumps use of public office for private gain Despite the legal rules against it, Trump has used his presidential position to benefit the various businesses owned by himself and his family. Starting with the first ladys White House bio, which featured Melanias jewelry line: Melania Timepieces & Jewelry, on QVC. Other examples include Kellyanne Conways endorsement of Ivankas clothing line: Go buy Ivankas stuff! she urged Americans, and Mar-a-Lagos doubled initiation fee since Trump became president. Additionally, Federal Election Commission reports revealed that Trumps campaign paid $12.8 million to his own companies over the course of the 2016 election. Next: The first major sex scandal 12. The Reynolds Pamphlet If youre a Hamilton fan, youll recognize this scandal from disc two of the hit Broadway musical. In 1791, the nations first major sex scandal occurred. Alexander Hamilton was Secretary of Treasury when he began his affair with a married woman, Maria Reynolds. The affair ended up being a setup orchestrated by Reynoldss husband, James. He demanded over $1,000 to not go public with the information. Hamilton obliged, and the affair continued. But, in 1792, James Reynolds leaked the information to government investigators. Hamilton chose to take matters into his own hands and published a pamphlet of his own, explaining his extortion. Next: A duel proves deadly 13. Aaron Burrs new western empire If youre not a Hamilton fan, you might not know that Aaron Burr shot and killed Hamilton in a duel. Less than two years later, Burr led a plot to create a new western empire with the intention of ruling it himself, but not without invading Spanish territories. According to Biography, theres also evidence that he planned to spark a revolution to divide the western territories of the Louisiana Purchase from the United States. To help him with this plan, he sought out U.S. General James Wilkinson, a Spanish spy. In a years time, he organized recruits and military equipment on an island located on the Ohio River. However, in 1806, Wilkinson chose not to participate in Burrs plan and told President Thomas Jefferson everything. Next: Scandal hits the White House during Andrew Jacksons presidency. 14. In defense of Ms. Eaton The petticoat affair revolved around Margaret Eaton, the wife of Andrew Jacksons Secretary of War. Eaton married her husband a few months after her first husband committed suicide. This, along with her outspoken nature, earned her a scarlet letter of sorts among the people of the Washington. Right away, President Jackson took an interest in Eaton and defended her vehemently. He went so far as to interrogate her critics and even held a cabinet meeting to defend her further. According to History, when the rumors didnt subside, Jackson became convinced that they were all part of a larger plan to cause tension between those in his administration. He became so paranoid that he fired or accepted the resignation of almost all of his cabinet members. Next: A legislator gets expelled from the Senate. 15. Blounts expulsion William Blount was the first person expelled from the U.S. Senate. In 1796, he planned to help the British seize what is now Louisiana and Florida (Spanish-held territory at the time). He planned for Cherokee Indians and frontiersmen to fight against the Spanish and force them to the Gulf Coast. Unfortunately for Blount, President John Adams discovered a letter Blount wrote about the plan. Though the Senate voted to expel him, Blount went on to serve on the Tennessee state legislature as an appointed speaker. Next: An affair turns deadly. 16. A crime of passion This scandal involved New York Congressman Daniel Sickles, his wife, Teresa, and his close friend Philip Barton Key II (District Attorney and son of The Star-Spangled Banner author, Francis Scott Key). Teresa and Key had an affair unbeknownst to Sickles but known by just about everyone else. Key supposedly even hung a handkerchief from his window whenever he wanted to call upon Teresa. One day, Sickles received an anonymous letter informing him of the affair. Days later, an outraged Sickles approached Key just outside the White House and shot him to death in front of multiple witnesses. During Sickless trial in 1859, his lawyers tried a new approach. They claimed temporary insanity, which no legal team had attempted in an American court. The claim worked and the court acquitted Sickles. Next: This politician accepted bribes from oil companies. 17. Teapot Dome Known womanizer and former Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, accepted bribes from oil companies in exchange for the right to drill on federal land that had been set aside in case of emergency. The scandal earned its name thanks to a teapot-shaped plot of land known as Teapot Dome that was involved in the agreement. In April 1922, rumors started circulating concerning shady oil activity. Local Wyoming oilmen started noticing trucks hauling oilfield equipment up to Teapot Dome. The Wall Street Journal was the publication to break the news. Next: Whiskey, bribes, and the Republican party 18. The Whiskey Ring The Whiskey Ring was a scandal that happened under the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. The scandal involved a bribe between distillers and government officials. At the time, whiskey was supposed to be taxed at 70 cents a gallon, but, per their agreement, distillers instead paid officials 35 cents per gallon though the whiskey was marked as having paid the full tax. Prior to being exposed in 1875, the group of politicians involved (many whom were close to Grant) successfully siphoned off millions of dollars in federal taxes. Additional reporting by Ali Harrison. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Android 8.0 Oreo features, glitches news: Installation problems for Pixel users The latest Android update is here. Android 8.0 was released last Aug. 21 with the name of Oreo, following the growing alphabet list of Android programs. Users whose smartphones are in its beta program may already receive the update, but fans are already seeing problems with the latest update. Android Police website founder, Artem Russakovskii, noticed a glitch which prevents it from being installed on some devices. He noted that he is not alone in the problem and it seems to affect Pixel and Pixel XL. Android VP of Engineering Dave Burke has already found a solution, saying via Twitter that they "had a signing issue for beta users." For now, Android 8.0 is available for Pixel and Nexus devices: specifically, Google Pixel/Pixel XL, Nexus 6P/5X, and Pixel C. The update will be available this year for smartphones under brands: Huawei, Motorola, LG, Sony, Samsung, HMD Global, etc. Nokia 6, 5, and 3 will also receive the update, although it is still unclear whether this includes Nokia 8. Other phones that will feature the brand-new Android are HTC, particularly HTC U11, 10, and U Ultra. The release date for the update for non-Pixel and Nexus phones are still unclear, but it can be expected within the year. When it comes to carrier-branded phones, it is also not known whether they will be included in the update or when. Some of the features that were introduced in the last Android update, Nougat, will be taken a step further in the Oreo update; this includes the Picture in Picture (PiP) mode. The split-window feature, also available in Android Nougat, is expanded to include other apps including YouTube, Hangouts, and more. The latest update also boasts a faster boot time. It also introduces a power-saving function that reduces the function of applications that are running in the background. This small step may extend the life of the battery by a few hours. Another notable feature that users may find is the notification dots. While Apple iOS users are notified about the amount of notifications they can expect for a specific app, Oreo's notification dots will present an at-a-glance notification bubble for a quick preview. Australian Anglicans brand Scottish Episcopal Church 'contrary to the teaching of Christ' Australian Anglicans have passed a motion branding the Scottish Episcopal Church's decision to permit gay marriage as 'contrary to the teaching of Christ'. Tabled by conservatives but winning support across the Church of Australia's ruling general synod, it openly backs Anglicans leaving the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC). The vote on Thursday sets up a showdown next month as global Anglican leaders, including the Scottish and Australian leaders, will gather in Canterbury for the second time in less than two years. It comes after the SEC voted to remove the teaching that marriage was between 'one man and one woman', leaving the door open for priests who wanted to conduct same-sex weddings. The move has deepened divides within the worldwide Anglican Communion but the Australian Church's decision to publicly criticise it will further heighten tensions. Its synod approved a motion that 'notes with regret' the decision to change the teaching on marriage and says: 'This step is contrary to the doctrine of our Church and the teaching of Christ that, in marriage, "a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh".' It goes on to express 'our support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave the Scottish Episcopal Church because of its redefinition of marriage and those who struggle and remain'. The text of the motion was altered several times throughout the debate, eventually becoming more hardline than the initial statement. The final version received widespread support across the three 'houses', passing by 60 to 45 votes among the laity, 68 to 42 votes among the clergy and 12 to six votes among the bishops. Australian's primate, the Archbishop of Melbourne Philip Freier, will meet the Scottish Primus, the Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness Mark Strange, along with the leaders of the other 39 Anglican provinces around the world next month. Hinting at a potentially tense encounter between the two leaders, the motion concludes by praying 'that the Scottish Episcopal Church will return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired relationships will be restored'. The SEC's decision to allow gay marriage in church was widely celebrated among more liberal leaning Anglicans around the world but has prompted retaliatory action from conservatives. The traditionalist network GAFCON appointed Andy Lines as a 'missionary bishop' for Europe in response, saying he will offer alternative oversight to Anglicans who no longer feel they can come under the authority of their official bishop. Two conservative leaders have refused the Archbishop of Canterbury's invitation to Canterbury next month on the basis of the SEC's decision. The Archbishop of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali was joined by the influential Archbishop of Nigeria Nicholas Okoh who hinted at a split when he snubbed Justin Welby's invitation earlier this week, warning the Church was 'in the midst of the next great Reformation'. 'Everything else is the same or worse,' Okoh wrote comparing Welby's tenure to that of his predecessor Rowan Williams. 'There is endless debate, the will of the orthodox Primates is frustrated and misrepresented, false teaching is not being corrected, and nothing is being done to halt orthodox Anglicans in North America (and maybe soon elsewhere) being stripped of the churches that have helped form their spiritual lives. 'In these circumstances, I have concluded that attendance at Canterbury would be to give credibility to a pattern of behaviour which is allowing great damage to be done to global Anglican witness and unity.' Bishops taken to court of appeal in Australian Anglican feud A feud between Australian Anglican leaders has boiled into the open with three bishops referred to an appeals court over a dispute surrounding the church's response to gay marriage. The Archbishop of Sydney, the Bishop of Tasmania and the Bishop of Northwest Australia took part in a ceremony in June to consecrate rebel bishop Andy Lines offering 'alternative oversight' to conservatives disaffected by the perceived liberal drift of Anglican churches in Europe. But fellow Australian bishops objected to their role, questioning whether it breached church law to appoint someone outside the official worldwide Anglican Communion. Now Australia's top bishop, Philip Freier, the Archbishop of Melbourne, has referred their complaints to the church's court of appeal who will offer a legal judgement. Urging their boss to act, the Bishops of Bendigo, North Queensland, Gippsland and Willochra, say their conservative colleague's part in the ceremony 'raises fundamental questions of ecclesiology' and threatens to make relations between bishops 'gravely impaired'. The church's Appellate Tribunal will now give a legal view on the fallout but cannot hand down direct punishment on disciplinary action. The legal war between the bishops is likely to overshadow the church's synod, which will meet in just a few days time from 3-9 September. It comes as Australia is split by a vicious political debate on whether to allow gay marriage. The Archbishop of Sydney, Glen Davies, the Bishop of Tasmania, Richard Condie, and the Bishop of Northwest Australia, Gary Nelson, were among the 11 primates, three archbishops, and 13 diocesan bishops from member churches of the Anglican Communion who participated in the ceremony in Wheaton College, Illinois, on June 30. He was consecrated by the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a splinter body from the official Anglican church in the US The Episcopal Church with other leaders from around the world taking part. Davies, justifying his role, said he felt compelled to after the Scottish Episcopal Church, another member of the 80-million strong Anglican Communion, voted to allow gay marriage. 'As you will all know, I consider such an action to be a travesty of the rule of Christ, of the doctrine of the Book of Common Prayer, and therefore abandonment of the principles of Anglican doctrine,' he wrote. 'I consider that such a departure from the teaching of Scripture, 'the ultimate rule and standard of faith', casts doubt upon the nature of our communion with the Scottish Episcopal Church.' Condie also wrote openly before the ceremony, apologising 'for any unintended hurt caused to our collegial relationships' but saying he had to act. 'The consecration is an emergency measure to protect the precious gospel of Jesus Christ, his authoritative word in the scriptures, and faithful Anglicans who have been marginalised by this schismatic behaviour... So-called 'cross-border interventions' by bishops into other dioceses are to be shunned in normal circumstances. However, when the gospel is at risk, these kinds of unusual measures are needed.' It comes after Freier, their superior, urged his bishops not to take part. 'I take the view that communion koinonia, is a gift of our Lord to his Church and that in our context it is the Anglican Church of Australia, through its constitution and the framework it establishes, that determines how this is expressed in practical terms,' he wrote. He added it was not 'for us individually, acting independently, to determine with whom we are in communion or to act unilaterally to that end. I do not think that it is for individual dioceses in the Anglican Church of Australia to determine with whom we, as members of that Church, are in communion. We must act in accordance with the Constitution that binds us as the Anglican Church of Australia.' Lines had his permission to officiate withdrawn by Southwark diocese after his consecration. Can it be right to pray for someone to die? Yes, say the Psalms It was late afternoon, the autumn sun filtering weakly through the stained-glass windows, when the young woman walked into church. I'd come over to say Evening Prayer and invited her to join me. She demurred, but asked if I could spare her a few minutes: 'I really need to talk with someone,' she said. 'I'm not religious or anything, but I thought you might be able to help.' So we picked out a pew, and I asked her what was on her mind. She began to unfold a story of painful betrayal and heartache. She'd recently discovered that her partner of many years had been unfaithful to her. The relationship had seemed strong to her, but she'd discovered that he'd been seeing another woman and that the affair had been going on for quite a while. They'd argued, and it had become clear that for some time he'd been cheating on her with a string of different women; their relationship had meant far less to him than she'd believed. He'd left her, and she found herself grieving, bitter, angry, disoriented, and filled with a desperate sorrow. 'It's the anger that's killing me,' she told me. 'It's been months now since he left, but the anger has stayed with me. It's like poison in my stomach. I can't get rid of it, can't some to terms with it. I've been to see counselors, and they've been helpful, but the anger is still there. I don't know what to do.' I explained to her that I couldn't offer her counseling myself, as I don't have training in that area, but that I'd be happy to refer her to a colleague who might be able to help. 'No,' she said, 'I don't want to see another counselor. I don't think that'd help.' 'Fine,' I replied. 'Well, here's what I can offer. I'm not a counselor, I'm a priest. I help people to pray. Would that be helpful?'She thought about it for a moment. 'I don't really know if I believe in all that. But I guess it couldn't do any harm. I could give it a try, I suppose.' I thought to myself, Well, from such mighty seeds of faith, who knows what oaks might grow? But I kept that to myself and simply answered, 'Sounds good to me. Let's start with Prayer 101, a kind of basic introduction. Prayer is simply talking to God. But there's no point in telling God anything that isn't true. So here's my first question: what would be the truth for you right now? How do you really feel about this situation, about this man?'Her eyes flashed. 'I wish he was dead.'I held her fierce gaze. 'Well then, that's what you need to pray. Pray for him to die.' Praying the truth The young woman was startled. This clearly wasn't what she'd expected to hear either. 'I can't do that!' she said.'What else are you going to do?' I replied. 'Sugarcoat a lie? Do you think God doesn't already know how you feel, what's going on in your life? There's no point telling anything other than the truth.'She looked deeply sceptical. 'I'm not doing that,' she insisted. I decided to try a different tack. 'I understand it's difficult. Here's another idea. Would you be willing to pray a prayer written by God?' 'I suppose so,' she answered uncertainly. I picked up a Bible from the pew and opened up the book of Psalms. 'This is a collection of prayers right in the middle of the Bible,' I told her. 'And the Bible was written by God, right?' (This wasn't the time or place for a philosophical exploration of the nature of Scripture.) 'So these must be good prayers, with the divine seal of approval. You can't go wrong praying one of these, can you?''Sure,' she replied, 'why not?''Well, here's the prayer I want you to use.' I took a pen and circled these verses from Psalm 55: 'It is not my enemies who taunt me I could bear that;it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me I could hide from them.But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend,with whom I kept pleasant company; we walked in the house of God with the throng. Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol; for evil is in their homes and in their hearts' (Psalm 55:12-15). 'It's a prayer asking that a betrayer might die,' I told her. 'It's your prayer, the true prayer of your heart. I want you to take this Bible home and pray this prayer every day.' She took the Bible from me, somewhat unsure, but agreed to do as I'd asked. Finding a new truth A few weeks later we saw one another again. I asked her if she had been using the psalm to pray. She told me she had.'Have you noticed any result?' I asked her.'He's not dead yet!' she replied with a surprising vehemence.But I refused to be discouraged. 'Keep going,' I urged her. 'Keep praying.' Some weeks later we met again the last time I ever saw her. Once more I asked her if she was still using the prayer.'Not every day,' she replied. I asked her why not. 'Well, you said I was never to pray anything that wasn't true!' she said in an accusatory tone. 'And one day I found myself looking down at those words, and they just weren't true any more. At least, not that day. I'm still hurting. But I realized I didn't want him to die.' 'So what did you do then?' I asked.'I looked through some of the other prayers in the book,' she answered, 'and found one that seemed more suitable. I've been using that one. I hope you don't mind.' The honesty of biblical prayer That young woman was shocked and surprised when I suggested that she pray for her former partner to die. I've told this story in many contexts since that day, and wherever I tell it people seem equally startled at the advice I offered. Which raises a simple and straight-forward question: what should she have prayed? It sounds marvelously pious to say that she should have prayed for grace to love him, for mercy and forgiveness, for a change in her own heart so she could come to terms with his behaviour. And these would have been good things to pray. But they wouldn't have been true. If we learn anything from the school of prayer we find in the book of Psalms, often described as the 'prayer book of the Bible', it's that honesty is everything. The poets who wrote these ancient prayers were unafraid to expose their hearts to God and to the community, creating songs filled with joy, wonder, celebration, pageantry, satisfaction, gentleness, peace, and more but also with rage, horror, lament, darkness, doubt, shock, and despair. Nothing was held back. Chris Webb is the author of 'God-Soaked Life: Discovering a Kingdom Spirituality', from which this extract is taken. It is published by Hodder and Stoughton, price 12.99. For more on Chris Webb and his book click here. Can Pope Francis help dispel the darkness of murder and violence from Colombia? Pope Francis has denounced the 'thick darkness' of violence and murder in Colombia. The Pope was preaching to more than 1 million people at Mass in Bogota on his visit to the conflict-ridden country. Those who showed up to take in his message included victims of the conflict in Colombia, as well as many refugees from violence in neighbouring Venezuela. The Pope, who said Mass in Simon Bolivar Park, spoke of a 'darkness' that he described as a 'thirst for vengeance and the hatred which stains the hands of those who would right wrongs on their own authority, the darkness of those who become numb to the pain of so many victims'. A peace agreement between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels after a five-year conflict, along with a bilateral ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN) left-wing rebel group, have led to a fragile three-month peace in Colombia. Pope Francis hopes to bolster this during his visit, even as paramilitary and drug-related violence continues to disrupt neighourhoods. Pope Francis urged the faithful to trust God 'whose word is fruitful even where the hostility of human darkness' threatenes to destroy, Vatican Radip reported. 'We need to call out to one another, to signal each other, to see each other again as brothers and sisters, companions on the way, partners in this common cause which is the homeland'. He called on them to leave selfishness, fears and paralysis behind and become 'artisans of peace, promoters of life'. Pope Francis arrived in Colombia on Wednesday, his 20th foreign trip since becmoing Pope in 2013 and the fifth he has made to his native Latin America. He will visit Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena. Speaking to reporters on the plane to Colombia on Wednesday, Francis said the trip was 'a bit special because it is being made to help Colombia go forward on its path to peace.' On arrival he told the crowd, who endured torrential rain to see him, 'Don't let anyone steal your hope.' A statement from the ELN said the Pope's presence would contribute to finding a lasting peace agreement. He also encountered opposition from critics such as former president Alvaro Uribe who wrote an open letter denouncing the FARC peace deal and saying the rebels had been given 'total impunity' in spite of terrible crimes. Christian Aid however was among those who welcomed the peace message. At the same time, it said that with 7 million internally displaced people, Colombia has the largest internally displaced population in the world and those responsible must be prosecuted. Thomas Mortensen, Christian Aid's country manager for Colombia, said: 'It is fantastic to welcome Pope Francis to Colombia, for him to show solidarity and hope to the millions of people forced far from their homes and loved ones in Colombia. We hope that his visit can make society more sensitive to the immense suffering of the millions of people who have fled their homes. 'Very few people know that Colombia has the world's highest number of internally displaced people (IDPs) and that these 7 million people are suffering tremendously, because being displaced affects all aspects of life, including communities, rights and education. We need to make the humanitarian crisis known to the outside world and act collectively, so that these people can return to their land, and be properly compensated, and gain access to their rights. 'To stop displacements, we also need to ensure that those responsible for the displacements are prosecuted, including the less visible criminals like politicians, businesspeople and public servants who have collaborated with paramilitaries.' Pope Francis is also attracting criticism from ultra-conservative Catholics who say the visit is 'non grata' and that Francis is a 'false pope, a false prophet'. Last night, Pope Francis met bishops from Venezuela who told him of the 'truly desperate' humanitarian crisis their country is enduring. Christianity in Iraq: Here are some signs of hope Signs of hope are emerging for Christians in Iraq forced to flee by the ISIS invasion. Local clergy in Qaraqosh are driving their return to their homes through a Centre for Support and Encouragement to help families rebuild their property devastated by the militant group, according to World Watch Monitor. A series of categories identifies those most in need and then money from grants can be directed towards their house's restoration. Local priest Father George said: 'Some 50 people a day register at our centre to have their homes restored. More will come.' Qaraqosh's Syriac Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche, told WWM: 'I am optimistic, yes, very optimistic. 'When you look around the villages you see that life is back again.' In Qaraqosh the picture is relatively positive. Around 1,500 families more than 20 per cent of the total Christian population before IS came have now gone back. But elsewhere in Iraq it is less hopeful. More than 50 per cent of Iraq's Christian population have left the country entirely, a report earlier this year found. Many more have fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) which, depending on how the independence referendum goes on September 25, could become even more volatile. And unlike those returning to the Nineveh Plain, Christians from Baghdad are still nervous about going back with eight churches closing last month. Shop owners are having to pay protection money, while Christian girls are not safe to walk alone in some Baghdad neighbourhoods, according to reports. It comes after MPs warned development secretary Priti Patel the US and UK governments are failing to support Iraqi Christians, leaving them vulnerable to being squeezed out of their homes. They said unless funding is immediately provided to rebuild Christian villages and homes on Iraq's Nineveh Plain, 'most Iraqi Christians who escaped ISIS to Kurdistan are likely to leave Iraq permanently'. Signed by the Catholic peer Lord Alton as well as Labour's faith envoy Stephen Timms and Second Church Estates Commissioner Dame Caroline Spelman alongside others, a letter last month said: 'We note that DfID were able to allocate significant emergency funds for the support of residents from Mosul, and the rebuilding of the same, but nothing has been allocated to date for the many thousands of Christians and Yazidis who lost their homes three years ago (including in Mosul) and who are now faced with a grave humanitarian and existential crisis.' DACA repeal: Steve Bannon in furious row with Catholic Church A senior Catholic bishop is hitting back at Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's former chief strategist, after the far-right spokesman accused the Catholic Church of being economically motivated to oppose deporting immigrants. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, said it was a 'preposterous and rather insulting statement' not worthy of a proper response after the Catholic bishops vociferously opposed Trump rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme. The backlash comes after Bannon said the US Catholic Church had an 'economic interest' in 'unlimited illegal immigration' and that was the main reason it opposed the move announced earlier this week. 'To come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens they need illegal aliens to fill the churches, Bannon said in a CBS 60 Minutes interview. 'They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.' A Catholic himself, Bannon said: 'As much as I respect Cardinal Dolan and the bishops on doctrine, this is not doctrine.' He added: 'I totally respect the Pope, and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine. This is not about doctrine, this is about the sovereignty of a nation and, in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion.' But Cardinal Dolan came back strongly saying 'that's insulting and that's just so ridiculous'. 'Well, as a matter of fact he may be right,' he said on Sirius XM's Catholic Channel on Thursday. 'This is not an issue of Catholic doctrine because it comes from the Bible itself and we Catholics are people of the book. 'And the Bible is so clear, so clear, that to treat the immigrant with dignity and respect, to make sure that society is just in its treatment of the immigrant is a biblical mandate,' Dolan continued. 'It's clear from the lips of Jesus when he said, "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to me. When I was a stranger," meaning an immigrant or a refugee, "you welcomed me."' With one in four US Catholics foreign born and 34 per cent Hispanic, according to the Pew Research Center, the issue is particularly pertinent for the bishops. Following the decision to scrap DACA the US Catholic bishops issued a strongly worded statement saying the decision is 'unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as Americans'. 'Today, our nation has done the opposite of how Scripture calls us to respond. It is a step back from the progress that we need to make as a country,' the statement read. 'Today's actions represent a heartbreaking moment in our history that shows the absence of mercy and good will, and a short-sighted vision for the future.' BUDAPEST Congress has returned to Washington after another unearned vacation and faces at least two immediate challenges, in addition to the familiar ritual of raising the debt ceiling. President Trump has called the indecipherable U.S. tax code self-destructive. He has also decided to end the Obama-era program that allows undocumented immigrants who came to America as children to gain work permits. Congress would be given six months to replace it. For advice on taxes and immigration, the president and Congress might learn something from Hungary. On Jan. 1, 2017, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban lowered the corporate tax rate from 19 percent to 9 percent, the lowest rate among the 28 member states of the European Union. By comparison, the United States top marginal tax rate is 38.92 percent, just behind Puerto Rico and the United Arab Emirates. In an interview, Zoltan Kovacs, secretary of state for Public Diplomacy and Relations in Orbans Second Cabinet, tells me the countrys 15 percent flat tax and lower corporate taxes have surprise increased government receipts because more people are being hired and they generate additional tax revenue. In the last seven years, Kovacs says, 700,000 new jobs have been created in Hungary, only 150,000 of which are government jobs. The government jobs are mostly for people who had relied in the past on social welfare programs. Even here, he says, they know the meaning of the word workfare. The unemployment rate in Hungary is 4.5 percent, according to Kovacs, down from 11.4 percent in 2010 when the current government took power. Economic growth ranges between 3.5 percent and 4 percent, he says. While American debt keeps rising, Hungarys debt is falling. In 2010 it was 85 percent of GDP. Today it is 74 percent. True, Hungary has a high value added tax of 27 percent, but Kovacs says that is temporary (is there any such thing as a temporary tax?) and the governments goal is to reduce it as revenue continues to increase. Hungary has some of the toughest immigration policies in the European Union. Since 2015, says Kovacs, 400,000 immigrants have passed through the country. Asked how many stayed, he replies none, adding, They (immigrants) all wanted to go to Western Europe, Germany, Scandinavian countries. Why? Because, he says, they have welfare programs in those countries and Hungary deliberately does not. The charges for this policy are familiar to Americans: We are racists, we hate those people who come in, when in fact, Kovacs says, it is about maintaining Hungarys culture and way of life. What about the religious component when it comes to migrants from Muslim countries? We do not underestimate that element, he responds. Islam is mostly fundamentalist. Europe is mostly secular, but even for those who dont believe in God, or go to church. The very culture of Europe is Christianity. Kovacs suggests the massive flow of mostly Muslim immigrants is undermining the very foundations of the European countries. He says even secularism is a threat to those foundations, but when you bring in a completely different culture and its not superiority vs. inferiority its simply about the difference. If you see the experience in other societies, Islam is not integrating. They exist in parallel societies and live by their own rules. We dont like what we see in France, The Netherlands and Germany. He might have added that if a nation loses its culture, it loses the nation. The failure of especially Muslim immigrants to assimilate in ways that will preserve their hosts culture is critical. Otherwise, it is not immigration, but invasion, which appears to be happening in Europe, a continent that has a lot of experience over many centuries when it comes to that practice. Hungary has provided a good example when it comes to tax reform and immigration policy. The U.S. could learn from it. Desmond Tutu breaks vow of silence to condemn Aung San Suu Kyi: 'You symbolised righteousness' Archbishop Desmond Tutu is breaking his vow of silence in retirement to call on Aung San Suu Kyi to end her country's persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority group. In a heartfelt open letter to Myanmar's de facto leader, the 85-year-old described her as a 'dearly beloved sister' but said the 'unfolding horror' and 'ethnic cleansing' ongoing in the country's Rakhine State forced him to speak out. Tutu, a Nobel peace prize winner, urged his fellow laureate to intervene, despite her recent defence of her military's actions. 'I am now elderly, decrepit and formally retired, but breaking my vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness,' he wrote. 'For years I had a photograph of you on my desk to remind me of the injustice and sacrifice you endured out of your love and commitment for Myanmar's people. You symbolised righteousness,' he said, posting the letter on social media. 'Your emergence into public life allayed our concerns about violence being perpetrated against members of the Rohingya. But what some have called "ethnic cleansing" and others "a slow genocide" has persisted and recently accelerated.' Joining the growing list of world leaders calling on Suu Kyi to act, Tutu went on: 'If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep.' He wrote: 'It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country. It is adding to our pain.' As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous & resilient again. #Rohingya #PrayForRohingya pic.twitter.com/BIDSYY9e1X DesmondTutu Official (@TheDesmondTutu) September 7, 2017 Tutu's unexpected intervention comes after another peace prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, told Aung San Suu Kyi 'the world is waiting' for her response. 'Every time I see the news, my heart breaks,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Over the last several years, I have repeatedly condemned this tragic and shameful treatment. I am still waiting for my fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same.' Despite the pressure Aung San Suu Kyi defended her military's action in a phone call with Turkish president Recep Tayip Erdogan. She said 'huge iceberg of misinformation' was supporting terrorists in the conflict and insisted the army was protecting everyone in the conflict ridden Rakhine State. 'It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months,' she later told the Delhi-based network Asian News International. 'The situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades. It goes back to pre-colonial times.' Finland's Lutheran pastors petition government over deported Christian converts More than 400 Lutheran pastors in Finland have signed a petition expressing concern over the government deporting immigrants who have converted to Christianity. The church leaders are asking ministers to consult with clergy before expelling asylum seekers who have changed religion during their time in Finland, according to yle news. The pastors estimate hundreds of people have converted to Christianity since arriving in the country and could face persecution, torture or death if returned to their country of origin. One claimant, Golamir Hossaini, said: 'I haven't been in contact with my family in Afghanistan for a very long time. If they find out I've converted, it would mean trouble for me.' Jouni Lehikoinen, pastor at St Michael's parish in Turku, said: 'The parishes have real expertise with people who have converted to Christianity from Islam or another religion.' He pointed out authorities only carry out one interview when determining an applicant's religion and asked ministers to involve the pastor when they did so. But he stressed the church did not convert people simply in order to help their asylum applications. 'We make it clear to asylum seekers who want to convert that furthering their application is not a reason to become a Christian,' Lehikoinen said. Finnish evangelical parishes have begun specialist confirmation classes to cope with the high numbers of former Muslims converting to Christianity, previous reports claim. At the Tainionkoski parish centre in Imatra, Eastern Finland, more than 20 young men are enrolled for the class with many citing a dissatisfaction or disillusionment with Islam as the reason behind their conversion. The arms trade destroys communities. This was my protest Billed as 'The world's leading defence and security event', the DSEI arms fair at London's ExCel centre brings together more than 1600 exhibitors and showcases the world's deadliest weapons. Mark Meatcher joined protests outside. I believe the Spirit of God is stirring deep inside me at the moment. I attended my first 'proper' demonstration on Tuesday this week when I participated in the #Nofaithinwar day at the ExCel Centre in London. I met so many wonderful people, including the police force tasked with keeping law and order while the demonstration was going on, that filled me with hope for the future of humanity but which also challenged me further about my own faith and what it means to me. Mine was a relatively tame protest. Since I am a minister of the United Reformed Church I turned up in uniform, so to speak. I discovered that simply turning up as a church minister to join with others to say that I thought the arms trade and the arms fair was wrong, and isn't the best way for us to work in peace, brought a response from many people who just said 'Thank you so much for coming, thank you for talking the talk and walking the walk.' It was a response that moved me, challenged me, humbled me. Others stood in the road, others chained themselves together and had to be cut apart and were arrested, others hung themselves from bridges to try and prevent the lorries carrying weapons of warfare to enter the exhibition centre. What did I do? I participated in a drama where Britannia was 'married' to the Arms Trade, which we performed three times during the day. I joined with the Quakers in their worship for an hour late morning as we stood at the side of the road. We placed Bibles and grapes in the roadway in the hope that this symbolic act would be noted and might help those who were planning to bring weapons into the exhibition centre think about what they were doing. As it happened it led to bemused looks from the police, who weren't sure what to do about this kind of protest. We listened to a Jew commentating on the Old Testament scriptures. We celebrated communion in the middle of the road alongside a Methodist and an Anglican ordinand and with all those who gathered there with us, Quakers and others from various backgrounds. We shared in worship with Pax Christi, the International Catholic movement for Peace, which proved again a moment for humility and wonder as we did genuinely all do this together, worship and pray for peace. We worshipped too with Buddhists, and dined alongside them at lunchtime. And we left the day inspired and challenged, wondering what God wanted us to do next to continue the campaign, to work for peace and to challenge the worldview that continues to think we need to have might to control, but fails to recognise that continuing to sell weapons of war, continuing to build weapons of war, is not bringing peace but only continuing to destroy communities. The children (and adults) of Syria and Yemen, among many others, keep on screaming that out to us, but many are deaf to their cries. Rev Mark Meatcher is a minister in the United Reformed Church. States like Illinois and New Jersey and cities like Chicago and Detroit have attracted national headlines for their pension problems, but for absolute distress, no place has greater trouble with its retirement system than oft-ignored Kentucky. The Bluegrass States pension plan has lower funding levels than any other state plan, and one of its major pension funds is just four years from insolvency. The state already devotes about 13 percent of its revenues to pensionsabout double what other states spendand its not nearly enough to fix the problem. What should be most troubling to people outside of Kentucky, however, is that what got it into this mess is only a more severe version of the problems afflicting many local-government pensions, whose funding levels have failed to recover even after a nine-year bull market. Where Kentucky stands right now, in other words, is where many other pension systems are heading. According to Kentucky pension-system reports, the state owes at least $43 billion that it hasnt funded in its pension system, though a state study, using more conservative estimates, suggests that the system could be as much as $64 billion in the holenot counting $6 billion in unfunded retiree health-care costs. Since 2008, state contributions to the pension system have more than doubled, to $1.5 billion annually from $624 million, but it hasnt been enough. Local governments face a 50 percent jump in pension costs next year. To fund the system adequately, the state would have to cut other spending by more than 15 percent, or raise taxes sharply. But Governor Matt Bevin rules that out: I do not intend to raise taxes to pay for the sins of the past. Those sins are many. The conventional narrative is that government pension systems have gotten into trouble because politicians didnt fund them sufficiently, but thats only a small part of the story. According to PFM Consulting Group, about 15 percent of Kentuckys debt can be traced to under-financing its annual required pension contributions. The far bigger problem is that Kentuckys pension system, like those in other states, has employed dubious accounting standards that underestimated problems in the system. Sadly, it seems past assumptions were often manipulated by the prior pension boards in order to minimize the cost of pensions to the state budget, Bevin and two legislative leaders wrote in a recent op-ed. The result was to provide a false sense of security. Kentuckys retirement system, for instance, used a technique known as backloading, which pushes off into the future payments that would reduce a systems debt. That method sustained for years the illusion that the system was still affordable, even as its costs were mounting. Kentucky also used assumptionssuch as how long its retirees would livethat proved wrong, with costs winding up higher than projected. Like many government systems, the state has also failed to meet its investment projections because they turned out to be too optimistic, and it enacted cost-of-living adjustments without properly accounting for them. Finally, the state designed costly benefits out of line even with other those offered to government workers in neighboring statesincluding allowing workers to retire early with full benefits. The average age at which Kentucky teachers retire, for instance, is 55, or about five years below the national average. Still, Kentucky workers argue that their pensions are small and that they couldnt possibly bear reductions to them. The states retired teachers receive on average a pension of just $36,244, according to press reports. But that number is misleading, because it includes everyone garnering payments, including those who worked only a few years and now receive partial pensions. By contrast, Kentucky teachers who retire with full benefitsand who generate the most costs in any systemdo quite well. According to the pension plans most recent annual report, teachers retiring during fiscal 2016 with 30 years of service earned an average pension of $64,668, or 80 percent of their final average salary, while those who left with 25 years of service received $47,220, or 65 percent of final salary. By contrast, median annual household income in Kentucky is $43,470. Facing this crisis, the state is considering recommendations made by its consultant, PFM Group, to end cost-of-living adjustments, raise the retirement age to 65, and enroll new hires in a 401(k) style plan instead of a defined-benefit pension. Employees object to any changes for current workers, arguing that their pension plans cannot be altered because of legislation that declares that retirement benefits for government workers constitute an inviolable contract in Kentucky. To them, this means that workers have the right to keep earning benefits for an entire career at the rate in effect when the state first hired them. By contrast, in federal court cases, judges with jurisdiction over private-sector pensions have consistently ruled that while a pension contract protects benefits that a worker has already earned, it doesnt prohibit an employer from changing the terms of a pension plan for work that an employee hasnt performed yet. How Kentucky courts resolve this issue may very well determine whether the state has a chance to fix its pension problems without steep tax increases or devastating cuts in government services. Though the state cant make its current pension debt go away, it could save substantially by reforming benefits and then applying the savings to paying off its pension debt. One Kentucky labor leader has promised that if the state attempts such reform, workers will storm the Capitol with torches and pitchforks. Whether taxpayers promise to do the same, if they get stuck with the states huge retirement bill, will probably determine Kentuckys fiscal future. Photo by George Marks/Getty Images Attorney General Jeff Sessions is trying to restore the legitimacy of policing, so damaged by the Obama Justice Department. Ongoing conflicts in Milwaukee and Chicago show how difficult it will be to undo the previous administration's legacy. Barack Obama's Justice Department put more police departments under federal control than any previous administration; these federal consent decreesbinding agreements between a local agency and the federal governmentcost police departments millions of dollars to implement and take dozens of officers off the street to fill out reams of paperwork within rigid deadlines. In 2011, the Justice Department started offering police departments collaborative reform as a less-burdensome alternative to the onerous consent-decree process. But collaborative reform soon morphed into consent-decree lite. The reports ran over 200 pages and contained scores of nitpicking recommendations. And when the Justice Department looked more closely, it was not at all clear that the agency that ran collaborative reformthe Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)had the statutory authority for such adversarial audits. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has reoriented the program to help departments fight crime, rather than phantom police bias, without imposing a costly bureaucratic overlay. The changes come too late, however, for the Milwaukee Police Department, whose chief, Ed Flynn, was sweet-talked into collaborative reform by the former head of the COPS office. In 2016, Milwaukees collaborative-reform team produced a draft 243-page report, characterized by the usual Obama hallmarksabove all, a disparate-impact approach to finding police bias that measures police activity, like stops or arrests, against population ratios rather than against crime rates. The current DOJ lawyers agreed with Flynn that the draft report was seriously flawed and should not be released until its errors were corrected. But someonewhether an Obama aide, a member of the collaborative-reform team, or a Milwaukee police officialleaked the report to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and to the city council. The Journal Sentinel, which has waged a crusade against Flynn for years, splashed its nearly 3,000-word article on its front page under the unintentionally hilarious headline: trust in police damaged, report says: department of justice draft says milwaukee chief relies too much on data. Accusing a police department of relying too much on data is like accusing a doctor of relying too much on evidence-based disease markers in his diagnoses. Another term for data-driven is victim-driven, since crime data simply record the incidence of criminal victimization. The Journal Sentinel followed up with another front-page piece the next day: 9 key takeaways from the doj draft. Predictably, the report criticizes traffic-stop rates, allegedly three times higher for blacks than for whites. The investigators concede that the department deploys its resources based on data to identify neighborhoods of higher crime rates. Race, in other words, has nothing to do with deployment or enforcement. But, the report goes on to explain, community members have expressed concern that the areas identified as high crime are also more populated by minority community members. As a result, MPDs data driven policing strategy has a disparate impact on minority community members. This, in a nutshell, is the core dilemma facing police departments today. Given the huge disparities in law-breaking, the police cannot go to where people are most being victimized without generating racially disproportionate stop and arrest data. In 2016, blacks made up 89 percent of robbery suspects in Milwaukee, 85 percent of aggravated-assault suspects, and 81 percent of homicide suspects, though they are 39 percent of the population. Their victims were predominantly minority. The nonfatal shooting rate for blacks is over 15 times higher than for whites; the homicide rate is over 11 times higher than for whites. The only way to avoid generating racially disproportionate police activity data is to stop serving the minority victims of crime. No one has articulated this bind more eloquently over the years than Ed Flynn. The dilemmas of policing in the Black Lives Matter era were put on vivid display this April, when Milwaukees city council voted to require the MPD to loosen its policy on car chases. The current MPD policy, instituted by Flynn, requires a high threshold of criminal behavior before officers can give chase; it represents the gold standard of progressive policing, because high-speed car chases are extremely dangerous. But the city council now wants officers to crack down on reckless driving because minority communities have complained about speeding, often by carjackers who zoom away after stealing cars. Nearly 90 percent of car-theft suspects are black, but the same municipal officials who routinely blame the MPD for high rates of black incarceration are now demanding that the department ramp up enforcement against the black population. Its more than a little baffling to me, reports Flynn, that the same city council thats on the record as opposing putting people in jail for committing crimes wants us to engage in more pursuits that place innocent lives at risk to catch people they dont want to see put in jail. The collaborative-reform draft cites MPDs alleged failure to engage in community policing. In fact, Flynn has put so many officers on bikes to interact with the community that critics have accused him of letting patrol-car response times increase. The report also alleges that the department has a patrol workforce that does not reflect the diversity of the Milwaukee community at large. Like every other department in the country, Milwaukee tries to recruit as many minority candidates as possible. The Black Lives Matter narrative that policing is racist does not facilitate that effort; nor does the fact that minorities are more likely to have a criminal record and weaker test scores. Its unlikely in any case that further racial engineering would improve policing: another Obama-era collaborative-reform report found that black and Hispanic officers in Philadelphia had a much higher rate than white officers of shooting unarmed black males. That disparity, which has been found elsewhere, undoubtedly derives from racial quotas in hiring. As if the leaked report were not causing the MPD headaches enough, the Wisconsin ACLU is suing in federal court for a consent decree against stop, question, and frisk. The suit is based on the usual specious disparate impact analysis. These will be the anti-cop strategies in the post-Obama era: leverage the legal tools and documents left over from the Obama years and continue suing for federal control, aided or cheered on by former Justice Department officials. Chicago exemplifies this strategy as well. The Obama Justice Department just missed finalizing a consent decree for the Chicago Police Department before its term expired. The DOJ report preceding the planned decree was immaculately free of crime data or any acknowledgement of community demands for protection from public disorder. Mayor Rahm Emanuel initially opposed the Justice Department investigation, then reversed himself under political pressure. When Attorney General Sessions announced that he would not pursue the Chicago consent decree, Emanuel backtracked and conceded that Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson was in fact capable of constitutional policing on his own, without having to dedicate millions of taxpayer dollars and hundreds of thousands of manpower hours to satisfy a federal monitor. This reversal of the reversal brought another round of bias accusations against Emanuel. Now he has reversed himself yet again, in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan. Madigan, of course, wants to put the CPD under federal court control. An Obama Justice Department lawyer, Christy Lopez, called Madigans suit a clarion call and an example to other states and jurisdictions of how to push reform though the federal courts in the Trump era, reports the Chicago Tribune. Emanuel announced: I am proud the attorney general is standing up for our city, for its residents, and for our police officers where the Trump administration fell flat. The mayor has yet to explain why he thinks Eddie Johnson cannot stand up for Chicagos residents and police officers. Any mayor who encourages a federal takeover of his police department should fire his police chief, since that chief is presumably unable to manage the department properlyand then the mayor himself should resign, since he, too, is apparently unable to lead his own agencies in the absence of a federal watchdog and judicially enforced mandates. (With perfect gall, Emanuel has launched his own lawsuit against the Trump administration, demanding that Chicago receive its usual share of federal crime-fighting largesse, even though Chicago willfully thwarts federal attempts to deport illegal-alien criminals.) During this jousting over who can more forcefully accuse the CPD of racism, Chicagos shooting spree continues to turn the citys South and West Sides into a bloodbath. Labor Day weekend was a relatively good holiday weekendwith only seven people killed and another 37 or so wounded in shootings. Among the dead was a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the back at 7:50 on Monday evening during an argument in front of a West Side home. By comparison, over Memorial Day weekend this year, at least 53 people were shot, eight fatally, according to the Chicago Tribune. This good Labor Day tally was accomplished by flooding shooting hotspots with an additional 1,300 officers and by conducting parole sweeps before the weekend to get known criminals in violation of their parole conditions off the streets. Dont be surprised if the ACLU files a lawsuit in retaliation. If Emanuel and Johnson think that they will continue to have manpower to spare and the tactical freedom to make lawful preemptive arrests under a federal-consent decree, they are fooling themselves. The FBIs national crime report for 2016 will come out later this month. Expect a continuation of what I have called the Ferguson effectrising violent crime in minority neighborhoods due to politically induced depolicing. Jeff Sessions has pledged to reverse that crime increase. But as Milwaukee and Chicago show, the shadow Obama government will fight him all the way. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images The United States of Beer: A Freewheeling History of the All-American Drink by Dane Huckelbridge (William Morrow, 289 pp., $25.99) Not long ago, my wife and I found ourselves in the tiny hamlet of Ellis, Kansas (human population: 2,012; cattle and calf population: 26,932). Ellis consists of two grain elevators, a railroad track, a four-block downtown, scattered houses, and a Days Inn catering mostly to truckers. We planned for an ice-cooler-provided dinner in our room, and asked the young man at the desk if there was anywhere nearby to buy beer. He directed us to the Red Brick liquor store, easy to find since it was on the fourthand lastblock of downtown. Our hopes for some decent suds faded as we approached the building, which was about the size of a double-wide trailer. How looks can deceive: the shabby place had a big rack of craft beers and included my wifes favorite: Lagunitass A Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale. Amazed, we left with a six-pack of this fine example of American brew-dog artistry. That haute-biere can be found in the most improbable places is a testament to just how far Americas beer culture has come in the last few decades. Earlier this year, in an unsubtle swipe at the craft-beer revolution, Anheuser-Busch announced that the word America would replace Budweiser on its cans for the remainder of 2016; the slogan King of Beers would similarly be replaced by E Pluribus Unum. The point was meant to be both simple and patriotic: Budweiser is the real American suds for real Americans. A Budweiser executive told the New York Times that the campaign is resonating because the timing is rightfrom the Olympics and Copa America to the U.S. Presidential race, celebrations of patriotism will be at an all-time high this summer. In a Super Bowl commercial last year, Bud made cruel fun of foppish hipsters sniffing and drooling over a beer infused with pumpkin and peaches, though just two weeks later Bud bought (for a reported $165 million) the Seattle-based Elysian Brewery that made the concoction. Perhaps Bud really thinks craft beer drinkers are snobby and unpatriotic elites whove made our country weak. But as Dane Huckelbridge tells us in his new and wonderful book, The United States of Beer, American craft beer sales exceeded sales of Bud in 2013. Anheuser-Busch (owned entirely by an even more giganticand foreignconglomerate) has to answer to shareholders. How better to nudge slipping sales than by appealing to love of country? In rich and full detail, Huckelbridge tells the story of Americas love affair with beer. Even before Europeans set foot on the new continent, Native Americans made beer for fun and religious purposes from a wide variety of vegetable matter. Our Dutch and English forbears brought their beerand their beer preferenceswith them. In 1620, the Mayflower landed in Plymouth, at least in part for want of enough beer for both passengers and crew. When the Arbella sailed into Boston Harbor in 1630, it was laden not just with Puritans but also with 10,000 gallons of beer and 120 hogsheads of malt. The English in New England drank dark and cloudy ales made from fire-roasted malt and top-fermenting yeast. The Dutch in New Netherlands preferred drafts lighter in body and mouthfeel; they added rye, wheat, and oats to the barley. The English put an end to New Netherlands in 1664, but that didnt end the waras it would eventually prove to becomebetween the light and the dark worlds of beer. Huckelbridge approaches his subject from a regional point of view. National tastes sprang from regional ones. Beer tides flowed North to South, turned westward to California, and then doubled back East in the late twentieth century. Our English forbears came relatively late to the use of hops in beer, as was done on the European Continent in the ninth century. As late as the early sixteenth century, hops were thought of in England as a wicked and pernicious weed. In Europe, brewing was done by large, organized monasteries, while in England it remained largely a household craft. The larger European producers had to worry more about consistency and spoilage than did the home-brewing English; the hop, though essential to the taste of beer as we know it, was originally used as a preservative, with the appreciation of bitterness following on the utility of anti-sepsis. As English brewing took on a more industrial tone, the uses of the hop became clear, and so the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower could drink safe beer rather than brackish and polluted water. By the time of the revolutionary crisis, English economic policy and regulation had increased the price of barley and hops so much that cider and rum began to edge out beer as the preferred drink of New Englanders. The Sons of Libertyincluding Samuel Adams and John Hancockrebelled for beer as much as for independence. In New York and the Mid-Atlantic, the Dutch taste for lighter beer outlasted the demise of New Netherlands. By the mid-eighteenth century, Philadelphia had become the center for the production of English-style, extra-dark porters. In 1769, the brewers of the city united to reject a cargo of malt sent from Yarmouth, England. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 was preceded by a demonstration on behalf of American beer. The devastations of war crippled the mid-Atlantic beer industry, but once the British yolk was lifted, Philadelphia porter once again became the patriots beer of choice. By the turn of the nineteenth century, the city provided beer to almost all American cities and the Caribbean. Of the 132 major breweries in America in 1810, 48 were in Pennsylvania and 42 were in New York. The beer blast didnt last long, however. By 1820, the American beer industry was again in crisis, caused this time not by British policy but rather by a new immigrant group taming the rough edges of the South. These were the Irish and Scots who brought their taste for whiskey to modern-day Kentucky and Tennessee. These folks, Huckelbridge tells us, knew a thing or two about turning bad beer into barrel-aged whiskeyand that the hard stuff could travel where perishable brew couldnt go. By 1810, per capita annual consumption of whiskey had skyrocketed to five gallons, while that of beer collapsed to just a single gallon. When American beer recovered, it did so in the Midwest, and in a new form: lager. What we now think of as American beer (Budweiser, Busch, Pabst, Miller, etc.) sprang from the habits and tastes of German immigrants in Midwestern cities. Their lager beers were rich and full-flavored, but were somewhat lighter and milder than the darker and more fragrant British-style ales they eventually displaced. Huckelbridge describes in some detail the history of German brewing from Roman times through the sixteenth century, when lager yeast was discovered as an alternative to ale yeast. This new yeast strain originated in the cold forests of Patagonia and made its way by accident to Europeand especially to Bavaria. Bavarian brewers had long practiced the lagering of beer in cold underground storage. By serendipity, the immigrant lager yeast mated with and produced a hybrid form of the local ale yeast. This new hybrid fermented at the bottom of the beer rather than at the top, and at much lower temperatures than the traditional ale yeast. Traditional ales were often inconsistent and contaminated by bacteria and wild yeast, but the cooler temperatures of the new lager solved these problems. At the same time, the beer was lighter (with less alcohol), more carbonated, and easier to store and transport. And so began the big beer dichotomy in German brewing: the line wasnt between hops or no hops as happened in England; it was between darker, stronger, cloudier, and fruitier ales and lighter, crisp lagers. Well before the discovery of lager yeast, the German beer tradition had been unified and standardized by the Rheinheitsgebot (purity law) passed in Munich in 1447 and again in Bavaria in 1487. In 1551, laws were passed in Munich that recognized the making of cold-fermented lager. By 1750, there were almost 4,000 lager-producing breweries in Bavaria, though consolidation vastly shrank that number. By the middle of the nineteenth century, regional German ales (though not the profitable wheat beers) had disappeared. The lagersbocks, doppelbocks, Marzens, and pilsnerswon the day because they were artisanal, sophisticated, and of consistently high-quality. As the wind brought lager yeast from the Americas to Europe, so German immigrants brought the flowering of that lager to the United States of Beer. The oldest existing brand of beer in America was started by a German immigrant in 1829. David Gottlob Yungling started out producing ale, not lager. The German Revolution of 1848 produced such a flood of well-educated and well-heeled German immigrants that by1861, 1,350,000 of them lived in the German Triangle of Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. All these Germans drank and produced lager beer of the rich and still-relatively dark tradition of their birthplace. Indeed, it was so dark that in 1881 a drilling company that by accident breached the lager of Grossmans brewery in Pennsylvania thought the stuff they discovered was oil, at least until they tasted it. From the German Triangle came the huge breweries such as Busch, Pabst, Miller (formerly Muller), and Schlitz. By 1866, Milwaukee brewers sold 68,000 barrels of lager annually, compared with a paltry 3,600 barrels of ale. The Civil War years saw the creation of the first brewers association. It was so dominated by Germans (and so anti-ale) that it made German its official language. Ale for all practical purposes disappeared. By 1900, American beer production swelled to 40 million barrels, and average per capita annual consumption ballooned to a whopping 20 gallons. Almost all of it was lager brewed in the German Triangle of the Midwest. Huckelbridge reminds us repeatedly that lager in the second half of the nineteenth century was much darker and richer than the mass-market lagers of today. So what happened? How did American beer gain its reputation for being weak, watery, and tasteless? In the decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, two forces converged to transform our national drink: technological innovation and Prohibition. Before the Volstead Act went into effect in January 1920, technological and economic changes had been at work degrading the quality of American beer. New kiln technology made it possible to roast malts with no direct contact with the heat, which made for fewer notes of smoke and slag. Likewise, temperature controls made it possible to make lighter and crispier brews. The use of American six-row barley, which is higher in enzymes than German two-row barley, enabled brewers to employ cheaper, adjunct grains such as corn, wheat, and riceall of which made for a sweeter and flimsier beer. Pasteurization increased shelf life, lessening the need for preservative alcohol and hops. Artificial carbonation replaced the traditional practice of adding live yeast to the finished brew, which improved taste but was less consistent than artificial carbonation. Add to this the advent of advertising and refrigerated rail transportation, and we were on the verge of becoming the United States of Bland Beer. Prohibition delivered the death blow. After the Volstead Acts repeal, America was in the grip of the Great Depression. Beer drinkersand brewersfocused on the cheap and not the good. The result was a pale and watery brew served up in cans across the county . . . and the final product bore only a passing resemblance to the rich and hoppy lagers that German immigrants had first brought to this country. Prohibition ruined the beer industry nationwide and drove alcohol underground, producing a significant change in American tastes: speakeasies learned to disguise low-quality whiskey and gin in sweet cocktails. As a result, a generation of Americans came of age with sweet-tooth tongues allergic to the bitter hop or the malty malt. By the 1950s, America was the land of the macrobrew: thin and flaccid sweet suds, distinguishable only by the brand names on the can. Americas beer salvation happened in San Francisco. Back in 1965, my wife and I were just married and still undergraduates at Berkeley. From time to time we would cross the bay to have some fun in North Beachthen home to beatniks and bookstores, jazz clubs, cheap eats, and exotic nightclubs. One of these restaurant-clubs was the Old Spaghetti Factory, known among other things for a strange brew on tap called Anchor Steam, which Huckelbridge rightly identifies as the first microbrew of the revolution. The story by itself is worth the price of the book. German immigrants in the Bay Area brewed beer in flat vats with lager yeast, but the fermentation occurred at the warmer temperature of ale. The brew was then cooled on foggy San Francisco roofs. The resulting steamlegend has itgave the beer its name. Huckelbridge suggests that the more likely source of the moniker was that the beer was krausened in the barrels which, when tapped, let off the built up carbonation. Whatever the source of the name, the lager wasnt lagered. It was quick to make, rich and full flavored, and ready to drink. In 1965, Fritz Maytagscion of the washing machine familybought the Anchor Steam brewery for less than the price of a used car. By 1971, Maytag and his brilliant brewmaster Mark Carpenter were bottling the stuff that would redeem American beer culture. In 1976, Jack McAuliffe founded New Albion Brewing Company in nearby Sonoma, and after Jimmy Carters deregulation of home brewing in 1978, the two amateurs Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi opened the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in nearby Chico. The center of Americas beer action then moved back east. In 1984, Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which soon became the first national craft beer. Huckelbridge ends his American beer saga with some figures to illustrate the turning beer tide. In the late-twentieth century, the number of American breweries numbered only in the dozens; by the turn of the twenty-first century, there were more than 1,500. The rest, he says, is history. Recent history is actually more impressive than Huckelbridge acknowledges. According to the Craft Beer Association, the low point in American beer occurred in 1977, when there were a mere 50 companies and 96 brewing facilities from coast to coast. By 1986, the number of facilities rose to 124, but by the end of 2015 it had skyrocketed to 4,269, of which 4,225 were craft breweries of varying size and reach. Craft beer now accounts for 12.2 percent of the American beer market. Theres no doubt that beer geeks and snobs can get under ones skin (the same is true for wine). At the end of the day it doesnt matter if most people still drink crummy beer fit only for beer-pong: its a free country, after all. What does matter is that a miracle of free enterprise has made varied and fabulous beer available to just about anyone. Good beer costs a bit more than bad beer, but for what you get its a cheap luxury. And you can get it anywhere: even in Ellis, Kansas. Photo by joshuaraineyphotography/iStock Contactless payment technology means donating to charity can be quick and easy. But it can make the experience of giving so fleeting that we lose the opportunity to engage with our supporters. At Cancer Research UK we have been looking at ways to enhance the donor experience in tandem with the demands of an increasingly cashless society. One of the more successful initiatives in recent months has been though working with our corporate partner Hyundai as part of our joint national fundraising campaign with Channel 4, Stand Up To Cancer. The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a Christian charity which repeatedly failed to file accounts on time. Kingdom Life Ministries has not filed its accounts on time once in the last five years and was been part of the class inquiry into charities that had failed to file accounts for two consecutive years, until July 2016 when it submitted overdue accounts. It was three months late filing accounts for the year ending May 2016 and the Commission opened a statutory inquiry in June 2017. Kingdom Life Ministries most recent set of accounts have been qualified by the auditor, who said: As part of our audit process we physically verified the existence of fixed assets However, third party documentary evidence to support the cost of these assets was not adequate. The charity reported an income of 870,000, mainly from donations and legacies It spent almost 92,000 on salaries, including 10,700 in payments to trustees or connected payments. Separately, as part of volunteer costs, it spent 82,000 on honorarium. This is usually a small amount of money paid to someone when no official charge is made, such as payment to visiting lecturers at universities. The Commission said: Despite receiving regulatory advice and being repeatedly reminded to meet their legal duties, the trustees again failed to file the statutory accounting information for financial year ending 2016 on time. The trustees have persistently failed to file their accounting documents on time for three consecutive years, and have shown repeated evidence of mismanagement in the administration of the charity and non-compliance with the Commission. Having been provided with regulatory advice and guidance, it is of serious regulatory concern to the Commission that the charity has continued to default on its statutory duties. The International Committee of the Red Cross has set up the worlds first humanitarian impact bond, worth more than 26m Swiss Francs (20m). The money raised will be used to build and run three new physical rehabilitation centres in Nigeria, Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo over a five-year period. It will also go towards training for new staff as well as the testing and implementation of new efficiency initiatives. The ICRC says a growing annual budget and a rising number of conflicts are the reasons why the new funding model has been created. Peter Maurer, the ICRC's president, said: This funding instrument is a radical, innovative but at the same time, logical step for the ICRC. It is an opportunity not only to modernise the existing model for humanitarian action, but to test a new economic model, designed to better support people in need. We hope that once the pilot project is proven, it will demonstrate that non-traditional financing models can work. There is great potential for investments that are built around improving the social, environmental and economic conditions so that humanitarian action advances in impact, effectiveness and scale in ways never seen before. See in Charity Finance How it works The Humanitarian Impact Bond is actually not a bond put a private placement. The initial payments by social investors including New Re, part of Munich Re Group and others identified by co-sponsor Lombard Odier fund the ICRCs activities at its rehabilitation centre. At the end of the fifth year, outcome funders comprising the governments of Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, the UK and Spanish banking foundation la Caixa will pay the ICRC according to the results achieved. These funds will in turn be used to pay back the social investors partially, in full or with an additional return, depending on how well the ICRC performs in terms of the efficiency of the new centres. Independent auditors will verify the ICRCs reported efficiency based on how many people receive mobility devices per physical rehabilitation professional compared to existing centres. If above the benchmark, social investors will receive their initial investment plus an annual return but if the performance of the new centres is below the benchmark, they it will lose a certain amount of their initial investment. New York Citys tabloid wars die hard. When Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Jimmy Breslin died in March, the New York Daily News, the paper hed worked on for a decade, failed to mention in its coverage that hed ever written for its tabloid rival, the New York Post, where he worked briefly in the late Sixties. The Post made sure to omit that Breslin had worked for the News. Grudges die hard, too. Some never. Like the one between Breslin and my father, Paul Sann, for 30 years executive editor of the then-liberal Post and self-described enforcer for the papers owner, Dorothy Schiff, who ruled the Post from her penthouse office with a liberal heart, an iron hand, and a fiery unpredictable temperament. RELATED: An important lesson on covering Trump from Jimmy Breslin One night in the spring of 1971, I waited in my fathers Greenwich Village duplex for him to return from work. He arrived around 2 pm after putting out the early editions. As he poured himself a drink, the phone rang. Would you get that, he asked. I picked up and heard someone with a gruff voice screaming vulgarities and insults in an unrelenting rant. Id never heard anything quite like it. I guess its for you, I said, handing him the phone. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Paul Sann, he said. Fk you! I heard, before my father hung up the phone. Who was that?! Jimmy Breslin, my father said. He doesnt like me anymore. *** IT HADNT ALWAYS been that way. In May 1967, Schiff told that the eight-month-old World Journal Tribune, where Breslin was a star columnist, was on the brink of folding sent my father to Breslins literary agent Sterling Lord, whom he knew, to inquire about Breslins contract. Breslin couldnt go to the Post even if he wanted, Lord said, because his contract had 18 months left to run and that he would never, but never, leave a sinking ship. He also said that Paul Sann is the only editor [Breslin] wants to work for in the town. Sann said, sarcastically, that he loved Breslin, too, reminding Lord that the Post is very likely the only other paper he can come to. Two days later, the WJT ship sank. October 5, 1967. Lord called Sann and contract negotiations began. Over four-and-a-half months of talks, the date of Breslins first column changed seven times. During that period Breslin retired once (to write a novel) and quit once (because, in Sanns words, He is neither loved enough nor paid enough.). Still, Lord said, The Post is where Breslin wants to be. Lord initially offered Breslin a contract on a month-to-month basis, because it would leave Jimmy free to go elsewhere whenever he wanted to say, if another paper started. Sann said the Post was hardly inclined to reintroduce Breslin to the New York reader so that he could leave at will when the spirit or the money moved him. Lord agreed to a two-year, three-columns-a-week deal. We will get the genius, all right, Sann wrote Schiff on October 13, but several conditions worried him: one suggesting that Breslin also wanted his column to appear in Long Islands Newsday, another imposing limits on the Posts right to edit his column and change his idioms, which Breslin would consider a breach. It wasnt until February 8, 1968 that the Post had drawn up a proposed contract, and for two weeks markups were exchanged. Then, on February 26, Sann received a four-page contract from Breslin giving the Post the right to edit him without prior consultation, but stipulating that the meaning of any column could not be changed without first consulting him. Sann added a deal-breaking clause No Breslin in any New York edition of any other newspaper, no matter where its point of origin, which Lord okayed. The contract was signed with a March 11 start. When Breslin appeared as scheduled, Schiff dictated a note to him: Dear Jimmy. Welcome to the New York Post! I loved your first column. And so the honeymoon began. It wouldnt last long. RELATED: Jimmy Breslin, The Son of Sam, and the New York tabloid wars Sann admired Breslins gritty journalism, his novelistic style, his championing of the underdog and his compassionate voice for the common man. Jimmy was the Damon Runyon of Queens Boulevard, a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other, said best-selling author and journalist Pete Hamill, a colleague and contemporary, who shared an office with Breslin in the 1970s at the old News building on 42nd Street between Second and Third. Schiff and Sann knew that getting Breslin having his writing and raging, big voice in the paper was something of a coup. Sann also knew that Breslin was cantankerous. *** IN 1967, when Breslin joined the Post, he was sent to cover Robert F. Kennedys presidential run. The night of the California primary, Breslin was in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel, just five feet away from the senator, when Sirhan Sirhan shot Bobby. . . . And Then The Shots appeared in the Post on June 5, 1968, Jimmy Breslin on the scene reporting from Los Angeles. It began: He was shaking hands with the kitchen workers who leaned across trays and cups and saucers and bins of ice cubes. Shaking hands with them and looking at them with those deep-set blue eyes and his teeth showed in a smile and photographers pushed around the work tables in the kitchen and skidded off the wet floor to make pictures of him and I guess he never saw the guy with the gun. Breslin described the flat sounds of four or five shots, then Kennedy disappears. He detailed the effort to get the senator onto a stretcher, into a freight elevator, down to the loading platform and into an ambulance, along the way capturing the solemn moment a Roman Catholic priest knelt next to the senator and the split second when the door to the freight elevator was about to be pulled down and camera lights glare and screams go into the light and a voice commanded: Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy coming on. Breslin then flashes back to an earlier point in the night, upstairs in Kennedys suite: the party, friends drinking and watching the winning election returns. Now he switches to first person as if whispering a secret into the readers ear: And now, as Robert Kennedy makes his way downstairs to the hotel ballroom I am going to tell you about this thing that happened to him. Im going to tell you from the first day he ran for the Presidency when he went to Kansas . . . everybody with him talked only of one thing. Hes going to be shot, John Lindsay of Newsweek said. Hes going to be shot as sure as were here . . . And everybody, all the days, all the trips, kept closing their eyes saying dont even mention it. And on Monday in San Francisco, on a street in Chinatown, they set off firecrackers and Robert Kennedy shook and everybody in the car behind him, everybody to a man, shook, too. . . . Breslins last paragraph: And everybody cried when he was shot down within feet of them, all through the night they stood on the street in front of the hospital and we always knew, all of us, that someday we would be doing this. It was quintessential Breslin, putting the reader beside him as Kennedy goes down and taking the reader through the drama and the horror that he experienced that night. At the office the next day, Sann stayed late. He spoke to Schiff, then wrote her a memo: I read Breslin again after talking to you. You understand, I had a special pride in the piece. I think I talked him into going to the typewriter and staying there one drop of blood at a time. He was all cut up. And I did the editing and heavy trims myself. The way it came out, in my heartfelt judgment, it has to win all the prizes, Pulitzer included, for the big ones written under the gun. If it doesnt, the wheel is crooked. Schiff dictated back: As I read it, I thought it rated a Pulitzer, too. And, in a P.S., I am glad we had it. In a second memo on yesterdays Breslin, Sann told Schiff that the AP called for permission to put chunks of it on the wire a first in my memory. Over six days, Breslin wrote three columns, the last, Hello, Im Joe Kennedy, a coming-of-age story about the senators son on the train carrying his fathers coffin from St. Patricks Cathedral to Pennsylvania Station to Washington to Arlington National Cemetery, that Breslin believed was about something infinitely larger. The train swayed and slid down the platform and went into a tunnel under the Hudson River. It came up in the weeds and marshes of New Jersey, and it was here that it started. It was here, on roads running through the weeds, and in junk yards and factories alongside the tracks, that the funeral of Robert Francis Kennedy took place. . . . But the people on the sides of the railroad tracks, so many of them Negroes, so many of them openly weeping, were different. The ceremony at St. Patricks, and the ceremony at Arlington, were very small and insignificant next to the shimmering dignity of human beings crying for another. Afterwards, Breslin was too upset to write and considered dropping out of the paper. When Sann told Schiff this, she asked whether she should call him. Sann advised not to. She did anyway. In a memo, Dorothy Schiff recounted what she told Paul Sann about her call with Breslin: I thought maybe I could persuade him that the show must go on. At one point . . . he mentioned how sore Bobby was at me and the Jew press. I told him to repeat that, because I wasnt sure he was quoting Bobby or himself. He insisted that thats what Bobby and his entourage called us. I was unable to persuade Breslin not to interrupt the publication of his columns. . . . Paul said he guessed thats what they called us when they were among themselves, because Breslin had said the same thing to him. I am still not sure that this was not Breslin talking rather than RFK. A few days later, on June 14, after talking to Breslin, Sann broke the news: Dolly: Breslin, sad to say, is in deep depression now. Hasnt written since Mondays column and says he cant. Hes taking next week as one of the 4 unpaid vacation weeks he has coming. I just sense, talking to him, that theres no way around it; hes just plain choked up and says he never would have written a line on the RFK tragedy except that I kept on him. . . . *** WHEN BRESLIN CAME BACK, he continued the three-a-week, 750-word columns. On November 5, he covered Nixons arrival at JFK Airport, the motorcade to the city, the last campaign rally and the night the returns came in. The column, At the Waldorf, appeared the next day. The memo Sann wrote Schiff on November 7: Breslin called me at home at 6:30 last night in a towering rage fueled with liquor. Skipping the more colorful language, the conversation went something like this: Breslin: I lost some very valuable lines in the trim in my Nixon column and if youre going to keep trimming my copy to make room for a box under it I wont be writing for the Post. Sann: All our double measure columns took boxes for makeup purposes and everybody else writes to space and loses no lines, valuable or otherwise. Breslin: If I am not good enough to write to the bottom I would start on the Daily News Monday. Sann: That would be difficult under the terms of your contract. Breslin: You ought to let me out of the contract if youre going to trim out valuable lines. Sann: That would be something handled by counsel, not by me. Breslin: I would go to the News anyway and you could sue me. Sann: That too would be a matter for the lawyers, not for me. Breslin: Come to think of it, I dont care too much for the way I am buried in the paper either people cant find my column. Sann: Another position would not enlarge your space but might even shorten . . . I never finished my sentence, Sann wrote Schiff. My friend hung up. I dont know whether, in the gray dawn, Jimmy will decide to favor us with some prose for tomorrow. I am loath to call and ask him, because he aint entitled Now for the legalities his contract runs until March 11, 1970. He cant write for any other newspaper around here if he breaks it. The contract limits him to 750 words. I ran about 900 yesterday. I would recommend that we do nothing until we hear or dont hear from the man. (Breslin submitted a column the next day.) Breslins last column ran on Feb. 19, 1969. As Sann told Schiff: Breslin was awash in movie money for The Gang That Couldnt Shoot Straight, with offers for hefty advances for more novels. The Post was in Breslins rear-view mirror. *** THINGS BEGAN TO HEAT UP in March 1969 when Breslin teamed with literary lion Norman Mailer in a quixotic bid for political office as Mailer threw his hat into the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, Breslin running for the since-abolished office of city council president. From the outset, the candidates were enraged by the Posts non-coverage, believing that the papers sniped, ridiculed, or merely ignored them; the Post being the chief culprit. And, truth be told, Schiff, Sann and editorial page editor James Wechsler, the Posts political soul, all considered the Mailer-Breslin campaign frivolous. So escalated the grudge match. To Sann, the power and authority that Mailer and Breslin believed he wielded was laughable. It was her paper. That was clear to everyone she employed since 1942 when she became the first female publisher in New York. She not only called all the shots, but also lorded over Sann, questioning his every decision, editorial or grammatical, and he fought her every step of the way. On May 8, Sann wrote Schiff a memo detailing that Sann received a call from Breslin on May 7. It started with the slow, warm old Irish embrace, How are you, pal and the inevitable, I didnt wake you, did I? (He didnt). Then Jimmy said, ever so softly, that some of the kids on the paper tell me ders [sic] a memo from dat [sic] bitch about not givin publicity to ex-employees, what about dat [sic]? I said that the publisher didnt write memos to the kids on the paper and that there was no such memo to anybody else either, not even me. Then the other Breslin exploded. He said, Maybe I wrote the memo and that he had just taken on [the Times] Abe Rosenthal and had a few minutes before going on TV and if he had to, he would take me on too, + name n all, and then he turned to you again in the vilest, foulest characterizations I have ever heard even from the Breslins and Mailers of our time. So I hung up. Sann, in a P.S.: On Channel 13s Newsfront Breslin called the Post positively the worst of all newspapers. But the very worst. And Mailer said Breslin, indeed, might be in the political race now just to assuage his bad guilt over having worked for the New York Daily Post (sic). I taped it if you want to see it. (She didnt.) In the end, Mailer finished fourth in a five-candidate field, with 5 percent of the vote, and Breslin fifth (out of six) with 11 percent. *** IN THE YEARS after hed left the Post, the calls from Breslin to Sann continued: abrasive blasts of expletive-fueled profanity that kept Jimmy Breslin in Paul Sanns world. Breslin began an annual end-of-year column, People I am Not Talking to This Year, as early as 1965. Dan Barry, in his Times homage to Breslin, said: He cut longstanding ties over small slights . . . and would occasionally refer to those who had fallen out of his favor only by their initials. The 1971 list was a New York magazine article. My father never hated enough to be featured (Was Breslin softening?) was among the many bold-faced names that Breslin would not be talking to in the coming year. There was only one problem: Jimmy Breslin couldnt stop calling Paul Sann. He could never let it go, even after Sann left the Post in 1977 after 46 years. Dialing Paul Sann was in his DNA. His ranting, cursing, profanity laced calls would become music to Paul Sanns ears, his badge of honor. The calls only stopped when Sann relocated upstate to Rhinebeck in 1984 without leaving a forwarding number. In 1985, Breslin won the prestigious George Polk Award for metropolitan reporting. In 1986, Breslin won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his work at the Daily News. Alas, he never won one for his New York Post columns on Robert F. Kennedys death. Jimmy liked to say, Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said, If you dont blow your horn, there is no music. Photographs, letters, and memos are from The Paul Sann Collection at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University; and the Dorothy Schiff Papers at the New York Public Library. ICYMI: Some advice for the new owners of the New York Daily News Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Howard V. Sann is a Connecticut-based writer, editor, and publisher. His articles have appeared in the Connecticut Post, the Hartford Courants Northeast Magazine, and Fairfield County Weekly. He was a police reporter at The Mercury in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, a rewrite man at the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, and copy editor at The Advocate in Stamford, Connecticut. We published a story at Magicvalley.com on Thursday about a deadly car crash. And people freaked out. Nobody had qualms about the story; it was the headline that sparked a debate on Facebook and in reader comments under the story on our website and a few emails to me: Mexican man killed when pickup flips in Lincoln County. The newspaper was being racist, critics said, because we pointed out his ethnicity in the headline. Whats next, one reader posted, FAT LADY DIES IN HEAD ON COLLISSION? No, thats not next. And we did not point out his ethnicity. We pointed out his nationality. Why? Because when someone dies or makes news, weve found that readers tend to want to know where that person was from. Thats why youll see headlines all the time in the Times-News that may say things like: Paul man injured in crash, or Burley woman convicted of murder or Twin Falls resident honored with award. In fact, our digital data have shown that readers tend to click on stories more frequently when the headline mentions a place. Thats not surprising, because people who live in Paul, for example, typically like reading about people who live in Paul. Jerome man killed in U.S. 93 crash is an actual headline we printed not long ago. No one complained. Think about it this way: Would anyone have complained about the Thursday story if the man had been from Canada and the headline had read: Canadian man killed when pickup flips in Lincoln County? What about if it was a Peruvian or German or Russian? It works the other way, too: When an American student was beaten to death in Greece this summer, nearly every major news outlet in the United States ran a headline that was some version of American student beaten to death in Greece. Yes, American, not Black student, even though the student was black. The country of origin was worth noting in the headline; his race was not. So whats different about Mexican? I think a few things are at play here. For one, consider the political climate. Latinos (yes, thats an ethnicity, not a nationality) feel under fire from the Donald Trump administration, especially this week when the president said he plans to end the so-called DACA program in six months, a move that would end protections for more than 800,000 children of illegal immigrants living in the United States. Closer to home, Jerome County is in talks with federal immigration agents about housing suspected illegal immigrants at the countys new jail, sparking fears in the immigrant community about roundups and deportations. Consider, too, that not so long ago in the Magic Valley some people used the word Mexican in a derogatory sense. Even though Mexican is not a dirty word, its use caused some people to cringe, perhaps because theyve heard it misused in the past. Past and the present circumstances influence how we rationalize the news. So do our own milieus, the social environments that shape how we see the world. If youre sensitive about discrimination, I can see how the headline might cause you to pause. If youre concerned about being overly politically correct, I can see how outrage over the headline could seem ridiculous. Thats how a seemingly innocuous descriptor of a persons nationality can suddenly become a lightning rod for what we believe about race, politics, the media, everything. It was fascinating to read the online comments and see how quickly people upset by the headline turned on those justifying it, and vice versa. On both sides, their own biases about race were driving their outrage. This wasnt so much a debate about word choice in a headline but about what people believed about racism. (Its worth noting, too, that hardly anyone posted something about the tragic death of a human being; the focus was all on the headline.) Ultimately, the conversation quickly devolved into a debate between racists and snowflakes. So whats the takeaway? One, we have no plans to change our preferences for headline styles. Expect to keep seeing place names in headlines. They dont have anything to do with race or ethnicity and everything to do with providing basic, relevant information. Second, for me anyway, all the hubbub has reminded me to be a careful reader, to not project my own biases onto the news or try to find hidden meanings in word choices. Believe it or not, we in the hometown newspaper business arent secretly trying to provoke or make political points with word choices in car-crash headlines. Were just trying to tell it like it is. A Mexican is a person from Mexico. Simple as that. Men look an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Beijing, China, January 5, 2016. Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters After running up this summer, stock markets in China look like they could be set to climb higher. Old-economy, mainland stocks have risen in recent months. Resource companies have performed better than the benchmark rise of roughly 8.54 percent since June 1. Aluminium Corp of China, the largest aluminium producer in the country, has climbed 59.79 percent, while Baoshan Iron and Steel was higher by 29.48 percent. The index tracking the materials sector on the Shanghai Stock Exchange gained 34.45 percent in that duration. In comparison, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's tech-heavy ChiNext Index was up only 9.92 percent during that period. "Manufacturing and industrial companies have seen surprisingly strong results, aided by a recovering yuan as well as demand revival," said Kevin Leung, director of investment strategy at Haitong International Securities. Real estate and property development Shares in the property market, another set of old-economy companies, have also climbed, even though not all stocks in the sector have experienced the same boost. Share prices of property developer Vanke spiked 23.14 percent from Jun. 1 until Thursday, after mostly stagnating in the first four months of the year. Poly Real Estate has risen 11.68 percent from Jun. 1. "Up until the beginning of this summer, the main driver of emerging markets, it was quite a narrow recovery. It was very much in tech or the internet, and now we're beginning to see that widening out ... across many markets," Sean Taylor, Asia-Pacific CIO of Deutsche Asset Management, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday. Taylor appeared confident that the widening recovery would continue. "People are still very underweight China internationally, but we are going for a much broader portfolio than we had at the beginning of the year, which was probably more new economy and tech-oriented," Taylor said. Leung said he believed there was room for further upside for Chinese shares, pointing to how valuations on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index shares of Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong were still cheap and continued to underperform the . "Our call has always been that there will be a reverse in the second-half where HSCEI will play catch up, with the mostly old economy constituents there likely to pick up steam," he added. Leung also highlighted improvements in the real economy as being responsible for driving the recovery in Chinese markets. "People were previously focusing on new economy sectors because earnings in those sectors are relatively immune to what's happening in the real economy. But now that the real economy is confirmed to be picking up, people are revisiting," he explained. Local investors not as confident Facebook founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg receives the Axel Springer Award in Berlin on February 25, 2016 Facebook announced it was donating computer servers to a number of research institutions across Europe, starting with Germany, to accelerate research efforts in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Facebook's ad sales team is hitting up the drug industry. On Thursday, the company's New York-based health unit hosted an invitation-only breakfast for pharmaceutical marketers to learn about targeting users for their clinical trials. CNBC viewed a copy of the invitation, which asked participants to attend a presentation on the company's "new clinical trials strategy." Facebook is already widely used by clinical trial recruiters. The sector is a massive revenue opportunity for the company. Research firm eMarketer estimates that pharma and health-care marketers will spend $3.1 billion on digital advertising by 2020, up from $1.9 billion last year. According to a person who attended Thursday's event, Facebook detailed how drug marketers can and can't target users. The source requested anonymity because Facebook did not make the details public. In their motion, prosecutors from US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York noted Shkreli's Facebook posting earlier this week offering a $5,000 bounty for samples of Clinton's hair, which he encouraged readers to grab. "However inappropriate some of Mr Shkreli's postings may have been, we do not believe that he intended harm and do not believe that he poses a danger to the community," Brafman added. Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman told CNBC on Thursday night, "We will address the issue responsibly in a letter we intend to file with the court on Friday." Shkreli, who plans to challenge that conviction, remains free and living in his Manhattan apartment while awaiting his yet-to-be-scheduled sentencing. Prosecutors cited that threat, as well as other threatening comments Shkreli has directed at two other women in online comments, in a court motion that suggests the 34-year-old former pharmaceuticals executive could be a "danger to the community. Federal prosecutors on Thursday said they want a judge to revoke "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli 's $5 million release bond and throw him in jail, after the convicted fraudster encouraged Facebook followers to grab Hillary Clinton 's hair and give him samples of it. Prosecutors said that as a result of that post, made right before Clinton was set to begin a book tour, the Secret Service both launched an investigation and "expanded significant additional resources to ensure Secretary Clinton's protection." Shkreli amended his Facebook post about Clinton's hair after it garnered widespread attention, writing that it was "satire, meant for humor." But prosecutors noted that Shkreli has longstanding animus toward Clinton, pointing out that he traveled on Sept. 11, 2016, to stand outside of Chelsea Clinton's apartment after learning Hillary Clinton had been taken there after fainting following a 9/11 memorial ceremony. "Shkreli ... stood outside an apartment owned by Secretary Clinton's daughter where she was recuperating, and spent approximately two hours live-streaming while providing commentary and heckling Secretary Clinton," the prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors also wrote that through his lawyer, "Shkreli also conveyed to the government and to the Secret Service that he would remove the original [Facebook] post regarding the threat to Secretary Clinton on September 5, 2017; however, he declined to do so until late in the day on September 6, 2017." In addition to the post about Clinton, the motion also cites public statements "harassing specific women" during his trial. One of those women was journalist Lauren Duca, whose prior harassment by Shkreli got him banned by Twitter earlier this year, and the other was political pundit Anna Kasperian. On Facebook in late July, "on the eve of the final trial summations," Shkreli wrote, " 'Trial's over tomorrow b-----. Then if I'm acquitted, I get to f--- Lauren Duca ... And Anna Kasperian' '" prosecutors noted in their motion. "Thus, just as the case was to be submitted to the jury, Shkreli made a public threat against two women whom he dislikes and with whom he has feuded in the past," prosecutors wrote. "Shkreli's own prior actions, and his influence over others who have previously acted in reliance on his statements, demonstrate why the government views his latest actions with concern." The prosecutors' motion says, "The government respectfully submits this motion for a bail revocation hearing, at which the government will move to revoke the defendant Martin Shkreli's bail and remand him into custody." "His recent public conduct demonstrates that he cannot meet his post-trial burden to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that he does not pose a danger to the community," the prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York wrote. They added: Since his conviction on August 4, 2017, Shkreli has engaged in an escalating pattern of threats and harassment that warrant his detention pending sentencing. Most recently, Shkreli threatened former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by publicly offering$5,000 to anyone who would "grab" some of her hair on the defendant's behalf during her upcoming book tour. In a post-trial posture, it is Shkreli's burden to show that he should befree on bail pending sentencing. Shkreli's latest threat is concerning not only because it has required a significant expenditure of resources by the United States Secret Service, which is charged with protecting Secretary Clinton, but also because there is a significant risk that one of his many social media followers or others who learn of his offers through the media will take his statements seriouslyas has happened previouslyand act on them. His late actions constitute changed circumstances that show that he cannot meet his burden of showing that he should remain at large pending sentencing. "The defendant's threats create a risk of danger to the community," prosecutors wrote. "And they are certainly not appropriate behavior for a defendant who has been found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities frauda defendant whose detention is presumed under the law. John Marzulli, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, declined to comment on the filing. In addition to trolling Clinton on Facebook, Shkreli this week began an auction of the single copy of the Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" on eBay. Shkreli himself had bought that album by the hip-hop group for a whopping $2 million in a 2015 auction. As of Thursday, bidding on the album had topped $1 million. Shkreli first gained public notoriety in mid-2015 when the company he then headed, Turing Pharmaceuticals, raised the price of an anti-parasitic drug called Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent. He was arrested in late 2015 on charges unrelated to the Daraprim price increase. Prosecutors claimed Shkreli had defrauded multiple investors in two hedge funds he previously ran, and then looted another drug company he founded, Retrophin , to pay back those investors. Although he was convicted of securities fraud charges that could land him in prison for several years or more, Shkreli was acquitted of other charges that could have resulted in significantly more time behind bars. WATCH: Co-worker says Shkreli 'mentally unstable' Watching the water levels rise just yards away from their Lafayette Parish, La., home, Shannon and Alphonse Breaux expected the worst. The devastation in the Houston area had looked like a precursor of what was coming their way. And the approaching storms seemed reminiscent of the floods that, just a year ago, destroyed their home and forced them into a camper for 10 months. "We were like, 'There's no way in hell we're going through what we went through last year,'" Shannon tells CNBC Make It. Despite the fact that they already pay for flood insurance, the couple decided to be more proactive in preparing for Hurricane Harvey. They turned to the AquaDam, an increasingly popular invention built from re-fillable tubing that is designed to keep areas protected from flood water. They spent $7,000 on the dam itself and about $3,000 on dirt, pumps, and other supplies. In 12 hours, the Breaux home had a 30-inch fortification in place. Filled with floodwater, a 30-inch AquaDam surrounds the Breaux residence in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Shannon Breaux Minutes down the road from them sits another AquaDam that's been protecting the home of Helen Dore for months. In August of last year, Dore suffered $40,000 in damages when water rushed into the Iberia Parish, La., home she's lived in for over 40 years. The ordeal of spending months fighting her insurance company and having to move in with her son while construction crews replaced damaged baseboards and floors led her to make the preemptive $3,000 purchase for her own dam. "Having flood insurance is like a backup plan now. It was a nightmare getting paid," she says. This year, however, as the floodwaters rose around her house, her protection held. "We had water up against the dam. Twice this week, it saved our house." A $3,000 AquaDam protects the home of Helen Dore in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. Helen Dore The private company behind the AquaDam, which is based in Scotia, Calif., reports that residential protection only makes up a small fraction of its business. Still, there has been a four-fold recent uptick in purchases, according to regional AquaDam distributor Larry Campisi. "One thing we're learning from Harvey is people have actually called us after they flooded and they don't want to go through it again," he tells CNBC Make It, adding that more AquaDams have been sold in the last two weeks than by this point in 2016. The company is not alone in offering an alternative to sandbags. AquaFence, an 18-year-old Norwegian company, also offers temporary flood barriers for residences and businesses in the form of laminated plywood panels. A 30-inch AquaDam stretching 450 feet spares a home from flooding in Rosharon, Texas in 2016. AquaDam | Randy Wagner Officials on a local and state level are catching onto the idea of flood barrier alternatives as well. In a mission to secure passage for emergency vehicles on Houston's flooded Interstate 10, the Texas Department of Transportation deployed a fraction of the seven miles of AquaDam it purchased for $1.2 million to help redirect flood water. The purchase follows similar moves from other local governments in Missouri, Louisiana and New York. tweet "Government agencies are really getting involved here and understanding that now they have a tool that they never had before," says AquaDam Vice President Matthew Wennerholm. And, as Hurricane Irma continues on its path towards Florida, the company is monitoring which communities might be most in need of its services. "We've been shipping dams for the last couple of days to locations in Florida," Campisi says, adding that the state's Emergency Operations Center has already reached out about potentially making a purchase. We had water up against the dam. Twice this week it saved our house. Helen Dore resident of Iberia Parish, La. Amazon's plans to build a second North American headquarters, announced on Thursday, is highly unusual, even for a company this big, and could be more of a "marketing ploy," some academics said. Amazon's potential goal: to generate enough buzz to attract more offers with better benefits, including steep tax breaks. The announcement opened up a bidding process for cities across the region. But the academics noted most of Amazon's executive team will remain in Seattle. "I think the name 'headquarters' is a little bit of a marketing ploy. I mean they just want to have a big office in another city," Felipe Caro, a professor at UCLA's school of management, told CNBC. Caro said cities and states are willing to do anything to attract tech companies these days because they create lots of new jobs and could spur other companies to open shop as well, boosting the region's overall economy. In return, companies are given outsize benefits, mostly in the form of tax breaks, but their economic impact far outweighs the loss in taxes, he said. For example, Apple recently got more than $200 million in tax breaks to build a data center in Iowa, while Foxconn is expected to receive a $3 billion tax incentive package for building a plant in Wisconsin. By attaching the "second headquarters" title to their new office, Amazon could get even more incentives, he said. In fact, as , more than a dozen cities have already expressed their desire to become Amazon's second home. "Tech companies are treated as royalty these days. All these tax breaks and benefits are free money for them," Caro said. Michael Useem, a management professor at the Wharton School, said companies do build a large presence in multiple cities, but it's rare to see them call it a "second headquarters." For instance, Lenovo had multiple main offices after acquiring IBM's PC unit, and Gap has moved most of its business to New York City, despite having its official headquarters in the Bay Area, but there hasn't been a major company run two "headquarters" simultaneously. Rather, it could be Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos simply thinking out of the box, he said. "It's not only uncommon, it's almost unheard of," Useem said of Amazon's plan to open a second headquarters. "It's symptomatic of how Jeff Bezos kind of breaks all the rules along the way: Why not build a second headquarters and see how it works out?" But if there's any company who's able to pull it off, it has to be Amazon, Caro said. Amazon's corporate culture of keeping different business units almost run like independent companies could make it relatively easy to run two massive headquarters separately. "It's a reasonable move. It'll fit with this decentralized culture that they already have," he said. As students across the country start college, they face new freedom and responsibility. College finance consultant Kathy Ruby tells CNBC Make It that for most students, starting college is a "first step towards financial independence." Over 44 million Americans hold a total of $1.4 trillion in student loan debt and it takes them, on average, 20 years to pay off those loans. In order to master the transition and not fall into dangerous amounts of debt, students need to remain disciplined and organized. These six steps can help any incoming student start college off on the right foot and prepare for their financial future. Create a budget "The first step, of course, is for kids to start to manage the money they have on their own," says Ruby. "Create a budget." It may be the first time a college freshman has seriously looked at the numbers. The next part of creating your budget it to track your expenses, says Ruby. "What can be helpful, especially for kids who have never done this is before is to try tracking their expenses for the first 30 days to see, 'Where am I spending my money?'" Kathy Ruby Cut costs Contrary to popular belief, there are many ways college students can cut costs. Ruby tells students, "Even though your parents may be paying the bulk of the bill, there are also decisions that you can make that are going to make a difference in what they end up having to pay." One of the biggest ways to save money is on transportation. "Don't take a car to college. It is one of the biggest expenses for students," says Ruby. "Most campuses have good public transportation systems, so if you can avoid taking a car, that's going to save money on insurance and the cost of parking." Students can also save money by choosing affordable housing options offered by many colleges. "Many colleges have variable housing prices. A nicer, newer apartment-style living situation is going to be more expensive than the traditional two-person dorm," she says. "The more roommates you have, the better." In order to save money on expensive text books, check the college library for copies that can be borrowed. If the library only allows you to check a book out for a portion of the semester, check other local libraries for the same book. And instead of subsisting off of ramen noodles for weeks on end, try to make the most of an affordable meal plan. It will be better for the physical and financial health in the long run. Keep your parents in the loop In Ruby's experience, most students pay for college with the help of a parent or family member. "I worked in financial aid for 27 years, and when I think about the families that did this the most successfully, no matter how much money they make, it was the families who approached it as a team," she says. Ruby tells parents, "You've got to be in conversation with your kid about what their responsibilities are." When students do not fulfill their responsibilities, it is important that they learn the hard way argues Ruby. "If your kids mess up, you have to let them mess up and not bail them out immediately, which can be really hard." She tells students, "It's your college experience, but you want to be communicating with your parents and working with your parents to make decisions that are good for them and good for you." In order to promote this communication and transparency, students will need to give their parents access to their financial records. "Students have to grant permission to their parents to see certain parts of their records," explains Ruby. "They want to give access to the bill so they are sure that their parents are seeing it and taking care of things." Chef and student working at the University of Maryland North Dining Hall The Washington Post | Getty Images Explore campus jobs Having a campus job is one way for students to cover personal expenses and help contribute financially to their degree. The type of job you can get depends on whether work-study is included in your financial aid package, but even students who aren't awarded work-study may be able to find paid work on campus. In order to see what your options are, set a meeting with your college's student employment office and find what kind of jobs you are eligible to apply for. Networking with older students is also a great way to learn about the best opportunities on campus. If finding campus work is proving challenging, Ruby says that there is one place that is always hiring: the cafeteria. "Sometimes you have to be willing to take the less glamorous job, but making some of your own money can really give you independence." She also points to research from the National Center for Education Statistics that indicates that students who work have better grades. "There is research that shows that kids who work a reasonable amount do better academically, because it helps them structure their time and is a good non-academic way to connect with people on campus," she explains. Avoid scams Companies and banks often see college students as impressionable consumers. When getting to campus, students should be careful about the products and services that are advertised to them. In 2009, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act banned banks from aggressively marketing credit cards and financial products on college campuses. However, this regulation does not stop banks from actively pursuing college students. "There are regulations that are still in effect but students still need to do a little bit of homework," says Suzanne Martindale, a consumer finance expert and attorney for Consumers Union. She explains, "A lot of times these companies have marketing deals with the campus that make them look like the 'school approved' product, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the school has made sure that those products are in fact the best products for their students." Female college students are sometimes targeted by fertility clinics. These companies offer to pay students thousands of dollars in exchange for eggs. Before agreeing to this kind of medical procedure, students should educate themselves about the potential risks. When it comes to deals that seem too good to be true, it's best to follow Martindale's golden rule: "Make sure that you are entering with full information before you sign up." Establish credit "It is the largest wind farm in Africa (and) it has 365 turbines," Carlo Van Wageningen, director and board member at Lake Turkana Wind Power, told CNBC's Sustainable Energy on Thursday. "We are hoping to soon see the transmission line completed so that Kenya will be able to benefit from this cheap source of power," he added. In Kenya, efforts to produce wind power on a grand scale are underway. The Lake Turkana Wind Power project is a 12-hour drive from Nairobi and, once operational, is set to provide 310 megawatts (MW) of renewable power to the Kenyan national grid. This photo taken on October 29, 2010 shows a man running past wind turbines in the early morning mist in the Ngong hills, some 25 kms south-west of Nairobi. The project's location, between the slopes of Mount Kulal and the south eastern end of Lake Turkana, is of great importance when it comes to producing wind power. According to the project, the area's "unique geographical conditions" result in daily temperature fluctuations which in turn produce strong and predictable wind streams. "We get a constant wind that allows us to have a yield on our installed capacity, which is called load factor, of about 62 percent," Van Wageningen explained. The potential of wind power in terms of reducing carbon emissions is significant. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, in 2016 wind power helped the planet avoid more than 637 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. For Van Wageningen, the Lake Turkana scheme has helped to put Kenya on the renewable energy map from a wind perspective. "There are many wind farms that are in preparation and in development right now, so I think Lake Turkana Wind Power has opened a new source of investment for Kenya foreign investment as well as local investment and it's a great opportunity." Pharmaceutical companies do some creative things to try to extend their patents, but Allergan may have just taken the cake. Allergan said Friday that it transferred all the patents for its billion-dollar eye drug Restasis to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, which then granted the drug giant back an exclusive license. For its trouble, the tribe will get $13.75 million from Allergan, plus potentially $15 million in annual royalties. Why? Restasis is facing multiple patent challenges, including some under a system known as inter partes review, or IPR. The tribe, Allergan says, holds sovereign immunity against these kinds of legal challenges, and thus is now filing a motion to dismiss the IPR. The result: Allergan potentially gets a legal challenge off its back. "I believe it's novel," Allergan CEO Brent Saunders told CNBC in a telephone interview after the agreement was announced. "The actions today really allow us to focus the defense of the Restasis patents in the federal court system and avoid the double jeopardy created by the IPR system," Saunders said. Allergan's stock rose 1.8 percent in trading Friday on the heels of the news. Hurricane Irma has yet to hit Florida, but price gouging is already underway, the state's attorney general told CNBC on Friday. So far, her office's hotline has received almost 7,000 complaints since it was activated Monday evening. "That's over 100 an hour," Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said in an interview with "Closing Bell." "It's been unbelievable." Irma, one of the most powerful storms in a century, tore through the Caribbean and is set to hit Florida this weekend. The "extremely dangerous" hurricane was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 early Friday, but it still packed winds as strong as 150 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. "We are out in the field all over this state so people can have the fuel that they need, essential commodities such as water, etc.," Bondi said. She asked that people who witness price gouging take photos of the establishment's name and the price of the item. A complaint came be filed at myfloridalegal.com. Earlier in the day, Gov. Rick Scott called the idea of price gouging "disgusting." "This is the time to help our neighbors. This is not the time to take advantage of our neighbors," he said. Meanwhile, it's not all bad behavior by businesses. "We're really seeing a lot of good of people working together, along with the bad people who I will put out of business," Bondi said. Chevron has been "great" after complaints about a franchise owner, she said, and Amazon has been as well. She also said airlines like JetBlue , American , Delta and United have been "unbelievable," waiving pet and change fees and capping prices on flights. Consumers had complained this week that airfares out of the state had skyrocketed. However, high prices close to a departure date with minimal availability are not unheard of. CNBC's Leslie Josephs and Reuters contributed to this report. Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary, speaks as Gary Cohn, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, left, listens during the White House press briefing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. Donald Trump made it clear during the presidential campaign that he wanted to cut taxes to spur economic growth. With Congress back from its summer recess, the president may get the chance to do just that though analysts and wealth advisers are less confident that he will get wholesale tax overhaul. With any tax plan, the devil is in the details. And with this one, the details have been few. At the end of April, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Gary D. Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, unveiled the plan, written on a single sheet of paper with tax proposals listed as bullet points. Because changes are expected for business, income and so-called transfer taxes those levied on estates and gifts the lack of details has wealth advisers urging caution to clients asking the most natural of questions: What does this mean for me? More from New York Times: How to protect your information online Using Silicon Valley tactics, LinkedIn's founder is working to blunt Trump Graydon Carter's varied interests and influence "We're all Pavlovian when it comes to taxes," said Jayne Hartley, director and senior wealth strategist at Union Bank in San Francisco. "We groan when we hear we're paying a new tax. We cheer when we hear a tax cut is coming." With meetings over tax policy having started this week, what follows is an attempt to lay out when people might groan or cheer in the months ahead. What might happen? Federal tax rates seem poised to change, although whether they will do so as part of a full-fledge tax overhaul is still to be determined. President Trump has charged lawmakers, back from their summer break, with pushing through changes to business and income tax rates. Todd Simmens, national managing partner of tax risk management at BDO, a tax and accounting consulting firm, spent three years with the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation that produced the last big tax overhaul package in 2001. He said congressional staff members were considering several possible courses of action, but they have so far received little guidance from the president. He is doubtful that a wholesale overhaul can happen before the end of the year and predicts that if it does not get done early next year, the effort will get bogged down by the midterm elections. "There are too many other things in the air that will keep this from getting to the front burner," Mr. Simmens said. "Tax policy is more complex than health care repeal and other policy issues we hear about. You've got groups who are interested in their piece and have been lobbying for it." What he does expect is piecemeal changes to the tax code, particularly with business and income taxes. But if Washington tries to tackle bigger issues like a repeal of the estate tax the trade-offs could create more work and confusion. Business tax Mr. Trump's initial one-page plan on tax changes called for the corporate rate to be reduced to 15 percent, from 35 percent. Few analysts believe the corporate tax rate could go this low, but it could drop to 20 or 25 percent. For affluent business owners, there could be a real advantage if the lower rate applies not just to corporations but also to so-called pass-through entities. These are companies, like limited liability corporations, for which the business owners claim the revenue on their personal income tax returns. For a high-earning company, that could be 39.6 percent at the federal level alone, before the 3.8 percent Medicare surcharge and state and local taxes are calculated. If a lower corporate rate were applied to pass-through entities, it could give small businesses more working capital. As it stands now, business owners must file quarterly tax estimates and pay the tax at the individual rate even if they expect their business to slow down in the next quarter. A change would give them more money to invest in their business or help it weather slumps. "You'd have more working capital to do other things," said Joseph J. Perry, the tax and business services leader at Marcum, a national accounting firm. "If I can invest that money in my business and make more money, then I should leave it in my business. If you leave the money in the entity and it gets taxed at 15 percent, you haven't used that money personally." When business owners take the money out for personal use, they would presumably pay an additional tax. This adds a layer of complexity, but it may be worth it for business owners. "Once we see what it looks like, there is going to be a lot of planning for business owners," said Ms. Hartley, the Union Bank wealth strategist. "The question is, are they going to wait and see what others are doing or do they have a team of professionals already set aside?" Income tax Mr. Trump's proposal of cutting the number of tax brackets from seven to three with rates of 10 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent seems straightforward. But people need to pay attention to what happens to deductions. The administration's one-page tax proposal says it will "eliminate targeted tax breaks that mainly benefit the wealthiest taxpayers" while keeping deductions for mortgage interest and charity. Advisers worry, though, that to pay for the cuts, the plan would cap deductions for high earners or eliminate certain credits, like those for state taxes. That would affect people who live in places like California and New York that have high state taxes. "We don't know if that's still in the plan, but earlier in the year, it was," said Jeffrey Carbone, managing partner at Cornerstone Wealth, a wealth management firm. "For clients who itemize their returns, that would be a major tax increase." If such a system goes into effect, people have few options. One would be to claim more deductions this year by prepaying state income and property taxes, for example and delay receiving income until next year when the tax rates are lower. But as a practical matter, that is difficult: Paying additional state taxes could put someone in the alternative minimum tax, which could limit their deductions, and few people have control over when they get paid. Estate tax The 2001 tax package put in motion increased exemptions on estate taxes and decreased tax rates until the tax went away for one year in 2010. But the issue seemed to be settled in 2011 when Congress and President Barack Obama reached an agreement to set the individual exemption at $5 million and have that amount increased each year. They also agreed to a rate of 35 percent, which rose to 40 percent in 2013. Today, the exemption stands at nearly $11 million for a married couple, which means most people in America have no concerns over ever earning enough to pay the estate tax. Yet Mr. Trump campaigned on a promise to repeal what he called "the death tax." Getting rid of it could cause more problems for average taxpayers. When someone dies, their assets are valued on the day of their death so their heirs inherit them as if they had bought them that day. If the assets had been sold the day before, the person would have paid a capital-gains tax. This may seem like a big giveaway, but it erases a headache for heirs who would have no idea what securities cost when they were bought decades earlier. If the estate tax went away, tax advisers wonder if heirs would owe a capital-gains tax when they inherit the assets or when they later sell them, or if some credit would be put in place to help people who receive a modest inheritance. The difference could make receiving an inheritance considerably more expensive, particularly when it comes to modest estates. Adrienne M. Penta, executive director for the Center for Women & Wealth at Brown Brothers Harriman, said she reminds clients that, unless they are on their death bed, they can count on the estate tax continuing to change. "The real advice is to stay calm," Ms. Penta said. "Don't go making really big changes to your estate plan based on a single page of hopes and dreams around tax reform." The other issue is the gift and generation-skipping taxes. They are pegged to the estate tax and keep wealthy people from giving away all of their assets at the end of their life to avoid the estate tax. It's unclear what might happen to those taxes. Mr. Simmens, whose focus on the congressional tax-writing committee was on the changes to the estate and related taxes, said the glossing over the thorny details came down to marketing. "'Killing the death tax' sounds different from a public relations perspective than 'eliminating the estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes,'" he said. Regardless, he hopes legislators can make any tax changes permanent, and not have them revert to today's rates in 10 years, as happened with the 2001 plan. "That's horrible policy," he said. "The rest is just rates that go up and down, but we see that anyway." Under the caveat that anything can happen in politics nowadays, Axios CEO and co-founder Jim VandeHei said Friday he could see Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020. "If I had to put money from my own pocket on a candidate right now, it would be on Terry McAuliffe of Virginia," said VandeHei who helped launch Axios in January after leaving Politico, which he also co-founded and turned into a political powerhouse. Axios has quickly gained a reputation as a place for Washington-related scoops. As a former businessman and political fundraiser, McAuliffe could attract a lot of money "if he can figure out a way to distance himself from the Clintons," VandeHei told CNBC's "Squawk Box." McAuliffe was the national co-chair of President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign. He also led Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, which went to Barack Obama. In between, McAuliffe was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He also just finished serving as chairman of the National Governors Association. VandeHei said McAuliffe would be the kind of candidate who would fare well in the new social media-era of politics ushered in by candidate Donald Trump, who used Twitter as a primary means of communicating directly to voters, a practice he's continued as president. "[Nowadays] you have to be 100 percent comfortable in your own skin. And being a little bit outrageous helps. The guy [McAuliffe] is outrageous. He's 100 percent comfortable in his skin," VandeHei said. On the Republican side, VandeHei made no predictions about 2020, but warned to never discount a Trump re-election. "It's so far off. It's not inconceivable. The working assumption is he could never win again. He certainly could." President Donald Trump received a cheeky editorial from China's state-run press over his decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order the so-called "Dreamers" program. The editorial, run in the People's Daily on Thursday, was titled: "Chinese chuckle at Trump for messing up picture-perfect America." The People's Daily editorial noted "strong and mixed" reactions on Chinese social media such as microblog Weibo . "In the eyes of some Chinese, Trump has made a big mess in America, and the decision to kill the program is just further evidence that the American Dream is quickly becoming the American Pipe Dream," the Communist Party's official newspaper said. The program allowed children of immigrants who came to the country illegally a two-year period of protection from deportation and to work in the United States. Business leaders in the U.S. and members of Congress criticized the move to overturn the directive, which was ordered by President Barack Obama. Trump has challenged Congress to enact a replacement. Some Chinese support Trump's move, the editorial noted. "Meanwhile, some Chinese are just enjoying the political thriller. Given all the chaos he creates at home, it is almost like Trump was sent to destroy America from within," the editorial said. Read the People's Daily English-language editorial about the DACA debate. Would you get engaged to someone after knowing them for less than a week? Chinese real estate billionaire Zhang Xin said, "Sure, why not?" when her now husband Pan Shiyi proposed only four days after they met. Her friends were astonished. "I had spent 15 years outside of China, in Hong Kong (and) in England, and worked for Wall Street. And I really had this strong desire to come back (to China). And here is a man who I met, I was attracted to, but who had never spent any time outside of China," Zhang told CNBC's "The Brave Ones." Pan Shiyi, chairman of SOHO China, and wife Zhang Xin, the company's CEO at a news conference in Hong Kong in August 2016 Bloomberg | Getty Images "We fell in love, and four days later he said: 'I think you should be my wife.' And I was, like: 'Oh, this is interesting. And sure, why not?' So we decided to get married." "I remember when I told my friends, everyone was like: 'Are you out of your mind? Like, you're going to get married with a guy you just met four days ago? And with a guy who has never stepped out of China for a day? Are you sure this is going to work?' And I was telling people: 'Yes, I'm sure that's going to work.'" Zhang and Pan founded the company that would become one of Beijing's largest real estate developers, Soho China, in 1995. But the course of true love did not run smoothly, with the couple considering a separation after their different approaches caused arguments. Zhang stepped down from the business for a time, but after a while they found a way of working together, with her focusing on design and him on sales. She's now CEO of Sho China and together, the couple is worth upwards of $3 billion. Crazy business ideas Zhang isn't the only CEO to have taken the plunge on instinct. Michael Dubin took a different kind of risk when he set up subscription razor business Dollar Shave Club back in 2011: He knew nothing at all about the business of shaving but was convinced his idea would work. "I think that he probably had a number of relatively hair-brained ideas that he was talking to me about in the same era," Dubin's friend Ben Jacobsen told CNBC's "The Brave Ones." Unilever bought subscription shaving company Dollar Shave Club in 2016 Unilever "There were a hell of a lot more people that told him that this was a foolish idea, that he should quit, that he shouldn't waste his time or money," Jacobsen said. "He has no expertise in the razor business, which at the beginning was absolutely true. But he really trusted his instincts." Dubin thought he was onto something with his razors-by-mail company. He removed the two frustrations people have: their cost and the literal barriers, as blades are often locked in cabinets in U.S. drugstores. It meant going up against shaving giant Gillette, but Dubin was determined. Michael Dubin, founder of Dollar Shave Club. CNBC "Entrepreneurs are in some ways immune to the notion of risk. I often liken entrepreneurship to an incurable disease, or it's an affliction that certain people have. Because when you have an idea for a business, no one's going talk you out of it," Dubin told CNBC. That attitude helped Dubin amass 3.2 million subscribers, turn over $200 million in 2016, and go on to sell Dollar Shave Club to Unilever for $1 billion. I quit Betting big on something that might not work is a theme for these CEOs. Google X founder Sebastian Thrun surprised his colleagues when he unexpectedly quit his lucrative role to start an education company. "I was head of Google X. I could be running possibly the coolest lab on the planet. My name was in the news at least three times a week for something. And here I am, giving up 97 percent of my salary. Google paid quite well," Thrun said. "Joining a little start-up company for a small fraction of (the) income (to) go after education I can tell you, many of my colleagues were puzzled." Sebastian Thrun led Stanford Racing Team to victory in a driverless car race in the Mojave Desert, California, in 2005 Kim Kulish | Getty Images Thrun caught the eye of Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page when he won a driverless car race in California in 2005. They hired him to run secret lab Google X. But when Thrun watched a TED talk by online education entrepreneur Salman Khan in 2011, he was inspired: what if he could teach thousands of others to build self-driving cars via online video? "It occurred to me I could be at Google and build a self-driving car or I can teach 10,000 students how to build self-driving cars. And then I serve humanity so much better," he said. So he set up Udacity, an online education company that now has 4 million registered users taking tech training courses in collaboration with the likes of Google, Amazon and IBM. Culture clash Businessman Bill McDermott also shocked colleagues with his career choice when he left his job at Siebel Systems (now part of Gartner) in 2002 to run German software company SAP's North America division. With his energetic leadership style at odds with the engineering-focused environment at SAP, McDermott's previous boss and former Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy questioned whether the two could ever be a good match. Nile Rodgers with SAP CEO Bill McDermott at a gala in New York City in 2015 Shahar Azran | Getty Images "One of the reasons that I comfortably won the second time is (voters) saw that I worked very hard, paid attention to them, to Minnesotans, and paid attention to policy and did my work," Franken said in our Speakeasy interview at the Minnesota State Fair. "Donald Trump is the opposite. He used his easy 2014 re-election, after the wafer-thin margin of his 2008 victory, to explain the difference. "Wait a minute," he interjected in response to a question about common traits . "You lumped me in with Trump?" Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star, current Minnesota senator and potential future presidential candidate, wants you to know how different he is from the former TV star now sitting in the Oval Office. Senator Al Franken sits down with CNBCs John Harwood at the Minnesota State Fair to talk politics and comedy on Aug. 31st, 2017. "He doesn't work. He doesn't know how policy works. He won't do his homework. He refuses to work on anything that matters," Franken said. "So I consider myself a polar opposite of him. "And the fact that we are both in a branch of show business?" the second-term senator continued. "He was in reality TV. A human cannonball was in show business, you know? A rodeo clown's in show business." As some Democrats urged him to consider a presidential bid, Franken says the controversies that hobbled him in 2008 have grown irrelevant. One of them a late-night SNL joke-writing session that involved a fictional rape pales next to the "Access Hollywood" tape that emerged last year in which Trump talked about his own conduct. "I would be happy" to compare the two, Franken noted. He also lambasted Trump as a president plagued by "temperament issues" who is "almost pathological in the way he lies." But without closing the door, he downplayed the possibility that he will challenge the incumbent. "There's pretty much a zero chance, I think I mean, unless, you know, I get hit in the head," Franken said. "I think that the president of the United States should be someone who really wants to be president of the United States. "I've seen the job a little bit more up close as a senator than I did as a comedian," he concluded. "I can see what an incredibly high-pressured job it is. And it's not something that I've aspired to, ever." As President Donald Trump makes deals with congressional Democrats and continues his national barnstorming campaign for tax reform, is the Trump cabinet and the overall White House team going to remain as is? It's a fair question to ask as the Trump administration has often resembled a brutal set of "Survivor" episodes with key players getting voted off the island with regularity. Just to recap, Reince Priebus is out, Michael Flynn is out, Sean Spicer is out, Steve Bannon is out, Anthony Scaramucci was briefly in and then quickly out, Sebastian Gorka is out, and... you get the idea. So who are the most likely candidates to leave next? Based on the events of the last three weeks or so, White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn seems next to go. His public criticism of President Trump's controversial response to the white supremacist march-tuned riot in Charlottesville, Virginia in August has reportedly piqued the president's anger. And when compared to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's defense of President Trump, Cohn's words clearly packed more of a punch. A Wall Street Journal report already says President Trump is less likely to nominate Cohn to be the next Federal Reserve chairman over this incident. Yep, Cohn sure looks like he's toast. But so did Attorney General Jeff Sessions about six weeks ago. One of the reasons he stayed on became evident this week when Sessions took the point role in the Trump administration's plans to replace the DACA policy protecting the children of illegal immigrants from deportation. And just like Sessions, Cohn is playing a key role in pushing President Trump's tax reform efforts. Those efforts would take a hit if Cohn is ousted, and the president is ramping up the urgency on tax reform every day: That tax reform caveat puts Cohn at pretty much even money, as opposed to more of a sure thing, to be gone sometime before the end of the month. The next most likely head on the chopping block is Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Unlike Sessions, or many of the now departed Trump team members, there's no evidence President Trump is in any way angry at Chao or disappointed in her performance. But the sticky issue is that she is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And if President Trump resumes personally bashing McConnell and/or continues doing end runs around him by making deals with Democrats, her tenure in the administration could become untenable. After Cohn and Chao, some of the other candidates include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson or Defense Secretary James Mattis bolting or getting shown the door. But Tillerson and Mattis are looking like longer shot candidates to go lately. The fact that neither of them have been the victims of any public attacks or criticisms from the president himself is a big deal. Let's face it, President Trump is pretty open about his personal piques. More importantly, President Trump seems especially pleased with Tillerson's work in the Middle East and the success he believes Mattis is achieving against ISIS. And then there's a major X factor in this entire conversation: Polls. "Given the important role credit scores play in the lives and financial futures of hardworking Americans, Congress must diligently examine the way our credit reporting agencies are operating and impose additional statutory and regulatory reforms to protect the integrity of the country's credit reporting system," she said in a statement. "This hack into sensitive information compiled and maintained by Equifax is one of the largest data breaches in our nation's history and someone has to be held accountable," Waters said. The California Democrat's statement came a day after disclosed a major breach of its systems, in which private data on as , including Social Security numbers, addresses and more, were exposed. Rep. Maxine Waters, ranking member of the House Committee on Financial Services, called on Friday for a complete overhaul of the nation's credit reporting system. Waters said that she will continue to advocate for "an overhaul of our nation's credit reporting system" and that she will soon introduce new legislation to better protect consumers and their identities. Waters also called on Equifax to offer free credit freezes. The company is currently offering affected customers complimentary identity theft protection and credit monitoring. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., criticized Equifax's response to the breach, saying it seemed the company was "not on guard," "very slow" and "very, very sloppy." Warner, who created the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus last year and is a former Nextel executive, also said he felt some of the fine print around Equifax's credit monitoring offer was worrisome. He called for more regulatory scrutiny of cybersecurity breach reporting. "Oftentimes you might have an entity, versus the telcos, versus the financial institutions, all, in effect, pointing at each other about who's responsible for reporting, who's responsible for notifying consumers," Warner told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Friday. "And you've got really a total quilt work, with 49 different state laws all conflicting with each other. A national standard would bring about at least some better transparency." Equifax did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Join CNBC, the Aspen Institute and the most influential cybersecurity players from government, business and tech at the Cambridge Cyber Summit, Oct. 4 in Boston. The federal government is prepared to handle an onslaught of consecutive hurricanes, Katie Fox, acting deputy administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNBC on Friday. Just two weeks after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast, Hurricane Irma is hurtling toward Florida with Hurricane Jose on its tail. "We're using all the mechanisms available to us to make sure that we have appropriate staffing to support the states with these disasters," Fox said in an interview with "Power Lunch." Right now, personnel are in Florida in anticipation of Irma, and the team in Texas is still "completely engaged," she added. Teams are also in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Irma tore through the Caribbean and was set to hit Florida as early as Saturday night. FEMA Administrator Brock Long warned it will "devastate" part of the U.S. The storm was a Category 5 hurricane before being downgraded to a Category 4 early Friday. Meanwhile, Hurricane Jose has gained strength and is now a Category 4. It is about 400 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. "We have staff out in the field regularly. FEMA has 10 regional offices that have personnel in them that work closely with the states [and] territories all the time," Fox said. On top of that, headquarters staff have been deployed and the agency can bring in additional help through Homeland Security and other federal agencies, she added. "FEMA's got a reservist workforce that we call into action when we need them." She advised those in areas that may be affected to download the FEMA app that has an emergency checklist and gives access to weather alerts and shelters in the area. Reuters contributed to this report. "I was in my mid-20s and I went through a struggle in my life where the CEO wanted me to be something other than I was," Behar says. "He thought I was too emotional, that I wore my heart on my sleeve and I got too involved with the people." In 1962, Behar took a few years of classes at a community college in Washington, but he never graduated. While working at a furniture company, the CEO told Behar that he couldn't be a great executive if he showed emotions at work. Today, Behar is an active speaker with the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Leadership and frequently travels to share his best practices in leadership. Though Behar found success developing Starbucks into the $80 billion company it is today, he tells CNBC Make It that he was rather lost in his 20s, struggling with figuring out a career or calling. During his tenure, retired Starbucks president Howard Behar, now 72, helped the coffee company grow from a local chain to over tens of thousands of stores worldwide. Behar says his main issue was feeling like he didn't really know who he was or what he wanted in life. "He tried to push me to change and I really went into depression because I was trying to be something I wasn't," Behar says. "But it was just innate, I was just doing what came naturally to me. It caused a great conflict inside of me and I finally quit." In a 2016 study of 26,000 LinkedIn members, the networking platform found that millennials (those who were age 18 to 35 at the time) felt a lesser sense of purpose than their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts. Notably, the late German psychoanalyst Erik Erikson once theorized that while young adults in this case, millennials are focused on building relationships, middle-aged adults increasingly feel purpose as they have contributed to society for more time. "I've been through a lot. I've had ups and downs, I've been fired and I've made mistakes," Behar says. "But at the end of the day, I came to the conclusion that there is only one role any of us will ever have and that is serving others." After quitting that job in his mid-20s, Behard decided to figure out who he was and what really mattered to him. He created a list of his values and what his mission in life was. Over 50 years later, Behar still keeps this list handy. Behar began his career at Starbucks in 1989, at age 45, and officially retired in 2003. In the years while working closely with former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, he coined the company's catchphrase, "We aren't in the coffee business serving people, we are in the people business serving coffee." "I think my role at Starbucks was that, getting everybody to understand and agree to live by that idea, that we were a people-centered company," Behar says. "From then on, I was a student of myself first," Behar says, "and then I became a student of others." Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook. Don't miss: How Warren Buffett's optimism has helped him succeed, according to psychology Airbnb CEO's advice to his younger self: Don't raise too much money To protect yourself in the wake of the Equifax data breach, presume the worst. "The first assumption a consumer should make is that they are affected," said Neal Creighton, chief executive of security firm CounterTack. Equifax announced late Thursday that it had suffered a breach potentially affecting 143 million U.S. consumers. (For perspective, the entire U.S. population in July 2016 was roughly 323 million, according to Census Bureau data. That includes more than 249 million people over age 18 i.e., those most likely to have a credit file.) "That's significantly over half of the U.S. adult population that probably had their information taken," said Ryan O'Leary, vice president of the Threat Research Center at WhiteHat Security. Exposed data includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some cases, driver's license numbers, Equifax said in its announcement. The breach also compromised credit card numbers for 209,000 consumers, and dispute documents with personal identifying information for 182,000 consumers. In a statement, Mike Litt, consumer advocate at the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, called the breach "beyond troubling." "The types of stolen information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, can be used to commit new account identity theft against all of these people," Litt said. "Additionally, stolen credit cards affecting over 200,000 people in this breach can also be used to commit existing account identity theft." Consumers can check Equifax's site EquifaxSecurity2017.com to see if they have been affected. (Be warned: Experts say the system is confusing, and there are reasons to be cautious about signing up for credit monitoring there.) The company has also said it will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute information were compromised. But there are other steps to take, quickly. (See infographic below.) The race to catch a flight out of Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma is grinding to a close. Airports in Florida are closing and airlines are halting operations on Friday as the storm approaches the state. More than 3,100 flights have been cancelled into and out of Florida's four largest airports from Friday through Sunday, according to plane-tracker Flight Aware. Some 4,600 flights have been cancelled so far due to the storm. Airlines have been offering change- and cancellation-fee waivers to passengers in the storm and have capped fares of the scarce seats left on flights after customers complained of sky-high prices as they tried to escape the hurricane. Delta Air Lines said it would allow pets to travel in the cabin for free. More than 104 million travelers passed through Atlanta's airport last year, making the Delta Air Lines hub the world's busiest for passenger traffic, according to Airports Council International. Nearly 2,500 planes take off and land from the airport each day. As a tropical storm, Irma could bring winds strong as 73 miles per hour. The size of the plane and direction of the wind can determine whether a plane can take off or land in heavy winds. A spokesman for Miami International Airport says air traffic control closes if there are sustained winds of 55 miles an hour or higher. The latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast shows Irma weakening to a tropical storm and passing over northwest Georgia on Tuesday morning. While it would be a weaker storm at that point, it could still disrupt operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Travelers can expect more cancellations next week as Irma heads toward the world's busiest airport. A spokesman said the airport is preparing kits with toothbrushes for passengers who might be stranded there and will ensure that at least one food and beverage provider will remain open 24 hours a day in each terminal. The airport may close taxiing space to allow airlines to park if they are unable to take off during the storm. The airport is in the midst of an expansion so workers are scrambling to secure any construction materials that would pose safety risks in high winds. Meanwhile, airlines including Delta, United , American and JetBlue are winding down operations in southern Florida on Friday afternoon or early evening as Irma, now a powerful Category 4 hurricane, approaches the state. NOAA forecasts the storm will make landfall as early as Sunday. Carriers added flights and capped fares ahead of the storm, after travelers complained of sky-high prices. Atlanta would be the third major airport hub to be hit by a major storm in a month. Hurricane Harvey knocked out service at United hub George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston last month. The airline said the storm would cost it $400 million in revenue this quarter. Irma is expected to plow into south Florida, where American Airlines operates a hub out of Miami International Airport. The storm's exact path once it makes landfall is still unknown but flight cancellations due to Irma, currently at more than 4,000, will likely swell if the storm hits the much larger Atlanta hub. As a weakened tropical depression, NOAA expects the storm to pass over central Tennessee early Wednesday, east of Memphis, home to FedEx and the world's second-busiest airport for air cargo after Hong Kong. A tweet from flight tracker Flightradar24 on Friday showed the scramble to get out of Florida before Category 4 Hurricane Irma strikes the state this weekend. 180 flights currently bound for Florida airports between Miami and Orlando The image shows flights in and out of the Sunshine State. By late morning, there were some 180 flights heading for Florida and 340 on their way out, the website said. The airborne dash won't last long. Some of Florida's largest airports, including Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport are closing this weekend due to the storm, and airlines are halting operations Friday afternoon or evening to the region. Irma is expected to make landfall in Florida over the weekend. Airlines including American , United, JetBlue and Delta have added flights to Florida to the last few days to move as many passengers and the carriers' expensive planes out of harms way. American operates a hub in Miami International Airport, which is in the storm's projected path. watch now Al Franken earned a national following long before he entered politics. His work in the original cast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" began a long career as a comedian. He grew more politically active over time as a left-leaning author and radio host before launching an improbable Democratic bid for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota in 2008. Franken almost lost in a hail of GOP attacks that used off-color bits from his comedic career to cast doubt on his values. After triumphing in a lengthy recount, he purposely submerged his wit while building a reputation for seriousness during his first term. It worked well enough that he won re-election easily in 2014. Earlier this year, Franken won applause from Democrats nationally for challenging the new Trump administration, including with sharp questioning at the confirmation hearing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. watch now His humor-laced new book, "Giant of the Senate," marks a shift in his approach and the beginning of speculation that Franken may enter the 2020 presidential race. The 66-year-old senator sat down with CNBC Editor at Large John Harwood at the Minnesota State Fair to discuss his book, his future and Trump. What follows is a condensed, edited transcript of their conversation. Senator Al Franken sits down with CNBCs John Harwood at the Minnesota State Fair to talk politics and comedy on Aug. 31st, 2017. Sophie Bearman | CNBC Harwood: You say in your book that lying is something that bugged the crap out of you. Franken: Yeah. Harwood: It makes politics a weird career to go into. Franken: No, not really. I mean, I think it helps not to lie in politics. Harwood: What's the evidence for that? Franken: Well, we don't have the evidence right now on terms of the president. Harwood: You allude in the book a couple of times to the to the idea that there may be something wrong with him. Franken: I'm not a psychiatrist. And even a psychiatrist needs to examine someone in order to make a diagnosis. I'm not qualified to do that. But I do think that his actions have been well outside the norm for a president and, in many ways, for a human being. Harwood: You have friends in the Republican caucus. What do they say? Franken: I don't think there's any doubt among my colleagues that he has some temperament issues, that he does seem to see everything in terms of how it affects Donald Trump. That he is almost pathological in the way he lies. watch now Harwood: Do you expect Trump to serve four years? Franken: I don't know. I think we have the right guy as special counsel. I think Bob Mueller will get to the bottom of this. I think he'll just go where the facts take him. That's what we want him to do. Harwood: The issues that caused you some turbulence in the 2008 campaign the Playboy article, all that stuff that you write about in the book has all that been washed away by time? Is all that irrelevant now? Franken: Yeah, I think so. Harwood: Does Trump stand for the proposition that none of this stuff matters anymore anyway? Franken: Well, yeah. I mean, I write a lot about my first race and what that was like. And to go back and look at that Harwood: It sort of looks like the 19th century now. Franken: He didn't bow correctly when the lady entered the room. Harwood: You can lay the Lesley Stahl 2 a.m. joke writing session next to the "Access Hollywood" tape. Franken: Yeah, I would be happy to do that. watch now Harwood: So, in some way, the voters have adjusted to you, Trump, and other politicians as political fashion changes. Franken: Wait a minute. You lumped me in with Trump? Take that back. Take that back, John Harwood. You're not taking it back. Harwood: I'm just saying voters get conditioned to what they see in front of them in politics. Franken: Well, no. One of the reasons that I comfortably won the second time is they saw that I worked very hard, paid attention to them, to Minnesotans, and paid attention to policy and did my work. Donald Trump is the opposite. He doesn't work. He doesn't know how policy works. He won't do his homework. He refuses to work on anything that matters. So, I consider myself a polar opposite of him. I mean, I really do. And the fact that we are both in a branch of show business he was in reality TV. A human cannonball was in show business, you know? A rodeo clown's in show business. Harwood: I know you are not planning to run for president. But other people are talking about it. How do you think about that issue? Franken: Well, people have brought it up, but I think they bring it up about a lot of people. I think that the president of the United States should be someone who really wants to be president of the United States. I've seen the job a little bit more up close as a senator than I did as a comedian. I can see what an incredibly high-pressured job it is. And it's not something that I've aspired to ever. Harwood: But you're not saying straight-up there is zero chance you're going to do that. Franken: There's pretty much a zero chance, I think, I mean, unless, you know, I get hit in the head. Harwood: Your colleague, Sen. [Amy] Klobuchar, is in the same position. Do you talk to her about this? Franken: I feel like this is something I don't want to I just don't broach with her. Harwood: We've got a celebrity-driven culture. And people are very used to back and forth between politicians. So I wonder if you think that humor provides a different dimension that would be valuable either for you or for somebody else running for president? Franken: Yeah. I think a sense of humor is great in life. You know, I'm funny. And I've bonded with all my colleagues. Harwood: So, it's valuable. Franken: Yeah, it's valuable. Your life would be better if you got a sense of humor, John. Harwood: I'm working on it. I concluded from your book that you remain a little bit irritated with Obama and the distance that he kept from you in 2008. Franken: Not really. I know it might sound like that. I was a little peeved because I clearly was the closest race that year in 2008. But I can understand better now why he didn't. Harwood: Even after the election when you were trying to raise money for your recount? Franken: That, I still I don't know who to fault for that, him or his team. Harwood: Have you talked to the president about it? Franken: I have not. And I hope to. I hope to because I know he'll probably see it in the book. I had to raise, like, $13 million for the recount. People might say, "What?" Well, it was lawyers. And he was, like, high-60s [approval rating]. All he had to do was put on a tux and, boom, $3 million, you know? That would be a lot of call time. By the way, I think he was a great president. Harwood: When you were doing [Sen.] Paul Simon [on "Saturday Night Live"], did you want to be Paul Simon? Franken: No. I did not want to run for the Senate, really, until Norm Coleman said he was a 99 percent improvement over Paul Wellstone. watch now French President Emmanuel Macron delivered an ambitious vision for how the European Union should reform, but used the opportunity to lash out the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its role during the euro zone debt crisis. Macron was in Athens for a two-day visit, accompanied by 40 business executives from companies including Total and Vinci in a trip designed to encourage investment and show goodwill towards a country which is emerging from a multi-year recession. In the historic speech Thursday on the Pnyx hill in Athens - the founding place of democracy - Macron emphasized the cultural ties that bind Greece and France together, and spelled out his idea for a more cohesive euro zone, warning that "sovereignty, democracy and trust" are all "in danger." He went on to stress the importance of bloc-wide structural reforms and reiterating calls for further fiscal coordination via the creation of a central euro zone budget and finance ministry. Notably he posited the creation of a new European Monetary Fund to handle future crises, adding that "as far as I am concerned, the IMF had no place in EU affairs." Greece has undergone three economic bailouts since 2010 that were accompanied by substantial austerity measures including tax increases and social security cuts. The EU and IMF oversaw the implementation of these measures which has prompted backlash from a population that saw its unemployment rate rocket to 28 percent and output contract by more than 20 percent in the midst of the crisis. The IMF has typically stuck to a "two-line" approach regarding Greece: The organization believes there is a need to keep undertaking structural reforms to make the Greek economy competitive, while also implementing some form of debt relief for long-term sustainability. In Macron's speech he also added that while he also welcomes Greek reforms, they must "be accompanied by measures to lighten Greek debt." U.S. stock index futures were lower this morning as investors watched and assessed the aftermath of an ongoing slew of natural disasters, including hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Jose, as well as a severe earthquake in Mexico, which killed at least six people and triggered small tsunami waves. (CNBC) Wall Street was on pace to post its first losing week in three, including the oddity of the Nasdaq gaining in seven of the past eight sessions but still being down for the week. The disasters have hit airline and insurance stocks particularly hard, as well as cruise line operators, as all try to measure the financial impact. *Will fear drive gold even higher? Trader says, 'Yes.' (CNBC Trading Nation) Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker makes a public appearance this morning, notable for being the last such event ahead of the central bank's September meeting next week. Meanwhile, New York Fed President William Dudley joins CNBC's "Squawk on The Street" at 10 a.m. ET for an interview. Three executives of Equifax sold shares worth nearly $2 million in the consumer credit monitoring agency days after a data breach was found to have affected 143 million consumers in the United States. Equifax said the trio "had no knowledge" of the cyberattack "at the time they sold their shares." The company's stock was down about 13 percent premarket. (CNBC) Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson survived Hurricane Irma barreling over his private islands by hunkering down in his wine cellar. "All of the team who stayed on Necker and Moskito during the hurricane are safe and well. We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm," says Branson in a recent blog post. But Branson marveled at the aftermath. "I have never seen anything like this hurricane. Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated. We are still assessing the damage, but whole houses and trees have disappeared. Outside of the bunker, bathroom and bedroom doors and windows have flown 40 feet away," he says via his blog. The founder of the Virgin Group bought Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands and he makes a habit of staying put through hurricanes. In the past 30 years, there have been three and Branson says he has stayed on Necker Island each time. "It may sound strange, but I consider hurricanes one of the wonders of the natural world," explains Branson. "Two powerful hurricanes, Earl and Otto, hit the BVI in 2010 and caused extensive damage. I beheld nature at its most ferocious. The power of the sea breaking over the cliff tops, the eerie hush when you are in the eye of the hurricane and then the roar of the winds, the lightning and the rain." Guests left the resort island and others postponed their trips, but a skeleton crew stayed on Necker Island. Thanks to Branson's fortune (he's currently worth $5 billion, according to Forbes), he has a cement wine cellar that served as bunker for himself and his staff. "All of us slept together in two rooms. I haven't had a sleepover quite like it since I was a kid," says Branson in post the night before the hurricane hit. "Strangely, it's a privilege to experience what is turning into possibly the strongest storm ever with such a great group of young people. We were listening to the parrots in their boxes in the next room chattering away. Watching the tortoises congregating together, as if they sense what is coming our way. Though communications were down, Branson used a satellite phone to dictate updates. Not all in the path of Hurricane Irma were able to brave the storm. The Category 5 storm killed four people on the Caribbean island of St. Martin and one on the island of Barbuda, and caused devastating destruction. Irma, which has been down-graded to a still dangerous Category 4, is now heading for South Florida. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned Irma will "devastate" the parts of the United States it hits. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts with members of the Korean People's Army in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15, 2017. KCNA | Reuters Put another way, North Korea's entire foreign policy and national identity has evolved around the threat of war with America. As a result, they've always been trying to improve their military capabilities in order to deter the US from invading. The term "containment" itself comes from Cold War diplomat George Kennan, who helped set the course of US policy toward the Soviet Union. Kennan's approach was not to confront the Soviet Union directly, but to limit the spread of its influence abroad through alliances and military deterrence. To contain the threat rather than attempt to eliminate it entirely. This strategy helped win the Cold War. It could be adapted, with minimal effort, to North Korea. A policy of containment in North Korea would aim to minimize the danger of North Korea's nuclear program, through negotiations and the deterrent power of the US military, rather than attempting to end it. It comes with risks but so does the status quo. And, to hear the experts tell it, containment is a heck of a lot less dangerous than what America is doing right now. Give deterrence a chance The most fundamentally important fact about North Korea's nuclear program is that it is born out of fear fear, specifically, of the United States. The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded the South and nearly conquered all of it. The only reason it didn't was intervention by a US led-coalition, which in turn nearly took the entire North, stopped only by a Chinese counterintervention. After the war ended in an armistice in 1953, the US pledged to defend South Korea against future attack and left thousands of US troops deployed there a constant reminder to Pyongyang that the world's strongest military power was its enemy. Put another way, North Korea's entire foreign policy and national identity has evolved around the threat of war with America. As a result, they've always been trying to improve their military capabilities in order to deter the US from invading. "They're hyper-focused on our military and what we can do," explains Dave Kang, the director of the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California. The nuclear program, which began in the 1950s, was designed to be the ultimate answer to this problem. The thinking among three generations of Kims was that if North Korea had nuclear weapons, they could inflict unacceptable costs on the US if it were to invade the North. Nuclear weapons, in other words, would be the ultimate deterrent against regime change. This explains why North Korea has invested so many resources, and been willing to accept crushing international sanctions, in order to develop a nuclear bomb and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could hit the US mainland. "There's pretty broad agreement that Kim Jong Un wants a nuclear arsenal, including a nuclear-armed ICBM that could put cities and targets in the United States at risk, to deter an attack and to ensure survival and prevent regime change," says Kingston Reif, the director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association. What this brief history suggests is that North Korea's pursuit of nuclear missiles is fundamentally rational. North Korea is not a suicidal state; there is no evidence that it wants to blow up an American city and invite regime-ending retaliation. Its goal, according to every piece of evidence we have, is the opposite: to avoid war at all costs. Members of the Trump administration have, somewhat strangely, denied this. Even H.R. McMaster, Trump's highly regarded national security adviser, went on TV in August and insisted that North Korea could not be deterred in the way the Soviet Union was. "The classical deterrence theory, how does that apply to a regime like the regime in North Korea?" McMaster asked. "A regime that engages in unspeakable brutality against its own people? A regime that poses a continuous threat to the its neighbors in the region and now may pose a threat, direct threat, to the United States with weapons of mass destruction?" Of course, you could make the same arguments about the Soviet Union and China under Mao Tse-Tung both of which were about as brutal toward their own people as the Kim regime is. Yet that domestic repression did not translate into suicidal wars against the United States. What's more, North Korea has been hyper-repressive for its entire existence and yet it still hasn't launched a full-scale attack against the South. The fact that the North has nuclear weapons doesn't change the fact that it would still likely be annihilated in an outright war with the United States. "I am absolutely convinced that North Korea is not going to attack us first," says Kang. "We have 64 years of evidence that deterrence works." The fact that North Korea is believed to be both rational and deterrable means that that the United States may be able to live with a nuclear-armed North Korea much in the same way that it has learned to live with a nuclear-armed China and Russia. But it also explains why the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is now impossible. North Korea saw what happened to Saddam Hussein in 2003 and Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. Both dictators once had nuclear programs and gave them up; both were swiftly toppled by the American military when US policymakers decided they were threats. Kim Jong Un (and his father before him) seems to have internalized those lessons and concluded that the United States cannot be trusted not to invade rogue regimes when it wants to. The ability to nuke an American city is the best way for Kim Jong Un to ensure that he doesn't share Saddam and Qaddafi's fates. "North Koreans always point those examples out," says Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. "Short of giving them South Korea and a pile of money and eliminating our nuclear weapons," he says, "I can't see them giving [their nuclear weapons] up." Trying to roll back North Korea's nuclear program makes war more likely Lewis describes current US policy toward the North as "unremitting yet understandable hostility": The US refuses to accept that North Korea will keep its nuclear weapons, and uses economic sanctions and the threat of force as sticks to try to get the North to give them up. The Trump administration has innovated on this strategy by adding in a level of rhetorical bluster that didn't exist under George W. Bush or Barack Obama. Most notably, President Trump personally said the North would face "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it didn't stop threatening the US. The thinking here, as far as we can tell from the outside, is that you need to threaten North Korea with a credible military option in order to convince them to negotiate. "There is a military option at last resort. I don't want to use it, but it's got to be on the table because without that there will never be a diplomatic end to this," Sen. Lindsey Graham said in a September 6 TV appearance. But this appears to be making things worse, not better. By pursuing denuclearization in such an aggressive fashion, Trump may be making an already unstable situation worse. Historically, American threats tend to feed the paranoia about a US invasion that underpins the nuclear program itself. They lead the North not to abandon their nuclear program, but to double down on it as they believe it's their best deterrent against such an attack. You can see this dynamic at work in part right now, as the North Korean response to Trump's "fire and fury" comment was to fire a missile over Japan and to test its largest nuclear bomb ever. "They're responding to our threats, it's tit-for-tat," Kang says. "Our policies are designed precisely to provoke the outcome we're trying to avoid." In the absolute scariest scenario, North Korea could misinterpret Trump's rhetorical bluster as an actual sign that the US is about to attack and strike first. Because the US and South Korea militarily outmatch the North, Lewis says, its military doctrine aims to avoid a protracted conflict and instead strike a devastating early blow. The idea is that the US would abandon the war before it could redeploy its vast military assets currently scattered around the world to the Korean peninsula. This doctrine gives North Korea an incentive to strike first if it believes war is imminent. "The only situation in which Kim Jong Un would rationally use nuclear weapons first is one in which he believes his regime's survival is at stake," says Rapp-Hooper. "You could have both of us be perfectly rational actors who are trying to practice deterrence very well and miscalculation could still occur." Some of the problem here is the president's personal penchant for bluster. But the real root of it is the idea that the US has to denuclearize North Korea at all. Once you make that assumption, as virtually every US policymaker seems to, then threatening North Korea with force starts to make much more sense as both negotiations and sanctions have failed to stop their program. That's why you hear people like Sen. Graham making even more grandiose threats than the president. "He's not going to allow President Trump the ability of this madman [Kim Jong Un] to have a missile that could hit America," Graham said in early August. "If there's going to be a war to stop him, it will be over there. If thousands die, they're going to die over there." Instead of this kind of bluster, US officials need to admit that their influence over North Korea is limited at best and that, as powerful as the US military and economy are, it can't achieve whatever it wants. "We vastly overestimate our ability to dictate outcomes" to North Korea, Kang says. "The first thing is to stop making things worse." Abandoning denuclearization could make deterrence work better Dong Energy has announced that the world's first offshore wind farm, built in 1991 in the southeast of Denmark, has been dismantled. Used as a demonstration project, the Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm was in operation for over 25 years. In an announcement earlier this week, Dong Energy said that contractors began to dismantle the site's 11 wind turbines in March of this year. A mobile crane was used to take down, among other things, the turbines' blades and towers, with the concrete foundations broken down on site. "This is the first time we're dismantling an offshore wind farm, but luckily, we've been able to draw on our vast experience from constructing offshore wind farms and working offshore," Dong Energy's Leif Winther said in a statement on Wednesday. "In cooperation with the winning contractors, we developed the dismantling method and entered a long process with the authorities to obtain all necessary permits," Winther added. Dong Energy said that the wind turbines' components would be reused as "much as possible" as spare parts for other turbines. The blades would also be reused in what the business described as an "innovative noise barrier concept." For posterity, one wind turbine will be displayed in an exhibition at the Danish Museum of Energy. William Campbell | Corbis News | Getty Images From the intense heat of the Californian desert to the green hills of Scotland, wind turbines are popping up all over the world. Humans have been using wind energy for thousands of years. Today, its scope and scale is big and getting bigger. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), at the end of 2016 more than 341,000 wind turbines were spinning and generating energy. CNBC's Sustainable Energy takes a look at the nuts and bolts of wind power how turbines work, wind energy's impact on the environment, and its role in the planet's energy mix over the coming years. Offshore and onshore With their considerable height and large blades, modern wind turbines are instantly recognizable. How they produce energy can be broken down into several parts. Put simply, when the wind blows, a turbine's blades turn around a rotor. As the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) explains, the rotor is connected to a main shaft, which in turn rotates a generator to produce electricity. Wind energy can be produced both offshore and onshore. While the U.S. offshore wind industry is still in its infancy America's first offshore wind farm only began commercial operations last December it is well established in other parts of the world. According to the GWEC, at the end of last year Europe was home to 3,589 offshore wind turbines. Furthermore, almost 88 percent of the world's offshore installations were based off the coast of 10 European countries. The U.K. is a world leader in offshore wind, representing just shy of 36 percent of installed capacity, with Germany and China close behind. Environmental impact The GWEC says that in 2016 wind power helped the planet avoid more than 637 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The executive director of RenewableUK explained to CNBC how wind power had several plus points when it came to the environment. "Wind energy doesn't require a fuel source once we're built we don't need to mine for anything and we don't need to burn fossil fuels which, as we know, are contributing to climate change," Emma Pinchbeck said. "It's sustainable as a form of energy production, but then it's also fairly sustainable as a form of infrastructure because of how we build it," she added. "The amount of energy that goes in to building a wind farm is 'paid off' after one year of generation from that wind farm." There are some drawbacks, however. To give just one example, while the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) acknowledges that wind power has a "significant" part to play in the U.K.'s efforts against climate change, it adds that available evidence suggests that wind farms "can harm birds in three possible ways disturbance, habitat loss and collision." The future Floridians are no strangers to hurricanes and the wealthy of Miami know just how to protect their prized automobiles from the impending Hurricane Irma. Gil Dezer developed the 60-story Porsche Design Tower to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, and now he says there are more than $25 million worth of supercars tucked inside. "One of my good friends is the owner of the local Lamborghini dealership and he asked if he can store the cars," in the building, Dezer, president of Dezer Development, told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Friday. "I said, 'Sure, no problem.'" Built to a code set after Hurricane Andrew, Dezer says the building is "going to be one of the safest places" during Hurricane Irma, which is one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century. Dezer's building has high-impact glass, like that of a car's windshield, which can withstand "180 mph winds," he says. Flooding is not a concern either, as Dezer noted that the first apartment is 70 feet off the ground. "That takes out any chance of getting wet or the cars flooding, which would be a total loss of really expensive vehicles," he said. The next-generation building has parking spots right next to each unit, utilizing a special elevator to lift tenants and their cars to apartments. Dezer said he has sold all but six of the 132 apartment units. A newly fraying relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn has raised questions about how long Cohn will stay in his job, say two people with close ties to the White House. Several sources said Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, had long planned to stay in his post for at least a year. But one source said concern had grown among Cohn's allies over the past 24 hours that he might be pressured to leave. The recent concerns stem from a report in The Wall Street Journal confirmed by other news media, including Reuters that Cohn was unlikely to be nominated by Trump as a potential successor to Fed Chair Janet Yellen. Trump had mentioned Cohn in July for the job. Cohn resigned as president of Goldman Sachs to join the new administration. "The calculus has shifted for Gary. He's gone, essentially, from untouchable to possibly being bounced out," the source said. "The message is clear that suddenly Cohn's job in the White House has real downside risk." Cohn crossed Trump last month when he criticized the president in a Financial Times interview for his response to the violence at a rally organized by white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which one woman died. One source close to the White House said Trump wanted to fire Cohn. "Hates him. But that could be ephemeral," the source said. Cohn, who is Jewish, told the newspaper the administration "must do better" in condemning neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The former investment banker gave the interview after his wife and daughters pushed him to speak out, if not quit, after Trump blamed "both sides" for the violence. Trump said there were "very fine people" among the white supremacist groups, a comment that disgusted Cohn and those close to him, people who know him said. While the interview was intended to signal that Cohn had no plans to leave the White House and planned to push ahead with his signature project, tax reform, sources said the comments upset Trump. Trump has gone hot and cold on other advisers, some of whom have stayed, while others have left. "Relationships change," said a third source with close ties to the White House. "If Gary sticks around, I fully expect that Gary's relationship with the president will improve." People who know Cohn say that when he does leave the White House, he wants it to be on his own terms. A White House official said Cohn was focused on his job, especially tax reform. "Gary is focused on his responsibilities as the director of the National Economic Council, including a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver meaningful tax reform that creates jobs and grows the economy," the official said. Cohn said in a CNBC interview last week he had a "great relationship" with Trump and the two were working well together. "Mueller has already brought New York's ambitious AG Eric Schneiderman into the investigation of the finances of former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, possibly in part to immunize against a presidential pardon." Attorneys general are well known as a group of very politically ambitious officials. Nine senators formerly served as attorney general, as did seven sitting governors, two current cabinet members and one former president, Bill Clinton. Numerous other officials have served as district attorneys before stepping up to higher office. The crusading lawyer has been a popular political figure for centuries, and presidents dating back to John Adams gained fame in the courtroom before winning office. The attorneys general do not actually deal with headline grabbing violent prosecution their real role is acting as the state's civil attorney but in recent years they have been sure to get involved whenever they can against industries. The AGs took the lead against the tobacco industry and in New York, Elliot Spitzer grabbed the title of the "Sheriff of Wall Street" before his ill-fated turn as Governor. On the Republican side of the aisle, AGs led the legal fight against Obamacare and against federal environmental regulations. Former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt was so active in this regard that Trump appointed him the EPA Administrator. For the current group of attorneys general, there is good reason to think that a hard-hitting investigation of Trump could help their own political careers. Both of New York's last attorneys general moved up to the Governor's mansion, and an investigation into the Trump team will only help Schneiderman as he looks to follow his predecessors. States like Florida, where the term-limited AG has been a staunch Trump ally and was herself the subject of controversy for squashing an investigation into Trump University, will be facing elections for AG in 2018. Candidates for the AG job may quickly discover that promises of an investigation into Trump's campaign and his related businesses are potential popular issue in the Democratic primary and beyond. Trump has recently exercised his pardon power for the first time in Arizona, pardoning Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio from a potential criminal conviction. Trump may now feel that this test shows that using the pardon can help him fulfill his previous trial balloon and stave off a wider-ranging investigation of his campaign. But the limits of his "complete power" stop at the border of the federal-state power divide. With at least one attorney general if not many others seeing the benefit of a taking Trump on in an investigation, a pardon may not be the red light that he thinks. It may instead be a starting gun for state officials to begin their own work. Commentary by Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College in New York. He blogs at The Recall Elections Blog. Follow him on Twitter @recallelections. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. President Donald Trump's since abandoned deal for a Trump Tower in Moscow included the chance to name a hotel spa after his daughter and now White House aide Ivanka, CNN reported Friday. Under the since-scrapped project, the Trump Organization would have received "a $4 million upfront fee, no upfront costs, a percentage of the sales and control over marketing and design," according to the news outlet, which cited an October 2015 Trump Organization document. Trump signed a letter of intent for the project, but it eventually fizzled out. People who are worried about whether their personal information was compromised in the Equifax data breach may be in for another unpleasant surprise: being forced to settle claims against the credit reporting company in arbitration instead of joining forces with other wronged consumers to sue in court. Equifax is allowing people to sign up on its website for free identity theft protection and credit file monitoring following the disclosure Thursday of the data breach, which Equifax said was detected July 29 and affected 143 million consumers. But the credit monitoring service, through an Equifax company called Trusted ID, has a provision that limits liability to the company, and consumers who sign up for what is billed as a free service will be charged for it after a one-year trial period if they don't call the company to cancel their subscription. The provisions, buried in the fine print of Trusted ID's terms of service, added to confusion on Friday about how much help consumers are being offered. In a broader set of terms on Equifax's website, visitors are told they must accept certain terms, including arbitration, before being permitted to register for and purchase any product from its site. "You also agree to be bound by this agreement by using or paying for our products or taking other actions that indicate acceptance of this agreement," it says. TrustedID's terms also include this mandatory arbitration provision. But Equifax's general terms have an arbitration opt-out provision for consumers who know to look for it and notify Equifax in writing within 30 days to a snail mail P.O. box address in its headquarters city of Atlanta. TrustedID's terms do not include that opt-out provision, something that could trip up consumers if they sign up for the service. "You're not going to find a lot of consumers who would read the lengthy terms of use, especially when they've been told on the previous page that they will get it for free," said Allison Zieve, the director of litigation for Public Citizen, a consumer protection group, who adds she believes Equifax's general opt-out clause wouldn't apply to TrustedID. Scott Nelson, who is also a lawyer at Public Citizen, says Equifax uses broad terms to cover activities that fall under arbitration, though he notes that many consumers have never intentionally entered into a formal customer relationship with Equifax. Equifax is one of three major credit reporting companies that collect data on hundreds of millions of people. That data is used by lenders to judge individuals' creditworthiness to buy a home, take out a credit card or obtain insurance. But there is no requirement that people go to the credit reporting firms to access that information, much less look at their websites, Nelson said. Companies have pushed consumers to accept arbitration for a broad range of financial services and "it hasn't always held up. Courts look at it on a case-by-case basis," Nelson said. Most recently Wells Fargo has pushed back at lawsuits over its own arbitration requirements in the fake account scandal, Nelson added. Arbitration usually results in less money recovered for consumers in disputes with companies. On Friday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a relatively new consumer watchdog agency created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, issued a statement calling Equifax's required arbitration for credit monitoring "troubling." "It is troubling that Equifax is forcing people to waive legal rights in order to receive fraud monitoring after the company's breach put their personal information at risk. Equifax could remove this clause so that consumers can receive this service without condition." The agency has been battling Republicans over a new rule set to go into effect next year that would prevent companies from forcing consumers to waive their rights to class-action lawsuits. The rule will apply to new transactions beginning next March, but House Republicans have already voted to repeal it and the Senate could take up its own repeal measure as early as next week. New York's Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, likewise said in a post on Twitter Friday that the arbitration language was "unacceptable and unenforceable," adding that his staff had contacted the company to get them to remove it. His office opened an investigation into the data breach. Equifax's website says the arbitration provision (again, assuming one doesn't opt out) applies to "any claim, dispute, or controversy between You and Us relating in any way to Your relationship with Equifax, including but not limited to any Claim arising from or relating to this Agreement, the Products or this Site, or any information You receive from Us, whether based on contract, statute, common law, regulation, ordinance, tort, or any other legal or equitable theory, regardless of what remedy is sought." But there is another out for consumers in the small print: an individual can take Equifax to small claims court, where disputes are usually for amounts of $10,000 or less, as long as the claim isn't combined with the claim of another person. At the end of one year, consumers who signed up for the TrustedID product will begin being charged an unspecified amount unless they cancel by calling the company. "That's just not right," said Public Citizen's Zieve. "They shouldn't be making money off the hack." that believe the traditional utility model isn't going to deliver the best deal to electricity consumers in the The rooftop of Jetro Restaurant Depot in the Bronx, with a view of Manhattan. The 1.6-megawatt installation, installed in 2014 and highlighted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is covered with 4,760 solar panels. DON EMMERT | AFP | Getty Images Meet Farmer Dave, a landowner from eastern Washington. In 2009, Farmer Dave contacted a solar solutions company called Questar Energy Systems with a request: He wanted to install 100 solar panels on his property and sell excess electricity to his neighbors. To Greg Robinson, then the CTO of Questar, Farmer Dave's request seemed both logical and feasible. Why shouldn't somebody be able to sell their self-generated electricity on the open market? Robinson quickly found that things were not that simple. Farmer Dave would have to become his own utility, build his own network infrastructure or negotiate terms with an existing power company, which would likely pay him next to nothing. Over the years, Robinson encountered enough "Farmer Daves" that he began to question the efficiency of today's energy systems. Unfortunately, this isn't how the market works, he would have to tell people. But maybe it's how it should, he quietly pondered. In 2014, Robinson co-founded Drift, a Seattle-based energy start-up trying to spark a peer-to-peer utility industry revolution, where today he serves as CEO. Traditional utilities determine how much power to provide 24 hours ahead of time, predicting demand based on the region's average monthly consumption from the previous year. In the event that consumer demand exceeds this very rough estimate, utilities rely on power plants known as peakers, which command a much higher price than baseload power plants. Drift thinks it can provide a far more accurate, daily forecast of customer demand and drive down pricing. When demand spikes, Drift engages its network of small-scale producers which includes homeowners with solar panels, family-owned hydro dams and large commercial buildings with excess power to fill in the gaps with low-cost energy. For example, if an unexpected heat wave causes energy consumption to increase, Drift will procure power from a local solar owner to cover shortages. The underlying science of Drift's platform and its ability to better forecast demand is rife with tech buzzwords like blockchain (the ledger technology that underlies digital currencies like bitcoin), machine learning and peer-to-peer trading (P2P). If there are 100 owners of a hydro-dam, for example, being able to track the value of that plant across the owners and accounting for energy transactions with multiple owners, even lienholders, is made easier using the blockchain. The goal of the business model is easier to understand: to let consumers take control over their own energy supply and eliminate nuisances most people understand utility middlemen, fees and bureaucracy. Though it's registered as a utility, several features distinguish Drift from traditional power companies. For one, the start-up doesn't believe in contracts. Customers use a dashboard to choose whether to prioritize cheap or low-carbon energy sources, and they're able to terminate their relationship with Drift at a moment's notice. Drift delivers weekly bills that break down the customer's costs, as well as from what sources clean or dirty their power is coming from. An example of a customer bill from Drift showing a breakdown of power sources. Drift Drift also doesn't own the distribution infrastructure that supplies electricity to homes, instead leasing it from the grid based on how much power is needed. So unlike utilities that make more money the more power customers use and which have a primary mandate of providing a secure and reliable source of power rather than lowest price Drift is incentivized to keep costs down. Drift takes the idea of an energy service company (ESCO) in New York State, consumers can choose their retail energy supplier from close to 150 registered ESCOs, while the transmission and distribution of electricity is still maintained by the local utility to a new level. In fact, some Drift customers bristle at the thought that it is just another ESCO. Drift is registered as an ESCO in New York, but some of its early adopters think of it as going well beyond traditional ESCOs in its mission. "Drift is 110 percent not an ESCO," said Christopher Morini Jr., one such Drift customer who has taken to posting his weekly energy bills on Twitter. "It is a separate utility entirely. A modern power utility in a modern era using an algorithm as a digital power savior to save you cash. ... Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe power delivery as a service has been modernized," Morini Jr. said. More from the CNBC Disruptor 50: Why Warren Buffett's utility is betting on a big data start-up Early testing is in: Robots should fear us more than we fear them Reinventing headphones for an era of 'hearable' health care The utility start-up officially launched in New York three months ago and so far has signed up hundreds of customers though it would not be more specific some of which double as both producers and buyers. Drift charges a flat rate of $1 a week ($4.33 a month), while customers report savings of at least 10 percent compared to Con Edison and other New York-area energy utilities. Drift savings come from buying power through its independent network and selling it to the grid at prices more competitive than "peaker" prices. "People all over the country produce electricity but are too small to compete in the large, wholesale markets where utilities purchase energy," said Justin Hamilton, a Drift consultant and customer. "Their prices might be just as good maybe even cheaper but if they're not selling at a certain scale, they're pushed out of the market." "Drift is not just offering to help consumers get access to energy in the market that meets their specifications for price and carbon/renewable, they are also offering an opportunity to 'prosumers' (consumers who also produce resources through solar PV or demand response of a range of types) to monetize investments they make (solar PV and demand response enabling investments) and actions they take (demand response actions)," said Richard Sedano, president and CEO of the Regulatory Assistance Project, an NGO that is focused on power sector policy. He added, "These actions and investments would otherwise occur but be uncompensated and not guided by market values, or not occur at all." Customers say they are saving up to 20 percent Hamilton himself has experienced week-by-week savings of 20 percent after switching to Drift. After a lifetime of only ever seeing his power bill go up, not down, he is confident that peer-to-peer energy has a future in the tech sector dominated by consumer-facing disruption. Others have lodged similar complaints. In 2014, former NRG Energy CEO David Crane penned a letter to shareholders lamenting that there is no Amazon, Apple or Google of the American utility industry. Though Crane was later ousted by NRG, his vision of an energy company that "enables, connects, relates and empowers the consumer" is one that Drift and other P2P trailblazers hope they can carry to large-scale fruition. Drift says its success will rely on creating a profitable economic model that is technology customer-rooted. Drift thinks of itself as a software services firm for both buyers and sellers of electricity who will pay for a "subscription" because Drift can keep costs lower using its proprietary operating system. "Providing that OS is the big opportunity," Robinson said. The Drift co-founder claims that's going to be a big advantage: As administrative costs for buying or building new software become more common and critical for the utility industry, costs will take the form of higher prices passed along by the established utilities to customers. Not doing the same is one of Drift's advantages. Experts, while supportive of innovative models like Drift, doubt the system will change easily. Customers also should expect pricing to be volatile as more free-market trading comes onto the grid. Karl Rabago, executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center at the Pace Law School and a former Texas government utility commissioner, said the blockchain offers huge potential in the electricity market for finer-grained and faster transactions as small as 1 kilowatt hour and involving no more than the decision to turn off one light. "To [Drift's] credit, this is what I want people to do, to really work peaks out of the system finely rather than bluntly," Rabago said. But he added that there isn't meaningful blockchain traffic at this point, and it could be five to 10 years before there is. Rabago also said Drift customers should be prepared to face greater risk. "Drift can pass on more savings, but it can't do that with also more risk. I wouldn't want to say it's the Wild West out there if you go with an ESCO, but if there were a run on the market, Drift will stop serving you long before Con Ed. Not just because Con Ed has a bigger balance sheet, but because it's contracting with suppliers that are more expensive but more secure." Robinson conceded that its approach to the power market is fundamentally different from what it expected of a traditional player like Con Ed. "We are really focused on price, and Con Ed's mandate is to keep the lights on. That's the huge advantage of the traditional model. But given the utility is keeping the lights on and the grid is stable, enabling micro-transactions and decentralizing ownership of power supply is how to help get to more stable pricing." Robinson added that during events like the polar vortex, Con Ed didn't do anything to keep prices down for customers. "Decentralizing ownership of the grid is the whole point," Robinson said. The big utilities also face new risks to providing a secure and reliable source of power from hackers, which a report this week in Wired said is no longer just theoretical. If we are profiting while your power bill doubles, we are at odds with each other. If we don't save you money, we want you to leave. That's what we tell customers. Greg Robinson co-founder and CEO of Drift One potential future for the U.S. power industry can be seen in the example of Australia, which has been a pioneer in the democratization of the utility sector. "The regulatory hurdles [in the United States] were not drafted to stop P2P; they were drafted at a time when P2P wasn't possible," said David Martin, co-founder of a Perth, Australia-based blockchain P2P company called Power Ledger. "Government frameworks emerged around the model of big, noisy, loud power stations. What we've got now is a completely different model one that is sympathetic with urban development." Power Ledger isn't only using the blockchain for energy trading, but this week launched an initial coin offering the type of cryptocurrency start-up fundraising that was just banned in China. Power Ledger raised $17 million in 72 hours and is doing another round on Friday that could bring its total value up to as much as $30 million, Martin told Greentech Media. That was lower than the $100 million the company had estimated last month it might be able to raise in an offering. With an abundance of natural resources, government support for a nascent solar industry and solar panels installed in 16.5 percent of all households, Australia enjoys many of the conditions necessary for distributed energy to thrive, Martin said. And nearly every state in Australia has a deregulated energy market, meaning that utilities are barred from holding a monopoly over generation, distribution and retail. This gives customers and distributed energy systems the flexibility to explore innovative and competitive options. "Once we acknowledge that the system has changed, I think we'll start to grasp the potential for P2P and see that the barriers are only barriers because of the way we've thought about the market," Martin said. The market in Australia is so accommodating that as the price of distributed resources has become cheaper, the desire for energy independence has actually become a cause for concern. Martin said that as more consumers chose to "get off the grid," power prices on the grid can become too expensive for residential customers who can't afford to join the exodus. Solar panels are seen on a rooftop in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images This catch-22 was the impetus for Power Ledger's business, which had a successful trial in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this year and has begun implementing its blockchain trading platform in communities throughout Western Australia. Power Ledger allows consumers to use the existing network to trade clean, surplus energy amongst themselves, thus ensuring the ongoing relevance of the grid. AGL Energy, Australia's largest private owner, operator and developer of renewable energy, has also begun a trial of P2P trading with the help of IBM and a $120,000 grant from the Australian government. New York could change the face of US energy Warren Buffett shocked the food world last month when he said Kraft Heinz isn't interested in buying Mondelez . Buffett is a co-investor in Kraft with its owner Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital. 3G has made a name for itself acquiring well-known consumer companies and squeezing out costs. The food industry's favorite parlor game over the past year has been guessing what Kraft's next acquisition will be, and many had placed their bets on Mondelez, which owns such brands as Oreo cookies. Mondelez was part of Kraft until it was spun off into a separate company in 2012. Buffett was asked in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Alley" whether Kraft would be interested in buying Mondelez. "I think the answer is no on that," he said. Buffett's answer left analysts at RBC Capital Markets "pretty confused," the firm's David Palmer wrote in a research note. However, Palmer identified five reasons that could be influencing Buffett. 3G's cost-cutting prowess would have limited impact on some of Mondelez's biggest challenges: powerful retailers that can squeeze brands on price and slowing sales that require investment in sales and marketing. Kraft's failed bid for dial soap owner Unilever meanwhile, shows the company is interested in the home and personal care sector, which could offer Kraft more room to grow. Plus, activist investors own significant shares of Mondelez, and the company has minority stakes in Keurig Green Mountain and Jacobs Douwe Egberts. Both present unknown issues for 3G Capital and Buffett, Palmer wrote. Buffett said "the answer is no," but he really means "not now" because food companies are getting cheaper thanks to Amazon, Palmer wrote. "In other words, Mr. Buffett and 3G are not going to get in the way of a good discount that will impact Mondelez's stock more than the direct Amazon effect is impacting Mondelez's business," Palmer wrote. Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Disclaimer The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Four years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories. Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts. Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters. To help remedy this, every fortnight we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented. Ofqual/Ofsted Board Members The Secretary of State for Education is seeking to appoint up to 5 members to the Board of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and up to 4 members to the Board of the Office for Standards in Education, Childrens Services and Skills (Ofsted). We are seeking a diverse and experienced range of Board members who can help set the strategic direction for these 2 important organisations. Successful candidates will bring top level management and/or board experience, alongside the ability to provide strategic leadership and oversee performance. Time: Up to/in the region of 20 days per annum. Remuneration: 6,000 and 8282 per annum respectively. Closes: 08 September Science and Technology Facilities Council Executive Chair As part of UK Research and Innovations Executive Committee, the Executive Chair will have a critical role in sustaining the excellence of UK research and innovation and increasing its social and economic impact. The STFC Executive Chair will lead nearly 2,000 scientists operating world-leading science facilities across 6 sites in the UK, develop the councils campuses, manage the UKs participation in major international facilities, and champion and increase the impact of particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics research. Time: Five days per week, flexible working available. Remuneration: Dependent on skills and experience. Closes: 15 September Medical Research Council Executive Chair We are seeking an inspirational medical scientist with international standing and a proven track record to lead the Medical Research Council (MRC) as its Executive Chair, once it becomes one of the nine Councils of UK Research and Innovation in April 2018. As part of UK Research and Innovations Executive Committee, the Executive Chair will have a critical role within UK Research and Innovation and in championing and increasing the impact of medical research. The MRCs Executive Chair may also be responsible for leading and delivering one or more cross cutting area for UK Research and Innovation, on behalf of all the Councils. Time: Five days per week, flexible working available. Remuneration: Dependent on skills and experience. Closes: 15 September Ofcom Chair The Chair will be expected to: provide leadership to the Board during a period of both change and growth in its membership, bringing together the diverse perspectives and experiences of other Board members to oversee the discharge of Ofcoms statutory functions, and in particular the operational delivery of the conclusions of the Digital Communications Review and a regulatory framework for the BBC; and be the most senior representative of Ofcom to its various stakeholders, including its licensees, other regulated entities, the United Kingdom Government and Parliament and the devolved National Governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (working with the relevant Nations Board members). Time: Three days per week. Remuneration: Appropriate. Closes: 15 September British Transport Police Authority Chair We are looking to appoint a new Chair who, by building on the strong record of the previous Chair, can provide effective and visible leadership skills which results in the delivery of strong outcomes for the railway. At a critical time for our national security, the new Chair will be responsible for ensuring that the BTPA supports and challenges the BTP so that it maximises its essential contribution to the security of Great Britains railways. They will also be responsible for leading the BTPA through an orderly and timely transfer of the BTPs functions in Scotland to Police Scotland by April 2019 and for ensuring that the BTP engages positively with the challenge set by the 2015 Spending Review to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the BTP without any negative impacts on the operational effectiveness of the Force. Time: 60 days per annum. Remuneration: 32,000 per annum. Closes: 15 September High Speed Two Ltd Non-Executive Directors HS2 Ltd is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) of the Department for Transport and is also established as a Companies Act company, limited by guarantee. It is charged with developing proposals for and promoting HS2 HS2 Ltd is at a pivotal point in its development, transitioning from an advisory and project planning organisation to becoming the delivery body that will build and ultimately operate the railway. The Secretary of State for Transport is seeking to appoint two new Non-Executive board members to the HS2 Ltd Board, with specific experience of delivering very large infrastructure projects and/or property development and regeneration, with the aim of increasing the level of commercial expertise, challenge and Board knowledge of a very large project delivery. Time: Two days per months. Remuneration: 950 per day plus expenses. Closes: 15 September Charity Commission Chair The Charity Commission is the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales. Its role is to register and regulate the charities in England and Wales, and to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence. A non-Ministerial Department, it is based across four sites, employing approximately 300 staff and in 2016/17 had a budget of 21.5 Million. Its current Strategic Plan comes to an end in 2018. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wishes to appoint a new Chair to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Time: Two and a half days per week. Remuneration: 62,500 per annum. Closes: 22 September Marine Management Organisation Chair The non-executive Chair of the MMO will lead the Board, set the overall strategic operational direction of the MMO, ensure good governance and with the Board, hold the Executive to account. The Chair will be responsible for: providing effective leadership and strategic direction to develop a cohesive and focused Board which recognises the need to work collaboratively with the Defra group, wider Government, other delivery bodies and stakeholders; leading the formulation of the Boards strategy, ensuring the Board and the MMO discharges its statutory duties as set out in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and other associated legislation; et al. Time: Eight days per month. Remuneration: 40,459 per annum. Closes: 25 September St Chads College Chair of the Governing Body St Chads is an independent college within Durham University and aims to be an academically excellent community, hospitable and values driven, respected for its ethos of social justice, taking faith seriously rooted in the Anglican tradition and embracing diversity with a generosity of spirit. We are seeking a new hair of our Governing Body as our present Chair, Mr Jonathan Blackie CBE, retires after 8 years in post. Time: Eight meetings per annum minimum, five-year term. Remuneration: Expenses. Closes: 26 September Engineering Construction Industry Training Board Chair The Chair will lead the ECITB Board and be a champion for the work of the ECITB and its role within the engineering construction industry in England, Scotland and Wales. The Chair will ensure that ECITB policies and actions support the wider strategic policies of the Secretary of State and that its affairs are conducted with probity. We are looking for an experienced Chair with strong interpersonal and communication skills. The successful applicant must have the personal credibility to work with a range of key stakeholders across industry and Government and the ability to successfully lead the ECITB through a period of change. Time: Two days per month. Remuneration: 30,000 per annum. Closes: 29 September Ashley Fox is an MEP for South West England, and is the leader of Britains Conservative MEPs. In the official photograph of David Davis and Michel Barnier taken prior to the second round of Brexit talks, a pile of documents sits in front of the EU negotiating team, while the British side of the table is empty. For those determined to undermine the Government, it symbolised our apparent lack of preparation for what lay ahead. A narrative was created which subsequent explanations that the British had yet to open their briefcases were unable to change. However, two months on, that same picture can be read entirely differently. Since then, the Government has published a series of position papers on issues including our future customs relationship with Europe, potential new arrangements to avoid a hard border in Ireland and alternatives to the European Court of Justice. In each case, novel solutions have been suggested to the unique issues thrown up by our withdrawal from the EU. On customs, for example, alongside an expansion of the existing use of technology and trusted trader schemes to keep border checks to an absolute minimum, the Government is proposing the creation of an entirely new customs partnership with the EU. It is untested and raises many questions but, if implemented, such an arrangement would allow trade to flow in both directions in much the same way it does now. On Ireland, too, ministers have looked for creative answers to the problem of managing the UKs only land border with the EU. A continuation of the long standing Common Travel Area would remove the need for passports to be shown by the 30,000 people who cross the border each day, while an exemption for small and medium sized businesses from any kind of customs controls would cover 80 per cent of cross border trade. Once again, there are problems to overcome but none of them are unsolvable if both sides approach the negotiations positively. Brussels reaction to the position papers has been predictable but nevertheless disappointing. European Parliament Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt proved once again what a pervasive influence he is on the whole process by immediately taking to Twitter to describe the customs ideas as a fantasy. He secured the headlines he craves but offered no constructive ideas of his own to protect the thousands businesses and millions of workers in the EU27 who rely on continued trade with Britain and who he is supposed to represent. Verhofstadt is fond of overstating his role in the Brexit process, often aided and abetted by the British media which insists on wrongly referring to him as the European Parliaments Brexit negotiator. But no-one with real influence would conduct talks via social media in such inflammatory terms. The European Commission was equally negative, if more measured, tweeting simply: Frictionless trade not possible outside Single Market & Customs Union. Which brings me back to that photograph. Those documents in front of EU Chief Negotiator Barnier and his team spelled out the narrow mandate they have been handed by the European Council and from which they cannot depart. It is the negotiating equivalent of painting by numbers, in which Barnier is simply instructed to fill in the gaps. Even the colours he must use are specified in advance. This approach might work if the subject matter was familiar and there were previous paintings to copy. But even Barnier admits that the Irish border solution cannot be based on precedent. In contrast, the only constraint on the UK team is the size of the canvas on which they have to work. We are leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union but beyond that our negotiators can innovate and compromise. It is the final picture that matters, not the colours, materials or techniques used to create it. Without similar free-thinking and flexibility from the EU, I worry that we may not secure a deal that best serves both sides. Michel Barnier is an able negotiator, but he urgently needs a larger paint box. Iain Dale is Presenter of LBC Drive, Managing Director of Biteback Publishing, a columnist and broadcaster and a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate. Arms sales are worth about 8 billion every year to the economy. All arms exports have to be licensed through the Business Department and signed off by the Secretary of State. Arms exports are a controversial subject and understandably so. Opposition politicians take delight in criticising the government for exporting arms to various countries with dodgy human rights records. In 2016, 58 per cent of our defence exports went to the Middle East, according to the Commons Library, and between 2010 and 2015, our arms sales to Saudi Arabia amounted to 3.5 billion. This week Vince Cable waded into the debate; something which he might come to regret. He said that were he in government, he would have stopped arms sales to that country a long time ago. He was and didnt. He was Business Secretary between 2010 and 2015. At best Vince is virtue signalling. At worst he is, to quote Zac Goldsmith, being slippery. Ill leave you to judge which. There was a lot of chatter about a reshuffle last week, although it seems to have died down now. We in the Westminster Bubble love nothing better than a bit of reshuffle speculation. It fills column inches and provides hours of fun on the 24 hour news channels. But seems as though its now not going to happen so the prospect of Jacob Rees-Mogg joining the government must wait a little longer. Im intrigued by Jacob. Hes one of my favourite interviewees, partly because he always has something interesting to say, and can also be very funny. Ive always thought his ambitions lay in acquiring the rights to sit in the Speakers chair rather than join the government, though I wonder if his mind has been turned a little by the Moggmentum phenomenon. On Wednesday, however, something went very wrong. Jacob went on Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan, and said he is against abortion in any circumstances (including rape and incest), and is also against gay marriage. Personally, I applaud any politician who gives their honest views, and he is of course entitled to them. I disagree with both, as youd expect, but at least he was honest, rather than do what Tim Farron did and equivocate (or even lie). The real question is this: can someone with such conservative views ever take on a leading government role? He is the Ann Widdecombe de nos jours. Anns abortive leadership bid in 2001 failed, ostensibly because her parliamentary colleagues couldnt stomach her social conservatism. She was hugely popular among Tory members, and had she reached the last two in the contest she might have won. Sixteen years on, the Tory Parliamentary Party has changed a lot, and Id say its become massively more socially liberal. Im sorry to say that these remarks have also put the Speakers Chair further from Jacobs reach. Im sorry, because I think hed be brilliant in the post. But Labour MPs will come under a lot of pressure not to support someone with such conservative views. Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle will be smiling to himself, and thinking: another opponent bites the dust Theres a lot of cant yes, cant being talked about the so-called Henry VIII clauses in the EU Withdrawal Bill. Isnt the purpose of this Bill to repeal a single giant Henry VIII clause? Peter Lilley, who knows a lot about these things, wrote yesterday for this site pointing out for 44 years the European Communities Act 1972 which implemented our membership of the European Community has meant EU legislation has become binding on UK citizens with no power for Parliament to amend or reject it. Once a law was agreed in Brussels, even if every single British MP voted against it, it still became law. The Repeal Bill will end that. Peter is offering a bottle of champagne to the first person reporting a BBC interviewer challenging a Euro-enthusiast about why they are concerned about Henry VIII clauses in this Billbut are happy with the father of all Henry VIII clauses in the Act that it repeals? I suspect he deserves to be drinking the champagne himself. Only eight days until the Liberal Democat conference starts. Contain your collective excitement, please. Why Nadhim Zahawi has never been made a minister is a mystery to me. Hes an excellent media performer and keeps coming up with interesting and sometimes radical policy ideas. This week, he suggested on ConservativeHome that, as part of a wider policy to attract back the youth vote, under 25s should be given an income tax break, and pay a rate of 15 per cent or even 10 perc cent. On the face of it, something serious to consider. However, Im told the LibDems had this idea before the 2015 election, since they needed to do something to make up for their embarrassing volte-face on tuition fees. However, when they polled and focus-grouped the policy, it bombed among all age groups, including young people. They felt it was fundamentally unfair to older generations. So the LibDems dropped it. Conservative MPs can bring pressure to bear on a policy they oppose by lobbying Ministers. But if the latter insist on pursuing it, the former have a choice to make: they must either back down, when the matter comes to the Commons, or carry on and vote against the policy in question. This is what constitutes that familiar feature of Westminster life, a Tory revolt on Europe, as a mass of headlines stretching back scores of years will confirm. The most important votes of all tend to be on legislation, since it is by first proposing laws, and then getting Parliament to vote for them, that a Government demonstrates that it has authority: it cant get its legislation through, it wont last very long. The best-known Conservative rebellion over the EU proves the point. It was over the Maastricht Bill under John Majors Government. Some 25 or so years later, some are fixated by those refuseniks from that period who are still members of the Commons, such as Iain Duncan Smith, Bill Cash and Bernard Jenkin. Staff from an embassy of the one of the EU27 countries, discussing Brexit with ConservativeHome recently, were fixated by the former Maastricht rebels and their Leave-supporting successors today. They saw Downing Streets main problem, when it came to party management on Europe, as being the Brexiteers. Perhaps they will be proved right. But doesnt the evidence since the referendum suggest that this view is out of date? For example, consider the fuss about a letter drafted by Change Britain, a successor campaign to Vote Leave, which which has been circulated to the European Research Group, the biggest pro-Leave group of Tory backbenchers, via their WhatsApp group. The main point of the letter is to oppose membership of the Single Market during any implementation arrangement. It is clearly part of the lobbying which Conservative MPs with views of what a deal should look like are undertaking. It is not entirely at odds with Government policy, as one former Remain-backing Tory MP has suggested. Rather, it seeks to head off an option which Ministers do not support now, but might conceivably do as negotiations continue. Claims that Steve Baker, the DEXU Minister, encouraged backbenchers to sign the letter are not supported by the evidence. (Rather, he sent ERG members are note of thanks for their support during his debut from the Government front bench during yesterdays DEXU oral questions.) ConservativeHome observes in passing that the letters circulation wouldnt be a story at all were it not that it was circulated by a Government PPS, and one of the Chancellors, to boot. This person is, as this site recently described her, the double-hatted Suella Fernandes both a member of the Government and a pro-Leave group leader. This was our headline above a recent interview with her conducted by Andrew Gimson. The bother about the letter is proof of the point we honed in on: that if one is both a member of the Government and the leader of a backbench group (Fernandes is the ERGs Chairman), controversy is likely to follow. None the less, a signature on a letter is not a vote in the lobbies which returns us to Government legislation in general and the EU Withdrawal Bill in particular. The Bill presents Jeremy Corbyn with his main Parliamentary opportunity to inflict damage on the Government, just as the Maastricht Bill presented a similar opportunity to John Smith. He will only be able to do so, since Theresa Mays deal with the DUP gives her a small majority, if he is joined in the lobbies by Tory MPs. And those who have indicated hostility to parts of the Bill to date are not members of the ERG, or other MPs who backed Leave in the referendum. On the contrary, they supported Remain. Among their number are our columnist Nicky Morgan, Anna Soubry, and Dominic Grieve. The first and last made speeches during the Second Reading debate on the Bill yestedray. There is nothing wrong in principle with opposing Government legislation (unless one has indicated the contrary to ones constituents), let alone seeking to improve it. Indeed, Grieve made one or two good suggestions, such as recommending a system of Parliamentary scrutiny for the correct farming out, as he put it, of different types of statutory instrument during the carrying-over of EU law into British law. But the view of the Bill taken by him and others enables us to make a point to that EU27 country embassy, and to others: namely, that Tory revolts on Europe are currently coming not from Leavers, but from former Remainers. Indeed, Cash and Jenkin and company are being very supportive of the Government. That might conceivably change were the role of the ECJ to stay the same during any transition period. But it is significant that continued payments to the EU post-Brexit have been a dog that has scarcely barked. Amidst the cut and thrust of lobbying and debate, Tory Remainer and Leaver, ERG member and non-member alike are all of one mind in one respect. None of them oppose the withdrawal bill, at least as far as this site knows. They recognise that to oppose it, as Labour now does, is essentially to oppose Brexit itself. So while there may still be Tory revolts on Europe, they are limited, at least for the moment. Hurtigruten has stepped in with an investment in the Kleven yard group, which is building two expedition ships, with options for two more, for the Norwegian brand. According to Hurtigruten, the company is part of an investment group that is putting NOK 300 million into Kleven for a 40 percent interest. In addition to Hurtigruten, through Strawberry Equity and TDR, the group includes Age Remy, the Kleven-family companies John Kleven AS and H-Invest AS, the German family-owned yacht yard Lurssen Group and investor Per Lilleb. Without the new infusion of fresh capital, Kleven warned previously that it may be forced to declare bankruptcy. We are joining forces for the continued development and evolution of the yards expertise, to secure jobs and to grow the company to build ships of the future, said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten, in a prepared statement. Related: Kleven Hit By Non-Paying Customer and Downturn in Offshore In todays data-driven world, data breaches can affect hundreds of millions or even billions of people at a time. Digital transformation has increased the supply of data moving, and data breaches have scaled up with it as attackers exploit the data-dependencies of daily life. How large cyberattacks of the future might become remains speculation, but as this list of the biggest data breaches of the 21st Century indicates, they have already reached enormous magnitudes. For transparency, this list has been calculated by the number of users impacted, records exposed, or accounts affected. We have also made a distinction between incidents where data was actively stolen or reposted maliciously and those where an organization has inadvertently left data unprotected and exposed, but there has been no significant evidence of misuse. The latter have purposefully not been included in the list. So, here it is an up-to-date list of the 15 biggest data breaches in recent history, including details of those affected, who was responsible, and how the companies responded (as of July 2021). 1. Yahoo Date: August 2013 Impact: 3 billion accounts Securing the number one spot almost seven years after the initial breach and four since the true number of records exposed was revealed is the attack on Yahoo. The company first publicly announced the incident which it said took place in 2013 in December 2016. At the time, it was in the process of being acquired by Verizon and estimated that account information of more than a billion of its customers had been accessed by a hacking group. Less than a year later, Yahoo announced that the actual figure of user accounts exposed was 3 billion. Yahoo stated that the revised estimate did not represent a new security issue and that it was sending emails to all the additional affected user accounts. Despite the attack, the deal with Verizon was completed, albeit at a reduced price. Verizons CISO Chandra McMahon said at the time: Verizon is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and we proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats. Our investment in Yahoo is allowing that team to continue to take significant steps to enhance their security, as well as benefit from Verizons experience and resources. After investigation, it was discovered that, while the attackers accessed account information such as security questions and answers, plaintext passwords, payment card and bank data were not stolen. 2. Aadhaar [tie with Alibaba] Date: January 2018 Impact: 1.1 billion Indian citizens identity/biometric information exposed In early 2018, news broke that malicious actors has infiltrated the worlds largest ID database, Aadhaar, exposing information on more than 1.1 billion Indian citizens including names, addresses, photos, phone numbers, and emails, as well as biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans. Whats more, since the database established by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in 2009 also held information about bank accounts connected with unique 12-digit numbers, it became a credit breach too. This was despite the UIDAI initially denying that the database held such data The actors infiltrated the Aadhaar database through the website of Indane, a state-owned utility company connected to the government database through an application programming interface that allowed applications to retrieve data stored by other applications or software. Unfortunately, Indanes API had no access controls, thus rendering its data vulnerable. Hackers sold access to the data for as little as $7 via a WhatsApp group. Despite warnings from security researchers and tech groups, it took Indian authorities until March 23, 2018, to take the vulnerable access point offline. 2. Alibaba [tie with Aadhaar] Date: November 2019 Impact: 1.1 billion pieces of user data Over an eight-month period, a developer working for an affiliate marketer scraped customer data, including usernames and mobile numbers, from the Alibaba Chinese shopping website, Taobao, using crawler software that he created. It appears the developer and his employer were collecting the information for their own use and did not sell it on the black market, although both were sentenced to three years in prison. A Taobao spokesperson said in a statement: Taobao devotes substantial resources to combat unauthorized scraping on our platform, as data privacy and security is of utmost importance. We have proactively discovered and addressed this unauthorized scraping. We will continue to work with law enforcement to defend and protect the interests of our users and partners. 4. LinkedIn Date: June 2021 Impact: 700 million users Professional networking giant LinkedIn saw data associated with 700 million of its users posted on a dark web forum in June 2021, impacting more than 90% of its user base. A hacker going by the moniker of God User used data scraping techniques by exploiting the sites (and others) API before dumping a first information data set of around 500 million customers. They then followed up with a boast that they were selling the full 700 million customer database. While LinkedIn argued that as no sensitive, private personal data was exposed, the incident was a violation of its terms of service rather than a data breach, a scraped data sample posted by God User contained information including email addresses, phone numbers, geolocation records, genders and other social media details, which would give malicious actors plenty of data to craft convincing, follow-on social engineering attacks in the wake of the leak, as warned by the UKs NCSC. 5. Sina Weibo Date: March 2020 Impact: 538 million accounts With over 600 million users, Sina Weibo is one of Chinas largest social media platforms. In March 2020, the company announced that an attacker obtained part of its database, impacting 538 million Weibo users and their personal details including real names, site usernames, gender, location, and phone numbers. The attacker is reported to have then sold the database on the dark web for $250. Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) ordered Weibo to enhance its data security measures to better protect personal information and to notify users and authorities when data security incidents occur. In a statement, Sina Weibo argued that an attacker had gathered publicly posted information by using a service meant to help users locate the Weibo accounts of friends by inputting their phone numbers and that no passwords were affected. However, it admitted that the exposed data could be used to associate accounts to passwords if passwords are reused on other accounts. The company said it strengthened its security strategy and reported the details to the appropriate authority. 6. Facebook Date: April 2019 Impact: 533 million users In April 2019, it was revealed that two datasets from Facebook apps had been exposed to the public internet. The information related to more than 530 million Facebook users and included phone numbers, account names, and Facebook IDs. However, two years later (April 2021) the data was posted for free, indicating new and real criminal intent surrounding the data. In fact, given the sheer number of phone numbers impacted and readily available on the dark web as a result of the incident, security researcher Troy Hunt added functionality to his HaveIBeenPwned (HIBP) breached credential checking site that would allow users to verify if their phone numbers had been included in the exposed dataset. Id never planned to make phone numbers searchable, Hunt wrote in blog post. My position on this was that it didnt make sense for a bunch of reasons. The Facebook data changed all that. Theres over 500 million phone numbers but only a few million email addresses so >99% of people were getting a miss when they should have gotten a hit. 7. Marriott International (Starwood) Date: September 2018 Impact: 500 million customers Hotel Marriot International announced the exposure of sensitive details belonging to half a million Starwood guests following an attack on its systems in September 2018. In a statement published in November the same year, the hotel giant said: On September 8, 2018, Marriott received an alert from an internal security tool regarding an attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database. Marriott quickly engaged leading security experts to help determine what occurred. Marriott learned during the investigation that there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014. Marriott recently discovered that an unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information and took steps towards removing it. On November 19, 2018, Marriott was able to decrypt the information and determined that the contents were from the Starwood guest reservation database, the statement added. The data copied included guests names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, dates of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation dates, and communication preferences. For some, the information also included payment card numbers and expiration dates, though these were apparently encrypted. Marriot carried out an investigation assisted by security experts following the breach and announced plans to phase out Starwood systems and accelerate security enhancements to its network. The company was eventually fined 18.4 million (reduced from 99 million) by UK data governing body the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in 2020 for failing to keep customers personal data secure. An article by New York Times attributed the attack to a Chinese intelligence group seeking to gather data on US citizens. 8. Yahoo Date: 2014 Impact: 500 million accounts Making its second appearance in this list is Yahoo, which suffered an attack in 2014 separate to the one in 2013 cited above. On this occasion, state-sponsored actors stole data from 500 million accounts including names, email addresses, phone numbers, hashed passwords, and dates of birth. The company took initial remedial steps back in 2014, but it wasnt until 2016 that Yahoo went public with the details after a stolen database went on sale on the black market. 9. Adult Friend Finder Date: October 2016 Impact: 412.2 million accounts The adult-oriented social networking service The FriendFinder Network had 20 years worth of user data across six databases stolen by cyber-thieves in October 2016. Given the sensitive nature of the services offered by the company which include casual hookup and adult content websites like Adult Friend Finder, Penthouse.com, and Stripshow.com the breach of data from more than 414 million accounts including names, email addresses, and passwords had the potential to be particularly damning for victims. Whats more, the vast majority of the exposed passwords were hashed via the notoriously weak algorithm SHA-1, with an estimated 99% of them cracked by the time LeakedSource.com published its analysis of the data set on November 14, 2016. 10. MySpace Date: 2013 Impact: 360 million user accounts Though it had long stopped being the powerhouse that it once was, social media site MySpace hit the headlines in 2016 after 360 million user accounts were leaked onto both LeakedSource.com and put up for sale on dark web market The Real Deal with an asking price of 6 bitcoin (around $3,000 at the time). According to the company, lost data included email addresses, passwords and usernames for a portion of accounts that were created prior to June 11, 2013, on the old Myspace platform. In order to protect our users, we have invalidated all user passwords for the affected accounts created prior to June 11, 2013, on the old Myspace platform. These users returning to Myspace will be prompted to authenticate their account and to reset their password by following instructions. Its believed that the passwords were stored as SHA-1 hashes of the first 10 characters of the password converted to lowercase. 11. NetEase Date: October 2015 Impact: 235 million user accounts NetEase, a provider of mailbox services through the likes of 163.com and 126.com, reportedly suffered a breach in October 2015 when email addresses and plaintext passwords relating to 235 million accounts were being sold by dark web marketplace vendor DoubleFlag. NetEase has maintained that no data breach occurred and to this day HIBP states: Whilst there is evidence that the data itself is legitimate (multiple HIBP subscribers confirmed a password they use is in the data), due to the difficulty of emphatically verifying the Chinese breach it has been flagged as unverified. 12. Court Ventures (Experian) Date: October 2013 Impact: 200 million personal records Experian subsidiary Court Ventures fell victim in 2013 when a Vietnamese man tricked it into giving him access to a database containing 200 million personal records by posing as a private investigator from Singapore. The details of Hieu Minh Ngos exploits only came to light following his arrest for selling personal information of US residents (including credit card numbers and Social Security numbers) to cybercriminals across the world, something he had been doing since 2007. In March 2014, he pleaded guilty to multiple charges including identity fraud in the US District Court for the District of New Hampshire. The DoJ stated at the time that Ngo had made a total of $2 million from selling personal data. 13. LinkedIn Date: June 2012 Impact: 165 million users With its second appearance on this list is LinkedIn, this time in reference to a breach it suffered in 2012 when it announced that 6.5 million unassociated passwords (unsalted SHA-1 hashes) had been stolen by attackers and posted onto a Russian hacker forum. However, it wasnt until 2016 that the full extent of the incident was revealed. The same hacker selling MySpaces data was found to be offering the email addresses and passwords of around 165 million LinkedIn users for just 5 bitcoins (around $2,000 at the time). LinkedIn acknowledged that it had been made aware of the breach, and said it had reset the passwords of affected accounts. 14. Dubsmash Date: December 2018 Impact: 162 million user accounts In December 2018, New York-based video messaging service Dubsmash had 162 million email addresses, usernames, PBKDF2 password hashes, and other personal data such as dates of birth stolen, all of which was then put up for sale on the Dream Market dark web market the following December. The information was being sold as part of a collected dump also including the likes of MyFitnessPal (more on that below), MyHeritage (92 million), ShareThis, Armor Games, and dating app CoffeeMeetsBagel. Dubsmash acknowledged the breach and sale of information had occurred and provided advice around password changing. However, it failed to state how the attackers got in or confirm how many users were affected. 15. Adobe Date: October 2013 Impact: 153 million user records In early October 2013, Adobe reported that hackers had stolen almost three million encrypted customer credit card records and login data for an undetermined number of user accounts. Days later, Adobe increased that estimate to include IDs and encrypted passwords for 38 million active users. Security blogger Brian Krebs then reported that a file posted just days earlier appears to include more than 150 million username and hashed password pairs taken from Adobe. Weeks of research showed that the hack had also exposed customer names, password, and debit and credit card information. An agreement in August 2015 called for Adobe to pay $1.1 million in legal fees and an undisclosed amount to users to settle claims of violating the Customer Records Act and unfair business practices. In November 2016, the amount paid to customers was reported to be $1 million. Payment cards make purchasing convenient not only for consumers and businesses, but for fraudsters, too. Global fraud losses from payment cards in 2018 reached $27.85 billion, according to the latest numbers from The Nilson Report, a card and mobile payments trade publication. As large as those losses are, they only amount to $10.83 for every $100 of spending by credit card users, which is actually lower than the previous year, $11.12 per $100. That may be why credit card issuers believe they have fraud under control. "What worries most credit card sponsors more than fraud is unfairly blocking a consumers legitimate transaction," says Roger Grimes, a defense evangelist at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider. "Most of the evolving and newer systems arent trying to detect credit card fraud better. What they are trying to do better is prevent losing customers from blocking legitimate transactions. So, shockingly, most of the activity is in preventing 'false-positives' and not in actually decreasing real fraud." Fraud has a limited immediate impact on consumers and businesses. If a number is compromised and a thief goes on a spending spree, liability is limited to $50. Consumers and businesses might see fraud costs down the road in the form of increased prices for goods and services as merchants and credit card issuers pass on the cost of losses. "Ultimately, some amount of fraud will always exist for as long as we continue to use credit cards," observes Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com, an information website for consumer security products. "A large part of the interest payments we all make on credit cards goes toward compensating for fraud. Credit card fraud scope and trends Card issuers have boosted the security of their physical cards through the use of EMV PIN and chip technology. "EMV was a big leap forward," says Greg Hancell, senior manager at OneSpan, a provider of anti-fraud and digital transaction management solutions. "In countries that adopted the technology, card-present fraud disappeared overnight. The problem was it went online, and card-not-present fraud increased." A study released by the Federal Reserve in 2018 noted that a year after EMV cards began to be issued in the United States, card-present fraudfraud where a physical credit card was used for the fraudulent transactiondropped to $2.91 billion in 2016 from $3.68 billion in 2015. Meanwhile, during the same period, card-not-present fraudfraud where a credit card number is used over the phone or in an online transactionjumped to $4.57 billion from $3.4 billion. Online fraud has continued to grow until now card-not-present fraud is 81% more likely to occur than card-present fraud, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. However, the adoption of EMV technology hasn't been consistent globally, which has opened the door for some global bandits. Organized crime groups can plant radio-enabled skimmersa hardware device for capturing credit card information without a user's knowledgein ATMs or point-of-sale terminals in a country supporting EMV and send data from those skimmers to accomplices in a country without EMV support. "They can take that information and print a card in under a minute. Then they will use that card without worrying about EMV," Hancell said. He adds that card-not-present attacks might become broader threats because they can be scaled up with automation. "With a skimmer on a single machine, you run the risk of only a few people visiting the machine, or the skimmer being quickly discovered," Hancell explains. "In the card-not-present world, you can send out a phishing attack to a target range of victims that will encourage them to provide you with credit card details or will infect them with malware and steal their details that way." Uri Arad, co-founder and vice president of product at Identiq, operator of a peer-to-peer user identification network, added that professional fraudsters often prefer to work at scale. "They want to maximize their ROI and may well use botnets to attack as many sites as quickly as possible, as well as programs to automatically rifle through new identities and matching IPs quickly and easily for each new attack," he says. As fraud detection systems get more sophisticated, online swindlers are going to greater lengths to obscure their activity. "They will try to mask their IPs using proxies of various kinds," Arad says. "More sophisticated fraudsters will even aim for IPs in close proximity to the billing address of the stolen card they plan to use," Arad continues. "Similarly, they may use emulators to appear to be coming from a mobile device, change the time on their computer to match the relevant time zone, or use virtual machines or wiped or jailbroken devices to appear to come from a clean machine." Credit card fraud has become such a large enterprise and is so sophisticated that it has begun to take on the characteristics of legitimate businesses. For example, clear divisions in labor have developed. "What we have seen via many of the recent data-breaches for the last few years is a large, organized and coordinated series of hand-offs between malware creators to those who breach the payment systems to those that package and sell the breached credit card information," says Bryan Jardine, director of product management at AppGate, a developer and provider of security and analytics products and services. Jardine adds that digital wallets have also been targeted by credit card thieves. "Stolen credit card information sold on the black markets is used to load balances into these non-deposit accounts," he explains. "Then the balances are transferred to another individual in peer-to-peer payments, who buys gift cards or pre-paid cards that cannot be tied to an individual when used. These payment style cards can then be used with complete anonymity online." The Russian-speaking underground was a leader in credit card theft in the early 2000s and continues to be in the forefront of fraud, building a cybercrime-as-a-service model. "They have created end-to-end services for experienced to novice cybercriminals that has expedited the evolution of exploitation techniques," says Ed Cabrera, chief cybersecurity officer at Trend Micro, a maker of enterprise cybersecurity solutions. Purchasing habits of fraudsters have changed over the years, too. They're shying away from physical goods, which can be difficult to convert into cash and easy to track by law enforcement. "Usually they purchase intangible things that are more difficult to trace, such as gift cards, crypto currencies, and digital goods. They might also try to reap the rewards from a card's points program," Comparitech's Bischoff says. Credit card thieves, though, may be victims of their own success. "Evidence suggests that there is an oversupply of stolen credit cards and not enough demand from criminals who want to use them," Bischoff says. "This has driven the price of stolen credit cards on the dark web down to just a few dollars each. Types of payment card fraud Account takeover If a malicious actor obtains credentials to an account, they can purchase items through any payment cards tied to that account. They can also check out the profile of the account holder, copy any credit information stored there, and use it to buy stuff outside the account. For example, if someone compromises an Amazon account, they can buy goods with any form of payment associated with the account and add an address where the items should be shipped. Credentials used to compromise accounts can be obtained in several ways: purchased on the dark web or captured by deception. "A person gets an email or text alert that somethings wrong with their account. They follow a link and are sent to a fake site to log in their credentials, which the attackers then use to own account," says Deb Radcliff, an evangelist at Bolster Security, a maker of an online fraud prevention solution. Skimmers and shimmers Skimmers capture payment card information on a card's magnetic strip. Shimmers snatch data from EMV cards. These are usually hardware devices placed on ATM or point-of-purchase terminals designed to steal information used to complete a legitimate transaction. Since planting hardware can be labor intensive, fraudsters often take the malware route and infect point of sale (POS) systems that way. Formjacking This has become a popular form of online fraud largely due to Magecart, which consists of at least seven criminal groups that have infected shopping carts at thousands of e-commerce sites with skimming malware. Among the gang's high visibility targets have been Ticketmaster, British Airways, and Newegg. "Formjacking is one of the most used techniques," says Mounir Hahad, head of the threat lab for Juniper Networks, a network security and performance company. "A malicious script is injected into the payment page of a compromised merchant's site, siphons off credit card information entered by unsuspecting shoppers, and sends it to the attackers." Exploiting vulnerabilities Flaws in software can be exploited to steal all kinds of information from devices, including credit card data. For example, Magecart attacks exploit a bug in MAGMI, a plug-in for Magneto-based online stores, to plant malicious code at a site that leads to the theft of payment information. Phishing It seems that no matter how often users are warned about clicking on links in emails, they continue to do so. Clicking on such links usually leads to a malicious website that tries to pry credit card data from a visitor or plant malware on their computer. "Malware can range from a simple keylogger that steals all text to a more complex style that specifically looks and parses out credit card and related data," says Melody J. Kaufman, a cybersecurity specialist with Saviynt, an application and infrastructure security provider. Insider threats Unscrupulous employees at financial institutions, credit card manufacturers, restaurants, retailers or just about anyone who handles credit cards can engage in fraud. Anti-fraud regulations Organizations that handle credit cards from the major providers must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Merchants, ISVs and anyone who stores, processes, transmits or otherwise manipulates cardholder data, as well as service providers who can affect the security of cardholder data must meet the requirements of PCI DSS, including: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters. Protect stored cardholder data. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks. Use and regularly update anti-virus software or programs. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access. Restrict physical access to cardholder data. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data. Regularly test security systems and processes. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel. "The PCI has done a lot to help organizations secure their own credit card transactions and storage of card data through mandated controls, penetration tests and yearly audits," Saviynt's Kaufman says. "While this does not limit fraudulent transactions," she continued, "it does make it harder to compromise a card processor and walk away with thousands of cards, which does limit the potential for fraud." Industry groups have begun to explore deeper forms of collaboration to address their fraud problems. "Many of these projects have been stymied by the problem of data sharing, but new providerless options have started to emerge to enable collaboration on a data level without actually sharing any personal user data at all," Identiq's Arad says. "The more closely companies and industry organizations can work together, the more effectively they can combat fraudsters, so it will be very interesting to see how this develops." Mitigating credit card fraud These are some of the recognized best practices for preventing payment card fraud: Women head up information security at a multitude of organizations globally. They are role models for young girls learning about cybersecurity for the first time and for high-schoolers contemplating an education and career in the field. Roughly 11% of the cybersecurity workforce are women, compared to 25% in technology and 50% of professional occupations overall. And according to the latest Cybersecurity Jobs Report, the worldwide deficit of qualified cybersecurity professionals will reach 3.5 million by 2021. To encourage girls' interest in cybersecurity and hopefully reduce that deficit, Palo Alto Networks and Girl Scouts of the USA recently announced a collaboration with the introduction of 18 new cybersecurity badges for Girls Scouts of all ages. The 1.8 million Girl Scouts in the U.S. may be the largest talent pool of future women in cyber. As girls show interest in cybersecurity, parents and educators can point to women leaders in security to help them imagine themselves as cybersecurity professionals. 10 women security leaders to watch Cybersecurity Ventures is on a research project compiling a list of women information security officers globally. These 10 women are on the list: Meredith Harper, Chief Information Privacy & Security Officer, Henry Ford Health System Meredith Harper leads the privacy and security program for Henry Ford Health System, a not-for-profit corporation composed of hospitals, medical centers and one of the nation's largest group practices, which includes more than 1,200 physicians practicing in over 40 specialties. She's been with Henry Ford for more than 14 years and has served as a board member or volunteer for numerous medical and tech industry associations. Chandra McMahon, SVP & CISO, Verizon Chandra McMahon oversees information security for Verizon, one of the largest communication technology companies in the world with more than $126 billion in annual revenues, and 163,000-plus employees worldwide. She spent 10 years in senior roles at Lockheed Martin, including nearly three years as their chief information security officer. Ann Delenela, VP & CISO, Ameren Ann Delenela is the new chief information security officer at Ameren. A Fortune 500 corporation employing more than 8,500 personnel, Ameren powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers across a 64,000-square-mile area. She was previously the CSO at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the flow of electric power to 24 million Texas customers representing about 90% of the states electric load. Holly Ridgeway, EVP, CSO, Citizens Financial Group Inc. Holly Ridgeway oversees security at 150-year-old Citizens Financial Group Inc., which became a fully independent publicly traded company in 2015, just over a year after the successful completion of the largest commercial bank initial public offering (IPO) in U.S. history. She was previously CISO for PNC Bank and CISO for the U.S. Department of Justice. Myrna Soto, SVP, Global CISO, Comcast Myrna Soto is senior vice president global chief information security officer (GCISO) of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. She's been with Comcast for more than eight years. Previously, Soto was a CISO for MGM Mirage. Jenna McAuley, VP, Information Security and Information Technology Oversight & CISO, US Banks, American Express Earlier this year, Jenna McAuley became chief information security officer for US Banks at American Express, the world's largest credit card issuer by purchase volume. She was previously CISO for Mercer, the world's largest human resources consulting firm, and before that, she was a security specialist at two of the Big 4 firms EY and Accenture. Jill Knesek, VP Information Security & CISO, Mattel, Inc. Jill Knesek is responsible for enterprise-wide information security at Mattel Inc., a global learning, development and play company with a global workforce of approximately 32,000 people operating in 40 countries and territories. Shes been CSO and head of the Global Security Practice for BT Global Services a leading global business communications provider with more than 17,000 people worldwide and CSO for BT Americas. Kim Keever, SVP & CISO, Cox Communications Kim Keever oversees information security for Cox Communications, the largest private telecom company in the U.S., with $11 billion in annual revenue. She was previously CISO at the Coca-Cola Refreshments and Bottling Investments Group of The Coca-Cola Company and director of security at Coca-Cola Enterprises. Before that, she was CIO at Invesco Retirement Plan Services. Jana Monroe, Vice President Global Security and Enterprise Risk Management, Herbalife Jana Monroe heads up security for Herbalife International, a global nutrition company with approximately 8,000 employees in 91 countries and revenues of approximately $7.8 billion. She's held senior-level security positions with Southern California Electric Utility, KPMG and the FBI Cyber Division. Marene Allison, Worldwide VP of Information Security, Johnson and Johnson Marene Allison is in charge of information security globally at Johnson and Johnson, an American multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturing company with over 125,000 employees in 60 countries. Her prior positions include vice president of global security at Medco, director of security at Avaya, vice president of security and safety at Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, and a special agent for the FBI. Allison was also a Military Academy Liaison Officer (MALO) for the U.S. Army from 1990 to 2010. This small list barely scratches the surface of the top women in cyber but it's enough to get parents, educators and young girls thinking cyber. While the victims of Hurricane Harvey are just beginning the struggle to get back on their feet, a new wave of devastation is again headed our way, this time in the form of Hurricane Irma. Credit unions in the path of Hurricane Irma are being advised to take precautions as the storm bears down on the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. mainland, the NCUA advised. While strong and sometimes violent storms are not unfamiliar to our southern most residents, a storm of this magnitude will no doubt leave another wake of destruction to contend with, and the recovery from this disaster will be another pull on many resources. This is the very reason we spend so much time talking and formulating the crucial disaster recovery plan for credit unions. On a positive note, Credit Unions in Houston are slowly coming back to life. However, the road to recovery will likely be a long one. The National Credit Union Foundation reported there are approximately 600 credit union branches and roughly 6,000 employees and volunteers that have been affected by the storm. Some individual credit unions are doing what they can with their personal resources to assist their staff. For example, in a real display of the Credit Union Difference, some CUs in Texas are providing child care and hot lunches while their employees work through the arduous task of rebuilding and recovering. Reports of credit unions setting up employee assistance funds and giving extra weeks of PTO are signs of CUs supporting their employees as they help each other remove carpet and furniture, find new housing and clean up after the storm. The credit union community as a whole has donated over $500,000 to The National Credit Union Fund to provide general aid to those in need. Under Armour, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the developing, marketing, and distributing performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth. The company offers its apparel in compression, fitted, and loose fit types. It also provides footwear products for running, training, basketball, cleated sports, recovery, and outdoor applications. In addition, the company offers accessories, which include gloves, bags, headwear, and sports masks; and digital subscription and advertising services under the MapMyRun and MapMyRide platforms. It primarily offers its products under the UNDER ARMOUR, UA, HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR, HOVR, PROTECT THIS HOUSE, I WILL, UA Logo, ARMOUR FLEECE, and ARMOUR BRA brands. The company sells its products through wholesale channels, including national and regional sporting goods chains, independent and specialty retailers, department store chains, mono-branded Under Armour retail stores, institutional athletic departments, and leagues and teams, as well as independent distributors; and directly to consumers through a network of 422 brand and factory house stores, as well as through e-commerce websites. It operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Under Armour, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide. The company offers firewall appliances and software; Panorama, a security management solution for the control of firewall appliances and software deployed on a customer's network, as well as their instances in public or private cloud environments, as a virtual or a physical appliance; and virtual system upgrades, which are available as extensions to the virtual system capacity that ships with physical appliances. It also provides subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, malware and persistent threat, URL filtering, laptop and mobile device protection, and firewall; and DNS security, Internet of Things security, SaaS security API, and SaaS security inline, as well as threat intelligence, and data loss prevention. In addition, the company offers cloud security, secure access, security operations, and threat intelligence and cyber security consulting; professional services, including architecture design and planning, implementation, configuration, and firewall migration; education services, such as certifications, as well as online and in-classroom training; and support services. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. sells its products and services through its channel partners, as well as directly to medium to large enterprises, service providers, and government entities operating in various industries, including education, energy, financial services, government entities, healthcare, Internet and media, manufacturing, public sector, and telecommunications. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 438,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 100,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,485 megawatts (MW), including 53 MW of solar capacity and 252 MV of wind capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,065,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 577,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 68,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 272,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 32,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 16,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 90,200 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 50,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada. The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Premier Plan MMAI Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Better Health of Indiana Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Tennessee Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Ex Pat LLC, Aetna International LLC, Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L., CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc. Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Applications LLC, CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund GP LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund LP, CVS Health Ventures Management LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Management Support LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS Pharmacy Overseas Online LLC, CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc. Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Austin LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Los Angeles LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Philadelphia LLC, CVS-SHC Renal Holdings LLC, Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc. CVS Pharmacy Inc. 75%/Aetna Life Insurance Company 25%, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., Credentials Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California LLC, Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., First Choice of the Midwest LLC, First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Main Street Pharmacy L.L.C., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arkansas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Colorado LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services of Texas Association, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky LLC, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services LLC, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare LLC, Omnicare LLC Aetna Inc 0.28%/CVS Cabot Holdings Inc. 49.86%/CVS Shaw Holdings Inc. 49.86%, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare LLC, Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC. Read More Pentair plc provides various water solutions worldwide. It operates through Consumer Solutions; and Industrial & Flow Technologies segments. The Consumer Solutions segment designs, manufactures, and sells residential and commercial pool equipment and accessories, including pumps, filters, heaters, lights, automatic controls, automatic cleaners, maintenance equipment, and pool accessories for residential and commercial pool maintenance, repair, renovation, service, and construction applications; and water treatment products and systems comprising pressure tanks, control valves, activated carbon products, conventional filtration products, and point-of-entry and point-of-use systems for the use in residential whole home water filtration, drinking water filtration, and water softening solutions, as well as in commercial total water management and filtration in foodservice operations. It offers its products under the Everpure, Ken's Beverage, Kreepy Krauly, Pentair Water Solutions, Pleatco, RainSoft, and Sta-Rite brands. The Industrial & Flow Technologies segment manufactures and sells fluid treatment products, such as advanced membrane filtration products, separation systems, and membrane bioreactors; water supply and disposal, solid handling, fluid transfer, and turbine pumps; and valves, spray nozzles, process filtration systems, and gas recovery solutions for food and beverage, fluid separation technologies, water and wastewater treatment, water wells, pressure boosting, fire suppression, flood control, agricultural irrigation, crop spray, fluid circulation and transfer, fluid delivery, ion exchange, desalination, residential and municipal wells, and wastewater solids handling applications. It offers its products under the Pentair, Aurora, Berkeley, Codeline, Fairbanks-Nijhuis, Haffmans, Hydromatic, Hypro, Jung Pumpen, Myers, Sta-Rite, Shurflo, Sudmo, and X-Flow brands. Pentair plc was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. 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. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC. Read More 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. National Fuel Gas Company operates as a diversified energy company. It operates through four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States. As of September 30, 2021, it had proved developed and undeveloped reserves of 21,537 thousand barrels of oil and 3,723,433 million cubic feet of natural gas. The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation and storage services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York; and owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields. This segment also transports natural gas for National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, as well as for other utilities, industrial companies, and power producers in New York State; and owns and operates the Empire Pipeline. The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region, as well as provides gathering services to Seneca Resources Company, LLC. The Utility segment sells natural gas or provides natural gas transportation services to approximately 753,000 customers in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Jamestown, New York; and Erie and Sharon, Pennsylvania. The company markets gas to industrial, wholesale, commercial, public authority, and residential customers primarily in western and central New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania. As of September 30, 2021, the company also owned approximately 95,000 acres of timber property; and managed approximately 2,500 additional acres of timber cutting rights. National Fuel Gas Company was incorporated in 1902 and is headquartered in Williamsville, New York. The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Better Financial Services GmbH, Better Payment Germany GmbH, Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., Chapel Funding, China Recovery Fund LLC, Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. Bhd., DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad, DB Alex. Brown Holdings Incorporated, DB Aotearoa Investments Limited, DB Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH, DB Boracay LLC, DB Capital Markets (Deutschland) GmbH, DB Cartera de lnmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Chestnut Holdings Limited, DB Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., DB Delaware Holdings (Europe) Limited, DB Direkt GmbH, DB Elara LLC, DB Energy Trading LLC, DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equity Limited, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology SRL, DB Group Services (UK) Limited, DB HR Solutions GmbH, DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB IROC Leasing Corp., DB Impact Investment Fund I. LP., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Limited, DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Jersey) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios lnteractivos Agrupacicm de lnteres Econemico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB Print GmbH, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services (Jersey) Limited, DB Services Americas. Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB US Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a. r.l., DB Value S.a.r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita SA., DB lmmobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG i.L., DB lo LP, DBAH Capital. LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management 18 Ltd., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a. r.l., DBX Advisers LLC, DEBEKO lmmobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK AS., DI Deutsche lmmobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Shanghai Private Equity Fund Management Limited, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anenima lnstitucien Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico. S.A., Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank Polska Spelka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Societe per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche Bank. Sociedad Anenima Espanola, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur lmmobilien-Leasing mit beschrenkter Haftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.El r.l., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche India Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a. r.|., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities SA. de C.V.. Casla de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Services (Cl) Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. SA., Deutsche lmmobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsches lnstitut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.l., Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, European Value Added I (Alternate GP.) LLP, Fiduciaria Sant Andrea S.r.l., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., German American Capital Corporation, Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer LandstraBe GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Miesbaden LuisenstraBe/Kirchgasse GbR, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF l Manager S.a.r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul lnkasso GmbH, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo lll Initial GP Limited, MEF I Manager. S. a r.|., MIT Holdings Inc., Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgagelT Inc., MortgagelT Securities Corp., OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentIe", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, PADUS Grundstcks-VermietungsgeseIlschaft mbH, PB Factoring GmbH, PB Spezial-lnvestmentaktiengesellschatt mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Plantation Bay. Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank lmmobilien GmbH, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, RREEF, RREEF America LLC., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisers Private Limited, RREEF Management LLC., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables. LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermielungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sharps SP l LLC, Stelvio lmmobiliare S.r.l., Suddeutsche Vermeigensvewvaitung Gesellschaft mit beschrenkter Haftung, TELO Beleiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Umited, VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., lmmobilienfonds BuroCenter Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, lmmobilienfonds Wohn- und Gescheftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, and norisbank GmbH. Read More Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. It also offers range of home decor products, such as mirrors, clocks, ornaments, pictures and frames, candle and home fragrance, flower and plants, vases, kid accessories, cushions, bean bags, and letterbox flowers, as well as housewarming, engagement, anniversary, and wedding gifts; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, table and desk lamps, floor lamps, and pendants and lamp shades; and paint, wallpaper, DIY and upcycling, and haberdashery products. In addition, the company provides kitchen and utility products comprising cooking, dining, electrical, utility, and pet products; towel and bathmats, and bathroom accessories, as well as furniture and decor products; storage products, such as travel and luggage, home, clothes, and kitchen storage; kids bedroom, nursery, and accessories products; outdoor products, which include garden furniture and decoration, and entreating and dining products; and trends christmas products and winter essentials. It operates through a network of 177 stores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Syston, the United Kingdom. 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. Greenhill & Co., Inc., an independent investment bank, provides financial and strategic advisory services to corporations, partnerships, institutional investors, and governments worldwide. The company offers advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, private capital raising, and other similar transactions. It also advises clients on strategic matters, including activist shareholder defense, special committee projects, licensing deals, and joint ventures; and valuation, negotiation tactics, industry dynamics, structuring alternatives, and timing and pricing of transactions, as well as financing alternatives. In addition, the company provides restructuring advisory services to debtors, creditors, governments, and other stakeholders, and acquirers of distressed companies and assets; and advice on restructuring alternatives, capital structures, and sales or recapitalizations. Further, it assists clients in identifying and capitalizing on incremental sources of value; and on court-assisted reorganizations by developing and seeking approval for plans of reorganization, as well as the implementation of such plans. Additionally, the company advises on private placements of debt and structured equity, refinancing of existing debt facilities, negotiating the modification, and amendment of covenants, as well as acts as an independent advisor. It also offers financial advisory services to pension funds, endowments, and other institutional investors on transactions involving alternative assets; and advice to alternative asset fund sponsors for private capital raising, financing, restructuring, liquidity options, valuation, and related services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Workday, Inc. provides enterprise cloud applications in the United States and internationally. The company's applications help its customers to plan, execute, analyze, and extend to other applications and environments, and to manage their business and operations. It offers a suite of financial management applications, which enable chief financial officers to maintain accounting information in the general ledger; manage financial processes; identify real-time financial, operational, and management insights; enhance financial consolidation; reduce time-to-close; promote internal control and auditability; and achieve consistency across finance operations. The company also provides cloud spend management solutions that helps organizations to streamline supplier selection and contracts, manage indirect spend, and build and execute sourcing events, such as requests for proposals; Human Capital Management (HCM) solution, a suite of human capital management applications that allows organizations to manage the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement, and enables HR teams to hire, onboard, pay, develop, reskill, and provide employee experiences; Workday applications for planning; and applications for analytics and reporting, including augmented analytics to surface insights to the line of business in simple-to-understand stories, machine learning to drive efficiency and automation, and benchmarks to compare performance against other companies. It serves professional and business services, financial services, healthcare, education, government, technology, media, retail, and hospitality industries. The company was formerly known as North Tahoe Power Tools, Inc. and changed its name to Workday, Inc. in July 2005. Workday, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. provides digital payment solutions for businesses to control purchases and make payments. It offers corporate payments solutions, such as accounts payable automation; Virtual Card, which provides a single-use card number for a specific amount usable within a defined timeframe; Cross-Border that is used by its customers to pay international vendors, foreign office and personnel expenses, capital expenditures, and profit repatriation and dividends; and purchasing cards and travel and entertainment cards for its customers to analyze and manage their corporate spending. The company also provides employee expense management solutions, including fuel solutions to businesses and government entities that operate vehicle fleets, as well as to oil and leasing companies, and fuel marketers; lodging solutions to businesses that have employees who travel overnight for work purposes, as well as to airlines and cruise lines to accommodate traveling crews and stranded passengers; and electronic toll payments solutions to businesses and consumers in the form of radio frequency identification tags affixed to vehicles' windshields. In addition, it offers gift card program management and processing services in plastic and digital forms that include card design, production and packaging, delivery and fulfillment, card and account management, transaction processing, promotion development and management, website design and hosting, program analytics, and card distribution channel management. Further, it provides other products consisting of payroll cards, vehicle maintenance service solution, long-haul transportation solution, prepaid food vouchers or cards, and prepaid transportation cards and vouchers. The company serves business, merchant, consumer, and payment network customers in North America, Brazil, and Internationally. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The following companies are subsidiares of Nokia Oyj: AO Nokia Solutions and Networks, ATG Germany GmbH, Aircom International, Alcatel - Lucent, Alcatel Centroamerica S.A., Alcatel IP Networks Limited, Alcatel Lucent, Alcatel Lucent Middle East North Africa DMCC, Alcatel Lucent Teletas Telekomunikasyon A.S., Alcatel SEL Unterstutzungs GmbH, Alcatel Submarine Networks, Alcatel Submarine Networks Brazil Ltda., Alcatel Submarine Networks Denmark ApS, Alcatel Submarine Networks Hong Kong Limited, Alcatel Submarine Networks Marine, Alcatel Submarine Networks Norway AS, Alcatel Submarine Networks UK Ltd, Alcatel Submarine Networks USA Inc., Alcatel de Venezuela C.A., Alcatel-Lucent Angola Limitada, Alcatel-Lucent Benin SA, Alcatel-Lucent Centro Caribbean Holding Limited, Alcatel-Lucent East Africa Limited, Alcatel-Lucent India Limited, Alcatel-Lucent International, Alcatel-Lucent International Holdings Inc., Alcatel-Lucent Managed Solutions India Private Limited, Alcatel-Lucent Nigeria Limited, Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan Limited, Alcatel-Lucent Participations, Alcatel-Lucent Participations Chine, Alcatel-Lucent Portugal S.A., Alcatel-Lucent RT International B.V., Alcatel-Lucent Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., Alcatel-Lucent Services International B.V., Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell Information Products Co. Ltd., Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (Cabo Verde) Lda, Alcatel-Lucent Trade International AG, Alcatel-Lucent UK Limited, Alcatel-Lucent Ukraine SC, Alcatel-Lucent Vietnam Limited, Amber Networks Inc., Antelec, Apertio Ltd., Avvenu, Bell Laboratories Inc., C-Dot Alcatel-Lucent Research Centre Private Limited, Camilec, Comptel, Comptel Communications EOOD, Comptel Communications Holdings Limited, Comptel Communications India Private Limited, Comptel Communications Limited, Comptel Communications Oy, Comptel Communications Sdn Bhd, Comptel Oy, Comptel Palvelut Philippines Inc., DeepField, Diamond Lane Communications, Digiskin UK, DiscoveryCom Inc., Dopplr, ETA Devices Inc., Eizel Technologies, Elenion Technologies, Elenion Technologies LLC, Enpocket, Epistrophe Limited, Europe*Star Limited, Evolium, F5 Networks Inc., Hunan Huanuo Technology Co. Ltd., IRIS Service Delivery UK Ltd, IRIS Telecommunication Austria GmbH, IRIS Telecommunication France, IRIS Telecommunication GmbH, IRIS Telecommunication Poland sp. z o.o., IRIS Telekomunikasyon Muhendislik Hizmetleri A.S., InTalk Corporation, Intellisync Corporation, Intellisync LLC, Ipsilon Networks Inc., LCC International's U.S., LLC "Nokia Solutions and Networks Ukraine", Loudeye Corp., Lucent Technologies GRL LLC, Lucent Technologies Investment Co. Ltd., Lucent Technologies Nanjing Telecommunications Co. Ltd., Lucent Technologies Networks (Thailand) Limited, Lucent Technologies Nicaragua S.A., Lucent Technologies Philippines Inc., Lucent Technologies Qingdao Telecommunications Enterprises Co. Ltd., Lucent Technologies Qingdao Telecommunications Systems Ltd., MRAC Inc., Matra Nortel Communications, Mesaplexx Limited, MetaCarta Inc., Metrowerks Corporation, Mformation Software Technologies India Pvt Ltd, Motally, NE-Products Oy, NGI Industrial (NGI), Nakina Systems, Nassau Metals Corporation, Navteq, Network Alchemy Inc., Nokatus Insurance Company Designated Activity Company (DAC), Nokia (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Nokia (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Nokia Apps Distribution LLC, Nokia Arabia Limited 100.0, Nokia Asset Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Nokia Bell NV, Nokia Canada Inc., Nokia Costa Rica S.A., Nokia Denmark A/S, Nokia Display Technics GmbH i.L., Nokia Dominican Republic S.A.S., Nokia Egypt S.A.E., Nokia El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Nokia Electronics Bochum GmbH i.L., Nokia Federal Solutions LLC, Nokia Hong Kong Limited, Nokia India Private Limited, Nokia Innovations Japan G.K., Nokia Innovations Oy, Nokia Innovations US LLC, Nokia Investment Management Corporation, Nokia Investments Oy, Nokia Ireland Limited, Nokia Jamaica Limited, Nokia Kunststofftechnik GmbH i.L., Nokia Networks (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Nokia Networks S.R.L., Nokia New Zealand Limited, Nokia Operations de Guatemala S.A., Nokia Operations de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Nokia Paraguay S.A., Nokia Puerto Rico Inc., Nokia Services Pty Limited, Nokia Services and Networks Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Nokia Shanghai Bell (Hong Kong) Limited, Nokia Shanghai Bell Co. Ltd., Nokia Shanghai Bell Lao Sole Co. Ltd., Nokia Shanghai Bell Philippines Inc., Nokia Shanghai Bell Software Co. Ltd., Nokia Siemens Networks Afghanistan LLC, Nokia Siemens Networks Algerie SARL, Nokia Slovakia A.S., Nokia Solutions Networks Iletisim A.S., Nokia Solutions and Networks (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks (Suzhou) Supply Chain Service Co. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks AB, Nokia Solutions and Networks Argentina S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Asset Management Oy, Nokia Solutions and Networks Australia Pty Ltd, Nokia Solutions and Networks B.V., Nokia Solutions and Networks Baku LLC, Nokia Solutions and Networks Bangladesh Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks Bolivia S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Branch Operations Oy, Nokia Solutions and Networks CCC, Nokia Solutions and Networks CJSC, Nokia Solutions and Networks Chile Ltda., Nokia Solutions and Networks Colombia Ltda., Nokia Solutions and Networks Czech Republic s.r.o., Nokia Solutions and Networks EOOD, Nokia Solutions and Networks Ecuador S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Ethernet Services Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG, Nokia Solutions and Networks Hellas Single Member S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Holding Osterreich GmbH, Nokia Solutions and Networks Honduras S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks India Private Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks International Holding GmbH, Nokia Solutions and Networks Investment (China) Co. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Israel Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Italia S.p.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Japan G.K., Nokia Solutions and Networks Kazakhstan LLP, Nokia Solutions and Networks Kft., Nokia Solutions and Networks Korea Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Kuwait Company W.L.L, Nokia Solutions and Networks LLC, Nokia Solutions and Networks Lanka (Private) Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks MEA FZ-LLC, Nokia Solutions and Networks Management GmbH, Nokia Solutions and Networks Morocco SARL, Nokia Solutions and Networks Myanmar Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks Nederland B.V., Nokia Solutions and Networks Nicaragua S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Nigeria Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Norge AS, Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy, Nokia Solutions and Networks OU, Nokia Solutions and Networks Pakistan (Private) Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks Peru S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks Philippines Inc., Nokia Solutions and Networks Portugal S.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks S.R.L., Nokia Solutions and Networks S.p.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks SIA, Nokia Solutions and Networks Schweiz AG, Nokia Solutions and Networks Serbia d.o.o. Beograd, Nokia Solutions and Networks Singapore Pte. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks South Africa Pty. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Sp. z.o.o, Nokia Solutions and Networks System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Taiwan Co. Ltd., Nokia Solutions and Networks Tanzania Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks Tashkent LLC, Nokia Solutions and Networks Technical Services Vietnam Company Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks TraffiCOM Kft., Nokia Solutions and Networks Tunisia SA, Nokia Solutions and Networks UK Limited, Nokia Solutions and Networks Venezuela C.A., Nokia Solutions and Networks d.o.o., Nokia Solutions and Networks d.o.o. Banja Luka, Nokia Solutions and Networks d.o.o. Sarajevo, Nokia Solutions and Networks do Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda., Nokia Solutions and Networks telekomunikacijske resitve d.o.o., Nokia Solutions and Networks Osterreich GmbH, Nokia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Nokia Spain S.A., Nokia Technologies (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Nokia Technologies (UK) Limited, Nokia Technologies Oy, Nokia Technology Center Philippines Inc., Nokia Technology GmbH, Nokia Teknologia Oy, Nokia Training Center Russian Federation, Nokia Transformation Engineering & Consulting Services Spain S.L.U., Nokia UK Limited, Nokia US Holdings Inc., Nokia Unterstutzungsgesellschaft GmbH, Nokia Uruguay S.A., Nokia West and Central Africa SA, Nokia of America Corporation, Novarra Inc., OOO Nokia Solutions and Networks, OOO RTK Network Technologies, OZ Communications, OZ Communications HK Limited, P.T. Lucent Technologies Network Systems Indonesia, PT Nokia Solutions and Networks Indonesia, Pishahang Communications Networks Development Company (Private Joint Stock), Plazes, Plum, R.F.S. (UK) Limited, RFS Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, RFS Holding GmbH, RFS India Telecom Private Limited, RFS Italia SRL, RFS Radio Frequency Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., RFS Radio Frequency Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Radio Frequency Systems (Africa) Pty Ltd, Radio Frequency Systems (S) Pte Ltd, Radio Frequency Systems France, Radio Frequency Systems GmbH, Radio Frequency Systems Inc., Radio Frequency Systems Pty Limited, Radio Frequency Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Ramp Networks Inc., Redback Networks Inc., Rooftop Communications Corporation, SAC AE Design Group Inc., SAC Wireless, SAC Wireless LLC, SAC Wireless of CA Inc., SRA Computer C.V., STC, Sega.com Inc., Smarterphone, Societe de Telecommunication Camerounaise Sotelcam, Space Time Insight, Symbian Limited, Symbian Ltd, Tahoe Networks, Taiwan International Standard Electronics Limited, Technophone Ltd, Telekol Group, Trolltech (Qt Development Frameworks), Twango, UAB Nokia Solutions and Networks, Unium, User Interface Design, Vertu Holdings Oy, Vienna Systems Corporation, Western Electric Company Incorporated, Western Electric International Incorporated, Withings, Zyzyx Inc., bit-side GmbH, cellity AG, earthmine, and gate5 AG. Read More Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company offers peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and additional dialysis therapies and services; intravenous therapies, infusion pumps, administration sets, and drug reconstitution devices; remixed and oncology drug platforms, inhaled anesthesia and critical care products and pharmacy compounding services; parenteral nutrition therapies and related products; biological products and medical devices used in surgical procedures for hemostasis, tissue sealing and adhesion prevention; and continuous renal replacement therapies and other organ support therapies focused in the intensive care unit. It also provides connected care solutions, including devices, software, communications, and integration technologies; integrated patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies to help diagnose, treat, and manage a various illness and diseases, including respiratory therapy, cardiology, vision screening, and physical assessment; surgical video technologies, tables, lights, pendants, precision positioning devices and other accessories. In addition, the company offers contracted services to various pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Its products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic molecules. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. 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. Voya Financial, Inc. operates as a retirement, investment, and employee benefits company in the United States. The company's Wealth Solutions segment offers tax-deferred employer-sponsored retirement savings plans and administrative services; and individual retirement accounts, and other retail financial products and services, as well as financial planning and advisory services. This segment serves corporate, education, healthcare, and other non-profit and government entities, as well as institutional and individual customers. Its Investment Management segment provides fixed income, equity, multi-asset, and alternative products and solutions to individual investors and institutional clients through its direct sales force, consultant channel, banks, broker-dealers, and independent financial advisers. The company's Health Solutions segment offers stop loss, group life, voluntary employee-paid, and disability products through consultants, brokers, third-party administrators, enrollment firms, and technology partners to mid-sized and large businesses. The company was formerly known as ING U.S., Inc. and changed its name to Voya Financial, Inc. in April 2014. Voya Financial, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is based in New York, New York. Fifty-seven Dalhousie researchers from six different faculties have received more than $8 million in federal grants to support ongoing research programs with long-term goals. This year's Dal recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grants were revealed Friday as part of a larger national announcement by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada's Minister of Science, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Awarded annually, the grants give researchers the flexibility to explore the most promising avenues of research as they emerge. A total of $515 million is being awarded to researchers across Canada as part of the program this year. In this two-part feature, we speak to two of Dals recipients, Dr. Arunika Gunawardena (Department of Biology) and Dr. Peter Selinger (Department of Mathematics and Statistics), about their work. Apart from making an impact on their field of study, Drs. Gunawardena and Selinger are specializing in research that has the potential to significantly impact the world. Novel model It all starts with a single plant. Aponogeton madagascariensis, aka, the lace plant. Dr. Gunawardenas research focuses on programmed cell death (PCD), the process by which cells self-destruct. It plays an important role in the development and defence mechanisms of both plants and animals. A fascinating example of developmentally regulated PCD is perforation (hole) formation in lace plant leaves, which is an extremely rare event across vascular plants. Its very precise, Dr. Gunawardena says. It starts from the center and then develops toward the veins, stopping 4 to 5 cells from the edge, she further explains, pointing out the intact cells bordering each hole in the leaf. This precision makes it predictable, and a perfect specimen for scientific study. Dr. Gunawardena and her team aim to understand how the process works, and what mechanics protect certain cells from programmed death. Manipulating PCD has far-reaching applications, from medicine to agriculture. For instance, delaying cell death could lead to increased shelf life of crops. Dr. Gunawardenas lab successfully inhibited PCD in the lace plant, stopping the formation of the holes in its leaves. Now the next step is inducing PCD in the cells that usually remain intact. Understanding this process begins with the role of anthocyanin, an antioxidant. Its reddish colour is noticeably lost in cells that undergo PCD. That tells us something, Dr. Gunawardena shares excitedly, because the cells which do not undergo PCD, they retain antioxidants. If anthocyanin is found to have a role in regulating gene expression, it could be a key component in jumpstarting PCD. We are planning to extract anthocyanin from these leaves and apply to different types of cancer cell lines to see what happens, says Dr. Gunawardena, later adding that preliminary experiments are already in progress in collaboration with Dr. David Hoskin at the Faculty of Medicine. From the ground up Of the approximate 390 000 known plant species, very few are considered model organisms. A model organism is typically easy to maintain in a lab, and offers other benefits for researchers. But when only a few plant species are regularly studied, a great deal of diversity flies under the radar. Current techniques allow us to explore the possibilities of other non-model organisms, says Dr. Gunawardena. When she first started her research 15 years ago, there was no literature available except one French PhD thesis written in 1907. It took a lot of work to build techniques and evidence for studying the lace plant, but for Dr. Gunawardena, the learning experience was invaluable. Im very happy and proud of my students because they had to optimize all standard protocols for this non-model, she smiles, noting how her students persevered, working hard to develop the lace plant into a model system. Its a big puzzle, says honours student Georgia Denbigh, were all trying to fit the pieces together. Its really rewarding because we get to contribute to all aspects of the research, adds honours student Meredith Fraser. A growing impact So far, the research has been featured on the cover of nine high-ranking international journals, including publications co-authored by a few of the students. Dr. Gunawardena couldnt be prouder. We are like a family, she says simply, which contributes to our productivity and success I think. Approaching the future: Optimizing quantum circuits A magician never reveals his tricks, but with seemingly magical quantum computers slowly becoming more reality than theory, understanding how they work is more important than ever before. Peter Selinger, a mathematician at Dal, works with quantum circuits. Specifically, he aims to build programs that make the circuits work better. Its no easy feat. While classical computers use bits to carry information, quantum computers use qubits. Classical bits exist as either a 0 or a 1, but a qubit can exist in between both states at once. So, at any time, a qubit could represent any one of infinitely many values between 0 and 1. This mind-blowing property is called superposition, and it opens up a universe of computing potential. But how can we harness this potential? When a qubit in superposition is measured, it collapses into either a 0 or a 1, producing the same type of output as a regular bit. However, you cant predict which state the qubit will end up in. Qubits can also react to each other in a phenomenon called entanglement. Simply put, when one qubit chooses a state, another qubit entangled with it chooses the opposite state no matter how far apart they are. Its a lot to keep track of. In order to control qubits, with all of their odd behaviours, programmers use gates, just like in a classical computer. A gate is like a channel that directs the path of information (made up of bits in a classical computer, and qubits in a quantum computer.) Send several qubits through a series of gates and youve got the basis of a quantum circuit. A quantum circuit is basically instructions for the quantum computer, Dr. Selinger explains. Optimization We know how a quantum computer could work, but there are many limitations. In some of the most promising quantum hardware, qubits need to be kept cool at a temperature of 0.015 Kelvin colder than outer space! They are also sensitive to light, and can be extremely noisy. Altogether, a quantum computer can only run for a few milli-seconds without interference. Qubits are also an expensive resource, and Dr. Selinger says you need at least a few hundred of them to do anything beyond the scope of a normal computer. In a quantum computer youre going to have some finite set of gates that are built into it and you have to optimize the use of these gates. Optimization. This is the goal at the heart of Dr. Selingers research, and means getting a result using the fewest number of qubits and gates, and the shortest sequence of steps. If you only have a few hundred qubits, you need to use them wisely, you dont want to waste them, he explains. Similar to when classical computers were built in the 40s and they had maybe a few hundred bits. You programmed them very resource-consciously. The first computers were coded completely by hand. But hand-coding such a large number of quirky qubits is not exactly ideal. The art of programming The puzzle of efficient quantum programming is a challenging one to say the least. For Dr. Selinger, it requires perseverance and problem-solving skills. Its as much an art as it is a science, he says. In addition to his new NSERC Discovery Grant, Dr. Selinger also holds a grant from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Dr. Selinger started building programming languages for quantum computation fifteen years ago, and the possibilities look very different now. I think were maybe five to ten years from having computers with between a hundred and a few hundred qubits, he estimates. That, in a nutshell, explains why quantum computer science is now becoming interesting. Its not just the idea of what can you do in principle? Its, what can you do in practice? Oman has postponed the issue of its third mobile licence to 30th November. Originally due to be awarded to the winning bidder on 4th September, the countrys Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has said that it will delay the allocation while it investigates Omantels recent $846 million purchase of a 9.84% stake in Kuwaits Zain Group its largest ever overseas acquisition. Zain is among the regional operators bidding for the licence, along with Etisalat, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Sudatel. However, since Omantel is majority owned by the countrys government, there has been debate about whether its acquisition of a holding in Zain should disqualify the Kuwaiti group from bidding for the third Omani licence. The regulator had been due to announce a shortlist of bidders in August, but this too was delayed. It has been speculated that political tensions with Omans neighbours, including Qatar, could have been a factor behind this. In 2004 Omantel lost its monopoly on the market when Qatari group Ooredoo launched Omans second operator. The winner of the new licence will create a third player in the market. Allegations that the Qatari government has provided support to terrorist organisations have resulted in several nearby countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE severing diplomatic ties with the nation. However, Omans economic ties with Qatar have grown stronger. Angus Energy announced on Friday that the drilling rig purchased from British Drilling and Freezing had arrived on location at its Lidsey oil field asset in West Sussex and were in the process of being rigged up. Ancillary equipment and casing were already on site, and with inspection of the delivery underway, Angus said the drilling process at Lidsey-X2 was set to commence "early next week," with the horizontal production well targeting the existing Great Oolite reservoir and then set to pass through the Kimmeridge formation. The existing production well, Lidsey-X1, was temporarily suspended in order to prepare the site for the works on X2, with Angus having considered turning the older site into a water injector or a Kimmeridge producer depending on performances at X2. Angus said it was expecting an operating window of approximately six weeks from the commencement date to actual production from Lidsey-X2. As of 1545 BST, shares had gone up 6.74% to 34.83p. Saturday sees North Korea celebrate it's founding day, where it is expected to conduct another missile test. In preemptive positioning, gold saw some profit taking on Friday as investors decided to cash in on the 1.7% appreciation this week. On the day, the precious metal traded 0.19% lower to $1,346/oz. with the December contract up to $1,351/oz. Among the other precious metals, spot silver lost 0.23% to $18.02/oz while platinum was down to $1,009/oz. and palladium traded 2.18% lower to $937/oz.. Palladium is used in catalytic converters that curb pollution from vehicle exhausts and is trading near its highest level since 2001. But car output in China and the United States is falling and shortages of metal are unlikely, said Capital Economics analyst Simona Gambarini in a note. In the base metal arena, spot copper fell victim to major profit-taking, surrendering 2.28% to trade at $6,715/tonne, as analysts said a 20% price increase since June was not justified given that China's copper imports had been stable over the past four months. Commerzbank's head of commodities research Eugen Weinberg said copper prices had risen too far, given the Chinese figures had just remained stable. "The price is fundamentally unjustified and we remain bearish on copper," he said, after copper prices recorded their longest winning streak since a nine-week rise in 2006. A view not necessarily shared by UBS, with analyst Daniel Morgan stating, "In the months ahead there might be a lift in metal imports... if there is a restriction on smelter production due to environmental inspections, that would be bullish for copper." Energy markets saw a drop in oil for both the WTI December contract and January benchmark brent, down 1.6% to $49.13/barrel and 0.88% to $53.82 respectively, with risk appetite firmly in check going into the weekend. Royal Dutch Shell on Friday said it has suspended some of its well operations and reduced staff at its eastern Gulf of Mexico assets as a precautionary measure ahead of Hurricane Irma, which has so far claimed 19 lives. Investors continued to track Hurricane Irma, bearing down on Florida even as Texas struggles with the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey which economists have said could weigh on US economic growth for the third quarter. "Hurricanes can have a lasting effect on refinery and industry demand," said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "The impact of the forces of nature on US oil production should not be overestimated nor should their impact on demand be underestimated." Soybeans were on track for their third straight week of gains, which would be the longest streak since a four-week stretch of higher closes that ended in late October 2016. The November contract for soybeans was lower on the day to $9.66/bushel. The US Department of Agriculture said on Friday morning that private exporters reported the sale of 264,000 tonnes of soybeans to China for delivery during the 2017/18 marketing year, the biggest flash sale in 2-1/2 weeks. "Soybeans are likely to get even firmer as China's demand is surprising," said Ole Houe, an analyst with brokerage IKON Commodities in Sydney. In other agriculturals, March corn was relatively flat on the day at $3.69/bushel and New York December cotton was up 1% to $0.7519/lb. In a note to clients, Bruce Knorr at Farm Futures said, "Corn prices are a little higher, trying to rebound after a late selloff dented the mood on Thursday." At least 27 people have been killed after an earthquake hit Mexico s south-western coast overnight. The earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Mexico, registering a magnitude of 8.4 and causing severe damage to many towns in nearby areas. A tsunami warning has been announced in the country, as well as in the neighbouring nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Mass evacuations have begun across the region, after the quake hit just before midnight on Thursday. Reports suggest there had been waves of up to one metre in some areas of Mexico following the earthquake. Security agencies in Mexico have said it is the biggest quake to hit the country since thousands were killed in a massive disaster in 1985. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said the tremors were felt as far as Mexico City, and said the death toll was likely to rise further. The worst-hit area appears to be the state of Oaxaca, where there has been reported to have been 20 deaths, while other casualties come from the Tabasco area. Drilling at the Horse Hill development not far from Gatwick airport has been given the go-ahead by the Environment Agency but the six AIM companies backing the project still need long-awaited council planning approval, which could be decided next month. Operator Horse Hill Developments (HHDL) has been granted permission by the agency to carry out extended flow tests at the Horse Hill-1 well in the Weald Basin, store any produced oil, drill and test both a side-track from the existing HH-1 well and a new Horse Hill-2 borehole. HHDL, which owns 65% owner of the Horse Hill licenses PEDL 137 and PEDL 246, is 32.435%-owned by UK Oil & Gas Investments, with Regency Mines owning 3.1%, Solo Oil 10%, Primorus Investments 10%, Alba Mineral Resources 15% and Gunsynd 2.0%. A planning application submitted by HHDL last October to Surrey County Council for long-term production testing and further appraisal drilling is now scheduled to be determined at the council's next planning committee meeting, on 18 October. The consortium and HHDL had initially expected the application for appraisal testing and drilling would take "around 13 weeks", but earlier this year were anticipating the council's decision would be decided "in August or September". Members of the planning committee completed a scheduled visit to the Horse Hill site on Thursday, 7 September, in preparation for the October meeting. The Portland sandstone and Kimmeridge Limestone oil discoveries on the Horse Hill-1 site cover an area of 55 square miles of the Weald Basin and produce an average of 1,688 barrels of oil per day after oil flowed naturally from a first well in February last year. If approved, the intention is to extend production testing of four zones to confirm the commerciality of the discovery, and to examine a previously untested area. The Saudi monarch is expected in Washington early 2018 to meet with US President Donald Trump for talks after the two leaders stepped up ties between the two historical allied countries. The White House Thursday said the two leaders held a telephone conversation in which they discussed how to advance shared goals such as strengthening security and prosperity in the Middle East. King Salmans future visit to Washington will be a courtesy response to the US leader who chose Riyadh as first foreign country since taking office in January. Trumps visit last May was signalled as revival of ties between the two countries as US-Saudi relations cooled down during President Obamas tenure. Riyadh criticized the Obama administration for bringing rival Iran back in the community of countries following the nuclear deal. Trump reassured Saudi Arabia of Americas ironclad support against Iran and in the fight against terrorism. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt have denied they mulled military action against Qatar in the lingering crisis between them and the tiny gas-rich country. A statement issued by the four Thursday came on the heel of a statement by Kuwaits ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who said from Washington What is important is that we have stopped any military action. The Quartet regrets what the Emir of Kuwait said about the mediation succeeding in preventing a military intervention. (The Quartet) stresses that the military option was never and never will be an option in any way, the Saudi-led side said. The Kuwaiti ruler has been playing a mediation role between the opposed sides. He was in Washington to seek US support in defusing the crisis. Qatar has been embroiled in a crisis with the quartet since June 5 after the four busted air, sea and ground links with Doha that they accuse of supporting terrorism. Doha has vehemently denied the charges and has pointed out that it is victim of a smear campaign. The boycotting countries have issued a list of 13 demands including shut-down of Doha-based Al Jazeera network and reduction of the diplomatic ties with Iran before thawing ties. Qatar through the voice of its foreign minister Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani rejected the demands, saying they damage Qatars sovereignty. Shortly after the meeting between Trump and the Kuwaiti ruler, the top Qatari diplomat noted that Doha will not enter into negotiations with pre-conditions. The self-called Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) slammed Dohas behavior pointing out it is not serious about the demands. Tuesday, Saudi foreign minister Abdel Jubeir told reporters in London that the quartet anticipated the stalemate will hold for some time. If the Qatar crisis continued for another two years so be it, he said, adding that the four could press additional sanctions against Qatar. We are ready for the continuation of the crisis with Qatar we will decide whether there are other sanctions on Doha, according to the circumstances, Jubeir said. Canada is one of my favorite countries to visit and now theres a way to visit all 13 provinces and territories via The Great Trail, a 24,000-kilometer (14,900-mile) recreational trail network. The trail was fully linked last month and is now officially the longest recreational trail in the world after 25 years and millions of dollars. It doesnt just connect Canada from coast to coast, but also loops north into the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean. Of course, the trek would be impossible to complete with just a pair of hiking boots. At some sections youll likely want cross-country skis, a snowmobile or a canoe or kayak for waterways. For instance, the Lake Superior Water Trail and Mackenzie River Trail can only be navigated by paddling. As Mother Nature Network pointed out, the Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail, is similar to the Maine-to-Florida East Coast Greenway in that its cobbled together from individual trails that are maintained and operated by local jurisdictions. The Great Trail Connecting the trail network was a major effort. According to the Globe and Mail, it required the collaboration of more than 470 provincial, local and volunteer groups across the country [who dedicated themselves] to building and maintaining paths and boardwalks in every nook and cranny of the country, from the rural pinches of Canada to the urban downtown centers. Critics have noted that the project has veered from its original plan of being a completely off-road trail. Jason Markusoff at MacLeans wrote, Only 7,898 kilometers of the trail are actual off-road trails, or 32 percent. More of it, 8,593 kilometers, are automobile roads, while 6,073 clicks of the stretch are waterways and the remaining 1,793 kilometers are hybrid trails that also permit all-terrain vehicles. But connecting the route is just the first phase of the project, the Globe and Mail reports. Planners say that there is still work to be done to make it safer. As Deborah Apps, president of the project, said: Weve built it, weve connected it, were ready, so the next chapter is, Come on world, come see what Canada has to offer. Catherine McKenna, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was also happy with the project. Im stoked, the Trans Canada Trail is now 100% connected, she tweeted. By Naomi Ages Fossil fuel companies knew climate change would be catastrophic for communities 30 years agonow its time for them to answer to the victims. Climate change is a social justice issue; it hits the most vulnerable communities the hardest. With Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, were watching that play out in an extreme way. But these events arent just bad luck for people who cant avoid ittheyre becoming the new normal. Scientists told us that climate change would fuel more extreme weather events, with even more devastating impacts. It turns out, the fossil fuel industry also knew this was coming. Decades ago. Exxon researchers warned management in 1982 that impacts from climate change could be catastrophic. But instead of doing literally anything about it, Exxon and its peers engaged in a decades-long campaign to sow doubt about climate change, impede policy and protect their own profits. While the industry knew what damage climate change could do, it continued to exploit fossil fuels, worsening the problem and blocking the path to renewable energy. The question naturally arises, doesnt justice demand these companies pay for the damages they knew were coming, damages they made worse via climate change? Shouldnt the people and communities who have been hit the hardest by climate change be able to demand corporations pay their share of rebuilding costs? Environmental injustice plagued Houston before Hurricane Harvey. Oil refineries, petrochemical plants and other oil and gas facilities have all disproportionately affected low income communities of color. City planners discriminated against these communities by building in floodplains, not providing adequate flood protection. When Harvey hit, it compounded environmental discrimination with climate injustice, magnifying the existing problems to extreme levels. On Harveys heels, Hurricane Irmaone of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recordedis bringing more social, economic and environmental disaster. By Wednesday evening, the prime minister of Barbuda estimated that 90 to 95 percent of the island had been destroyed. Irma is also on track to paralyze Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory where 46 percent of the population lives below the the poverty line. It could leave the island without power for six months, further crippling its damaged economy and devastating poor communities. Irma is expected to hit South Florida next, which already faces the daily realities of sea level rise from climate change, even without a hurricane. Across the state, where many areas are under mandatory evacuation orders, most property in flood zones sits uninsured. Whether its Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico or the Caribbean, climate change is exacerbating existing problems, especially for those who cannot afford it. Which is why its time to hold the big pollutersthose who can afford it and who foresaw this dayaccountable to the victims. Some estimates put the damages for Harvey at almost $200 billion dollars. Early estimates for Irma run as high as $250 billion. Who should bear that cost? There are thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Many dont have insurance or any kind of safety net. Climate change is making these storms worse, and the losses harder to recover from. We see that we need drastic action to reduce carbon emissions, but we also need accountabilitywe need climate justice. Companies that knowingly fueled climate changevia emissions from their products and via denialcan and should be held accountable. That includes paying up. Climate denial is not a victimless crime, and the victims do not equally share the burden of climate change. When we demand that the Exxons and Chevrons of the world must answer to these victims, we mean literally, and we mean now. Science is making it easier to identify and quantify risks related to climate changeand to predict them. Ignoring those risks or continuing business as usual in spite of them, is negligent, and can be punished. Science has also made the harms from climate change quantifiable, so that emissions from a particular company can be tied to an amount of sea level or temperature rise. In fact, a new paper found that just 90 companies contributed up to 35 percent of the rise in global mean surface temperature, and up to 14 percent of global sea level rise since 1980. Fossil fuel corporations can be assigned a percentage of responsibility for climate impacts, based on their historic emissions, and that percentage could translate into a dollar amount in the billions given the costs of storms like Harvey and Irma. That money would go a long way towards supporting the just recovery and rebuilding we so desperately need for hurricane survivors. But fossil fuel companies have already spent a lot of their money, just not on recovery efforts. Instead, theyre donating to political campaigns and super PACs to ensure that climate denial is official policy and they stay off the hook. We think that money is better spent helping people and communities recover from and adapt to climate changedont you? Environmentalists who oppose Interior Sec. Ryan Zinkes plans to shrink our national monuments might have an unlikely but politically powerful ally on their sidehunters. Many hunters, anglers and other sportsmen are speaking out against the former Montana congressman over his controversial recommendation to adjust the boundaries of a handful of the 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration. They worry that Zinkes move could potentially reduce land access for sport hunting and kill thousands of jobs. [Zinke] said hed fight to protect public lands, John Sullivan, chairman of the Montana chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, says in a recent television ad. But since his Washington promotion, hes put our public lands at risk. Although Zinke promised to keep the sites under public ownership, groups on the political left and right fear that the secretary wants to allow drilling, mining and clearcutting on the sitesa move in line with the Trump administrations overall favoritism towards the fossil fuel industry. Similarly, in a recent opinion piece for the Flathead Beacon, Chase Giacomo, an avid sportsman and Kalispell, Montana resident, said Zinkes intention to reduce national monuments in size and open them up for business would undermine essential fish and wildlife habitats. Giacomo continued: Public land ownership is a salient conservation tool for the sustainability of hunting and angling. Moreover, public lands provide equal access for all outdoor recreationists. Many hunters depend on harvesting an animal in order to provide a natural and affordable way to feed their family. Public land ownership creates a cooperative for hunters and anglers to partner in efforts to conserve our nations resources. Public land ownership also safeguards the preservation of our environment. It protects nature from falling into private entities that so often exploit the land. The preservation of habitats and countless species is strengthened by public land protections. Furthermore, the countless preservation efforts to study climate change can be furthered by the use of public lands for scientific research. NPR noted that President Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., is a big-game hunter who wants to preserve access to wild areas. Trump Jr. also happens to be linked with several sportsmen groups that lobbied for Zinke to become interior secretary, including Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a national hunting advocacy group, wants all the current national monuments to remain intact, Outsides Wes Siler reported. That hunters are so fired up in opposition to GOP policy is a big deal, Siler pointed out. Hailing from rural areas, people who are passionate about hunting tend to vote Republican. No other traditionally conservative group is currently waging such a public campaign against current GOP policy. Theres a good reason that the Zinke might actually listen to the influential group. As Siler argued, in February, former congressmen Jason Chaffetzs (R-UT) plans to sell off 3.3 million acres of federal land in 10 different states was met with such fierce outcry from hunting groups that Chaffetz ended up withdrawing the bill. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt called discussion of climate change during Hurricane Irma misplaced in a Thursday interview with CNN. To use time and effort to address [climate change] at this point is very, very insensitive to the people in Florida, Pruitt said when asked about climate change during his phone interview. Reuters reported that Pruitt declined to say during a brief interview on Irma preparations whether he accepts the analysis of multiple climate scientists that the hurricane was strengthened by warming temperatures. Pruitts remarks come as Irma churns towards Florida, breaking multiple meteorological records. Irma is joined in the Atlantic by Hurricanes Katia and Jose, marking the first time since 2010 that three hurricanes have occupied the Atlantic Basin simultaneously. I have an urgent question for President Donald Trump and his fellow climate change deniers: how many natural disasters will it take for you to listen to the worlds most prestigious scientists? wrote Andres Oppenheimer in the Miami Herald. The irony of Trump and his cadre of climate skeptics is that while they rely on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Hurricane Center to warn us about incoming hurricanes, they dont pay attention to NOAAs own scientific conclusions about human-caused climate change, he added. For a deeper dive: Pruitt: CNN, Reuters. Irmas records: USA Today, CBS. Katia and Jose: USA Today, CBS, Quartz. Commentary: Washington Post, Phillip Bump analysis, Miami Herald, Andres Oppenheimer column. Background: Climate Signals backgrounder on Hurricane Irma For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News. With no path to win, Mastriano still silent on conceding blowout loss New York: On the issue of terrorism, the US has again given a big blow to Pakistan. US Banking Regulators have ordered the closure of its office in New York, the largest bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank, which has been in New York for 40 years. This action has been taken because of terrorist funding on this Pakistani bank. Apart from this, the State Department of Financial Services (DFS), the governing body of foreign banks, has imposed a penalty of approximately $ 225 million (Rs 14,371 crore) on the bank for violating the rules. DFS had said last month that he is considering imposing a fine of about Rs 40,000 crore on Habib Bank. In a legal filing, DFS has alleged that the bank has failed to work according to the rules in anti money laundering cases. This was the only branch of Habib Bank in America. New York Banking officials said that the bank ignored many instructions. This bank is suspected of having transactions that have been used in terrorism, money laundering or other illegal activities. Regardless of the warning, the bank not considered According to reports, despite repeated warnings, Habib was not able to fund the financing of terrorists and money laundering in his favor. DFS did not have to take this tough step due to the lack of instructions from the Pakistani bank. After being suspected of some potential illegal transactions in 2006, the bank was instructed to be strict on such transactions, but the bank failed to do so. Bank was helping the terrorists Habib has approved at least 13 thousand such transactions which encourage terrorist activities. According to regulators, the bank has incorrectly approved transfers of $ 25 million, including terrorists and international arms dealers. DFS said that this opens the way to financing activities and threatens the financial system as well as the American people. DFS says that Habib Bank has to surrender its license and it can not go from the stealthy America. Los Angeles: A federal court in California, USA, gave a new blow to the Trip Administrations travel ban and ruled that some refugees be allowed to come to the country. The US Ninth Circuit of Appeals in San Francisco has retained the judgment of the court in Hawaii on Thursday in its new verdict. The administration had appealed against the court verdict of Hawaii. The new decision states that the ban should be excluded from those refugees, who have formal assurances from an agency in the US that the agency will provide or make such arrangements for the reception and employment services of the refugee. This will clear the way for admission of about 24,000 refugees, whose asylum related requests have already been approved. A panel of 3 judges in San Francisco confirmed that the ban can not be applied to grandparents, grandparents and other close relatives who are living in 6 main Muslim countries and wishing to meet their relatives in the US. The Justice Department issued a statement saying, We will go back to the Supreme Court under the duty of the executive branch of the country. The Supreme Court will reconsider the travel ban in October and study its Constitutionality. President Donald Trump had issued a decree on the arrival of US citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Samalia, and Yemen for 90 days and temporary ban for 120 days for refugees, after which various US courts Had been banned. Cortisol, deemed the quintessential stress hormone, allows us to cope with important events and imminent threats. A spike in cortisol levels mobilizes necessary resources--such as by tapping into our body's reserves to produce energy--and then allows us to return to a stable state. But can our bodies cope with prolonged or repeated stress in the same way? Some studies report lower cortisol levels in humans--or other mammals--subject to chronic stress, while other studies contradict these findings. In light of this, is cortisol still a reliable stress indicator? To answer this question, researchers from Rennes, France, studied 59 adult horses (44 geldings and 15 mares) from three different riding centers, under their usual living conditions: Horses were kept in individual stalls that are both spatially and socially restrictive and rode by unexperienced equestrians--both potential stressors that, if recurrent, can lead to chronically compromised welfare. The scientists monitored various behavioral and sanitary indicators of the horses' welfare and measured cortisol levels using blood and stool samples. The equine subjects had all been living under the stated conditions for at least a year at the start of the study, and they were observed for several weeks. Surprisingly, cortisol levels in horses showing signs of compromised welfare (e.g., ears pointed back, back problems, and anemia) were lower than in other horses. These findings are in accord with early observations by the ethology team, which recorded abnormally low cortisol concentrations in horses with depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, cortisol metabolite levels measured in feces correlated with blood cortisol levels, which advocates use of stool sample analyses as an alternative, noninvasive means of gauging horse welfare. Low cortisol levels may seem counterintuitive here, but they could be explained by a breakdown of the system when horses experience stress at excessive levels for excessive lengths of time. So when exactly does duration and intensity of stress become excessive for these horses? This is one of the questions the team of researchers is now seeking to answer. At any rate, this study demonstrates that cortisol levels are not always reliable indicators of stress or compromised welfare: On the one hand, high cortisol may be a sign of positive stress, driving higher performance; on the other, low cortisol does not necessarily mean lack of stress. Quite the contrary, under a certain threshold, low cortisol levels may be cause for concern. ### Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank. Eugenia Chiappe, an argentinian neuroscientist, principal investigator of the Sensorimotor Integration Lab at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, in Lisbon, Portugal, is one of the five scientists in Portugal who have been awarded this year a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). These grants are destined to promote the work of top scientists at the beginning of their career and have a duration of five years. In this case, total funding should be of almost 1.7 million euros. Out of 3,085 submissions, 406 projects from 23 countries were selected for funding this year, the ERC announced on its website. Eugenia Chiappe wants to understand how the fruit fly's brain (and the human brain) builds a mental representation of the locomotive movements of its body. Her team has already started working on this problem, and in 2016 discovered "visual neurons that not only process visual signals related to the fly's walking, but also non-visual signals related to that movement", she explains. But there is still a lot left to understand. For instance, how are these two types of signals integrated by those neurons to, so-to-speak, allow the fly's brain to know where the fly is going? The newly attributed European grant will be crucial to pursue this line of research. "We are first going to identify the neurons that send the non-visual signals to the visual neurons", adds Eugenia Chiappe. "Then, we want to understand how this neural circuit integrates the two types of signals to generate a reliable representation of what the animal is doing with its body. And thirdly, we want to understand how this internal brain representation influences the animal's locomotion control." For this, the team will use several techniques, such as recordings of neural activity, optogenetics (which relies on light to turn neurons on and off), detailed measurements of the fly's behavior and neural models (artificial neural networks that simulate the behavior of real neurons). "The ERC funding will allow us to acquire new equipment in order to combine all these technologies. Moreover, it will also enable us to expand our team", says Eugenia Chiappe. ### About Eugenia Chiappe Eugenia Chiappe was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she studied Biology at the University of Buenos Aires and Circus Arts at the Asociacion Argentina de Actores. For her graduate studies she moved to The Rockefeller University in New York City as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) predoctoral fellow. Her research in peripheral audition introduced her to the biophysical specializations of sensory organs. After taking a course in computational neuroscience at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, she became increasingly interested in the computational principles occurring during more integrative brain functions. She then joined Vivek Jayaraman's lab at HHMI's Janelia Farm Research Campus, where she collaboratively developed a new technique to record neural activity in behaving flies to study visual-motor transformations in Drosophila melanogaster. Milan, Italy: More than one in four of people who work indoors are being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, according to new research to be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2017 on Sunday. The study by researchers at Imperial College London, UK, looked at all 28 countries currently in the European Union (EU), the majority of which have introduced smoke-free legislation to protect workers from second-hand smoke. Although the study did find a reduction in the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke in restaurants and bars, it also revealed that the number of people exposed in indoor workplaces has increased. The research involved a survey of more than 55,000 people across the EU, around half were surveyed in 2009 and the other half in 2014. During that time several countries, including Bulgaria, Spain, Belgium and Hungary, introduced stricter legislation banning smoking in public buildings and indoor work places to protect workers. These new laws, and better enforcement of existing regulations, were reflected in the results of the survey. In 2014, one in four said they had been exposed to second-hand smoke when they visited a bar in the last year, compared to almost one in two in 2009 (25.1% compared to 45.1%). For restaurants, it was one in nine in 2014, compared to around one in three in 2009 (11.8% compared to 30.2%). However, of those people who work indoors, 27.5% said they had been exposed to second-hand smoke at work in 2014. This has risen from 23.8% in 2009. Researchers say it can be harder to enforce smoke-free legislation in workplaces because this can rely on individuals making complaints. The study suggests failures to enforce existing smoke-free laws, but it also reveals major variation between different EU countries, with some doing a better job of protecting workers than others. The results come as the European Respiratory Society and European Lung Foundation launch their annual Healthy Lungs for Life campaign with a series of events for the public and health professionals focusing on air pollution, occupational exposure and smoking cessation. The research will be presented by Dr Filippos Filippidis, a lecturer in public health at Imperial College London. He will tell the congress: "This research is an essential way for us to monitor the progress that EU countries are making in upholding smoke-free laws. "Our results suggest that progress is being made to protect people visiting bars and restaurants, but it is worrying to see that the number of workers in offices, shops and factories who are being exposed to second-hand smoke is actually increasing. "Some countries, such as Sweden, the UK and Ireland, are doing well and are showing what can be achieved. Others, such as Greece and Cyprus, are falling behind." The effects of exposure to second-hand smoke are well established by medical research. It is known to increase the risks of stroke, coronary heart disease and lung cancer, and is responsible for more than 600,000 deaths per year around the world. Dr Filippidis continues: "Our results suggest there is still a lot more work to be done to protect people in some parts of Europe. "The first step is for all countries to pass comprehensive smoke-free legislation, as there are still places where laws are weak. Some countries clearly have very effective mechanisms for enforcing existing legislation. The rest just need to follow their lead and it is primarily an issue of political will. "I can directly compare my home country, Greece, with the UK, where I have been working for the past few years. They both have very good smoke-free laws, but efforts to enforce them in Greece have been very poor, which is reflected in the high proportion of Greek people reporting exposure to secondhand smoke. "As long as EU governments are determined to protect their citizens, exposure to second-hand smoke can be dramatically decreased, with huge health benefits." Dr Filippidis and his colleagues continue to monitor changes in second-hand smoke exposure in Europe and their next steps will be to try to uncover exactly why some countries have improved less than others. ### LUGANO-MADRID, 9 September, 2017 - A new tool to identify patients who would benefit from early palliative care will be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) The so-called "Triggers" tool, developed by the London Cancer Alliance to help clinicians in the UK recognise patients who need an early referral to specialist palliative care, has been successfully piloted at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation, one of ESMO's Designated Centres of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care (2), this year. The preliminary results of the service evaluation to be presented at ESMO 2017 proves the usability of this tool by primary care teams and points to the feasibility of establishing the integrated service between oncology and palliative care teams on a wider scale. Palliative care has traditionally been associated with optimising the quality of life (QoL) at the very end of life. However, research has shown that giving patients early access to specialist palliative care can have many benefits, including improving their prognosis. The Triggers tool allows oncologists to assess their patients' needs in this respect at a much earlier stage, and to potentially refer them to specialist palliative care alongside active treatment. In its pilot phase the tool was introduced for new patients at The Royal Marsden's lung oncology outpatient clinic: in the first four months of the service, 84 percent of eligible patients were reviewed within two months of their first clinic attendance. "We found that 75 percent of the patients reviewed triggered positive on one or more of the tool items. Of the 'Trigger positive' cohort, whose needs were then assessed by a palliative care team, 97 percent were identified as having at least a moderate need for specialist palliative care - even though 81 percent of them were still functioning well, ranking in the top two scores on the scale used to assess how a disease affects a patient's daily living abilities," said Dr Jayne Wood from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, who led the evaluation. "This tells us that we are addressing a real need, and that the tool is picking up a group of patients who have a real potential to benefit from referral to specialist palliative care. The goal is for the tool to become standard and easy for anyone on a patient's primary care team to use - for us, the next step will be to expand into other tumour groups," said Wood. A lung cancer woman who was referred to The Royal Marsden after being diagnosed in April 2017, benefited from an early needs assessment via the Triggers tool: "I was referred to the palliative care team around a fortnight after arriving at The Royal Marsden. They have helped me with medication, which has given me more energy, visited me at home, and have been able to advise me about different symptoms. I definitely feel that I can call them if I need them," she said. "It is a pleasure to read about these observations," said Dr. Matti Aapro, ESMO Faculty member, Chair of the Supportive/Palliative Care Track at the ESMO 2017 Congress, commenting on the pilot at The Royal Marsden. "The concepts of supportive and palliative care are about a continuum in patient care, and need to be given more importance - even in these days of exciting results about new therapies." "ESMO has emphasised the importance of supportive and palliative care since 2003 (3), and offers a wide array of educational programmes and tools to oncologists in the domain of patient-centred care. These are summarised in a new ESMO position paper, to appear this autumn," Aapro added. The Royal Marsden Hospital is one of ESMO's Designated Centres of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care, whose first accreditation dates back to 2009. The accreditation programme recognises cancer centres that achieve a high standard of integration of medical oncology and palliative care, based on criteria ranging from service provision and integration to doctor credentials, research and education. This prestigious designation is valid for a period of three years, after which centres must reapply to keep their accreditation. This year, eight new cancer centres received their first accreditation, while 52 further centres have successfully renewed theirs. (4) Results from a detailed survey (5) conducted to evaluate the benefits associated with obtaining ESMO designation can be found here. ### References 1 Abstract LBA54_PR 'Proactive Referral to Palliative Care: Model of a new Integrated Palliative Care and Oncology Service' will be presented by Dr. Jayne Wood during the Poster Discussion Session 'Supportive and palliative care' on Saturday, 9 September 2017, 09:15 to 10:45 (CEST) in Bilbao Auditorium. 2 ESMO Designated Centres of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care http://www.esmo.org/Patients/Designated-Centres-of-Integrated-Oncology-and-Palliative-Care 3 ESMO takes a stand on supportive and palliative care, 2003. N. Cherny, R. Catane, P. Kosmidis. Annals of Oncology 14: 1335-1337, 2003 Editorial DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdg379. https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article/14/9/1335/235767/ESMO-takes-a-stand-on-supportive-and-palliative 4 Characteristics and level of integration of ESMO Designated Centres of integrated oncology and palliative care, 2016. D. Hui, N. Cherny, N. Latino, F. Strasser. Annals of Oncology 27: Issue suppl_6, 1301PD, 2016 Editorial DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw384.02 https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article-abstract/27/suppl_6/1301PD/2800196/Characteristics-and-level-of-integration-of-ESMO?redirectedFrom=fulltext 5 The 'critical mass' survey of palliative care programme at ESMO designated centres of integrated oncology and palliative care. D. Hui, N. Cherny, N Latino, F. Strasser. Annals of Oncology: mdx280, 2017 Editorial DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx280 https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article/3979216/The-critical-mass-survey-of-palliative-care?searchresult=1 Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct. About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org LUGANO-MADRID, 08 September, 2017 - Adding taselisib to letrozole before surgery significantly improved outcomes for patients with early breast cancer that was both estrogen receptor positive and HER2-negative (ER+/HER2-) according to results of the LORELEI trial, presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) "We were able to detect a reduction in tumor size after only 16 weeks of treatment, compared to patients who received letrozole plus placebo," said study investigator Dr. Cristina Saura, from Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. "Any decrease in tumor measurements is something positive for patients because this means the drug has had activity against their tumor in a short period of time." LORELEI is the first randomized study to demonstrate a significant increase in objective response rate (ORR) upon treatment with a PI3K selective inhibitor in this population of patients, noted the authors of the study, which was conducted in 85 sites across the world. Taselisib is an alpha specific PI3K inhibitor which blocks a signalling pathway known as PIK3 that promotes cancer growth. "The alpha-specific story is important, because other PI3K inhibitors have had only a small effect, and the benefit-risk ratio was less favourable," noted Prof. Sibylle Loibl, Chair of the German Breast Group, who was not involved in the study but provided comment for ESMO. "In general it is believed that alpha specific inhibitors will be more efficacious and less toxic than others". LORELEI included 334 postmenopausal patients with ER+/HER2-, stage I-III, operable early breast cancer. All of them had tissue analysed for PIK3CA mutant cancer cells, and were randomised to receive letrozole plus either a placebo (n=168) or taselisib (n=166) for 16 weeks in order to shrink their tumour before surgery. The study had two co-primary endpoints: one was ORR which was assessed by measuring the tumour size with magnetic resonance imaging; the second was the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate, which is a measure of the presence of cancer cells at the site after the tumour is surgically removed. The study showed that ORR was better in patients who received taselisib compared to placebo (50% versus 39.3%, odds ratio [OR] 1.55, 95% CI 1.00-2.38, P=0.049), but there was no significant difference between the groups for pCR. Among the 152 patients who had PIK3CA mutant cancer cells detected at baseline, taselisib worked particularly well, with 56.2% showing an ORR compared to 38% of patients who received placebo (odds ratio [OR] 2.03, 95%CI 1.06-3.88, p = 0.033). "For me, the main message is that even though all patients seems to derive some benefit from taselisib, those who had this mutation seemed to derive more benefit," said Saura. Discontinuation and reduced dosing of taselisib occurred in 10.8% and 11.4% of patients, respectively. The most common serious (grade 3 and 4) adverse events associated with the drug included gastrointestinal disorders (7.8%), infections (4.8%), skin / subcutaneous tissue disorders (4.8%), vascular disorders (3.6%), and metabolism and nutrition disorders (3.6%) including hyperglycemia (1.2%). Although there was one sudden death in the taselisib-treated group, the study investigators considered it unrelated to the drug. Loibl concluded that "these are the first data indicating that the addition of an alpha specific PI3K inhibitor might work in addition to an endocrine therapy in HER2-/Hr+ breast cancer. More data from LORELEI as well as data from the Phase III studies in metastatic breast cancer need to be awaited for evaluating the role of PIK3 Kinase inhibitors in breast cancer." ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress References 1 Abstract LBA10_PR 'Primary results of LORELEI: a phase II randomized, double-blind study of neoadjuvant letrozole (LET) plus taselisib versus LET plus placebo (PLA) in postmenopausal patients (pts) with ER+/HER2-negative early breast cancer (EBC)' will be presented by Dr. Saura during Proffered Paper Session 'Breast cancer, early stage' on Friday, 8 September 2017, 14:00 to 15:30 (CEST) in Pamplona Auditorium. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct. About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org LUGANO-MADRID, 09 September, 2017 -The preliminary results of a study to be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid (1) show that socio-psychological factors have become more significant for patients today than physical side effects such as nausea and vomiting, which were among the top concerns in similar studies carried out previously. The side effects of chemotherapy seriously impact cancer patients' daily lives, and managing them is a longtime concern for doctors. Patient assessments on the subject have been carried out regularly since 1983. The new study presented at ESMO 2017 showed that perceptions of chemotherapy side effects in breast and ovarian cancer patients change not only over time, but also throughout the course of treatment. "With the most recent analysis dating back to 2002, we felt it was time to collect new data and update the interview format," said study author Dr. Beyhan Ataseven from Kliniken Essen Mitte Evang, Huyssens-Stiftung in Essen, Germany. "Living conditions have changed, and so have the accompanying therapies linked to chemotherapy. As doctors, we want to know what our patients care about." Contrary to previous studies, the team led by Ataseven focused exclusively on breast and ovarian cancer patients and added a longitudinal analysis by carrying out three separate interviews before, during and at the end of their chemotherapy. At each interview, 141 patients scheduled for or undergoing chemotherapy were presented with two groups of cards respectively featuring physical and non-physical side effects. The patients selected their five most burdensome symptoms in each group and ranked them by importance. Out of these 10 main side effects, they were then asked to select the five most significant ones from both groups and to rank these as well. "What we found is that, on the one hand, side effects like nausea and vomiting are no longer a major problem for patients - this can be explained by the fact that modern medication against these symptoms is very effective. On the other hand, hair loss is still a persistent, unsolved issue that particularly affects patients at the start of their treatment," said Ataseven. "As time passes and patients get used to this, however, their concerns evolve and other side effects become more significant." "Looking at patients' perceptions over the entire course of their chemotherapy, the most difficult side effects they deal with are sleep disorders - which become increasingly important over time - and anxiety about the effects of their illness on their partner or family, which remains a top issue throughout," Ataseven explained. "As doctors, these findings might lead us to consider possible improvements to the accompanying therapies we offer our patients: For instance, sleeping tablets were not until now a part of the routine regimen. There is also a clear case for providing stronger psychological support to address patients' social anxieties and family-related concerns," she said. ESMO will soon publish a position paper on the need to integrate supportive and palliative care for patients, from diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease. Dr. Karin Jordan, Chair of the ESMO Faculty Group on Palliative and Supportive Care and senior leading physician at the University of Heidelberg's Department of Medicine, commented on the study: "The results show that there might be a gap between what doctors think is important or disturbing for patients, and what patients really think. Physical, psychological, social and spiritual support is needed at every stage of the disease," she said. "Going forward, similar studies also need to be done for other types of cancer - including analyses of how an optimal management of side effects influences the disease trajectory." ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress References 1 Abstract 1472P_PR 'Change of patient perceptions of chemotherapy side effects in breast and ovarian cancer patients' will be presented by Dr Beyhan Ataseven during Poster Display Session on Sunday, 10 September 2017, 13:15 to 14:15 (CEST), in Hall 8. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct . About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org LUGANO-MADRID, 8 September, 2017 - Pembrolizumab has shown a promising response rate in patients with pretreated metastatic gastric cancer, according to late-breaking results from the KEYNOTE-059 trial presented today at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) The expected survival of patients with metastatic gastric cancer is less than one year. Very few new drugs have been approved for this disease in the past decade. The phase II KEYNOTE-059 is one of the largest studies to investigate immunotherapy in recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer. The study included three cohorts: 1) 259 patients with metastatic gastric cancer who received the programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab alone, after pretreatment with two or more lines of chemotherapy; 2) 25 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic gastric cancer who received a combination of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy; 3) 31 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic gastric cancer who received pembrolizumab alone. The primary endpoints were safety (all three cohorts) and objective response rate (cohorts one and three). After a median follow-up of six months, the investigators found an overall objective response rate of 12% with pembrolizumab alone in the pretreated patients (cohort one). Patients who expressed programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) were more likely to respond than those who did not, with objective response rates of 16% and 6%, respectively. Many of the responses were durable. Grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 18% of patients in cohort one and 3% had to discontinue treatment as a result. Lead author Dr Zev Wainberg, co-director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Programme, UCLA, Los Angeles, US, said: "The data shows that the tumours were sufficiently shrunk to warrant a response, particularly in those patients who had PD-L1 expression, and the drug was safe. The expected response rate in these heavily pretreated patients was close to zero so the findings are encouraging." In patients with newly diagnosed metastatic cancer, both the combination therapy (cohort two) and pembrolizumab alone (cohort three) were safe and showed some promising activity. "These results have set the stage for a larger follow-up study which is already enrolling patients," said Wainberg. He concluded: "We hope these results, in combination with evidence from ongoing randomised trials, will support the regulatory approval of pembrolizumab in metastatic gastric cancer." Commenting on the results for ESMO, Dr Ian Chau, consultant medical oncologist, Royal Marsden Hospital, London and Surrey, UK, said: "There is currently no standard of care for metastatic gastric cancer treated in the third line or beyond. The KEYNOTE-059 cohort 1 results confirm that the efficacy previously reported for the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab in patients from East Asia in the ONO-4538 randomised trial can be applied to Western populations." "The likelihood is that pembrolizumab will become a standard treatment option in this setting in the near future," he added. Chau cautioned that while the toxicity profile of pembrolizumab looked quite favourable in KEYNOTE-059, it could be that patients had not been treated long enough to experience side effects. He said: "Unlike with chemotherapy, toxicities from immunotherapy tend to occur later on. We need to await longer-term results from an ongoing clinical trial in an earlier line of treatment to know the full impact of this drug in metastatic gastric cancer." He concluded: "Further research should focus on refining the PD-L1 biomarker and searching for better biomarkers to tell us who benefits from these therapies. We also need more information about quality of life which should be provided by ongoing studies." ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress References 1 Abstract LBA28_PR 'KEYNOTE-059 Update: Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab Alone or in Combination With Chemotherapy in Patients With Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal (G/GEJ) cancer' will be presented by Dr Zev Wainberg during Proffered Paper Session 'Gastrointestinal tumours, non-colorectal' on Friday, 8 September 2017, 14:00 to 15:30 (CEST) in the Barcelona Auditorium. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct . About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org LUGANO-MADRID, 8 September, 2017 - Patients with high risk prostate cancer starting long-term hormone therapy may benefit from two new treatments, according to late-breaking results from the STAMPEDE trial presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) Long-term hormone therapy alone has been the standard of care for patients with high risk locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer since the 1940s. STAMPEDE is a platform protocol using a multi-arm, multi-stage design to efficiently investigate a number of new treatments versus standard of care in patients with high risk prostate cancer. It included men who were starting long-term hormonal therapy for the first time. The trial previously found that docetaxel improved survival compared to standard of care (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78), (2) and that abiraterone acetate with prednisolone also improved survival compared to the same standard of care (HR, 0.63). (3) First author Matthew Sydes, statistician, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, UK, said: "Right now, oncologists and urologists want to know which combination is preferable, which is why we conducted this analysis." The analysis presented today uses prospectively collected data from the STAMPEDE trial to directly compare patients randomised to the docetaxel and abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone (AAP) research arms while both arms of the trial were recruiting. The randomisations overlapped between November 2011 and March 2013. This comparison included 566 patients, of whom 189 were randomised to receive docetaxel and 377 were randomised to receive AAP, both on top of standard of care androgen-deprivation therapy (with radiotherapy for some patients). The estimate for the primary outcome of overall survival was a HR of 1.16, and the difference between the two treatments was not statistically significant, with confidence intervals capturing estimates favouring both AAP and docetaxel. (4) For the early outcome measures of failure-free survival and progression-free survival, estimates of treatment effect clearly favoured AAP with HRs of 0.51 and 0.65, respectively. The estimates of treatment effect for late outcome measures of freedom from metastatic progression and freedom from symptomatic skeletal events favoured AAP but the differences between treatment groups were not statistically significant. Sydes said: "This comparison was of course underpowered, but it is the only data we have to directly compare docetaxel and abiraterone in this setting." Professor Nicholas D. James, Chief Investigator of STAMPEDE and Consultant Oncologist at University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK, said: "The individual trials suggested that abiraterone may have a larger effect on survival than docetaxel, but this did not translate into a clear advantage in this study. Both drugs provide a survival advantage over standard of care alone in men with high risk prostate cancer beginning long-term hormone therapy. This study suggests that starting with either drug is acceptable and choice may depend on availability." Sydes said: "We could only make this head-to-head comparison because of the platform nature of this protocol." Commenting for ESMO, professor Cora N.Sternberg, Chief, Department of Medical Oncology, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy, said: "The STAMPEDE trial has a unique design and has prospectively studied more than 9,000 patients with high risk or metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer compared to the standard of care. By 2025 it will have reported the results of ten randomised clinical trials." "This comparison offers strong evidence for the combination of standard of care plus AAP versus standard of care alone in terms of failure-free survival and progression-free survival and less strong evidence in terms of metastases-free survival and skeletal related events," she continued. "There was no difference in survival with standard of care plus docetaxel, as compared to standard of care plus AAP." Sternberg pointed out that the toxicity profiles were quite different in the two trials. The AAP results are consistent with the LATITUDE trial, which also favoured AAP over standard of care in high risk patients. (5) She said: "Both STAMPEDE randomised trials support starting hormonal therapy plus either AAP or six cycles of docetaxel. At one and two years, the percentage of patients with grade 3 or 4 (severe) toxicities was low and similar among the two groups. Toxicities associated with chemotherapy for six cycles will dominate decisions about upfront docetaxel. Toxicities associated with AAP are also likely to influence decisions. Physicians will base their choice of therapy on availability and patient characteristics and preferences." Regarding the need for further studies, Sternberg said: "Cardiovascular follow-up will be important in patients taking AAP. In the future, we will get data on whether patients could start with both docetaxel and novel hormonal therapy such as AAP. Ongoing randomised trials in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer will evaluate the combination of novel hormonal therapy and chemotherapy upfront (ARASENS; NCT02799602) as will data from the PEACE 1 trial (NCT01957436) in which two-thirds of patients will receive AAP plus docetaxel chemotherapy for hormone sensitive high risk prostate cancer." Further research on abiraterone in patients with high risk prostate cancer will be presented on Friday, 8 September. (6) STAMPEDE contributes substantially to the network meta-analysis presented on Sunday, 10 September by Dr CL Vale. (7) ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress References 1 Abstract LBA31_PR 'Adding abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone (AAP) or docetaxel for patients (pts) with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) starting long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT): directly randomised data from STAMPEDE (NCT00268476)' will be presented by Mr Matthew Sydes during Proffered Paper Session 'Genitourinary tumours, prostate' on Friday, 8 September 2017, 14:00 to 15:30 (CEST) in the Sevilla Auditorium. 2 James ND, et al. Addition of docetaxel, zoledronic acid, or both to first-line long-term hormone therapy in prostate cancer (STAMPEDE): survival results from an adaptive, multiarm, multistage, platform randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2016;387:1163-1177. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01037-5. Epub 2015 Dec 21. 3 James ND, et al. Abiraterone for Prostate Cancer Not Previously Treated with Hormone Therapy. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:338-351. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1702900. Epub 2017 Jun 3. 4 HR<1 favours abiraterone; HR>1 favours docetaxel 5 Fizazi K, et al. Abiraterone plus Prednisone in Metastatic, Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(4):352-360. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1704174. 6 Abstract 783O 'Benefits of Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone (AA+P) When Added to Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) in LATITUDE on Patient (Pt) Reported Outcomes (PRO)' will be presented by Dr Kim Chi during Proffered Paper Session 'Genitourinary tumours, prostate' on Friday, 8 September 2017, 14:00 to 15:30 (CEST) in the Sevilla Auditorium. 7 Abstract LBA33 'What are the optimal systemic treatments for men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer? A STOPCaP systematic review and network meta-analysis' will be presented by Dr CL Vale during Poster Discussion Session 'Genitourinary tumours, prostate' on Sunday, 10 September 2017, 09:15 to 10:30 (CEST) in the Bilbao Auditorium. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct . About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org LUGANO-MADRID, 8 September, 2017 - Rucaparib maintenance therapy increases progression-free survival in BRCA mutant recurrent ovarian cancer by 77%, according to late-breaking results from the ARIEL3 trial reported today at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. (1) Most ovarian cancer presents as advanced disease and 80% of those patients will recur after first line treatment. Patients often respond again to chemotherapy, particularly platinum-based, but they almost inevitably relapse again and eventually die of their disease. Maintenance treatments are needed to reduce recurrence in patients who have already relapsed. The PARP enzyme helps to initiate the repair of DNA damage so that cells can continue to divide. DNA repair processes are inherently impaired in tumour cells with BRCA mutations. PARP inhibitors, such as rucaparib, block DNA repair and cells with BRCA mutations die. Just over 20% of patients with ovarian cancer have BRCA mutations and are susceptible to PARP inhibitors. Some others with the disease are also susceptible, such as patients who respond to platinum-based chemotherapy and those with a high degree of genomic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) - meaning the tumour DNA is scarred and DNA repair mechanisms are faulty. ARIEL3 included 564 patients with high grade ovarian cancer who had responded to platinum-based chemotherapy in the second or third line of treatment. Patients were randomised 2:1 to rucaparib maintenance therapy or placebo. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, which was measured sequentially in three groups if benefit was found in the previous group: 1) BRCA mutant; 2) BRCA mutant or BRCA wild type with high LOH (together called homologous recombination deficient or HRD); 3) intention to treat (entire study population). Rucaparib led to a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival in all three groups. Progression-free survival increased from 5.4 months to 16.6, 13.6, and 10.8 months in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with hazard ratios of 0.23, 0.32, and 0.36, respectively. "The improvement in progression-free survival was greatest in the BRCA mutated group, who had a 77% increase, but it was seen across three subgroups that were evaluated," said first author Prof Jonathan Ledermann, Professor of Medical Oncology, UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK. In exploratory analyses, patients without BRCA mutations (wild type) were divided into those with high and low LOH. As expected, patients with high LOH had more improvement in progression-free survival than those with low LOH. But in both high and low LOH subgroups, rucaparib was statistically significantly better than placebo. Ledermann said: "We had hoped that the LOH test would distinguish responders from non-responders but both high and low LOH groups benefitted. However, the magnitude of progression-free survival benefit was greater in the BRCA wild type/LOH high patients." Rucaparib was well tolerated and just 13% of patients had to discontinue the medication due to side effects. The safety profile of rucaparib in ARIEL3 was consistent with previous phase II studies. Ledermann concluded: "PARP inhibitors are the biggest development in ovarian cancer therapy since the introduction of platinum drugs in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rucaparib is clearly an exemplary member of this exciting class of drugs that can be used to treat women with recurrent ovarian cancer in the maintenance setting." Commenting on the results, Dr Andres Poveda, Head of the Gynaecological Cancer Clinic, Oncology Foundation Institute Valencia, Spain, Chair of the Gynaecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG), Member of the ESMO Faculty on Gynecological cancer, said: "ARIEL3 achieved a huge decrease in the risk of relapse with rucaparib. All of the patient subgroups benefitted, especially those with BRCA mutations but also homologous recombination deficient (HRD) patients." "In Europe the PARP inhibitor olaparib is licensed as maintenance therapy but only for patients with germline BRCA mutations," he added. "We are awaiting a decision on niraparib, another PARP inhibitor. The addition of rucaparib would expand the population of patients receiving benefit from this type of drugs." Poveda concluded: "Personalised medicine has arrived in high grade serious ovarian cancer. Further studies are needed to identify predictive biomarkers of response to PARP inhibitors. Specifically, we need to know whether there are non-HRD factors that predict response." ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress References 1 Abstract LBA40_PR 'ARIEL3: A Phase 3, Randomised, Double-Blind Study of Rucaparib vs Placebo Following Response to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Recurrent Ovarian Carcinoma (OC)' will be presented by Prof Jonathan Ledermann during Proffered Paper session 'Gynaecological cancers' on Friday, 8 September 2017, 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST) in the Cordoba Auditorium. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct . About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org Immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells play an important role in the functioning of adipose tissue. This is the discovery of scientists from the Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Their findings are published in the journal Cell Metabolism. The number of obese people as well as those suffering from type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide. Both disorders are associated with metabolic changes including amplified inflammatory responses in adipose tissue. "Previous studies have indicated that immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells - or Tregs for short - play an important role in these processes", explains the leader of the study Dr. Carolin Daniel, group leader at the Institute for Diabetes Research (IDF) of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and a scientist in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD).* "We now wanted to examine how these immune cells might support adipose function in more detail." In an experimental model, Daniel, together with co-first authors Dr. Stefanie Kalin and Maike Becker and colleagues, determined that the number of Tregs in adipose tissue increases in response to different environmental stimuli. These stimuli included a short-term cold treatment, stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (3-adrenoreceptors) or short-term high-caloric exposure. "All these stimuli supported those immunosuppressive cells directly in the adipose tissue", says Becker. Fat burning activated The magnitude of the increase in Tregs differed depending on the type of adipose tissue: it was particularly pronounced in brown fat**, somewhat weaker in subcutaneous fat and weakest in visceral fat. To investigate the specific function of Tregs, the researchers determined how gene expression changes in adipose tissue. Especially in brown fat, genes were activated that promote heat production (thermogenesis) as well as those that are used for the breakdown (lipolysis) and burning (oxidation) of fatty acids. Subsequent experiments revealed that the signalling molecules Stat6 und Pten play a vital role in this process. "A better understanding of the immunological mechanisms involved in the target tissue will be critical for the development of personalized interventions in order to improve adipose tissue function during obesity and diabetes", says the leader of the study Carolin Daniel. "Our experiments show for the first time that Tregs can support fat depots in dealing with environmental challenges." "Our findings highlight the complex interactions between our body and the environment. We have known for a while that hormones play a key role here - but now have to accept that immune cells may be just as important for a balanced metabolism", comments Prof. Dr. Matthias Tschop. He is the scientific director of the HDC at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and holds the chair for metabolic diseases at the TUM. "These insights therefore help us tremendously with designing more efficient ways to therapeutically optimize when and how to store calories." Prof. Dr. Matthias Mann from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried as well as the group of PD Dr. Benno Weigmann from Universitatsklinikum Erlangen also made significant contributions to the study. ### Further Information * Regulatory T-cells suppress unwanted immune reactions and thereby prevent autoimmune diseases, for instance. The transcription factor Foxp3, which was determined by the scientists, is characteristic for this cell type. ** Brown adipose tissue is found in almost all mammals, including humans. Its cells produce heat by oxidizing sugars and fatty acids. This makes them an interesting target for pharmacological treatment of obesity. Background: The doctoral students Maike Becker, Victoria Flynn, Verena Ott, Isabelle Serr, Markus Hippich and Martin Scherm are participants in the Helmholtz Graduate School for Environmental Health (HELENA): https://www.helmholtz-helena.de/ Original Publication: Kalin, S. & Becker, M. et al. (2017): A Stat6/Pten axis links regulatory T cells with adipose tissue function. Cell Metabolism, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.08.008 The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has about 2,300 staff members. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 37,000 staff members. http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe's leading research universities, with more than 500 professors, around 10,000 academic and non-academic staff, and 40,000 students. Its focus areas are the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences and medicine, com-bined with economic and social sciences. TUM acts as an entrepreneurial university that promotes talents and creates value for society. In that it profits from having strong partners in science and industry. It is represented worldwide with a campus in Singapore as well as offices in Beijing, Brussels, Cairo, Mumbai, San Francisco, and Sao Paulo. Nobel Prize winners and inventors such as Rudolf Diesel, Carl von Linde, and Rudolf Mobauer have done research at TUM. In 2006 and 2012 it won recognition as a German "Excellence University." In international rankings, TUM regularly places among the best universities in Germany. http://www.tum.de/en/homepage The Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) focuses on the pathogenesis and prevention of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes and the long-term effects of gestational diabetes. A major project is the development of an insulin vaccination against type 1 diabetes. The IDF conducts long-term studies to examine the link between genes, environmental factors and the immune system for the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Findings of the BABYDIAB study, which was established in 1989 as the world's first prospective birth cohort study, identified risk genes and antibody profiles. These permit predictions to be made about the pathogenesis and onset of type 1 diabetes and will lead to changes in the classification and the time of diagnosis. The IDF is part of the Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC). http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/idf/index.html The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is a national association that brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, translational research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The aim is to develop novel strategies for personalized prevention and treatment of diabetes. Members are Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health, the German Diabetes Center in Dusseldorf, the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrucke, the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen at the University Medical Center Carl Gustav Carus of the TU Dresden and the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen together with associated partners at the Universities in Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig, Lubeck and Munich. http://www.dzd-ev.de/en/index.html Contact for the Media: Department of Communication, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany - Tel. +49 (0)89 3187 2238 - Fax: +49 (0)89 3187 3324 - E-mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de Scientific Contact: Dr. Carolin Daniel, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute for Diabetes Research, Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany - Tel. +49 89 3187 2188 - E-mail: carolin.daniel@helmholtz-muenchen.de Researchers at IRB Barcelona reveal the capacity of epithelial-derived tumors to grow in the absence of a microenvironment Researchers from the Development and Growth Control Laboratory at IRB Barcelona have identified the cell types and molecular mechanism responsible for the unlimited growth potential of epithelial tumours (carcinomas) and demonstrated that the growth of these tumours is independent of its microenvironment. "In epithelial tumours caused by chromosomal instability or loss of cell polarity, the interaction between two tumour cell populations drives malignant growth," explains Marco Milan, ICREA Research Professor and head of the laboratory. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) as a cover story of its 35 Issue, the study analyses solid tumours of epithelial origin in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. "We have induced tumour development in two ways--by generating genomic instability and the loss of cell polarity. We have validated the causal relation between these two conditions--which are frequently observed in carcinomas--and the development of tumours," explains Mariana Muzzopappa, first author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the Development and Growth Control Lab. Independent of the tumour microenvironment To study the effect of the microenvironment on tumour development, the researchers examined tumour growth in the absence of adjacent cell populations, such as cells of the immune system or mesenchymal cells, which can act as a niche by supplying tumours with growth factors. The scientists observed that the tumour continued to grow in the absence of these two cell types. Furthermore, they demonstrated that "the growth of epithelial tumours is dependent on activation of the JNK stress signalling pathway and that this pathway is intrinsically activated in the tumour, regardless of its microenvironment," highlights Marco Milan. Interactions between two tumour cell populations The researchers have identified two functionally distinct cell populations within the tumour--one that proliferates and ones that does not--upon which internal growth mechanisms depend. "JNK is activated in a group of non-proliferating cells, namely those that show the highest degree of chromosomal instability or that have lost polarity. JNK triggers the expression of growth factors and makes those cells still in the epithelium to go on proliferating. The continued proliferation of these cells leads to an increase in chromosomal instability and the loss of epithelial polarity in the tumours. Consequently, the number of cells expressing growth factors rises. These cross-feeding interactions explain the unlimited growth potential of these epithelial tumours," says Muzzopappa. The mechanism of JNK activation differs depending on the tumour. "We have observed that tumours derived from chromosomal instability are induced by oxidative stress caused by ROS (reactive oxygen species), which triggers JNK. The mechanism in tumours that arise from the loss of cell polarity differs," explains Marco Milan. The results of this study shed further light on the causal relationship between chromosomal instability, loss of epithelial polarity and tumorigenesis and open new avenues for the search of therapeutic targets. ### This study was supported by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) through ERDFs "A way to build Europe" and "la Caixa" Foundation PhD programme, that supports Lada Murcia PhD student. Reference article: Mariana Muzzopappa, Lada Murcia and Marco Milan Feedback amplification loop drives malignant growth in epithelial tissues PNAS (2017): doi: 10.1073/pnas.1701791114 Senegalese Prime Minister, Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, on Thursday formed a new cabinet, 24 hours after his reappointment by President Macky Sall. Speculation has been rife for several weeks over new faces in the new government following Macky Salls consultations with political parties and civil society organizations. The new government is marked by continuity, Dionne said. Yet, the new cabinet of 39 members sees a major shake-up from the previous government. Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo, criticized for missing the organization of the legislative elections, was removed from the Interior Ministry to the Ministry of Infrastructures; while Sidiki Kaba left the Justice department for the Foreign Affairs Ministry. A new Ministry of Oil and Renewable Energies is being created, as companies are working to exploit frontier oil reserves in the West African nation. Macky Salls ruling coalition has won a large parliamentary majority last month following an election that opposition leaders say was tainted by fraud. The coalition took 125 seats in the 165-seat National Assembly after winning nearly 50 percent of the vote. The leader of Senegals main opposition group, 91-year-old former president Abdoulaye Wade, said his coalition would not participate in any future elections because the august parliamentary polls were a masquerade. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Science in Society Journalism Awards, sponsored by the National Association of Science Writers: In the Book category, Emily Voigt for her book The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish, published by Scribner In the Longform category, "Science for Sale," by David Heath and Jie Jenny Zou, published by the Center for Public Integrity In the Science Reporting category, "Choking to Death in Detroit," by Zoe Schlanger, published in Newsweek magazine magazine In the Science Reporting for a Local or Regional Market category, "When the Dust Settles," by Eva Hershaw, published in Texas Monthly In the Opinion category, "Not Just Death, a System Failure," by Barbara Moran, published in The New York Times Winners in each category receive a cash prize of $2,500, to be awarded at a reception on October 26, 2017, at the World Conference of Science Journalists taking place this year in San Francisco. NASW established the Science in Society awards to provide recognition -- without subsidy from any professional or commercial interest -- for investigative or interpretive reporting about the sciences and their impact on society. The awards are intended to encourage critical, probing work that would not receive an award from an interest group. Beginning with the first award in 1972, NASW has highlighted innovative reporting that goes well beyond the research findings and considers the associated ethical problems and social effects. The awards are especially prestigious because they are judged by accomplished peers. NASW currently awards prizes in five categories: Books, Science Reporting, Longform Science Reporting, Science Reporting for a Local or Regional Market, and Commentary and Opinion. The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish takes readers on a riveting journey into the bizarre world of the Asian arowana or "dragon fish"--the world's most expensive aquarium fish--revealing a surprising history with profound implications for the future of wild animals and human beings alike. With a captivating blend of personal reporting, history, and science, The Dragon Behind the Glass traces our modern fascination with aquarium fish back to the era of exploration when intrepid naturalists stood on the cutting edge of modern science, discovering new and wondrous species in jungles all over the world. The judges described it as a "fascinating book about an endangered fish species" that hooked them from the very beginning and kept them captivated with vivid writing and extensively researched stories. They especially appreciated Voigt's "journey to the far corners of the earth in search of the elusive dragon fish that has become a mythical creature because it has been fished nearly to oblivion." They noted, "In addition to being a great read, this book is a powerful commentary on the damage human beings are doing to our planet and its once plentiful cornucopia of wildlife." "Science for Sale" was published from February to May online by the Center for Public Integrity in collaboration with Vice.com. In the series, Heath and Zou offered a rare glimpse into a world where corporate interests can dictate their own science and scientists for hire willingly oblige. It tracks the rise of industry-backed research -- often with the aim of obscuring the truth -- that has occurred even as government-funded science has dwindled. The judges write: "In this timely, multi-part series, the reporters expose an insidious, widespread, and shockingly successful effort by industry-funded 'experts' to cast doubt on established scientific evidence of numerous health hazards - at an incalculable cost to public safety. Drawing on extensive investigative reporting, court documents, and FOIA requests, Heath and Zou provide amply documented case studies in which corporations have hired agents with plausible scientific credentials to influence legal and regulatory opinion about asbestos, vinyl chloride, arsenic, tobacco smoke and more." "Choking to Death in Detroit" was published in in the April 8, 2016 issue of Newsweek magazine. The article takes readers on a journey to River Rouge, Michigan, a pollution-choked city of 7,000 at the southern edge of Detroit, where asthma runs rampant. "To get to the bottom of this devastating health problem, Schlanger had feet on the ground in that little city, meeting with local residents, health professionals and officials as well as casting her net wide to cover the continued rise of a toxic industry and risk to residents' immune systems and genes," the judges said. "Schlanger's reporting is visceral: You can smell the acrid air and see the billowing smokestacks. But it is also pointed and precise in its documentation of environmental abuse and racism." "When the Dust Settles" was published in the September 2016 issue of Texas Monthly. Hershaw describes in terrifying detail how the frequent dust storms blowing through the feedlots of the Texas Panhandle might be spreading antibiotic resistance. The judges commended Hershaw's deeply reported and narrative story for "taking us through the mounting problem of antibiotic resistance in agriculture, now spilling into the human realm and threatening our management of infectious disease." They note that "the story is particularly important because it follows the long effort of scientists to document and expose a grave social harm in the face of industry and institutional resistance. This is a powerful inside look at courage in science as well as a work of nuanced storytelling and dogged reportage." "Not Just a Death, a System Failure" was published in The New York Times on February 6, 2016. It's a personal piece by a young woman watching her mother die in a hospital, "a powerful indictment of the way our health care system is still failing so many Americans who would prefer to die at home surrounded by loved ones, but instead end up expiring in a hospital with tubes stuck in them, unable to enjoy their last moments," the judges say. "Barbara Moran vividly contrasts the way Ted Kennedy (who had died a few days earlier than her mother) was able to eat ice cream, enjoy an ocean view and share dinner with friends at home in his last days to the way her mother died in the ICU, "greedily" sucking on mouth swabs with the view of a gritty rooftop. The piece is a cry from the heart for better palliative care." In addition, NASW would like to recognize those entries that were finalists in the competition: Finalists in the Books category: - Pandemic: Tracking Contagions from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, by Sonia Shah, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux - The War on Science: Who's Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do About It, by Shawn Otto, published by Milkweed Editions Finalists in the Longform category: - "Dangerous Doses" by Sam Roe and Karisa King, Chicago Tribune - "American Girl" by Azeen Ghorayshi, BuzzFeed News Finalists in the Science Reporting category: - "The Looming Threat of Factory-Farm Antibiotics" by Melinda Wenner Moyer, Scientific American - "Winged Warriors" by Kelly Servick, Science Finalists in the Science Reporting for a Local or Regional Market category: - "Climate change triggers triage in Northwest forests" by Julia Rosen, High Country News - "Seismic Denial" by Steve Thompson and Anna Kuchment, The Dallas Morning News Finalist in the Opinion category: - "I told my doctors my drug history. Yet they gave me opioids without counseling" by Seth Mnookin, STAT The final judging committee consisted of Pamela Weintraub (Aeon), Alison Bass (West Virginia University) and Curt Suplee (Freelance). The Science in Society awards committee was co-chaired by Amber Dance (Freelance) and Alla Katsnelson (Freelance). In addition to the final committee, NASW thanks the volunteers who served on the preliminary committees: Eric Bender (Freelance), Silke Schmidt (University of Wisconsin-Madison), David Biello (TED), Lindsey Konkel (Freelance), Peter Friederici (Northern Arizona University), Jude Isabella (Hakai), M. Mitchell Waldrop (Freelance), Kitta MacPherson (Rutgers University), Francie Diep (Pacific Standard), Emma Marris (Freelance), Evelyn Strauss (Freelance), Clara Moskowitz (Scientific American), Michael E. Newman (National Institute of Standards and Technology), Lucas Laursen (Freelance), Jyoti Madhusoodanan (Freelance), and William Schulz (Freelance). Entries for next year's competition, for material published or broadcast in 2017, are due February 1, 2018. Entry forms will be available at http://www.nasw.org in December 2017. ### The largest organization devoted to the professional interests of science writers, the National Association of Science Writers fosters the dissemination of accurate information regarding science through all media normally devoted to informing the public. Its 2,470 members include science writers and editors, and science-writing educators and students. For questions or more information visit http://www.nasw.org or write director@nasw.org. LA JOLLA--Salk Institute President Elizabeth Blackburn--the Institute's first female president and one of only 12 women to have won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine--is among 46 honorees featured in FIRSTS, a new TIME multimedia project celebrating "women who broke ground in their fields" and "played pioneers in history," the Salk Institute announced today. "Our goal with this extraordinary project...is for every woman and girl to find someone who moves her, to find someone whose presence in the highest reaches of success says to her that it is safe to climb, come on up, the view is spectacular," said TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs. "[These women] were candid about their challenges, aware of their responsibilities, eager to tell their stories that will surprise and inspire. We hope everyone, at every life stage, will encounter an insight here that will open a door to new ambitions." A champion of women in science throughout her distinguished career, Blackburn has led Salk since January 2016 as its first female president. She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for discovering the molecular nature of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that serve as protective caps essential for preserving genetic information, and for co-discovering telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomere ends. She also has received nearly every major award in science including the Lasker, Gruber and Gairdner prizes. Helping to guide public science policy, she was a member of the Stem Cell Research Advisory Panel for the California State Legislature and is a regular participant in the World Economic Forum. The FIRSTS project will be included in the September 18, 2017 issue of TIME, available at newsstands on September 8. The entire project, which includes interviews, videos, portraits and a soon-to-be-published book, is available online at http://www.time.com/firsts, with Blackburn's video available at http://time.com/collection/firsts/4898593/elizabeth-blackburn-firsts. ### For more information on Blackburn and the FIRSTS project, please contact the Salk Communications Office at press@salk.edu. About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk's mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer's, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin. Learn more at: salk.edu. War was not an activity exclusive to males in the Viking world. A new study conducted by researchers at Stockholm and Uppsala Universities shows that women could be found in the higher ranks at the battlefield. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, who led the study, explains: "What we have studied was not a Valkyrie from the sagas but a real life military leader, that happens to be a woman". The study was conducted on one of the most iconic graves from the Viking Age. It holds the remains of a warrior surrounded by weapons, including a sword, armour-piercing arrows, and two horses. There were also a full set of gaming pieces and a gaming board. "The gaming set indicates that she was an officer", says Charlotte, "someone who worked with tactics and strategy and could lead troops in battle". The warrior was buried in the Viking town of Birka during the mid-10th century. Isotope analyses confirm an itinerant life style, well in tune with the martial society that dominated 8th to 10th century northern Europe. Anna Kjellstrom, who also participated in the study, has taken an interest in the burial previously. "The morphology of some skeletal traits strongly suggests that she was a woman, but this has been the type specimen for a Viking warrior for over a century why we needed to confirm the sex in any way we could." And this is why the archaeologists turned to genetics, to retrieve a molecular sex identification based on X and Y chromosomes. Such analyses can be quite useful according to Maja Krezwinska: "Using ancient DNA for sex identification is useful when working with children for example, but can also help to resolve controversial cases such as this one". Maja was thus able to confirm the morphological sex identification with the presence of X chromosomes but the lack of a Y chromosome. Jan Stora, who holds the senior position on this study, reflects over the history of the material: "This burial was excavated in the 1880ies and has served as a model of a professional Viking warrior ever since. Especially, the grave-goods cemented an interpretation for over a century". It was just assumed she was a man through all these years. "The utilization of new techniques, methods, but also renewed critical perspectives, again, shows the research potential and scientific value of our museum collections". The study is a part of the ongoing ATLAS project, which is a joint effort by Stockholm University and Uppsala University, supported by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (The Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences) and Vetenskapsradet (The Swedish Research Council), to investigate the genetic history of Scandinavia. ### More information The article "A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics" is published in American Journal of Physical Anthropology: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.23308/full Contact Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Dept. Archaeology, Uppsala, Phone: 46-(0)8-519 55 724, 46-(0)70-371 07 17, E-mail: charlotte.hedenstierna-jonson@arkeologi.uu.se Anna Kjellstrom, Dept. Archaeology & Classic Studies, Stockholm University, Phone 46-(0)73-756 50 91 Maja Krezwinska, Dept. Archaeology & Classic Studies, Stockholm University, Phone 46-(0)8-16 49 72 MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (Sept. 7, 2017) - Tufts University has entered into an agreement with Somerville's Greentown Labs, the nation's largest clean technology startup incubator, to share their collective expertise, resources and networks. The alliance furthers Tufts' commitment to sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, while also serving as an example of the university's support of one of its host communities. As part of the agreement, Greentown Labs and Tufts will collaborate on supporting a network of innovative startups and local entrepreneurs, and Greentown Labs companies will be able to work with the students and faculty of one of the nation's premier research universities. The "Gigawatt Partner" arrangement also provides for: A member of the Tufts faculty to serve as a faculty-in-residence to Greentown Labs companies, advising fledgling businesses in the incubator; A recent Tufts graduate to serve in a rotating one-year position as a "Greentown Fellow," based at Tufts Institute of the Environment (TIE), who will be the primary liaison between the university and the incubator; Startups run by Tufts affiliates (students, faculty, postdoctoral associates, staff or alumni) to receive access to become Greentown Labs member companies; An opportunity for students at Tufts University's Gordon Institute - an engineering management and entrepreneurship program - and seniors studying engineering design to collaborate with Greentown Labs member companies; and Access for Greentown Labs companies to Tufts facilities, including the new Science and Engineering Complex on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus. "Tufts is excited to be working with Greentown Labs, especially since they are our neighbors in Somerville," said Linda Abriola, University Professor and director of TIE. "We look forward to collaborating closely with the innovative thinkers at Greentown toward our shared goal of supporting environmental sustainability." Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Operating a 40,000 square foot facility that enables entrepreneurs to solve today's biggest energy and environmental problems, Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events and programs for the clean technology community and tours more than 10,000 visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing access to the resources, labs and funding they need to thrive. The incubator will expand its footprint in November 2017 when they open the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation. For more information about the community and its new facility, please visit http://www.greentownlabs.com, or follow the incubator on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Tufts demonstrates its commitment to sustainable goals through a variety of initiatives and programs, many overseen by the Office of Sustainability. Tufts is constructing a new, Central Energy Plant on its Medford/Somerville campus, which will replace a former inefficient plant and lower Tufts' greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent annually. This June, the Grafton campus unveiled two new solar installations that generate 40 percent of the power for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, Tufts houses or is affiliated with such research initiatives as TIE, Stockholm Environment Institute of the United States (SEI-US) and Global Development and Environment Institute (GDAE), which study environmental impact around the planet. Tufts also supports entrepreneurship in a number of ways, having identified innovation as one of its core strategic themes. ### About Tufts University Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university's schools is widely encouraged. The objective of this project is based on getting services of delivery and electronic mail to respond to the new security standards defined by the European Union in the eIDAS ruling (EU Regulation 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services). All member states must meet the new standard by the end of 2018. The project is coordinated by Professor Jesus Carretero, from the UC3M research group ARCOS, and the consortium also includes researchers from Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland and Norway. Through the adoption of eDelivery, a system that provides a wide variety of software services linked to the world of information and communication technologies, "public administrations would be aided in the exchange of data and electronic documents with other administrations (A2A), companies (A2B and B2A) and citizens (A2C and C2A) in an interoperable, secure, reliable and trustworthy manner," said Carretero, who heads the ARCOS group and is a professor in the UC3M Computer Science and Engineering Department. Interoperable documentation and electronic billing system There are two standout applications in this project. The first makes it possible to have a common system for the secure delivery of electronic documents, which would facilitate, for example, the implementation of the portal for e-Justice, where different European justice administrations could securely exchange judicial documents. Furthermore, the interoperability of electronic billing would be achieved, allowing the exchange of invoices between companies in different European countries with the help of tax agencies and fiscal organizations. The project faces two main challenges: the difficulties of technical execution and possible organizational complications stemming from processes of consensus and the joint action of the different organizations and institutions involved--"no simple task," assured Carretero. MADE (Multiple Access to eDElivery) is a European research project funded through the "Connecting Europe Facility" (CEF) program, within the call CEF-TC-2016-2-eDelivery (reference number INEA/CEF/ICT/A2016/1278042 - Action number 2016-EU-IA-0063). In this research consortium, which is coordinated by UC3M, some of the participating researchers are from institutions such as Aksesspunkt Norge AS (Norway), BIZbrains A/S (Denmark), eConnect International B.V. (the Netherlands), Intercambio Electronico de Datos y Comunicaciones SL (Spain), Leading Management Technology SL (Spain), Officient A/S (Denmark), Sendill Is Unimaze Ehf (Iceland) and the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). Video (with english subtitles): https://youtu.be/hiAqAeAZ5PE ### Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have shown that mothers who take recommended amounts of folic acid around conception might reduce their children's pesticide-related autism risk. In the study, children whose mothers took 800 or more micrograms of folic acid (the amount in most prenatal vitamins) had a significantly lower risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - even when their mothers were exposed to household or agricultural pesticides associated with increased risk. The study appears today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. "We found that if the mom was taking folic acid during the window around conception, the risk associated with pesticides seemed to be attenuated," said Rebecca J. Schmidt, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and first author on the paper. "Mothers should try to avoid pesticides. But if they live near agriculture, where pesticides can blow in, this might be a way to counter those effects." In the paper, which used data from the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) study, researchers looked at 296 children between 2 and 5 who had been diagnosed with ASD and 220 who had developed typically. Mothers were interviewed about their household pesticide exposure during pregnancy, as well as their folic acid and B vitamin intake. The team also linked data from California Pesticide Use reports, which provide important details about agricultural spraying, with the mothers' addresses. Mothers who took less than 800 micrograms and encountered household pesticides had a much higher estimated risk of having a child who developed an ASD than moms who took 800 micrograms of folic acid or more and were not exposed to pesticides. The associated risk increased for women exposed repeatedly. Women with low folic acid intake who were exposed to agricultural pesticides during a window from three months before conception to three months afterward also were at higher estimated risk. "Folic acid intake below the median and exposure to pesticides was associated with higher risk of autism than either low intake or exposure alone," said Schmidt, a UC Davis MIND Institute faculty member. "The mothers who had the highest risk were the ones who were exposed to pesticides regularly." While folic acid did reduce the associated risk of a child developing autism, it did not entirely eliminate it. "It would be better for women to avoid chronic pesticide exposure if they can while pregnant," Schmidt said. The authors caution that this is a case-control study that relied heavily on participants' memories. In addition, they have yet to establish a causal link. However, these results certainly warrant larger studies to validate them. The team is also eager to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to folic acid's possible protective effects. "Folate plays a critical role in DNA methylation (a process by which genes are turned off or on), as well as in DNA repair and synthesis," said Schmidt. "These are all really important during periods of rapid growth when there are lots of cells dividing, as in a developing fetus. Adding folic acid might be helping out in a number of these genomic functions." ### Other researchers included Janie F. Shelton, Lora Delwiche, Robin L. Hansen, Sally Ozonoff, Deborah H. Bennett, Irva Hertz-Picciotto and Daniel Tancredi at UC Davis; Vladimir Kogan and Heather E. Volk at UCLA; and Claudia C. Ma Erin and C. McCanlies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health (R21-ES021330, R01-ES015359, P01-ES11269, 2K12HD051958, R21-ES19002, P30-ES023513 and U54-HD079125); The Environmental Protection Agency STAR program (R-42 829388 & R833292) and the UC Davis MIND Institute. At the UC Davis MIND Institute, world-renowned scientists engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research to find the causes of and develop treatments and cures for autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fragile X syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders. For more information, visit mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu PHILADELPHIA - Bitter taste receptors in the upper airway are a first line of defense against sinus infections, but their ability to kill harmful toxins and pathogens is blocked when the sweet taste receptors are also stimulated. While glucose and other sugars are known to trigger these sweet taste receptors, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania have now shown amino acids can also have that effect. This new understanding could help pave the way toward new treatments for chronic sinus infections. The researchers published their findings in the journal Science Signaling this week. The clinical name for chronic sinus infections is rhinosinusitis. It affects nearly 35 million Americans each year - more than 10 percent of the country's population - and forces people across the country to spend more than $8 billion overall on health care costs. Previous research at Penn has suggested that a novel way to treat these infections involves manipulating the nasal bitter and sweet taste receptors. Bitter receptors release small proteins called antimicrobial peptides which kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi that enter the nose, while sweet receptors - normally activated by sugar found in mucus - control the rate at which those peptides are released. When the body is healthy, this system maintains the status quo. But when pathogens, toxins, and allergens get into the upper respiratory tract, it throws off the balance. This new study shows the sweet taste receptor, known as T1R, can also be activated by certain amino acids secreted by bacteria. Researchers took cells from rhinosinusitis patients and isolated the various communities of bacteria that were present. They found cultures of Staphylococcus bacteria produced two D-amino acids called D-Phe and D-Leu, both of which activate T1R sweet receptors and block the release of antimicrobial peptides. "These amino acids, which come from Staphylococcus bacteria, block the body's natural immune response by essentially hitting the breaks on the defensive bitter taste receptors," said the study's senior author Noam A. Cohen, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Otorhinolaryngology and director of rhinology research at Penn. Researchers also found D-Phe and D-Leu, combined with Staphylococcus, prevented the formation of other bacteria colonies - specifically, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition to showing the importance of sweet and bitter taste receptors in shaping the microbial communities that exist in the human airway - researchers say this could also lead to specific therapies to treat chronic rhinosinusitis. "Specifically, in the future, sweet-receptor blockers, which are known and used in some food and supplement products, may be useful to block activation of T1R, which would allow the body's normal defenses to work properly, even when high concentrations of D-amino acids are present," said the study's lead author Robert Lee, PhD, an assistant professor of Otorhinolaryngology and Physiology at Penn. The researchers are developing such a therapy, and a patent on their work is pending. ### The funding was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH R01DC013588, R21DC013886, R03DC013862), the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (LEER16GO), the University of Pennsylvania Diabetes Research Center (DK19525), and the RLG Foundation. Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $6.7 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $392 million awarded in the 2016 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2016, Penn Medicine provided $393 million to benefit our community. Strontium (Sr) is an element which in the event of a nuclear accident is the one that is most released into the atmosphere. The chemical behaviour of strontium is similar to that of calcium and can accumulate in the soil, in plants and in animals (in bones, especially). It is an element with two main radioisotopes (90Sr and 89Sr) which have an effective biological life that is relatively high for human beings, and due to its fixation in the bones, ends up giving a dose of radiation over many years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has proposed, among many other things, a method to rapidly detect radioactive Sr in milk in the event of a nuclear emergency or accident. However, applying methods of this type is not valid in routine environmental measurements, in which the detection limits are much lower than in a nuclear emergency. That is why in a study conducted by the Nuclear and Radiological Safety research group of the UPV/EHU's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Fluid Mechanics has obtained the conditions and parameters with which to turn the rapid method proposed by the IAEA into a method that can be used in the radiological monitoring plans incorporated into routine environmental studies. A single method for emergencies and routine analyses The lab of the Nuclear and Radiological Safety research group is a lab for low activity measurements which besides being devoted to research also carries out radiological monitoring measurements for various bodies such as the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council. According to Raquel Idoeta, PhD, a researcher in this group, "it is a rapid method that performs well and is fairly straightforward and low-cost to adapt". In the study they carried out experimental measurements as well as numerical simulations to determine the parameters and conditions of adaptation; they also, as Idoeta explained, made an economic assessment "to see how easy it would be for other labs to adapt it". She went on to say that "any environmental lab that has equipment for detecting beta particles or which carries out strontium assessments hardly needs anything else to incorporate this method. A lab that routinely applies this method would not experience major problems in applying it properly in the event of an emergency to provide a rapid response when establishing radioactive strontium in milk, even though in this case it would be adapting the measuring volumes and times in line with what has been assessed in our study to meet the demands in environmental matters". ### Additional information The UPV/EHU's Nuclear and Radiological Safety research group is a consolidated research group of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community. The Low Activity Measurement Lab (LMBA) is part of the UPV/EHU's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Fluid Mechanics. It is located at the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao. Bibliographical reference M. Herranz, R. Idoeta, S. Rozas, F. Legarda. "Analysis of the use of the IAEA rapid method of 89Sr and 90Sr in milk for environmental monitoring". Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.06.003 Maunakea, Hawaii - NASA has awarded a five-year Cooperative Agreement with the California Association for Research in Astronomy to continue the science program at Keck Observatory. "The Keck Observatory has unique, world-class capabilities that we consider essential to realize the scientific potential of many NASA missions, both ongoing and planned," said Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. "NASA's continuing partnership with Keck will ensure that astronomers and planetary scientists can carry out important ground-based observations necessary for the success of NASA missions and their scientific objectives." The Keck Observatory is privately owned; in 1994 NASA contributed to the observatory and has been a partner ever since. "I am pleased to see the powerful synergy between NASA and Keck Observatory continue," said Keck Observatory Director Hilton Lewis. "This private/public collaboration in fundamental science is both unusual and extremely effective. The addition of NASA as a strong and committed partner has helped keep the Keck astronomy community at the forefront of science. In addition to supporting the operation of the telescopes, NASA has contributed to our scientific leadership through joint programs and provided access to Keck Observatory for the broader US astronomy community." Under the new agreement, which takes effect March 1, 2018 through February 28, 2023, Keck Observatory will support upcoming NASA missions, including: James Webb Space Telescope Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Euclid (ESA) Mars 2020 Explorers Program: Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX), Small Explorers (SMEX) Planetary Missions: Discovery, New Frontiers These next-generation space-based NASA missions, in conjunction with ground-based support from the world's most scientifically productive optical/infrared telescopes at Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii, will allow the nation's scientists to obtain new knowledge from never-before-seen views of the universe. "NASA's investment gives our science community a seat at the table for observatory governance and scientific planning, helping to shape the future observatory capabilities and operations model in a way that is highly beneficial to the NASA science program," said Hashima Hasan, NASA program scientist for Keck Observatory. "I was personally delighted that NASA was again willing to invest in Keck Observatory," said Keck Observatory Chief Scientist Anne Kinney. "It brings the national brain-trust, among the best and the brightest in the entire country, to our observatory, and links us to groundbreaking NASA missions." Current Keck Observatory observations are already characterizing targets, assembling input catalogs, and refining calibrations for Webb, Euclid, TESS, Europa Clipper, and WFIRST. With this agreement in place, NASA and Keck Observatory will continue conducting scientific investigations specifically designed to advance quests to find habitable Earth-like exoplanets, unravel the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, discover potential microbial life on Mars, and support future planetary missions, including a visit to Jupiter's moon Europa. "Keck Observatory's advanced instrumentation suite continues to evolve and grow, and promises break-through discoveries in several scientific areas," said Mario Perez, NASA Program Executive for Keck Observatory. "This includes probing the cosmic history of galaxy evolution, tracing chemical evolution, characterizing photospheric properties of planetary system hosts, and mapping and monitoring volcanic hot spots on Jupiter's moon Io." In the last five years alone, Keck Observatory has been critical in supporting a variety of NASA astrophysics and planetary space missions, such as Cassini, JUNO, Deep Impact (EPOXI), WISE, New Horizons, SOFIA, MESSENGER, LCROSS, and more. One example that garnered international attention is when NASA's space observatory, Kepler, and Keck Observatory tag-teamed to verify the largest collection of exoplanets ever discovered. This led NASA to achieve one of its Level 1 science goals - a census of extrasolar planets with data so detailed that demographics of Earth-sized planets are included. "Keck Observatory has made critical contributions to the success of NASA's Kepler/K2 mission, providing high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy to validate and characterize the masses and orbits of hundreds of exoplanets," said Charles Beichman, executive director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) at Caltech. The NASA-Keck collaboration has also been instrumental in making 25 years of Keck Observatory data publically accessible via the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA). KOA capabilities have improved in recent years and it now serves as a repository of all the high-value data obtained at the Observatory. "It is a privilege to be able to give community-wide access to our data. We believe it is critical to share the scientific knowledge that we gain with the world, to help solve the hardest problems in astronomy," said Director Lewis. Through this collaboration, NASA has access to one-sixth of the annually available observing time, to both 10-meter telescopes: Keck I and Keck II. This observing time is available to the U.S. scientific community through a competitive allocation using a merit-based process. NASA partners with NExScI to carry out a Keck Guest Observing Program, implement KOA, and manage Key Science Mission Support Projects and other related activities. NExScI already has an open call underway for professional research proposals for NASA Keck observing time in Spring of 2018. The W. M. Keck Observatory operates the most scientifically productive telescopes on Earth. The two, 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes on the summit of Maunakea on the Island of Hawaii feature a suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, integral-field spectrometers, and world-leading laser guide star adaptive optics systems. The Observatory is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and a scientific partnership of the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA. ### For more information, visit: http://www.keckobservatory.org Media Contacts: Mari-Ela Chock W. M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii 808-881-3827 mchock@keck.hawaii.edu Felicia Chou NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0257 felicia.chou@nasa.gov From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Friday, September 8, 2017 Martha A. Brown President of Additionally, I research, practice and teach restorative justice, which is grounded in Indigenous values such as interconnectedness, openness, honesty, vulnerability, and respect. I bring these values and restorative practices to my work. However, too many times I have felt like I am breaking all the rules that I learned in graduate school as I infuse love into my work and the people I work with. When I read the invitation to submit a blog on evaluation and labor, the first thing that came to mind was to write about putting love and relationships at the center of our work. What would our work look like if each of us took time at the outset and throughout every evaluation to build trusting relationships with our stakeholders and participants? Do those of us who are products of Western culture even know how to do this? In a society that values goals, outcomes, and return-on-investment above all else, how can we return to the teachings and the ways of our ancestors and put our relationships at the center of everything we do? We knew this once, but have forgotten. In AEA, many evaluators are truly committed to changing the world, to improving peoples lives, and to creating more just and equitable ways of doing what we do. But we dont always know how to live out our goals. That requires us to critically reflect upon what we were taught, how we do our work, and to ask who is being inadvertently silenced, harmed, or oppressed during an evaluation or in an evaluation classroom. It requires us to love. Love requires us to engage our whole selves mind, body, heart and spirit in our work. We can learn how to do this by studying Indigenous values, practices, and ways of being. I am so grateful to those who helped me wake up, including our own Rad Resources: The Little Book of Circle Processes by Kay Pranis Restorative Theory in Practice by Belinda Hopkins Doing Democracy with Circles by Jennifer Ball, Wayne Caldwell and Kay Pranis And almost any other book available from Living Justice Press. The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Labor Day Week in Evaluation: Honoring the WORK of evaluation. The contributions this week are tributes to the behind the scenes and often underappreciated work evaluators do. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the Hello! ImPresident of RJAE Consulting . Lately, an endless stream of conference speakers, blog writers, Indigenous evaluators, and authors have confronted and challenged my programming as an evaluator. Traditional evaluation methods place tremendous emphasis on research methods and evaluation theory but not necessarily on the people we work with and for. At the 2017 Canadian Evaluation Society conference, Nora Roberts told me that the very tools of our profession continue to oppress and silence others. Her statement sent me reeling. Gail Barrington spoke about the value of reflecting upon our work and our methods so we can improve our craft and learn more about ourselves. Indigenous speakers at multiple conferences reminded me that we are all interconnected and that our relationships with ourselves and each other are the most important things in life. All of this can be summed up in one word: love.Additionally, I research, practice and teach restorative justice, which is grounded in Indigenous values such as interconnectedness, openness, honesty, vulnerability, and respect. I bring these values and restorative practices to my work. However, too many times I have felt like I am breaking all the rules that I learned in graduate school as I infuse love into my work and the people I work with.When I read the invitation to submit a blog on evaluation and labor, the first thing that came to mind was to write about putting love and relationships at the center of our work. What would our work look like if each of us took time at the outset and throughout every evaluation to build trusting relationships with our stakeholders and participants? Do those of us who are products of Western culture even know how to do this? In a society that values goals, outcomes, and return-on-investment above all else, how can we return to the teachings and the ways of our ancestors and put our relationships at the center of everything we do? We knew this once, but have forgotten.In AEA, many evaluators are truly committed to changing the world, to improving peoples lives, and to creating more just and equitable ways of doing what we do. But we dont always know how to live out our goals. That requires us to critically reflect upon what we were taught, how we do our work, and to ask who is being inadvertently silenced, harmed, or oppressed during an evaluation or in an evaluation classroom. It requires us to love.Love requires us to engage our whole selves mind, body, heart and spirit in our work. We can learn how to do this by studying Indigenous values, practices, and ways of being. I am so grateful to those who helped me wake up, including our own Nicky Bowman The American Evaluation Association is celebrating. The contributions this week are tributes to the behind the scenes and often underappreciated work evaluators do. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. Doctors without Borders on Thursday, called on the European Union (EU) to stop sending migrants to the chaotic Libya, saying people cannot be sent back to Libya, nor should they be contained there. In an open letter, the humanitarian organization blamed the EU for being accomplice in the treatment reserved to migrants in the North African violence-stricken nation. It accuses the bloc for its cooperation with the Libyan Coast Guard, causing misfortune for people while trying to cross. What migrants and refugees are living through in Libya should shock the collective conscience of Europes citizens and elected leaders, Dr. Joanne Liu, international president of MSF, wrote in the letter. Blinded by the single minded goal of keeping people outside of Europe, European funding is helping to stop boats from departing Libyan waters, a policy that is also feeding a criminal system of abuse, the letter stated, adding that The detention of migrants and refugees in Libya is rotten to the core. It must be named for what it is: a thriving enterprise of kidnapping, torture and extortion. And European governments have chosen to contain people in this situation. People cannot be sent back to Libya, nor should they be contained there. MSF has assisted people in Libyan detention centers in Tripoli for over a year, and has witnessed firsthand the scheme of arbitrary detention, extortion, physical abuse and deprivation of basic services that men, women and children suffer in these centers They are simply treated as commodities to be exploited, the letter stated further. We are not for open borders as such. But we do recognize that immense suffering cannot continue. People should not have a choice between dying in Libya or dying at sea while risking the journey. We have said that for months, we have said it for years. That needs to change, Jan-Peter Stellema, MSFs Operational Advisor said. European governments are investing tens of millions in anti-migration measures in Niger, Mali, and Chad to stop the flow of pick-up trucks that speed towards the Libyan border. The European Union leaders have, last month in Paris, discussed using the armed forces of African regimes to detain refugees and send them back toward the countries they had fled, thus keeping them in Africa and deterring further migration. Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire The Scottish farming industry has urged their support for Scotland Food and Drinks annual campaign to convert as many people as possible to buy fresh, local products. This years Food and Drink Fortnight which started on 2 September - has, through the #onethingfortnight tag, been encouraging the public to buy produce which has been locally sourced. With one week to go, social media successes show that the Scottish public have been embracing the message and making small, everyday changes which is hoping will make a big difference to Scottish farmers and producers. These have included switching from processed cheese in a packed lunch sandwich to cheese from a local dairy, using fresh Scottish raspberries in a dessert, and having seasonal Scotch lamb chops for dinner. The campaign has coincided with the UK-wide campaign #LoveLambWeek and Quality Meat Scotlands Wham Bam Thank You Lamb campaigns. It is hoped that a promotion of Scotch lamb will provide a much-needed boost to the meats popularity as peak season arrives. Despite the campaigns to raise awareness for domestic use, Scotland's food and drink industry is performing well. Exports increased by over 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2016. 'Finest' Scott Walker, NFU Scotland Chief Executive, said: Scotland produces some of the finest food and drink in the world and that is in no small part down to our farmers, crofters and growers who pride themselves in what they do day-in-day-out to produce some of the finest tastiest produce you will find anywhere. All too often we take for granted what is right here on our own doorstep. By being involved in campaigns like #onethingfortnight, we as an industry are able to shout about our fantastic produce we have here in Scotland. It is important that the valuable momentum built up by Food and Drink Fortnight in week one is carried through, not just for the next week but in making lasting changes to the produce that Scottish consumers buy on a regular basis. I encourage everyone to search out Scottish food and drink and whether it is trying something you havent tried before or cooking something different with the fantastic ingredients we produce here in Scotland #onethingfortnight is a chance to experiment and enjoy what farmers spend a lifetime producing for the people of Scotland. The latest statistics showing a fall in New Zealand lamb imports and a boost in UK exports has led the industry to reiterate the need for "free and unfettered" market access to the EU. The latest import and export statistics from HM Revenue and Customs for the first half of 2017 contains good news for the sheep sector. According to HMRC, imports of lamb into the UK market primarily from New Zealand fell by 15% when compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the value of lamb exports from the UK soared by 25% to 177.3 million. According to Welsh red meat body Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the excellent trade performance is due to a combination of weaker Sterling and strong demand in key export markets for premium products. HCC Chairman Kevin Roberts commented: The decline in imports from New Zealand is welcome, showing that UK retailers are responding to their consumers demand for high-quality home-produced meat. Mr Roberts added: These export figures are also a major boost. Its encouraging to see substantial 29% growth in sales to Germany, for instance, where HCC has mounted successful promotional campaigns for PGI Welsh Lamb over recent years in the countrys huge foodservice and catering sector. 'Free and unfettered' However, Mr Roberts warned that the figures reinforced the imperative need to maintain free and unfettered access to EU markets for British lamb. The HMRC statistics show that, aside from some growth in emerging markets such as Hong Kong, the vast majority of the increased exports in 2017 have come in EU countries such as France and Belgium, where the Welsh Lamb brand is well-known and respected, he said. HCC stands ready to work with the industry to exploit new opportunities in the USA and elsewhere if and when long-running diplomatic negotiations to open those markets come to fruition, but at present well over 90% of our exports are to the EU, he warned. These export figures represent a success story, but farmers need fair access to EU markets in order to maintain this momentum after Brexit in March 2019. 'Transition period' The UK sheep sector employs 34,000 people on farms and a further 111,405 jobs in allied industries. This contributes a huge 291.4m to employment. This burgeoning industry, which farmers say must be protected when the UK leaves the EU, has spurred on fourteen leading farming organisations to write to the government urging continued membership of the customs union after Brexit. In a joint statement they said it was vital to ensure a 'transition period' through which the UK retains unfettered access to European markets. Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association (NSA) said that if the UK lost access to the Single Market, tariffs to the European Union could be so high that exporting lamb to the EU would simply not work. The big question mark is access for UK lamb to the European Single Market. At the moment about 35 per cent of our production would be exported and virtually all of that - 96 per cent - would go into the European Single Market tariff free at the moment. The biggest European market for British lamb is France. Producers see losses increase to 26-28 per pig, estimates show Sanjay Wants All His Friends To Watch Bhoomi According to Deccan Chronicle, ''Sanjay is in the process of getting his second comeback venture, Bhoomi's release, and wants all of his Bollywood friends to come and watch his film and spread the word about the movie.'' His Friend Salman Khan Has A Huge Fan Following ''Obviously, one of the biggest social media handle belongs to Salman Khan.'' Sanjay Wants Salman To Recommend His Film ''Sanju surely does not want to miss out on the kind of publicity that he can get through Salman and wants the actor to watch and recommend the film.'' Salman Does Not Want To Attend Any Screening With Ranbir ''But Salman does not want to come and attend any general screening where other actors (read Ranbir Kapoor) will be present.'' So, Sanjay Is Doing This ''So, Sanjay is in the process of organising a special screening for Salman, which the actor can attend with his close ones.'' Sanjay Is Expecting That... ''Sanju has done cameos for films made by Salman's family earlier and hopes that the Dabbangg actor will give him some time.'' Those Who Don't Know Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt became friends when the Kapoor scion signed a movie based on Sanjay's life. When VA Shrikumar Menon Met Amitabh Bachchan! Once, popular film-maker VA Shrikumar went to meet Amitabh Bachchan, in connection with the shoot of an ad film. Amitabh Bachchan had returned after filming for his Hollywood movie The Great Gatsby, which featured Leonardo Dicaprio in the lead role. When VA Shrikumar Enquired About The Experience... During the meeting, VA Shrikumar Menon asked Amitabh Bachchan about the experience that he had while acting in a Hollywood movie, that too along with Leaonardo DiCaprio, who is one among the finest actors in the world. Amitabh Bachchan's Stunning Reply.. Amitabh Bachchan's reply would give goosebumps to all Keralites. Amitabh Bachchan replied to VA Shrikumar Menon that the finest actor in the world is out there in Kerala and it is none other than Mohanlal. Big B even commented that there is no other actor in the world who can perform with great finesse. What Was Mohanlal's Response? Interestingly, VA Shrikumar Menon also opened up that when he spoke to Mohanlal about this, the master actor smiled as if he just heard a light humour. The Two Legends Together Well, Amitabh Bachchan and Mohanlal have shared the screen space in a couple of movies. They first worked together in the film Aag, directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Later, both the legends went on to share the screen space in Kandahar, which marked Amitabh Bachchan's debut in Mollywood. Mohanlal, the complete actor of Mollywood is back with yet another highly exciting project, Odiyan. In a recent media interactive session, Mohanlal finally opened up about his preparations for his character Manikkan, in Odiyan. The actor finally admitted that he planning to shed 15 kilos, to portray the younger days of Odiyan Manikkan. Even though director VA Shrikumar Menon had revealed the news earlier, Mohanlal hasn't opened up about his makeover. Interestingly, the actor stated that he will go to any extent to lose weight, even if he has to starve. Mohanlal's revelation came out as a great surprise for his fans, as the actor had earlier stated that he doesn't believe in drastic makeovers. As per the reports, Mohanlal will be appearing in five different get-ups in Odiyan, which revolves around the concept of Odividya. Manikkan, his character, is an excellent athlete who can even run on four legs and jump higher than a normal person can. Odiyan, which is scripted by National Award-winner Harikrishnan, will have Manju Warrier as the female lead. Prakashraj, the popular actor-director appears as the main antagonist. Siddique and Angamaly Diaries fame Sarath Kumar aka Appani Ravi essay the other key roles. Abhishek Steps Into Arjits Shoes Abhishek confirmed the reports and said, "This is my first mythological and it's a lavish one. I have been following it since the first episode. Since I'm from the North, such shows interest me." The Actor Feels There Are Lot Of Things To Learn He further added, "There are a lot of things even I didn't know about that I learn from watching these shows." About Nandi "Nandi was a great warrior and the best part is that in this show he is not portrayed in a comical light. We have a good-looking Nandi, who is a big draw with kids." About Replacing Arjit. About replacing Arjit on the show, the actor was quoted by the leading daily as saying, "The loss of any actor is huge but as they say, The show must go on.'" Abhishek Says "I know a lot of people on the set were very attached to Arjit, who was doing a good job. I also know that I have to make my own mark in the role and not just be his replacement." People Praised Abhishek "I plan to give it my own touch by keeping the character cute yet aggressive when required. After my first day on the set, a lot of people came up and praised me, which was a nice gesture." Philip Morris International (PM 1.31%) and Verizon (VZ -0.57%) are usually considered slow-growth income plays for conservative investors. PMI is the second largest publicly traded tobacco company in the world, and Verizon is the top wireless service provider and second largest wireline service provider in the United States. Those wide moats keep many potential rivals at bay, and both stocks pay solid dividends. But is one of these stocks a better buy at current prices? Let's examine their growth rates, valuations, and potential headwinds to find out. How fast is PMI growing? PMI was spun off of Altria (MO 0.36%) back in 2008. It focused on selling Philip Morris tobacco products in higher-growth overseas markets, while Altria remained in the U.S. market. PMI's revenue (excluding excise taxes) fell 0.4% in fiscal 2016. But on a constant currency basis, its revenue rose 4.4% -- which highlights the problem with generating all its revenues overseas while reporting in U.S. dollars. Sales across all its regions rose after excluding currency impacts, with Asia and Latin America leading the way. Its adjusted earnings only rose 1.4% as reported, but grew 11.8% on a constant currency basis. For the current year, PMI expects its revenue to rise 7% and for its earnings to grow 9% to 12% -- after excluding excise taxes, currency impacts, and acquisitions. Unlike Altria, PMI has suspended buybacks until its currency headwinds wane, so its earnings growth is entirely driven by sales growth, price hikes, and better cost controls. But looking ahead, PMI faces mounting pressure to make a big acquisition (likely Altria) soon to counter British American Tobacco's recent purchase of Reynolds American -- which made it the biggest tobacco company in the world earlier this year. How fast is Verizon growing? Verizon emerged from the break-up of the "old" AT&T (T 1.11%) in the 1980s after Bell Atlantic merged with several of the other "Baby Bells". It founded Verizon Wireless as a joint venture with Vodafone in 1999, then acquired Vodafone's stake for a whopping $130 billion in 2014. Over the past two years, Verizon aggressively expanded its presence in the internet content space with the acquisitions of AOL and Yahoo's internet business. Verizon's revenue fell 4.3% as reported in 2016. Excluding the impact of divested landline businesses and AOL, total operating revenues fell 2.4%. Non-GAAP earnings declined 3%. Those declines reflect Verizon's slowing growth in wireless subscribers, tougher price competition from unlimited plans, and the ongoing expansion of its digital ecosystem. Like AT&T, Verizon believes that the expansion of "sponsored data" -- or streaming content that doesn't count toward data caps -- can lock in more subscribers while generating additional revenue streams. But for the current year, analysts still expect Verizon's revenue and earnings to respectively dip 1% and 2%. Comparing the valuations and dividends Philip Morris International rallied nearly 30% this year, which boosted its trailing P/E to 26 -- compared to the industry average of 14 for tobacco companies. Its forward P/E of 22 only looks slightly cheaper. Yet investors shunned Verizon, which stumbled 10% this year due to concerns about its stagnant growth and costly, debt-fueled expansion strategies. But the stock now trades at 12 times earnings, versus the industry average of 22 for telcos. Its forward P/E of 13 also looks fairly cheap. PMI has hiked its dividend every year after splitting with Altria, and currently pays a forward yield of 3.6%. That dividend used up 92% of its earnings over the past 12 months. Verizon raised its dividend annually for a decade, and it pays a forward yield of 4.8%. That dividend is supported by a lower payout ratio of 59%. The winner: Verizon I once owned both PMI and Verizon as income investments, but I only hold Verizon today. PMI looks pricey relative to its industry peers and growth potential, its dividend is lower, and British American Tobacco represents a looming threat to both PMI and Altria. Unpredictable currency headwinds could also turn entire regions (like Latin America) into dead weights on its overall growth. Verizon has anemic top and bottom line growth, but the aging telco is evolving with its various investments in digital media, connected cars, and the Internet of Things. Those investments won't transform Verizon overnight, but the stock's high dividend and low valuation should limit its downside potential. The United Nations Secretary-General Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Ibn Chambas, arrived in Togo on Thursday as anti-Gnassingbe dynasty protests in the country and abroad, called for President Faure to step down. Dr. Ibn Chambas first met with the opposition leader and encouraged him to engage in discussions with the government for constitutional and institutional reforms. Dr. Ibn Chambas, welcomed the adoption by the Council of Ministers of the draft law on constitutional review, Faure Gnassingbe said on his Twitter handle. The said law is meant to reintroduce presidential term limits, which was amended to allow Faure continue in power. On Thursday night, second day of the anti-Gnassingbe protest, security services fired teargas to disperse thousands of protesters in the streets of the capital Lome. The two-day protest called for by the opposition parties comes two weeks after a massive demonstration, which resulted in the deaths of at least three with several others injured. The protesters are calling for the revision of the 1992 Constitution. The opposition want the original two five-year term limit be restored, a two-ballot system, reform of the Constitutional Court and the Electoral Commission. Togolese authorities have maintained the internet and SMS messaging shutdown in the tiny West African nation. SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. While political ideas have often made their way into the content of games and talks on offer at PAX, its rare that electoral politics takes center stage. Occasionally, a local politician has wandered the show floor, but this year PAX West made history by hosting its first sitting member of Congress for a proper talk. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the newly elected representative for Washingtons 7th District, spoke on Monday afternoon in a dialogue with veteran game developer, and lead curator of PAX Dev, Lone Shark Games founder Mike Selinker. The framing of the conversation was "Gamers & Political Consciousness," promising to talk about "current issues that affect games and the internet, and how to engage with political representatives." In a significant way, it met that goal, though perhaps not through the tech-politics-heavy discussion some mightve been expecting. "You know how in the history books there are some decades that get a paragraph and others that get a whole chapter? Were in one of the decades that gets a chapter," ArenaNets Jessica Price noted in her introduction, which emphasized the gravity of the moment and the importance of getting involved--a theme repeated throughout the larger conversation, which focused on a range of marquee political issues. "You have this enormous voice as a community, and we need it. We are at a crossroads on so many levels and issues, really the very soul of our country." The Congresswoman drew loud cheers when she talked about how excited she was to be the first of her office at PAX West, before she launched into an introductory speech that built on Prices remarks about the importance of our political moment and explained why she wanted to talk to gamers specifically, saying that she believed in "creating communities that have innovation, creativity, diversity, and thats what this community [at PAX] is about." She added she was especially interested in "how we use the incredibly powerful voice that you have as a community you have this enormous voice as a community, and we need it. We are at a crossroads on so many levels and issues, really the very soul of our country." Her preamble was an eloquent barn burner that touched on key progressive causes, including reform of the Democratic Party itself. "I want a proposition agenda," she said, "not just an opposition agenda. Lets also say what were for." Net neutrality and single payer healthcare drew loud cheers as well from this broadly sympathetic crowd. *** Early discussion was generally focused on broad events; Selinkers first question was about whether Jayapal was in any way surprised about recent events, including the election of Donald Trump. "I wasnt surprised... I spent the last 20 years of my life fighting for immigrant rights," she said, noting that during her years working for immigrant advocacy groups like OneAmerica, "I got enormous hate mail directed at me, death threats, lynching threats, just because I was standing up and speaking out in defense of civil liberties." We are, she said, in an age of "presidentially sanctioned white supremacy and hate," adding, "Its not a question of whether or not were surprised by it, but what we do now." This became a theme of much of the discussion, talking about specific issues to organize around advocate around. She asseverated her faith in the idea that communities around the country were more engaged than ever, in response to a question from Selinker about whether it was possible to get back to where we were before Election Night 2016. "Were at a low point, but were also at a high point in terms of the potential for engagement. Thats why this community is so important. " "You have to be an optimist in order to be an organizer. If anything, this has showed us whats at stake. The thing that gives me the most hope is that the resistance is alive and well. I mean, who wouldve guessed that the word 'emoluments' would become so popular?" she said to much laughter. "Were at a low point," Jayapal added, speaking of the terrors of recent months. "But were at a high point in terms of the potential for engagement. Thats why this community is so important." The scale of recent events--from the repeal of DACA, to the growing North Korean crisis, to the resurgence of Nazism--is so vast that it pulls everything into its orbit, with Jayapal and Selinkers conversation hitting those marquee issues repeatedly. As a consequence, the conversation rarely descended into gamer-specific issues, but the broader purpose of the talk--animating and exciting a PAX audience into taking part in progressive politics--seemed to be served. Given the magnitude of our chapter-worthy age, that felt appropriate. Tech and science were addressed directly, however. "Is net neutrality dead?" Selinker asked pointedly. "Its not dead! Everything comes and goes in waves," she said, arguing that no progressive change in this country has ever come automatically or by fiat, and adding that everyone in the room with friends in Republican districts could begin the process of organizing letter writing campaigns. In response to a question about possible hacking of voting machines, she emphasized the importance of transparent investigations and using paper ballots as a backup. "Net Neutrality is not dead! Everything comes and goes in waves." Jayapal also lent her support to the idea of alternative-voting, where voters rank their choices rather than making a binary choice a la the first past the post system. More than a few in the audience lent vocal support to the notion. And tied it to other innovative democratic reforms like Seattles Democracy Voucher program that gives every citizen $100 to donate to political campaigns, as a way of using a tide of small donations as a bulwark against the influence of larger, corporate gifts. "The average donation to my campaign was 23 dollars, so we beat Bernie," Jayapal said, laughing a bit. "Well youre not the only one to beat Bernie Sanders," Selinker joked, clearly unable to resist. "Too soon!" yelled a man from an audience consumed in equal measure by laughs and groans. The discussion began to come to a close as Selinker asked, "Is it necessary to be the worlds number one superpower?" "Its about how you use the power you have," Jayapal replied handily, saying that the U.S. has been giving up its "moral leverage" in recent months, concluding that she wants this country to be "a superpower for human rights, for dignity, for respect." Applause filled the hall. The discussion went over time, preventing Selinker from asking the PAX audience's questions that had been handed to him on a thick stack of cards. Jessica Price handed them off to Representative Jayapal who then suggested to the audience that she should perhaps do a Reddit AMA soon. There was no small amount of enthusiasm for that. What is Android One? Back in 2014, Google launched Android One platform in an attempt to provide a quality stock Android experience at a low price point for tier 2 cities. In fact, the first few companies to manufacture Android One smartphones are Micromax, Karbonn and Spice mobiles starting at Rs. 6299. Following the Indian market, Google made its Android One presence in other countries as well including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Philippines, Bangladesh, and Nepal. What is the difference between Android and Android One? Generally, most of the OEMs skin the Android for their phones where it becomes difficult for Google to push new OS updates to old phones on time. Talking about the difference, with normal Android phones, the company manufacturing the phone chooses the right hardware and software for the devices, while for Android One devices Google finalizes the hardware and software to create Android smartphone at a lower price. Since the software is managed by Google, the phones will get software update just like its Nexus and Pixel series of smartphones. SEE ALSO: How to access Blocked Websites from anywhere Android smartphones list Samsung Galaxy C8 with dual rear cameras unveiled: Specs, price and release date News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Galaxy C8 is now official. The Samsung Galaxy C8 surfaced in a lot of rumors and leaks over the past few months. Now, the smartphone has been officially announced at an event in China. The Galaxy C8 is the third smartphone from the stable of Samsung to arrive with a dual camera setup at its rear. The first one is the Galaxy Note 8 and the second one is the Galaxy J7+ that was unveiled a few days back. With this device, the dual camera feature makes its way into the Galaxy C lineup of smartphones as well. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to be launched in India on September 12 The mid-range Galaxy C8 comes in three color variants - Black, Pink and Gold. For now, there is no word regarding the pricing of this device but we can get to know the same as it is expected to go on sale in the Chinese market soon. Dual camera The major highlight of the Galaxy C8 is the presence of the dual camera setup at its rear. The camera comprises of a 13MP RGB sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 5MP monochrome sensor with f/1.9 aperture. The rear camera comes with LED flash and FHD video recording. Up front, there is a 16MP selfie camera with an aperture of f/1.9 and LED flash as well. Design and features The Galaxy C8 features a premium metal unibody build and the physical home button doubles as a fingerprint sensor as well. The mid-range smartphone comes with a facial recognition feature too that can unlock the device as well as open secure applications. Display and hardware specs The Galaxy C8 features a 5.5-inch FHD 1080p Super AMOLED display. The smartphone employs a 2.4GHz octa-core processor of unknown chipset and runs on Android 7.1 Nougat. The device has been unveiled in two RAM and storage variants - 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB. Both the variants support expandable storage support up to 256GB using a microSD card. The connectivity aspects on board the smartphone include 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. A 3000mAh battery powers the smartphone from within. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Airtel Payment Bank- Mastercards online cards crosses 2 million users News oi -Priyanka Airtel said that the online card can be accessed by all Airtel Payments Bank customers via My Airtel app inside the bank section. Airtel Payments Bank-Mastercard powered online Debit and Prepaid cards said that it has crossed two million users in India within five months of the launch. The Digital payments solution enables Airtel Payments Bank customers to make secure and convenient digital payments at over 100,000 e-commerce websites and other online portals. Commenting on the feat, Shashi Arora, MD & CEO, Airtel Payments Bank said, "We are delighted with the customer response to our online debit and prepaid cards that further validates the growing acceptance of our digital payment platform in India. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mastercard for their continued support via the payments processing platform, ensuring safe, innovative and fast payments." Porush Singh, Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President, South Asia, Mastercard said, "It is heartening to see that cards issued by Airtel Payments Bank have clocked such an impressive growth. As payments processing partner, we are pleased to collaborate with Airtel Payments Bank to offer a safer, innovative and faster payments experience to its customers. We are constantly investing in India to deliver the highest quality of innovation and security in the payments space and set benchmarks for the industry." Airtel said that the online card can be accessed by all Airtel Payments Bank customers via My Airtel app inside the bank section. Mastercard's processing platform for Airtel Payments Bank enables a range of payment services including switching, card management, along with support for reconciliation and dispute management processes. This processing platform is supported by Mastercard's state-of-the-art payment Technology Center in Pune. Best Mobiles in India Airtel may launch its VoLTE services as early as next week: Reports News oi -Priyanka Airtel may first launch its services in Mumbai, followed by Kolkata, and then expand it to other metro cities. India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel is likely to launch its VoLTE services, as early as next week, ET reported. According to the report, some customers in Mumbai and Kolkata, and then other metro cities where Airtel is planning to launch, will get messages to activate VoLTE calls on their phones. The report also said that the company may first launch its services in Mumbai, followed by Kolkata, and then expand it to other metro cities. Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel earlier said that "We have done (VoLTE) trials in 5-6 cities. Towards the end of this fiscal year, we will be taking VoLTE across the country. The uptake of VoLTE devices will depend on certification...We should be very much national in the coming 6-9 months." Meanwhile, Idea Cellular is also expected to launch its VoLTE services this month. However there is no further announcement made by the company At present only Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio is offering the VoLTE or Voice over LTE networks in the country and that was the main reason why Jio is providing free calls to its customers. To recall Jio has managed to garner 130 million customers in just one year of its operations. The company has also topped or say declared as the fastest 4G network in the month of July, according to the new data Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The data says that Reliance Jio registered an average download speed of 18.331 Mbps which is nearly double the speed of incumbent telcos while the average download speed on Vodafone's 4G network was 9.32mbps. Jio has started its operation on Septemeber 5, 2016 with the Welcome offer which gave unlimited data, voice, video calls and messaging access for three months and as expected, the whole telecom industry was shaken. In fact, Jio has forced has telcos to change their tariff plans to retain their users. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 7, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 16 strikes consisting of 30 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 15 engagements against ISIS targets near Raqqa yesterday, destroying 13 ISIS fighting positions, damaging five fighting positions and suppressing two fighting positions. Officials also provided details today on 41 strikes consisting of 47 engagements conducted in Syria in recent days for which the information was not yet available at the time of yesterday's report: -- On Sept. 3 near Raqqa, 10 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed nine fighting positions. -- On Sept. 4 near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed five fighting positions and a vehicle. -- On Sept. 5 near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed 42 ISIS fuel trucks, four front-end loaders and four tactical vehicles. -- On Sept. 5 near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed 15 fighting positions, two vehicles, an improvised explosive device and a piece of ISIS engineering equipment. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 15 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Huwayjah, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed five oil stills, two ISIS-held buildings, two ISIS headquarters and a front-end loader. -- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed two ISIS front-end loaders. -- Near Anah, two strikes destroyed an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS communication node. -- Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an ISIS-held building. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S., Indonesian Navies Enhance Training Objectives By Logistics Group Western Pacific SURABAYA, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2017 The U.S. and Indonesian navies have come together for the 23rd iteration of a bilateral exercise and skills exchange called Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT. The exercise began today and continues through Sept. 13. Taking place on the ground here and in the waters and airspace of the Java and Bali seas, the training is aimed at deepening maritime security cooperation between the United States and Indonesia. "As maritime nations with shared values and common strategic interests, the United States and Indonesia enjoy a comprehensive and growing naval partnership based on mutual respect," said Navy Rear Adm. Donald D. Gabrielson, commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific and Task Force 73. "The United States respects Indonesia's role as a regional leader in maritime security and we want to help Indonesia enhance its ability to preserve stability and protect its resources," Gabrielson said. "CARAT deepens our maritime partnership and has served as a critical building block of trust, familiarity and friendship with our Indonesian partners for more than 23 years. We see mutual benefits whenever our navies work together." More than 300 U.S. sailors and Marines will participate in CARAT Indonesia alongside their counterparts from the Indonesian navy. The exercise will feature complex at-sea training in surface warfare; visit, board, search and seizure anti-piracy drills; a gunnery exercise; and maritime patrol operations. Exchanging Best Practices Additionally, personnel from both nations will exchange best practices on naval tactics during a series of military seminars ashore. Numerous skills exchanges in maritime domain awareness, aviation seminars, military law, and surface warfare symposia are planned during the shore phase of the exercise. The U.S. 7th Fleet and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force bands will conduct numerous cultural outreach engagements with the Indonesian navy's eastern fleet band for local citizens here. "The Indonesian navy is a valuable partner working cooperatively to ensure a secure maritime domain," said Navy Capt. Lex Walker, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7. "CARAT Indonesia provides a unique opportunity for both navies to work together even closer and enhance our mutual capabilities." U.S. units participating in the exercise include the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Fall River, a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and U.S. Marines assigned to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. Indonesia has been part of the CARAT exercise series since it began in 1995. After more than two decades of annual training events between the armed forces, CARAT Indonesia remains a model for cooperation that has evolved in complexity and enables both navies to refine operations and tactics in response to both traditional and nontraditional maritime security challenges, exercise officials said. CARAT Indonesia is part of a broader bilateral exercise series the U.S. Navy conducts with partner navies in South and Southeast Asia to address shared maritime security priorities, strengthen maritime partnerships and enhance interoperability among participating forces. Task Force 73 and Destroyer Squadron 7 conduct planning, organize resources and directly support the execution of maritime exercises such as the bilateral CARAT series, the naval engagement activity with Vietnam, Pacific Partnership, and the multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training. (From a Logistics Group Western Pacific news release.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New modular handgun system, Sig Sauer P320, in testing at Army sites across the country By Tina Ray, "The Paraglide" Focus Editor & Staff Writer, Fort Bragg, N.C.September 7, 2017 FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Various service members will be at Fort Bragg over the next few weeks for testing of the new modular handgun system, the Sig Sauer P320, for the U.S. Army Operational Test Command based at Fort Hood, Texas. If fielded, according to officials, the new modular handgun system, also known as MHS, will offer improved durability and adjustability over the current M9, as well as performance improvements. Most Soldiers who tested the MHS at Fort Bragg's Range 29 on Sunday were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, said OTC's Col. Brian McHugh. Testing will also be conducted by Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Capt. Christina Smith, program manager, Individual Weapons, has traveled to different testing sites to ensure the system's quality. "It's worth it to make sure you get the right product to the right Soldiers," she said. Testers were pulled from across the military, including Soldiers of the Special Operations Aviation Regiment, based in Kentucky, and of the 3rd Infantry Division, based in Georgia. Some of the military occupational specialties involved include police, pilots, infantry and crew chiefs. "We wanted to make sure that we have a huge sample to make sure that we've got this right -- that the Army has it right," said McHugh. "These are the Soldiers who would be using the weapon every day, so getting their feedback on the pistol is really what is important for operational testing," explained Maj. Mindy Brown, test officer, OTC. It was important to bring the test to Fort Bragg because the installation has the ranges to support realistic conditions. "You are using real Soldiers in a realistic environment," Brown said. Soldiers provided feedback on the interchangeability of the weapon with the M4, as well as its functionality while wearing cold weather gear. Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Custer, of 160th SOAR, appreciated being able to participate in MHS testing. "It's good. We don't really get the opportunity to test the equipment in the unit we're in," he said. Sgt. Emily Todd, 16th Military Police Brigade, also testing is ideal. "It's a great opportunity for Soldiers to get to shoot more rounds . . . it's nice to have a forward look into what the Army might use some day," she added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan forces increasingly on offensive against Taliban and ISIS, Army brigade commander says By Mr. David Vergun (Army News Service)September 7, 2017 WASHINGTON --- Over the past year, Afghan military forces have switched from a largely defensive posture to an offensive one, bringing the fight to the enemy and recapturing ground lost in the last few years to the Taliban and Islamic State fighters, said Col. Larry Burris. Burris, the brigade commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), spoke during a media roundtable at the Pentagon, Sept. 6. The brigade returned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky in July, after a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan. There were a couple of factors leading to the Afghan military's change in fighting posture, he offered. First, the Afghans realized that their defensive posture wasn't working, he said, adding that U.S. Soldiers were also advising them on taking a more aggressive approach. Part of the problem was that old commanders, indoctrinated in Soviet-era warfare, were leading Afghan brigades, he said. The Afghan president relieved them of command back in October and November of last year, replacing them with commanders who had previously demonstrated aggressive and effective action against the enemy, Burris continued. "We saw an immediate change." The Afghan military leaders now understand that in a defensive posture, "you're a static target" and in the offense, "you're interacting and making it difficult for the enemy," he said. Besides losing ground, some enemy units have even met with Afghan military leaders to discuss terms of peace, he added. The Afghans have also gone after corruption, such as weeding out "ghost soldiers" who don't exist and swell unit payrolls. That problem, Burris said, is being dealt with by requiring soldiers and police to enroll in the electronic funds transfer system after providing biometric data. The army is also investigating corruptions and making arrests, whether it be for skimming money or fuel, he said. EFFECTIVE PACKAGES One of the ways Soldiers of 3rd Brigade, also known as "Rakkasans," helped turn the Afghan army around was to advise and train using a creative concept known as "Expeditionary Advisory Packages," Burris said. The packages consist of a mix of U.S. Soldiers and equipment including security elements for force protection, counter-fire radars, howitzers, mortars;, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, forward refueling capability, surgical teams, explosive ordnance disposal advisors and so on, he noted. Because the Rakkasans are spread thin across a vast swath of the country, these packages were designed to be deployed to Afghan brigades in the field for anywhere from a day to several weeks at a time, he said. Packages are sized and configured for the brigade to which they'll be assigned, the length of stay there and the mission set, he said. The U.S. Soldiers who accompany their package will then advise their Afghan counterparts, he said. For instance, EOD technicians will watch the Afghans do route clearance and will then advise them on ways to improve. The Afghan brigade's leadership is evaluated as well, Burris mentioned, saying he thinks that part of the Afghan president's decision to change leadership at the top was the evaluations he received from the Rakkasan advisors, via the chain of command. Expeditionary Advisory Packages are not a new concept, Burris said. One or two were tried in 2015 and more in 2016. What's new, he said, was the frequency in which they were used during the last year. In all, the U.S. advise mission has succeeded, he said, with Afghans taking the lead and even coordinating elements of their air force and army to provide close-air ground support and targeting strikes. "They've made great strides integrating their air and ground," Burris said. PROUD OF HIS SOLDIERS For his part, Burris said he's especially proud of the work his Soldiers have done in Afghanistan and that he's grateful for the good training the Army has provided them at the Joint Combat Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, before they deployed. In particular, he singled out the decisive action training they received that emphasized the fundamentals for surviving on the battlefield when it becomes kinetic. The saddest time in Afghanistan, he said, was when three of his noncommissioned officers were killed and one wounded during an incident June 10, just a month before the Rakkasans were scheduled to return home. Burris said a few junior Soldiers who survived the initial attack entered the building where the attack occurred, took out the terrorist and effected an extraction. That initiative from Soldiers who were not even NCOs is indicative of the training and Army values they had, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Transcript Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Eric J. Pahon, Defense Department Spokesman September 07, 2017 Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq ERIC J. PAHON: Good morning, everybody. Sorry for the delay, as happens when trying to communicate halfway across the world via satellite from a war zone. We had some technical difficulties. So today, we will have an audio-only briefing, unfortunately. So you will have Colonel Dillon's photo up there. We just weren't able to establish the video connection. We've got a few extra graphics for you today. So, with us today is Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, live from Baghdad. And we should be able to hear Colonel Dillon. Sir, can you hear us? COLONEL RYAN DILLON: I can hear you just fine. How about me? MR. PAHON: We can hear you, if we can turn it up just a little bit. Colonel Dillon has an update on operations to annihilate ISIS in Iraq and Syria. And once he's done with his remarks, he'll take your questions. And Colonel Dillon, you have the mike. COL. DILLON: All right. Thank you very much. Thanks, Eric. Good morning, everyone. We'll begin with a brief word on the CJTF-OIR transfer of authority this past Tuesday, then go into updates on the battle to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. So this week saw a transition in the leadership of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. On Tuesday, the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne Corps, led by Lieutenant General Townsend, completed their deployment as the headquarters of CJTF-OIR and returned to home station at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The mission now continues under the leadership of the 3rd Armored Corps out of Fort Hood, Texas, under the command of Lieutenant General Paul E. Funk II. So, while some of our personnel have changed, what has not changed is the coalition's mission, and that is to defeat ISIS through our partners in Iraq and Syria. To that end, we are seeing steady progress and overwhelming momentum in the fight to defeat ISIS in Iraq. Iraqi security forces rolled over ISIS in decisive operations in Tal Afar. The ISF are now quickly transitioning for follow-on operations in the few remaining ISIS-held areas in Iraq. While the order for these following operations will come from the Iraqi prime minister, the coalition will continue to provide support every step of the way through our surveillance assets, precision fires, intelligence, and advisers on the ground. Specifically, the coalition conducted 15 strikes in Hawija and 18 in western Anbar this past week, targeting ISIS tactical units, fighting positions, car bomb facilities and oil revenue targets. Stabilization continues in Mosul as federal police, local police and tribal forces continue to hold and conduct security operations in both east and west Mosul. There have been no substantial incidents as residents work together with local and national government institutions to clean up and return essential services to the city. Moving to Syria, progress is steady in isolating and defeating ISIS. Our partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces made significant gains in Raqqa, clearing the remaining area of the old city and reclaiming critical medical and religious infrastructure from ISIS. After breaching the ancient wall 60 days ago, the SDF has made determined and steady progress in dense urban terrain as ISIS fighters struggle desperately in a futile attempt to hold on to territory in their disappearing caliphate. Our SDF partners must clear every single building, floor by floor, despite the mortal dangers of booby traps and suicidal ISIS fighters. I'd like to share some visuals to show the progress being made and to illustrate some of the challenges the SDF face in this battle. So what you should be looking at right now is a graphic showing the city of Raqqa. And you'll see the city divided by a major roadway separating the east and west sides. The dark green areas depict previous gains prior to the 21st of August, and the brighter green areas show the gains of the SDF that they have made between 21 and 28 August. And I'd like to highlight three things that demonstrate the environment where our Syrian Democratic Force partners fight to unseat ISIS from Raqqa. First, on the western side of the city, the SDF swept through the ISIS-infested regional children's hospital, and they went through there floor by floor, denying the terrorists key infrastructure they'd used as a fortified ISIS headquarters and facilitation hub for weapons. The children's hospital is near the old city center, where ISIS fought from a heavily engineered tunnel system. So next, you should be now looking at a stairwell. And to give you an idea of how extensive the tunnel system is, I want you to look at the next couple pictures. You'll see concrete-reinforced tunnel system that runs underneath the children's hospital. The entrance to the tunnel is well-constructed, with handrails and stairs. And then, as you get down into the tunnel, you'll see here, where this is the main tunnel, and then it branches off into less elaborate dirt tunnels that lead to houses and shops nearby. These tunnels connect ISIS fighting positions and also provide safe passage and coverage from SDF fighters and coalition strikes. ISIS has cots and cooking stoves, and has also stockpiled weapons and ammunition in these structures. And the next slide, to the next graphic -- you should now be looking at the Raqqa slide, showing progress that has been made from the 28th of August to the 6th of September. The Syrian Democratic Forces successfully reclaimed control of and preserved the -- (inaudible) -- 2nd of September. The Great Mosque of Raqqa is the oldest mosque in the city, and was under ISIS control since 2014. It is well-known that ISIS uses civilian infrastructure as -- such as schools and hospitals and mosques to fight from, and to support their terrorist activity. And despite ISIS's longstanding control of this historic site, the SDF was able to regain the surrounding terrain and secure the ancient structure without collateral damage. As of this week, the SDF have liberated more than 60 percent of Raqqa. They have successfully connected a front on the west side of the city, as you can see with the bright green portion, and they will now work to back-clear the area inside of the circle, if you will, still held by ISIS, and that should turn bright green over the next week or next couple of weeks. We have the same dialogue in Mosul about the progress that is being made. And I'd like to reiterate that once you reach this type of urban environment, this type of urban combat, progress becomes -- it comes by building by building and block by block. And this is a very deliberate process and requires great care to also avoid collateral damage and harm to noncombatants. SDF fighters continue to hold each block of the city that they have seized, and they have not relinquished a single piece of it. As our SDF partners defeat ISIS militarily in the city, they are also addressing humanitarian needs. The SDF have personnel assisting in the evacuation of thousands of civilians who have been held captive by ISIS. These evacuees are escaping ISIS control from urban minefields and sniper fire, understanding if they remain they will likely be used as human shields and trapped as hostages. Those who have escaped know better than anyone how ISIS fighters have no regard for innocent life, and show no discrimination in who they will harm. In the last several weeks, the coalition has witnessed groups of civilians fleeing to the SDF for protection, often making it to safety, but other times facing violent ISIS retaliation. About 130 miles south of Raqqa, northwest in the border town of Abu Kamal, the coalition continues to monitor the remnants of an ISIS convoy that had attempted to evacuate toward the Iraqi border -- (inaudible) -- a deal brokered by Lebanese Hezbollah. The coalition was not party to this agreement and we will not allow this armed terrorist convoy to link up with fellow ISIS fighters in the Euphrates River valley. We continue to monitor the 11 buses that remain in the open desert, fully aware of ISIS families and noncombatants that are also present. We have not struck the convoy itself and have not hindered food and water resupplies to reach the convoy. However, since the beginning of this event on the 29th of August, the coalition has successfully struck more than 40 ISIS vehicles and about 85 ISIS fighters. We are still seeking opportunities to strike clearly identified ISIS individuals and vehicles whenever and wherever we find them. I'll finish up in the middle Euphrates River valley. The international coalition to defeat ISIS conducted a precision airstrike which killed the ISIS weapons research leader Abu Anas al-Shami. On Monday the 4th of September 2017, the coalition targeted and struck al-Shami as he rode a motorcycle near Mayadin, Syria. Al-Shami led ISIS's attempt to procure explosives and ISIS plans to use bombs for external terrorist acts. He also oversaw the building of improvised explosives to -- (inaudible), vehicles and buildings to try and help ISIS cling to strongholds they are losing in Iraq and Syria. Also on the 4th of September, the coalition killed a senior ISIS drone pilot trainer and engineer, by the name of Junaid ur Rehman, with a precision airstrike south of Mayadin in the village of Al-Asharah, Syria. Ur-Ramon was an experienced engineer. He was working to increase the -- ISIS's ability to weaponize drones and to conduct aerial surveillance on the battlefield for attack plotting throughout the world. We are witnessing the continued degradation of a morally bankrupt terrorist fighting force whose leaders are detaching more and more often from their foot soldiers. And with that, I'll go ahead and take your questions. MR. PAHON: Okay. Great. Thank you very much, Colonel Dillon. First, we'll start with Laurie Mylroie, Kurdistan 24. Q: Thank -- thank you very much, Colonel, for that update. I have some questions associated with your comments about the ISIS bus convoy. Have there been -- there have been reports that some of these ISIS fighters have -- a significant number of ISIS fighters have escaped, despite the U.S. surveillance and attack. Is that the case? COL. DILLON: The -- the 11 buses that we are monitoring -- there have been no ISIS fighters that have been able to -- to retrograde or evade from -- from that position. So any -- any reports that say otherwise are false. We have struck individual ISIS fighters and fighters that leave in small groups to walk away, and as soon as they get far enough away from the buses -- we have, and we will continue to strike ISIS fighters that venture far enough away where we can hit them without causing harm to the civilians that are a part of that convoy. So to -- to quickly go back to your question, out of that -- those 11 buses that are stuck in the desert right now, none of them have been able to get away. Q: Well, thank you. And there have been senior Iraqi figures associated with Iran, including two that are major individuals in the Hashd al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes and Qais al-Khazali, as well as Nouri al-Maliki, the former prime minister of Iraq, who have all supported Hezbollah and this convoy -- they said it's the right thing to do, to take these ISIS fighters out of Lebanon, bring them on -- to the Iraqi border. What is your -- do you have any reaction to the support that people like al-Mohandes, al-Khazali and Maliki have given? COL. DILLON: I will say that the coalition's mission is very clear, and that is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. And so we were not party to this agreement, and the deal to transport hundreds of experienced ISIS terrorists across Syrian-held territory to be delivered to the border of Iraq, of which -- Iraq, you know, did not say in this agreement, either -- is unacceptable to us. And so, on the 29th of August, when we found out that this convoy was en route to the border, we repositioned assets and we stopped and prevented this convoy from linking up with fellow ISIS fighters. So our mission is clear, and that is to defeat ISIS. It is not to push ISIS around and leave them for someone else to have to deal with. So I think that -- I know that we have -- while we did not expect an event like this, it has been lucrative, and it has allowed us to take several ISIS fighters, leaders and resources off the battlefield. Q: My last question on this -- al-Mohandes was involved in the -- the bombing of the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait in '83. Al-Khazali was one of those figures attacking U.S. forces in Iraq when we were there, and was held at Camp Cropper. Are you comfortable with these people as senior figures in al-Hashd al-Shaabi? COL. DILLON: I'd just -- I'll go back to what I had said before. Our -- you know, we work with the government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces. The Hashd al-Shaabi and the Popular Mobilization Forces are -- have committed to following the orders of the president of Iraq, and we think that everyone who's operating in Iraq should be doing just that. So we will continue to work with the ISF and the government of Iraq to defeat ISIS throughout Iraq. And that trend and the way that that is going right now has been successful. And we are going to continue to push hard and keep the pressure on ISIS in Iraq, in the remaining ISIS strongholds that remain. MR. PAHON: Thank you. Ben Kesling, Wall Street Journal. Q: Hi, Colonel Dillon. I wonder if you can give a quick rundown on what's going on with Hawija, in preparation for -- for an assault on Hawija. Do you have any breakdown of possible ISIS numbers or civilian numbers in Hawija? And can you talk a little bit about the tactical and strategic significance of that town? COL. DILLON: Okay, Ben. So first off, I would say right now, in Hawija, we estimate there are less than 1,000 ISIS fighters that remain in that area. Second, how are we going about doing that? I know that the coalition, just as we have in the lead-up to Tal Afar and any other offensive -- is that we are striking those positions that we can find with ISIS. And over the course of the last week, we've conducted 17 strikes, mainly against places like defensive fighting positions, vehicle-borne IED factories. We'll continue to do that and continue to monitor and use our surveillance aircraft to provide intelligence to the Iraqis. Now, as far as how the Iraqis are going to do this, I don't want to get ahead of them. And this is certainly, you know, their fight, and this is exactly how we have conducted business in the past as well, where they are in the lead. Iraqis are the ones who are developing these plans and they're the ones who are executing them. We are in support. And so I don't want to get too far ahead with how that is going to play out. But I will also say that General Abdul Amir, who's in charge of the overall operations in Tal Afar, is also the one who's still in charge right now. And, as we saw, the success in Tal Afar, with all elements of the Iraqi Security Force working together on multiple fronts simultaneously, was just too much for ISIS to handle. And I expect to see something very similar to capitalize on the successes that we've seen in Tal Afar. Q: And can you just, again, talk a little bit about the significance of Hawija? What does -- what does that town mean, and what does retaking it mean? And is there -- are there difficulties there because of the fault lines -- the sort of ethnic fault lines that are in the Hawija area, the proximity to disputed territories, all that? COL. DILLON: Well, I think, you know, first off, you know, one of the big significance of this is that I know, for a lot of people in the region, they have continually asked, you know, "Hawija next, Hawija next." So, again, that is something that is decided upon by the prime minister. But, that said, Hawija is -- is one of the final remaining ISIS strongholds. And outside of Hawija, then we have western Anbar. And in western Anbar, you've got, really, three or four towns, Annah, Rawa and Al-Qaim. So as we -- as we look at the overall and the progress of how the Iraqi security forces have come from three years ago -- Tikrit, Ramadi, Fallujah, Qayyarah, Mosul, Tal Afar -- they are getting better and better as we've seen especially in Tal Afar, and have continued to, as we say, feed off of that success as we see this growing into Hawija. So, I don't know if that really addressed it or not, but knowing that this is one of the final remaining ISIS strongholds, I think it is significant enough. MR. PAHON: Next, we have Lita Baldor, A.P. Q: Thanks, and good to see you the other day. Can you clear up a couple of things on the convoy? Initially, it was 17 buses and about 300 people, and that split in two. How many are remaining? Of these 11 that you're talking about, are those just the ones that are over -- that -- because aren't there some that are also near Palmyra? Or are those not there? And are the 11 just the ones that are over near Abu Kamal? COL. DILLON: Okay, Lita. So, it started at 17 buses. And on the 31st of August, those buses split up; 11 went north, and those are the ones that we are currently watching right now. And then you had six that stayed on the south along the highway that they were traveling on from western Syria all the way to where we stopped them. So, they stayed there until the 2nd of September, and on the 2nd of September is when those six buses that stayed in the south, they drove away and went further into Syria towards Palmyra. So, we have maintained eyes-on the 11 that are in the desert, you know, that -- that were the ones that broke north. And out of that, we still assess that overall it was about 300 ISIS fighters, and about 300 family members, what we assessed from the very beginning. Q: So -- (inaudible) -- so the six that left, you've just let them -- they've just gone; you've let them get away, essentially, into Palmyra. The others -- how many would you assess are left in those 11 buses of those -- of the 300 fighters and the 300 family, because you've -- you've talked about killing at least 85. COL. DILLON: Yeah, and just to clarify there, Lita. The 85 that we killed are not all from the convoy. Several of those ISIS fighters that we have killed were those that were a part of elements that were coming from ISIS-held territory to drive out to and link up with these buses. So -- but just to -- to go to your question, I don't have a good figure as to how many within the 11 buses are still there, but I can follow up and try to get that to you. Q: Even a breakout as to approximately how many ISIS fighters are in those buses? COL. DILLON: Yeah, we can -- we can break that down and try to find that out for you. MR. PAHON: Thomas Watkins has a follow-on to Lita's question, and then we'll move to Courtney and then Joe after that. Q: Thank you. Thank you, Colonel. Just -- yeah, just to follow up from Lita. Why -- whose decision was it? And why was this decision made to allow these six buses to essentially escape? And what's your estimation of how many ISIS fighters were on those six buses? COL. DILLON: And just go to the (inaudible). Number one is, as those buses, you know, drove further into western Syria, we just made a decision to stop monitoring it as they, you know, drew further into the interior of Syria. And my answer on the same question to Lita is, those that were on those six buses, I don't have -- similarly, I don't know how many -- we could -- do a quick break-up and say, out of the 17 buses, 300 fighters divided by 11. But I don't want to do that. We will see if we can get you a good answer on how many we assess to be in the six that moved further in, and how many are in the 11 up north -- that remain up north. Okay? MR. PAHON: Next, to Courtney Kube, NBC. Q: Thank you. Hi, Colonel Dillon. One more on this. So was it fair to assume that the roughly 300 family from the beginning are still in the 11 buses in the desert? Have any of the family members escaped or left? COL. DILLON: Again, I -- I don't know if the first three buses had all ISIS fighters and then the following -- the rest of the buses had just family members. I don't have that break-up. I don't know -- I didn't have a headcount for each of the ISIS buses. And so, what we can do is get an estimate to find out how many are in the 11 in the north, and then how many are the south. But, you know, I would say that the -- that it was a mix in both the six buses in the south, and a mix in the 11 buses that are still remaining in the north. Q: Okay. And then, just to be clear, when you said you haven't hindered any food, water supply, that food and water is coming from the Syrian regime, right? And the reason you're allowing that is because you still believe there are civilians or family members in the 11 buses that are stuck? COL. DILLON: Well, number one, we know that there are family members that are still remaining in those 11 buses, because we're watching the -- we're watching these buses the whole time. And as far as we know where it is coming from, I can't say, you know, with 100 percent if it's coming from the regime armed forces. But it is coming -- that food and aid is coming from Syrian-held territory. And if we can assess, you know, that -- that it is not ISIS fighters, then we are -- again, we are not helping with the delivery of this aid, but we are not going to hinder it, either. Q: And then, just one more on the -- the tunnel photos that you showed from up in Raqqa. I'm just curious, where did those come from? Did American military take those photos? COL. DILLON: I got those from our elements, from -- who -- who are in charge of operations there. I don't know who took the photos, but those were photos that were underneath the children's hospital. Q: Thanks. MR. PAHON: Joe Tabet, Al Hurra. Q: Thank you. Colonel Dillon, when you say that the coalition will not -- (inaudible) -- convoy to link up with ISIS fighters in the Euphrates River Valley, how do you see the fate of the convoy? COL. DILLON: We have offered and made a recommendation to our -- to the Russians on the de-confliction line, to provide a course of action to allow the -- the civilians to be separated. But that has not gained any traction, so we don't see it as our -- as our issue, if you will. This was a -- these are -- they are in Syrian-held territory. They are -- this is a deal that was made by Lebanese Hezbollah. So, again, we are standing firm to say that we are willing to do what we can to disrupt ISIS fighters from moving into the MERV and -- moving into and linking up with their fellow fighters. Q: And another question, on Hawija -- do you believe that all parties involved in the decision to liberate Hawija are -- are fine with having the Peshmerga units playing a role in this operation? COL. DILLON: That is a question for the government of Iraq. I know that -- you know, I will stand firm to say that the coalition will continue to support the Iraqi Security Forces. And as far as your question, that is -- I don't want to address that one, because I think that's more appropriate for Iraqis to take on. Q: Thank you. MR. PAHON: Thank you. Tara Copp. Q: Okay, thanks, Colonel Dillon. Since you've mentioned that the convoy's being watched at all times, could you describe to us how food and water is being delivered? Is it being delivered by truck or by car? And how is the U.S. able to determine that an element delivering food is actually not ISIS support? COL. DILLON: Well, okay. So they are vehicles like pickup trucks and, you know, bongo trucks that have been providing the deliveries. These -- these are coming from Syrian-held territory. So we don't want to make any kind of miscalculations by striking the -- anything other than ISIS. So -- so, you know, we are going to play a little -- be a little cautious about that. Number two, just as something to add, was, about 72 hours ago, after delivery and offload of some of the supplies, we witnessed through our ISR feeds the ISIS fighters fighting amongst themselves, brawling in the dirt, if you will, after the offload of supplies. So we chalk that up to frustration by these fighters, being stuck in the middle of this desert, and we certainly like to see that something will move forward, as far as an agreement or some of -- some kind of stance by the Syrian regime to -- to either separate these fighters and -- take them and separate the civilians. Q: Okay, and then, in the airspace above this convoy, are you having to deconflict or warn off -- are there potentially Iranian UAVs also watching? Or are you having to deconflict with Russia on any sort of Syrian air assets also watching the convoy? COL. DILLON: We deconflict with the Russians, and we are talking with them on a daily basis. So they know where our assets are in relation to this convoy. And as far as other elements that you had mentioned, whether they're Syrian or Iranian drones, we have the right capabilities and assets to also keep an eye out on those. Q: Just one last before we drop off -- the drone engineer that U.S. forces struck -- I hadn't seen many drones on the daily airstrike counts of late. Can you describe, in general, how big the drone threat was getting for coalition or U.S. and partnered forces? COL. DILLON: We've seen -- there have been -- as I've gone through the -- the strike releases, there have been -- I would say several, but, you know, over the course of the last, you know, couple months, there have been UAS, you know, sites that have been struck. Bottom line is that, as far as the drone threat overall, the coalition is decimating that network. So we are destroying their launch points, we're killing their engineers, we're dismantling their manufacturing facilities and their users. So there's no question about it -- that we are ripping apart their ability to use drones and to -- and to further get better at their technique. So -- then today's particular -- you know, today's announcement of this HVI strike, I think, is yet another example of how we are getting after that. MR. PAHON: We still have quite a big queue. But, Courtney, do you have a quick follow-up? Q: Just one follow-on. Ryan, you said that the U.S. made a recommendation to the Russians on the de-confliction line, to allow the civilians to be separated. When was that? And -- and on something like that that's not -- I don't recall a time where there's been something on the de-confliction line that hasn't been de-conflicting airspace. It's always been really particular that that line is used for that. So when something like that happens, does that elevate the -- who's on the call? Like, is that, like, a higher level leader in OIR who makes that recommendation, or makes that offer? Can you tell us a little more about that, please? COL. DILLON: No, it's not a higher level leader. There were some open announcements by, you know, different authorities that talked about the need to take care of civilians. And so we offered, you know, some recommendations and courses of action. So that is -- that's how that came about. And that was, I want to say, relatively early in -- I don't have the exact date, but I would say that that was probably two or three days after, so I would say around the 31st of August. But that's just a -- that's an educated guess as to when that initial conversation happened. It was -- it was in our initial press release that we had provided this course of action to the Russians. MR. PAHON: Gentleman in the back, I can't remember your name, I'm sorry. Q: Jack Detsch with Al-Monitor. Colonel, does the coalition have any assessment of how pro-regime gains in Deir ez-Zor will impact the fight against ISIS ongoing, and how many militants might have been killed there? COL. DILLON: (Inaudible) -- we do monitor and watch and see, you know, where they are and where they're going. And at the same time, as they move closer into the Middle Euphrates River Valley, like into Deir ez-Zor, and -- we deconflict with the -- the Russians. And, as most of you know, there is a deconfliction line that runs south of Tabqa and goes all the way across -- somewhat parallel -- irregularly, but parallel to the Euphrates River, so that we can maintain our focus, both the Russians and the regime and the coalition and the SDF, on defeating ISIS. We will continue to deconflict and, as necessary and as required, we'll continue to draw a -- that line, if you will, further on down the Middle Euphrates River Valley, if necessary. Q: Got it. And then, just with the gains that the SDF has made in the old city of Raqqa, can you talk a little bit about how this might limit the mobility of ISIS fighters or diminish their command-and-control, specifically with the tunnels? Have they captured any of that network? COL. DILLON: So I -- we still have a -- a good amount of fighting to go, and as with the, you know, children's hospital that I just mentioned, just north of -- I don't know if the map is still up, but just, if you were to draw, almost equidistant from the children's hospital to the stadium -- about halfway between those points is the Raqqa national hospital, which has also been identified as a major ISIS holdout. As far as the -- the tunnel networks, if we find them -- the Syrian Democratic Forces find them, we do, you know, have measures in place to block those tunnels, to prevent ISIS fighters from using them and popping up behind lines that have already been -- or areas that have already been cleared. So, every day, block by block, as we find these -- these tunnels and these resources, we -- we -- Syrian Democratic Forces do exploit them. So the further we get into the city, the -- and the more pressure that is put on them, it does absolutely limit their ability to move around more extensively. MR. PAHON: Carla Babb, Voice of America. Q: Colonel, thank you for doing this. The gentlemen in the back kind of -- kind of asked my question, but I want to get a few more specifics, like four more specifics on Deir ez-Zor. So, first of all, kind of what is the situation there? How much of Deir ez-Zor does the Syrian regime control? How many ISIS fighters do you estimate to still be there? Is the plan still to wait this out? I know we've got MAT -- we've got some fighters that were preparing to go into the Deir ez-Zor region. Are we still holding off our -- our partners? And I guess last is, can we trust the Syrian regime, who just made a deal with ISIS, to take care of ISIS in Deir ez-Zor? Is that a smart strategy? COL. DILLON: All right, I'll try to -- to take all these on, one by one. So number one is Syrian forces, the regime, has, you know, made it to the city of Deir ez-Zor, the outskirts, and have linked up with their besieged brigade, or that element that they've had there for the last three years. Number of fighters, we estimate, in Deir ez-Zor is about 2,500 ISIS fighters. As far as our partner forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces and some of the Arab contingent that is from this area, the SDF, our battle-tested and proven partner -- they have partnered with indigenous Deir ez-Zor tribes and other tribes from the Middle Euphrates River Valley. And they are still prepared to seize those towns and province -- the province of Deir ez-Zor from ISIS. To address your third question, yes, there is concern about whether or not and how serious the Syrian regime is about defeating ISIS. So are they, you know, going to -- I've heard this brought up before -- squeegee -- are they going to squeegee them out of Deir ez-Zor and, you know, push them elsewhere? Not if we can help it. And, as we do -- we -- we conduct strikes, and as you well know, through our strike releases, throughout the MERV -- I just mentioned two strikes and two HVIs that were killed just outside of Mayadin. So we will continue to strike up and down the MERV. We have a partner force that is, you know, ready to -- to move into the Deir ez-Zor province and down the Middle Euphrates River Valley. And so we'll just have to see when that is going to happen, but we'll continue the strikes. I hope I addressed each one of your questions, and if you have a follow up, I'm ready. Q: You did. That was great. Thank you. My follow up is unrelated. I just want a quick update, like I usually get. What's the number of estimated ISIS fighters in Iraq and in Syria -- (inaudible) -- the latest? COL. DILLON: All right. So the latest, and I'll try to break this out for you. So, I already talked about Hawija, less than 1,000; in Deir ez-Zor, which is at 2,500; in Raqqa, we estimate there have been 1,500 there now; and then throughout the MERV from Deir -- not including Deir ez-Zor, but Mayadin down to Abu Kamal, about 6,000 to 8,000 fighters. And I think that covers it. And yeah, it does. MR. PAHON: Okay. And Tima al-Khirsan, Al Jazeera got it. Q: Thanks for doing this, Colonel. There's been a number of reports recently about the discrepancy in reporting civilian casualties between the coalition and other organizations. The Commission of Inquiry on Syria, appointed by the U.N., said yesterday they were gravely concerned. Can you help our audience understand why is that discrepancy? Is there any, not truth, but is -- do they have a point, basically, that the coalition, maybe the investigations are taking too long? Why is that? COL. DILLON: Well, I think that, you know, you -- there are allegations and then there are, you know, those that are -- are substantiated, you know, with -- with the actual fact checking. And so the allegations that have come in do -- do tend to be, you know, much higher than what our -- our assessments determine them to be. We, as a combined joint task force, conduct detailed assessments of each allegation. And so when we get an allegation and we work with elements like Airwars to get the information that they provide and we go through a detailed assessment. And that assessment includes going through strike logs, looking at videos, conducting interviews. And we spend a lot of time in making sure that if there is an allegation and the allegation is credible, then we report that and we do this on a monthly basis. And we are open and transparent with -- with our strikes and our assessments of civilian casualty allegations. I would say that our critics do not conduct such detailed assessments, often using single-source, scant information. And that is often taken as fact. So we agree that civilians must be protected and that is why we have coalition partners and coalition forces that are risking their lives every day to save civilians. Q: Thank you, Colonel. I have one quick follow up on that. Airwars said that they currently assess that 1,700 or more civilians have likely been killed in strikes in Raqqa since March. Would you agree with that number? COL. DILLON: Again, we take those assessments. And one thing that I would like to point out is that out of the Airwars assessments that we have gone through so far, less than one percent of the allegations that we have gone through from Airwars have been determined as credible. So we will continue to work with them and we will, you know, we will take the hundreds of allegations that they receive. But as you can see in our monthly civilian casualty reports, we go through those and we will assess them as credible or non-credible. And quite frankly, a lot of them -- a lot of the reports that we find that are credible and we take responsibility for are often self-reported. So they're from our pilots or from our drone operators, and we -- we will -- if we identify that we have done something, there's often -- you know, the coalition that reports it on our own, and we take -- we take credit for that. Not -- and we are -- we're policing ourselves. MR. PAHON: Okay. And I think we're down to -- Laurie Mylroie had a follow-on. Q: Yes, Colonel. I have two questions related to your update. One had to do with -- you -- you said you struck and killed the ISIS weapons leader Abu Anas al-Shami, could you explain something about Shami, what his real name is and what his background is? COL. DILLON: I know, as with most of these HVI notifications that I provide during these Pentagon press briefings, we follow up after the fact with a press release, and there should be one waiting for you. I don't have more information other than what I have provided to you in my statement. So I don't know -- I don't know. But we can look to see if we can find out his nationality, where he's from, et cetera. Q: And another quick question. The tunnels -- the picture of the tunnels that you showed was very -- very impressive. Those are impressive tunnels. How does the ISIS infrastructure in Raqqa compare to, say, Mosul? Are the tunnels in Raqqa more sophisticated than what you saw in Mosul? COL. DILLON: I think -- you know, when we compare Mosul and Raqqa, they -- the extents of the defense network, the defenses that have been put in by ISIS, you can tell where their, quote, unquote, "twin capitals" have been, and where they've spent their time. We did not see this type -- these type of elaborate defenses established in Tal Afar by any way, shape or form. But I would -- I would say that the -- Raqqa and the -- what defenses they put in, with IEDs and these tunnel networks, are comparable to what we've seen in Mosul. MR. PAHON: All right. (Inaudible). Anybody else? All right. Colonel Dillon, do you have any closing words for us? COL. DILLON: No, and we'll try to get our -- our video fixed for the next go around. MR. PAHON: Hopefully next time we can see it. It's been a while since we've seen him on TV screen. Okay. Well, thank you very much, and that concludes today's briefing, everybody. Thanks very much for coming. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1302517/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan says ready to work with Afghanistan in all areas IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Islamabad, Sept 7, IRNA Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif says that his country is ready to work closely with Afghanistan in all fields. According to a foreign ministry statement Asif made the remarks while talking to his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani over telephone. "The two foreign ministers agreed to remain engaged for building closer cooperation between the two countries. They also agreed to meet on the sidelines of UNGA in New York, later this month," said the statement. Khawaja Muhammad Asif during the conversation conveyed that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Afghanistan and is prepared to work with Afghanistan in all fields, including political, economic, trade and transit, security, and other fields for the progress and prosperity of the two countries. He also underlined Pakistan's support for Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process for bringing lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. This is the first ever contact between the high officials of the two neighboring countries after the US announced new strategy for Afghanistan and south Asia. The new strategy focuses on winning the Afghan war through troops surge. Another key aspect of the strategy is to put pressure on Pakistan which according to the US is harboring terrorists. Pakistan has strongly rejected the US allegations. 272**1723**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chairman of NATO Military Committee, General Pavel met with Russian Chief of General Staff, General Gerasimov NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 07 Sep. 2017 General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and First Deputy Minister of Defence met today, 7 September 2017, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This face to face meeting demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication, in line with NATO's policy of transparency and ongoing dialogue at the political level with senior Russian leadership. General Pavel and General Gerasimov agreed to continue using the military lines of communication in the future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Secretary General meets EU Defence Ministers, attends cyber exercise NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 07 Sep. 2017 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated as an observer in a cyber exercise at the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Tallinn on Thursday (7 September 2017). Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted that NATO-EU cooperation is "key" in responding to growing cyber threats, and that the two organisations have jointly responded to major attacks this year. He announced that NATO has invited the EU to participate in the Alliance's "Cyber Coalition" exercise in November - one of the largest such exercises in the world. The Secretary General is completing a two-day visit to Estonia. On Wednesday, the Secretary General visited NATO's UK-led battlegroup in Tapa, together with Prime Minister Juri Ratas. Addressing troops, Mr. Stoltenberg called the multinational force "a very strong signal of NATO unity, NATO resolve and NATO strength". While in Estonia, the Secretary General met with President Kersti Kaljulaid, Prime Minister Juri Ratas, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser and Defence Minister Juri Luik. Mr. Stoltenberg concluded his visit to the country with an address to the EPP Group of the European Parliament, where he highlighted the important role of parliamentarians in strengthening NATO-EU cooperation, and the need to strengthen European defence without duplicating NATO. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi dispute with Qatar could be solved 'fairly easily': Trump Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 8:34PM US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate an ongoing dispute between Qatar and its neighboring Arab states, adding that he thinks the issue could be resolved "fairly easily." "If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so, and I think you would have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference on Thursday at the White House in Washington, DC, with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." Saudi Arabia and its Arab satellite states of Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the region. The Saudi-led bloc has also imposed sanctions against the tiny Persian Gulf country, including restrictions on Qatari aircraft using their airspace. Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia has only been blocked as a result. Last week, Trump called on Saudi King Salman and "all the parties in the Qatar dispute" to find a diplomatic solution to the regional standoff. In a phone conversation on August 30, Trump told the Saudi monarch that a diplomatic resolution was necessary in order to fulfill a commitment Washington and its regional allies had made to stay united while fighting terrorism. This is while analysts have touted the Qatar crisis as the fallout of Trump's visit to Riyadh in early June. Even Trump himself pointed this out in a tweet during the conflict's early days. "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology," Trump wrote on June 6. "Leaders pointed to Qatar look!" US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said before the visit that it was aimed at getting Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations in the region to stand in "unity" with Israel and confront Iran. This might explain the sudden push to isolate Doha, under the pretext that it has close ties with Iran as well as the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. 'Qatar ready to discuss Saudi demands' Kuwait has been trying to mediate the dispute between Qatar and its US-allied Arab neighbors. Standing at the side of Trump at the White House, the Kuwaiti emir told reporters on Thursday: "What is important is that we have stopped any military action [against Qatar]." Sheikh Sabah claimed that the Qatari government was ready to discuss a list of 13 demands from its Arab neighbors. "We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable," Sheikh Sabah said, referring particularly to issues that affected Qatari sovereignty. "A great part of them will be resolved." Among the demands are that Qatar downgrade its ties with Iran, shut down Al Jazeera news network, and close a Turkish military base in the Arab country. Doha has rejected the conditions set by Saudi Arabia and allies to restore diplomatic relations with the emirate, saying they are simply unrealistic and unattainable. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO, Russia meet amid tensions over war games Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 5:17PM Top Russian and NATO commanders have met in a rare meeting ahead of planned rival war games by the two sides which have raised fears of further escalation in eastern Europe. Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov met Petr Pavel, chairman of NATO's Military Committee in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Thursday, but neither side gave any details on what was discussed. The US-led alliance is about to launch 15 days of military exercises in Western Ukraine this week, coinciding with war games known as Zapad or West by thousands of Russian troops. The Russian exercises have worried NATO despite Moscow's assurances troops would rehearse a purely defensive scenario. Moscow says the event will involve about 12,700 troops who will participate in military drill theaters in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Lithuania and Estonia have said as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part. A statement carried by Russian news agencies said after the Baku meeting that Gerasimov "focused attention on the main aim of the training -- the defense" of Russia and Belarus. The drills, he said, were "long-planned and defensive" and "not aimed against any third country." NATO said the meeting "demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication" on the borders of Ukraine as well as NATO member states Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that he saw no "imminent threat" but French Defense Minister Florence Parly on Thursday condemned the Russia drills a deliberate "strategy of intimidation." Meanwhile, the pro-Western government in Moldova waded into the tensions as it sent 57 troops to Ukraine to participate in the military exercises from Sept. 8-23, deepening a row with the president who had vetoed the move. President Igor Dodon had argued that Moldova was bound by its constitution to stay neutral, but the defense ministry ignored the president, who is also Moldova's commander-in-chief. The military contact between Russia and NATO were probably their first since they severed military contacts over the crisis in Ukraine. Russia is wary of the US-led alliance's expansion on its doorsteps where NATO has deployed around 4,000 troops, consisting of four battle groups, to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moldovan Troops To Join Exercises With NATO Countries Despite Dodon's Opposition RFE/RL's Moldovan Service September 07, 2017 Moldovan troops will take part in September 8-23 multinational military exercises in Ukraine despite pro-Russian President Igor Dodon's bid to keep them out of the drills. The Moldovan Defense Ministry said on September 6 that 57 military personnel would participate in the Rapid Trident maneuvers, which involve 1,800 troops from 14 countries -- most of them NATO members. Dodon announced on Facebook on September 5 that he had rejected the Defense Ministry's request to send the troops, saying that "involvement by Moldovan servicemen in military exercises beyond the national borders" is unacceptable. The Moldovan government later overruled Dodon's decision. The dispute has underscored divisions in Moldova, where Dodon is frequently at odds on foreign policy with a government that favors closer ties with the European Union and the United States. The Rapid Trident exercises, held in western Ukraine near the Polish border, are aimed to foster improved interoperability among forces of countries in NATO and its Partnership for Peace program. The countries participating are Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Russia and Belarus are holding their own military drills, Zapad 2017, on September 14-20 in Belarus and parts of western Russia. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldovan-troops-nato- exercises-dodon-opposition/28721824.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Reports: Trump Jr. Says He Sought Clinton Info, But Didn't Collude With Russians RFE/RL September 07, 2017 WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son told Senate investigators that he met with a Russian lawyer in 2016 because he wanted to determine if she had damaging information about his father's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. media are reporting. Donald Trump Jr. on September 7 told investigators that nothing came of the meeting at Trump Tower, and he stressed he had nothing to do with any Russian government efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. The New York Times cited prepared statements Trump Jr. delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee investigators during a closed session. The New York Times said it had seen a copy of Trump Jr.'s statement, as did other news organizations. Trump Jr. said he initially was unsure of what to do when he learned the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, could have information damaging to Clinton's campaign. He said that although he was interested in what the lawyer might have, he intended to consult with his own lawyers about the appropriateness of using any information Veselnitskaya might provide. Media reports in July that Donald Trump Jr.; President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner; and then-campaign Chairman Paul Manafort had met on June 9, 2016, at Trump Tower in New York raised questions about potential coordination between Kremlin-linked persons and the Trump campaign. The president's son gave varying accounts of the meeting before eventually acknowledging that he had received an e-mail suggesting the Russian lawyer had damaging information about Clinton. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character, or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," he said in his prepared statement. "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration." Trump Jr. met with Senate investigators for about five hours, answering questions after giving his prepared statement. After the session, he posted a Twitter note saying: "I met with the Senate Judiciary Committee today. I am thankful for their professionalism and courtesy." He added that he answered "every question posed by the Committee...I trust this interview fully satisfied their inquiry. Trump Jr. is also expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point. With reporting by The New York Times and the Associated Press Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/donald -trump-junior-russia-clinton-information- collusion/28722747.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Facebook Says Russia-Based Operation Bought Ads Targeting U.S. Voters RFE/RL September 07, 2017 Facebook has informed U.S. investigators that the social network recently discovered it sold advertisements to a Russia-based operation targeting U.S. voters during last year's presidential election. Facebook revealed the findings in a blog post on September 6 by its chief security officer, Alex Stamos, and said it was cooperating with investigators in Congress and at the Justice Department who are probing reports of Russian attempts to interfere in the U.S. election. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said the social network had sold $100,000 in ads to a Russian "troll farm" that has a history of promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda. Stamos said Facebook also uncovered $50,000 more in ads clearly of a political nature that might have links to Russia. Many of the ads placed by the Russian operation promoted 470 "fake accounts" and web pages spreading polarizing views on topics such as immigration, gun rights, race, and gay rights, he said. Stamos said the ads began in the summer of 2015 and only a small portion of them directly named Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. More ads ran in 2015 than during the 2016 election year, he said. "The vast majority of ads...didn't specifically reference the U.S. presidential election, voting, or a particular candidate," he said. "Rather, the ads...appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum -- touching on topics from LGBT [lesbian, biisexual, gay, and transgender] matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights." Facebook has suspended the "inauthentic" accounts that bought the ads, Stamos said, and it has also taken action against "fake accounts" in France, Germany and other countries where elections are being held or were held this year. "We will no longer allow pages that repeatedly share false news to advertise on Facebook," he said. Many U.S. political observers said after the November election that they believed ads and fake news stories spread on popular Facebook sites had played a role in swaying voters, prompting Facebook to start a campaign to identify and root out such false stories for the first time in December. A study by a Washington State University professor found that before the election, among the fake news stories U.S. Facebook users saw were ones saying Pope Francis had endorsed Trump and that a federal agent who had been investigating his opponent Hillary Clinton was found dead. The university study found that the dead FBI agent story was shared 1,000 times more often than real newspaper stories that were published at the same time. "To put this in perspective, if you combined the top stories from the Boston Globe, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and L.A. Times, they still had only 5 percent of the viewership" of the fake news story on Facebook, Mike Caufield, the professor who authored the study, wrote in a blog post. With reporting by The Washington Post and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ facebook-advertisement-russia- us-election/28720809.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Middle East Nations Must Confront Iran, Terrorism RFE/RL September 07, 2017 WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump says nations in the Middle East must confront parties "such as the Iranian regime" as part of efforts to defeat "murderous" terror groups and radical militias in the region. "Every responsible nation must work to strip these [terror] groups of their territory, their financing, and the false allure of their evil ideology," Trump told a joint news conference with visiting Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah on September 7. "It also means confronting those such as the Iranian regime who support terror groups and radical militias," he added. Trump and the emir addressed a variety of issues facing the Middle East in response to reporters' questions. Trump said he would be willing to act as a mediator in the bitter diplomatic dispute between Qatar and at least four Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia, a role so far taken up by Kuwait. The U.S. president said he appreciated Kuwait's role as a mediator "very much," but said he, too, would be "willing to be the mediator." "If I can help between U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, where I have a very great relationshipIf I can help mediate between Qatar and in particular the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so," he said. Trump added that he believed the crisis could be solved "fairly easily." The Saudis, along with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other countries in the region, have broken all commercial and diplomatic ties with Qatar over its alleged financing of terrorism and close ties to regional rival Iran. Qatar, which is a U.S. ally and hosts a large American military facility, has denied the allegations. The Saudi-led Arab countries, also close U.S. allies, have presented Qatar with a list of 13 demands to restore relations, which the Qataris have so far rejected. The emir said he believed Qatar was willing to sit down and discuss the demands and that he was optimistic a "solution will come in the very near future." Trump also said the United States' good relations with both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could help bring about a peace agreement -- what he called the "world's most complex and difficult deal." It [a peace accord] is an event that's just never taken place," he said. "I think we have a chance of doing it. I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen. I think the Israelis would like it to happen." "I think there's a chance there could be peace," acknowledging he says that "a little bit reluctantly." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-emir- kuwait-iran-terrorism-qatar-saudi-egypt- uae-bahrain/28722862.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovar President Nominates Ex-Guerrilla Commander Haradinaj As PM RFE/RL September 07, 2017 Kosovo's president has named former guerrilla commander Ramush Haradinaj as prime minister-designate and given him the mandate to form a new government, apparently ending a monthslong political crisis in the Balkan country. President Hashim Thaci's nomination of Haradinaj on September 7 comes shortly after Kosovo's parliament elected Kadri Veseli of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) as speaker -- a crucial step toward stabilizing the country's political landscape. Haradinaj, who fought in Kosovo's battle for independence, briefly held the prime minister post in 2005 before resigning to stand trial before the United Nations war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia. He was acquitted, but he is still wanted by Serbia under charges including murder and torture during and after the 1998-99 war in Kosovo, which led to NATO air strikes that helped the Kosovars drive Serbian forces out of the country. His appointment as prime minister must now be approved by parliament, a move expected after the election of Veseli as speaker by a 62-52 vote in the 120-seat parliament. Veseli heads a three-party ruling coalition that backs Thaci, who headed the PDK before he resigned as required to assume the presidency. Officials said Haradinaj is likely to present his governing platform to parliament on September 9, after which his government is expected to be put to a vote. The latest developments come days after the PDK agreed to a deal with the junior New Alliance for Kosovo party to form a government, potentially ending the political crisis sparked by inconclusive elections on June 11. The September 4 accord gave the coalition, which includes Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) along with ethnic minorities, 63 of parliament's 120 seats. The Veseli bloc, dominated by former fighters against Serbian rule, was able to secure the parliamentary majority and the right to form a government through a deal with ethnic Serb lawmakers of the Lista Srpska party. A party official said Lista Srpska lawmakers committed to back the vote for the speaker but said it would decide "following consultations" with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serbian officials whether to support a new government. Kosovo, a country of 1.8 million people, 90 percent of whom are ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The independence has been recognized by more than 110 countries, including big Western powers, but not by Serbia or Russia. There are about 120,000 ethnic Serbs in Kosovo and most of them, mainly in the north, oppose the Pristina authorities. Kosovar Albanians oppose greater autonomy for Serb-dominated municipalities, saying that this would give Belgrade more influence in the country. The European Union has pushed for Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties, hosting a meeting late last month in Brussels between Thaci andr Vucic. With reporting by AP, dpa, Balkan Insight, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-elects- speaker-moves-closer-political -settlement/28722433.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Serbian President Vucic In Bosnia For Official Visit RFE/RL's Balkan Service September 07, 2017 Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has traveled to Bosnia-Herzegovina to address some of the issues outstanding since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the bloody Bosnian War that followed. The three members of Bosnia's presidency -- Dragan Covic, Mladen Ivanic, and Bakir Izetbegovic -- welcomed Vucic in Sarajevo on September 7 at a ceremony at the presidential building. Vucic was accompanied by Serbian Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications Minister Rasim Ljajic and Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Zorana Mihajlovic. The visit comes six years after a president of Serbia -- Boris Tadic last traveled to Sarajevo on an official visit. Among the topics likely to be discussed with Bosnian officials during the two-day visit will be issues related to Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, Republika Srpska. In an interview with the Sarajevo newspaper Dnevni Avaz, Vucic said his country will do everything possible to avoid future disputes with Bosnia. Serbia and Bosnia "must have the closest relations, which includes mutual respect and respect of the borders," he said. Bosnia itself is facing internal tensions among the Bosniaks -- the Bosnian Muslim population -- ethnic Croats, and ethnic Serbs. Bosnia was a part of Yugoslavia until the breakup of the communist country in the early 1990s. It declared independence in March 1992, leading to a civil war between its Muslim, Croatian, and Serbian populations. The war ended following international intervention in December 1995 and resulted in the death of an estimated 100,000 people and the displacement of some 2.6 million more. As part of the 1995 peace agreement known as the Dayton accords, Bosnia was preserved as a state but broken into two constituent states, a Muslim-Croat federation and the Serbian entity -- Republika Srpska. President Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska's nationalist leader, has claimed that the Serbian-majority entity will one day be part of Serbia. When asked if he would distance himself from Dodik's remarks, Vucic said he "always respects Dodik, as president of Republika Srpska, and that institution." But he added that "I can tell you the position of Serbia: We respect the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We have no claims toward Bosnia-Herzegovina, as we expect from Bosnia-Herzegovina and every other state towards the territory of Serbia." The U.S. Treasury Department in January announced sanctions against Dodik for actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton accords. Vucic is also likely to help launch several infrastructure projects related to Republika Srpska, including a Belgrade-to-Sarajevo highway, along with discussing providing additional financial aid to the struggling entity. Vucic, a former prime minister, was sworn in as president on May 31, succeeding Tomislav Nikolic. Once an ultranationalist who served as information minister in the administration of strongman Slobodan Milosevic, Vucic has solidified his grip on power by reinventing himself as a reformer committed to Serbia's drive toward European Union membership. The Serbian presidency is largely ceremonial, but he has retained much de facto power through control of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Bosnia has also expressed desires to join the EU. With reporting by Balkan Insight and B92.net Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-vucic- bosnia-visit/28722299.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Facebook Revelation on Russian-bought Political Ads 'Tip of the Iceberg' By Jeff Seldin September 07, 2017 Revelations that Russian-linked accounts paid for thousands of political ads to appear on Facebook during last year's presidential election may be just "the tip of the iceberg," according to a top U.S. lawmaker. Russia also likely manipulated other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Google, Democrat Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told a security conference Thursday in Washington. He said he would like to see other social media companies, including Twitter, conduct similar investigations and share the results. "That becomes a method of influence almost exponentially I would argue bigger than TV and radio," Warner said. "Americans ought to be able to know if there is foreign sponsored content coming into their electoral process." An internal investigation Facebook released Wednesday found 470 accounts traced to a St. Petersburg-based organization bought about 3,000 ads for $100,000 from June 2015 to May 2017. The social networking giant said that while the ads did not directly mention the election or either candidate, they largely promoted divisive social issues, like immigration, race relations and gun control. Facebook said further investigation also revealed another 2,200 ads, worth about $50,000, "might have originated in Russia,'' including ads purchased by accounts with IP addresses in the United States but set to Russian in the language settings." All the accounts in question have been suspended. Facebook says cooperating with authorities Facebook's chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said the company is cooperating with a federal investigation into the matter. Special counsel Robert Mueller is overseeing a probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election and any potential coordination with associates of President Donald Trump. Warner said lawmakers could potentially pursue reforms requiring ads on social media to tell users who is behind the content, similar to existing laws governing other political advertisements. U.S. intelligence officials have voiced repeated concerns that Russia will try to use similar influence campaigns in upcoming elections. And some lawmakers fear the problem is only going to get worse. "What has been unleashed is not going to be put back in the bottle," warned Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "There is no software patch for what happened last year," said Schiff, speaking at the same national security conference as Warner, adding other Russian hacking efforts would also likely be repeated and almost impossible to stop "If the Russians want to get into the DNC in 2020, they will get in. If they want to get into the RNC, they will get in," he said. Facebook and other social media companies have come under intense pressure since the election to curb the flow of false information. Facebook has conceded its network was exploited by governments and other interests intent on manipulating public opinion, including during the presidential elections in the United States and France. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bipartisan Experts Call for Strengthening US State Department By Cindy Saine September 07, 2017 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has pledged to carry out a major reorganization of the U.S. State Department, with the results set to be announced on September 15. On Wednesday, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, was on hand as several former ambassadors and business leaders launched a report with recommendations for State Department reform at the Atlantic Council research institution. Royce said he has been clear that he does not support deep cuts to the State Department and the Agency for International Development, proposed by the Trump administration. "When the administration first announced its proposed cuts of over 30 percent, I expressed my concerns and said we should be supporting, not slashing anti-terrorism, law enforcement, humanitarian programs given the growing threats that we face," he said. Time to move quickly Royce also called on Tillerson to move quickly to fill the many vacant senior positions, both at the State Department and at U.S. embassies across the world, since all but two of the department's 24 bureaus are still headed by acting assistant secretaries. "The men and women of the department need an effective chain of command in order to implement administration policies and in order to carry out their crucial national security duties," the secretary said. Tillerson has come under criticism for supporting President Donald Trump's massive budget cuts to the State Department. Congress has rejected that level of cuts. The high-ranking group of former ambassadors and business leaders assembled by the Atlantic Council concluded that is essential to bolster the State Department by reducing the number of bureaus and offices and making training for mid-level and senior staff mandatory. Former Ambassador Chester Crocker said the State Department maintains day-to-day relations between the U.S. and 180 countries around the world. "We cannot afford a weakened State Department. We cannot afford an underfunded, poorly-led, inadequately trained and bureaucratically muscle-bound State Department. We need to strengthen it, restore it and empower it to do better," he said. Security a must for department The Atlantic Council report did not advocate for any certain budget. But a former senior financial officer at the State Department, Brad Higgins, said the main reason that the department's budget has increased in recent years is because diplomatic security costs have skyrocketed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "We now spend more securing the State Department than we do running the State Department. That is a discussion we need to have," Higgins said. No matter the price tag, with security threats from North Korea, terrorism, and ongoing violence in Afghanistan and other places, the experts agreed that U.S. diplomacy is more crucial than ever in protecting Americans at home and keeping U.S. troops out of harm's way. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Togo, Hundreds of Thousands Rally Against Gnassinbe Rule By VOA News September 07, 2017 Mobile internet services were blocked in Togo Thursday as authorities prepared for a second day of protests demanding an end to the five-decade dynastic hold on power by President Faure Gnassingbe and his family. Hundreds of thousands of people, urged on by leaders of Togo's opposition parties, took to the streets of the capital, Lome, and several other cities calling for Gnassingbe to leave office once his term ends in 2020, and for a constitutional amendment to reimpose presidential term limits. A law was passed in 1992 that limited the president to two terms in office, but Gnassingbe's father, the late President Gnassingbe Eyadema, scrapped it a decade later. The opposition says the protests are the biggest against Gnassingbe's rule since his ascension to power twelve years ago. Similar protests in August turned deadly, with at least two people killed by security forces. Faure Gnassingbe assumed the presidency of Togo when his father died in 2005, after 38 years in power. The current president's cabinet approved a proposed bill Tuesday that reinstates presidential term limits. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Reserve wing continues fire fighting efforts 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published September 07, 2017 PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing sent a second Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 to Fresno Air Tanker Base, California Sept. 6, 2017, to support ongoing aerial fire fighting efforts in the Western U.S. The Reserve wing, Stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, has been supporting the U.S. Forest Service request for assistance with one MAFFS C-130 since July 30, in response to the U.S. Forest Service request for assistance, which began the federal activation of three MAFFS-equipped C-130s. "It's been an active six weeks for our MAFFS crews and support personnel our Air Force reservists are trained and ready to provide additional support," said Col. James DeVere, the 302nd Airlift Wing commander. "MAFFS 2 and its crew will contribute to the overall team efforts and work in support of fire suppression in the Western U.S." The U.S. Forest Service original request for assistance, which was made July 27, for three MAFFS-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft remains unchanged. When the U.S. Forest Service requires surge aerial fire fighting support, and MAFFS is activated, the MAFFS Air Expeditionary Group command rotates support amongst the four participating Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard MAFFS airlift wings. The MAFFS-equipped C-130s are operated by four military airlift wings: the 146th AW, California ANG; 152nd AW, Nevada ANG, 153rd AW, Wyoming ANG; and the 302nd AW. All four wings have supported operations at Fresno Air Tanker Base since the July activation of MAFFS. MAFFS 2 will join the 302nd AW's MAFFS 5 and the 146th AW's MAFFS 6 to continue aerial fire fighting efforts. As of Sept. 5, MAFFS-equipped C-130s have made 266 drops disbursing 713,625 gallons of retardant to aid in the suppression of more than a dozen fires. MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system, owned by the U.S. Forest Service, that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area of one-quarter mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, MAFFS tanks can be refilled in less than 12 minutes. The Defense Department, through U.S. Northern Command at Peterson AFB, provides unique military support to firefighting efforts when requested by the National Interagency Fire Center and approved by the Defense Secretary. These diverse mission assets are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to protect lives, property, critical infrastructure and natural resources, and can include, but are not limited to, MAFFS, military helicopters and ground forces capable of supporting the firefighting efforts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EPLOs provide critical coordination to FEMA disaster relief efforts By Dan Hawkins, 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published September 06, 2017 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFNS) -- As three CH-47 Chinooks flew into Joint Base San Antonio-Seguin Auxiliary Airfield from the west, , Col. Harry Hughes, an emergency preparedness liaison officer, quickly worked through how to alleviate a back-up of overflow truck traffic onto the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Incident Support Base. Hughes, along with Col. Dave Edwards, is responsible for coordinating JBSA-Seguin ISB operations through JBSA's Crisis Action Team, other military and federal agencies, plus state and local agencies to ensure FEMA has all the resources they need to accomplish disaster relief missions in a safe manner. "Being an EPLO is really about supporting civil authorities in time of disaster," Hughes said. "We're on the ground to ensure operations are coordinated, and that they're safe." Training for EPLOs is done through a combination of FEMA online training and finishing a course held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Although each branch of the service has EPLOs who coordinate with FEMA, the Air Force is unique in that all the EPLOs are reservists, Hughes said. Being an EPLO is full of high-intensity work and can put one in locations all around the U.S. "It's a pretty interesting job and you never know where you might end up working during a disaster," Hughes said. "Since becoming an EPLO in 2012, I've worked on the East Coast during Hurricane Sandy, the West Coast during the California wildfires and now I'm in Texas for (Hurricane) Harvey." Hughes, who works as a commercial airline captain in the civilian world and has piloted multiple aircraft in his almost 30 years of active duty and Reserve service, is happy for the opportunity to serve those affected by Hurricane Harvey. "Our hearts go out to everyone in Texas and Louisiana affected by this disaster," Hughes said. "We are proud to know that all of this hard work is so helpful to those who need it most." During normal operations, Seguin Auxiliary Airfield is owned and operated by JBSA and serves as a flying training location for pilots from the 12th Flying Training Wing, located at JBSA-Randolph. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address California Guard Heads Out to Fight Fires, Assist With Hurricane Irma From a California National Guard News Release SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 California National Guard soldiers completed fire hand crew training yesterday at Camp Roberts and are heading out to the Salmon-August Complex Fire near Etna, the Mission Fire near Oakhurst and wherever else they're needed. Fires ravaging thousands of acres are producing acrid smoke and spreading destruction not only in California, but also in Montana, Oregon and Washington. About 350 California Guard soldiers took part in the training on the hot hills of Camp Roberts, led by about 50 experienced firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL FIRE. The soldiers were divided into 12 hand crews and led through six stations, where they practiced digging trenches, chopping logs and using specialized tools to cut fire lines. The troops reported to their armories Sept. 1 and had been training since then. They're expected to be out on the fire lines supporting CAL FIRE firefighters for the rest of September. Hurricane Assistance The California National Guard was busy assisting Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and now the 129th Rescue Wing, based in Silicon Valley, will be heading to Florida in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, which is sweeping through the Caribbean heading toward Florida. The wing plans to deploy about 100 of its members this week, including pararescuemen, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. They plan to operate two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and three MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft out of the Hurlburt Field in the Florida panhandle, the news report said. The 129th was credited with 113 saves while operating in Texas. About 400 soldiers are working with state fire workers on the California fire lines. In addition, six Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and two C-130J Air National Guard air tanker craft are helping to fight fires. In Montana, nearly 400 troops are fighting several fires, including the Alice Creer Fire, McCully Fire, Sapphire the Complex and Rice Ridge fires, the Meyers Fire and the Lolo Peak Fire. In sweltering Oregon, more than 430 troops are battling flames in Whitewater, High Cascades Complex and the Checo Bar Fire. They were activated Aug. 4. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Defense Ministers Hold Cyberwar Game In Tallinn RFE/RL September 07, 2017 European Union defense ministers have gathered in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, for an informal meeting that included a cyberexercise aimed at testing the bloc's ability to respond to a potential attack by hackers on its military structures. The September 7 training exercise was dubbed EU CYBRID 2017 -- a reference to a mix of cyber and hybrid warfare techniques such as disinformation campaigns. In a fictional scenario, hackers crippled the command of an EU naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea and launched a campaign on social media to discredit the operations and trigger protests, the Reuters news agency reported. Each of the EU's defense ministers tried to contain the crisis over the course of the exercise. Describing the exercise as "extremely exciting," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that "the adversary is very, very difficult to identify, the attack is silent, invisible." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who took part in the exercise as an observer, said that the alliance saw a 60 percent increase in the number of cyberattacks against its networks over the last year. "A timely exchange of information [with the EU] is key to responding to any cyberattacks," he added. New Domain Of Operations Members of the alliance last year recognized cyberspace as a domain of operations in which NATO must defend itself as effectively as it does in the air, on land, and at sea. "We want to show ministers the impact of cybercampaigns," Tanel Sepp, deputy director for cyberplanning at Estonia's Defense Ministry, said ahead of the war game. "Cyber has become a conventional tool in modern warfare." Estonia has put cybersecurity at the forefront of its six-month EU presidency running in the second half of 2017, after a series of global cyberattacks disrupted multinational firms, ports, and public services this year. In 2007, Estonia's private and government Internet sites suffered massive cyberattacks following a decision to move a Soviet-era war memorial from a square in Tallinn. The move also triggered street protests by ethnic Russians in Estonia and a diplomatic spat with Moscow. Russia's military actions in Ukraine have also increased concerns about Moscow's intentions in NATO nations, particularly former Soviet republics or Warsaw Pact satellites of the Soviet Union. Russia occupied and seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists whose war against Kyiv's forces has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April of that year. Security Challenges Those actions have prompted NATO to step up its defenses in the east, deploying four battalions to Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. In the course of their informal meeting in Tallinn, EU defense ministers were also due to discuss the topic of security challenges in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions, said a statement from the Estonian EU presidency. And, at a joint working lunch with EU foreign ministers, the defense ministers were set to discuss plans to develop cooperation in the field of defense. Ahead of the talks, Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik said it was "important that the new European Union defense policy initiatives, regarding which we are hoping to reach decisions by the end of the year, will lead to actual growth of the military capabilities of the member states." He added that NATO continues to ensure collective defense in Europe, saying the EU defense cooperation "has opened the opportunity to increase Europe's contribution to NATO." Among other things, EU foreign ministers will discuss whether the bloc should add more sanctions on North Korea as part of international pressure following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear bomb test. With reporting by Reuters and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-defense-ministers -cyberwar-game-tallinn/28721870.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 45th SW launches 5th OTV mission By 45th Space Wing Public Affairs / Published September 07, 2017 CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle Sept. 7, 2017, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. Approximately eight minutes after the launch, SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9 first-stage booster at Landing Zone 1 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, the 45th SW commander, thanked the entire OTV-5 mission team for their efforts in ensuring a successful launch. "I'm incredibly proud of the 45th Space Wing's contributions to the X-37B program," Monteith said. "This marks the fifth successful launch of the OTV and its first onboard a Falcon 9. A strong relationship with our mission partners, such as the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, is vital toward maintaining the Eastern Range as the world's premiere gateway to space." The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is led by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, with operations overseen by Air Force Space Command's 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron. The OTV is designed to demonstrate reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operate experiments, which can be returned to and examined on Earth. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Key to Korean Peninsula issue is sanctions and dialogue: Chinese FM People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 17:46, September 07, 2017 BEIJING, Sept. 7 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that the key to solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is both sanctions and dialogue. Wang made the remarks during a press conference after a meeting with visiting Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara. He said China strongly opposes the nuclear test made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which he said violated UN Security Council resolutions. Wang said China supports further moves made by the UN Security Council on the issue, and China will maintain close coordination with related parties on the basis of objectiveness and fairness. Sanctions are only one half of the key to solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and the other half is dialogue, he said, adding that sanctions and dialogue should work together to solve the issue. He called on the international community to push for the restarting of dialogue and expected all the members of the UN Security Council to maintain unity to reach consensus and send a concerted message on the issue. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Conversation over phone between President Xi and Trump over Korean Peninsula tensions People's Daily Online (CNTV) 08:02, September 07, 2017 Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday had a phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump to exchange ideas about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK's threat was the key topic during the phone conversation between the two leaders. President Xi stressed that China is committed towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It relies on dialogue and negotiations to appropriately resolve the issue, Xi said. Trump expressed deep concern about the current situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula, and highlighted China's crucial role in resolving the DPRK nuclear crisis. He said he is willing to reinforce communication with China, and find a solution as soon as possible. Xi also said China and the US are preparing the first round of law enforcement and cyber security dialogue, as well as social, people-to-people and cultural dialogue. He said China attaches great importance to Trump's state visit to China later this year and would assure its success with every effort. Trump said it's very important for him to keep close contact with President Xi and maintain close communication over major international and regional affairs. He said he is looking forward to his visit to China and meeting Xi again. Xi and Trump held talks over the phone last month too. Xi had requested the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to tone down their rhetoric and avoid actions that could escalate tensions between the two nations. The DPRK, in its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the DPRK to comply with international obligations, including Security Council Resolution 2371 adopted last month, and called for a peaceful solution to the region's nuclear issue. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin suggests North Korea will not give up nukes Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 9:57AM Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that North Korea will not abandon its nuclear weapons program because Pyongyang views its missiles and atomic weapons as its only means of self-defense. "They (the North Koreans) view the possession of atomic weapons and missile technology as their only means of protection. Do you think they'll give it up now?" the Russian president said during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday. "It's impossible to scare them," he added. The Russian president said North Korea was being provocative by advancing its missile and military nuclear programs but said any escalation of the dispute with Pyongyang would be "counter-productive." "The build-up of some military atmosphere, of hysteria, is counter-productive, in my opinion. It will lead to nothing, because what is happening now, of course, is a provocation from North Korea. This is quite obvious. They are provoking the situation, but if they are doing it, they are not stupid people, believe me. So, they expect the corresponding reaction from [their] partners, and they achieve it," Putin said. The Russian president repeated his stance that it is possible to resolve the dispute through diplomatic means, stressing that the issue was a top priority for development in East Asia. There has been an uproar over Pyongyang's sixth and the biggest nuclear test to date, which was conducted on September 3. Earlier, North Korea had tested a missile by firing it through Japanese airspace, angering Tokyo and its ally the United States. Tensions have been especially high between the US and North Korea. Washington has military presence on the Korean Peninsula and has threatened the North with military action over its weapons programs. Japan urges 'greatest possible pressure' on North Korea Also on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was in Russia for the EEF, called on the international community to "unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea" to have it abandon its nuclear and missile programs. "We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner," Abe said. "North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world," he said. North Korea is already under mounting international pressure over its missile and military nuclear programs and has been subjected to an array of sanctions by the United Nations. However, Pyongyang says it needs to continue and develop the programs as a deterrent against hostility by the United States and its regional allies, including South Korea and Japan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Hopes To Avoid Use Of Military Action On North Korea RFE/RL September 07, 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump said on September 7 that military action was an option in dealing with North Korea's nuclear threat, but he added that he hoped it could be avoided. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable," Trump said during a news conference in Washington. "I would prefer not going the route of the military," Trump said. "If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea." Tensions have risen to their highest level in decades since Pyongyang announced that it had tested a hydrogen bomb that was capable of being placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that would put the United States in its range. Washington is proposing a range of new UN sanctions against North Korea following the test. Earlier on September 7 as the United States is proposing a range of new UN sanctions against North Korea following its sixth nuclear bomb test. Speaking after the talks on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, Putin reiterated that the crisis should be resolved only by political means. "First of all, there is a need to ease tensions and then build a dialogue between the interested parties, as stipulated by the Russian-Chinese road map aimed at gradually resolving the issue," he told reporters. "We completely agreed that North Korea's nuclear test is a serious threat to the peace and stability of Korean Peninsula as well as the region, and a grave challenge to the global nonproliferation regime," Abe said. Putin also said he and Abe discussed the prospect of a long-delayed peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities. A dispute over a group of islands that Russia seized at the end of the war -- called the Southern Kuriles by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan -- has strained ties and has kept the two countries from signing such a treaty. Ahead of the talks with Putin, Abe said the international community "must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner." Earlier, Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met in Vladivostok and agreed to "further increase sanctions and pressures against the North as much as possible," according to Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan. The two leaders felt Russian and Chinese involvement was paramount and agreed to work toward that goal, Yoon also said. North Korea's sixth nuclear bomb test on September 3 -- its most powerful to date -- has triggered global condemnation, but Putin has brushed off calls for tighter sanctions, pushing for negotiations instead. Speaking on September 7, the Russian president said that Pyongyang would not end its nuclear and missile programs because it views them as its only means for self-defense. Putin once again said that imposing tighter sanctions was not the way forward because Pyongyang can't be intimidated. "It's impossible to scare them," he said. Restrictive Sanctions Pyongyang is already under highly restrictive sanctions imposed by the UN and aimed at forcing it to curtail its weapons programs. It was not clear whether China, North Korea's main ally, would support the tough new moves against Pyongyang. "Given the new developments on the Korean Peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on September 7. But he added that "sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation." In the Estonian capital, Tallinn, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on September 7 that she will propose considering "new autonomous EU sanctions on North Korea." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that North Korea's "behavior is a global threat and requires a global response, a united global response." A draft U.S. proposal circulated to the UN Security Council members calls for a total ban on supplying a range of oil products to North Korea and on its textile export industry. It also suggests freezing the assets of the reclusive country's government and its leader, Kim Jong Un, as well as banning him and other officials from travelling. North Korean laborers would also be banned from working abroad, mainly in Russia's Far East and China. North Korea pledged to take "powerful counter measures" to respond to U.S. pressure or any new sanctions against it. A statement by the North Korean delegation to Vladivostok also accused South Korea and Japan of using the Russian forum to play "dirty politics." Also on September 7, the four remaining launchers of the U.S. antimissile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system arrived at a base south of Seoul, joining two launchers that have been operational at the site since May. The rollout was "temporarily" completed, the South Korean Defense Ministry said, adding it was necessary to counter increased threats from North Korea. The deployment has been strongly opposed by Russia and China. With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, CNN Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin- north-korea-crisis-diplomatic- means/28721652.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address @alextdaugherty Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will appoint Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a political ally, to the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The appointment was first reported in March but made official on Thursday, the White House said. Trump gave Bondi a $25,000 political contribution in 2013, setting off controversy when Trump launched his presidential bid that Trump's contribution steered Bondi's office away from an investigation into Trump University. Bondi was a vocal surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail as he narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton in Florida. "Ive just known Pam Bondi for years, Trump told reporters during the campaign. I have a lot of respect for her. Trump signed an executive order establishing the opioid commission in March. The commission is chaired by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and includes Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. "Governor Christie will be instrumental in researching how best to combat this serious epidemic and how to treat those it has affected," Trump said in a statement when the commission was launched. "He will work with people on both sides of the aisle to find the best ways for the Federal Government to treat and protect the American people from this serious problem. This is an epidemic that knows no boundaries and shows no mercy, and we will show great compassion and resolve as we work together on this important issue." The Christie-led committee missed two deadlines to issue an interim report over the summer, and asked the President to declare the opioid crisis a national emergency when it released its initial report in August. "Your declaration would empower your cabinet to take bold steps and would force Congress to focus on funding and empowering the Executive Branch even further to deal with this loss of life," the report said. "It would also awaken every American to this simple fact: if this scourge has not found you or your family yet, without bold action by everyone, it soon will." Japan, South Korea Urge Russia To Support Tougher Sanctions On North RFE/RL September 07, 2017 The leaders of Japan and South Korea called for stronger sanctions against North Korea on visits to Russia's Vladivostok despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning against "pushing North Korea into a corner." South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on September 7 to cooperate on seeking tougher sanctions such as those floated at the United Nations by the United States, cutting off North Korea's oil, foreign workers, textile exports, and other income sources in retaliation for its weekend nuclear test, said Yoon Young-chan, Moon's chief press secretary. Yoon said Moon and Abe in particular agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off Pyongyang's oil supplies, although he said Putin has opposed that, saying it would hurt North Korea's impoverished citizens as well as its government. Kremlin officials also said Russia doesn't supply oil to North Korea. Yoon said Moon privately urged Putin to support the stronger sanctions at a meeting in Vladivostok on September 6, including a ban on North Korea's program of supplying guest workers to Russia, China, and other nations, but Putin did not agree. "We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner," Putin said in a news conference after the meeting on the sidelines of an economic conference. "As never before, everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions." Abe said before meeting with Putin in Vladivostok on September 7 that "we must make North Korea understand there is no bright future for the country if it pursues the current path." Their renewed push for sanctions came as the United States in a draft UN resolution proposed imposing an oil embargo on North Korea and a freeze on assets of the reclusive country's government and its leader, Kim Jong Un. The resolution, seen by U.S. and other media on September 6, also calls for a travel ban on Kim and a block on the country's textile exports and payments to the up to 100,000 North Korea laborers working abroad. The demand for enhanced sanctions is in response to Pyongyang's continued defiance of UN resolutions against its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programs. The draft UN resolution also calls for a freeze on the assets of North Korea's national airline, Air Koryo, which flies to Beijing and other Chinese cities, and to Vladivostok in Russia. Tensions between Pyongyang and many world powers, particularly the United States, Japan, and South Korea, are at their highest levels in years. U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim have exchanged threats in a war of words that intensified after the North on September 3 tested what Pyongyang described as a hydrogen bomb that could be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States. North Korea's main ally, China, has condemned Pyongyang's nuclear tests, as has Putin. It was not known if China would support the tough new moves against Pyongyang. To pass, a UN resolution would require nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the 15-member Security Council's permanent members, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, or China. Reports of the U.S.-drafted resolution came after Trump spoke to his Chinese counterpart to discuss the crisis. A statement from China's Foreign Ministry said Xi told Trump that Beijing is "unswervingly" working to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. "At the same time, we always persist in safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation," Xi told his U.S. counterpart. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, requested that the Council vote on the draft resolution on September 11, butRussia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzya, said that date might be "a little premature." The latest moves also come as NATO on September 6 demanded tougher implementation of existing sanctions against North Korea and called for new efforts to draw Pyongyang away from its "threatening and destabilizing path." With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea -us-seeks-un-resolution-oil-embargo -asset-freeze/28720776.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean Challenge Comes at China From all Angles By William Ide, Joyce Huang September 07, 2017 Although China's official stance is that sanctions are not the answer to the increasingly tense situation on the North Korean peninsula, calls for action and concern about the situation are growing at home. This comes even as the government is working hard to limit broader discussion. In the wake of Sunday's test, North Korea's most powerful to date, media organizations and websites in China were ordered to close commentary sections on the nuclear test and to "not hype" the story, according to a censorship directive obtained by China Digital Times. On the website Freeweibo.com, which collects and monitors censored social media posts, "hydrogen bomb" and "North Korea" continue to lead a top 10 list of blocked topics. Still, not all comments were being taken down as quickly as they went up. Many expressed frustration not only with North Korea, but the government's censorship tactics. Clearly for many in China, there is a growing concern about the nuclear threat not only posed by North Korea, but the domino effect that could create. One post in support of tougher sanctions said: "To avoid Japan and South Korea deploying nuclear weapons and war breaking out, and any radioactivity being cast on our country, our only choice is to thoroughly comply with U.N. Security Council sanctions and cut off all oil supply and trade with North Korea." The post added that China should also discuss with the United States how both can look after their own interests following the collapse of North Korea. Analysts note that a key reason China has hesitated going too far with sanctions has been its fear that it could lead to the collapse of the regime in Pyongyang. That, and a possible humanitarian crisis along its northeastern border. For those living in China's northeast, however, there are concerns about radiation and even North Korean missiles. The Chinese government says it is focused on getting the parties back to the negotiating table and talks that have been stalled since 2008. But as Pyongyang's provocations continue, some online are more focused on matters at home. "We don't need to condemn (North Korea). We need the government to protect the safety of its people in the northeast," said another post. "The lives of our people matter more than anything. And what about an emergency plan?" Another post criticized the government for apparently focusing more on South Korea's deployment of a U.S.-made missile defense system. "You see that is the feature of those people. They ignore how North Korea is repeatedly testing nuclear weapons on our doorstep and claim South Korea has damaged the regional balance of power because they deployed THAAD to protect their own people," the post said. "For those 'people' who rule China and prop up the Chinese dream. Do you feel safe? Is that making your country stronger?" Facing calls for action at home and pressure from both Pyongyang and Washington, Beijing is clearly in a pickle, said William Choong, a senior fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore. "China's strategy has always been to do the minimally acceptable option on North Korea, while at the same time maintaining the status-quo," said Choong. "But the magnitude of the sixth nuclear test that we saw on Sunday was off the chartso China does have to present to the United States an option that is viable." China supported tougher sanctions in early August, agreeing to ban coal, iron, lead and seafood. And given that China is the North's biggest trading partner, it has already made a point to let the world know that it is feeling the pain more than any other country. Late last month, China's Ministry of Commerce announced a ban on North Korean companies setting up new joint ventures or increasing investment in already existing joint ventures. In the wake of Sunday's test, the United States is pushing for a ban on exports of oil to North Korea. Choong said it is possible that China could cut off oil exports to North Korea, a move that would hurt Pyongyang. It could also offer to restrict North Korean workers from working in China and send them home. North Korea has been accused of using forced laborers to bring in illicit funds. China was included in a list of the world's worst human traffickers this year, in part because tens of thousands of North Koreans work here. China is North Korea's biggest supplier of oil, but just how much it supplies is unclear. The important thing is that oil from China is subsidized, notes Andrei Lankov, director of the Korea Risk Group. "Nobody knows exactly how much oil they are getting, and from exactly which sources, but it is not the only source," Lankov said. "It is the only source of cheap, really seriously cheap subsidized oil." Lankov said if China did cut exports, North Korea would still find ways to import it, but adds it would have an impact. "If North Korea loses access to oil, it will face great economic difficulties. It's quite possible that there will be outbreaks of unrest because recently, contrary to what you have probably heard, North Korean's living standards have increased significantly," he said. "And people don't like it when their living standards suddenly go down." Both Choong and Lankov, however, doubt that an oil embargo would lead to an end of the North's nuclear program. Allen Ai in Beijing contributed to this report NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Advocating Conciliatory Approach to North Korea By Brian Padden September 07, 2017 Russia is increasingly advocating an arms control strategy to accept North Korea as a nuclear state, disagreeing with the United States and its allies, and even to a degree with China, which all support applying sanctions to force Pyongyang into denuclearization talks. While meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday again urged for dialogue to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, and said whipping up military hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive and could trigger a global catastrophe. He also said it is not possible to resolve the North Korean crisis with sanctions and pressure alone. A different approach Echoing the sentiments of the Russian leader, Alexander Nikitin, the head of an academic institution run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, told an international defense forum in Seoul Thursday that the time has come to stop seeking the "immediate denuclearization of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and instead pursue "realistic and verifiable" arms controls talks. "Sanctions, the limitation of food supplies, a limitation of fuel is not a method to bring North Korea to the negotiation table," said Nikitin, who is director of the Center for Euro- Atlantic Security at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. The Russian academic suggested treating North Korea like India and Pakistan, two countries that were given sanctions waivers by the U.S. in 2001, even though they openly tested nuclear weapons and refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Under the NPT, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China are permitted to possess nuclear weapons. Sanctions support North Korea has now conducted six nuclear tests in the last decade, more than 20 ballistic missile tests this year alone, and is rapidly moving toward its goal of developing a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of targeting the U.S. mainland. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed that all options, including military action, are being considered to eliminate what it calls this unacceptable existential nuclear threat from North Korea. In contrast to the Russian representative's conciliatory views on North Korea, other officials at the Seoul Defense Dialogue forum voiced support for imposing more coercive measures against Pyongyang. 'Time to tighten the screws' Lim Sung-nam, the vice minister of Foreign Affairs for South Korea, said the continued belligerent and threatening behavior of the Kim Jong Un government has convinced the progressive leadership in Seoul to back away from its earlier position advocating for talks and outreach. "Now is not the right time for dialogue, rather it is time to tighten the screws on North Korea with a view to forcing the regime to change its strategic calculation," he said. Jia Qingguo, a professor of international studies at Peking University in China, categorized North Korea's relentless missile and nuclear tests as "suicidal." He voiced support for stronger sanctions and proposed the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan engage in five-party talks as North Korea refuses to negotiate. It is time, he said, to discuss all possible contingencies, including what to do if the Kim regime collapses. Sanctions combined with dialogue Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Thursday said the U.N. Security Council should make a further response on North Korea, but that sanctions must be combined with dialogue. The United States asked the U.N. to impose an oil embargo after North Korea's latest and biggest nuclear test. European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini also expressed support Thursday of adopting tougher economic measures to restrain the rapidly growing North Korean nuclear threat. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top general: Armed forces moving in path of Iran's defense shield IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Sep 7, IRNA -- Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri lauded the country's armed forces, the army in particular, for their pace of progress in upholding Iran's defense shield. Major General Baqeri made the remarks in a meeting with Chief Commander of Iran's Army Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi in Tehran on Thursday. 'God willingly the Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Forces, especially the army, are swiftly paving the path of progress under the command of Supreme Leader and Commander-in-Chief (Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei) in land, sea and aerospace,' he added. On Aug 26, Major General Baqeri said Iran's army is playing a role of deterrence against enemies' threats and global arrogance. 'Today our country is passing through a sensitive and vital period and the army plays the role of deterrence against the enemies' threats and global arrogance,' he added. 'The enemies should come to the conclusion that the cost of an aggression on Iran is much higher than its benefits for them,' Baqeri said. The enemy has found decisively that any military aggression on Iran would lead to their humiliating defeat, and that's why they are turning to proxy wars, the General added, promising that Iran is facing a bright future as a result of the armed forces' efforts. 'Iran has been able to reach a satisfactory level of deterrence in the face of direct military threats by the enemies,' he said. 2050**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran under 'most robust' nuclear inspection: IAEA Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 1:1PM The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has defended the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, saying the Islamic Republic is under "the world's most robust" nuclear inspection regime. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano made the remarks at a panel discussion on global nuclear governance in the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia earlier this week amid Washington's pressure on the agency to request access to Iran's military sites. Amano hailed the "important" role played by the UN nuclear agency in the finalization of the landmark accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying that the JCPOA "represents a clear gain for nuclear verification." The IAEA "is now verifying and monitoring Iran's implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under that agreement, acting as the eyes and ears of the international community," the UN nuclear chief said. "Iran is subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime. Our inspectors are on the ground 24/7. We monitor nuclear facilities, using permanently installed cameras and other equipment," he added. Under the deal, Amano said, Iran has accepted restrictions on its nuclear program and the IAEA has expanded access to its sites and information. The deal demonstrated that even complex issues can be resolved if all parties were committed to "dialogue aimed at achieving results," he said. The remarks came at a time when Washington, which is a party to the agreement, seems to be laying out a case for abandoning it. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley traveled recently to Vienna to press the IAEA on accessing Iran's military sites. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has slammed Washington's approach to the nuclear deal saying that the US was "openly hostile toward the JCPOA and determined to undermine and destroy it." The IAEA has recently reaffirmed Iran's adherence to its commitments under the nuclear agreement. Haley, however, argued that the US president "has grounds" to refuse to certify the JCPOA even if Iran was not found to be violating the terms of the accord. The Trump administration has twice certified Iran's compliance with the deal. The next deadline is in mid-October. The JCPOA was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries namely the US, Russia, China, France, and Britain plus Germany in July 2015 and took effect in January 2016. Under the deal, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the termination of all nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US won't say whether considering sanctions against Myanmar Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 9:48PM The United States has expressed concerns about the deadly violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar but refused to address calls for international sanctions against the country. "We don't want to get ahead of the conversations that we're having," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Myanmar's security forces and armed Buddhist militants have been carrying out atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in the Muslim-majority Rakhine region in Myanmar for several months. According to multiple reports, entire villages of Rohingya Muslims have been burnt to the ground. A large number of Muslims, including women and children, have been burnt alive, lynched to death or lost their lives while fleeing the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people. The State Department spokeswoman on Thursday urged Myanmar's authorities to allow humanitarian access to Rakhine state but said US officials could not find the reports of state-sponsored massacres credible. "The United States is deeply concerned about the troubling situation in Burma's northern Rakhine state," Nauert told reporters. "There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians," she said. "We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further attacks on local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights," she said. According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 Rohingyas have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since violence erupted in Rakhine state in October. The refugees say their villages are being raided and burned by the country's security forces and by extremists who call themselves Buddhist nationals. They tell stories of the indiscriminate killing of civilians. The extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and have set fire to their homes in several villages in Rakhine. Myanmar's armed forces allegedly provided the fanatics containers of petrol for torching the houses of Muslim villagers, who were then forced to flee. Exhausted and desperately hungry refugees arriving in already packed camps in Bangladesh have brought harrowing tales of murder, rape and widespread arson. "We call on the authorities to facilitate immediate access to affected communities that are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," Nauert said, adding that US officials are working to help the United Nations cope with the exodus. But Nauert said she would not comment on who is at fault in the latest violence. She refused to blame Myanmar's de facto ruler Aung San Suu Kyi over her complicity in the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. Nauert said US diplomats are in regular touch with Myanmar's government but added that Rakhine is "a difficult place to get information from, it's difficult to get access to." "Some of these areas are areas of open conflict, we can't necessarily get in there," she said. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize for her political activism Myanmar's military rulers, but her failure stop ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims has ruined her reputation. Peace activists have launched an international campaign calling on Nobel Peace Prize Committee to take back its 1991 prize to Suu Kyi over her complicity in the crime. The petition launched at change.org has already been signed by 375,974 supporters. More than a dozen Nobel laureates wrote an open letter to the UN Security Council in December last year warning of a tragedy "amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity" in Rakhine state, citing the "potential for genocide." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Some 164,000 Rohingya refugees fled fresh violence in Myanmar: UN Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 2:25PM The latest estimates by the United Nations show a fresh bout of violence against the Rohingya minority Muslims that erupted in Myanmar two weeks ago has forced a record number of people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed Thursday that some 164,000 Rohingya Muslims had fled Myanmar's western state of Rakhine to seek refuge in camps in Bangladesh since a harsh crackdown against them started on August 25. The UNHCR spokeswoman, Vivian Tan, said the figure could go up further as thousands were still crossing the border. Bangladesh has already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and the new influx has pushed refugee camps to the brink. Reports say many are currently squatting in open fields or muddy patches of land between the borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The large-scale violence began two weeks ago when a group claiming to defend the Rohingya launched attacks on several border and police posts north of Rakhine, killing several officers. The army, backed by Buddhist mobs, then embarked on a massive "clearance operation," which according to many eyewitnesses, has forced tens of thousands from their homes. Journalists monitoring the developments in Rakhine reported new fires burning in Gawdu Zara village abandoned by the Rohingya on Thursday. They said ripped pages of the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, could be seen everywhere on the ground in the village. The account starkly differs from that of the government, which blames the militants claiming to defend the Rohingya for setting villages on fire. Refugees who have made it into Bangladesh have also recounted the violence by Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs, saying they set their homes ablaze, sprayed bullets indiscriminately and stabbed civilians. The refugees say they were ordered to abandon their homes or be killed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Deeply Concerned About Rohingya Crisis By Nike Ching September 07, 2017 The United States is expressing deep concerns and says it is in close contact with Myanmar's government on the situation in that country's northwestern Rakhine State, where tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been forced to flee across the border to Bangladesh. "We have publicly and privately discussed this issue at the highest levels. We are also in touch with Burma's neighbors and other international partners," a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific affairs told VOA on Wednesday. Myanmar is also known as Burma. "We remain deeply concerned by sustained reports of significant violence and the impact on civilian populations, including the Rohingya community," he added. The State Department, however, said it welcomed indications Myanmar's government is committed to providing access to humanitarian aid via the Red Cross. Fleeing violence The latest round of violence began August 25 when a group of Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army base in what they said was an effort to protect their ethnic minority from persecution. Rakhine State is home to most of the Rohingya minority group. Subsequent clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the latest exodus of Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh. U.N. Refugee agency Asia spokeswoman Vivian Tan in Bangladesh told VOA Burmese that aid workers estimate there are now some 164,000 new arrivals in Bangladesh. The United Nations says some 146,000 people have crossed the border into Bangladesh's Cox's Bazaar district since August 25. Officials say the U.N. World Food Program has provided tens of thousands of people with food, including high-nutrient porridge, to women and children who are arriving in Bangladesh hungry and malnourished. The agency says that it needs $11.3 million to support the influx of people, in addition to those already living in camps. The United States had strongly condemned the August 25 deadly attacks on security posts by a group called Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and urged all ethnic groups in Myanmar to "work toward peace and stability." Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticized over her response to the violence. Many observers say she has played down reports of the Burmese military's brutal treatment of Rohingya civilians. Aung San Suu Kyi maintains there has been "a huge iceberg of misinformation" about the Rohingya crisis and violence in Rakhine following the August 25 insurgents attacks on security posts. A series of Twitter photos that allegedly showed dead Rohingya people were later proved to be unrelated to the current violence, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Aung San Suu Kyi's office. The Nobel Peace laureate said "fake information" was used to promote the interests of "terrorists," a word she used to describe ARSA insurgents. International pressure But human rights advocates are urging the Burmese government to stop the violence. "The governments of the world have to press very hard on Aung San Suu Kyi and also the Burma military to stop the violence," Human Rights Watch's Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson told VOA, adding independent monitors should be granted access to assess allegations of serious human rights violations committed by ethnic Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh. Robertson urged the United States and the international community to provide more humanitarian relief and medical assistance to the refugees. "So far we have seen very little comments from the Trump administration about the situation which is quite shocking," said Robertson, "There is a massive humanitarian crisis in a country which, until recently, the United States spent a great deal of time trying to understand them and work with the government on various developments and trade," Robertson said. Abuses against and restrictions on members of the Rohingya population were cited as one of the leading human rights problems in Myanmar, according to State Department's 2016 Human Rights Report. The Rohingya are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities in the Buddhist-majority nation. The Myanmar government considers the Rohingya to be economic migrants from Bangladesh, and has never granted them citizenship, even though most can show their families have been in the country for generations. VOA's Burmese Service contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Says US Can't Win War on Terror Without It By Ayaz Gul September 07, 2017 Pakistan has vowed to stay engaged with the United States to help fight terrorism in neighboring Afghanistan, but said the war "cannot be won by excluding or confronting" Islamabad. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif made the remark Thursday at the end of a three-day conference of Pakistani ambassadors to key world capitals for formulating a comprehensive response to the new U.S. policy on Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Pakistan when he announced his long-awaited Afghan war policy last month. He accused Islamabad of harboring terrorists linked to the Taliban and Haqqani network, which are undermining U.S.-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and staging attacks on American forces. The charges have strained an already fragile relationship between Islamabad and Washington. "We want to stay engaged with the United States. There is absolutely no doubt about it ... But this relationship will be driven by the interest of Pakistan. We want to have a relationship based on mutual respect," Foreign Minister Asif told reporters after the meeting. He again rejected allegations his country is sheltering terrorists who are plotting deadly attacks in Afghanistan. Asif recounted Pakistan has lost thousands of its citizens, including security forces, and suffered massive economic losses while fighting terrorism. "I think people sitting in Washington have no comprehension of that ... I think they are oblivious, if not completely, at least partially oblivious of what actually is happening in this region," the foreign minister said. Asif urged the U.S. to respect Pakistan's sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and warned that "scapegoating" his country for "failures" of international forces to secure Afghanistan will be counterproductive. "They [the U.S.] should acknowledge Pakistan's counterterrorism gains and make use of our experience to win this war on terrorism because it can't be won by excluding or confronting Pakistan," the foreign minister asserted. Trump singled out Pakistan for not doing enough against militant groups operating on its soil but did not outline how he planned to pressure the country to move against the alleged terrorist sanctuaries on its soil. US put on notice U.S. media has reported a range of possible punitive measures under consideration, such as increasing diplomatic and economic pressure, and intensifying and expanding anti-terrorism drone strikes inside Pakistan. Asif warned against any coercive U.S. action. "We will defend our territorial integrity and we will not compromise our territorial integrity or our national dignity at any cost. And we expect from the U.S. to respect that," the foreign minister warned. He admitted that eliminating militancy from the entire Pakistani society will take time. "You have to change an entire culture created to fight the Afghan jihad in the 80s . You needed a state of mind to wage the jihad, so you deliberately created that state of mind through a state-sponsored program. Now you are trying to reverse it," Asif said. It takes time, he said, to "get rid of this baggage." The Pakistani minister was referring to the U.S.-backed Afghan insurgency against Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. The American CIA in collaboration with Pakistan's spy agency, Inter- Services Intelligence or ISI, created, funded, trained and armed Afghans as well as volunteers from across the Muslim world to fight Soviet occupation forces, admitted Hillary Clinton while testifying as U.S. Secretary of State during a congressional hearing in April, 2009. ISI later used its ties with Afghan factions to try to influence affairs in Kabul during the civil war of the 1990s that gripped Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal. The Pakistani spy agency also allegedly used some of the home-grown militants to fuel a Muslim separatist insurgency in India-controlled portions of the divided Kashmir region. The backing from the powerful military establishment emboldened and enabled the militant groups to penetrate and extend influence in the mainstream Pakistani society, which has over the years become a major domestic security challenge and a source of spreading religious extremism, critics say. Afghans and U.S. officials have been skeptical about whether ISI would cut its covert ties with the Taliban and Haqqanis because Islamabad uses them to counter growing influence of rival India in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Asif left for China, Pakistan's staunch ally, shortly after addressing reporters, saying his talks with Chinese officials will focus on the situation in the aftermath of Trump's August policy announcement. Asif is scheduled to also travel to Russia, Iran and Turkey later this month before undertaking a crucial visit to Washington. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France, Germany Denounce Russia's Strategy Of 'Intimidation,' Dispute Size Of War Games RFE/RL September 07, 2017 The French and German defense ministers have condemned Russia's upcoming military maneuvers with Belarus, saying Moscow is seeking to show off military might on the borders of the EU and NATO. "It is particularly important in this context that we reaffirm our presence in the face of...this demonstration the Russians are making which is a strategy of intimidation," France's Defense Minister Florence Parly said on September 7. Parly was speaking to reporters at a joint news conference with her German counterpart on the sidelines of an EU defense ministers informal meeting in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Under Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) rules known as the Vienna Document, states conducting maneuvers involving more than 13,000 troops must notify other nations in advance and be open to observers. Russia and Belarus say the Zapad (West) 2017 exercises, which are set to be held in Belarus and parts of western Russia on September 14-20, will involve about 12,700 troops. But Western military officials and experts say that the true numbers could be far higher, with as many as 100,000 military personnel involved. "It is undisputed that we see a demonstration of capabilities and power of the Russians," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said. "Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the high numbers of the participating forces in the Zapad exercise: more than 100,000." NATO says it will send three observers to Belarus and Russia to monitor Zapad 2017, but repeatedly called on the two countries to allow broader monitoring of the drills. The alliance's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on September 6 that he saw no "imminent threat" from the military maneuvers but reiterated that Russia's openness about them did not meet international standards. "We will monitor the [Zapad 2017] activity closely and we are vigilant but also calm, because we don't see any imminent threat against any NATO ally," he said during a visit to a NATO contingent in Tapa, Estonia. Russia charges that Western concerns about the exercises are unfounded, saying the war games will be "purely defensive" and pose no threat to Russia's neighbors, NATO, or the West. Russia holds the Zapad exercises every four years, rotating them with drills in three other parts of the country. Belarus borders three NATO members -- Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia -- as well as Ukraine. The area the exercises are due to take place also includes the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which lies between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. Russia's military actions in Ukraine have increased concerns about Moscow's intentions in NATO nations, particularly former Soviet republics or Warsaw Pact satellites of the Soviet Union. Russia occupied and seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists whose war against Kyiv's forces has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April of that year. Those actions have prompted NATO to step up its defenses in the east, deploying four multinational battlegroups in the three Baltic states and Poland -- totaling approximately 4,500 troops. Parly, who was due to meet French troops in Estonia, said the deployment sent a clear signal that the Baltic states and Poland were covered by the NATO alliance. Also on September 7, Russia's Armed Forces General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov was set to hold talks with the chairman of the NATO military committee, Petr Pavel, in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku. The alliance described the meeting as "a follow-on" from a March 3 phone call between the two generals. The Russian Defense Ministry said Gerasimov and Pavel will discuss "current issues of international security," according to Russian news agencies. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-zapad- drills-france-germany-denounce/28722103.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address @alextdaugherty A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Miami Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, are urging President Donald Trump to allow people in the United States but from Caribbean countries hit by Hurricane Irma to stay here for a temporary period. Ros-Lehtinen, along with New York Democrat Eliot Engel and California Democrat Barbara Lee are circulating a letter to colleagues in Congress over the weekend asking them to support extending whats known as Temporary Protected States to affected countries, including the Dominican Republic and Antigua and Barbuda. On Monday, they will send the letter to Trump. While Congress and the Administration work to provide relief for those affected by devastation from Irma in our own country, we must also support our friends in the Caribbean, the draft letter, obtained by Miami Herald, said. As the storm moves away from the first-impacted islands, the casualty toll is slowly rising as deaths have been reported in Barbuda and Saint Martin. The economies of the affected areas have been completely destroyed and will take years to rebuild. The TPS program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and allows foreign nationals already in the United States from 10 countries to stay in the United States for a designated period of time. Trump, who continues to talk tough on immigration, hasnt indicated that hes open to extending the program to more people from more countries. One of the 10 countries currently on the TPS list, Haiti, lies within Irma's path. TPS was extended to Haiti in 2011 after a massive 2010 earthquake and Florida lawmakers have asked the Trump administration to extend Haitis TPS status, which is set to expire in January 2018. Other countries impacted by Irma include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, along with overseas territories of the UK, France and the Netherlands. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were also impacted by Irma, though residents there are U.S. citizens and not subject to TPS. I have signed onto Eliot's letter and I support extending TPS to the folks living in the US who are from nations impacted by Hurricane Irma, Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. For them to go back to their areas that have been devastated by Irma would not be constructive because the infrastructure is not able to sustain the economy. Jobs would be impossible for them to get and if they are granted TPS here, they can earn a living and pay taxes to help our economy. Ros-Lehtinen and Engel serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee while Lee is part of a congressional subcommittee that deals with international diplomacy. Update: 9/12/17: Engel's office announced in a press release that 75 members of Congress signed on to the letter. Read more here. 40-truck aid convoy enters Syria's troubled Dayr al-Zawr Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 1:6PM Dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in Dayr al-Zawr only two days after Syrian army forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, reached the eastern city and breached a nearly three-year siege imposed by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists on pro-government areas there. Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported that 40 trucks carrying basic commodities such as fuel, food and medical supplies to civilians, in addition to two mobile clinics, entered the city, located 450 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus, on Thursday. Meanwhile, there are reports that Syrian army soldiers have regained control over a large expanse of land near the Brigade 137 base, and recaptured al-Raqqah bridge on the western side of Dayr al-Zawr. Scores of Daesh terrorists were killed and injured during the military operations while their military hardware was destroyed as well. Additionally, Syrian Air Force fighter jets bombarded Daesh gatherings and supply routes in the town of Ash Sholah, destroying them and killing many extremists. The developments came a day after Syrian government troops, backed by allied fighters from the popular defense groups, wrested control of the town of Kobajeb, situated about 50 kilometers southwest of Dayr al-Zawr, from Daesh terrorists. Meanwhile, a large number of Daesh Takfiris, among them members of the terror group's so-called religious police commonly known by the Arabic word Hasba, have escaped from the town of Gharanij. Militant mortar attacks leave 7 Syrians dead Separately, at least seven civilians have been killed and several others injured in a series of mortar attacks carried out by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants on Dayr al-Zawr. Seven people lost their lives and 29 others sustained injuries when mortar shells fired by the militants struck an area in the Harabesh neighborhood of the eastern city. The projectiles also caused material damage to residential buildings and public property in the targeted area. Daesh overran large parts of Dayr al-Zawr province, including its many oil fields, in mid-2014 as it seized swathes of land in Syria and neighboring Iraq. By early 2015, the Takfiri terrorists were in control of some parts of Dayr al-Zawr city and besieged the remaining parts, which were under government control. It is estimated that 100,000 people remain in the government-held parts of the city. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that more than 10,000 people may be living in the Daesh-held parts of Dayr al-Zawr. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli jets hit Syria army position in Hama Province, kill 2 soldiers Iran Press TV Thu Sep 7, 2017 4:49AM At least two Syrian soldiers have been killed after Israeli fighter jets targeted an army position in the west-central province of Hama, in yet another act of aggression against the Arab country "Israeli warplanes at 2:42 a.m. today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," the army said in a statement on Thursday. The statement further warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region." "This aggression comes in a desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale of the ISIS (Daesh) terrorists after the sweeping victories achieved by the Syrian Arab Army against terrorism at more than one front, and it affirms the direct support provided by the Israeli entity to the ISIS and other terrorist organizations," it added. Masyaf is located approximately 60 kilometers east of the coastal city of Tartus, where Russia holds a naval base. Earlier media reports said the Israeli military had struck a scientific research facility in Masyaf. Citing pro-government activists, Al-Masdar News, a pan-Arab news and commentary website, said Thursday that Israeli warplanes targeted the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Masyaf in Hama. Meanwhile the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two facilities were hit, a scientific research center and a nearby military base. It said the Israeli assault also wounded five people. "Many explosions were heard in the area after the air raid," said the group's head, Rami Abdulrahman, adding that some of the blasts may have been secondary explosions from a missile storage facility being hit. Israeli officials have not immediately commented on the reports. Over the past years, the Israeli military has carried out sporadic attacks against various targets across Syria in what Damascus views as an attempt to boost the Takfiri terror groups that have been taking heavy blows from the Syrian army and allied forces on the battle ground. The latest Israeli strike comes just days after the Syrian army, backed by popular defense groups and Russia airpower, managed to break the years-long siege imposed by the Daesh terror group on the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Says Israeli Jets Hit Military Site September 07, 2017 The Syrian Army says Israeli jets have hit one of its facilities in the country's west. A military statement said on September 7 that several missiles fired from Lebanese airspace targeted the site near the town of Masyaf, killing two people and causing material damage. It also warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region." Israel, which has carried out aerial attacks in Syria in the past, has not commented. Masyaf is located approximately 60 kilometers east of the coastal city of Tartus, where Russia maintains a naval base. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike hit a facility of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC). It also said that a military storage camp next to the facility was used to store ground-to-ground rockets. The United States has accused the SSRC of developing the sarin gas weapon allegedly used in a deadly chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town in April. On September 6, UN investigators said they had concluded that the Syrian government was responsible for the attack on Khan Sheikhoun that left at least 83 people dead. Damascus denies having or using chemical weapons. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-israel-jets-hit- site-chemical-weapons/28721717.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition Confirms Syrian Military Gains in Deir el-Zour By Carla Babb September 07, 2017 The U.S.-led coalition to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has confirmed that Syrian military forces have made it to the Islamic State-held city of Deir el-Zour. Coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon told reporters Thursday the Syrian military had arrived on the outskirts of the city and "linked up with their besieged brigade" that had been trapped in the city for nearly three years. The coalition estimates there are some 2,500 ISIS fighters in and around Deir el-Zour, which lies on the eastern end of the Middle Euphrates River Valley. The U.S.-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State in Deir el-Zour province, but so-far has left clearing the province of the terrorists to the Syrian regime and its Russian partners. A recent deal brokered between the Syrian government, Hezbollah and Islamic State meant to allow Islamic State fighters and their families to take a convoy of buses to the Iraqi border, however, has raised additional concern about the Syrian government's determination to defeat the group. The deal, which neither the coalition nor the Iraqi government agreed to, was intended to provide safe passage to the Iraqi border for hundreds of Islamic State fighters and their family members. "Yes, there is concern about whether or not and how serious the Syrian regime is about defeating ISIS," Dillon told reporters Thursday, adding that the U.S. would not allow the Syrian government to merely push Islamic State fighters to another country. Dillon said Syrian Democratic Forces, along with an Arab contingent from the area, are "still prepared to seize hometowns in the province of Deir el-Zour from ISIS," even as the Syrian military has advanced to Deir el-Zour city. "We'll just have to see when that is going to happen," Dillon said. At the United Nations, the Syrian government said road access to some areas of Deir el-Zour now have reopened as a result of the Syrian military's advance. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the area previously had been reachable only by World Food Program airdrops. Israel kills 2 Syrian soldiers Meanwhile, Syria's army says Israeli warplanes attacked a Syrian military position early Thursday near the town of Masyaf, killing two soldiers and causing material damage. The army statement said Israeli forces fired missiles while in Lebanese air space. Masyaf is located in Hama province, near the Mediterranean Sea about 40 kilometers north of the Syria-Lebanon border. The Israeli military did not comment on the reported attack, which has been its usual response to similar attacks during the Syrian conflict. Israeli officials have, though, confirmed in the past that strikes inside Syria have targeted weapons shipments believed to be headed to the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah. Hezbollah forces have fought in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting in Syria, said the strikes hit a scientific research center and a nearby camp where surface-to-surface missiles are stored. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Monitors Russia-backed Syrian Army's Advances in Deir Ez-Zor By Rikar Hussein, Nisan Ahmado September 07, 2017 As the Syrian government forces, backed by allied militias and Russian airstrikes, continue to advance against the Islamic State group in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, the U.S.-led coalition says it is monitoring the army to ensure it does not cross a deconfliction zone established across the city. "We do monitor and watch where they are and where they are going at the same time as they move closer to the middle of the Euphrates Valley," Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against IS, told VOA on Thursday. Dillon added that the coalition warplanes were continuing to strike IS positions in Deir ez-Zor as the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) partnered with local tribal militias in preparation for an attack from the northeast of the deconfliction line. He did not disclose a timeline for the assault. The deconfliction zone in Deir ez-Zor was established between the U.S. and Russia in late 2015 to separate their areas of operation in Syria and prevent inadvertent clashes between the two sides. The vast line starts from the town of Tabqa, roughly 45 kilometers west of IS's self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa, and extends parallel to the Euphrates River that runs across Deir ez-Zor toward Al-Bukamal town bordering Iraq. It has divided Deir ez-Zor province and city into two parts; SDF operates north and east of the line, and the Syrian government troops and their allied militias are in the west and south. "We will continue to deconflict as necessary and as required," Dillon said while speaking to reporters in Washington during a teleconference briefing from Baghdad. "We will continue to draw that line farther and down the Middle Euphrates River Valley." Earlier this week, the Syrian army and its allied Shi'ite militias, backed by heavy Russian airstrikes, made significant gains against IS in the western parts of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian regime forces were able to enter the outskirts of the city and break a three-year IS siege of an enclave known as Regiment 137. IS still controls pockets IS still controls much of the city and the wider oil-rich province that stretches to the Iraqi border. An estimated 2,500 IS fighters are thought to be in the province to defend their positions in one of the terror group's last major strongholds in Syria. Rabee Hamidi, a spokesman for Jaish Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT), a rebel group consisting of local Deir ez-Zor fighters supported by the U.S.-led coalition, told VOA that Syrian regime forces had established control over some isolated areas on the western outskirts of the city. He said the regime's progress would most likely be stalled as government forces approached more densely populated neighborhoods. "IS is launching counterattacks by sending suicide bombers. The area is under fierce air raids," Hamidi told VOA. He added that MaT and other U.S.-backed forces were prepared to attack from the town of al-Shaddadi, about 85 kilometers northeast of Deir ez-Zor, but warned that safety corridors to allow civilians to flee from the city needed to be opened in advance to keep them from getting caught in the crossfire. A million civilians More than a million people are estimated to live under IS-controlled areas in Deir ez-Zor. Observers expect a complicated battle as IS, the U.S.-backed forces and the Syrian regime, backed by Russian air support and Iranian-allied Shi'ite militias, compete for the strategic province, and U.N. officials have expressed concerns about civilian casualties. "The fight in the city will be long and difficult. We should not expect a rapid victory for the Syrian army in Deir ez-Zor," Robert S. Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, told VOA. He said the Syrian regime's recent advances in the province had most likely taken Washington by surprise. "This complicates the American decision, because if they go there, would they fight with [Syrian government] forces against ISIS?" Ford added that a race for the province and its natural resources was imminent and inevitable. "Deir ez-Zor is for whoever captures the middle of the city," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli Warplanes Strike Alleged Syrian Chemical Weapons Facility By Edward Yeranian September 07, 2017 Syria says two people were killed when Israeli warplanes struck a military facility near Hama that Western nations allege is linked to Damascus' chemical weapons program. Syria claims to have handed over all of its chemical weapons, as part of an internationally-brokered deal in 2013, but the U.N. accuses Damascus of using chemical weapons on a number of times since. Arab media Thursday showed footage of what appeared to be burning buildings, following an Israeli airstrike on an alleged Syrian government chemical weapons plant near the town of Masyaf, in the northwest of the country, near Hama. Lebanese media reported that the Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace, launching their missiles at the Syrian plant from inside Lebanese territory. A Syrian Army statement said the Israeli attack hit the facility near the town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast and not far from Russia's airbase at Hmeymim, in Latakia. The statement claimed that the attack was prompted by recent victories by the Syrian Army against the Islamic State group. Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Freij, meeting with government military commanders at a government-controlled airbase outside the eastern oasis town of Deir-el-Zour, until recently encircled by IS, lauded the government's recent advances. He says that all patriotic Syrians should be proud of this great victory and of the amazing tenacity of government forces as well as the resistance of all those citizens in Deir-el-Zour and those in nearby towns controlled by (IS) terrorists. Khattar Abou Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, tells VOA that he believes the Israeli attack came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin or U.S. President Donald Trump to push pro-Iranian forces supporting the Assad government away from Syria's border with Israel. He says that the Iranians have been advancing and that they have just completed an arc from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea, in addition to advances in their ballistic missile capability. He stresses that the Israeli attack was not far from Russia' main airbase in Syria, and that it sent a very strong message to both the Assad regime and Iran, along with Russia, as well. Abou Diab argues that Israel's message to all three countries is that it is capable of defending its interests, and he believes that there will be even more Israeli military activity inside Syria in the future. Israel made no official comment on the airstrike, although a former Israeli intelligence chief praised the attack. Israel has launched a number of attacks on what it claimed were pro-Iranian military convoys or facilities near Damascus over the past several years. Israel also launched an attack, destroying an alleged Syrian nuclear facility under construction in 2007. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army, Allies Face Arduous Test in Eastern Syria By Jamie Dettmer September 07, 2017 The lifting of a vicious 32-month Islamic State siege of a Syrian regime enclave in Deir el-Zour city earlier this week marks a significant battlefield success for government forces. But the fight for eastern Syria is just beginning and analysts warn the toll in civilian casualties will be high. With IS still controlling several neighborhoods in the city, and also much of the wider oil-rich province that stretches to the Iraqi border, the battle for eastern Syria is likely to prove an arduous test for the Syrian army and its allies. That was brought home to the Syrian army by reports that one of the senior officers commanding the Deir el-Zour offensive, General Ghassan Iskendar Taraf, was badly injured Wednesday when his vehicle struck an IS land mine to the west of the city. A battle-hardened general, he commands the Al-Qassem Group, an elite force. The U.N. estimates more than a million people are living in Deir el-Zour province. The population has been swollen by Syrians displaced from other war-torn parts of the country. U.N. officials have expressed alarm at the mounting civilian casualties in the province from the regime ground offensive as well as airstrikes conducted by Russia and the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition. Military situation In terms of how prolonged the fight will be for the province, the big question remains over IS determination and battlefield coherence, say analysts. In military terms, the terror group's position in the east has been weakened substantially by the Syrian regime's opening of the main highway into Deir el-Zour. Analyst Aron Lund of The Century Foundation, a New York-based policy research group, dubs it "a strategic disaster for IS, which is now at its weakest since 2014 and appears unable to break out of an accelerating spiral of defeats." Having lifted the siege of the main regime enclave and commenced the task of retaking other IS-held neighborhoods in the city, "the Syrian government is about to flip Deir el-Zour from a costly defensive liability into an offensive asset, putting new strains on the jihadist group's positions along the Euphrates," according to Lund. On the corresponding side of the border, Iraqi forces are preparing large-scale offensives on the jihadists, too, a squeeze that will strain what manpower IS leaders have left. Running short of fighters In August, IS announced a general "mobilization" of local men 20 to 30 years of age, and there have been reports of forcible enlistments of minors as well. "Even though IS recently began drafting civilians in a desperate bid to shore up its positions in eastern Syria, it is unlikely to be able to cope with the overwhelming force now bearing down on it from nearly every direction," argues Lund. While the conscription of locals suggests IS is running short of fighters to throw into battle, it is a tactically unpleasant way also to force locals to choose sides and to resist a regime offensive that includes Iranian-directed foreign Shi'ite militias from the east and south. U.S.-backed Kurdish-led assaults from the north are also a danger. The enlistment ties locals to the fortunes of IS, having a son, brother or husband in the jihadists' ranks, regardless of whether they joined willingly or not, will place families, who will already be suspect for living in an IS-controlled zone, at huge risk of retaliation and punishment from invading forces. Syrian commanders greeted the lifting of the desperate siege earlier this week on a regime enclave sheltering about 100,000 people. "This great achievement is a strategic shift in the war on terror and confirms the ability of the Syrian Arab army and its allies," the army command said. Iranian, Russian forces involved Ali Shamkhani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the offensive demonstrated how well Iranian, Russian and Syrian forces work together, saying the axis has "started paying dividends," according to the Tehran Times. Analysts take that to be a pointed reference to the U.S. presence in Syria. Iranian officials have been stressing that all "foreign" powers in the fight against IS should be mindful of Syrian sovereignty, noting that while Iranian and Russian forces were invited by Damascus into the country, U.S. forces backing the Kurds were not. State-owned Russia Today was quick this week to highlight what the Deir el-Zour offensive means as far as Moscow sees it in the overall geopolitical game, headlining one story, "Bashar Assad's Deir ez-Zor [sic] victory puts illegal U.S. presence in spotlight." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Poroshenko: Peacekeepers Must Not Preserve 'Russia's Occupation' RFE/RL September 07, 2017 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that the purpose of a proposed UN-mandated peacekeeping mission in war-torn eastern Ukrainian must be to foster peace, not to cement what he called "Russia's occupation" of a chunk of his country. Poroshenko spoke in an annual address to parliament on September 7, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the deployment of lightly armed peacekeepers to protect OSCE observers monitoring the conflict. Russia has indicated that, under its plan, the peacekeepers would operate only along the front line separating Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists. Russia also says that the plan should be subject to approval by the separatists. Poroshenko said the mission should patrol the whole conflict zone including the border between Russia and the separatist-held parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Kyiv says is used to ship weapons and military personnel in from Russia. "Its purpose should not be the preservation of Russia's occupation and the legalization of the Russian military presence, but a durable peace," Poroshenko said. He called Putin's proposal "strange" but said that Ukraine is ready to discuss any proposal at the UN. The conflict has killed more than 10,000 civilians and combatants in eastern Ukraine since it erupted in April 2014, after Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and fomented separatism across large parts of the country. The war has persisted despite a European-brokered agreement on a cease-fire and steps to peace that was signed by Ukraine, Russia, and the separatists in February 2015. With reporting by AFP and Unian Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-poroshenko-peacekeepers- putin-russia-parliament/28722396.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address @NewsbySmiley Miami's Republican mayor called on President Donald Trump and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Friday to acknowledge that climate change is playing a role in the extreme weather that has slammed his city and the continental U.S. this summer. Speaking from Miami's Emergency Operation Center in downtown, where the city's senior public safety and political authorities will ride out Category 4 Hurricane Irma this weekend, Mayor Tomas Regalado told the Miami Herald that he believes warming and rising seas are threatening South Florida's immediate and long-term future. "This is the time to talk about climate change. This is the time that the president and the EPA and whoever makes decision needs to talk about climate change," said Regalado, who flew back to Miami from Argentina Friday morning to be in the city during the storm. "If this isn't climate change, I don't know what is. This is a truly, truly poster child for what is to come." Regalado's comments come as Hurricane Irma is expected to begin lashing his city with hurricane force winds this weekend. The storm, which is trailed in the Atlantic Ocean by Category 4 Hurricane Jose, has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate from Coconut Grove and areas around downtown, Brickell, Little Haiti and the Miami River. A third hurricane, Katia, is located off of Mexico's coast. Research, meanwhile, suggests a warming climate is increasing the intensity of hurricanes. But on Thursday, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt told CNN that the time to discuss the cause and effect of this summer's intense hurricanes, "it's not now." Trump once called climate change a "hoax." Regalado, however, said hurricanes like Irma and Harvey, which devastated the Houston area of Texas last month, ought to spark conversation about climate change -- not dampen them over concerns about political sensitivities. ""I don't want to be political but the fact of the matter is that this is a lesson that we need protection from nature," he said. A Republican serving out the final two months of his time as Miami's chief executive, Regalado is currently campaigning for a $400 million general obligation bond, nearly half of which would go toward storm drain and pump improvements. The projects are part of a roughly $1 billion, long-term plan to make Miami more sustainable in the face of rising seas. He has said publicly that he hopes the federal government will help the city pay for parts of the initiative "You know, for those who say we don't believe in the bond issue because we can do that later, no, it's happening now. We got [Hurricane] Jose in the back and we got Katia. We got stuff going on," he said. "So, I think this is a lesson for the people to say you know what? We have to be prepared." @alextdaugherty Sen. Marco Rubio is concerned that debris from Hurricane Irma will clog roads in Florida, and he sent a letter to FEMA administrator William Long on Friday to urge the federal government to prioritize debris removal on roads after the storm passes through. "Local leaders and I are particularly concerned about debris removal on county, state and private roads that serve as crucial access points to hospitals and serve as important conduits to aide those in need, or who need to evacuate post-storm," Rubio said in a letter obtained by the Miami Herald. "These must be clear so that emergency services and utility repair crews are able to do their jobs. Also, the storm is a significant threat to Floridas numerous inland and coastal bridges, which may be rendered impassable following the storm, cutting off residents from life-saving assistance and recovery resources. I urge your agency to work with the state of Florida to rapidly assess the connectivity of Floridas road networks after the storm has passed and ensure that these residents are identified and assisted as quickly as possible." Rubio spent Thursday in Miami meeting with local officials and preparing his home for Irma. He missed a Senate vote on a $15 billion hurricane relief bill that also raises the nation's debt ceiling. The bill was devised after Donald Trump cut a deal with Democratic leaders. Rubio was opposed to the deal but said he would have voted in favor of the bill to keep FEMA afloat as it prepares for Irma. Read the letter below: Nicht Ihr Computer? Dann konnen Sie fur die Anmeldung ein Fenster zum privaten Surfen offnen. Weitere Informationen Haiti - Dubai : His Highness Sheikh Mohammed sends 90 tons of aid to Haiti His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has provided, upon request from the United Nations World Food Programme and UNHRD partners, the B747-400 aircraft which flew out of Dubai International Airport at 4:30 am, September 7, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti airport. The plane is expected to land in Haiti tomorrow, the 8th of September 2017, at 8:00 pm UAE time. The Dubai Air Wings aircraft to Haiti carried more than 90 metric tonnes of key relief items, valued at more than $194,000 (Dh712,500), made available by the International Humanitarian City members. The air cargo transporting aid on behalf of the World Food Programme, Catholic Relief Services, and CARE came in response to the forecast of a monster storm, Hurricane Irma, as it bears down South America, and is expected to hit the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Cuba in the coming days. HRH Princess Haya hailed the emergency airlift as a symbol of the UAE commitment to humanitarian assistance. "This rapid response is the fruit of an unprecedented cooperation and a proof of our robust support to vulnerable populations all over the world," she said. Among the relief and survival items, on board are food and non-food supplies: 2000 tarpaulins, enough high-energy biscuits to feed 47100 people over 3 days, mobile storage units, lighting equipment, water purification kits, and pool testers. Let's recall that, HRH Princess Haya flew last year in October 2016 to Haiti and personally oversaw the delivery and distribution of relief supplies after hurricane Matthew had demolished the island. HL/ HaitiLibre Norman Maclean taught at the University of Chicago from 1928 until 1973, retiring as the William Rainey Harper Professor of English. He was older than 70 when he sat down to write his first book, a memoir of his family in Montana in the 1920s. His acutely personal although fictionalized story focused on Macleans father, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, and Macleans brother, a supremely strong and refined fisherman who was enticed towards gambling, alcohol, vice and violence. The novella is a series of memories, and, in the words of one pithy, sharp evaluation, an uncanny blending of fly fishing with the affections of the heart. The only book Maclean published in his lifetime, it was an unexpected success. In 1977, "A River Runs Through It and Other Stories" was considered for the Pulitzer Prize for best fiction. Twenty-five years have passed since Richard Friedenberg adapted the novella to the screen. Friedenberg said that one of the troubles with writing a screenplay from the fundamentally autobiographical story was that of the 104 pages, 52 were composed about fly fishing. Compounding the challenge in modifying A River Runs Through It was its absence of plot. Norman wrote a short story very beautifully, said Friedenberg. The odds against making a movie were tremendous, but (director) Bob (Redford) wanted to do it. Book a love poem to Normans family Principally, the film is a mark of respect to a deceased brother, and an expression of grief five decades after the reality that no one in the family could rescue him. In the early morning hours of May 3, 1938, Macleans brother Paul, 32, was discovered beaten to death in a dark Chicago alley; the bones in his right hand (perhaps in self-defense?) had been fractured, and his skull pulverized by a gun butt. The book was a love poem to Normans family, once said director Robert Redford in the New York Times. They were a deeply loving family, but the members didnt understand each other. Their lives went into that dark area when the questions become: How does one ask for help? How does one give help? What part of oneself does one give? All these questions are rolled into the big question of love and helping and understanding one another. Those are the questions that interested me. Friedenberg said he condensed the story into a shorter time period to render the dark side of Paul Maclean that led him astray and was ultimately very deadly. Through interviews with Maclean, and by reading letters the author wrote decades ago to the woman he married, Jessie Burns, from Wolf Creek, Redford inserted details from the Macleans lives not present in the book. Redford also employed narration to keep the authors voice a central element in the film. Indeed, the movies evocative recitation changed Montana forever: a metaphorical river, the swish of water moving unendingly over rocks, an old mans pruned hands fumblingly tying a fly to his line. Norman Maclean was born in Iowa, Dec. 23, 1902, the son of Presbyterian minister Dr. John Norman Maclean. In 1905, the family moved from Iowa to Montana and settled in Missoula. The Rev. Maclean served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula for 17 years. (Normans boyhood home is at 302 S. Fifth St. W.) Both Norman and Paul would learn that fishing was a fine art, performed on a four-count rhythm between ten and two oclock. The Maclean family, which included several sisters, moved to Helena by 1925, where the Rev. Maclean had accepted the position as executive of the Montana Presbyterian Synod. Paul Maclean would also begin his journalism career there. *** Normans father similar to Redfords, Skerritts Normans storys similarity with his own Scots-Irish heritage also attracted Redford. My father, while full of good humor, could be strict and stern, uncompromising and stubborn. If you did the wrong thing, silence was often your punishment, Redford said to the Chicago Tribune in 1993. This book was a part of my life before I even read it. Lots of its elements were of interest to me: time, memory, love, understanding, bonding, the role of nature and how it shapes our lives. Actor Tom Skerritt, who portrays the Rev. Maclean in the film, saw his own father in the part, a man who loved his children but could never show them that love overtly and freely. The reverend had to look to Montanas fishing holes to attain the emotions he was unable to express, hidden beneath the rocks of the flowing waters. Skerritt said his father, like the character he played in the movie, had that same Anglo-Saxon stiffness and unwillingness to display affection. I cannot remember my father ever being affectionate except for giving me a half dollar once and patting me on the knee when we were driving in the car. But he never gave me a hug and I never heard him say, I love you. But I knew he loved me. In retrospect," added Skerritt, age 84, much of his behavior could be attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder condition from World War I. He was emotionally contained and unstable within himself and distant from PTSD, and on top of that, he had the Protestant reserve. He never really knew who he was. I was able to draw upon this experience and replicate his behaviors to some extent. My family would often take off fishing trips in areas around the Great Lakes (he was born in Detroit) and, my father was an odd duck, and you had to be careful about catching fish. I would be in one boat and he in another with friends, on vacation, and I would be having a lot of good luck, and he saw that, and he was getting very upset. It was a strange thing. To have to curb your own success so your father wouldnt feel slighted or angry, and he often did, and that was the PTSD. Director and author pact, bond of trust The foremost obstacle in making the film was Maclean, a hardnosed man cynical of Hollywood and actors. He had already snubbed William Hurt when the Oscar-winning actor arranged to meet Maclean for a day of fishing and showed up late with a couple of aides but no fishing license. Hurt obtained a license, and he and Maclean were said to have shared a pleasurable day on the river. But upon leaving, Hurt asked Maclean: Am I a good enough fly-fisherman to play your brother?And Maclean replied: Well, Bill, you're a fine fisherman, but not good enough to be my brother. Redford visited the tenacious Maclean a number of times to build a rapport of trust. Redford and Maclean fished together and exchanged letters. The old author was softened by the strength of the actor-directors conviction. As told to the Los Angeles Times by Redford in the 1990s: The Montana guy and the University of Chicago guy theyre both very tough traditions, in their own ways. I respected him enormously. And we worked hard at building trust. I didn't know him; he didn't know me. Finally, the trust is what did it. Director and the writer ultimately made a pact: Redford would commission a script and Maclean could deny it. But if Maclean approved it, he was to move aside and let Redford make his movie with no interference. Maclean observed the first process of the draft being made and once he was satisfied with Redfords vision, he respectfully resigned to the shadows. This film was not trying to be a Montana picture book, said Philippe Rousselot, the Oscar-winning cinematographer and director of photography for the picture. Not because we dont like it. But because it has been done before. It is a much more intimate story between two brothers. The goal of this film was not to bring more tourists to the rivers of Montana, and its not telling people you should fish. But its telling something about the relationship between brothers and members of the same family. Redford scouted Missoula for a few days in mid-March 1990, once showing up at Wordens Market for lunch. We wanted Missoula to play Missoula, said production manager Allen Alsobrook, but, unfortunately, its gotten so modern it wouldve been an impossible task to make it 1911. Instead, Livingston was transformed into a town of replica storefronts constructed over Callender Street. Paved roads were covered with gravel; horses and buggies replaced vehicles. Livingston mothers with day jobs had the opportunity to dress up as 1920s prostitutes and solicit customers while tilting over a balcony. The Maclean house interior scenes were shot at the Livingston Civic Center while the real house was used for outdoor scenes. Skerritt: movie still moves people in positive, important, deep way A River Runs Through It earned an Academy Award for best cinematography. The splendor of the film has catalyzed undying interest in the state of Montana, without a doubt attracting visitors to the state from all parts of the world. A 2006 University of Montana study found state tourism swelled from 2 million visitors in 1988 to 10 million in 2005. Perhaps most importantly, the film drew attention to the states undermined rivers. The Blackfoot River, the river revered by Maclean in his book, was rebuffed to portray itself in the movie in part because of blight and encroaching development. (The story was set on the Blackfoot River, but a stretch of the Gallatin River is where director Redford filmed Pitt, Skerritt and Sheffer.) Normans fishery (the Blackfoot River) had gone through tough times, said director Patrick Markey in 2010. Now its a viable fishery again. The film was maybe the impetus to get that done. Maclean passed away in 1990, aged 87, without seeing the film. Still, Redford told Newsweek in 1995 that he was ambivalent that Maclean didnt live to see it. Part of me is sorry he couldnt have the experience, the satisfaction, assuming I did a good job, said Redford. On the other hand, it might never be a good job as far as hes concerned. "You seldom satisfy a writer who has given up a book for a film. There are things he wrote that arent there. Theres going to be a different face on a character. It drives writers crazy, because they see the book being taken away from them. Skerritt, who has appeared in more than 40 films and more than two hundred television episodes, in his career, said in a phone interview earlier this week that A River Runs Through It is a significant film in everyones life who has gone to see it. I am humbled to have been a participant in something that still moves people in a positive, important, and deep way, said Skerritt. Its one of the few films Ive been in that Ive seen more than once, honestly. Im moved on a different level each time I see it, moved by the characters. The storytelling is the most engaging, and you feel it for them. Brian DAmbrosio is the author of Shot in Montana: A History of Big Sky Cinema. He may be reached at dambrosiobrian@hotmail.com. Waterford Hotel Group has promoted Jhenny Pierre to be General Manager for the 92-room Courtyard by Marriott in Warwick, RI. As General Manager, Pierre will be responsible for all of the hotels operations, sales, and administration, as well as the associates employed at the property. Courtyard Warwick is professionally managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm. Jhenny joined the Waterford Hotel Group team as a Guest Service Agent at the Residence Inn in Danbury in the spring of 2008. Jhennys passion for hospitality and dedication to her team were quickly noticed and she was promoted first to Front Office Manager in December of 2013 and then to Operations Manager in May 2015. Jhenny then moved to the Courtyard by Marriott in Warwick as the Operations Manager. Jhenny has been an integral part of the Courtyard Warwick team and stepped up as the Interim General Manager in late May. Skift Inc., the largest travel industry intelligence and marketing platform, today announced the final list of confirmed speakers and sessions for its flagship event, Skift Global Forum. The annual conference, one of the most anticipated in the travel industry, will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, Sept. 26-27, 2017. "Skift Global Forum 2017 will be the best creative brain food in travel all year," said Rafat Ali, CEO and Founder of Skift. "Since starting Skift five years ago, I have clearly seen the largest consumer and tech changes converge in travel, and what's happening here has lessons for other industries around the globe. Attendees at this year's Forum will be best prepared for what's happening next in the world's largest industry, and be inspired by travel's top visionaries and disruptors as they share their visions for the future." Skift Global Forum, now in its fourth year, is the largest creative business event in the global travel industry. This year's speaker line-up features one of the biggest gatherings of CEOs and founders in the travel industry including eight of travel's sharpest executives and C-level women leaders at public giants including Facebook, The Priceline Group, Marriott International, TripAdvisor, Hilton, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line; high-profile start-ups such as Airbnb and Vacasa; and travel and hospitality icons such as Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, Union Square Hospitality Group, Delta Air Lines, Tourism Australia, and more. The Skift Global Forum has become what media, speakers and attendees have called the "TED of travel," and is the first conference focused on the people creating and defining the future of travel: top marketers, strategists, and technologists. Topics and speakers are carefully curated to inspire attendees about the business and creative potential of the industry, and to inform them on changing trends across sectors, geographies, and functional silos. Speakers at this year's conference include Edward Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines; Glenn Fogel, CEO, The Priceline Group; Rene Redzepi, Chef & Co-Owner, Noma; Arne Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International, Inc.; Stephen Kaufer, CEO, TripAdvisor; Richard Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Geoff Ballotti, President & CEO, Wyndham Hotel Group; Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group; Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group; Christopher Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton; Nathan Blecharczyk, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Airbnb; Mark D'Arcy, Chief Creative Officer, Facebook; Lina Annab, Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan; Julian Guerrero Orozco FLS, Vice President of Tourism ProColombia, Colombia; Bonny Simi, President, JetBlue Technology Ventures; Kathy Tan Mayor, CMO, Carnival Cruise Line; and more. The entire line-up can be found here: https://forum.skift.com/newyork/speakers/. Event sponsors include Accenture, Adobe, AIG, Amadeus Airlines, American Express, Away Luggage, Button, Criteo, Fareportal, Hobo Bags, HotelTonight, ITP, KDS, Luggage Hero, Mapbox, ProColombia, Simulmedia, Smartling, Sojern, Spring Place, Tastemade, The Points Guy, Travelsify, Visit Mexico and Visit Jordan. For more information, to register, or to become a sponsor, visit https://forum.skift.com/newyork/ or email [email protected]. About Skift Skift is the largest industry intelligence and marketing platform in travel, providing news, information, data and services to all sectors of the world's largest industry. Skift identifies and synthesizes existing and emerging trends, in its daily coverage of the global travel industry and through its Skift Trends Reports. Skift produces Skift Global Forum annually to bring together over 500 of the most influential professionals in the travel industry to discuss the future of travel. The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), announced that nearly $1 million was awarded to 372 scholarships this year of which 131 were given to minority hospitality management students. AHLEF administers several scholarships for students who are enrolled in a hospitality-related degree-granting program at an American college or university. Applicants are evaluated based on academics, related work experience, extracurricular activities, financial need, honors, and personal attributes. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $6,000, contingent upon the program and the student's enrollment status. "The core mission of the Foundation is to ensure a strong and viable future for the entire lodging industry by fueling the talent pipeline through training, research and educational opportunities," said Rosanna Maietta, AHLEF's Interim President. "These grants allow a new, aspiring workforce to establish long-term careers in our growing and dynamic industry. Funded solely through the generous contributions of our industry partners, AHLEF continues to build on its legacy of empowering our current workforce and building the next generation of hoteliers." Scholarship Programs Include: AHLEF administers eight scholarship programs that are available to incoming freshman through graduate level for students studying hospitality management and awarded $851,500 to students across the country. Two of these programs are dedicated specifically for minority students: 1. The Annual Scholarship Grant Program, the foundation's largest, is co-administered with 70 universities and colleges. In 2017, 269 students, nominated by AHLEF affiliated schools, were awarded $563,000 in funds. The program is supported by proceeds of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), the Foundation's Annual Giving Campaign, previous AHLEF capital campaigns, annual special events and the following scholarship endowments: Melinda Bush Mentor John Clifford Memorial Cecil B. Day Memorial Handlery Hotels Foundation Conrad N. Hilton Memorial Creighton Holden Memorial Hospitality Asset Managers Association Steve Hymans Extended Stay Richard Kessler J. Willard Marriott Memorial Joseph McInerney Curtis C. Nelson 2. The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students awarded $42,000 in scholarships to 21 minority hospitality management students. Since its inception in 1988, this program has awarded 393 students with scholarships totaling $786,000. 3. JHM Hotels awarded 21 scholarships totaling $45,500 through the Rama Scholarship for the American Dream Program. The fund, established with a $1,000,001 endowment on the 25th anniversary of the Rama brothers' first hotel purchase, provides the financial support to help others create their own "American Dream." To date, the fund has awarded $817,800 in scholarships to 492 recipients. 4. The American Express Scholarship Program awarded 14 scholarships totaling $21,500. Founded in 1994 by American Express, it is designed specifically for current hotel employees and their dependents. The fund has awarded more than $406,000 in scholarships to 344 students and hotel employees. The program also offers professional development scholarships for distance learning and certification offered through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). 5. The Ecolab Scholarship Program awarded 12 scholarships totaling $23,000. Established by Ecolab in 1997, the program has awarded more than $429,000 to 289 hospitality management students and hotel professionals. The program also supports scholarships for professional certification offered through EI. 6. The Incoming Freshmen Scholarship was disbursed to 27 students for a total of $100,000. In conjunction with this scholarship program, the PepsiCo Foundation Scholarship awarded four scholarships, totaling $14,000. The PepsiCo Foundation established this fund with a $250,000 gift to provide perpetual scholarships to hospitality management students. To-date the fund has awarded more than $151,000 to 62 students. 7. The Graduate Scholarship Program awarded $80,000 to 16 students in hospitality programs at the graduate level. 8. The Arthur J. Packard Memorial Scholarship Program, the Foundation's oldest award, provided three scholarships totaling $10,000. This program, started in 1974 to honor third-generation hotelier Packard's numerous accomplishments in the lodging industry, is awarded to three students at AHLEF-affiliated four-year educational institutions. Each school nominates their top student to compete. The first-place winner is Elizabeth Babson from Johnson & Wales University-Denver, second-place is Grayson Jamroch from Missouri State University, and third-place is Brittany Tam from the University of San Francisco. This year, AHLEF is projected to distribute more than $1.6 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, attract and retain quality industry professionals, and fund valuable research for lodging properties. For more information about AHLEF scholarships and other programs, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president, foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or [email protected], or visit www.ahlef.org. AHLEF is the industry's philanthropic organization, dedicated to helping people build careers that improve their lives and strengthen the lodging industry. Founded in 1953, AHLEF is a subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and provides resources for hospitality-related education and research. Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 8 million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry that advances long-term career opportunities for employees, invests in local communities across the country and hosts more than one billion guests' stays in American hotels every year. AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments. Learn more at www.AHLA.com. Katie Longo AH&LA Two facts have upturned how hotel marketers and public relations experts count successes and a reality is that we are not going back to the simpler time we used to live in. That's good for a big reason: we now are much closer to truly seeing how powerful smart PR can be. Especially in the travel business where story and imagery and video - the building blocks of travel PR - obviously can deliver results. Here are the facts that have changed everything. First: we increasingly see hotel executives - both GMs and DoSMs - with at least some business school background. And b-school people love metrics. They want to measure and, initially at leas t, some PR people howl but they eventually buckle up. The more we measure, the more powerfully we prove our worth. The second fact: the old way of measuring - so-called advertising value equivalents (AVE) - has been pretty much universally tossed on the rubbish heap. It just doesn't work. It certainly does not work for many of the new tools in the PR toolbelt. But, really, it never worked. The AVE idea was that you'd take a story placed by PR, measure it (literally with a ruler in many cases), then calculate how much the same amount of advertising would cost. And PR would blow trumpets that its work had resulted in, oh, a $100,000 worth of New York Times coverage. Good as that sounds, it's nonsensical. For one thing, in buying an ad, the advertiser gets lots of power - sometimes right down to exact placement and certainly the choice of image and the exact wording. When a story is about you, you get none of that. AVE also glossed over the reality that different stories deliver different values. What's the worth of a tepid hotel review? Are those eight inches worth less than eight inches of praise? Of course. But how to calculate? In 2010, a collection of PR measurement experts gathered in Barcelona and one of the things they did was toss out AVE. They also came up with new ways to measure results. In 2015, PR practitioners issued a fine-tuned collection of ideas referred to as Barcelona 2.0. There's still debate about how to measure but there's no debate about AVE. Don't listen to PR practitioners who preach it and don't ask your PR practitioner to calculate it. What to use instead? Out of Barcelona come big ideas: Start by setting goals. What is the desired outcome of a PR campaign? This is where the magic of measurement gets traction. Measurable goals are the key. Measure the effect of PR on outcomes rather than measuring outcomes themselves. Does PR produce sweeter outcomes? More heads in beds? Measure the effect on business results wherever possible. This is where the pedal hits the metal. Know the desired results and calculate the effects of PR. Analyze possible impacts of media placements. Get analytical. Definitely dig deep into publications' media kits to gather insights into readership/viewership. While you are at this, be scrupulous about determining how well a particular publication's demographics align with the hotel's. Social media must be measured - and big outlets such as Facebook offer insights into the results they get. PR measurement must be done in ways that are transparent and replicable. If shrouded with smoke and mirrors, run. The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication offers lots of resources to help implement Barcelona 2.0. Here's the bottomline: hotels want and n eed to measure PR results and the reality is that results can be measured. It takes analytical thinking. But the results are within reach. Should every account be measured? Definitely, every sizable account deserves it. What about the smaller accounts that now are common in hotel PR - I'm talking under perhaps $5000 per month. In those cases, my advice is to do this simpler. Let's say we agree with a client that in the first year we will seek to secure four substantial placements in top 20 newspapers as well as eight placements in leading magazines and websites (with that list agreed upon). How hard is it to then decide if the year was successful? We also need to look at the question - did the placements produce the desired business results? If yes, year two probably would mean pursuit of more of the same. If not, it's time to rethink targets and, honestly, PR targets are in a period of enormous flux as traditional big h its see lessening importance and newcomers are claiming center stage roles. But, yes, let's measure. Let's know that PR indeed produces measurable results. And let's also stay very flexible about the best targets and the results we hope to achieve. Babs Harrison Babs Harrison + Partners Babs Harrison + Partners We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector Nicole and Christian McDonald entered their boys' hospital room for a final time. In a corner room of Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, Jadon and Anias had recovered for the past nine months of extensive rehabilitation after the surgery to separate the formerly conjoined twins. The two boys captivated millions around the world when they underwent a 27-hour separation surgery in October. The twins, who were 13 months old at the time, had shared 5 centimeters by 7 centimeters of brain tissue, making the complicated surgery that much more difficult. Jadon and Anias had known the world only from lying on their backs, and the surgery set them back to infancy in terms of speech and gross motor skills. In recovery, they learned how to use muscles they never knew they had. Just sitting up was a monumental task. Doctors feared that Anias might never be able to use his right side. Yet in rehab, he's begun using his right hand almost as much as his left. Their final day at Blythedale is one Nicole and Christian had dreamed of since before the surgery. The family transported their lives from small-town Illinois to New York in February 2016 to prepare for the procedure. The boys had been in the hospital almost constantly since then, first at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, where the surgery took place, and then Blythedale. They turn 2 years old on Saturday. Gone are the fears of the surgery itself. The hour-long trips to the hospital. The longing to have their family under one roof. Nicole lifted Anias from his hospital crib. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, cradling him close to her heart. Across the room, Christian picked up Jadon and told him that he'll soon "get to hang out at home." "You get to ride in a minivan," he said. "You get to be a normal little boy." The boys were placed in a double umbrella stroller. Jadon sported a white helmet with a red Velcro strap; Anias wore a helmet with a blue stripe. Dad pushed their stroller down the hall. Mom and their 4-year-old brother, Aza, accompanied them. It was time to go home. Finally. 'God works through people' The McDonald home teems with activity. Nicole and Christian purchased the home in foreclosure in the spring. Nestled in New York's Orange County, with views of the Catskill Mountains, it was in need of extensive renovation. Christian worked almost around the clock to get it ready for his boys, ripping off siding and tearing up old carpet. A few weeks ago, four guys from Texas who are affiliated with their church showed up to help. In just 2 days, they built front stairs, installed siding, replaced windows, refurbished the laundry room and renovated a bathroom. Most important, they ran an electrical circuit to the boys' room to handle all of their specialized medical equipment. Anias will need a feeding tube, as well as a breathing machine and a suction machine to aid in his care. The family will eventually have home nurses for 16 hours a day. Less than 24 hours before the boys' return, the split-level ranch home seemed more like the site of a renovation reality show, with Christian burning the midnight oil to complete the work. Aided by his minister and two church members, he pulled up carpet in the basement playroom and laid tiles. On the wall, a quote from American philosopher and psychologist William James: "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude." Upstairs, Nicole prepared a chili feast. She traveled back and forth between the hospital and home so much, it's rare to be able to cook dinner. She had to fight back to tears while slicing onions. The tears, she said with a laugh, are "not from the onions." They're for the overwhelming excitement at the idea of bringing Jadon and Anias home. Earlier, she'd walked through their room. Their newly assembled cribs waited to be occupied. "My kids have never been home separate," she said. "I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. It feels like it's not even real. We've never been home and each held a kid. It's going to be awesome." Christian joined her in the kitchen to reflect on the monumental journey the family has been on for the past year. He said the boys have been in hospitals for so long -- nearly 1 years, counting the months before the surgery -- that feels like, in a weird way, Jadon and Anias have been wards of the hospital and less his own children. "It's almost like I get to be a dad to them for the first time," he said. That's not to say he's not appreciative of everything the hospitals have done, from the surgeons at Montefiore who operated on them to the staff at Blythedale who worked tirelessly to get Jadon and Anias to this point. "I'm feeling pretty excited getting to hold my kids sitting on my couch and actually just hold one at a time," he said. "It's like I have my sons now, you know?" The last time the boys were home, Jadon and Anias were still connected at the head. Any time their parents needed to move them, they had to carry them together in a carefully choreographed way. The family lived in a rental home in the Bronx. Now, they have their own home. They want to push the boys in strollers to the park. They want to take them to the local pizza joint. Simply put, they just want to be a family. "I can't wait to show them the world," Nicole said. More than anything else, Christian said, "I'm just so excited for them. I'm sure they just want to come home and be with their family, and we want them to come home." Both parents express gratitude for everyone who has reached out to them and prayed for their boys. Devout Christians, the parents say their faith has sustained them during this arduous journey. "Times like this really shows us that it is God's help," Christian said. "God works through people." Added Nicole, "This strengthened my faith. If I didn't have God in my life, I would not have made it." A member of their church donated their minivan. Strangers generously gave more than $340,000 to the family's GoFundMe account -- money that has supported the family the past year, aided in the purchase of their home and helped pay off huge medical bills. The journey has in no way been easy. The months since the surgery have seen both boys stave off seizures and serious infections that resulted in trips to the intensive care unit. But the parents say they are prepared to handle whatever comes next. "We had miracle upon miracle upon miracle happen with these children to get them to where they are now," Nicole said. "We have our children coming home." 'Motivated' boys ready to tackle the world The boys' road to recovery was made possible thanks to the dedicated staff at Blythedale Children's Hospital. In additional to physical therapy, they received speech and occupational therapy five days a week. The boys will still return for three days of therapy a week for the foreseeable future. Mara Abrams has worked with Jadon as his physical therapist and says his tenacity has been awe-inspiring. He loves books, he loves toys, and he loves life. She said he's learning to pull himself up on furniture and walking sideways along the furniture with a bit of help. He's nearly crawling, too. "The first step in a wonderful life is about to happen," Abrams said. "It's just so great that the hospitalization is over." Jadon's progression is nothing short of amazing, she said. It was difficult and intimidating when he first arrived because he'd only known life from lying on his back. "All of a sudden, the whole world changed for him," she said. "I know it took so much time for him to visually accept that the world wasn't meant for him to lie down, that he had to come into a vertical position and figure out this is what the world looks like." But with help, Jadon took off. "Every day, he's always been a cheerful, happy guy. He throws his arms out; he squeals with delight. He loves going to therapy. I'm just so happy they're going to have real-life experiences." Her favorite moments are many, like the time he took a few steps toward his occupational therapist and grinned from ear to ear. Or the time he was on a tricycle working on reciprocal leg motion, and he suddenly saw his mom. "We started to go towards her. She squealed with delight, and he did. It was really wonderful." Anias has struggled the most, both before and after the surgery. With twins joined at the head, one tends to be more dominant. In this case, Jadon was the dominant one, whose body worked overtime to keep both of them alive. Anias has struggled with breathing and other issues, compared with his brother. Anias's body also rejected the skull cap that had been placed under his skin to protect his brain, and it had to be surgically removed. He will probably undergo another surgery for a new skull cap when he is 7 years old. Until then, he will wear a protective helmet. But Anias' gains have been tremendous too, according to his physical therapist, Maureen Carroll. Although he is a few months behind Jadon's progression, he has made giant leaps. When Anias first came to physical therapy, Carroll said, he was scared of people and using only his left side. Now, he's kicking both feet and routinely using his right hand to stick his foot in his mouth. He's become social with his twin and older brother. Anias, who eats via a feeding tube, is 4 pounds heavier than Jadon now, weighing in at 28 pounds. "He wants to play. He wants to move -- and that's amazing," Carroll said. "The child who was afraid of people at first now wants to interact with the world. He's motivated, and that's huge." What excites her the most about Anias, she said, is that "he's excited to be here, and he's excited to move." "That's what makes my job so easy," she said. "I'm just going along for the ride. He's the one who is the hero and the miracle." Making the family whole The silver minivan pulled up to their home early Friday evening. Mom and Dad got out and prepared for the big moment. On the hourlong ride home, Jadon played with a ball while big brother Aza jabbered for much of the time. Both boys laughed and laughed. Anias was oblivious, asleep in his seat. The family dogs, Taz and Tyson, greeted the minivan to inspect the new arrivals. Taz, a tiny Maltese/toy poodle mix, leaped into the back of the minivan and sniffed around. His tail wagged at the sight of the two boys. Nicole gingerly carried Anias up the front stairs. Christian fetched Jadon and, on their way up the steps, pointed out his renovation handiwork to his son: new siding, stairs and windows. "I put you in a new window, Jadon, so you can have a clear view," he said. "This is it. This is your home." Soon, the home buzzed with the hectic life of raising three boys under the age of 5. Aza ran about. Taz began barking. The environment was completely new to the twins. Jadon trembled and cried every time Taz barked. The night before, the parents had talked of how they longed to sit with the boys on the couch. With Jadon screaming, Nicole took a seat on the living room couch and held him. "This is your home," she whispered. "Don't be scared." His tears abated. A few hours later, Anias fell asleep first. Jadon soon followed. Both boys were asleep in their home. As much as Nicole and Christian dreamed of the moment, they said, it was even better than they imagined. Their family was whole again. Birmingham, Sept 8 (IBNS): A delegation of Indian biotech company leaders visited the University of Birmingham to see the life sciences cluster. The delegation travelled to Birmingham as part of bioConclave 2017 - an annual gathering of Indian life science business leaders, who come to the UK to explore investment and partnership opportunities. Birminghams life science ecosystem combines basic research and translational facilities in a single site, and is rapidly becoming a major site for health research investment. The visitors were welcomed by Indian Consul General Dr Aman Puri, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, and Dr James Wilkie, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise, which runs business incubation and commercialisation services for the University. They toured the Universitys Institute of Translational Medicine, the biobank, the gene and cell therapy manufacturing facility, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the School of Dentistry and the BioHub and BizzInn incubation facilities. Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), said: The University of Birmingham has a long-standing strength in life sciences. Four of our 11 Nobel Prize winners received their awards for work revealing the structure of DNA; developing new treatments for heart disease and cancer; understanding pain relief; and pioneering organ transplants." Birmingham is one of the UKs most important sites for life sciences - characterised by strong partnerships that link academic excellence with innovation in addressing the health care requirements of a diverse regional population of five million people." The Universitys engagement in India is extensive, dating back to 1909 when we welcomed our first students from India to our Edgbaston campus. For both these reasons, we are very pleased to be hosting this delegation visit as part of bioConclave 2017, he said. Dr James Wilkie said: Birmingham has a long established ecosystem that accelerates innovations in medicine. Our clinical-academic partnerships support all stages of the journey from bench studies to clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance studies." Our resources, such as the Birmingham BioHub, the UKs first dedicated shared facility for early stage life science companies, are co-located in close proximity to the University of Birmingham and two of the largest Hospitals in the country this speeds up the translation of research, enables more rapid assessment, and quicker adoption of medical technologies. Naveen Kulkarni, CEO of Quantumzyne, is a senior delegate from the Association of Biotech Led Enterprises the pan-India forum representing the Indian biotechnology sector. He said: The UK market is a global innovation hub for biotechnology and has a world-class pharmaceutical industry. The potential for UK-India collaborations in life sciences and biotech could see UK biotechs and pharma companies leverage innovative technology and market access to India. This years bioConclave saw the main one-day conference programme held in London, before delegates travelled to Birmingham to learn more about the Universitys research and incubation facilities and opportunities in the city. Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India, said: I am delighted to attend bioConclave 2017. Collectively, we should explore opportunities for greater collaboration between British institutes of excellence such as Birmingham BioHub and India's Genome Valley, where six out of 10 world leaders in biotech R&D already have a presence. Britain is a global innovation hub, and must increase its footprint in India an economy which is the fastest growing large economy of the world. The pharma market is projected to grow to US$ 55 billion by 2020 making it the sixth largest market in the world and the biotechnology market is likely to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2025." After the US, India is the second largest producer of English-speaking highly skilled scientific and technical human resources, a critical component for advancement in these sectors, said he. India remains one of the largest foreign investors into the UK, with biotech, pharma and life sciences investments creating or safeguarding 7,049 jobs in the UK, according to the latest figures from the Department for International Trade. Kolkata, Sep 8 (IBNS): Power Talking Books, from Power Publishers, a mobile phone app that serves as an audiobook containing short stories and novels by almost all A-list Bengali writers, has created quite an impression, according to the app builders. Samudra Basu, an avid book lover, working with an IT company in Bangaluru feels modern lifestyle has stolen the time one spent for leisure activities like reading. The new audiobook app has brought back the love for literature in his life. This audiobook mobile phone app, launched recently, contains narration by professional voice-over artists, background music and foley sound effects. Power Talking Books, the first Bengali audiobook app from India, according to its makers, was released for android platform through Google Play. Eminent Bengali writers such as Binod Ghosal, Himadri Kishore Dasgupta, Indranil Sanyal, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay and Saikat Mukhopadhyay, who were present at the inauguration, agreed that with declining interest in reading books, and increased interest in being glued to mobile phones, a mobile phone app that tells stories to people is an excellent innovation to bring the busy young generation back to literature. The app, which has look and feel of popular movie viewing apps, is free to download. Short stories are available for free. To hear novels and short story collections, the user must pay an annual subscription of Rs 200. The app has the works of some of the most popular contemporary Bengali writers such as Sunil Gangopadhyay, Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Sukanto Gangopadhay, Tridib Kumar Chattopadhay, Ullas Mallick, Himadri Kishore Dasguspta, Binod Ghosal, Caesar Bagchi , Abhijit Sukul, Indranil Sanyal, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay, Sayantani Putatunda, Prachet Gupta, Abhijnan Roychoudhury, Sourv Mukhopadhyay and Saikat Mukhopadhyay. Lagnajita Sen, working with a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram says, she is a bookworm who would buy Bengali books every week when she was based in Kolkata, Binod Ghosal being her favourite writer. She faced difficulty locating the latest released titles being away from Kolkata, till she came across the app. She is now able to enjoy Bengali stories by her favourite writers even though she is two thousand kilometres away from her hometown. As the number of downloads are increasing every day, and new content is being added to the app, it is showing signs of being a trending app, said Power Publishers. Bengaluru, Sep 8 (IBNS): No major breakthrough has yet been made even as a 21-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been probing the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was gunned down by some unknown assailants outside her residence on Tuesday evening, media reports said. The SIT has been formed by the Karnataka government. Gauri Lankesh's murder has sparked country-wide protests. Her family also said they will move to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if they fail to get any justice in the murder case, media reports said. However, despite examining CCTV footage the police could not identify the gunmen who killed the journalist-activist. Lankesh, a popular journalist who took stand against Right-wing ideology, was shot three times by some unknown assailants outside her residence. Her murder bears a resemblance with earlier murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi. Her brother Indrajit Lankesh told reporters that one lady who stays opposite his sister's house heard the noise of the shooting first which she initially mistook for the sound of fire crackers and later identified Gauri's body lying down. Lankesh, who worked as an editor in a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrikewas, died at an age of 55. Bengaluru, Sep 8 (IBNS): Taking a dig at the Congress and its Vice President Rahul Gandhi for "politicising" the death of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was gunned down by unidentified assailants outside her residence on Tuesday, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday asked the Karnataka Government why the slain journalist was not provided adequate security for working to bring Naxalites into the mainstream. Addressing a brief press conference, Prasad said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes that the Congress-run Karnataka government, will investigate the case rising above politics. Prasad attacked the Congress party and its vice president Rahul Gandhi for what he alleged, turning the murder case into a Congress-BJP issue. The Union Minister asked the Karnataka government whether Lankesh was working to bring Naxalites into the mainstream with the permission of the government, as the journalist's brother has claimed. "If she (Lankesh) was doing with the permission of the Karnataka government then why she was not given enough security," he asked. The Union minister also asked Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah whether his government approves the Congress VP's blame on the RSS and right wing activists for the murder. Accusing Modi and his party, the BJP, of trying to silence any voice of dissent, Gandhi , a day after the murder, said it is "very sad that a journalist against fanaticism was killed." "People say that the Prime Minister is quiet. The point is the entire ideology is to silence voices," the Congress vice-president told reporters. "Sometimes, under pressure, the Prime Minister makes statements. But the entire ideology is this." Prasad, who is a senior member of the BJP, attacked the Congress party for taking a "double standard" in regard to several incidents. Despite condemning the murder of Lankesh, Prasad also pointed out the killings of RSS or BJP workers in states like Karnataka and Kerala, where he alleged, the Congress remained silent. "This hypocrisy needs to be exposed" he said. No major breakthrough has yet been made even as a 21-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been probing the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh. The SIT has been formed by the Karnataka government. Gauri Lankesh's murder has sparked country-wide protests. Her family also said they will move to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if they fail to get any justice in the murder case, media reports said. However, despite examining CCTV footage the police could not identify the gunmen who killed the journalist-activist. Lankesh, a popular journalist who took stand against Right-wing ideology, was shot three times by some unknown assailants outside her residence. Lankesh, who worked as an editor in a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrikewas, died at an age of 55. New Delhi, Sep 8 (IBNS) : In a shuddering incident, a seven-year-old student was found murdered in the washroom of Gurgaon school on Friday morning, media reports said. The class two student of the Ryan International School was found in a pool of blood with his throat slit. A knife was found next to the body. According to reports, the body was first sighted by a school official, when he visited the toilet around 8.45 am, barely half an hour after the child arrived in the school. A large number of police officers have rushed to the school. They are questioning the staff, teachers and students. Media reports said last year the same school was accused of criminal negligence after a six-year-old student of Class 1 was found dead in a water tank in Vasant Kunj. The investigation is still on. BOZEMAN Prior to the American westward expansion of the 19th century, there were as many as 2 million bighorn sheep roaming the mountains from modern-day Mexico to Canada. Today, despite intensive restoration efforts, there are fewer than 85,000 bighorn sheep in North America. A Montana State University epidemiologist is working to change that. Bighorn sheep have been diminished across the range in the United States ever since settlers brought domestic sheep into the western landscape, said Raina Plowright, assistant professor of epidemiology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in MSU's College of Agriculture and College of Letters and Science. Domestic sheep carry the pathogen Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in their nasal passages, which can cause pneumonia in bighorn sheep, said Plowright, who just completed a four-year study of an infected bighorn sheep population in the Wallowa Mountains of eastern Oregon. "Domestic sheep rarely die from their infection with mycoplasma," she said. "But when bighorn sheep become infected, there is often a die-off, killing 10 to 100 percent of the affected population. Additionally, Plowright said, populations that survive the first die-off often remain infected. The surviving adults appear quite healthy, but the lambs die of pneumonia and so the populations cannot recover," she said. "Some populations keep declining and eventually blink out. We hypothesized that there are chronic carriers among the ewes, and they are passing pathogens on to their lambs. But we didnt really know. Thats what we sought to find out. Plowright's findings were published Sept. 4 in "Ecology Letters," a leading international journal of ecology. The study, Age-specific infectious period shapes dynamics of pneumonia in bighorn sheep was a collaboration with Idaho and Oregon state wildlife agencies and researchers from three other universities. Co-authors of the paper include David J. Paez, a postdoctoral fellow in MSUs Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The bighorn sheep population Plowright studied was particularly useful to her work, as the animals descend to around 6,000 feet during winter and had largely become acclimated to humans through long-term supplemental feeding. Through the labor-intensive task of swabbing the sinuses and taking blood samples from the same bighorn sheep repeatedly over four years, Plowright found that many of the older ewes were, in fact, asymptomatic carriers of the pneumonia-causing pathogen and were infecting the lambs. Many of the lambs that werent killed off by pneumonia matured into short-term asymptomatic carriers themselves, but it was the older ewes who were likely perpetuating the deadly cycle across generations. Through her work with the Oregon population, Plowright and her colleagues at the University of Idaho also discovered a genetic signature at a gene associated with the immune systems of bighorn sheep that potentially contributes to the infection pattern. The next step is to look at the genetics and the age patterns in other bighorn sheep populations, but, Plowright said, in order to learn the ages of the animals they have to be monitored from an early age because a ewe over 4 years old cannot be accurately aged in the field. Also, you need to catch animals multiple times to know they are carriers and thats hard when the population is not habituated sometimes involving using a helicopter to help capture the animals that live much of their lives on cliff faces, she said. The good news is that despite an estimated 96 percent net decline in North American bighorn sheep populations over the past 150 years or so, Plowright said there has been an upward trend in their numbers since the 1970s. The population had declined to about 25,000, but today that has rebounded to about 85,000, she said. "Thats due to a massive effort to reestablish bighorn sheep across western landscapes. But the persistence of pneumonia in the species is thwarting the repopulation effort by slowing their recovery. Plowright said helping the bighorn sheep overcome the pneumonia that has plagued the species for more than a century is critical for their survival. We hope our work will help us to manage this disease, she said. Bighorn sheep are one of the iconic species of the American West, and theyre ecologically important. They live in this steep terrain and theyre amazing animals. What a tragedy it would be to lose this beautiful creature from our landscape. Patna/New Delhi, Sep 8 (IBNS): Despite the foul-cry against Lalu Prasad Yadav by Bihar Congress lawmakers, Rahul Gandhi said he's not ready to end their relationship as of yet, for the sake of secularism. Gandhi's decision has left several party lawmakers bemused, as Lalu is considered a liability by the Congress. In the last two days, the Congress vice-president met 22 of the party's 27 lawmakers from Bihar, who all warned him that an alliance with the 71-year-old will equal self-immolation. Lalu is facing several corruption charges, which he has termed as 'vengeance politics'. The former Chief Minister of Bihar has accused Prime Minister Modi of falsely framing him, a statement which received the nod from Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi. Lalu is one of the oldest and most trusted ally of Gandhi, but the same sentiment is not shared by majority of the state Congress leaders. Bhagalpur legislator Ajit Sharma reportedly told Rahul Gandhi, "We are doomed if we go with a scam-tainted Lalu Yadav as he goes to jail as we visit temples to prove our piety. Because of his (Lalu's) corruption cases, we lost the government in Bihar." Other Bihar Congress lawmakers also spoke about Lalu's diminishing powers and his waning Muslim-Yadav support. On the other hand, Nitish Kumar's move has also dealt a blow to the Congress' support base in Bihar. In the month of July, Nitish Kumar tended his resignation as the Chief Minister of Bihar. His resignation ended the grand alliance which had formed the government in the state after winning the 2015 Assembly polls. The rift between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad of RJD had reached a flashpoint over corruption issue and earlier deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and his father Lalu Yadav had ruled out resignation of Tejashwi over a CBI probe arguing that a fake case was filed against him. The move of Nitish came at a time when the state government was facing tremendous challenges with the ruling RJD and JD(U) locked in a conflict over the issue of Tejashwi Yadav's resignation. Nitish Kumar's JDU had insisted that the Lalu Yadav scion should step down to spare the ruling coalition a stigma, the RJD asserted that nothing such happened that warrants the young minister's resignation. Tejashwi Yadav's resignation was demanded over corruption charges made against him. Following a series of raids in the residences of Lalu Prasad Yadav and others, the CBI had registered cases of corruption against the RJD chief and his son, Tejashwi. The RJD has, however, said that by "framing" Tejashwi Yadav, the second man in the cabinet, the BJP-led Centre is out for a "political vendetta." Though RJD emerged as the largest party in the Assembly election in 2015, BJP had 50 odd seats under their belt which proved to be handy for JD(U) to instantly form the government. Even with all the counselling, Gandhi's decision to stick with the former Railway Minister comes as a surprise, but he has support of 18 legislators, who are willing to follow him anywhere. Patna, Sep 8 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): Unidentified criminals shot dead a notorious gangster in the court premises in Bihar on Friday. The incident took place in premises of a sub-divisional court in Barh town in Patna district. Reports quoting police said the victim Guddu Singh along with other prisoners was being taken to a judges room for his production in a murder case when the assailants resorted to indiscriminate firing. While Singh succumbed to his wound on the spot, two other under-trial prisoners sustained serious wounds and have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment. The victim was facing serious charges, such as murder, kidnapping and extortion, according to the police. Taking the matter seriously, the police administration has suspended 25 policemen, including two officers. This is the third incident of firing in the court premises in Bihar this year. thebiharpost.com New York, Sept 7(Just Earth News): United Nations agencies are supporting relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which has already wreaked havoc on Antigua and Barbuda and other Caribbean islands and is en route towards the United States. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Irma, a Category 5 storm, made landfall on northeast Caribbean islands during the early hours of 6 September, affecting Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, St Barthelemy, St. Martin, the US Virgin Islands and other islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Irma was predicted to hit Puerto Rico before continuing to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Turks and Caicos and south-eastern Bahamas. About 49 million people are directly in Hurricane Irmas projected path, including more than 10.5 million children. The Secretary-General is saddened by the reports of immense destruction and loss of life in the Caribbean region since Hurricane Irma made landfall on Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday, said a statement issued on Thursday by his Spokesman. The United Nations system is already working to support national relief efforts, added the statement. Also issuing a statement on Thursday was the new UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock. In the days preceding the storms landfall, humanitarian agencies began to pre-position supplies and technical experts to support national and regional relief efforts, he stressed. OCHA said there is continued risk of catastrophic damage from hurricane force winds, storm surge, and flooding in areas on Irmas trajectory. In a press release, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) warned that more than 10.5 million children live in the countries that are likely to be exposed to the damage from Hurricane Irma. Children in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba are at risk, including over 3 million under the age of five. Strong winds and torrential rains have already barreled through some of the smallest and most exposed islands in the eastern Caribbean, including Anguila and Barbuda, said Patrick Knight, Head of Communication for UNICEF in the Eastern Caribbean, speaking from Barbados. As the extent of the damage becomes clear we are seeing severe levels of destruction. Our priority is to reach all those children and families in the affected communities as soon as possible. Early estimates suggest that 74,000 people, including 20,000 children, have been affected. Local authorities said communication networks in many of the affected areas have been affected either totally or partially. Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals and schools have also suffered varying degrees of damage. In Barbuda, 90 per cent of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and it is anticipated that this will include up to 132 schools. UNICEFs immediate concern is providing drinking water and sanitation to affected communities, as well providing child protection services for both children and adolescents, including psycho-social support for those affected. UNICEF will also support the reestablishment of education systems and early learning systems as safe spaces. The World Food Programme (WFP) said yesterday that an aircraft bound for Haiti and carrying some 80 metric tons of emergency food supplies and other equipment on behalf of WFP, CARE and Catholic Relief Services is due to leave the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Dubai early this morning local time. Also yesterday, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said it is sending experts on crisis recovery to support the people of the Caribbean. UNDP has activated its crisis preparedness plans in several countries in the region, and will support them both during the immediate response to this disaster and in crucial early recovery activities like debris and waste management, emergency employment and supporting core government functions, if asked. The Hurricane may severely impact peoples livelihoodsdirectly affecting women, men and childrenimpacting crucial activities for people, communities and entire countries such as agriculture, fisheries and small and medium enterprises, said Jessica Faieta, UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Source: NOAA Source: www.justearthnews.com New York, Sept 8(Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency on Friday urged arobust actiona to improve conditions on Greeceas eastern Aegean islands, where the number of new refugee arrivals increased last month. In August, there have been 3,695 sea arrivals compared to 2,249 in July, said Cecile Pouilly, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at a press briefing in Geneva. While there has been progress to date, UNHCR is calling for robust action to improve conditions in reception facilities. We are also calling for the urgent deployment of additional national services staff, especially in the areas of health, psychosocial support and protection of unaccompanied children, she added. According to UNHCR, the situation is most worrying on Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Leros, which have received the largest number of arrivals, including many children. More than half come from conflict-hit Syria and Iraq. The full management of the response to the refugee situation on the islands is being transferred from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations to the Greek authorities. Calling it a challenging period, Pouilly said that arrivals on Lesvos, Samos and Leros have outpaced the rate at which people are being authorized by the authorities to transfer to the mainland further worsening already very challenging living conditions. Estimated departures for the mainland last month were 2,561 against 3,695 arrivals, based on data from the authorities, she flagged. In addition, conditions have affected the physical and mental health of many of the people who have been staying on the islands for months. The threat of violence, self-harm and sexual assault is extremely worrying and more security is needed, said the agency. The situation is most critical in Samos, she said. Despite the recent transfer of some 640 people to the mainland from the island, more than 1,900 people remain crammed into an area meant for 700 at the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) in Vathy. Among them there are more than 600 children as well as pregnant women, serious medical cases and people with disabilities. UNHCR voiced concern at the growing risks to their health and welfare, due to water shortages and poor hygienic conditions. The agency has been providing aid, such as blankets, mats, sleeping bags, hygiene kits, baby care and female dignity kits. On Chios, Pouilly said, there were more than 500 arrivals in August. The Vial RIC has over 1,100 people, including over 100 people without proper accommodation. Most are staying in containers and some new arrivals are in 12 tents recently installed by UNHCR. Some 180 people also remain at the municipality-run Souda site, which has long been earmarked for closure. Speaking about Lesvos, she maintained that tension remains high at the Moria RIC, which has been twice rocked by riots in recent weeks in protest at the slow pace of registration and asylum processing for certain nationalities, as well as the crowded conditions. In August, there were 1,052 arrivals on Lesvos, and over 700 in the first week of September. Lesvos hosts some 5,000 people. Turning to Leros, Pouilly pointed out that more than 290 arrivals were recorded in August, and the number of people on the island stood on Friday at 649. This puts a strain on capacity in understaffed Government-run sites, including Lepida RIC. UNHCR is helping the Greek Government to identify gaps in the transition period and continues providing targeted services in child protection, support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, relief items, transportation, and interpretation with a recent grant from the European Commission. Photo: UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson VII Source: www.justearthnews.com New York, Sept 8(Just Earth News): The United Nations migration agency on Friday confirmed that 270,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar for safety in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, and the number of new arrivals continues to increase. Humanitarian agencies are deploying mobile medical teams, installing emergency latrines, providing water, and are distributing tarpaulins for basic shelter and food rations to new arrivals. But much more is needed and we are fast running out of stock, Margo Baars, who facilitates the Inter Sector Coordination Group convened by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said in a press release. On Wednesday, at least 300 boats arrived in Cox's Bazar from Myanmar. Sea routes are particularly dangerous in this season of rough seas. IOM said that new arrivals usually start by looking for space in the established makeshift settlements, where there are some services. But these are already full. Three new spontaneous settlements have sprung up in areas which still have very little services. An estimated 130,000 of the new arrivals are now living in the registered refugee camps and three makeshift settlements of Kutupalong, Leda and Balukhali. Another 90,000 people are sheltering in host communities, and nearly 50,000 have settled in new spontaneous settlements. IOM, which yesterday allocated $1 million from its emergency funds to boost the humanitarian response in Cox's Bazar, is working with the government and partners to scale up its delivery of lifesaving aid most importantly shelter, drinking water, food and medical assistance to those most in need. Separately, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund yesterday also announced a further $7 million to help the thousands of destitute people who continue to flood into Bangladesh. Most of the people now crossing the border are women, children and the elderly, many of whom are vulnerable and lack the ability to take care of themselves. There are also many pregnant and lactating women among the new arrivals. Healthcare facilities are also struggling to provide adequate services as the number of people in need of emergency and basic health care continue to grow. Seven mobile health teams have been deployed to the spontaneous settlement areas, and IOM and partners are recruiting more doctors, nurses and midwives to increase the reach of the tea Photo: UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi Source: www.justearthnews.com Ottawa, Sep 8 (IBNS): Overturning an order passed by a B.C. court, the Supreme Court has again enforced an extradition order in a B.C. honour killing case to send two Canada residents to India to face charges, media reports said. Earlier, a judge of B.C. court passed an order that stopped the extradition of the two accused residents of Canada. The case, which dates back to 2000, is centred around a girl named Jaswinder (Jassi) Sidhu from Punjab, India, who was found with a cut throat in a canal. Jassi's mother Malkit Kaur Sidhu and uncle Surjit Singh Badesha were alleged to conspire in the murder case. It was alleged that both Sidhu and Badesha ordered the killing after Jassi secretly married a poor rickshaw driver instead of their choice. In 2014, a B.C. judge ordered an extradition of the two accused and also then-justice minister Peter MacKay issued surrender orders, conditional with several assurances from India. Later, Sidhu and Badesha, made a successful appeal against the extradition citing that the minister did not properly consider the assurances on health grounds. While Badesha (72) suffers from health related issues, Sidhu (67) was treated in a hospital being in custody for his heart related problems. The two Canada residents are among 13 who are accused in the case. There are serving life imprisnment. (Reporting by Souvik Ghosh) Toronto, Sep 8 (IBNS): Creating a negative impact on the recreational marijuana market, Ontario has announced on Friday that government-controlled outlets, website will be the only places permitted to sell cannabis after weed becomes legalised in July 1, media reports said. Finance Minister Charles Sousa, Health Minister Eric Hoskins, and Attorney General Yasir Naqvi, unveiled the plan on Friday. Only 150 LCBO-run outlets will be able to sell marijuana. The Liquor Control Board (LCBO) will get the supply of marijuana from those producers which are legalised by Health Canada. Apart from restricting the sale of cannabis, certain regulations have also been imposed on the consumption of marijuana by people. Only 19 years old or above people can consume cannabis while pot smoking has been restricted to home. Smoking weed will as usual not be allowed in the public spaces. However, the pot chain will not ncessarily be carrying the name of LCBO. 150 LCBO-run outlets will be opened with 80 by July 1, 2019 and the rest by 2020 across the province. Online sales will start only after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau legalises weed. The LCBO will use the working members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union to control the sale of weed in stores and online. Sousa was quoted by the Star as saying: "When it comes to retail distribution, the LCBO has the expertise, the experience, and the insight to ensure careful control of cannabis, helping us to discourage illicit market activity and see that illegal dispensaries are shut down." Following the announcement of the new plan, Toronto Mayor, John Tory, hopes that the illegal outlets will automatically close down without any police intervention. My priority number one has always been safety of neighbourhoods, the safety of children and making sure that people are protected in that regard, and public health," Tory was quoted by media. I dont think parents, I don't think people, including myself, who are in favour of legalization expect there's going to be a gigantic number of stores on every street corner selling marijuana. That's not true of alcohol" Tory added. Naqvi was quoted by the Star: "The province is moving forward with a safe and sensible approach to legalization that will ensure we can keep our communities and roads safe, promote public health and harm reduction, and protect Ontario's young people. (Reporting by Souvik Ghosh) You cant just show up for work at NorthWestern Energy and head out to repair power lines or natural gas pipes on the first day on the job. It takes years of experience, and thats why the utility has a five-year apprenticeship program. However, as baby boomers within the company begin to retire, the company is facing a shortage of veteran workers. Where we are challenged and going to be over the next several years is we are losing a huge number of folks to retirement, said Steve Clawson, community relations manager for the company. We have a lot of expertise walking out the door. How do you replace 40 years of experience with somebody brand-new? And safety is a big part of that. NorthWestern is not alone with the problem. Barb Wagner, the chief economist with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, has estimated that the state will lose 120,000 baby boomers to retirement over the next decade, while only between 80,000 and 90,000 young people will be entering the workforce in that same time period. An aging labor pool was just one of the issues discussed at a business roundtable featuring the Montana Chamber of Commerce, local business leaders and hosted by the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce this week. Kim Latrielle, the CEO and president of the Missoula Chamber, said shes hearing employers are starting to offer longtime employees a reduced schedule, with paid benefits, in an effort to entice them to stick around longer to train younger workers. Employers are starting to think outside the box, she said. And that can save them money in the long term. Clawson said that NorthWestern sometimes brings veteran employees back on a contract basis when they're needed. NorthWestern definitely doesn't have a problem attracting new workers, because their lineman jobs pay very well and come with a good benefits package. We are sometimes getting 130 applications for every job, he said. We dont even advertise really. We just post them. So we are not struggling with applications. But how do we replace expertise? Officials from the Montana Chamber are on a statewide tour to promote Envision 2026, a series of initiatives designed to improve the business climate in Montana and improve the economy. Webb Brown, the CEO and president of the Montana Chamber, said the Chamber is committed to working with the state Legislature on reducing the cost of doing business, promoting workforce development, investing in infrastructure and eliminate barriers to entrepreneurial growth. Montana ranks fourth in the nation for its rate of new startup businesses, or entrepreneurial activity, but only ranks 41st in the nation in the amount of venture capital invested in local startups at $5.49 per capita. Bridger Mahlum, the Montana Chambers government relations director, said at Tuesday's meeting that he tried to get enough legislators to vote for an angel investor tax credit but it didnt get enough votes to pass. He did say that the Chamber considers it an enormous success that a gas tax to fund infrastructure improvements was passed with bipartisan support. Many Republicans, who are usually opposed to new tax increases, supported the gas tax that will eventually add 6.5 cents to every gallon. Since it took effect in July, the gas tax has added 4.5 cents to every gallon. We were not interested in a new tax that gets funneled into the general fund, Mahlum said. But we were interested in seeing dedicated revenues going to dedicated projects of critical need. We want to see dollars going into something thats going to make a difference tomorrow. He also said that the Legislature revised several of the states interest and penalty laws for civil and tax cases. In the coming years, the Chamber will be focused on trying to get tax reform passed, including tax simplification and reducing the business equipment tax. Increasing workplace safety a moved aimed at reducing workers compensation insurance costs is also a high priority. We are focused on whats going to have a measurable impact, Brown concluded. For more information visit montanachamber.com/envision-2026/. The mixed-use development is likely to take between three and five years to deliver and is being branded HQ, picking up on the locations initials. It finally lodged for planning permission this week, almost a year after a development deal was agreed between CIE and joint purchasers, the major Irish property company the Clarendon Group and BAM Ireland. CIE will be entitled to 10% of the income from the development, under the terms of the deal negotiated by agents Lisney on a 300-year lease. The quay-side development, on six acres at the city end of the 17-acre Horgans Quay rail station site (which also is currently being redeveloped by CIE,) is being hailed as a significant new urban quarter for the southern city, and a boon for development on the Lees north quays. HQ will provide a hotel close to rail and bus links and to the city centre, as well as offices for FDI companies, plus almost 240 apartments which will be available to rent only, to meet backed-up demand from firms locating employees into the Cork region. It has been welcomed by Government Minister Simon Coveney, by the Chamber of Commerce and by CIEs Niall Grogan, who said not only will this development generate an income stream which will support the provision of public transport, but it will also benefit residents and businesses directly from proximity to public transport services. The planning application reveals the scale of the development which has 160 metres frontage to Horgans Quay, looking south over the River Lee, and which was worked on by three firms of architects as part of a large design team. It proposes eight buildings, with three office blocks of six to eight floors totalling over 400,000 sq ft of offices, a 136-bed hotel with rooftop restaurant facing Lower Glanmire Road, and four blocks of apartments, some up to 11 storeys tall, totalling almost 240 units, built for the private rental market and likely to rent for over 1,500 a month each. The development, likely to be done on a phased basis, may see up to 450 construction jobs, with enough offices being built for 5,000 workers. It faces across the Lee to where OCallaghan Properties and BAM are on site preparing for the start of the 310,000 sq ft office development at Navigation House on Albert Quay, across four buildings on 2.25 acres. The Horgans Quay/HQ project includes retail, restaurant, a creche and leisure uses, and conservation of industrial rail buildings such as the Station House, the Carriage Shed, and a former Goods Shed, as well as 5,000 sq metres of new public realm and walkways linking the buildings and Kent Station, called the Southern Plaza, which will open towards the River Lee and campshires/wharfs across the road, and which are owned by Port of Cork. The design team includes OMahony Pike as master planners plus offices and Goods Shed, Wilson Architecture doing the hotel, Carriage Shed, retail and a residential block at Lower Glanmire Road Residential block, Reddy Architecture + Urbanism doing residential and the Station House, and Aecom doing the public realm, with Jack Coughlan Associates as conservation architects, with ARUP, MMOS and EDC as consulting engineers. The proposed Horgans Quay development, HQ, could feature eight buildings, with 237 apartments, a hotel and 400,000 sq ft of offices. Behind the plans are BAM, currently employing 1,000 people across a number of Cork building sites, and Clarendon Properties, with over 30 years Irish and international development and investment history, headed by Paddy McKillen and Tony Leonard. Clarendon Properties has a number of key Cork retail investment properties, and is expected to lodge for redevelopment of the Wilton Shopping Centre later this year, with a major Penneys expansion plus possible cinema. Tony Leonard, MD Clarendon, described HQ as an ambitious and most exciting scheme. What was previously unused industrial land will be transformed into a new Urban Quarter: the Horgans Quay scheme is key to unlocking the future development of the Cork City Docks. He added that the provision of hundreds of new apartments was key to attracting new office tenants to the city. BAM CEO Theo Cullinane said it would be a catalyst for the city quarter, in addition to opening up an old industrial area of the city to habitable and public friendly space and enhancing the River Lee as a public amenity, this investment is creating much needed residential and office space and, indeed, jobs for Cork. Conor Healy, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce welcomed the delivery of high quality residential accommodation and offices and said that the mixed-use development in the heart of the city will enhance Corks growing reputation as a rapidly developing, forward looking city region with unlimited capacity and potential. Cork is experiencing significant interest from both FDI and indigenous markets in exciting new, urban-based office developments which will create high quality sustainable jobs and we need to capitalise on that opportunity. Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Coveney TD added: The proposed urban-quarter development at Horgans Quay has the potential to revitalise a substantial area of Corks city centre, providing much-welcome residential, commercial and leisure facilities. Projects such as these are vital in promoting and enhancing Corks growing reputation as a hub for business and enterprise, he stated. Burma Govt Investigates Controversial Arson Photos Government spokesman U Zaw Htay posts photos that claim to show Muslim residents in Rakhine burning their homes. / Screengrab / Zaw Htay / Twitter YANGON The Myanmar government announced that it was investigating controversial photos posted online that claimed to show Muslim residents burning down their houses in conflict-torn Maungdaw, Rakhine State, on Thursday evening. Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay released a statement that warned, Everyone will be treated equally by the law, whoever is behind the case. The photos went viral online on Thursday morning, with some local news outlets erroneously publishing the photos as news. Netizens questioned the authenticity of the photos, some pointing to inconsistencies in religious dress and others stating that the men in the photos were Hindu men that were currently sheltering in Maungdaw after their village had been burned at the end of August. In the photos, people pour fuel on thatched houses and light them on fire. U Zaw Htay tweeted the controversial images and captioned them Bengalis [Rohingya] setting fire to their own homes. When strong public criticism resulted, the government spokesman deleted his post and stated that the government would investigate the images. He then called on the public not to behave unethically to try to prove that Muslim residents were torching their own homes, a claim that has been brought against them. Government officials have blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army for torching thousands of homes, while fleeing civilians have accused Myanmar Army soldiers. Human Rights Watch analyzed satellite imagery that showed widespread burning in at least 17 distinct areas in Rakhine State since ARSA attacks on police outposts occurred on Aug. 25. The rights group has called for access to independent monitors to assess the source of the fires and the allegations. U Zaw Htay added, Govt wont accept any fake, in his post. Burma Locals Object to Mandalay Hill Cable Car Installation Mandalay Hill. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy MANDALAY A proposal to build a cable car at Mandalay Hill, a landmark in the cultural center of Mandalay, has been widely criticized by locals. The initial proposal, recently submitted by the Korean company Sky Dream Co. Ltd., to the regional government, was explained to local environmentalists, lawmakers and Mandalay Hill trustee committee members on Wednesday. Mandalay Hill is a city landmark, so we must not allow any project that would affect its scenery or nature, said U Hla Moe, a local parliamentarian who was present at the meeting. Lawmakers at the event stated that locals were worried that the cable car would alter their beloved landmark. The Mandalay Hill trustee committee and local environmentalists also expressed their concern that the cable car installation would obstruct the view from the hill, U Hla Moe explained. The project will cost about US$20 million and is expected to create job opportunities and increase visitors to the area. The suggested base of the installation is on the western side of the hill. Some locals criticize that the project is motivated by profit at the risk of environmental impacts, as the hill already has a staircase and road for visitor convenience. I told representatives of the company that the installation would surely affect the area, so the company needs to consider the historical, cultural and religious effects, U Hla Moe added. A company consultant said the proposal was still in its initial phase, and that two to three months would be needed to complete environmental impact assessment reports. We will do various tests such as soil tests, water tests and environmental impacts. The regional government will make a decision based on those reports, said U Mahn Tun, a consultant of Sky Dream Co. Ltd. If the project is allowed, there will be job opportunities in both construction and operation, he said, but that relies on government approval. Mandalay Hill is about 800 feet above sea level and located northeast of Mandalays city center. The hill is a major local travel destination and tourist attraction, where visitors can enjoy a view of Mandalay, especially at sunrise and sunset. Burma Myanmar Govt to Fence Remaining 40-mile Border with Bangladesh Muslims fleeing the conflict in Rakhine State. / Reuters NAYPYITAW The Myanmar government will fence some remaining 40 miles of the 170 mile-border with Bangladesh without delay, U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the Presidents Office, told The Irrawaddy. He announced the plan amid news reports that there was no budget for fencing in the Home Affairs Ministrys current fiscal year. We will fence it by all means; it wont wait until next year. We dont know where the funds will come from, but well do it anyway, he told The Irrawaddy after the State Counselors Office press conference on Rakhine State on Wednesday. A high-level meeting including the members of National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) was held in Naypyitaw on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation in Rakhine State and issues relating to rule of law in Myanmar. President U Htin Kyaw, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, both of the countrys vice presidents, the Upper House Speaker, Military Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the deputy military chief, and the ministers of home affairs, defense, and border affairs all of whom are the members of NDSC were present at the meeting. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Vice President U Myint Swe, Military Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy discussed the urgent repair and construction of fences along the Bangladeshi border, a speedy budget allowance for the process, and increasing security troops in areas where the existing border fence has been compromised. Upper House lawmaker U Khin Maung Latt of the Arakan National Party (ANP) said he believed that Parliament would approve the fencing budget if asked. Fencing is a must. Problems arose because the fence was compromised. Compared to fences used internationally, ours are very low in quality. You can see that the fencing was broken and crossed, U Khin Maung Latt told The Irrawaddy. Border Affairs Minister Maj-Gen Than Htut has also told The Irrawaddy that his ministry is working for the development of Rakhine State and border areas as a priority. Burma Police Open Case Against Former Buthidaung MP Former USDP lawmaker U Shwe Maung is seen at the Lower House of Parliament in 2014. He resigned from the USDP in August 2015. / MP Ro Shwe Maung / Facebook YANGON Police have opened a case against former Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmaker U Shwe Maung (aka Abdul Razak) under the Counter-Terrorism Law for allegedly supporting the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which has been declared a terrorist organization by the government. Police Cpt Thaung Kywe of Buthidaung Myoma Police Station told The Irrawaddy on Friday that he filed a case against U Shwe Maung under Article 50 of the Counter-Terrorism Law. He said U Shwe Maung posted a video on his Facebook page, in which he supported the acts of ARSA and defended them. He said the case has now been transferred to the criminal investigations department in Rakhine State capital Sittwe and the investigation is ongoing. U Shwe Maung, a self-identified Rohingya former lawmaker reportedly now living in Texas in the United States, was elected to the Lower House seat of Buthidaung in northern Rakhine State in 2010 representing the once-ruling USDP. After he resigned from the USDP in August 2015, his candidacy to run in the general election that year was turned down. On Aug. 28, he posted a Facebook Live video on the account named MP Ro Shwe Maung in which he called for the Myanmar government and military commander-in-chief to stop all violence against self-identifying Rohingya in Rakhine State immediately, if they genuinely wanted peace and security in the region. We wont just stand and watch the persecution. If the government and the army dont protect them, we will communicate and seek international assistance, he said in the 20-minutes of footage, in which he also said that he could not accept accusations of violence against the Muslim community. He said that any unwanted problems were the fault of the government and army chief and accused security forces of burning villages and arresting civilians in his former constituency (Buthidaung). U Shwe Maung alleged that troops had collaborated with members of the Arakan National Party (ANP), who he said had detained and even killed women and children. The government declared the ARSA which launched a series of attacks on 30 police outposts on Aug. 25, killing 13 security force members a terrorist organization, and said its supporters would be charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law. Subsequent violence has left 28 civilians dead, internally displaced around 30,000 Buddhist Arakanese, Arakanese sub-ethnicities, and Hindus, and sent some 270,000 Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, according to the most recent UN figures available at the time of reporting. Burma RCSS/SSA to Meet State Counselor, Likely to Focus on Ceasefire Monitoring General Yawd Serk. / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy YANGON Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and commander-in-chief of its armed wing the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) General Yawd Serk and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will meet soon, according to sources close to both sides. General Yawd Serk is likely to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the second week of this month, and will also meet Myanmar Army Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win at the same time, according to sources. We will issue a press release on the meeting in a few days, RCSS/SSA spokesman Col Sai Ngin told The Irrawaddy. The meeting is likely to focus on ceasefire monitoring since clashes have still occurred frequently between the two sides, despite the RCSS/SSA signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government in Oct. 2015. The State Counselors Office invited Gen Yawd Serk for talks at the end of August, according to an RCSS/SSA statement released on Aug. 24. We welcome the State Counselors invitation because it is a move that strengthens mutual trust toward the goal of peace, read the statement. The RCSS/SSA will form a working team to make preparations with the government side for the talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also the chairperson of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center. We believe the visit will contribute to building trust, the peace process and building a federal Union, read the statement. However, Gen Yawd Serk told The Irrawaddy in July that 2017 might not be the year of peace that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Htin Kyaw have envisioned. President U Htin Kyaw said in his Burmese New Year speech in April that they have aimed for 2017 to be a peaceful year, which State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also stressed in her speech during the second session of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference in May. There were skirmishes between the two forces in March, April and July this year, and joint ceasefire monitoring committees at the national and state levels have not been able to address the problem. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. News Muslims Refuse to Accept ARSA Deserted Muslim residences in Gawdu Zara village in southern Maungdaw were torched on Thursday afternoon. While it cannot be confirmed who was behind the arson attacks, members of the media on tour in the area spotted local non-Muslim looters present at the scene. / The Irrawaddy MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State Muslims in northern Rakhine States Maungdaw Township told The Irrawaddy they have rejected the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Armys (ARSA) attempts to recruit villagers in recent weeks. Self-identifying Rohingya villagers from the Shwe Zar village tractan area home to 13,000 people, most of whom are Muslims, but among the residents are Hindus and Buddhiststold The Irrawaddy that they had responded firmly to pressure from the group. Sarad Ah Mein, a medic from Shwe Zars Kat Pa Kaung village, said ARSA members had approached the village tract committee weeks ago about recruitment. They came at night, he said. We refused to accept the terrorists mobilization. Our committee rejected them in their approach, he told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, referring to the ARSA. The organization has been denounced as a terrorist group by the government after it attacked 30 police outposts on Aug. 25. Military clearance operations have since ensued in the region, and 146,000 Muslims have fled to Bangladesh, according to UN figures. The government has said that 27,000 Buddhist and Hindu villagers are internally displaced. We told them, please dont trouble the villages. If you do so, we all will suffer a lot. Please go back, Sarad Ah Mein said, recalling the meeting. We all have been living with Rakhine [Buddhists] here and we havent had any problems. We want to keep living in that way. Mamud Jolly, another villager from Shwe Zar, reiterated the communitys rejection of the ARSAs tactics. We dont accept them. We dont support any terrorism act. Thats what I want to say. Sarad Ah Mein alleged that to speak negatively about the ARSA was dangerous, and that to do so would be a risk to their lives. According to the government statistics, 63 Muslims have believed to have been killed by militants between October 2016when the first attacks on police outposts were launchedand mid-August of this year. Displacement and Insufficient Aid Since the Aug. 25 attacks, the Myanmar government has responded to the ARSA with intensified military action in the region, causing mass displacement across communities. Northern Rakhine State remains embroiled in conflict and those internally displaced or trapped in their villages are in need of humanitarian aid. Maungdaw, once a bustling border town focused on trade, had grown quiet on Wednesday, when The Irrawaddy visited. Few shops opened, and many houses appeared locked. The area remains under a dusk-to-dawn curfew, but administrative staff who fled to the state capital of Sittwe last week have since returned. The Shwe Zar area saw a clash between Muslims and Hindus on Aug. 26 in a village bazaar, after which Hindus and Buddhists reportedly fled. Apart from this, Shwe Zar initially seemed to have been spared some of the violence of the surrounding areas, which has included the torching of homes and mass displacement. According to an update from the Government Information Committee on Wednesday, 6,845 houses in 60 villages had been burned down. The government said the fires were set by the ARSA and its supporters. Militants, in turn, cite the army as the perpetrators. But the number is almost certainly higher at the time of reporting, as The Irrawaddy witnessed the burning of dozens of houses in Gawdu Zara Muslim village, near Maungdaw, on Thursday afternoon. There are also reports that houses were torched near Kyein Chaung villagehome to both Buddhists and Muslimson Wednesday night. Munee, a Muslim woman and mother of four from the Shwe Zar tract, told The Irrawaddy that villagers were short of food since the bazaar had closed. We are told by the police just to stay in our village and not to worry, she said. Her husband works in Malaysia, Munee explained, adding that he was unable to transfer her necessary funds because markets, shops and private banks were closed. I dont know what to say. We just cry and cannot think of anything, she said. We cant go out either to Maungdaw or to other villages. We have no support from either from the government or NGOs. Sarad Ah Mein explained that villagers have had to halt their work as fishermen and traders, as they are confined to their villages. The consequence, he said, is that we are in need of food. Yet government representatives maintain that they are providing aid to those in need. Local and national civil society groups are offering support to some of the displaced, but many remain beyond the reach of these efforts, particularly in overcrowded temporary relief camps. As is true elsewhere in Myanmar, women and children make up the majority of the displaced in Rakhine State. Hindus taking shelters at one of eight relief camps in Maungdaw told The Irrawaddy on Monday that they want to go home as soon as possible, but only with a guarantee for their security. However, Maungdaw District administrator U Ye Htut said that the district remains an operational area, or a conflict zone. Cable and Hybrid Fibre Optic broadband technologies, which are sometimes jointly described as(FTTN) solutions, represent high capacity internet access connections that can deliver superfast speeds (30Mbps+) by combining older copper, aluminium or coaxial lines with the latest ultrafast fibre optic cables. Fibre optic lines are made of glass (silica) or plastic, which allow information to be transmitted in the form of light (e.g. a low powered laser beam). At its most simple this is a bit like using a torch to send an S-O-S (help) message to your friend next door, except the light would be going down a cable. Light is incredibly fast, more reliable and thus many regard true fibre optic connections as being future proof. Unfortunately it would be incredibly costly to rollout a true fibre optic (FTTH/P) service to every doorstep and office in the country (estimates vary between 15bn and 30bn). As a result telecoms operators, such as BT and Virgin Media in the United Kingdom, have preferred to adopt a more cost effective approach by mixing existing (old) cables with the latest fibre optic lines. The advantage of this method is that related services are usually both significantly cheaper and easier to install because the "last mile" connection into homes and businesses does not need to be replaced (i.e. the fibre optic cable is taken to a local node or street cabinet - as pictured above - but no further). On the other hand related technologies can struggle to match the performance of a full fibre optic line because the "last mile" connection, which often uses slower copper or coaxial cables (copper in particular is considerably more susceptible to interference and signal degradation over distance), remains a limiting factor. The UK market is currently dominated by two primary hybrid fibre and cable technologies (see below). Hybrid Fibre and Cable Technologies Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) BT and several smaller telecoms providers have already deployed FTTC technology out to around 90% of the UK and government funding could push that to 95-97% by 2017/18. This halfway house method craftily runs a fibre optic line from the nearest telephone exchange to your local street cabinet. The "last mile" connectivity, from cabinet to your home, is then done by using VDSL2 technology over your existing copper phone lines. The VDSL2 (Very High Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line) technology is similar to standard ADSL2+ broadband, but it runs much faster over shorter copper lines. This makes it ideal for a hybrid fibre solution because, thanks to the use of a fibre optic cable that effectively shortens the overall copper line distance, signal degradation and interference becomes less of an issue, which allows for superfast speeds by using more spectrum (17MHz) than ADSL2+. Admittedly the extra copper in FTTC still makes related services slower than full FTTH and more susceptible to performance problems over distance, although unlike FTTH you won't lose your connection if the power goes down because the telecoms network can use its own isolated electricity supply. Being cheaper to deploy also makes it affordable for home users and the technology is more reliable than ADSL. Service speeds of up to 80Mbps download and 20Mbps upload are the current standard. Generally speaking you need to live about 400 metres or less from your street cabinet to get the best performance, while some people who reside over 2000 metres (2km) away have reported speeds of around 16Mbps. Ofcom also reports that FTTC ISPs deliver average real-world service speeds that are closer to the headline (advertised) rate. Modern FTTC services do NOT strictly require an engineer install, although a setup charge of around 50 may still apply. Customers can also expect to pay a +5-10 monthly premium for related services in comparison to slower ADSL solutions. Cable Modem (DOCSIS / EuroDOCSIS 3.0+) Cable services are currently delivered by less than a handful of UK ISPs, although Virgin Media is the only one of any real national scale and covers almost 44% of the country's premises; this will be expanded to around 60-65% by 2017. Related services run over a mix of high-grade coaxial and some fibre optic cable. Most cable networks install fibre to a node (bit like a street cabinet) and then deliver their connection to homes via a short run of copper or coaxial cables. These networks usually make use of the DOCSIS or EuroDOCSIS technology (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification), which is an international standard for defining the communications and operation support interface requirements of a data over cable system. DOCSIS3.0 is capable of reaching speeds of over 400Mbps using multi-channel bonding and Virgin Media currently offers up to 300Mbps. Sadly you can't mix and match different ISPs and services (e.g. broadband, TV and phone) on a cable line, they must all come from one operator and will often need an engineer installation. Going forwards and the latest DOCSIS3.1 standard for cable networks like Virgin Media, which might see the light of day as part of a commercial rollout in 2016/17, could push peak speeds to 10Gbps (10,000Mbps). However home users are unlikely to get such performance, but it's perhaps not unreasonable to expect that 500-1000Mbps might become possible for domestic cable and this will also require new end-user hardware. G.fast (ITU G.9701) and FTTdp BT are currently preparing Fibre-to-the-Disribution-Point (FTTdp) and G.Fast technology, which will work together in order to bring fibre optic lines even closer to homes and could thus push speeds up to 1000Mbps (1Gbps) via the shorter run of remaining copper cable. G.fast functions in a roughly similar way to the current 80Mbps capable (FTTC / VDSL2) service that dominates the market (often confusingly sold as "fibre broadband"), although it requires significantly more spectrum (G.fast 106MHz+ vs VDSL 17MHz) and thus operates best over a much shorter run of copper cable (ideally less than 350 metres or 1150 feet). G.fast can be installed inside PCP street cabinets, although the technology may also be delivered from smaller nodes / distribution points (dp) that can be built either underground (manholes) or placed on top of nearby telegraph poles. Related nodes would be fed directly by fibre optic cable and could be powered either by a small nearby supply unit or directly from homes (reverse power). The commercial roll-out is expected to begin during late 2017 and BT will then make the new service available to 10 million premises by 2020 (roughly 40% of the UK) and "most of the UK" should be done by 2025 (including some FTTP). Customers will initially recieve a top download speed of 330Mbps (50Mbps upload), although this could climb to 500Mbps by 2025. The above services are likely to completely replace existing ADSL solutions over the next 5-10 years and further enhancements are planned for the future. Looking further into the future and Alcatel-Lucent has already proposed a successor to G.fast, which would be called XG-FAST and could potentially deliver up to 10,000Mbps (10Gbps). But this would only be possible on super-short copper lines (30 metres), while also bonding two copper pairs and by using 500MHz of radio spectrum (putting it very close to TV and mobile services). See our related articles below for more details. Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 (9:12 am) - Score 531 A new study published by the European Commission has found that Satellite based broadband connectivity is an efficient option for bringing faster internet connectivity to poorly connected schools. A voucher scheme is proposed to help support related deployments. The study considers that a school is in the Digital Divide if it cannot have terrestrial broadband access able to deliver at least 2Mbps (Megabits per second) per school, although these days wed suggest that a higher speed might still signify being in the divide (i.e. even 10Mbps, when shared between lots of pupils and staff in todays modern environment, would be a major struggle, especially if the upstream is slow). The report uses several case studies to show that broadband Satellite solutions have often provided a significant step forward in terms of connectivity to both primary and secondary schools with no internet connectivity or with connectivity lower than 6-8 Mbps. This is important because around 25% of schools in the EU still lack broadband access (2016 data). Satellites are effectively small autonomous space stations that are launched into orbit around the Earth by a powerful rocket and used as specialised wireless transceivers (receiver/transmitters) to relay information between different points on the ground. The high altitude above our planet gives them exceptional coverage (nearly universal), which is especially useful in remote rural areas. As part of its evidence, the study also highlights some of Ofcoms research in the UK, which found that for many applications a high access speed (bandwidth) may be less important than a stable, qualitative connection with a fair access speed of around 5-10 Mbps. However in this context the regulator was referencing individual connectivity and not a large / shared multi-user environment, such as a school. The report does admit that Satellite may be better viewed as a temporary solution that can serve the schools located in unserved or underserved areas, while waiting for a potential deployment of terrestrial, very high-speed access which however may take several (or many) years. Wed agree, provided temporary is the key word. Extract from the EC Study Notwithstanding the above, the needs for internet access speed and quality are increasing along with the evolution of the digital applications and the consumption pattern. In particular, video services, live-streaming of seminars and lectures as well as different types of rich content are very much driving this surge in consumption of many applications across computers, smartphones, tablets, TV and other devices, and the case studies have confirmed this trend in the educational environment too (e.g. access to dedicated digital content stored and shared in a cloud or remotely). The support of these evolving needs is often associated with the deployment of fibre. Indeed public initiatives to develop very-high-speed access for all, namely those including the provision fibre connections to primary and secondary schools, will be implemented gradually, and for some schools in the most rural areas, fast broadband will only be accessible in several years, as the geographical dispersion of schools does not allow for the installation of fibre-based networks on all sites in the short-term. Satellite services can provide a solution to serve the schools located in unserved or underserved areas, while waiting for a potential deployment of terrestrial, very high-speed access which however may take several (or many) years. This provision of services needs to cope with the evolution of user demands and needs. In this respect, a hybrid solution that combines broadcast networks for distribution with broadband networks for interactivity, can deliver video-based services, applications, content and products everywhere, even in rural and remote areas, in a less costly and quicker-to-market complementary way, namely through a local storage and sharing of heavy content (magazines and e-Books, videos, etc.). In our view Satellite remains an inferior connectivity method due to a number of major stumbling blocks, such as slow latency performance, high setup costs, meagre + expensive data allowances and the fact that traffic throttling or congestion (especially at peak times) can often reduce an attractive top speed down to something significantly slower. The study appears to recognise some of the technologies pitfalls compared to fibre-based broadband, although it also claims that Satellite still has a few advantages (some may disagree with a few of the following points). EC Study The Advantages of Satellite * Predictable and stable quality of service everywhere, regardless of geographic location. * Simple and quick deployment of satellite broadband at the customer premises. * Favourable deployment costs. * High reliability and security. We should point out that faster Satellites, which may be able to offer speeds of up to 100Mbps and bigger data allowances, are due to be introduced over the next few years and that might well help to support the case for their use. Similarly the ECs report proposes that a voucher scheme could be used to help tackle the cost side of things. The idea of a voucher scheme to help balance the costs of a Satellite setup (i.e. hardware and installs can easily reach around 500 a pop) is of course nothing new and the Government has already introduced something similar via their Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme, which offers grants worth up to 350 to those in sub-2Mbps areas who arent currently planned to benefit from a fixed line upgrade. Wales also has a similar scheme of its own. However the UKs BBSS scheme is due to conclude at the end of 2017 and thats partly needed in order to avoid conflicting with the Governments proposed Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband. The USO will aim to make available a minimum download speed of 10Mbps (1Mbps upload), and at least a 100GB usage allowance, to every part of the country (details). A related USO proposal from BT envisages that by the end of 2021 or 2022 some 99%+ of UK premises will be covered by their fixed line fibre broadband (FTTC/P) network, with fixed wireless technology being used to fill many of the remaining gaps and around 0.3% of the most remote premises needing to adopt a Satellite solution. Meanwhile the ECs study appears to seek a similar voucher scheme to the BBSS one above for Satellite and suggests that it should support services with capacity of at least 20 Mb/download (6 Mb/s recommended). The EU has also proposed to introduce their own USO for broadband, which aims to complement their non-binding commitment for all European households to get a minimum Internet download speed of 100Mbps+ by 2025 (here). Obviously Brexit means that the UK probably wont be a party to what the EC proposes, although the UKs planned 10Mbps USO should produce a similar outcome for properties in the most remote locations. Waterton Lakes National Park, Glacier National Parks Canadian half in Alberta, was evacuated Friday, after the week-old Kenow fire quickly grew into the park boundaries and officials expect worsening conditions due to the incoming winds. Around 250 people evacuated the town of Waterton on Friday, according to a story from the Canadian Press, after the nearly 20,000-acre fire ran about four miles into the park in just a few hours. To the south, the same stagnant weather that has let smoke settle into towns at sometimes record levels, provided an opportunity for fire crews to prepare for the expected weekend of high winds. The heavy inversions should begin to change (Friday) afternoon. A low pressure system over southern Canada will bring strong westerly winds Saturday and Sunday, wrote Doug Turman, Incident Commander for the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team, in a Friday morning update on the Lolo Peak fire. Although the approaching storm could bring some moisture, commanders on area fires wrote in incident reports that they do not expect it to be wetting enough to put out fires. Instead, they worry that the accompanying high winds and lightning could stoke more growth. To prepare, crews have been putting out hot spots, reinforcing lines and conducting burn out operations to strengthen the buffers in areas close to homes or where they expect the fires to move next. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said at 5:45 p.m. Friday the Alice Creek fire was within a mile of the Highway 200 east of Rogers Pass. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of 11 homes and a 23-mile stretch of Highway 200 is temporarily closed east of Lincoln. The temporary closure starts at the intersection of Highway 279, which travels south to Helena over Flesher Pass. On the east end the block is at Bowman's Corner and Highway 287, which travels south to Wolf Creek and Interstate 15 and north to Augusta, Choteau and Glacier National Park. Dutton said the evacuations in the Elk Meadows Evergreen subdivision are mandatory. A temporary shelter is opened at Wolf Creek School. Officials said they are working with the Montana Department of Transportation to block off private driveways along the evacuation area. When this is accomplished, the highway will be reopened. Crews, helicopters and heavy equipment focused on the northwest corner of the Rice Ridge fire for the third day in a row Thursday, with the same work scheduled for Friday. Fire officials note that managing spot fires along that line will be a key factor in protecting the town of Seeley Lake. Similar preparation work is underway by crews working to contain the Lolo Peak fire burning through the Bitterroot outside Missoula. Hand-ignition burnout operations continued through the night in advance of this weekends windy weather. They also wrapped the Skookum Butte fire lookout on the Montana-Idaho border to protect it as best as possible. National Guard fire crews have joined the team already working to suppress the blaze and will focus on the fires western edge. On Friday, crews used hand-ignition to guide the fire into Sweeney Creek, which will connect it to the previously burned area that should be wide enough to prevent the fire spotting out of the perimeter over the weekend. South of Arlee, firefighters on the Liberty fire focused preparations on the southeast perimeter. On Thursday crews began structure assessments near Placid Lake and protection work will begin on the west side as a precautionary measure that might also begin in the Boles Meadow area, according to a Friday morning incident report. Ahead of the weekend weather, crews will hold the line, contain spot fires and burn out as needed south of Jocko Road and along the power line that extends toward Placid Lake. The Adair Peak fire in Glacier National Park grew an additional 379 acres Thursday, to more than 1,700 acres, though its nearing previously-burned areas, according to the daily report, and fire managers think it may cool off as it reaches the burn scars. Structure protection in the west side of the park continued late this week to defend campgrounds, Lake McDonald Lodge and historic cabins from the 13,275-acre Sprague fire, with fire crews wrapping the Wheeler cabin and installing hose and sprinkler line around the Lake Avalanche campground and the Trail of the Cedars boardwalks. Going-to-the-Sun Road from Lake McDonald Lodge to Logan Pass remains closed, as do the Quartz Creek, Logging Creek, Sprague Creek, Avalanche and Fish Creek campgrounds. Glacier officials also announced Friday that it will not issue new overnight backcountry permits due to developing critical fire weather conditions. Isolated dry thunderstorms were in the forecast, followed by gusty winds Saturday afternoon into Sunday associated with a cold front passage. There are no backcountry evacuations at this time, and there is no immediate threat at this time to backcountry users. The intent of this action is to reduce the number of people overnighting in the backcountry, the park said in a news release. In the event of a new fire start or rapid growth of existing fires, the park has significantly fewer resources available, due to ongoing fire operations, to assist a large number of people out of the backcountry. The duration that no new overnight backcountry permits will be issued is unknown due to ongoing dry conditions, extremely high fire behavior and the extended fire season outlook. *** Throughout the region, air quality was expected to improve, although little had changed by early Friday evening. The air was Hazardous in Seeley Lake and Very Unhealthy in Missoula, Clearwater, Rainy Lake, Thompson Falls, Libby and the Flathead Valley. Frenchtown and Hamilton were rated as Unhealthy, along with Lincoln, Butte and Dillon. Locations east of the Continental Divide ranged from Moderate to Good. Conditions are pretty bad across the county, but with the high pressure ridge moving east and the winds aloft shifting direction, we are actually seeing slightly lesser smoke impacts today compared to yesterday, Missoula County Air Quality Specialist Sarah Coefield wrote in a morning update. There are also honest-to-goodness clouds headed our way. We are unlikely to see any measurable precipitation from them, but it is awfully nice to see evidence of the increasing atmospheric instability. There is a decent chance that some of the smoke that has been so firmly entrenched in our valleys will start moving around this afternoon. Seeley-Swan High School students will not return to campus next week. Missoula County Public Schools announced Friday morning that classes will remain at The Resort at Paws Up for a second week, in part because air quality in the community remains at above-hazardous levels. Student athletes will continue to be bused to and from Mount Jumbo in Missoula for practices if air quality there allows it. Monday, September 4th, 2017 (4:06 pm) - Score 2,573 Rural fibre optic ISP Gigaclear has today handed the 90 million civil engineering contract for deploying their 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) ultrafast broadband network into Gloucestershire and Herefordshire (England), which should reach almost 70,000 premises, to Complete Utilities. The ISP has worked with Complete Utilities on a number of major projects, including the earlier phase of their state aid supported deployment via the joint Fastershire scheme in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire that is supported by the local authority and Governments Broadband Delivery UK programme. Openreachs (BT) FTTC/P fibre technologies dominated Phase 1 but Gigaclear has a major presence in Phase 2. The new contract largely reflects the operators recent Phase 2 contract wins under the same scheme (deployment areas for Fastershire phase two), which should take around 3 years to complete (further details here and here). Fastershire remain vague about their coverage targets and only say that everyone in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire will be able to access the broadband services they need by the end of 2018. Brett Shepherd, Gigaclears COO, said: Having successfully worked with Complete Utilities in Fastershire over the past two years, were really delighted to be strengthening and extending our partnership with them. The innovative construction methods they have proposed will put us at the forefront of the industry, enabling us to deliver our broadband network more efficiently and with minimal disruption to local communities. Were looking forward to working together to bring thousands of properties in rural Herefordshire and Gloucestershire into the 21st century! Steve Chaplin, MD of Complete Utilities, added: As a business based in rural Gloucestershire ourselves, we take great pride in playing such a key role in the delivery of a completely new broadband network in the area. Were also really pleased to have an opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact that the latest methodologies will have on the future of network delivery in the UK. Combined with our rapid reinstatement process, well be able to work more quickly, reduce waste and cut costs, resulting in a win-win for local communities, local authorities and our commercial partners. Complete Utilities will use narrow trenching (smaller trench = faster and cheaper to deploy) to connect local homes and businesses in the two counties to Gigaclears fibre optic cable via 173 related cabinets, which should enable them to receive Gigabit class broadband speeds. The technique itself is also used by a number of other contractors, such as the John Henry Group, and has been around for a fair few years now. In the case of Virgin Media and JHGs joint effort, the roll-out reduced their normal trench size from around 40cm to just 10cm. Gigaclear states that this not only increases the build speed and minimises disruption to the local community during construction, it also facilitates future expansion of the network by allowing new fibre to be added without the need to dig and lay new cables (the latter point is not strictly unique to narrow trenching). We thought it might be useful to show a narrow trenching machine in action, so heres a video that we plucked from the internet of another contractor doing it (sorry we couldnt find one of Complete Utilities). UPDATE 22nd Sept 2017 Gigaclear has now provided a video of its own. Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 (2:30 pm) - Score 1,459 A new report from Point Topic has revealed significant variations in 4G based (Mobile Broadband) pricing and usage caps across Europe, with consumers in the United Kingdom paying less for their monthly tariffs but often receiving fairly meagre data allowances in return. Take note that the telecoms analyst has used $US Dollars for their report and applied a measure of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), which allows them to make direct comparisons of tariffs across the world by adjusting the local currency and exchange rate to make the buying power of $1 (PPP) in country A equal to $1 (PPP) in country B (note:1 = $1.30 at todays rate). The study found that the average monthly charge for residential 4G (LTE) services varied from a high of $54 in Cyprus to just $22 in Italy, with the United Kingdom sitting in the cheaper half of the table on $30. However the UKs lower average charge also reflected a lower average usage allowance and vice versa for some other providers. Put another way, the average monthly data allowance (GigaBytes) in the UK appears to reside at somewhere around 10GB and thats in the bottom third of the table (see below). By comparison the average in Finland is closer to 450GB and people in that country only spend an average of $34 per month on their 4G tariffs. Its a similar story for Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. We note that Point Topics study only includes SIM-Only 4G data tariffs and those bundled with a modem (no tariffs bundled with other devices such as Tablets or Smartphones are included), which is apparently done because it makes their analysis more comparable with fixed broadband services which are not normally bundled with PCs and laptops. By way of an actual comparison, the figure of $30 equates to about 22 per month. On Vodafone that would get you a 15GB SIM-Only data allowance and its also closest to the 20GB tier on Three UK, while EE will similarly do about 15GB for the same sort of money. Perhaps unsurprisingly the above result also carries a direct association with the average cost per GB of data, which means that Finland, Switzerland and Austria pay less than every other country in the study (around $0.10 cents vs $2 per GB in the UK). However we should stress that country to country comparison like this are very simplistic and dont offer a detailed picture of each local market, where different geographies, network maturity, regulation, spectrum ownership, underlying infrastructure and levels of investment may have a significant role to play. Take with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless it could perhaps be argued that 4G LTE subscribers in Finland, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia are being offered monthly data volumes comparable to those used by many subscribers of a fixed broadband package. The UK is clearly a long way off being able to achieve something similar but then we were also much later to the 4G deployment party than a lot of other EU states (thanks to all that legal fighting over spectrum). Finally, Point Topic also offers up a table showing the theoretical average downstream speed of residential 4G services in each country, which puts the UK near the bottom, albeit on a little over 100Mbps. However this appears to be based more on headline or theoretical capability than actual performance, which isnt much use. A woman who lives in Kansas City had her Internet service with Google Fibre a division of Alphabet, the parent company of the search engine cut over a matter of 12 cents last month. Victoria Tane was at a loss to figure out why her service had disappeared and puzzled about it for two days. When she called customer service, she was informed that the suspension was because a 12-cent balance was overdue, according to a report in The Kansas City Star. Google Fibre told Tane that it had sent her emails and a voice message attempting to collect the outstanding amount. When she tried to pay, she was told that the company did not accept cheques for less than US$10. Tane then tried sarcasm and offered to secure a dime and two pennies to an envelope, a move that did not go down well with Google Fibre. The company then decided to overlook the non-payment of the 12 cents, restored her services and credited her account with US$30. Google Fibre told the Star in a statement: "As with any customer who has a balance due, we made repeated attempts to reach Ms Tane to resolve the matter. Google Fibre values our customers, and we have since worked with Ms Tane to restore her Fibre service. Tane's initial payment of US$300, plus US$25.08 for taxes and fees, was meant to provide a 5Mbps service for seven years. But Google Fibre's accounting systems spread that amount over one year, deducting US$25 each month, and when the sales tax rate rose, it came up 12 cents short for the year. The US$30 credit will provide Tane with service for another six years after which Google Fibre will look to convert her to a fully-paying customer. But, she told the Star, she was not sold on the idea. The whole thing is ridiculous, she pointed out. Why would you penalise a customer who paid up front? Pilots who are employed by Qantas have worked with GE Aviation to develop a new flight data application named FlightPulse that helps people at the controls to fly more efficiently and reduce carbon emissions. The app uses recorded aircraft data and smart analytics to allow pilots to securely access individual operational efficiency metrics and trends. Qantas head of fleet operations Captain Mike Galvin said the information available from FlightPulse was previously only accessible in aggregate or used by analysts. "FlightPulse was designed by pilots for pilots. As a result, the information accessible on this platform helps them understand the operational efficiency of their flight," he said. It provides pilots with flight data in a very visual way, allowing them to see first-hand the amount of fuel used at different stages of a flight and how they can help to reduce carbon emissions. Geoff Culbert, president and chief executive of GE Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, said: "Through close collaboration, we were able to develop a solution for the industry that connects pilots with individualised operational efficiency data for the first time." FlightPulse is the first fully commercialised product to be developed with mobile services from GEs Predix platform. The Finite Group national technology recruitment firm has climbed 21 places in this years AFR Top 500 Private Companies List after group revenues hit $402 million for the FY 2017, up significantly on the previous year. Finite Group managing director Tracy Thomson says revenues were buoyed by "exceptional organic growth" within an increasingly diverse ANZ technology sector, and ongoing expansion in New Zealand also contributed to a broader service offering and business growth. The Groups continued business transformation across ANZ in the last 12 months has focused our efforts on providing real value to our clients, Thomson said. Our re-shaped service offerings continue to meet evolving market opportunities and emerging sectors. The Group is well positioned to continue on its current growth trajectory in FY18 and beyond, with more business improvement initiatives and acquisition activity already underway. Technology continues to evolve. Its role in facilitating growth and driving business productivity, particularly with Digital Transformation, Cloud, Analytics and Cyber Security cannot be overstated. Our clients continue to prioritise these areas, embracing efficiency and capitalising on new opportunities. The Group has progressively realigned its services around these growth areas with a suite of innovative new service offerings that have been very well received in the market. The firm says revenues are made up roughly 60:40 with about 60% of revenue coming from technology and digital recruitment (Finite /NineTwenty), and 40% coming from its fast expanding technology consulting and solutions services business (FinXL). We continue to invest in our sales and delivery teams, our facilities and our technology support systems. They have played an important role in securing the best talent for our teams and clients, and in meeting client delivery expectations. Sustainability is always at the forefront of our planning. FY17 has seen all parts of the Group achieving revenue growth and increased market share, Thomson notes. New Zealand continues to be a vibrant and valuable market for the Group, now into our third year of trading, and significantly boosted by our integration with NineTwenty. This has added some great people and a similar NZ blue chip client base. Now a solidly-performing addition to our stable, our New Zealand team is maximising growth due to new opportunities. We are seeing substantial, continued growth from this trusted and well-respected NZ brand. FinXLs performance continues to be outstanding. Ongoing expansion into new service offerings has seen rapid expansion and adoption with a host of new and existing clients. Its specialist digital division, XL digital, launched in 2015, continues to evolve. Strong market demand for FinXLs multi award-winning services across the Tasman also continues to bolster our success. "We are also proud to be the recipient of further industry awards. Finite was recently names as Best Technology Recruiter, 2017 by CV Magazine. FinXL won its fourth consecutive ABA100 Australian Business Award, recognising excellence in Project Management, while Finite won its second ABA100 Australian Business Award, championing its Service Excellence. Finite is also a finalist in the Global Recruiter Awards for 2017," Thomson concluded. American credit information provider Equifax has disclosed that it learned on 29 July of a leak that involved the details of 143 million consumers. Bloomberg reported that three senior company executives sold shares worth about US$1.8 million in the days after the breach was discovered. So here's the timeline: -Equifax discovers hack on July 29. -Here are SEC listings of all share sales since then pic.twitter.com/gRTONbLac2 Ryan Mac (@RMac18) 7 September 2017 Following disclosure of the breach, Equifax shares fell 6.2% by 5.50pm in New York on Thursday (7.50am AEST on Friday), Bloomberg reported. To put the leak in perspective, the population of the US was about 324 million at the beginning of this year, according to figures available from the US Census Bureau. I predict that future legislation will prevent credit monitoring organizations from providing THEIR credit monitoring to their victims. Jake Williams (@MalwareJake) 7 September 2017 The company said in a statement on Thursday that the breach involved the use of a website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files and that the leak took place from mid-May through July. It did not say why it had taken so long to disclose the breach. "The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver's licence numbers," the statement said. "In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 US consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 US consumers, were accessed." That Equifax breach phone number is just ringing engaged here. Good job they took 6 weeks to carefully prepare the process. Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog) 7 September 2017 Also leaked was "limited personal information" for some UK and Canadian residents. "Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personal identifying information were impacted" the statement added. From a tipster: Equifax's page for disputing information on credit reports is "temporarily unavailable" right now. https://t.co/U0mKvM8h6G pic.twitter.com/kThHA6wZv1 Zack Whittaker (@zackwhittaker) 7 September 2017 Commenting on the incident, Dr Richard Ford, chief scientist of Forcepoint, told iTWire: The unfortunate Equifax breach is just another embodiment of the threat environment that organisations face every day this is the new normal. "The rise of large-scale data collection and aggregation has placed considerable pressure on organisations to preserve privacy while leveraging data for legitimate business purposes. The more sensitive the data the greater the liabilities caused by a breach. "The threats to this data are diverse, ranging from the apparent hack disclosed here to accidental loss by authorised users. Focusing too narrowly on a single scenario can prevent companies from seeing the full spectrum of risk they face, with dire consequences. "Companies need to augment legacy defences with modern, human-centric approaches that look at how and why data is accessed and by whom; this intersection of people, data and systems can become the critical point for effective security and compliance. Finite Group managing director Tracy Thomson says revenues for the FY 2016 saw about 60% of revenue coming from technology and digital recruitment (Finite /NineTwenty), and 40% coming from the firms fast expanding technology consulting and solutions services business. And Thomson says revenues were buoyed by exceptional organic growth within an increasingly diverse ANZ technology sector. And, ongoing expansion in New Zealand also contributed to a broader service offering and business growth. The Groups continued business transformation across ANZ in the last 12 months has focused our efforts on providing real value to our clients, Thomson said. Our re-shaped service offerings continue to meet evolving market opportunities and emerging sectors. The Group is well positioned to continue on its current growth trajectory in FY18 and beyond, with more business improvement initiatives and acquisition activity already underway. Technology continues to evolve. Its role in facilitating growth and driving business productivity, particularly with Digital Transformation, Cloud, Analytics and Cyber Security cannot be overstated. Our clients continue to prioritise these areas, embracing efficiency and capitalising on new opportunities. The Group has progressively realigned its services around these growth areas with a suite of innovative new service offerings that have been very well received in the market. Strong growth in the business comes as the Finite Group climbed 21 places in this years AFR Top 500 Private Companies List after group revenues hit $402 million for the FY 2016, up significantly on the previous year. We continue to invest in our sales and delivery teams, our facilities and our technology support systems. They have played an important role in securing the best talent for our teams and clients, and in meeting client delivery expectations. Sustainability is always at the forefront of our planning. FY17 has seen all parts of the Group achieving revenue growth and increased market share, Thomson notes. New Zealand continues to be a vibrant and valuable market for the Group, now into our third year of trading, and significantly boosted by our integration with NineTwenty. This has added some great people and a similar NZ blue chip client base. Now a solidly-performing addition to our stable, our New Zealand team is maximising growth due to new opportunities. We are seeing substantial, continued growth from this trusted and well-respected NZ brand. FinXLs performance continues to be outstanding. Ongoing expansion into new service offerings has seen rapid expansion and adoption with a host of new and existing clients. Its specialist digital division, XL digital, launched in 2015, continues to evolve. Strong market demand for FinXLs multi award-winning services across the Tasman also continues to bolster our success. "We are also proud to be the recipient of further industry awards. Finite was recently names as Best Technology Recruiter, 2017 by CV Magazine. FinXL won its fourth consecutive ABA100 Australian Business Award, recognising excellence in Project Management, while Finite won its second ABA100 Australian Business Award, championing its Service Excellence. Finite is also a finalist in the Global Recruiter Awards for 2017," Thomson concluded. Dell Technologies is celebrating the anniversary of its formation through the merger of Dell and EMC. Three years after returning Dell to private ownership in 2013, founder Michael Dell announced at EMC World 2016 that the business resulting from the then-proposed merger of Dell and EMC would be called Dell Technologies. A few months later the combined company was up and running, and a lot has happened in its first year. After a series of divestitures, the Dell Technologies businesses are Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks, Virtustream and VMware. Around US$9.5 billion of debt has been repaid. The unified salesforce has added 10,000 new business customers to the Dell EMC portfolio, and have succeeded in cross-selling to organisations that were previously buying from Dell or EMC, but not both. GE has signed a multi-year commitment making Dell its primary IT infrastructure supplier. This is said to be one of the largest non-government contracts in Dell Technologies, Dell or EMC history. On IDC figures, Dell EMC PowerEdge servers became the leading x86 server by volume, Dell EMC is the leading converged systems and all-flash provider. New products have been launched across the portfolio, including workstations, laptops, servers, storage (ScaleIO and Data Domain), converged infrastructure, and networking. The company invests US$4.5 billion in R&D annually, and through Dell Technologies Capital has put US$100 million into startups in areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things, genomics and others through Dell Technologies Capital. "We set the bar high and exceeded our own expectations," said Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive of Dell Technologies. "We've made enormous strides this past year in serving the needs of our customers, from governments to fast-growing small businesses to many of the world's largest enterprises who call Dell Technologies their most strategic IT partner. And we're just getting started." The joint leaders of Dell EMC in Australia and New Zealand enterprise leader Mark Fioretto, and commercial and public sector leader Angela Fox said: "Dell EMC's success in Australia and New Zealand has been made possible by the dedication of our team members and strong partnerships with our customers and partners. "This year alone, we've been privileged to work with our customers on high profile and exciting digital transformation projects including; building technology that will revolutionise the banking industry, leveraging IoT to make businesses more efficient and profitable, and even developing supercomputers to enable the development of the bionic eye and prove Einstein's theory of relativity. "This is just the beginning of our journey and we're excited with what the future holds for us and our customers." The Baker Institute, Burnet Institute and Centre for Eye Research Australia chief technology officer Ian Briggs said "We have partnered with both Dell and EMC over a number of years. With the formation of Dell EMC, we now have a strong relationship with a single, strategic partner that understands our requirements and can support us through our digital transformation journey. We have grown with Dell EMC and we hope to continue to do this in the future." Cody Marble, who after being exonerated of a 2002 rape conviction earlier this year found himself in trouble for violating probation in a different case, will wait another two weeks to find out how the last of his legal issues shakes out. Despite his rape conviction being overturned following the work of the Montana Innocence Project, Marble who was released from custody in spring 2016 still had an active suspended sentence from a 2013 felony drug case. In June, prosecutors sought to revoke that sentence and a warrant was issued for his arrest after he did not turn himself into custody when told to do so by his probation officer. Marble ceased writing regular reports to the officer, leading the Department of Corrections to label him an absconder. Marble was arrested in South Dakota in late August. The petition to revoke his suspended sentence also contained an allegation that he had been involved in a fight while living in Conrad during his latest release. Chief Deputy County Attorney Jason Marks told District Court Judge John Larson during a Friday hearing that no charges were filed in the incident, and removed that allegation against Marble. When asked for his recommendation for an appropriate sentence to impose on Marble, Marks said it was a five-year commitment to the Department of Corrections, but added he and defense attorney Myshell Lyday agreed that Marble should get credit for 1,566 days already served in custody. Had Larson gone through with sentencing Friday with the recommendation, it would mean Marble had only 259 days remaining on his sentence. Lyday asked the judge to impose even less time than that, adding this was Marbles first probation violation on the drug conviction and that there was no allegation that any further drug use had been a part of the revocation. You have an individual dealing with the issue of being falsely convicted and having trust issues with law enforcement, she said. He wants to move forward. Marble was also accused of having not paid roughly $1,000 in court fines and fees from his 2013 conviction, according to court documents. Lyday said he is likely owed some amount of reimbursement for any fines paid against the since-overturned 2002 conviction, which will partially offset what is owed in the drug case. Marble admitted to the absconding allegation in court Friday, with the intention of being resentenced that day as well. Larson said the difficulty with sentencing Marble right away is that it would put him at the back of the Department of Corrections screening line to determine what programs he might be eligible for, then have him facing another potential wait in a cell for a spot to open in a program. Its worse than a Russian meat market in the Soviet days, Larson said. Instead, the judge decided to have Marble go through screening for two programs that would place him out in the community intensive supervision and pre-release then return on Sept. 21 with those screening results to be sentenced. I think were saving you time in getting this resolved which is what I think were all here to do, he said. The NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, claims to have provided a fast broadband access network to 12,000 premises in north-east Brisbane after hauling a fibre cable across the second-longest bridge in the country. In a blog post, the company said the work had been completed in early August after it, and its delivery partner Visionstream, hauled the fibre across the 2.7-km Houghton Highway Bridge which connects Redcliffe and Brisbane. The build was said to be one of the most difficult in Queensland, being the longest fibre haul system in the state at 2.8kms. NBN Co said the difficulties involved began with replacing sections of conduit on the underside of the bridge as these were damaged. Sections of this suspended conduit had to be replaced by hand. It was a challenge, as various methods were used to get the cable across, including using ladders, knuckle boom vehicles, boats and a barge to mount the winch for hauling, said David Kalcher, NBN Co general manager, Transit Site and Active. The teams were well prepared and had the cable hauled across the bridge within hours. It was a team effort from both our internal and external stakeholders which drove such a positive outcome on the day. Work had to be carried out from a barge at low ride and the crew had to fight tidal conditions to complete their job. A high-capacity fibre cable was winched between manholes from Clontarf to Brighton and will link exchanges in Redcliffe and Kalangur. Apart from the capacity needed, an additional four-fold increase was added to future-proof the area for any further needs. The spare fibres should serve well for any future demand. It is a strategic decision to prevent us returning to the same difficult situation, Kalcher said. Photo: courtesy NBN Co The telecommunications lobby group, Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition, has welcomed the decision by a Senate committee to recommend passage of the Telecommunications Reform Package. The package would amend the broadband regulatory framework by establishing the Regional Broadband Scheme to provide for funding of NBN Co satellite and fixed wireless services for regional areas. It would also create statutory infrastructure provider obligations and change the carrier separation rules. National Farmers' Federation president Fiona Simmons said: We are pleased the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee has taken this view. In effect, this new obligation will, for the first time, legally ensure all Australians have access to broadband. Most pleasing was the emphasis placed on submissions from rural, regional and remote bodies, including the RRRCC, in the Committees report. The RRRCC consists of the groups listed above. Teresa Corbin, chief executive of the Australian Communication Consumers Action Network, said overall the package was positive for bush consumers. We believe the package will help ensure broadband services in regional, rural and remote Australia will be sustainably funded into the future, she commented. Corbin said the onus was now on Parliament to pass the reforms. As a coalition we have, and continue to, work tirelessly to inform parliamentarians of the challenging state of telecommunications infrastructure in the bush," she said. Better bush telecommunications are vital, and in need of legislative protections. Simson said modern and effective telecommunications infrastructure could unlock economic growth for rural, regional and remote Australia. "We believe this package offers an important step towards achieving this growth." Graphics: courtesy RRRCC Hot on the heels of its win in finally being part of Telstras range, Oppo is proudly boasting its top two Android smartphones were the top two Android sellers in July 2017. A month can be a long time in phone sales, but so is a quarter, with Apples new iPhone models for 2017 soon to be announced and predicted to not only smash quarterly records, but yet again yearly sales totals. It is in the face of the Apple juggernaut that Apples Chinese and Korean smartphone competitors, effectively all running Android, are happy to take and trumpet wins any which way and where they can. The news of Oppos triumph is illuminated by Couterpoint Research, which has not only announced its figures showing Oppos sales success for the R11 and A57 in July, but all that Huawei actually surpassed Apple in global smartphone sales consistently for June and July. Its also worth noting that China banned parts of Apples App Store store in China, and Apples products are priced at premium levels, far beyond the vast majority of Chinese competitors. It is also worth noting that companies like Oppo go to great lengths to flatter Apple by emulating its designs and UI extremely closely, presumably trying to suggest that good artists copy, and great artists steal. Presumably Apples legal eagles become quite angry birds and are aflutter at all of this blatant UI and IP inspiration, but perhaps Apple is also cognisant that ruffling the feathers of Chinese companies might not bode well for Apple in a country where it is virtually impossible to use Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other major Western websites and services. Thus, and thanks to astoundingly affordable pricing, we see Oppo making the most of its opportunities for swell sales, which on top of its triumph in getting into Telstras telephonic sales trenches as reported in iTWire here, and as first looked at in iTWire here, has elicited commentary from Michael Tran, executive director at Oppo. Tran's commentary is below this Counterpoint Research chart please turn phone horizontal if viewing on mobile to see the full image: Tran said: Its great to see the R11 follow in the footsteps of the R9s and capture the market's attention to become the best-selling Android smartphone globally in July. At OPPO, we strive to produce the best quality phones at affordable prices and the R11 is just that. It has 20MP+16MP rear dual-camera, and a 20MP front facing camera, to really set the bar of smartphone camera quality in the mid-range market. The Oppo A57 proves not everyone wants to pay a premium price tag when buying a smartphone. But, that doesnt mean you dont want a top quality phone. The A57 offers fantastic value for money and an excellent user experience. It has many of the features of our leading smartphones, from rapid Touch Access to stunning camera technology, packaging them up into an affordable device. With Telstra recently announcing it is stocking the A57, Oppo has further expanded its footprint in Australia. Theyre an extremely valued household name in Australia and will help us to get more of our smartphones into the hands of consumers. We think this mid-range phone will be a great addition to Telstras portfolio and are confident well see it fly off the shelves, as more consumers look to buy smartphones in the sub $500 category on pre-paid phone plans. You can also buy Oppos phones in JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks and the other places in the image below. So, how Oppos sales figures will travel in the face of a resurgent Apple, and even more competitive Huawei, and in the face of South Koreas King of Chaebols, Samsung, and its own range of models from the entry-level through to the $1499 Note 8, and at seemingly every price point in between, is yet to be seen. That said, Oppo can be proud of its wins thus far, and must simply work harder still like all of its competitors as all jockey for position in the great Game of Phones. From IWU Magazine, Summer 2017 edition Bringing Ideas to Life Treating design, technology, and entrepreneurship equally, a new major equips IWU students with skills to tackle real-world problems and bring new products and services to the marketplace. Story by KIM HILL Karyssa Clark 20 wants to help improve peoples lives. And shed like to do that by inventing or designing products that work perfectly and look good, too. Her interest began with an engineering design class in high school. During her college hunt, she googled Illinois universities using search terms like product design and design major. One hit stood out: Illinois Wesleyans Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship (DTE) program. It wasnt a major I found at any other institution, says Clark. IWU administrators say DTE is unique among undergraduate programs because all three of its areas design, technology, and entrepreneurship are given equal importance. This interdisciplinary approach equips students with the skills and knowledge for identifying problems, inventing products or services, developing those ideas, and delivering them to the marketplace. The DTE programs origins can be traced to alumnus and former trustee Dave Petrick 67. Drawing upon his decades of experience in the business world, Petrick wanted to help IWU stand out in a continually challenging higher education landscape (see sidebar page 23). Petrick suggested that a major that included elements of design and entrepreneurship would serve students well. His startup funds for such a program provided the impetus for the faculty to develop the full-fledged DTE program that exists today a program that is delivering experiences students describe as transformational. My DTE courses have given me many ways to think, says Clark, a process she believes fully captures the liberal arts experience. That realization is reflected in IWUs mission statement, which states that a liberal education at Illinois Wesleyan fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a spirit of inquiry. Our society needs creative people who can actually implement their ideas, says President Eric Jensen. With elements of design, technology, and entrepreneurship, the DTE curriculum gives each student the tools to tackle challenging problems whether the solution might be a new consumer product or some remediation of a societal issue like sustainability or energy efficiency. And while questions about the relevance of the liberal arts periodically rear their heads in the public sphere, Jensen notes leaders in business and government are predominantly liberal arts graduates precisely because of critical thinking and problem-solving skills honed at colleges like Illinois Wesleyan and which programs like DTE accentuate. Ultimately, we want to create and nurture a culture for innovators that goes beyond the classroom, says Bruno deHarak, director of the DTE program and associate professor of physics. We want to build and support an environment that rewards students who take risks. Students tackle the marshmallow challenge on the first day of the "Engineering Design" class. The DTE major includes coursework from the natural sciences, business, and the arts, taught by professors across the academic spectrum and in several instances, co-taught by faculty from a range of disciplines. Students are introduced to the creative ideation process and taught to render their product concepts using technical drawing skills and computer-aided design (CAD) software. They learn how to fabricate prototypes using the Universitys 3-D printers, computer-controlled routers, and other machinery. They also become knowledgeable in business processes, accounting and marketing for entrepreneurs, and how to write grants and raise funds for new ventures. Each DTE major chooses a concentration: Engineering Design, Entrepreneurship, or Product Design. Entrepreneurship and Product Design minors are also offered. DTEs interdisciplinary focus helps Clark and her classmates find their strengths and weaknesses. So far Clarks favorite class is Design Processes, which acts as a kind of research methods course for the major and through which Clark learned an essential lesson: to challenge orthodoxies. Professor deHarak taught us to think deeply to find a solution thats specific to the problem at hand, she says. We have to peel back the layers of the issue to find the root problem so we can solve it. She gives a simple example. If a workplace supervisor asks a designer to create a product, the designer shouldnt reply, Sure, let me make that for you. Instead, says Clark, the designer should ask questions in order to determine if the request is really the right solution to a given problem. We want to know if the solution the design or new product will solve the root problem, Clark explains, or if its just getting at a symptom. This kind of design thinking, which raises questions and challenges assumptions, lies at the core of the program, according to deHarak. DTE students are being taught to be problem solvers, he says. These problems are wide-ranging and often linked with students desire to design something that will make the world a better place. Its a sentiment encouraged by DTE faculty. In the course Beginning 3D Design, Visiting Assistant DTE Professor Mark Genrich 83 an art major at Illinois Wesleyan who is an installation artist and maker spent time discussing world events, including the European migrant crisis. He challenged us by asking what we could design for people in transit, says Clark, who took the course her first semester in college. Our solution didnt have to be for refugees, but thats the first thing we all thought of people who were displaced from their homes, who were in transit. Clark designed a type of wheelchair that also folded into a bed. She learned to use the computer-controlled router and other power tools to craft her prototype, which she modestly describes as a very basic, kindergarten-level type of design. Several classmates also fashioned versatile pieces that would be useful for a family in transit. That was a big theme, Clark recalls. Everyone made something that could be used for multiple uses. Another of Clarks ideas, in collaboration with Amor Diazdeleon 20, was born from the Design Processes course. Borrowing elements from the card game Slapjack, Clark and Diazdeleon created ChemSlap, designed to help players memorize the periodic table. ChemSlap made such a positive impression that deHarak believes it should be developed further. Once a promising idea such as ChemSlap is developed through coursework, Tara Gerstner 01, coordinator of Entrepreneurial Activities and adjunct instructor of business administration, considers those ideas for her course Management for Entrepreneurs. In this class, students act as consultants for all aspects of getting a product or business off the ground. Encouraging a spirit of entrepreneurship at her alma mater is exciting for Gerstner, who majored in business at IWU and earned an M.B.A. in marketing before working as the executive director of the Peoria Promise Foundation. For any student who has an idea and wants to pursue it further, I work to connect them with faculty, alumni, and friends of the University, says Gerstner. We have already mentored numerous student-run businesses in the short year DTE has been up and running. She adds that many Titan alumni have expressed interest in helping students on such projects, and she encourages even more to become involved. In fact, several alumni have already gotten involved in the IWU Entrepreneurship Society, a group of like-minded alumni, friends of the University, and students, with networking and professional development opportunities. Through the DTE program and other initiatives, Illinois Wesleyan strengthens its appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit and sense of purpose that are defining characteristics of Generation Z. Recent studies indicate more than 70 percent of young Americans envision starting a business or pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavor as adults. One of those young adults might be Clark. She uses the example of a simple drinking straw to illustrate the scope of her experiences in IWUs Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship program. With what we learn, you could go into designing straws, or designing the machine that makes the straws, or you could own the company that manufactures the straws, Clark says. The range of possibility is expansive. Related: Check out the DTE Program at Illinois Wesleyan Illinois Wesleyan Welcomes Inaugural Humanities Fellows First Year Humanities Fellows (from left) Shaela Phillips, Giustina Joyce and Gabriela Bantas mingle with President Eric Jensen. Sept. 8, 2017 BLOOMINGTON, Ill. The inaugural group of First Year Fellows in the Humanities (FYFH) at Illinois Wesleyan University were welcomed at a reception in the Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art Atrium on Friday, Sept. 1, where they met President Eric Jensen, Provost Mark Brodl, Acting Associate Provost Lynda Duke, and other faculty and staff. In addition, the fellows attended a luncheon following the Presidents Convocation on Sept. 6, where they had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of Convocation speaker, author and historian Jelani Cobb. The First Year Fellows in the Humanities are enrolled in the Gateway course, What Is a University, and Why Are You Here? taught by Associate Professor and Chair of English Joanne Diaz. Later this fall, the fellows plan to participate in the Dialogues Across the Disciplines series on campus, and will attend the Chicago Humanities Festival in early November. This is the first year that prospective students accepted to Illinois Wesleyan were invited to apply for the program, particularly aimed at students with a love of literature, philosophy, religion, art, musicology, and languages. For more information on this program, please contact Prof. Diaz, Professor of Hispanic Studies Carmela Ferradans, or Byron S. Tucci Professor of Hispanic Studies Carolyn Nadeau. Reddit Email 102 Shares By Danny Sjursen | ( Tomdispatch.com) | I used to command soldiers. Over the years, lots of them actually. In Iraq, Colorado, Afghanistan, and Kansas. And Im still fixated on a few of them like this one private first class (PFC) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2011. All of 18, he was short, scrawny, and popular. Nine months after graduating from high school, hed found himself chasing the Taliban with the rest of our gang. At five foot nothing, I once saw him step into an irrigation canal and disappear from sight all but the two-foot antenna on his radio. In my daydreams, I always see the same scene, the moment his filthy, grizzled baby face reappeared above that ditch, a cigarette still dangling loosely from his lips. His name was Anderson and I can remember thinking at that moment: What will I tell his mother if he gets killed out here? And then poof its 2017 again and Im here in Kansas, pushing papers at Fort Leavenworth, those days in the field long gone. Anderson himself survived his tour of duty in Afghanistan, though Ive no idea where he is today. A better commander might. Several of his buddies were less fortunate. They died, or found themselves short a limb or two, or emotionally and morally scarred for life. From time to time I cant help thinking of Anderson, and others like him, alive and dead. In fact, I wear two bracelets on my wrist engraved with the names of the young men who died under my command in Afghanistan and Iraq, six names in all. When I find a moment, I need to add another. It wasnt too long ago that one of my soldiers took his own life. Sometimes the war doesnt kill you until years later. And of this much Im certain: the moment our nation puts any PFC Anderson in harms way, thousands of miles and light years from Kansas, there had better be a damn good reason for it, a vital, tangible national interest at stake. At the very least, this country better be on the right side in the conflicts were fighting. The Wrong Side Its long been an article of faith here: the United States is the greatest force for good in the world, the planets indispensable nation. But what if were wrong? After all, as far as I can tell, the view from the Arab or African street tells a different story altogether. Americans tend to loathe the judgments of foreigners, but sober strategy demands that once in a while we walk the proverbial mile in the global shoes of others. After all, almost 16 years into the war on terror it should be apparent that something isnt working. Perhaps its time to ask whether the United States is really playing the role of the positive protagonist in a great global drama. I know what youre thinking: ISIS, the Islamic State, is a truly awful outfit. And so it is and the U.S. is indeed combatting it, though various allies and even adversaries (think: Iran) are doing most of the fighting. Still, with the broader war for the Greater Middle East in mind, wouldnt it be appropriate to stop for a moment and ask: Just whose side is America really on? Certainly, its not the side of the average Arab. That should be apparent. Take a good, hard look at the region and its obvious that Washington mainly supports the interests of Israel, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypts military dictator, and various Gulf State autocracies. Or consider the actions and statements of the Trump administration and of the two administrations that preceded it and heres what seems obvious: the United States is in many ways little more than an air force, military trainer, and weapons depot for assorted Sunni despots. Now, thats not a point made too often not in this context anyway because its neither a comfortable thought for most Americans, nor a particularly convenient reality for establishment policymakers to broadcast, but its the truth. Yes, we do fight ISIS, but its hardly that simple. Saudi Arabia, our main regional ally, may portray itself as the leader of a moderate Sunni block when it comes to both Iran and terrorism, but the reality is, at best, far grayer than that. The Saudis with whom President Trump announced a $110 billion arms deal during the first stop on his inaugural foreign trip back in May have spent the last few decades spreading their intolerant brand of Islam across the region. In the process, theyve also supported al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria. Maybe youre willing to argue that al-Qaeda spin-offs arent ISIS, but dont forget who brought down those towers in New York. While President Trump enjoyed a traditional sword dance with his Saudi hosts no doubt gratifying his martial tastes the air forces of the Saudis and their Gulf state allies were bombing and missiling Yemeni civilians into the grimmest of situations, including a massive famine and a spreading cholera epidemic amid the ruins of their impoverished country. So much for the disastrous two-year Saudi war there, which goes by the grimly ironic moniker of Operation Restoring Hope and for which the U.S. military provides midair refueling and advanced munitions, as well as intelligence. If youre a human rights enthusiast, its also worth asking just what kind of states were working with here. In Saudi Arabia, women cant drive automobiles, sorcery is a capital offense, and people are beheaded in public. Hooray for American values! And newsflash: Irans leaders whom the Trump administration and its generals are obsessed with demonizing may be no angels, but the Islamic republic they preside over is a far more democratic country than Saudi Arabias absolute monarchy. Imagine Louis XIV in a kufiyah and youve just about nailed the nature of Saudi rule. After Israel, Egypt is the number two recipient of direct U.S. military aid, to the tune of $1.3 billion annually. And that bedrock of liberal values is led by U.S.-trained General Abdul el-Sisi, a strongman who seized power in a coup and then, just for good measure, had his army gun down a crowd demonstrating in favor of the deposed democratically elected president. And how did the American beacon of hope respond? Well, Sisis still in power; the Egyptian military is once again receiving aid from the Pentagon; and, in April, President Trump paraded the general around the White House, assuring reporters, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President el-Sisi hes done a fantastic job! In Syria and Iraq, the U.S. military is fighting a loathsome adversary in ISIS, but even so, the situation is far more complicated than usually imagined here. As a start, the U.S. air offensive to support allied Syrian and Kurdish rebels fighting to take ISISs capital, Raqqa grimly titled Operation Wrath of the Euphrates killed more civilians this past May and June than the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. In addition, Americas brutal air campaign appears unhinged from any coherent long-term strategy. No one in charge seems to have the faintest clue what exactly will follow ISISs rule in eastern Syria. A Kurdish mini-state? A three-way civil war between Kurds, Sunni tribes, and Assads forces (with Recep Tayyip Erdogans increasingly autocratic Turkey as the wild card in the situation)? Which begs the question: Are American bombs actually helping? Similarly, in Iraq its not clear that the future rule of Shia-dominated militia groups and others in the rubble left by the last years of grim battle in areas ISIS previously controlled will actually prove measurably superior to the nightmare that preceded them. The present Shia-dominated government might even slip back into the sectarian chauvinism that helped empower ISIS in the first place. That way, the U.S. can fight its fourth war in Iraq since 1991! And keep in mind that the war for the Greater Middle East and I fought in it myself both in Iraq and Afghanistan is just the latest venture in the depressing annals of Washingtons geo-strategic thinking since President Ronald Reagans administration, along with the Saudis and Pakistanis, armed, funded, and supported extreme fundamentalist Afghan mujahedeen rebels in a Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union that eventually led to the 9/11 attacks. His administration also threw money, guns, and training sometimes illegally at the brutal Nicaraguan Contras in another Cold War covert conflict in which about 100,000 civilians died. In those years, the United States also stood by apartheid South Africa long after the rest of the world shunned that racist state not even removing Nelson Mandelas name from its terrorist watch list until 2008! And dont forget Washingtons support for Jonas Savimbis National Movement for the Total Independence of Angola that would contribute to the death of some 500,000 Angolans. And thats just to begin a list that would roll on and on. That, of course, is the relatively distant past, but the history of U.S. military action in the twenty-first century suggests that Washington seems destined to repeat the process of choosing the wrong, or one of the wrong, sides into the foreseeable future. Todays Middle East is but a single exhibit in a prolonged tour of hypocrisy. Boundless Hypocrisy Maybe its because most Americans just arent paying attention or maybe were a nation of true believers, but its clear that most of us still cling to the idea that our country is a beacon of hope for the planet. Never known for our collective self-awareness, were eternally aghast to discover that so many elsewhere find little but insincerity in the promise of U.S. foreign policy. Why do they hate us, Americans have asked, with evident disbelief, for much of this century. Here are just a few hints related to the Greater Middle East: *Post-9/11, the United States unleashed chaos in the region, destabilized it in stunning ways, and via an invasion launched on false premises created the conditions for ISISs rise. (That terror group quite literally formed in an American prison in post-invasion Iraq.) Later, with failing or failed states dotting the region, the U.S. response to the worst refugee crisis since World War II has been to admit to choose but a single devastated country a paltry 18,000 Syrians since 2011. Canada took in three times that number last year; Sweden more than 50,000 in 2015 alone; and Turkey hosts three million displaced Syrians. *Meanwhile, Donald Trumps attempts to put in place a Muslim travel ban havent won this country any friends in the region either; nor will the presidents or White House aide Stephen Millers proposed reform of U.S. immigration policy, which would prioritize English-speakers, cut in half legal migration within a decade, and limit the ability of citizens and legal residents to sponsor relatives. How do you think thats going to play in the global war for hearts and minds? As much as Miller would love to change Emma Lazaruss inscription on the Statue of Liberty to give me your well educated, your highly skilled, your English-speaking masses yearning to be free, count on one thing: world opinion wont miss the duplicity and hypocrisy of such an approach. *Guantanamo perhaps the single best Islamist recruiting tool on Earth is still open. And, says President Trump, were keeping it open and were gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, were gonna load it up. On this, hes likely to be a man of his word. A new executive order is expected soon, preparing the way for an expansion of that prisons population, while the Pentagon is already planning to put almost half a billion dollars into the construction of new facilities there in the coming years. No matter how upset the world gets at any of this, no matter how ISIS and other terror groups use it for their brand of advertising, no American officials will be held to account, because the United States is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court. Hypocritical? Nope, just utterly all-American. *And speaking of prisons, thanks to nearly unqualified sometimes almost irrational U.S. support for Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank increasingly resemble walled off penal complexes. You almost have to admire President Trump for not even pretending to play the honest broker in the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He typically told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, One state, two state I like whichever you like. The safe money says Netanyahu will choose neither, opting instead to keep the Palestinians in political limbo without civil rights or a sovereign state, while Israel embarks on a settlement bonanza in the occupied territories. And speaking of American exceptionalism, were almost alone on the world stage when it comes to our support for the Israeli occupation. The Cost Given the nature of contemporary American war-fighting (far away and generally lightly covered by the media, which has an endless stream of Trump tweets to fawn over), its easy to forget that American troops are still dying in modest numbers in the Greater Middle East, in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, and almost 16 years after the American invasion of that country Afghanistan. As for myself, from time to time (too often for comfort) I cant help thinking of PFC Anderson and those I led who were so much less fortunate than him: Rios, Hensley, Clark, Hockenberry (a triple amputee), Fuller, Balsley, and Smith. Sometimes, when I can bear it, I even think about the wars countless Afghan victims. And then I wish I could truly believe that we were indisputably the good guys in our unending wars across the Greater Middle East because thats what we owed those soldiers. And it pains me no less that Americans tend to blindly venerate the PFC Andersons of our world, to put them on such a pedestal (as the president did in his Afghan address to the nation recently), offering them eternal thanks, and so making them and their heroism the reason for fighting on, while most of the rest of us dont waste a moment thinking about what (and whom) theyre truly fighting for. If ever you have the urge to do just that, ask yourself the following question: Would I be able to confidently explain to someones mother what (besides his mates) her child actually died for? What would you tell her? That he (or she) died to ensure Saudi hegemony in the Persian Gulf, or to facilitate the rise of ISIS, or an eternal Guantanamo, or the spread of terror groups, or the creation of yet more refugees for us to fear, or the further bombing of Yemen to ensure a famine of epic proportions? Maybe you could do that, but I couldnt and cant. Not anymore, anyway. There have already been too many mothers, too many widows, for whom those explanations couldnt be lamer. And so many dead American, Afghan, Iraqi, and all the rest that eventually I find myself sitting on a bar stool staring at the six names on those bracelets of mine, the wreckage of two wars reflecting back at me, knowing Ill never be able to articulate a coherent explanation for their loved ones, should I ever have the courage to try. Fear, guilt, embarrassment my crosses to bear, as the war Anderson and I fought only expands further and undoubtedly more disastrously. My choices, my shame. No excuses. Heres the truth of it, if you just stop to think about Americas wars for a moment: its only going to get harder to look a widow or mother in the eye and justify them in the years to come. Maybe a good soldier doesnt bother to worry about that but I now know one thing at least: Im not that. Major Danny Sjursen, a TomDispatch regular, is a U.S. Army strategist and former history instructor at West Point. He served tours with reconnaissance units in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has written a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War, Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge. He lives with his wife and four sons in Lawrence, Kansas. Follow him on Twitter at @Skeptical_Vet. [Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author, expressed in an unofficial capacity, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.] Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, John Dowers The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II, as well as John Feffers dystopian novel Splinterlands, Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World. Copyright 2017 Danny Sjursen Via Tomdispatch.com - Related video added by Juan Cole: Albawaba: A U.S. Base in Al-Tanf is Reshaping the New Syrian War TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Franco-Nevada is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Franco-Nevada (Barbados) Corporation ("FNB"), has agreed with First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum") to terms for an additional precious metals stream from the Cobre Panama project for a purchase price of US$178 million. FNB may syndicate one-third of the transaction to a third party and the transaction is subject to final documentation.1 First Quantum intends to use the proceeds to partially fund its previously announced acquisition of an additional 10% interest in Cobre Panama from one of its joint venture partners, LS Nikko Copper Inc.2 "We are pleased to support our partner and increase our interest in the Cobre Panama project," said David Harquail, CEO of Franco-Nevada. "First Quantum has made tremendous progress de-risking the project and advancing it toward commissioning in late 2018." Transaction Highlights Growth: Cobre Panama is one of the world's largest copper-gold-silver-molybdenum porphyry projects. The project was recently reported to be over 60% complete and is scheduled to ramp up production beginning in late 2018. First Quantum anticipates further potential expansions underpinned by the scale and high quality of the resource. 3 Cobre Panama is one of the world's largest copper-gold-silver-molybdenum porphyry projects. The project was recently reported to be over 60% complete and is scheduled to ramp up production beginning in late 2018. First Quantum anticipates further potential expansions underpinned by the scale and high quality of the resource. Strong Margins: FNB will initially pay an on-going price of 20% of the spot price of gold and silver until 302,000 ounces of refined gold and 4.8 million ounces of refined silver have been delivered. This additional stream will have higher margins than the existing stream for the current mine plan. Thereafter, the on-going price will increase to 50% of the prevailing spot price of gold and silver. FNB will initially pay an on-going price of 20% of the spot price of gold and silver until 302,000 ounces of refined gold and 4.8 million ounces of refined silver have been delivered. This additional stream will have higher margins than the existing stream for the current mine plan. Thereafter, the on-going price will increase to 50% of the prevailing spot price of gold and silver. Purchase Price: The US$178 million purchase price will be paid as a one-time advance payment upon closing of the transaction which is expected to occur by the end of September. No additional pro-rata funding will apply to the additional stream. The purchase price will be paid as a one-time advance payment upon closing of the transaction which is expected to occur by the end of September. No additional pro-rata funding will apply to the additional stream. Stream Terms: The terms of the additional stream, other than the ongoing price, will mirror FNB's existing stream on Cobre Panama, including initially linking precious metals deliveries to copper in concentrate shipped for approximately the first 25 years of production.4 Corporate Summary Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada is debt free and uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works. [1] All figures in this press release, unless otherwise noted, should be reduced by 33% to determine FNB's attributable share of the additional stream, post-syndication. Closing is not subject to the syndication of the transaction. [2] First Quantum announced on September 1, 2017 its agreement to acquire LS-Nikko Copper's 50% interest in Korea Panama Mining Corporation, a 50/50 joint venture company with Korea Resources Corporation, which holds a 20% interest in Minera Panama S.A., which holds the concession for Cobre Panama. [3] First Quantum's plan is to construct the Cobre Panama processing plant with an initial capacity of 74 mt per year expanding to 90 mt per year. First Quantum has reported that the project is fully permitted, construction is over 60% complete and phased commissioning is slated for 2018 with ramp up continuing in 2019. Please refer to First Quantum's public disclosure on its website and SEDAR for further details on Cobre Panama. [4] The following table sets out the attributable deliveries and thresholds to FNB under the additional stream post-syndication. THUNDER BAY, ON, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Wolfden Resources Corporation (WLF:TSX-V) ("Wolfden" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that has entered into a purchase and sale agreement dated September 6, 2017 (the "Purchase Agreement") with an arm's length third party to acquire a 100% interest in property located in Pickett Mountain, Penobscot County, northern Maine, U.S.A (the "Property") for a cash purchase price of US$8.5 million (the "Acquisition"). The Property is host to the Pickett Mountain Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag deposit, considered by Wolfden management to be one of the highest-grade undeveloped volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits (VMS) in North America (the "Pickett Mountain Project"). The deposit was discovered by Getty Mines Ltd. in 1979, using a combination of soil surveys ground surveys and diamond drilling and has not been explored since 1989. The Company has also agreed to the terms of a proposed royalty and equity based financing (the "Financing Proposal) with a subsidiary of Altius Minerals Corporation ("Altius") (ALS:TSX) to fund the Acquisition. The Financing Proposal remains subject to Altius due diligence and customary approvals, whereby Altius would subscribe and purchase from the Company on a non-brokered private placement basis, 14,200,000 subscription receipts of the Company (the "Subscription Receipts"), at a price of C$0.25 per Subscription Receipt, for aggregate gross proceeds of C$3,550,000 (the "Private Placement"). Wolfden will have the right to place additional participants in the Private Placement, on identical terms, for up to C$1,250,000. Altius will also acquire a 1.35% gross sales royalty on the Pickett Mountain Project for cash consideration of US$6,000,000 and have an option to purchase an additional 0.50% gross sales royalty at any time before the first anniversary of commercial production for US$7,500,000. The Pickett Mountain Project and New Mining Laws in Maine In June 2017, LD 820 was enacted by the Maine legislature, permitting mining of metallic minerals in Maine in certain prescribed situations. The new legislation will take effect on November 1, 2017. Prior to the introduction of proposed new legislation in 2013 and the enactment of LD 820 into law in 2017, there was little mining and mineral exploration in Maine. Interest in the geology and potential for VMS projects like the Pickett Mountain Project has revived with zinc and copper price appreciation and the opening up of the mine permitting regime under specific prescribed limitations. Wolfden sees significant exploration opportunity in this jurisdiction that it believes is vastly under-explored. Wolfden management believes that the Property has excellent potential to host an economic VMS deposit as evidenced by grades obtained from historic diamond drilling1 that intersected (horizontal widths): 18.66% Zn, 10.27% Pb, 1.63% Cu & 6.72 oz/t Ag over 7.70 metres 14.65% Zn, 6.48% Pb, 2.74% Cu & 3.78 oz/t Ag over 7.68 metres 15.95% Zn, 7.41% Pb, 1.41% Cu & 5.25 oz/t Ag over 7.30 metres 13.71% Zn, 5.25% Pb, 1.07% Cu & 3.57oz/t Ag over 6.30 metres 1 Data documented in an internal report authored by Getty Mines Ltd. The deposit has been traced over a strike length of close to 900 metres and appears to be open at depth. Wolfden plans to begin drilling in the near future with a mineral resource estimate planned in 2018. Preliminary metallurgical test work completed on drill core produced 3 floatation concentrates with resulting recoveries of 80% for copper, 78% for lead and 88% for zinc; considered to be excellent recoveries compared to most massive sulphide deposits situated in the North American Appalachians. A number of untested Cu-Pb-Zn soil anomalies situated along strike from the known deposit and distal to the deposit, auger well for the potential to find additional similar mineralization elsewhere on the land tract. The Acquisition Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to acquire from a third party approximately 6,871 acres of timberland (exclusive of surface area of great ponds), together with all appurtenances, structures, improvements, and rights associated therewith, as well as all minerals, mining, subsurface and surface rights to the extent owned by the seller, all located in Penobscot County, Maine and which includes the Pickett Mountain Project, for cash consideration of US$8.5 million. The completion of the Acquisition is subject to, among other things, the completion of a 45 day due diligence review period by the Company with respect to certain matters including a title review of the project. Private Placement Pursuant to the Private Placement, the proceeds of the Subscription Receipts will be held in escrow and released to the Company upon the completion of the Acquisition. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Proposed Financing to fund the purchase price of the Acquisition. Upon the satisfaction of all conditions precedent to the Acquisition (other than the payment of the purchase price), the proceeds delivered into escrow will be released to the Company and each holder of Subscription Receipts will receive, without the payment of additional consideration or further action on the part of the holder, one unit of the Company (each a "Unit"). Each Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half (1/2) common share purchase warrant of the Company (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at price per Warrant Share of C$0.35 for a period of 60 months from the closing date of the Private Placement. If the Acquisition is not completed, then the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled and the funds held in escrow returned to Altius and any other investors. The Private Placement is scheduled to close on or about October 4, 2017, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approvals of the TSX Venture Exchange and due diligence by Altius. The securities to be issued under the Private Placement Offering will be offered by way of private placement exemptions in all the provinces of Canada and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering, including the Subscription Receipts, will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period in accordance with Canadian securities legislation and the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities being offered have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Subject to regulatory approval, the Company may pay finders' fees to one or more parties in connection with the Acquisition and/or the Private Placement. About Wolfden Resources: Wolfden is a mineral exploration company exploring the Rice Island and Nickel Island properties in Manitoba. Manitoba is ranked #2 in Canada and #2 in the World as the most favourable jurisdiction to conduct mining and exploration (Fraser Institute (2016-2017). The Company also retains a 16,000 hectare land position in the Bathurst Mining Camp in northern New Brunswick. About Altius Altius directly and indirectly holds diversified royalties and streams that generate revenue from 15 operating mines. These are located in Canada and Brazil and produce copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, potash and thermal (electrical) and metallurgical coal. The portfolio also includes numerous pre-development stage royalties covering a wide spectrum of mineral commodities and jurisdictions. In addition, Altius holds a large portfolio of exploration stage projects which it has generated for deal making with industry partners that results in newly created royalties and equity and minority interests. Altius has 43,208,291 shares issued and outstanding that are listed on Canada's Toronto Stock Exchange. It is a member of both the S&P/TSX Small Cap and S&P/TSX Global Mining Indices. The information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Donald Hoy, M.Sc., P. Geo., President and CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Hoy is also a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE:MUX) (TSX:MUX) is pleased to announce the results of a new Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on its 100% owned Los Azules Copper Project. The results of the 2017 PEA demonstrate that Los Azules is a robust, high margin, rapid pay-back, and long-life open pit mine at current copper, gold and silver prices. The 2017 PEA was prepared by Hatch Ltd., a global multidisciplinary management, engineering and development consultancy known for leadership in mining innovation, under the direction of Donald Brown C. P. Eng (Senior Vice President of Projects for McEwen Mining) with contributions from other industry specialists. The reforms introduced by the government of Argentina under the leadership of President Macri to encourage mining investment by eliminating taxes on exported mineral concentrates was a key factor driving the new PEA for Los Azules. Los Azules is a giant porphyry copper deposit that offers tremendous potential to generate wealth for McEwen Mining shareowners and other stakeholders, said Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner. Our next steps are to advance permitting and prefeasibility/feasibility studies to move Los Azules towards production. Los Azules is located in the San Juan Province of north-western Argentina. The 2017 PEA is a substantial revision of the previous 2013 PEA and contemplates an enhanced implementation strategy resulting in improved economics while reducing execution risk. It envisions an owner-operated mine and conventional concentrator (flotation circuit) producing a copper concentrate for export. A phased implementation approach is employed to optimise initial capital expenditure. Phase 1 implementation will have a daily throughput of 80,000 tonnes per day (tpd), and Phase 2 will deliver a 50% increase in the processing rate to 120,000 tpd. The process design has been modeled on the flowsheet and implementation of the recently constructed and operating Antapaccay (Glencore) copper concentrator located in the high Andes of Peru. Antapaccay shares many key characteristics with Los Azules, making it an obvious choice upon which to model the proposed infrastructure. Using the assumptions of $3.00/lb copper, $1,300/oz gold, and $17/oz silver, the Los Azules project generates a robust after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) discounted at 8% of $2.2 billion and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 20.1%. The project economics for Los Azules contemplates two years of permitting, drilling, and feasibility studies; followed by a three year project implementation phase for production of the first copper concentrates. The economic values presented in the 2017 PEA are after-tax financial outcomes at the point of commencing the project implementation phase. The key financial results are summarized in Table 1 and Figure 1. Table 1: After-tax Financial Results Parameter Unit 2017 PEA Result Initial CAPEX $ millions 2,363 Phase 2 CAPEX $ millions 278 NPV 8% $ millions 2,239 IRR % 20.1 Payback Period Years 3.6 C1 Costs1 (first 10 years) $/lb. 1.11 C1 Costs1 (Life-of-mine) $/lb. 1.28 1C1 cash costs include at-mine cash operating costs, treatment and refining charges, mine reclamation and closure costs, and copper concentrate transportation. Mineral Resource Estimate The estimated mineral resources for the Los Azules deposit are shown in Table 2. Mineral resources are determined using a base case cut-off grade of 0.20% copper, which is based on projected technical and economic parameters. Table 2: Estimate of Mineral Resources for Los Azules Deposit (0.20% Cu Cut-Off) Average Grade Contained Metal Category Million tonnes Cu % Au g/t Mo % Ag g/t Cu Billion lbs. Au Million oz. Mo Million lbs. Ag Million oz. Indicated 962 0.48 0.06 0.003 1.8 10.2 1.7 57.3 55.7 Inferred 2,666 0.33 0.04 0.003 1.6 19.3 3.8 194.0 135.4 Cu = copper, Au = gold, Mo = molybdenum, Ag = silver The mineral resource estimate for Los Azules was prepared utilizing three-dimensional block models based on geostatistical applications. The mineral resources are estimated using ordinary kriging with a nominal block size of 20 m x 20 m x 15 m. To ensure the reported resource exhibits reasonable prospects for economic extraction, the mineral resource is limited within a pit shell generated around copper grades in blocks classified in the Indicated and Inferred categories. Generalized technical and economic parameters include a copper price of $2.75/lb., site operating costs of $1.70/t for mining, $5.00/t for processing and $1.00/t for general and administration, a pit slope of 34 and 90% metallurgical recovery. Mining The life-of-mine (LOM) ore tonnage is estimated to be 1,488 million tonnes of concentrator feed and 1,510 million tonnes of waste stripping. The stripping ratio, including stockpile re-handling, is projected at 1.05 (tonnes of waste per tonne of sulfide ore milled). Excluding the three-year preproduction period, the mine life is estimated at 36 years. The concentrator feed during the first five years of operation is predicted to have a higher average grade of 0.73% copper. These grades are approximately double the average grades in the later years of mining (after Year 20). In the first five years of mining, 93% of this initial mill feed is presently classified as Indicated mineralized material and the remaining 7% is Inferred mineralized material. The 2017 PEA is preliminary in nature. The mine plan and economic model include the use of Inferred resources. Inferred resources are conceptual in nature and are considered to be too speculative to be used in an economic analysis except as allowed for by Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) in PEA studies. There is no guarantee that Inferred resources can be converted to Indicated or Measured resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. As such, there is no guarantee the project economics described herein will be achieved. Processing Preliminary metallurgical test work has been conducted intermittently since 2008 to determine how the mineralized material responds to flotation as a means of recovering payable copper metal. Results have consistently proved favorable and flotation has been adopted as the processing option of choice. The Los Azules concentrator will produce copper concentrate as a final product. The process flowsheet has been modeled on the Antapaccay copper concentrator (Glencore - Peru) due to similarities in ore properties and process plant altitudes. Some minor design changes, in equipment sizing only, have been incorporated based on operating experience at Antapaccay. The plant has been designed for average daily throughput of 80,000 tpd. The concentrator would be constructed on-site and would employ one comminution circuit consisting of a primary crusher, stockpile feed conveyor, reclaim conveyor, one SAG mill, two pebble crushers and two ball mills. The comminution circuit would be followed by flotation, thickening and filtration circuits, a Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) and concentrate storage. LOM recovery of copper to concentrate is expected to be 91% at a concentrate grade of 30% Cu. It is planned to expand the capacity of the plant to 120,000 tpd by Year 5 through the installation of additional comminution and flotation capacity. Gold and silver are recoverable to the copper concentrate. No other metals have been identified that would yield by-product credits, nor that have significant amounts of penalty elements. Capital Costs A key desired outcome of this study was to provide a project capital estimate with a reasonable level of accuracy. A summary of the initial capital estimate is provided in Table 3. Table 3: Capital Cost Estimate Area CAPEX ($ Millions) Mining Equipment $215 Mine Pre-stripping Cost $193 Surface Scope (Concentrator, Power Line, Tailings, etc.) $979 Total Direct Cost $1,387 Total Indirect Costs $508 Contingency $420 Owners Cost $48 Total Initial Capital Cost $2,363 Operating Costs This updated PEA for the Los Azules project has a total operating cost of $15.4 billion over the life of the mine. Table 4 displays the operating cost summary. Table 4: Operating Cost Estimate Cost Area LOM ($ millions) $/t Mill Feed $/t Cu $/lb. Cu Mining 5,404 3.63 980 0.44 Process 5,774 3.88 1,047 0.47 Transport 2,587 1.74 469 0.21 G&A 1,620 1.09 294 0.13 Subtotal OPEX 15,385 10.34 2,789 1.26 TCs/RCs 2,684 1.80 487 0.22 Au & Ag Credits (2,449) (1.65) (444) (0.20) Net Costs 15,621 10.50 2,831 1.28 PEA Contributors A summary of the qualified persons responsible for the report is provided in Table 5. Table 5: Summary of Qualified Persons Responsible Person Company Primary Areas of Responsibility D. Brown, C. P. Eng McEwen Mining, Project Infrastructure, Geology M. Bunyard, C. Eng, FAusIMM Hatch Ltd Metallurgical, Process Plant B. Davis, FAusIMM BD Resource Consulting, Inc. Sampling, Data Verification, Resource Estimates J. Duff, P. Geol McEwen Geology, Exploration R. Duinker, P. Eng, MBA Hatch Ltd Financial Analysis J. Farrell, P. Eng Hatch Ltd Environmental W. Rose, P. E. WLR Consulting Inc. Mining K. Seddon, CPEng ATC Williams Tailings R. Sim, P. Geo SIM Geological Inc. Drilling, Resource Estimates The Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) technical report containing the results of the updated PEA, with the effective date of September 1, 2017, will be filed on SEDAR and the Companys website within 45 days of this press release. All tables and figures in this release have been obtained from the PEA. About McEwen Mining (www.mcewenmining.com) McEwen Mining has the goal to qualify for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index by creating a high growth gold and silver producer focused in the Americas. McEwen Mining's principal assets consist of the San Jose mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina (49% interest), the El Gallo Gold mine and El Gallo Silver project in Mexico, the Gold Bar project in Nevada, the Timmins projects in Canada and the Los Azules copper project in Argentina. McEwen Mining has a total of 312 million shares outstanding. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, owns 25% of the Company. QUALIFIED PERSON Technical information contained in this news release has been prepared under the supervision of Mr. Donald Brown C. P. Eng., who is an officer of the Company, and a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. An independent qualified person manually verified the geologic database supporting the resource estimate by randomly selecting drill holes and verifying the data back to the original source. No significant errors were found. For now, Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian says he will not ask Montana colleges to review their policies about how to handle sexual assault allegations, responding to a Thursday announcement that federal leaders could reverse course on previous recommendations. We need more detail, he said. Earlier Thursday, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos declared that "the era of 'rule by letter' is over" as she announced plans to reverse all or parts of guidelines set by the Obama administration in 2011 about how to comply with Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education. Those rules were outlined in a memo known colloquially as the Dear Colleague Letter. It directed schools to investigate and resolve all complaints of sexual assault, even if there is a separate criminal case. It also urged schools to use a lower standard of evidence than guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in campus proceedings to decide whether to allow alleged assailants to stay on campus or to sanction them under student codes of conduct. "Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students," she said in a speech at George Mason University. DeVos said schools are committing discrimination if they fail to take seriously a student who reports sexual misconduct. And she says those that use "a system biased toward finding a student responsible for sexual misconduct" also are committing discrimination. Opponents of the Obama era rules have said they violate students due process rights and applauded DeVos announcement as a good sign that change is coming. Supporters said they fear it could set back years of improvement. Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, said the speech "signals a green light to sweep sexual assault further under the rug." "It will discourage schools from taking steps to comply with the law just at the moment when they are finally working to get it right," she said in a statement. In late 2011, the University of Montana became the latest college to enter the national spotlight for problems with how it handled reports of sexual violence against students. The following year, both the Department of Justice and Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights launched investigations of the campus and local police. Under former President Royce Engstrom, UM fired staff, changed policies, mandated training and completed an agreement with the DOJ to address gender bias. It also sparked policy improvements at other Montana campuses. Those changes largely implemented the recommendations of the Dear Colleague Letter. It is unclear after DeVos announcement whether she will simply retract the letter to give campuses more leeway to decide their own policies or if she intends to issue new guidelines. She has said she plans to seek public input before developing a new policy for investigating Title IX complaints. University of Montana Director of Communications Paula Short said it has been a waiting game since DeVos signaled earlier this year that she might change federal guidelines. She directed questions about Thursdays announcement, including whether UM is satisfied with its existing policy, to Title IX Coordinator Jessica Weltman. She could not be reached for comment. Interim President Sheila Stearns was traveling and unavailable for comment. Christian said it is too early for the Board of Regents to consider any statewide response and say nothing in the announcement will dramatically affect changes made to campus policies over the past few years. He did say Montana colleges continue to struggle with how to balance the rights of victims with those of the accused. To some extent, I do believe the campus code of conduct has been expanded to deal with a lot of issues it was never necessarily set up to deal with. We need to look at the high stakes instances and decide how students are best served and best represented, he said, noting one possible discussion for campuses to have is about whether to allow attorneys to participate. Under current policy, students may have an attorney in the room but they are not allowed to speak on students behalf. He said he was not ready to comment on whether the lower evidence standard in campus conduct proceedings a preponderance of evidence showing the allegations more likely than not are true are sufficient or should be raised to match the higher burden placed on victims in criminal courts. I dont know if theres any new information that would prompt us to ask the campuses to review that, he said. Were concerned with both sides of the equation: victims rights and due process. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Participants of the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2017 pose for a photo after the opening ceremony at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul, Thursday. Some 500 defense officials and security experts from 38 countries and four international organizations attended the annual security forum amid growing threats on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's sixth nuclear test. / Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense By Jun Ji-hye A U.S. intelligence officer said at a security forum in Seoul Thursday that the world should brace for multiple contingencies in North Korea. Markus Garlauskas, an intelligence officer for North Korea at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said change could come quickly, and unexpectedly. Markus Garlauskas "We should be prepared for multiple contingencies, one of which might lead to catastrophic failure of deterrence in a crisis," he said at the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD). The SDD is an annual forum of vice minister-level defense officials and security experts, which began Wednesday for a three-day run. By Yi Whan-woo Cho Myoung-gyon North Korea appears to be fully concentrating on completing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and may not respond to South Korea's offer for dialogue before then, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said Friday. "I think Pyongyang is putting its emphasis on completing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles for the time being," he said during a luncheon with reporters. "It's my understanding it will only engage in negotiation afterwards." Cho claimed the possibility remains over North Korea's additional provocations following its sixth nuclear test, such as a ballistic missile test to mark the 69th anniversary of the country's founding on Saturday. "The government will take all possible measures to avoid the situation in which North Korea will build an intercontinental ballistic missile mounted with a nuclear weapon," he said. "I have a clear view of pursuing the denuclearization of Pyongyang through peaceful means." A portion of Reserve Street was closed after a driver struck and killed a pedestrian crossing the street early Thursday morning. The victim has been identified as Shane W. Madsen, 39, of Missoula, according to Missoula County Sheriff and Coroner TJ McDermott. The crash occurred near the intersection of Reserve and South Avenue. Missoula Police Department public information officer Sgt. Travis Welsh said the incident was reported around 4:45 a.m. He said two adult males were walking east across Reserve when Madsen was hit by a northbound vehicle and killed. Welsh said the male driver is participating in the investigation of the crash. The northbound lanes of Reserve between South and Third Street were closed while officers investigated well into rush hour, with traffic resuming shortly before 9 a.m. "The Missoula Police Department, assisted by members of Montana Highway Patrol, are continuing to investigate the details surrounding the crash," said Missoula County Sheriff's Office public information officer Brenda Bassett. "Please contact their office for further information. We continue to keep the families involved in this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers." Florida Power & Light operates two nuclear energy plants in South Florida that could be affected by Irma. Here, one of those plants, St. Lucie Power Station, which is located on Hutchinson Island near Port St. Lucie. Workers at two nuclear plants in the potential path of Hurricane Irma are preparing to shut down reactors and ride out the storm. At a news conference today (Sept. 7), Robert Gould, Florida Power & Light's vice president and chief communications officer, warned residents of southern Florida to expect to lose power if Irma scores a direct hit on the state this weekend. "We have arguably one of the strongest grids in America, but no grid is designed to be able to withstand a Category 5 storm that has wind approaching 185 miles per hour [300 km/h]," Gould said. [Hurricane Irma: Everything You Need to Know About This Monster Storm] Nuclear shutdown Florida Power & Light operates two nuclear energy plants in South Florida that could be affected by Irma. One, the St. Lucie Power Station, is on Hutchinson Island near Port St. Lucie. The other, Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, is on the southern edge of Miami-Dade County. During Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the eye of that storm passed directly over the Turkey Point plant, Gould said. The storm caused $90 million in damage to the plant, including a smokestack cracked in half by the hurricane's winds, the Miami Herald reported. The plant was without external power for five days, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, "there was no damage to any of the nuclear components," Gould said at the news conference. [The 20 Costliest, Most Destructive Hurricanes in the United States] Both nuclear plants are constructed with concrete and reinforced steel, and are "among the strongest in America and arguably the world," Gould said. Both are elevated to 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level and are equipped with multiple backup generators to keep the reactors cool in the event of a power outage. After the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan following the 2011 tsunami, Florida Power & Light improved safety at its nuclear plants, Gould said. According to the FPL website, improvements included upgraded cooling equipment, diesel-fuel generators and pumps, and modernized communications (phone lines were lost at the plant during Hurricane Andrew). The plants' generating capacity will be shut down well in advance of the hurricane-force winds, Gould said, but final decisions on shutdowns are being withheld until the forecast becomes clearer. A skeleton crew of workers will ride out the storm at each plant, he said. The Fukushima nuclear meltdown happened because the 49-foot-high (15 meters) tsunami caused by an undersea earthquake destroyed the power supply to three nuclear reactors. The reactors automatically shut down power generation when the earthquake hit, but the loss of backup generators meant that the radioactive fuel rods within the reactor could not be kept cool, causing the fuel to melt down. There have not been cases of nuclear reactors damaged by hurricanes in the United States, but two plants in New Jersey Oyster Creek and Salem had to shut down in advance of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Prepping the grid As Hurricane Harvey demonstrated in Houston last month, electricity can be a major danger during storms. At least three people died in the city after being electrocuted by live wires in floodwaters, according to news reports. Florida Power & Light has taken steps to build a more resilient grid, including replacing wood power poles with concrete ones, Gould said. Some of these concrete poles can withstand winds up to 145 mph (233 km/h), he said. Irma's sustained winds were blowing at 175 mph (280 km/h) as of 11 a.m. EST today (Sept. 7). The utility will be monitoring substations, the facilities that alter voltage levels from high to low on the way to homes and buildings, at risk of flooding, Gould said, and may pre-emptively shut some stations to prevent water damage. These shutdowns should make it easier to restore power after the storm passes, he said. But from West Palm Beach south, it's been a decade since a significant storm cleared vegetation and tree branches, Gould said. Irma's winds will almost certainly do the job sending branches and tree trunks into electrical wires. "There may be situations where we will physically have to rebuild, not restore, the power system," Gould said. That could take days or weeks. Gould advised Floridians in the storm's path to make backup plans if they have medical needs that require electric power; to comply with evacuation orders; and to be careful around electric wires both when preparing for the storm and in the event of flooding. People using generators should never do so indoors or near doorways, Gould said, as carbon monoxide "is a killer." "This is a hurricane unlike anything we have seen approaching the United States, and while we have made these improvements to the electric system," he said, "there is just no way to hurricane-proof an electric system." Original article on Live Science. As Hurricane Irma barrels toward Florida, it's looking increasingly likely that South Florida, a major population hub, could take a major hit from the monster storm. But how bad would a direct hit from Hurricane Irma be? The answer is really, really bad. The storm could cause unprecedented levels of property damage, mostly from storm surge, or high water levels due to wind and atmospheric pressure during a storm, said Antonio Nanni, a structural engineer at the University of Miami, who has looked at the impact of hurricanes on infrastructure in Florida. And older properties, along with those that have not been built up to "code," could still be very vulnerable to Hurricane Irma's monster winds, Nanni said. [Hurricane Irma: Photos of a Monster Storm] Huge risk of storm surge The biggest risk factor from Hurricane Irma is likely to be storm surge, Nanni said. "If you have strong wind, you can put up shutters. If you have a surge, there is no way you can protect yourself unless you have elevation," Nanni told Live Science. And the consequences of the surge, in terms of long-term damage, could be truly catastrophic, he added. As the extensive flooding from Hurricane Harvey, which battered Texas last week, revealed, "the recovery becomes a nightmare," Nanni said. A 2017 study by the research firm CoreLogic found that a truly catastrophic hurricane could put nearly 750,000 homes in the Miami area alone at risk of storm surge damage totaling roughly $143 billion. Another study, by Swiss Re, a reinsurance company based in Switzerland, found that damages from Irma could reach upward of $300 billion. That study found that the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which flattened a suburb 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the south of Miami's core, destroyed 25,000 homes and damaged another 100,000, causing $24.6 billion dollars in damage. But Andrew was a more focused storm tht didn't directly hit Miami. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does provide flood and storm-surge maps to predict which areas are likeliest to be inundated in a hurricane. But those maps may be outdated with rising sea levels, said Christina DeConcini, director of government affairs at the World Resources Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the environment for future generations. "Sea level has been rising, and that is due in great part or majority part to climate change," DeConcini, who co-authored a report about the impacts of rising sea levels on areas like Miami, told Live Science. "That results in much, much more storm surge, whether you're talking about a tropical storm or a hurricane." Nanni said these maps may need to be re-evaluated in the wake of storms like Irma. "Many are challenging the validity of FEMA flood maps today," Nanni said. The regions that could be most devastated will depend on where the strongest portions of the hurricane hit, but some areas, like Florida's Key Biscayne and Miami Beach, are particularly vulnerable Nanni said. Being so close to the sea, those areas will face high storm surges, and rough terrain won't be able to slow down the winds, because they are so close to the water, Nanni said. "Boy, that is going to be a nightmare no matter what," Nanni said. "You are basically on open water." Biscayne Bay is a shallow bay, which allows surge heights to go higher, said Brian Soden, a marine and atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami. Meanwhile, north of downtown along the coast, the continental shelf is deeper so storm surge heights may be lower, he added. Winds mitigated by building codes The other big factor is wind speed. Irma is most likely to reach South Florida as a Category 4 storm, according to the most recent predictions. "Clearly, if you have a Cat. 4 in an urban area, it's going to be a disaster no matter how we look at it," Nanni said. However, damage to property will be lessened somewhat by the adoption of stiffer building codes in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which leveled many homes south of Miami. Those building codes, called the High-Velocity Hurricane Zones performance requirements, necessitate strengthening three main areas of weakness: roof systems, protection of openings like windows and doors (with things like shutters), and roof attachment, according to Miami-Dade County. Later additions to those codes require strengthening the building envelope, or the basic structure of the building. "Miami-Dade County has done a fabulous job in terms of enforcing the compliance with the code, but I think there are so many unknowns," Nanni said. For instance, the building code may dictate an impact-resistant window, but it's anyone's guess as to whether those windows were installed properly, Nanni said. And while the windows may be impact-resistant, a neighbor may have neglected to put shutters up, meaning debris could fly from his house to others. And there's no way to predict whether a tree in front of someone's house will snap with hurricane-force gales, Nanni added. Once windows are breached, the hard-driving hurricane rains can cause extensive water damage, Nanni said. Loss of life The biggest risk for loss of life is not in condos or high-rise buildings, which are largely subject to more stringent building codes, but in older buildings, which were built before Hurricane Andrew, Nanni said. But while property damage could be catastrophic, high death tolls are unlikely, Nanni said. That's largely because emergency managers have done a good job of encouraging evacuations, Nanni said. The state has issued mandatory evacuations for the Florida Keys, and certain flood-prone areas of Miami-Dade County are also under mandatory evacuation orders. "The state and local authorities have done a superb job in getting ready," Nanni said. For instance, Nanni's institution, the University of Miami, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and urged students to leave town. By noon on Wednesday, the university's dormitories, which normally house roughly 4,300 students, had just 180 students left (mostly international students with nowhere to go), Nanni said. As for Nanni, his house is in an evacuation zone, but he said he's planning to stay put for now. He has some safe places to go just a few miles away if inundation becomes more likely, but he doesn't think that will be necessary, he said. "I'm one of those guys that are trying to ride it out," Nanni said. "I think I'm in a fairly safe dwelling." Originally published on Live Science. This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. When people picture sand spread across idyllic beaches and endless deserts, they understandably think of it as an infinite resource. But as we discuss in a just-published perspective in the journal Science, over-exploitation of global supplies of sand is damaging the environment, endangering communities, causing shortages and promoting violent conflict. Skyrocketing demand, combined with unfettered mining to meet it, is creating the perfect recipe for shortages. Plentiful evidence strongly suggests that sand is becoming increasingly scarce in many regions. For example, in Vietnam domestic demand for sand exceeds the country's total reserves. If this mismatch continues, the country may run out of construction sand by 2020, according to recent statements from the country's Ministry of Construction. This problem is rarely mentioned in scientific discussions and has not been systemically studied. Media attention drew us to this issue. While scientists are making a great effort to quantify how infrastructure systems such as roads and buildings affect the habitats that surround them, the impacts of extracting construction minerals such as sand and gravel to build those structures have been overlooked. Two years ago we created a working group designed to provide an integrated perspective on global sand use. In our view, it is essential to understand what happens at the places where sand is mined, where it is used and many impacted points in between in order to craft workable policies. We are analyzing those questions through a systems integration approach that allows us to better understand socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances and time. Based on what we have already learned, we believe it is time to develop international conventions to regulate sand mining, use and trade. Skyrocketing demand Sand and gravel are now the most-extracted materials in the world, exceeding fossil fuels and biomass (measured by weight). Sand is a key ingredient for concrete, roads, glass and electronics. Massive amounts of sand are mined for land reclamation projects, shale gas extraction and beach renourishment programs. Recent floods in Houston, India, Nepal and Bangladesh will add to growing global demand for sand. A sand and stone processing facility in Poland. (Image credit: Mariusz Szczygiel/Shutterstock) In 2010, nations mined about 11 billion tonnes of sand just for construction. Extraction rates were highest in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Europe and North America. In the United States alone, production and use of construction sand and gravel was valued at US$8.9 billion in 2016, and production has increased by 24 percent in the past five years. Moreover, we have found that these numbers grossly underestimate global sand extraction and use. According to government agencies, uneven record-keeping in many countries may hide real extraction rates. Official statistics widely underreport sand use and typically do not include nonconstruction purposes such as hydraulic fracturing and beach nourishment. Sand traditionally has been a local product. However, regional shortages and sand mining bans in some countries are turning it into a globalized commodity. Its international trade value has skyrocketed, increasing almost sixfold in the last 25 years. Profits from sand mining frequently spur profiteering. In response to rampant violence stemming from competition for sand, the government of Hong Kong established a state monopoly over sand mining and trade in the early 1900s that lasted until 1981. Today organized crime groups in India, Italy and elsewhere conduct illegal trade in soil and sand. Singapore's high-volume sand imports have drawn it into disputes with Indonesia, Malaysia (opens in new tab) and Cambodia. Sand mining harms humans and the environment The negative consequences of overexploiting sand are felt in poorer regions where sand is mined. Extensive sand extraction physically alters rivers and coastal ecosystems, increases suspended sediments and causes erosion. Research shows that sand mining operations are affecting numerous animal species, including fish, dolphins, crustaceans and crocodiles. For example, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) a critically endangered crocodile found in Asian river systems is increasingly threatened by sand mining, which destroys or erodes sand banks where the animals bask. Sand mining also has serious impacts on people's livelihoods. Beaches and wetlands buffer coastal communities against surging seas. Increased erosion resulting from extensive mining makes these communities more vulnerable to floods and storm surges. A ship dredges sand and water from the shore for a construction project in Odessa, Ukraine. (Image credit: A_Lesik/Shutterstock) A recent report by the Water Integrity Network found that sand mining exacerbated the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka. In the Mekong Delta, sand mining is reducing sediment supplies as drastically as dam construction, threatening the sustainability of the delta. It also is probably enhancing saltwater intrusion during the dry season, which threatens local communities' water and food security. Potential health impacts from sand mining are poorly characterized but deserve further study. Extraction activities create new standing pools of water that can become breeding sites for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The pools may also play an important role in the spread of emerging diseases such as Buruli ulcer in West Africa, a bacterial skin infection. Preventing a tragedy of the sand commons Media coverage of this issue is growing, thanks to work by organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, but the scale of the problem is not widely appreciated. Despite huge demand, sand sustainability is rarely addressed in scientific research and policy forums. The complexity of this problem is doubtlessly a factor. Sand is a common-pool resource open to all, easy to get and hard to regulate. As a result, we know little about the true global costs of sand mining and consumption. Demand will increase further as urban areas continue to expand and sea levels rise. Major international agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Convention on Biological Diversity promote responsible allocation of natural resources, but there are no international conventions to regulate sand extraction, use and trade. As long as national regulations are lightly enforced, harmful effects will continue to occur. We believe that the international community needs to develop a global strategy for sand governance, along with global and regional sand budgets. It is time to treat sand like a resource, on a par with clean air, biodiversity and other natural endowments that nations seek to manage for the future. Aurora Torres, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research; Jianguo "Jack" Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability, Michigan State University; Jodi Brandt, Assistant Professor - Human Environment Systems, Boise State University, and Kristen Lear, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Georgia This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science. The Mexico earthquake occurred where one of the slabs of Earth's crust is slowly diving beneath another near the Middle American Trench in the Pacific Ocean. This story was updated Sept. 8 at 12:56 p.m. EDT. The strongest earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the country's southern coast late Thursday night local time, officials report. So far, 32 people are reported dead from the magnitude-8.1 temblor, which was felt by 50 million people across Mexico, according to news reports. The powerful earthquake hit the country at 04:49:21 UTC on Friday (Sept. 8), which was 11:49 p.m. local Mexico time. The shaking was felt as far away as Guatemala and Mexico City, according to a CNN report. The epicenter of the quake occurred 54 miles (87 kilometers) southwest of Pijijiapan, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. New York Times reporters in Mexico City described the terrifying scene: "The force sent residents of the megacity fleeing into the streets at midnight, shaken by the alarms blaring over loudspeakers and a full minute of tremors. Windows broke, walls collapsed, and the city seemed to convulse in terrifying waves." The earthquake occurred as a result of a process called subduction. In this case, a slab of Earth's crust called the Cocos plate is slowing diving beneath the North American plate; This movement is happening in the Pacific Ocean near the so-called Middle American Trench, which is beneath Central America, just over 62 miles (100 km) southwest of Friday's earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake led to a tsunami watch, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at the U.S. National Weather Service has reported waves of just about 3 feet (1 meter) off of Mexico's coast, The Washington Post reported. This region has experienced eight other magnitude-7 or greater earthquakes over the last century, with most of these occurring near the Mexico-Guatemala border. The largest of those quakes was a magnitude-7.4 that occurred offshore of Guatemala in November 2012, causing 48 deaths and 150 injuries, the USGS said. Editor's Note: This story was updated to update the number of fatalities and include information on the tsunami risk. Originally published on Live Science. A little girl stands next to a sperm whale that died after becoming stranded on a beach between Old Hunstanton and Holme on Feb. 5, 2016, in Hunstanton, England. The whale was the 29th to have died after beaching in Europe over a two-week period. A solar storm currently affecting the Earth's high atmosphere could spell bad news for an unexpected victim: whales. Recent research finds that the fatal stranding of 29 whales in early 2016 could have been caused by solar activity when mind-boggling amounts of energy erupt from the sun in various forms. Magnetic waves emanating from solar storms may affect sperm-whale navigation, that study found. The navigational confusion can be deadly if whales end up swimming into too-shallow waters and getting stuck. Just this month, on Sept. 4, one type of solar storm, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupted from the sun, according to the National Space Weather Prediction Center. CMEs fling charged plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's surface toward Earth, where they cause fluctuations in the planet's magnetic field. Migratory animals like sperm whales, birds and sea turtles all use the geomagnetic field to navigate. [See Photos of Whales and Sharks from Above] Sperm whale strandings The possible culprit for last year's sperm whale stranding seems to have occurred around the period of Jan. 8 to Feb. 4, 2016, when 29 male sperm whales (Physeter microcephalus) were found dead or dying on the shores of Germany, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Autopsies on 22 of the whales revealed that the animals were well-nourished and had no signs of illness, according to the new research paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. With no other explanation for what might have caused the whales to become stranded, researchers wondered if scrambled navigation systems might be to blame. No one knows exactly how sperm whales use geomagnetic fields to navigate. But the animals may take into account the natural gradient in the Earth's magnetic field from pole to equator as well as the directionality of the magnetic fields, Klaus Heinrich Vanselow of Kiel University in Germany and colleagues wrote in the new paper. Vanselow and his colleagues collected magnetometer data from the region of the whale stranding from the Norwegian Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean south to the Azores (a group of islands off the coast of Portugal). The researchers found that two solar storms (one occurring from Dec. 20 to 21, 2015, and one from Dec. 31, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016) altered local geomagnetic fields. At Solund, Norway, the researchers found, the intensity of the magnetic field changed from 51,150 nanoteslas (nT) to 51,450 nT, and then down to 50,520 nT. That was a change of more than 900 nT in about 18 hours, or about the same gradient change a whale might experience while swimming the 286 miles (460 kilometers) from Shetland to Norway, the researchers wrote. The second solar storm caused a local intensity increase of 230 nT, followed by a decrease of 310 nT, changes similar to those experienced across a 172-mile (277 km) north-to-south journey for a sperm whale. On top of the intensity changes, the solar storms also changed the directionality of the local magnetic fields. Those changes could have thrown the whales' navigation systems off by as much as 186 miles (300 km), the researchers reported. Tragic outcomes In the open ocean, sperm whales can probably compensate for temporary disruptions to their magnetic navigation, Vanselow and his colleagues wrote. Additionally, solar storms have less impact on the geomagnetic field at low latitudes, where sperm whales are born and where females spend their entire lives. But after weaning, young males travel to northern waters, lured west of the British Isles and into the Norwegian Sea by ample meals of squid. The whales don't typically venture into the North Sea (a body of water south of Norway and north of the Netherlands), the site of the 2016 stranding, but the magnetic field anomalies described in the new paper could easily confuse the animals, the researchers wrote. If an increase in magnetic field intensity fools the whales into thinking they're farther north than they are, for example, they might overcorrect by swimming too far south. In the shallow, near-shore environments of the North Sea near the stranding, whales may be unable to turn around and swim back the way they came, with fatal results, the researchers concluded. Years can pass without whale strandings occurring in the North Sea, even when the sun is active. One 2007 study found that strandings are slightly correlated with water temperatures, which suggests that perhaps prey availability and shifts in the whales' feeding grounds play a role in whether whales are vulnerable to stranding, the researchers wrote. Original article on Live Science. The Internet is a terrifying place, and Objective Developments Little Snitch 4 ($45) has tried for many years to help keep your Mac locked down by monitoring connections and letting you control inbound and outbound traffic. Version 4 refines and extends this friendly firewall, and if youve used it or looked at it in the past, youll find it mostly familiar. But the app has significant updates for visualizing connections and improves how it explains what apps are trying to do. Its bizarre that this many decades into the nets evolution, Apple still doesnt include strong tools enabled by default that restrict access to your Mac or examine connections from macOS or apps youre running out to the Internet. The firewall option in the Security & Privacy system preference pane is extremely coarse and lacks necessary features. Enabling it likely causes more problems and confusion for less-experienced users than leaving it off, but a Mac with unfettered bidirectional access isnt a good thing, either. Thats why Ive recommended Little Snitch since version 1, because it lets you keep an active but not irritating eye on what your Mac is doing. It was only in version 3 that it added inbound connection management, too, which made it much more useful against attacks. Version 4 freshens things up. Little Snitch 4: Watching for chatty apps As in previous versions, Little Snitchs most obvious use is in alerting you to the network activity of applications and low-level software. For instance, launch Google Chrome, and Little Snitch warns you that the browser is attempting to connect to www.google.com (to check for updates, ostensibly). Should Little Snitch let it proceed, and, if so, for how long and with what limits? IDG This expanded network-connection popup shows information about the app and all the duration options for allowing or denying. For previously unknown connections, Little Snitch presents a dialog box that shows you the requesting apps icon, its name, and what its attempting to do. Using the previous example with a browser thats not pre-approved, you might see an alert that Google Chrome is trying to connect to google.com. Clicking Allow or Deny adds a rule to Little Snitchs configuration, bypassing this dialog in the future for varying degrees of specificity and periods of time. The utility lets you drill down nearly everywhere. The default view offers simple details that shouldnt frighten someone with no real technical knowledge as long as they get what a domain name represents and what apps are trying to do. Click a button here and therelike a downward-pointing arrow to the left of the Deny buttonand you can expand options and limit choices. For instance, you can approve connections to all ports on a domain, or click on the allow/deny dialog to specify a port. (An IP address is a destination, like an apartment building; a port is like a specific apartment within the building.) Little Snitch comes configured to allow common activities. For example, Safari requests data from port 80 (non-secure Web connections) and port 443 (https connections) to pass through without notice. Many OS X system daemons, autonomous bits of low-level software, also get pre-approved. But even these passes are explicitly allowed via rules that you can view, with descriptions, in the Little Snitch Configuration app. You can be concerned enough about Internet safety that you changed prefab rules, like requiring individual approval of domain access in Safari, instead of letting it use all those ports. Youll have to allow sites and items referenced on sites one at a time as you visit, but that offers some people more piece of mind against unwanted Web-based trackers and even malware. As with similar software requiring training, youll go through a bit of annoyance after you install Little Snitch and restart your Mac, and then start running software for the first time with the app installed. But it quickly settles down, even if you use a variety of software. Youll find many apps make an extraordinary number of different connections, like Adobes Creative Cloud manager. Others randomly check for updates, providing a Little Snitch warning when youre not actively using the app, which can seem alarming. Malware typically tries to phone home, making a connection back to a command-and-control center. In the event youre infected by malware, Little Snitch should be an early-warning center, letting you know that a previously unknown app is trying to reach out to an IP address, oddly named domain (these are sometimes randomly generated by malware creators), or an unfamiliar domain. Little Snitch 4: Digging in Little Snitch offers information about a connection in a couple of ways. Click the eyeglasses on a prompt, and it brings up descriptive details about the app or service, if they exist. In version 4, Objective Development now lets other developers create bundles of information that Little Snitch can import, providing more detail straight from the horses mouth. If you see a connection you dont know what its about and theres no information in Little Snitch, this is a likely one to block, and then figure out if your machine has been infected. You can also hover near the eyeglasses, and click the button that appears. This reveals highly technical details if youre of that bent, like the IP address of the connection and whether the app or service involved has a code signature, meaning its been released by someone or some organization enrolled in Apples developer program. IDG Clicking a hover-over ellipsis reveals a host of technical details. Little Snitch also lets you set timing for the rule, which lets you minimize access to apps or services you may not fully trust to have unfettered access. While Forever is the default, holding down Shift toggles the menu choice to Once, and pressing Control toggles it to Until Quit. You can also select intervals from 15 minutes to 2 hours and Until Logout and Until Restart. In practice, I rarely use these options, as I dont want to grant access at all to something that I dont trust for more than 15 minutes or during a session. However, there may be software you dont want to communicate in the foreground or background when its not in active use. In the past, some software, like Microsoft Office, used local network probes to prevent multiple simultaneous copies running with the same license. That was a common use of Little Snitch, but it looks like most copies have switched to cloud-based licensed that requires a check-in to work. IDG Rules editing lets you set very fine controls. If youre interested in highly granular control of inbound and outbound connections, you can use Little Snitchs Configuration app to create and refine rules. For most people, this will be overkill, but theres a deep bottom to how much you can learn and tweak. The more particular and secure you want your network profile to be, the more options you can manipulate. This is true in preferences, too, which have a lot of fiddly settings that more advanced or secure users will want to look at. One that might be useful, and isnt in the default Deny/Allow popup, is Ask for Connection. There may be some apps or domains for which you dont want to allow continuous or unmonitored access, but want to approve each time. You can use the system menu to override global behavior. This includes silently allowing all connections or denying them, or halting Little Snitchs filtering altogether. You may encounter software or a situation in which the firewall interferes with what youre trying to do, or you might want to clamp down on all access without disconnecting from a network. The system menu bar icon also doubles as a network activity indicator. Little Snitch 4: Monitor locally, observe globally Little Snitch used to have a semi-useful Network Monitor window that operated separately from its configuration app that showed you a chart of inbound and outbound activity, what apps and system tools were in use, and provide some controls. This has been overhauled into something thats vastly better at visualizing whats going on and controlling actions. Its a real control center if you need one. The centerpiece is a global map, showing you effectively in real time all the recent and active connections from your system to the IP-derived or otherwise guessed locations of the endpoints around the world. Its a little terrifying, and might cause you to flip some Allow switches to Deny. Dont take it overseriously, though: many companies maintain data centers worldwide, and the closest path for a given resource could be somewhere far from you at any given moment. In other cases, software checks in with global endpoints, without sending substantive data. Skype seems to ping nodes around the world, but send literally on the order of bytes, not even kilobytes. IDG The revised Network Monitor in version 4 is more useful as both a visualizer and dashboard control. Click or select any of the processes in the list at left, and the network activity graph shows just traffic in and out over the last hour, the map shows where connections are or were in that period, and a summary sidebar at right shows all traffic, domains, and other information since Little Snitch was installed. You can reset those counters. If youre trying to see whats happening on your local network, Little Snitch can identify broadcast traffic, which can be useful to track down misbehaving software (or perhaps misbehaving children). It doesnt snoop on direct connections on the LAN, nor does it sniff within connections. Bottom line The latest version makes tracking and visualization easier while increasing the amount of information available about both familiar and unfamiliar network actions that macOS, background software, and apps are trying to take. Little Snitch is the only security software that I recommend wholeheartedly to an entire range of users, from beginner to super sophisticated. It provides networkand privacyprotection while being easy to use and train, and its powerful enough for demanding users. Version 4 continues to build on that strong foundation. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 7, 2017 A Montana resident who says Facebook repeatedly sent him unwanted text messages is asking an appellate court to revive his lawsuit against the company. Noah Duguid, who apparently had been assigned a recycled phone number by his carrier, alleges that the text messages violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act -- a federal law that prohibits companies from using automated dialers to send text messages to people without their consent. He alleged in a 2014 class-action complaint that Facebook repeatedly sent him messages stating that his account had been accessed -- even though he never had an account with the social networking service. Duguid says in court papers that he emailed Facebook with complaints about the texts, but that the company persisted in sending them. U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar in the Northern District of California dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Duguid's allegations didn't support the conclusion that Facebook used a robo-dialer to send the messages. advertisement advertisement Duguid is now asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse that ruling. Among other arguments, he says that consumers like himself shouldn't have to allege facts about the "inner workings" of companies' text-messaging systems in order to bring lawsuits. "The lower courts dismissal renders it impossible to seek any redress for unsolicited text messages and communicates to Facebook and others similarly situated to fire away," he argues in papers filed late last week with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. "No consumer will know what system is exactly being used, and how exactly it works." The 9th Circuit recently reinstated a separate lawsuit that also alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The appellate court said in that matter that equipment "does not need to dial numbers or send text messages 'randomly'" to be considered an autodialing system. Facebook is currently battling at least two other lawsuits alleging violations of the robo-texting law. District of Columbia resident Christine Holt, who says she doesn't have a Facebook account, is suing the company for allegedly sending her unwanted SMS messages after she obtained a cell phone from MetroPCS. Also, Florida resident Colin Brickman, alleged that the company is violating the anti-spam law by sending users messages about their friends' birthdays. Trial judges in both of those matters rejected Facebook's arguments to dismiss the lawsuits at an early stage. Facebook has asked the 9th Circuit to hear an appeal of those rulings. Two years ago, the FCC tightened the robotexting law by issuing new regulations, including one that prohibits companies from sending more than one autodialed text (or make one robocall) to a reassigned number -- even if the original owner consented to receive texts. The debt collection association ACA International, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others have asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the new regulations. That court is still considering the matter. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 7, 2017 Google remains the key driver of web referrals, but its influence in ecommerce continues to decline. The company generated 62% of all traffic to ecommerce sites and 63% of all revenue in the past 12 months -- down from 69% of traffic and 67% of revenue in the prior year ending in 2016, according to Wolfgang Digital's 2017 E-Commerce Benchmark KPI Study released Thursday. The study -- which analyzed 143 million website sessions and $531 million in online revenue between July 2016 and June 2017 -- aims to give ecommerce marketers insights to help benchmark their businesss online performance and understand which metrics drive e-commerce success. Google maintains the lions share when it comes to revenue generation with Google Organic and Google cost per click, bringing in 38% and 25% of revenue, respectively. Direct traffic, where searchers type in the URL and hit "return" on the keyboard, generated 18% of traffic overall. There are three types of direct traffic: returning visitors and returning customers, advertising, and dark traffic defined as when Google Analytics doesnt recognize a source by default. For example, clicks on these links in WhatsApp will appear in Google Analytics as Direct traffic. advertisement advertisement Email generated 3%; Facebook organic, 3%; Facebook paid ads, 3%; Bing organic, 1%; Yahoo organic, 1%; and others, 11%. Sites with a higher share of Bing cost per click (CPC) traffic tend to see a higher average order value of 0.22. The study suggests these are "sites with high-performing Google AdWords campaigns looking to expand their reach even further." Interestingly, if Google places a brand or website at the top of the organic search query listing, it's like a "transferal of trust from Google" to the brand or company. High levels of Google organic traffic enjoyed a strong correlation with conversion rates, about 0.48. Not surprisingly, the customer journey continues to grow longer. The number of clicks required to generate about $1.2 million online has grown from 12% in the past year, per the study. Website speed absolutely matters. The study identified a strong correlation between the average page load time and revenue. And sites that got more smartphone and tablet views grew revenue faster. Mobile dominates when it comes to raw traffic, according to the study. In 2017 -- the first year in which the study found mobile claiming more sessions than desktop and tablet combined-- marketers are still seeing few shoppers purchasing on mobile. The 52% of share in traffic only has 26% share of revenue. The data shows that desktop generates 61% of all online revenue. In fact desktop users are 164% more likely to convert than those browsing on mobile. And when desktop users convert, they spend an average of 20% per order more than mobile shoppers. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 7, 2017 Google plans to end support for the Drive app on PCs and Macs December 11, with the service completely shutting down on March 12. As an alternative, Drive File Stream will become available to all customers. The idea is to migrate all Google Drive users to the Backup and Sync consumer app that combines the functions of Drive and Google Photos Uploader, or the enterprise-focused Drive File Streamer. In a blog post, Google details the migration and launch path, noting that the setting will not go into effect until Tuesday, September 26, when Drive File Stream becomes generally available. Drive for Mac and PC users in October may begin seeing messages in the product notifying them Google will sunset Drive for Mac and PC. Users running both Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync on the same machine will be prompted to stop syncing My Drive with Backup and Sync in order to save disk space. Editors will not be able to edit their Team Drive files when they are opened in Drive File Stream, but will only have the ability to view them. To edit these files, theyll need to open them in Drive on the web. Google also published a launch release calendar for G Suite updates. Every year since the Montana Wilderness Association was founded in 1958, the nonprofit has held a yearly gathering to celebrate its work in protecting the states wild places and public lands for present and future generations. And since it knows what Missoulians love, they've got beer, free live music and games for kids. This Friday and Saturday, the MWA will be hosting WildFest 2017 at the newly redesigned Fort Missoula Regional Park. The event will feature guided hikes, family activities, food trucks, drinks, a keynote speaker and Saturday will feature three live bands. The festival kicks off at noon on Friday at Fort Missoulas Northern Rockies Heritage Hall with a lunch. That will be followed by a series of sessions focusing on the conservation work MWA is conducting near Missoula and throughout the state, on the campaign to keep public lands in public hands and on how the public can get involved in protecting wild places. Although all events are free on Saturday, there is a $35 entrance fee on Friday night starting at 5:30 for a wide range of appetizers and locally-crafted beer, wine, cider and non-alcoholic beverages with a silent auction. Author Pete Fromm, a five-time winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. with what event promoters are calling hilarious and poignant stories about wilderness, parenting and growing up wild. A live auction starts at 8 p.m. On Saturday morning, the public can take one of 17 guided hikes in and around Missoula. To view availability and sign up for one of the hikes, visit wildmontana.org/wildfest. Of course theres always the scary smoke and everything but were going to keep on going ahead, said MWA development coordinator Mike Rooney. Friday night is indoors, but the main event is definitely Saturday. Were hoping to attract people that may not have heard about us. Later Saturday afternoon, there will be film screenings at Fort Missoula Regional Park starting at 2:30 with Buds Place, a documentary celebrating Montana conservation pioneer Bud Moore, who was one of the first inducted into the Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame. Selections from the International Wildlife Film Festival follow, featuring a series of 10- to 20-minute nature films. Kid-friendly activities run from 3 to 6 p.m. at the new Bella Vista Pavilion, including horse-packing demonstrations, REI outdoor gear, fly-casting lessons, wilderness survival techniques, games and educational opportunities like dissecting owl pellets and viewing an insectarium. Live music starts at 4 p.m. with local indy-rock band Mendelssohn. Country and delta blues act Holy Smokes & The Godforsaken Rollers takes the stage at 6. Nationally-acclaimed folk band Kuinka caps the evening starting at 8:30. There is no cover charge for any of Saturdays events. Several food trucks serving everything from hot dogs to Thai food will be parked at Fort Missoula throughout the afternoon and into the evening. In partnership with MWA, Great Burn Brewing will offer its Go Wild (Fest) pale ale at the festival and at its brewery taproom at 2230 McDonald Ave., before, during and after the festival. Rooney said that the organization has worked hard to protect public lands in Montana in the past few years. A great example is we just partnered with Hold Our Ground. We sought to protect the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, he said. That was a huge program for us. Those lands were on the chopping block, and we truly supported keeping that as a national monument. The organization has also worked with the Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Project alliance on protecting key wildlife habitat and sensitive areas in the Swan Mountains that border the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The MWA is funded by 3,900 membership-fee paying households and various grants. Our major focus is grassroots, working with communities and protecting public lands, Rooney said. He suggested people bring blankets and chairs to best enjoy the experience. MWA has a large and passionate group of volunteers in Missoula, and theyve put together an awesome program for this years Wild Fest, Rooney said. We encourage everyone throughout the state and beyond to join us for this celebration of what makes Montana so wonderful our wild places and public lands. Visit wildmontana.org for a complete rundown of events at this years WildFest. For more information, contact Mike Rooney at mrooney@wildmontana.org or at 406-443-7350, Ext. 103. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, September 7, 2017 WPP continues to hedge its content bets, announcing a strategic investment this week in promising podcasting company, Gimlet Media Inc. WPP said it is investing $5 million for an undisclosed minority stake in Gimlet, citing such branded content customers as Alphabet Inc., Ford Motor Co., PepsiCo, Match Group, eBay, Blue Apron, Goldman Sachs and Microsoft. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Gimlet was founded in 2014 and has 85 employees. It has raised $27 million in funding to date. The companys podcasts are downloaded more than 12 million times per month in more than 190 countries worldwide. Its programming covers a variety of vertical genres, including startup businesses, Internet culture, music, fiction, history, science, true crime, Black culture, etc. Gimlet also produces branded podcasts on behalf of advertisers, including Define the Relationship for Tinder/Match Group, Open for Business for eBay, The Venture for Virgin Atlantic, The Secret to Victory for Gatorade, and future for Microsoft. advertisement advertisement WPP said the investment is a continuation of a strategy focusing on three key areas that differentiate its offering: technology, data and content. Digital content investments made by WPP to date include: Russell Simmons' All Def Digital, Fullscreen, Indigenous Media, Imagina (a content rights and media company based in Spain), MRC, Mic, Mitu, Refinery29, Uproxx Media Group and VICE. by Wayne Friedman , September 8, 2017 Hurricanes Harvey and Irma could have a significant effect on the pay TV provider businesses. Homeowners might look to accelerate cord-cutting and sign on to more digitally delivered TV network skinny services. Speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch media conference yesterday, John Stankey, senior executive vice president of AT&T who is designated to be CEO of its Time Warner unit, a $85.4 billion deal yet to be completed warned customers that disasters could bring significant changes in TV service. You see customers who lose their homes make a decision to disconnect the service. Then they go through a cycle of finding someplace else to live, he said. There isn't always perfect timing. One day in and one day out. With regard to its satellite pay TV business DirecTV, Stankey added: We have put a lot of infrastructure in the ground ... exposed to high winds and water and that typically means damage. We don't know what the impact of Irma is going to be at this point, what's going to happen. We do know that Harvey's damage is widespread. advertisement advertisement Earlier in the day, Matt Strauss, executive vice president of the Comcasts Xfinity services, said the company could lose 100,000 to 150,000 subscribers, in part, due to the hurricanes. Stankey said the best example might be Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005. But the pay TV business was still growing back then. Now, he says, the traditional pay TV business is heading south. DirecTV may be in a better position, given its efforts to sell different products, such as DirecTV Now, the live, linear TV package of TV networks delivered via the internet. Pay TV as we know it today is at its peak and it's going to continue to decline. The question is: What is rate and pace? There's a lot of licensing that's coming up over the next 12 to 18 months that opens opportunities to maybe change that product a bit, he adds. Future changes may also impact TV network licensing agreements for traditional pay TV services, due to different consumer demands. The flexibility of delivering the content of the end user in a way that makes sense to [consumers] has been somewhat restricted, he said. People know what the solutions are. And I believe they know what needs to happen to make the product more viable. For example, Stankey believes more on-demand content is of higher value to consumers. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 8, 2017 Social media users who have any relationships with the businesses or people they endorse -- even friendships or family ties -- should disclose those connections when writing reviews, posting on Instagram and tweeting, the Federal Trade Commission advises in newly updated guidance. The FTC has recommended since at least 2009 that online endorsers disclose material connections between themselves and companies that wouldn't otherwise be apparent to consumers. In its newest update, issued this week, the agency continues to take a broad view of the types of connections that require disclosures. For instance, the FTC discusses a scenario where the owner of a new restaurant invites family and friends to eat for free. If those people discuss the restaurant on social media, they should say that they ate for free, and also that they have a relationship with the owner, the FTC advises. advertisement advertisement "It may be relevant to readers that people endorsing your restaurant on social media are related to you. Therefore, they should disclose that personal relationship," the FTC writes. "If someone who eats for free at your invitation posts about your restaurant, readers of the post would probably want to know that the meal was on the house." Jeff Greenbaum, an advertising lawyer with Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, says the new guidance indicates that to a surprising extent, endorsements on social media remain a high priority. "I think that many people didn't expect influencers to be such a high priority under the new administration," he says. He adds that the new recommendations reflect a hard-line position regarding online endorsements. "The FTC is taking a pretty strict view," he says. "In most cases, the FTC believes the right answer is disclosure." David Mallen, an advertising lawyer with Loeb & Loeb, adds that marketers' increased reliance on social media may be spurring the agency's continued activity. "This is, in a way, the future of advertising, and of engaging with consumers, and so the FTC has decided it's really important to be active in this space," he says. The new guidance comes the same week that the FTC announced it sent warning letters to 21 online influencers. Another example provided by the FTC in its latest update involves book authors who belong to a group that posts reviews in social media for each other, for free. The agency says that although no one is being paid for the reviews, people should still disclose their connections to the authors. "There doesnt have to be a monetary payment," the agency writes. "The connection could be friendship, family relationships, or strangers who make a deal." The FTC also offered some specific guidance about the types of disclosures it is recommending on platforms like Twitter, where space is limited. While the agency says it isn't mandating the use of any particular words, it also says that starting a tweet with #ad "would likely be effective." The FTC's new guidelines specifically advise bloggers against using some words or phrases for disclosures, including #client, #advisor and #consultant. "Such one-word hashtags are ambiguous and likely confusing," the FTC writes. "It would be much clearer if you say something like Im a paid consultant to the marketers of XYZ." In addition, the use of #ambassador in Twitter is too ambiguous to convey that a tweet is an ad, the FTC says. Mallen says that companies sometimes attempt to "use some magical term that doesn't have the word 'advertisement' in it" -- like ambassador, or thank you, in order to avoid potential problems with the FTC. "It's an attempt to satisfy the FTC rule, but obviously there's a reluctance to do what FTC considers the safe harbor -- which is just call it an advertisement," he says. The agency also specifically advises against combining company names with the word "ad" at the end in Twitter hashtags. "There is a good chance that consumers wont notice and understand the significance of the word 'ad' at the end of a hashtag, especially one made up of several words combined like '#coolstyllead,'" the guides say. People who make endorsements on Snapchat or Instagram Stories should superimpose the disclosure over images, the FTC recommends. "The disclosure should be easy to notice and read in the time that your followers have to look at the image." The Orioles announced that theyve activated shortstop J.J. Hardy from the 60-day disabled list. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the club designated left-hander Andrew Faulkner for assignment. Hardy has been out since fracturing his wrist in mid-June, with that absence eliminating any possibility that his 2018 option would vest. He has also struggled to a .211/.248/.308 slash line with just three home runs this year, so Baltimore surely will pay Hardy a $2MM buyout rather than picking up the option at $14MM. Indeed, Hardy will also return to quite a different situation for the present season. The Os struck gold when they picked up Tim Beckham from the division-rival Rays at the trade deadline, and he figures to continue taking primary duties at short this year and in the future. Hardy will presumably function mostly as a utility infielder. The Os will run the risk of losing Faulkner, who had been slated to join the teams contingent of players going to the Arizona Fall League. He saw action at the major-league level in each of the prior two seasons with the Rangers, but had not been called up since joining the Orioles organization at the end of camp this year. In 38 2/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk, the southpaw worked to a 2.79 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9. USA-based Ghanaian musician Mohammed Alidu and his Bizung Family Band will on Saturday, September 16 perform at the Alliance Francaise in Accra as part of activities being organised by Music Xchange (MXC) Ghana. Other groups lined up for the evening include Africana Dance Ensemble, a band from the Akropong School for the Blind, and others who have benefited from projects by MXC Ghana. During the day, there will be workshops on drum making by acclaimed drum makers from the Centre for National Culture in Accra, photo exhibition, dance workshops and open arts markets for patrons to engage with artists who have been involved in the activities by MXC Ghana. MXC is an international non-profit organisation that supports positive change through the power of music and has successfully executed events in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi and Aflao. In 2016, MXC released a compilation album of traditional Ghanaian music featuring a diverse selection of artists and cultural troupes from around the country. The album was sold through a crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising funds to support various projects in music education, music therapy and music production in Ghana. MXC has equally supported the following projects drum and dance classes for students at the Akropong School for the Blind, Trinity Yard School and Berekuso Music Project, as well as an audio engineering workshop at the Music Department, University of Ghana, Legon. Movie producer and director Juliet Asante has expressed her indifference towards actress Yvonne Nelsons campaign to solicit support to save the movie industry. According to Miss Asante who is also an actress, soliciting for signatures from industry persons to petition the government wont save the movie industry. Yvonne Nelson started a campaign with the sole aim to save the movie industry after her recent spat on social media attacking her colleagues for being obsessed with only slaying it on the red carpet while the movie industry is dying. Miss Nelson, who is also a producer, last month in series of tweets, questioned why some of her colleagues in the industry, choose to dress fancy to slay on the red-carpets at events, instead of working hard to revive the dead movie industry. Announcing the campaign on social media, the actress is hoping to form a coalition of industry persons to present a petition to the government. Her tweet generated a lot of social media buzz with some people supporting and others condemning her. Known to have championed the popular #dumsormuststop campaign in May 2015, to protest the erratic power crises that rocked the country, the actress is calling on her colleague to join her fight to revive the industry. Championing a united front called United Ghanaian Film Makers, Yvonne Nelson is collating signatures of industry practitioners to petition the government to help revive the industry. But Juliet Asante, expressing her views on the campaign, told KMJ in an interview on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM that signatures are not the answer to the challenges in the industry. Im not interested in signatures, I dont think that is the answer. I mean that is good for showmanship and this is a show business so thats fine. It is good that shes doing this, she is a young woman who is very vibrant and understands the issues. "The effort she is bringing to the table should be commended but I will go further to challenge her to go beyond that and also have a deeper conversation. For instance, we expected her, in particular, to be at the festival [Black Star International Film Festival], we sent an invitation and she didnt show up, she explained. Juliet Asante, the brain behind the Black Star International Film Festival concluded that Yvonne Nelsons effect should be commended and we should add our effort but I dont think signing signatures is the answer to the problem. A 19-year-old woman who crashed her SUV near Missoula while high on marijuana in February, killing her 20-year-old boyfriend, will be sentenced in November after pleading guilty to a felony for vehicular homicide. Trai Ann Dewey entered her plea Tuesday before Missoula County District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps after signing a plea agreement with prosecutors that calls for a 30-year Department of Corrections commitment with 25 of those years suspended. Chief Deputy County Attorney Jason Marks said the family of Joseph Neal Bremner, the 20-year-old boyfriend of Dewey's who was killed in the crash, supports the terms of the plea agreement. Dewey charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence following the Feb. 10 crash will be sentenced Nov. 6 by Deschamps. According to court records, officers were called to the Evaro Hill area of U.S. Highway 93 on the evening of Feb. 10 after a northbound Dodge Durango driven by Dewey swerved into oncoming traffic and was hit by another vehicle. Bremner was killed in the wreck. Dewey later told a Montana Highway Patrol trooper she and her boyfriend had been smoking marijuana before they left Missoula to drive to Polson. Marijuana, a broken bottle of malt liquor and psilocybin mushrooms were found in the Dodge. At the time of the crash, Dewey had an active warrant for her arrest for a prior driving under the influence of marijuana charge for which she had not come to court to answer. Dewey remains released on bail until sentencing after posting a $50,000 bond originally imposed after her arrest. Conference for the Implementation of the DPCW, 2016 The 3rd Annual Commemoration of the World Alliance of ReligionsPeace (WARP) Summit will be held in Seoul, South Korea to seek global cooperation for global peace-building. Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a peace NGO under the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) hosts this event on September 17-19 in association with International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and International Womens Peace Group (IWPG). This annual peace summit since 2014 brings together political and religious leaders, heads of womens and youth groups, civil society, and the press from around the world and provides a platform for discussion and cooperation for peace. This year, more than 1,000 global figures from 120 countries are expected to participate in to discuss establishing collaborative governance between governments and civil societies for implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), development of education as a culture of peace, and promotion of interfaith harmony. Former presidents, ministers, UN officials, justices, heads of civic groups, leaders of women, youth, and religions, and journalists will have in-depth discussions in groups on the topics: the direction of peace education for sustainable peace, the role of media in spreading a culture of peace and ways to build a global media network, and the way to foster peaceful harmony amongst religions. The Chairman of HWPL, Mr. Man Hee Lee, emphasizes the significance of the peace education by saying, "In order for everyone to become a messenger of peace, spreading a culture of peace and peace education by the development of peace materials and training of peace leaders are important. Region-specific meetings are also planned for the implementation of peace projects in collaboration between governments and civil society groups. Each representative from each sector discusses ways to develop action plans for peace-building that can best reflect the cultural and social environment in the region. The Chairwoman of IWPG, Mrs. Nam Hee Kim, highlights the power of women for achieving peace saying 3.6 billion of women, half of the worlds population, have the power to lead humanity to the world of peace. If we cannot use our potential, we can never achieve a peaceful world." The world women leaders are expected to make one voice to transform the DPCW into a legally binding form for the cessation of war in 2017 IWPG Network Forum. Along with sessions, a peace festival with 100,000 participants and local citizens will also be held on the second day of the summit. With the slogan Together for Peace as Messenger of Peace, cultural performances by 8,000 youth will be shown to convey the core messages of peace as a culture in the global community. [Session Program] 08.09.2017 LISTEN Accra, Sept. 6 - (UPI/GNA) - A United Nations report has found the Syrian government responsible for a sarin gas attack that killed dozens in April. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria, reports in their findings that on April 4 as part of a government aerial campaign in northern Hama, sarin gas was used, killing over 80 people. The aerial campaign targeted medical facilities, weakening the ability of many civilians to seek help. Nearly a third of the dead were children. According to the report, the Syrian forces have also used weaponized chlorine in Idlib, Hamah, eastern Ghouta, and Damascus, explicitly violating international humanitarian law and the Convention on Chemical Weapons. Chair of the UN commission, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said, "The parties to this horrific conflict must fundamentally realign their tactics with basic notions of humanity, and the international community must reinvigorate its commitment to meaningful justice and accountability for all perpetrators of crimes, if we are to see a significant shift away from Machiavellian disregard for the interests of the Syrian people and the progress towards alleviating the suffering of civilians." Terror groups like the Islamic State also continue to brutalize civilian populations in the region through suicide bombing and hostage-taking. Many IS fighters tried to sell Yazidi girls before fleeing Syria, the report notes. The report also notes that despite tenuous progress in the war-torn country, civilians continue to suffer from widespread humanitarian violations -- and highlights a "genuine, concerted, and sustained action from national and international actors to find a political solution and to put an end to grave violations of human rights and the laws of war." 08.09.2017 LISTEN The key promise of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to Ghanaians is the Free SHS policy which caught the interest and attention of Ghanaians the 2016 elections. This means that in addition to tuition fee, which is already free, there will be no admission fees, no library fees, no science center fees, no computer laboratory fees, no examination fees, no utility fees. There will be free textbooks, free boarding and free meals and day students will get a meal at school for free. Though some Ghanaians and even some key personalities have doubts that, the policy will be successful, Ghanaians have been called upon to be disciples of free the free SHS policy by the Akufo-Addo led administration. The Chief Executive Officer for the Ghana Free Zones Board, Michael Okyere Baafi who was speaking in an exclusive interview with hbtvghana.com stated that the free SHS education is aimed at building an educated populace for speedy national development and progress. He stated that Ghana remains the only home we have and our duty is to do everything possible to make this country a better place and to ensure that it remains a better place. Patriotism he said was the key and we must do everything possible to help Mother Ghana grow, devoid of our political affiliations. Mr. Baafi urged students and wards to take advantage of the Free Senor High School initiative to further their education ; an avenue for children in the rural areas to have equal educational opportunities just like children in the Cities in the country. He said the absence of that would mean that they have no future. Mr. Godwin Evenyo Dzekoto, Project Coordinator of Aroacha Ghana,a non-governmental organisation has called for a collaboration between Fulani herdsmen, Chiefs and stakeholders in Gonjaland in a bid to adopting a holistic approach to address issues of over grazing in Gonjaland. According to him,cattle grazing over the years has severe consequences on the land.A situation which has attracted several concerns from opinion leaders in Gonjaland, latest among them being the just ended performance review workshop on the implementation of the medium term development plan (2014 - 2017 ), where stakeholders expressed serious concerns about the continues destruction and increasing conflicts caused by grazing activities in Gonjaland. He said this in a one day multi- stakeholders engagement with Fulani herdsmen, Chiefs, farmers, heads of department, nongovernmental organisations, community based organisations as well as faith based organisations in Gonjaland, with the aim of harnessing stakeholders input to develop a comprehensive blueprint to foster sustainable grazing modalities within Gonjaland in other to ameliorate its negative impacts on community livelihood and the environment. Chief Nyankpani Kunkowura from the Wasipe gate (North Gonja ) said, the chiefs and community members are in a cordial relationship with the Fulani herdsmen and as a matter of fact,do contract them to take care of their cattle. "However,the attitude of some Fulani herdsman- raping our children and wives as well as the havoc caused by most of them are usually the things that causes confusion between us.Even we as chiefs, when a Fulani man comes to you and plead with you to allow him settle on your traditional area, as soon as you allow him, he would flood the whole place with several Fulani settlers without your notice" he added. Mr Mohammed Alhassan,a Fulani herdsman on his part said most of them have settled in Gonjaland for a long time and have raised their families in Gonjaland, therefore the success and welfare of those communities are of a great concern to them. He further admitted to the fact that some Fulani herdsmen do actually rape women in the bush and also fomenting troubles but the are believed to be the recent few new Fulani settlers. Mr Godwin then called on all and Sundry to draw a road map of integrating all Fulani herdsmen into communities where they would be involved in decision making process as well as participate in developmental activities in the community instead of asking them to stay in isolation. The Participants were taken through series of presentations on the effects of grazing and at the end of the program were able to come out with some opportunities that grazing offers, the threats that grazing posses with the landscape as well as the impact of the threats and what is needed to be done to address those threats and the negative impacts. It was also agreed that all District Assembly's should amend their by-laws since they were scribed in 2010. A nine members committee comprising of chiefs , Assembly members, Fulani herdsmen, a farmer among others was formed to champion the cause of grazing and the other concerns raised in Gonjaland. 08.09.2017 LISTEN I was told by my grandfather that the Pride of African dignity is our culture and our unique African culture is our real identity. This he said was as narrated to him by his fathers. Africa, the land of my birth. The land that possesses my placenta. I am proud to be an African. Black men are physically powerful and brave. Naa Gbewaa fought and defended the Dagbon kindom. Yaa Asantewaa wrestled for our Ashanti kingdom. Nelson Mandela, a great legend and the most recognizable face in the world brought freedom to South African. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah predicted the African union long before it became a reality and he brought justice to mother Ghana. His footprints are still in blueprint for us to follow. Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe. A fearless pan-African of recent times who is fighting for the land which belongs to his ancestors. Martin Luther King, an African-American religious and political leader who changed the course of life for all Africa-Americans. His speech in 1968 I have a dream his forever a classic. Kofi Anan-Africas greatest diplomat of all time brought peace to the whole world. You see!!! What else do we need as Africans? Lets be strong and stand for Africa. Africa, we need peace. We must show hate to wars which are our supreme enemy. Yesterday I was an African. Today, I am totally missing in womb of this almost unrecognizable jungle. My root root is weakened. The soil doesnt hold me anymore. My identity is missing and my dignity is lost. Oh!!! Mother Africa, lend me a mirror to find the true African. Why do we disband our nutritious food: Tuubaani, Gorah, Wasa-wasa and our rich flourishing spices? My greatest worry is how we will be able to describe our palatable Tuozafii to the next decade African generation? We have lipped to see the white mans servings such as fried rice and pizza as the delicacies of today. The rising sum of anti-Africanism is alarming and one can describe it as hanging on the head of each and every rational African like a sword of Damocles. I wouldnt be surprise but will defiantly be shocked if soon our proud African festivals be changed to Halloween festivals. Hmm!!! Before I lose my rich Smock and Kente cloth, let me dance my favourite Takai, Baamaaya and Agbadza which is found in Ghana and in Africa. As my grandfather will say; blood is thicker than water. Africans!! Lets take our Sankofa symbol into action and together lets bring back our Africa. Writer: ADAM BAAKO HASSAN SUHIYINI . Institution: University for Development Studies Course of Study: BeD EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Year/Level: 400 Campus: Tamale Contact info: 0509157705/0540438367 Bauxite mining and prospecting firm, Exton Cubic Company Ltd, has threatened to take legal action to reverse the revocation of its mining lease by Ministry of Lands and Water Resources. Mjoyonline.com has intercepted a correspondence between the firm and the Ministry in which Managing Director, Maxwell Amegashie, describes the decision by the government to revoke and invalidate its licenses to mine in Kyekyewere, Mpasaso and Kyirayaso, all bauxite rich areas in the Ashanti Region, as politically motivated. We are by this letter expressing our disappointment at your decision and state that the reasons for your action are not borne by the facts and evidence on record. We consider your action arbitrary and a gross abuse of executive power. We believe that such unfair treatment meted out to an indigenous Ghanaian company runs against His Excellency President Akufo-Addos mantra of I believe in Ghana, the letter dated September 5, 2017 said. Click to read the letter Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, recently revoked the mining lease granted Exton Cubic, although he had previously backed same. Photo: John Peter Amewu Ashanti Region Minister, Simon Osei, clashed with Mr. Amewu who had authorised the licenses. The Ashanti Region Minister faulted Mr. Amewus Ministry and the Forestry Commission for issuing the license to Exton Cubic to mine amidst a clampdown on illegal mining activities. Related: Lands Minister revokes Exton Cubic's Mining contract Related: Exton Cubic appeals to Akufo-Addo over mining lease cancellation However, the Minister later explained that after consulting with the Attorney-Generals Department he has cause to declare as invalid the license granted the firm owned by the brother of former President John Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama. Meanwhile, the revocation of the mining license is seen by many as fulfilling the desires of a section within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are unhappy that the huge bauxite potential of the country has been handed over to the family of a political rival, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Related: Joy News fact-checks claims by Minister in Exton Cubic drama The intercepted letter warns the Lands and Natural and Water Resources Minister that the decision to revoke the leases threatens to jeopardise Exton Cubics massive investments and causes it to default in its agreements with partners. We wish to inform you that our company intends to do all that is possible within the remit of the law to protect and realise its rights under the Leases. Our lawyers have been instructed in this regard, the letter concludes. 08.09.2017 LISTEN Robben Island is known as a South African National Heritage and UNESCO World Heritage Site , because of it historical significance in the lives of the people of South Africa and the world. Robben Island was discovered in 1488 by Batolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer, when he anchored his ship in Table Bay. The name Robben Island was derived from a Dutch word (robben), which means a seal. The Island was inhabited by a variety of wild life, birds, penguins, seals and tortoise before it became a prison and an isolation center for political prisoners . The Dutch settlers were the first to use Robben Island as a prison, and its first inhabitants were political leaders from various Dutch colonies, including Indonesia . The island was also used as a leper colony , a mental hospital, an outpost, a grazing ground, a post office, and a place where people were isolated, banished and exiled for many years. The history of the Island can never be divorced from the life story of the world celebrated icon and first Black President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician , and a philanthropist. Mandela served 27years of his life in prison, out of which 18 years of hard labour, isolation and desperation was spent on Robben Island and the rest of those years in Pollsmoor and Victor Verster Prison s. After 27 years of imprisonment, long suffering and fierce opposition, Mandela walked out of the gates of Robben Island unbroken but as a strong Black leader who was full of hope and determination to liberate his people from colonial rule and apartheid. This had been a very long-walk to freedom of twenty-seven (27) years of imprisonment and hardship. Despite all the challenges, Mandelas goals were met and his long walk to freedom finally brought a new day to all South Africans. His walk to freedom liberated his people from oppression and saw the re-birth of a new country, a nation with a new identity and a great culture. His walk saw the realization of a dream come true, a dream that was not only for one man but for the nation of South Africa as a whole. Sailing across the ocean to the Island and interacting with Lionel Davis (a prison colleague of Mandela) who acted as a tour guide and shared his life story and experiences on the island instilled in us the need to persevere, endure, overtake and break all the shackles that bind and entangle the power of imagination. It rekindles the inner desire to reflect and pursue ones goals in life. Touring the island and walking through the leper colony, the cemetery and the lime stone quarry where Mandela worked during his stay on the island was one of the most powerful experiences for my comrades and I since it gave us a solemn chance to reflect on our leadership journeys and the sacrifices that leadership calls for. The struggles and success stories of Mandela and the other leaders who spent most of their youthful years as prisoners on the Island motivated us to look beyond the limitations in our lives and focus on the brighter side of things to come when the efforts are made to persevere through challenges. Robben Island gave us a thousand reasons to follow our dreams and a million reasons to persevere until we succeed in life. It was a moment of self-discovery, reflection, introspection and inspiration to pursue greater heights because whiles in prison Mandela and his colleagues never gave up on their dreams; they formed a united front and planned, they worked hard, discovered their talent and skills, educated themselves and came out of prison as graduates and professionals in different fields. Their great legacy can never be overlooked in our professional, social and leadership journeys. The visit to the Island was undertaken as part of this years Leading in Public Life Training (Fellowship) Programme, which was organized by the Building Bridges Programme, of the Graduate School of the University of Cape Town in South-Africa, to give participants a feel of the rich history of South Africa, and the leadership journey of its first president and other leaders who sacrificed their lives and freedom to attain independence for their country South Africa. Apart from the journey to the Island, we had the opportunity to go through the process of Journaling (a process of thinking in a critical and analytical way, reflecting on our leadership journeys and documenting the findings), where we were helped to discover our hidden talents as youth leaders whiles developing strategies for achieving our leadership goals in life. Many lessons were drawn from this process to build on our capacities as emerging African leaders. An interaction with Hon. Jackson Mthembu, the Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandelas party, at the parliament house educated us on some of the proceedings in the South African Parliament house and their engagements with the media. This gave us the opportunity to consider the similarities and differences in our various countrys parliamentary proceedings. Lawyer Douglas Mwanzora, (Advocate and Secretary General of the MDC Party in Zimbabwe, a strong opposition party to Robert Mugabes ZANU PF) shared his political journey and stressed the need for Africans to write and tell their own stories to have the needed impact. Justice Albie Sachs, a retired Justice of the South African Constitutional court also shared his political struggles during the apartheid liberation to inspire and motivate us to take the mantle of leadership without fear. We were also inspired by the tutorials of great Professors, Politicians, lecturers, Activists and renowned journalists who took us through the process of writing and using narratives to pitch and tell our stories. There was a cultural night to depict and showcase the diverse and rich cultural values which are shared across the six African countries (Ethiopia, Senegal, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, and Tanzania) that participated in the programme. The two-week educative programme saw the participation of 23 emerging youth leaders from the six selected African countries. The programme was meant to equip participants to develop and sharpen their skills, unearth their potentials and also understand the role of leadership in the development of Africa. The journey to Robbin Island was a moment of self-discovery and a total reflection on our leadership journeys. #Sincere gratitude to Dr. Marianne Camerer, Dr. Maria Phalime, Mr. David Schmidt, Ms. Mabel Sithole, Wendy, all the resource persons, facilitators and lecturers# #Mr. Emmanuel Ametepey, thank you for the nomination# Tristan and Celine Dufor, I am most grateful for the reviews. 1ffb8ab1-fd78-4d42-b30f-d3a8fb221441 5e612ba2-e459-48fc-abb8-6d235278945a 74e7c135-47ef-4e7d-afb4-94520cb96321 Labour consultant, Ben Arthur, says a lockout staged by workers of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on Thursday was unlawful, and has called for sanctions. According to him, the agitating staff who put locks on the offices of the regulator and prevented other workers from performing their duties breached the labour law because they failed to give prior notice about their action. It is not appropriate to stage a lockout without the necessary notification to the National Labour Commission. That is the position of the law...if any employer intends to stage a lockout, there is the need to notify those involved and especially the National Labour Commission; and you have to wait for seven days to expire before you can really institute a lockout, he said. Photo: Ben Arthur The nationwide lockout, according to the staff of the utilities regulator was to protest the continued stay in office of the Executive Secretary of the institution, Samuel Sarpong, who is alleged to be involved in financial malfeasance. Chairman of the PURC Workers Union, Abubakar Jabaru, said the decision to lockout the offices follows a resolution reached by executive members of the union after a meeting on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. Some top officials at the PURC have been embroiled in possible misappropriation of funds. Related: Joy News exclusive: PURC pays almost 450,000 into Boss' personal account Joy News' Kwetey Nartey in May this year uncovered the alleged financial malfeasance -- Mr Sarpong and then Head of Public Relations, Nana Yaa Jantuah, are neck deep in the allegations. Nana Yaa Jantuah resigned from her position amid investigation into the allegations by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), but Mr Sarpong remains in office. Related: PURC staff petition Chief of Staff over 'mismanaging' Management Mr Jabaru said the agitation on Thursday was fueled in part by news that there are ongoing plans to bring back Madam Jantuah a move the staff are severely opposed to. Photo: Nana Yaa Jantuah (L) and Mr Sarpong However, speaking on current affairs programme, PM Express on the Joy News channel on MultiTV on Thursday evening, the Labour Consultant said the concerns of the staff notwithstanding, there was the need to follow due process. I think that those who instituted the lockout need to be charged for loss of productivity, every loss incurred because that is the position of the law. [The lockout] is unlawful and the law allows that everything lost because of the lockout can be taken from those who instituted it, he said. He notes that workers of the utilities regulator fall under the essential services providers who by law are forbidden from embarking on such sudden strikes. The time has come for people in Ghana employers and organised labour to know that they are partners in business, he counseled. Watch more in the video link below. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected] Abidjan (AFP) - A group of people allied to Ivory Coast's former leader Laurent Gbagbo are behind a wave of recent attacks on police posts, the interior minister said Thursday. Thirty-five people have been arrested over the violence, which is being led by two men who are already in exile, Interior Minister Sidiki Diakite said after a meeting of the National Security Council. "These attacks are part of a project of destabilisation notably involving political leaders both inside and outside the country," the minister said, according to a statement. Ivory Coast has been shaken by army mutinies, violent protests by former rebels and a spate of attacks on prisons and police stations this year. Local media have also denounced rising instability in Abidjan by violent gangs of children known as "microbes" by Ivorians. The former French colony suffered a decade-long civil war from 2002 to 2011, splitting the country in two. The recent spate of attacks have raised fears over the country's long-term stability. Four separate prison breaks have happened in the last month, including 98 prisoners who escaped last Sunday. Forty-four of them have been recaptured, the minister said, adding that additional measures to reinforce security were being taken. Gbagbo is on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, but the prosecution has said the former Ivorian strongman still enjoys a strong network of support. Gbagbo and his former militia leader, Charles Ble Goude, 45, have pleaded not guilty to four charges arising out of post-election violence. About 3,000 people died in the turmoil that swept Abidjan in the aftermath of the November 2010 presidential polls when Gbagbo refused to accept his defeat by bitter rival Alassane Ouattara. Ghanas second Karpowership with a 450-megawatt capacity has been berthed at the Tema Fishing Harbour. The Karpowership deal was a makeshift arrangement by the erstwhile John Maham-led government to curtail the harsh implications of the infamous dumsor and its effects on businesses and Ghanaian households, as well as augment the countrys current energy supply capacity. 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 of power that will directly feed into the national grid for a period of10 years. Director of Tema Port, Edward Osei, said the Karpowership will have a significant contribution to Ghanas electricity supply as the most reliable power plant in the country and create more employment opportunities. The Ghana Council of Georgia launched a Gofundme initiative to help Ghanaians stricken by the devastating hurricane Harvey and the flooding that ensued. Hundreds of thousands of homes are in ruins with unprecedented number of people displaced or evacuated. We cannot sit idle by while our brothers and sisters in Houston are going through this hardship created by Mother Nature says the president of the Ghana Council of Georgia, Mr. Reuben Darku. To that end, the Ghana Council of Georgia, in consultation with the Ghana Association of Houston, created the Gofundme account to enable everybody to contribute cash that would go directly towards assisting Ghanaians impacted by the hurricane. We are simply a caring people coming together to help our brothers and sisters in this moment of need added Ms. Yvonne McCowin, Executive Vice President of Ghana Council of Georgia. 100% of the donations will go directly to the Ghanaian brothers and sisters affected by the floods to support their rebuilding efforts. For information and to make a donation, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/ghanacouncilofga Based in Atlanta, the Ghana Council of Georgia was established in 2009 to serve as the gateway through which citizens and interested parties can be directed to establish links within the affiliate associations in the Ghanaian community in Georgia. The Council comprises of any registered Ghanaian based association or society in the state of Georgia, USA. For more information, please contact Reuben Darku at [email protected] or http://www.ghanacouncilofgeorgia.org/ Mampong ( Ash) Sept 7--- Mr Thomas Appiah Kubi, Asante Mampong Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has described his 100 days in office as challenging but with impressive record. The MCE made this remarks last Thursday in his office during interaction with the Media after taken them round to inspect a number of ongoing development projects in the Municipality to mark his 100 days in office. Among the projects are an eight unit classroom block, office and store estimated to cost GHC 76,000 at Bunoso MA primary school, a six unit classroom block, office and store,computer laboratory and four seater KVIP toilet estimated to cost GHC 346,000 at Patase-Sesiase-Kokoben (PSK) and a four unit classroom block,office and store estimated at GHC 312,000 at Dwaaho. He said the project at Bunoso is expected to be completed for use by the school on Tuesday when the schools reopen whilst the PSK and Dwaaho projects are to be completed by the end of the year. The MCE said the Assembly has approved GHC 30,000 for financial assistance to 133 Senior High School and Tertiary students in addition to GHC 10,000 each for the completion of three aboundand CHIP compounds at Bunoso, Atonsuagya and Sukruwa. He disclosed that the projects are being funded from The District Assembly Common Fund and Internally Generated Fund. He commended the Assembly Members ,Zonal Concil Members ,Heads of Departments and Community leaders for their support and spirit of voluntarism . Nana Yaw Adade Brenya, the chief of Bunoso praised the MCE for his quick response to the community appealed for a new classroom. He said majority of the teachers in the school commute daily from Mampong.a distance of about 24 kilometres because of lack of accommodation and appealed to the government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to come to their aid.. He mentioned unemployment among the youth and inadequate Internally Generate Fund as some of the few challenges in the Municipality but said as soon as the government's policy of One District One Factory and Agriculture For Food and Jobs take off ,the results would be positive 08.09.2017 LISTEN I am no medical practitioner, but surely there must be an appropriate term for the malady that ails Dele Sobowale. How did I arrive at this conclusion? Well, anyone who has read his recent articles on the ASUU strike would think the same way. I resorted to my old friend, Google, to see if I could come up with some logical explanation to the inner workings of Sobowales clearly wool-infested mind. Alas, I came up with nothing. This naturally leads me to conclude that Sobowales problem is either the first fruits of the green-eyed demon most of us deny having ever met, or it is just plain spiritual. After all, we have all, at one point in time or another, attributed the unexplainable to that thing the Niger Deltans like to call, home trouble. Be that as it may, whatever we may decide to call Sobowales affliction, it is high time he sought help for it. Last week, Dele Sobowale wrote an article titled, ASUU and its Self-Made Problems, to which he added a part 2 today, and as I read, I wondered how someone who claimed to be an economist, a columnist, a media and management research consultant would write such a piece for publishing and expect to be taken seriously. I shuddered as I read comments from Nigerians, some of whom Sobowale can father, teach this acclaimed consultant the way government works. Many kept repeating the phrase government is a continuum, something Sobowale himself should know and I smiledthe teacher has become the schooled. We see that happen again and again with Sobowale. Ever so often, he crosses the line of logical reasoning and enters the realm of the ludicrous. From my observation, there are two people for whom Sobowale often abandons all reason and spews sounds closer to gibberish than actual words that any reasoning being can make sense of. Wale Babalakin and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are two names that evoke such intense feelings in the heart of Dele Sobowale; the one he loves to protect, the other, he has clearly vowed to pull down. Imagine, then, Sobowales good fortune when he found an opportunity to achieve both in one fell swoop. This time, he takes out his frustrations on Okonjo-Iweala by blaming her for the lecturers strike because ASUU refused to enter negotiations with his beloved Babalakin. I particularly found this excerpt from his article enlightening: When the Honourable Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, drafted Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, to hold discussions with ASUU, two Mondays ago, he was turning to someone whose firm Bi-Courtney had claims of over N160 billion against the Federal Government which he was pursuing in Abuja that Monday. Yet, Adamu was also calling on the patriotism of Babalakin who had left an indelible mark at the University of Maiduguri as Chancellor and is embarking on more achievements at the University of Lagos. From information reaching me he has delivered all his services to the universities free of charge. There are only two business magnates known to me in Nigeria who can be so selfless as to abandon their own self-interest and attend to national interest so promptly Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr Tony Elumelu. For Wales sake alone, ASUU should have temporarily shelved the strike. The way Sobowale deified Babalakin here is nothing if not pitiful, and his angst that Babalakin was not so honoured by others is evident in the rest of his article as he unleashes the full measure of his wrath on ASUU itself, on Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, and then on Goodluck Jonathan saying the strike was entirely their fault. I wonder if it is another Wale Babalakin Dele Sobowale is trying so hard to sell to us or the same one we all know? Anyway, that is another matter. It is pathetic that a man of Sobowales claims seems not to be aware that the ASUU problem has existed in every administration, in one form or another, from time immemorial and the Jonathan administration inherited an agreement signed before its tenure. Why didnt the GEJ government wash its hands off and cry foul that YarAdua or Obasanjo should be blamed for ASUU imbroglio it contended with during its reign? Its high time we stopped these emotional finger-pointing and get to work. The Buhari administration is getting on with its own version of the ASUU problem and they don't need an apologist like Sobowale to speak for them or start to pinpoint guilty persons for that matter. As a matter of fact, Sobowale may not have formed this opinion if his dear Wale had not been shot down by ASUU. Dele Sobowale has proved time and again that he is reduced to nothing more than a discredited commentator ready to blame Madam Iweala for everything and anything under the sun. Wale Babalakin failed in the assignment given to him by the education minister and suddenly, it is Okonjo-Iwealas fault. Is it because she was one of the few people who would challenge his bogus and wrong economic opinions? When a man like Dele Sobowale begins to act in a way that is irrational or we perceive to be contrary to the person we expect him to be, we wonder what ails him. Like I said earlier, I am no medical doctor, but I sure would like to know how he can be helped before he plunges himself so far down this pit that he becomes nothing more than the silliest of all jesters in the kings court. Ebun Asagbe is a brand consultant who writes in from Ado-Ekiti. Humanitarian Impact Bond set up by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with an outcome value of more than 26 million CHF for three physical rehabilitation centres in Africa New investment model to bridge gap between increasing complexities of humanitarian crises and conflicts and the pressure on existing funds Social Investors (New Re, part of Munich Re (Group), amongst others) have provided private capital upfront to enable five year payment-by-results programme The Outcome Funders (governments of Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, the UK and la Caixa Foundation) of the project will pay if scheme performs In addition to its ongoing ICRC Corporate Support Group commitment, Co-Sponsor Bank Lombard Odier provided expertise to help incubate the project, and then helped bring the transaction to market Geneva, 08 September 2017: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has created the worlds first Humanitarian Impact Bond to help transform the way vital services for people with disabilities are financed in conflict-hit countries. The capital raised 26 million CHF will be used to build and run three new physical rehabilitation centres in Africa (Nigeria, Mali and Democratic Republic of Congo) over a five year period, providing services for thousands of people. The payment-by-results programme also includes the necessary training for the new staff as well as the testing and implementation of new efficiency initiatives. The innovative funding mechanism has been created to encourage social investment from the private sector, to support the ICRCs health programmes. A rising number of conflicts as well as a growing annual budget of the ICRC are the driving forces for this innovative funding model. Of the 90 million people with physical disabilities who need a mobility device worldwide, only 10%, on average, have access to adequate physical rehabilitation services, leading to both social and economic exclusion. The ICRC is the worlds largest provider of physical rehabilitation services in developing and fragile countries. In 2016, the Physical Rehabilitation Programme operated 139 projects in 34 countries, helping almost 330,000 people with physiotherapy and mobility devices including wheelchairs, artificial limbs and braces. Peter Maurer, the ICRC's president, said: Today's humanitarian challenges are immense, causing suffering for many millions of men, women and children around the world. This funding instrument is a radical, innovative but at the same time, logical step for the ICRC. It is an opportunity not only to modernise the existing model for humanitarian action, but to test a new economic model, designed to better support people in need. We hope that once the pilot project is proven, it will demonstrate that non-traditional financing models can work. There is great potential for investments that are built around improving the social, environmental and economic conditions so that humanitarian action advances in impact, effectiveness and scale in ways never seen before. How it works The Humanitarian Impact Bond is legally known as the Program for Humanitarian Impact Investment. It is not a bond but a private placement. The initial payments by Social Investors - (New Re, part of Munich Re Group) and others identified by co-sponsor Bank Lombard Odier - enable the ICRC to run the activities at each rehabilitation centre and hence expand the ICRCs Physical Rehabilitation Programme (PRP). At the end of the 5th year, Outcome Funders - governments of Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, the UK and la Caixa Foundation - will pay the ICRC according to the results achieved. These funds will in turn be used to pay back the social investors partially, in full or with an additional return, depending on how well the ICRC performs in terms of the efficiency of the new centres. Independent auditors will verify the ICRCs reported efficiency in the three new centres. The efficiency - the ratio of how many people receive mobility devices per physical rehabilitation professional is compared to existing centres. If above the benchmark, the social investor will receive its initial investment plus an annual return. If the performance of the new centres is, however, below the benchmark, then it will lose a certain amount of the initial investment. Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - Two persons who used their motorbike to rob a Secretary of her mobile phone at Nima have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court. Fuad Mohammed an auto Electrician and Mohammed Yusif a Porter have been charged with conspiracy and Robbery. Fuad has additionally been charged with causing harm. The two have pleaded not guilty and they have been remanded into lawful custody by the court presided over by Ms Eva Bannerman-Williams to reappear on September 25. Prosecuting Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu said the complainant Mercy Awumia works with Kwannor Consult Limited. On September 2, this year, at about 3:00 pm, Ms Awumia was returning from a wedding which was held at Saint Kizito Church, Nima and she was holding her hand bag and mobile phone. The complainant on reaching the Nima roundabout, the accused persons who were on a Royal 125 motor bike with registration number M13-GR-2560 pulled her hand bag, the Prosecution said. Ms Awumia struggled with the accused persons and Fuad got off the motor bike and hit her head and she fell down while Yusif snatched her mobile phone. Soon after robbing her, the accused persons jumped on to their motor bike and sped off. Luck however eluded them when they run into an oncoming commercial vehicle and they fell. The Nima Police Patrol team who were on their rounds arrived at the scene and escorted them to the Nima Police Station. Accra, Sept. 7, GNA - The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Thursday, urged journalists to submit their entries for its second phase of its Awards project, which focuses on 'Mainstreaming SDGs in Development Journalism Reporting in Ghana'. The competition, it said, was opened to all journalists across the country currently working with and for a recognised Ghanaian media organisation. The Foundation, therefore, encouraged applicants to send all information and entries to the MFWA at: [email protected] with the subject: 'SDG Funding Support for Journalists', after their stories had been published or broadcasted through a media outlet in Ghana between January 1, and October 9, 2017. During the Award ceremony, which would be held in October 28, 2017, four best SDGs stories would be rewarded with cash prizes of GH10,000.00; six and three thousand Ghana Cedis; respectively in addition to a plaque and a certificate to each of the awardees. Mr Sulemana Barimah, the Executive Director of the MFWA, said at the media launch, in Accra, that the Award was part of a Project being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana, to mainstream the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into development reporting. He said the project sought to advance public knowledge on the SDGs to ensure inclusive and participatory delivery of the Goals, and the deadline for submission of all entries would be October 10, 2017. He said the MFWA would as also offer funding opportunities of between GH100.00 and GH1,500.00 to journalists currently working with or for a recognised Ghanaian media organisation, in the print, electronic and online, with the aim of ensuring quality and thorough reporting that focused on the SDGs. 'Stories to be supported under this call must be produced and published or broadcast between September 1 and October 9, 2017', he said. Mr Barimah explained that for the stories that would be entered for the Awards, however, it did not matter whether they had benefited from the MFWA sponsorship or not; they would still be accepted. He urged journalists to take advantage of the facility to make an impact on the society through development journalism reportage. He, however, cautioned journalists to submit only their original works, which were a maximum of three stories on SDGs that must show date of publication or broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Ms Ajoa Yeboah - Afari, the Chairperson for the Editors Forum, Ghana, emphasised on the recognition for creativity, quality and impact of stories presented by journalists, saying the motive for writing should be advocacy that could attract government's attention to effect policy changes. She urged journalists to approach mainstreaming SDGs reportage with passion; writing their stories in ways that would attract readers. She used one of the Goals (Water and Sanitation) to highlight the importance of the SDGs to national development, and to challenge the media to appreciate the need to work hard towards the attainment of the set objectives. Mr Bossman Owusu, a Communications Analyst at the UNDP, Ghana, said the reason for setting up this phase of award was to challenge the media to write more about the SDGs, educate the public on the Goals, and to ensure that they were incorporated into national development plans, within the short, medium and long terms. Berlin (AFP) - The new United Nations envoy to Libya said Friday he plans to rebuild the UN mission in the conflict-torn country from next month. The mission was withdrawn in 2014 from the north African country where two competing governments and dozens of militias have jostled for power in the chaos that followed the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. The UN envoy, Ghassan Salame, told Germany's Die Welt newspaper he hoped that security staff would arrive in the coming weeks and that "we will be able to carry out a substantial part of our activities back in Libya from early October". "We have set up a small office which is not big enough for the entire UN mission but for a substantial part of the staff," he was quoted as saying. The instability has hampered oil-rich Libya's efforts to rebuild its war-shattered economy and allowed people traffickers to ferry migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean to Europe, while holding thousands in detention centres rife with violence and abuse. "Daily life in the holding camps in Libya must change radically," said Salame, a Lebanese academic and former culture minister. "People need adequate health care. Especially women, the elderly and children must be protected," he said. Italy and the European Union have been financing, training and providing aid to Libya's coastguard to stop the smugglers. The UN-backed Government of National Accord is headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, who took office in Tripoli in March 2016. Strongman Khalifa Haftar backs a rival administration in eastern Libya and also controls much of the desert south. In July, the two rivals committed to a ceasefire and holding elections as soon as possible at talks brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Salame said elections are important but pointed to hurdles, including agreeing a new constitution and laws for the country's first presidential election. The Government should not discount the threat of saboteurs as it implements the paperless clearing system at Ghana's ports, an IT analyst, Sam Sackey, has advised. As Freight Forwarders lament delays in the clearance process of their goods, Mr. Sackey said he believed there are people working at the port who want the new system to fail. What I see going on, from some information I am getting, is that there are sharks in the system. They like to swallow things. They want to cut corners, he noted on the Citi Breakfast Show. In view of this, he said the network infrastructure needed to be adequately protected to prevent any possible tampering. What we need is to have physical security at such places. It is not just having a tag and walking to places you must have physical security. Mr. Sackey further underscored the need for backup systems when the network or the power failed, and added that these things must be secured other than that, someone can sit somewhere, turn some power off and then it jams the whole thing [system]. He reminded that there are people out there who do not want this to work. They make tons of millions of Ghana Cedis a year there are lots of them on both sides; whether customs officials, whether the clearing agents, it cuts across. So definitely, there will be a set of people who will not want this work so that they can have their way for a certain amount of time and say let's do piloting. Need for call centres Mr. Sackey also said the absence of call centres in the implementation of the paperless system in anticipation of challenges was a misstep in the planning process. One thing we are lacking are contact centres or call centres these problems are going on; how do people even address them? Who do you call? Do we have a number to call? People will have agitations with the new system but what is causing that and how do you address them? So first of all, in everything we do, we should have call centres, he said. The government began the implementation of the paperless clearing system on September 2 to speed up the process of clearing goods and plug loopholes. But barely a week after the project commenced, the agitated freight forwarders complained that the paperless process is slowing down their work. The freight forwarders before the implementation complained that they were not educated on the processes involved, and had called on the government to suspend it. Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram jihadists killed eight people in a series of raids on farming communities in northeast Nigeria, civilian militia members and local residents told AFP on Friday. The attacks were carried out by gunmen travelling in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday and Thursday. Homes were razed, and food and livestock seized in an apparent reprisal attack against young men joining the civilian militia, which helps the military with security. "They killed eight farmers in the raids and burnt three villages which forced farmers to abandon their farms," said one militia leader, Ibrahim Liman. Some 17 Islamist fighters stormed Mallan village at about 8:00 am (0700 GMT) on Thursday, killing two farmers. Three people were shot dead in the same village on Wednesday night, said resident Jidda Kori, who fled to Maiduguri. "They mainly targeted young men in the attacks because they believe every young man is a member of the civilian vigilante" he added. "They burnt down the entire village and took away our food, livestock and 13 bicycles." Kesa Kura village, which is near Mallan, was also attacked on Wednesday night, killing three people, said resident Mohammed Ahmed. Another village, Manjita, was razed but residents managed to flee after they were alerted by people fleeing Mallan, he added. The eight-year Boko Haram conflict has forced farmers and their families to flee their homes and fields, leading to a shortage of food and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. Many were living in camps for the displaced in and around Maiduguri but had moved back to their homes because of apparent successes in the counter-insurgency. A cash funding shortfall for feeding programmes has also forced people to leave the camps to try to resume farming in liberated areas after three missed seasons. At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless by the violence, which began in 2009. The latest attacks come despite the repeated insistence of Nigeria's government and military that Boko Haram is a spent force. On Monday, four people were killed in a drive-by shooting on a group of farmers working on their fields in Ngawo Fato Bulabulin village outside Maiduguri. Last week a farmer was shot dead and four others were abducted by the jihadists as they worked on their farms near the town of Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from Maiduguri. Ghana's most celebrated stand-up comedian, Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM), has been honoured with the Life Time Achiever Award at the just-ended maiden edition of the Comic Awards held at the National Theatre in Accra. The awards scheme was initiated to recognise the efforts of personalities who continue to inject some humour into people's daily lives. KSM who has had a career spanning over two decades was acknowledged for paving the way for Ghanaian comedians through his well-patronised comedy shows. He was given a citation which was presented by actors Oscar Provencal and Nana Ama McBrown after the two had paid glowing tribute to him. In a short speech after he had been presented with the award, KSM said he least expected the award, adding, I was not expecting it at all and I would like to say a very big thank you to the organisers. Comedy has come a long way and I would like to encourage the young ones to keep up the good work, he stated. Patrons who graced the event witnessed comedy performances from Kenny Blaq, Lexi The Comic, Hogan and Parrot Mouth. Musicians Irene Logan and Kurl Songs thrilled the audience to some musical performances as well. KSM is well known for writing, directing and starring in a series of one-man comedic plays, most notably 'Saga of a Returnee', 'Afia Siriboe', and 'Politically Incorrect'. He has written and produced a variety of television shows, including 'Hot Bench', 'Divorce Court', 'Action Security' and a number of medical documentaries. 'Ogya FM' is his latest television series which was created to educate the public on the power of advocating for change. 'Ogya FM' was recently featured at the prestigious Pan-African Film & Television Festival of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. In the year 2013, he became the mentor for many Ghanaian youth, among them is Promise Edem Nukunu, who is an author and public speaker. Ghacem Limited has assisted the construction of a surgical theatre at the Tema General Hospital in the Greater Accra Region with a total of 1,000 bags of cement in order to improve health infrastructure in the Tema Metropolis. The donation, according to the foremost cement manufacturer, forms part of the cement manufacturing company's golden jubilee anniversary celebration to provide free cement to the premier health facility in Tema. Presenting the cement in a short ceremony, Managing Director of Ghacem, Morten Gade, commended the beneficiary for their support in offering healthcare for the people of Tema and its surrounding communities. According to him, it is the objective of Ghacem to support self-help initiatives to speed up the development of the country. He pointed out that the board and directors of the company had outlined two areas where its corporate social responsibility programmes were targeted, mentioning educational and assisting healthcare institutions in deprived areas of the country. Mr Gade stated that Ghacem has distributed about 500,000 bags of cement freely to institutions across the 10 regions of the country, saying, Such a gesture is a true demonstration of the company's commitment to develop Ghana. He commended the management of Tema General Hospital for their commitment and strength to improve the standard of the hospital. Ghacem, he stated, would continue to identify viable projects in health and education, and provide the needed support. Eugene Laryea, Works Manager & Planning Committee Member of Ghacem 50th anniversary, was optimistic that the donation of the cement would go a long way to make a difference in people's lives. Receiving the cement, Dr Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, Medical Director of the Tema General Hospital, described the donation as a timely one. He appealed to corporate organisations, individuals and the government to help in the completion of the surgical theatre which has been abandoned for almost a decade. From Vincent Kubi, Tema About 103 out of 270 personnel of the Formed Police Unit serving under United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have returned safely to Ghana. The personnel, who served a year in that country, were replaced by another batch of 103 police personnel. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, welcomed peace keepers at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on behalf of government and the police administration after receiving a good report about them from the officials of the United Nations. He commended personnel for being good ambassadors of the police service and raising the flag of Ghana high while serving in the war-torn country. Ghana Police is the first to deploy personnel to United Nations Missions in 1960 in Congo, and since then have committed to the cause of the United Nations in the maintenance of world peace. Mr Asante-Apeatu urged them to bring their rich experience to bear on their work in Ghana. Ghana Police Service is striving to actualize its vision of becoming a world-class police service capable of delivering planned, democratic, protective and peaceful services up to international standards. Ghana Police Service started deploying personnel of Formed Police Unit to United Nations Missions in South Sudan on April 2015. A total of 270 FPU personnel have so far been deployed to UN Mission, out of which 32 are females. The Director General in-charge of the Public Affairs Directorate, ACP David Eklu, said the personnel are based in Unity Camp with a small detachment of 60 personnel in Wau, South Sudan. We also have a level 1 Plus Clinic in Bentiu with a gynecologist due to the large number of female internally displayed persons in the camp. The police personnel deployed from Ghana are to protect camps with internally displaced persons, provide security at vital installations, protect UN personnel and property and provide basic medical assistance to internally displaced persons, among others, he said. ( [email protected] ) By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey The Volta Regional elected representative to the Council of State, Francis Nyonyo Agboada has donated some assorted items as part of his contribution towards the NPP government's Free Senior High School initiative. The items which include exercise and note books and other materials are meant to complement government's effort to bring free public secondary education to Ghanaians and alleviate the burden on parents through the elimination of admission fees, examination fees and utility fees, among others. Mr. Agboada who is on a familiarisation tour to various districts in the region called for support from all sectors for a successful implementation of the policy which is scheduled to start this September. Interacting with traditional and religious leaders as well as assembly members of Krachi East, Krachi West and Krachi Nchumuru Districts, he reiterated the need for the people to support and show more commitment towards all government policies. He said the 'One District, One Factory' and 'One Village, One Dam' initiatives when implemented will lead to the total development of the entire Krachi zone as the area is strategically located and the initiatives will open the district up for commercial and industrial activities. He appealed to the gathering to also support the government as it prepares for the formation of the new regions. The Chief of Bedjamse, Obrimpon Kanya who spoke for the Krachi Wura called on the government to pay attention to the Krachi town roads and offer them adequate and sustainable water supply and electricity. He further called for the establishment of agricultural mechanisation centres as agriculture is their main occupation in the area. The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Maxwell Blagogee on his part, pointed out that the free Senior High School policy has come to stay and therefore called on parents to get themselves involved for a smooth take off of the programme. Mr. Nyonyo and his entourage later paid a courtesy call on Krachi Midwifery School where he assured students of an improvement in their learning environment. From Fred Duodu, Ho ( [email protected] ) An interdicted Police Constable, Samuel Asamoah, 36, of the Kasoa Police Station and Yaw Boadi, 35, a businessman at Abeka Lapaz in Accra, have been arrested at Agona Otopiase, for alleged robbery. Superintendent Seth Panti Yirenkyi, Agona Swedru District Police Commander, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Swedru, said the robbery occurred at about 1300 hours on Tuesday at Mensakrom, near Agona Duakwa. The District Police Commander said one Nicolas Baffoe, from Agona Odoben came to the HFC Bank, Agona Swedru branch to withdraw GH7, 800 and after the transaction boarded a commercial vehicle heading to his destination. According to Superintendent Yirenkyi, the interdicted police constable Asamoah and Boadi dressed in military uniforms in a taxi cab with registration number 5248-17, chased the commercial vehicle and crossed it at Mensakrom. He said the two suspects ordered the victim to come down from the vehicle to answer fraud charges of which he was involved. Superintendent Yirenkyi told the GNA that the suspected robbers snatched the bag which contained the GH7,800 from Mr Baffoe when he alighted and sped off. The District Commander stated that the victim who looked traumatized and confused told some Okada riders at Mensakrom and Agona Duakwa respectively about his predicament. He disclosed that the okada riders sent the information to their colleagues at Agona Otopiase and quickly they barricaded the road and the two suspects were arrested but the taxi driver escaped. The District Commander said Asamoah who joined the Ghana Police Service five years ago, but was recently interdicted and Boadi who deal in local sandals have been placed in police custody pending further investigations. Superintendent Yirenkyi said the taxi cab which was impounded by the Police was used to rob a student of the University of Education, Winneba of his GH7,000 on the streets of Agona Swedru last week. He said the suspects would soon be arraigned. The Accra Central District Court on Thursday became a worship centre when the 20 alleged killers of Major Maxwell Mahama appeared in court singing praises. Holding Bibles and other Christian literature, the 20 accused made their entrance to the court room with songs of praise. They continued with their singing on their way back to the vehicle that was to transport them back to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison. n the vehicle, the accused could be heard singing more praises and also praying. Their actions attracted some people, who either joined the singing or made sarcastic comments about the spectacle. A-Gs advice Meanwhile, at the hearing itself, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr George Amegah, informed the court that the police were still awaiting the Attorney-Generals (A-Gs) advice on the case. He, therefore, pleaded with the court, presided over by Mr Joshua Caleb Abaidoo, to adjourn the case. In response, a lawyer for the accused, Mr Solomom Boy Boison, pleaded with the police not to relax but follow up on the advice from the A-Gs office. The liberties of the accused are at stake and so speed up the process, he said. Hearing continues on September 25, 2017. Background The 20 accused persons, including the assembly member for Denkyira Obuasi, William Baah, and one female, Vivian Asahene, have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The police are still hunting for 13 people who are also suspected to have participated in the lynching of the military officer. The facts, as presented by DSP Amegah, were that Major Mahama was the Commander of a military detachment stationed at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District in the Central Region to check illegal mining activities. At 8 a.m. on May 29, 2017, Major Mahama, wearing civilian clothes but with his sidearm, left his detachment base for a 20-kilometre jogging. The prosecutor said at 9:25 a.m., the military officer got to the outskirts of Denkyira Obuasi, where a number of women were selling foodstuffs by the roadside. He stopped to interact with the women and even bought some snails, which he left in their custody to be taken on his return from jogging. While he was taking out money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the woman from whom he had bought the snails and a few others saw Major Mahamas sidearm tucked to his waist. Soon after he left, one of the women telephoned the assembly member for Denkyira Obuasi to report what they had seen. Without verifying the information, the assembly member mobilised the accused persons and others, some now at large, to attack the military officer, the prosecutor said. He said the mob met Major Mahama near the Denkyira Obuasi cemetery and, without giving him the opportunity to explain and identify himself, attacked him with implements such as clubs, cement blocks and machetes, killed him and burnt a portion of his body. The Minister of Defense, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul and the Minister of Interior, Hon. Ambrosse Derry on Tuescday, 5th September, 2017 visited personnel of the Operation Vanguard taskforce in Obuasi. The operation Vanguard taskforce which has both regional and national headquarters in Obuasi is a joint Police and Military taskforce formed to enforce the countrys laws against the illegal mining which has devastated the countrys land and water resources. The Municipal Chief Executive of Obuasi, Hon. Elijah Adansi-Bonah, the Member of Parliament for Obuasi East Constituency, Hon. Boakye Yiadom, Municipal Coordinating Director, Justice Amoah. The two Obuasi Constituency chairman of the NPP, some Assembly members of the Municipal Assembly were present to welcome the two Ministers. The first point of call was a visit to Ankaako in the Amansie Central District on the Obuasi Dunkwa road. The team visited a vast mining site deep into a forest where a river has been diverted to help them in their galamsey activities, destruction of the diverted river and uncountable deep holes on the lands, which can easily cause death to persons at that same place, was observed. Again, the team discovered that illegal chain saw operators were engaged in indiscriminate felling of trees in the forest. This act, though not part of the duties of the Operation Vanguard, was condemned by the Interior Minister. In a short interview with the Minister of Interior Hon. Ambrose Derry who together with other members of the team was visibly dismayed about the destruction caused, advised Ghanaians to desist and adhere to the caution given to people embarking on such activities to cease operations. He emphasized, the government will not hesitate to let the law work, if anyone is found guilty of the offence. He said the operation will not just be a one day wonder or a flash in the pan as some Ghanaians perceive. The two ministries, with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will not sit to watch some few Ghanaians destroy water bodies, all in the name of making ends meet, he added. Dominic Nitiwul, during his engagement with the press revealed how the three Ministries are doing all they can to support the President of the Republic, Nana Akuffo Addo to realize his dream of banning totally, the activities of illegal mining in the country in order to reclaim our arable lands and clean water bodies Touching on the management of farm lands destroyed at all illegal mining sites, he said the government will soon employ the youth in covering all pits and plant trees to replace the lost ones in order to reclaim the rich natural forest the country has lost and is still losing as a result of illegal mining. This, he explained would create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country. In a meeting with the personnel of the Operation Vanguard at their camping base in Obuasi, Hon. Ambrose Derry commended them for their immense efforts to help fight illegal galamsey activities and putting Ghanaians on the alert on how serious this government is on issues concerning illegal mining activities and totally eradicating it in the country. He stated that, the Akuffo Addo led government is showing a different style of leadership, stating this government has the political will to stem the tide of illegal mining in the country and appealed to the taskforce not to relent on their mission while they wait for further instructions from government. He advised the personnel of the operation vanguard to always follow due process, which is the most important thing to do and also know when to apply a particular force on civilians when necessary. He commended them for the sacrifice for mother Ghana and the government will continue to support them in any way where needed. Dominic Nitiwul on his side also commended the Municipal Chief Executive and Member of Parliament for their immense contribution towards the personnel ever since they arrived in Obuasi. He encouraged personnel to continue the good work done and always know the President will support them in all aspects provided they follow directives from their superiors. He advised inhabitants to never hesitate to render any form of support to the team when needed and also eschew the practice of reading political meanings to the activities of the taskforce. He advised mining operators to follow due process and form small groups to wait for directives from the government to be able to resume their activities. An amount of Ten Thousand Ghana cedis (10,000.00) was also donated to the team as a form of motivation to them from the Government. The Municipal Chief Executive, Elijah Adansi Bonah advised illegal miners to adhere to directives given by the government whiles he pledged his support as the Chief Executive for the fight against illegal mining by ensuring that he assist the taskforce to carry out its mandate. Libreville (AFP) - Civilians in a central province of the strife-torn Central African Republic are enduring "a horrifying surge in torture, pillage and forced displacement", Amnesty International reported Friday. "Women have been raped, men murdered, villages destroyed, and the region's UN peacekeeping force has proved ineffective in stemming these abuses," Joanne Mariner, the rights group's senior crisis response adviser, said in a statement. Amnesty blamed "a wave of brutal attacks" in Basse-Kotto province on the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), an armed offshoot of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance that seized power in 2013 and installed a regime that lasted 10 months. The UPC is led by local warlord Ali Darassa, who is close to Fula nomads based in the Alindao region of Basse-Kotto, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) from the capital Bangui, where a degree of normalcy has been restored with foreign help. During a two-week mission on the ground in August, Amnesty gathered 30 eyewitness accounts of recent violence, including one from Annie, aged 36. "We're going to do something to you Christians that won't be forgotten for many generations," Annie quoted one attacker as saying. Her husband was shot in the legs when he tried to flee. "After raping my husband, he (a fighter) shot him in the head," said Annie, who was herself raped by another armed man. Both rapes and the killing took place in front of the couple's five children. Of 25 women interviewed by Amnesty, 20 said they had been raped. "The UPC's use of rape as a weapon of war, and as a means of violently humiliating and degrading its victims, appears to be systematic," Balkissa Ide Siddo, Amnesty's Central Africa researcher, said in the report. Amnesty said it regretted that the UN mission in the deeply poor nation, known as MINUSCA, "has failed to prevent these abuses", but acknowledged that "the force is stretched thin". Contacted by AFP, MINUSCA spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said that "teams have been sent to document the violations". A temporary base has been set up in Alindao "to ensure protection for displaced people and facilitate the work of humanitarian personnel," he added. Clashes in May claimed several dozen lives in Alindao, then in June about 10 people were slaughtered in a village not far from the town. United Nations aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council last month there were early signs of genocide in the deeply poor nation. Renewed violence among different armed groups has taken place in recent months as they fight to establish zones of influence and gain control of natural resources, which include diamonds, timber and gold. Former President John Mahama has rejected the view that the National Democratic Congress' social democratic leanings make it anti-business. Speaking at the opening day of the first batch of students of its Ghana Institute of Social Democracy, the former President claimed, businesses have flourished most during the tenure of NDC governments. The NDC has governed the country for 16 years after a return to multi-party democracy in 1992. Its main political rival the New Patriotic Party calls itself as a liberal democracy whose business philosophy is the free market. The first NPP government led by John Kufuor, launched what it called the "golden age of business" to signal a pro-business approach to development. The second NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo has said it wants to build "the most business-friendly economy in Africa" and move the economy from taxation to production. But the 2016 presidential candidate claimed "we must let people understand that our party is not against business. Indeed, it is in our time that our party is in government that businesses have prospered the most". John Mahama told party cadres, the NDC's political ideology has been misunderstood to mean "social democracy means equalising poverty". He explained that this misconception could be traced to the revolutionary era of the PNDC where it was felt "the poorer you look the more socialist you are." He lamented this view has crept into the party's social democratic philosophy which has affected the party's attractiveness to the middle-class. He said the NDC "has contributed most to the increase of the middle-class" but has lost this economic group to the NPP's liberal democratic tradition. "When people get into the middle class because of the perception that our party is against property-owning and seeks to equalise poverty, those people... drift into the property-owning classes". Making a case for social democracy, John Mahama said social democrats also believe in the market economy but clarified that "at the same time we believe the market cannot fairly distribute the fruits of economic growth". "... so you need a certain state intervention to ensure the poor and vulnerable are not left out". He said social democracy is about creating social safety nets like free education and free healthcare. The former President said even conservative parties in developed countries are warming up to social democratic ideas because the philosophy creates social safety nets for economically disadvantaged groups. As a left-of-centre politician, John Mahama expressed his conviction that the social democratic philosophy is the most appropriate tool for addressing Africa's socioeconomic problems. "In Africa, if you look at the challenges we face there cannot be any other ideology. If you look at our poverty, you can only afford to be a left-of-centre politician." Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected] Enterprise Group, a leading insurance and financial institution in Ghana has donated an amount of 75,000.00 to the Save a kidney, save a life foundation. This philanthropic gesture was made to the administrative authorities of the Police Hospital, contributing towards the purchase of a Dialysis Machine for the hospital. This is also a follow up to an earlier donation made by Enterprise Insurance, a subsidiary of the Enterprise Group to the hospital. The General Manager and Group HR of the Enterprise Group, Amma Ansah, told the media after the presentation that Research shows that the annual mortality rate per 100,000 people from chronic kidney disease in Ghana has increased by 10.6% since 1990, an average of 0.5% a year." "For men, the deadliness of chronic kidney disease in Ghana peaks at age 80 and above. It kills men at the lowest rate at age 5 to 9. At 192.5 deaths per 100,000 men in 2013, the peak mortality rate for men was higher than that of women, which was 135 per 100,000 women. She added that these bleak numbers are a call to action, and the Enterprise Group was overjoyed to have found a partner in The Police Hospital, to answer this call. Mrs. Ansah used the platform to remind Ghanaians that health is wealth. She surmised that there was more work to be done and more effort to be put in slowing down the rate of kidney related deaths in the country and she hoped that this small gesture made by The Enterprise Group would be a clarion call to all and sundry to offer their service to the health related needs of the nation. On his part, The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Police Hospital Dialysis Center, Mr. Godfred Nyanteh, was overjoyed by the gesture from the Enterprise Group and lauded corporate Ghana in responding to the clarion call of help. We all know the tagline of Enterprise to be your advantage, and indeed you have become the advantage to all who suffer from kidney related ailments, he said. He also commented that their offices will always have its doors open for further like-partnerships between Enterprise Group and the Police Hospital. Enterprise Group is a giant in the insurance industry, with subsidiaries championing their individual industries. Its subsidiaries include Enterprise Insurance, Enterprise Life, Enterprise Trustees, Enterprise Properties and Transitions, a funeral services company. Enterprise Group recently announced its partnership with Black Star Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leapfrog Strategic African Investments (LSAI). LSAI is jointly owned by Leap Frog investments and Prudential Financial Inc. of America (PFI) Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com Lome (AFP) - Several areas of Togo's capital, Lome, remained blocked off on Friday after security forces fired tear gas against anti-government protesters. Shops were shut on main roads and in working-class districts of the coastal city, while there was a heavy police presence at main intersections, AFP journalists on the scene said. In the Be area, where there were clashes with police throughout the night according to local residents, youths built barricades with rocks and burning tyres to block traffic. "We want him to leave. We'll stay here until he goes. We're tired," said one of them, referring to President Faure Gnassingbe. Residents in some parts of Lome said they were afraid to leave their homes. One man in his 40s refused to be filmed or give his name, fearing reprisals from the authorities. Columns of smoke from tear gas fired by the security forces could be seen in the sky in several areas of the capital. Telephone networks remained sporadic on Friday, with the internet still cut off in some parts of the country. On Wednesday and Thursday, opposition supporters took to the streets in huge numbers to call for political reform, including a limit on the number of terms the president can serve. Reform agenda Protests were also held in several cities in the north -- which traditionally supports the regime -- such as Sokode, Bassar, Dapaong and Bafilo. In Bafilo, protesters blocked traffic on the main road to Lome some 400 kilometres (250 miles) to the south, which also travels north to neighbouring Burkina Faso. They were dispersed with tear gas on Thursday evening and calm was restored on Friday morning, said Amnesty International's Togo director, Aime Adi. The protests were the biggest Faure Gnassingbe has faced since he became president in 2005 after the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for nearly 40 years. During Eyadema's reign, hundreds were killed in violent clashes with government forces. Togo's government made an apparent concession to the opposition on Tuesday evening, agreeing to put forward a bill to parliament on constitutional reform. Lawmakers, who were due to return from their summer break only in October, have been recalled for an extraordinary session on September 12 to examine the proposals. The bill includes a two-term limit for president, as well as a two-round voting system, but civil service minister Gilbert Bawara indicated the mandate provision would not be applied retroactively -- suggesting Gnassingbe could stay in power until elections in 2020. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the UN's special representative in West Africa and the Sahel, met Gnassingbe and opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre in Lome on Thursday. Chambas told state television he had congratulated Gnassingbe for his offer and encouraged Fabre to join talks with the government "to definitively advance the reform agenda". For the last two days, opposition leaders and protesters have been calling for Gnassingbe to step down, ending 50 years of rule by his family in the West African nation. "It is too late," Fabre told his thousands of followers on the streets of Lome Thursday night. Juaso (Ash), Sept 08, GNA - A 20-year old charcoal burner, arrested for defiling a minor at Kowereso, a farming community in the Asante-Akim North District, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by the Juaso Circuit Court. Adam Musah was slapped with the punishment after he pleaded guilty to the offence. He had kept the victim in his room for two weeks, where he routinely sexually abused her. Police Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Obuor told the court, presided over by Mr. Yusif Assibey, that the incident happened on August 15. The girl has been living with the parents at Asratoase, near Agogo. The prosecution said Musah had earlier been caught sexually assaulting her in the bush and been made by the elders of the community to pacify the gods. After that incident, he relocated from Asratoase to Kowereso and succeeded in convincing the victim to join him. The deeply disturbed father on August 29, traced her to the convict's new place and assisted by the Unit Committee arrested and handed Musah over to the police in Agogo. The prosecution added that the convict confessed to the crime in his caution statement. GNA By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA Ho Sept.08, GNA - The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho has held its maiden edition of "White Coat Ceremony" (WCC) for the first batch of 42 students of the School of Medicine in Ho. White Coat Ceremony is a ritual to recognise medical students as doctors in training and held before students start meeting patients. This follows the successful transition of the students from pre-clinical training to the clinical sciences. Professor Henry Tagbor, the Dean of School of Medicine, said the students were successful in their pre-clinical training, which was done mainly in the lecture halls and laboratories and ready for the next phase. He advised the students to be academically and psychologically prepared and apply the knowledge acquired when dealing with patients. Prof. Tagbor asked them to work diligently and attend to patients irrespective of social standings. Dr. Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minster, said Government was aware of progress being made by the University and the things that it needed to grow. GNA By Ebenezer Sowah, GNA Harare (AFP) - President Robert Mugabe on Friday accused a recently launched opposition alliance seeking to unseat him in next year's elections of plotting with Western powers to force him out. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the country's main opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), formed a grand coalition last month with former allies and four opposition parties in an effort to end Mugabe's 37-year rule. "Recently we have witnessed the concerted effort by opposition political parties to coalesce and fight (us) as one," Mugabe, 93, said at a meeting of his ZANU-PF party's central committee in Harare. "We know of course they are a creature of the West whose sole purpose is to dislodge ZANU-PF from power, but really if they come together as a bundle, one blow will set the bundle in pieces. "Fortunately for ZANU-PF, the political parties are as divided as ever, fighting over political positions." A planned pact between Tsvangirai and Mugabe's former vice president Joice Mujuru failed following disagreements over leadership. Tsvangirai has made three failed bids for the presidency. In 2008, he beat Mugabe in the first round of voting but failed to win an outright majority, leading to a run-off. He later pulled out of the second ballot as violence against his supporters raged. Past elections in Zimbabwe have been marred by violence, intimidation and charges of electoral fraud. The president, who often travels abroad for medical treatment, has refused to name a successor and repeatedly denounced factionalism within his own party. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appealed to the Northern regional House of Chiefs to put in place measures to have a new Ya-Na in Dagbon if possible before the Damba festival in December. Addressing the Chiefs, who paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House Friday, President Akufo-Addo assured that his government is ready to support efforts that will ensure everlasting peace in Dagbon. It is now over 15 years since Dagbon has been going through all this unnecessary problemspeace in Dagbon doesn't just involve Dagbon, it involves the whole of Ghana, it is a matter of high national priority that we get Dagbon stabilized. Whatever formula that you the traditional rulersyou agree on as the way forward or the roadmap in resolving the crisis in Dagbon will have the full support of my government and myself. We are prepared to support fully any formula that you devise that will bring a lasting solution to the problems, President Akufo-Addo said. He added I would love to see that this year by the time of the Damba festival, there is a new Ya Naa in Yendi and so I am counting on you very much. Ya-Na Yakubu Andani who was the last overlord of Dagbon was beheaded and several of his elders killed at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi on March 27, 2002 in what the Andanis faction say was a brutal act of murder. Though there was a protracted chieftaincy dispute, the clashes were sparked by an attack on Ziblim, a servant to the Overlord on March 25, 2002. Ziblim had alleged he was beaten by persons suspected to be members of the Abudu Royal family who also destroyed his bicycle. There were exchange of gunfire between the factions shortly after the attack on Ziblim-shootings which continued for three days and led to the murder of the Ya-Na and his elders. Both factions have been unsuccessful in attempts to install a new Ya-Na since the murder in 2002. Nairobi (AFP) - Tanzanian politician Tundu Lissu, an outspoken government critic who was shot and wounded this week in an attack that shocked the country, is recovering in a Kenyan hospital, his party said Friday. "Tundu Lissu was evacuated to Nairobi overnight after a decision by his family and his party," Abdallah Safari, the vice president of main opposition party CHADEMA, said in a press conference. "He is now at the Aga Khan hospital. His health is improving". CHADEMA secretary general Vincent Mashinji added: "Those who wanted to kill him have failed". Lissu, 49, was attacked at his home in the capital Dodoma on Thursday, after returning from a parliamentary session. He was shot in the stomach and leg, according to local media reports, with party spokesman Tumaini Makene describing his condition as "critical". According to party leaders, Lissu had previously complained to being "tailed" by a car and repeatedly said he feared assassination. "Party members are afraid," Safari said. Lissu has had a series of run-ins with the government of President John Magufuli and has been arrested at least six times this year, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges. He serves as chief whip for the parliamentary opposition and is president of Tanzania's bar association, the Tanganyika Law Society, as well as being CHADEMA's attorney general. His most recent arrest was in August after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts. Police said Thursday they have opened an investigation. Rights groups, Tanzania's government and others have expressed shock at the shooting. The United States said it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting, adding: "We condemn this senseless act of violence and join Tanzanians in expressing our sincere hopes for his full and speedy recovery." In a statement, Magufuli's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party also condemned "this cruel and inhuman act" and Magufuli tweeted that he was "shocked to hear the news of the attack on Tundu Lissu and I pray to god almighty that he will soon recover." Geneva (AFP) - The United Nations on Friday accused the European Union of "turning a blind eye" to the brutality faced by migrants held in Libya, and urged "serious action" to protect them. "Some migrants die of thirst, hunger or easily-cured illnesses, some are tortured or beaten to death while working as slave labour, others are just casually murdered," UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said. Zeid detailed these and other abuses -- including the rape of women "in some cases, every night" -- that hundreds of thousands of migrants are suffering at the hands of authorities in Libyan detention centres in the country. He said their situation had been "appalling" during dictator Moamer Kadhafi's rule but had turned "diabolical" since his ouster. Italy and the European Union have been financing, training and providing aid to Libya's coastguard to stop smugglers from taking migrants and refugees in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean to Europe. Migrants are then sent to detention centres. The number of migrant arrivals in Italy in July was down dramatically against a year ago, suggesting efforts to train and better equip the North African country's coastguard could already be having an impact. But Zeid said such efforts -- including the plan by European and African leaders last month to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean -- are a "failure" because they do not deal with the "human calamity". His comments echoed those of medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) made a day earlier. MSF president Joanne Liu on Thursday published an open letter describing "the horrific situation" for refugees and migrants in detention centres she visited last week. Libya's detention of migrants "must be named for what it is: a thriving enterprise of kidnapping, torture and extortion," she wrote in a letter to European governments. Zeid said he agreed with Liu's assessment. "I fully support her analysis" and "share her disgust" at what she "describes as the 'cynical complicity' of those who support returning migrants to Libya while turning a blind eye to what is going on there," he said. He called for "serious action" to protect the migrants, adding: "We should not continue to avert our eyes from this brutal reality". Apparently the National Communications Authority (NCA) is thinking of collaborating with the nation's existing telecommunications companies to extend internet access to people living in rural Ghana. It is reported that funding will come from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) - the object of which is to promote digital inclusion. However, there is a far better alternative use for any such available funds. A deal with the telcos will not bring any innovation into Ghana's technology-ecospace whatsoever. That is for sure. The question is: Would a little lateral thinking on the NCA's part not prevent Ghana from losing a golden opportunity to deploy TV White Space technology to bring rural Ghana into the digital age - by providing that mostly deprived part of our nation with low-cost superfast (equivalent to 4G) broadband internet access delivered by local Ghanaian start-up rural internet service providers? With respect, rather than waste its energies on the telcos, it would be far more beneficial for our nation were the NCA to talk to the TV White Space Alliance, for example, to get technical partners for local start-ups interested in giving the rural demographic super-fast internet access. Ditto talk to wealthy companies with a social conscience, which have a global footprint and are driven by innovation as well as underpinned by a long-term-perspective-ethos when investing in emerging markets, such as Google and Microsoft - both of which already have plans for bringing internet access to rural Africa using TV White Space technology: and unlike the parsimonious telcos aren't constrained by a lack of investable funds. TV White Space technology will empower rural Ghana in multiple ways: boost learning and teaching in rural schools; digitise healthcare facilities; make District Assemblies more efficient; improve the lot of smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs; make the security agencies across rural Ghana much more effective; connect rural communities with similar communities around the globe that they can exchange ideas with about overcoming challenges and creating wealth for themselves, etc., etc. Indeed, one can't think of a better means of enabling rural Ghana to meet the UN SDGs in the shortest possible time than ensuring the availabilty of 4G internet access for rural communities - made possible by the deployment of TV White Space technolgy. That is why the NCA must seize this rare opportunity to empower rural Ghana by facilitating the deployment of bleeding-edge TV White Space technology to provide that part of our nation with superfast broadband internet access and bring it into the digital era finally. 09.09.2017 LISTEN Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) wishes to respond to the unfortunate utterances by the President of the newly formed National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) Mr. Thomas Havor. See: GMO technology can turn around Ghanas fortunes Seed Producers, Monday, 4 September 2017 https://t.co/JeMDRbLePn . In the widely circulated news report, Mr. Havor dismissed concerns that GMO crops could be harmful and could damage the health of consumers. We find his pronouncements to be extremely inaccurate, misleading and worrying. In his own words The hesitance about GMOs is only because people do not understand it. But there is nothing unsafe about it. But there is nothing unsafe about it. Our simple response is that the concerns about GMOs are widespread and totally reasonable given the overwhelming quantum of independent research findings which question their safety for human health and expose their negative effects on the environment. Furthermore, Mr. Havors assurances of the safety of GMOs run counter to the peer-reviewed publication in the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibilities, involving scientists, physicians, academics, and experts from disciplines relevant to the scientific, legal, social and safety assessment aspects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) strongly reject claims by GM seed developers and some scientists, commentators, and journalists that there is a scientific consensus on GMO safety See: No scientific consensus on GMO safety http://www.ensser.org/increasing-public-information/no-scientific-consensus-on-gmo-safety/ FSG like these independent experts, endorse the need for further independent scientific inquiry and informed public discussion on GM product safety and urge GM proponents to do the same. What we find worrying is that these absolutely unsubstantiated claims on the safety of GMOs once more, expose the agenda of a multinational agro business lobby that seeks at all costs, to recruit stakeholders in many countries especially those in under-developed ones like Ghana. To place the comments of Mr. Havor in true context, the American Association of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has already announced and made clear that it will not prescribe GMO food to its members patients. See: American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), 2009. Genetically Modified Foods. https://www.aaemonline.org/gmo.php In a well-researched book by US public interest attorney Steven Druker he indicates that the commercialization of GM food in the US was based on a massive fraud. The FDA files revealed that GM foods first achieved commercialization in 1992 but only because the FDA covered up the extensive warnings of its own scientists about their dangers, lied about the facts and then violated federal food safety law by permitting these foods to be marketed without having been proven safe through standard testing. If the FDA had heeded its own experts advice and publicly acknowledged their warnings that GM foods entailed higher risks than their conventional counterparts, Druker says that the GM food venture would have imploded and never gained traction anywhere. He also argues that that many well-placed scientists have repeatedly issued misleading statements about GM foods, and so have leading scientific institutions such as the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the UKs Royal Society. Druker states that contrary to the claims of biotech advocates, humans have indeed been harmed by consuming the output of genetic engineering. He also explains that laboratory animals have also suffered from eating products of genetic engineering, and well-conducted tests with GM crops have yielded many troubling results, including intestinal abnormalities, liver disturbances, and impaired immune systems. See: Altered Genes, Twisted Truths : A Challenge to Monsanto By Colin Todhunter, Global Research, May 22, 2015 https://shar.es/1UpH1n, In addition to all these, the GMO technology is not even delivering what the proponents promise it will deliver. As a recent article in New York Times, eloquently proclaimed: The controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat the debate has missed a more basic problem genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides. See: Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops - By DANNY HAKIMOCT. 29, 2016 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls-short.html A recent documentary aired globally on Al Jazeera, Circle of Poison exposed the unethical corporate practices of the worlds leading agro business entities who have been implicated in all sorts of fraud and it is often these very companies whose underhand dealings are responsible for corrupting government officials in different countries to their advantage. See: Circle of Poison - Al Jazeera English http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2016/11/circle-poison-pesticides-developing-world-161115084547144.html According to several credible sources, consumer demand for non GMO produce has doubled and even in some cases tripled in recent times. To verify this, any Ghanaian with a relative living abroad can confirm this fact to help put the Pro GMO lobby efforts at convincing Ghanaians into real context contrary to world trends that this is not the sustainable way forward with agriculture. See: USDA ERS Organic Market Overview https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/organic-agriculture/organic-market-overview.aspx Daniel Aghan, Head of Communications and Advocacy at the African Seed Trade Association says there are numerous available opportunities for Africans to accelerate the development of the continent if more countries adopt GMOs. What he has not been generous in sharing with the public is the fact that nineteen out of twenty eight EU countries have opted not to participate in GMO based agriculture. There is abundant evidence to refute the claims that GMOs produce higher yields and use less pesticides. It is unfortunate that there is such a concerted effort to introduce to Ghana what other countries have strategically decided to avoid. The Chinese military recently banned GMO for their consumption. This is a clear indication that the super power is aware of the long term implications of consuming GMO on their well-being as a leading nation. Right across our border the government of Burkina Faso has made a strategic about turn in its quest to develop GM cotton in the country after the experiments abysmal five year performance. This was a complete failure even at the grassroots level where the amount of money farmers received was reduced because the weight of the cotton, the length of the fibres were all of less quality than the traditionally grown variety. The poor performance of the GM cotton project in Burkina is likely what informed Monsantos recent withdrawal of budgetary support for the GM cotton project in Northern Ghana. It is most unfortunate especially since inaccurate contributions from people like him go to confuse Ghanaians of the realities on the ground. See: Burkina Faso abandons GM cotton | [email protected] | DW | 13.01.2017 http://www.dw.com/en/burkina-faso-abandons-gm-cotton/a-37116193 Ghana loses 7.6 billion US dollars every year due to malnutrition. This is improved seeds; this is new technology seeds that can turn around the production of food This is a technology that can turn around the fortunes of Africa and Ghana, Mr. Aghan noted. The sources of nutrition have drastically changed in Ghana. Instead of patronizing more traditional foods with higher nutritional value, western inspired lifestyles have encouraged a switching to less nutritious fast foods of convenience with devastating effects on childhood development. Hardy local perennial grains such as fonio, millet, and sorghum have been substituted for corn and white rice with higher starch contents and less vitamins and minerals. Those who advocate for GMO based agriculture in Ghana should ask what informs the cautious approach to GMOs by the governments of France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Scotland and many more. Unfortunately and naturally, GMO advocates never mention the unethical practices that often result in the passing of hazardous products as safe. It is on the back of these engineered safety tests that the world is deceived into thinking that GMOs are not harmful. Without the voice of organisations such as FSG, Ghanaians would be misled on the actual real truths behind questionable regulation. See: Court Documents Reveal Monsanto Edited Independent Scientific Review | New York Legal Examiner | New York http://newyork.legalexaminer.com/toxic-substances/court-documents-reveal-monsanto-edited-independent-scientific-review/ Pro GM advocates have always touted the technology as crucial to help farmers deal effectively with pest attacks and the impact of climate change. The truth is all evidence is pointing to a need to make a dynamic shift from commercial large scale agriculture to more agro ecological ways of producing food. Agro ecology takes into consideration the surrounding natural environment existing and ensures that all farming practices and human interventions are done in a sustainable manner which will essentially ensure a perpetuation of a balanced ecosystem. Today the Boll Army worm is ravaging fields all across this nation with farmers struggling to control the pest using chemicals. There is no denying the increased resistance that has developed in recent years amongst many GM crop pests including the current growing resistance of the pink boll worm in India to GM cotton and its chemical cocktails. Pink bollworm develops resistance to Bt cotton http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/120516/pink-bollworm-develops-resistance-to-bt-cotton.html A wide coalition of stakeholders has already expressed concern about the introduction of GMO into our food system. These include the Christian Council of Ghana, The Catholic Bishops Conference, The Ghana Muslim Mission, The Office of The Chief Imam, The Peasant Farmers Association, The Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Vegetarian Association of Ghana, the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trade Union Congress, The Convention Peoples Party and the Rastafari Council, Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD), Food Span among others. Surely this constitutes a significant collection of key stakeholders in this nation who will disagree with Ghana continuing down the path we seem to be heading regarding adopting GMO agriculture. All these stakeholders can read in between the lines of the pro GMO position. A national debate involving all stakeholders on the suitability of GMOs in the Ghana food industry will help reach a consensus on a sustainable national position as well as to help expose the lack of engagement that has so far been the hall mark of the entire GMO agenda in Ghana. A more transparent process is needed to settle the controversial issue which conveniently did not find a voice on any political party campaign platform leading up to the recent election in 2016. What Ghana needs is Agro-ecology, not GM Technology! See: Why GMOs wont feed the hungry of the world but agroecology can http://www.gmwatch.org/en/news/latest-news/17740-why-gmos-won-t-feed-the-hungry-of-the-world-but-agroecology-can For Life, the Environment, and Social Justice! Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour Communications Directorate, FSG It is quite baffling how some Ghanaians easily give in to the gimmicks of the manipulating politicians. Prior to the 2016 election, I turned down my maternal uncles relentless appeals for some help towards the payment of his children school fees. The seemingly harsh decision was based on the fact that my maternal uncle bizarrely rejected Nana Addos 2012 free SHS offer and went ahead and voted against such an advantageous policy. I must admit, back then, I never thought I breached any accepted moral standards for rejecting my uncles appeal for help to pay for his children school fees after turning his back on a handsome offer of free SHS. But who says that my maternal uncle repented from his sins during the 2016 election? In fact, my maternal uncle was amongst millions of impoverished Ghanaians who were brainwashed by the cunning and manipulating politicians to reject the expedient free SHS offer during the 2016 electioneering campaign. Strange enough, after campaigning and voting against the apparent poverty alleviation such as free SHS during the 2016 election, my maternal uncle now has the temerity to complain about the mode of implementing the scheme. Bizarrely, my uncle has turned into Oliver Twist; he is asking for more on top of his two children who are going to benefit from the scheme. Apparently, he is aggrieved that the policy is not covering his two older children in forms 2 and 3. How bizarre? If everybody had voted the same way as he did, I am not sure his two children would have benefited from any free SHS. Well, I should not be surprised anyway, as my maternal uncle is at his squalling and grouching best. I recall leading to the 2016 election, my uncle lodged a complaint with my mother for turning my back on his fund raising appeals towards the payment of his children school fees. And in her attempt to resolve the simmering dissonance between my uncle and me, my mother arranged a crisis meeting. It was during the meeting that I informed my mother that my decision was based on the fact that her brother needlessly refused to accept the offer of free SHS by Nana Addo during the 2012 electioneering campaign. Well, but your uncle has never voted for NPP, my mother retorted. Oh, so even if NPP came up with an advantageous policy that could be beneficial to him, he must still turn his back on such a policy because of unbridled devoted attachment? I quizzed. I proceeded: Where is the justification for your brother to turn down such a handsome offer of free SHS? My uncle then responded: But where was the evidence that NPP was going to implement the free SHS policy? You dont have to look far for the evidence uncle, I responded. I continued: Didnt the previous NPP government deliver on its campaign promises by introducing social interventions such as the free Maternal Care, the School Feeding Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Mass Transport System, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the National Youth Employment Programme, now known as GYEDA, and many other social interventions? Well, my nephew, I think you are making sense but there is nothing we could do over the spilt milk, my uncle responded. You are right to some extent uncle, but we could put it right going forward, I retorted. For we should not and must not ever vote on narrow party lines, but we must rather vote according to campaign messages, competence, experience, ability, skills, knowledge and the integrity of the candidates. Well, my son, your uncle has obviously simmered down and shown remorse, so go ahead and pay for his children school fees, my mother proposed. It is too late mum; I would not be able to pay for his children school fees as I have other equally important responsibilities, I replied. All the same, I continued by beseeching all and sundry to embrace Nana Addos 2016 campaign message of free SHS, one district one factory and one constituency one million dollars. I maintained that if they refused to accept Nana Addos offer of free SHS, I would not entertain any future appeals for financial assistance from anyone to pay school fees. Gratifyingly, both my uncle and my mother promised wholeheartedly to scrutinise future campaign messages of all political parties before settling on their preferred candidate or party. Indeed, I was over the moon because I thought I had managed to bring my mother and my uncle from darkness into the light. And based on the discussants poignant advice, I engaged in a carefully considered deliberation and went ahead and paid my maternal uncles children school fees. Regrettably, however, my maternal uncle did not heed to my earlier advice, as he went back to his old ways. Ironically, my maternal uncle was spotted wearing the NDCs Party T shirt and campaigning vigorously against the free SHS. Isnt it bizarre that my maternal uncle who campaigned vehemently against the free SHS policy is now turning around and asking for more? K. Badu, UK. The REALE by Ugo Monye is a three-Piece Robe inspired by the Agbada a Nigerian traditional attire. REALE is an Italian word meaning Royal, encapsulating the essence of the collection. Ugo Monye, one of Nigerias top fashion brand, known for its trend setting styles has designed and produced attires for Nigerians, foreign corporate personalities and celebrities including Jidenna (Grammy nominee), Joke Silva, Uti (BBA), Alex Okubo, Gbenro Ajibade to name a few. A lot of men find it difficult to wear and handle the Agbada due to its bulky nature but the REALE introduces the open robe concept which is simple to wear yet stylish. The REALE is a fusion of silk, cotton and wool fabrics. Its for the bold, ambitious and strong man who is all about tradition yet desires comfort and style. The Oluwo of Iwo-land, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale, on Thursday stressed the need for the Ilorin Emirate and his kingdom to come together in a bid to further promote economic and manpower development between the two communities. The Iwo monarch stated this in Ilorin when he visited the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari at his palace. Oba Adewale was accompanied by over 50 traditional rulers and Chiefs of Iwo land. He noted that the visit was to solicit the support of the people of Ilorin especially through the Emir in order to ensure that areas of common interest are identified. According to him, In Iwo land, all that we stand for is Islam and we discovered that Ilorin Emirate is a front-runner in the propagation of Islam. With our proximity with this revered city of knowledge, we cant afford to loose out in the numerous opportunities that are available both at national and international levels. Iwo has the first mosque in the whole south-western region which was converted from a shrine in 1655. On several occasions, I have condemned the worship of deities in its entirety. Not that I said that we said forget our culture but my advocacy Id for us to belief in God and always ensure that we use our stools as traditional rulers to promote peaceful co-existence in our domains. He however extolled the virtues of the Emir in making life more meaningful for the people of Ilorin Emirate through his quality leadership roles among his subjects even as he pledged his unalloyed loyalty to further foster and actualise robust working relationship. In his response, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari , publicly announced that, As from today, I hereby declare that Ilorin Emirate and Iwo land have become one. He added that, This become because of common identity of Islam which binds us together and we have to ensure that we hold each other as one. On outside, we shall always see you as a brother and friend in Islam. The Emir therefore assure the Oluwo that as the gateway between the north and south, Ilorin will continue to play leadership roles in the propagation of Islam and morality vis-a-vis peaceful co-existence in the country. Veteran Nigerian broadcaster and actor, Sadiq Abubakar Daba, known simply as Sadiq Daba, is currently not in the best state of health as he has been diagnosed for leukemia. Sadiq during his years at the Nigerian Television Authority days, has inspired many towards becoming journalists today and it would be recalled that he has featured in many Nollywood movies including Kunle Afolayans, October 1st movie. The news of his sickness was made known by actor cum director, Sonny Mcdon, who called on everyone to pray for him and put a call of encouragement to the ailing actor. According to Sonny Mcdon, dear colleagues and friends in nollywood especially some of us that date back to NTA days please put a call to uncle sadiq daba. He needs your voice of strength please....08024343157. 'The big truck is still on ... Glacier National Park announced Friday that it will not issue new overnight backcountry permits due to developing critical fire weather conditions. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible Saturday, followed by gusty winds Saturday afternoon into Sunday associated with a cold front passage. There are no backcountry evacuations at this time, and there is no immediate threat at this time to backcountry users. The intent of this action is to reduce the number of people overnighting in the backcountry, the park said in a news release. In the event of a new fire start or rapid growth of existing fires, the park has significantly fewer resources available, due to ongoing fire operations, to assist a large number of people out of the backcountry. The duration that no new overnight backcountry permits will be issued is unknown due to ongoing dry conditions, extremely high fire behavior and the extended fire season outlook. The park is currently fighting three large fires and is preparing for the potential of a fourth, the Kenow Fire coming down from Canada near Goat Haunt. Information on the Sprague and Adair Peak fires is available on Inciweb. Elder Creek fire lies on the Montana and British Columbia border, and started on the Canadian side on Sept. 2. It is currently 2,055 acres, with 260 acres on the U.S. side. Firefighters have begun implementing structure protection around the Kishenehn Patrol Cabin and surrounding areas. The Kenow fire burning in Canada could potentially impact northern portions of Glacier National Park, and Parks Canada has issued an evacuation order for all of Waterton Lakes National Park. As a precaution, firefighters have started on some structure protection in the Goat Haunt area of Glacier National Park. Due to these fires, trail and road closures change frequently. Information is available at https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. Labor Day was barely a few hours gone and already the sugar beets were piled high outside Randall Jobmans office at Western Sugar Cooperative. From Hardin to Sidney, farmers are expecting bumper sugar beet crops, and factories are firing up early to take on extra tonnage. In Billings, the Western Sugar refinery began operating Aug. 30, more than a week ahead of normal. The sugar beet crop in the Billings area is expected to come in around 34 tons an acre with an above average sugar content, said Jobman, Westerns vice president of agriculture, Northern Region. The sugar industry pumps about $100 million into the Montana economy annually. Last winter, factories in Billings and Sidney worked into March turning beets into sugar, a month longer than normal. Factories are getting an early start to avoid another late run. Were going early basically because the last couple years weve noticed a big increase in the size of the crop, said Duane Peters, agricultural manager at Sidney Sugars. Its better to get the beets earlier than to drag out the processing until March." Sidney Sugars farmers are expecting to dig slightly less than 32 tons of beets an acre, Peters said. The factory in Sidney will begin making sugar by mid-month, two weeks ahead of schedule. Last year, Eastern Montana sugar beet farmers delivered a record 1.124 million tons to the factory, with a yield of about 31 tons an acre. But fall moisture had a lot to with the size of the crop. Late rains kept the beets growing for an extra month. Western Sugar farmers harvested a record 36.5 tons of beets per acre last year. Statewide, sugar beet farmers rate 30 percent of their crops condition as good to excellent, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The quality is much lower than the five-year average. Extreme drought in Eastern Montana is probably a factor. Peters said his farmers have been pouring on the water this summer to achieve a good crop. One farmer reported using four times as much water as he did a year ago and not seeing significant moisture a few inches beneath the surface. Eastern Montana is in the worst drought in the nation, with dryland crop-killing conditions not seen in 30 years. But river flows have held up through the dry summer and irrigated crops like sugar beets, barley and corn have done well. Harvesting sugar beets in early September has its risks. A late surge in summer temperatures can cause beets to rot as they wait piled up to be shipped to the factory. The challenge is keeping the piles core temperature no warmer than the mid-50s, Peters said. Western is no stranger to early starts. In recent years, the harvest has started right after Labor Day on more than one occasion to accommodate large crops. There have also been fall campaigns that stalled in October because of heavy rain or freezing temperatures. But those harvests started out hot, just like this year. Due to the warm temperatures, we schedule harvest to have just enough beets on hand to stay ahead of the factorys needs, Jobman said. Sacramento, CA Governor Jerry Brown has issued an emergency proclamation for nearby counties dealing with four wildland fires. Two of the fires, the Railroad and Mission, are burning on the Sierra National Forest near Yosemite National Park. Brown cited the impacts of those fires along with the Pier and Peak fires burning further south for scorching thousands of acres, threating homes and critical infrastructure and forcing evacuations as reasons for declaring a State Of Emergency in Mariposa, Madera and Tulare counties. Below is the Governors declaration: PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY WHEREAS on August 29, 2017, the Railroad Fire started in Madera County and rapidly spread into Mariposa County, and the Pier Fire started in Tulare County; and WHEREAS on September 3, 2017, the Mission Fire began burning in Madera County, and the Peak Fire started in Mariposa County; and WHEREAS these fires have burned thousands of acres, destroyed structures and continue to threaten homes, necessitating the evacuation of residents; and WHEREAS these fires are threatening critical infrastructure and have forced the closure of roadways; and WHEREAS extreme weather conditions and high temperatures have further increased the risk of fires; and WHEREAS the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Federal Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Railroad, Pier, and Mission Fires to assist with the costs associated with fighting these fires; and WHEREAS the circumstances of these fires by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8558(b) of the Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exists in Madera, Mariposa, and Tulare Counties due to these fires. NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Madera, Mariposa, and Tulare Counties. I HEREBY ORDER that all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Also, all residents are to heed the advice of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety. I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Proclamation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 7th day of September 2017. Sacramento, CA Governor Jerry Browns massive twin water tunnel project has hit another snag. A federal audit from the US Department of the Interior inspector generals office has determined the U.S. government meaning American taxpayers improperly contributed $84 million to cover roughly a third of the planning costs up to 2016. According to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the report, California water districts were supposed to bear the costs of the $16 billion water project. As reported here, back in June federal wildlife officials gave their nod to the estimated 35-mile twin water tunnels on the Sacramento River, issuing statements that it would not likely jeopardize the continued existence of more than a dozen federally protected species in what is known to be the West Coasts largest fresh-water estuary nor destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Larger infrastructure projects and those that supply California farmers with water seem to also have apparent support by President Donald Trump and Southern Californias Metropolitan Water District along with other politically powerful water districts have been jockeying to assume bigger roles in financing, designing and constructing the project. However, Central Valley water districts were supposed to pay 50 percent of the project costs but have ponied up less than 20 percent to date, according to the audit. This afternoon, Fresno-based Westlands Water District, which holds long-term contracts for water supplied by the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project commented to AP of the audits finding that the Bureau of Reclamation acted improperly in tapping funding. General Manager Thomas Birmingham stated he knew of nothing about the arrangement that was inconsistent with state or federal law, maintaining that under federal law, water districts that would benefit from the tunnels would have to repay the taxpayer money only if the project is built. ___ - The three suspects reportedly confessed to killing some young ladies and selling their vital parts - They were arrested by the police in Ondo state and paraded by Gbenga Adeyanju, the new commissioner of the force - The suspects indicted a Muslim cleric who allegedly promised them the sum of N15 million The Ondo state police command has paraded three men for allegedly taking part in ritual killings over time. The suspects reportedly confessed to kidnapping students of the Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo town. The new commissioner of police in the state, Gbenga Adeyanju, who paraded them on Thursday, September 7, said the suspects had also taken their activities to neighbouring states. Premium Times gave the names of the suspects as John Adenitire, also known as Emir; Fisayo Fasanu, better known as Abore, and Abdurafiu Tijani, a herbalist. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu reportedly trounces Ojukwu with biggest title in Igboland The police boss said the suspects were arrested at different locations and that they confessed to killing three students of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo. Adeyanju explained that the police decided to take action after the report of a missing student was made at the Fagun police station in Ondo town on July 28. They took us to where they buried one of the victims, and we found the body already decomposing, the commissioner said. Adenitire, one of the suspects arrested in a robbery incident in Ondo, made the confession about killing the student and indicted the others. The commissioner said Adenitire and Fasanu allegedly confessed to selling the bodies of female victims to Mr Tijani in Ore, who promised to pay N15 million for the parts of the ladies. The 30-year-old Adenitire said: They promised to give us N5 million for a left brea*t and left hand and we were able to send three different bodies to them but they had not sent the money before the police nabbed me. We have killed three girls and removed their brea*ts and buried their remains in the bush. We gave the parts to the Alfa and Sile who is also part of us but took to his heels after our arrest. I was not there when the victims were killed but I was the one keeping vigil at the entrance of the bush and the operation was successful. I did not participate in the killing. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app In his own confessional statement, Fasanu said: I was in my house when John Adenitire, Emir, told me he has business that can lead to cool money for us. He told me its about ritual and assured me there was no problem. We went out the second day around 9:30 pm and two ladies and one boy were picked and we killed them before removing their parts while Sile took them to herbalists in Ore and Ijebu Igbo. Legit.ng earlier reported that Ifeanyi Chukwu Maxwell Dike, a 23-year-old 200-level student of the faculty of science, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers state, was recently arrested for allegedly killing an eighth-year-old girl named Victory Chikamso. Dike was arrested with some of his alleged accomplices for the death of little Victory in a case suspected to be ritual murder. Watch this video as residents in Lagos speak about alleged ritualists in the state: Source: Legit.ng - Some good news for Nigerian students as lecturers on strike have finally agreed to suspend it - ASUU has agreed to the federal government's offer after a closed door meeting with a government delegation - The leadership of ASUU says it has accepted the offer and would take it to its members The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has agreed to consider the federal governments offer and suspend their strike. This great news comes after 12 hours, 30 minutes of a closed door meeting between ASUU and a government delegation in Abuja which started 1:38pm on Thursday, September 7 and ended 2:15 a.m. on Friday, September 8. According to Premium Times, the leadership of ASUU, however, said though it accepted the proposal presented by the government, it will take the proposal to its members and get back to the government in a week. The national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, told journalists after the meeting that the union will come back after one week to take its final decisions. READ ALSO: FG, ASUU negotiations to commence after Sallah - Ngige He said: Now we have some concrete proposal that we will take back to our members for consideration." Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, said ASUUs demands have been addressed and the union will get back to the government in a week after consulting with its principals. Legit.ng earlier reported that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT), announced that they would join the ASUU strike on Wednesday, September 6. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV The president of SSANU, who is also the chairman of JAC while speaking at a press conference in Abuja explained reasons for the industrial action, saying the nationwide strike would be total and comprehensive. Watch this Legit.ng video as Nigerians speak on the state of education in the country: Source: Legit.ng - Governor Fayose of Ekiti state has called on Yoruba elders to do more for the people - The Ekiti governor accused the leaders of being the problem of the region, saying the war against Yoruba land is from within - Also speaking, Femi Fani-Kayode reiterated the need for restructuring - He said if restructuring is not granted, the elders should prepare for Oduduwa Republic Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti has taken a swipe at former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and other Yoruba elders saying they were the biggest problem of the region. The Punch reports that the Ekiti governor spoke at the Yoruba Summit in Ibadan, Oyo state on Thursday, September 7. READ ALSO: ASUU finally reaches agreement with FG after closed door meeting He accused the present Yoruba elders of not doing enough for the region saying Yoruba forefathers fought for them. He said: People can only discard my voice but they cannot throw me away. Our forefathers in Yoruba land tried their best but the present Yoruba elders are our problem. This is our fathers land and they must defend it. We have had great meetings like this that were held in the past and which were attended by Yoruba elders, but after the meetings, the so-called elders would approach the media and said we do not need restructuring. This does not make any sense. The war against Yoruba land is from within. We have selfish elders in the land. Through the period when one of our elders ruled Nigeria, he never deemed it fit to honour Chief M. K. O. Abiola, who died fighting the cause of Yoruba people. We are fighting for a just cause now but this man will appear on the television and say restructuring is not the way. He put us in the position we are today. I align myself with what our elders have said but they must fight without fear if we have to move forward. God will help you. There is no alternative to regionalism. You cannot blame the governors who are not here because our present leaders have turned themselves to Lions. When the governors want to talk, they roar at them to keep them quiet. Also, Femi Fani-Kayode insisted that if restructuring is not granted, then the elders should prepare for Oduduwa Republic. PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV If we cannot have regional restructuring, let us prepare ourselves for Oduduwa Republic. That is the thinking of the majority of our people but as a first step, let us demand restructuring. We appeal to the Federal Government, all political leaders and all parties, let us restructure this country and devolve powers to the states. Give us the power to live our lives. Nobody can suppress the Yoruba people, nobody stops us; we are the sons of Oduduwa and we shall go forth. Legit.ng had reported that the people and leaders of the Yoruba in the south-west, Kogi and Kwara states and the Diaspora demanded for a six-regional structure as a condition for an indivisible country. The Yoruba leaders also recommended the devolution of 25 items on the Exclusive list in the 1999 Constitution, ranging from customs duties to exchange control, currency, coinage and legal tender, arms, ammunition and explosives, and citizenship, naturalisation and aliens among others. Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians talking about the issue of restructuring. Source: Legit.ng - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has recovered only 15% of the fund looted by Diezani Alison-Madueke - The commission's chairman Ibrahim Magu said the EFCC will ensure all proceeds of corruption are recovered - Magu said the commission is working with the UK government to extradite Alison-Madueke The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu on Thursday, September 7, said the commission has only recovered 15% of the funds allegedly looted by the former minister of petroleum resources Diezani Alison-Madueke. Magu said the EFCC was currently working with the government of the United Kingdom on Alison-Madueke's case to ensure her extradition to Nigeria. The EFCC chairman who spoke during a visit to Punch said the EFCC under his leadership would do all within its powers to ensure that all funds stolen from the coffers of the Nigerian government are recovered. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu discloses what he teaches IPOB members about Hausa, Fulani He said: We are working on the process of Diezanis extradition. But we have to allow them (the UK government) because we are collaborating. There is the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service in London, and our colleagues, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in America. We had cause to meet in London. I was there myself for about a week." Magu also said the commission is not only concentrating on Alison-Madueke's case but on all other cases of corruption in Nigeria. READ ALSO: More trouble for Buharis minister as probe panel hears how he allegedly spent N25b loan he took as governor He said Alison-Madueke's case would only serve as a test case for high-profile corruption cases in Nigeria. It is even more notorious than the so-called Abacha loot because we have not seen anything yet. Im sure what we have seen is not more than may be 15 per cent. I think it is going to be a long time. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app That is why sometimes I think we should appeal to the looters to return the loot. Come and tell the government, This is what I have stolen. Since you have voluntarily complied with the instruction to bring back the loot, then the government will take a decision. I think it is the best way to go about it, otherwise, the monies would be wasted," the EFCC chairman said. Legit.ng earlier reported that the EFCC sent two of its officials to the UK to help the government in their prosecution of the former minister. The officials, Legit.ng gathered, were in the UK with evidences against Alison-Madueke on fraud she allegedly committed during her tenure as the minister of petroleum resources. The commission also said the had enough evidence to nail the former minister for committing oil fraud amounting to $1.7 billion. You can watch this Legit.ng video of Nigerians speaking about corruption among politicians: Source: Legit.ng I am not a doomsday prophetess, but a disaster is brewing menacingly under our noses and if we are not careful, our children whose futures we myopically think may be secured are going to be the ones to combat this disaster. What is this disaster and how does it threaten our children? The disaster is the 10.5 million Nigerian children who are currently out-of-school. When we read certain numbers or statistics, they seem very far away and out-of-touch. We feel that the data is not close to home because we cannot see the details or any direct effect on members of our immediate families or loved ones. But each number is a narrative; each statistic is a story and in our scenario today, a dangerous story that can rapidly snowball if we dont address the anomalies right now. The media giant, British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC reported a few months ago that 10.5 million Nigerian children of school age are out of school. For those whose children, nieces, nephews, cousins, sons and daughters are currently in school, the number 10.5 million and potential corresponding narratives may seem far-fetched and not close to home. However, fast-forward to a few years and we may have inadvertently raised an army of illiterate, mediocre, and angry discontents. Discontent because they will grow up to be frustrated further by the Nigerian system that does not support the uneducated. Angry because they may realize that they were shortchanged educationally during childhood and now in adulthood, they cannot fit into the global system and speed of lifestyle and development. Based on research, when a woman is uneducated, she is likely to be unempowered to take care of herself or family. This limitation will affect how she works, feeds her family, spaces her children, adopts healthy practices like even using a contraceptive for family planning. For the men, it may hamper their occupational growth and ability to provide effectively for their families and render them powerless or emasculated. We all know that knowledge is power and excluding 10.5 million children out of school makes them powerless in some form. Powerless to face the challenges of the modern age, powerless to engage with the political process, powerless to take important lifestyle decisions like how many children they can responsibly have and cater for. If some important decisions were taken from the beginning, we would not even have 10.5 million children that we cannot take care of or enroll in a school. Not having proper family planning education or any education at all is very dangerous because if knowledge is power, the absence of it must be powerlessness or weakness. Having 10.5 million potentially weak people is not healthy for any community or country and Nigeria as a community in the global domain should constructively address the humongous issue of having 10.5 million children out of school. One of the ways of addressing the issue is to make free compulsory education accessible for every Nigerian child. I know that it is available in some respects but it may not be accessible due to a myriad of reasons. Another prong that can be used to address this issue is to initially stem the tide by creating awareness that people should avoid having children that they are unable to take care of by using effective and modern contraceptives for family planning. So many family planning methods like the types distributed by DKT International Nigeria include Kiss and Fiesta premium condoms, Levofem daily pills, POSTPILL Emergency pill, Sayana Press injectables, Lydia IUDs etc. They are available, very affordable and can help any person avoid unwanted pregnancies and not have children who they cannot take care of or even enroll in a school. Every child should have a proper orientation in life through proper parenting, education and healthcare. If we cannot provide for these children, lets prevent the pregnancy that births them so that every child born will truly be wanted, loved, properly cared for and literate. Happy International Literacy Day! Written by Chidinma Onuoha (Program Manager for DKT Nigeria). To know more about contraceptive methods, visit honeyandbanana.com and their social media community @honeyandbanana on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. [Sponsored] Source: Legit.ng I am angry at the smoke! I am angry at my sore throat. I am angry that weve lost half the summer. I am angry the smoke is taking the health of my friends and me. The air in Missoula is listed as "hazardous." Now what do we do? I am angry that there is no respite anywhere in the West. Look out the window and inhale the new normal. This is the reality of climate change. I am angry at the coal and oil trains daily transporting climate destruction through Missoula. I am disappointed that my community allows them to pass. I am angry that the Missoulian doesnt ask about climate change with each fire story during this unprecedented fire season. I am angry at the weather forecasters who dont report on daily climate connections. I am angry at economic reporters who write about gasoline prices without reporting on their associated climate effects. I am angry that Hurricane Harveys unprecedented flooding hasnt been described as a climate story. I am angry that the ever-increasing monsoon deaths in Asia are not reported as climate stories. I am angry at our senators, congressman, legislators, governor, et. al., Republican and Democrat, who are too venal or spineless to challenge the fossil fuel industry. I am angry at the myth of carbon sequestration. I am angry that wealthy oil companies spread doubt to prolong their lives while the prospects of our lives are slowly slipping away. I am angry that the industry is holding its workers hostage: Seriously address climate change and you harm our employees. I am angry at Montanas refusal to throw our coal workers a lifeline. I am angry that Labor continues to support pipelines and coal-powered electricity because their workers are hostages. I am angry at the distortion that natural gas is OK for the climate. I am angry that Northwestern Energy is planning several more gas-fired power plants. I am angry at timber industry deceit, using the fires as an excuse for even more logging. A friend whos been evacuated from Seeley Lake is staying at my house. I am angry that he and other climate refugees have been forced from their homes. I am angry that the future will likely be worse. We need to have a frank, fact-based discussion, as a state and as a nation, free from corporate smoke and mirrors, on how to address this existential threat to humanity. Its not too late. Yet. - Former President Goodluck Jonathan has again revealed why he conceded 2015 election to Buhari - He said that he conceded based on his conscience - Jonathan also emphasised that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigeria The former president Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed what influenced his decision to concede the 2015 presidential election to his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Legit.ng gathered that Jonathan said his decision to concede defeat to Buhari was informed by the fact that he was inspired to lead by his conscience. READ ALSO: APC asks Aisha Alhassan to resign He made this disclosure at the World Peace Summit currently holding in Malaysia. Delivering a paper titled, Conscience Based Leadership: The Secret to Global Peace and Security, Jonathan recalled how he once declared that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigeria. Shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results of the 2015 presidential election in 2015, Jonathan had put a call across to his successor, congratulating him for the victory and conceding defeat in the process. Jonathan said: Since you specifically invited me to share my experience as a political leader and ex-president with the forum, I will, therefore, like to mention some of the things I did in office, to build a peaceful society. I can confidently say that in all my public life, I was inspired to lead by conscience. This is in agreement with my personal philosophy which I first proclaimed while running for the office of the governor of my home state Bayelsa in 2006, and re-echoed when I ran for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2011 and 2015. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Then, I made it clear that my political ambition is not worth the blood of anybody. Ever since I said that in November of 2006 in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa state, I have always lived by it. This philosophy informed my 12 decision to concede the 2015 Presidential election, even while the results were still being collated. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that former president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan advised young people around the world to unite with the old so as to forge a common front. Watch this Legit.ng video of Jonathan speaking at a political meeting: Source: Legit.ng - Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff cautioned groups and individuals in the southeast against any action capable of breaching the peace of the region - Buratai said army will be carrying out training activities for its personnel in line with its constitutional role in aid of civil authority in the region - He said the operation will be conducted with the involvement of other security agencies Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff on Friday, September 8, warned members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) against any action capable of breaching the peace of the southeast. The Nation reports that Buratai made this known while addressing a press conference at the army headquarters in Abuja. Legit.ng gathered that he said the warning has become necessary as the military will commence the second phase of Exercise Egwu Eke II (Python Dance II) by September 15. READ ALSO: Police re-arrest 23-year-old UNIPORT student who escaped from detention in Rivers He said: "As you are all aware, the Nigerian army is constantly carrying out training activities for its personnel in line with its constitutional role in aid of civil authority. ''More so, exercise EGWU EKE II has become more expedient due to the mindless assassinations (even in religious places), attack on security personnel, theft of weapons, armed banditry, kidnapping, cultism and violent agitations, as well as other security challenges that have recently become prevalent in the south eastern part of the country. ''The need for troops to be exercised, refreshed and imbibe the requisite skills to cope with these emerging security challenges within the 82 Division Area of Responsibility in aid of civil authority calls for this exercise. ''Also, in actualising the COAS vision, which is to have a professionally responsive in the discharge of its constitutional roles accentuates the call for the conduct of this exercise in conjunction with other security agencies. ''This operation will be conducted with the involvement of other security agencies such as Department of State Services, the Nigeria police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. ''It will also afford the troops an opportunity to effectively checkmate the despicable activities of the marauding criminals perpetrating criminal acts in the region and its environs. ''Additionally, OPERATION EGWU EKE II is also conceptualised to transit into real time operations thereby fulfilling both training and operations objectives of sharpening operational skills of personnel as well as providing an avenue to conduct operations against violent criminals and agitators when called upon. ''As precursor to a peaceful ember period and yuletide, provision has already been made for the smooth conduct of the operation. ''Operation EGWU EKE II will be unique with the establishment of Brigade Headquarters in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app ''It is pertinent to mention that Operation EGWU EKE II is set to be another epoch making exercise that would make the nation proud of the Nigerian armys determination at sustaining its constitutional role of defending the territorial integrity of the nation as well as its commitment to aid the civil authority to bring about peace and security in the south eastern part of our dear country. ''In this regard, members of the public especially the residents of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states are enjoined not to panic as their safety and well-being is guaranteed at all times. ''The public is also reminded to report any suspicious activity or movement to the nearest military formation or other security agencies for prompt action. In order to ensure cordial civil-military relations, we shall make contact phone numbers of all Brigade Commanders public in addition to the Nigerian Army short code Information and Call Centre 193''. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) warned Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, against instigating Biafran youths towards violent agitation. Watch the first appearance of Nnamdi Kanu as he stepped out of prison recently in the Legit.ng TV video below: Source: Legit.ng - Three Boko Haram suspects have been arraigned in a court in Lokoja - Two of them are allegedly computer analysts with the dreadful group - The third suspect is believed to be a herbalist working with the group Two Boko Haram suspects believed to be computer analysts and another one, suspected to be a herbalist, have been arraigned at the Lokoja Chief Magistrates Court. Legit.ng learnt that the suspects, Abdullahi Habib Audu, Bashiru Yahaya, believed to be computer specialists and Ahmed Momoh, a herbalist were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku on Friday, September 8. READ ALSO: APC asks Aisha Alhassan to resign The Punch reports that the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed Abaji, told the court that the suspects the accused and other at large were arrested in June 2017 by the troops of the Nigerian Army and Directorate of State Security. Abaji said that two of the suspects phone numbers were investigated and there were calls and messages that shows that they carried out repairs of the terrorists groups computers and other electronic components. He described the third suspect, Momoh, as one who prepared medicine/ruqya for members of the dreadful group and their families before and during operations. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng reports that the Nigerian Army has said that the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group Abubakar Shekau is scared of being apprehended. The army's director of public relations, Sani Usman, on Wednesday, September 6, said Shekau is already worried of the sustained military attacks on locations used by the group. Usman, a brigadier general, while reacting to a recent video released by the sect's leader said the claims made by Shekau are fake and false. You can watch this video of Boko Haram survivors recounting their ordeals: Source: Legit.ng - 8 farmers are missing from Addamari and Dusuman villages of Jere local government area of Borno state - The farmers went missing when suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked civilians on their farmlands Local and Civilian JTF sources have said that about 8 people were abducted on Thursday, September 7, when suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked civilians on their farmlands in Borno state Legit.ng gathered that the terrorists stormed Addamari and Dusuman villages of Jere local government area of Borno state at 9:00 am abducting 8 farmers on their rice farmlands. READ ALSO: 3 Boko Haram militants arrested in Lokoja A report by Sahara Reporters stated that Jidda Kaltum, a local farmer, said five farmers were abducted near Dusuman villages on Thursday morning. Kaltum said: "They are missing, we suspected that they were abduction by terrorists." "They left for their rice farms early morning on Thursday, but they hadn't returned at 5 pm, which is unusual." A source from the Civilian JTF said 3 others are still missing in Addamari village about 13 kilometers to Maiduguri City. Legit.ng had reported that two Boko Haram commanders and deputies to Abubakar Shekau, a factional leader of the terrorists group, were killed in successful military operations at Alafa in Borno state on Sallah day, September 1. Army spokesman, Brig-Gen Sani Usman, in a statement, said that Shekau deputies that were killed in the onslaught included Afdu Kawuri and Abubakar Banishek. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of the air force giving update on its operation against Boko Haram: Source: Legit.ng Some members of the Indigenous people of Biafra, (IPOB), have continued to defy the federal government by dressing and parading themselves as the security outfit of Biafra. The security arm of the Biafra struggle which was recently launched by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of indigenous people of Biafra, under the name 'Biafra Security Services', has been a major source of worry for many Nigerians who fear such action might bring about confrontation with the federal government. In pictures sighted by Legit.ng on Friday, September 8, some of the IPOB members who claimed to be part of Biafra Security Services could be seen posing for photos. The photos were posted on Facebook by Emeka Gift and Somto Okonkwo with the caption: "IPOB remain unshakable, unstoppable and unbreakable under the leadership of Mazi Kanu. We are a force to be reckon with. "These hard-cores are fully ready to protect and serve Biafra land." Check photos below: IPOB have continued to defy the federal government by dressing and parading themselves as the security outfit of Biafra. Photo credit: Somto Okonkwo, Facebook READ ALSO: APC asks Aisha Alhassan to resign The IPOB members are said to be ready to defend Biafra land. Photo credit: Somto Okonkwo, Facebook The militant arm of the Biafra struggle was recently launched by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of indigenous people of Biafra, under the name 'Biafra Security Services'. Photo credit: Somto Okonkwo, Facebook Biafra Security Services has been a major source of worry for many Nigerians. Photo credit: Somto Okonkwo, Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app According to the group, Biafra remain unshakable and unstoppable. Photo credit: Emeka Gift Legit.ng had reported that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is sent warning signal to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, over the latters alleged setting up of a security service. The police said the Biafran security outfit was illegal and would not be condoned. Watch this video and see how Nigerians reacted to the setting up of the Biafran Security Service: Source: Legit.ng DEER LODGE Four young people from Idaho who were traveling to Washington apparently to sell marijuana all pleaded not guilty this week in Deer Lodge district court to drug charges. The four were in a car stopped by the Montana Highway Patrol for speeding near Deer Lodge. Tristen Gage Chelette, 20, of Malad City was charged with felony conspiracy to commit criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute and use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture, cash. Halinarose Ann Ereaux, 18, of Idaho Falls was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, felony, and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor. Nathan Ender Woodhouse, 18, of Idaho Falls was charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs hydrocodone without a prescription, conspiracy to commit criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Jeremy Scott R. Lewis, 23, of Idaho Falls was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute 39 grams of marijuana, a felony and speeding 93 mph on Interstate 90, a misdemeanor. Chelette, Ereaux, and Woodhouse are free on $1,000 bond. Lewis is in jail on $1,000 bond. According to the court record, on Aug. 13 at 10:30 a.m., the group was traveling in a black Nissan Sentra when the driver, Lewis, was stopped by Montana Highway Patrol for speeding 93 mph on Interstate 90. During the investigation and search of the vehicle with permission, the officers discovered the group possessed 39 grams of marijuana and $4,134 in cash that Chelette said were his savings. They were headed to Washington state where marijuana is legal for purchase, documents show. They allegedly also had a supply of baggies, scales for weighing marijuana for sale and distribution, and a price list for selling drugs. All of the occupants of the car were allegedly aware of the purpose of the trip, to sell the remaining marijuana and purchase more in Washington, according to court documents. Yves here. I am opening up comments on this post. Please do not comment on our comments policies. We will have more to say about that next week. _________ Bloomberg broke the story that CalPERS is considering outsourcing its entire private equity program to BlackRock. This would be a desperate move and as we will discuss, is inconsistent with CalPERS objectives of obtaining the best returns and minimizing costs. This scheme is also inconsistent with the idea that CalPERS broached at its offsite last July, that of setting up an independent vehicle (with the independent part looking like inadequately supervised) to cut out the middleman and make more private equity investments on a direct basis. Moreover, one of the panelists at that July offsite, Mark Wiseman, is the head of BlackRocks private equity business. Yet staff presented him as an independent expert when in fact he had a glaring conflict of interest. Moreover, this idea looks like yet another power grab by staff. The board has not been briefed. Board member JJ Jelincic said, This is not something the board should learn about from a Google alert. Moreover, staffs delegated authority investment authority is well less than $26 billion, the size of CalPERS private equity program. Any significant shift of private equity funds to BlackRock would require board approval. From Bloomberg: The largest U.S. pension fund is talking to BlackRock Inc. about outsourcing its private equity business as it seeks to control fees and offset anemic returns, people familiar with the matter said. The California Public Employees Retirement System is in discussions with New York-based BlackRock about managing some or all of its $26.2 billion in private equity investmentsThe discussions are preliminary Calpers is reckoning with criticism over its private equity investing and how it discloses and accounts for fees. Why Hiring BlackRock to Manage Private Equity Would Hurt CalPERS Beneficiaries The official story as to why CalPERS is talking to BlackRock is nonsensical on its face. CalPERS will pay more in fees with BlackRock and there is no reason to expect improved performance. As the former Chief Investment Officer for North Carolina, Andrew Silton, stressed, CalPERS is such a large investor in private equity that is unlikely to achieve better than index-like returns. And its a no-brainer that introducing another intermediary means more fees and costs. BlackRock would effectively be a dedicated fund of funds manager for CalPERS, an approach that is typically used only by small fry, like high net worth individuals and and smaller institutional investors, or for bigger players, to achieve adequate diversification for small, niche-y strategies (say if CalPERS decided to make an allocation to infrastructure in Latin America). It is remarkable to see CalPERS consider outsourcing, since going in the direction of increasing its cost flies in the face of prudent investment management. It also contradicts the approach CalPERS takes in all other strategies in which it invests, where it has a strong focus on expense reduction and manages many of its investments in house because it is cheaper. CalPERS board candidate and private equity expert Mike Flaherman explained why CalPERS would wind up paying more by turning to BlackRock: BlackRock would be acting as a middle man standing between CalPERS and private equity managers, and this role doesnt come cheaply in the marketplace. Even if CalPERS is able to negotiate heroically and ends up paying BlackRock 20 basis points (0.2%) in annual management fees, that would amount to more than $50 million a year. On top of that, BlackRock would typically receive a cut of profits. These costs would be substantially larger than the approximately $5 million annual expense of the internal CalPERS private equity team that BlackRock would replace. In addition, it is likely that BlackRocks compensation will rise over time, as CalPERS will likely pay a much lower fee for BlackRock to monitor legacy investments made by the CalPERS team compared to the compensation paid for new investments sourced by BlackRock. Over time, the CalPERS-sourced investments will be harvested and replaced by BlackRock-sourced ones, likely leading to large cost increases. On top of that, despite having the veneer of a Big Finance Brand name, private equity is not an area where BlackRock is a top tier player. CalPERS $26.2 private equity program is a full 20% of the size of Blackrocks entire alternative assets business, which includes real estate, hedge funds, and infrastructure along with private equity. BlackRocks substantial conflicts mean it would be a less vigorous advocate for CalPERS with private equity fund managers. Regular readers of this site know that the private equity industry is rife with dubious conduct. The SEC said in 2014 that more than half the firms it had examined had engaged in serious compliance violations, including what in other lines of work would be called stealing. Even after the SEC fined major firms including KKR, Blackstone, and Apollo, limited partners like CalPERS almost without exception took no meaningful steps on their own regarding these revelations. One of the supposed checks on private equity fund manager misbehavior is that private equity funds have advisory committees that consist of the more important limited partners. Even though these advisory committees have very weak powers to being with, private equity fund managers take no chances. They make sure that they have a comfortable majority of limited partners will never vote against the fund manager. And who are top candidates for that role? Fund of fund managers with Big Finance Brand names, like JP Morgan.and BlackRock. Why are fund of funds managers such reliable allies of the private equity fund managers? Because the fund of funds business model depends on being able to sell investors on the idea that the fund of funds has great access to private equity funds. If a fund of funds manager were to make a stink about a private equity bad practice, the fund managers could do the fund of funds manager great harm simply by letting it be known that the fund of funds manager was difficult to work with. As Mike Flaherman added: There is a lot we dont know based on this Bloomberg report, but based on the sketchy details, this appears to be a troubling development. BlackRock already has a private equity business that competes on a daily basis with CalPERS for investment opportunities, so there are severe questions of how this conflict of interest could be managed. CalPERS would have much less ability to get private equity fund managers to divest problematic holdings. CalPERS has a strong commitment to socially responsible investing. Even though it is tricky to figure out how to reconcile this goal with CalPERS objective of achieving sparkling investment returns, one important way to square this circle is to be able to exit particularly rancid investments. Thats already difficult with private equity given its long investment time horizons. But even so, CalPERS Sacramento sister CalSTRS decided to ditch investments in the manufactures of firearms that were illegal to be sold in California. That included a stake in Remington Outdoor via a Cerberus fund. After a two-year effort by Cerberus to sell the company at a sufficiently attractive price, CalSTRS obtained an economic exit from its position. CalPERS is regularly exposed to controversies like this. For instance, a campaign is underway to get CalPERS and other limited partners to stop funding Trumps violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution via its investment in CIM Fund III, a real estate fund. Among other things, CIM is an investor in Trump International Hotels Management, LLC which among other things manages Trump SoHo Millennium. While this is a real estate investment and not a private equity investment, CIM was one of the firms involved in CalPERS pay-to-play scandal, which is an unduly polite word for bribery, that led to the prosecution of former CalPERS CEO Fred Bruenrostro, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Even though this CIM fund is in CalPERS real estate portfolio, the beneficiary of the scheme was the private equity giant Apollo. Richard Ressler, the co-founder of CIM is the brother-in-law of Apollos CEO and founder Leon Black. CalPERS should have gotten clear of CIM a long time ago. CalPERS has also been under pressure to divest from DAPL. The giant pension fund has resisted, arguing it can do more good by having a seat at the table. The legislature has proposed legislation to require CalPERS to get out of other investments. The larger point is that whatever you think of the merits of CalPERS stance on particular investments, it has adopted a policy of supporting socially responsible investing in other parts of its portfolio. It is hypocritical to treat private equity as exempt, which appears to be its position. CalPERS will be even less able to exert pressure on private equity funds if it is investing via BlackRock. What is Likely the Real Reason for CalPERS Seeking a Worse Deal in Private Equity? CalPERS Chief Investment Officer Ted Eliopoulos stated clearly why he wanted to make big changes in private equity. In a June board presentation that one CalPERS insider called a pity party, Eliopoulos said he couldnt handle the transparency demanded of CalPERS in private equity. From a transcript of a June board video: Because it is vitally important to whether CalPERS can successfully meet our investment objectives over this next ten-year period. I mention it also because over the course of the past two years, and frequently in these monthly Investment Committee meetings, CalPERS staff is attacked and denigrated for our decision to invest in these funds and for the manner and transparency of our reporting of the fees, carried interest, and expenses attached to these funds. As Andrew Silton wrote: As CIO for North Carolina, I faced frontpage stories questioning the pensions investment programs, as well as my decisions and motives. Without a doubt the stories were painful. As the leader of North Carolinas investment effort, it was my job to ensure that the attacks didnt distract staff. We simply continued to invest. Mr. Eliopoliss statement to the investment committee only serves to reinforce my critique of CalPERS. The pension plan has a leadership problem. We went through some of the recent incidents where CalPERS was deservedly lambasted by the press and concluded: To put this more tersely: if Eliopoulos thinks his problem is that CalPERS reputation is taking a hit, he needs to stop shooting messengers and clean up the underlying conduct. Instead, by engaging in innuendo and lashing out at critics, hes made matters worse by refocusing media attention on CalPERS recent own goals. For instance, in a podcast by PEHub editors Chris Witkowsky and Sam Sutton, which was supposed to be about When PE Firms Sell Themselves, more than half wound up being about CalPERS fiascos, as you can hear starting at 11:06, that both writers were unable to refrain from laughing at CalPERS, for instance, about how it tries to rationalize its private equity costs. At 20:21, Chris Witkowsky described Eliopoulos complaint about the attention it gets as as whining. But instead of fixing the real problem, which is weak skills in private equity, CalPERS appears to be trying to hide its private equity problems under a costly rug. Is This Move a Hedge Against a Private Equity Reformer Mike Flaherman Winning a Board Seat? The CalPERS board elections are underway. Two reform candidates are running for each of the two seats up to a vote this year: the aforementioned Mike Flaherman for an open seat, and Margaret Brown, who is contesting the incumbent Michael Bilbrey. You can watch Flahermans candidate statement here and Browns statement here. Flahermans extensive research into private equity abuses has served as the foundation for major stories in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has also worked regularly with JJ Jelincic on private equity issues. Even though CalPERS should welcome Flaherman because he could help improve their private equity program, its staff seems to regard him as a threat. Flaherman is vastly more knowledgeable than Eliopoulos or his deputy Wylie Tollette. Flaherman could also readily expose any dodgy ideas that more savvy private equity group members were trying to fob off on the board. Thus its not inconceivable that one of the motivations for the idea of moving private equity over to BlackRock is that the spotlight that CalPERS has already found too hot to handle would get even brighter if Flaherman (and/or Brown, who is not as expert as Flaherman but has good general finance knowledge and wont be rolled) were elected. Eliopoulos was correct when he said last June that CalPERS might not have the governance structure to handle private equity. But hes reached the wrong conclusion. It isnt private equity that needs to be extracted from CalPERS. Its him. Located on the Naknek River, 15 miles from Bristol Bay, in Southwest Alaska, King Salmon Lodge is a fishermans paradise. I jump like a salmon headed up stream when I have the chance to go fishing at King Salmon Lodge in Alaska, and this trip was no exception. Tiny King Salmon Airport, serviced by Pen Air, is an hour flight from Anchorage. While the airport is nothing to get excited about, fishing at King Salmon Lodge, Alaska is near Becharof National Wildlife Refuge as well as Katmai National Park. The lodge offers bear viewing excursions to Brooks Falls. Additionally, both fly out and guided fishing trips on the Naknek and other rivers may be arranged through the lodge. With 18 rooms, KSL operates more like a hotel than a luxury fishing lodge, but its a great alternative for those looking to arrange an affordable Alaska vacation. General Manager Matt Norman and his staff are a friendly, hard-working crew. We were visiting Alaska with friends, as our son was working at the lodge for the summer. Our hotel package included a queen bed with private bathroom, daily housekeeping and a hot breakfast buffet. My husband and I arranged for a private fishing guide and boat for three days, booked through the lodge. King salmon fishing is available from mid-June July, with silver salmon season starting in August. I have personally fished for both king salmon and silver salmon species, and in this instance, I prefer fishing for silvers. During the later part of summer there are less people fishing the rivers and a more relaxed atmosphere may be found at the lodge. Fishing at King Salmon Lodge, Alaska As the fishing and bear viewing season is quite short in Alaska, youll want to fit in a lot of activities during your vacation. We had considered a day fly out to Brooks Falls for bear viewing (an additional charge), but the call of fishing at King Salmon Lodge, Alaska won out for all three of us, in addition to our friends. Our son was able to experience Brooks Falls during his time in Southwest Alaska and thoroughly enjoyed his time seeing the bears. A typical morning at King Salmon Lodge, Alaska starts off with a hot buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs with bacon and sausage, cold cereal, cinnamon rolls, bagels, English muffins or pastries, in addition to coffee, tea and juice. After dressing in our lodge-supplied Simms waders and waterproof boots, our fishing guide picked up up bright and early each day from the private dock on the Naknek River. Your float plane awaits for private bear viewing, salmon fishing or photography trips. It pays its weight in gold silver salmon to fish with a coast guard licensed professional fishing guide. Seven to eight hours on the water (less if you limited out early) include the use of a fast boat, tasty lunch (ours included gourmet homemade soup, sandwiches, beef jerky, beer, water and candy) and the knowledge of a King Salmon fishing guide on the Naknek River (thank you Nate Peck) hooked us into almost 50 pounds of silver salmon, all filleted, vacuum packed and frozen. We shipped our wild Alaskan salmon home with us on our Alaska Airlines flight. I had planned to fill my Yeti Hopper cooler with fish to ship home, but we had a hiccup with receiving our cooler in time. Well try again during our lodge to lodge fishing trip on the Rogue River in Southern Oregon. King Salmon Lodge restaurant The 18 room King Salmon Lodge has an on-site restaurant and bar that is open to hotel guests, as well as locals. There are two suites and seven guest cabins available on property. On our visit, Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet has just wrapped a television segment, wildlife photographer and filmmaker Mark Emery shared memories of a trip to Alaskas Ring of Fire and photographer Charles Glatzer of Shootthelight.com scrolled through some of his gorgeous bear and wolf photos recently captured from the area. If you are able to time your stay at King Salmon Lodge with Steak Night (served on Thursday during our visit) you wont be disappointed. If you are a meat lover, this family-friendly dinner is not to be missed. Dinner starts off with Caesar salad, a grilled steak, the size of Alaska, fancy mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and finished with warm white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies and coffee. Fishing at King Salmon Lodge travel details We flew Alaska Airlines from Oakland, California to Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, changing to Pen Air for the final leg of the flight to King Salmon, Alaska. Pack as light as possible and plan on shipping an insulated wax fish box or cooler home full of salmon if this is an Alaskan fishing vacation. Pen Air will ship your luggage and fish boxes through (for an additional fee) to your final destination. What to pack for fishing at King Salmon Lodge Dress code is casual for fishing at King Salmon Lodge, Alaska. Dress in layers and pack insect & mosquito repellent clothing embedded with Insect Shield technology to keep the bugs away (although we didnt have any problem with mosquitoes.) Use my discount code Nancy33 at White Sierra for outdoor apparel. On our fishing trip to King Salmon Lodge there were no young children present so I cannot speak specifically to the family-friendly question. I did see a mother/daughter fishing duo and a twenty-something kid fishing with his dad during our stay. King Salmon Lodge prices includes an airport shuttle. Rooms include shampoo, but pack your own hair dryer if you need one. WiFi is available at the lodge. ATT phone users will not have any cell service here, but Verizon users are in luck. Be prepared for high prices if you need to pick up something at the store we are in King Salmon, Alaska and most items are flown in to the area. Insider Tips: Purchase your single or multi-day fish license before your arrive at King Salmon Lodge. We purchased our three day fish pass at Chinook Gifts adjoining the airport. King Salmon Lodge bar carries a selection of red and white wines, in addition to beer on tap and spirits. Order the Moscow Moose (Alaskas answer to the Moscow Mule) and purchase the brass souvenir cup to bring home a memory of your King Salmon Alaska vacation. If You Go: King Salmon Lodge (907) 246-8643 King Salmon, Alaska Fishing at King Salmon Lodge review and all photography by travel writer Nancy D. Brown. As always, all opinions are my own. Researchers cook up a new way to remove microplastics from water The researchers used egg whites and graphene to create an aerogel, a lightweight and porous material that can be used in many types of applications, including water filtration, energy storage, and sound and thermal insulation. Read more Nanocrystals store light energy and drive chemical reactions Researchers have introduced novel quantum dots with very low toxicity and very high performance. They are activated by commercially available blue LEDs - the UV light that is usually required is not needed. Read more Quantum materials enable next-generation photonics for mobile networks in the terahertz regime Researchers demonstrate that quantum materials of the topological insulator family can efficiently upconvert electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz (THz) regime. These results open new avenues for THz photonics technology and its application in sensing, security and sixth-generation mobile communications. Read more Silicon nanochip could treat traumatic muscle loss Technology that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has also shown promise as a treatment for traumatic muscle loss. Read more New technology creates carbon neutral chemicals out of thin air According to a new study, it is possible to capture carbon dioxide from the surrounding atmosphere and repurpose it into useful chemicals usually made from fossil fuels. Read more Forseeing failure of crystalline metallic materials Researchers develop a way to predict the failure of crystalline metallic materials from the earliest stages of stress cycling. Read more Material separates water from... water A flipping action in a porous material facilitates the passage of normal water to separate it out from heavy water. 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Register to our RSS feed to get regular updates: As part of our service to the nanotechnology community, nanoJOBS is designed to create more visibility among employers and job seekers. Participating in nanoJOBS is easy! Any employer in the nanotechnology field can post their jobs in the nanoJOBS database. Simply send details of your job offer to careers @ nanowerk.com and, if it is suitable for our site, we will post it here. As a job seeker, simply browse the nanoJOBS listings. If you find a job offer you would like to apply to, simply contact the employer directly as per the directions given. Good luck! In case you need help with your resume, here we list a few tips on how to spot a top resume writing service. There is a large number of absolutely amazing images out there. We picked some of the most spectacular for you: Developing new instruments to be able to "see" at the nanoscale is a research field in itself. Shown here is the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM), one of the foremost tools for imaging, measuring and manipulating matter at the nanoscale. Here, a platinum electrode measuring one hundredth of a nanometer has been deposited on the tip of this pyramid shaped AFM tip via focused ion beam (FIB) deposition. (Image: C. Menozzi, G.C. Gazzadi, S3 (INFM-CNR), Modena. Artwork: Lucia Covi) Nano-Explosions Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph of an overflowed electrodeposited magnetic nanowire array (CoFeB), where the template has been subsequently completely etched. Its a reminder that nanoscale research can have unpredicted consequences at a high level. (Image: Fanny Beron, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada) Climatic change on carbon nanotubes Carbon nanotubes have many characteristics that promise to revolutionize the world of structural materials. There are different ways to grow carbon nanotubes, especially the CVD technique, which allows obtaining SWCNTs on a silicon surface. These SWCNT can be carried from the silicon surface to another surface, as HOPG, without suffering changes on their properties. That means nanomanipulation of carbon nanotubes. (Mr Miguel Angel Fernandez Vindel, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid/Spain) The imaged object is a single crystalline diamond grain that is anisotropically etched by hot spheres of molten nickel (red). Self-organized nickel particles are obtained by sintering a thin Ni film (100 nm) that is evaporated on a polished diamond substrate. Self-organisation and etching are conducted by the following annealing procedure: 1000C in 500 mbar H 2 , 24 h. (Image: Waldemar Smirnov, Fraunhofer Institut Angewandte Festkorperphysik, Germany) Nano PacMan made of copper oxide. Scanning electron microscope image of a copper oxide cluster, 3.5 microns in diameter, prepared by evaporation and condensation over an alumina substrate. The smiley nose and eye are present in the original SEM image, which has only been color-enhanced. (Image: Elisabetta Comini, University of Brescia, Italy) We have a collection of these amazing images in some of our articles. You can find them here: The nonprofit Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) has released a series of scenarios depicting various versions of a near future nanotechnology world into which transformative manufacturing concepts may emerge. Across eight separate storylines, an international team of policy, technology, and economic specialists organized by CRN imagined in detail a range of plausible, challenging events from pandemics to climate crises to international conflicts to see how they might affect the development of advanced nanotechnology over the next 15 years. Scenario 1: Secret Military Development When the Democratic Party retakes the White House in 2009, most observers expect that how the new President deals with the implosion of Iraq and the ongoing "war on terror" will dominate the headlines over the course of her term in office. These observers are correct but not for the reasons they believe. Terrorism and war would certainly remain vital national issues for the new administration, but they are overshadowed by the emergence of a provocative new tool for both the U.S. and its adversaries. When the Democratic Party retakes the White House in 2009, most observers expect that how the new President deals with the implosion of Iraq and the ongoing "war on terror" will dominate the headlines over the course of her term in office. These observers are correct but not for the reasons they believe. Terrorism and war would certainly remain vital national issues for the new administration, but they are overshadowed by the emergence of a provocative new tool for both the U.S. and its adversaries. Scenario 2: Positive Expectations When the first "late beta" version of RepRap the "replicating rapid-prototyper" is released in early 2008, critics have a field day. It's slow. It's clumsy-looking. It can't actually replicate itself without adding a few key commercial parts. But where critics see an ugly duckling, design students, DIY hackers, and open source enthusiasts see a swan-in-the-making. By the summer, dozens of novel fabber projects emerge (some forked from RepRap, but most based on original designs), and by the fall, some have actually produced devices that an adventurous home user could play with. Forward-looking strategists at mega-retailers and mass manufacturers feel a distinct chill run up their collective spine. When the first "late beta" version of RepRap the "replicating rapid-prototyper" is released in early 2008, critics have a field day. It's slow. It's clumsy-looking. It can't actually replicate itself without adding a few key commercial parts. But where critics see an ugly duckling, design students, DIY hackers, and open source enthusiasts see a swan-in-the-making. By the summer, dozens of novel fabber projects emerge (some forked from RepRap, but most based on original designs), and by the fall, some have actually produced devices that an adventurous home user could play with. Forward-looking strategists at mega-retailers and mass manufacturers feel a distinct chill run up their collective spine. Scenario 3: Negative Drivers A story of death and redemption in three acts. A story of death and redemption in three acts. Scenario 4: Presidential Commission Presidential Commission on Molecular Manufacturing. Analysis: Origins of the Present Crisis Presidential Commission on Molecular Manufacturing. Analysis: Origins of the Present Crisis Scenario 5: And Not a Drop to Drink Water is crucial to the tiny island nation of Singapore. Surrounded by the salty sea, they get 50 percent of their potable water from rainfall and must import the other 50 percent. As of 2007, Singapore had a water purchase agreement with Malaysia, acquiring fully half of their nation's water supply through a dual pipeline running across the Straits of Johor. The Malaysia-Singapore agreement was due to run out in 2011, however, and an intractable disagreement over the price of water had caused negotiations to stall. Water is crucial to the tiny island nation of Singapore. Surrounded by the salty sea, they get 50 percent of their potable water from rainfall and must import the other 50 percent. As of 2007, Singapore had a water purchase agreement with Malaysia, acquiring fully half of their nation's water supply through a dual pipeline running across the Straits of Johor. The Malaysia-Singapore agreement was due to run out in 2011, however, and an intractable disagreement over the price of water had caused negotiations to stall. Warning: Use of undefined constant __ROOT__ - assumed '__ROOT__' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/34/43/7004334/web/nanotechnology/nano_tomorrows.php on line 46 Scenario 6: A Goal Postponed The middle of the first decade of the millennium saw a slow shift toward acceptance of molecular manufacturing. Not only its proponents, but unaffiliated scientists as well, began to acknowledge that the idea of molecular machines building molecular machines might be worth pursuing. The supporters of the approach began to draw a cautious breath of relief. By 2007, at least one group (the Nanofactory Collaboration) was working toward atom-by-atom fabrication of diamond, a company with a history of successful lab research (Zyvex) was working toward atomically precise silicon shapes, and DNA technology was making great strides forward. The middle of the first decade of the millennium saw a slow shift toward acceptance of molecular manufacturing. Not only its proponents, but unaffiliated scientists as well, began to acknowledge that the idea of molecular machines building molecular machines might be worth pursuing. The supporters of the approach began to draw a cautious breath of relief. By 2007, at least one group (the Nanofactory Collaboration) was working toward atom-by-atom fabrication of diamond, a company with a history of successful lab research (Zyvex) was working toward atomically precise silicon shapes, and DNA technology was making great strides forward. Scenario 7: Newshound Notebook Excerpts, 2013-2018 Excerpts, 2013-2018 Scenario 8: Breaking the Fever Global warming skeptics used to claim that the models climatologists used were wrong. Much to everyone's surprise, they were right. Unfortunately, they were right in the wrong way: the models weren't wrong because they over-stated the impact of global warming; they were wrong because they so severely under-stated it. Global warming skeptics used to claim that the models climatologists used were wrong. Much to everyone's surprise, they were right. Unfortunately, they were right in the wrong way: the models weren't wrong because they over-stated the impact of global warming; they were wrong because they so severely under-stated it. Note: These scenarios are not predictions, and do not represent outcomes desired by the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology. CRN intends the scenarios to provide a springboard for discussion of molecular manufacturing policies and societal responses. While each scenario can be understood individually, the real value of the process comes from the comparison of multiple scenarios. A strategic response that appears robust in one scenario may be dangerous in another; an organization, community, or polity using these scenarios to consider how to handle the emergence of molecular manufacturing should strive for responses that are viable across multiple scenarios. Finally, the numbering of the scenarios has nothing to do with importance or priority -- it's a simple reflection of the order in which they were completed. (Natural News) Those looking to ride the Metro in the Los Angeles area are now required to abide by a new set of Metro Manners, and some are definitely sillier than others. Doing things like eating or drinking, playing loud music, placing chewing gum underneath the seats, disturbing others, and even manspreading will now get you a $75 fine, according to CBS Los Angeles. For those who are unaware, manspreading is when a man sits in a seat and spreads his legs apart, thereby blocking the seats next to him and unintentionally or intentionally (though most of the time unintentionally) reveal their manliness to everyone in the area. While it is certainly understandable that the Los Angeles Metro doesnt want passengers taking up more than one seat, it seems a bit stupid that they went as far as implementing a $75 fine for those who sit in this particular position. Its as if they are forgetting the fact that people can simply walk onto the Metro and politely say excuse me, sir, youre taking up three seats. Please move. Needless to say, that sounds like a much more reasonable solution. Furthermore, its worth mentioning that if the practice of spreading ones legs on public transportation so as to block off adjacent seats were called womanspreading instead of manspreading, then feminists across the country would be outraged. They would be calling the rule sexist and arguing that it violates their civil rights, which really isnt surprising considering these are the same type of people who become irate when they are told that growing green armpit hair is socially unacceptable. At the very least, there is a double standard present that hasnt gone unnoticed. (Related: Melbourne cafe charges 18% male tax to punish men for the way they were born.) On a much more serious note, there really is a growing problem in America today that is directly related to the rise of the feminist movement. What started as a push for equality has slowly transformed into nothing but a strong hatred for men, and as a result, men are beginning to question whether or not marriage is even worth it. According to the Pew Research Center, between 1997 and 2010, the number of men between the ages of 18 and 34 who say that having a successful marriage is one of the most important things in life has decreased from 35 percent to 29 percent. For obvious reasons, this is a trend that is potentially harmful to future generations and the future of our country in general. Suzanne Walker further elaborated on this war on men in a Fox News article published back in 2012. To say gender relations have changed dramatically is an understatement, Walker wrote. Ever since the sexual revolution, there has been a profound overhaul in the way men and women interact. Men havent changed much they had no revolution that demanded it but women have changed dramatically. In a nutshell, women are angry, Walker continued. Theyre also defensive, though often unknowingly. Thats because theyve been raised to think of men as the enemy. Armed with this new attitude, women pushed men off their pedestal and climbed up to take what they were taught to believe was rightfully theirs. Of course, to place one hundred percent of the blame on women for the extensive problems of the millennial generation would be inaccurate and overly simplistic. But as many problems as young people have, and as many factors as there are that contribute to them, radical feminism remains one of the most significant. Feminists should consider making their movement more about gender equality and less about tearing down men, especially if they want to retain any credibility in the coming decades. Sources include: LosAngeles.CBSlocal.com FoxNews.com (Natural News) Remember how many liberal commentators and late night talk show hosts would routinely take shots at the Tea Party movement back in 2009 and 2010? These freedom-loving patriots were called almost every name in the book, from fascists to white nationalists, to Nazis and worse. They were labeled as bigots, extremists, thugs and terrorists, all for standing up for limited government and the United States Constitution. Yet conveniently, when it comes to Black Lives Matter or the violent rabble-rousers that make up the Antifa movement, the liberals are silent. This is because to the left, violence and chaos are okay so long as it is done in the name of advancing progressivism or tearing down the conservative movement. Still, the actions of groups like Antifa as of late are inexcusable. In fact, Breitbart News recently put together an entire list of journalists that have been assaulted by Antifa activists, and since the liberal media wont give them any further recognition, we here at Natural News will. (Related: Antifa should be declared a domestic terrorism organization.) Independent Journalist Keith Campbell During a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson last month, independent journalist Keith Campbell described a situation at Berkeley where a group of Antifa protesters forced their way through a police line and began mercilessly beating him. Another left wing journalist had to literally jump on top of him to prevent him from being beaten to death. CBS Photojournalist Just one day after the chaos that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, a separate rally against white supremacy was held in Richmond. It was at this rally that a local CBS reporter was struck in the head by an Antifa activist and rushed to the hospital. The Hill reporter Taylor Lorenz After posting a video on social media of a car ramming into a crowd of protestors, The Hill reporter Taylor Lorenz published a follow-up post on Twitter, which read The video cuts off at the end b/c some asshole came over and punched me in the face and kicked my phone for recording (I said I was press). Journalist that was shoved by Antifa after they stole his phone Last month, GGX News reporter Brian Neumann posted a video on Twitter of a distraught journalist who had his phone stolen by Antifa protesters. The journalist was then forced to explain to the activists that he is not pro-Trump, presumably out of fear that he would be harmed if they thought otherwise. Andrew Bolt of Sky News Back in June, conservative commentator Andrew Bolt was assaulted by two Antifa activists in Melbourne, Australia. After being sprayed with a liquid containing dye and glitter, Bolt, who is 57 years old, managed to get in a few punches and forced the thugs to flee. Max Bachmann of Heavy.com While covering the G20 protests, Max Bachmann of Heavy.com was attacked by Antifa after being labeled as a Nazi by a separate news reporter. Jack Posobiec of Rebel Media Conservative commentator and filmmaker Jack Posobiec was harassed and assaulted by Antifa at George Washington University earlier this summer. When the police identified and confronted Posobiecs attacker, he immediately claimed that he was actually the victim and not the aggressor. Marcus DiPaola of Heavy.com Marcus DiPaola was another journalist from Heavy.com who was attacked by Antifa while covering the G20 protests. DiPaola was able to obtain video footage of the entire assault, and wrote on Twitter, Punched in face & kicked to ground covering G20 Welcome to Hell protest by RECORDED THE WHOLE THING. Global News crew in Quebec In August, Antifa protesters in Quebec City took to the streets and began engaging in numerous violent and illegal acts, including destroying personal property and hurling fireworks at police. Amidst all of the chaos, Jean-Vincent Verveille and Mike Armstrong of Global News were assaulted by Antifa activists, and their expensive camera equipment was unfortunately destroyed. Thankfully, neither of them were severely injured. Daily Caller Cameraman Back in April, during a rally outside of the White House, a cameraman for the Daily Caller found himself caught in the middle of a war between Antifa activists and alt-right protesters. Video of the rally clearly shows a member of Antifa with a red mask across his face walking towards the Daily Caller cameraman and throwing a punch at him, briefly knocking him off balance. (Related: Are Antifa and the alt-right run by the same forces?) Sources include: Breitbart.com TheBlaze.com GlobalNews.ca JonathanTurley.org BigLeaguePolitics.com NationalReview.com FoxNews.com Townhall.com DEER LODGE A sonographer pleaded not guilty in Deer Lodge district court this week to additional charges of rape and sexual assault. Robert G. Baylor, 62, who pleaded not guilty in January to felony intercourse without consent and misdemeanor sexual assault, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to two additional counts of sexual intercourse without consent, one misdemeanor charge of sexual assault, and one felony charge of sexual assault. He was initially accused of the crimes by two female patients who received an ultrasound and a sonogram at the Deer Lodge Medical Center. In Tuesdays case, the court record indicates that two other female patients who underwent ultrasounds between March 2013 and February 2015 reported inappropriate behavior that left one rubbed raw and feeling terrified by the alleged assault. The other reported he massaged her breasts during one ultrasound and made lewd comments and another time caused severe pain and bleeding during a pelvic ultrasound. At the time of the alleged incidents, Baylor was an employee of St. James Healthcare in Butte, contracted to do sonograms at Deer Lodge Medical Center. The court record indicates that the administrations of both facilities investigated the allegations. He no longer provides services for those facilities. Baylor is free on $25,000 bond, but in light of the new charges, Judge Ray Dayton imposed additional conditions of the bond, including no direct medical contact with patients. (Natural News) The Russian president has become the latest person to warn of the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), actually predicting that whoever masters the technology first can rule the world. Addressing students last week, Vladimir Putin said that there are legitimate concerns about AI and that its development will produce colossal opportunities and threats that are difficult to predict now. Going further, Putin warned that the one who becomes the leader in this sphere will be the ruler of the world. He added: Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia but for all humankind, according to Russia Today. Putin added that he does not want to see the technology monopolized, and added that Russia would share it with the world if Moscow develops advanced AI first. If we become leaders in this area, we will share this know-how with the entire world, the same way we share our nuclear technologies now, he told students around the country, via satellite link-up, as he spoke to them from the Yaroslavl region. Putins lesson also included discussion of other topics including medicine, space, and human brain capabilities. The movement of the eyes can be used to operate various systems, and also there are possibilities to analyze human behavior in extreme situations, including in space, he said, as reported by RT. But he also made another stunning prediction that can definitely be tied to his comments about AI. He said that he believes future wars will be fought by drones, noting that when one partys drones are destroyed by drones of another, it will have no other choice but to surrender. Putin is not the first one to make dire predictions about a future dominated by AI technology. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has become a vocal, and regular, critic of the technology, which is rapidly advancing thanks to companies like Google and Microsoft. As reported by Robotics.news, Musk warned tech companies last month that are working to develop the technology to slow down their research to allow time for a regulatory regime to be established before the technology gets away from its human creators. AI is a fundamental existential risk for human civilization, and I dont think people fully appreciate that, Musk said during a presentation at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, The Independent reported. Musk has already established an initiative that seeks to set up AI standards and rules called Open AI, a nonprofit organization. I have exposure to the very cutting edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it, the Tesla CEO said. I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they dont know how to react, because it seems so ethereal. (Related: Elon Musk warns AI could wipe out humanity.) But hes fighting against developmental headwinds. As the Silicon Vally Business Journal reports, the time is coming for AI, and quickly. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is one of the technologys leading cheerleaders; hes called Musks warnings pretty irresponsible. I have pretty strong opinions on this. I am optimistic, Zuckerberg said. And I think people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios I just, I dont understand it. Its really negative and in some ways I actually think it is pretty irresponsible. Others agree with Zuckerberg. Max Versace, an AI expert, says that people like Musk are selling fear, and its working. As CNBC reports, Versace says its too early to regulate AI now because doing so would slow down innovation which is what Musk seeks. Its not appropriate to regulate AI until you know what youre working on, he said. AI will not kill us. Thats science fiction. One of the worlds great power leaders doesnt think so. J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel. Sources include: CNBC.com BizJournals.com Robotics.news People who read Nutraceuticals: Opportunities & Beyond" in the July/August 2017 print issue of INSIDER, might have been left wondering how to look beyond and find opportunity in the health and wellness space, and how to best approach the opportunities. Companies already participating in the space or from an adjacent industry, or ingredient suppliers, formulated product manufacturers and/or marketers can find opportunity in this attractive market. Though the means of approach and execution may vary, the first step usually begins with an understanding of the market followed by the ability to relate to and connect with customers. More specifically, brands must: Understand market trends. It is important to have a sense of what is on-trend, what is up-and-coming, and what is a passing fad. This awareness helps clarify where growth is coming from and its likelihood of being sustained. Know the product offerings in the market and how the market is segmented. This helps reveal gaps in offerings, generate ideas for differentiation or white space opportunities. Inspiration can come from other industries or other geographies. For example, Tespo, a liquid vitamin dispensing system with a subscription model, draws upon the Keurig coffee pod concept. Competitive landscape is important to understand, but should not be the most critical factor in deciding whether and where to participate. Competition will always be present, and a healthy competitive environment is beneficial to fostering growth among companies involved. Identify or even create unmet customer needs. An understanding of consumer lifestyle and behaviors is a necessity for formulated product manufacturers and/or marketers. It is equally important for ingredient suppliers to grasp whether they want to have sustained success and form partnerships rather than experience a more limited transactional relationship with finished product manufacturers and marketers. Consumer insights are valuable for ingredient suppliers when supporting their brands in activities, such as formulation or application development. In terms of developing options for growth, companies can think in the following framework, arranged in order of increasing disruption: Existing product/service offerings to existing customers Existing product/service offerings to new customers New product/service offerings to existing and/or new customers New distribution or access to customers New geographic regions New playing field" (e.g., vertical integration) There are a variety of ways to enable growth through these options including: licensing, alliances/partnerships, acquisitions and organic growth. Things to consider when developing a growth plan and choosing the extent of disruption include strategic fit with overall business goals and positioning, synergy with the companys assets (including both tangible and intangible) and capabilities, and the potential risks and rewards. The list of considerations go on, but the key to successful growth is to always maintain the connection with customers and be true to core strengths that distinguish a brand from competitors. In todays dynamic world, the old Chinese saying reminds us to counter fluidity by remaining consistent." Hear more form Xuesong Li on entrepreneurship in the health and nutrition industry at the SupplySide West 2017 Central Stage on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 5:00 p.m. Xuesong Li is a director of the management consulting practice at the New Jersey headquarters of Kline & Co. (klinegroup.com). She leads the team in providing business solutions to both global and local clients within the nutraceutical and beauty industry. Li has more than 12 years of experience in management consulting, working in both China and the United States. Her expertise includes market entry, business growth strategies, product and technology strategy, competitive intelligence, and merger and acquisition (M&A) support. Born in China, Li is fluent in Chinese and English. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has a problem and not much time to solve it. The chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee wants to turn the page on the divisive health debate of this summer. He's been working with the panel's top Democrat, Patty Murray (D-Wash.), to craft a bipartisan bill aimed at shoring up the individual health insurance market. Alexander has been looking at a proposal that would please Democrats (and insurance companies) by funding contested subsidies that help moderate-income policyholders pay their out-of-pocket health costs. To please Republicans, he has been pushing a plan to give states more flexibility to set up "reinsurance" pools that would help bring down premiums by limiting insurer exposure for the most expensive patients. And he has to get the job done with only a handful of legislative days in September before insurers must make final decisions on 2018 coverage. Alexander may have an impossible task ahead of him if his committee's hearings over the past two days are an indication. A bipartisan succession of state governors and insurance commissioners told the committee that there is no time for them to get their own reinsurance programs up and running in order to stabilize the market. What would help in the short term, they said, would be for the federal government to step in and do it temporarily. "For the first year, you're going to have to have the federal government help on that," said Gov. Bill Haslam (R-Tenn.). But a clearly frustrated Alexander said at the end of Thursday's hearing that he couldn't pass that kind of bill. "To get a Republican president, House and Senate to vote for just more money isn't going to happen in the next two or three weeks," he said. That, however, did not convince the governors, who said this money was essential in stabilizing the markets. "One of our great challenges is to get more people participating in the system; a reinsurance pool is one of the best ways to do that," said Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado. He and Haslam were echoed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, both Republicans; and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat. Reinsurance provides money to insurers for the sickest and highest-cost consumers. Governors testified that reinsurance would lower premiums, thereby bringing young, healthy people into the risk pool and providing stability to the marketplace. Alexander has been a proponent of states setting up their own reinsurance pools by applying for exemptions from the Affordable Care Act's rules to innovate in their markets. So-called Section 1332 waivers are permitted as long as they don't cost the federal government more money or cover fewer people. He asked in his opening remarks if there was a way to reform the clunky 1332 process to allow states to create their own reinsurance pools. "Whether it's reinsurance or an invisible high-risk pool or a stabilization fund we need to think about what the state share of that should be," Alexander said. As written, the health law makes it impossible for states to get waivers for reinsurance pools that could be up and running in time for 2018 enrollment. The waivers require state legislation and six-month waiting periods for final federal approval. The ACA created a federal reinsurance program that ran for three years, expiring in 2016. Bullock said the federal reinsurance pool lowered premiums by 10 to 15 percent in 2014. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), a former governor of her state, supported using federal dollars to help states set up their reinsurance programs. "At least some of the seed money should come from the feds, because the feds are going to save money if they put in place a reinsurance program and premiums go down," Hassan said. Without reinsurance, the federal government's costs for premium subsidies will rise as premiums increase. But Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said it was unlikely that a federal reinsurance program would be ready in time to affect 2018 premiums. I think were on a really tight time frame, Murphy said after the hearing. Whatever enthusiasm exists in the Senate for a federal reinsurance program might not exist in the House. Every governor in attendance also advocated for the extension of cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers for at least two years. Those payments, estimated at $10 billion for 2018, reimburse insurers for discounts given to low-income consumers. They are being funded on a month-to-month basis by the Trump administration. Some Republican senators have denounced both cost-sharing payments and reinsurance as "insurance company bailouts," but both the governors and the insurance commissioners told the committee that funding them is essential to keep insurers participating in the Obamacare marketplaces next year and prevent a spike in premiums. Two more HELP Committee hearings are set for next week, on Tuesday and Sept. 14 the first with health care experts and the second with a mixed panel including doctors and patient advocates. Alexander said Thursday that he wants to reach a consensus about stabilizing the individual health market by the end of next week and pass legislation before the end of September. That is when insurers need to submit their 2018 rates to state insurance regulators. Eli Lilly and Company announced yesterday that they have decided to lay off around 8.5 percent of their employees. The company was on its way to develop two potential major drugs over the past year but set backs have led to major financial losses, leading to this decision. The major drug company based in Indianapolis will cut down around 3,500 positions around the world which would save the company around $500 million starting 2018. Lilly has about 41,000 workers globally, including more than 18,500 in the U.S. The companys shares rose by 1.8 percent. Lilly expects charges of about $1.2 billion before tax, or $0.80 per share after tax. A further decline in expenditure is expected from a voluntary early-retirement program that would be in place in the United States cutting down on further 2000 employees. The company in a bid to cut costs would also shut down its plant in Iowa and its research and development offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey and Shanghai, China. Lillys operating margins have been lagging behind compared to its rivals according to experts. It has been one of the largest makers of insulin and diabetes drugs. Now it is facing loss of patent rights too in the near future. There is intense competition from its rivals and also a spate of new drugs and better pricing from other companies in the treatment of diabetes. In May, the U.S. patent expired for the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Strattera. Lillys another blockbuster drug Cialis for erectile dysfunction loses patent in November paving the way for generics. Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today In July this year, Lillys attempts at developing its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib suffered a setback after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve of the drug. The US FDA called for further clinical trials and studies before the drug could be approved. July this year, the company stated that there could be a multiple year delay in development of the drug as a result of these additional research that was mandated. Lilly was also developing an Alzheimers disease treatment solanezumab. This new drug was slated to be the first drug of its kind that would be effective in slowing the progression of the dreaded neurodegenerative disease. However the drug failed to show promise in clinical trials in November. This was another blow to the companys financial health. Eli Lilly is working towards the launch of two new medications come end of 2018. One of these would be useful in the treatment of breast cancer while the other would be useful in treatment of migraine headaches. The companys new product abemaciclib is now under the FDA review for the treatment of advanced breast cancers. President Donald Trump, has further urged the pharmaceutical industry to move the manufacturing jobs back to the US and has promised to lower the price of pharmaceuticals. A new set of research priorities to support tobacco control will help ensure future research provides the greatest benefit to public health and value for money, according to an international group led by Oxford University researchers. The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Groups research prioritization exercise involving over 300 people identified a total of 183 unanswered questions in tobacco control through two online surveys and an Oxford-based workshop, narrowed down to 24 priority questions. This prioritization exercise was funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care. The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group is funded by the NIHR Systematic Reviews Programme. Results from the prioritization exercise are published in the journal Addiction. The top 24 unanswered questions are grouped into eight priority research themes: Addressing inequalities in tobacco use Delivery of smoking cessation treatments Electronic cigarettes Quit attempt triggers Preventing tobacco use in young people Tobacco use in people with mental health problems and/or substance abuse issues Interventions targeting whole populations rather than individuals Quitting during pregnancy The range, appearance and accessibility of tobacco products has changed significantly in recent years, said Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Senior Researcher and Managing Editor in the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, which is based in Oxford Universitys Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. Technology has given rise to new ways of delivering nicotine that can help reduce the harms associated with traditional cigarettes. To ensure our research continues to address the contemporary issues in tobacco control, we aimed to develop a set of research priorities that represent the views of the widest group possible. The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, part of the global independent Cochrane network, gathers and summarizes the best evidence from research on the most effective methods of supporting smoking prevention and cessation. Their reviews, presenting what is considered gold standard evidence, often inform healthcare policy, guidance and practice and have contributed to global and national health guidelines in both the UK and US, and professional clinical training programmes. Dr Hartmann-Boyce and colleagues from the Universities of Oxford, Vermont and University College London consulted with doctors, stop smoking advisers, smokers, ex-smokers, health service commissions, researchers, funding bodies and policymakers representing 28 countries, though the majority were based in the UK and USA. Their project differed from traditional health research priority setting exercises, which typically target just clinicians and patients. At the Oxford workshop, attendees commented on the moral issue of addressing inequalities in tobacco use as a reason for putting it in the top spot. Also discussed were the issues surrounding electronic cigarette safety and their long-term side-effects, as well as the difficulty in maintaining the motivation to quit smoking. Unanswered research questions identified as most important for researchers to consider include: What are the most effective stop-smoking interventions for smokers are part of a hard-to-reach group? How can we make sure that all healthcare providers provide stop-smoking treatment which research has been found to be effective, safe and cost-effective? How safe are e-cigarettes, and are they as safe as other products? Professor Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at University College London, who contributed to the project, said: GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Captain America and the Winter Soldier Special #1 takes Marvel's secret history to a whole new level with a real world historical figure If you know who Gavrilo Princip is, prepare to be shocked A Tacocat performance is the kind of experience that sticks with you long after the show is over. Thats according to Matt Boyle, organizer of the free Original Festival, which kicks off Friday at the Original mineyard and features Tacocat at 6:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. "You never forget a Tacocat show, thats for sure," he said. But what else would you expect from a band whose website compares the group to a fluorescent-lit snack-aisle oasis in a desolate interstate road stop, brimming with Skittles and limited-edition Sno Balls? The Seattle-based band -- which Boyle described as an energetic, colorful mixture of pop punk and indie rock -- features the vocals of Butte native Emily Nokes along with drums by Lelah Maupin, bass by Bree McKenna, and guitar by Eric Randall. Nokes, 32, said she didnt grow up singing, nor did she have aspirations of being in a band that would gain a following. "Singing definitely is not something I thought I would ever do," the Butte High School alumna told The Montana Standard in a cell phone interview from the road Thursday. Instead, Nokes said, she moved to Seattle when she was 19 with the idea of becoming a graphic designer. There Nokes attended the Art Institute of Seattle, where she met drummer Lelah Maupin, who would later encourage Nokes to start singing casually with the Tacocat crew. Today the band offers upbeat performances replete with decadent, whimsical outfits and brightly colored hair and draws from punk, pop, and feminism, covering everything in their lyrics from womens issues to "The X-Files." Nokes described the bands aesthetic as "sparkly" and "fun" but said that when its members first got together, they went for a simpler sound, drawing from the music scene in Olympia, Washington, and girl bands like Vancouver-based Cub. When asked what she enjoys about performing, Nokes responded, "I like the adrenaline rush." However, she said what makes performing with Tacocat really worthwhile is the opportunity it affords to inspire young people. "Thats the most special thing to me, I think," said Nokes, who noted that the bands feminist themes are especially engaging to young women. Nokes said shes both nervous and excited to perform in Butte during the Original Festivals Friday night lineup and that shes happy to see a festival taking place in her hometown. Boyle, meanwhile, said hes learned a lot in the five years hes been organizing the festival, including about himself. "I dont even know where to begin," he said. Boyle said the first few years of the festival were tough, especially the first year when he didnt get the turnout he wanted and the third year, when his brother passed away. However, he says this year it feels as though the festival is coming into its own and that he anticipates a good turnout. A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has invented a powerful tool that rapidly and accurately identifies cancerous tissue during surgery, delivering results in about 10 secondsmore than 150 times as fast as existing technology. The MasSpec Pen is an innovative handheld instrument that gives surgeons precise diagnostic information about what tissue to cut or preserve, helping improve treatment and reduce the chances of cancer recurrence. If you talk to cancer patients after surgery, one of the first things many will say is I hope the surgeon got all the cancer out, says Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, an assistant professor of chemistry at UT Austin who designed the study and led the team. Its just heartbreaking when thats not the case. But our technology could vastly improve the odds that surgeons really do remove every last trace of cancer during surgery. The current state-of-the-art method for diagnosing cancers and determining the boundary between cancer and normal tissue during surgery, called Frozen Section Analysis, is slow and sometimes inaccurate. Each sample can take 30 minutes or more to prepare and interpret by a pathologist, which increases the risk to the patient of infection and negative effects of anesthesia. And for some types of cancers, frozen section interpretation can be difficult, yielding unreliable results in as many as 10 to 20 percent of cases. However, in tests on tissues removed from 253 human cancer patients, the MasSpec Pen took about 10 seconds to provide a diagnosis and was more than 96 percent accurate. The technology was also able to detect cancer in marginal regions between normal and cancer tissues that presented mixed cellular composition. The team expects to start testing this new technology during oncologic surgeries in 2018. Any time we can offer the patient a more precise surgery, a quicker surgery or a safer surgery, thats something we want to do, says James Suliburk, head of endocrine surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and a collaborator on the project. This technology does all three. It allows us to be much more precise in what tissue we remove and what we leave behind. Although maximizing cancer removal is critical to improve patient survival, removing too much healthy tissue can also have profound negative consequences for patients: For example, breast cancer patients could experience higher risk of painful side effects and nerve damage, in addition to aesthetic impacts. Thyroid cancer patients could lose speech ability or the ability to regulate the bodys calcium levels in ways that are important for muscle and nerve function. This research was accomplished by an interdisciplinary team, merging the fields of chemistry, engineering and medicine. Other main contributors include Thomas Milner, professor of biomedical engineering in UT Austins Cockrell School of Engineering and his lab members; Jialing Zhang, research associate at the Eberlin Lab at UT Austin who led the experimental work with other lab members; Anna Sorace, assistant professor at UT Austins Dell Medical School; Chandandeep Nagi and Wendong Yu, professors of pathology at Baylor College of Medicine, and Jinsong Liu, professor of pathology at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The team and UT Austin have filed U.S. patent applications for the technology and are now working to secure worldwide patents. How it Works Living cells, whether they are healthy or cancerous, produce small molecules called metabolites. These molecules are involved in all the important processes of lifesuch as generating energy, growing and reproducingas well as other useful functions such as removing toxins. Each type of cancer produces a unique set of metabolites and other biomarkers that act as fingerprints. Cancer cells have dysregulated metabolism as theyre growing out of control, says Eberlin. Because the metabolites in cancer and normal cells are so different, we extract and analyze them with the MasSpec Pen to obtain a molecular fingerprint of the tissue. What is incredible is that through this simple and gentle chemical process, the MasSpec Pen rapidly provides diagnostic molecular information without causing tissue damage. The molecular fingerprint obtained by the MasSpec Pen from an uncharacterized tissue sample is instantaneously evaluated by software, called a statistical classifier, trained on a database of molecular fingerprints that Eberlin and her colleagues gathered from 253 human tissue samples. The samples included both normal and cancerous tissues of the breast, lung, thyroid and ovary. When the MasSpec Pen completes the analysis, the words Normal or Cancer automatically appear on a computer screen. For certain cancers, such as lung cancer, the name of a subtype might also appear. In tests performed on human samples, the device was more than 96 percent accurate for cancer diagnosis. The team has also demonstrated that it accurately diagnoses cancer in live, tumor-bearing mice during surgery without causing any observable tissue harm or stress to the animals. Physicians can operate the disposable handheld device easily. It requires simply holding the pen against the patients tissue, triggering the automated analysis using a foot pedal, and waiting a few seconds for a result. Meanwhile, the pen releases a drop of water onto the tissue, and small molecules migrate into the water. Then the device drives the water sample into an instrument called a mass spectrometer, which detects thousands of molecules as a molecular fingerprint. The process is also low-impact for patients. When designing the MasSpec Pen, we made sure the tissue remains intact by coming into contact only with water and the plastic tip of the MasSpec Pen during the procedure, says Zhang. The result is a biocompatible and automated medical device that we are so excited to translate to the clinic very soon. Science Translational Medicine Nondestructive tissue analysis for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diagnosis using a handheld mass spectrometry system Is the pen mightier than the scalpel? Although a surgeons goal is to remove cancer in its entirety during excision surgery, achieving negative margins (absence of cancer cells at the outer edge of the excised tumor specimen) can be challenging. To facilitate intraoperative diagnosis, Zhang et al. developed a handheld pen-like device that rapidly identifies the molecular profile of tissues using a small volume water droplet and mass spectrometry analysis. After 3 s of gentle physical contact with a tissue surface, the water droplet is transported to a mass spectrometer, which characterizes diagnostic proteins, lipids, and metabolites. The pen could be used to rapidly distinguish tumor from healthy tissue during surgery in mice, without requiring specific labeling or imaging and without evidence of tissue destruction. Abstract Conventional methods for histopathologic tissue diagnosis are labor- and time-intensive and can delay decision-making during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. We report the development of an automated and biocompatible handheld mass spectrometry device for rapid and nondestructive diagnosis of human cancer tissues. The device, named MasSpec Pen, enables controlled and automated delivery of a discrete water droplet to a tissue surface for efficient extraction of biomolecules. We used the MasSpec Pen for ex vivo molecular analysis of 20 human cancer thin tissue sections and 253 human patient tissue samples including normal and cancerous tissues from breast, lung, thyroid, and ovary. The mass spectra obtained presented rich molecular profiles characterized by a variety of potential cancer biomarkers identified as metabolites, lipids, and proteins. Statistical classifiers built from the histologically validated molecular database allowed cancer prediction with high sensitivity (96.4%), specificity (96.2%), and overall accuracy (96.3%), as well as prediction of benign and malignant thyroid tumors and different histologic subtypes of lung cancer. Notably, our classifier allowed accurate diagnosis of cancer in marginal tumor regions presenting mixed histologic composition. Last, we demonstrate that the MasSpec Pen is suited for in vivo cancer diagnosis during surgery performed in tumor-bearing mouse models, without causing any observable tissue harm or stress to the animal. Our results provide evidence that the MasSpec Pen could potentially be used as a clinical and intraoperative technology for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diagnosis. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Police reports HOLED UP IN BATHROOM Police arrested a Butte woman late Thursday morning for allegedly punching her cousin in the face while she was asleep on the couch before holing up in the bathroom with meth. The victim called police to the house on the 3500 block of Gaylord Street around 10:20 a.m. When they arrived, they found an apparently high Lucinda Lopez, 43, in the bathroom. Officers found meth in the bathroom, too, so they arrested Lopez for felony possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor partner/family member assault. She was still in jail as of late Friday morning with no bond set yet. THIS CAN'S FOR YOU Police were called to the 1800 block of Arizona Street around 1 p.m. Thursday on a residents complaint that a neighbor was throwing beer cans into the persons yard. The officer was unable to determine for sure who had done what. WHERE'D IT GO? A resident called police to investigate a possible burglary on the 1200 block of Farrell Street late Thursday afternoon. The person said a backpack with credit cards and food-stamp cards was missing, but he or she wasnt certain whether it had been stolen or just misplaced. The credit cards apparently had not been used by anyone since the backpack went missing, however. ASSAULT ARREST Kevin Timothy Warner, 51, of Butte was arrested early Friday after his girlfriend said he assaulted her on their way home. The victim said Warner pulled her hair, so police went to his residence on the 200 block of Aspen Loop and took him to jail on a misdemeanor complaint of partner/family member assault. No bond had been set as of late Friday morning. Mass to honor local first responders People are invited to join Father Patrick Beretta and the communities of St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception parishes to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and Honor at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, in St. Patrick Church for the first responders in Butte. Also invited are police, jailers, dispatch, and fire and EMT personnel to attend in uniform and be recognized, thanked, and blessed with a special blessing. People need not be Catholic to attend. Details, parish office, 406-723-5407. Journalist to discuss Montana filmmaking In conjunction with the Covellite International Film Festival, the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, 17 W. Quartz St., will continue its Brown Bag lunch series at noon Wednesday, Sept. 13, with a presentation by Brian DAmbrosio titled Shot in Montana: A History of Big Sky Cinema." For nearly a century, movies have been made in Montana. From megahits with the biggest Hollywood stars to acclaimed independent films and forgettable flops, nearly 100 movies have been made, in whole or in part, in Montana, and for the first time this treasure trove of filmmaking has been researched and documented. In "Shot in Montana: A History of Big Sky Cinema," DAmbrosio, a Montana journalist and poet, describes every movie, including the actors, directors, and shooting locations, and reveals fascinating stories and incidents that took place behind the cameras. Guests are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Coffee and water will be provided. Details: 406-782-3280. UM Western professor to talk at Tech Spruce W. Schoenemann, University of Montana Western, Environmental Sciences Department, will give a lecture at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in room 128 of the Natural Resources Building, Montana Tech. Schoenemanns lecture is titled Reconstructing Holocene Climate Based on Alkenones and Isotopes from West Greenland Lake Sediments: Temperature or Effective Moisture as a Driver? Visitor parking is available behind the Natural Resources Building (north side). AARP Smart Driving Course Thursday AARP Smart Driving Course will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Belmont Senior Center. This includes one hour for lunch. For details and to register, call 406-723-7773. Burros Club to meet Wednesday The Butte-Silver Bow Democrats Burros Club will have a luncheon at noon Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Butte Country Club, 3400 Elizabeth Warren Ave. Guest speakers will be members of the Southwest Montana Continuum of Care Coalition. The group will present information about a new delivery system the coalition is building to end homelessness in Silver Bow County. The system models an approach working in communities across the nation utilizing "housing first" and other concepts. The coalition is made up of 15 member agencies with over 20 members who are collaborating on the new delivery system. Details: 406-498-1678. Animal control impounds listed These animals have been picked up by Butte animal control. Call the Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter at 406-497-6528 or stop by between 1 and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Chickens: Two adult chickens, one white, one black and white, picked up Wednesday on Chula and Lexington Dog: Thirteen-year-old male tan and silver Yorkshire terrier, neutered, picked up Wednesday on 800 block of South Main Cats: Three-year-old female Siamese, lilac point, picked up Friday on 1000 block of South Main Five-month-old black longhaired, picked up Thursday on 700 block of Granite Street The Montana Department of Justice has issued a Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Savanah Carelock. She is a 17-year-old suicidal female that is missing from Helena since Sept.6. The recent op-ed in The Montana Standard supporting more fuel reductions by Dave Atkins and 11 other signers demonstrates a lack of understanding of basic wildfire and forest ecology. While the authors acknowledge there are times when fuel reductions do not work due to extreme weather conditions, they still argue that its worth doing them. What for? Most wildfires burning under less than red flag conditions tend to be easily controlled, and if left alone, would self-extinguish anyway, as Canadian researchers have shown. Its a difficult concept for some to understand, but fuels dont drive fires that burn 98 percent of the landscape that ends up burning red flag weather conditions do. And these are the fires where fuel reductions are largely ineffective. Thus, their analogy to seat belts is entirely inappropriate seat belts work on the rare occasion when we need them, while fuel reductions fail precisely when we need them! Furthermore, the authors suggest that treating dry ponderosa pine forests is effective. Yet most of our fires are burning in higher elevation forests of lodgepole pine, fir and spruce, not the dry ponderosa pine forests where they advocate fuel treatments. Ponderosa pine only makes up 4 percent of the forest cover in the northern Rockies. The fallacy of the fuel-reduction argument is that it fails to address the real problem of more frequent and larger fires; fuels are not the problem the warming climate is. We cannot cut enough trees or do enough prescribed burns to make any significant effect on the occurrence of large fires. Nor should we even want to reduce either the occurrence or severity of wildfires because both plant and animal species have evolved to depend on the more severely burned forest patches. What we need is to be fire-safe, and risk reduction has been shown to be almost entirely a product of our home environment and not the forest environment miles away from homes. -- George Wuerthner is an ecologist who has studied wildfire ecology for four decades and written two books and numerous articles on fire ecology. Why does this keep happening? The internet was built for openness and speed, not for security. As more personal information is stored online, it has become a target for hackers, who constantly scan the internet for potential security holes and entry points. At government agencies, old, out-of-date systems and budget shortfalls have left information vulnerable. Security experts say there is no way to keep hackers out of systems with traditional defenses like firewalls and antivirus software. With breaches now the norm, organizations are finally moving toward more modern defenses, like monitoring software that can pick up unusual network activity and two-factor authentication, a system that requires employees and internet users to enter a second, one-time password when they log in from a new computer. But security experts say the only way information can be protected is to scramble it with encryption technology that makes it unreadable to hackers. Houstons sprawling network of petrochemical plants and refineries released millions of pounds of pollutants in the days after Hurricane Harvey began barreling toward Texas. Even under normal operations, the hundreds of industrial facilities in the area can emit harmful chemicals. But from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30, 46 facilities in 13 counties reported an estimated 4.6 million pounds of airborne emissions that exceeded state limits, an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund, Air Alliance Houston and Public Citizen shows. Federal and state regulators say their air monitoring shows no cause for alarm. But the extra air pollution is just the latest concern for residents and environmental groups in the days after the storm. At least 14 toxic waste sites were flooded or damaged, raising fears of waterborne contamination. And nearly 100 spills of hazardous substances have been reported. Air Pollutants Were Released Across the Region Lake Conroe Austin Valero Energy Refinery 3,358 lbs. of emissions resulted from hurricane damage to facility Beaumont Baytown Port Arthur TEXAS Houston Trinity Bay 20 miles Pasadena Chevron Phillips Chemical Cedar Bayou Plant 582,129 lbs. Emissions resulted from shutdown for hurricane Galveston Bay San Antonio Galveston Victoria Formosa Point Comfort Plant 1,328,850 lbs. Emissions resulted from start-up after hurricane Facilities that released airborne emissions because of Hurricane Harvey Gulf of Mexico Flint Hills Resources East Refinery 98,750 lbs. Emissions resulted from start-up after hurricane Corpus Christi Area of detail Valero Energy Refinery 3,358 lbs. of emissions Emissions resulted from hurricane damage to facility Austin Beaumont Baytown Port Arthur TEXAS Houston Trinity Bay 20 miles Pasadena Galveston Bay Chevron Phillips Chemical Cedar Bayou Plant 582,129 lbs. Emissions resulted from shutdown for hurricane San Antonio Galveston Victoria Formosa Point Comfort Plant 1,328,850 lbs. Emissions resulted from start-up after hurricane Facilities that released airborne emissions because of Hurricane Harvey Gulf of Mexico Flint Hills Resources East Refinery 98,750 lbs. Emissions resulted from start-up after hurricane Corpus Christi Area of detail Valero Energy Refinery 3,358 lbs. of emissions Austin Beaumont Port Arthur TEXAS Houston Pasadena San Antonio Galveston 20 miles Victoria Formosa Point Comfort Plant 1,328,850 lbs. Facilities that released airborne emissions because of Hurricane Harvey Flint Hills Resources East Refinery 98,750 lbs. Corpus Christi Area of detail Gulf of Mexico Valero Energy Refinery 3,358 lbs. of emissions Beaumont Port Arthur TEXAS Houston Pasadena Galveston Formosa Point Comfort Plant 1,328,850 lbs. Flint Hills Resources East Refinery 98,750 lbs. Facilities that released airborne emissions because of Hurricane Harvey 20 mi. Area of detail Corpus Christi Gulf of Mexico Estimated data from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30, 2017 Many plants in the hurricanes path released extra pollutants into the air when they shut down in preparation for the storm, and again when they resumed operations. A giant plastics plant in Point Comfort, about 100 miles southwest of Houston, released about 1.3 million pounds of excess emissions, including toxic gases like benzene, when it restarted after the storm. The plant is operated by Formosa Plastics, an affiliate of a Taiwanese petrochemicals conglomerate, and has a checkered safety record. Steve Rice, a Formosa spokesman, declined to comment on the emissions. Cal Dooley, the chief executive of the American Chemistry Council, said in a statement that chemical facilities were built with hurricanes in mind and followed storm protocols. These controlled releases are done with the permission of state and federal regulatory authorities, he said. Other facilities were damaged by wind or water and involuntarily released hazardous gases. On Tuesday, Houston officials said they had detected high levels of benzene in a neighborhood in the city that is close to a damaged Valero Energy refinery. Loren Raun, the chief environmental science officer for the Houston Health Department, said that the readings varied depending on which way the wind was blowing but that officials were seeing high numbers. And in a dramatic case, a series of explosions at a flooded chemical plant in Crosby, Tex., filled the air with smoke, triggering an evacuation of nearby residents and sending 21 emergency workers to hospitals for smoke inhalation. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state environmental regulator, said that most of its air monitors which had been shut down during the storm were back in service, and were not detecting emissions at levels that would be harmful to human health. The Environmental Protection Agency said that its own monitors showed that residents should not be concerned about air quality issues related to the effects of the storm. Still, environmental advocates said that pollutants could pose long-term risks, even if they were not immediately toxic. These are cancer-causing compounds, like benzene and butadiene, said Elena Craft, an Environmental Defense Fund senior health scientist based in Austin. Were very concerned about peoples long-term health in the area. At Least 14 Toxic Waste Sites Were Flooded Lake Conroe Silsbee Conroe Somerville Lake TEXAS Beaumont Dayton Brenham Lake Houston Port Arthur Sabine Lake Houston Trinity Bay 10 miles Columbus Galveston Bay Facility that houses toxic chemicals Superfund site Superfund site that was flooded or damaged Galveston El Campo Gulf of Mexico Area of detail Bay City Lake Texana Lake Conroe Conroe Somerville Lake TEXAS Beaumont Dayton Brenham Lake Houston Port Arthur Sabine Lake Houston Trinity Bay 10 miles Columbus Superfund site Galveston Bay Superfund site that was flooded or damaged Facility that houses toxic chemicals Galveston El Campo Area of detail Gulf of Mexico Bay City Lake Texana Conroe TEXAS Beaumont Dayton Brenham Port Arthur Houston Columbus 20 miles Gulf of Mexico Galveston El Campo Area of detail Superfund site Superfund site that was flooded or damaged Facility that houses toxic chemicals Conroe Beaumont TEXAS Port Arthur Houston 20 mi. Galveston Area of detail Gulf of Mexico Superfund site Superfund site that was flooded or damaged Facility that houses toxic chemicals Houstons large petrochemical industry also makes floodwater contamination a major concern. Harris County, home to Houston, hosts more than two dozen current and former toxic waste sites designated under the federal Superfund program. At least 14 of these sites whose grounds are contaminated with dioxins, lead, arsenic, benzene or other compounds from industrial activities were flooded or damaged by Hurricane Harvey. April 6, 2017 Aug. 31, 2017 Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site Crosby, Tex. April 6, 2017 Aug. 31, 2017 Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site Crosby, Tex. Aug. 31, 2017 April 6, 2017 Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site Crosby, Tex. Aug. 31, 2017 April 6, 2017 Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site Crosby, Tex. Aug. 31, 2017 April 6, 2017 Sikes Disposal Pits Superfund site Crosby, Tex. DigitalGlobe The E.P.A. said that it had assessed 13 Superfund sites and that two would require additional assessment efforts. The sites pose serious health risks, said Luke Metzger, the founding director of Environment Texas, an environmental advocacy group. Theres just dozens of varieties of chemicals, all of which are hazardous to human health, Mr. Metzger said. Some of these sites were just protected by a tarp covered with rocks, he said, explaining that that was inadequate for keeping toxic substances contained. With the floodwaters spreading these poisons to broader communities, Mr. Metzger added, theres fear that more people could get sick, either from direct exposure to the water, or even down the road from eating contaminated seafood. Oil Spills and Other Hazardous Releases Were Also Reported Data through Sept. 3, 2017 The United States Coast Guards National Response Center tracks reports of oil spills and other chemical releases. Those reports can be filed both by companies and by members of the public. From Aug. 24 to Sept. 3, callers made 96 reports of oil, chemical or sewage spills across southeast Texas. Though incomplete, such data provides a preliminary snapshot of the chemical pollutants released in the area, said Ilan Levin, the Texas-based associate director of the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit advocacy group. Here in the United States, each state has its own list of concerns and priorities. It's clear the Trump administration could not be more out of touch with many of them. Let's take Oregon for example. Like many states, Oregon has a drug problem and it has a problem with high incarceration rates. Recently, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill to decriminalize drugs . The bill will reduce jail time for first-time offenders caught with Schedule 1 and 2 drugs like heroin, meth, and cocaine. Possession of these drugs will no longer be a felony for first-timers. Instead, Oregon will prioritize treatment and rehabilitation. This comes at a time when Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions is trying to get tough and rekindle the war on drugs that has so infamously failed to stop anyone from abusing drugs. After senators voted to maintain medical marijuana protections--against Sessions' wishes-- Oregon's step to decriminalize drugs other than marijuana takes the rebellion to another level. "We are trying to move policy toward treatment rather than prison beds, we can't continue on the path of building more prisons when often the underlying root cause of the crime is substance abuse," said co-chair of public safety, Sen. Jackie Winters, a Republican. If Oregon's bill does indeed help reduce drug-related crimes while it saves the state money on prisons, expect it to set a precedent that will see other states follow suit. Consider the timeline of cannabis laws . California's legalization of medical marijuana in '96 helped lead Oregon, Washington, and Alaska to do the same in '98. Then, after more than a decade, Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana in 2012. Those states' success with legalization has prompted a total of 29 states to legalize marijuana--medical, recreational, or both. In a signal of disgust with the Obama administration's failure to remove marijuana from the Schedule 1 drug list, eight states voted to legalize either recreational or medical marijuana in 2016. States are ahead of the federal government in understanding the war on drugs is not working. This has a great deal to do with the reality of the situation on the ground. While the federal government can sit back, analyze statistics, wage a war for political reasons, and reinforce the pharmaceutical industry's stranglehold on America, states have to deal with the fall-out. Every day, real people watch real people go to prison, die, or waste their lives away on drugs. Washington, meanwhile, exists in a bubble of money and power that has nothing to do with the lives of ordinary citizens. A look at the opioid crisis will reinforce this point: -- 44 people die of prescription drug overdoses each day -- 60 percent of deaths are caused by prescription opioids -- 2 million Americans were addicted to prescription opioids in 2014 Yet Trump is not calling this a national emergency and is focusing efforts on the same old tough law enforcement, as well as policing the Mexican border--despite several states having sued pharmaceutical companies for aggressively peddling legal, synthetic forms of heroin. Another form of synthetic heroin, fentanyl, would not exist without the war on drugs. Because the federal government has focused on burning down South American poppy fields, fentanyl labs have popped up in Mexico and China, intent on meeting the demand created by a diminishing heroin supply. What if we decided to meet the demand ourselves by weaning users off of opioids through the use of opioid agonist therapy? This is an evidence-based form of treatment. Basically, a substance like methadone simulates the effects of heroin, but is not as addictive, and the user slowly lessens their intake until they don't need it anymore. If a user finds their heroin source running dry, they're likely to turn to prescription opioids or fentanyl--synthetic forms of heroin more likely to kill a user than methadone. Only about 10 percent of heroin addicts get addiction treatment. As states like Oregon have discovered, the remaining 90 percent of addicts who get caught go to jail, and the problem doesn't dissipate. Increasingly, states will recognize this is an untenable state of affairs and will rebel against Trump's war on drugs. (Image by Healthcare for all) Details DMCA Reprinted from healthoverprofit.org By Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese Billions More for Crony Capitalist Insurance or Improved Medicare for All This week we attended a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee where there was broad bi-partisan support for giving billions more to the insurance industry to "stabilize the market." The government already gives for-profit insurance $300 billion annually and their stock values have risen dramatically since passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), so the rush to give them more was disheartening. That was contrasted with a meeting with the staff of Senator Bernie Sanders about the improved Medicare for all bill he plans to introduce on September 13. Sanders, along with other Senators, is seriously trying to figure out how to transform health care from being a profit center for big business to being a public good that serves the people. That means doing away with the health insurance industry, not giving them billions of public dollars. The contrast reinforced the need to advocate for improved Medicare for all and push for the best healthcare system we can create. Healthcare a Commodity or a Human Right? Senators are back from their long summer recess, and they started off with health care back at the top of the agenda. The Senate HELP committee held its first of four hearings on September 6, and Senator Bernie Sanders is preparing to introduce a Medicare for All bill on September 13. The two efforts are a clear example of the underlying dilemma that we have faced in the United States for the past 100 years: Is health care a commodity or a public good? It can't be both. The failed efforts to repeal and replace the ACA took up a lot of time and energy this year and left the country in no better position to deal with the ongoing healthcare crisis. Now, time is really short because private health insurers are announcing their rates for 2018, and they are, not surprisingly, screaming for more money because they have to (*gasp*) pay for health care. A group of us attended the first Senate HELP committee hearing to convey the message that the people are ready to undertake the serious work of creating a National Improved Medicare for All. Typically, before and sometimes during a hearing, attendees are allowed to hold signs as long as they are not disruptive. On that day, the committee chair, Senator Lamar Alexander, ordered that signs be put away before the hearing even began. He told Dr. Carol Paris, a steering committee member of the Health Over Profit for Everyone campaign, that "we are not talking about improved Medicare for All now." Instead, the entire hearing focused on "stabilizing the insurance market," even though their stock values have quadrupled since 2010. Five health insurance commissioners from different states testified before the senators and answered questions. It appeared that all had been well-prepped by the health insurance industry. The committee members patted each other on the back for being bi-partisan, unfortunately they were working together for the insurance industry, not for the people. The bi-partisan hearing discussed three main points: making sure that public dollars were available to subsidize insurance costs, reinsuring private health insurers so they would be protected if they had to spend 'too much' money on health care and incentives to entice private insurers back into areas that are not profitable. Coincidentally, these were the same points raised in the bi-partisan proposal published this year by the Center for American Progress, a Democratic Party think tank financed in part by health insurance lobbyists. Both parties are clearly on the side of health care as a commodity. Not one person participating in the hearing questioned whether health care belonged in the market. At least one Senator, Rand Paul, complained about Big Insurance coming to Washington with their hands out and said he would rather pay directly for health care than give the money to Big Insurance. His ideology is far from supporting Improved Medicare for All, but he did call out the corruption. Perhaps the most disappointing of the day was Senator Al Franken, who has completely bought into the 'health care is a commodity' camp. Not only did he advocate for subsidizing and reinsuring private insurers, but he called for a federal reinsurance program to cover the costs of people who need health care, at least after Big Insurance takes their cut. And Franken, who tried to make jokes about the hearing, called for more money to advertise and lure youth into the insurance market, which is about as unethical as pushing cigarettes or candy, and wants heavier enforcement of mandates to purchase health insurance. Franken touted a 'virtuous cycle' of giving more money to health insurers so that they lower premiums and more people buy insurance. The problem is that there is nothing very virtuous about spending billions to subsidize an industry that has a greater responsibility to pay its Wall Street investors than to pay for necessary health care. The insurance industry has shown itself to be insatiable, and ready to use their power to extort Congress because they hold people's lives in their hands. It was a difficult hearing to attend. The whole time we wanted to stand up and ask whether they could possibly see how ridiculous this all appeared and whether they thought private health insurers added any benefit. But, the Capitol Police made it clear from the start that they would arrest anyone who disrupted without warning, and we had a meeting scheduled with Senator Sanders' staff after the hearing. We did manage to squeeze out a few "Medicare for All's" during the hearing. Healthcare Without the For-Profit Insurance Industry Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. From Paul Craig Roberts Website Armageddon (Image by paolofefe) Details DMCA The United States shows the world such a ridiculous face that the world laughs at us. The latest spin on "Russia stole the election" is that Russia used Facebook to influence the election. The NPR women yesterday were breathless about it. We have been subjected to 10 months of propaganda about Trump/Putin election interference and still not a scrap of evidence. It is past time to ask an unasked question: If there were evidence, what is the big deal? All sorts of interest groups try to influence election outcomes including foreign governments. Why is it OK for Israel to influence US elections but not for Russia to do so? Why do you think the armament industry, the energy industry, agribusiness, Wall Street and the banks, pharmaceutical companies, etc., etc., supply the huge sum of money to finance election campaigns if their intent is not to influence the election? Why do editorial boards write editorials endorsing one candidate and damning another if they are not influencing the election? What is the difference between influencing the election and influencing the government? Washington is full of lobbyists of all descriptions, including lobbyists for foreign governments, working round the clock to influence the US government. It is safe to say that the least represented in the government are the citizens themselves who don't have any lobbyists working for them. The orchestrated hysteria over "Russian influence" is even more absurd considering the reason Russia allegedly interfered in the election. Russia favored Trump because he was the peace candidate who promised to reduce the high tensions with Russia created by the Obama regime and its neocon nazis -- Hillary Clinton, Victoria Nuland, Susan Rice, and Samantha Power. What's wrong with Russia preferring a peace candidate over a war candidate? The American people themselves preferred the peace candidate. So Russia agreed with the electorate. Those who don't agree with the electorate are the warmongers -- the military/security complex and the neocon nazis. These are democracy's enemies who are trying to overturn the choice of the American people. It is not Russia that disrespects the choice of the American people; it is the utterly corrupt Democratic National Committee and its divisive Identity Politics, the military/security complex, and the presstitute media who are undermining democracy. I believe it is time to change the subject. The important question is who is it that is trying so hard to convince Americans that Russian influence prevails over us? Do the idiots pushing this line realize how impotent this makes an alleged "superpower" look. How can we be the hegemonic power that the Zionist neocons say we are when Russia can decide who is the president of the United States? The US has a massive spy state that even intercepts the private cell phone conversations of the Chancellor of Germany, but the massive spy organization is unable to produce one scrap of evidence that the Russians conspired with Trump to steal the presidential election from Hillary. When will the imbeciles realize that when they make charges for which no evidence can be produced they make the United States look silly, foolish, incompetent, stupid beyond all belief? Countries are supposed to be scared of America's threat that "we will bomb you into the stone age," but the President of Russia laughs at us. Putin recently described the complete absence of any competence in Washington: "It is difficult to talk to people who confuse Austria and Australia. But there is nothing we can do about this; this is the level of political culture among the American establishment. As for the American people, America is truly a great nation if the Americans can put up with so many politically uncivilized people in their government." These words from Putin were devastating, because the world understands that they are accurate. Consider the idiot Nikki Haley, appointed by Trump in a fit of mindlessness as US Ambassador to the United Nations. This stupid person is forever shaking her fist at the Russians while mouthing yet another improbable accusation. She might want to read Mario Puzo's book, The Godfather. Everyone knows the movie, but if memory serves, somewhere in the book Puzo reflects on the practice of the irate American motorist who shakes a fist and gives the bird to other drivers. What if the driver receiving the insult is a Mafia capo? Does the idiot shaking his fist know who he is accosting? No. Does the moron know that the result might be a brutal beating or death? No. Does the imbecile Nikki Haley understand what can be the result of her inability to control herself? No. Every knowledgeable person I know wonders if Trump appointed the imbecile Nikki Haley US ambassador to the world for the purpose of infuriating the Russians. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Israel has bombed Syrian chemical weapons factories, multiple sources have reported. Per the Guardian: Israeli jets have reportedly bombed a Syrian government facility in north-west of the country believed to be associated with Bashar al-Assads chemical weapons programme. The strikes were initially reported by Hebrew and Arab media sources on Thursday morning. A Syrian military statement appears to confirm the reports. The airstrike on the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre was reported to have taken place overnight. Western intelligence reports have linked the centre near the town of Masyaf to Syrias chemical weapons programme. Syrias military told the world that the Israeli strike happened on Thursday, damaging a building by the Mediterranean Sea. Four Israeli fighters seem to have hit the site, shortly after they entered the airspace of Lebanon. The attacks are a regular habit with the Israeli air force, which has been an active participant in the ongoing Syrian conflict. The Netanyahu government has been conducting massive military exercises, the largest in two decades, along Israels northern border. Their involvement is hardly surprising. As CNN notes: In its report, Syrias state-run SANA news agency quotes Syrias military accusing Israel of propping up ISISs morale, and linking the reported strike with recent military wins over the terror group in the strategic Syrian town of Deir Ezzor. This aggression comes in a desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale of the ISIS terrorists after the sweeping victories achieved by the Syrian Arab Army against terrorism at more than one front, and it affirms the direct support provided by the Israeli entity to the ISIS and other terrorist organizations, the Syrian army said in a statement to SANA. This is part and parcel of what the Guardian called Israels increasingly bellicose statements. Jerusalem recently accused the Iranian government of interfering in Lebanese and Syrian affairs, as part of an alleged Russian web of conspiracy. Despite its professions of neutrality, Jerusalem has conducted dozens and dozens of military strikes inside Syrias borders since 2011. The Guardian again: Amir Eshel, a former Israeli air force chief, suggested in August that Israel had conducted dozens of airstrikes on weapons convoys destined for the Hezbollah over the past five years. Washington claims the al-Talai centre developed the sarin gas weapon allegedly used in a chemical attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April, which left about 80 people dead. UN war crimes investigators announced on Wednesday they had an extensive body of information that indicated Syrian warplanes were behind the attack. In a conference call with journalists, the former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror said the fact that the target was a Syrian military facility took Israeli intervention to a new level. Israel is more than capable of upsetting the table on their ownand that is exactly what this strike will do. Jerusalem is complicating a vastly tangled knot, and will not help. From a political point of view, of course, it makes gruesome sense. A huge part of what happens in the Middle East consists of countries signaling, on a vast and horrific level, what they want America and its allies to do. Syria suffers, from above and from below, and Israels actions do not help. Civil war is the most intimate (and therefore most bloody) form of conflict, in a world which is old in killing but forever new in finding ways to do the deed. The vice chairman of the White Houses Election Integrity Commission, Kris Kobach, has nothing to do. That must be the casewhy else would anyone choose to write for Breitbart? His boredom is so complete that he, along with other members of the Commission, has decided to investigate voter fraud in New Hampshiredespite the fact that voting experts has said there is no basis for it. Kobach cited data released by Shawn Jasper, the speaker for the House of Representatives in New Hampshire (which, shockingly, is Republican-run), data that states of 6,540 voters that registered to vote on Election Day in November of 2016, only 1,014 had a New Hampshire drivers license. This data, of course, does not point to voter fraud in any way, as the Washington Post points out. WaPo actually talked to New Hampshire voters who cast their ballots with out-of-state IDs, something Kobach didnt think to do. The vast majority were, of course, college students or recent arrivals to the state, people with drivers licenses from another state who registered to vote in New Hampshire (a perfectly legal thing to do). Then on top of that are New Hampshire residents who dont have a drivers license, because not every single adult human knows how to drive. But Kobach is apparently desperate for something to do, so he and other Election Integrity Commission members will descend on New Hampshire to get to the bottom of this non-existent scandal next week. It has been one hell of a summer for me up here in Williams Lake, Canadawith the wildfires burning around my hometown. Throughout the last few weeks, I have been helping fight the fires alongside my community, and I havent been able to ride my bike much. I am going to pull out of this years Red Bull Rampage. Probably one of the hardest decisions Ive ever had to make, but I hope you understand the situation. I hope to come back for 2018. James Doerfling Bas van Steebergen In In an unexpected turn of events, James Doerfling has removed himself from the upcoming 2017 Red Bull Rampage. Doerfling, who lives in Williams Lake B.C., has been fighting the fires that saw the town evacuated earlier this summer and while the evacutation order was lifted in late July, fires are still blazing around the area.It sucks that we won't get to see what Doerfling would have come up with for the 2017 contest, after all, who can forget some of the insane features on his line from 2015? Nevertheless, it's an incredibly admirable thing that he is doing for his community up in Williams Lake.With Doerfling stepping aside to help the community that he grew up in, Bas van Steenbergen has been called from the reserves list and will now suit up to take on the challenging terrain. Bas's last time at the event was in 2015 and his run included some unique takes on the use of the available land, mid-run crankflips and all. I didnt really think the Twister on the downhill bike would be possible as only a handful of guys have ever even done 720s on a DH. The fact that Suzuki Nine Knights MTB was the first event where I pushed my riding on a downhill bike gave me a lot of confidence. The boys hyped me up to send it and Im stoked I made it work! Nicholi Rogatkin This week, Trump made yet another questionable move in announcing the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy (DACA). Established five years ago under the Obama presidency, DACA protects around 800,000 child immigrants who study, work countless jobs, and pay taxes (something the President has not been able to prove he does so himself). Those protected by DACA have only ever known the United States as home. "To target these young people is wrong -- because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating -- because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel," said former President Obama in a powerful statement released this past Tuesday. "What if our kid's science teacher, or our friendly neighbor turns out to be a Dreamer? Where are we supposed to send her? To a country she doesn't know or remember, with a language she may not even speak?" While the status of the policy is not yet still known, as there is a six month waiting period of Congress potentially saving the bill, many celebrities have taken to their social media platforms to speak up about the injustices currently going on in the White House. ""A cowardly act by a cruel, vindictive and heartless administration intent on tearing at the very fabric of the American dream. #shame," wrote Mark Ruffalo on his Twitter. He was not the only one - other celebrities such as Cher, Chelsea Handler, Mia Farrow, and Fifth Harmony's Lauren Jauregui have been vocal about their opposition to this decision. ""It's incredible to me that you'll pardon a man who is known for running his prison as a Latino concentration camp and call him a patriot, but then deport kids with a dream to be successful citizens with safe lives," Jauregui wrote, in reference to Trump pardoning former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. "Pardoning criminals and criminalizing the vulnerable." HAS BEEN OUR DREAMERS ONLY HOMEHOW CAN WE THROW THEM INTO THE WILDERNESS.TRUMP IS COMPLETE COWARD,WHY DIDNT HE END DACAHIMSELF"ON Cher (@cher) September 5, 2017 Expelling 800,000 kids who grew up in America is wrong, cruel, sickening. #Dreamers #DACA Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) September 5, 2017 This administration is not representing American values. They are failing us, and our forefathers would be ashamed. Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) September 5, 2017 The opposition of celebrities on social media remains a powerful tool against this administration, as Trump's ego continues to inflate with every like and retweet on his most-favored platform, Twitter. It is also accompanied by a new playlist by Spotify, titled "No Moment for Silence." The playlist is another contribution by Spotify in staying in tuned to the conversation revolving around social issues and making their stance publicly known. It features commentary by artists who are both immigrants or allies to DREAMers. In the wake of Trump's Executive Order banning Muslims from entering the country, they also introduced a playlist by Muslim artists and allies titled "I'm With The Banned." Listen to their most recent playlist below: "This is a sad day for our country. The decision to end DACA is not just wrong. It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government, and then punish them for it," wrote CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg in a letter posted on his personal page. "It's time for Congress to act to pass the bipartisan Dream Act or another legislative solution that gives Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. For years, leaders from both parties have been talking about protecting Dreamers. Now it's time to back those words up with action. Show us that you can lead. No bill is perfect, but inaction now is unacceptable." DREAMers - New York City stands with you. Know your rights. Vanessa is a music and culture writer. Follow her on twitter. READ MORE ABOUT MUSIC... INTERVIEW | a Q&A with Rooney's Robert Schwartzman REVIEW | Nick Hakim's "Green Twins" is a soulful trip through the future INTERVIEW | A conversation with Chris Baio Last month the Fanohge Coalition sent a simple survey to all candidates seeking to represent Guam in I Liheslaturan Guahan, as its attorney ge Read more19 candidates take stand on CHamoru self-determination, future status, Marine buildup Global Anti-Suicide Drugs Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:43:45 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Mr. Shah CEO +1-206-701-6702 email https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/anti-suicide-drugs-market-10 # 600 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702 Anti-Suicide Drugs Beacon Light of Life on the HorizonDepression is one of the major healthcare burdens worldwide leading to lower productivity and in severe cases leading to suicidal tendencies. Anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs are especially high in demand during economic crisis and social negligence. These drugs also serve as a therapy for preventing suicidal thoughts and attempts. However, overdose of these drugs can be fatal and therefore, needs to be administered under the direction of a physician. Extensive research related to suicide treatment is expected to provide a better solution to the global population during the latter half of the forecast period (2016-2024). This would improve the outlook of global anti-suicide drugs market and would help in reducing deaths due to suicide.Request Sample Copy of the Business Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/10 The global anti-suicide drugs market was valued at US$ 3,318.3 million in 2015 and is expected to witness a moderate CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period (2016 2024).Anti-Suicide Drugs Market to be on High Growth Trajectory Post Launch of Anti-Suicidal DrugNeuroRx Pharma has developed a novel anti-suicidal product Cyclurad (D-cycloserine and Lurasidone) which is indicated for Acute Suicidal Ideation/Behavior (ASIB) in Bipolar Depression. The estimated commercialization of the drug post-2020 is expected to be a major breakthrough innovation for the anti-suicide drugs market. Moreover, introduction of other such novel drugs for suicide would augment the anti-suicide market growth. People with major depressive disorder and risk for suicide would greatly benefit from such novel drug therapies.Request a Customization: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/10 High Suicidal Rates to Contribute Towards the Positive Anti-Suicide Drugs Market OutlookAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide accounted for 1.4% of the total deaths worldwide in 2012, accounting for around 800 thousand deaths each year. Russia, India, Republic of Korea, Guyana, Lithuania, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Japan are among the nations with high suicidal rates as per the WHO 2012 data. Emerging nations therefore possess immense opportunity for anti-suicidal drugs. However, being the first ever oral anti-suicidal therapeutic drug, companies are likely to capture the anti-suicide drugs market in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe. This mainly due to rapid adoption of new therapies and accessibility to healthcare facilities in these regions as compared to emerging economies.Browse Research Report At: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/anti-suicide-drugs-market-10 Anti-Suicide Drugs Market to Gain Initial Traction in Developed EconomiesMajor players operating in the global anti-suicide drugs market include Pfizer, Inc., AstraZeneca plc, Eli Lilly and Company, Allergan plc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co., Inc., H. Lundbeck A/S, NeuroRx, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson. High healthcare expenditure in developed economies of North America and Europe is responsible for a higher market size of anti-suicidal drugs in these regions. Moreover, developed regions offer better healthcare infrastructure and are usually early adopters of new therapies. The anti-suicide drugs market in North America and Europe is expected to gain significant traction during the latter half of the forecast period, with the launch of anti-suicidal drug. Increasing healthcare expenditure in emerging economies and high prevalence of suicides in these regions is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the market. Companies are expected to focus on capitalizing on lucrative opportunities in these regions at the turn of the following decade. This would ensure sustained growth for the market in the foreseeable future.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 10:03:02 CallMiner Eureka interaction analytics helps Phillips & Cohen drive successful customer outcomes, enhance competitive strengths and improve key metrics in the contact centre. London, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CallMiner, the leading platform provider of speech and customer engagement analytics, announced today that CallMiner and Phillips & Cohen Associates, a global pioneer in Deceased Account Management services, have been shortlisted for the 'Best Customer Insight/Voice of the Customer Initiative' by the European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards 2017. The ECCCSAs are the largest and longest running awards in the customer contact industry and recognise and reward organisations that are leading the way in delivering exceptional service to customers. The 'Best Customer Insight/Voice of the Customer Initiative' Award recognises organisations who have successfully implemented a robust model for collecting and analysing Voice of the Customer data. Phillips & Cohen was shortlisted for achieving significant customer experience benefits from its deployment of the CallMiner Eureka speech analytics solution. The entry showed how interaction analytics helped its call centre to drive successful customer outcomes, enhance competitive strengths and improve key metrics, by analysing 100% of customer calls to deliver a truly accurate picture of the voice of the customer. Nick Cherry, COO, Phillips & Cohen Associates, said: "We are very proud to be shortlisted for the award. Voice of the customer feedback is a real game-changer for us as the nature of our work makes it a challenge to obtain through traditional feedback and survey methods. CallMiner Eureka provides us with meaningful trend analysis and voice of the customer measures we simply didn't have before." Bob Bednar, Senior Vice President of Consumer Communication & Digital Strategy at Phillips & Cohen added, "The deployment of the Eureka speech and text analytics platform is a key aspect of our communication strategy as we seek to provide an outstanding experience to consumers across all channels. Alongside its real-time capability, the ability to analyse multiple channels of data makes it a valuable addition to our global processes." "We are delighted to be working with such a forward-thinking organisation, one that excels at delivering the highest standards of customer service in their sector," said Frank Sherlock, Vice President International Sales at CallMiner. "Phillips & Cohen is displaying true thought leadership in the way they have used our technology to deliver value to their customers, clients, agents and the business," added Sherlock. The Winners will be announced on November 28that the ECCCSAs Award Gala Dinner. About Phillips & Cohen Associates Phillips & Cohen Associates Ltd. was established in the United States in 1997 and has expanded internationally building a reputation as a responsible and trusted partner to creditors around the globe. The global group includes offices in Manchester, UK, three offices in the United States including a dedicated analytics centre, offices in Quebec, Canada and Melbourne, Australia and a newly founded office in Madrid, Spain. The business has achieved national and international prominence by providing highly effective financial recovery services built around a uniquely compassionate style of customer engagement. With clients ranging from mid-sized firms to leading national and international creditor and banking institutions, the company serves the consumer credit, banking, and finance markets, as well as specialized industries including home shopping, utility, telecoms, debt purchase, local & central government. https://phillips-cohen.com/ About CallMiner CallMiner believes that resolution is the fundamental driver of positive customer experiences. When contact centre agents and others responsible for customer engagement are empowered by insight and feedback, they can dramatically improve the rate of positive outcomes. With the tagline "Listen to Your Customers, Improve Your Business" our goal is to help companies automate the overwhelming process of extracting insight from phone calls, chats, emails and social media to dramatically improve customer service and sales, reduce the cost of service delivery, mitigate risk, and identify areas for process and product improvement. Highlighted by multiple customer achievement awards, including seven Speech Technology implementation awards in the past five years, CallMiner has consistently ranked number one in customer satisfaction, including surveys conducted by DMG Consulting and Ovum. www.callminer.com. Media Contact: Maureen Szlemp | CallMiner Marketing Director | Maureen.szlemp@callminer.com | 319-573-3312. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a49c920-de07-4f7c-8c7b-58d1ea27559b PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:47:17 Press Information Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Rohit Bhisey Internet Marketing Head +1-518-618-1030 email http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 751 Words 90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030 Central nervous system (CNS) stimulant drugs are those substances which speed up the physical and mental processes in the body. Stimulants have a chemical structure similar to monoamine neurotransmitters. These drugs are used in various medical conditions. Stimulants have numerous mechanism of actions. Most commonly, the stimulant drugs increase the level of a neurotransmitter known as dopamine, which stimulates the brain activity. CNS stimulants drugs are used for narcolepsy, neonatal apnea, lethargy, and others. These stimulants are primarily used as prescribed drugs but often are used without prescriptions or illegally for recreational use.The global central nervous system stimulant drugs market is expected to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Rise in central nervous system disorders, sleeping disorders, and asthma are some of the major factors driving the growth of the market during the forecast period. According to a study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2016, it was estimated that there is a six-fold increase in the prevalence of sleep disorders in the U.S., which is likely to propel the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Surge in mood disorders and post-traumatic stress are further responsible for driving the market growth.Request Sample Copy of the Report@In addition, the illegal drug market is booming owing to increase in the production of stimulants such as cocaine and heroin and rise in drug trafficking. Numerous side effects of drugs such as tachycardia and anxiety and increase in the usage for recreational purpose and doping are the significant factors which can restrain the market growth.The global central nervous system stimulant drugs market can be segmented on the basis of type, application, end-user, and region. On the basis of type, the global market can be segmented into amphetamine, caffeine, nicotine, methamphetamine, and others. The methamphetamine segment is anticipated to account for a significant share of the global CNS stimulant drugs market during the forecast period due to its widespread use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). On the basis of application, the market can be divided into ADHD, sleeping disorder, depression, obesity, respiratory depression, and others. The depression segment is expected to hold a significant share of the global market during the forecast period owing to increase in the prevalence of depression among adults and children worldwide.The global CNS stimulant drugs market is projected to expand at a steady growth rate across regions. Geographically, the global market is distributed over North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to dominate the global CNS stimulant drugs market in terms of value and volume in the near future. The factors attributing to the growth of the market in North America are the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle habits and rise in depression and drug abuse. North America is closely followed by Europe. Increase in the cultivation of coca bush in 2015 due to rise in the demand for drugs in Europe propelled the market growth in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a high growth rate during the forecast period due to increase in the demand for drugs for the treatment of ADHD and depression and surge in drug trafficking in the region.Request TOC of the Report@Prominent players operating in the global central nervous system stimulant drugs market are Pfizer Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., and Novartis.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa) PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:41:37 Press Information Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Rohit Bhisey Internet Marketing Head +1-518-618-1030 email http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 749 Words 90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030 The process of combining medical and psychotherapeutic treatment to address the dependence on alcohol and drugs such as prescription drugs and street drugs is called rehabilitation. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is considered a chronic disease. If the addiction is untreated, it can have serious life threatening effects. Drug and alcohol addiction is treated with several steps such as detoxification, counselling, medication, and long term follow ups to avoid relapse. Withdrawal symptoms are serious such as sweat, nausea, and vomiting. Hence, addiction is considered treatable, but a complex process.The global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 26.9% of people aged 18 and above were engaged in binge drinking in a month in 2015. Rising prevalence of alcoholism is likely to be a key factor driving the global market from 2017 to 2025. Increased usage of illegal drugs is another factor anticipated to propel the global market during the forecast period. Furthermore, rise in major depression disorders, surge in trend among youngsters toward drugs and alcohols, underage drinking, peer pressure, and self-medication are some of the factors projected to fuel the growth of the global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market during the forecast period. Serious withdrawal symptoms of the treatment is a major factor anticipated to restrain the global market from 2017 to 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market can be segmented based on treatment, screening, end-user, and region. In terms of treatment, the global market can be segmented into counselling, medication, and behavioral treatment. The medication segment can be sub-segmented into opioid addiction, tobacco, alcohol, and others. The medication segment is expected to account for a significant share of the global market during the forecast due to increase in usage of illicit drugs, alcoholism, and self-medication. Based on screening, the global market can be divided into oral fluid drug screening, urine drug screening, breathe alcohol screening, hair analysis, and others. In terms of end-user, the global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market can be segmented into rehabilitation centers and clinics, hospitals, and home care settings. The rehabilitation centers and clinics segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the global market during forecast period due to factors such as increasing federal funding.The global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market is projected to expand at a significant growth rate across regions. Geographically, the global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market can be divided into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global market in terms of value. Factors attributed to the growth of the market in North America are increase in patients suffering from major depression, prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle, surge in drug trafficking, and peer pressure. Europe is anticipated to account for the second largest share of the global market due to highest number of alcoholism-related disorders in the region. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to experience high growth due to increase in alcohol usage.To maintain a significant position in the global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market, the key players are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, robust research and development, and geographical expansion. Major players operating in the global drug and rehabilitation market are Indivior, Inc., West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Pfizer, Inc., among others.Request TOC of the Report@The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa) Envelope Release Liner Market is mainly driven key factors like huge investments are being made in the packaging sector in the food and beverages and healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Envelope Release Liner Market 2025 PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 06:56:57 Press Information Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Rohit Bhisey Head of Marketing 5186181030 email http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/envelope-release-liner-market.html # 734 Words 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207Head of Marketing5186181030 Innovations and progress in the packaging industry are leading to the production of a lot of new products such as envelope release liner. Quality and innovative packaging are being demanded worldwide that is ultimately leading to the growth of Envelope Release Liner market. Envelope release liner is available in the form of a thin strip that can be pulled away from the adhesive side and the adhesive side can be used further. Envelope release liner is made up of materials that can be coated on both the sides with the help of releasing agents. In general, release liners are used with labels and tapes also.Market Overview:Envelope Release Liner is plastic or paper-based film sheets that are applied during the manufacturing process that helps in preventing a sticky surface from prematurely adhering. A release agent is coated on either both the sides or on one side of the sheets that provides a release effect against most sticky materials such as mastic or adhesive. Envelope release liner comes in different colors that may or may not be printed. In envelope release liner, release separates the liner from sticky materials.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29717 Market Dynamics:There has been a growing trend of revolution in the packaging industry in past few years. People are demanding not only quality but innovation also in packaging products. Envelope release liner is one such product. Huge investments are being made in the packaging sector in the food and beverages and healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. This factor is estimated to provide a major boost to the Envelope Release Liner market. New technologies such as Pressure-sensitive Labelling Technology are further helping in providing innovations to already existing envelope release liner. Other such technologies include Sleeving, In-mould and Adhesive applied technologies. One of the features of envelope release liner that makes them highly popular is that they can be easily customized according to the requirements of the end-user.Although the Envelope Release Liner market is growing at a fast pace, there is a lot of potential for growth of the market. Some unused substrates such as the one with lower platinum silicone content or that have the property of radiation curing.Market Segmentation:Global Envelope Release Liner market is segmented into three types based on the labeling technology, substrates, and region.Based on the labeling technology, Global Envelope Release Liner market is segmented into- Sleeving, In-mold, Adhesive applied and Pressure Sensitive Labeling.Based on the substrates, Global Envelope Release Liner market is segmented into- Poly coated Kraft papers, Super calendared Kraft paper, Poly coated BO-PET film, Machine finished Kraft paper, Plastic film, Clay Coated Paper, Glassine, Art Paper and Polyolefin Paper.On the basis of region, Global Envelope Release Liner market is segmented into- Latin America, North America, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Except Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Make an Enquiry @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29717 Asia Pacific region is leading the Envelope Release Liner market currently and the trend is likely to continue during the forecast period 2017 to 2027. The reason attributed to the high growth rate in the Envelope Release Liner market in Asia Pacific region is that the region is well-versed with the presence of envelope release liner vendors as well as manufacturers. Construction of new manufacturing facilities in developing Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia is further boosting the growth of Envelope Release Liner market in Asia Pacific region. Increasing growth in the pharmaceutical and food and beverages industry is a major factor boosting the growth of Envelope Release Liner market in North America. Envelope Release Liner market is in its introductory stage in the Middle East and Africa region and is estimated to grow at a steady pace.Key Players:Some of the players operating in Envelope Release Liner market include- Mondi Group, Twin Rivers Paper, Avery Dennison Corp., Technicote, 3M, LINTEC, Spoton Coatings, UPM Paper, Siliconature, Rayven Inc, Shree Arihant Laminates, Blueridge Films, International Paper, Channeled Resources, Griff Paper & Film, Elliott Schultz & Associates and Gascofil.LINTEC manufactures envelope release liner with special functions such as abrasion resistance, releasability, heat resistance and water resistance.Envelope Release Liner market is in its introductory stage and is estimated to grow at a steady pace in the forecast period from 2017 to 2027. Ethanol Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:45:42 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Mr. Shah CEO 2067016702 email https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/ethanol-market-276 # 656 Words 1001 4th Ave, #3200CEO2067016702 Ethanol Market OverviewEthanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is a colorless liquid manufactured from starch-based, sugar-based or cellulosic feedstock. The U.S. and Brazil are the major producers of ethanol. Corn is the major feedstock used in the production of ethanol in the U.S., while ethanol is produced from sugarcane in Brazil. According to Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), 25,576 million gallons of fuel ethanol was produced in 2015. According to Sucres & Denrees (Paris), approximately 110 billion litres of ethanol is consumed globally each year. Ethanol has wide range of applications such as biofuel, industrial, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Approximately 87% of the global ethanol is used in producing biofuels. The environmental concerns related to greenhouse emissions have resulted in use of ethanol to produce transport fuels. The U.S., Brazil, and Europe are the major producers and consumers of ethanol. According to RFA, the gross output of ethanol industry in the U.S. was US$ 23.33 billion in 2016. Growth of ethanol market in Asia Pacific is attributed to increasing consumption of biofuels. According to International Energy Agency, the biofuel market in road transport application is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.9% by 2020. This in turn is projected to fuel growth of the ethanol market.Request for sample copy : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/276 Global Ethanol Market TaxonomyThe global ethanol market is classified on the basis of the following segments:ProcessWet-millingDry-millingProduct TypeSynthetic ethanolOil derivativesCoalOthersAgricultural ethanolSugarcaneSugarbeetMaizeWheatRyeOthersApplicationFuelsIndustrialPharmaceuticalFood & beveragesCosmeticsOthersPrevalent Scenario in Ethanol MarketIncreased applications of ethanol in biofuels, industrial, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food & beverages sectors lead to burgeoning growth of the ethanol market. According to Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS), 73% of ethanol is used as fuel, 17% in beverages and 10% of ethanol is used for industrial applications. Increasing demand of biofuels is fueling growth in consumption of ethanol in the renewable fuel energy sector. According to State Council General Research Office, the U.S. government is promoting use of ethanol as a source of renewable fuel and creating awareness regarding the environmental and social benefits of gasoline. Corn, sugarcane, grains, sugarbeet are common sources for manufacturing agricultural ethanol. Ethanol used for in fuel applications are agricultural ethanol as synthetic ethanol is not used for fuel applications. Ethanol is used as solvents in industrial applications for wide range of end users which include cosmetics, detergents and cleaning products, printing ink, paint & coatings. Ethanol has its application in food & beverage sector in manufacturing vinegar, alcoholic beverages, and is also used as glazing agents in bakery & confectionery.Get discount on this report : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/276 Government initiatives play a vital role in development and innovation of ethanol for wide range of applications. For instance, the fuel regulations imposed by the government in Mexico allowed 5.8% of ethanol blends in the fuel supply. The government and ethanol associations are continuously working in coordination to fuel the growth of ethanol market. RFA in partnership with federal government and the industry key players are working to innovate new applications of ethanol and minimize the difficulties related to trade of ethanol and enhance the market growth globally. U.S. and Brazil contributes a major market share in production and consumption of ethanol. Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow due to growing applications of ethanol industrial chemicals to manufacture acetic acid and ethyl acetate and the increasing applications of ethanol as solvents in pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.Fragmented MarketThe global ethanol market is highly fragmented due to the participation of many established and emerging players in the ethanol industry. Major players involved in the market include Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.), Cargill, Inc. (U.S.), Grain Processing Corporation (U.S.), Ace Ethanol LLC (USA), Advanced BioEnergy, LLC (USA), Chemtex Group (USA), MGP Ingredients (U.S.), Flint Hills Resources LP (USA), Copersucar SA (Brazil), Adkins Energy LLC (USA). PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 10:59:30 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 670 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) which also include, leeks, onions and shallots. Garlic oil is an extract of Allium sativum, a small perennial plant mostly produced in tropical countries with an annual crop around April-May. A garlic bulb is composed of 4-20 pungent bulblets commonly called as cloves. There are about 300 varieties of garlic cultivated worldwide with an annual production of around three million metric tons as estimated by per Food and Agricultural Organization. Though garlic oil is considered as one of the most powerful and essential oil but it is also one of the least known and comprehend essential oil. Commercially garlic oil is produced by steam distillation method and is regarded as one of the oldest kinds of preparations and is widely used in food industry for flavoring and in pharmaceutical industry to treat various kinds of infections. Due to high prices of garlic oil the market for garlic oil is expected to witness a stable growth over the forecast period.Garlic Oil Market SegmentationGarlic oil is segmented on the basis of area of application, sales channel and region. On the basis of area of application the global garlic oil market is segmented into, food industry, household and pharmaceutical industry. In food industry garlic oil is mainly used in seasoning and flavoring. Garlic flavors provide seasoning in salad dressing, vinaigrettes and sauces, beef, shrimp, among other foods thus delivering unique odor and taste to the dishes. While in pharmaceutical industry the garlic oil is known to help against several infections including, ear infection, fungal infections, cold and congestion, tuberculosis, bronchitis etc. Garlic oil has also known to show effective against several other diseases including cardiovascular diseases in diabetes as mentioned in the journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.Obtain Report Details @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/garlic-oil-market.html On the basis of sales channel Garlic Oil is segmented as; hypermarkets/supermarkets, retail stores, specialty stores, online retail and other retail formats. The major share of revenue being driven by the hypermarkets/supermarkets segment, the online retail is expected to attain significant shares in the overall garlic market over the forecast period.On the basis of region the global garlic oil market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Globally top countries producing garlic are, South Africa, China, Taiwan, New Zealand and the U.S. It is estimated that California produces approximately 90% of the garlic grown commercially in the U.S.Garlic Oil Market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:The growth of garlic oil market across the globe remains stable during the forecast period owing to high prices of the garlic oil and low production of garlic in the recent past years. It has been estimated that 500 tons of garlic is used to make 1 ton of garlic oil which makes the prices of garlic oil very expensive. While there has been a declining production of garlic in certain countries across the globe such as, in Australia, there has also been an upsurge in the use of Australian garlic for the fresh and processing market since past two years.Make an Enquiry @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28862 Therefore, introduction of improved, high yielding garlic varieties and an extended appreciation of fresh product at retail stores has significantly enhanced the market revues for locally grown garlic. The market for garlic oil is expected to witness steady gains in its revenues attributed to its widespread use in food and pharma industry.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. The extensive use of starch and PLA as a biodegradable packaging material for food & beverages, and pharmaceuticals end-use industry is projected to boost growth of the biodegradable packaging market during 2017-2025. Biodegradable Packaging Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:41:12 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Mr. Shah CEO +1-206-701-6702 email http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/biodegradable-packaging-market-395 # 803 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702 The Global Biodegradable Packaging Market was valued at US$ 3.92 billion in 2016, according to a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Increasing food and beverages packaging end-use industry to sustain the ever increasing population, and the consumer and industry awareness towards the use of eco-friendly products for a sustainable environment is surging demand for biodegradable packaging. Biodegradable packaging materials are naturally derived polymers that are made from various agricultural products such as starch, cellulose, proteins, and plant oils. The biodegradable polymers derived from these sources are mainly renewable and are helpful for maintaining a sustainable environment. The conventional plastics used for packaging are very harmful, non-biodegradable, and leads to global warming, water and air pollution. Thus, the governments of various countries have imposed various regulations to ban the use of conventional plastic bags; which in turn has increased the consumption of paper and plastic biodegradable bags for packaging.Request Sample of Biodegradable Packaging Market: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/395 The global biodegradable packaging market is segmented into various end-use industries namely food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal/homecare, and others. Food is the largest end-use industry segment, followed by beverages. The food and beverages packaging segment is experiencing rapid growth due to major technological advancements focused towards decreasing environmental stress. Growing environmental concerns are paving the way for development of new packaging materials that are totally biodegradable, can be recycled, and are easily processed using eco-friendly production equipment. The continuous ban on the use of conventional packaging materials in food and beverage packaging, increasing awareness for the use of bio-based products, growing consumption of packaged food, and growing beverages industry globally are the major drivers for the growth of biodegradable packaging in the food and beverages end-use industry.Key takeaways of the market:Europe is projected to be the largest region in global biodegradable packaging market. It accounted for around 50.3% share of overall biodegradable packaging market in 2016, in terms of revenue. The market in this region is expected to be primarily driven by rampant consumption of biodegradable plastic and paper bags in food, beverages, and pharmaceutical end-use industries. The use of conventional plastic bags creates major environmental issues such as water and air pollution, global warming, and are very harmful for humans as well. This has allow the government of Europe to impose various regulations for banning the use of plastic bags around the region. The countries such as Italy, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, France, and U.K. are now switching to biodegradable products for packaging to maintain the environment sustainability. Thus, Europe is positioned as the largest market for biodegradable packaging.North America is expected to emerge as the second-largest market over the forecast period. The rise in consumer awareness for the eco-friendly products, regulations imposed on the use of conventional plastic bags, growing pharmaceuticals industry, and rising consumer preference for packaged food in the region is driving growth of the biodegradable packaging market in the region.Asia-Pacific was the fastest-growing region in global plastic packaging market in 2016. The region is expected to retain high traction in the market through 2025. This is mainly attributed to rampant growth of end-use industries in China, India, and ASEAN countries. The growing food & beverages industries, rising economy, growing per capita income of middle class people, rising industrial and consumer awareness for eco-friendly products, in turn is enabling various manufacturers to produce bio-based products for packaging are some of the key drivers for the growth of biodegradable plastic packaging market in the Asia-Pacific region.The plastic based biodegradable packaging was the dominant product segment in the global biodegradable packaging market in 2016 and the trend is expected to remain the same during the forecast period. The starch and PLA are the major plastic biodegradable polymers used for packaging. These polymers are widely used in food and beverages end-use industry due to their highly bio-based nature and have no harmful chemical intact in it, making them the most preferred polymer materials for food packaging applications. The growing global food and beverages industry is the key growth diver for the high consumption of these bio-based polymers. Hence, making the plastic based biodegradable packaging as the largest product type segment in the global biodegradable packaging market. To Get Discount On this Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/395 BASF SE, Smurfit Kappa Group, Mondi Group, Rocktenn, Stora Enso, Clearwater Paper Corporation, Amcor, Novamont S.P.A., Rocktenn, Kruger Inc., Smurfit Kappa Group, Reynolds Group Holding Limited, and International Corp. are some of the key players in global biodegradable packaging market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ Visit Blog : http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/ The growing demand for confectionery in Asia Pacific due to growing population, increased urbanization and growing retail and hospitality sector is expected to drive growth of the global food preservatives market over the forecast period. Food Preservatives Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:40:34 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Mr. Shah CEO +1-206-701-6702 email http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/food-preservatives-market-356 # 693 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702 The Global Food Preservatives Market was valued at US$ 2.23 billion in 2016, according to a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Food preservatives are substances added or sprayed onto food to restrict the growth of fungi, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms. Increasing demand for convenience and packaged food is driving growth of the global food preservatives market. Natural food preservatives are the most preferred preservative and the segment is expected to gain further traction over the forecast period, according to the stats provided by Coherent Market Insights. Oil and salt are the primary natural food preservatives used to preserve food. For instance, salt is used to trap the water content in the food and is applied to store dried vegetables and fruits. Moreover, citric juices are also used as antioxidants and helps in fermentation of various foods. Increasing population, growing urbanization and increasing number of women in the workforce is increasing demand for processed and ready-to-eat food products, in turn driving growth of the global food preservatives market.Request Sample of Food Preservatives market: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/356 Rampant economic growth in Asia Pacific is expected to create a highly conducive environment for growth of the food preservative market. For instance, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF)a Trust established by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of Indiathe Indian food processing industry accounts for 32% of the total food market in the country and contributes around 14% towards the countrys GDP. Furthermore, increasing investment by various players and supportive government initiatives would further favor growth of the food preservatives market in one of the largest economies in Asia Pacific. Also, ITC Limited plans to set up a premier food processing unit in Medak, Telangana with an investment of US$ 117.4 million. Furthermore, the Government of India, in December 13, 2014, established the Mega International Food Park at Dabwala Kalan, Punjab, which is directed towards strengthening the food sector in the country.Key takeaways of the market:Asia-Pacific is projected to be the third-largest region in global Food Preservatives market. It accounted for around 27.6% of overall Food Preservatives market revenue in 2016. The market in this region is expected to be primarily driven by rampant growth of economy and rapid urbanization in China, India, and ASEAN countries. The growing demand for convenience food is expected to be the key drivers for the growth of Food Preservatives in the Asia-Pacific region.The market in Latin America is expected to register highest growth rate over the forecast period. Rise in discretionary income along with increasing disposable income is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the players in this region.Meat, poultry and sea food industry is one of the key industries for the use of food preservatives. Rapid urbanization and increasing working population in Asia-Pacific and Europe is expected to enhance the growth of Food Preservatives in the forecast period. Moreover, growing food industry and Foreign Direct Investment in Asia Pacific is expected to double the demand for food preservatives. For instance, according to the Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP), the food processing sector in India has received around US$ 7.47 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the period April 2000-December 2016.Univar Inc., Hawkins Watts Limited, Cargill Inc., DSM N.V., AkzoNobel N.V., Tate & Lyle PLC, Brenntag AG, Galactic, Danisco A/S, Kemin Industries Inc., among others are few of the key players in global food preservatives market.Check The Trending Report of Food Preservatives market: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/food-preservatives-market-356 Companies are also investing in expansions, mergers & acquisitions, and joint ventures in the market. For instance, Mr. Tomasz Lukaszuk, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland had also highlighted the keen interest shown by Polish companies looking for opportunities in India to expand collaboration and invest food processing.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Email: sales@ coherentmarketinsights.com Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ Visit Blog : http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/ Global Polysilicon Market By Application (Photovoltaic, Electronics), By Region (North America, Europe, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa), End-use Landscape, Vendor Landscape, and Competitor Analysis Global Market Estimates Research & Business Consultants PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:44:39 Press Information Global Market Estimates Research & Business Consultants A-9, Silver Croft CHSL, Mumbai, India Ms. Liza Dsouza Team Lead - Research & Business Consultant +91 9146632316 email http://www.globalmarketestimates.com Published by YASH JAIN 9146632316 e-mail https://www.globalmarketestimates.com/ # 663 Words A-9, Silver Croft CHSL, Mumbai, IndiaTeam Lead - Research & Business Consultant+91 9146632316YASH JAIN9146632316 Market InsightsThe polysilicon market is estimated to grow at an approximate CAGR of 10% from 2017 to 2025. Polysilicon is one of the key materials used in manufacturing photovoltaic cells. The escalating preference for photovoltaic (PV) and semiconductors is projected to augment demand over the forecast period.Solar power is expected to emerge as one of the cheapest source of energy by 2020. Favorable government initiatives and policies for reduction of carbon emission established in the U.S., Japan, China, and European countries are anticipated to increase the consumption of photovoltaic panels. Polysilicon is preferred in the solar energy market as compared to its substitutes such as CdTe and CGS on account of its high efficiency.According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global PV sector is projected to grow at a rate of 25% annually. The demand of solar wafer and crystalline solar PV installation leads to the high consumption poly-Si across the world.Request a report sample @: http://bit.ly/2xaBhBs Application InsightsPoly-Si is used widely in the production of solar panels and semi conductors. PV installations are expected to increase due to upcoming clean energy projects across various countries. The most effective way of producing solar grade silicon (SG-Si) is by using the fluidized bed reactor (FBR) technology. This process reduces power consumption by 80% and enables continuous production. This process is economically advised as it is a low cost and sustainable process.Electronic grade silicon (EG-Si) is used for fabricating single crystal silicon used in integrated circuits (IC), very large scale integration (VLSI), and ultra-scale integration (ULSI). The electronics segment requires high purity poly-Si ranging between 9N to 11N. Siemens process is used to produce EG-Si which meets high resistivity and purity standards.Regional InsightsHigh demand for PV and electronics is expected to arise from the Asia-Pacific region. The expanding PV and electronics industry in China, Japan and India is anticipated to drive the poly-Si consumption in this region.Technological advancement and rising purchase of consumer electronics is projected to lead to rapid increase in the demand of polysilicon. Top companies such as GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited, Woongjin Polysilicon Co. Ltd., OCI Company Ltd., Daqo New Energy Corp., and Tokuyama Corporation, are located in the Asia-Pacific region thereby influencing the market positively.The escalating demand for PV installation in the U.S. and Canada is expected to contribute to the consumption of poly-Si. In terms of volume and value, North America occupied the second largest market share in 2016.The process of reducing carbon footprints and increasing production of consumer electronics is expected to result into high industry growth. Major solar installation projects being planned in Chile, Honduras and Brazil is projected to augment demand in Central & South America.End-Use LandscapeThe end-use landscape entails a list of current and prospective consumers prevailing across the regions. This section provides company addresses, contact details, products, and regional presence of companies who are purchasing or are likely to purchase polysilicon over the coming years. Some leading consumers of poly-Si in the photovoltaic industry are Jinko Solar (China), Trina Solar (China), and Canadian Solar Inc. (Canada).Competitor AnalysisThe quality and purity of the product estimates the sustainability and efficiency of the manufacturers. Some of the top manufacturers engaged in this industry are GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited, Wacker Chemie, Hemlock Semiconductor, REC Silicon ASA, OCI, and SunEdison Inc.Wacker Chemie is a major producer of high quality polysilicon. In April 2016, Wacker opened its new polysilicon production facility with a capacity of 20,000 tons per annum to cater to the emerging solar PV capacity additions. The company has manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Germany.Over the years the plants have faced issues such as anti dumping charges, oversupply, and plant shut down. However, the industry has maintained steady growth due to clean energy projects, price stability, and favourable supply and demand scenario. Some of the other companies operating in the market include Tokuyama Corporation, LDK Solar Co. Ltd., DAQO New Energy, and TBEA Co. Ltd. PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:49:35 Press Information Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Rohit Bhisey Internet Marketing Head +1-518-618-1030 email http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ # 796 Words 90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030 In biotechnology, sequencing is the procedure to determine the sequence of amino acids in a protein or nucleotide sequence in the DNA. Currently, protein sequencing and gene sequencing methods are used for Microbiome sequencing. The process of identifying the order of genes in DNA is called DNA sequencing and order of amino acids in a protein is called protein sequencing. Genomic research is the most popular application of sequencing. The approaches include sequencing by synthesis (SBS), pyrosequencing, Sanger sequencing, and sequencing by ligation among others. Sequencing by synthesis or SBS is a method that utilizes DNA polymerase or ligase enzymes to extend many DNA strands in parallel. SBS methods can further be categorized as either ensemble based or single moleculebased SBS methods.Request Sample Copy of the Report@However, Sanger sequencing is a DNA sequencing technique of selective incorporation of chain terminating dideoxynucleotides by the DNA polymerase enzyme. This sequencing process was developed by Frederick Sanger and colleagues in 1977. This method was followed for more than 40 years. Ligation sequencing is a DNA sequencing method to determine the mismatch sensitivity of nucleotides in a given DNA sequence using a DNA ligase enzyme. DNA ligase enzyme helps to join ends of DNA molecules. The scientific community depends on the above approaches. Moreover, no one single platform can provide all solutions. Some platforms are more costly. The cost of maintaining and purchasing multiple sequencing platforms is high, which is a drawback of this market.New validated target and disease diagnosis and detection are market driven for microbiome sequencing services. In-depth research work and lack of expertization are key restraints of the microbiome sequencing services market. The microbiome sequencing services market is segmented based on technology, applied research type, laboratory type, end user, and by region. Based on application, the market is further divided into sequencing by synthesis, sequencing by ligation, Sanger sequencing, pyro-sequencing, and other sequencing. In terms of research type, the microbiome sequencing market is segmented into two segments - outsourced and internal. Outsourcing is a major factor driving the microbiome sequence market. On the bases of laboratory use, the segment is further divided into wet lab and dry lab. Wet lab is a laboratory where drugs, chemicals or biological products are tested using water. Dry lab is a computer generated lab where biological or chemical data is analyzed through computer generated models. In terms of end user, the microbiome sequencing services market is segmented into research institutes, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.The microbiome sequencing services market is also segmented on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, India, and Japan), and Middle East & Africa. North America is considered the largest microbiome sequencing services market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The U.S. was the top contributor for microbiome sequencing services market revenues. Government funding for genomic research, ongoing developments in sequencing methods, next generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis and increasing number of research studies in various fields including cancer, autoimmune disease, and rare diseases are major factors driving the microbiome sequencing services market in this region. However, the Asia Pacific region is projected to be the most promising market in the near future due to better healthcare infrastructure, economic growth, and a developing private healthcare sector with increasing awareness amongst people due to educational progress in India, China, and Japan.Request TOC of the Report@Key players operating in the microbiome sequencing services market include C3J Therapeutics, Inc., uBiome, Synlogic, Blue Turtle Bio, Eligo Bioscience, Enterome, Evelo Therapeutics, Kallyope, Rebiotix, Evolve BioSystems, Taxon Biosciences, EpiBiome, MicroBiome Therapeutics, and Microbiota Therapeutics. More companies are anticipated to enter the microbiome sequencing services market in the near future.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa) PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 11:06:21 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 656 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Citrus is one of the most important commercial fruit crop grown across the globe. On a global scale orange constitutes over half of the total citrus production. A greater portion of this production is addressed to the industrial extraction of citrus juice which leaves a bulk amount of residues including peels. The peels of citrus fruits are composed of natural flavonoids including many poly-methoxylated flavones rarely found in the peel of other plants. Flavonoids are antioxidant compounds which are known to render several health benefits including prevention of several chronic diseases such as heart diseases and cancer. Apart from that the orange peel extract also contains higher amounts of other nutrients such as Vitamin C. For example, 3.5 ounce of orange peel constitutes 136 milligrams of vitamin C. Orange peel extract is also widely used in cosmetic industry and is also used in the production of pectin. Approximately 13% of the worlds pectin is produced from orange peel.Obtain Report Details @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/orange-peel-extract-market.html Orange Peel Extract Market Segmentation:The orange peel extract market is segmented into, area of application and distribution channel. By area of application the global orange peel extract market is segmented into, food and beverages industry, pharmaceutical industry and cosmetic industry. Orange peels are considered as rich source of essential oils which are used since ancient times as flavoring agents for preparation of foods. Other than this orange peel extracts are also being used as natural pigments and an effective source of colorants thus replacing synthetic pigments currently available in the market. Demand for organic products has also increased the sales prospects of orange peel extract in cosmetic industry where a number of cosmetic products such as, lotions, tonics, soap, bath- and shower, hair conditioning formulations utilized orange peel extract as an additive ingredient. By distribution channel the orange peel extract market is segmented into, hypermarkets/supermarkets, retail stores, specialty stores, online retail and other retail formats. Hypermarkets/supermarkets segment, is expected to depict highest revenue shares in the global orange peel extracts market across the globe.Orange Peel Extract Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of region the global Alpine Herb Extract market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East and Africa. The worlds largest producers of dried citrus peels are in Argentina and Mexico. However, other prominent producers are, U.S., Spain, peru and Bolivia. North America and Western Europe are expected to account for significant revenue shares in the global orange peel extract market over the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28865 Orange Peel Extract Market Drivers and TrendsIncreasing acceptance of orange peel extracts in developed countries such as America and Western Europe attributed to its popularity as a powerful source of vitamins and flavonoids is driving the orange peel extract market over the forecast period. Furthermore, demand for cosmetic products comprising of more natural organic ingredients is driving the market for orange peel extract market.Also increasing demand for functional foods products translating into expanding market for hyrdrocolloids and increasing application in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry is expected to contribute towards market growth of orange peel extracts market. Besides its application as natural texturizer for ointments, oils and creams and as an superior thickener and stabilizer for shampoos, lotions and hair tonics, pectin is also used as an effective skin anti-aging agent.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 11:21:13 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 807 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 ROPP Capping Machines Market OverviewRoll-On-Pilfer-Proof (ROPP) caps is a modern closure mechanism widely used for capping of beverage bottles. Various benefits of ROPP capping has rapidly increased its popularity across the globe. Like any other process, ROPP capping closure process is greatly benefited and became more productive by automation, and ROPP capping machines market become more competitive. Manual and efficient capping is very difficult and time consuming, and thus ROPP capping machines increased productivity and efficiency of the process of capping bottles with added features like pilfer-proof, non-refillable and many more. Adaptation towards various technological changes is the demand of a company to sustain in competitive market.ROPP Capping Machines Market DynamicsThe major driver for the global ROPP capping machines market is the growing need for Closure of bottles with features that can protect it from exploiting its products. Roll-On-Pilfer-Proof capping stands for the capping of bottle that acquires the shape of bottle. It makes the capping process much easier for complex shaped bottles. Along with this, the caps are made such that once the bottle is opened, it is not possible to cap it again without a specific machine. This feature greatly reduces the possibility of exploiting the product which is driving the demand of global ROPP capping machines market.Obtain Report Details @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ropp-capping-machines-market.html These caps also plays a major role in aesthetics of bottle. Various automated functions and safety features have made the market competitive. Capacity of ROPP capping machines is defined by rate of bottles capped per hour and by the range of diameter of opening that can be capped by the machine. Safety features like No bottle No cap and operation halt in absence of cap saves a lot of material creating it as the preferred capping solution ultimately driving the demand for the global ROPP Capping Machines Market. For glass bottles, it is necessary for the machine to apply just enough pressure for capping such that the cap acquires the shape of the bottle as well as do not break it. Flexibility of machine to adapt for varied size of cap and bottle also plays an important role in success of the machine. Continuous research for increased automation and additional safety features is the key to sustain for long time in the ROPP capping market.ROPP Capping Machines Market SegmentsBy technology, the market can be segmented asAutomatic ROPP capping machineSemi-automatic ROPP capping machineManual ROPP capping machineBy the number of bottles being capped at a time, market can be segmented asMake an Enquiry @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28874 Single Head ROPP capping machineMultiple Head ROPP capping machineBy the end use industry, market can be segmented asChemicalPharmaceuticalCosmeticsBeveragesROPP Capping Machines Market Regional OverviewAlcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverage industries are increasing steadily and are expected to continue to grow for long time in North America. North America and Asia Pacific consumes around one third of worlds caps and closures each. Furthermore North America is anticipated be the largest market for the global ROPP Capping Machines Market. Western Europe also has significantly higher demand. Global demand is further expected to increase with a steady rate. Developing countries have shown a rapid growth in recent years. Around half of worlds PET bottles are consumed by Asia Pacific. Due to high population and higher ratio of youth, Asia Pacific beverage consumption is expected to grow at very high rate and by 2021, expected to attain consumption of half of worlds demand. Latin America is positioned second after Asia Pacific in incremental rate of beverage consumption. Increased demand of soft drink and increasing population in Middle East has driven beverage market to increase three times to that of North America. Europe is paying highest contribution in global chemical industry. In 2014, global pharmaceutical industry exceeded one trillion US dollar of business for the first time. Cosmetic industry is increasing at a steady rate, particularly in US and European countries, rapid growth is experienced. Around two third of worlds caps and closures are made up of aluminum and ROPP caps shares half of its portion. All these facts signifies the huge demand of ROPP caps and ROPP capping machines for some end use industry in every region of the globe.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 11:45:12 Press Information Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 698 Words Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Use of tapes plays a crucial role for packaging, sealing and masking applications in industrial and non-industrial applications. Tapes are made of thin sheets, so to provide strength to the overall structure of tapes and to increase the convenience in its usage cores of various sizes are used. New developments in cores have led to the innovations for tape dispensing while enabling end users to use tapes more frequently and efficiently. Tape cores are commonly made of Paper and paperboard, plastic and metal for some applications. Apart from providing strength to the tape and increasing end user convenience, tape cores can be printed with company name or logo to leverage the use vast use of tapes in creating the brand image of the tape manufacturing company.Tape and Label Cores Market: Market DynamicsTapes market is rapidly growing due to its wide range application from sealing to masking in shipping and logistic industries to building and construction. To tap the potential tapes, market manufacturers are focusing on improving the consumer experience while using the tapes. World tape market is estimated to be around US$ 50 Bn and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% over the forecast period. The growth in the use of tapes is the key driver for tape and label cores market. Trough prints of companys name and logo on the cores companies are leveraging the wide range of application of tapes in various industries for building brand image while boosting the growth in tape and label cores market. Tape cores are essential to provide strength to tape and labels for providing the convenience in the usage of tapes which provides the sustainability in tape and label cores market. Low cost of the raw material utilized in manufacturing of tape and label cores is another factor supporting the demand in tape and label cores market. However, technological advancements such as digital dispensers may limit the use of tape core in industries while limiting the growth in tape and label cores market.Obtain Report Details @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/tape-label-cores-market.html Tape and Label Cores Market: Market SegmentationTape and label cores market can be segmented by material type, by inner diameter dimensions, by end use, and end-use industry.Based on the material type, tape and label cores market are segmented into:PlasticPolyvinyl chloride (PVC)Polypropylene (PP)Polyethylene (PE)Polystyrene (PS)OthersPaper & paperboardMetal & metal alloysBased on inner diameter dimensions, tape and label cores market are segmented into:5 5.55 10.55 15.5>15.5Based on end use, tape and label cores market are segmented into:LabelsDuct TapesPaper RollsPrice StickersMasking TapeGummed tapesOtherMake an Enquiry @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28886 Based on end-use industry, tape and label cores market are segmented into:TextilePromotionalAdvertisingPackagingShipping & LogisticsAutomotiveAerospaceBuilding and constructionGeneral IndustrialRegionally global Tape and Label Cores market is segmented intoRegionally tape and label cores market can be segmented asNorth AmericaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)Middle East & Africa (MEA)Being the largest exporter of the world merchandise APEJ region is expected to lead the tape and label cores market. North America is expected to follow APEJ region in tape and label cores market due to its high consumption of pressure sensitive tapes and labels for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Western and Eastern Europe are expected to grow moderately in tape and label cores market. MEA is expected to be a small but rapidly growing region in tape and label cores market while Japan is expected to contribute the significant share in tape and label cores market attributed to its high exports.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. White Lined Chipboard Market is driven by rising consumption in the different sectors including household, electronics, and food industry, increasing demand for light-weight packaging solution. White Lined Chipboard Market 2025 PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 08:05:30 Press Information Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Rohit Bhisey Head of Marketing 5186181030 email http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/white-lined-chipboard-market.html # 560 Words 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207Head of Marketing5186181030 The increase in disposable incomes in emerging market boosted the demand for various household and food products. Changing lifestyles and increasing awareness are the factors which will further contribute to the potential growth in the sector. The packaging needs of the consumers are fulfilled by the various packaging companies by providing a varied range of packaging products for different industries. The paperboards are widely used for the packaging of ready-to-eat foods, dry foods, and cereals, household, and electronics products. Companies are opting for environment-friendly packaging solutions because of increasing concern for environmental protection worldwide. So out of all types of paperboards, White lined chipboard is the most suitable type for specialty packaging. Raw materials used for manufacturing of white lined chipboards are totally recyclable fibers and can be reused for some period of time until they do not lose their strength for further packaging. They are made up of biodegradable material and can be easily decomposed in nature without leaving any harmful effects.White Lined Chipboard: Market DynamicsThe various driving factors for white lined chipboard market are increasing consumption in the different sectors including household, electronics, and food industry, increasing demand for light-weight packaging solution, raw material required to fabricate white lined chipboard is quite inexpensive, need for cost-effective packaging product, sophisticated packaging product, and recyclable and eco-friendly packaging product.Browse Market Research Report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/white-lined-chipboard-market.html The white lined chipboard is not suitable for heavy and bulky items because of their relatively less endurance to mechanical stress. There are also various associated health risks involved due to the use of recycled material for packaging restraining the global white lined chipboard market.White Lined Chipboard: Market SegmentationWhite Lined Chipboard market is segmented as followsWhite Lined Chipboard Market segmentation by Paperboard classificationUT Uncoated White Lined Chipboard, cream or white backUD Uncoated White Lined Chipboard, grey backGT Coated White Lined Chipboard, cream or white back___White Lined Chipboard Market segmentation by its manufacturing types Paper folding boxesLitho-laminated carton boxes___White Lined Chipboard Market segmentation by End Use Cereals and dry foodsFrozen and chilled foodsDetergent powdersConfectionary OutersToiletriesHousehold goodsElectrical and Engineering productsCar sparesToys and Games___Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28898 White Lined Chipboard Market: Regional outlookGeographically, the global white lined chipboard market is segmented into seven regions, namely Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The white lined chipboard market is dominated by Asia-Pacific region over the entire forecast period. The hypermarkets, retail chains, packaged food industry are increasing at a fast pace which will further boost the white lined chipboard market in the developing countries. The white lined chipboard market growth is stagnant or slightly increasing in developed regions including North America and Europe.White Lined Chipboard Market: Key playersSome of the key players in the global white lined chipboard market are Polar International Organization Limited, Varsity Packaging Ltd., Shanghai Deding Packaging Material Co., ltd., KAPAG Karton + Papier AG, Smurfit Kappa Group, Westrock Company, Mondi Group plc, Fiskeby Board AB, Vision Paper and Board Ltd., Preston Board and Packaging Ltd., Gane Brothers & Lane, Inc., Doric Anderton Ltd., and Preston Board and Packaging Ltd. Zika Vaccines Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025 Zika Vaccines Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-08 19:44:59 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Mr. Shah CEO 2067016702 email https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/zika-vaccines-market-413 # 813 Words 1001 4th Ave, #3200CEO2067016702 Zika Vaccines Market Overview:Zika vaccines are developed for immunization & prevention against diseases caused by Zika virus. This virus belongs to genus Flavivirus and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, sexual contact or from infected pregnant women to the fetus. Diagnosis of this infection is confirmed by detecting viral DNA through PCR. However, only 1 in 4 people with zika infection are prone to develop symptoms. In November 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that zika infection no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as major cases of zika virus were asymptomatic.In April 2015, a major ongoing outbreak of Zika virus was registered in Brazil, which later affected the population in South and Central America. This outbreak caused mild illness (fever, rashes, joint pains, conjunctivitis, nausea, and muscle pain), though the recent outbreaks showed severe complications such as microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and various congenital neurological abnormalities in infants who were born to infected mothers. The link between zika virus and microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome was identified and reported in 2015 in Brazil.Request for sample copy : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/413 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70 new zika virus infection cases were reported in the U.S. in 2015, which increased to 41,181 cases in 2016. Lack of reporting is a major factor for lower incidence rate in 2015. Increase in awareness can result in more diagnosis and reporting thus generating growth of the global zika vaccines market.Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology found that the extract of San Francisco plant (Codiaeum variegatum) found in Australia, can kill the zika virus. This extract can arrest the virus and stop it from replicating without causing any damage to the host cells.Zika Vaccines Market Taxonomy:There are different types of vaccines that provide protection against Zika virus:DNA-based vaccinesInactivated vaccinesLive-attenuated vaccinesmRNA vaccinesGenetically engineered vaccinesGlobal market by application:Therapeutic VaccinesPreventive VaccinesGlobal market by end user:HospitalsClinicsContinuous increase in human clinical trials and rise in number of zika cases will drive the growth of Zika vaccines marketAs of March 2016, 67 companies and research institutions were working on various kinds of R&D projects and clinical trials aided to develop effective vaccines against zika virus. The FDA approved the first human clinical trial for GLS5700 in June 2016, a zika vaccine being developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. Further in 2017, a grant was approved for phase 2 clinical trials for a DNA vaccine conducted by NIAIDs Vaccine Research Center (VRC).Increasing awareness among the population would aid in controlling the incidence rate of zika infection. The WHO implemented a global framework for creating public awareness through its Zika Strategic Response Framework and Joint Plan in February 2016. This plan outlines all the points to be taken care of at the time of infections. In June 2016, WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a training curriculum to increase awareness by the publication of Zika Risk Assessment for European Region.High investment costs required for R&D and the development of effective zika virus vaccines serves as a restraining factor for the global zika vaccines market.While major of the Zika virus cases occur in tropical regions such as Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and Suriname, there are higher chances of mosquito infections in tropical areas of the U.S. like Texas and Florida. According to Pan American Health Organization, around 1,246 suspected and confirmed cases were reported between epidemiological week (EW) 10 and EW 14 of 2016 in the sub region which involves Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.Competitive LandscapeSome key players operating in the zika vaccines market are Cerus Corporation, Biken Inc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Bharat Biotech International Pvt. Ltd, GeneOne Life Science, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Immunovaccine Inc., NewLink Genetics Corp. and Sanofi S.A. The companies launched various R&D measures and clinical trials to attain immunogenicity against zika virus. In February 2016, Sanofi S.A launched a vaccine research and development project, with the introduction of Dengvaxia (Dengue vaccine) that will aid the company understand the Zika virus and develop an effective vaccine against it. Likewise, Inovio Pharmaceuticals initiated a clinical study of zika vaccine (GLS-5700) in Puerto Rico in August 2016. This trial may provide a potential push to Inovios vaccine if positive results are reported as there was a rapid progression of zika outbreak in Puerto Rico at that time. This could benefit the trial in assessing true efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Rapid progression in clinical trials and approval would augment the zika vaccines market growth.Get an exclusive discount on this report : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/413 About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. MUSCATINE City Council members discussed three potential changes to parking throughout the city Thursday night, put together by a group of city staffers who have been examining downtown parking. Finance Director Nancy Lueck said the first proposal is on 2nd Street, in which the city is considering changing the current rule free parking up to three hours a day in each parking spot to free parking up to two hours a day per each block. Businesses have requested a shorter time limit on parking to encourage more vehicles to park downtown. It would take more frequent patrolling of 2nd Street, but hopefully we can get people in compliance, she said. The council also talked about the creation of 19 new parking spaces, which the city will operate, following the construction of a new Kum & Go, on Sycamore Street between 4th and 5th streets. The city proposes the parking spots be leased spaces, which could help provide more parking for the public and city staff. Lueck said parking at City Hall is not completely full, but reaching capacity. Also, after construction is completed on Mississippi Drive, the council is considering designating more than 50 parking spaces on the street as free parking with a two-hour time limit. Lueck said the city does not want to make the spaces metered, but there may be a new pay system in the future. The new parking rules would require ordinance changes and future council approval. Councilman Santos Saucedo said he would like to hear more input from downtown businesses and homeowners, and the City Council agreed to discuss the issue later this month. Proclamations Muscatine Mayor Diana Broderson signed proclamations Thursday night one setting Saturday as a day to honor families of children with cancer and another celebrating diversity and denouncing hate. About nine families affected by childhood cancer were honored by Broderson, as Muscatine approved Saturday as Kindness and Courage Day. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and the mayor is encouraging Muscatine residents to spend Saturday doing an act of kindness, such as donating books to the library. The mayor also signed a proclamation reaffirming the city's commitment to celebrating diversity. It states the city values inclusion and welcomes all people who live in Muscatine, regardless of national origin, race, wealth, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed or physical and mental ability. Request for TIF White Distribution and Supply, of Fairbury, Illinois, is seeking Tax Increment Financing support for the construction of a manufacturing warehouse, which would cost about $6 million. According to the request, the project will create 15 new jobs at an average wage of more than $16 an hour. City Administrator Gregg Mandsager said a portion of the land, near the 3900 block of Park Avenue West, has already been annexed in the city, where White operates a business. On Oct. 5, the council will discuss annexing the rest of the land, about four acres, for the new facility. Mandsager said a TIF district would be created and White Distribution is asking for the Tax Increment Financing to be at a rate of 50 percent for 10 years, which is typical for the citys TIF program. The city estimates the value of the building at $3 million, with the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2018 to be about $32.90 per $1,000. Around $444,150 could be paid in the 10 year period. The proposed TIF district, Mandsager said, could also potentially support future development in the area, such as housing units and businesses, near the Hampton Inn on North Port Drive. The council gave a consensus allowing the city to move forward with the plans. Construction could begin this fall and be completed next spring, according to White Distribution. Musser Public Library construction Council members set the City Council meeting on Sept. 21 as time to hold a public hearing to discuss construction beginning on the new Musser Public Library, donated by HNI Corp. The library will move to the old HNI headquarters on East 2nd Street, which will also be a new HNI Community Center. The city hopes to begin accepting bids next month, with construction beginning in December. About $700,000 is needed to begin construction, according to city documents, with $550,000 being allocated from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Lucella Campbell's novel 'LINK' is an inspirational and timely story of humanity's need for spiritual connection. 'LINK' by Lucella Campbell Contact Lucella Campbell ***@gmail.com Lucella Campbell End -- The vast mysteries of the universe and spirituality have been explored throughout history, and while it is within these metaphysical explorations that humanity has sought answers, the distractions of daily life and attachments to the physical world often inhibit the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. In author Lucella Campbell's new novel 'LINK,' she addresses this human inhibition through her title charactera formless entity from a timeless place called Altura. With a deep desire to understand what it means to be human, and a higher calling to help humanity find its way back to its spiritual beginnings, Link exists in a realm of higher consciousness and shared collective knowledge.After many visits to Earth as a formless being, Campbell's protagonist chooses to become human so that he can experience, first hand, the human condition. Link befriends a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother in their Belize village, and adjusts to his new physical form, while also sharing his immense spiritual knowledge with the people of the village. As Link builds a human life for himself, establishes relationships, and experiences human emotions and feelings, he develops a deeper understanding of why humanity is alienated from its spiritual core.Based on her writings from 20 years ago, as well as her search for spiritual connection in her own life, Campbell decided to write and publish 'LINK' now, at a time when it seems that humanity is spiraling away from its "oneness.""I fully recognize the urgency of sharing this information;it is essential for shining light on the skewed path that humanity and our wondrous planet are on," explains Campbell. "We have made a choice to identify with our physical selves over connection to our spiritual core. 'LINK' joins with the other wake-up calls that aim to have us remember that we are more than just material beings, and we have to make a choice to create a more enlightened physical experience."'LINK' is published in ebook format by eBookIt.com and is now available at popular online retailers including Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Apple's iBookstore.Review copies of 'LINK' are available to media contacts upon request. Lucella Campbell is available for interviews.Lucella Campbelllutra2014@gmail.com917-607-0493Lucella Campbell is a native of St Lucia, in the Caribbean, and also lived in Jamaica for many years. She is the mother of three and migrated to the US in 1988 to take up a position with an international organization in the development field. Her life experiences, personal and professional, provided rich material for the book.The life experience that Lucella cherishes the most is founding a Caribbean-wide youth leadership organization in 1993 called the Youth Advocacy Movement (YAM). Her pride in the organization and all those who have kept it alive is best captured in the gratitude of a young man in Belize who tearfully indicated that, "If it were not for the YAM, I would have been in jail like so many of my friends but here I am - the President of YAM, Belize."Since 2010, eBookIt.com (based in Sudbury, Massachusetts)has helped thousands of authors and publishers get their books converted to ebook format, and distributed to all the major ebook retailers, including Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Sony Readerstore, Ingram Digital, and Google eBookstore. End -- The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor welcomes the decision of the European Court of Justice, which confirms the agreed upon distribution of immigrant reception quotas in Europe, and rejects the appeal filed by Slovakia and Hungary for the in the wake of the migration crisis in 2015.Hungary and Slovakia have lodged an appeal against the plan and decision on refugee reception quotas adopted by European leaders in September 2015, which provides to distribute 120 thousand immigrants living in Italy and Greece to the countries of the European Union. On Wednesday, the court completely rejected the appeals made by Slovakia and Hungary, and assured that the plan condemned the two countries (when in fact they are supposed to reflect and express the spirit of European solidarity) only: "contributes effectively to increase the burden on Greece and Italy after the influx of migrants in large numbers.The Court considered that full unanimity among members is not binding to implement the decisions of the European Council, which included the 28 Heads of State and Government of the European Union, and that under no circumstances could the European Council change the voting rules established by treaties.Hungary and Slovakia objected to the legitimacy of the plan, but the Court in return rejected their argument. The court considered issuing legislations by national parliaments without consultation with the European Parliament and without public hearings, non-legislative and the adoption of the resolution does not have to meet legislative requirements of National parliaments to be implemented.Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Romania voted against receiving 120,000 refugees who arrived in Italy and Greece and met all international protection standards for two years.The Euro-Med Monitor stresses the necessity of such decisions under the new European Union policies, which are exerting all efforts to stop the arrival of asylum seekers and migrants to Europe, and to legislate these acts through side agreements, escaping and disclaiming international laws and treaties on the issue of migrants and protection seekers.Euro-Med considered the opposing countries' stances against the implementation of the resolution as "immoral and is a representation of an attempt to evade responsibility in a manner that runs against international law."Euro-Med calls on the European Union to make greater efforts to respect the rights of migrants and refugees, provide safe channels of access for refugees, and to bear the burden of refugees in cooperation with other countries.Click here to view the press release on the website: https://euromedmonitor.org/ en/article/2042 By: City of Las Vegas, NM Contact City of Las Vegas ***@ci.las-vegas.nm.us City of Las Vegas End -- While most roofing contractors are legitimate, there are some, known as "storm-chasers"or "roofing-gypsies,"that follow damaging storms looking for homeowners to exploit.In the wake of the recent hail storms, the City of Las Vegas' Community Development Department has received multiple complaints from area residents about roofers.The complaints range from aggressive door-to-door sales tactics, to shoddy workmanship, to unlicensed roofing contractors.Area residents are being advised of the following: Door-to-door business solicitation without a permit is unlawful in Las Vegas, NM. You have the right to say "No" and order them to leave. If they do not leave, call the Las Vegas Police Department. All roofing contractors are licensed through the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID.) Any roofer not licensed by the CID is operating illegally. To find out if a roofing contractor is licensed, call the CID at (505)222-9801 or the PSI at (877) 663-9267 The only New Mexico licenses for roofers are G02-Residential, GB98-General/Commercial, and GS21-Roofing Specialist. Roofing repair requires an inspection and permitting process. If a roofer begins work on your dwelling without obtaining an inspection and permit, it should raise an immediate red flag. Some roofers are specifically pushing for cash deals. Residents should be aware that should problems arise, cash deals make it difficult to get their money back. If any roofer threatens to place a lein on your dwelling, call Code Enforcement at (505) 454-1401.Please do your homework, and make sure the roofer you select is CID licensed. The licensing process for roofing contractors exists for your protection Fans of Hamilton the Broadway musical can dive deeper at an exhibit and lecture this coming Sunday, Sept. 10, titled Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rivalry That Shaped America. The One Day University event will be held at Loews AMC in Manhattan. By: Seth Kaller, Inc. The Alexander Hamilton Collection of documents is for sale, for $2.3 million. Contact Scott Usher ***@sethkaller.com Scott Usher End -- Fans of Hamilton the Broadway musical can dive deeper at an exhibit and lecture this coming Sunday, September 10, titledThe One Day University event will be held at Loews AMC in Lincoln Square bringing Hamilton farther uptown on Broadway, at 1998 Broadway at 67Street.Through words, original artifacts and documents, the epic rivalry that pitted two of the most powerful political figures in American history will be explored, as the men battled over the future of the nation prior to Hamilton's death in a pistol duel with Aaron Burr.A "flash" exhibit, from 9 am until noon, will showcase unique, historic documents gathered over many years by Seth Kaller, a leading collection-builder and dealer in rare historic documents based in White Plains.The exhibit will feature Hamilton's own draft of his rallying cry to defeat Jefferson at all costs for the presidency, after Washington declined a third term (Hamilton's tune changed four years later when his more dangerous nemesis Burr was on the stage); a lock of Hamilton's hair, preserved in his family for generations;and a steamy letter to his future wife, Eliza.Also on display will be George Washington's signed Sept. 11, 1789 letter, in which he sends to the Governor of Connecticut the Act of Congress that founded the Treasury Department. The same day Washington signed the letter, he nominated Hamilton to lead the new department. Remarkably, the Senate confirmed Hamilton on the very same day. This letter has never been seen in public before.In one of Hamilton's most revealing love letters to Eliza, he writes, "You are certainly a little sorceressand have rendered me as restless and unsatisfied with all about me, as if I was an inhabitant of another world." According to Kaller, he's seen all kinds of people break out into singing Lin Manuel Miranda's lyrics "I have never been satisfied" upon seeing this letter., which exposes Hamilton's adultery, is also in the exhibit. Copies are very rare, as Eliza reportedly burned as many as she could find.Mr. Kaller talks about the relevance today of these 200-year-old documents: "They provide an authentic connection to the people who wrote them and the events that shaped America. The Founding Fathers were able to transcend their personal flaws and political conflicts to lay the groundwork for our great nation."Hamilton, born in Nevis the West Indies, was a young orphan. After Nevis was devastated by a hurricane, admirers sent him to be educated in America. He joined the army at the start of the Revolutionary War, and became like a son to George Washington. After the war, as Masur pointed out, "Jefferson fought bitterly against the Federalists and his election as president ushered in the 'revolution of 1800.' In an ironic twist, it would be Hamilton who helped assure Jefferson's triumph over Aaron Burr."Tickets to the lecture and exhibit are $50 and may be acquired online at the One Day University website www.onedayu.com . Mr. Kaller's Hamilton collection can be viewed at www.AHamilton.com.Theis being offered for sale by Mr. Kaller, intact, for $2.3 million. The archive consists of the historically significant original documents described above, plus hundreds of other pieces. Interested parties may call Mr. Kaller at (914) 289-1776, or e-mail him at info@sethkaller.com. Colocation services in New Yorkis a significant headway of technology that is significantly helping businesses. Contact Whitelabel ITSolutions ***@whitelabelitsolutions.com Whitelabel ITSolutions End -- Colocation services are a significant headway of technology that is significantly helping businesses. By placing servers in a large, well-associated data center, companies can access bandwidth that would be prohibitively costly to run into one's office. Colocation services Singapore allows you to place your server machine in another person's rack and offer their bandwidth as your own and empowers a high number of customers to approach stockpiling, network and server equipment while connecting them to a great selection of network and telecommunication providers.With Colocation is winding up plainly increasingly more famous, an investment in the administration of a colocation services Whitelabel ITSolutions facility accompanies many advantages for prospective customers. Colocation servers are real web servers that are kept in data centers of any web hosting undertaking. The infrastructure is placed in the data centers for it to be used as Colocation services. When it is essential for the server to be stronger than what is given by standard Web hosting, colocation services Whitelabel ITSolutions is often the best option. A developing number of associations have understood the various advantages of arranging their most critical resources within a data focus. Predominantly because of the cost and time reserve funds, businesses can utilize shared disjoint associations. It is also a decent option for private ventures that want to have a fairly large Web presence yet would prefer not to need to deal with large sum items, for example, network associations.A company can spare thousands of dollars by using a Colocation provider. The prime Internet area of the facility combined with refined maintenance and services at an affordable value settles on Colocation the best choice for any company's Internet needs. All Whitelabel ITSolutions colocation services offer managed servers to maintain that your company experiences little to no technical difficulties. This is helpful in case you don't have IT team individuals or your office is located a long way from the provider.Whitelabel ITSolutions systems constantly strive to uncover new ways that can transform industries and business models. This is an area where Whitelabel ITSolutions has had a strong advantage over other colocation service providers because the efficient nature of the services we bring to the table have been proven and used by all types of industries. Some other important factors such as carrier neutral facilities with connectivity from Tier I internet service providers and an exceptional track record of superior service delivery to meet and exceed customer expectations makes Whitelabel ITSolutions one amongst the best colocation service providers in the New York area. Contact RevMotiv ***@revmotiv.com RevMotiv End -- RevMotiv Technology Co. (RTC) announced that it has signed a $3.5 million development contract in partnership with Lingzhong Power Technology Co. for the creation of ultra-efficient electric motors and motor controllers to be used in electric vehicles in China. RTC will also retain 20 percent ownership of the new Joint Venture company and will hold management positions in the Chinese company to oversee quality and technology control.The improved motors and controllers are smaller, lighter, and more efficient than most other motors currently available in China. This enables bus manufacturers to be more flexible in vehicle design and increase vehicle range. With efficiencies up to 96.5 percent, the motors will allow vehicles to use less electricity and create less waste than the existing system. RTC motors are not only used in buses, but everything from electric cars, supercars, military vehicles, and motorcycles. The three-year contract is estimated to produce a minimum of 10,000 motors, ranging in size from 60 kW to 250 kW and 600 NM to 2000 NM of torque. The total estimated value of the contract is over $100 million."With the partnership between RTC and Lingzhong, we are able to feature our advanced electric motor and controller technology, which currently exceeds the technology currently being utilized by most bus companies," said Stephen Jonas, Chief Executive Officer of RevMotiv Technology Co. "It also helps us to go from small scale production to large scale, which will enable us to be cost competitive with other Chinese motor manufacturers."As part of the partnership, Lingzhong is investing more than 200 million RMB for a facility that will be able to produce 30,000 motors and controllers per year. Lingzhong also has received financial assistance from the local government, which sees the project as a major tax and employment generator for the local economy."Our background is in the bus industry. With the RTC partnership we can help reduce carbon emissions and pollution, which we are proud to do," said Mr. Li Shuangxi, Chairman of Shandong Lingzhong. "These electric motors will both expand the electric bus market and improve air quality by using clean electric energy instead of traditional polluting engines, or inefficient systems currently being used."RTC has finished production of three different prototype motors for different applications, which will be used in this project. The partnership is in negotiations for supply agreements with China's three largest bus manufacturers to test the new motors and controllers.Small scale production for testing has already begun and large scale production will begin on the improved motors and motor controllers in early 2018.For more information about RTC, visit http://revmotiv.com Bred from a passion for cars, RevMotiv Technology Co. (RTC) is an international team of engineers and car enthusiasts set on driving the electric vehicle industry. RTC is pushed by a passion for speed, luxury, and electric vehicle innovation, which has led them to create electric motors and controllers, torque control systems, vehicle control systems, and autonomous driving systems. Its first luxury pure electric supercar is set to be released for production in 2018. After completion of the second part of the construction in Panattoni Park Cheb, Tchibo has opened an expanded distribution centre for its e-shop. The rentable space increased from 39,000 m to 73,000 m. This means that in Cheb has grown the second largest logistics hall in the Czech Republic and [] MUSCATINE On Tuesday, voters in Muscatine and Louisa counties will cast their votes for school board. Heres what you need to know about the candidates before you head to the polls: Muscatine The Muscatine school board has three open seats and five candidates running. Incumbent Tammi Drawbaugh is the current board president and is a Muscatine native. She has been active with the Muskie Band and Choral Boosters and is passionate about music education. In last weeks candidate forum, Drawbaugh said she would like to continue the efforts of the current board, including a focus on improving the facilities at the high school. Tim Bower, also an incumbent, serves on the Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council-Southeast Iowa region and is passionate about science education. He also has said that facilities improvements are a priority for him because they enable students to learn, but he said that the board needs to re-examine plans with proper eyes to make sure it meets current student needs. Chris Anderson is a first-time candidate and a Muscatine native. Anderson said he wants the district to help all students succeed. Anderson has a special-needs child in the Muscatine school district and has started a foundation to help special needs children and their families. Bev Gerdts is a Muscatine native and a former custodian in the district. She is endorsed by the AFL-CIO and has said that she would use her position on the board to help teachers and staff in the district. She also has said she wants the district to examine its spending and make sure every dollar spent benefits students. At the forum last week, she said that she does not support the high school gym project. Toby McCarter moved to Muscatine three years ago and has children in the district. He is particularly passionate about early education and raising attendance at 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool. At the forum, McCarter said the district could attract and retain teachers by offering relocation packages and by partnering with local industry to help teachers spouses find jobs. Louisa-Muscatine Louisa-Muscatines board has two open seats and four candidates. Incumbent Scott Wilson is passionate about technology and project-based learning. He wants schools in the district to help students find their passions early so they are excited about going to school. Wilson said he has helped the district develop a five-year facilities plan during his tenure on the board and that he is inclined to seek facilities projects that give the district more bang for its buck. Incumbent Eric Schlutz is an L-M graduate and has been active at the schools FFA alumni association. He wants the district to help students become career-ready. At this weeks candidate forum, he said the district has introduced new curriculums in industrial tech and engineering this year to help students be more career-ready. Newcomer Kyle Avis has children in the district and his wife works at Louisa-Muscatine. Avis, who has had a long career in retail, wants the district to prepare students for the workforce. Newcomer Joseph Paul has a 6-month old who he said will attend the district in the future. He wants to run so he can make the district a good place for her. Paul did not attend the candidate forum because of work obligations but has provided a written statement that said he wants to prepare students for the workforce. In a previous interview, he said one way to prepare students for future career is through technology. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. In recent weeks, the world has been on edge over the escalating tensions between North Korea and the United States. Convinced that it cannot live with the growing North Korean nuclear weapon and ballistic missile threat, the U.S. has decided to end its policy of strategic patience. What has changed? Simply put, with the ICBM tests on July 4th and 28th, North Korea appeared to be taking the first steps toward posing an existential threat to the United States. Yet North Korea's exaggerated description of the success of those tests may have caused greater worry than is yet justified. Theodore A. Postol, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist, and colleagues argued much the same in a paper published August 11th in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The July 4th test, which appeared to demonstrate a missile range adequate to cover much of Alaska, may not have carried a warhead heavy enough to accommodate a North Korean nuclear weapon. The July 28th ICBM test, while appearing to have adequate range to reach much of the United States, had a warhead that was almost certainly too small to carry a North Korean nuclear weapon, and in any case reportedly burned up on reentry (though Postol and colleagues dispute what actually burned up, saying they believe that it was the nearly empty upper stage of the missile that actually burned up). The warhead may have burned up because North Korea reduced the weight of the warhead shields in order to obtain greater range. Unless the nuclear weapon and missile programs are reined in, at some point North Korea will be able to target San Francisco or other major U.S. cities. For decades, the U.S. has extended a nuclear umbrella to South Korea and Japan, offering to deal with any North Korean nuclear weapon use so that South Korea and Japan do not require their own nuclear weapons. To date, this U.S. commitment has not put U.S. territory seriously at risk. But unless the North Korean nuclear weapon and missile programs are reined in, at some point North Korea will be able to target San Francisco or other major U.S. cities with nuclear weapons. Even a current-generation North Korean nuclear weapon with an estimated 10-kiloton explosive power (roughly the size of the nuclear weapon detonated on Hiroshima) might kill or seriously injure several hundred thousand people if detonated on a major U.S. city. And North Korea is seeking to build an even bigger weapon its so-called H-bomb, a 50-kiloton nuclear weapon capable of killing or seriously injuring a half-million people or more in an urban area. Many experts in South Korea have expressed concern over what would happen to the U.S. commitment to maintaining the nuclear umbrella if U.S. cities could be targeted by North Korean nuclear weapons. In the early 1960s, French President Charles de Gaulle faced a similar Russian challenge to the U.S. nuclear umbrella. He declared that he did not think the United States would trade New York City for Paris. In the future, would the United States trade San Francisco or New York City for Seoul? In March, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced the end of the strategic patience approach to the North Korean nuclear weapons threat. Strategic patience applied some pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program, but still allowed the North Korean threat to grow rather than jeopardize regional peace. The U.S. is exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures, Tillerson said. All options are on the table. The U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea has been important since the Korean War and will be even more essential in the future. The recent evolution of the North Korean nuclear weapon threat raises issues because the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea has been important since the Korean War and will be even more essential in the future. The North Korean Army and security services have perhaps three times the manpower of the South Korean Army. Since the North Korean forces are qualitatively inferior, there is a tendency to dismiss the North Korean quantitative superiority. But South Korea's military is growing dangerously small. Their Army has been reduced from 560,000 active-duty personnel a decade or so ago to 485,000 today. Those numbers could shrink to 370,000 over the next three to five years because of the country's historically low birthrate and the expressed desire of new ROK President Moon Jae-in to reduce the number of months that military draftees must serve. Within a decade, ROK Army manpower would likely drop to about 300,000. While U.S.-ROK military qualitative superiority may win many regular battles, the sheer numbers of personnel can be more important in some fights, especially against the insurgent forces that can be expected to rise up after major battles. The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq raised a similar problem: Once the main battles of the conflict ended, the United States had to increase the size of its military forces in Iraq to deal with the insurgency that developed. North Korea reportedly has some 200,000 active-duty special forces, and while they are not all as capable as U.S.-ROK special forces, their covert military culture would make them troublesome in a chaotic or insurgent environment. While many of the North Korean weapons are old and would not perform well against U.S.-ROK forces, once the supply of U.S.-ROK precision munitions is exhausted, the combined forces could lose much of their qualitative advantages. Moreover, North Korea has some selected military advantages areas where quantity can significantly offset quality. These include its large ballistic missile force, its massive artillery force, and its weapons of mass destruction. For example, North Korea has perhaps 5,000 to 6,000 artillery and rocket launchers within range of the Seoul metropolitan area. If even a fraction of these were fired into Seoul, they could cause substantial damage. South Korean military personnel believe that the South would significantly escalate against such an attack, likely seeking the destruction of the North Korean regime. The Kim dynasty that has ruled North Korea since 1948 has amassed these military capabilities to deter potential U.S. action against them. Many of the theoretical options that might impede further North Korean development of nuclear weapons and missiles are unlikely, including economic sanctions that are only partially implemented by China. And other options, like military attacks on the North, could escalate to a major war that would be devastating to the region and perhaps the United States. The U.S. could also threaten to use its missile defenses to shoot down North Korean missile tests when it is determined they pose a threat. Many experts argue that the best way to try to resolve this threat is to persuade North Korea to negotiate an end to its nuclear program. But North Korea has made it clear that it has no intention of abandoning its nuclear weapon capabilities. It says that nuclear weapons are essential to regime survival. North Korea has criticized the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for agreeing to give up his weapons of mass destruction, because he was then overthrown with U.S. help. The Kim family regime has said it will never be so foolish. The U.S. should consider broadcasting information into North Korea that will embarrass and undermine the Kim Jong Un regime. If the United States wants North Korea to deal, then it should figure out how to persuade the North Korean regime that it is less likely to survive by posing a nuclear threat than by cooperating with the international community. Economic sanctions and military threats apply part of the needed pressure. But the other part likely needs to include U.S. information operations aimed at North Korean internal politics. To that end, the U.S. should consider broadcasting information into North Korea that will embarrass and undermine the Kim Jong Un regime. Kim's major concern is with his regime survival, and he appears to be extremely sensitive to any threats. His purges and brutality have reportedly alienated many of the North Korean elites. Kim is also regarded as a weak leader in many ways and is not the most capable person in North Korea, reportedly a requirement of the socialist and juche (self-reliance) philosophies promulgated by his grandfather in the 1950s. The North Korean economy appears to be growing as a result of capitalism, with many of the elites becoming business people. In the past, the United States has established red lines that North Korea has crossed without suffering any significant consequence. The U.S. should consider pursuing a multidimensional approach including economic sanctions, threats of military actions, and disseminating information in North Korea that would threaten its internal politics to try to persuade Kim Jong Un that his nuclear weapons do more to jeopardize his regime than secure its survival. Bruce W. Bennett is a senior defense analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. This commentary originally appeared in The Ripon Forum on September 6, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. At 14,000 feet above sea level and with a perpetually harsh climate, the Doklam Plateau is an enormously difficult place to defend. Meanwhile, those launching an attack face exponentially greater challengesand that's before the Himalayan winter sets in. This helps explain why China and India last week ended a military standoff there that had been festering since June. Beyond the sheer misery of preparing to fight on such a forbidding battlefield, however, both nations had every reason to deescalate one of the most serious showdowns since their sole war in 1962. The status quo ante has been essentially restored, but the dispute raised important questions about the balance of power in Asia, China's grand strategy, and what Washington can learn from the episode. China and India share a border over 2,500 miles long, with almost all of it based on colonial-era agreements and surveys, and much of it still disputed. China claims pieces of territory held by India, mostly in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, with smaller pieces claimed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. India claims land held by China, most notably a piece of land called Aksai Chin through which Beijing built a road in the 1950s connecting Xinjiang to Tibet. Reflecting its unsettled nature, the portions of the border separating disputed territories are referred to as the Line of Actual Control. There are periodic skirmishes along the LAC, but both nations have carefully choreographed them to avoid escalation; as a result, there have been no casualties stemming from land disputes in half a century. On June 8, a platoon-sized unit of Chinese border guards moved into territory claimed by both China and Bhutan, a client-state of India. They destroyed stone bunkers used sporadically by the Royal Bhutan Army, and shortly afterward a Chinese road construction crew arrived with excavators, bulldozers, and a larger military escort. On June 16, Indian troops arrived and blocked the road-building effort. The next two months saw periodic scuffles at Doklam, as well as a mass rock-fight (captured on video and posted to YouTube) by the disputed banks of the Pangong Lake 800 miles away. On August 28, both nations agreed to what India termed an expeditious disengagement of forces, and both declared this non-resolution a victory. New Delhi's Security Concerns India's motives in this conflict are relatively easy to unravel. As the patron and de facto security guarantor of Bhutan, New Delhi has an all-but-official obligation to defend that nation's territorial claims. Under the 1949 Treaty of Friendship, Bhutan's King Druk Gyalpo pledged to be guided by the advice of the Government of India in regard to its external relations. The treaty was revised in 2007 ( PDF ) to commit both governments to cooperate closely with each other on the issues relating to their national interests. Beneath the diplomatic language, the intent remained the same: Bhutan would let India control its foreign policy, and India would protect Bhutan from external threat. Moreover, a Chinese military presence at Doklamparticularly one with transportation infrastructure capable of supporting deeper incursionswould threaten a 17-mile-wide strip of land known as the Siliguri Corridor linking seven Northeastern Indian states to the rest of the country. The corridor is often referred to as India's Chicken Neckand New Delhi had no intention of letting Beijing gain control of it. The 2007 treaty with Bhutan ominously notes ( PDF ) that neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other. Even if Bhutan were willing to let China take control of Doklam, India would likely have been unwilling (and, by treaty, unrequired) to stand aside. China's motives are more opaque, more varied, and more important for the United States and the international community to understand. As such, they require a closer look. Beijing's Regional Goals China's initial move, even if it appeared to be the opening gambit in a geopolitical chess-game, was likely not intended as such. Beijing has been on a nationwide infrastructure building-spree since the 1990s, and sensitive border areas have not been left out of this program. To Indian eyes, the creation of a paved highway on highly strategic terrain looked like the laying of a foundation for a potential invasion; but to China, it may have been nothing more than the same sort of gravel-to-asphalt upgrade underway throughout the country. In fact, Chinese and Indian troops frequently push one another's border positions a few hundred yards (or more) one way or another, depending on how much ground they can seize before higher authorities intervene. In April of 2013, for example, a Chinese platoon advanced 12 miles into Indian-held territory near Daulat Beg Oldi in Kashmir, but it withdrew about three weeks later, after intensive diplomatic wrangling. Another factor suggesting mishap rather than high-level premeditation is the tactical set-up: India commands the high ground, which means if the People's Liberation Army tried to push beyond Doklam toward the Siliguri Corridor it would be forced to attack largely uphill for about 90 miles. Regardless of its origin, this unprecedented face-offthe first of this magnitude in 30 yearsdragged from days to weeks to months. After the first week or so, it went from being a field-level initiative to a policy choice undertaken at the highest echelon of the Chinese government. Indeed, Beijing stoked nationalist sentiments among the Chinese public by running inflammatory (and in some cases baldly racist) stories in the state-controlled press and social media. The Chinese government arguably had four key objectives in the dispute, two directed squarely at India and two of with more direct implications for the U.S. and other nations around the world. India's leaders increasingly describe Pakistan as their nation's rival of the past, and China as the rival of the future. Beijing's first strictly regional goal may have been to keep India from thinking it was at parity with China. The 1962 warin which China invaded India without great difficulty, and unilaterally withdrew a month later while retaining the only pieces of territory it wanted to keepshattered any illusion that the two giant nations of Asia were either friends or peers. In subsequent decades, Indian leaders were generally wary of offending Beijing. Through the Mao Zedong years and after, the military and economic gap (especially from the 1990s onward) between the two nations seemed to grow ever wider. In the new century, however, India's confidence has steadily grown: leaders of both major political parties increasingly describe Pakistan as their nation's rival of the past, and China as the rival of the future. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this attitude has been matched by action. Modi has stepped up India's construction of military and dual-use infrastructure along the LAC, and increased security cooperation with its Pacific partners, including Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. This increased desire for security cooperation extends straight across the ocean. During the four summit meetings over the past three years, Indian and U.S. leaders have pushed to advance security cooperation as speedily as possible. During Modi's visit to Washington in June 2017, for example, India announced that it would purchase 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles from the United States for maritime surveillance. On July 10, the United States and India began the twenty-first edition of their annual Malabar naval exercise, which for the first time featured aircraft carriers from these two nations as well as Japan. In the past, India had generally shied away from multilateral exercises involving Washington, or from any actions which could be read by Beijing as a step toward a de facto U.S. alliance. China, understandably, would like to keep it that way. Perhaps the most important Chinese concern in the Himalayas, however, deals with the future of the 82-year-old Dalai Lama. Indian leaders have given the Dalai Lama sanctuary in the town of Dharamsala for nearly six decades, but Modi has been more willing than any of his recent predecessors to press China's Tibetan sore spot. In 2014 he broke protocol by inviting Lobsang Sangay, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, to his inauguration. In April 2017, six months after encouraging a similar tour by the U.S. ambassador, Modi permitted the Dalai Lama to visit Tibetan communities in the state of Arunchal Pradeshterritories claimed by China. Beijing has objected vociferously to each of these steps, with the Foreign Ministry noting in April, China will firmly take necessary measures to defend its territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests. China intends to select the Dalai Lama's successoras it did in 1995 for Tibetan Buddhism's second-ranking cleric, the Panchen Lama. China's claim to the areas held by India (and Bhutan) flows from its claim to Tibet. If Tibet is an integral part of China, then all territories ever controlled (or claimed) by Tibet are also integral parts of China. A high-profile scare on the Doklam Plateauinhabited only by seasonal Tibetan and Bhutanese yak-herdersmay have been intended to send India an implicit message: namely, not to repeat its decision to shelter the Dalai Lama in 1959, a key cause of China's 1962 invasion. Takeaways for U.S. Policy The Doklam episode holds lessons for the United States and any other nation interested in Beijing's global strategic calculus. Although China claims more than 35,000 square miles of Indian-held land along the eastern portion of the LAC alone, it did not choose any part of this area as the site for an international incident. By focusing on Bhutan instead, China may have been trying to drive a wedge between India and its most vulnerable ally. New Delhi would defend its own sovereign territory, but Beijing may have wanted to see whether India would go to war against a much stronger adversary to defend someone else's real estate. Perhaps India would back down and compromise in some way: for example, permitting Bhutan to trade its claim on Doklam for China's dropping its quest for two other disputed areas held by the tiny kingdom. Several nations in South Asia (the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) look to India for some degree of security protection, and several in Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam) have expressed interest in greater security engagement; a failure to fully protect its most direct client would have grave implications for India's credibility as a partner. In addition, China's speedy movement of road-construction equipment into the disputed area suggests that Beijing could be replicating its approach in the South China Sea where it is building infrastructure to establish de facto ownership. China's strategy in the South China Sea has been unfolding in public view for years. Since December 2013, Beijing has reclaimed more than 2,900 acres, essentially building islands on top of barren reefs in the Paracel and Spratly chains. So far, this strategy has been successful. None of its rivals has accepted Beijing's claimsbut none has taken a meaningful step to remove China's new array of landing strips, naval facilities, and surveillance stations. But Doklam may not be the last such move outside of the maritime arena. China not only has unresolved land disputes with India, but it could also conceivably use a build-it-and-own-it approach to reopen long-dormant border disputes with Vietnam or Myanmar. It could even leverage its investment in infrastructure projects throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America to extract political concessionsa tactic that European imperialist powers employed for hundreds of years. The crisis at Doklam is over for now, but the episode's true impact will only unfold in the weeks and months to come. The crisis at Doklam is over for now, but the episode's true impact will only unfold in the weeks and months to come. From a U.S. perspective, the most important signs to look for are any concessions by the involved parties to China. This could involve Bhutan quietly acceding to Beijing's claims on the disputed Jakarlung and Pasamlung territories, which are less strategically threatening to India. New Delhi might subtly dial back its support for the Tibetan exile community. Or perhaps Vietnam will find India less responsive to future requests for economic or security engagement. Any such development might indicate that Beijing had not been stopped cold in the Himalayas, but had leveraged this conflict to its advantage. If China regards Doklam as a success, it may be tempted to reuse the same template elsewhere, whether at an atoll in the Pacific or at a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is why Washington mustn't relax now. It should pay close attention to the aftermath of the dispute, which is the most serious SinoIndian confrontation in a generation. Although troops are backing off their mountain-top positions, only time will tell whether their rumblings have actually subsided or rather, created the conditions for an avalanche. Jonah Blank is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He is the author of Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracting the Ramayana Through India and Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam & Modernity Among the Daudi Bohras. This commentary originally appeared in Foreign Affairs on September 7, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. MUSCATINE Suzan Erem wants to make farming more attractive to young Iowans, by increasing crop biodiversity, lowering the cost of land and protecting farms for sustainable food production. President of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, Erem said the nonprofit was founded as a way to permanently secure acreage as farmland in Iowa. Representatives will speak with local residents and landowners about sustainable farming Sept. 20, at Red Fern Farm in Wapello. The nonprofit and other organizations are concerned about the future of farming. The number of new farmers each year is dropping across the country. In the most recent USDA agricultural census, the number of new farmers dropped by about 20 percent between 2007 and 2012. For the past 30 years, the age of the average farmer has continued to rise. In 2012, the majority of farmers were between the ages of 55 and 64, according to the USDA. Iowans who have owned family farms for generations are now at a crossroads, Erem said, unsure if they should pass their acreage to their children, who may not have the money or ability to maintain it, or if they should sell. "The mobility of people is so different," Erem said. "People aren't sticking around much anymore, so now young people are (having to decide) what to do with a little acreage you happen to pick up or inherit." Part of the problem is the rising cost of farmland. With more farmers renting from land management companies, she said young people worry about the longevity of farming. "It's always a year-to-year lease, and it's a very rare instance when it's not," she said. "How many apartment dwellers who rent are willing to paint the living room or install a new stove if they won't be there to enjoy it?" Erem said some young people are comfortable with renting, but want to know they can farm the land as long as possible. "We're talking to the generation, the Uber and couch-surfing generation, who saw their parents barely make it through 2008," she said. "Young farmers don't care if they own that land, they just want secure access to it." One way to bring more people to farming, she said, is by "lowering the bar young people have to jump over" to be able to own land for the rest of their lives. Landowners across Iowa have been donating acreage to SILT, who then offers long-term leases and allows farmers to build homes and barns on the land. Another method is by offering alternatives for farmers who would like to plant more than corn and soybeans. Erem said 99 percent of all farmland in Iowa is used for corn and bean production. Adding more diversity to Iowa's agriculture could improve economic resilience in the state, according to Erem, and increase food sustainability. "There was a day when the average number of crops on an Iowa farm was 34; if we could get that to four, I'd be happy," she said. "And if it's something you can pull off the field and eat, even better." Erem said if farmers plant a wider variety of crops, there will be less reason to panic when the price of corn drops lower than $3 a bushel. Biodiverse farms, growing multiple types of fruits and vegetables, can also provide more jobs and are typically more labor intensive. "This is the kind of farming young farmers are looking for all over the country, and what customers are demanding," she said. "People in the growing healthy food movement are looking for food that hasn't traveled thousands of miles to get to the plate." Along with offering 20-year leases on land, SILT can help farmers place conservation easements on properties, permanently committing the land to be used for sustainable farming. SILT can also help farms transition to be organic or less chemically dependent. The nonprofit offers lower rent to landowners making that transition. On Sept. 20, landowners of Red Fern Farm, 13882 I Ave., Wapello, will talk to SILT, as well as an attorney and appraiser, about transitioning to be a Food Alliance-approved farm, which reduces pesticides but allows for some chemical use, depending on the type of plants. It will be the first time SILT has showcased its programs in southeast Iowa, according to Erem, who invites farmers and landowners to attend and learn about the organization. The event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes a tour of Red Fern Farm, lunch and information about protecting farmland. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required by Sept. 15, by emailing info@silt.org or calling 515-278-0550. Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used. The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday. Viewers can suggest topics via Twitter @PowerVertical or on the Power Vertical Facebook page. A transcript of today's Daily Vertical can be found here. NOTE TO POWER VERTICALISTAS: I will be traveling to Vilnius, Lithuania, for a speaking engagement on September 11-12. No Power Vertical products will appear on those days. The regular schedule resumes on September 13. Kazakh authorities say 61 Indian construction workers will be expelled from the country for "disciplinary" violations following a mass brawl this month in the capital of the Central Asian republic. The Astana mayor's office made the announcement on September 8, six days after the brawl between Indian workers and Kazakh colleagues at the construction site of the Abu Dhabi Plaza high-rise tower project. Authorities say the fight, which involved dozens of men and triggered the mobilization of riot police, erupted after workers from India attacked a Kazakh security guard who refused to let one of them, who appeared to be drunk, out of the construction site. It was a rare example of mass public disorder in the capital of oil-rich Kazakhstan, where authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbaev has ruled for more than 25 years. Authorities said there were no major injuries. The Astana mayor's office said in a statement that the decision on the expulsions followed talks with the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Kazakhstan and leaders of the Arabtec Holding Company, which employs the Indian workers. The first group of 23 workers will leave Kazakhstan by September 9, the statement said. All of those being expelled are citizens of India, it said. Construction of the Abu Dhabi Plaza, which is to be Central Asia's tallest tower, began in 2010 and is slated for completion by the end of 2017. The construction site has already been hit by several fires. The last Russian activist imprisoned following clashes at a protest on the eve of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration in 2012 has left the country after serving his 30-month sentence. The nongovernmental organization Public Verdict said in a Facebook post on September 7 that Ivan Nepomnyashchikh, 27, had landed in Prague and planned to travel on to the United States, where he intends to study. Nepomnyashchikh left a prison in a region northeast of Moscow on August 24 directly from solitary confinement, where he had been placed several days prior to his release. But a court ruled that for three years after his release Nepomnyashchikh needed permission to leave the Moscow Oblast, the region that surrounds but does not include the capital. That decision was under appeal by Public Verdict at the time Nepomnyashchikh left the country. "We were in constant contact from the moment he arrived at the airport until takeoff," his lawyer, Irina Biryukova, told the Moscow-based rights watchdog OVD-Info. Biryukova added that a court hearing on the conditions of her client's release -- including restrictions on his movement -- was scheduled for September 8. The earlier court decision also forbids Nepomnyashchikh from participating in street protests for three years. Nepomnyashchikh is the last activist to be convicted so far in connection with a May 6, 2012, rally on Moscow's Bolotnaya Square, where police detained more than 400 people after clashes that police and demonstrators blame on one another. The rally was one of a series of large opposition protests sparked mainly by anger over electoral fraud and dismay at Putin's decision to return to the presidency after a four-year stint as prime minister. More than 30 people were prosecuted in connection with the clashes and more than 20 were sentenced to prison or served time in pretrial custody. Amnesty International has said that the police action at the rally "was not the quelling of a riot but the crushing of a protest" and that all those prosecuted are "victims of a politically motivated show trial." One Bolotnaya protester, Maksim Panfilov, has been committed to a psychiatric hospital in the southern city of Astrakhan. Dmitry Buchenkov, who is currently on trial in Moscow on charges of assaulting police during the Bolotnaya protest, says that he was not even there. With reporting by ovdinfo.org Pakistan's prime minister has inaugurated the country's fifth nuclear power plant, built with Chinese assistance and part of Islamabad's plans to fast-track such projects in the energy-starved country. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on September 8 that the 340-megawatt Chashma-IV reactor and similar projects were of "the highest priority of our government" and vowed that power projects of 10,000 megawatts would be completed by June 2018. The facility, 250 kilometers southwest of the capital, Islamabad, is the fourth built as part of a joint effort between the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and China National Nuclear Corp. Chashma already has three nuclear power plants in operation, and the country has a similar plant in Karachi. Pakistan is building two more nuclear plants in Karachi as the country looks to battle chronic energy shortages. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted after corruption charges last month, had vowed to solve the country's energy crisis by 2018. China has been increasing investment in Pakistan, including a $46 billion project to link its far-western Xinjiang region to Pakistan's Gwadar port with a series of infrastructure, power, and transport upgrades. Based on reporting by AFP, The Hindu, Dawn, and Gulf News They've been called pretext for mischief in the Baltics and Poland. They've been called a stealthy way to occupy Belarus. They've been called Kremlin saber-rattling, a message to the West, and very expensive and noisy psyop. And they've been called routine military exercises that are nothing more than business as usual. But whatever you call them, the joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2017 military exercises that will begin next week seem to have everybody's attention. So what should we expect when we're expecting Zapad? On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we look ahead to next week's massive war games, Russia's largest since the end of the Cold War. Joining me will be co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Czech Institute of International Relations, head of its Center for European Security, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; and military analyst Michael Kofman, a research scientist at the CNA Corporation and a fellow at the Wilson Institute's Kennan Institute. Also on the Podcast, Mark, Michael, and I take a closer look at the capabilities of the Russian military that will be on display next week. Enjoy... Listen to or download the podcast above or subscribe to The Power Vertical Podcast on iTunes. The Russian Defense Ministry says it has killed four Islamic State (IS) commanders in an air strike targeting the extremist group outside Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zour, including a former senior security official from Tajikistan. The ministry said in a September 8 statement that 40 militants were killed in the air strike, including Abu Muhammad al-Shimali, who is responsible for foreign IS fighters, and Gulmurod Halimov, a former Tajik Interior Ministry commander. It said the air strike targeted a gathering of IS warlords in an underground bunker near Deir al-Zour. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders," the ministry said. Halimov, often referred to as the IS "minister of war," is a former commander of the Tajik Interior Ministry's riot police, known as OMON, who had received U.S. training while serving in that position. He made an online announcement in May 2015 that he had joined IS. Tajikistan has issued an international warrant for his arrest, and the United States has offered $3 million for information on his whereabouts. The Russian Defense Ministry said Halimov was present at the meeting of IS warlords and was fatally wounded in the air strike. It said he had been evacuated to the Al-Muhasan area, 20 kilometers southeast of Deir al-Zour. There have been several unconfirmed reports from both northern Iraq and Syria since 2015 that Halimov was killed while fighting alongside IS forces. Tajik authorities have repeatedly rejected those reports, saying they think he is still alive. Heavy fighting continues between Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, and IS fighters seeking to reinstate a siege of Deir al-Zour. Russian President Vladimir Putin this week congratulated his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, after Syrian state media said government troops had broken the three-year long siege of the city by IS forces. In the months after Russia began a campaign of air strikes in Syria in September 2015, Western officials said it mainly targeted not IS militants but other opponents of Assad. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Despite signs of voter apathy, opposition candidates in the Russian capital are cautiously optimistic about their chances ahead of municipal elections. Considering the relatively large number of legitimate anti-Kremlin candidates that are running, their hope is that a few will manage to win seats on September 10. That doesn't necessarily mean they will have a clear path to victory, however, with signs emerging of an effort to keep voters from casting ballots and indications that local authorities are either turning a blind eye, encouraging, or even funding it. One opposition candidate appears to have provided visual evidence of electoral machinations. The head of the election campaign for opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov has uploaded a video to YouTube that shows two unidentified men removing papers from a bank of mailboxes inside a Moscow apartment block. Maksim Katz claimed the men targeted opposition candidates' campaign leaflets. Katz also accused city authorities of paying the men, although he offered no proof. Amid the claims, Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russia's Central Election Commission, has urged law enforcement and Moscow authorities to punish such perpetrators, promising to monitor the situation closely. Vedomosti newspaper said a source inside the Russian presidential administration had claimed that Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova was behind a campaign to weaken voter turnout in the Russian capital. Rakova was asked to comment on the charge by Current Time, the Russian-language TV network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "I won't make a comment, and I have no relation to the municipal elections. Everyone can blame anyone for anything," Rakova said. With early voting taking place in Moscow, voting irregularities, and possible violations, have already been observed. Yulia Galyamina, who is running in the election, made allegations that "carousel" voting -- in which voters cast ballots repeatedly at different polling stations -- had taken place in the Timiryazev district of Moscow. Galyamina also said that, even if voters make it to the polls, they will face confusion. She said that many of the candidates passing themselves off as "independent" are so in name only. Russian opposition activist Sergei Udaltsov, who was released from prison in August, has been summoned for questioning by federal investigators over the same 2012 protest that landed him in custody. The Investigative Committee said on September 8 that Udaltsov was questioned as a witness about "individuals who may have been involved in organizing" what the government refers to as "mass disorder" at a May 6, 2012 protest on Moscow's Bolotnaya Square. Udaltsov said that he had invoked his constitutional right to refuse to answer questions from the investigators. He told journalists after the questioning that he considered it "unacceptable to testify against anyone, even against those with whom I might have disagreements at this point." Demonstrators and police blame each other for violence that erupted at the protest against the government and Vladimir Putin, who was sworn in to his current term as president the day after the rally. Udaltsov was convicted in July 2014 of organizing "mass disorder" at the Bolotnaya Square protest, which led to the prosecution of dozens of protesters in charges rights activists say were trumped up. The Investigative Committee said it summoned Udaltsov for questioning because of remarks he had made at a press conference following his release from prison on August 8. At the press conference on August 10, Udaltsov alleged that some opposition leaders might have cooperated with the authorities to incite the violence. He did not name them or give evidence to support the claim. He said at the press conference that he would not support a presidential bid by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is seeking to run in Russia's March 2018 election. Election authorities have said that Navalny will be barred from the ballot because of a financial-crimes conviction that he contends was engineered by the Kremlin to punish him for his opposition activity and blunt his challenge to Putin. Putin has not announced his candidacy but is widely expected to seek and secure a new six-year presidential term in the election. A Ukrainian teenager who was allegedly lured into Belarus by the Russian security services is being held in Russia on suspicion of terrorism-related crimes, according to a copy of an official Russian document seen by RFE/RL. The Federal Security Service (FSB) letter seen by RFE/RL on September 8 says that Pavlo Hryb is being held at a detention facility in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia. Hryb, 19, disappeared in late August after he traveled to Belarus to meet a woman he met online in what his father believes was a trap set by the FSB. Hryb's father, Ihor, had previously said that he had learned "unofficially" that his son was wanted in Russia on accusations related to "terrorism." But the copy of the FSB letter states the specific allegation that Hryb faces: abetting terrorism, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The statute cited in the letter covers recruitment, persuasion, and other efforts to involve another person in terrorism or a range of other antigovernment actions. The letter provides no details about specific alleged crimes committed by Hryb. Ihor Hryb has said his son was openly critical of Russian interference in Ukraine on social media. The August 25 letter from the FSB's regional branch in Krasnodar was addressed to the Ukrainian consul in Rostov-on-Don, the capital of a Russian region that neighbors Krasnodar. The letter states that Hryb was detained the same day on suspicion of abetting terrorism, though it does not provide details about how and where he was detained. It states that Hryb is being held in a detention facility in Krasnodar, the regional capital. His father had told RFE/RL previously that that his son was being held in the same facility. The case has caused friction between Ukraine and Belarus, which said earlier that Hryb crossed into its territory on August 24 but that it had no record of his exit from the country. The Belarusian Interior Ministry said on September 8 that its officers had not detained Hryb and that it was still searching for him in Belarus. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on September 8 protested Hryb's detention and demanded that Moscow grant consular access to Hryb "and explain in detail all of the reasons for his detention." The statement condemns what it calls Russia's "persecution of Ukrainian citizens in Russia and elsewhere, groundless detentions of Ukrainians, violation of their rights to have fair trials, and their convictions on fabricated and politically motivated charges." Kyiv and Moscow have been locked in a standoff over Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and Moscow's backing of armed separatists in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. In March, the European Parliament called on Russia to free more than 30 Ukrainian citizens it said were in prison or other conditions of restricted freedom in Russia, Crimea, and parts of eastern Ukraine that are controlled by the Russia-backed separatists. WASHINGTON -- Russia's new ambassador to the United States, arriving at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries, says Moscow is ready to take "concrete" steps to improve ties with the United States. Russian state-run news agencies reported that Ambassador Anatoly Antonov presented his credentials to U.S. President Donald Trump on September 8, just days after the latest chapter in a raging tit-for-tat diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Washington. "I have just been received by President Trump to hand over my credentials. On my part, I told him that we hope for improvement in relations between our countries," Antonov said, according to Russian media. "The atmosphere was good, constructive, and friendly." U.S. officials have not yet commented on the ambassador's meeting with Trump. The United States on August 31 ordered the closure of Russia's consulate in San Francisco and trade annexes in Washington and New York. The U.S. action came after Moscow ordered the United States to reduce its personnel at diplomatic facilities in Russia to 455, which represented a cut of about 755 staff members. Antonov, a veteran diplomat who is under sanctions by the European Union for his role in Russia's interference in Ukraine, did not speak directly to the diplomatic row, only saying that "we want our relations to be trusting, mutually respectful, equitable, and certainly mutually beneficial." Before his meeting, the ambassador said that "it's highly regrettable the Russian-U.S. relations are going through this upheaval now, right at the moment when international problems we could resolve together with the United States are piling up." During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had repeatedly expressed wishes for better relations with Russia and often praised President Vladimir Putin. But, even prior to the latest diplomatic dispute, several issues have prevented much progress in bilateral ties. The U.S. Congress enacted legislation tightening sanctions against Moscow for its alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election, its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. The United States and Russia have also disagreed on potential solutions to the civil war in Syria and in dealing with North Korea's banned nuclear and ballistic-missile programs. In addition, the former Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, was at the center of controversy for his contacts with members of Trump's campaign team during the 2016 campaign and the transition following his win in November. Kislyak, 66, ended his term on July 22, paving the way for the appointment of Antonov, who has served in both the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS Tajikistan has witnessed a growing number of its citizens joining Islamic extremists fighting in the Middle East. Shohmurod Kavrakov, a resident of the southern region of Danghara, says his younger brother tried to recruit him to join Islamic State militants in Syria. Afraid that his brother would die in combat, Kavrakov turned him over to the authorities. (RFE/RL's Tajik Service) KAZAN, Russia -- Officials in Tatarstan are pushing back against calls to abandon teaching of the Tatar language in the Russian region's schools following comments by President Vladimir Putin about languages of ethnic minorities in the diverse country. In a statement on September 7, the regional Education Ministry said that such calls "contradict federal and regional laws and mislead some parents." The sensitive issue has triggered wide debate since Putins visit to the Republic of Mari El in July, when he suggested that ethnic Russians were being forced to learn these languages in regions with sizable minority populations. The following month, he ordered federal prosecutors to check whether students in so-called ethnic republics were being forced to study minority languages across Russia. In the oil-rich, Muslim-majority region of Tatarstan, the order sparked a series of rallies by non-Tatar parents who demanded that mandatory Tatar-language lessons in local schools be canceled. But Tatarstan's regional Education Ministry hit back in its statement. It noted that the Russian Constitution gives all the republics within the Russian Federation the right to have their own state languages, and that Tatarstan's own constitution and law on state languages make the study of Russian and Tatar mandatory for all schools. Among Tatarstan's population of almost 4 million, around half are Turkic-speaking Tatars, the majority of whom are fluent in Russian as well. The other half is comprised of Russians and other ethnic groups, including Udmurts, Bashkirs, and Chuvashes. The escalating debate over the language issue in Tatarstan comes amid Kremlin hesitation to prolong a power-sharing treaty between the republic and the federal government in Moscow that expired several weeks ago. The first power-sharing treaty was signed in 1994 by then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Tatarstans president at the time, Mintimer Shaimiev. The treaty provided Tatarstan with broad autonomy, giving it rights to have its own laws, taxes, and even citizenship. After Putin came to power in 2000, he began actively pursuing the creation of the so-called "power vertical" that many critics viewed as an attack on the principle of federalism itself. Laws in the regions of the Russian Federation were brought into strict conformity with federal legislation. By 2005, all previous agreements and treaties between the regions and Moscow were annulled, and it was announced that pacts would be negotiated in conformity with strict new federal laws. Special status was given to only two regions: Tatarstan and Chechnya. Under a new treaty signed in 2007, Tatarstan was given the right to make decisions jointly with Moscow on the region's economic, cultural, and other policies. Speaking in Mari El in July, Putin said it is "impermissible to force someone to learn a language that is not [his or her] mother tongue, as well as to cut the hours of Russian language [classes at schools] in Russia's ethnic republics." His comments drew both criticism and praise online. In recent years, some ethnic Russian residents of these regions have protested against mandatory classes in languages other than Russian. In April, residents of Mari El, Tatarstan, and Chuvashia -- neighboring republics on the Volga River -- marked Language Day with a big campaign called I Speak My Mother Tongue! ON MY MIND They've been called pretext for mischief in the Baltics and Poland. They've been called a stealthy way to occupy Belarus. They've been called Kremlin saber-rattling, a message to the West, and a very expensive and noisy psyop. And they've been called routine military exercises that are nothing more than business as usual. But whatever you call them, the joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2017 military exercises that will begin next week seem to have everybody's attention. On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we look ahead to next week's massive war games, Russia's largest since the end of the Cold War. Joining me will be co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Czech Institute of International Relations, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; and military analyst Michael Kofman, a research scientist at the CNA Corporation and a fellow at the Wilson Institute's Kennan Institute. So be sure to tune in later today! IN THE NEWS The French and German defense ministers have condemned Russia's upcoming military maneuvers with Belarus, saying Moscow is seeking to show off military might on the borders of the EU and NATO. The last Russian activist imprisoned following clashes at a protest on the eve of President Vladimir Putin's inauguration in 2012 has left the country after serving his 30-month sentence. A Ukrainian teenager whose disappearance in Belarus has triggered claims of a Moscow-orchestrated kidnapping is being held in a detention center in Russia, his father and Russia's Federal Security Service have confirmed. Russian authorities are investigating Sova Center, a respected research organization that tracks hate crimes and extremist movements in Russia, in connection with a controversial law on undesirable organizations, a move that could severely curtail its work. Darya Polyudova, an activist who is serving time over Internet posts criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine, is being mistreated in prison, her mother says. Moscow authorities say a plaque honoring slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov placed on the apartment block where he lived is illegal. Vladimir Putin said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has "fallen in with the wrong crowd" since being awarded the Russian Order of Friendship four years ago. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that the purpose of a proposed UN-mandated peacekeeping mission in war-torn eastern Ukraine must be to foster peace, not to cement what he called "Russia's occupation" of a chunk of his country. The Russian Defense Ministry says it has killed four Islamic State commanders in an air strike targeting the extremist group outside Syria's eastern city of Deir el-Zour, including a former senior security official from Tajikistan. U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son told Senate investigators that he met with a Russian lawyer in 2016 because he wanted to determine if she had damaging information about his fathers Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. media are reporting. A court in Belarus has convicted a woman of unintentional manslaughter in the death of her newborn child, who died after a home birth. LATEST POWER VERTICAL BLOG On the latest Power Vertical blog -- Local Elections: Boring And Predictable, Until They Aren't -- I recall the Soviet Union's experiment with competitive local elections three decades ago and look at the lessons that provides for this weekend's regional and municipal elections in Russia. WHAT I'M READING Putin's Peacekeeper Proposal Foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov has a piece in Republic.ru on why Putin has suddenly proposed sending UN peacekeepers to the Donbas. The Sobyanin 'Personality Cult' Aleksei Kovalyev has posted a blog on Noodle Remover on the emerging "cult of personality" surrounding Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin A New Look At An Old Dossier In Just Security, former CIA official John Sipher takes a new look at the Steele dossier in light of what we know now. Influence Operations According to a new report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy of the German Marshall Fund, Vladimir Putin's Russia has interfered politically in no less than 27 countries since 2004. Burma And Russia's Muslims In The Moscow Times, Sergei Markedonov explains why Burma has inflamed passions in the North Caucasus. An earlier version of the article appeared in Russian on the Moscow Carnegie Center's website. The Serebrennikov Case And Russian 'Justice' In Vedomosti, sociologists Irina Chetverikova and Kirill Titayev look at what the trial of theater director Kirill Serebrennikov means for the Russian judicial system. Undesirable For Whom? In Novoye Vremya, Pavel Krasheninnikov critiques proposed legislation providing for the deportation of foreigners and the prosecution of Russian citizens for "undesirable behavior." Under the Putin regime, he writes, undesirable behavior is a sign of being a "free and normal person." Liberal Russia In his column for Republic.ru, opposition journalist Oleg Kashin argues that the Putin regime has pushed liberal Russians to the margins of society. NOTE TO READERS: I will be traveling to Vilnius, Lithuania, for a speaking engagement on September 11-12. No Power Vertical products will appear on those days. The regular schedule resumes on September 13. 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 Turkey's economy minister on September 7 dismissed a case brought by U.S. prosecutors against his predecessor for allegedly taking bribes and helping Iran violate U.S. sanctions law. Zafer Caglayan, the former Turkish economy minister named in a U.S. indictment on September 6, was the highest-ranking of several former officials in the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who U.S. prosecutors accused of being involved in a conspiracy to help Iran violate prohibitions against using the U.S. financial system. "Caglayan did not do anything against Turkey's interests," current Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci told reporters in Istanbul. "It is no concern to Turkey if Caglayan acted against interests of other countries." The indictment accuses Caglayan and several associates of lying to U.S. investigators and taking tens of millions of dollars in bribes in jewelry and cash, in addition to violating U.S. sanctions law. "There are claims that these sanctions are violated, but the claimants are obliged to prove these claims," Zeybekci said. Halkbank, a Turkish state-owned bank allegedly used by the defendants to circumvent the Iran sanctions, issued a statement denying wrongdoing on September 7. U.S. prosecutors have said that between 2010 and 2015, the defendants used the bank to conceal the illegal supply of currency and gold to Iran. To avoid U.S. sanctions, prosecutors said the defendants used front companies and fake invoices to trick U.S. banks into processing transactions disguised to appear as though they involved food sales, which are exempt from the sanctions. Halkbank executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla is under arrest in the United States and set to go on trial on October 30, along with Reza Zarrab, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian businessman who prosecutors say masterminded the laundering scheme. Caglayan and several other named Turkish defendants remain at large. Zarrab, an Iranian by birth, was previously involved in a Turkish government scandal in 2013 when he was briefly arrested as part of a corruption probe that also involved top government officials. The charges against Zarrab in Turkey were later dropped. Erdogan has said U.S. authorities had "ulterior motives" for arresting Zarrab and personally pleaded for Zarrab's release in a recent meeting at the White House. Zarrab's attorneys say they have approached both the Turkish and U.S. governments to try to reach a diplomatic and political settlement of the case. One of the attorneys representing Zarrab is Rudy Giuliani, a former mayor of New York City who is close to U.S. President Donald Trump. Giuliani recently said that both U.S. and Turkish officials remain "receptive" to a diplomatic solution due to the nature of the charges against Zarrab and the importance of Turkey as a U.S. ally. With reporting by dpa and Reuters KYIV -- Mikheil Saakashvili, the feisty former Georgian president and ex-governor of Ukraine's Odesa region, is gathering forces in Warsaw ahead of an attempt to reenter Ukraine from Poland -- a move that could escalate the showdown between him and his former ally, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Saakashvili, who was granted citizenship by Poroshenko in 2015 to assume the post of Odesa governor only to have the president strip him of the status while out of the country in July, has said he will try to reenter Ukraine through the Krakovets border crossing in the Lviv region on September 10. It appears he will be traveling with an entourage. Polarizing former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, currently head of the opposition Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party in Ukraine's parliament, said on Ukraine's NewsOne channel that she would "personally" join Saakashvili. Mustafa Nayyem, a reformist lawmaker and Poroshenko critic, said that he, too, would walk with him. Many more people -- including European parliament members, activists, and journalists, according to Saakashvili's press service -- are expected to follow along with the group in prearranged buses. A beefed-up border-guard presence is expected to be waiting for them. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service published video showing barbed-wire fences set up at Krakovets, while the security news site Info Resist posted images taken at the border crossing of what appeared to be a military vehicle hidden by camouflage netting. Oleh Slobodyan, a spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, told RFE/RL that the service had erected "reinforcements for all checkpoints because of the exercises," a reference to the Zapad 2017 joint Belarusian-Russian military exercises to be held from September 14-20 near Ukraine's border. Kyiv fears Moscow may be using the exercises as a cover-up to set the stage for an attack on Ukraine. But Slobodyan told the news site Ukrayinska Pravda that the service would "strengthen border patrols" at Krakovets on September 10, specifically to prevent possible "provocations" associated with Saakashvili's attempted entry. What If He's Refused Entry? What will happen when Saakashvili reaches the border is anyone's guess. Ukrainian border guards have said that they will not grant him entry, because his Ukrainian passport is no longer valid. If Ukraine does refuse to let him pass, Saakashvili may live in a tent on the Ukrainian-Polish border, one member of his Movement of New Forces reportedly told the Kyiv Post newspaper on Sept. 4. Officials in European Union states have said it would be possible for Saakashvili to apply for asylum in their countries, but the former Georgian leader has said he has "no intention, desire, or plans to apply for political asylum in another country," and will not give up on returning to Ukraine. What If He's Detained? The 49-year-old Saakashvili, who led Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution and has been credited for Westernizing and reforming the country as president from January 2004 to November 2013, could be extradited to Tbilisi if he is detained at the border, something that his native country has sought since his time as Odesa governor. Ukraine has at least twice refused to do so. Problems for Saakashvili in Georgia began after the country's disastrous five-day war with Russia in 2008. But they grew in the years following, as he made what critics claimed was an authoritarian turn. In 2012, his ruling party was crushed in parliamentary elections, leading to a lame-duck year before he left office in 2013. The Georgian Prosecutor-General's Office said on August 18 that it had sent an extradition request for Saakashvili to Ukraine. He is wanted on four separate criminal charges in Georgia, including misappropriation of property and abuse of office. Ukrainian authorities confirmed on September 5 that they received the request. Saakashvili has said the charges are politically motivated. How Saakashvili, Poroshenko Fell Out Saakashvili moved to Ukraine to help drive reforms after the 2014 revolution that ousted Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych. In 2015, he was tapped by Poroshenko to govern the Odesa region. But he quickly found himself in conflict with the Kyiv authorities and quit the post in November 2016, accusing Poroshenko of abetting corruption. Poroshenko has been accused by many Ukrainian activists and opposition politicians of obstructing reform efforts and turning a blind eye to corruption. The beef between Saakashvili and Poroshenko deepened after the former relocated to Kyiv and announced the formation of the Movement of New Forces to challenge the president's party. Recent polls put the party's popularity in Ukraine around a dismal 2 percent. On July 26, Poroshenko revoked Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship after the authorities claimed to have discovered he violated Ukrainian law by providing incorrect information on his citizenship application -- a charge Saakashvili denies. Saakashvili was in the United States when he heard the news, which he condemned as an "illegal way to remove me from the political scene in Ukraine." He has also been stripped of his Georgian citizenship, making him a stateless person. Saakashvili accused Poroshenko of playing dirty when Ukrainian police briefly detained his brother David on September 2. He was released the same day and fined for violating immigration laws. "In this way, they're trying to influence me to change my mind about coming back," Saakashvili said in a post on Facebook. An Iranian teenager sneaks up behind a cleric in the capital, Tehran, and knocks his turban off his head before dashing off. The incident, uploaded on social media, is part of a new tactic employed by anti-government demonstrators in Iran. Nationwide antiestablishment protests have raged across the Islamic republic since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died on September 16 shortly after she was arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law on women's dress. As the authorities have waged a deadly crackdown on the rallies, some demonstrators have turned to new tactics to sustain the monthslong protests, including tipping off Islamic clerics' turbans in the streets. Many Iranians associate members of the clergy with Iran's Islamist regime, which many blame for the repression and corruption in the country. While some Iranians have praised the "turban throwing" as an act of resistance, others have expressed concern that low-level clerics who are not affiliated with the state could become the victims of harassment and violence. Lawmaker Mohammad Taghi Naqd Ali on November 10 called the new trend "the devil's conspiracy" and warned that young protesters tossing clerics' turbans were "playing with the lion's tail." State media reported the arrests of two people in recent days who were accused of knocking off clerics' turbans. London-based human rights lawyer Shadi Sadr said the tactic was a "brave and revolutionary act." Sadr, the co-founder of the rights group Justice for Iran, told RFE/RL that protesters were "humiliating" clerics without resorting to violence. "They're [targeting] the clergy's turban as a symbol of the crimes and corruption of the past 43 years as well as the privileges clerics have enjoyed," she said. "There is no violence in it, and it also includes youthful mischief, which highlights the spirit of the revolution," Sadr added, referring to the monthslong protests that have posed the biggest threat to the establishment in years. But Ahmad Zeidabadi, a Tehran-based journalist and former political prisoner, said that some of the clerics targeted in the streets "may be critics or even victims of [state] policies." "This phenomenon...mainly targets clerics who do not hold any government positions," he said on Twitter, adding that senior clerics in powerful positions rarely appear in public and are often protected by security guards if they do. Reformist cleric Hojatoleslam Ahmad Heidari, who was jailed in the past for his support for the opposition Green Movement, warned that the new trend could taint the "beautiful face of [the] protest movement against oppression and injustice." "You're right to be angry at those wearing turbans," Heidari wrote on the news site Esafnews.com. But he added that "those who have a hand in power and are your target" are out of reach. He said many of the clerics targeted were "young and elderly" clerics who are not sitting in "ivory towers." Attacks on clerics, particularly those who attempt to enforce Islamic codes in public, had been on rise in Iran even before the protests erupted, forcing many clerics to appear in public without their robes and turbans. Last week, a cleric was reportedly hospitalized after being wounded in Karaj, near Tehran, amid antiestablishment protests in the city. The hard-line Fars news agency claimed that protesters attacked the cleric with knives. Hassan Fereshtian, a Paris-based Iranian cleric and researcher, said the turban-throwing trend was the result of the "suppressed anger of the past four decades." "If it aims at eliminating the clergy, we could be facing the start of violence," he warned in comments to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "In fact, the clergy should be eliminated from the centers of power. But they shouldn't be eliminated from society." Fereshtian, a student of the late dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, expressed hope that Iran will reach a point "where secular people can live peacefully next to the clergy and unveiled women next to those who choose to wear the hijab." In the past year, regime supporters have knocked off the turbans of clerics who had criticized the establishment, including former Interior Minister Abdollah Nuri and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karrubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011 for disputing the 2009 reelection of former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson congratulated Macedonia on September 7 on its 26th year of independence and said Washington stands strongly behind Skopje's efforts to join the European Union and NATO. "The United States is proud to be Macedonia's friend and strategic partner," Tillerson said. "For 26 years, we have worked together in support of Macedonias aspirations of joining the EU and NATO. We applaud the actions the new government has taken to demonstrate its commitment to democratic principles, respect for the rule of law, and regional cooperation. "The United States will continue to support Macedonias efforts to implement the reforms needed to secure its place in the Euro-Atlantic family of nations," Tillerson said. Macedonia under its new government led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has sought to speed the Balkan nation's bid to join the EU by improving strained nations with neighboring countries and negotiating with Greece over a long-standing dispute involving the name Macedonia that for years has held up Skopje's EU bid. They're dull and boring -- until they get interesting. They're stage-managed and predictable -- until they surprise you. Local and regional elections in Russia, like the ones being held across the country this weekend, provide an opportunity for the Kremlin to road test and fine-tune its vote-rigging machinery and size up public opinion. They tend to be low-turnout affairs in which the authorities have little trouble mobilizing state employees and deploying so-called "administrative resources" -- the carrots, sticks, and tricks the authorities use to manage Russia's tightly controlled elections -- to get their desired result. But every now and then, local and regional elections turn into something else entirely. Sometimes, they highlight latent discontent that is becoming manifest. Sometimes -- despite the authorities' best efforts to choreograph them -- they produce an unexpected shock to the system. That was certainly the case four years ago, in September 2013, when Aleksei Navalny performed surprisingly well in the Moscow mayoral election, coming within just a couple of percentage points of forcing incumbent Sergei Sobyanin into a runoff; and when Yevgeny Roizman outright won the mayor's office in Yekaterinburg, defeating the ruling United Russia party's candidate. And it was just over three decades ago when local elections turned out to be harbingers of historic changes to come, providing the first tangible hint that the tectonic plates were shifting beneath the political landscape. The 'Revolution' Of 1987 It was on June 21, 1987, when Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union experimented with its first competitive multicandidate local elections in a limited number of districts. The elections were an early part of Gorbachev's perestroika reforms and were designed to breathe some new life into the moribund Soviet bureaucracy and pressure conservative elements in the Communist Party. The competitive votes were held in just 5 percent of the Soviet Union's electoral districts, comprising just 100,000 of the 2.3 million seats to 52,000 local councils nationwide. The other 95 percent maintained the traditional Soviet practice of single-candidate "elections." But where the elections were competitive, the results were striking -- and revealing. In the multicandidate districts in the Soviet Union's Russian Republic, for example, just 42.7 percent of those elected were Communist Party members. The 1987 local elections, of course, didn't shake the system and the Soviet Communist Party remained firmly in control in their aftermath. But the discontent that was registered was a precursor of more dramatic events to come: competitive elections for a newly established national legislature, the Congress of People's Deputies, in the spring of 1989; the rise of a pro-democracy faction of lawmakers led by dissident physicist Andrei Sakharov; Boris Yeltsin's election in June 1991 as president of the Russian Republic; and, ultimately, the fall of the Soviet Union. Then And Now Of course, the autumn of 2017 is not the summer of 1987 -- let alone the spring of 1989 or the summer of 1991. Back then, the impulse for change was coming from the top as Gorbachev sought to use elections to pressure the conservative wing of the party that was resisting reform. Now, Putin is doing everything in his power to maintain the status quo and is hostile to any hint of political reform and pluralism. Then, the prospect of competitive elections was brand new and generated excitement in society. Now, the public is accustomed to elections and has become -- somewhat justifiably -- cynical about the potential for change through the ballot box. Then, the authorities were novices at manipulating competitive elections. Now, they've mastered the arts of marketing, spin, and black PR and have become so adept at mobilizing state employees that they rarely need to resort to cruder forms of vote-fixing like ballot stuffing. Then, there was a palpable desire for change in society. Now, the picture is, at best, mixed. Protest activity in Russia is, indeed, on the rise, and it is mainly focused on local issues like the decision by Moscow authorities to demolish Khrushchev-era apartment blocks. Anger over corruption, which manifested itself in nationwide protests this past spring, is also growing. And sentiment that the system is unjust is also increasing. But despite this, according to the independent Levada Center's latest polls, a healthy majority of 57 percent believes the country is on the right track. Writing in Vedomosti, the Levada Center's Aleksei Levinson addressed the paradox, arguing that there is a rising discontent among Russians about the domestic political situation -- even as the authorities continue to enjoy strong support in foreign affairs. And it is precisely in local elections where such discontent is most likely to register. Back in June 1987, the Communist Party guaranteed it would keep its overwhelming majorities by only allowing competitive elections in a tiny number of districts. Today, the Putin regime is doing the same with mechanisms like the so-called municipal filter, which stipulates that would-be candidates in those races must collect signatures from between 5 and 10 percent of local lawmakers. This weekend's elections are unlikely to shake -- or even rattle -- the Putin system. But they may reveal something important about the disquiet below the surface. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. 2018 Maruti Swift has already been launched in Japan and in Europe. Now, the car is getting ready for India launch. Ahead of its launch at the 2018 Auto Expo on 7th Feb, bookings of the car have opened from today. Just like Nexa cars, the new Swift will also be devoid of Maruti Suzuki badging at the rear. It will only get the Suzuki logo in the center, and SWIFT badge on the left. Until now, this was done only with Maruti Nexa cars. This is the first time a non-Nexa car will not receive a Maruti badge. Maruti is rebranding all their regular dealerships. 80 of them have already been transformed and these are called Maruti Suzuki Arena. In the next few months, all their dealerships across India will be re-branded as Maruti Suzuki Arena. Speaking about its design, the next gen global supermini features an evolutionary styling which retains the existing models distinct shape. The modern front fascia receives low-mounted hexagonal grill and peeled back projector headlamps. The tight fitting roof has been retained but the C-pillar has grown thicker (black inserts are used to mask the visual bulk of the pillar). The rear fascia has little in common with the outgoing car. The larger taillights extend all way into the fenders. A compact hatchdoor and a bumper with massive diffuser would make up the rest of the rear end. To be slotted below the Baleno in Suzukis global portfolio, the new Swift will carry forward the current cars 1.2-litre K-Series petrol (83hp/113Nm) and 1.3 liter diesel (75hp/190Nm) powertrain, just like what we have seen in the new gen DZire. Transmission options will be 5 MT and AMT. This means, for the first time the Swift will get an AMT automatic option. Bookings are open. Dealers have already started telling customers, who are had booked the old Swift, that the stocks no longer exist. And they will be given delivery of the new Swift. Dealers say that the new Swift will be a bit more expensive, but will come with more features, safety, performance. Expect a price bump, as compared to the old Swift. News Release U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23931 / September 7, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Brett Kennedy, et al. (No. 17-cv-01344) (W.D. Wash., filed Sept. 7, 2017) Former Amazon Employee and College Friend Charged with Insider Trading The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced insider trading charges against a former Amazon financial analyst who allegedly leaked confidential information to his former fraternity brother in advance of a company earnings announcement so they could turn an illegal profit. The college friend and his trading partner also are charged in the SEC's complaint. The SEC alleges that Brett Kennedy accessed nonpublic 2015 first quarter earnings information without authorization while working at Amazon and shared it with Maziar Rezakhani, who illegally traded on the financial results before their public release to make more than $116,000 in illicit profits. According to the SEC's complaint, Rezakhani paid Kennedy $10,000 in cash for the tip and also shared the trading profits with Sam Sadeghi, who was advising him on his brokerage account trades and joined Rezakhani at a meeting with Kennedy to discuss the nonpublic information. The SEC's complaint alleges that Rezakhani and Sadeghi aimed to establish a successful track record with the trading in Rezakhani's brokerage account and together open a hedge fund in New York that would accept investments from others. According to the SEC's complaint, Rezakhani boasted on at least two trading-related internet communication platforms in the days leading up to Amazon's earnings announcement that he was predicting first quarter revenue of $22.7 billion and earnings per share of -$0.12, writing that the "numbers are so obvious" that a "5 year old can guess what they will do." The SEC's complaint, which was filed in the Western District of Washington, charges Kennedy, Rezakhani, and Sadeghi with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and seeks permanent injunctions along with the return of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest and penalties against Rezakhani and Sadeghi. Sadeghi and Kennedy agreed to settlements that are subject to court approval. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Sadeghi agreed to pay disgorgement of $11,599.74 plus $1,035.39 in interest and an $11,599.74 penalty for a total of $24,214.87. Kennedy agreed to pay disgorgement of $10,000 plus interest of $875.36. Sadeghi and Kennedy both agreed to be enjoined from further securities law violations. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington today announced criminal charges against Kennedy. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Sallie Kim and supervised by Steven Buchholz of the San Francisco office. The litigation against Rezakhani will be led by Ms. Kim and Mr. Buchholz. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. SEC Complaint https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23931.htm Modified: 09/07/2017 A series of solar flares blasted waves of radiation and solar plasma toward Earth this week, and the geomagnetic storms that could result have the potential to damage orbiting satellites and disrupt communications on Earth. But the International Space Station is expected to weather the storm just fine. "There will be no impact to the crew or station operations and no impact to station hardware," NASA spokesman Dan Huot told Space.com in an email. [In Photos: The Sun's Monster X9.3 Solar Flare] Since Monday (Sept. 4), the sun has emitted five significant solar flares from an active sunspot region labeled AR 2673. Solar flares occur when the sun's magnetic field releases a burst of energy, which can disrupt communication networks and navigation systems on Earth within a matter of minutes. The International Space Station will not be affected by solar flares, NASA officials said. (Image credit: Chris Hadfield/NASA) Along with those flares, two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have erupted from the same region. CMEs release huge clouds of plasma charged particles from inside the sun that take up to three days to reach Earth. When that sea of plasma hits Earth's atmosphere, it can supercharge the northern and southern lights, creating spectacular light shows around Earth's poles. Although the crew aboard the space station may not experience any of the less favorable effects of the recent solar activity, they will likely see some amazing auroras from space. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. This Suomi NPP satellite infrared image was taken Sept. 9 at 2:39 a.m. EDT (0640 GMT). The well-defined eye of Irma is visible with convection around it, indicating an intense storm system. The strongest thunderstorms have the coldest cloud tops (black), which were as cold as -101 degrees Fahrenheit (-78 degrees Celsius). Sophisticated satellites are helping scientists monitor the volatility of Hurricanes Irma, Katia and Jose in the Atlantic basin. As the spacecraft capture data on the massive storms, weather agencies can merge the different observations to create accurate forecasts about where the hurricanes are traveling, the strength of their winds and which communities should start emergency preparations. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed satellites through NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) to carry instruments into low-Earth orbit that can make nuanced detections of rainfall, cloud formations and the microphysics of these hurricanes. Some satellites, such as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, collect data on their own. In several instances, satellites operate collectively as a group known as a constellation to create a precise composite understanding of storms. One example is the new Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), which launched in December 2016 for hurricane tracking. [See Hurricane Irma in Motion in These NASA and NOAA Gifs] The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system built and developed the satellites comprising GOES as part of the agency's collaboration with NOAA. NASA continues to build newer GOES spacecraft to help NOAA collect increasingly reliable weather forecasts and seasonal predictions. The satellites can observe various details about a hurricane by watching how heat and light radiate from the stormy area. Infrared channels on the GOES satellites can detect the presence of tall vertical clouds in the storm, because the infrared channels sense heat radiation and clouds absorb and re-emit the sun's heat differently than non-stormy patches on Earth's surface do, according to NOAA. The taller the cloud, the greater its activity will likely be, and to demonstrate this, infrared images are usually colored to indicate regions where clouds could be most tempestuous. The GOES satellites also have visible-light channels, which are limited at the night when the sun is not illuminating the hurricane, but have the benefit of taking higher-resolution imagery. On Sept. 7 at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible-light image of Hurricane Jose approaching the Leeward Islands. (Image credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team) NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) collaborate on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which uses a satellite called the GPM Core Observatory. On board this satellite are two instruments the GPM Microwave Imager and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) which the satellite uses to assess rainfall. GPM scientists work in unison with NOAA and international atmospheric agencies to measure the specific characteristics of hurricane precipitation to better understand Earth's water and energy cycle. Other agencies participating in this work include the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in France, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). NASA and NOAA also partnered to develop the Joint Polar Satellite System, which created the primary satellite for NOAA's weather observations, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite. According to NOAA, the spacecraft circles Earth 14 times a day to provide full observations and weather predictions for the United States. The newest satellite in this program, JPSS-1, arrived in early September to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and is currently being prepared for a November launch to accompany Suomi NPP in that satellite's observations. [Space Station Crew Sees Hurricane Irma's Power from Orbit (Photos, Video)] At 2:57 a.m. AST/EDT on Sept. 7, Suomi NPP's Day Night Band imagery and the waning gibbous moon highlighted the convection around Irma's eye, and tropospheric gravity waves were present around the well-defined eye wall. (Image credit: NOAA/NASA/UWM-CIMSS, William Straka III) Satellites small enough to sit on your desk could be the next line of hurricane-observation technology. Just recently, in May 2017, the hurricane-tracking CYGNSS constellation moved into its science-operations phase, NASA officials said in a statement. CYGNSS will accomplish what up until now has been impossible: probing the eye and surrounding inner core of a hurricane from space. Using GPS signals, CYGNSS can penetrate a storm's intense precipitation to get a good look at the eye wall. NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites work by alternating within timed orbits, so that Terra (originally known as EOS AM-1) passes from north to south over the equator in the morning, while Aqua (originally known as EOS PM-1) passes south to north over of the equator in the afternoon. Using their key instrument, MODIS, or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, the satellites pick up data in 36 spectral bands, or wavelengths, as the two satellites view the entire Earth's surface every one to two days. On Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible-light image of Hurricane Katia in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. (Image credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team) Follow Doris Elin Salazar on Twitter @salazar_elin. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captured this image of an M8.1 solar flare on Sept. 8, 2017. The image is a blend of extreme ultraviolet light in the 131 and 171 angstrom wavelengths. They call sunspots "active regions" for a reason. Active Region 2673 (AR 2673) blasted out yet another solar flare early this morning (Sept. 8), its sixth intense burst of high-energy radiation since Monday (Sept. 4). The latest flare, which peaked at 3:49 a.m. EDT (0749 GMT), registered as an M8.1 on scientists' three-tiered classification scale. ("C" flares are the weakest of the three, "M" flares are 10 times stronger than C's, and "X" events are 10 times more intense than M's. There is gradation within each category, too: An M8 flare is eight times stronger than an M1, for example.) [The Sun's Wrath: Worst Solar Storms in History] Two of the six recent flares from AR 2673 were X-class including Wednesday's (Sept. 6) monster X9.3, which was the most powerful solar flare since 2005. Strong solar flares are often accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), eruptions that send clouds of superheated solar plasma racing into space at several million miles per hour. CMEs that slam into Earth can trigger geomagnetic storms, which can temporarily disrupt power grids and interfere with satellite communications, among other negative effects. But geomagnetic storms also tend to ramp up the northern and southern lights, extending the reach of these gorgeous, ghostly displays to unusually low latitudes. And some lucky skywatchers have gotten an aurora eyeful this week, thanks to CMEs associated with an M-class flare on Monday and Wednesday's X9.3. Though this latter CME hit Earth with just a glancing blow, the storm it generated brought the northern lights within sight of viewers as far south as Arkansas overnight Thursday (Sept. 7). Unfortunately for skywatchers, that storm seems to be tapering off, and supercharged auroras probably aren't in the cards tonight or beyond, experts said. "I can't rule it out, but I don't think the chances are good," Bob Rutledge, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, told Space.com. AR 2673 also continues to rotate away from Earth toward the sun's limb, so any other CMEs it blasts out in the near future likely won't affect our planet, added Rutledge, who leads SWPC's forecast center. Editor's note: If you snap a photo of the northern lights and you'd like to share it for a possible story or image gallery, please send images and comments to Space.com at spacephotos@space.com. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Bir Lahlou, Sept 07, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali, sent a message of congratulations to the King of Swaziland Mswati III on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of his country's Independence Day. On behalf of the Saharawi People and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere congratulations on the anniversary of the Independence Day of the Kingdom of Swaziland. I wish Your Majesty and the people of Swaziland happiness, continued success and prosperity, The President of the Republic says in his letter The President of the Republic added that The Kingdom of Swaziland and Sahrawi Arab democratic Republic have established a close dialogue in the African Union, based on common approach towards a number of topical matters, in addressing the key challenges of eradication of all sort of colonization agenda in our continent and strengthening the economical independency of our continent. I would not miss this opportunity to salute and extend my thanks to Your Majesty in associating your country in the recent decision of SADC for convening of a solidarity conference of the SADC countries with people of Western Sahara. The President of the Republic concluded his message by stressing that bilateral relations between the peoples of the two countries, especially at the diplomatic level, will contribute to enhancing the fundamental role of the African Union in taking its natural place in the international arena.. SPS 125/090/TRA Bir Lahlou (Liberated Territories), Sept 07, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali congratulated his Angolan counterpart, the new President, Mr. Joao Lourenco on his election as President of the Republic of Angola. "I am convinced that the people of Angola have chosen your Excellency in these elections because they believe in the strength of your efforts and your ability to build a strong democracy and inclusive institutions to ensure stability and a prosperous future for all Angolans," the President said. The President of the Republic, the Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, expressed his desire to look forward to working with his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco to establish closer relations between the two brotherly countries, but also to pool our efforts to raise the role of our continental organization, the African Union, Development, Peace and Security Challenges in Africa ". SPS 125/090/TRA T he Asian arm of disgraced PR firm Bell Pottinger is splitting off from the parent group and rebranding as Klareco Communications. In the wake of the race relations row that is likely to force the once-powerful advisory business into administration, the Asian business said it is working on a complete separation from Bell Pottinger. A letter from Klareco to clients, reported by the FT, said the Asia business is entirely ring-fenced and solvent. Our teams are intact, we continue to serve our clients and it is mostly business as usual. The Asian arm is run by Piers Pottinger, a near-legendary PR man in City circles known for a love of horse racing and entertaining. Speaking of the collapse of the firm he founded, he told the Standard this week: I am extremely sad it has come to this. An awful lot of people should be ashamed of themselves and I only hope we can find a buyer for the business. Bell Pottinger was rocked this week by a report into its work in South Africa for the Gupta family. The law firm Herbert Smith Freehills found that Bell Pottinger was in breach of relevant ethical principles. It has been accused of running a campaign aimed at stirring racial tension. Bells boss James Henderson stood down last week, expressing regret for the campaign but insisting he hadnt personally condoned it. Bell Pottinger has seen big name clients including HSBC distance themselves and seemed unlikely to win new business. It hired BDO to seek potential bidders but it doesnt seem likely one will be found. London staff have been asked to keep coming into work, but have been warned they may not be paid. According to reports, Bell Pottinger will go into administration early next week. Co-founder Tim Bell admitted on Newsnight that it was likely to be curtains for the firm. A UK education firm that offers wealthy Chinese people access to public schools such as Eton and Harrow is mulling a 300 million London stock-market debut after a boom in sales. BE Education, founded by Old Etonian William Vanbergen, has seen a stampede of demand from Chinese billionaires wanting to send their children to big-brand British boarding schools. City sources said the firm was weighing plans to list next year after sounding out potential investors over the summer. Numis is working informally with the company but no advisers have been appointed yet. BE recently clinched $70 million (54 million) of fresh capital from backers including wealthy Asian investors in its fourth fundraising round. A float of BE could crystallise a potential pay cheque for its private equity backer Emerald Investments, the vehicle run by Sun Capital co-founder Alan McIntosh. Emerald, which was recently involved in a bidding war for Punch Taverns, listed Irish builder Cairn Homes in London in 2015 and could follow a similar path with BE. Vanbergen, who was a classmate of Prince William at Eton, said sales were growing by 70% a year in China because of the world-class reputation of Britains centuries-old system and the portrayal of public schools in books like Harry Potter. UK schools have got much bigger brands than the US. Theyve got a reputation, rightly or wrongly, probably due to Jane Austen and Harry Potter, for being these wonderful castle-like places that produce ladies and gentleman, he said. The entrepreneur set up BE in 2003 to tap into rising levels of prosperity in China after an early foray trying to export Aston Martins there. The company, which has offices in London and across China, helps arrange summer courses each year for hundreds of Chinese students at places such as Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse and Dulwich College. It also rolled out a franchise of UK boarding school Wycombe Abbey in Changzhou in eastern China and plans to launch six more schools across the country. The 35-year-old founder, who sat next to the Prince for Latin and history, said Chinese parents valued extra-curricular activities such as music and sport in Britain. He added that the UK would also see more inbound investment from China because of the growing numbers of Chinese students entering British boarding schools. The amount of money put into the country by our parents alone runs into the billions. People have literally invested here and bought businesses because they are over here for the half-term, he said. Rising numbers of Chinese students are expected to come to the UK in the next two decades to study after the end of Chinas one-child policy. The number of people in all types of education in China is currently 226 million. That dwarfs the US with 68 million and the UK at 14 million. About 2000 come to UK public schools through BE every year. R umours resurfaced today that drugs giant AstraZeneca is preparing to go on the takeover trail. Speculation in the City suggested the FTSE 100 giant is preparing to swoop on Acadia Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego-based firm listed on Nasdaq with a market value of $4.4 billion (3.4 billion). Chatter about a deal was rife earlier this year, with one suggesting AstraZeneca had tabled a bid. Gossips said Astra, off 12p at 4762p, has renewed its interest, with beleaguered chief executive Pascal Soriot keen to beef up after the huge Mystic cancer trial setback in June, which caused shares to plunge 15% in a day. Acadia, which is 21%-owned by biotech-obsessed hedge fund Baker Brothers, has the only FDA-approved drug to treat hallucinations by Parkinsons disease sufferers. Baker Brothers is said to be unwilling to sell for less than $55 a share. The shares are trading at $35, but were as high as $50 in 2015. AstraZeneca would probably face competition from big pharma such as Pfizer. AstraZeneca and Acadia declined to comment. The FTSE 100 retreated 20.60 points to 7376.38, with miners down on slowing exports from China, the worlds largest metals consumer. Rio Tinto fell 35.86p, or 1%, to 3684.5p. AstraZenecas blue-chip peer GlaxoSmithKline came under pressure after a downgrade from Morgan Stanley. Analysts at the Wall Street bank cut their ratings to Underweight after comparing the British drugs giant with Frances Sanofi. GSKs 2020 roadmap looks challenging, given low research and development optionality and capital allocation constraints, they wrote, referring to new chief executive Emma Walmsleys sales and profit targets. Shares fell 15p, or 1%, to 1495.5p. The sharp fall from Greene King on the mid-cap index was almost matched that of N Brown, the fashion retailer behind Jacamo and Simply Be. Its shares dropped 28.35p, or 8%, to 317.2p as broker Stifel downgraded from Buy to Hold after a rally this year. Under-fire Southern rail operator Go-Ahead Group fell 72.23p, or 4.7%, further today to 1477.77p after JPMorgan Cazenove slashed its rating to Underweight on the back of yesterdays slump in annual profits. The broker said that although there was less disruption on Southern trains, we are concerned this could come at great cost. UK Oil & Gas Investments, the company behind the Gatwick Gusher well near the airport, dipped 0.15p, or 2%, to 8.35p. The company said it has received the necessary permits from the Environment Agency for extended flow tests. Its application for long-term production testing and more drilling will be decided by Surrey County Council at next months planning committee meeting, it added. I n Chris Griggs office, theres a prized first edition of one of the most famous military memoirs of all time: Defeat Into Victory, by Field Marshal Viscount Slim. Against the odds, Slim took command of the 14th Forgotten Army in the Second World War and drove the Japanese out of Burma. When he took over, that army group had never won a battle: after he took over they never lost, says Grigg, a keen military historian when hes not running one of the UKs oldest property firms, British Land. During eight years in charge, the chief executive has been through a few tough campaigns of his own; not least taking over in an artillery barrage. In January 2009 the financial crisis was shredding property values, while British Land was hit by senior defections. Virtually as soon as he started, he was off cap in hand to the City to raise 740 million to rescue the balance sheet. Some assets such as a half share in its Broadgate estate in the Square Mile were sold for a song at the bottom of the market. That plus the fact that Grigg had spent virtually his entire career at Goldman Sachs and Barclays put some noses out of joint. What was the most famous name in property doing being run by a banker? The company traces its origins back 161 years, set up to help people buy small land plots in an era when only landowners were allowed to vote. But its modern incarnation was established in 1970 by Sir John Ritblat the grand old man of the property world who eventually stepped down as chairman in 2006. Sir John cast a long shadow when the previous British Land chief, Stephen Hester, was called away to serve Queen and country running Royal Bank of Scotland. Grigg was left fire-fighting as an industry novice. The 58-year-old, whose offices are adorned with the Roy Lichtenstein prints he cheerfully plundered from British Lands art collection, claims the critical noises-off never really bothered him. That doesnt stop him easing in the stiletto. John had his own time here, John made mistakes and John in the end was eased out by the investors. On the criticism of his early tenure, Grigg says he never really found it bothering me, but he pointedly adds of Sir John: Youd hear from an investor that hed rung up [another] investor and said they shouldnt have done that that was a bit irritating. It was his company in his own mind even when he only had a very small say, and he did build it up, so I could always quite understand that. For the record, Sir John, who will turn 82 at the beginning of next month, bridles at that, saying: I had been there 37 years and I retired. The shareholders didnt want me to go. I was certainly not eased out and I left on a wave of success with the share price at an all-time high of around 17. Today theyre trading at barely a third of that, and at a big discount to the companys 13.9 billion in offices and retail sites up and down the country. Sir John, it is fair to say, is not Griggs greatest fan. Grigg himself says: You cant wake in the morning in any senior job and go Oh my God, am I going to get it all wrong because youll go mad or melt down. But according to an ex-Goldman Sachs colleague, Grigg gets more than his share of stick because hes not part of the Mafia whove been doing it for their whole career. That means whatever he does gets twice as much scrutiny. He may not be steeped in property he admits that himself but the British Land boss was smart enough to make it from a Southampton grammar school to gain a first in Economics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he met his wife. Someone who knows him from those days says hes quick-witted and possessed of a sharp tongue able to cut someone dead when he wants to. Another property analyst rather sniffily says he talks with the bond traders gift of the gab. But you dont get to be a Goldman partner once working opposite a young Mark Carney without confidence and ability. And in person, Grigg is charm personified and enjoys the cut and thrust. As for the property person jibes, he argues: Theres plenty of evidence that Goldman has been a good training ground for a whole bunch of people. A lot of people have gone on from there to a bunch of whole other things. He left Goldman after 20 years in 2005 for Barclays (I was very clear that I had had enough of being an investment banker), although hes still very active on the GS alumni circuit and uses the bank for the odd financing deal. He rose high enough at Barclays to run their commercial bank and be involved in the failed bid for ABN Amro in 2007, although he wasnt involved in any of the banks controversial cash-raising during the crisis which recently put former chief executive John Varley and others in the dock (I dodged a bullet I didnt even know about). Grigg, who realised he wasnt going to get the top job, was in the market for a move and to boot he had a slightly strange boss at the time. That was Frits Seegers, whom he didnt get on with and who was restructured out a year later. Thats probably a slightly polite way of putting it, says Grigg, who cant resist another little dig. His British Land is an inclusive beast, far different from the old culture he found when he joined. When I got here there was one woman on the board and not a single woman on the executive committee. It was disproportionate even below that level, most of the women here were very junior, thats just not true any more. Apart from Broadgate, hes mostly steered British Land away from the City selling the Cheesegrater this year for 1.15 billion although a large Lego miniature remains in reception as the company concentrates on campuses such as Paddington, Regents Place and its masterplan for Canada Water. Following the Cheesegrater sale, hes just launched a 300 million share buyback to snap up his discounted stock, effectively investing in his own portfolio, because he cant find anything else to buy at a price he likes. He defends the strategy as locking in sale gains: If we can sell an asset above valuation and buy back shares at 25% to 30% below then that is a very good asset allocation. He made the decision to press ahead with the Cheesegrater back in 2010, although the site was assembled and planning permission gained under previous management. The chances of his launching his own statement building to rival the Lord Rogers-designed trophy look pretty slim, though. To do that large a chunk of speculative development would be bold in todays environment All in all we are more likely to do deals which are either completely or substantially pre-let. Thats a function of where values are and where the risks are. London isnt going to sink into the Thames but at the same time Brexit means that nobody knows quite whats going to happen. Clearly the Government doesnt know what is going to happen over the next two years, it doesnt appear they know what is going to happen tomorrow. But the father of five stresses the need to keep things in perspective. Ive been through some dark days in investment banking, Ive seen people fired by the dozen, and Ive done my fair share of it. But what is really important in times of uncertainty is to make sure youre keeping your eye on the longer term as well as the shorter term. That could go for Grigg himself, who despite the sniping declares that I really like this industry and I really like this job. Like Slim, he sounds like he has a few more skirmishes left in him yet, even when the flak gets heavy. I n politics, the name given to a whip comes from fox-hunting, where the whipper-in has the job of keeping the hounds from straying by driving them back with the whip into the main body of the pack. Substitute the word MP for hounds, and you have a pretty good description of what the Chief Whip and his whips office have to do every day cajoling and hustling their colleagues to turn up on time and vote for the Government. Their job is vital. Indeed, it was once said that: The House of Commons without whips is like a city without sewers. Today, the Governments whips are in the news for two reasons. First, they are accused of an over-zealous approach to their job by trying to pack the Standing Committees of MPs that examine in detail new laws and regulations called statutory instruments. Normally, the proportion of government to opposition MPs on these Committees matches the overall balance of the parties in the Commons. Not this time. Although the Conservative Government lost its majority, the whips are trying to make sure theres a majority of Tory MPs on every Standing Committee. That way, they can rig the system to give ministers the best chance of getting their business including thousands of Brexit-related new rules through unscathed. You cant blame them for trying. Thats their job. If the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Bernard Jenkin let them get away with it, they will be failing in their job as self-styled parliamentarians. Second, it turns out that the parliamentary aide to the Treasury ministers has been plotting to thwart her boss, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Suella Fernandes circulated a letter among 60 fellow MPs on WhatsApp urging them to rebel against Government plans, promoted by Philip Hammond, for a softer post-Brexit transition. This paper doesnt doubt Ms Fernandess principles she has long been a hard-line Brexiteer. But it does question whether she can really remain a member of the Government, let alone one of the Chancellors aides. In this case, its a question of whether the whips have the authority in this fractured Government to do their job. If they dont, and this Government loses its sewers the stink of decay will grow stronger. Irma: friends in need Hurricane Irma has wreaked a terrible toll on the Caribbean, sweeping from Barbuda towards the Bahamas with entire disregard for former colonial boundaries; on Sunday it could reach Florida. Islands that most Britons think of as impossibly exotic holiday destinations but are also home to some of the worlds poorest communities now claim our attention for the impact of the most violent hurricane recorded in the region. At least 14 people have died, and the economic effect on the area is incalculable. Parts of the Caribbean are British overseas territories or Commonwealth members: other islands are former French dependencies. A relationship originally based on the economics of slavery and sugar production is now showing its most benign aspect: Britain and France are taking seriously their responsibilities towards their former colonies. The British response has been slow getting off the ground but the Government has promised 32 million in relief and a Royal Navy flagship has been sent to help. This is a good start but only a start. One point of a big international aid budget is to be able to provide disaster relief, particularly to our friends in need. Disasters pose a humanitarian challenge but also an opportunity to show our solidarity with our former dependencies. The same holds elsewhere; the Mexican earthquake provides President Trump with a chance to show generosity towards a country with which his relationship is fraught. The Government should expedite its help for the Caribbean. PHIL COMPLETES HIS SIX-PACK And Gears Up for 10 Sandows Written by Peter McGough 08 September 2017 Phil Completes His Six-Pack And Gears Up for 10 Sandows At the end of the day, the day being September 17, 2016, Phil Heath took possession of his sixth-straight Olympia title. After the relative controversies of the last three years, this was a much more emphatic display with little debate concerning whether he won or not. Although not as good as his initial Olympia victory in 2011, he was the clear winner from the time he walked onstage. His confidence was abundantly clear by the way he nodded toward the audience just before he hit his first mandatory. His facial expression and body language transmitted the clear I got this message. He was fuller, rounder and much tighter than he had been since 2011. Good to his promise that he would destroy everybody, there was no need for him to be involved in intense and drawn-out comparisons. Unlike his three battles with Kai Greene in 2012, 2013 and 2014, there was no direct mano-a-mano confrontation, wherein they were the only ones called for the final comparison. Indeed, the main focus of the 2016 Mr. Olympia was on who would finish second. The candidates were Shawn Rhoden, Dexter Jackson, Big Ramy and the sensation of this years Mr. Olympia, William Bonac. Rhoden finally got the nod for the runner-up spot, but different factions felt one of the other three should fill the number one position. Now that Phil Heath has captured six Olympia titles (tying him with Dorian Yates and leaving him one behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, and two behind Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney), he has definitely moved into legendary and iconic status. However, there are certain parties still not willing to award him those accolades. They point out that he still hasnt replicated that WTF 2011 form that broke new ground in physique development. But that fact only serves to validate his greatness, in that he can win while not at 100 percent. His muscle composition is unique in the history of the sport. His muscle bellies are fully rounded and detailed from every angle, giving off an enhanced 3-D effect. He has great proportions and although just about every muscle group is a standout, the tie-ins and flow of his physique is show stopping. Its that completeness that makes him so impossible to beat. He may be bested on one or two shots by his rivals but overall, after eight mandatories, he always comes out on top. His back double biceps pose is, from head to toe, arguably the best ever. Personally, I feel that only two people are poised to maybe topple him. One is Heath himself, if he ever comes in really off. The other is someone we have not yet seen some monster yet to come out of the woods as I believe none of the guys on the current scene are capable of beating him. Big Ramy has been touted as a danger to Heath, but in four Olympias, his best finish was fourth this year. The Egyptian came in at 290 pounds, some 20 pounds lighter than we have seen him, and although looking much better at the finals than the prejudging, he didnt make the winning breakthrough many had hoped for and predicted. All thats as maybe, but for now, Phil Heath is in the same six-titles bracket as Dorian Yates and now moves, seemingly relentlessly, toward equaling Arnolds Olympia haul. Destiny and an immortal legacy await him. The Gift is committed to keep on giving. THE BIG 10 It was just after 1:00 p.m. on September 30, 2012, some 15 hours after the Phil Heath had won his second Olympic title. He had attended the Sunday morning seminar and with myself in tow he, with his family and some friends, went to the Japanese restaurant housed inside the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. We discussed the weekends proceeding and he admitted he had not been as good as the year before. He reflected on having a brace of Olympia titles and I remarked that both Lee Haney and Dorian Yates, upon winning their third Sandow, said how quickly those titles had been earned. It opened a discussion on him reaching three the next year and then beyond. He listened and then leaned forward, and taking a furtive glance to his left and right, whispered in almost conspiratorial tone, Im out to win 10 Olympias and I know I can do it. It was the first time he had voiced such an ambition, although since then he has gone public on it. I was somewhat astonished. In tracking the reigns of Haney, Yates and Coleman, they only spoke in terms of winning the next Olympia, with no comment on how many they would eventually win. Ten wins would mean that milestone would be reached in 2020, when Heath will be three months shy of his 41st birthday. With the crazy, detailed physique he brings onstage, I wouldnt bet against him reaching that goal. DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM FOLLOW MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT ON: FACEBOOK: MuscularDevelopment Magazine TWITTER: @MuscularDevelop INSTAGRAM: @MuscularDevelopment YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/2fvHgnZ D oes anyone else have that recurring dream where you turn up to work dressed in your old school uniform? In my case, its not entirely a nightmare. I secretly loved my navy blazer and striped tie. So every September Im baffled anew by the fuss made over school dress codes. Whats not to love about this liberation from the tyranny of inconsequential choices? The decent skirt length and unnatural hair colour rows are of course staples that never go out of style, but what are the hot new trends for A/W 2017? Gender-neutral uniforms are big, such as trousers for all Year 7s at Priory School in Lewes. Meanwhile, at Cheshires Winsford Academy, teachers with all the sass of Studio 54 door bitches have been turning pupils away at the gates for failing to wear black tights. One melodramatic mother described the policy as a return to the Dark Ages. Thats just where shes wrong. Strictly enforced school uniforms couldnt be more of the moment if Edward Enninful chose pleated nylon slacks for his first Vogue spread. Even the Hackney primary I attended has a uniform now, though back in the day we were free to bop up to morning registration in Hypercolor T-shirts and cycling shorts, with 20 friendship bracelets up each arm. By God, did we have style! All across the country, academisation, coinciding with a generation of hippy teachers reaching retirement age, has returned school uniform to its pre-Sixties heyday. But as the popularity of uniform has increased, so too has confusion over its purpose. In a 2013 policy document the Department of Education strongly encourages school uniform as it can play a valuable role in contributing to the ethos of a school and setting an appropriate tone. This language, as woolly as a Lent-term jumper, reflects the lack of hard supporting evidence. Surprisingly few serious studies have been conducted into the link, if any, with educational standards. And those that have were mostly based in the USs very different school system. Instead we must go on common sense, which tells us that schoolwear works best when its smart but still affordable, and as uniform practically possible. Those schools that insist on pricey logo-ed blazers where a generic George at Asda jacket with a sewn-on badge would do, deserve all the grief they get. But parents who agitate for the right to self-expression are similarly missing the point. (And thats your kids job, anyway. Where would Year 10 Debate Soc be without This House believes in the abolition of all school uniform?) School uniforms are a timeless leveller, woven from the cloth of equality and stitched together with the thread of unity. Navy is so common partly because it was the cheapest dye back when uniforms were first adopted by 16th-century charity schools for the fatherless and poor. The gender-neutral tweaks of today arent minority-interest nonsense but in keeping with this original spirit of scholarly focus and education for all. As for self-expression, ever noticed how its always those with the least individuality who are most keen on expressing it? The chicest types, the Karl Lagerfelds and Grace Coddingtons, will often impose a sort of uniform upon themselves. They understand that strictures encourage creativity and rules are necessary for rebellion. More than that, school uniform is about encouraging the young to develop tools of expression that go beyond sportswear labels and glitter eye shadow. Language and analytical skills, perhaps, even a qualification or two? And for those times when only glitter eye shadow will do, theres always non-uniform day. One year I marked the occasion with a T-shirt Id bought from a charity shop and then emblazoned with lyrics from the Beach Boys song Be True To Your School. See, told you I was cool. The Rooneys should try leverage Leverage. A more experienced dad friend of mine whispered the word when I was first pregnant and I havent looked back. The Rooneys are now three-going-on-four kids into their co-parenting adventure, but tabloid reports suggest a quick refresher in this life-changing family philosophy wouldnt go amiss. First, you agree that a happy home depends on both parents being allowed some time to indulge their pre-kids selves; Wayne likes going out on the lash and Coleen likes sunbathing all fine in moderation. Then you sit back and await the accumulation of leverage. Leverage is the smile that creeps across a pregnant womans face when she catches her other half sleeping off a hangover in the middle of the day. Leverage is the slightly sinister enthusiasm with which you urge your partner to accept that invitation to catch up with old friends: Go on! Enjoy yourself! Perhaps youll be out on the town this Saturday night, and perhaps youll be stuck at home unloading the dishwasher, but either way youll be having fun. Why? Leverage. T he corporate and political worlds wait in nervous anticipation of a decision by the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley on the bid by the Murdochs 21st Century Fox for the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB that it does not already own. She could wave the takeover through, probably with conditions, or refer the 11.7 billion bid to the Competition and Markets Authority. I wrote to the communications regulator Ofcom along with Ed Miliband, Ken Clarke and Lord Falconer, to the effect that allowing the takeover would be wrong: that it would entrench market dominance and reduce plurality, and would do so for a company that is not a fit and proper owner. Participants in this debate carry a lot of luggage. I certainly do, having made public my concerns back in 2011 when I was the responsible Secretary of State. But we are now dealing with a new set of facts. I have no feelings about the Murdochs personally, never having met either father or son. Nor do I have any personal beef with their editors, who treat me as fairly as could be expected for someone of my political pedigree. What I do care about, however, is that we have a free press that is, free both of government interference and corporate dominance. The grounds for opposing the takeover are two-fold. The first is that concentration of media ownership is already a concern and will become worse if the takeover goes ahead. The Murdochs 21st Century Fox is the leading supplier of newspaper content (through The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times), the leading supplier of news content through commercial radio and the third-leading supplier of TV content via Sky. While there has been a proliferation of internet sites carrying news, few of these generate content; they are aggregators for the big players. Some argue that the influence of the red tops in particular is declining. In the 2017 general election many young voters ignored the advice of The Sun (or the Mail) and voted for Jeremy Corbyn. However, red-top influence in the EU referendum was evident: it was The Sun (and the Mail) what won it. And after the 2015 general election, analysis showed that while the tabloids may not have influenced many swing voters directly, they did influence what made the news in the campaign. Radio 4s Today programme, for example, sets its agenda according to what is making headlines in the print press. That, in turn, sets the TV broadcast news agenda for the day. The minister has accepted the judgment of the regulator concerning the risk of increased influence by members of the Murdoch Family Trust over the UK news agenda and the political process. She has yet to decide what to do. She will have to consider whether a Fox-controlled Sky would maintain its current independence. The fear is that it would be subject to Foxification along the lines of the rabidly propagandist Fox News in the USA. Significantly, Fox News was recently taken off the air in the UK, supposedly for commercial reasons but perhaps to avoid reminding us of the poison that could flow in future from across the Atlantic. Set against that, Murdoch Junior has shown commendable detachment from his father in distancing himself from the excesses of Trump. Mrs Bradley will feel under pressure to agree to the takeover provided the structures are created to protect the editorial independence of Sky. She should not be conned by a formal, but chimerical, structure: the whole history of the Murdoch operations is one of direct meddling. And that matters because of the second big concern: doubts over whether 21st Century Fox meets a fit and proper test. In 2012 Ofcom issued a damning report on the conduct of James Murdoch, then chairman of News International, about his attitude towards the egregious wrongdoing identified in the phone hacking scandal, as forensically probed in the Leveson Inquiry. Ofcom concluded that Sky should be regarded as fit and proper to hold a broadcast licence only if there was minority Murdoch control of Sky, and if James Murdoch was not in an executive role. But the takeover will result in 100 per cent control and Murdoch will be chief executive. When last in the Sky studios, staff told me there is a beautifully appointed office with a marble-topped table and specially designed chairs awaiting his arrival. And the wrongdoing at the News of the World was it emerged considerably worse than when the 2012 report was written. Since that damning Ofcom judgment there are even bigger reasons for questioning the corporate governance arrangements over which Murdoch presided. Since 2012 there has been a succession of sexual and racial harassment cases at 21st Century Fox. Despite this history of non-compliance and corporate governance failure, Ofcom has initially declined to challenge the takeover. But the minister is now considering fresh, strong evidence of corporate failure and the first steps have also been taken to launch a judicial review. Meanwhile, Sky has husbanded data on an estimated 13 million British people. This could be misused or misapplied for political or commercial purposes once it is transferred to 20th Century Fox. There is no legal mechanism to challenge this transfer. The issues around the Fox-Sky bid are as technically and legally complex as they are politically significant. While the European Commission has shown some resolve in tackling Google, Amazon and Facebook, British ministers have yet to prove themselves able and willing to stand up to the corporate giants in the communications industry. Only if the British Government were to subject the Fox/Sky takeover to a full competition review rather than acquiescing in the takeover would it demonstrate that taking back control has a purpose. Vince Cable MP is leader of the Liberal Democrats, and was Business Secretary from 2010 to 2015. H illary Clinton will make an appearance at the Southbank Centre as part of this years London Literature Festival. The event will see her talk about her new book, What Happened, which is published next week. The book is an autobiographical account of her experiences running as the Democratic Partys candidate in last years US Presidential election, which saw Donald Trump sweep to victory. Clinton will also be making an appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on the same day (October 15). The two events are Clintons only UK appearances to discuss her book. It promises to be a unique opportunity for the audience to hear about Clintons personal experiences during a presidential race never short of controversy, as well as candid reflections on how she coped in the aftermath of the result. Its another big scoop for the London Literature Festival, who recently announced that Tom Hanks would be appearing as his only UK appearance to talk about his new collection of short stories. Hillary Clinton v Donald Trump: US Presidential Election 1 /70 Hillary Clinton v Donald Trump: US Presidential Election Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump votes at PS 59 in New York Carlo Allegri/Reuters U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton fills out her ballot at the Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua, New York Brian Snyder/Reuters Topless protestors cause commotion at the site where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to work at PS 59 located at 233 East 56th Street in Manhattan NY Daily News via Getty Images Republician presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives at a polling station in New York to cast his ballot in the presidential election Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to vote in the U.S. presidential election at Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua, New York Mike Segar/Reuters A voter looks at a sample ballot as he waits in line at a polling location in Kansas City, Missouri. Whitney Curtis/Getty Images Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton cookies are on sale at the Oakmont Bakery in Oakmont, Pennsylvania Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and her husband former President Bill Clinton, leave their polling place in Chappaqua Seth Wenig/AP lay Smith is the first voter to cast the ballot in the US presidential election, in the small village of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire Herb Swanson/EPA Poll workers look on as US President Barack Obama gestures towards the press as he votes early at the Cook County Office Building in Chicago, Illinois Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Elise Amendola/AP Donald Trump takes a break from speaking to compare his face to a mask during a rally at the Sarasota Fairgrounds in Sarasota, Florida Loren Elliott/The Tampa Bay Times via AP Lady Gaga speaks during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Raleigh Gerry Broome/AP Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and husband, former President Bill Clinton take the stage during a campaign rally in Raleigh Gerry Broome/AP Madonna sings a song as she campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a surprise performance at Washington Square Park in New York Matt Rourke/AP Musician Bruce Springsteen performs at an election eve rally for Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Spencer Platt/Getty Images Supporters hold signs and a copy of the Bible during a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Manchester Charles Krupa/AP Republican vice presidential candidate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, speaks to a campaign rally before the arrival of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Manchester Bill Sikes/AP Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga perform during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Raleigh Gerry Broome/AP Musician Jon Bon Jovi performs at an election eve rally for Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on November in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Spencer Platt/Getty Images Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton boards her plane at Philadelphia International Airport Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Part of a Nov. 6, 2016, letter from FBI director James Comey to Congress is photographed in Washington. Comey tells Congress that a review of new Hillary Clinton emails has "not changed our conclusions" from earlier this year that she should not face charges Jon Elswick/AP Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cheer during a campaign rally in Leesburg Evan Vucci/AP Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan Carlo Allegri/Reuters NBA basketball player Lebron James introduces U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio Carlo Allegri/Reuters A member of the audience holds a sign during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Sterling Heights, , Michigan Paul Sancya/AP President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Kissimmee. Florida John Raoux/AP Secret Service agents rush Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump off the stage during a campaign rally in Reno John Locher/AP Hillary Clinton smiles holding a mask onboard her campaign plane on Halloween Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images Supporters of Donald Trump pose with a Hillary Clinton character during a campaign rally at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas John Gurzinski/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump holds a rainbow flag given to him by supporter Max Nowak during a campaign rally at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of University of Northern Colorado Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event at The Manor Complex in Wilton Manors, Florida Getty Images A Donald Trump supporter's pet bulldog is decked out in campaign stickers Jason Connoll/ AFP/Getty Images Hillary Clinton joins Jennifer Lopez at a campaign concert in Miami, Florida Brian Snyder/Reuters A Donald Trump mural covering a building in Miami, Florida Rhona WiseAFP/Getty Images Hillary Clinton, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, greet supporters during a campaign rally in Winston-Salem Chuck Burton/AP A crowd gathers to watch as Donald Trump's vandalised star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is cleaned up Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images Hillary Clinton delivers birthday cake to reporters on her campaign plane Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A Donald Trump look-a-like walks with bikini-clad women in Times Square. The stunt was organized by artist Alison Jackson Drew Angerer/Getty Images Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump hugs a the American flag as he arrives to speak to a campaign rally in Tampa Evan Vucci/AP Katy Perry speaks at a rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas AP Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to a member of the audience as she walks off the debate stage as Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump remains at his podium after the conclusion of their third and final 2016 presidential campaign debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada Mike Blake/Reuters NFL fans wear Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks during a game between the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals Norm Hall/Getty Images Donald Trump holds a child onstage during a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) and Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) take on the 'Town Hall Debate Cold Open' on SNL Saturday Night Live Hillary Clinton chats to Ellen DeGeneres during a commercial break during the filming of the Ellen Show Brenan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images A Donald Trump themed fortune telling machine stands on the street in Columbus Circle in New YorK Lucas Jackson/Reuters Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump kisses a "Women for Trump" placard during a rally at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the town hall debate at Washington University Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Kevin Lake of Jefferson, Iowa, wears a wall outfit in honour of Donald Trump's pledge to build a wall along the Mexico border Scott Morgan/Reuters Donald Trump holds two-year-old Hunter Tirpak, who is dressed as Trump, during a rally at Mohegan Sun Arena Christopher Dolan/The Citizensi Voice via AP Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the town hall debate at Washington University Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images Ken Bone found himself going viral after his attention-grabbing question during the town hall debate at Washington University Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Donald Trump's daughters-in-law Lara Trump and Vanessa Trump and daughter Tiffany Trump Scott Olson/Getty Images Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump leave the stage after the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Melania (L) and Ivanka (C) Trump sit next to Republican vice presidential nominee Governor Mike Pence ahead of the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Joe Raedle/Pool/Reuters Hillary Clinton shakes hands with husband and former U.S. President Bill Clinton after the first Presidential Debate Joe Raedle/Getty Images Donald Trump with wife Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr.'s wife Vanessa Trump, Eric Trumps wife Lara Yunaska, and Eric Trump Paul J. Richards/AFP US actresses Lena Dunham and America Ferrera speak at the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Peter Foley/EPA Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Hillary Clinton attempts to open a pickle jar on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Andy Holmes/ABC Donald Trump greets supporters at a rally at Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images Denis Leary and James Corden on The Late Late Show CBS Donald Trump reacts to the cries of three-month-old Kellen Campbell, of Denver, right, while holding six-month-old Evelyn Keane, of Castel Rock, Colorado Joe Mahoney/Getty Images Bill Clintonon on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mike Segar/Reuters Alicia Keys performs at he Democratic National Convention Shawn Thew/EPA Meryl Streep at the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center Alex Wong/Getty Images Donald Trump hugs his daughter Ivanka Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump's run for the Republican presidential nomination Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images Donald Trump during a campaign stop on the campus of the University of Central Florida Joe Raedle/Getty Images Other highlights of the festival will include talks from Philip Pullman, Rebecca Solnit, Annie Leibovitz and Karl Ove Knausgaard. Tickets for Hillary Clintons event will go on sale to Southbank Centre members on September 14, with the general public sale opening on September 15; southbankcentre.co.uk S he has been blacklisted in her native America for mocking Donald Trump. Now comedian Kathy Griffin has vowed to dish the dirt on his establishment as well as her next-door neighbours Kanye West and Kim Kardashian when she comes to London in November. The 56-year-old Emmy and Grammy winner holds the Guinness World Record for the most televised comedy specials by any comedian in history. But her world came tumbling down in May when she posted a picture of herself holding aloft a fake severed head of President Trump. The backlash led to her US tour being cancelled, television networks dropping her and an investigation by the secret service. Speaking exclusively to the Standard, she said: For the first time in the history of the United States, a sitting president used the power of the Oval Office, the first family, the Department of Justice, to put an American citizen under a two-month federal investigation for taking a picture that shamed him and embarrassed him. Referring to Johnny Depps Glastonbury appearance when he jokingly threatened to assassinate Trump, she added: No, the same thing didnt happen to Johnny Depp. I dont think any of us seriously thought Johnny was going to assassinate Trump. But Trumps supporters have even gone as far as tracking down my poor 97-year-old mother and giving her death threats. And my sister who has cancer. First of all, Im on a mission to go around the world and tell my story if it could happen to me it could happen to you. You can try to use the power of the United States government to shut my mouth, but, dammit, I am going to be the toast of London! Griffin also believes sexism is behind the witch hunt, adding: 100 per cent. There is still so much stigma about women in comedy. Do you think he would do this to Kevin Hart? Would he do this to Will Ferrell? Adam Sandler? She also received support from unlikely allies: You know whats touching? I got calls from people like Renee Zellweger who I literally called a sweaty, puffy coke whore in one of my specials. Thats my kind of celebrity. Arts picks of the week: 4th-10th September 1 /7 Arts picks of the week: 4th-10th September Follies After a recent flurry of exciting new musicals, this revival of Stephen Sondheims classic will offer a reminder of how one mans work has influenced an entire art form. Imelda Staunton, who received so much acclaim for her musical turn in Gypsy, will star alongside Janie Dee and Philip Quast, with Dominic Cooke on directing duties. With a cast of 37 and a 21-strong orchestra, it sounds like this show very much intends to make use of the Olivier theatres vast auditorium. Until January 3, National Theatre; nationaltheatre.org.uk Johan Persson RCA Secret This annual sale is great fun every single time - an exhibition of postcard-sized artworks will go on show, with each one up for sale. They have been created by artists from Peter Blake to Tracey Emin - but the identity of the artist isnt revealed until the purchase is complete. You may end with a work by an art star of tomorrow - work by promising students from the college is part of the show - or one of the art worlds biggest stars. September 9-15, Royal College of Art; rca.ac.uk Hernan Bas Detroit-based painter Hernan Bas explores legends and lore around life at Cambridge University with his new exhibition at Victoria Miro in Mayfair. Having spent much of his practice exploring history, literature and popular culture - an exhibition last year was inspired by Cecil Beatons portraits of 1920s London bohemia - this is another chance to look through his unique eye. September 6 - October 21, Victoria Miro; victoria-miro.com Can Graphic Design Save Your Life? Think of the glowing green cross sign: a universal indication of a pharmacy. This is just one example from the Wellcome Collections new exhibition which suggests that graphic design has constructed and communicated healthcare messages around the world to inform and empower. With over 200 objects, it will make a solid case in favour of the question. September 7 - January 14, Wellcome Collection; wellcomecollection.org Its How Well You Bounce Bethlem Gallery is situated within the grounds of Bethlem Royal Hospital - where the name Bedlam was derived from. The gallery is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a group show which includes a work from their patron, Grayson Perry. Founded in 1997 to support and exhibit current or former patients of the hospital, this celebratory exhibition will explore concepts of resilience and its relationship to the imagination. Until October 28, Bethlem Gallery; bethlemgallery.com OpenCity Documentary festival Want some brain food? Venues across London will be supporting the work of new documentary makers throughout the week, with screenings, panels, workshops and parties. See the best in upcoming documentary talent at Picturehouse Central, the Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel and the ICA. September 5-10, various venues; opencitylondon.com Thebes Land If you missed this critically acclaimed two-hander last year, then all is not lost. Its back at the Arcola Theatre after receiving great reviews, with Trevor White and Sergio Blanco reprising their roles. Our critic Henry Hitchings described it as an ingenious two-hander that remakes the rules of storytelling then breaks them. September 6 - October 7, Arcola Theatre; arcolatheatre.com Griffin lives next door to West and Kardashian, parents of daughter North, in Bel Air. She said shed reveal what it is like to be their neighbours in her set at the London Palladium. She said: I love the natural organic comedy of that confluence of events that the president of the United States and his gang of criminals, mounting a campaign against me, and knowing that my only hope might be running into the loving, naked arms of Kimye ... who knows they might adopt me? They could name me South East they love naming their kids after directions. Kathy Griffin: Laugh Your Head Off World Tour, November 10, tickets from axs.com M el B has said she hopes the courts will reveal the truth after her estranged husband claimed she battled cocaine and alcohol addiction, causing a "major issue" in their marriage. The former Spice Girl, real name Melanie Brown, did not deny the allegations as she spoke out nearly a week after they were made by Stephen Belafonte in their acrimonious divorce. The Leeds-born singer, 42, instead said she has stayed quiet for her children's sake. The allegedly abusive husband, also 42, made the claims in a declaration filed at Los Angeles Superior Court that was made public on Friday last week. In a statement on Thursday, the mother-of-three said: "I have remained silent these past six months for the sake of my children. Mel B has spoken out for the first time over claims alcohol and cocaine addiction caused 'issues' in her marriage / Rich Fury/Getty "I refuse to be a victim any longer and will trust the legal process to show the truth." Belafonte's claims were the latest in the damaging battle that has heard claims Brown led an "extravagant" lifestyle and had "wiped out" her $50 million (39 million) Spice Girls fortune. "The biggest reason for my concern with respect to the safety of the children was due to (Brown's) habitual and consistent addiction to and abuse of cocaine and alcohol," he wrote. "(Her) drinking and drug abuse had been a major issue throughout our marriage and was witnessed by the nanny, the children and her own therapist." Brown, now a judge on America's Got Talent, married the film producer in Las Vegas in June 2007. She filed for divorce on March 20, citing "irreconcilable differences" and claimed he tormented her with years of mental and physical abuse. Belafonte's lawyers previously dismissed her claims as "nothing more than a smear campaign". They are scheduled for a voluntary settlement conference on September 15. B est known for its iconic Billy bookcases and sensible Klippan sofas, Swedish superstore Ikea has come a long way since it first appeared on British shores 30 years ago. Recent design collaborations with a host of well-known industry experts include Danish interiors stars Hay and vibrant boho brand Jassa, while the giant of the interiors world has cemented its design credentials. The Scandi company has always been the top go-to shop for quick, budget-friendly home makeovers, with most of its top selling items instantly identifiable in homes across the country. Now, the home superstore has added one-off furniture pieces and home accessories you'll never guess come from the store. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR Brass has taken over copper as the most on-trend metallic for the home and, thanks to its slick Art Deco-inspired design, visitors would never guess Ikea's brass table clock is from the furniture giant. And if you think your table settings need something a little extra, this dark blue bowl will wow any guests to your home. Simply add some nibbles to the bowl for stylish party decor. Meanwhile fans of the maximalist trend will love this floral three-piece sofa, below, designed to be comfortable and trendy. Miles away from the typical Scandi-aesthetic, this tropical leaf print armchair creates a style statement. Finally, this velvet pouffe from the popular Stockholm range comes in a dark blue, burnt orange and charcoal grey. Use it as a foot stall, extra seating or even a table if you place a tray on top. Scroll through the gallery above to see more inspiration on how to style your home... Review at a glance H eard of Changan? Maybe you should have, because this state-owned company is the number three car maker in China, is already engaged in joint ventures with Ford, Mazda and Peugeot in China and is currently thinking of entering the European market. If they do go ahead with that plan, this CS55 five-seat SUV will be one of the first Changans to arrive over here. Designed with help from Changans Turin design studio, and built in China from parts made by China-based European or Japanese suppliers, the CS55 is a Ford Kuga-sized front-wheel-drive SUV powered by a four-cylinder, 154bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Its been tested to Chinese NCAP standards, which are claimed to be the same as Euro NCAP ones, and a five-star rating is expected. What's it like to drive? Our test car (fitted with a six-speed Aisin Warner automatic gearbox) felt competent enough on the company's test track, where its chassis has been developed by ex-Ford handling specialist Gordon Cook and his colleague Dave Cox. Theres some body roll through a series of bends, but direction changes are achieved neatly enough through the three-mode steering, and understeer can be reduced in the usual way by lifting the throttle. You wouldnt call the CS55 exciting, but it does deliver a decent mix of spirit and ride comfort. In an ideal world Cook and Cox would like to iron out some of that roll, but the often poor roads of the home market require a larger degree of wheel travel and softer suspension bushings. The 1.5-litre turbo engine does have to be kept on the boil to keep up with the sometimes random Chinese motorway traffic. That automatic gearbox operates at its own speed, with no apparent sharpening of change response even when you engage Sport mode, but the CS55 shows that Chinese cabin quality has come on in leaps and bounds from the bad old days (not that long ago) of nasty plastics and drab design. Its not far off the best Western standards, with a good blend of dash textures, logical switchgear layout and solidly-operating controls. That stitched leather upholstery isnt leather. It's pleather vinyl, on seats that are lacking in lateral support. Knee room in the rear is generous enough for three, though. If you listen to the most conservative suggestions, it may be another 10 years before Changan begins European sales. Others believe that it could happen within the next 4-5 years. Will UK buyers be tempted by an unknown Chinese brand in an SUV market thats so rich in choice? Well, they might be if the price is right. Domestic Chinese prices for the CS55 range from under 10,000 to the equivalent of 15,638, including the 8% sales tax. If that sort of pricing was replicated in the UK it would certainly give Dacia something to think about. In terms of sophistication and standard equipment wed put the CS55 a level above the Duster (from 8645) and the 16,745 Ssangyong Korando. Changan CS55 230T Xuan Yao Price 15,000 (est) Engine 4-cyls 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol Power 154bhp at 5500rpm Torque 165lb ft at 2000-4000rpm Gearbox 6-spd auto Kerbweight 1520kg Top speed 110mph; 0-62mph 12.98secs (manufacturer figure) Fuel economy 42.9mpg combined CO2 rating NA Rivals Dacia Duster, Ford Kuga, Ssangyong Korando A s Hurricane Irma heads towards Miami and Cuba, here is advice from travel expert Simon Calder, for Brits either flying to or trying to get home from affected areas: Q I have a trip booked to the region. What are my options? That depends on the company you are booked with. British Airways is offering a waiver to anyone booked to fly to Antigua, St Kitts, Punta Cana, Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, and Nassau before 10 September. They can choose to travel to an alternative Caribbean destination or delay the flight to another date before 30 September, says the airline. The same offer applies for passengers booked to the four Florida airports BA serves Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Tampa between 8 and 11 September. They can choose to fly between 12 and 30 September. Virgin Atlantic says any of its passengers booked to travel to, from or through Antigua, Havana, Orlando and Miami before 12 September can switch to an alternative date or destination travelling on or before 14 October. Customers currently in any of these resorts also have the option of returning home early, says the airline. Footage shows the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands Anyone booked to travel on a US carrier can take advantage of a wide range of travel waivers. Southwest Airlines, for example, will allow passengers booked to fly to airports in Florida, the Bahamas, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and San Juan in Puerto Rico up to 11 September the option to rebook within the next two weeks. The big package holiday destinations are the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Florida. Since the Foreign Office has not warned against essential travel to any of the affected regions, there is no legal obligation for tour operators to offer refunds. But Thomas Cook is offering free amendments or cancellations for travellers booked to the Dominican Republic and Cuba up to and including Sunday 10 September. The firm has sent 18 members of its Special Assistance Team to Cuba and the Dominican Republic, to give our customers already in resort further assistance and support. It has 4,803 clients in Cuba and 1,501 in the Dominican Republic. Thomson added: We encourage customers due to travel to Dominican Republic, Cuba and Florida in the coming days to check our website regularly for updates. Q I have bought flights and accommodation separately. How can I claim refunds? Its difficult to claim an airfare back if the flight is still operating. The fact you no longer want to go to the region is not the airlines problem it merely has a contract to deliver you to the airport you chose. Conversely, if your planned accommodation is unaffected by the hurricane, the fact that you no longer want to go is your problem; if the supplier of pre-paid accommodation can still deliver the promised stay, then the fact you dont want to go is immaterial. Q What about travel insurance? Travel insurers will protect policy holders who inadvertently find themselves in a hurricane-hit area. But they do not cover disinclination to travel. Unless the Foreign Office warns against travel, there is a built-in assumption that the trip will go ahead, and claims for cancellation will not be entertained. Government buildings left abandoned after Hurricane Irma destruction Read the original story on the Independent here. T he armed police officers who tackled the Borough Market terrorists have returned to operational duties, the Standard can reveal. The three firearms officers from the City of London Police force have been cleared to return to work after a police watchdog fast-tracked an inquiry into the shootings. They returned to firearms patrols nearly 100 days after fanatics Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba used a hired van to mow down pedestrians on London Bridge before launching a stabbing frenzy in Borough Market. Eight people were killed and 48 injured. Sources describe how the firearms officers knew what they were facing - with the driver jumping from the car with a carbine already around his shoulder, ready to fire, when his usual role is to stay with the vehicle. A woman is helped to an ambulance at London Bridge / Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images An insider said: They obviously knew exactly what they were confronting, they went in knowing what they were going to have to face. They needed all the firepower they could get. During the attack one of the marksmen suffered an injury to his foot as the car rolled forward. London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack 1 /40 London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack Police and paramedics treat an injured person Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images A woman is helped to an ambulance at London Bridge Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Armed police at London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel tend to wounded on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Debris and abandoned cars remain on London Bridge Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images People walking down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officers on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People flee along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Shocked onlookers in Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A helicopter lands on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officer looks through his weapon on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police at the scene on Southwark Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images A paramedic rushes to the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A paramedic at the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People are lead to safety away from London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images Today Scotland Yard, which is leading the investigation into the attack, said officers had spoken to more than 870 members of public and recovered around 4,500 exhibits, including 530 digital devices. Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: We look back now 100 days after an event that will live with us, our officers, the survivors and the families of those brutally killed for a life time. Id like to pay tribute to the show of strength and resilience in the way the emergency services, London and its communities responded to this terrible attack. The threat from international terrorism remains at severe and we are continuing to work with colleagues around the country and our security partners to do everything we can to prevent further attacks in London and the rest of the UK. I urge Londoners to be vigilant and alert at all times. If they see or hear anything suspicious, then they should contact police confidentially on 0800 789 321. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has completed its inquiries and has stressed no officers were under investigation. However, it is still waiting for the results of toxicology tests on the dead terrorists before it can send a final report to the coroner. A member of the public suffered a graze to his head from a bullet which is thought to have been a ricochet. 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 [] A 24-year-old serviceman has been flown back to the UK for questioning after being arrested as part of an inquiry into banned neo-Nazi group National Action. The soldier was brought back from Cyprus, where he had been posted, and detained by West Midlands Police on Thursday. The force said the man from Northampton - understood to be a member of the Royal Anglian Regiment - was held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. He was also arrested on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation contrary to Section 11 of the Terrorism Act. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Tuesday that the man had been detained by the Royal Military Police at a British base in Cyprus and would be flown to Britain. West Midlands Police said the man had been taken to a police station in the force area. A police spokesman said a further four men arrested on Tuesday - a 22-year-old from Birmingham, a 32-year-old man arrested in Powys, a 24-year-old arrested in Ipswich and a 24-year-old arrested in Northampton - continue to be held at a police station in the West Midlands. Those arrested are reported to include four serving members of the Army. One of the men is believed to have been serving in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), while at least one other is in the Royal Anglian Regiment. National Action, described by the Home Office as "virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic", became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016. T he parents of the Briton killed in the Borough Market terror attack today told how they want to secure a legacy for their son. Entrepreneur James McMullan, 32, was one of the first victims of the terrorists as he stood near the Barrowboy and Banker pub on London Bridge. He was stabbed in the chest and died on the pavement during the attack by Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba, who killed eight people and injured 48 before being shot dead by specialist armed police. James, who lived in Hackney, was celebrating with friends after securing the first stage of investment for his education start-up the day before. His family are now in talks with Transport for London about securing a bronze plaque to be installed on the pavement where James died. Heroes of London Bridge attack - in pictures 1 /7 Heroes of London Bridge attack - in pictures Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, clinical director and consultant in emergency medicine at Kings Malcolm Tunnicliff featured in TV programme 24 Hours in A&E Ex-police officer Darren Jaundrill Matt Writtle Joe Palermo, a bouncer from Italy Joe Palermo helped people to shelter in Bill's Matt Writtle Baker Florin Morariu Journalist Geoff Ho was stabbed in the neck while trying to help others Twitter But the family said his legacy will be a fledgling e-learning platform aiming to provide free education to children in the developing world. James worked night and day on Universibly, which he hoped would spread knowledge to children without access to schooling. Following his death the family raised thousands to keep the business afloat through a crowdfunding drive. His father Simon, 62, a businessman, said he hoped the platform could be used by the Red Cross or the United Nations: All the money we raised has gone to establishing Jamess business because that is his legacy. We hope that in some small or significant way we can utilise Jamess aims, visions and ambition with the technology. So on his behalf we can educate people so perhaps they will become less susceptible to the ideas put out by the likes of IS. London Bridge attack: Emotional Australian PM thanks first responders James did not go to university but completed a night school computer course aged nine and, by the age of 11, Mensa found his IQ was 134. His mother Mila, 65, said: James was an intelligent guy and knew and tried everything. He abseiled down a 70-storey building in Canary Wharf for charity. The idea for his business came from his travels in Cambodia and Vietnam. He saw children who could not afford an education. He spent time living in the jungle with these children. They loved him. Where he went children would follow him like sheep. Vigil for London Bridge terror attack 1 /12 Vigil for London Bridge terror attack Hundreds gather during a vigil in Potters Fields for the victims of the June 3rd terror attacks Getty Images People attend a vigil for victims of Saturday's attack in London Bridge, at Potter's Field Park AP Hundreds gather during a vigil in Potters Fields for the victims of the June 3rd terror attacks Getty Images Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Amber Rudd take part in a vigil for the victims of the London Bridge terror attacks Getty Images Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott with members of the public observing a minute's silence PA People gather in Potters Field Park during an event for the victims of the terror attack REUTERS People at a vigil in Potters Fields Park, central London in honour of the London Bridge terror attack victims PA People take part in a vigil for victims of the London Bridge terror attacks by the City Hall EPA Floral tributes were set down during a vigil outside City Hall EPA ople attend a vigil to remember the victims of the attack on London Bridge and Borough Market REUTERS Pupils from Eden Girls' School in Waltham Forest take part in a vigil in memory of those killed in the recent terror attacks in London Getty Images People lay flowers after a vigil for victims of Saturday's attack in London Bridge, AP After the events of June 3 unfolded, his family spent two desperate days calling hospitals and ringing his phone. Mr McMullan said: There was a feeling of helplessness because his phone was ringing but he was not picking up. On the Monday and Tuesday we went to the hospital to give a description of him but we couldnt find him. Eventually we found out. I knew he would have been in contact before then. We just know he was out with friends because Id spoken to him on the Friday before. When we heard what happened I texted him but he did not respond. He was only out that night because the first phase of his business had completed the day before and he had funding. Hero British Transport Police officer who fought London Bridge terrorists After more than three months, the family, including Jamess sister Melissa, 30, is still coming to terms with his death. Mrs McMullan said: It gets worse as time goes on because at the time none of it seemed real. Its now sinking in. For me its the thought I wont see James again. We did not see him often because he worked so hard but we had always seen him every couple of weeks. But now its been months and it is sinking in. But why him? An inquest is due to be heard at the end of this year or in early 2018 but the family say they have been kept in the dark about the details. A judge has yet to be appointed and they have been told parts of it are likely to be held in secret due to national security concerns. Mr McMullan said: The outcome will be a foregone conclusion as far as James is concerned. There is no one to prosecute. We have all been living with the IRA for years and the British psyche takes that into account. But this terrorism is just nihilism. A police officer put it best when he told me, Despite the atrocities at least the IRA wanted to live. Because this lot dont care. The family were also critical of the support offered by City Hall and the Government. They said they felt forgotten as the parents of the only British victim of the attacks, which took place after Westminster Bridge and Manchester Arena but before the Grenfell Tower fire and an attack at Finsbury Park. Mrs McMullan said: After London Bridge we were forgotten with all the other attacks going on this year. A devastated mother whose teenage son was stabbed to death in south London said his friends told her the murder was filmed on Snapchat. Alhaji Mohamed Dura-Ray, 16, known as Mo, was brutally killed in a violent mob attack the day before his mothers birthday, and inquest into his death was told on Friday. But prosecutors were later forced to drop charges against the teenagers alleged killer after a key witness refused to give evidence, Southwark Coroner's Court heard. After the coroner returned a conclusion of unlawful killing, Mo's mother Marima Baby Kamara said the family remained devastated by his death. Mos friends told his mother the attack was filmed on Snapchat, a social network app that allows friends to share videos that are deleted automatically once they are watched, she said. Appealing for anyone with information to come forward, she told how she remains heartbroken by her young sons death and is unable to go to work. Victim: Mohamed Dura-Ray, 16, was stabbed to death / Metropolitan Police Service She said: They [the killers] were doing it on Snapchat. The people said they saw in Snapchat - that is how they knew they had killed him." The mother added that her son had been on the way to a friend's house when the attack took place, and before leaving had told her "when I'm coming home, I'm going to buy you flowers for your birthday". Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant Cary Crawley told the court that Mo had been seen crying out in pain by witnesses to the attack in the Newington Estate in Kennington, south London, less than a mile from his home in Walworth. He said that at 10pm on Monday, September 14 2015, witnesses had reported seeing "an unknown male swinging his right arm up and over at Mo", who then called out: "I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed!" Members of the public gave first aid before paramedics and the London Air Ambulance arrived, Mr Crawley said, but Mo was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.52pm. A post mortem later showed that he died from a single stab wound to the heart, the inquest heard. A number of knives were recovered, but none which were later linked to the attack, Mr Crawley said, and detectives also found a letter containing the name of the former suspect, which had traces of Mo's blood. The suspect was later charged on suspicion of murder, but the Crown Prosecution Service was forced to drop the case due to a lack of evidence when another witness refused to testify against him, the policeman added. T wo teenagers have been found guilty of luring a wine salesman to a residential street before robbing and stabbing him to death in broad daylight in north London. Omar Raza, 23, was called to a cul-de-sac in Wood Green under the pretence of selling car insurance before he was killed, the Old Bailey heard. He was set upon by 18-year-olds Akol Garang and George Rodriguez Galean and bled to death in the street, near Turnpike Lane station on February 15. Following the fatal attack, the court heard how the defendants then made off with Mr Razas Armani watch and iPhone. Garang, from Hornsey, who delivered the fatal stab wound, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob, along with his co-defendant Galean, of Wood Green, north London. Guilty: George Rodriguez-Galean was found guilty of the murder / Metropolitan Police The pair showed no emotion as they were convicted by the Old Bailey jury on Friday after less than a day of deliberations. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC has told jurors Mr Raza was working in the wine department of Selfridges and as a sideline, and earned commissions by arranging car insurance for individuals through an insurance broker he knew. He first met Garang after he answered his Gumtree advert for the sale of a 180 laptop, which he bought for his fiancee's daughter, the court heard. He went on to arrange car insurance for the defendant who later failed to pay up the full amount owed, which the jury was told led to a dispute over the debt. Akol Garang / Metropolitan Police Mr Rees said: "The deceased was lured to that location under the pretence that he was going to be selling car insurance to a female called Stacey. In fact, it was a trap - Stacey didn't exist. "The trap had been set by the first defendant, Akol Garang, who had been involved in a dispute with Omar Raza relating to the non-payment of car insurance that Omar Raza had arranged for him. "In the course of this dispute, Omar Raza had taken a laptop off Akol Garang. This had made Akol Garang angry and, as a consequence, this sham meeting was arranged so he could take his revenge by attacking Omar Raza with a knife and robbing him." CCTV shows a car containing the victim and the two defendants The barrister said Garang enlisted the help of his friend Galean who "agreed to play his part in the ambush". He said: "The prosecution say that the defendants entered into an agreement to rob Omar Raza of any valuable property that he brought to this meeting. "In addition, we say that Akol Garang intended either to kill or cause serious bodily harm to Omar Raza with a knife, if the opportunity arose. "George Galean was aware of this and was happy to play his part in the attack, intending to assist and encourage his co-defendant to cause, at least, really serious harm to Mr Raza." The defendants were remanded in custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday next week. T his is the first picture of a man who was stabbed to death during a fight in a west London street. Police have named the victim as 29-year-old Patrick Oyeri, who was stabbed in the liver when two groups of men allegedly began fighting in Rosebery Road, in Hounslow, on Monday. Paramedics desperately tried to save Mr Oyeri following the attack at 3.35pm, but he was pronounced dead at the scene about 40 minutes later, police said. A London Air Ambulance was also called. The two groups of men had fled the street by the time officers arrived, the Met Police added. Mr Oyeris death came during a terrifying day of violence on the capitals streets, with another man stabbed to death in a street attack in Camden. A 14-year-old schoolboy also died after he was blasted in the head with a shotgun in Forest Gate on Monday afternoon. Corey Junior Davis died in hospital a day later, while he friend was taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries. The Homicide and Major Crime Command has launched an investigation in the stabbing of Mr Oyeri, but have yet to make any arrests. A police spokesman said: Police were called at approximately 3:35hpm to the location following reports of a fight taking place between two groups. When officers arrived, the groups had dispersed but officers found Patrick Oyeri suffering from a stab wound. The London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance attended. Mr Oyeri was treated at the scene by paramedics, but they were unable to save him and he died at 4:18pm. A post-mortem examination held on Tuesday, 5 September gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the liver. Anyone with information should call the HMCC incident room number of 020 8721 4054 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. F ifty-nine Met police officers have been sacked or disciplined for racist behaviour in the past five years, the Standard can reveal. Scotland Yard dismissed 18 officers following complaints about race discrimination and 41 were subject to other disciplinary sanctions. The figures, from a freedom of information request, also show that 37 cases of discriminatory behaviour on the basis of race were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission between January 2012 and this May. Between 1999 and 2011, 120 Met officers were found guilty of racist behaviour, with six forced to resign, one dismissed and the rest receiving a sanction, most commonly a fine. In 1999 the Macpherson report, on the investigation into the 1993 murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in Eltham, branded the force institutionally racist. Since then 550 complaints of racist behaviour against Met officers have been referred to the IPCC. Details of dismissals or final written warnings include an officer in a squad car who remarked that an area of London needed to be ethnically cleansed. Told that such a comment should not be made, the officer replied: Why not? Others made racist remarks to colleagues and the public, or on messaging apps. In 2013 Pc Alex MacFarlane was sacked for gross misconduct after being secretly recorded telling a man under arrest: The problem with you is that you will always be a n*****. Another off-duty officer racially abused a ticket inspector on a train when the friends he was with were told to pay penalty fares after trying to pretend they were also police officers. Retired police superintendent Leroy Logan, founder and former chairman of the Mets Black Police Association, said: This saddens me as an officer who gave evidence at the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. Nothing has really significantly improved so I am led to only come to the same conclusion that the organisation is institutionally racist. According to official statistics, only 13.4 per cent of the Mets workforce is non-white. However, Scotland Yard said the number of black and minority ethnic officers was increasing compared with previous years, and that work was being done to improve diversity. The Met said: Staff must act with professionalism and integrity at all times. Where conduct is proven to have fallen below standards expected, the MPS will take robust action to ensure staff are appropriately disciplined. T he mother of a celebrity bodyguard told his teenage killer to rot in hell as he was jailed for 14 years at the Old Bailey today. Tommy Roome, 19, used a machete he habitually carried around with him to stab to death 27-year-old Ricky Hayden outside his own home. Mr Hayden, an ITV bodyguard who provided security for Stoke City striker Peter Crouch during his wedding to model Abbey Clancy, had rushed outside to confront Roome, believing he was trying to steal his brothers scooter. At a trial which concluded last month, Roome was cleared of Mr Haydens murder to the dismay of the victims family - but he was convicted of an alternative charge of manslaughter. Jailed: Tommy Roome / PA Judge Philip Katz QC today sentenced Roome to 14 years in prison and an extra five years on licence once he is released, saying he had been "within a hair's breadth of the crime of murder. "I am sure that your use of a knife was not a sudden or spontaneous reaction to a meaningful threat of violence from the Haydens, he told him. "I am sure when you stabbed him Ricky was unarmed wearing boxer shorts and bare footed. "In the circumstances you knew perfectly well that using such a weapon to stab anyone might easily cause lethal injury. Mr Haydens friends and family broke into applause and cheered from the public gallery as the sentence was passed, watching Roome being led away to the cells with his head bowed. Outside the Old Bailey, the victim's mother Suzanne Hedges said Roome could "rot in hell" and hit out at the rubbish justice system. "They need to get rid of the jury and have people who know what DNA is, not people who fall asleep, she said. Victim: Ricky Hayden was stabbed to death on his driveway / Metropolitan Police "We are hard-working people. We got no justice." In a victim impact statement, she said the family had been "crushed" by her son's death, adding: He was kind, caring and honest with a cheeky streak." The attack happened in the early hours of September 13 last year, when Roome and another man, 19-year-old, Tarrell Hinds, were spotted outside the Haydens family home in Romford. Mother Suzanne Hedges, sister April Hayden and friend Sian Jones join family and friends of Ricky Hayden outside the Old Bailey / PA Mr Hayden, accompanied by his brother Perry, 21, and quickly joined by their father, Paul, 55, rushed outside to confront the two men. However, Roome then pulled out a machete during the clash, stabbing Mr Hayden, who was just wearing his boxer shorts, in the thigh. The bodyguard was rushed to hospital but died the following day. Jurors heard Roome and Mr Hinds had gone to that area of Romford looking for a different set of brothers, but ended up clashing with the Haydens. Roome, of Chadwell Heath, east London, was found not guilty of murdering Mr Hayden but guilty of manslaughter. Mr Hinds, from Chigwell, was cleared all charges. A third man, Kevin Malamba, 20, from Southwark, admitted perverting the course of justice by helping Roome after the attack. He was today sentenced to 30 months in prison. A former superhead who profited from building a leisure centre on school grounds has urged all London schools to generate money from their estates. Sir Greg Martin once known as Michael Goves favourite headteacher made millions of pounds for Durand Academy in Stockwell by building a private gym, swimming pool and flats on the site. Pupils get free swimming lessons and subsidised after-school clubs, music lessons and lunches. But Sir Greg also took a cut from the venture and questions have been raised about his earnings and the ownership structure under which the school was run. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) is now axing Durands funding amid concerns about financial management and governance. Sir Greg, who retired as head and is now chair of governors, is fighting the decision in the courts. The school recently won a legal battle with Ofsted over an inspection report that would have placed it in special measures. A High Court judge quashed the report. Today Sir Greg called for other schools to follow his model: [At Durand] children swim for free. Key workers live in London which wouldnt happen otherwise. Classes are small. There are subsidised after-school clubs, lunches, free music. Unquestionably Id say to other London schools to do the same. Michael Gove at the school in 2011 / JAMES EMMETT Why dont other heads do this? If I can do it why cant they? Durand is a model of how to do it, how to use the grounds. He said it could be a solution for schools facing funding cuts, but the complex business arrangements have been criticised by MPs. Durand Academy Trust runs the infant and junior school in Stockwell and also ran a boarding school for older pupils in West Sussex, which has now closed after facing a funding shortfall. Durand Education Trust owns the land on which the schools are built and the Academy Trust runs the schools on a licence from it. Sir Greg was a director of both trusts and also of the firm that ran the leisure centre. He took 15 per cent of the profits from the leisure centre on top of his headteachers salary, making him one of the highest-paid heads in the country. The Commons public accounts committee heard that in 2013/14 Sir Greg was paid a 175,000 management fee from the company on top of his 229,000 salary and pension package as head of Durand. The EFA said the trusts and businesses had not been clearly separated. However Sir Greg insisted the EFA approved all the arrangements and despite the row he would do it all again. He claimed the business venture had made the school about 17 million, benefiting every parent with about 5,000 each year in subsidised activities. Having drive and energy and entrepreneurial spirit to generate further income for the benefit of the state is no bad thing, he said. I hear weekly wailing and gnashing of teeth from schools [about lack of funding] but we have created a model which makes 600,000 to 700,000 a year for the benefit of the children. It is a great asset for the benefit of the state sector, and for that we have been roundly criticised be-cause I got paid for doing that work. If I went to any school and said, I can transform your school, put you in the top two per cent, build you a business worth millions that you can keep, and have 85 per cent of the profit but you do have to pay me, would you not snatch my hand off and say, When can you start? Thats what I have done. Academies Minister Lord Nash said: We have confirmed to Durand Academy Trust well be terminating its funding agreement, giving 12 months notice. It follows multiple breaches of its funding agreement and a failure or refusal to ... address concerns about financial management and governance. We will begin the process to transfer the school to a new sponsor to safeguard the future education of pupils. S adiq Khan today revealed that his exclusion from the keynote speakers at Labour conference was decided by the partys leadership, amid a growing storm over the snub. Asked if he had been snubbed, the Mayor of London said: Thats a question youve got to ask the leadership. Mr Khan infuriated Mr Corbyns supporters by using his speech last year to stress the importance of Labour getting elected so that it was not just talking the talk, but walking the walk too. Asked about his exclusion this year, he told ITV News: Im quite clear that Im looking forward to the conference. I cant wait to go and thank those members who worked their socks off this year during the general election ... I love going to conference. The Mayor insisted he was not at all annoyed and said that Mr Corbyn took the decision in order to create more time to let ordinary members have their say in the hall. The mayor said Mr Corbyn took the decision in order to create more time to let ordinary members have their say in the hall / PA But when it was pointed out that previous mayor Ken Livingstone was a regular VIP speaker, he said: I take your point. Labour MP Neil Coyle, a critic of Mr Corbyn, said the exclusion of the Mayor from the event in Brighton this month was a blow to Labours campaign to reach out to ordinary voters. Sadiq Khan is a Labour winner delivering a Labour agenda and absolutely must be able to project what he has done in London to more Labour voters, he said. Conference is about projecting what we can deliver to the British audience of potential voters. An increasing number of Labour MPs are urging Mr Corbyn to guarantee Mr Khan a high-profile speaking slot. Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has said he is the electorally most successful Labour politician in the country alongside Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. Harrow West Labour MP Gareth Thomas said he was Labours most powerful elected politician. And Ilford North MP Wes Streeting said it would be a terrible snub. As Mayor, Boris Johnson always had a star slot at the Tory conference, and Mr Livingstone spoke to delegates at Labours rally. Mr Khan won the mayoral nomination with the support of Corbyn backers but angered them by criticising Mr Corbyn during last years leadership challenge, saying: Jeremy has already proved that he is unable to organise an effective team, and has failed to win the trust and respect of the British people. B oris Johnson took a ride in a British Army tank as he proclaimed he was rock solid confident of getting a good Brexit deal with the EU during a trip to Estonia. The foreign secretary was visiting UK troops in the country as part of a Nato mission to deter Russian aggression in the Balkans. He brushed aside claims of growing tensions with the EU over Brexit, insisting that the countries could all work together to strike a deal. Mr Johnson was then donned full camouflage gear and rode in a British Challenger tank as it sped across the Estonian fields. Boris Johnson drives a tanks in Estonia 1 /9 Boris Johnson drives a tanks in Estonia Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a ride in a British Army Tank accompanied by the British Troops involved with Nato in Tapa, Estonia Andrew Parsons/i-Images When asked about potential problems at the border in Ireland, Mr Johnson told reporters: I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man." He added that he had "rock solid confidence" in Brexit secretary David Davis' ability to get a deal with the EU. Boris Johnson visited UK troops stationed in Estonia as part of Nato mission / Andrew Parsons/i-Images The UKs Russian Embassy took to Twitter to ridicule the Foreign Secretary for posing in the tank during the trip, posting: [Foreign Minister] Sergey Lavrov doesnt need to ride a tank to make his point. Hed rather rely on consistency of message and evolving context. It comes after EU chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said the British Governments post-Brexit plans poisoned the diplomatic well as tensions began to rise in the talks. In the document, which was seen by the Telegraph earlier this week, low-skilled EU migrants will only be allowed to work in the UK for two years before being sent home in plans to curb immigrations. Mr Verhofstadt told the Independent: After a number of meetings in the European Parliament where this issue was raised by fellow MEPs, its clear to me that these policies, if implemented, will only serve to further poison the diplomatic well and erode trust in the capability of the British Home Office to deliver a fair and immigration system for EU citizens in the future." C hildren in their school uniforms are working as mules for London gangs to ferry drugs around the country in sports bags, David Lammy MP said today. The Labour MP claims teenagers are being terrorised by kingpins who exploit vulnerable youngsters and send them by train to destinations across the UK. The revelation comes in the Labour MPs detailed report into the treatment of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) by police and the courts. Lammys 18-month investigation concludes that BAME individuals still face overt discrimination and calls for a major overhaul of the criminal justice system. The MP for Tottenham said: These children are mainly using trains, sometimes in school uniform to go undetected, and carrying a sportsbag with large quantities of drugs. They take over a house - called a cuckoo - where they prey on an individual, typically in a shire town and do an operation usually for an adult, or group of adults back here in London. Lammys report, commissioned by David Cameron, reveals that 41per cent of under-18s in custody are from minority backgrounds, up from 25per cent a decade ago, with young black people nine times more likely to be in youth custody than white children. Black boys are ten times more likely to be arrested for drug offences. Lammy said: Serious organised crime lies behind a lot of violence that affects BAME communities. I heard a lot from communities about kids disappearing for days on end. Young people running drugs as young as 14, running drugs up to Aberdeen down to Portsmouth. I saw videos of hooded adults bragging about the way that they look for vulnerable young men often with a lone mother on an estate. They want some money, theyre easy to be intimidated and bullied. Its adults that are trafficking drugs across borders, its adults that are giving them guns, creating turf wars and often supplying them with serious weaponry and knives. The report, published today, sets out a series of recommendations including the introduction of a US-style system for sealing the criminal records of reformed offenders to employers to prevent childhood convictions from blighting future careers. Other recommendations include introducing a national target to achieve a representative judiciary and magistracy by 2025 and race-blind prosecuting where possible by redacting identifying information that passes between police and prosecutors. Lammy concludes: The disproportionate number of BAME young people in the justice system is a social timebomb. It is beyond time to stop talking about this problem and to act. His report brought calls for a comprehensive new strategy. David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: Everybody should have full trust in our criminal justice system and the Lammy Review is a major contribution to understanding the challenges we face to achieve this. The Government must respond to the review urgently and put in place a comprehensive race strategy with stretching targets to reduce the race inequality that is so apparent in our society. Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor David Lidington said: This Government is committed to shining a light on injustice as never before, because only by revealing issues can we begin to address them. We will always seek to drive out discrimination wherever it exists. J eremy Corbyn accused Theresa May of an unprecedented power grab after the Government moved to give itself an automatic majority on dozens of key Commons committees. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom put down a motion that, if passed on Tuesday, will give the Conservatives a casting vote on committees that scrutinise new laws and hold departments to account. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: An unprecedented attempt to rig parliament and grab power by a Conservative government with no majority and no mandate. Government sources scorned his claim that it was unusual, saying that Labour did exactly the same in 1976 when the legendary whip Walter Harrison was holding together a minority Government. They also said opposition parties could stage votes on the floor of the whole House at the Report Stage of a Bill on any amendment. Without the measures, Labour could just clog everything up in committees with too many amendments. The row comes as the Government faces a fierce battle to get its Brexit agenda through Parliament. Opposition parties, and some Tory MPs, have also protested the sweeping nature of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which they say gives ministers regal powers to rule by decree. T heresa May today refused to sack a minister and a Government aide accused of supporting a letter designed to bounce the Government into a hard Brexit. Senior Government sources said Brexit Minister Steve Baker who denies claims he was involved and Suella Fernandes, an aide to the Chancellor, would keep their jobs. But a senior MP said the letter they were accused of backing had been unacceptable and was part of a plot to undermine attempts by Chancellor Philip Hammond to avoid a cliff-edge Brexit. Nicky Morgan, who chairs the Treasury Select Committee, hinted that Mrs May should discipline the pair by saying too often party leaders had tried to appease hardline Eurosceptics. Between 30 and 40 Conservatives signed a letter demanding that Mrs May take Britain all the way out of the EU in March 2019 without a transition period, saying the country must be allowed to sign free trade deals and stop paying money to Brussels. It was circulated among members of the Conservative European Research Group, which is chaired by Ms Fernandes. Mr Baker, a former chair of the group and one of the key leaders of the Leave campaign, was accused of involvement because he posted a message saying thanks for everyones support but he says he was thanking members for cheering him in the Commons, not for signing the letter. Ms Morgan told the Today programme: I think it is unacceptable for a group within the Conservative Parliamentary Party to issue demands ... That seeks to undermine the UKs negotiations with the EU. She said the letter goes beyond Government policy and should not have been backed by people on the Government payroll whose job was to explain policy to the public. The Prime Minister has made very clear she does want there to be a deal with the European Union. Having people undermine that while these very difficult negotiations are going on is not helpful for anyone. She added: Look, there are many of us in the Conservative Parliamentary Party who feel that successive leaders have tried to appease the views of those who are in the European Research Group or have been putting these views forward. A source said there had been conversations but the pair would be staying in their posts. Were focused on getting the best deal for the UK in Brexit negotiations, said the source. Critics said it showed the Prime Minister was too weak to crack down on Right-wing dissidents. The Liberal Democrats claimed it showed the Conservatives were in meltdown and said Mrs May must assert her authority. A comprehensive school reportedly spent 20,000 introducing swish gender-neutral toilets for the new term. The new loos for both boys and girls were opened at the Bishop of Llandaff Church-in-Wales High School in Cardiff. In tweets, the secondary comprehensive said: "Welcome to our new "open plan" gender neutral toilet facilities in A block. These are in addition to existing boys/girls toilets. "We intend to upgrade the boys/girls/staff facilities to same standard (remaining separate) over coming 12-18 months. Thanks for support." But the move sparked a backlash against the school, which accepts pupils aged 11-18. David Porter tweeted: "Is it me? There is a shortage of books, equipment, teachers...so spend the on this. Why, why, why??? I thought better of @Bishop_Llandaff." And Richard Morgan wrote: "Are the teachers are specially trained and willing to give up their break times for the necessary supervision that is going to be required?" But head teacher Marc Belli defended the decision. He said: "We put gender neutral in our tweet but its not meant to be a gender issue. It is for practical reasons. Our toilet facilities have not had any significant investment for a number of years. We decided for open plan facilities which is in line with virtually all new existing buildings for the positive reasons associated with this. The facilities were made specifically for us, with floor to ceiling doors, and we felt it more appropriate to say that each cubicle should be available to all as opposed to separating them by gender. The Daily Mail said the toilets had cost as much as 20,000. A spokeswoman for the school declined to comment. H MS Prince of Wales, the second of the two large fleet aircraft carriers about to join the Royal Navy, was named today by the Duchess of Cornwall at Rosyth naval dockyard. When in Scotland, Camilla carries the title Duchess of Scotland and she is the new ships official sponsor. Relations of veterans of the last HMS Prince of Wales were expected to attend. A major battleship, she was sunk along with the battle cruiser Repulse in the South China Sea by Japanese torpedo bombers on 10th December 1941, losing 327 of the 1612 crew. The huge 65,000 tonne ship took just over half the time to build as her sister HMS Queen Elizabeth, currently undergoing sea trials from her home port of Portsmouth. The two carriers are due to be commissioned fully into the Fleet in 2019 and 2020. The 65,000 tonne ship will be manned by 700 crew / Reuters Each ship is manned by a crew of 670 rising to 700. With all 35 F-35 combat aircraft embarked, plus a mixed fleet of helicopters and up to 300 commando assault troops, the ships can accommodate around 1,600. The Navy has had to stretch its personnel resources to man the two big ships. The Royal Marine Corps has had to allocate some 200 men to help man the second carrier, which has meant closing down one of its three commando, or battalion strength, units. In the defence review of October 2010 David Camerons coalition government proposed either mothballing the proposed new Prince of Wales, using it as a helicopter carrier or even selling it. Camilla sits between the Prince of Wales and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones / PA The two big carriers are cornerstones in the governments new national shipbuilding strategy announced earlier this week. This aims to cut costs and boost competition in building ships for the Navy, a field in which there is only one major UK contractor today. Bae built both carriers, the six Daring class destroyers, which ended up costing about 1 billion each and the new class of eight Type 26 anti-submarine frigates. Costed at about 750 million currently, the first is not now expected in service for nine years. Central to the new strategy is the building of a new light Type 31e frigate at a fixed price of 250 million. Each will be built in sections in different yards around the British Isles to encourage competition against Bae and assembled at one or two major hubs. The ships are to be built for export as much as for the UK. This bold proposal has caused astonishment and even mirth amongst independent circles. You dont get much frigate for 250 million these days, says Francis Tusa the highly respected editor of Defence Analysis. At that price youll just get a floating grey box. Most frigates of that tonnage cost at least 275 million for the hull alone and the weapons systems around 175 million. Others fear that the fixed price will mean the new ships would be too lightly armed to operate in troubled waters such as the Eastern Mediterranean or the Gulf. T he Daily Express, Sunday Express and Daily Star newspapers could be sold to the owner of the Daily Mirror in a multi-million pound deal. Trinity Mirror said today it was in talks to buy the publishing assets of Northern & Shell, which also owns celebrity magazines such as OK! Northern & Shell is owned by media tycoon Richard Desmond, who bought the Express titles in 2000 for 125 million. He has tried to offload the titles before, but talks failed on concern about the company pension obligations. Three years ago Desmond sold Channel 5 to Americas Viacom for 465 million. Analysts say a deal could herald cost savings and a shared cut of a larger advertising pool. T wo British sisters who were missing after Hurricane Irma hit the island of Barbuda have been found alive and well, their family has confirmed. Afiya Frank, who is almost seven months pregnant, and her sister Asha last spoke to their family in Suffolk at 10pm on Wednesday night as they were preparing for the worst of the storm. Their Aunt, Ruth Bolton, told the Standard her and her sister Claire Frank were going out of our mind with worry after having not heard from them for hours. But Ms Bolton has since confirmed they are safe and had been seen helping with the relief effort on the devastated island. She tweeted: "Alive and well and helping organise the evacuation effort #Barbuda. That's my girls. We now know that they are safe and unharmed." Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images Former beauty queen Asha, 29, and beauty therapist Afiya, 27, were with their father Mackenzie on the island and had last spoken to their aunt and mother who is staying with her sister in the UK when they were boarding up their house. Ms Bolton told the Standard on Thursday: The three of them were all in the house together and they had boarded up the property. Since then we have not heard anything. Asha: The former beauty queen has been spotted safe and well / Facebook "[Claire] is going out of her mind. Having said that, she is resilient. She went through Hurricane Luis [in 1995] and after that we lost contact with Barbuda for a week but that was before mobile phones. Now we are so used to having instant contact. Afiya had been due to fly to the UK next week because the Carribean island's tiny hospital cannot deliver her first child but it is unclear whether that will now be possible. Afiya: The pregnant 27-year-old was due to travel to the UK in a few days to give birth Ms Bolton has set up a fundraising page in the hope of getting a satellite phone across to the island so people can get in touch with their friends and families around the world. The page has been inundated with donations and raised more than 7,000 in just one day. Devastation caused on the island of Barbuda by Hurricane Irma She posted on the page on Friday: Today we have been getting a little news from Barbuda. The Team Antigua Atlantic Rowers managed to get word back and some film footage of the island. It has been frustrating waiting for news and the lack of information unbearable. We now know that everyone is accounted for. Asha and Afiya Frank have been seen helping with the voluntary evacuation. Hurricane Irma Continues to Devastate As It Hurtles Towards US Families are still trying to trace their loved ones and a boat and plane will travel back with more passengers tomorrow. The island was left barely habitable after Hurricane Irma ravaged through the Caribbean. Dominican Republic: homes damaged in the storm / REUTERS The category five storm is the largest ever to form in the Atlantic ocean and has so far claimed at least 14 lives. On Thursday it swept over the Dominican Republic where two petrified British girls were left huddled in their bathroom hiding away from the storm. Lisa Trutwein told the Standard her daughter Sophie Collins and friend Eleanor Reid had been told to hide in the toilets of their beach resort hotel room. Irma: Sophie, left, and Eleanor were told to hide in the bathroom when the hurricane hit I spoke to her and she is crying, petrified, hiding in the bath under a mattress," Ms Trutwein said on Thursday. "She said she can hear the building creaking and said the sky had gone black. I could hear the winds from down the phone. But both girls have now been confirmed safe and unharmed by the storm. Ms Trutwein said they had stayed in the bathroom as it ravaged over the island and had food and drink delivered by amazing hotel staff. I just cant wait for them to come home, she told the Standard. R epublicans were questioning President Trumps loyalties today after he shocked Washington by striking several key deals with Democrat lawmakers. Mr Trumps sudden thaw towards his political opponents has left leaders of his own Republican Party baffled - and alarmed that the usual order of business on Capitol Hill could be turned on its head. In the space of just two days, the president brokered an agreement with Democrats to keep the government funded and backed Democrat plans to raise the debt ceiling. He also followed the advice of an opposition congressman who suggested he should ease the fears of young undocumented immigrants by posting a message on Twitter. "Havent seen anything like it before," said Republican Senator John McCain, who has served in Washington for 30 years. "I have no way of divining his motives," he said of Mr Trump. "Im a pretty intelligent guy, but I dont understand this." Senior Democrats publicly played down the appeasement. "There arent permanent alliances. There arent governing philosophies. Theres day by day, seat-of-the-pants management," Democrat Senator Chris Murphy told the Washington Post. But privately, they were hoping the White Houses willingness to listen to opposing views could help save some of the Obama-era initiatives Mr Trump has previously vowed to dismantle. The agreement to avoid a threatened shutdown of the federal government over the presidents insistence on US funding for his proposed border wall with Mexico came as part of a package Mr Trump agreed to support legislation providing emergency relief funds to deal with the devastation in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey. The deal effectively raises the governments borrowing limit for a period of three months. Many Republicans in Congress, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, oppose extending the borrowing limit, believing checks are needed to control government spending. Taking the advice of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Mr Trump tweeted that undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, who are currently protected by an order implemented under Barack Obamas administration, need not fear being deported, at least for the next six months, after his announcement earlier this week that he was repealing the programme. "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about No action!" he tweeted. "This is what I asked the president to do and, boom boom boom, the tweet appeared, Mrs Pelosi said at a news conference. "Its just been jarring, one Republican Senate aide told the Post. He added that at the start of the week, party officials had believed they were on the same page as the White House regarding the debt ceiling. P resident Donald Trumps beachfront Mar-a-Lago estate is being evacuated today as Florida braces itself for deadly Hurricane Irma to strike the US mainland on Saturday. Miami - Americas eighth most populated city - is said to be in the worst possible position as the storm barrels towards the tip of Florida leaving a swathe of destruction through the Caribbean in its wake. More than half a million people were caught in massive gridlocks as they tried to flee from the areas expected to bear the brunt of the Category 5 storm that has already claimed at least 14 lives. As winds reaching nearly 200mph headed towards the sunshine state, officials warned the enormous storm could create one of the largest mass evacuations in US history with up to six million people living in the impact zone. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images In all, the United Nations estimates that up to 37 million people could be affected by Hurricane Irma. Mandatory evacuation orders are already in place for Miami, the Florida Keys and parts of the Georgia coast, including Savannah. If you live in any evacuation zones and you're still at home, leave! Florida Governor Rick Scott warned last night. Do not try to ride out this storm - we can't save you once the storm hits. The storm battered the Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday night / REUTERS It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate, he added. The governor has ordered all state offices, schools, colleges and universities to close from Friday until after the weekend to free up space for evacuation shelters. Hurricane Irma Predicted Pathway With the hurricane still off the coast after battering the Turks and Caicos islands, CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said: It looks like it's shifting, even though it may be just 20 miles, it puts Miami right in the worst possible position. Forecasters predicted the storm could hit anywhere from Florida to North Carolina over the next few days with Palm Beach, where Mr Trumps sprawling Mar-a-Lago private club known as the presidents Florida White House is located, facing a possible direct hit. Orlando, home to Disney World, may also now be in the storms path. To the people of Florida, we just want you to protect yourselves, be very, very vigilant and careful, Mr trump said last night. With winds that have so far peaked at 185 mph, Irma is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. The Caribbean islands of St Martin and Barbuda were both virtually destroyed and the death toll was expected to rise in the aftermath of the storm. This is the kind of storm that you read about in the history books, said Bryan Norcross, senior hurricane specialist at The Weather Channel. This has the possibility of running up the peninsula and affecting every major city in the state. Celebrity homeowners in the path of Hurricane Irma 1 /13 Celebrity homeowners in the path of Hurricane Irma Johnny Depp Getty Images Oprah Winfrey Getty Images Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Sir Richard Branson BBC Donald Trump Getty Bruce Willis Getty Images f Eddie Murphy AFP/Getty Images Keith Richards Michael Hickey/Getty Images Roman Abramovich Clive Mason/Getty Images David Copperfield Getty Images He said he expects Irma to be even worse than 1992s Hurricane Andrew, the costliest storm in US history with damages of more than 20 billion. Were dealing with an entirely different level of phenomenon. There is no storm to compare with this. Unless you go way back to 1926, he added. It's a monster hurricane out there, said AccuWeather founder Dr Joel Myers. Its bringing along with it something to be feared. The storm as it battered Sint Maarten / EPA NASA has secured its Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Centre with a crew of about 120 people planning to stay and ride out the storm. Ships from over a dozen cruises have also been cutting short and cancelling trips in the region leaving many passengers struggling to find flights home. So far, Walt Disney World has said it is monitoring the weather but all four of its theme parks are scheduled to operate as usual. B ritain must guarantee to fund restoration works to its overseas territories devastated by Hurricane Irma fully, ministers were told. Lord Naseby welcomed the 32 million pledged by the Government, but said citizens would feel more reassured by a comment to restore the islands. The Conservative peer said the commitment must be made whatever it does cost. Labour also called for the UK to provide a "sustained commitment" to reconstruction, with shadow international development spokesman Lord Collins of Highbury saying: "This is not about just tomorrow, this is about building sustainability in the long-term." Earl Courtown, replying for the Government, said: "We have announced the 32 million but you will no doubt be aware that two years ago there was announced a 300 million infrastructure plan for this part of the world, which will continue to help for these long-term aims." Hurricane Irma: RAF starts 32 million relief effort The British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos are among the territories affected by the violent storm. Lord Naseby, who said he has family in the Caribbean, earlier questioned the speed of the British response to the hurricane both at home and abroad. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images Asking a private notice question in the Lords, he added: "I thank Her Majesty's Government for the funds that they have moved from 12 million to 32 million. "I think it'll be much more reassuring to the hundreds of thousands of our citizens, British citizens, if Her Majesty's Government found itself in a position to say that whatever it does cost to restore these islands, that money will be paid out and the restoration will be undertaken." Earl Courtown said he was unable to provide a death toll for the British overseas territories when asked for one by Liberal Democrat international development spokeswoman Baroness Sheehan. J eremy Corbyn has criticised the speed of the Governments response to Hurricane Irma. The Labour leader said the Conservatives should have acted much faster as the warning signs ahead of the storm were well-known. Mr Corbyn added: "It was entirely predictable what was happening and also very clear that because of the trajectory. It was going to make landfall somewhere in the eastern Caribbean, Cuba or Jamaica or Florida. It's now affected particularly the outer islands of the Caribbean and Florida." Corbyn: The Labour leader criticised the Governments response to the hurricane / PA His comments came after hundreds of Royal Marines were scrambled to the Caribbean on Friday as Britain stepped up the rescue mission. At least 87,000 British nationals were believed to be on four islands lashed by the hurricane. One of the worst storms to hit the region for a century, it left a trail of devastation and at least 14 dead, with fears that the casualty toll could rise sharply. UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /16 UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Ultra-light airfield damage repair plant ready to be loaded at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is fuelled at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma PA The UK was racing to deliver aid to its stricken overseas territories amid claims that France and the Netherlands have been quicker to support their dependencies. Two planes, a C17 and a Voyager, were flying from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, carrying around 200 Royal Marines, engineers and life-saving equipment destined for the British Virgin Islands. Navy ship the RFA Mounts Bay was also sailing towards the islands amid fears that they have been even harder hit than Anguilla, where British military teams worked to reopen the airport so aid could be flown in. Hurricane Irma: Helicopeter footage shows British Virgin Islands devastation Labour MP Virendra Sharma said the storm had not been adequately prepared for, despite indications that it would wreak devastation. Mr Sharma, who sits on the International Development Committee, welcomed the decision to send further resources, but said: "If we had that planned well in advance, then when it actually happened we could have immediately taken steps. Asked why he thought the response had been slow, he said: "I think it is a lack of vision." Mrs May's spokeswoman dismissed criticism that the UK lagged behind France and the Netherlands in taking care of its territories in the path of the hurricane. The spokeswoman told a Westminster briefing: "We believe our response was swift. We had a ship pre-positioned. We are getting lifesaving aid now to those who need it." She added: "Three flights departed this morning carrying marines and engineers as part of the MoD task force. "Tomorrow, another C17 will leave carrying two Puma helicopters. And the RFA Mounts Bay ship is due to arrive in the British Virgin Islands ... bringing aid and helicopters to help deliver supplies." Theresa May on Thursday announced a 32 million cash injection to the relief effort, hours before it emerged second storm Hurricane Jose had strengthened into a Category 3 storm. T wo hundred Royal Marines were scrambled to the Caribbean today as Britain stepped up the rescue mission for islands ripped apart by Hurricane Irma. A state of emergency was declared in the British Virgin Islands early today and the Category Five storm barrelled across the low-lying Turks and Caicos islands this morning. At least 87,000 British nationals, including holidaymakers and residents, were believed to have been on four islands lashed by the hurricane. One of the worst storms to hit the region for a century, it left a trail of devastation and at least 14 dead, with fears that the casualty toll could rise sharply. The UK was racing to deliver aid to its stricken overseas territories amid claims that France and the Netherlands have been quicker to support their dependencies. UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /16 UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Ultra-light airfield damage repair plant ready to be loaded at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is fuelled at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma PA Two planes, a C17 and a Voyager, were flying from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, carrying around 200 Royal Marines, engineers and life-saving equipment destined for the British Virgin Islands. Navy ship the RFA Mounts Bay was also sailing towards the islands amid fears that they have been even harder hit than Anguilla, where British military teams worked to reopen the airport so aid could be flown in. The RFA Mounts Bay / MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Thousands of Britons on holiday, or visiting friends and family, in the Caribbean were caught up in the catastrophe. With phone masts brought down on several islands, many have been unable to contact relatives in the UK, raising fears over their safety. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images British Virgin Islands governor Gus Jaspert declared a state of emergency, with roads impassable and rescue services unable to reach some areas. We are aiming to provide some level of access to communities while we wait for help, he said. Please keep off the roads unless absolutely necessary to allow access to emergency services. International assistance has been requested from the United Kingdom. Government buildings left abandoned after Hurricane Irma destruction There are more than 40 islands with over 30,000 residents. Briton Emily Killhoury, who lives on the isle of Tortola with her husband Michael and their two young children, told how Irma struck. Our downstairs doors suddenly blew out, which was terrifying. We just stayed hiding, she said. We eventually emerged at about 7pm to see total devastation. Everybody is shocked, but trying to be practical. Relief efforts: Troops in the storm-hit region / MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Dan Perkins, who is helping to run a Facebook page co-ordinating the search for missing Britons in the Virgin Islands, told Sky News: There are hundreds of people who are yet to check in and confirm they are safe. We are hoping, in the vast majority of cases. that is because they dont have telephone reception. But even those who are safe are in appalling conditions on the ground... they are in desperate need of shelter and supplies. Fergus Thomas, a humanitarian adviser at the Department for International Development, said: The British Virgin Islands, which as far as we know, have been majorly, catastrophically hit. ISS captures dramatic footage of Irma The Turks and Caicos islands government declared a national shutdown. Around 35,000 British nationals are understood to live on the islands, a further 15,000 on Anguilla and 5,000 on Montserrat. Miami Beach a ghost town as Florida braces for Hurricane Irma 1 /18 Miami Beach a ghost town as Florida braces for Hurricane Irma A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP Workers finish covering the ground floor windows of the Chesterfield Hotel as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images A 55 Chevy sits in front of the closed Oceans Ten Restaurant at the Edison Hotel on Ocean Drive as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images The Boulevard Hotel remains open as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida Getty Images The Carlye Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images The Breakwater Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images A runner jogs on a nearly-deserted beach in Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after a mandatory evacuation order from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images The Leslie Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images AP A man takes a photo with his cellphone alongside a boarded-up restaurant following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images Trash cans and all beach items will be removed from the beach in preparing for approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images The storm, the size of France and with winds of up to 185mph, also soaked the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it headed towards Florida. where a mass evacuation of residents was under way. With communities across several islands including Barbuda flattened by Irma, the Caribbean was already bracing itself for another major hurricane, Jose, now a Category Three storm and due in the north-eastern Caribbean on Saturday. Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland said: People talk about the existential threat of climate change as if its not real this is real if you look at what happens to Barbuda, having a hurricane wipe out everything on your island. That is the existential threat. Rare sight: Deadly category 5 Hurricane Irma is seen in satellite images, flanked by Hurricane Jose to its east and Hurricane Katia off the coast of Mexico / AP Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned: There are now further storms moving in. Hurricane Jose. We have sent, as you know, RFA Monts Bay which will be moving from Anguila to the British Virgin Islands later on this morning to distribute humanitarian aid there. Weve announced a 32 million aid package for the area. Were sending a Foreign Office team as well as DFID teams and UK troops. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was due to chair another meeting of Whitehalls emergency Cobra committee this afternoon. HMS Ocean was also heading for the region and the Foreign Office set up a hotline for those worried about relatives or friends in the Caribbean on 0207 008 0000. A London woman today told of her fears for her family, caught up in Hurricane Irma. With communications down following the Category 5 storm, Cayley Smit, her husband Justin, and children Lily and Rylan have not been heard from since Tuesday when Irma passed over the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, one of the worst-hit areas. Mrs Smits sister Taryn Pile who is from South Africa and lives in London told Sky News the familys relatives were sick with worry. She said: The family, and the families waiting to hear, are just going crazy at the moment. We are sick with worry. We feel absolutely helpless so far away. We want to do something but cant. Her sisters family had headed to a house in the hills, which had good hurricane defences, Ms Pile said. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images We were warned we would lose communication in the storm, but we were hoping once it had passed we would get messages. It is just a very, very, long, terrible waiting game. British man Phil Nelson has not been seen since the hurricane hit Tortola. In an online appeal, friend Clare Kennedy said: The last we heard from Phil was he was boarding himself in his house and taking shelter in the bathroom what has happened since that? Government buildings left abandoned after Hurricane Irma destruction Two British women, Asha Frank, 29, and seven-month pregnant sister Afiya, 27, who went missing on the Caribbean island of Barbuda, have been found safe and well, their aunt said today. Ruth Bolton had previously called on Richard Branson to help find her family, adding The silence is unbearable. It is believed the sisters are now among hundreds evacuating Barbuda as yet another storm, Hurricane Jose, heads towards the island. Stranded British holidaymakers today pleaded with travel companies to just get us home. Megan Adams, 19, said her attempts to arrange an early flight home with travel company Thomson have been unsuccessful. She said: They have been useless. Customer phone lines have just been hanging up. They really need a plan, and fast. In a statement Thomson said: The health and safety of our customers, crew and destination teams is our primary focus. T he head of the USs federal emergency agency has warned large swathes of America face devastation as the RAF rushed emergency aid to areas worst hit by Hurricane Irma. Crews from Gloucestershire flew 2.2 tonnes of shelter kit to Barbados while HMS Ocean set off towards the Caribbean with a 19 tonne cargo. British Naval chief Stephen Norris said a ship leading the emergency response in the British Virgin Islands, where at least three people have been killed, will stay in the area "as long as it takes". Capt Norris said: "I haven't seen anything on the scale of what we have seen here, it is one of those storms which I think defies all expectations. Devastation: Hurricane Irma raged across the British Virgin Island / REUTERS "We have looked at some of the outlying islands and we can confirm some of the damage there - Road Town was hit bad, but there are other islands that are not as bad. "Clearly, there has been some injuries, we haven't got a full estimate yet. "As I understand it, a lot of the islanders are fairly resilient, as hurricanes - perhaps not of this magnitude - do occur and I think their general resilience in this area says a lot. Emergency shelter: Hundreds gather at a Hurricane shelter in Miama / AFP/Getty Images "They are coming from their shelters, they are rebuilding, they are looking at the future and how they can recover from it." The British aid came as the storm hurtled towards Florida urging officials to call for hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Parts of the state may be without power for days and up to 100,000 face being displaced, said FEMA chief Brock Long. St Martin: Homes were destroyed on the Dutch Caribbean island (AFP) / Gerben van Esa/AFP He insisted it was not a question of if Florida would be hit but how hard and also urged other states in the USs south-eastern region to be on alert no matter what. "Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States, either Florida or the southeastern United States," Mr Long said in a news conference on Friday. "The entire south-eastern United States better wake up and pay attention. Around half a million people have been told to leave Florida with the storm set to make landfall on Sunday. Some six million people live in the Miami metropolitan area alone. Mr Longs comments came as the death toll rose to 19 after Hurricane Irma flattened much of the Caribbean. Islands across the region - including British, French and Dutch territories - bore the brunt of Irmas assault, with European military authorities racing to the Caribbean to provide urgently needed support. Around 50,000 tourists have fled Cuba as the country prepares to become the next victim of Irmas onslaught. Beachside resorts are said to have been completely emptied as the communist nation awaits 165mph winds and lashings of heavy torrential rain. UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /16 UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Ultra-light airfield damage repair plant ready to be loaded at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is fuelled at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma PA On Friday morning, Irma was downgraded to a category 4 hurricane, but emergency chiefs did not soften their warnings. People in Florida rushed to board up their homes, take their boats out of the water and gas up their cars. With gasoline running out and tensions rising, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks sent to replenish gas stations. "It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," state governor Rick Scott said. Miami Beach a ghost town as Florida braces for Hurricane Irma 1 /18 Miami Beach a ghost town as Florida braces for Hurricane Irma A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP Workers finish covering the ground floor windows of the Chesterfield Hotel as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images A 55 Chevy sits in front of the closed Oceans Ten Restaurant at the Edison Hotel on Ocean Drive as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images The Boulevard Hotel remains open as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida Getty Images The Carlye Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images The Breakwater Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images A runner jogs on a nearly-deserted beach in Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after a mandatory evacuation order from Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images The Leslie Hotel on Ocean Drive is closed as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images AP A man takes a photo with his cellphone alongside a boarded-up restaurant following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida AFP/Getty Images Trash cans and all beach items will be removed from the beach in preparing for approaching Hurricane Irma Getty Images Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in US history. The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of total destruction. On St. Martin, an island split between the Dutch Sint Maarten and French St.-Martin, homes were splintered and road signs scattered by the fierce winds. The cafes and clothing shops of the picturesque French seaside village of Marigot were submerged in brown floodwaters and people surveyed the wreckage from whatever shelter they could find. The toll could rise because rescue teams have yet to get a complete look at the damage. Annick Girardin, minister for France's overseas territories, said Friday that there had been "scenes of pillaging" of televisions as well as food and water on St. Martin. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm "caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses." Hurricane Irma: Helicopeter footage shows British Virgin Islands devastation He added: "There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world. Farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose strengthened into a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds. Many islands battered by Hurricane Irma, including St. Martin, St. Barts, and the Virgin Islands, face a second round of torment as early as Saturday. H urricane Irma has devastated the islands of Turks and Caicos as it continued its destructive journey across the Caribbean towards Florida, flattening buildings and killing at least 14 people. The category 5 storm, the largest ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean, made landfall on the British overseas territory, as well as Haiti, overnight on Thursday, with catastrophic damage reported. Areas of Haiti are severely flooded, with the country still recovering from a huge hurricane last year and a deadly earthquake in 2010, which destroyed parts of the country. Thousands of people are believed to have been made homeless by the storm in the past few days, with Puerto Rico, Barbuda and the Dominican Republic having already been hit. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma is expected to journey past eastern Cuba today before heading to the US state of Florida on Saturday, where a state of emergency has been declared and evacuations are in place. The storm battered St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands / AP It comes as French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed to the aid of the devastated Caribbean islands on Thursday, with the UK pledging 32m to victims of the storm. Storm damage: the scene in the Dominican Republic / REUTERS At least 11 people are known to have died, though the number is expected to rise. A second category three storm Hurricane Jose is also hurtling across the Atlantic towards the Caribbean, sparking fears the devastation will only worsen in the coming weeks. Warships and planes have been were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. Forecasters are warning that Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. Hurricane Irma: PM makes 32m aid available More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in with winds of 165 mph. "Take it seriously, because this is the real deal," said Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer who flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction. Large areas of Haiti were flooded overnight as Hurricane Irma hurtled through the Caribbean islands / EPA French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control, where homes were splintered and road signs scattered by the fierce winds. Florida Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine warned residents: "This is a nuclear hurricane. They must leave the beach." The cafes and clothing shops of the picturesque seaside village of Marigot were submerged in brown floodwaters. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. The storm battered the Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday night / REUTERS The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao said it believes about 6,000 Americans are stranded on St. Martin and is collecting their names and locations. It said it was working with the U.S. and other governments to try to figure out how to get the Americans off the island either by air or boat. At least four people were killed in the US Virgin Islands, and officials said they expected to find more bodies. Authorities described the damage as catastrophic and said crews were struggling to reopen roads and restore power. Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, as well as Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. Irma also slammed the French island of St Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity in the high-end tourist destination. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies. ISS captures dramatic footage of Irma "It's a tragedy. We'll need to rebuild both islands," he said. "Most of the schools have been destroyed." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm "caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses." He said: "There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world." The storm battered the coast of Haiti and is now heading straight for the United States / AFP/Getty Images The hurricane was still north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday evening, sweeping the neighboring nations on Hispaniola island with high winds and rain while battering the Turks and Caicos islands on its other side. Big waves smashed a dozen homes into rubble in the Dominican fishing community of Nagua, but work crews said all the residents had left before the storm. Officials said 11,200 people in all had evacuated vulnerable areas, while 55,000 soldiers had been deployed to help the clean-up. In Haiti, two people were injured by a falling tree, a national roadway was blocked by debris and roofs were torn from houses along the northern coast but there were no immediate reports of deaths. Officials warned that could change as Irma continued to lash Haiti, where deforested hillsides are prone to devastating mudslides that have wiped out entire neighborhoods of precariously built homes in flood zones. A t least 35 people have been killed in the most powerful earthquake to strike Mexico in over a century, authorities said. The 8.2 magnitude quake, one of the biggest recorded in the country, struck off the southern coast late on Thursday, causing cracks in buildings and triggering a small tsunami. Alejandro Murat, the state governor, said 23 deaths were registered in Oxaca, 17 of those in Juchitan. Seven people were also confirmed dead in the neighbouring state of Chiapas and two children were killed in Tabasco. The quake, which the US Geological Survey said had a magnitude of 8.2, hit in the Pacific 102 miles west of Tapachula. Desperate search: Men hunt through rubble in Juchitan / AFP/Getty Images People still wearing pyjamas ran out of their homes and gathered in frightened groups. Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicentre, said his house "moved like chewing gum". The furious shaking created a second national emergency for Mexican agencies already bracing for Hurricane Katia on the other side of the country. The system was expected to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz early on Saturday as a category two storm that could bring life-threatening floods. Emergency workers at the site of a collapsed building after an magnitude 8 earthquake in Mexico / Rex Features The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves more than 3ft above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. The warning centre said several Central American countries, including the Pacific coastlines of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica, were under threat. The centre's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of 3ft. No threat was posed to Hawaii and the western and South Pacific. The earthquake struck at 11.50pm local time on Thursday, and was so strong it even sent panicked people into the streets more than 650 miles away in the countrys capital. Members of the Mexican army look at damage caused by an earthquake in the Port of Veracuz / AFP/Getty Images Buildings shook violently in Mexico City, where frightened residents gathered in the streets in the dark fearing buildings would collapse. Luis Carlos Briceno, an architect, 31, who was visiting Mexico City, said: "I had never been anywhere where the earth moved so much. At first I laughed, but when the lights went out I didn't know what to do. "I nearly fell over." People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake / AFP/Getty Images Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools in at least 11 states for safety checks. Chiapas governor Manuel Velasco said three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed. He called on people living near the coast to leave their houses as a protective measure. "There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy," he said. "Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged." Patients and doctors of a hospital in Villahermosa, Mexico, remain in the open air after a strong earthquake / EPA Tabasco governor Arturo Nunez said two children died in his Gulf coast state. One of them was killed when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children's hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the infant's ventilator. The US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within about five hours, and the president warned that a major aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur. A t least five people have been killed after a huge earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico, triggering warnings of tsunamis and damage to the countrys capital. Buildings shook violently in Mexico City, where people ran into streets as panic swept through the area and large swathes of the city were left without electricity. It was the biggest earthquake to hit the country in 100 years and more than 62 aftershocks were felt. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.2 and its epicentre was 102 miles west of Tapachula in southern Chiapas state. It had a depth of 35km. But even in distant Mexico City, the quake was felt so strongly that frightened residents gathered in the streets in the dark, fearing buildings would collapse. Patients and doctors of a hospital in Villahermosa, Mexico, remain in the open air after a strong earthquake / EPA The US Tsunami Warning System said the earthquake was a potential tsunami threat to several Central American countries, including the Pacific coastlines of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. It said the threat was still being evaluated for Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific islands. The governor of the Mexican state of Chiapas Manuel Velasquez said that at least three people had been killed in his region. Two more were killed in neighbouring Tabasco state. He said the first three deaths occurred in San Cristobal de las Casas. He added that the quake had damaged hospitals and schools. Windows were broken at Mexico City airport and power went out in several neighbourhoods of the capital. The cornice of a hotel collapsed in the southern tourist city of Oaxaca, a witness said. People gather on a street in downtown Mexico City during an earthquake / AFP/Getty Images People in the capital, one of the world's largest cities, ran out into the streets in pyjamas and alarms sounded after the quake struck just before midnight. Helicopters hovered overhead a few minutes later, apparently looking for damage to buildings in the city, which is built on a spongy, drained lake bed. People fled from buildings as the quake struck Mexico City / EPA In one central neighbourhood, dozens of people stood outside after the quake, some wrapped in blankets against the cool night air. Children were crying. Liliana Villa, 35, was in her apartment when the earthquake struck and she fled to the street in her pyjamas. "It felt horrible, and I thought, 'this is going to fall'." Luis Carlos Briceno, an architect, 31, who was visiting Mexico City, said: "I had never been anywhere where the earth moved so much. At first I laughed, but when the lights went out I didn't know what to do. "I nearly fell over." T he captain of a British naval ship spearheading the humanitarian response to Hurricane Irma said he has never before seen anything on the scale of the damage caused. Stephen Norris, the commanding officer of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay, has described scenes of devastation on the British Virgin Islands as military teams carried out relief work. Irma has torn a destructive trail through several British territories, including Anguilla, where the ship's crew has already travelled to help restore the airstrip and hospital. RFA Mounts Bay has been transporting a task group of experts including engineers and a medical team to the affected areas, along with supplies. Hurricane Irma: Helicopeter footage shows British Virgin Islands devastation Speaking from on board the vessel, which is stationed off Road Town in the British Virgin Islands, Capt Norris said: "I haven't seen anything on the scale of what we have seen here, it is one of those storms which I think defies all expectations. "We have looked at some of the outlying islands and we can confirm some of the damage there - Road Town was hit bad, but there are other islands that are not as bad. "Clearly, there has been some injuries, we haven't got a full estimate yet. "As I understand it, a lot of the islanders are fairly resilient, as hurricanes - perhaps not of this magnitude - do occur and I think their general resilience in this area says a lot. MoD/Crown copyright 2017 "They are coming from their shelters, they are rebuilding, they are looking at the future and how they can recover from it." The British Virgin Islands were said to have born the brunt of the damage across the British territories, as Anguilla's skirmish with Irma did not see it fall under the eye of the storm. Overnight, the Turks and Caicos Islands were reported to have been "pummelled" by the hurricane. UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /16 UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Ultra-light airfield damage repair plant ready to be loaded at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman, as part of the United Kingdom's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma PA A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is fuelled at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before Dfid aid is loaded and flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 HMS Ocean, as a military task group, is on its way with several hundred UK troops to offer assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma PA RFA Mounts Bay has been directed by governors at the territories to the areas of most need, with a focus on the British Virgin Islands of restoring communications, Capt Norris said. "We will be here as long as it takes, I will stay here as long as I possibly can to support the islands," he said. "We are here for the long term." The ship was said to have arrived within 20 to 24 hours of the eye of the storm passing over Anguilla, holding off until it was safe to make an approach. Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images The captain responded to criticism that Britain had been too slow in providing relief to the area, saying: "We were here, we were on task, we were right behind Irma." Looming large over the islands is the prospect of Hurricane Jose, a category-four storm expected to bring further chaos to the Atlantic in the coming days. Capt Norris expressed confidence that provisions would be in place to respond to the second storm. He said: "Looking at the track of Jose, I believe it is going to move to the north of BVI, in particular, and hopefully where we are, we might not get the full effect of the wind, we might get some rain. "I think we need to look at how we prepare for that and how we help the island prepare for that, that is getting the message out where we can." Y ou may be reading this and wonder why in October we are suggesting that you browse the best beauty advent calendars. Its simple really: these seasonal goodies have become so wildly popular that brands have taken to releasing them when the temperature is still in the mid-20s. London may be in an official drought, but as far as some of the biggest labels on the market are concerned - it is time to start thinking about Christmas. The countdown to the big day is on and there is no better way to mark the lead up to the most magical time of the year than with a daily makeup, fragrance, candles, skin or haircare treat. While we will never turn down the joy of a chocolate-filled option, advent calendars have become much more inventive. There is one to suit every taste, interest and recipient - from cheese and jewellery to socks and treats for your pets. The most sought-after of all are the ones filled with beauty products behind the festive windows. The ever-growing demand for this type of advent calender means that they sell out fast, so dont wait to snap up the one from your favourite brand or retailer. Each year, they become more and more popular. At Boots, advent calendar sales increased by 20 per cent compared to the year before. One calendar sold every minute in the lead up to Christmas. What brands have beauty advent calendars? When it comes to choosing an advent calendar, you can be sure that your favourite beauty label will be offering some sort of Christmas-ready countdown, whether its the traditional 24 or 25 day iteration or a smaller offering for 12 days. Some of the seemingly endless selection of brands on offer are Diptyque, Jo Malone or Charlotte Tilbury, which are typically some of the most covetable as well as The Body Shop, LOccitane and Elemis. But this is only where the fun begins. You can also get multi-brand iterations from retailers like FeelUnique, LOOKFANTASTIC, Harrods, Cult Beauty, Liberty and more. The latter of which pack bestsellers from their respective virtual or IRL beauty halls with each day revealing a special surprise. What types of products feature in advent calendars? There are advent calendars in every category across the spectrum of beauty. There are designated beauty advent calendars for hair, skincare, candles, fragrance, makeup, nail polishes, face masks and ones that combine them. Some even feature golden tickets to win epic prices and vouchers, as good as cash. Some beauty advent calendars are filled with full-sized versions of the products, while others include minis. The latter gives you the opportunity to sample the formulas before committing and provides travel-friendly options that will simplify the packing process. To avoid disappointment and ensure bang for your buck, pay close attention to the quantity specified on the product line-up list. Are advent calendars worth the money? Beauty advent calendars may be packed with miniatures, which is great for all the reasons listed above, but this can also feel deceptive. Some brands claim that the advent calendars are worth extraordinary amounts and some truly are. However others are filled with small sizes of the products and the worth amount would be if you purchased the bigger sizes individually. Lets also not forget that to bulk out the days, some brands throw in other items like stickers or accessories that will just end up in landfill. On the whole, if you are already a fan of the brand or you are looking for an official introduction, the beauty advent calendars for that specific label are a great place to start. If you want lots of great products from different brands, go for the retailer route (Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty, John Lewis etc)as they will give you the greatest mix free from brand loyalty. These also tend to hold the best value. When will beauty advent calendars go on sale? Many brands will be unveiling their pre-sale links as early as right now. In the next couple of months, they will start to be sold directly on the brands websites but each one differs. We have specified release dates per calendar below. Shop the best advent calendars by price point below Y et another summer musical extravaganza is drawing to a close, which can only mean one thing the Last Night of the Proms. If you were one of the unfortunate many who didnt manage to get tickets and dont fancy queuing up to try and get a seat, youre in luck as you can still catch the concert on TV. Heres how: What is the Last Night of the Proms? The Last Night of the Proms is the closing night of the BBCs festival of classical music. The event has been running for over a century (it started in 1895). Over the summer months the festival sees over 50 concerts held in various locations across the UK, with most of the official events taking place in the Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park and Chelseas Cadogan Hall. The closing concert is a chance to wave goodbye to a season of musical gatherings in style. Whos playing? This years concert is overseen by conductor Sakari Oramo who will lead the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The music will pay tribute to the 50th anniversaries of the deaths of composers Zoltan Kodaly and Malcolm Sargent (better known as the longtime chief conductor of the Proms), and celebrate John Adamss 70th birthday with the London premiere of his composition Lola Montez Does the Spider Dance. Nina Stemme, who is renowned as one of the worlds greatest Wagnerian sopranos, will also be performing. Highlights of the BBC Proms 2016 in pictures 1 /9 Highlights of the BBC Proms 2016 in pictures Composer Charlotte Bray Michael Wickham Conductor Antonio Pappano Musacchio & Ianniello Pianist Martha Argerich Adriano Heitman Conductor Daniel Barenboim Chris Christodoulou Conductor Sir Simon Rattle Chris Christodoulou Soprano Karita Mattila Marica Rosengard A David Bowie tribute concert How can I watch it? The Last Night of the Proms takes place on Saturday, September 9 and will be shown across two Channels BBC One and Two. The first part will air at 7.15pm on BBC Two before moving over to BBC One at 9pm. Can I watch the concert online? Viewers can watch the show online as it happens via the iPlayer BBC One and Two live streams. Can I listen to it on the radio? Those who prefer to listen to the concert rather than watch can do so from 7.15pm on Radio 3. X Factor hopeful Kayleigh Taylor has apologised for a flurry of racist messages she sent to a former friend on Facebook. Taylor, who previously appeared on the Jeremy Kyle show accused of stealing her dads phone, said her language was disgusting. The exchange, which included a string of racist insults, took place in 2010 but leaked online earlier this week. According to the Liverpool Echo, Taylor told her friend to go to your own country, and ridiculed her for having an arranged marriage. She reportedly wrote: "Your Mum and Dad are a gang of ****. I do live in Spain, you never scared me love, you think you did [but] you never. "You had an arranged marriage, you silly ****, you probably cant even have kids ha ha ha. I remember your little fat sister when I went to her school to batter her and she told the teachers. Another **** up for marriage, ha ha ha, you mad slag, look at you. No one likes ****s, Id rather my face looked painted on than it looked anything like you. As for saying I had horses, you were at the farm with me you dirty ****. I mean I couldnt tell the difference between the horse and you ha ha. Your mum used to work on a market ha ha tell the f***ng dog head to get a proper job, you and your f****** are ****s, Noone likes them love. Leave and go to your own country. The X Factor 2017 launch 1 /10 The X Factor 2017 launch Nicole Scherzinger Tim P. Whitby/Getty Demot O'Leary Tim P. Whitby/Getty Nicole Scherzinger Tim P. Whitby/Getty Louis Walsh Tim P. Whitby/Getty Demot O'Leary Tim P. Whitby/Getty Louis Walsh Tim P. Whitby/Getty Dermot O'Leary Ian West/PA Louis Walsh Tim P. Whitby/Getty Following the publication of the comments, Taylor released an apology to the Sun Online saying she wants to become a better person. This is disgusting language which there is no excuse for. I shouldnt have used it and I wholeheartedly apologise for using it, she told the publication. This argument took place seven years ago. I have admitted I have made mistakes in the past and a lot of them - and I am now trying to better my life and be a better person. During last Saturdays episode of the X Factor Taylor wowed the judges with her rendition of Evanescences My Immortal. She also poked fun at her appearance joking to the panel that she resembled Little Britain character Vicky Pollard. The X Factor continues on Saturday, September 8 at 8pm on ITV. 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To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. Although the Israeli Hermes 900 UAV has been in service since 2012 it wasnt until August 2017 that it finally completed all its acceptance tests. With the Israelis an aircraft can be in service for years before it is able to take and pass all of the tests for the capabilities and equipment it was designed to use. This is allows the new aircraft to get operational experience, often in a combat zone, so that the design can be tweaked and different accessories tried out under realistic conditions. Currently over a hundred Hermes 900s are operational or on order for the Israeli Air Force and at least five export customers. Hermes 900, like other large Israeli UAVs, is also made available, via a British company, for lease and three of them arrived in Mali (Africa) recently to serve with a UN peacekeeping force. Israeli aircraft manufacturer Elbit conducted the first flight test of the Hermes 900 in 2009 and it entered service in 2012 and saw heavy use during the 2014 war with Hamas in Gaza. This Hermes 900 is similar in size (and appearance) to the American Predator (both weighing 1.1 tons), but the Israeli UAV is built mainly for endurance. The Hermes 900 can stay in the air for 36 hours and has a payload of 300 kg (650 pounds). This means that, with its cruising speed of 125 kilometers an hour, the Hermes 900 has a max range of 4,500 kilometers and a max ceiling of 9,100 meters (30,000 feet). That last bit is important, because one of the export customers is Switzerland and the good high-altitude performance was a key reason for the sale. The Hermes 900 has a wingspan of 15 meters, length of 8.3 meters and max speed to 220 kilometers an hour. The 900 is basically a stretched and bulked up Hermes 450, which is a 450 kg (992 pound) aircraft, with a payload of 150 kg. It can also carry Hellfire missiles. The Hermes 450 is 6.5 meters (20 feet), long and has an 11.3 meter (35 foot) wingspan. It can stay in the air for up to 20 hours per sortie and fly as high as 6,500 meters (20,000 feet). The Hermes 450 is the primary heavy UAV for the Israeli armed forces and has been in service since the late 1990s. The Hermes 900, like most UAVs, is sold as system package. Each Hermes 900 system consists of three UAVs, ground control and maintenance gear. Depending on accessories and (for export) the maintenance and training package each Hermes 900 system costs $15-20 million. Weve all experienced a burning desire to visit the toilet, but a recent arson attack on the mens public toilets at Victoria Park Waihi (aka Rocket Park) is completely baffling, pointless and infuriating, says Waihi Ward Chair Max McLean. Toilet paper set alight in the disabled mens cubicle on Wednesday afternoon has caused extensive damage and the temporary closure of the toilets for cleaning and repair. The womens toilets are unaffected and remain open. Councillor McLean said ratepayers bear the brunt of the clean-up and repair costs and theres also a wider cost to visitors and the community. This isnt the first time these toilets have been vandalised, it happens too often. We want people to stop in Waihi and enjoy a positive experience, not find public facilities ransacked and closed due to vandalism. Its a real inconvenience to visitors and it reflects badly on our district." Hauraki District Council Group Manager Community Services and Development Steve Fabish says each time this type of incident occurs it costs ratepayers approximately $6,000 for repair work and alternative portaloo facilities. He expects it will be `business as usual for one of the cubicles by Tuesday next week, but the disabled mens cubicle will be out of action until further notice. Councillor McLean says the vandalism took place in broad daylight on a busy afternoon in town, and if anyone has any information that might help they should contact Police. This type of destructive behaviour has a significant impact on us all, and the best way to stamp it out is to work together, be vigilant, and refuse to accept it as a community. People should call the police if they spot any suspicious or potentially destructive behaviour. This is a super-svelte Ultra HD Blu-ray player with a great interface and remote. Playback is excellent with the formats it supports. But we missed SACD playback and the player doesnt support Dolby Vision, which might render it obsolete sooner rather than later. The Samsung UBD-M9500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player (about $300 at Amazon)the companys new flagshiplooks very much like its 2016 predecessor, the UBD-K8500 (still available at Amazon for about $100 less). Its sleek and all black, with a curved cinematic countenance and touch controls. The first indication of the UBD-M9500s superiority over the older model comes when you turn it on and its camouflaged OLED display lights up. UBD-M9500 design and features The sculpted look of the UBD-M9500 is concave in the way many theatrical widescreens, or more pertinently, Samsungs own curved TVs are. Its attractive on its own, or sitting under one of those curved TVs. If youre after an audiophile look, or want to stack other components above or beneath it, its less so. The UBD-9500s port array includes two HDMI 2.0a outputs in back, one of which is audio only; an optical digital audio output; and an ethernet jack. Bluetooth headsets are supported, but there are no analog outputs at allneither audio nor video. Theres a single USB port in front for playing audio, video, or image files from hard drives or USB memory sticks. Samsung The back of the UBD-M9500 showing off the units new metal chassis. While a new OLED display, Smart Hub interface and One Remote remote control are the most salient differences between the new UBD-M9500 and the older UBD-K8500, there are a several significant updates under the hood. The chassis is now made of more durable and electron-resistant metal, rather than plastic, and theres a built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter where the previous models is only 802.11n. The new model unit can also stream video and audio wirelessly to Samsung phones or tablets via the Samsung Connect app. Oh, and theres support for 360-degree videosort of, at least. More on both of those later. On the geekier side, 4:2:2 color is now supported at 60Hz, 2160p, rather than just 24Hz 2160p. UBD-M9500 on-screen interface and remote The UBD-M9500 adopts the latest Samsung Smart Hub interface, which will add smart features and apps to your TV if it lacks them. Thats highly unlikely on a 4K UHD TV, but you never know. Its the same interface youll find on the companys latest TVs and is just as clean, simple, and easy to use. My only complaint is that there are no jump-to-the-beginning or -end functions, which sometimes forces more scrolling along the single row of items than is desirable. There are jump buttons on the remote, however, so its doable. Regardless, its a step up from the nice, but somewhat old-school interface found on the UBD-K8500. Samsung Samsungs One Remote for the UBD-M9500, in combination with its Smart Hub interface, is a joy in use. The One Remote remote control is also a nice step forward from the one included with the UBD-K8500, which wasnt bad to begin with. Its just the essential buttons married to an easy on-screen interface, with functionality divided between them almost perfectly. Sweet. Outside of LGs magic remote, which controls a free-ranging cursor like those on PC operating systems, the One Remote series are our favorites. Whomever is designing them at, or for Samsung deserves a raise. UBD-M9500 performance We tested the UBD-M9500 with a several TVs, including Samsungs own Q9F QLED, Hisenses H9D, and TCLs 55P607. It delivered video via HDMI perfectly with all the disk types (DVD, Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, MP3, CD audio, and DVD audio) and file formats it supports (see below). It up- and down-samples 720p,1080p, and 2160p, though the default color palette seems just a bit cooler than what weve seen from the Panasonic DMP-UB900, Oppo UDP-205, and the Xbox One S. Regardless, it produces an excellent, smooth picture, and of course, color temperature is a matter of taste. Samsung With a concave design reminiscent of a cinema widescreen, the UBD-M9500 is handsome, but not very stackable. The disc tray injects and ejects smoothly and feels solid, and the UBD-M9500 boots and initializes DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra Blu-ray discs as rapidly as any player Ive tested. Its too bad Samsung cant do anything about those annoying Hollywood legal disclaimers. For the last nine months, the popular technology blog Techdirt has been defending itself and the First Amendment in the US First Circuit Court. Yesterday, a federal judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit that had been brought against Techdirt founder Mike Masnick, parent company Floor64 and staff writer Leigh Beadon. The libel case, filed by Massachusetts senatorial candidate Shiva Ayyadurai, claimed that Techdirt had published several articles defaming the politician by calling him a "fraud," "liar," and "charlatan," among other things. The lawsuit was seeking $15 million in damages. The articles in question were ones that criticized Ayyadurai for claiming to be the "inventor of email" and refuted his assertions with historical evidence. While the criticisms were accurate, they were also blunt and to the point as you would expect from a blog. A snippet from one of the articles sums up Techdirt's stance on the issue succinctly. "For almost five years now, we've been among those explaining why Shiva Ayyadurai's claim that he invented email is complete bullshit. It's not true. Not even remotely. [His program] was not the first. It was not the last. It was nothing special. Nothing about what Ayyadurrai did was new -- even if he came up with the ideas entirely on his own. Basically, every feature that he put in the application was previously discussed on open mailing lists." Masnick acknowledges that Ayyadurai owns a copyright on a messaging program called "EMAIL" that he wrote in 1978 but points out that copyright and patent are two separate things. "Just because Microsoft has a copyright on 'Windows' it does not mean it 'invented' the concept of a windowed graphical user interface (because it did not)," Masnick points out. Judge F. Dennis Saylor agreed, ruling that Shiva's claims had no merit and that Techdirt's statements were protected under the First Amendment because they were not "provably false," which is a requirement in a defamation case. Furthermore, some of the statements in the complaint were attributed to readers who left comments on the articles and not the staff of Techdirt. The First Circuit dismissed the case in full and denied Ayyadurai's request to file an amended complaint, so the case is closed. Masnick is relieved the fight is over and happy with the outcome. It was a battle worth fighting and he is glad to see it as a win for freedom of speech. However, Masnick did express that he was disappointed that the judge denied the motion to strike under California's anti-SLAPP law. "We're nevertheless disappointed that the judge chose not to apply California's anti-SLAPP law here," he said. "However, that just reinforces the argument we've been making for years: we need stronger anti-SLAPP laws in many states (including Massachusetts) and, even more importantly, we need a strong federal anti-SLAPP law to protect against frivolous lawsuits designed to silence protected speech." Since the lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts, the judge had to apply that state's anti-SLAPP legislation which is focused more on speech aimed at the government rather than California's more general application. The whole ordeal was the motivation that prompted Masnick to start the Techdirt "Free Speech edition." The special section of the site will be devoted to reporting on free speech issues as well as advocating for stronger anti-SLAPP legislation. "You have not heard the last from us on the issue of the First Amendment, free speech, and anti-SLAPP laws - or how some try to use the court system to silence and bully critics." Samsung is doing its part to help improve mobile security. The South Korean electronics giant recently launched a bug bounty program that'll award up to $200,000 in exchange for qualified security reports. The Mobile Security Rewards Program classifies vulnerabilities into four categories - low, moderate, high and critical - and awards cash payouts accordingly (a low-priority bug, for example, could earn as little as $200). Samsung joins other major tech players including Apple, Google and Microsoft in the bug bounty space. As is the case with other bounty programs, participants will need to craft a valid proof-of-concept in order to position themselves for the biggest possible payout. Apps developed and signed by Samsung must be up to date and in the event Samsung receives duplicate reports of a specific vulnerability, only the first one is eligible for a reward. Samsung is only interested in bugs that have a security impact. If your exploit requires the physical connection of a debugging tool, phishing or clickjacking or has a very low probability of being exploited, don't bother sending it in. You should also know that Samsung employees and family members aren't eligible to participate. Samsung invites users to poke around on most of its newer Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, Galaxy A, Galaxy J and Galaxy Tab series devices in search of exploits. A full list of conditions for rewards qualification can be found over on Samsung's mobile website. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly advanced, we're hearing more warnings about its potential dangers. Elon Musk thinks they'll be the cause of World War 3, but based on a recent study from Stanford University, the systems could pose a more immediate threat when it comes to people's privacy. Michal Kosinski and Yilun Wang's algorithm can accurately guess if a person is straight or gay based on a photo of their face. This was achieved using a sample of over 35,000 images that had been publicly posted on a US dating site, with an even representation of gay and straight (determined through their profiles) and male and female subjects. The deep neural networks extracted features from the huge dataset, identifying certain trends to help it determine a person's sexuality. Gay men tended to have "gender-atypical" features, expressions and grooming styles, meaning they appeared more feminine. They often had narrower jaws, longer noses and larger foreheads than straight men. The opposite was true for gay women, who generally had larger jaws and smaller foreheads. The system was eventually able to distinguish between gay and straight men 81 percent of the time, and 74 percent of the time for women, just by reviewing a photo. When it was shown five images of the same person, accuracy levels went up to 91 percent for men and 83 percent for women. By contrast, a human was only able to identify sexual orientation 61 percent of the time for men and 54 percent for women. The findings strongly support the theory that the same hormones affecting a fetus' developing bone structure play a part in determining sexuality, meaning that people are born gay - it's not a choice. Additionally, the lower success rate for women could suggest female sexual orientation is more fluid. What's concerning is the AI's potential for misuse, especially for people who want to keep their sexual preferences private from friends and family. Google results show the phrase "is my husband gay?" is more common than "is my husband having an affair?" There's also the concern that the software could be used in countries such as Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where homosexuality is punishable by death. This isn't the first time Kosinski has been linked to controversial research. His work with Cambridge University on psychometric profiling involved using Facebook profiles to create a model of someone's personality. Donald Trump's campaign and Brexit supporters in the UK reportedly used similar tools to target voters and help them achieve victory. Uber is again facing grief over its defunct Hell software. We reported last week that the ride hailing company had a class-action lawsuit against it dismissed. This week, it seems the FBI and the Manhattan US attorney's office are looking into the matter. According to The Wall Street Journal, the FBI is concerned "whether Hell constituted unauthorized access of a computer." This might be an even harder angle to prove since according to all accounts, Hell used publicly accessible apps and information. However, the new probe is only one of three FBI investigations into Uber. The other two probes involve the "greyballing" of transportation regulators and bribing foreign officials. Greyball is another software tool that allows Uber to monitor app use to a limited extent and push a different map view to a device other than the actual real-time view. The company claims to use it for testing and other purposes. While it admits that the software has been used in the past to evade regulators, the company claims it has stopped using it in that manner. Public officials in Oregon and Texas have received subpoenas on the matter. The Justice Department also initiated a bribery inquiry and is looking into Uber managers who may have bribed foreign officials to get or keep business. These actions would be in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and if found guilty, could cost Uber millions. In 2014, HP was fined $58.8 million for FCPA violations. An Uber spokesperson told the WSJ, "We are cooperating with the SDNY [New York's Southern District] investigation as well as the US Justice Department." However, the spokesperson declined to offer any details. Heat from the FBI added to the mountain of other problems that have Uber in hot water. You have to wonder if Dara Khosrowshahi regrets leaving Expedia and stepping into the role of CEO of the embattled company. Venezuela condemns this event and maintains its principled position of absolute condemnation of terrorist acts, methods and practices. | Read More AUTO LAB TALK RADIO LIVE FROM NYC SATURDAY MORNING! 7-9 AM (SEPTEMBER 9, 2017) Auto Lab Talk Radio The Auto Lab Radio Show LIVE every Saturday 7 to 9 AM On New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 and Streamed Worldwide On The Auto Channel This Weeks Show Broadcast Date: SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 Car Question or Concern? Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice. Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format. Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com. Listen - Auto Lab Page (Includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures This Weeks Show: SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 IN STUDIO:Auto Lab's Real World Experts Answer Your Questions; Discuss: Repairs, Second Opinions, Regular Maintenance, How To's, Safety, Used and New Car Buying, Ombudsmen Suggestions Harold Bendell - Major Auto Ivan Anderson - Brookdale Community College Fred Bordoff - Bronx Community College Automotive Technology Department-CUNY Tim Cacace - Master Mechanix Auto Repairs David Goldsmith - Urban Classics Auto Repairs AAA NY Jerry Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Johanna Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Joanne Porcelli, Esq Michael Porcelli - Auto Mobile Services Nicholas Prague- MTA and Rockland Community College, SUNY Broadcast Date: SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 Auto Lab Correspondents Remote Interviews: Featuring Auto Safety News, New Car Reviews, Technology and Latest Auto World Information That Will Effect You! Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, Suffolk England SUBCOMPACT? I'LL HAVE ONE! John Russell Senior Correspondent NISSAN TITAN Russ Rader, Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety SIDE GUARD ON SEMITRAILER PREVENTS UNDERRIDE IN 40 MPH TEST Robert Sinclair Jr.- AAA Northeast GASOLINE PRICES Pierre Berge. Photo: Eric Fougere/Corbis via Getty Images Legendary Yves Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Berge has died at 86 in St-Remy-de-Provence, following a long battle with myopathy. Not only did he and Saint Laurent create one of the most famous fashion houses together, but they were married in the final year of Saint Laurents life, in 2008. His advice and his support have always guided me, Anthony Vaccarello, director of Saint Laurent, said in a statement. A great figure in French culture has left us. Berge and Saint Laurent founded the couture house in 1961. Two museums dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent are set to open in Paris this month and Marrakesh in October. Mr. Pierre Berge was always ahead of his time, Francesca Bellettini, CEO of Saint Laurent said in a statement. He believed in the power of creativity. He believed that art, fashion and culture could change lives and the way we live. The CEOs of luxury conglomerates Kering and LVMH also issued statements on his passing. Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive of Kering, which owns Saint Laurent, said, I will always remember him as a man instilled with a fertile tension between avant-gardism and the will to work relentlessly to inscribe creation in history Pierre Berge was at the same time a visionary precursor, a great patron, a creative and passionate businessman and a defender of noble and universal causes. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH said, He made a considerable contribution to Frances spotlight in the world, both by the Maison that he founded and directed, as well as the cultural institutions that he presided. Berge was also a prominent art collector and proponent of AIDS research. Born in France, he was friendly with renowned artists and writers including Albert Camus and Jean Cocteau. According to the New York Times, he once said, People may hate me or love me, but they all want to brag that they once sat next to me at a dinner party. This star kept Kelce from retiring; have Philly fans seen last of Wentz? AMERICAN CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH: Worship at 10 a.m. Programs for children and youth during worship service. 2 Andrew Road, American Canyon. ARBOR ALLIANCE: Join us Sundays at 5 p.m. Why 5 p.m. worship? It is a good time for busy people and young families. Kids church and nursery available. 721 Trancas St., Napa. thearborchurch.org; 530-304-4704. BEIT ABBA: Messianic Jewish ministry of The Fathers House is held the first and third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. Child care provided for ages infant to 7 years old. 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org/beitabba. CARMELITE MONASTERY:Mass times: Sunday, 9 a.m.; Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. (except for the first Saturday of the month, Mass will be at 11 a.m.). Morning of recollection every first Saturday of the month: Spiritual Talk, 9-10 a.m.; Confessions, 10-11 a.m.; Mass, 11 a.m. Bible study, on Tuesdays with Father Michael Buckley: Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. following the 8 a.m. Mass (contact the office to confirm time and day at 944-2454, ext. 103). Confessions-English: Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. Confessions-Spanish: Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. The 39th Annual Carmelite Benefit Dinner will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10. 944-2454; oakvillecarmelites.org. CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING: Services are 9 and 10:30 a.m. with Youth Program and Teen Group at 10 a.m. (note new time). Rev. Jay speaks on The Secrets of Permanent Prosperity: The Seeds of Gratitude and Sufficiency. Sept. 8, Spiritual Cinema Night features Alive Inside at 7 p.m. Sept. 9, Mens Spirit Group 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Donor Appreciation Dinner Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m. Rev. Jays 10-week class Beyond Limits begins Sept. 12, 6:30-9 p.m. Buddhist Meditation, Wednesdays, 6:30- 7:15 p.m. Rev. Julies 4-week class Spiritual Growth through Prayer begins Sept. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 1249 Coombs, 252-4847. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH: Sunday service and Sunday school for youths up to age 20 at 10 a.m. The Wednesday evening service is at 7:30. Child care provided at all services. New hours for the Reading Room, located in our church building, open to the public weekdays except Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m. All current Christian Science literature, including the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the renowned Christian Science Monitor, are available to all to read or purchase; 2210 Second St., Napa; 255-5255; christiansciencenapa.com. CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, NAPA SECOND WARD: Sacrament meeting is each Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 11:15 and Priesthood and Relief Society at 12:10 p.m. Young mens and young womens programs are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Corner of Trower Avenue and Dry Creek Road, Napa. 224-6496. COMMUNITY CHURCH OF LAKE BERRYESSA: We will share a message centered on Labor Day. Join us as we look at what we should truly labor at. We are a non- denominational Christian church welcoming all to enjoy the eternal life changing power of Jesus Christ. A weekly food distribution and AA group is available. 6008 Steele Canyon Road at Moskowite Corners. 252-4488. CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM: Worship on Friday, Sept. 8, will host Pre-Oneg at 5:45-6:30 p.m., followed by Shabbat Services 6:30-7:30. Rabbi Niles Goldstein will lead accompanied by Katrina Di Pasqua. Sept. 10, Sunday School will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Soul Sisters Book Club will meet Sept. 11 from 7-8:30 p.m. High Holiday Tickets are still available for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur 5778. 1455 Elm Street, Napa, cbsnapa.org, 253-7305. CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES: Sunday service is at 10:15 a.m. Spanish Church begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday school and childcare are available at both services. Our midweek service is at 6:30 on Wednesday nights. There is childcare and childrens activities at this service. Middle school and high school study meets on Wednesday nights as well at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room. On Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., Freedom From Bondage meets in our Youth Room. 3305 Linda Vista Ave., Napa; 252-2909. cmnv.org. COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, 1226 Salvador Avenue, Napa. Rev. Lynda Hyland Burris and liturgist, Barbara Pahre, will lead the service. The sermon, coming from Romans chapter 12, is titled Led By the Spirit. 255-9426; cpcnapa.org, facebook.com/cpcnapa.org. CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Weekly worship service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Services and attire are casual with a blend of fellowship, music and teaching. Child care and childrens church offered during service. 1050 Hagen Road, Napa. CreeksideChurchNapa.org; 255-7266. CROSSWALK COMMUNITY CHURCH: Join us for Sunday services at 10 a.m. Childrens programs available during the service. 226-1812, 2590 First Street, CrossWalkNapa.org. FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Sunday services are at 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. Address: 2659 First Street, Napa. fccnapa.org. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Please join us for a single service this Sunday. Pastor David will be preaching and his sermon topic will be Half Truths in a World that Needs the Whole Truth Everything Happens For a Reason. Scripture reference will be Romans 8:28. Our service will begin at 10 a.m. this week, followed by our All Church Picnic in Kennedy Park, beginning at noon. Childcare for newborn to age 5 is available. Sunday School: Friendship Class, and Childrens Class will meet at 10 a.m. 1333 Third St., 224-8693, fpcnapa.org. GRACE CHURCH OF NAPA VALLEY: Sunday services: Worship service at 9 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. Adult Sunday school classes at 9 a.m. Childrens service at 9 and 10:40 a.m. Nursery and preschool care available. Junior high ministry meets Tuesday, 7 p.m.; high school meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. at 3765 Solano Ave., Napa. 255-4033, GraceNapa.org. HIGHLANDS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: If youre a regular church attendee, never been or maybe its just been awhile, we invite you to come join us this Sunday and start the adventure with us at 10:30 a.m. Spanish speaking service on Sunday evenings at 6:30 and an Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets weekly on Monday and Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. 970 Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga. HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: We meet at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at 100 Anderson Road, Napa. 255-3036; hccnapa.com. HOLY FAMILY PARISH: Holy Mass is celebrated at 9 a.m. on Sundays and in the traditional Tridentine Latin (Extraordinary) form of the Roman Rite, according to the 1962 Missal, at noon. Before Low Masses there is a recitation of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary at 11:30 a.m. Confession is available after every Low Mass. Holy Family Parish is a Catholic mission-parish of St. Joan of Arc in Yountville. 1241 Niebaum Lane, Rutherford. 944-2461. HOLY GROUND CHRISTIAN CENTER: Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m., and Bible study is Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3860 Broadway, Suite 111, American Canyon. 373-2015. LIVING VINE CHURCH: We meet every Sunday morning at 10. 3305 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. 226-5551. MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA, YOUNTVILLE: Sunday worship service, 10:15 a.m. Coffee fellowship one hour before service. Bible study on Wednesday at 1 p.m., Fellowship Room, with refreshments served; prayer meetings Thursday at 1 p.m. The memorial chapel is on the Veterans Home at Yountville campus on California Drive, across from the administration building. 944-4840. MONT LA SALLE CHAPEL: Roman Catholic liturgical services are open to all in this chapel of the De la Salle Christian Brothers at 4401 Redwood Road, Napa. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11 a.m. NAPA COMMUNITY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH: Its easy to read about, and know about, the message of Jesus. But does it ever become personal to you? Are you able to imagine the reality that Jesus had you in mind and heart when He was on the cross of Calvary? You are invited to join us for Pastor Jim Pedersen, Northern California Conference President, as he presents Were You There? Our worship service begins at 11 a.m. this Sabbath, Sept. 9. napacomm.com, 1105 G Street, 252-2444. NAPA METHODIST CHURCH: We are a progressive and reconciling church, where all are welcome. 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary service and an 11 a.m. modern-style Fusion Worship service held in the Asbury Room. Childrens Worship and Nursery are available during both services. 6th to 8th Grade Sunday School meets at 11 a.m. Silent Meditation is Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 625 Randolph Street. Info: 253-1411, napamethodist.org. NAPA-SONOMA FRIENDS MEETING (QUAKERS): Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Silent meeting in the custom of Friends. Meet at the VOICES Youth Center, 780 Lincoln Ave., Napa. Enter at parking lot on left side of building, using door at end of wheelchair ramp. Quaker signs will be posted on Sunday mornings. We welcome visiting friends or those who are new to Quaker practice. nvquaker@gmail.com; 253-1505. NAPA VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH: Join us Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for Bible Study for all ages, 10:30 a.m. for worship service and a fun, interactive and energetic childrens program for preschool through fifth grade. Nursery provided for all Sunday services. 2303 Trower Ave., Napa. napavalleybaptist.org; 252-2100. NAPA VALLEY BIBLE CHAPEL: We start Sunday services by remembering the Lords death, burial and resurrection during a time of worship and thanksgiving at 9:30 a.m., followed by a fellowship and coffee time starting at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we enjoy a time of Bible teaching. On Wednesdays at 6 p.m., we meet for a brief Bible study and a time of prayer. A movie night/home Bible study is held in downtown Napa at 6 p.m. on Fridays. 1559 Second Street, Napa. napavalleybiblechapel.com. NAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH: This week we conclude our study of the Book of Hebrews. The theme for this week is The Power in the Christian Life. Join us as we search Gods Word to discern his truth for our lives today. Our service is Sunday at 10 a.m. Open Forum from 11:25 a.m. to noon. Childcare and Sunday School provided. 4149 Linda Vista Ave, Napa. NapaValleyChurch.org. NVCC is a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN: Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Season of Creation. Fellowship time follows. All are welcome because all belong to God. The church is located at the corner of Jefferson and Elm, Napa. 226-8166, napavalleylutheran.org. NAPA VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS: Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m.: Introduction to the new Sunday Morning Adult RE Programs. 11 a.m.: Returning for the first time to our beloved community following her strong recovery, Rev. Bonnie Dlott will lead the Water Communion with a meditative focus. Rainer Hoenicke will assist her in a service of welcoming everyone back from summer break and contributing water that has significance to them to a common bowl. Infant care, child care, and religious education provided. 1625 Salvador Ave., Napa; nvuu.org; 226-9220. NEW LIFE TABERNACLE: Sunday school at 10 a.m., followed by worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday evening service the first Sunday of every month. Bible study on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 2625 First St., Napa. 255-1062; NewLifeNapa.com. ST. APOLLINARIS CATHOLIC CHURCH: Join us each third Saturday at the crossroads of faith and culture. St. Apollinaris Catholic Church 3700 Lassen St. Napa. 257-2555. ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST: St. John the Baptist Church holds daily masses in English at 7:30 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Weekend masses are Saturday at 5 p.m. (English) and 7 p.m. (Spanish) and Sunday 8 a.m. (Spanish), 10 a.m. (English), noon (Spanish), and 5 p.m. (English). Wednesday evening mass at 7 (Spanish). Corner of Caymus and Yajome in downtown Napa. ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH: Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Childrens Church during the 10:15 a.m. service. 3521 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. 255-0119; StJohnsLutheran.net. ST. MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Worship on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. or Sundays at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. (organ and choir). Childrens Chapel (Sunday school) is at 9:50 a.m. Sunday. Nursery care is provided during the 10 a.m. service. Coffee hour follows the worship services on Sunday. 1917 Third St., Napa. 255-0991; StMarysNapa.org. ST. STEPHENS ANGLICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., sing using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Refreshments and social time after the 10:30 service. Evensong and Bible Study Wednesdays at 6 p.m. 1250 Oakville Grade, Oakville. 944-8915; ststephensoakville.org. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH: Mass times are Saturday at 4 p.m. (English), Sunday at 8 a.m. (English), 11 a.m. (English) and 1:30 p.m. (Spanish). Daily mass is at 9 a.m., except on the first Friday, which is at noon and in English. 2725 Elm St., Napa. 255-2949; stthomasaquinasnapa.com. SALVATION ARMY: Join us for services Sundays at 10 a.m. 590 Franklin St., Napa. napasalarmy.org. THE FATHERS HOUSE: Service times are Saturday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. Child care and Kids Church are available (ages infant through sixth grade). Youth ministry Encounter meets every Wednesday night at 7. Celebrate Recovery meets on Monday nights at 6:30. 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org. UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER IN NAPA VALLEY: Sunday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. Service. Our guest speaker this week is Rev. Kathryn Brenson. Her message title is Transforming The Power of Your Mind. Our Sunday Service music is selected and performed by Lon Eakes. 11:40 a.m. Sunday Forum: Following a brief refreshment break, Rev. Kathryn will facilitate a one hour forum where congregants can reflect on and respond to her Sunday message topic. historic Grange Hall, 3275 Hagen Road (1/2 mile east of the Silverado Trail), Napa. Parking adjacent to the building. UnityinNapaValley.org, 255-6881. YOUNTVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Sept. 10, 10 a.m. Pastor Jim Huckaba will continue a sermon series called The Church of The Four Ships..This Sundays is Bible College Students from I Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17. Sunday School is at 9 a.m. for all ages. The Adult Bible class is in the Ministry Outreach Center. Youth Group (fiftheight grades and high school students) is in the Fellowship Hall. Childrens classes are in the Callison Ministry Center, room 1. Jesus and Me, (Birth-Kindergarten) and first through fifth grades are offered. 6619 Yount Street, Yountville, 944-2179. The devastation from the flooding caused by tropical storm Harvey in the Houston area captured the nations attention. So many of us have at least one family member, friend or acquaintance in Houstons sprawl, and like many, I found myself addicted to news updates. Ive written a few times about organizing for survival in times of human-caused or natural disasters (I still need to splurge on that solar generator!) but what do we do when we are at a safe distance from a disaster? Its tempting to stay glued to the news. From the first text a friend sent regarding her status during the storm, I started Googling Harvey flood updates every hour or so. I woke up in the mornings that week and immediately looked at my phone to catch up on texts and to scroll through the news. Time slid by like butter on a hot skillet, and for several mornings I missed my meditation and other bits of routine that build the foundation of a good day. "Tools of Titans" author Tim Ferriss would slap me silly if he found out. What I would suggest to myself and what Ive read from productivity experts over and over is to set limits on screen time. What I would have done differently in the case of Houston and Harvey is to only allow myself to check on updates after my morning routine was completed and again just after dinner. After all, my friend would text if anything major happened in between times. I would also set a timer on my phone for 10 minutes maximum so that I didnt follow too many news stories down rabbit holes about hurricanes past (Katrina, Allison) and present (Melania Trumps shoes). News is built to keep you hooked, but it is extremely repetitious. You will definitely be well-informed with just brief morning and evening exposure. There are lots of phone apps available to help if you become addicted to checking the news as I was. Freedom is a highly regarded app that is also available for computers (freedom.to). The information page on Freedoms website states that we lose 23 minutes every time we check email, news, social media and other enticements away from work. It takes 23 minutes for the brain to fully refocus on productive tasks. Over an eight-hour day, that is a lot of wasted time. The cost for the Freedom app is just over $2 a month if you sign up for the annual plan, and there are sales now and then. The potential increase in productivity far outweighs the cost of the app. As more and more people are working remotely, with no occasional boss or manager looking over shoulders at whats on the computer screen, the temptation to just check Facebook or whatever is irresistible. Theres an app for that, and once you let it lock you out of the Internet for a specified time, willpower will become unnecessary. The toy simply gets taken away and you can have it back after you get some work done. The Stay-Focused app (stay-focused.info/en) is a little warmer and fuzzier than Freedom. It has features geared to younger students and to kids in general and how to protect them from too much or inappropriate internet use. It also has a daily Caritas function, which is set up to send money to the charity of the users choice if they choose the snooze function on the alarm clock. For me, that could either add up fast or motivate me to actually get up on time. From a distance, its hard to know how to help other than verbal and prayer-type support and checking up on the news can feel like helping. Obviously, driving or flying in to the area to volunteer, unless you have some incredible, requested expertise, just adds to the problem. Donating money is how Im choosing to help. Trust the folks on the scene to purchase what is needed. I asked my friend in Houston and checked with a few other sources to determine which charities would likely do the most good with their funds: Local churches There is a button on the website for Mary Queen Catholic Church based in Houston (maryqueencatholicchurch.org). 100% of the funds will go to families in need. Sometimes local churches have the best sense of their community. Local listings The best list of worthy charities Ive seen is on the Texas Monthly website (www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/ways-can-help-people-hurricane-harvey). The article lists food banks, ways to help people with special medical needs, local animal rescue agencies and other great options to donate to. Another thing you can do is to learn from what you read about the disaster and become a little better prepared yourself. My list includes getting a few more gallons of water into our stash. Ive also added the Goal Zero generator to my Christmas list. When Gaston-Louis Vuitton died, the contents of his office were packed up, stored away, and eventually forgotten. Vuitton (1883-1970), the grandchild of the luxury trunk maker Louis Vuitton, ran the eponymous company for more than 50 years and was the esthete of the family, said Patrick Mauries, a French writer and historian. Over time, as the head of a company that made suitcases, he amassed a bizarre assemblage of objects related to travel, which he kept in his home and his office, Mauries, said. It was sort of a mess it was stacked by the door, around his desk, and so on. The collection included board games (Jeu de Paris, a French version of Snakes and Ladders), 19th century carpet bags, and more than 800 tsubas, a Japanese sword guard that is often composed of an ornate piece of metal that delineates the swords edge and its handle. Because his heirs chose to store it away rather than sift through it, the collection left untouched for decades became a sort of time capsule from one of the companys most vital, creative periods. Now, the company, which at this point is owned by LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate controlled by Bernard Arnault, has rediscovered Gaston Vuittons collection and catalogued all in a new book, Cabinet of Wonders: The Gaston-Louis Vuitton Collection, edited by Mauries. (The book will be available for purchase on Sept. 17.) Read more: French fashion giants agree to ban size 0 models The reasons, at least from the companys perspective, for publishing it are straightforward: The collection hearkens back to the days when Louis Vuitton connoted creativity, not airport kiosks. I think theyre trying to show every aspect of the Louis Vuitton history, Mauries said. So with this, theyre now trying to show something thats less well known, lets call it the companys esthetic aspect. For those less interested in a luxury chains brand identity, the book still has value. Page after page of Gastons collection much of which is of negligible monetary value reveals a cross-section of the esthetic and material concerns of a highly cultured European, the likes of which are rarely seen in such comprehensive, unsparing detail. Gastons taste was bound to a certain period, Mauries said. For the first half of the 20th century, you have these collectors who were interested in the artisanal component of creation. At the time, he said, the collection didnt seem that remarkable, but now people are beginning to see that even if the objects seem a little dated, they have a coherence, and theyre worth showing as a whole. As the first male heir of the third generation of the family, Vuitton was destined to work at the company, but he developed a broad range of hobbies: designing furniture, sketching landscapes, and taking photographs. He also began to collect art, ranging from African masks to Art Deco crystal, and he was a prolific reader, dazzled by the fiction of writers such as J.K. Huysmans. Despite the fact that two world wars, the Russian Revolution, and a devastating recession kept his company in a near-constant state of flux, Vuitton found time to exhibit his paintings and to design perfume bottles. He was, though, first and foremost a prosperous merchant, and his extracurricular passions invariably found their way into day-to-day-commerce. His membership in the Societe des Artistes Independantes lead to collaborations with lesser-known artists. Andre Ballet, best known for his book plates, designed crystal bottles for Vuitton; Roger Foy, brother of the illustrator Andre Foy, carved African-inspired ivory knobs for Vuitton walking sticks; and Gaston Le Bourgeois, best known as an Art Deco sculptor, painted panels for Vuittons London store. It was in his stores window displays that Vuittons collection really came in handy. Over the decades, he collected hundreds of trunks everything from massive steel cases to tiny, 16th century embossed metal and red silk boxes from Switzerland. A lovely, early 17th century leather trunk Vuitton bought in 1922, for instance, was one of the most exhibited items in the collection, appearing multiple times in the windows of the Vuitton store on Pariss Champs-Elysees and in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. While other objects displayed in the book, such as wooden figurines, dolls, and model cars, served a similar purpose, much of the book comprises ephemera that, until recently, was probably considered solely of interest to Vuitton alone. A few pages are devoted to vintage handsaws, and more than a few are dedicated to monograms of clients that Vuitton kept in his archives. Its a far cry from Louis Vuittons current iteration as a fashion behemoth with from $8 billion to $9 billion (U.S.) in annual sales. There are also delights: A spread in the book highlights some of the magnificent covers of LOeil, the influential art magazine run by Georges and Rosamond Bernier. Elsewhere are fabulous necessaires, or toiletry boxes, including a stunning 60-piece set from around 1815, which contains silver, crystal, and mother-of-pearl accessories. Its an esoteric, oddly personal collection of objects, one that evinces the hobbies and preferences of Vuitton better than any hagiography ever could. You cant see this collection in person, just in the book, Mauries said. Its about a very specific kind of taste. Correction September 12, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Louis Vuitton is owned by Kering. SHARE: Kik Interactive Inc., a Canadian messaging app preparing to hold one of the highest-profile initial coin offerings yet, said it wont allow investors from its home country to participate in the offering. Chief executive officer Ted Livingston blamed weak guidance from the Ontario Securities Commission for the decision. They have failed to give us clear direction on when Canadian securities law will or, more importantly, will not apply, Livingston said in a blog post. To avoid risks arising from this uncertainty, we, a Canadian company, have decided to move forward without Canada. Read more: Kik turns to coin offering to boost funding, cryptocurrency popularity U.S. investors want a piece of Canadas tech prowess Regulators around the world have expressed concerns with ICOs. In Kiks case, it plans to sell tokens that can be used to buy services on its platform. The idea is that as more people use Kik, the value of their tokens will rise. The Canadian Securities Administrators said in August it would decide whether an ICO should be considered an offering of securities on a case-by-case basis. The move could count as a strike against Canadas efforts spearheaded by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to style itself as a haven for young, innovative tech companies. Still, ICOs are generally seen as a risky new form of fundraising, especially by Canadas traditionally conservative financial establishment. SHARE: Could it be? The most buzzed-about actress at the fest doesnt actually have a film here? Alliterative ding-ding-ding: Meghan Markle. Go ahead: get your alarm clock emojis ready. For, just as the merry-go-TIFF got going the one week of the year when the worlds eyes are squarely on our city Vanity Fair just happened to debut a surprise cover with the Toronto-based woman whos been all the buzz ever since being romantically annexed to a certain ginger prince. Consequently, even as hundreds of stars are rhumbaing their way here, its the mute-up-until-now Meghan who has gone and stolen a good part of the celebrity oxygen in the magazine thats considered the Everest of celebrity anointing. Do you think we can get Meghan there? Dont doubt its crossed the mind of many a party publicist. This, only a year after the Suits actress may have had to pant just a bit at TIFF parties within what is the natural star-system pyramid. A stratospheric rise by any measure a paparazzo might make more money getting a shot of Meghan this week than Emma Stone hers is one thats inspired a parlour game: if Markle were to show up at TIFF, where would it be? Well, she has previously gone to the annual InStyle/Hollywood Foreign Press Association party here at the Windsor Arms. Chew on that. Otherwise, theres the Invictus Games later this month, when Prince Harry comes to town. The buzz on the Shes Just Wild About Harry story? (Really, thats what the VF cover reads.) It extends to many corners: With the choice of the profile writer itself, Sam Kashner, an old-Hollywood pro behind books like the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton bio, Furious Love. With Meghans greeting of the writer in her Toronto home, during which the actress lays out a spread that includes pasta with chilies clearly sending a message that she eats carbs, and the fact that she picked it up from a little place called Terroni. (Terroni! Little? Ha!) With Meghan doing the interview in an Erdem dress, i.e. a designer Ive been wearing for years an aside possibly meant to underline that shes not wearing the British-based Canadian designer just because hes a fave of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Why do this story now? That was my first question when I laid my eyes on it especially since Markle is the only one doing the talking about her romance with Harry, and there is nothing quoted from him nor Kensington Palace. Zero. Why not wait for the happy couple to pose together, and do an interview together, post-engagement if only to avoid any charges of opportunism? Its what Kate and Wills did. OK, yes, Meghan says in the article shes not defined by a man, but lets be honest: shes only here because shes Harrys girlfriend. After all, his name is splashed on the cover! Arguably, co-operating with this cover only makes her complicit with this conceit. The difference between the way the cover has been greeted by Americans and many Brits is also notable. For Yanks, Meghans play seems like the normal celebrity playbook, which it is . . . except its not. Keeping up with the Kensingtons is what sharp-tongued British columnist Sarah Vine dubbed it. Another opinionista, Janet Street-Porter, declared that Meghan has single-handedly ushered in a new era of Royal Gush, explaining that the British Royals have been in emotional lockdown when it comes to expressing emotions in public and that being touchy-feely has never been seen as compatible with the job. Times change, its true, but the point is that these are unchartered possibly dangerous waters. I followed my heart. Quick quiz: is this something that Meghan says in her Vanity Fair story, or was it something that Rachel, star of TVs The Bachelorette, said in her post-final-rose cover on People a few weeks ago? Actually, it was the latter the pull-quote on the cover. But who can tell? Party Watch Many got their TIFF sea legs with a slew of events heading into the festival this week, including a super-glamorous sit-down dinner for about 70 held for superstar designer Jean Paul-Gaultier, here for Toronto Fashion Week. The dinner convened at one long, long table at One restaurant, and gorgeously designed by Jeffry Roick brought out the society-likes of Galen and Alexander Weston. The next night, the Four Seasons celebrated Torontos No. 1 celeb snapper, George Pimentel, complete with photo show that included a 12-foot-tall shot of Bradley Pitt. Living large. Shinan Govanis transportation for the Toronto International Film Festival provided by Lincoln Canada and its 2017 Continental. Read more about: SHARE: The Kim Wall story haunts me. Im sure it burdens many other journalists especially female journalists. The 30-year-old Swedish freelance journalist well-travelled, well-respected and well-published boarded a submarine alone on Aug. 10 in Copenhagen harbour to interview quirky Danish inventor Peter Madsen. She was never seen alive again. Now, police have declared Wall dead, her severed torso found in the water. Madsen, 46, is in custody, charged in connection with her death, and due back in court in early October. Walls tragic end brings up many disturbing issues: how unprotected freelance journalists are, whether its more dangerous for women journalists to do their work and how we calibrate what risks to take in pursuit of a story. This was, after all, not a war zone, but an offbeat feature. It also brings up a dispiriting reality that has as much to do with life as it does with journalism: Women alone even professionals doing their jobs are still vulnerable to attack. Our media is filled with news stories every day of assaults on women; our movie culture fetishizes female corpses. In fact, some in the media compared Walls disappearance and death to a Scandi-noir series such as The Bridge (on Netflix) set in Denmark and Sweden, in which the body of a female politician is found on a bridge, cut in half. In the first episode, we meet the partial corpses of not one but two females. The more, the scarier. After Walls boyfriend reported her missing, Madsens story about what happened to her morphed without credibility from his assertion that he had dropped her off, to that she had died on board when he accidentally dropped the heavy hatch on her head. He said he had buried her at sea, like its been done at sea for hundreds of years. He also sank his own submarine. I am sure the whole horrible story will come out in court, if not sooner. We dont know the details. But of course, there is only one person alive who will be saying what happened, and he is charged with Walls death. In the meantime, Walls many friends and admirers have set up a website (Remembering Kim Wall) and are urging the world to focus less on the grisly details and honour a journalist of warmth, curiosity, talent and zest, the kind most aspired to be as she roamed the world looking for interesting stories a piece for Harpers on how Cubans secretly obtain internet access, one for Foreign Policy magazine on how Chinese feminists joined the Womens March in Washington. Her friend and editor David Wertime wrote an affecting tribute to her online at Public Radio International (PRI). Wertime said he first met Wall in 2013 at Columbia University, where she was studying for graduate degrees in journalism and international relations. She also graduated from the London School of Economics. As a then-editor at Foreign Policy magazine who assigned her one of her last stories, Wertime had strong things to say about the life of freelancers. Journalism depends on people like Kim Wall, Wertime writes. But journalism, he says, also needs to give better support to freelancers like her. On many stories, Wall wouldnt have had the backing of any established media outlet. She would have been working on spec, in the hopes of selling later. She would have been paid no more than $350 for the piece Wertime assigned her, from pitch to product. Wertime and others suggest that in a highly competitive atmosphere, women journalists often feel compelled to downplay the particular danger of their work in order to entice editors. On her own website, Wall, based between New York and China, wrote she had received training in hostile environment and emergency first-aid. Almost every female journalist I know has taken risks to get a story and trusted no harm would come to her. Wall went on that submarine alone, thinking shed be safe. Instead, she ended up dead, I think precisely because she was a woman. The New York Times has reported sexual overtones to the case, including that Madsen was into S&M and that Walls underwear was not on her torso. Kim Walls death is not intrinsically more tragic than the deaths of 79 other journalists killed in 2016, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or of those killed this year, including high-profile Indian political journalist Gauri Lankesh, 55, shot to death this week on her Bangalore doorstep. But its hit a bleak chord with me. Maybe because it seems like the same old story. Women alone are vulnerable. I would never suggest female journalists should not pursue great stories as professionals alone on the job, like any man would. But how do they protect themselves? The truth is even an experienced and excellent journalist can misread a situation in which shes in far more danger than she knows. Thats not her fault, of course. It happens to women all the time. Judith Timson writes weekly about cultural, social and political issues. You can reach her at judith.timson@sympatico.ca and follow her on Twitter @judithtimson SHARE: Oretta chef Christian Fontolan chuckled but let me down gently when I asked what type of spaghetti goes best with the meatballs he made. Spaghetti and meatballs is more of an American thing, he says, while grating copious amounts of parmesan on a plate of meatballs at his opulent, Art Deco-inspired Italian restaurant at King St. W. and Bathurst St. For a family meal back home (in Italy), we would have three courses. Pasta would be one of them and then the meatballs would be the main. I would serve the meatballs with an earthy salad like a panzanella, which is just crusty bread, tomatoes and cucumber with olive oil and vinegar. He was right. It never occurred to me until now that most Italian restaurants list meatballs and spaghetti as separate dishes on the menu. According to a nifty write-up on the history of spaghetti and meatballs from Smithsonian.com, it was during the late 19th century when millions of Italians immigrated to America that it became a thing. Legend has it that either Anglo-American diners wanted a starch to go with the meatballs or pasta was one of the few Italian ingredients available in the U.S. at the time. Fontolan was raised in the eastern Italian region of Marche (pronounced market) and learned how make meatballs from his mom. He says the recipe he provided is largely unchanged from her version, minus the fennel he adds for a subtle pop of bitter licorice to contrast the sweetness of the tomato sauce. Still, what he loves about Italian food is the adaptability. While he keeps meatballs and pasta separate, hes not going to look down on anyone who wants to serve his meatballs with spaghetti at home. What I think makes people love Italian food is that its approachable. You can look at the dish at the restaurant and think, I can make this at home, he says. Youre not afraid of the dish, you know what the ingredients are and you want to make it at home . . . the way you like it. Orettas Beef Meatballs In Tomato Sauce The meatballs are meant to be large enough to be a main but if you want to go the Italian-American way and serve them with spaghetti, make them smaller. Uncooked meatballs can be stored in the freezer, thawed in the fridge overnight and then cooked as usual. 3 thick slices white sandwich bread, crust removed 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk, or enough to soak bread 500g lean ground beef 1 cup (250 mL) packed, finely grated Parmigiano reggiano, plus more for garnish 1 large egg, beaten 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt, plus more for tomato sauce 1 tsp (5 mL) ground pepper, plus more for tomato sauce 1/4 cup (60 mL) packed, finely chopped parsley leaves 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder 3/4 tsp (3 mL) ground fennel seeds 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1/2 cup (125 mL) dry white wine 1 medium-sized white onion, finely diced 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 kg (35oz) canned tomatoes with juice, crushed In a large mixing bowl, soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze out any excess milk from bread and discard. Add beef, cheese, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder and fennel. Mix with hands until it just becomes a smooth mixture. Do not over mix. Shape into 10 balls, each about 80 g to 85 g in weight. If mixture is too wet, add more cheese or meat. If mixture is too dry, add a bit of milk. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. In two to three batches, sear meatballs, careful not to overcrowd pan, until they are browned and reach an internal temperature of 165F (74C). Remove meatballs from heat to let cool. Deglaze pan with wine over medium-high heat. When liquid reduces to half, add onion and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until onions soften. Add tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat, or until tomatoes cook down and form a thick sauce. Remove lid. Add cooked meatballs and simmer on low, covered for 5 minutes then uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately. Makes 10 large meatballs. SHARE: ICELAND-As tempting as it may be for visitors to Iceland to stay put in the countrys unquestionably-cool capital city, venturing eastbound beyond bustling Reykjavik is bound to bring on a host of otherworldly experiences. A 45-minute flight to adjacent Egilsstadir airport followed by a straightforward, ring-road-trip back along the countrys South coast is a must for travellers seeking out all things spectacular. Here are a few dont-miss detours on your route back to Reykjavik. Hvalnes Lighthouse: Impossible to miss against the haunting backdrop of Icelands east fjords, the neon-orange landmark of Hvalnes Lighthouse makes for a perfect first pit stop on your way. If weather permits, picnic at the base of the century-old trading post and watch the merciless waves of the North Atlantic crash against jagged rocks below. The site is known as a birdwatchers paradise, and is surrounded by an eerie, barren landscape of murky yellows and dusty greys. You wont be the first to wonder if youve landed on the moon. Pakkhus restaurant The southeastern region of Iceland is famous for its langoustine, or Icelandic lobster, and there may be no better place to enjoy it than at in Hofn: The southeastern region of Iceland is famous for its langoustine, or Icelandic lobster, and there may be no better place to enjoy it than at Pakkhus in the quaint Icelandic fishing town of Hofn. The beloved eatery has been in operation since 1932 and is an ideal spot to fill a hungry belly with local lamb, salted cod, cold beer and of course, platters of buttery, dreamy langoustine. The atmosphere is rustic, cosy and warm, making it one of the best spots in town to escape Icelands unpredictable weather. Geothermal pools: Youve had a long and possibly chilly day, so why not shimmy down to your bathing suit and jump into one of four simmering geothermal tubs, located in a secluded country field in Hoffell. With the magnificent Vatna glacier as your backdrop, take a load off as Icelandic ponies graze in the distance by day, or hope to see Icelands famously vibrant aurora borealis at night. These hotpots are open to the public, with a donation box on site with the suggestion of a small tip. Make sure to clean up after yourself and leave a couple of bucks behind for good measure. Hoffellsjokull glacier tongue: Locals might warn you that time is running out to take in Icelands awe-inspiring glacial landscape, and if the changing face of the Hoffellsjokull glacier tongue is any indication of that urgency, they would be right. This outlet of the mighty Vatna glacier is rapidly receding and those lucky enough to see it in its present glory wont soon forget. The best lookout can be reached via a four-kilometre gravel road accessed via the small town of Hoffell that extends into a small lake. Make a final hike up a rocky embankment and be prepared to be stunned by what you see beyond. Vatna glacier via snowmobile: If youre looking to get up-close-and-personal with an ancient mass of ice, try sailing across the Vatna glacier on a snowmobile with Hofn-based company Glacier Journey. Led by a team of experienced local guides, you will climb some of the highest peaks in the country via a super jeep while engaging in captivating discussions about the surrounding environment. Once atop your snow-covered racetrack, a thorough safety lesson will give way to you gliding across one of the wildest landscapes youll ever have a chance to traverse. Black sand beach: No trip down the south coast of Iceland would be complete without a visit to the black sand beach in the village of Vik. Famous worldwide and for good reason, this foreboding and expansive landscape spoils visitors with its signature basalt sea stacks, ghostly caves and stacked-column cliffs that seem like the remnants of a storybook villains castle keep. Beachgoers beware that there is no land mass between this shoreline and Antarctica, resulting in massive, powerful waves that have been known to suddenly drag both sailors and unsuspecting tourists into the ocean. Liz Beddall (travel@thestar.ca ) was hosted by Icelandair, which didnt review or approve this story. SHARE: BRIDGEWATER, N.S.This small Nova Scotia town is reckoning with the long shadow of a criminal prosecution involving so many of its children. Under a national spotlight because of an intimate photo ring that ensnared more than two dozen teenagers some as young as 13 Bridgewater is now trying to find a way to move on. On Wednesday, a judge handed conditional discharges to six young men who had shared 19 girls images on Dropbox without consent. Read more: Six Nova Scotia teens charged in naked photo ring given conditional discharges Nova Scotia teens facing jail time treated girls naked photos like baseball cards Nova Scotia naked photos case may do little to deter other teens, experts say But in his decision, Judge Paul Scovil implicitly acknowledged the cases profound impact on the town and chastised those who gossiped about the girls. Scovil said the young men had accepted responsibility, but others in the town blamed the victims. During sentencing, he relayed comments from the mother of one victim who called the experience complete hell. She described walking into meetings to hear co-workers talking about the Dropbox and calling the girls sluts and whores and listening to comments such as What kind of parents are they, to have their daughters involved in such a thing? said Scovil, adding that the woman eventually took a leave of absence from work over the constant gossip. Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell said Thursday his constituents needed to find a way to end the judgments. This is a small community where people know the victims and people know the perpetrators, said Mitchell in an interview. There has to be some caution in our community that were not going to go down a road of ruining lives through gossip and public shaming. It doesnt move us forward as a town. Its not productive. For the victims, we need to move on as they are moving on. The case of the six young Bridgewater men was one Canadas largest involving a relatively untested law introduced in 2015 to combat the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. The law came after the suicide of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons, whose family says a photo of her allegedly being sexually assaulted was circulated among students at her school in Cole Harbour. The six boys whose identities are protected from publication under the Youth Criminal Justice Act made headlines country-wide as their case wound its way through the court, drawing the ire of the community of roughly 8,500 on the provinces South Shore. In an agreed statement of facts, the girls cited a variety of motivations for sending the images. Some young women felt pressured by what they described as persistent requests for intimate images, while others said they were vying for boys affections or just joking around, the statement said. Mitchell said the problems revealed by the case werent unique to Bridgewater. Having our town in the national spotlight for something like this, its disheartening. For some, its been maddening, he said. But this can happen to anyone. These werent bad kids, and it still happened. It could happen anywhere. Kids today face social pressures that we as adults simply did not have and probably dont fully comprehend. To move forward, we need to talk to our kids about what happened because its happening everywhere in the country. During Wednesdays sentencing, Scovil said the young mens actions and the overall reaction from the community has brought pain and anguish upon the young girls. None of the girls were present in court as Scovil appeared to allude to Parsons suicide. We in Nova Scotia have recent experience on a very tragic level dealing with young women who have had their intimate pictures exposed to others, said Scovil. Its discouraging that (society), after all we have gone through in this province, would still look to women and blame them for what took place. He took defence lawyers to task for arguing in their joint submission that the girls should have known photos shared through Snapchat could have been saved. He said that wrongfully blamed the victims. Such thinking and such comments harken back to a time of sexual stereotyping that anyone who has been offended against sexually must have put themselves in that position and be asking for it, said Scovil. I wish to make it clear to each and every one of the victims and their families: These girls did nothing wrong. It is not their fault. But defence lawyer Stan MacDonald said that was not the intent of their arguments. He said what the six lawyers did was present an alternative view. At no point in time did we make any attempt whatsoever to blame any victims. I take issue with the comments that the judge made, said MacDonald outside of court on Wednesday. The boys, who are all from the Bridgewater area, admitted to forming a private Facebook group to exchange photos of the girls, who ranged in age from 13 to 17. Scovil acknowledged that the young men involved in the incident have completed a restorative justice program and have showed remorse for their actions. I strongly stress that at no time did these young men attempt in any way to place blame on the victims. I am very appreciative of that. The same, however, cannot be said in relation to both (defence) counsel submissions on their behalf and the community at large, he said. Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter. Read more about: SHARE: Pastor Jentezen Franklin looked at President Donald Trump across his desk in the Oval Office last week and made an impassioned plea for empathy. For several minutes, Franklin, leader of a multiethnic megachurch near Atlanta, pressed Trump to understand the plight of the hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who had been brought to the United States illegally by their parents, received legal status under the Obama administration and now feared that Trump would order their deportation. "I know these kids," Franklin recalled telling Trump. "They are good kids?" Trump asked, according to Franklin. "Yes, sir," Franklin said he replied. "They are." Then the pastor, a father of five, noted the president's love for his own kids. "I want to see that kind of heart toward these children," Franklin said he urged. The extraordinary meeting represented an opportunity for Franklin and a handful of black, Hispanic and white evangelical pastors to describe to the president the racial tensions they know, three weeks after Charlottesville, Virginia, and just days before the president's anticipated Tuesday announcement of a delayed rollback of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It also illustrates why Franklin and other members of an evangelical advisory board formed during last year's campaign have decided to remain by Trump's side despite widespread calls for them to resign after his response to the white supremacist demonstrations. Some corporate leaders took public stands against Trump and resigned from advisory boards, but the evangelicals have been conspicuous in their choice to stay put. One quit. But, for the most part, the group remains intact - with its members committed to using their direct access to the president to pursue their agendas. Franklin said he doesn't think Trump is racist - but he feels that had he resigned in protest over Charlottesville, he would not have been there to make the case for young immigrants. "If I resign every time [the president] does something I don't agree with, then I lose the ability to have influence and speak up for the 'dreamer' children [and] the minorities that feel offended and hurt by the Charlottesville incident," he said. Bishop Harry Jackson, an African-American pastor from Beltsville, Maryland, who has spoken out against abortion and same-sex marriage, said he sees his role on the board partly to influence others on issues such as criminal justice that are important to the black community. "That is why I am supposed to be there," said Jackson, who was among the pastors who saw Trump in the Oval Office on Friday. "I believe I am affecting other people on that board." Unlike previous presidents' faith advisers, who often spanned denominations, Trump's board is exclusively evangelical. It started out as a mix of 25 pastors that included Southern Baptists, prosperity gospel preachers and lobbyists for social conservative causes with different political priorities, but who share opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Among them were two women, three African Americans and one Hispanic. Many of them were known to Trump largely because they were fixtures on television. The group formed after a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting as Trump was seeking to solidify his hold on the GOP's core supporters. A few cracks in the board began to become apparent after Charlottesville. Some of the group's staunchest Trump backers, such as Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., stepped forward to defend the president. Many issued statements on social media condemning racism but without mentioning the president. An African-American member quit. A.R. Bernard, who runs a large church in Brooklyn, New York, said he had been willing, at first, to overlook Trump's flaws - but that the president failed to grow into his new role. "I believed he would understand the need to change and to present himself as a leader, to model leadership," Bernard said of his decision to stay on the board after the release last fall of the tape in which Trump boasted about grabbing women's genitals. But, if pastors put confidence in politicians that should be placed in God, he said, "we can become guilty of political idolatry." In private, some members began to debate how to handle the situation. The group convened a conference call "to make sure we were on the same page" recalled South Carolina televangelist Mark Burns in a recent interview, likening his role to that of a modern-day Daniel - "a voice of God in the ear of the king." Some said they felt that remaining on the board was the Christian thing to do - to stick with a man in times of trouble. "I work with fallen people," said Jackson, adding that few of his congregants have questioned his decision. For many, there is a pragmatic reason to stand with Trump. The president won the election with the support of 81 percent of white evangelicals. His victory came during what several board members describe as an "existential crisis" in their communities as social conservatives have seen their influence declining and their values threatened by the public's embrace of gay rights. Today, they are standing by the man who promised to reverse those trends and took quick steps to do so, first with his pick of religious conservative Mike Pence as vice president, then, after the election, with his nomination of socially conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. Tony Suarez, executive vice president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, called Gorsuch a "home run for evangelicals." Richard Land, a longtime Southern Baptist leader who said he has worked with every president since Ronald Reagan, said Trump has granted board members "the most access we've had to an administration in our lifetime." "We are not lemmings," warned Robert Jeffress, a TV host and pastor of a 13,000-member Dallas church, confirming the transactional nature of the relationship. He will always count Trump as a friend, Jeffress said, but his public alliance rests on the president's commitment to key policies: "If he ever renounced or returned on these major positions, I think he would see a lot of support evaporate." In forming the board last year, organizers looked for "people [Trump] had a preexisting relationship with, or at least some chemistry," recalled Johnnie Moore, founder of a faith-focused PR company, who recalled building the panel with Paula White, a Florida-based televangelist, Tim Clinton, president of the nearly 50,000-member American Association of Christian Counselors, and politicians Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson. In many cases, the roots of that relationship were on TV. Trump has long been fascinated by the power of Christian television, recalled Burns. In 2002 - the same year reality TV producer Mark Burnett courted Trump to star in "The Apprentice" - hite said Trump called her after watching her sermons and invited her to New York. She remained in close contact and delivered an invocation at his inauguration. White did not respond to requests for comment. The group keeps its eye on big-picture social issues, said Moore, around which members unite, rather than everyday policy decisions where their priorities are more split. Membership has evolved, and people not listed among the 25 often attended, according to Moore, playing down the significance of Bernard's departure from a group he describes as "unofficial." Several members who say they supported Trump reluctantly now say the president has "exceeded expectations." They describe him as attentive and responsive, and tell lively tales of intimate White House visits. After a dinner in May, before Trump signed an executive order designed to ease restrictions on churches' political influence, the president took some pastors upstairs and offered them a photo op on the Truman balcony. In July, a day-long working session in the Eisenhower Building was broken up by an impromptu invitation to the Oval Office, after which Moore tweeted a photo of pastors praying over the president. Burns thinks their "biggest focus is covering the president in prayer and being a moral voice to him." Not all agree. "We are not spiritual counselors," said Land. Their role, he said, is to give the president "advice" and "feedback on policies." After Charlottesville, some communicated directly with their vast networks, affirming Trump as a president worth fighting for. White appeared with her husband, a former keyboardist for the rock band Journey, on the "Jim Bakker Show," where she compared the embattled president with the biblical Jewish Queen Esther, whom she described as an unconventional leader who saved her people from persecution. Like Esther, White suggested, God raised Trump into leadership. "When you are fighting against the plan of God, you're fighting against the hand of God," White said. Some said they have used their proximity to Trump to try to open his eyes on race. On Friday, the group was at the White House complex discussing Charlottesville and Hurricane Harvey, plus other topics, when an aide arrived to bring a handful of members to the Oval Office. Franklin said the group included black, Hispanic and white pastors. In the few minutes that the pastors spent in the Oval Office, they tried to tell Trump what the world is really like for blacks and Hispanics. "Get in the other man's shoes a little bit," Franklin said he told Trump. A White House official said Trump appreciated the pastors' comments. On DACA, which Trump during the campaign promised to end, the official described the pastor meeting as one of many factors influencing Trump's thinking. "He takes the conversations seriously and listens to the individuals," said the official. As for the immigrant children, Franklin issued a statement Monday saying he was "concerned to see DACA expire" but expressing gratitude that Trump was granting a "generous six-month extension to dreamer kids" that would put the onus on Congress to act. Franklin called for the affected immigrants to receive a path to citizenship, but said in an interview he does not know what Trump would do if such a bill came to his desk. Although he said he believed that Trump would sign such a bill, he could not be certain. "He's a politician," Franklin said. "What he does is what he does." OTTAWAThe Supreme Court of Canada has cleared the path for extradition of two B.C. residents to India to face murder charges in a so-called honour killing. In a 9-0 judgment Friday, the high court set aside a British Columbia Court of Appeal ruling that put the brakes on extradition over concerns about whether the two accused would be fairly treated in India. The Supreme Court also restored federal surrender orders in the high-profile case. Jaswinder (Jassi) Sidhu was found with her throat slit on the bank of a canal in Punjab, India, in June 2000. Indian authorities accuse her mother, Malkit Kaur Sidhu, and uncle, Surjit Singh Badesha, of conspiracy to commit murder. Sidhu and Badesha, who live in the Vancouver area, allegedly ordered the killing after Jassi secretly married a rickshaw driver instead of a wealthy, older man chosen for her. Read more: Mother, uncle arrested in 2000 murder of B.C. woman Jaswinder Sidhu in India B.C. judge orders extradition of mother, uncle in Punjab honour killing In 2014, a British Columbia judge committed them for extradition to face the charges, prompting then-justice minister Peter MacKay to issue surrender orders, conditional on several assurances from India. Sidhu and Badesha, who are Canadian citizens, successfully appealed the extradition in the Court of Appeal on grounds the minister did not properly consider the substance of assurances concerning the pairs health and safety in Indian custody. Both the mother and uncle have health issues. Sidhu, 67, has been admitted to hospital for treatment of a heart condition while in Canadian custody. Badesha, 72, suffers from a number of age-related conditions that have required medical care. In its judgment Friday, the Supreme Court said MacKay was aware of the risks and treated them seriously. The court said it was reasonable for the minister to conclude the pair did not face a substantial risk of torture or mistreatment upon receiving assurances from the Indian government to address his concerns. It was also reasonable for MacKay to find, based on a broader view of the case, that the surrender of Sidhu and Badesha would not be otherwise unjust or oppressive, Justice Michael Moldaver wrote on behalf of the court. The gravity of the alleged offence in this case was particularly relevant to the minister, Moldaver said. Mr. Badesha and Ms. Sidhu are wanted in India for alleged criminal conduct of the most horrific nature namely, participation in a conspiracy to commit the honour killing of a family member. Sidhu and Badesha were among 13 people charged in connection with Jassis murder. Three are serving life sentences. Read more about: SHARE: Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez spent a busy day in Los Angeles trying to head off a possible next wave of misguided asylum seekers who could be forced to leave the United States in the coming months. Canadian officials fear thousands of migrants could come streaming across the Canada-U.S. border when President Donald Trump makes a decision on the fate of a special immigration designation, known as a Temporary Protected Status, afforded to citizens of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. We want to relay the message that theres a whole bunch of misinformation thats circulating and before folks decide to sell their homes and uproot their families and potentially make a really rash decision based on false information, we want these folks to have all the facts the true facts about what lies ahead with the Canadian immigration system, said a government spokesperson, speaking on background about the objectives of the L.A. trip. In total, more than 300,000 citizens of 10 countries that are suffering the effects of conflict or disaster are eligible for the TPS protection. More than 250,000 are from El Salvador and Honduras alone. On Aug. 30, Honduran newspaper La Prensa also published an article citing a Miami-based Honduran immigration activist as saying he had been contacted by the Canadian government about the possibility of welcoming desperate Hondurans to Canada. Canadian officials scrambled to deny the report the following day. Immigration anxiety also peak again this week when Trump decided to scrap a program known as DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, that provided work permits to people who were young children when they entered illegally into the U.S. with their parents. The program will formally expire in six months. Rodriguezs L.A. trip is modelled on a similar visit to Miami in August by Haiti-born Liberal MP Emmanuel Dubourg. There, he met with members of Miamis Haitian diaspora as well as local elected officials and groups working with new immigrants. Dubourg had a tough message that those choosing to sneak across the border into Canada risk eventual deportation to their home country if their claim is not accepted. But Dubourg was chosen because he could deliver it in English, French and, most importantly, Haitian Creole. Similarly, Rodriguez gave Spanish-language interviews to La Opinion and the Univision television network Friday. Rodriguez also held a meeting with the consuls general for Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. They were very anxious to get all those facts so they can start to relay them to the folks that are coming in to see them and asking questions, the Canadian government official said. The three countries, whose TPS designation expires between January and March 2018, have been lobbying the American government for an extension, arguing that the housing shortages, damage to infrastructure and the security challenges that have risen in the years since make it tough to resettle so many people all at once. Nicaragua and Honduras have had the designation since shortly after Hurricane Mitch ravaged the countries in 1998. El Salvador was designated as a TPS country after two major earthquakes in 2001 killed 1,000, injured about 8,000 and caused serious damage in 165 of the countrys 262 municipalities. SHARE: HALIFAXTwo men are facing drug charges after more than 250 kilograms of suspected cocaine was found hidden on a small sailboat arriving in Nova Scotia from the Caribbean. The Canada Border Services Agency says its officers boarded the vessel in Hubbards, N.S., at East River Marine on Sunday night. We were aware of it coming, said Dominic Mallette, the agencys acting director for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Mallette said the Canadian-registered, 29-foot boat called Quesera arrived from the small Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Inside the vessels forward sleeping quarters, officers found several bricks of suspected cocaine hidden inside a sealed bed frame, and the RCMP were called in, he said. Our officers are trained to look in those areas, Mallette said in an interview. If the vessel is 20 years old, and the screws are brand new, that means somebodys been there recently. The owner of the boat, 68-year-old Jacques John Grenier of Hubbards, N.S., was arrested at the scene at 11:30 p.m. Four hours later, 59-year-old Luc Chevrefils of Montreal was arrested at a hotel in the Halifax area. Both face charges of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy to import cocaine. Grenier faces an additional charge of importing cocaine. Asked if the border agency had received a tip about the accused smugglers, Mallette declined to be specific. I can tell you that we had an awareness and we were ready, he said. Anything beyond that would jeopardize our internal work. In the past four years, the CBSA in Atlantic Canada has recorded between 130 and 159 drug seizures every year, many of them at ports handling large shipping containers. Finding such a large stash in a small boat is unusual, Mallette said. In terms of small vessels . . . something of this magnitude is extremely rare, he said. Its very difficult to be aware and monitor the sea. The RCMP said it was the second significant suspected drug seizure in Nova Scotia this year. About 200 kilograms of hashish was found hidden in a chocolate bar shipment at the Port of Halifax in May. By sharing intelligence and co-ordinating enforcement activities, (the RCMP and CBSA) are targeting criminal groups and networks that are using increasingly sophisticated methods to attempt to smuggle drugs into our country, RCMP Supt. Alfredo Bangloy said in a statement. Read more about: SHARE: The absentee owners of three Cabbagetown row houses no longer face zoning bylaw charges after agreeing to stop renting the properties out for periods of less than 30 days. Torontos Municipal Licensing and Standards division laid the charges against the owners of 102, 104 and 106 Bleecker Street after neighbours complained of issues relating to parking, garbage and rowdy weekend parties. The three defendants were charged with permitting the homes to be rented out as a suite hotel, filling the rooms with paying guests who were using Airbnb and other short-term rental sites. The properties are zoned for residential uses, not commercial purposes, under the citys zoning bylaw. But since the charges were laid late last year, city staff have monitored the use of the properties and found that there has been compliance and therefore the city feels (it) appropriate to resolve these charges, prosecutor Geoff Uyeno told court on Friday. He presented to the court undertakings, signed by the defendants, who agreed that any rental shall be for a period of longer than 30 days. The undertakings will apply unless the zoning bylaws in the city of Toronto are amended such that a suite hotel or a short-term rental use becomes a lawful permitted land use, he said. Each of the three defendants acknowledges they may be charged for future violations of the citys zoning bylaw if there is an illegal short-term rental of properties. The defendants, Roman Neyolov, Svetlana Neyolova and Alexander Tkachenko, were not in the courtroom when their charges were withdrawn. A maximum fine for a zoning violation is $25,000 for an individual and $50,000 for corporations. But their lawyer, David Genis, said his clients thought they were entitled to rent out the homes for brief stays after receiving erroneous advice from the city. When the city started looking into it, and prosecuting it, they saw that my clients never had any bad intentions, in fact they had intentions to comply, Genis said outside court. City staff did not provide erroneous information to the defendants, a city spokesman wrote in email. The defendants may have misunderstood what were the lawful property uses of their residential property. Brian Kellow, who lives across the street, said he doesnt care that the charges were withdrawn, but is just relieved the integrity of our street was restored. My primary concern, and the concern of my neighbours, was that these houses were wrecking our street, he said Friday. What we wanted was neighbours. The idea that new families, or people will be moving in long-term to these houses, is great news. Thats all we ever wanted. He added things were much quieter on Bleecker Street this summer, compared to 2016. Fairbnb, the union-led coalition fighting to have the home-rental business regulation, is disappointed the charges didnt stick because, it says, no message of deterrence gets sent. This is an example of why future short-term rental regulation needs to include real fines for those who violate city by-laws and short-term rental rules, said Thorben Wieditz, a researcher with Unite Here Local 75. Relying on the court system drags on for years and often doesnt result in anything that deters people from breaking the rules. Fines are needed for both, hosts and platforms like Airbnb that are found to advertise, rent and profit from unlawful listings. However, Wieditz called the end result fair. The 30 days make it a long-term rental. It would mean that the rental agreements will be governed by Ontarios Rental Tenancy Act, which is a good thing. Earlier this year, a justice of the peace imposed a $10,000 fine on the owner of a Willowdale home who violated city bylaws by accepting short-term renters. The home had been the site of loud parties, including one where a young man was shot in the head, but survived. The city continues to hold public consultations around proposed regulations that would allow short-term rentals in any type of house in Toronto as long as it is a persons principal residence, whether owned, rented or leased. City staff will submit a final set of proposals to council later this year. Correction September 15, 2017: The headline on this article was edited from a previous version that referred to the Bleecker St. owners advertising the rentals on Airbnb. In fact, the short-term rentals were advertised on other rental platforms and the rentals were taken off Airbnb about a year ago. SHARE: Toronto police have charged an 18-year-old man with second-degree murder after a victim who was stabbed last weekend died in hospital. Police were called to the area of Danforth Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. just after 2 a.m. Sunday, where they found a man in his 30s with life-threatening injuries. Paramedics said the victim was found outside of RJs Grill, and had been stabbed more than once. On Friday, police said Cuhapiryan Mahendrarajah, 33, died from his injuries in hospital on Wednesday. Prosper Jean Laurent, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder. Mahendrarajahs death is listed as Torontos 37th homicide of 2017. SHARE: One year after the workplace accident that killed his sister-in-law, what Alusine Jabbi remembers most about the day she died is his confusion. Where is Amina? Why cant anyone tell me what happened? Why is everyone still working? It was Sept. 2, 2016 when Jabbi rushed to Fiera Foods factory on Marmora St., near the intersection of Highway 400 and the 401. He had just received a call from a friend who worked at the factory telling him that his brothers wife, Amina Diaby, had been in a serious accident. Jabbi, who has been in Canada five years longer than his brother and is more fluent in English, was listed as his sister-in-laws emergency contact. Just a couple hours earlier he had dropped Diaby off for her afternoon shift at the industrial bakery, which mass-produces bagels, croissants and pastries for major grocery stores and fast-food chains around the world. I went undercover in a Toronto factory where a temp agency worker was killed. This is what I found A 23-year-old refugee from Guinea, Diaby was hired through a temp agency and had been working at Fiera Foods for just two weeks. It was her first job in Canada. She was hoping to save money for nursing school. When Jabbi arrived at the factory, frantic, he says he was met with blank stares from other workers and vague instructions to head to the nearest hospital. He was surprised that the factory was still buzzing with production. Trucks were being loaded as if nothing had happened. It seemed to Jabbi like it was business as usual. At the time, this comforted him. I was thinking, You know what, shes OK because this is Canada, he said in a recent interview with the Star. If somebody dies at a job site or something really bad happens, they would stop. Diaby was already dead. She was strangled when her hijab was pulled into a machine as she worked on an assembly line near a conveyor belt. Jabbi got the call from the doctor while he was on the way to the hospital. I almost crashed my car, he says. In response to Diabys death, the Ministry of Labour investigated the accident and slapped Fiera Foods with 38 orders for health and safety violations. They included two stop-work orders indicating a hazard so great that production must cease immediately for a conveyor belt that did not have an emergency stop button and also lacked adequate guarding to prevent things from being caught in machinery. Fiera Foods complied with the orders. Last month, the Ministry of Labour charged the company and one of its supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act specifically for the lack of guarding and for failing to ensure loose clothing was not worn near a source of entanglement. The first court appearance is next Thursday. If found guilty, an individual can be fined up to $25,000 and face as much as a year in jail; while a corporation can be fined up to $500,000. Toronto police are also investigating the year-old incident. To date, no charges have been laid. Fiera Foods owners, Boris Serebryany and Alex Garber, refused to be interviewed for this story. The companys lawyer and human resources manager, David Gelbloom, did respond to some of the Stars questions in writing. Fiera believes it took adequate measures to protect Ms. Diaby, he writes. Gelbloom refused to comment further due to the pending trial for the Ministry of Labour charges. Jabbi says he doesnt have the words to express how his sister-in-laws death has affected his family. Outgoing and talkative, Diaby made instant connections with the people she met, he says. If youre in a room with Amina youre going to be laughing, whether you like it or not. She arrived in Canada in 2012 after fleeing a forced marriage in Guinea. She met Alusines brother, Sanunu Jabbi, himself a refugee from Sierra Leone, through a family connection in Torontos West African community. They were married that same year. Even before she could speak English, Diaby would somehow strike up animated conversations with storekeepers and strangers on the street, Alusine Jabbi says. She was always talking. She was beloved by her niece and three nephews, and she enjoyed going out to eat at the Mandarin Chinese food buffet. She earned the nickname Aunty Amina for how she mothered everyone. Amina was something else. Jabbi said he is pleased someone at Fiera will have to account for what happened, even if only to the Ministry of Labour. But he and his brother have been frustrated by the lack of information provided by all authorities involved. After initially meeting with ministry officials, the family says they heard nothing for almost a year. Meanwhile, no representative of Fiera Foods has ever contacted them, not even to express condolences, they said. They dont care, Jabbi said. I dont even think they think we exist. In his letter to the Star, Gelbloom did not address a question asking why the company has not contacted Diabys family. The Star asked Jabbi what he would say if he had the opportunity to address Serebryany and Garber. I would just like to ask them if they care about human life, he said. Somebody died in your job site, you know? Diaby was not technically a Fiera Foods employee, despite working inside their factory. Like many of the low-wage workers who pinch and form raw pastry dough on Fieras assembly lines, Diaby was employed by a temp agency. Fiera says it uses temp agency workers to meet fluctuating demands, but critics say, for many companies, it is a simple cost-cutting strategy. Temp workers are often paid less than permanent employees, and also save companies money on workers compensation insurance premiums. If a temp is injured on the job, their agency, not the workplace where they were actually hurt, is liable at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Across the province, the nature of temp agency work is changing. Once associated with casual office jobs, the majority of temps are now working in other sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, restaurants and driving, according to statistics obtained by the Star. The data provided by the WSIB also show that non-clerical temp workers in particular were more than twice as likely to be injured on the job last year than their non-temp counterparts. The disparity in injury rates has been about the same for the last decade. This, research suggests, is partly due to temp workers being insufficiently trained and being assigned more dangerous work. As part of a year-long investigation into the rise of temp work, the Star sent a reporter to work undercover at Fiera Foods for one month this summer. Our reporter who, like Diaby, was employed by a temp agency received about five minutes of safety training and no hands-on instruction before stepping onto the factory floor. Sanunu Jabbi, who struggles to speak about his wife without choking up, is adamant that she was not given enough training to safely do her job. He said he asked her after her first day at the factory if there was any safety orientation, as there was on his first day working at a construction site. She said, No, he told the Star. In an initial written response to the Star before Gelbloom took over communication on behalf of the company Fiera Foods spokeswoman Ziggy Romick said Diabys training included specific instructions about how to work safely around conveyor systems, the requirement to wear a lab coat at all times when working and not to wear loose clothing or jewelry. Romick said Diaby was instructed to stand on a work platform beside a conveyor to monitor progress of dough moving along the conveyor. She said the conveyor motor and drive shaft were appropriately guarded and the accident occurred when Ms. Diaby left her work platform and moved along the conveyor where it appears she leaned over. She had removed her lab coat without permission, which is against our policy about loose clothing, and was wearing a hijab. Her hijab became entangled in a machine guard on the adjacent conveyor. Romick concluded her email to the Star by calling for clarity and guidance from government in the unchartered waters of religious accommodation. Under Ontario human rights law, companies must accommodate workers religious clothing as long as it doesnt cause undue hardship. An increased safety risk would constitute an undue hardship, because companies are obligated to protect workers from injury, according to the law. If Fiera Foods believed Diabys hijab presented a health and safety risk for the job she was doing, they would be required to assign her a different task; or, if none was available, not hired her in the first place. Diaby was hired through OLA Staffing, a temp agency based in Woodbridge. Geetha Thushyanthan, who runs the agency, declined to be interviewed for this story. In a written statement, she said OLA Staffing takes our commitment to the health and safety of our employees very seriously and we provide our employees with appropriate workplace health and safety training. Thushyanthan refused to answer a follow-up question asking her to elaborate on the training the company provided. The WSIB said they are still investigating OLA Staffings role in the death. Diaby was neither the first death of a temp worker at one of Fieras factories, nor was it the first time the company had been found to have insufficient protections for workers. Documents obtained by the Star show recurring safety violations at Fieras factories going back nearly two decades. Since 1999, the company has been hit with 191 orders for health and safety violations, including multiple stop-work orders. Fiera was also charged with a number of Occupational Health and Safety Act offences related to a lack of training in October 2015 and June 2016. Those charges have yet to be resolved. We acknowledge Fiera has had Ministry of Labour orders, including stop-work orders, Gelbloom writes in his letter on behalf of the company. In each and every situation, Fiera worked to address and resolve each order, and, as you know, there are no outstanding Ministry of Labour orders. Ministry records show inspectors had been at Fieras factory for a proactive inspection just two days before Diaby died. A ministry spokeswoman would not answer a question about whether the machine that caused Diabys death was part of that inspection. Police can lay criminal charges against corporations following workplace injuries or deaths under Bill C-45, which is sometimes called the Westray Bill after the 1992 Nova Scotia coal-mining disaster. Prosecutions are rare, but the bill was intended to hold companies criminally liable if they are found to be negligent in protecting workers. Toronto Police Det. Tim Thorne declined to discuss the case with the Star citing the fact it remains an open investigation. Sanunu Jabbi, who is quiet through most of the familys interviews with the Star, said he doesnt think he will ever marry again. Its not easy to find a woman like her. His friends have suggested that he sue Fiera and the temp agency. He says hes not interested, not now anyway. He just wants to move on. But the accident that took Diabys life has forever altered the arc of his own. He says he would like to return to Sierra Leone, but he cant. He couldnt afford to repatriate his wifes body after she died and he wont leave her behind. I dont want to stay. But her body is here. WORKERS KILLED IN TWO EARLIER TRAGEDIES Amina Diaby is the third temp agency worker to die at a factory owned by Fiera Foods or one of its affiliated companies since 1999. In a written response to questions from the Star, the company said the deaths were separate but significant tragedies and that in each instance, it worked quickly to comply with ministry orders. The first was Ivan Golyashov, who would have turned 35 this summer. He was 17 when he started working at Fieras Norelco Dr. factory through a temp agency in the summer of 1999. When he resumed his high school classes at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Thorncliffe Park, Ivan continued to work at Fiera on weekends. On Saturday, Sept. 25, he was assigned to clean a large mixer, a task he had never before performed nor received training for, according to a lawsuit filed by his family. When Ivan was finished cleaning the mixer he asked his co-worker, who was also a temp, to open the door and let him out. The co-worker, who was also allegedly untrained, accidentally activated the machine. Ivan was crushed to death. The lawsuit filed by the teens family against Fiera accused the company of being negligent, not only for providing insufficient training, but also in how it failed to ensure machine controls were locked out while someone was inside. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Fiera did not file a statement of defence. Golyashovs mother, Marina, declined to comment when contacted by the Star earlier this year. The lawsuit also alleged that Fiera did not inform the Golyashovs of their sons death, and, in fact, initially denied it when they frantically called the factory looking for information. The teens father, Alexandr, had learned of his sons death from a friend who also worked at the factory. Fiera pleaded guilty to Ministry of Labour charges and was fined $150,000. Police investigated, but laid no criminal charges. Im satisfied this was just an accident, Det. Ralph Ashford told the Star at the time. If anything it was lack of training. The Golyashovs lawsuit also alleged that Temp Industrial, the temp agency that employed Ivan, tried to render itself judgment proof in the wake of his death by dissolving and fraudulently moving its assets to a different temp agency, Temporary Labour. Speaking to a Star reporter the day after her sons death, Marina Golyashov blamed herself. Its my fault, she said. I let him work. Children shouldnt work. The second death occurred nearly six years ago at Marmora Freezing Corp., one of Fieras affiliated partners, which operates a facility connected to Fieras main factory on Marmora St. Aydin Kazimov, a 69-year-old security guard, died after he was hit by a car and then run over by a truck in the factorys parking lot shortly after midnight, on Dec. 14, 2011. First, he was struck by a worker driving his car home after a 10-hour shift at the factory. An accident reconstruction expert later testified that Kazimov was injured, but likely still alive at this point. The driver, Marlon Layugan, initially fled the scene, but returned less than a minute later. In those intervening seconds Kazimovs unconscious body was driven over by a reversing tractor trailer and subsequently dragged for several minutes. Layugan was convicted of manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death and failing to stop. He was sentenced to six months in jail. In an agreed statement of facts read aloud at his sentencing, Justice Julie Thorburn said: Although employees had requested reflective gear from their employer, Fiera Food Company (sic) did not equip their security guards with reflective gear until after this incident. A Ministry of Labour investigation, obtained by the Star through a freedom of information request, found there was inadequate lighting, warning signs, and protective barriers to keep Kazimov safe. Regarding the temp agency that employed Kazimov, VIV Vision Security, the investigation said the company had been incorporated since 2007 without ever registering with the Ministry of Labour, and that it provided services exclusively to Fiera Foods. Of Fiera Foods, the investigation said the ministry had previously responded to many critical injuries and many other injuries at its factories between 1996 and 2011, and had already issued the company with around 90 health and safety orders, including 14 stop-work orders. Marmora Freezing Corp. pleaded guilty to charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and was fined $150,000. With regard to the three separate tragedies that occurred at or near our facilities, we remain saddened, Fieras lawyer and human resources manager, David Gelbloom, wrote in a letter to the Star in response to a number of questions. Despite these tragedies, we believe that the health and safety of our workforce is our highest concern and we continue to strive for improvements. Brendan Kennedy and Sara Mojtehedzadeh SHARE: Last September, Hillary Clinton was getting ready for the presidential candidates debates a spectacle that would include Donald Trump creeping up behind her on stage. A year and what probably feels like a lifetime later, Clinton is getting ready for another public tour, and a different, old rival is following close behind her this time, only metaphorically. Within 24 hours at the end of September, Toronto audiences will have a chance to hear from Clinton and former U.S. president Barack Obama. Clinton is doing a book-launch event in Toronto on the evening of Sept. 28 at the Enercare Centre. The very next day, Obama will be in Toronto as well, speaking at a lunchtime event hosted by the Canada2020 think-tank at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Obama will also be popping in at the Invictus Games, the Star also reported this week. The proximity of the two visits (not to mention the hefty ticket prices) could force some people to make a choice not unlike one that U.S. Democrats had to make back in 2008: Clinton or Obama? Ideally, however, one would see both. If youre a Canadian still a bit surprised that Trump ended up in the White House last year, Clinton and Obama may be able to fill in some pieces of the puzzle. Clintons new book, after all, is titled What Happened. Judging from the excerpts now emerging, the what is actually many things. Vanity Fair columnist Bess Levin summed up the multiple blame targets this week in a piece titled: A brief list of people Clinton blames for her election loss: Part 3. The list includes Bernie Sanders, former FBI director James Comey, the New York Times, sexism, Vladimir Putin and former vice-president Joe Biden. It also includes the two people speaking in Toronto later this month: Obama and Clinton herself. About Obama, Clinton muses in her book about whether the president might have been more open with the American people about the Russian election-tampering efforts during the 2016 campaign. I do wonder sometimes about what would have happened if President Obama had made a televised address to the nation in the fall of 2016 warning that our democracy was under attack. Maybe more Americans would have woken up to the threat in time. Well never know, Clinton has written in the book, according to one excerpt. Drawing up these Clinton blame lists has become a popular pastime among pundits since her defeat, but it often strikes me as a bit of a cheap shot (not by this particular Vanity Fair columnist, I should say.) All this talk of blame seems to be a bid to cast Clinton as trying to evade responsibility, even as she has repeatedly claimed it. Every day that I was a candidate for president, I knew that millions of people were counting on me and I couldnt bear the idea of letting them down. But I did. I couldnt get the job done. And Ill have to live with that for the rest of my life, she reportedly writes in the book. Its roughly what she said to Obama, too, on election night, according to other reports, when she called the president and apologized for failing to keep the White House out of Trumps hands. Speaking of Trump, its probably safe to bet that most people attending the Toronto events will be wanting to hear some disparaging words about the president. If youre paying to listen to Obama or Clinton for a couple of hours, youre probably not a fan of the guy who won the election last November. It will be interesting to see which one, Obama or Clinton, will have the more withering criticism. Neither has much to lose from doing so, and Obama has been a bit more outspoken even this week, with Trumps decision to end a program that protected children of undocumented immigrants from deportation. (In a Facebook post, Obama called the decision cruel and self-defeating.) If the next few weeks are anything like the past year, Trump will have given Clinton and Obama lots more to criticize when they get before their Canadian audiences. A sell-out crowd of about 6,000 people gathered in Montreal in June 2017 to hear former U.S. president Barack Obama speak at the city's convention centre. One audience member says she could listen to Obama speak ?forever.? (The Canadian Press) One boast that Clinton and Obama can make in their back-to-back appearances this month is that theyve paid more calls on Canada this year than Trump has. Obama did an event in Montreal in June and the Clintons vacationed in Quebecs Eastern Townships this summer. The new U.S. president, on the other hand, has yet to visit Canada and no plans for such a trip seem to be on the immediate horizon. Canadians wanting to hear from residents of the White House will have to content themselves for now with former occupants; two of them in one week this month. Read more about: SHARE: BEIRUTIsraeli warplanes struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria Thursday, killing two soldiers, the Syrian army said, in a stronghold of President Bashar Assad that is also heavily protected by the Russians and Iranians. The airstrike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf, in Hama province, described by some as a missile-producing factory, amid Israeli outrage over Irans growing influence in the war-torn country. Other reports suggested the facility was tied to Syrias chemical-weapons program. In a statement, the Syrian army said the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese air space, and warned of the dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region. We will do everything to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor from Iran to Damascus, said Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who declined commenting directly on the strike in an interview with Israels 100FM Radio Thursday. He said Israel isnt looking for adventures, and we dont want to be dragged into this fight or another. Read more: Syrian troops breach 3-year Daesh siege on eastern city near Iraqi border Syria opposition told to come to terms with Assads political survival Ceasefire follows military offensive on Lebanese-Syria border We are determined to prevent our enemies from harming or even creating the possibility of harming the security of Israeli citizens. Israel has carried out several airstrikes against suspected arms shipments it believed to be bound for Lebanons Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Assads forces, over the course of Syrias civil war, now in its seventh year. Israel has also struck several Syrian military facilities since the conflict began, mostly near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Assad, not wanting to draw Israel into his countrys war, has never retaliated. The airstrike comes amid heightened tensions over Irans growing reach in Syria. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed recently that Iran is building sites in Syria and Lebanon for the manufacture of precision-guided missiles with the aim of deploying them against Israel. Thursdays air raid was seen as a message to both Russia and Iran that Israel can strike anywhere in Syria. This week, Israel is conducting a massive drill along its border with Lebanon simulating war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. It was not immediately clear if the facility struck Thursday was used for the production or storage of chemical arms. Syria denies having or using such weapons. Rami Abdulrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said two facilities were hit in Thursdays airstrike, a scientific research centre and a nearby military base where short-range surface-to-surface missiles are stored. Many explosions were heard in the area after the air raid, said Abdulrahman, whose group relies on a network of activists across the country. He said Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military officials often visit the site, adding that those killed and wounded were Syrians. A local opposition media activist said the facility that was struck is a factory that produces missiles under the supervision of Iranian experts. He said those killed and wounded were Syrian soldiers guarding the facility. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns. Days after the April 4 chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 271 employees of Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Center. Washington said the agency is responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them. The airstrike is the furthest north since Russia joined the war in September 2015 with a major air campaign to aid Assads forces. In October 2016, Russia deployed a battery of S-300 air defence missile systems to protect a Russian navy facility in the Syrian port of Tartus and Russian navy ships in the area. Moscow also has long-range S-400 missile defence systems and an array of other surface-to-air missiles at the Hemeimeem airbase in Syrias coastal province of Latakia, about 70 kilometres from Thursdays strike location. Israel and Russia maintain open communication lines and a mechanism to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict with one another. It was not clear whether Thursdays strike was co-ordinated with Moscow, and there was no immediate comment from the Russians. Yaakov Amidror, Israels former national security adviser and a former general, said the strike targeted a weapons development and manufacturing site that was producing arms for Hezbollah. Former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin wrote on Twitter that the facility produces precision missiles, chemical weapons and barrel bombs. Thursdays strike comes a day after a UN probe found the Syrian government responsible for a chemical attack in April in northern Syria that killed more than 80 people, saying it was one of 20 chemical weapons attacks in the past four years carried out by the Syrian government. Meanwhile on Thursday, a convoy of 40 trucks carrying 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid arrived in Deir el-Zour after troops secured a corridor to the eastern city. The land convoy is the first since Syrian government forces and allied militiamen breached a nearly three-year-old siege by Daesh on government-held parts of the city on Tuesday. The Syrian official news agency SANA said the convoy reached a garrison known as Brigade 137 on the southwestern edge of the city, carrying thousands of food baskets, fruits and vegetables, medicine, and school books and stationery. The aid convoys arrived at the city by way of a military road that links the recently liberated military garrison to the town. They were greeted by jubilant civilians, who gathered around the trucks. No more hunger after today, proclaimed Mohamed Ibrahim Samra, the governor of Deir el-Zour before the cameras. Read more about: SHARE: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREASouth Koreas new liberal president took office this year with a pledge to foster warmer ties with North Korea. But the North Korean nuclear threat has rapidly escalated in the months since his election, leaving Moon sandwiched between his supporters expectations and the realities of dealing with an increasingly volatile regime, analysts say. President Moon Jae-in was elected in May with broad support in a special election following the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye. In electing Moon, who was wary of the United States and advocated dialogue with North Korea, voters eschewed nearly a decade of conservative rule in South Korea and Seouls hard-line approach toward its northern neighbour. Throughout his campaign, Moon vowed to take a two-track policy of pursuing dialogue with North Korea, while maintaining pressure and sanctions to change North Korean behaviour. Read more: South Korean President Moon Jae-in sets example with vacation Why North Korea has no interest in talking to the South as tensions escalate But North Korea has stepped up its nuclear and missile programs significantly since Moon became president most recently, by conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test so far on Sunday. And now, Moon is taking an ever harder line toward North Korea, which some in his base perceive as a shift from his campaign promise. Moons progressive supporters arent thrilled with the governments more hawkish rhetoric, while some of his harshest conservative critics are either confused or pleasantly surprised, analysts and advisers say. In response to Sundays powerful nuclear test, Moon this week urged the international community to expand economic sanctions by cutting off critical crude oil to the North Korean regime. Sanctions have done little to alter North Korean behaviour. North Korea on Thursday defended its nuclear program in a Russian-language statement released during an economic forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Bloomberg reported: We will reply to U.S. barbarian sanctions and pressure with our powerful countermeasures. In Vladivostok, Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to push for tougher U.N. sanctions, including cutting off the oil supply, and pressuring China and Russia to support such measures. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday he would support further necessary measures by the UN against North Korea, though he did not specify what those might be. The Trump administration also is pushing for further economic and diplomatic pressures on North Korea, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is reluctant to strengthen sanctions, saying such a move might hurt North Korean hospital patients and other ordinary citizens. The South Korean government has made it clear that pursuing a dialogue has now become a secondary part of the two-track policy. At an annual security forum on Thursday, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-Nam said, The Korean government will do its utmost in close coordination with the international community so that every possible punitive measure can be taken. Our government, since its inauguration in May, has embraced a policy of denuclearization by pursuing sanctions and pressure on the one hand and at the same time seeking dialogue on the other hand, Lim said. However, given North Koreas continuous provocations, now is not the right time for dialogue. Rather, it is time to tighten the screws on North Korea with a view to forcing the regime to change its strategic calculation. Moon maintains his pursuit of tougher economic pressures on North Korea is a means to achieve a diplomatic and peaceful resolution his two-track policy. I can say for sure that there will be no war on the Korean Peninsula again, Moon said Thursday in Vladivostok, Bloomberg reported. Supporters are giving him time because they understand Moon is in a sandwiched spot, and recognize that national security is the top priority from South Koreas perspective, advisers said. They warned that there will be a breaking point, though its not yet clear when that that will be. Ive talked to many of my fellow progressives. They are still supportive and waiting, despite frustration and disappointment over Moons rhetoric on increasing economic pressures on North Korea, said Kim Joon-Hyung, who was a key foreign policy adviser to Moons presidential campaign. Kim pointed out that Moon took office under extraordinary circumstances, following Parks impeachment. There were candlelight demonstrations, a historical movement, that granted power to Moon. So they think Moon should be different, he said. So far, he is unexpectedly hardline. But broadly, public opinion is sympathetic toward the harsher rhetoric, Kim said. For example, support for nuclear armament and an American antimissile defence system in South Korea continues to grow. According to Gallup Korea polls, public support for deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) rocket launchers grew from 50 per cent to upwards of 70 per cent over the past year. There is, in a way, a nationalistic sentiment and security concern, so the majority support the deployment of THAAD. At the same time, they are supporting peace initiatives, so its contradicting, Kim said. But its understandable, because the public is concerned about the increased threat. They are tired of Kim Jong Uns provocations, but theyre also worried about it. In many ways, Moons emphasis on pressure mirrors public sentiments outside his core of support, said Kang Won-taek, polling expert and professor of political science at Seoul National University. While Moons core base may feel differently, the public in general has shifted toward a more conservative view on pressuring North Korea, he said. Some conservatives are cautiously supportive of Moon on his call for stronger U.N. sanctions. Many conservatives are satisfied with the shifting direction, said Shin Beom-chul, an expert on North Korea and defence at the government-run Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. But they sometimes criticize that President Moon should have adopted that (approach) earlier, even from the beginning, in May or June. Conservatives, he said, ask for more stronger support on the alliance, stronger sanctions on North Korea. But conservative party leaders continue to slam Moon for failing to rein in North Korea and are pushing for a redeployment of American tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea, an option that South Koreas defence minister said was worth reviewing. The main opposition party leader, Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the conservative Liberty Korea Party who ran for president against Moon, criticized Moon for failing to deliver on his campaign pledge to take the drivers seat in leading a multilateral approach to Korean denuclearization. Its just faint motion, a gesture, in the face of a political crisis. My supporters and I dont believe he really believes in increasing pressure, Hong said. For 20 years, we have repeated dialogue, sanctions, dialogue, sanctions. Despite that, North Korea has consistently developed its nuclear power. Now, theyre at the final stages, at a point where dialogue is meaningless, Hong said. It has become extremely clear that diplomacy or dialogue is not a solution. That means the only path we can take is through operating tactical nuclear weapons. Foreign policy advisers to Moon said it would be politically possible for him to shift to emphasize dialogue again in the two-track policy approach but it would need to be framed as a long-term goal. What the public wants now is weakening the immediate threat from the North, so to do that, you need THAAD and a tougher stance, Kang said. In the long run, you might need dialogue. For now, in public opinion, theyre supportive of Moons tougher stance. Even though South Koreans are accustomed to life under military threat of North Korea since the end of the Korean War, the impact of the recent nuclear test is enormous. skorea Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONTrump administration lawyers joined sides with a Colorado baker Thursday and urged the Supreme Court to rule that he has the right to refuse to provide a wedding cake to celebrate the marriage of two men. Acting Solicitor Gen. Jeffrey B. Wall filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that the cake makers rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion should prevail over a Colorado civil-rights law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation. A custom wedding cake is a form of expression, he said. It is an artistic creation that is both subjectively intended and objectively perceived as a celebratory symbol of a marriage. And as such, the baker has a free-speech right under the First Amendment to refuse to express his support for a same-sex marriage, Wall argued. Read more: U.S. Supreme Court takes on case of baker who refused to make wedding cake for same-sex couple An entirely confusing story from Donald Trump on gay rights Washington court rules against florist who denied service to gay couple The case of the Colorado cake maker has emerged as the latest battle in the culture wars. It is a clash between the religious rights of a conservative Christian against gay rights and equal treatment for same-sex couples. The brief filed Thursday is likely to bolster the cake makers case, and is in line with U.S. President Donald Trumps repeated promises to protect religious liberty. But Wall asked the high court to carve out only a narrow exception to the state civil-rights laws forbidding businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation. It should extend only to people like painters, photographers and others whose product or service (is) inherently communicative. Most businesses would not qualify, he said. A commercial banquet hall may not refuse to rent its facilities, nor may a car service refuse to provide limousines because its owners do not approve of a same-sex marriage, he said. He also said an exemption for expressive conduct would not extend to cases of racial discrimination. The Supreme Court has said racial bias always violates the Constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws, he said, but has not yet adopted the same strict standard for judging bias based on sexual orientation. Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the administration was trying to create a constitutional right to discriminate. This Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear. But this brief was shocking, even for this administration, she said. We are confident that the Supreme Court will rule on the side of equal rights just as the lower courts have. The case began five years ago when two men who were planning to marry went to Masterpiece Cakeshop in a Denver suburb to ask about a wedding cake for their reception. They were surprised and angered when Jack Phillips, the shop owner, said he would not make a cake for a same-sex marriage. Doing so would violate his Christian faith, he said. The two men filed a complaint with the state Civil Rights Commission in Colorado, which like 20 other states has a law that requires businesses serving the public to provide full and equal service to customers without regard to their sexual orientation. An administrative judge, a seven-member state commission and a Colorado appeals court all agreed Phillips had violated the law. Phillips has continued to operate his bakery, but he no longer designs custom wedding cakes. Backed by the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom, he appealed to the Supreme Court late last year for the right under the First Amendment to be exempted from the state law. Shortly after Trumps first appointee, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, was confirmed and took his seat, the justices announced they would hear the bakers appeal. The case of Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado is due to be argued in late November or early December. SHARE: YOUNTVILLE One day after a rally was held showing solidarity with Napa Valleys immigrant population, a forum convened to discuss the topic of immigration at the Yountville Community Center. Randy Capps of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. was the key speaker at Thursdays forum on federal immigration policy sponsored by the Napa Valley Community Foundation. Capps was the lead author of a study conducted five years ago looking into the impact immigration has had on Napa County. The timing was perfect since the Trump administration just announced that it will be winding down Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, which has given legal presence to some immigrant youth who were brought to the U.S. as children. This past presidential election was the first time that immigration has been the main issue, Capps said. Never before has a president targeted immigrant communities, he said. Donald Trumps use of broad stereotypes and rhetoric during the campaign was unprecedented, and since being elected, in most cases, President Trump has kept his promises regarding immigration, Capps said. So far hes issued a travel ban, proposed punishments for sanctuary cities, and has increased border control and interior enforcement. Trump still wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico as well as add 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the payroll. These things, Capps said, may be on the table when Congress considers passing the DREAM Act, which would give so-called Dreamers a path to permanent residency. DACA will come at a price, he said. Therell have to be some compromise on this if the Dreamers are going to be protected. When it comes to undocumented immigrants, Capps said that the actual number of people being deported is lower but that more people are being deported without a conviction. When ICE is looking for someone, they are allowed to ask anyone whom they come into contact with about their status, he said. That means that some people, he said, are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Immigrant communities are justifiably scared, Capps said. The immigration enforcement system is completely unequal depending where you live in the country, Capps said. The U.S. has had a dramatic change in its demographics in a short period of time, he said. Californians may be used to dealing with an influx of immigrants, but many places are not, he said. How scared immigrant communities actually are might be tested as hurricane relief heads to Texas and Hurricane Irma threatens Florida, Capps said. Will these immigrant communities ask for help when they need it or will they be too scared of being deported, he questioned aloud. In California, there are greater protections in place than in some other states. On the legislative side, he said, we have the Trust Act and the Truth Act and there is proposed legislation in Sacramento SB54 that would prohibit any cooperation or sharing of information with ICE. There is a large share of immigrants in Napa County who are well-settled, but are still vulnerable, he said. If theyre deported, it could lead to an agricultural labor shortage. Pete Richmond with Silverado Farming Company, a vineyard management company, also spoke at the forum. Ninety-five percent of his workforce is from Mexico and the other five percent are Central American, Richmond said. In 30 years working in the business, this year was the first year he even had an Anglo apply for a job, he said. Its a career of last resort, he said of the back-breaking work of picking grapes. There are nearly 47,000 acres of grapes in Napa Valley, he said, and fewer people willing to do the work. To keep the job desirable, he said, there will be wage increases. The job already starts at $16 an hour and, he said, by 2020, he expects it to start at $20 an hour. Napa Police Chief Steve Potter and Jenny Ocon, executive director for UpValley Family Centers, also participated in the forum organized by the Napa Valley Community Foundation. OTTAWAAung San Suu Kyi rebuffed three fellow Nobel laureates who tried in a private meeting four years ago to persuade her to speak up for Burmas persecuted Muslim minority, The Canadian Press has learned. The result of the closed-door meeting in New York City in September 2013 foreshadowed the worldwide outrage she now faces for not defending her countrys Rohingya Muslims. All three attendees, including American Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, who worked with the Canadian government to ban landmines, added their voices Friday to the global condemnation of Suu Kyi. An estimated 270,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for neighbouring Bangladesh, saying they are running from attacks by government troops and Buddhist mobs. Read more: Alarming number of 270,000 Rohingya have fled Burma violence, UN says How Canada can act to ensure justice for Rohingya Fires in empty Rohingya village intensifies doubts about Burmese government claims Suu Kyi, who is an honorary Canadian citizen, has dismissed the complaints as misinformation and says the Burma government, which she now leads, is fighting a militant insurgency. But there have been widespread global calls for her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize to be rescinded and for world leaders to denounce her silence. Four years ago, three of her fellow female Peace Prize winners Williams, Irans Shirin Ebadi and Liberias Leymah Gbowee met her privately in what proved to be a futile effort to persuade her to recognize the Rohingya issue. We were disappointed in her reaction behind the scenes, said Rachel Vincent, the director of the Ottawa-based Nobel Womens Initiative, who was also at the New York meeting. Suu Kyi was in the U.S. on a tour organized by the U.S. State Department. The meeting took place in office space provided by Human Rights Watch, Vincent said. We felt the appropriate thing to do was to voice our concerns, first, privately. But it has become clear that it was necessary to become public in our concerns. On Friday, Williams, Ebadi and Gbowee and four other female Nobel laureates sent Suu Kyi a letter telling her she had betrayed the values of the Nobel Peace Prize with her silence. How many Rohingya have to die; how many Rohingya women will be raped; how many communities will be razed before you raise your voice in defence of those who have no voice? said the letter. Your silence today casts a dark and disturbing shadow on the prize and its values, which we are privileged to represent. Vincent said Williams and her fellow Nobel laureates stood up for Suu Kyi during her years of house arrest in Burma, defending her in numerous public statements. Williams was one of the few who managed to win permission from Burmas ruling military junta to visit Suu Kyi during her detention. When she asked people around the world to use their freedom to support freedom for her and many Burma democrats in prison, she entered into an unwritten compact, said Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division. But now it looks like shes reneging on the deal ... and its a gut punch to the world community that supported her. Suu Kyi visited Ottawa last spring and had a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He raised concerns about the treatment of the Rohingya during the meeting, the Prime Ministers Office said at the time. Trudeau reiterated that concern this week during the Liberal caucus retreat in Kelowna, B.C. Prime Minister Trudeau needs to go further and make clear to Aung San Suu Kyi that unless her government ends the atrocities, Canada will do more than denounce abuses and needs to reassess Canadas bilateral relationship with Burma, said Farida Deif, the Canada director of Human Rights Watch. So far, government officials say privately there is no consideration being given to rescinding her honorary Canadian citizenship. Suu Kyi is one of six international figures to receive that honour. An online petition by Change.org has almost 390,000 signatures calling for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Peace Prize. A Gatineau, Que. man has also launched a private petition calling on the government to revoke her Canadian citizenship. SHARE: If anyone understands the impact a hurricane can have on South Florida, its Bryan Norcross, the man who talked the region through Hurricane Andrew in 1992. His description of what a worst case hurricane scenario would be in Southeast Florida is downright chilling. It would be far worse than Andrew. In an interview with Washington Post last month, Norcross, now senior hurricane specialist at The Weather Channel, described the disastrous scenario in which a hurricane as strong as Andrew, directly struck the area just 16 to 20 kilometres to the north of where it came ashore. Besides the unimaginable destruction and widespread homelessness, it would be dagger to the economic heart of the region, Norcross said. The zone affected would include South Beach, the Port of Miami, the banking district, the Miami International Airport, and the Coral Gables and Doral business districts. Such a scenario cannot entirely be ruled out with Hurricane Irma. When Andrew ravaged large areas of South Florida in 1992, Norcross was the chief meteorologist at WTVJ, Miamis NBC affiliate. He stayed on air for 23 straight hours and is considered a hero by many who was glued to his coverage. Andrew, as bad as it was, wasnt the worst-case scenario for South Florida. While it ravaged the Homestead area, the more densely-populated coast from Miami to Fort Lauderdale missed the brunt of storm. What happens if it doesnt this time? Tourism and business would be incapacitated for an indeterminate length of time, Norcross said. With no jobs and housing, people would have to leave. It is impossible to imagine how the region would resurrect itself and how long it would take. Norcross is particularly concerned about the scenario in which the storm surge exceeds two metres in the Miami area. Tens or hundreds of thousands of people would likely be stranded and immobile in their buildings after the storm, he said. People staying in highrise buildings would be safe, if they rode out the storm in a lower-level hallway. But the grounds and streets around the buildings within range of the storm surge would be deep in sand and debris. He continued: So people will be stuck in buildings with no power, no water, likely little or no communications, and no way to get out or get people in with supplies and aid for an extended time after the storm. The economic costs of a disaster of this scale are difficult to calculate, but scholars estimate north of $200 billion (U.S.). In recent decades, the population in southeast Florida has ballooned and an incredible amount of wealth and infrastructure is in harms way. Irmas exact track over the Florida peninsula is still in flux. Its possible it will track just far enough west, perhaps over the Everglades, so that the densely-populated Miami to Fort Lauderdale corridor narrowly avoids the worst of Irmas wrath. But a small wobble to the east would place Miami and its surroundings in Irmas northeastern eyewall, where winds are most destructive and the storm surge is maximized. Even if the worst case doesnt materialize in Miami, Norcross said he is deeply concerned about South Floridas readiness for something even less. South Florida is not remotely prepared for a Category 3 or higher hurricane, he said. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma was a Category 1 in Miami-Dade County and Category 2 in pockets of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. It ended up being the third most expensive hurricane in the history of hurricanes. The government was barely able to stabilize the situation simply due to the large number of people who were really hurting. He added: (Even) if you could get 90 per cent of the people to prepare to take total care of themselves for a week or more after a storm, there would still be hundreds of thousands of people needing immediate aid including many in the most vulnerable populations in a metropolitan area as large and complex as southeast Florida. And you could never get anywhere close to 90 per cent of the population to fully prepare. SHARE: POMPANO BEACH, FLA.Hurricane Irma continues to hurtle toward Floridas doorstep, threatening to ravage the state with destruction not seen in a generation. As the weather forecasts and warnings from officials grew increasingly dire, hundreds of thousands of people across Florida fled their homes before the rapidly closing window to escape Irmas wrath slammed shut. Forecasters said Irma, a hurricane of remarkable size and power that already has battered islands across the Caribbean, would approach South Florida by Sunday morning is likely to slam into its southern tip before tracking north across a heavily populated area. The death toll in the storms wake across the Caribbean climbed to 22. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba reported no major casualties or damage by mid-afternoon after Irma rolled north of the Caribbeans biggest islands. But many others residents and tourists farther east were left reeling after the storm ravaged some of the worlds most exclusive tropical playgrounds, known for their turquoise waters and lush green vegetation. Among them: St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Thomas, Barbuda and Anguilla. Irma threatened to push its way northward from one end of Florida to the other beginning Sunday morning in what many feared could be the long-dreaded, catastrophic Big One. Its not a question of if Floridas going to be impacted, its a question of how bad Floridas going to be impacted, William Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Friday at a news conference. Officials in Georgia and the Carolinas where heavy rains and flooding are expected early next week declared emergencies Friday, but attention remained focused on Florida. Forecasts call for up to 50 centimetres of rain in some areas and thrashing winds no matter how the storm pivots before hitting the mainland United States. Irma is likely to make landfall in Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, and will bring life-threatening wind impacts to much of the state regardless of the exact track of the centre, the National Hurricane Center said Friday. The centre said that Irma, which had maximum sustained winds near 250 km/h and higher gusts on Friday and passed between the Central Bahamas and north coast of Cuba, was expected to remain a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Florida. Local, state and federal officials have offered ominous warnings as the storm zeroed in on Florida, making it clear how much danger they felt the Sunshine State could face in coming days. Long urged people from Alabama to North Carolina to monitor and prepare for the storm, calling it a threat that is going to devastate the United States, either Florida or some of the southeastern states. Read more: Hurricane Irma brings death, wide-scale destruction to the Caribbean Quebec man on Saint-Martin calls Irma the most terrifying experience of his life Canadian couple stranded on Caribbean island pleads for help, evacuation Floridians are familiar with ominous forecasts and hurricane warnings, and many have painful memories of Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall as a Category 5 monster in 1992, and other storms that brought lashing rain and winds. But when asked about people in South Florida who intend to ride out the storm at home, Long was blunt. I can guarantee you that I dont know anybody in Florida thats ever experienced whats about to hit South Florida, Long said. They need to get out and listen and heed the warnings. Mark DeMaria, acting deputy director of the hurricane centre, said Friday afternoon that the latest models showed the storm track shifting slightly to the west, putting Southwest Florida in particular jeopardy for the most violent winds while all of South Florida will have significant impacts. We really want to emphasize the very vulnerable Southwest Florida area, DeMaria said. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has warned people that evacuation zones could expand and said that all Floridians should be prepared to leave their homes. Scott also has cited the memories of Andrew, calling Irma more devastating on its current path, and warned that much of the state could be imperiled. In addition to packing intense power, Irma was also an immense storm, forecasters say, with hurricane-force winds extending some 112 kilometres from the centre, and tropical-storm force winds extending as far as 297 kilometres out. Airports around the state said they would suspend flights and cease operations. Publix, the grocery store chain, announced plans to close stores across the state in waves and did not say when they would reopen. Tom Bossert, Homeland Security adviser to President Donald Trump, on Friday said that people need to have enough food and water to get by during a period when the rain and wind will prevent authorities from getting to them. We have pre-deployed and pre-staged, but we cant actually get to that final point of care until conditions permit, he said during a White House briefing Friday. The hurricane centre has issued a hurricane warning covering all of South Florida, where local officials have ordered evacuations along the coast. In Miami-Dade County, the states most populous, mandatory evacuations were issued for about 660,000 people, including for Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. It was the largest evacuation ordered in Miami-Dade history, said Carlos Gimenez, the countys mayor. Miami City Hall, an Art Deco style building right on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, an evacuation zone, was locked and mostly vacant on Friday. The only City Hall parking spot that was occupied? A black Ford Expedition in the spot labelled for Mayor Tomas Regalado. Many people ordered to leave Broward and Palm Beach counties were directed to public schools, which have been shuttered across the state by Gov. Rick Scott so they can serve as shelters and staging areas for first responders. Many public schools across the state had already cancelled classes, while colleges had also shuttered campuses and rescheduled football games. In addition to having intense power, Irma also is an immense storm, with forecasters reporting hurricane-force winds extending some 70 miles from the centre and tropical-storm force winds extending as far as 185 miles out. Airports around the state said they would suspend flights and cease operations. Publix, a grocery store chain, announced plans to close stores across the state in waves and did not say when they would reopen. Tom Bossert, Homeland Security adviser to President Trump, said Friday that people need to have enough food and water to get by during a period when the rain and wind will prevent authorities from getting to them. We have pre-deployed and pre-staged, but we cant actually get to that final point of care until conditions permit, he said Friday during a White House briefing. The centre has issued a hurricane warning covering all of South Florida, where local officials have ordered evacuations along the coast. In Miami-Dade County, the states most populous, mandatory evacuations were issued for about 660,000 people, including for Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. It was the largest evacuation ordered in Miami-Dade history, said Carlos Gimenez, the countys mayor. Miami City Hall, an Art Deco building right on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, an evacuation zone, was locked and mostly vacant on Friday. The only City Hall parking spot that was occupied? A black Ford Expedition in the spot labelled for Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. Many people ordered to leave Broward and Palm Beach counties were directed to public schools, which Scott has shuttered across the state so they can serve as shelters and staging areas for first responders. Many public schools across the state cancelled classes, while colleges had also closed campuses and rescheduled football games. Pompano Beach High School, which sits just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean and is normally home to the Golden Tornadoes, was transformed Friday into a safe haven for about 150 people seeking shelter from Irma. Several volunteers said they expected the school, one of about 20 facilities Broward County is using as a shelter, to reach its capacity of 280 people by Saturday. Those already packed into the schools cafeteria had one thing in common: They were either unable or unwilling to leave the area, despite a mandatory evacuation order for several sections of the county, including anyone close to the nearby ocean. Only those who had registered starting at noon Thursday were allowed into the school, and once capacity was reached, others who showed up were directed to venues with larger spaces. Three Broward County Sheriffs deputies were at the front door Friday, inspecting all bags for weapons, drugs and alcohol. Two paramedics were assigned to the shelter in three shifts, and two will be in the building 24 hours a day starting Saturday morning, along with at least a half dozen law enforcement officers. The men, women and children filing inside have been greeted by several volunteers and county employees who will be working around the clock starting at 8 a.m. Saturday. Theyre staffing a facility that doesnt quite have all the comforts of home there are two bathrooms and no showers, cots or Wi-Fi but there are a few. Two television sets were tuned to the Weather Channel, providing the latest news about Irmas approach all of it bad. There also were nine microwave ovens, plugs for cellphones and computers and, eventually, a generator. Many occupants came fully prepared. A a number of air mattresses, chaise lounges and sleeping bags were set up in neat rows throughout the cafeteria. Three free meals a day will be served. Someone brought in stacks of books, and others played checkers, cards, watched TV, read or took naps. An elderly couple came in concerned about keeping their insulin refrigerated. They were quickly assured by a paramedic that the insulin would be stored in a cafeteria fridge and be available anytime. Suzie and Rene Wilhelm were in Florida on vacation from the Netherlands, staying at a hotel a block from a nearby Fort Lauderdale beach. Rene, a Mercedes-Benz salesman, said they left Amsterdam for Orlando last Monday, not really aware of the huge storm gathering hundreds of miles away. Weve been coming to Florida since 2000 Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and we had no idea this was happening, Rene Wilhelm said. Were used to snow, but not this. They stayed in Orlando for a day, then drove south on Wednesday, at the time hoping that the storm would veer away from South Florida. We didnt know what to do, said Suzie Wilhelm, who works in health care. As we were driving here, I thought, This is a stupid thing to do. I called our travel agent in the Netherlands, and also the same company here, to see if they could get us out, but they never even called me back or answered my emails. The woman at our hotel tried to book us somewhere else, but everything was filled. They tried one shelter, but were told there was no food and that they could not leave if they went in. It was terrifying, so we came here, she said. You can come and go. People have been very nice to us. Not far away, Bill and Jane Borum, both native Washingtonians and retirees, were reading to pass the hours. They live in a condo at the Bay Colony highrise in Fort Lauderdale, just steps from the ocean, and left when an evacuation order was issued. They thought about driving north to get out of harms way, but traffic was horribly jammed and we really didnt have any place to go, said Jane Borum, who attended Alice Deal Junior High and Wilson High School in Northwest Washington many years ago and retired to South Florida with her husband. Our kids in Maryland wanted us to fly home, but we couldnt get on a flight, so now were here, she said. Its our first time in a shelter, and the last, I hope. Some hit the road but did not want to go too far. Joseph Tony Vincent, 82, said he has seen many storms and planned to hit the road for Irma, but he was not heading far away from the Naples Mobile Home Park. He has weekend room reservations at a modest motel just outside the park, along the Tamiami Trail. Vincent said that even if he had the money, he wouldnt leave his home state because of a hurricane. Hell, youd be safer here than taking a car on those roads, he said. You might be killed before you get to Atlanta. Other Florida fixtures hunkered down. The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens otherwise known as Zoo Miami, which sprawls across more than 700 acres and has more than 3,000 animals closed down Thursday but said it would not be moving its animals. We dont evacuate our animals since hurricanes can change direction at the last minute and you run the risk of evacuating to a more dangerous location, the zoo said in a statement. Furthermore, the stress of moving the animals can be more dangerous than riding out the storm. The animals that are considered dangerous will stay in their secure night houses, which are made of poured concrete and welded metal. When Hurricane Andrew struck, the zoo was hit hard. Tropical birds were missing, cages torn apart and animals traumatized through, miraculously, most of the animals were unharmed. Across the main arteries out of Florida, some trips took more than twice as long as normal. People who fled the state trekked into Georgia and South Carolina, and Atlantas downtown was turned into a temporary home for many evacuees. In South Carolina, the attorney generals office reported more than 200 complaints from residents about price-gouging related to gasoline. Fleeing to safer ground was not an option for many in the Caribbean, where Irma had the prime minister of tiny Barbuda grasping for a word to describe the devastation. The island, said Gaston Browne, was now rubble. Frances minister for overseas territories, Annick Girardin, described scenes of pillaging on St. Martin as people cleaned out stores and roamed the streets in search of food and water. On Haitis northern coast, the mayor of the city Fort Liberty, Louis Jacques Etienne, called it a nuclear hurricane. Crops are destroyed, cattle is dead, and my cities are broken. It is bad. Very very bad, he said. Even as this region struggled to grasp the toll of what had happened, another powerful hurricane was following in Irmas wake. Hurricane Jose loomed as another threat, with the National Hurricane Center saying late Friday that it was now an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane expected to bring life-threatening flooding to the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and other areas already left reeling by Irma. SHARE: BEIRUTOnly one health facility remains operational in the Daesh-held part of Raqqa, serving thousands of civilians trapped in the Syrian city with virtually no emergency services or rescue personnel as the intense U.S.-backed campaign to liberate the city continues, Physicians for Human Rights said Friday. The New York-based group described as nightmarish conditions in the ever-shrinking area controlled by Daesh, also known as ISIS, militants amid an incessant bombing campaign. The wounded civilians are left under the rubble because civilians fear being struck by further airstrikes. The lone operating hospital is using salt water to sanitize wounds and treatment of traumatic injuries is limited to stopping the bleeding, the group said based on interviews it carried out with survivors, physicians and aid workers from the city. The U.S.-led campaign, which began in earnest in June, left only the national hospital functioning at reduced capacity, as others were either bombed or closed, the group said according to witnesses it interviewed. Read more: At least 42 civilians killed in airstrikes on Syrian city of Raqqa U.S.-backed Syrian fighters capture almost half of Daeshs de facto capital One doctor who escaped in mid-August told PHR he operated out of his home because civilians feared going to the hospital in case it was shelled, or to avoid extortion by Daesh. Militants from the extremist group administer the hospital, which has been divided in two sections, one for civilians and another for the groups fighters. Amid the campaign, the last of the hospitals remaining services were forced underground, providing very basic medical care, PHR said. In recent weeks, medical supplies dwindled and pharmacies were closed. The doctor finally left Raqqa after two of his colleagues were killed in airstrikes that struck their homes. As he fled, his daughter was killed in a landmine explosion. Raqqa is a death trap where civilians who have already suffered for years under (Daesh) rule now also suffer the deadly consequences of the fight against (Daesh), said Racha Mouawieh, Syria researcher for PHR. The UN has estimated that up to 25,000 civilians remain trapped in the city, unable to leave either because Daesh holds them to use as human shields, or because of landmines along the roads and the heavy bombing. For those who survived escaping the city, the closest health facility is 50 miles away, in Tal Abyad, or 90 miles away in Kobane for a specialized trauma unit. A new private hospital opened in Tabqa, about 25 miles from Raqqa, last week, PHR said. The group called on parties to the conflict to ensure civilian access to medical care and safe evacuation. The U.S-led coalition described reports of the violence and destruction around the areas health facilities as abhorrent. It reiterated that the avoidance of civilian casualties is our highest priority when conducting strikes against legitimate military targets, but noted that casualties are inevitable in street-by-street battles with militants. Since the campaign began in June, U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have seized more than 60 per cent of the city, tightening the noose on hundreds of Daesh militants who are fighting to the death for the city, and trapping thousands of civilians with them. The UN and rights groups have expressed concern for civilian safety, with one official urging a humanitarian pause. Meanwhile, Russias Ministry of Defence said Friday it has killed four Daesh leaders, including one it described as the groups war minister, in an airstrike outside the eastern Syria city of Deir el-Zour, south of Raqqa. Russia has been providing air cover for Syrian President Bashar Assads offensive on Daesh since 2015. The defence ministry said its airstrike killed 40 militants, including four prominent warlords who gathered for a meeting of Daesh commanders in an underground bunker outside Deir el-Zour. Heavy clashes are taking place between Syrian government forces and Daesh around Deir el-Zour as militants fight to reinstate a years-long siege of the city. Assads troops on Tuesday broke the nearly three-year militant blockade of parts of the city, marking a significant advance against the extremists. The Russian military named Abu Muhammad al-Shimali and Gulmurod Khalimov as two of the four Daesh leaders killed in the airstrike. The other two were not named in the statement. Al-Shimali reportedly headed the movement of foreign fighters into Syria and processed the groups new recruits. Khalimov, a colonel who received U.S. training while heading the riot police force in his native Tajikistan, has often been described as the Daeshs minister of war. The United States last year placed a $3 million bounty on his head. Read more about: SHARE: MEXICO CITYOne of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the countrys southern coast, toppling hundreds of buildings and sending panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. At least 61 people were reported dead. The quake that hit minutes before midnight Thursday was strong enough to cause buildings to sway violently in the capital city more than 1,000 kilometres away. As beds banged against walls, people still wearing pyjamas ran out of their homes and gathered in frightened groups. Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicentre, said his house moved like chewing gum. The furious shaking was followed by a second national emergency for Mexican agencies as Hurricane Katia made landfall north of Tecolutla in Veracruz state late Friday amid intense rains. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Katias maximum sustained winds had dropped to 120 km/h, making it a Category 1 storm, but it was still expected to bring life-threatening floods and a dangerous storm surge off the Gulf of Mexico. President Enrique Pena Nieto said Friday evening in a televised address that 61 people were killed 45 in Oaxaca state, 12 in Chiapas and 4 in Tabasco and he declared three days of national mourning. The worst-hit city was Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus, where 36 quake victims died. About half of Juchitans city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses. A hospital also collapsed, Pena Nieto said after touring the city and meeting with residents. The patients were relocated to other facilities. The president said authorities were working to re-establish the supply of water and food and provide medical attention to those who need it. He vowed the government would help people rebuild and called for people to come together. The power of this earthquake was devastating, but we are certain that the power of unity, the power of solidarity and the power of shared responsibility will be greater, Pena Nieto said. A major earthquake off Mexico's southern coast killed at least five people, with the president saying Friday it was the biggest in a century to hit the country. Houses were toppled, electricity was cut and people fled into the streets in panic. (The Associated Press) Mexico City escaped major damage, but the quake terrified sleeping residents, many of whom still remember the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of the city. Families were jerked awake by the grating howl of the capitals seismic alarm. Some shouted as they dashed out of rocking apartment buildings. Even the iconic Angel of Independence Monument swayed as the quakes waves rolled through the citys soft soil. Part of a bridge on a highway being built to the site of Mexico Citys planned new international airport collapsed due to the earthquake, local media reported. Elsewhere, the extent of destruction was still emerging. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut at least briefly to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools Friday in at least 11 states to check them for safety. The Interior Department reported that 428 homes were destroyed and 1,700 were damaged in various cities and towns in Chiapas. Homes made of clay tiles and wood collapsed, said Nataniel Hernandez, a human rights worker living in Tonala, Chiapas, who warned that inclement weather threatened to bring more down. Right now it is raining very hard in Tonala, and with the rains it gets much more complicated because the homes were left very weak, with cracks, Hernandez said by phone. The earthquakes impact was blunted somewhat by the fact that it was centred 100 miles offshore. It hit off Chiapas Pacific coast, near the Guatemalan border, with a magnitude of 8.1 equal to Mexicos strongest quake of the past century. It was slightly stronger than the 1985 quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicentre was in a seismic hot spot in the Pacific where one tectonic plate dives under another. These subduction zones are responsible for producing some of the biggest quakes in history, including the 2011 Fukushima disaster and the 2004 Sumatra quake that spawned a deadly tsunami. The quake struck at 11:49 p.m. Thursday, and its epicentre was 165 kilometres west of Tapachula in Chiapas. It had a depth of 69.7 kilometres, the USGS said. Dozens of strong aftershocks rattled the region in the following hours. Three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed, Chiapas Gov. Manuel Velasco said. There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy, he said. Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged. In Tabasco, one child died when a wall collapsed, and an infant died in a childrens hospital when the facility lost electricity, cutting off the ventilator, Gov. Arturo Nunez said. The quake triggered tsunami warnings and some tall waves, but there was no major damage from the sea. Authorities briefly evacuated a few residents of coastal Tonala and Puerto Madero because of the warning. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported waves of 1 metre above the tide level off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges elsewhere. In neighbouring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales appeared on national television to call for calm while emergency crews surveyed damage. Officials later said only four people had been injured and several dozen homes damaged. The quake occurred near the point of collision between three tectonic plates, the Cocos, the Caribbean and the North American. The area has seen at least six other quakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900. Three of those occurred within a nerve-wracking nine-month span in 1902-1903, according to Mexicos National Seismological Service. Scientists were still reviewing data, but a preliminary analysis indicated the quake was triggered by the sudden breaking or bending of the Cocos plate, which dives beneath Mexico. That type of process does not happen often in subduction zones. Usually, big quakes in subduction zones occur along the boundary between the sinking slab and the overriding crust. Its unusual, but its not unheard of, said seismologist Susan Hough of the USGS, describing how stresses on the sea floor can produce big earthquakes. The new quake matched the force of a magnitude 8.1 quake that hit the country on June 3, 1932, roughly 500 kilometres west of Mexico City. A study by the seismological service concluded that that quake killed about 400 people and caused severe damage around the port of Manzanillo. A powerful aftershock that hit 19 days later caused a tsunami that devastated 25 kilometres of coastline, killing 75 people. In Veracruz, tourists abandoned coastal hotels as winds and rains picked up ahead of Hurricane Katias expected landfall. Workers set up emergency shelters and cleared storm drains, and forecasters warned that the storm threatened to bring torrential rainfall, high winds and a dangerous storm surge off the Gulf of Mexico. The arrival of #Katia may be particularly dangerous for slopes affected by the earthquake. Avoid these areas, Pena Nieto tweeted. Read more about: SHARE: Mayfield To strive. To seek. To find Secondary School in Caledon, a pretty town just northwest of Toronto, is testing getting rid of grades throughout the year. Students in four Grade 9 subjects will consult with the teacher at years end and negotiate the grades they feel they deserve. On the one hand, this is a bit adorable and gives stroppy teenagers a head start on years of arguing, bursting into tears and stomping off. On the other hand, its the end of the civilization of which we once dreamed. I sit in the middle, with one caveat. I deserve an A+ for this column, as soon as I finish writing it, which I will because of a deadline, which is another thing Mayfield students dont have. The teacher can give them a temporary zero during the school year but must justify retaining the mark, which cannot distort or misrepresent a students actual or overall achievement. This column is great and getting greater by the word is my way of thinking. Readers might not agree. Neither might my editor. But they are wrong. Also, I worked like a fire ant on this. Recall the now-dismissed education theory that children shouldnt be praised for their results, but for the hard work they put into being lousy at things. Good work! we say to the toddler who cant quite blow bubbles. This column blows bubbles, and I didnt even work hard. My best columns are the ones Im on fire for. Flames are engulfing me now. As students settle back into class this week I still honour this by buying myself a classic back-to-school shoe the adults are unsettled. Ontario has decided to collect education stats based on race (a blow to multiculturalism and those who think its nobodys business), some schools are postponing Grade 9 streaming into academic or applied, students are bad at math (perhaps because teachers are ill-prepared), rural schools are closing, buses are late and so on. Ontario should have stuck with Grade 13, I say, one more year to help kids figure out their personalities and paths, but that is a particularly dead horse and I wont try to haul the thing upright. What lies behind all this? Education is more fraught now because everything seems frightful. People are more competitive, fearing imaginary stigma, poor marks, unemployment, the gig economy, falling behind, inadvertent drug addiction, early death, late death. But basically, what people fear is poorer life chances. This is reasonable. Fearful people make bad choices, and this writhing over high school rules is one example. If students fear standards, as they always have, thats no reason to tear them down. The new plan, at Mayfield and other schools, will mean students in four subjects will be given constant feedback throughout the year but were they not already? and then sit down with teachers and negotiate on the mark. This will be a learning experience in itself, apparently. As one university dean of education told the Star, That dialogue then, is another chance for them to engage in the learning process itself, because theyre learning to advocate for themselves, theyre learning to articulate the learning that has taken place within themselves. OK, then. If students dont like the marks theyre given, they can appeal. Universities allow this. I hear howls of derisive laughter from university professors and adjuncts under the student gun. Its trickling down, they say. Mayfield has an eccentric history. In 2010 students came to school as minstrels in blackface for Halloween. Mayfields vice-principal showed up in blackface in 2013. Both he and the principal were later transferred. The new principal, James Kardash, a former CFL player, has new ideas. As the schools Mayfield Without Marks website link reports, the self-grading scheme will be supported by a New York state teacher and blogger named Starr Sackstein. The website includes American teachers blogs, articles, U.S. TEDx local talks and videos. The U.S. education system lies in wreckage. Why are Canadians adopting their failures? The website offers no data on no-grading beyond one photocopied link to a 1988 Israeli study. The writing is anecdotal, with one Canadian podcast about Cabbagetown students feelings. There is also what Mayfield calls a fantastic video from Sal Khan of the Khan Academy, a huge, controversial U.S. company offering MOOCs (massive open online courses) around the world, or at least supplements to them. There are no teachers as such, perfect for a class without marks. Is it even permissible in Ontario to add this nonsense to an official school website? Does the union know? No wonder smart Caledon parents are bemused. Seen from the most generous point of view, perhaps Mayfield is trying to be an incubator of new ideas, as they say, a hub of progressive learning, the Oberlin University of Ontario high schools in bucolic Caledon. But I suspect it is taking educational shortcuts and hoping for the best. Mayfield parents will not see it this way. Solid supporters of their 1,900 much-loved fretful teenagers, they wont tolerate them being shortchanged. SHARE: Pity Bill Morneau. The federal finance minister who caved in on his plan to end a big tax break is now taking aim at something far more modest. Yet even that has ignited a political firestorm thats unnerved the governing Liberals and given the feckless opposition Conservatives something substantive to attack. The big tax break that Morneau caved in on was a loophole favouring those paid in the form of employee stock options. That one, which costs the federal treasury about $840 million a year, was singled out by the Liberals during the 2015 election campaign as a break they would end. But after winning power, the Liberals changed their minds. They said stock options were great, that they encouraged the millionaire CEOs and others who typically receive them to be innovative. Instead, Morneau began to fix his baleful gaze on something called the Canadian-controlled private corporation. Its a form of corporate organization used extensively, but not exclusively, by small business. More to the point, it gives the owners significant tax advantages that most Canadians dont enjoy. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says the government?s tax plan punishes small businesses to cover what he calls ?out-of-control spending.? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says nothing in the plan targets middle-class business owners. (The Canadian Press) Independent research by tax experts such as the University of Ottawas Michael Wolfson show that the use of these private corporations has skyrocketed in recent years. In one study published by the Canadian Tax Journal, Wolfson and others calculated that the tax advantages associated with private corporations disproportionally favour the top one per cent of income earners. In other words, this isnt just a tax break used by mom-and-pop convenience stores. Among other things, it allows well-heeled professionals to split their incomes among family members in order to minimize taxes. The estimated cost to the treasury of the so-called tax expenditures associated with private corporations is relatively modest roughly $250 million a year. But politically, closing these particular loopholes seemed a winner for the Liberals. It fit Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus promise to rejig the tax system in favour of what he called the middle class. More importantly, it seemed at first to face little opposition. The Liberals 2015 election platform took explicit aim at private corporations. But at the time, few seemed to care much. Nor was there mass outrage when Morneau pledged in 2016 to take a hard look at tax expenditures generally. All of that changed in July when the finance minister released his formal plans for dealing with private corporations. Thats when the controversy exploded. Canadians take their tax breaks seriously. They grouse if general tax rates go up. But, as the Liberals should remember from history, they can be apoplectic when their specific loopholes are threatened. Two of Pierre Trudeaus finance ministers, Edgar Benson and Allan MacEachen, lost their jobs for attempting serious tax reform. The politics were just too difficult. So it is today. Small-business lobbies such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have reacted furiously to Morneaus proposal. Farmers are nervous. Liberal MPs are being bearded in their ridings. The Canadian Medical Association, many of whose physician members have formed private corporations specifically to take advantage of the tax loopholes Morneau wants to close, have levelled volleys at his scheme. In an attempt to appeal to the prime ministers avowed feminism, the CMA has even played the gender card, noting that the tax breaks the government wants to end allow female physicians to fund maternity leave benefits they would not otherwise enjoy. In fact, like all other self-employed individuals, physicians who choose to pay employment insurance premiums are eligible to receive up to 50 weeks of maternity and parental benefits from the government. But such facts are largely irrelevant in what is already a vigorous propaganda battle. Will the Liberals fold again? Trudeau says no. He says the government will do something to correct this particular tax inequity. How much it will do remains the great unknown. Thomas Walkom usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. SHARE: Pope Francis recently revealed that decades ago in the 1970s, when he headed the Jesuits in Argentina, hed seen a psychoanalyst to clarify a few things. For six months, he went to her home once a week and she was always there for him. Its almost how youd expect a religious person to talk about God. He mentioned it casually, in passing, as if it was normal, which it is in Argentina, especially Buenos Aires. Roberto Neuberger, an analyst there, says cab drivers strike up conversations on the subject as if its futbol. Theyre precise: one might favour Melanie Kleins revision of Freud, which arrived in the 1940s; others are Lacanians, which became influential in the 1960s. Buenos Aires has the highest per capita rate of therapists in the world (about 200/100,000 people). An area of the city is called Villa Freud. Its so normal that people probably pretend to have a shrink if they dont, as they did in Manhattan during my years there. It was an intense time, personally and nationally, when the future pope made the call. Argentina was two years into a homicidal military dictatorship. People were being disappeared kidnapped with no official record, tortured, murdered eventually 30,000 died that way. (Last week there was a new disappearance, evoking a sort of post-traumatic mass protest.) Many Jesuits were in the resistance. Two, whod been at odds with their boss, were grabbed and tortured. He eventually got them out but both blamed him, though one eventually relented. A biographer says hed declined to act in the case of a pregnant woman whod been disappeared (a frightening thing about the term is how quickly it ceased needing quotes). Shortly after, he began the sessions. In fact, analysts were viewed as leftish, and were also disappeared, though in the aftermath some generals reverted to Freudian terminology (collective unconscious . . . need to work through mourning), showing how pervasive it was. The future pope chose a Jewish woman, reflecting doubly well on him, Id say. They reconnected as she was dying: not to convert, just to talk things over. He doesnt say if that political crisis led to a personal religious one. But hes emerged as the pope with a passionate ethical focus, versus doctrinal or theological. If your views on faith grow murky, as his might have, the clearest way to God becomes via relations with other people. Hes the pope who declined to live in the papal apartment in the Vatican, staying instead in the communal Domus. I cannot live alone, he explained, I must live with others. As Abou ben Adhem says in the poem, when told he wasnt listed among those who love the Lord: I pray thee then/Write me as one who loves his fellow men. Its interesting to hear about the Popes Freudian phase now, at a time of renewed attack on Freud, currently by the dogged anti-Freud literary critic, Frederick Crews: Freud is irrelevant, hes fraudulent, hes been replaced by a mixed pack of pharmaceuticals and cognitive behavioural therapy, etc. Its almost certain that Freud wouldve joined in. He altered his views often, even if he held them fiercely in the moment. He was restless. My own mentor in these matters, the late Jack Seeley, said only three things remain of Freuds legacy: dreams, the unconscious and free association. Its hard not to imagine Pope Francis consenting easily to all. Its true Freud at times used a language of scientific certainty, but mainly for tactical purposes. More revealing are his words in a letter that Crews tries to use to damn him: For I am actually not at all a man of science, not an observer, nor an experimenter, not a thinker. I am by temperament nothing but a conquistador, an adventurer . . . with all the curiosity, daring and tenacity characterisic of a man of this sort. Its maladroit in terms of political sensitivities, especially in Latin America today, but its also refreshing in the sense that Freud acknowledges the human, childhood-rooted, fantasy-laden elements at the core of his and everyones life choices (i.e., dreams, the unconscious, free association). He revelled in contradictions; they made life interesting, endlessly perplexing, and perhaps attracted a future pope as well. I feel I should at this point draw a contrast between Pope Franciss humane openness and Donald Trumps infantile rages, but luckily Ive run out of space. Rick Salutins column appears every Friday. Read more about: SHARE: Donald Trump has an uncanny ability to shoot himself and his country in the foot. With his decision this week to end legal protection for hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants, he has done it once again. Trumps announcement that the DACA (for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program will be ended has been widely condemned as morally wrong and it is that. It puts the threat of deportation over the heads of some 800,000 young people who were brought to the United States as children, mostly from Mexico. Most have known no other country. But Trumps move is also a self-inflicted wound to the U.S. and its economy. The so-called Dreamers covered by the program are disproportionately well-educated, law-abiding and upwardly mobile. They are, in short, the kind of people any country would want to welcome. Some see an opportunity for Canada in this latest Trump travesty. Independent Sen. Ratna Omidvar, a long-time advocate for immigrants and refugees, suggested this week that we open the door to at least some of the now-threatened Dreamers. She proposes that Canada give special consideration to between 10,000 and 30,000 of them, by encouraging them to come to this country as economic immigrants or international students. This is Americas loss but it could be Canadas gain, she says. Its an enticing idea, though not one thats likely to bear much fruit. The whole point of the Dreamers is that they desperately want to stay in the United States despite Trump and despite the increasingly hostile climate his administration has fostered toward outsiders of all kinds. For all intents and purposes they are Americans, with family ties, jobs and associations of all sorts in the U.S. They arent shopping around for another country, as attractive as Canada might be. And as long as theres a reasonable chance that Trump and the U.S. Congress will work something out over the next few months to remove the threat of deportation, they are going to stay put. It would also be a provocative poke at Washington for Canada to openly woo Dreamers to come north. That wouldnt be a wise move, especially at a time when Ottawa is deeply embroiled in negotiations with the Trump administration over the North American free trade agreement. Still, Sen. Omidvar is onto something, and Canada should be prepared for an uptick in applications from Dreamers and others in the U.S. who are finding the political climate there becoming distinctly more chilly. The numbers of those affected are so huge that, even if a small percentage look north, Canadas immigration system could be overwhelmed by applicants. And if a significant number try to claim asylum, as several thousand Haitians have done recently by crossing the border away from official checkpoints, theres a risk of a political backlash. That needs to be carefully managed and politicians of all parties must avoid whipping up public fears. All evidence so far is that the numbers coming in are manageable and not much out of line with those of previous years. More to the point, responsible politicians should emphasize the tremendous advantages that Canada can potentially reap by attracting well-educated, motivated newcomers to this country. Far from being a danger, its an opportunity. And as the United States becomes increasingly closed-off and unwelcoming to outsiders, Canada is well-placed to benefit by attracting talent from all over the world. Governments, business and universities have all been alert to that possibility, and there are signs that the Trump effect is already taking hold. Canadian universities report a spike in the number of international students this fall (many say applications were up 20 per cent or more). At least some are choosing this country because they dont like whats happening south of the border. The challenge down the line will be to persuade the best and the brightest to stay. To its credit, the Trudeau government has not been slow to appreciate the opportunities for Canada in the competition for global talent and to try and take advantage. Back in March, the Star reported that documents prepared for the immigration minister urged creating a category of visa tailored to high-tech workers and would-be entrepreneurs who might have difficulty being granted permission to stay in the United States. The idea, they said, was to create an attractive alternative to Trumps America. Navdeep Bains, the innovation and economic development minister, followed that up by announcing a global skills strategy aimed at easing the way for low-risk, high-skill talent to obtain visas and work permits. That officially began in June, and is designed to allow fast-growing firms to bring in high-skilled international employees within two weeks, instead of the months it can normally take to work through the system. These are good moves, and the government should follow through to make sure companies are taking full advantage to grow their businesses. At the same time, it should make sure Canadas immigration and refugee systems have the resources they need to cope with the influx from all sources including any Dreamers who decide to look north. Long queues and complaints of disorganization will just give immigration skeptics the ammunition they need to discredit the whole system. In that regard, the critics should stop their silly complaint that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau somehow flung open the doors to the whole world when he tweeted last January that to those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. That was clearly aimed at differentiating Canada from Trumps travel ban on people from some Muslim countries. Its ridiculous to suggest, as some have, that it amounted to abolishing this countrys well-established rules on accepting immigrants and refugees. This is not a time to focus on the inevitable problems that come with welcoming newcomers from around the world. Its the time to make sure this country is well-positioned to accept and integrate people of all sorts and to take best advantage of the opportunities presented when doors close elsewhere. Read more about: SHARE: News that Ontarios education minister is considering ending the provinces practice of streaming Grade 9 students into either university-geared academic courses or more hands-on applied ones is cause for hope. For nearly a quarter century, this policy has done nothing to advance the academic prospects of Ontario students while doing a great deal to reinforce the educational disadvantages experienced by low-income and Black kids. Its high time to end it. At the age of 13 or 14, often under pressure from teachers and with little understanding of the implications for their future, students are asked to make a decision of consequence frequently little understood. As a new study from Social Planning Toronto concludes that, Without the maturity and support to fully grasp the weight of these decisions, some students are unknowingly following a path which inhibits them from reaching their full potential. On Thursday, Education Minister Mitzie Hunter acknowledged another dimension of the problem: a disproportionate number of the students unwittingly choosing to limit their academic prospects by going into the applied stream are from racialized backgrounds and low-income students. This, she rightly said, is unacceptable. We have long known this. As the advocacy group People for Education reported back in 2015, studies consistently demonstrate that streaming perpetuates income-based disparities in educational outcomes. That group, which again called for an end to streaming this week, cited a Toronto District School Board study that found that only 6 per cent of students from the highest income neighbourhoods take a majority of their courses in the applied stream, compared to 33 per cent of students from the lowest income neighbourhoods. Moreover, as a 2013 OECD study found, streaming actually produces worse outcomes for lower-income students, especially when they are divided from their peers early in secondary school. That study recommended an end to the practice. The policy has also been shown to both reflect and reinforce racial inequalities. For instance, a disturbing York University study released this spring found that only 53 per cent of black student are enrolled in the academic courses, compared to 81 per cent of white students and 80 per cent of students of other races. This is in part a reflection of larger socio-economic disparities, which have long been linked to educational success. But it also seems to reflect a persistent and subtle form of institutional racism. The study found that Black students were strongly encouraged by teachers and guidance counsellors to take applied, rather than academic, courses with little regard for their aptitudes or life prospects. As a result, black students in Toronto continue to face an achievement and opportunity gap in GTA schools. We have known about these problems since at least the early 1990s, yet with the exception of a few pilot projects in individual schools, the policy persists and so do its troubling consequences. Why, when we know that streaming does not achieve its stated purpose of helping academically struggling students excel? Lower expectations breed lower outcomes. A 2015 research project at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute in North York, for example, found that encouraging struggling Grade 9 students to take tougher academic courses over lower-level applied ones can actually raise pass rates. Streaming doesnt work, but it does hurt the chances of the most vulnerable students. Thats backwards. The education system should be a tool for redressing inequities, not compounding them. The education ministers acknowledgement that equity in our schools may require the end of streaming is a welcome and overdue step in the right direction. Let this be the last year this unjust policy is allowed to stand. SHARE: Hilario, a stone mason and tile setter, had been living with other single men in the parish house of the Presbyterian Community Church of Calistoga, according to St. Helena resident Robyn Orsini. Hes the nicest guy, said Orsini, who teaches English as a Second Language at Napa Valley College, and is president of the Napa County chapter of the League of Women Voters. Hilario had been her student for about four months when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers showed up at his door last month and took him into custody, she said. My understanding is that Hilario, probably not wanting to miss work, missed a court date (not sure what for), Orsini wrote in an email. If removed to Mexico, Hilario, who could not be contacted by the Star, would not be able to legally return to the U.S. for five to 10 years. Orsini said she believes 10-12 men, some with families, have been picked up in Calistoga this year. Shes convinced theres been a large increase in removals locally this year. St. Helenan Don Farrar believes the same thing. He said hes heard of 14 ICE apprehensions in the county in the first three months of the year. Farrar said he was one of a number of people who employed a man known as Julio for many years for landscaping services. At 6 a.m. one recent morning, there was a knock on Julios door in Napa. Men announcing themselves as police asked him to step outside and identify his car. Julio, who is married with three children, was seized as he stepped out the front door and taken to an ICE detention center in Fremont, Farrar said. Such stories are becoming more common in Napa and elsewhere. Arrests of immigrants with no criminal record have more than doubled in the first half of 2017, according to a press release this week from the office of Assemblymember David Chiu, D-San Francisco. Chiu is a coauthor of AB 450, The Immigrant Worker Protection Act, currently under review in the Legislature. It would prohibit employers from allowing immigration agents to enter a workplace or view employee files without a subpoena or a warrant. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan research organization, undocumented workers make up 45 percent of Californias agricultural workforce and 21 percent of construction. Almost 1 in every 10 workers in California is undocumented, and more than 2.6 million undocumented immigrants reside here. A government report issued by ICE in May said immigration arrests in the first 100 days of the Trump administration were up almost 38 percent over the same period last year (41,318 vs. 30,473 ). Arrests of non-criminal immigrants during the period increased from about 4,200 to more than 10,800, a 150 percent increase, the report said. Calistoga Police Chief Mitch Celaya is aware of ICE officers presenting themselves as police when they come knocking. He called this identification disingenuous and misleading. The tactic creates fear of local law enforcement, he said. He said ICE officers should identify themselves as agents. To imply you are the local police erodes peoples trust in local police, he said. We work hard to earn the trust of our community. In a town with a sizeable immigrant population, fear of police escalates the danger in even routine interactions with the public, he said. People do not behave rationally when they are afraid, Celaya said. The only people who should be afraid of police are criminals, he said. Celaya said ICE communication with his department on planned actions has been spotty. He said hes aware of four instances of ICEs presence in his area, but on at least two occasions they targeted multiple locations, as many as five on one trip. Tracking local removals is problematic despite an understanding between ICE and local law enforcement, according to Napa County Sheriff John Robertson. According to the Sheriff, the number of apprehensions seems to be higher in recent months than in the last several years. As of Aug. 24, there had been 17 removals this year that he was aware of, he said. In recent years, there had been little ICE activity in Napa County, Robertson said. When they come in they are to notify central dispatch what area theyre in and where theyre working. When they leave they notify us if they have a person in custody, Robertson said. We give them no assistance. When they get back to (the San Francisco field office) they notify us of the individuals name. But Robertson stressed hes not sure the informal agreement is unflaggingly observed. Are we always notified? I cant say that with 100 percent confidence, he said. I would love to say Im confident of that. I hear stories. While he stressed his office plays no part in identification, apprehension or removal, Robertson believes communication is vital between the local and federal agencies. Its up to us (heads of law enforcement) to provide a safe community; the more information we have, the better it is for people, he said. With a bill working its way through the legislature in Sacramento, the trend is moving toward less, not more exchange of information, Robertson said. That legislation would essentially restrict local agencies from providing any information to immigration officers. That would effectively end even sporadic notification, he said. If were not communicating with them, they certainly wont communicate with us, Robertson said. He and the local police chiefs have made a concerted effort to connect with the community, attending meetings sponsored by Puertos Abiertos Community Resource Center and other local advocacy groups, he said. All of us (in local law enforcement) have spent a tremendous amount of time going to public meetings in any number of forums. Communication is vital, Robertson said. An email from ICE spokesperson Virginia Kice said the agency doesnt keep track of activities on a community or county level. Part of that is a practical consideration given that our field offices typically encompass dozens of counties and in some instances multiple states, she wrote. The jurisdiction of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Francisco Field Office includes more than 50 northern California counties, extending from Bakersfield north to the Oregon border, along with Hawaii and Guam. Total ICE immigration arrests made out of San Francisco in June number 753, including 597 criminal aliens, she said in an email. In the past, ICE has defended its use of the word police when making detentions, saying that its officers can be broadly defined as such. Like his counterpart in Calistoga, St. Helena Police Chief William Imboden attends monthly meetings with UpValley Family Centers, a nonprofit service provider for families in St. Helena and Calistoga, to inform people of their legal rights. Imboden said he is aware of the ICEs presence in St. Helena only once this year, in June. I dont believe they got anybody, Imboden said. Jenny Ocon is the executive director for UpValley Family Centers, and has been with the agency since January 2014. The service provider offers citizenship application workshops, citizenship classes, and training for people who want to volunteer to help with citizenship legal services work. Since my time here, Im aware of more activity in the last year, Ocon said. She said she relies on the police department for current information. On the whole, the real challenge is the rhetoric and uncertainty and continuing changes in messaging, she said. Ocon said its important local people feel safe calling the police. Farrar, a long-time St. Helena resident who is retired, said he and some of Julios other employers got together and got him legal representation and raised bail. Attorney fees for a bail hearing are $3,000-$5,000, he said. The amount of bail is at the judges discretion, as little as $1,500 up to $40,000, largely depending of the severity of the offense that triggered the arrest. Based on his research, Farrar said the average total for bail and an attorney to be about $10,000. Without legal representation, a man (those seized are usually male) may be deported within a few days. Julio made bail and was released. A key element, Farrar said, were letters of support written by him and others, asserting he would be employed upon his release. Julios hearing is currently scheduled for next March, Farrar said. According to an April announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department intends to add at up to 150 more judges by next year in order to deal with the backlog of hearings. Farrar, a self-described well-to-do Anglo, along with a group from St. Helenas Grace Episcopal Church, have met with immigrant support providers, and are working to establish a fund for immigrants facing deportation. Farrar said immigrants are a vital and large part of the community. We need these people, said Farrar of Napas immigrants. Napa Valley would be nothing without them. Next Tuesday was already going to be a pivotal day for wireless carriers, with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) - Get Free Report announcement of its 10th anniversary iPhone likely to spark a round of aggressive promotions that would set the tone through the holiday sales cycle. But T-Mobile's (TMUS) - Get Free Report new offer starting next week of free subscriptions to Netflix (NFLX) - Get Free Report , which cost $9.99 per month, to customers of its family plan with at least two phones makes Tuesday an even bigger day. The deal opens another front in the battle for subscribers. AT&T Inc. (T) - Get Free Report in particular might feel compelled to respond, Roger Entner of Recon Analytics LLC suggested. "This is T-Mobile's preemptive strike at AT&T," Entner said, noting that the Dallas telecom is trying to close its purchase of Time Warner Inc. (TWX) . AT&T has made video streaming part of its hallmark. The carrier bundles its DirecTV Now video streaming package with its mobile service, cutting the price from $35 to $10 per month for its wireless subscribers. "With this this move it basically almost [requires AT&T] to do something similar" to T-Mobile's offer, Entner said. Considering [the] subsidies it already offers, Entner suggested that AT&T could make DirecTV to Go free. "To go from $10 to zero is not that far," he said. Since all four of the national wireless carriers now offer unlimited data plans, video has become a way for the telecoms to differentiate their services. T-Mobile's deal is a sign that telecoms do not necessarily need to own content to use it as a promotional tool. The telecom will likely recoup the cost of subsidizing the Netflix accounts by reducing costumer defections and adding new subscribers, Simon Flannery of Morgan Stanley suggested in a note. Apple and Comcast are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL or CMCSA? Learn more now. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: Just saying... CEO John Legere mocked Verizon's (VZ) - Get Free Report acquisitions of AOL and Yahoo! in a press release announcing the Netflix deal, noting that "resuscitating faded 90s dotcoms" is not a plan for the future of wireless. Verizon's Oath portfolio of digital brands includes Yahoo!, AOL, HuffPost, Tumblr, BUILD Studios, Yahoo Mail and other brands. The telecom's go90 wireless app has original programming, but nothing on the scale that AT&T is building with the acquisitions of DirecTV and Time Warner. For its part, Sprint purchased a 33% stake in Jay Z's Tidal music streaming service earlier this year. The carrier provided subscribers early access to Jay Z's 4:44 album, and is giving out free tickets to to the 4:44 tour. The No. 4 carrier has largely focused on price cuts rather than video, however. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is likely not done with promotions to lure customers from its rivals. "The iPhone launches are always big switching events," Legere said. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is a really aggressive promotion from T-Mobile on top of [the Netflix offer]." Last year's iPhone subsidies ran $300 to $400 per device, MoffettNathanson LLC analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a report. With the new iPhone carrying a price of $1,000 or more, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) - Get Free Report entering the wireless business through a wholesale agreement with Verizon and other factors, Moffett suggested the subsidies could be even higher this year. T-Mobile is on the offensive heading into Tuesday's big Apple event. The Netflix deal may shows that Legere feels the heat from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint more than he lets on. The telecom has led the industry in revenue growth for 16 of the past 17 quarters and reported the most net postpaid subscriber additions for six consecutive quarters. Legere does not want to lose that momentum. "People don't just give away $10," Entner said. "You don't do this unless you really feel someone is breathing down your neck." Carly Fiorina has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate seat from Virginia, but she has not ruled out a future presidential run. There has been much speculation about her pursuing the Senate seat now held by Hillary Clinton's former running mate Tim Kaine. She came to TheStreet's offices to tell us -- first -- that she is not. Politics has become a game of talk, she says. "I can actually make a bigger impact, not running for the senate, but ... lifting up leaders wherever they are." They certainly seem to be missing from Washington, D.C., these days. Congress can't seem to pass anything, and civility has left the room. But "we need to stop fixating on Washington D.C.," says the businesswoman and former GOP Presidential candidate. And that's why she launched Unlocking Potential, a foundation that teaches leadership. As Chairman, Fiorina believes "that leaders are made, not born; that everyone has far more potential than they realize; and that people living closest to the problems are best positioned to solve them." Watch our full interview with Carly Fiorina: And while most of her career was spent in corporate America -- she became the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company when she was made CEO and president of Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) - Get Free Report and she was the first female officer at AT&T, Inc. (T) - Get Free Report -- her focus is on nonprofit and social enterprise companies. Especially because those sectors contribute $900 billion to the U.S. economy and employ 11.4 million people, according to the Urban Institute. But many of those companies are lacking in leadership, mainly because they often are lacking in the funds to train them. So she is offering her 30+ years of experience pro bono. "You cannot lead unless you take a risk," she says. So she has created a curriculum to help people get out of their own way. "Leadership always takes courage and character ... and everyone has that." Although women, in particular, seem to need an extra push sometimes. "Fear of failure should be removed from their language," she says. And that's just one of the myriad of uplifting things Fiorina said to me, during our hour-long conversation. So listen in, because the time flew by. We talked about geopolitical issues, including North Korea and Russia. She had a warning for our leaders regarding cryptocurrencies. She spoke about term limits and the opioid epidemic, which specifically hits home because she lost her step-daughter to addiction. Fiorina also said that returning to politics is not out of the question. Until then, hopefully some of our politicians will take her leadership course. Get the news FIRST ON THESTREET.COM follow us @TheStreet and follow Tracy Byrnes @TracyByrnes #AlphaRising and sign up for our news video newsletter REWIND For more from Tracy Byrnes and Alpha Rising: Earlier this week Chinese regulators banned businesses from raising funds using initial coin offerings (ICOs), the latest blockchain-related investing craze. This in turn has impacted the Bitcoin market. So far, ICOs have raised $1.6 billion in 2017 alone with 65 launches in China totaling some 2.6 billion yuan or $398 million. It is not the first time China has scrutinized digital currency. Earlier this year, Chinese digital currency exchanges temporarily halted customer withdrawals to upgrade their anti money laundering controls at the behest of financial regulators. The halt lasted for months. This, in turn, caused a temporary chill in the local Bitcoin market, causing China to forfeit its position as the world's largest Bitcoin market. The China ban impacted Chinese-Russian cryptocurrency launch ICO platform KICKICO released a statement this week announcing that as a result of the ban, the firm has delayed its planned Chinese-Russian Cryptocurrency Fund launch. The fund was due to launch in Moscow on September 6. It is now delayed until there is clarification of the new Chinese regulatory framework. But now that the cryptocurrency movement has gathered speed, there is no turning back. A number of industry players feel confident this speed bump in China will not have a long-term effect on the momentum. China-based digital assets exchange C2CX CEO Scott Freeman said he remains confident China will find a solution. "China is in the process of creating a new regulatory framework to accommodate the blockchain revolution, and I feel confident that the Chinese government will ultimately find a solution that permits the industry to further develop," Freeman said. Jason English, vice president of protocol marketing at Sweetbridge, explained regulators may be worried about unpredictable behaviors undermining currency or that they may simply be cooling down an area of wild speculation. Are you investing in cryptocurrency? Don't miss TheStreet's coverage: "We doubt this is a permanent move: China would not want to be left out of the digital currency market nor the development of blockchain applications in general," English said. "As much as 60% of the world's Bitcoin mining is happening in China, and therefore, many of the large whale investments in ICO projects have also been coming from cryptocurrency holders in China, whether directly or indirectly." English believes this latest move is more about controlling speculative ICOs than it is about pulling out of cryptocurrencies or blockchain. "This action is a foreshadowing of what could happen in other countries if these projects don't pay attention to delivering real utility and transparency and self-regulate their methods of funding to become more responsible," said English. Luis Cuende, co-founder and project lead at Aragon, is vehemently against China's ban. "Some governments and incumbents will try to shut down this movement, and come to unreasonable extremes in order to do so," he said. Still, Cuende says, it would be hard for even a player as big as China to stop the forward movement of cryptocurrencies. "Thanks to the internet and cryptography, there's no going back," he said. "Eventually, some other governments will embrace token sales and crypto in general, creating jurisdictional competition, and forcing the incumbents to be reasonable. We're also in a very extreme moment for ICOs, where a lot of scam projects are happening, and that will also ease as the market matures. I'm very bullish about everything that's happening, and not surprised at all." "Given the speculative environment surrounding ICOs in China it is understandable that the authorities are looking at ways to safeguard consumers," said David Moskowitz, co-founder and CEO of Indorse. "We hope the authorities will recognize the potential of the sector for economic growth and technological development, and enact rules which will allow for the safe and secure future of the industry." added Moskowitz. Chinese ruling is considered a gift ... "The Chinese ruling on ICOs is a gift for the rest of us," said Trevor Koverko, CEO of Polymath. "Blockchain projects are distributed by definition, and they will gravitate towards jurisdictions that welcome them and support them." This mean's the China ruling is a blessing in disguise. "Considering blockchain people are some of the smartest and most innovative folks in the world, Silicon Valley should be sending a thank you card to the People's Bank of China," Koverko added. "Companies that conduct initial coin offerings are speaking with regulators in various jurisdictions everyday, and welcome an open dialogue. Guidelines are being worked on, and they are needed, but it's important to note that ICOs are here to stay. The question is, where will they go?" English predicts in the future China will again become more open to digital currencies and projects that are compliant with best practices and represent their business plans and tokens transparently. Napa County Public Health will offer free seasonal flu vaccine shots to anyone over 3 years of age. Although the spray version of the vaccine is not available this year, the flu shot is still the safest and most effective way to avoid getting the flu, said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County public health officer. In addition to protecting yourself from getting sick, the vaccine can prevent you from spreading the flu to your loved ones and other people who are more likely to have severe illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend everyone over 6 months of age get a flu vaccine. Those at higher risk for complications of the flu, including seniors over 65 years, pregnant women, children under five years and people with certain chronic medical conditions, are especially encouraged to get vaccinated. In addition to getting vaccinated, simple steps to help stop the spread of the flu: - Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds. - Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. - Stay home and contact health care providers when sick. The clinic schedule: - Yountville, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. 1 p.m., Yountville Community Center 6516 Washington St. - Napa, Sunday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. 2 p.m., Binational Health Fair, 3285 Claremont Way, Napa - Napa, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. 1 p.m., Napa Senior Center, 1500 Jefferson St. - Lake Berryessa, Monday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m.1 p.m., Berryessa Senior Center, 4380 Spanish Flat Loop Road. - American Canyon, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 3 6 p.m., Multi-Use Center 2185 Elliot Drive. - St. Helena, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 3 6 p.m., St. Helena Elementary School, 1325 Adams St. - Napa, Monday, Oct. 23, 3. 6 p.m., Napa Elks Lodge, 2840 Soscol Ave. - Angwin, Monday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.1 p.m., Angwin Fire Department, 275 College Ave. - Napa, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 3 6 p.m., McPherson Elementary, 2670 Yajome St. - Calistoga, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 3 6 p.m., Calistoga Fairgrounds, Butler Pavilion 1435 N. Oak St. For additional information, including the full schedule of seasonal flu vaccine clinics, visit the Napa County Public Health flu vaccine clinic page or call the flu line at 707-253-4540 for 24/7 recorded bilingual information. Residents unable to attend the flu vaccine clinics or with children less than 3 years of age can call the Public Health Immunization Clinic at 707-253-4270 for a free appointment. 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. As reflected in an article dated Aug. 14, August was a busy month for the Board of Supervisors, with five appeals scheduled regarding winery issues, one of which concerned the Mountain Peak Winery, a proposed facility at the top of Soda Canyon Road. The facility was initially approved by a 3-1 vote by the Planning Commission on a negative declaration, i.e., without a proper environmental impact report consistent with the California Environment Quality Act. Hundreds of people signed petitions against the project and four area residents filed formal appeals to the Board of Supervisors. Following a hearing in May, the board (with one member absent) tentatively voted to reject the appeals with a final vote subsequently scheduled for Aug. 22 The following is modified from a letter I submitted to the Board prior to that hearing but later learned that public input was not considered. On Aug. 22, you had the opportunity to rectify what I think was an egregious error in your decision in May to tentatively approve the above facility that, if carried forward, will negatively impact the lives hundreds of citizens living off Soda Canyon Road and present serious risks to the water supply to thousands of others. I think that the data, detailed analyses, references (submitted in attachments to appellants' appeals NCC form 2.88.050) and testimony presented by the appellants at hearing was far more convincing than that presented by the applicant and, were it a trial by jury, my bet on the finding would be in favor of the appellants beyond a shadow of a doubt. One must sympathize with the residents and others who, on a daily or regular basis, have to drive the narrow, winding roads with only one access point. I fail to understand how you and some members of the Planning Commission and a few others acknowledge these hazardous conditions and yet can rationalize and dismiss the increased danger that will accompany the increased number vehicles that will result from the project. Also, from the almost cavalier attitude and minimization of dealing with the issues surrounding the risk of wildfire, I gather those presenters had not witnessed the Atlas Peak fire or interviewed residents who lost homes or otherwise suffered through it. The offered "voluntary condition of approval" is certainly in keeping with expectations and requirements for the AVA and Napa Valley branding (and seemed a determining factor for most of you) but, to me, it really offers almost nothing to the conversation of fire danger, road safety, water supply degradation for Rector dam and the host of other environmental problems addressed in detail in the appellants presentations and never adequately rebutted by the county. I must add that with this project, as well as others I've studied or read about, you (as well as the planning commission and city officials) seem to give little or no consideration to the cumulative impact each approved project adds to the degradation of ecology and quality of life in our county. Residents are complaining about traffic and other aspects of their quality of life, be it at town hall meetings, letters to the editor, testimony at hearings, in the locker room or other social gatherings, and it seems those drums are beating louder and louder the past few years. I write to recommend and request that you red tag this project and note that in doing so you will fulfill your responsibilities as supervisors by protecting the environment and not increasing the risk of harm to the citizens living in the area. Stephen J. Donoviel Napa Let's be right up front: The Equifax data breach disclosed in September 2017 is still the worst in American history, and the website that Equifax has set up to assist people who were possibly affected hasn't always been easy to use. Here's how to navigate that site, which is at https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. But we must warn you that the site may deliver inconsistent results to people who try to find out whether their information was part of the stolen data. By all means, go ahead and check to see if you were impacted. When this page was first written, we urged everyone to sign up for TrustedID Premier, the free identity-monitoring service that Equifax offered to anyone who asked. (You gave up no legal rights by enrolling with the service.) But the last enrollment date for the free Trusted ID protection was Jan. 31, 2018. So that ship has sailed, except for the 2.4 million people whose names and driver's license numbers were disclosed on March 1, 2018, as having been compromised in the breach. (More on that below.) Those people will be notified by mail, along with advice and instructions. (Image credit: donskarpo/Shutterstock) You should then take additional steps to protect yourself, such as requesting a fraud alert on your credit files, and possibly instituting a full-on freeze on those files that won't let anyone access them without your permission. We've got instructions for those as well. If you need a catch-up: On Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, the credit-reporting agency Equifax revealed that its servers had been breached by unnamed attackers earlier this year. Highly sensitive personal information on 143 million U.S. residents, and an untold number of Canadian and British residents, was stolen. [UPDATE March 14, 2018: The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged former Equifax executive Jun Ying with insider trading related to his sale of Equifax stock in late August 2017, before the data breach was publicly disclosed. The full complaint alleges that soon after Ying learned that Equifax had been hacked, he exercised his stock options and sold nearly a million dollars' worth of Equifax stock, saving himself about $117,000 in potential losses. If convicted of all the charges, Ying will have to pay back the $117,000, pay an additional unspecified fine, and be barred from serving as an officer or director of a publicly listed company. Ying is not among the three executives who sold Equifax stock in early August 2017 and became the focus of a Justice Department investigation. Those executives, along with a fourth, were cleared of wrongdoing by an independent panel in November 2017. [UPDATE March 1: Equifax disclosed that 2.4 million U.S. residents had their names and some driver's license information compromised in the breach. These individuals had not been previously known to be affected by the breach. Equifax "will notify these newly identified U.S. consumers directly, and will offer identity theft protection and credit file monitoring services at no cost to them," the company said. The company didn't disclose what kind of driver's-license information was affected, but said it most cases, it didn't involve addresses, the state in which a license was issued, the date of issue or the expiration date. That does leave the license holder's date of birth, driver's license number and physical characteristics height and eye and hair color as possibly compromised information.] [UPDATE JAN. 31: As of Feb. 1, Equifax's TrustedID identity-theft protection will no longer be offered to U.S. residents affected by the 2017 data breach. Instead, Equifax is offering a free service called Lock & Alert to all U.S. consumers. It lets consumers freeze and unfreeze their Equifax credit files with a mobile app. Credit files with other credit-reporting agencies are not affected.] [UPDATE Oct. 10, 2017: Equifax U.K. disclosed that 15.2 million records pertaining to British residents were compromised in the Equifax U.S. breach. Most of those customers had only their full names and dates of birth exposed. However, nearly 700,000 had more sensitive information compromised, including telephone numbers, drivers-license numbers, passwords and partial credit-card numbers. Equifax U.K. will be contacting individuals in the group of 700,000 by post.] [UPDATE Oct. 2: Equifax stated in a press filing that approximately 145.5 million U.S. residents were affected by the breach, an increase of 2.5 million over the previously stated estimate. On the plus side, the number of estimated affected Canadian residents was lowered from 100,000 to 8,000.] [UPDATE Sept. 29: Equifax has tossed out its CEO, installed a new one and announced that by the end of January, it will have a new service in place that gives individuals free credit freezes for life.] [UPDATE Sept. 20: Equifax Canada says 100,000 Canadians were affected, with those individuals' names, addresses, Social Insurance numbers and, in some cases, credit-card numbers affected. Equifax will be notifying affected persons by mail.] [UPDATE Sept. 19: The earlier Equifax breach may have been an attack on Equifax's payroll services, which was actually disclosed in May. That doesn't rule out the possibility that the same miscreants were responsible for both that and the later, much more serious, attack.] [UPDATE Sept. 18: Equifax U.K. now says 400,000 British residents were affected, with full names, email addresses, dates of birth and telephone numbers compromised. That information would be useful to spammers, and have some value to identity thieves, but is overall less sensitive than what was compromised for U.S. residents. Bloomberg News reported that Equifax had suffered, but not disclosed, a separate attack on its systems in March, around the time of the disclosure of the Apache Struts vulnerability that Equifax has said was the cause of the publicized breach. It was not clear whether the Struts vulnerability was part of the earlier attack, but the attack may not have been disclosed because there was no evidence that personal data was compromised, the Bloomberg story speculates. There have been possible instances of data stolen from Equifax being abused. Security researcher Chad Kreimendahl said in a blog post that an email address he used only to register with Equifax had begun to receive spam email. The Wall Street Journal reported (story reprinted at The Australian) that the number of fraudulent account-change attempts at a credit-card payment processor jumped in late May and early June, and that credit-card thieves in August claimed in underground web markets to have card numbers stolen from Equifax. All of these anecdotes could be entirely coincidental, however.] MORE: Best Identity-Protection Services The stolen data on all the Americans affected included full names, street addresses, dates of birth and, worst of all, Social Security numbers. That's all someone needs to steal your identity. A smaller number of driver's-license numbers and credit-card numbers was also stolen. Anyone affected by this breach will need to closely monitor his or her financial accounts for the next several years, if not decades. Unfortunately, the Equifax impact-checker site was initially not very good at telling you whether you were impacted or not we got different results with the same set of personal data, and positive results with obviously fake data. Nevertheless, let's start by using the Equifax breach-check page. How to Check If You Might Be Impacted by the Equifax Breach 1) Skip the message from Equifax's CEO and go straight to the notification check at https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/potential-impact/ 2) Click the "Check Potential Impact" button. You'll be bounced to a page on the TrustedID website, even though the branding will still say Equifax. (Equifax owns the TrustedID identity-protection service.) 3) On the TrustedID page, enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number, without hyphens. 4) Check the "I'm not a robot" box and click Continue. At this point, you will see one of two very similar-looking pages titled with "Thank You." One will say that "your personal information was not impacted by this incident." The other states that "your personal information may have been impacted by this incident." No matter which response you got, Equifax initially gave you the opportunity to enroll in TrustedID Premier in order to get a year of identity protection at no charge. That offer ended on Jan. 31, 2018. Back in September 2017, we got inconsistent responses from this page when we entered the same legitimate information more than once. Sometimes it would tell us we were affected, sometimes it wouldn't. In March 2018. obviously false personal information "smith" and "123456" still gave us the "you may have been impacted" response. As such, we can't really tell if the Equifax impact-check site works properly or gives you accurate information. We recommend that whichever response you get from the impact-checker page, you take up Equifax on its Lock & Alert offer. MORE: Just How Screwed Are You by the Equifax Data Breach? How to Set Up a Fraud Alert To really prevent your Equifax stolen data from being abused, you should also: 5) Have a fraud alert placed on your files by calling or contacting one of the Big Three credit agencies Equifax, Experian or TransUnion plus a fourth, Innovis, that's not as well known. A fraud alert is meant to inform you if anyone requests your credit information from that bureau. It's free and lasts for 90 days. The Big Three agency you contact will notify the other two. You may have to contact Innovis separately. U.S. residents can request a fraud alert online or call each bureau directly: Equifax (1-888-766-0008), Experian (opens in new tab) (1-888-397-3742), Innovis (1-800-540-2505) and TransUnion (opens in new tab) (1-800-680-7289). 6) Get a free credit report from each agency if they don't give it to you when you institute the fraud alert. You can also get one through https://www.annualcreditreport.com. Look over all transactions from the past six months for anything wrong. If something is amiss, notify the credit-reporting agency reporting it in writing, as well as any institutions with which erroneous accounts are held, to dispute the records. If fraudulent charges were created in your name, or a phony account opened, you'll need to file a police report. (The police probably can't do anything, but filing a report makes the incident legally "real.") Keep a copy of every letter you send. You'll want to create a paper trail. How to Set Up a Credit Freeze The next step is the most drastic, but in the case of the Equifax breach, it might be warranted. You'll be placing a credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, on your credit reports. Equifax's Lock & Alert page lets you do this easily and for free, but it applies only to your Equifax files. No one with whom you don't already do business will be able to access your credit file. From each credit bureau, you'll get a PIN with which you can temporarily unlock your credit report in case you're applying for a new loan, credit card or utility account. For Lock & Alert, you can do this with a mobile app. Be forewarned: This may cost some money, and may be disruptive. A commenter on independent security reporter Brian Krebs' website recounted how his car insurance premiums shot up and routine banking transactions became difficult. 7) Have a credit freeze placed on your files by contacting each of the Big Three agencies, individually, plus Innovis. In most states, instituting a credit freeze will cost a few bucks per credit bureau and will last several years. In some states, it's free. Here's a list of fees state-by-state (opens in new tab). Equifax has waived its credit-freeze fees indefinitely. You can call each of bureau at the U.S. telephone numbers given in Step 7, or request a freeze online with Equifax, Experian (opens in new tab), Innovis or TransUnion (opens in new tab).It might be better to call, because you will receive your unlocking PIN via snail mail.There have been reports that people who tried to institute security freezes online following the Equifax news never got their PINs. 8) While you're at it, request a credit freeze for any minor children you may have. Equifax and Experian (opens in new tab) will do this for free; with TransUnion (opens in new tab), the fees vary by state.You'll need to include copies of your driver's license, your child's birth certificate and your child's Social Security card, for starters. For the Future The consequences of the Equifax breach may be felt for decades. You may have to adjust some behaviors accordingly. 9) File your personal income-tax returns as early as possible. With your name, address and Social Security number, an identity thief can file a return in your name and get your tax refund from the government. Beat the thieves to the punch by filing early. Hi there. I'm planning a trip to Punta Cana for next year first week of July. In my research, the flight prices are outrageous. We're talking over $1000. Can any west coast folks share what they paid for tickets during summer months? If it's that pricey maybe we'll have to skip it. We are taking a quick trip - 5 days - with our two kids, 11 and 7 years old. We fly into Liberia. We are coming in October, which is the rainy season. What is the best location for our home-base during that time so we can hit the beach and Arenal? We prefer not to drive more than 3 hours to a hotel from Liberia since we will only be in CR a short time. Should we rent a car - can we get around easily during rainy season on the established roads? Our kids are interested in the basic activities of CR like seeing wildlife, hiking (but not serious hiking), seeing the volcano, ziplining, going to the beach, etc. Thanks in advance for your insight. I'm not even sure where to begin. What are you hoping to see with this itinerary? The way you have it planned, you will only see the inside of planes, trains and busses and large cities. With 8 days you should stick to one country, either Tanzania or Kenya. In general, safari is not a half day or one day trip. Usually first time visitors to Tanzania will go for a minimum of 5 nights ( I would recommend at least 7 nights) on what is called the Northern Circuit visiting a few parks. Could you do a day safari from Dar? Yes, but it should be something you set up ahead of time. Trying to join a safari when you get there will waste a large amount of time and usually those selling last minute safari's on the street are not the most reputable. There is a list of questions about Tanzania on the right hand side of this website (use the full website not mobile). The 4th question down lists some reputable operators . If it were me, I would fly into Kilimanjaro airport and do a 7day safari starting in Arusha. I would only use Nairobi as a place to fly into if I were doing a Kenyan safari or as a transfer point to other locations. <> If you buy the 14 days JR Pass, you should go to Hiroshima/Miyajima from Osaka for the Pass to pay off. <> Takayama should be combined with Kanazawa and Shirakawago, not with Koya-san, because Koya-san exists at the south of Osaka. <> I like Onsen Ryokans in Kawaguchiko, instead of Hakone, because many of them allow you to see Mt. Fuji from your room. Also, if you go to Takayama, it's good to stay at Onsen Ryokans in Takayama City and also in Shin-hotaka Onsen which takes @100-110 min from Takayama by bus and allows you to enjoy the nice views of Japan Alps by Shin-hotaka Ropeway. Here are its site and a video. http://shinhotaka-ropeway.jp.e.uk.hp.transer.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybeH_Ui4HF0 Here is my article for a detailed 15 Days itinerary using the 14 day JR Pass which includes Tokyo, Kyoto with a half day trip to Nara, Hiroshima/Miyajima, and Takayama/Shirakawago/ Japan Alps(Shin-hotaka Ropeway)/Kanazawa in addition. This will be our second trip to Japan. On our first trip we were there for 3 weeks and saw: Tokyo Kyoto Naoshima Kanazawa Takayama We are planning our trip to try and catch the cherry blossoms so somewhere around the end of March to last week in April. We will do Tokyo and at least some of Kyoto again although I'm concerned about finding rooms during this season. I understand that you can't even see what hotel availability there is until around October for April visits, if that is wrongHere is our current plan and questions: Week in Tokyo with perhaps a day trip to Kamakura Izu Peninsula and Hakone for 3 days. We have no idea where to go on Izu and a friend who lived in Japan suggested driving. Is driving the right option? Where on the peninsula would be good to base ourselves. If driving is not a good idea is doing this area too hard without a car? Kyoto for 3 days if we can find lodging. Nara for 2 days 1 night Mount Koya for a monastery stay Osaka for 1 night at least although our friend didn't recommend it. Fukuoka for 2 to 3 nights Either train back to Tokyo or stop for 1 night along the way. With Tokyo we will definitely have enough big city so are looking for smaller cities and towns and some country towns with easy but interesting nature and hiking. We are in our mid-60s but fit enough. We might reverse the trip still starting in Tokyo but taking the train to Fukuoka first. Thanks for any advice you can offer especially what we can expect for making reservations (to say and eat) during high cherry blossom season. Is your company in need of the most reliable and efficient best Best Jasmine Tea s in the market? Your good luck led you to the ideal situation, so congratulations! You are in the best possible place. By eliminating the need to read through dozens of Best Jasmine Tea reviews, we are saving you time and stress. Many customers find it difficult to decide which Best Jasmine Tea product to buy. The dilemma is brought about by the many types of Best Jasmine Tea in the market. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a clear understanding of how you may choose the most suitable Best Jasmine Tea available in the market. (Natural News) There may be more to North Koreas latest nuclear test than meets the eye if the countrys state-run media is to be believed, and it has huge implications for preppers. As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, an official North Korean newspaper published a column allegedly by one of the countrys scientists who claims that the latest underground nuclear test helped to advance Pyongyangs ability to detonate an EMP weapon in space that would destroy a large portion of an enemy nations power grid. The official communist party newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, published a report on Monday regarding the EMP might of nuclear weapons, in which the writer provided details about how an electromagnetic pulse-producing nuclear weapon could be detonated in space. In general, the strong electromagnetic pulse generated from nuclear bomb explosions between 30 kilometers and 100 kilometers [18.6 miles and 62 miles] above the ground can severely impair electronic devices, electric machines, and electromagnetic grids, or destroy electric cables and safety devices, said the article, which was written by Kim Songwon, dean of Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang. The discovery of the electromagnetic pulse as a source of high yield in the high-altitude nuclear explosion test process has given it recognition as an important strike method, Kim said, as reported by the Free Beacon. Discussion of EMP weapons in an official North Korean government media organ will most likely spark further debate in the U.S. and elsewhere regarding the threat, which has previously been outlined by former CIA Director James Woolsey and Dr. Peter V. Pry, who wrote about the devastating after-effects of an EMP blast in a March column published in The Hill. EMP weapons testing was conducted by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War between 1955 and 1962, with some success. An assessment of those tests, as well as the current threat posed by high-altitude detonations of nuclear weapons, was conducted by Dr. Yousaf Butt, a scientist at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University. Now a senior research fellow at National Defense University, he told the Washington Post in January 2016 that while it would be difficult for a rogue state such as North Korea or Iran to pull off an EMP attack, it could be done given the right circumstances. Im not trying to minimize the vulnerability. The vulnerability is there, he said. Clearly, the North Koreans are focused on perfecting this capability. They may already have it, in fact. In a subsequent interview with Breitbart News Radio on SiriusXM last month, Pry told host Aaron Klein that the North Koreans could detonate a nuclear weapon mounted aboard one of two satellites currently orbiting Earth above the U.S. We should not be tolerating the North Korean satellites that are orbiting over our country. There are two of them. And the intelligence community is still silent about those, he said of the KMS 3-2 and KMS-4 earth observation satellites Pyongyang launched in April 2012 and February 2016, respectively. The EMP Commission has officially been warning about those satellites especially now that the (intelligence) community admits that North Korea can miniaturize warheads, Pry told Klein. Our argument all along has been that they could make weapons small enough to put on those satellites that pass over the United States on the optimum trajectory for an EMP attack on North America. (Related: North Korea could kill 90% of all Americans by dropping EMP nukes from orbiting satellites.) He went on to predict that the North would utilize its capability should the U.S. and its regional allies preemptively attack. Some arms control experts, Forward Observer noted, do not believe countries possess a viable EMP capability, least of all North Korea or even Iran, which is also said to still be pursuing a nuclear weapons capability. But the U.S. government and power industry experts do, the site pointed out, citing studies and comments made by both. If you havent made preparations to survive a nuclear war and a grid-down scenario, your time may be running out. J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel. Sources include: FreeBeacon.com ForwardObserver.com TheNationalSentinel.com TheHill.com (Natural News) Its no secret the mainstream media loves to bash anyone who dares to express even a modicum of skepticism towards vaccines, so its important to reiterate that skepticism is most definitely not unfounded. While it would be great if things like fraud, manipulation and data falsification were things of times past, the truth is that there is no shortage of deceit when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry. Just two years ago, back in 2015, a U.S. biomedical scientist was sent to prison on misconduct charges. What was the researchers crime, you ask? He fabricated and falsified data for during HIV vaccine trials and he even confessed to his wrongdoing. Dong-Pyou Han was a biomedical scientist at Iowa State University and on July 1, 2015, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison for his crime, or just over four-and-a-half years. Han was also fined a hefty $7.2 million and will face three years of supervised release once he finishes up his time at the penitentiary. Han resigned from his position at the university back in 2013; Iowa State left him with no choice after they concluded he had indeed fudged the results of his vaccine experiments which, of course, were funded by grants from the United States National Institute of Health (NIH). Science reports that Han was ordered to pay back the $7.2 million hed received in grant money. At the time of his disgraced resignation, Han was also hit with a three-year ban on seeking grant money by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity. In 2013, the university also repaid the $500,000 the NIH had doled out for Hans salary. It turns out that Han had spiked rabbit blood samples with human HIV antibodies to make it look like the vaccine produced immunity. Sources say that Hans misconduct can be traced all the way back to 2008 when he first accidentally mixed human blood with the rabbit blood they were using in their vaccine experiments. Han says fear of disappointing his superior, Michael Cho, kept him from spilling the beans. As the Washington Post reports, Instead of admitting them, he continued to spike future samples, which gave the impression that the rabbits were mounting an immune response and neutralizing the HIV virus, results that were considered to be a breakthrough in the effort to find a viable vaccine for the virus. But Hans little deception soon became a much bigger problem; Cho (and subsequently Han) was scooped up by Iowa State University in 2009 and their HIV vaccine research continued and it continued to get more and more funding from the NIH. With his lab manager title, Han had virtually unlimited access to the samples the team used, and for years, he continued to spike the rabbit blood samples with human HIV antibodies. Eventually, his misdeed caught up with him. A research team at Harvard University was attempting to validate Chos teams research when they uncovered the truth: The rabbit blood samples were contaminated with human antibodies. So much for vaccine skepticism being based on nothing but conspiracy theories, right? Fraudulent behavior like this is exactly why so many people are reluctant to trust what the medical establishment tells them. Some, like former director of the U.S. Office of Research Integrity David Wright, feel that Hans punishment is too harsh. Its questionable how much more is to be gained by jail time, he commented. Han has expressed deep regret for his actions, but many people often do after getting caught. While his prison time certainly sends a message to others who may consider academic fraud, there is another message to be had here: That scientists are not above the law, and (hopefully) will not be treated differently than other citizens when they purposely do the wrong thing. If Han fessed up to his mistake back in 2008, he wouldnt be where he is right now. Sources for this article include: Nature.com ScienceMag.org WashingtonPost.com - Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been flown to Nairobi for specialised treatment - Lissu had been shot by unknown assailants and is said to be in critical condition - Lissu is a strong critic of President Magufuli and belongs to the CHADEMA party Tanzanias opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, has been airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment. He was flown into the country on the night of the fateful day and admitted to Aga Khan Hospital in critical condition. Lissu was shot several times by unknown assailants close to his home on Thursday, September 7, while he was on his way to Parliament in Dodoma. The assailants are believed to have been in a white Nissan when they attacked the CHADEMA party leader. READ ALSO: Wiper party secretary general resigns abruptly, no longer supports Raila's re-election Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Photo: Nation. READ ALSO: Data started streaming into IEBC server on August 7 - Raila reacts to Chebukati's leaked memo Lissu suffered multiple gunshot wounds. We strongly condemn this attack and are closely monitoring his condition, said the CHADEMA spokesman, Tumaini Makene. Following the attack, Magufuli took to social media to send Lisuu get well wishes as he called for investigations into the terrible attack. READ ALSO: Raila Odinga gives Johnstone Muthama new job Assailants sprayed Lissu's car with bullets. He was rushed to a hospital. He was later airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment. Photos: Facebook, Yassin Juma. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE READ ALSO: Ugandan songstress Juliana Kanyomozi blasts tycoon after he took photos with her while asleep Tanzania President John Magufuli greeting opposition leader Raila Odinga during a past visit to Kenya. Photo: Nation. Lissu is one of President John Magufulis most fierce critics, and because of this, he has been arrested on occasion and now has 12 cases in court filed against him. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Source: TUKO.co.ke The Mayor of the nation's capital city says the police are working and it is not for him to assess their performance. This,. as he called on the entire society to work together on getting rid of any perception that crime is an opportunity. Militants launched 35 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. One Ukrainian serviceman was killed. This is reported by the ATO press center. In Mariupol direction, militants launched three attacks on Ukrainian positions near Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol). ATO troops also came under grenade launcher fire outside Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol) and Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol). Weapons on infantry fighting vehicles were used to fire at Ukrainian strongholds near Starohnativka (52km south of Donetsk). In Donetsk direction, terrorists shelled Ukrainian positions outside Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk) and Butovka coal mine (11.4km north-west of Donetsk), using heavy machine guns and small arms. In Luhansk direction, ceasefire was observed. ol Warsaw is interested in cooperation with Kyiv in the defense industry complex. The parties are already developing or are planning to develop a number of bilateral projects. Deputy Minister of National Defense of Poland Tomasz Szatkowski said this during the Economic Forum Krynica Zdroj in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent. "We are interested in the prospect of industrial cooperation. The defense industry complexes of both countries can agree on their levels. We support it," he said. He has informed that Poland is now creating its version of the anti-tank missile system on the basis of the Ukrainian one. Szatkowski expressed hope for cooperation with Ukraine on modernization of engines to Polish tanks T-72 in order to keep them in reserve in working order. At the same time, he noted that the issue of selling Polish drones to Ukraine was on the agenda. ish In the first half of the year, the export of the Ukrainian goods to the European Union grew by almost 23%. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this during his speech in the Verkhovna Rada regarding Ukraine's internal and external situation, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The Association Agreement has recently come into force. Thanks to the fact that the European Union agreed to its temporary use in the year before last, we have already got good results, such as the growth of our exports to the European Union. In particular, in the first half of 2017, the export grew by almost 23%. The EU share in Ukraine's foreign trade is 40% - it has grown by 10% since 2012," the Head of State said. In his opinion, this shows the beginning of the process of integration of the Ukrainian economy into the EU market, and together with the introduction of a visa-free regime - change of our geopolitical and civilizational coordinates. "The introduction of the visa-free travel is the main result of the three-year joint reform of all branches of government and society," he said. The President thanked the Verkhovna Rada and the Government for this, noting their joint work. ish Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said that Ukraine should develop the digital economy, because it can rapidly increase the country's GDP. In a post of his Facebook page, he wrote: "Another important step has been taken to develop the digital economy in Ukraine. It is the digital economy that is the accelerator of the social economic life of the society in the modern world and it can rapidly increase the country's GDP. He recalled that it was Ukraine that was the first in the world to launch an electronic state auction based on the cryptographic blockchain technology. "It is this technology that provides decentralized storage and protection of information, it can lead to the replacement of the classic functions of banks, notaries, even state ones, destroy corruption, ensure the full transparency of all processes and give a huge competitive advantage to the country," the Prime Minister said. Groysman also added the pilot project became truly breakthrough and innovative in the whole world to ensure the full transparency of the largest state auction (over UAH 4.5 billion of sold assets). iy The road fund will start to work in Ukraine next year. It will accumulate UAH 40 billion (about $153 million). Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this after the meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip in Odesa, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Next year we launch the Road Fund a new instrument to finance structural repairs and road restoration which will accumulate more than UAH 40 billion," Groysman said. The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will establish a road fund which will be financed by tax and fees payments. In March 2016, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on the establishment of the State Road Fund for financing the repair and construction of the country's highways. ol Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin pays a working visit to the Republic of Estonia on September 7-8. This was reported by the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. "The visit takes place at the invitation of Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia Sven Mikser to participate in the working dinner of the foreign ministers of the EU member states and the member states of the Eastern Partnership program," the report said. Within the framework of the visit, a number of meetings of the foreign minister of Ukraine are planned to be held in bilateral format with the foreign ministers of the EU and the Eastern Partnership. The agenda of the visit also envisages participation of Pavlo Klimkin in the presentation of the international project "Book of Goodness" at the Center of Ukrainian Culture in Tallinn. ish Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip will make a working visit to Odesa on Friday, September 8, within the framework of which he will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Groysman. This was informed by the press service of the Government of Moldova, an Ukrinform correspondent reported from the Republic of Moldova. "Within the framework of the working visit to Odesa on September 8, Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Philipp will attend the High-Level International Transport Conference "Integrated Transport Corridors Europe-Asia" and also meet with Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman," the report says. Following the meeting, the heads of the governments will hold a joint press conference. This is the second meeting of two prime ministers in 2017. The first meeting was held in Kyiv in February this year. ish (Natural News) Google is starting to look more and more like a bully with each passing day. Through a series of algorithms and guidelines, they are actively targeting conservative voices on the Internet that do not conform to the progressive agenda. In a pathetic attempt to hide the fact that this is anything but a politicized witch hunt, Google often claims that it is suppressing these voices in the interest of combating hate speech, a strategy that has also been used by social media companies like Facebook and Twitter as of late. Whats worse is that this strategy appears to be working Google is successfully controlling which content is acceptable and which isnt, and all the while, the freedom of speech is being tossed out the window. Late last month, former Forbes writer Kashmir Hill published an article on Gizmodo.com discussing an experience she had with Google a few years back, whereby the search engine giant censored an article that was critical of the way in which the company operates. Hill describes a meeting she attended with Google salespeople regarding Googles social media network, Plus. Allegedly, the salespeople were trying to get Forbes to add a +1 social button to their website, which is similar to the like button on Facebook. They told Hill that adding the +1 button was important because its presence would play a significant role in how much traffic would be directed to the site. I asked the Google people if I understood correctly: If a publisher didnt put a +1 button on the page, its search results would suffer? The answer was yes, Hill wrote. After the meeting, I approached Googles public relations team as a reporter, told them Id been in the meeting, and asked if I understood correctly. The press office confirmed it, though they preferred to say the Plus button influences the ranking. They didnt deny what their sales people told me: If you dont feature the +1 button, your stories will be harder to find with Google. Hill went on to explain that she ultimately made the decision to write about her experience in a Forbes article entitled, Stick Google Plus buttons on your pages, or your search traffic suffers. While Google never explicitly stated that the information included in Hills article was inaccurate, the tech giant claimed that the meeting was confidential, and therefore Hill didnt have a right to discuss it in public. After intense pressure from Google and her higher-ups at Forbes, Hill eventually decided to take the article down. But whats even more disturbing is what Google decided to do next. In an extremely short amount of time, the cached version of Hills article was completely erased from Googles search results, which normally doesnt happen that quickly after an article is taken down. Needless to say, if Google really did delete this cached version just because it was critical of how their company operates, it would be an extreme abuse of power. (Related: If Google isnt regulated, their politically-motivated censorship will tear America apart.) Google did something similar just a few weeks ago when they fired now-former employee James Damore after he published a 10-page manifesto on the companys progressive work environment. Damore claimed that Google focused most of its time on social justice issues, and criticized the search engine giant for blaming the gender wage gap on bias and sexism. This critique was apparently too much for Google to handle, so in the end, they just decided to let Damore go. Given how much power and influence Google has over what information is spread across the Internet and what isnt, it should be concerning to all Americans that the company is now engaged in widespread censorship. If the freedom of speech disappears on the Internet, then it is very unlikely that it will ever return. Sources include: Gizmodo.com Breitbart.com The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expresses its strong protest to the Russian side in connection with the unreasonable detention of the 19-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Pavlo Hryb, and urges Russia to immediately return him to Ukraine. This is said in the statement made by the Foreign Ministry, released on Friday, September 8. "The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expresses its strong protest to the Russian side in connection with the groundless arrest of the 19-year-old citizen of Ukraine, Pavlo Hryb, and his detention in the pre-trial detention center of Krasnodar in the Russian Federation. We demand that the Russian side immediately ensures the access of Ukrainian consuls to detained citizen of Ukraine Pavlo Hryb and to provide exhaustive information on place, reasons and circumstances of his detention, conditions of his detention and ensure his immediate return to Ukraine," the document reads. The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned persecution by Russian authorities of Ukrainian citizens in Russia and abroad, groundless detention of Ukrainians, violation of their right to a fair trial and conviction on trumped-up politically motivated cases. As Ukrinform reported, on August 27, a Ukrainian citizen and a former border guard officer, Ihor Hryb, appealed to the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk with a statement that his son, Pavlo, born in 1998, disappeared in Belarus. On August 24, the young man left Chernihiv for Gomel and disappeared there. Ihor Hryb initially searched for his son in Belarus independently. Police representatives in Gomel reported that his son had been placed on the wanted list by the FSB of the Krasnodar Territory of Russia under an article "terrorist act." Ihor Hryb previously served in the Ukrainian border troops and is now involved in the creation of a chaplaincy service in law enforcement agencies. He suspects that Russia's special services kidnapped his son in Belarus. ish Ukraine does not develop enough its logistic capabilities. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during his working trip to Odesa region, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Our state has a perfect geographical location, but I am deeply convinced that we are not developing enough our logistic capabilities, including railway, sea, river transport. We are not sufficiently integrated into the global system of cargo transfer from Asia," Groysman said. According to him, in order to get things moving, it is necessary to take a number of decisions and coordinate the work with different countries of the world. ish The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations (AFUO) has joined the world boycott of the World Festival of Youth and Students that will be held in Sochi on October 14-22, 2017. The AFUO stated this in a media release issued on September 7. The festival is a further example of Russias hybrid war that now includes cynical manoeuvres to involve the youth of the world in efforts to undermine international solidarity in opposing Russian armed aggression and use of force to change internationally recognized borders, reads the report posted on ozeukes.com. The AFUO has called on youth and student organizations to boycott this event. It also called on the Australian Government to issue appropriate warnings about travel to occupied regions from a safety perspective in adhering to Australian Government Travel advisories and reinforce Australias supports for Ukraines territorial integrity. In addition to its appeal, the AFUO released an excerpt from the "travel recommendations", which are posted on the official website of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad, regarding travelling to Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. iy People of Ukrainian descent have made a significant contribution to the emergence of modern Canada and can be proud of it. Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Canadian province of Alberta Ricardo Miranda said this on the occasion of the Ukrainian-Canadian Heritage Day, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "We can all be proud of the great role of Ukrainian Canadians in developing a vibrant culture of our province and state. The Ukrainian-Canadian Heritage Day will ensure that the stories of the Ukrainian ancestors of Albertans will continue living. Congratulations!" Miranda said. "Many of our ancestors came to Alberta, fleeing from discord and persecution. They overcame incredible difficulties for the sake of the new beginning. As a Ukrainian Albertan, I am proud that we honor everything Ukrainians have done to help our prosperous province and preserve memory for future generations," Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Alberta Deron Belous said. The Canadian province of Alberta celebrates the Ukrainian-Canadian Heritage Day for the first time this year. About 10% of the population of Alberta have Ukrainian roots. Photo credit: Deron Belous, Twitter ol Poland expects Ukraine to abide by its commitments regarding the learning by the Polish minority of their native language. The Polish Foreign Ministry said this in a statement amid the adoption by Ukraine of the new law on education. "The Foreign Ministry will closely monitor the implementation of the law and take all necessary steps to provide Poles in Ukraine with access to teaching in Polish. We are confident that the Ukrainian side will adhere to its commitment to hold talks with us regarding possible regulations in the context of the use of languages of national minorities," reads the statement. The ministry said that from the very beginning Warsaw had been aware of the process of changes in education and that this issue had been raised at a meeting of the advisory commission on the education of national minorities in April 2017 and at a meeting between the Polish ambassador and representatives of the Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry. It notes that the Ukrainian side gave assurances that the purpose of the law is not the suppression of languages of national minorities. The statement also notes that the law guarantees ethnic and national groups the right to study their mother tongue along with Ukrainian in kindergartens and schools. It also has a guarantee regarding the right to learn the native language in state and self-government educational institutions and cultural and educational societies. On September 5, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved the law on education with 255 votes. op A rally has been held in Brussels to show the citizens of the European Union the essence of Russias aggressive and terrorist regime. In addition, Ukraine's friends demanded to release Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko, the imprisoned hostage of the Kremlin. The rally was held in front of the Russian Embassy in Belgium, an Ukrinform own correspondent in Brussels reports. "We do not intend persuade the staff of this embassy. The most important thing is to show the Europeans the essence of Putin's terrorist regime. Thats why we are here," said the rally organizer, famous Belarusian dissident Dmitry Pimenov (also known as Miron). Holding the yellow-and-blue flag of Ukraine, Belarusian activists sincerely supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The also expressed support for Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko now imprisoned in Russia. The rally attracted a lot of attention of local residents and passers-by who expressed their solidarity with Ukraine. ol (Natural News) Actor George Clooney, along with his human rights lawyer wife, Amal, has just donated $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center. A statement released on behalf of the couple said that they wanted to help in the ongoing fight for equality in the aftermath of the violent protests that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, but their choice of recipient is raising more than a few eyebrows. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is purportedly a nonprofit that monitors domestic hate groups and extremists and fights what it deems to be bigotry through litigation and advocacy. However, it has garnered widespread criticism for falsely labeling some conservative organizations as hate groups. Many believe the group is biased against those that espouse traditionally conservative values. For example, the SPLC called one popular Christian nonprofit known as the Alliance Defending Freedom a hate group because of its efforts to defend Christian values. The Alliance Defending Freedoms Kerri Kupec said: Whether its shady money transfers or being discredited for decades by investigative journalists and charity watchdogs as a direct mail scam, the Southern Poverty Law Center lost its way a long time ago. Another organization, the religious liberties defense group Pacific Justice Institute, demanded apologies from the group and retractions from media outlets after they were placed on the SPLCs list of hate groups alongside white supremacists. Last year, they came under fire for omitting racial epithets and crimes committed against white people in their list of what is considered a hate crime. The group is known for its hate map, which targets conservatives and incites the very hatred it claims to work against. Case in point: a gunman went to the D.C. offices of the conservative Family Research Council and opened fire in 2012 after the group was listed as being anti-gay on the SPLC website. The SPLC has repeatedly been caught moving millions of dollars to some of its offshore entities, a move that experts say is highly unusual for a group of its type. Some of the places they are known to park money include the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the British Virgin Islands. The CEO of nonprofit consulting firm Pacific Human Capital, Amy Sterling Casil, said: It is unethical for any U.S.-based charity to invest large sums of money overseas. I know of no legitimate reason for any U.S.-based nonprofit to put money in overseas, unregulated bank accounts. SPLC money not reaching those in need According to The Federalist, most of the money donated by the Clooneys will likely go toward the SPLCs biggest expense: fundraising efforts. In 2015, they raised $50 million, and it is looking like they will have a banner year in 2017 as they capitalize on the Charlottesville incident. Criticism of the groups actions crosses party lines, with observers on the right and left alike calling them out for their dishonesty. Their habit of exploiting tragedies in order to attract donations has not won them a lot of favor, particularly when much of this money does not end up going to the poor as the groups name might lead you to believe. The Washington Free Beacon also reports that they pay their top directors and employees six-figure salaries and spend very little on legal services. The Clooneys arent the only ones to have donated to this highly questionable group. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, recently told employees that the firm would not only be donating $1 million to the SPLC but also that they would be matching any donations made by employees two to one. In addition, he added an SPLC donation button to the iTunes store. J.P Morgan Chase, meanwhile, stated its intent to donate $500,000 to the group. Its ironic that these people claim they want to fight against hatred and then give money to groups that do little more than spread hate. Sources include: ChristianNewswire.com SPLCenter.org TheFederalist.com TheBlaze.com TheBlaze.com WashingtonExaminer.com FreeBeacon.com (Natural News) Following the arrest of a nurse after she refused to break the law and violate the rights of a patient, police are now being reprimanded by the hospital. Cops are no longer allowed to interact with nurses at the Utah hospital where the unprecedented incident took place. (Article by Dawn Luger republished from TheDailySheeple.com) Footage of the incident, in which University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels was placed under arrest by Officer Jeff Payne for refusing to draw the blood of an unconscious patient who had been in a car accident, went viral last week. The nurses July 26 arrest was captured on a police body-cam video and has prompted apologies from both Salt Lake Citys mayor and the police. Wubbels arrest was also the driving force behind the suspension of officer Jeff Payne from the police department. Apologists for the cops behavior cling to the idea that no matter what order a cop gives, one should follow it; even if it means violating the rights of another human being. The police in Utah have since revealed that the patient whose blood a nurse refused to let a police officer draw without consent was, in fact, an officer himself; Officer William Gray of Rigby Police Department. Gray was a reserve officer and involved in the accident while driving a truck for his full-time job. Posting on its Facebook page, Rigby Police Department issued an open thank you to nurse Wubbels for protecting their officers rights. The Rigby Police Department would like to thank the nurse involved and hospital staff for standing firm and protecting Officer Grays rights as a patient and victim. Protecting the rights of others is truly a heroic act, the departments post said. Press Release 2017-05September 1, 2017To all outlets On July 26th of this year, one of our reserve officers, William Posted by Rigby Police on Friday, September 1, 2017 Read more at: TheDailySheeple.com MAIDUGURI/DAKAR/NEW YORK, 7 September 2017 There is growing concern for the health and wellbeing of 1.4 million displaced people, including 350,000 children under the age of five, living in cholera hotspots in northeast Nigeria, UNICEF warned today. The outbreak occurs as ongoing violence and military efforts against insurgents in the region have displaced more than 1.7 million people and left over 3.6 million without adequate access to basic water services. An estimated 28 people have died from cholera, while 837 are suspected to have been infected with the disease, including at least 145 children under the age of five. The outbreak was first identified in the Muna Garage camp for the displaced in Maiduguri, the state capital of northeast Nigerias Borno state. The outbreak spread quickly to as many as six other locations across the state. UNICEF and partners have rapidly scaled up their response to the cholera outbreak, as heavy rains multiply the risk of disease and malnutrition for conflict affected children. Cholera is difficult for young children to withstand at any time, but becomes a crisis for survival when their resilience is already weakened by malnutrition, malaria and other waterborne diseases, said UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Pernille Ironside. Cholera is one more threat amongst many that children in northeast Nigeria are battling today in order to survive. A cholera preparedness plan has been in place since before the rains began. Religious leaders, community heads and local volunteers have been mobilized to encourage good hygiene practices and help refer suspected cases to health facilities. Water is chlorinated at access points in the camps and across host communities in an effort to curb the spread of disease as the rainy season continues. Since the outbreak was confirmed there has been a closely coordinated water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health rapid response, driven by the Borno State Government with support from WHO, UNICEF and international non-governmental organisations, including the setup of a cholera treatment centre at the Muna Garage Camp. As the impact of the rains is felt, UNICEF has also scaled up its nutrition and child health programmes across the three northeast Nigerian states most affected by conflict. So far this year, UNICEF has treated over 110,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, distributed nearly 120,000 mosquito nets and provided emergency primary health care services to over three million people in these states. The response continues despite increased security concerns, reduced access because of floods and a heavily damaged health system. Even in the face of a deadly cholera outbreak, the WASH sector remains critically underfunded. To date, UNICEF has only received 49 per cent of funding needed to provide two million people with access to clean water, one of the main interventions that can protect children from deadly waterborne diseases and offer some protection against the threat of malnutrition. ### Notes for editors: Photos and video available for download here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4080DNEW9 For more information visit: www.unicef.org/nigeriaregionalcrisis For more information, please contact: Doune Porter, UNICEF Nigeria, +234 803 525 0273 dporter@unicef.org Harriet Dwyer, UNICEF Maiduguri, +234 906 222 2215, hdwyer@unicef.org Thierry Delvigne-Jean, UNICEF Regional Office in Dakar, +221 77 819 2300, tdelvignejean@unicef.org Marixie Mercado, UNICEF Geneva, +41 79 559 71 72, mmercado@unicef.org Chris Tidey, UNICEF New York, +1 917 340 3017 , ctidey@unicef.org Testing for asymptomatic prostate cancer with prostate specific antigen (PSA) is of uncertain benefit. Most relevant authorities recommend against screening, and for informed patient choice. We aimed to establish the prevalence and associations of "non-symptomatic" PSA-testing of men aged 40 or older by early-career general practitioners (GP registrars). A cross-sectional analysis from the ReCEnT cohort study of registrars' consultations, 2010-2014 (analysed in 2016). Registrars record 60 consecutive consultations each 6-month training term. The outcome factor was ordering an "asymptomatic" PSA test (a PSA ordered for an indication that was not prostate-related symptoms or prostatic disease monitoring). Independent variables were patient, registrar, practice, consultation and educational factors. A total of 856 registrars contributed details of 21,372 individual consultations and 35,696 problems/diagnoses of males 40 or older. Asymptomatic PSAs were ordered for 1.8% (95%CI: 1.7-2.0%) of consultations and for 1.1% (95%CI: 1.0-1.2%) of problems/diagnoses. Multivariable associations of asymptomatic PSA testing (compared with problems/diagnoses for which a PSA was not ordered) included patient age (OR 2.32 [95%CI: 1.53-3.53] for 60-69 years compared with 40-49), patient ethnicity (OR 0.40 [95%CI: 0.19-0.86] for non-English speaking background), the patient being new to both the registrar and practice (ORs 1.46 [95%CI: 1.08-1.99] and 1.79 [95%CI: 1.03-3.10]), the number of problems/diagnoses addressed (OR 1.44 [95%CI: 1.25-1.66] for each extra problem) and more pathology tests being ordered (OR 1.88 [95%CI: 1.79-1.97] for each extra test). GP registrars frequently order "asymptomatic" PSA tests. Our findings suggest that non-compliance with current guidelines for PSA screening may be relatively common and that targeted education is warranted. International journal of clinical practice. 2017 Sep 04 [Epub ahead of print] Parker Magin, Amanda Tapley, Andrew Davey, Simon Morgan, Kim Henderson, Elizabeth Holliday, Jean Ball, Nigel Catzikiris, Katie Mulquiney, Neil Spike, Rohan Kerr, Mieke van Driel School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia., Elermore Vale General Practice, Elermore Vale, New South Wales, Australia., Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia., Eastern Victoria GP Training, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia., General Practice Training Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia., School of Medicine, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28869684 Following the arrest of Cambodias opposition leader on Sunday and amid a crackdown on critical media and NGOs, China has announced its support for Prime Minister Hun Sens regime. A day after the arrest, Geng Shuang, Chinas foreign affairs spokesman, told reporters in Beijing that China supports the Cambodian governments efforts to protect national security and stability. On Thursday, Wang Jiarui, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with Heng Samrin, National Assembly president, and Senate President Say Chhum, officially offering support to Hun Sen over the decision to charge Cambodia National Rescue Party President Kem Sokha with espionage. China will cooperate and assist Cambodia in all circumstances, he reportedly said. Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said the timing of Wangs visit was coincidental. We thank China since they understand how Cambodia implements the rule of law, he said. We think that China understands Khmers clearly, unlike western countries, which use Kem Sokha to bolster their leverage over Cambodias leadership, he said. The arrest of Kem Sokha, NGOs and media closure drew criticism from the United States, European Union, United Nations, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia, drawing a rebuke from Prak Sokhonn, foreign minister, who scolded the western governments for interfering in Cambodian politics, a charge Siphan said did not apply to China. On Monday, Hun Sen threatened foreign nationals with arrest after claiming that the U.S. and Canadian governments had conspired with Sokha to overthrow the government in a color revolution. Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 30 years and as a former Khmer Rouge commander knows better than most Cambodias history of Khmer-on-Khmer violence, said his regime would not let foreigners use Cambodians to kill Cambodians anymore. Despite the growing anti-western rhetoric, Siphan claimed that U.S.-Cambodia relations remained unchanged. I want to tell you clearly that [Hun Sen] never sees the U.S. as the enemy, he said. But to protect Cambodias interests and the peoples wish to see peace as an independent nation ... we have to say, we are not a U.S. puppet. Sokhas arrest followed a crackdown on critical media outlets including the forced closure of the influential English-language Cambodia Daily newspaper and several local radio stations that broadcast factual programming in rural Cambodia, where the CPP traditionally draws its support base. Chheang Vannarith, chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies, said Cambodia was falling into the trap of superpower politics. What I can say is Cambodian society has embraced democratic values. No force is powerful enough to kill democracy in Cambodia. Cambodia as a small state must strictly pursue [a] neutral foreign policy and no-enemy foreign policy, he added. Sophal Ear, an associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the affairs had shown that China and Cambodia have each others backs, adding that they were not brothers in arms. I think U.S.-Cambodian relations are about as bad as they were just prior to the break in diplomatic relations in 1965. Problem is, theres way more interdependence now and money at stake. Cambodia has more to lose from a bad relationship with the US than the US does with Cambodia, he added. Trade between China and Cambodia rose to $4.8 billion last year, up by about $200 million from the year before, while Beijing has now given the government $4.2 billion in grants and loans, according to a speech by Hun Sen in April. Yong Kimeng of the Peoples Center for Development and Peace said he was also concerned that Cambodia would fall into the trap of superpower countries. China generally does not react over human rights issues, not only in Cambodia but also in other countries in the world, said Kimeng. China sees economic benefits but the western countries want democracy. Only Cambodia itself has to decide wisely in supporting any foreign policy, he added. An interactive website aimed at promoting understanding of Cambodias Khmer Rouge regime was launched on Friday, targeting the countrys millennials. The website, khmerrougehistory.org, combines historical information from the founding of the communist movement in Cambodia and the rise of Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, to head the regime and build an agrarian utopia. Some 1.7 million Cambodians are thought to have died as a result of the regimes rule between 1975 and 1979. The website, funded by German media group DW Akademie, was launched jointly by the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and the education ministry to expand access to information about Khmer Rouge rule, according to Pheng Pong Rasy, DC-Cams genocide education team leader. We all know that learning Khmer Rouge history is very important to ensure Cambodia, in the present and future, will not repeat its bitter history in which millions of Cambodians were killed, he said. So we have to do whatever we can to transmit all of this historical knowledge to our younger generations to understand. As well as a chronological timeline of events, the website also includes numerous accounts of survivors and recommended readings. Ton Sa-Im, undersecretary of state at the education ministry, said young peoples interest in Khmer Rouge history depended on the individual family experience. However, he said students had a good understanding of their history as they tended to do well in state school examinations. Sambo Manara, a history professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said teachers roles would be strengthened by the Khmer Rouge History website. In my opinion, there has to be a high-quality curriculum and learning platform and qualified teachers to understand the history of Democratic Kampuchea, he said, using the official title of the Khmer Rouge state, that could make it possible for younger people to be able to understand such things. As Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon called on embassies this week not to interfere with Cambodias internal affairs over the arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha, China announced its support for Cambodias crackdown on the opposition. Following a meeting between Wang Jiarui, vice chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body to Beijing, and National Assembly President Heng Samrin on Thursday, San Sarana, a spokesman for Samrin, told reporters that Wang had praised Prime Minister Hun Sen for the arrest. China wanted to offer its support to Samdech Hun Sen for arresting Kem Sokha, as Cambodias internal security will be guaranteed, he said. The meeting between Wang and Samrin came a day after Cambodia warned western diplomatic missions against making public statements opposing the charges against Sokha, who was arrested in a pre-dawn raid on Sunday and later charged with espionage in a case widely seen as politically motivated. The charges stem from a public speech Sokha gave in Australia several years ago in which he claimed to have received advice on grassroots campaigning to defeat the Hun Sen regime at the ballot box from the United States and Canada. Kem Sokha confessed clearly in the video that the United States has told him what to do from the beginning. He talked about his links with the U.S. since 1993. He stepped down from politics when they told him to do so. He took the model from Yugoslavia when the U.S. told him to do so. That explained all the strikes, violence, demonstrations in 2013 and 2014, Prak Sokhon said in the letter. A series of strikes and mass demonstrations marked the period following Cambodias 2013 election, which the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party won amid credible allegations of widespread voter fraud and intimidation. The protests and strikes were crushed by paratroopers, military police, and regime thugs in January 2014, leaving at least five dead and dozens seriously injured. The United States, European Union, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom have all condemned the crackdown in Cambodia ahead of next years elections, which has also included the forced closure of more than a dozen radio stations broadcasting critical coverage of the regime, the expulsion of the U.S.-funded election monitoring group the National Democratic Institute, and the closure of the Cambodia Daily newspaper. San Sarana on Thursday confirmed what many analysts have been predicting for some time: Cambodias increasing dependence on China. China will cooperate and assist Cambodia in all scenarios. China will be behind us to support Cambodia when the country faces any obstacles. Cambodias success is Chinas success, and any obstacles that happen to Cambodia also happen to China, he said. This week on Issues in the News, prominent Washington correspondents discuss topics making headlines around the world, including North Koreas continued missile testing, and the plight of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees displaced by violence in Myanmar. Join moderator David Rennie of The Economist, along with our panelists, Paul Brandus of West Wing Reports and Israeli-based i24News correspondent Dan Raviv. Scientists have accused the alcohol industry of misleading the public over the link between alcohol and cancer. Researchers looked at the websites of 28 global organizations representing the alcohol industry, and concluded that the vast majority distort or misrepresent the evidence of an alcohol-related cancer risk. "What you might see is that certain health problems related to alcohol consumption are mentioned on the website, but cancer is missing, or specific types of cancer are missing, particularly breast cancer or colorectal cancer," said Mark Petticrew, professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research. WATCH: Alcohol Industry Accused of Misleading Public Over Cancer Risk The Washington-based International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, or IARD, is accused of misleading the public over the risk of contracting specific types of cancers, and trying to confuse the issue by highlighting a range of other risk factors. In a statement provided to VOA, the IARD disputed the conclusions, saying: "We believe in sharing the current state of the scientific evidence and stand by the information that we publish on drinking and health." Petticrew compares the industry's actions with those of the tobacco giants, which for a long time disputed the link between cancer and smoking. "In the U.K., around 4 percent of cancers are attributable to alcohol consumption," Petticrew said. "I think what's important to remember is that the risk itself is quite low for people who consume at low levels. But the fact is that the information about the risk that is disseminated by these organizations is distorted and misrepresented." The report says further research is needed on whether the alcohol industry is distorting information on other risks, such as cardiovascular disease. Scientists have accused the liquor industry of misleading the public over the link between consuming alcohol and cancer. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compare the actions with the tobacco industry's attempts to dispute the link between smoking and lung cancer. Henry Ridgwell reports. Rebels in a volatile region of Central African Republic are raping women and killing their male relatives in a horrific surge of violence that is now clearly along sectarian lines, Amnesty International warned Friday. The human rights organization interviewed dozens of survivors in Basse-Kotto prefecture in the country's east, where a rebel group known as the UPC has carried out waves of attacks. The rebels are considered an offshoot of the mostly Muslim rebel coalition known as Seleka that overthrew the longtime president in 2013. While a period of relative stability allowed for Pope Francis to visit and for elections to be held, international observers now warn that Central African Republic is approaching the levels of violence seen at the height of the conflict in 2014. One woman interviewed by Amnesty described a horrific attack in May. She said UPC fighters shot her husband in the legs when he tried to flee and then told the couple: We're going to do something to you Christians that won't be forgotten for many generations. One of the men raped her, while another raped her husband - all in front of their five children, Amnesty said. Then they fatally shot her husband in the head. Joanne Mariner, senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty, said the U.N. peacekeeping force has proved ineffective in stopping such abuses. Civilians are not accidental victims in this conflict; they are direct targets, she said. If the U.N.'s mandate in the Central African Republic is to mean anything, civilians must be better protected. The Central African Republic's Muslims and Christians had lived in peace for generations, even intermarrying. However, the brutal reign of the Seleka rebel coalition fueled hatred that led to months of retaliatory attacks. During Seleka's rule, its fighters carried out scores of atrocities against Christian civilians. Seleka leaders disavowed the perpetrators as criminals. A new militia - Christian in name, though largely animist - soon arose to fight the Seleka. Brutal vengeance was enacted against Muslim civilians, many of whom hated the Seleka themselves. Nearly the entire Muslim population of the capital, Bangui, fled to the north or to neighboring Chad and Cameroon. The latest violence has been particularly worrisome because it has engulfed parts of the country that were largely untouched during the worst of the earlier conflict. A Georgian citizen was reported to have died Friday in a car explosion in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Ukraine's Interior Ministry said an explosive device went off inside a black Toyota Camry during rush-hour traffic. Interior Ministry spokesman Artem Shevchenko said the victim was identified as Timur Makhauri. Shevchenko said Makhauri's wife was seriously injured in the blast and was hospitalized. Shevchenko told reporters a child was in the car with the couple. He said the child's life was not in danger. Police were investigating. Interfax Ukraine reported that a murder case had been opened. Interfax quoted Shevchenko as saying Makhauri was "known quite well in the criminal world" and "had firm connections with various Chechen circles." He said Makhauri had been targeted for the attack. Britain announced Thursday it is stepping up support of the Lebanese army, providing funds for defensive barriers to be used along Lebanons border with Syria. The move is being seen as a vote of confidence by London in the Lebanese army and encouragement of the ambition of its commanders to emerge as the dominant military force on the frontier with Syria a goal that would complicate Irans forging of a so-called land bridge through Iraq and Syria and of assisting its allies in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Britains foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said Thursday, Our ambition is for Lebanon to have complete authority over its border with Syria. The stepping up of aid to the Lebanese army (LAF) Britain had already agreed to help fund over several years construction of 30 border watch towers and 20 forward operating bases comes just days after LAF and Hezbollah, the countrys radical Shiite movement succeeded in clearing Islamic State fighters from a mountainous pocket of the Syria-Lebanon border. The clearance operations were simultaneous but LAF insists there was no coordination between its assault inside Lebanon and Hezbollahs from the Syrian side, a claim dismissed this week by Israeli officials. Any evidence of liaison with Hezbollah, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, would undermine LAFs standing in Washington and Western capitals and jeopardize Western military aid for the Lebanese military. In the end Hezbollah negotiated safe passage for some 300 jihadists and their families to eastern Syria, close to the Iraqi border. The Hezbollah safe-passage deal infuriated the U.S. and Iraq, whose governments condemned the agreement, which appears to have been engineered to spoil claims of battlefield success by LAF. For years LAF has had to defer to the Shiite movement, in a complex dance of a relationship aimed at avoiding clashes between the two and upsetting Lebanons delicate and highly charged sectarian politics. Even so, some analysts say LAF should be seen as the bigger winner of the clearance operations rather than Hezbollah, as it drew the countrys military out from the shadows and allowed it to assert itself, undercutting Hezbollahs claims that it is indispensable when it comes to Lebanons defense. Aram Nerguizian, a military analyst who specializes in Lebanon, noted in an interview with local media, that for the first time since Lebanons independence LAF is now deployed almost fully along the border with Syria. Over the last five years, areas that have been no-go zones for the Lebanese army because they were spheres of Syrian government and/or Hezbollah preeminence have gradually become LAF zones of control, he said. In a paper for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based policy research group, Nerguizian noted that successive generations of LAF leadership have grown ever more confident and emboldened by the idea that the LAF can be Lebanons preeminent national security actor. Still, the LAF has struggled time and again with what it sees as the false perceptions of LAF-Hezbollah collusion. Last week, Israels envoy to the UN, Dany Danon, accused Hezbollah of planning for its next military campaign against Israel, arguing that Shiite commanders are using officers in the Lebanese Army as terror operatives who help it against the IDF [Israel Defense Force] along the border, with Israel. He claimed Hezbollah was building up its arsenals in southern Lebanon readying for a future attack and accused the UN peace-keeping force of failing to interdict the movement of arms. Since Lebanese General Joseph Aoun, a veteran field commander and counter-terrorism expert who trained in the U.S., was made army commander in March, LAF has become more assertive. Aoun has irritated Hezbollah with some of his picks for staff positions, although Nerguizian notes in his research paper that the army is not in a position where it can be openly antagonistic towards Hezbollah, which remains the preeminent faction in Lebanons sectarian political landscape. Western powers, though, are clear in their determination to help boost LAF. Britains ambassador to Lebanon offered congratulations to Aoun during a Thursday visit to LAF headquarters on the clearance operation known as the dawn of mountains, of IS fighters in the mountain regions of Al-Qaa and Aarsal, on Lebanons north-eastern border with Syria. The ambassador, Hugo Shorter, said the assault was complex, risky and dangerous, adding, The Lebanese Army has shown that it is an effective, professional army capable of defending Lebanon from the threats of an uncertain region. We believe in the Lebanese Army as the sole legitimate defender of Lebanon and the only one which represents all Lebanese acting within the law and with the consent of the Lebanese state and its people. Lawmakers have six months to come up with a plan for the more than 800,000 people who have temporary legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. There are already four prominent bills aimed at addressing the issue, providing a blueprint for what Congress may decide. House Speaker Paul Ryan has vowed not to hold a vote on any immigration bill without the support of at least half of the Republican members of the House. Democrats say they will press Republicans to bring up legislation for a vote soon. DREAM Act The DREAM Act, introduced in July by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, has bipartisan support, with six Democratic Senators and three Republicans behind it. The DREAM Act would, like the RAC Act, allow applicants to become conditional permanent residents, and would remove those conditions after certain requirements are met. Criteria: Were younger than 18 when they entered the United States Been continuously present in the U.S. for the past four years Have not persecuted, or helped to persecute, anyone on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion Have not been convicted of a crime Have been admitted to an institution of higher learning or has earned a high school diploma or GED Submited biometric data, agreesd to a medical exam and a background check Registered for selective service For conditional residents to become permanent residents, they must:: Maintain their residence in the U.S. Finish their educational degree or complete at least two years in good standing on a program for college degree or higher, or Finish two years in military service and, if discharged, have been discharged honorably Have been employed for at least three years and at least 75 percent of the time they had a valid employment authorization The BRIDGE Act Republican Representative Mike Coffman of Colorado is sponsoring the BRIDGE Act (companion to DREAM Act) and has threatened to force a vote. The bill has 25 co-sponsors -- 13 Democrats and 12 Republicans. BRIDGE -- an acronym for "Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy" -- is a measure that would expire after three years, making it the most limited of the legislative options already on the table. Criteria: Longtime residents who came to the U.S. as children Graduate from high school or obtain a GED Pursue higher education, work lawfully for at least three years, or serve in the military Pass security and law enforcement background checks and pay a reasonable application fee Demonstrate proficiency in the English language and a knowledge of United States history Have not committed a felony or other serious crimes, and do not pose a threat to the United States. Recognizing America's Children Act Republican House member Carlos Curbelo of Florida introduced the Recognizing America's Children Act earlier this year. The bill, which has 17 co-sponsors, all Republicans, offers "conditional" permanent residency for people who meet the following criteria. After five years, they could apply for standard green cards and permanent citizenship. Criteria: Arrived in the United States before January 1, 2012, and were 16 years old or younger Been in the U.S. for at least five years Earned a high school diploma or equivalent, been admitted to a U.S. institute of higher learning, or have a valid work authorization A person of "good moral character" Have not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in detention Must submit biometric data Undergo a background check and medical exam Registers for selective service American Hope Act Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois, in July introduced the American Hope Act, which has 112 Democrats signed on as co-sponsors. Gutierrez's plan requires that applicants have entered the United States before age 18. It does not include work, education, or military requirements. Of the four bills, the American Hope Act provides the fastest path to citizenship. Eligible applicants can apply for conditional permanent residency for as long as eight years, and can apply for permanent resident status three years achieving the conditional step. After five years, they can apply for U.S. citizenship. Criteria: Buoyed by record gains in last months elections, Kenyan activists say they hope the nations top court will enforce womens right to better political representation, following a surprise decision to nullify the presidential election. Female Kenyan lawyers have asked the High Court to declare the nations new parliament illegal, saying it violates a constitutional requirement that one third of its members be female. Kenyas highest court made history in Africa last week by ordering a re-run of its presidential election, saying President Uhuru Kenyattas victory was undermined by irregularities. Kenyan women say they see the ruling as an opportunity, having lobbied for years for better political representation, which is the lowest in East Africa. We hope to get a favorable outcome, seeing what came out of the Supreme Court, Josephine Mongare, chairwoman of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA), told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'Women need to compete' A fifth of Kenyas lawmakers are women, the same proportion as in Saudi Arabia, and many women shy away from running for office because of violence, rigging and cronyism. Only 16 percent of Augusts 10,910 candidates were women, the electoral board said. Women need to dig in their heels and compete with men, said Macharia Munene, professor of international relations at United States International University-Africa. Many have competed and beat their male counterparts. All they need is more self-belief. Constitutional guarantee Womens hopes were raised when the 2010 constitution guaranteed them a third of seats in all political offices, but the male-dominated assembly has repeatedly frustrated efforts to pass a law to enact the quota. In March, the High Court gave parliament a 60-day ultimatum that expired just over a month before the polls to ensure a third of lawmakers are women or face dissolution. Parliament was disbanded for the election without enacting the court orders. We hope the court will compel parliament further to make this a reality, Mongare said. Women do have a record-breaking 26 percent of seats in Kenyas new parliament, up from 19 percent in 2013. Goals outside of Parliament And for the first time, three women won seats as senators and another three as governors. In 2013, men held all these posts. We hope that these firsts will show women that if women are given a little push, they can ably compete with men and beat them, said Joyce Laboso, one of the new female governors. Women running for office are often undermined by political parties that favor rich, well-connected men and turn a blind eye to violence, experts say. Many [women] lost out during the primaries, even though some were the peoples favorite candidates, said Daisy Amdany, executive director of Community Advocacy and Awareness Trust, a lobby group. Politician Millie Odhiambos bodyguard was struck and killed by an opponents car during the April primaries, and another candidates car was shot at while she was inside. A recent United Nations mission to the Kasai region in the Democratic Republic of Congo reports more than a year of fighting between the government and local armed groups has caused widespread destruction and enormous human suffering. Improved humanitarian access to conflict-ridden Kasai has made it possible for U.N. refugee staff to go to the territory of Kamonia at the DRCs border with Angola to assess the situation. This was the first time UNHCR could go to this area since the killing of a tribal chief by government soldiers triggered fighting between them and a local militia in August 2016. UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly says the agencys staff saw entire villages burned down, civilians in dire condition and rampant lawlessness. Local armed groups have systematically destroyed or pillaged health posts, schools and public buildings. Hundreds of children have been separated from their parents or have witnessed their murders. Elderly, disabled or sick people also are at serious risk. The UNHCR estimates the conflict has displaced about 1.4 million people. Another 33,000 refugees have fled to neighboring Angola. Pouilly tells VOA the number of refugees arriving in Angola has declined drastically since July. We have no full account of what is happening. But, according to those we have been able to talk to and who have newly arrived, we understand that the main roads to the border are largely blocked, and so people who want to flee are forced to use unofficial border entry points. Despite the critical situation, Pouilly says some Congolese refugees have spontaneously returned to Kasai, without explanation. She says many have found their homes destroyed and are forced to live as displaced people. Egypt blocked the website of Human Rights Watch one day after the organization released a report on systematic torture in the countrys jails. Reuters attempted to access the website late Thursday but was unsuccessful. Egyptian authorities keep insisting that any incidents of torture are isolated crimes by bad officers acting alone, but the Human Rights Watch report proves otherwise, Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said Thursday. The report, We Do Unreasonable Things Here, based on the accounts of 19 former detainees and the family of another, claimed Egyptian authorities used arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture. Rather than address the torture crisis in Egypt, the authorities have blocked access to a report that documents what many Egyptians and others living there already know. Egypt objects to report Egypts foreign ministry lambasted the report Wednesday, saying it defamed the country and ignored progress made on human rights in recent years. The report ... is a new episode in a series of deliberate defamation by such organization, whose politicized agenda and biases are well known and reflect the interests of the entities and countries sponsoring it, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. Hundreds of news sites blocked Egypt first blocked access to a number of news websites including Al Jazeera and Huffington Post Arabic in May after similar actions by its Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But since, hundreds of other news sites and blogs have been wiped from Egyptian screens with the most recent count according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, a nongovernment organization tracking the affected sites through software that monitors outages, at 424. Journalists see the campaign against them as a step toward banning all but the most state-aligned media, effectively reversing the private media boom that flourished in the final decade of former president Hosni Mubaraks rule and which they say helped push him from power in 2011. The government has offered no comment on the reason behind the blockages. Credit monitoring company Equifax has been hit by a high-tech heist that exposed the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information about 143 million Americans. Now the unwitting victims have to worry about the threat of having their identities stolen. The Atlanta-based company, one of three major U.S. credit bureaus, said Thursday that criminals exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. The theft obtained consumers' names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver's license numbers. The purloined data can be enough for crooks to hijack the identities of people whose credentials were stolen through no fault of their own, potentially wreaking havoc on their lives. Equifax said its core credit-reporting databases don't appear to have been breached. On a scale of one to 10, this is a 10 in terms of potential identity theft, said Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan. ``Credit bureaus keep so much data about us that affects almost everything we do.'' Lenders rely on the information collected by the credit bureaus to help them decide whether to approve financing for homes, cars and credit cards. Credit checks are even sometimes done by employers when deciding whom to hire for a job. Equifax discovered the hack July 29, but waited until Thursday to warn consumers. The Atlanta-based company declined to comment on that delay or anything else beyond its published statement. It's not unusual for U.S. authorities to ask a company hit in a major hack to delay public notice so that investigators can pursue the perpetrators. The company established a website, where people can check to see if their personal information may have been stolen. Consumers can also call 866-447-7559 for more information. Experian is also offering free credit monitoring to all U.S. consumers for a year. This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do, Equifax CEO Richard Smith said in a statement. I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes. Not biggest breach in history This isn't the biggest data breach in history. That indignity still belongs to Yahoo, which was targeted in at least two separate digital burglaries that affected more than 1 billion of its users' accounts throughout the world. But no Social Security numbers or drivers' license information were disclosed in the Yahoo break-in. Equifax's security lapse could be the largest theft involving Social Security numbers, one of the most common methods used to confirm a person's identity in the U.S. It eclipses a 2015 hack at health insurer Anthem Inc. that involved the Social Security numbers of about 80 million people. Any data breach threatens to tarnish a company's reputation, but it is especially mortifying for Equifax, whose entire business revolves around providing a clear financial profile of consumers that lenders and other businesses can trust. This really undermines their credibility, Litan said. It also could undermine the integrity of the information stockpiled by two other major credit bureaus, Experian and TransUnion, since they hold virtually all the data that Equifax does, Litan said. Equifax's stock dropped 13 percent to $124.10 in extended trading after its announcement of the breach. Three Equifax executives sold shares worth a combined $1.8 million just a few days after the company discovered it had been hacked, according to documents filed with securities regulators. The sales, executed on August 1 and August 2, were made by: John Gamble, Equifax's chief financial officer; Rodolfo Ploder, Equifax's president of workforce solutions; and Joseph Loughran, Equifax's president of U.S. information solutions. Bloomberg News first reported the divestitures. In a subsequent statement, Equifax said the three executives had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares. The potential aftershocks of the Equifax breach should make it clear that Social Security numbers are becoming an unreliable way to verify a person's identity, Nathaniel Gleicher, the former director of cybersecurity policy in the White House during the Obama administration, said in an email statement. This breach might just have put the nail in the coffin of the idea that we can use personal identifiers like Social Security numbers as security factors, wrote Gleicher, who now oversees cybersecurity strategy for computer security firm Illumio. In addition to the personal information stolen in its breach, Equifax said the credit card numbers for about 209,000 U.S. consumers were also taken, as were certain dispute documents containing personal information for approximately 182,000 U.S. individuals. Equifax warned that hackers also may have some limited personal information about British and Canadian residents. The company doesn't believe that consumers from any other countries were affected. Native American tribes and nations across the country say their members are murdered or go missing in alarming numbers, victims of domestic or drug-related violence, sexual assault or sex trafficking. And families of the victims say law enforcement is not doing enough about the problem. Pinning down exact numbers is difficult. Individual states maintain databases on missing persons, but they dont necessarily coordinate with one another. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) administers two national databases: the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a central resource for reporting and tracking crime, including missing persons, and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a searchable, online database of information on missing persons and unidentified remains. As VOA learned, though, those systems are full of holes. "If I threw a number to you, it would just be a number," said Janet Franson, a retired Florida homicide detective now living in Texas. She first noticed the problem several years ago while working for NamUs. I covered nine of the Northwestern states and more than 40 reservations, Franson said. And I started realizing that there were people going missing who werent even getting reported. In some cases, nobody even knew that they were gone. Today, Franson tracks missing and unidentified bodies of Native Americans and posts them on Facebook. Most of the cases she encounters are adults. When juveniles go missing, theres a federal mandate that says law enforcement must file a missing person report and enter the child in the NCIC within two hours. But there is no mandate for adults," she said. The system depends on families to notify police when relatives go missing. It also depends on police to fill out a missing person report. Sometimes police just dont want to be bothered, Franson said. Making matters worse, smaller reservations may not have access to NCIC computers and must rely on local or state police to do the reporting for them, as a courtesy. Police indifference At least two persons are currently missing from South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home of the Oglala Lakota Sioux. Alex Tank Vazquez, 26, disappeared in October 2015. I was on my way to Mexico on vacation when my other son called and said Alex hadnt come home, said Alexs father, Mario Vazquez. I didnt think it was anything, but when I came back, I started seeing all the comments on Facebook, and then I started hearing rumors about him being killed by his cousins, about them killing him and feeding him to the pigs. I was going crazy. Vazquez filed a missing person report with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, which conducted air and land searches across the reservation. But that was two years ago, Mario Vazquez said. Since then, he said police dont talk to him at all, and friends and family members have taken on the search for Alex themselves, circulating flyers, posting notices on Facebook and organizing search parties. Its been a nightmare for me, and I dont get any help from anybody. I just need to know what happened, he said. VOA heard similar complaints from the Navajo Nation, where at least 29 people are currently listed as missing, among them, 26-year-old Katczinski Ariel Begay. I last saw my daughter July 3 when she walked out of the door with her boyfriend, said her mother, Jacqueline Begay. The last thing I heard from her, she texted me and said she would be home later that evening. But she never came home. Witnesses claim to have seen Katczinski Begay getting into a Jeep parked outside a souvenir shop. The criminal investigator said she hasnt even checked the stores cameras yet. All she tells us is that she has a lot of other cases to handle and that shes a single parent, Jacqueline Begay said. And once police found out Katczinski Begay had addiction problems, she said police showed even less interest in the case. Thats a common problem, said Meskee Yatsayte, a Navajo citizen who devotes a Facebook page to sharing information on missing tribal citizens. As soon as you mention to police that the missing person likes to party, they shove the case off to the side. Resources stretched thin In fairness, Yatsayte said Navajo Nation police have limited resources. Right now, we have 134 police officers to cover 27,000 square miles [70,000 square kilometers]. Every officer has to patrol a 70-mile radius. And that means when somebody goes missing, it can take anywhere from two to nine hours to respond," Yatsayte said. And this assumes that families have telephones or houses that are numbered, which many, particularly in remote corners of the reservation, are not. We really need a missing persons unit, someone who can concentrate to get these cases solved and get some answers for these families that are suffering every day, she said. Navajo Nation Police Captain Michael Henderson said his officers do their utmost to help families of the missing. If there is suspicion of criminal activity, police officers will do a preliminary investigation then turn it over to criminal investigators and the FBI, Henderson said. If there is no reason to suspect criminal activity or homicide, officers will take a report and enter it onto the NCIC database, as well as any DNA evidence they have, and conduct monthly follow-ups to see whether theres any new information on the cases. They will continue until the missing person is found or they reach a complete dead end. But we are chronically undermanned to be able to do effective follow-up, he admitted. Currently, more than 200 police departments operate across Indian Country, which is defined as all land falling inside the limits of any reservations under the jurisdiction of the United States government. The departments range in size from only two or three officers to more than 200 officers. And according to the California-based Tribal Law and Policy Institute, thats about half the number needed to properly service tribal citizens. The murder rate on Pine Ridge Reservation, for example, jumped 90 percent in 2016, but has a police force of only about 30 officers who must cover an area of about 3,400 square miles (8,800 square kilometers). Although cynicism, complacency and incompetence explain some of the reactions by law enforcement, the primary reason for this kind of response is a lack of resources, especially, personnel who are stretched too thin, said Jeffrey Ross, a professor of criminology at the University of Baltimore and expert in justice in Indian Country. Most tribal police departments are funded by the Interior Departments Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which is chronically underfunded. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has acknowledged the practical and jurisdictional challenges facing tribal police. Law enforcement in Indian Country faces unique practical and jurisdictional challenges, and the Department of Justice [DOJ] is committed to working with them to provide greater access to technology, information and necessary enforcement, Sessions said in April, announcing DOJ will expand tribal access to national criminal databases. A new Indian Country Federal Law Enforcement Coordination Group comprising elements from a dozen federal agencies will convene to collaborate and coordinate efforts to counter crime on reservations. And he said the government will also conduct a series of listening sessions with tribal leaders and police in order to assess their needs. But at the same time, the White House wants to cut about $30 million from federal programs that help tribes fight crime. The proposed budget cuts will have a devastating effect on the ability of tribal law enforcement to accomplish all of their interrelated goals, and not simply responding to missing persons reports, Ross said. And that leaves families with even less reason to hope. More and more missing persons cases are reported every day, missing persons advocate Yatsayte said. Eventually, theyll simply end up as cold cases. Below, some of the many missing persons and unidentified remains in Indian Country: NOTE: An earlier version of this story identified Janet Franson as working for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children rather than NamUs. The story has been corrected. David L. Minter, former dean of Emory College and vice president of arts and sciences, died Aug. 21 in Houston, Texas, at age 82. A longtime English professor, Minter served as an educational visionary during pivotal years of growth for Emory, then returned to Rice University where he worked until his retirement in 2002. Appointed by then-Emory President James T. Laney, Minter arrived in 1981 as dean of Emory College, where he oversaw the faculty of arts and sciences. In that capacity, he was responsible for faculty development, promotion and tenure, course development and student recruitment. Later, he was given the additional title of vice president for arts and sciences. An esteemed scholar of 20th century American literature, with a special interest in the works of William Faulkner, Minter also continued teaching and writing. David had a first-class mind, an instinct for making brilliant faculty appointments, and an unrivalled, indeed relentless, passion for making the arts and sciences not only the foundation but also the walls and keystone of Emory's reputation, recalls Gary Hauk, university historian and senior adviser to the president. Minter came to Emory shortly after Robert W. Woodruff, the legendary leader of the Coca-Cola Company, and his brother George Woodruff had given Emory a then-record gift of $105 million. At that time, it was the first nine-figure gift to an institution of higher learning and represented a transformative offering that would help galvanize Emory's advance to the top tier of American research universities. Minter "worked hand-in-glove with then-President Laney. Together they were architects in shaping the growth and development of the arts and sciences at Emory, recalls Rosemary Magee, director of Emorys Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library, who was hired by Minter to serve as assistant dean at Emory College. Together, they were committed to excellence, she says. One of their earliest decisions was to use the Woodruff gift to attract outstanding students, the Woodruff Scholars, and highly recognized faculty scholars, the Woodruff Professors, with the belief that the strongest students and the strongest scholars would be beacons of inspiration to us all. While at Emory, Minter was credited for overseeing key faculty hires; guiding the expansion of new programs and departments, including the Institute for Womens Studies (forerunner to the Department of Womens, Gender and Sexuality Studies); shepherding Emory students into prestigious scholarship and fellowship programs; expanding study abroad programs; and advancing need-based financial aid, Magee recalls. Within his vision, one way for Emory to continue to rise in the constellation of American universities was for students of any background to be able to come here and study, she says. In his view that approach could put us at a competitive advantage and enhance the campus experience for all. Inspiring leader, impassioned educator As an administrator, Minter is remembered for his vision, creativity, intellectual curiosity and a steadfast belief in the deep, clear importance of quality teaching. He was an academic leader who never lost his love of the classroom. A 1983 profile in Emory Magazine recalls Minter as one of the most imaginative members of President James. T. Laneys administration. More than one person has described him as an educational visionary. "When he gathers his staff for its weekly Monday morning meetings, there is, according to one administrator, always something to be excited about: some new program thats moving forward, some new idea thats being discussed, some new hurdle that has to be jumped. Magee describes Minter as an absolutely phenomenal human being with a brilliant mind, and very, very focused on his ambitions for Emory." He was impatient for Emory to be on a trajectory of academic eminence," she says. "And he deeply influenced me, because given the size and scale of Emory at the time, I had the special opportunity to see up-close how to think big and how to act inclusively. While at Emory, Minter remained an active scholar and is the author of many books and articles. His publishing life includes a role editing the Norton Critical Edition of William Faulkners The Sound and the Fury. He also served as co-editor of acclaimed literary surveys including The Harper American Literature and The Columbia Literary History of the United States. Minter penned Heirs of a Changing Promise: A Cultural History of the American Novel, 1890-1940, and William Faulkner: His Life and Work, his most successful book, which has been translated into several languages. A love of literature Born in Texas oil country in 1935, Minter and his twin sister, Judith, were the fifth and sixth children of the Rev. Kenneth Minter, a scholarly Methodist minister, and his wife, Frances Hennessey Minter, a former schoolteacher. When he was 13, his parents were killed in a car accident, leaving Minter to be raised by siblings and relatives. His humble beginnings and hard childhood would shape his work ethic, ambitions and commitment to supporting financial aid. As a child, Minter became a voracious reader, according to an Emory Magazine interview. That love of books would lead him to North Texas State University in Denton, where he received a BA and MA in English. He continued on to Yale University to study theology, where he received a Bachelor of Divinity and a PhD in American Studies. In 1969, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. He began his academic career as a lecturer first at Yale and then Hamburg University in Germany. In 1967, he returned to Texas to begin his teaching career in the English Department at Rice University, where he received tenure after only two years. After his time at Emory, Minter returned to Rice in 1990 as the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English, where he would go on to serve as English Department chair, interim provost, interim vice-provost and university librarian. He was a three-time winner of the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching and the Student Association Mentor Recognition Award. In 1999, he was named the Bruce and Elizabeth Dunlevie Professor of English, a chair endowed by one of his former students. Following an academic career that spanned 35 years, Minter retired from teaching in 2002. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Caroline Minter, of Houston; a son, Emory alumnus Christopher Minter, of Dripping Springs; a daughter, Frances Epstein, of Tucson, Arizona; and grandsons Aiden and Seaton Epstein. Graveside services were held Aug. 22 in Woodville, Texas. It started out cold as ice, and then turned warm and friendly. Now the tortured relationship between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan has gone cool again, with the Republican president making clear he has no qualms about bucking the GOP leader to cut deals with his Democratic foes. The two men dined at the White House Thursday night and discussed legislative challenges ahead for the fall, a get-together that was scheduled over Congress' August recess, long before the head-spinning events of this week. In a moment that stunned Washington, Trump cut a deal on debt and disaster aid Wednesday with Congress' Democratic leaders as Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell watched on helplessly, after lobbying unsuccessfully for much different terms. The moment distilled the inherent tensions between Trump, 71, a former Democrat and ideologically flexible deal-maker, and Ryan, 47, a loyal Republican whose discomfort with Trump led him to withhold his endorsement for weeks last year. After Trump was elected, the two papered over their differences and even developed a rapport, talking frequently during health care negotiations earlier this year, as each understood they needed the other to advance individual and shared goals. But their phone calls have tapered off of late, and Trump has expressed his frustration with GOP leaders on multiple fronts, culminating in the president's decision to ditch them and join hands with the Democrats instead. 'A great thing' Trump exulted in his newly bipartisan approach Thursday, declaring it "a great thing for our country," while Ryan mostly grinned and bore it. At the Capitol on Wednesday, Ryan had deemed a three-month debt ceiling increase as "unworkable" and "ridiculous." Yet an hour later, Trump overruled his strong objections to side with the Democrats. The president's rebuff on the debt came just days after Trump ignored Ryan's pleas not to end the program to aid immigrants brought to the country as children and living here illegally. Instead, Trump ended the program and tossed the issue to Congress to resolve in six months. The debt deal headed for House passage Friday along with $15 billion in disaster aid and a three-month government funding extension. Indeed for Ryan, GOP reactions to the deal exposed some lurking threats to his perch atop a conference where unrest brews nearly ceaselessly among conservatives, and there have been recent rumblings of a possible coup. Trump remains highly popular in the conservative districts occupied by many House Republicans, much more so than Ryan himself, who is scorned by many in the GOP base as an establishment sell-out. In a whipsawed moment, some House Republicans defended Trump's handling of a deal they didn't like, while simultaneously criticizing Ryan, who had been overruled by the president. It also underscored the political pressure on Ryan to try to remain in the president's good graces even when Trump is flirting with Democrats. Stick with president Representative Steve King, an Iowa Republican, said the message in his conservative district is that "congressional Republicans need to get behind the president." That sentiment "makes him weaker," King said of Ryan. Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona described Ryan as "very unpopular" in his district, while regard for Trump is "pretty high." As far as his constituents are concerned, Gosar said, they'd be happy if Ryan got the boot and Trump stayed. "That's kind of the mantra in my district," he said. For his part, Trump has soured on the Republican congressional leadership in recent months, fuming to associates that they led him astray on their health care strategy, among other complaints. The president has told those close to him that he regrets choosing to tackle the repeal and replacement of Barack Obama's health care law as his first legislative push. He has singled out Ryan for blame, saying the speaker assured him it would pass and instead handed him an early, humiliating failure, before ultimate House passage of a revived bill, according to three White House and outside advisers familiar with the conversations but not authorized to speak about them publicly. GOP health care efforts collapsed in the Senate in July. Trump has spoken to Ryan less frequently in recent weeks, particularly after the departure of his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, who has deep Wisconsin ties to the speaker. Priebus would sometimes broker the calls and stress to both men their importance, according to two people familiar with the conversations. Those calls have occurred less often since John Kelly took over as chief of staff. McConnell safer Though Trump has expressed particular anger at McConnell for the failed Senate health care vote and for not protecting him from the Russia investigation, he grudgingly has told associates that he is aware of the Senate leader's grip on power. He has spoken less glowingly about Ryan's own ability to lead because of the shorter House terms and the growing insurgency within the conservative Freedom Caucus. Ryan's position is seen as secure for now, if only because it is widely accepted that no other House Republican could garner the support needed to replace him. But even allies believe his tenure in the job could be finite, and might depend in part on the whims of a president with whom he has no real deep ties. "I think any speaker is going to have a very difficult time in this environment," said Representative Tom Reed, a New York Republican. "The nature of that job, I think, over time they don't last." The combined damage from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey could cut U.S. economic growth by one-third for a few months, according to business analytics firm IHS Markit. Bankrate.com's Mark Hamrick said, however, that analysts wouldn't know for sure until Irma passed. He said Harvey alone might cut growth by half of a percent in the third quarter. As far as the impact from Irma, "No doubt it is a substantial negative," said Hamrick. WATCH: Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Could Shave Up to 1 Percent From US GDP in 3rd Quarter Florida accounts for about 5 percent of the the U.S. gross domestic product and 6 percent of U.S. jobs. PNC Bank Chief Economist Gus Faucher said U.S. economic growth might briefly slow in the third quarter because of Harvey and Irma, but that he thought it would bounce back late this year and early next year. "Obviously, there is destruction in the near term, there are people who lose their jobs in the near term, but then there's a lot of activity following that, so we have more jobs as reconstruction funds flow in from insurance payments and federal aid. So there's a lot of rebuilding to expect," said Faucher. Jim Baird of the Plante Moran financial firm told VOA that storm damage to the national economy could be significant but temporary. He said post-storm rebuilding with more modern facilities might increase productivity, which could reduce the "sting" of economic loss a bit. Commonwealth Financial Network's Brad McMillan said previous major stiorms like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy caused huge local problems, though they did not change the national economy in a "fundamental" way. He noted that the recovery in this case might take "longer than usual." Real estate experts said Hurricane Irma's winds threatened 8.5 million homes and businesses in Florida. The data analysis firm CoreLogic said storm surges floodwaters driven by high winds and low pressure also might endanger 3.5 million commercial and residential buildings. Standard & Poor's analysts said they were still adding up the costs of Hurricane Harvey, but that Irma seemed likely to cost even more. Researchers at Barclays Bank said hurricane claims costs might rise high enough to wipe out a year of earnings for certain insurance companies. Hurricane Irma also is hurting airlines, which have canceled 4,600 flights to and from airports in the Caribbean and Florida, according to FlightAware.com. Bad weather was forcing Miami to stop operating Friday and Orlando to end flights on Saturday. Together, these major airports handle about 2,000 flights on normal days. Online Hotel adviser Kelsey Blodget said airport closures would hurt the tourism and hospitality trades. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Cabinet are to meet Saturday concerning Hurricane Irma, which is poised to slam into the state of Florida after killing at least 21 people in the Caribbean and causing catastrophic destruction. "It's a really bad one, but we're prepared at the highest level. Hopefully, everything will be well," Trump, standing on the White House South Lawn, told reporters Friday just before boarding Marine One for the helicopter ride to the Camp David presidential retreat, where the Cabinet meeting will occur. "This storm has taken lives already," White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert noted. "Take care of yourself first, so you can take care of others." Bossert, speaking during a White House briefing, was asked what his biggest concern was. He replied that "we're worried about the fuel shortages" amid Florida's mass evacuation, noting "five or six" oil refineries in Texas are still out of operation from recent Hurricane Harvey. Preparations "We've got tens of thousands of liters of water, we've got food, we've got cots, we've got medical supplies, prepositioned toddler kits, which include diapers, formula, those kinds of things, acting Deputy FEMA Administrator Kathleen Fox told VOA. The National Hurricane Center predicted Irma, with maximum sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) and still several hundred kilometers west of Cuba on Friday afternoon, would turn toward the northwest by late Saturday. It was forecast to slam into the Florida Keys and the southern Florida peninsula Sunday morning. Forecasts readjusted the storm's potential track Friday more toward the west coast of Florida, which would mean that Miamis metropolitan area of 6 million people would be spared a direct hit from the storm. Alp Inal, a businessman in Miami, described the city to VOAs Turkish service as a ghost town as most people heeded warnings to evacuate the area. South Beach, midtown, all these areas are empty. People are fleeing the city by car or by plane if they can find tickets to anywhere. You cannot find gasoline at gas stations, and more than half of the gas stations in Miami are not operational, he said. Inal said his family was flying to Boston because it was the only place they could get plane tickets to. We searched for tickets to New York, Washington, Atlanta and Nashville, but we couldnt find any, he said. Destruction in the Caribbean Irma was downgraded from a Category 5 to a still-powerful Category 4 hurricane early Friday. Forecasters said the storm, already regarded as the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic, was expected to maintain its current level of strength as it approached the continental United States. The storm tore through 160-square-kilometer Barbuda, prompting Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda to say the island was now "rubble." WATCH: Officials Urge Evacuations Before Hurricane Hits Southeastern US States The prime minister estimated about 95 percent of all the buildings on Barbuda were either destroyed or damaged. The island nation was bracing for impact from Category 4 Hurricane Jose. 'Scenes of pillaging' On the island of St. Martin, shared by France and the Netherlands, there were "scenes of pillaging" as people looted stores and took to the streets in search of food and water, according to Annick Girardin, France's minister for overseas territories. It could be up to six months before all power is restored on cash-strapped Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, where Irma knocked out power to more than 1 million people. Witnesses said wires were either lying in the streets or dangling from the poles that managed to stay upright. Irma also lashed Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, with fierce winds and heavy rain, but spared those two countries a direct hit. In Photos: Hurricane Irma Hits Haiti Haitian authorities said Irma still caused mudslides and flooded highways and bridges, though, destroying ramshackle homes. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew last October. The U.S. Defense Department deployed three Navy ships, about two dozen aircraft and hundreds of Marines to help with recovery in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. French and Dutch relief was being flown to their territories, and British Prime Minister Teresa May sent a Royal Navy shipload of military personnel and emergency supplies to British territories in the Caribbean. U.S. preparations Emergency shelters in Florida were accommodating evacuees from the state's most vulnerable areas. "Let's hope there's no hurricane amnesia," Bossert, at the White House, told reporters, stressing that people in Florida should keep in mind the destruction caused by past storms and heed evacuation orders. Florida Governor Rick Scott said all 7,000 Florida National Guard members were being deployed Friday and thousands of power workers were standing by, ready to go to work. Noting that Irma was wider than Florida, Scott characterized it as "a catastrophic storm that this state has never seen before." The governor warned, "We are running out of time. The storm is almost here." Hospitals in India are starting to tag newborns, mothers and medics as well as installing extra security cameras and educating staff to spot baby thieves amid fears that baby trafficking is becoming an organized crime nationwide. Officials said this was part of a drive starting at government-run hospitals in southern Tamil Nadu state to ensure nurses, doctors and visitors know of the threat of babies being stolen from maternity wards and sold illegally for adoption. At the Rajaji government hospital in Madurai, the first in Tamil Nadu to introduce the program, laser beams at exit points trigger alarms if untagged adults take babies out. We just want to prevent the theft of babies, N.K. Mahalakshmi, the doctor in charge of laser tagging at the hospital, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. It is not fool proof but a deterrent. ... Our hospital staff has also been told to be extra vigilant. Traffickers, officials sometimes collude Campaigners have raised concerns that traffickers are often colluding with officials to steal babies from maternity wards and illegally sell them for adoption. Mumbai police arrested a gang for convincing single mothers to sell their babies last year, while in West Bengal police found newborns being stolen from mothers in medical clinics after staff told them that their babies were stillborn. Dev Ananth, a child protection officer in Tirunelveli district, said the state government is investigating several cases where hospital staff persuaded mothers to sell their babies for about 10,000 Indian rupees ($156). Tirunelveli district will put posters up in every hospital, alerting pregnant women, families and staff to the dangers of trafficking in overcrowded corridors. Many dont see it as a trafficking issue, he said. We are going to train hospital staff to identify potential cases, including what to do if a baby is abandoned at birth. At present, the dos and donts are not clear. No official data on trafficking There is no official data on the number of babies stolen from hospitals in Tamil Nadu, but almost 180,000 children were born in government facilities in 2016, statistics show. More than four out of 10 of human trafficking cases in India in 2015 involved children being bought, sold and exploited as modern-day slaves, according to crime figures. Public hospitals are vulnerable spaces where there are no effective ways to monitor access to newborn babies, said Paul Sunder Singh of the childrens charity Karunalaya. Indonesia and Malaysia are reminding foreigners of their often overlooked claims in the crowded, contested South China Sea by destroying foreign boats that take fish from waters near their coastlines. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on Aug. 30 burned two foreign fishing boats as they floated on the sea, a change from the less visible practice of sinking them, media in Kuala Lumpur reported. Boat operators from China, Vietnam and the Philippines often slip into waters off the Malaysian north coast of Borneo. In Indonesia, where vessels from the same countries as well as Malaysia come uncomfortably close to shore, authorities have destroyed 317 fishing boats in President Joko Widodos term since October 2014. A graphic warning The graphic warnings should reverberate among fishing operators for now, giving both countries new attention to their maritime claims, analysts say. Indonesia has been doing that and just this week I think we also heard the same from Malaysia, so its maybe just intimidation, said Termsak Chalermpalanupap, political and security affairs fellow with the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Fishing boats often follow fish regardless of other countries ocean exclusive economic zones (EEZs), South China Sea scholars say, while most Southeast Asian countries lack the fleets to stop every trawler slipping in. The boats do, however, use instruments to tell them where theyre trawling. Sometimes they belong to lets say a fishing group, like a seafood processing group, said Oh Ei Sun, international studies instructor at Singapore Nanyang University. Sometimes its very orchestrated. Very often its not like (an) individual fisherman with his very lonely fishing boat straying into the waters of other countries. Burning boats, the Malaysian-born scholar said, is just the way things are done here culturally. Its unclear whether Malaysia will make boat burning a new normal. The enforcement agency did not answer phone calls Friday, but officials quoted in the New Straits Times last month called the fires a warning for other vessels. The countrys Fisheries Department as referenced on the Bernama News Channel said Malaysia loses 980,000 tons of seafood worth up to 6 billion ringgit ($1.43 billion) to illegal fishing. Indonesia used to give boats back to their owners after collecting a fine, Chalermpalanupap said, but that process was subject to corruption. More fish, weak patrols Boats may use Malaysian waters because they can get bigger, higher-value fish such as groupers, Oh said. Chinese ships used to be spotted most often in other countries exclusive economic zones, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at the University of the Philippines. But he said Vietnamese boats have grown more daring since 2010 as China edges them out of fishery tracts closer to their shores, such as around the Paracel Islands. In the Philippines, he said, people in the northernmost outlying islands once burned foreign boats without official sanction to make a statement. Now Filipinos turn up off Indonesia in pursuit of tuna and sometimes get captured there, he said. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines lack coast guard power to turn away every foreign vessel that crosses into its exclusive economic zone, which extends 370 kilometers offshore, Batongbacal said. None of these countries would have the sufficient resources or assets to really establish a continuing presence in all of these waters, he said. So its inevitable foreign fishing vessels would keep probing these areas. Six-way maritime sovereignty dispute Countries struggle to keep foreign vessels away in some cases because six of the countries dispute sovereignty over the South China Sea, a 3.5 million-square-kilometer body of water known also for oil and gas reserves. The waters off Borneo are part of that sea. China and Taiwan, both with active fishing populations, claim almost the whole sea. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines claim parts of it. Fishing boat intrusions are unlikely to become a diplomatic issue, but the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will tell their fishing operators to respect neighbors, Chalermpalanupap said. Destruction of foreign boats, he said, is certainly a part of the effort to defend the EEZ better. China defends its own boats China, as the strongest claimant in the South China Sea, protects its fishing fleet against capture that could spark the burning of a boat, analysts believe. Boats may get equipment to call the Chinese coast guard for help, for example. The Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank, quoted an expert in 2016 describing a Chinese maritime militia of military-controlled fishermen and fishing vessels. As part of Chinas expansion of its control over the sea in the past decade, its coast guard vessels have been spotted escorting fishing boats into contested tracts of sea. Beijing has also used landfill to build up tiny islets for military infrastructure, some of which can support radar systems as well as combat aircraft. But fishing boats will keep testing the waters of weaker countries to go after big catches, Chalermpalanupap said. Theyll come again, he said. I think they are desperate. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday tapped a veteran Democrat to lead the state's recovery effort after Harvey, which is shaping up to be among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. John Sharp is chancellor of Texas A&M University and doesn't plan to leave that job while heading the new Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas. Sharp is tasked with overseeing state and local spending especially on efforts to restore damaged roads, bridges and government buildings while helping oversee the flow of federal funds to Texas communities who most urgently need it. The new position will focus on infrastructure rather than rebuilding private homes, which will fall to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to an operation plan provided by Abbott's office. "I want you to advocate for our communities, and make sure things get done without delay," Abbott told Sharp. Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane before dumping more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on parts of Texas, more than had ever been recorded previously in the continental United States. The storm triggered widespread flooding in Houston and elsewhere and has been blamed for at least 71 deaths, while damaging more than 200,000 homes. During a news conference at the Texas Capitol, Abbott said Sharp should "rebuild Texas ahead of schedule, under budget." Sharp responded, "Texans are a tough breed." The U.S. House has approved nearly $8 billion in initial Harvey aid and the Senate passed a $15.3 billion package even as another monster storm, Hurricane Irma, is menacing Florida. Abbott has suggested that Harvey's damages could cost up to $180 billion outpacing even those from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Marc Ferzan, who led recovery and rebuilding in New Jersey following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, said reconciling the timing of available funding and the scope of what's needed to rebuild can cause uncertainty, leading to "a tremendous amount of frustration" for the storm czar. "It's not like Congress approves that money and it comes right to the jurisdiction," Ferzan said. "It goes to the federal agencies and then there's typically an application process, which is different at every federal agency, to go after the funds and say, 'Hey, can we use it for this project?"' Helping to perform that balancing act will be Sharp, a former state representative and senator who also served as Texas comptroller. He is a longtime friend and former roommate of Abbott's predecessor, Rick Perry, and Sharp was narrowly defeated when he ran against Perry for lieutenant governor in 1998. Perry then moved into the governor's mansion when George W. Bush left Texas for the White House in December 2000. In 2006, Perry named Sharp to head a commission that revamped taxes in Texas and helped create a tax on businesses that many top Republicans in the Legislature now despise. Abbott and Sharp plan to travel to areas impacted by the storm and receive briefings. They were visiting the Gulf Coast communities of Corpus Christi and Richmond on Thursday, and were headed to Houston and Victoria on Friday. Sharp said the goal is to rebuild in a way that can withstand future natural disasters. Exactly how to do that remains to be seen. Ferzan said it was difficult to explore a regional approach to rebuilding after Sandy because federal funding "tends to be very project-specific," discouraging wide-ranging planning in favor of "Well, this building's broken, so here's money to fix this building." "You can't just build a berm and say, 'OK, well Houston's never going to flood again,"' Ferzan said. "You have to have a layered approach to these things." The assassination this week of Lesotho's army chief has raised fears domestically and abroad about instability in the tiny southern African kingdom, and put into focus the relationship between political leaders and the military. Lieutenant General Khoantle Motsomotso was killed after armed individuals burst into his office at a military barracks and shot him. The assailants officers who were the lead suspects in the 2015 killing of the previous chief were killed in a subsequent shootout. The Southern African Development Community was quick to condemn the incident as an "indescribable and inexcusable barbaric and heinous act," and sent in a team to investigate. Finance Minister Moeketsi Majoro told VOA that he and other ministers visited the crime scene. Majoro says he's not sure the incident was an attempted coup, but rather an effort by the officers to punish the general for refusing to shield them from an investigation into the 2015 killing of his predecessor. Majoro disputed reports that the SADC had deployed peacekeepers to Lesotho, saying he was only aware of an investigative team. "We are not thinking that there was an intention to have a coup, particularly on Tuesday," he told VOA. "We are not ruling out that some members of the LDF [Lesotho Defense Force] have met with others to conspire about such ideas as coups, but I don't necessarily think that on Tuesday that was the execution of such conspiracies. "This is subject to confirmation by intelligence in the future. But for now, I think, Lesotho is calm." Slow process of reform The incident also highlights a central promise made by Lesotho's new government, which was elected in June: to immediately reform the security services. The military has long been tightly entwined with Lesotho's political woes and, in 1986, the army led a coup to push out a long-serving government. In this century, Lesotho's military has been involved in a number of political actions, including the putsch that pushed then-prime minister Tom Thabane into exile in 2014 after just two years in power. Thabane became opposition leader and was re-elected into government in June. Majoro agrees that security sector reforms are an urgent priority for the new government, but says they were never going to be quick. "The difficulties with the army cannot be fixed, and could not have been fixed, all at once," he said. "You should appreciate that, within the Lesotho Defense Force, there was a cabal of soldiers we considered quite dangerous, soldiers that have committed crimes that would not have just easily rolled off and allowed themselves to face criminal prosecution. So there was always a need for caution. This process was always going to take a bit of time." Clash foretold? Others disagree. The vice chancellor of the National University of Lesotho, Professor Nqosa Mahao, says regional mediators and the government should have seen such a clash coming and acted sooner. "They should have done that a long time ago," he said of the mediators' recent efforts to help the government implement reforms. "SADC has been very tardy in terms of handling this over the past one-and-a-half years. Government itself does not appear to me to have been conscious enough that they could sooner or later be dealing with a rebellion led by a small group of officers in the army." Mahao is the brother of Lieutenant-General Maaparankoe Mahao the defense forces head who was killed in 2015, allegedly by the same men who killed Motsomotso. In these troubling times, Nqosa Mahao says, his family feels a surprising emotion. "We feel saddened by their deaths," he told VOA. "Because our healing was going to come from a court process where they would be able to answer why they did what they did onto my brother, but also, did it in the brutal fashion that they did." The Mexican government on Thursday said it had declared the North Korean ambassador to Mexico persona non grata in protest against the country's nuclear tests, an unusually firm step that moved it closely into line with Washington. In a statement, the government said it had given Kim Hyong Gil 72 hours to leave Mexico in order to express its "absolute rejection" of North Korea's recent nuclear activity, describing it as a grave threat to the region and the world. Mexico has traditionally sought to steer clear of diplomatic quarrels, but in the past few months it has adopted robust language to condemn the governments of Venezuela and North Korea as they descended into increasing international isolation. Facing a rocky relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump because of his threats to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico has backed him diplomatically on issues that imply no great political cost for the government. "North Korea's nuclear activity is a serious risk for international peace and security and represents a growing threat to nations in the region, including fundamental allies of Mexico like Japan and South Korea," the Mexican government said. Mexico's step followed a tide of international condemnation of North Korea for repeated missile launches in recent weeks that intensified again following a nuclear test on Sunday. An official at the Mexican Foreign Ministry noted, however, that President Enrique Pena Nieto's government was not breaking diplomatic ties with North Korea. On what was most likely the last clear day in Florida before Hurricane Irma's monster wind and rain, social workers and police officers were giving Miami's estimated 1,100 homeless people a stark choice: Come willingly to a storm shelter, or be held against their will for a mental health evaluation. With the outer edge of the storm approaching Friday, these officials backed by a psychiatrist and observed by an Associated Press team rolled through chillingly empty downtown streets as dawn broke over Biscayne Bay, searching for reluctant stragglers sleeping in waterfront parks. "We're going out and every single homeless person who is unwilling to come off the street, we are likely going to involuntarily Baker Act them," said Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust. Invoking the Baker Act a law that enables authorities to institutionalize patients who present a danger to themselves or others is not something law enforcement does lightly, but officers detained at least six people by Friday afternoon. Under the law, they can be held up to 72 hours before the state would have to go to court to prolong their detention. By then, Irma's howling winds and terrifying storm surge should be somewhere north of the city. "I am not going to sign suicide notes for people who are homeless in my community. I am just not going to do it," Book added. "That's why you have a Baker Act. It's there to protect those who can't otherwise protect themselves." First such usage Book's group was working closely with police, who acknowledged that the effort was unusual: Officials said it was the first time Miami had invoked the law for hurricane preparedness. About 70 people willingly climbed into white vans and police squad cars Friday, joining others who already had arrived at shelters. About 600 others were thought to remain outside somewhere, exposed to the storm, despite mandatory evacuation orders for more than 660,000 people in areas that include downtown Miami and coastal areas throughout the county. One older man pushing his belongings in an empty wheelchair in Bayfront Park tried to wave them off. "I don't want nothing," he said, insulting a social worker. "So you are cool with dying in the streets?" he asked and was profanely told to go away. "What's your name?" asked Dr. Mohammad Nisar, a psychiatrist who was looking for evidence of mental illness, a necessary factor for a Baker Act detention. "None of your damn business!" Police Officer James Bernat intervened. "We are here to help you. Listen to me. You are being very aggressive. We are trying to help you," Bernat said. "It's very dangerous out here." "You are trying to make me go somewhere I don't want to go," he insisted. Finally, the man was handcuffed without a struggle and taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation. "A person who has a history of mental illness and who is staying in harm's way, and doesn't have a logical cohesion of what is right or what is wrong at that point, is a harm to himself, and at that point we can Baker Act them for his own protection," Nisar explained later. Previous signs Friday's encounters alone weren't enough to justify their involuntary detention Nisar said social workers and officers on the team already know these men and can testify to prior signs of mental illness to support each case. Also, the law requires a court order to keep them detained against their will after 72 hours, and public defenders have pushed back against such requests, citing court rulings that the Baker Act can lead to unconstitutional curtailments of individual liberty. But those hearings won't happen until Monday at least and by then, Irma's wrath will have moved on. Ron Honberg, a senior policy adviser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said there is always potential for a slippery slope that would violate people's civil rights, but this storm seems extraordinarily dangerous. "I think sometimes situations arise that are so dire that safety consideration supersedes everything else," he said. "But you don't want this to be used on people who don't have a mental illness." After driving more than 400 people to shelters, the Homeless Trust said it would continue searching for stragglers until winds reached 45 mph (72 kph), sometime Saturday afternoon. "I am not happy to have to do it," said Steven Nolan, whose face has weathered many days of Florida sunshine. "But I'd rather be in there than out here when the storm hits." With Republicans in Congress under pressure to deliver on taxes, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday the GOP plan will aim to reduce the corporate tax rate to low- to mid-20 percent a smaller cut than what President Donald Trump wants. Ryan provided some specifics as the Republicans start to write legislation overhauling the tax system, with help for the middle class a main goal. He spoke as Congress was consumed with providing billions of dollars in relief for hurricane-ravaged Texas, and prospectively for Florida, and with addressing the plight of immigrants facing possible deportation as a result of Trump's decision to end an Obama-era program for young immigrants. Trump, who made overhauling taxes a pillar of his push for economic growth, has called for a 15 percent tax rate for corporations. The rate now ranges from 15 percent to 35 percent. The average tax rate paid by corporations is around 19 percent to 25 percent, according to the Treasury Department and congressional analysts. Some experts say a 15 percent rate isn't possible without blowing a hole in the deficit. Ryan recognized that as he discussed a higher range during an appearance at a New York Times forum. "Numbers are hard to make that work,'' he said. A popular idea among lawmakers is to reduce tax rates for both individuals and corporations, and make up the lost revenue by eliminating special-interest loopholes. But even if Congress eliminated nearly every tax break enjoyed by corporations, it would raise only enough revenue to lower the corporate tax rate to 28.5 percent, according to an analysis by Scott Greenberg, a senior analyst at the conservative Tax Foundation. Ryan expects tax legislation to pass Congress this year. "This is our No. 1 priority this fall,'' he said at a Capitol Hill news conference later Thursday. "It's about growth. It's about fairness. It's about finally giving American families a tax break.'' Revising the nation's tax system for the first time in three decades is a GOP priority in the wake of the collapse of efforts to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law. But Hurricane Harvey and Trump's decision to rescind a program protecting some 800,000 immigrants from deportation have saddled Congress with new challenges. When Trump blocked the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, created by Obama through administrative action in 2012, he gave Congress six months to act. To ensure money for hurricane relief, Trump overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary Wednesday to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise the U.S. debt limit. The already compressed timetable for coming up with an overhaul of the tax system came under further pressure with Congress' additional and urgent workload. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday he thinks "it's still very viable to get it done this year.'' "We've made a lot of progress'' in talks with GOP congressional leaders, Mnuchin said in an interview on Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria.'' "Our objective is to get this done.'' Asked whether he was worried about a revolt by Republicans in Congress if a tax overhaul isn't achieved, Mnuchin said, "I'm not worried about any GOP revolt at all. You know we've been meeting with them on the tax plan. We have an understanding on this tax plan.'' The head of the House tax-writing committee also rejected suggestions that the tax overhaul could get sidelined by Congress' pressing new priorities. "I don't think it changes the trajectory or the timing,'' Rep. Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, told reporters. Brady declined to comment specifically on Ryan's low- to mid-20 percent range for corporate taxes. "We're trying to drive those rates as low as we can,'' he said. Not only will tax legislation pass by year end, but it will provide for retroactive tax cuts back to the start of 2017, predicted the White House budget director, Mick Mulvaney. "If you stop to think what the priorities are right now for the administration, No. 1 priority is Houston, No. 2 is Florida, and the No. 3 is the tax reform package,'' Mulvaney said on Fox Business Network's "Cavuto Coast to Coast.'' So "clearing the decks'' first on hurricane aid with Trump's debt limit deal was the right way to proceed, he said. James B. Hughes, Jr., associate dean for academic affairs at Emory University School of Law, has been appointed interim dean of the school. Hughes replaces Judson Graves, appointed in June of this year, who has stepped down from the post for personal reasons. Jim Hughes is a proven leader who has been part of the Emory Law community for 25 years, says Dwight A. McBride, Emory provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. His extensive leadership experience, ties to the Atlanta community, and devotion to the law school and to Emory will be tremendous assets in this time of transition as we prepare ourselves to identify a new dean to lead Emory Law into its second century. Before joining the Emory Law faculty in 1992, Hughes was a partner in the Atlanta firm of Trotter, Smith & Jacobs, where he practiced in commercial real estate finance and development and related areas of law. At Emory, he teaches courses in property, real estate sales and finance, and professional responsibility. Hughes has been selected as the Most Outstanding Professor by the Emory Student Bar Association (2002) and Professor of the Year by the Black Law Student Association (2005). In addition to serving as associate dean for academic affairs at the school (2002-2006) and (2014 to present), Hughes has served as vice dean of Emory Law. His extensive service to the Emory community includes serving in the University Senate, University Faculty Council, and numerous law school and university committees. Hughes has served on the State Bar of Georgias Formal Advisory Opinion Board (1999-2014) and on the board of directors of the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority (member, 2007-present; chairman of the board, 2011-2014). He holds a bachelors degree with honors from the University of Connecticut and a J.D. degree from Yale University School of Law, where he was an Earl Warren Legal Training Fund Scholar. He is a member of the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta Bar Association, and Gate City Bar Association. Pope Francis called Friday for reconciliation in Colombia and said any efforts to permanently end the country's more than 50-year civil conflict would "fail" without concessions. During a large open air Mass in Villavicencio, the pope said, "Every effort at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail." He also said, "Reconciliation means opening a door to every person who has experienced the tragic reality of conflict." The Mass took place on the third day of the pontiff's five-day trip to Colombia, where he has met with victims of the violent civil war and with leaders. He lent his support to the contested peace process, which has seen Colombia's largest rebel group, the FARC, turned into a legitimate political party. During Mass, Francis urged Colombians to "overcome the understandable temptation to vengeance" and work to build a lasting peace. Two Catholic priests killed during the civil war also were beatified in a move that is a step toward sainthood in the church. During a speech Thursday, Francis stressed the importance of the peace process. He said his visit was meant to express "appreciation for the efforts made over the decades to end armed violence and find ways of reconciliation." On the first day of his visit to the heavily Catholic country, Francis met with President Juan Manuel Santos and first lady Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, along with other government and religious leaders, and young people. In meeting with the pope, Santos recalled his country's turmoil. "For over half a century, we resigned ourselves to violence on our soil, and its ashes of resentment, pain, of vengeance are still ardent embers that we must extinguish." To ease those tensions and prepare Colombians for a better future, Santos' administration has promoted training. "Education is somehow what most helps us build that different country," Education Minister Yaneth Giha told VOA. "The pope's visit helps us to reinforce the message that we are on the right path." Francis met privately with Santos. Later, Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa handed the pontiff the keys to the city in a brief, symbolic ceremony. In an emotional speech to thousands of people crowding Bolivar Plaza in Colombia's capital city, Pope Francis said he had "come to learn from you, from your faith ... in the face of adversity." The 80-year-old pontiff spoke Thursday morning from a balcony overlooking the plaza, which fronts Bogota's main cathedral. Admirers cheered, danced and waved Colombian flags. Smiling, the pope said young people represented hope for reconciliation in the country, ravaged by five decades of guerrilla fighting and divided by the anger some Colombians had over the government's peace deal last November with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). At the plaza, Francis stressed the importance of the peace process. He said his visit was meant to express "appreciation for the efforts made over the decades to end armed violence and find ways of reconciliation." On the first full day of his five-day visit to this heavily Catholic country, Francis met with President Juan Manuel Santos and first lady Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, with other government and religious leaders, and with young people. In meeting with the pope, Santos recalled his country's turmoil: "For over half a century, we resigned ourselves to violence on our soil, and its ashes of resentment, pain, of vengeance are still ardent embers that we must extinguish." To ease those tensions and prepare Colombians for a better future, Santos' administration has promoted training. "Education is somehow what most helps us build that different country," Education Minister Yaneth Giha told VOA. "The pope's visit helps us to reinforce the message that we are on the right path." Francis met privately with Santos. Later, Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa handed him the keys to the city in a brief, symbolic ceremony. Signs of the Catholic faithful extended well beyond plazas and other locations where the pope was scheduled to appear. Arturo Barreiro, a taxi driver in Bogota for 30 years, decorated his cab with symbols of his Catholic faith, hoping that Francis might bless them. Barreiro's icons include a banner with Francis' image and a rosary with the likeness of the late John Paul II, pope from 1978 to 2005. At Bogota's Hotel Tequendama, manager Ana Araceli Jara and longtime resident Domenique Garelli created a small prayer room to mark Francis' visit. The hotel's pastry chef, Amparo Parra, led a team of 10 in making a butter carving with the pope's likeness. It took them three days to create the bust. The streets of Bogota were cleared of traffic ahead of the pope's drive to Simon Bolivar Park, where he performed a Mass before about 550,000 people. Foreign-funded education institutions are scaling back their activities in Pyongyang as more and more governments issue travel warnings on North Korea after its nuclear and missile threats. The British Council suspended the English language teaching program in Pyongyang when the travel advice from the U.K. government changed, a spokesperson for the London-based council said in an email to VOAs Korean Service Wednesday. Discussions the council was having about extending its program in North Korea were also put on hold, they added. In keeping with the British governments policy of critical engagement with North Korea, which emphasizes reducing the chasm between the isolated country and the international community through educational and cultural exchanges, the British Council has been running the English Language Teacher Training Program (ELT program) since May 2000, when the U.K. and the North first established diplomatic relations. Since then, the council has taught more than 4,000 English teachers in Pyongyang. Four teachers covered the suspended programs. The councils decision complies with the British foreign offices recent upgrade of its travel alert for North Korea following Pyongyangs long-range missile tests and sixth nuclear test. On Sunday, the Kim Jong Un regime announced on state media that it had detonated a thermonuclear weapon that can fit atop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, the advisory states. There remains a threat of further missile or nuclear tests, which could lead to further instability in the region. University is adapting Earlier Monday, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) released a statement announcing the start of the fall semester. It said the initial arrangements for classes had been adapted to suit the available resources wording that reflects a U.S. travel ban that took effect Sept. 1. A private university funded mostly by Western-based evangelical Christian groups that educate the children of North Koreas elite, PUST usually has about 60 to 80 foreign faculty members each semester, roughly half of whom are U.S. passport holders, according to the universitys statement. While PUST did not elaborate on how many American academics were covered by the ban, it said it anticipates that additional faculty will join as the semester progresses. The universitys activities however seem to have been significantly restricted. A professor at PUSTs College of Dentistry, who asked to remain anonymous, told VOA Korean that dental classes will be offered only by North Korean faculty members this fall because of the recent U.S. measure, which is affecting not only American citizens, but other foreign nationals. An unnamed PUST employee in the College of Business, who is British, said he would not be in Pyongyang this fall as his aid agency, which coordinates his teaching trips to Pyongyang, decided not to send any personnel to the school. US travel ban The U.S. State Department introduced the travel ban in July amid growing concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention to American nationals traveling to and within North Korea. The ban currently gives exceptions to individuals seeking to travel to the North for certain limited humanitarian or other purposes, though they require special approval. Jenny Lee contributed to this report, which originated on VOA Korean. A Russian air strike has killed about 40 Islamic State fighters, including four senior commanders, near the eastern Syrian city of Deir el-Zour, Russias defense ministry said Friday. The strike, carried out by Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-35 fighters, came after an intelligence report Sept. 5 showed that top Islamic State commanders were meeting at a secret underground command post in the vicinity of Deir el-Zour, the ministry said on its Facebook page. Among those killed was Abu Muhammad al-Shimali, who oversees foreign fighters at IS, it said. The defense ministry also said it had evidence that Gulmurod Khalimov, Islamic States minister of war, was present at the meeting in the bunker and had been fatally wounded in the strike and evacuated to the al-Muhasan area, 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Deir el-Zour. Khalimov, the U.S.-trained commander of Tajikistans elite police force, defected to Islamic State in April 2015 and later posted a video address, vowing to return home to establish sharia law in his Central Asian nation and to take jihad to Russia and the United States. A top official at Tajikistans national security service told Russias RIA news agency that Moscow had been asked to provide details proving Khalimovs elimination. On Tuesday Syrian government forces, supported by Russian air strikes and cruise missile launches, reached troops besieged for years by Islamic State in Deir el-Zour, the militants last major stronghold in Syria. In Rwanda, less than 15 percent of the population has access to electricity. In rural areas, it can be as low as one percent. In order to increase Rwanda's energy capacity, a 17-hectare solar field with 28,000 panels was constructed in six months in 2014 by private power companies. It is East Africa's first large-scale commercial solar field, bringing in 8.5 megawatts of power at its peak four percent of the country's total power capacity. The project has brought power to more than 15,000 homes. "We are living in the world and we have to contribute or to eradicate or eliminate polluting the atmosphere," said Twaha Twagirimana, plant supervisor for Scatec Solar, which operates the project. "We need energy, and we need clean energy." Twagirimana said this investment in solar power is a step toward reducing global warming. Rwanda's power grid relies heavily on diesel fuel, which is expensive and bad for the environment. According to Scatec Solar, the solar field reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 8,000 tons per year. Orphanage land Private homes aren't the only ones to benefit from the project. The solar panels are on land owned by the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. The choice of the site, about 60 kilometers from the capital, Kigali, was no accident. The rent paid for the land helps vulnerable children and young adults who were orphaned during or after Rwanda's 1994 genocide. About 500 young Rwandans live, study and play on the 144-acre residential community. Mediatilice Kaytitesi, the community's art center and theater coordinator, says she uses art to help youth cope with their losses. "It's something that can help open the mind of the kids," she said. "Some draw tears, which means they have the tears in their hearts, their wounds. You can see their expressions." Pascal Atismani Claudien lost his father in 2006 and his mother in 2010. He said he doesn't exactly know why they died just that they were sick. "When I have a problem, I take a paper and a pencil and draw and that problem goes away. When I have stress, I draw or paint," said Claudien, who is starting his final year of high school at the village. "And when I am painting or drawing, I feel very happy." The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village was modeled after similar ones built for orphans in Israel after the Holocaust. In the Rwandan language of Kinyarwanda, Agahozo means "tears are dried." In Hebrew, Shalom means peace. "The mission was really to help bring back all the children who have lost parents and siblings and everything in their lives, to try to recreate the next best family that these children should have had, had their parents been alive," explained Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura, the youth village's executive director. Claudien said he considers it more of a family than a school. "That's why we call each other brothers and sisters," he said. Learning engineering During his time at the school, Claudien visited the nearby solar panels and learned from the staff about how Rwanda's largest solar field is positively impacting the country. He, himself, is from a small village with limited access to electricity. About 50 students also received technical training at the solar field on engineering and solar technology to encourage them to work in green jobs in the future. The construction of the nearly $24 million solar field employed more than 350 Rwandan workers. Gigawatt Global developed the project with early-stage funding from the U.S. government's Power Africa initiative. "Rwanda had the right leadership and the right conditions to be really the test case and the positive fruits of concept for the entire sub-Saharan Africa for commercial scale solar," said Yosef Abramowitz, the CEO and founder of Gigawatt Global. About 600 million Africans don't have access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency. Rwanda's government aspires to nearly triple its power capacity by the end of 2018, through renewable power sources like methane, hydro, mini-hydro, peat, thermal and more solar fields. In 2016, Rwanda partnered with developer Ignite Power to provide rooftop solar to 250,000 houses by the end of next year. Users will pay about $5 per month for the solar power system in a rent-to-own model. Efforts like this will go toward the Rwandan government's goal of bringing power to 70 percent of households. Abramowitz said he's convinced "solar is the future of Africa." His firm wants to replicate this model throughout sub-Saharan Africa, increasing energy capacity while also benefiting the social good. "There's every reason in the world economic, social and political that solar should be the main generation source of energy on the continent," he said. South Africa has extended the residency permits for nearly 200,000 Zimbabwean economic migrants by four years. Their current permits were set to expire December 31, which had raised fears of mass deportations. Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize said the government is extending the permits due to worsening economic conditions in Zimbabwe. She stressed that these are one-time extensions, not a path to permanent residency. "I trust that [this] will go a long way in assisting the Zimbabweans to rebuild their lives as they prepare at work, in business and in educational institutions for their final return to their sovereign state Zimbabwe in the near future," she said. As many as 1.5 million Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa in recent years, seeking to escape Zimbabwe's chronically struggling economy. The extended residency permits are available only to the nearly 200,000 Zimbabweans who were granted amnesty in 2010. Those who are eligible must show proof they have a job. Still, many Zimbabwean migrants are breathing a sigh of relief. Economic conditions back home have left many of their families dependent on the remittances they send. "We had hoped, though, that the minister was [also] going to include those undocumented Zimbabweans that are working in South Africa," said Ngqabutho Mabhena, chairman of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa organization. "But at the same time, we welcome this statement. We are calling on all holders of Zimbabwe special permit, to apply within the time set by the minister." Relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa have dipped in recent weeks due to unrelated issues. Pretoria's decision to grant Zimbabwe's first lady diplomatic immunity after her alleged assault of a woman while in Johannesburg is being challenged in a South African court. And this week, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe publicly attacked the late Nelson Mandela for presiding over a reconciliation process that Mugabe criticized as leaving whites still dominating the economy. Mugabe's statements have drawn anger from South Africa's ruling ANC party. South Sudan says the United States should rethink its decision to impose sanctions on two top government officials and a former army chief accused of obstructing peace in the country. Washington imposed sanctions on Information Minister Michael Makuei, high-ranking military official Malek Reuben and former army chief General Paul Malong on Wednesday, saying they have taken actions that expanded South Sudans internal conflict and blocked efforts to establish peace. Speaking to VOAs South Sudan in Focus on Thursday, Maiwen Makol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, called the sanctions unfortunate. Sanctions will not bring help. What we think is the best option for the U.S. government is to support us do what we are doing, bring the peace in the country, he said. South Sudan has been mired in conflict between government and rebel forces since December 2013. The sides signed a peace accord in 2015, but the agreement fell apart a year later when army troops, reportedly operating under orders from Malong, attacked a rebel base in the capital, Juba. Malong is under house arrest in Juba after a falling out with President Salva Kiir. The U.S. accuses Reuben of profiting from the war and imposed sanctions on four companies he is believed to own or control. It says Makuei helped to organize attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and obstructed humanitarian aid from reaching people in need. Contacted by VOA Thursday, Makuei said, I dont respond to claims in the social media, but we wait for the official communication by the American government to the government of Republic of South Sudan. It is thereafter that we will respond. The sanctions were announced Wednesday in statements from the U.S. Treasury and State Department. Government critics applaud In 2015, six South Sudanese men, including three opposition leaders, were sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council for their role in obstructing peace efforts in South Sudan. James Okuk, a political lecturer at the University of Juba, says the latest sanctions are long overdue. He says South Sudanese leaders have proved they are not serious about ending the violence in South Sudan during the past three and a half years. There has been warnings several times that this is not acceptable, especially the war must stop and whoever is trying to obstruct the humanitarian delivery should stop. All these warnings ... went on deaf ears, he told VOA. Brian Adeba is associate director of policy at the Enough Project, which has closely tracked developments in Sudan and South Sudan for years. He says the sanctions send a clear message to those in power, even though President Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar were not targeted. Usually you start at the bottom and hopefully the message reaches up to the top, he said. In international relations there is also this nonstated policy that you dont really sanction the head of state, but you go after the people that are close to him, and that itself is a very clear message. Tainted image of country Rajab Muhandis, executive director for the South Sudan Network for Democracy and Elections, says sanctions taint the image of the country. He urges the Trump administration to support the peace process in South Sudan. We would encourage that they should take lead in supporting the revitalization process of the peace agreement, he said. And increase diplomatic engagement with the parties to the conflict ... in order to agree on the best way forward. Continued fighting between government and opposition forces has displaced millions of citizens, forcing hundreds of thousands into refugee camps in neighboring countries. The U.S. Treasury Department has threatened to sanction more South Sudanese officials if the fighting and obstruction of humanitarian assistance does not stop. Sigal Mandelker, U.S. undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Wednesday the U.S government will forcefully respond to ongoing atrocities in South Sudan by targeting individuals who abuse human rights, seek to derail the peace process and obstruct reconciliation. Spain's Constitutional Court on Thursday blocked the prosperous Catalan region's plan to vote on independence from Spain. The ruling was expected after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed earlier in the day to "stop at nothing" to prevent the independence referendum called by the regional leaders from taking place. According to court regulations, the suspension lasts five months while judges come up with a ruling. The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia claims that the universal right to self-determination overrules Spain's laws. The regional parliament on Wednesday approved a law to legitimize the independence vote and set an October 1 date for it. It is not clear how such a vote might turn out. Polls in the northeastern region show support for self-rule waning as Spain's economy improves. But the majority of Catalans say they do want the opportunity to vote on whether to split from Spain. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria on Wednesday condemned the Catalan leadership for carrying out "an act of force" and for acting more like "dictatorial regimes than a democracy." "What is happening in the Catalan parliament is embarrassing, it's shameful," she told reporters. The U.S. Justice Department is expected to appeal the latest travel ban court ruling to the Supreme Court. According to a Justice Department official, the agency plans to ask the high court to weigh in on an appeals court ruling that says grandparents and cousins are close enough relatives to constitute an exemption from the Trump administration's travel order. The court also said that refugees accepted by a resettlement agency should be allowed to travel to the United States. The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branchs duty to protect the nation," a Justice Department spokesperson told reporters. The statement comes after Thursdays ruling by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. President Donald Trumps travel order restricts travelers from six Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Bona fide relationships The Supreme Court said in a June provisional decision that travel restrictions could not be applied to people who have a "bona fide" relationship to the U.S. The high court, however, did not clarify that definition, which was then left open for interpretation. Although the high court will hear the full case in October, the federal government has interpreted "bona fide" narrowly to mean parents, spouses and siblings, excluding other relatives including grandparents. The list was then expanded by a judge in Honolulu, Hawaii. "Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents," U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson wrote. "Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members. The government's definition excludes them. That simply cannot be." Watson's ruling was subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, which allowed relatives including grandparents to continue coming to the U.S., pending a ruling from the Ninth Circuit. Refugees whose sole connection to the U.S. was through a re-settlement agency were barred until the appeals court ruled. Refugees VOA reported in early September that refugee admissions have dropped dramatically since the travel order took effect June 26. In July, 1,224 refugees were admitted. In August, 910 refugees arrived in the U.S., compared to an average of 6,955 in that month over the previous 10 years. The travel order restricts refugee admissions to 55,000. Before he left office, President Barack Obama had raised the limit to 110,000. In the next few weeks, President Trump will determine the refugee level for fiscal year 2018, which begins October 1. His decision will help government agencies and nonprofits plan ahead to help resettle refugees. Meanwhile, a State Department official told VOA that two cost studies the president called for in March, under his Presidential Memorandum relating to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP, are nearing completion. As the president requested, the reports will look at the estimated long-term costs of the USRAP at the federal, state, and local levels along with recommendations about how to curtail those costs, as well as how many refugees are being supported in countries of first asylum and those associated costs, the official said. The federal official said the State Department is working with the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services on these reports. We are not able to characterize the reports before they are finished, the official said. Troy Gentry, one half of the award-winning country music duo Montgomery Gentry, died Friday in a helicopter crash just hours before a concert, according to a statement from the band's website. He was 50. The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter crashed into a wooded area near the Flying W Airport in Medford hours before Montgomery Gentry was due to perform at a resort that is also housed at the airport. The band's website called Gentry's death "tragic" and said details of the crash are unknown. "Troy Gentry's family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time," the website said. Medford Township Police Chief Richard Meder told NJ.com that police got a call at around 1 p.m. about a helicopter that was "distressed." He said crews were able to remove the passenger from the wreckage, but he died on the way to a hospital. The pilot died at the scene and crews were working to remove his body, Meder said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Gentry was the pilot or the passenger. Gentry was born on April 5, 1967, in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met bandmate Eddie Montgomery and formed a group based off their last names. Montgomery Gentry had success on the country charts and country radio in the 2000s, scoring No. 1 hits with Roll With Me, Back When I Knew It All, Lucky Man, Something to Be Proud Of and If You Ever Stop Loving Me. Some of the songs even cracked the Top 40 on the pop charts. The band mixed country music with Southern rock. It was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009. The group released their debut album, "Tattoos & Scars," in 1999. President Donald Trump has tapped one of his own White House attorneys for a judgeship on one of the most important federal appeals courts, opening the door for confirmation hearing questions about the legal controversies that dominated the first seven months of Trump's presidency. Gregory Katsas was nominated Thursday to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Katsas, the deputy White House counsel, was a former Justice Department official under President George W. Bush. A biography on the White House's website says he has argued more than 75 appeals, including the constitutional challenge to President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court. He would replace the libertarian-leaning Judge Janice Rogers Brown, who retired this summer. The court is influential, in part because of its role in adjudicating many of the orders and laws put forth by the administration. It is sometimes called America's second highest court because it can be a stepping stone to the Supreme Court just a few blocks away. Katsas, once a law clerk to Justice Thomas, has served in high-ranking Justice Department roles, including as head of the civil division that has responsibility for defending the administration's policies against court challenges. He is part of the steady stream of Jones Day law firm partners who have flowed into the Trump administration, including White House counsel Don McGahn. So many Jones Day attorneys work in the White House that the counsel's office issued a blanket ethics waiver for them so that they can maintain contact with their former colleagues without running afoul of ethics provisions. The firm's lawyers continue to represent members of the Trump campaign outside the White House. Senators are likely to grill Katsas about his time at the Trump White House, which has been rocked by legal problems. That includes expanding investigations by Congress and the Justice Department into Trump campaign ties to Russia, which U.S. officials say interfered in the 2016 election. Trump's initial attempt at an executive order temporarily banning travel to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority countries hit roadblocks in the courts. On his second attempt, the Supreme Court allowed only a sharply scaled back version of the order to go forward pending arguments scheduled for October. And a federal judge said in July that he's not likely to reinstate an executive order to cut funding from so-called sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. Former colleagues were quick to praise the nomination. John O'Quinn, who worked with Katsas in the Justice Department, called him "an incredibly talented lawyer who has a servant's heart and a humble demeanor.'' "I can't think of anyone who would have better judicial temperament,'' he said. There were no immediate indications that Katsas would face intense opposition from Democrats on the committee. But even if they have qualms about Katsas' nomination to the lifetime position, they have no way to block Katsas there is no filibuster left for nominations and no "blue slip process'' for the D.C. Circuit, which allows senators in a nominee's home state to submit their written opinions of him. Amid rising German-Turkish diplomatic tensions, Ankara has allowed seven German lawmakers to visit German servicemen deployed at Turkey's Konya NATO air base. For several months, Ankara had banned such visits, saying the climate in bilateral relations was inappropriate. "The way the Turkish side is billing it is that it's a multilateral visit, it's not bilateral," said political columnist Semih Idiz of the al-Monitor website. "They say this visit comes from NATO, therefore Turkey has to oblige, being a NATO member." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reportedly had been lobbying intensively to allow the German lawmakers' visit. The ban on German lawmakers already had resulted in Berlin relocating its reconnaissance planes that had been engaged in anti-Islamic State operations from Turkey's Incirlik air base. "The visit by German lawmakers is significant. It eliminates one major factor, political factor, of irritation in the relationship," according to Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Institute in Brussels. "However, there are still a number of outstanding important problems. So this will help, but it's not a solution in and of itself in the difficulties we are witnessing." Coincidentally or not, Friday also saw the release of the second Turkish German national, detained last Friday. The two detentions had marked a new low in German-Turkish relations, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling them political. Berlin claims 12 German citizens, including journalists and human rights workers, are being held for political reasons since last year's introduction of emergency rule in Turkey following a failed military coup. Ankara has strongly defended the detentions, claiming its judiciary is independent. 'Effort' by Turkey German-Turkish relations have been plummeting in the last few months. Berlin has become increasingly vocal in its concerns over the ongoing crackdown since last year's failed coup, and Merkel on Sunday said she was opposed to Turkey becoming a member of the EU. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday shot back, accusing Berlin of following policies of the Nazis. But analysts suggest Ankara could be trying to contain the crisis. "There is an effort, at least part of the Turkish administration, to prevent a further degradation of the relationship," analyst Ulgen said. "There are many people in Ankara within the government which are concerned about the state of the affairs. But I think these efforts so far at least have proved to be piecemeal in nature." 'Increasing isolation' Turkey's increasingly precarious diplomatic situation is being cited as a key factor behind efforts to contain current German-Turkish tensions. Ankara is facing strained relations, not only with Berlin, but the wider European Union and Washington. On Friday, Erdogan slammed the indictment by a U.S. prosecutor of a former Turkish minister and former head of a Turkish state bank on Iranian sanction-busting charges, claiming they were with "malicious intent." Last month, U.S. prosecutors indicted 15 of Erdogan's security detail for allegedly attacking protesters during a visit to Washington. "Increasing isolation has started costing Turkey a lot, not only in Europe but also the Middle East, where Turkey is being basically sidelined on issues of crucial importance to it, whether it's in Iraq or Syria," said columnist Idiz. "So as far as the [Turkish] policy planners are concerned, it's a matter of concern. But as far as the president is concerned, it seems he is more concerned, sending the right message to his constituents, a message that goes down well with his constituent." Erdogan faces a re-election bid within two years and already is campaigning hard on a nationalist platform, with a message that a strong independent Turkey can stand up to western powers. Some analysts suggest that given the turmoil on Turkey's southern borders and the need to maintain economic stability, Erdogan will need to balance nationalist campaign rhetoric and populist policies with diplomatic pragmatism. Between May 3 and September 4, the bodies of 21 women have been found in two Ugandan towns Katabi and Nansana not far from the capital, Kampala. Officials say many of the victims had been raped, strangled and mutilated. To date, 44 suspects linked to these murders have been arrested. Half of them have been charged in court, including two alleged masterminds. That is the latest information delivered to lawmakers Thursday by General Jeje Odongo Abubaker, the minister for internal affairs. "In the case of Nansana, eight were victims of a gang of serial killers who sought to find blood and body parts to help them in their ritual practices," Abubaker said. "In the case of Katabi also, it was a case of murders related to ritual practices." Abubaker said 18 of the killings were linked to witchcraft, while the other three women were killed as a result of domestic violence. The speaker of parliament had demanded an explanation from the government, suspending parliamentary business for two days this week after the body of another woman was discovered near Kampala. Bahati Francis only discovered the body of his wife, Nakasinde Aisha, the seventh victim, after a three-day search. He says he found her fingers and feet cut off, and he could not identify her. It was only when he was about to leave the scene of the crime that he saw a part of her skirt that had a yellow flower not soaked in blood, and that was when he identified her. He says at that moment, he went into shock and lost consciousness for an hour. Aisha left behind three young children. Police have come under fire from critics who say law enforcement has focused too much on targeting political dissent and not enough on fighting crime. In response to the killings, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said what he called "backward tendencies" like ritual killings remain a reality in the country and the government must address the issue. However, not everyone agrees with the government's assessment of the crimes. Margaret Kyomuhangi, a legislator and the former head of investigations into human sacrifice for the Uganda government, says law enforcement should not rule out other possibilities. "Every sacrifice, they are very associated to purity. They take bodies that have no scars, young children that have not, in their view, not sinned, tongues of babies, but we never encountered a rape before the murder," she said. The Ministry for Security and the police continue with parallel investigations into the murders. Communities in and around the capital have launched neighborhood watch programs, patrolling streets with police and checking cars at roadblocks. For now, Ugandans pray that another woman's body will not turn up in another bush. As the Syrian government forces, backed by allied militias and Russian airstrikes, continue to advance against the Islamic State group in Deir el-Zour, Syria, the U.S.-led coalition says it is monitoring the army to ensure it does not cross a deconfliction zone established across the city. "We do monitor and watch where they are and where they are going at the same time as they move closer to the middle of the Euphrates Valley," Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against IS, told VOA on Thursday. Dillon added that the coalition warplanes were continuing to strike IS positions in Deir el-Zour as the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) partnered with local tribal militias in preparation for an attack from the northeast of the deconfliction line. He did not disclose a timeline for the assault. The deconfliction zone in Deir el-Zour was established between the U.S. and Russia in late 2015 to separate their areas of operation in Syria and prevent inadvertent clashes between the two sides. The vast line starts from the town of Tabqa, roughly 45 kilometers west of IS's self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa, and extends parallel to the Euphrates River that runs across Deir el-Zour toward Al-Bukamal town bordering Iraq. It has divided Deir el-Zour province and city into two parts; SDF operates north and east of the line, and the Syrian government troops and their allied militias are in the west and south. "We will continue to deconflict as necessary and as required," Dillon said while speaking to reporters in Washington during a teleconference briefing from Baghdad. "We will continue to draw that line farther and down the Middle Euphrates River Valley." Earlier this week, the Syrian army and its allied Shi'ite militias, backed by heavy Russian airstrikes, made significant gains against IS in the western parts of Deir el-Zour. Syrian regime forces were able to enter the outskirts of the city and break a three-year IS siege of an enclave known as Regiment 137. IS still controls pockets IS still controls much of the city and the wider oil-rich province that stretches to the Iraqi border. An estimated 2,500 IS fighters are thought to be in the province to defend their positions in one of the terror group's last major strongholds in Syria. Rabee Hamidi, a spokesman for Jaish Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT), a rebel group consisting of local Deir el-Zour fighters supported by the U.S.-led coalition, told VOA that Syrian regime forces had established control over some isolated areas on the western outskirts of the city. He said the regime's progress would most likely be stalled as government forces approached more densely populated neighborhoods. "IS is launching counterattacks by sending suicide bombers. The area is under fierce air raids," Hamidi told VOA. He added that MaT and other U.S.-backed forces were prepared to attack from the town of al-Shaddadi, about 85 kilometers northeast of Deir el-Zour, but warned that safety corridors to allow civilians to flee from the city needed to be opened in advance to keep them from getting caught in the crossfire. A million civilians More than a million people are estimated to live under IS-controlled areas in Deir el-Zour. Observers expect a complicated battle as IS, the U.S.-backed forces and the Syrian regime, backed by Russian air support and Iranian-allied Shi'ite militias, compete for the strategic province, and U.N. officials have expressed concerns about civilian casualties. "The fight in the city will be long and difficult. We should not expect a rapid victory for the Syrian army in Deir el-Zour," Robert S. Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, told VOA. He said the Syrian regime's recent advances in the province had most likely taken Washington by surprise. "This complicates the American decision, because if they go there, would they fight with [Syrian government] forces against ISIS?" Ford added that a race for the province and its natural resources was imminent and inevitable. "Deir el-Zour is for whoever captures the middle of the city," he said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is reminding Myanmar, also known as Burma, that while Washington supports the fight against violence in northwestern Rakhine state, humanitarian aid must reach those in need. Haley released a statement Friday saying, "We welcome the Burmese government committing humanitarian assistance to all displaced by violence. However, we will continue to urge them to make sure this aid actually reaches those in need, as quickly as possible, and that it is delivered in a manner that protects their rights and dignity," she said. Earlier Friday, the State Department said it is "very focused" on restoring humanitarian assistance to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state and is "very concerned about sustained allegations of abuses" in that area. Patrick Murphy, deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia, told reporters by phone Friday that the United States is urging all parties to take steps to calm tensions in the area. He said that since August, "probably well over" 200,000 refugees have crossed over the border into Bangladesh to escape the violence. The U.N. puts the number at over 270,000. He said the number of internally displaced persons those who have left their homes but not left Myanmar is unknown. But he said those displaced include members of the Rohingya ethnic group and non-Rohingya in the area. Discussions with the Myanmar government are "ongoing," he said, through the U.S. ambassador to the country. On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that the United States has "deep concerns" about the situation. She said the State Department is in close contact with Myanmar's government on the situation in Rakhine state. "We are deeply concerned by the troubling situation in Burma's northern Rakhine state," she said. "There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses, including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians. "We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further violence and protect local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights," she continued. "We urge all in Burma, including in the Rakhine state, to avoid actions that exacerbate tensions there." Nauert also said the U.S. welcomes acknowledgement by the Myanmar government of the need to protect all communities, and its pledge to implement recommendations of the advisory commission on the Rakhine state aimed at addressing long-standing challenges that predate the country's democratic transition. Asked if the U.S. has confidence at this point in the desire of the government of Myanmar to protect the Rohingya community, Nauert said the U.S. would certainly like to call on Myanmar to allow better access, both to reporters to enter the country and to humanitarian aid groups to reach those in need. Fleeing violence The latest round of violence began August 25 when a group of Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army base in what they said was an effort to protect their ethnic minority from persecution. Rakhine state is home to most of the Rohingya minority group. Subsequent clashes and a military counteroffensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the latest exodus of Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh. U.N. Refugee Agency Asia Director Vivian Tan in Bangladesh told VOA Burmese that aid workers estimate there are about 164,000 new arrivals in Bangladesh. The United Nations said about 146,000 people have crossed the border into Bangladesh's Cox's Bazaar district since August 25. Officials said the U.N. World Food Program has provided tens of thousands of people with food, including high-nutrient porridge to women and children who are arriving in Bangladesh hungry and malnourished. The agency said that it needs $11.3 million to support the influx of people, in addition to those already living in camps. The United States had strongly condemned the August 25 deadly attacks on security posts by a group called Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and urged all ethnic groups in Burma to "work toward peace and stability." Aung San Suu Kyi under fire Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticized over her response to the violence. Many observers say she has played down reports of the Burmese military's brutal treatment of Rohingya civilians. Aung San Suu Kyi maintains there has been "a huge iceberg of misinformation" about the Rohingya crisis and violence in Rakhine following the attacks on security posts. A series of Twitter photos that allegedly showed dead Rohingya people were later proved to be unrelated to the current violence, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Aung San Suu Kyi's office. The Nobel Peace laureate said "fake information" was used to promote the interests of "terrorists," a word she used to describe ARSA insurgents. State Department spokesperson Nauert declined to comment when asked if Aung San Suu Kyi should return her Nobel Peace Prize. Priscilla Clapp, who served as chief of mission and permanent charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar from 1999 to 2002, said a lot of the criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi is unfair, due to the limitations on her power and influence. "In a way, she's at a great disadvantage with the military, which controls all the security of the country and much of the government administration from before," said Clapp, currently a senior adviser at the U.S. Institute of Peace and Asia Society. Clapp also blames the ARSA group, which she calls terrorists who have deliberately provoked the extreme reaction on the part of the security forces. But she also maintains security forces must be "much more moderate in a way they approach these things and sensitive to community relations." International pressure But human rights advocates are urging the Burmese government to stop the violence. "The governments of the world have to press very hard on Aung San Suu Kyi and also the Burma military to stop the violence," Human Rights Watch's Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson told VOA, adding that independent monitors should be granted access to assess allegations of serious human rights violations made by ethnic Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh. Robertson urged the United States and the international community to provide more humanitarian relief and medical assistance to the refugees. "So far, we have seen very little comments from the Trump administration about the situation, which is quite shocking," he said. "There is a massive humanitarian crisis in a country which, until recently, the United States spent a great deal of time trying to understand them and work with the government on various developments and trade." Former U.S. diplomat Clapp says the complexity of the situation merits a more nuanced reaction from the international community. "To reduce it to simplicity and black-and-white equations is not helpful. It's just inflaming further problems inside the country and it's making the population more resistant to international advice," Clapp said. "We have to be much more understanding and get involved on the ground in helping them resolve this problem." Abuses against and restrictions on members of the Rohingya population were cited as one of the leading human rights problems in Myanmar, according to the State Department's 2016 Human Rights Report. The Rohingya are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities in the Buddhist-majority nation. The Myanmar government considers the Rohingya to be economic migrants from Bangladesh, and has never granted them citizenship, even though most can show their families have been in the country for generations. New sanctions on Venezuela aren't aimed at regime change but rather to push President Nicolas Maduro's government to restore democratic standards after he started a process to rewrite his nation's constitution, a top U.S. official said Thursday. The comments by Rick Waddell, the White House's deputy national security adviser, suggest a softening in America's position. President Donald Trump last month suggested the U.S. could consider military action against Venezuela and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised the idea of pressuring Maduro to leave power. Waddell said sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in August are "behaviorally focused.'' The set of penalties banned American financial institutions from providing new money to Venezuela's government or its state oil company, PDVSA. They also barred trading in two bonds the government recently issued to circumvent its increasing isolation from Western financial markets. Also, Venezuelan oil giant's U.S. subsidiary, Citgo, can no longer send dividends back to Venezuela, which the government says will further crush its beleaguered economy. "We would like the Venezuelan regime to return to democratic process,'' Waddell said. "We would like them to respect human rights. We would like them to respect property. That does not necessarily necessitate regime change.'' The United States has escalated its pressure on Venezuela as Maduro has consolidated power in recent months. More than 120 people have been killed during four months of protests against Maduro's plans to rewrite Venezuela's constitution. A referendum in July gave his allies the authority to start the process, even though the vote has been widely criticized at home and abroad for alleged fraud and a lack of oversight. But Trump took the U.S. into uncharted territory last month when he wouldn't rule out a U.S. military action against Venezuela, even if no one in the U.S. government has since indicated there are concrete plans for such an intervention. Tillerson, meanwhile, said the U.S. was evaluating policy options to create conditions so that "either Maduro decides he doesn't have a future, and wants to leave of his own accord, or we can return the government processes back to their constitution.'' The main American focus right now remains economic pressure. The U.S. "will continue to consider additional sanctions'' on Venezuela, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters Wednesday. Waddell, meanwhile, also sought to send a message to China, which he said owns about $60 billion in Venezuelan debt. Asked if Venezuela might default, Waddell said that "all of us have seen Latin American defaults before, so there will be some kind of debt shakedown.'' "If I were the Chinese central government or party, I am not sure how much more I would lend them,'' he said at the CAF Development Bank of Latin America's annual congress in Washington. "The Chinese regime has to worry at some point on being repaid.'' The Venezuelan government and state oil company face a $4 billion debt bill by the end of the year. It has only $9.7 billion in international reserves on hand. Venezuelas Roman Catholic Church leaders said Thursday they would tell Pope Francis of the truly desperate humanitarian crisis in their country at a meeting they hoped would throw a spotlight on problems caused by political deadlock. The Argentine pontiff is visiting Colombia and had asked bishops from neighboring Venezuela to meet with him and brief him on the situation. The short meeting took place after the popes Mass Thursday night. Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, the archbishop of Caracas, told reporters ahead of the meeting that his country was mired in a truly desperate situation. There are people who eat garbage and there are people who die because there is no medicine. We want to remind the pope of this again ... because the government is doing everything possible to establish a state system, totalitarian and Marxist, Urosa said. On Wednesday, Francis told reporters he hoped Venezuela could find stability. Months of protests Venezuela has been convulsed by months of near-daily demonstrations against leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who critics say has plunged the oil-rich country into the worst economic crisis in its history and is turning it into a dictatorship. Maduro has said he is the victim of an armed insurrection and an economic war by U.S.-backed opponents seeking to gain control of the OPEC members oil reserves. World bodies and foreign governments have expressed concern about the shortage of food and medicine in Venezuela and called for political dialogue between Maduro and the opposition. Church leaders in Venezuela have made a series of highly critical speeches since late last year. The Vatican mediated in talks between the government and opposition in 2016 that ultimately broke down. Migrants flee to Colombia Venezuelas crisis has also sparked an increase in border crossings to Colombia, which is struggling to supply social services for the migrants. This meeting is a real gift that the pope is giving to all of the Venezuelan people through the bishops who are here, said the archbishop of Merida, Cardinal Baltazar Porras Cardozo. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Members of the Zimbabwe Bankers and Allied Workers Union on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at Stanbic in Harare after management fired Verity Mutsamwira, a Workers' Committee chairperson, who was raising critical issues faced by workers. Hurricane Irma is unleashing powerful winds and heavy rains on Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands as it continues to pound the Dominican Republic and parts of Haiti. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds, storm surge and rainfall are life-threatening, and those same conditions are expected late Thursday in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas. The NHC says Irma is considered "extremely dangerous" as it maintains its Category 5 strength and packs maximum sustained winds of 280 kilometers per hour (170 mph). The NHC projects Irma will remain a Category 4 or 5 storm for the next few days. Death toll Irma killed at least one person in Barbuda and eight people in St. Martin after rolling over those islands Wednesday. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll on St. Martin is likely to rise. The island is divided between French and Dutch sides. Dutch officials said they did not yet have information about casualties, but there is "huge damage," including to the airport and harbor. Irma passed Puerto Rico, knocking out power to more than 1 million people. The head of the power company on the U.S. island territory said it could be four to six months before service is totally restored. U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, which has been struggling to maintain its infrastructure in the midst of a financial crisis. The declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts on the island. "Hurricane Irma is raging, but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help. Be careful, be safe! #FEMA," Trump posted Thursday on Twitter. The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved more than $15 billion in disaster aid. The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday had approved $8 billion for aid for areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. The Senate bill will now go back to the House, which is expected to pass the measure by the end of the week. Barbuda devastated Late Wednesday, Barbuda took a direct hit from Irma, which left behind what Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called a "really horrendous situation." He said nearly every building was damaged. Later this week, Barbuda faces the potential of being hit by Hurricane Jose, one of three hurricanes in the region. Jose was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Thursday, and is forecast to pass near the northern Leeward Islands on Saturday before curving north of the path that Irma has followed. ABS-TV news director Garfield Burford told VOA that in his conversation with Barbuda's prime minister, Browne said he was "heartbroken" by the damage he saw on the island nation and that it might be necessary to evacuate the people there to Antigua. "The prime minister has indicated that if Jose were to be seen to be posing some impact on Antigua and Barbuda, as did Irma, then it would be absolutely essential that the residents on Barbuda evacuate and come to Antigua," Burford said. About 1.2 million people have already been victimized by Irma and that number could exceed 26 million, the Red Cross said Thursday. The relief organization said that in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba alone, "an estimated 26 million people could be exposed to destructive winds and torrential rain." Children endangered The United Nations Children's Fund said Thursday some 10.5 million children live in Caribbean countries that are likely to be impacted by Irma. The organization said children in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the islands of the Eastern Caribbean and Haiti are at risk, including 3 million under the age of 5. In addition to Irma and Jose, Katia is the third hurricane in the area. Katia is located in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It could strengthen into a major storm before making landfall in eastern Mexico. Irma is expected to affect the southeastern U.S. state of Florida on Saturday, still as a major hurricane. The NHC has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for much of the Florida peninsula, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay. It is increasingly likely Irma will travel across Florida's crowded east coast in the next three or four days, potentially impacting millions of residents. South Florida officials have already ordered people to evacuate coastal areas. Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday repeated the evacuation orders. "Every Floridian, every family should take this seriously and be aggressive. You've got to protect your family," Scott said. Gas stations and grocery stores saw long lines Thursday as people either fled to safer areas or stocked up on supplies to ride out the storm. The South African government has extended a special program granting about 200,000 Zimbabweans permission to live, work and study in the country for four years. Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize announced today that the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP), formerly known as Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP), will only cater for holders of special permits launched a couple of years ago. The ZEP begins next week with current ZSP holders expected to submit applications online before November 30, 2017. Mkhize said, "An administrative fee of R1,090 will be charged. ZEP permits will be issued for a maximum period of four (4) years, effective from 02 January 2018 and expiring on 31 December 2021, notwithstanding the date of application." Applicants are supposed to submit a valid Zimbabwean passport, evidence of employment (in the case of an application for work rights), evidence of business (in the case of an application for business rights) and evidence of a letter of admission from a recognized learning institution (in the case of an application for study rights). Applications will be submitted online through the VFS website www.vfsglobal.com?ZEP/SouthAfrica/com Mkhize said, Thereafter applicants will be allocated appointments for the required submission of fingerprints and supporting documents to VFS, from 01 October 2017. Reacting to the governments move, Ngqabutho Mabhena of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, said, The Zimbabwe Community in South Africa welcomes the statement by the South African Minister of Home Affairs Hon Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize. We would have wished that the Minister would have considered the many undocumented Zimbabweans who are working in South Africa. We hope the Minister will at some point attend to this request. We call on all the holders of the Zimbabwe Special Permit to apply in time for the ZEP within the set times. Thousands of Zimbabweans are living illegally in South Africa due to serious social, economic and political problems back home. News feed Acquisition: Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group has acquired Blue Canopy, a Reston government contractor with 450 employees specializing in data analytics, cybersecurity and application development. Financial terms were not disclosed. Looking west: Arlington-based apartment developer AvalonBay Communities has entered the Denver market with the $76.8 million acquisition of a 252-unit apartment complex called the Lodge Denver West in Lakewood, Colo. New at the top: The Maryland Technology Development Corp., a state-based investment program, has named Francis Smyth, chief executive of Baltimore-area Century Engineering, chairman. the buzz We now believe that some U.S. government-related business will not materialize in our fiscal second half as we had expected. Gary B. Smith, chief executive of Hanover, Md.-based Ciena, in a conference call with analysts after the telecommunications equipment-maker lowered its forecast for business in the coming quarter. Smith cited uncertainty over federal budgets as a major factor. If you love reading but can never figure out what your next book should be, ReadThisNext, as the name implies, is here to help. You can use the app to follow your favorite authors and see what they suggest. Because you can follow multiple authors, youll get a range of recommendations just in case youre having one of those days where youre not vibing with Haruki Murakami. Signing up requires your email address. From there, you can search for authors you like and follow accounts accordingly. The apps website describes it as being like a book club with all of your favorite authors, which is apt except that you cant get together with Stephen King, nosh and dish about the book together. And, of course, no one will ever scold you for not reading the book. Still, ReadThisNext is a solid app for those who love reading but never know what to tackle next. Free, for iOS devices. Barack Obama seems to be finding his flow as a former president. Last month, he slipped onto Harvards campus to help move his daughter into her dorm. This week, he surprised high school students at McKinley Technology High School, something he couldnt do as a sitting president, where the security apparatus make such discreet visits nearly impossible. Obama, along with D.C. Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, met with 19 students Friday afternoon to discuss "their life goals, pursuing higher education, and giving back to their communities," according to Obama's office. His office, which posted a short video of the visit on Instagram, said it was intended to welcome the students back to school. But the encounter also seemed to be kind of a release for Obama. You dont mind me crashing, right? he said as he entered the room smiling widely. The students looked stunned. One of the things that I did throughout my presidency is Id meet with groups of young people everywhere I went because I do believe that most of the problems that we have are going to be solved by you, he said, looking relaxed in a black suit with no tie. Obama hasn't had what most would consider a low-key post-presidency. His successor is intent on tearing apart his legacy. Just this week he issued a lengthy statement defending his administration's executive action known as DACA, halting the deportation of young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally when they were children. And CNN reported Friday that the former president has scheduled his first fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee since leaving office. Still, the school visit is a break with Obamas approach to post-presidency life in Washington, a city that most presidents flee as soon as their terms have ended. Obama took several long vacations at the end of his administration and has not been a regular presence, though he and his wife purchased a home here and intend to stay at least until their younger daughter finishes high school. One reason Obama chose to visit McKinley is because it is a part of the Districts initiative to empower males of color, which was launched in 2015 after Obamas My Brothers Keeper program issued a challenge to communities to support boys and young men of color. The visit was closed to the news media. Our readers share tales of their ramblings around the world. Who: Eileen McCreight (the author) of Springfield, Va., and Cherie Gero of Hemet, Calif. Where, when, why: We traveled to Olympic National Park in Washington from Aug. 14-20. My childhood friend from Bucks County, Pa., loves the outdoors and so do I it just so happens that our husbands hate camping. So, as national park collectors, we pick a park to visit every few years. A raven takes in the view of the mountains at Olympic National Park in Washington state. (Eileen McCreight) Cher drove to Portland from California and I flew in from Virginia. We packed a tent and camping gear in her van. It was very affordable, especially with our senior passes! Entrance fees and campsites were either free or half price. Aside from airfare, gas was probably the most expensive part of the trip. Highlights and high points: Hurricane Ridge up a winding, 17-mile road afforded a great view at 5,242 feet of dynamic Mount Olympus, which was still snow-covered in late-August. Marmots, found in the wild only in this part of the United States, greeted us on a hike through wildflowers and winding paths. Mora Campground, miles down the road on the coast, featured huge piles of driftwood. Nights were cool, with stars visible from horizon to horizon. Further down the park was the Hoh Rain Forest, which gets up to 170 inches of precipitation every year, according to the National Park Service. The greenery and the extraordinary size of the Douglas fir, hemlock and Sitka spruce trees reminded us of the Forbidden Forest in the "Harry Potter" series. Cultural connection or disconnect: Cher and I have been camping all our lives and the lessons park rangers taught us are still being taught today. Unfortunately, they will have to be repeated forever "Don't feed the wildlife" seems to fall on deaf ears. Up on Hurricane Ridge, habituated deer freely roamed the highway looking for handouts. Birds in the Hoh Rain Forest brazenly swooped in on our table, looking for crumbs. And, of course, bears when accustomed to humans are very difficult to resettle. Sadly, "a fed bear is a dead bear," as the rangers say. Biggest laugh or cry: Before heading to our campsite, we pulled into the parking lot of what I thought was a mom-and-pop store looking for food provisions for the night. Upon entering the Smokehouse, I realized it wasn't an ordinary grocery but rather a smokehouse of another variety. Cher, being from California, was bored by the whole thing, but we had a good laugh about the legal cannabis operation that would have made a Wharton business school graduate proud. The very hospitable sales person did his best to persuade us that this addition to our stock would be memorable! How unexpected: We expected to meet mainly folks from Washington, Oregon and California, but around every bend was a new person with a different story the German hikers we met while soaking in the Sol Duc Hot Springs (our only bath for the week); the Israeli biking down the coast; the 65-year-old guy from North Carolina going cross-country with his dog on his motorcycle; the Asian families on vacation with their children and parents. It was a melting pot of people all enjoying the outdoors. Favorite memento or memory: In this day of technology, it is difficult to make the decision to unplug. That decision was mostly made for us, as the park has spotty cellphone service and no WiFi. We checked in with our spouses when possible to tell them we weren't bear food, but mainly went offline and incommunicado, which was refreshing and freeing. Cher and I have already planned our unplugged vacation for next year Pinnacles, the newest national park, in the mountains of central California. Fingers crossed they never get the Internet up and running! To tell us about your own trip, go to washingtonpost.com/travel and fill out the What a Trip form with your fondest memories, finest moments and favorite photos. More from Travel: Enchantment under the sea with whales in Tahiti Family history comes alive in Finland Honeymooning in Middle Earth: Leaving current events behind to explore New Zealand Kayakers approach the lower end of Manhattan on the Hudson River, where One World Trade Center dominates the skyline. (David Brown/For The Washington Post) The Hudson River has always seemed like a trench filled with water, its bottom a Stygian tangle of sunken boats and discarded equipment, its water an over-steeped tea somehow brewed from the lives of 8 million people. By the same token, Manhattan seemed less an island than a moored raft covered with concrete, asphalt, steel and well-tended plants. So when I eased myself into a kayak one day this summer to start a paddle around Manhattan Island, I was surprised to see a little beach nearby. Water came up from depths onto a patch of sand, with weeds just beyond. It was the geological past sticking its nose out from under 400 years of human occupation. Circumnavigating New York Citys core by water combines natures forces with mans work in a way thats as dramatic as any place in America. Its also a trip strangely poignant and evocative, even for someone with no New York roots or even much knowledge of the citys history. And the funny thing is, its not even that hard. Each year, the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club sponsors the Manhattan Circ a trip around Manhattan Island in kayaks. This year, 158 people from 12 states and two foreign countries (Canada and Spain) did it. One-third were women; only one person dropped out. To participate, you have to apply, attest to your skills, be accepted, and pay $80. Of course, the logistics are considerable if youre an out-of-towner, what with getting a kayak into the countrys most densely populated place and finding somewhere to stay. But its worth it. I went with a group of people affiliated with an Annapolis nonprofit organization called Upstream Alliance. The Inwood Canoe Club, on the Hudson in far northern Manhattan, kindly allowed us to store the boats overnight and launch from its docks. The Circ's organizers had divided the fleet into three groups based on anticipated speed; two of the groups launched a few hundred yards from us at a public beach on Dyckman Street. [Canoe through the Bronx] The Inwood is the only survivor of a string of boat clubs that once lined that part of the islands shore. Founded in 1902, and the home of seven Olympic canoeists in the middle of the last century, it recalled an era when New Yorks waterways were more recreational than they are today, and perhaps cleaner and less intimidating. The day and hour of the Circ are chosen so that tidal flow will assist participants as much as possible. As we paddled into the eastern edge of the Hudsons channel, it was immediately clear this would not be a trip for the inattentive. The flow was swift. The river was in full ebb, doubling our paddling speed toward the Battery, the southern tip of island, where we would catch the flood tide that would carry us up the East River. The group I was in would, in theory, be the fastest of the three. A motor launch appeared on our right. It accompanied us the whole way around, keeping us from straying into the all-business middle of the channel, like a border collie herding a flock of aquatic sheep. The overcast sky hid the tops of the George Washington Bridges towers. We paused briefly just above the bridge and then proceeded under it. A rumbling filled the air and disappeared. White, balloon-shaped buoys presumably for transient yachts strained against their mooring chains, the dark water pillowing over them. They were the first of several not-so-obvious obstructions we encountered that could easily have flipped a boat. (Thankfully, none did). Paddlers pass under the Queensboro Bridge. (David Brown/For The Washington Post) On my deck I had an old National Geographic map of Manhattan that Id cut up and had laminated and spiral bound. It helped me get a rough idea of where we were as we hurried down the West Side on an eight-knot express. I spotted Grants Tomb, the Riverside Church, and later the Empire State Building peeking out from the islands interior. As the haze cleared, the morning sun silhouetted rooftop water tanks, making them look like little party hats. In the afternoon on the East River, I recognized the United Nations headquarters, which in my 1960s childhood was second only to the Statue of Liberty in recognizable New York landmarks. (Such a hopeful time!) Early on we passed a gigantic concrete structure with half-moon fenestrations lining its waterside front. I asked a fellow paddler what it was and he said it was a sewage plant. To be precise, it was the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, which processes 125 million gallons of sewage a day and stretches from 145th Street to 137th Street. [A guide to New York City residences that eight U.S. presidents have called home] Despite being surrounded by it (and partly because of that fact), water has always been a problem for Manhattan. New York City residents consume 1.3 billion gallons of clean water a day (imported from far north of the city), and dispose of 1.4 million gallons of liquid waste. The water was once notoriously polluted, and by a century ago had wiped out commercial fisheries of shad, clams and oysters while spreading cholera, typhoid fever and other fecal-oral illnesses. Joseph Mitchell, the New Yorker magazines famous chronicler of the city, started a 1951 article called The Bottom of the Harbor this way: The bulk of the water in New York Harbor is oily, dirty, and germy. Men on the mud suckers, the big harbor dredges, like to say that you could bottle it and sell it for poison. Things are better now. Thousands of people swam in the Hudson the day after the Circ as part of the New York City Triathlon. The Billion Oyster Project is engaging schools (among other groups) to restore New York's oyster grounds. There were 220,000 acres when Henry Hudson navigated the waters in 1609; the project so far has restored a little more than one acre and planted 22 million oysters. Heavy rains occasionally overwhelm the wastewater treatment capacity, spilling coliform-laden water into the rivers. We got occasional whiffs of sulfurous sewer gas on our passage. We stopped at Pier 40, at West and Houston streets, in Greenwich Village, where people looking for a bathroom could admire the watercraft in the Village Community Boathouse. It promotes the construction and rowing of dory-like boats of a century-old design called Whitehall gigs one of many examples of how New Yorkers are again turning to the water for recreation. We approached the Battery with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the distance to our right, and One World Trade Center on our left. The waterway here is New Yorks aortic outflow high-pressure, turbulent, essential. The Circ organizers arranged for us to cross it in 15-minute windows that would keep us safe from the gigantic, orange Staten Island ferry and its wake. By then, our group had caught up with the second-fastest one. We watched its paddlers cross as we milled around near a barge in a man-made cove in this part of Manhattan, everything is man-made waving to pedestrians on the waterside promenade. Eventually, we got the signal to cross. This required hard, no-nonsense paddling. (I was chastised by one of our chaperons for pausing to take a picture.) At one point, we had to hold up unexpectedly to avoid a tour boat. As we headed into the East River, the water became a hectic mix of standing waves, wakes and clashing currents. Nobody appeared to be giving us much quarter. We were like mice crossing a crusty field of snow, hoping not to be picked off by predators. [At the Urban Cowboy B&B, a tumbleweed blows in Brooklyn] Safe on the Brooklyn side, we caught our breath and headed up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. We passed the blackened stubs of old dock pilings, shuddering in the current like loose teeth. We paddled the length of Roosevelt Island and at its far end came ashore at a beach in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. We tarried there until the tide became favorable. Because the beach would flood, we carried the boats the entire fleet, as the three groups were now together up the street to Socrates Sculpture Park, a four-acre outdoor museum built on an old landfill. There, an overworked food truck, a small farmers market and a performance of Bengali music and dance entertained us for nearly two hours. We crossed to the Manhattan side of the river at the lower end of Hell Gate, the most notorious strait in New Yorks harbor and the site of uncountable shipwrecks over the centuries. The water was slack; our timing was right. We paddled right over the spot off East 90th Street where the excursion steamer General Slocum, carrying 1,400 people most of them recent German immigrants caught fire on June 15, 1904. The death toll of at least 1,021 would not be exceeded in a single disaster in New York until 9/11. At the north end of Randalls Island, we turned left into the Harlem River, where we were favored by the tidal quirk that makes the circumnavigation such a winning proposition. The tide pushes water that is already in the Harlem River northward, as well as pushing water that is not already in the Harlem River into it. One wouldnt think it possible! But it happens twice a day. (Here, its worth noting the distance around the island was 30 miles, which we covered in 6 hours of paddling time. Our average speed was just under 5 mph and our maximum speed an astonishing 8.7 mph. An oceanographer in our group calculated we did the work of a 20-mile paddle at 3 mph. In other words, one third of the distance we covered was entirely thanks to tide and river flow.) Paddlers head down the Hudson River, with Lower Manhattan in the distance. (David Brown/For The Washington Post) While people came from many places to do the Circ I paddled on and off with two guys from Los Angeles there were enough from New York to provide a guided tour for the curious and sociable. A paddler pointed out the garbage pier, the air vent for the Holland Tunnel and a row of Trump Organization-built apartment buildings recently stripped of their builders name. Another told me as we passed under the Queensboro Bridge that it was also known as the 59th Street Bridge. (Are you feeling groovy yet? he asked.) I learned about Marble Hill, the Manhattan neighborhood that is no longer on Manhattan Island, thanks to rerouting of the Harlem River at the northern end of the island in 1895. I was instructed to note the Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City in Queens, a landmark thats both pop-cultural and nostalgic-industrial. From my reading of the aforementioned Mitchell essay, I pointed out to a fellow circumnavigator that the eddies at the bend of the East River between the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges is where corpses that go into the water in the winter frequently surface in the spring. We paddled under more than a dozen bridges; Manhattan is an island, after all. The oldest is High Bridge, opened in 1848 to carry the Croton Aqueduct that supplied water to the city. Macombs Dam Bridge (1895), near Yankee Stadium, with its stone piers, pyramid-roofed shelter houses and steel camelback in the middle, is my new favorite. As the Harlem River got narrower and more industrial, culminating in the ship channel of Spuyten Duyvil, I was amazed to see a rocky outcrop on my left, the very northern tip of the island. I paddled over. It was shaded by vegetation growing out of its face and vines hanging down from its top. The air was laden with the smell of moss and mold. I thought to myself: This, at least, is unchanged. This is something the Lenape Indians and the Dutch colonists might recognize. Then I thought about the blasting it took to make the ship channel. Maybe not. Was everything Id seen a disturbed landscape? Yes, except for one. The rivers the Circ followed were pretty much where theyd been in 1600. The currents and tides were the same (and so, undoubtedly, were some of the water molecules). Flowing water was the changeless New York City, and Id been looking at it all day. Brown is a writer based in Baltimore. Advocates for ethical travel dont want tourists to stop having fun, they just want them to think about how theyre spending their time and money. "Essentially we're talking about mindful travel, with an awareness of the place you're going and whether the money you spend benefits the economy of the local hosts," said Jeff Greenwald, a travel journalist and co-founder of Ethical Traveler, a California-based nonprofit organization. "Be aware of the countries you're going to and the impact that you're having, with an understanding that there's an opportunity to be a great de facto ambassador for your own country." With that in mind, here are some tips for being an ethical traveler. Support local businesses: Just as you might frequent independently owned businesses at home, do the same while you travel. Vanuatu also appears on the most ethical list. Here, women sell food at a marketplace in Port Vila, Efate Island. (MJ Photography/Alamy Stock Photo) Watching where your money goes is very important, Greenwald said. Go to locally owned restaurants, stay in small hotels or use Airbnb to stay with a local. When travelers help keep money in the community, residents become empowered, said Mark Watson, director of Tourism Concern, a British nonprofit organization and a leading advocate for ethical tourism. Global companies impose on local communities, Watson said. Its better to support a place where tourism is not done to them but is something theyre a part of. For instance, in Vietnam I stayed in the village of Phong Nha, where people build accommodations on their property. You get to stay with a local person and the place doesnt look any different than it always looked. No overdevelopment, no overwhelming the local culture, and each resident gets a little income. Tourism Concerns Ethical Travel Guide provides a free online directory of recommended lodging and tour operators, many of them grass-roots initiatives. [What you need to know before returning to tourist sites after disasters] Think before you volunteer: Volunteering overseas as a means of traveling, sometimes called voluntourism, continues to be popular among travelers of all ages, but there can be inherent risks to the recipients. Continual improvement is a mandate for countries like Chile, its Easter Island seen here, that appear on the most ethical list. (Iurii Buriak/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Stock Photo) "I think volunteering and traveling are both good things, but putting them together doesn't always make it a good thing," said Watson, whose group issued an in-depth report on international volunteering in 2014. Watson warns against signing up with high-volume tourism operators, which he said focus on profit margins. Its travel guide includes a list of recommended volunteer groups. The fundamental issue with volunteering is it takes work away from local people and can even cause harm, in the case of working with children, Watson said. Tourism Concern is opposed to direct involvement with children. When you get into schools and orphanages, you are doing something harmful, Watson said, even including teaching English. Just because you can speak English doesnt mean you can teach it. One person teaches one way with one accent and another way, he said. These kids are not getting a proper education, just a mishmash. UNICEF and other international groups have spoken out against orphanage tourism. In worst-case scenarios, children are placed in residential centers solely for the benefit of Western tourists. Volunteering at legitimate ones isnt recommended, either, because forming attachments to children and leaving does more harm than good, said Watson, who recommends that travelers instead donate money to reputable organizations . [What is green travel, anyway? A beginners guide to eco-friendly vacation planning.] Just say no to ocean cruises: "There isn't anything positive you can say about going on a big-ship oceanwide cruise," Watson said. "I think it's the worst kind of mass tourism there is consumption taken to its extreme." A cruise ticks all the bad boxes, he said, including mistreating workers, polluting the sea and air, land grabbing and keeping money out of the local economy. Even when they go into port, they control most of the tours and in some case build their own islands to dock in, he said. Greenwald concurs, saying As a journalist, Ive been asked to write about cruises attempts to be ethical, but cruising is not something I can get behind in any way. Watson added that the growing trend of all-inclusive resorts share much in common with cruises. They provide little benefit to the local economy and discourage travelers from having an authentic travel experience. Consider animal welfare: Virtually every responsible travel organization has come out against elephant riding, a common tourism practice in some parts of Asia. Many other travel activities potentially include interaction with animals, directly or indirectly. We never advocate touching, said Kelvin Alie, executive vice president at the Washington-based nonprofit International Fund for Animal Welfare. We urge people to resist that instinct. Other ways to protect animals include steering clear of exotic cuisine that includes endangered species or involves animal cruelty, such as whale meat, bush meat or game meat, which is damaging animal populations. Researchers estimate that about 100 million sharks are killed every year for shark-fin soup. Souvenirs from animal products also contribute to mistreatment and declining populations, said Alie, whose groups website includes examples of what to avoid buying, such as anything made from alligators, turtles, snakes and big cats; traditional medicines containing rhino horn, bear bile or tiger bone; and carvings and jewelry from ivory, elephant hair or coral. "The major threat to high-value species is consumer demand," Alie said. "Choices around consumption are really important when people are traveling overseas." [When Americans land in trouble abroad, these expats step in] Look into 'ethical destinations': For nearly a decade, Ethical Traveler has compiled a list of "most ethical" developing countries, selecting 10 it considers are doing the most impressive job of promoting human rights, preserving the environment and supporting social welfare all while creating a lively, community-based tourism industry. This years list includes, in alphabetical order, Belize, Cabo Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Mongolia, Palau, Tonga, Uruguay and Vanuatu. For each country, Ethical Traveler lists reasons to visit, positive changes and points for improvement continual improvement is a mandate. Its become a very widely read list, and I hope its influential, Greenwald said. The group confines the list to developing countries because their travel and tourism trade, as a significant part of the economy, is likely to be linked to the government, making it more possible to effect change. People take the list very seriously and they work hard to be included, he said. By visiting those countries, travelers can use their economic leverage to support and reward destinations efforts. While there, Greenwald hopes travelers will follow Ethical Traveler's "13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador," available on the organization's website. Its critical to realize that when youre visiting someones country, youre visiting their home, he said, so bring the sensitivity and awareness that you would bring to anyones home. Daniel is a writer based in the Netherlands. Her website is bydianedaniel.com. More from Travel: How to stick to your vegetarian or vegan diet while you're traveling In Germany, site of the 'first bike tour in history' has much to offer modern-day visitors Bikes and ferries combine for a freewheeling Dutch adventure This weeks best travel bargains around the globe. Land Ocean Club, on Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, is offering 15 percent savings on a beachy package. The Explore the Mangroves special costs $1,374 per couple (usually $1,580) and includes four nights in a private suite, guided mangrove tour by kayak or paddleboard, daily breakfast, and taxes and fees. Travel through Dec. 22 and Jan. 6- Dec. 21, 2018. Info: 800-457-8787, oceanclubresorts.com. AMResorts is offering a Kids Stay Free promo for stays through Dec. 22. The deal applies to its all-inclusive Dreams Resorts & Spas, Now Resorts & Spas, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. For example, a four-night stay in early November at Now Larimar Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic starts at $960 for a family of four, including taxes a savings of $232. The promo applies to up to two children ages 12 and younger who are accompanied by a paying adult. All meals, beverages and most activities, including kids' and teens' clubs, are included. Info: nowresorts.com/offers/kids-stay-free; sunscaperesorts.com/offers/kids-stay-free; dreamsresorts.com/offers/kids-stay-free. Save at least $125 with a package at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, on Condado Beach in Puerto Rico. The No Leaves, Just Palm Trees package starts at $279 a night (plus 11 percent tax and 18 percent resort fee) and includes daily breakfast for two (valued at $52), daily $25 resort credit for food and drinks, cabana rental (normally $50) and buy one-get-one-half-off spa treatments (savings from $59). Book by Dec. 1; travel through Dec. 21. Info: marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjupr-san-juan-marriott-resort-and-stellaris-casino. Sea Costa Cruises is celebrating its 70th anniversary with up to $500 in shipboard credits on Caribbean, South American and transatlantic sailings (500 euros on other itineraries). The $500 is applied in set amounts to reduce the cost of shore tours, specialty dining, massages, wine package, photos and WiFi. For example, a $125 wine package receives a $60 credit; a $280 photo collection is discounted by $80. The deal applies to most cruises departing April 1 through Dec. 31. Exclusions include world cruises and world cruise segments, as well as cruises aboard the Costa neoRomantica. Book by Oct. 23. Info: 800-462-6782, costacruise.com. The United States Tour Operators Association is celebrating its fourth annual Travel Together Month with more than 100 special offers on land vacations, cruises and packages on all seven continents. A sampling of cruise deals: With Abercrombie & Kent, save $1,000 per person double on its Cuba by Land & Sea: A People-to-People Cruise. The trip, which departs in February and March, starts at $9,995 per person double and includes seven nights aboard a yacht and taxes. Emerald Waterways is offering free airfare on all new Rhine river itineraries for travel on select departures in 2018; use promo code USATODAY. The promotion runs through Sept. 30. Info: ustoa.com/travel-together-month. Air Southwest has a systemwide sale on nonstop flights booked by Sept. 21. For example, round-trip air from Reagan National to Providence, R.I., starts at $98, with taxes; other airlines are matching. Twenty-one-day advance purchase required. For domestic destinations, travel on all days but Friday and Sunday, from Sept. 26 to March 7. Blackout dates and other restrictions apply. Info: southwest.com. Package Great Value Vacations is offering a trip to Bali for $899 per person double. The price includes round-trip airfare from San Francisco to Denpasar; six nights lodging with breakfasts in Seminyak at either the Sense Sunset Hotel or Hotel Santika; airport transfers; and taxes. Priced separately, the trip would cost about $100 more per person. The package is also available with extra hotel nights. Airfare from Washington to San Francisco, priced separately, starts at about $330 round trip. Book by Sept. 11 at 800-896-4600, greatvaluevacations.com/vacations/the-bali-experience. Carol Sottili, Andrea Sachs Submit travel deals to whatsthedeal@washpost.com . Prices were verified at press time Thursday, but deals sell out and availability is not guaranteed. Some restrictions may apply. A chef's note from Lobsang Dorjee Tsering for a customer hangs on her food delivery packet at Foodhini in the District on Aug. 12. (Nikita Mandhani/THE WASHINGTON POST) A chefs note from Lobsang Dorjee Tsering for a customer hangs on a food delivery packet at Foodhini in the District on Aug. 12. (Nikita Mandhani/THE WASHINGTON POST) Two rectangular cards are stuck on Rachel Mays refrigerator door in her Washington apartment. Each card has a small picture of a Syrian refugee chef and a short bio. On the back is a personalized message: I hope you enjoy the hummus. I made it fresh today, one says. The cards came with food May ordered from Foodhini, a year-old meal delivery service that hires immigrant and refugee chefs to cook traditional cuisines and tell their stories. So far, in Washingtons upscale and immigrant-embracing neighborhoods, the outreach has been a hit. For a very long time, I was emotional about getting a note from a stranger, said May, an energy policy specialist who works for a think tank and lives in Shaw. It adds a face to the food that youre eating. Noobstaa Philip Vang, whose parents moved to the United States from Laos as Hmong refugees in 1976, launched Foodhini in October 2016, hoping to create new opportunities for the immigrant diaspora and introduce more authentic international food to the nations capital. There are currently four chefs preparing Syrian, Lao and Tibetan food in the Foodhini workspace at the Union Kitchen business incubator in Northeast Washingtons Ivy City neighborhood. Each meal comes with a personalized message and instructions from the chef so that people who are new to a specific cuisine can eat it right. We are ultimately trying to connect customers to our chefs and their stories, Vang said. The human aspect here is really important. Foodhini founder Noobstaa Philip Vang with chef Melissa Frabotta at the Union Kitchen space in Ivy City. (Nikita Mandhani/THE WASHINGTON POST) The first chef who was hired at Foodhini was not an immigrant but has spent much of her life in Southeast Asia. Melissa Mem Frabotta grew up in Thailand and later moved to Laos, where she learned to cook Laotian food from her mother-in-law. Chefs Majed Abdulraheem and Ghosoun Alhumayer, who came to the United States as Syrian refugees in 2016, joined Foodhini early this year. The most recent hire is Lobsang Dorjee Tsering, who lived as a Tibetan refugee in India before moving to the United States with his American-citizen wife in 2014. Food can be delivered Monday through Friday but must be ordered through the Foodhini website at least 24 hours in advance. I thought the food was delicious, said Brandon Hatton, 28, who works for Airbnb and has had Middle-Eastern food delivered to his home on H Street NE multiple times. The fact that there is a mission behind the food itself makes it even better, he added. Mary Versailles, 58, started ordering from Foodhini after reading about it online in January. The chefs stories remind the federal government employee of her grandmother, who left her home in Lithuania and moved to the United States after World War II. She said she regrets that she never learned how to cook her Nanas lamb stew but loves being able to help other people keep their culture and heritage. Those notes from the chefs make me feel like hearing my grandparents talk about their food, she said. Majed Abdulraheem inserts chicken pieces in skewers before grilling chicken shawarma at Foodhini in Washington. (Nikita Mandhani/THE WASHINGTON POST) Sometimes, the chefs write their own messages. Other times, they dictate them to Vang. They talk about the inspiration behind the food they have prepared and the memories associated with particular recipes while apologizing for their limited English. I am excited for you to try Syria food. I learn to cook from my mother, wrote Alhumayer, a mother of three who spent three years in refugee camp in Jordan with her family after fleeing the Syrian civil war, then was granted refugee status and relocated to Hyattsville, Md. In Syria, cooking is passed down from mother to daughter, generation to generation. These dishes I make for my family. The falafel I make a lot. I hope you enjoy! You dont get that when you order Chinese takeout, said Ryan Brenner, 26, who works in international development and lives in Edgewood. You can kind of picture them cooking the food. Versailles said Tserings Tibetan dumplings remind her of her first international trip to Nepal. Brenner said Abdulraheems chicken shawarma takes her back to her days volunteering in Sudan. Other popular menu items at Foodhini include Abdulraheems fattoush and hummus, Alhumayers falafel and chicken mandi, Frabottas ping gai chicken and nam khao lettuce wraps, and Tserings ginger-glazed lamb and beef curry. The start-up receives about 125 to 150 orders weekly, according to Vang, who hopes to bring in more chefs. He called the business his contribution to creating cultural exchanges through food. When people order a meal and eat it, they send us text messages and photos, Vang said. The chefs, in turn, delight in hearing from their American customers and seeing pictures of them eating traditional foods. Their goal is that the person who eats their food enjoys it like they do, Vang said. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) announced Friday that he will run for reelection to his current seat, putting an end to widespread speculation that he might challenge Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) in 2018. Racine's decision, which he disclosed during an appearance on "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" on WAMU-88.5, eases Bowser's path toward keeping her job leading the city. It comes after a Washington Post poll in June showed Racine trailing Bowser by a 40-point margin among registered Democrats in a hypothetical mayoral race. [D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser is broadly popular as reelection campaign nears] Ive decided thats whats most important to me is to continue to serve as attorney general, Racine said. Thinking about leaving prior to finishing a job was not appealing. . . . I think I need another term to really build that office in a way thats going to make the city proud. Racine said he had communicated his decision to Bowser and that she was incredibly pleasant and gracious. He declined to say whether he would endorse Bowsers reelection bid, which she is expected to announce this fall. While Racine was a long-shot prospect in the 2018 mayors race, his choice not to run will likely be welcomed by Bowsers camp. A former criminal-defense attorney with strong ties in the Districts deep-pocketed legal community, Racine has a compelling personal story he emigrated from Haiti as a child and has begun to attract attention as he and other state attorneys general take on the Trump administration over its immigration policies. Racine is also helping to lead the push for legislation that would ban companies that do business with the city from contributing to city political campaigns, addressing long-standing concerns over "pay-to-play" politics in the District. Nevertheless, the June Post poll showed the attorney general struggling with a lack of name recognition among D.C. voters, with 74 percent saying they had no opinion of him. With nine months to go before the June 2018 Democratic primary that is normally decisive for the general election in left-leaning D.C., much could happen to change the contours of the race. But at present, Racines announcement leaves Bowser with a sole potential challenger waiting in the wings: D.C. Council member Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), a former mayor whom Bowser unseated in 2014. While Gray remains popular with his base in Wards 7 and 8, he would likely struggle to overcome lingering distrust in other parts of the city from a federal investigation into his 2010 mayoral campaign. That investigation, focused on $653,000 in illegal spending on Gray's behalf by former city contractor Jeffrey E. Thompson, netted guilty pleas from six people, including Gray associates. Gray was never charged and said he was unaware of illegal activity. He has attributed his 2014 loss to Bowser to negative publicity from the investigation. Gray could not immediately be reached for comment. His former campaign manager, Chuck Thies, said Gray has no set timeline for making a decision about the mayors race and is currently focused on getting back to work at the council. The federal government has given the District a vote of confidence for what it called the citys success in enrolling more residents in job-training programs and improving handling of federal workforce grants. The U.S. Department of Labor formally ended the Districts designation as a high risk partner in job training and employment programs, a rarely used label the city has had since 2012, according to a letter the city received Thursday. The change means the District will no longer be under increased federal oversight and at risk of suffering a slowdown in $24 million of federal workforce grants that it receives each year. The administration of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) was eager to publicize the accomplishment as evidence that it has improved training opportunities for unemployed residents. The mayor, who is widely expected to run for reelection to a second term, announced the decision by the Labor Department at a jobs event in Georgetown on Friday. Its a big deal, Bowser said afterward. We think we have our house in order, and we can now try even bigger programs to get people working. Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, who oversees the Department of Employment Services, or DOES, called the removal of the high-risk designation an important validator that we are getting it right for D.C. residents. Im doing cartwheels in my office, she added. [Why D.C. has a uniquely bad record on helping the unemployed get jobs.] In the two-page letter addressed to Bowser, Labor officials said the District had four consecutive quarters of improved enrollments and performance in [federal training] programs beginning in the quarter ending March 31, 2016. It said the city had resolved all outstanding program shortcomings identified in reports in December 2015 and July 2016. As a result, [Labor] has determined the District has taken the necessary and sufficient action to resolve its identified program and performance issues and is withdrawing the Districts designation as a high risk grantee, the letter said. The high risk designation was especially embarrassing for the city because in 2015, it was the only jurisdiction in the nation to be labeled that way. The Labor Department declined to comment Thursday, except to refer to the letter to the city. The citys difficulties with Labor reflected a history of bureaucratic obstacles and other dysfunction in its workforce agencies that delayed spending of federal dollars to provide job training that could have helped some of the approximately 25,000 unemployed D.C. residents to find work. [D.C. fails to meet federal targets for helping jobless youths.] The city blamed much of the slow spending on a shortage of people qualified to train residents for jobs while conceding that many contractors stopped doing such work for the city because the District failed to pay them on time. One result was the Districts failure to meet annual federal targets for placing unemployed youths in jobs or in employment readiness classes. Labor Department officials wrote to the city in September 2015 complaining that low enrollments, under-expenditures and poor performance have been endemic in the [federally] funded youth program. Such shortcomings led the Labor Department to impose token penalties in 2015 and 2016, in which it withheld a total of about $43,000 from annual grants of $2 million. Apart from that, however, the slow spending did not cost the District any money, according to DOES Director Odie Donald. None of those [federal] funds has expired, Donald said. City officials said youth programs were underenrolled for multiple reasons, including a misguided effort in 2014 to tighten academic requirements for youths to be eligible for job training. Not enough young people met the standard they set, the officials said. But the District has shown progress on that front. At the start of 2015, Snowden said, the District had only eight out-of-school youth enrolled in federally funding workforce programs. Now, she said, the figure is over 1,000. Snowden said the Labor Departments action also recognized the citys progress in meeting federal standards for its Workforce Investment Council, a body that helps oversee use of federal job training money. The council is appointed by the mayor but led by the private sector. In late 2015, Bowser named Andy Shallal, owner of the Busboys and Poets restaurants, to fill a long-vacant position as council chair. The city also made other appointments to ensure that a majority of members were from the business sector, as the Labor Department requires. The Labor Department had complained the District was failing to make initial payments in a timely way to people who became eligible to receive unemployment insurance. Now, Snowden said, such payments are made on time in 91 percent of cases, compared to the federal standard of 90 percent. We have gone from probably the worst workforce system in the country to maybe one of the best, Snowden said. Partly because of the improvement, she said, the city has just received a $150,000 grant from the Labor Department for its apprenticeship program. However, the Labor Department letter warned against backsliding. The department reminds the District of its responsibility to maintain the performance it has achieved . . . and to operate its programs following [Labors] grant requirements, the letter said. The letter from the Labor Department outlined some of the steps that have been taken. In March 2016, it said, the city created a corrective action plan with 36 strategies and a fiscal analysis tool to address the problems that the federal department had identified. The city also held monthly phone calls to discuss the citys progress. It hired an outside vendor to do an analysis of the underlying problems. This story has been updated. Kate Millett, a feminist writer and artist who gave the womens liberation movement its intellectual cornerstone with the 1970 tract Sexual Politics, and whose later works laid bare the subjugation of gay men and lesbians, the mentally ill, the elderly, and victims of political oppression, died Sept. 6 in Paris. She was 82. Her death was confirmed by Phyllis Chesler, a feminist writer and psychotherapist who said she had corresponded with Dr. Milletts spouse, Sophie Keir, and that the cause of death was cardiac arrest. Dr. Millett was a contemporary of Gloria Steinem's the Ms. Magazine co-founder was six months her senior and along with Steinem became a driving force behind feminism's "second wave" that transformed the movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Second-wave activists, who also included Betty Friedan, sought to advance the concept of women's rights beyond voting and other legal privileges to include workplace equality, marital equality and greater sexual freedom. "Sexual Politics," Dr. Millett's debut book, emerged from her doctoral thesis at Columbia University. It posited that "every avenue of power within the society, including the coercive force of the police, is entirely in male hands," and that "as the essence of politics is power, such realization cannot fail to carry impact." She traced the patriarchy from biblical presentations of women to Sigmund Freuds concept of penis envy to inequitable marital arrangements that persisted even after the womens movement took hold. She opened up the eyes and the minds of women to the possibilities of freedom, the urgency of freedom, and the fact that terrible things happen to women things that few could look at [as] closely as she did, said Chesler, the author of books including Women and Madness (1972). Dr. Millett's book vaulted her to national renown. Time magazine featured her portrait on the cover of its Aug. 31, 1970, edition for a cover story about the women's movement. The New York Times described her at the time as the "high priestess of the current feminist wave," with book critic Christopher Lehmann-Haupt lauding "Sexual Politics" as "written with such fierce intensity that all vestiges of male chauvinism ought by rights to melt and drip away like so much fat in the flame of a blowtorch." But the attention also proved burdensome for Dr. Millett. In 1970, while married to a Japanese sculptor, she was speaking at Columbia when an audience member demanded to know if Dr. Millett was a lesbian. "Five hundred people looking at me," Dr. Millett later wrote. "Everything pauses, faces look up in terrible silence. I hear them not breathe. That word in public, the word I waited half a lifetime to hear. Finally I am accused. 'Say it. Say you are a Lesbian.' "Yes I said. Yes. Because I know what she means. The line goes, inflexible as a fascist edict, that bisexuality is a cop-out. Yes I said yes I am a lesbian. It was the last strength I had." In her memoir "Flying" (1974), she recounted the emotional upheaval of the fame that "Sexual Politics" had brought her it "grew tedious," she wrote, "an indignity." Her next volume, "Sita" (1977), chronicled her affair with a woman amid Dr. Millett's fracturing marriage she was ultimately divorced from her husband, Fumio Yoshimura and her descent into mental illness. 1 of 66 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Notable deaths in 2017 View Photos Remembering those who died in 2017. Caption Remembering those who died in 2017. Katherine Frey Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. During the 1970s, she was institutionalized for treatment of bipolar disorder. She recalled those experiences in her book "The Loony-Bin Trip," published in 1990. "Not since Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' has the literature of madness emitted such a powerful anti-institutional cry," the feminist writer Marilyn Yalom observed in a Washington Post review. The experience of being institutionalized seemed to heighten Dr. Millett's sensitivity to the suffering of others. Her books on that theme included "The Basement" (1979), the true story of the prolonged torture and murder of a young girl, Sylvia Likens, in Indiana in 1965. Dr. Millett undertook what she described as a "mission to and for my sisters in Iran," traveling to the country for International Women's Day in 1979 and finding herself arrested and then released by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in an episode she detailed in "Going to Iran" (1982). Her book "The Politics of Cruelty" (1994) explored abuses in the Soviet Union, Nazi Europe, Ireland, South Africa and beyond. Chesler described Dr. Millett as "very sensitive to the violence done to women" that others "didn't think we could ever name or didn't think . . . could ever change." Katherine Murray Millett was born in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 14, 1934. Her father was described as an abusive alcoholic and abandoned the family when Dr. Millett was in her teens, leaving his wife to support their children. When her elderly mother was forced to enter a nursing home, Dr. Millett was repulsed by similarities between that facility and the mental institutions where she had been placed. She helped arrange for her mother to be cared for at home, an experience she recounted in the book "Mother Millett" (2001). Dr. Millett received a bachelors degree in English from the University of Minnesota in 1956 and, while supported by a wealthy aunt, a degree in English literature from St. Hildas College at the University of Oxford in 1958. With Sexual Politics, she received a PhD in English and comparative literature from Columbia in 1970. Dr. Millett worked as a sculptor and taught at universities including Barnard College in New York City, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and the University of California at Berkeley. She joined the National Organization for Women shortly after its founding in 1966 and chaired its education committee. In 1971, she filmed the documentary Three Lives, made by an all-female team. She later founded a womens art colony, Millett Farm, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., running the operation into her later years. Besides her spouse, a complete list of survivors was not immediately available. For all she did to awaken women to the ancient inequities that they shouldered, Dr. Millett recognized that change would come only at an agonizingly slow pace. She likened sexism to racism. You can legislate about it, but as long as everybody is racist, you dont really do much about it, she told The Post in 1970. Unless you change persons and attitudes, you havent changed much. THE DISTRICT Charges in shooting that injured child D.C. police on Thursday arrested a third suspect in the July 10 shooting of a 1-year-old boy who was struck by three bullets during a shootout at an apartment complex in Northeast Washington. Kevin Deshawn Williams, 26, of Southeast, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Williams is the final suspect that police had sought in the shooting, which occurred shortly before 9 p.m. in the 1300 block of I Street NE, in a rear alley near the Wylie Court Condominiums. The 1-year-old boy was treated at Childrens National Medical Center and was released within a few days. Peter Hermann MARYLAND Man accused of setting woman on fire A man was arrested after he set a pregnant woman on fire in Prince Georges County and doctors delivered her baby early, authorities said. About 11:45 a.m. Friday, officers responded to the 1400 block of Elkwood Lane in Capitol Heights for a reported fire, Jennifer Donelan, a spokeswoman for Prince Georges police, said at a news conference. They found a pregnant woman who had been set on fire and burned over a large part of her body by an adult male she had a relationship with, Donelan said. The man was located and arrested in the District, officials said. The woman was taken to a hospital with critical burns. There, doctors were able to deliver her child, Donelan said. Mother and child are alive, but no further information about their condition was immediately available. Information about the identity of the man who was arrested and where he was arrested was not immediately available. Justin Wm. Moyer Man fatally shot in Burtonsville A gunshot victim arrived at a police station in Montgomery County this week, launching an investigation that led police to an RV four miles away where they found another man shot to death, police said Friday. The man found dead, Todd M. Pruitt, 63, lived in the 14000 block of Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, police said. The recreational vehicle was found in this same area. It wasnt immediately clear if Pruitt lived in the vehicle or it was parked outside or near his property. The other man, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Friday afternoon. Police did not detail what led them to the RV, or how the shootings may be related. Dan Morse Silver Spring park homicide victim identified Montgomery County police have identified a body found in a Silver Spring park Wednesday as that of a 20-year-old man and ruled his death a homicide. Cristopher Alfredo Funes Guerra, of University Boulevard East in Silver Spring, was found around 11:22 a.m. in a creek in Long Branch Stream Valley Park. Guerras family reported to police that he was missing on Sept. 3, and a nearby resident discovered the body three days later when he was hiking, police said. The investigation is ongoing, police said. Ellie Silverman Both men awakened early on the morning of March 2 to go to their respective jobs. Before the day was over, they had a chance encounter, clashing in anger. Anger over an orange traffic cone. A single punch was thrown. It left one man dead, and the other charged with murder. During an emotional hearing Friday in D.C. Superior Court, the man who threw the punch, 37-year-old Paul Hagans Jr., was sentenced to five years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Hagans, standing next to his attorney, said he wanted to apologize to the family of Desmond Joseph, 41. Judge Zoe Bush, in an unusual move, instructed Hagans to turn away from her and instead speak directly to Josephs family. If I could take it back, I would. I am not a murderer. This was a tragic accident, Hagans told the Joseph family. I ask you to forgive me. I am truly sorry. I should not have put my hands on anyone. Desmond Joseph died Friday March 3, 2017, after he was punched in a street confrontation. (N/A/Family photo) It was an unusual case, even for prosecutors who often see assault cases involving a fistfight, but rarely a case involving a single deadly blow. The incident unfolded around 3:40 p.m. on March 2, when Hagans was working as a construction flagger in the 200 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. Joseph, who was looking for a parking spot, approached Hagans in an effort to get past the construction and to a building where he worked doing construction and maintenance. Joseph then hopped out of the truck, which belonged to his supervisor, walked over and moved one of the traffic cones so he could drive through. Witnesses told authorities Hagans angrily confronted Joseph about moving the cone. Hagans then punched Joseph in the head, sending Joseph falling backward. Joseph struck his head on the ground, suffered a hematoma and died a day later. Hagans, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was originally charged with aggravated assault. But when Joseph died, prosecutors upgraded the charge to murder. Hagans ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser involuntary manslaughter, often charged by prosecutors in cases of negligent, accidental deaths. [Man dies after altercation in road construction zone] Emotions were so high in the courtroom Friday that five U.S. marshals were summoned to position themselves around as family members of both men wept openly during the proceeding. [Maryland man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in road rage incident] Joseph's cousin, Beverly Foster-Maurice, read letters from Joseph's mother, friends and his employer at the Kady Group, who all praised Joseph as a hard worker and loving family member. Joseph immigrated from St. Lucia on a work visa to live in the United States because he wanted work as a landscaper. Foster-Maurice sobbed and wiped tears away while telling the judge how the family wrestled with trying to understand how someone could be so cold to a complete stranger. It would have been easier if he had died from a car accident or from an illness. But not like this. He didnt deserve this. You left him there to die. You left him like an animal. You didnt even call 911, she said. Hagans looked at Foster-Maurice, and at times bowed his head. Hagans also apologized to his family, his adult children who sat behind Josephs mother, sister, wife and other family members. I couldnt control my anger, and I put my hands on Mr. Joseph, Hagans said. In addition to the prison sentence, Bush placed Hagans on five years of supervised probation, to undergo mental-health evaluation and complete anger management classes. This is truly a tragedy, Bush said. Both men going to work to provide for their families. There is a dispute over an orange piece of plastic. One man is dead, and another man charged with murder. Their lives and the lives of their families, changed forever. Police were looking for Cesar Morales who allegedly fired a gun down an escalator at the Columbia Heights Metro stop in the District in August. He was arrested Thursday night in Montgomery County. (Courtesy of D.C. police) A man who police said fired a gun into a District Metro station Aug. 25 had walked away from a federal prison-run halfway house three weeks earlier, but a clerical error meant no one in law enforcement had been looking for him, authorities said Friday. Lamont Ruffin, the chief deputy for the U.S. Marshals Office in the District, said the halfway house notified the Bureau of Prisons, who listed 22-year-old Cesar Morales as an escapee. Morales had been nearing the end of a five-year prison sentence for shooting a man in the District. The bureau emailed Ruffins office on Aug. 7, two days after authorities said Morales absconded. But he said due to an administrative error, his office failed to enter the information into a law enforcement database that would have flagged Morales to any local, state or federal law enforcement agency in the country. The error also meant that Ruffins own marshals did not actively search for Morales, whose family lives in Columbia Heights. Ruffin said he ordered an internal review. [Video shows man shooting down escalator at Columbia Heights Metro] The mistake was brought to light after D.C. police Chief Peter Newsham identified Morales as a suspect in the Metro shooting and told reporters that no arrest warrant had been issued in connection with the escape. Morales was arrested Aug. 31 in Montgomery County. Ruffin said the agency does not immediately seek arrest warrants in such cases, but are supposed enter his name in the database people can be detained. Morales had been moved from a prison to the halfway house to ease his transition back into society. In many cases, inmates at halfway houses are allowed out for work, and are required to return at certain hours. The prison bureau said Morales left Aug. 5 and did not return. [Suspect sought in Metro shooting captured by police] The Metro shooting occurred about noon on Aug. 25. Police said Morales chased a man and then shot at him as he ran down the escalator at the Columbia Heights Metro in the 1400 block of Irving Street NW. No one was injured. Police said they chased a man with a gun a few minutes later on 16th Street, and saw him drop it. An officer found a shell casing on the stations stairs. Police have said the intended target disappeared and they dont know his identity. A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday ordered Morales detained until a preliminary hearing Monday. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Theodore Dashawn Pigford, 26 better known as the Washington-area rapper 30 Glizzy was the man fatally shot in South Baltimore on Wednesday, police and Pigfords attorney confirmed Thursday. Police confirmed Pigfords name, and attorney John McKenna, who represented Pigford in previous criminal cases and maintained contact with him, confirmed he was the rapper. He was a nice young man with a promising career, McKenna said Thursday. Its just sad. Pigford, of the 2100 block of Alice Avenue in Oxon Hill in Prince Georges County, was found unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso in an alley in the 4200 block of Audrey Avenue in the citys Brooklyn neighborhood about 5:20 a.m. Wednesday, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. [Death of rising rap star Lor Scoota was one of a string of killings, shootings across Baltimore that police say are connected] Pigford touted his membership in the Washington-area rap clique Glizzy Gang. The group is known in Baltimore as well, with member Marquis King long known as Shy Glizzy, who more recently has gone by Jefe making an appearance on the popular Bird Flu track of slain Baltimore rapper Tyriece Lor Scoota Watson. Scoota released a video for Bird Flu a major hit on his mixtape, Still N the Trenches Volume II on Halloween 2014 featuring Shy Glizzy, at a time when Shy Glizzys single Awwsome was a staple around Baltimore. Since then, Shy Glizzy has had even more popular success, including with his last years 12-track mixtape Young Jefe 2. Scoota was fatally shot in Baltimore in June 2016 as part of what police believe was a string of retaliatory attacks. When Shy Glizzy arrived at the West Baltimore funeral home where fans had gathered to mourn Scoota, he was wearing a hat that read YBS, the name of Scootas crew. The crowd cheered him, showing his popularity in Baltimore as well. Pigford enjoyed some of that broader regional popularity as well, though he was not as well known. Like Shy Glizzy and Scoota, he flashed cash and guns in his videos, and rapped about drug dealing and other crime. In a track titled Bad & Boujee, Pigford rapped, Rest in peace to Up Next, an apparent reference to Scoota, who went by the mantra Scoota up next! Then he rapped, But I cant be a victim, Imma be a suspect. He had recently put out new music, as well, and linked to it from social media accounts. In one track titled My Life, he rapped about struggling to provide for his family: I been down a long path of wrong, Im trying to make it right. Fans of the Glizzy Gang quickly began mourning 30 Glizzy on social media on Thursday, including on Shy Glizzys pages. McKenna, Pigfords attorney, said Pigford had some minor brushes with the law in the past court records show a burglary conviction in 2010 and some drug charges that were all dropped in Prince Georges County but was a good kid. McKenna said he was surprised to learn of his clients killing. I really am puzzled by what he was doing in South Baltimore, because he was more of a D.C. guy, he said. Pigfords family could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Anyone with information about Pigfords shooting is asked to call homicide detectives at 410-396-2100, text a tip to 443-902-4824, or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCK-UP. Former CIA director John Brennan testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in May. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) An aspiring hacker who harassed the CIA director and the national intelligence director, among others, in 2015 was sentenced Friday to five years in federal prison. Justin Liverman, 23, was part of a collective dubbed Crackas With Attitude that exposed the private online accounts of several top law enforcement officials, including then-CIA chief John Brennan and James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence at the time. It was a British teenager, known as "Cracka," who actually broke into those accounts by impersonating the officials or employees of their service providers. Liverman and Andrew Otto Boggs, also 23, encouraged Cracka's exploits and used the exposed information to bedevil the victims. These are no pranks, Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said in sentencing Liverman on Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Va. This computer hacking, Crackas With Attitude, caused chaos. Your intent was clear, and that was to wreak havoc. It was particularly despicable, Lee added, that Liverman harassed the spouses and threatened the children of several targets. Liverman, of North Carolina, chose some of the victims and drove the harassment campaigns against them. He paid for an hourly, month-long phonebombing campaign leaving threatening and explicit messages for former FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano. Liverman also texted Giulianos phone, asking about his slut wife and warning that he would keep a close eye on your family, especially your son! Giuliano and other victims are not named in court papers, but their identities have been confirmed by officials familiar with the details of the case. Through Giulianos credentials, Cracka got into the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal, a computer system that gives agencies around the world access to unclassified but sensitive law enforcement information. Liverman requested personal details on Miami police officers, which he then posted online. "Liverman leveraged Cracka's superior social engineering skills to his own ends namely, to cause disruption/fear through harassment and to continue to perpetrate his online fraud of being an administrator of a hacking group and a successful hacker himself," Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Longobardo wrote in his sentencing memorandum. According to Livermans attorneys, Boggs was directly involved in breaking into the law enforcement databases and exposing the personal information of 20,000 people. Liverman also encouraged Cracka to call in a bomb threat to the Palm Beach County, Fla., sheriffs office, saying, Hopefully they will have a shootout and kill each other, according to court records. Other victims include Amy Hess, at the time the FBI executive assistant director for science and technology; Gregory Mecher, who is married to then-White House Communications Director Jen Psaki; and Harold Rosenbaum, chief executive of CIA contractor Centra Technology. In January 2016, Liverman claimed to have compromised NASA computer systems and gotten access to sensitive flight and employee details. The space agency spent $41,300 to figure out that all of the data exposed on Livermans Twitter account was fake or already publicly available. Liverman said he thought at the time he was helping expose weaknesses in the private security of figures who guard the nations secrets, according to the court filings, as well as taking a stand against government overreach. I thought what I was doing was right in terms of political justice, he said in court Friday. But two years later, I realize I was completely wrong. Boggs and Liverman pleaded guilty earlier this year. Boggs was sentenced to two years in prison in June. Cracka is being prosecuted in Britain. Attorneys for Liverman argued that their client showed a conscience by redacting some personal information before sending stolen emails to WikiLeaks. He was taking too much of the steroid prednisone, attorney Jay Leiderman said in court, and lacked social skills or many real-life friends. Referencing the HBO show "Westworld," Leiderman suggested Liverman was on a journey to maturity. "He is traveling that maze," Leiderman said. "He's coming towards the center of the maze. He's coming towards self-actualization." Liverman has already served three months in jail after overdosing on cocaine while on supervised release, an incident Leiderman tied to anxiety issues. "I never truly knew what freedom was until I came to jail," Liverman said in court Friday. A computer science student, he said he hopes after his release to become a security auditor who will protect against black hats like myself. The five-year sentence is the statutory maximum for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States. Leiderman and fellow defense attorney Marina Medvin called the sentence "extraordinarily excessive." As part of his plea agreement, Liverman has agreed to pay about $145,000 in restitution. Boggs has agreed to pay a little over $100,000. Prosecutors say the total cost to victims of responding to the various intrusions was $1.5 million. Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. A gunshot victim arrived at a police station in Montgomery County this week, launching an investigation that led police to an RV four miles away where they found another man shot to death, police said Friday. The man found dead, Todd M. Pruitt, 63, lived in the 14000 block of Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, police said. The recreational vehicle was found in this same area. It wasnt immediately clear if Pruitt lived in the vehicle or it was parked outside or near his property. The other man, who was not identified, was given first aid after entering the lobby of the 3rd district station of the Montgomery County Police Department in the White Oak area at 9 p.m. Wednesday He was taken to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Friday afternoon. Police did not detail what led them to the RV, or how the shootings may be related. Detectives believe that this shooting and homicide is not a stranger-based event, said Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti, a police spokeswoman. Officials said that anyone with information about the shootings can call 240-773-5070. Earl Dyer, left, and Gary Brown ride a CityLink Gold bus in Baltimore. (Shan Wallace) Standing on the sidewalk with her back to the traffic, Shan Wallace took a step backward, off the curb and onto the road, her black Sony A7 camera swinging from her shoulder. She leaned back and gazed down the broad avenue, into the distance. Where was the bus? When was it going to come? The traffic continued to roar by, but the bus was nowhere to be seen. Wallace stepped back onto the curb. At the bus stop with her were some 15 other people, and together they waited for the bus that would take them down North Avenue, toward the city's west side. For many in Baltimore, buses are woven deep into daily life. And they also tell an important story about the city and its history, rooted in racial and economic divides that have shaped the course of its development over the decades. "You see a true reflection of the city's politics just taking a bus ride around the city," Wallace said. A bus rider her whole life Wallace is a 26-year-old photographer based in Baltimore, where she was born and raised. Tall, with long dreadlocks, she speaks softly but with conviction and wears an assortment of buttons on her all-black outfit: Very Black. Black Power. Black Women Rock. For as long as Wallace can remember, the bus has been her way of getting around the city. She has fond childhood memories of catching the bus with her dad to go downtown from her West Baltimore home. Instead of waiting idly at a bus stop, they would walk until the bus came, passing the time with long conversations. Sometimes, they would beat the bus to their destination. Just small life lessons while waiting for the bus, Wallace said. Lessons like how to overcome her fears to walk past two giant Rottweilers, but also why one block of the avenue can be teeming with businesses while the next block is blighted and vacant. Now, years later, she continues to be a regular bus rider. And she continues to draw small but important lessons from that daily experience. They are lessons in inequity and iniquity, identity and community, and how all that plays out on buses that crisscross the city, at bus stops that dot the streets. I think that the benches can create a way to think more broadly about Baltimore, about the people of Baltimore, about the black people of Baltimore, photographer Shan Wallace said. (Shan Wallace) Wallace recently showcased her work in an exhibit titled What We Learn While Waiting at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center as part of the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy, a 10-day incubator program for social entrepreneurs. Through her photos, Wallace documents Baltimore's buses, bus stops and the people who fill those spaces. For her, the bus system is the beating heart of the city. Moving within it, she puts her camera up to her eye and captures snapshots of everyday life in Baltimore. I see through a lens, and I see things that I dont see with my eyes, Wallace said. The camera is my third eye. And with that third eye, she hopes to illuminate the questions that race through her mind when she waits for the bus. Where are people going? Why are they taking the bus? Why are so many homes vacant? Why does West Baltimore look so different from East Baltimore the West seemingly abandoned, the East quickly gentrifying? What does it mean to be the Greatest City in America? Tied up in a simple bus ride and in the mundane act of sitting on a bench, waiting for a bus, Wallace said, are deeper questions of socioeconomic status, class and race. I think about the circumstances of everybody, but also where all those circumstances are rooted, she said. She wants people to dissect a still moment in time and to reflect on questions that aren't talked about enough. And she wants to make this opportunity accessible to all. Not everyone can read a 1,200-page book, Wallace said. But everyone can look at a picture and ask questions. Transportation and race Behind the humble bus is a long and complex history, closely intertwined with race and civil rights: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott of the mid-1950s; the Freedom Riders of the 1960s; Bostons busing crisis of the mid-1970s, when a court ordered that kids be bused across town to desegregate schools. Today, race, socioeconomics and transportation remain intimately linked. Bus riders across the nation are poorer and more likely to be minorities than those traveling by car. Since the recession, more than 70 percent of the nation's transit agencies have cut service or raised fares, according to the American Public Transportation Association, having a disproportionate impact on the poor. And perhaps nowhere can the ties between transportation and racial and economic inequality be seen more clearly than in Baltimore. The city used to boast an extensive streetcar system dating to 1885, but the spread of car culture after World War II led to the systems demise in 1963. "Baltimore was now a bus and car city," writes the journalist Alec MacGillis in an article for Places journal about the city's transportation and racial history. Still, the almost-century-old streetcar system had by then facilitated a decades-long expansion of suburbia, making possible the migration of middle-class whites out of the city. The construction of new highways in the postwar era only further enabled white flight, all the while dividing and displacing black neighborhoods in Baltimores fading and gutted urban core. Pippy Scott, Talbot Johnson and Antoine Baker are among those waiting for a bus in the Station North neighborhood. (Shan Wallace) In 1968, the state drew up a plan for a mass-transit system with three rail lines through downtown Baltimore. But the grand plan never fully materialized. One line, connecting the suburbs to downtown Baltimore, was built in 1983. The second line, running north-south, began service in 1992. A third line the Red Line was supposed to run east-west, connecting West Baltimore to downtown, but it was never built. A few months after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) canceled the Red Line in June 2015, the NAACP filed a federal civil rights complaint alleging that the states canceling of the Red Line was only the latest in the states long historical pattern of deprioritizing the needs of Baltimores primarily African-American population, many of whom are dependent on public transportation. And so, to this day, the people of Baltimore continue to rely on buses for their east-west journeys across the city. But bus service had long been spotty, leaving West Baltimore where Freddie Gray had lived isolated and impoverished. This summers $135 million overhaul of Baltimores bus system aimed to improve its reliability and connectivity. But it immediately drew angry cries of frustration, as some riders complained of delays and new bus routes that meant having to wait on some of the citys most dangerous streets. Wallace spends a lot of time thinking about all of this history. She mulls over how the legacy of slavery lingers on in its 21st-century forms of mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline. She reflects on how one man she met on the bus nonchalantly mentioned that he had done prison time and lifted up his shirt to show his gunshot wounds for her to photograph. Amid all of this, she sees her work as a way to make disparities evident and to reflect reality, one photo at a time. Times have changed, and things just look different, but the systemic repression is ongoing and remains the same, Wallace said. My art just has to complement that, to compare and contrast how now is still the same as so long ago. Waiting for equity As the CityLink Gold bus, which traces an east-west route across the city, made its way down North Avenue toward West Baltimore, Wallace pointed to a CVS Pharmacy behind the Penn-North Metro station. It was the CVS that had been destroyed in the riots that erupted in April 2015 following the death of Gray, who was fatally injured in police custody. I felt the pain of Baltimore, she said, recalling the violence and looting that overtook her home town. The 2015 riots were a wake-up call for Wallace. It opened her eyes to what she describes as routine, systemic acts of violence and brutality that people in Baltimore suffer, she said and the fact that for too long, much of this has been ignored, accepted as the way things are. We normalize a lot of the brutality here, Wallace said. There were a hundred Freddie Grays before Freddie Gray. Her aim is to challenge those normalizations, she said. But the work isnt emotionally easy. Everywhere she looks, she sees the open wounds of trauma. Its a sad city. Theres a lot of sadness here, she said. But within trauma, too, is community. Tragedy is community. For now, Wallaces project of documenting Baltimores buses and bus stops continues. She continues to wait, and she continues to learn. And its not just the bus that she is waiting for. A lot of us are just waiting for equity, she said, as the bus rumbled down the avenue. Weve got to get ours. When are we going to do that? When are our schools going to get better? When are our neighborhoods? Carly Fiorina, former GOP presidential hopeful, says she will not run for the U.S. Senate from Virginia next year. (Cliff Owen/AP) A decision by Carly Fiorina, the former GOP presidential hopeful, not to run for U.S. Senate from Virginia next year leaves Corey Stewart, the bombastic Prince William supervisor, as the sole declared candidate for the GOP nomination. Stewart, who came close to winning the party nomination for governor this year after running on a platform dedicated to protecting Confederate statues, said Fiorina's absence from the Senate race clears the way for him to challenge Sen. Tim Kaine (D). Several political observers agreed. Upon hearing of Fiorinas announcement, Tom Davis, a former Republican congressman from northern Virginia who is known as a moderate, said: That makes Corey the undisputed frontrunner at this point. That wraps it up. I do think hell be tough to beat in a primary or a convention, Davis added. The Republican Party has moved from the country club to the country. John Fredericks, host of a conservative radio show and co-chair of Trumps Virginia campaign after Stewart was dismissed from that role, called Stewart the prohibitive favorite barring a political earthquake. Other potential hopefuls may be hesitant to go through the Corey Stewart buzz saw and take on a somewhat popular incumbent, Fredericks said. The general election, however, may turn on whether Republicans can beat Democrats in statewide elections this year. All five of the statewide offices are currently held by Democrats. If Ed Gillespie can reverse the trend and win the governors race, more Republicans may enter next years race for Senate. Kaine downplayed Fiorinas decision. Republicans may still have a primary - and it would be competitive - so we will let that play out, campaign spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement. Kaine, a popular former governor and Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate in 2016, is seeking a second term in the Senate. A February poll found him with a double-digit lead over potential Republican challengers, but that was before Stewart declared his candidacy. In interviews with other media, Fiorina did not say if Kaines popularity discouraged her from running. Through a spokesman, she declined an interview with the Post. One of the reasons Im not [running] is because I so passionately believe that I can actually make a bigger impact not running for the U.S. Senate, but bigger impact lifting up leaders wherever they are, she told the financial website The Street. Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham took herself out of the running for the Senate race earlier this summer and has said she will help Stewart. Virginia GOP Chairman John Whitbeck lamented Fiorinas decision but said he expects more candidates to emerge before the Senate primary next year. Asked whether he was concerned about Stewart, who has been associated with extremist groups, being the face of the party, he said: It would concern me if anyone was associated with white supremacists, the KKK, white nationalists and called themselves a Republican. We absolutely reject such groups as being in any way associate with us. Theyre not conservatives. Theyre bigots and racists. Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said tension between the state party and Stewart is reason enough for others to join the race. Is running against Corey Stewart a pleasant activity? he said. Of course not. But if people want a pleasant activity electoral politics is probably not a good idea. Besides Stewart, at least two other Republicans former Gov. Jim Gilmore and Del. Jimmie Massie (R-Henrico) have said they are considering running for the party nomination to challenge Kaine. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, left, and G OP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, have a light moment on stage at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, where they debated in July. (Bob Brown/AP) RICHMOND Ever since neo-Nazis and Klansmen descended on Charlottesville for a deadly August rally, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and other Virginia politicians have described them as out-of-state troublemakers who needed to go home and never come back. On Thursday night, the Republican running to succeed McAuliffe said they did not even have a place in political debate. They called themselves the alt-right, former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, a Republican said at an NAACP forum a month after the rally. They are not on any legitimate political spectrum of left to right. If on a scale of one to 10 one is the most liberal, and 10 is most conservative these people are a yellow. Theyre not on the same continuum. [Va. governors race gets a jump on Labor Day, stoked by statues and Trump] Gillespie, who titled his political memoir Winning Right, was not just defending his side of the political divide. Through his remarks, delivered at a university created for freed slaves, just blocks from a boulevard with grand monuments to Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Southern Civil War figures, Gillespie sought to separate himself from President Trump. The presidents response to Charlottesville was criticized for not drawing a moral distinction between the white supremacist protesters and the counterprotesters who opposed them. Gillespie, who needs both Trump supporters and moderate swing voters to carry purple Virginia in November, has tried to separate himself from Trump on issues without directly criticizing the president. Gillespie appeared at the Virginia Union University forum immediately after his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Both took questions for about an hour but were not on stage at the same time. Northam drew warm applause as he recalled what he and McAuliffe (D) said after the violence in Charlottesville, where a man identified as a white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd, killing a young counterprotester. Two state police troopers patrolling the events by air also died in a helicopter crash. We told them in no uncertain terms to, Go back to where you came from and dont come back, Northam said. The crowd applauded again when Northam noted Trump did not initially identify the hate groups by name. I regret that the president of this great country of ours did not call it out for what it was, Northam said. Im proud that Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Mark Herring and I did. Gillespie expressed eagerness to speak about Charlottesville, describing his revulsion at the white supremacists in visceral terms. He said they made him want to throw up. If you believe that one race is superior to another or that one religion is superior to another . . . that is dehumanizing, and that is the presence of evil in our world and we have to reject it, he said. Northam and Gillespie also used the event to reiterate their opposing stances on the states Confederate statues while also hedging a bit. I have said all along that these statues belong in museums, said Northam, a pediatric neurologist and former state senator. [McAuliffe strikes softer tone on monuments, raising GOP hopes that Northam will be out on limb] But Northam, who faces an electorate that favors preserving the monuments 51 percent to 28 percent in a recent poll, said he was even more concerned about other monuments to injustice such as racial inequities in health care, education and the criminal justice system. Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, lobbyist and adviser to President George W. Bush, said he would prefer to keep the statues up in part because of the cost of removal, which has been estimated at $5 million to $10 million for the statues that tower over Richmonds Monument Avenue. Theres a lot more things we could do here in Richmond with $10 million, Gillespie said. Gillespie also stressed that decisions about monuments should be made at the local level and encouraged communities to have the conversation about their fate. That is a softer tone than what he struck in recent campaign emails, in which he vowed to keep them up. [Gillespie hires former Trump field director and sharpens tone on Confederate monuments] The monuments were part of a broader conversation on racial equality at the forum, which was sponsored by the NAACP and several other groups. Northam called for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and expanding pre-K education to address inequities in health care and education. Gillespie said the way to lift people out of poverty was to stimulate the states economy; he has proposed a 10 percent income tax cut but did not mention that at the event. He said public charter schools, which are privately run, would help empower poor parents whose children are in failing traditional schools. Both men agreed on the need for criminal justice reform, including raising the felony threshold to $500 up from the current $200, which is among the lowest in the country. Both also spoke of easing penalties for marijuana. Northam went further, with a plan to decriminalize possession. Gillespie offered a three-strikes approach for possession; the first two arrests would not carry criminal charges, but a third would. Virginians will choose their next governor on Nov. 7. At a vacant Kalorama property on R Street NW that is owned by the government of Argentina, cracked masonry is evident. Its not a city issue; tactful State Department negotiation is the only real option. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) From Alan and Irene Wurtzels master bathroom, they can watch shingles fall off the neighbors roof, pigeons flutter through broken windows and rain pour into the four-story brick behemoth. And then there are the rats. Theres nothing the city can do about the vacant Kalorama property because its owned by the government of Argentina, which doesnt have to pay property taxes, adhere to local building codes or evict vermin. Talk about D.C. problems. Residents like the Wurtzels must rely on the State Department to delicately encourage foreign governments to clean up their properties without instigating retaliation at U.S. embassies abroad. Sometimes it works, other times not so much. At the Sri Lankan Embassy on Wyoming Avenue NW, a note affixed to the building says that the embassy has moved. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), the Districts nonvoting representative in Congress, recently complained to the State Department about a handful of foreign missions in the city with neglected properties. Norton named those owned by Serbia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan located in Kalorama, a tony neighborhood of grand homes perched above Rock Creek Park in the citys Northwest quadrant. [There goes the neighborhood: Ivanka, the Obamas and Bezos move into Kalorama] The offending properties are a public embarrassment to the neighborhoods, to the District of Columbia, to the State Department, and, particularly, to the United States, Norton wrote in an Aug. 28 letter. The State Department can and must do more to protect the residents of the nations capital. Norton asked for a meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson or the appropriate official within 30 days. The State Department declined to say if her request would be granted. The Department takes this matter very seriously and understands the problems and challenges residents face when questions arise about a foreign governments maintenance of their property assets located in the District of Columbia, according to a statement from a department official. Usually, the country has a few options: Fix the building and move back in, or sell. But a foreign coup or bankruptcy could mean that a country doesnt have the political will or cash to act. As long as a property is notified to us as used for diplomatic or consular purposes, the statement said, it enjoys the corresponding level of inviolability. While this may restrict some actions by the District of Columbia, the rules of inviolability also protect reciprocally, United States diplomatic and consular properties abroad. The State Departments Office of Foreign Missions said that it works with state and local authorities when maintenance issues arise, but the department declined to say how or even if it keeps track of problems among the citys 530 diplomatic properties. Left to their own sleuthing, neighbors have identified a half-dozen Kalorama properties that are owned by foreign governments and have fallen into disrepair. With other vacant properties, the city could cut the grass, erect a fence and bill the owner. Not so with foreign missions. The citys Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs is powerless over buildings that are essentially foreign soil despite their District addresses. Its like foreign land, said D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), whose ward includes the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood. The worst of the blighted buildings attract the homeless as well as drug dealers and prostitutes, he said. The Iranian Embassy, at 3005 Massachusetts Ave. NW, has been vacant since the revolution that overthrew the Shah in 1979, Evans noted. Were lucky North Korea doesnt have an embassy someplace in the District, he joked. [Ivanka Trumps security roiling her neighbors in Kalorama] Neighbors hope Tillerson will take special interest in the problem as he is a new resident of the neighborhood. He bought a $5.6 million house on 24th Street NW early this year, shortly after he was confirmed to join President Trumps cabinet. Tillersons home is blocks from the vacant Argentine foreign mission and the other run-down properties owned by Serbia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as one that belongs to Cameroon. Ellen Goldstein, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission member for the southern half of Sheridan-Kalorama, knows what she would say were she to run into Tillerson while walking Hugo, her black and white terrier: Follow me. Besides showing off Kaloramas Mitchell Park and Spanish Steps, she would take him on a walking tour of some of the offending properties. There is no such thing as architectural crimes, said Goldstein, a retired government-relations executive. Its just a shame to see crumbling buildings on your block. Even with what she called quiet diplomacy, problems are inevitable when you have neighbors that dont have to follow the laws that you follow. Aside from Argentinas R Street house with its crumbling brick, broken rain gutter and critters, theres a hulking structure a few doors down that is owned by Pakistan. It sat empty for years as vines grew around hanging wires, the naked flagpole rusted and weeds grew tall in the rear parking lot with its full dumpster. On a recent day, a pile of clothes was wadded up at the entryway next to three glass bottles. Farther down the street, white paint was peeling off a building owned by Serbia and its set of three French doors leading to Juliet balconies. A broken chain guarded the entrance. In 2016, the city issued a notice of violation, which was later dismissed. Serbia plans to begin renovations on the building later this year or early next year and is in contact with the State Department, a representative of the Serbian Embassy said in an email to The Washington Post. Please, have in mind that one of the reasons for current condition of the building is that it was part of the succession talks between successors states of the ex-Yugoslavia and within that period, no one was entitled to perform any activities on the building, the email says. Cameroons building at 24th Street NW is under construction. At another property flagged by Norton as needing repairs, the Sri Lankan Embassy on Wyoming Avenue NW, a note affixed to the building says that the embassy has moved. Last month, Cheh, the council member, complained to the State Department about the former Iraqi ambassadors residence on Woodland Drive, which is still owned by the Kingdom of Iraq according to city property records. What remains now could not be construed as a diplomatic mission in any accurate sense of the word; it is, instead, a blight and a health hazard, Cheh wrote in the Aug. 21 letter. Not long after that, she said, residents noticed a contractor working on the property. Every once in a while, theres a victory, said Christopher K. Chapin, president of the Sheridan-Kalorama Neighborhood Council. Malaysias building at 24th and California streets NW sat derelict for years, but has been completely renovated, he said. A positive outcome could be harder to come by for the Wurtzels, who have been warily eyeing their neighbor since they bought their home more than 20 years ago. Alan Wurtzel, the former chief executive of Circuit City and a trustee emeritus with the Phillips Collection, and Irene Wurtzel, a playwright, invited the Argentine ambassador over for breakfast in 2004 after the property began to resemble a rooming house with visitors coming and going at all hours. They sat in the Wurtzels dining room and chatted about the country. The couple had visited and liked it. Oh, he was so sorry and he was a very accommodating-seeming person, she said. The next thing they knew, the front yard was weeded and the Wurtzels celebrated. That lasted about two months, she said. Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam released an ad calling on viewers to go online to compare his plan for economic growth, including bipartisan tax reform, with Republican rival Ed Gillespie's plan for a tax cut for the wealthy. But there is no detailed tax plan on Northams campaign website, aside from his call to lower grocery taxes for poor people and to create a bipartisan tax panel. Whats more, Northams campaign said in April it would release a set of guiding principles on tax reform within a week. It never did, and a reference to that promise to voters was removed from the campaigns website until a reporter pointed it out. To keep Virginias economy growing, I want to build the best workforce in the nation, pass bipartisan tax reform focusing on the middle class, and invest in growing industries like biotech, cybersecurity and health care, Northam says to the camera in the ad. Eds plan is just another tax cut for the wealthy. Northam then urges viewers to go online to compare for themselves. [At NAACP forum, Northam and Gillespie toe softer line on monuments] Under the taxes tab of the policy section, Northams campaign website lists an April 24 news release announcing he wants to lower grocery taxes for low-income Virginians, without specifying how, and to create a bipartisan tax commission to work out the details of a tax code overhaul. His campaign spokeswoman said the Democrat has repeatedly spoken about how he wants to remake the Virginia tax code to be more fair and simpler. Meanwhile, Gillespie is calling for an across-the-board 10 percent cut in income tax rates contingent on future economic growth and funded in part by unspecified cuts to the state budget. Democrats say it would be costly and disproportionately benefit the rich. Republicans say Northam has been vague when it comes to taxes, while Gillespie has offered specifics. The Northam campaign called this ad Go, but I think it should be called Go where? because there is absolutely no place to go online where you can find any whiff of Ralph Northams tax reform plan, Pete Snyder, Gillespies campaign chairman, said Friday in a conference call with reporters. It doesnt exist. Northam's website does detail other parts of his economic vision, including subsidizing education and training for people who want to enter high-demand fields. While his campaign website deleted the reference to releasing guiding principles for tax reform, Northam has said in public appearances that raising taxes isn't feasible and he wants a tax system that is more "fair" and simple. A spokeswoman for Northam said the removal of the promise of a set of principles for tax changes was restored after a copy error and said Northam made those principles clear in debates and other statements. He has encouraged voters to compare visions, and his includes in-depth proposals for developing the workforce of the 21st century, taking on bipartisan tax reform, and maintaining our balanced budget and AAA bond rating while preserving investments to key priorities like health care and public education, said Ofirah Yheskel, the spokeswoman. Ed simply wants to give fiscally irresponsible tax breaks to the wealthy. Democrats and even some Republicans have questioned Gillespies claim that his plan for a 10 percent tax cut would save the average family of four $1,300 a year. That figure is based on an annual household income of $135,000. Average household income in Virginia is about $90,000. Median income the midpoint that some critics call a more meaningful measure since it is not skewed by extremes in wealth or poverty is about $65,000. Gillespies campaign has said the plan, which calls for phasing in the cut over three years, is based on calculations from the Beacon Hill Institute, a Boston think tank, and projections that average income will top $134,000 by 2021. Northam has dismissed Beacon Hill as a Koch-funded group that promotes skepticism of climate change, in a reference to the conservative billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. the district Ex-IRS official wont be charged in tax-exempt scandal The Trump administration said Friday it wont charge a key IRS figure in the mistreatment of conservative political groups during the 2010 and 2012 elections. In a letter to Congress, the Justice Department said that reopening the criminal investigation would not be appropriate based on the available evidence. Republican leaders on the House Ways and Means Committee had hoped the Justice Department would reopen its case against ex-IRS official Lois Lerner now that Donald Trump is in the White House and Attorney General Jeff Sessions runs the department. They were disappointed in the departments response. This is a terrible decision, said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the Ways and Means Committee chairman. It sends the message that the same legal, ethical and constitutional standards we all live by do not apply to Washington political appointees. Lerner headed the IRS division that processes applications for tax-exempt groups. An inspector generals report in 2013 found that the IRS had singled out conservative and tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status. Many had their applications delayed for months and years. Much of the agencys leadership, including Lerner, resigned or retired over the scandal. Lerner and her attorney William W. Taylor have long maintained she did nothing wrong. The real scandal here is that people who knew better kept saying Ms. Lerner did something wrong. She did not, Taylor, said in an email. Associated Press KANSAS Widow of slain Indian wont face deportation The widow of an Indian national who was fatally shot at a suburban Kansas City bar in an alleged hate crime was facing deportation until a Kansas congressman and others stepped in to help her get a one-year visa. Sunayana Dumala lost her U.S. resident status after the death of her husband, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, in a Feb. 22 shooting at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe. U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder (R) said he was apoplectic when he heard Dumala faced deportation and was worried she could not return to the U.S. after she traveled to India for her husbands funeral, The Kansas City Star reported. The visa allows her to continue working at an area marketing agency. Associated Press OKLAHOMA Tribal slave relatives eligible for citizenship The Cherokee Nation has started processing tribal citizen applications for the descendants of black slaves once owned by tribal members. A federal court in the District ruled last week that descendants of the slaves, known as freedmen, have the right to tribal citizenship. About 3,000 applications had been on hold amid the legal dispute. Freedmen argue that the Treaty of 1866, signed between the U.S. government and the Oklahoma-based Cherokees, gave them and their descendants all the rights of native Cherokees. Last weeks ruling gave freedmen all rights, including the ability to run for office, vote in elections and receive benefits, such as access to tribal health care and housing. The Cherokee Nation is the second largest tribe in the U.S., with more than 317,000 citizens. Associated Press The hearse carrying the body of Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff Robert French passes under a large American flag after the funeral at the Bayside at Adventure Church Sept. 7, 2017, in Roseville, Calif. French was killed in a shoot out with an suspect during an auto theft investigation Aug. 30. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) NEW YORK Pro-assisted suicide arguments rejected New Yorks ban on assisted suicide will stand after the states highest court on Thursday rejected arguments from terminally ill patients who say they should have the right to seek life-ending drugs from a doctor. The Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that state lawmakers had a rational reason for passing a ban on assisted suicide and that the ban does not violate the New York state constitution. The case was brought by three people with terminal illnesses. Two have since died. The plaintiffs had argued the states existing ban on assisting a suicide shouldnt apply to those seeking merciful ends to incurable illnesses. The court disagreed, noting while state law allows terminally ill patients to decline life-sustaining medical assistance, it does not allow anyone to assist in ending patients lives. The decision disappointed groups that have long pushed, unsuccessfully, for legislation that would permit physician-assisted suicide as an option for the terminally ill. Sacramento County Deputies salute the casket of their fallen comrade, Sacramento Deputy Robert French, 52, outside Bayside at Adventure Christian Church on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in Roseville, Calif. About 3,000 law enforcement officers attended the memorial service. (Randy Pench/Associated Press) Associated Press CALIFORNIA Parole recommended for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Mansons murderous followers, was recommended for parole Wednesday by a state panel that concluded she has radically changed her life during the more than 40 years she has been in prison for two brutal murders she helped commit 48 years ago and is no longer a threat to society. The two-member panels ruling must still be approved by the state Parole Board and by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who reversed another panels ruling last year. In blocking her release then, Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19. Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns. Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old, appeared before the panel on crutches, her gray hair pulled back in a bun. Associated Press MICHIGAN 30 years for man who killed a firefighter A mentally ill man who struck and killed a firefighter with his pickup during a charity collection was sentenced Thursday to at least 30 years in prison for second-degree murder. Grant Taylor declined to speak in court two weeks after he pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the death of Lansing firefighter Dennis Rodeman. In 2012, Rodeman was hit in a Lansing street while collecting money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Police say Taylor, 24, was upset with slow traffic, exchanged words with Rodeman and threw an apple core at him before striking him. Taylor has a history of mental illness. The case began in 2015 but was delayed at times while he was examined. Taylors maximum sentence is 40 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years. Associated Press Police officer to be fired for shooting black man: A white officer who fatally shot a black man in the back during a traffic stop will be fired, Philadelphia's Police Commissioner Richard Ross said Thursday. Officer Ryan Pownall has been suspended and will lose his job next month. Ross said the 12-year police veteran used "poor judgment" when he fired on David Jones on June 8. Surveillance video shows Jones running away as he's shot. He was stopped for riding a dirt bike on city streets, and police say he reached for a weapon. Pipe bomb injures postal worker: A postal worker was injured when a pipe bomb exploded at a post office in northwestern Indiana, and the FBI said Thursday it is investigating whether it was an act of terrorism. The explosion occurred at the facility in East Chicago, about 20 miles southeast of Chicago, around 6 p.m. Wednesday. East Chicago Fire Chief Anthony Serna said the postal worker's injuries were not life-threatening. Hawaii tour operator fined for harassing dolphins: A Hawaii tour operator is being fined for repeatedly dropping swimmers in front of dolphins and encircling the animals with his tour boat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this is the first such fine against an operator of spinner dolphin tours. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrative law judge found Casey Phillips Cho's actions in 2014 amounted to harassment of dolphins. She fined Cho and his Big Island company $2,500. From news services Florida officials urged residents in flood-prone coastal communities to get out while they can, ordering evacuations in the face of oncoming Hurricane Irma, which could make landfall Sunday and inflict massive destruction not seen in the state since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Hurricanes have lashed South Florida many times, but officials here at the National Hurricane Center said this is shaping up as a once-in-a-generation storm. Forecasters adjusted their advisory late Thursday, projecting Irma to hit the tip of the peninsula, slamming the population centers of South Florida before grinding northward. Hurricane warnings were issued Thursday night for South Florida, with the hurricane center warning that severe hurricane conditions are expected over portions of the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys beginning late Saturday. This storm has the potential to catastrophically devastate our state, Gov. Rick Scott (R) said in a late-day news briefing. Earlier, he implored people to evacuate. If you live in any evacuation zones and youre still at home, leave. [Category 5 Irma stays on perilous path toward Florida] The states highways were jammed, gas was scarce, airports were packed and mandatory evacuations began to roll out as the first official hurricane watches were issued for the region. Irma, which has been ravaging the Caribbean islands as it sweeps across the Atlantic, is expected to hit the Florida peninsula with massive storm surges and crippling winds that could affect nearly every metropolitan area in South Florida. The hurricane center said Thursday afternoon that should Irmas eye move through the center of the state, extreme winds and heavy rains could strafe an area that has millions of residents, from Miami in the east to Naples on the Gulf Coast. Because the eastern side of the storm is the most powerful, numerous cities along the east coast could face extreme conditions. Miami-Dade County ordered some mandatory evacuations, including for Key Biscayne and Miami Beach, as well as for areas in the southern half of the county that are not protected by barrier islands. EVACUATE Miami Beach! Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine tweeted, later noting in a news release that once winds top 40 mph, first responders will no longer be dispatched on rescue missions here. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said evacuations in coastal areas were slated for Thursday. Lee County, on the Gulf Coast, announced Thursday afternoon that all the barrier islands Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, Bonita Beach and Fort Myers Beach will be under mandatory evacuation orders Friday. Scott on Thursday night ordered that all state offices, public schools, state colleges and state universities be shut down from Friday through Monday to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging. Scott has declared a statewide emergency and warned that in addition to potentially forcing large-scale evacuations, Irma could batter areas that last year were flooded by Hurricane Matthew. States of emergency also were declared in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. On Thursday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) expanded his declaration from six coastal counties to 30 total counties, issuing a mandatory evacuation for some areas. [Live updates: Hurricane Irma] Residents in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., began to barricade their homes and flee the coast Thursday. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) warned South Carolinians that a mandatory evacuation of the states coastline will probably come Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Such an evacuation would come with a reversal of all eastbound lanes of four major roadways, including Interstate 26, which would be converted for a westbound escape from Charleston to Columbia. Irma on Thursday remained a Category 5 storm, with 175 mph sustained maximum winds, and it is a big storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 60 miles from its center. If the eye does not make landfall, many of the people who havent evacuated from South Florida could find themselves in hurricane conditions anyway, forecasters say. Residents are closely watching the spaghetti the dozens of computer models showing possible storm tracks, which vary widely. Computer models say that by Sunday, Irma will make a hard right turn, heading due north into Florida. The timing of that turn will make all the difference. If sooner, the storms center could stay offshore, between Miami and the Bahamas. If later, it could blow through the Florida Keys and come up the southwest side of Florida. Or it could find a middle path straight up through the Everglades and the central spine of the peninsula. The wild card here is the turn. Anytime a hurricane makes a turn, it introduces uncertainty, Mark DeMaria, acting deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, told The Washington Post in the centers headquarters in west Miami-Dade County. DeMaria noted that the computer models have fluctuated modestly, with adjustments in the consensus track of 50 miles or so every day. But 50 miles onshore versus right of the coast makes a huge difference in impact, he said. The combination of Floridas geography, the pattern of urban settlement in narrow bands along the coasts and the projected northerly path of the hurricane presents a particularly ominous picture. This is a large storm coming from the south, said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the hurricane center. Thats the worst-case scenario, because it takes in the entire Gold Coast population, and you have the greatest impact from storm surge from that direction. Irmas sustained winds were the strongest recorded for an Atlantic hurricane making landfall, tied with the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane. Look at the size of this storm, Scott said. Its powerful and deadly. Many Floridians were heeding warnings to escape but found themselves sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic in an effort to reach points north. A little after 10 a.m. at the National Hotel on Miami Beach, a manager announced in four languages English, Spanish, Portuguese and French that guests needed to evacuate because of a city order. At the front desk, guests were given a sheet listing the locations of emergency shelters, none of which were likely to be as nice as the beachfront Art Deco hotel, which was restored a few years ago. This morning as I walked to work, I could see the things that could become projectiles, said Natalya Garus, 35, lead concierge at the National. Street signs. Coconuts. All the trash cans. Smoking stations. All the decorations. As she spoke, workers used a ladder to dismantle a decorative light fixture hanging over the hotel entrance. Ruben Vandebosch, 28, and Wim Marten, 26, both of Belgium, and Jim Van Es, 24, of the Netherlands, said their plan is to drive to Atlanta. Atlanta has a nice ring to it, Vandebosch said. It sounds cool. Among those evacuating: Forty dogs from the Miami-Dade County animal shelter. Theyre being flown to New York on a private plane owned by a dog lover named Georgina Bloomberg, according to Lauree Simmons, president and founder of the Big Dog Rescue shelter in Loxahatchee, Fla. Big Dog staff went to Houston after Hurricane Harvey, rescuing 60 dogs from the floodwaters. Those dogs are awaiting adoption at the no-kill shelter. Simmonss 33-acre rescue center has 457 dogs and puppies living in air-conditioned bunkhouses. Staff members were working frenetically Thursday packing up the contents of offices trailers. The dog bunkhouses, meanwhile, are fitted with hurricane impact glass built to withstand 200-mile-an-hour winds, Simmons said. The dogs will be very comfortable, she said. Well stay here with them through the storm and just keep hoping for the best. Lauren Jackowiec, adoptions manager for the Jacksonville, Fla., Humane Society, loads crates of cats into the Humane Society's van for an evacuation trip to Sarasota, Fla., on Thursday. (Bob Self/Florida Times Union via AP) Popular shopping and dining areas of Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, were nearly completely empty, the businesses buttoned up with metal curtains and new plywood protecting their front windows. At the Coral Ridge Yacht Club on the Intracoastal Waterway, General Manager Jay Wallace and Greg Bennett, the clubs president, were walking up and down its docks making sure all the vessels, including some 90- and 100-footers valued at $2 million or more, were securely tied down. The club decided Tuesday to cease regular operations meetings, lunch, dinner and a popular Wednesday happy hour so that many employees would have time to evacuate. Just making sure everything is okay, Wallace said. Were hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. You have to. Less than a mile away, Fort Lauderdales mostly spotless sandy beaches were virtually deserted, despite the green flags attached to all its lifeguard stands indicating low hazard for anyone wanting to take a dip in the ocean. The water was dead calm, not a wave in sight, and the shimmering sand was desolate on a postcard 90-degree day. In Orlando, four Stetson University students prepared to fly out of town on cheap tickets bought Monday, before prices skyrocketed and seats vanished. One of the students, Draven Shean, is a freshman who has been at school for three weeks and is heading home to Houston, where his family had evacuated in advance of Hurricane Harvey. I keep making this joke that God keeps sending hurricanes after me, said Shean, who was wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt with black block letters that said EVAC. He picked it up two days ago at a thrift store. I thought it was appropriate. Others were preparing to ride out the storm. Some were fully prepared, others seemed to have only a vague plan, or none at all. Shelves that once held bottled water are empty as the city prepares for approaching Hurricane Irma. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) At a Costco in Naples, in southwest Florida, almost every morning shopper left the store with a flat or two of bottled water. At Costcos gas station, vehicles jammed the six lanes for fuel. Several customers said the 24 cars waiting at 11 a.m. were nothing compared with the lines during the past two days. Some customers were on their third or fourth gas station seeking to fill up. As soon as they said you should consider evacuating, things got way worse, said Michelle Anderson, who was waiting for gas in her Volvo. Im from Southern California, where earthquakes get you at random, so the fact that you have the ability to prepare for this is pretty awesome. Vicki Sargent, a Florida resident since 2003, lives in an RV park in Venice and had driven miles in search of gas Thursday. She said she has to ride out the storm because she takes care of about 70 units owned by people gone for the summer. She wont stay in her own trailer, though. Only a fool would do that, she said, saying shell stay with a friend. Im more worried about flooding than the hurricane. We have had rain and were about at saturation point. Tatiana Wood, 33, a waitress at a restaurant in Miami Beachs Lincoln Road Mall, said she has a friend of a friend who lives in Oklahoma, but she was unclear of the distance or whether she would try to get there. If you try to escape, you may lose money, Wood said. If you stay, you might lose your life. The National Hurricane Center's acting director, Ed Rappaport, is seen during a televised interview at the National Weather Service's facility in Miami, where they track and predict Hurricane Irma's advance. (Andrew Innerarity/For The Washington Post) Read more: The latest forecast from Capital Weather Gang Its not a Category 6: Debunking viral myths about Irma Dispatch from Key West: Preparing for Irmas wrath Sullivan reported from Naples, Fla., and Berman reported from Washington. Kimberly Kindy in Orlando, Lori Rozsa in Palm Beach County, Dustin Waters in Charleston, S.C., and Leonard Shapiro and Perry Stein in Fort Lauderdale contributed to this report. ITALY 2 U.S. students accuse police officers of rape Florence prosecutors were investigating allegations Friday by two U.S. students that they were raped by members of the paramilitary Carabinieri who escorted them home in a patrol car from a nightclub, accusations the U.S. State Department said it was taking very seriously. Italian authorities said the students, both 21, were questioned by prosecutors for several hours Thursday about their allegations. The women accused the officers of raping them early Thursday in their apartment building. Italy has two main police forces the Carabinieri, which are under the Defense Ministry, and the state police, which report to the Interior Ministry. Italys defense minister said the two officers will be immediately suspended if rape charges are lodged against them. News reports described witnesses as confirming that they saw the women enter the patrol car. Associated Press GREECE Angry ofcers kick off anti-austerity protests Hundreds of Greek police officers, backed by colleagues from other uniformed services, are staging a protest in the countrys second-largest city against austerity measures in the bailout-hit country. The officers, carrying black helium-filled balloons, marched through the center of Thessaloniki on Friday. The march launched two days of protests against state spending cuts that have been imposed for the past seven years to meet the demands of international creditors. The cuts have caused a steep rise in poverty levels in Greece. Many of the officers at the rally will be on duty over the weekend when other demonstrations are planned by Greek unions and left-wing protest groups. The rallies were timed to coincide with a visit to the city by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is inaugurating an annual international trade fair. Associated Press BRAZIL Temer ally arrested after discovery of cash Authorities detained a former Brazilian cabinet minister Friday, three days after police found the equivalent of more than $16 million in cash allegedly belonging to him. Police say the money was found in suitcases and cardboard boxes in an apartment used by Geddel Vieira Lima, a close ally of President Michel Temer and former legislative affairs minister. The owner of the apartment said he had lent it to Lima to store objects belonging to his late father, according to police. Lima had been sent to jail July 3 on suspicion of obstruction of justice. His arrest was part of a corruption investigation into a government-controlled bank. Nine days later, he was placed under house arrest, which was revoked Friday. Associated Press Minsk protesters denounce military exercises with Russia: About 200 people held an unauthorized demonstration in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to protest their nation's joint military exercises with Russia this month. Although police in the authoritarian former Soviet republic often harshly break up unsanctioned demonstrations, there were no arrests. The exercises beginning Thursday have raised concerns among Belarus's opposition that Russia could use them to establish a permanent military presence. Canada grants asylum to gay, bisexual Chechens: More than two dozen gay and bisexual Chechen men and women have been granted asylum in Canada after being rescued from persecution in Russia through a network of safe houses, the group that coordinated the operation said. Of the 31 men and women granted refuge, 22 have arrived in Canada after a clandestine operation that appears to have angered Russian authorities, the group said. Canadian advocacy group Rainbow Railroad said the Chechens, fleeing a crackdown against them in the Russian republic of Chechnya, had initially been sheltered in Russian safe houses. Pope urges forgiveness in Colombia: Pope Francis visited an area once besieged by leftist rebels to pray with victims of Colombia's long conflict, urging them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. At an open-air Mass in the central city of Villavicencio, he praised those who had resisted "the understandable temptation for vengeance" and instead sought out peace. He said their choice in no way legitimized the injustices they suffered but rather showed a willingness to build a peaceful future. "Every effort at peace without sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail," he warned. From news services Those who think Loudoun County may be a place to launch a divisive political agenda should look elsewhere. Loudoun is not Charlottesville, and there is no place in Loudoun for the activities that occurred recently in that city. The debate has landed on our doorstep nonetheless, centered on the Confederate soldier statue on the grounds of Leesburg's courthouse "in memory of the Confederate soldiers of Loudoun County, Va." We cannot forget that many men, Confederate and Union, lost their lives in our county; Loudoun is truly hallowed ground. Nor can we forget Loudoun's enslaved population: In 1860, 5,501 slaves lived in Loudoun County 25 percent of Loudoun's population of 21,744. The call to remove the statue is the wrong approach. The Confederate soldier statue should stay where it is, but it should not stand alone on the courthouse grounds. Loudoun County was a microcosm of our nation during the Civil War. It was a dynamic, ever-changing landscape. Confederate and Union troops heavily traversed Loudoun, situated across the Potomac from Maryland. Brother literally fought against brother in Loudoun. Deep scars were left in families and in communities as a result of a war fought and won to restore the Union and abolish slavery. Loudoun's unique history comes alive to anyone who takes the time to discover it. "A Guide to Loudoun and the Civil War," published in 2011 upon the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, gives us deep insight into how multifaceted the Civil War was here in Loudoun. Our residents were Union, Confederate, black, white, enslaved, free, male, female, civilian and military. Waterford and Lovettsville held strong Union sentiments opposing secession, but Loudoun voted 1,626 to 726 to secede. The Loudoun Rangers, a partisan cavalry unit raised by Capt. Samuel Means, was the only unit formed in present-day Virginia to serve in the Union Army. Loudoun County's Civil War history is complex but worth understanding. Instead of taking down statues from public areas, there are other ways to steer the discussion about the country's history. Talbot County, Md., the birthplace of civil rights leader Frederick Douglass, is one example of a community that got it right. Its courthouse has a memorial to the local men who fought for the Confederacy. Six years ago, the county added a statue of Douglass on the same courthouse grounds. I think it shows how this community has changed from a time when black people werent allowed to even be on the courthouse lawn, and now we have a monument to a black man who was one of the most prominent figures of the 19th century, said Eric Lowery, president of the Frederick Douglass Honor Society. Its truly a community project. In 2015, Loudoun's Board of Supervisors voted to give $50,000 to support a slave memorial on the courthouse grounds. This is an important part of Loudoun's history that should memorialized. We should take this opportunity to educate our community about Loudoun's entire history. It is only proper that the Confederate statue be joined by a memorial to Loudoun's slaves and a memorial to its Union soldiers. In 2015, we were talking about telling Loudoun's whole story. This is still the correct approach. We are always better off when we learn from each other. Lets not tear down one another or existing memorials. Instead, lets build our understanding of our history. Loudouns unique history is our strength, not our weakness. We cant learn from history if we hide it. The writer, a Republican, represents the Catoctin District on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. FOR THE second time this year, evidence has surfaced of a serious potential threat to electrical and industrial systems from cyberattack. In June, a computer worm spread across the globe that caused systems that were managing oil companies, airline flights and more to lock up, and there was a report that hackers were penetrating a company operating nuclear power plants. Now, a security firm, Symantec, has discovered a wave of malware called Dragonfly in Europe and the United States that could put bad actors in position to switch off the lights. The firm said that malware by that name had been around since 2011 but was dormant for a while before reemerging Symantec calls it Dragonfly 2.0 with a distinct increase in activity this year. The attackers are using familiar tools, such as spearphishing emails with attachments reeking with dangerous code, including an attachment resembling a benign invitation to a New Years Eve party. Once opened, however, the attachments would leak the victims network credentials to a server outside the company. The attackers also used other measures: watering holes, fake websites designed to attract visitors with common interests; Trojans, which look like legitimate software but contain malicious code; and fake warnings to update Adobe Flash Player, which, when activated, would instead install malware. This gave the attackers access to networks to gather intelligence, plot more destructive actions and steal additional credentials. The ability of a computer worm to trigger physical destruction is not fantasy, amply demonstrated by the Stuxnet malware used by the United States and Israel to interfere with centrifuge machines that were part of Iran's nuclear weapons program. According to Symantec, the bad actors behind Dragonfly 2.0 have entered electric utility networks in Turkey, Switzerland and the United States numerous times and they "may be entering into a new phase," exploring how they can throw the switches on operational systems. What Symantec found "most concerning" was that the intruders were taking screenshots of the layout of the operational systems a road map for a possible return. The company said the architects of the Dragonfly campaign are an "accomplished attack group" and highly experienced but did not otherwise identify them . However, it is known that Ukraine has suffered power blackouts caused by cyberattacks that it blames on Russia. Could Russia also be probing the U.S. electrical grid? Or another nation? Wired magazine quoted Eric Chien of Symantec as saying of the latest discovery, "There's a difference between being a step away from conducting sabotage and actually being in a position to conduct sabotage. . . . We're now talking about on-the-ground technical evidence this could happen in the U.S., and there's nothing left standing in the way except the motivation of some actor out in the world." Electric and industrial operators in the United States have been building defenses against cyberattacks for some time. But the latest disclosure should serve as yet another alarm that cyberattacks and intrusions are not just about stealing data or emails. They can lead to real-world damage. Columnist Its that season again. An ominous swirl forms in the Atlantic, citizens batten down or evacuate, TV weather reporters put on rain slickers and, as predictably as National Weather Service bulletins, some End-Times pastors and other provocateurs on the right attribute the storm to a wrathful Gods vengeance on liberals. The storm surge has already washed up Jim Bakker, whose televangelism never quite recovered from his sex scandal and prison sentence for fraud. After Hurricane Harvey, he declared that "this flood is from God," punishment for the former mayor of Houston attempting to subpoena ministers' sermons. Bakker said this while promoting his Tasty Pantry, a bucket of dehydrated food to help survive the apocalypse, and while sharing his set with Pastor Rick Joyner, who agreed storms dont happen by accident. Likewise, Pastor Kevin Swanson has said the path of Hurricane Irma would be altered by God if the Supreme Court quickly made abortion and gay marriage illegal, "before Irma does her damage," as Right Wing Watch noted. Radio preacher Rick Wiles, likewise, said Houston is underwater because it "boasted of its LGBT devotion." And Ann Coulter bless her suggested it might have something to do with the city's former mayor being a lesbian. "I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor," she tweeted. "But that is more credible than 'climate change.' " Where there is mischief, there is Rush Limbaugh, declaring that Irma is not an act of God but a case of liberal media hype to make people believe that climate change is real. "There is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it," he argued, claiming that "hurricanes are always forecast to hit major population centers." (That puts Limbaugh in company with Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist popular with President Trump, who wanted to know why the government didn't use "technologies" to kill the storm before it made landfall.) But the particulars of Irma and Harvey make it more difficult to assert that they are the work of a wrathful God. The country is now run by a Republican president who enjoys the support of many conservative evangelical Christian leaders. Texas and Florida, the two states most affected by the storms, both voted Republican last year. The governor and lieutenant governor of Texas have championed social-conservative causes. God swamped Republican areas around Houston just as He swamped the city. And Houston voters aren't exactly liberal: In 2015 they defeated an anti-discrimination ordinance that would have protected gay people. This could explain why some of the most prominent members of the wrathful-God school have been reluctant to see divine judgment at work in Irma and Harvey. Pat Robertson, who saw God's hand in the Haiti and San Fernando Valley earthquakes, has also said U.S. political pressure on Israel causes natural disasters in the United States, and he warned that gay tourists at Disney World could cause a meteor strike. But he has been quiet about Harvey and Irma. Focus on the Family's James Dobson, who blamed the Sandy Hook school shooting on tolerance of gay marriage and abortion, has made no similar claims this time. The Religion News Service noted that "where conservative Christian leaders have sometimes apportioned blame for natural disasters, some are now publicly cautioning against it." Michael Brown, a member of Trump's evangelical advisory board, cautioned that "we must be very careful before we make divine pronouncements about hurricanes and other natural disasters," and he said Houston was "one of the few cities that has stood bravely against the rising tide of LGBT activism. Why would God single out Houston for judgment?" Unless heaven forbid God supports the rising tide of LGBT activism? Its specious and irresponsible, of course, to claim that God is directing weather patterns to make political statements. But lets do it anyway. Using the theological reasoning of Bakker, Robertson, et alia, it seems reasonable to conclude that hurricanes Harvey and Irma are Gods punishment for: President Trump. The GOP Congress. Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for "dreamers" (further evidence: Hurricane Jose). Pardoning Joe Arpaio. Firing James B. Comey. Jeff Sessions threatening to prosecute reporters. Anthony Scaramucci. Sebastian Gorka. Joel Osteen. Trump's speech in Phoenix. Staff cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency. Betsy Devos's Title IX policy. Ryan Zinkes national-monument policy. Deregulation. Trumps proposed tax cuts. Texas calling a special session of the legislature to take up an anti-transgender bill. Facebook accepting political ads from Russia. Or we could skip all that and just accept that it's God's punishment for climate change. That, and the lesbian former mayor of Houston. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbank's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Regarding the Sept. 4 news article "Trump expected to phase out DACA program": Walking for hours, the hot summer sun on my face and the dryness in my throat, being put on someones shoulders because I was too tired to walk anymore. Thats all I can remember from when I was 5 years old as my mother and I walked our way to the United States from El Salvador to be with my father. President Trump has ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. When I was 15, I signed up for DACA, which has granted relief from deportation to about 800,000 undocumented immigrants "brought to the United States as children." Once granted a work permit in 2014, I began working. I graduated from high school in June and am attending community college. It is appalling that many DACA recipients will be without a home, separated from their loved ones and returned to a country they may hardly know. Their degrees will have no value because they are not legally able to be in the United States. We were not born here. We were raised here. And the only way we know is the American way. Helen L. Montes, Centreville President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, subject to congressional codification of the program in six months, is the height of absurdity. The president could have announced that he was calling on Congress to put the program into law by year's end. He could have said that it is the moral, decent thing to do and clearly in U.S. interests. He could have said that if Congress did not act, he would continue the program by executive order, with any changes to address legal questions. Instead, he punted to Congress and willfully put fear and stress into the lives of 690,000 young people. George Taft, Alexandria First lady Melania Trump walks on high heels to board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Aug. 29 en route to Texas to view the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. (Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) What was the purpose of the Aug. 30 Style article "In this case, fashion sense eclipsed common sense," about first lady Melania Trump? With all that has occurred in Texas, I'm glad to see The Post and fashion critic Robin Givhan take time to try to enrage the reader with the fashion of a person who was not elected. James Ross, Hagerstown Fifty-four years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream about living in a nation where we will be judged by the content of our character. That is why I found the timing of Robin Givhan's criticism of the first lady's choice of footwear to be most petty and shallow. I do not wear stilettos but Melania Trump regularly does. Plenty of women do. It was not out of the norm or a costume change for her to don stylish heels as she was leaving the White House en route to Texas, and to then wear sneakers in Texas. How are we really embracing Kings dream when we demean one another? We arent. I believe the dream begins within our own hearts so we ultimately can see the divine in others. Kellee M. Franklin, Fairfax Station Regarding Robin Givhan's seemingly apodictic assertion that high heels aren't comfortable, I submit that this year, at the age of 55 and with my 7-year-old close beside me in flight, I ran four New York City blocks in 3-inch heels to make the "Lion King" curtain. Givhan should try it. It wasnt that bad, nor did my heels reveal hidden disdain for The Lion King. Sheila Byrd Carmichael, Staunton THE FISCAL impact of Gov. Larry Hogan's mandate to open Maryland public schools after Labor Day won't be known until the end of September, when sales-tax receipts are tallied. Even if as the Republican governor hoped there was a boon to Ocean City and other tourist areas in Maryland, the question that must be addressed is "At what cost?" Extending the summer caused child-care headaches for many parents, disrupted the operations of local school districts and may well have exacerbated the summer learning loss that is particularly pernicious for low-income students. Maryland should let local officials open schools based on what best serves the needs of their students rather than the dictates of select businesses. This week's start of classes for most schools in Maryland was the latest in the calendar in more than two decades, the result of a controversial executive order signed last year by Mr. Hogan. Citing benefits to the state's economy, Mr. Hogan mandated that school districts, unless granted a waiver by the state board of education, could not open until after Labor Day and must complete the state-required 180 days of instruction by June 15. The move, which runs counter to a national push for earlier school starts and additional learning time, forced local districts to compress the school calendar, including cutting back on spring break, reducing the number of built-in snow dates and quashing days set aside for teacher planning and training. Some parents clearly welcomed the extension as a chance for more time and travel with their children. But for many who had to juggle jobs with limited child-care options, it was a hardship. Particularly worrisome were the consequences for children in less-advantaged communities where summer is far from an idyllic retreat. "By starting school on September 6th, I assure you that some of our students are sitting idle for an extra two weeks instead of learning, and some will go to sleep hungry," said Kevin Maxwell, the chief executive officer of Prince George's County schools. The district, like Montgomery County, was denied its request for an earlier opening. Because the governor brought about this change by fiat without real input from those affected little thought was given to the problems that could result from a condensed calendar with arbitrary deadlines. The Democrat-controlled legislature needs to do more than grumble about the governors unilateral move; it should return the authority to make this critical decision to local school officials. Columnist Seeing the devastating effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and of wildfires out West, one cannot help but think about the crucial role that government plays in our lives. But while we accept, even celebrate, the role of government in the wake of such disasters, we are largely blind to the need for government to mitigate these kinds of crises in the first place. Ever since President Ronald Reagan, much of the United States has embraced an ideological framework claiming that government is the source of our problems. Reagan famously quipped, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Reagan argued for a retreat from the vision of an activist state and advocated instead a strictly limited role for government, one dedicated to core functions such as national defense. Outside of these realms, he believed, government should simply encourage the private sector and market forces. Reagans worldview grew out of the 1970s a period marked by fiscal mismanagement, government overreach and slowing growth. It might have been the right attitude for its time. But it has stayed in place for decades as a rigid ideology, even though we have entered a new age in which America has faced a very different set of challenges, often desperately requiring an activist government. This has been a bipartisan abdication of responsibility. For decades now, we have watched as stagnant wage growth for 90 percent of Americans has been coupled with supercharged growth for the richest few, leading to widening inequality on a scale not seen since the Gilded Age. It has been assumed that the federal government could do nothing about this expanding gap, despite much evidence to the contrary. We have watched China enter the global trade system and take advantage of its access to Western markets and capital, while still maintaining a massively controlled internal economy and pursuing predatory trade practices. And we have assumed that the U.S. government cant do anything about it, because any action would be protectionist. We watched as financial institutions took on more and more risk, with other peoples money, effectively gambling in a heads-I-win, tails-you-lose system. Any talk of regulation was seen as socialist. Even after the system blew up, causing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the calls soon came to deregulate the financial sector once again because, after all, government regulation is obviously bad. In this same period, technology companies have grown in size and scale, often using first-mover advantage to establish quasi-monopolies and quash competition. The digital economy was supposed to empower the individual entrepreneur, but it has instead become one in which four or five companies utterly dominate the global landscape. A new technology company today aspires simply to be bought by Google or Facebook. And we assume that the federal government should have had no role in shaping this vast new economy. That would be activist and bad. Better for government to simply observe the process, like a passive spectator watching a new Netflix drama. And then there is climate. These hurricanes have not been caused by global warming, but their frequency and intensity have likely been magnified by climate change. Particularly calamitous hurricanes have their names retired, and in the last 20 years there have been about as many names retired as in the preceding 40 years. California has had more than 6,400 wildfires this year. The 17 hottest years on record have all taken place in the past two decades. And yet, we have been wary of too much government activism. This is true not just in tackling climate change but in other areas that have contributed to the storms' destructive power. Houston chose not to have any kind of zoning that limited development, even in flood-prone areas, paving over thousands of acres of wetlands that used to absorb rainwater and curb flooding. The chemical industry has been able to persuade Washington to exercise a light regulatory touch, so there is limited protection against fires and contamination, something that was made abundantly clear in the past couple of weeks. And now, of course, low-tax and low-regulation Texas has come to the federal government, hat in hand, asking for more than $150 billion to rebuild its devastated state. We are living in an age of revolutions, natural and human, that are buffeting individuals and communities. We need government to be more than a passive observer of these trends and forces. It needs to actively shape and manage them. Otherwise, the ordinary individual will be powerless. I imagine that this week, most people in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico would be delighted to hear the words Im from the government, and Im here to help. Read more from Fareed Zakaria's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. I was disappointed and disheartened on so many levels after reading the Sept. 6 The Energy 202 column, "EPA, in blasting a news story, takes a page from Trump's media playbook" [PowerPost]. The column described what happened after the Associated Press published an article saying Environmental Protection Agency officials had not arrived on the scene of Houston-area Superfund sites while they were still flooded. The EPA press office responded with a personal attack on the AP reporter. I was a manager in the EPA office that is responsible for the Superfund program and a 30-year federal employee serving under Republican and Democratic administrations. I have never seen the likes of this administration, particularly the way EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will do and say anything to weaken the agencys credibility. The Superfund program that I know would have identified at-risk sites in advance and established a monitoring protocol with responsible entities, often contractors, on call. Real-time information would come to EPAs emergency operations center, with reports made up the EPA chain and to the press office. That the press office seemed incapable of providing helpful information shows how deep the cancer of Mr. Pruitts disdain has spread even the people responsible for working with the media now turn against it and ignore the good story of the agencys preparation and response. This news is heartbreaking for former agency staff. Phyllis Anderson, Chevy Chase Columnist The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. T.S. Eliot We have every reason to assume the worst when it comes to President Trumps motivation in rescinding DACA the program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work openly if they came to the United States as children. Trumps public justification is that President Barack Obamas creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by executive action was unconstitutional. A usurpation of Congress. A process violation. Yet Trump didn't give a fig for constitutional niceties in his initial order to keep people from certain Muslim-majority countries out of the United States. Now, to potentially send Hispanics out of the country, he has discovered an appreciation for process and precedent. There is a theme here, and it is not respect for the rule of law. Trump does not deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to issues of race and ethnicity. Recently, and with increasing frequency, he has displayed malevolent prejudice for political reasons. His action on DACA is another installment in this disturbing series. But, apart from Trump's motivations, was his action on DACA the right deed? Not, certainly, by the measure of its outcome. Trump has removed reasonable protections from a sympathetic group. It would be a grave injustice to send the "dreamers" "home" to countries that many have hardly visited. A democracy, however, considers more than outcomes, or else the American system of government would be the Chinese system of government. And the constitutional case concerning DACA is not obvious. The legal matter at issue: Does the executive branch have enough discretion and authority to interpret immigration laws in the manner set out by Obama essentially as a new pseudo-program that grants benefits to a group that Congress did not mark out for benefits? The courts have granted broad discretion to immigration officials in determining whom to deport and whom not to deport. The fact that the law is not applied equally in every case does not invalidate the just application of the law in any case. But the further question is: Can that discretion be applied to an entire class of undocumented people who are then granted a package of benefits (including work permits, advance parole to travel in and out of the country and, eventually, Social Security and Medicare)? For most of his presidency, Obama maintained that creating such a program by executive action would be overreach. In 2012, out of frustration with congressional inaction, he changed course and created DACA. At the time, Obama frankly admitted that this was a substitute for legislation a measure taken in "the absence of any immigration action from Congress." There is little question that the president can prioritize immigration enforcement in a variety of ways say, to focus on deporting convicted felons rather than dreamers. This is the manner in which the law was generally enforced before DACA, and in which it could still be enforced without DACA. At some point, however, the systematic organization of this discretion into a new legal status, bringing a series of public benefits, becomes the equivalent of legislating. And the courts might focus particular scrutiny on forms of executive action that Congress could have legislated but didnt. Given the more conservative composition of the Supreme Court, it is likely that DACA would have been struck down. Whatever the merits of the constitutional case on DACA, the dreamers should now be protected by law. For the past few decades, Congress has pliantly surrendered a number of roles particularly on social policy and national security to the courts and the president. A shortage of institutional ambition is a problem that Americas founders did not even contemplate. This is an opportunity for Congress to reclaim its proper constitutional role. This is also a debate given that few Republicans actually want to deport the dreamers, and most Democrats seem to prioritize their welfare on which compromise is particularly ripe. The obvious deal: stronger border enforcement (though not the surpassingly silly wall) for a new version of DACA. If Republicans cant accept such a deal, they have no heart and a severely limited political future in an increasingly diverse country. If Democrats cant accept such a deal, their rhetoric on the dreamers is empty. On this issue, compromise is now the evidence of compassion. Read more from Michael Gerson's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook . Columnist Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has often been the silent man in the Trump foreign policy team. But out of the spotlight, he appears to be crafting a broad strategy aimed at working with China to resolve the North Korea crisis and with Russia to stabilize Syria and Ukraine. The Tillerson approach focuses on personal diplomacy, in direct contacts with Chinese and Russian leaders, and through private channels to North Korea. His core strategic assumption is that if the United States can subtly manage its relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and allow those leaders to take credit for successes complex regional problems can be solved effectively. Tillerson appears unfazed by criticism that he has been a poor communicator and by recent talk of discord with President Trump. His attitude isnt exactly take this job and shove it, but as a former ExxonMobil chief executive, he doesnt need to make money or Washington friends and he clearly thinks he has more urgent obligations than dealing with the press. Tillerson appears to have preserved a working relationship with Trump despite pointedly separating himself from the president's controversial comments after the Charlottesville unrest. Although Trump didn't initially like Tillerson's statement, it's said he was ultimately comfortable with it. The North Korea crisis is the best example of Tillersons diplomacy. For all the bombast of Trumps tweets, the core of U.S. policy has been an effort to work jointly with China to reverse the North Korean nuclear buildup through negotiations. Tillerson has signaled that the United States is ready for direct talks with Kim Jong Uns regime perhaps soon, if Kim shows restraint. Tillerson wants China standing behind Kim at the negotiating table, with its hands figuratively at Kims throat. Despite Pyongyang's hyper-belligerent rhetoric, its representatives have conveyed interest in negotiations, querying details of U.S. positions. But Kim's actions have been erratic and confusing: When it appeared that the North Koreans wanted credit for not launching missiles toward Guam, Tillerson offered such a public statement. Bizarrely, North Korea followed with three more weapons tests, in a reckless rebuff. Some analysts see North Koreas race to test missiles and bombs as an effort to prepare the strongest possible bargaining position before negotiations. Tillerson seems to be betting that China can force such talks by imposing an oil embargo against Pyongyang. U.S. officials hope Xi will make this move unilaterally, demonstrating strong leadership publicly, rather than waiting for the United States to insert the embargo proposal in a new U.N. Security Council resolution. Tillerson signaled his seriousness about Korea talks during a March visit to the Demilitarized Zone. He pointed to a table at a U.N. office there and remarked, Maybe well use this again, if negotiations begin. The Sino-American strategic dialogue about North Korea has been far more extensive than either country acknowledges. Theyve discussed joint efforts to stabilize the Korean Peninsula, including Chinese actions to secure nuclear weapons if the regime collapses. The big idea driving Tillersons China policy is that the fundamentals of the relationship have changed as China has grown more powerful and assertive. The message to Beijing is that Xis actions in defusing the North Korea crisis will shape U.S.-China relations for the next half-century. Tillerson continues to work the Russia file, even amid new Russia sanctions. He has known Putin since 1999 and views him as a predictable, if sometimes bullying, leader. Even with the relationship in the dumps, Tillerson believes he's making some quiet progress on Ukraine and Syria. On Ukraine, Tillerson supports Russia's proposal to send U.N. peacekeepers to police what Putin claims are Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's assaults on Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. The addition of U.N. monitors would help implement the Minsk agreement, even if Putin gets the credit and Poroshenko the blame. On Syria, Tillerson has warned Putin that the real danger to Russian interests is increasing Iranian power there, especially as Bashar al-Assad's regime regains control of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria. To counter the Iranians, Tillerson supports a quick move by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to capture the lower Euphrates Valley. Trumps boisterous, sometimes belligerent manner and Tillersons reticence are an unlikely combination, and many observers have doubted the relationship can last. But Tillerson seems to roll with the punches and tweets. When Trump makes a disruptive comment, Tillerson seems to treat it as part of the policy landscape and ponder how to use it to advantage. Tillerson may be the least public chief diplomat in modern U.S. history, but thats apparently by choice. By Washington standards, hes strangely uninterested in taking the credit. Read more from David Ignatius's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. A sign on the Georgetown Branch Trail announces its closure during construction of the light-rail Purple Line. (Katherine Shaver) Regarding the Sept. 5 Metro article "Purple Line means end of line for Md. trail": It has been known for many years that the Georgetown Branch Trail through Chevy Chase would have to be rerouted temporarily while the Purple Line was built. Ire over management of the rerouting should be directed at Purple Line opponents. The town of Chevy Chase, while it was fighting the light-rail line with the slogan Save the Trail, refused to let Montgomery County designate an alternate bicycle route on its low-traffic streets. This forced the county transportation department to send cyclists to busy Jones Bridge Road instead. Meanwhile, the legal stalling tactics of the projects opponents made it impossible to set a firm start date for construction. The builders did what they could to prepare, and when the legal obstacles were finally cleared away, they were ready to go. Notices of the closure date were posted all along the trail just two days after the federal funding agreement was announced Aug. 28. In a world where government so often moves sluggishly, we should applaud the speedy start of Purple Line construction after so many years of delay. Ben Ross, Bethesda The writer is chair of Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition, which advocates rail-based mass transit. Columnist Chuck and Nancy and Donald and Ivanka seemed to thoroughly enjoy their meeting at the White House the other day. Mitch and Paul, not so much. Does it really surprise anyone that President Trump betrayed the Republican leaders who have been trying their best to carry water for him on Capitol Hill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and is playing footsie with their Democratic rivals? It shouldnt. One thing that should be blindingly obvious by now is that political loyalty, for the president, is a one-way street. Yes, McConnell and Ryan embarrassed themselves and squandered precious political capital in a long, fruitless attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Yes, the Republican leaders have held their tongues time and again when Trump has manifested his unfitness for office. Yes, they have pretended not to notice the glaring conflicts of interest between Trumps private business affairs and his public responsibilities. Still, there was something brazen about the way events unfolded Wednesday. First, Ryan tells reporters that a short-term, three-month extension on the debt ceiling, tied to relief funds for Hurricane Harvey an idea supported by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was "ridiculous and disgraceful." Then, in the Oval Office meeting, Trump stuns everyone by endorsing the Schumer-Pelosi plan and agrees to work with the Democrats on repealing the debt ceiling altogether, according to The Post. Later, on Air Force One, Trump goes on about what a productive meeting he had with "Chuck and Nancy," not bothering to mention the GOP congressional leaders by name. Ouch. Some shell-shocked attendees said they believed the meeting went off the rails when the presidents daughter Ivanka, who has an office in the West Wing, cheerily dropped in and disrupted the conversations focus. But this sounds to me like nothing more than a search for a scapegoat. Ryan and McConnell have no one to blame but themselves. Trump is many things, but he is not, nor has he ever been, a committed Republican. He seized control of the party in a hostile takeover. His campaign positions on trade, health care, entitlements and other issues bore no resemblance to GOP orthodoxy. He has instincts some of them odious, from what we can intuit about his views on race and culture but his worldview is transactional and situational, not ideological. Ryan, McConnell and many of their Republican colleagues in Congress convinced themselves that Trump could be a useful instrument that he would sign whatever legislation they sent him, and therefore they would be able to enact a conventional GOP agenda of tax and entitlement cuts. Trump might have gone along with this scenario, at least for a while. But Ryan and McConnell utterly failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Look at the health-care fiasco from Trump's point of view. His campaign position was that Obamacare had to be repealed, but that the replacement should be a system offering health care for "everyone." What Ryan and the House delivered, however, was a plan that would make 23 million people lose health insurance and cut nearly $800 billion from Medicaid. Trump called that legislation mean but was so desperate for a big win that he backed it anyway. In the Senate, however, McConnell wasnt able to deliver anything at all not even a stripped-down measure to repeal the ACA now and replace it later. Trump was humiliated and angry. Mitch M and Paul R became frequent targets of his barbed tweets. So on Wednesday, Trump dished out a little humiliation of his own. At the White House meeting, the president reportedly cut off Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who supported the Ryan-McConnell approach to raising the debt ceiling in mid-sentence to announce that he was siding with Schumer and Pelosi. The stunning slapdown almost overshadowed a surprise that Trump had delivered Tuesday evening: After sending Attorney General Jeff Sessions out to announce the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Trump tweeted that if Congress did not act within six months, he would "revisit" the question. What Trump clearly has already revisited is his belief in the ability of the conservative GOP congressional majorities to get anything meaningful done. He seems to be at least flirting with the idea of working instead with Democrats and GOP moderates working not with but around the House and Senate leadership. I just hope Schumer and Pelosi know not to trust him the way Ryan and McConnell did. Read more from Eugene Robinson's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A. WHEN THE best that can be said is that the nation can "breathe a sigh of relief," as Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) put it Wednesday, that's better than a dive over the cliff. The deal struck by President Trump and Congress to postpone until December a divisive battle over fiscal matters is hardly an ideal solution. Nonetheless, the president's decision to reach out to Democrats to ensure against a disastrous default on the nation's debts is encouraging, both as a matter of responsible governing and for its bipartisan character. Surprising the GOP congressional leadership, Mr. Trump quickly agreed with a proposal by Mr. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to extend the government's borrowing capacity until December, fund the government until then and provide billions of dollars in hurricane relief. According to The Post, Mr. Trump and the Democratic leaders also reached a handshake deal to pursue a plan to permanently remove the requirement that Congress vote every time the nation needs to raise the debt ceiling. Such a long-term fix is well worth pursuing. The all-too-frequent need for Congress to authorize fresh debt has become a destructive game of chicken for both parties. Without relinquishing its constitutional prerogatives, Congress should join the president in looking for a mechanism that is less likely to produce grandstanding and threats to the nations financial stability. The deal announced Wednesday, and Senate action that followed Thursday, would with House concurrence put off until December an anticipated congressional fight over the 2018 budget. Mr. Trump was clearly anxious about a contentious battle over fiscal issues in the weeks ahead, fearing it would shake financial markets or interfere with providing hurricane relief aid. His decision to reach out to Democrats for the first time in his administration suggested that frustration with congressional gridlock has led him toward a welcome openness to bipartisan coalitions. If so, Democrats should be willing to respond constructively. They proposed the three-month reprieve in hope of gaining some leverage on important issues in the months ahead, including the extension of legal rights to the immigrants known as dreamers, whose protections are being rescinded on Mr. Trumps orders earlier this week. This is politically clever but not very responsible in the long run. Linking immigration legislation to another extension of borrowing authority in December could trigger a game of brinkmanship. If Mr. Trump and Congress really want Americans to breathe a sigh of relief, they should invest in genuine bipartisanship and make an early deal to tackle Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals legislation once and for all. Mr. Trump offered a nod in that direction Thursday by issuing a tweet, reportedly requested by Ms. Pelosi, assuring dreamers that they would not suffer harm for the next six months. But what's needed is legislation affirming their rights to remain, study and work in the country. Even better would be a serious bipartisan effort to come to grips with the nations long and deep fiscal disorder, including a long-term solution for the debt ceiling and passage of a responsible 2018 budget. Too much to hope for? Probably. But for now, at least, the worst has been avoided. Last spring, President Trump announced that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, making the U.S. one of only three nations that isn't a signatory. This summer, he was throwing around careless provocations at a nuclear-armed North Korea. In May, he physically pushed his way past the prime minister of Montenegro for a group photo of NATO leaders. Many Americans reacted to these embarrassments with fear, horror and not a little bit of surprise I guess because an American blundering through the world is something they had never seen before. The Pakistani novelist Kamila Shamsie once observed that there are two Americas one at home and one abroad. The first is the America of Hollywood, work-in-progress democracy, civil rights movements and Ellis Island. The second is the America of coups and occupations, military dictators and CIA plots, economic meddling and contempt for foreign cultures. The rest of the world knows both Americas. But as Shamsie has written, Americans dont seem aware of the second one at all. The debate about how the United States elected an irresponsible nationalist like Trump has focused on why the first America, the supposedly beautiful one, failed, rather than why the second America, the ugly one, triumphed. But from abroad, Trump makes a lot more sense and has much more in common with his predecessors and his countrymen than many Americans realize. I left the United States more than a decade ago to live in Istanbul. I spent most of my first year educating myself about Turkish history and politics, and trying to learn how to write about them. What continued to surprise me was what I kept learning from foreigners about my country: about America in Turkey, and then about America everywhere else. The rest of the world doesn't figure much in U.S. lesson plans. A majority of states have phased out international geography from their middle school and high school curriculums; according to the most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, from 2014 , three-quarters of eighth-graders place "below proficient" in the subject. And although many Americans know the major flash points in the nation's international history the Vietnam War and the Iran hostage crisis, interventions in Central America, the invasion of Iraq few learn about the complexities of our relationships with so many other nations, especially the diplomatic, military and economic entanglements of the Cold War. This may be particularly true of those Americans who came of age in the 1990s as the United States triumphed over the Soviets, its status as a benevolent superpower somehow confirmed. The ugliness of the Cold War was largely forgotten. I remember the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine portrayed in my '90s-era education as great international acts of charity, of which Turkey had been among the lucky recipients. But when I moved to Istanbul, Turks taught me about the more complicated aspects of the United States' long relationship with their country: that thousands of U.S. soldiers had occupied Turkish soil in the 1950s, and how, throughout the darkest days of the Cold War, most Turks believed that the United States was manipulating their military and their citizens. I had come expecting Turks to be foreign to me. It turned out we were profoundly, tormentedly, related. [Secular citizens of Turkey have never felt so alone] It wasnt just Turkey. After the financial crisis in Greece, I interviewed many intellectuals and other citizens there who offered historical explanations during which they referred casually, assuming I knew about it to an American intervention. Id never heard of it. But it was a pivotal moment in contemporary Greek history: Thousands of Americans arrived in Athens as part of the Truman Doctrine, propping up an authoritarian regime against Greek communists and leftists and demanding that Greeks imitate the American way of life. From the late 1940s to the 1970s, American military personnel, diplomats and spies provided ample support to the Greek government as it tortured and persecuted its citizens. This history, our history, was part of them. I havent met any Americans for whom it was part of their identity most never knew about it. It wasnt at all part of mine. In those fleeting moments, I would feel a terrifying gulf open between us: The United States had wielded the power in this relationship, and Americans took no responsibility for it. As a journalist, I had been sent to write about the Greek financial crisis for a major American magazine with no knowledge of how our mutual history might have produced unconscious prejudices in both countries. [Why the defeated coup in Turkey could make democracy weaker there] At the very least, Greeks and Turks could explain how this history influenced their present. Americans, meanwhile, did not realize that who we were as a nation and a people had also been shaped by these abuses of power over the course of a century. Holding onto an image of ourselves as freedom-loving individualists who determined our own fates and championed the same for others, Americans didn't have any idea how far we'd strayed from this ideal in the eyes of the rest of the world. This appeared to be true everywhere I went: in Egypt, in Afghanistan and, perhaps most important, in Iran, where tens of thousands of Americans once worked in service of a brutal ruler. During the Cold War, the threat of communism inspired U.S. leaders to inaugurate a new kind of empire under the guise of modernization. Americans feel strange about the word empire; we tend to think our foreign relations couldnt possibly resemble Britains in the 19th century. That is largely because the United States Cold War architects deliberately constructed an empire that concealed its existence through language. As critics such as Nils Gilman have chronicled, academics working for the U.S. government in the mid-century knew not to use the word Westernization to describe their economic or political interventions abroad, for fear they might be compared to their European imperialist predecessors. Americans were taught to view the United States as simply the ideal modern nation the shining city on a hill, as Ronald Reagan put it (echoing the early Puritans who settled in Massachusetts), that all foreign countries should aspire to emulate. Even if the United States made mistakes abroad, Americans were people with uniquely good intentions who wanted to help foreigners along to a better, freer life. Many Americans have long accepted this idea of our superiority and goodness as if it were a self-evident truth, not postwar propaganda created to justify imperial intervention. Without these beliefs, who would Americans be? That ours is the most successful and evolved country in the world is the basis of most Americans sense of reality. The 21st century has brought devastating challenges to this worldview: the Sept. 11 attacks and the catastrophic occupations in the Middle East; the financial crisis and the end of the belief that endless progress was possible for many. It has been a painful period for Americans. But the rest of the world has long suffered the destructive consequences of the United States fantasies. Whatever national introspection follows Trump will not be complete without a full reckoning with the nations postwar lunge for global dominance, not unlike Germanys reckoning after World War II. Are ordinary people responsible for their governments foreign policy? Its hard to blame the millions of Americans living in poverty, who have been just as victimized by the injustices of the 20th century as those abroad. But many other average Americans with dangerously naive ideas about themselves and their country grow up to become teachers, foreign correspondents, presidents. What they did not learn as children will not be cured by what they learn at elite universities, in self-regarding metropolitan centers or in graduate schools that for the most part tell them that the United States is the center of the planet and that they are the smartest on it. This kind of American exceptionalism is a product of 200 years of disconnection from our countrys acts around the world a geographic, intellectual and emotional isolation. Trump has looked out of place as a world leader because he is a television personality, not a politician. He is also the crudest manifestation of some very American traits: recklessness, nationalism, contempt for history, an inability (if not utter disinclination) to inhabit a foreigners experience. Never before has it been so clear that Americans identities their confidence and happiness are tied to the supposedly exalted status of their nation, and of the man or woman who leads it. Trump may contradict everything many of us believe about ourselves, but the first question we might ask is whether what we believe is true. outlook@washpost.com Read more from Outlook: President Trumps America First slogan was popularized by Nazi sympathizers In Venezuela, we couldnt stop Chavez. Dont make the same mistakes we did. Donald Trump is stress-testing how we think about American democracy Follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. Rayyan Al-Shawaf is a writer and book critic based in Beirut and Brummana, Lebanon On assignment for Harpers magazine in 2007, Deborah Campbell was looking for someone to assist her with research for an article about Iraqi refugees in Syria. What she needed was an insider, someone who could make journalism possible where the outsider cannot go alone. This person, known as a fixer, would help set up interviews, interpret, and offer context and background. Campbell quickly settled on a woman named Ahlam. Not only did she speak English fluently and have a sterling reputation among the foreign journalists, nongovernmental organizations and U.N. bodies she had worked with in the past, but this mother of two was a refugee from Iraq and lived in a Damascus neighborhood teeming with other Iraqi refugees. Her knowledge of the subject was deep, and firsthand. Yet in Syria, a police state that demands docility on the part of its citizens and foreign residents, Ahlam's work as a fixer (illegal, owing to her status as a foreigner) made her a target. Given that Ahlam serves as the focus of a book titled "A Disappearance in Damascus: Friendship and Survival in the Shadow of War," the reader has more than an inkling of what will befall her. Although occasionally marred by Campbells awe-struck view of her biographical subject, A Disappearance relates an unsettling true story with journalistic adroitness and novelistic flair. And there is plenty to admire about Ahlam (intelligence, pluck, resilience, nonsectarian dedication to helping Iraqis). Like army commanders, sea captains and wilderness explorers, Ahlams stubborn fearlessness made those around her feel fearless too, Campbell writes. Because of Campbells style of immersive journalism, the reader comes to know the authors fixer-turned-friend intimately. [A look at Syria: The everyday beauty and the everyday fears] A Disappearance in Damascus, by Deborah Campbell (Picador ) Ahlam is frank about her predicament. Ive figured out Im being watched here in Damascus, she tells Campbell early on. She wonders if this marks the return of her tormentors in Iraq, from which she fled after being kidnapped and released by al-Qaeda. (She had worked for the Americans, dispensing financial compensation to Iraqi families who had lost a member to the war.) But it turns out that Syrian intelligence is the culprit, in particular an agent who goes by the handle Abu Yusuf. Ahlams role as a fixer and her efforts to aid Iraqi refugees have aroused suspicion; a regime inclined toward totalitarianism will try to control everything, even relations between individuals. At one point, Abu Yusuf demonstrates flexibility, granting Ahlam permission to operate an unofficial school for Iraqi refugee children out of her apartment, but he may soon want something in return. And then (in mid-2008) Ahlam is suddenly arrested and held incommunicado. When, through her contacts, an increasingly distraught Campbell discovers the charges leveled against her friend, some are so outlandish that she does not know what to make of them. Is the regime so paranoid as to believe that, alongside working with foreign journalists, Ahlam is engaged in gunrunning and people-smuggling? Or does it want to obscure the real reason for her arrest? Had she simply been accused of working for media, or being too bold in advocating for refugees, remarks a discerning Campbell, it would look like political repression. The author powerfully conveys Ahlams plight behind bars, injecting stark brutality into a story hitherto characterized by uncertainty and angst, and ushering the reader into a terrifying hidden dimension: Abu Yusuf walked over to the chair where the guards had set [Ahlam] down and began kicking her feet, hitting her arms. . . . He slapped her so hard that she was knocked from her chair. Through such disturbing episodes, the book sheds light on Syrias ruling Baath regime, helmed by the dictator Bashar al-Assad. The wretchedness and trauma of Iraqi refugees languishing in Syria enrobe A Disappearance with an aura of melancholy. Moreover, the knowledge that, because of a looming civil war, millions of Syrians are fated to suffer similar displacement and attendant misery will surely trigger dread on the part of an empathic reader. [A sons contemplative search for his father long missing in Gaddafis Libya] Yet at least one very troubling aspect of this (still unfolding) saga might elude detection in A Disappearance, as it comes twinned with a heartening development: About five months after her arrest, Ahlam regains her freedom. (This is how the author learns of, among other outrages, the aforementioned beatings her friend endured while incarcerated.) In the books final chapters, Campbell details the circumstances of Ahlams release from prison in late 2008, her immediate relocation with her children to Chicago (where her husband moves a couple of years later), and their starting anew. A happy ending, right? Only in part. Not because Ahlam struggles to acclimate to life in the United States; thats something youd expect, given the culture clash at play. The wormwood we must chew on is that, for Ahlam, it takes America to put the happy in happy ending, and that, for even the most imperiled Iraqis and Syrians, Uncle Sam does so only grudgingly more so now, during President Trumps administration. There are no happy endings in Syria and Iraq. Nor will there be any for some time. Meanwhile, chances that at-risk Syrian and Iraqi families will experience such a desperately sought denouement in the Statue of Libertys once-capacious protective shadow, the way Ahlams has, diminish by the day. Bradley DeWees is a captain in the Air Force and a doctoral student in decision science and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. The views expressed here are his and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. government or any part thereof. North Korea's recent nuclear and missile developments including what it claimed to be a test of a hydrogen bomb, and a missile test that led the Japanese government to advise its citizens to take cover have brought Pyongyang and Washington to a level of tension not seen since the Korean War. Options for dealing with the crisis include containment of a nuclear North Korea as well as military action that would set back its nuclear progress. Experts tend to agree that none of the options are good. The United States does, however, have better and worse ways to decide on a North Korea strategy. Framing the decision in the right way asking not just Why should we do this? but At what price do other options become more attractive? could make the difference between war and peace. Selecting from options such as containment or military action can take two forms what decision scientists call "choice" or "matching." "Choice" requires a decision-maker to separate options from one another, while "matching" requires the decision-maker to equate options with one other. Choice would lead a decision-maker to ask why containment is better than military action (or vice versa). This why? question triggers a search for good reasons to adopt or reject an option. Matching, by contrast, would lead a decision-maker to ask how much (or how little) military action would have to cost before it was as desirable as containment. This how much? question triggers a quantification of the dimensions common to each option. The two processes can lead to different outcomes because choice and the concomitant search for good reasons can bias a decision-maker in several ways. Choice pushes people toward the option scoring highest on the most important criterion, even if that option leads to a worse overall outcome. The criteria at stake in this decision include lives, money, living under the risk of a nuclear North Korea and maintaining the credibility of public threats. In the latter category would be statements such as one President Trump made on Aug. 8: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." If maintaining the credibility of threats like this is the most important criterion to the administration, choice would favor a military option. Choice also would predispose a military option if preventing a nuclear North Korea is the most important criterion to the administration, as recent statements by national security adviser H.R. McMaster imply: North Korea having "nuclear weapons that can threaten the United States" would be "intolerable from the president's perspective." In both cases, acting on one's most important criterion constitutes a good reason. Matching could lead to a different decision even if the relative importance of each criterion remained unchanged. Using matching, the task would be to say how much, in lives and money, one values avoiding the risk of a nuclear North Korea or maintaining the credibility of public threats. What containment lacks on these criteria it could make up for in saving lives and money. Matching wouldn't predestine the outcome preventing a nuclear North Korea or maintaining credibility could still be important enough to justify military action, but a decision-maker would have to directly confront the cost of what Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said would be the "worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes." Choice based on reasons factors a decision-makers audience into the decision. What counts as a good reason depends on what a decision-makers audience thinks is a good reason. This is important in the context of a North Korea strategy, because the decision could change based on who a decision-maker has in mind when deciding. Is a military adviser thinking of troops? A political leader thinking of supporters? Of history? What counts as a good reason for one group may not necessarily be good for another. Matching, on the other hand, is more stable across audiences the audience is unlikely to affect the numbers underlying the decision. Choice based on reasons also allows a bigger role for emotions. In the context of national security decisions, this is perhaps the most important difference. When members of a staff, military or country feel anger, fear or a desire not to appear weak, using those emotions as reasons for acting can be simple and compelling. As Ambassador Nikki Haley argued this past week in trying to get the U.N. Security Council to act: "North Korea basically has slapped everyone in the face in the international community that has asked them to stop." Such emotions could push us toward a military option. Matching, on the other hand, would limit the effect emotions can have on a decision stating how many lives and dollars one is angry would be difficult, and even more difficult to defend to others. I have no inside knowledge of the administration's decision process, but it probably is relying on choice. I say this for two reasons. First, choice is more natural for people. In our own lives, we're more likely to reach for good reasons rather than expend extra mental effort on quantification. Second, the administration's most recent national security decision selecting a strategy for Afghanistan seemed to rely on choice. As the defense secretary said just before the Afghanistan decision was made: "We're sharpening each one of the options so you can see the pluses and minuses of each one. . . . Now just make the decision." Reporting of that decision process described a menu of options, and the president chose the one he deemed most desirable. Importantly, even if the pluses and minuses of each option are quantified, quantification alone does not imply matching. Matching would require senior policymakers themselves to step through the quantification to decide which option is most desirable. Its the act of quantification of asking oneself how much? rather than why? that insulates a decision-maker from bias. Matching and the quantification associated with it are unnatural and even morally uncomfortable when the stakes include human lives, but when it comes to a situation as dangerous as the standoff with North Korea, its important to force an unnatural decision process. To be sure, a decision process does not make the decision easier it cannot change the fact that risk and benefit are positively correlated. What a good process can do, though, is ensure the United States confronts the standoff consistently and with a complete understanding of what is in its best interest. In a turbulent world, consistency and completeness can be achievements of their own. Twitter: @b_dewees Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. Hurricane Irma was still several days away from South Florida when officials in Miami-Dade began telling 650,000 people to leave their homes. "If you do it later, you may be caught in a flood of traffic trying to leave the area," Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said Wednesday night. "You may find yourself in a car during a hurricane, which is not the best place to be." Tens of thousands are expected to remain, though, either because they don't have the resources or they think they can weather the storm. In storm after storm, people either can't or don't follow evacuation orders. Florida is no stranger to hurricanes. But Irma is the first major one to strike the state directly in more than a decade. We study communication about storms and other disasters. Unfortunately, the best way to tell the public how to stay safe in a storm is not always clear each disaster is different, forcing different tactics for different circumstances. That means theres no playbook for emergency managers to follow, and that leaves them with constant decisions to make as a storm approaches. But there are a few things we know: Appeals to fear can work, and authorities often use them ahead of severe storms, but they can backfire if the risks seem overhyped. Evacuation orders that identify a geographic location, such as flood zones, can help target messages to those facing the greatest peril. Specific risks must be communicated clearly, but ultimately, its how individual residents and their households perceive the danger that largely determines whether they evacuate. One of the tenets of good risk communication that authorities should speak with one voice was notably missing before Harvey, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Houstonians to evacuate while Mayor Sylvester Turner was simultaneously telling them to shelter in place. Warnings about Irma went more smoothly. Monroe County, Fla., which includes the Florida Keys, and Miami-Dade County began ordering mandatory evacuations Wednesday based on forecasts of Irmas track. Making an evacuation mandatory can help persuade more people to evacuate. But our experimental survey research conducted after Hurricane Sandy found that mandatory evacuations may also lead more people outside the intended evacuation zone to flee, with the potential to create additional traffic and fill up beds in shelters unnecessarily. On a peninsula such as Florida, where a large population may need to evacuate in the same direction, this is especially dangerous. Even worse is when people must leave through other at-risk areas, as in Florida where the storm is likely to traverse the entire state. In the same study, we also found that messages that identify certain geographic areas, such as flood zones or evacuation zones, can help encourage residents to leave those areas while reducing evacuation among those who live outside those areas. This depends, however, on whether people think they live in a flood or evacuation zone and sometimes, people are wrong. To be effective, messages must use wording that helps people recognize whether the message applies to them. (One example is the mandatory evacuation of zones A and B in Miami-Dade County that was issued Thursday.) Research shows that many people pay attention to evacuation orders. But first they have to know that they live in areas at risk. [Puerto Rico wasnt ready for Irma. We couldnt possibly be.] Another approach to motivating evacuation is to use "fear appeal" messages, such as the National Weather Service's warnings that people who stayed behind during Hurricanes Katrina and Ike would "face certain death." As Hurricane Harvey approached Texas last month, meteorologists and the news media warned of "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding," and similar messages have been used about Irma. "I'll do anything in my power to convince them this is a very serious storm," Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said Thursday, after learning that some residents were planning to ignore evacuation orders. "This is a nuclear hurricane. They should leave the beach, they must leave the beach." Our survey research finds that such warnings may help motivate evacuation, but if they are too strong, some people think the message is "overblown" and thus does not need to be heeded. People who think hurricanes are less risky and whose worldviews favor personal autonomy are more likely to reject fear-based messages, as are people who don't think they can protect themselves against the threat. So messages that describe the storm's potential effects without being so overwhelming that they threaten people's sense of autonomy can be more effective. Messages are often more persuasive when they include concrete, specific information to help people understand what they can do to protect themselves. How to determine the best communication is not easy. We can look to the language and methods used before prior hurricanes to learn about which messages do and don't work with various audiences. But each hurricane is unique with different tracks, different wind and flood hazards, and a different evolution of forecasts and the messages vary as a result. People access messages from many sources (public officials, meteorologists, friends and family members) over multiple channels (social media, the Internet, television news), and these messages evolve with the forecast. This makes it difficult for researchers like us to isolate which features of a message work best. To control for some of these variables, we often conduct experiments where we ask people to imagine hypothetical storms, but those have limitations as well. Of course, what people hear from authorities isn't the only factor that affects whether they leave storm zones. When deciding whether, when and how to evacuate, people ask if they have a place to stay with relatives or friends outside of the evacuation zone. Can they afford a hotel? Do they have a car, and money for gas and food? Are they more worried about evacuation traffic or staying to protect their property? Do they have a disability that might make it difficult to move to a different location or stay in a shelter? In the past, having a pet was a major barrier to evacuating for some; after Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed a law requiring states to factor animals into their emergency plans and allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to shelter them, which has made it much easier to evacuate with pets. People's decisions are also strongly influenced by what what other people say and do, including family members, friends, neighbors and often even friends of friends or new connections they make online. [We cant leave Florida, but we cant stay either] Another influence: How recent was the last big storm, what were its effects and were they happy with their decision to evacuate or not? We know that people interpret forecast and warning information through the lens of their experience; sometimes, how people feel about their hurricane experiences is more powerful than any message. Good or bad examples of sheltering in place or evacuating can affect how people respond to future storms. The emotions from hurricanes linger. If people stayed home and were terrified, they're more likely to leave next time; if they were stuck in traffic or miserable in a shelter, they're more likely to stay. As one emergency manager told us, "No matter what people did during [Hurricane] Sandy, whether they stayed or they evacuated, they told us, 'I'm never going to do that again.' " When it comes time to decide whether to stay or go, the most important consideration is whether people think that evacuating will help protect them and their families from harm. If they think theyre safe in their homes, or just as safe as they would be with their other options, then they dont have a reason to evacuate. As Harvey clearly showed, evaluating who is safe and who isnt is complicated by the multiple hazards that hurricanes present including strong winds, flooding and the risk of tornadoes. Each of these perils raises its own prediction challenges, and each can have various effects on people in different types of homes in different areas. What is most important ahead of storms such as Harvey and Irma is that forecasters, emergency managers, the media and coastal residents work together to help people understand which risks they face from that specific storm and how they can best protect themselves. outlook@washpost.com Read more from Outlook: Who suffers when disasters strike? The poorest and most vulnerable. I rescued people from the floods after Harvey. It was worse than I expected. Irma and Harvey should kill any doubt that climate change is real Follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. Vipin Narang is an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in nuclear proliferation and strategy, and a member of MITs security studies program North Koreas nuclear weapons program is advancing quickly. This year, it has tested a suite of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that can hit neighbors and American bases in East Asia, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, two intercontinental-range ballistic missiles and a purported thermonuclear weapon capable of flattening a city. Soon Kim Jong Un will be able to deliver it to our shores, if he cannot do so already. This, we are told, is an unfortunate but not an existential problem. Although it will reshape geopolitics, there is no real threat of nuclear warfare, because Kim has no death wish. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Americans should sleep well at night, and analysts argue that it would be tantamount to national suicide for Kim to use nuclear weapons against the United States. If his purpose is to ensure his survival (how better to understand his quest for nukes?), why would he risk it by starting a conflict with Washington he can't win? Surely it won't come to war, let alone nuclear war. Yes, Kim is brutally rational. And that is precisely why he may have to use nuclear weapons, but not in a first strike against American cities. Kims nuclear arsenal exists to stop his enemies quest for regime change. If North Korea and the United States wind up shooting at each other, it might make sense for Kim to use nuclear weapons first in a way that increases his chances of survival. The basic idea is to use one set of nuclear devices to stave off the conventional invasion, and hold in reserve longer range, more powerful devices that threaten the enemys cities to deter nuclear annihilation. Its a doctrine called asymmetric escalation, employed by states that are conventionally weak. France articulated it during the Cold War to deter the more powerful Soviet Union, and Pakistan does the same today against a more powerful India. [Diplomacy really can work against North Korea. Heres why.] The strategy turns on Kims main calculation that the United States will say its not worth losing a major American city to get rid of him. This would allow him to avoid the fate of Iraqs Saddam Hussein and Libyas Moammar Gaddafi, who did not have nuclear weapons. Deterrence worked uneasily during the Cold War albeit with close calls and some hair-raising moments but it worked. Many of the same principles about mutual destruction still obtain today between major powers. Yet the equation for North Korea, which cannot ensure mutual destruction, is slightly different. Faced with the prospect of a U.S.-led invasion, Pyongyangs conventional inferiority requires it to degrade the United States ability to sustain the attack against it. This means it essentially has no option but to use nuclear weapons first against targets such as Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, which stations American bombers, and a variety of allied bases in Japan and South Korea. North Korea has to use nuclear weapons there because it does not have enough conventional warheads to damage the bases meaningfully; a conventional response would not slow or stop a U.S. onslaught. It is for these bases that North Korea has tested the medium-range missiles, reportedly developed a compact nuclear fission warhead and honed guidance for the missiles that would carry it. Wouldn't such an attack mean the retaliatory annihilation of North Korea? Not necessarily. This is why the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the H-bomb are so important. Kim's survival theory is that North Korea could threaten to destroy an American city with a thermonuclear-tipped ICBM if the United States continued an invasion or retaliated with nuclear weapons. Anytime its cities can be held at risk, the United States' deterrence equation changes, as it did during the Cold War. Are we willing to risk losing millions of civilians in our homeland? Possibly not. And it's unlikely that we could reliably destroy all of Kim's ICBMs on the ground or intercept the warheads in the air, particularly as he builds more. So the prospect of losing San Francisco thanks to our nuclear retaliation may cause us to pause conventional operations and elicit a cease-fire, thereby preserving Kim's regime and rule. Kim may surmise that if he doesn't use nuclear weapons first, he is certain to lose; if he does, he may have a fighting chance of surviving. This scenario to stave off an invasion with a limited nuclear attack on a U.S. military target is not irrational, although it is clearly risky and terrifyingly tragic. One wrinkle is that North Koreas arsenal is currently small and vulnerable, and U.S. military strategy, reiterated by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, is to try to find and destroy all of Kims nuclear systems in the event of a war. That gives Kim an incentive to go first, go early and go massively if he is not confident about surviving a U.S. attempt at disarming him. If Kim thinks we are coming after him or his forces, he cannot afford to be wrong, and he cannot afford to launch second. [How president Trump could tweet his way into nuclear war.] States with small arsenals that are put under counterforce pressure have itchy trigger fingers. It is what is known as the use-it-or-lose-it dilemma. Prior to World War I, European powers believed they all had to mobilize military forces first or risk massive conventional defeat. The calculation for North Korea is the same today, except with nuclear weapons. This current risk is amplified by our saber-rattling. How do we assure Kim that the B-1B sorties from Guam that are meant as shows of strength are not a prelude to a counterforce surprise attack? We are in a particularly dangerous phase right now, and not because Kim is unpredictable. The more rational he is, the itchier his trigger finger could be. At the broader political level, Kim has another aim with his nuclear weapons: to break our alliances. The Soviet Unions acquisition of ICBM technology caused panic among our allies. France developed its own nuclear weapons, because Charles de Gaulle was convinced we would not trade Pittsburgh for Paris. Today, the concern among our allies is that with our homeland at risk, we might not trade San Francisco for Seoul, or Toledo for Tokyo. These anxieties are amplified when President Trump accuses South Korea and China of appeasement after North Koreas thermonuclear test. Pyongyang probably read that tweet with glee, thinking that its political strategy is already working. With a nuclear security umbrella like the one we maintain in East Asia, its always harder to reassure allies than it is to deter the adversary. Right now, we are being outplayed by Kim on both counts. [I live on Guam. Heres how were coping with the nuclear standoff.] Dispensing with the notion that Kim is crazy or irrational is important for two reasons. First, it clarifies the military and political strategies he might envision with nuclear weapons. Second, it suggests that he responds to both domestic and international incentives. It means deterrence which was always coupled with reassurance and diplomacy can work with North Korea, just as it did with the Soviet Union and China. But deterrence works both ways: We can no longer threaten to attack North Korea without risking a nuclear exchange. Twitter: @NarangVipin Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. Political tremors seized both major parties on Thursday in the wake of President Trumps sudden alignment with congressional Democrats, leaving Republicans alarmed about the unraveling of their relationship with the White House and uncertain about the prospects for their policy ambitions this fall. In the span of 48 hours, Trump cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government funded and raise the nations borrowing authority, advanced talks with the senior Senate Democrat on a permanent debt ceiling solution and followed the advice of the top House Democrat, who urged him to use Twitter to ease the fears of young undocumented immigrants. The developments confounded congressional Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol, where some long-standing political norms seemed to many to be shattered. The upheaval also raised new questions about how Trump plans to approach the looming debates over tax reform, immigration, government funding and the nations debt and where congressional Republicans fit in. Havent seen anything like it before, said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has served in the Senate for three decades. Of Trump, McCain said: I have no way of divining his motives. Im a pretty intelligent guy, but I dont understand this. Democrats proceeded carefully amid the escalating GOP tensions, framing Trumps overtures as an opening to assert themselves more forcefully while acknowledging that Trumps favor could be fleeting and that their many intractable differences are likely to remain. There arent permanent alliances. There arent governing philosophies. Theres day by day, seat-of-the-pants management, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview. By that measure, the Democrats have enjoyed two good days working with Trump. On Wednesday, the president agreed to support legislation providing hurricane relief money in a package that also averts an imminent shutdown of the federal government and raises its borrowing limit for three months. The deal gives Democrats leverage to play a role in negotiations over several big-ticket items at the end of the year, including efforts to pass a law allowing undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children to remain here legally. [Senate approves bill doubling hurricane aid package, extending federal borrowing limit] And on Thursday, Trump talked up the possibility of permanently removing the requirement that Congress repeatedly raise the nations borrowing limit. It was an idea he had discussed with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) a day earlier, according to three people familiar with the discussion. The idea is opposed by many Republicans, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), who see the imposition of a debt limit as a check on government spending. Also Thursday, Trump tweeted that young undocumented immigrants currently protected by an Obama-era executive order known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals do not need to worry about his administration acting against them for the next six months. The tweet followed the White Houses announcement this week that the program will be rescinded in six months. It followed a request from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and was a striking move from Trump, who has largely ignored counsel of his own partys leaders when it comes to his controversial social media habits, and who has rarely if ever communicated with Democrats about messaging. "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about No action!" the president tweeted from his personal account. Said Pelosi at a subsequent news conference: This is what I asked the president to do and, boom boom boom, the tweet appeared. The comity between the White House and Democrats sparked easy passage Thursday of a Hurricane Harvey relief package that allocates $15.25 billion in disaster aid and also raises the debt ceiling and keeps the government open until Dec. 8. The Senate approved the measure 80 to 17 as part of the pact between Trump, Schumer and Pelosi, sending it back to the House for final approval. Democrats see the dynamics in Washington as newly fluid and potentially in their favor on a host of issues. In addition to pressing for new protections for undocumented immigrants, Democrats hope to water down GOP plans for tax policy and thwart a bevy of federal budget cuts proposed by Republicans. Even so, some suggested caution about Trumps sudden cooperation with them. They warned that the presidents unpredictability makes him a dangerous ally. Take advantage of it but do it with the full knowledge that Trump will be calling, you know, Chuck Schumer names on Twitter within the fortnight, Murphy said. Interviews with multiple GOP senators and aides on Thursday, meanwhile, revealed that a sense of helplessness has gripped Republicans in the upper chamber after Trump openly flouted their plans. Its just been jarring, said one GOP Senate aide. The aide said that at the start of the week, there was a sense of confidence that White House officials were on the same page as Capitol Hill Republicans on the debt ceiling and Harvey aid negotiations. But Trump ignored the guidance of those planning conversations. Congressional Republican leaders didnt want to give Democrats new leverage in December and have been under pressure from conservative rank and file to avoid more than one vote on the debt ceiling before next years midterm elections only to be undercut by Trump. Numerous members and aides predicted that the bill would fail to gain support from a majority of House Republicans, though given the wide support from Democrats, none thought it would ultimately fail. Among those complaining the loudest were Texas lawmakers, who met as a bipartisan group at a lunch Thursday, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calling in and urging them to support the federal aid bill. Several conservatives in the area affected by Harvey said they expected to take their first-ever vote in favor of a debt-ceiling hike to advance Harvey aid. My fear is we set a bad precedent here, that you just load it up with other stuff, said Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.), who represents the area where Harvey first made landfall. This is whats wrong in Washington: They pile stuff together so you have to weigh the good versus the bad rather than give every issue individual consideration. Thats the part of living in the swamp I dont like. The chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee objected to the agreement in a letter to Ryan, while Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) proposed an amendment to pass relief for Harvey victims as a stand-alone bill in the upper chamber, decoupled from debates over federal spending and the debt ceiling. The amendment did not advance. At the White House, Trump was asked by a reporter about abolishing the congressional process for raising the debt ceiling. He replied that there are lots of good reasons to do it. It could be discussed, Trump said. For many years, people have been talking about getting rid of [the] debt ceiling altogether. He confirmed during the exchange with reporters that the issue was discussed during his meeting with congressional leaders on Wednesday. Trump and Schumer discussed the idea Wednesday in the Oval Office. The two, along with Pelosi, agreed to work together over the next several months to try to finalize a plan by December, which would need congressional approval. One individual who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private talk described it as a gentlemens agreement. The U.S. government spends more money than it brings in through taxes and fees, and it covers that gap by issuing debt to borrow money. The government can borrow money only up to a certain limit, known as the debt limit or the debt ceiling. The government routinely bumps up against this ceiling, requiring Congress to raise it again and again. These votes are often politicized and can cause panic among investors. Some Republicans labored to put a positive spin on what has been a politically startling couple of days for the GOP on Capitol Hill. In my opinion, were not going to shut down the government. Thats a plus, said Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), a moderate who is up for reelection and whom Trump threatened to campaign against over the summer. And were going to take care of people in Texas I think thats a good thing. Other Republicans resorted to wishful thinking when it comes to Trumps hostility to Heller and other Republicans as well as his embrace of some vulnerable Democrats up for reelection in 2018, including Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), whom he invited to ride with him on Air Force One on Wednesday. Theres going to be a little bit of sparring going on, said Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), the Senates second-ranking Republican. But hopefully the president will recognize its in his best political interest to have as many Republicans in the Senate as possible. Ashley Parker, Kelsey Snell, Jenna Johnson, David Nakamura, Damian Paletta and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. - South Korea deploys Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). - Aims to protect citizens from potential attacks from North Korea. - Some residents protest the move by the government. The recent nuclear test by North Korea and their continued show of military force in recent times has forced the hands of South Korea and their ally, The U.S. to deploy their Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) as a means of defence against potential attacks from the North. Whilst this may be considered as a smart move by many, it has certainly not gone down well amongst some South Koreans. A number of people in the South Korean village of Seongju have continued to protest against the government's deployment of a controversial anti-missile defence system, THAAD. An Interior Department agency responsible for managing water in the western United States improperly provided millions of dollars in subsidies to contractors in California, according to an inspector general's report, including to a major water district once represented by a lobbyist who is now Interiors second highest-ranking official. The Bureau of Reclamation, the Interior Department's top watchdog concluded, didn't fully disclose to Congress and others the $84 million cost of its Bay Delta Conservation Plan in California. It also said the bureau couldn't provide paperwork for why the water contractors didn't have to pay back $50 million in federal funding. Though mentioned only once in the report, the Westlands Water District was part of the inspector general's analysis. That district, made up of more than 1,000 square miles of California farmland, was once represented by David Bernhardt, now the Interior Department's deputy secretary. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift said in an email that Bernhardt played no role in the matter either in forging the initial agreement, which was signed about three months after he left his post in January 2009 as Interiors solicitor, or while working in the private sector. Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt never worked in any role on the matter addressed by the IG Report either at the Department or in the private sector, Swift said. In fact, he had not worked for the Department for several months when the agreement was finalized and neither he nor his firm even representing Westlands at such time. Any attempt to tie him to this are absolutely baseless. While the discussions about the overall agreement began in 2008, the first agreement for advance payment of the projects operation and maintenance between the Bureau and Westlands is dated April 9, 2009. Westlands stood to be a major beneficiary of the unusual funding arrangement, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post, because of its size. Westlands general manager Tom Birmingham told The Post its too soon to calculate the exact cost because the project is still in the planning stage. Birmingham added that whether or not water contractors would reimburse the federal government is a question that will have to be determined later, but added that Obama administration officials thought this was a project that was critically important to the environment and the people of of California. The Bureau of Reclamation disputed the inspector generals recommendations, saying in part that it had disclosed funding sources and other information about the arrangement in an October 2013 letter to several members of Congress. The IGs office noted that the agency actually sent the letter on Feb. 26, 2014, nearly five years after it had first instituted the agreement. The agreement between federal, state and water district authorities grew out of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, an effort to protect the areas fish and wildlife habitat while also meeting the water needs of a growing population. Under state law, firms conveying water through the system were obligated to pay for the project. But in 2015 the effort split into two different initiatives, EcoRestore and WaterFix, separating issues of restoration from water transport. The Senate confirmed Bernhardt in late July along a mostly party-line vote, having faced opposition from environmental groups that accused him of being "laden with conflicts of interest that raise serious questions about his ability to act in the public interest." Before rejoining the department, Bernhardt had been a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, which bills itself as one of the nation's premier water-law practices. Westlands paid Bernhardts firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, more than $1 million to lobby for its interests from 2011 to 2016, according to a review of federal data collected by the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics. That time period is roughly between when Bernhardt left the Interior Department as its solicitor the No. 3 spot in the agency under President George W. Bush and re-joined as deputy secretary in the Trump administration. Bernhardt is listed as a Westlands lobbyist in some of those reports. Bernhardt continued to do some consulting work for Westlands after deregistering as a lobbyist for them in mid-November, according to documents obtained by the environmental group Pacific Advocates, under a public disclosure request. Westlands is the largest agriculture water district in the country and is made up of prime farmland in California, according to its own reports. Wetlands was formed in 1952 after central California growers petitioned local officials to create a water district, in part to keep pace with the regions growth. Special counsel Robert Mueller departs after a closed-door meeting in June with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has alerted the White House that his team will probably seek to interview six top current and former advisers to President Trump who were witnesses to several episodes relevant to the investigation of Russias meddling in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the request. Muellers interest in the aides, including trusted adviser Hope Hicks, former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus, reflects how the probe that has dogged Trumps presidency is starting to penetrate a closer circle of aides around the president. Each of the six advisers was privy to important internal discussions that have drawn the interest of Muellers investigators, according to people familiar with the probe, including his decision in May to fire FBI Director James B. Comey. Also of interest is the White Houses initial inaction after warnings about then-national security adviser Michael Flynns December discussions with Russias ambassador to the United States. The advisers are also connected to internal documents that Muellers investigators have asked the White House to produce, according to people familiar with the special counsels inquiry. Roughly four weeks ago, the special counsels team provided the White House with the names of the first group of current and former Trump advisers and aides whom investigators expect to question. In addition to Priebus, Spicer and Hicks, Mueller has notified the White House he will probably seek to question White House counsel Don McGahn and one of his deputies, James Burnham. Muellers office has also told the White House that investigators may want to interview Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. White House officials are expecting that Mueller will seek additional interviews, possibly with family members, including Kushner, who is a West Wing senior adviser, according to the people familiar with Muellers inquiry. [New FBI head says hes not seen any whiff of White House interference in the Russia probe] Muellers probe is seeking to determine whether any Trump associates may have coordinated with Russia to influence the election. That investigation is also examining whether the president or others at the White House may have attempted to obstruct justice leading up to the firing of Comey. Spicer declined to comment, and Priebus did not respond to a request for comment. Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer focused on the probe, declined to comment on behalf of current White House aides McGahn, Burnham, Hicks and Raffel. Cobb also declined to discuss the details of Muellers requests. Out of respect for the special counsel and his process and so we dont interfere with that in any way, the White House doesnt comment on specific requests for documents and potential witnesses, Cobb said. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. No interviews have been scheduled, people familiar with the requests said. Muellers team is waiting to first review the documents, which the White House has been working to turn over for the past three weeks. People familiar with the probe said the documents Mueller has requested strongly suggest the topics that he and his investigators would broach with the aides. McGahn and Burnham were briefed by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on Jan. 26, days after Trumps inauguration, about concerns in the Justice Department and FBI that Flynn could be compromised by the Russians. She warned that the FBI knew he was not telling the whole truth to Vice President Pence and the public about his December conversations with then-Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about U.S. sanctions on Russia. Courts have held that the president does not have attorney-client privilege with lawyers in the White House counsels office, and their testimony about their Oval Office dealings can be sought in investigations. Spicer had been drawn into the White Houses handling of the Flynn matter before the inauguration. After The Washington Post reported that Flynn had talked with Kislyak about sanctions, Spicer told reporters that Flynn had reached out to Kislyak on Christmas Day to extend holiday greetings effectively rejecting claims that they had talked about U.S. sanctions against Moscow. A few days later, President Barack Obama had announced he was expelling 35 Russian intelligence operatives in response to the Kremlins meddling in the U.S. election. After Obamas announcement, Spicer said Kislyak had sent a message requesting that Flynn call him. Flynn took that call, Spicer said. But he stressed that the call centered on the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and [Trump] after the election. As chief of staff, Priebus was involved in many of Trumps decisions, including the situations involving Flynn and Comey. Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June that Priebus was among a group of White House aides whom Trump instructed to leave the Oval Office before he asked the FBI director to drop the inquiry into Flynn. Hicks, who is now White House communications director, and Raffel were involved in internal discussions in July over how to respond to questions about a Trump Tower meeting that Donald Trump Jr. organized with a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign in June 2016. The two communications staffers advocated being transparent about the purpose of the meeting, which Trump Jr. had accepted after he was offered damaging information about Hillary Clinton that he was told was part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign. Ultimately, according to people familiar with the discussions, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to the New York Times, which was preparing a report about the meeting. The response omitted important details about the meeting and presented it as primarily devoted to a discussion of the adoption of Russian children. CNN first reported Thursday that Mueller has sought interviews with White House staffers related to the preparation of that statement but did not name them. Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. President Trump signed a bill Friday to deliver $15 billion in disaster aid and also extend government funding and the federal borrowing limit until Dec. 8, despite objections of Republican lawmakers who booed two top White House officials earlier in the day over the deal Trump struck with Democrats. The measure passed a morning House vote 316 to 90; every member opposed was a Republican. Yet even the House Republicans who supported the bill were frustrated that Trump bargained with Democrats on Wednesday for a short-limit debt increase, undercutting GOP congressional leaders and setting up a messy end-of-year negotiation. That frustration was taken out Friday morning on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, who came to Capitol Hill to urge skeptical Republican lawmakers to back the measure. To many GOP members, the administrations messengers were poorly chosen: Mnuchin is a New York financier known for his past as a Democratic fundraiser. Mulvaney is a former House conservative who spent much of his legislative career browbeating GOP leaders over the national debt and budget deficits. There were probably a lot of members in there in disbelief, Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) said. I do know that there is a lot of frustration with the deal that was cut by the president, and I think its a very difficult pill for many in there to swallow. At several points, according to several members and aides, comments from Mnuchin and Mulvaney were met with groans, boos and hisses. Mnuchin, in particular, drew jeers after asking Republicans to support the measure for him personally rather than for the policy, then leaving the meeting early by explaining he had other pressing matters to attend to. His last words, and I quote, was, Vote for the debt ceiling for me, said Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), who leads a group of conservative members. That did not go over well in the room at all His performance was incredibly poor. Mnuchins closing went so poorly, Walker said, that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reminded members afterward that hundreds of thousands of hurricane victims were counting on their votes. At another point, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) pressed Mulvaney on whether the Trump administration would commit to seeking reductions in the federal budget deficit as a part of negotiations with Democrats ahead of the new Dec. 8 deadline. Mulvaney said he could not make that commitment, and members booed. The debt ceiling is supposed to be at least a stop sign that gives us pause and gives us a chance to change the way were doing our spending, and its not even a yield sign, Barton said afterward. In fact, its an increase speed sign right now. Democrats were expected to deliver a majority of the votes to approve the deal, making it easier for Republicans to vote against the package without the threat of failing to provide critical disaster funding as Hurricane Irma bears down on Floridas southern coast. Republican leaders avoided an embarrassing benchmark by persuading a solid majority of GOP members to support the deal. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the scale of the Republican revolt on Friday was still remarkable. If I ever as leader or as speaker had 90 members vote against one of the easiest bills to vote for, which is disaster assistance, you know they have a philosophical problem with governance, she said. The legislation easily passed the Senate by a vote of 80 to 17 on Thursday, despite similar concerns from Senate conservatives. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) was among those Republicans who initially opposed the idea of a three-month extension of the federal borrowing limit, but he said Thursday he supports the legislation. Ryan said he worries about the impact of continued reliance on short-term debt limit fixes on credit markets but that the package Trump agreed to is intended to create certainty while the United States responds to a number of natural disasters. We need to make sure that the government responds to people, Ryan told reporters at a weekly news conference. So the president wanted to make sure that we are are going together as Republicans and Democrats to respond to this. [Republicans jolted by, and Democrats wary of, Trumps overtures to opposing party] While the passage of the bill Friday defuses the most explosive items on the September calendar, Congress has not cleared all of the obstacles ahead. It still must reauthorize several programs and agencies before the end of the month, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Childrens Health Insurance Program. Democrats have indicated they might use those deadlines to press for action to protect those at risk of deportation because of Trumps cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, as well as payments to health insurers mandated under the Affordable Care Act. Those fights, however, would not result in a government shutdown or federal default. That risk now shifts to December, setting up months of high-stakes bargaining that will determine whether Trump will be able to fulfill promises of increasing military spending and building at least a portion of a Mexican border wall. Also likely to become part of the negotiation is another chunk of federal funding for disaster victims a tally that could increase dramatically with Hurricane Irma. Among those most frustrated by Trumps deal with Democrats were Texas conservatives who represent the area affected by Hurricane Harvey. Texas lawmakers met Thursday for a bipartisan lunch during which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called in and urged them to support the federal aid bill. Many conservatives left the lunch saying they expected to take their first-ever vote in favor of a debt-ceiling hike to advance Harvey aid. Most of the states delegation supported the bill, but four Texas Republicans voted against it: Barton, as well as Reps. Sam Johnson, Jeb Hensarling and Mac Thornberry. The latter two men both chair major committees. I love President Trump, and Im with him probably 90 or 95 percent of the time, but I dont think its appropriate to raise the debt ceiling with $19 trillion public debt and not have any effort to change the way we spend money here in Washington, Barton said Thursday. Rep. Bill Flores (R-Tex.), who represents a Central Texas district largely spared by Harvey, voted for the bill but wondered about its consequences Thursday. I just hope the president isnt hurt by the long-term impact of this deal, Flores said. You think about a Dec. 8 debt-ceiling deadline: The Democrats are going to play that for all its worth in terms of a government shutdown and trying to cut a deal that may have all of their pet projects in it, and that may be something the president doesnt find to be beneficial. [Debt-ceiling shift signifies a remarkable political evolution for Trump] But others saw Trumps deal as a wake-up call to Republicans. I think he sent a crystal-clear message that if we dont get things accomplished, hes going to find other ways to move the ball, Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) said. That should ratchet up pressure on the House and the Senate. On Friday morning, it was Mulvaney a firebrand co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that has railed against increasing the debt limit who absorbed much of the House GOPs frustration. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) rose to ask Mulvaney whether he had 42 openings for deputy directors at the Office of Management and Budget. A bewildered Mulvaney replied he had only one vacancy. Issa replied that was unfortunate, because he could hire his former Freedom Caucus colleagues so they could reverse their positions on raising the debt limit just like Mulvaney had a response that prompted a roar in the room and caused Mulvaney, in several members telling, to turn red. Afterward, Mulvaneys former colleagues defended him to a point. Its ironic, but its not hypocritical, because he works for somebody now, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said. But its ironic its really, really, really ironic. Read more at PowerPost House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi isnt apologizing to Democrats and liberal activists for cutting a deal with President Trump on spending and the debt limit. Shes looking to prove she can win. Some liberal groups and immigration activists have loudly criticized Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) for cutting a deal with Trump and GOP leaders without a securing a plan to extend legal protections to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. But Pelosi said the deal reached Wednesday to pair $15.25 billion in disaster aid with a three-month extension of the debt limit and current spending levels was a critical step in securing unexpected power for Democrats. I make no apology for doing that with the person who is going to sign the bill, Pelosi said in a Friday interview. It gives you great leverage. [House votes to send Harvey aid package to Trump, fund government through Dec. 8] Pelosi said that she does not think Democratic voters believe that she and Schumer should avoid finding common ground with Trump. She said Republicans made a mistake when they refused to work with President Barack Obama. That made it difficult for Congress to pass legislation that would otherwise have carried bipartisan support, such as a comprehensive immigration bill and Pelosi said she isnt going to repeat that headache. Besides, Pelosi said, Democrats got exactly what they wanted out of their talk with Trump. Republican leaders wanted a longer extension of the debt limit to avoid a messy vote on debt and spending in December when Republicans will almost certainly need Democrats to provide the votes necessary to avoid default and a government shutdown. The bill that passed by a vote of 316 to 90 in the House, with 183 Democrats voting yes, ensures that Democrats will have a chance to ask for major concessions on spending increases and immigration in December. [Republicans jolted by, and Democrats wary of, Trumps overtures to opposing party] Pelosi said the deal with Trump proved that he recognized the power that a unified Democratic Party brings to the table. If they had the votes, we wouldnt have been having the meeting, Pelosi said. The clarity of that situation I think the president was fully aware of. Pelosi said she and Schumer went into the White House meeting with the message that they were prepared to deliver votes, but only if the debt-limit deadline was tied directly to the deadline on spending. It wasnt a threat; it was a prediction, Pelosi said. Were not voting for this unless its three months and we all support the debt ceiling. Now Pelosi has Trumps ear, and she pointed to his tweet to reassure beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , or DACA, as proof that she is looking out for the same people who have criticized her. [At Pelosis request, Trump tweets no action against DACA recipients for six months ] Pelosi said she had planned to call White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to tell him that the immigrants protected under DACA were scared when Trump rescinded Obamas order that protected them from deportation. But Trump called Pelosi first and she got to tell him herself. I said: Mr. President, Im so glad you called, because this is the challenge we have. I know you didnt mean to instill fear, but it is happening, Pelosi said. He said, Well, what can I do? And I said, Do what you always do. Pelosi hung up and went into a meeting Thursday with members where she told them about the call. While they were in the meeting, Trump tweeted that there would be no action against DACA recipients during the six months before the program is phased out. Im glad I didnt leave this to the end of my presentation, Pelosi said. Because how could I say at the end of the presentation, Oh, I asked him to do that. Read more at PowerPost - 270000 Rohingya flee Myanmar to Bangladesh in just two weeks. - Numbers continue to rise. - These new refugees continue to overwhelm the already stretched Camps. According to reports from the United Nations, the number of Rohingya Muslims that have fled into Bangladesh in the past two weeks has reached 270,000. This number has shot up as a result of the increased violence in Myanmar. "This [the refugee figures] does not necessarily reflect fresh arrivals within the past 24 hours but that we have identified more people in different areas that we were not aware of before," said Tan. "The numbers are so alarming. It really means we have to step up our response and that the situation in Myanmar has to be addressed urgently." The massive influx of these Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh has continued to add to the already overwhelmed camps and shelter provisions in the country. "The two refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh - home to nearly 34,000 Rohingya refugees before this influx - are now bursting at the seams. The population has more than doubled in two weeks, totalling more than 70,000. There is an urgent need for more land and shelters," UNHCR said in a briefing note for reporters in Geneva. "The vast majority are women, including mothers with newborn babies, families with children. They arrive in poor condition, exhausted, hungry and desperate for shelter." Only one health facility remains operational in the Islamic State-held part of Raqqa, serving thousands of civilians trapped in the Syrian city with virtually no emergency services or rescue personnel, as the intense U.S.-backed campaign to liberate the city continues, Physicians for Human Rights said Friday. The New York-based group described nightmarish conditions in the ever-shrinking area controlled by Islamic State militants amid an incessant bombing campaign. Wounded civilians are left under the rubble because neighbors fear being trapped by further airstrikes. The lone operating hospital is using saltwater to sanitize wounds, and treatment of traumatic injuries is limited to stopping the bleeding, the group said based on interviews it carried out with survivors, physicians and aid workers from the city. The U.S.-led campaign, which began in earnest in June, left only the national hospital functioning and even that at reduced capacity, as others were either bombed or closed, the group said. One doctor who escaped in mid-August told PHR that he operated out of his home because civilians feared going to the hospital in case it was shelled, or to avoid extortion by Islamic State fighters. Militants from the extremist group administer the hospital, which has been divided into two sections, one for civilians and another for the groups members. Amid the campaign, the last of the hospitals remaining services were forced underground, providing very basic medical care, PHR said. In recent weeks, medical supplies have dwindled and pharmacies closed. The doctor finally left Raqqa after two of his colleagues were killed in airstrikes that hit their homes. As he fled, his daughter was killed in a land mine explosion. Raqqa is a deathtrap where civilians who have already suffered for years under [Islamic State] rule now also suffer the deadly consequences of the fight against [the Islamic State], said Racha Mouawieh, Syria researcher for PHR. The United Nations has estimated that as many as 25,000 civilians remain trapped in the city, unable to leave either because the militant group holds them to use as human shields or because of land mines along the roads and the heavy bombing. For those who escape the city, the closest health facility is 50 miles away, in Tal Abyad, or 90 miles away in Kobane for a specialized trauma unit. A new private hospital opened in Tabqa, about 25 miles from Raqqa, last week, PHR said. The group called on parties to the conflict to ensure civilian access to medical care and safe evacuation. The U.S.-led coalition has said that it does everything within its powers to limit harm to civilians but that casualties are inevitable in a street-by-street battle with the militants. Since the campaign began in June, U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have seized more than 60 percent of the city, tightening the noose on hundreds of Islamic State militants who are fighting to the death for the city and trapping thousands of civilians with them. The U.N. and rights groups have expressed concern for civilian safety, with one official urging a humanitarian pause. FBI Director nominee Christopher Wray testifies on Capitol Hill in July 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, in his first public remarks as the bureaus new head, said he has seen no interference from the White House in the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between Moscow and Trump associates in last years election. I can say very confidently that I have not detected any whiff of interference with that investigation, said Wray, referring to his five weeks on the job in the wake of President Trumps firing of James B. Comey. He noted that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is running the investigation and that the bureau has agents working on the probe, which expanded earlier this year to include looking at whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice leading up to the firing of Comey. He said he has enormous respect for Mueller, whom he knew when Mueller ran the FBI in the early 2000s and Wray was a senior Justice Department official. Wray, whose name is often paired with adjectives such as understated and low-key, is a departure in style from his predecessor, Comey, who reveled in engaging in public debate and whose firing stunned the bureau. He is calm and collected, said Charlie Allen, a former longtime senior intelligence official who heard Wray at an Intelligence and National Security Summit on Thursday. He has a clear mind. Hes very independent. During his confirmation hearing in July, Wray, who is 50, pledged he would resign rather than give in to pressure from the president to drop an investigation. No one should mistake my low-key demeanor as a lack of resolve, as some kind of willingness to compromise on principle, he said. President Trump has publicly expressed doubts about the intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia intervened in the election in part to help him win. Wray in July said he had no reason to second-guess the spy agencies assessment, and that hasnt changed now that he has seen the classified report on the subject, he said. Wray also noted that the FBI, in its counterintelligence mission, is working at preventing Russian interference in future elections. So theres overlap of mission there with Muellers probe, and Im impressed with the strides that weve made on that front. Trump has not hidden his displeasure with what he sees as politically motivated leaks coming from government officials with respect to the Russia probe. He has repeatedly called on the Justice Department, of which the FBI is a part, to catch and punish leakers. Wray, who was part of a panel of five intelligence officials, acknowledged leaks were of deep concern to all of us on this stage. He also gave a nod to the important role the free press plays in a society. He said those with access to classified information should respect the shared sense of accountability and responsibility for the information were all entrusted with. Wray urged Congress to renew a surveillance law known informally as Section 702 for the portion of the statute it falls under. It helped detect an Islamic State proponent who was recruiting online via social media and who advocated the killing of U.S. military members, he said. The ISIS member, Shawn Parson, who was from Trinidad and Tobago, was killed in Syria in 2015. He said a big challenge for the bureau is on the technology front. Adversaries advances in technology are exceeding our ability to keep up, he said. Without private sector collaboration here, he said, weve got a very, very scary road ahead of us. Members of the Islamic State and their families are seen in a bus in Qara area in Syria's Qalamoun region on Aug. 28. (Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images) At Russia's request, the U.S. military on Friday called off its surveillance of a convoy of Islamic State fighters that has been stuck in the Syrian desert for the past 10 days, saying it is now up to the Syrian government to resolve its fate. The decision to withdraw the warplanes that have been circling over the convoy came after Syrian troops advancing through the province of Deir al-Zour passed the point where the convoy is located, leaving it behind Syrian army lines, according to a military statement. The convoy became stuck in the no man's land between the front lines of the Syrian army and the Islamic State after the U.S. military bombed the road ahead to prevent it from reaching Islamic State territory in eastern Syria. It had been traveling there from western Syria under the terms of a deal struck between the Islamic State and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement to end fighting along the Lebanese border. Because Syrian troops are now in control of the area, the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State agreed to a Russian request to halt the surveillance, in the interests of deconflicting the rival Russian- and U.S.-backed efforts to defeat the militants, the statement said. The military added that it would continue to try to prevent the militants aboard the buses from reaching Iraq. The regime's advance past the convoy underlines continued Syrian responsibility for the buses and terrorists, said Brig. Gen. Jon Braga, director of operations for the U.S.-led coalition. As always, we will do our utmost to ensure that the ISIS terrorists do not move toward the border of our Iraqi partners. U.S. military officials had previously said that they would not allow the buses to reach any Islamic State-controlled area, in Syria or Iraq. It is unclear whether the Syrian advance into the area means the terms of the Hezbollah-brokered deal will now be fulfilled and the buses will be allowed to proceed to their original destination, the Syrian border town of Bukamal. The original convoy of 17 buses loaded with Islamic State fighters and their families had already broken up, with six managing to head back into Syrian government territory and 11 getting stuck after the bombing of the road. The U.S. military did not bomb the convoy itself, because of the presence of women and children. There were several reports that some individual fighters managed to escape across the border into Iraq, and Hezbollah said in a statement Saturday that some buses had made it into to Islamic State territory, without giving details. An official linked to Hezbollah said the number was four. But the U.S. military said it was sure no buses made it into militant-controlled areas. The military also said it killed 85 fighters in the vicinity of the buses who were attempting to escape. Suzan Haidamous in Washington contributed to this report. Read more A boost for Assad as the Syrian army makes gains against ISIS in eastern Syria U.S.-led airstrikes block ISIS fighters escaping under a Hezbollah-brokered deal ISIS fighters may have escaped to Iraq, despite U.S. promises to stop them Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news - Qatar donates $30 million for harvey relief. - UAE donates $10 million. Qatar has declared that it is donating $30 million to hurricane Harvey victims as they recover from the disaster and attempt to build back their lives. This announcement came around the same time as the UAE's donation of $10 million. Qatar's contribution is the largest the U.S. has received so far from a foreign nation and the anouncemnet for both contributions was made around the same time as when the leader of Kuwait who has been heavily linked in the attempt to restore peace in the already mounting tensions between Qatar and a host of other gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia. "Texans are stronger than any storm and will come back bigger and better, and Qatar stands ready to help our friends at every turn," Al Thani said in a statement that emphasised the gas-rich country's ties to Texas, including its consulate in Houston. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/09/2017 (1894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. At least two of the North West Companys 12 stores in the Caribbean have been heavily damaged by hurricane Irma, a senior company official said on Thursday. Edward Kennedy, the Winnipeg-based discount retailers president and CEO, said the stores are on two of the hardest-hit Caribbean islands St. Maarten and St. Thomas. He said early indications suggest the Cost-U-Less store on St. Maarten wont be operational for at least a number of weeks and that the Cost-U-Less store on St. Thomas appears to have been hit especially hard. This Sept. 6, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island known as St. Martin in English which is divided between French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten. (Jonathan Falwell via AP) It may, in fact, be the most damaged of all of our stores, he said, even though St. Thomas itself wasnt hit as hard as St. Maarten. Kennedy said it could be a while before the company knows whether the two stores can be repaired, or if they will have to be rebuilt. Its looking for temporary sites from which to operate. He said a store in St. Croix and its two largest stores in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) appear to be relatively unscathed He said the two largest stores should be back in operation fairly quickly. He noted the company does have insurance on its Caribbean operations and expects it to cover expected costs and losses, including loss of business. Kennedy was commenting during a conference call with analysts to discuss North Wests second-quarter financial results. He stressed that is not the companys primary concern at this point. Our first concern is with the losses people have suffered, including the hardships now faced by over 1,000 associates who work for us in the region, he said. This is a human catastrophe and as an essential food retailer and major employer in the affected communities, we are totally committed to safely getting back into operation at the earliest date possible, while working closely with local authorities to help in every way we can. North West said the two new companies it acquired last year Roadtown Wholesale Trading Ltd. in the BVI and the Thunder Bay-based North Star Air Ltd. continue to have a positive impact on its bottom line. It said Q2 net earnings were up 42 per cent from a year earlier $23.3 million, or 46 cents per share, compared to $16.4 million, or 34 cents per share. Revenue increased by 10.3 per cent to $507.9 million from $460.6 million. The North West Company Inc. is a leading retailer of food and everyday products in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. It operates 243 stores under the trading names Northern, NorthMart, Giant Tiger (in Western Canada), Alaska Commercial Company, Cost-U-Less and RiteWay Food Markets. murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. She has permission to take her speeding-ticket fight to Manitobas Court of Appeal, but a Winnipeg woman has a long legal road ahead as she continues to push for timely traffic-court trials. Genevieve Grant is currently fighting 10 photo radar tickets in provincial court. One of them, issued after a vehicle she owned was captured on camera speeding through a school zone in October 2014, is now heading to the provinces top court. In a precedent-setting decision in spring 2016, the ticket was initially dropped after Grant successfully argued her Charter rights were violated because the case took too long to get to trial. Don Healy / Leader-Post A trial had been set for 18 months less eight days down the road nearly reaching the Supreme Court-imposed 18-month deadline for provincial court trials. But the case was already in the system when the Supreme Court imposed those deadlines last summer in its R vs. Jordan decision. In a subsequent decision in March, Court of Queens Bench Justice Vic Toews ordered the ticket to be reinstated, ruling Grant had not been subjected to unreasonable delays. In a decision this week, Court of Appeal Justice Diana Cameron granted Grant permission to appeal Toews decision. The provinces top court is expected to seize the opportunity to decide whether relatively simple traffic disputes should fall under the same 18-month deadline the Supreme Court set for criminal cases winding their way through provincial courts across Canada. One of the questions the appeal court is expected to answer is whether Toews correctly interpreted the Jordan decision to determine if Grants Charter rights were violated. Trial judges are interpreting the law differently, and one of the roles of this court is to settle the law, Cameron wrote in her decision. No appeal hearing date has yet been set. Grants lawyer, Markus Buchart, is awaiting a decision expected today from provincial court Judge Tim Killeen on whether another of Grants traffic trials has been unreasonably delayed it was set for 18 months and 10 days after Grant was ticketed. The trial date is now set for Sept. 29, when arguments on four of her 10 traffic tickets are expected to be heard. Buchart is arguing court delays have violated his clients rights and special constables should not be considered peace officers when it comes to doling out tickets. While he declined to comment to the Free Press, Buchart told court his client intends to keep fighting the tickets. She is the registered owner of five cars and there are five household members, so the number of tickets is reflective of the fact there are five drivers, he said. Motorists advocate Todd Dube of Wise Up Winnipeg said he agrees the provinces top court needs to settle the issue. Just because 18 months might not be an unreasonable timeline for a criminal trial doesnt mean thats how long it should take to contest a traffic ticket, he said. Its the unfairness, unique to Winnipeg in terms of the deficient engineering that theyre enforcing, that has caused people to be angry enough that theyre actually going to spend five times more money arguing their points rather than simply pay (the ticket), Dube said. Traffic court backlogs more than a year long show Winnipeggers are willing to fight tickets, he said. The Manitoba judicial system has been compromised by the tremendous increase in violations that weve seen over the last 10 years, and the entire system is stacked against the people receiving them, he said. Theyre giving out so many unfair tickets that an unprecedented number of people are pleading not guilty. katie.may@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @thatkatiemay Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal government is set to end both of Manitobas long-standing drinking-water advisories on First Nations within a year. But theres still no end in sight to the boil-water warning for an Ontario reserve that holds Winnipegs drinking water. For three years, the First Nations of Wuskwi Sipihk (on the western shore of Swan Lake) and Pauingassi (which sits on a remote peninsula near Little Grand Rapids) have been under a drinking-water advisory. Both communities are set to have clean water coming out of their taps by next autumn. They both lacked clean water during the October 2015 election, when now-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to solve all drinking-water advisories on First Nations within five years. Winnipeg Free Press Files Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Shoal Lake 40 with Chief Erwin Redsky in April 2016. Trudeau pledged to solve all drinking-water advisories on First Nations within five years of his election in 2015. As of Thursday, the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada website lists more than 150 drinking-water advisories across Canada 20 are in Manitoba. But the numbers dont tell the whole story, according to Lysane Bolduc, INACs director for implementing water and wastewater programs. About half are short-term advisories, defined as those lasting less than a year, can be caused by mechanical damage during a storm surge, environmental changes that lead to higher chlorine levels in a water sources, she said. Long-term advisories often involve a malfunctioning treatment plant, which can usually takes 18 to 24 months to fix through a process of assessing needs, designing a plant and putting it out for a tender for contractors. Bolduc says the fact most drinking-water advisories are short-term is a good thing, because it shows First Nations face the same occasional problems any major Canadian city does. Getting upset over short-term advisories isnt right thing to do, she said. In western Manitoba, residents of Wuskwi Sipihk have relied on bottled water since April 24, 2014, when their water-treatment plant stopped working. Some on the edge of the reserve have access to a neighbouring communitys drinkable water. The tribe, which is Swampy Cree, has a registered population of 644 with slightly less than 200 living on-reserve (as of last month). Most have moved from a lakeside up toward Highway 10, where theyve asked to have a new water-treatment plant built. INAC said its expecting to begin design work next year, and finish construction in 2019. But Wuskwi Sipihk Chief Elwood Zastre says he expects an even faster turnaround, with designs for a water-treatment plant this year, and with a contract to be awarded sometime in the spring. We should have our new water plant by next fall, for sure, he said. Were all set to go on it. Meanwhile, the Anishinaabe community of Pauingassi has lacked clean water since Sept. 24, 2014. Last month, the First Nation had a registered population of 656, with most living on the reserve. Michel Burrowes, the Manitoba head of infrastructure for INAC, says his colleagues have helped Pauingassi complete population projections and map out water sources, which helped them decide to upgrade an existing water-treatment plant. Were anticipating that it will be fully operational in the summer of 2018, said Burrowes. Pauingassi officials could not be reached for confirmation. A third long-term advisory in the province, at Lake Manitoba First Nation, was registered on April 6, 2016, and ended May 8, 2017. The governments 2016 budget pledged $1.8 billion over five years, an unprecedented amount of long-term funding to tackle the issue. But Burrowes says actually getting out the door is a complicated process. Its not a situation that can be resolved overnight in most cases, he said. Thats the challenge for us, because waters critical; it really is the basis of life. INAC keeps tabs on drinking-water advisories through annual reports in which tribal councils list their infrastructure needs. The department then funds a process led by the council to study the problem, and find a contractor to fix the problems. Only public drinking water falls under INACs financial responsibility. Private establishments, such as stores and gas stations, are included in the advisories list, and INAC pays to monitor but not solve them. Bolduc says water issues on Manitoba reserves are generally easier to solve than in the three provinces that make up the bulk of Canadas long-term drinking-water advisories. She says the the remote reserves of Northern Ontario, which are harder to reach to do lab testing, while areas in Saskatchewan often lack contractors specializing in water infrastructure. In British Columbia, responsibility over drinking water has been largely devolved to tribal authorities. Burrowes says Manitoba has a further advantage in the Circuit Rider program, a First Nations-led initiative that has tribal councils train water-plant operators to maintain and inspect their plants, which can spot problems early on. He says his INAC colleagues are still dealing with a backlog of water advisories nationwide, and that it takes time to translate allocated funding into drinkable tap water. There is a perception out there that government is not doing anything to address these issues, Burrowes said. Zastre praised the Trudeau government, saying it takes an emotional toll to not have clean water at the ready. Im just happy that the federal government is doing these things for First Nations, for a little reserve like us, he said. But Shoal Lake 40, a reserve straddling the Ontario border along Indian Bay, has lacked drinking water since February 1997, despite serving as the source of Winnipegs drinking water since 1919. Thats when the reserve was made into an artificial island in order to hold an aqueduct. Construction is underway for a road to the reserve, which Chief Erwin Redsky says wont be fully completed until next year. He hopes the community gets clean water shortly after, something Ottawas promised them before, but theres been no timeline set. Were just 20 kilometres south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Were not physically isolated; weve been politically isolated, Redsky said. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA A Manitoba First Nation has become a major investor in a nationwide chain of cannabis distribution clinics, as Indigenous groups eye economic opportunities in the budding marijuana industry as a step towards reconciliation. Today, National Access Cannabis will be publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with Opaskwayak Cree Nation holding the largest share of the company. The war on drugs is over, now its the war on poverty, for us to create economic opportunities for First Nations, said Opaskwayak Chief Christian Sinclair, who believes its historic to see an Indigenous group hold the largest stake in a publicly traded company. Supplied Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Christian Sinclair with Chuck Rifici, chairman of National Access Cannabis. The marijuana clinic has locations across the country, including Winnipeg, where nurses help people with a legal prescription find the right product. That could be marijuana to smoke or in pill or oil form, which are mailed to the customer through the existing legal framework. This isnt a rubber-stamp organization; this is very above-board, said the companys chief executive officer, Mark Goliger, noting all dispensaries in Canada remain illegal. Todays valuation is around $30 million, and Goliger says Indigenous people should play a key role in the possibly lucrative legalization of marijuana. Its fairness; how do we put people on equal footing for resources and opportunity? Important expression of reconciliation Meanwhile, a prominent Manitoban is trying to get reserves on-board with the idea of cultivating marijuana. Phil Fontaine, former chief of the Assembly of First Nations, claims more than 100 First Nations across Canada are interested in his business venture. It is led through a cultivation company called Cronos Group, which focuses on medical marijuana but is eyeing recreational sales. I believe, this would probably be the most important expression of reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and Canada, he said in a recent interview. Reconciliation is so complex and multilayered. There isnt just one definition. Fontaine, who hails from Sagkeeng First Nation, 145 km northeast of Winnipeg, notes studies suggest Indigenous people are disproportionately jailed on drug charges, and marijuana has roots in various First Nations medicinal practices. Fontaine believes it would be righting a historical wrong to see reserves working their way out of grinding poverty by selling marijuana. Fontaine said Indigenous people are often the last to profit from resource extraction, whereas cannabis is a burgeoning industry. We have an opportunity to be at the starting point. He said its possible First Nations growers could be exempt from certain taxes, though Ottawa is still working out the details on its July 1, 2018 deadline to legalize recreational marijuana use. Pallisters call for delay misses the mark: Sinclair Fontaine admitted theres a stigma people from a handful of First Nations wouldnt tell the Free Press whether theyre considering the issue. He also rejected the word marijuana, which historians argue U.S. officials took up to make cannabis seem like a foreign danger. As for National Access Cannabis, Sinclair said it was mostly a business decision for Opaskwayak, located more than 500 km northwest of Winnipeg, to invest in the company. We wanted to invest in an area that was very low-risk but also brought a professional look and feel to the industry. Goliger said Sinclair will help the company find Indigenous producers to work with once those groups get cultivating, which can take years. Goliger also said Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is missing the mark in asking for a delay in legalizing recreational marijuana. He said the province has entrepreneurial Indigenous groups and a business-minded government that shuns monopolies. I think Manitoba could be the shining example to the rest of the provinces on how to do this. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The man who served as spiritual leader for Manitoba Hutterites for nearly 40 years and implemented major reforms, has died. Jacob Kleinsasser, spiritual leader of Manitoba and South Dakota Hutterite colonies since he was elected in 1978, died at the age of 95. He was from the Crystal Springs Colony near Ste. Agathe, about 40 kilometres south of Winnipeg. TIM SMITH PHOTO Jacob Kleinsasser insisted that colony members finish high school. Kleinsasser ushered in numerous reforms, including post-secondary education in certain disciplines for Hutterites, and introduced businesses like Hutterian Brethren Mutual Insurance and a Hutterite credit company to serve colony members. He was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal several years ago for his contribution to his community. Kenny Wollman, who is studying theology and biblical studies at Canadian Mennonite University and hopes to one day obtain a degree in education, said he would not be attending post-secondary school today if not for Kleinsasser. He was energetic, creative, a visionary, and his work is testimony to that, said Wollman, a member of the Baker Hutterite Colony near MacGregor. While Wollman cautions against hagiography (making people out to be saints), he believes Kleinsasser will one day be recognized as one of the greatest Hutterite leaders known to the group that began in the 1530s in Moravia, which is in the Czech Republic today. But Kleinsassers reforms also rubbed some colonies the wrong way, causing a schism with more traditional members. That schism came to a head in 1992 when about half the colonies in Manitoba, and many colonies in Minnesota and the Dakotas (mostly South Dakota), broke away from the reforms. The branch of Hutterites that resides in those jurisdictions is called Schmiedeleut. Schmied meaning blacksmith in German, which was the occupation of the branch leader when Hutterite religious refugees started arriving from Russia in 1918. Leut means people in German. The schism saw the Schmiedeleut split into two groups, Group 1 (reformers) and Group 2 (traditionalists). Of the 108 colonies in Manitoba, 49 are Group 1. Group 2 does not have a spiritual leader anymore, but is headed by committee instead. There are roughly another hundred Schmiedeleut colonies in the Dakotas and Minnesota that are also split along Group 1 and Group 2 lines. Hutterites believe in living in colonies and sharing property communally. Rooted in the Anabaptist tradition, they believe in absolute pacifism. They are often recognized by their modest clothes. Women wear head kerchiefs and ankle-length dresses; men wear dark trousers and suspenders. While colony members acknowledge non-Hutterites sometimes referred to Kleinsasser as the Hutterite pope, they say there are few similarities other than that they are spiritual leaders. A Hutterite leader does not have the same powers as a pope, and lives communally in his home colony like everyone else. However, like with popes, the Hutterite spiritual leadership is a lifetime position. Where Kleinsasser did have some power was when a dispute arose within a colony that members couldnt resolve themselves. They could turn to the spiritual leader to impose a solution. With education, many Hutterite colonies balked at his insistence that colony members finish high school and have some opportunity to attend post-secondary schools. Many Hutterites felt by educating young people, you are empowering them to leave the community, so its safer to keep them in ignorance and theyll stay, said Ian Kleinsasser, a nephew of the former spiritual leader, and a grade school teacher at Crystal Springs Hutterite Colony. Jacob argued if you keep them ignorant, then were the ones that lose. Ignorant people arent contributing all they can to a community. Most Hutterites who attend university go into education, but some have become registered nurses. Some have also become paramedics, and others have gone into trades like electrical, carpentry, welding and plumbing. Despite having only a Grade 8 education, Kleinsasser would translate hundreds of Hutterite sermons from the 17th century from German to English, and those sermons are still used by colonies. He oversaw the translation of The Chronicle of the Hutterian Brethren, volumes 1 and 2, that tell the history of the Hutterites from the 1530s to 1873. The chronicles were stopped after that, when Hutterites immigrated to South Dakota, and Kleinsasser worked to chronicle more recent history by retrieving documents like letters and genealogical data, and recording oral histories. Between 1918 and 1920, Hutterites began to migrate into Manitoba and Alberta because of persecution over their refusal to bear arms in the First World War. Kleinsasser also pushed colonies to do more mission work. Today, Group 1 Schmiedeleut do mission work by funding Providence Christian Services, which sends containers of food and supplies to countries such as Liberia, Nigeria and Haiti. They also donate to other organizations such as the Red Cross, Mennonite Central Committee and Christian Aid Ministries, Ian Kleinsasser said. Jacob Kleinsasser died on Aug. 8. Arnold Hofer, 71, of Acadia Hutterite Colony near Carberry, has been elected new spiritual leader. bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca - It would be a "very sad day" for North Korea if US took military action against them. - North Korea is technically still at war with the US and South Korea as the war which was called of in 1953 ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. The President of the United States, Donald Trump has stated that it would be a very sad day for North Korea if the U.S. decided to take military action against North Korea. Trump also said North Korea "is behaving badly and it's got to stop". He was speaking at a White House news conference after meeting the leader of Kuwait on Thursday. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable, nothing's inevitable. Hopefully we're not going to have to use it [military action] on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea," he said. North Korea says it needs its weapons to protect itself from US aggression. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. "Invariable is the aggressive ambition of the US to dominate Asia and the rest of the world by swallowing up the whole Korean peninsula," said a statement on Friday on the North's official Korean Central News Agency. A senior Trump administration official said it is unclear whether the Cold War-era deterrence model that Washington used with the Soviet Union could be applied to a rogue state such as North Korea, adding: "I don't think the president wants to take that chance." "We are very concerned that North Korea might not be able to be deterred," the official said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity shortly after Trump's remarks. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Manitoba judge refused Thursday to impose more restrictions on picketing Winnipeg airport workers. Court of Queens Bench Justice Herbert Rempel denied a Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) request for an amendment to his earlier court order granting an interlocutory injunction against the on-strike employees via their union, the Public Service Alliance of Canadas Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (PSAC). Rempel said he was not convinced to make any changes to his initial court order, which restricted where the striking employees can picket keeping them away from public entrances and exits to Richardson International Airport terminals on the arrival and departure levels, for example but didnt prohibit them from filming or photographing other employees in public areas. He said he had only anecdotal evidence from the WAA that city police had declined to interfere with the picketers, despite safety concerns voiced by the authority, which operates, manages and maintains the Winnipeg airport. I have every confidence that the (Winnipeg Police Service) will uphold its lawful duty to enforce the law whenever its violated, Rempel said. In these circumstances, absent evidence of a refusal by the WPS to enforce the law, I do not have jurisdiction to order the police to do what the law requires of them, he added, citing the Court of Appeals recent ruling in the citys Parker lands protest case that emphasized police must act independently to enforce the law. As the legal battle between the authority and PSAC continues, the union gave notice it intends to launch a constitutional challenge against court rules it claims would infringe upon union members rights to be protected from giving self-incriminating testimony. About 150 airport employees including managers, tradespeople and administrative workers went on strike July 24. Theyve been without a contract since June 30, 2016, and cite issues such as work being contracted out to non-union employees, wages and pension-plan changes. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Winnipeg Police Service is facing an unexpected bill of more than $100,000 after being ordered to return its supply of a locally produced opioid-overdose antidote in favour of a more expensive commercial product. Chief Danny Smyth told the police board Friday that the entire 1,300-unit supply of naloxone provided to the WPS in December 2016 is being returned to Tache Pharmacy after a ruling by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba. Weve been directed to return the product thats been distributed to us, Smyth told reporters following the board meeting. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES RCMP say they've used naloxone in a life-saving situation for the first time since they started carrying the opioid antidote. The provincial government had covered the initial $30,000 cost of the original 1,300-unit supply of naloxone, which had been made by Winnipegs Tache Pharmacy. Smyth said the WPS has been ordered to buy a replacement product from a commercial pharmaceutical supplier, with the bill ranging from $104,000 to $130,000 an amount not included in the 2017 budget. Pharmacy told it was producing too much Greg Harochaw, general manager of Tache Pharmacy, said the firm had originally been given approval by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba to produce the naloxone for the WPS and other local police agencies in the province, but that decision was reversed over the summer. Harochaw said the college decided the pharmacy was producing too much, on the scale of a manufacturer, and ordered it to stop. Harochaw said the decision is puzzling because the college regulations do not specify what amount of naloxone is too much. There is no defined number but the college is saying they feel the number were making is too large, Harochaw said, adding the pharmacy has decided not to challenge the colleges decision. The ruling affects not only the WPS but also about another 200 naloxone nasal spray units provided by the province to police services in Brandon and Winkler and the Dakota Ojibway Police Service. Cost per unit to quadruple A spokeswoman for the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba said Tache was allowed to produce its own naloxone for the WPS and other local police agencies because there wasnt a commercial nasal spray available at the time. However, the spokeswoman said a commercial product is now available and Tache was ordered to stop making its own. Tache Pharmacy was permitted to fill this gap by producing its own nasal spray for sale to the Winnipeg Police Service and other polices services in the province until a Health Canada approved version became available, said Susan Lessard-Friesen, college registrar, in an email statement to the Free Press. Since then, a Health Canada approved naloxone nasal spray became available. The College has therefore determined that given the availability of a Health Canada approved naloxone nasal spray, Tache Pharmacy must discontinue production of naloxone nasal spray as a compounded product. Lessard-Friesen said Tache Pharmacy can apply to Health Canada to be recognized as a manufacturer. From a public protection perspective, Manitobans, like all other Canadians, have the right to expect that when they are in need of this life-saving drug, emergency responders and law enforcement will be able to administer a naloxone nasal spray to them that has been manufactured and tested in accordance with Health Canadas high standards for efficacy, quality, and safety, Lessard-Friesen said. Harochaw said that while Tache Pharmacy has no plans to be recognized as a manufacturer of naloxone at this time, he believes the naloxone nasal spray made by his pharmacy is superior to the commercial product provincial police services will now have to purchase. Smyth said the WPS had negotiated to pay Tache Pharmacy about $20 per unit for its naloxone, adding the cost of the commercial product will range between $80 to $100 per unit. A WPS spokesman said the initial 1,300-unit supply was expected to last to the end of 2018. The replacement supply is expected shortly. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Canadas most populous province has announced a plan to sell legal marijuana through a publicly-owned system, which is music to the ears of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union. MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky said she hopes Ontarios plan to sell cannabis separately from alcohol in publicly-owned, stand-alone stores will set an example for Manitoba. A public sales model operated by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation would be the best possible option from a public health and safety perspective, she argued. The MLLC has a proven track record for selling a controlled substance, and the training that they put in for their employees to be able to sell it and be socially responsible for it is absolutely the best there is across Canada, said Gawronsky. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES I have no doubt in my mind that our members, the MLLCs employees, would be the best ones to be able to sell this. A December 2016 Probe Research poll commissioned by MGEU found that 65 per cent of Manitobans surveyed felt legal cannabis should be sold in stores owned and managed by government, similar to Liquor Marts, while 23 per cent said it should be sold in private stores. Likely cannabis users, however, were less likely to favour government-owned stores (55 per cent) and more likely to call for private stores (34 per cent). The Pallister government has not yet indicated how cannabis will be sold in Manitoba after federal legalization, which is set to go into effect by July 1, 2018. All options are on the table at this point, said Minister of Justice Heather Stefanson on Friday, adding that the government had received many responses to an expression of interest for producing, distributing, and retailing legal cannabis in Manitoba. Well continue to work with stakeholders in the community to develop a system that works best for Manitobans, said Stefanson. MLA Andrew Swan, justice critic with the opposition NDP, said selling cannabis through a crown corporation makes sense. Thats the best for social responsibility. Its the best to ensure widespread distribution, but also making sure that it stays out of the hands of minors. Ontarios proposed plan, announced Friday morning, would hand responsibility for provincial distribution of recreational cannabis to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The Crown corporation plans to open a series of new stores dedicated solely to cannabis, in addition to operating an online distribution system which would deliver marijuana province-wide by mail. The entire system would be supplied with cannabis grown by licensed producers regulated by Health Canada. About 40 retail locations should be open in time for legalization next summer, according to Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa, with plans to have 80 stores open by the end of 2018 and approximately 150 by 2020. Products will only be available from staff behind a counter, with no self-serve option for customers. Store locations will be determined in consultation with local municipalities. The minimum age for legal purchase and consumption of marijuana in Ontario will be 19, slightly higher than the minimum age of 18 set out in the federal governments Cannabis Act. Recreational consumption in Ontario will be probhited in all public spaces and workplaces, limiting cannabis users in the province to private residences. The province will consider the possibility of licensed venues to consume cannabis in the future, said Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi. The government of Ontario also said it will crack down on the illicit marijuana dispensaries that have proliferated in some cities across the province. Some dispensary advocates argue that provincial governments should be welcoming those businesses into the upcoming legal regime, in order to encourage cannabis users to buy their cannabis from legal sources and achieve the federal governments stated goal of quashing black market sales of marijuana. Dispensaries are the chosen distribution vehicle in almost every jurisdiction that has a legal cannabis regime, said Jeremy Jacob, president of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries. People want the human connection in general, they want the ability to learn, to understand, to feel cared for, to feel like someones actually interested in what theyre doing. Private dispensaries, believes Jacob, are also a better economic choice than publicly-owned stores. I think that nurturing a strong economy of private companies like you see in Colorado is going to be better for local economies, its going to be better for individuals, for business, he said. Dana Larsen, director of the Vancouver Dispensary Society, doesnt rule out publicy-owned cannabis stores as a potentially effective retail option. Still, he believes Ontarios tightly-controlled approach to retailing will fail to compete effectively with existing black market options. Theres only one way to shut down the black market and close dispensaries, and thats to make legal cannabis cheaper, higher quality, and more widely available than dispensaries can, he said. solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca @sol_israel Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 07/09/2017 (1894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Nominees have been chosen for the citys first transit advisory committee. Winnipeg Transit is proposing seven individuals be appointed to the new committee, including the acting head of Transit, a city councillor, a bus driver and two union officials. The appointments to the committee are part of an administrative report to Mondays meeting of the citys public works committee. FACEBOOK Winnipeg Transit is proposing members to be appointed to a new committee, which is one of several safety initiatives adopted by city hall in response to the Feb. 14 stabbing death of Transit driver Jubal Fraser. The creation of the committee was one of several safety initiatives adopted by city hall in June in response to the Feb. 14 stabbing death of Transit driver Jubal Fraser. As a result of the safety review conducted following Frasers death, Transit was authorized to take several immediate steps to address driver concerns. In addition to the creation of the advisory committee, which exists in most other Canadian municipalities, Transit was authorized to: launch a pilot project to test the suitability of driver barrier shields; launching a public campaign to encourage riders to report undesirable behaviour; having inspectors conduct spot checks for paid fares; and working more closely with police to target problem routes and times. The committee also forwarded several recommendations for consideration in the 2018 budget, including funding for: five additional full-time transit security staff; four new duty inspectors to assist drivers and passengers; adding one additional instructor to providing ongoing training for drivers to prevent and diffuse conflict situations; installing an additional surveillance camera on buses. The individuals nominated for the advisory committee include: Coun. Marty Morantz, chairman of the public works committee; Greg Ewankiw, acting director of Transit; bus driver Jon Rost; John Callahan, international vice-president of the Amalgamated Transit Union; Joe Kornelson, chairman of the local transit advocacy group Functional Transit Winnipeg; Winnipeg police Supt. Elizabeth Pilcher; and Dee Gillies, executive director of the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers. While Ewankiw said in June members of the new advisory committee would determine its mandate and how that work will be carried out, the report to public works recommends the committee be given a mandate to review industry practices, assess and determine trends and recommend strategies to improve safety on the Winnipeg Transit system. The report stated stakeholders consulted in the formation of the committee had agreed on its terms of reference and those terms be part of the administrative report recommendation to the public works committee. The report recommends members be appointed by the public works committee on a two-year term and the advisory committee will choose its own chairperson; the advisory committee report to the public works committee and will provide a report at least semi-annually; the committee will meet at least four times a year; members will not receive a remuneration for their work; and at least one be a member of city council. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Depending on ones inclination, one might congratulate the state of Florida for (maybe) finding the elusive painless, bloodless method of capital punishment. On Aug. 24, at 6:10 p.m., double-murderer Mark Asay was given a lethal injection of three drugs, beginning with etomidate, an anesthetic. This was used because the previous drug of choice, midazolam, wasnt readily available. Pharmaceutical companies were refusing to sell their products to American prison authorities for executions. Regardless, Asay died in about two minutes. Contrast this with the 2014 less-than-painless execution of rapist-murderer Dennis McGuire. Ohio prison authorities were prohibited from using their previous method of choice to hasten McGuires appointment with his maker. Florida Department of Corrections / The Associated Press Mark Asay was executed by lethal injection on Aug. 24. So American prison authorities tried another method combining midazolam and hydromorphone. Reportedly, Mr. McGuire convulsed in obvious pain, gasping for breath and making choking sounds. Online news reports differ as to exactly how long it took Mr. McGuire to die (anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes), but all agree it was neither quick nor painless. The problem in this case and others is that no one has found (until, maybe, late last month) a foolproof method of painlessly killing someone. Essentially, McGuire, Asay and others were guinea pigs. Its not for lack of effort. Since the late 1800s, American know-how has been employed in a search for the perfect execution technique. Before then, hanging was the method of choice. Ideally, the neck would snap and the condemned would die quickly and painlessly. Except sometimes it didnt work, and hed slowly strangulate or, conversely, be decapitated. In 1881, the New York state government struck a committee to find a more humane way of killing. It fell to Harold Brown and Arthur Kennelly, who worked for Thomas Edison, to invent the first electric chair. In August 1890, murderer William Kemmler became its first victim. A 17-second jolt of 2,000 watts didnt kill him, much to the horror of those present. A second jolt was needed; the whole process took about eight minutes. According to the New York Times, a deputy coroner (presumably someone accustomed to gruesome sights) said, I would rather see 10 hangings than one such execution as this. Unperturbed, American prison authorities made the electric chair their favourite method of death. According to the website of anti-capital-punishment group the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), Kemmlers experience was hardly unique. In 1985, when Indiana authorities executed William Vandiver, it took 17 minutes and five jolts of electricity. Other electrocutions have caused the condemned to burst into flames. Presumably, prison authorities thought theyd be improving the situation with the gas chamber. But that wasnt perfect, either. In 1992, Arizona executed Douglas Eugene Harding; he died 10.5 minutes after cyanide tablets were dropped. Harding was seen to thrash violently against the restraints. Of course, there are obviously painless methods the guillotine and the firing squad but the Americans dont like blood. Painless and bloodless thats the American ideal. Lethal injections were supposed to provide that, but as the McGuire case and other cases listed on the DPIC website show, they arent always painless, either. Indeed, according to jurisprudence professor Austin Sarats book Gruesome Spectacles, in which he studied 8,776 American executions between 1900 and 2010, 7.12 per cent of the lethal injections were botched, compared with 3.12 per cent of the hangings, and none of the firing-squad executions. No decent human being wants to make anyone suffer unnecessarily. But this emphasis on maximum painlessness shows that most capital punishment proponents are uneasy about the practice. Thats why they want to make it so painless. If youre going to execute sadistic killers, you must do it more kindly than the way they killed their victims. So when you suggest to a death-penalty proponent that its cruel punishment, theyll probably respond that its more genteel than the acts committed by the condemned. After a lethal injection took two hours to kill Joseph Wood in 2015, former Arizona governor Jan Brewer insisted he didnt suffer and that this is in stark comparison to the gruesome, vicious suffering that he inflicted on his two victims and the lifetime of suffering he has caused their family. But it isnt just the emphasis on painless execution. Think of the rituals that go with American executions. Clergy is brought in for comfort. Then theres the famous last meal. Why? Essentially, the prison authorities are saying, Yes, youre a deplorable person and we want to kill you, but heres a nice steak. Its on us, so no hard feelings, OK? Contrast this with a person being sent away for life. Does anyone feel Paul Bernardo deserved one last night on the town before going to jail for (one hopes) the rest of his life? (Hey, Paul! Its your last night of freedom. Should we go for pizza or Chinese food?) Should he have been allowed to pick the decor of his cell? Obviously not. Indeed, many resent so-called Club Fed facilities. Why the difference? Because everyone recognizes that society has the right indeed the duty to remove its most dangerous offenders from its midst. And if he or she must go to jail directly to jail and if the accommodations there arent five-star (or even one), virtually no one will feel badly about it. The fact that authorities dont feel the need to disguise, rationalize or minimize the harshness of incarceration shows theres nothing inherently barbaric about such punishment unlike the death penalty. Arthur Chapman is a Winnipeg freelance writer. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hurricane Harveys assault on Houston and other parts of Texas is the North American version of similar devastation elsewhere in the world. Extreme weather disasters are set to become as commonplace as traffic accidents, unexpected for those involved but, unfortunately, both frequent and inevitable. Its not just bad luck. It is the consequence of living on a warming planet. Every place will have its own local variation of what that means. For some places, the temperature will get so hot that no plants or people will be able to live outside. Others will see droughts, or repeated flooding, or tornadoes and an overall disruption of rainfall and temperature patterns that have been more or less consistent for thousands of years. NASA / NOAA GOES Project / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In this satellite image taken Sept. 6, hurricane Irma tracks over St. Martin and the Leeward Islands. Imagine what the United States would look like if there were several hurricanes a season such as Harvey, followed closely by Irma, Jose and Katia making landfall somewhere along the coast, accompanied by rising tides, especially when even now so much of the Eastern seaboard is at (or below) sea level. Officials at the National Weather Service made a striking admission as the hurricane continued, saying they could no longer predict what was going to happen. Harvey was so far outside the parameters of their historical data and weather models that it had become a unique event. Our data will be of little value, rendering our climate prediction models increasingly unreliable, because we continue to treat ecological systems as though they are linear and mechanical. Most days right now in Manitoba, we cant even manage to predict Winnipegs weather 12 hours ahead of time, because there are too many variables. In a climate-changing world, those difficulties are multiplied exponentially. Environmental risk analysis using current climate models effectively means getting lucky with a crystal ball. We need to find other ways of approaching the problem other tools, other methods, other perspectives if we want to do more than just sit on the front porch and watch the horizon. When it comes to human behaviour, we use dynamic systems to predict what is likely to happen and why. We cant be sure where or when the violence will break out, but when racist rhetoric is combined with poverty, bad government and poor community leadership, a fight becomes inevitable. Lack of respect breeds more lack of respect, making the presenting issue only the trigger for the violence that will certainly happen. People eventually demand to be respected; how they choose to communicate that, and whether they are heard, will shape the future stability of any society, including our own. When it comes to the Earth, it is much the same thing. How we live reflects a lack of respect for ecological systems, as we tear up the landscape, contaminate the water and pollute the air. Because we are woven into all those ecological systems right to the core of our physical being, disrespecting the Earth means disrespecting ourselves. We are part of the Earth. Its air blows into our lungs; its water runs through our veins; its soil provides food to sustain us. Our understanding of the Earth needs to be based on respect and on relationship if we want to live well with the planet that is our home. The irony, of course, is that this is what traditional societies have learned the hard way over thousands of years. They have learned that survival depends on respecting the Earth and honouring all our relations with which we share it. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of being invited to observe a number of ceremonies and events at Turtle Lodge, in Sagkeeng First Nation near Pine Falls. (You may have seen Elders Dave Courchene, Florence Paynter and Mary Maytwayashing from Turtle Lodge participate in the opening of the Canada Games last month.) There has been one common theme to these gatherings how do we bring the teachings of Indigenous people, the wisdom gained over thousands of years, into the conversations we must have together about how to live in right relationship with each other and with the Earth? Traditional societies had the luxury of being able to learn by trial and error; this is a luxury we no longer have. As long as the mistakes were not entirely lethal, the generational stability of such societies allowed wisdom to be passed from one generation to the next. We have only one generation, however, to get this right our own. I have been invited back to Turtle Lodge this month to observe a joint conversation on science and traditional knowledge, co-led by Dr. David Suzuki (as scientist chair) and Dave Courchene (as knowledge-keeper chair), as a first step in a larger project. I expect it will be an important conversation. Although there is a simple answer to the problems that face us, what it means to live with respect in creation and in right relationships with each other is much harder to understand, even though our future depends upon it. Peter Denton is a local writer, speaker and sustainability consultant. He chairs the policy committee of the Green Action Centre. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. If Canadas experience with legal recreational marijuana parallels what is taking place in U.S. states, we have much to anticipate in terms of entrepreneurial ferment, job creation, wealth expansion and boosted tax receipts. Legal recreational marijuana has been law in Colorado for three and a half years, and a little more than three years in Washington. Oregon staggered its rollout of recreational marijuana between 2015 and last year, Alaska and Nevadas programs are up and running and soon to follow are Massachusetts, Maine and the cannabis behemoth known as California. And in Canada, we are marching toward nationwide legalization. Jim Mone / The Canadian Press Marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn. Canada has much to learn from the experiences of U.S. states that have legalized pot. Data from cannabis market research leader BDS Analytics show that even as the U.S. pot boom enters its fourth year, the marketplace continues to grow at a rapid pace. Year-to-date through May of this year, cannabis sales in Colorado, Oregon and Washington reached US$1.16 billion, which is 35.4 per cent ahead of last years sales. In most industries, growth of a handful of percentage points is considered a break-out-the-champagne triumph. While sales overall boomed, growth was especially pronounced in a few categories, and we are wise to study sales trends in U.S. states to help understand what the Canadian cannabis marketplace might look like soon after joints, vape pens and brownies start being sold to recreational consumers. The U.S. cannabis market falls into a number of categories, but the three dominant ones are flower (bulk cannabis sold by weight), concentrates (products such as vape pens, shatter and wax) and edibles everything from refrigerated sodas to cherry pie. Among the top three, flower sales dominate in all states. During the first quarter of 2017, flower captured 52 per cent of the broader cannabis market. Meanwhile, concentrates snagged 24 per cent of the market and edibles earned 12 per cent. Flowers dominance is impressive, but the other categories are muscling into its domain. During Q1 2016, for example, flower owned 60 per cent of the market. The slow but steady increase of concentrates sales, at the expense of flower, could easily describe the Canadian marketplace once full legalization is in place. Edibles, while a strong cannabis market, have grown, but their market share between the states has tended to remain below 13 per cent. Meanwhile, concentrates market share grew from 14 per cent in 2014 to 24 per cent in 2017. The market leader among concentrate styles is vape pens and cartridges. For the first quarter of 2017, for example, vapes expanded by 35 per cent. During Q1 of 2016, and excluding Oregon because concentrates were not sold through recreational channels until later in the year, growth was 27 per cent. Meanwhile, flower sales do continue to boom. In Colorado, sales of flower during the first quarter of 2017 reached US$178.6 million, up 20.4 per cent from the same quarter in 2016 (all of the growth came from the recreational channel, where sales increased by 35.5 per cent; medical fell by 4.5 per cent). In Washington, the trend for flower is even more dramatic, up 44.5 per cent during the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same quarter in 2016. Canadas experience with recreational marijuana will hinge, in part, on the regulatory framework. Laws can have immense impact on trends. In Washington state, for example, the state banned THC-infused candy when recreational sales first began in June 2014. The state eventually allowed candy, but sales of the category in the state today are far behind the market share for candy in Colorado. Laws do matter, especially in an industry such as cannabis, which is likely to experience complicated and wide-ranging regulations regardless of whether the laws are being set in California or Canada. We are eager to continue to engage with provincial and federal officials and industry stakeholders as Canada continues its progress toward full legalization next year. Based on what has flowered in the United States, we have much to look forward to in this blossoming industry. Dan Kriznic is chairman and CEO of Invictus MD, a Vancouver-based company that invests in medical marijuana producers and ancillary businesses. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/09/2017 (1893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Trump administration doesnt want to be unkind to the 800,000 children and young adults it threatens to kick out of the country next March, the story goes, but the law and the Constitution must be respected, and so the five-year-old policy of licensing underage illegal immigrants to stay in the United States had to be rescinded. But the Trump administration is unsure what the policy should be. People registered under DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals can carry on for another six months. During that time, U.S. President Donald Trump is inviting Congress to find a solution to the childhood-arrivals question. A strong and decisive president would craft a new immigration law for the U.S. through a process that would ensure support in Congress. That law, enjoying support in the country, would be enforced; people sneaking into the country in defiance of that law would be removed. People such as the beneficiaries of DACA would be allowed to stay on the basis that they are blameless Americans, in fact if not in law, who have no other homeland. Official registration with the government has given them something more than squatters rights to live and work in America. Matt York / The Associated Press DACA supporters protest the program's demise. But reforming U.S. immigration law is hard work. Winning congressional support for any particular set of reforms is harder still. The easy thing is to cancel the former presidents policy, win some cheap applause from the anti-immigrant crowd and let someone else do the hard thinking and the heavy lifting. If that throws the lives of 800,000 young Americans and their employers and schools into turmoil, well, thats just too bad. Those young Americans and their friends were never going to vote Republican anyway. It seems highly unlikely that Congress, which was unable to figure out a replacement for the Obama administrations health-insurance policy, will have better luck with immigration policy, even with a six-month deadline. The country will arrive at the March 5 deadline in pretty much the same position as todays. Procrastination is this administrations preferred option today, as it was for the Obama administration five years ago. Procrastination may well prove to be as good a solution in March as it is in September. Its a poor solution for the people whose lives are in play, but they scarcely matter in the Washington swamp. Canada has always done well out of turmoil in other lands by recruiting the most highly educated, most keenly motivated of the distressed multitudes to come and settle here. So we did with the Hungarian refugees and the Uganda Asians and the Vietnamese boat people. So we can do once again with the young Americans who are now under notice that the administrative shelter of DACA will be rescinded. Most of those young Americans live in Texas and California. They may not yet be thinking of relocating to these latitudes. But some well-targeted publicity about the delights of life in Canada might find a ready audience among upwardly mobile people whose future in America is suddenly clouded. Over the course of the next six months, the American public will learn the individual stories of DACA beneficiaries. They will learn specifically the harm and the injustice that will be inflicted by the threatened deportation. Further procrastination is likely as the political pressure builds. Canada should make its move soon, while the anxiety is at its height. - Trump calls for a united GCC. - The fight against terrorism would be a lot more successful with a united GCC. - Throws support at the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah's mediation but offers to mediate if this is not enough. The United States President Donald Trump has called for a more united Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stating that the fight against terrorism would be more successful with a more united GCC. The U.S. President went a step further by offering to mediate in the resolution of the ongoing GCC dispute. Trump stated that although he is fully supportive of the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah's mediation so far but that if this isn't enough, he would be happy to offer his own efforts. Speaking at a joint news conference with Kuwait's emir in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Trump said he supported Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah's mediation efforts but if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be "willing to be a mediator". "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily," he said. "We call on our GCC and Egyptian allies to focus on our commitments at that Saudi Arabia summit to continue our joint efforts to drive out and defeat terrorists. "Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are all essential US partners in this effort. We have great relationships with all of them right now, maybe better than we've ever had. "We will be most successful with a united GCC." An oil worker was killed on Tuesday in a fire at the reformer unit of the HollyFrontier oil refinery in El Dorado, Kansas. The worker was a member of the United Steelworkers union (USW). Neither the workers name nor age has been released. The fire ignited after a furnace blew out and the worker died from injuries suffered from being caught in the fire. It is unclear what caused the blowout. Lynne Hancock, spokesperson for the USWs oil sector, said through an email that Our union is working with OSHA to investigate this incident and find the root cause(s) so it does not happen again. The USWs professions of concern are empty and hypocritical. OSHA and the union will cooperate to cover up the circumstances of the death of this worker as they have done many times in the past. The union itself has worked hand-in-hand with the corporations to strip away safety measures for workers by pushing through concessions contracts that have laid off experienced workers and put in place cheap and ineffective safety training programs. These help provide a legal cover for companies that force workers to labor under life-threatening conditions. In 2015 oil refinery workers struck to oppose working conditions that put many of the workers at risk of death on a regular basis. One worker at the BP Whiting, Indiana refinery told World Socialist Web Site reporters at the time that he had been forced to climb up scaffolding to fix a valve because the company would not spend money on ladders. As a result he fell and broke multiple bones. The strike ended in a sellout deal in which the USW imposed no safety regulations at the refinery, merely promising discussions with the union about staff levels and overtime. No record of the death of the worker in Kansas has been posted to OSHA.gov, the federal website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that oversees health and safety regulations in the workplace. In fact, countless numbers of worker deaths in the US have never been recorded on the federal site, including that of Michael Morrison, an IBEW member who fell to his death at a construction site in Detroit, Michigan in May of this year, and Jonathan Arizzola, a USW member who was electrocuted after touching an uninsulated railing at the US Steel Gary Works Mill in Gary, Indiana in September 2016. After Arizzolas death, the USW worked to avert a strike at the mill by implementing pre-emptive safety measures which amounted to nothing more than the same toothless discussions that came out of the BP Whiting contract. Workers at Gary Works were told by the USW that they had to be responsible for each others safety, despite working long overtime hours on skeleton crews after mass layoffs at the mill, layoffs that the USW did nothing to oppose. The workers death in Kansas occurred against the backdrop of a Trump administration campaign to hide information from the public regarding workplace fatalities. Beginning on August 18 of this year, OSHA has removed reports of workers deaths from its homepage. A report from Politico.com states that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had maintained a running list of workers killed on the jobincluding the date, name and cause of deathnear the top of its home page. The list included every worker death reported to OSHA, regardless of whether the company was issued a citation. According to the same report, fatality reports are now hidden in an internal page on the site. To find fatality reports, one must search under the Data tab on the top of the home page and then search under Fatality Reports on the drop-down menu. These reports only date back to January 2017, when previously they could be searched back as far as several years. Furthermore, OSHA is now only recording deaths for which it has issued a citation, meaning that hundreds of workers deaths are likely going unreported. What is to be made of this effort by the US government to wash away the crimes of the ruling class? The move by OSHA has been taken in order to pre-empt massive opposition from the working class by restricting access to important public safety information while the Trump Administration prepares to strip away health and safety regulations, which will result in a growing number of workers dying on the job. US workplaces have been getting deadlier and deadlier as the stock markets soar and the wealth of society is concentrated into the hands of a shrinking number of oligarchs. In Indiana alone, 115 workers were reported to have died in 2015, a modest drop from 190 two decades prior, and a proportional increase given the amount of layoffs and plant closures in the region in the past 20 years. With the steel industry pressuring Trump to make good on his nationalist America First agenda, workers in the steel industry can expect their working conditions to fall toward the levels of countries like China and India, where workers have very few, if any, protections. Workers in mining have experienced similar deadly trends. In a reactionary move, the Trump administration has appointed David Zatezalo, former chairman of Kentucky-based coal company Rhino Resources, to be an assistant secretary of labor overseeing the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). While Zatezalo was head of Rhino Resources, the company was fined after a series of safety problems, which MSHA deemed 'a pattern violation.' Not long after that a Rhino miner died in a wall collapse. After that tragedy the company was fined $44,500. Zatezalo's appointment comes on the heels of the tenure of Joseph Main, Obamas MSHA appointee, who has a long history in the bureaucracy of the United Mine Workers of America union (UMWA), which has worked for decades with the coal companies to lay off thousands of workers and close mines, leaving entire regions of Appalachia and the Midwest barren and destitute while energy stock prices soared on Wall Street. Main oversaw the stripping of labor and safety regulations in the coal industry that have led to a rash of coal miner deaths in the past year. In 2017 alone, 12 coal workers have reportedly died, as many as in the entire year of 2015, when 25,000 more workers were employed in the US coal industry. Hundreds more face early deaths from work-related illnesses as the corporations and the UMWA move to eliminate health care benefits for mine workers and their families. OSHAs move to systematically erase data on workers deaths signals a shift further to the right in the American ruling class, which sees workers lives as nothing but obstacles in the way of its drive for larger profit shares. President Trumps America First agenda, with the full backing of Wall Street and the widest layers of the Democratic Party, is aimed at freeing US corporations from the minimal health and safety regulations in place that are a fetter on their drive for greater and greater control of the worlds wealth. The advertised theme of last weeks Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Colombo was peace, progress and prosperity. But the two-day event had nothing to do with such aspirations. Washington and New Delhi used the event to unveil their plans to expand naval operations in the region and reiterate their strategic interests. Though they did not refer to China by name, it is the target of this military buildup. The conference was hosted by the India Foundation, a think tank close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in collaboration with Singapores Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, a Colombo research centre. The main US speaker was Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells. The Indian delegation was led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Delegates attended from about 35 other countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Singapore, Seychelles, Mauritius, Malaysia and Vietnam. China and Pakistan sent low-profile delegations. The event was held against the backdrop of increasing geo-political tensions between the US and India, on the one side, and China on the other. The Trump administration is using North Koreas nuclear tests to threaten military action, as well as more sanctions, and to expand US military operations in South Korea. Washington accuses China and Russia of assisting North Korea, underscoring the fact that they are the ultimate targets of US attempts to assert its global hegemony. On the bogus pretext of defending freedom of navigation, the Pentagon is dispatching naval warships to the South China Sea, challenging Beijings territorial claims and dangerously provoking tensions that could result in nuclear war. India and China have long-standing territorial disputes along their mutual borders and are rivals in the struggle for resources and markets. The Modi government has effectively transformed India into a frontline state as part of US imperialisms war drive against China. Indian Ocean sea routes annually carry about half the worlds container shipments, one-third of the bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of oil shipments. These routes are vital for China. Most of its raw materials imported from Africa and the Middle East, including energy, pass through the area. In the event of military conflict with China, the US and Indian navies will attempt to block Chinese shipping. Emphasising Washingtons strategic interests in the region, Wells declared: The United States isand will continue to bean Indo-Pacific power. She called for a common vision for the Indian Ocean to counter security threats in the Indian Ocean and support international standards, including freedom of navigation. These phrasesinternational standards, freedom of navigation and rules-based systems are the hypocritical mantras used by Washington against China. Wells referred to the steps already taken by the US and reminded delegates about the US-India-Japan Malabar Naval exercise in July, describing it as our largest and most complex to date, involving over ten thousand personnel. She told the conference that joint capacity building and exercises would help share the security burden in this increasingly complex region. Wells noted the new navy-to-navy relationship between the US and Sri Lanka and the first-ever naval exercise between the two countries in October. The exercise is the latest in Washingtons efforts to fully integrate Sri Lanka into the US war drive against China. In 2015, the US, with Indian assistance, orchestrated the ousting of former president Mahinda Rajapakse over his close relations with Beijing, and the installation of his replacement, Maithripala Sirisena. A week before the IOC meeting, the new head of the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN), Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah, declared his commitment to freedom of navigation. The future role of the SLN, he declared, was to protect commercial trade between the Gulf of Aden and the Straits of Malacca. Both locations are strategic choke points for Chinese shipping. Indian minister Swaraj told the conference that Indian Ocean sea lanes were among the busiest and most critical maritime transportation links in the world. Moreover, 90 percent of Indias trade by volume and almost all its oil imports used these routes. Indias role as the key pivot in the Indian Ocean region is a given, she declared. Indias strategy, Swaraj continued, included extending port connectivity among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean and beyond. India is expanding such developments with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. Swaraj referred to other schemes, including the Kaladan transport project, which connects the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata to Sittwe Port in Myanmar and the Trilateral Highway to Thailand, and the Chabahar Port Project in Iran. The Modi governments military buildup has been encouraged by the US, which has provided various strategic benefits to the detriment of Indias arch-rivals Pakistan and China. This includes establishing a special status for India in the international nuclear-regulatory regime and allowing it to access advanced US weapons systems. India has reciprocated by giving the US navy access to Indian ports and providing for the repair and maintenance of American ships. It is important to develop a security architecture that strengthens the culture of cooperation and collective action, Swaraj told the conference. Her comment was interpreted by the Colombo media as a reference to China recently acquiring a majority stake in Sri Lankas Hambantota port. Following the Hambantota deal, India, which regards the sub-continent and the Indian Ocean as its own sphere of influence, dispatched Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Sri Lanka to voice New Delhis concerns. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the IOC meeting: Let me refer to Sri Lankas decision to develop its major sea ports, especially the Hambantota port, which some claim to be a military base. I state clearly that Sri Lankas government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena does not enter into military alliances with any country or make our bases available to foreign countries. Wickremesinghes comments sought to appease not just New Delhi, but above all Washington, Tokyo and others involved in the US-led economic and military buildup against China. The IOC gathering was another indication of the advanced stage of these preparations. Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, is on its way to south Florida after devastating several Caribbean islands with 175-mile-per-hour winds and massive storm surges. At least 14 people have been confirmed dead so far. As of this writing, Irma is passing to the north of Cuba as a Category Five Hurricane producing high winds and rain. On Thursday, after bypassing the Dominican Republic and Haiti to the north, the most dangerous section of hurricane had a direct hit on the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos. Some 35,000 live just ten feet above sea level with storm surges expected to be double that. On Wednesday morning, Hurricane Irma essentially destroyed the small island of Barbuda with 155-mile-per-hour winds and surges wiping out 90 percent of its structures, in what the prime minister said was like a bomb being thrown on a city. Severe damage was also caused in the French territory of St. Martin. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans remain without power after hurricane winds downed power lines and severely damaged the islands public electrical system, which has suffered years of neglect and mass layoffs due to privatization efforts and the islands crippling economic crisis. Seventy percent of the US territorys 3.4 million US citizens lost power in the storm and 17 percent of the island does not have access to safe water. Officials are warning of the continued danger of flash floods. The ports remained closed as obstructions are cleared and the infrastructure is checked for any damage. Puerto Rico imports 80 percent of its food. Residents in Puerto Rico and throughout the trail of destruction in the Caribbean are bracing for another storm, Hurricane Jose, which is gaining strength east of the Lesser Antilles, and has been bumped up to a Category Three storm. Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category Four hurricane on Sunday around 2 pm. Some 700,000 residents of south Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and part of Palm Beach have been ordered to leave their homes in the largest mass evacuation in the state in 12 years. Thousands of flights have been canceled at the Miami-Dade International Airport, stranding passengers trying to flee. Grocery stores throughout Florida are already being emptied of canned food, bottled water, candles, batteries, and other essential survival supplies. Those with the resources are evacuating the state by car, by plane, and by any other method available. The vast majority of the states population, however, lack the means to leave and will face the life-threatening storm as it makes its anticipated landfall this weekend. Gas stations throughout the state are experiencing fuel shortages as residents rush to fill up their tanks. On the highway leading from the Florida Keys to the mainland, traffic is backed up for miles. As in Houston and throughout Texas, the lack of resources, advanced planning, and the presence of widespread poverty, in combination with the reactionary and incompetent political establishment, has greatly increased the danger to millions of Florida residents. In Polk County, just north of Tampa-St. Petersburg, Sheriff Grady Judd has vowed to check the identity of everyone attempting to enter the countys shelter and arrest anyone with an outstanding warrant. He also said law enforcement will deny entry to any convicted sex offenders. Both Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to condemn Gradys comments. Though the sheriffs department claims their deputies will not be checking immigration status, Gradys threatening statements will surely have a chilling effect on the countys 18,000 undocumented immigrants, many of whom lack state-issued IDs. The sheriffs actions will directly imperil the lives of thousands of people who would rather sit out the storm without aid than face arrest or deportation for something as little as an unpaid traffic ticket. Florida is home to tens of thousands of migrant farmworkers, many of whom live in dilapidated trailers tucked in semirural areas. Many more native-born residents have substandard housing in the state, which has an official poverty rate of 16 percent. In Fort Myers, a city in the southwest of Florida with a population of 70,000, there are no public shelters available. Local high schools and other buildings typically used for shelters all fall below the legally required standard for a structure to withstand hurricane force winds. The nearest shelter is in the neighboring city of South Fort Myers. Widespread price gouging is being reported throughout the state. As of Thursday, the Florida State Attorney Generals hotline had received over three thousand reports of price gouging, including by major companies. Delta Airlines was forced to issue an apology after a customer reported that the price for her ticket from Miami to Phoenix was increased by 600 percent, from $547 to $3,200. The company blamed expedia.com for the price increase. Amazon was also forced to offer its customers refunds after reports surfaced that the online retailer had hiked prices on emergency supplies, including charging $100 dollars for a case of water. Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a statement insisting, If you live in any evacuation zones and youre still at home, LEAVE! ... Do not ignore evacuation orders. With gas stations running out of supplies and nowhere to go, residents are justifiably angry with the evacuation orders. Im not still in Florida because I want to be. I am poor, and Im stuck, read one social media post. Another said, WE CANT F. LEAVE!!!!!! All gas stations outta gas. Traffic is outrageous. Flights are $1000+ Its not even possible at this point. Earlier this week, the Army Corps of Engineers began a hurried release of water from Lake Okeechobee. While officials claim there is a low risk, heavy rains and a storm surge could cause a breach of the levee around the lake, which was identified as one of the nations most vulnerable dams. This would result in massive flooding into residential areas like that which occurred in New Orleans and Houston, in Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey respectively. Throughout the state, there are an estimated 2.5 million homes in flood hazard zones, according to FEMA. Amongst that number, only 42 percent have flood insurance policies. Over the course of the last five years, the number of flood insurance policies in Florida has declined by 15 percent. In Miami-Dade County, the number of policies has declined by seven percent in the last five years, from 371,000 to 342,000. In Broward County, in that same period, the number of policies declined by 44 percent, from 372,000 to 207,000. In 2012 Congress passed a bill approving the hiking of insurance rates. Since that time, the rate of coverage has steadily declined. Homeowners with federally backed mortgages are legally required to hold flood insurance if they live in a high-risk area. Many homeowners, however, stop making payments on their policies due to financial hardship. In the southern counties of Miami-Dade, Collier, Broward, and Monroe, all of which are under partial evacuation orders, the number of homes protected by insurance policies is a mere 34.3 percent. It must be noted, however, that homeowners in federally designated flood zones are only a fraction of the population under threat. Millions of residents who are renters, students, retirees living in assisted living homes, as well as the states large homeless population, face the prospect not only of rising flood waters but also the destructive winds of Hurricane Irma, which will undoubtedly destroy many homes and businesses. Widespread power outages, food and water shortages, lack of medicine and emergency personnel will follow. In 1992, Hurricane Andrewa Category Five stormcaused $26.5 billion in damages, killed 65 people and destroyed 63,000 homes. In the 25 years since Andrew, the population of south and central Florida has grown by more than six million people, according to the New York Times. That population surge has been accompanied by the construction of new homes, apartments, businesses, and other real estate. The Times estimates that if Andrew occurred today it would cause over $100 billion in damages. Hurricane Irma, which is much larger, could be even more damaging than Andrew. Despite residents protests, United States Forces Korea (USFK) began installing four more Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile launchers early Thursday morning in the South Korean town of Seongju. The deployment followed North Koreas sixth nuclear test on Sunday. It is is part of the escalating US military build-up in preparation for a war on the Korean Peninsula that could quickly draw in major powers like China and engulf the entire region. In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday, President Moon Jae-in pledged to proceed with the THAAD deployment as quickly as possible. In return, Trump agreed to scrap the limit on South Korean missile payloads contained in an agreement between the two countries and to sell South Korea billions of dollars of armaments. The phone call came just a day after Trump accused Seoul in a tweet of appeasement in dealing with North Korea, a sign of continued differences between the two allies. Moon previously offered to open talks with Pyongyang as a means of defusing the dangerous and volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula. The THAAD deployment has provoked significant opposition in South Korea. The national police mobilized 8,000 officers to deal with 400 protesters from Seongju who attempted to block THAAD installation, which was completed by midday. Seoul and USFK began the operation at night with little warning, in order to forestall larger protests. Two launchers were previously installed in April, shortly before the presidential election, but the full deployment was delayed when Moon ordered an environmental impact assessment (EIA). Seongju residents, as well as opponents from around South Korea, fear the THAAD battery will make the small town a military target, while intensifying the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula. The current administration, like the former Park Geun-hye administration, is committing an illegal act, an unnamed local official said. We cannot accept THAAD under any conditions. Moon Jae-in, who postured as a THAAD opponent during his election campaign, ordered the full deployment in late July after North Korea tested a long-range Hwaseong-14 ballistic missile. The government still claims that the THAAD deployment is only temporary and subject to change pending the full-scale EIA. Yet there is no reason to believe the US will agree to dismantle the battery, even in the unlikely event Seoul orders its removal. The claim that THAAD is meant to protect the South Korean people is a lie. A single battery consists of six, truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptor missiles, a fire control and communications unit, and the AN/TPY-2 radar. However, THAADs range is only 200 kilometers while Seongju is close to 300 kilometers southeast of the capital Seoul, with its metropolitan population of more than 25 million. Washingtons military buildup is not primarily aimed at North Korea, an impoverished country that was nearly entirely destroyed by the US in the 1950-1953 Korean War. THAADs powerful AN/TPY-2 radar, with its separate 2,000 kilometer range, can be used to spy on Chinese territory, and the interceptors are designed to protect US bases and troops in the event of nuclear war with China or Russia. For that reason, both China and Russia have repeatedly condemned the deployment and demanded the removal of the THAAD batteries from South Korea. The growing danger of war is exposing divisions within the South Korean government. The Moon administrations defense minister Song Young-mu, speaking at a National Assembly Defense Committee meeting on Monday, suggested that the US could redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. He said such a move differs from the [Moon] administrations policies, but should be considered as one of several alternatives for effectively deterring and responding to the North Korean nuclear threat. The next day, however, Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said there was no change in the administrations policy on the denuclearization for the Korean Peninsula. He sought to obscure the differences by stating that Songs comments were meant in the sense of exploring every available option militarily and identifying a realistic approach amid the severe nuclear and missile threat, including North Koreas sixth nuclear test. Lawmakers from the right-wing opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) are also pressuring the government to seek the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons. LKP spokesman Jeong Tae-ok stated: Tactical nuclear weapons are a proper countermeasure. We urge the administration to consider the proven measurebalance of terror. The reintroduction of tactical nuclear weapons would greatly heighten the danger of nuclear war. In the extremely tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, the two militaries would have to take into account the possibility of a nuclear attack with just minutes of warning, exacerbating the risk of miscalculations or mistakes triggering a nuclear exchange. Under pressure from Washington, President Moon has moved away from his previous calls for dialogue with North Korea and toward increasingly hawkish positions. The South Korean president told Russias TASS news agency ahead of a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday: I will not avoid any type of dialogue if it can help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. But I believe the current conditions require us to strongly condemn North Koreas dangerous provocations and pressure the North, and that right now is not the time for dialogue. During his meeting with Putin, Moon pressed the Russian leader to back a new UN Security Council resolution that would cut-off crude oil supplies to North Korea, which are crucial for the countrys floundering economy. The Trump administrations goal is to ram through such a resolution by September 11, the enforcement of which would largely depend on China cutting exports to the North. While the supply is unlikely to be cut off altogether, China is expected to be willing to cap the supply, a UN diplomatic source said. Moon also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday on the sidelines of a regional economic forum in Vladivostok, Russia. He called for close cooperation between South Korea and Japan, a sentiment that Abe echoed. Both expressed support for new UN sanctions. Moon is attempting to strike a balance between his agenda and the aggressive plans of the Trump administration but this is becoming increasingly untenable. While the Moon government may seek ways to avoid the further militarization of the Korean Peninsula, Washingtons ratcheting up of tensions is pushing the entire region toward a catastrophic war. On Wednesday and again on Thursday, tens of thousands of Togolese poured into the streets of cities across the West African nation demanding the ruling government of Faure Gnassingbe resign immediately. The numbers of protesters are unprecedented; initial figures reported in the media indicate that at least 100,000 turned out in 10 cities around the country on Wednesday. The demonstrations were organized by the Pan-African National Party (PNP) and the National Alliance for Change (ANC) to call for the immediate release of party members imprisoned by the government. But the demonstrations took on a revolutionary dimension with the crowds expressing popular contempt for the government with widespread calls for the Gnassingbe regime to resign. Lome, Togos capital city, saw the largest convergence of protests. Banners were waved with the words Faure Must Go! and 50 Years Is Long Enough! a reference to the dynastic character of the Gnassingbe government. Social anger reached a fever pitch in August when two protesters were killed by police during demonstrations against the Gnassingbe government organized by the opposition party of Jean-Pierre Fabre, the National Alliance for Change (ANC). Many were beaten and assaulted with teargas, with others arrested and jailed. The protests have struck a chord of terror within the Gnassingbe government. Recalling the mass demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia in 2011 that saw the hated dictators of both countries swept from power, the wave of large scale demonstrations currently in Togo have shook the very foundations of the Gnassingbe government. Recognizing the massive threat to its continued existence in the wave of popular outrage, the Gnassingbe government is desperate to put an end to the demonstrations. Public service minister and government spokesperson Gilbert Bawara announced on Wednesday that the government had moved to limit Internet access nationwide for security purposes. Internet as well as mobile text messaging and money transfer networks were completely down by Thursday. In an effort to assuage popular anger the Gnassingbe government has promised to introduce legislation in October that would call for limits to two terms for the presidency. In the unlikely event this meaningless reform was made law and enforced, Gnassingbe would remain in power for another three years, leaving office in 2020. Togo is among the poorest countries in the world, with more than 80 percent of the rural poor living on less than $2 a day while a tiny layer at the top enjoy obscene privilege at the expense of these impoverished masses. The social anger which has erupted in mass demonstrations has been kindled for decades by the dictatorial and dynastic government. The Gnassingbe family has ruled Togo for half a century. In 1967, Faure Gnassingbes father, Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema, took power after he staged a coup against the government of Nicolas Grunitzky. His nearly four-decade rule was one of the longest in Africa. Eyademas political trajectory paralleled the path of many post-colonial African autocrats. In 1953 during French colonial rule, Eyadema joined the army, rising to the rank of sergeant. While in the army during the decade of the 1950s, he fought on behalf of France in its bloody colonial wars conducted against Indochina and Algeria. After he assumed power, Eyadema enjoyed the backing of France and other European governments, including Washington. Like other newly independent governments coming to power in Africas post-colonial era, Eyademas government sought to continue undisturbed the capitalist operations established in Togo under the colonial administration. The Eyadema government was characterized by corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism. The government held a series of allegedly democratic elections, now widely regarded as rigged, at various times throughout Eyademas 38-year rule. Upon taking power, Eyadema decreed his party, Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), as the only legal political organization allowed in the country. A rabid anticommunist, he targeted political enemies with accusations of having close ties to the Soviet Union. In 1993, after feeling international pressure over his regimes gross human rights violations, Eyadema attempted to give his regime a veneer of democratic legitimacy by allowing other parties to campaign for elections held that year. These reforms were largely farcical, and the fraudulent character of these elections was revealed when Eyadema was declared the winner in every single election afterwards. Following Eyademas death in 2005 of health complications while on a plane bound to Tunisia for medical treatment, the remaining government in Lome appointed his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as the new president. When the Togolese masses poured into the streets in revolt at this blatant establishment of dynastic succession, Faure Gnassingbe felt compelled to hold elections. Not surprising to the Togolese masses, Gnassingbe was declared the winner. International election observers, barred by the government from monitoring the election, strongly suspected the ballot was rigged. During protests against the regimes dynastic machinations, 500 people were killed by security forces. An element of dread no doubt haunts the minds of the Togolese ruling elite and Western capitalists regarding the potential for the collapse of the Gnassingbe government and its effect on their capitalist operations and banking enterprises in Togo in the wake of the mass demonstrations. Washington displayed its scramble for Africa strategy in August, when it sent representatives of the Trump administration to attend the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade forum held in Lome. AGOA was enacted in 2000 by the Clinton administration, to better facilitate trade between the United States and Africa. When asked by the media regarding President Donald Trumps position on Africa, US State Department spokesman Brian Neubert, who was present at the forum, said that Washington has very significant interests in Africa. Speaking further, Neubert elaborated on Washingtons imperialist aims for Africa, There are opportunities for American investors in several sectors. For example, in the energy sectorthe opportunities are enormous. Wednesdays demonstrations make clear the establishment is petrified of the Togolese masses, and the ruling elite is desperate to contain the social outrage. Calculating the implications of a collapse of the Gnassingbe government, the ruling class is attempting to forge an alliance with the political opposition in a combined effort to channel the restive masses down the fraudulent avenue of constitutional reforms of presidential term limits. On Wednesday, the Gnassingbe government demonstrated its eagerness to make a political alliance with the PNP and ANC by releasing several PNP and ANC figures it held in prison. The fraudulent political parties behind the organization of the demonstrations represent a faction of the Togolese capitalist elite, and seek to take undeserved political advantage of the mass social anger towards the dynastic regime and channel it into a political campaign to assume power for themselves. The election of either the PNP or ANC would not improve the miserable conditions of life experienced by the Togolese masses. On Naked and Afraid, Trevor Rasmussen, or Fronkey as hes known on YouTube, thought he could stroll into the cloud forests of Ecuador and stroll out 21 days later. But all that changed after he nicked his finger on a machete. After receiving a few stitches things went from bad to worse as the next day Rasmussens finger showed signs of infection. After extracting lots of pus from Rasmussen's finger, the medic cleaned the wound. Rasmussen was warned that he could have a septic reaction if the infection worsened. Fortunately his finger slowly began to heal, but ultimately it was too late and he decided to go home. The YouTuber said, The first day, I got kind of knocked on my butt after I worked too hard, and then I cut my finger and I got, like, three stitches. Why am I here? You know, why am I here when I could be home with my wife and my family? Police say that a month after vanishing, a Minnesota teen has been reunited with her family following her escape from the three men who had allegedly held her captive, PEOPLE confirms. According to investigators, all three men are suspected of sexually assaulting the 15-year-old girl, who was last seen on Aug. 8 leaving her home in Alexandria, Minnesota. Alexandria police said in a statement that the teen was found on Tuesday running through a field in adjoining Grant County, Minnesota. She happened upon a stranger and told them who she was and asked that they call 911. According to police, the girl told them she had been abducted several weeks earlier, and then she led detectives to the men who were allegedly responsible: Thomas Barker, 32, Steven Powers, 20, and 31-year-old Joshua Holby. All three have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault. They are held without bail. They have not yet entered pleas or retained attorneys who could comment on their behalf. Police said in their statement that, according to a preliminary investigation, the teen was approached by Barker, whom she knew, outside her home around 11 p.m. on Aug. 8 on the pretense that he needed help with a situation. She offered to assist and entered Barkers vehicle, police said. At that point, Barker allegedly drove her to his home, where he restrained her with zip ties, repeatedly assaulted her and threatened her with weapons, police claim. Barker and Holby are roommates, according to investigators, who suspect Holby also took part in the assaults, as did Mr. Powers, who arrived at the home about [two] weeks following the abduction. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The assaults happened regularly over the last few weeks, police allege. The girl was also recently taken from the home to various locations including a cornfield and a foreclosed property in Grant County, police said. Story continues And then on Tuesday, for the first time in 29 days, she was left alone. She fled to several nearby homes, seeking aid, apparently without success, before swimming across part of Thompson Lake to locate a residence where someone could assist her, police said. Authorities believe the girl was both physically assaulted and sexually assaulted, and she spent much of her captivity locked in a closet. She told police her kidnappers did feed her, bringing her fast food meals to subsist on. The girls family has requested privacy, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. But her mother did reportedly post a photo on social media of the two reunited on Tuesday night, with the girl smiling and her hair still wet. This remains an ongoing investigation and many details about what happened are still to be learned, the police statement notes. Investigators are attempting to identify the specific cornfields through which the suspects drove with [the teen]. They are also hoping to locate [her] shoes and pants, which were lost as she swam for help. 18:16 After a seven-year old student was found dead inside the school premises in Gurugram, the authorities of the Ryan International School have said that there wasn't any delay in taking the child to hospital.Speaking to the media, school caretaker Neerja Batra (pictured) said the kid was alive when they saw him lying in the pool of blood. "The child was looking serious. We didn't lose a minute. The kid was alive when we saw him lying in the pool of blood. We took him to the hospital immediately. Police are here to investigate the matter and after investigation one can say from where the knife came inside the school premises," she added. Also, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) K Krishan said that the matter has been taken very seriously."We are taking the matter very seriously. A Team is already there in the school to find what happened and ensure it never recurs," he said. In the mean time, Hundreds of worried parents sit in protest at the Gurugram Police Commissioner's office demanding justice for the boy's family and immediate arrest of those responsible for his death. Meanwhile, the father of the victim asked as to why no action been taken till now. As the news spread, hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the management and vandalised the school's property. Earlier in the day, the father of the victim had said that it was a "clear case of murder"."It was a normal day. I left my child in the school and then went back to home. After I reached home, I got a call from the school saying that he is in hospital and he is bleeding and that he was found lying down on the floor of the washroom. After this, I rushed to the hospital and by the time I reached, my child was no more. It is a clear case of murder, don't know what happened but I am sure its murder," said the father. The body of the class II student with his throat slit was found inside the toilet of the school located at Bhondsi in Gurugram on Friday morning.Now, the police is investigating whether it is a case of murder or an attempted suicide. -- ANI Firefighter wedding dress harvey hurricane When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in August, firefighter Kyle Parry wasnt able to return to his own home for at least 72 hours because he was too busy helping others in the aftermath. Prior to evacuating his Lumberton, Texas home, all Parry was able to do was grab his dogs and hang the wedding dress that his fiancee, Stephanie Hoekstra, had brought home from Ontario just one week prior to the devastating natural disaster. So when Parry, 35, returned to the house several days later and broadcast what he found via Facebook Live, he wasnt the only one stunned to see the dress, perfectly intact. The piece was still hanging safe and dry above the flood waters, which reached to just below his chest. (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) He stuffed the dress on the top shelf [of a bedroom closet] and went back to rescuing people, Hoekstra, 33, tells The Knot. The next morning he said that the water was up to the roof and he thought the dress was gone. So when he went through the house, I was thrilled to see it inches from the water. I know that stuff is just stuff, and everything can eventually be replaced. But I saw it as a sign of hope for our day. It was crazy, Parry tells The Knot. I was doing a Facebook Live post because everyone has been asking how things are and are you okay and I just wanted everybody to know were okay. Im alive. Im busy, but Im alive. In the video, Parry also points out boxes of wedding favors and decorations that were completely buried under the water, all of them ruined. (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) But the pair, who were originally set to marry on September 10, dont mind rescheduling their big day; both tell The Knot that their main priority now is making sure that their family and friends are rebuilding their lives. Right now our focus is on the communitythousands of people without homes, Parry tells The Knot. We want to help them get their life back together. As firemen and [emergency workers]Ive got a very large family when it comes to firefighters/EMS and theyve been moving me forward. And Im not the only one whos lost my house. This is a small-knit town. Were not a major metropolitan city. Everyones parents, grandparents grew up togetherand so everybody jumped at the chance to help by the truckloads, by the boatloads, asking, What can we do? Story continues Adds Hoekstra, Im sure we will aim for the beginning of the new year. Hopefully. But right now, were focusing on helping friends. Kyle is such a beautiful person, she says. My best friend. I can tell him anything. He cares so much about his friends, the kids, his family and hes an incredibly hard worker. I dont know how I got so lucky. We love each other so much, and we still have that. So well be OK. I cant wait to be rocking on a front porch at 80 holding his hand. (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) (Photo credit: Stephanie Hoekstra) Parry, who is still in the midst of helping with cleaning up the aftermath of Harvey, says his loves positive attitude has helped him keep perspective in the days following the storm as well. Shes amazing, he says. Shes happy her dress was found, but at the same time, her attitude is that youre safe and well rebuild the wedding. this is Texas. If you thought Texas was tough before, just wait til we rebuild. Related Articles So, theres an insane economic cost to ending the DACA program President Donald Trump won election on a promise to restore Americas economic prosperity. But experts of different political stripes say one key Trump policy his plan to end the DACA program for undocumented immigrants will do the reverse, wiping hundreds of billions from U.S. economic output over the next 10 years. As recently as last week, speaking in Missouri to stump for his proposed tax overhaul, President Trump called on the nation to join me in unleashing Americas full potential. However, on Tuesday, the Trump Administration announced a different priority: ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which it plans to phase out over the next six months. Created by the Obama Administration in 2012, DACA allows roughly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to apply for renewable two-year permits that allow them to live and work legally in the U.S. Research from both the right-leaning Cato Institute and left-leaning Center for American Progress suggests Trumps economic and immigration goals may be diametrically opposed. Related article: Here are the 9 attorneys general who led the campaign to end DACA Their research indicates that ending DACA and deporting the workers who will no longer enjoy legal status could reduce the size of the U.S. economy by anywhere from $280 billion to $430 billion over the next decade. Of course, its difficult to predict the precise economic effect of pushing hundreds and thousands of workers out of their jobs and depending on how far the Trump Administration takes its threats actually forcing them to leave the country. Cato says DACA recipients, whose average age is 22 and who earn about $17 an hour on average, tend to be younger, better educated, and more highly paid than the typical immigrant. Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017 Related article: President Trumps budget would cut hundreds of millions from disaster relief programs Story continues This suggests that, as a group, they contribute more to the broader economy than the average immigrant worker. Cato compared DACA recipients to another group of highly educated immigrants which has been more closely studied, holders of H-1B visas for skilled workers. In short, they appear to be a close reflection of what DACA recipients will look like a few years from now as they complete their educations, Cato said. After adjusting for age and experience, Cato estimated removing the DACA immigrants from the economy would cost the U.S. $215 billion in lost economic output over 10 years, plus another $60 billion in lost taxes. Deporting them would cost another $7.5 billion, and when thats added up the cost of ending the DACA program comes to a total of minus $283 billion. Related article: These were the 10 costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. The Center For American Progress arrived at its estimate in a different way. The organization used figures it had previously calculated to gauge the lost economic output if the government attempted to remove up to 7 million undocumented workers from workforce, then adjusting on a state-by-state basis for the portion of these workers in the DACA program. Among its findings: California, which would lose more than 23,000 DACA workers, would be hit the hardest with $11.2 billion in lost GDP per year. Texas would lose about $6 billion in output per year, and New York would be down $2.4 billion. Nationally, over the next decade, lost GDP would amount to $433 billion, the group estimated. This article originally appeared in Time.com On Wednesday evening, thanks to a very powerful sun storm, folks living as far south as Ohio and Indiana will likely catch an exceedingly rare glimpse of the Northern Lights. As Space.com explained, on Labor Day the sun blasted out a huge cloud of superheated plasma known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME, which is harmless to humans, is expected to reach Earth overnight on Wednesday, as it is traveling at the breakneck speed of about 200 miles per second. When it does reach our atmosphere it will trigger an incredibly strong geomagnetic storm, which happens to cause the Earths auroras to light up. A CME is on it's way to Earth. Impact expected tomorrow afternoon (UTC time) - Moderate G2 storming is likely More: https://t.co/LVNAs1pfhU pic.twitter.com/qngltBU2s5 SpaceWeatherLive (@_SpaceWeather_) September 5, 2017 The strong auroras are likely to last through Thursday morning and will extend from Washington and Idaho in the west to Indiana and Ohio in the midwest and will even show up throughout New England, Space.com explained. To keep people informed on where the auroras may show up, the site pointed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Space Weather Prediction Center, which hosts a 30-minute aurora forecast, so hopeful viewers can see when (and if) the lights will reach them. The only thing standing in our way of viewing the Northern Lights in the continental United States is the moon. As Space.com noted, it will be full Wednesday evening, meaning its light could diminish some of our view. Moreover, as Business Insider explained, Auroras are best viewed in extremely dark skies, meaning even without the moon, people may want to move away from city lights. And even in total darkness, Business Insider said, the lights are pretty difficult to see. But still, it may be worth taking your chances for such a rare event, so gather a few friends and drive out to a pitch-black area just in case. You're guaranteed some prime stargazing regardless. NEW YORK (AP) Fifteen states and the District of Columbia on sued Wednesday to block President Donald Trumps plan to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation an act Washington states attorney general called a dark time for our country. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of New York. The plaintiffs were New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. On Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said a program, known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, will end in six months to give Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants. The participants were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. Those already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If their permits expire before March, 5, 2018, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isnt accepting new applications. Opponents of the program said they are pleased with the Trump administrations decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power but proponents of the program said the move by Trump was cruel. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the action violates the due process rights of the immigrants. He said he fears the information the immigrants provided the government to participate in DACA could be used against them. Its outrageous, its not right, an emotional Ferguson said at a news conference in Seattle. As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, its the law. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee joined Ferguson at the news conference and said this is one more of a long train of abuses that this president has attempted to foist on this great nation. Earlier this year, Ferguson sued Trump over the initial travel ban, which resulted in a federal judge blocking nationwide enforcement. WASHINGTON Days before the United States marks 16 years since the 9/11 attacks, one of the White Houses top counterterrorism officials on Friday played down the possibility of an extremist attack on U.S. soil. There is no current, credible actionable threat, terrorist threat, against the homeland, Tom Bossert, President Trumps homeland security adviser, told reporters. No terrorist should view us as vulnerable right now farthest thing from the truth, Bossert said at the daily press briefing. His confident assessment came as U.S.-backed forces struck at fighters loyal to the so-called Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria, that terrorist armys primary base. Some U.S. officials fear that, as the group suffers defeats on the battlefield, it will encourage adherents and sympathizers inside the United States to carry out attacks. On Monday, top U.S. officials from Pres. Trump on down will mark the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, fanning out to show some solemnity, Bossert said. President Trump will, as presidents before him since 9/11, receive a comprehensive picture of the terrorist threat environment and what were doing to counter it, from his senior officials, Bossert said. Thats been the practice since al-Qaida terrorists crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa. October 7 will mark 16 years since then President George W. Bush retaliated by attacking Afghanistan, initiating what has become the longest war in U.S. history. Read more from Yahoo News: Airbnb is celebrating a partial win over a housing law change in Berlin that last year led to a total clampdown on the short term renting of entire homes to visitors to the city. City authorities had couched the move as a necessary measure to tackle housing shortages affecting locals. While there has been no formal law change, as yet, the latest development blows in a favorable direction for Airbnb. It pertains to a legal challenge brought by a private individual living in the Berlin district of Pankow against the State of Berlin in the Berlin Administrative Court after he was rejected a permit to rent his own home -- a measure city authorities have been using to essentially control the use of home-sharing platforms like Airbnb. The court recommended he be granted a permit to be able to rent his home for short term tourist rentals for 182 days per year -- overturning the earlier rejection of authorization on the grounds that a public interest in the preservation of housing does not exist if the premises are already being used for residential purposes. In a press release detailing the outcome, the law firm involved in the case interprets the decision as generalized -- suggesting other Berliners could take similar action to seek to overturn other permit rejections, and expect to also be granted leave to rent their homes for up to 182 days. Hence Airbnb couching this as a win. Although, in reality, there are still some big barriers to Berliners wanting to rent whole apartments on Airbnb given it appears they would likely have to fight reluctant city authorities in court in order to obtain authorization (without which they risk of a fine of up to 100,000). Still, Airbnb is clearly hoping the court decision ends up opening a sizable crack in Berlin's regulatory dam by applying pressure for a more formal reform of the law in its favor. In a blog post about the development it couches Berlin's housing law as both "complex and confusing" and out-and-out "broken" -- arguing it "needs to be fixed". Story continues It also points to a decision last year, also by Berlins Administrative Court, which ruled that permits must be granted to hosts renting secondary homes. It ends the blog with an offer to work with the city authorities to provide "legal certainty for local citizens and collaborate on modern home sharing rules". Asked if Airbnb had helped fund the individual's case against the city, a spokesman for Airbnb told us: "We're not party to the case." Commenting on the case in a statement, Dr Christian Eckart, attorney at the law firm involved, Redeker Sellner Dahs, called for urgent reflection on the legal situation to move towards clarity in the regulatory regime. "It must not be that citizens of Berlin receive their right to short-term leasing only in legal proceedings," he said. At the time of writing Berlin's Department for Urban Development and Housing had not responded to a request for comment. Update: The government department has now responded, emphasizing that the legal decision pertains only to a single case, and also denying it was involved in nor recommended the decision. It adds that there is no intention to make changes to the current prohibition based on this single case. And instead says the intention remains to reform the law "with the aim of a more comprehensive protection of housing". Here's it's statement on the 'Misappropriation Prohibition Act' (Zweckentfremdungsverbotsgesetz) in German, which we've included below in English (translated via Google Translate): die benannte Einzelfallentscheidung des Bezirks ist weder mit uns abgestimmt noch beruht sie auf einer Empfehlung durch uns. Das Zweckentfremdungsverbot ist gepragt durch die Einzelfallbetrachtung der Teilaspekte jedes einzelnen Falles. Eine notwendige Prozessfuhrung im Ergebnis einer Einzelfallprufung erfolgt grundsatzlich in Eigenverantwortung der Bezirke. Die Behauptung der Anwaltskanzlei, dass die Gestattung der 182 Tage in Absprache mit der Senatsverwaltung fur Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen erfolgt sei, ist falsch. Falsch ist auch, in diesem Fall von einem Urteil zu sprechen: Es handelt sich nur um einen einzelfallbezogenen, auf Hinweis des Gerichts erfolgten, Vergleich. Prazedenzfalle ergeben sich in der Regel nur aus richterlichen Urteilsspruchen. Eine Anpassung des Zweckentfremdungsverbotsgesetzes allein auf Grund diesen Vergleichs ist also weder geplant noch notwendig. Es wird keine Kehrtwende beim Zweckentfremdungsgesetz geben. Im Gegenteil: das Gesetz soll mit dem Ziel eines umfassenderen Wohnraumschutzes rechtssicher uberarbeitet werden. [The designated individual case decision of the district is neither co-ordinated with us nor based on a recommendation by us. The prohibition of misuse of purpose is characterized by the individual case consideration of the partial aspects of each individual case. A necessary process control as a result of a single-case inspection is basically carried out by the authorities themselves. The allegation of the law firm that the permission of the 182 days in consultation with the senate administration for urban development and living was done is wrong. It is also wrong to speak of a judgment in this case: it is only a case-by-case comparison which is based on a reference to the court. As a rule, precedents arise only from judicial verdicts. It is therefore neither planned nor necessary to adapt the prohibition of the prohibition of the use of property on the sole basis of this comparison. There will be no "sweeping" in the purpose of misuse. On the contrary, the law is to be revised by law with the aim of a more comprehensive protection of housing.] Berlin is not the only city where Airbnb's business growth is being reined in by regulators responding to housing concerns. In Barcelona city authorities have also been cracking down on short term tourist rentals for several years -- just last month announcing they would be ramping up the number of inspectors whose job it is to try to identify illegal rentals. In July Airbnb agreed to work with Barcelona to remove listings that could affect long-term housing availability in Barcelona, as well as to eject illegal commercial operators using the site -- couching this as a rapprochement in relations between it and the local government, and claiming it will have "zero tolerance for bad actors". At the time Airbnb trumpeted having removed "more than 1,300 listings that could affect long-term housing availability in Barcelona". While city authorities shot back that there are still around 5,000 to 6,000 "illegal tourist rentals". So there's still a pretty sizable gap to be closed there. The Catalan city has seen anti-tourism protests ramping up in recent years, and Airbnb is a frequent target as a perceived contributor to inflated rents which critics argue drive out families and damage local communities. Queues of traffic have been building on the roads out of Florida - AP Airlines have been accused of cashing in on the disaster created by Hurricane Irma by hiking the prices of flights by thousands of dollars. Airlines including United have been criticised on social media by passengers trying to evacuate destinations in the category 5 storms path, such as Florida in the US. Florida governor Rick Scott has issued a state of emergency as Hurricane Irma is expected to hit Florida on September 9. Hey @united this is price gouging. There was word you were going to add flights to help people get out of Miami, but this is ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/0qtEDKtEYb Cindi Avila (@ChefCindi) September 6, 2017 As traffic clogged up roads in Key West, people wanting to leave Miami were quoted extortionate prices, such as more than $6,000 (4,590) for a one-way trip from Miami to Atlanta with United. Another person looking to book found four flights at prices of more than $6,000 from Miami to Denver, also with United. @thepointsguy is AA price gouging with Irma close?FLL-MSP flight quoted $190 at 8:00A. System failed to book. Finally got for $734 at 10:00A Hectorfl72 (@hectorfl72) September 5, 2017 One Twitter user on Tuesday said he saw his potential flight from Florida to Minneapolis-St. Paul with American Airlines jump by more than $600 (459), to a price of $734 in two hours. These domestic flights would normally cost a fraction of the prices quoted, usually no more than a few hundred dollars. People in America are stocking up on provisions in preparation for the arrival of the category 5 storm Credit: AFP/MICHELE EVE SANDBERG Some prices shown on flight comparison sites, such as $3,000 for a Delta flight from Miami to Phoenix found by one Twitter user, Leigh Dow, on Expedia, was apparently remedied by Delta once Ms Dow spoke to the airline directly. Story continues As anger mounted and the life-threatening storm grew closer, airlines Jet Blue, American and Delta put out statements saying that they were capping the prices on affected flights in response. The cap is expected to last until September 13. Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute responsibly? #IrmaHurricanepic.twitter.com/O2nfPHQUAh Leigh (@LeighDow) September 5, 2017 Jet Blue and American said it would cap fares at $99, Delta said its $399 cap included first class. "We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights," JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said. United said in a statement to NBC news network that it "did not change how we priced our seats for flights out of Florida," but added that fares for the additional flights that it had put on to cope with the extra demand had been reduced "beyond what a regular last minute fare would be." A look at Uniteds website on Thursday reveals that one-way flights from Miami to Atlanta are available from $1,142. A satellite image of the hurricane Credit: AFP/HO Senators Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey called on the US Department of Transportation yesterday to launch an investigation into potentially opportunistic fare hikes by airlines. "It would certainly be offensive if airlines who rely on publicly supported infrastructure and have been bolstered by American taxpayers for nearly a century used this opportunity to impose unconscionable costs on consumers," they wrote in a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Pam Bondi, Floridas attorney general, said the state had received more than 1,500 calls on its price-gouging hotline in the last two days, mostly relating however to the prices of water, food and petrol. Hurricane Irma batters the Caribbean, in pictures By Krishna N. Das COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - An estimated 270,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday, announcing a dramatic jump in numbers fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar's Rakhine State. A rights group said satellite images showed about 450 buildings had been burned down in a Myanmar border town largely inhabited by Rohingya, as part of what the Muslim minority refugees say is a concerted effort to expel them. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the estimated number of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar on Aug. 25 had risen from 164,000 on Thursday, after aid workers found big groups in border areas. "We have identified more people in different areas that we were not aware of," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, while adding that there could be some double-counting. "The numbers are so alarming - it really means that we have to step up our response and that the situation in Myanmar has to be addressed urgently." The latest flight of Rohingya began two weeks ago after Rohingya insurgents attacked security force posts in Myanmar's Rakhine State. That triggered an army counteroffensive in which at least 400 people died. The United States, a principle backer of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government that came to power in Myanmar last year, said there had been shortcomings on the part of Myanmar security forces and the government in dealing with the situation. Patrick Murphy, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Washington was calling in talks with Myanmar's military and civilian leaders for urgent restoration of access to Rakhine State for humanitarian assistance and journalists. He said the security forces must respond responsibly to the attacks that began the crisis, telling reporters: "They have a responsibility to carry out those activities in accordance with rule of law and international human rights" Rights groups briefed U.N. Security Council diplomats on the Myanmar violence on Friday. Russia and China did not send any diplomats, according to people at the meeting. Myanmar has said it is was counting on China and Russia to protect it from any Security Council censure. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Suu Kyi by phone on Wednesday and reiterated his concerns about the situation in Rakhine State, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Reuters. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the United States was "deeply troubled by continued reports of attacks against innocent civilians and will continue to urge (Myanmar) security forces to respect those civilians as it conducts security operations." Washington was also calling on Myanmar to ensure that aid reached those in need as quickly as possible, "and that it is delivered in a manner that protects their rights and dignity, she said in a statement. The wave of refugees, many sick or wounded, has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands displaced by previous waves of violence in Myanmar. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food. "We need to prepare for many more to come, I am afraid," said Shinni Kubo, Bangladesh country manager for UNHCR. "We need huge financial resources. This is unprecedented. This is dramatic. It will continue for weeks and weeks." While most refugees are coming on foot, many are braving the sea. At least 300 boats carrying Rohingya arrived in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district on Wednesday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said. Buddhist-majority Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" it blames for the attacks on the security forces, burning homes and civilian deaths. It says about 30,000 non-Muslims have been displaced. The 1.1 million Rohingya living in Myanmar have long complained of persecution. They are denied citizenship and regarded as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. BURNED BUILDINGS There is very limited access to the north of Rakhine State and few if any independent witnesses, raising fears that a humanitarian crisis could be unfolding among Rohingya still there. "What we know is what people are saying as they come across, and what they're saying now, given this been going on since Aug. 25, is they are in an absolutely desperate state," said IOM's Leonard Doyle. "They say (they are) living out in (the) open, without protection from the tropical sun with their children, without enough food to eat." Bangladesh has proposed "safe zones" run by aid groups for Rohingya in Myanmar. But it would seem the plan is unlikely to be accepted there. Human Rights Watch said satellite images taken last Saturday showed hundreds of burned buildings in Maungdaw, a district capital in Rakhine State, in areas primarily inhabited by Rohingya. "If safety cannot even be found in area capitals, then no place may be safe," said Phil Robertson, the group's deputy Asia director. A Myanmar reporter in the north of the state said he had reports from residents of an area called Rathedaung that six villages there had been torched and that there had also been shooting in the area. It was not clear who was responsible. Critics have accused Suu Kyi of not speaking out for the Rohingya and some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked. The United States has been careful to avoid direct criticism of Suu Kyi, and Murphy said Washington was looking to help Myanmar's transition to democracy succeed. He noted that most authority in Rakhine State lay with the military, which wielded direct power in Myanmar for decades before Suu Kyi's election win. Murphy called for implementation of recommendations of a commission led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan set up to find solutions for the ethnically and religiously divided Rakhine. "The fact that over a million people inside the country have been devoid of basic rights for generations has been a long-standing issue," Murphy said. "It needs to be addressed." Protests against the treatment of the Rohingya were held in several countries, including Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia. Others were held outside Myanmar's embassies in Tokyo and Manila. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he was considering raising the issue in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump next week. Malaysia's coastguard said it was willing to offer Rohingya temporary shelter, although it is unlikely refugees would travel hundreds of kilometres south by sea during the monsoon season, which lasts until late November. Thailand has also said it is preparing to receive people fleeing Myanmar, while Singapore said it was ready to help the humanitarian effort. (Additional reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor in Jakarta, Rozanna Latiff ad Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur, Tom Miles in Geneva, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and David Brunnstrom and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) A notorious opponent of same-sex marriage is suing the state of Alabama to recognize his union with a 2011 MacBook. Chris Sevier claims that he married his computer in New Mexico a while back. He filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Alabama on Aug. 31 demanding that the state either recognize that alleged marriage to what he calls an object ... with female like features or issue him a new license to wed the computer, according to AL.com. Although he describes his sexual orientation as machinist in the suit, Seviers goal here is not true bliss with his laptop. What the suit is ultimately seeking is the overturn of the Supreme Courts decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. And Sevier has tried this strategy before. The Alabama complaint states: Defendant [Blount County Probate Judge Chris] Green issues marriage licenses to individuals who self-identify as homosexual, but he refuses to issue marriage licenses to zoophiles, machinists, and polygamists on a basis that can only be described as procedurally arbitrary. The suit lists three other plaintiffs: John Gunter Jr., Whitney Kohl and John Grace Harley, Utah residents who describe themselves as polygamists who want to all marry each other, according to WSFA.com. Green, the probate judge, told AL.com that the plaintiffs did not request marriage licenses in person, but just phoned asking if they could get them. I just said I wouldnt do that in Blount County. No way, no how, Green said. Besides Green, the lawsuit also lists as defendants Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and state Attorney General Steve Marshall. Sevier has filed similar lawsuits in Florida, Tennessee, Utah and Texas, with a notable lack of success. Chris Sevier claims he wants to wed his computer, but really wants to end same-sex marriage. (Photo: KSTU TV) Sevier, a former Tennessee attorney and a producer of electronic dance music, told The Houston Press in 2016 that his lawsuits are designed to define marriage as one man and one woman. The question is, should we have policies that encourage that kind of lifestyle? The state is not doing anyone any favors by encouraging people to live that lifestyle, he told the paper in reference to same-sex marriage. Story continues The if-gays-can-marry-each-other-then-I-want-to-marry-my-computer argument didnt work when Sevier tried it in Utah in June 2016. The Utah Attorney Generals Office asked a federal judge to dismiss the suit because there is no constitutional right to marry a laptop. These claims are untenable as a matter of law because Plaintiffs lack standing to bring these claims and the right to marry has not been indefinitely expanded, nor should it be, Assistant Attorney General David Wolf wrote in the states filing. Simply put, marrying a laptop computer or multiple partners are not rights protected by the Constitution. Wolf also pointed out the ridiculousness of Seviers argument by noting that unless Seviers computer has attained the age of 15, it is too young to marry under Utah law. HuffPost reached out to Sevier, who did not immediately respond. Also on HuffPost Lord Tebbit Because WHAT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A LESBIAN QUEEN!? Tebbit said: "There is, I believe, no bar to a lesbian succeeding to the Throne. It may happen. It probably will, at some stage. What, then, if she marries and her partner bears a child by an anonymous sperm donor? Is that child the heir to the Throne? If the Queen herself subsequently bore a child by an anonymous donor, which child then, if either, would inherit the Throne?" Jack Phillips This baker violated civil laws, got sued and ended up in court, just so he wouldn't have to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. Mike Huckabee Huckabee (who is, worryingly, a presidential candidate) predicted that the legalisation of gay marriage will lead to the government bringing criminal charges among those who are oppose gay rights and pastors who preach against gay marriage. This, Huckabee says, will lead to the "criminalisation about Christianity". Judge Roy Moore This actual real-life judge who makes decisions for the greater good of mankind said that gay marriage will "literally cause the destruction of our country"... LITERALLY. The Jensens This couple who vowed to divorce and live in sin if gay marriage was legalised in Australia Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. 20:46 The Class 2 student was found with his throat slit in a washroom in the school building yesterday morning. The police have arrested a school bus conductor for allegedly killing the child and attempting to sexually assault him. "Yesterday's incident at Ryan School in Gurugram is highly unfortunate and my heart goes out to the bereaved parents. I urge all school authorities and parents to remain vigilant about any actual or suspected occurrences of child abuse," the women and child development minister said in a series of tweets. She also said that the government was making "all out efforts" to deal with child sexual abuse and appealed to parents to report such occurances on the POCSO e-box -- an online complaint box for reporting child sexual abuse. The e-box is an an initiative by the apex body for child rights, National Commission of Protection of Child Rights. It can be accessed on NCPCR's website. Union minister Maneka Gandhi today said the murder of a 7-year-old student on the Ryan International School campus was "unfortunate" and urged parents and school authorities to be vigilant about child sexual abuse. Lori Ferrall sent her daughter to school while dressed as a dinosaur. (Photo: Facebook/Lori Ferrall) Sending your baby to kindergarten can be rough for parents. But not for dinosaurs. So a mom from Michigan channeled the thick-skinned creatures the morning she sent her daughter off on her first day of kindergarten. This past Tuesday, Lori Ferrall donned a full T. rex costume as she put her daughter Molly on the school bus. I did it mainly to entertain her, Ferrall tells Yahoo Style. But it also helped the mom of three to curb her own emotions. I thought for sure I was going to cry. Im not one to really cry, but I know how fast they grow up. I try to take every moment I can before it goes by fast. So, she masked her emotions, literally, and suited up in an oversized head-to-toe blowup dinosaur suit and stomped her daughter down the driveway. Why a dinosaur and not a more soothing animal like a bunny? Because Molly is actually a pint-sized paleontologist. She is so much in love with dinosaurs that I seem to always find ways to make her extra-excited about things with it. It definitely was there to help me mask my emotions. We are a free-spirited family, so goofing off is in our nature, Ferrall says. The family bought the costume on Amazon for about $100, and its come in handy more than once. She wore it for 30 minutes during her other daughters field day, which was entertaining for the students but tough physically. That suit can be pretty uncomfortable Ferrall said that when its hot outside, it feels like a sauna, so sometimes Ill put a tiny water bottle in with me to help cool off. Ferrall says the heat was worth it for Mollys response. You know when a baby has that adorable cute belly laugh? It was like that with a smile that was ear to ear. It just melts your heart, Ferrall says of Mollys reaction to seeing her mom in the suit that morning. She told me it was so awesome and then the next day didnt understand why I wasnt dressed up in the costume again. I think she wanted me to wear it every day for her. Story continues Ferrall told a local news station that she waved at the cars driving by, hoping that she would cheer up other families experiencing similar emotions. I didnt want to focus on the Oh my gosh, shes leaving, says Ferrall. Its Im going to make this fun. Im gonna make her remember and have a story. The distraction of the costume did the trick and helped Ferrall hold back her tears. I was by my husband, so I tried to act tough, but when I went to her school to meet her at her classroom for a picture there not in the dinosaur suit I really held back the tears then. The look also helped quell Mollys nerves: I would say it helped her if there were any jitters. But Mollys a bit tougher than her emotional mom. She didnt seem nervous because of going to preschool a couple days for two years. A week before, she told me, I dont want to leave you and go to kindergarten. I dont want to be a kid anymore. I just want to be an adult like you. I just need a doughnut! The things she says always crack me up. Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. China on Thursday said it backed further measures against North Korea, although Chinese analysts doubted Beijing would support tough new sanctions being proposed by the United States. The US is seeking an oil embargo, a ban on the textiles trade and a freeze on the assets of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, in what would be the harshest measures yet aimed at confronting Pyongyangs military build-up. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said: "Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures. However, the oil embargo is likely be a major source of contention between Beijing and Washington, given that China supplies nearly all of North Korea's oil through an ageing pipe passing through the border between the two countries. Beijing has backed existing sanctions on coal, iron ore and seafood, but insists that the crisis can only be resolved through negotiations. China believes that in turning off the oil taps, the North Korea state could collapse, forcing a flood of refugees into its north-eastern provinces and the possibility of a new pro-US-regime on its doorstep. Trucks transport goods to North Korea through the Friendship Bridge linking China and North Korea, as seen from Dandong in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. Credit: Kyodo China is also North Koreas main trading partner in textiles, an industry which currently provides the North with its main source of export revenue. Donald Trump warned that he would not be putting up with North Korea, and said Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, agreed with him 100% in confronting Kims regime. But Liu Ning, a Beijing-based expert on north-east Asia, noted that Mr Xi told Mr Trump in a telephone call on Wednesday night that the crisis must be resolved through dialogue and consultation. This is a signal that China's policy to North Korea has not changed over the past decade, he said. And there won't be fundamental changes in China's policy toward North Korea. "I dont think China is going to obey orders from the US on the North Korean issue. Story continues Calls for oil sanctions now certain to grow louder. https://t.co/U3lvtU5q8m Neil Connor (@neilaconnor) September 3, 2017 Wang Dong, an expert on north-east Asia from Peking University in Beijing, said the US should bear the responsibility in solving the North Korean crisis, as Washington was to blame for forcing the North to build up its military as a means of defending itself from a possible US strike. We can see that sanctions are just a tool, and not, as some western analysts believe, something that can solve every problem, Professor Wang said. The sanctions proposal, which is likely to be voted on at the UN on Monday, is also expected to be opposed by Russia. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president reiterated his opposition to the sanctions on Thursday, but also said he believes the Trump administration is "willing to resolve the situation." South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) before their summit talks in Vladivostok, Russia, Credit: Yonhap Meanwhile, Moon Jae-in, the President of South Korea, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated their calls for tougher sanctions on North Korea when they met in the Russian city of Vladivostock on Thursday. The pair also agreed to strengthen efforts in convincing China and Russia to back tougher measures against Pyongyang. South Korea is seeking to bolster its defensive capabilities against a possible strike from the North and on Thursday added more launchers to a US missile-defense system known as Thaad. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors are seen as they arrive at Seongju Credit: Reuters Military chiefs also continued to oversee wide-ranging drills, with marines concluding a massive exercise near the tense western sea border, South Koreas Yonhap news agency said. The drills focused on reviewing the defence posture for the north-western islands, military officials said, and came after North Korean troops staged simulated attacks on the Souths border islands. Tensions over North Korea escalated sharply on Sunday with Pyongyangs sixth and biggest nuclear test, which it claimed was a hydrogen bomb. Pyongyang residents greeting the arrival of 'contributors' to the test of North Korea claimed was a hydrogen bomb. Credit: AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS Residents of the North Korean capital took to the streets to welcome the scientists behind the test and attend a huge celebration, according to state media. Local media released photographs showing thousands watching a huge fireworks display and waving bouquets on the streets of Pyongyang. A report by KCNA said the contributors" vowed to successfully conclude their research and development campaign to attain the final-phase goals for perfecting the state nuclear forcetrue to the guidance of respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Additional reporting by Christine Wei Senator Bernie Sanders does not seem fazed by the news that Hillary Clinton places at least some of the blame for her election loss on her former Democratic opponent and his supporters. An excerpt of Clinton's new book, What Happened, which characterized Sanders as a disruptive, counterproductive force, has been widely shared this week. In it, Clinton claimed Sanders's attempts to paint her as too closely linked to Wall Street "did lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trumps Crooked Hillary campaign." "[Sanders] didn't get into the race to make sure a Democrat won the White House, he got in to disrupt the Democratic Party," Clinton wrote. Sanders told The Hill: "My response is that right now it's appropriate to look forward and not backward." He added, Our job is to go forward. Sanders also said, Im working overtime now to see we overturn Trumps decision on DACA, pass a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and next week Ill be offering a Medicare-for-all single-payer system. The Vermont senator seems fed up with what can feel like a never-ending autopsy of the 2016 election, and he wants to focus his energy on pushing a progressive agenda through the Senate. In short, he evidently is not a fan of playing the blame game. Even though some on the leftprimarily supporters of Hillary Clintoncontinue to blame Sanders for the election outcome, he remains among the countrys most popular politicians. A recent Harvard-Harris poll showed Sanders is the only U.S. politician whom a majority of American voters view favorably. The poll gave Sanders a favorability rating of 54 percent. By comparison, Clinton had a favorability rating of 42 percent. In this sense, perhaps Sanders has a point when he says all parties might benefit from looking forward instead of dwelling on the past. Washington (AFP) - US electronics retailer Best Buy has stopped selling products by leading computer security firm Kaspersky Lab amid concerns the company has links to Russian intelligence, the two companies confirmed Friday. The big box retailer, with stores across the country, did not announce the change itself but its website was no longer offering Kaspersky products, and numerous social media reports said they were not on store shelves anymore. A Best Buy spokeswoman confirmed in an email reports that the action was taken due to concerns over Kaspersky's alleged links to the Russian government. Kaspersky, which denies Russian government links, said the two firms "have suspended their relationship at this time." "However, the relationship may be re-evaluated in the future," it said in a statement. "Kaspersky Lab has enjoyed a decade-long partnership with Best Buy and its customer base, and Kaspersky Lab will continue to offer its industry-leading cybersecurity solutions to consumers through its website and other retailers." The security software vendor, founded in 1977 by Russia-born Eugene Kaspersky, operates a global business with an estimate 400 million product users. It has its main offices in Russia and the United States. In July, the US government removed Kaspersky from its list of approved vendors, weeks after top US intelligence agency and law enforcement officials publicly expressed concerns about the safety of its software. Last week, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said she was introducing legislation to ban US government bodies from using Kaspersky software. But no evidence has been presented to back up vague assertions that it might be a tool of Moscow, offering Russian spies back-door entry into computers worldwide. In July, it strongly denied those insinuations. "Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber-espionage efforts," the company said. A top official of a Kaspersky competitor this week told AFP on condition of anonymity that he did not believe the allegations. But he said Russia and China are increasingly treating his and other US cyber security firms with intense suspicion and constricting their market access. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said Thursday that her department will change the Obama Administrations guidance for handling cases of sexual assault on college campuses and rethink the way Title IX regulations against gender discrimination are enforced. The sad reality is that lady justice is not blind on campuses today. This unraveling of justice is shameful, its wholly un-American, DeVos said during a speech at George Mason University in Virginia . There must be a better way forward. Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined. DeVos speech came almost two months after she met with various advocate groups to discuss how sexual assault investigations are handled on college campuses, listening to victims of sexual assault and to students who say they have been falsely accused. Victims advocates have urged DeVos not to roll back the Obama Administrations controversial Dear Colleague letter. That letter established strict guidelines for universities to follow when investigating sexual assault complaints or risk losing federal funding under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. On Thursday, DeVos criticized that guidance for creating a system that has failed too many students, listing examples of victims and accused students whose cases have been mishandled by their university. Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office of Civil Rights to work against schools and against students, she said. The era of rule by letter is over. Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach. Advocates of sexual assault victims quickly criticized the announcement, arguing the change will result in a reversal of recent progress. What seems procedural is a blunt attack on survivors of sexual assault, Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Womens Law Center, said in a statement. It will discourage schools from taking steps to comply with the lawjust at the moment when they are finally working to get it right. Story continues Jess Davidson, managing director of the group End Rape on Campus, was among those who protested outside the speech on Thursday. I have had survivors calling me hysterically in tears worried that their government is going to go back on their civil rights, she said. Theyre very scared. But DeVos speech was celebrated by Cynthia Garrett, co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE), a nonprofit founded by mothers of sons who were falsely accused of sexual misconduct in college. She said an email group for parents affiliated with FACE lit up with positive messages after DeVos finished speaking: Thank you for giving the innocent accused a platform. Praise God. Brought me to tears. Progress is being made, they wrote. These families have been through a lot. This Google group email exchange has had many days of very heavy, very sad interactions between the families, Garrett said. But this has given them some hope, maybe not for themselves or their sons or daughters specifically, but for the future. FACE and similar groups have argued that the Obama-era guidance encouraged a one-sided system that has threatened the due process rights of accused students. But Davidson thinks the problems with the current system are not a result of the Dear Colleague letter, but rather a result of schools failing to enforce it properly. I think she might have a fundamental misunderstanding of Title IX and the Dear Colleague letter, Davidson said. I look at this false equivalency that she set up in her framework about the issues facing survivors and the issues facing the accused, and I think she is trying to shut survivors out. DeVos said the department will launch a so-called notice and comment process to develop a new approach. We know this much to be true: one rape is one too many, one assault is one too many, DeVos said. One person denied due process is one too many. This conversation may be uncomfortable, but we must have it. It is our moral obligation to get this right. Campus sexual misconduct must continue to be confronted head-on. Music video director Joseph Kahn managed to provoke a lot of people with his claim that Beyonce ripped off Taylor Swift. Kahn made the claim that the artists Formation video, which he did not direct, was really an imitation of Swifts 2015 Bad Blood video, which he did direct, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Thursday. His comments were made in response to claims that the Look What You Made Me Do video he did for Swift was a gentrified Beyonce shoot. I suddenly understood the conflict of whats going on in society and what battle rap serves, what prism to look at the movie through, he said between bites of yellowtail, unable to resist adding one last jab at the Beyhive over Swifts new video. Its not Formation at all. They try to say shes wearing a black crop top and Beyonce wore a black crop top. But they dont realize in 2015 in Bad Blood, Taylor Swift was wearing a black crop top. I really do think, by the way, that Beyonce copied Bad Blood. The comment was more than likely meant as a joke, considering that the ubiquitous black crop top is a pretty flimsy connection. Kahn had worked with Beyonce on Destinys Child videos many years ago. Even so, people havent taken kindly to the interview. Kahn has said some controversial things on Twitter before, but this time he set off one of the most fearsome fan bases on the internet: the Beyhive. As if Beyonce would have to go so beneath her for inspiration. You're delusional Raeven (@rararaebies) September 7, 2017 Joseph Kahn trying to go one tweet without mentioning Beyonce for attention pic.twitter.com/uTH6JVVebt lizzie mcguire (@ghostandhaunted) September 7, 2017 Whether it be Kim vs Taylor or taylor vs Kim. Beyonce is royalty to both of them...No mercy for Joseph, sorry. Stand in the way, get stung pic.twitter.com/aIiUxU1jfH Datreon (@DatreonL) September 7, 2017 Joseph Kahn really lost his mind......now he's saying BEYONCE copied Bad Blood? I hope the Hive is in his mentions every day ripping him K (@antiszayn) September 7, 2017 isn't it cool how joseph kahn will never ever work with beyonce lol katy anne (@katyfaise) September 5, 2017 R.I.P. to his mentions https://t.co/DhBAeFZqzU ReBecca Theodore (@FilmFatale_NYC) September 7, 2017 When Joseph Kahn says the Queen Beyonce copied Bad Blood..... I don't care if ya'll playing, you DO NOT insult Queen Bey. pic.twitter.com/XjqaEnnUdS Hollie (@HollieFitzxo) September 7, 2017 You have a page for Beyonce. Lmaooo. Go spray yourself and don't forget to use a lighter. Niamh (@msyonceslay) September 7, 2017 Like girl you think BEYONCE needed to copy Taylor Swift? pic.twitter.com/bkPz8PQ0LP Jordan Blok (@jordaanblok) September 7, 2017 As if Look What You Made Me Do vid wasn't the biggest clusterfuck of pop video rip offs I've seen. Pot calling the kettle black Gabi Gurycz (@gabi_gurycz) September 7, 2017 @JosephKahn stay in your lane sis. Beyonce wouldnt never get and idea from Taylor Swift of all people . (@alterskam_) September 7, 2017 This man doesn't respect his life, like the Beyhive aren't gonna put the illuminati in his life. Baegon Tagaryen (@MissMarthaEva) September 7, 2017 Pray for Joseph Kahns mentions. Story continues Also on HuffPost Sharing is caring. After their "Bad Blood" music video won Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards, each squad member that starred in the video received her own Moonman. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Prince George put on a brave face Thursday as he headed off for the first day of a new school year without his mom. The future king, 4, clutched his dad Prince Williams hand as he walked into school at the $23,000-per-year Thomass Battersea in London. Princess Kate, who revealed she is pregnant for a third time, was not well enough to see her son off to school. She is battling acute morning sickness, also known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a condition that also afflicted her during her previous two pregnancies. It has forced her to cancel a planned appearance on Monday along with her trip to school with her firstborn on Thursday. Unfortunately The Duchess of Cambridge remains unwell, and will not be able to accompany Prince George on his first day of school. The Duke of Cambridge will drop off Prince George this morning as planned, a spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement as the family prepared for him to make his journey across the city. The young future king who will be known as George Cambridge at school, the palace says walked hand-in-hand with dad William from their Range Rover. They were met by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem, who led them to his reception classroom. George headed to class in style, wearing his new school uniform. Thomass Batterseas summer uniform consists of a blue button-down shirt, shorts and a navy sweater with the schools logo. Of course, George already has a little school experience under his belt back in January 2016 he attended his first day of nursery school near the familys country home in Norfolk. And like proud parents everywhere, they couldnt help but share adorable photos of the backpack-wearing royal student! Watch: Prince George walks into school with dad Prince William on his first day pic.twitter.com/XBSq23cAJW Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) September 7, 2017 The move to a new school for George has come as the family has relocated to live more in London, following the end of Prince Williams civilian job as an air ambulance pilot. He is now shifting to full-time royal duties and his charities. Story continues Thomass Battersea, which is about four miles south of the familys Kensington Palace home, is a big, busy, slightly chaotic school for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy, the latest The Good Schools Guide says. That is what they want and, to a large degree, that is what they get. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to excel but withdrawn types might find it all somewhat overwhelming, the review adds. Take a look at The Duke and Prince Harry on their first days of school ???? pic.twitter.com/RkL1MUbC4Q Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017 George will be among a wide variety of international families as 19 different foreign languages spoken at home, notes the guide. Georges parents have vowed to take him to school whenever they can. But according to the guide, the school owns a fleet of buses, some of which bring pupils from Kensington. Prague (AFP) - Crammed mercilessly into vans and car boots, tens of thousands of illegally bred dogs, many ill or still puppies, are smuggled each year out of the Czech Republic for sale on western Europe's lucrative black market. "Try to live at least one day the way these puppies do, in an unhealthy, isolated place with little food and water, in your own excrement," says Prague vet Martina Naceradska. She is one of a growing number of Czech activists targeting so-called puppy mills, or illegal large-scale commercial dog breeding sites, which, they say, ship an estimated 50,000 dogs without identification chips or passports annually to EU nations further west. Animal rights activists say 100 to 150 puppy mills are thought to be operating in the Czech Republic, many of them on the German and Austrian borders which is a key factor in the illicit trade. "Dogs are bred illegally in the Czech Republic and other eastern European countries, often in alarming conditions, and then transported to western Europe, where they are handed over to middlemen," Naceradska told AFP. Profit margins are hefty. Legally-bred dogs in western EU countries are at least 75 percent more expensive than those illegally bred in their eastern counterparts, according to campaigners. In the Czech Republic, a boom in illegal breeding in the last few years has driven annual turnover up to around an estimated 1.5 billion koruna (57 million euros, $68 million). Websites offering popular breeds from Czech puppy mills such as French bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers, Jack Russells or the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, are easy to find online. - Long borders - Geographical reasons have helped drive the smuggling and aided its success, say animal rights groups. The Czech Republic has the advantage over Poland, Hungary and Slovakia -- where illegal breeding and smuggling to the west also goes on -- for example, of sharing large borders with both Austria and wealthy parts of Germany where campaigners highlight a demand. Story continues Buyers often pick up the puppy mill pets from handlers in shady places such as carparks or motorway service areas. "Demand creates supply," Naceradska says of the practice, which is relatively recent in the Czech Republic and has even spawned a new Czech word, "mnozirna", or "breeding factory". The booming illegal business has prompted top-selling broadsheet Dnes to dub the EU country of 10.5 million people a puppy mill "superpower". - 'Four out of five' - The 1992 Animal Welfare Act lays out rules for breeding both farm animals and pets in the Czech Republic, but animal rights activists argue that poor enforcement and weak penalties have created fertile ground for puppy mills. Being caught transporting an animal or neglecting the rules can entail a fine of up to 768 euros, says Zbynek Semerad, head of the Czech State Veterinary Administration. But the fine does little to deter illegal breeders, who can earn up to 1,000 euros per puppy for an animal costing around 50 euros to breed. Illegal breeders can also ensure a steady supply of pups by plying female dogs with hormones and then having them impregnated up to three times a year, according to activists. "Four out of five puppies die during the transport, for instance to Spain, yet the business still pays off," says Naceradska, highlighting the high profit margin even after paying the middleman. - Electronic ID chips - Public outcry at home and fierce criticism by animal rights organisations, notably neighbouring Austria's Vier Pfoten (Four Paws), have forced Czech politicians to act. In June, parliament amended the veterinary law on rabies vaccination, introducing measures that require all dogs to have electronic ID chips injected under their fur as of 2020. The amendment also brings in the mandatory registration of any breeding establishment with more than five adult females. "It's designed to boost control over dog breeding," says lawmaker Herbert Pavera, adding that it would soon be necessary to set up a central dog registry too. "I am convinced it's possible to eliminate these 'mnozirnas', but further legislation will be required," he added. - 'Better than nothing' - But dismissing the legal changes as "better than nothing", Naceradska argues that more serious legislation, specifically targeting illegal breeders, is needed to stamp them out. "We must clearly define by law the conditions under which it is forbidden to breed animals, in order to facilitate the prosecution of those breeders," she said. Unwilling to wait for lawmakers to take more decisive action, activists like Alena Smidkova are joining forces online via social media to bring illegal puppy mill owners to heel. The feisty 50-year-old and several friends have become adept at picking out online classified ads that lead them straight to illegal breeders. "I go with a couple of guys and threaten to call the cops if the boss doesn't give me his dogs. In most cases, they don't put up much of a fight," Smidkova told AFP, as some 20 rescued puppies, including French bulldogs, golden retrievers and Chihuahuas, happily chase each other around her sprawling backyard in the eastern Czech town of Omice. With the help of friendly vets she cares for pups until they are ready to go to "carefully chosen families" for a symbolic fee of 19 euros, helping to cover some of her costs. Tapa (Estonia) (AFP) - Britain and the EU will work "together" to solve the Irish border issue during Brexit talks, British foreign minister Boris Johnson insisted on Friday, after the bloc's negotiators said it was London's responsibility to find a solution. What becomes of the land border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland when Britain leaves the bloc in 2019 is one of the most sensitive issues in Brexit talks. The EU's negotiation team put the ball in London's court on Thursday with a combative paper saying the solution for the Irish border problem was strictly Britain's responsibility. But Johnson hit back on Friday, telling AFP during a visit to British troops at a NATO base in Estonia: "It's certainly a problem we can all solve together and that's what we're going to do." People and goods currently move freely across the Irish border, but there are concerns that this cannot be sustained after Brexit, though both sides say they want to avoid a "hard" border. "I think there is a solution and we're going to get on and do it," Johnson told AFP. "We've had a common travel area for 100 years, nothing must affect that, nothing must affect the ability of farmers to move their stock and for businesses to get on with their lives." The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday voiced concern at London's proposal for the Irish border, insisting Brussels would not let Britain use Ireland as a "test case for future EU-UK customs relations". In its position paper last month, London said the issue of how goods and people will move across the Irish frontier cannot be separated from discussion about wider customs arrangements between Britain and the European Union. The EU has refused to broach any aspect of the future trade relationship until Brexit talks had achieved sufficient progress on citizen's rights, the Irish border and Britain's financial bill to leave the EU. The Rocha familys home in Dickinson, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Photo courtesy of Ashley Rocha. I didnt know anybody directly harmed by Hurricane Harvey, which dumped record rainfall on parts of Texas and Louisiana, causing biblical flooding. But I wanted to help and figured Id donate to one of the usual charities. Then a friend told me about a family she knew that had been flooded out of their one-story home, with most of their belongings trashed. The house would need extensive repairsand the family had no flood insurance. It turned out I could donate directly to this familythe Rochas, of Dickinson, Texasthrough an account a friend set up for them on GoFundMe, the crowd-funding site. I liked the idea right away. Id know something about who my money was going to, instead of wondering how the Red Cross or Salvation Army or United Way would spend my donation. I didnt have to research which charities spent the most on actual aid and the least on overhead, to get the best bang for the buck. Sure, the Rochas might spend my money on cigarettes or beer, but my friend assured me they were solid folks. Besides, maybe they deserved a free beer or smoke. Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Irma right behind it, have helped highlight this new way of bypassing traditional charities and giving directly to the victims of disasters. GoFundMe says it has hosted thousands of fundraising campaigns for Harvey victims, so there are many to choose from for those who want to give. There will be many more once Hurricane Irma has finished its rampage. Other sites, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, have a few campaigns related to the hurricane, but they tend to be more focused on community effortssimilar to traditional charitiesrather than individuals or families. There can be some obvious downsides to personalized donations through a crowd-funding site, most notably, the risk of scams. For somebody who wants to give directly and quickly, you can feel like youre having a direct impact on that family, says Katie Rusnock of Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that analyzes and rates charities. The drawback is, its harder to vet these types of campaigns. Unless youre giving to somebody you know personally, we recommend you donate to an established charity. Story continues Crowd-funding donations are only tax-deductible if they go to a recognized charity, and that does not generally include one-time campaigns set up for individuals or families. And GoFundMe, like other crowd-funding sites, takes a 5% cut of all money raised, so donations do, in fact, pay for a bit of overhead. Thats still lower than most charities, which generally spend 10% of their revenue or more on overhead. A 2014 expose by NPR and ProPublica found that while the American Red Cross claimed to spend 9% of its money on overhead, the real number was closer to 25%. Some critics say the Red Cross is still opaque about where donated funds go. I called Ashley Rocha, 30, to ask her what happened, and how her family was getting along in the grimy aftermath of the flood. Their home had never flooded before Harvey, and they did not live in a flood zone, which is why they never bought flood insurance. Around 2:30 am on Sunday, August 27, after several hours of relentless rain, water began pouring into their single-story home. So she and her husband Stephen put life jackets on their three kidsages 8, 6 and 2along with leashes on their two dogs, and went to a neighbors two-story home. But the water kept rising and they realized theyd be trapped if they didnt leave. The Rocha family before Harvey hit: Parents Stephen and Ashley, with their kids Drew, Carson and Anna Kate. Photo credit: Laura Elise Photography. So they met up with relatives who lived nearby and finally got word that friends had arrived with a pickup truck at the edge of the flooded area to transport the whole group to safety. To move around, they waded through water that was chest-high at times, with two of the kids and both dogs floating in a turquoise plastic wading pool. Those friends put them up for several days, until they moved into a vacant rental property owned by a friend of a friend. When the Rochas returned to their home after 4 days, it was a grim sight. We lost every appliance, Ashley Rocha told me over the phone. All of our furniture is warped. All of the carpet is ruined. Anything on the ground goes. My house right now is down to the studs. Both of their carsa Nissan Altima and Dodge Caravanwere total losses. Insurance will cover the Caravan, but they didnt have comprehensive coverage for the Altima, which was older. When I donated to the Rochas campaign, they had raised about $5,000. Ten days after the floods came, they were up to just over $10,000. The idea for the campaign was a friends, and Ashley initially declined. Were the kind of people who hate depending on others for stuff, she told me. Her friend persisted, however, and Ashley finally agreed. Now, when she looks at the account, she says, Im just blown away at the generosity. The Rochas waded through this street to get to safety on August 27. The three kids wore life preservers. Photo courtesy of Ashley Rocha. Getting back to normal will cost the Rochas tens of thousands of dollars, and theyre not sure how theyll manage. The older kids are back in school, wearing donated clothes. Stephen, 35, is back to work at his job as a local bank manager, and Ashley will return soon to her job as an aide at a preschool. Theyve talked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which told them there are 550,000 requests for federal help and only 1,500 inspectors on the ground to determine who qualifies. So it could be a long wait. The Rochas havent tapped the GoFundMe money yet, because theyre working through procedures the site has established to assure money goes to intended beneficiaries and isnt pilfered. Once they can get it, theyll stretch it as far as they can on materials needed to rebuild. When I talked to Ashley, she stressed several times that she felt lucky, compared with others who lost more to Harvey. It occurred to me that the ability to reach out for help on the web was actually a sort of privilege, as well. It requires an Internet connection, after allwhich the Rochas didnt have, but friends didalong with a bank account and a basic knowledge of how crowd-funding works. Some people lack even those resources, making traditional charities as important as ever, at least for the underprivileged. So after thinking about it, I matched my donation to the Rochas with one to the Red Cross, hoping it will do some good for somebody. Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. You can email him at rickjnewman@yahoo.com. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Daniel Biss, an Illinois state senator seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, dropped Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate on Wednesday over Ramirez-Rosas criticism of Israel and affiliation with a group that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The incident served as a reminder that, while the surge in progressive activism ushered in by the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has moved Democrats to the left on many economic issues, the spectrum of acceptable debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains relatively narrow. I was hopeful that this campaign could have recognized our differences and come together to focus on those key progressive issues that are important to Illinoiss working families. And unfortunately, that did not occur, Ramirez-Rosa told HuffPost. My hope is that five years from now, as a Democratic Party, we are more committed to having these constructive dialogues and allowing for these differences to exist. Bisss selection of Ramirez-Rosa as his candidate for lieutenant governor last Thursday sparked an outpouring of excitement from progressive activists and organizations. At 28, Ramirez-Rosa is Chicagos first openly gay Latino alderman and one of the countrys most prominent members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Thanks in no small part to Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, DSA has seen its dues-paying membership nearly quadruple, to more than 28,000, since the November election. Ramirez-Rosa, who joined in February, has become the organizations closest thing to a political celebrity. But Ramirez-Rosas affiliation with DSA, which has endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, immediately created a political headache for Biss. Ramirez-Rosa, who served as a Democratic National Convention delegate for Sanders in July 2016, has also spoken out against what he considers the United States sponsorship of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories Israel conquered in 1967. Story continues You know, for too long the U.S. government has subsidized the oppression of the Palestinian people, and its time that thats stopped, Ramirez-Rosa told the left-wing Real News Network in June 2016. And we have seen a shift internationally in favor of justice for the Palestinian people. You know, people stand with Israel, but they also want to make sure the Palestinian people have [justice]. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), a moderate who represents affluent Chicago suburbs, withdrew his endorsement of Biss in a note on Facebook on Sunday, citing Ramirez-Rosas tough criticism of Israel and membership in DSA. Schneider is an active member of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, a hawkish and influential pro-Israel lobby, and pro-Israel groups were his third-largest category of donors in 2016. Biss responded by demanding that Ramirez-Rosa unequivocally denounce BDS or leave the ticket, according to a source with knowledge of their conversations. After several days of discussions, Ramirez-Rosa announced his departure from the ticket, claiming in a Facebook message that his difference of opinion with Biss on BDS at the federal rather than state level had proved insurmountable. (In an interview with HuffPost, Ramirez-Rosa would not confirm the details of their talks, citing his commitment to their shared privacy.) Ramirez-Rosa said he refuses to condemn BDS in all its forms because he believes that it is part of a constructive dialogue about how the United States should leverage its power on the global stage to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Im not going to throw a nonviolent movement under the bus or impugn their aims or impugn their tactics, he told HuffPost. Amongst the international community and within the United States, there is a broad agreement that we need to end the occupation of Palestine, that we need a solution that recognizes the humanity of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. Such a solution must also recognize 4,000 years of anti-Semitism, he added. At the same time, Ramirez-Rosa does not support state governments boycotting Israel, since foreign policy is a federal matter. When asked by HuffPost if, in his capacity as lieutenant governor, he would have visited Israel as part of a state government delegation, Ramirez-Rosa affirmed that he absolutely would have. Ramirez-Rosa said he remained supportive of a two-state solution in which a Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. He has not adopted the far lefts preference for the creation of one binational state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Biss, who is Jewish and whose mother is Israeli, said in a statement about Ramirez-Rosas departure that he believes BDS moves us further away from a peaceful solution. He also accused Ramirez-Rosa of failing to be upfront about his views on the matter. When I asked him in the interview process prior to his selection, Carlos said he too supported a two-state solution and opposed BDS, Biss wrote. After much discussion, its become clear that Carlos position has changed. While I respect his right to come to his own conclusions on the issue, it simply wasnt the understanding we shared when I asked him to join the ticket. Daniel Biss, right, a Democrat running for governor of Illinois, named Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate on Aug. 31. He dropped him less than a week later. (Photo: Biss for Governor) Ramirez-Rosa insisted to HuffPost that he spoke candidly about it, explaining his opposition to boycotts by state governments and openness to federally led boycotts. When pressed, he acknowledged that the distinction between state-government and federal-government boycotts may have led Biss to misunderstand. Its not difficult to find Rosas positions on this issue, said Micah Uetricht, a friend of Ramirez-Rosas and associate editor of Jacobin, a popular socialist magazine. If you Googled Carlos Rosa Israel Palestine you could find his position on it. Did no one in the Biss campaign do this? BDS began in 2005 when Palestinian civil society groups asked the international community to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel until Israel ends its occupation of the Palestinian territories captured in 1967, allows Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war to return to their homes and grants equal rights to Israels Palestinian citizens. The movement has steadily picked up adherents, particularly in Europe, with many European musicians, including Roger Waters and Brian Eno, refusing to tour in Israel. BDS remains relatively obscure and controversial in the United States, however, where public opinion is more supportive of the Israeli government. Opponents of BDS argue that it unfairly singles out Israel among all of the worlds many imperfect nations. Critics also object to its leaders insistence on a right of return for all Palestinian refugees, which would dissolve the demographic Jewish majority that is the basis for Israels Jewish character. Ramirez-Rosa admitted that he is not familiar with the finer details of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the best way to address the issue of Palestinian refugees. In the near term, the biggest casualty of Bisss rupture with Ramirez-Rosa appears to have been his own campaign. Democrats are clamoring to unseat Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a billionaire Republican viewed as one of 2018s more vulnerable incumbents. In a crowded and contentious field dominated by billionaire investor J.B. Pritzker and philanthropist Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, Biss is seeking to upset his well-heeled competitors by cornering the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He boasts an ambitious platform that calls for a $15 minimum wage, state-level single-payer health care, paid family leave and free public college tuition. But Bisss lack of a running mate limits his ability to collect the petition signatures he needs to land a spot on the ballot, according to The Washington Posts Dave Weigel. And his rejection of Ramirez-Rosa has prompted criticism from previously supportive individuals and groups, souring much of the credibility hed earned with progressive activists. Biss just seems like an empty suit, Uetricht said. He saw a political opportunity in the Bernie Sanders campaign, a political moment where if you embraced Bernie-style politics you could get somewhere, but that was a purely opportunistic move. Even Ramirez-Rosa would no longer commit to voting for Biss. I will be playing close attention to how this race unfolds, he said. Bisss fall from grace may open up room for Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar, another long-shot contender who has also sought to court left-leaning voters. Ramirez-Rosas progressive allies see his decision not to renounce BDS as a foreshadowing of the growing acceptance of BDS and a long-term win for the democratic socialists who embrace it. This country is dramatically changing and things that used to seem impossible are very much probable, said David Duhalde, the deputy director of the Democratic Socialists of America. Carlos decision shows people how incredibly committed and principled politicians like Carlos are and Democratic Socialists of America members are, too, Duhalde added. People like Carlos sticking by their values is a very good thing for the socialist movement. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Alabama State Capitol (Montgomery, Ala.) Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Alaska State Capitol (Juneau, Alaska) Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Miller) Arizona State Capitol (Phoenix) Pictured on Friday, April 23, 2010. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) Arkansas State Capitol (Little Rock, Ark.) Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) California State Capitol (Sacramento, Calif.) Pictured on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images) Colorado State Capitol (Denver) Pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006. 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Nebraska State Capitol (Lincoln, Neb.) Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998. (AP Photo/S.E. McKee) Nevada State Capitol (Carson City, Nev.) New Hampshire State House (Concord, N.H.) Pictured on Friday, Dec. 28, 2001. (Todd Warshaw//Pool/Getty Images New Jersey State House (Trenton, N.J.) Pictured on Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) New Mexico State Capitol (Santa Fe, N.M.) New York State Capitol (Albany, N.Y.) Pictured on Sunday, March 16, 2008. (Photo by Daniel Barry/Getty Images) North Carolina State Capitol (Raleigh, N.C.) Pictured in 1930. (AP Photo) North Dakota State Capitol (Bismarck, N.D.) Pictured on Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel) Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio) Pictured on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. (Photo by Mike Munden/Getty Images) This article originally appeared on HuffPost. China, long considered North Koreas sole ally around the world and certainly its top trading partner, has been at the center of criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump for not doing enough to curb Pyongyangs nuclear and missile defense programs. But now Beijing, which has long pushed for diplomacy as an end to the North Korea crisis, may have made a U-turn on the global stage Thursday by agreeing that the United Nations should take action over the Norths hydrogen bomb test, Reuters reports. Given the new developments on the Korean Peninsula, China agrees that the U.N. Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters. Wang also said, Any new actions taken by the international community against the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] should serve the purpose of curbing the DPRKs nuclear and missile programs, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation. Although China did not explicitly mention sanctions, the comment came as the U.S. pushed for economic restrictions on the North and specifically its leader, Kim Jong Un. The U.S. may now ask the U.N. Security Council to put an oil embargo in place, ban textile exports outright and even freeze Kims assets. Such moves would hit North Korea and its leader hard, especially so soon after the council voted unanimously on August 5 on sanctions that would cut $1 billion from the Norths export revenue. Wangs comments came after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump reportedly spoke Wednesday night, according to the South China Morning Post. China could make maneuvers on its own to hinder the North, such as partially banning oil imports. Kims regime conducted the countrys sixth nuclear test Sunday, and while it remains unclear if the North did test a much more powerful hydrogen bomb, experts have said the test appeared to be at least the strongest ever done by the authoritarian government. Story continues Reports have also indicated the North is preparing for another intercontinental ballistic missile test less than two weeks after it fired an intermediate-range missile just north of Japan. That U.S. ally has been conducting military drills along with South Korea, which have angered Kim. Related Articles BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Emmanuel Macron on Friday he hoped France could play a "constructive role" in restarting talks on North Korea, state TV said. The French presidency said the two leaders had agreed in a telephone call on the need to put more international pressure on Pyongyang to get it back to the negotiating table and avoid a dangerous escalation. Chinese TV quoted Xi as saying: "The Korean peninsula nuclear issue in the end can only be resolved through peaceful means, including through dialogue and consultations." North Korea has tested a string of missiles this year, including one flying over Japan, and conducting its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sunday. China hosted on-again, off-again six-party talks on North Korea, including Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas, that fizzled out in 2008. Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to prevent. Xi discussed North Korea in calls with Trump on Wednesday and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. Trump has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbor. (Reporting by Michael Martina and John Irish; Editing by Nick Macfie and Robin Pomeroy) Sen. Chuck Schumer makes his point to President Donald Trump on Wednesday. (Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images) WASHINGTON After the deal was done, it was time for some New York-style ribbing. Brooklyns own Chuck Schumer plunged right in on Queens-born Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the president had unexpectedly agreed with Schumer, the Democrats Senate leader, and Nancy Pelosi, his House counterpart, to put off major battles over the federal budget and national debt until December. It was widely seen as a victory for Democrats and a humiliation for Republicans. Trump invited Schumer, whom hed once described as the head clown of the Democratic Party, to join him in briefing the press on the deal. Schumer, with a smile, demurred. If I do that, you could say something unexpected, Schumer said with a laugh. Then Id have to explain it. Trump smiled in response. Then, turning to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Schumer added, And I bet you have that problem a lot more than I do. Everyone laughed at that one. The moment was caught on camera by photographers who used telephoto lenses to peer through an Oval Office window. This account of what was said comes from friends of Schumers, to whom he recounted the conversation. His office declined to comment. The deal to provide hurricane relief, while hiking the debt ceiling and funding the government for just three months, was indeed a gift to Democrats. With majorities in both chambers of Congress, the GOP will be vulnerable to pressure on immigration and other matters as a Christmas-time shutdown of the government and its borrowing power looms. It was a moment evocative of the master wheeler-dealer Lyndon Johnson with Schumer, not Trump, in the role of mastermind and it was entirely unexpected. The New York senator had not talked to the president in months, and neither Schumer nor anyone else in the room thought that Trump would accept the three-month deal. President Lyndon B. Johnson leans over a political colleague in mock intimidation to parody how he gets his way in Washington. (Photo: Photo by CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) But if Schumer was lucky this week, he deserves it. Hes admired by his Democratic colleagues and even by many Republicans for his knowledge, his shrewdness, his businesslike approachability and, at 66 years of age, his energy and almost childlike enjoyment of his job. Story continues He simply loves what he does, said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). A near-parody of studiousness reportedly perfect SATs, Harvard and Harvard Law attendance, a disheveled mien that led one magazine to call him a zhlub, in a good way Schumer does not manage by LBJ-like instinct. Its all preparation. As his colleagues describe his methods, Schumer is constantly calling them to check in, ask their opinion and give them a heads-up. He knows the details. And he knows the history. When Schumer was elected Senate leader by his fellow Democrats, legendary LBJ biographer Robert Caro sent him a signed copy of Master of the Senate, Caros 1,167-page account of Johnsons years as Democratic leader. Schumer, of course, had already read it. After Trump was elected, observers expected that the new president would and would need to lean on the advice and experience of GOP congressional leaders. But that did not stop Schumer from reaching out to Trump before the inauguration. Bipartisan deals were possible, Schumer said, especially on infrastructure and even tax reform. Relations, such as they were, soured as Schumer rigorously kept his entire caucus in line to oppose the dismantling of Obamacare. It was a tour-de-force of legislative defiance and ended in an embarrassing defeat for his counterpart, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who could not keep his troops in line. Trump blamed McConnell for the failure. A private shouting match reportedly followed, and the two have only a minimally correct relationship at this point. But Schumer has thought from the start that he might be a better negotiating partner for his fellow New Yorker than would the dour Kentuckian. He and Trump share quite a bit. They are outer-borough attention-seekers who love to be in the news and to make deals. From Brooklyn and Queens respectively, they both recognized that their route to power ran through Manhattan and its banks, media barons and powerbrokers. Neither is much of a philosopher or an ideologue. Both think they deserve the thanks and admiration of working men and women. Schumers challenge now is to be more than a one-day LBJ, by helping his party achieve good deals on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (which he pressed Trump about again on Thursday), tax reform, Obamacare and other matters. It wont be easy. He has told colleagues that he has no idea whether the Wednesday deal is a one-off or the beginning of something lasting. Schumer is lowering expectations, which is just what LBJ would be doing right now. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9, 2016. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters) Hillary Clinton calls candidate Donald Trump flagrantly sexist in her soon-to-be-released book reflecting on the 2016 presidential election. This has to be said, Clinton writes, according to the New York Times, which obtained an advance copy of the book and published a report on it Thursday night. Sexism and misogyny played a role in the 2016 presidential election. Exhibit A is that the flagrantly sexist candidate won. During the campaign, Clinton said Trump had a penchant for sexism. The celebrity real estate moguls comments about women sparked a number of firestorms, such as when Trump called Clinton a nasty woman during the final presidential debate. Clintons memoir What Happened officially comes out Tuesday, but a number of excerpts have already made waves. The Trump criticism calls to mind another passage in which Clinton muses about telling her opponent, Back up, you creep! as he loomed behind her during the second presidential debate. In an audiobook excerpt aired on MSNBCs Rachel Maddow Show Thursday, Clinton also expounds upon her relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom she faced off with as secretary of state. Our relationship has been sour for a long time, Clinton writes. Putin doesnt respect women and despises anyone who stands up to him, so Im a double problem. After I criticized one of his policies, he told the press, Its better not to argue with women, but went out to call me weak. Maybe weakness is not the worst quality for a woman, he joked. Hilarious. In addition to Trump and Putin, Clintons tome takes on less obvious targets, like former Vice President Joe Biden and her primary opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who she said inflicted lasting damage to her campaign. During an appearance on CBSs Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Sanders dismissed that criticism. Look, Secretary Clinton ran against the most unpopular candidate in the history of this country, and she lost and she was upset about it and I understand that, Sanders said. But our job is really not to go backwards. It is to go forwards. Story continues _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Accusations of racism have long haunted Donald Trump, and while CNN's Don Lemon didn't downright call the president an out-and-out racist, the host did suggest Tuesday night that the former reality TV star is indicating a pretty clear stance against people of color in America. Lemon, who is black, made the comments during a panel discussion on Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which granted undocumented young people brought to this country access to things like work permits and diver's licenses. The decision from the presidentwhich affects some 800,000 peoplecame with a six-month delay that, theoretically, gives Congress a chance to pass legislation addressing the issue. Political analyst David Gergen said on the CNN show, via Mediaite, that Trump's decision, as well as the president's response to the deadly white supremacist march in Virginia, meant there was effectively "a sign that's been hung up in the White House or outside the White House saying if you're not white you're not expecially welcome, and this is so sad." Lemon responded by condemning the White House. "The vast majority of the American people and people I speak to are appalled by the actions that have happened recently," he said. "And yes, you're right, and I asked the question at the beginning of the show: What does this say to Americans of color? It says, again, which you said, you're not wanted. And I can speak to that. And I spoke to it during the election. And a lot of people were upset when I came out and talked about the president after the David Duke comment, after the speech he gave in Minnesota, that he saidone of his advisers sat here on the program and said it wasn't a speech about race when it was touted as a speech about race. This whole gaslighting that has come to so many issues, especially racial issues in this country." Story continues From there, Lemon drove the point home. "It's so obvious," he said. "It's not even a dog whistle anymore. It's just flat out bias. Flat out discrimination that they're touting from this White House." Trump's campaign drew many accusations of discriminationhe opened his bid for the White House, after all, by saying Mexico was sending rapists and murderers to the U.S.but he created a firestorm with his response to the Charlottesville rally last month. Trump equivocated the white supremacists marchers who chanted Nazi slogans with the counterprotesters, one of whom was killed after a manwho seemingly habored racist idealsrammed a car into a crowd. Related Articles Washington (AFP) - The US-led coalition has killed dozens of jihadists linked to a convoy of Islamic State buses stranded in the middle of the Syrian desert, a US military official said Thursday. The convoy, which initially consisted of 17 vehicles, has been stalled in the Deir Ezzor region since August 29. US officials say about 300 IS jihadists were initially aboard, along with a similar number of civilians, likely family members. The fighters had been headed from Lebanon to the Iraq border under an evacuation deal negotiated between IS and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighboring Syria to prop up the Damascus government. The United States was not party to the deal and had blocked the convoy just short of the border by bombing the road and a bridge leading from the Syrian town of Hmaymah to the IS-held town of Albukamal further east. Colonel Ryan Dillon, a US military spokesman, said the coalition has not targeted the convoy itself and was permitting food and supplies to reach the stranded vehicles, but he noted about 85 IS fighters either from the convoy or heading by vehicle to link up with it had been picked off. "We have struck individual ISIS fighters, and fighters that leave in small groups to walk away," Dillon told Pentagon reporters in a phone briefing from Baghdad. "As soon as they get far enough away from the buses, we have and will continue to strike ISIS fighters ... where we can hit them without causing harm to the civilians that are part of that convoy." The 17-vehicle convoy split in two last week, with six buses heading west toward the Palmyra region, which is under Syrian regime control. "Those buses drove further into western Syria, we just made the decision to stop monitoring it as they drew further into the interior," Dillon said. The coalition has offered to try to bring the situation to a head by contacting Russia and offering a proposal that would allow the civilians to escape. Dillon said that proposal had not gained any traction, leaving open the question of the fate of the IS fighters and the civilians. "We don't see it as our issue," he said. As Congress returns from August recess, its committees investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election are picking up where they left off. At least three congressional committees are supervising Russia probes: the Senate Intelligence Committee, the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. (At one point, the House Oversight Committee expressed interest in doing its own inquest, but Representative Trey Gowdy, its new chairman, backed off that idea.) Those investigations are separate from the FBI probe headed by Department of Justice special counsel Robert Mueller. Related: House Intelligence Committee subpoenas FBI, DOJ Two of the three committees are already moving forward with their inquests in the days since the recess ended. On Tuesday, the House Intelligence Committee issued new subpoenas to the FBI and Justice Department for information related to a dossier about President Donald Trump and Russia. Later on Tuesday, Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the committee, told MSNBC that it was the Republicans on the committee who wanted to issue subpoenas to the bureau and department, and that the decision to do so "perplexed [the Democrats] because we hadn't even made a voluntary request for the information." Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to meet on Thursday with Donald Trump Jr. to discuss contacts between his father's presidential campaign and Russia, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing three committee members. The committee also wants to meet with Paul Manafort, who was the president's campaign manager, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and adviser, to discuss the June 2016 meeting they and Trump Jr. had with a Kremlin-connected lawyer who promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton. 09_06_Congressional_committees_Russia Alex Wong/Getty Story continues As for the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Richard Burr, the chairman, told the Post on Tuesday that he wants his investigation to finish before January. That committee has already interviewed Manafort and Kushner, and Burr told the Post he hopes that Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyerwho was found to have emailed the Kremlin during the presidential campaign about building a Trump Tower in Moscowwill also speak with the committee. None of those committees has publicly announced any upcoming hearings. The special counsel Russia investigation is moving forward too, and that has created tension with the congressional panels, CNN reported on Tuesday. Beside the subpoenas from the House Intelligence Committee to the FBI and Justice Department, the Senate Intelligence Committee blocked a request from the special counsel team for the transcript of an interview it conducted with Manafort, according to CNN. Another issue for the committees could be scheduling, as the legislative agenda for the coming weeks and months is full of issues, not just Russian meddling. The agenda is just dominated by the budget, taxes and the debt ceiling, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a former political director in the George W. Bush White House, told McClatchy. Despite all the other intrigues that are out therethat drives everything. Related Articles The Congressional Black Caucus will hold a meeting next week to discuss whether to call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Following Trumps response to deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month, the CBC chairman, Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, said the 49-member caucus would have a discussion on Trumps possible impeachment when Congress reconvened after the August recess. Related: Impeach Trump or else: Top Democrat pays price for urging patience with the president Those talks will take place next Wednesday, a CBC staffer confirmed to Newsweek on Thursday. While it was initially anticipated that the discussions would happen at this weeks meeting, relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey and in anticipation of Hurricane Irma took priority. Still, members were given background information on the impeachment process and the details on all the federal officials who have previously been subject to impeachment. The CBC was among the first parties in Congress to call for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, when it filed a resolution in the House of Representatives in 1973. The following year, Nixon resigned with his impeachment considered a virtual certainty. Representative Al Green of Texas became the first Democrat to call for Trumps removal from office, in May. He later supported California Representative Brad Sherman when he introduced articles of impeachment against the president the following month, alleging obstruction of justice over the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Representative Maxine Waters, one of Trumps fiercest critics, has also called to impeach Trump, and Representative Gwen Moore became the most recent member to do so, following Trumps blaming of both sides for the violence in Charlottesville. For the sake of the soul of our country, we must come together to restore our national dignity that has been robbed by Donald Trumps presence in the White House, Moore, a Democrat from Wisconsin, said last month. My Republican friends, I implore you to work with us within our capacity as elected officials to remove this man as our commander-in-chief and help us move forward from this dark period in our nations history. Story continues Donald Trump, Congressional Black caucus Jim Watson/Getty Images While Charlottesville may have been the tipping point, the CBC will look at a variety of issues that could be grounds for impeachment, including alleged violations of the emoluments cause and Trumps fitness to serve. The case against Nixon will be studied closely as a guiding comparison. Despite three members going on record urging Trumps removal, a CBC staffer said we have not made a decision yet over whether the group would take the step of formally calling for the presidents impeachment. No preliminary discussions have yet taken place. If there is a sense that the members are moving in the direction of impeachment, a vote could be called for. General policy is that a majority vote is required for a motion to pass, although because of the seriousness of this issue more than a simple majority may be deemed necessary. For the Congressional Black Caucus, which encompasses 47 members in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate, calling for the removal of the president would undeniably be a powerful statement. However, there is little chance that it would bring about Trumps exit any time soon. A majority vote in the House is required to impeach a president, followed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate in order to convict. Republicans currently control both chambers and there have only been limited signs thus far of the party publicly abandoning their president. Also, Trump in recent days has reached out to leading Democrats over increasing the debt ceiling, a move that could win him some support. Related Articles From left, President Trump meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office on Sept. 6. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Many Republicans in Congress were reeling after President Trumps unexpected deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to raise the national debt limit and keep the federal government funded in exchange for Hurricane Harvey relief. With his collaboration with Chuck and Nancy, as Trump labeled them, the president snubbed the congressional GOP leaderships plans while handing Democrats leverage to push their own big agenda items, such as passing a law to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as young children. But it is the GOP establishment leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whove come under fire from the conservative media, where Trumps across-the-aisle agreement has been touted by many as an example of the independent, swamp-draining deals he promised to make during the campaign. The greatest show of support for Trumps deal with the Democrats has taken place on decidedly pro-Trump Fox News, starting with conservative commentator Laura Ingrahams appearance on Sean Hannitys talk show Thursday night. Oh, woe is us. Were betrayed, Ingraham said, mocking congressional Republicans shock over Trumps pivot toward Pelosi and Schumer. Where was all of their concern and urgency over the last six weeks? President Trump, left, meets with Hill leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, right, to discuss tax reform, on Sept. 5. (Photo: Bill OLeary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Although she admitted that she does not agree with the Democrats position on many issues, including the debt ceiling, Ingraham argued that Trump is a conservative populist. That means at times, if Republicans dont deliver legislation he can sign on the critical matters that he campaigned on, hes going to look to move the ball down the field with another set of players. A cacophony of complimentary commentators on Fox & Friends, perhaps Trumps favorite show, echoed that sentiment Friday morning. His so-called allies in the Republican Party, they sure didnt do him any favors during health care, said Fox contributor Geraldo Rivera, who argued that the best thing about Trumps deal with Pelosi and Schumer is the signal he sent down the road, or rather up Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill, to Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell: If you dont play ball with me, then Im gonna deal with the devil. Story continues Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich agreed, admitting that though he would feel a bit irritated if I was Speaker Ryan, Trump ultimately made a very smart deal. I dont think this is some gigantic earthquake, Gingrich said. I think its an immediate, tactical move by the president to get some momentum. Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin was equally dismissive of consternation from the Republican Party, telling the Fox & Friends hosts, I dont know who would be surprised. President Trump, when he was a candidate, signaled that he would do these kinds of deals. He is the master of the art of the deal. Of course, I chafe with every conservative, ideological bone in my body at the idea of tying hurricane relief to a debt limit increase, Malkin argued, but this is what you get when Republican leaders check out over the summer. Ultimately this is about voters, she said. If you dont like stupid, you cant fix it but you can vote it out. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, left, makes a point to President Trump in the Oval Office Sept. 6. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who ran against trump in the 2016 primary and has since shifted much of his focus to commentary also defended Trump in his email newsletter Friday, insisting that the president is not an ideologue, hes a dealmaker. Instead of blasting Trump for turning elsewhere, the Republican leadership should chalk this up to lessons learned: If you want to be at the dealmakers table, then prove you deserve to be there by showing him you can accomplish something, wrote Huckabee. This one small deal with their opponents doesnt mean Youre fired, but it does say, Youre on thin ice. Shape up and get it together. The divisive deal even drew some support from those who arent Trumps staunchest allies. Ben Domenech, who previously made the case Against Trump at the National Review, praised this weeks presidential shift as spectacular in the Federalist. Not everyone in the conservative media world was as enthusiastic over Trumps about-face, however. RedState columnist Susan Wright argued that Trumps willingness to take the Democrats offer on the debt ceiling actually serves as evidence against his fabled deal making skills. No wonder the man has multiple bankruptcies, failed marriages, and has left a long line of small businessmen and creditors hanging, she wrote. For those who have endlessly warned that Trump was no conservative, she concluded, was a Republican of convenience, and that he would betray his base, his party, and the country, were not surprised, at all. Commentary columnist Noah Rothman countered the notion held by some traditional Republicans that Trumps latest actions serve as proof of his secret, leftist beliefs in a column titled Trump Doesnt Know What Hes Doing. Hes done some conservative things, and hes done some liberal things, wrote Rothman. Where Trump-skeptical conservatives have a point is their contention that pragmatism untampered by principle is dangerous. Read more from Yahoo News: Veteran Adventures activities are set by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Student veterans from throughout the region can enjoy a variety of special trips and activities this year courtesy of Southern Illinois University Carbondales Veteran Adventures. SIUs Touch of Nature Environmental Center and Veteran Services are partnering to offer these fun, camaraderie-building events at no charge. All student veterans, current armed forces personnel and members of the National Guard/Reserves and ROTC are welcome to participate. Thanks to fundraising efforts by Touch of Nature on behalf of the Veteran Adventures program and the generosity of the community, veterans will incur no costs to participate in any of the programs. Registration is limited for some adventures though, so early sign-up is encouraged to secure a spot. The 2017-2018 schedule kicks off with a Fall Break Whitewater Adventure Oct. 6-9. Participants will enjoy the excitement of navigating the whitewater rapids of the Ocoee and Nantahala Rivers in the Great Smoky Mountains. Guides, gear, transportation and food are all provided. A pheasant hunt is slated for Dec. 2 at Rend Lakes Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. Hunters can each harvest up to two pheasants during the second annual controlled hunt. Local sportsmen will provide hunting dogs. Veteran Adventures will provide shuttle transportation to the park from Touch of Nature. The bus will leave the center, located about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road, at 6 a.m. The hunt is limited to the first 10 veterans to register. Veteran Adventures deer camp will take place Dec. 8-10. The fourth annual deer camp is at Touch of Nature Environmental Center, located eight miles south of Carbondale along Giant City Road. In addition to partaking in a weekend of socializing and hunting, participants will hear special guest speakers discuss wildlife management, field dressing and butchering, food preparation, hunting and other related topics. All food, lodging, gear, deer stands, hunting guides and anything else needed for the hunt is provided. The deadline to register is Dec. 1. Wrapping up the schedule is the 2018 Spring Break Georgia Loop Trail Backpacking Trip, set for March 10-18. Veterans will enjoy scenic views and take in all Mother Nature has to offer while hiking a loop that encompasses parts of the Appalachian Trail, the Duncan Ridge Trail and the Benton MacKaye Trail. Participants will traverse the peaks and valleys, visit hiking shelters along the way and take in the flora and fauna of Georgia. Backpacks and other gear, as well as transportation and food, are provided. Find more information about the Veteran Adventures programs and the upcoming hunts and trips, visit http://ton.siu.edu/program-areas/ and click on Veteran Adventures. Online registration is available now for the trips and the outdoor sporting events. Call 618/453-1121 or email tonec@siu.edu for additional details. The goal of the Veteran Adventures program is to offer veterans a chance to spend quality time with one another while participating in enjoyable activities to assist them in the transition from military life to civilian life. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump made a bad deal for Republicans on the debt limit and government funding, and, according to House conservatives, thats Speaker Paul Ryans fault. What? A day after Trump surprised his own party by taking the first offer from congressional Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and continue government spending for three months, many House conservatives have decided that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) is ultimately to blame for Trumps impulsive deal. Lack of preparation leads to poor choices, and the fact that we werent here and you heard me say this the other night we werent here for six weeks, the longest non-election-year break weve had in a decade, former Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Thursday, thats a problem. Asked if Trump had effectively stepped in front of a bullet for Ryan by taking the blame for a bad deal that the speaker would have largely taken the responsibility for if the president had just stayed out of negotiations, Jordan said he wasnt here to blame anybody. What Im saying is we should have done what we had said back in July, Jordan answered. We should have stayed here and put together a debt ceiling plan. Obviously, Ryan has a lot of blame for a congressional recess, though the majority leader also has a say in the congressional schedule. But Jordan added that when lawmakers fail to prepare for deadlines, they dont have the best options come decision time. Thats not an unfair argument, but it ignores an obvious reality: This deal that Trump struck with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was a deal that Trump struck, not Ryan. But time and again Thursday, conservatives ignored Trumps role in the agreement and found a way to blame the speaker. I think he saw the same-old, same-old kind of crap coming from leadership, and that wasnt good enough, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said of Trump, theorizing that the president was effectively preserving the debt limit issue until December. Story continues As much as Gosar defended the president, he couldnt find an adequate reason to vote for the bill he said he plans to oppose the package when it comes before the House but Gosar noted he could see how this deal works to Trumps favor if the president plays his hand right. That part seems unlikely. Lawmakers have repeatedly noted in the last two days that Trump just set a precedent that will be tough for him to break: He supported raising the debt ceiling without concessions, and he has agreed to fund the government without demanding money for his border wall. Even Gosar acknowledged that Trump has made his negotiating position more difficult. He may have lost that credibility, Gosar said. But time will tell. Still, conservatives generally refused to blame Trump for a deal that most of them believe to be bad for Republicans. Many said they couldnt answer questions until actually seeing the text of the deal. Many outright refused to answer questions. Im not going to talk about whether Donald Trump or Paul Ryan did a good or bad job, said Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama. And many others made tenuous connections between the deal and Paul Ryan. I just see that the leadership team signed off on it and the rest of us find out about it, said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). King noted that Ryan and other GOP leaders didnt ever offer a conservative alternative to a clean increase in the debt ceiling again, an argument that isnt wrong but somehow ignores the fact that Trump jumped at the chance for a clean debt limit. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) conveyed that he was disappointed in the deal. But even after he was presented with the argument that Ryan had called the Democratic offer ridiculous Wednesday morning shortly before Trump took the offer, Gohmert said Ryan may actually have been a proponent of the deal. We dont know if he was or not, the congressman said. Moderates generally welcomed Trumps deal, noting that the president had effectively cut out the Freedom Caucus from negotiations. To me, the main positive of this deal is were not gonna have one group of 30 or 40 have veto power, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said. We cant allow a group of 30 or 40 to be setting policy for the House of Representatives. But as much as moderates were celebrating the compromised position of conservatives, conservatives were muted in their criticism at least of Trump, who many believe is the key to overthrowing Ryan. Conservatives have quietly been laying the groundwork for a coup against Ryan, pointing out with increasing frequency that the speaker had no plan to extract GOP concessions on the debt ceiling or a continuing resolution. But its difficult to argue that this legislation is really Ryans fault when Trump got out in front of it. Republicans have spun Trumps decision as one recognizing that Democrats were going to win this negotiation, so better to just clear the decks and perhaps allow Congress to focus on tax reform. But even that explanation is fraught. The short-term nature of the deal ensures that lawmakers will be focused on negotiating a broader deal in December, not just cutting taxes. Ryans own defense of the agreement is that Trump saw a nation recovering from one hurricane and preparing for another, and he wanted a bipartisan moment rather than a protracted disagreement. That argument may work for some, but Trump has put Republicans in a bind for future negotiations, and he did so with little to no consultation from congressional leaders or his legislative affairs staff, according to one senior GOP aide familiar with discussions. And if Trump himself wanted to preserve his conservative credentials and damage Paul Ryan, he just went ahead and did the exact opposite. The question is whether that will matter to the far-right lawmakers who already seem to be plotting Ryans fall. When Gosar was asked Thursday if he still supports Ryan as speaker, he repeatedly answered that he hadnt said one way or another. Asked if he would welcome Ryan campaigning for him, Gosar answered that he didnt have a challenger. Asked whether he would let Ryan even fundraise for him, Gosar said he didnt know about that, noting that Ryan was very unpopular in his district. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Donald Trump meets with (l-r) Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday - AP President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on his own party, describing the Republicans as having a death wish with their refusal to repeal a Senate filibuster rule, and accusing them of failing to get anything done. Mr Trump urged his colleagues to press ahead on tax reform, and chided those within the party who were angered by his siding with the Democrats earlier this week. Republicans, sorry, but Ive been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didnt happen! he said, mocking their efforts to push through healthcare reform, as a means of explaining his own deal on Wednesday. Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen! Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 ...never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP. Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 Mr Trump on Friday night signed a bill to provide $15 billion (11.4bn) in disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey and, at the same time, raise the debt ceiling - after a surprise move to side with the Democrats. The president signed the measure "providing much needed support for storm survivors," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokesman. The House on Friday passed the bill 316-90, a day after the Senate passed it 80-17. Story continues The bill was agreed after Mr Trump met on Wednesday with the Republican and Democrat leaders of the House and Senate, and surprised many by siding with the Democrats. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, the Republican leaders, argued for a long-term approach to the debt ceiling, which the US was due to hit on with the new fiscal year beginning October 1. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, however, argued successfully that the debt ceiling should be increased for three months, until December 8. Nancy Pelosi Looking for a quick fix, Mr Trump agreed with them reportedly cutting off his own treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, as he explained his arguments for a longer-term increase. That effectively postpones until December a potentially damaging fight over fiscal matters, including whether to fund construction of Mr Trumps border wall something which concerns Republicans looking to the mid term elections in 2018. We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, said Mr Trump on Wednesday aboard Air Force One, as he travelled to North Dakota. We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred very important always well agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it. Mr Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, was the one who claimed victory, saying: The nation can breathe a sigh of relief. His and Ms Pelosis apparent outmanoeuvring of the Republicans sparked calls on Friday for Mr Ryan, the Republican leader of the House, to resign. Hours before the Oval Office meeting, Mr Ryan called Democrat demands for the debt ceiling, linked to the hurricane relief package, disgraceful. I think thats ridiculous and disgraceful that they want to play politics with the debt ceiling at this moment when we have fellow citizens in need, he said. But Mr Trump disagreed. We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good, he said. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting. Congressional Republicans were shocked by the president undermining their own leaders, and siding with the Democrats. "It's like the Washington that Trump campaigned against," said Joe Barton, a Republican congressman for Texas. "So, as much as I want to help Texas, I can't vote for something that just is a blank cheque on the debt." Mr Trump then followed up his unusual deal with the Democrats with a tweet urging the so-called Dreamers young illegal immigrants whose status he has threatened not to be afraid. For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about No action! the president tweeted from his personal account. Ms Pelosi later said she had told him to tweet the reassuring message. This is what I asked the president to do and, boom boom boom, the tweet appeared, she said. Havent seen anything like it before, said John McCain the Republican senator for Arizona, who has served in the Senate for three decades. I have no way of divining his motives. Im a pretty intelligent guy, but I dont understand this. The state's entire congressional delegation has urged New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner to step down from the electoral commission. (Photo: Brian Snyder / Reuters) New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner (D) faced calls from fellow Democrats this week to step down from the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity after Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) wrote an extremely misleading op-ed on Thursday claiming to have evidence of widespread voter fraud in New Hampshire. Both of the states Democratic senators, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, urged Gardner to resign from the commission. Secretary Gardners association with this partisan commission risks tarnishing his long legacy of fighting for the New Hampshire Primary and promoting voter participation, and it would be in keeping with his distinguished record to immediately relinquish any role with this commission, the senators wrote in a statement on Thursday. New Hampshires two House members, Democratic Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster, advised Gardner to step down on Friday. The Breitbart commentary by Kobach, who serves as vice chair of the electoral commission, has put Gardner in an awkward position. Kobach wrote to claim there was proof of voter fraud in New Hampshire. He cited data showing that some 5,000 people who had registered to vote on Election Day and identified themselves with out-of-state licenses had still failed to obtain New Hampshire drivers licenses by the end of August of this year. The problem with that argument is that New Hampshire allows people to vote in the state who plan to live there only for a relatively brief period like college students, doctors completing their residencies, members of the military temporarily stationed there. Those same short-termers do not meet the requirements to get a New Hampshire drivers license, which is available to people who intend to live in the state indefinitely. Gardner, who has been New Hampshires secretary of state since 1976 and is elected by state lawmakers, has refused to support Kobachs claims about fraud. But he also declines to resign from the commission. Story continues No, Im not going to step down, and its hypocritical to ask me to step down as a member of a federal commission, Gardner told WMUR. Have they ever stepped down from a Senate committee or a committee that they serve on because they disagreed with someone on the committee? Gardner is set to host the commissions second public meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire, this coming Tuesday. All five Democrats serving on the commission have faced criticism. Voting rights advocates argue their presence legitimizes an effort to stir up false fears about voter fraud, which multiple studies and investigations have shown it is not a widespread problem in the U.S. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who once served as chair of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted that New Hampshire should be stripped of its first-in-the-nation primary unless Gardner steps down. Under no circumstances should NH be first in the nation primary if Gardiner remains on the Voter Suppression committee @TomPerez https://t.co/M418PInCF0 Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) September 8, 2017 A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee did not immediately return a request for comment. Aside from his work on the commission, Gardner has also faced criticism for supporting a Republican-backed state bill to tighten the proof of identity that voters have to present when they register in New Hampshire. The bill was passed after President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that thousands were bused into New Hampshire to vote illegally in November. Gardner has said he has no evidence that was true or that widespread voter fraud occurred, but the legislation was necessary to shore up confidence in New Hampshires elections. Also on HuffPost Alabama State Capitol (Montgomery, Ala.) Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Alaska State Capitol (Juneau, Alaska) Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Miller) Arizona State Capitol (Phoenix) Pictured on Friday, April 23, 2010. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) Arkansas State Capitol (Little Rock, Ark.) Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) California State Capitol (Sacramento, Calif.) Pictured on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images) Colorado State Capitol (Denver) Pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) Connecticut State Capitol (Hartford, Conn.) Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1999. (AP Photo/Bob Child) Delaware State Capitol (Dover, Del.) 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But the American public still doesn't have a definitive answer as to why he decided to link up with someone connected to the Kremlin. Trump Jr. sat down Thursday with staffers from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is looking into Russia's interference in the presidential election and evaluating whether President Donald Trump's campaign was involved. The meeting was private, but some of its content leaked quickly: The New York Times reported that Trump Jr. told investigators he agreed to the June 2016 rendezvous because he thought the Russians had "information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of" Clinton. It was just Trump Jr.'s latest explanation for what has become a pivotal development in an ongoing controversy. His answers about the Russia meetingwhich took place at Trump Tower, was set up by publicist Rob Goldstone on behalf of attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, and included Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, campaign chairman at the time, Paul Manafort, and otherskeep changing over time. Here are his explanations so far: He was misled Trump Jr. said he thought the Russians had "political opposition research," as he explained in a statement included with the emails. Goldstone had offered what the publicist called "some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful." (They ultimately ended up talking about adoption.) He was curious Trump Jr. "wanted to hear [Goldstone] out and play it out and see what happens," as he told Sean Hannity on July 11. "Listen, I'd been reading about scandals that people were probably underreporting for a long time," he added. "So maybe it was something that had to do with one of those things. I mean, this is her perhaps involvement with the Russian government." Story continues He was busy His story shifted again Thursday. Trump Jr. told investigators at the Senate Judiciary Committee appointment that he was swamped with his father's campaign, fielding tons of emails, and he "had no way to gauge the reliability, credibility or accuracy of any of the things" in Goldstone's messages, according to the Times. He was polite Trump Jr. explained away his "I love it" remark as "a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Robs gesture," according to the Times. He was worried Trump Jr. said Thursday that he felt he needed to know about any possible issues regarding any presidential candidate's abilities. (Remember: Last October, his father's campaign produced an ad attacking Clinton's health.) Trump Jr. said planned to consult with lawyers about any information he received before deciding whether "to give it further consideration." Related Articles Amir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait and US President Donald Trump participate in a joint news conference in the White House: Alex Wong/Getty Images Donald Trump appeared to enjoy his recent visit with Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, calling him a good partner and a very special person. But afterwards, sources say, he had one complaint: The emirs plane was bigger than his. Mr Trump griped to a group of New York and New Jersey politicians after his press conference with the Kuwaiti Emir, sources present told Politico. The President reportedly complained that the Emir's plane was longer than his maybe even by 100 feet. Mr Trumps own plane, a Boeing 757-200, contains a dining room, big screen TVs, a master and a guest bedroom, and a shower, according to CNN. It also features a giant, golden Trump logo along the side. During his press conference with the Emir, Mr Trump claimed the relationship between the US and Kuwait has never been stronger never, ever. "The Emir of Kuwait is a very special person who I've gotten to know over the, actually over the years, Mr Trump told reporters. Mr Trump boasted about increased counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing operations between the two countries, and praised the tremendous investments he said Kuwait had made in the US. (Many of these investments, notably, were planes: The US recently sold 10 Boeing 777 airliners and $5bn worth of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighting jets to Kuwait.) Kuwait is currently attempting to mediate a tense dispute in the Gulf Region one which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried and failed to help resolve. Mr Trump first appeared to support Saudi Arabia in the crisis, but later came around to supporting Mr Tillersons diplomatic efforts. Mr Trump praised the Emirs mediation efforts at the press conference, and urged the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to work together toward a solution. We have great relationships with all of them right now; maybe better than we've ever had, Mr Trump said. We will be most successful with a united GCC. (WASHINGTON) President Donald Trumps eldest son told lawmakers Thursday he was open to receiving information about Hillary Clintons fitness, character or qualifications in a meeting with a Russian lawyer last year. However, Donald Trump Jr. insisted that neither he nor anyone else he knows colluded with any foreign government during the presidential campaign. His description of a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, delivered in an opening statement at the outset of a closed-door Senate Judiciary Committee interview, provided his most detailed account of an encounter that has attracted the attention of congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller. Multiple congressional committees and Muellers team of prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. A grand jury used by Mueller as part of his investigation has already heard testimony about the meeting, which besides Trump Jr., included the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. In Thursdays prepared remarks, which were obtained by The Associated Press, Trump Jr. sought to explain emails he released two months ago that showed him agreeing to the meeting, which had been described as part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign. In his new statement, he said he was skeptical of the outreach by music publicist Rob Goldstone, who said he had information that could be damaging to Clinton. But Trump Jr. said he thought he should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say. To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, Trump Jr. said in the statement. At one point during the email exchange, Trump Jr. had told Goldstone, If its what you say I love it especially in the summer. Trump Jr. sought to explain that remark Thursday by saying it was simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Robs gesture. Story continues Trump Jr. agreed to the Senate interview after the committee chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, subpoenaed him and Manafort. The committee withdrew the subpoenas after the two agreed to be interviewed privately by staff. Grassley said they both would eventually be questioned by senators in a public hearing. Trump Jr. also is expected to appear before the Senate intelligence committee at some point. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel, said the senators want to speak with others who attended the June meeting before interviewing Trump Jr. We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible, Warner said. Manafort met privately with staff on that committee in July. Kushner has met with that staff, as well as members of the House Intelligence Committee. That House committee has tried to talk to Trump Jr., too. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said negotiations are underway and a date hasnt been set. (PHOENIX) Immigrants are vowing to fight to stay in the U.S. and advocates are launching campaigns including fundraisers and registration drives after the Trump administration announced it would dismantle a program that protected hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation. Immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children or whose families overstayed visas said they are veterans of setbacks in the political arena. They added that they are also accustomed to being persistent, and they pledge to do the same in this situation. The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that former President Barack Obama started in 2012. Those already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If their permits expire before March, 5, 2018, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isnt accepting new applications. Opponents of the program said they are pleased the Trump administrations decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who made Tuesdays announcement, said DACA was an overreach that could not be defended by the Justice Department. The Trump administration and other DACA opponents argue that it is up to Congress to decide how to deal with such immigrants. Immigrants and activists have already launched efforts to fight the decision. A group that supports the program in Arizona is using a community summit this weekend to hold a session on DACA and reapplying. Another is holding an information session on Wednesday on the program. Maxima Guerrero, a leadership development coordinator for the Phoenix-based advocacy group Aliento, said her organization is considering creating a fundraising campaign to help DACA recipients renew before the October deadline. A lot of it right now is just kind of like first, taking the time to reflect on what the decision means, and what is happening. Making sure that people who are able to renew will have the support to do so, Guerrero said. Story continues Guerrero, who is also enrolled in the program, said advocates will also focus on providing emotional support during what many consider an emotionally taxing time. Its kind of tough because when something like this happens, its like, what am I working for? I think a lot of it so far that has worked is just making sure were providing the space and the opportunity to have those spaces to talk about how theyre feeling to be able to reflect and to acknowledge and push the message that DACA does not define who we are as individuals and who we are as people overall, she said. Supporters of the program demonstrated in New York City, where police handcuffed and removed over a dozen immigration activists who briefly blocked Trump Tower, and in other cities, including Salt Lake City, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Portland, Oregon. At some demonstrations, counter-protesters showed their support for Trumps decision. John Willis, an Ontario, California resident and handyman demonstrated in Los Angeles and carried a sign that read, American lives matter. Im here to support our president and our Attorney General Jeff Sessions to rescind this unlawful tyrannical executive order that our previous president thrust upon us, Willis said. Im not a hater, I dont wish these kids to be sent back to Mexico or anything like that but I dont believe we should have two sets of laws. We have one set of laws, we should follow them. Karen Marin, of New York, said that while she was disappointed that DACA is ending, she has survived without it before and can again now. Marin, 26, was brought to the United States from Mexico as a baby. Shes used her deferred action status to get a job that helps pay for college, where she is studying biotechnology. She says the end of DACA doesnt mean the end of her dreams. Its just temporary status. Its not anything that is a permanent fix, and thats what we need, is something permanent. Something to help us continue moving forward as citizens of the United States because thats what we are, Marin said. Zaida Mendez, a 19-year-old community college student who juggles jobs at a grocery store and a shoe store in the Omaha area, said she plans to work with advocacy groups to try to pressure the states all-Republican congressional delegation to protect immigrant youths. Mendezs parents brought her to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 1, and she didnt realize she was in the country illegally for years. She was among about 200 people who protested Trumps decision outside the Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln on Tuesday. Im mad and Im sad, but Im not going to let that get to me, she said through tears. Diana Platas, a DACA recipient in Texas whose family lost their home in Hurricane Harvey, said the end of the program wasnt going to stop her. Were gonna continue to fight and were gonna continue to push forward because were not cowards. We know that we are doing and contributing the best that we can to this economy to this country because we call this our home. This is our home, Platas said. Fall educational summit is Sept. 14-15 by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting a fall educational summit that will provide a diverse continuing education experience for educators of preschool through 12th grade students. The summit is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 14 and 15, at Touch of Nature Environmental Center, located about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road. Teachers, administrators and school counselors will find relevant content at the summit, which will feature a variety of content-specific breakout sessions. The interactive sessions will explore methods and materials for teaching dual credit courses such as geology, history and math, as well as bilingual and English as a Second Language classes. Topics including math modeling, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, archaeology, 3-D printing, Global Information Systems mapping to track the Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois and more. The ESL/bilingual sessions are open to all P-12 educators while the other sessions are just for educators who work with high school students. Thanks to funding from an Illinois Board of Higher Education grant, there is no cost for participants to attend. Pre-registration is required no later than 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, and a maximum of 70 educators may participate. Lunch is provided each day. In addition, those attending the summit will receive a stipend and materials for use in their classrooms. Participants can earn Continuing Professional Development Units for attending. Participants must register for each specific session they plan to attend and limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/siu-fall-educational-summit-thursday-914-friday-915-tickets-37677077152. For more information, call 618/453-4215 or email go4ELL.dual@siu.edu. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fvideo uploaders%2fdistribution thumb%2fimage%2f81571%2f423be0d3 1c7e 4460 b77e 53bf38382c0d As the Category 4 Hurricane Irma blasts towards Florida, people continue to evacuate by the thousands rendering highways and gas stations a nightmare. At a news conference on Thursday, Governor Rick Scott urged those in evacuation zones to get out well before the storm starts. SEE ALSO: Hurricane hunters see 'stadium effect' inside Irma's eye And for the past few days, evacuees have been sharing images of gas stations strapped for fuel and backups all the way to Atlanta as they heed advice and make their way north many of them seemingly at a snail's pace. I-95 traffic. Evacuation for Hurricane Irma #IrmaHurricane2017. Stay safe FL. pic.twitter.com/CvLOxEDb3h Gaurav Darekar (@gaurav_darekar) September 8, 2017 These 6am traffic maps out of Florida tell quite a tale. Be safe. Get out. #Irma #HurricaneIrma #evacuation pic.twitter.com/gtdNtdQCr3 Rick Canton (@TheRickCanton) September 8, 2017 Its 2:40am on Friday morning and this is the traffic leaving Miami. Glad some people are heeding evac orders #irma #evacuation #Hurricane pic.twitter.com/CSUZhp9QDv Nick Adams (@NickAdms) September 8, 2017 The National Hurricane Center (NHC) projects that Irma will reach the Florida coast on Saturday. Photo credit: Courtesy Honda From Woman's Day Quick Review of the 2016 Honda Pilot Elite Ease of parking: With the rear-view camera, parallel parking is super easy. Finding a parking space in the city, on the other hand, is a bit of a problem. Who should be behind the wheel: Professional tailgaters will love the sunken trunk which perfectly fits a large cooler. Moms will love the fact that they can cart the kids and all their friends around in something cooler and zippier than a minivan. Gas sipper or guzzler: For a big car, the gas consumption was surprisingly minimal. The engine automatically switches off when you come to a complete stop, which was initially disconcerting, but give a light tap on the accelerator and you're quickly back up and running. Space for: 4 adults and 3 kids with a small amount of trunk space, or 4 adults and a lot of IKEA boxes. Dashboard intimidation factor: There are lots of nifty tricks in this car. Once you figure out all the different switches, there's lots of fun to be had-in particular, with the 10 second cruise control with steering (the car literally keeps you between the lines so you can take both hands off the wheel to open your water bottle). We also loved the 2 separately operated sun roofs, the 5 USB ports (so everyone can charge up at once), the DVD player with 2 sets of wireless headphones and the front seat cooling systems. The high beams that sense another car coming and dim up or down automatically literally blew my mind. Finally, there's also a dedicated rear-seat mirror so you can tell your kids to stop yelling or you'll turn the car around without having to actually turn around yourself. On the negative side, the voice-controlled computer system didn't understand my diluted British accent, and we decided not to trust the GPS after it got us lost in Brooklyn within the first 5 minutes. Will make you feel: Like a Jetson-the only thing this car doesn't do is flyyet. Getting to know the Honda Pilot was a bit like picking up an iPhone for the first time and finding myself both confused and in awe of the touch screen and the fact that it can do so many things and wait a minute, there's no key to this thing? This car is a tech-lover's dream. But take a little time to get to know it (it won't take you long) and you'll be confidently (and somewhat smugly) flicking switches and buttons without even taking your eyes off the road. Story continues We first took an adventure to Philly in its slightly older and less sophisticated sister (the 2015 HONDA pilot). We packed 4 adults and 2 young kids in the back and there was barely enough room for our day bags, let alone foot space. The suspension in the back was a major complaint for my 64 year-old father and whilst the drive was comfortable from the drivers seat, we knew there was room for improvement. And improve they did. With a lighter passenger load, we headed up to Lake George, NY with the rear row of seats laid down in order to fit food and "necessary" children's items. I was anxious to be driving such a big car through New York City, but I felt like the car was there to guide me every step of the way. I appreciated the little warnings it gave me when another car or a walking-while-reading-their-phone-pedestrian was in my blind-spot, and the adaptive cruise control that could be set to maintain anywhere from a 1 to 4 car distance from the car ahead. It was a hot July weekend, and we more than appreciated the seat cooling system that saved us from that awful feeling of peeling yourself off of hot leather seats at the rest stop. Our toddler in the back loved the fact that he could watch The Jungle Book on repeat whilst in the "big" car and we loved the fact that we didn't have to sing "The Wheels on the Bus" for 4 hours straight. In the 2015 model we couldn't figure out how to make the DVD play in just the back speakers but in the 2016 model we were able to stream Pandora up front whilst he giggled at the King of the Swingers through wireless headphones in the back. We hit very little traffic and made it to our rental house in record speed. There was a long weekend of family, great friends, campfires, canoeing and mosquito-fighting. On the return trip we added an extra two passengers and managed to pack all our gear in between seats without causing too much discomfort. The 2016 Elite felt much more spacious than the 2015, and simultaneously felt less like a truck and more like a car. The two captains chairs in the second row with built-in window shades made it the ideal place to drift off to sleep as my husband took the wheel for the ride home. You Might Also Like U.S. consumers hearing the news yesterday of a massive Equifax data breach, which the company revealed potentially affects 143 million consumers, and includes data such as names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, drivers' licenses and -- for a subset of hundreds of thousands -- credit card information too, not only had to contemplate the horrendous scale of the thing. They were also left to grapple with an Equifax 'emergency response line' that hung up on them, and an Equifax data breach 'help' website that appears to raise a lot more questions than it answers -- not least the core consideration that it's requiring desperately worried consumers to trust a company that has failed to protect their personal data with more of their personal data, by inputting it into a web form, just to check whether they might be affected by the breach. And that's before you even consider whether Equifax is trying to use the sites terms of service to get users to waive their rights to bring a class action lawsuit against it -- as appears to be the case. Which would be spectacularly unclassy, to say the least. The cherry on this unlovely layer cake is the fact the credit checking company states it found out about the breach on "July 29 of this year" -- while the unauthorized access apparently occurred "from mid-May through July 2017". Which means it's given itself well over a month before deigning to tell consumers their personal data might be in the hands of identity thieves. That might not seem so bad if you compare it to the current biggest (known) data breaches -- affecting at least 500M Yahoo accounts, and more than 1BN Yahoo accounts -- which took place years before the company disclosed the intrusions to the public, although it's not clear when exactly Yahoo itself discovered the breaches. Story continues Even so, 40 days remains an awfully long time for consumers to be kept in the dark about the fact their identities and other highly sensitive personal data might be being traded by hackers, used to compromise other services, and sold to spammers for targeted spearphishing attacks. Equifax does not explain the length of time it took to inform the public about the breach. And yesterday said it "will" be writing directly to affected individuals, and is "in the process of" contacting state and federal regulators. So, very clearly, the company hasn't been spending any of the past 40 days warning affected individuals or informing data watchdogs that its systems had been breached. The US does not currently have a federal law requiring companies to inform the public about data breaches, though one was proposed in 2015 under President Obama which would have set a 30-day notification requirement, but it failed to get support. And while the vast majority of states have enacted breach notification statutes of their own at this point, and some have stricter notification requirements than the 2015 proposal, others don't. It's a patchwork -- and therefore a lottery for U.S. consumers. Over the pond in the European Union the story is different. A single breach notification standard for personal data was agreed at the end of 2015 -- and is set to come into force in May 2018, under the incoming GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This will set a data breach notification bar across the bloc of "not later than 72 hours" after a data controller has become aware of an intrusion. There are some caveats to this portion (Article 33) of the regulation (phrases like "without undue delay and, where feasible", and some potential for exclusion based on the type of data being breached ("unless the personal data breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons"). But the expectation is clearly that data controllers must disclose a personal data breach to a national supervisor data authority, at the very least, radically sooner than the '40 days later' which Equifax reckons is an acceptable disclosure timeframe. (While the type of data involved in the Equifax breach is clearly highly sensitive, so this incident would seem a very unlikely candidate for qualifying for a notification exemption under GDPR.) Another change Europe's incoming rules are bringing is a big stick to drive compliance for the new breach notification standard, as companies that do not comply with the new rules risk very stiff penalties for failing to do so. In the case of non-compliance over breach notification, the GDPR gives data watchdogs the power to issue fines of up to 10M (~$12M) -- or up to 2% of the total worldwide annual turnover of a company's preceding financial year, whichever is higher. In Equifax's case its 2016 operating revenue was ~$3.145BN. So -- under the GDPR regime -- the company might have faced a fine of around $62.9M if it hadn't reported this data breach multiple weeks sooner than it chose to. (Indeed, it's expecting its full year 2017 revenue to be even higher, between $3.395BN and $3.425BN, so this theoretical fine inflates to as much as $68.5M.) Which does rather give pause for thought. If you're a multinational corporation processing the personal data of EU citizens those sorts of figures probably send some rather large shivers down the CEO's spine. Equifax does indeed have a European presence, and has also said that some UK consumers are affected by the breach -- writing yesterday that as part of its investigation it "also identified unauthorized access to limited personal information for certain UK and Canadian residents", and adding: "Equifax will work with UK and Canadian regulators to determine appropriate next steps." So if these events had been shifted just a few months into the future Equifax might well have been forced to handle the breach disclosure very differently -- or else it would be risking a very large fine under GDPR. The question then would be, would it have informed the UK regulatory of the breach within 72 hours whilst continuing to keep U.S. data watchdogs and U.S. consumers in the dark? That wouldn't seem like great domestic PR. The aim of Europe's new rules is of course to encourage companies that collect and store consumers' personal data not to treat the security of that data as an afterthought. And large fines for failure is certainly one way to grease the pipe of security spending among corporates. As the UK's DPA warns on its website in an FAQ about the new breach notification rules: "In light of the tight timescales for reporting a breach - it is important to have robust breach detection, investigation and internal reporting procedures in place." While an interesting potential side-effect of the new, tougher regime is whether it will end up forcing higher standards on non-European businesses, especially those in the U.S. -- given many do handle EU citizens' data, and will therefore need to reconfigure their processes to meet the bloc's new standard. (The GDPR also expands the definition of what personal data is, and brings additional requirements such as a right for consumers to see what information is held about them and have it deleted on request -- so there are other big changes incoming.) We've reached out to Equifax in the UK for comment and will update this post with any response. In a statement, the deputy commissioner of the UK's data protection watchdog, commissioner James Dipple-Johnstone, told us: Reports of a significant data loss at US-based Equifax and the potential impact on some UK citizens gives us cause for concern. We are already in direct contact with Equifax to establish the facts including how many people in the UK have been affected and what kind of personal data may have been compromised." "We will be advising Equifax to alert affected UK customers at the earliest opportunity," he added. I'll leave you with this final food-for-thought: Don't forget to change your name, date of birth, home address and social security number regularly. Sarah Jamie Lewis (@SarahJamieLewis) September 7, 2017 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js In today's edition of unfettered corporate greed, we bring you the Equifax managers who apparently sold almost $1.8 million in stock after the company became aware that it had a big problem on its hands. As Bloomberg reports, three of the company's senior executives sold nearly $1.8 million in shares after the company learned internally that it had exposed the private data, including social security and driver's license numbers, of as many as 143 million people in the U.S. The transactions in question were initiated by Chief Financial Officer and Corporate VP John Gamble, who sold $946,374 worth of shares; President of U.S. Information Solutions Joseph Loughran, who dumped $584,099; and President of Workforce Solutions Rodolfo Ploder, who sold $250,458 in shares. As Bloomberg notes, these transactions were not pre-scheduled trades and they took place on August 2, three days after the company learned of the hack. While news of the massive privacy failure just blew up, the hack took place from mid-May to July. The company described the hack in a statement on Thursday: The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, drivers license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed. Equifax has set up a dedicated website for anyone potentially affected by the hack, but on top of asking freshly screwed customers to give Equifax their social security numbers, it doesn't provide any actual functionality at the time of writing. Update: Equifax responded to TechCrunch's questions about the timing of the transactions, particularly those of CFO John Gamble, with the following statement claiming that the executives in question were not aware of the hack which the company was made aware of on July 29: Story continues "As announced in the press release, Equifax discovered the cybersecurity incident on Saturday, July 29. The company acted immediately to stop the intrusion. The three executives who sold a small percentage of their Equifax shares on Tuesday, August 1, and Wednesday, August 2, had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." At first glance it might appear odd that these execs would sell such seemingly small amounts of stock. But it's important to remember that Equifax is over 100 years old. We're not dealing with a startup where a founder owns 20+ percent of a company's stock. Gamble, for example, only owns 42,078 shares of Equifax stock. As of close of market today, prior to the massive after-hours drop, this stock would have been worth about $6 million. So in this case, while $946,374 might not seem like a lot for a CFO, it's actually over 15 percent of his holdings. Of course none of this really means anything. All of this is just to say the transaction is sketchy. But the reality is that we're in no position to call this a securities violation. That determination could only be made after an actual investigation. (Reuters) - Equifax Inc, a provider of consumer credit scores, said personal details of as many as 143 million U.S. consumers were accessed by hackers between mid-May and July, in what could be one of the largest data breaches in the United States. The company's shares were down 8.7 percent at $134.16 in after-market trading on Thursday. The details accessed included names, social security numbers, and, in some cases, driver's license numbers, Equifax said. In addition, credit card numbers of around 209,000 U.S. consumers and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information of around 182,000 U.S. consumers were accessed, the company said. "The sheer scope of the breach is extremely troubling," said Ryan Kalember, senior vice president of the cyber-security firm Proofpoint Inc. Equifax also said personal information of certain UK and Canadian residents were also hacked. The company said it was working with law enforcement agencies and had hired a cyber-security firm to investigate. "This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do," Chief Executive Richard Smith said in a statement. Atlanta-based Equifax tracks consumer history and credit card scores for borrowers and lenders. The company also helps consumers manage and protect their personal information. "On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 10. It affects the whole credit reporting system in the United States because nobody can recover it, everyone uses the same data," Avivah Litan, a Gartner Inc analyst who tracks identity theft and fraud, told Reuters. In October 2015, Equifax rival Experian Plc revealed a data breach that exposed sensitive personal data of some 15 million people who applied for service with T-Mobile US Inc (http://reut.rs/2f8ES9k) Equifax, which discovered the hack on July 29, said its core consumer or commercial credit databases were not impacted. The company said criminals exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files. The company did not provide further details. Last December, Yahoo Inc said more than 1 billion user accounts was compromised in August 2013, while in 2014 e-commerce company eBay Inc had urged 145 million users to change their passwords following a cyber attack. (http://reut.rs/2wMNxrT) Equifax said consumers could check if their information had been impacted at, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. (Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan and Laharee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Addditional reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) UPDATE: Sept. 11 In a reversal, Equifax said in a statement Monday morning that the company wouldnt require credit card information from victims of the companys data breach who sign up for its free service. We are not requesting consumers credit card information when they sign up for the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection we are offering to all U.S. consumers, the company said in a statement on its website. Consumers who sign up for TrustedID Premier will not be automatically enrolled or charged after the conclusion of the complimentary year of TrustedID Premier. Equifax had quietly removed information about charges and fees from its terms of use over the weekend. PREVIOUSLY: WASHINGTON The credit monitoring company that let criminals steal personal information pertaining to nearly half the U.S. population is offering free credit monitoring to those affected but theres a catch. Victims of the Equifax security breach who sign up for the companys complimentary service will only get one free year. After that, unless they proactively cancel, they may have to pay. The terms of use say customers must have internet access and a credit or debit card to sign up. We will not bill You until the free trial period has expired and provided that You have not yet cancelled your trial membership, say the terms, dated Sept. 6. In the event that You wish to continue Your membership beyond the trial period, do nothing and Your membership will automatically continue without interruption and We will begin billing You via the payment source You provided when you signed up for the free trial. Robert Weissman, president of the consumer watchdog Public Citizen, said, It appears that the company thinks one of the worst data breaches in history is a marketing opportunity. Instead of trying to rip people off with new hidden charges and trick consumers to give up their rights it might be a better idea to actually remedy the harm. Story continues A spokesperson for Equifax did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the free service. Equifax, one of three large credit reporting companies, suffered a data breach affecting 143 million Americans in July. (Photo: Dado Ruvic / Reuters) Customers also must agree to settle disputes outside of court in an extremely business-friendly format known as arbitration. Consumer advocates describe the arbitration clause as a straightforward ripoff for the 143 million Americans whose Social Security numbers and addresses are now in the hands of criminals thanks to a breach earlier this year. Though it discovered the breach in late July, Equifax publicly announced the news on Thursday. At this point its very clear that Equifax is trying to use this massive data breach as an excuse to profit, which is just appalling behavior, said Amanda Werner, the campaign manager at Americans for Financial Reform. I cant even put into words how awful this behavior is. As Equifax explains in the terms of use, customers using its products are subject to mandatory, binding arbitration. By consenting to submit Your Claims to arbitration, You will be forfeiting Your right to bring or participate in any class action (whether as a named plaintiff or a class member) or to share in any class action awards, including class claims where a class has not yet been certified, even if the facts and circumstances upon which the Claims are based already occurred or existed. Weissman said that the arbitration clause attached to the free credit monitoring service covers only the credit monitoring service offered and not the overarching breach of data. Still, if Equifax failed to inform a customer a victim of the hack, say that their identity had been compromised and was being used without their knowledge, by signing up for their free credit monitoring offer and thus agreeing to the arbitration clause, they would have waived the right to sue over this failure outside of arbitration. However, Equifax also requires consumers who have requested their credit score directly from the company in the past to have agreed to an arbitration clause that could cover the breach. If youve been an Equifax customer, they will claim that you have agreed to an arbitration provision, Weissman said. A company spokesman said the arbitration only applied to the free credit monitoring, not the cybersecurity breach. Equifax, along with Experian and TransUnion, are the three largest companies that track credit histories of everybody who takes out a loan or signs up a credit card, creating proprietary scores that help lenders evaluate a potential borrowers ability to pay. The companies are notorious for charging access for the information, which by law is available to consumers for free once a year. Experian has been fined multiple times by the Federal Trade Commission for tricking consumers with false promises of free credit reports that wound up costing money. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, headed by Richard Cordray (pictured), issued new rules limiting mandatory arbitration. Republicans are pushing bills to overturn the rules. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images) Companies often require consumers to use their products or services if they waive their right to pursue class action lawsuits and enter into direct arbitration with the business if they seek a legal redress to a wrong. In the case of Equifax, everyone who signs up for the free credit monitoring the company is offering to the 143 million people whose data has been compromised is waiving their right to join in a class action suit if something goes wrong with the credit monitoring. The insertion of arbitration clauses into dense terms of service contracts that consumers rarely read has exploded in the past six years. In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld a forced arbitration provision inserted into AT&T contracts in a divided 5-4 ruling. This was one of many tightly divided decisions in recent years where the conservative majority on the court ruled in favor of corporate rights to force consumers into arbitration. In the face of the corporate tilt of the Supreme Court, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the financial watchdog agency created by the 2010 Wall Street reform legislation, recently announced a new rule against mandatory arbitration clauses disallowing class action lawsuits. But Republicans in Congress have vowed to strike the rule. The new CFPB arbitration rule is scheduled to take effect on Sept. 18. House Republicans, however, already passed a resolution in July that would block the implementation of the rule. Republicans in the Senate have introduced similar legislation, but have not yet voted on it. That legislation is not subject to a filibuster and would therefore only require 50 votes to pass in a chamber with 52 Republican senators. Additionally, congressional Republicans are pushing legislation introduced by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) that sides with the credit reporting companies. Loudermilks bill would place a $500,000 cap on punitive damages for consumers who have been wronged. In an ironic twist, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on Loudermilks bill on Thursday the same day Equifax revealed the breach of consumer data. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan urged the United States on Friday to review charges against a Turkish former minister for violating U.S.-Iran sanctions, saying Ankara had never agreed to comply with the embargo and the prosecution was politically motivated. "There are very peculiar smells coming from this issue," Erdogan said. Former economy minister Zafer Caglayan and the ex-head of a state-owned Turkish bank were charged with conspiring to violate the sanctions by illegally moving hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on Tehran's behalf. The indictment, announced this week, marked the first time an ex-government member with close ties to Erdogan had been charged in an investigation that has strained ties between Washington and Ankara. "For the moment, it is impossible to evaluate this within legal logic," Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk airport. "I see this step against our former economy minister as a step against the Turkish Republic. "We didn't decide to impose sanctions on Iran. We have bilateral ties with Iran, sensitive relations," he said, adding he had told former U.S. President Barack Obama as much, when the sanctions were in force. "We said to the relevant people, we said we would not take part in sanctions... These steps are purely political." Prosecutors in New York said on Wednesday they had charged Caglayan and former Halkbank general manager Suleyman Aslan and two others with "conspiring to use the U.S. financial system to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by United States sanctions." The charges stem from the case against Reza Zarrab, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader who was arrested in the United States over sanctions evasion last year. He has pleaded not guilty. Reuters was not able to reach Caglayan or Aslan for comment. Relations between Washington and NATO ally Turkey, an important partner in tackling the Syrian conflict, were strained after a failed coup against Erdogan in July last year and the president's subsequent crackdown on opposition. "The United States needs to revise this decision (to charge Caglayan)," Erdogan said. "I hope we'll get a chance to discuss this issue in the United States. You may be a big nation, but being a just nation is something else. Being a just nation requires the legal system to work fairly." (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Ralph Boulton) JetBlue Airways is offering $99 flights from major cities across Florida to help people escape Hurricane Irma. We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation, rather than worry about the cost of flights, JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said on Wednesday. The $99 price cap, which has been put in place until September 10, ensures that direct flights from Florida cities where JetBlue operates (including Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale, among others) will not exceed $99. Connecting flights are capped at a maximum of $159. Reuters noted that flights in the eastern and western Caribbean are also under a fare ceiling until September 7 and 8, respectively. Related: These Airlines Will Give You Miles If You Donate to Harvey Disaster Relief People attempting to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Irmas arrival have encountered extraordinarily high ticket prices, according to Quartz. The systems that automatically adjust fares based on supply, demand, and competitor pricing in real timeare allowed to sell more seats than exist on flights, Quartz explained. When airline pricing systems recognize that a flight will be overbooked, it can send ticket prices to astronomical levels to cover the anticipated costs and penalties of bumping other ticket holders. Basically, the algorithm that determines airfare prices isnt calibrated to take into consideration life-threatening natural disasters let alone be compassionate making manual price caps like JetBlues perhaps a necessary solution. Both Delta and American have responded by instituting fare limits, too. Deltas most expensive fares are set to $399 on flights out of Florida and impacted Caribbean islands, a Delta spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. While many airlines have already added extra flights or upgraded to larger aircraft when possible, all airlines are struggling to meet demand. Reports suggest that JetBlues $99 flights may already be sold out. (CHINO, Calif.) Getting the approval of a parole panel was the easy part for Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Mansons murderous followers. Between her and her release stands a governor who has shown zero willingness to allow anyone involved in the Manson killings to go free. Van Houten, now 68, was found suitable for parole by the two-person state panel after a hearing on Wednesday. Now, she must still be approved by the state Parole Board, which is likely, but then must hope Gov. Jerry Brown wont block her release as he did last year. In blocking her release then, as he has with several would-be parolees from the Manson family, Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19. On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns. Ive had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself, she said. To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened, added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her gray hair pulled back in a bun. Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, said after the hearing that he believes Van Houten addressed the concerns the governor had when he denied her parole last year. My hope is hes going to follow the law and let his commissioners do their job, he said. He added his client was relieved by Wednesdays ruling, adding he believes she will be released eventually. Im getting her out of here. Thats not an issue. The question is when, he said. No one who took part in the Manson clans two-night killing rampage has been released from prison so far. Van Houten told the panelists she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her schools outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia. She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury District during San Franciscos summer of love. Story continues When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her fetus in their backyard. Soon after, she was traveling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a family to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders. His disaffected youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him. Van Houten went on to candidly describe how she joined several other members of the Manson Family in killing Los Angeles grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, in their home on Aug. 9, 1969, carving up La Biancas body and smearing the couples blood on the walls. She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage. On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to do something, she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times. I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it, she added quietly. Relatives of the La Biancas didnt believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid. No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever, nephew Louis Smaldino said. She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done. The voice of the La Biancas oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne, broke as he noted hes about to turn 44, the same age his grandfather was when he was killed. Please see to it that this fight doesnt have to happen every year for the rest of our lives, he said of Van Houtens nearly two dozen parole hearings. Family members left before the panel announced its decision. In reaching it, Parole Commissioner Brian Roberts and Deputy Commissioner Dale Pomantz said they took into account Van Houtens entire time of incarceration. During those years she has earned bachelors and masters degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates. Youve been a facilitator, youve been a tutor and youve been giving back for quite a number of years, Roberts said. Still, he warned her that if she is released that living in society again will not be easy. He noted parole officials have heard from tens of thousands of people who dont want her released. But others, he added, including many who have known her since childhood, spoke up for her, saying theyve seen her mature in prison and become a different person. So with that wed like to wish you good luck, he said. Facebook admitted this week that a Russian propaganda mill used the social-media giant's ad service for political operation around the 2016 campaign. This came out when sources revealed to The Washington Post on Wednesday that Facebook was grilled by 2016 Russia-Trump congressional investigators behind closed doors Wednesday. US lawmakers are furious. Putin's propaganda farm bought around $150,000 in political ads from at least June 2015-May 2017; Facebook was compelled to share the information and will be cooperating with ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The troll farm in question is the Internet Research Agency, a well-funded, well-established, nimble, English-speaking, pro-Putin propaganda unit, and the ads are in all likelihood illegal. What this week's revelations about Facebook mean is that Facebook ads are now undeniably a form of political campaigning, one with no checks and balances. And people have been taking advantage of this, big time. The total money spent (that Facebook would admit to) was allegedly responsible for around 3,000 ads, with the potential to reach millions of people. Facebook isn't saying how many people actually saw them. There were an additional 2,200 ads Facebook said it suspected were also Russia-backed; the company has avoided making a positive statement. It's arguable that the world's biggest surveillance platform has the data to connect the dots; it simply isn't doing so for this problem. Facebook maintains that it is not culpable, only that the buyers violated Facebook's "inauthentic accounts" rule. The Washington Post wrote: Facebook discovered the Russian connection as part of an investigation that began this spring looking at purchasers of politically motivated ads, according to people familiar with the inquiry. It found that 3,300 ads had digital footprints that led to the Russian company. Facebook teams then discovered 470 suspicious and likely fraudulent Facebook accounts and pages that it believes operated out of Russia, had links to the company and were involved in promoting the ads. Story continues The language that Facebook "discovered" this is disingenuous. As if it had no way of monitoring its ad program, and a Russian troll farm blasting propaganda were akin to finding a coin purse someone left under a cushion. Whoa! Who knew, or had any way of knowing? Well, Facebook did. Pretending otherwise is fool's errand; no one could be that incompetent at running advertising and metrics and simultaneously have the entire industry in a chokehold. Blaming fake accounts Facebook is working hard and fast to minimize everything about this. Facebook's minimizing of the problem and pretending it's now fixed -- by deleting a few fake accounts -- is like minimizing gangrene. As if the accounts belonging to Putin's Internet Research Agency are a just tiny speck of bad actors and now they're gone, so phew, rest easy, everyone. The primary talking point is that the accounts have been removed because, by gosh, they violated Facebook's rules. They "misused the platform" by making fake accounts. Not by actively working against the company's alleged values around diversity. Or by making racists more racist and fascists feel like they're so validated that stabbing immigrants to death or mowing anti-racism protesters down with a car is not just a good idea, but the right thing to do. Facebook said, "We are exploring several new improvements to our systems for keeping inauthentic accounts and activity off our platform. For example, we are looking at how we can apply the techniques we developed for detecting fake accounts to better detect inauthentic Pages and the ads they may run." Cool, so as long as the real accounts of people at Russian or any other propaganda factories are the ones running ads, it's all good? In a way, you have to wonder at how Facebook can't just admit how toxic and monstrous and effective as a tool to manipulate people its advertising really is. Or that, thanks to all its talented engineers and skill at navigating big-picture trends to rake in billions, the company has a hell of a lot to do with why we're now a nation at war against itself -- neo-Nazis murdering people in the streets, immigrant children set for deportation by the hundreds of thousands, our country on the brink of nuclear war and more, so much more. Let's be honest: The trouble is that Facebook's ads are really effective. Those Facebook "emotional contagion" experiments to make people happy or sad and then to tell advertisers how to use it to make you do stuff, well, that was real -- and it worked. Foreign and domestic Trump campaigns Who else, besides Russian state operatives, was running ads about the same topics, at the exact same time? The Trump campaign. There is a connection between Russian efforts to influence the election and Facebook-ad buys, just as there was the same connection with the Trump campaign, at the same time, with ad content covering the same issues in parallel -- race, immigration, LGBT rights and more. Facebook told The Washington Post that the Russian ads "were directed at people on Facebook who had expressed interest in subjects explored on those pages, such as LGBT community, black social issues, the Second Amendment and immigration." The Trump campaign's Facebook-ad strategy -- divisive race-fueled messaging on the social network -- was so highly successful that The New York Review of Books concluded, "Donald Trump is our first Facebook president." Domestic Trump operatives started by purchasing $2 million in Facebook ads -- eventually ramping that up to $70 million a month, with most of it in Facebook ads. The New York Review of Books quotes Trump digital-team member Gary Coby telling Wired that "on any given day ... the campaign was running 40,000 to 50,000 variants of its ads. ... On the day of the third presidential debate in October, the team ran 175,000 variations." NYRB detailed: He then uploaded all known Trump supporters into the Facebook advertising platform and, using a Facebook tool called Custom Audiences from Customer Lists, matched actual supporters with their virtual doppelgangers and then, using another Facebook tool, parsed them by race, ethnicity, gender, location, and other identities and affinities. From there he used Facebook's Lookalike Audiences tool to find people with interests and qualities similar to those of his original cohort and developed ads based on those characteristics, which he tested using Facebook's Brand Lift surveys. Trump's team no doubt saw in Facebook's ad platform the same things that Putin's propaganda mill had already learned to love. It used Facebook's ad tools, refined at targeting those most vulnerable to suggestion, to influence those ripening under Facebook's own rules that coddle Holocaust denial, and anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment. "They understood that some numbers matter more than others," NYRB explained. "In this case, the number of angry, largely rural, disenfranchised potential Trump voters -- and that Facebook, especially, offered effective methods for pursuing and capturing them." In light of this week's revelations, Trump's Facebook ads deserve a closer look. Like the one that intended to stir anger about mistreatment of US veterans -- but depicted Russian veterans. You have to wonder how a mistake like that is made. It's easy to wonder if it was an ad made by a Russian house and its pool of files, where topics have stock images labeled by campaign, and if even more of the misapplied images in Trump's Facebook ads came from an organization that used the same ones for the same topics, too. It's more urgent to know if it was an ad run by both foreign and domestic Trump Facebook ad campaigns, because that would surely be something. Facebook could tell us more about what was in those ads and when -- like if both the domestic Trump campaign and the Russian Trump campaign were coordinated in messaging -- but it won't. It could also tell us who was targeted with what, where, and when, but it hasn't. The "tip of the iceberg" On Thursday, Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner told press that Facebook's disclosure was just the "tip of the iceberg." Warner reminded everyone that when Facebook was first called out on all this in late 2016 during the election, the social-media giant told us a very different story. Speaking Thursday at the Intelligence & National Security Summit in Washington, Warner said: "The first reaction from Facebook was: 'Well you're crazy, there's nothing going on.' Well, we find yesterday there actually was something going on." In this week's PR spin coming from Facebook, we're hearing a lot about fake accounts and false personas, and things that happen (parenthetically) outside Facebook. We're given the impression that Facebook has no accountability or role in this other than racing to the rescue to protect its users. The same users it sells out to Facebook's real customers: its advertisers. O,r more specifically, anyone with enough money to rank high in its class system of ad buyers. "It's not my fault" -- aka hiding behind "we got rid of the fake accounts" -- doesn't cut it anymore, and it actually never did. That's what we keep hearing neo-Nazis say to press when they march in American streets. They just showed up; we can't control who joins us; he acted alone; they were fake accounts; our ads don't really swing opinion into action. These are things America's neo-Nazis say when members of their groups attack and kill innocent people in the name of racism, in the name of what we know was in those foreign and domestic Facebook ads served up to the very people who would be most receptive to them. People who, thanks to Facebook's fragmenting and dangerous "filter bubbles" and coddling of Holocaust denial, are retreating from meaningful debate and hunkering down into ideological bunkers. Facebook has a role in this, and it's ugly. Even as they dance around it and pretend there's no connection, or that what little it will admit to is somehow not a big deal. It's a huge deal. How can Facebook truly combat this? Auditing and legitimate transparency would be a starting point. So, you know, don't hold your breath. CYBER-CONFERENCE/FACEBOOK In an "information operations update" Thursday, Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos wrote at length about fake accounts, trying harder to tie its advertising-propaganda problem to an abuse problem that is only peripherally related. Stamos wrote: "We have shared our findings with US authorities investigating these issues, and we will continue to work with them as necessary." As necessary, indeed. We have contacted Facebook for comment and will update this article in the event of a response. Images: REUTERS/Stephen Lam (Mark Zuckerberg); REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Donald Trump); Steve Marcus / Reuters (Alex Stamos, Facebook CSO) The son of a missing Alabama woman has been arrested and charged with murder after a female body was found in a 55-gallon drum buried under his family's house, authorities said. OK, my mamas under the porch. Yall got me, Nathaniel Sebastian, 32, told deputies who arrived with a search warrant, according to Mobile County Sheriffs Capt. Paul Burch. Read: Arrest Made in 1999 Cold Case Murder of Prosecutor Found Dead in Bathtub Doris Clark, 81, the dead womans mother, was also arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. Sebastian was charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and promoting prison contraband. A homemade handcuff key was discovered in Sebastians mouth while he was being booked into the county jail, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Susan Mayo, 60, was reported missing on June 17 by one of her other children. She had shared a home with Sebastian, deputies said. Sebastian claimed to be a big fan of John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer who buried his victims under his house. Gacy was executed in 1994. He was convicted of sexually torturing and murdering teenage boys and young men in Illinois. During a three-month investigation, authorities said Sebastian refused to cooperate with investigators and had been arrested earlier this week for allegedly interfering with deputies trying to search his residence, Burch said. After five hours of digging and sawing through the porch Wednesday, deputies found the metal container with a decomposing body inside, authorities said. A formal identification is pending, Burch said. Read: Family Searching for Missing Woman Finds Body of Man Who Disappeared Months Ago I loved my mother, Sebastian told reporters as he was being taken into custody. His grandmother Mayos mother was asked if she knew about the corpse under the porch. No, I didnt know anything, she replied. Sebastian was being held without bond at the Mobile County Jail, according to online records. His grandmother was charged and released. Story continues Watch: Man's Body Discovered Inside Abandoned Refrigerator Related Articles: By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday he has "not detected any whiff of interference" by the White House into the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Speaking publicly for the first time since being confirmed as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wray also expressed confidence in Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the election. "I can say very confidently that I have not detected any whiff of interference with that investigation," Wray said during a panel discussion at the Intelligence and National Security Summit in Washington. Wray was installed as FBI director after his predecessor, James Comey, was fired by Trump in May. In an interview with NBC after Comey's removal, Trump admitted he was thinking about "this Russia thing" when he decided to fire the then-FBI chief. Comey later told Congress he believed Trump had tried to get him to drop an FBI probe into former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, as part of the broader Russia investigation - testimony that has raised questions about whether Trump was potentially trying to obstruct justice. The White House has repeatedly denied the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the election. Trump's advisers and allies also have questioned Mueller's independence and credibility, with some pointing out that he has hired attorneys who have given political donations to Democrats. But Wray said he has "enormous respect" for Mueller, who is also a former FBI director. He stressed that Mueller is running the probe but said the FBI is assisting by dedicating agents and providing other support to the investigation. Wray also reiterated his confidence in a January report compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies which concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election and tried to tilt it in Trump's favor - a finding Trump has often questioned. Prior to his confirmation as FBI director, Wray had only read a non-classified version of the report. "I have no reason to doubt the conclusions that the hard- working people who put that together came to," Wray said. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Paul Simao) All five former living presidents of the U.S. have banded together to support people affected by Hurricane Harvey. The group launched a joint appeal Thursday, and they're seeking donations for those in need across the Gulf Coast. SEE ALSO: Jimmy Fallon announces $1 million 'Tonight Show' donation to J.J. Watt's Harvey relief fund Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush all appear in a new video asking for donations to the One America Appeal to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. The appeal is also set to be expanded to include Hurricane Irma which is heading toward the region. "We've got more love in Texas than water," George W. Bush says in the clip, while his father adds on, "We love you Texas." The donation website currently lists the Houston Harvey Relief Fund and the Rebuild Texas Fund as donation recipients with money going through the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation charity. Michelle Obama also chimed in to encourage supporting the fund. As we come together as one American family to help our neighbors, we are reminded how much we need each other. https://t.co/OMpsKlNAr2 Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 7, 2017 The appeal is distinctly ex-presidential, emphasis on the ex. Donald Trump, who has promised $1 million of his own money to Hurricane Harvey relief, is not involved in this project. He did, however, tweet out his support for it. We will confront ANY challenge, no matter how strong the winds or high the water. Im proud to stand with Presidents for #OneAmericaAppeal. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 In a quick, but heart-warming touch at the end, all five former presidents say "Thank you" from their respective locations. For Natalie Geisman, 92, the hardest part about dealing with the hurricane about to hit her city is waiting for it to be over. She and her husband live in Deerfield Beach, Florida, about four miles from the ocean on the southeastern coastline. The storms trajectory is unpredictable, but theyve done everything they can to prepare: shopped for extra food, stocked up on medicines, and checked to make sure their independent living facility is equipped with a generator and hurricane-proof doors and windows. But still, theres a lingering sense of vulnerability. This ones scaring the hell out of me, Geisman said in a telephone interview on Friday. She dreads waiting out the next several days, and shes worried that if the electricity does fail, shell have to navigate four floors of stairs with her walker. But Geisman, like many of the elderly residents who live in her building, feels like she doesnt have much of a choice. Were all senior citizens, we have walkers, electric scooters, you know, we were all told to stay in our apartments. We have no place to go, Geisman said. With 5.2 million residents over the age of 60, Floridas percentage of senior citizens ranks among the highest in the country. And many of Floridas elderly residents are concentrated near the southern coast, where Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall over the weekend. With winds forecasted to reach 150 miles per hour by the time it hits Florida, Hurricane Irma has already killed at least 20 people, destroying power lines and buildings as it rages through the Caribbean. It is expected to cause unprecedented levels of damage in Florida, a state that has already been hit by major hurricanes. Preparing for a natural disaster of this scale presents a challenge for anyone but senior citizens can face additional obstacles. Theyre more likely to deal with physical impairments that limit mobility, to require medical devices that require electricity, and to suffer from dementia, making it difficult to plan ahead or respond to a rapidly escalating situation. Story continues A 2012 study found that nursing home residents with dementia who were evacuated during a hurricane faced increased rates of hospitalization, morbidity and mortality in the months that followed. Even in non-disaster situations, traveling can disrupt an individuals sleeping and eating patterns all these changes are amplified when you have a highly chaotic situation, Lisa Brown, the studys lead author, explained in an interview. Floridas care for its elderly community during natural disasters is the gold standard, Brown said. If youre going to be struck with something like this, I think Florida nursing homes are really ahead of the curve. Nursing centers in Florida are required to have an emergency preparedness plan that is approved by local government officials responsible for emergency planning. The Florida Health Care Association, an advocacy group that represents 82 percent of the states nursing centers, has been holding daily phone calls to brief facilities on the hurricane. The state has a reporting system that allows nursing facilities to share the number of beds they have available for evacuees. Guillermo Someillan, the owner My New Oasis, an assisted living facility in Miami, said he has two other facilities within driving distance that he and staff members can evacuate residents to if necessary. We might have to get out and push tree limbs aside, to travel across the roads, he acknowledged. Someillans main facility is just outside of the mandatory evacuation zone, so for now, he is focused on keeping his residents, some of whom have mild dementia, happy. He recently turned off the news and switched the televisions to show comedies instead. I dont want them to dwell on the worst-case scenario, he said. Senior citizens who live on their own can be even more vulnerable during natural disasters than those in nursing homes or assisted living communities. People who want to evacuate but require assistance can register in advance with the Florida Special Needs Registry but they arent guaranteed a spot, and not everyone who needs assistance knows how to access it. Floridas Department of Elder Affairs has a list of people enrolled in state, local, or community programs for senior citizens. As of Thursday, staff members had finished calling everyone on the list, making sure they have what they need to get through the hurricane. But several of the resource centers that provide transportation, food and medical services to the elderly have already closed, leaving senior citizens largely on their own for the next several days. For those who live in buildings without generators, electricity cuts would mean stifling heat and no elevator to get them downstairs. Edith Lederberg, the executive director of the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County, has spent the past several days arranging for seniors in the community to receive extra food deliveries from Meals on Wheels in preparation for the storm. Lederberg has worked at ADRC for more than 40 years, so she knows better than most the needs and concerns of the community. Its a vulnerable population. People get very lonely and frightened, she said. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. GrubHub was back in court today in San Francisco over its use of 1099 independent contractors for food delivery. Tj O'Shae, a former GrubHub W-2 employee who worked as a driver care representative from September 2015 to February 2016, echoed much of what plaintiff Raef Lawson testified. She spoke about preferred drivers getting access to priority scheduling, acceptance rates, bonuses and a system that allowed GrubHub to see where their drivers were -- even if they weren't on a specific delivery -- and "ghost orders." But before O'Shae took the stand, Lawson faced cross-examination by Michele Maryott, a lawyer for GrubHub. "You talked about the ghost orders and your claim you didn't receive orders," Maryott said. "You were making that up, weren't you?" "No," Lawson replied. GrubHub says ghost orders are not and were not a thing. Maryott referenced how GrubHub at one point told Lawson there was no such thing as a ghost order and then gave him tips on how to avoid missing delivery opportunities. Maryott also mentioned that it was possible those glitches happened because there was something wrong with Lawsons phone, which he provided himself, rather than something wrong with GrubHub. Lawson said that was a possibility. But O'Shae's testimony suggests Lawson was not the only driver who experienced ghost orders. "Drivers complained about ghost orders all the time," O'Shae said. So-called ghost orders are a miscommunication between the computer system and the driver's device, O'Shae said. It results in drivers not noticing that they received a delivery request, which negatively affects their order acceptance rate. And a low acceptance rate means no access to priority scheduling. The reason priority scheduling matters is because Los Angeles, where Lawson drove for GrubHub, "was one of the most competitive markets for shifts that we had," O'Shae said in her testimony. Drivers would describe the process to get shifts as a "mad scramble," she added. Story continues With these alleged ghost orders affecting the acceptance rate of drivers, Lawson's lawyer, Shannon Liss-Riordan, believes GrubHub used "ghost orders" to keep drivers "on their toes," she said earlier in the week. By allegedly keeping drivers on their toes, the drivers would in theory be more inclined to accept every order they received. Liss-Riordan is trying to prove that GrubHub had a certain amount of control over its drivers, which is a primary factor in the Borello test. The Borello test looks at circumstances like whether the work is part of the companys regular business, the skill required, payment method and whether the work is done under supervision of a manager. The purpose of the test is to determine whether a worker is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee. I'll be back in court tomorrow morning to hear testimony from GrubHub COO Stan Chia, who is expected to discuss the part of GrubHub's business that relates to drivers, and hear some cross-examination of O'Shae. By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey remained a vital partner of the European Union and ties should be maintained even if the country had strayed from the EU path, according to a newspaper interview published on Thursday. A senior Turkish official said EU states must decide whether they wanted Turkey as a member, but there was a sense "they no longer want the marriage...(but) want cohabitation". Comments from the French president followed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's remarks in a television debate on Sunday that the EU should halt membership talks with Ankara. "Turkey has indeed strayed away from the European Union in recent months and worryingly overstepped the mark in ways that cannot be ignored," Macron told Greece's Kathimerini newspaper. "But I want to avoid a split because it's a vital partner in many crises we all face, notably the immigration challenge and the terrorist threat." The EU is eager to preserve a deal with Turkey that has stemmed the mass migration via Turkish territory of people from conflict areas. Turkey has in the past questioned the EU's sincerity in keeping its side of the arrangement. Relations with Ankara and the European Union have deteriorated since a failed July 2016 coup that has been followed by the arrests of tens of thousands of people across the country. Critics accuse President Tayyip Erdogan of using the coup attempt as pretext for a reckoning political opponents. Turkey, which signed an association agreement with the EU in 1963, began formal negotiations to join the union in 2005. However, several members, including France, have opposed talks on certain subjects meaning that only 16 negotiation chapters out of 35 have been opened. ARRESTS Speaking to reporters in Paris, Turkey's ambassador echoed President Erdogan's comments that the EU had to make its mind up about membership and dismissed any notion of an alternative "special partnership". "Integrating Turkey into the EU is not a Turkish question, but a European question now. Of course we have the impression of being duped," Ismail Hakki Musa told reporters in Paris. "They no longer want the marriage they want cohabitation. For a privileged partnership it's too late and Europe must now be honest and sincere." Turkey's relationship with France is not as bad as that with Germany, but ties have been strained following the arrest of French journalists in the country. The most recent, Loup Bureau, was seized by Turkish border guards on the frontier with Iraq in early August. Musa said Macron and Erdogan had asked their respective interior and justice ministers to find a way to solve the problem. "We have to find a solution without tainting the fundamentals of the Turkish system," he said. France's foreign minister is due in Ankara on Sept. 14. Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini, arriving in Brussels for talks with counterparts, said he was against ending membership talks with Turkey. "It's always useful to have a dialogue. We know there are problems with human rights in Turkey." While Macron has sought not to anger Erdogan since taking office, when responding in an interview last month on why being on the world stage was not so easy, Macron appeared to take a veiled swipe at the Turkish president. "I am the one who has to talk with Erdogan every 10 days," he told Le Point without elaborating. (Reporting by John Irish and Brian Love; Editing by Ralph Boulton) Sarasota (United States) (AFP) - With Hurricane Irma aiming squarely at Florida, up to a million people were told to evacuate coastal areas in the Sunshine State and neighboring Georgia on Thursday, amid worries that fuel shortages and traffic bottlenecks could thwart the mass exodus. In a state home to more than 20 million people, Governor Rick Scott warned residents on both coasts to be ready to get out before the monster storm strikes south Florida late Saturday. Experts hope to avoid mass casualties by ushering residents out of the riskiest areas, in what could be the largest US evacuation since Hurricane Rita forced 3.7 million people to leave Texas and Louisiana in 2005. Already, 31,000 people have already fled the Florida Keys chain of islands, and Scott warned people yet to evacuate to get out, fast. "Look at the size of this storm. It's huge. It's wider than our entire state," the governor told a press conference, warning of 10 feet (three meters) of storm surge, enough to reach the roofs of many homes. "We can't save you once the storm starts." More than 650,000 people in Miami-Dade County are being told to leave, after Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez expanded the mandatory evacuation zone further inland along the southeast Florida coast -- although many were expected to stay behind to try to protect their homes. In a sign of the growing alarm about the damage Irma could wreak, authorities in the neighboring state of Georgia also ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas, affecting more than 300,000 people. And the US Air Force wasn't taking any chances, moving dozens of aircraft -- including 50 F-16 Fighting Falcons -- from bases in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia out of Irma's path. In Miami Beach, people were filling the trunks of their cars with water and other provisions, and sharing contact information with neighbors as they prepared to hit the road. Story continues "I have been through hurricanes before but this one is so huge," said Robert McCleary, a 67-year-old retiree. - Fuel shortage - President Donald Trump voiced serious concern as Irma ripped across the Caribbean toward the US, declaring in the Oval Office: "We are with the people of Florida." The only way to drive out of the Florida peninsula is northward, and motorists leaving Miami have found many gas stations cordoned off with yellow tape, signaling they were closed due to lack of fuel. Lines of cars, some more than a dozen deep, snaked around those that remained open. Often those lines jutted into the main roadways, causing traffic to pile up. "People are freaking out," said Yasmine Herrera, a hair stylist who works south of Miami. She told AFP she had experienced a tense standoff when two drivers blocked her in at a pump, each wanting to fill their tanks after her and each refusing to yield and allow her to exit. Eventually, one relented. The governor acknowledged "issues" with fuel and said he had asked the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive rules and regulations in order to get as much fuel as possible into the state and ports. He also called on state law enforcement to provide escort services for gas trucks. - Traffic bottlenecks - Traffic piled up on main highways, as cars heading north bottlenecked near the larger cities, including Miami, Fort Myers and Sarasota. Elderly residents, those in small hospitals and people living in mobile homes were among the first to be evacuated. "Leave now. The roads are going to get worse the longer you wait," warned Governor Scott. He urged people to use apps like GasBuddy and Florida511 to check for open fuel stations and traffic conditions. Scott said the utility giant Florida Power and Light would close its Turkey Point power plant, where twin nuclear reactors operate, "at some point." FPL said Hurricane Irma's size and strength suggest that "much of Florida could be impacted by this major storm, resulting in extended power outages," according to an email sent to customers. "We are preparing for the possibility of having to rebuild our electrical infrastructure in the worst hit areas." Washington (AFP) - The governor of the southern US state of Georgia on Thursday ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas ahead of Hurricane Irma. "I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible," Governor Nathan Deal said in a statement. Citing potential storm surge, Deal said a mandatory evacuation would take effect beginning on Saturday for Chatham County, which includes Savannah, and other coastal areas. Chatham County has a population of nearly 300,000 people while Savannah is the largest city in the county with a population of around 150,000. Hurricane Irma, a powerful Category Five storm, is expected to make landfall over the weekend in southern Florida, where evacuations have also been ordered, and move up the coast towards Georgia. Irma, packing winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour) has left a trail of devastation on small islands in the Caribbean. Governor Deal said that in addition to ordering a mandatory evacuation he had authorized up to 5,000 members of the Georgia National Guard to be on active duty. "The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma," Deal said. Berlin (AFP) - Germany on Friday dismissed Poland's threat to demand new talks over World War II reparations from Berlin, saying the issue had already been settled in 1953. "Poland made a binding decision in August 1953... to relinquish demands for further war reparations," government spokesman Steffen Seibert said, adding that in the view of Berlin, "this issue was therefore settled both legally and politically". Seibert said that Germany had fully recognised its responsibility in World War II, while emphasising that it had also paid "considerable reparations for overall war damages" to Poland. The 1953 agreement on reparations signed by Warsaw's communist authorities renounced further claims against Germany. But Poland's current rightwing government disputes the validity of the post-war deal, saying it was made under the diktat of the Soviet Union. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Thursday that she believed her country had the right to demand further reparations from Germany. "The position of the Polish government on war reparations will be officially expressed when a political decision is taken," she said in a radio interview. "In my opinion, Poland has the right to this and the Polish state has the right to ask for them," she said. "We are ready to go ahead with this procedure." Poland's foreign and interior ministers have estimated potential reparations reaching as high as $1 trillion (830 billion euros). Poland suffered the brunt of the two-front attack by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. Six million Polish citizens, including about three million of Jewish origin, were killed under the Nazi occupation of 1939-45, and Warsaw was virtually razed. But Poland's powerful Roman Catholic church warned Friday that "poor decisions" by the country's rightwing leaders could "undermine" ties with Germany. Story continues "The manner in which unresolved issues are dealt with in the relations between the two countries is of utmost importance," according to a statement signed by five of Poland's most senior clerics. "They need to be conducted on a level of wise diplomacy to maintain hard-won trust, not to be undermined by arousing negative social emotions on either side," said the church leaders including Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz and Archbishop Henryk Muszynski. The clerics pointed to a watershed 1965 letter by Polish and German Catholic bishops which urged reconciliation efforts to overcome the deep wounds left by the war. "Reconciliation is a word that has defined Polish-German relations for over a quarter-century," they said, adding that "we can easily lose it through poor decisions, and hasty words." According to a survey by Poland's independent Ibris pollsters published last month, 51 percent of Poles oppose any reparation claims against Germany, while 24 percent believe such claims ought to be made. The talk of reparations comes as the PiS government is under fire both at home and abroad over a slew of reforms that critics say erode democratic standards and the rule of law. Is it too late now to say sorry? Last month, after it was announced that Gigi Hadid would be walking in the upcoming Victorias Secret Fashion Show taking place in Shanghai, China, the backlash began. Social media users took to using snake and chicken emojis to make it clear the model isnt welcome in China months after she appeared to mock Asians. In a video uploaded and later deleted by her sister, Bella, back in February, she can be seen squinting her eyes while holding up a Buddha-shaped cookie. this is y'all woke palestine queen? Gigi out here mocking Asian people. i would say she's cancelled but she never started. rat @GiGiHadid pic.twitter.com/b6wj5k1sXE . (@hvrrystime) February 5, 2017 Commenters noted that since the incident Hadid hadnt publicly apologized for her insensitive actions, and told her dont come to their country now that Victorias Secret is heading there. Gigi Hadid refused to apologize for her racist remarks towards asians and now she's walking in the VS fashion show in Shanghai? What? Kate (@katelynepearson) August 30, 2017 But last week she attempted to make amends. On Friday, the 22-year-old posted a statement on her Weibo account, saying that it was never her intent to offend. It hurts me to hurt anyone, and I want you all to know that it was never my intent to offend anyone through my actions and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt or felt let down by me, she wrote. I have the utmost respect and love for the people of China and cherish the incredible memories I have made while visiting in the past. I have learned to be very careful of how my actions can come off or be portrayed and Im hopeful youll accept my apology. (Photo: Weibo) For some, however, it was too little, too late. Story continues Others pointed out she should have posted her apology on accounts besides Weibo so users outside of China could also see it. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Gigi apologized in Chinese social media Weibo but she didn't apologize in facebook and instagram, because she don't want you guys know it pic.twitter.com/CHGoRj0nSB Gee Lean (@mr_jielin) September 2, 2017 That's so funny. @GiGiHadid just say sorry on Weibo. She said "love the people of China" Hahaha,can not stop laughing . pic.twitter.com/MNGBnkYhDZ Elvin Starry (@ElvinStarry) September 1, 2017 @GiGiHadid Thanks for showing your apology on weibo,but I think that what you did hurt Asians,not only Chinese.Make an apology to Asians,plz pic.twitter.com/ALkfOBe3mY (@1iuchen) September 2, 2017 The Chinese will never forgive you for coming to China to earn money by posting an apology on China's social software Weibo. Ever, ever! wudadada (@wudadada2) September 2, 2017 Also on HuffPost Dev Patel Dev Patel is the Internet's boyfriend for good reason. LOOK AT HIM. Choi Siwon Choi Siwon of South Korean boy band Super Junior has dimples for days. Rick Yune You may remember Rick Yune as the especially good looking guy from the original "The Fast And Furious." Akanishi Jin Swoooooon. Singer and actor Akanishi Jin is basically a tousled hair god. Vidyut Jammwal Vidyut Jammwal is known as the "The New Age Action Hero of Bollywood." We need a hot hero like him in Hollywood too, though, amirite? This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:25:52|Editor: liuxin New Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (L, front) attends an exhibition in New Delhi, India on Sept. 7, 2017. India's first full-time woman Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman formally assumed charge of the ministry Thursday. (Xinhua) NEW DELHI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- India's first full-time woman Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman formally assumed charge of the ministry Thursday. "I will be the Defense Minister round-the-clock," 58-year-old Sitharaman told the media after taking over from her predecessor, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who held the additional charge of the defense portfolio for the past five months. Spelling out her priorities, the new defense minister said she would ensure armed forces preparedness, speedy implementation of defense deals and defense production with focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative. "It will be a priority for me to ensure the smooth and speedy implementation of defence deals and projects," Sitharaman said. "Make in India needs to take over so we benefit from what's manufactured in India and finds an international market," she added. Sitharaman was elevated as defense minister, one of the top four ministries, in the last cabinet reshuffle by Modi earlier this month. She was earlier India's commerce minister. Though she is the first full-time woman defense minister, Sitharaman is, however, the second woman to hold charge of the ministry since Indira Gandhi, India's first woman prime minister who had held the defense portfolio for some time. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is an A-plus cook. (Photo: Getty Images) Back at school, mean kids will once again be trading food they brought from home with classmates, and the students who go to school with Tiffani Thiessens 7-year-old daughter, Harper, are seriously lucky. They should definitely trade that pudding cup with her, if only shell agree. (She probably wont.) They actually have organic food at Harpers school, so she gets what they call hot lunch at school every day, but then I pack her snacks, Thiessen, best known for her role as Saved by the Bells Kelly Kapowski, tells Yahoo. So its anywhere from homemade hummus and carrot sticks to homemade granola bars. See? First day of 2nd grade! Harper, you are kind, sweet, caring, smart, silly and fun and you make your daddy and I so proud. #firstdayofschool #2ndgrade #gogetemtiger A post shared by Tiffani Thiessen (@tiffanithiessen) on Sep 5, 2017 at 11:31am PDT Thiessen, 43, is quite a cook, a skill she shared on her Cooking Channel show, Dinner at Tiffanis, beginning in 2015. For her, whipping up meals has always been a way of life. I have memories of wanting to be in the kitchen with my mom and my grandmother and my aunt. They were all in there having fun, it seemed, Thiessen says. As I got older, I, of course, got invited in to start cooking with them. Thiessen says her show will not continue for another season, but she hopes to cook on TV again one day. Well, sadly, Dinner at Tiffanis is done, Thiessen says. We didnt get renewed, kind of a surprise. Still, Thiessen is busy, working on an upcoming Netflix teen comedy, Alexa & Katie, as well as her lifestyle website, a cookbook for early next year, and a childrens book written with her husband of 12 years, actor Brady Smith. Shes also constantly cooking at home for and with her family, which includes Harper and a 2-year-old son, Holt. Tiffani Thiessen and daughter Harper bond in the kitchen. (Photo: Michael Simon/Startraks.com) Im such a believer in making memories and moments in the kitchen, Thiessen says. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and having my family right next to me is the greatest thing, and now that Harpers gotten a little bit older and really wants to be involved, shes learning how to use a knife. Its fun, its been really super fun to have her next to me, and even my little guy, hes in there doing dishes with daddy afterwards. Story continues Shes aiming to inspire other parents to cook with their children teaching them a skill that theyll use for life and will help them eat healthier as part of Bens Beginners Cooking Contest, from Uncle Bens Rice. Now through Oct. 9, parents with children in kindergarten through eighth grade can submit a photo of their family cooking a rice dish together, for a chance to win one of five prize packages, which include $15,000 cash and a $30,000 makeover for their school cafeteria. Tiffani Thiessen and husband Brady Smith attend a movie premiere. (Photo: Getty Images) As for Thiessen, her family tends to go for simpler things on the menu for school nights: soups (when its cool enough), homemade macaroni and cheese (Holts favorite), Mexican food, or roasted chicken. Leftovers of the latter can then be put into so many other things after youve had the chicken for the first night, she notes. Im a firm believer in leftovers and repurposing food. At school, Thiessen, who joined the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 in its fifth season, has a word of advice for any new kids who are worried about fitting in with other students. I think, be yourself, is what I did, she says. Kids, just know that having yummy, made-from-scratch snacks to share doesnt hurt either. Read more from Yahoo Celebrity: As the rain started falling in Houston, the anonymous authors went to work. Writing under pseudonyms and hiding behind the pretense of satire, they churned out lies, dressed them up as news, and then let Facebooks platform do their dirty work, spreading their deliberate falsehoods far and wide. As a result, millions of people were exposed to and believed false stories like this one, headlined: Black Lives Matter Thugs Blocking Emergency Crews From Reaching Hurricane Victims. (The opposite was actually true: BLM Houston has been actively collecting and distributing aid and helping recovery efforts.) One website alone, Flash American News, spread that narrative to more than 1 million people via Facebook. Numerous other similar websites also shared their own versions via the social media network, selling the lie by using photos taken from other totally unrelated stories. Crowdtangle data shows that Facebook helped share this lie with more than 1 million people. (Photo: flashamericannews.com/) While some might readily recognize the story as fake, plenty who encountered it on Facebook sure didnt. These hoodlums need to go away for a long time! One commenter wrote after the story was shared on the fanclubtrump Facebook page. Make them regret what they are doing keeping hurt, innocent people from getting help is dispicable! [sic] This is absolutely despicable!!!! another user added. Tell me please how does this help anything or anybody! All it does is show the world that these people are heartless, uncaring, sorry excuses of what a human being should be!!! Though the story is fake, its impact in the real world is not. Other Harvey fake news targets Similar disinformation campaigns singled out other groups frequently targeted by conservative media and the so-called alt-right, shaping real-world opinions with fake stories spread unchecked on Facebook. Muslims were also accused in several fake stories of refusing to let Harvey victims seek shelter in mosques. (Again, the opposite is true: Houston-area mosques opened their doors to thousands, even as Joel Osteens 16,800-seat megachurch drew criticism for remaining closed.) Story continues The imam pictured in the fake story above lives in Canada and says hes never even been to Texas. Nevertheless, a version distributed via DailyPostFeed.com (other sites also shared other variants) was shared to 795,680 people via Facebook. Another highly-circulated fake story claimed that flooding during Hurricane Harvey somehow uncovered a huge cache of weapons and ammo apparently hidden there by the Obama administration, for the purposes of staging a coup to return to power. The total amount of people who shared this story on Facebook was 769,377, according to CrowdTangle. (Photo: OurLandOfTheFree.com) While the above website claims to be satire, it does little to announce that to visitors. Per CrowdTangle, the above story was shared to 769,377 people on Facebook. The Clinton Foundation was also (falsely) accused of sending water to Houston and charging $7 per bottle for it. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Total people shared to on Facebook, according to CrowdTangle: 249,698. (Photo: patriotusa.press) Misinformation on the internet is hardly a new or even rare occurrence. But one common thread here is Facebook. The social media network has enabled the rapid spread of deliberate, harmful falsehoods. As of now, the company is apparently unwilling to do much to stop the spread of deliberate misinformation. In response to outcry over similar disinformation campaigns during the 2016 election, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed as pretty crazy the idea that fake news on his site could have influenced the elections outcome. The companys COO Sheryl Sandberg agreed. Nevertheless, Facebook calmed some critics by rolling out a system months later to flag questionable sources of information as disputed and reconfiguring its trending topics module. Judging by the rampant spread of the above stories, however, deeper problems remain. On Wednesday, Facebook representatives acknowledged to congressional investigators that the company sold around $100,000 worth of ads during the 2016 election to a Russian content farm known for producing pro-Kremlin messages, along with what Facebook itself described as divisive social and political messages. CORRECTION: Several different photographs accompanied fake news articles about mosques in Texas. An earlier version of this article used a photo of an imam who is not the one who lives in Canada. The photo has been replaced. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever, and it slammed into the Caribbean Island of St. Martin/St. Maarten. The Category 5 storm whipped across the island with winds of 185 miles per hour. The island is split in half between the north, which is a French collectivity (territory), and the south which is a part of the Netherlands. Video shows severe flooding and damage as Hurricane #Irma slams Saint Martin. https://t.co/YTFUZBmjqY pic.twitter.com/XLwBOiabtm ABC News (@ABC) September 6, 2017 The storm killed at least 10 people, according to ABC News Thursday: at least eight were killed in St. Martin and St. Bart, one in Barbuda and one in Antigua. #Irma tore up a lot of Saint Martin, but some structures seems to withstand the impact. via @reuters: https://t.co/bnVHnzzl2r pic.twitter.com/JhhCR7CgTp Jim Roberts (@nycjim) September 7, 2017 French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, said that death toll could rise. We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores, Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured. The Dutch Royal Navy reported enormous damage to their side of the island. Princess Juliana International Airport, the famous airport on the island with runways close to the beach is completely destroyed. Story continues Saint Martin faced the worst of #Irma yesterday. Enormous damage on these aerials: https://t.co/7l5ETRXNpN pic.twitter.com/43S5BV27NU Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) September 7, 2017 Irma also wreaked havoc on the Caribbean Island of Barbuda. On Barbuda, 95 percent of the buildings were damaged, leaving the island essentially inhabitable, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda. I have to admit that I am now the bearer of bad news, in that I journeyed to Barbuda this afternoon and what I saw was heart-wrenching. I mean, absolutely devastating, Browne said in an address on Wednesday. In fact, I believe that on a per capita basis the extent of the destruction in Barbuda is unprecedented. Irma brushed against Puerto Rico Wednesday night and next heads towards the Bahamas and Florida, with an anticipated U.S. mainland land fall this weekend. Florida is bracing for the impact of the storm with mandatory evacuations issued for the southernmost parts of Florida. President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida. The U.S. Coast Guard is already assisting in the region. Our first priority is ensuring safety of lives and helping anyone in distress. Following that, reopening the ports is a top priority, but we have to make sure we also do it safely, said Capt. Eric King, commander of the Coast Guard based in Puerto Rico in a statement. Opening the port prematurely could create a situation for a greater risk or incident, which could ultimately result in an even longer port closure. We must ensure the port is clear of any obstructions and any significant damage to the port infrastructure from the storm that would prevent the flow of commercial commerce. GettyImages-843749400 Photo: Lionel Chamosieau/AFP/GETTY GettyImages-843750290 Photo: Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP/GETTY GettyImages-843743578 Photo: Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP/GETTY RTX3F44A Photo: Handout/REUTERS Related Articles AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Reuters) - Hurricane Irma has killed at least five people and left a trail of destruction on the part-French, part-Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Martin, government officials in France and the Netherlands said on Thursday. Packing winds of around 175 mph (290 kph), the storm lashed several small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including St Martin and St Barthelemy, tearing down trees, flattening homes and causing widespread damage. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Thursday said four bodies had been recovered on the French side of the island, revising down an earlier death toll. "The death toll is still uncertain because clearing operations are under way," Philippe told a news conference at a crisis centre in Paris. About 50 people have been injured. "There is considerable damage," Philippe said, adding that local authorities in Saint Martin said 95 percent of the houses there had been damaged, and 60 percent were uninhabitable. "There is no electricity, no drinkable water, gasoline is unavailable." Philippe said the government would on Friday declare a state of emergency, facilitating insurance compensation. Government officials in the Netherlands said the hurricane had caused enormous devastation on the Dutch side of the island, killing one person and injuring several others. The Dutch navy, which has two ships stationed off the coast, tweeted images gathered by helicopter showing damaged houses, hotels and boats. Sint Maarten, as it is known in Dutch, is an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a population of around 40,000 people, about the same as on the French side of the island. Images of the Dutch side's Juliana Airport showed the landing strips appeared intact, although the navy said the airport was unreachable for now. (Reporting by Toby Sterling in AMSTERDAM and Ingrid Melander in PARIS; Editing by Richard Lough and Hugh Lawson) Ukrayinska Pravda Several journalists working for foreign media have been stripped of their accreditation for reporting from liberated Kherson. Source: Detector Media; General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: On Sunday, a post appeared on the official Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine saying that "a number of media representatives who have broken the rules on working in the area of hostilities have had their work permits revoked and their press cards invalidated. Hurricane Irma lashed the Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving behind a trail of devastation and casualties as the United Nations warned that as many as 37 million people could be affected by the hurricane. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that so far one casualty was confirmed, one infant who died as the mother tried to escape from a house that was damaged during the storm, although the causes of death are still to be determined. He described the damage he witnessed while flying over the smaller of the two sister islands, which was hit heavily by the storm, while Antigua did not sustain major damage. Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane, is the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin but two more tropical storms Jose and Katia, are also on their way, which both strengthened into hurricanes on Wednesday. It is the first time since 2010 that the Atlantic has had three active hurricanes in its basin. Browne described the devastation he saw flying over Barbuda. What I saw was heart wrenching, absolutely devastating. On a per capita basis, the level of destruction in Barbuda is unprecedented, the prime minister said, speaking on live television. Browne estimated that about 95 percent of the islands structures, including houses, utilities and other infrastructure, suffered some form of damage, either partial or complete. The prime minister described the island as being literally under water and barely habitable adding that, while relief efforts will be underway, he is also considering evacuating the islanders depending on how Hurricane Jose develops. Already 60 percent of the islands 1,600-strong population is homeless. hurricane irma wreckage Gerben van Es/AFP/Getty Images Story continues Similarly devastating damage was also reported in St. Martin, an island divided into a French and a Dutch side, known as Sint Maarten. A local politician said that the French side of the island is almost completely destroyed. "It's an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I'm in shock. It's frightening," St. Martin President Daniel Gibbs told Radio Caribbean International. Six casualties were confirmed, but the death toll is expected to rise. This is not, by far, a definitive number...we have not explored all the parts of the island, Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire told reporters, quoted in Reuters. The hurricane also destroyed the Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island. Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk shared on Twitter a post fromt the Dutch Navy showing aerial views of the island, calling the damage enormous. More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power, leaving 900,000 in the dark and nearly 50,000 without water as the hurricane passed over the north of the island, the Associated Press reported. "The winds that we are experiencing right now are like nothing we have experienced before," Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told CNN. "We expect a lot of damage, perhaps not as much as was seen in Barbuda." According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Irma is now heading for the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti's Hispaniola island, where authorities are bracing for more damage. It will then continue towards the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas by Thursday evening, where a hurricane warning remains in place. The U.N. said on Wednesday it dispatched a humanitarian team to the Barbados to work with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and additional teams remain on standby. U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti, where the agency is wrapping up its mission, are also ready to support the local authorities. Related Articles The social networking website Care2 opened an online petition letter Wednesday requesting the World Meteorological Association change the name of Hurricane Irma to Hurricane Ivanka, in reference to President Donald Trumps daughter. The petition, which aims to reach 10,000 signatures, has gathered more than 4,000 supporters. The petition states that Ivanka Trump has done little to persuade the president to take an active role on climate change, despite her promise to speak to her father about the issue. Ivanka Trump can say what she wants about climate change, the petition letter notes, but as long as she quietly stands back, she remains complicit in the destruction we all face at the hands of her fathers administration. The petition letter goes on to say that the current administration is on a fast track setting climate progress back, which will only exacerbate the effect of future storms, and it cites Trumps controversial decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last June. In fact, Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, were not present during Trumps statement, raising questions about Ivankas real leverage inside the Oval Office, according to Politico. The petition letter concludes by asking the World Meteorological Association to rename Hurricane Irma. We need to put pressure on members of [the] Trumps administration to take real a stand [sic] for the health and safety of our world and generations to come. People from all over the country and the world, including Croatia and Australia, have signed on. Ivanka Trump has experienced widespread criticism due to her lack of response to Hurricane Harvey, given that she appears to prefer tweeting about Trumps tax reform plan, according to Elite Daily. Twitter users took a stab at Ivankas lackluster take on environmental matters: In addition, Donald Trumps take on environmental issues have raised eyebrows during his first months as president. With the support of a Republican-run Congress, he has rolled back 23 environmental rules that ranged from approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline on March 24 to lifting a freeze on coal leases, according to The New York Times. Trump cited federal overreach and onerous regulations as main reasons for his decisions. Story continues Also, he appointed former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. During his tenure as attorney general, Pruitt worked alongside the fossil fuel industry to oppose Obama-era regulations and sued the EPA at least 14 times. Related Articles Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:39:09|Editor: Liu Video Player Close CHICAGO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- One U.S. postal employee was injured when a pipe bomb exploded at a post office in the Indiana State, the FBI said on Thursday. The explosion happened on Wednesday evening at a U.S. post office branch in the city of East Chicago. "We can confirm there was only one pipe bomb which injured a postal employee who was treated for minor injuries," the FBI said in a statement Thursday. Investigators are still trying to ascertain if there are any terrorism links, added FBI, urging the public to offer tips. Local firefighters said they believe the explosion came from a possible pipe bomb in a package. The female employee, reportedly pregnant, was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution. East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, with a population of about 29,000. The city was named from its location east of Chicago, Illinois. As Hurricane Irma rampaged across the Atlantic Ocean it slammed directly into the tiny island of Barbuda, destroying 90 percent of its built structures and killing at least one person. According to ABC News, the Category 5 hurricane has wreaked widespread damage to the island, which is inhabited by about 1,600 people. Hurricane Irma battered Barbuda with 185 mph winds around 2 a.m. local time Wednesday, according to FOX News. It is predicated to hit Florida overnight Saturday into Sunday. The Guardian reports the French part of St. Martin has been 95 percent destroyed. Daniel Gibb, a local official told Radio Caribbean International that here the island is facing enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed, he continued. Im in shock. Its frightening. I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I dont know where I can shelter them. At least six people have died in the French part of St. Martin, according to The Guardian. In Puerto Rico, 965,000 people are without power and at least 50,000 people are without water, The Guardian reports. Fourteen hospitals are relying on emergency generators. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda told ABS TV/Radio Antigua that Barbuda is barely habitable. He added that the cost to repair infrastructure and homes would cost no less than $150 million. That is no exaggeration, Browne said of the predicted cost. It is just total devastation. Barbuda is literally a rubble. In a statement to PEOPLE, Robert De Niro, who is a principal in the Paradise Found Nobu Resort alongside media mogul James Packer in Barbuda, said he will help the island rebuild. We are beyond saddened to learn of the devastation in Barbuda caused from Hurricane Irma and look forward to working with the Paradise Found Nobu Resort team, the Barbuda Council, GOAB and the entire Barbuda community to successfully rebuild what nature has taken away from us, the statement read. Story continues The extent of the damage to the the resort remains unclear as communication and access to the island remains difficult. PM Browne said getting supplies delivered to residents of the island was a challenge. It was difficult to send in any boats there today because things are still very dangerous. Unbelievable. #Irma has snapped all the cell towers on #Barbuda. That's reinforced steel - photo: ABS pic.twitter.com/NF5v698XJa Jonny Hallam (@Jonny_Hallam) September 6, 2017 Within the next 18 hours we intend to mobilize a significant amount of resources to send over to Barbuda to provide some temporary relief, he added. Browne confirmed to ABS TV that there is currently no water or phone services available to the islands residents. He said the hurricane caused one death, an infant. Miami-Dade County ordered a mandatory evacuation for Thursday morning. This is the first in 12 years, for more than 100,000 residents of mobile homes, barrier islands and other areas, according to The Miami Herald. #HurricaneIrma: Mandatory evacuation ordered for all Miami-Dade residents of zone A and barrier islands of zone B (Miami Beach included). pic.twitter.com/jZPvN2dEKC Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) September 6, 2017 This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez echoed his words, saying, Irma remains a strong Category 5 hurricane. Significant weakening is not expected. CNN reports at least two people died and two others were seriously injured in St. Barts and St. Martin. Damage caused by Hurricane Irma has it swept through the Dutch side of St Martin: Dutch Department of Defense Four people have been killed by Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands, officials have said. Hurricane Irma roared through the 40 small islands of the British Virgin Islands late on Wednesday, causing major damage to the largest and most populated island of Tortola. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency confirmed the deaths in a statement on Friday but gave no further details. The British government has been coordinating relief efforts to the cluster of islands near Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The Caribbean disaster agency says the Tortola airport is operational but the tower has been "compromised". At least 20 people are believed to have been killed in the region as the storm ravaged the Caribbean, with a further three people dead on the British island of Antigua, Barbuda and the Dutch side of St Martin, four dead in the US Virgin Islands and nine on the French side of St Martin and St Barts. Officials say they expect the death toll on the island to rise once they are able to begin recovery operations. It comes as the UK announced it was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands to help with the relief effort. Follow live updates on Hurricane Irma In a statement, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "The UK government is responding to the catastrophic damage that has been caused by Hurricane Irma to the Caribbean and in particular obviously to the overseas territories, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands. "Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected, to those families who have lost loved ones, and as you can expect we are doing everything we can with humanitarian relief and assistance. "We have the fleet auxiliary boat RFS Mounts Bay is in the vicinity, we have people on the ground. "But what we will be doing now is making an urgent assessment of the further needs of communities in the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla to see what more can be done in terms of financial and humanitarian assistance." Story continues In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. "It is just really a horrendous situation," he added. The storm has continued to batter the Caribbean archipelago. The hurricane rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti before smashing into the Turks and Caicos Islands another British Overseas Territory early on Friday morning with waves as high as 20 feet. Communications have gone down as the storm slammed into the islands and the extent of the devastation is currently unclear. Additional reporting by AP Donald Trump has revealed that his daughter Ivanka asked to join him on his North Dakota trip, telling crowds she said: "Daddy, can I go with you?" Speaking at a tax reform event in the state, Mr Trump gave a speech in which he recognised local politicians, a major donor to his Republican Party and his eldest daughter, who is also one of his top White House advisers, although her role is unpaid. Beckoning her up to the stage, he said: "Come up, honey". Then he shared an anecdote about how Ms Trump asked her father if she could join him. She said, Dad, can I come with you. Actually she said Daddy, can I go with you?' I like that," he said. I said, 'Yes, you can.'" He added: Look at Ivanka, come on up honey, shes so good. She wanted to make the trip. Mr Trump heaped praise on the 35-year-old who often accompanies him unannounced to important political meetings. Everybody loves Ivanka, he told cheering crowds. Come up, honey. Should I bring Ivanka up? Come up. Ms Trump smiled widely at her father's words and later shook his hand as she arrived on stage. In the wide ranging speech, Mr Trump outlined four basic principles to reform the US tax code. He said he would make major, major tax cuts [for individuals], the biggest since Ronald Reagan and try to cut the business tax rate as much as possible, ideally [to] around 15 per cent from 35 per cent. Jimmy Kimmel ripped President Donald Trumps decision to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on Tuesday night. Our president woke up and asked his staff, Now that this hurricane is over, whats something horrible I can do to distract people from the Russia investigation? the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host said. Someone said, You know, there are 800,000 innocent kids you could deport for no good reason, and he said done and done. Kimmel noted how Trumps decision to potentially do away with the protections that gave the children of undocumented immigrants the chance to legally stay in the U.S. was part of his plan to undo everything (former President Barack) Obama did. Trump has now punted the issue to Congress. I hope he doesnt bring (Osama) Bin Laden back to life, Kimmel added. Check out the full segment, including a Super PAC-style commercial that compares members of Trumps own family to Dreamers, above. Related Coverage Kim Kardashian Finally Reveals What She Thinks Of Donald Trump And It's Not Good Matt Damon Reveals The Vain Reason Behind Donald Trump's Movie Cameos Donald Trump Gives Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do' A Sinister Twist Also on HuffPost BONUS PHOTO Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. For most mothers, the first day of school for their children is an emotional day that they are eager to be a part of. Unfortunately for Kate Middleton, the expecting mom was forced to miss her sons first experience in school due to something out of her control. On Thursday, a source told Us Weekly that the Duchess of Cambridge was not happy that she could not be with Prince George for his first day of school due to her severe morning sickness, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Kate watched the news from home, an insider told the media outlet. She was desperately sad that she couldnt make it but she is on firm bed rest now until she feels better, the insider close to the royal couple added. Prince William and Prince George Photo: Getty Images Although Middleton couldnt make it due to her acute morning sickness, Prince William was by his sons side and held his hand as they walked into Thomas Batterseas school in London. The royal reportedly stayed with his son until he was settled into his classroom. During his time in school, the young prince will not receive any perks just because he lives in a palace. Our aim for him, as well as for all of our pupils, is to provide a safe and secure and happy environment where he feels supported by a kind and loving community, Ben Thomas, the headmaster of Thomass Battersea said. Thats all we will be trying to achieve for him. There wont be any special treatment at all. In fact what his parents would like for him, as any parent would like for their child, is they have a wonderful, fulfilling and private childhood in a place which is secure, he added. In March, the school, which was attended by both Prince Harry and Prince William, released a statement welcoming Prince George to the institution. We are honored that the aims and values of Thomas reflect those that their Royal Highnesses would like for Prince Georges education. We are deeply conscious of the trust that they, like all Thomas parents, are placing in us and we hope very much to live up to their expectations, Thomas said at the time. Story continues Missing Prince Georges special moment was tough on Middleton. The first day of a childs school is always a bittersweet day for a mother, the source said. Both Kate and William are extremely proud of George and how well behaved he was as he arrived, but its also a little frightening to see him grow up this fast! While Prince George was busy attending his first day of school, his mother, who has visits with her doctor every day, was confined to her bed. Middletons mother has actually been staying with the family in order to help her daughter out and support her. Carole is Kates rock in tough situations like this. Mother always knows best! the source added. While the Duchess of Cambridge has experienced the hyperemesis gravidarum while pregnant with both George and Charlotte, she was eventually able to return to her daily activities and royal duties. It shouldnt be long until the royal is back to making headlines everywhere for her incredible taste in fashion and her chic maternity wear choices. Kate Middleton Photo: Getty Images Related Articles On the morning of Sept. 3, Americas top military, intelligence and diplomatic officials were summoned to present Donald Trump with their assessment of the mounting crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Events were moving fast. Over the course of the previous week, North Koreas ruler Kim Jong Un had launched a missile on a 1,700-mile flight over Japan and publicly displayed what he claimed was a hydrogen bomb that could be placed atop an intercontinental ballistic missile. Then, the North announced that it had tested its largest nuclear device to date, a weapon whose power unleashed shock waves measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale. That Kim had the means to annihilate an American citysomething U.S. Administrations had worked for more than 20 years to preventseemed no longer a specter but a reality. And yet two hours before Trump got his full download from the brass, he launched a rhetorical attack against Americas most vulnerable ally in the region, South Korea. South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing! Trump tweeted just before 8 a.m. Meanwhile, senior officials were already in contact with the anxious staff members of the Souths President, Moon Jae-in, to arrange a call between the leaders. Their conversation, on Sept. 4, greenlighted billions of dollars more in military aid from the U.S. as well as boosted South Koreas defense capabilities. One U.S. official said the tweet had little impact because governments have learned not to take Trumps tweets at face value. In fact, that is precisely the problem, and one without precedent. Americans may have become inured to Trumps rhetorical attacks on political enemies and allies. But in the dangerous world of nuclear deterrence, where it might take just 30 minutes for a nuclear-tipped missile to reach the West Coast from North Korea, the stakes are very different. Trump has traded in his reality show for policy decisions that could mean life or death for hundreds of thousands of people. Some Korea experts say that at this point, the best outcome of the crisis may be to find a way to live with a nuclear North Korea. But even getting to that undesirable standoff would require clarity and unity with allies, and Trumps murky goals and message are little comfort. We will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea, Trump said on Sept. 6. Story continues The dangerous uncertainty is not all on Trump. U.S. intelligence has long been unclear about both the capabilities and intentions of Pyongyang. Few expected Kim to gain the ability to target mainland American cities with powerful, missile-delivered nukes so soon. And while most analysts see the North Korean regimes pursuit of nuclear weapons as a means to preserve power and ward off threats, no one knows how reckless the 33-year-old leader may be, especially if he feels backed into a corner. Trumps ad lib diplomacy may be partly in response to that dearth of good information. During meetings with his war Cabinet in the White House basement during his first seven months in power, Trump routinely excoriated advisers about why they didnt know more, pointing to the money that U.S. intelligence services had spent in providing incomplete information, say Administration officials. But Trumps freelancing isnt helping. Top aides say they have little sense of what the boss wants to see from them or from partners such as China and South Korea. The Sept. 3 tweet caught U.S. officials, who were up all night sifting through intelligence reports and policy options, by surprise. They have no strategy at the moment, says one top adviser to Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. Trumps nominal allies in the Administration and on Capitol Hill are trying to turn the message to friends and foes abroad in the direction of stricter economic sanctions, a bolstered military deterrent and diplomatic leverage to force Kim to slow his rush to nuclear-power status. Whether Trump will heed their advice and whether Kim will take into account the quirks of American foreign policy at this particular moment are open questions. With nukes now potentially targeting the U.S., the stakes in the fight over clarity and unity of message could not be higher. With reporting by CHARLIE CAMPBELL/BEIJING and ZEKE J. MILLER/WASHINGTON DETROIT - Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to offer hybrid gasoline-electric versions of all its U.S. models by 2022, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Details could be announced as early as Oct. 3, when Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett plans to update investors on the automaker's strategy. Company officials are also considering whether to introduce one or more all-electric Lincoln models, one source said. The proposed electrification scheme could be critical to Lincoln's future in China, which will require automakers to make electric vehicles an increasing percentage of their total sales. The Lincoln hybrids are part of a broader Ford program to offer at least 18 new electric and hybrid models over the next five years, the sources said. Lincoln aims to follow a path blazed this year by several European premium brands, including Daimler AG, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's Volvo Cars, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, all of which have announced plans to offer more hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Global luxury brands are responding to competitive pressure from Elon Musk's Tesla Inc, and proposals by the Chinese government to mandate significantly higher levels of electric vehicle sales in the world's largest auto market. The plan to offer a portfolio of Lincoln hybrid models was crafted before Hackett took over in May, the sources said. Ford said in January 2016 it would spend $4.5 billion to electrify a portion of its U.S. fleet, including hybrid versions of the Mustang and the F-150, and at least 11 other models. The extent of its electrification effort, including details on specific new and redesigned models, has not previously been disclosed. A Ford spokesman said the company would not comment on future products. As the Lincoln brand rolls out redesigned versions of its existing models and introduces at least one new model, it is planning to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of those vehicles, beginning with the redesigned MKC crossover and the new Aviator crossover in 2019, the sources said. The redesigned Lincoln Navigator utility vehicle, which goes on sale this autumn, is expected to add a conventional hybrid version in 2019. Subsequent redesigned Lincoln models, including the MKZ sedan in 2020 and the Continental sedan and MKX crossover in 2022, are expected to include plug-in hybrid variants, the sources said. Reporting by Paul Lienert for Reuters Related Video: Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:09:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish court said a German citizen who was arrested in southern Turkey last week will be released, local media reported Thursday. The German citizen and his wife were detained while on holiday in Turkey's southern province of Antalya, as part of probes into the Gulen Movement, Dogan News Agency reported. The wife has already been freed after questioning in the police headquarters, while the husband was banned from travel under the court ruling. At least 10 German citizens remain in Turkish detention on political charges, the report said, adding that relations between Ankara and Berlin have further strained after the arrests. Turkey accuses Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based preacher, of orchestrating a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. A self-driving car will soon be one ride option available from Lyft in the San Francisco Bay Area, as the ride-services company ramps up its efforts to become a serious player in autonomous vehicle technology. Lyft said on Thursday that self-driving cars will soon be dispatched to certain passengers who request a ride through the app in the area. The cars will come from Drive.ai, a Mountain View, California, startup that builds software to turn cars into autonomous vehicles. It is the latest in a string of partnerships between Lyft and an autonomous car company, but it is the one with the most immediate impact to Lyft passengers. There will be initially a small number of cars available, said Drive.ai Co-founder and President Carol Reiley, each with a trained driver in the front seat in case something goes wrong. We want to make sure the experience feels as much like an autonomous vehicle experience as possible, Reiley said. Passengers must choose to opt into the program and the rides are free. Reiley declined to disclose the car model being used or precisely when the self-driving Lyft rides would start. Lyft declined to comment further. The program allows Lyft to test how its passengers react to self-driving cars and Drive.ai, a two-year-old company, to log more miles and tweak its software. Reiley said Drive.ai will use its own mapping data for the trips. The program is Lyfts latest push into autonomous cars since announcing in July a new self-driving car division, including a facility in Palo Alto, California with hundreds of engineers who will work on autonomous technology and collaborate with other autonomous vehicle companies. Lyft has previously announced partnerships with Alphabets self-driving division, Waymo, technology company Nutonomy, and automakers General Motors gm , and Jaguar Land Rover. Lyft has previously said it will launch a pilot with Nutonomy in Boston by year-end. Although Lyft is a late entry into the field of autonomous cars, the partnership gives the company something of a victory over its chief competitor, Uber Technologies. While Uber was first to offer rides in self-driving cars, using its own autonomous technology, with programs in Pennsylvania and Arizona, it does not yet offer them to passengers in the Bay Area. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:44:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close AMMAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scores of Jordanians on Thursday held a sit-in near the UN headquarters in Amman, protesting the killing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. During the protest, held by some activists and political parties, the protesting Jordanians called for the immediate stop of the killing of the Rohingya people. They also urged Arab and Islamic states to take an action to end the killing of the Rohingya and address the crisis as tens of thousands of them fled to Bangladesh following a wave of attacks. The protestors called on the UN to intervene to end the crisis and the killing of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, slamming what they called as international silence over their situation. Jordan has condemned the recent attacks against the Rohingya people and said the government in Myanmar is held accountable. The United Nations refugee agency said Monday 73,000 Rohingya people have come to Bangladesh after violence killed hundreds of people in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state since late last month. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Spokeswoman Vivian Tan said that aid agencies estimate 73,000 people entered Bangladesh from Myanmar as of Sunday since Aug. 25. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 03:44:53|Editor: Liu Video Player Close VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China is working for the establishment of an investment fund worth 100 billion yuan (15.3 billion U.S. dollars) to finance regional cooperation projects between China and Russia, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said here Thursday. China is ready to increase the scale of the investment fund and suggest the Silk Road Fund finance China-Russia joint programs, Wang said in a speech at a commercial conversation on the sidelines of the Third Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city in Russia. He said the Chinese government encourages enterprises to invest in Russia's Far East and expand cooperation in manufacturing, resources exploitation, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism. China will work to further facilitate trade and ask its companies to abide by Russian laws and regulations, while it hopes the Russian side will implement its preferential policies and safeguard the lawful interests of Chinese enterprises, Wang said. He said China is an ideal partner of Russia in its Far Eastern development and both sides can together explore vast opportunities. According to the vice premier, the two countries have mutual political trust and the two economies are complementary and their development strategies dovetail with each other. China is the biggest import source and second largest export destination for Russia's Far Eastern Federal District and Chinese enterprises have invested in 26 projects in this region so far. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 03:54:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BUJUMBURA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Burundi on Thursday received the first batch of 301 refugees from Tanzania as part of some 12,000 refugees expected to return to Burundi till the end of this year, a senior government official said. All those Burundian returnees came from Nduta refugee camp in the western Kigoma province in Tanzania and crossed the border with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a voluntary repatriation process that will continue up to Dec. 31, 2017. After receiving the returnees, Terence Ntahiraja, assistant to the Burundian home affairs and civic education minister, thanked Tanzania for receiving Burundian asylum seekers. In June this year, the UN refugee agency said Tanzania remained the largest host of Burundian refugees. Tanzania is currently home to more than 315,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are hosted in three refugee camps of Nyarugusu, Nduta, and Mtendeli, which face severe pressure. Burundi plunged into a crisis since April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term bid. His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup on May 13, 2015. Over 410,000 people have fled to other countries mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis. The difficulty of evacuating with pets is one of many reasons that people dont always just leave when a hurricane hits. Just ask Matt Varga, a resident of Kendall, Florida who said he was denied boarding on a plane fleeing Hurricane Irma because he didnt have the proper carrier for his dog, Meeka. Man tells @randikayeCNN he can't get Miami evacuation flight because he needs carrier for dog, but couldn't buy one https://t.co/4jYf9lYmQl CNN (@CNN) September 8, 2017 At Miami International Airport, Varga told CNNs Randi Kaye that he had visited 10 stores attempting to find a carrier, but all were sold out. Federal regulations are strict about how pets can be transported on planes, which include having an approved carrier for the animal. But some people, including anchor Anderson Cooper, felt the airline should have made an exception in an emergency. Its not a huge dog, you think theyd make an exception, he said after the interview. Social media users also pointed to the example of the Fort McMurray wildfire in Canada last year, when a pilot for energy company Suncor went against policy in order to save 36 pets from the blaze including cats, dogs, hedgehogs, a chinchilla and frogs. In that instance, pilot Keith Mann said he had to bend some rules, including how many animals are allowed on a flight and what parts of the plane they can occupy, in order to do what was right. Vargas sister wrote on Facebook that her brothers ticket was with American Airlines. American Airlines was not able to immediately confirm to HuffPost whether this was accurate. After a devastating number of animals died when their owners were forced to leave them behind during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and some people remained in harms way to stay with their pets Congress passed the 2006 Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. The bipartisan bill mandates the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that evacuation plans in federal disasters include pets. Story continues While thats a huge improvement, it doesnt mean evacuating with pets is always easy. For one thing, contrary to rumor, the PETS Act does not require private companies like hotels to make special accommodations for pets. It also doesnt change regulations around air travel. As for Varga, he told CNN hes going to be riding out the storm in Kendall with his dog. Cause youre not going to leave her behind? Kaye asked. No, of course not, said Varga, laughing as Meeka tried to lick the microphone. Also on HuffPost HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27: Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A dog is rescued from the flood waters of Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Texas, U.S., on August 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A cat sits on top of a car which is surrounded by flood water in the parking lot of an apartment complex after it was inundated with water following Hurricane Harvey on August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi August 25, has dumped nearly 50 inches of rain in and around Houston. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: Shannon Danley carries a rabbit to a rescue boat after it was found floating in floodwater in an apartment complex after it was inundated with water following Hurricane Harvey on August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi August 25, has dumped nearly 50 inches of rain in and around areas Houston. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) A cow swims trying to get out of the Hurricane Harvey floodwaters near East Columbia, Texas August 29, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking Pets belonging to evacuees sit in a crate at the Delco Center in east Austin, Sunday, August 27, 2017. The Red Cross says, if needed, they are prepared to handle 350 people in the Delco Center. As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 24 dogs, 20 cats, and 5 birds have been registered and volunteers from the Austin Animal Center say they can handle approximately 20 more animals depending on size. Tropical Storm Harvey lashed central Texas with torrential rains on Sunday, unleashing 'catastrophic' floods after the megastorm -- the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 -- left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. / AFP PHOTO / SUZANNE CORDEIRO (Photo credit should read SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images) A woman holds her dog after being rescued from rising floodwaters due to Hurricane Harvey in Spring, Texas, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. A deluge of rain and rising floodwaters leftiHoustoniimmersed and helpless,icrippling a global center of the oil industry and testing the economic resiliency of a state thats home to almost 1 in 12 U.S. workers. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: Standing water continues to impact neighborhoods in north Houston as flood waters began to recede following Hurricane Harvey August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The city of Houston is still experiencing severe flooding in some areas due to the accumulation of historic levels of rainfall, though the storm has moved to the north and east. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) A man carries a dog after being rescued from rising floodwaters due to Hurricane Harvey in Spring, Texas, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. A deluge of rain and rising floodwaters leftiHoustoniimmersed and helpless,icrippling a global center of the oil industry and testing the economic resiliency of a state thats home to almost 1 in 12 U.S. workers. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images ROCKPORT, TX - AUGUST 26: A dog stands guard over a section of the Saltgrass Estates apartments Saturday afternoon after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the complex. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27 2017: Elma Moreno comforts her dog, Simon as they are loaded on to a trucks after being evacuated from their flooded apartment. Tropical Storm Harvey is causing major flooding throughout Houston and Southeast Texas. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Destyn Scales and her dog Dexter wade through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Texas, U.S., August 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman Pets belonging to evacuees sit in a crate at the Delco Center in east Austin, Sunday, August 27, 2017. The Red Cross says, if needed, they are prepared to handle 350 people in the Delco Center. As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 24 dogs, 20 cats, and 5 birds have been registered and volunteers from the Austin Animal Center say they can handle approximately 20 more animals depending on size. Tropical Storm Harvey lashed central Texas with torrential rains on Sunday, unleashing 'catastrophic' floods after the megastorm -- the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 -- left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. / AFP PHOTO / SUZANNE CORDEIRO (Photo credit should read SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images) Flor Portilla finds her mothers cat that was stuck in a tree outside her home in East Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday, August 30, 2017. John Taggart for The Washington Post via Getty Images A windblown seagull looks for food before the approaching Hurricane Harvey hits Corpus Christi, Texas on August 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey will soon hit the Texas coast with forecasters saying it's possible for up to 3 feet of rain and 125 mph winds. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) ROCKPORT, TX - AUGUST 26: 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 August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Harvey made landfall shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, just north of Port Aransas as a Category 4 storm and is being reported as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Wilma in 2005. Forecasts call for as much as 30 inches of rain to fall in the next few days (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A cat tries to find dry ground around an apartment complex after it was inundated with water following Hurricane Harvey on August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi August 25, has dumped nearly 50 inches of rain in and around Houston. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) A herd of cows which escaped from fencing damaged by Hurricane Harvey block a highway near Port Lavaca, Texas, August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking A man and his dog evacuate the flood waters in Lakeside Estate by boat in Houston, Texas on August 30, 2017. Monster storm Harvey made landfall again Wednesday in Louisiana, evoking painful memories of Hurricane Katrina's deadly strike 12 years ago, as time was running out in Texas to find survivors in the raging floodwaters. / AFP PHOTO / Thomas B. Shea (Photo credit should read THOMAS B. SHEA/AFP/Getty Images) Pets belonging to evacuees sit in a crate at the Delco Center in east Austin, Sunday, August 27, 2017. The Red Cross says, if needed, they are prepared to handle 350 people in the Delco Center. As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 24 dogs, 20 cats, and 5 birds have been registered and volunteers from the Austin Animal Center say they can handle approximately 20 more animals depending on size. Tropical Storm Harvey lashed central Texas with torrential rains on Sunday, unleashing 'catastrophic' floods after the megastorm -- the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 -- left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. / AFP PHOTO / SUZANNE CORDEIRO (Photo credit should read SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images) ROCKPORT, TX - AUGUST 26: Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving the apartment that she road out Hurricane Harvey in on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Harvey made landfall shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, just north of Port Aransas as a Category 4 storm and is being reported as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Wilma in 2005. Forecasts call for as much as 30 inches of rain to fall in the next few days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A man carries a dog after being rescued from rising floodwaters due to Hurricane Harvey at the Highland Glen housing development in Spring, Texas, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. A deluge of rain and rising floodwaters leftiHoustoniimmersed and helpless,icrippling a global center of the oil industry and testing the economic resiliency of a state thats home to almost 1 in 12 U.S. workers. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images John Tuan returns to rescue his dog who was left in his flooded house in the Clodine district after Hurricane Harvey caused heavy flooding in Houston, Texas on August 29, 2017. Floodwaters have breached a levee south of the city of Houston, officials said Tuesday, urging residents to leave the area immediately. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) People unload belongings and dogs to cross a bridge to evacuate from the rising waters of Buffalo Bayou following Hurricane Harvey in a neighborhood west of Houston, Texas, U.S., August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri Joshua Lopez, 9, holds puppy Cali outside of College Park High School which was set up as a temporary shelter for Hurricane Harvey evacuaees in The Woodlands, Texas on August 30, 2017. The school which was set up as a shelter on Monday for those affected by the storm, is now preparing to re-open its door to students next week. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 28: People make their way out of a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Veronica Escobar, 47, stands in her front yard in El Paso, Texas. She is hoping to be the first Latina Texas has ever elected to Congress. (Photo: Laura Bassett) EL PASO Ask a Texan about El Paso, the colorful desert town on the southwest tip of the state that shares a border with Juarez, Mexico, and you might hear one of several unearned nicknames: El Pass-through. El Pisshole. The anus of Texas. People who live in El Paso cannot fathom why the rest of Texas so loathes their friendly city, which regularly tops lists of the safest in America, despite feeling like the last true vestige of the Wild West. Locals speculate that its because the city has a Hispanic name, but so does San Antonio. El Paso is also a blue island in a blood red state nearly 70 percent of the city voted for Hillary Clinton but the same is true for Austin, the beloved state capitol. It seems more likely that El Pasos public image problem has to do with its role as a junction, one that joins the U.S. to Mexico. At a time when President Donald Trump is campaigning to build a wall between the two nations, El Paso is a bridge. Veronica Escobar wants to be the woman to change peoples perceptions of El Paso, and the border more broadly. The gregarious, irreverent 47-year-old Mexican-American announced in late August that she is running in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Beto ORourkes (D-Texas) as he vacates the seat to challenge Republican Ted Cruz for Senate. If successful, she would be the first Latina Texas has ever elected to Congress a surprising milestone, given that the state is 40 percent Latino. But Escobar is more interested in being a voice for El Paso and immigrant rights than breaking a glass ceiling. El Paso is in my blood; its in my DNA, she told HuffPost. I love our geography in the middle of the desert, that were isolated from other areas and having to make do. I love our position on the U.S.-Mexico border. I love that weve always been the underdog. I just love this community so much that even without Donald Trump, Im inspired by El Paso. The Friday night before announcing her run for Congress, Escobar gathered with a half-dozen of her campaign volunteers in the empty lobby of an artful terra-cotta low-rise building in downtown El Paso, Texas. Shed brought together a diverse cadre of supporters, including a young gay couple whose wedding she officiated and the 27-year-old high school civics teacher who taught her her son and daughter. Story continues Escobars campaign manager was trying to give the team a rehearsal for the event the next day, but the candidate was too excited to take the moment seriously. She joked that the plan was to slowly lower her into the crowd from the buildings skylight atrium in a puff of confetti, and then dramatically unfurl a banner from the second-story balcony with her name on it. The technical term is big ass banner, she said. Well all do some tequila shots before. Escobar wanted to announce her campaign in a central building downtown because she has worked hard to revitalize the neighborhood since being elected El Paso county judge in 2010 an administrative leadership position that oversees that countys budget. The once-bustling border town was largely deserted in the mid-1990s as unemployment soared after the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But the town has since witnessed a rebirth as officials trained workers to take advantage of their location as a trade hub and move into higher-wage jobs, where they have been adapting and transforming the citys economy. Under Escobars leadership for the past eight years, downtown El Paso has flourished and now boasts green parks with fountains and sculptures, bustling bars, theaters, hipster music venues and a famous pawn shop that claims to have Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villas trigger finger on sale for $9,500. It was really important to me that we launch downtown, she told her volunteers the night before the launch. Weve seen such an evolution downtown a decline, and a renaissance now, and this is the center of it. Just beyond the tall buildings of downtown El Paso, Texas, is Juarez Mexico and the Sierra Madre mountain range. (Photo: Laura Bassett) After meeting with her team, Escobar brought them to the patio of her favorite bar downtown, overlooking the Franklin mountains, for cocktails and nachos. Her whole family joined, including her 20-year-old son, a sophomore at Harvard; her 18-year-old daughter, a rising freshman at Simmons College; her husband, a federal immigration judge (confirmed, ironically, by Trump); and her brother, a foreign service officer who flew into town from Washington, D.C., for her announcement the next day. Nearly everyone who walked into or out of the bar squealed and waved when they spotted her at a table. Tomorrow! Escobar shouted back to each one. Be there or be square! Escobar is blissfully happy in El Paso. Having inherited a passion for Mexican cooking from her mother, her favorite thing to do after coming home from work is to pick apples from the tree in her front yard and make calabacitas, enchiladas, and apple pies for her daughter and son, whom she addresses as mi amor. If my kids were smaller, I wouldnt have even considered this, she says. The idea of commuting to Washington, D.C., every week from her remote town does not appeal to Escobar at all. But Donald Trump and his rhetoric about immigrants and the border have terrified her and inspired her to run. He really frightens me and in a way that I havent been frightened before, she says. I worry about the planet. I worry about immigrants. I worry about women. I worry about the LGBT community. I worry about the El Paso and the border. And I feel this very intense sense of dread. Across the table, a campaign volunteer interrupts Escobar to read her a news alert from his smartphone: Trump has just pardoned ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted in July of violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos in Arizona. Un-fucking-believable, Escobar seethes, before remembering that she is sitting next to a reporter. Im sorry, but do you know what message that sends to Hispanics? You dont belong here. A mural called Sister Cities in Segundo Barrio El Pasos historic Hispanic neighborhood pays tribute to the border of El Paso and Juarez (Photo: Laura Bassett) Despite being a public servant for more than a decade, Escobar said she never pictured herself running for Congress before Trump became president. Her friends describe her as the salt-of-the-earth. She grew up working on a dairy farm in El Paso, washing milk and manure out of her four brothers jeans. She left to obtain a Masters Degree in English Literature at New York University, and then returned in 1993 to teach Chicano literature at the University of Texas at El Paso. Upon returning home, she noticed some disturbing xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment in her largely Mexican-American community that has close ties to Juarez there was talk, for the first time, of a wall being built on the border. She decided to join advocacy efforts for the Border Rights Coalition (now the Border Network for Human Rights) in addition to her job at the school. I just remember thinking, I have to get involved, this not who we are. Were this great bi-national community. What happened? Escobar eventually became co-chair of the coalition, and her passion for public service grew from there. During her time as county judge, she and the four other members of the commissioners court fought to build El Pasos first childrens hospital, extended health care benefits to the domestic partners of LGBT city and county employees, and passed a resolution denouncing Texas bathroom bill, which would prevent transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice. One year short of her full term, Escobar resigned from her position in August to run for Congress. She is far from an elite politician. The night before her campaign event, one of her volunteers asked her what took her so long to jump into the Democratic primary race, since her opponent, Republican-turned-Democrat Dori Fenenbock, has been fundraising for months. Escobar replied that she and her husband, federal immigration judge Michael Pleters, needed to get their finances in order before she went jobless for a year. I had to buy a lot of tortillas and beans and freeze them, she said. Because El Paso is a solidly blue district, Escobar wont face any significant challenge from a Republican. Her main challenge is that she is behind on fundraising in the primary Fenenbock, former president of the El Paso Independent School District board, had already raised hundreds of thousands of dollars before Escobar entered the race. But nearly half of that money came from Republicans, which might not play well in the progressive district. And El Pasos popular former congressman, ORourke, is publicly backing Escobar, which gives her a major advantage in the race. Escobars candidacy has been highly anticipated by the Latino community. A long list of Latino celebrities and politicians, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tx.) and actresses Eva Longoria and Grace Parra, have been urging Escobar to run through the Latino Victory Funds Run Veronica Run campaign. Escobar is floored by the attention, but mostly thrilled that the race is putting El Paso on the map. The fact that theres so much interest in our community and so many eyes on us right now, it is incredible, she said. For me, it was an opportunity for El Paso to be in the limelight. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 22: Skateboarders zip past a colorful row of small businesses in downtown El Paso, Texas (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images) (Photo: Buyenlarge via Getty Images) Escobar could have a bright future in the Democratic party. Beyond border issues, she considers herself a Bernie Sanders-style progressive, favoring single-payer health care and free college tuition for those who want a degree. She strongly supports abortion rights, despite the issues controversy in the deeply Catholic Latino community. And she believes that Trump was elected in part because the Democratic Party focused too much on identity politics and not enough on the fact that the American middle class is shrinking and calling out for help. Its really not necessarily just about minorities being left out, its more about an entire class of Americans being left out, many of whom are white and who feel like they dont have access to great jobs and great education, and the jobs they could do and were comfortable doing are gone, she said. Many of them feel like Democrats are only about pushing minority rights. Here I am, the person who could break a barrier for Texas and I believe diversity is critical, and I am very proud that I have the opportunity to blaze that trail for other Latinas behind me but as a party, we have to recognize that there are white Americans in the middle class that have been left out. And I think Bernie did that. Escobar channeled Sanders spirit and brio as she announced her candidacy on a sunny Saturday afternoon in downtown El Paso. Roughly 300 El Pasoans packed into the lobby of the 7-story, mixed-use building to see her speak. Noting the presence of her 72-year-old immigrant mother in the crowd, Escobar delivered a passionate 20-minute speech about her pride for El Paso, her support for universal health care and education, her plans to be a voice for the U.S.-Mexico border, and yes, that glass ceiling. But her biggest cheers came when she condemned Trumps treatment of Hispanics. When you have a president who pardons someone who believes racial profiling should be the M.O. in an entire state, its time to stand up, she said. Trump is sending Latino communities a very clear message with that pardon, and that message is that we dont matter and that our civil rights and our constitutional rights dont matter. You know what? They matter to us. Some Latinos in the crowd were visibly emotional as Escobar spoke. Christina Sanchez, 38, burst into tears when asked whether it was important to her that Escobar break that barrier for Hispanic women. It means a lot, especially now with what you near from the national level, she said. To really be that first Latina from Texas its important for me, its important for my family, and its important for my daughter to see a person whos like her in that role. Escobar ended her speech to the Beatles song Revolution. Its just a fantastic song, and we need a revolution, she said after the event. I want people to feel like they have a stake in creating change, and were arming ourselves with good vibes and a lot of love to head into battle. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that President Trump appointed Also on HuffPost Pedro Ramirez Pedro Ramirez, 34, works at Casa Mezcal in New York City. He works to send money home to his mother in Mexico and dreams of being a boxing trainer. He told Munoz Boullosa: "When I hear the things Trump says it makes me laugh. I find it funny although I admit it's wrong. The scary thing is that there are many people who have the same mindset as him. Of course I'm scared. He is sick [with] power. I know that people who have the same thoughts as he does have always existed, but until now there was nobody who would stand up for their ideals. We Mexicans are workers, not drug traffickers. We do not come to have children here, we come to help our families and follow our dreams. Most of us come to make things right." Pedro Cenal Murga Pedro Cenal Murga, 28, is a graduate student at Columbia University studying for a masters in Theory of Investigation in Architecture. He came to New York City to work on his thesis. Cenal Murga told the photographer: "Mexicans are an extremely heterogeneous population in the U.S.. There are Mexicans that work in the fields, and Mexicans that run entire companies. I think it is difficult to generalize the kind of intentions that Mexicans have in this country... I think that Mexicans, like many other people in the U.S., are indispensable. There are cities like Los Angeles that have an enormous population of Mexicans, even more than some cities in Mexico. Having this in mind, our workforce, our ideas, are also an important part of the economy. Mexicans are an important piece in U.S. society." Pedro Cruz Munoz Boullosa met Pedro Cruz when she walked past his bodega, Rosalindo Grocery Store, in Brooklyn. He became legal in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan's immigration amnesty. Cruz told the photographer: "I came to New York City like everybody else, like every Mexican that is looking for a new future, a new life. I came here when I was 16, through the border. I started to work and years passed by. I have two kids, they are professionals now. My son is a policeman and my daughter is a social worker. Mexicans are not what Donald Trump says. We are workers. As long as it is work, we do whatever it takes." Pedro Guillermo Curiel Pedro Guillermo Curiel stands inside the SoHo Mini Market in New York City. He told Munoz Boullosa: "I am Guillermo well, Pedro Guillermo. I have two names. I have worked in the deli for 11 years. I take the sandwich orders. My favorite thing happening in New York City are the soccer matches. I used to play in Flushing, but not anymore. Now I dont have time, I always finish working until very late at night." Pedro Rodrigo Gonzalez Pedro Rodrigo Gonzalez, 24, is a ballet dancer, personal stylist, and a fashion blogger. He told the photographer: "In 10 years I hope to be happy doing many projects that I have in my head. I hope to hold the name of Mexico higher, both in fashion and dancing. I want to help people who are trying to be dancers or designers and impulse them to achieve what they want. I dont feel ashamed of who I am. I dont have any secrets." Pedro Reyes Pedro Reyes, 24, works at the Los Tulipanes bakery in Mexico City. His 27-year-old sister, Eloisa, lives in Philadelphia and he's considered joining her. He told Munoz Boullosa: "I think what Trump says makes no sense. Nothing good can [come from] everything he is proposing. The image he is portraying of Mexicans is wrong. We are not how he talks about us. He is not a man who can be in command of such a powerful nation... My sister Eoisa is in the United States. She says that she prays all the time for Trump not to reach the presidency. Sometimes we talk on the phone and think about what will happen to all the people that will be deported if he wins. It is not something we should take lightly." Pedro Ruiz Pedro Ruiz works at the Sea & Sea Fish Market in Harlem, New York City. He told Munoz Boullosa a bit about himself: "I am from Puebla, Mexico. My work here is do the vegetables and keep the fish market clean. I have been in NYC 10 years now. I went back to Mexico in 2008, for 6 months. I think I like everything about NYC." This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Patricia Weiss, Ludwig Burger and Pamela Barbaglia FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Germany's Merck KGaA has hired JP Morgan to sell its consumer health business, which includes brands such as Seven Seas vitamins and could be worth around $4.5 billion. The family-controlled drugmaker said on Tuesday it was considering selling the business, whose sales of over-the-counter medicines and vitamin supplements are about $1 billion a year, to help fund research into higher-margin prescription drugs. It has already sounded out prospective buyers including Swiss food giant Nestle, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. But while preliminary talks were held over the summer with Nestle, which favored a joint venture deal, no agreement was reached, two of the sources added. The global market for consumer health products is worth an estimated $233 billion in sales this year, according to Euromonitor International, which ranks Merck's business in the sector as the 32nd biggest, with a 0.4 percent share. One source said Merck was eyeing a price of 5 billion euros, while others said that 4 billion euros would be too ambitious because the business lacks global reach. Analysts at Bernstein have put a price tag of 3.7-5.6 billion euros on the business. Consumer health is very fragmented and has proved fertile ground for deals in recent years, as ageing populations and health-conscious consumers drive demand. Nestle, which wants to become a "nutrition, health and wellness company," recently said it would pursue opportunities to expand in the sector. Merck, which confirmed JP Morgan's role but declined to comment on other aspects of the process, prefers an outright sale of the business, which owns brands such as Bion nutritional supplements and decongestant Nasivin, the sources said. But Nestle, which also declined to comment, could yet decide it wants to buy the whole business, they said. GUGGENHEIM ON BOARD Two people familiar with the situation said Guggenheim Partners was also helping in the sales process. Merck and the boutique bank both declined to comment on its involvement. The German group said earlier this week it would give itself until early next year to make a decision on what to do with the business. Any delay might suit potential bidders such as Reckitt Benckiser, one of the sector's biggest consolidators, which is digesting the $17 billion purchase of Mead Johnson. Consumer company Procter & Gamble along with Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Takeda and Abbott are all seen as other possible suitors. But Procter & Gamble is fighting off activist shareholder Trian, while Takeda has just bought Ariad. And U.S. drugmaker Pfizer is not interested in bulking up in consumer health, a source familiar with the company's strategy said. The company declined to comment. Bayer has been largely ruled out because it is busy trying to get approval for its planned purchase of Monsanto while dealing with weakness at its own consumer care business. Sanofi is also seen as unlikely to bid because it is absorbed in folding Boehringer Ingelheim's consumer care business into its organization after an asset swap. ($1 = 0.8310 euros) (Additional reporting by Martinne Geller and Arno Schuetze; editing by Alexander Smith) View of a street in the eastern area of Mexico City after a massive earthquake hit off the Pacific coast: AFP/Getty Officials in Mexico are scrambling to respond to a 8.1 magnitude earthquake off the countrys southern coast that has killed at least 61 people and triggered tremors across the region. The most powerful earthquake to strike in around 100 years saw with tremors reported from Mexico City to San Salvador to the south. Evacuations, massive damage to infrastructure, and alerts were triggered as far away as south-east Asia. The epicentre was 74 miles (119 km) into the Pacific Ocean, approximately 600 miles southeast of Mexico City, at a depth of 43 miles. Jana Pursely, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey, told CNN that the quake was relatively shallow, which resulted in more intense shaking. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said between the initial quake and aftershocks at least 50 million people of the countrys 120 million population felt it. It hit as most residents were sound asleep around midnight on Thursday night, forcing many out into the streets in their nightclothes, uncertain of where to go as everything around them appeared to be on the brink of collapse. Mr Pena Nieto said on Friday evening in a televised address that at least 61 people were killed - 45 in Oaxaca state, 12 in Chiapas and 4 in Tabasco - and he declared three days of national mourning. The worst-hit city was Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus, where 36 quake victims died. About half of Juchitan's city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses. A hospital also collapsed, Mr Pena Nieto said after touring the city and meeting with residents. The patients were relocated to other facilities. Juchitan Mayor Gloria Sanchez said: The situation is Juchitan is critical; this is the most terrible moment in its history. There are reports of at least four people being trapped in a hotel that was damaged in the earthquake as well. Chiapas, the other state bordering the epicentre, reported several collapsed homes and three dead. Story continues In Tabasco, two children were reported dead as a result of a crumbling building. However, the death toll appears to be less than a devastating 1985 earthquake that killed almost 10,000 people in four Mexican states though it was not nearly as powerful. That quake was more deadly because it had hit much closer to Mexico City, one of the worlds most densely populated cities. As Mexico deals with the infrastructure damage, only fully known in the harsh daylight, there was also a tsunami set off by the ocean-based earthquake. Though the waves seem to have only reached approximately three feet, the National Weather Services Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said they could reach up to 10 ft. Nevertheless, Mr Pena Nieto said operations at the Salina Cruz refinery close to the epicentre have been suspended and Pemex, the state-owned petroleum company, is conducting reviews of operations. Though the damage is less severe than expected for such a massive quake, at least one million have been left without power in various neighbourhoods Mexico City alone and the airport reported shattered windows. A full minute of tremors even rocked the citys Angel of Independence monument as one Twitter users video shows. Lo dejaron bien amarrado en 1957 pic.twitter.com/ytl9yZSE51 Alexis Milo Caraza (@alexismilo) September 8, 2017 #LoMasVisto | De esta forma se vivio el sismo en oficinas del Centro Historico de la Ciudad de Mexico pic.twitter.com/LUujTmFvNq El Big Data MX (@ElBigDataMx) September 8, 2017 Overall, approximately 1.85 million homes lost electricity or water services. Authorities have advised people to check buildings and homes for possible gas leaks as well. Since the 1985 quake, the country has employed as strict construction codes as the US and Japan in order to minimise infrastructure damage in a place that lies on two tectonic plates the Cocos and North American and is susceptible to such events. The plates shift against each other about three inches each year and as friction builds, the plate breaks along a fault line causing earthquakes and tsunamis. Called a subduction zone, several can be found on the perimeters of the Pacific Ocean, according to The New York Times. These zones are the cause of some of the deadliest quakes and tsunamis. Recent examples include the the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011, which caused the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. In 2004 nearly a quarter of a million people died in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India and other Indian Ocean countries as a result of the 9.1 quake near Indonesia which spurred a massive tsunami. Mexicos army, marines and federal police have been deployed for disaster relief efforts. Schools and offices in 10 Mexican states have been ordered closed until infrastructure damage is surveyed. We are assessing the damage, which will probably take hours, if not days ... But the population is safe over all. There should not be a major sense of panic, Mr Pena Nieto assured citizens in the early morning hours. At least 32 people have been killed after a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck Mexico, causing a tsunami and warnings for countries across Central America. The Governor of the Mexican state of Chiapas announced the first fatalities following the most powerful quake to hit the country since 1985, striking 119km south-southwest of Tres Picos. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said a tsunami had been triggered by the quake, with warnings issued for people in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras and Ecuador. The centre warned waves could reach over ten feet along the Mexican shore near the epicentre of the quake. Waves between 0.3 and one metre have been predicted for the Cook Islands, Ecuador, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guatemala and Kiritabi. The centre forecast waves of 0.3 metres could reach Australia, Vietnam and Japan. In the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country's eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami, Reuters reported. The earthquake struck shortly after midnight off the coast of Mexico, leaving some buildings severely damaged in the south of the country. The US Geological Survey estimates the earthquake, felt in Belize and Guatemala, occurred at a depth of 43 miles. Mexico's civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands. Manuel Velasco, the governor of Chiapas state, said the quake had destroyed homes and buildings and left some hospitals without power. He has called for the evacuation of coastal areas in the southern state due to the tsunami alert. The current Foreign Office travel advice says: Most of Mexico is occasionally subject to earthquakes. Tremors occur regularly, particularly in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero." The high-rise luxury condos of downtown Miami are facing a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, but they won't let that scare them away. Read: The Delta Flight That Raced Hurricane Irma - and Won Gary Read and his family live on the 29th floor of a luxury building on Biscayne Boulevard. I think we're expecting about 145 miles an hour by the time it gets here," he told Inside Edition. "The building is built to withstand 175 mile-per-hour winds, so I think we should be okay. The family said they plan to ride out the storm despite warnings to evacuate. They have a plenty of water, fruits, and non-perishable canned goods. From his balcony, Gary can see towering cranes that can topple in high winds. His building is not only facing danger from the cranes. The residents are also wondering whether the building will sway if the winds are strong enough. Inside Edition spoke with some residents who say they're going to take refuge in the garage, a nearly indestructible bunker on the sixth floor. We have multiple places within the building that are sealed in concrete. This to me is the most safest, one resident claimed. Many families trying to evacuate are facing frustration and despair. Lines at Miami International Airport seem to go on forever. Some are camping out at the airport because their flights were canceled, but they won't be allowed to stay after Friday night. Read: Center of the Storm: Simulator Shows What Happens in a Category 5 Hurricane Incredibly, a handful of people are still going to Miami. A recent flight out of New Yorks JFK Airport Friday had just 14 people on board. Getting out by car is an ordeal because the highways are clogged and there are gas shortages. In one case, tempers flared to the point where a man pulled a gun on another driver while on a long line for gas. Watch: How to Make an Emergency Survival Kit as Hurricane Irma Inches Closer to U.S. Related Articles: Moscow (AFP) - Russia claimed Friday to have killed several top commanders of the Islamic State group in an air strike in Syria, including the US-trained "minister of war" who has a $3 million bounty on his head. "As a result of a precision air strike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali," the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as the IS group's minister of war and the highest-ranking defector from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, suffered a "fatal injury," it added. Reports of Khalimov's death have surfaced before, and the Tajik interior ministry said it could not immediately confirm the claim. "We are working with our Russian colleagues to obtain reliable information," a spokesman told AFP. But a spokesman for the Tajik security services, speaking to AFP, suggested that "this time around" he might have been killed. "We're checking the information," he said. In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to Khalimov's location or arrest. Russia's SU warplanes dropped "bunker buster" bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. The Times reported in April that Khalimov, described as the highest-ranking IS commander in Mosul, had been killed in an airstrike. The trained sniper and former colonel, he was apparently wounded in 2015 but survived. He headed the Tajik interior ministry's special forces unit and received American training before joining IS in 2015, pledging allegiance to the jihadist group in a video released in May 2015. Story continues In the footage he warned that he and other IS recruits based in the Middle East were "coming" for top officials in the mainly Muslim Tajikistan, including long-ruling President Emomali Rakhmon. The high-profile defection rocked the country. Last year, his second wife, herself a former interior ministry official, fled Tajikistan with her three young children to join Khalimov in Syria. His eldest son, 18-year-old Bekhruz, also tried to join his father in Syria but was detained at the Dushanbe airport, and sentenced this summer to 10 years in prison. In July, police in Tajikistan killed four of Khalimov's relatives in a gun battle, an interior ministry source has said, and three other relatives were detained. The source claimed that all of those killed or detained were IS "supporters" and said they were intending to flee to neighbouring Afghanistan, but did not offer any proof to back up the claims. Caty Davis, Miss Tennessee, will compete in the Miss America competition on Sunday, with a platform inspired by her late father. (Photo: Courtesy of Miss America) When Caty Davis, Miss Tennessee, takes part in the 2018 Miss America competition on Sept. 10, shell be doing so for her dad a man who took his own life four years ago after a long battle with alcoholism and opioid addiction. I know Im honoring him today, being able to share the message that he tried to [share] for so, so long and just couldnt, unfortunately, Davis, 22, tells Yahoo Beauty. The disease was the problem. His intentions were good. Miss America is a platform competition, after all, and mixed in with a lineup of other important issues military families, mental illness, diabetes, disabilities, STEM for girls is Daviss passionate personalized platform: Attacking addiction: Prevention, recovery, and restoring families. Its the culmination of dealing with the effects of multigenerational addictions, including but not limited to her father, grandfather, uncle, and stepbrother, who took his own life five years ago, when he was just 23. Its an emotional ride a lot of the time, but its nothing that Im not capable of doing, Davis, of Knoxville, says about speaking so publicly about her pain. I think that what Ive been through, and the loss, technically allowed me to become stronger and handle things differently than others. But I think it has allowed me to heal too. By sharing my story, Im kind of sharing what I was ashamed of for a really long time, and it doesnt have power over me anymore. Story continues Davis adds that she is always very aware of her hereditary risk of addiction. Honestly, just knowing that Im predisposed to it has helped me make decisions in my life and even handle peer pressure very differently than my peers, she says. Davis first got involved with pageants when she was a teenager, joining local competitions as a way to showcase her singing talent. She won her first title as a junior in high school and moved into the Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant, placing second runner-up. Competing for the title of Miss America, she says, is an absolute dream come true. Miss Tennessee Caty Davis says her father passed on to her a love of music. (Photo: Courtesy of Miss America) Still, Davis is haunted with memories of the night, just after finishing her freshman year of college, when she learned her father had hanged himself in his garage and was found by her stepmother. There was an undercover-looking squad car in my driveway when I returned home from dinner, Davis shares with Yahoo Beauty. They were like, We have to alert you as the next of kin, and she repeated the story, and I had to specifically ask how he had taken his own life. Then we had to wait for my sister [in high school at the time] to come home and relay the message to her, going through it all again. It was just absolutely horrific. Her father had gone through rehab four times. I honestly knew he had taken a turn for the worse, she says. He had bounced back multiple times, hed gone to recovery and treatment centers before, so, this is horrible, but I was like, I hope he hits rock bottom and comes back up. And that didnt happen. Davis hadnt been in contact with her dad during her freshman year of college but had seen through someone elses Twitter feed that hed been arrested for public intoxication. I was so ashamed but so worried the whole time that I wasnt speaking to him, she shares. But he was such a charismatic and fantastic, full-of-heart guy. She didnt know much about her dads demons as a kid, as he did his best to protect Davis from them, she says. He saw his own father battle with addiction and alcoholism, and he died in a drunk driving accident when my dad was 14. I realize now that when he wasnt there he was protecting us. Unfortunately, to us, it just felt like he was choosing drugs or alcohol over us, Davis explains. I realized he had an addiction, and I was a very intuitive child. The first time he relapsed was when I was in sixth grade, and we were actually at Myrtle Beach by ourselves. That was the first time Id ever seen my dad like that. She says that competing in pageants was a way to make sense out of the chaos she grew up with. Im a perfectionist to the tee. And with the pageants, I feel like I have control over things things I couldnt control in my life, says Davis, who just received her degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee and hopes someday to work with kids and families who are struggling with addiction. I almost wanted to grab my dads attention, so pageants were a way. I know he is proud of me. The 2018 Miss America Competition airs Sunday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC. Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:15:08|Editor: Yurou Actress Peng Jing, actor Geng Le, actress Zhou Meijun, Director Vivian Qu, actress Shi Ke and actor Wang Yuexin (L-R) pose during a photocall for the movie "Angels wear white" at the 74th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Jin Yu) by Alessandra Cardone VENICE, Italy, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese movie "Angels wear white" premiered here at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday. Written and directed by Vivian Qu, the film this year represents China in the main section of Venice, which overall sees 21 movies contending for the Golden Lion major prize. Qu is the only female director among those in competition this year. Her new film tells of two young girls, living in a small Chinese southern coastal town, who are assaulted by a middle-aged man in a motel. "Angels wear white" ("Jia Nian Hua") is a drama showed through a double perspective: that of one of the victims -- 12-year-old Wen -- and that of a female witness -- Mia, a teenage receptionist working in the structure where the aggression occurs. However, theirs are not the only crucial female characters in the feature. "This is a story about women... about the choices that are allowed us, and the courage to make different ones. (It is) about the interchangeable roles of the victim and the bystander," the director wrote in the production's presentation. The film -- a Chinese-French co-production -- stars Wen Qi, Zhou Meijun, Shi Ke, Geng Le, Liu Weiwei, and Peng Jing. "While writing the script, I looked for a specific point of view, and I found the perspective of the observer (the witness)," Vivian Qu told Xinhua at a press conference on Thursday. "I thought my own perspective was not enough to imagine the view of the victim, because it was very intense... Here is how we came to this split structure," she added. The movie deals with a sensitive issue that is often addressed -- in China as in other parts of the world -- by cinema as well as by other arts, and would likely reach the Chinese audience, whose interest in movies is in rapid evolution, according to the author. "The taste of the Chinese audience is evolving and changing every year," Qu said. "Commercial movies have been very successful in recent years. Yet, after a while, monotony has had its effects, and there has been a breach towards diversification, which is providing support to other kinds of films, like ours," she said. This time, the Chinese director came back to Venice with "Angels wear white" after she brought her "Trap Street" (Shuiyin Jie) in 2013, which premiered at the International Critics' Week. Woman speaks candidly about why she wont let her child go to a school with any fat teachers. (Image via Shuttershock/Hilary Freeman Facebook) British journalist Hilary Freeman was searching for a nursery for her daughter but when an overweight caretaker tended to her child at one of the trials, she knew the school wasnt for her. Despite describing the woman as kind and great with children, Freeman couldnt fathom the idea of leaving her child in her care. She was only in her 20s, but she was already obese morbidly so. She moved slowly and breathlessly, her face flushed, Freeman wrote for the Daily Mail. Would she, I wondered, have the lightning reflexes needed to save an adventurous toddler from imminent danger? ALSO SEE: A Utah high school is fining students for being late Freeman later opted to send her daughter to a school where the staff are all a healthy weight yet she denies her decision was in any way discriminatory. What sort of unhealthy habits would she teach my daughter, who would be eating her lunch and tea there each day? she asks, reaching for justification. But readers arent buying it. The article, published Sept. 7, has received ongoing criticism on Twitter. Rolling my eyes so hard at Hilary Freemans nasty fat shaming article in the DM today. https://t.co/eMJwZhT348 Jenni Hill (@CantSwingACat) September 7, 2017 Cannot help but feel a tad sorry for her offspring! Ali (@Muggsy14) September 7, 2017 This is beyond parody Dont know whether to laugh or weep Craig McNeil (@CraigWMcNeil) September 7, 2017 Its not the first time the journalist has found herself at the centre of controversy, she also describes a Facebook discussion she joined to tell an overweight mother that nobody is born obese. Story continues With a habit of disguising her criticisms as concerns, it doesnt look like Freeman will be changing her tune anytime soon. ALSO SEE: Parents reportedly lose custody of their children due to low IQs Perhaps I feel so strongly about this because Im a slim person with a fat person inside, wanting to burst out., she explains. My body clings on to every calorie it can. A doctor told me evolution had ensured I would survive a famine not that useful for a 21st-century North London girl with a sedentary job. Could this be a case psychological projection? A misunderstood mom? Or plain old body shaming at its finest? Read the full article here and let us know what you think! Leave your comments below or tweet us @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. (Photo: Tevarak via Getty Images) MSG is one of the most notorious ingredients in the United States. The Japanese ingredient thats commonly used in Chinese restaurants stateside, has been blamed for making people feel ill with symptoms ranging from headaches to asthma. (This reaction came to be known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.) Many studies have been done to determine a relationship between the consumption of MSG and the symptoms that comprise the syndrome mentioned above, but they have failed to find a link. But thats not what were here to talk about today. Were here to get to the bottom of what this controversial ingredient actually is. What is MSG? MSG, which stands for monosodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is actually a common amino acid that occurs naturally in a range of foods like parmesan, tomatoes and dried mushrooms, and its what makes those foods taste so flavorful and good. Its also found human breast milk. At the turn of the 20th century, a Japanese scientist more on him later discovered a way to isolate that glutamic acid in food and stabilize it with salt. This allowed the glutamic acid to be turned into a crystal you can shake onto your food. MSG has an intense umami quality umami is essentially a savory flavor that doesnt fall into the salty, sweet, sour or bitter categories of taste. It is basically umami in crystalline form. A bottle of MSG, produced by Ahi-no-moto. (Photo: Aji-no-moto) How was it discovered? MSG was discovered by Kikunae Ikeda, a University of Tokyo chemistry professor, in 1908. Ikeda was interested in what made dashi, a seaweed broth common in Japanese cuisine, so tasty. Ikeda studied the broth and in 1907 successfully isolated the chemical that is responsible for its umami flavor, which is monosodium glutamate. He patented the method for extracting MSG and got into the market of selling MSG commercially. His brand, Aji-no-moto, is still popular today. Ikeda was also responsible for coining the word umami and its concept as a fifth taste. Story continues MSGs place in kitchens today Some of the best chefs today, running some of the best restaurants in the country, use MSG. In fact, Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago says its one of his top three kitchen staples. David Chang, chef of the Momofuku restaurants, not only uses it in his kitchens but devoted a whole 20-minute talk to the ingredient at the MAD Symposium, a conference focused on food topics held in Denmark. Many home chefs still stay away from the ingredient, often for fear of potential adverse effects, and also because with so many foods at their disposal that have the same umami effect like the aforementioned parmesan and dried mushrooms, they can get by without it. Related... So What Exactly Is Tapioca, Anyway? What Exactly IS Worcestershire Sauce, Anyway? 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Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Robert Mueller Special counsel Robert Mueller's team is interested in interviewing a small group of White House staffers who were on board Air Force One with President Donald Trump when he dictated Donald Trump Jr.'s initial statement about a meeting he had last June at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, CNN reported on Thursday. The development is the latest indication that Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia is ramping up, and that he's not only homing in on Trump Jr.'s meeting with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, but also on the president's involvement in the matter. Mueller considers some staffers who were with Trump on Air Force One to be witnesses, according to CNN. His team has not yet begun the interviews, and although the current list of people he wants to interview is limited to a small number of individuals, sources said the list will likely get longer. Mueller has not asked to interview Trump. Trump Jr.'s initial statement responding to the story about his Russia meeting, published in July month after The New York Times first reported that the meeting took place, said that he and Veselnitskaya "primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children" and that the subject of conversation was "not a campaign issue at the time." But that characterization evolved over the next few days, with Trump Jr. ultimately publishing his email correspondences with Goldstone, the British music publicist who organized the meeting. The email chain confirmed reports that Trump Jr. had agreed to the meeting after he was told Veselnitskaya was offering damaging information about then candidate Hillary Clinton. The meeting, Trump Jr. was told, was being arranged "as part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump," to which Trump Jr. replied, "I love it." In addition to Trump Jr. and Veselnitskaya, the meeting also included Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman; Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser; Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian lobbyist and former Soviet military intelligence officer; Anatoli Samachornov, a Russian translator; Rob Goldstone, a British music publicist who arranged the meeting at the request of Aras and Emin Agalarov, a wealthy Russian family; and Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze, a senior executive at the Agalarovs' real-estate company, Crocus Group, who attended the meeting as their representative. Story continues Trump's lawyers initially said he was not involved and did not know about the meeting. A few weeks later, however, The Washington Post reported that Trump had "dictated" Trump Jr.'s initial misleading statement about it. When news of the meeting broke, a group of Trump's advisers reportedly agreed that the White House should release a truthful statement that could not be repudiated if more details surfaced later. But Trump overruled the advisers and "personally dictated" the statement that was eventually published, according to The Post. The statement was then crafted aboard Air Force One as Trump returned from the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. 'The president's actions are under scrutiny' Donald Trump Jr. President Donald Trump Mueller's focus on Trump's role in crafting Trump Jr.'s statement about the meeting could suggest that the special counsel is looking into any "attempts to conceal what happened in that meeting," wrote former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti. "It also shows that he's interested in attempts to conceal or shape testimony. The President's actions are under scrutiny," he said. Indeed, NBC News reported last week that after Trump's involvement in drafting the initial statement emerged, prosecutors on Mueller's team were "keenly focused" on finding out what Trump knew about the meeting and whether he tried to conceal its purpose. A source familiar with Mueller's thinking told NBC News that investigators are looking into whether Trump made a "knowingly false statement" when he crafted his son's response to the Times' story. Mariotti noted that one possibility behind the special counsel's scrutiny is that legally, "helping to conceal a conspiracy is an act in furtherance of a conspiracy." "If you try to corruptly persuade a witness to testify falsely, that is a separate offense," he told Business Insider last week. But "even if Trump is not charged with a crime as a result of the statement, it could be useful to Mueller's team to show Trump's conduct to a jury that may be considering other charges," a source told NBC News. Establishing Trump's mindset when he dictated Trump Jr.'s statement could be critical to proving intent in an obstruction of justice case, which Mueller's team is also reportedly investigating Trump for. Obstruction of justice is broadly defined it involves any conduct in which a person willfully interferes with the administration of justice, and legal experts say Trump's decision to fire former FBI director James Comey, who was leading the bureau's investigation into the Trump campaign's Russia ties, could constitute obstruction of justice. Trump's statements don't individually rise to the level of obstruction of justice, said Jens David Ohlin, an associate dean at Cornell Law School who's an expert on criminal law. "The obstruction of justice would flow from the entire landscape of Trump's behavior: telling Comey to back off on the Flynn investigation, firing him when he wouldn't, and then admitting on national television that he dismissed Comey because of the Russia investigation," Ohlin told Business Insider in an earlier interview. He said that Trump's telling Russian officials in the Oval Office that Comey was "a real nut job" and that firing him had taken "great pressure" off of him added weight to the inference that Trump used his executive authority to fire Comey to stymie a federal investigation. NOW WATCH: The White House is undergoing renovations here's how it changed after a massive facelift in the 1950s More From Business Insider Tokyo (AFP) - Japan Wednesday again upgraded its estimated size of North Korea's latest nuclear test to a yield of around 160 kilotons -- more than ten times the size of the Hiroshima bomb. This marked Tokyo's second revision higher after previously giving estimates of 70 and 120 kilotons. Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that his ministry's upward revision to 160 kilotons was based on a revised magnitude by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO). "This is far more powerful than their nuclear tests in the past," Onodera told reporters. The US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945 carried a yield of 15 kilotons. Japan's latest estimate far exceeded the yield of between 50 and 100 kilotons indicated by UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman at the UN Security Council. Early Wednesday, Onodera held telephone talks with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and both agreed to step up "visible pressure" on North Korea, the ministry in Tokyo said. "North Korea's nuclear and missile development is at a new stage of grave and imminent threats," Onodera told Mattis, the ministry said, adding that his US counterpart shared the view. Pyongyang's Sunday test of what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile triggered global alarm and has divided the international community as it scrambles for a response. US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the UN Security Council that Washington would present a new sanctions resolution to be negotiated in the coming days, but Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday rejected US calls for more sanctions as "useless". Putin's comments appeared to have widened a split among major powers over how to rein in Pyongyang, pitting Moscow and Beijing against Washington and its allies. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to press Putin for his support over the North Korea's provocation, when the two leaders hold talks in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday. Story continues "We have to make North Korea change its current policy and understand that there is no bright future if North Korea continues the present policy," Abe told reporters ahead of his departure. Abe, who will separately hold talks with South Korea's leader Moon Jae-In in Vladivostok, said he wants to send a message to the North from his two talks with Putin and Moon. US President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he would allow Japan and South Korea to buy more "highly sophisticated" US military equipment. Pressed on this during a regular news conference, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment on the specific proposal, saying only that Tokyo would continue to purchase necessary equipment from the US and other countries. Outside the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit a few dozen protestors gathered as a three judge panel heard arguments on the halting of the immigration ban. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday that family members of those in the United States, including grandparents and children-in-law, are exempt from President Donald Trump's travel ban executive order. The court on Thursday disagreed with the government's argument that, under a June order from the U.S. Supreme Court, only parents and parents-in-law, spouses, children, siblings, engaged couples and step-relatives were exempt. The high court's order stayed lower courts' injunctions against the ban except with respect to people with close familial relationship[s] in the United States. The Ninth Circuit's opinion said the government unreasonably interpret[ed] the Supreme Court's reference to 'close familial relationship[s].' It is hard to see how a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sibling-in-law, or cousin can be considered to have no bona fide relationship with their relative in the United States, the decision said. Also at issue was whether formal assurances by some refugee resettlement agencies, in which they agree to work with certain refugees when they arrive in the United States, counts as a bona fide relationship. The court again sided with Hawaii, allowing those refugees to be exempt from the ban. Although the assurance is technically between the agency and the government, the government's intermediary function does not diminish the bona fide relationship between the resettlement agency and the specific refugee covered by the assurance, the decision said. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the government will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch's duty to protect the nation, she said in an email. Story continues The decision said the court will enter its mandate solidifying the decision in five days, instead of the typical 52, due to the dire situation facing most refugees. Refugees' lives remain in vulnerable limbo during the pendency of the Supreme Court's stay, the decision said. Refugees have only a narrow window of time to complete their travel, as certain security and medical checks expire and must then be reinitiated. Even short delays may prolong a refugee's admittance. The judges, Ronald Gould, Richard Paez and Michael Daly Hawkins, are the same three who ruled in June that Trump did not have the authority to issue the travel ban order in the first place. Hawaii was represented by a team of lawyers from Hogan Lovells, led by partner Neal Katyal and argued by associate Colleen Roh Sinzdak. Hashim M. Mooppan represented the government. The government had argued certain provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act indicated that in the immigration context, a close-familial relationship only applied to parents and parents-in-law, spouses, children, siblings, engaged couples and step-relatives. The decision, however, said there was no support for the proposition that the Supreme Court's order was informed by the INA, and that even so, the government cherry-picked provisions from the INA to fit its argument. The government's decision to rely on the cited specific provisions of the INA is troubling because other provisions of the INA (and other immigration laws) offer broader definitions, the court wrote. With respect to refugees, the government contended that formal assurances could not constitute a bona fide relationship with the United States because the assurances are agreements between the State Department and refugee resettlement agencies. The high court said a bona fide relationship is one that is formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course rather than to evade the executive order. The decision noted the various security screenings and legal hurdles refugees must clear before a formal assurance can be issued, and the money and effort resettlement agencies expend to serve refugees. This advance preparation and expenditure of resources supports the district court's determination that a bona fide relationship with the refugee exists, the decision said. Though the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the general legality of the travel ban in October, Thursday's Ninth Circuit decision is the result of an appeal by the state of Hawaii. The state asked U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson of the District of Hawaii to clarify the Supreme Court's order. He declined at first, on the grounds that he didn't have the authority to clarify a Supreme Court order. Later, when the challenge was posed differently, Watson agreed and expanded the exemption to include grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and brothers- and sisters-in-law. Related Articles: Contact Cogan Schneier at cschneier@alm.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CoganSchneier More than three decades ago, North Korea agreed to foreswear nuclear weapons and join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Russia had pressured the reclusive state to come clean when it only possessed the ingredients for a handful of bombs and short-range missiles. For a time in the 1990s, the United States successfully persuaded North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons program before it actually assembled a device. All that is in the distant past. North Korea now claims that it can put hydrogen bombs with adjustable yields atop intercontinental-range ballistic missiles targeted at American territory. North Koreas transformation from nuclear teetotaler to outright nuclear addict has been frustrating and astounding. But its not yet time to panic. Despite provocative photos of a warhead being inserted into an ICBM, North Korea cannot yet hit the United States with nuclear-tipped missiles. Before that, North Korea will need to iron out range and payload tradeoffs for its long-range missiles, as well as some kinks in reentry vehicle survival observed in the most recent tests. Integrating the warhead with the missile and establishing command and control procedures and technologies will also be necessary and will take time. And how many missiles does North Korea really need to accomplish its goals? No one really knows. Theres still a lot to worry about. Since it began testing in 2006, North Korea has found a way to substantially increase the yield of its devices. Early estimates peg Sundays test anywhere between 50 kilotons and 140 kilotons of TNT, based on a seismic reading of 6.3 on the Richter scale. This is four to six times larger than the 15-25 kiloton test of September 2016. Previous tests had much lower yields, and the first one in 2006 was widely considered to be a failure. According to North Korea, the latest test was an advanced weapon designa true two-stage (fission triggering fusion) thermonuclear weapon (a hydrogen bomb) with adjustable yield. There is no way to confirm this claim unless atmospheric sampling detects certain noble gases (for example, xenon) that are associated with the detonation of a thermonuclear device. A breach in the containment of the underground test site could provide helpful data in the next few weeks. Story continues This is not the first time North Korea has claimed it could produce a hydrogen bomb. The regime has an incentive to exaggerate its capabilities to get the United States to back down from supporting South Korea. Absent some quick and effective diplomacy, however, it is only a matter of time before North Korea is able to translate these advances into strategic goals. A more efficient, compact design would reduce the weight and accuracy demands on the long-range ballistic missiles that would carry them. More powerful warheads can take out targets even if the missiles miss their mark. One has only to look at the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to understand that even small nuclear weapons wreak unacceptable destruction. Still, the United States has lived with the threat of thousands of Soviet nuclear weapons targeted at cities and military installations for decades. The difference here is in perception: If one believes, as U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster apparently does, that North Korea cannot be deterred from using such weapons, then any advances that enable North Korea to lob a nuclear-armed missile at the United States are frightening indeed. There is a good chance that North Korea can in fact be deterred. Kim Jong-un may be brutal, but he seems to be rational. Why would he want to ruin his regime with a nuclear war? There is no indication that he thinks he can win a nuclear war with the United Stateshe cant fail to recognize the many thousands of nuclear weapons the United States still has. That said, putting faith in nuclear deterrence is a risky business. The United States managed to avoid stumbling across the nuclear threshold with the Soviets, but there were close calls. There is every reason to want to avoid negotiating those shoals with North Korea. As North Koreas nuclear arsenal grows in credibility with each nuclear weapon and missile test, the available options for the United States dont change much. Military options to take out North Koreas arsenal are as bad now as they were before. There may be greater willingness to impose hard-hitting sanctions like cutting off oil, but the wide array of current sanctions is already not being faithfully implemented. North Koreas nuclear trajectory has been frustrating and astounding exactly because the North seems impervious to the demands of the most powerful countries in the world. A few months ago, Tillerson declared that the United States does not seek regime change or collapse, military operations in North Korea, or a hastened reunification of the two Koreas. Just how this fits in with the stated Trump policy of maximum pressure and engagement with the North Koreans remains to be seen. We know what maximum pressure would be. Now its time to see what engagement can do. Sharon Squassoni is senior fellow and director of the Proliferation Prevention Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Seoul (AFP) - Top of the list for new sanctions on North Korea after its sixth nuclear test is an oil embargo, which analysts say would have a crippling effect on the wider economy -- but might do little to curb its weapons programmes. And whether Pyongyang's key ally China would ever be willing to back such a move at the United Nations Security Council -- where it is a veto-wielding permanent member -- let alone enforce it, is also in doubt. North Korea has little oil of its own and relies on fuel imports to keep its citizens and soldiers moving. China is by far its biggest trading partner, responsible for around 90 percent of its commerce. But Chinese Customs have not reported figures for crude oil exports to the North since 2014, shrouding the situation in secrecy. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says estimates suggest Pyongyang imports about 10,000 barrels of crude oil a day, almost all of it from China and going to its sole functioning refinery, the Ponghwa Chemical Factory. At a world market price of $50 a barrel, that would be worth around $180 million a year. In addition, according to figures from the International Trade Centre, a joint World Trade Organisation-United Nations agency, the North imported $115 million-worth of refined oil products -- which could include petrol and aircraft fuel -- from China last year. Another $1.7 million-worth came from Russia. A ban on supplies would be devastating for ordinary North Koreans, the Nautilus Institute think tank said in a report. "People will be forced to walk or not move at all, and to push buses instead of riding in them," said the document by Peter Hayes and David von Hippel. "There will be less light in households due to less kerosene." The ban will lead to "more deforestation", they warned, as North Koreans will be forced to cut down trees to produce charcoal, leading to "more erosion, floods and more famine" in the already impoverished country. Story continues But Pyongyang, which embraces a "Songun" or "military-first" would immediately restrict supplies to private citizens, they said, and a ban would have "little or no immediate impact" on the North's army or its missile and nuclear programmes. The military, which uses about a third of North Korea's oil supplies, has stockpiles for at least "a year of routine, non-wartime usage", they said, and could fight for about a month before running out of fuel. Oh Joon, a former South Korean ambassador to the United Nations, told AFP that a suspension of oil imports would be "fatal" to the North. "But it won't be easy to get China to agree" to such a move, he added. - Lips and teeth - At the United Nations, diplomats say the US wants to target oil, tourism and North Korean labourers sent abroad in a new set of Security Council sanctions -- which would be the eighth imposed on the country. South Korean President Moon Jae-In has called for an oil ban to be seriously considered, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also backed stronger measures. China is yet to be drawn, and Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed further measures as "useless", while warning of the risk of "global catastrophe". Beijing fears a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang that could send refugees fleeing over its border, and -- worse -- see US troops stationed on its frontier in a unified Korea. "If oil is cut off, that risks the regime falling," said Jean-Vincent Brisset, a researcher at the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs in Paris. The relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang was forged in the blood of the Korean War, when Mao Zedong sent millions of "volunteers" to fight US-led United Nations forces to a standstill. Mao described them as close as "lips and teeth", and China has long been accused of failing to enforce sanctions even after voting for them at the UN. But Beijing has become increasingly exasperated with its neighbour. Former South Korean vice foreign minister Kim Sung-han said: "Regime collapse means China will lose all its strategic interests in having North Korea as a buffer state." The only way to persuade Beijing to embrace and enforce an oil ban would be if its own interests were threatened, such as by US secondary sanctions targeting its banks and businesses, he said. "China will only consider it if it's pushed to a dead-end by the US." That would infuriate Pyongyang, said Wang Dong of the School of International Studies at Peking University. "If China cuts the supplies, North Korea may show very fierce resistance," he said. "The situation on the peninsula would also deteriorate sharply." President Donald Trump listens as Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House: AP Donald Trump has said a US military strike against North Korea would be a very sad day for Kim Jong-uns regime, but said that such action was not inevitable. Tensions and the strength of the rhetoric between the two countries have flared over the past few months, with North Korea continuing to ramp up its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme despite international condemnation. The isolated country conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test last weekend, demonstrating the regime is closer to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the US mainland. Washington continues to seek a way to rein in North Korea, but there is concern that the regime might not be able to be deterred. Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable, Mr Trump said during a news conference with the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, where he also said he would be willing to step in to mediate the dispute between US-allied Gulf Arab states and Qatar. On North Korea Mr Trump said: I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen... Our military has never been stronger, boasting of the US's increase in military spending since he took office in January. Each day, new equipment is delivered, new and beautiful equipment, the best in the world, the best anywhere in the world by far, he told reporters. Hopefully, we're not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea. When asked if he would tolerate a nuclear armed but contained and deterred North Korea, the President refused to give a definitive answer. I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations, Mr Trump said. I don't talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea's behaving badly, and it's got to stop. A senior Trump administration official said that there was a grave risk that North Korea might miscalculate the US response to its behaviour and warned Pyongyang not to underestimate American will to protect ourselves and our allies. Story continues Before a meeting with the Moroccan Foreign Minister earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was asked if he had any response to North Koreas latest nuclear test. Oh, well have one, Mr Tillerson responded, but offered little clarification. While Mr Trump talked tough on North Korea, China agreed on Thursday that the United Nations should take more action against Pyongyang as the US has been urging but also kept pushing for dialogue to help resolve the standoff. Any new actions taken by the international community against the DPRK should serve the purpose of curbing the DPRK's nuclear and missile programmes, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea said it would respond to any new UN sanctions and US pressure with powerful counter measures, accusing the US of aiming for war. The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and to subject Mr Kim Jong-Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution leaked ahead of a possible vote next Monday. At his press conference with the Kuwaiti Emit, Mr Trump also offered to personally mediate a dispute between Qatar and other Arab countries. In June, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies launched a coordinated diplomatic and economic campaign to isolate Qatar, which they accuse of backing extremist groups. Mr Trump later seemed to escalate the row, also claiming that Qatar supported terrorism and said the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding. Mr Trump had met Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia in May, during his first trip abroad as president, when they urged him to challenge Qatar. While I do appreciate and respect the mediation, I would be willing to be the mediator, Mr Trump said alongside Sheikh Sabah. I was telling the emir before that if I can help between UAE and Saudi Arabia if I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so. Mr Trump noted that he spoke to King Salman of Saudi Arabia by phone on Wednesday, describing their relationship as very great and calling him a friend of mine. I think youd have a deal worked out very quickly. I think its something thats going to get solved fairly easily, Mr Trump said. Kuwait has been really the leader of getting it solved, and we appreciate that very much. But I do believe that well solve it. If we dont solve it, I will be a mediator right here in the White House. Well come together very quickly. I think well have something solved. The Qatari government has denied it supports terrorist groups, and Saudi Arabia itself has been accused of underwriting extremists. Students fill their lunch trays at J.F.K Elementary School in Kingston, N.Y., where all meals are now free. When adults look back on school lunches, its typically filled with memories of chicken finger Thursdays and grouchy lunch ladies. But for millions of families around the nation it means another annual expense. And for kids it can be a stressful and intimidating experience. Taking this into consideration, New York City announced on Sept. 6 that school lunch will now be provided at no cost to public school students. Effective immediately, 1.1 million children in New York will enjoy carrot sticks, pizza, and boxed milk for free. (The city has offered free breakfast to all students since 2003.) For some, school lunch in New York used to cost $1.75 a day, meaning that families had to pay $300 a year per child. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a USDA federally assisted meal program, will fund free school lunches for all students in the city. CEP allows schools in low income areas to provide meals and get reimbursed for the cost. Previously, many families struggled to pay daily lunch fees because they werent eligible for food assistance based on their household income, said Liz Accles, Executive Director at Community Food Advocates in New York. The new mandate will offer financial relief to families struggling to make ends meet. Food insecurity has been a big issue in New York City, with 75% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Even so, a good chunk of those students didnt take advantage of the program. Some missed the opportunity because parents neglected to fill out paperwork, while others opted out because of what many call lunch shaming or when students are teased for being unable to pay their lunch bill. About 250,000 eligible students werent participating, said Accles. And that happens as kids get older and become more aware of social pressures and income issues. Eliminating lunch shame School lunch at a New York City elementary school. You might assume that most families can afford to pay for lunch, but thats not entirely true. In fact, according to the USDA, school cafeterias served almost 5 billion lunches in 2014, over two-thirds of which were free or at a reduced price. In 2014, The National School Lunch Program provided low-cost or free lunches to more than 30.3 million children a day in the U.S, costing nearly $12.6 billion. Story continues Even so, the stigma still exists, and school districts around the country have struggled with how to address the issue of feeding students while reducing the occurrence of shaming kids because their parents cant pay. In June 2016, a child in Alabama was sent home with a stamp reading I need lunch money. The boys father said that his son was branded, and urged the school to adopt other tactics to inform parents of a low lunch account balance. When you start stamping a message on a childs body instead of calling its not okay, he told Alabama.com. There have also been documented cases of schools pulling trays away from students, or making them eat cheese sandwiches if their parents forgot to pay. Stories like this, and his personal experiences, inspired New Mexico state Sen. Michael Padilla to take action against lunch shaming. Padilla grew up in the foster care system and would mop cafeteria floors to earn school lunch. He remembers the shame he felt, so earlier this year he introduced the Hungry-Free Students Bill of Rights Act, which Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico signed into law April 2016. The law provides rules for getting students enrolled in free lunch programs, but also features a section about anti-stigmatization. According to the bill, schools are prohibited from publicly identifying students who cant pay for a meal, which means tactics like stamping a childs arm or making a child wear a wristband are out of the question. Schools in New Mexico are also prohibited from making students complete work or other duties to pay for their meal. And lastly, all conversations about meal debt and payment are to be directed at parents and not the student. For Padilla, this bill helps to shed light on lunch shaming and puts the focus back on what matters: the childs well-being rather than the debt itself, he told NPR. Other cities providing free lunch Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Bostons Roxbury neighborhood pick up free lunches. New York is not the first city to provide free public school lunches. In 2013, Boston Public Schools (BPS) started providing free breakfast and lunch. The cost of lunch was $2.25 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and high school students, so families ended up saving $405 to $455 per child every year. Since then, BPS has continued to focus on the nutrition of its 57,000 students. Taking it a step further, BPS signed a contract with Revolution Foods in July to be the districts breakfast and lunch provider through 2020 to provide healthy free food. Revolution Foods uses fresh local and regional produce, avoids preservatives, prohibits the use of high fructose corn syrup, and bans trans fat. Their meals are fresh, which means that only 1% of the BPS food inventory will be frozen. Detroit started offering free lunch to students in 2011, Dallas started in 2013, and there are currently 700 schools in Georgia, including 60 in Atlanta, that offer free meals to all students. Last month, Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of Texas, causing extensive flooding and widespread damage. In response, The Houston Independent School District announced that they will provide public school students with three free meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) a day for the upcoming school year which begins on Sept. 12. The reality for many children is that meals they eat at school may be the only ones they get. For Accles, this is what makes the free lunch program a crucial piece of education. If you want kids to thrive in school, if you want to address education inequality, you must make sure kids have access to food during the day, she told Yahoo Finance. If you can do this in New York City given the scale and size, you can do it anywhere. Sound off: Do you think schools should provide free lunches? Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:45:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MADRID, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Constitutional Court on Thursday evening suspended the law on the referendum of Spain's eastern region of Catalonia. The bid had been passed on Wednesday at the region's parliament in Barcelona and the Spanish government asked the Constitutional Court on Thursday to suspend it along with other measures linked to the referendum, which is planned to be held on Oct., 1. The Court has also decided to warn the 947 local governments in Catalonia and 62 officials of the regional government of Catalonia as they must not take part in the organization of the referendum. Spain's Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said earlier that there would not be a referendum on self-determination in Catalonia, while Spain's Chief State Prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, said Catalan leaders could be charge with disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement. On Thursday evening the Catalan parliament, where pro-referendum parties have majority of seats, discuss another law that would be implemented in case "Yes" wins on the referendum. A symbolic poll on independence had been held in 2015 when around 2.2 million people voted and 80 percent of them backed independence. The Spanish government has always refused to allow a referendum as, according to them, it breaches Spain's constitution. There's a little something for everyone in Kate Spade's Spring/Summer 2018 collection: Romantic florals, structured suits and -- of course -- plenty of pink. Inspired largely by the playful, romantic spirit of New Orleans, the collection is appropriately whimsical while still day-to-day wearable. Standout looks include a dusty pink dress with black tulle detail and two picnic-perfect ensembles in a muted grid print. This season marks the brand's 25th birthday, and in celebration, it's bringing back the original Sam bag, a bold box shape first introduced in 1993 -- years before current President and Chief Creative Officer Deborah Lloyd would join the iconic label. "My first Fashion Week was in Milan, many years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago," Lloyd told AOL ahead of Kate Spade's presentation. "It was my first job. I remember going in and seeing some of the collection I'd worked on on the Milan catwalk, and it was the most exciting thing in the world. I was like, 'I've made it!' Now, I look back and I'm like, no, I was right at the beginning of my journey." Deborah Lloyd at Kate Spade's 2018 Spring/Summer Presentation Getty Lloyd, an England native, now lives here in New York. We asked her to answer a few rapid-fire questions backstage as the Kate Spade models prepared to make their debut. One time you wore heels but you wish you wore flats: "Every day, running around New York." Most beautiful spot in Manhattan: "Flower District." One thing London does better than New York: "The food. Sorry!" Favorite movie character: "Audrey Hepburn in 'My Fair Lady.'" One trend you regret wearing: "I try to avoid trends." A woman you look up to: "Oh, so many. I wouldn't know where to start." Best compliment you can receive: "'You're looking so happy.'" How you'll celebrate after NYFW wraps: "A glass of champagne and a plate of oysters!" For every designer included at the Latin Curated pop-up shop, there are infinite stories to tell. Take Caralarga, a Mexican workshop that seeks to create authentic, handmade jewelry. Or even Flor Amazona, a company that works directly with the indigenous people of the Kamcha community on a "spiritual journey." Latin Curated is helping these Latin American designers emerge in the global fashion world -- necessary, as many times, these overlooked designers have trouble breaking in on their own. It's been difficult for these talents to "crack" the American and European market -- but that will change. "Historically it has been very difficult for Latin American designers to reach a global audience. There was a lack of platform or format for Latin American designers to tap into the global market, it was too difficult and too expensive to breakthrough on their own. But now, with Latin Curated, we are joining together to create a system that supports our most talented designers and celebrates our unique design process and point of view," said Creative Director of Latin Curated Lorena Cuevas. This is Latin Curated's inaugural year at New York Fashion Week. The pop up, located in New York City's fashion-forward SOHO, features over 40 designers and showcases everything from jewelry to handbags, dresses to coats, gowns to swimwear. The curation includes already established labels, like Olga Piedrahita, to emerging creatives -- all of whom began their work somewhere in Latin America. Inside the pop pup: Marie Claire's Nina Garcia echoes Cueva's statement. "When I visited Colombia last time I was there, I visited Bogota Fashion Week...and I was kind of really impressed with all the emerging talent that was happening. These are young designers that maybe have second or third collections. Then they approached me with a thought of maybe bringing a collective number of designers here to New York Fashion Week," said Garcia, an ambassador to the project. Story continues She expressed her support and desire for involvement -- and the project came together. "I believe right now is the time for designers and the right time for the market," she maintained. For Colombian-born Garcia, there's a certain responsibility to help guide these designers. "I am originally from Colombia and I travel to South America quite often. I really stayed in touch with the design industry down there, and I've seen its incredible growth. I've seen firsthand how Colombian designers are making light waves internationally right now." The designers, many of whom hail from Colombia, are selected by a prestigious panel. In collaborating with powerhouses Lambert & Associates and KCD, Latin Curated hopes to shed light on these incredible artists. So much can be done, especially in today's climate. "I think that the fashion industry has always been very conscious about issues. And now more than ever, we have the responsibility to speak out, to make a difference, to not let borders or walls or any of that sort of rhetoric impede us from growing culturally," Garcia maintains. Although the pop up is open until the end of September, Latin Curated hopes to cement themselves "onto the global fashion stage." After New York Fashion Week, the team will venture to Milan, London, Paris and Asia to broadcast their message. "There's a lot that can be done through fashion -- it has been done in the past and will continue to do that. I hope that as an industry we can rally behind more than just politics." The Latin Curated retail pop up is open to the public through September 30th at 138 Wooster Street. Related: Famous faces at NYFW Uniforms are for students and the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. Not pop stars turned fashion designers. Or are they? Victoria Beckham is making uniforms good by wearing one outfit over and over again: a white T-shirt with flared pants. All of a sudden, uniforms dont sound so bad. NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 08: Victoria Beckham comes out of her hotel on September 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo: Getty Images) On Friday, the mum of four was seen in a loose plain white crew neck tee tucked into wide leg black trousers. She drove the look home with flat (yes, you read that right) black gladiator sandals. She wore her favorite black flat top shades. The look is very much menswear, which is on trend, thanks to the oversized shape of her clothing. Its also very New York simple yet sophisticated, and mostly black. That could be the reason she wore a seriously similar outfit out in Manhattan just the day before. NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 07: Victoria Beckham leaves her hotel on September 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Pierre Suu/GC Images) On Thursday, she left her hotel in what looked like the exact same T-shirt (noit couldnt be!) and dark wide leg jeans. She wore the same shades and the same hairstyle. NEW YORK, NY AUGUST 29: Victoria Beckham out and about in a white shirt and baby blue trousers in New York. (Photo by Jackson Lee/WireImage) Headed to the U.S. Open last week, Beckham soaked in the last days of summer in a similar ensemble, except the trousers were sky blue. She wore white shoes with that look. But otherwise same sunnies and hairstyle. While it appears that Beckham has more of a style guide as opposed to a uniform, it turns out she actually stepped out in basically the same outfit from Friday just months before. In Los Angeles in April, she traded the simple white tee for a branded Supreme shirt and her hair was down. LOS ANGELES, CA APRIL 17: Victoria Beckham is seen at LAX on April 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Getty Images) She wore that very outfit again in California in March, this time the T-shirt read, Fashion Stole My Smile. Victoria Beckham wearing a Fashion Stole My Smile T-shirt. (Photo: WENN) Or maybe fashion just stole her desire to keep on dreaming up a new outfit every single day. Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. By Keith Coffman (Reuters) - A gunman who fatally shot nine people at an Oregon college in 2015 wrote of his demonic views and how he shared a bond with other mass killers, documents released by authorities showed on Friday. The self-titled "My Manifesto" by shooter Christopher Harper-Mercer was among documents released by police and prosecutors following a lengthy investigation into the October 2015 mass shooting at Umpqua Community College near the town of Roseburg. Armed with five handguns and a rifle, Harper-Mercer, 26, stormed into his writing class, killing his professor and eight students, and wounding eight others before being wounded by police. He then killed himself. U.S. President Barack Obama at the time spoke forcefully for stricter gun control measures after the massacre, the bloodiest in modern Oregon history. No criminal charges would be filed in the case, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin and District Attorney Rick Wesenberg said in a joint statement on Friday. "All investigative indications are that the shooter acted alone in this incident," they said. "The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement officers when confronted." In the rambling, six-page manifesto that was found on a thumb-drive, Harper-Mercer wrote of his social isolation which forced him to "align with demonic forces." "I had no friends, no girlfriend, was all alone," he wrote. "I had no job, no life, no successes." He also described the affinity he had with other serial and mass killers, including Ted Bundy and the school shooters at Columbine High School in Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. He urged others who have been rejected by society to "give in to your darkest impulses." Among the documents released were statements and recordings of police interviews with witnesses, who described the chaotic scene once the gunfire erupted. Story continues Jilliane Michell, an instructor at the college, said she was "terrified" when she heard a volley of gunfire after she left the classroom to use the bathroom. "I just felt I couldn't leave the bathroom or I would get shot," she told detectives. Michell asked a detective if it was "cowardice" for her to hide during the shooting. "I don't think you're a coward by any means," the detective said. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall Fraser in Starzs Outlander. (Photo: Starz) Sound the pipes and drums, you saucy sassenachs! Starzs Outlander is back after an extended two-year hiatus that had fans of the epic time-travel romance reduced to tweeting about how sad they were about the #droughtlander. Season 3, which begins Sept. 10, ends the drought, but it wont stop fans yearning, at least not straightaway: Season 2, youll recall, ended with a pregnant Claire (Caitriona Balfe) hightailing it to the future as her hunky highlander, Jamie (Sam Heughan), headed grimly toward the Battle of Culloden. Which means that the question hanging over Season 3 is this: When will #Clamie (you can have that one) be reunited? Its one of the big, pivotal moments of the new season, says Balfe, speaking on set in Cumbernauld, Scotland. But youre just going to have to wait Im not allowed to say when this season she goes back. If that sounds like a spoiler you mean Balfe is confirming that Claire and Jamie will be together once more? its not. Its when, not if, because Outlander has always cleaved close to Diana Gabaldons bestselling source novels, and fans of the books will know from the third installment, Voyager, that a tryst in a certain print shop is coming. (Mores the point, theres only so long that a hit show can park the bodice-busting romance that made it a hit in the first place.) But writer and co-exec producer Matt Roberts says that when to bring the nurse from the 1940s and her lover from the 18th century back together caused the Outlander writers room problems and that was one reason, in fact, for the droughtlander. We went round and round deciding what to do, he says. Because we always want to surprise our audience, whether you read the books or you didnt. Having Claire be separated from Jamie was the biggest struggle do you get them back together right away and then show what it was like? Or do you keep them apart? How long do you keep them apart? We decided to show their lives separate for a while. Story continues And so the new season begins with Claire back in the 20th century with her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies) in Boston. Its 1949; Franks taken a job at Harvard and Claire is heavily pregnant with Jamies child. Its quite a difficult time for both of them, says Balfe, laughing at the understatement. Theyve made this promise to each other that theyre going to try and forge a new life together but obviously its not as easy as that. Menzies describes the next phase of their marriage as all a bit Revolutionary Road. Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall Fraser and Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall in Starzs Outlander. (Photo: Starz) Its not an entirely happy return, he continues. Definitely we find them struggling to make a new life together, to rebuild things, despite the commitment they made to each other. I think thats temporarily relieved by the arrival of Brianna. But yeah, its a series of false dawns really. And ultimately the painful truth beneath it all is that Claire does not love Frank like she used to. Theres no getting away from that. Hopefully, if weve got it right, youll see a relationship heavy with regret and sadness, two well-intentioned people failing to reach each other. If Claire and Frank have the blues, thats nothing compared with Jamie, whose world and purpose has more or less collapsed into a slough of despond. We join Jamie almost directly after having lost Claire, says Heughan. Hes got one mission, one purpose now, and thats pretty much to go and see fate through to the end which is to go to battle and die with his men. Hes come to terms with that, as we saw at the end of Season 2, because at least Claire is safe, as is his unborn child. But when he survives the battle, thats when everything that he believes and everything that hes planned for is thrown into the air. A tour of the Outlander set reveals a dank cave mocked up out of polystyrene, with a few empty bottles and a stained straw mattress. The set representing the cave that Jamie hides in after escaping death at the Battle of Culloden looks pretty much like the kind of hole that the peeved Highlander might take himself off to now that his life has fallen apart. I think its fair to say we see a more dark Jamie this season, says Heughan. He definitely loses his identity. Hes trying not to be himself. Then he takes time rediscovering what hes living for and why hes surviving. And also coming to terms with the fact that Claire is gone. Its a long journey, and it takes some time for him to recover. We know from the timeline that it will be a 20-year wait before the lovers get back together. Its fair to say that those 20 years wont be filled with sweetness and light. In Claires case, theyre filled with research, says Balfe with a laugh. Once she finds out that Jamie is still alive in the correlatory time in the past, that he survived Culloden, theres a while where theyre trying to investigate how far past Culloden did he live and where would he be if he was still alive. I think that gives her enough confidence to realize that she could probably go back and find him. And we all know that she does. Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser and Romann Berrux as Fergus in Starzs Outlander. (Photo: Starz) Jamie, meanwhile, moping in his man cave, will struggle to become whole again or at least fill the void that Claire and his unborn child left, according to Matt Roberts. No female fan whos seen Sam Heughan in a torn shirt and a kilt will be surprised that there might be other women. Some surprise characters come back is all Roberts will say. And we will show Jamies plight. And even once they do reunite, says Balfe, it wont all be smooth sailing (with the Skye Boat Song on endless repeat.) Try and imagine all of the expectations that one would have after 20 years apart. Heres somebody that shes had on a pedestal for so long. Whats going to be really interesting is how do these two people whove revered each other for so long in a dreamlike sense, how do they get to know each other in reality? How do they fall in love again with the new people that they are? Especially as he wont have had a bath for 20 years In Season 3, expect more bouncing back and forth between timelines than ever. Balfe says that she enjoys the time-traveling element of her work, playing her character both young and old, one scene in a corset, the next sporting a beehive. Its a great acting challenge. Its another interesting thing to try out its not often you get to have these experiences in your job. Usually you get one character and you get to play that character as it is, but with Claire I get to play her at very different points in her life and time periods. All of that keeps it fresh for me and Im not scared about age. But like the fans, she is looking forward to going back to the 18th century because whereas Boston is a combination of a soundstage and a backstreet in Glasgow, the highland scenes are the real thing, filmed on location. There was a day last season filming some pre-battle stuff, she says, and we were out on this fabulous hillside. They had all of these tents in these fields, and Sam and I were on our horses, and there were probably 300 extras trailing behind us. The Scottish landscape is so majestic anyway, but that day the sun was out and we were just blown away. You do feel part of something really epic at times like that. Season 3 of Outlander premieres Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. on Starz. Read more from Yahoo TV: A New York-based billionaire businessman who has made accusations of corruption against top Chinese officials has applied for political asylum in the U.S. Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Kwok, is currently on a tourist visa that expires this year, reports the New York Times. The real estate tycoon is seeking protection as his public tirades against the upper echelons of Beijing society has turned him into a political opponent of the Chinese regime, his lawyer Thomas Ragaland told the Times. His application for asylum precedes a key congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, scheduled for October. Last month, Chinese authorities said they were investigating Guo over an allegation of rape. The Chinese government has requested an Interpol arrest notice for the billionaire. In recent months, Guo has unleashed a social media campaign, disclosing on Twitter and YouTube what he said is classified information about the crossover of family wealth and political power among Party elites, to Chinese authorities chagrin. One of his frequent targets is Wang Qishan, the countrys top corruption czar, whom Guo alleges to be involved in corrupt business dealings. According to the Associated Press, Guo is being investigating in China for at least 19 crimes, include bribing a top Chinese intelligence official, kidnapping, fraud and money laundering. He is also being sued for defamation in U.S. courts by several Chinese companies and individuals. [NYT] CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Shots were fired on Friday at a Columbus, Ohio, school, prompting a brief lockdown before an 18-year-old student was calmed down by a staff member and arrested by police without injuring anyone, police said. Adan Abdullahi was taken into custody and charged with improperly discharging a firearm in a school safety zone, a second degree felony, the Columbus Division of Police said in a statement. Other charges could be forthcoming, it added. Columbus police Chief Kim Jacobs said in the statement that officers had done a superb job of rapidly responding and securing the scene, "as well as getting students out of harm's way and the suspect quickly into custody." A gun was recovered at the scene, police said, and the investigation was continuing. The school teaches grades six through twelve. (Reporting by Kim Palmer; Additional reporting and writing by Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Andrew Hay) By Philip Pullella and Helen Murphy BOGOTA (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday urged Colombians to shun vengeance after a bloody 50-year civil war but said leaders had to enact laws to end the "darkness" of injustice and social inequality that breeds violence. At the last event of a packed day, the Argentine pontiff said Mass for a crowd estimated by Colombian authorities at just over a million people in Bogota's sprawling Simon Bolivar Park. Under a light drizzle, he ended the day as he had begun it, urging Colombians in his homily to put their differences behind them and beware "the darkness of thirst for vengeance". Hours earlier, at the start of his first full day in the country, he had told government leaders in the courtyard of the presidential palace that all Colombians should see peace as a long-term commitment and not allow it to be weakened by partisan politics. Colombians are deeply polarized as they prepare to receive 7,000 former fighters of the FARC guerrilla group into society and aim to repair divisions after a war that killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions over five decades. Many Colombians are furious that under the 2016 peace deal, FARC leaders accused of kidnapping and murder will avoid jail and may receive seats in congress as members of a political party. President Juan Manuel Santos, who attended both events and is the architect of the peace accord, has an approval rating of about 24 percent. In both speeches, Francis denounced the social inequality that still plagues Colombia, which has extreme poverty in some rural areas. At the morning event, he told leaders that "just laws" were needed to "resolve the structural causes of poverty that lead to exclusion and violence", calling social inequality "the root of social ills." 'THICK DARKNESS' In the evening the leader of the world's Roman Catholics told Colombians huddled on wet fields: "Here, as in other places, there is a thick darkness which threatens and destroys life - the darkness of injustice and social inequality." As part of the peace agreement, the government agreed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to distribute more land to poor rural communities and to invest and bring development to war-torn areas. The FARC, which began as a peasant revolt in 1964, has also pledged to help subsistence farmers switch from illegal crops like coca, the raw material that makes cocaine, to food. "We want to hear the message of love and peace, so that we open our hearts and leave hatred behind," said 54-year-old William Soacha, a clothes salesman, waiting with his family under the rain for the pope's Mass to begin. The 80-year-old pope, who showed signs of fatigue by Thursday night, has received a tumultuous welcome since his arrival on Wednesday, with his motorcade having to stop or slow down often because of crowds mobbing the 'popemobile'. In his speech at the presidential palace, the pope quoted from the 1982 Nobel Prize acceptance speech of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez about life and love being the proper response to oppression. In an apparent reference to the late author's best-known work, 'One Hundred Years of Solitude', he added: "There has been too much hatred and vengeance. The solitude of always being at loggerheads has been familiar for decades, and its smell has lingered for a hundred years; we do not want any type of violence whatsoever to restrict or destroy one more life," he said. He also prayed in the colonial cathedral before a painting of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, the patron saint of overwhelmingly Catholic Colombia, before addressing a raucous crowd of young people. He left a message in the cathedral's visitor book, writing: "I come here as a witness of peace, of the peace that God wants for Colombia. This will be possible with the efforts of all." He will visit the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena before leaving for Rome on Sunday night. (Additional reporting by Carlos Vargas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Anastasia Moloney and Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Rosalba O'Brien) Bogota (AFP) - Pope Francis urged Colombians on Wednesday to avoid seeking "vengeance" for the sufferings of their country's half-century civil conflict as they work towards a lasting peace. The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff spoke alongside Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, who has overseen recent controversial efforts to make peace with armed rebel groups. "The steps taken give rise to hope, in the conviction that seeking peace is an open-ended endeavour, a task which does not relent, which demands the commitment of everyone," Francis said. "May this determination help us flee from the temptation to vengeance and the satisfaction of short-term partisan interests." Francis arrived in Colombia on Wednesday for a five-day tour on which he will meet people bereaved and wounded in the conflict. Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize last year for his part in the FARC accord. But the peace process has been fraught with division. Critics of the accord with the FARC say the rebels got off too lightly, with amnesties and alternative sentences. The FARC has transformed into a political party. Colombians narrowly rejected the FARC peace deal in a referendum last year. Francis tried unsuccessfully to mediate between Santos and the lead opponent of the accord, conservative leader Alvaro Uribe. A reworked version of the accord was later pushed through Congress despite Uribe's resistance. At his open-air encounter with Santos in front of the presidential palace, Francis hugged local children dressed all in white as a choir sang a song of peace. He was scheduled later to meet with bishops and hold an open-air mass for thousands of worshippers in the majority Catholic country. (WASHINGTON) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urged President Donald Trump Thursday to tweet reassurances to the immigrants who benefit from a program his administration is ending. And the president obliged in the latest instance of Trump doing the bidding of leaders of the opposition. The president tweeted, For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about No action! He was referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which President Barack Obama created through administrative action in 2012. Trumps administration said Tuesday it is rescinding the program but is giving Congress six months to take action on it. Notwithstanding his tweet, the nearly 800,000 immigrants who obtained temporary work permits and deportation protections via DACA cant rest entirely easy. Any of them whose protections expire within the next six months have until early October to reapply, and for others they must look ahead to an uncertain future. Its not clear whether Congress will actually be able to solve their problem in six months or what Trump will do if lawmakers dont act. Shortly after Trumps tweet appeared Thursday morning, Pelosi told fellow Democrats at a closed-door meeting that she had spoken with the president and asked him to send it, in order to make clear to the so-called Dreamers that they wouldnt be subject to deportation during the six-month window. Pelosis comments were confirmed by a Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of the private meeting. The development came just a day after Trump ignored the recommendations of GOP House and Senate leaders and sided with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York in favor of a three-month extension of the governments borrowing limit. Republicans had wanted a much longer extension to protect conservative lawmakers from having to cast the politically toxic vote again ahead of next years midterm elections. On immigration, Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters want a hard line on illegal immigration. Yet others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children brought to the country illegally by their parents. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 05:30:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- In what was hailed as the first-ever characterization of the meticulously timed immune system changes in women that occur during pregnancy, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have revealed that there is an immune clock of pregnancy. "Pregnancy is a unique immunological state," said Brice Gaudilliere, assistant professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine and senior author of the study published in Science Immunology. "We found that the timing of immune system changes follows a precise and predictable pattern in normal pregnancy." Physicians have long known that the expectant mother's immune system adjusts to prevent her body from rejecting the fetus, but no one had investigated the full scope of these changes, nor asked if their timing was tightly controlled. The new research aimed to understand why preterm births happen and how they could be prevented. Nearly 10 percent of U.S. infants arrive three or more weeks early. The study used blood samples collected from 18 women who had full-term pregnancies. Each woman gave four blood samples - one during each of the three trimesters of pregnancy and one six weeks after delivery. Samples from an additional group of 10 women with full-term pregnancies were used to validate the findings. By using mass cytometry to simultaneously measure up to 50 properties of each immune cell in the blood samples, the researchers counted the types of immune cells, assessed what signaling pathways were most active in each cell, and determined how the cells reacted to being stimulated with compounds that mimic infection with viruses and bacteria. With an advanced statistical modeling technique, they then described in detail how the immune system changes throughout pregnancy. The study confirmed immune features of pregnancy that were already known. In addition, the researchers uncovered several previously unappreciated features of how the immune system changes, such as the finding that activity of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 5, or STAT5, signaling pathway in CD4+T cells progressively increases throughout pregnancy on a precise schedule, ultimately reaching levels much higher than in nonpregnant individuals. The STAT5 pathway is involved in helping another group of immune cells, regulatory T cells, to differentiate. The next step of the research will be to conduct similar research using blood samples from women who deliver their babies prematurely to see where their trajectories of immune function differ from normal. "We're especially interested in understanding more precisely what is happening very early and very late in pregnancy," Gaudilliere was quoted as saying in a news release. "We'd like to see if there is really a switch we can catch, a sweet spot where deviation from the norm would be maximal with pathology." As Hurricane Irma and Jose barrel toward Florida, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump are set to host Cabinet members and their wives over the stormy weekend. The Trumps first visited the wooded presidential hideaway back in June over Father's Day weekend, and have since returned a hand full of times to visit the storied space. "Look fwd to hosting members of the cabinet & their spouses at # CampDavid this weekend," the first lady wrote via Twitter on Friday. "Much work to be done as we monitor # Hurricane Irma." RELATED: A look back at the Trump family's first trip to Camp David President Trump was briefed on Thursday on the projected impact Hurricane Irma could have on Florida and surrounding states, and his administration will likely monitor the Category 4 storm from the historic Maryland cabin. Other agenda items likely on the docket include the North Korea nuclear crisis and the upcoming push for tax reform legislation. The trip out of Washington comes after a week during which the 45th president blew back members of his own Republican party by cutting a deal with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on a bill relative to the debt limit and disaster relief. A secluded roundtable meet including Trump's entire Cabinet could serve as a needed strategy huddle before the executive branch messages and postures its way through the fall legislative season. While all Cabinet members were invited to Camp David this weekend, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and husband Sen. Mitch McConnell will reportedly be in Kentucky. RELATED: Melania Trump in her White House role President Trump said Thursday that he would be open to eliminating the debt ceiling, a routine procedural move that has become heavily politicized in recent years. Speaking to reporters in the Cabinet Room, Trump said that he had discussed the idea with congressional leaders from both parties in a meeting in the White House on Wednesday, confirming a story reported earlier in the Washington Post. For many years people have been talking about getting rid of debt ceiling altogether and there are a lot of good reasons to do that, Trump said. So certainly that is something that could be discussed. We even discussed it at the meeting we had yesterday. Under the Constitution, Congress appropriates money, but the federal government doesnt always bring in enough to cover that spending, so it bridges the gap by issuing debt. Currently, there is a limit on how much the government can borrow, and Congress has to periodically raise that limit to keep the government running. While lawmakers from the opposing party have often voted against raising the debt ceiling, it was typically more of a protest vote. But under the Obama Administration, Republicans in Congress threatened to not raise it if the President did not agree to certain conditions. These routine showdowns caused investors to become increasingly worried. Under the deal reached between Trump and Democrats in Congress this week, the debt ceiling will be raised enough to postpone the need for another vote for three months. Helen Haslem and the Duke of Cambridge hold Prince George's hands as he arrives for his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea. - REUTERS The Head of Lower School at Thomas's Battersea, Helen Haslem, was thrown into the spotlight this morning as she the greeted Prince George- third in line to the throne- for his first day at school. In the weeks leading up to the big event there has been much fashion chatter about what her new pupils mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, might choose to wear on her first run to the school gates and how exactly she might fit in with the SW11 set. What Haslem perhaps hadnt anticipated though, was that Kates loyal fashion followers would be out to analyse the outfit that she had chosen for the big day too. And in the end, it was her look which gleaned the most style analysis after Kate was forced to stay at home, suffering from severe morning sickness. The Duchess of Cambridge in a similar dress last year The teacher wore a soft pink, knee length dress for the occasion - granted not a look that may be suitable for a day of finger painting and glitter throwing, but one that looked smart and approachable all the same. Making an impression on both new parents and new students is undoubtedly vital on the first day back, especially when the former is paying upwards of 7,000 per term for their child to be there. The dress worn by lower school head Helen Haslem is LK Bennett's Amana, with thx to @evangelina_th for the ID. https://t.co/gl5NofV2etpic.twitter.com/wE8FBkWRYH WhatKateWore.com (@WhatKateWore) September 7, 2017 Commentators were, however, quick to point out the similarities between Haslems choice of silhouette and hue, with those favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge. Blogs like What Kate Wore identified the dress as being a 250 'Amana style from one of Kates favourite British brands L.K. Bennett. Does it matter what the teacher wore? Probably not in the grand scheme of things and perhaps tomorrow shell be in suede elbow patches, tweeds and every other sartorial cliche that has ever plagued the education system. But in the absence of the Duchess herself this morning, Haslems repli-Kated style was bound to cause a stir. Duchess of Cambridge: every outfit ever Photo credit: Getty From Country Living UK Prince George has arrived for his first day at Thomas's Battersea school in south-west London, alongside his father, the Duke of Cambridge. The young royal looked a little shy as he approached the school, where he was met by the Head of Lower School and taken inside his reception classroom. Prince George arrives for his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea with his father The Duke of Cambridge. pic.twitter.com/B7TgcRA3Ve - Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017 Like previous royals including Prince William and Prince Harry, George is attending a preparatory school, which was described by the Good School Guide as: "A big, busy, slightly chaotic school for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy." The school costs 18,000 a year and has a uniform consisting of navy shorts and jumper, long socks and black shoes. Photo credit: Getty Photo credit: Getty It was hoped that the Duchess of Cambridge would be able to accompany her son on his first day at Thomas's, but unfortunately she is unwell with hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) as a result of her third pregnancy. Photo credit: Getty Prince George previously attended the Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk. (Images: Getty) You Might Also Like Karachi, Pakistan Pakistani students from Anwar-e-Habib Welfare Foundation shout slogans against Myanmars government to condemn the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority, in Karachi on Sept. 25, 2017. (Photo: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images) More than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when deadly attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on police posts prompted Myanmars military to launch clearance operations in Rakhine state. Heres a look at protests against the treatment of the Rohingya from around the world, including Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan. Others were held outside Myanmars embassies in Tokyo and Manila. (AP/Reuters) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. Riyadh (AFP) - Qatar's ruler phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to express interest in talks to resolve a three-month-old diplomatic crisis, Saudi state media said early Saturday. The crown prince "welcomed this desire," the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, adding "details will be announced after Saudi Arabia reaches an agreement with UAE and Bahrain and Egypt", the Arab bloc that cut ties with Qatar in June. The phone call by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, came after US President Donald Trump offered on Thursday to mediate in the crisis, saying he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily." Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups and of being too close to Iran. They also shut down air, maritime and land links and imposed economic sanctions on Qatar. The gas-rich emirate denied the claims and accused the four countries of attacking its sovereignty. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new Republican bill to replace Obamacare will be unveiled in the U.S. Senate on Monday with backing from President Donald Trump, according to one of two Republican senators who have crafted the legislation. The lawmaker, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, told reporters he was optimistic the legislation could pass before a Sept. 30 deadline, if it can attract the bare minimum of 50 votes needed to succeed in the Republican-led Senate with tie-breaking support from Vice President Mike Pence. The bill, which Cassidy is sponsoring with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, could revive Republican hopes of overturning the Affordable Care Act weeks after their last attempt on July 28 came up one vote short in a humiliating defeat for Trump and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The new measure, which would give more healthcare powers to the states, is a revamped version of legislation that did not gain enough support during the summer healthcare debate. "Mitch has said that if we get 50 votes, he'll hold a vote. I can tell you that the president's all about it," said Cassidy, noting the bill had also drawn some favorable comment from a key July 'no' vote, Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona. Some Senate Republicans doubt there will be a successful last-ditch effort this year to replace former Democratic President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law. "It is not easy to get 50-plus-one (votes). Everybody's kind of got another idea. But I'm open to it," said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, the chamber's No. 2 Republican. Cassidy said the legislation has had fulsome support from White House officials including Pence, who he said had sought to rally the support of state governors. Graham and former Republican Senator Rick Santorum have held discussions with the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which played a key role in getting an Obamacare repeal bill through the House of Representatives earlier this year. If approved in the Senate, the bill would need to be reconciled with the House legislation. Both chambers would then need to vote a second time. Since Democrats oppose repealing Obamacare, Republicans need to use a parliamentary procedure known as reconciliation to move healthcare legislation on a simple majority through the Senate, which they control by a 52-48 margin. The tool that allows reconciliation is contained in a 2017 budget resolution that will expire with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Peter Cooney) This is the kind of story that makes me eager to log on to SMP every day. It's not about the details, no, it's a pure dose of LOVE. Because love is love, and nothing (not even a country) can deny that. Seth and Jacky are brave, strong and admirable for their journey to say I Do. Alisa Ferris' imagery paired with their story below is bound to brighten your day. Seth and Jacky are not able to enjoy the simple luxuries that many couples take for granted. They can't hold hands or kiss in public. Cozy Instagram pics? Posted with caution. The couple is from Indonesia where same-sex marriage is not recognized, and even worse, neither is homosexuality. The two met online when Seth was just 19 and Jacky was 16; they maintained a friendship for 4 years before venturing into a romantic relationship. Fast forward eleven years, and the couple have pretty much done it all; here's the scoop on these savvy business owners, parents and gay rights advocates. "In Indonesia, homosexuality is not widely accepted, and gay marriage is non-existent," stated Jacky. "After more than ten years together, we grew weary of the subterfuge and felt that we deserved to have what so many others already have." That mindset sent the two packing for NYC where gay marriage is legal. Their elopement in NYC was followed by a quick Honeymoon in D.C. (and a Beyonce concert, of course!). The result was a 3-day photo session around Washington D.C. and New York City that is an emoji heart feast for the eyes. "We have Style Me Pretty to thank for our photographer, Alisa Ferris. When we read about how she saved another couple from wedding disaster (READ: "Their Photographer Didn't Show Up! Here's What Happened Next), we knew we had to have her," said Seth. Now that their nuptials are legal, the pair are becoming recognized as gay rights advocates in their home country. "Not only did we want to get married for ourselves, but also, to set an example for our son, Jasper," commented Seth. "We wanted to show him to stand up for what you believe in.""What we didn't realize was that so many others would be inspired by our actions. Since we've become more open about our relationship," Jacky continued, "I've received messages from many young kids telling me they were on the brink of suicide until they heard our story; now they have hope of living a life of love and happiness." Story continues Having overcome such challenges has made this power couple even stronger. Seth, the mastermind behind the couple's advertising agency, and Jacky, a prominent fashion designer, whose clothes have been spotted on the likes of Neyo and Lance Bass, now look forward to the future with a relaxed heart. From Alisa Ferris... When I heard Seth + Jacky's story, I knew instantly I wanted to document the story of their love. Sadly, even in the U.S. wedding industry, you will encounter vendors who don't support same-sex marriage. In my role as a photographer of same-sex marriages, I'm not merely an artist, I also consider myself an activist. Photography: Blackbird Foto | Location: Library Of Congress | Location: New York Public Library | Location: Central Park Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 07:31:05|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Donald Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday that he agreed to meet with Russians during his father's 2016 presidential campaign because he wanted to assess Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's "fitness" and "qualifications" for the White House. In a 10-minute opening statement, the U.S. president's eldest son insisted that though he accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised damaging information on Clinton, he always intended to speak to his lawyers before using any of such materials. The interview, which took place behind closed doors and was not under oath, lasted just more than five hours as one of the most sensitive and sought-after interviews yet in the congressional probes into the alleged Russia's election meddling in the U.S. 2016 elections. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character, or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Donald Trump Jr. said in a statement provided to the Senate panel. "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration." according to the statement obtained by The New York Times. Donald Trump Jr. said in his initial statement after the newspaper broke the news of the meeting that he and a Russian lawyer primarily "discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children." "There are a lot of areas that have been opened for future witnesses and questioning," said Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, "There will be a lot of areas to be pursued." The White House staunchly defended the June 2016 meeting as appropriate after Trump Jr. released in July the full email chain leading up to the meeting on Twitter upon learning that The Times was going to publish them. The emails showed that Trump Jr. agreed to meet with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, at the Trump Tower in New York to discuss compromising information she said she had on Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya was at the time lobbying for the removal of U.S. sanctions on Russia which had prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to ban all American adoptions of Russian children in retaliation. Though the interview was not under oath, lying to the U.S. Congress is still a crime, according to a TheHill news daily report. Thursday's interview was conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee staffers. Lawmakers were allowed to observe, but not ask questions. Trump Jr. is one of the first members of Trump's inner sanctum to come before congressional investigators and the only immediate member of his family to do so. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, has interviewed previously before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Riyadh (AFP) - A Saudi-led bloc of Arab states hostile to Qatar took aim Friday at Kuwaiti mediation and maintained a tough line even after US President Donald Trump offered to help resolve the crisis. Saudi Arabia led the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain in cutting ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups and of being too close to Iran. They also shut down air, maritime and land links and imposed economic sanctions on Qatar. The gas-rich emirate denies the claims and accuses the four countries of attacking its sovereignty. In Washington on Thursday, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a key figure involved in mediation attempts, met Trump and gave an upbeat assessment of his efforts so far. At a joint news conference with the emir, Trump offered his own mediation in the three-month crisis, the worst to have gripped the Gulf region in decades. "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters. "I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," he said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." But in a statement early Friday, the Saudi-led bloc showed no signs of backing down as it questioned the Kuwaiti emir's statement that Qatar would be willing to accept their 13 demands. "Dialogue on the implementation of the demands should not be preceded by any conditions," they said in the joint statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The demands include shutting Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera, closing a Turkish military base in the emirate and downgrading Qatari diplomatic ties with Iran. - 'Lack of seriousness' - The bloc also voiced "regret" about the Kuwaiti ruler's statement "on the success of mediation in stopping military intervention". Instead, the four Arab states stressed that "the military option has not been and will not be considered" under any circumstances. Story continues "Setting preconditions for dialogue confirms Qatar's lack of seriousness in dialogue, combating and financing terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of countries," they said. In remarks aired on the Al-Jazeera network, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani rejected the Saudi-led bloc's 13 demands. Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator in the crisis, while the United States has given mixed signals on its policy. Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Trump, who chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May, two weeks before the crisis erupted, immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia. Some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have adopted a more measured tone. Tillerson and Sheikh Mohammed announced in July they had signed an agreement to fight terrorism, built on decisions made at a Riyadh summit in May to "wipe terrorism from the face of the Earth". The White House said Trump had spoken Thursday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, emphasising the need for all sides to honour commitments made at the Riyadh summit on "defeating terrorism, cutting off funding for terrorist groups, and combating extremist ideology". Qatar hosts a huge US air base, home to the headquarters of Centcom -- the regional command which leads operations against the Islamic State jihadist group. Last month Qatari and US paratroopers held a joint training exercise which American officials said reinforced "the enduring military-to-military" partnership between the two countries. Sheikh Tamim is set to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks on September 15, in what will be his first trip to a western capital since the crisis began. Mr Putin and Mr Moon spoke during the Eastern Economic Forum - REUTERS South Korea's president has asked Vladimir Putin to help tame North Korea, but the two leaders are divided over the need for sanctions on the rogue regime. Speaking at Russia's Eastern Economic Forum, Moon Jae-in, the South Korean leader, said he and Mr Putin share a view that North Korea has gone the wrong way with its nuclear and missile program. He asked for assistance to tame the North, Yonhap news agency reported. Kim Jong-un provides guidance on a nuclear weapons program in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency Credit: Reuters Before the talks, Mr Moon had warned that the situation could become uncontrollable if North Korea, which held its largest nuclear bomb test on Sunday, does not stop its provocations. Many expect more weapons tests this weekend. While Mr Moon has sought Russian support for stronger sanctions against North Korea, Mr Putin continued to insist that this is a dead end. Pyongyang city civilians celebrate the successful completion of the hydrostatic test for the intercontinental ballistic rocket installation in a photo released on Wednesday by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency Credit: Reuters He called Pyonyang's nuclear weapons programme a crude violation of UN security council resolutions but said it was impossible to resolve the problem of the Korean peninsula only by sanctions and pressure. It's not worth giving in to emotions and driving North Korea into a corner, Mr Putin said. Now more than ever everyone needs to be cold-blooded and avoid steps leading to an escalation of tensions. During their meeting, the South Korean leader said it was inevitable Pyongyang's oil supply would be cut and asked his Russian counterpart to cooperate, Mr Moon's press secretary said. Mr Putin responded that shutting off the pipeline would damage hospitals, his aide Yuri Ushakov said. Pyongyang city civilians celebrate the successful completion of the hydrostatic test for the intercontinental ballistic rocket installation in a photo released on Wednesday by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency Credit: Reuters Although China provides the bulk of North Korea's oil, Russia exports 40,000 tonnes of oil per quarter to the isolated state, Mr Putin said on Tuesday. But he called this nothing compared to its overall output and denied that the North Korean workers in Russia, who provide cash to the regime, were a problem. He added that the North Koreans will eat grass but they won't give up (the nuclear) programme if they don't feel safe. Story continues Mr Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, have instead pushed a freeze for freeze plan that would see the United States and South Korea stop large military exercises in exchange for North Korea ceasing weapons tests. Jerry Brown, the governor of California, also spoke at the forum, calling on Russia, China, Japan and the United States to fight climate change. Mr Brown promised to help Russian students with visas after Washington closed Russia's San Francisco consulate this weekend. Before-and-after images show the Punggye-ri test site where on September 3, 2017, North Korea claimed to have conducted the undeground explosion of a hydrogen bomb Credit: AFP Meanwhile, analysts said landslides had been triggered around the site of North Korea's nuclear test due to the powerful 6.3-magnitude tremor. The first satellite images of the site show a series of disturbances in the land, according to the 38 North website, which is linked to Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Chinas Earthquake Network Centre said a second 4.6 magnitude earthquake tremor after Sundays initial explosion could be the result of a cave-in, although the 38 North report did not find evidence of a collapse crater. By Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Police in Singapore have arrested a man suspected of planning to join Islamic State-linked fighters in the Philippines and a woman who was in contact with foreign militants, the government said on Thursday. Singapore, regarded as the most stable country in Southeast Asia, has become increasingly concerned about the risks of radicalization among its Muslim minority. At least 14 radicalized Singaporeans have been put under restriction or detention orders under a tough internal security law since 2015, up sharply from 11 cases between 2007 and 2014, the government said in June. The man arrested was identified as Imran Kassim, 34. The Ministry of Home Affairs said he had tried to make his way to Syria to join Islamic State fighters at least twice, and had been prepared to attack members of the Singaporean armed forces. More recently, he had intended to join militants who seized control of Marawi City in Philippines this year, the ministry said in a press release. Imran's arrest came as a result of information given to police by "people close to him". Authorities have mounted a campaign to encourage family members, friends and neighbors to report on anyone they fear was in danger of becoming radicalized. The woman who was arrested was identified as Shakirah Begam binte Abdul Wahab, a 23-year old administrative assistant. The ministry said she had been in contact with several foreign fighters since 2013. "Shakirah has demonstrated a propensity to engage in risky behavior which renders her vulnerable to adverse influence and recruitment by terrorists who belong to a group that poses a security threat to Singapore", the ministry said. She was put under a restriction order, which means suspects are monitored and their movements are restricted. A child care worker arrested in June is the only Singaporean woman to have been placed in custody under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial. An auxiliary policeman who was suspected of becoming radicalized was also arrested in June. (Reporting by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Robert Birsel) By Paul McLeary with Adam Rawnsley Seoul and Moscow talk Pyongyang. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday during a conference in Vladivostok, Russia. While the two men agreed a nuclear North Korea is a threat, they have very different views on how to handle it. Moon said that now is not the time for talks with Pyongyang, and supports cutting off all oil shipments to the isolated country. But Putin isnt so sure. But the situation on the Korean Peninsula cannot be resolved with sanctions and pressure only. We do not need to react emotionally and corner North Korea into a dead end, Putin said, suggesting the two countries enter into talks without preconditions, according to a report in South Koreas Yonhap. Putin also rejected Moons call to stop oil shipments to the North. Wheres Rex? One official who hasnt made his views known is Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who stayed quiet all weekend during the latest crisis with Pyongyang. Jumping into the void is U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who in many ways has acted as the nations de facto top diplomat since Pyongyangs sixth nuclear test on Sunday. Haley is also making news on U.S. policy toward Iran, writes FPs Robbie Gramer and Dan De Luce. In a speech before the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington on Tuesday, Haley gave the most detailed account yet of how the administration views the Iran nuclear agreement, arguing that there were grounds for the president to declare the deal was not in Americas interests. Iran deal. In many ways, the plan is to make Congress make the final call on Irans compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, a tactic that a weakened president Trump appears to favor more as he has proven to be an ineffective dealmaker on Capitol Hill. Haley said Tuesday that the deal has the effect of allowing Iran to become the new North Korea. Pyongyang doesnt care about your feelings. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, likely views North Koreas latest nuclear test is a slap in the face. FP contributor William Tobey writes: Story continues Xi styles himself as the strongest Chinese leader since Mao, but Kim Jong Un has humiliated him repeatedly, for example by killing Kim family members who were close to Beijing. In the latest affront, North Koreas sixth, and by far largest, nuclear test upstages a BRICS summit meeting Xi is hosting, and comes just before next months crucial Chinese Communist Party Congress, where he hopes to consolidate further his hold on the country. The specter of nuclear chaos is hardly consistent with the image of control that he seeks to project. President Trump is set to speak by phone with Xi Wednesday morning. Radioactive. Meanwhile, China and South Korea are ramping up monitoring of radioactive fallout from North Koreas nuclear test, fearing public outcry if radiation drifts over their borders. Sundays underground tests caused several large landslides, satellite images show, but theres no evidence of a crater, which would leak radioactive material. ISIS stuck. There are still 11 buses filled with Islamic State fighters and their families stuck in the Syrian desert, blocked from entering an ISIS stronghold in the eastern part of the country by U.S. warplanes. And American aircraft have been picking off Islamic State fighters in ones and twos as they stray from the convoy in attempts to escape or look for some privacy to relieve themselves, defense officials tell FPs Paul McLeary. At least 40 Islamic State vehicles have been hit by U.S. airstrikes in recent days as they try and resupply the convoy, although U.S. planes have been allowing vehicles from Syrian-controlled areas to reach the busses with food and water. Back on. The U.S. and Egypt are moving to patch up the rift that opened up between the two countries in the wake of the Arab Spring, rescheduling the annual Bright Star joint exercises for the first time since 2011. Egypt finally confirmed that the exercise will kick off later this month, something FPs Paul McLeary first reported in August. The U.S. halted the long-running exercises after mass protests in Egypt that ultimately toppled the government of President Hosni Mubarak, but the exercises are now set to kick off on September 10. Welcome to SitRep. As always, please send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary. Playing telephone. Did President Trump bring up new weapons sales to South Korea and Japan in his phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in? It depends on who you ask. The White House says Trump discussed conceptual approval for the purchase of many billions of dollars worth of military weapons and equipment with Moon. But an anonymous aide to President Moon says claims Trump didnt talk about weapons sales on the call. The thought that counts. North Korea says it has more gift packages in store for the U.S. following its test of an apparent thermonuclear weapon last week. La faucheuse. France is about to become one of the few countries to fly armed American MQ-9 Reaper drones. French Defense Minister Florence Parly says Paris will arm a half dozen American-bought drones for use in Frances war against Islamist militants in the Sahel region of West Africa. Always a bridesmaid. Asked about whether President Trump should be impeached by the U.S. Congress, Russian President Vladimir Putin demurred, saying President Trump is not my bride, and I am not his groom. Rohingya crisis. Myanmars persecution of its Rohingya Muslim minority is stirring a backlash in Islamic countries, particularly those in Southeast and South Asia. Leaders and diplomats from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have spoken out against the violence driving tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar. Landmines. In the meantime, Myanmar has been mining its border with Bangladesh where two children have already been injured by the weapons. Rohingya refugees have been fleeing across the Bangladeshi border to escape the Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine State, and Bangladesh plans to protest the mining activity along the border. Syria. Assad regime forces have managed to break through the Islamic States siege of the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian army troops linked up with troops at the Brigade 137 base in the west of the city, where civilians have held off Islamic State forces for the past two years. Russias navy also fired Kalibr cruise missiles from a frigate in the Mediterranean, targeting unspecified Islamic State targets in Deir ez-Zor province. Cybersecurity. Theres another large breach of personal information about military veterans with top secret clearances. Cybersecurity researchers found thousands of job applications for North Carolina-based defense contractor TigerSwan dating back to 2008 in an online cloud storage account. By Paul McLeary with Adam Rawnsley ICBM watch. South Korean intelligence agencies are warning that North Korea is on the verge of another ICBM test. But exactly when the next missile might fly is an open question. So, what should the U.S. do if the North launches a missile that could threaten American territory? The NYTs David E. Sanger lays out the unpalatable options: pre-emptive strike that would at best only be a glancing blow against the Norths capabilities. Shoot it down with the proven Aegis anti-missile system on U.S. warships in the Pacific. Employ the $300 billion U.S. ballistic missile defense systems based in California and Alaskawhich only have about a 50 percent success rate, and then only under testing conditions designed to ensure success. Then of course, theres the current route: sanctions. But as FPs Colum Lynch reports, the United Nations doesnt see economic pressure as having had much effect on Pyongyangs nuclear program. War games. The Pentagon, as it does, has been running war games about potential conflicts in North Korea for decades, writes FP contributor Chetan Peddada, a former U.S. Army intelligence officer in South Korea. Several years ago, FPs Paul McLeary was allowed to observe part of an Army war game aimed at the North and it wasnt pretty. Well see. Asked if the U.S. and North Korea are destined to go to war, President Donald Trump said Thursday that nothings inevitable. Speaking during a news conference alongside Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Trump said It would be great if something else could be worked out but that It will be a very sad day for North Korea if the U.S. does go to war with Pyongyang. Take warning. Air Force aircraft that detect radioactive fallout and track ballistic missiles are operating on Okinawa in the wake of North Koreas sixth nuclear test and ahead of an anticipated intercontinental ballistic missile launch, Stars and Stripes reports from Okinawa. A WC-135 Constant Phoenix commonly referred to as a nuke-sniffer has been at Kadena Air Base since Sept. 5, the paper reports. Story continues Senate shuts down Tillerson. In a stark repudiation of the Trump administration, lawmakers on Thursday passed a spending bill that overturned the presidents steep proposed cuts to foreign aid and diplomacy. Folded into the bill are management amendments that straitjacket some of Secretary of State Rex Tillersons efforts to redesign the State Department, FPs Robbie Gramer reports. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $51 billion for the State Department, foreign operations, and related programs in its 2018 appropriations bill almost $11 billion above President Trumps request. The move signals a growing congressional backlash against the Trump administrations aims to slash funding for diplomacy, foreign aid, and the United Nations. Win for Assad. Syrian forces and their Iranian, Russian, and Hezbollah allies achieved a significant victory earlier this week in linking up with a besieged military base in ISIS-controlled Deir Ezzor. Bu theres still plenty of fighting left to do, even against a weakened, but desperate, Islamic State adversary that still controls territory. But questions about what happens next. U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab forces are eying the Syrian offensive in the province, which was next on their list after they finish the fight for Raqqa. The question now is where precisely the line between regime and Kurdish areas will be drawn after Islamic States defeat and whether it will solidify into a semi-permanent partition of the country or spark a new bout of violence that could force the U.S. to make difficult choices, writes the WSJs Yaroslav Trofimov. Trump surge in Afghanistan not playing well overseas. From the AP: The top diplomats from China and Pakistan took swipes at President Donald Trumps newly unveiled Afghanistan policy on Friday as they called for new talks with the Taliban to resolve the 16-year conflict. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing stood firmly behind its ironclad friend Pakistan, even though some countries did not give Islamabad the credit it deserved in fighting terrorism, a pointed reference to the U.S. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asifs first trip abroad to Beijing this week appeared to highlight how ties between the two all-weather allies have grown even closer while Pakistans critical relationship with the U.S. is disintegrating amid mutual recriminations and distrust. Obama policy embraced by Trump. Despite calls from members of both parties, President Donald Trump will not propose an updated authorization for use of military force measure to cover ongoing U.S. operations against groups such as al-Qaida, the Islamic State and others, a White House National Security Council official told CQs John T. Bennett Thursday. White House officials have concluded they have ample legal authorities to continue conducting such military missions. IDF games it out. The Israeli military is in the midst of its largest military exercise in nearly two decades, focusing on a potential war with Hezbollah, writes FPs Rhys Dubin. Held in the north of the country, the roughly two-week drill dubbed The Light of Grain comes amid rising tension along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and militia, has maintained a presence for decades. Welcome to SitRep. As always, please send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary. Navy. No matter how tough our operating environment, or how strained our budget, we shouldnt be and cannot be colliding with other ships and running aground. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Moran, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee for a hearing on Thursday to review the recent spate of ship collisions in Pacific Command. Observers and Members of Congress have offered various explanations for the incidents, many of them related to tight budgets and high operational demand. China. Chinese authorities are tightening regulations on religion in the country, subjecting faith groups to new scrutiny and regulations in the name of maintaining legality, curbing illegality, blocking extremism, resisting infiltration and attacking crime. DACA. The Pentagon says there are less than 900 recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status currently serving in the U.S. military and wondering whether theyll be subject to deportation after President Trumps pledge to rescind the program after six months. Many DACA recipients are serving in the military through the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, a program that allows immigrants with critical skills into the service. The Defense Department is considering a proposal to end the program. Social media propaganda. Russian fake social media accounts during the 2016 presidential campaign may not have been limited just to Facebook. An investigation by The New York Times and cybersecurity firm FireEye found that hundreds of fake Twitter accounts which appear to be linked to Russian intelligence pushing anti-Hillary Clinton stories. The accounts represent a mixture of bots and legitimate accounts taken over by hackers, some of them purchased on the cybercrime black market. Foreign fighters. Eight teachers and four children from the Ibnu Masud school in Indonesia have all traveled to the Middle East to fight with the Islamic State, according to a Reuters investigation. The wire service uncovered a child from the school as young as 11 years old leaving Indonesia to joint the Islamic State in Syria. Zapad. Russia and Western European countries are sparring over the size of Moscows upcoming Zapad military exercises in Belarus. Russia says the drills will feature only 12,700 but Western countries put the size of the exercises considerably higher at around 100,000 troops. The argument over size stems from an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) requirement that countries holding exercises with more than 13,000 troops be more transparent with other OSCE members about the events. Afghanistan. Afghanistans Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Mohammad Sharif Yaftali told the BBCs Persian language service that he has evidence that Iran was providing arms and military equipment to the Taliban in western Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Afghan defense ministry later tried to walk back the comments, saying that Lt. Gen. Yaftali had only reports, not evidence about Irans involvement. Cargo. The Transportation Security Administration is requiring extra screening for cargo shipments from Turkey to the U.S. to adequately address emerging threats to cargo and raise the baseline for global aviation security. Erdogan. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) cosponsored an amendment to block arms sales to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans bodyguards after Turkish security guards assaulted demonstrators during Erdogans last visited to the United States. The Trump administration has already stalled a $1.2 million sale of firearms to Erdogans security detail. A plethora of publishers have joined Snapchat's safe news digest, Discover, since it launched back in January. Some are straight news, like NBC and CNN, while others are culture outlets like Buzzfeed and Vulture -- in other words, most are broadly-appealing online publications. But according to Recode, Snapchat wants to shake that up a bit by spotlighting a particular breed of local content on Discover: College newspapers. But you can only read their stories if you're on-campus. Dozens of college papers will submit content to a new section in Discover, called Campus Publisher Stories. The publications will produce one story per week (including ads), with advertisement revenue split between the paper and Snapchat. The company plans to add a total of two dozen college pubs, with four signed up so far: The Daily Californian from UC Berkeley, The Battalion from Texas A&M, The Daily Orange from Syracuse and The Badger Herald from Wisconsin. The content will be geofenced to the newspaper's area, meaning alumni won't be able to check up on their home school's activities. On the other hand, it's a good experiment to see if particular audiences will consume enough content to justify getting locally-bound news on Snapchat. SpaceX has successfully launched a classified Air Force drone from the NASA Space Kennedy Center as the ferocious Hurricane Irma caused severe weather. The company used the Falcon 9 rocket to launch the Air Force space plane around 10 a.m. E.T. on Thursday, despite warnings that the weather was only 50% favorable. Irma was thought to be around 900 miles southeast of the center at the time of lift-off. It is the fifth time that the Air Force has launched the 11,000-pound autonomous rocket, but the first time that they have used SpaceX, according to Bloomberg. The Falcon 9 rocket won military accreditation back in May 2015, ending the monopoly of a joint venture by Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 1. pic.twitter.com/TBDKNm6hbe SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 7, 2017 The Air Force has been secretive about these unmanned autonomous missions for years, Bloomberg added. The most recent X-37B mission spent more than 700 days circling the Earth and ended in May. They are only launched every few years. I grew up in Tennessee, went to college in California (Fight on!), and moved to Texas for work. That means my best girlfriends are literally all over the map. But, in my opinion, that's a huge perk! So when the invitations came to be in their bridal parties whether it was Napa or Nashville I was obviously going to say yes! Patrick Moyer Photography I call 2016 my "Year of Weddings." I successfully supported my friends in six destination weddings (and three destination bachelorette parties) without over-drafting my bank account. It wasn't easy. But here's how I did it... Planned Ahead with my Annual Bonus All my friends got engaged well ahead of their wedding dates. So I had a pretty good idea going into 2016 I'd need extra travel funds more than the YSL handbag I'd been eyeing all year. I put every penny I could from my annual bonus into a separate savings account for "wedding-related expenses." I also prepaid for the resort in Napa and bought two bridesmaid dresses. It felt great to check those larger ticket items off the list early! Nancy Aidee PhotographyAuto-Deposited into an Earmarked SavingsAccount After my bonus, I changed the auto deposit settings for my paychecks. I directed 5% of each paycheck into that wedding expense bank account. This decision was crucial for me, since I tend to spend everything I see in my "disposable" account on dinners and drinks with friends. Because I didn't have to personally transfer funds each month, I didn't even miss the extra cocktails! It's amazing how fast 5% adds up... Made a Strategic Outfit List Next to food, I spend most of my money online shopping. It's crazy how many things I think I'll NEED next season! (Can I get an amen?) I sat down and made an actual list of the outfits I needed for each weddingrehearsal dinner dress, bridal luncheon dress, bridesmaid dress, Sunday brunch outfit, etc. First, I shopped my own closet to see what I could wear again for future events. Next, I made a list on my phone of the things I still needed to buy (bright colored club dress for bachelorette party 1, black bikini for bachelorette party 2, etc.). Then, I added in the specific bridesmaid dresses. As I shopped, I checked each item on the list. This protected me from my usual habit of buying 10 "options" for the same event. If I loved it, I kept it. If I didn't, I returned it for something else I loved. Bonus: I saved money AND streamlined my closet! Story continues Learned the Flight Game FYI, flights are always cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays which is a convenient brain break in the middle of the work week. Booking off-peak times, like Thursday or early Friday, can also seriously reduce fares. I took advantage of "working remotely" whenever possible. For one wedding in Washington, D.C., I saved $200 by flying in early Friday morning. I found the cutest local coffee shop in the city, and it ended up inspiring one of my best campaigns of the year! I didn't have to take a vacation day AND had some time to relax before the rehearsal dinner. Made It a Girls Trip Sharing a room with girlfriends was hands down the best way to cut costs. I loved the extra quality time with friends I rarely get to see. Plus, when you're looking at resort prices for the weekend, paying one-half or one-fourth of the room makes a huge difference. Orange PhotographiePrioritized my "Plus One" Sometimes the resort prices are worth it. Most weddings, I deferred my "plus one" to cut costs and room with my friends. Let's be honest, when you're in the wedding, you barely have time for your date anyway. But I prioritized bringing a guest for one super-romantic beach wedding. I knew everyone there would be in couples, so it was worth the investment to bring my date along. Minimized Meal Splurges The good news is when you're part of the wedding, you're usually invited to the rehearsal dinner, a bridal lunch, and the reception. That's at least three meals already taken care of! Food and drinks at destination locales can easily blow your budget. By minimizing my "fine dining" to one brunch or dinner, I still got to experience amazing restaurants without breaking the bank. PS Cocktails by the pool add up! Check yourself before ordering that third round. Aria StudiosHad to say "no" Missing a wedding is the absolute WORST. I still regret having to say "no" to a special friend's wedding in Florida last fall. But the only way I could make the weddings I was in work, was to cut out traveling to weddings where I wasn't included in the bridal party. It seems like a brutal standard when you read it, but it was honestly the only way I could draw a line for my budget. I wish I had all the money in the world to spend going to weddings. They're some of my happiest memories where love, friendship, and a beautiful location all come together for a perfect weekend. Each one is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the reality is, I ended up spending about 25% of my salary on weddings in 2016. Although it required a serious strategy, stricter budgets, and a few sacrifices, it was totally worth the investment. And I know when it's time for me to walk down the aisle, every one of those girls near and far will be right by my side. Style Me Pretty Contributor - Madeline Littrell is a corporate PR strategist and freelance writer. Born and raised in the South, she loves big hair, country music, and chicken fingers. Madeline lives in Dallas with her Sheltie puppy, Tennessee. In his 60 Minutes interview airing Sunday, former White House strategist/current Breitbart chief Steve Bannon tells Charlie Rose hes a street fighter. Rose simpers hes more than that. Nope street fighter, Bannon insists. Thats what I am. Youre more than that, Rose counter-insists. Im a street fighter, Bannon shoots back, as the interview begins to resemble an all-guy The Golden Girls reboot. Bannon wins that round, and expands on his street fighter theme: By the way, I think thats why Donald Trump and I get along so well. Donald Trumps a fighter great counter-puncher, he says. Now out at the White House and back at Breitbart, Bannon says he will be Trumps wing man outside. So you will not be attacking Donald Trump? Rose wonders. Bannon insists he will not, and instead will make sure his enemies know that theres no free shot on goal. Rose forgets to ask Bannon who gets to decide who are Trumps enemies. Bannon moves on to the Charlottesville situation, boasting he was the only guy that came out and tried to defend Trump after POTUS initial remarks and infamous Incendiary Tuesday Trump Tower Presser. I was the only guy that said, Hes talking about something, taking it up to a higher level, Bannon bragged. That higher level being an assertion that taking down statues of Confederate soldiers will end in the tearing down of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., and maybe pulling Winston Churchills bust from the White House. Rose wasnt letting that go, and counters that many people thought Trump should have focused on denouncing from the very beginning, neo-Nazis and white supremacists and people of that political view. And it should have gone there. Because those were people that Americans in World War II went to fight against, and [he] should instantly have denounced them. Story continues And you didnt, at first instinct, Rose scolded Bannon of the White House reax. In fact, you seemed to be doubling down, in terms of a moral equivalency. Bannon street-fought back: What he was trying to say is that people that support the monument staying there peacefully, and people that oppose that, thats the normal course of First Amendment. Bannon did say neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates and the KKK are absolutely awful theres no room in American politics for that. Theres no room in American society for that. All Trump was saying, Bannon continued, returning to his moral-equivalency theme, is, where does it end? Does it end in taking down the Washington Monument? Does it end in taking down Mount Rushmore? Does it end at taking Churchills bust out of the Oval Office? When you side with a man, you side with him. I was proud to come out and try to defend President Trump in the media that day, Bannon preened. If youre going to break, then resign. If youre going to break with him, resign. The stuff that was leaked out that week by certain members of the White House I thought was unacceptable, he added. Rose wasnt sure who Bannon was talking about. Bannon spelled it out: Im talking obviously, about Gary Cohn and some other people. So, Gary Cohn should have resigned? Rose asked. Absolutely, Bannon shot back. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avfCush5UMI&w=620&h=340] Related stories Charlie Rose Lands Steve Bannon Interview For '60 Minutes' George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julianne Moore Talk 'Suburbicon', American Anger & Next President? - Venice SXSW Adds Ta-Nehisi Coates As Keynote, Hasan Minhaj & Mark Cuban As Featured Speakers A suicide bombing struck the U.S.'s largest military base in Afghanistan Wednesday, hours after an Army general apologized for dropping leaflets found offensive by many in the Muslim country. An explosion rocked the entrance to Bagram Air Base, located near Kabul, causing a number of casualties. The attack, which has been claimed by the Taliban Islamist militant group, comes hours after Major General James Linder apologized for spreading images of a dog, which is considered an unclean animal in Islam, under a superimposed Taliban flag, which bears the words "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." The phrase is an Islamic expression of faith known as the shahada and comes from the Quran. Related: U.S. Military in Afghanistan Says Sorry For Offensive Leaflets With Dog Insult To Muslims "An explosion occurred outside an entry control point at Bagram Airfield at 5:38 p.m. local time today," a statement said, according to Reuters. "The explosion resulted in a small number of casualties," it said, adding that the airfield had been secures and the incident was under investigation. RTS1D9QJ Josh Smith/Reuters The leaflets, which were airdropped by U.S. aircraft, portrayed a large lion chasing the small, white dog with the Taliban logo on it and called on local Muslims to help U.S.-led coalition forces find and kill Taliban supporters. "Get your freedom from these terrorist dogs," the Pashto-language text read, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Help the coalition forces find these terrorists and eliminate them." The Taliban said Wednesday's attack was intended to "avenge" the leaflets and the militants claimed to have injured up to 20 people, according to a statement posted on Twitter by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. Story continues The latest assault comes weeks after President Donald Trump announced a new strategy to the U.S.'s longest-ever conflict, which began after the U.S. invaded in 2001 to overthrow the Al-Qaeda-allied Taliban after the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 16 years later, different U.S. administrations have struggled to curb ongoing insurgencies by the Taliban and, more recently, the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), as well. Trump has pledged more troops, but said he would no longer reveal soldier counts or other details of operations in order to avoid information falling into enemy hands. Trump said "nation-building" would no longer be a priority and that Washington would focus on "killing terrorists." RTS1CS36 U.S. Central Command/Department of Defense/Reuters The Pentagon revealed last week that there were 11,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, about 2,600 higher than previously reported. The true number of U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Syria is believed to be higher than the official figures as well, but the Pentagon refused to disclose these counts. Bagram Air Base once before became a focal point of local criticism over U.S. military presence in Afghanistan when Afghans working at the site discovered burned copies of the Quran in the garbage in 2012. Ensuing outrage over the incident led to massive protests nationwide and the deaths of dozens, including four U.S. military personnel, according to Reuters. This is a developing story. More information will be added when it becomes available. Related Articles Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 07:41:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TORONTO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock market fell Thursday due to a retreat in energy and financial stocks as investors tracked Hurricane Irma and falling global bond yields. The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite Index fell 35.3 points, or 0.23 percent, to 15,024.53. Half of the index' s 10 main groups were in the red, with telecoms down 1.1 percent. Enbridge Inc. was the biggest driver of the index' s decline, dropping 1.3 percent to 49.23 Canadian dollars, while Manulife Financial Corp declined 1.6 percent to 23.55 Canadian dollars. The energy group fell 0.6 percent. U.S. crude slipped on a bigger-than-expected crude stock build, as the restart of U.S. refiners after Hurricane Harvey was countered by the threat of Hurricane Irma. The financial services group declined 0.6 percent as Hurricane Irma impacted insurance companies and bank stocks were pressured by a drop in global bond yields. A 1.6 percent jump in consumer discretionary stocks was led by Dollarama Inc. Dollarama shares jumped 10.6 percent to 134.72 Canadian dollars after the company posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit. Hudson's Bay Co rosed 6.7 percent to 13.01 Canadian dollars, extending Wednesday's gains. The Canadian dollar leaped 0.75 cents to 82.48 cents U.S. while oil prices let go of 11 cents to 49.05 Canadian dollars and gold prices rallied 13.10 to 1,352.10 U.S. dollars an ounce. Enditem By Shoon LeiWinNaing and Simon Lewis YANGON/COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday her government was doing its best to protect everyone in the strife-torn state of Rakhine, as the estimated number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh leapt by 18,000 in one day, to 164,000. Suu Kyi did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya, which was sparked by insurgent attacks on Aug. 25 and an army counter-offensive, but said her administration was trying its best to take care of all citizens. Western critics have accused Suu Kyi of not speaking out for the Rohingya, some 1.1 million people who have long complained of persecution and are seen by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked. "We have to take care of our citizens, we have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens," Suu Kyi said in comments to Reuters Television's Indian partner, Asian News International. "Of course, our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be but, still, we try our best and we want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law," she said during a visit by Indian Prime Narendra Modi to Yangon. Suu Kyi on Tuesday blamed "terrorists" for "a huge iceberg of misinformation" on the strife in the northwestern state of Rakhine but made no mention of the Rohingya who have fled. She has come under increasing pressure from countries with Muslim populations, and this week U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned there was a risk of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar that could destabilise the region. In Washington, the U.S. State Department on Thursday voiced its concern "following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians". "We urge all in Burma including in the Rakhine state to avoid actions that exacerbate tensions there," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. The U.S. ambassador has met Myanmar officials to discuss "allegations of violence conducted by both the security forces and civilians" and access for humanitarian groups, she said. 'WE NEED TO WIPE OUT TERRORISM' Myanmar has said it is negotiating with China and Russia to ensure they block any Security Council censure over the crisis. Suu Kyi said the situation in Rakhine has been difficult for many decades and so it was "a little unreasonable" to expect her administration, which has been in power for 18 months, to have resolved it already. Myanmar says its forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against terrorists responsible for a string of attacks on the police and army since last October. Officials blame Rohingya militants for killing non-Muslims and burning their homes. "We need to wipe out the threat of the terrorism in those regions," Ko Ko Hlaing, a presidential adviser of the previous government said on Thursday at a forum arranged by military-owned media to discuss the crisis. He said rehabilitation and development are important and the citizenship issue must be settled, but the first priority needed to be "the detoxification of dangerous ideology of extremism". Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, on Thursday posted what he said were "photos of Bengalis setting fire to their houses". The pictures of several sword-wielding women wearing headscarfs and men in Islamic prayer caps, or "Kufi", setting a house on fire, which were published in one of the country's leading newspapers, were also shared widely by the military. "These photos showing that Bengalis are torching their houses emerge at a time when international media have made groundless accusations of setting fire to Bengali houses by the government security forces and the killings of Bengalis," said the Eleven Media daily But the photographs sparked controversy on social media with many people who identified themselves as Myanmar Muslims saying they appeared staged. EXODUS COULD REACH 300,000 Rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh say the Myanmar army has been trying to force them out of Rakhine state with a campaign of arson and killings. Boatloads of exhausted Rohingya continued to arrive in the Cox's Bazar region of neighbouring Bangladesh on Thursday. The latest estimate by U.N. workers operating there put arrivals in just 13 days at 164,000, up from 146,000 from the day before. U.N. officials in Bangladesh now believe the total number of refugees from Myanmar since Aug. 25 could reach 300,000, said Dipayan Bhattacharyya, who is Bangladesh spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP). The surge of refugees - many sick or wounded - has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands from previous spasms of violence in Myanmar. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food. "Many refugees are stranded in no-man's land between the border with Myanmar," medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement. "Even prior to the most recent influx, many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh lived in unsafe, overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, with little protection from the elements." It said more nurses, midwives and doctors had been brought in to tackle violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds and obstetric complications. (Additional reporting by Wa Lone in Yangon, Nurul Islam and Danish Siddiqui in Cox's Bazar and Mohammad Zargham in Washington; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Shri Navaratnam) So much for a smooth launch. Ride-hailing startup Taxify launched this week in London to a big PR-push and fanfare. Most of the coverage was about how this plucky startup was going to take on the Uber giant. But Taxify has now had to pause its operations in London after a transport union questioned if it had a license to operate, and official body Transport for London announced it would investigate Taxifys operations. Meanwhile, the startup has been tweeting drivers that download and use its app not to say they are "employed by Taxify." So what is going on? (UPDATE: Taxify has now issued a statement saying it has "done everything in its power to comply with the local regulations, but is faced by aggression from TfL." It says that running Taxify as a technology platform directing bookings to City Drive Services registered drivers is "completely compliant within the existing UK law, and is a common practice." TfL has revoked the license held by City Drive Services). A few months ago, Taxify applied for a license to operate a taxi service in London. This is important, because there is a big misunderstanding going on here about what Taxify is: its actually fleet management software in the cloud. Cab firms sign up for it, and use it to replace their tired old booking software, while Taxify takes a low fee. In other words, Taxify doesnt want to run cab or private car firms. It's basically a tech front for licensed cab firms that could never build and manage such complex software themselves. But to launch in London, it needed a way in. Well-placed sources say Taxify reached out to TfL in April about launch, but TfL was walling the firm, say the sources. Faced with a slow-moving bureaucracy, Taxify went ahead and literally bought a local cab firm, City Drive Services. This has a licence to operate with TfL, trading under two brand names, Avanti Car Service CityDrive and Sigma Car Service. For Taxify is not just a plucky little startup taking on Uber it's now backed by Chinese ride-hailing tech giant Didi Chuxing in China. Story continues Somehow, Taxify thought that just by buying a cab firm with a license, installing its cloud services and apps with the drivers, it could would then have carte blanche to launch its service in London. Er, no. Taxi regulation doesnt work like that. The powerful GMB Union wrote to TfL saying: "The decision to acquire an operator and not advise Transport for London (TfL) of a fundamental change to licensing conditions seems incompatible with the law." It questioned whether the firm is "fit and proper" to hold a licence with TfL, asking about driver safety, and saying there is "obfuscation" about how Taxify actually works and operates. They may well have a point. Taxify is clearly trying to shoe-horn its service into London, not by encouraging local players to sign up for its service, but by literally acquiring a local player and launching. Its not clear yet whether it had actually outlined this to TfL. But Founder and CEO Markus Villig says he has spoken to lawyers about the arrangement: We have literally sent them (TfL) an email every 3 days, so they knew very well we were launching. A TfL spokesperson said: Taxify is not a London licensed private hire operator. We are urgently investigating the nature and extent of its activities and will take action where appropriate. Taxify launched in Estonia in 2013 and now operates in 18 countries, mainly emerging markets like Eastern Europe and Africa. The startup claims to have more than 2.5 million customers, and recently announced a strategic partnership with Didi Chuxing in China. It has an all-in-one solution for taxi companies. Basically, a booking system with a consumer-facing app. Traditional taxi companies use Taxifys web-based dispatcher and fleet management systems to manage their back-end and unite under Taxifys consumer-facing app to stay competitive against expanding networks like Hailo and Uber. That then lowers Taxifys costs, allowing them to charge less. It then charges the cab firm a low monthly fee of about 12-15 per driver per month. Taxifys other focus is its rapidly growing Local Partner program, which allows entrepreneurs to set up their local Taxify business using a franchise model and become a city manager on a revenue share model. UPDATE: Taxify has now issued the below statement: A Michigan teen has gone above and beyond to help give two down-on-their-luck families homes of their own in his ongoing quest to end homelessness. Caleb White has worked for most of his life to help the needy in Detroit get back on their feet. When I was six, I saw a homeless man sleeping on the side of the road; this was the first time I had ever seen anybody homeless, ever, White, now 15, told InsideEdition.com. I asked my parents what it meant to be homeless and when they explained it, it really hit me. White wanted to help in any way he could, and with his familys assistance, the little boy put together care packages that he hoped would provide a source of comfort for anyone on the streets. I packed clothes and different supplies like toiletries to help them get through the winter months outside, he said. I went to downtown Detroit with my 10 boxes and handed them out. As White grew, so did his mission, and what began with 10 boxes eventually developing into a full-blown non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need. Read: Why This 14-Year-Old Boy Gave His Brand New Sneakers To a Homeless Man And this year, White fulfilled a nearly lifelong goal: To give the homeless homes of their own. I always had that dream, and its actually just happened, he said. Its great. The Caleb White Projects Board comprised of eight members all under the age of 18 came together with the Detroit Rescue Mission and the Lowes Heroes program in August to renovate a duplex from top to bottom for two homeless families. They were down there every day, White said of the many volunteers, including 300 Lowe's employees, who worked around the clock to ensure the homes were ready in time for the big reveal. They were just hardworking and amazing. On Aug. 26, the two families of four were given the keys to their own homes. They were blown away by what they saw. Story continues Read: Teens Surprise Man With Chick-fil-A Gift Cards After Seeing Him Go Hungry When they went in and we actually got to take them through the houses, they were just shocked; it was a really cool thing to see, White said. They kind of melted down. They were beyond happy. White believes it was the little touches that meant the most. We got their address engraved on a little plaque, and it really symbolized they have somewhere to go and call their own, he said. When youre getting back on your feet, to have something you know you own, thats big. They were insanely thankful... and then they saw it was a bunch of kids [who helped orchestrate the effort] that was great. Though hes accomplished a long-standing goal, White hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Our next big thing were going to do is open a youth leadership center in one of the buildings owned by the Detroit Rescue Mission, he explained. Younger kids from our volunteer list will be able to come down if they want to start a club or teach a class, they can do that. And were going to bring the kids in from the shelters to do these things. He hopes such a center will serve as a resource for young people of all backgrounds to experience things they never had before and show that anything is possible, regardless of age. I think its really important for kids to lead, make something of their own, he said. Start small every little thing counts. Watch: Homeless Girl 'So Happy' After Receiving Donated Backpack for School Year Related Articles: Lome (AFP) - Riot police fired tear gas at massive crowds gathered in Togo's capital late Thursday, breaking up the huge opposition protests against President Faure Gnassingbe's regime. Demonstrators, blowing whistles and waving Togo's green, yellow and red flag, had said they were determined to stay in the streets "all night" but were finally made to disperse by security forces. In Be, a working-class district of Lome, small groups of protesters set fire to barricades. "Faure, get out, you're driving us mad," shouted one young male demonstrator. The rest of the city remained quiet, even as many residents had set up makeshift barricades in the streets, using tyres and rocks. The protesters, shouting "Liberate, liberate Togo!", had marched calmly during the day Wednesday and Thursday, but had been blocked from heading to the presidency, according to AFP journalists on the scene. Togo's political opposition has long demanded the introduction of a two-round voting system and a limit to the number of terms a president can serve. Gnassingbe, who has repeatedly promised to look into the reforms but never implemented them, took power in 2005 after the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who was installed as head of state of the tiny West African nation in 1967 after a military coup. "We're tired. Enough is enough," said one woman who gave her name as Agnes, 64. "I've known the same family since I was 14. Let's liberate Togo so these children can see something else." Protesters are demanding constitutional reforms, including limiting the president to two terms in office and a two-round election vote. "We are going to stay on the streets until he listens to us," another protester, Jonas Badagbo, told AFP. "We want Faure to re-establish the 1992 constitution and him to leave office," added the 29-year-old. Veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre told AFP he was moved by the thousands of people who had turned out for the protest. Story continues "To see the Togolese people rise up as one is a source of great satisfaction," he said. "I'm overcome with emotion." Observers say the scale of the protests is unprecedented, which explained the heavy security. One said there was "a lot of tension in the air" and more people than Wednesday. - Internet problems - Mobile internet services were cut in Togo on Thursday, after an estimated 100,000 or more protesters turned out across the country on Wednesday. On social media sites Facebook and Twitter, which were still accessible using intermittent wifi access in the capital, users called for services to be restored. The Internet Without Borders group said the shutdown was "an attack on Togolese citizens' freedom of expression online". Amnesty International's Togo director, Aime Adi, told AFP by telephone that the internet and mobile phone networks were completely off in several cities in northern Togo. Information minister Gilbert Bawara has told several local radio stations that the government reserved the right to impose restrictions on access to the internet. Amnesty's Adi said similar protests were taking place outside Lome, including in Sokode, 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of the capital, where two protesters were killed last month. In Bafilo, north of Lome, about 100 protesters had blocked traffic on the main road, he added. Gnassingbe won elections in 2010 and 2015 but the opposition disputed the results and hundreds of people lost their lives during violent protests after the votes. Transparency International ranked Togo 116th out of 176 countries in its annual corruption Perceptions Index last year. Togo was 166th out of 188 countries in the UN Development Programme's human development report, which looks at areas such as levels of income, health and education. AFP contacted the presidency repeatedly for comment on the protests but without response. On Tuesday, a tentative plan was announced for constitutional reform. But parliament, which has to approve it, is not due to return from its summer break until next month and exact details of the plan were vague. Police in northern Virginia arrested the wife of an ethics lawyer for President Donald Trump's business organization on Tuesday. The arrest occurred after officers investigated a "suspicious" incident in the backseat of a car outside the Adult Detention Center in Fauquier County between Teresa Jo Burchfield and an inmate trustee. Burchfield, 53, is married to attorney Bobby R. Burchfield, a veteran Republican Party attorney and partner at Washingtons King and Spalding, who was named ethics advisor to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust when Trump assumed office. According to a criminal complaint filed by the Fauquier County General District Court, Burchfield and a 23-year-old inmate engaged in sexual activity when deputies caught them, Fauquier Times reported Thursday. The unidentified inmate had "trustee status," which means he was held on "minimal charges" and "authorized to perform work inside and outside of the detention center and sheriffs office facilities," according to the sheriffs office. Officials allowed the inmate to work outside of the correction center and he had allegedly been socializing with Burchfield for a month, according to the report. The inmate was in possession of pills, unauthorized cigarettes and clothes allegedly supplied by Burchfield. Screen Shot 2017-09-07 at 6 Photo: Fauquier County Jail "During the investigation on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 5, 2017, detectives discovered an inmate and a female in the rear seat of a vehicle in a parking lot adjacent to the detention center facility," the sheriffs office said in a press release. "The inmate was found in possession of suspected vitamin supplement pills and other unauthorized articles alleged to have been obtained from the female." Officials charged Burchfield with willfully delivering unauthorized articles to a confined prisoner, which is a class 1 misdemeanor. She was released on $5,000 secured bond, the sheriffs office said. According to state law, Burchfield faces up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine if found guilty. Story continues According to her website, Burchfield worked for ObjectVideo, a firm dedicated to homeland security technology. "Terris background with the internet is noted by her former employment as Vice President at Dimension Data," the website read. "Dimension Data is a leading global technology company that builds and manages the IT infrastructures that enable companies to operate efficiently and collaborate seamlessly." Bobby Burchfield served as general counsel to former President George H.W. Bushs re-election campaign. He was assigned to President George W. Bushs Antitrust Modernization Commission and worked as an attorney for President Bushs 2000 election recount effort. Related Articles By Catherine Ngai HOUSTON (Reuters) - More than 55 public school and charter districts in Texas remained closed on Friday, officials said, and tens of thousands of the state's students must be relocated to unfamiliar schools this year after Hurricane Harvey damaged their homes or classrooms. In some districts, officials still have not said when schedules can resume. An as-yet undetermined number of schools will remain too damaged to use for much of the year, adding more uncertainty to families recovering from Harvey's aftermath. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) said nearly 10 of the 55 districts that are closed will remain so until further notice. In Houston, the seventh largest U.S. school district, the first day of school was set for Monday, though many schools will remain shut due to flooding damage. Some Houston school buildings will not reopen this year. Students from nine schools that suffered the worst damage will start classes after being relocated to temporary campuses, officials said. "We've already started identifying other campuses close to these schools to relocate and co-locate," said Houston independent superintendent Richard Carranza. Earlier this week, he said many as 20,000 students could be affected through 20 campuses. In Aransas, Texas, near where the storm first made landfall, every school building received some damage, officials said. In nearby Corpus Christi, a spokeswoman said the district has received 118 new students from other regions, who have been displaced by the storm. She added that the number could grow. Planning is difficult in Texas, where students can show up to a neighborhood public school and enroll on the first day. State and federal laws allow displaced students to attend the school nearest their temporary home or be bused to their original school, according to the TEA. Officials at YES Prep Public Schools, a charter school system in the Houston area with nearly 13,000 students, opened Thursday, said Mark DiBella, chief executive. Story continues "Part of why we want to open this week is about who shows up and who doesn't," he said. In Port Arthur, Texas, classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 18. In nearby Beaumont, the school district, with nearly 20,000 students, is still assessing damages. Opening classrooms for the first time is a must to help students adjust, said Anna Caudle, who works at a YES Prep high school. She met some YES Prep students while volunteering at a Houston emergency shelter. "I saw some of my kids' faces light up when they saw me," she said. "Their first question was 'When does school start back up? I want to be at school.'" (Reporting by Catherine Ngai; Editing by David Gregorio) Timelapse footage captured Oregons Eagle Creek fire burning through the night in North Bonneville, Washington, on September 4. The blaze, believed to have been started by a teenager playing with fireworks, originated on Saturday and grew to 10,000 acres by Monday, spreading to the Columbia River Gorge by Tuesday. Mark Eifert shot the video as the fire intensified on Monday night. Credit: Mark Eifert via Storyful By John Zodzi LOME (Reuters) - Togo security forces fired tear gas at hundreds of anti-government protesters carrying out a late night sit-in at an intersection in central Lome as part of a bid to end the 50-year-old Gnassingbe family dynasty, witnesses said on Thursday. The move to disperse the crowds comes after two days of mass country-wide protests involving tens of thousands of people that have amounted to the biggest challenge to Faure Gnassingbe's rule since he succeeded his late father 12 years ago. In the past, security forces have violently suppressed protests, killing at least two people during an opposition march in August and hundreds after the contested election in which Gnassingbe took power in 2005. But up until late on Thursday, police officers armed with batons had watched passively at protesters wearing the red, pink and orange T-shirts of the opposition, who danced and blew whistles as they wound through the streets of the capital Lome. It was not immediately clear how the opposition would respond to the security forces' intervention with tear gas late on Thursday. The head of the main ANC opposition party, Jean-Pierre Fabre, had earlier pledged to remain seated on the tarmac of the Dekon crossroads until Gnassingbe left power. "We want the end of this 50-year-old Gnassingbe regime. Enough is enough," Kodjo Amana, a 42-year-old baker, shouted over a chanting crowd earlier in the day. The protests in the West African country of 8 million people have proceeded despite widespread reports of network outages confirmed by non-governmental organisation Internet Without Borders. Other African incumbents in Gabon and Cameroon have used network cuts to control criticism and suppress protests at sensitive times. Residents said that text messages had also been blocked on Thursday. The communications minister could not be reached for comment, although another minister said earlier this week that the cuts had been carried out for security reasons. "VERY FRAGILE" The president's father Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power in a coup in 1967, a few years after the territory known as "French Togoland" that was once in German hands became independent from colonial power France. The current president this week sought to appease opponents by tabling a draft bill to reform the constitution and reintroduce a two-term limit that his father scrapped in 2002. But opposition leaders are sceptical about the implementation of the reforms that the government has stalled on for more than a decade and Prime Minister Komi Selom Klassou confirmed on Thursday that the term limits would not apply retroactively. That could mean that Gnassingbe, 51 and currently in his third term, could remains in power for two more mandates from the next election, until 2030. Gnassingbe sent a Tweet from his official account on Thursday, saying that he had met with the U.N. Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, on the subject of reforms. A spokesman for the latter confirmed the meeting without elaborating on its content. State TV said Thursday evening that parliament, which still needs to approve the bill, will meet for an emergency session on September 12. However, if the protests resume, analysts say Gnassingbe may find himself isolated amid growing criticism of autocratic rule in West Africa. "The president's position is very fragile and we do not think his peers in ECOWAS or his friends in Europe will help him if things get ugly," said the head of research at NKC African Economics, Francois Conradie. Togo, a regional financial hub that aspires to be an African Singapore, is at odds with West African neighbours which mostly have laws restricting presidential mandates. The government, along with Gambia's, voted in 2015 against introducing them across the 15 members of the ECOWAS regional body which Gnassingbe currently chairs. Since then, Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh has been voted out of power. African rulers, notably in Rwanda, Burundi and Burkina Faso, have moved to drop term limits in recent years in order to remain in power. In some cases this has sparked strong opposition that has led to violent unrest; in others, leaders have been driven from power, as happened in Burkina Faso. (Additional reporting and writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Diane Craft) Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 07:56:22|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CHICAGO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will deal no punishment to the United Airlines (UA) over its passenger-dragging scandal that happened at Chicago O' Hare International Airport in April this year. DOT has made this clear in a letter sent to the airline in May this year. And the letter remained unknown until non-profit organization Flyers Rights obtained it under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and released it Wednesday, President of Flyers Rights Paul Hudson told Xinhua Thursday. DOT Assistant General Counsel Blane Workie wrote in the letter "there was no evidence that United discriminated against any of the passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding on Flight 3411 based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry." "We generally pursue enforcement action when a carrier exhibits a pattern or practice of noncompliance with the Department's consumer protection regulations and Federal anti-discrimination statutes that we enforce," Workie wrote. In his email to Xinhua, Hudson said "it should be clear that removing Dao from Flight 3411 in such a brutal manner and without legal notice was egregious in every sense of the word." DOT's conclusion that UA's conduct did not warrant an enforcement action is a dereliction of duty, Hudson said. Dr. David Dao was forcibly dragged from an overbooked UA flight on April 9, a scene that has been captured by fellow passengers in their cell phones and circulated online and went viral, triggering nationwide condemnation. It took 107 days for DOT to respond to Flyers Rights' FOIA Request, according to a newsletter from Flyers Rights. UA has reportedly reached a settlement with Dao. By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would be willing to step in and mediate the worst dispute in decades among the U.S.-allied Arab states and Qatar, and said he thinks a deal could come quickly. "If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so, and I think you would have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said at a joint news conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, which is home to the region's biggest U.S. military base. The nations say Doha supports regional foe Iran and Islamists, charges Qatar's leaders deny. Kuwait has been trying to mediate the dispute. "What is important is that we have stopped any military action," Sheikh Sabah said. While both sides in the dispute have ruled out the use of armed force, some ordinary Qataris have said they worry about the possibility of military action, given the ferocity of the criticism their country has received from media in the four Arab states. Sheikh Sabah said he had received a letter from Qatar that expressed willingness to discuss a list of 13 demands from its neighbors. "We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable," Sheikh Sabah said, referring specifically to issues that affected Qatari sovereignty. "A great part of them will be resolved," he said. For its part, Doha said Trump had called Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to discuss mediation efforts. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Al Jazeera TV that any mediation had to come "without conditions", reiterating that Doha would not negotiate while transport links with neighbors remained cut. The Arab powers responded with a joint statement accusing Qatar of putting preconditions on negotiations which it said showed a lack of seriousness in resolving the dispute. The four countries reiterated an accusation that Qatar continued to finance terrorism and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Qatari officials have repeatedly said the demands are so draconian that they suspect the four countries never seriously intended to negotiate them, and were instead seeing to hobble Doha's sovereignty. At the same time, they have said Qatar is interested in negotiating a fair and just solution to any legitimate issues of concern to fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member states. The joint statement praised what the countries called Trump's firm assertion that the only way to resolve the crisis was by stopping the support and financing of terrorism "and his unwillingness to resolve the crisis unless this is achieved". They expressed regret about the Kuwaiti emirs comment about stopping military intervention. "The military option was not and will not be (used) in any circumstance," the statement said. (Reporting by James Oliphant in Washington and Reem Shamseddine in Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Writing by Roberta Rampton and William Maclean; Editing by James Dalgleish) By Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With no palatable military options, U.S. President Donald Trump may ultimately have no choice but to give diplomacy a chance to end the crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. For now, though, he is pursuing tougher economic sanctions, including an oil embargo, and opposed to making any concessions that might look like appeasement, insisting that more pressure on the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is needed before it is time to talk. North Korea seems even more opposed to negotiations until it has achieved the ability to attack the continental United States with nuclear weapons. "North Korea is not interested in dialogue. ... Kim Jong Un has sent a message with this last test that he doesn't listen to anybody," said a senior official who helps coordinate the European Union's North Korea policy. So for now, despite calls from Russia, China, and others, there is no push from the United States or North Korea for direct talks, despite an escalating crisis that threatens millions of lives after North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last weekend. The Trump administration says the United Nations needs to tighten economic sanctions to pressure North Korea to change its behavior and start talking. A draft sanctions resolution was circulated to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday. Trump's tactics, one senior administration official said on the condition of anonymity, mirror those in many of his business deals: simultaneously playing good cop and bad cop, not appearing too interested in making a deal but keeping lines of communication open. Trump said on Wednesday after a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that military action against North Korea was not a first choice, "but we will see what happens." Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said on Sunday that Kim was "begging for war," but added: "The time has come for us to exhaust all of our diplomatic means before it's too late." The United States wants the Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean laborers abroad and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the draft had the support of North Korean ally China, which along with Russia, while denouncing the latest test, has said that resolving the nuclear crisis is impossible with sanctions and pressure alone. [L4N1LN25F] A decade of sanctions has not slowed North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and now that it is closer to its goal, diplomats and analysts say it is unlikely to back down. ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTION "The U.S. policy of strategic patience on North Korea has assumed that time is on their side - that economic sanctions will eventually lead to the collapse of Kim Jong Un's regime and its economy, and it will come to the negotiating table, no longer able to withstand the economic pain," said Moon Chung-in, a special adviser to South Korea's president on foreign affairs and national security. "However, such an assumption has now proven wrong. North Korea's economy has not only adapted quickly to tightening sanctions, but the country has also succeeded in advancing its nuclear weapons programs despite more than a decade of economic hardship." Zhao Tong, a Beijing-based North Korea expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center, said Pyongyang may hope Washington ultimately will recognize it has developed a credible nuclear capability, abandon its long-standing precondition for talks - that North Korea accept that they be aimed at its nuclear disarmament - and instead seek the freezing its nuclear program. "From the North Korean perspective, their strategy is working," he said. Most experts say it no longer is realistic to think North Korea will trade away its nuclear arsenal in exchange for sanctions relief, economic support, or a peace treaty with the United States ending the formal state of war that has existed since the 1950-53 Korean War. Robert Einhorn, a former senior U.S. non-proliferation specialist now at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, said North Korea has learned from the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's decision to stop developing weapons of mass destruction "that you can't give up critical assets that you need for your own survival." China has put forth a "freeze-for-freeze" proposal that would suspend large-scale U.S. military exercises with South Korea in return for a suspension of North Korean nuclear and missile tests. Washington continues to reject that idea. But the longer diplomacy is delayed, the greater the chances that North Korea can master the ability to hit the U.S. mainland with nuclear-tipped missiles, and then enter talks from a position of strength. South Korea is keeping open the option of dialogue with North Korea, and hopes Washington and Seoul can develop a diplomatic "roadmap," Cho Hyun, South Korea's second Vice Foreign Minister, said at a seminar in Washington on Tuesday. "It may sound unrealistic today, but we cannot abandon it." (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Doina Chiacu and David Alexander in Washington, Robin Emmott in Brussels, Soyoung Kim and Heekyong Yang in Seoul, Philip Wen and Christian Shepherd in Beijing and Nobuhiro Kubo and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by James Dalgleish) Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump said Thursday that he believes there is a "chance" for a Middle East peace settlement, long one of the most elusive goals of US diplomacy. "I think we have a chance of doing it," he told reporters during a White House news conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Trump acknowledged that previous administrations had come close to, yet never reached, a deal between Israel and the Palestinians. But he said: "We're going to give it our best." The president said both sides wanted peace and that the United States had "tremendous talent" working on the problem. He did not mention his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who last month led a US delegation to the region to discuss reviving the peace process. Those talks were greeted with pessimism, although officials hope that better relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel can help propel a regional solution. Palestinian leaders have grown frustrated with the White House after initially holding out hope that Trump could bring a fresh approach to peace efforts despite his pledges of staunch support for Israel. But Palestinian leaders note the White House has not even clearly committed to a two-state solution to the conflict, in contrast to longstanding US policy. Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump infuriated Republicans on Wednesday by agreeing to ease US borrowing limits, forestalling a government shutdown and siding with opposition Democrats in a high-stakes Washington policy fight. Trump hailed a "very good" deal with Democratic lawmakers that will see the government funded and able to borrow all it needs until at least December 15, avoiding a disruptive shutdown. The deal will also provide billions in dollars of funding to help with the recovery from Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. "We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good," said a buoyant Trump after meeting leaders from both parties in the Oval Office. During that sitdown Treasury Secretary Steve Mnunchin was among the Republicans arguing for a long-term extension to the so-called "debt ceiling," before Trump shocked the room by jumping in to support Democrats' short-term fix. Afterward the president -- who based his political brand on being a consummate dealmaker -- was notably warm toward Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, who he repeatedly refered to as "Chuck and Nancy." "We're very glad the president accepted, it's for the good of the country," Schumer said with barely contained glee, describing the decision as "a really positive step forward." Republicans however were livid, believing that come December, Democrats -- a minority in both houses of Congress -- will be able to demand concessions to keep the government open ahead of key 2018 mid-term elections. That is likely to include extending protection against deportation to around 800,000 people brought to the United States illegally as children, without providing funding for Trump's "border wall" with Mexico. Just hours earlier, House speaker Paul Ryan had described a deal linking the debt ceiling and hurricane funding as a "ridiculous idea." Story continues "The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad," said Republican Senator Ben Sasse, in a terse and censorious response to news of the agreement. Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell distanced himself from the decision, referring to it as a deal between Trump and Democrats. "His feeling was that we needed to come together and not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis," McConnell said. Top Trump legislative advisor Marc Short said the move helped Congress and the White House "clear the decks" of thorny political problems and "enables us to focus on tax reform." Relations between Trump and Republican leaders have long been strained by policy disputes and the president's jabs on Twitter. In August, Trump publicly berated McConnell who he said "screamed" to replace Obama-era health care reforms for seven years and "couldn't get it done." Another senior administration official denied that Trump had sided with Democrats. "He didn't go with the Democrats, he went with the country's needs," the official said. "The country's needs, as he sees them right now, are to get many big legislative items tackled in short order by the end of this year," the official added. By Jonathan Stempel and Mica Rosenberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration's effort to temporarily bar most refugees from entering the country, ruling that those who have relationships with a resettlement agency should be exempt from an executive order banning refugees. A three-judge 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled that grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins of legal U.S. residents should be exempted from President Donald Trump's order, which banned travelers from six Muslim-majority countries. The ruling is the latest legal blow to the President's sweeping executive order barring travelers from Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, which the Republican president said was necessary for national security. The Justices said that the government did not persuasively explain why the travel ban should be enforced against close relatives of people from the six countries or refugees with guarantees from resettlement agencies. The 3-0 ruling takes effect in five days. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Trump's ban could be implemented on a limited basis, but should not be applied to people with "bona fide" relationships to people or entities in the United States. The government took a narrow view of that interpretation, which the state of Hawaii challenged in court. A lower court judge sided with Hawaii, and the 9th Circuit judges upheld that view. "It is hard to see how a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sibling-in-law, or cousin can be considered to have no bona fide relationship with their relative in the United States," the court said. The court also rejected the administration's argument that the written assurances provided by resettlement agencies obligating them to provide services for specific refugees is not a bona fide relationship. The agencies' advance preparation and expenditure of resources for each refugee "supports the district court's determination that a bona fide relationship with the refugee exists," the decision said. A Department of Justice spokeswoman said: "The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the Executive Branch's duty to protect the Nation." Neal Katyal, one of the attorneys who is representing the state of Hawaii, tweeted: "Rule of law is affirmed." Trump's first version of the executive order, signed in January, sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world before it was blocked by courts. The administration replaced that version of the ban with a new order in March in response to the legal challenges. The broader question of whether the revised travel ban discriminates against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution will be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in October. (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley in Washington DC; editing by Sue Horton and Grant McCool) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping proposal to speed the deployment of self-driving cars without human controls by putting federal regulators in the driver's seat and barring states from blocking autonomous vehicles. The House measure, the first significant federal legislation aimed at speeding self-driving cars to market, would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy up to 25,000 vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards in the first year. The cap would rise over three years to 100,000 vehicles annually. Representative Doris Matsui said the bill "puts us on a path towards innovation which, up until recently, seemed unimaginable." Automakers, business groups, and advocates for the blind praised the House measure. But one consumer group said the House bill did not do enough to ensure self-driving cars would be safe. Under the bill, manufacturers seeking exemptions must demonstrate self-driving cars are at least as safe as existing vehicles. States could still set rules on registration, licensing, liability, insurance and safety inspections, but not performance standards. Automakers would have to submit safety assessment reports to regulators, but the bill would not require pre-market approval of advanced vehicle technologies. The measure now goes to the Senate, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers has been working on similar legislation. Automakers and technology companies, including General Motors Co and Alphabet Inc's self-driving unit Waymo, hope to begin deploying vehicles around 2020. They have been pushing for new federal rules making it easier to deploy self-driving technology, but some consumer groups have sought additional safeguards. Current federal rules bar self-driving cars without human controls on U.S. roads. States have issued a variety of different rules in the absence of clear federal guidance, and automakers have complained that California's rules are too restrictive. U.S. senators might circulate their draft legislation this week. One sticking point is how to handle commercial self-driving trucks, which are not included in the House measure. The Senate version may also soften the provisions preempting state rules. Volkswagen AG and other automakers have been lobbying Congress to act, often bringing test vehicles to Capitol Hill so lawmakers can test out driverless cars. Advocates hope self-driving cars can help reduce U.S. road deaths, which rose 7.7 percent in 2015, the highest annual jump since 1966. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a 2014 study that U.S. traffic crashes cost society $836 billion a year in economic loss, with human error behind 94 percent of crashes. Consumer advocates want to give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration quicker access to crash data and more funding to oversee self-driving cars. "The autonomous vehicle bill just passed by the House leaves a wild west without adequate safety protections for consumers. It pre-empts any state safety standards, but there are none at the national level," the Consumer Watchdog group said in a statement. The policy group Transportation for America said cities are worried the House "legislation will preempt local authorities from managing their own streets and fail to give local leaders the confidence that manufacturers and operators will be aware of and follow local laws and regulations." On Tuesday, Reuters reported that U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will unveil revised self-driving guidelines next Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, citing sources, and the department confirmed plans to unveil the new guidelines next week. The House bill would require compliance with the guidelines. GM said in a statement that "while more work is needed," the House measure is "good progress toward a law that will facilitate realization of the safety, mobility, and environmental benefits of self-driving vehicles." The House bill would also require automakers to add a driver alert to check rear seating in an effort to prevent children from being left behind, and to consider performance standards for headlights. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski and David Gregorio) Even as the United States spearheads efforts to strangle North Koreas economy, Pyongyang is proving adept at evading one of the worlds most extensive sanctions regimes and raising sufficient illicit funds to bankroll a nuclear weapons program, according to U.N. experts. [A]s the sanctions regime expands, so does the scope of evasion, noted a recent report by a U.N. panel of experts monitoring enforcement of U.N. sanctions against North Korea, which is formally known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or DPRK. Lax enforcement of the sanctions regime coupled with the DPRKs evolving evasion techniques [is] undermining the goals of the resolutions that the DPRK abandon all WMD [weapons of mass destruction]. The contest to contain North Korea has developed into an international game of whack-a-mole, with Pyongyang popping up with new money-making ventures for every enterprise shut down as a result of U.S. and U.N. sanctions. At a time when key states, including China, have stepped up sanctions enforcement curbing imports of North Korean coal and reducing the size of diplomatic staff and bank accounts in their countries Pyongyang has found ways to circumvent those measures. The actual implementation of the sanctions lags far behind what is necessary to achieve the core goal of denuclearization, according to the leaked 109-page U.N. report that was supposed to be confidential. The report, which frets that North Koreas pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programs appears likely to continue at a rapid pace, was temporarily posted on a Ukrainian government website. A senior Ukrainian official told Foreign Policy that the report was published as the result of a technical error and that it has since been removed from the site. FP is posting a copy of the report. Since China suspended in February the import of North Korean coal, which brings in more than $400 million in yearly revenue for Kim Jong Uns regime, Pyongyang began rerouting coal to other Member States including Malaysia and Vietnam, according to the report. Story continues Officials in Pyongyang meanwhile are finding willing customers in Africa, where North Korea sell arms and communications systems and trains elite local security forces. They also have marked inroads in the Middle East, where North Korea has stepped up cooperation on chemical weapons and missile technology with Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. The U.N. panel is currently investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms cooperation between Syria and the DPRK. Those activities include joint work on Syrias Scud missile program and the maintenance and repair of Syrian surface-to-air missiles (SAM) air defence systems. The panel is also looking into reports that representatives of the sanctioned government-controlled Korea Mining Development Trading Corp. were supplying goods to front companies for Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Center, which has served as the nerve center of the Assad dynastys chemical weapons program for decades. The U.N. panel is carrying out a series of investigations into allegations that African governments, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, have hired North Korean military experts to train their police, military, and presidential guard units in violation of U.N. sanctions. The panel is also probing reports that North Korean experts are upgrading air defense systems and surface-to-air missile systems for Mozambique and Tanzania. Even as U.N. officials warn that North Korea has become adept at dodging sanctions, White House officials say they remain committed to ratcheting up restrictions on North Korea. We are going to continue a strategy of maximizing the worlds pressure on North Korea, said a senior administration official, briefing reporters on Thursday on the condition of anonymity. The administration believes the international community still has not matched the intensity of recent sanctions against Iran and Iraq, implying that American diplomats still have some leverage against the North short of military action. There is a long way yet to go, the official said. We are not doing sanctions for the sake of sanctions, the official added. We are doing them because they are a peaceful tool to bring about the denuclearization of the peninsula. The release of the panels findings coincides with a mounting standoff between the regime in Pyongyang, which recently tested a powerful nuclear explosive, and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to unleash fire and fury like the world has never seen on North Korea. Speaking outside the White House on Sunday, Defense Secretary James Mattis warned that any attack against the United States could result in the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, though he said the government hoped to avoid such an outcome. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is meanwhile mounting a fresh effort to secure U.N. support for a resolution that would permit U.S. warships to forcibly board and seize North Korean vessels that are in violation of U.N. sanctions. A U.S. draft resolution, which was obtained by FP, would also ban all North Korean exports of oil, natural gas, and textiles and impose sweeping travel and financial sanctions on Kim, his government, and the ruling Workers Party of Korea. During an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, Haley acknowledged that the strategy of incrementally ratcheting up pressure has failed to curtail North Koreas nuclear ambitions. She said the United States will also scrutinize the conduct of countries that do business with Pyongyang, charging that they are giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions. Just last month, Haley negotiated the passage of a resolution that banned exports of coal and seafood to punish North Korea for launching two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July. But that measure has done nothing to change the countrys conduct. Despite our efforts over the past 24 years, the North Korean nuclear program is more advanced and more dangerous than ever, Haley said. They now fire missiles over Japanese airspace. They now have ICBM capabilities. They now claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb. In a phone call last week that followed a North Korean missile launch that passed over Japan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that it would be counterproductive and dangerous to impose new sanctions. Russian leader Vladimir Putin also said his government firmly opposed the imposition of an oil embargo on North Korea. We should not act out of emotions and push North Korea into a dead end, Putin said, according to South Korean reporters cited by the New York Times. Chinese and Russian officials have floated proposals that the United States and South Korea freeze military actions in exchange for a halt to North Korean missile and nuclear tests. The administration official dismissed that argument on Thursday. Were just not going to do that, he said. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Ri Jong Ho, a North Korean defector who helped his government evade sanctions, said the sanctions never inflicted pain or hurt on the regime and North Koreas Chinese business partners paid little heed to sanctions. When the Chinese government tells them to stop, then they stop for a few days and start again, he said. William Newcomb, a former member of the U.N. panel of experts for North Korea, said he had doubts that China and Russia would ultimately approve a broad set of sanctions blocking North Korean fuel imports. But he believes the sanctions, however porous, have driven up the costs of pursuing nuclear weapons. I think they are having a damaging effect on the economy, even though we all know evasion is still occurring, Newcomb said. But the pace of developments in the missile and nuclear program suggests that the U.N. got there with too little, too late. Staff writer Elias Groll contributed reporting to this article. Photo credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 08:16:29|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the country will stay engaged with the United States but wants its territorial integrity to be respected. The comments came amid tension following U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations last month that Pakistan is providing "sanctuaries" to terrorist groups, the charges Islamabad had rejected. Asif, who was briefing reporters on Thursday about the outcome of a three-day envoys' conference in Islamabad, focused on the on-going tense relationship between Pakistan and the United States and other important issues. "We want to stay engaged with the United States. But unfortunately people in Washington do not have a full comprehension of the facts," the foreign minister said. "Pakistan will defend its territorial integrity and will not compromise on national interests. We expect the U.S. to accept that," he said. He insisted that the United States must recognize realities on ground as Pakistan will not accept any pressure to make the country scapegoat. He said the envoy's conference reviewed, besides other key issues, relationship with the United States as well as India and the situation in Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S. new strategy. On Afghanistan, Asif insisted that the U.S.-led NATO could not win the war in spite of having more than 100,000 troops, adding that Pakistan should not be blamed for failure in Afghanistan. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Friday that it was moving the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln into position to provide humanitarian relief from Hurricane Irma if needed. The Navy said in a statement that the Abraham Lincoln, along with the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and transport dock ship New York, had been ordered to get underway on Friday and that a destroyer would join them. "These ships are capable of providing medical support, maritime civil affairs, maritime security, expeditionary logistic support, medium and heavy-lift air support," the statement said. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Uber's been in the headlines for the worst of reasons this year, and the bad news keeps on coming. Now, it looks like Uber is involved in yet another federal investigation. Authorities from the FBI's New York office are looking into whether Uber's Hell software illegally interfered with the operations of its competitor, Lyft. We've previously covered the computer program, which Uber secretly ran for two years. It used a vulnerability in Lyft's systems to spy on the company's drivers from 2014 to early 2016. They used the data to figure out which of their own drivers "double apped," meaning drove for both Lyft and Uber, and then tried to entice those drivers to work only for Uber. The key for investigators is whether the Hell software program actually consisted of unauthorized access to a computer. An Uber spokesman told The Wall Street Journal that the company is cooperating with the investigation. It's hard to fully describe the laundry list of woes Uber has faced over the past year, many of which were the result of the company's own toxic culture. They're currently the subject of multiple federal investigations, including an accusation of foreign bribery, not to mention lawsuits, including one over self-driving tech with Alphabet, Google's parent company. At the end of August, Uber finally announced Dara Khosrowshahi as its replacement for embattled former CEO Travis Kalanick; he clearly has his work cut out for him. The United States wants North Korea to stop testing, stop developing, and eventually stop having nuclear weapons that can target America and its allies. Washington cannot achieve this goal by sanctioning North Korea, because China will always allow Pyongyang enough support to avoid collapse, and North Korea knows it. And Washington cannot use its massive, advanced military to eliminate North Koreas nuclear capabilities. There is no way to be certain we would eliminate all of the weapons, and even if we did, North Korea has thousands of archaic but effective artillery pieces and more advanced rockets that could destroy Seoul and kill millions of people in days. So, by order of elimination, it looks like the only way North Korea is going to slow, end, or reverse its nuclear capabilities is because it wants to, and we wont find out if it is willing to negotiate restraints unless and until the United States and North Korea engage in some high-level discussions about the future of the Norths nuclear program and Pyongyangs real goals on the Korean Peninsula. Such engagement was preconditioned under the Obama administration, and so far under President Donald Trump, on some sign of restraint from North Korea. In the case of the Obama administration, the precondition was that the talks would include the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Such preconditions were politically important in the past to ensure that South Korean and Japanese leaders would retain confidence in Americas commitment to their security. However, the time for such conditions is past. The risks of a military conflict with North Korea is growing day by day, and the risks of a war breaking out by mistake or through unintended escalation is unacceptably high. Not talking has not slowed North Koreas advance, and sanctions (at least the ones we have available) alone will not achieve the desired result. While more economic pain can be inflicted, including through secondary sanctions on Chinese financial institutions, the Trump administration, which is sadly understaffed and unable to discipline itself, appears unable or unwilling to manage the North Korea crisis effectively. Story continues At a minimum, the United States needs to initiate military-to-military talks with North Korea as soon as possible. North Korea is the only country on the planet with nuclear weapons that we do not engage at a military-to-military level. Chinese, Russian, even Pakistani military leaders talk with our Joint Chiefs regularly and have the means to communicate quickly in a crisis. Not having such a proven and tested link with North Korea is now as close to security negligence as you can get. These specific discussions dont need to have any purpose other than to establish a relationship that could be used to manage a potential crisis. Of course, our South Korean and Japanese allies would need to be briefed before and after such talks, and perhaps even Chinese military counterparts could be included, but they need to happen sooner rather than later. The risk is unpredictably high that some unexpected act a lost fishing vessel, an axe-wielding soldier in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or a cyberattack with no return address could spark a hot war. That threat therefore must be managed now. If and when such talks take place, who knows where they might lead. Given how poorly the Trump administration has handled communications with North Korea and U.S. allies alike, it would seem a good venue for explaining to the North that not only are we committed to defend South Korea and Japan from any attack, but also that any attempt to sell nuclear weapons or nuclear materials would be an unacceptable escalation that would demand a direct U.S. response. But it would not be the first time such talks opened doors to other types of diplomatic engagement that can lead to other unexpected breakthroughs. Talks with Russian leaders in the 1980s led to important, ongoing arms control agreements. Any opportunity to convince North Korea to restrain its nuclear and missile programs would be an important chance that America must pursue, if for no other reason than the fact that showing the impossibility of such dialogue would make it easier to explain why China and others must do more to constrain the flow of funds and support to the North. Lastly, despite seemingly constant efforts to undermine the confidence Seoul has in Americas commitment to South Koreas defense, the Trump administration needs to play perfect ball on alliance management. Recent rumors that Trump might withdraw from the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, coming less than a few months after suggesting that South Korea should pay for the missile defenses that the United State is deploying, is the last such self-inflicted wounds. The United States and Trump must remain focused on big picture concerns that war with North Korea would be a disaster and that we must ensure that North Korea is deterred from attacking our allies and us. The best and indeed the only way to achieve those two outcomes is to maintain strong, vibrant, and undivided alliances with South Korea and Japan. The North Koreans are not going to do us any favors, and we shouldnt do them any. Photo credit: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused opposition leader Julio Borges of treason for embarking on a European tour to rally international powers against Caracas. Borges, who leads the National Assembly that Maduro effectively shut down by creating a new Constituent Assembly in July, has held meetings this week with the leaders of France, Spain, Germany and Britain, with Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday pledging her "unwavering support" for the opposition. "It makes no difference to me what Merkel says or the queen of England, in Venezuela we have justice. We don't take orders from London, or Madrid, or Washington," he told the new legislative body. The leftwing leader, who weathered a wave of protests from April to July that left 125 people dead but is facing a growing economic crisis, added that Borges must be tried for "treason to the fatherland," a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Legal actions have intensified against members of the opposition since the Constituent Assembly was sworn in on August 4. The body has created a "truth commission" to investigate several leaders for treason. Maduro accused Borges of conspiring with US President Donald Trump, who recently imposed tough new sanctions on Caracas. The Trump administration has denounced Maduro as a dictator. These sanctions bar US banks from trading in new bonds issued by the government or the state run oil company PDVSA. The goal is to restrict Venezuela's access to vital bond and equity markets. Late Thursday Maduro announced he would hold talks with holders of Venezuelan debt over the next two weeks to discuss the sanctions. He said the punishment is making it hard for the government to buy services, medicine or food from foreign companies. Dozens of people were injured in clashes between South Korean protesters and police Thursday as the US military added more launchers to the high-tech missile-defence system it installed in a southern town to better cope with North Korean threats. In South Korea, thousands of police officers in riot gear swarmed some 400 protesters who had been occupying a road leading to the site where the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence System, also known as THAAD, is installed in the rural town of Seongju. Six police officers and 32 other people were injured, none seriously, in the clashes, said a fire department official in Seongju who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. Several US military vehicles, including trucks carrying payloads covered in black sheets that appeared to be launchers, had been seen heading toward the site. South Korean officials say THAAD will strengthen the country's missile defences, which now rely on Patriot-based systems, and will deter North Korea, which has missiles that can be fired from road-mobile launchers or submarines. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that she wanted European Union sanctions against Russia lifted, but only once peaceful conditions had been achieved in eastern Ukraine. Speaking at an election campaign rally in the eastern town of Strasburg, Merkel said Russia's grave violations of international law made sanctions necessary. "I spend much of my time working to achieve reasonable, good relations with Russia," Merkel said, adding that she was trying, along with France, to achieve "peaceful conditions" in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow-backed separatists are fighting a war against the Kiev government. "The moment we get that, we will also lift the sanctions," she said, adding that Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and its backing for separatists were "against the principles that we have had in place since World War Two". If Russia's actions were allowed to stand, there was a risk they would be repeated, Merkel said. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Last week, Harvard University's student newspaper dropped jaws and raised eyebrows when it reported a staggering portion of legacy students within its class of 2021. That number has since been revised significantly lower, but it's eye-popping all the same: A full 29.3 percent of the class of 2021, now sophomores, has a relative who attended the university, reported the Harvard Crimson, surveying half of the class population a larger percentage than the three previous classes. More than one in six, or 17.5 percent, could say one or both parents attended. As MarketWatch's Jillian Berman noted, Harvard College's frequently asked questions webpage even states, under "Applying to Harvard" and "Criteria," "Among a group of similarly distinguished applicants, the daughters and sons of Harvard College alumni/ae may receive an additional look." And Harvard is certainly not alone. Daniel Golden, a senior editor a ProPublica, literally wrote the book on preferential treatment of college applicants with parents or other relatives who've attended the elite schools to which they're applying. It's called "The Price of Admission." Golden recently wrote about the "curious" Harvard acceptance of the senior adviser to President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, who is also the president's son-in-law, and Golden has a new volume, "Spy Schools," on the exploitation of American universities by the U.S. intelligence community, in the works. In light of the new figures from the Crimson, Golden answered some questions from International Business Times on what the prevalence of legacies at elite schools means for inequality and high-performing high schoolers whose parents didn't graduate from the Ivy League or any university, for that matter. What follows is an interview edited and condensed for clarity and length. Youve written extensively on universities preferences for children of alumni particularly alumni donors at elite American universities. Were you surprised when you saw the (corrected) nearly 30 percent figure reported by the Harvard Crimson? Im not stunned by it; 17.5 [percent], if thats accurate to the whole class I mean, there might be some bias as to who responds to this survey and who doesnt but if its accurate to the whole class, its a little higher than what Im used to hearing about at Harvard. Its also noteworthy, by the way, that the 17.5 percent is just students who have one or more parents at Harvard College. They didnt ask about any Harvard affiliation. They could be students who have parents who went to the Law School or the Business School or the Medical School, and [that] may not officially qualify as preference, but could well be taken into account [during the admissions process]. I think, overall, it suggests that Harvard is adhering quite vigorously to its long-time policy of giving an admissions preference to the children of its graduates. And as I argued in my book, that preference often becomes greater if the parents are particularly wealthy or philanthropic. Maybe Im missing something, but what is the incentive for schools to give children of alumni an additional look, as Harvards FAQ page puts it? Has it been proven that alumni parents are more likely to donate if they have a child attending? Is there some other benefit of giving students a slightly-higher chance of obtaining such a coveted opportunity partly because their parents got that opportunity? Well, I think the primary motivation for legacy preference is financial, and that the colleges feel that the alumni will be more generous if their children are accepted. And [colleges] also fear the converse: that [alumni] will be less generous if their children are rejected. I think its just a matter of common sense if youre a parent and you went to one college and your child is turned down by that college and goes to another college, you may divert some of your philanthropic giving to the college where your child enrolls, rather than the college that you went to, but that wouldnt take your kid. Some alumni do get quite upset if their children arent admitted, if they feel they shouldve been. That being said, as I point out in my book, I think that this is not a huge danger to universities that alumni would get upset about their children being rejected, and particularly a school as wealthy as Harvard. If a few alumni are alienated and reduce their giving, it wont threaten Harvards continued existence. The other thing is that a university as great as Harvard, or other great schools, should be able to raise money based on the strengths of their programs, their international influence, the groundbreaking research theyre doing. Id be more sympathetic to a university that didnt stand out in any way, trying to leverage admissions into raising money, because they might not have much else to sort of boast about or offer. But a place like Harvard, Yale or Stanford, I mean, these are great universities that should be able to attract donors just on the basis of being associated with excellence, innovation and brilliant scholarship. In my book, I pointed to a number of universities that have done quite well fundraising, even though theyre among the few that dont have legacy preference. And they do it by having a distinct, unique curriculum or approach to education or quality in a certain field that attracts donors who want to be associated with high-quality work. So do you think theres not really a real or rational connection between the incentive to receive aid from wealthy donor alumni, at the cost of perhaps slackening admissions requirements for their kids, and declines in public funding of postsecondary education, given the relatively small sum that comes from alumni donations? They have enormous endowments, but of course they always want more, and they would point, Im sure, to a lot of expenses they have, like financial aid, keeping up the physical plant. Just like for-profit companies, non-profit entities, they dont like to see any shrinkage in their assets. And to some extent their constituencies measure them by how well theyre doing and fundraising. Its a competitive thing against other colleges, how big their endowments are. So to them, its another measure of excellence and so they want to stay on top of it. With Harvard and other Ivies, were talking about private universities, but what about public ones? Public universities, theyre increasingly engaging in private fundraising as well, because, as you mentioned, their budgets are squeezed in terms of appropriations. A couple of other trends to point to with the private universities is that the percentage of alumni who donate in general is going down. I wrote about this in a piece in the last year or so, that a smaller percentage of alumni are kind of small, grassroots, like, Ill give a few hundred bucks a year to my university. And the rate of tuition increases has declined. Obviously, theyre still raising tuition, but not by as much in percentage terms as they mightve done 15 years ago. And, so, between those two things, and additional financial obligations, like more financial aid, universities are increasingly reliant on big donors people who will give them million-dollar or multi-million-dollar gifts, and those are the kind of people who expect that in return for their generosity, their children will get a significant leg up in the admissions process. So, in a way, the preference both for legacies and for the development cases, the kids of rich people who didnt go to Harvard those preferences are probably even more ingrained today than when I wrote my book 10 years ago. Is the disproportionate share of legacy students at elite universities blocking or pushing out lower-income, minority and maybe DACA applicants without connections, or is this zero-sum thinking? Nearly half of these legacy students, after all, come from households with incomes of $500,000 or more, the Crimson found. Theres also the argument that colleges need students from wealthier families who pay full tuition, or something close, to afford to take in students from poorer families, who cant. Whats your take on that? I mean, look at those Crimson data. Im sure they show that, if you look at the monetary section, that legacies on average tend to be more affluent, and also more white, than the general student body. If youre getting legacies, I suppose you could say that probably reduces the amount of financial aid that they have to pay out, just because legacies generally dont need financial aid. In terms of whos being pushed out, thats a very complicated question. I think, to some degree, the people probably most victimized are the very strong Asian-American candidates and white candidates who dont have connections or a particularly large amount of money. To some degree, underrepresented minority groups, like African Americans and Hispanics they may be pushed out as well, but they do have affirmative action as some level of their own preference. And so, if you have preference for legacies and development cases, you have preference for recruited athletes, you have preference for underrepresented minorities, now they have preference for first-generation students, whose parents didnt, and no one in a previous generation went to college. There are other preferences its a long list. But whos pushed out? It would seem logical to think that its the ones who dont have any form of preference, which would be, often, Asian-American students who have very high grades and test scores, but they arent protected by affirmative action and most of them are not legacies. Some might be recruited athletes, but probably not a very high percentage. And working class, middle class kids who a parent went to college, so theyre not first-generation, they may not be recruited athletes and a parent didnt go to Harvard and the familys not rich enough to make a donation. Those kinds of kids who dont have any kind of preference are going to be the ones increasingly marginalized, when all they have to offer is an excellent academic record. Also in danger of being squeezed out are probably kids who have tremendous potential but not necessarily a tremendous academic record because they went to a mediocre high school, or they were ill a lot of the time, or theres a lot of mobility in the family, and I often feel that universities dont necessarily take the time to identify those kids who have tremendous promise, but, for reasons outside their control, havent always been able to fulfill it, but could if given the chance. Is it accurate to conclude, then, given the social mobility that comes with an elite university degree, that preference for legacy students exacerbates income inequality? I certainly think it does. Legacy preference certainly contributes to any other preference I mentioned, [like] development preference. They certainly contribute to inequality in our society because they reward families that are already affluent, successful and already in a position to give their children every possible advantage, from travel to unpaid summer internships to numerous test preps and taking the SATs over and over again and so on. So, yeah, legacy preference can kind of perpetuate this kind of America-as-aristocracy. Would you, given the choice, have this admissions criterion abolished altogether? Yeah, Id eliminate legacy preference. What is the right way to address the issue, apart from the obvious choice of turning more attention to affirmative action programs and high school outreach for minorities, low-income students andwell, perhaps not so much anymoreDACA students? To some degree, transparency always helps. The Crimson is conducting a survey and putting out the numbers, but I dont see on Harvards website the data itself on the legacy percentage and the percentage of students who had one or both parents at Harvard, other relatives at Harvard. Transparency is always helpful. [The college breaks down its admitted students by region, race or ethnicity and desired major, but not by whether they have family members whove attended.] I feel also that the internal admissions deliberations at many colleges dont have a kind of recusal provision, by which I mean, lets say that someone on the admissions staff or the dean of admissions knows the candidates family, or the applicants parents went to college with the dean of admissions or somebody on the admissions staff, and theyve known the candidate in question for a long time. In my opinion they should recuse themselves. That familiarity gives that candidate an advantage over somebody else. Some schools have that kind of policy, but some dont, and I think that would be beneficial. And I think you need to establish a firewall between the development office and the admissions office, [because] its not just legacy preference, its also very rich families when their parents didnt go to Harvard, but give to Harvard anyway or make clear that they will give to Harvard. Development preference like that should be ended as well. And then, I think, in terms of visiting high schools I havent looked at this issue in a while, but my sense is that, when the admissions officers go to high schools around the country and around the world to interview candidates, they tend to go to the lead private and public high schools and they dont spend much time in inner-city schools, or schools where kids might have a great ability but havent had the chance to demonstrate it quite so much. I think opening up where they go and who they interview would be a benefit too. If an admissions officer from an Ivy League school went to their school and met with the bright students, they could realize that its a reality and not a fantasy that they could go there. Those kids also suffer because they dont have enough information about financial aid, those sorts of low-performing high schools tend not to have a lot of guidance counselors, or the counselors might have 50, 60, 100 kids that they have to work with, and so theres not a lot of individualized attention, and so they may be in the dark about a lot of this. Related Articles As the Syrian civil war grinds on, Israel now faces two intertwined mortal enemies gaining strength close to its bordersIran and Hezbollah. And within this context, on Thursday, Syria accused Israel of conducting a strike within its borders, at a facility other observers believe has produced chemical weapons. The strike, which Israel per its policy has not commented on, wouldnt be Israels first, but its the first since the U.S. and Russia agreed in July to a cease-fire deal to end the fighting in Syria. That deal was concluded without Israels inputbut the new strike shows how Israel could continue to shape the battlefield on its own. The Syrian military said Israeli warplanes fired missiles from Lebanese airspace at a Syrian military positions near Masyaf, killing two army personnel and damaging the site. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group that Western news organizations regard as a reliable source of information on the Syrian civil war, said the facility that was struck belonged to Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), the countrys premier research institution, and stored surface-to-surface missiles. Western intelligence officials have long believed the SSRC facility in Masyaf, among others, produced chemical weapons. Israeli officials maintained their policy of declining to comment on operational matters, but Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israels military intelligence, while not confirming that Israel was responsible, said on Twitter the strike was not routine. Recommended: Photos of the Devastation Across Saint Martin Left by Hurricane Irma It targeted a Syrian military-scientific center for the development and manufacture of, among other things, precision missiles which will have a significant role in the next round of conflict, he said. Yadlin also pointed out the factory in Masyaf produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians. But the reported Israeli strike isnt unprecedented. Last month Major General Amir Eshel, the outgoing commander of the Israel Air Force, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Israeli jets had hit convoys supplying Hezbollah nearly 100 times over the past five years. The Shia militant group from Lebanon is supported by Iran, and its fighters are battling on Assads side in the Syrian civil war. Israel finds itself in a precarious position as the Syrian civil war grinds on: The United States, its main global ally, has struck a deal with Russia, Syrias main benefactor, on a cease-fire that is mostly holding; Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is now more in control of his country than at any point since the civil war began more than five years ago; and Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat, and Hezbollah, which it battled for years in Lebanon, have emerged even stronger than they were before the conflict began. Thursdays strike, while signaling to its adversaries that Israel will not sit by as forces inimical to it gain strength, also sends a message to the Trump administration that any political resolution of the Syrian conflict must take into account Israels long-term security interests. Israel has diplomatic relations with only two of its immediate neighbors, Egypt and Jordan. While it has an unacknowledged relationship with Saudi Arabia, arguably the most important Arab nation, forged on their mutual antipathy toward Iran, Israel views its immediate neighbors as strategic problems. It occupied parts of Lebanon for 22 years until 2000, first to fight Palestinian militants and then to battle Hezbollah; and Syria, where the Assad regime has increased its reliance on Tehran. Recommended: The First White President Israel has not hidden its concerns about the U.S.-Russia deal on Julys draft agreement for a cease-fire in Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that for peace to take hold in Syria, Iran and Hezbollah must withdraw from the country, adding Israel might act unilaterally to protect its interests. Last month Netanyahu told UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting the country, that Iran was building facilities in both Syria and Lebanon to make precision-guided missiles. Israel views Hezbollah as such a formidable threat it recently concluded a 10-day drill to simulate war with the Shia militant group in the event of multiple infiltrations. Haaretz called it the largest such drill in decades. Thursdays strike came a day after the United Nations confirmed that the Assad regime used chemical weapons against civilians in Khan Sheikhoun in April. Thats the attack that prompted the Trump administration to carry out missile strikes on Syrian military facilities. The report represents a blow to Assad as well as Russia, which rejected overwhelming evidence that Syria was behind the use of sarin gas in the attack. But while Israels reported strike Thursday had logic from its vantage point, it could have one unintended consequence: ISIS, under attack from both U.S.-allied forces as well as Syrian government troops and their foreign allies, is now fighting for its life in Syriaa fact anti-Israel conspiracy theorists are already using to give their own reasons for what motivated Thursdays strike. Syrias Army Command, for one, said: This aggression affirms the direct support provided by the Israeli entity to the ISIS and other terrorist organizations. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. This file photo taken on December 6, 2016 shows Donald Trump Jr. as he walks around Trump Tower in New York. (AFP File Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Donald Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday that he agreed to meet with Russians during his father's 2016 presidential campaign because he wanted to assess Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's "fitness" and "qualifications" for the White House. In a 10-minute opening statement, the U.S. president's eldest son insisted that though he accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised damaging information on Clinton, he always intended to speak to his lawyers before using any of such materials. The interview, which took place behind closed doors and was not under oath, lasted just more than five hours as one of the most sensitive and sought-after interviews yet in the congressional probes into the alleged Russia's election meddling in the U.S. 2016 elections. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character, or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Donald Trump Jr. said in a statement provided to the Senate panel. "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration." according to the statement obtained by The New York Times. Donald Trump Jr. said in his initial statement after the newspaper broke the news of the meeting that he and a Russian lawyer primarily "discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children." "There are a lot of areas that have been opened for future witnesses and questioning," said Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, "There will be a lot of areas to be pursued." The White House staunchly defended the June 2016 meeting as appropriate after Trump Jr. released in July the full email chain leading up to the meeting on Twitter upon learning that The Times was going to publish them. The emails showed that Trump Jr. agreed to meet with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, at the Trump Tower in New York to discuss compromising information she said she had on Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya was at the time lobbying for the removal of U.S. sanctions on Russia which had prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to ban all American adoptions of Russian children in retaliation. Though the interview was not under oath, lying to the U.S. Congress is still a crime, according to a TheHill news daily report. Thursday's interview was conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee staffers. Lawmakers were allowed to observe, but not ask questions. Trump Jr. is one of the first members of Trump's inner sanctum to come before congressional investigators and the only immediate member of his family to do so. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, has interviewed previously before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Maybe it was retribution for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells healthcare failure. Maybe it was a desire to keep the focus on hurricane response. Perhaps he didnt fully understand the magnitude of what he was doing. Whatever the reason, President Trumps decision Wednesday to cut a deal with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi over the objections of his Republican allies has the GOP fuming, and Democrats gleeful at their newfound influence. The agreement to fund a down-payment on hurricane disaster relief in the same legislative package that would raise the debt limit and keep the government open til December, sets up another major fiscal showdown at the end of the year. Republican leadership is upset that they were blindsided in the room. Everyone with an R behind their name including the presidents Treasury Secretary, wanted to see debt limit extended for longer, a person briefed on the meeting said. And conservative lawmakers are livid with the agreementwhich both hands leverage to Democrats and breaches longstanding GOP concerns about deficits. There are probably enough Republican yes votes to go along with Democrats to pass the bill, but it marks a potential sea change in the relationship between Trump and his party. Whats clear is that, above all else, Trump wanted a legislative victoryreally, anything he could call a victoryand had essentially no concerns about its substance. His legislative agenda of health care and tax reform has been stalled for months, the former perhaps permanently, leaving his poll numbers suffering, Trump wanted to secure a feel-good moment. And it came at the expense of his own party. The move confirmed some of Republicans worst fears about their president and his commitment to his adoptive party. The GOP had always feared that Trump would try to cut deals with Democrats in search of positive headlines, and on Wednesday he did. Trumps lack of ideological rigidity and desire to get along with people in private already had him abandoning his calls for border wall funding in the so-called continuing resolution. Now, Trump handed Schumer and Democrats the agenda in December, allowing them to use the full magnitude of fiscal pressure points to push Trump to embrace their priorities. It means that by the end of the year, a Republican White House and Congress could find itself stabilizing the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and providing a permanent fix for legal status for about 800,000 people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, all without securing significant deficit reduction or tax reform. Republicans made far better deals under President Obama. Story continues This weeks cover of TIME is a special report on Firsts: women who are changing the world. Among the political leaders featured: Madeleine Albright, Kellyanne Conway, Nikki Haley, Carla Hayden, Mazie Hirono, Loretta Lynch, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi and Janet Yellen. The project includes candid video interviews available online at at Time.com/Firsts and a hardcover book that can be pre-ordered at the TIME Shop. Here are your must reads: Must Reads TIME Exclusive: Hillary Rodham Clinton The first woman to win a major partys nomination for President speaks for TIME Firsts President Trump Unlikely to Nominate Gary Cohn to Become Fed Chairman Cohns chances dropped after he criticized Trumps response to the Charlottesville protests, according to people familiar with the presidents thinking [Wall Street Journal] Donald Trump Jr. Heads to Capitol to Explain 2016 Meeting Lawmakers are listening [Associated Press] Russian Firm Tied to Pro-Kremlin Propaganda Advertised on Facebook During Election Some boosted Trump [Washington Post] Trumps Surprise Deal With Democrats Sets Up Christmas Showdown Debt-limit move undercuts Mnuchin, Republicans in Congress [Bloomberg] The Philosopher King TIMEs Katy Steinmetz profiles California Gov. Jerry Brown Russia Has Launched a Fake News War on Europe Now Germany Is Fighting Back [TIME] Sound Off The bishops have been terrible about this. By the way, you know why? You know why? Because unable to really to to to come to grips with the problems in the Church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. Thats its obvious on the face of it. Thats what the entire Catholic Bishops condemn him. Former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon to CBS News on Catholic Bishops support for DACA No second thoughts. Trump to reporters on DACA, even as he appeared to be wavering on the issue Bits and Bites Houston After Harvey [TIME] It Really Was All Hands on Deck. How Federal Health Officials Responded to Hurricane Harvey [TIME] Buried in backlog, Feds give top-secret clearances to murderers, rapists [McClatchy] For Conservatives, Trumps Deal With Democrats Is Nightmare Come True [New York Times] Trump to host full Cabinet at Camp David [CNN] Behind North Koreas Nuclear Advance: Scientists Who Bring Technology Home [Wall Street Journal] The Story Behind That Viral Photo of Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer in the Oval Office [TIME] 15 States and Washington D.C. Are Suing the Trump Administration Over Plan to End DACA [Associated Press] Hundreds of EPA Workers Leave in Recent Days [Wall Street Journal] A U.S. Commanders Year on the Front Line Against ISIS In Iraq and Syria [TIME] DeVos to revamp Obama-era schools sexual assault policy [Politico] Freedom Caucus leaders vent to Paul Ryan after talks with Steve Bannon [Washington Post] What you gave to me in 20 months is more than I could ever even have dreamt of having in a thousand lifetimes. (Photo: Facebook/Jake Coates) A grieving husband has written a heartbreaking Facebook tribute to his late wife on what would have been their one-year wedding anniversary. Jake Coatess wife, Emmy, died from thyroid cancer three months ago. In his post, Jake recounted how amazing he felt the night before they exchanged their vows last September. this time a year ago I couldnt sleep, Jake wrote in his post on Saturday. I was way too excited that I was going to get to marry this girl, the love of my life, in the morning. There wasnt a day that went by when we were together that I didnt pinch myself why someone like you would choose someone like me. But Ill forever be grateful that you did. We made the best team. Miss you more than ever my gorgeous girl. Xxxxx Jake and Emmy met nearly two decades ago when they were both 11 and quickly became childhood sweethearts. At 13, Jake playfully nicknamed Emmy his lobster, and by the age of 16 they started dating. They dated for three years but similar to most childhood romances, they decided to go their separate ways after high school. It wasnt until October 2015, 10 long years after being apart, that Jake and Emmy reconnected and discovered that the spark was still there. Jake was working as a doctor in Australia, while Emmy was working as a primary-school teacher in London. They negotiated the time difference and FaceTimed each other daily while traveling back and forth between continents. The couple made plans to spend their life together back in the U.K. A life we had always dreamed of together was finally coming true, Emmy wrote on her blog. Unbeknownst to me, Jake had planned to propose to me on a holiday to the Philippines in March [2016]. However it was the day we were due to travel that I received the heartbreaking news that the thyroid cancer had spread and I was advised not to fly. One of my favourite ever photos of my favourite person of all time! It was taken in April 2016 just after she was diagnosed. She was told she couldn't sunbathe ever again due to the medication she was just about to start so we ran away to Dubai for 5 days! She never saw this photo but I think it's one that everyone should see so here it is! That smile!! Love this girl Xx A post shared by Jake Coates (@jakeycoates) on Jul 5, 2017 at 4:05pm PDT Despite following a healthy lifestyle, Emma was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer on March 22, 2016. With only 300 cases diagnosed in the U.K. over the past 12 years, Emmys was one of the youngest ever reported. The cancer reached stage 4 and had spread to her spine, lungs, liver, and bones she experienced debilitating chest pain due to a fractured rib caused by the cancer. Story continues It was at this point we learnt that the disease had become so advanced that it is now unfortunately incurable, she wrote. But Jake was with her every step of the way he didnt let the heartbreaking news derail his plans to ask the love of his life to marry him. My beautiful girl. A new blog at our ejtandemonium FB page xxx A post shared by Jake Coates (@jakeycoates) on Jun 11, 2017 at 2:56am PDT Jake promptly proposed the next day, in bed with a cup of tea it was perfect! Emmy gushed. Given the circumstances and a new outlook on life, we thought why wait and I will be walking down the aisle to meet him on Sept. 3rd, 2016. Emmys health continued to deteriorate, but the couple enjoyed every precious moment together, even embarking on a 2,000-kilometrer tandem bike ride from London to Copenhagen to raise money for the Royal Marsden hospital, where Emmy was being treated. I was needing to empty my bowel every 15 minutes, day and night, which was having a severe impact on my quality of life, including extreme fatigue, a fissured and blistered anus, weight loss and erratic menstruation, she wrote. Although all of this news has been a shock and challenging at times, it has also made me realize how important and precious every day is and to enjoy and treasure every moment. Just bloomin LOVE him SO MUCH!!! #loveconquersall A post shared by Emmy Coates (@emmycoates_16) on May 28, 2017 at 11:54am PDT They fulfilled their dream and exchanged vows that September. On their wedding day, Jake said he bawled his eyes out trying to tell Emmy how proud he was of her and of how she had managed to keep smiling throughout her ordeal. You, my girl, are simply incredible. In late June, Emmy lost her battle with cancer. What you gave to me in 20 months is more than I could ever even have dreamt of having in a thousand lifetimes, Jake wrote in a blog post. Who you are to me and who you are and what you have become to so many, makes me prouder than I ever thought possible. My forever always. X A post shared by Jake Coates (@jakeycoates) on Sep 3, 2017 at 4:28am PDT A fundraising page was set up in honor of Emmy and has so far raised close to $185,000 for the Royal Marsden hospital, the institute where Emmy was treated. As Jake recounted, Emmys life has had far-reaching effects, even after death. I have had people emailing me every day telling me that their loved ones have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and because of you, they are able to cope with it that little bit better. That they themselves may have been given months to live, but because of you they have made peace and have realized what to prioritize. That they have left abusive partners, changed their jobs, taken up a hobby, chased a diagnosis, walked into an exam or interview more confidently or just told themselves to get a grip and embrace the positives in their own lives because of YOU you are a shining beacon a guiding light to more people than you can ever have imagined. Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. A woman managed to slip out of her handcuffs and hop into the front of a police SUV, before leading officers on a high speed chase that hit speeds of 100mph. Toscha Fay Sponsler had been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Angelina, Texas. Officers handcuffed and detained in the back of the cruiser as they searched her bags. But with their attention elswhere, the 33-year-old was able to wriggle out of her handcuffs and crawl into the front of the vehicle. Footage of the incident was captured by cameras in the SUV. Lufkin Police Department said she tried to get her hands on a a gun that was locked away, before she speeding off in the vehicle. God damn, one of the officers shouted as a pair of them tried in vain to chase her on foot. Hitting speeds of up to 100mph, Sponsler swerved across lanes with several police vehicles in pursuit in the dramatic high-speed chase. She even managed to speed around a spike strip which officers threw out to try and puncture the tyres of the vehicle and halt it in its tracks. Sponsler nearly went head on with two Lufkin officers and a Huntington constable during the pursuit, Lufkin Police Department wrote on their Facebook account of the incident. Throughout the chase, officers could see her reaching for the officer's shotgun which was mechanically locked to the vehicle, it added. Sponslers high speed chase eventually came to an end after 23 minutes when the cruiser ploughed into a tree and spun around several times before finally coming to a stop. She is heard groaning in the squad car before an officer appears to break the glass on her door, wrenches her out and pushes her to the ground where she is handcuffed again. Lufkin Police Department have since installed partitions between the front and back parts of their squad cars. They released a video of an officer bolting one on - and included the hashtag: #FOOLMEONCE Sponsler was held in custody in the Angelina County Jail on $18,000 (14,000) bail charged with five felony counts. They included threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest, jail records showed. A convoy believed to be carrying Thailand's fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was last spotted heading through a military checkpoint close to the border with Cambodia, the junta's deputy leader said Friday. Thailand's first female prime minister, whose government was toppled by the military in 2014, pulled a dramatic disappearing act last month on the day a court was due to deliver a verdict in her trial for criminal negligence. She has not made any public appearance since her flight but there are widespread reports she has joined her brother Thaksin, who was also toppled in a 2006 coup, in Dubai. Thailand's junta has said it was unaware she was planning to flee -- something analysts and many Thais have found hard to believe given the round-the-clock surveillance Yingluck frequently complained of. On Friday, deputy junta leader General Prawit Wongsuwon gave reporters an update on the investigation, saying Yingluck's convoy was last seen on CCTV at a military checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province, which borders Cambodia. "The CCTV footage does not show them at the border checkpoint, it finishes at a military checkpoint at Sa Kaeo province," he said, without elaborating on whether soldiers at the checkpoint searched the cars. It is the first official confirmation authorities have made that Yingluck was last seen heading towards Cambodia. Junta and officials from Yingluck's Pheu Thai party have given conflicting accounts of the escape route. One senior military official said they believed Yingluck flew straight to Singapore in a private jet and then on to Dubai. Party insiders have said she either drove or took a boat to Cambodia from where she then flew in a private plane to Singapore and on to Dubai. The government in Phnom Penh has made no public comment on whether she went through their territory. The junta has come under fire from some conservative allies over Yingluck's disappearance, with many questioning how the authoritarian regime could have let her slip the net. Story continues Any escape through Cambodia would also be embarrassing because the current junta leadership hail from a military clique known as the Eastern Tigers whose power base is in that border region. Analysts say the military leadership were concerned that jailing Yingluck would afford her martyr status and might reinvigorate her supporters. The Shinawatra political dynasty began under Thaksin in 2001 with a series of groundbreaking welfare schemes that won them votes and the loyalty of the rural poor. But their popularity rattled the royalist and army-aligned elite, who assailed successive governments linked to the clan with coups, court cases and protests. Thaksin himself was toppled in a 2006 coup and fled overseas two years later to avoid jail for a corruption conviction. The period since then -- dubbed the "Lost Decade" -- has seen frequent deadly street protests, short-lived governments and the return of military rule in 2014. Last November, YouTube began supporting HDR for those who watch its videos via their TV sets. Today, the company announced it's expanding the technology to mobile, initially on select Android devices, but not yet on iOS. With support for HDR, videos offer better picture quality, with higher contrast that allows you to see more vibrant colors and make out more of the image in darker scenes. At launch, YouTube mobile HDR is rolling out to Pixel, LG V30, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note8 and Sony Experia XZ Premium devices, through the YouTube mobile app. The company says it will continue to work with mobile industry partners to bring HDR playback to more devices over time. The plan is to support new HDR capable devices as they enter the market. (YouTube's HDR requires VP9 Profile 2.) When HDR first launched on YouTube, it was only being used by select YouTube channels, including those like MysteryGuitarMan, Jacob + Katie Schwarz and Abandon Visuals. The technology is still not broadly adopted, but YouTube today points to a few other resources for finding HDR quality videos, including on Youtube.com/4K or HDR shelf, as well as in videos such as Venice Carnival in 4K HDR 60P (UHD), The Redwoods | Shot on Epic-W with HELIUM 8K S35 Sensor 8K HDR, and Peru 8K HDR 60FPS (FUHD). HDR is still an up-and-coming technology, in terms of TVs. Though there are plenty of HDR TVs to choose from, most consumers don't upgrade their television set that often. In other words, when something like 4K or HDR hits, it could be years before it reaches the masses. Right now, it seems that HDR TV sets will surpass 4K sets, with shipments reaching 245 million units by 2022. However, making HDR video available via mobile could broaden its adoption, given that many consumers already have these devices in hand, and phones are swapped out on a more frequent basis. Following the launch of HDR, YouTube has been working with creators who want to take advantage of the technology. It made HDR recording gear and post-production facilities available in some of its YouTube Spaces, including New York, L.A., London, and Tokyo. In addition, all YouTube spaces have cameras capable of capturing the requisite dynamic range and RAW/Log format to take advantage of HDR. Story continues YouTube also tells us it's looking to upgrade Rio and Paris to HDR-capable post production facilities next, and those upgrades should be complete next year. Google had also previously made it possible to stream HDR content to TVs via its Chromecast Ultra device. YouTube mobile HDR is rolling out now to the supported devices. Vanity Fair released its prestigious 2017 International Best-Dressed list on Wednesday, which featured some high-profile political figures like Barack and Michelle Obama, Justin Trudeau and even Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron. Surprisingly, Melania Trump was left off the list -- and conservatives are furious. The Daily Caller called out Vanity Fair for snubbing the first lady in a scathing article, calling it an "extremely bizarre" decision. "Where is Melania Trump? You know, the First Lady and also the Slovenian immigrant who was a fashion model until 2016," the article reads. According to the conservative publication, the reason for the snub may have to do with editor-in-chief Grayson Carter's alleged longstanding feud with President Trump. If you recall, Carter, who announced on Thursday that he's stepping down from his position at year's end, once called out the president for his "short fingers." By the looks of President Trump's Twitter account, the feelings of animosity are also mutual. In 2016, he described Carter as having "no talent." Has anyone looked at the really poor numbers of @VanityFair Magazine. Way down, big trouble, dead! Graydon Carter, no talent, will be out! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2016 A number of right-wing pundits took to Twitter to express true feelings on the "petty" decision on Vanity Fair's part: Please retweet if you disagree with @VanityFair who snubbed Melania Trump but honored Michelle Obama on the International Best Dressed List. pic.twitter.com/lWlWPGPhJc Ben Owen (@hrkbenowen) September 6, 2017 However, the Washington Post called out that the list, which also honored Hollywood A-listers like Harry Styles and Dave Patel, does include Melania's go-to stylist Herve Pierre, who dressed the first lady for her husband's inaugural ball and several other high-profile events. Story continues Ever since President Trump announced that he was running for president, his wife Melania has made headlines for her fashion. From her pastel blue Ralph Lauren inauguration day dress to her Mar-a-Lago Valentino moment, many other first ladies have taken cue from Trump's style. The "Melania effect" is definitely a real thing, according to Vogue. Nonetheless, Melania has also ruffled some feathers with her wardrobe. Most recently, she sparked controversy after she stepped out wearing stilettos before she was set to visit the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. However, she ended up switching her ensemble to a more casual, appropriate look upon landing in Corpus Christi. For more on Vanity Fair's International Best-Dressed list, watch the video above. Jennifer Lawrence is Old Hollywood vibes in an Atelier Versace gown. (Photo: Getty Images) Jennifer Lawrences new thriller has drawn a collective WTF from critics, but the sparkling silver gown she wore to the films London premiere reminded everyone why shes true Hollywood royalty. For the Wednesday showing of the psychological thriller Mother at the Odeon Leicester Square theater, Lawrence wore an Atelier Versace gown from the Fall 2017 couture collection. The sheer, netted dress had a halter top and a subtle ombre sheen that Lawrence underscored with a wispy hair twist and soft pink lips. Front and back views of Jennifer Lawrences Versace dress. (Photo: Getty Images) In the film, described by Variety as a head-trip horror movie, Lawrence plays one-half of a married couple (her husband is played by Javier Bardem) whose life takes a dark and twisted turn after unwelcome guests show up at their door. Mother was directed by Lawrences boyfriend of one year, Darren Aronofsky, 48, and its positive reviews have included dark comparisons to the 1968 film Rosemarys Baby and 2000s Requiem of a Dream. Mother also debuted at the Venice Film Festival Tuesday, where Lawrence walked the red carpet wearing a Christian Dior haute couture gown with black overlay (the 27-year-old is an ambassador for the brand) and earlier that day, she dazzled in a lace Giambattista Valli dress. At the festival, Lawrence and Aronofsky strategically avoided posing together on the red carpet, noted People. In the shadow of Lawrences stunning style, who could blame him? Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 09:26:49|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close YANGON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The number of displaced people has risen to 30,200 due to recent series of extremist terrorist attacks in Maungtaw, Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, the Information Committee of the government said on Friday. From Aug, 25 to Sept. 4, residents from Taungpyo, Letwe, Kwuntheepin, Thechaung and Meetaik areas in Maungtaw district fled to border areas for refuge and camped along the Myanmar side of the border. Earlier reports said 97 terrorist attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) occurred during the period, killing 36 people including 13 security force members, two government service personnel and 21 ethnic people and injuring 22. A total of 59 villages and 6,842 houses were also burnt down by the extremist terrorist with eight bridges being destroyed by planted mines, the reports said. A total of 371 terrorist bodies were claimed. At present, the security forces are evacuating more civilians to safer places and providing medical care and treatment to them. Meanwhile, the authorities called for cooperation with the government in its efforts to maintain peace and stability across the country. Elisabeth Moss and Gwendoline Christie in Top of the Lake: China Girl. (Photo: SundanceTV) In 2013, Top of the Lake was a highly praised crime drama set in New Zealand starring Elisabeth Moss as a cop, and overseen by director Jane Campion (The Piano). Now comes Top of the Lake: China Girl with Campion and Moss still on board, set four years later, and relocated to Sydney, Australia. Unlike the original Lake, which was a hardboiled detective story exploring feminism and mysticism, the new Lake premiering Sunday on SundanceTV is a murder mystery with crazy coincidences and loopy sex subplots. The setup for this Lake is that a body in a suitcase washes ashore on a Sydney beach. Mosss police detective Robin Griffin is handling the case, along with Gwendoline Christie Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones who plays a cop named Miranda whos assigned to be Robins partner in investigating the death. Cut to a suburban home, where a squabbling, separated couple played by Nicole Kidman and Ewen Leslie are united in worry about the hostile behavior of their adoptive daughter, Mary (Alice Englert, whos also Campions daughter), who is attracted to an older, weird, possibly violent man named Alexander, who is also known as Puss (David Dencik). Whats the connection between Mosss plot and Kidmans? Teenaged Mary is Robins biological daughter, whom she gave up for adoption when she was herself a teenager. And Marys Alexander teaches English to Asian girls working in a local brothel, one of whom may be the corpse in the suitcase. This is the first stretch in believability in China Girl: A prime suspect in Robins investigation just happens to be the boyfriend of her daughter? The opening hour of this six-episode series is very strong the arguments between Mary and Kidmans Julia are devastatingly painful and realistic. Kidman, sporting gray corkscrew curls and thoroughly inhabiting the role of a middle-aged academic who has thrown over her husband in favor of a female lover, is especially good. (Kidman occupies the same strong eccentric woman place that Holly Hunter held in the first Lake.) Unfortunately, the rest of China Girl begins to slip and slide into something else entirely. Story continues This is the kind of thriller that asks us to believe that Mosss Robin, whom we are pointedly shown is a tough fighter of a cop, could be overpowered and nearly strangled by a man in a wheelchair who rises out of his chair, pulls off his belt, and wraps it around her neck before she begins resisting. Robin escapes death by brandishing a cigarette lighter, which she uses not to burn her attacker but to reach around him and set fire to some curtains behind her an awfully roundabout means of defense. Furthermore, Lake suggested to me that there are vast cultural differences between America and Australia. In Lake, an employee (in this case, Robin) feels free to ask her boss, in the most casual, conversational manner, whether he frequents brothels. Sure, he replies, I used to. Is this typical of your chats with the boss? Another police officer asks Robin to have an affair with him in a room full of their colleagues, and everyone falls silent, gazing and patiently waiting for Robin to respond. The ultra-creepy Puss holds an unaccountable spell over Mary. Initially, their union makes some sense: You feel that maybe, spending a lot of time with a stringy-haired lout who lives in a bordello spouting anarchistic philosophy hey, its just Marys way of rebelling against her square parents, right? But after Puss insults the adoptive parents viciously, paws Mary in public to the point where he is thrown out of a party, and turns her out as a prostitute on the street, I must admit I hooted in disbelief when Mary asked her parents, in all seriousness, Do you like him? China Girl takes a few plot twists to keep the murder mystery going, but it becomes obscured by the constant insults and injuries suffered by Robin. Moss, whos suffered quite enough in The Handmaids Tale, endures even more pain here for reasons less coherently explained. Moss gives a terrific performance, but its not enough to keep this Top of the Lake afloat. Top of the Lake: China Girl airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on SundanceTV. Read more from Yahoo TV: The women of The View have some fiery words for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who called them irrational for questioning his support of Donald Trump. Huckabee was a guest on the ABC show Wednesday, along with his daughter White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and both fielded questions about supporting Trump. On Fox Business Thursday morning, Huckabee said he didnt expect warm hugs and kisses during his appearance on The View. But I think its important that those of us who are conservative, that were willing to go into the lions den, that we show were not afraid, weve got a position, were willing to defend it, he said. Frankly, it juxtaposes our view and spirit versus theirs, which is full of anger and irrational hatred towards the president. Also Read: Mike Huckabee Booed on 'The View:' 'I Do Not Agree' That Joe Arpaio Is a Racist (Video) We really worked hard to do a fair interview, responded host Whoopi Goldberg on Thursdays show. And I resent that you would do that. Because you would never say that about Stephen Colbert, you would never say that about Trevor Noah, so why are we irrational? Were not irrational, we asked you questions and told you how we felt. And we allowed you to do the same. Host Joy Behar pointed out the hypocrisy in saying the hatred toward Trump is irrational when conservatives hatred of Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama was like Hurricane level, like Irma. Host Jedediah Bila, who used to work at Fox News, saw right into Huckabees play to his partys base. Also Read: Why Evan Peters, Josh Rosen and Deondre Francois Are TV's Social Media MVPs of the Week When youre a right wing talking head and I was one, I worked from Fox News, I came from there what youre trained to do really is to go into whats referred to as the liberal cesspool or the lions den, and you go in there and you defend your point and then you go back to the friendly zone and you go oh, you know, theyre out of touch with America.' Story continues That doesnt work here, Mike, because I am a conservative and I didnt vote for Trump, Bila continued. I am standing for conservative principles. You dont get to say you came here and the liberal media opposed you. No, I sat right here and its not irrational that I opposed Donald Trump. Donald Trumps character was questionable. Also Read: Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Young Children 'Prepared Me to Deal With White House Press Corps' (Video) Donald Trump is voting to raise a debt ceiling that when President Obama did that, you all Republicans out there had a problem with it, Bila pointed out to cheers from the audience. She later noted that there are some at Fox News who are standing up to Trump as well. Stop calling people names, we didnt do that with you, Goldberg added. Im just saying, man, we didnt do that to you. We made it a point, because we do know you and we respected your daughter. Im kind of pissed off about this, Mike, because its not right. Watch the full clip above. Related stories from TheWrap: Mike Huckabee Booed on 'The View:' 'I Do Not Agree' That Joe Arpaio Is a Racist (Video) John Kasich Schools 'The View' Hosts on Katy Perry-Taylor Swift Feud (Video) Bill O'Reilly's Latest Accuser Opens Up About Harassment Accusations on 'The View' (Video) How 'The View' Completely Reversed Last Season's 5 Percent Viewer Drop-Off One of the few vultures still remaining in the Golan Heights Gamla Nature Reserve flew over the border to Syria recently before being captured by one of the rebel organizations fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who returned it home Tuesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Gamla vulturesas evidenced by the tracking devices affixed to some of them to trace their movementsoccasionally fly over the border. When they do, they are sometimes caught and the electronics attached to their leg are often suspected of being espionage devices. The injured eagle It appears this vulture was also suspected of being an Israeli spy, and was captured by rebel forces when it crossed the border. News of its capture reached animal activists, who went into action and mediated between the IDF and the rebel organization on the bird's behalf. Thanks to their involvement, the vulture was returned home Tuesday by a third party. The vulture was transferred to the Ramat Gan Safari's wildlife hospital the same evening having sustained a leg injury. After receiving medical attention, the bird was said to be doing well and after recuperating, it is on course to spread its wings once again and be released back into the wild. The eagle is said to be recuperating well X Rebels agreed to release the vulture as an expression of gratitude for the medical attention Israel provides their injured brethren, some of whom have been or still are hospitalized in Israel's northern region The vulture's return is not taken for granted by wildlife authorities aware of their dwindling numbers in Israel which threatens to send them into extinction. In southern Israel they maintain relatively stable numbers, albeit much smaller compared to the past. In the north, however, their population is steadily declining. The Golan Heights, formerly considered the natural habitat of vultures, has seen almost no new nestings in the past few years. The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) has announced intentions to launch a new form of virtual currency, the Carats.IO Diamond Currency, which will be backed by diamonds. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The IDE penned an agreement with startup company Carats.IOowned by Gabriel Diamantthat has developed the technological infrastructure for trading the coin while using IDE data. Photo: Shutterstock Virtual currency have become rather widespread over the past few years, and just recently it was announced six major banksincluding Credit Suisse, Barclays and HSBCwill come together to produce their own virtual currency in 2018. IDE President Yoram Dvash hopes their new currency will be considered an attractive avenue of investment even for people outside of the diamond trade. The Israel Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan The Diamond Exchange entered the project intending to encourage diamond trade and purchases in Israel. Trade in the currency will be done based on an index built on the fluctuations of diamond purchases in the Ramat Gan diamond market. The currency will be issued and traded in a digital currency exchange, possibly in Switzerland, over the next three months. During the first stage of trade in the currency at least 25% of its worth will be backed by diamondsthat is, the issuer will be obligated to hold and purchase diamonds as securities for the currencyup to a backing level of 75%. The value of each coin will be one American dollar. Of the world's 800 currencies, only few of them are backed by actual properties. "The coin will transform diamonds into a 'commodity' and bring in investors who have never invested in diamonds before," Dvash said. IDE President Yoram Dvash "We've been trying to make diamonds tradable in different financial settings for years now, but we have thus far been unsuccessful in that endeavor," he noted. "So we decided to bring in outside involvement. Bringing new investors into the diamond trade in Israel is crucial both for the country and the local diamond market, and we intend to avail ourselves of the best and brightest in order to achieve that goal." "Security for investors" "The diamond trade may well serve as an investment avenue for digital currency investors," said startup Carats.IO, "and the project is attractive to them because the coin's issue is backed by diamond purchases." "Digital coin traders are an ever-growing population in the world," the company said, "and backing the coin with diamonds will increase investors' trust in it considerably. Collaborating with the Israel Diamond Exchange is a meaningful step in the right direction." MOGADISHU The US military said on Friday it had carried out an air strike in Somalia against an al Qaeda-allied Islamist group and killed one militant, the second such strike this week in which a total of four fighters have died. The group, al Shabaab, is fighting to topple Somalia's Western-backed transitional federal government and impose its own rule on the Horn of Africa country. In a statement, the US military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it carried out the air strike on Thursday at 2:45 PM local time. Conservative leaders in the United States sent a scathing letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, in which they pressed him to unfreeze the Kotel egalitarian area plan, threatening to turn their represented community of 2 million Jews worldwide against him and Israel if he does not. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Senior members of the Conservative movement met with Israel's Consul-General in New York, Dani Dayan, and handed him the threatening lettersigned by hundreds of leaders, rabbis, and presidents of Conservative Jewish communities from North America and around the worldto give to the prime minister personally. The letter was sent following what it described as feelings of " dismay, anger and a sense of betrayal concerning events of June 25, 2017 in which the Cabinet tabled the Kotel (Western Wall) Agreement of January 2016 and simultaneously the Legislative Committee of the Knesset put forward a new Conversion Law that would codify the Israeli Chief Rabbinate as the sole authority in Israel for conversion to Judaism." The Consul-General receives the letter. L to R: Julie Schonfeld, Dani Dayan, Steve Warnick "We find it unconscionable that Israel, the Jewish State, is the only democratic state in the world in which not all Jews are recognized or supported equally under the law or in the public square," the Conservative leaders wrote. The leaders of Conservative Judaism then called upon Netanyahu to "immediately implement" the plan, to not harm the Conservative Jewish community with regards to the issue of conversion, and to send a message of hope to the Jews of the world, which will directly affect the spirit of the sermons that will be heard in the synagogues on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Then, the Conservative leaders outlined their ultimatum. "In a few weeks Jews will gather in synagogues all over the world in honor of the High Holy Days," they wrote. "Our rabbis will deliver sermons on the meaning of a full, ethical Jewish life. We will talk about Israel as an ideal, about Israel in our prayers, and about Israel in reality. "Mr. Prime Minister, you can influence the content of our messages. Will we speak of Israels reality in a language of betrayal or hope? Will we speak of struggle or achievement? "We ask you to lead; we ask you to fulfill your promise to us that Israel will be the homeland of the entire Jewish peopleReform, Conservative, Orthodox and secular." Reform Jews praying at the Western Wall (Photo: AP) The letter was signed by 597 rabbis, representing 417 institutions run by the Conservative movement. Among the signatories to the letter are Rabbi Steve Warnick, head of the Conservative Movement in North America; Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Head of the World Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi David Wolpe, Rabbi of the "Sinai Congregation" in Los Angelesone of the largest and most established Jewish communities in North America; Rabbi Dr. Elliot Cosgrove, Rabbi of the Park Avenue Community in New York; and Rabbi Michael Siegel, Senior Rabbi of the Chicago Jewish community and a leader of the AIPAC lobby. Conservative Judaism, which heads most of the major Jewish organizations in North America, is one of the three largest Jewish denominations in the world, together with the Orthodox and Reform Jews. In two weeks' time, Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for the UN General Assembly in New York, but it appears that in light of this crisis, he will not hold an event with the Jewish community in the city. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 09:56:57|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close ASTANA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan's Vice Energy Minister Aset Magauov said Thursday his country is expected to discuss with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) about a separate deal on the extension of oil output cuts. Under an earlier oil production quotas deal involving oil producers in and outside OPEC, Kazakhstan agreed to cut back output by 20,000 barrel per day in the first half of 2017. The deal was in May extended until the end of March 2018. "Kazakhstan's commitments will be discussed separately, because there is understanding from OPEC about the fact that Kashagan is a very large project and there is a need to return these investments to shareholders. And therefore, I think that a decision will be made taking into account the conditions," Magauov said. Magauov noted that an output cut extension is decided by many factors, "including forecasts on the further growth of demand for oil, situation in other oil-producing regions and political situation as well." It's hard to say what decision will be made, he added. Kashagan is Kazakhstan's first offshore oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea, and its largest international investment project. It started commercial production from November 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 10:07:02|Editor: Liu Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (R) attends a joint press conference with visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Sept. 7, 2017. Trump said on Thursday that he would be willing to mediate an ongoing dispute between Qatar and other Middle East countries. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that military action against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not inevitable. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable," said Trump here during his joint press conference with visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Trump also warned that while he would prefer "not going the route of the military," military action against the DPRK was something that "certainly could happen." One day before his remarks, Trump told reporters on his way to Bismarck, North Dakota that military action against the DPRK was "not a first choice." The DPRK on Sunday detonated a hydrogen bomb that can be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile, DPRK's Central Television announced. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated Tuesday that the solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue must be "political," stressing that "the potential consequences of military action are too horrific." China's permanent representative to the United Nations Liu Jieyi on Monday condemned the latest nuclear test by the DPRK and urged the country to return to the track of dialogue. China will not allow chaos and war on the Korean Peninsula, he said. Liu said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China together with the Russian proposal of a step-by-step approach is a realistic and feasible roadmap for the settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 10:22:08|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted a current account surplus for the 37th straight month in July, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report on Friday. The surplus stood at 2.32 trillion yen (21.40 billion U.S. dollars) and marked a record for the month of July, the ministry said, with goods and trade registering a surplus of 566.6 billion yen. The surplus in the primary income account, which shows how much Japan earns from foreign investments, increased 26.8 percent on year to 2.15 trillion yen, the ministry's figures also showed. Goods trade booked a surplus of 566.6 billion yen, down 5.7 percent, the ministry said, with the contraction owing to rising energy imports including for liquefied natural gas, coal and crude oil from other countries. A weaker yen pushes the import costs of these goods higher. The ministry added that imports leapt 17.7 percent on year to 5.83 trillion yen, in the recording period, while exports jumped 15.2 percent to 6.40 trillion yen. Japan logged a travel surplus of 156.0 billion yen, owing to a rise in the numbers of tourists visiting Japan. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 108.38 Japanese yen) Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 10:27:11|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close YANGON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- An Asia-Europe Senior Officials Meeting (ASEMSOM) is underway in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, starting Thursday, prior to the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting, Myanmar News Agency reported Friday. U Kyaw Zay Ya, Permanent Secretary of Myanmar's Foreign Ministry, told the opening of the meeting that last year marked the 20 years of cooperation among ASEM partners, calling for maintenance of the fine tradition of close partnership into the third decade. He stressed that enhancement of partnership for peace and sustainable development is not only pertinent to Myanmar but is also of importance to nations all over the world, adding that peace and development can only be achieved with collective efforts and enhanced partnership. Senior officials from the ASEM member states comprising 51 Asian and European countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, the European Union, the Asia-Europe Union and the Asia-Europe Foundation are attending the event. The 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting is scheduled for November. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 10:37:14|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australians have surrendered 25,999 guns and weapons so far in the National Firearm Amnesty, a result which has been labelled a major success by Justice Minister Michael Keenan. At a press conference in Melbourne on Friday, Keenan said he was delighted by Australia's response to the amnesty, which was introduced by the federal government on July 1, and urged Australians to make the most of the remaining three weeks to hand in unwanted and unregistered guns. "This is a great result, and shows Australians are serious about protecting themselves, their families, and their communities," Keenan said on Friday. "There are now only three weeks remaining to hand in firearms under the Amnesty, and I encourage Australians to continue to take advantage of the Amnesty period to help remove unregistered firearms from the community. "As we know, just one firearm in the wrong hands can be deadly." The National Firearm Amnesty commenced nine weeks ago and was the first nationwide gun amnesty since 1996 when the John Howard Government took definitive action following the backlash from the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, when 35 people were killed by crazed gunman Martin Bryant. The amnesty period gives Australians the opportunity to legally dispose of any unwanted or unregistered firearms at approved drop-off points throughout each state and territory. Keenan warned that any person found in possession of an unregistered firearm beyond the three-month reprieve period would be punished. "Outside of the amnesty period, anyone caught with an unregistered firearm could face a fine of up to 280,000 AU dollars (224,000 U.S. dollars), up to 14 years in jail, and a criminal record," he said on Friday. Keenan said there had been several rare weapons given up by Australians throughout the past two months. "Among the more unusual firearms handed in under the amnesty have been a Beaumont Adams revolver circa 1856, a WWI era Lee Enfield rifle and two WWII US M1 carbines," he said. New South Wales residents have handed in more than 13,000 firearms so far, by far the most of any Australian state, while Victoria has relinquished a little over 2,000. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 10:47:19|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating fell this week on rising geopolitical risks on the Korean Peninsula and controversy over the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, a survey showed Friday. According to the Gallup Korea poll, Moon gained 72 percent of support this week, down 4 percentage points from the previous week. It was based on a poll of 1,004 voters conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. It had 3.1 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. The negative assessment on Moon's management of state affairs was 20 percent this week, up 4 percentage points from a week ago. The biggest reason for the negative evaluation was the geopolitical risks on the peninsula, caused by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test on Sunday of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb warhead that can be fitted atop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Controversy over the THAAD deployment was cited as one of the reasons for the negative assessment on Moon. Four more THAAD launchers and other equipment were transported Thursday morning to the site in southeast of the country, causing a physical clash between anti-THAAD protesters and riot policemen. Almost 30 people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital because of the physical conflict, which was broadcast by global media outlets as well as local news organizations. Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party gained 2 percentage points over the week to 50 percent this week. The approval rating for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party advanced 4 percentage points to 12 percent in the same period. The minor conservative Righteous Party and the minor progressive Justice Party garnered 7 percent and 5 percent each in support scores, with the centrist People's Party earning 4 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 11:32:30|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SUVA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States has assured the Pacific leaders in the Samoan capital of Apia its leadership in the fight against climate change despite its decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement. The pact was signed in 2015 with each signatory agreeing to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to stave off the most drastic effects of climate change. According to the Samoa Observer on Friday, the U.S. made the commitment on Thursday while attending a press conference in Apia where the Pacific leaders are participating in the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting, which has been held since Tuesday. Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the 48th PIF leaders meeting, said the U.S. government is still working through the details, with regards to their status on the Paris agreement. "I think the United States is going to remain engaged on the issue of climate change agreement," she said. The United States, which inked the Paris agreement under former President Barack Obama in 2015, had not fully left the Paris agreement, she said, adding that the United States had a seat in the board for the Green Global Fund with a 1 billion-U.S. dollar financial contribution. U.S. President Donald Trump said in June this year that he has decided to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement. The U.S. move has angered the Pacific countries as they are at the forefront of the impact of climate change, which is currently on the top agenda of the 48th PIF leaders meeting in Samoa. Tuvalu, one of the PIF member states, expressed its hope on Tuesday that countries need to work together to ensure the United States stays in the Paris climate change agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 12:27:44|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close ASTANA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has decided to include the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) into its list of terrorist organizations, the press service of the Euroasia military alliance said Thursday. The decision was made on June 8, 2016 in Yerevan at a meeting of the CSTO member states when Armenia held the the presidency of the bloc, the CSTO press service said in a report. Also on the list are al-Qaida and the Islamic State, among others, according to the report, which said the list helps coordinate actions combating terrorists and extremists within the CSTO. The IRPT was founded in Tajikistan in 1990. Until 2015, it was the only Islamic party officially operating in the territory of the Central Asian region and in the territory of the former Soviet Union. The IRPT was part of the United Tajik Opposition during the civil war of 1992-1997 in Tajikistan and opposed the People's front currently chaired by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. In June 1997, the leaders of the parties signed in Moscow the General Agreement on Peace in Tajikistan, putting an end to the civil war. In 2005 and 2010, the IRPT won two seats in the parliamentary elections. In 2015 the party failed to enter the parliament due to its poor election results. In late September, Tajik General Prosecutor's Office indicted the IRPT for the involvement in an attempted military mutiny. The members of the IRPT were charged and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Tajik Supreme Court later called the IRPT a terrorist organization and banned its activities in the country. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 12:37:47|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close NEW YORK, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- From the Belt and Road Initiative, a grand project spanning dozens of countries, to "BRICS Plus", a mechanism aiming to expand South-South cooperation, China has made concrete efforts for boosting global economic growth amid rising protectionism in the West, U.S. experts say. CHINA BEING RESPONSIBLE STAKEHOLDER The just-concluded summit of the BRICS, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,in Xiamen, China, highlights China's new initiative for adding new impetus for an open economy, multilateral trade that benefit the world as a whole, Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSR), told Xinhua in an interview on Wednesday. China has put forward the "BRICS Plus" approach by inviting leaders of Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea for a dialogue on the sidelines of BRICS' summit held in Xiamen on Sept. 3-5. "All the initiatives I just talked about, are exactly what (former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State) Robert Zoellick meant (in 2005).That is China being a 'responsible stakeholder' in the world," Orlins noted. There were "two big takeaways" out of the BRICS gathering in Xiamen, said Sourabh Gupta, a senior policy analyst at the Institute for China-America Studies, in an email interview with Xinhua. First, he said, the BRICS countries "proved in their unified approach yet again" that they are "indeed a supple entente of independent-minded rising powers" which are organized as "a mutual support network and committed to assisting each other's rise within the international system." Second, the BRICS countries showed that "they are not willing to rest on their laurels," that "they are optimistic of the future and their future potential as a group," and that "they are already devising new pathways -- such as the 'BRICS Plus' model -- to broaden and institutionalize their cooperation over the next decade," he added. To this end, the BRICS countries should ensure that they become "the premier developing country forum to discuss South-South cooperation and inclusive development" as well as "the premier emerging market forum to discuss the overhaul of the international monetary system" over the next decade, Gupta pointed out. Zhiqun Zhu, professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, agrees. The BRICS summit is "significant" since it has become "a symbol of close South-South cooperation," he noted. This is "particularly important when globalization has hit some hurdles in the developed West," he said. "These emerging economies have become a major force for globalization and an engine for global growth," Zhu said. "Without doubt BRICS and other developing countries are active players in today's global governance and are contributing positively to a new global political and economic order of the 21st century." "Gradually, they should also ramp up political cooperation on the great security challenges of the day so that they become an alternative voice for a more multilateralized, conciliatory, and less-violent approach to the myriad global security challenges during the first half of this 21st century," Gupta added. U.S. BENEFITS FROM CHINA'S INITIATIVES "If you look at the Belt and Road Initiative, you look at the economic development initiatives (proposed by China) at APEC, BRICS and others. It's positive in that regard (boosting global economic growth), so I think America should welcome this," Orlins commented. However, the coverage of the BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative have remained very limited in the U.S. media, he added. "Even though the term (of BRICS) was invented by an American (former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001), it's by and large not known (to Americans). I think if it were known, it will be portrayed positive," he said. "From a U.S. perspective, all of these things are good for two major reasons," Orlins said. "One, as people's per capita income increases, it's actually good for America's economy because our ability to sell goods and services increase. So I think that benefits the United States," he said. "Second, it benefits the United States in terms of increasing economic growth in places that may become fertile ground for recruiting terrorists. When there is economic growth, when people have opportunities to improve their lives, they generally don't become terrorists," added the expert. "It (China) is not overthrowing the global institutions, as some Americans said. It's building global institutions that complement them (existing ones)," he said. "So AIIB (the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) does not overthrow the World Bank, or the Asian Development Bank. It increases what these institutions can do, and in some ways, because we've learned from those institutions, they may be even better institutions," explained the expert. John Manzella, President and CEO of World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara, hopes the United States to participate in China's initiatives to increase global cooperation. "The BRICS Summit is helping to increase international cooperation among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. I would like to see other countries, including the United States, participate in these efforts to increase global cooperation, " said Manzella. Global cooperation among all countries, from emerging markets to developed countries, is "key to solving many of our shared problems," including environmental degradation, terrorism and poverty, according to the expert. "And it's essential to boosting global economic growth," he said. For example, Manzella added, in the United States, trade increased U.S. income by 2.1 trillion dollars in 2016 and this translated into more 18,000 dollars for each American household, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economic in Washington, DC. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 12:57:50|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close by Raul Menchaca HAVANA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cubans, who are World-renowned for their emergency preparedness, jumped into action on Thursday ahead of their expected brush with fearsome Hurricane Irma. While Cuba is not likely to take a direct hit from the most powerful category-five hurricane ever to emerge from the Atlantic Ocean, Irma was forecast to lash the island's northern coast early Friday as it heads towards the southern area of the United States. Under the headline "Cuba in action!," state daily Granma posted images of the measures officials and residents were taking to ensure the storm wreaks as little havoc as possible. Men placed corrugated metal sheets over glass-fronted shops, dump trucks moved mountains of sand to soak up excess water, and teams took down road signs and other fixtures that could turn into potentially deadly projectiles if dislodged by strong winds. Others stocked up on necessities like bottled water and batteries. "I'm buying whatever I can, because we're preparing for the cyclone's arrival. We're preparing every way we can," Marlene Perez, a retired teacher, told Xinhua as she left a shopping center in downtown Havana with several bags of food items for her family and neighbors. Cuba's capital is situated on the country's northwestern coast. There's an air of anxiety as residents prepare for the worst, but there is also an awareness that the government is there to oversee the disaster management through Cuba's well-oiled Civil Defense (DC) system. "I think this is one of the countries where the Civil Defense responds immediately to everything," said Perez. Cuba's state-run emergency services have proven effective in handling both the preparations and aftermath of natural disasters, as the nation's historically low death tolls and ability to bounce back from devastation can attest. "If it wasn't for that, imagine all the things that could have happened here," said Perez, referring to the numerous hurricanes Cuba has survived. Karen Calvino, who was shopping for supplies for her two children, including milk and cookies, said the government plans far in advance for the annual hurricane season, which runs from June to November. "Once they have identified a hurricane, immediately everyone gets to work. In fact, the hurricane has not arrived yet and we are already in the warning stage, which shows how well organized everything is," said Calvino. Some 700,000 people have been evacuated from Cuba's northeastern coast as Hurricane Irma barrels westward across the Caribbean, authorities said Thursday. The eye of the hurricane was expected to pass between the island of Hispaniola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos Islands late Thursday. "The core of the hurricane will then move between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas," said a statement from Cuba's weather service. Irma's maximum sustained winds remain at 280 km/h with higher gusts making it a potentially catastrophic tropical cyclone. The hurricane's outer bands were expected to unleash pounding rain on Cuba's eastern provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin on Thursday night, along with tropical storm force winds and waves that could reach 6 to 8 meters high. Cuba's Civil Defense declared a hurricane warning for all eastern provinces and the central territory of Ciego de Avila, and urged all governments and civilian groups to complete their preparations for the superstorm. More than 10,000 tourists vacationing in the island have already been evacuated or flew home. Irma has left a wake of devastation in the Caribbean, killing at least 15 people and damaging homes and other infrastructure in Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and the north coast of the Dominican Republic. After grazing northern Cuba, Irma is expected to hit the U.S. state of Florida. Cuba's Civil Defense authorities are now working with the United Nations World Food Program to guarantee provisions for regions likely to be affected by the storm. Cuba maintains an emergency reserve of grains, including 1,600 metric tons of rice and beans, strategically warehoused in three locations, Havana, the central city of Cienfuegos, and Santiago de Cuba, on the island's eastern tip, that could meet the needs of 275,000 people for a month. Last year's deadly Hurricane Matthew pummeled Guantanamo, in eastern Cuba in October, damaging more than 40,000 homes. The region has yet to fully recover, with many homes still being repaired. But only four lives were lost in Cuba out of a total of 603 deaths, the vast majority in impoverished Haiti. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 13:38:03|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close YINCHUAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yahya Jabri, chairman of a China-Oman industrial park, is briefing investors on Oman's sound business environment at a trade and investment expo in northwest China. "As a WTO member, we have rolled out a string of favorable policies for investment. Besides oil, we enjoy an advantageous location, a good deepwater port, and complete ship-repairing facility," Jabri says. "Goods transported via Duqm will reach 22 million tonnes in the next decade ... The country will be the gate of North Africa." Oman welcomes more Chinese entrepreneurs to set up joint ventures or solely foreign-owned businesses, he says. Although still under construction, Jabri's industrial zone is expected to be an exemplary project in China-Arab industrial cooperation. With the foundation stone laid in April, it is designed to develop into a logistics center, commercial harbor and tourist site for the Arabian Sea, covering an area of nearly 1,200 hectares in coastal Duqm. Investment agreements worth 3.8 billion U.S. dollars were signed between companies of the two sides. "Total capital poured in will amount to 11 billion dollars in 10 years, and 12,000 jobs will be created for local people," Jabri says. From the Gulf of Suez in Egypt to Jazan of Saudi Arabia, similar projects were sprouting in Arab countries. After years of stable trade in crude and other goods, the two sides have moved to channel more energy into capacity and technology transfers to forge closer economic ties and reap bigger mutual benefits. "With huge market potential and unique natural resources, Arab economies are complementary to China," says Chen Zhou, vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. "The new cooperation not only allows China to give full play to its competitive industries but helps Arab countries improve infrastructure and build a more sophisticated economic structure." Abdulrahman al-Saleh, adviser to the Minister of Housing of Saudi Arabia, said he backed such cooperation as it met the needs of the country to transform the economy. Saudi Arabia released an ambitious plan last year to wean off reliance on oil, and to develop education, the arms industry, real estate and tourism. At the ongoing China-Arab States Expo held in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 22 contracts on industrial capacity cooperation were signed to pour 17.1 billion yuan (more than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) into projects ranging from infrastructure to textile and food processing in countries including Oman, United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Besides traditional projects on energy and resources, Chinese and Arab businesses have started to explore more sectors, such as chemical industry, telecommunication and manufacturing, says Li Shaotong, an official of the Ministry of Commerce. The global drive of China's high tech sectors, including equipment manufacturing and clean energy, is promising, Chen says. Driven by robust industrial cooperation, China-Arab investment is surging. A total of 1.1 billion U.S. dollars of non-financial direct investment was made by Chinese companies in Arab states in 2016, up 74.9 percent year on year. China has signed agreements on industrial capacity cooperation with 37 countries around the world, including Arab countries, says Liu Xia, an official of the National Development and Reform Commission. By the end of 2016, two Chinese policy banks had issued loans worth 110 billion U.S. dollars for overseas corporate investment along the Belt and Road, and Chinese banks had set up 62 branches in 26 countries. Running until Saturday, the four-day biennial expo is a significant platform for China and Arab countries to bolster ties. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 13:53:07|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 militants were killed as an unmanned plane targeted a Taliban hideout in Batikot district of the eastern Nangarhar province Thursday night. Provincial government spokesman Ataullah Khogiani said Friday that one more insurgent sustained injuries. Taliban militants, who are active in parts of Nangarhar province, haven't commented on the incident. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 13:58:10|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close XI'AN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Kazakhstani writers said they need more literary exchanges between the two countries. Askar Alibek, a renowned writer from Kazakhstan, said authors from both countries need more cooperation so that the peoples can understand each other better. Alibek was present at a Belt and Road seminar held in Xi'an, capital of northwest province of Shaanxi, which drew nine authors from Kazakhstan and 15 from China. The forum started Thursday. Meiram Bektimbayev, an official from the Kazakhstan national technology development bureau, cited the importance of seeking synergy between Kazakhstan's economic policy Nurly Zhol (Bright Path) and the Belt and Road Initiative. "The people need to overcome fear, anxiety and prejudice so that certain large-scale infrastructure projects can be carried out, and it is an area where literary writers from both countries can contribute their wisdom and influence public opinion," Bektimbayev said. Xi'an has occupied a special position in China's exchange with Kazakhstan, said Gao Jianqun, vice chairman of Shaanxi writers' association. "Two thousand years ago, a famous Chinese diplomat of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 25 A.D.) Zhang Qian departed from Xi'an on his tour to the west. From then on, connection among previously isolated civilizations were strengthened," Gao said. Northwest University, based in Xi'an, has established a center for Kazakhstan studies. In 2015, Xi'an Jiaotong University set up a university union for the Silk Road. More than 124 universities in 30 countries and regions have joined. Since 2014, copyright trade volume between China and Belt and Road countries increased 20 percent per year, according to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Film and Television. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 14:03:13|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam exported nearly 1.4 million tons of coal worth 188 million U.S. dollars between January and August, up 142.1 percent in volume and up 228.5 percent in value against the same period last year, its Ministry of Industry and Trade said on Friday. In the eight-month period, Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation (Vinacomin), the country's biggest coal producer and exporter, churned out nearly 24.6 million tons of coal, made domestic sales of roughly 21.4 million tons of coal and exported 866,000 tons of the product. Vietnam plans to produce over 41.4 million tons of coal this year, up 7.6 percent over last year, and to keep its coal inventory at nearly 13.9 million tons by the year-end, said Vinacomin. The country is expected to produce 86.4 million tons of coal in 2020, and 256 million tons in 2030. Vietnam exported nearly 1.3 million tons of coal worth 141 million U.S. dollars last year, seeing respective year-on-year declines of 27 percent and 23.8 percent, said the ministry. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 14:18:21|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli experts commend the BRICS bloc of five emerging economies for its seeking expanded cooperation and partnership, which they believe will benefit the global economy. The just-concluded BRICS summit, held in the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen at a time when the bloc enters its second decade, has attracted a close attention from the Israeli political and economic circles. The bloc grouping Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is seeking to enhance cooperation in and outside it as well as to expand partnerships with especially developing countries in order to boost global growth and globalization. Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen highly agrees with the BRICS initiatives of jointly building an open global economy and establishing diverse development partnerships. "Every nation in the world is looking forward to expanding and strengthening their economic ability," he told Xinhua Thursday. "We are a globalized world and we need to work together in order to achieve our mutual goals." Cohen, who had visited China in March, expressed his high expectation, urging China and Israel to make further efforts to push forward the development of their innovative comprehensive relationship. BRICS cooperation mechanism is "very clever," commented Ziva Eger, CEO of Invest in Israel -- the economic ministry's one-stop-shop for foreign investment in Israel. "Because you need to push more and more economies all around to get involved," she said. "Things are going right now (this way), and you cannot be able to survive and leverage yourself (if) you will stand still," she added. In addition, during the Innovation Festival held in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Rick Kaplan, vice chief for the financial service and industry platform of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), deemed diverse BRICS partnerships as "wonderful". "That's a wonderful thought on the part of China and I wish that other countries in the world would think the same way," he said. Because that will benefit all peoples in the world "if our global leaders will think that way about the importance of multiple relationships between countries," he added. Citing Israel, he said, "Israel certainly needs (those) because we're a very small country. In order to succeed, we need deep relationships with countries like China." And "economic development will ultimately be the benefit of all people," he noted. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 14:34:01|Editor: Yang Yi A working staff arranges the shared bikes parked under the Guomao Bridge in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 7, 2017. Beijing will ban the new addition of shared bikes in the city, local authorities announced Thursday. There are 2.35 million shared bikes from 15 companies on the streets of the national capital, according to a spokesperson with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport. Shared bikes, the number of which surged in Beijing in the past year, have led to haphazard parking and obstructions in crowded areas such as subway entrances and shopping malls, the spokesperson said, while acknowledging their role in promoting low-carbon transportation and alleviating congestion. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang) Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 14:38:27|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A 28-billion-U.S.-dollar Australian warship project could be delayed for two years if local companies are handed the contract, a government minister has warned. The Future Frigates project will see nine new anti-submarine warfare frigates designed and built to replace Australia's existing Anzac frigate fleet. The Australian bid to build the ships is being led by South Australia's ASC and Western Australia's Austal but Spain's Navantina, Britain's BAE Systems and Italy's Fincantieri have also been shortlisted for the project. Despite an initial promise that the ships would be built in Australia, the Defence Department has convinced the government that the Australian-built clause should be "optional" rather than "mandated." Christopher Pyne, Australia's defence industry minister, said: "Advice from the Department of Defence is that changing the request for tender to mandate a particular shipbuilder would result in a delay of at least two years in the Future Frigates program." "The government is committed to creating an indigenous naval shipbuilding industry in Australia which will involve a significant increase of employees in the shipbuilding industry, focused on South Australia," Pyne said in a statement on Friday. Appearing alongside ASC and Austal at a parliamentary inquiry into the project, Glenn Thompson, assistant national secretary at Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), said that the foreign companies had to commit to hiring 1,000 Australian apprentices and graduates for the program. "The government must reward and support tenderers that show that level of commitment to developing the skills that workers will need to complete these projects," Thompson said. "It is pretty remarkable that we've got a foreign company bidding for this project, talking up the Australian workforce, while the government's own documents make it clear that using these workers is optional. "A sovereign capability to build, maintain, sustain and upgrade ships and submarines in Australia is not optional, using Australia workers on these projects from day one isn't either." Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 15:28:43|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least two people have been killed and more than 12 others injured in a cylinder blast in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said. "The incident took place when a gas cylinder exploded inside a house at Insaan Nagar in the state's Aligarh town this morning," a senior police official said. While two died on the spot in the impact of the explosion, those injured have been admitted to a nearby private hospital, he said. Six of the injured have been discharged after first aid, but the condition of six others are said to be critical as thay have sustained burn injuries, the official said. A probe has been ordered into the incident, he said. However, police have ruled out any foul play in the explosion. "It seemed to be an accidental blast, but investigation will reveal the real cause," the police official added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 15:33:44|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Amazon.com, Inc., the largest internet-based retailer in the world by total sales and market capitalization, said Thursday that it plans to open a second headquarters, or Amazon HQ2, in North America. The electronic commerce and cloud computing company said it expects to grow HQ2 into a full equal to its current headquarters in Seattle, the largest city in Washington state in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, which includes 33 buildings totaling 8.1 million square feet, or more than 750,000 square meters, and houses more than 40,000 employees. Saying it will invest over 5 billion U.S. dollars in construction, Amazon claimed that the second headquarters will include as many as 50,000 jobs as part of its ongoing job creation. "Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home," Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said while announcing that the company is opening the Amazon HQ2 Request for Proposal, or RFP, for local and state government leaders in the United States. Amazon noted that it has a preference for HQ2 to be in a metropolitan area with more than 1 million people, a stable and business-friendly environment, the potential to attract and retain technical talent, particularly in software development and related fields, and communities that "think big" when considering locations and real estate options. To lure cities and states to join the bidding for HQ2, Amazon said that in addition to its direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operations of HQ2 are expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community. Currently with more than 380,000 employees worldwide, Amazon said HQ2 will be a complete headquarters, with new teams and executives, not a satellite office of the current headquarters, or HQ1. While the company said it will let existing senior leaders across the company decide whether to locate their teams in HQ1, HQ2 or both, it expects that employees who are currently working in HQ1 can choose to continue working there, or they could have an opportunity to move if they would prefer to be located in HQ2. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 15:59:00|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday welcomed China's proposal to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the bloc's development strategy to further enhance and integrate China-ASEAN economic and trade ties. In a joint statement issued by the trade ministers from ASEAN member states and China at the end of their meeting, the ministers said that China's Belt and Road Initiative aims "at create trade, financial, and culture networks stretching from East Asia to Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas of industrial development, financial integration and reform, and infrastructure construction." "In this relation, the ministers underscored the importance to ensure that the initiative is a win-win collaboration formula," the statement read. The statement noted the progress made in the discussion on the proposed joint statement between China and ASEAN on further deepening the cooperation of infrastructure connectivity. The ministers also noted the developments in the ASEAN-China connectivity cooperation and the outcomes of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing this May. Moreover, the ministers expressed appreciation for China's efforts to organize the first China International Import Expo in 2018. They encouraged the active participation of the 10 ASEAN member states in the event. The ministers also welcomed the continued "strong levels" of trade and investment between China and ASEAN, noting that China maintained its position as ASEAN's largest trading partner since 2009 and continued to be ASEAN's fourth largest external source of foreign direct investment (FDI). ASEAN data showed that merchandise trade between ASEAN and China reached 368 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, accounting for 16.5 percent of ASEAN's total merchandise trade. Moreover, it showed that FDI flows from China to ASEAN amounted to 9.2 billion dollars in 2016, accounting for 9.5 percent of total ASEAN's FDI. China's Belt and Road Initiative, valued at about 1 trillion U.S. dollars, aims at getting some 60 countries to invest in infrastructure projects to develop land and maritime routes following the old Silk Road network that once connected China to Central Asia and Europe. ASEAN economic ministers kicked off a four-day meeting in Manila on Thursday to discuss ways on how to further strengthen economic ties and further integrate trade and investment in Southeast Asia. ASEAN economic ministers will also meet their counterparts from Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States to exchange views on global and regional economic developments and discuss trade agreements and economic cooperation mechanisms with these partners. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 16:54:26|Editor: ying Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar said in a statement on Friday they welcome a dialogue with Doha without any conditions. "Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain appreciate the mediation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his endeavors to get Qatari authorities back to the right road," the statement said. The four countries hail, as Sheikh Sabah had declared, Qatar's agreement to discuss the 13 demands, stressing the dialogue to discuss them should happen with no preconditions. The quartet of Arab nations cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the tiny gas-rich nation, over allegations Qatar funds extremists and has closer ties with Iran, a Saudi rival. Qatar has strongly denied the charges, while rejecting a list of 13 demands put forward by the bloc for resuming diplomatic ties. Kuwait has been trying to mediate the dispute. Sheikh Sabah said, on Thursday in Washington, that he had received a letter from Qatar that expressed willingness to discuss the 13 demands from its neighbors. "We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable," said the Kuwaiti leader, "a great part of them will be resolved." "What is important is that we have stopped any military action," said Sheikh Sabah. The Saudi-led four Arab countries expressed regret over what Sheikh Sabah called his successful mediation to stop military intervention, adding "the military intervention had not been and would never be an option on the table." U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would be willing to mediate the ongoing dispute between Qatar and other Middle East countries. "If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so and I think you would have a deal worked out very quickly," said Trump during his joint press conference with visiting Sheikh Sabah. The four Arab nations added in the statement that the countries that have difference with Qatar are not only Gulf states, but also include several other Arab and Islamic countries which are against the Qatari intervention and support for terrorism. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Al Jazeera TV that any mediation had to come "without conditions," reiterating that Doha would not negotiate while transport links with neighbors remained cut. The Arab powers accused in a joint statement Qatar of putting "preconditions on negotiations which it said showed a lack of seriousness in resolving the dispute." The four countries reiterated an accusation that Qatar continued to finance terrorism and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 17:09:32|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- In a pilot free trade zone in the city of Yingkou in northeast China's Liaoning Province, business owners no longer need to run back and forth to different government agencies just to get their companies registered. Under a reform program named "combining 39 certificates into one," more than 230 companies have saved about 43 days on average by not being required to get unnecessary paperwork. Administrative procedures may further be reduced for these companies, as the local government has decided to expand a pilot reform to further cut red tape. The reform, already in trial in Shanghai Pudong New Area, separates operation permits from business licenses and eliminates 116 approval items. A total of 10 free trade zones across the country, including those in Tianjin, Chongqing, Liaoning and Zhejiang, will also test the reform following the Shanghai trial, according to a decision made at the State Council executive meeting Wednesday. Over the past five years, China has made big strides in creating a better business environment for both domestic and overseas companies. Through simpler approval process, lower corporate fees and technology-based services, the government is transforming its functions to let the market play a larger role in the economy. Latest data showed that in the first eight months of this year, 16,000 new companies were registered every day on average, compared with only 6,900 more than three years ago, when business registration reforms were initiated. "The reforms have fostered entrepreneurship and innovation and laid a solid foundation for economic growth," said Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. According to Zhang, new market entities have contributed to more than 40 percent of new urban employment in 2016, injecting vitality into the economy. In terms of lowering the corporate burden, the government has made a promise to slash corporate costs by 1 trillion yuan (about 154 billion U.S. dollars) this year, which Premier Li Keqiang said the country will deliver in full. Thanks to measures such as the removal of some road tolls in provincial-level regions, national logistics costs fell by 35.6 billion yuan in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Transport. Technology has also played a bigger role in improving government services. In a pilot free trade zone in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, customs brokers can make appointments with authorities using mobile apps, effectively shortening the time needed for the inspection of goods. Favorable policies have been helping domestic and foreign companies alike. China has significantly trimmed its "negative list" on foreign investment, which identifies sectors and businesses that are off-limits, in its pilot free trade zones. The negative list approach will be expanded to the whole nation to attract more foreign investment. In the first seven months of this year, newly registered foreign-funded companies rose 12 percent year on year to 17,703, as simpler administrative procedures and lower entry barriers attracted businesses, analysts said. According to a report released by the World Bank, China's ranking in terms of the ease of doing business moved up eight spots every year from 2013 to 2016, while the country's ranking for the ease of starting businesses climbed 31 places during the period. "Against a backdrop of global competition, we should aim higher and continue to push reforms that will improve the business environment and speed up economic upgrades," said Zhang Jianping, an official from a research center under the Ministry of Commerce. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 17:54:58|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close HARARE, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has escalated his tiff with South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) by describing as stupid the party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe's reaction to his negative comments on political icon Nelson Mandela. Mugabe had on two previous occasions told his Zanu-PF party supporters that Mandela only negotiated for his freedom from jail and not for the economic emancipation of the majority blacks who continued to languish in poverty while whites had it all. Mantashe this week said he had spoken to the Zanu-PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo whom he asked to restrain Mugabe from insulting Madiba, as Mandela was affectionately known. "This morning, I phoned the secretary-general of Zanu-PF and I said to him, your president is all over Madiba, but the reality of the matter is you have destroyed the economy in your country. We continue to create black millionaires in this country, including Zimbabwean millionaires. "So restrain your president from making statements that are unresearched. And it's been done in a responsible manner that has not brought our economy to its knees in the quest for populism," he said. However, Mugabe hit back Thursday and described Mantashe's reaction as stupid, saying the people who once oppressed black South Africans were still in control of the resources, the Herald reported Friday. Addressing captains of industry and commerce at State House, Mugabe said liberation movements in Southern Africa did not just fight for political independence but also for the control of resources. "I made this remark in regard to South Africa and what do they call him, Gwede (Mantashe) stupidly reacted. Yes, they only fought to remove apartheid. That was it. We talked to them," he said. Mandela, who had been in prison for 27 years, became South Africa's majority president in 1994 and for the next five years until his retirement, led the country on the path of peace and reconciliation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 18:00:04|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government is not planning to review its three non-nuclear principles, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Friday. In response to some lawmakers holding the view that Japan should deploy U.S. nuclear weapons here as a deterrent against potential attacks, Kono told a press briefing on the matter that being under the U.S. nuclear umbrella was all the protection the nation needed. "At this juncture, the deterrent power of the United States is working and the Japanese government has not reviewed the three non-nuclear principles so far and has no plan to discuss a review of them." Kono's remarks came after former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba controversially intimated on a TV program on Wednesday that seeking the protection of U.S. nuclear weapons but not wanting them on Japanese soil was in some way contradictory. "Is it really right for us to say that we will seek the protection of U.S. nuclear weapons, but we don't want them inside our country?" Ishiba, seen as a potential rival to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the future leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), quizzed. Ishiba, in the TV program, said that he was in fact opposed to the idea of Japan possessing its own nuclear weapons. Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of the LDP's junior coalition Komeito party, took aim at Ishiba's point, telling a press conference Thursday that the three principles "are a national policy and must not be changed." Japan is the only country that has suffered atomic bombings. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively brought an end to World War II. Since 1967, Japan has, ostensibly, upheld the three principles of not possessing, not producing and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into the country. (FILES) This file photo taken on January 31, 2017 shows Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending an event at the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in Jerusalem. (AFP Photo) JERUSALEM, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel's attorney general said Friday he is considering indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, for fraud and misuse of state funds. An announcement issued by the Justice Ministry said that Attorney General Avichai Mandleblit is considering prosecuting Sara Netanyahu over using state money for personal gourmet dining service worth about 100,000 U.S. dollars. The statement said that the final decision over the indictment would be made after a hearing to which Netanyahu would be summoned. The possible charges include fraudulently procuring items, fraud and breach of trust. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 18:10:09|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A police vehicle was torched on Friday in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir during clashes between protesters and the government forces, police said. The vehicle was set ablaze in Anantnag town, about 52 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. Clashes broke out in the town after Friday afternoon congregational prayers when residents staged a protest against the alleged persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. According to police, a vehicle was torched by protesters during clashes in the town. "Two policemen were also injured during the clashes," a police spokesman said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 18:15:10|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan (C) talks to Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (not in photo) during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting and related meetings in Pasay City, the Philippines, Sept. 8, 2017. China's minister of commerce said Friday the country will continue to extend support for ASEAN community building and prioritize its trade cooperation with ASEAN countries. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's minister of commerce said Friday the country will continue to extend support for ASEAN community building and prioritize its trade cooperation with ASEAN countries. Zhong Shan, who is attending the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting and related meetings in Manila, made the remarks at the 16th consultations between ASEAN economic ministers and Chinese minister of commerce. "China and ASEAN are enjoying a close cooperation partnership in economy and trade," Zhong said. "China has maintained its position as ASEAN's largest trading partner for eight years in a row, and ASEAN has been China's third largest trade partner for the last six years." He disclosed that the two-way Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between China and ASEAN has reached 185 billion U.S. dollars, adding that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement has been updated and is being smoothly implemented. Zhong proposed several points in cooperation with ASEAN, saying that China is willing to widen pragmatic cooperation in more sectors with the bloc. Zhong invited ASEAN countries to join the "Belt and Road" building efforts, saying that China is willing to better synergize the initiative with ASEAN's development strategy in order to further enhance China-ASEAN economic and trade relations. China will concentrate its efforts on further deepening the cooperation of infrastructure connectivity between China and ASEAN, Zhong said, adding that the advantages China is enjoying in capital, expertise and experience will give a boost to building connectivity inside ASEAN as a whole. Zhong said that China is willing to deepen cooperation in production capacity investment between China and ASEAN, including the development of industrial parks, adding that the bilateral investment and economic cooperation between the two sides has been stronger. Zhong also said China will try its best to enhance assistance cooperation with ASEAN with the aim of reducing the development gap in the ASEAN region, enhancing national development capacity, fueling regional economic growth and promoting the ASEAN community building. Zhong also invited ASEAN member countries to take part in the China International Import Expo in 2018, hoping that it will serve as an important platform for everybody and play a big role in increasing ASEAN's exports to China. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 18:35:15|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The air forces of China and Pakistan began joint training exercises in China on Thursday. China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to-air missile and radar troops, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, adding the Chinese navy's aviation troops also participated in the training. Pakistan has sent JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and early warning aircraft to join the exercise, named "Shaheen VI," which will run until Sept. 27, Shen said. "To build a world-class air force, we need to learn from foreign armies and improve our capability to complete multiple tasks," said Shen, adding the Chinese air force will increase international exchanges and sharpen its combat effectiveness. The "Shaheen" joint training was launched by the Chinese and Pakistani air forces in March 2011. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:10:35|Editor: ying Video Player Close ATHENS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron urged French businesses to invest in Greece to support its effort to overcome the debt crisis, wrapping up his first official visit to Greece on Friday. "We have been here, we are still present and we will remain here...I would like to express my confidence that French businesses will participate in this effort," the French leader said addressing a meeting between Greek and French business entrepreneurs in Athens. Approximately 40 CEOs of French giants in business arrived with Macron in the Greek capital on Thursday to explore investment opportunities in Greece. The attraction of investments is a key element in Greece's plan to exit bailouts, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras noted during the Greek-French business forum, assuring that his government will continue reforms to create a more business friendly environment. "We believe that after seven years of a crisis which exposed Europe's weaknesses... Greece can hope again, can stand on its feet again," Tsipras said. During Friday's forum Greek Economy Minister Dimitris Papadimitriou and Nicolas Dufourq, chief executive officer of France's Public Investment Bank, signed a memorandum of cooperation for the establishment of a Greek Development Bank. Under the plan the French side will provide knowhow for the creation of the new entity which will support small- and medium-sized Greek companies. During talks with Greek political leaders on Thursday several times Macron stressed that France will support Greece to achieve economic recovery, urging all EU member states to restore trust in their relations, support each other and build a stronger EU in coming years. "We need to find the strength to restart Europe...What France chooses to do today is to discuss this vision and ambition for a stronger Europe," he said delivering a speech on his vision for the EU's future under the Acropolis hill on Thursday evening. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:20:42|Editor: ying Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Military experts from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) completed this week their withdrawal from Uganda where they have been training troops. Brig. Richard Karemire, Uganda military spokesman told Xinhua on Friday that the experts left after Uganda broke its cooperation with DPRK over the latter's failure to respect UN resolutions. DPRK has been facing UN sanctions over its continued nuclear activities. The DPRK detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday which was its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, sparking condemnation from the international community. The last batch of 19 military experts were based at the Uganda Air Force Aviation Academy in the central district of Nakasongola and Uganda Air Force Secondary School, Entebbe, about 40 kilometers south of the capital, Kampala. "We definitely commend them for the job they did while here. They have imparted knowledge on our experts and we are able to take it from there on our own," said Karemire. He said the experts have been offering training in martial arts, acrobatics and building the capacity of the country's air force. Uganda in May last year announced that it was breaking military cooperation with DPRK over the Asian country's nuclear proliferation. The African country, however, said it supports nuclear energy production for peaceful purposes like medicine and energy. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:25:45|Editor: ying Video Player Close HARARE, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Work of the Kariba South hydro-power expansion project which is being done by China's Sinohydro is now 92 percent complete, with the first of two generators being installed still on course for commissioning in December, a Cabinet minister has said. Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge told Friday's The Herald newspaper in Kariba that the commissioning will take place on December 24. "We applaud the focused work and effort that is being exhibited by the contractor and ZESA management that has seen so much progress," he said. Power utility ZESA Holdings, through its generating subsidiary the Zimbabwe Power Company, is spearheading the expansion which will add another 300 megawatts into the national grid. Each of the two generators being installed has a capacity of 150 MW and the second unit will be installed in early 2018. Work on the 550-million-U.S. dollar project began in 2014 and the first generator will be commissioned in December 2017 and the second one will be ready early 2018. China Exim Bank contributed 90 percent of funding while the Zimbabwean government contributed the remainder. Sinohydro will also refurbish the largest power station -- Hwange Thermal Power Station -- to give it a boost of 600 MW and officials say progress has been made towards financial closure to allow work to begin. The project will cost 1.1 billion dollars and run over 42 months. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:25:47|Editor: ying Video Player Close by Relja Dusek KOLAN, CROATIA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- In Croatia, the Adriatic country with over 1,000 islands, there is one so special called the "Lunar Island". At first glance, Island Pag has a moon-like surface. It is rocky and bare, just white rock set amongst the blue sea and sky. Thanks to the Bora, a strong wind that is blowing from a seaside mountain range, half of the island is completely naked. In such environment, one would assume it is not a place to live, let alone for sheep farming. Nevertheless, the island is a home for more than 30,000 sheep and the "best cheese in the world" "Paski sir" or Pag cheese. In July, at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich, UK, "Paski sir" from Cheese Dairy Gligora won a gold medal. It is just one in a series of awards, a series that started in 2002 when Pag cheese won a bronze medal at Italian fair in Brescia in the category of sheep milk cheese. "Yes, I remember the first award in Italy. I was very proud because I started this business with an idea to make the best cheese in the world. And I succeeded", Ivan Gligora, director of Gligora Dairy told Xinhua. "Since then, there was not a year that we didn't win the most important awards at highly acclaimed word contests", Gligora says. He dedicated his life to cheese that his family produces in a little village Kolan on Island Pag. "It was a hard work from the start. I didn't get a lot of support, in the beginning, some people even tried to stop me, but I tried to show them all who I am and what I can do", he remembered. "What's the secret of the best cheese in the world? Persistence and expertise", Gligora answered without much thinking. Knowledge is a key factor, he repeated but admitted that Pag's climate and unique sheep were also very important. The key aspect of Pag's micro climate is the famous northern wind Bora. From the nearby mountains, the wind comes down to the sea surface and creates the fog made up of tiny sea drops. The wind dries them, turns them into salt and spreads the salt along the island's vegetation. Besides, herbs such as sage, thyme, mint, and immortelle grow on the island, providing a unique recipe for sheep on the island. Thus, sheep milk cheese from Island Pag is special. Sheep from Island Pag are also a unique breed. They are small and skinny, but strong enough to live through the winter when Bora wind can blow up to 200km/h. Throughout the year they are kept freely on pastures. "Our shepherds from all over the island are milking them completely traditionally as hundred years before. Everything only manually and everything outdoor", Ruzica Gligora, Tourism Services Manager at Gligora Dairy told Xinhua. "Just imagine how hard it is for shepherds to milk in the winter when Bora blows. Fortunately, people here are hard working", Gligora said. Sheep are milked twice a day from January to June. On average one sheep produces about one liter of milk a day while it takes about seven litter of milk to make one kilo of cheese. Although "Paski sir" has a long tradition, it wasn't known outside Croatia until the Gligora family put it on the world map of cheese. Today, they produce 500 tons of cheese every year and that's the best they can do. There are only around 30,000 sheep on the 305-square-kilomoter island due to the limited number of pastures. "We could sell three times more cheese that we can produce. Cheese from Pag doesn't need promotion. But it can be used for other purposes, such as the promotion of the island", Bernard Marzic from Tourist Board of Pag told Xinhua. Dairy and cheese production has taken a special place in the economy of Island Pag, meanwhile contributing to tourism, the major industry of the island and the country, by attracting visitors to cheese factory tours. Each year, more than 10,000 visitors come to Kolan to see Gligora dairy and taste "Paski sir". Visitors can tour the production facility in the dairy, visit the ripening room in the cellar and taste cheeses. "This is really special. I have never tasted such cheese. My favorite is the one from olive residue", a visitor from Italy said. Ivan Gligora is happy to see happy customers. "Every job is fulfilling if you are successful. I'm happy that I am working in cheese production because it lets a person to be creative. If there is an art in dairy, then it is a production of Paski sir", he concluded. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:30:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Yu Zhengsheng (R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with Yohei Kono, former speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives and current president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2017. Yu on Friday met with a visiting Japanese delegation including Yohei Kono for a reception on the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Japanese people could help improve ties, China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng said Friday. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks when meeting with a visiting Japanese delegation for a reception on the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations. Delegates including Yohei Kono, former speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives and current president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, attended the reception, the first of its kind in 10 years. Yu called on both sides to boost cooperation while "taking history as mirror and looking into the future." Complex factors still remain in ameliorating bilateral relations, Yu said, stressing that Japan should abide by the four political documents and the four-point principled consensus between the two countries. Yu said China hoped Japan would adopt a more positive policy towards China, properly handle sensitive issues and improve bilateral ties with responsible attitude and actions. Kono called on people of Japan and China to continue the political wisdom and courage of the two countries' leaders who strove to normalize ties 45 years ago. Kono was a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He is most well-known for an official statement he made as chief cabinet secretary in 1993 when he admitted to Japan's historical use of "comfort women," women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II, and offered an apology to the victims. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:35:56|Editor: ying Video Player Close DOHA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani insisted that the Gulf diplomatic crisis should be resolved through constructive dialogue that does not affect the sovereignty of states, Qatar's state news agency (QNA) reported Friday. During Hamad al-Thani's telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the two leaders discussed the latest development related to the Gulf crisis in light of Kuwait's mediation through diplomatic means and dialogue among all parties to ensure security and stability of the region. Qatari Emir expressed his appreciation to Kuwait's efforts and the position of the United States on the need to resolve the crisis through dialogues. The two leaders also discussed means of supporting and strengthening the strategic cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah held a joint news conference with Trump on Thursday, to discuss the latest development and ways to resolve the Gulf crisis. Kuwait has been acting as a mediator since June 5, when the Saudi-led bloc including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade against it, accusing Doha of supporting "terrorism." Qatar has strongly denied the allegations. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a meeting at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia September 7, 2017. (Reuters Photo) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Japan have agreed to continue dialogue and sign a peace treaty in the foreseeable future, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday. "The most important thing for Japanese-Russian relations is the conclusion of a peace treaty, (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin said so during his visit to Japan. This time, we came to a new resolution to sign a peace treaty with our own hands," Abe said following talks with Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held here. The Japanese prime minister said he and Putin had also agreed to have another meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Vietnam in November. "We intend to maintain dialogue with him, taking advantage of every opportunity," he said. Earlier at the plenary session of the EEF, Abe urged the two countries to improve bilateral ties and end the abnormal situation concerning the long-delayed peace treaty. "A number of things that Russia and Japan could not achieve over the last 70 years were set to motion in the past single year. And if we continue our steps forward for another year and then another after that, then we will see a bright future in which the potential of Japan-Russia relations will be fully revealed," Abe said. Towards this end, Russia and Japan must put an end to "the unnatural state of affairs" of still not having a peace treaty, he said, adding that the two countries should try and carve out a new era for bilateral relations. Putin confirmed that he and Abe discussed the peace treaty issue, specifying on the prospect of joint economic activities with Japan on the controversial islands in the Pacific. "Several promising projects that are ready for implementation first have now been selected. We are talking about cooperation in the areas of aquaculture, electrical power, the creation of greenhouse facilities, garbage disposal, and the development of package tours," he said. Russia and Japan both claim a group of islands off Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia. The decade-old territorial spat has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty and hindered their diplomatic and trade relations. During Putin's official visit to Japan last December, the leaders of the two countries announced the beginning of consultations of experts on joint economic activities in the Southern Kurils as an important step towards the conclusion of a peace treaty. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 19:56:02|Editor: ying Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's outspoken opposition Member of Parliament Tundu Lissu, who was wounded by unknown gunmen on Thursday has been airlifted from Dodoma General Hospital to the Kenyan capital Nairobi for specialized treatment, the National Assembly said on Friday. A statement by the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly in the political capital Dodoma said Lissu was airlifted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi on Friday at midnight by Flying Doctors, leading provider of safe and professional aero-medical transportation in Africa. Lissu, a lawyer for opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), suffered multiple gunshot wounds on Thursday afternoon after unknown gunmen attacked the lawmaker at his home in Dodoma. The statement said Lissu was accompanied by his wife, the leader of the opposition in Parliament and chairman of CHADEMA, Freeman Mbowe, a surgeon from the Dodoma General Hospital and two doctors from Flying Doctors. Members of Parliament, attending a two-week parliamentary session in Dodoma, contributed about 20,000 U.S. dollars to help cover Lissu's medical expenses. President John Magufuli condemned the attack on Thursday and ordered security forces to launch a swift criminal investigation. "I have been saddened by reports of the shooting of Tundu Lissu. I pray for his quick recovery," said Magufuli. The screen at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center shows the two Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (L) and Chen Dong entering the space lab Tiangong-2, Oct. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua) by Zhang Jiawei, Jin Jing EDINBURGH, Britain, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- With China's growing investment in space science and technology and its increasing market demand for satellite applications, countries like Britain are looking to work more closely with China in the area. "China is a huge country and satellites are perfect in providing the data unique for agriculture, for climate, for air quality," Chris Lee, head of International Space Partnerships at UK Space Agency, told Xinhua. He made the remark on the sideline of the 12th UK-China Space Workshop on Space Science and Technology, which was held in Edinburgh this week. "From China, we will then have an opportunity to take those capabilities out to the rest of the world. So if I were to pick a particular area. I think it would be the applications of satellites," said Lee. "And because the UK has some key strength in this area as well, I think we are natural partners in focusing on how you use satellite data rather than how you build satellites themselves." The two sides have made efforts to promote satellite applications in some specific areas. The STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) Newton Agri-Tech Fund was launched in 2015 under the auspices of the UK-China Space Science Joint Laboratory. This joint initiative looks to use the UK's expertise in remote sensing and modelling in the area of agricultural technology to work with and aid the Chinese farming community. The 12-million-pound (15.68 million U.S. dollars) fund is spread over five years and will make use of the breakthroughs in satellite imaging, remote sensing and modelling to help provide facilities and technologies that will support research driven, decision making tools for farmers and policy makers. It provides the chance for Chinese and UK researchers to work together to exchange ideas, and make closer ties across the cultural and social boundaries. "I think......both the UK and China have a very strong belief that satellites can be used for governments around the world to improve the well being of their citizens," said Lee. "We both share a philosophy called space for smarter government, and I think we and China want to showcase how space is useful to support the UN's sustainable goals." Satellite applications in agriculture is just one part of the two sides deepened cooperation in space science. "Both China and the UK see space science and technology as one very important and interesting area, and have encouraged cooperation between the two sides' colleges and research institutions," said Lijun Xu, Dean of School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronic Engineering, Beijing-based Beihang University, in an interview with Xinhua. Xu also attended the Space Workshop. One typical example is the SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) space mission, which aims to measure Earth's global system responses to solar wind and geomagnetic variations. The project was formally selected by the ESA (European Space Agency) Science Program Committee in 2015. The objective of SMILE is to reach mission adoption in early 2018 and launch is expected to take place at the end of 2021. Working with their colleagues from Canada, several European countries and the U.S., scientists and engineers from China and the UK will dedicate their expertise to making SMILE a reality. The SMILE project is going forward with ESA providing capabilities on the satellite and China and the UK providing capabilities on the instrument, said Lee. "We are certainly very excited that this will be our key mission in the future that showcases UK and Chinese academics," he also said. With UK leaving the European Union, or Brexit, researchers in the UK have voiced their concern over Brexit's impact on internationally collaborated science projects. But to Lee, this will not affect UK and China's cooperation in space science. "The fact that Brexit is happening does not really reflect or change the relationship we already have (with China)," said Lee. The one opportunity Brexit provides is a refocus, according to Lee. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:16:12|Editor: ying Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran plans to attract foreign investments for projects to collect flare gas in its South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf region, Press TV reported on Friday. The announcement was made following a Wednesday deal, worth 42 million euros (50.6 million U.S. dollars), between the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and a consortium led by France's Sofregaz to recover flare gas at the treatment plants of South Pars phases 2 and 3. "Reducing the level of industrial pollution is an important issue and a key concern of the officials," Mohammad Meshkin-Fam, the managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), was quoted as saying. "The deal with Sofregaz is meant for the same purpose," Meshkin-Fam said. He expressed hope that the deal with Sofregaz would be the starting point for more agreements at all 13 treatment plants in South Pars gas field. No natural gas should be eventually flared in the energy hub, he stressed. "Iran is the leading country in the Middle East in terms of releasing pollutant gases into the atmosphere," he said, "we hope that this situation would change." Based on the agreement signed on Wednesday, Sofregaz will cooperate with Iran's Samin Sazeh over the project. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:21:17|Editor: ying Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday convened their 11th consultative meeting at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The meeting deliberates on peace and security situations in Africa, particularly on the situations in Somalia, South Sudan and the Lake Chad Basin. The chair of AUPSC for the month of September and Botswana's ambassador to Ethiopia and AU, Punkie Josephine Molefe, and Head of Ethiopian Mission to the UN and President of UNSC for the Month of September, Tekeda Alemu, have co-chaired the meeting that also focused on ways of further strengthening financial support to peace-keeping operations. In her opening remarks, Molefe noted that the African continent has continued to grapple with a myriad of challenges to peace and security since the last joint consultative meeting in New York. "And today, we are going to be looking at three conflict situations, Somalia, South Sudan and the Lake Chad Basin which have seen some positive developments but also serious challenges in their resolution," she said. Reiterating the progress made in Somalia, Molefe has called for joint efforts to address challenges faced by AMISOM and the government of Somalia. "Equally, we shall exchange views on the situation in South Sudan where the crisis persists, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated and several efforts have been made by IGAD, AU and the international partners working with the government of South Sudan and other players to the conflict towards the implementation of the 2015 Peace Agreement," she said. Stating that positive developments have been noted in degrading Boko Haram, she said that the threat and the challenges brought about by the terrorist activities in the region still remain to be addressed. Speaking on his part, the President of UNSC for the Month of September noted that the UN attaches great importance to the UN-AU cooperation, and the annual consultation meeting is an important aspect of the cooperation between the two organizations. Over the past decade the annual joint consultation has certainly served as a very good platform for the two Councils to address common peace and security threats facing Africa and the international community at large, he said. He expressed the hope that the consultation would grow in the future to be more and more effective and have even greater added value. "At a time when a current security challenges are growing in scale and complexity it is important that the councils strengthen their cooperation and joint work" said Tekeda, adding, "The two organizations should explore measures that could further strengthen their cooperation and working relations including joint field visit and harmonization of their respective programs of work among others." The two organizations on Thursday held an informal consultation, with focus on the partnership between the AU and the UN, funding for AU peace and security activities, and post-conflict peace building. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:26:21|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CHENGDU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Contracts worth over 80 billion yuan (12.4 billion U.S. dollars) have been signed at an ongoing high-tech expo in southwest China's Sichuan Province. During the 5th China Science and Technology City International High-tech Expo held from Thursday to Saturday in Mianyang city, a total of 117 contracts worth 88.689 billion yuan were signed, up by 25.5 percent compared to last year's event. Companies from over 40 countries and regions joined the expo. Israel is the guest of honor at this year's expo. On Thursday, China and Israel announced a plan to strengthen cooperation in ten major areas, including information, artificial intelligence and green cars. The expo is an annual event jointly held by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Sichuan provincial government. The past four expos attracted a total of 56 countries and regions and witnessed the signing of 2,107 contracts worth 345.28 billion yuan. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:31:24|Editor: ying Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained three suspects in the southern province of Adana on Friday over recruiting militants for the Islamic State (IS). In the early hours of the morning, security forces launched raids on spotted houses. Police armed with long-barreled weapons and armored vehicles took security measures around the addresses, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Three suspects were detained and taken to police headquarters during the operation. The operation was supported by a police helicopter and special operation forces targeting suspects who had reportedly been recruiting militants for the extremist groups, which have carried out a series of deadly attacks in the country in recent years. Security forces have so far arrested more than 5,000 IS suspects and deported 3,290 foreign militants from 95 different countries, according to official figures. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:36:29|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (3rd L, rear) attends a symposium with local officials on low-carbon development in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday underscored the urgency of green development, requiring local officials to address environmental ills. Although notable progress has been made, there is still a lot of work to do on environment protection, said Zhang at a symposium with local officials on low-carbon development. An industrial system of green development will strengthen technological support and spread the concept of green growth and green lifestyles, according to the vice premier. He stressed "proper development" of cities and towns, with more effective treatment of garbage. Problems such as air, water and soil pollution should be dealt with, and carbon emissions should be controlled, the vice premier said. After decades of rapid expansion brought smog and contaminated soil, China is steadily shifting from GDP obsession to a balanced growth philosophy that puts more emphasis on the environment. Measures have been taken to control pollution. A revised environmental protection law and a "river chief" system was introduced. The government has drawn "red lines" in certain regions to strengthen protection. China is to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and raise the share of non-fossil energy in total consumption to about 20 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:41:31|Editor: ying Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The international community and Islamic countries expect the government of Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslim community, said Iranian foreign minister on Friday. Besides, Iran expects Myanmar to allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in his letter written to Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. The powers responsible for the atrocities in Myanmar should be brought to justice, he said, urging the government of Myanmar to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of violence in the future. "It is disappointing that such minimum global demands are yet to receive a proper response," Zarif said. The Rohingya, one of the world's largest stateless communities, are fleeing in droves toward Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge of violence in Rakhine state between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's army. The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days. On Thursday, Iran's foreign minister criticized the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying. Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "we must act now before it is too late." Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Thursday it had set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani. Hamid Jamaloddini, the Society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items are ready to be dispatched to Myanmar. He also expressed readiness to help relocate those in urgent need. Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:41:33|Editor: ying Video Player Close TIRANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The domestic violence is reaching alarming levels in Albania as at least one victim is reported each month as a result of such violence, a report from the state statistical office showed Friday. Meanwhile the average number of people who are arrested each month for domestic violence is two and the total figure for this year is 458, according to the report. Albanian authorities have admitted that this phenomenon has recently become more serious as only this year there have been 11 victims of domestic violence, all women killed by their husbands. On the other hand, authorities say that there are 12 women each month who report their husbands and loved ones to the authorities for use of domestic violence. According to Albanian state police records, the number of denouncements made by women for domestic violence was 3,000 in the period from January to July, 2017. As a result, the courts have issued 1,563 restraining orders for women who have been subjected to violence but the experts of the field say that in most of cases such orders are inefficient. Late August, Albanian public opinion was shocked by the murder of a 39-year old woman, a judge, who was killed by her husband in Albanian capital. The judge remained dead after she was shot with a fire arm while the fact that she already had had two protection orders raised people's anger towards country's justice system. The judge's murder triggered the reactions of the highest officials of the Albanian state as well as civil society considering that this was the first time that a woman judge was killed in Albania, but also because the number of women killed by their husbands is growing. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 20:46:35|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will hold their first trilateral talks within the year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday. Wang made the remarks during a press conference after a meeting with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif. Wang said Pakistan and Afghanistan are important countries in the region and he hopes the two nations can work together to safeguard stability in the region. China attaches great importance to the relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and actively helps the two countries narrow differences and enhance mutual trust. It is also exploring opportunities to develop cooperation among the three countries, he said. Through consultations, the three countries' foreign ministers will hold their first trilateral talks this year, Wang said, adding that they will focus on strategic communication, practical cooperation, and security dialogue. On the anti-terrorism issue, Wang said terrorism is a global problem, and all countries should work together to solve it. He said Pakistan has always been a victim of terrorism and an important participant in international anti-terrorism cooperation, and the world should recognize the efforts and sacrifice made by the Pakistani government and its people. During the meeting with Asif, Wang said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and China supports Pakistan's efforts to uphold sovereignty, fight terrorism and safeguard national security. For his part, Asif said Pakistan will always firmly support China on issues concerning China's core interests, including issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:27:04|Editor: ying Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- "The Tunisian airline company Tunisair scheduled 45 flights from the Holy Places in Saudi Arabia during the period from September 6 to 21, in order to ensure the return of the 10,804 Tunisian pilgrims," Tunisair announced on Friday. Departure flights from Saudi Arabia take off from Jeddah airports until September 12 and from Medina from September 13 to 21, according to Tunisair. Tunisair reported that two aircraft Airbus A340 will be at the disposal of the Tunisian pilgrims with the strengthening of a psychological, logistical and medical Tunisian assistance delegation. This year the Tunisian Ministry of Religious Affairs was able to count five cases of pilgrim deaths in Holy Places. According to the Tunisian authorities and Tunisian delegation sent to Saudi Arabia, the main cause of death is traffic accidents. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:27:05|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A TV documentary series on China's anti-corruption and discipline inspections has provided details about the campaign which were previously unknown to the public. The first episode of the series "The Sword of Inspection" aired on state media China Central Television and the website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Thursday evening. The episode received about 900,000 views within four hours of its release, according to the CCDI website. It featured untold stories about the inspections as well as interviews with corrupt former senior officials. According to the documentary, during the investigation of Wu Changshun, a former senior political advisor and police chief in north China's Tianjin Municipality, members of the inspection team had to be "extremely careful" to keep confidential information safe. Ren Aijun, an inspector involved in the case, said they had to use special equipment to scan their meeting rooms and dorms, in case the veteran police official tried to intercept their communications. Wu was not aware of the operation until his son-in-law was detained. He immediately rushed home from a dinner party and started to destroy evidence. "The documents and all the materials...were put into the shredder...A vehicle was packed with things [illegal gains], but it was still not enough to take it all away," Wu said in an interview featured in the documentary. However, it was too late as the inspection team had already collected enough evidence, based on tip-offs from the public. Wu was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for graft. A court trial found him guilty of crimes including bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. On June 21, the CPC discipline agency published the results of the 12th round of inspections, marking the completion of inspections by central authorities during the term of the 18th CPC Central Committee into CPC organizations in provincial-level regions, central CPC and government organs, major state-owned enterprises, central financial institutions and centrally-administered universities. The 18th CPC Central Committee is the first in Party history to successfully inspect all these entities in one term. Starting from the first round of inspections in May 2013, a total of 160 teams have been dispatched and 277 Party and governmental agencies, units and institutions have been inspected. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, more than 60 percent of the investigations into centrally-administered officials were a result of information found by discipline inspectors. Inspection teams discovered the misconduct of Su Rong, a former vice chairman of a top political advisory body. During the second round of inspections, corruption problems in Shanxi were exposed, which resulted in seven provincial-level officials being investigated. Election fraud was also revealed in in Liaoning, Hunan and Sichuan provinces. "I was surprised [by the investigation], but it was also expected," Su Shulin, former governor of Fujian Province and a former general manager of Sinopec, one of China's leading oil companies, said in the documentary. Su was expelled from the CPC and dismissed from public office for corruption and violating the Party's code of conduct. The CCDI said Su abused his power and caused great losses for state-owned properties, acted against the Party's eight-point frugality code, sought profits for relatives and was suspected of bribery. "At first I did things for private enterprise owners and accepted benefits from them...After I was promoted to higher positions, doing this myself became much more risky," Su said. "I asked my younger brother to do things and greased the wheels for his business. I asked him to accept benefits on my behalf. I told him to do so. I did harm to him," Su said in the interview. A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in April said that the Party's inspection work has been greatly invigorated since the 18th CPC National Congress. According to the meeting, inspections have been strengthened and developed, and intra-Party supervision has been integrated with supervision by the public, giving new vitality to the inspection system. In July, the CPC issued a revised regulation on inspections, in a renewed effort to improve supervision and governance of its more than 89 million members. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:37:10|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A monitoring system for infectious diseases in Sierra Leone has been completed by medical panels from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China. As of the end of August, the system had been running smoothly for a year, the end of the trial period, said Zhang Shitao, president of the academy of military medical sciences of the PLA. Based on the 22 monitoring stations set up by the Sierra Leonean army, the system has handled over 8,000 cases since it began operations last August, monitoring more than 30 diseases and 40 symptoms. The system provides the Sierra Leone with direct, real-time monitoring and early warnings. It also supports China's ability to react to imported infectious diseases and international public health incidents, he added. Since June 2016, the PLA has sent two military medical panels to Sierra Leone, where they worked with the local military on the monitoring system and training of local professionals. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:37:12|Editor: ying Video Player Close SKOPJE, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia celebrated Friday its 26th anniversary of independence, marked through several activities and events. On this occasion, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov called Friday for unity among Macedonian people as the only way to guarantee the prosperity of the country and achievement of its major goals such as NATO and European Union (EU) integration. Meanwhile, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Friday at a celebration in front of the government building in honor of Sept. 8, Independence Day, that all parties in Macedonia should work together in order to build and develop the country. "When we are fully free, we are before the highest responsibility regarding what to choose. I call each and every one of you on responsibility and for strong support for the democratic processes in the interest of the Euro-Atlantic future of the Republic of Macedonia," Zaev addressed country's political class. Back to Sept. 8 of 1991, a referendum was held in Macedonia, at that time part of the former Yugoslav Federation, which showed that over 72 percent of the people had voted in favor of the independence. The referendum was preceded by the Declaration of Independence, which was voted by first pluralist parliament in January 1991 while Macedonia had its new constitution voted on Nov. 17, 1991. Macedonia is a country aspiring to join NATO and European Union. Although it had delivered all the criteria to become a NATO member, in the 2008 Summit of Bucharest, Macedonia only received a conditional invitation because Greece vetoed the accession as a result of the name contest which still remains a pending issue. In terms of EU integration, Macedonia was granted the status of the EU associate member in 2005 while in 2015 it received a recommendation by the European Commission to start accession talks. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:42:16|Editor: ying Video Player Close TALLINN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Friday visited Tapa Army Base in northern Estonia to meet with British soldiers currently serving there. Johnson, who is in Estonia for the informal meetings of EU Ministers of Defense and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, was briefed by local military leaders on the activities of the NATO battle group stationed in Estonia. Led by Britain with contribution of an armoured unit of more than 800 troops, the NATO battlegroup of nearly 1,200 allied soldiers include about 300 French troops, which will be rotated by the Danish unit. On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas also visited Tapa Army Base. Stoltenberg also observed the strategic table-top exercise "EU CYBRID 2017" on cyber defense for the EU defence ministers on Thursday in Tallinn. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:47:20|Editor: ying Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Agriculture ministers in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) endorsed a five-year strategy and action plan to build a regional food safety system on Friday during a meeting in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province. The system will be based on mutually recognized, science-based standards, product tracing and information sharing, especially on hazard lists for key commodities, said the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which organized the meeting. The ADB hosted the Secretariat of the GMS, which comprises Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. "The 2018-2022 GMS Strategy and Siem Reap Action Plan will help us become a leading supplier of safe and environment-friendly agricultural products," said Veng Sakhon, Cambodian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. "It is a clear testimony of our commitment to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring that food safety, like food security, is a human right for all." According to 2015 data from the World Health Organization, almost one in 10 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food, of which 420,000 die as a result. This is particularly acute in Africa and Southeast Asia, which registered the highest incidence of food-borne illnesses. The statement added that most GMS countries have adopted food safety regulations, but many areas are hampered by limited infrastructure and institutional capacity to undertake effective food control. Ramesh Subramaniam, director general of ADB's Southeast Asia Department, said ADB will provide investments and technical assistance to help GMS countries build safe and sustainable food systems. "With the GMS countries' shared borders and increasingly connected agriculture supply chains, they are well-positioned to supply safe and quality food with reduced environment footprint to its Southeast Asian neighbors and the world," he said. The meeting for GMS agriculture ministers, the second in a decade, also included a public-private dialogue, the statement said, adding that participants agreed that the public and private sectors and non-governmental organizations should work together to harmonize food safety standards. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:52:22|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close SUVA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China attaches great importance to its relations with Pacific island countries (PICs) and stands ready to enhance cooperation with them on ocean governance, a Chinese special envoy told the PICs leaders in the Samoan capital city of Apia. Speaking at the 29th Post Forum Dialogue of the Pacific Islands on Thursday, Du Qiwen, special envoy for the China-Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue, said China will continue to provide development assistance for PICs to the best of China's abilities, help promote stability and prosperity of the region, and deliver more tangible benefits to the people in the region. As for the ocean governance, the special envoy said that China stands ready to enhance cooperation with PICs on ocean governance. "Over recent years, China has carried out practical cooperation with 48 countries, including PICs, on blue economy, ocean environmental protection, disaster prevention and alleviation, ocean acidification and marine litter, and signed 31 cooperation agreements, " he said. "Moreover, China helped foster thousands of talents for other developing countries every year through the Chinese Government Marine Scholarship and other training programs." Du stressed that China stands ready to work with the international community to effectively implement the Paris Agreement, step up South-South climate cooperation, and help PICs tackle climate change. China supports Fiji in performing its duties as the Chair of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to make it a success, he said. Pointing out that PICs lie on the southward extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, he said that PICs have responded positively and supported the Belt and Road Initiative. The special envoy expressed his confidence that the Belt and Road Initiative will help PICs better involve themselves in globalization and advance the Framework for Pacific Regionalism. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:52:23|Editor: ying Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four laborers were killed and two others fall unconscious due to the accumulation of poisonous gas in coal mine in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province on Friday, local Urdu media reported. The laborers were working thousands of feet deep down the mine when the poisonous gas leaked and accumulated, suffocating the laborers to death, Dawn News said. The incident happened in Sanjidi coal mine located some 45 km away from the provincial capital of Quetta. The injured laborers were shifted to a nearby hospital where they are said to be in critical condition. Coal mines in the province are notorious for their unsafe working conditions. Accidents often happen in the mines as laborers are not provided with modern equipment to ensure their safety. Earlier in April this year, four laborers were killed in another range of coal mine in Quetta when the mine they were working caved in. Trainees work at the China-Kenya Solid State Lighting Technology Transfer Center in an industrial park in Machakos county, Kenya, April 24, 2015. Chinese and Kenyan investors on Friday launched a technology transfer and training center to promote assembling of solar lighting systems so as to meet a huge demand for green energy sources in the East African nation. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) by Christine Lagat NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The vocational and technical training programs supported by Chinese government and corporations in Kenya has addressed skills gap responsible for high youth unemployment in the country, officials said on Thursday. Principal Secretary in the State Department of Vocational and Technical Training Dinah Mwinzi said China-funded skills upgrade and mentorship programs in Kenya's tertiary institutions have boosted employment opportunities for the youth. "China has supported us with equipment to reclaim our technical training institutions and the impact has been felt as evidenced by the large number of youth with market relevant skills," said Mwinzi. She spoke during a regional workshop attended by policymakers, employers and scholars to share knowledge on revamping vocational training in the light of high demand for highly skilled personnel in the workplace. Mwinzi said that Kenya has forged enduring partnership with China to implement an ambitious program to refurbish existing technical training institutions that are popular with youth who fail university admissions. She revealed that China has provided state of the art equipment to ten national polytechnics that train lower cadre industrial workers like masons, plumbers, fork lift drivers and welders. "We are also partnering with China to implement the second phase of modernizing 134 technical training institutions at the constituency level. The aim is to prepare young people to service the industrial sector," Mwinzi told Xinhua. Kenya has borrowed lessons from China's education system that encourages skills acquisition, innovation and entrepreneurship to drive growth. Mwinzi noted that vocational training programs supported by Chinese corporations like Avic International have enhanced the employability and financial independence of Kenyan youth. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 21:57:27|Editor: ying Video Player Close by Denis Elamu JUBA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said Friday it was making progress on the East African Community (EAC) rules after the regional trade bloc called on the war-torn country to waive visa requirements and offer duty-free market for all goods originating from the region. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol told Xinhua that these EAC requirements have been delayed due to technical reasons, but they remain ready to implement them. "These things were delayed by technical issues, including our share payment to the EAC budget. South Sudan is ready to implement what is required of it," Makol said. Makol's remarks came after the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers meeting in Arusha late August requested South Sudan to meet the compulsory integration requirements of the regional bloc treaty. Makol disclosed they will soon be completing payment of 1 million U.S. dollars to the EAC budget, and have already created the ministry of EAC Affairs, elected members to regional parliament and laws establishing the national revenue authority. South Sudan became the sixth member of the EAC that includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi and will have to implement the common market protocol, customs union which allows free movement of goods and people while maintaining a common tariff on imported goods outside the region. Following the outbreak of conflict in December 2013, South Sudan had hoped to implement all EAC protocols in phases until 2019, due to the economic hardship as result of war and decline in oil production. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 22:02:31|Editor: ying Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed the death sentence on Friday to four "hardcore terrorists," who were handed the capital punishment by military courts for committing offences related to terrorism, said the military's media wing. "The chief of Army Staff confirmed death sentence awarded to four hardcore terrorists, who were involved in committing serious offences related to terrorism including killing and kidnapping of civilians, destruction of schools and attacks on educational institutes, attacks on Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies," a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said. The terrorists killed 16 innocent people and injured 8 others during the terror activities, according to the statement. All of them were members of a banned organization based in Pakistan and were arrested from different areas of the country. All the convicts had admitted their offences before the magistrates and the trial courts, according to the statement. The army courts were set up after the terrorist attack on an army school in December 2014 for the speedy trial of the terrorism-related accused. Children protest outside the German embassy in central Athens, capital of Greece, on Aug. 2, 2017. Hundreds of refugees living in reception camps, hotels and rented apartments across Greece staged a symbolic peaceful demonstration here Wednesday against the slow pace of relocations to Germany for family reunification.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos) BUDAPEST, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 106 million people in 11 Central European countries reject the European Union's migration quota, the Budapest-based Nezopont Intezet (Standpoint Institute) announced on Friday. A recent poll on "Do you consider it acceptable for the European Union (EU) to impose immigration quotas in the countries without the consent of the Member States?" found that 106 million out of 157 million elector citizens in the Central European countries are opposed to the migration quota. The poll showed that 94 percent of the electorate in Slovaks, 93 percent of the Czechs, 89 percent of the Bulgarians, 87 percent of the Hungarians, 83 percent of the Slovenes, 82 percent of the Romanians, 74 percent of the Poles, 71 percent of the Croats and 70 percent of the Serbs rejected the migration quota. The question has divided Germans and Austrians, as half of the respondents in these two countries (50 percent in Germany and 46 percent in Austria) opposed the idea. The public opinion poll was conducted between June 6 and July 6, 2017, asking 1,000 people in each country. The sample was representative for the population over the age of 18 according to age, region, type of settlement and school qualification. On Wednesday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against Hungary on the relocation of migrants. The ECJ dismissed the legal action launched in 2015 by Slovakia and Hungary against a compulsory relocation scheme of migrants, in order to lift some of the burden from fellow EU Member States Italy and Greece, who were hit the strongest by the influx of migrants. Hungary should have adopted 1,294 migrants in the framework of the arrangement, but has accepted none so far before the deadline of Sept. 26. The Hungarian government harshly criticized the ruling of the ECJ, calling it "irresponsible" and "outrageous", according to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. However, even if reluctantly, Hungary is going to abide by the rule of law. "We must recognize the sentence, we must live with it", Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday in the public radio MR1. He added that this was no reason for Hungary to change its policy on migrants. "We are the ones who decide with whom we want to live together," he underlined. As of July 24, 2017, the EU's total number of relocations stands at 24,676, of which 16,803 are from Greece and 7,873 from Italy. As for resettlement, 17,179 persons have been resettled since July 2015, when member states agreed to resettle a total of 22,504 asylum seekers. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 22:17:38|Editor: ying Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A foreigner has been arrested by Tunisian security service for possession of falsified documents for illegal use, Tunisian Interior Ministry said on Friday. The suspect was arrested while receiving a parcel sent from one of the European countries with his name on in a post office in the capital city. The suspect, currently under custody, was arrested by Directorate of Criminal Affairs, which has launched an investigation into the case. The security service has seized from the suspect a large amount of foreign currency in addition to four passports of an African country with entry visas to the Schengen area which should be false visas, according to early investigation. The authorities did not reveal the suspect's nationality. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 22:32:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Julius Gale JUBA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN education and cultural agency on Friday called on the South Sudanese government and donors to invest more resources into the education sector to reduce alarming illiteracy rates in the East African nation. Sardar Umar Alam, Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in South Sudan, said the war-torn country has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world, currently standing at 73 percent. He said the country's education sector remains largely under-funded by both donors and state, calling for more effort. "The education sector is the least funded among other sectors. So we have to appeal that if education is a solution for economic development, for peace development and prosperity of a community, it has to be addressed and more resources should be given to education internally and externally," Alam said. Alam said the ongoing civil war in South Sudan has increased the education crisis as 1.8 million school-going children are currently out of school. "Only 27 percent is literate and 73 percent are illiterate. So it is alarming number. Almost 3.8 million people are either refugees or displaced so to provide any services including education services is quite difficult and challenging," he added. South Sudan's education indicators remain among the worst in the world caused by protracted conflicts and under funding. A report by UN children's agency (UNICEF) released in September 2016 said the East African country is the second country in the world after Liberia with the highest proportion of out-of-school children. Official data from the ministry of education shows annual allocation to education for the fiscal year 2017-2018 stood at 9 million U.S. dollars, less than the total 10 percent stipulated by law. Deng Deng Hoc Yai, Minister of General Education, said this year's government allocation is not enough to provide quality education throughout the country, adding that the government would seek alternative funding to increase the number of teachers from the current 40,000. He said the government has developed a five-year strategic plan that seeks to improve access and quality of education in South Sudan. "In order for us to change the current situation, we need every individual in the country to take literacy and education generally seriously," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 22:52:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close URUMQI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Khuwat Sara takes a final photo with his fellow herders on the summer pasture where his ancestors have grazed for generations. He will not be back next year. Like Khuwat Sara, 41, the other herdsmen are also bidding farewell to their traditional ways, moving on to a new life. Khuwat Sara is of the Kyrgyz ethnic minority, living in Akto county in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He has always led a nomadic life, moving each summer to the pasture, 4,100 meters above sea level. He began grazing sheep at the age of 11. Nine years later when he married, his father gave him 30 head of sheep. "With a growing population, limited pasture and frequent natural disasters, we cannot afford to feed too many cattle," he said. "When one of my family gets ill and we have to sell our sheep at a low price, years of effort are gone." Nomadic life means moving from place to place to make sure that sheep have enough grass to eat. The journey is often dangerous. Two years ago, when Khuwat Sara's son Jarkinal was seven, his donkey fell off a cliff. "I cried, and was scared when dad said 'Kyrgyz men never shed tears'," he recalled. Life carried on. Ten hours of trudging later, they arrived at the pasture, entirely cut off from the outside world, with no road, no internet, no electricity and no mobile phone signal. Khuwat Sara has pinned his hopes on his son and sent him to a boarding school. Each weekend, Khuwat Sara and his wife walk down the mountain to call to the boy -- the journey takes two days. "I have to live by grazing sheep, but I want my son to do better than that," the father said. Last month, villagers were told that they are to be relocated to plains near to the county seat of Akto. The local government plans to relocate all the herdsmen, more than 20,000 of them, by 2020. They will be provided free houses and vegetable greenhouses, and encouraged to seek work as migrants. The plateau prairie will still be part of the villagers' range but only a few men will graze for all villagers. All the herders in Kizilto village agreed on the relocation plan at a village meeting last year. They decided to allow families with old people or small herds move first, as families with strong herders and bigger flocks can better withstand the hardship. The plateau region of Akto is one of the 14th most impoverished area in China. It is difficult to build infrastructure to improve living conditions there. Relocation is the only realistic choice. Memet Hoja, 30, was reluctant to go before a severe snow storm changed his mind. More than 200 sheep died overnight, and the village was out of food. He and another man, both considered the strongest in the village, took 48 hours to cut steps on the icy path and bring back four bags of grain from the nearest supply center. Apart from harsh weather, villagers have also seen the deterioration of the pasture. When Khuwat Sara was a boy, the grass grew higher than his knees. Now the grass barely reaches his ankle. "The pasture is bald now," he said. "It gave us everything and it is now time to let it rest." Health is another concern. Due to the altitude, the cold and lack of oxygen, many herdsmen suffer from heart disease, rheumatism and arthritis. In the past ten years, 25 villagers died because they could not get to hospital. After Khuwat Sara moves downhill, he will be able to sell each head of sheep in the county seat for 800 to 1,000 yuan (about 120 to 150 U.S. dollars), almost double the price in the village. He also plans to take free training laid on by the local government to learn some skills and maybe find a job in a factory. During what might be his last visit to the pasture in his summer vacation, Jarkinal Khuwat asked his father if he could learn traditional horse racing. The request was turned down. "I want him to change his life," said Khuwat Sara. The village already has four university graduates. None want to pursue the pasturing lifestyle of their forefathers. Memet Hakim was admitted to a university this year. "I will certainly look for a city job after graduation. Young people in our village will no long allow the mountains obstruct our path to a better life." Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 22:52:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Chen Shilei XIAMEN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation among BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- will become an engine of global economic development, a senior executive of Dell has said. Dell has large-scale investments in Brazil, India, China and South Africa and this "reflects the important position BRICS countries hold in the global economy," Huang Chenhong, Dell's global senior vice president and president of Dell Greater China, told Xinhua in a recent written interview. Huang was one of the representatives of the 79 companies on the Fortune Global 500 list that attended the BRICS Business Forum, an important side-event of the BRICS summit. More than 600 companies from China and abroad attended the forum held Sunday and Monday in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province. "BRICS cooperation is the result of economic globalization and also a driver for promoting and deepening global economic cooperation," Huang said on the sidelines of the forum. "For Dell as well as other international enterprises, BRICS countries are not only markets, but also growth drivers." Huang said cooperation should not be limited to that among the BRICS countries or that between the five countries and other emerging economies. "Only by sticking to investment and trade liberalization can BRICS cooperation become the engine of the global economic development." Huang also said BRICS countries have great potential in such areas as intelligent manufacturing and Internet economy. "If BRICS countries have concrete and viable action plans in these areas, establish effective cooperation mechanisms and find new directions for development, it will be great news for transnational enterprises." Besides, Huang said the fruits of BRICS cooperation can be promoted and copied in countries along the Belt and Road, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. "This will bring broad space for cooperation to the business community, especially foreign companies in China." In 2013, China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at building trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes to seek common development and prosperity. As a practitioner, beneficiary and promoter of the Belt and Road Initiative, Dell has been enhancing local cooperation for the better localization in purchasing, research and development, manufacturing as well as sales and service, the senior executive said. Dell also expected that the establishment of a comprehensive logistic system with transportation via sea, air and land will greatly improve the efficiency of supply chains, Huang added. Facing the increasing growth of trans-border e-commerce and logistics in BRICS trade, Huang said Dell will conduct all-round cooperation with its partners in supply chains, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enterprises and other domestic companies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in such areas as markets, networks, products and services, as an effort to promote communications in information technology among BRICS nations. Dell is a multinational computer technology company based in Texas, the United States. Xiamen, the Chinese city that hosted the ninth BRICS Summit, has become Dell's largest manufacturing base in the world with a daily output of 80,000 pieces of equipment. Dell CEO Michael Dell visited China in 2015 and announced the "In China, For China" 4.0 strategy, under which Dell will invest 125 billion U.S. dollars in China over the next five years, contributing 175 billion dollars to imports and exports while sustaining 1 million jobs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:18:01|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Business Chamber signed an agreement with the Hangzhou Wine Association on Friday on trade and investment. Four Australian exporters in different industries also signed Memoranda of Understanding with Chinese partners on Friday. Among them, eco-friendly botanical cleaning producer Koala Eco will soon be launched on shopping website NetEase Koala. Mineral water from Go Fresh International and wine from Swan Wine Group will also enter the Chinese market. Wine has been one of the fastest growing areas since the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement came into effect in late 2015. Australian wine exports to China increased 44 percent in 2016. Tax breaks also led to more Australian fruit, seafood, dairy products and beef coming to China. Total trade between China and Australia reached 155 billion Australian dollars in 2016, 23.1 percent of Australia's total foreign trade. According Niall Blair, trade minister of New South Wales, some Chinese companies have gone to Australia to invest in farms, where they produce fruit such as oranges and apples and which they ship back to China. Paula Martin, general manager of the Australian Business Chamber, said that 158 export businesses from Australia has undertaken 304 projects since the chamber launched the "Export Growth to China" program and more than 100 Australian companies have worked with Chinese companies on orders worth more than 7 million Australian dollars. China has been Australia's largest export destination and import source since 2009. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:23:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Meng Jianzhu (2nd R), head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Pakistani National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan agreed to strengthen anti-terrorism and security cooperation along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The agreement was reached when Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Pakistani National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua Friday in Beijing. Hailing Pakistan's efforts in counter-terrorism, Meng called for strengthened anti-terrorism and security cooperation in the building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. "China and Pakistan, as good friends, friendly neighbors and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, have always firmly supported each other's core interests," Meng said. Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with Asif. "Promoting the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan is an unchanged policy," Yang said. He called for advancing the building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and strengthening communication and coordination on major issues of regional security. Asif said that maintaining friendly relations with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy and the common consensus of all political parties. Pakistan would take the opportunity of building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to boost bilateral ties, Asif said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:23:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GENEVA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- IOM, the UN migration agency, and the UN refugee agency UNHCR both said Friday that 270,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar to seek safety in Bangladesh since Aug. 25. The spokesperson for the UNHCR, Duniya Aslam Khan, issued a call for "urgent action" amid "a dramatic increase in the number of refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar's Northern Rakhine state" during a UN briefing. She said, "UNHCR calls for urgent action to address the root causes of the recent surge in violence, so that people are no longer compelled to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity." Kahn said that the two refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in south-east Bangladesh -- home to nearly 34,000 Rohingya refugees before this influx -- are now bursting at the seams. "The population has more than doubled in two weeks, totaling more than 70,000. There is an urgent need for more land and shelters," she said. The UNHCR noted that the limited shelter capacity is already exhausted and refugees are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land in the Ukhiya and Teknaf areas. "The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar who have faced discrimination and extreme poverty for decades...The Rohingya fleeing Myanmar are now stateless refugees, making them even more vulnerable and adding more challenges to the search for solution," said the Kahn. IOM spokesperson Leonard Doyle said, "An estimated 130,000 of the new arrivals are now living in the registered refugee camps and three makeshift settlements of Kutupalong, Leda and Balukhali." He said another estimated 90,000 people are sheltering in host communities, and nearly 50,000 have settled in new spontaneous settlements which are expanding quickly with people still searching for space to make temporary shelters. Healthcare facilities are also struggling to provide adequate services as the number of people in need of emergency and basic health care continue to grow said the IOM. "People are too scared and exhausted to travel long distances to seek health care, so it is imperative that it as close to the settlements as possible," said Doyle. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:28:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale struck off Mexico's southern coast late Thursday, killing more than 30 people and triggering a tsunami alert, officials said Friday. OVER 30 PEOPLE DEAD The epicenter of the quake is 96 km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in Chiapas, at a depth of 33 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Oaxaca state governor Alejandro Murat told broadcaster Televisa that 17 more people have been confirmed dead in his state, on top of the five deaths already announced in Oaxaca, one of Mexico's poorest states. Seven people were killed in the state of Chiapas and two in the state of Tabasco, Mexico's civil defense chief Luis Felipe Puente said earlier. There are no reports of Chinese nationals injured as of now, the Chinese Embassy in Mexico said. "I was eating my night snack when the quake occurred. I rushed out to the street in panic to find over one hundred people out there, many of whom were wearing pajamas. Electricity was cut off for about 20 minutes due to the earthquake. Many people drove their cars to open areas to sleep over the night," said Li Shizhan, who runs a restaurant in San Cristobal, Chiapas. The shock was also felt in the capital of Mexico City, where many people ran out of buildings onto the streets. People said the shock lasted for about dozens of seconds and the windows and beds in some building were shaking when the quake occurred. A Xinhua reporter in Mexico City also felt the bed shaking and the window rattling for about eight seconds around midnight. "STRONGEST QUAKE IN THE PAST CENTURY" "It was a major earthquake in scale and magnitude, the strongest in the past 100 years," said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in an address from the National Center for Disaster Prevention's headquarters, where he was supervising the emergency response. The earthquake is the strongest in Mexico since 1985 when a magnitude-8.1 quake hit Mexico City that killed thousands of people and destroyed large parts of the capital. The earthquake triggered waves as high as 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told local media that there were electrical outages but no reports of collapsed buildings or deaths. Two major aftershocks were felt on Friday. A 5.2-magnitude earthquake jolted 84 km SW of Paredon, Mexico at 1206 GMT on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, The epicenter, with a depth of 64.61 km, was initially determined to be at 15.4936 degrees north latitude and 94.4203 degrees west longitude. A 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted 37 km WSW of Paredon, Mexico at 1425 GMT on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 62.77 km, was initially determined to be at 15.9514 degrees north latitude and 94.2101 degrees west longitude. EMERGENCY-RESPONSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED Firefighters and police have been on inspection tours around the capital to check for any damage caused by the quake. The southern Mexican state of Chiapas bordering Guatemala suffered severer damage than the capital according to pictures posted by Twitter users showing some houses collapsed or cracked. A picture posted by "Periodico Coleccion" on Twitter shows the severely damaged roof of a shopping mall in Chiapas, with part of it falling on the ground. Pena Nieto said the national emergency-response system has been activated and instructions have been issued to local governments to undertake monitoring and rescue operations. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:33:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. police arrested one person and confiscated a gun Friday morning while responding to a report of an active shooter at an Ohio high school, confirming there were no injuries. Police said they were called to the high school, which is a few miles south of downtown Columbus, at about 8:33 a.m. (1233 GMT) and arrested the suspect just before 9:00 a.m.(1300 GMT). "SWAT made an arrest, gun taken, no injuries. Excellent job by our officers!" Columbus police tweeted. Columbus City School administrators said students and staff are safe and they are working to provide an alternative location where parents can pick up students if they wish to do so. The school, where classes began at 7:15 a.m.(1115 GMT), is for grades 6 through 12. No further information was immediately available. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:48:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday urged diplomatic efforts to tackle the conditions of Rohingya Muslims. The Iranian Permanent Mission to the UN has been ordered to pursue the issue of Rohingya Muslims in talks with the international bodies and his counterparts from Muslims nations, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, according to Tasnim news agency. Besides, "Iran has tried to establish contacts with the Myanmar government via its accredited ambassador to Thailand in a bid to pave the ground for sending Iran's humanitarian aid to Rohingya Muslims by Red Crescent Society," Qasemi said. "Unfortunately the government of Myanmar has not issued the necessary permission for the dispatch of humanitarian aid despite diplomatic contacts," Qasemi said. Iranian embassy in Bangladesh has also made contacts with the Dhaka to prepare the ground for sending humanitarian aid to the Rohingya refugees, he said. The spokesman referred to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif diplomatic efforts and said Iran is determined to help the Rohingya Muslims. The Rohingya, one of the world's largest stateless communities, are fleeing in droves toward Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge of violence in Rakhine state between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's army. The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days. On Friday, Iranians staged rallies across the country to condemn the "massacre" of Rohingya Muslims. In the capital Tehran, demonstrators condemned, in a resolution read at the end of the rally, the "silence by the international circles and heads of Islamic countries on the crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims." They also called for the dispatch of fact-finding committee to the region. Besides, Iranian foreign minister on Friday said that the international community and Islamic countries expect the government of Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslim community. Iran expects Myanmar to allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions, Zarif said in his letter written to Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. The powers responsible for the atrocities in Myanmar should be brought to justice, he said, urging the government of Myanmar to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of violence in the future. "It is disappointing that such minimum global demands are yet to receive a proper response," Zarif said. On Thursday, Iran's foreign minister criticized the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying. Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "we must act now before it is too late." Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Thursday it had set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani. Hamid Jamaloddini, the Society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items are ready to be dispatched to Myanmar. He also expressed readiness to help relocate those in urgent need. Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims. On Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) voiced readiness to provide whatever support is necessary to the persecuted Muslims of Myanmar, and condemned the ongoing violence against Rohingya as part of an "organized anti-Islamic plot" that could mark a genocide in the history. In a statement, the IRGC said that the Islamic world and the international organizations are duty bound to address such persecution of Rohingya Muslims. "The gruesome crimes of extremist Buddhist groups and the Myanmar army against Rohingya Muslims... spell an organized anti-Islamic plot that, if not stopped, would result in another major genocide in the history of humanity," the statement said. The IRGC called on the Muslim people in Iran and the other Islamic countries to launch an "effective international campaign" against the crimes in Myanmar. The IRGC is prepared to take part and have a role in any plan to help the Muslims affected and displaced in Myanmar, it said, urging the Iranian administration to "activate the revolutionary diplomatic means and use the capacities and will of the international community and other Muslim countries... to rescue the Rohingya Muslims who are mostly Sunnis." Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:48:25|Editor: Liu Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government on Friday denied using chemical weapons in attacks against rebels, including an alleged incident in April in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria, state news agency SANA reported. The government said it wasn't behind the April's chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib when 80 civilians were reported to have been killed. "Syria didn't will not use chemical weapons because it doesn't even possess such weapons," SANA said. The new denial comes against the backdrop of a report released by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Wednesday when the UN war investigators said the government forces in Syria were behind the April sarin attack. "These attacks constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law and the Convention on Chemical Weapons, which the Syrian Arab Republic ratified in 2013 following a previous sarin attack," the UN commission said. The Syrian government said the report is politicized and aimed to affect the work of the fact-finding mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In August, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the government would provide help for the international fact-finding mission tasked to probe the chemical attack allegations. A fact-finding mission from the OPCW was supposed to come within a few days after Mekdad's remarks on Aug. 17. However, no information was ever revealed about the advent of the OPCW investigators, who previously confirmed the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, but stopped short of identifying the perpetrator. In April, the opposition activists accused the government warplanes of dropping sarin, an odorless gas, on the town. The Syrian government denied carrying out a chemical attack, saying its warplanes struck an arms depot of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which controls much of Idlib. On April 7, the U.S. carried out a unilateral action by striking the Shairat Air Base in central Syria, saying the warplanes that struck Khan Sheikhoun flew from the base. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:48:26|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Passengers queue to rebook their flights which have been canceled due to the effect of hurricane "Irma" at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, the United States, on Sept. 8, 2017. According to forecasts for the next 12-24 hours, hurricane "Irma," now rated 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is expected to hit the Florida Keys and South Florida by Saturday night. Irma is considered the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. On its way to Miami, it left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean islands, turning paradises into emergency zones. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) HAVANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua)-- Eastern Cuba started to feel early Friday the impact of the heavy rain and strong winds from hurricane "Irma," now rated 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, moving west-northwest toward Florida, the United States, and leaving a trail of destruction in the Caribbean islands. Cuba's Institute of Meteorology reported that the rains started in easternmost Guantanamo with tides between 4 to 5 meters and coastal flooding and waves between 5 to 8 meters, conditions that will extend to the north coast of the neighboring territories Las Tunas and Holguin in the morning. The National Civil Defense (DC) decreed the "alarm phase" for the eastern region of the country, the "alert" for central provinces, and the "informational" for the West, including Havana. In the eastern provinces, over 565,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas to inland while houses have been protected to minimize the damages that could be caused by the storm. The Civil Defense has called on citizens to comply with security measures indicated by local authorities in order to avoid dangers. Besides, some 13,000 tourists vacationing in the Caribbean archipelago have been evacuated to inland or returned home as they were hosted in coastal resorts or the northern Keys, where hurricane Irma has posed threats. "Most Canadian visitors, who represent 60 percent of the total of tourists in these Keys, have already returned home earlier via special flights. The rest are absolutely protected in other areas of the country away from danger," Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero told state television. At 6:00 a.m. local time (1000 GMT), Irma's core was located at 21.8 degrees north latitude and 74.0 degrees west longitude, about 168 km north of the Maisi tip in Guantanamo. Its minimum pressure has risen to 925 Mb and moves towards west-northwest at a speed of 26 km/h. During the early hours of Friday, Irma weakened slightly and decreased its maximum sustained winds to 250 km/h. It is now at the upper limit of Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, very close to Category 5. But it still remains a very powerful and dangerous system, said the Institute of Meteorology. According to the forecasts for the next 12-24 hours, the hurricane will continue its route west-northwest crossing over the Old Bahama Channel, but decrease its speed and remain very close to the north coast of Cuba's central and eastern regions. It is expected to hit the Florida Keys and South Florida by Saturday night. Irma is considered the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. On its way to Miami, it left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean islands, turning paradise into emergency zones. The mighty weather event just side swept Puerto Rico, leaving 60 percent of households without electricity. It also destroyed 95 percent of St. Martin Island and left half of the population homeless in Antigua and Barbuda. In Cuba, the proximity of Irma has raised the ghost of hurricane "Ike," on a similar date in 2008, the second of the wave of three powerful hurricanes that hit the country in August to September that year, causing huge economic losses. According to official figures, Cuba has been hit by 29 tropical cyclones in the last two decades, including 19 hurricanes of great intensity. The last one to strike the island was "Matthew" last October, which caused over 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in damages in the eastern part of the country but claimed no lives due to timely protection measures. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:48:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of seven German lawmakers visited the NATO military base in Turkey's central province of Konya on Friday, amid bilateral tensions between the two NATO allies. A NATO plane carrying the delegation members, led by Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller, flew to Turkey from Brussels and landed in Konya early Friday. The German officials met with German troops operating early warning aircraft. No press were allowed to cover the German lawmakers' visit in Konya, local media reported. About 30 German military personnel are based in Konya, where they provide intelligence support to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State under NATO's command. The Konya visit came after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stepped in to arrange a deal between Ankara and Berlin in July, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey has previously denied Germany's attempt to visit troops deployed at the Incirlik air base near the southern province of Adana, which pushed Berlin to move its soldiers and Tornado aircraft to Jordan. As a reconciliatory move after the refusal, Ankara permitted German officials to visit the Konya base, saying their troops were under the NATO mission. Relations between Turkey and Germany have been strained over a string of diplomatic arguments, such as the arrest of several German nationals in Turkey and Germany granting asylum to fleeing suspects from Turkey linked with the Gulenist Movement, which is blamed by Ankara for the coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for an end to Turkey's bid to join the EU and warned against its citizens visiting the country. Ankara has repeatedly said it would not allow German lawmakers to participate in Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) activities. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 23:58:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HOHHOT, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- An initiative calling on global youth to combat desertification was adopted Friday in north China. Global Youth Initiative for Combating Desertification was adopted at the Youth Forum of the United Nations desertification conference in Ordos City, in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The initiative defined young people's specific responsibilities and proposed strengthening young people's engagement in combatting desertification. "We are the new forces to drive change with fresh ideas, innovative technology, inventive methods and means that can eradicate poverty and pave the way to a new sustainable economy," said the initiative. It also suggested that young people should join online and offline platforms for national and international dialogue, consultations, social media campaigns and volunteering in supporting land degradation neutrality. The one-day forum was held during the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) that opened on Wednesday. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, said that young people will be the next generation in combatting desertification, which takes courage, hard work and vision. Youth representatives from 25 countries and more than ten international organizations discussed about the challenges and opportunities of young people engaging in sustainable land management. "Young people should work with each other from different organizations and projects, and integrate desertification work with climate change and biodiversity," said Lorena Terrazas from Bolivia. Oliver Gardner from Britain, suggested that good story-telling is needed to get young people in non-affected countries interested. The UN desertification conference will last about two weeks, and its main task is to seek solutions for the UN sustainable goal of "achieving a land degradation neural world by 2030" and to develop a new UNCCD strategy framework for the 2018-2030 period. | 2017-09-09 00:41:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Scientists from a global invasive species organization on Friday warned a parasitic invasive weed known as Cuscuta is threatening the survival of crops and biodiversity in western Kenya. Arne Witt, coordinator of Invasive Species at the UK-based Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), noted that the weed is currently spreading at an alarming rate, spreading into other plants thus suffocating them. "The biodiversity and livelihoods is threatened as the weed only dries out when the host plant dies," Witt told Xinhua in Nairobi. The scientist said that the weed that is yellowish in color often leads to total crop failure hence causing untold sufferings to farmers in western Kenya. He noted that once it gets into contact with the host phloem, cuscuta causes a severe drain on host resources and often completely preventing normal fruit development as it depends almost entirely on the host for growth and survival. "The government must come up with measures to help manage the weed or else it will remain one of the causes of food insecurity in the country," he added. Commonly known as field dodder, the weed is found on a wide variety of hosts in Kenya in farms, bushy and waste places and forests. Lately, it has been ravaging people's fences. Witt however said that farmers can help keep it off their farms only if they plant clean seeds from reliable sources. "The hosts around farms, forest and homes should also be removed to help stop it from spreading to other regions," he added. MaryLucy Oronje, CABI's Plantwise Knowledge Bank Coordinator for East Africa, confirmed that the weed is fast spreading into the region, hence the need to develop measures against its spread. "The weed is apparently getting into the Kakamega forest in western Kenya edges and is moving in the forest," Oronje said. She noted that Kakamega forest's abundant birds and primate of many species are threatened by the weed that will eventually lead to the escalation of human wildlife conflict and loss of revenue from the tourists that visit the forest on a daily basis. Eastern Africa has many indigenous species and all have similar impacts as they all look very similar and are hard to tell apart. Cuscuta campestris is abundant in Kakamega Forest is assumed to be native subject to formal confirmation. She recommends rotation with non-susceptible crops since cereals are virtually immune from attack, and some broad-leaved crops may also be sufficiently resistant, including soyabean, kidney bean, squash, cucumber and cotton. Vincent Ouma, a farmer in Homa Bay County the invasive weed has become increasingly problematic in the region as it is becoming much more widespread and abundant than indicated. "The weed has brought down my fence and I am still weighing options before fencing afresh," he added. The parasitic weed is native to North America but has been introduced around the world and becomes a weed in many countries. It germinates regardless of light or darkness and its seeds are believed to persist for up to 10 years in the soil. Vegetative spread can occur through the extensive growth of stems which can reach up to five meters in just two months, but regeneration can also occur from stem fragments which are detached and distributed intentionally or otherwise by man, animals or machinery. According to the scientists, a range of soil-acting herbicides are effective in preventing the germination and establishment of the weed but short soil persistence meant that it rarely provided suppression for long enough. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:03:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and other higher learning institutions should ensure the applicability of their respective programs to produce marketable and future-ready graduates, said Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, also chancellor of UBD. According to local media on Friday, the monarch said in a speech delivered at the UBD's 29th Convocation Ceremony, "Unemployment issues must be tackled in a 'whole-of-nation' approach, where government and non-government agencies need to play their respective roles." "Institutions of higher learning are responsible for producing human resources, while other agencies should undertake initiatives to boost the country's economic growth and create new jobs," the sultan said. The sultan also expressed the hope of seeing yet more research outcomes which could be harnessed for commercial activities and further employment opportunities. "It is my hope that research and innovation will undergo further expansion, particularly in those areas requiring collaboration or close cooperation between universities and relevant agencies such as industries," said the monarch. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:08:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 55 infants died inside a hospital in western Indian state of Maharashtra due to lack of ventilators and oxygen cylinders last month, local media reports said Friday. The deaths were reported at special newborn care unit in Nashik civil hospital in August. "In the month of August we have had 55 deaths and the reason is that we have no ventilators," a local news agency Asian News International (ANI) quoted G M Hole as having said. Local authorities however deny the deaths were due to medical negligence, saying most deaths occurred because the infants were referred from private hospitals during "critical condition at last stage." Last month in northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a probe panel was appointed by local government to look into the deaths of over 60 children at a medical college hospital. The deaths were caused by the lack of oxygen in hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:18:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Bedah Mengo NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's political stalemate following the annulment of President Uhuru Kenyatta's win in Aug. 8 polls by the Supreme Court is unnerving the Kenyans. The East African nation is currently facing uncertainty as political leaders from major parties namely National Super Alliance (NASA) and Jubilee engage in grandstanding over fresh elections scheduled Oct. 17. NASA leader Raila Odinga has rejected the date as set by the electoral commission while President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Jubilee leader, insists elections should be held as scheduled. On Friday, Kenyatta insisted that while he does not agree with the ruling by the Supreme Court, elections must be held on Oct. 17. "We cannot allow change of date. Kenyan children are important to us. Our children will do their exams on time as earlier planned, the elections will not interfere with exam timetable," he said of the national exams scheduled to begin from Oct. 20. The stand-off deepened on Friday after Odinga called on Kenyatta to resign following the sham election on Aug. 8. He noted that evidence from the electoral commission showed that the polls were marred with irregularities and Kenyatta should never have been announced the winner. "Kenyatta and Jubilee should resign and save Kenyan from repeat polls. Everything is now clear that he lost. Must you impose yourself on the people of Kenya? Now he is trying to buy individuals who lost," said Odinga in Nairobi. Infighting among officials of the electoral commission has further worsened the ongoing political crisis, throwing preparation for next month's polls into jeopardy. Officials at the poll's body are divided into two groups, one supporting changes following Aug. 8 bungled polls and the other rooting for status quo. A leaked memo from the chairman demanding answers from the chief executive over the ruined election widened fallout at the commission expected to spearhead the Oct. 17 polls. The events at the electoral body and on the political arena have pushed Kenyans to the edge amid rising cases of hate speech and ethnic hatred. As political campaigns and realignments ahead of the polls hot up, the country is getting more divided, with citizens either supporting Kenyatta's Jubilee or Odinga's NASA. "I am disappointed by the ongoing happenings in the country. We seem to be moving from one crisis to another without resolving any," businessman Gilbert Wandera said, noting the current fallout at the electoral commission does not inspire any confidence. Wandera, who sells computers and related accessories in the Nairobi central business district, noted that the country is heavily divided that everything is looked from the tribal or the two major political parties' prism. "The thing is one is being perceived as either a NASA or Jubilee supporter depending on where they come from. These perceptions are now finding their way into government agencies like the electoral commission as the political parties reject officials because of where they come from," he said. Fredricker Muniu, an insurance agent and a mother of three, said her worry is that the ongoing political activities are tearing Kenyans apart. "We are destroying the country, we are setting ourselves on a negative path. Even if we hold successful elections, what country shall we remain with in terms of unity? People are so charged currently that they can fight. Kenya is walking in a tight rope," she said. As thousands of other parents in the East African nation, her fear is that the political activities would derail her children from concentrating in school. "My son is preparing for Class Eight exams in Nairobi but we are still not sure if exams would take place because of the political crisis," she said. On Thursday, 12 foreign envoys from Western countries called on Kenyans to shun violence ahead of fresh presidential elections. The envoys from Britain, the United States and Germany, among other nations, noted electoral violence remains a serious problem in Kenya and called on leaders and citizens to reject it. "We strongly urge the police to avoid using excessive force and to protect lives and property of all citizens. The police and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority should investigate crimes including hate speech and prosecute offenders," they said. A lot of the hate mongering is happening on social media where millions of Kenyans engage on all manners of political discussions every day. Kenyatta and Odinga supporters, including legislators, are normally divided along tribal lines and often clash on social media, prompting the government before Aug. 8 polls to warn the platform would be shut down if it poses threat to peace. The Communication Authority and the National Integration Commission have warned Kenyans that they would be liable for any hate speech on social media. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:18:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Appeal Court on Friday upheld the decision of a lower court to sentence an unlicensed medical practitioner to 25 years in prison for infecting over 200 villagers with HIV via the reuse of unclean needles. Yem Chrin, 58, was arrested in 2014 in northwestern Battambang province after most of his patients had their blood tested positive for HIV and accused him of transmitting the virus via the reuse of unsterilized needles. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. In December 2015, the Battambang Provincial Court found him guilty of committing "cruel torture" and decided to sentence him to 25 years in prison. The court also ordered him to pay between 500 U.S. dollars and 3,000 U.S. dollars in compensation to each of more than 100 victims, who filed the complaints. "The Battambang Provincial Court's decision against Yem Chrin is correct, so the Appeal Court decides to uphold the decision," Appeal Court Presiding Judge Yet Molin said as she pronounced the verdict on Friday. Yem Chrin did not appear in court to hear his verdict. During a hearing last month, Yem Chrin, who had been a village medical practitioner for almost 20 years, acknowledged his mistake and pleaded the court to reduce his jail sentence to 10 years. He told the court that he reused syringes on multiple patients because it was difficult to get new ones and he did not know that the unsterilized syringes could spread HIV. The HIV outbreak in Battambang province's rural Roka commune, which came to light in 2014, has left some 290 people infected, with at least 20 people dying from complications so far. The victims aged between 3 and 80 years old. Cambodia currently has about 74,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. About 80 percent of them have received antiretroviral drugs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:23:46|Editor: Liu Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (R) attends a joint press conference with visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Sept. 7, 2017. Trump said on Thursday that he would be willing to mediate an ongoing dispute between Qatar and other Middle East countries. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that military action against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not inevitable. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable," said Trump here during his joint press conference with visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Trump also warned that while he would prefer "not going the route of the military," military action against the DPRK was something that "certainly could happen." One day before his remarks, Trump told reporters on his way to Bismarck, North Dakota that military action against the DPRK was "not a first choice." The DPRK on Sunday detonated a hydrogen bomb that can be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the DPRK's Central Television announced. The DPRK's nuclear testing and launches using ballistic missile technology violated United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. China's permanent representative to the UN Liu Jieyi on Monday condemned the latest nuclear test by the DPRK and urged the country to return to the track of dialogue. China will not allow chaos and war on the Korean Peninsula, he said. Liu said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China together with the Russian proposal of a step-by-step approach is a realistic and feasible roadmap for the settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses. The idea of a dual approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both de-nuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula. The initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:28:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The China International Publishing Group (CIPG) was a crowd puller on the opening day of the three-day South African Book Fair in Johannesburg on Friday. China's leading publishing group CIPG is exhibiting over 250 titles of books and postcards from seven of its publishing houses. South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Chinese stand and wrote best wishes for Chinese in the country. Ramaphosa was also given some books written by the Chinese President. Some of the books were about the Chinese civilization and how China became the second biggest economy in the world. Zhen Wen, counsellor of cultural affairs at the Chinese Embassy in South Africa told Xinhua that it is important for Africans and Chinese to learn about each other's culture and history to strengthen their relations. "We always support cultural exchange with our African friends. There have been various changes in China in the last decades and this exhibition shows our achievements with our African friends," he said. Vusi Dlamini from Umtapo Publishers booked Chinese President Xi Jinping's book, "Up and Out of Poverty," saying "this book talks about the dream we share as South Africans. It talks about how we can eradicate poverty and become economically viable." Dlamini told Xinhua that last year he also visited China and bought Xi's book, "The Governance of China". Dlamini wants South Africa and other African countries to follow the Chinese example targeting especially rural areas for development and governance. "I want to have some historical books about the former (South African) President Nelson Mandela and the liberation to be translated to Mandarin and sold in China. I am looking for partners from China for this project," said Trevor Mokeyane from another South African publisher. CIPG is taking part in the South African Book Fair for the second time. They exhibited books covering a wide range of topics like politics, economy, culture, art, history, travel, Chinese teaching and children's books. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:43:53|Editor: Yang Yi Zambian President Edgar Lungu (C) attends a commencement ceremony of China-funded mega-road project in Chisamba district, central Zambia, on Sept. 8, 2017. Zambia on Friday launched construction of the China-funded mega-road project that connects the southern and central parts of the country to the mining towns in the Copperbelt province. The construction of the 321-kilometer Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway, including the bypass roads in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi, and 45 kilometers of the Luanshya-Fisenge-Masangano Road will be done by China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation (CJIC) at a cost of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, a loan from China's Exim Bank. (Xinhua/Noel Wasamunu) CHISAMBA, Zambia, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday launched construction of a China-funded mega-road project that connects the southern and central parts of the country to the mining towns in the Copperbelt province. The construction of the 321-kilometer Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway, including the bypass roads in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi, and 45 kilometers of the Luanshya-Fisenge-Masangano Road will be done by China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation (CJIC) at a cost of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, a loan from China's Exim Bank. The road, to be constructed in four years, will create over 3,000 jobs for local people. Zambian President Edgar Lungu, in remarks delivered during the launch of commissioning works in central Zambia's Chisamba district, said the project will present one of the modern symbols of the friendship between Zambia and China after the Tanzania-Zambia Railway line constructed in the 1970s. The Zambian leader said the construction of the road will improve the flow of traffic and drastically reduce road traffic accidents that are common on the current narrow road. He also highlighted the economic benefits of the dual carriageway, saying it was cardinal to transiting vehicles to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries in the southern African region. "Increased traffic on our roads due to the booming economic activities in various sectors, especially in the mining sector, requires an appropriate response such as this one," he said. Yang Youming, the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said the construction of the dual carriageway will make the country a hub of transportation in the region. The two countries, he said, have cooperated greatly in infrastructure development over the years, adding that China will continue supporting Zambia's infrastructure improvement. "Locating in the center of southern Africa, Zambia is poised to become a transportation hub for the region. And China is experienced in infrastructure development, leading in the world with work efficiency and project quality. I therefore see great prospect for China-Zambia cooperation in transportation infrastructure development," he said. Xu Guojian, the president of CJIC, said that his company had attached great importance to the project and that rounds of studies have been conducted to ensure that it was perfectly done. According to him, the company has undertaken more than 200 projects in Zambia since 1987 when it entered the market. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 00:59:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Several leading car makers have decided not to attend the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) this year, Spiegel Online magazine reported on Friday. Nissan, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Infiniti, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce, Tesla, and Volvo will be absent from the event. The IAA is the by far largest motor show in Europe, and one of the largest in the world. Around 900,000 visitors and more than 10,000 journalists are expected to attend. Responding to Spiegel Online, the missing brands gave a range of reasons for their decision. "Forgoing a presence at the IAA this year is not a general decision against Germany as a location for shows or the IAA specifically," Nissan representative Thomas Hausch said. Hausch said Nissan was simply keen to generate more attention for new releases by organizing exclusive events rather than displaying them at an industry-wide show. Similarly, last year, Swedish car maker Volvo cancelled its presence at the IAA in favor of a series of its own road shows. Meanwhile, U.S. electric car maker Tesla indicated a preference for trade shows which were more oriented towards digital technology. "We do not see ourselves as a typical automotive manufacturer. As a consequence, we try to present our models at non-industrial events where one might not expect to encounter Tesla," a company spokesperson explained. Some car makers who did not fully turn their backs on the IAA were nonetheless keen to downsize their presence there. The French PSA conglomerate is only represented by its Citroen and Opel brands. A PSA spokesperson noted that as the range of consumer shows increases, the press attention that can be generated by a single event had become smaller. Several industry representatives voiced concern to Spiegel Online that shows such as the IAA did not represent great value for money as a consequence. Even domestic firms such as Mercedes and Audi will rent less space this year than they have at the previous IAA. According to the German automotive industry association (VDA), one square meter of exhibition space costs 166 euros (200 U.S. dollars) at the Frankfurt event. BMW is estimated to be paying two million euros for its showroom alone, not including staff, construction, and marketing costs. (1 euro=1.20 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 01:04:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ROME, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Italy is allocating six million euros (7.2 million U.S. dollars) to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to improve human rights in migrant detention camps in Libya, local media reported Friday. The announcement comes two days after the medical aid NGO, Doctors without Borders (MSF), issued an open letter to European leaders in which it denounced systematic abuses in the Libya migrant camps. These include torture for the purpose of extortion, rape, starvation, or forced labor. Italy's 6-million-euro tender to NGOs interested in working in the Libya camps will launch "very shortly, by the end of this month," deputy foreign minister Mario Giro told ANSA in an interview on Friday. "Libyan authorities will be totally involved," he said. Giro put out a call to interested NGOs, and several humanitarian groups and charities attended a meeting with him in Rome on Thursday, La Stampa newspaper reported. They include MSF, Save the Children, Swiss-based Terre des Hommes children's rights federation, and others. "We don't want to abandon these people in hell," Giro told La Stampa. "This is why Italy's international cooperation agency is taking action...without waiting for the UN Refugee Agency or the International Organization for Migration (IOM)," Giro explained. The deputy foreign minister said Italy would allocate an additional 3 million euros for an accord with Libyan mayors in areas where there are migrant detention camps. As well, on Sept. 10, an official from the Italian Cooperation and Development Agency will move to Tripoli, where Italy opened an embassy in January this year. Earlier this year, Italy struck a deal with the Tripoli-based Libyan government to stop people traffickers' boats loaded with migrants and asylum seekers from leaving for Italy. The accord calls for providing Libyans with alternatives to the lucrative people trafficking business, and has been credited with a 19.71-percent drop in arrivals, according to interior ministry data. A total of 124,555 asylum seekers reached Italy between Jan. 1 and Sept. 8, 2016, compared to just over 100,000 arrivals in the same period this year, the interior ministry said Friday in a statement. A total of 181,436 migrants and asylum seekers reached Italy in 2016, official figures show. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 01:24:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Germany's tourism sector experienced an increase in growth during the traditionally busy vacation month of July, official figures released Friday by the Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt) show. The number of overnight stays reached a total of 53.4 million in July, an increase of 2 percent compared to the same month last year. The Wiesbaden-based statisticians recorded 259 million overnight stays throughout the first seven months of 2017, marking a 3-percent year-on-year gain. Foreign tourists accounted for 47 million of those stays, while domestic tourists were responsible for the remaining 212 million stays. Monthly overnight stays rose by 10 percent in June. The official figures only account for tourist accommodations which can host ten guests or more. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 01:24:10|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army continued Friday to advance against the Islamic State (IS) in the southwestern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in a bid to reach the capital city of that key province from its main southern desert road, state news agency SANA reported. The Syrian army captured the town of al-Sholah in the countryside of Deir al-Zour province on Friday, just a day after storming the town of Kabajeb, following battles with the IS. The bomb squads are clearing the town of roadside bombs left by IS. Al-Sholah is on the main road to Deir al-Zour and it's 25 kilometers from the entrance of the capital city of Deir al-Zour. Capturing al-Sholah comes as part of the military operation in the Syrian desert through the eastern countryside of Homs province in central Syria. The aim of the progress in that area is to open the city and make another break into the siege of IS on Deir al-Zour city, just three days after the Syrian army made a breach into the three-year siege of IS on the city through the Brigade 137 base in western Deir al-Zour. In tandem with the advance on the main desert road, the military unit, which broke the IS siege on Deir al-Zour through the military base, was advancing on the eastern rim of the city, reaching the surrounding of the graveyard area. Both advancing troops will meet in the graveyard area, to proceed to break the IS siege on Deir al-Zour airbase, where Syrian soldiers and allied fighters have been besieged for three years. Breaking the siege of the airport will largely play in the hands f the Syrian government forces in their push to eliminate the IS presence in the city before proceeding to the countryside where IS also controls large swathes of areas near the Iraqi border. Since entering the city, the Syrian government has sent several truckloads of food and medicine to the city, where 93,000 civilians have been besieged for years. The Russian air force played a significant role in supporting the ground forces of the Syrian army and allied fighters of Iranian-backed troops and tribesmen fighters. Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Russian airstrikes killed 40 IS militants, including commanders in Deir al-Zour. Deir al-Zour is the last major stronghold of IS, as the terror-designated group is also losing its de facto capital of Raqqa to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which has captured more than 60 percent of Raqqa. But the SDF is also bracing to launch operations against IS in the western countryside of Deir al-Zour with the help of the U.S.-led coalition, as the U.S. has interest in that area close to the southern countryside of Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, where the U.S. is also poising to drive IS from that area. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 01:49:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon on Friday held a state funeral for its soldiers kidnapped and killed by Islamic State (IS) militants. The funeral, held at the army headquarters at the Defense Ministry in Yarze, where President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf and other senior officials were present. Aoun delivered a speech to mourn the death of the servicemen. "We are gathering here today on this emotional occasion that is filled with great sacrifices by the sons of the military institution, who declared their complete readiness to defend the country and to martyr for its sake the minute they were abducted by the hands of brutal terrorists," he said. "I vow to you that blood of your sons will not go in vain until the goals they died for are attained and until the truth is unveiled," said Aoun in his address to the families of the killed servicemen. The Lebanese president also bestowed the fallen servicemen posthumous medals. Coffins carrying the remains of 10 martyred soldiers were transported from the Army Hospital in Badaro to the Defense Ministry. The 10 servicemen were kidnapped and killed when the IS terrorist group overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014. Friday was declared a national day of mourning with government departments, banks, schools and businesses closed as a sign of respect. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 01:49:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran and South Korea signed an agreement to cooperate in banking sector, Press TV reported on Friday. The agreement was signed by Ha Yung-ku, chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks, and Kourosh Parvizian, head of Iran's Association of Private Banks. The agreement, between private lenders of Iran and South Korea, mostly envisages the expansion of non-dollar trade between the two countries. It also calls for the share information on banking affairs, provides banking assistance to importers and exporters, and conducts exchanges of financial training. Iranian bankers have called for the expansion of euro-based trade between the two countries what it said had been welcomed by South Korean bankers. In late August, Iran secured an 8-billion euro (9.6-billion U.S. dollar) credit line from South Korea's Eximbank as the country's biggest loan deal since the removal of sanctions against it in early 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 02:24:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GENEVA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Friday it had launched the world's first Humanitarian Impact Bond to encourage private sector investment in humanitarian programs in conflict zones. The 26-million-Swiss-franc (27.5 million U.S dollar) capital raised will be used to build and run three new physical rehabilitation centers in Nigeria, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Swiss-based ICRC said in a statement. Speaking about the financial instrument, ICRC President Peter Maurer said, "It is an opportunity not only to modernize the existing model for humanitarian action, but to test a new economic model, designed to better support people in need." An instrument for debt security, the bond will provide services for thousands of people and will support the ICRC's health programs, the organization said. A rising number of conflicts and a growing annual ICRC budget are the driving forces for the innovative funding model. Of the 90 million people worldwide with physical disabilities who need a mobility device such as a wheelchair, artificial limbs and braces, an average of only 10 percent have access to adequate physical rehabilitation services, leading to both social and economic exclusion. The ICRC is the world's largest provider of physical rehabilitation services in developing and fragile countries. In 2016, the ICRC's physical rehabilitation program operated 139 projects in 34 countries, helping almost 330,000 people with physiotherapy and mobility devices. (1 Swiss franc=1.06 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 02:34:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's Benadir Regional Administration (BRA) has officially started implementation of a 16 million U.S. dollars project funded by the European Union to assist displaced people to integrate into communities in Mogadishu, officials said on Friday. The EU-funded project, directly aligned with the National Development Plan of Somalia, will benefit displaced people and host communities alike, through the provision of employment opportunities. "With this project, the EU shows the importance that it attaches to affording opportunities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of conflict or drought," Head of Cooperation of EU Delegation to Somalia Pilar Palmero said in a statement issued in Mogadishu. The project which will be carried out in partnership with UN agencies and NGOs, will provide greater access to basic services such as affordable housing, protection, GBV prevention, legal assistance and improved livelihood opportunities. In total, it is expected that more than 84,000 people will benefit from this project. "We fully support its belief of the economic and social benefits that displaced people can bring to the communities hosting them," Palmero said. According to the UN, displacement from rural to urban areas due to drought and conflict has placed considerable strain on Somalia, with Mogadishu hosting the largest concentrations of IDPs in the country. More than 400,000 IDPs were based in Mogadishu prior to the drought, and the urban area has received nearly 200,000 newly displaced by drought and conflict over the past year. The displaced are struggling to get access to water, food, basic services, protection, secure housing and livelihood opportunities. "This (project) is particularly important for marginalized groups as it can strengthen governance linkages that connect IDP settlements to the districts, and districts to the municipality, ensuring good practices for planning and delivery in these settlements," said George Conway, Country Director of UNDP Somalia. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 02:34:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Chrispinus Omar NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's electoral body on Friday released its timelines for next month's presidential re-run as it races against time to avoid mistakes that lead to the bungled general elections held on Aug. 8. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati said the activities to be undertaken ahead of the Oct. 17 fresh presidential elections include certification of the voters' register, upgraded technology for elections, recruitment, revised elections results framework, training and deployment of staff, voter education and election day operations. "A draft budget has been presented to the Treasury for consideration. We expect expeditious allocation of funds," Chebukati said in a statement issued after a five-hour crisis meeting in Nairobi. He said the funds will allow the electoral agency to implement key tasks ahead, especially those related to ICT and training. The poll commission had been rocked by infighting among its officials, threatening to jeopardize preparation for next month's polls. Officials at the poll's body are divided into two groups, one supporting changes following Aug. 8 bungled polls and the other rooting for status quo. A leaked memo from the chairman demanding answers from the chief executive over the ruined election widened fallout at the commission expected to spearhead the Oct. 17 polls. Chebukati said the political parties did not coordinate the deployment of their agents and there were none in some locations, an issue he said contributed to the irregularities in the bungled Aug. 8 polls. He urged the candidates to ensure their agents are well versed with technology to be used and finalize the list of the agents for the polling stations, constituency and the national tallying centre and submit the same to the respective offices before Oct. 3. "It is crucial for candidates to deploy experienced and committed agents to all parts of the country to enhance accountability and transparency during the electoral process," Chebukati said. The IEBC chairman said the commission plans to engage with stakeholders on a continuous basis to ensure that Kenyan voters are informed and involved in all preparations for the elections. Campaigns for the fresh presidential election between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his main rival, Raila Odinga, officially began on Sept. 6 and will end on Oct. 15. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 02:54:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A grandmother accused of keeping her 9-year-old granddaughter padlocked inside a dog kennel has been in police custody in U.S. Wisconsin State, local media reported Friday. Responding to an elementary school teacher's complaint for possible child abuse, police and social workers investigated the house in Wind Lake, Wisconsin. "During the investigation, it was learned that a 9-year-old juvenile was being held in a dog kennel at night and occasionally throughout the day at her residence," Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling wrote on his office's Facebook page. It was also learned that the dog kennel was padlocked "to prevent the child from escaping." A male, the house owner, was also detained by local police. Schmaling said the two face charges of false imprisonment and other counts. "I was sickened at what I witnessed... this by far, is one of the most disturbing and heart-wrenching cases of child abuse I've seen, it doesn't get much worse than this," the sheriff added. According to the sheriffs office, the wire cage that the girl used to be locked in is about 1.5 meters high, 1.2 meters long and 2.4 meters wide. It's set up inside the house. The accused grandmother is apparently the caregiver and authorities are trying to find her biological parents. Now the girl has been placed into protective custody. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 02:59:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TIRANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian government is working to realize the Ionian Adriatic Pipeline gas project, saying Friday it was seeking the support of European Union (EU) and United States to take the project forward. IAP is a proposed natural gas pipeline in southeastern Europe that will stretch from Fier in central Albania, through Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Split, Croatia. It will then be connected with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which is currently being constructed in Albania, Greece and Italy in order to bring gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. Albanian energy minister Damian Gjiknuri said Friday that Albania had completed drafting a gas plan for the country, and had built good cooperation with both the energy community and the countries to be involved in the project. Gjiknuri told reporters Albania was "confident that this project will also be supported by the European Union and United States." This was the fourth management meeting for the IAP project and it was attended by many representatives of national and international institutions, donors, and field experts. The IAP will deliver Azerbaijani gas to several countries in southeastern Europe. The pipeline's capacity will amount to five billion cubic meters of gas per year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 03:39:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KIEV, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and his Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip met on Friday, vowing to deepen transport cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting that took place in the framework of the international conference "Europe-Asia Integrated Transport Corridors" in Ukraine's southern port city of Odessa, Groysman said that Ukraine is willing to cooperate with Moldova to jointly use the advantages of their favourable geographical position and their transit potential. "Ukraine and Moldova can become a reliable transit bridge between Asia and Europe," he said. The cooperation between Ukraine and Moldova in the transport sector has good prospects given the complementary advantages of the transport infrastructure of the two countries, Groysman added. For his part, Filip said that Moldova supports the idea to jointly develop a transport corridor between Asia and Europe. "The Republic of Moldova shares the views on the actions regarding the transport cooperation. Integration in the transport corridors between Asia and Europe is important for our countries," Filip said. Moldovan Prime Minister arrived in Ukraine earlier in the day to take part in the "Europe-Asia Integrated Transport Corridors" conference. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 03:39:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NICOSIA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus' incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades will run for a second term in the elections in early 2018, his spokesman said on Friday. Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told the state-run TV station that Anastasiades would officially announce his candidacy on Oct. 14 whereupon he would explain his reasons for running. Government officials and party representatives have decided to hold the first round of elections on Jan. 28, and a runoff vote on Feb. 4. Presidential elections in Cyprus are held every five years. Anastasiades is expected to run against at least three other candidates from opposition parties and possibly some independent candidates. Christodoulides indicated that Anastasiades's electoral campaign would focus on his government's achievements in the economic sector. "Everybody knows very well the situation which the government under President Anastasiades was called to handle when he assumed office, and the current situation," said Christodoulides. Anastasiades signed a three-year economic assistance program which pulled Cyprus from the brink of bankruptcy soon after becoming president in 2013. The country returned to growth after the second year of the economic adjustment program, and Cyprus currently has the second-highest rate of economic expansion among eurozone countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 03:39:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NICOSIA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is set to announce a possible second gas discovery in its exclusive economic zone next week, the government spokesman said on Friday. "Results of the drilling Onisiphoros are expected to be announced early next week," spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told the state television. He indicated that a possible natural gas discovery may be announced, saying that "developments in the drilling have been in the right direction." The drilling is done on behalf of a consortium made up by French Total and Italian ENI energy companies in block 11 of the Cyprus exclusive economic zone. The drilling point is close to Egypt's mammoth Zohr discovery made by ENI. Cyprus already has an established gas field discovered by Texas base Noble Energy in block 12, which in proximity with Israel's gas fields. Plans are under way on the exploitation of Noble's field. ExxonMobil said on Wednesday that it has scheduled two offshore hydrocarbons drillings in block 10 of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone in 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 03:44:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police said on Friday they have started investigating senior officials implicated in two reports by parliamentary investigative committees on diamonds and tanzanite mining. "After President John Magufuli instructed defence and security organs to immediately start investigating all officers implicated in the reports, we have already arrested some of the officials for interrogation," said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Simon Sirro. Sirro did not mention the number and names of arrested officials for investigative reasons but he said the officials were being probed by the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Robert Boaz. But the IGP told a news conference in Dar es Salaam that most of the officials under interrogation were arrested in Manyara region where tanzanite is mined at Mererani. Sirro said the police in collaboration with other security organs have already formed a special task force to work on the reports. He appealed to officials implicated in the two reports to voluntarily surrender themselves to the DCI before they were being sought by the police. On Thursday, President Magufuli also ordered the suspension of senior officials implicated in the two reports. "The officials mentioned in the two reports should give way pending the investigations," said Magufuli. The two reports which were presented to the President by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa revealed massive corruption, secrecy, cheating, tax evasion and negligence by government officials causing losses of billions of shillings to the country. On Thursday Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Governments, George Simbachawene and Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Edwin Ngonyani, announced they were stepping down to pave way for investigations. In June, Tanzanian President Magufuli suspended issuance of new mining licenses to investors until after the government reorganizes itself. He said minerals, including gold, that were being mined in the country were natural resources that belonged to Tanzanians and that his administration would never tolerate seeing a few individuals benefiting from the country's natural resources, leaving majority of Tanzanians swimming in poverty. In May this year, President Magufuli sacked Minister for Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo after a report showed he was implicated in mining firms' undeclared mineral sand exports. Magufuli said the report revealed that mining firms, including Acacia Mining, cheated over mineral sand exports for smelting abroad, making the east African nation to lose millions of U.S. dollars. The president also dissolved the Tanzania Mineral Audit Agency Board of Directors and suspended the agency's Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Rwekaza, for what he termed as negligence. Sorry, this news has been deleted. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 04:35:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BUJUMBURA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has discovered over 110 mass graves in Mwaro province in central Burundi, TRC said on Friday in Bujumbura, capital city of Burundi. "Statistics on mass graves in Mwaro province show that massacres that took place in Burundi in 1972 and 1993 left more than 110 mass graves discovered in several areas of the province," said Monsignor Jean Louis Nahimana, chairman of TRC. Citizens showed us where those mass graves are located, but we verified before trusting them, said the chairman. Nahimana was presenting the results of a three-week field visit in Mwaro and Karusi provinces whereby the TRC interviewed 4,792 people who lost members of their families during crises that happened since the east African nation's independence in 1962. The TRC is mandated to investigate into crimes and perpetrators of massacres that happened in Burundi between Burundi's independence on July 1, 1962 and Dec. 4, 2008 that coincides with the signing of a ceasefire between the Burundian government and the last rebel group -- the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People-National Liberation Forces (Palipehutu-FNL). Burundi faced several crises that led to inter-ethnic massacres between the Hutu majority group and the Tutsi minority group. Those massacres notably happened in 1961, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1988, 1991 and in 1993. Other mass graves were also discovered in Karusi province during the TRC field visit that happened in both provinces between Aug. 9 and Aug. 29 this year. "In addition to interviewing people who lost members of their families, we also interviewed 30 key witnesses of the 1972 and 1993 crises," said Nahimana. He urged administration authorities in Mwaro and Karusi provinces to protect the evidence in mass graves as there are some "wrongdoers" who might suppress the evidence of "barbaric" acts. Nahimana indicated that the TRC will continue its field work in the country's remaining provinces, adding that such a field work has already been achieved in Ngozi, Mwaro, Karusi and in the municipality of Bujumbura. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 04:50:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Friday in Iraqi airstrikes on an IS-held areas in the country's eastern province of Diyala, the Iraqi military said. Iraqi aircraft carried out airstrikes on IS posts in Khalawiyah area near Himreen Lake, some 60 km northeast of Diyala's provincial capital Baquba, leaving at least 15 IS militants killed, Lt. Gen. Mezhir al-Azzawi told Xinhua. The airstrikes resulted in the destruction of an IS vehicle, five motorcycles, five IS hideouts and the burning of two boats at the lake, said Azzawi whose command is responsible for the security in Diyala and other areas in eastern Iraq. Azzawi also said the troops under his command raided an apartment in Gatoon area in the east of Baquba, about 65 km northeast of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and seized two explosive vests, ammunition and explosives. IS militants still control areas in Himreen mountainous area, including its Lake, in northern and eastern parts of Diyala. The terror group also has a major redoubt in Mteibijah area on the provincial border with Salahudin Province, which extends to the sprawling rugged area from the western part of Salahudin to the desert in the neighboring Anbar Province in western Iraq. On Aug. 31, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared full liberation of the city of Tal Afar and surrounding areas from the extremist IS militants. The Iraqi forces are now preparing to wage another offensive in the IS-held town of Hawijah and surrounding areas in the west of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 05:10:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BANJUL, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian President Adama Barrow has appointed Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang as the country's vice president on Friday, a statement from the presidency said. Tambajang who has been overseeing the vice-presidency since January has also been appointed Minister of Women Affairs of the country. The Constitution of the Gambia empowers the President to appoint the Vice President and Ministers as cabinet members to steer the affairs of the country. Barrow's government has been criticized by the Gambians for not have appointed a vice President since his assumption of power in January following December election. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 05:20:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Barely 100 days after his nomination as Tunisian prime minister, Youssef Chahed has carried out a major cabinet reshuffle which involves 13 portfolios and seven secretaries of state. Pending its presentation on Monday to the Assembly of People's Representatives for the vote of confidence, the new Tunisian government of Chahed seems to be determined to continue the anti-corruption battle launched several weeks ago, which was crowned by the arrest of a dozen businessmen and executives, as well as a famous journalist. "The new composition will make the National Unity Government a Government of War. In the next stage, this government will continue its fight against terrorism, smuggling, unemployment and regional disparity," said Chahed shortly after he presented his proposed reshuffle to Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at the Presidential palace of Carthage. Youssef Chahed left intact the departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice, while those more concerned with national security have all been reshuffled. "Changing the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Defense is part of a visionary approach by the Head of Government to immunize himself against a serious terrorist threat that still persists," Nizar Makni, a Tunisian political science expert, told Xinhua. In order to officially perform its function, the cabinet reshuffle will need 109 votes in the 217-seat Assembly of People's Representatives (Tunisian Parliament). In the local press, Tunisian President Essebsi described the proposed reshuffle as "the last chance." "The rescue remains a matter of life or death, especially since the new government will have to set up a strong political shield in order to fulfill its mission," said Essebsi. The government of Chahed consisted of 26 ministers and 14 secretaries of state before the reshuffle has expanded it to 28 ministers and 15 secretaries of state. "Influential political parties have succeeded in influencing the choice of the Head of Government to make use of the political quota of distribution of portfolios," Monia Arfaoui, specialist in Tunisian political affairs. According to Arfaoui, the Ennahdha Islamist Party has preserved its weight as the main partner of Essebsi's Nidaa Tounes party. Announcing that it will not vote in favor of the new composition, the Popular Front raised its tone as the main opposition which ranks fourth with 15 seats, after the Islamist party Ennahdha (69 seats), Nidaa Tounes (58 seats) and Machrouu Tounes (24 seats). "This reshuffle is nothing but a redistribution of cards within the ruling majority alliance with the prevalence of the political quota," the Popular Front said in a statement sent to Xinhua. According to the Popular Front, the current crisis in Tunisia can only be ended by establishing a new political system based on innovative economic and social choices that respond to the aspirations of the population rather than the political class. "By keeping failed ministers and even corrupt for political interests, it only leads to an unknown future without forgetting to reconnect with figures of the former regime of Ben Al," it said in the statement. Notably, Tunisian Prime Minister Chahed has created four new state secretariats tasked with economic issues, which proves his intention to put economy first on his list of priorities. According to Nizar Makni, one of the highlights of the cabinet reshuffle is the appointment of Hatem Ferjani as a foreign secretary of state for foreign affairs. The Tunisian expert warned of a "conflict of interest" that may disrupt the demand for certain vital government departments. Chahed aims to deliver a strong double-sided message to his opponents that his war against corruption, religious extremism, smuggling and social and regional injustice persists despite heavy pressure from influential political parties. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 05:30:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Federation of Food and Drink Industry Association on Friday denied claims that Turkey has exported toxic eggs, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. "There is no trace of (poisonous) residue in eggs produced in Turkey," Anadolu quoted Semsi Kopuz, head of the association, as saying in a statement. "The tainted egg crisis is a political debate," Kopuz added. He pointed out that some countries were using the issue to worsen relations between Germany and Turkey. On Thursday, Turkish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ahmet Esref Fakibaba said Turkey remains unaffected by the latest toxic egg scandal. A probe into domestic eggs has detected no trace of insecticide fipronil, the minister noted. Fakibaba also said the ministry was closely following the crisis and conducting regular tests on domestic eggs. Over the past months, Europe has been hit by an egg scandal caused by fipronil, which is considered a health hazard at a specific level. Hundreds of farms, where the eggs were produced, halted operations, while millions of eggs were removed from shelves and destroyed. The EU Commission accused Turkey of exporting tainted eggs. Turkey is the third largest egg exporter in the world with an export value of nearly 290 million U.S. dollars and a global share of 8.6 percent. According to EU and Turkish legislation, fipronil is not allowed to be used in any edible animals. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 05:50:48|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close KIEV, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The state-run Ukrainian Railways said Friday it has signed a memorandum with the state railway operators of Georgia and Azerbaijan to push forward transport cooperation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The deal was signed in Ukraine's southern port city of Odessa by the heads of the railway companies of the three countries, the press service of the Ukrainian Railways said in a statement. Under the memorandum, the railway operators have agreed to create a joint venture for operating the ferry boats owned by the Ukrainian Railways, the statement said. The deal is aimed at establishing the rail service for transporting goods from the European Union to Asian countries via the TITR route, it said. Ukraine has officially joined the TITR, which connects China with Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia in May 2016. The TITR corridor uses railway, maritime and road transport for transportation of goods. Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-09 06:21:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TUNIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian tourism revenue hit a record of 308.4 million U.S. dollars in August, Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts announced on Friday. In the first eight months in 2017, Tunisia's tourism revenue amounted to 873.6 million dollars, up 22 percent from the same period in 2016, the ministry added. About 4.7 million tourists, including 1.1 million Europeans and 1.6 million Algerians, have travelled to Tunisia so far in 2017, said Salma Elloumi, minister of Tourism and Handicrafts. The pickup of tourism, which accounts for 7 percent of GDP, is mainly attributed to the recovery of certain traditional markets including the French market with a growth of 44 percent. IDB hosts second Caribbean regional policy dialogue on environment The IDBs country representative for Trinidad and Tobago (TT), Tomas Bermudez, says research and experience have proven that safeguards can anticipate and mitigate environmental and social risks effectively. Therefore, focusing on increasing knowledge, capacity and implementation of environmental licensing and compliance is beneficial to the region. Here in TT, the IDB is assisting with improving the existing wastewater management program and services in the Malabar and San Fernando catchments. The measures include support for the wastewater rehabilitation program and the implementation of institutional and policy reforms. Environmental agencies from across the Caribbean are expected to attend the event which, the IDB says, will be an interactive event, providing opportunities for participants to share experiences and garner up-to-date information from partner agencies working in environmental policy, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Space Agency. Regional and international experts will lead sessions during the two-day event, through which participants will increase their knowledge about best practices in environmental licensing and compliance. The IDB says these sessions will focus on three priority areas for discussion: Meaningful stakeholder engagement - the IDB has recently summarised requirements and international good practice in a note on Meaningful Stakeholder Consultation, and is currently supporting training and capacity building in stakeholder engagement; Satellite and geographical data as a tool for environmental impact assessments and compliance processes; and Status of EIA legislation and regulation in the Caribbean region. Participants will also be encouraged to utilise the virtual community of practice for environmental and social safeguards in the Caribbean. This community of practice, launched last year, is a communications platform where officials can share common interests in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental management and protection. The IDB added that in 2016, approximately 40 high-level officials responsible for environmental and social safeguards from throughout the Caribbean came together in Kingston, Jamaica, to attend the first regional policy dialogue. These officials shared their experiences in environmental licensing and discussed common challenges of ensuring adequate enforcement measures. The resulting conversations in Kingston showed that, in the Caribbean, country safeguard systems are diversely organised, yet despite their different institutional frameworks, the challenges they face are the same. In addition to the regional policy dialogue, the IDB conducts other activities to strengthen national environmental and social safeguard systems of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including an online training program with courses on biodiversity, reviewing and approving environmental assessments, and meaningful stakeholder consultation Two held as police seize seven vehicles in garage Two men, ages 56 and 26, of Valencia were detained and are assisting police in their investigations. Police also seized equipment used for cutting vehicles into parts. According to reports, police under the supervision of Sen Supt Daniel and ASP Mervyn Edwards, and led by Sgt Matthew Haywood went to the garage at about 4 pm on Wednesday. The garage was cordoned off and police observed seven of the vehicles in the garage appeared to have been tampered with. The vehicles, which included a Mazda 3, a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Navarra,two Nissan Versas and a Toyota pick-up were seized and handed over to members of the Stolen Vehicles squad. Police began examining the vehicles yesterday and documents were being sought from the Licensing Authority to verify if the vehicles were tampered with. They believe with the arrest of the suspects and the seizure of the vehicles, they may be able to make a breakthrough into a vehicle stealing ring. They also expect to seize additional vehicles with the arrest of the two suspects. The same team also searched some bushes in Malabar on Wednesday and seized a pistol with several rounds of ammunition. Suspected bandit shot dead in Arima Police retrieved a gun on the side of the road near the mans body. Update on Chaguanas murder of Ramdevi Singh The nude body of Singh, a mother of two and grandmother of three of Imamshah Street, Chaguanas was found by her husband Martin, 79, a stroke patient, face down on the floor of her living room with injuries to the head. She was stabbed and strangled. Her killing occurred two days after former director of the National Museum and Art Gallery, Dr Claire Broadbridge, 80, was killed at her home at Fondes Amandes Road, St Anns. Singh, a retiree with Guardian Life Insurance, lived with her husband whom she took care of since he cannot speak or walk properly having suffered two strokes. To date no one has been arrested. Police dismiss rumours of attorneys arrest Early yesterday, the rumours began circulating that police armed with a warrant were on their way to the attorneys home. However, hours later, further information began circulating that police realised that they had the wrong address for the attorney on the warrant and had to return to Port of Spain to get a fresh warrant signed. The attorney, when contacted by Newsday, said he had no information that a warrant had been issued for his arrest and found it strange that one had been issued for him. Sources also revealed that the attorneys relatives also learned of the alleged impending arrest and this brought them to tears. However, Newsday contacted several senior police who described the information as a rumour being spread by people with certain agendas. Up until yesterday, no warrant had been issued for the arrest of the attorney and according to wellplaced sources, an investigation against the attorney is continuing apace. Jail for sniffing cocaine to climb tall coconut trees Jason Santokee, 57, of Williamsville, pleaded guilty before magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine and was sent to jail for six months for possession of .29 grammes of cocaine. He told the magistrate he is addicted to cocaine, after she reminded him he has 14 previous convictions for cocaine possession. The prosecutor said that on Tuesday, at about 3.30 pm, police on mobile patrol at Ben Lomond Road, Williamsville, spotted Santokee walking. However, when he saw the vehicle, he made an about turn and began walking in the opposite direction. He was stopped and searched and police found on him a few rocks of cocaine. Santokee pleaded with the police officers, Give me a chance. Antoine asked Santokee if he was addicted to cocaine and he replied, Something so. He then told the magistrate that he climbs coconut trees for vendors. And I does use the cocaine to climb them tall coconut trees. It is not an easy thing, Santokee said. But you have 14 previous convictions. Have you tried to get help? Antoine asked. Santokee persisted, I does use it to climb them tall coconut trees. Antoine ordered him to serve the sentence with hard labour and advised that upon completion, he should seek to enroll himself in a rehabilitation programme. PNM chairman: Rowleys absence has nothing to do with polls Speaking with reporters after a function at Tower C of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre, Khan said, Dr Rowley is out of the country for medical reasons. It is not a dereliction of duty. Why cant the Opposition understand that? Khan continued, He has gone for his annual medical check-up. It has nothing to do with a poll coming out or what issues face the country. He reminded reporters, I suffered health challenges in my own right earlier this year. Khan fell ill while on vacation in Thailand last December and subsequently underwent heart-related surgery when he returned to TT. Khan added, Your health and your family comes before anything else. He said Rowley is just taking care of his health in a precautionary manner just as what his doctors advised him when he went to California last year for a check-up. Describing polling and statistics as a very scientific event, Khan said, A lot of the polls conducted in TT are not truly scientific polls. Asked if the PNM d oes its own polls, Khan replied, The polling really comes under the Prime Minister. On whether the PNM has lost support since September 2015, Khan said the country is in an economic downturn and there will be some level of disappointment when you do not have the goods and services to share with the population. He added, To say that that party has lost popularity, at its core level, I dont think so. Khan described the marginally higher rating which Persad-Bissessar received compared to Rowleys as part of the five-year cycle in the countrys politics after a general election. He said, Things are being planned in the way that we honour the five year cycle. Khan said he had no update on Public Administration and Commmunications Minister Maxie Cuffie, who was hospitalised at St Clair Medical Centre on Tuesday. He said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh would provide details on Cuffies actual condition. Govt targets illegal quarrying Noting earlier comments by EITI Steering Committee chairman Victor Hart, Khan welcomed the committees focus on the countrys mining sector, and quarrying in particular. Khan said there are a lot of issues regarding the lack of royalty payments, by some of the mining operators if not all. The minister also said, the issue of the proliferation of illegal quarries remains a challenge for the country. To understand this reality, Khan advised his audience, Take a flight to Tobago and look down and you will see the scars in the landscape of north-eastern TT. He disclosed that he recently appointed, a special advisor on security matters. Khan added, We plan to deal with the issue of illegal quarrying frontally in the coming months. The minister said four EITI reports produced by the committee have shown extractive industries in TT have declared revenue payments of $114.69 billion. He said those same reports showed Government declaring corresponding receipts of $114.78 billion. After saying this meant almost 100 percent correlation between these figures, Khan quipped, Thank God I am in government. Khan said the MOU has been approved by Cabinet. However, he added, When these Cabinet notes are approved, especially legal documentation... quasi-legal documentation... it is always subject to final vetting from the Attorney Generals Office. Saying this is standard government procedure, Khan said the final vetting of the MOU should be completed in two weeks time. After he said Guyana joined the EITI in August, Khan disclosed that he met on Monday with Guyanas Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman. The minister provided no details but hinted there are, extremely interesting discussions that are currently taking place between Guyana and TT. Khan said more information on this matter would be disclosed at a later date and in another forum. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has previously hinted that TT would be willing to partner with Guyana in developing that countrys emerging energy sector. Negotiations between TT and Venezuela for the supply of natural gas from Venezuelas Dragon Field are also ongoing. House of representatives resumes today Prior to this a total of 87 papers will be laid in the House and Government will field questions from the Opposition. Among the questions to be asked, is one from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal asking if a report from the TT Defence Forces board of inquiry about the circumstances of two children being in possession of guns at a military camp will be made public. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will miss todays sitting as he is in California having a medical checkup. Rowley returns home next Monday. Newsday understands a request for leave for Public Administraion and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie could be made to Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George today. Cuffie was hospitalised on Tuesday after experiencing a medical episode. There may be changes on the Opposition bench as well. During the recess, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar hinted at changes to the Oppositions parliamentary line-up. Sources said this may see the return of Moonilal as Opposition Chief Whip as well as new faces to the Oppositions bench in the Senate, which may sit next Tuesday. THA chief blanks ferry enquiry The committee held their Tobago leg of the enquiry on Wednesday at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex, Scarborough. In a letter signed by THA Legal Counsel Alvin Pascall, Charles sent his apology which was read by committee chairman Stephen Creese. The Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, the honourable Kelvin Charles confirms safe receipt of your missive dated 24th day of August 2017, the content of which is noted. I am instructed to inform you that the Tobago House of Assembly will not be represented at the sitting of the parliamentary committee on land and physical infrastructure fixed for Wednesday 6th September 2017 at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex, Scarborough, Tobago. As you are no doubt aware, the management of the airport and sea port of Trinidad and Tobago falls under the purview of the Central Government and its agents, the Board of Directors. In view of the above, I shall appreciate you communicating our non-attendance to chairman Senator Stephen Creece esquire and thank him for the opportunity afforded to the Tobago House of Assembly in this connection, he read. Committee member, Opposition Senator Wade Mark expressed his disapproval of the Chief Secretarys non-appearance. I just want to put on record my utter disappointment based upon what the Chairman read via correspondence, the failure of the Chief Secretary to grace us with his presence so we could have heard from the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly on this whole matter of these vessels and the crisis, he said. Also absent from Wednesdays enquiry was Minority Leader Watson Duke, who was represented by Assemblyman Farley Augustine. In his submission, Augustine described the current ferry fiasco as a crisis. Until as a country, we begin to seriously put punitive measures in place against those who incur this kind of damage to the public purse, then we are not going anywhere. You could go after the Sonia type boat next; we could end up with the same situation, you would change the configuration of the Port Authority; we can end up with the same problem and so this committee and the Parliament has an opportunity now in a very punitive way to deal with those who would have created this crisis. This crisis in my mind, this crisis was created. It did not happen by accident, it is no emergency, it was created, With that, he noted that this issue has really hit Tobago at its worst possible time. It has happened at a time when our tourism was almost dead, it has happened at a time when our national economy was at its worst, it has happened at a time when global economies are not doing as well and where in the Caribbean region growth is low, slow and it is happening at a time whereby we thought we would have received better from governance. Tobago has suffered through this more than anyone else and I want to implore everyone on the other side of the waters that is watching because there is a tendency to think that this is a Tobago issue only but, this is a national issue because Tobago issues are national issues, Augustine said. The Assemblyman noted that the Governance system as is, is not working. It is not working, because if we knew contracts was going to be ended, if we knew that we needed new boats because what we had was old, then we should have known to put things in place long before the system collapsed, he said. The enquiry will continue on September 18 at Tower D of the Portof- Spain International Waterfront Centre and on September 20 in Tobago. Garcia visits two schools The visit came after the ministry received several reports of teacher walkouts and non-readiness at some schools. In a media release, Garcia said it was important to see first hand some of the concerns stakeholders were having with schools. He said, at the St. Phillips school some maintenance and restoration work need to be done and the ministry will be meeting with parents and teachers to discuss the way forward. He said the work needed at this school was slowed as the ministry had engaged in an assessment of the infrastructural strength of the building. Hockett Baptist was proved to be in a state of readiness for teaching and learning when school reopened on Monday with some fencing left over by the contractor who was on hand on Monday to complete and remove the material. The material left on the compound did not affect the safety of staff or students. This school received a new perimeter fence, was painted, staff room air conditioned and new water tanks installed as a part of the Laventille/Morvant Initiative. He said the ministry will continue to investigate all reports coming in and find the fastest resolution to avoid any breaks in teaching and learning time. The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday announced an agreement to use more lottery sales revenues to cover 34-billion-yen costs for 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic events that will be held outside the capital. The agreement, reached among the metropolitan government, eight prefectural governments and four ordinance-designated big cities, effectively puts an end to the issue of how to share the costs for the 2020 Games. In line with the deal, the 13 local governments, all of which host 2020 Games events, jointly made a request for an additional allocation of 22.4 billion yen from lottery revenues to cover the costs, on top of the 11.6 billion yen that had already been earmarked. The extra allocation is expected to be approved in October at a meeting of the national management body for municipal lotteries. According to the metropolitan government, 30 billion of the 34 billion yen will be used for the events outside Tokyo and the remaining 4 billion yen for the torch relays. 2020340 20208 The Loose Talk podcast on which M.I & Loose Kaynon talked about the state of Nigerian Hip-hop and the relationship between artistes and journalists has sparked discussions across the music industry. The fact that two of Nigerias finest rappers, M.I and Vector have still not collaborated was one of the talking points of the podcast. During the podcast, M.I gave an explanation on why he has not worked with the G.R.A.P music rap act but Vector has made a bold reaction to M.Is comment. The rapper took to Instagram to make M.I know that he is ready to move on from their previously patchy relationship to work with the Chocolate City rapper to record the greatest record. See his post below. https://www.instagram.com/p/BYxqUpHhrDL/ The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, says the funds allegedly looted by a former Minister of Petroleum, surpasses that of late military head of state. EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu While speaking during a courtesy visit of the principal officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to The PUNCH Place, in Lagos, on Thursday, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said only about 15% of funds allegedly misappropriated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had been recovered. The anti-graft bodys boss who said the EFCC was working with the United Kingdom on her case, noted that efforts were being made to extradite her back to Nigeria, and vowed never to give up until all the money stolen from the country was recovered. He told Punch, We are working on the process of Diezanis extradition. But we have to allow them (the UK government) because we are collaborating. There is the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service in London, and our colleagues, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in America. We had cause to meet in London. I was there myself for about a week. We are working not only on the Diezani case; but the Diezani case has become a test case. It is even more notorious than the so-called Abacha loot because we have not seen anything yet. Im sure what we have seen is not more than may be 15 per cent. I think it is going to be a long time. That is why sometimes I think we should appeal to the looters to return the loot. Come and tell the government, This is what I have stolen. Since you have voluntarily complied with the instruction to bring back the loot, then the government will take a decision. I think it is the best way to go about it, otherwise, the monies would be wasted. Diezani has a lot of people who are well connected, like (Jide) Omokore who are international businessmen. They have private aircraft and you cant see any of them in Nigeria. They went and kept them in Ghana, some of them. But we are working with almost all law enforcement agencies in the world. They are all willing to work with us because what I told them is, As long as you have any (claim) of criminality in Nigeria, call us. We will go after the criminals because we dont wait for protocol. Delay is dangerous; when you delay you will not see it. So, we are ready to cooperate with everybody and people have shown willingness. Last time I went to the international convention, they said Nigeria should show it experience. So, the whole world at the United Nations level wants to hear our asset recovery experience. The anti-corruption boss, noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had been informed of the needs of the anti-corruption agency, saying there would soon be an upgrade of facilities, adding that the agency was also giving attention to the welfare of its workers to avoid undue influence or temptation in the course of their assignments. A federal court in California dealt a new blow Thursday to the Trump administrations travel ban, ruling that some refugees must be allowed into the country. It is the latest twist of the legal wrangling touched off by President Donald Trumps ban, first announced in January with little notice and widely criticized as discriminatory against Muslims. Trump says it is needed to keep out terrorists. In the new ruling, the US Ninth Circuit of Appeals, based in San Francisco, upheld a ruling by a court in Hawaii, a decision against which the administration had appealed. The new decision states that the ban must exclude refugees who have a formal assurance from an agency within the United States that the agency will provide or ensure the provision of reception and placement services to that refugee. It could pave the way for the entry of some 24,000 refugees whose asylum requests had already been approved. And as the US Supreme Court had ruled in July, the three-judge panel in San Francisco confirmed that the ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close family members living in six mainly Muslim countries and seeking to visit relatives in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled in late June that the 90-day travel ban, purportedly aimed at better screening out potential security risks, can be broadly enforced for travelers from the six mainly Muslim countries who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. Days later, the Trump administration interpreted that to mean that only close family was exempted. It defined this as the parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings of people in the United States. The California court said Wednesday the administration does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship in the Supreme Courts prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin is not. The San Francisco court was ruling on the issue because the Supreme Court had refused a Justice Department request that it define what it means by bona fide relationship and close family. The Justice Department issued a statement saying we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch duty to protect the nation. The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the travel ban and study its constitutionality in October. A former Libyan official has laid into the United Nations for sabotaging efforts by Libyans to get together and for imposing east-based army commander Khalifa Haftar. The international community, especially the United Nations, is not serious about looking for a political solution in Libya, said Mohamed Hussein Omar in an interview with Quds Press. Omar is a former adviser to the Prime Minister of Libyas National Salvation Government. For him, the newly appointed UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salameh, is only protecting foreign interest in the Libyan crisis. These are all efforts to cover up the regional and international trend to break the will of the Libyan people, and impose a military option on them, he said, underlining that the UN is favoring a military option as it secretly endorses Haftar. Omar accused France, Italy Egypt, the UAE and other countries of seeking their own interests in the crisis-torn North African country. Libya has descended into chaos following the fall and death of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, in a NATO-backed revolution. Since then, rival factions have been vying for power. The country has two distinct governments; the namely UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), born from an agreement signed in 2015 in Morocco, and the east-based Beida government supported by the countrys internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR) and its associate Libyan National Army, led by Haftar. Haftar is supported by the UAE, Egypt and Russia. Meanwhile, the United Nations is preparing to deploy up to 250 peacekeepers to Libya to guard its base in capital Tripoli, as part of a plan to return its operations to the country, the UN Envoy Ghassan Salameh said. The UN Envoy told Italian newspaper La Stampa that a little under 250 peacekeepers can be deployed in the coming weeks. The mission has been based in Tunis since 2014 but has gradually increased its presence on the ground in Libya and has been planning for months for a fuller return. Tip-offs offered by Moroccan security services helped France bust a terrorist cell with suspected links to the perpetrators of Catalonia attacks, Moroccan media reported. The information forwarded by Moroccan intelligence services led France to locate and arrest three individuals who were plotting a bomb attack on a bank, Al Ahdath Al Maghribia reported. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said that the individuals under investigation spoke of wanting to blow up a bank with the TATP, a peroxide-based explosive employed by terrorists in several attacks in Western Europe in recent years, including Manchester in May, Brussels in 2016 and Paris. The Moroccan paper claims that two of the three suspected terrorists are of Moroccan origins, putting forward a possibility that they were in contact with the perpetrators of Barcelona and Cambrils attacks. France has been under a state of emergency since ISIS jihadists launched simultaneous raids on bars, the national stadium and the Bataclan concert hall in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead. More than 230 people have been killed by Islamist-inspired attackers in the past three years in France, which, along with the United States and other countries, are bombing Islamic State bases in Iraq and Syria. Cooperation between European and Moroccan intelligence services has been fostered since November 2015 following the Paris attacks. Moroccan intelligence services have helped thwart attacks and bust cells in Belgium, France, spain and in several other countries. Moroccos African leadership, the situation in North Africa and the Sahel as well as the longstanding American-Moroccan relations were at the heart of talks Moroccos Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita had with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other US officials during a visit to Washington Thursday. In a statement to the press, Bourita said that, during the meetings, US officials lauded Morocco as a model of political and economic reform and commended its African foreign policy. The meetings also raised Moroccos role in global counterterrorism efforts and its comprehensive multilayered antiterrorism strategy, he said. The Libyan crisis and the credible mediation efforts led by the Kingdom were discussed along with the Sahara issue said the Minister, noting that US officials reiterated that Moroccos autonomy proposal for its southern provinces, the Sahara, remains a credible, serious and realistic solution to the territorial dispute. At the bilateral level, Bourita said that his working visit to Washington reaffirmed the excellent and sound character of the unique partnership between the two countries. He recalled that King Mohammed VI has been attaching utmost importance to strengthening the foundations of this strategic partnership, which paved the way for the signing of a free trade agreement in 2006 and the launch of a strategic dialogue in 2012. The momentum in US-Moroccan relations takes shape in multiple areas, he said, noting in particular the close security, military and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Bourita told the press that his visit to Washington is a chance to celebrate the ever-developing cooperation mechanisms and to consolidate them further in tandem with regional and international development. During his visit to Washington, Bourita held separate talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Assistant Secretary of State for Near-East affairs, David Satterfield, and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, Terry Wolff. He also met with chairmen of Foreign Affairs Committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Bob Corker and Ed Royce in addition to President Trumps Senior Adviser, Jared Kushner. Damage from Hurricane Andrew. Photo: Steven Starr/Corbis via Getty Images Hurricane Irma is coming and its going to be a beast. That much we know. But theres still plenty about the massive storm that is unclear, including its path, when it will make landfill and how the areas likely to be hardest hit will respond. Right now, Irma is expected to reach South Florida as a category 4 storm, meaning it will bring sustained winds of at least 130 mph. By some, estimates, the winds could be swirling as fast as 150 mph by the time Irma makes landfall, putting it among the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Florida. There is even some indication that Irma may be speeding up, with the possibility that it regains category 5 status. But its not just that wind that Floridians have to worry about. Theres also the deadly storm surge, coastal flooding, and in some cases, increased potential for tornadoes. And no area is under more threat than Miami and its suburbs, home to 4.5 million people. On Friday morning, the National Weather Service put out four maps of South Florida showing the severity of Irmas different threats. Miami and the surrounding areas are the only place where wind, storm surge, flooding, and tornado threats are all at their highest levels. 7am Fri 9/8: Hurricane #Irma expected to hit South Florida Saturday through Monday. Preparations should be complete by tonight! #FLwx pic.twitter.com/S9C146UamW NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) September 8, 2017 The good news is that Miami might be the city most well equipped to handle a storm of Irmas strength. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew, the last category 5 storm to hit the U.S., destroyed 125,000 homes in the area and caused $26 billion in damages. The storm largely missed downtown Miami, but laid waste to the city of Homestead, which sits southwest of the larger city. In the aftermath of Andrew, South Florida remade itself to ensure that a similar storm would not cause comparable devastation. Building codes in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties require homes to be able to withstand winds of 130 mph. Hurricane-ready windows and roofs are now far more common than they once were and mobile homes fastened to stronger foundations are less likely to be tossed into air. These preparations make Miami more ready than any other city for the aggressive winds Irma is promising, but there are still plenty of questions. The ability of Miamis many high-rises to deal with the winds is a particular mystery. In the past 15 years, more than 40,000 condos in high-rises have gone up east of I-95, putting them well within the Irma evacuation zone. Since they went up after Andrew, these buildings were built with some of the countrys most stringent regulations, which require them to withstand winds of 175 mph. That doesnt mean there wont be damage though. Hurricane Wilma, which blew through in 2005 as a category 2 storm, blew out an untold number of windows in Miami buildings constructed after Andrew. Then there is the issue of flying debris and unstable structures, such as cranes. There are around 25 currently perched above Miami, a symbol of the citys construction boom. These cranes are made to withstand winds of 145 mph, but Irma is poised to brings winds stronger than that. Even if the building codes and precautions taken by homeowners are able to mitigate the damage of Irmas winds, the storm surge will be impossible to stop. The National Weather Service has called it life-threatening, and warned of structural damage to buildings, with many washing away. The Wall Street Journal explains how the storm surge originates: The surges are created when the high wind of a hurricane forces ocean waters onshore. The highest waves are typically centered on the leading right side of the storm, where counterclockwise winds in the Northern Hemisphere push the bulk of a hurricanes destructive force. The surge waves are made even higher when they travel across shallow coastal waters, said Robert Bohlin, a meteorologist with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. Miami is fortunate that its coastal waters are not as shallow as those on Floridas Gulf of Mexico side, and the depth should reduce the size of the storm surge. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects the storm surge to hit Miami to be around nine feet, significantly smaller than the record-high 28-foot storm surge that hit New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. But even a nine-foot surge could wreak havoc on Miamis high-rises, which are likely to take a sustained pounding from waves. Downtown office buildings there are not designed for surge, Robert Bea of the University of Californias Center for Catastrophic Risk Management told the WSJ. With the storm surge also comes the threat of flooding. Much of South Florida is at or below sea level, and with and endless array of rivers, lakes and canals, its not just the coast thats at risk for flooding. If extreme force is pressed upon the ocean it will snake its way inland however it can, Jamie Rhome, storm surge expert at the National Hurricane Center, told the Miami Herald. If theres a bright side to any of this, its that Irma is not expected to bring a catastrophic amount of rainfall, unlike Hurricane Harvey, which stationed itself over Houston and refused to leave. Forecasters are calling for eight to 10 inches of rain and officials are confident that aging infrastructure, such as the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee, will be able to handle the water. At this point, with Irma bearing down on South Florida, the only thing left to do is to get people out of its path and to begin preparing for the disaster that will follow. Florida governor Rick Scott is already soliciting donations. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images On Thursday evening, NBC News reported that the Department of Homeland Security was planning five days of huge Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids for later this month. According to NBCs sources, the raids would target 8,400 undocumented immigrants across the United States, constituting the largest operation of its kind in the history of ICE. But shortly after NBC published the report, ICE indicated that Hurricanes Harvey and Irma had forced the agency to adjust its plan. A spokesperson told NBC: While we generally do not comment on future potential law enforcement actions, operational plans are subject to change based on a variety of factors. Due to the current weather situation in Florida and other potentially impacted areas, along with the ongoing recovery in Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had already reviewed all upcoming operations and has adjusted accordingly. There is currently no coordinated nationwide operation planned at this time. The priority in the affected areas should remain focused on life-saving and life-sustaining activities. The spokesperson added that routine operations would continue. The roundups, which ICE dubbed Operation Mega, were to be aimed at gang members or perpetrators of serious crimes, but an official who spoke to NBC said that other immigrants could end up as collateral. ICE has become much more aggressive under President Trump, with arrests including those of people without criminal records skyrocketing. The agency recently got the go-ahead to make 10,000 new hires, and the DHS is working to expand its ability to deport undocumented immigrants. So, while Operation Mega may be scuttled at the moment, it seems unlikely that the storms have done away with the plan for good. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Since the mid-1990s, the percentage of prime-age American men who dont have a job and arent looking for one has risen dramatically. Over the same time period, per-capita sales of opioid painkillers in the United States has more than quadrupled. A new study suggests that there may be a relationship between these two facts. In a paper published by the Brookings Institution on Thursday, Princeton economist Alan Krueger compares county-level data on opioid-prescription rates and labor-force participation, and finds that the more opioids were prescribed in a given region, the more likely that region was to have seen a significant decline in workforce participation. The correlation was so dramatic, Krueger estimates that rising opioid prescriptions could plausibly account for one-fifth of the decline in the labor-force participation among American men between 1999 and 2015. In previous research, Kreuger revealed that nearly half of all American men between the ages of 25 and 54 who were not in the labor force took pain medication on a daily basis. For two-thirds of those men, that daily pain medication was the kind that requires a prescription. Critically, Kruegers new research suggests that the counties where opioids are most widely prescribed arent, necessarily, places where the population is exceptionally ill or disabled. Rather, they are places where doctors seem to be exceptionally comfortable writing opioid prescriptions to treat pain. Currently, Americas overall labor-force participation rate is 62.9 percent, unchanged from three years ago, and well below the 67 percent level that was typical in the late 1990s. Most of this decline can be attributed to benign factors the retirement of the baby boomers, and a rising percentage of young Americans delaying work to pursue higher education. But the drop in participation by prime-age men has been sharp right now, America has the second-lowest such rate among OECD countries and very much malign: Krueger finds that prime-age men who have dropped out of the labor force are significantly less happy than their employed and unemployed peers. There is still some ambiguity in Kruegers findings. Its possible that, to some extent, labor-force detachment increases demand for prescription opioids, rather than vice versa. Nonetheless, his paper offers compelling evidence that Americas painkiller habit isnt just producing 100 overdose deaths in our country each day, but also impairing our economys capacity to grow. Notably, the prescription opioid industry has achieved all this without actually reducing the levels of pain that Americans report. Despite the massive rise in opioid prescriptions in the 2000s, Krueger notes in his paper, there is no evidence that the incidence of pain has declined. Donald Trump Jr. during a break in Thursdays interview. Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters Donald Trump Jr. sat down for more than five hours Thursday to answer the Senate Judiciary Committees questions about a meeting he had with a Kremlin-connected lawyer last year. In the closed-door meeting, Trump Jr. offered a new line of reasoning to explain his eagerness to accept the meeting, which was pitched to him as an opportunity to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton. He wasnt looking for politically damaging information, he told investigators, but learning everything he could in order to assess Clintons fitness for office. In his prepared statement, obtained by the Times, Trump Jr. also said he intended to consult with a lawyer before using any information provided by Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Kremlin-connected lawyer he met at Trump Tower. To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, Trump Jr. said in the statement. He also revisited a now-familiar excuse from members of the Trump campaign, telling investigators that he was so overwhelmed with the experience of working on a presidential campaign that any mistakes, such as accepting damning information on Clinton from a foreign government, were due more to ignorance than malfeasance. I had never worked on a campaign before and it was an exhausting, all-encompassing, life-changing experience, he said. Every single day I fielded dozens, if not hundreds, of emails and phone calls. While Trump Jr. was questioned by Senate staff Thursday, some Democratic senators reportedly popped in and out of the session to listen to the presidents eldest son. One of them, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, later said that Trump Jr.s answers were lacking. There are a lot of gaps that will need to be filled, Blumenthal told reporters. My being there gives me a sense of his demeanor, his willingness to answer questions, his pauses and reluctance on some questions and eagerness on others. He went on to say that Trump Jr. will likely testify in an open Senate hearing, where, unlike Thursday, he would be under oath. As Trump Jr. was wrapping up his testimony, CNN broke the news that special counsel Robert Mueller is also taking a keen interest in the Trump Tower meeting last year. Specifically, Mueller is looking to interview staffers present during the drafting of the first statement explaining the meeting. That statement, written aboard Air Force One with the help of President Trump, said Trump Jr. and Veselnitskaya primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children. That was later proven to be misleading, at best, and was once again contradicted by Trump Jr.s own testimony at the Capitol Thursday. CNN says that Mueller has not asked to interview the president, who, the White House claims weighed in as any father would on the drafting of the statement. Across town, FBI director Christopher Wray also spoke Thursday about the White House and the Russia investigation. While on a panel at Washingtons Intelligence and National Security Summit, Wray was asked if the Trump administration has tried to influence the investigation into the campaigns ties to Russia. I can say very confidently that I have not detected any whiff of interference with that investigation, he said, perhaps forgetting that the reason he has a job is because Trump fired Wrays predecessor for investigating him. Officials from International Standards Organisation (ISO) recently held a workshop in the country to train developers and managers of standards from different African countries with an aim of helping their businesses compete favourably. The training came at a time when many African countries still find their commodities rejected in international markets such as the European Union because they do not meet the minimal required standards. Nesreen Al-Khammash, ISOs programme manager Academy, said the training involved technical people from 21 countries. She said ISO has the obligation to support members standards bodies. Currently, ISO has 163 country members. According to Al-Khammash, Uganda has just reached 3,000 standards and that, according to her, is fewer than what ISO has developed, which now stand at about 20,000. Representatives from African standardisation bodies undergoing training She said Uganda is not the worse off but when the trainings are accelerated, the process will enable the country develop more standards, which are goods for trade. Dr Ben Manyindo, the executive director, Uganda National Bureau of Standards, explained that standards development starts at the national body, and then to regional bodies such as East African Community. ISO is the top organ that directs the standardization of all country members. The fewer the standards you have as a country, the less impact of your economy at the international trade; the more standards you have ,the more trading power you have at the international level, he explained. According to Manyindo, Uganda is not doing badly but needs more resources for standards development. Where we are not satisfied, I think, is that we have concentrated a lot on product standardization, but now the world is moving to service standards and we have got to run a bit and embrace service standards, he said. He added: There are good standards that have come from ISO but they have not been localized. But we also need tourism standards for the sector, anti-bribery standards, procurement standards, and human resource standards are important. However, Al-khammash said more consumer and business trainings on the importance of standards are needed. justuslyatuu08@gmail.com Energy Infratech PVT Limited (EIPL), the Indian consultancy firm that has for more than a year supervised construction works on Isimba hydro power plant on behalf of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited, says it will only respect the termination of its contract after it has received full payment. On August 18, government moved not to renew EIPLs contract amidst complaints of incompetencies and failure to execute its supervisory role well. The firms contract was to run for 40 months but there was a possibility of it being extended by another 12 months if government was satisfied with its work. Meeting at a rather heated handover ceremony presided over by Dr Badru Kiggundu, chairperson of the project steering commitee, yesterday, EIPL officials showed displeasure at how they were being pushed out. VPS Chauhan, an official from EIPL, wondered why they were not given enough time to prepare and hand over. Without revealing how much money government owes them, Chauhan said they would not fight government but that it was prudent they be paid instead of being pushed out. He explained that they could not hand over and leave yet many of the local employees had not been paid their arrears yet. We only received the letter about the handover yesterday. Government has not paid us since December 2016. We will only leave after being paid, complained a disgruntled Chauhan. The Kiggundu-led project steering committee was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni to handle quality assurance concerns on Isimba and Karuma hydro power projects. This was after it was established that works on the two sites were shoddy and threatened their durability. Kiggundu clarified that EIPLs contract had not been terminated but government only chose not to renew it. He observed that the decision not to extend the owner engineers [supervisor] contract was informed by EIPLs record and performance in the last four years. Whereas the project still has over 12 months to completion, Energy Infratechs 40-months fixed-term contract expires today. Government has exercised its discretion not to extend the contract of EIPL, Kiggundu said. Every marriage has issues and you dont have to disclose them, he added, preferring to keep the details of what could have informed their decision private. At the handover ceremony, Kiggundu unveiled an interim committee that would play the supervisory role for the next two months. The interim team was appointed by the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) in consultation with the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) and other stakeholders. Dr Harrison Mutikanga, the chief executive officer of UEGCL, explained that works on Isimba dam would progress since the contractors, China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE), are not affected. He revealed that UEGCL and the project management consultants, SMEC International, would for now play the supervisory roles on Isimba. By November 1, a new owners engineer would have been appointed to take over from the interim committee for the remaining 10 months. We shall strive to expedite the process of procuring the new owners engineer so that we have no downtime on this crucial project, said Mutikanga. James Banaabe, the acting director, energy resources, in the ministry of Energy, assured EIPL officials that by the time of their exit next week, government would have cleared the payments. He observed that payment invoices had been sent to the relevant ministries and that EIPLs payments would be effected. Construction of the $567 million plant commenced in April 2015 and the project is currently at 62 per cent overall progress. abumay1988@gmail.com For PHIONAH KATUSHABE and all who knew her since childhood, it was no matter of contention what she would become. In fact, she was always referred to as future lawyer. However, she chose a different career path through which she is impacting humanity in many ways, as she told Prisca Baike. A rather chilly Monday afternoon finds me at the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda (CoRSU) hospital in Kisubi, chatting with Katushabe who has been working with the facility for the last five years. Phionah Katushabe Having joined the hospital in April 2012 as a media and communication person, Katushabe was elevated to the position of field communication coordinator in 2015. I basically do communication work that is used for fundraising to help children who have disabilities and cant afford the surgeries, says the 2012 Makerere University graduate of Mass Communication. CHILDHOOD Casting her mind back, an amused Katushabe only has one word for her childhood curious. I was an inquisitive child who would often wake up to ask questions in the middle of the night, she says. By the time she was eight, she was already sure she was going to be a lawyer, much to her familys satisfaction. Having completed her primary education at Magulu primary school in Mukono, Katushabe joined Kyeizooba Girls secondary school for her O and A-levels of education. She also served as an academics prefect while in A-level. It was while in S2 that she chose to change her dream career. It was careers day, recalls Katushabe, and we had all these professionals from different careers dressed to the nines, except for this one guy who was totally different. She says he was wearing a journalists jacket and baggy jeans. But despite his informal dress code, he was the most confident and most knowledgeable among all the professionals who addressed the students that day. Although she has long forgotten his name, she recalls he was a regional correspondent for one of the local dailies. It seemed as if he was the only one I was listening to. He had such brilliant answers to our questions, recalls Katushabe. He made an impression on me by the way he looked at things, and he kept taking notes the whole time. Indirectly luring Katushabe into journalism, he wrote an article about the event. From that moment, I knew I wasnt going to do law. I was going to be a journalist, she says. With her 21 points at S6, her guardians were willing to pay for her dream course Bachelor of Laws. However, she insisted on pursuing a Bachelor of Mass Communication, which she got under the district quota government sponsorship system. LIVING NEW DREAM Several years down the sharp turn from law to journalism, Katushabe says she made the right choice. While in second year at university, she started freelancing with New Vision, and volunteering with Campus FM. In 2011, she had a short stint with The Razor newspaper. Meanwhile, she was part of the Rafiki theatre, who were using their storytelling skills in participatory theatre to address issues such as gender-based violence and violence in schools, among others. We explored several themes, and moved to different parts of Uganda and East African countries to stage our plays, Katushabe says. FINDING INSPIRATION Since 2012, her work at CoRSU has inspired her in different ways. Katushabe works closely with all stakeholders, including the medical and non-medical staff, parents and the children who need medical help. I am lucky that I get to see these children before, during and after their treatment, says Katushabe, adding that the most satisfying thing is that she is always involved through the patients rehabilitation process and beyond. The major reason for tracking her patients is a way of developing stories, photos and videos which are used for fundraising. The corrective surgeries are very expensive for a vast majority of CoRSUs clients; thus, fundraising enables the patients to access the services. This job has inspired me a lot to want to study a course that can help me serve people better, Katushabe says. To this effect, she will next month commence her masters degree in International Social Development at the University of East Anglia (Norwich City) in the United Kingdom, under the prestigious Chevening sponsorship. I believe in studying what will help me to have impact on people and communities, says Katushabe, who hopes to concentrate on her studies while networking. This, she adds, would help her become a better leader in one years time. FUTURE Armed with her masters degree, Katushabe plans to, among other things, explore health communication for societys benefit. For instance, so much research has been done, but has not been broken down in laymans language for people to understand the findings; so, I hope to do that, she says. In a nutshell, Katushabe hopes to interpret and communicate research findings in the easy-to-understand format to benefit the target people. I envision a Uganda with better public health systems and people who are well informed about health choices, Katushabe says. I hope when I come back after a year, I will be more empowered to contribute to that. Born in Kashenshero sub- county, Mitooma district, Katushabe says she sees meaning in life and her endeavors because of knowing Christ. I received Christ in 2002, but became a lazy Christian along the way until 2016, she says. Since then, Christianity is my lifestyle. pbaike@yahoo.com Most of us grew up following certain rules that required us to act a certain way different from the opposite sex's behaviour. For example, boys are always encouraged to be courageous, aggressive and breadwinners when they get families. Failure to adhere to that would most likely mean someone is less of a man. Thus, if you are male, you have once or twice in your life, been told to 'act like a man'. As PRISCA BAIKE writes, however, some men have found much more peace outside the 'act like a man' box. Peter Kimbugwe, a chef and father of four, relates to this mentality. His love for the kitchen always got his father angry about the fact that his only son preferred to spend his time in the kitchen with his mother and sisters rather than doing more manly things with fellow boys his age. When will you ever act like a man? his father questioned him, upon learning he was going to study cookery. According to Kimbugwe, his father expected him to opt for a more masculine career like electrical engineering, plumbing or anything else but cooking. Ironically, smiles Kimbugwe, my younger sister is a telecom engineer, and that has never bothered me at all. Unlike his father who always thought his son was headed the wrong way, Kimbugwe says he had no doubt he was cut out for the kitchen. It is such a fulfilling career, and I dont think it makes me any less of a man, says Kimbugwe, who has been in the trade for the last 12 years. MAINTAINING CHARACTER Like any married man, Kimbugwes second fall into the act like a man box came when he met the mother of his children. Before they owned children and cars, a taxi conductor charged them almost twice the normal price; something that infuriated his then girlfriend. Like any young woman, she expected her prospective husband to stand up to the taxi tout and squeeze their money out of him. However, after a short civil verbal exchange with the obstinate conductor, he instead urged his girlfriend to just let it go. Why dont you ever act like a man? he recalls his girlfriend screaming, throwing her arms in the air since that was almost the last money they had. I understood her frustration but beyond the anger, I knew that she was aware of my character. I am not the aggressive type. Kimbugwe adds that it is unrealistic to expect all men to be aggressive. He says he doesnt work well with being aggressive or physical as he finds it toxic and uncivilized. I have found much peace in being in touch with my true self rather than trying to be what I am not simply because it is what people want me to be, he says, adding that such kind of character is what has helped him hold his family together in times when many marriages are crumbling as people are struggling to be what they truly are not. According to Kimbugwe, most men only pretend to be masculine so as to appeal to potential partners. A few years down the road, he says, their true characters come out and their partners start thinking that the person has changed. The truth is they didnt change. It is just their true character coming out, notes Kimbugwe, admitting that his wife finally understood and appreciated his character and they have had no problems with that. In fact, she is the most outspoken one in the home, and we are just fine. We have been married for ten years and have four children together, Kimbugwe adds. "ACT LIKE A MAN" CHOKES Like Kimbugwe, Anthony Kwizera, an accountant in Kampala, whose wife works with an international organization, can relate to the peace outside the act like a man box. During his initial years of marriage, he was well aware that he had to provide for his family. It wasnt very hard before the duo had children, but when his wife delivered twins, the whole game plan changed. However, Kwizera remained stubborn, committing to being the sole breadwinner against all odds. I was choking on bills, but kept lying to my wife that I was managing. I discouraged her from helping out, says Kwizera. I had been told she would disrespect me if she was contributing to the bills. From procuring a big loan to selling his car under the pretext that he was planning to buy a better one, Kwizera seemed to be truly acting like a man. However, a little over a year later, his lies were unearthed by an eviction notice due to non-payment of rent. Faced with the fear of homelessness, Kwizera had to let his wife help him out, which she gladly did. Looking back, Kwizera admits that accepting to share bills with his wife has been the most fulfilling thing he has ever done for his family. She earns almost thrice as much as I earn. So, she helps out so much, says Kwizera, adding that by not allowing his wife to help out, he was initially denying their twins a better lifestyle and other facilities they deserved. Kwizera stresses that there was no way he could have singlehandedly put his children to an international school and be able to run the home smoothly without his wifes input. Six years down the road, I am a happier man because I embraced my reality on time, says Kwizera. Some of my friends had advised me to flee from my family because I couldnt just do that. GENDER ROLES A FALLACY Like Kimbugwe, Kwizera says many men are cocooned in the act like a man box just for the sake of impressing society. According to Kwizera, things that are expected of people simply based on their gender are a mere fallacy. Maybe, they were true in the past, says Kwizera. But today, both boys and girls are getting equal opportunities. For instance, with education, women can get good jobs and earn more than many men. To Kwizera, what is important is making an effort, not simply abandoning everything to your partner. Apart from being the primary breadwinner, society expects men to be physically strong, logical, aggressive, muscular, tough and decisive while women are expected to be gentle, emotional, smooth-skinned, passive, curvy, soft and yielding, according to www.thegoodmenproject.com This, according to Susan Musoke, a banker, is a mere fantasy. Just like men are finding comfort in getting outside the said box, women, too, are finding peace outside what society dictates they should be due to the changing gender roles. I have seen very many women who are logical and aggressive while, there are also men who are gentle and passive and that is just who they are, Musoke says. Musoke maintains that it is okay for men to live outside the act like a man box; pointing out that most women are also fleeing the act like a woman box. pbaike@yahoo.com President Museveni has promised to investigate and punish judicial officers and civil servants who connive with landowners to defraud government over compensation of land for infrastructural projects. Speaking while commissioning the Fort Portal-Kamwenge road yesterday, Museveni said some greedy civil servants cause financial loss to government when they work with landowners and approve abnormal compensation money. He noted that in cases where landowners disagree with governments valuation of their land and go to court, some judicial officers award them with dubious amounts way beyond the market prices. the judges who award people Shs 1 billion, how do you award someone that tune of money for a small piece of land in a rural area? wondered Museveni. Museveni cuts the ribbon as Works minister Monica Ntege (R) and Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa (L) look on This was in reference to a section of the Fort Portal-Kamwenge road that was delayed when a landlord refused to give Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) the right of way unless he was paid Shs 1 billion. The piece of land in question had been valued at Shs 89 million by the government chief valuer. Museveni said that such incidents are the reason his government is pushing for the amendment of land laws to allow compulsory acquisition of land for government projects even before compensation. Gen Museveni urged the locals to ignore the opposition which tells you that Museveni wants to steal your land. Look at that road; do I have any shares in it? Isnt it you who are going to use it? Museveni asked. Before the white man came, we believed that land was for God; when the white man came, he told us that the land was for the queen; when other governments came, they told us that it was public land. It is the NRM who said that land belonged to the people. He also noted that the many road works around the country are as a result of correct prioritization by his government. In 2006, Museveni said, he convinced cabinet and the NRM caucus to have defence, roads and electricity put as priority and work on those efficiently. From the army, we went to the roads. The ministry of works used to get Shs 170 billion for road construction but this money can just make one road. We added on the budget and now it gets Shs 3.4 trillion, Museveni said. Opposition comes here and tells you Museveni has not done this or that. I am aware those things are not yet done. We just cant do everything at once. We need to tackle them one by one. Let us invest our little money in the few things we can manage and the rest we can do later. BOTTLENECKS The construction of the 66.2 kilometer-road has been met with bottlenecks and the most prominent one is when the World Bank cancelled its funding, citing gross environment and social concerns violated by the contractor, the government and Unra. By this time, the bank had injected Shs 54 billion. Government has since taken over the financing of this road, injecting another Shs 65 billion that saw the total project cost rise to Shs 119 billion. Kamogajonathan50@gmail.com The government, through the ministry of Ethics and Integrity, has purchased a machine or software that it says will help in fighting pornography at the cost of Shs 2bn. The minister responsible, Simon Lokodo, also launched a committee whose raison detre is to monitor and fight the production and distribution of pornographic material. While the government is right to get concerned about immorality in the country, it cant claim to have an answer for everything. Pornography is not the most pressing problem at the moment; so, spending lavishly on fighting it doesnt make much sense. Besides, through already established institutions such as the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Uganda Media Council, to some extent, the government is already playing the role of moral police. If existing measures have failed, duplication is not the answer. UCC, for instance, has been at the forefront of monitoring content on broadcasting and online outlets, and recently suspended the licence of controversial ABS TV for allegedly breaching broadcasting standards. So, what is left for the pornography committee to do? Moreover, we have not been told how Lokodos machine is supposed to detect pornography. Does it require a machine or software, for instance, to detect pornography in print media or on home-made CDs or DVDs? So, why have we spent so much money on it and why are we presenting it as some kind of magic bullet? The government should concentrate on its core mandate, which is to improve the lives of its people, and leave moral policing to more competent institutions such as parents, families, education institutions and religious groups. Nevertheless, the government can play a supporting role to these institutions, which are clearly better placed and wield higher moral authority to inculcate morals in people. However, the government can step in more proactively where children are being exposed to immorality and need protection. As for adults, it is a tall order trying to enforce the same moral code on everyone. Therefore, given that a legal framework within which to combat pornography already exists, a parallel effort that rotates around a machine and a committee was uncalled for. It will only add to the burden the Ugandan taxpayer is carrying. I hope the Jubilee coalition in Kenya has recovered from the shock of being told that the ruling group was not validly elected. I hear the Supreme court there ruled against a sitting president and annulled his victory. That could happen only in Kenya. I was very disappointed. I am, therefore, happy to offer them free advice of how to manage elections in our banana republics. First things first: President Kenyatta, how on earth did you not know in advance the decision Justice Maraga and company were about to read? That should have been the easiest thing for you to do. Deploy people to have the right ruling at the hands of the judges, whether they want it or not. Kenyans never fail to amuse. The easiest thing would have been to arrest Raila Odinga and put him under house arrest until the case before court is done with. That way, he would not influence what the justices read. Please Kenyans, dont ever allow an opposition leader to move around freely. That is too dangerous for democracy. Mr Kenyatta, you have been in power for the last five years and you remained true to that damn Constitution that doesnt allow you to choose judges! This is where you should have started. The moment you leave the choice of the judges with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), you are literally cooked. You were lucky that Justice Willy Mutunga handed you some lifeline in the last election. That should have been a wake-up call for you to choose the right next chief justice. Have you ever heard of the word cadre judge? If not, ask around. Cadre judges are also custodians of the law. They respect the Constitution and are well-schooled in law. They make judicial decisions that stand the test of time. They are well placed to know the right applicable law that does not cause seismic movements in the belly of the sitting government. Why not look yonder across the borders for inspiration? You are even making the East African Community look bad. While others are getting 98 per cent of the vote, you are busy hanging on just 54 per cent? You are not serious! The art of getting the right votes is that you deal a killer punch to the opposition; dont allow room for guessing. Have you not heard of some countries where presidents get more votes than the available national population? That is the way things are done, Mr Kenyatta! What defeats me is that your father was once the president of Kenya and that you are very rich. What do you use the money for? Give out cash and let the voters choke on the goodies that you distribute. When in power, money begets you more power. And please, next time, raid the offices of the opposition and steal the damn evidence and pay off their lawyers. You have smart people who can raid the Nasa principals homes and offices. If that does not work, cause some fire. Do something. Dont just sit with your deputy watching television hoping against hope that a miracle from judges you did not appoint would deliver you the presidency. Now that there is a repeat of the elections, I implore you not to be proud. Consult widely. There are so many masters of elections in this region who could teach you a few things. Elections are decided before the voting day. All possible areas of contestation are dealt with before the election. Dont listen to the likes of one of your justices who said an election is not an event but, rather, a process. Please take it from me; it is an event. You only need to master how to manage that event; the rest will fall in place. Lastly, if your police and security agencies dont know how to manage elections, please ask for help from across. We have people schooled in the art of managing credibility in the electoral processes. We have lawyers who know how to defeat the opposition petition and justices who have vast experience in electoral-related cases. And while at it, we all know that Kenya is a social media crazy country. We saw this when the judgment was being delivered. There were comments from all corners of the world about the Kenya judicial processes and how it was the best in the world. Who cares? Mr Kenyatta, please do the right thing. Switch off media platforms on the election days. Tell the Communications Authority of Kenya that for seven days starting October 17, social media will be switched off. All telecoms must abide by the directive. That is how things are done. Then please make sure that voting materials in the Nasa strongholds are delayed. Assure them that there was a logistical hitch. Let voters wait until they get bored and leave and then you deliver the materials. But for the Jubilee strongholds, deliver voting materials the night before. That is how elections are prepared and conducted. nkundad13@yahoo.co.uk The author is a human rights expert and specialist on refugee issues. The most abundant element in the universehydrogenhas been attracting less attention than it deserves on the clean energy stage, with batteries of all sorts stealing the spotlight. This may be about to change as big energy companies start investing heavily in hydrogen-based energy storage solutions, at least according to industry experts that Bloombergs Anna Hirtenstein spoke to. Hydrogen can be used for the storage of energy through hydrolysis, a process that breaks down water into its constituent elements. The hydrogen resulting from this process is then stored in caverns or tanks until the time comes when it needs to be converted back into electricity in gas-powered plants, for instance, or in fuel cells for vehicles. Theoretically, proponents of hydrogen energy storage argue it would be a superior alternative to batteries, since the latter need discharging and recharging, and they dont have very long productive lives. Hydrogen, on the other hand, does not need recharging. It can stay in the cavern for weeks and months, and only when the need arises is it whisked through pipelines to a power plant or a chemical plant, or even an oil refinery. The theory is great, but there is a reason why hydrogen storage has not yet had its time in the spotlight: it has not been commercially tested, possibly because of issues with the cost of the technology and its efficiency. Appropriate storage can also be a problem because of hydrogens high energy-per-mass unit density but low energy-per-volume density, which requires special holding features for storage facilities, beginning with spaciousness. The Energy Storage Association, for example, notes in an overview of hydrogen storage tech that the efficiency of the whole electricity-hydrogen-electricity process is only about 30-40 percent. On the flipside, hydrogens energy storage capacity is much higher than that of batteries, and if new technologies are pursued, efficiency could rise to 50 percent. Related: Russias Comeback In The LNG Race The pursuit of these technologies requires funding, which is where the Hydrogen Council comes in. The trade group formed earlier this year involves 17 companies including Shell, Total, and a number of major car makers looking for ways to find a commercially viable application of hydrogen in clean energy systems. To this end, the Council plans to spend more than US$1.4 billion (1.2 billion euro) on R&D and market introduction and deployment of hydrogen systems between 2018 and 2020, including both storage and fuel cells for vehicles. This may not sound like a lot, but compared to a total investment of US$2.5 billion in hydrogen systems for the last decade, it is certainly a marked improvement. There are five hydrogen storage projects in progress in Europe, with their capacity ranging from 0.7 MW to 2 MW. In the U.S., the National Renewable Energy laboratory is among those also working in a solution in this area. The Wind-to-Hydrogen project, developed in partnership with Xcel Energy, features both wind turbines and PV panels that produce electricity, part of which is used to electrolyze water to make hydrogen. Most of this hydrogen is then stored and the remainder is used for vehicle fuel cells at the hydrogen fueling station of the National Wind Technology Center, which houses the project. Despite challenges in the cost and efficiency departments, we will probably see more hydrogen storage projects start popping up in the coming years because of all the benefits they can potentially offer: emission-free power that can also double as car fuel and raw material in a range of industrial production applications. In fact, the secretary of the Hydrogen Council, Air Liquide's VP of advanced business and technologies Pierre-Etienne Franc, says that The years 2020 to 2030 will be for hydrogen what the 1990s were for solar and wind. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hurricane Irma has prompted the shutdown of at least two oil storage complexes in the Caribbean, with a combined capacity of 18.6 million barrels, S&P Platts reports. One of these, a 14-million-barrel terminal on the island of St Eustatius operated by NuStar Energy sustained damages to some of its tanks and other equipment, the company said. The other facility, Buckeye Partners Yabucoa storage complex in Puerto Rico, was shut down on Tuesday and the company is now preparing its 26.2-million-barrel storage facility on Grand Bahama Island for the hurricane. Statoil, which also has a storage site in Freeport on Grand Bahama, is monitoring developments but has not yet closed the facility. The hurricane, which has already caused 14 deaths in the Caribbean, is moving toward Florida and is expected to make landfall on Sunday, passing through the Bahamas and Cuba en route. Some 1.2 million people have been affected by Irma so far, according to Red Cross data, and this number could shoot up to 26 million as a result of the damage done by the storm. In Florida, ports will start closing today ahead of the storm, and this could disrupt the supply of oil products, Platts notes. Florida receives 97 percent of its oil products by sea, with throughput at Port Everglades, in eastern Florida, at 121.07 million barrels last year. Port Everglades is among the terminals that will be closed. Related: China Declares Support For Punitive Action Against North Korea Already in some parts of the state, fuel retailers are reporting shortages as people stock up on gasoline ahead of Irmas arrival and evacuate. Meanwhile, two more storms are brewing in the region, with the U.S. National Hurricane Center expecting Jose to intensify to a major hurricane by the end of the day today. The other one, Katia, is in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to reach the Mexican coast late today or early tomorrow. Meanwhile, a magnitude-8 earthquake in Mexico that prompted a tsunami warning has shut down the Salina Cruz oil refinery. The measure was precautionary, President Enrique Pena Nieto said. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil majors issued a vote of confidence for the North Sea in recent days, citing precipitous declines in the cost of production, which they say will revive the regions oil and gas production. At an oil industry conference in the North Seas oil capital, Aberdeen, the chief executives of BP and Royal Dutch Shell both offered bullish assessments for the turnaround underway off the coast of Scotland. BPs Bob Dudley said the North Sea is back to growth, according to the FT. The North Sea has long been a costly place to produce oil. And as the aging oilfields in the North Sea suffer from declining output a decline underway since the late 1990s investing in a high-cost basin for the oil majors has slipped down on the priority list, especially when shale has emerged as an alternative in an uncertain market. Even when oil prices were high, production was falling. When prices started to crash in 2014, the North Sea looked like a dead man walking. But things are looking a little better than they were a few years ago. The oil majors say they have overhauled their cost structures in the region, making production profitable in todays $50 market, even when the region struggled to be profitable with a $100 oil price a few years back. BP says costs of halved to just $15 per barrel. Related: Is This The Newest Nuclear Player In The Middle East? Shells CEO Ben van Beurden told the FT on the sidelines of the conference that the industry managed to avoid the death spiral that they were facing in 2014. At the time, a growing number of key pieces of infrastructure looked like they might have to shut down. As the industry planned on taking old oil fields offline, the ones remaining in operation would have to shoulder the burden of keeping certain pipelines and other infrastructure online, raising the cost for everyone left standing. At some point, the costs would become too great, and analysts worried that a tipping point would be reached, leading to cascading closures. But because some oil companies have achieved significant cost reductions, that big risk . . . looks to have been averted, Ben van Beurden told the FT. BPs chief executive echoed that sentiment. We like the North Sea. It has been an important hub for us for a long time and it will remain one, BPs CEO Bob Dudley said, according to Reuters. This year we will be drilling six exploration wells in the UK North Sea. Thats more than we drilled in decades. The acquisition of Maersk Oil by Total SA is also seen as a bet on the North Sea. The purchase will instantly make Total the second largest producer in the North Sea after Statoil. Still, the North Sea is hardly the most competitive place to produce oil. Production has been declining for years, and the recent uptick in output pales in comparison to the regions decline. And in any event, the increase will be short-lived. By 2020 and thereafter, absent a substantial increase in exploration and investment, the North Sea will reenter decline, a descent that will be hard to pull out of. The queue of new projects does not look promising the FT, citing data from Oil & Gas UK, said only one new oil field was given the green light in the first six months of 2017, compared to 22 in 2012. Moreover, despite the positive rhetoric from the bosses of BP and Shell, both companies have reduced their presence in the North Sea. BP sold off a key pipeline as part of the Forties system earlier this year and Shell sold roughly half of its producing assets in the North Sea to an American private equity group. Related: China Declares Support For Punitive Action Against North Korea In fact, the work of decommissioning old platforms and pipelines will overtake oil production as the regions main focus. According to Wood Mackenzie, the cost of decommissioning in the years ahead will make the North Sea oil industry a net drain on the UK treasury, as oil companies can recoup taxes paid to offset the cost of decommissioning. Beginning in 2017 and onward, the industry is expected to spend upwards of 53 billion pounds to close up old platforms and equipment, half of which will fall on the UK taxpayer. So, far from a boon for the country, the North Sea is in danger of becoming a significant annual expenditure for government, rather than a provider of income in the decades to come, according to a Wood Mackenzie assessment from earlier this year. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Optimism among oil traders seems to be rising based on Brent calendar spreads, according to Reuters market analyst John Kemp. He notes in a recent column that said spreads have begun moving from contango to backwardation, with the spreads for November to December 2017 and for January to February 2018 already in backwardation. Whats more, Kemp says, the Brent inter-month spreads for the rest of 2018 look flat for the time being, suggesting that traders expect a tighter oil market. Supporting this belief, the Brent spread for the first half of that year is in backwardation. That is the first time this has happened since the start of the oil price crash, three years ago. According to Kemp, the futures/spot market spreads say a lot about traders expectations for the future state of a commoditys fundamentals and the way these look now suggests traders are expecting a more balanced market next year and even possibly a consistent decline of global crude inventories. These expectations come amid a bulky weekly increase in U.S. oil inventories resulting from refinery shutdowns because of Hurricane Harvey and the possibility of further disruptions as three more major storms gain strength in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, media have this week reported that Russia and Saudi Arabia are considering another extension of the November 2016 crude oil production cut agreement that was supposed to help markets rebalance by taking 1.8 million bpd from global supply. Related: Oman To Become A Key Part Of Chinas Silk Road While the deal has not lived up completely to the promise to sending crude oil benchmarks to US$60 (or higher), data about production and exports seems to support a gradual decline in global supplies. Still, they remain above the five-year average thats used to gauge whether the market suffers from excess supply or has returned to balance. Some observers are warning that the production cut path is not the best one for OPECs biggest producers and that returning to maximum production is the better option over the longer term. Should Saudi Arabia decide to make such a U-turn, for which there are no indications at the moment, more OPEC producers will follow its example and traders would have to kiss backwardation goodbye. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian Federation Pres. Vladimir Putin September 6, 2017, began taking the initiative to control the crisis over North Korean strategic weapons, because Russia had more at stake in resolving the issue than perhaps any other nation-state. There was strong evidence that Pres. Putin was working to orchestrate a breakthrough resolution of the challenge by the international community to the DPRK over Pyongyangs growing demonstration of its nuclear (and possibly thermonuclear) and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities. Pres. Putins initiative would discreetly circumvent the U.S. and the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) initiatives, and yet at the same time deliver what both of those powers had been seeking: a brokered peace accord between North and South Korea. Such a deal would pave the way for Russias key objective, and one supported by Japan and South Korea: a stable and peaceful relationship between North and South Korea which would permit the construction of logistical lines (road and rail links) all the way up the Korean Peninsula, linking to the Russian railway network at Vladivostok, and then on to Western Europe. This would break the PRCs monopoly on the Silk Road across Eurasia, and one which currently makes the Russian rail networks some 70 percent dependent on the PRC for their viability. A second Silk Road across the North of Eurasia (through Russia) would limit the PRCs control of the Continent, and would provide a major boost for the Russian, North Korean, South Korean, Japanese, and possibly the Republic of China (ROC: Taiwan) economies. Related: The Next Step In Mexicos Oil & Gas Privatization Push North and South Korean diplomats were already on Russky Island, near Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, by September 6, 2017, to attend the Eastern Economic Forum (September 6-7, 2017), which began a day after the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit ended in Beijing on September 5, 2017. Delegations from Russia, the PRC, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam participated in the Eastern Economic Forum, along with international private investors. South Korean Pres. Moon Jae-in, in Vladivostok on September 6, 2017, asked Pres. Putin for help in resolving the crisis with North Korea. And Russia, significantly, is the foreign power which Pyongyang trusts most. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is known to be chafing under the relationship he has with the PRC which, he feels, neither respects him nor North Korea, and only supports Pyongyang in order to keep it away from possible reunification with South Korea and to keep external powers (the U.S.) from gaining a foothold, again, close to the Yalu River border between North Korea and the PRC. Indeed, the USSR was the major ally of North Korea up to and including the Korean War, and the PRC only became involved in the Korean War when it appeared as though an existential threat existed with U.S. forces crossing the Yalu River and threatening nuclear war against the PRC. The U.S. had, in early September 2017, been close to its end game with North Korea: that end game being actual negotiations to achieve what Pres. Putin was now attempting to achieve: a formal peace treaty between Pyongyang and Seoul to end the Korean War, and mutual recognition between North and South Korea with an end to South Koreas demand for reunification of the Korean Peninsula. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on August 22, 2017, held out the promise that the time was now ripe for direct talks with North Korea. That appeared to be derailed by the detonation of a 120kt nuclear or thermonuclear weapon on September 3, 2017 (the sixth and largest nuclear detonation on North Korean soil), and the launch of an unarmed North Korean ICBM overflying Japan on August 29, 2017. Related: How EIA Guestimates Keep Oil Prices Subdued It was clear that Pres. Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korean Pres. Moon were ready to go along with Pres. Trumps proposed coup de main to achieve a sudden breakthrough and resolution with North Korea (a Nixon to China moment), but domestic U.S. political pressures appeared to be making it difficult for Pres. Trump to be able to engineer the move, given the build-up of demand in the U.S. for the total removal of all nuclear weapons and ICBMs from North Korea. This opened the door for Pres. Putin to negotiate the peace deal between South Korea and North Korea in a move which would deprive Pres. Trump of that coup de main, to the relief of Beijing, going into the 19th Communist Party Congress, opening in Bejing on October 18, 2017. The PRC would lose a measure of control over North Korea, but it would still be neutral, and the U.S. would be deprived of a diplomatic victory and leverage. By GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs Staff. More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China made a new move to strengthen its relationship with Russia this week by agreeing to buy a 14 percent stake in the oil and gas company Rosneft, according to a new report by the Associated Press. The $9 billion purchase will transfer the Qatar Investment Authoritys 14.16 percent Rosneft stake to CEFC China Energy Company Ltd., Glencore said on Friday. China bought the shares at a 16 percent premium to the Rosneft share price over the past month. Final negotiations and regulatory approvals are needed before the exchange goes through, however. This deal intensifies the energy relationship between Russia and China. A direct stake in Rosneft will make CEFC China the main driver for the relationship of Rosneft with China, ahead of CNPC, Sinopec and Beijing Gas, Wood Mackenzie senior analyst Christian Boermel said. Rosneft keeps its customers close to its heart buy a stake, get an oil supply agreement. CEFC China could soon take stakes in Rosneft projects, either in cash-intensive upstream projects, or in the downstream. The Russian government will continue to own a majority stake of Rosneft after the purchase. China and Russia have been strengthening their relationship over the past few years as Moscows hold over the European energy market begins to weaken. The European Union and Russia have been at geopolitical odds regarding Syria, Ukraine, and several other issues, prompting the EU to seek new sources of natural gas. The QIA and Glencore acquired a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft just nine months ago. The resale occurred so soon because Glencore, QIAs partner in the deal, and the QIA itself looked to reduce debt repayments, according to Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. The two investors will still own just over 5 percent of Rosneft, which is the portion they purchased with cash, instead of via credit lines. By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The total volume of North Sea crude stored in floating storage vessels has fallen since mid-August, according to shipping sources who spoke to Reuters. The decline in inventories testifies to the success of the OPEC deal in securing a rebalanced oil market, the sources added. Over the past three weeks, two 10 million-barrel supertankers, Desimi and Gener8 Neptune, saw their cargo decline to four million barrels each, traders said. China and South Korea have increased their orders for immediate delivery of North Sea crude, the Asian nations preferred grade, as backwardation continues. The whole market is tightening up, a trade source in the North Sea said. Crude inventories have been drawn down, and there is no direct economic incentive for floating storage. The Brent benchmark, considered the most reliable indicator of the oil markets health, is based on the value of North Sea crude. Global floating oil storage is also shrinking. In late July, Kpler reported that the 30-day average as of July 27th had fallen to 71.2 million barrels, from some 100+ million barrels in June. The build, which had been consistent since the start of the year, had dampened any hopes that OPECs and Russias cuts will work. These latest figures, however, suggest that the market may finally be beginning to return to a more balanced state. Over the past few weeks, oil prices have seen limited spikes due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey, which wrecked production in the Gulf of Mexico. A fifth of total U.S. production went offline in the days following the storm, which settled over Houston and surrounding cities for several days. Hurricane Irma will hit Florida over the weekend, but the impact of the historic storm on oil markets will be limited due to its trajectory cutting into Georgia and South Carolina. By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: When the Trump administration was seriously moving toward abrogating the excellent trade agreement the Bush administration negotiated with Korea, it was the policy equivalent of that common meme refrain: hold my beer, as if he were trying to top past policy blunders. For a president that doesnt drink, its remarkable how few sober ideas come out of his oval office. If now seemed like a good time to cut off our mutually beneficial trade ties with South Korea, imagine how that bad judgment would be made worse with inebriation. I was critical of Obama here on the pages of the Oregon Catalyst six years ago for delaying the ratification of this treaty. I would be remiss were I to give Trump a pass, especially in these days when so many Republicans have turned their backs on free-market economics. Oregon has been a huge beneficiary of our open access to Koreas growing consumption. The Beaver State exports more than $100 million in agricultural products to this fellow barbecue-loving nation. Oregons blueberries are a particularly successful hit in Korea. Our largest growth in new business from this treaty, however, comes from wine sales. Koreans love Oregon Pinot Noir which became an early post-ratification winner. Yet the biggest potential market, that taps into one of Oregons greatest comparative advantages, is Koreas growing taste for premium beer. Our Presidents fundamental and long enduring ignorance of the economics of trade threatened to take all this away, but the Wall Street Journal reports the White House is now telling Congress it has no plans to withdraw the United States from this lucrative trading arrangement. Who knows what other crazy things Trump might do on the Korean Peninsula, but Oregon seems to have gotten a reprieve from losing our advantageous trade with this dynamic market. Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of A Brief History of Political Cultural Change. The US Failed Afghan Policy-The US need to do more 08 September, 2017 By Asif Haroon Raja Related News Pak Chief of the army staff is a key figure: USA State Department Pakistan lodges protest with US over Pentagon report Related Articles Imran Khan's visit to USA By By Asif Haroon Raja USA's treacherous agenda against Pakistan By By Asif Haroon Raja Related Speakout More on this View All Pak Chief of the army staff is a key figure: USA State Department Pakistan lodges protest with US over Pentagon report US helping Pakistan become prosperous, democratic: US envoy Pakistan lodges protest with US over spying by NSA US to continue working with Pakistan: Kerry Nisar, acting US envoy discuss security situation Relations with US improving: Sartaj Aziz Related News Poll Will President Obama`s policies on Pakistan be any different from President Bush? Donald Trumps policy speech on Afghanistan It took Donald Trump and his team 8 months to formulate Afghan policy, which was hailed by India and Afghan Government, but received with concern by Pakistan, China and Russia. It was a U-turn to what Trump had promised during the election campaign that he will reduce US military engagements in conflict zones, cut down defence budget, revise US-NATO military alliance since in his view NATO was a white elephant and a big drain on the US budget, and lastly, pullout American troops from the longest war in Afghanistan. Contrary to his pledge on Afghanistan, he announced that the 16-year war will continue without timeline and 4000 additional troops will be dispatched to reinforce Resolute Support Group of and ANSF to kill terrorists. The unity government in Kabul was asked to focus on rooting out corruption and fighting the terrorists so as to qualify for financial assistance. At the same time India was politely reminded to further contribute towards Afghanistans economic and political development. His tone changed when he singled out Pakistan for housing terrorists and abetting terrorism in Afghanistan. He cynically stated that Pakistan was providing sanctuaries to the anti-US/Afghan terrorists after receiving billions and billions of dollars from USA. It was a highly discriminatory speech in which Pakistan was painted as the villain of peace responsible for the instability in Afghanistan and warned to eliminate all safe havens of terrorists and to stop aiding terrorists immediately or be prepared for the reprisals. No mention of Afghanistan being used as base of cross border terrorism by RAW-NDS against Pakistan was made. Nor a thought was given to the fact that with over 50% Afghan territory under the control of Taliban, why would they need sanctuaries in Pakistan? Incompetence of the US-NATO military, ANSF and unity government rived in corruption, poor governance and power tussle, were not mentioned. India playing the spoiler game, and its declared policy of isolating Pakistan internationally and destabilizing it internally as well as its disastrous Kashmir policy and refusal to have a dialogue with Pakistan were not stated. The connections of Russia, China and Iran with the Taliban were not brought to fore. Pakistans security concerns were not taken into account that growing presence of India in Afghanistan presented a twin threat to Pakistan. Pakistans sacrifices and achievements it made in fighting terrorism as a frontline state were skipped. Trump didnt deem it fit to recall the repeated betrayals of USA, particularly at a time when Pakistan needed the US assistance the most. The worst was in 1989 when the US after achieving all its objectives through Pakistan, it callously abandoned it, put it under sanctions and embraced Pakistans archrival India which was an ardent Soviet camp follower. The new policy defines the new parameters in unambiguous terms which implies that George Bush policy of Fight and Fight will be adopted and Obamas policy of Fight and Talk discarded. Trump advocated continuation of war indefinitely and ruled out talks with Taliban. He has given unrestricted powers to the US military commanders in Afghanistan. As regards Pakistan, blaming it for failures in Afghanistan and Do More Mantra are old accusations that have been levelled by USA, Afghanistan and India collectively since 2004. Not only Pakistan has again been blamed, it is threatened and told to eliminate sanctuaries forthwith. Making India a key player in Afghanistan has been the cherished desire of all the three US Presidents. The US invented Excuses Looking back, one finds that the US had always come out with lame excuses to invade a country. It held Osama bin Laden (OBL) led al-Qaida based in Afghanistan responsible for the Twin-Towers and Pentagon attacks on 9/11. Impoverished Afghanistan ruled by Taliban regime was attacked on the plea that Mullah Omar sheltering OBL refused to hand him over to USA without providing proofs of his complicity. The real motives were different. Besides the lure of trillions of dollars worth untapped mineral resources of Afghanistan, it was ideally located to overview its prospective targets - China, Russia, Central Asia, Pakistan, Iran and Middle East. Iraq was attacked under a fake premise that Saddam regime had weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The real motive was oil and to divide the country on ethnic/sectarian lines. Libya was attacked on the pretext that Qaddafi was a dictator. Actual motives were to prevent Qaddafi from introducing separate currency/ banking system and to control Libyas oil resources. Civil war was triggered in Syria to get rid of Assad regime since in the US view the Alawite minority regimes rule over majority Sunni Syrians was illegal. In actuality, Syrias alignment with Iran, Hezbollah and Russia had troubled Israel and USA and this configuration had to be broken. Yemen was subjected to drone attacks to hit Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda dispositions and create chaos. Division of Sudan was justified that South Sudan was inhabited by majority of non-Muslims. Real problem was Sharia (Islamic system). Gaza was repeatedly assaulted by the Israeli military backed by USA to flush out Hamas. Turbulence was created in Lebanon to weaken Hezbollah that had become a big threat to Israel. Iran was put under four-fold sanctions to force it to roll back its nuclear program. It is now being coerced so as to defang its missile power. Pakistan was subjected to a massive covert war together with hybrid war to disable its nuclear program. Trump has announced an aggressive policy against Pakistan to disrupt CPEC at all cost. He is flexing his muscles hoping that like George Bush, he will be able to subdue considerably weakened Pakistan and make it follow his dictates and help the US in winning the lost war. However, winning the war is not as important as the incapacitation of Pakistans nuclear program and CPEC. The CPEC is giving sleepless nights to both USA and India and both are hell-bent to scuttle it at whatever cost. Ground Realities The US has all along pursued a highly militarized and aggressive foreign policy of intimidation, annexation and capture of resources of others. In pursuit of its strategic and mercantile interests, it has not even spared its allies. The US has been at war for the last 221 years out of 249 years of its existence, but has never won a war in its history. Each and every adventure met with disgraceful end. Vietnam became its graveyard and now Afghanistan has turned into another graveyard. Another trait of USA is to resort to bullying tactics. It has never grappled with a matching rival but has traditionally threatened and attacked only those countries which are weak and don't match their military might. Cuba was tolerated because it could retaliate with missiles. After 9/11 the US attacked impoverished, weak and war-torn Afghanistan and used a hammer to kill a mosquito. It took US policy makers more than a year to verify that Iraq didn't have WMD before going for the kill. Trump is now threatening North Korea but don't have the courage to take an aggressive step since Pyongyang ICBMs can strike USA and its bases in South Korea and Japan. Although the US made Pakistan a coalition partner, a non-NATO ally and a front line state to fight the US imposed war on terror, it was taken on board as a tactical partner for the accomplishment of the US short-term objectives. We were duped into believing that the US will not commit past mistakes and will make amends and we thoughtlessly fell into the trap, trusting that Pakistan will be safe under the wings of USA. The US, puppet regime in Kabul, India, Israel and UK are strategic partners with common objectives and security concerns. Pakistan does not fit into the security paradigm of any of the stated countries and will remain an enemy because of it being a Muslim and nuclear country, aligned with China and building CPEC. It is ludicrous to say that the US want to eliminate terrorism to make the world peaceful, since the US is fanning terrorism through paid proxies under a well-planned strategy to foment chaos in target countries and achieve its hidden objectives. If the US sincerely wants to root out terrorism in Afghanistan and is convinced that terrorism flows out of Pakistan, why does it object to the fencing of western border by Pakistan? If it can dump $1.3 trillion in the inferno of Afghanistan with zero results, why cant it dole out $ 10 billion to Pakistan to speedily complete the fencing of entire stretch of 2400 km border and club the menace once and for all? Its reluctance is a clear-cut indication that it is least interested in controlling terrorism. Afghanistan is in use of Indo-US-Afghan nexus as a base of operation to destabilize, denuclearize, de-Islamize and balkanize Pakistan. Indian presence in Afghanistan has posed a twin threat to Pakistan. India will never allow Pakistan-Afghanistan relations to normalize. India has played a role in creating misgivings in Pak-Iran relations and in Pak-GCC relations in its bid to isolate and encircle Pakistan. The US military lost initiative to Taliban when it took up a rearward posture in September 2009 owing to debacles in Helmand and Nuristan despite two troop surges, and then finally withdrew in December 2014. Thereafter, the Taliban have been constantly gaining space while writ of Ashraf Ghani-Abdullah regime is confined to Kabul only. Whatever objectives laid down for Afghanistan by the invaders have not been accomplished and today the country is in much worse shape than it was in 2001. For all practical purposes, USA has lost the war but doesn't have the heart to say and is myopically trying to convert defeat into victory. Obama wanted a face saving formula to exit honorably, but couldnt. If 140,000 strong ISAF couldnt reverse the tide, sending in 4000 additional troops amounts to reinforcing failure. The US was never sincere in peace talks with the Taliban and always played a double game to divide the Taliban and bargain a political settlement with them from a position of strength. July 2015 peace talks at Murree arranged by Pakistan were sabotaged by playing up Mullah Omars death controversy. When Mullah Mansour again got inclined to talks, he was droned in May 2016 to give a deathblow to the peace process. Trump is disinclined to hold talks with Taliban since they are enjoying an upper edge. Gen John Nicholson assertion that Taliban can't win war and should surrender is too simplistic. Stalemate is in interest of Taliban since time and fatalities are of no consequence to them. Troop surge and use of force would imply more blood flow. The US too can't win war and will keep slipping deeper into the quagmire of Afghanistan. There is virtually no change in the approach of Bush, Obama and Trump towards Pakistan and India. Former two pursued anti-Pakistan agenda and aspired to make India the main player in Afghanistan and policeman of the region. Trump is doing the same. In fact, what Trump has said is in continuation to the threat hurled by former Obama administration in early October 2016 in the aftermath of Uri incident that Pakistan should crush HN, Jaish Muhammad (JeM), Lashkar Taiba (LeT) immediately. Gen Nicholson added fuel to fire by alleging that Pakistan has provided sanctuaries to Afghan Taliban in different cities and also mentioning Peshawar and Quetta Shuras. CPEC is unacceptable to US and India since it has the potential to make China the leading economic power and break strategic encirclements of Pakistan and China by India and USA respectively. It is highly embarrassing for the US led coalition of 46 countries to fail in defeating rag-tag Taliban. Brilliant successes achieved by Pakistan in spite of grossly unfavorable environments has sprinkled salt on the wounded pride of US military. The US hides its embarrassment by putting the entire blame on Pakistan. This blame game has lost its potency after the outstanding results achieved by Operation Zarb e Azb followed up by Operation Raddul Fasaad. There is no safe haven of terrorists in Pakistan. Bush had succeeded in overawing Gen. Musharraf and making him agree to his 7 demands, the ill effects of which this nation is still suffering. Taking advantage of his reckless demeanor, Trump has also tried to coerce Pakistan leadership at a time when it thinks is politically on a slippery ground, and it will readily agree to pick up open fight against Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network (HN) as well as all other banned militant groups like JeM, LeT, Jamaatud Dawa. Disbandment of Kashmir focused Jihadi groups by Musharraf regime had forced them to join TTP and Pakistan had to suffer the consequences. No ban has ever been put on any of the over 100 terrorist groups in India including the BJP which is the political face of notorious RSS busy imposing Hindutva in India. Pakistan has been pursuing a policy of appeasement and all its responses have been reactive, apologetic and defensive. We offered our second cheek for a slap instead of contesting do more policy, intended to bleed Pakistan. This self-destructive policy gave heart to every Tom, Dick and Harry to whip Pakistan. Can Trump Actualize his Threat? The US was politically, economically, militarily and diplomatically the strongest country of the world when 9/11 occurred. It had the capacity to attack both Afghanistan and Pakistan since Pakistans nuclear program and missile power in that timeframe were in infant stage, its relations with China were not as deep-rooted and Pak-Russia relations were strained. Today, the US is a descending power with melting economy, bruised prestige and is the most hated nation among the Muslim world. Its uni-polarism has given way to multi-polar world. The US military is demoralized and so is NATO and has little heart left to put their boots on ground in any battle zone. Airpower has failed to give the US any decisive results. Homefront is restive. Above all, Trump is an unpopular President and a Congressman has filed a reference for his impeachment. So far, nothing has worked in his favor. Neither the US nor India can afford to wage an open war. Only option is covert war supplemented by hybrid war. Pakistans Strengths Today, Pakistan is in much stronger position since it has overcome the threat of Indias Cold Start doctrine by developing short, intermediate and long range missiles including cruise missiles and weaponized drones, miniaturized nukes that can be carried in briefcases or used in warheads of Nasr missiles, and has to a great extent overcome its energy, economic and terrorism issues. China-Pakistan relations have further cemented after launch of CPEC. Strains in Pakistan-Russia relations have been replaced with amiability and Pakistan is member of SCO. Pakistan had shown its defiance after Salala attack in November 2011 for 8 months and forced Washington to apologize. Pakistans nuclear capability and missile power have attained the age of maturity and accuracy. It has robust and credible command & control system which is recognized by the world. It has an array of potent missiles that can hit any country including USA and Israel and the US military bases in the region devoid of anti-missile shield. Taimur missile has a range of 17000 km, Hatf-7 Babar missile can destroy stealth helicopters, artillery/mortar rockets that can penetrate and destroy Tungsten Carbide made tanks. Pakistan has developed weaponized and non-weaponized drones indigenously. Whole Army is fully battle inoculated, well led and rated as the best in the world. The ISI is rated as number one intelligence agency which has thwarted the onslaughts of six hostile agencies for over a decade. Airforce is in top gear and Navy is battle worthy and ready to meet the threat. China and Russia have stood behind Pakistan, while Saudi Arabia have assured that it will take care of financial issues in case of sanctions. The parliament has given a firm response to the US bullying and so has the people of Pakistan by taking out huge processions in all cities to protest against Trumps diatribe. Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa stated that Pakistan doesnt need Americas military and financial assistance but only seeks acknowledgment of its sacrifices. He rightly asserted that Pakistan cant bring Afghan war into Pakistan. Reasons behind Trumps Aggression 1. Geo-economic interests of USA: A. It has in mind well over trillion dollars worth untapped mineral resources in Afghanistan which it fears will be swooped by China. B. It aspires to harness Central Asian States vast resources stretching up to Caspian Sea and this longing was among the biggest motivation to capture Afghanistan. C. Then there is over 100 billion dollars worth lucrative drug trade. D. American Corporates and security contractors have their own mercantile interests. 2. Geo-Strategic Interests: A. Keep monitoring China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran. B. Keep looking for an opportunity to disable Pakistans nuclear program. C. Disrupt CPEC. D. Prevent civil war and open entry to China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan into Afghanistan after its exit. E. Make India the leading player and enable it to fill the vacuum in Afghanistan after the US departure. What the US can do against Pakistan? 1. Since an open war is ruled out, the US can continue with its indirect strategy to destabilize Pakistan. 2. Intensify covert war in the three conflict zones of FATA/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Baluchistan and Karachi by coopting Daesh. 3. Intensify drone war in FATA, settled areas of KP and Baluchistan. 4. Apply sanctions through the UN. 5. Stop all extending economic and military assistance and defence items. 6. Freeze Pakistans foreign exchange reserves. 7. Dry up foreign investment from US and western countries 8. Cease Pak exports to USA and EU which are 6% and 13% respectively. 9. Apply pressure on IMF, World Bank, ADB and Paris Club to stop giving loans and seek return of loans. 10. Block remittances of 3 million Pakistani expatriates in USA and Europe which are to the tune of $5000 million annually. 11. Demonize Pakistan and move a case in the UN to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and Pak Army a rogue outfit. 12. Encourage India to fulfil its desire of carrying out surgical strikes and limited attacks in Azad Kashmir. 13. Stimulate warlike conditions through false flag operations to justify troop deployments by Indian and Afghan forces along Pakistans border. 14. Intensify pressure against Pakistan nuclear program by playing up old theme of the nukes falling in wrong hands. Counter Steps taken by Pakistan Following are the recommended counter steps to ward off the US threat: Pakistan should strive to become part of a strategic block of Russia, China, SCO countries and possibly Iran, and also sign a 20-year Treaty of Friendship with China similar to the one signed between India and former USSR in August 1971. Pakistan should invoke the vital clause of joint defence in the SCO Charter, of which it is a member, which states that attack on Pakistan will be considered as an attack on China and Russia and vice versa. Meet the defence needs from China, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Increase trade with China, Russia, Far Eastern and Central Asian countries. Pakistani expatriates will find alternative ways to remit money from the west. CPEC is a money churning machine which will offset financial crunches. Pakistan in concert with China and Russia should work out the definition of terrorism, since the US which initiated the war on terror has so far failed to define it. This is important to differentiate between terrorism and freedom movements that have been lumped under one category. Pakistan must declare its drone policy and state that any drone entering Pakistan will be viewed as a hostile attack and shot down and it may exercise the option of giving a tit for tat response inside Afghanistan. Move a case in the UN that the President of USA has threatened a sovereign independent state which is in violation of the UN charter. Similar case must be moved if the US coerces financial institutions and EU to create troubles. China and Russia must be requested to use their veto power to block the US efforts to impose sanctions through the UN and to get Pakistan declared a terrorist state. The US supported TTP and Baloch rebel groups have caused a financial loss of over $ 50 billion besides human losses. Pakistan should file a case in the ICJ and the UN to seek compensation. Pakistan should also seek compensation for hundreds of drone victims. Pakistan should maximize pressure on USA and Afghanistan to eliminate sanctuaries of TTP in Kunar, Nuristan and Nangarhar, and that of Daesh in Tora Bora and to hand over wanted TTP leaders. Pakistan should insist on immediate closure of Pakistan specific Indian Consulates in southern and eastern Afghanistan that are solely engaged in anti-Pakistan activities. Pakistan should allow the use of two supply routes by US-Nato vehicles on strict conditions that it will adopt a friendly posture, will pay the toll tax and give an assurance that containers will not be misused to supply arms to anti-Pakistan groups in Pakistan. The ground as well as air routes used by India and USA to reach Afghanistan should be blocked in case of any hostile act. Based on the evidence collected from Kalbushan Yadhav, Ehsanullah Ehsan and Latif Mehsud, Pakistan should build a strong counter narrative that USA, India and Afghanistan in collusion are the sponsors of terrorism and Pakistan having suffered 60,000 casualties and a financial loss of $ 123 billion is the biggest victim of terrorism. Pakistan should move a case to get India declared a terrorist state. Pakistan should seek return of absconders Altaf Hussain, Hussain Haqqani, Harbyar Marri, Daood Suleman, Brahamdagh Bugti. Pakistan should stop repaying debts in case of sanctions. It has paid much more in the form of debt servicing than the principal amount. Any hostile act by Indian or Afghan military must be countered with full force. Conclusion Should we continue to be whipped and bled without a whimper? Isn't it time to drastically revise our US centric foreign policy and draw strength from China, Russia, SCO, GCC, Turkey, Iran. In our ongoing testing times, we can clearly identify who is our friend. It will be foolish to rely on untrustworthy Afghan unity government which is entirely controlled by US and India. Pakistan shares 60% border with eastern and southern Afghanistan which is predominated by Afghan Pashtuns and with whom we have blood relations. 45 million Pashtuns live on both sides of the border (60% in Pakistan and 40% in Afghanistan). Our future lies with them. While Trump's rhetoric must not worry us, we must remain vigilant and well prepared for the worst. Unity of home front is a must to deal with external challenges. Pakistan should adopt a proactive stance by clearly stating that it has done more than any other country in the US imposed war and suffered the most and achieved far better results than any other country and as such it is USA which needs to do a lot more. It is now up to the Trump administration whether it will continue to partner with Pakistan or confront nuclear Pakistan on a misplaced charge. Trump has lost his marbles and has no idea of the implications of his unwarranted threats. Any foolhardy attempt will prove costly. It appears that he is destined to preside over the disintegration of USA which he intended to make great again. The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran, defence, security and political analyst, author of five books, Vice Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Director Measac Research Centre. Takes part in TV talk shows and delivers lectures. asifharoonraja@gmail.com NAB approved four corruption references against Nawaz Sharif ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) approved on Thursday four corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his three children and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case. The references will be filed in Islamabads accountability court-I and II on Friday. The decision was taken at a much-awaited meeting of NABs executive board presided over by its chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry. It was decided to file four references in the accountability courts in Islamabad/Rawalpindi. The references were prepared on the basis of the material collected and referred to by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in its report and any other material collected by NAB during the course of investigation, said a handout issued by the bureaus headquarters. According to a spokesman for NAB, the three references approved against Nawaz Sharif and his children Hassan, Hussain and Maryam include those related to Avenfield properties (Flat No16 and 16-A, 17 and 17-A, Avenfield House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom), Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Company, Jeddah, Flagship Investment Limited and 15 other companies owned by the Sharif family. The meeting approved the fourth reference against Ishaq Dar for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income. The NAB chief praised the bureaus Lahore and Rawalpindi regions for completing the assigned task within the stipulated time. He directed that prosecution of the cases be pursued vigorously in the accountability courts. No decision was taken about the possible arrest of the Sharif family members and putting their names on the Exit Control List as the NAB chairman had reportedly refused to do so and devolved this responsibility on the courts. Now the accountability courts can order the arrest of the former prime minister and his children and even Finance Minister Dar. It has been observed that usually NAB itself issues arrest orders for the accused even in petty white-collar crime cases, but the NAB chief is reluctant to lay his hands on the Sharifs. On Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan demanded the arrest of the Sharifs and Ishaq Dar and said the finance minister should leave his office immediately after the approval of a reference against him by NAB. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has already rejected the JIT report and claimed to have pointed out more than 50 mistakes and loopholes in the report and decided to challenge it in the Supreme Court. In the light of the JIT report, the apex court had on July 28 disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and directed NAB to complete the investigation process and file references against the Sharif family in six weeks. Avenfield properties According to the JIT report, the Sharifs had given contradictory statements about their London flats and found that the flats actually belonged to them since 1993. The report said Hassan Nawaz had contradicted the statement of his brother Hussain Nawaz about the Avenfield apartments, who had earlier stated that only apartment No 17 was in his possession in 1994. Contrarily, Hassan confirmed that three Avenfield apartments (No 16, 16A and 17) were already in possession of Hussain when he had arrived in London in 1994, while they got the possession of the fourth apartment (17A) in the next six months. The JIT observed that either one or both brothers had lied to hide some facts and hence they could not be given the benefit of doubt. It said Nawaz Sharif had distanced himself from the apartments and could not explain the time frame and procedure adopted for obtaining the possession of Avenfield apartments by his sons, and was even uncertain about which son claimed the ownership of the flats now. But he told the JIT that he usually stayed in apartment No 16 (Avenfield) whenever he visited London. Azizia Still Mills The Sharif family had established Azizia Steel Mills in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after being forced into exile, with an initial capital of Rs7 billion. After the death of family head Mian Mohammad Sharif, the mill was sold to an Al-Tuwairqi Group conglomerate. The family appears to have wrapped up the major business in Saudi Arabia and only holds diversified investments there. In his statement before the JIT, Hussain Nawaz said that $0.65 million had been spent on purchasing the land and $6m spent on it and that money was received from Qatari adjustment and one unnamed Saudi friend gave $8m for the purpose. He did not give any details of these transactions. Hill Metal Company According to the JIT, Hussain Nawazs Hill Metal Company earned a profit of $9,977,882 from 2010 to 2015 and $4,042,603 had been sent to Nawaz Sharif during that period. The former premier received $8,913,301 in terms of gifts from the company and Hussain, which equals to 88 per cent profit of the company. Hussain Nawaz also made remittances of around Rs69.228m to his sister from HME in 2008 and 2009, the JIT report said. Sixteen other off-shore companies owned by the Sharif family are: Flagship Investments, Hartstone Properties, Que Holdings, Quint Eaton Place 2, Quint Saloane, Quaint, Flagship Securities, Quint Gloucester Place, Quint Paddington, Flagship Developments, Alanna Services (BVI), Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron, Ansbacher, Coomber and Capital FZE (Dubai). We need shipments around 75,000t during 2018 for certified FSC woodchips for energy . Please, send us specs through for energy and also which port you use and pricing. Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America. Police: Drunken man had kid in ca r QUEENSBURY A central New York man was charged with a felony Thursday night for allegedly driving drunk with a child in his vehicle, police records show. James M. Joyce, 27, of Springfield, was arrested after an 11:18 p.m. traffic stop on Route 9, according to the State Police public information website. He was found to be intoxicated, and had a child of unspecified age in the vehicle with him, records show. That elevated the driving while intoxicated count to a felony charge of aggravated DWI, the website showed. Joyce was arraigned and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail, but had posted bail as of Friday afternoon. FORT EDWARD A Fort Ann man who allegedly killed his 95-year-old grandmother has been indicted on a murder charge, and he and his wife have also been charged with felonies for trying to conceal evidence of the homicide. The 15-count indictment against Kevin L. Gonyea, 50, and his wife, 35-year-old Melissa Gonyea, also includes counts that allege the two committed welfare fraud before Mr. Gonyea allegedly strangled Leona Twiss in her home on July 9. Mr. Gonyea faces seven counts, including a charge of second-degree murder, felony counts of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanor and felony charges related to welfare fraud, including counts that allege he submitted a forged letter from his grandmother for public assistance benefits. The murder charge alleges he intentionally killed Twiss. Mrs. Gonyea faces eight charges, including felony counts of tampering with physical evidence, hindering prosecution and offering a false instrument for filing, the latter counts alleging forged letters regarding purported rent payments were submitted to the county earlier this year for public assistance. Court records show they sought heating assistance, but did not specify if they received any payments. She was not charged with murder and not accused of taking part in strangling Twiss. The tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution counts allege the couple disposed of a towel that police believe was used to choke Ms. Twiss. The Gonyeas had moved to Fort Ann from Florida during the summer of 2016 to take care of Leona Twiss and her late husband, who died of natural causes last fall. Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said the prosecutions theory of the case has not changed, but the welfare fraud allegations could lead to prison terms on top of the murder and evidence counts. Police described the homicide as a mercy killing, saying Twiss suffered from dementia and was being considered for placement in a nursing home. The Gonyeas claimed she died spontaneously, but Washington County sheriffs officers were suspicious of parts of their story, and an autopsy found injuries that indicated she died from being choked, not natural causes. Lawyers for the two defendants did not respond to calls for comment Friday. Mr. Gonyeas lawyer is Gregory Teresi, Mrs. Gonyeas lawyer is Robert Gregor. Both Gonyeas are being held in Washington County Jail, and are expected to be arraigned late next week before Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan. Ms. Gonyea was scheduled for Thursday morning, but no date for her husbands appearance had been set as of Friday afternoon. The murder charge is punishable by up to 25 years to life in state prison, and the lesser charges could bring additional prison terms of up to 4 to 7 years apiece. QUEENSBURY A town Highway Department worker was arrested last month for allegedly selling marijuana while on duty for the town and driving a town-owned vehicle to the drug deal, police said. Scott A. Mabb, 53, of Faxon Street, Glens Falls, was charged with third-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a felony, on Aug. 16, after an investigation by the Warren County Sheriffs Offices Narcotics Enforcement Unit. Court records show he sold 25 grams or more of marijuana to a person at 38 Old Cronin Road, which is across the road from the towns Jenkinsville Road park complex. He made a marijuana delivery using a town vehicle, sheriffs Lt. Steve Stockdale said. No other arrests were reported. Warren County sheriffs officers did not release details of the case until late this week when The Post-Star inquired about it, because the investigation had been continuing, Stockdale said. That is not unusual in drug cases, as investigators work to gain cooperation from defendants to go up the ladder of drug suppliers. Town records indicate Mabb was a supervisor in the Highway Department as of last year, but his status with the department was unclear as of Friday, as multiple calls to Highway Department administrators were not returned. Town Supervisor John Strough said the Town Board discussed Mabbs situation in executive session at a meeting earlier this week. The board urged Highway Superintendent Thomas VanNess to suspend Mabb without pay, pending an investigation by the town, and have him take a drug test. Because VanNess is an elected official, the Town Boards supervision of him is limited. Strough said the Town Board had not heard anything official from police about the arrest, but planned to look into it. Its an unusual situation, he said. Phone messages left for VanNess, his administrative assistant and Deputy Highway Superintendent David Duell on Friday at their Highway Department offices were not returned. Stockdale said the Sheriffs Office policy would be for the agency to notify the highway superintendent of the arrest in the days after it, but he could not confirm Friday whether that had taken place. Mabb was released, pending prosecution in Queensbury Town Court. His lawyer, William Montgomery, did not respond to a phone call for comment Friday. Sentencing delayed in fatal crash BALLSTON SPA Sentencing for a Corinth woman who pleaded guilty in a drug-related crash that killed her young daughter and seriously injured a woman was adjourned Friday for the second time this week. Alison J. Pecor was tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 13 after scheduling conflicts arose for Tuesday and Friday hearings in Saratoga County Court. Pecor pleaded guilty in July in connection with the February head-on crash on Route 9N in Hadley that killed her 18-month-old daughter, Gracelynn Madison, and injured a woman in the car she hit. Pecor admitted driving under the influence of the prescription drugs Valium and Xanax at the time of the crash. She drove her Mitsubishi sedan into the oncoming lane and did not have her daughter properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat but instead had her facing forward. The driver of the vehicle Pecor hit, Denise Scofield of Hadley, was seriously hurt and was still undergoing treatment earlier this summer. Pecor is being held in Saratoga County Jail pending sentencing. After Noah survived the great deluge, God placed a rainbow in the sky as an everlasting covenant with man, promising to never again punish the Earth with such a deadly flood. Any rainbow sheen you may see today across the Gulf Coast floodwaters is no godly doing. Runoff from chemical plants, petroleum pipelines and at least a dozen Superfund sites risks transforming the destructive rain into a putrid stew filled with lead, arsenic and other toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. So you cant help but worry when looking at the pictures of the Vita Bella assisted-living center during Hurricane Harvey an elderly woman calmly knitting in the Dickinson nursing home while the brown waters swirl around her feet. They could have used an ark. The image was shocking enough to hasten a rescue, but the damage may have already been done. After all, some of the worst flood hazards cant be picked up by photograph. Theres no need to test it. Its contaminated. Theres millions of contaminants, Porfirio Villarreal, a spokesman for the city of Houston Health Department told the New York Times as to the floodwaters. Nowhere is the risk more worrisome than the San Jacinto waste pits, which sit between the communities of Highlands and Channelview. One of the San Jacinto waste pits, covered by a temporary armored cap, was partially submerged in the river even before Hurricane Harvey. Now theyre totally engulfed. Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers predicted the protective device might not be reliable under very extreme hydrologic events which could erode a sizable portion of the cap. Harvey which has been called a 1,000-year-flood would certainly qualify. Now we have to worry that the cap was damaged and the toxic mess has spread downriver to Galveston Bay. As part of the recovery efforts, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt should make time to visit the submerged pits, which were designated a federal Superfund site in 2008. Pruitt has said he plans to create a top 10 list of key Superfund sites and target sites where the risk of human exposure is not fully controlled. The pits fit the bill: Theyve been ravaged by weather and contain dioxin, a highly toxic chemical that increases the risk for several cancers, including lung cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and has been linked to birth defects, liver damage and dermatological disorders. The EPA actually proposed a solution to the pits last year: Remove about 202,000 cubic yards of contaminated material at cost of nearly $100 million. Of course, the cost and nature of the remediation may have changed depending on whether the armored cap has been damaged. Regardless, Pruitt should cut through the bureaucratic red tape that has slowed the cleanup of this site and act boldly in holding companies responsible for past contamination. This site has been unsafe for over 60 years longer than many Texans have been alive. It is time to finally clean up our river. Any Harvey recovery bill must fund this sort of ecological repair alongside the economic and infrastructure needs. For years our communities and local government have told the EPA it is not a matter of if, but when, a storm devastates the pits, Jackie Young, executive director of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance, told the editorial board. The federal government bears responsibility for Superfund sites like the San Jacinto waste pits, and it falls on Pruitt to uphold his part of that covenant. This editorial appeared in The Houston Chronicle on Sept. 4. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg Finding Peace of Mind: Discover These Five Places in Europe to Unwind Jennie Nunn didnt want to be angry, vindictive or vicious when she addressed the man who admitted to kicking her grandson, Romane Nunn Sr., the night he was fatally stabbed by another man in a Davenport park. I wanted to say something that would have an impact an impact on your life, she said as she looked straight at Durell Parks Jr. during his short sentencing hearing Thursday in Scott County District Court. She alternated her gaze between Parks and Judge Thomas Reidel and said she tried to understand what happened and why to Nunn the night of Aug. 18, 2016. I pray that you would get the understanding that you are to contribute something to your surroundings and the people around you, she said. Nothing done here can bring Romane back, but you can do better. You can go forward from this,k and you can do better. The 35-year-old Parks spoke directly to Jennie Nunn, who sat in the courtroom gallery, and said he had no idea what really happened that night and he had been around the wrong people. He also said he had been under the influence but that was not a justifiable excuse for my actions. But, I didnt play a part in murder, I played a part in an assault, he said. That was the part that I took accountability for as far as my actions. Now, I just ask that you forgive me for playing a part in this incident for the loss of your grandson. I forgive you, Jennie Nunn said as a tear rolled down her face. And I thank you, and God bless you, Parks replied. Reidel sentenced Parks to up to 10 years in prison on one count of willful injury resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony, for his part in the assault on Romane Nunn. As part of his plea agreement, Assistant Scott County Attorney Nathan Repp dismissed the more serious charge of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say that around 8:20 p.m. Aug. 18, 2016, Nunn was playing the popular mobile game Pokemon Go at LeClaire Park when he was confronted by Parks co-defendant, William E. Crawford, who incorrectly thought Nunn had sexually assaulted his girlfriend the night before. At one point, Crawford stabbed Nunn in the chest. Parks testified at Crawfords trial that he kicked Nunn twice as he was lying on the ground. A third co-defendant, Terrell G. Bloch, testified at trial that he hit Nunn twice. Crawford, who was convicted of second-degree murder on Aug. 25, testified at his trial that he never intended for Nunn to die when he approached him in the park. The 43-year-old faces up to 50 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 6. Bloch, 46, pleaded guilty in August to willful injury causing bodily injury, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He will be sentenced Sept. 27. Reidel, in handing down the sentence Thursday, said that although Parks did not have anything to do with the actual murder, he was troubled by Parks statements in the presentence report that he had walked over to Nunn, who was lying face down on the grass, and kicked him once in the head and once in the body. I read that and I think, What kind of person would ever think thats OK to walk up on someone who's involved in an assault, that had been beaten by other individuals, and to kick them in the body and to kick them in the head?' Reidel said. And when I look at this and I think of the fact that incarceration is mandatory, quite honestly, Mr. Parks, prisons are made for people like you who engage in these senseless acts of violence, that you present a danger to our community. Reidel told Parks that he hopes that he reflects on his actions and what he is going to do when he gets out of prison. We cannot bring Mr. Nunn back, but I hope we can make you a better human being in the process, he said. What started as a routine hearing at the Rock Island County Justice Center erupted into chaos. I dont have a mental problem, John P. Conwell told Rock Island County Judge Frank Fuhr moments after being declared unfit to stand trial in the deaths of his grandmother and uncle in Rock Island. Actually, I have something important to read that you need to hear, the 39-year-old continued. Conwell's public defender, Baron Heintz, tried to interject, saying, No, no... But Conwell continued: I am an innocent man, and I want these charges dropped immediately." He continued to make his case as he was led from the courtroom by deputies. Im the ruler of Russia; Im not even supposed to be here," Conwell shouted. "You guys are murderers! The judge's ruling that Conwell was unfit meant, because of a mental or physical condition, he is unable to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against him. And he is unable to assist in his own defense. The ruling, which is based on the results of a sealed psychiatric evaluation, essentially halted the criminal proceedings against Conwell until he receives treatment and fitness training at an Illinois Department of Human Services, or DHS, facility in Chester, Illinois. On both sides of the river, prosecutors, defense attorneys, jails and treatment facilities are seeing more requests to have defendants evaluated for competency. As of Aug. 31, eight inmates at the Rock Island County Jail were awaiting transfer to DHS after being found unfit for trial. Since the first of the year, Sheriff Gerry Bustos said, seven inmates have been placed into DHS custody. In Scott County this year, 22 competency evaluations have been ordered by the courts. Of those, two are at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Coralville, and eight are in the jail as they await transport, said Maj. Bryce Schmidt, who oversees the jail. For the most part, the ones who have been found unfit are restored to fitness. While the issue of competency can delay resolution in a case, prosecutors and defense attorneys say it is a critical function of a system that seeks justice for all. The doctor is in Just before 8 p.m. May 14, Rock Island police discovered the bodies of Eleanor "Petty" Conwell, 90, and Steve Conwell, 69, in their home at 1208 29th St. John Conwell was arrested the next day. In documents that charge him with two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors accuse him of "knowingly and without justification" striking his grandmother and uncle in the head and cutting their throats. On July 18, Rock Island County prosecutors asked that Conwell be evaluated for fitness. He had told the court that his grandmother and uncle were Nazis and members of the Taliban at a previous court hearing. Longtime clinical psychologist Kirk Witherspoon was appointed to evaluate Conwell at the Rock Island County Jail. Witherspoon is appointed by judges in Rock Island and Scott counties to conduct competency evaluations at the jails or, for those who are not in custody, at his home office in Moline. While Witherspoon could not comment on Conwells case, he described his evaluation process to the Quad-City Times. The first part is simply getting some rapport built up, he said. I like to chat a little bit, and I like to use a little bit of humor; not too much, but just to help people relax and be at ease. Witherspoon said he explains the process to defendants from the get-go and informs them that nothing they say can be used against them in the criminal case, unless they are seeking a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. The evaluations help determine several things: Can defendants factually and rationally understand what is happening in court? Are they able to communicate and trust well? Can they disclose? Can they speak? And are they able to monitor what is happening in court and incorporate new information as it comes in? "One of the things I ask people is to give me their version of what happened," Witherspoon said. "That doesn't go in the report in writing, but it tells me whether they could give a rendition which was reasonable and logical." He also screens defendants to see if they are malingering or feigning; in other words, exaggerating or faking. One way he does so is by using personality measures. For example, if you had a multiple choice test that had a number of choices and you scored below chance, well below chance, probably the only way to do that would be if you knew the right answer, but intentionally gave the wrong answer, he said. Witherspoon said about 20 percent of the people he evaluates try to cheat their way into being deemed incompetent. Sometimes, there will be a whole spree of them, because obviously people have been influencing each other, he said. After his initial evaluations, he refers to documentation, such as police reports or medical records, then submits a report to the judge and attorneys in the case. His reports include his opinion on whether defendants are fit or unfit for trial, along with the likelihood they can achieve fitness within each state's guidelines within a year in Illinois and within six months in Iowa. Witherspoon described himself as the courts expert adviser. I dont make any legal findings. I just make a recommendation for the court, he said. Somebody cant say, 'Oh, the prosecution hired you or the defense. Im not on either side. He also has specific guidelines to follow, ones that were established around 1960. That's when the court system began to shift away from pursuing findings of sanity or insanity and toward legal standing for competency. Witherspoon explained: Competency has to do with how a person is doing right now. The other has to do with ones state of mind at the time of the alleged offense. Sometimes, thats very tough to discern, because people cant tell you or they wont tell you or they dont remember, which happens a lot. "I will look at police reports, and sometimes, they enlighten me; sometimes, they don't. Police recently have been better at describing people. You know, This also seemed odd or seemed as if something was askew or amiss, and they'll use some terms to help get something of a picture of how somebody presented. The case of Duskey v. United States led to the development of a standard approach toward competency evaluations on which mental-health professionals now base their fitness conclusions. The Duskey standard held that the test of a defendants competency to stand trial is whether he or she has sufficient present ability to consult with a lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and whether he or she has rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him or her. In Illinois If there is a "bona fide question" as to a defendant's fitness, a judge can order an evaluation by a licensed psychologist. These are the criteria: An evaluation, including diagnosis and an explanation for the diagnosis of the defendant's mental condition. Evaluations also must describe how the defendant's mental condition interferes with his or her ability to understand the nature of the proceedings or assist in his or her defense. Also included is a psychologist's opinion as to the likelihood fitness will be achieved within one year. In murder cases, defendants have up to two years to attain fitness. A fitness hearing is held within 45 days of the completion of the evaluation. The unfit who can attain fitness within one year will have their trials halted until the Department of Human Services can treat them. Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee said, on average, he sees one unfit defendant each month. "It's a real problem," he said. "We all know that the criminal justice system has turned into somewhat of a mental health place that many defendants find themselves with mental health issues." Most cases where fitness is an issue are low-level felony cases, such as thefts, burglaries or resisting a peace officer. "When you're dealing with something as serious as murder, then you have to really take your time and follow through (with the process)," he said. "It's my goal to always try and make sure that a defendant becomes fit. With my experience, I think with the proper medication, that happens, because fitness is a relatively low burden that we have to prove. If a defendant cannot attain fitness, the case then goes to a discharge hearing, which is similar to a bench trial. Defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity are remanded to DHS. The defendant has the burden to prove an insanity defense, McGehee said. You have to present that to a judge, but I think a judge is pretty good at determining what the person did, their actions, all the other circumstances around their actions, to determine whether someone was insane or not," he said. "Thats not a jury question; thats a judges question on the issue of whether or not someone is guilty by reason of insanity at a discharge hearing. One such defendant is Jason E. Anderson, 37, a deaf man accused of setting a September 2014 fire that destroyed several buildings in downtown Rock Island. He was found unfit to stand trial, and it was determined that he could not attain fitness within a year. In June 2015, Judge Walter Braud found that although he had committed the arson, he was not legally convicted because of his fitness. Anderson was sent to DHS for treatment. If a defendant is found not guilty, prosecutors have the option of seeking a civil commitment, McGehee said. In Iowa If a defendant cannot attain fitness, the case is dismissed, and that includes murder cases, Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said. The situations can be frustrating for prosecutors such as Walton. For example: Arnold J. Pazzi, 51, of Davenport, was arrested in November 2014 on a charge of assault with intent to commit a sexual abuse. He was waiting in a stall of the womens restroom at Vander Veer Botanical Park, court records show, and he attacked a woman who entered. Pazzi was found unfit for trial, and it ultimately was determined he would not attain fitness. The case was dismissed in November 2015. There wasnt much alternative in that case, Walton said. So, here you have a very important case, a very serious and I think dangerous case thats going to be dismissed, and thats frustrating because where does that end in the future?" In the Pazzi case, a judge ordered that he be held in a local hospital, pending civil-commitment proceedings, according to records. An option for Iowa prosecutors, Walton said, is to pursue the civil commitment if a defendant is a danger to himself or others. Walton said he could not comment on the pending civil proceedings. In his nearly 30 years as a prosecutor, he said, he has not experienced the dismissal of a murder case because of a defendant being unfit. Walton said the filing of competency evaluations has increased significantly in the past five to 10 years and credits the increase, in part, to the rising relations between mental health and the justice system overall. That's seen throughout by the police, by the jail, by the courts, he said. And I think that's part of it. I think part of it is that defense counsel is just going that route. I think the claim (of being unfit) is denied far more than its granted. Recent examples When Kevin and Donna Freese were found dead in their Davenport home last October, their 21-year-old son, Sean M. Freese, was accused of murder. His attorneys, Joel Walker and Michael E. Motto Jr., filed a motion in May, seeking to evaluate Freese for his competency to stand trial and for the possible defense of insanity or diminished responsibility. Based on an evaluation by Witherspoon, Judge John Telleen on Aug. 24 ruled that Freese was fit to stand trial. Motto, during the hearing, said the defense would not seek an insanity or diminished responsibility defense based on the evaluation. Another case involves Lauria Lee Kelly, 57, of Alvarado, Texas, who is charged in a January downtown Davenport crash that killed Cynthia Jones, 53, of Davenport. In April, District Court Judge Mary Howes ordered an evaluation after expressing concern about Kellys mental health. She was evaluated and found fit for trial in June. Her attorney, Harlan Giese Jr., then asked for and was granted a second evaluation to determine if there is a basis for an insanity or diminished responsibility defense. Walton said prosecutors have a right to ask for their own examination of a defendant, which typically is done at the Iowa Department of Corrections Medical and Classification facility in Coralville. Sometimes, theres really no dispute about that based on the way theyre behaving in the jail, based on what their attorneys say, based on the way they were at the time of their arrest," Walton said. "Were not really going to resist at that stage. I feel its very important in a lot of cases that we not just take shortcuts on this issue, because the outcome can be very serious. To protect the public to be sure were getting a full picture its important that those steps be followed." Assisting in their defense Joel Walker has been practicing law for nearly 13 years and said he got into the habit of asking his clients if they suffer from a mental-health issue when he first meets with them. I always told my clients that Im in charge of the law they are in charge of the facts, he said. When a client gets an arraignment hearing, the state files the trial information and gives us whats called the minutes of testimony, police records. I have a chance to review them, and then I want to converse with my client to find out whats accurate and whats not. Is someone being truthful or not? I need to know the other half of the story if my client can assist me with that. (Unfitness) limits my options of what I can do to help my client." Walker said he does not think the defense is at a disadvantage when someone is found unfit for trial. The ultimate goal is to get the defendant rehabilitated, he said. We let the judicial system do its job to determine whether or not the person was suffering from a mental-health disorder that prevented them from either knowing right from wrong, knowing what actions they were doing or, sometimes, they just didnt have the specific intent to commit a certain crime." Walker said he is filing more motions to have his clients evaluated for competency. He also seeks evaluations for defenses of insanity and/or diminished responsibility. State treatment When the Illinois Department of Human Services, DHS, gets an order from a court related to a defendant being found unfit, the agency's first step is to make a jail visit and conduct a clinical assessment. The purpose of the clinical assessment is really to determine where in our hospital system is the most appropriate treatment setting, said Sharon Coleman, deputy director of forensic and justice services for DHS. And so there's a lot of factors we look at, but the main purpose is to determine which hospital the individual will be treated in. When bed space becomes available, that person then is transported to the secured DHS facility that was deemed best suited. The main goal of treatment is to restore patients to fitness, Coleman said. By and large, the majority of people are unfit because of a psychiatric illness, mental illness, so the first line of treatment is psychiatric stabilization, she said. Defendants found unfit for trial also attend groups or classes that help them better understand the basics of the court process, she said. And every person has an individualized treatment plan. No two patients look alike, Coleman said. Some are more psychiatrically ill than others. Some may have cognitive limitations that another person doesn't have. So we do our own assessment and develop an individualized treatment plan to address their specific treatment needs and tailor our treatment to that." Patients are evaluated on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to determine where they are, fitness-wise, she said. Coleman said the majority of patients who go through the DHS system can be restored to fitness, and she said DHS has seen an increase in defendants being sent to there for that purpose. My speculation is that it has a lot to do with the lack of robust services in the community, she said. So, where these people may have issues around mental illness, and they're in the community if there's not a lot of community services available, sometimes, these individuals are criminalized and are arrested and may end up in jail, as opposed to an emergency room or a mental health center. And from that point on, they may find themselves in the forensic system. As more people are coming into the criminal justice system with untreated or poorly treated mental illness, Coleman said, she thinks courts and attorneys are starting to take more notice. And capacity for long-term treatment always is an issue, because the number of available beds in the system is limited. The amount of referrals we get is not within our control, so we work really hard to adjust our capacity to meet the needs of the referrals that were getting statewide, she said. Jail challenge Sheriff Bustos said the Rock Island County Jail works closely with the Robert Young Center to help inmates with mental illnesses while their cases are pending. However, some inmates need more long-term, specialized care through DHS. He estimated that 25 percent of current inmates suffer from a mental health disorder, and another 10 percent have asked jail staff for mental health treatment. The eight inmates who have been found unfit and are awaiting transport to DHS can be responsible for most of his problems at the jail, he said. You get these people that have various mental challenges, and the corrections staff are trying to deal with them again and again, he said. We try to keep them as safe as we can; we try to get them as much help as we can. But sitting in a jail cell when youre having mental challenges is not a healthy environment. So that becomes very taxing on our correctional staff that are having to deal with that. Bustos said he thinks there are more inmates in the jail with mental disorders, because local resources are dwindling. I think they have less and less opportunities, he said. You throw drugs and alcohol in there, and that just makes things all that much worse. Maj. Schmidt in Scott County said limited bed space in Coralville means inmates could wait three or four months to be sent for evaluation. Meanwhile, they go without treatment. Then, depending on the individual and depending on how they respond to whatever medication or drugs they are given, that dictates sometimes how long theyre up there, he said. Sometimes, they are there for maybe a week, and then sometimes, theyre up there for several months. He said many of the inmates who come back after getting treatment have significant changes in their behavior. The hard part is getting them up and getting them stable, he said. Once they come back, a lot of them are a lot better off. Their comprehension, their aggressiveness is a lot better to deal with. The jail cannot force inmates to take medication unless a court orders them to do so. Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said there is no doubt in my mind there are some people whose mental illness is so bad, prison is not the appropriate place for them, either. One example he and Schmidt cited is the case of Patricia J. Oster, a retired teacher in Long Grove, accused of stabbing and critically injuring her husband while he slept in May 2016. Oster, 65, was initially found unfit for trial, but she eventually was restored to fitness. In a stipulated bench trial, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Mark Lawson noted that Oster did not have any recollection of the events leading up to or including the stabbing. In an interview with a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, she expressed disbelief as to what she had done and said she did not know why she stabbed her husband. She said she was not angry at him and she loved him. The judge ordered her to be transferred to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville for a complete psychiatric evaluation and treatment. The doctors treating her provide periodic reports to the court on her progress. Schmidt said the jail does the best it can to handle inmates with mental illnesses, bringing in psychologists and medical staff every week. But jails aren't always equipped to accommodate the mentally ill to their benefit whether they are awaiting trial, serving a sentence or waiting to be evaluated for fitness. Its a struggle, he said. A trial that was scheduled to begin Monday for Yolanduis McDuffie, who is charged a second time in the fatal shooting of Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson in 2013, has been delayed. In a motion filed Thursday, Rock Island County Assistant States Attorney John McCooley said prosecutors needed more time to consider trial strategies and finalize other trial preparations. This is the first continuance requested by prosecutors, he wrote in the motion. His co-counsel, Heidi Weller, said during a short hearing at the Rock Island County Justice Center that prosecutors had recently found two previously disclosed witnesses who had not been located earlier. She said they intend to use the witnesses, which will slightly change the way we intend to present the case. Judge Frank Fuhr granted the motion over an objection from defense attorney Nate Nieman. McDuffie now will be tried Oct. 23, according to court records. The 24-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Jacksons death. Just before noon Dec. 18, 2013, Rock Island police were dispatched to Jackson's home in the 1000 block of 16th Avenue. Police found Jackson, 24, lying on his back in the dining room. He had two gunshot wounds to the head and one gunshot wound to his left arm. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. McDuffie initially was charged with first-degree murder in Jackson's death, but prosecutors dismissed the case on Jan. 6, 2015, the day his trial was scheduled to begin. The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be refiled at any time. There is no statute of limitation for a murder charge. Rock Island County prosecutors recharged him in August 2015 after investigators found the handgun they believe was used to kill Jackson. According to prosecutors, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in May 2015 recovered a handgun in a Bettendorf hotel room that was transported and tested at the Illinois Crime Lab. The gun was found to be a match to the shell casings and bullet that were recovered at the scene of the shooting. Prosecutors have not said how McDuffie was linked to the recovered gun. McDuffie's co-defendant in the case, Aaron D. Henderson II, 24, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder in connection with Jackson's death and was sentenced in 2015 to 40 years in prison. The jury rejected prosecutors' theory that Henderson pulled the trigger but were convinced that Henderson was an accomplice in Jackson's death. McDuffie made his first appearance on the newly filed Rock Island County charges in December. Last year, McDuffie pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon in Scott County District Court and was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in the April 2015 shooting death of James Goode Jr., 33, of Davenport. Nearly half of all Americans as many as 143 million people have had their sensitive information exposed in the massive Equifax data breach. If your name is among the affected, your Social Security number, address, credit card information, driver's license number and birthday could all be on the hard drive of the cyber criminals who executed the attack. So what steps can you take to protect yourself now? We have some suggestions. Find out if you've been hacked First, you need to know if you're under threat. Equifax will let you check your account's status under the hack at its consumer information page. Identity theft protection services and credit monitoring also are available. Equifax also has a call line available for customers affected by the hack at 866-447-7559. Remember you don't have to be an Equifax customer to be at risk, as the credit reporting agency may have your information if you've ever sought a bank loan, a mortgage or even a credit card. Request a credit freeze A credit freeze with all three major bureaus will make it harder for hackers to exploit your data. Consumer advocacy group The National Consumer Law Center has called for Equifax to pay for those freezes, which the NCLC calls "the most effective measure" to secure the type of stolen information important to this hack. Both Iowa and Illinois are among the 35 states that offer credit freezes, with each state charging $10 for the service. For more information on Iowa's freeze, visit its site, and for information on Illinois' process, read this. Watch your accounts closely Criminals can be patient. So if your information has been exposed, keep an eye on your online bank statements and credit card reports as closely as you can, for as long as you can. Checking your accounts daily was already a good safeguard against fraud, but now, it's essential, especially once the hack has stopped appearing in the daily news cycle and criminals think you've let your guard down. Enroll in an identity theft protection service Besides Equifax, there are dozens of other companies that provide insurance for identity theft victims or that specialize in identity recovery. The Federal Trade Commission has a list of firms on its site, along with a step-by-step guide to recovery. Starting a week from Saturday, hunters will be prepping their bows as the city of Davenport's urban deer hunt begins. Within Davenport city limits, archery is the only allowable means for the 11th annual installment of the deer hunt, which runs from Sept. 16 to Jan. 10. This year, 500 antlerless tags and 11 tags of any deer are available from B&B Shooting Supplies and Blain's Farm and Fleet. Last year, 250 antlerless tags and 11 tags of any deer were available. Davenport Parks and Recreation Director Scott Hock said 81 deer were harvested last year, an increase over the 67 harvested in the 2015-16 year. Hock said for a deer to be identified as harvested, it must be checked in one of two verification sites as well as checked by the state to determine which zone it was harvested in. Of the 81 harvested in Davenport last year, 70 were does. "Part of the reason to have the hunt was to keep the population in check, and taking those does out accomplishes that better," Hock said. Hock said although the city has a lot of hunters registered, 39 were responsible for bringing in spoils. Twelve of those participants earned antler tags for this year. To participate, hunters must possess a valid hunter's card, Iowa Department of Natural Resources customer number and complete the proficiency process before becoming eligible for a license. The city defines areas eligible for the hunt as any city or private property within its limits that are three acres or larger. Private property hunting requires landowner permission. More information on the urban deer hunt can be found by contacting program coordinator Adam Cooper by email at acooper@ci.davenport.ia.us or by calling 563-888-2093. Scott County Administrator Mahesh Sharma described a proactive process for future authorized agency funding during Thursdays Board of Supervisors meeting. Sharma told supervisors the memorandum of understanding on the purpose and value of services provided by funded agencies begins with the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce. Representatives of both Scott and Rock Island counties and the municipalities that make up the Quad-Cities are asking the same questions for the purpose of writing a uniform policy. Sharma said the policy will apply to all agencies included in county and city budgets. He cited the chambers representation of the Quad-City area in promoting economic development as the first step in the collaborative policy-making process. We allow the chamber to do this on our behalf, Sharma said. But what does the county get from that? What are the deliverables? What does the money do? Sharma told supervisors the final draft of the memorandum of understanding could be ready for review by January. In other business, Budget and Administrative Services Director David Farmer presented a preliminary report on county finances as of the end of fiscal year 2017 on June 30. Farmer said all department categories came in under budget. He cautioned that a spike in gaming revenues in 2017 with the opening of two new land-based casinos may not last. The $693,000 will likely pull back to $625,000 because the casinos have been open longer, Farmer said. Sharma said video gaming offered in Illinois also could have an impact. This (gaming) revenue will go down, he said. Farmer reported the state of Iowa intends to hold back 2 percent of local option sales taxes collected in fixcal year 2018 and said the changing economy also could affect the sales tax that helps fund county capital improvement projects. Brick-and-mortar stores are losing to online sales, he said. IOWA CITY Iowa State University, which has seen its student body swell 44 percent in the past decade, has succeeded in slowing its growth, according to fall enrollment figures announced Thursday. The University of Iowa, likewise, reported a slightly smaller freshman class of 5,029, making it the third-largest class in the university's history after two record-setting years. Its total enrollment remains up slightly, at 33,564 from 33,334 last fall. The states largest public universities in recent months have expressed intentions to focus on quality over quantity as state support wanes, hurting the schools ability to attract and retain top faculty and continue offering an elite academic experience to growing student bodies. Iowa State University this fall is counting 36,321 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, compared with 36,660 last year. Its freshman class, like at Iowa, is smaller than last year 5,944 compared with 6,325 in fall 2016. The University of Northern Iowa, which unlike its counterparts has intentions to grow, reported flat total enrollment this fall 11,907, compared with 11,905 last fall. Its new freshman class is smaller than last years 2,000 students, with 1,834 enrolled this fall. Northern Iowas undergraduate enrollment is down nearly 100 students, to 10,005, compared with 10,104 last fall. Countering that decline is an increase in graduate students 1,902, compared with 1,801 last year. The Board of Regents later this year will consider increasing tuition rates on all three campuses after state lawmakers cut millions in state support this year and last. Iowa State and Iowa officials on Thursday told the Board of Regents about efficiencies under way on the campuses. Iowa President Bruce Harreld reported a regents-wide efficiency review on his campus has allowed for reinvestment of $16.6 million since the 2016 budget year, with the largest chunk projected for this year. Going forward, according to Harreld, the university intends to save and reallocate $11 million to $12 million in its strategic plan. The university, he said, needs to invest $155 million to $165 million in its strategic plan to improve student outcomes through specifically retaining and hiring elite faculty, increasing research and scholarship and improving student programming. Harreld, in his enrollment report to the regents, also noted increases in first-generation and resident students at Iowa, aligning with his campus mission. Nearly 23 percent of the new first-year class at Iowa or 1,145 are first-generation students, while nearly 58 percent or 2,907 are Iowa residents. Iowa State University Interim President Ben Allen reported, despite the decreases, his campus this fall welcomed its most diverse student body. Its international and U.S. multicultural representation totals 8,789 a record and its international students represent 127 countries, also a record. Mad about Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds decision to waste money giving Apple a $20 million dollar tax break? You should be. Iowa does not need to bribe large corporations to build big data centers here. We already have huge advantages that bring them here naturally. Electricity is their biggest ongoing cost and we have lots of low cost, reliable, renewable-produced electricity. Iowa is also relatively free from earthquakes, has lots of water and our winters reduce the cost of cooling hot computer servers for half of the year. In addition, theres an Iowa sales tax exemption on the electricity consumed by data centers, a tax break worth tens of millions. With all those built-in advantages, why did Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple gets tens of millions of Iowa tax dollars to do what they were going to do anyway? The answer is the millions come from a broken state economic development program that is an open checkbook on auto pilot. The deceptively named High Quality Jobs program showers very large corporations with state tax dollars based on construction and building costs. The giveaways have more to do with fattening the bottom line than they do with the number of new jobs created. Since 2011, the High Quality Jobs program has cost Iowa taxpayers more than $352 million in tax exemptions. For that enormous sum, weve gotten just 1,300 new jobs in return, at a cost of nearly $3 million dollars per job. And, unlike helping families with nursing home costs or college tuition aid, these large corporations do not have to prove they need the money. Apple is worth $750 billion making it the richest corporation on the planet. Iowas families are frugal and smart with their money. Gov. Reynolds is wasting our money with another bad deal. This is not how Iowa families do their budgets and it should not be how Iowa does its budget. Gov. Reynolds budget crisis cant be solved without dealing with the fastest growing part of state spending, tax giveaways. And we can't jumpstart our state's economy until we stand up to the powerful Des Moines special interests and direct more resources towards small towns and rural areas. Lets start by shutting down the High Quality Jobs slush fund. Bethany Cosentino was no stranger to the stage when she began working on recordings with bandmate Bobb Bruno under the name Best Coast in 2009. A former child actress, Cosentino had started writing songs in her teens, and had gained a strong online following by the time she was 17 thanks to a handful of squeaky-clean pop tunes she made available on her MySpace page under the nom de teen pop Bethany Sharayah. "I had interest from major labels," she said in a 2009 interview with PopSense. "And it was kind of overwhelming and I realized that I wasn't ready to be a 'pop princess.'" In the years that followed, Cosentino put in time as a member of the spacy experimental pop group Pocahaunted and went to school in New York. She moved back to Los Angeles in 2009, at which point she started working with Bruno on Best Coast's first demos. I wanted to make music evocative of what California made me feel, Cosentino said in a telephone interview with the Rapid City Journal. I wanted to create music for people who are not in California, so they can get that feeling. Yes, she says. She knows the words dont really explain the feeling. But when people hear the music -- they instantly know what that sound evokes: Yes, it reminds me of a beach in California and sunshine, Cosentino said. Regardless of where Best Coast plays or who the audience is, I want them to walk away feeling like they have experienced a piece of sunshine, she said. Dont let that pie-in-the-sky sort of dreaminess fool you. Best Coasts sound is anything but pop or syrup. Best Coast draws its inspiration from '60s surf rock and girl groups, Best Coast's noisy lo-fi sound gave a nod to contemporaneous acts like Hot Lava, the Vivian Girls, and Brilliant Colors. Best Coast's first year saw a flurry of little releases: a self-titled 7" single on Art Fag; a cassette tape release, Where the Boys Are, on the U.K. label Blackest Rainbow; a split 7", Up All Night, on Atelier Ciseaux; an EP, Make You Mine, on Group Tightener; and a self-titled 7" on Black Iris. By the time 2009 came to a close, Best Coast had become something of a sensation. In 2010, the band went on its first U.S. tour. The following year it shared the stage with the Vivian Girls Their profile continued to rise in 2010 with the release of "When I'm with You." The duo signed a record deal and began work on a debut album. Meanwhile, Cosentino made a summer single for Converse (a collaboration with Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij and rapper Kid Cudi) and Best Coast added a full-time drummer, ex-Vivian Girl Ali Koehler. The group's album Crazy for You, which featured Cosentino's cat, Snacks, on the cover, was released in July. Since then the group has gone through its share of changes and some ups and downs. But the Best Coast of today is true to the roots and beliefs that Cosentino holds dear. Best Coast writes all of its own music. Cosentino writes the lyrics, the melody and sets the rhythm creating the core of the song. Then I send it to Bobb and he takes what Ive done, gives ideas and does the rest -- the base, lead guitar and drum parts, Cosentino said. She describes song writing as a very organic process." I will wake up with an idea, or I will be sitting around and watching TV and all of a sudden I feel like writing something. I am not one of those people who can devote four hours to song writing. The harder I try to push myself, I cant come up with anything, she said. So she lets it come naturally. And recognizes when those moments come, it is time to sit down and let the inspiration lead her down the musical path. I am very much a believer that everything happens the way it is supposed to, Cosentino said. I feel like we have always followed where everything takes us. "Since our first record we have gained notoriety and more fans. But for us it is just like: as far as this takes us is as far as we are willing to go. I am not a person who can force myself to do something that takes me to a level where I do not feel real about it, she said. I cant do that. I have to be true to who I am and that is who we are as a band -- remaining true to who we are while growing along the way. Cosentino and Bruno began their new tour on Sept. 9 -- their first tour in a year. We are excited to get back out there, Cosentino said. We have had time to rest. I think this will be an exciting and energetic tour for us. People will get a good version from us, not a tired and robotic version. And she is excited to be the grand opening band for Ursa Major -- a venue that caters to the under and over 21 crowd. I always like to play all age venues, she said. Why discriminate based on age. I would be so sad if I was 15 and my favorite band came to town and I couldnt go see them. In fact, it tickles her when she looks into the audience and sees kids as young as five rocking with their parents, and right next to them are people in their 70s. We try to leave our music open for everybody, Cosentino said. SPENCER, Iowa | Authorities suspect a man fatally shot in Spencer was trying to break into a home. Thirty-year-old Nicolas Bandomo was shot early on Sept. 1, and police said Thursday they think he was trying to reach people in the home whom he'd been barred by protection orders from contacting. Bandomo fled to a nearby residence after he was shot. Police say he was taken to Spencer Hospital and then died after he was transferred to a Sioux Falls hospital. He lived in Albert City. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is aiding Spencer Police with the case. An apparently armed man escaped police detainment by running away during an afternoon drug bust Wednesday near three Rapid City schools, and the man still had not been found as of Thursday afternoon. The situation began with a tip that directed police to 408 E. Fairlane Drive, an apartment building near Elm Avenue that is less than a mile from Robbinsdale Elementary, Grandview Elementary and South Middle schools in southeast Rapid City. As a search warrant for the residence was being prepared, a man and a woman were seen exiting the apartment, the police later said in a news release. The man and woman were detained, police said, but during the officers interaction with them, the man fled southwest from the scene. In an interview with the Journal, police spokesman Brendyn Medina said the man was not handcuffed but had complied with a police order to sit down on a sidewalk. Then, according to the police news release, the man "stood up and ran." "I think it just happened so quick that he was off," Medina said. "I think it was a case where he was compliant one second, and the next he was up and running." As the man ran away, Medina said, police saw him drop an ammunition magazine. They later found a pistol along the man's route of escape. Grandview Elementary, which is southwest from the scene in the direction of the man's flight, was placed on secure status for an hour during the search for the man Wednesday. Police said Thursday afternoon that they knew the man's identity but were still looking for him. Medina declined to release his name, citing a pending warrant request. Immediately after the man fled Wednesday, officers pursued him and formed a perimeter around the area in an effort to contain him. The mid-afternoon activity was visible to passing motorists and pedestrians, who could see police cruisers and also police officers some with guns drawn on foot. In the meantime, police made contact with a resident of the apartment, identified as 23-year-old Darian Chargingcloud, of Rapid City. Police then entered the apartment to perform a security sweep. While inside, officers located parole absconder Charles Merrival, age 25, of Rapid City, on a couch. A search of Merrival turned up a glass pipe with residue that field-tested positive for meth, police said. They later located a loaded pistol on the couch. Merrival was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance, ingestion of a controlled substance, commission of a felony with a firearm, and a parole violation. Inside the house, officers reported finding drug-related items, including a digital scale that tested positive for meth and some used jewelers baggies. Following a urinalysis that field-tested positive for meth and THC, Chargingcloud was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance, ingestion of a controlled substance, and ingestion of a substance other than alcohol to intoxicate. The fourth and final Black Hills Unity Concert will be held Friday through Sunday at Elk Creek Resort in Piedmont. The gathering, featuring musicians and social and environmental justice leaders, will bring together people from around the world in a weekend of ceremony, networking, alliance building and unity. Founded in 2014, The Black Hills Unity Concert promotes a greater understanding of indigenous peoples among the general public regarding Native American and Alaskan Native peoples and rights. From the beginning, the plan was to hold the event for just four years. Four is a significant number in the Lakota culture, said Darren Thompson, Native American flute player, producer and consultant with the Black Hills Unity Concert. In its first three years, the Black Hills Unity Concert attracted thousands of people from all corners of the United States and various parts of the world. The event has become a nationally recognized platform to address social, environmental and political issues, said Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook. In its fourth year, the Black Hills Unity Concert will showcase musicians, leaders, and voices from Native America. The group's goal is to inspire people and create allies from all walks of life to honor one of the most sacred places in North America, Afraid of Bear-Cook said. This years concert lineup features indigenous musicians and speakers, including: Prolific the Rapper (Lakota), Goodvoice Wolf (Lakota), Raye Zaragoza (Akimel O'odham), Naelyn Pike (Apache), The Cody Blackbird Band, Kalilah Rampanen (Nuuchahnulth/Cree), Lyla June (Dine), Theresa Bearfox (Mohawk), and Darren Thompson (Annishnabeg). The concert also will host non-Native musicians such as Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary, Tsering Lodoe of Tibet, Peace Poets, The Flobots and Steve Thorpe. Throughout the weekend there will be numerous workshops, presentations and ceremonies. We are inviting any and all people to join us in celebration and gratitude in this fourth year, said Lyla June, a youth organizer of the concert. It is a time of great unity and love to be expressed in a place where we can work towards a constructive, proactive and unified resolution to the Black Hills land claim and other issues facing our communities." The Black Hills Unity Concert is free and open to the public. For information and a schedule of events, visit theunityconcert.org. The Happy Hustlers 4-H Club in the Deadhorse Community was recognized as the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for August. This club has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities. The Happy Hustlers presented the annual 4th of July flag raising on Flag Butte, remembering milestones in history as the club is celebrating its 60th year right along with Nebraskas 150th. This was the 55th year that the club has presented a patriot program on the 4th of July. The club also put together a booth at the Dawes County Fair showcasing its 60 years of members, leaders, projects and activities. The club was started 60 years ago by Ray and Phyllis Grantham and Robert and Nellie Hawthorne. Ray still resides in the Deadhorse community along with three generations of his family who have all been members of the Happy Hustlers. Happy Hustlers also completed their third event for the Keep Chadron Beautiful grant. The first event was this spring during the Earth Day celebration. The club took part in cleaning up trash in a portion of Chadron. The second event included cleaning 10+ miles of rural Deadhorse Road and the third event involved cleaning the Dawes County Fairgrounds on Tuesday night of the county fair. The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded with a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information go to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website at http://www.ne4hfoundation.org/recognition or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com. For more information contact the Lincoln County Extension office at (308) 532-2683 or e-mail lincoln-county@unl.edu. Organizational Club Leader is Suzanne Davidson with other adult volunteer leaders Carey Madsen, Justin Madsen, and Julie Schommer. Members showing up in the 4-H database include: Bucky Cattin Lance Cattin Dylan Davidson Layne Davidson Wyatt Davidson Nina Henson David Johnson Hannah Johnson Timothy Johnson Aaron LeBere Kourtney LeBere Sarah LeBere Cody Madsen Cole Madsen Morgan Schommer Roudy Schommer Anabelle Vander May Josey Werner CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii | The United States newest and most advanced fighter, the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, joined U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers for the first time in a sequenced bilateral mission with Japan and Republic of Korea air forces in Northeast Asia August 30. Two B-1Bs from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; four U.S. Marine F-35Bs from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; two Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) F-15Js; and four Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-15Ks executed this mission to emphasize the combined ironclad commitment to the defense of Allies and the U.S. homeland. Enhancing combined military readiness through integrated missions ensures national leaders of viable and ready military options. This mission was conducted in direct response to North Koreas intermediate-range ballistic missile launch, which flew directly over northern Japan on August 28 amid rising tension over North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. "North Korea's actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their destabilizing actions will be met accordingly, said Gen. Terrence J. OShaughnessy, Commander, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, who just returned from an unscheduled visit to Japan to meet with his counterparts. This complex mission clearly demonstrates our solidarity with our allies and underscores the broadening cooperation to defend against this common regional threat. Our forward-deployed force will be the first to the fight, ready to deliver a lethal response at a moments notice if our nation calls." Over the course of the 10-hour mission, the F-35Bs, B-1B bombers and Koku Jieitai fighters flew together over waters near Kyushu, Japan. The U.S. and ROKAF aircraft then flew across the Korean Peninsula and practiced attack capabilities by releasing live weapons at the Pilsung Range training area before returning to their respective home stations. "The F-35 embodies our commitment to our allies and contributes to the overall security and stability of the Indo-Asia Pacific region," said Lt. Gen. David H. Berger, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. "By forward-basing the F-35, the most advanced aircraft in the world, here in the Pacific, we are enabling the Marine Corps to respond quickly during a crisis in support of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and all our regional partners." U.S. Pacific Command maintains strategic bomber and fighter capabilities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific theater, retaining the ability to respond to any regional threat at a moments notice. HOT SPRINGS - In April, bottle cap artist Pat Thomas, was visiting her mother, Arlene Thomas, in Hot Springs. Arlenes neighbor, Robert Davis, was outside and they began visiting. He and his wife, Mary, had just relocated their thriving Big Time Pizza business from Keystone to Hot Springs. While chatting with him, he relayed to her that business had been a little slower than he had hoped, at least initially. She was inspired to create an art piece for him that could be displayed in his restaurant that would represent the art that he creates with each and every pizza. When she returned to Athens, Texas, she created her own pizza slice, carefully flattening, cutting, arranging, and placing different colored bottle caps, topping by topping. The resulting slice of art is comprised of over 800 bottle caps. It took the artist 65-plus hours to complete, and measures 3 x 4 feet. The end result is an eye-popping labor of artistic pizza love. I have eaten pizza in Italy, Chicago, and New York City, and Roberts pizza stands out as one of the best tasting pizzas around, Thomas said. If in Hot Springs, you should stop by Big Time Pizza, and admire the many art objects on display. You should also try one of his delicious pizzas. There is a good chance Robert or his wife Mary will swing by your table to see how you like your pizza and you will not be disappointed. Thomass brother, Jim Wilhelm, designed the steel bottle cap smasher that has flattened over 10,000 caps for the various pieces created by the artist. Her daughter, Ashlee Thomas, a motion graphic designer, put together a video about building the Masterpizza. It may be viewed at vimeo.com/230842898. For more information about the bottle cap art, contact Thomas at ptfoliodesigns@gmail.com. A Rapid City man accused of killing his girlfriend in 2015 did not strangle her but instead administered first aid when he saw her gasping for air, a jury heard on Thursday. The defendant, 61-year-old Brian Duncan, tried to clear Helen Wrights airway by applying the Heimlich maneuver, inserting a finger in her mouth to remove the blockage and blowing into her mouth, defense attorney Conor Duffy said during opening statements at the Pennington County trial. She gasps a final time, and she dies with her head in his hands, Duffy said of the events that Oct. 31 afternoon in a motel room on East North Street. Wright was 60 and died from pneumonia, among her many ailments, he said. Local law enforcement believe, however, that Duncan strangled her. The New York native and U.S. Army veteran is now on trial for second-degree murder, which carries a penalty of life in prison without parole. Duncan didnt call for help but rather sat in the motel room for the next two hours, then packed his bags and hitchhiked to Sioux Falls, Assistant Attorney General Scott Roetzel said in his opening statement for the prosecution. Before leaving the Western Thrifty Inn, where the couple had been staying for around five weeks, Duncan covered up Wright with a blanket, turned down the air conditioner and turned up the TV volume, Roetzel said. When Duncan was later interviewed by investigators, Roetzel said, he never admitted killing Wright but conceded that something did happen in the room for which he was upset with himself. Duncan, who met Wright in 2008, apparently referred to her as a seven-year burden. Her death wasnt discovered till the afternoon of Nov. 4, when a motel housekeeper testified about becoming suspicious at seeing Wright lying in bed in the same position for hours. She was on her back with her hands at her sides, a sheet pulled up to the bottom of her nose, said Seferina Arguello, the housekeeper who called 911. There were dark areas all over Wrights face and body on the sheetless bed, several pictures that were presented in court revealed. The Rapid City Police Departments forensic pathologist ruled that Wright died from asphyxiation during an assault, based on the injuries found around her neck, Roetzel said. Wrights daughter who traveled from Connecticut, Christina Burgess, as well as Duncan, remained facing the front of 7th Circuit Judge Matt Brown's courtroom while a screen at the back displayed the motel room photos. Burgess, 35, earlier said she and Wright had a very close relationship, but that it changed after her mother met Duncan. She didnt know Wright had come to South Dakota, Burgess said, and found out about her death from police. Besides having bruises, Duffy said, Wright didnt have the other classic indicators of strangulation: a broken bone and cartilage in the throat area and broken blood vessels in the eye area. Colorado forensic pathologist Dr. Leon Kelly, who evaluated Wrights case for the defense, concluded that she died from pneumonia. Duffy earlier listed Wrights numerous health problems on a board that he positioned in front of jurors. It elicited an objection from Roetzel, who said the defense shouldnt be presenting evidence during opening statements. Judge Brown, ruling that it wasn't evidence, allowed the list to be presented. Duncans leaving the motel room after his girlfriends death doesnt make sense, Duffy said, but it was a symptom of his paranoid personality disorder related to his experiences as an African-American. A psychologist is expected to testify that Duncan didnt report Wrights death and soon left town because of a race-based paranoia of police and of being falsely accused. The marks found on Wrights body bruises, purple splotches, signs of decomposition, settling of the blood were misidentified as indications of an assault, Duffy said. Once that train started rolling, nobody was going to stop this, he told the eight women and six men seated in the jury box. Come Thursday, Im gonna come to you and Im gonna ask you to stop this. And Im gonna ask you for that not guilty verdict. The trial, Sept. 5 to 14, started with an extraordinarily lengthy jury selection process that took two and a half days. The last Rapid City murder trial took place in October 2015, when 21-year-old Samuel Tyburec was acquitted of stabbing to death a roommate because of self-defense. Two days after the Rapid City Council voted to restore funding to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program's for the 2018 budget, Mayor Steve Allender vetoed that decision. Allenders veto was officially filed to city Finance Director Pauline Sumption in a memo Thursday. "There are many opportunities for seniors to volunteer, socialize and participate in activities through our two senior citizen centers as well as various other local organizations," Allender stated in the memo. "There are many other avenues for volunteer coordination and participation. The cost of RSVP to the general fund is increasing every year and lastly, I do not believe it is a taxpayer responsibility or a core function of government to provide volunteer coordination." South Dakota Codified Law provides mayors with authority to veto legislative actions as part of a mayor's official powers and duties. In a Journal interview Thursday afternoon, Allender expanded on the reason behind his decision. I think the emotional side of the RSVP cut has stirred an emotion-based lobbying campaign that has been very effective, Allender said. Its not that I dont have feelings. Its that I think that feelings should not take priority over facts and figures when it comes to using other peoples money to fund a program. The time has come for RSVP to end. On Tuesday, the Rapid City Council voted 6-4 to restore $40,000 in funds and continue its sponsorship of the program, despite Allender's recommendation to cut funding. Armstrong, Modrick, Lewis, Roberts, Nordstrom and Salamun voted to restore funding, and Laurenti, Drury, Scott and Drew voted in opposition. The vote also approved the second reading of the 2018 appropriations ordinance, meaning the 2018 budget is now finalized and formally approved. The $40,000 would be taken from the citys undesignated cash reserves, of which about $1.4 million is being used to balance the 2018 budget. Allender said he told council leadership of his intent to veto any decision they made that would return funding to the program, a decision he said he made before he even presented his budget proposal Aug. 7. I didnt come into office to try and make everyone happy, he said Thursday. Everyone talks about the hard decisions needing to be made. Its just that there are very few people around when its time to make one. Two other cuts proposed by Allender $30,000 to the Journey Museum and Learning Center and $27,000 to the Allied Arts Fund were also refunded by the council during an Aug. 23 budget hearing. Allender said he has no plans to veto either of those decisions. Allender said Thursday that "sacred cows are the poison pills of government." The RSVP is the most blatant and obvious example of a program that should be cut. The others, I believe there needs to be more dialogue and more work because were down to disagreeing about fine details on those other issues. I believe some public funding for the arts is important and justified but the question is how much? No one really wants to answer how much. Allender opined that 1 percent of the general fund was a perfect level, which would equate to about $600,000. He later added that the city would conduct a survey in the coming months asking citizens what percentage of their tax dollars they would like to see devoted to things like street repairs and the arts. Allender's veto will be formally considered by the city council at its Sept. 18 meeting. Seven of the 10 council members must vote in opposition to the veto for it to be overridden. The last time a veto was issued by a Rapid City mayor was in September 2012 when former Mayor Sam Kooiker vetoed the councils decision to raise property taxes in relation to the consumer price index. At the subsequent council meeting, a motion to override the veto failed. This is the first time Allender has issued a line item veto and its just the seventh such veto has been issued by a Rapid City mayor since 2001, according to city spokesman Darrell Shoemaker. Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series on the candidates for U.S. House in 2018. Dusty Johnson is a past member of South Dakotas Public Utilities Commission and a candidate for the Republican nomination for South Dakotas one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. Why hes running: This is a job interview, right? Its fun, Johnson said. He recalled growing up in a working-class family of seven from Pierre and Fort Pierre. Even at a young age I figured out good jobs can make a difference for a family, he said. The reality is what most people want is the opportunity to earn a living. Johnson said even the Republicans in Congress dont understand all the ways Washington, D.C., makes it harder to create jobs. Im not sure they understand what Im talking about, he said. Johnson said a thread through his professional history has been working on infrastructure projects. His first job after college was with a U.S. Department of Agriculture program. He focused on infrastructure for then-Gov. Mike Rounds and next at the Public Utilities Commission, after he won a six-year term to the regulatory agency in 2004. Johnson won election to a second term in 2010. He instead accepted an offer from Gov.-elect Dennis Daugaard to be chief of staff over a couple of burritos at the governors favorite restaurant, Taco Johns. After Daugaard won re-election in 2014, Johnson stepped down and took a job as vice president at Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell. The company specializes in technology for rural telecommunication businesses. Frankly, Johnson said about all of those jobs, theyre a good fit for South Dakota. How hes organized his campaign: He announced his candidacy for the U.S. House nomination Nov. 15, 2016. Johnson said his private-sector position means he must take a day of leave to campaign during the workweek. Its really hard, he said. Its a good reminder thats what real peoples lives are like. For now vacation days are enough. He plans to take a leave of absence eventually. He and his wife, Jacquelyn, and the older two of their three sons work events on weekends. He said they make those a family day. It buys down the guilt, he said. Because hes been through two statewide campaigns and worked at the Mitchell office for Republicans in 2002, Johnson isnt surprised much this time. He said some expect the U.S. House primary would turn negative. I dont think it will, he said. Johnson has his eye on the U.S. House committees for agriculture and transportation. He said Congress at this point doesnt seem ready to get big things done. To Johnson, that means South Dakotas person in the 435-member House needs to be persistent and know how to accomplish what he describes as the blocking and tackling bills important to South Dakota. He said South Dakota needs someone who is ready when Congress is ready to accomplish something larger. Ive got the political courage thats going to be required to make tough decisions, he said. Johnson said a mix of selflessness and selfishness is required. A great majority of my motivation to be in public service is selflessness, he said. How hes raising money: Johnson said fundraising has been really good. Were on pace to pass what nobody has been able to do in a South Dakota primary without an incumbent, he said, referring to the mark of $400,000 plus set by Blake Curd in a 2010 run for the U.S. House seat. The most-frequent contribution has been less than $100, according to Johnson. He said the money is flowing at a pace that makes his candidacy viable and competitive, and gives him a chance to win the nomination. Its not the focus of the campaign, he said. How he greets people: Johnson said hes handed out more than 60,000 mint candies with his Dusty logo. At the end of the interview, he said: I need to get back to work. He turned back to add, There are a few cold sweats at night, but mostly its a lot of fun. Seven Rapid City legislators will host an invite-only event with dozens of community leaders this evening that one legislator described as a reverse cracker-barrel. Cracker-barrel is the phrase traditionally used for the wintertime forums held in legislative districts throughout the state, where legislators update their constituents on happenings at the Capitol in Pierre and take questions from the audience. Tonights event, which is being called a Legislative Roundtable, will feature a reverse format with community leaders doing the talking and legislators doing the listening. Too often our communitys political gatherings are for the purpose of hearing from legislators, said the invites for the event. For this occasion we want to flip the script. We want to listen. One of the event organizers is state Rep. David Johnson, R-Rapid City. In an interview with the Journal, he said the reverse cracker-barrel concept arose from a desire for calm and nonpartisan discussions of issues, rather than heated political arguments. Our purpose is to get ideas from community leaders and business leaders in the Rapid City area, Johnson said. Its not to debate social issues or hot-button issues or firecracker issues. We want to talk about things like economic and community development. Johnson said he and the other legislators will be under strict orders to let the invited guests do most of the talking. He said the moderator, Michael Diedrich, an executive at Regional Health, will be free to tell the legislators to sit down and shut up. The other six legislators who are participating in the event are also Republicans from Rapid City: Reps. Sean McPherson, Craig Tieszen and Kristin Conzet, and Sens. Alan Solano, Terri Haverly and Jeff Partridge. Johnson said 107 invites were distributed, and 40 RSVPs had been received by Thursday morning. The event is at 6 p.m. today at the Black Hills Business Development Center on the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. If the concept is well received, Johnson said, it could become a recurring event. A sea of neon green cascaded out of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and spread out across Rapid City Thursday afternoon as United Way of the Black Hills kicked off its annual Day of Caring event. Following a luncheon inside the civic center, more than 900 volunteers dispersed throughout the area to assist in projects ranging from weeding and mulching to street cleanup and even weatherizing the homes of the elderly. In all, 79 projects were completed during the afternoon hours beneath a beating sun and clear blue sky. Its all about giving back, said Jamie Toennies, executive director of United Way of the Black Hills, as volunteers poured out of the civic center on Thursday. Most people associate United Way with giving of dollars but its so important that there are other ways that people can give and giving of your time and volunteering is huge. Though the number of volunteers was slightly down compared with last year, Toennies said the economic impact of just the two to three hours of work by volunteers totaled to about $80,000. Though less tangible, the impact on the volunteers was important, too. So many of us are in an office and we may give money to our charity endeavors," she added. "But to have the opportunity to go out ... and help a direct individual and see their face and see that gratitude that they have, you see the difference that you're making in that individual's life." Graham Davis, 26, was outside The Journey Museum Thursday afternoon weeding around the line of red rocks dotting the exterior landscaping of the museum. Davis, an assistant director in the student activities and leadership center at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, said it was nice to actively volunteer after hes helped so many students do the same throughout the past year. Its just really exciting to see a lot of people come together around a common cause, he said. Its cool to get out here to not just help students see that but to experience it myself. Though the work was far from glamorous, Davis seemed unfazed. I think a lot of times its easy to want to just do the really cool projects, but its really important to do these things ... weeding, manual labor that really doesnt sound that exciting on paper but it really makes a huge difference in what theyre trying to do in the community, he said. Seemingly basking in the glow of the neon shirts, Toennies expressed her excitement at the mass of people showing their support for the community and each other. "Just the power of knowing that that amazing army is going out with the expressed purpose of helping people and that is all that they are doing and dedicated to this afternoon, she said. There is nothing more magical than that. United Way of the Black Hills will host three more Day of Caring events in the next month, with an event in Sturgis on Sept. 14, in Spearfish on Sept. 21 and in Custer on Sept. 26. United Way of the Black Hills fundraising goal for this year is $2,317,000, with a target of $1,950,000 coming from Rapid City. South Dakota does not have an opioid epidemic. We do have a bad case of hysteria and hype that is proving costly to people in pain, their doctors and pharmacists. Drugs play such a small role in South Dakota crime that for Rep. Kristi Noem to use rising crime rates to justify radical legislative action based on a drug problem is, well, a crime. Drugs do play a role in violent crime. They play some role in many crimes. The biggest single factor in South Dakotas crime rate is our self-inflicted drug policy. Our failure to legalize marijuana is costing us more than $200 million annually in avoidable incarceration costs and law enforcement actions that involve marijuana. Mind you, the vast majority of marijuana crimes consist of using it or having some in your possession. Marijuana is also used to add charges involving unrelated actions. Half of our jail population is imprisoned for taking marijuana or in cases where marijuana was involved thats a crisis. There are 3,999,386 babies in the United States right now. Noem would have us believe 160,000, or 4 percent of those babies, were born addicted to opioids every 25 minutes. Part of this information comes from a National Geographic story this month. The whole story is that one baby is born exposed to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, (and) gabapentin every 25 minutes. Exposed and addicted are two different words. Please note painkillers werent mentioned in the baby statistic for the most recent reporting year. A whole industry is rising with a vengeance based on the hype of the current epidemic and the theory that everybody who takes opioids (whatever those are) will become addicted. If your doctor gives you painkillers, you will become addicted is the new message from lobbyists for addiction recovery. Never mind the 25.3 million Americans who depend on drugs like Vicodin and Oxycontin. Painkillers are a miracle that allow millions of us to go to work, live normal lives, and deal with life-threatening pain. Earlier this year, the Veterans Administration involuntarily cut off tens of thousands of veterans who have successfully used these drugs for years. A growing number of pain suicides are compounding the problem for veterans and civilians. Thirty veterans a day are killing themselves, many because of unmanaged pain thats a crisis. Like many Americans, Rep. Noem fell prey to the addiction industry and its push to turn all prescription painkiller patients into addicts and criminals and their doctors and pharmacists with them. Less than .017 percent of people who legitimately use prescribed opioids become addicts. The word opioid is so non-specific as to be meaningless for policy-makers. For example, carfentanyl is an opioid and an elephant tranquilizer, not only not suitable for human use but deadly. So is synthetic fentanyl produced in China and brought illegally into the heroin trade through the drug cartels. Restricting allowable dosages for patients in pain does not affect drug addiction or crime, but it does adversely affect pain patients. A newly released study in Kentucky concluded that state laws limiting opioid prescriptions had no impact on drug use or drug overdoses. The future for pain patients is horrifying in the current government-wide witch hunt for a culprit in the Americas war on drugs. That war is failing. The war on pain patients is leaving casualties everywhere, veterans and civilians, young and old. Its time for state and federal authorities to get out of the medicine business. Millions of people are dependent on these miracle drugs; only a small percent is addicted. BUDAPEST | Congress has returned to Washington after another unearned vacation and faces at least two immediate challenges, in addition to the familiar ritual of raising the debt ceiling. President Trump has called the indecipherable U.S. tax code "self-destructive." He has also decided to end the Obama-era program that allows "undocumented" immigrants who came to America as children to gain work permits. Congress has been given six months to replace it. For advice on taxes and immigration, the president and Congress might learn something from Hungary. On Jan. 1, 2017, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban lowered the corporate tax rate from 19 percent to 9 percent, the lowest rate among the 28 member states of the European Union. By comparison, the United States' top marginal tax rate is 38.92 percent, just behind Puerto Rico and the United Arab Emirates. In an interview, Zoltan Kovacs, secretary of state for Public Diplomacy and Relations in Orban's Second Cabinet, tells me the country's 15 percent flat tax and lower corporate taxes have surprise increased government receipts because more people are being hired and they generate additional tax revenue. In the last seven years, Kovacs says, 700,000 new jobs have been created in Hungary, only 150,000 of which are government jobs. The government jobs are mostly for people who had relied in the past on social welfare programs. Even here, he says, they know the meaning of the word "workfare." The unemployment rate in Hungary is 4.5 percent, according to Kovacs, down from 11.4 percent in 2010 when the current government took power. Economic growth ranges between 3.5 percent and 4 percent, he says. While American debt keeps rising, Hungary's debt is falling. In 2010 it was 85 percent of GDP. Today it is 74 percent. True, Hungary has a high value added tax of 27 percent, but Kovacs says that is "temporary" (is there any such thing as a temporary tax?) and the government's goal is to reduce it as revenue continues to increase. Hungary has some of the toughest immigration policies in the European Union. Since 2015, says Kovacs, "400,000 immigrants have passed through" the country. Asked how many stayed, he replies "none," adding, "They (immigrants) all wanted to go to Western Europe, Germany, Scandinavian countries." Why? Because, he says, they have welfare programs in those countries and Hungary deliberately does not. The charges for this policy are familiar to Americans: "We are racists, we hate those people who come in," when in fact, Kovacs says, it is about maintaining Hungary's culture and way of life. What about the religious component when it comes to migrants from Muslim countries? "We do not underestimate that element," he responds. "Islam is mostly fundamentalist. Europe is mostly secular, but even for those who don't believe in God, or go to church. The very culture of Europe is Christianity." Kovacs suggests the massive flow of mostly Muslim immigrants is "undermining the very foundations of the European countries." He says even secularism is a threat to those foundations, "but when you bring in a completely different culture and it's not superiority vs. inferiority it's simply about the difference. If you see the experience in other societies, Islam is not integrating. They exist in parallel societies and live by their own rules. We don't like what we see in France, The Netherlands and Germany." He might have added that if a nation loses its culture, it loses the nation. The failure of especially Muslim immigrants to assimilate in ways that will preserve their host's culture is critical. Otherwise, it is not immigration, but invasion, which appears to be happening in Europe, a continent that has a lot of experience over many centuries when it comes to that practice. Hungary has provided a good example when it comes to tax reform and immigration policy. The U.S. could learn from it. Defense Ministrys lawsuit against Russian aircraft manufacturer set for October 18 MOSCOW, September 8 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court will hold a preliminary hearing in a lawsuit filed by Russias Defense Ministry seeking to recover 5.3 billion rubles (about $90.5 million) from Sukhoi Company (JSC), the courts documents read on Friday. On August 31, the court registered a claim in this case. Details of the dispute are currently unknown. In 2015, the Moscow District Commercial Court cancelled proceeding over an appeal filed by Sukhoi against the recovery of 92.7 million rubles (about $1.5 million) in favor of Defense Ministry for failing to provide 10 planes on schedule. In 2014, the Moscow Commercial Court ruled the aircraft producer to compensate the ministry with 583.3 million rubles (nearly $10 million) but a court of appeals has later changed the ruling. Members of notorious Basyaev gang face trial in Chechnya MOSCOW, September 8 (RAPSI) A criminal case against two nationals of the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic charged with membership in a gang of a notorious terrorist Shamil Basayev and participation in assault against servicemen of the Russian Federation, has been filed with the Supreme Court of Chechnya, the Prosecutor Generals Office stated on Friday. The defendants are charged with banditry and encroachment on the life of military servicemen. According to investigators, in 1999, the defendants joined the Karachai Jamaat gang responsible, alongside other gangs, for military strike against the servicemen resulting in deaths of 15 and injuries of 28. Investigation into other alleged members of the gang commences. A group of retired teachers, activists, and former state and local government employees met to discuss civil liberties with the Montana ACLU at Bitterroot Public Library on Thursday. The meeting was the fifth of a 14-stop, 2,000-mile road tour throughout the months of September and October. The goal of the meetings is to hear from people about their civil liberties' priorities and make sure that matches the operations of the statewide office, according to Katie Beall, the communications strategist. Discussion was led by Caitlin Borgmann, the executive director for the Montana ACLU. ACLU membership has tripled since the election, Borgmann said. But people dont just want to be a member anymore - they want to get active. Beall said that one added benefit of touring the state and having meetings in small communities is building a volunteer base for when a call to action is necessary. The meeting started with an overview of the work the ACLU - or American Civil Liberties Union - had done in Montana since it was chartered in 1972. Borgmann explained how the ACLU works on three different tiers, providing legal remedies for those who have been denied their rights, drafting policy and lobbying legislators. In Montana and nationally, weve wanted to become more proactive in fighting cutbacks of civil liberties, rather than waiting to the point where a case needs to be brought to court, Borgmann said. Of particular importance in Montana, according to Borgmann, are cases involving disparities between Native Americans and the larger white European descendant population. Native Americans make up only around 6 percent of the population in Montana, but are 20 percent of the male prison population and 36 percent of the female prison population. Borgmann also noted how Native American and African American students in Montana schools are punished with suspensions and detentions more than white children. Discrimination against people of color in Montana is a horrific thing, Borgmann said. If white people cant hear about the type of discrimination that occurs in Montana, thats a problem. People have such a strong reaction; white people dont like to talk about racism. The current top priorities for the Montana ACLU are to study the parole and probation process to look for ways to reduce the prison population in the state, to stand strong against anti-LGBT legislation, and the anti-immigrant stance of the presidential administration, according to Borgmann. One of the issues Borgmann and the ACLU have worked hard to lobby against in Montana are bills that try to limit transgender people's bathroom choices. The ACLU successfully argued to the Montana Supreme Court to more adequately explain the effects of the "bathroom bill" ballot initiative I-183. Borgmann said she believes the ballot initiative will be rewritten by its sponsors, but still poses a threat. A similar bill was voted down in the Montana State Legislatures 2017 session. These transgender issues largely affect kids, Borgmann said. By Dirgha Raj Prasai During the state visit of Prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India 23 August to 27-2017 agreed that the work on preparation of the Detailed Project Report for the Sapta Koshi High dam and Sun-Koshi storage cum diversion scheme be expedited which was published in the joint statement of the Prime minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba and the Prime minister of India Narendra Modi. Among the entire high dam, the proposed Koshi high dam is very dangerous for Nepal and India. Why the prime minister Sher Bahadur supported that suicidal agreement? India has proposed a 269 metre high dam on the Sapta Koshi River at about 400 meter upstream from Barahkshetra temple for generating 300 M.W. of electricity for proportional sharing with Nepal. Eight kilometres downstream at Chatra has been proposed another dam for irrigating 546,000 ha of land in Nepal and 976,000 ha in India with an additional 300 MW of electricity. Nepal is investing on a survey of the proposed project. Generation of hydropower with irrigation by means of small and medium scale dams always welcome, but it is out of question for Nepal to invest on such ambitious mega project without investigating and evaluating the benefits for such project that are detrimental to the national interest and are meant only to the interests of India. The proposal for high dam on the Sapta Koshi River at Chatra is by no means new. When B. P. Koirala became the Prime Minister, approval had been already granted for the Gandak Project, Dang-Deukhari Reservoir Project and the Koshi High Dam at Chatara in 1959 A.D. The Gandak Project was indeed implemented. The Project office building had already constructed in Dang. Numerous requests of protest were submitted to the King. Following the protestation of the people, King Mahendra and Prime Minister B. P, Koirala visited Dang. Noticing the protests against the proposed dam, Prime Minister B.P. Koirala had to revoke the project. At the same time, the technical personal from India had already begun the survey for the Koshi High Dam by erecting tents on the hills of Barahkshetra. There was a popular protest too. The Barahkshetra is a sacred place for all Hindus. The people protested at the prospect of displacing the God of Barahkshetra including many families and inundating their valuable agricultural land. In 2062 A.D. King Mahendra together with the Chairman of the Council of Minister, Dr Tulsi Giri and his personal assistant Mr. Sushil Koirala which became the president of Nepali Congress and PM of Nepal, studied the project site by boat. After this site visit, the Saptakoshi High Dam Project was cancelled deeming that it was not in Nepalese favour and interests. During the visit of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to India in 1991 A.D. that this dam project scheduled in 1962 A.D. was also given approval secretly along with the Tanakpur Barrage was revealed only when Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba became Prime Minister. At this critical time moment when Nepal has been terrorized by the Maoist rebels and India has consented to the expulsion of the Nepali speaking Bhutanese citizens, the Indian intention to add insult to injury upon Nepal by proclaiming that the high dam is in Nepal's interests is entirely contrary to the country's well being. Such a large dam is likely to inundate and demolish numerous stretches of land now as well as the future in both Nepal and India. Even the Indian experts and the people of the area cannot support such a venture. Nepal has always been full of good will for Indian. Nepal has never caused any trouble to India by following an ambivalent policy. India's habit, however, of professing one thing and acting contrary always gives Nepal reason to fear it. Nepal has a immediate border with India of 1880 kilometres. Miss using the boarder, the Indian authorities makes fake maps for encroaching on Nepalese territory, in setting up its army battalion by intruding inside Kalapani where Indian army has been stationed in the Nepal territory In the western boarder of Mahakai, Lipulek is the sovereign land of Nepal after all, in the official visit of Indian PM in China the Indian PM and the Chinese President signed in the joint statement prosing Lipulek as a transit way. In fact, India and China have any rights to enjoy transit facility at Lipulek. Indians have been encroaching Nepal's forests near the border areas, setting up Indian settlements in numerous no mans land areas, reducing thousands of hectares of fertile Nepal's land submersed and waterlogged by construction structures such as the Laxmanpur barrage afflux bunds, Raiswal Khurd Lotan dam and Mahalisagar Embankments in the vicinity of no mans land against international nubs thereby causing adversity to the Nepali people. The open border between Nepal and India needs to be controlled in the interest of both by managing the necessary border points by adopting a policy recommended by experts and cordoning stretches with barbed wire. This would prevent both countries from the scourge of criminal acts, smuggling and using the area as a haven for criminal only the border and lay concrete on the way for long lasting good will. We Nepalese wish that the friendly ties of Nepal and India would be maintained forever with a warmth and faith devoid of any doubt. Nepal and India have so many things in common, it does not suit a great nation like India to continue interference with and cause adversity to a small peace loving Hindu nation like Nepal. Therefore, first of all, the obligation lies on India to come to an understanding in order to improve on unequal treaties ratified India's independent including the difficulties faced by Nepal in trade and transit. It is a proven fact that India has lost its credibility in the construction of any dam in the Koshi and the Gandak projects; it did not stand by the provisions of the respective treaty. Koshi high dam project was completed in 1960. The eastern portion collapsed and the western portion showing imminent ganger. Thousands of people are displaced and killed and thousands of hectares of land swept away. Koshi & Gandak project caused thousands of families in Nepal were displaced on account of the submergence and erosion of their land and none were given compensation for the loss. Any person who visits the Gandak project can notice for oneself the shameless dishonouring of Nepal. Similarly, Nepal was cheated in the Koshi project as well. Thousand of hectares of land were submerged and numerous people were displaced. The Indian side never showed any concern. Nepali interests were not served in any manner by the past treaties even in the case of the small dams let alone such ambitious dams. It is hoped that the Nepali people will not allow one to fall on their own head by allowing such dams. I am a resident of that area. If the high dam were to be erected, the districts of Dhankutta, Terahthum, Panchthar, Taplejung, Sunsari, a golden land of immense natural beauty, would turn into a waste land due to submergence and erosion of the steep soil and unstable rocks and project will neither be sustainable due to the siltation problem as all the rivers are glacier fended, it carries enormous amount of sediment. To support the 269 metre Koshi High dam is equivalent to collude in the irreparable damage that would occur to Nepal. Even if proper compensation and rehabilitation of displaced people were taken place, such large dams could cause havoc to the very existence of Nepal. 95% of people are Hindus & Buddha in Nepal. As such, who would support a move to shift the God of Barahakshetra by destroying a sacred place of the Hindus and Buddhists of the world and hurting the religious sentiments of the tens of millions of people? Water resources expert, Mr Hariman Shrestha had remarked in 1996,"the Sapta Koshi High dam is detrimental, a project not in Nepal's interests". The people of the Nepali establishment are deeply caught up in Indian water politics. Nepal's national interests cannot be protected by following such penetrated path. Survey expert, Mr Buddhi Narayan Shrestha also says "Nepal should beware of the fact that if the Barahakshtra was to be built, the valleys and habitations upstream of the dam in Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Terhathum and even Taplejung would be submerged, there is also no guarantee that this dam could prevent the flood devastation in India's Bihar state for longer periods due to siltation problem. Hence, no Nepali ought to exhibit any interest in such suicidal project. Then, why the PM Sher Bahadur Deuba surrendered supporting the dangerous Koshi High Dam? Let it be, that the suicidal project should be corrected. Email: dirgharajprasai@gmail.com By Vincent Lofaso China is the rotating president of the BRICS group right now, and it was also the host country of this years summit. In addition, China has been the pioneer of the BRICS as a policy coordinator which has made some new endeavors to create new proposals for cooperation. As the BRICS community becomes more integrated, it has grown into an economic engine for the world. BRICS represents over 40% of the worlds total population, around 20% of the globes GDP, and contributes over half of the global growth. This will continue with the efforts by all the member countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Another direction the BRICS is developing its cooperation in new areas because the BRICS started out as an economic concept and we have seen cooperation mainly happen on trade, infrastructure, and investment. But now, the BRICS has gradually evolved into a political and geopolitical organization as well. Most recently, there has been more people to people exchanges between the world leaders which has made the BRICS group a great success. The five BRICS members were not the only ones participating in this years events, but five other non-BRICS countries will be in attendance as well as a part of the BRICS+ group. This signals some possibilities for BRICS to expand its horizon to other parts of the globe like Mexico, Guinea, Thailand, Tajikistan, and Egypt. Even though the countries face different problems and face different challenges, the BRICS summit provided more opportunities for world leaders to sit down, exchange ideas, and come together to tackle global issues. One of the main goals of this years summit was to deepen partnerships and global governance. Now that we live in a multipolar world, the global community needs more voices from the emerging markets, and the BRICS bloc creates a framework for all the developing countries not only in trade and economic relationships, but in political relationships as well. The BRICS countries realize that if they can all work together, the bloc can play a constructive role in global governance, especially since western leadership is in slow decline. Chinese president Xi Jingping pointed out that the potential for the BRICS framework has yet to be fully utilized and there are many different avenues to see how the potential for countries from all corners of the globe can work together to unite the bloc. The five BRICS countries have differences in many areas including security and strategic cooperation, but the commonality of the challenges and the need to move forward in this rapidly changing world bind the nations together in the BRICS framework. The more Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa can talk and share innovative ideas, the more they can help each other; and the more the BRICS nations stand up on the global stage with one voice, the better they will serve themselves and the emerging markets. The BRICS nations goal of institutionalizing what has already been achieved over the past ten years will remain a very important task going forward. One example would be institutionalizing standards which can allow more emerging markets to join BRICS like Indonesia, and a question going forward is how the BRICS nations can share their experiences not only amongst themselves, but with other developing countries. In the next ten years, the BRICS will become a more important political force on the global stage and they will play a more important role to promote trade, economic relations, and international cooperation. What is special about the BRICS bloc is that they have alternatives for developing countries like the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a contrary to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Moreover, when talking about the BRICS, it is also important to keep the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in mind as another institution that is so closely linked to the BRICS model by virtue of China, India, and Russia. Both the BRICS and SCO are more than just economic clubs, but it is a close alliance of countries who want to pursue common goals. We also know that the BRICS is expanding because the Chinese proposed the BRICS+ as a model that allowed five other non-BRICS countries to attend the summit such as Tajikistan, Mexico, Thailand, Guinea, and Egypt. The BRICS bloc is now a growing trend in international affairs, and this is a significant outbreak for the developing world. We need to understand that BRICS is not just about China, it is about the five countries and more importantly, it is also about the growth of developing and emerging markets. Secondly, the world we live in today is faced with so many challenges and changes from security issues like terrorism to environmental issues like climate change. Ten years later, the world will be very different than what it was after the Second World War. In this process of transformation, BRICS will become more important as a role model for developing and emerging markets as alternatives to the current western model, and in the coming years, BRICS will play a substantial role to the global issues we face today. Source:- eurasiareview About the writer:- Vincent Lofaso is a recent graduate of Manhattan College with a Political Science major with a focus in international affairs. Most of his research is related on geopolitical and security issues. Guwahati : Two former Congress ministers of Assam are now in trouble after the Vigilance of Anti-Corruption (V&AC)of Assam police has started investigation against them in disproportionate assets case. According to the reports, following the directive by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the V&AC has registered a disproportionate assets case against former minister Gautam Roy, while started investigation against another former Congress minister Akon Bora, both took charge few departments in the previous state government. ADGP of V&AC YK Gautam said that, a disproportionate case had already registered against Gautam Roy and asked him to appear before the V&AC office yesterday. 'But he sought more times up to October 10 next from the investigation agency and said that his physical condition is not good to appear before the agency,'A ADGP YK Gautam said. 'On the other hand, the investigation agency also started probe against another former Congress minister Akon Bora following corruption charges made against him. The sleuths of V&AC had recently raided the residence of the former Congress minister. Meanwhile, the top Assam cop said that, a team of the investigation agency had grilled Akon Bora two days back and likely to grill him next time again. Earlier, the two former ministers were grilled by the investigation agency in the Rs 2250 crore Social Welfare scam. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahati: The deteriorating Rohingya crisis has compelled Bangladesh's lone Nobel peace laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus to raise voices for resolving the human crisis immediately in Rakhine (Arakan) province of Myanmar urgently. In an open letter to the UN Security Council, Prof Yunus argued that the 'human tragedy and crimes against humanity had taken a dangerous turn in the Arakan region of Myanmar' (earlier known as Burma) that deserves immediate high level interventions with an aim to bring end to a humanitarian crisis and build peace in the region. 'According to different organizations, recent military offensive by the Myanmar Army in Rakhine State has led to the killing of hundreds of Rohingya people. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced,'A said the letter of Prof Yunus adding that complete villages have been burned, women raped, many civilians arbitrarily arrested, and children killed. Crucially, humanitarian aid organisations have been denied access, creating an appalling humanitarian crisis in an area already extremely poor. According to local administration sources, around 120,000 people fled to Bangladesh during the last twelve days. Human misery created by such massive displacement of men, women and children under the threat of death is getting worse every day, it added. 'Along with several Nobel laureates and eminent global citizens, I denounced the previous spate of violence late last year and wrote to you to intervene. Despite initiatives taken by you, the situation has not improved,'A said Prof Yunus adding that the UNSC should 'take decisive actions to stop the violence against innocent civilians and bring permanent peace in Rakhine'. 'I request you to take immediate action for cessation of indiscriminate military attack on innocent civilians that is forcing them to leave their home and flee country to turn into stateless people,'A stated the letter of the 'banker to the poor'. The creator of unique concept like social business model, Prof Yunus strongly urged the UNSC 'to persuade Myanmar government to take immediate steps to implement the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission (RAC), which the Myanmar government established in 2016 under the pressure of international community'. The RAC, mostly comprised of Myanmar citizens, chaired by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, recommended providing citizenship to the Rohingyas, to allow them freedom of movement, rights & equality before the law, to ensure communal representation, to facilitate UN assistance in ensuring safety & security of returning people. Decades of persecution appears to be breeding radicalization which the Commission, rightly apprehended. The fear became reality through the attack on Myanmar security forces by the militants. Unless, constructive effort to build lasting peace is taken, the situation will get worse which in turn may pose serious security threat to the neighbouring countries, added the letter. 'The Myanmar government needs to be told that international support and finance is conditional on a major change in policy towards the Rohingya. Propaganda & incitement of hatred and all violence, particularly State violence against Rohingyas must stop, discriminatory laws & policies must go and the recommendations of Kofi Annan's commission must be implemented immediately,' asserted Prof Yunus. KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has drawn the attention of the Ministry of Information and Communications toward resolving problems of working journalists. A delegation led by FNJ Chairperson Govinda Acharya today reached at the office of the Communications Minister, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, and State Minister Tapta Bahadur Bista, and called for the effective enforcement of working journalist act (WJA) through collaboration among media owners, FNJ and Communications Ministry. The Act has defined a person performing news related jobs after being appointed in media outlets including print, radio, television and online as a working journalist. Responding to the demands, Communications Minister Basnet expressed his readiness to implement WJA and enable press freedom in the country. FNJ Chairperson Acharya said around 80 per cent journalists working in private media have not obtained appointment letter. According to the statistics of Press Council Nepal, currently 1000 newspapers, 700 FM radios, 100 televisions and 750 online are on regular operation. Although the government-formed Minimum Wages Fixation Committee has determined Rs 19,500 as minimum salary for a working journalist, the latter have not received it accordingly. Similarly, the working journalists have also not received facilities stipulated in the Working Journalist Regulations-2053 BS. The FNJ also demanded the Communications Minister to take action against those involved in the killing of journalists and carry out search for the missing journalists. The FNJ has urged the Minister to implement the National Mass Communication Policy-2073, appoint high-powered Press Registrar, arrange journalist accidental insurance and ensure media autonomy and freedom. Likewise, the umbrella organization has drawn the attention of the Minister toward immediately implementing the agendas including health insurance, senior journalist livelihood allowance, increase in size of journalist welfare fund and emergency relief fund. The Minister was also asked to take initiative for the establishment of the National Mass Communications Training Academy, formation of the Media Commission or Academy, mass communications museum and e-library and special incentives to media operated by people with disability, minorities and women journalists. As many as 15,000 members are affiliated to the FNJ. RSS Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys2TheCoast.com. Keys 2 The Coast is a travel resource for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties, offering recommendations on local choices for the best places to wine, dine and explore. Visit keys2thecoast.com or Keys2TheCoast on Facebook. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. " " Homestead Air Force Base located in Miami-Dade County was all-but destroyed during 1992's Hurricane Andrew. U.S. Air Force "You really can't describe to anybody what it's like to sit through a hurricane," says Clark, who also rode out Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 storm, in 2005. "It's almost like they describe the sound of a tornado, like listening to a train go by, except it doesn't pass on and it's over with. It just keeps going and going and going. You're hearing the popping and the crackling of the trees, and the fireworks from the power lines going down, popping and snapping. It's just a horrendous sound." During both storms, Clark wondered more than once if it was the end. The giant oak trees lining Richton's streets toppled in the brutal and relentless winds, which raged for hours. All it would take was for one of those trees to come crashing through the roof, or for the walls to succumb to the terrible force. Advertisement "The house is trembling like it's an earthquake. You just feel everything shaking and you don't know what's going to happen," says Clark, who now lives outside of Atlanta. "You do a lot of praying." Doug Rohan was just starting his senior in high school when Hurricane Andrew, another Category 5 storm, slammed into South Florida Aug. 24, 1992. Rohan and his family took refuge in his father's boarded-up office building and spent a long, blacked-out night listening to the rattle and thump of unknown objects careening across the rooftop. "When daylight came and we opened the door to look outside, we realized that the rumblings were heard on the rooftops were probably very large tree limbs or porta-potties blown four to five blocks from construction sites," remembers Rohan. "There were faces of office buildings that were sheared off from the facade. That's what a Category 5 hurricane can do in a direct hit." Rohan lived just 2 miles (3 kilometers) north of the worst devastation in the Homestead district. At the Homestead Air Force Base, fighter jets were sucked out of hangers. Rohan says that entire neighborhoods were leveled as if a "Hiroshima-style bomb" had detonated in South Miami. More than 180,000 people in Miami-Dade County were left homeless and 1.4 million people had no power, many for weeks. Rohan will never forget that most of what remained standing was slathered on the windward side with a pea-green slurry. "Every single leaf was stripped from every single tree and minced up like it was in a blender," says Rohan. "So, you had all this sap oozing out, mixed with the rain, and it was like a poultice on all the buildings and cars. It was like snow drifts, except it was like finely chopped green leaves." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). The supposedly kinder, gentler, and self-described woke rideshare service Lyft has been feasting on the entrails of scandal-ravaged competitor Uber as of late. But a new self-driving car announcement from Lyft today signifies theyre also developing a forward-thinking strategy of stealing Ubers market share in the robot car-driven future. According to an announcement picked up by Recode, Lyft will be offering San Francisco customers rides in self-driving autonomous vehicles by the end of the year, and rides in this pilot program will be offered for free. Lyft does not have its own fleet of self-driving cars, but theyve found a startup to provide them. Drive.ai a company that does allegedly exist, and claims to be developing kits that transform normal cars into self-driving cars has signed on as a partner with Lyft to furnish the vehicles left doesn't have a CA DMV permit to test self-driving cars, but Drive.ai does. According to Wired, select customers in the San Francisco Bay Area will be offered free rides in autonomous cars, and Wireds Alex Davies identifies the self-driving cars as Lincoln MKZs and Audi A4 sedans. This announcement seems more intended to generate headlines and publicity than, you know, actual rides in self-driving cars. There was no detail announced with regards to when the pilot might start, nor how select Lyft customers will be selected to get these free robot car rides (though Consumerist notes that Lyft ride-hailers will have to opt in for an autonomous ride). This Drive.ai startup does not really have a much of a track record, but Wired points out that they just received $50 million in Series B funding. The autonomous Lyft rides will have a human safety driver in case the machines go haywire, and a Lyft spokesperson tells CNet, "Lyft will invite passengers to participate in the public trial on a variety of roads in the Bay Area." CNet also notes that Drive.ai only has permits for a total of six self-driving cars in the state of California. Surely theyll attempt to get more permits, but this still appears to be a pretty modest pilot program. Whats more significant is that the pilot program will be conducted right here in San Francisco, a locale which has scared off a variety of the big-name autonomous vehicle competitors. Oh sure, Uber rolled out some self-driving cars in San Francisco with absolutely no regulatory permission last year, but were forced to eat shit on that plan after the cars kept running red lights. Uber has since moved their testing to Arizona, while Googles Waymo has been testing their autonomous vehicles down in Mountain View. SFist readers will realize this is not the first time Lyft has made some splashy self-driving announcement. Lyft got an autonomous car investment from GM in 2016, partnered with Google/Alphabet-owned Waymo this past spring and announced a Level Five engineering division in Palo Alto earlier this summer. While these separate initiatives don't seem to coalesce into any form of coherent strategy, that may be the point. (And the engineering division, as announced, was going to be focused on software and "kits" like Drive.ai is making, as opposed to whole vehicles.) Lyft may just be throwing darts and placing eggs into as many autonomous car baskets as possible, in hopes of being properly aligned with whomever is first to market with a self-driving car that customers like and doesnt kill anyone. Related: Lyft Surpasses Uber In App Store Downloads As #DeleteUber Trend Continues A beloved band director and music teacher tragically lost his life in Pacifica Wednesday morning to a freak accident involving his van. As ABC 7 reports, teacher Jerry Downs may have been trying to stop his van from rolling away when the vehicle crushed him to death in the parking lot of the school where he taught for the last 15 years, Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School. The 62-year-old Downs was a passionate and well liked member of the IBL Middle School community. Kathleen O'Malley, the mother of one of Downs's students, tells ABC 7, "He spent so much time after school with the kids. He did competitions, he did marching band, concert band. He did drumline. He spent an awful lot of his personal time." School employee Eric Jones echoes that saying, "Whatever they needed for marching band, whatever instruments. He would buy instruments. He would buy uniforms. He would buy shoes. He was a real generous guy." Students at the school were told of his death during homeroom Thursday morning, and a makeshift memorial had already sprung up Wednesday evening near the site of his passing. Memorial growing for #Pacifica band director Jerry Downs who died in freak car accident at Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School. pic.twitter.com/FgGi2oVEwD Lilian Kim (@liliankim7) September 7, 2017 Downs also taught music at Ocean Shore Elementary, and the two jobs were initially funded by the now defunct music education foundation started by one of Pacifica's most famous residents, comedian Rob Schneider. In an interview with the Pacifica Tribune in 2014, Downs said, "Students will rise to the level of expectations. If you expect your students to meet the challenge, they will. He said he hoped, with his marching band, to "raise the level of the music program to a standard where we are as good as you can get in Northern California." That year, the band performed the British Colonel Bogey March, and the previous year his concert band took on Shostakovichs "Folk Dances." Downs was raised in Southern California and caught music fever at the age of 10, listening to Hector Berlioz's "Symphonic Fantastique" on the car radio. At times in his career he filled in at the Los Angeles Philharmonic on trombone and tuba, but he told the Tribune that many of his proudest moments had come as a teacher like when one student scored a perfect score in a jazz solo competition. He urged music fans to come down to Pacifica for their annual all-city band concert in February, saying, "I can pretty much guarantee that all listeners will be witnesses to something extraordinary." It sounds as though his shoes will be difficult to fill. Sure, go ahead and laugh at those seventysomething silver-haired biddies recording rock music in the image above. Those seventysomething silver-haired biddies are the seminal Summer of Love musical act The Ace of Cups, a long-forgotten four-year phenom credited as being San Franciscos first (and only) girl band of the late 1960s. The Ace of Cups shared stages with Jefferson Airplane, Steppenwolf, The Band, and even opened for Jimi Hendrix at Hendrix's personal request and single-handedly destroyed a number of stereotypes of what girl groups were supposed to be before eventually splitting up in 1972. But with Summer of Love remembrances flower-powering at full blast, KQED reports that the Ace of Cups have reunited to record the debut album they never got around to recording during their heyday hence their quick slip into obscurity. Girl bands were treated as something of a novelty in the 1960s. While no one could argue with the influence and legacy of Motown hit machines like The Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas, women in rock bands were still expected to dress in matching outfits and shoehorn themselves into a Phil Spector formula of looking cute and performing songs written for them by men. As we see in the KQED documentary above, Ace of Cups wrote all of their own songs and never intended to be a girl group. It just so happened that all five of them were women women who could play instruments and were in the right place at the right time. The Ace of Cups started the Summer of Love mostly playing benefits for the Haight-Ashbury Clinic, or whomever they knew whod gotten arrested lately. But the weekend after Jimi Hendrix performed at the Monterey Pop Festival, Hendrix personally requested that Ace of Cups open for him at a free Golden Gate Park concert. Of course they obliged, and were immediately on the shortlist as a sought-after opening act at The Fillmore and The Avalon. (The Ace of Cups also performed at the notorious 1969 sh*tshow trainwreck known as the Altamont Speedway Free Concert, where guitarist Denise Kaufman was hit in the head with a full beer can and required surgery to remove bits of her skull from her eyeball). Record companies were lining up to offer contracts to Ace of Cups. Manager Ron Polte who also managed Quicksilver Messenger Service insisted they were worth more than they were being offered, and kept holding out for a more lucrative deal. The Ace of Cups would never get signed to a record deal. Some had kids and left the band, being replaced by male musicians, and the act never generated the same appeal. Our brother bands, they were having children too, Denise Kaufman told KQED. But they had wives and girlfriends. They could still go out and play and tour and do whatever they did. A 2003 release called It's Bad For You, But Buy It! cobbled together whatever random recorded bits the band had ever done. The Cuppers then reunited in 2011 for a party called Wavy Gravy's 75th Birthday Boogie, paving the way for their reunion album. We do have one video from the Ace of Cups upcoming album. Basic Human Needs is seen above and is surprisingly good despite the involvement of Wavy Gravy thanks to some magnificently engineered Ladysmith Black Mambazo-style African gospel choralia in the background. The full Ace of Cups triple album is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2018. Meanwhile, Denise Kaufman (the one who got hit by the beer can!) is appearing on a 5:30 p.m. panel tonight at the San Francisco Public Library event called The Gender Revolution. Related: Rare Photo Collection From 1967 Shows Haight Street Fashions In The Summer Of Love A jet packed with adoptable cats and dogs landed in the Bay Area Thursday, all refugees from Florida shelters emptied as preparation for Hurricane Irma. It's all thanks to the Walnut Creek-based Animal Rescue Foundation, a shelter founded by former Oakland A's great Tony La Russa after a stray cat wandered onto the field during a 1990 game between the A's and the Yankees. Since then, they've helped save over 36,000 pets, their website says most recently the 152 who flew in from Florida yesterday. ARF was first contacted by the Humane Society of Broward County, Florida Tuesday, CBS 5 reports, "once it was clear that the storm could lead to catastrophic damage in the Fort Lauderdale area." By clearing shelter space," ARF Executive Director Elena Bicker says, Florida animal care officials "can better respond to recovery efforts and focus on reuniting any local owners and pets who may be displaced by the storm." Working with the East Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Berkeley Humane Society, ARF greeted a cross country flight with 60 dogs and 92 cats at the APP Jet Center in Hayward Thursday. Some of the animals will be housed at ARF's Walnut Creek facility, KRON 4 reports. According to the Berkeley Humane Society, at least 50 of the pets will be sheltered there. But though the animals are available for adoption, don't rush to the Berkeley Humane Society's adoption center quite yet. "In order to ensure we are meeting the medical and emotional needs of our animal population we will not be open for adoptions this weekend," they write on their website. "By closing our shelter on Friday, 09/08, Saturday, 09/09, and Sunday, 09/10 we will allow our volunteers and staff to focus on animal care and ensure all of the required medical records and paperwork are in order and that the animals have recovered from their long journey." But the wait is worth it, as after that shelter reopens for adoptions on Friday September 15th, "Berkeley Humane will waive all adoption fees in order to remove any potential barriers to finding these animals new loving homes." The Berkeley Humane Society is located at 2700 Ninth Street in Berkeley. It'll reopen on Friday 9/15, and allows adoptions from11-5 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. When I was 16, I read Stephen King's brick of a novel in one weekend. This is both a testament to King's readability and to my dorkitude. I think I had read just about everything he had written up to that point, but for whatever reason my being the same age as its young protagonists, the usual teenage angst centered on feeling like an outcast It sucked me in. Four years later, in 1990, I watched the television miniseries. I was unsurprised that it wasn't very good; it was network television, after all. The miniseries still worked its way into the public unconscious because of one thing, and one thing only: Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise the Clown, in which he somehow manages to twist the campiness of his immortal Frank-N-Furter into something both terrifying and (perhaps unintentionally) hilarious. Needless to say, Bill Skarsgard has some big clown shoes to fill in the new big screen adaptation of It, and from the unsettling scene that opens the film, he most definitely does. He is creepy, but not so creepy that a little kid playing with a paper boat in a rain storm would run away screaming the moment his white face pokes out of a sidewalk gutter. Little Georgie is intrigued, amused, and eventually scared, but by then it's too late. What happens to Georgie is the most effective scare in the movie, because it is shocking in its brutality. But by the end of It, brutality becomes the film's driving force, and it gets a tad redundant. While the book took place in the past and the present, the film sticks firmly in the past, this time not the 1950's of the novel but in Derry, Maine in 1989, at the beginning of summer break. Friends in their mid-teens who are most definitely not the most popular kids in school, the self-proclaimed Loser's Club is headed by Georgie's big brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), who has a pronounced stutter and is still living with the guilt of not being there to save his little brother, whose disappearance a few months prior remains an unsolved mystery. Richie (Finn Wolfhard, from Stranger Things) is the smartass loudmouth of the group, forever making jokes that refer to his own dick; Stanley (Wyatt Oleff) is worried about his upcoming bar mitzvah; and Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) is a hypochondriac and germaphobe. Eventually the Loser's Club gets three more members: African-American orphan Mike (Chosen Jacobs); overweight new kid in town Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor); and Beverly (Sophia Lillis), a girl with an unearned "bad" reputation. There aren't a lot of adults in the film, and the ones who do show up are uniformly awful, from the parents to the teachers to the local police. The Losers are also hounded by a gang of bullies led by the psychotic Henry (Nicholas Hamilton) who very clearly isn't all talk when he tells them he wants them dead. The icing on the crapcake that is life in Derry is the growing list of unexplained disappearances in town, mainly of kids close to the age of the Losers. Director Andy Muschietti makes it clear that the only happiness the Losers are going to get is from each other, and the film's Stand By Me moments of summertime bonding, with swims in the quarry and bike rides through town are some of its best, allowing the group of young actors to shine (they are all outstanding) and their characters to develop personalities bigger than their assigned stereotypes. But the rest of the film is relentless, as each Loser is introduced to the horror that is "It." Most of these scenes have the same kind of buildup and payoff, as the kids are confronted with supernatural manifestations of their worst fears, with an appearance by Pennywise at the end. This is a bit of a problem. Pennywise shows up so often, usually running at the camera while baring his mouthful of teeth, that the monster begins to lose its shock value. And it doesn't help that all these scares (remember, there are seven kids, and they each get their own Pennywise moment) are crammed into a movie that's just over two hours long. It's also hard not to think of Stranger Things when watching It, not just because they share some actors, but because Stranger Things wouldn't exist if Stephen King and It didn't exist. That inevitable comparison also shines a spotlight on the film's limitations. With its limited running time and so many characters to follow, there's no room for the film to build up any real tension. True, the length afforded a TV series or miniseries can lead to indulgences that may become tedious (::cough Twin Peaks the Return ::cough), but when used well it can also allow a story to breathe, real suspense to build, and viewers to become attached to its characters, so that losses and consequences have more weight. The 1990 miniseries wasn't good, but at least it had a format more suited to this kind of story. It ends with the title Chapter One. It's supposedly the first part in a proposed two-part series, with the second film to focus on the "now" parts of the book. And perhaps a real assessment of the movie's success or failure can't really be made until the series is viewed as a whole. As it stands, It (Chapter One) is worth watching for its crackerjack opening and the strength of its young cast, but mainly because of its inherent promise of (possibly) better things to come. For the full coulrophobia experience in San Francisco, you might want to check out the all-clown screening happening at the Alamo Drafthouse tonight. Cities across the country are hoping to win the local economic lottery windfall that will come from a new 50,000-person Amazon headquarters after the rapidly growing company announced Thursday that it intends to open a second hub in a place that fits a variety of criteria. Among those criteria are access to tech talent and mass transit, being a 45-minute drive (or less) from an international airport, and being near a population center of one million or more people. This of course describes just about every major city in California, including San Francisco, and if Amazon decides it wants to stick to the West Coast, both Oakland and San Jose plan to put themselves out there in the running. "We want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit, the company says on the website devoted to the location search. To that end, cities can submit proposals via this RFP, and obviously the company will be looking for the most tax subsidies and incentives possible, including donated land and the like. "Oakland always seeks to attract jobs and prosperity to our great city, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement to CBS 5. "Were excited to explore the Amazon HQ2 project and the benefits it could bring to our community, as well as our region." Meanwhile, San Jose Deputy City Manager Kim Walesh tells the Chronicle, "We are very serious about responding to [the RFP]. Our team is getting [the proposal together] and were still looking at it but on the face of it, it is a pretty exciting opportunity. The transformational impact that Amazon had on Seattle is a great model." Neither San Francisco, Oakland, or San Jose could seriously be in the running, however, because of likely criteria that Amazon hasn't explicitly laid out. As the Washington Post notes in this list of the 39 American cities that fit Amazon's stated criteria, "markets with deep enough pools of workers, such as San Francisco, are already crowded by corporate competitors in search of the same talent." Also, in places like SF and New York and really, by extension, Oakland and San Jose to a slightly lesser extent the high cost of living could be a deterrent when having to hire 50,000 new workers. There's also the issue of geographic diversity it seems intuitive that the company would necessarily want to stake a claim in another time zone, likely on the East Coast or in the Midwest. These unstated factors all put places like Kansas City, Atlanta, Durham, and Boston in likely better positions to compete. And what about Austin, where Amazon-owned Whole Foods is headquartered and where there's plenty of tech talent of late? CNBC puts Atlanta, Mexico City, and Los Angeles high in their ranking as well. Will SF be putting in a bid just for the hell of it? We shall see. Previously: Amazon Completes Drone Delivery Of Package In England In 13 Minutes The two sides shared their delight at positive growth of the bilateral ties over the past years, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade, defence and mining. They agreed on specific measures to further bolster the Vietnam-South Africa partnership in the future, thus optimising advantages of each country. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said she is happy to visit Vietnam on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the African National Congress (ANC)s late President O.R Tambo who came to Vietnam to learn the country's experience in national liberation in 1978. The two sides concurred to continue increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high level ones. They said they will encourage and create favourable conditions for the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges to foster solidarity and mutual understanding. They agreed on the need to maintain and promote the efficiency of the Intergovernmental Partnership Forum as well as the organisation of the forums fourth meeting in the first quarter of 2018 as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-South Africa diplomatic ties. Vietnam hopes for a visit by the South African President in 2018, said Minh. Both sides affirmed their determination to raise two-way trade value to US$ 2 billion per year, while discussing various measures to complete the target. Minh proposed that South Africa consider increasing import of Vietnams farm produce, processed food, footwear, garment and wood. He also suggested that the two sides soon sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in mining, and making it easier for the export of coal to Vietnam to meet the countrys demand, especially for thermal plants. Regarding agriculture, after the success of the tri-party cooperation project on raising the productivity of rice and vegetables that Vietnam implemented in the Guinea Republic in 2008-2014, which was sponsored by South Africa, the two sides considered to expand the trilateral cooperation model in other African nations. The Vietnamese FM and Minister Mashabane also discussed measures to promote cooperation in national defence, security, law, education-training and science-technology. They agreed to sign some legal documents in the near future to create a legal corridor for a more favourable bilateral cooperation. In addition, both sides committed to supporting each other at multi-lateral forums. FM Pham Binh Minh thanked South Africa for backing Vietnam to run for a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2020-2021 and expressed his hope that the country will also support Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau's candidacy for the General Director position of UNESCO in 2017-2020. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concerns, agreeing to foster cooperation between ASEAN and the Southern African Development Community, the two actively developing regional organisations in Asia and Africa. The Vietnamese FM affirmed Vietnam's and ASEANs stance to solve disputes, including those in the East Sea, through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and asked for the support from South Africa. VNS Representatives of Vietnam Airlines said that the average rate of On-Time Performance index (OTP) of Vietnam Airlines flights is higher than other airlines acorss over the world, reaching 90.2 percent and increasing seven points compared to the same period of last year; 2.2 points over its target in the first eight months of the year. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc concluded that VNA always has the highest on-time performance index in the country. On the service quality, the overall satisfaction index of customers through the appreciation tables on its flights was 3.83 per 5 points, being higher than the same period and target. The opening of the 24/7 Customer Care Center, putting into exploitation of 11 more flights Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and eighth more flights A350-900 XWB have marked a new development in the service quality of Vietnam Airlines. BY BICH QUYEN- Translated by Huyen Huong Screenings Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary. Programs/Self-Help Groups Al-Anon Information Center, call 712-255-6724. Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 712-255-6724. Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 712-252-1333. Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons. Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180. Co-Dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room. Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512. Clinics Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005. Information Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300. Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa. Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991. Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733. Overeaters Anonymous, 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees. St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906. Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715. The Link-Recovery and Freedom, 1603 Glen Ellen Road; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432. Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10-minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410. Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public. Support Groups Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935. Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Childcare provided. 712-490-3343. All welcome. PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116. Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675. GriefShare, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814. H.E.L.P. Ministries, spiritual NA support group, "Sunday on Saturday" service 6-8 p.m every Saturday at 513 Main St., Sioux City. Donald, 712-574-1744. HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965. Hospice of Siouxland, seeking volunteers. For more information, call 712-233-4144 and ask for a volunteer coordinator. La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998. Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441. Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260. Tri-State Sober Project, 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City. Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Fridays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050. Divorce Care, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814. NAMI Siouxland, (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support Group meets 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month at Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209. Orphan Sunday, 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday at Sunnybrook Community Church loft, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213. Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129. Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential. Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information. Single and Parenting, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814. Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December. Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939. Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927. Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766. Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151. Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315. Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453. Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call Sally Reinert at 402-987-3516. South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133. Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call 712-255-1065. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS. Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686. Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential. Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders. Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page. A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319. Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St. Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church; 7 p.m. Sundays, Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.. 712-277-2901. Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387. After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370. After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426. Alzheimer's Association, Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802. Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319. Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260. Connections Area Agency on Aging, and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce St. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900. Catholic Daughters Meeting Catholic Daughters Court Ave Maria 269 will meet Sept. 13 beginning with a 5:30 p.m. mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sioux City. A potluck dinner will be served by the A-L members and a meeting will follow the mass. All members are encouraged to bring school notebooks for the missions in Honduras. Faith United Presbyterian Fundraiser Faith United Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave., will host a Chicken Dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 15. Proceeds will benefit the Warming Shelter, Inc. Cost will be $9 for adults and children 10 and under will be $5. Carry-outs are available. For additional information call 712-276-3121. Spiritual workshop slated SIOUX CENTER, Iowa | Author Dr. Daniel Taylor will be the featured speaker at a workshop called "Creating Your Spiritual Legacy: Telling the Stories of Your Life" on Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Corporate Centre, 950 N. Main Ave. To register for the free event, visit nwilegacy.com. Co-founder of The Legacy Center, Taylor presents frequently at churches and Christian nonprofits on the topic of identifying and preserving the values and stories that shape our lives. A retired college professor who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, he is the author of 12 books, including Letters to My Children and Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories. The "Creating Your Spiritual Legacy" workshop is hosted by NW Iowa Legacy Partners, a collaborative effort of Northwestern College, Hope Haven and Dordt College. 12th Annual Belgian Waffle Breakfast St. John Lutheran Church, 2801 Jackson St., will hold its 12th Annual Belgian Waffle Breakfast on Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. There will be 14 waffle irons set up and nine choices of syrup available, along with butter and whipped cream to top off the Belgian waffles. Sausage links and coffee, orange juice and milk will also be served. Tickets are $7 per person, children 5 and under are free. Carry-outs are available. Tickets may be purchased at the door the day of the event. Contact Information: St. John Lutheran Church, 712-277-3945 or at st_johnlutheran@hotmail.com. Discovery Bible Study Discovery Bible Study has resumed at Grace United Methodist Church, 2735 Morningside Ave., on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. This class will be a verse by verse study of the New Testament book of Romans. Participants will be guided to ask: What does the Bible say? What does the passage mean? and How does the scripture relate to my life? A $13 study guide is available in the church office. The class is open to all interested persons. For further information call Nora Biegler at 712-260-2818. The ELCA Day of Service The ELCA Day of Service, called "God's Work. Our Hands," will be celebrated this Sunday at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 5200 Glenn Ave. (enter on Bushnell during road construction). Worship and Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m., Day of Service activities begin at 1 p.m., a musical concert will be held at 4 p.m., a pig roast potluck begins at 5 p.m. All are invited to participate. More information at 276-2418. YANKTON, S.D. | Police in Yankton are looking for information on the whereabouts of a 51-year-old man. Todd Keith Herrboldt was last seen in Yankton Aug. 31 and was last heard from when he borrowed an unknown person's cell phone in the Valentine, Nebraska, area later that day, a press release said. Herrboldt is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 210 pounds. He was last known driving a 2009 maroon Chevrolet Silverado with South Dakota license plate 7B7635. Anyone with information is urged to call the Yankton Police Department at 605-668-5210. SPENCER, Iowa | Spencer Police believe the man who died from gunshot wounds last Friday was shot while attempting to break into a home. A Thursday press release said it appears Nicolas Bandomo, 30, was shot while trying to illegally gain entry into a residence in the 800 block of East 12th Street early Sept. 1. Bandomo, of Albert City, Iowa, was prohibited from making contact with the residents at the home by multiple protection orders, the release said. After being shot, he fled to a residence down the street where emergency personnel made contact with him. Bandomo was taken to Spencer Hospital and later transferred to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, where he died. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the police department are investigating. SIOUX CITY | The volunteers laboring at Spalding Park Elementary Thursday put down some plastic designed to prevent the sprouting of weeds. Using shovels, they evened out hundreds of pounds of gravel that had been dumped at the site by a hauler, and later planted some shrubbery. But the 15 volunteers who gave several hours of work and wiped away sweat in the midday sun weren't Sioux City School District workers or a special ground crew hired for the task. As part of a special day of service, attorneys from across Iowa built a handicapped-accessible outdoor classroom at Spalding Park school in Sioux City. The group of trial lawyers are in the Iowa Association for Justice, working on the Justice In Deed initiative. "It is a day to give back to the community," said Saffin Parrish-Sams, an attorney from Cumming, in central Iowa. "It is a chance to show that lawyer jokes aren't true. Lawyers get a bad rap. The people who belong to the Association for Justice are great people." The Justice In Deed endeavor has resulted in almost 50 community projects since 2008 across Iowa. Parrish-Sams has worked at least one each year. "This is a fantastic school," she said. "I love the vision, these outdoor classrooms. How cool is that? They didn't have that when I was in school." The president of the Iowa Association for Justice sets the project for each September. Sioux City Attorney Jim Daane in 2015 led an initiative at Camp High Hopes to place landscaping and build benches and canoe racks. Tim Bottaro of Sioux City is this year's president, and he pursued the Spalding project of a handicapped-accessible outdoor classroom to meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements and provide equal opportunities for learning. There is such an outdoor classroom for other students already at the six-year-old school, but it is much further away on the north grounds and not easily reached by students with mobility issues. "Everybody is working together. It is a lot of joking, good camaraderie. They are genuinely excited about the project," Bottaro said. Attorney Pat Phipps, who lives in nearby Moville, shoveled gravel around and did some planting. Pausing for an early afternoon pizza break, Phipps said his prime landscaping background is in planting. Phipps mulled whether the volunteer work was too taxing. "It is great, good to be outside, great people. This is a good group of trial lawyers," Phipps said. Spalding Park Elementary School Principal Mimi Moore said students will see the final product Friday. Moore raved about having a much more accessible park, which could draw migratory butterflies, for students. Elsewhere on the Spalding grounds, the attorneys helped level out a trail and turned logs into benches. "I am like, wow, they have gotten a lot done. More than what we could have gotten done. We would have had to piece-meal it," Moore said. In addition to Sioux City, the attorneys came from such large cities as Waterloo, Mason City, Dubuque, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames and Spencer. Bottaro said the day proceeded as well as he hoped, just like the other Justice In Deed projects over the last nine years. A lot of the summer projects have involved building homes for Habitat for Humanity, and the attorneys helped victims in the aftermath of a tornado that struck Siouxland in Mapleton in spring 2011. "We have done amazing projects over the years...When we do these projects, they are very physical. They like that, rather than standing around," Bottaro said. Editor's note: Fourth in a series of five stories on candidates seeking seats on the Sioux City School Board in the Sept. 12 election. SIOUX CITY | Growing up in Remsen, Iowa, Ron Colling had his run of the small Siouxland town in an idyllic period of the late 1950s and 1960s. That meant biking around town with friends with relative freedom. "It sounds kind of corny, but it was really Ozzie and Harriet, Norman Rockwell kind of thing," Colling said. "I would get up and I was allowed to wander the whole town, at age 8 or 9." Colling's parents were two generations removed from Europe, and didn't attend school beyond eighth grade. But Colling and his three younger brothers quickly learned that their fun upbringing would include the expectation of doing well through high school, and perhaps academically beyond. "Education simply became my avenue throughout life. It was certainly the gateway to my first job. And it has been the avenue of advancement since then," Colling said. A retired teacher, Colling, 65, now is pursuing a seat on the Sioux City School Board. The school board election is on Tuesday, when three people will win four-year terms. The five candidates are Colling, Jeremy Saint, Shaun Broyhill, Miyuki Nelson, and incumbent Perla Alarcon-Flory. Colling left Remsen St. Mary's High School in 1970 to attend another Catholic institution, at Briar Cliff University. He's lived in Sioux City since then. He graduated four years later, then began work in the 1974-75 school year at Blessed Sacrament School as a junior high English teacher. "If you could tell the kids enough of a good story, they could retain it and tell it back to you," Colling said of what he learned as a first-year teacher. Colling moved to the Sioux City district the next year, where he worked for another 39 years, teaching first in special education and later as a math instructor. He retired from West High School in 2014. "I do miss the students and the staff. I don't miss homework, I don't miss grading papers," he said. "I am quite satisfied with the way things went. My only feedback is that kids I taught very early in my career, they're not kids now, will come up and say, 'Hi, Mr. Colling, do you remember me? I had you as a teacher.' ...The entire career was very rewarding." About a year into his retirement, Colling found a desire to do something for the wider community, and his mind went down the path of school board service. "I would like to see the Sioux City district continue to grow, continue to improve, and I'd like to contribute with that as I can," he said. Several Sioux City School Board members, such as Mike McTaggart and Jackie Warnstadt, were teachers and administrators in the district. Colling said being a teacher is a good training ground for board service. "I am level-headed, reasonable. I am open to listening to all sides of a discussion. I am not prone to rash decisions, and I think that is good for the school board," he said. SIOUX CITY | Two elected officials who live in Woodbury County have endorsed Fred Hubbell in the 2018 governor race, as Mayor Bob Scott and County Auditor Pat Gill on Thursday announced their support. Hubbell is in wide field of Democratic candidates who are seeking the Iowa governor position. The Hubbell campaign in a release announced the endorsements of Gill and Scott, who have been elected to posts in the county and city going back for a quarter century. I know Fred Hubbell will work with local elected officials to grow all areas of Iowa, Scott said in the release. Fred is not beholden to any special interests, hell fight for the interests of Iowans -- higher incomes, good schools and quality health care in every corner of our state. Gill also heartily endorsed Hubbell. With his extensive experience in both the private and public sector, Fred is the candidate I trust to clean up the state budget, limit wasteful corporate giveaways and invest in priorities like education," Gill said. Hubbell, who lives in Des Moines, is a well-known philanthropist and campaign donor who has been involved in multiple business ventures in Iowa, including life insurance and retail firms. Hubbell said he appreciates having the backing of municipal leaders such as Scott and Gill. Hubbell stopped at a Sioux City college in July during a swing to announce his campaign. Other Democratic candidates have announced endorsements as the campaign advances toward a June 2018 primary vote that will determine the party's nominee. SIOUX CITY | On one of his last days at Security National Bank this last week, Rich Waller comfortably strolled through the first floor lobby CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Just days after returning to Washington following the August congressional state work session, Sen. Joni Ernst is pressuring her leadership to cancel the Senates October recess in order to address a laundry list of priorities. In addition to immediate needs, such as a relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Ernst anticipates a similar package if Hurricane Irma damage estimates are accurate the Iowa Republican believes Congress needs to act on immigration, tax reform, the debt ceiling, health insurance, infrastructure and a new farm bill. I would tell you everything needs to be on the plate right now, Ernst told reporters Thursday on her weekly conference call. We have so many issues right now that we cant prioritize one over the other, Ernst continued. All of these committees need to continue working on them simultaneously. We need to get these things done. Ernst and Sen. Chuck Grassley have written to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to encourage him to keep the Senate in session during the scheduled October state work period. They called it an opportunity to live up to the promises Congress has made to the American people, including rolling back burdensome regulations, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, modernizing our infrastructure, and reforming our outdated and uncompetitive tax code. Ernst joined a handful of senators earlier this summer to ask McConnell to keep senators in Washington during the August state work session. The 33 potential working days on the Senate calendar does not appear to give us enough time to adequately address the issues that demand immediate attention, they wrote. McConnell did not take their advice. Although she deferred when asked if McConnell was in good standing as the GOP caucus leader, Ernst seemed frustrated by his decision to proceed with the August recess. Why we didnt stay in August to continue working on these issues is beyond me, she said. I dont see how we, as Congress, get work done if we arent physically in Washington going through the committee process, working on these issues and debating them on the floor. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa President Donald Trumps decision to give Congress six months to find a legislative solution to an Obama-era policy protecting young immigrants from deportation seems appropriate to Sen. Joni Ernst, who called for compassion for the so-called Dreamers. This is Congress job, she told reporters Thursday, adding that she supports Trumps decision not to continue the overreach of authority by the past administration. Former President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order established a program allowing nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. Dreamers immigrants who had entered the U.S. without authorization before age 16, and had no serious criminal records could apply for renewable two-year reprieves from deportation and work permits. Even President Obama had stated that it was a temporary order and he himself stated many times over that it is something that needs to be addressed by Congress, Ernst said. Although she doesnt support giving Dreamers citizenship, Ernst called for great compassion as Congress deals with the issue of the Dreamers who were brought to the United States by their parents through no fault of their own. Congress should identify and pursue a measured approach that addresses their unique situation, but also respects the importance of our immigration laws and discourages future illegal immigration. As Congress takes up DACA, Ernst would like to see the conversation broadened to include securing the border and modernizing the legal immigration system. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined colleagues in 14 states and the District of Columbia in challenging the presidents action. Ernst doubted that effort would be fruitful. Iowa State University which has seen its student body swell 44 percent in the last decade has succeeded in slowing its growth, according to new fall enrollment figures announced Thursday. University of Iowa, likewise, reported a slightly smaller freshman class at 5,029 making it the third-largest class in UI history after two record-setting years. Its total enrollment remains up slightly at 33,564 from 33,334 last fall. The states largest public universities in recent months have expressed intentions to focus on quality over quantity as state support wanes, hurting the schools ability to attract and retain top faculty and continue offering an elite academic experience to what have been growing student bodies. Iowa State University this fall is counting 36,321 undergraduate, graduate and professional students compared with 36,660 last year. Its freshman class, like at Iowa, is smaller than last year 5,944 compared with 6,325 in fall 2016. University of Northern Iowa, which unlike its counterparts has intentions to grow, reported flat total enrollment this fall 11,907, compared with 11,905 last fall. Its new freshman class is smaller than last years 2,000 students, with 1,834 enrolled this fall. UNIs total undergraduate enrollment is down nearly 100 students at 10,005, compared with 10,104 last fall. Countering that decline is an increase in UNI graduate students 1,902 are signed up, compared with 1,801 last year. The universities different goals and diverging realities exemplify the variances among the campus missions and operations, which the presidents have cited in calling for disparate tuition rates and state appropriations. The Board of Regents later this year will consider increasing tuition rates on all three campuses after state lawmakers in the last Legislative session took back more than $20 million from the regent universities general education funds in the 2017 budget year. The Legislature then cut another nearly $10 million from its base funding for the public universities in the budget year that started in July. University of Iowa and ISU administrators over the summer pitched five-year tuition plans that would increase resident undergraduate rates 7 percent each year if the state does not increase regent appropriations. University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook has proposed a less severe annualized 2.5 percent tuition increase for five years but thats only if state support increases 1.75 percent a year. If state support stays flat, UNIs proposed annualized increase is nearly 5 percent. Iowa State and UI on Thursday noted efficiencies underway across the campuses in addition to halting growth that would have stretched shrinking budgets even further. UI President Bruce Harreld, specifically, reported a regents-wide efficiency review on his campus has allowed for reinvestment of $16.6 million since the 2016 budget year, with the largest chunk projected for this year. Going forward, according to Harreld, the university intends to save and reallocate $11 million to $12 million in its strategic plan. The university, he said, needs to invest $155 million to $165 million in its strategic plan to improve student outcomes through specifically retaining and hiring elite faculty, increasing research and scholarship, and improving student programming. Harreld, in his enrollment report, also noted increases in first-generation and resident students at Iowa aligning with his campus mission. Nearly 23 percent of the new first-year class at UI or 1,145 are first-generation students, while nearly 58 percent or 2,907 are Iowa residents. University of Iowa enrollment numbers exclude the 157 students enrolled exclusively in the Iowa Intensive English Program affecting slightly any comparison with past years. Degree-seeking students who might also be taking a class through IIEP were counted, according to UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck. Because not all of the students enrolled exclusively in the IIEP program matriculate to the UI, Provost (Sue) Curry determined they should not be counted as part of our student body until they do, Beck said. Iowa State University Interim President Ben Allen reported, despite the decreases, his campus this fall welcomed its most diverse student body. Its international and U.S. multicultural representation totals 8,789 a record and its international students represent 127 countries, also a record. IOWA CITY, Iowa The tuition task force report delivered to the Iowa Board of Regents on Thursday didnt offer any hints on what it plans to propose in October. But it was clear throughout the presentation the regents and university heads are trying to keep costs low and be transparent in hopes of securing additional state funding. Were going to keep working with them. Were trying to make the case of what will continue to help our universities to be here for the next generation and also try to work through the details in public of how we arrive at a decision on tuition, said regents President Mike Richards. He continued, I think were thoughtfully putting our ideas and plans out here, and I hope to be talking to the legislators individually about what we think the priorities are. The tuition task force was established this spring to look at a long-term vision for the universities tuition rates, particularly after the regents had to come back for a second increase in two consecutive school years. Richards, who was not on the task force, said three themes emerges during meetings on the three university campuses this summer. They were that students want lower tuition increases; students and parents want more predictability; and theres support for differing tuition rates at the three public universities. Thursdays the board took public comments for the second time, and both speakers drove home those points. They raised concerns about tuition and whether the board was doing enough to ensure higher education is affordable. The board did not discuss proposed rates for next school year, which will have a first reading at the Oct. 18-19 regents meeting at University of Northern Iowa. Regent Larry McKibben, who led the task force, said the groups report looked at national trends and summed up comments from university heads and the public. But the task force didnt have enough data yet to say what figure it would put forth for next year. The question remains, What do we do next? McKibben said. It is clear that the Legislature and governor must make a long-term commitment to funding our public universities at a level that will maintain high-quality education, while not restricting student access. Gov. Kim Reynolds' spokeswoman Brenna Smith said budget proposals are not finalized for the next session but higher education remains a priority. Smith said the governor has encouraged regents to look for ways to keep higher education costs down. In the name of predictability, the board hopes to set just one tuition increase next year. Whether that leads it to err on the side of a higher increase Richards could not say. Were going to come in with the right number, Richards said. The university heads explained the need for state funding and how theyve worked to keep costs down. We have put together a budget thats extremely conservative; were going to have to do a great deal of work to meet that budget, said UNI President Mark Nook. What were asking for is the state to take on part of that, to increase our appropriation by about 2 percent each, in other words by about the (consumer price index). Nook said the university could keep tuition increases to about the same 2 percent CPI if it had that state aid. Without it, he suggested the university would need to increase tuition by closer to 5 or 6 percent. University of Iowa and Iowa State University leaders have proposed closer to 7 percent annual increases without increased state aid. Thats getting large. I think most people in the state say thats a significant increase. Its predictable. We know exactly what it is, but its right on the edge of whether or not thats reasonable, 5 percent per year, Nook said. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Air Force "sniffer plane" was collecting air samples off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Sept. 3, 1949, when it gathered evidence of radioactivity, confirming that the war-shattered Soviet Union had tested a nuclear device. The Soviets' Aug. 29, 1949, test had come faster than expected. Dating from the detonation at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, the basic science of nuclear explosions is more than 72 years old -- three years older than the North Korean nation. Ballistic missile technology is more than 60 years old. The problems of miniaturizing warheads for mounting on missiles, and of ensuring the warheads' survival en route to targets, are not sufficient to stymie a nation -- consider Pakistan, whose annual per capita income is less than $2,000 -- that is determined to have a nuclear arsenal. North Korea has one and is developing ICBMs faster than expected and with ostentatious indifference to U.S. proclamations. On Jan. 2, President-elect Donald Trump scampered up the rhetorical escalation ladder, unlimbering his heavy artillery -- an exclamation point -- to tweet about North Korea's promised ICBM test: "It won't happen!" It did. North Korea's most audacious act, firing a missile over Japan, came seven days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised North Korea's "restraint." Pyongyang's "signaling" does not involve abstruse semiotics: It wants a nuclear arsenal, and as The Economist magazine says, the world's unpalatable options are the improbable (productive negotiations), the feeble (more sanctions) and the terrifying (military pre-emption). Concerning the latter, there is no bright line, but there is a distinction to be drawn, however imprecisely, between pre-emptive war and preventive war. The former constitutes self-defense in response to a clear and present danger -- repelling an act of aggression presumed with reasonable certainty to be imminent. The latter is an act of anticipation -- and, to be candid, of aggression -- to forestall the emergence of a clear and present danger. When Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen," was he threatening to cross the nuclear weapons threshold? This has been contemplated before regarding North Korea. Former Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had been fired by President Harry Truman for insubordination, handed President-elect Dwight Eisenhower a memorandum on how "to clear North Korea of enemy forces": "This could be accomplished through the atomic bombing of enemy military concentrations and installations in North Korea and the sowing of fields of suitable radioactive materials, the by-product of atomic manufacture, to close major lines of enemy supply and communication. ... " MacArthur badly misjudged Eisenhower, whose biographer Jean Edward Smith says that during the Potsdam Conference (July 17-Aug. 2, 1945), when Eisenhower was told of the Alamogordo test -- his first knowledge of the new weapon -- "he was appalled" and "was the only one at Potsdam who opposed using the bomb." Smith says: "As president, Eisenhower would twice be presented with recommendations from his National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the bomb be used; first, in Vietnam to protect the French at Dien Bien Phu, then against China at the time of the Formosa Strait crisis. Both times Eisenhower rejected the recommendations. As a former supreme commander, Eisenhower had the confidence to do so, where other presidents might not have. And by rejecting the use of the bomb, there is no question that Eisenhower raised the threshold at which atomic weaponry could be employed -- a legacy we continue to enjoy." But for how long? The non-proliferation regime has been remarkably successful. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John Kennedy cited "indications" that by 1964 there would be "10, 15 or 20" nuclear powers. As president, he said that by 1975 there might be 20. Now, however, North Korea, the ninth, might be joined by Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, among others, unless U.S. leadership produces, regarding North Korea, conspicuously credible deterrence. The reservoir of presidential credibility is not brimful. On Aug. 1, Sen. Lindsey Graham said that Trump had told him that "there will be a war with North Korea" if it continues to develop ICBMs capable of reaching the United States. "We'll see," said Trump on Sunday, responding to this shouted question: "Will you attack North Korea?" You? Are Congress' constitutional powers regarding war so atrophied that it supinely hopes for mere post facto notification? Ten months after Nov. 8, that day's costs, until now largely aesthetic, are suddenly, although not altogether unpredictably, more serious than were perhaps contemplated by his 62,984,825 voters. Environment September 8, 2017 Michael Hale Shortly after British Columbias recent election, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley publicly declared that one province cannot hold another hostage by blocking a pipeline. She was referring to the fact that both the B.C. New Democrats and the Green Party had campaigned on platforms focused on building the new energy economy and opposing new pipelines. Many who live in B.C. reject Notleys specious logic and instead believe that one province cannot trample First Nations rights and ruin the earth for the rest of the country. A significant majority of Canadians know that climate change is real and is already happening. Polling shows that most want Canada to meet its commitments under the Paris climate agreement and start taking meaningful action against climate change. Yet the Trudeau and Notley governments speak the lines given to them by big oil. Youve heard them: Canada must get its resources to tidewater, or you can have pipelines and wind turbines. These are lines right out of the fossil fuel songbook. They are also demonstrably false. Scientists, economists and the general public have raised objections that have not been answered. The bottom line is that all reasonable estimates show that Canada has ample pipeline infrastructure to meet its needs while we make the transition to the new economy. Subsidies for Fossil Fuel or Incentives for Clean Energy? The new energy economy is based on energy sources other than old economy fossil fuels. Though some petroleum products will be used for the foreseeable future, we cannot afford, economically or environmentally, to continue burning fossil fuels at current rates. For the first time in history, an economy based on clean energy, electric transportation, smart grids, energy storage and increased energy efficiency is within our reach. Such economies already exist in other parts of the world. One important outcome for society is more local jobs when fossil fuel subsidies are diverted towards incentives for clean energy. During the B.C. election, the Green Party and the NDP both made it clear they think the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion is not compatible with building the new economy. Between them, the NDP and the Greens got over 60 per cent of the votes. Their agreement to govern means that B.C. will have a representative government. Hopefully this new government will do what they have said they will do in their forward-looking agreement. We need a strong provincial voice, as the federal government has already caved on environmental protection and new economy development. In announcing the federal cabinets decision on Kinder Morgans proposed expansion, Prime Minister Trudeau said it was based on science and fact. Thats rhetorical nonsense. Science collects and analyzes evidence, but governments must apply the science to decide the best outcomes for their citizens. Did science say the oil industries should have subsidies and clean energy should not? Did science say that the melting of the Arctic ice was A-okay? Maybe ask a polar bear to present a paper. It wouldnt be allowed anyway, as the National Energy Boards review of the proposed Kinder Morgan expansion did not permit testing of evidence through cross-examination. In campaigning for election, Trudeau said: while governments grant permits for resource development, only communities can grant permission. No matter what Notley or Trudeau say, the people of B.C. have not granted permission for new bitumen pipelines. Sixty per cent of the B.C. electorate voted against the B.C. Liberals and their partys devotion to the fossil fuel empire. We think the shift of voters is a direct indication of the desire of many British Columbians to move to a sustainable new energy economy. The old-economy rhetoric loses more power every year. We call on the Green Party and the New Democratic government of B.C. to get on with the new economy, and that means no more increasing bitumen exports or continuing to subsidize fossil fuels. 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. WASHINGTON (Sept. 07, 2017)Insufficient training and ship maintenance may have played a part in four naval ship collisions this year, U.S. Navy officials and government auditors told a congressional hearing on Thursday. Admiral Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, told lawmakers that American naval technological advances were "meaningless" without well-trained sailors. "We should not and cannot have collisions at sea," he said. "You have my promise we'll get to the bottom of these mishaps." The most recent accident involved the U.S.S. John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, which crashed into an oil tanker near Singapore Aug. 21. Ten sailors were killed in the collision, including Kevin Sayer Bushell, 26, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., 23 of Manchester, Maryland. On June 17, the U.S.S. Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan. Seven U.S. sailors died in that incident, crash, including 24-year-old Xavier Alex Martin of Halethorpe, Maryland. All four ships involved in collisions were in the U.S. Seventh Fleet, the largest of the Navy's forward-deployed fleets. The fleet's commander, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, was ousted following the crash of the McCain, and naval operations were suspended for one day on Aug. 23. In his testimony to two subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee, Moran said the pause in operations was not taken lightly, adding that it was an opportunity for commanding officers to review lessons learned from similar mishaps to ensure standards are has high as they need to be. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., chairman of the armed services panel's seapower and projection forces subcommittee, acknowledged the presence of Eckels' mother in the audience and she was greeted with applause. In a prepared statement, Wittman said that "the material condition and the operational readiness of the ships are significantly degraded and not acceptable." "Of our large surface combatants, the majority of the forward deployed ships are not properly ready to perform their primary warfare areas," he said. "Overall, the negative trend lines associated with the operational readiness of our forward deployed ships are deeply troubling. These negative training trends clearly contributed to the lack of seamanship evident on board the USS John McCain and the USS Fitzgerald." Testimony during the hearing revealed numerous problems facing the fleet. John H. Pendleton, director of Defense Capabilities and Management at the Government Accountability Office, cited a 2014 Navy study that showed sailors were on duty 108 hours weekly, facing what he called "unrelenting" operational demand and a limited supply of ships. The GAO is the nonpartisan auditing arm of Congress. Aircraft carrier deployments from 2008-2011 spanned 6.4 months on average, according to written testimony by Pendleton. In 2015, that average spiked to 9 months. Pendleton said these "aggressive" deployment schedules have had a detrimental effect on ship readiness. This has caused the Navy to "train on the margins" at times and "squeeze in training when they could," he added. "Manning has been a persistent challenge for the Navy," Pendleton said. The Navy has doubled its number of ships based overseas since 2006, according to a GAO report. To meet demand, the Navy has increased deployment lengths, shortenedand in some cases nixedtraining periods and reduced maintenance, resulting in "declining ship conditions and overall readiness," according to the report. Because of the decrease in naval personnel, Moran said the Navy's standards for issuing certification had relaxed in recent years. While the lowered standards were perfectly legal, Moran conceded the Navy should not have accepted them. At the time of their respective crashes, neither the Fitzgerald nor the McCain had proper certification, Pendleton added. The Navy has plans to grow its fleet by as much as 30 percent, according to the GAO. However, to meet that goal, the Navy must address its current under-staffing, Moran said, noting that too much is demanded of the sailors. "We aren't big enough to do everything we're tasked to do," the admiral said. "Perhaps we've asked (the sailors) to do too much." WASHINGTON Cardin Calls on Secretary DeVos to Maintain Protections for Student Victims of Sexual Assault WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a cosponsor of the bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act (S. 856), released the following statement regarding Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' Title IX Enforcement Announcement. "It's appalling that the Secretary of Education would try to dilute the Department of Education's landmark 2011 campus sexual assault protections. The Department of Justice found that one in five women experiences sexual assault in college. This should lead us to increase protections for these victims, as so many colleges have already been doing, not minimize their experiences. "A move in the right direction would be removing the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Candice Jackson, who made the egregious comment in July that '90 percent' of campus sexual assault claims were actually regretted sex. Jackson also has instructed the staff of the Office of Civil Rights to shrink the scope of their civil rights investigations, which sends a signal to sexual assault survivors that the Department does not intend to fulfill its commitment under Title IX to protect vulnerable students. I urge Secretary DeVos and President Trump to protect America's students by nominating a permanent Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights that will commit themselves to the Office's mission of vigorous enforcement of civil rights." (Sept. 07, 2017)Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday overturned an Obama administration directive on campus sexual assault that may have long-ranging implications for the more than 300,000 college and graduate students in Maryland."The era of rule by letter is over," said DeVos, referring to the 2011 guidelines set in place by President Barack Obama governing cases of sexual misconduct under a 1972 law known as Title IX.Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational institutions receiving federal aid and described sexual harassment and violence as forms of discrimination.Obama's 2011 "Dear Colleague" letter set out new obligations that the Department of Education would enforce involving sexual assaults at colleges and universities. Although the letter was not enforced as a law, colleges have followed it.Critics of the letter say that the guidelines have been used to unfairly demonize anyone accused of sexual violence without evidence. Supporters say the guidelines make it easier for survivors of sexual assault to report their experiences without fear of backlash.While a new framework is still in development, DeVos made clear that the Department of Education would roll back much of the earlier guidance.University of Maryland spokeswoman Katie Lawson said the school remained committed to "a campus free of sexual violence.""The university will advocate for the safety of our students as we await the public review period announced today by the Department of Education," she said.The Maryland Higher Education Commission declined to comment on the matter when contacted, saying it was too early to assess the impact of the announcement.AFT President Randi Weingarten, a sexual assault survivor, accused DeVos of siding with "those who want to roll back the clock.""DeVos is right that we need systemic reform, but it's this country's ingrained campus rape culture that needs changing, not the law that challenges it," Weingarten said in a statement. AFT, known as the American Federation of Teachers, represents 1.7 million primary and secondary school teachers, college professors and staff, government employees and healthcare workers.Calling DeVos's move "disgraceful" in a tweet, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., stated that the priorities of her agency would be better focused on "fighting against for-profit college shams."The YWCA USA tweeted that "survivors deserve an administration that stands with them."Under the Obama administration guidelines, schools were told to use the lowest standard of proof, called "preponderance of the evidence," in prosecuting sexual assault cases.In an address at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, DeVos said colleges must raise the burden of proof in order to protect the rights of both victims and those that they accuse because "the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students.""Any perceived offense can become a full-blown Title IX investigation, but if everything is harassment, then nothing is harassment," said DeVos, a statement which drew criticism for equating the harm done to falsely accused students with the suffering of assault survivors."Washington has insisted that schools step into roles that go beyond the mission of these institutions," said DeVos. "This doesn't mean schools don't have a role. They do. But we should also draw on medical professionals, counselors, clergy, and law enforcement for their expertise."DeVos consistently returned to the theme that schools must be mindful of all the rights of all students both victims and accused students, saying that the current system provided no justice to either party and that educational institutions were often too quick to punish students through school tribunals based on flimsy evidence."Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously," said DeVos, adding that those accused of sexual misconduct must also not feel like they have been judged guilty without a fair chance to defend themselves.DeVos' proposed changes were praised by Robert Shibley, executive director at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonprofit group that aims to defend individual rights at colleges and universities including "freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience.""Certainly as a civil libertarian you know it's very obvious that it kicked of an effort by the department to redefine Title IX enforcement in a way that made it clear that due process was going to be in some cases totally ignored in favor of attempts to fight sexual assault on campus," said Shibley.While DeVos said the system can improve to become more "effective and fair," some advocacy groups believe that these new guidelines will only help the accused.Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, blasted DeVos, saying she was continuing "a pattern of undermining survivors' rights, once again showing a clear lack of understanding or empathy for the millions of students who have experienced sexual violence on campus.""Let's be clear: Secretary DeVos just made an open invitation to colleges to once again sweep this national epidemic under the rug, which could discourage women and men on campuses across the country from reporting sexual assault and deprive survivors of the justice they deserve," Murray said."We know that no system is perfect, but we absolutely disagree that what (DeVos) is trying to do is make the system more fair," said Annie E. Clark, executive director of End Rape on Campus, a national nonprofit organization involved in organizing student survivors and families who protested outside of DeVos's speech."Survivors and advocacy groups were not a part of this announcement or meetingin fact we were not even allowed in the room," said Clark. "It's a veiled insult. This is a blatant attack on the civil rights of survivors."High school and university students and their families were part of the crowd gathered outside to share their stories around issues of sexual violence and upholding Title IX, said Clark."We were told by reporters and others in the announcement with DeVos that they could hear us chanting outside," said Clark. "So as she was talking about listening to survivors, you had this very clear picture that survivors were not being allowed in.""Survivors can't learn when their rapists sit behind them in math class, or live down the hall of their dorm, especially without accommodations and support from their schools," said Advocates for Youth in a press release. "But too often, schools don't respect survivors' rights, provide help, or investigate their reports."Know Your IX, a project of Advocates for Youth that works directly with students, was one of several groups protesting."Today, Secretary DeVos sent the message to student and survivors across the country that the Department of Education doesn't have their back," the group said in a statement. "DeVos and the Trump Administration have given us every indication their goal isn't equality, but helping abusers and rapists avoid accountability."One of Devos' main points was that the accused don't get due process because colleges want to help appease the victim."The notion that schools must diminish due process to better serve the victim only creates more victims," DeVos said. "The rights of one person can never be paramount to the rights of another."When asked whether he believed the changes DeVos proposes will lead to an increase in campus sexual assault, Shibley responded "I don't believe there's very much of a risk that all of a sudden people who are engaging in sexual misconduct on campus will go scot free."The specifics of a new process for handling sexual assault on campuses are yet to come."We will launch a transparent notice and comment process to incorporate the insights of all parties in developing a better way," the secretary said. "We will seek public feedback and combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise and the experiences of students to replace the current approach with a workable, effective and fair system." The African and African Diaspora Studies program at St. Mary's College of Maryland will host its first annual fall symposium "From Slavery to Freedom: The Struggle for Civic Virtue at St. Mary's and Beyond" on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. in the Blackistone Room of Anne Arundel Hall. The event is free of charge and open to the public but pre-registration is required. Visit www.smcm.edu/africandiaspora/events/ "From Slavery to Freedom: The Struggle for Civic Virtue at St. Mary's and Beyond" will give special attention to recently discovered evidence that St. Mary's Female Seminary owned slaves during the nineteenth century. The symposium will also examine practices designed to memorialize slavery on American college campuses. In addition, scholars will explore the history of slavery in St. Mary's County, Southern Maryland and other parts of Maryland.The symposium's evening program will take place from 78:30 p.m. in the College's Blackistone Room. The program will feature a roundtable discussion with visiting panelists from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Madison's Montpelier, Georgetown University, and the College of William and Mary.The symposium continues on Saturday in Daugherty-Palmer Commons. It will consist of four moderated panels, held from 910:30 a.m., 11 a.m.12:30 p.m., 1:152:45 p.m., and 3:154:45 p.m. The panels will feature the College's African and African Diaspora Studies program faculty members, along with additional College faculty and scholars from Historic St. Mary's City, Sotterley Plantation, and George Washington's Mount Vernon.The symposium's final event is a lecture and concert, "Liberation: The Spirit of Jazz & Democracy," September 23, 5 p.m., in Auerbach Auditorium, St. Mary's Hall. Drummer and music historian Dominic Fragman and philosopher Sybol Anderson tell the story of enslaved people in St. Mary's County who self-emancipated during the War of 1812. Fragman and Anderson illuminate connections between those self-emancipators, later African Americans' self-liberation through jazz improvisation, and how Americans today use improvisation to expand freedom and promote democracy. Master musicians Paul Murphy (drums) and Larry Willis (piano) perform a rare, totally improvised concert featuring guest performances by Fragman and poet Jere Carroll.Hotel accommodations are available at Home2Suites, Lexington Park, Md. for $89.00/night and at the Brome Howard Inn, St. Mary's City, Md. for $102.00/night. Callers should mention the African and African Diaspora Studies Symposium at St. Mary's College to receive the discounted rate.Come out and join St. Mary's College of Maryland for a full weekend of festive fall activities during Hawktoberfest, Oct. 2022. The annual event attracts more than 1,000 visitors to the College's waterfront campus each year.Hawktoberfest weekend is comprised of a variety of free and low-cost events for community members, students and their families, and the College community to enjoy, including: Taste of Southern Maryland, Friday, 57:30 p.m. 18th Annual Petruccelli 5K, Saturday, 8 a.m. race start Kids' Corner, Saturday, 125 p.m. Arboretum Guided Tree Walk, Saturday, 12 p.m. St. Mary's River Cruises, Saturday, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. Bamboo Boat Race, Saturday, 45 p.m. (construction begins at 12 p.m.) Crab Feast, Saturday, 68 p.m. Brunch Buffet, Sunday, 10 a.m.2 p.m.For a full list of events and to register for any event for that weekend, visit www.smcm.edu/events/hawktoberfest . Registration is now open through Thursday, Oct. 12.St. Mary's College of Maryland's Center for the Study of Democracy has announced several events taking place in September and October. All events are free of charge, open to the public, and take place at Cole Cinema in the Campus Center on the College's campus.Immigration to Maryland, Thursday, Sept. 14 at 4:45 p.m., will explore the history of Southern Maryland. St. Mary's College Professor of Anthropology Julia King examines the past with her presentation "Immigration and the Founding of Maryland." Joining her, Professor of Anthropology Judith Freidenberg from the University of Maryland, will focus on more recent immigration with her talk "Contemporary Conversations on Immigration in the United States: The View from Prince George's County, Maryland."The GAP Film Series: The Undocumented, Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m., weaves Marcos Hernandez's storyan undocumented Mexican living and working in Chicago, searching the Sonora Desert for his father who was entering the U.S. undocumentedwith the efforts of the humanitarians and Border Patrol agents fighting to prevent migrant deaths, and the medical investigators and Mexican Consulate who work to identify the dead.The GAP Film Series: I Learn America, Thursday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. shows five resilient immigrant teenagers coming together over a year at the International High School at Lafayette and struggling to learn their new land. The International High School is a New York City public school dedicated to serving newly arrived immigrant teenagers, with more than 300 students speaking two-dozen languages from 50 countries.The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) explores contemporary and historical issues associated with the ideas of democracy, liberty and justice in national and international contexts. It supports research that enhances our understanding of liberal democracy and its critics. The CSD facilitates activities that strengthen democracy and the rule of law; enhance security and individual freedoms; invigorate the civil society; encourage free enterprise; and increase economic, environmental, educational and cultural equity.St. Mary's College of Maryland's Center for the Study of Democracy presents "The Missiles of October: What the World Didn't Know; The Cuban Missile Crisis +55" on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Cole Cinema, Campus Center on the St. Mary's College campus. The event is free of charge and open to the public.Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Sherry Jones will present the documentary and lead a discussion on the missile crisis and how its mishaps, miscalculations and lessons resonate today, 55 years after that perilous October. In particular, the speakers will discuss how the crisis relates to the current escalation between the United States and the North Korean nuclear missile program. Director of National Security Archive at George Washington University Thomas Blanton, and director of the archive's Russia program Svetlana Savranskaya will join producer Jones for the discussion.The documentary is told through minute-by-minute accounts of those who were involved from the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba. With correspondent Peter Jennings, the documentary portrays the events as the crisis of the nuclear age while revealing that the world was much closer to the brink in October 1962 than anyone either knew or was willing to admit.Jones is an award-winning producer and director with dozens of television documentaries to her credit. Her films have won eight Emmy awards, two Robert F. Kennedy awards, three Edward R. Murrow awards, and two consecutive Silver Baton awards from the American Bar Association. Jones is a fellow of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, and has been honored as a "Woman of Vision" by Women in Film and Video.The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) explores contemporary and historical issues associated with the ideas of democracy, liberty and justice in national and international contexts. It supports research that enhances our understanding of liberal democracy and its critics. The CSD facilitates activities that strengthen democracy and the rule of law; enhance security and individual freedoms; invigorate the civil society; encourage free enterprise; and increase economic, environmental, educational and cultural equity.Guest Curator and St. Mary's College of Maryland alum Jayme McLellan '94 offers an exhibition presenting diverse perspectives on the relationship to the land on which humans live for the exhibit "Living on the Land, Vol. 2," Sept. 6Nov. 12 at the Boyden Gallery in Montgomery Hall on the St. Mary's College campus. The gallery is open TuesdayFriday, 11 a.m.4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.2 p.m. , and during special College events.Featured artists include Colby Caldwell, Margo Elsayd, Eve Hennessa, Peter Garfield, Noelle Tan and Curtis Woody. The exhibition features a variety of media, including black-and-white and color photography, site-specific installation, sculpture, painting and more. The artists' work considers the cyclical nature of life and death, obligations of humankind to connect, heal and grow thoughtful and engaged communities, and power disparities in contemporary culture, including the legacy of slavery on the Eastern Shore.Their projects also explore the remnants of stories and traces of history left behind in objects, ideas and situations, as well as a shared obligation to protect the environment and heal the land.Boyden Gallery will host two related events, free and open to the public: a gallery talk with McLellan, founder of Civilian Art Projects and cofounder of Transformer in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for Oct. 16 from 4:45-5:45 p.m. Additionally, photographer Colby Caldwell will give an artist talk on Monday, Oct. 23 from 4:45-5:45 p.m. (Caldwell will be in residence at St. Mary's Artist House between Oct. 19-25). WASHINGTON (Sept. 08, 2017)In Maryland, which historically has ducked many of the worst storms of the last 50 years, the question is increasingly not if, but when the next big one will strike. And while some believe the state has often been spared from big hits by dint of location and the buffer of the Chesapeake, what the bay giveth it can also wash away. Maryland has done extensive planning, including infrastructure improvements that focus on bolstering natural storm defenses to better absorb tidal surges and rainfall runoff, but there is widespread consensus among state officials and meteorologists that a massive hurricane like Harvey or Irma could overwhelm emergency services. "None of us are exempt," said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, during comments to reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday before he voted in support of the $7.85 billion Harvey relief bill in the House on Wednesday. "Every part of the country floodswe're all subject to the vagaries of natural disasters." Among the storms that have not missed Maryland is Agnes in 1972, a tropical deluge widely considered among the worst to hit the state, causing 19 deaths and $110 million in damages, according to the National Weather Service. In 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 2 storm, creating a tidal surge in the Chesapeake of more than 6 feet and flooding Maryland communities including Annapolis, Fells Point in Baltimore and Cambridge, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records. "It's certainly not impossible that something like (superstorm) Sandy would happen here," said Donald Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and one of the state's leading climate experts. Boesch noted that a scientific concept called stationarity, the idea that many patterns operate within a fixed range, is no longer true when applied to climate-related events like big storms. "Terms like 'once in 100 years' don't have much meaning anymore," he explained, while cautioning that the cooler ocean waters off the nation's mid-Atlantic coast make a Harvey-scale storm unlikely. For coastal states like Maryland, there are two types of storms that have the most potential to create damage: those that bring tidal surges (sea water pushed inland by a tropical storm or hurricane) and those that feature much more rain than wind, which create problems with water run-off. Both storm varieties cause flooding, but for most of Maryland it's the latter that can wreak havoc, particularly in low-lying areas like Annapolis and parts of Baltimore around the Inner Harbor, which flood regularly under heavy rain. "Generally, we have increasing precipitation because the atmosphere is getting warmer and this will continue," said Konstantin Vinnikov, a research scientist at University of Maryland and the state climatologist for Maryland. "Sea level rise in the next couple of decades will make everything much more catastrophic. In Maryland, our islands are suffering with sea level rise even now." So it's fair to wonder what will happen if Maryland gets pounded with a Harvey- or Katrina-level storm that dumped water on the state for days. "Clearly, the Eastern Shore could get hit as hard as the Gulf Coast could get hit," said Ed McDonough, spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, which is charged with coordinating the state-level response to natural or man-made disasters. "The difference is most of the people who are in harm's way are there in summer vacationing." MEMA's basic action plan in the event of a direct storm hit or deluge of rain on the Eastern Shore is to order an evacuation of residents to areas north or west. It's something the agency did on a small scale in 2011, moving about 3,000 seasonal workers from Ocean City when Hurricane Irene swept through the mid-Atlantic region. MEMA recently updated one of its key emergency operation plans, although its main strategic emergency blueprint, the Emergency Preparedness Program Strategic Plan, has not been updated since 2013. "Plans are kind of living documents," said McDonough, referring to the latter. "As things happen, you modify them." Loss of life and property are not the only concerns in a major storm. Given the economic importance of the Chesapeake Bay, environmental damage is also a worry. "Big storms in general are bad for the bay because they bring a lot of pollution," said Beth McGee, senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The best defense against pollution from water runoff is what are called "living shorelines," or those that remain in their natural state, something that is on the decline in Maryland, according to McGee. "Flooding is made worse when you have a lot of paved surfaces and rooftops," said McGee, who also said that Maryland was "making progress" at mitigating development in sensitive shore areas, but "not fast enough." "There's a fair amount of land that's converting from agriculture and forest to developed land," she added. Maryland's Coast Smart Council, a group of state and local environmental and planning groups formed in 2014, is charged with making regulations for construction and land use with this in mind. In 2016, Coast Smart's efforts included grant assistance to help restore floodplains, reinforce beaches and protect marsh lands that can serve as a flood buffer during storms. But will it be enough? "Until you have a storm, it's hard to gauge," said Matt Fleming, director of Maryland's Chesapeake and Coastal Service, an agency that coordinates among regional, state and local governments and private organizations to protect the state's shoreline. "I hope we're more prepared than we were five years ago. We've taken steps to put us in that direction." Timing also matters in Maryland. Spring or early summer storms are particularly lethal to the bay's underwater sea grasses, which are still immature at the time but serve as spawning grounds and protection for young fish and crab populations. Although Maryland has only a short ocean-facing shoreline, its needs differ from those areas directly on the Chesapeake. "We've been lucky in a lot of ways, but you know we can be on the national news with the satellite trucks here at any given time," said Ocean City Councilman Dennis Dare, a former member of the Coast Smart Council. "That's why we've spent 30 years preparing." For Ocean City, it is storm surge, not wind or rain, that holds the greatest potential for mayhemor, ironically, a storm that misses that city and hits the Chesapeake directly. "If it (a storm) goes up the Chesapeake Bay, that means the metro areasAnnapolis, Prince George's, Howard County, Baltimorewill have severe damage," added Dare. "The resources of the state are gonna go in those areas and the Eastern Shorewe may be left to fend for ourselves." If Maryland absorbs a massive drubbing like Harvey or Irma, more than the Eastern Shore will likely go begging. "No one is going to have everything they need for a catastrophic event like Harvey," said McDonough. On this, there is widespread agreement. "If we get a ginormous (sic) storm like they had in Houston," McGee said, "that's going to overwhelm the entire system." Based on the 1986 Stephen King novel of the same name, It became a 1990 made-for-TV movie that aired on ABC. As those kinds of productions from that time period go, it wasnt bad, developing a kind of cult following. However, it was far from perfect. One of the objectives of a movie remake should be to improve on the original, and the new version of It (Warner Brothers/New Line) does so in one funny way. Its much more amusing than its predecessor, due in large part to the wisecracking character of Richie, played by Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things fame. Every time Richie cracks a joke, even the corny and inappropriate ones, the movie comes to life. Thankfully, the jokes are delivered at a rapid pace. Richie and his fellow nerdy friends Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff) are regularly bullied by ruthless classmate thug Henry (Nicholas Hamilton) and his goons in late `80s Derry, Maine. Henry, who happens to be the son of the towns sheriff, also strikes fear in the hearts of new kid Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), home-schooled contemporary Mike (Chosen Jacobs), and Beverly (Sophia Lillis), a girl with an undeserved reputation. Henrys violent and vitriolic outbursts are motivated by race, anti-Semitism and misogyny. Fear is also the thing that binds the lovable losers together. Individually, they struggle with their own private terrors. Beverly is being sexually molested by her father. Bill hasnt gotten over the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott). Stanley, the son of Derrys rabbi, cant prepare for his Bar Mitzvah because the woman in a Modigliani-esque painting terrorizes him. Little does Eddie know that the asthma attacks he suffers from are the byproduct of his controlling mothers Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Feeding on their fears, literally, is shapeshifting, dancing clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard). Returning to Derry every 27 years to wreak havoc on the town (and especially the children) and slaughter residents, Pennywise has zeroed in on these particular adolescents and finds a variety of ways to terrify and torment them. With such promising groundwork a best selling Stephen King novel and popular TV movie version its shocking how It goes wrong in so many ways. Andy Muschiettis direction is clunky and labored. Why it took three people (Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman) to come up with this overly long, boring and not particularly scary screenplay is a mystery. The special effects, while certainly more advanced than what we saw in 1990, are far from special. Particularly insulting is a bit about references to AIDS (dont forget, the movie is set in the late 1980s), considering that the movie ends with Richie, Bill and company, taking a blood oath. Whatever you do, dont miss the closing credits punchline that declares that this is merely Chapter One. Rating: C- 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. Coffee Design is proudly sponsored by Savor Brands , your boost in coffeedence through maximizing designs in packaging, sustainability and tech. Now heres something a little different. The Atlas Coffee Club delivers coffees in glorious packages that are vibrant expressions of the locations the coffee comes from. Co-Founder Jordan Rosenacker tells us they draw inspiration from the textiles and landscapes from each source and use the entire front of the bag as a canvasfree of logos, text, or branding. We spoke with Rosenacker digitally to learn more. Tell us a bit about your company. Would love to, thanks for asking :) We designed Atlas Coffee Club to tell the story of coffee from around the world. From Tanzania, to Ethiopia, Peru to Burundi, each month we introduce a new single-origin coffee from a new country and highlight its unique coffee flavor and culture. When did the coffee package design debut? August 2016. And were currently working on three new coffee bag designs to be added this year to showcase our new countries and regions. :) Who designed the package? We designed the packaging in-house and worked with a couple of friends to add a few different layers of creative interpretations. The Executive Creative Director: Jordan Rosenacker. Designer: Donny Zellefrow. What coffee information do you share on the package? The only text we have on our coffee bag is the country name on the side with our logo in a smaller font beneath it. While it doesnt include text, the front of our coffee bags are filled with information. To further tell the story of coffee from around the world we created our coffee bags to be all patterned designs inspired from local landscapes and textiles; each coffee bag was created to connect the coffee consumer to the country. Be it via our Costa Rican coffee bag that was inspired from the 19th-century ox carts used to transport coffee. Or via our Brazilian coffee bag that was created to celebrate Brazils remarkable biodiversity; inspired by natures ability to seamlessly coexist and cohabit as one. Whats the motivation behind that? At the core of each interaction with Atlas Coffee Club we want our visitors, subscribers, and customers to feel more connected to the countries producing the coffee. We essentially try and operate as coffee tour guides, connecting coffee lovers and coffee newcomers to each country, making it a seamless process, and working to not get in the way. We want to celebrate the various cultures and regions from around the world and not interrupt the experience with branded distractions like logos and branded language. If we can connect our subscribers to the country their coffee is coming from, then weve done our job. To encourage the imagination to journey 9,028 mi from Texas to Tanzania, where the Serengeti has its illuminated golden sprawl and where coral reefs and whale sharks surround the island of Zanzibar We want our subscribers to experience this journey through the coffee and to have an appreciation that stretches beyond going to the grocery store and grabbing a bag off of the shelf. We hold ourselves to a tour-guide standard, making sure we do our best to curate and show our subscribers the best coffee each country has to offer. Our cupping sessions involve 25-30 different coffees and through all channels of communication we operate with the understanding that you cant refund a vacation. What this means for us is a lot of our subscribers might only try Congo coffee once and we want that first impression to be a good one. Where is the bag manufactured? The United States of America. Is the package recyclable/compostable? Not currently but we hope to introduce this soon along with additional ways of supporting the environment. Were also currently working on a competition that encourages our customers to repurpose our coffee bags after using them. Weve had a number of subscribers repurpose them into art projects and were excited to develop this / see where it can go! Where is it currently available? Online via our website. Thanks so much! Company: Atlas Coffee Club Location: Texas Country: United States Design Date: 2016 Package Type: 12-16oz, Gusseted, Matte Laminate Designer: Jordan Rosenacker & Donny Zellefrow Coffee Design is a feature series by Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge. Read more Coffee Design here. Photos courtesy of Atlas Coffee Club. The 2017 racing season has been nothing short of remarkable for Prince Edward Islands's leading driver, and with rail control in the Saturday night (September 9) feature, Marc Campbell will look to add to those totals at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. First race post time is 6:00 p.m. (Atlantic) for the 14-dash card, with Rose Run Quest leaving from post one in the thirteenth-race featured event for trainer-driver Campbell and owner Blair Hansen. Campbell is the leading driver and trainer at both Red Shores locations in Charlottetown and Summerside, and this is only where his accomplishments start as 2017 passes two-thirds completion. With 85 wins as a trainer, Campbell ranks third in Canada for victories and first in the nation for percentage with his .552 average. That average also puts him third in North America for trainers with under 300 starts. As a driver, Campbell has made 163 trips to victory lane in 2017, placing him seventh in Canada for wins among drivers and first for driving average at .466. Those numbers will look to be bolstered in race 13 on Saturday, as Rose Run Quest has just four starts on red soil but an impressive summary of two wins and two seconds. His competition in Saturday's $2,400 preferred pace will be fierce, as he faces off with Nogreatmischief (Walter Cheverie), Forever Paradise (Gilles Barrieau), Carracci Hanover (Jason Hughes), and Junebugs Baby (Myles Heffernan). Race analyst Les MacIsaac sees Nogreatmischief as a major threat to repeat his Preferred pace victory from last week. "Nogreatmischief's tardy starts always force him to come from the back, but in a five-horse field, the back isnt all that far away," MacIsaac said. "He just beat these last week and we dont see any reason he cant double up." In other action, JK Rocket rides a two-race win streak into race eight with Earl Smith back in the bike for owner and trainer Joe Smallwood. The three-year-old son of Ameripan Gigolo has post five this week as he faces off with Woodmere Soul (Barrieau), who is fresh off a career-best clocking of 1:58 in an Atlantic Sires Stakes B division at Northside Downs in Nova Scotia in his latest outing. Check out www.redshores.ca for live video, race programs, promotional information and more. (Red Shores) Saturday evening (September 9) at Kawartha Downs will be an emotional one for the Johnson family. Not only are they honouring patriarch Ivan with a memorial race, but they are also starting a three-year-old trotter who was never expected to live, let alone race. In race five, Goldie Rocket will start from post four. Ivans daughter Denise Ball owns the sophomore trained by her brother Mark. Her niece Samara will drive. Goldie Rocket is named for local veterinarian, and Kawartha Downs vet, Kyle Goldie, whom Denise credits for saving the horses life when he arrived into the world on May Day, 2014. When he was born his legs were all tucked up in, completely contracted, he couldnt stand. He was so small that we put a dog coat on him. We tried to help him as much as we could, we had to put his bum in our lap so he could balance himself enough to nurse, remembered Denise. Goldie Rocket as a foal Goldie Rocket as a foal It only lasted about an hour before he was too tired and needed to lay down again. Then things got worse. He was impacted and was extremely colicky. He would roll around on the ground trying to find any comfort. All of this happened in the first 12 hours of his life. The Balls, Denise and her husband Mike, had bought the mare, Zorgwijk Locket while she was in foal to Windsong Espoir, so the stud fee was paid when the foal was born. Mike said to at least give him a chance, so we called Kyle Goldie, Denise continued. When he first saw him, he shook his head and said it wasnt good. Kyle pumped plenty of fluids into him; a couple of jugs of electrolytes and antibiotics. The foal started to come around again, but on the Friday night he took a complete turn again, going backwards. We called Kyle at 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., and he answered and told us to bring the foal up to his clinic right away, she added. For a full week the colt did not stand. He had to be assisted to nurse ,and his backside was becoming raw from his mother licking him to encourage him to stand up. He had also injured his hock while attempting to stand on his own. It took three months and the hock was still not healing properly. I had read or heard somewhere that if you cover the cut with Polysporin and cover it with duct tape it will began to heal. So thats what we did and it healed. To this day, there is still no hair on that hock. We told Kyle we wanted to name the horse after him because of all the work and support he gave him. When Kyle comes into our barn, he is the first horse he goes to see. Given his rough beginning, the family certainly didnt expect the colt to make it to the races, but he has defied the odds and has been racing regularly at his home track of Kawartha Downs this year. So far hes had 10 starts and only once missed a cheque. He is such a pet now. Hes 16 hands tall now, and if he keeps growing, he might one day be as big as his mom. He is Mark and my baby. You cant be anything but happy with him. Most people who are breeding horses would just say this one isnt going to make it. It was a struggle, but we got through it. Kyle didnt have to do everything he has and we are thankful. Who, at 4:30 in the morning, rolls out of bed and gives you what you need in an emergency? He was there the day he was born within 15 minutes of us calling him. I think most vets understand with emergencies time is critical and he must have been in the area, but we are thankful he was close enough to help him quickly. Kyle always gives him the thumbs up when he trots by him, noted Denise, who is a chartered accountant. The love for horses comes naturally for the family, as Ivan was a passionate horseman for many years after winning his first Standardbred in a card game in 1973. Ivan, who passed away in February of 2013, is among those being remembered and celebrated on Kawarthas Memorial Night card. I think my dad would be very proud of what we did for Goldie. Mom always says that he would be so proud. Samara is driving all three of our horses Saturday (including Jetset Charmer in Ivans Memorial race). We just thought it would be a great way to recognize the Memorial Night and our family. We have been having a great time at Kawartha this year. Mom, who is 83, gets to come out each week and see them race which is great. Kawarthas post time is 7:00 p.m. Saturday night. In addition to Ivan, also being honoured on the Memorial card are: Roger Hie, Tom Millison, Charles Ibey, Brenna Seeley, Ruby Brown, Nellie & Leona Wright, Wayne Dowson and Doreen & Eric Brock. (Kawartha Downs) This Sunday (September 10), eight two-year-old pacing fillies will battle it out at Hippodrome 3R in the annual Lucien Bombardier Stakes, which this carries a purse of $38,500. This year the field is highlighted by four return winners in the Race 8 feature. One of the pioneers of horse racing in Canada, but especially Quebec, Lucien Bombardier devoted his entire life to the industry. Born and raised near Bedford, QC, Bombardier retired in 1992 after 16 years on the board of directors of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society (CSHS). The following year, at age 86, Bombardier became the first honourary director of the CSHS. His appointment by the board of directors in January 1993 was in recognition of achievement and contribution to the society and the Standardbred industry. Bombardier was also honoured in 1985 when he was recognized for his lifelong devotion to the industry as the recipient of the societys General Achievement Award for his excellence, leadership and contribution to the breeding industry, and by his election into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame the following year. Bombardier started training and driving harness horses at agricultural fair meetings in Quebec at an early age. In the early 1940s, he left a business career to open a large racing stable at Richelieu Park in Montreal, and in 1953 he accepted an executive position with Blue Bonnets. During 25 years in racetrack management he played a role in developing many changes and innovations that helped make harness racing a major sport industry and earned him an enviable reputation on both sides of the border. He also served as a director of Harness Tracks of America and the Canadian Trotting Association. At age 68, Bombardier retired from Blue Bonnets and embarked upon a new career when he became an executive with Angus Farms in Bedford, QC, one of the provinces most successful breeding establishments. Bombardier passed away in 1995 and was honoured each year at the Hippodrome de Montreal with the running of the Lucien Bombardier Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies. With sponsorship from Standardbred Canada and the Quebec Jockey Club, the Hippodrome 3R revived the stakes race in 2011. This years stakes event features Azure Seelster, who will start from Post 4 for driver Louis-Philippe Roy. The daughter of Shadow Play has already won three of her six starts for trainer Jacques Dupont. In just her last start she won a division of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots at Mohawk Racetrack in 1:54.3 by three and one-half lengths. Earlier this season at Grand River Raceways half mile oval, Azure Seelster took her lifetime mark with a 1:54.3 score. Azure Seelster is part of a three-horse entry with Miss Rockadali (Post 5) and Katniss S BG (Post 7) who are both trained by Yves Filion. Miss Rockadali is the weakest of the entry, but Katniss S BG was second last week in the $55,000 Future Stars Series and prior had won two preliminary rounds of the series. Lit De Rose is the second choice in the race, and rightly so. The daughter of Leader Bayama, trained by Maxime Velaye and owned and bred by Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, is on a three-race winning streak. Her victory last week was the biggest win of her early career three wins from just five starts. Last week she led from start to finish over a sloppy track at H3R to capture the $55,000 Future Stars final. She did it in 2:02, but the following start showed she can also win in 1:59.1. Lit De Rose will be driven by Pierre Luc Roy. A newcomer to H3R, Cold Creek Lacey, will start from Post 2 for driver Stephane Brosseau. In her last start, the Shanghai Phil filly wired the field at Kawartha Downs in 1:58. She is trained by Craig Barssi. Kiss My Shadow is the fourth return winner and has been saddled with Post 8 for driver Guy Gagnon and trainer and co-owner Chantal Mitchell. Last week at Flamboro Downs, Kiss My Shadow took a lifetime mark of 2:00.4. Completing the field will be D Gs Shadowbell (Post 1), who has won three of her last four starts for driver Jonathan Lachance, and Liisawithtwoeyes, who will start from Post 3 for driver Stephen Gendron and trainer Francis Richard. Post time is 12:30 p.m. and for a free race program or information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com. (Quebec Jockey Club) It has been announced today that Diamond Creek Farm in the United States and Oakwood Stud in Ireland have become the sponsors of Sire Stakes Ireland for the 2018 season. Sire Stakes Ireland is a new racing series for Standardbred horses that was first started in 2014. The objective of Sire Stakes Ireland is to encourage breeding mares, increase prize money, and to promote harness racing in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The series is open to horses bred and foaled in Ireland and the UK, and sired by stallions nominated into the program. Diamond Creek Farm has two American locations, based in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. They currently stand world champion stallions A Rocknroll Dance, Always B Miki, Creatine, Father Patrick, Ponder, Southwind Frank and Sweet Lou. Our involvement with the Vincent Delaney Memorial has created a great relationship between Diamond Creek and Oakwood Stud, said Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farm. We are excited to partner with them to offer Sweet Lou to the UK and Ireland. As sponsors of the VDM, we are also big fans of Irish racing and are pleased to be able to support the stakes racing through our sponsorship. Oakwood Stud in Ireland has emerged over the past five years as one of the top breeders of yearlings in Ireland and the UK. Currently they stand Foreclosure N and Rachmoninov Seven and have frozen semen shipped from Sweet Lou in the USA. We recently were at Diamond Creek Farm in Kentucky, and sealed the sponsorship with Adam Bowden, said Sire Stakes Ireland founder James Delaney of Oakwood Stud. What a great boost this will be for Sire Stakes Ireland in 2018, Delaney said. Now breeders and owners have something extra to look forward in racing opportunities in 2018. All yearlings that were foaled in either Ireland or the UK from the stallions eligible for Sire Stakes Ireland need only to fill out the nomination form and make the payments to be eligible. And now with the Diamond Creek Farm and Oakwood Stud sponsorships, the purses will be greater than ever in 2018. We are also introducing a breeders premium for the breeder of the winning horse in all divisions, Delaney added. The person(s) who owned and bred the foal at conception will receive a trophy in all divisions plus a cash bonus too. We hope this will help stimulate more people to breed horses. We feel its our duty to honour and reward the breeders who have been loyal to our stallions. We are so thankful to Adam Bowden and Diamond Creek Farm and Oakwood Stud for coming on board with Sire Stakes Ireland with their generous sponsorships. Delaney said. For the nomination forms, payment schedule and list of stallions eligible for Sire Stakes Ireland, visit their website at www.sirestakesireland.com. The Sire Stakes Ireland nominated stallions are: Ayr Glory, Armbro Duece, Arts Conquest, Arts Professor, Check On Jack, Connors Dragon, Crown Manhattan, Doonbeg, Eagle Luck, Forafewdollarsmore, Foreclosure N, Hasty Hall, Kiki Kolt, Mypanmar, No Pan Intended, Stonebridge Galaxy, See And Ski, Total Truth, Yankee Lariat. (Sire Stakes Ireland) 'Leaving Mormonism' -- New Book Explains Why Four Christian Scholars Left Contact: Sheryl Young, Media Outreach Coordinator, 813-486-8594, sherylyoung@ratiochristi.org INDIAN TRIAL, N.C., Sept. 8, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Ratio Christi Campus Apologetics Alliance announces the forthcoming publication of the book Leaving Mormonism: Why Four Scholars Changed their Minds, co-edited by Ratio Christi's president, Dr. Corey Miller, and Lynn Wilder; written by Miller, Wilder, Vince Eccles, and Latayne C. Scott. The book is published under the Ratio Christi Books imprint division of Kregel Publications and will be released to the public on November 21. The Amazon pre-order page can be found here. Leaving Mormonism (#leavingmormonism) offers the academic expertise and personal experience of four ex-Mormons who explain why the Church of Latter-Day Saints proved to be intellectually and spiritually deficient for them and others. No previous book has pooled the collective wisdom of people who are former members of the Mormon church and who also possess the highest academic credentials. Speaking to both the heart and mind, the four contributors share their stories of leaving the LDS church and their well-considered reasons for doing so. All four scholars now embrace biblical Christianity and recognize Jesus as Messiah. Miller holds a Ph.D. in philosophical theology and teaches philosophy and comparative religions at Indiana University. He leads Ratio Christi, a global campus ministry dedicated to equipping faculty and students with scientific, philosophical, and historical evidence for following Jesus Christ. See his one-minute video about the book. Wilder holds a Ph.D. in education and was previously a tenured professor at Brigham Young University. She and her husband cofounded Ex-Mormon Christians United for Jesus. She has mentored thousands of students, written sixty scholarly publications, and now teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University. Vince Eccles is a research scientist at Utah State University with a doctorate in physics. Latayne C. Scott holds a doctorate in biblical studies and is the award-winning author of more than seventeen books, including one in print for nearly thirty years. Dr. Miller states, "Our hope is that our words will be respectfully, honestly, and openly considered with both mind and heart" ... "The spirit motivating Leaving Mormonism was one of urgent concern for those we love about a future that goes well beyond this life." President of Southern Evangelical Seminary Richard Land, Ph.D., writes in the book's Foreword: "Drs. Miller and Wilder explain the unique tenor of the book, which is not mean-spirited or hostile to Mormons as people." Members of the media can arrange interviews with Drs. Miller and/or Wilder by contacting Sheryl Young, Ratio Christi Media Outreach Coordinator, sherylyoung@ratiochristi.org or (813) 486-8594. Major Back to School Savings + Brand New Church Website Template Contact: Sharefaith , 888-317-4018MEDFORD, Ore., Sept. 8, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- Sharefaith announces a brand new sale to coincide with the release of a brand new church website template.Sharefaith, award-winning creator of all-in-one church resources such as church websites, mobile apps, Sunday School curriculums, the largest worship graphics library, and online giving and donations platforms, announced a limited time discount of 20% off all yearly plans , in celebration for Back To School.Back to school is the kick-off time for new church activities, for children, youth and adults - new classes, move-up Sunday, new energy, and renewed focus. It's a perfect time to take advantage of the incredible offer of 20% off. This limited time discount expires September 15th.Sharefaith's Complete plan has the biggest value, at the lowest price anywhere! This plan includes 80,000 worship graphics & media, over 100 Sunday School Bible lessons, full curriculum and scheduler, church website, free website migration (a huge bonus!), free church mobile app ($1,000 value) worship presentation software, giving & donations platform, and lifetime premium phone, chat & email support, now 6 days a week, Monday through Sunday!If this weren't enough, Sharefaith has knocked it out of the park with its most exciting and feature-packed church website template ever, Grace Church ! The template is one of 24 award winning choices through Sharefaith that empowers churches to create a professional church website with little to no expertise in website development.Some of the template features include an awe-inspiring homepage that offers a clean, yet simple navigation menu, allowing web visitors to know exactly where to find important information. It's also loaded with easy drag-and-drop options so the church webmaster can create pages for galleries, events, staff, sermons, maps and much more, the Grace Church website template puts the capability to create a dynamic website into the hands of the local church like never before."What we've been able to do with this new template is really incredible," says Hein van Wyk, CEO & President of Sharefaith Inc. "It's a testimony of our commitment to continue to offer ministry teams the best tools to build and foster their mission and message. For us, that's what it's all about."Sharefaith Inc. serves nearly 120,000 churches and pastors worldwide. As the leading provider of Church Graphics and Church Websites, it provides pastors with scalable outreach tools to grow their congregation and Gospel impact. J. Law (Jennifer Lawrence) is Quite Mistaken -- These Hurricanes are the Judgment of God Recently, actress Jennifer Lawrence suggested that Global Warming - and "mother nature's rage and wrath" against President Trump and his supporters - are to blame for the recent hurricanes. (Story here.) Contact: Randall Terry, 904-826-9989 WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Randall Terry, author of "The Judgment of God," and Founder of Operation Rescue, states in response: "These hurricanes are not the result of global warming; they are the Judgment of God because of the innocent blood crying to Him for vengeance. In America, the blood of nearly 60 million babies murdered by abortion ascends as a howling chorus to God from landfills and sewers, where these innocent little boys and girls have been discarded. "These hurricanes are not 'natural disasters;' they are super-natural chastisements - God's response to the cry of innocent blood - designed to rebuke us, and call us to repentance." Miss Lawrence praised Planned Parenthood in a recent interview, stating that her success is due in part to her being able to obtain birth control from Panned Parenthood. "Planned Parenthood is so much more [than abortion]...I wouldn't have been able to get birth control if it weren't for Planned P. I wouldn't have been able to get condoms and birth control and all these things I needed as a normal teenager who was growing up in a Jesus house...And now [gestures widely] I am a successful woman who has not had a pregnancy." Randall Terry states: "Planned Parenthood is the single largest murderer of unborn babies in the western hemisphere. Multiple millions of children have been slaughtered by Planned Parenthood butchers. "One can accurately say that Planned Parenthood's crimes against God - and their shedding of innocent blood - is directly connected to these hurricanes. Ironically, Planned Parenthood, along with Miss Lawrence and people like her who promote the murder of babies - are a key cause of the chastisement we are enduring from the hand of God. "If we wish to avert greater and greater judgments from heaven, we must end this barbaric holocaust." Randall Terry is the author of The Judgment of God, an in depth study of Biblical passages dealing with God's Judgment on nations, particularly those nations that commit the abominable crimes of child-killing, and sodomy, masquerading as marriage. The book contains the following pertinent chapters: Chapter 2 "Signs in the Sky" (God uses hurricanes to punish and correct nations, page 11) Chapter 7 "Why is Judgment here?" (Blood cries to God for vengeance, page 45) Chapter 8 "What About the Innocent?" (Those not guilty of child-killing also suffer, page 61) The entire book is available as a free PDF at www.RandallTerry.com Life Legal Files Joint Amicus Brief with SCOTUS in Masterpiece Cakeshop Case Contact: Alexandra Snyder, Life Legal Defense Foundation , 202-717-7371WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- Life Legal has collaborated with the Bioethics Defense Fund in an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court yesterday in Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The brief was written on behalf of the American College of Pediatricians and other pro-life health professionals.As you may be aware, the Masterpiece case involves a baker who was asked to create a cake for the wedding of a same-sex couple. The baker, Jack Phillips, said he could not use his artistic talents to give approval to a marriage that violated his religious beliefs. In response, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission said Phillips' religious beliefs were illegal and prohibited him from designing any wedding cakes, which resulted in the loss of 40% of his business. The Commission imposed draconian reporting requirements on Phillips, forcing him to provide a detailed account of the reasons for any orders he declines.So why would Life Legal, a pro-life law firm, file a Supreme Court brief in support of a baker?If the State of Colorado can destroy Phillips' business because he chooses not to use his skills to create a product that expresses the state's sentiment on a controversial issue, what is to stop a state from forcing any professional to violate his or her deeply held belief in furtherance of the state's viewpoint?Our concern is that the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is "likely to have rapid and lasting impact on the rights of medical professionals to practice their professions consistently with their consciences and the teachings of their faiths on issues of life and deathor indeed to practice their professions at all.""Masterpiece Cakeshop has enormous implications for the First Amendment rights of everyone in the workplace, especially those whose deeply held beliefs require them to opt out of certain practices," said Life Legal Defense Foundation Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. "We have seen increasing pressure on health care professionals, in particular, to perform or facilitate abortions or risk losing their livelihoods. Life Legal trusts that the Supreme Court will adhere to precedent in guarding First Amendment freedoms, including protections against laws compelling speech and activities that violate religious and conscience objections."Link to brief: lifelegaldefense.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/16-111-tsac-amer-coll-of-pediatricians.pdf About Life Legal Defense FoundationLife Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org Author Josh Ross Shares His Journey to the Arctic and What It Taught Him in His Newest Book, Re\entry Contact: Seth Shaver, 325-674-4978ABILENE, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- How do you survive lengthy seasons of darkness? In January of 2014, Josh Ross traveled to Barrow, Alaska, to interact with a community that experiences over sixty-five days of darkness every winter. His time there revealed how essential the principles of reentry, roots, and rhythm are to our survival and health far beyond the Arctic Circle. Josh shares these insights in his newest book, "Re\entry: How Pain, Roots, and Rhythm Guide Us from Darkness to Light.""In Re\entry, Josh Ross leverages his own life experiences to help us see God's grace as the focal point of life. When our world crashes and despair attempts to steal the little hope we have left, it's refreshing to know that God's grace means we're never hopeless." -- Caleb Kaltenbach, Lead Pastor, Discovery Church, author, Messy Grace and God of Tomorrow"Re\entry" will be released September 17 by Leafwood Publishers and will be available at Lifeway and independent Christian bookstores around the country, and will be distributed by all major distributors.THE BOOKAs vital as the message of entry is to the Christian faith, many Christians are also desperate for a message of reentry after many seasons of doubt, confusion, bondage to the past, severed relationships, loss, depression, and stress. From places of darkness and shadows, God comes and reveals himself as the one who enters into our pain both as a companion who walks with us through our trials and as the one who is eager to eventually lead us into a healthier place.Chapters include: "Eleven Days above the Arctic Circle," "Walking in the Dark," "Captured Alive," "When Grief Walks," "Jesus on Repeat," "Establishing Roots," "Navigating Life's Transitions," "Healthy Roots Produce Joy," "Reimagining Solitude," "Reimagining Community," "Reimaging Justice," "Reentry Matters for You," and "Reentry Matters for the World."ISBN 978-0-89112-485-6$14.99 // 192 pagesABOUT THE AUTHORJosh Ross is the Lead Minister at Sycamore View Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He is married to his best friend, Kayci, and they have two boys, Truitt and Noah. He is the author of "Scarred Faith" and coauthor of "Bringing Heaven to Earth." He loves playing and watching sports, vacationing with his wife, and eating authentic Mexican food. He is a recovering Texan who is learning to thrive in Memphis with a church committed to restoring justice, opportunity, and dignity in Memphis and beyond.ABOUT THE PUBLISHERLeafwood Publishers is an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press, a publisher located in Abilene, Texas, that has published titles exploring Scripture, spiritual formation, and theology for over thirty years. The press is delighted to be adding Re\entry to its list of books exploring issues of Christian living and thought. You can visit their website at www.leafwoodpublishers.com WOW! Look at these two fire whirls on the E fire caught on September 7, 2017 near Lamoille summit outside Elko! The E Fire broke out on Elko Mountain below the E around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, September 7 and has now burned more than 350 acres. At this time there is no mandatory evacuation order in effect. The Sheriffs Office is notifying residents in the immediate area of this fire of the potential danger of this fire for their safety, not for evacuation purposes. The fire shut down both directions of State Route 227 earlier in the day. Now, one lane between Elko and Spring Creek has been reopened while crews battle a nearby wildfire. You can get the latest road conditions here. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Mount St. Helens Institute fundraiser The Mount St. Helens Institute, a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of educational activities near the volcano, will host its Boots and Bow Ties dinner and silent auction fundraiser from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Hilton, 301 W. Sixth St., Vancouver. Tickets are $75 per person. Attendees are encouraged to accessorize their cocktail attire with outdoor gear. At this years event, 2017 recipient of the Founders Award, Tom Mulder, will be honored. He was the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument manger from 2006 to 2014 when he made significant contributions that catalyzed the growth and strength of the institute, states a press release from the institute. Some of the silent auction items include pampering packages, outdoor gear, day trip adventures and a night at Skamania Lodge. One of the live auction items is a three-night trip to New Orleans including airfare and a jazz tour package. To purchase event tickets visit mshinstitute.org. Tours, family fun at wildlife refuge A Second Sunday event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. this Sunday at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Carty Unit on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, 28908 N.W. Main Ave., Ridgefield, Wash. The event includes tours and family activities. Participants can explore the relationship between the Chinookan people of the Lower Columbia River and the landscape. There will also be plankhouse tours, trading on the Landscape Game, information stations and more. A family nature stroll will take place at noon. Participants can enjoy an easy walk with the environmental educator, Roland Begin. Along the way, the group will participate in a nature hunt that will end at a large ancestral oak tree. At 1 p.m., Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, will offer her perspective on how traditional ecological knowledge can be recognized and applied to climate change response in the Pacific Northwest. Environmental knowledge, according to a press release, is passed down firsthand from elders and is a critical narrative in the oral traditions of Pacific Northwest indigenous peoples. At 2 p.m., Begin will lead an extended hike on the Oaks-to-Wetlands Trail. Participants should prepare for a 90-minute hike over moderately uneven terrain. The cost is the $3 refuge admission fee per vehicle. For details, contact Julie McGraw at 360-887-4106. Fish Recovery Board to meet The Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (LCFRB) will meet from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the new location at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 5525 S. 11th St., Ridgefield, Wash. A presentation will be given on Understanding Ecosystem Diagnostics and Treatmetnt (EDT) from Gardner Johnston of Inter-Fluve Inc. Regional applications for EDT will be presented by Amelia Johnson, salmon recovery specialist. There will also be a time for review, comment and potential endorsement of Abernathy 9B design, LCFRB and Inter-Fluve Inc. For questions about the meeting call 360-425-1555. The Daily News Three area firefighters helping to tackle the blaze in the Columbia Gorge were the victims of a burglary back at the Cowlitz 5 station early Thursday morning. Burglars took a 1992 black Jeep Wrangler and thousands of dollars in personal items belonging to three summer firefighters working for Cowlitz 5 out of Kalama. The thieves also made off with $100,000 worth of equipment that belonged to the department, including a white 2016 Ford truck, according to Cowlitz 5 officials. Police said there was no obvious sign of forced entry. Captain Terry Sinkler of Cowlitz County Fire District 5 said the firefighters had to be temporarily pulled off the Eagle Creek and Archer Mountain fires to return to Kalama and deal with the aftermath of the burglary Thursday. Sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. Thursday, unknown suspects broke into the Cowlitz 5 station on Todd Road, Sinkler said. They took a $10,000 touch-screen computer monitor the district uses for training purposes, plus a 2016 Ford F350. The crew cab pickup has a Cowlitz 5 logo on the side. Cowlitz County Chief Criminal Deputy Charlie Rosenzweig said the pickup was found at about 7 p.m. Thursday in Gresham, Ore., undamaged. One firefighter staying at the station had his scuba gear, a bicycle, a computer, a television and a crossbow taken. Another firefighter who runs a landscaping business had power tools and a saw taken. Nearly 2,000 people have shared a post from the firefighter who had his Jeep Wrangler stolen (Washington license BGP9355, with the top removed). Unreal that not only my Jeep but fire department vehicles and property are also stolen, Jake Sorensen wrote in a Facebook post. Sinkler said there are no suspects at this point and the case is being investigated by the Cowlitz County Sheriffs office. Anyone with information can share it anonymously by texting tip411 attn. to Cowlitz County Sheriffs Department. Barlow Point is key for the Port of Longviews future, but the two candidates running for the port commission have very different ideas about how the 280-acre property should be developed. Incumbent Doug Averett thinks the port should be open to any commodity on the greenfield, riverfront property. His opponent, Kent Preston, thinks the port should steer clear of fossil fuels. Averett emphasized his vision for Barlow Points future at a political candidate forum Wednesday at Canterbury Park. Preston did not attend the event because he was celebrating his daughters first day of junior high with a family dinner. Averett is vying to hold his seat against Preston, a Castle Rock military contractor, who has twice before tried to land the District 2 post. Both Averett and Preston competed to replace Commissioner Lou Johnson when he resigned in June 2015. Port Commissioners appointed Averett to the role August 2015, not long after he retired from a 28-year career in operations at the port. On Wednesday, Averett answered audience questions for about 30 minutes on a broad range of topics that covered taxes, economic development, Willow Grove Park, the Kelso airport, the Industrial Way/Oregon Way project and Barlow Point. I think we should look at every commodity we need to look at every possibility to make it environmentally sound and also economically sound for the community because we do need jobs, theres no question, Averett said. If we keep saying We can do better, were going to be saying that forever, Averett added. In an interview with The Daily News Thursday, Preston said the port should avoid fossil fuel projects. I am really looking for us to go with more green energy, Preston said. You can see with the amount of fires and hurricanes were having, human-caused climate change is causing a lot of issues and while we might not be a big factor in that ... we can make impact. Beyond focusing on green energy, Preston said he also wants the port to relax its union labor restrictions. The port has a working relationship with ILWU that essentially requires companies operating on docks to use longshore labor. Preston argued thats driving up the cost of doing business at the port, which could discourage companies from locating there. Averett sharply criticized the idea of abandoning longshore labor though, pointing to the EGT labor unrest of 2011 as an example of what happens when a company tries to buck the ILWUs jurisdiction. While they disagree on fossil fuels and union issues, the two candidates do agree the port should eliminate its unpopular property tax. The current property tax levy is 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and helps to fund port capital projects. Preston pointed to the ports record revenues and argued that the tax could be eliminated within a year or two. Yet Averett said that efforts to hastily sweep away the tax failed in the past, and instead supported a more gradual approach to reducing taxes. He pointed to this years 20 percent reduction in the levy as an example of the kind of decrease he wants to see continue. Averett, a retired director of operations for the Port of Longview, said he has the experience and understanding of the port that Preston doesnt have. He criticized Preston for not showing up to port meetings or the forum. I feel like Im running against a ghost, he quipped. Meanwhile Preston said he represents a fresh perspective. For the average citizen (Averett) is going to be status quo and I want change. I want to put money back in peoples pockets and I want to create jobs down there and create business opportunities there that I dont think they have now, Preston said. Oregon State Police say they are confident theyve identified the primary suspect in starting the Eagle Creek Fire a 15-year-old Vancouver boy and are conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze thats been ravaging the Columbia River Gorge since Saturday. Investigators suspect fireworks are to blame for igniting the Eagle Creek Fire, which has grown to more than 30,000 acres after merging with the Indian Creek Fire. State police have not yet made any arrests or referred charges in connection with the investigation, and they have not released the boys name. The boy, his family and friends have been cooperating with the ongoing investigation, OSP Capt. Bill Fugate said during a press conference Wednesday. Fugate said OSP received many tips Tuesday night, including photos of the suspect and his companions, as well as other information. We are very confident that we have the correct people in this case that started the fire, Fugate said. But he declined to comment on whether the teenagers admitted to setting off fireworks in the forest. Witnesses reported seeing a teenager throw a firework into Eagle Creek Canyon on Saturday. Portlands Liz FitzGerald, 48, told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday that she was hiking to Punch Bowl Falls and was about 1 1/2 miles up the Eagle Creek Trail, which begins near Cascade Locks, when she came across a group of teenagers. She saw one of the boys toss a smoke bomb into the canyon, she said. FitzGerald said she believes she heard the teenagers friends, including a boy who was video-recording with his cellphone, laugh as he dropped the firework off the cliff. She told the newspaper that she confronted the teens, but they disregarded her and kept walking. She said she reported what she saw to a U.S. Forest Service officer. Videos posted on social media by other witnesses show state police later interviewing two boys near the Eagle Creek Trailhead. Fugate told media that state police are aware of the video shot by the suspects friend. Some video evidence was seized, he said, and investigators are conducting an electronic analysis of those devices. Plea for witnesses But they are also asking people to forward any other videos of the incident to OSP. Anyone who was visiting the Eagle Creek Trail or Punch Bowl Falls between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and may have seen or heard fireworks or other suspicious activity should call OSP at 503-375-3555. An investigation like this, you know, theres a lot of loose ends to tie up so anybody who hasnt called in or contacted us please do so, Fugate said. Once the investigation is complete, state police will turn it over to the appropriate agency whether thats the Hood River or Multnomah district attorneys offices for review and to pursue charges. It will be up to the district attorney to determine what charges to file, which will likely be brought through juvenile court, a division of the Circuit Court, Fugate said. Was this a negligent act? Was it a reckless act? Was it an intentional arson to start a forest fire? Thats part of the investigation. So depending on that, what we can establish will change the levels of charging that the district attorney can review, he said. It is not yet clear if the boys parents can or will be held liable. Fugate said that, too, is a decision for the district attorney once the investigation is complete. The U.S. Forest Service, Hood River District Attorneys Office, U.S. Attorneys Office and Hood River Juvenile Department are assisting OSP in the investigation. Universal Answer: At TDN we have one universal answer for most questions work harder. If we have a great month in news reporting and ad selling, then we should work harder to make next month even better. If we have a poor performance in any aspect of the business, we look to work harder to improve. If work harder is the answer to good, bad or mediocre performance, you will tend to get better. But a new universal answer seems to be gaining traction in places like Hawaii and San Francisco its called universal basic income. It seems Hawaii has decided to look into the possibility of providing all residents a paycheck for doing absolutely nothing. It seems the universal answer in Hawaii is stop working altogether. According to a story by the Associated Press (The Daily News, Sept. 3), Hawaii is researching providing every adult with a fixed income to meet their basic needs. The idea isnt new, but is getting a new look from tech leaders who say many jobs will be replaced by technology and robots. For example, if trucks of the future drive themselves all truck drivers will be out of jobs. Therefore, what will a truck driver do for income? Recent research in Hawaii suggested that many of that states waiter, cook and building cleaning jobs an large part of its tourism-dependent economy will eventually be replaced by machines. Supporters of universal basic income say workers displaced by technology could use universal basic income during times of transition. The big question is where will the money come from? Right now supporters of a universal basic income dont know where the cash will come from, but have a few ideas. Our assumption is this will be pitched as something rich people should pay for, which is nothing new. One idea that has been floated is increasing property taxes on hotels (in Hawaii), businesses and residences so the money could be redistributed. Karl Widerquist, from the U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network, was quoted in the AP story saying, If people in Alaska deserve an oil dividend, why dont the people of Hawaii deserve a beach dividend? All we can say to Wilderquists comparison is wow. Using Wilderquists logic everybody deserves a salary for nothing. Or maybe the people of Hawaii dont deserve a beach dividend because the State of Hawaii didnt permanently invest billions dollars from the oil boom and smartly set it up to pay residents a check each year. And to clarify the comparison a little more, residents of Alaska received a permanent fund check of $1,022 each in 2016 a far cry from a universal basic income. With a population of a little more than 1.4 million people Hawaii is not a big state. As of April 2017 the state unemployment rate hovered at 2.7 percent. Hawaii has state debt totaling about $14.4 billion dollars, which totals over $10,000 per citizen. In a July 2017 George Mason University study of state financial health, Hawaii ranked 27th among states, just behind the State of Washington, who was ranked 26th, in overall fiscal health. The study concluded states like Hawaii and Washington are in average fiscal health. So why does a state with a 2.7 percent unemployment rate and average fiscal health need to provide residents with a universal basic income? Its not clear why some in Hawaii think a permanent state welfare program is needed. Hawaii is much like San Francisco and Seattle, it leans way to the left. Sometimes people try to take their plans and ideas to sympathetic audiences with hopes they will gain momentum and spread. Opponents say free money will attract huge throngs of new residents in search of a check. They also wonder how productive or willing workers will be to work if they can quit and receive a universal basic income. It also begs the question, what should the minimum wage be if all citizens are guaranteed free money? Hawaii reportedly has a very high rate of homelessness, and critics fear homelessness would explode even further if residents were given money for nothing. We wonder how long its going to take the Seattle City Council to pick up on this and pass something similar. Our only answer is work harder. A police prosecutor has advised women in Germany to run in pairs and be mindful of their surroundings after a woman was brutally attacked in a public park. The unnamed victim, said to be over 50 years old, was out for a morning run when a stranger hurled her to the ground, dragged her into a nearby field, and raped her, Stern reports. The rapist also beat her so severely that she required emergency facial surgery after she was found. Police have described the perpetrator as a bearded, stocky male of the southern type politically correct code for Middle Eastern or North African in Germany. The rape epidemic perpetuated by Muslim migrants in Germany is continuing to take its toll And Angela Merkel still can't be trusted to do anything to stop this awful violence. She's just been booed on her election campaign tour, by folks who recognize her for the disaster she's become. But can they succeed in voting her out? There's no way to be sure. Labels: dhimmitude, germany, immigration, islam, misogyny Russian air strike kills 40 IS fighters in Syria Reuters, Moscow : A Russian air strike has killed around 40 Islamic State fighters, including four senior commanders, near the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor, Russia's defense ministry said on Friday. The strike, carried out by Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-35 fighters, came after an intelligence report on Sept. 5 showed that top Islamic State commanders were meeting at a secret underground command post in the vicinity of Deir al-Zor, the ministry said on its Facebook page. Among those killed was Abu Muhammad al-Shimali, who oversees foreign fighters at IS, it said. The defense ministry also said it had evidence that Gulmurod Khalimov, Islamic State's "minister of war", was present at the meeting in the bunker and had been fatally wounded in the strike and evacuated to the al-Muhasan area, 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Deir al-Zor. Khalimov, the U.S.-trained commander of Tajikistan's elite police force, defected to Islamic State in April 2015 and later posted a video address, vowing to return home to establish sharia law in his Central Asian nation and to take jihad to Russia and the United States. A top official at Tajikistan's national security service told Russia's RIA news agency that Moscow had been asked to provide details proving Khalimov's elimination. On Tuesday Syrian government forces, supported by Russian air strikes and cruise missile launches, reached troops besieged for years by Islamic State in Deir al-Zor, the militants' last major stronghold in Syria. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali," the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as the IS group's minister of war and the highest-ranking defector from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, suffered a "fatal injury," it added. Reports of Khalimov's death have surfaced before, and the Tajik interior ministry said it could not immediately confirm the claim. "We are working with our Russian colleagues to obtain reliable information," a spokesman told AFP. But a spokesman for the Tajik security services, speaking to AFP, suggested that "this time around" he might have been killed. "We're checking the information," he said. In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to Khalimov's location or arrest. Russia's SU warplanes dropped "bunker buster" bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. Xi asks Macron for French help easing North Korea tensions French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in North Korea during a phone call . AFP, Beijing : Chinese President Xi Jinping called on France to help ease the situation in North Korea during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, state media said Friday, days after Pyongyang's largest ever nuclear test. The conversation came one day after statements from China supporting stronger sanctions against Pyongyang and "necessary measures" at the UN Security Council, where China and France both hold vetoes. "China hopes that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will play a constructive role in easing the situation and restarting dialogue" on North Korea, Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. North Korea triggered global alarm Sunday with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. During the call, the Chinese leader expressed his desire for the "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," which he had also noted during a conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel hours earlier. Macron told Xi that France is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to promote the proper settlement of the nuclear issue. Macron "reiterated the international community's condemnation of North Korea's provocations," the French president's office told AFP. "These provocations call on the international community to place new pressure towards the goal of bringing Pyongyang back to negotiations and avoiding dangerous escalations," it said. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said: "China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures." Earlier, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German leader and Xi both agreed to support tougher sanctions against North Korea. China, which is the North's biggest ally and accounts for 90 percent of its trade, is seen as key to efforts to convince Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programme. Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are the other veto-wielding permanent members of the security council. Xi also spoke to US President Donald Trump over the phone Wednesday, telling his American counterpart that China remains firm in its wish to resolve the situation through talks leading to a peaceful settlement. The US has accused North Korea of "begging for war" and pushed for the "strongest possible measures" against Pyongyang. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who held talks with Xi in eastern China during the BRICS summit earlier this week, has repeatedly insisted that further economic pressure on Pyongyang will not work. RANGPUR: President of Bangladesh Physiotherapy Association Dr Tashidul Islam Sohag addressing a seminar at Rangpur Press Club in observance of the World Physiotherapy Day yesterday. Asian markets lose momentum as N.Korea fears linger AFP, Hong Kong : Asian markets struggled to hold on to their earlier gains on Thursday with the North Korea crisis continuing to play on investor confidence despite Donald Trump's deal to raise the US debt ceiling. Markets rallied at the start of the day as the surprise deal between the president and Democrats to lift the US borrowing limit provided some much-needed good news at the end of a turbulent week. While tensions over Pyongyang's weekend nuclear test have abated there are fears the North is planning to launch another missile this weekend, riling an already furious Unites States. Trump's insistence to Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that military action was not his "first choice" and a call for a diplomatic solution provided some solace but fresh provocation could rattle markets again. "It's clear that global leaders see negotiations as the way forward. The Chinese and Russian leaders have both again in the past 24 hours said that negotiations are the way forward," said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader. "And President Trump himself said that military action in North Korea was not his first choice, but we'll see what happens." By the end of the day Seoul was up 1.1 percent, while the won was also well up but Tokyo's morning rally was pared on a strengthening yen, with the Nikkei closing 0.2 percent higher. Hong Kong was 0.3 percent down in the afternoon-reversing early advances-and Shanghai shed 0.6 percent while Sydney and Singapore were both flat. Kriti Sanon extended her Spain vacation to enjoy success of `Bareilly Ki Barfi` Kriti Sanon who was in Spain for work commitments extended her vacation in order to celebrate the success of Bareilly Ki Barfi. The actress was currently in Spain to shoot for a brand. Kriti Sanon, however, extended her vacation to explore the city as she celebrated the success of her film 'Bareilly Ki Barfi'. Kriti Sanon is currently striding high on the success of her recently released film 'Bareilly Ki Barfi'. The slice of life film emerged as a sleeper hit won Kriti Sanon accolades for her power packed performance. The actress portrayed the role of Bitti, a rebellious girl who is bold, vibrant, chirpy is often termed as outspoken too. The small town girl with big dreams is not the ordinary Bareilly girl. Bitti does break dance, smokes cigarettes and sometimes even drinks alcohol. Kriti Sanon donned a de glam avatar for the first time in 'Bareilly Ki Barfi'. The actress had observed the daily lives of various UP girls to perfect her character. She garnered appreciation from one and all for her impactful performance. Even Amitabh Bachchan appreciated the actress by sending her a handwritten note and a bouquet of flowers. Joy pairs up with Chumki after 12 years Sheikh Arif Bulbon : Besides story writing, giving direction, acting and making films, Shahriar Nazim Joy recently came into limelight to host two TV programmes. These two programmes are: 'Sense of Humor' and 'Commonsense.' On the other hand, after tied the nuptial knot with actor-director Mir Sabbir and maintaining two children popular TV actress Farzana Chumki is not regular in acting like previous times. But sometimes she works. After a break of 12 years, Joy paired up with Chumki in a play. Besides professional identity, Joy is like brother-in-law of Chumki because Joy is very close friend of Mir Sabbir. They again worked together in Jinat Hakim scripted a play titled 'Tahader Kotha' produced by Md Mahfuzar Rahman. On August 21, when Joy and Chumki were taking part in shooting of this play at Bangladesh Television they informed the death news of legendary film actor Razzak. Presented everybody's mind became gloomy. Specially Joy felt sorry because he got the scope to act with Razzak in Gazi Mazharul Anwar's movie 'Ei Je Duniya.' Not only was this he brought up to see the legendary actor. While talking about the play 'Tahader Kotha' Joy told this correspondent, "As a playwright, Jinat Bhabi is familiar to all. She writes play well. I have liked the main theme of the play. I really enjoyed a lot to work with Chumki Bhabi after a long time. Now-a-days, we enjoy working in BTV because its remuneration is much better than previous times." Farzana Chumki shared her feelings by this way, "I have really liked the story of Jinat Bhabi written story of the play 'Tahader Kotha.' I am grateful to its producer to give me a scope to act in this play. Though I am irregular in acting for last few years but I shall try to act in good works. 'Tahader Kotha' is such an initiative." Producer Mahfuzar Rahman informed that the play will be aired on BTV at 9:00pm on September 9. Meanwhile, Joy has finished shooting of his directed second movfie 'Orpita' recently. Now its colour correction is going on. BGB refuses boats full of Rohingya Chittagong Bureau : Bangladesh refused three more boatloads of Rohingya Muslims fleeing from sectarian violence in Myanmar on Wednesday. As a result, several thousand Rohingya people who fled away from their homeland Myanmar due to the recent violence are floating on the water of river Naf on boats. The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) intensified the vigilances at the points of the Bangladesh territory at Naf River to resist the entrance of Rohingya people now, concerned sources said. Comman-ding Officer (CO) of BGB Teknaf-2 station Lieutenant Colonel S M Ariful Islam said, "We have pushed back a total of 3014 Rohingya people boarded in boats." He said, the vigilance was intensified to resist the entrance of Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh now. Prese-ntly, many Rohingyas are trying to enter Bangladesh territory for the recent political turmoil in Myanmar." Following the attack on 31 police outpost and one army camp at Rakhin state in Myanmar on August 25, tense situation is prevailing there. Fearing the fresh attack, thousands of Rohingyas have gathered at the Bangladesh and Myanmar border area at Teknaf now to enter Bangladesh territory. Meanwhile, several thousand Rohingyas entered Bangladesh in last week, said the locals and sources. Mohammad Shah Alam, a villager at Tambrubazar area said, "More than 2000 Rohungyas have entered Bangladesh through Tambru Bazar border area yesterday while several thousands are still waiting to enter Bangladesh." One gets 10-year jail in arms case Chittagong Bureau : A Chittagong court on Wednesday sentenced a most wanted and top listed criminal 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) in an arms case filed in 2013. The court of Chittagong Additional Metropolitan Session Judge-7 Ferdous Ara delivered the verdict convicting Murshedul Alam, son of Siddik Ahmed, hailed from South Chambol village under Banshkhali upazila of the district. Court sources said Banshkhali police arrested the top listed criminal Murshedul from his house around 3 pm on July 22, 2013 and later on the basis of his information recovered a country-made gun and a round of cartridge from the bank of a pond adjacent to his house. Later, police filed an arms case against Murshedul who was a top listed criminal and wanted in 17 cases filed with Banshkhali Police Station. Police submitted charge-sheet against him on August 11, 2013 while the court framed charges on March 13, 2014. The court today pronounced the verdict after examining eight prosecution witnesses out of 11 and sent the convict to the jail, court sources said. \'Bangladesh Sammilita Bouddha Samaj\' formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Friday with call to stop repression on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Right to compensation is not unconditional High Court Division : (Civil Appellate Jurisdiction) Sheikh Abdul Awal J Shahidul Karim J Hamidur Rahman and others Petitioner vs Abdul Hashim and ors .... ......... Opposite Parties Judgment July 28th, 2016 Transfer of Property Act (IV of 1882) Section 51 There is no right to compensation for improvements made pendent lite' with full knowledge of the risk in doing so and, as such, the claim of compensation of the plaintiff for the improvement works alleged to have been done during pendency of the suit is altogether unacceptable. . ..... (20) Transfer of Property Act (IV of 1882) Section 51 A person intended to be evicted from a land cannot maintain a suit for the alleged improvement costs under the section, rather his right to sue would accrue only after actual eviction is made. .. .... (22) Ruhul Amin Tuhin, Advocate-For the Appellants. Abdul Wadud Bhuyan. with Md lshaque Mian, Advocates-For the Respondents. Judgment Shahidul Karim J : This appeal is directed against the judgment and decree dated 23-8-2011 (decree signed on 29-8-2011) passed by the learned Joint District Judge, 1st Court, Brahmanbaria in Title Suit No. 17 of 1985 decreeing the suit. 2. The predecessor of respondent No. l(a), namely, Abdul Hashim (since deceased) as plaintiff filed the original suit being Title Suit No. 17 of 1985 against the predecessor of defendant appellants, namely, Abdul Mannan and others on the averments that he purchased the suit land from defendant Nos. 2 & 3 in the year 1964. That he had no prior knowledge about the contract of sale alleged to have been entered into between Abdul Mannan and defendant Nos. 2 & 3. After 3 (three) years into his purchase of the suit land, Title Suit No.01 of 1967 was filed by said Abdul Mannan for specific performance of contract with regard to the self-same land wherefrom he came to know about the alleged contract of sale. In the said suit the plaintiff was impleaded as defendant and he contested the same by filing written statement. But, eventually, the suit was decreed against which the present plaintiff took an appeal being Appeal No.156 of 1968 in the Court of District Judge, Comilla which was allowed and the decree passed by the trial court was knocked down. Feeling aggrieved thereby, the plaintiff of Title Suit No.01 of 1967 preferred a second appeal being Appeal No. 198 of 1970 before the then High Court, Dhaka which was ultimately allowed. Thereupon, the present plaintiff filed a civil petition for leave to appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh being No. 231 of 1984 which was eventually dismissed. Thereafter, against the aforesaid order of dismissal a review petition was moved which was also ended up in the negative. However, while disposing of the aforesaid second appeal as well as the civil petition for leave to appeal, the relevant courts observed that the plaintiff is entitled to get compensation. The plaintiff has been possessing the suit land since his purchase in 1964 and during these years he made a considerable improvement on the suit land by erecting different structures as well as by doing several development activities. In the aforesaid backdrop, the plaintiff is entitled to get Taka 6,08,189 as compensation and hence the suit. It is to be noted further that during pendency of the suit an Advocate Commissioner was appointed on the prayer of the plaintiff party to assess the value of different structures standing on the suit land as well as the improvement cost employed thereon, who however submitted a report on 8-2-1989 wherein the value was shown as more than Taka 43 lacs and accordingly, the plaint was amended whereby the claim of compensation was raised to the tune of Taka 43 lacs and odd. 3. Defendant No.1 (Zha) contested the suit by filing written statement denying all the material allegations made in the plaint and contended, inter-alia, that the suit is not maintainable in its present form and manner; the suit is barred by limitation; and it is not entertainable as per provision of Section 51 of the Transfer of Property Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act). The further case of defendant No.1 (Zha) is that the suit land along with other land measuring 5.81 acres originally belonged to Gongabasi Debi and others which was put on auction for non-payment of rent in certificate case No.55921 of 1960-61 whereupon defendant No.2 Ismail and defendant No.3 Abdul Ahad purchased the said land on 3-7-1961 and got sale certificate thereof as well as delivery of possession on 19-2-1963 through court. While the aforesaid auction purchasers were owning and possessing the said land, they proposed to sell 4.81 acres of land to the father of the defendant, namely, Abdul Mannan and accordingly, a talk of sale was held on 9 Magh 1369 BS wherein the price of the land was settled at Taka 5000 in presence of defendant No.4 and others. In that meeting it was further agreed that the father of the defendant would pay Taka 601 as earnest money to defendant Nos.2 & 3 whereupon they in return would execute a bainapatra in favour of the former and would also hand over possession and subsequently upon receiving income tax clearance certificate and nationality certificate they would execute and register a sale deed on receiving the balance consideration money amounting to Taka 4399. Thereupon, in terms of the above contract on 10th Magh 1369 BS the defendant Nos. 2 & 3 executed a bainapatra in the name of the father of the answering defendant, Abdul Mannan upon receiving Taka 601 as earnest money in presence of the witnesses. Subsequently, on different occasions the father of the defendant Abdul Mannan paid Taka 4000 to defendant Nos.2 & 3 who acknowledged the same hy issuing receipt thereof. But, eventually, the defendant Nos.2 & 3 did not execute and register a sale deed in favour of Abdul Mannan whereupon he was rather compelled to institute a suit being Title Suit No.01 of 1967 for specific performance of contract in the court of the then Sub-Ordinate Judge, 2nd Court, Comilla which was ultimately decreed on contest. Against the said decree, an appeal being Appeal No. 156 of 1968 was filed which was, however, allowed. Thereupon, the father of the defendant, Abdul Mannan took a 2nd appeal in the then High Court, Dhaka being appeal No. 01 of 1970 which was allowed on contest and the decision of the trial court was restored. The said verdict of the High Court was also upheld by the Appellate Division in civil petition for leave to appeal No. 231 of 1984 preferred by the present plaintiff and defendant Nos.4 & 5 and subsequently, their review petition was also rejected by the highest court of the country. The present plaintiff and defendant Nos A & 5 had full knowledge about the contract of sale of the father of the defendant. But, in spite of that, they created some lake and spurious deeds with respect to the self-same land. In the aforementioned suit and appeal it was also decided by the relevant courts that the present plaintiff and defendant Nos 4 & 5 were not bonafide purchasers of the suit land without notice, rather they were well conversant with the bainanama of the father of the defendant. The plaintiff did not make any improvement on the suit land and all the works he had done therein were for his own use and occupation and therefore, he is not entitled to get any improvement costs and, as such, the suit is liable to be dismissed with costs. 4. Upon the aforesaid pleadings, the learned judge of the trial court framed the following issues: I. Whether the suit is maintainable in its present form and manner? 2. Whether the suit is barred by limitation? 3. Is the suit bad for defect of parties? 4. Whether the plaintiff has any right, title and possession in the suit land? 5. Is the plaintiff entitled to get decree as prayed for? 6. What other reliefs the plaintiff is entitled to get? 5. In support of his claim the plaintiff adduced 3 (three) witnesses and also submitted some documents which were duly marked as Exhibits. On the other hand, the defendant examined one witness to prove his case but did not produce any documentary evidence. 6. Upon a consideration of the facts, circumstances and evidences on record the learned Joint District Judge decreed the suit by the impugned judgment and decree dated 23-8-2011 holding that as per observations made by the Higher Courts in Civil Revision No.906 of 1986 and Leave Petition No.137 of 1985 the plaintiff is entitled to get compensation and also that admittedly the plaintiff has been possessing the suit land for about 40/50 years wherein he constructed building, excavated ponds as well as made plantation of different types of trees for which he is entitled to receive compensation to the tune of Taka 43,79,155 as reflected in the advocate commissioner's report which was accepted without any objection from the side of the defendant. 7. Feeling aggrieved thereby, the defendant along with other heirs of late Abdul Mannan preferred the instant appeal. 8. Mr Ruhul Amin Tuhin, learned advocate appearing for the defendant-appellant at the outset has taken us through the pleadings of the parties, impugned judgment, evidences and other connected materials available on record and then submits strenuously that the learned judge of the trial committed patent illegality in decreeing the suit inasmuch as no observation was made either by the High Court or by the Appellate Division in Civil Revision No.905 of 1986 as well as Leave Petition No.137 of 1985 respectively regarding the status of the plaintiff so far the matter of his being bonafide purchaser without notice of the earlier contract is concerned. He further submits that the suit in question was filed by the plaintiff respondent No.1 under Section 51 of the Act under which a person having a defective title if evicted from the land in dispute can maintain a suit for compensation. But since the plaintiff-respondent has admittedly been possessing the suit land and as he is yet to be evicted therefrom, his claim for compensation is not tenable in law being premature in nature. Moreover, the plaintiff has miserably failed to prove the very fact that he is a bonafide purchaser without notice of the contract of sale of defendant's predecessor Abdul Mannan by adducing any cogent evidence which is a precondition for maintaining a suit under Section 51 of the Act. Rather, in Title Suit No.02 of 1967 as well as connected 2nd appeal No.198 of 1970 it was decided that the plaintiff was not a bonafide purchaser of the suit land and he was well aware of the contract of sale of Abdul Mannan and, as such, he is not entitled to get any compensation. But the trial court utterly failed to appreciate this aspect of the case and on a misconstruction of both the intent and purport of Section 51 of the Act as well as the tenor of the judgment passed by the superior courts of the country in civil revision No.905 of 1986 and civil petition No.137 of 1985 most illegally decreed the suit, the learned Advocate further added. Finally, Mr Tuhin submits that the impugned judgment and decree is bad in law and facts inasmuch as the plaintiff has hopelessly failed to prove that he. was a bonajide purchaser of the suit land without notice of the earlier contract of sale by adducing any sort of convincing evidence and also that he has not actually been, evicted from the suit land rather he is yet to be evicted and, as such, the impugned judgment and decree is liable to be knocked down being devoid of any substance. 9. As against this, Mr Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, learned Advocate representing the plaintiff-respondent supports the impugned judgment and decree which, according to him is just, proper and legal. He submits that the trial court below on proper appreciation of both facts and law rightly and lawfully decreed the suit by the impugned judgment which does not warrant any interference by this court as it is based on evidence on record as well as supported by the uncontroverted report of the advocate commissioner. He further submits that the suit is not a premature one as because plaintiff, being a bonafide holder of the land in question under registered sale deeds, is entitled to get back the improvement costs. According to him, the words "evicted there from" as occurring in Section 51 of the Act includes a person who is about to be evicted and since there is no other option for the petitioner to retain the land in dispute rather, he is about to be evicted there from, his claim of compensation under Section 51 of the Act is well maintainable. 10. We have given our anxious consideration to the submissions advanced by the learned advocates of both the sides, perused the plaint as well as written statement, evidences and other connected materials on record including the impugned judgment and decree dated 23-8-2011 and also considered the relevant law bearing on the subject extensively. 11. It is indisputable that the predecessor of the defendant-appellants, namely, Abdul Mannan got a decree for specific performance of contract with regard to the suit land including other land which was upheld by the highest courts of the country. Admittedly, the plaintiff of the instant suit Abdul Hashim (since deceased) was made party in the aforesaid suit along with other defendants and their contention so far their purchase of the suit land without notice of the earlier contract of sale of said Abdul Mannan was turned down by the High Court as well as by the Appellate Division in 2nd appeal No. 198 of 1970 and civil petition for leave to appeal No.231 of 1984 respectively. Thereafter, the said Abdul Hashim instituted the instant suit claiming compensation for the various improvement works alleged to have been carried out by him on the suit land. This claim of the plaintiff was resisted by the defendant I (Zha) by filing written statement wherein it has been categorically asserted that the plaintiff along with other defendants of Title Suit No. 01 of 1967 had prior knowledge about the contract of sale of the predecessor of the defendant and he is not a bonafide purchaser of the suit land without notice of the earlier contract. Furthermore, the defendant did not make any improvement on the suit land, as such, and his claim of compensation under Section 51 of the Act is untenable in law. With a view to appreciate the issue involved in the case, we feel it expedient to have a glimpse at Section 51 of the Act which reads as under: (To be continued) "51. Improvements made by bonafide holders under defective titles-When the transferee of immovable property makes any improvement on the property, believing in good faith that he is absolutely entitled (hereto, and he is subsequently evicted therefrom by any person having a better title, the transferee has a right to require the person causing the eviction either to have the value of the improvement estimated and paid or secured to the transferee, or to sell his interest in the property to the transferee at the then marked value thereof, irrespective of the value of such improvement. The amount to be paid or secured in respect of such improvement shall be the estimated value thereof at the time of the eviction. When, under the circumstances aforesaid, the transferee has planted or sown on the property crops which are growing when he is evicted therefrom, he is entitled to such crops and to free ingress and 'egress to gather and carry them." 12. On a careful analysis of the aforesaid provision of law it is apparent that a person who has been evicted call claim compensation under Section-51, provided he is (1) a transferee, (2) he has made the improvement, (3) he has made such improvement believing in good faith that he was absolutely entitled, and (4) he was evicted. The above various capacities or qualifications are to be filled or fulfilled by the person who sought compensation under the above section. Let us now examine how far the plaintiff of the instant suit has been able to satisfy or fulfill the above conditions which are considered to be pre-requisites for getting a favourable order under Section-51 of the Act. 13. On a reference to Exhibits-l to 5 it reveals that the plaintiff-respondent and defendant Nos A & 5 purchased the suit land in between the years 1963 to 1966 through 5 sale deeds from defendant Nos. 2 & 3 namely, Md Ismail Mia and his son Abdul Ahad. Therefore, the plaintiff respondent Abdul Hashim can be regarded as a transferee so far the land covered by Exhibits-3 to 5 is concerned. But that alone would not entitle him to get any compensation under Section 51 of the Act. In this case at our hand the paramount question that calls for our determination is, whether the plaintiff was' a bonafide purchaser of the land in question for value without notice of the earlier contract of sale thereof between respondent-defendant No.1 Abdul Mannan on one hand and defendant Nos. 2 & 3 on the other hand as well as whether the plaintiff did the alleged improvement works in good faith believing him to be the real owner. 14. Upon scanning through the evidences on record it appears palpably that in fact no satisfactory as well as cogent evidence has been adduced by the plaintiff party to prove the aforesaid aspects of the case. It is undeniable that the plaintiff herein as well as defendant Nos 4 & 5 was made party in suit Title Suit No. 01 of 1967 filed by the aforesaid Abdul Mannan for specific performance of contract wherein by filing written statement they raised the plea of bonafide purchaser of the land in question without notice of the earlier contract of sale. It appears that while deciding Title Suit No.01 of 1967 an issue being issue No.3 was framed touching the status of the plaintiff herein so far his claim of being bonafide purchaser without notice of the earlier contract with respect to the land in dispute is concerned in the following words: (3) Are the 2nd party-defendants bonafide purchasers for value and without notice of contract of sale? 15. Admittedly as well as it reveals from the materials on record that such plea of the plaintiff was negatived by the trial court with a clear finding that the plaintiff and defendants Nos 4 & 5 (who were termed as 2nd party defendants in Title Suit No. 1 of 1967) had full knowledge about the contract of sale of plaintiff Abdul Mannan (defendant No.1 of the instant suit) with regard to the suit land. It is true that the aforesaid finding of the trial court was nullified by the learned District Judge while disposing the connected appeal heing Title Appeal No.156 of 1968. But ultimately the decision of the learned District Judge, Comilla was, however, reversed and that of the trial judge was restored by this Court while dealing with the connected 2nd Appeal being No. 198 of 1970. It appears further that against the verdict of this court civil petition for leave to appeal being No.231 of 1984 was moved before the Appellate Division which was also dismissed and the above observation of this court was maintained. To have a better view of the issue, we feel it necessary to quote the relevant portion of the judgment passed by my lord Mr Justice ATM Afzal in 2nd Appeal No. 198 of 1970, which reads as under: "Now coming to the issue No. 3 it must be pointed out at the outset that the District Judge has totally failed to make a systematic and correct approach in the matter as was done by the Subordinate Judge, In view of the allegation and counter-allegation of collusion between the plaintiff and the 1st party defendants on the one hand and between the 1st party defendants and the 2nd partydefendants on the other, it was absolutely necessary for the District Judge to assess the stand and evidence of the 1st party defendants in the matter which he, at all, did not do upon a consideration of all the relevant aspects of the case. Be that as it may, while considering whether defendants No. 3 and 4 had knowledge of the disputed contract before purchasing the suit lands he failed to notice that besides the plaintiff the defendants No.1 and 2, who were the sellers, themselves admitted in their written statement that defendant No. 3 was present at the time of settlement of the contract. PW 2, Bidhu Bhusan Das, of course, did not support the plaintiff's case as to the presence of defendant No.3, Abdul Gafur for which he was cross examined by the plaintiff. But then there was the evidence of PW 3 Abdul Malek. There was some suggestions of enmity given to this witness from the side of the defendants No. 3 & 4 but the witness denied the said suggestions. Therefore, the trial court found him to be an independent witness but the District Judge seemed to have been impressed by the suggestions given to the witness which were denied. Obviously, this was not a correct approach in assessing the evidence. Furthermore, neither the plaintiff (PW 3 nor PW 1 were put any straight question in cross-examination by defendants No. 3 & 4 denying the presence of Gafur at the settlement of the contract. The District Judge made no endeavour to assess the role and character of PW 2 Bidhu Bhusan Das in view of his relationship with both the 1st party-defendants and the plaintiff. The Subordinate Judge made a shrewd assessment of his evidence and gave him the importance that was due to him. The District .Judge was nowhere near the way in which the evidence was sifted, analysed and assessed by the trial Court. Then with regard to the knowledge of the defendant No. 5, the evidence has come from a person no other than the vendor himself i.e. defendant No. 1 (DW I). In this case also the District Judge made a mistake by holding that the defendant No.5 if at all was informed about that, even if it was executd by the Defendant No.1, it was definitely a malafide one and could not but be termed as collusive. Evidently, this was nobody's case that exhibit-2 was collusive. The 1st party-defendants alleged the same to be forged. But upon a meticulous consideration, the Subordinate Judge found exhibit-2 to be a genuine receipt. Now the District Judge out of the blue found that it was a collusive receipt. Indeed, he was not at all called upon to decide on the receipt, inasmuch as, the point at issue whether the appellants were bonafide purchasers for valuable consideration without notice did not involve the consideration of the receipt which was between the I st party-defendants and the plaintiff. The impugned judgment has been so loosely written that it becomes difficult to keep track with with what the discussion was aiming at. On the balance and for the reasons stated above, I am satisfied that it was not at all a proper judgment of reversal and the same is liable to be set aside." 16. Furthermore, while deciding Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal No. 231 of 1984, the highest court of the country has observed as follows: "Mr MH Khondker appearing for the defendants 3 to 5 attempted to argue that they were bonafide purchasers for value without notice of the plaintiff's contract. This argument does not appeal to us inasmuch as the finding of fact by the trial court was affirmed by the High Court Division in Second Appeal after due assessment of the plaintiffs evidence which is unassailable. Mr Khondker took exception to certain casual observations made in the judgment of the High Court Division which, however, could not make any difference in evaluating the evidence that the defendants had prior knowledge of the contract of the plaintiff. In this view of the matter, there is no hesitation to say that the High Court Division rightly restored the judgment and decree of the trial court which decreed the suit for Specific Performance of Contract. In the result therefore this petition is dismissed." 17. It is also an admitted position that the plaintiff of the instant suit moved a review petition being No.01 of 1985 before the Appellate Division and the said review petition was also turned down. 18. The essence of our above discussion is that the plaintiff-respondent was not a bonafide purchaser without notice of the contract of sale of the predecessor of the contesting defendant appellants, namely, Abdul Mannan, rather he was well aware of the said contract of sale. Furthermore, since the issue of bonafide purchase without notice has already been settled between the parties by the highest court of the country, the same cannot be reopened in any subsequent suit between the same parties as the verdict of the highest court of the country is biding upon them. 19. It further appears that admittedly a lengthy as well as tedious legal battle with respect to the land in question has been fought between the parties the starting point of which dates back to 1967 and the same is still continuing. It is on record that the predecessor of the defendant appellants, Abdul Mannan instituted the suit for specific performance of contract in 1967 which was decreed on contest against the plaintiff of the instant suit and others on 20-9- I 968. From the above decision of the court concerned several legal proceedings were originated up to the Appellate Division of the country wherein the claim of the said Abdul Mannan was eventually sustained and that of the contesting defendants of that suit was nullified. In the said legal proceedings it was further decided that Abdul Mannan purchased the structures standing on the land in question from its original owner by paying money. Now the plaintiff herein has filed the instant suit in 1985 claiming compensation for the improvement works alleged to have been done by him on the suit land which, in view of the explicit provision of section 51 of the Act, appears to be wholly untenable inasmuch as he did not do it in good faith believing him the real owner. Rather, in the facts and circumstances of the case it is apparent that the plaintiff was well aware of the fact that he is not the real owner of the land in question as he knew it very well from the very beginning about the contract of sale of the predecessor of the defendant-appellants as observed by the highest court of the country regarding which we have noticed earlier. In the alternative it can be said that the alleged improvement on the land in question was made by the plaintiff for his own use and occupation taking the risk on his shoulder. 20. It transpires from the record that at the time of filing of the instant suit on 3-3-1985 the amount of improvement cost was shown as Taka 6,08,189.50 which was ultimately raised to Taka 43,79,155 by way of amendment of plaint done on the basis of a report dated 8-2-1998 filed by the Advocate Commissioner whereby the value was enhanced keeping congruity with the then market price 'of the alleged improvement works. On a perusal of the impugned judgment it reveals that the learned judge of the trial court decreed the suit and directed the contesting defendant-appellant to pay the above amount of Taka 43,79,155 to the plaintiff. The aforesaid decision of the court below is totally unfounded in law as because as per Section 51 of the Act a bonafide transferee can maintain a suit for compensation if he is evicted from the land in dispute and that too for the estimated value of the improvement works done at the time of such eviction. But in the instance case we found that the plaintiff has hopelessly failed to fulfil the above two criteria inasmuch as he is not a bonafide transferee rather he had full knowledge about the earlier contract of sale (which issue as already been settled by the highest court) and he has not been evicted either from the land in dispute as admittedly the land in question is still under his possession. There is no legal scope for a person intended to be evicted from a piece of land to claim compensation under S ection 51 of the Act. Only the person actually evicted can maintain a suit under the above provision of law and that too for the period till eviction is made. Moreover. there is no right to compensation for improvements made pendent lite with full knowledge of the risk in doing so and. as such. the claim of compensation of the plaintiff for the improvement works alleged to have been done during pendency of the suit is altogether unacceptable. 21. It appears that while delivering the impugned judgment the learned Joint District Judge opined that as per observations of the higher courts made in Civil Revision No.905 of 1986 and Leave Petition No.137 of 1985 (Exhibits-6 & 7) the plaintiff is entitled to receive compensation. This finding of the trial court is palpably wrong and perfunctory in nature as nowhere in their judgments this Court as well as the Appellate Division made any such observations. Therefore, we are unable to go along with the above findings of the trial court and, as such. the same is liable to be scrapped. Furthermore, on a query by us, the learned Advocate for the plaintiff-respondent also finds it difficult to support the aforesaid findings of the trial court. 22. During making submissions, Mr Wadud Bhuiyan, learned Advocate for the plaintiff respondent tried his best to impress upon the court by saying that since the plaintiff-respondent is a bonafide holder of the land in dispute under defective title and as admittedly he did a lot of improvement works thereon as such he is entitled to get compensation for the above improvement costs which has been duly reflected in the unassailed report of the advocate commissioner, though he is yet to be evicted from the suit land. But on the face of the evidence record and in view of the facts and circumstances of the case we are unable to see eye to eye with the above view expressed by Mr Bhuiyan inasmuch as we have already noticed that the plaintiff had full knowledge about the contract of sale of the defendant-appellants predecessor. namely, Abdul Mannan and that the alleged improvement works were done by the plaintiff for the purpose of his own use and comfort and that too during the pendency of the earlier suit as well as the instant one between the parties taking the risk on his shoulder. Therefore, under no circumstances the plaintiff can be regarded as a bonafide holder of the suit land. On top of that, the plaintiff is still in possession of the suit land and he is yet to be evicted. Keeping in view the language used is section 51 of the Act, we have no hesitation but to hold that a person intended to be evicted from a land cannot maintain a suit for the alleged improvement costs under the section, rather his right to sue would accrue only after actual eviction is made. 23. It appears that the aforesaid aspects of the case have altogether escaped the notice of the learned trial judge who, being goaded by some unfounded observations as well as without construing the true intent of Section 51 of the Act, most illegally decreed the suit in favour of the plaintiff by the impugned judgment dated 23/8/2011 which, as it appears, has failed to withstand the test of legal scrutiny and therefore, the same is liable to be knocked-down. 24. In the light of our aforementioned observations and the decisions made thereunder, we are impelled to hold that the appeal merits consideration and therefore, it must succeed. 25. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed on contest without any order as to costs. The judgment and decree impugned against herein is set aside and the original suit being Title Suit No. 17 of 1985 is dismissed on contest. 26. Since the appeal is allowed, the connected Rule being Civil Rule No.553 (F) of 2013 is accordingly disposed of. Send down the lower Court's record along with a copy of the judgment forthwith. Barrister M Qaium :Appellate Division by its historic judgment on July 3rd 2017 upheld the judgment of the High Court Division dated 05.05.2016 striking down the 16th Amendment of the Constitution as unconstitutional. By 16th Amendment of the Constitution, Parliament assumed the removal power of the judges of the Supreme Court which was earlier dealt with by the Supreme Judicial Council.People mostly concludes that the moot question was raised and settled in this case was 'whether the constitutional 16th Amendment has violated the basic structure of the constitution and thus void, illegal and unconstitutional being against the spirit of principle of separation of judiciary and its independence. People's concern was if the removal mechanism of the judges of the Supreme Court is given to the Parliament, whether the independence of the judiciary will be affected and/or hampered. Our Apex Court by its wisdom unanimously held that 16th Amendment of the Constitution is void, illegal and unconstitutional. In doing so, the Apex Court necessarily discussed the events taken place in our political history of last seven decades (1947-2014) in general and 1971-2016 in particular in order to justify its verdict for protection of the independence of judiciary from the influence of other organs.Judgment of the 16th Amendment case has reminded us all once again of the facts that we, the Peoples of Bangladesh, have chosen ourselves a 'written constitution' unlike West Minister form of democracy. Modern constitution is essentially a written constitution which can put a "balanced restriction" on unfettered, despotic and totalitarian power of the executive so that it cannot transgress the limit prescribed. Court gave us all a reminder that about a very simple fact that: Bangladesh has a 'written' constitution. Having a 'written' constitution means nothing but having a power to exercise, that power is essentially restricted in the sense that it is not unfettered or unlimited, and it is balanced in the sense that while exercising that power, all State organs shall not work in isolation rather they will combine their efforts together so that maximum benefits to the people are ensured.I see this judgment from a different perspective. The issue of supremacy was brought into light and settled by the Apex Court though not much talked about. Some politicians, intellects and jurists borrowed the West Ministerial idea that parliament as representative of the people is supreme over other organs of the state. The apex court through this judgment has buried this idea of supremacy of Parliament and affirmed in its own language that "only people are sovereign and only the Constitution is supreme".The idea of supremacy of the Parliament has never been a Bangladeshi one. It was originated in England in 1688 by reducing crowns prerogative powers; the supremacy of parliament was established. Since then legal sovereignty remains with the Parliament of United Kingdom. The British Parliament exercises sovereign legislative power, it has unfettered rights to make and unmake any laws. It is said that British Parliament can do anything except make a man woman and a woman a man. We must however be mindful of the facts that UK does not have an absolutely written constitution prescribing limit of the powers and authority of different organs; in contrast Bangladesh essentially has a written constitution. In a written constitution powers of the different organs of the state are prescribed and limited. No one or authorities under a written constitution will exercise their power/authorities beyond limit prescribed. In the judgment Supreme Court observed that "There is a misconception about the Parliamentary sovereignty or legislative privilege in a written constitution". Supreme Court went on to say that "only the people are sovereign and only the Constitution is supreme. All other institutions are merely the instruments or agencies to fulfill the greatest purposes enunciated in the Constitution. Our Constitution envisages not only a democracy of men but a democracy of institutions. The attributes of sovereign authority or unlimited power do not attach to any office or any institution. To claim sovereignty for the Legislature is directly contrary to the law...." Article 7 (1) of our Constitution clearly expressed that "All powers in the Republic belong to the, and their exercise on behalf of the people shall be effected only under, and by the authority of, this Constitution". No organ can claim supremacy over any other organs. When the Judiciary declares any law enacted by the Legislature to be unconstitutional, the Judiciary is not exercising any superior power, nor does it claim supremacy over parliament but simply acting in line with its constitutional obligation.The written constitution of Bangladesh has placed Supreme Court in the position of the Guardian of our Constitution itself. Supreme Court will not therefore accept imposition of any inroad upon the Constitution. The criticism of Supreme Court from the politician legislature and executive is unfortunate as constitution itself envisages for exercise of such judicial review power by the Supreme Court. Supreme Court has just merely performed its constitutional sacred duty which Supreme Court bound to under the constitution.Following the judgment given in 16th Amendment Case it may be pertinent to discuss whether the Parliament may pass an Amendment of the Constitution or any legislation which is being struck down by the Apex Court as void and unconstitutional. Article 112 of the Constitution provides, all authorities, whether executive and judicial, in the Republic shall act in aid of the Supreme Court and from this point of view, the Parliament can not make any law by passing the binding effect of the judgment rendered by the Appellate Division. The Supreme Court of India in People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) case held that 'the Legislature has no power to review the decision and set it at naught except by removing the defect which is the cause pointed out by the decision rendered by the Court and if this is permitted, it would sound the death knell of the rule of law'. The Legislature can not overrule or supersede a judgment of the Court except lawfully removing the defect or infirmity pointed out by the Court.(Writer is a Barrister-at-Law of the Honourable Society of Grays Inn and Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. [email protected] Circumstances leading to presumed delivery of letters, notice or summon (From previous issue) : 43. In the case of Md Kamal Uddin @ Md Kamal Ahmed vs Md Mezbah Uddin reported in XI ADC 2014, it is held that:- "A criminal proceeding shall not be stifled before trial, when there was a prima facie case for going to the trial........ "With regard to the submission that the Assistant Sessions Judge does not have jurisdiction to hear the matter, we may refer to the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (the Code) which provides in Section 6 that, apart from the Supreme Court and Courts constituted under any other law, there shall be two classes of criminal courts, namely courts of Sessions and Courts of Magistrate. An Assistant Sessions Judge or Joint Sessions Judge as mentioned in Section 9(3A) of the Code is also a Judge of the Court of Sessions. Section 141(c) provides that no court inferior to that of Court of Sessions shall try any offence punishable under Section 138. The Section does not say that any case under Section 138 may not be tried other than by the Sessions Judge. The Court of Assistant Sessions Judge is also a Court of Sessions and, as such, there is no illegality in the trial continuing before the Court of Assistant Sessions Judge. Moreover, we may refer to a decision of this Division in the case of MK Bazlur Rahman vs Md Johurul Haque reported in VI ADC (2009), 809, where this Division affirmed the judgment of the High Court Division. 44. In the case of Abdul Alim vs Biswajit Dey reported in 59 DLR 236 where it is held that:- "The submissions made is not sustainable either in law or on the facts of the given case. The offence under Section 138 of the Act can be completed with the concentration of a number of facts i.e. (i) drawing of the cheque, (ii) presentation of the cheque, (iii) returning of the cheque unpaid by the drawee bank, (iv) giving notice in writing to the drawer of the cheque demanding payment of the cheque amount and (v) failure of the drawer to make payment within 15 days of receipt of the notice. As per provisions of sections 177, 178, 179 and 180 of the Code of Criminal Procedure if the aforesaid five different acts were done in five different localities any of the courts exercising jurisdiction in one of the five local areas can become the place of trial for the offence under Section 138 of the Act and complainant can choose anyone of the courts in whose jurisdiction any of the 5 components of the said offence was done. The legal notice was issued from a lawyer at Chittagong District Bar and the complainant, for encashing the cheques, presented the same at a bank at Chittagong. As such, on the ground of initiating the proceeding at Chittagong this proceeding cannot be quashed." 45. In the case of Sarwar Hossain Moni (Md) vs State reported in 66 DLR (AD) 283 where our apex court held that:- ''It is true that in the judgment sought to be reviewed, there has been no detailed discussions as to the point raised before the High Court Division that the respective petition of complaint having been filed before expiry of the statutory period as stipulated in clause (c) of the proviso to Section 138(1) of the Act, 1881, was barred by law, this division having affirmed the judgment and order passed by the High Court Division which took the view that though the respective petition of complaint was filed before expiry of thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice issued under clause (b) of the proviso to Section 138, was maintainable in law, in fact, gave the answer. Be that as it may, since in these review petitions, specific question has been raised to the above effect, we need to answer the same with reference 10 clause (c) of the proviso to Section 138 of the Act, 1881 read with Section 141 thereof." 46. On perusal of the application under Section 561A of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the counter affidavit filed by the opposite party No.2 and the citations as referred by the learned Advocate for the opposite party No.2. We find no merit in the submissions of the learned Advocate appearing for the petitioner on the contrary we find merit in the submissions of the learned Advocate appearing for the opposite party No. 2 and the citations as referred by the learned Advocate for the opposite party No. 2 are fully applicable in the facts and circumstances of the present case. We find no merit in these rules and, as such, both the rules are devoid of any substance. 47. In the result, both the rules are hereby discharged without any order as to cost. The order of stay as granted at the time of issuance of the rule is hereby re-called and vacated. The learned Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge, 7th Court, Dhaka is hereby directed to dispose of the CR Case No. 321 of 2011 now pending in the 7th Court of Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka expeditiously as far as practicable preferably within six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment positively. The office is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this judgment to the concern Court forthwith for information and necessary action. (Concluded) Iran for quick action, sending relief goods bdnews24.com : Iran's Foreign Minister has criticised the international community for remaining silent on the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and called for quick action "to end the genocide". "The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Thursday. He also demanded urgent action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying, "We must act now before it's too late." The Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Thursday that it had set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani. Hamid Jamaloddini, the society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items were ready to be dispatched to Myanmar, according to Iranian Presstv. The Iranian official further noted that the society had informed the International Red Cross of its readiness to provide Rohingya Muslims who are in urgent need of living accommodations with residence. Myanmar's security forces have been attacking the Rohingya Muslims in a bid to push them out of the western state of Rakhine. The attacks have intensified since Aug 25, following alleged armed attacks on police and military posts in Rakhine. The Rohingya have been subject to communal violence by extremist Buddhists for years, forcing large groups of Muslims to take perilous journeys and seek refuge in Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has come under fire for failing to protect the country's Muslim minority from persecution. She claimed on Wednesday that "a huge iceberg of misinformation" was spreading about violence in western Myanmar. The UN says more than 164,000 Myanmar nationals have crossed the border into Bangladesh in a daily average of 12,000 in two weeks since the beginning of the latest wave of violence in Rakhine State. KL won't turn away fleeing Rohingyas Rohingyas living in Malaysia protest against the treatment of Myanmar\'s Rohingya Muslims near the Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) : Malaysia's coast guard will not turn away Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar and is willing to provide them temporary shelter, the maritime agency's chief said on Friday. Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on Aug. 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered an exodus of more than 160,000 to neighboring Bangladesh. Malaysia, hundreds of km (miles) to the south on the Andaman Sea, is likely to see more boat people from Myanmar in coming weeks and months because of the renewed violence, said Zulkifli Abu Bakar, the director-general of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency. However any such voyage would be hazardous for the next few months, because of the annual monsoon. "We are supposed to provide basic necessities for them to continue their journey and push them away. But at the end of the day, because of humanitarian reasons, we will not be able to do that," Zulkifli told Reuters, adding that no fresh refugees had been seen yet. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation already home to more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees, will probably house the new arrivals in immigration detention centers, where foreigners without documents are typically held, he said. Malaysia, which has not signed the U.N. Refugee Convention, treats refugees as illegal migrants. Thailand has also said it is preparing to receive people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar. Malaysia will send a humanitarian mission to help refugees seeking shelter at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Prime Minister Najib Razak said. The mission, to be led by the Malaysian armed forces, is a "manifestation of Malaysia's strong objection of the continued suppression of the Rohingya community by the Myanmar security forces," Najib said in a statement. The mission will leave on Saturday to review the situation in refugee camps. Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air will help in the distribution of aid, the statement added. Malaysia will hold talks with Bangladesh to set up a military hospital at the border, Najib added. There are about 59,000 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia although unofficial numbers are almost double. In 2015, mass graves were exhumed at jungle camps on the border between Thailand and Malaysia that were thought to be mainly Rohingya victims of human traffickers. Canada condemns killing of Rohingyas UNB, Dhaka : Canada has strongly condemned the escalating violence - and its impact on innocent people - in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar and called for calm. "We urge all parties involved to exercise restraint and to ensure the safety, protection and support for civilians - including the Rohingya," reads a statement issued recently on the situation in Myanmar. In 2017, Canada provided $1.13 million in humanitarian assistance in Bangladesh to meet the needs of conflict-affected people, including the Rohingya, in addition to the $4.5 million in assistance they are providing to vulnerable populations in Myanmar. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, together with Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie issued the statement. Foreign Ministry here circulated it here on Friday. The government of Canada encouraged the authorities in Myanmar to take measures to facilitate the continued delivery of humanitarian assistance and calls for the full resumption of assistance activities in a timely manner. "Canada remains concerned about the safety of civilians crossing or trying to cross the border into Bangladesh. We recognize the additional challenges hosting refugees can place on the country's infrastructure and resources, and appreciate Bangladesh's efforts in assisting many asylum seekers," reads the statement. Canada said it is encouraged by the Government of Myanmar's commitment to carry out the recommendations contained in the final report of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and looks forward to their timely implementation - in line with the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Islamist parties to besiege Myanmar embassy Sept 13 BNP stages demos across country: Protest by Bouddha Samaj Special Correspondent : Some Islamist parties have announced agitation programmes across the country protesting the torture, rape and repression on Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar army. Protesting the brutal killings by the Myanmar army, the Islamist parties will organise countrywide demonstrations on September 11 and besiege Myanmar embassy in Dhaka on September 13. They will also distribute relief materials among the refugees in different parts of Cox's Bazar on September 12. The programmes were announced from a protest rally that was arranged jointly by Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish and other Islamist parties at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Jumma prayers on Friday. They also brought out a procession condemning the brutal killings of Rohingya Muslims. From the rally the Islamist parties also threatened to take tough programmes, if repression on the Rohingya Muslims was not stopped immediately. "We can't acknowledge the killing of Muslims in such a way. We want trial of Aung Sun Suu Kyi in the International Court. Presently, the United Nations is working as a Muslim eliminating organization. We don't want this UN. We want a Muslim UN," Mufti Faijul Karim said while addressing the rally. He said, "The Rohingyas are staying in Myanmar for several hundreds of years. But the Myanmar government does not want to recognize them as its citizen. If the Rohingyas are nationals of Bangladesh, then we can say Arakan State is a part of Bangladesh. If Myanmar government does not stop killing of Rohingyas, then we will occupy Arakan with the united force of Muslims." The Myanmar embassy besiege procession will start from in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque's north gate at 10:00am on September 13, the organisers said. On the other hand, a huge number of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party took part in the human chain which was arranged in the capital protesting the Myanmar army-sponsored killings and torture on the Rohingya Muslim minority. At one stage, the human chain turned into a big rally when leaders and activists of BNP's different units and associate organizations, including Jubo Dal, Sechchhasebak Dal, Chhatra Dal, Mohila Dal and Sramik Dal thronged in front of the National Press Club to attend the programme. Taking part in the human chain, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that ruling Awami League government remains mum about the Rohingya crisis due to its 'weak foreign policy' while the world becomes vocal protesting the cruelty. "The government has failed over the Rohingya issue. This government is not people's government. The government must create pressure on Myanmar government through diplomatic channel to take back its nationals," the BNP leader said. The BNP leader also alleged that BNP's countrywide demos were obstructed yesterday by the police and ruling party activists in at least 18 districts. Several BNP activists were injured during the clashes. Police also arrested dozens of the BNP men from different parts of the country. Bangladesh Sammilito Bouddha Samaj also organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Friday protesting cleansing programme of Myanmar army in the Muslim dominated Rakhine state. The Buddhist leaders urged the Myanmar authorities to behave humanely to the Rohingyas and take back its nationals from Bangladesh. Condemning the Myanmar government's brutality, Chief Coordinator Ashoke Barua in his written speech demanded interference of the UN and other international human rights organizations to solve the crisis. The organisation has also taken decision to submit a memorandum to the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka over the issue on September 10. President of Bangladesh Buddhist Federation Ashim Ranjan Barua said, "We've hatefully discarded repression of Myanmar army. Being a Buddhist dominated country; the Myanmar is conducting anti-religion activities. The Buddhist religion doesn't permit anyone to carry out such repression on any community. We urge the Myanmar government to stop this." Raise Rohingya issue to global forums Experts for strengthening diplomatic pressure Kazi Zahidul Hasan : International relationship and security experts have urged the Bangladesh government to raise the issue of organized persecution and killing of Rohingyas to international forums immediately to strengthen pressure on Myanmar authorities. They also insisted for stronger diplomatic efforts by Bangladesh for securing a permanent solution over the Rohingya crisis, as it has already become a perennial problem for the country. "Bangladesh should immediate raise the Rohingya issue to the UN bodies and global rights watchdogs to exert pressure on Myanmar. It should also seek support from India and China in this regard," Prof Delwar Hossain, who teaches International Relationship at the University of Dhaka, told The New Nation on Thursday. Prof Delwar Hossain said Bangladesh is dealing the issue softly though it has become a perennial problem for the country. "So far, Bangladesh is trying to address the problem on adhoc basis. It should take a firm stance to resolve the issue permanently. It must engage the global community to come out the solution," he added. He further said if Bangladesh fails to secure a permanent solution over the crisis, it could pose a big threat to its internal security. Besides, it would also put an immense burden for the country. Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Rakhine State, Prof Delwar said the violence would leave a far-reaching impact on Myanmar's peace and the regional countries may bear the brunt of it to some extent in future. "Bangladesh should immediately raise the issue to the UN seeking its intervention to address the systematic persecution on Muslim Rohingyas and recurrent violence in Rakhine State," Dr A.K. Abdul Momen, former Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, told the New Nation. He said Bangladesh should also seek global help for the protection of ethic minority communities in Myanmar and to stop excessive military action on Rohingya Muslims that led them to flee to Bangladesh from Myanmar. When asked, the former Bangladesh envoy said, the global community, including the western world, still remains tight-lipped about the atrocities on the Rohingyas in Rakhine State by the Myanmar authorities. Saddened by their silence, Momen said, "We expect strong global intervention to respond to the plights of Rohingyas. They should put pressure on Myanmar authorities to stop ongoing persecution of the Rohingyas immediately. He said if the global community fails to address the human rights concerns in Myanmar, the northern Rakhine state may provide fertile ground for radicalization posing a serious security threat to Myanmar and neighbouring nations as well. "Bangladesh has already given shelter to huge number of Rohingya refugees on humanitarian ground. Now it is extending shelter to huge number of new arrivals fleeing in the wake of renewed military crackdown in the Rakhine State. The fresh influx is not only putting an additional burden for Bangladesh but also creating various types of security risks for the country," Major General (Retd) Abdur Rashid, a security analyst, told The New Nation yesterday. "Bangladesh needs to intensify its diplomatic efforts immediately to gain the global support in addressing the Rohingya crisis permanently," he said, adding, "If not the crisis is resolved, it might put Bangladesh in multidimensional security risks". He believed that India and China could play a crucial role to put pressure on Myanmar to resolve the crisis. Experts also insisted for a stronger involvement of the United States in stopping the ongoing military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingyas in the Rakhine State. 2 US Senators condemn violence against Rohingyas UNB, Dhaka : Condemning the horrific acts of violence being committed against the Rohingya ethnic minority in Myanmar, two US Senators - Dick Durbin and John McCain - have urged Aung San Suu Kyi to live up to her historic democratic and human rights ideals by taking action to stop this humanitarian tragedy. The made the call in a resolution introduced on Thursday condemning the violence and displacement inflicted on Myanmar's Rohingya civilians, according to a press release. In the resolution, the two US senators also called for an immediate halt to all hostilities by Myanmar authorities and the attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militant group. They urged the Myanmar government to allow unrestricted access to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar as well as resume the delivery of field work and aid from critical humanitarian organisations to help those displaced and injured and to monitor events in Rakhine State. Dick Durbin and John McCain also called on it to implement the August 2017 recommendations of its Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, including ending restrictions on the movement of the Rohingyas and providing them with citizenship; and encouraged Aung San Suu Kyi to live up to her inspiring words upon receiving the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize with respect to ethnic reconciliation in Myanmar, and in particular to address the historic and brutal repression of the Rohingya in Rakhine State. BD has no active diplomacy: But Rohingyas need statehood BANGLADESH government proposal for UN supervised safe zone in Myanmar to protect Rohingya population has come at a time when most Rohingyas have been cleared of their ancestral home. They are being persecuted over the years but Bangladesh government pursued no active diplomacy to take the issue to the international community effectively. Meanwhile most Rohingya villages were torched and vacated by Myanmar military to clear of the presence of the Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine State. So it is not clear whether the proposed safe zone will be of any help to the people now on the run and on the top of it if the Myanmar government will accept such idea any way. To them Rohingyas are terrorists and the mass persecution is all but a huge iceberg of a misinformation campaign. Suu Kyi said Myanmar military is waging a legitimate fight to clear terrorists. So just placing such proposal is not enough if the Myanmar government stance is not supportive. China and Russia are two big powers so far shielded Myanmar from UN censures and pressure from other international bodies to end the persecution and solve the crisis through discussion. The country is bent upon evicting Rohingya Muslims from their ancestral lands. Over the past two weeks alone more than 164,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh across the Naf River escaping atrocities of Myanmar military. Their total number in the country now stands over 500,000 refugees while many others have fled to other countries. As per some estimates less than 40 percent Rohingyas is now inside Myanmar and most of them are in temporary government shelters. The safe zone concept is not anything new but the question, if it is practical when huge member of Rohingya's were systematically killed and raped. The real solution lies in establishing statehood for the victims of genocide. We are in fact appalled by the poor diplomacy of the government even now to highlight the plight of the refugee crisis. The Turkish First Lady broke much of Bangladesh government diplomatic silence by her visit to Dhaka when our foreign office is not even holding daily briefing of foreign diplomats and taking them to refugee camps to show the scale of the crisis and stream of the arrivals. Some reports said diplomatic efforts were intensified over the past weeks with UN bodies and other blocs such as EU, ASEAN and OIC countries to bring pressure on Myanmar to stop persecution and end the crisis. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also alerted the Security Council members of an impending "humanitarian catastrophe" that may spiral into more violence while the risk of ethnic cleansing may destabilise the region. We must say Myanmar has successfully secured the support of China and Russia and even India while we are virtually left alone in the scene. Dhaka wants safe zones in Rakhine Staff Reporter : Bangladesh has proposed creating "safe zones' for Rohingya Muslims who are crossing into its territory amid renewed military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the home to 1.1 million Rohingyas. The safe zones will be created in three areas in Rakhine state where people displaced by the violence will be relocated there under the supervision of international organisations. The government of Bangladesh has already sent the proposal to Myanmar government through the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), officials said. They said Bangladesh has come up with the proposal to stop the tide of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday said that about 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought shelter in Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar two weeks ago. "We have already sent the proposal to the Myanmar government through the international agencies. The logic of the creation of such zones is that no Rohingya can come inside Bangladesh," foreign secretary Shahidul Haque told the media. He added, "We want Rohingya refugees to go back to their own country and also the full implementation of Kofi Annan commission's proposals regarding repatriations of the refugees." Besides the creation of internationally-controlled safe zones in Rakhine state, Bangladesh has also mooted creating a buffer zone along the border, where the international community could set up camps and provide shelter for the refugees, according to Reuters. "We will give aid agencies access. But we are not interested to give them shelter here. We are already overburdened," said Home Secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. : , , . MURPHYSBORO A few yards inside Riverside Park properly, somewhere down a steep little decline, lies the start to the first-ever Murphysboro Apple Festival's obstacle course race. It snakes through a trail cleared through low-lying brush, fallen branches and tree limbs and a dried creek bed. The vision is still being born, as Big Muddy Apple Obstacle Race co-founder Lance Liggett points out, the route for all three miles of it: Past the dried creek bed which will be wet and muddy by next Saturday to the road that runs in front of the city's wastewater treatment plant. It goes on to a mound of dirt that will be filled with mud holes, to a trail in a field that lumbers past the Murphysboro Police Department's firing range and to a wading swim in water in which participants could sink, knee-deep. "For the first year, I am very pleased," said Liggett, a firefighter with the city of Murphysboro. Already, 130-some people have registered for this inaugural event for the annual Murphysboro Apple Festival, which runs Sept. 13 to Sept. 16. Those who have signed up range in age from 11 years to their late 50s. Liggett declined to label the course's level of difficulty. "I would just say it's a lot harder than a 5K," Liggett said. Come Saturday, Sept. 16, these brave souls and organizers will come to know just how challenging it is. A year ago, Lance Liggett had the idea for an obstacle course race. For the past few days, Liggett and other obstacle committee workers have worked to create the course, a three-mile stretch throughout the Riverside Park grounds, that will feature at least 15 obstacles, including those that involve a walk/swim through water, lots of mud and some old vehicles. There will be A-frame sculptures and concrete barricades to scale, a wooden spindle to get over, hay bales and other obstacles. Apple Festival organizers and others are hoping the event attracts people who might not have come to Murphysboro for its four-day festival and its Grand Parade on Saturday, but who will come into the city, then become new fans of the annual event. The festival celebrates its 66th year this year. We know theres a generation of people out there that would not come here just for our big parade and Funland rides and stuff, said Jim Murphy, one of the festivals two assistant general chairs. We know that the 5K race and walk need a little help, and we found out that with the new trend in the mud run, (we're hoping to attract) I would say, a younger-at-heart crowd." About the Big Muddy Apple Obstacle Run The obstacle course race comes the final day of the Murphysboro Apple Festival. It opens with registration at 7 a.m., with the first races starting at 8 a.m. and running through 1:30 p.m. inside Riverside Park. The last slot race start allows time for people who are watching the Apple Festival parade a few blocks northeast to get through the traffic and make it to the park to start. Registration is now at $75, which includes a custom-race T-shirt and a medal. The Murphysboro Apple Festival will be concentrated off Walnut Street in the city's central downtown. The bulk of those registered are from Southern Illinois, but include a sprinkling with addresses in St. Louis, Flemington and Forsyth, Missouri; Kentucky; Atlanta; Durham, North Carolina; and California. The racers will be released in 23 waves, each 10 minutes apart. The winners will be those who finish the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time. Liggett noted, though, that there would be some at the race who were more interested in getting a good finish time, while some might just be there to enjoy the fellowship of fellow obstacle-course participants or just to enjoy the experience. He said the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Marines would have booths at park entrance to demonstrate obstacle and drill techniques. There will be food and a beer tent, compliments of 17th Street Barbecue for participants. "Mud runs, and obstacle course runs have gained in popularity in recent years," the city's Mayor, Will Stephens said. "I believe the Apple Fest Obstacle Run is a great addition and will capitalize on the growing interest in these kinds of events. I am confident there will be a great turnout for it." WILLIAMSON COUNTY A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Judge, First Judicial Circuit Clerk of Illinois on Thursday confirmed that Judge Phillip Palmer has tendered his resignation effective September 30. Palmer, 57, began his career in Williamson County in 1984 when he was hired as a prosecuting attorney in the Williamson County State's Attorney's Office under Charles Garnati. Two years later, he went into private practice, where he remained until 1994, when an opening came up for associate judge. In 2014 Palmer was elected to the first Circuit Court on November 4, 2014, for a term that expires on December 6, 2020, having garnered 69.9 percent of the vote. Williamson County Commissioner Brent Gentry said Palmer has negotiated a difficult and stressful job with dignity and fairness for the past 24 years As a longtime friend, I have known him to be passionate at the bench and someone who worked every day to be fair. It has been an honor to work with him over the past 13 years as commissioner. He knew when it was time to step down and I wish him the very best, Gentry said. Palmer is known for his work defending and supporting the welfare of children in Williamson County, which included a stint serving as a local judge on the juvenile court docket. He has been a wonderful supporter of our program throughout the years and has worked tirelessly for the health and safety of the children of Williamson County, said CASA Executive Director Nanette Evans. Williamson County States Attorney Brandon Zanotti said he is sorry to see Judge Palmer go. "But his retirement is well deserved. He is an honorable man, and has served this county admirably and fairly for many years. His wisdom will be missed in our courtroom, Zanotti said. Williamson County Commissioner Ron Ellis said that the county will sorely miss the historical knowledge Palmer embodied as well as Palmers fair and balanced temperament. He has always been very fair, and thats what you want in a judge. He was also great to work with in the county budget process, Ellis said. Ellis said the Williamson County Board will look forward to working with his replacement and shepherding them through the budget process, which began this week. Office of the Chief Judge, First Judicial Circuit Clerk of Illinois has issued no official word of who Palmers replacement will be. Palmer is a 1977 graduate of Herrin High School. He attended SIUC, where he earned an accounting degree in 1981. He followed up with a law degree in 1984. Palmer was not available for comment as of press time Thursday. URBANA University of Illinois President Tim Killeen says now the state has a budget the school can officially launch an initiative aimed at recruiting top faculty. The three-year, $60 million program was announced in May. The university system said Thursday that the system's universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield now can make proposals for money to recruit professors. The objective is to bring in tenured, high-achieving faculty in a broad range of academic disciplines. The plan is called the President's Distinguished Faculty Recruitment Program. Under the program, $10 million would be committed from the university system to recruitment efforts each year, matched by each of the three campuses. The goal is to hire 10 to 15 new faculty members each year, or 45 over three years. Associated Press Maura Healey will be the first openly lesbian governor in U.S. history. Here's a look at 20 candidates who made history in the 2022 midterms. Illinois state government has had a reputation of partisan gridlock and dysfunction for decades. Weve seen battles over issues where the only glaring difference that kept both sides from coming together and compromising was simply their own political affiliation. Yet, several weeks ago, it became crystal clear that the antics of the partisan rancor needed to be put aside because there were far more important priorities than party politics. Those priorities were the millions of children that werent sure if they would be able to remain in school because lawmakers in Springfield had failed to pass funding for education. Those priorities were the millions of working parents who were concerned they might have to find alternative options for their children if lawmakers couldnt come together and compromise. To me, this was, and always will be, unacceptable. Its widely known that leading up to last week, Illinois had one of the most inequitable school funding systems in the entire nation. For decades weve used a one-size-fits-all approach for funding schools which led to great disparities in how much money, per pupil, schools were receiving to educate our children. This created a statewide system of winning and losing school districts. We also know that Illinois is an incredibly diverse state. The needs of Southern Illinois are different than the needs of suburban communities which are also different than the needs of the City of Chicago. Because of this, reforming the way we fund our schools had eluded lawmakers for decades. In order to address this issue head-on, Gov. Rauner created the Education Funding Reform Commission last summer. This bipartisan, bicameral commission was tasked with making recommendations to the General Assembly on how best to revise the states school funding formula. On Feb. 1, 2017, this commission submitted its final report which became the baseline for legislators to work off of moving forward. Leading up to the end of session in May, great progress had been made between Republican and Democrat negotiators in the Senate and the House to craft a bipartisan compromise that both sides could support. But, as often happens in Springfield, partisan politics won the day and the compromise was drastically altered without Republican input in the waning days of session, putting agreed-to reform in jeopardy. So three weeks ago, the four legislative leaders, Senate President Cullerton, House Speaker Madigan, Senate Republican Leader Brady and myself, began to meet to find a bipartisan solution to reform school funding and ensure that our schools remained open. Abandoning partisanship, we spent countless hours over the course of two weeks coming to agreement on the major remaining issues to ensure schools were funded adequately and fairly for years to come. Using the recommendations from Governor Rauners Education Funding Reform Commission and input from teachers, principals, superintendents, advocates and others, we found a solution where every child in every school district across the state wins. The school funding compromise that was signed into law last week: provides historic funding of Illinois schools in fiscal year 2018; establishes an evidence-based formula that ensures adequacy and equity so that students in the poorest districts in Illinois receive funding first; allows for property tax relief for high-taxed, high-funded school districts; creates a tax credit scholarship program to expand school choice for children from low-income families; further expands choice though more equitable charter school funding to allow every child to be treated fairly according to their parents choice; and ensures that Chicago Public School District is not singled out and is treated the same as every other school district in the state. Simply put, under this new formula, every student across our state will receive access to the high-quality education they deserve. This solution is also proof that bipartisan, bicameral compromise is possible in Springfield. It shows that through productive negotiations and conversations with the same end goal in sight both sides of both chambers can come up with a solution where everyone walks away as a winner. Theres no doubt that the governor signing the school funding reform measure into law was a historic moment. My hope is that this victory serves as a framework for us moving forward in the statehouse because there is much work that needs to be done to make Illinois a thriving state once again. I firmly believe that through bipartisan agreement like we saw last week, much more can be accomplished. CAMERON -- Resurrection Lutheran Church in the Cameron area is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Congregation members and guests gathered to celebrate the milestone on Aug. 27, with a commemorative service presided over by Bishop Herman Yoos. Members and guests of all ages then enjoyed a celebratory meal together. We invited all the former pastors who are still available, said Rev. Eric Little, pastor of the church. We also sent out invitations to families with connections to members in the area. Some who attended are nearly as old as the church itself. The church also has a strong core of younger members. We have a wide age range in the congregation, Little said. Several congregation members are in their mid-90s. But we also have a lot of kids. For childrens sermon, I may have 20 kids. The large percentage of young people among its 348 members makes youth ministry a major focus for the church. During the summer, for example, Resurrection Lutheran serve as the host to a week-long day camp for area children. Its been exceptionally well attended, Little said. We had 68 children this summer, our largest ever. People start calling in January to find out when camp will open. Its not just members, but folks who arent members who have children or grandchildren who actively attend, he added. Its been a very successful outreach to the community, and its something that were rather proud of. Little noted that at Christmas, Resurrection Lutheran and Hope Lutheran sponsor an Angel Tree. They provide us the names and description of the family and what they might like, and we usually have trouble finding enough room to put all the presents and bicycles and stuff that we take over there," he said. So, weve been able to contribute in the eastern Orangeburg and Cameron community in that way as well, Little said. Those names (listed on the Angel Tree each year) go off the tree very quickly. He said the churchs generous spirit quickly became apparent to him when he became pastor in 2015. The congregation, when theyre presented with ways to serve that they feel in their hearts they would like to do, they jump in wholeheartedly, Little said. The folks in this area just respond graciously. I understand thats just a Cameron trait, he added. When we first moved here, my daughter asked, Why are these people so nice? I told her thats just who they are. Little credits the congregations caring attitude largely to the deep roots that most members have at Resurrection Lutheran. Many are farmers, and they seem to be tied to the land, the pastor said. Their children, unlike in many other communities -- although they might go away for a while -- they seem to come back. So, theyre tied to that history and the land, and were blessed to have lots who have chosen to raise their children here. Resurrection Lutheran Church traces its history back to 1843. The congregation was originally part of St. Matthews Lutheran Church, but growth during the mid-19th century prompted church leaders to create a new church farther southeast. The folklore is that they got out a map and decided that everybody that was on one side (of the street that church fathers selected) would stay up there (in St. Matthews), and everyone south and east of the street would come over here (to Cameron), Little said. The original church in Cameron was located at the site of Mount Lebanon Cemetery, southeast of the town off Highway 176. The Cameron and St. Matthews Lutheran churches continued to share a pastor then -- and still do. Planning at the site of present-day Resurrection Lutheran Church began early in the 20th century. During the years leading up to 1917, the congregation "decided they needed to be closer to the growth of Cameron, Little said. They moved down here, and they dedicated the church on Aug. 26, 1917. Of course, when the time came to celebrate the churchs 100th anniversary, one cornerstone at the church caused a bit of consternation. The cornerstone in question is dated 1916, and had some wondering whether they would be celebrating the anniversary on the correct day. But after consulting church records, Little discovered the truth. Although the cornerstone may have been erected in 1916, congregation members did not actually occupy the church until Aug. 26, 1917. Little said everyone is welcome to visit the church for regular worship services at 11 a.m. on any Sunday morning. He also presides over morning services at St. Matthews Lutheran Church at 9 a.m. every Sunday. Claflin University President Henry N. Tisdale has been elected vice president and chair of the Division of Higher Education of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church. The announcement was made following the August meeting of the GBHEM board of directors in Nashville, Tennessee. The DHE is responsible for representing The United Methodist Church in its relationships with educational institutions and collegiate ministries. As chair and vice president, Tisdale will also serve as a member of the executive committee. Tisdale was elected to the board of directors of the GBHEM last year. He will remain in his roles with GBHEM committees, which include the Administrative Matter Committee, Racial and Ethnic Concerns Committee, and chair of the Division of Higher Education Committee and Personnel and Policies Committee. Members of the board are appointed for a four-year term, and they can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. GBHEM's mission is to "lead and serve The United Methodist Church in the recruitment, preparation, nurture, education and support of Christian leaders -- lay and clergy -- for the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." GBHEM board members are key leaders who assume responsibility on behalf of the community for the governance and financial oversight of the organization and its various programs. As stewards, they are committed to maintaining the health and viability of GBHEM now and for the future. Kelvin Wilder and Shirley Whetstone, his mother, arrived at Orangeburgs newest grocery store at 4:45 a.m. Thursday. They were the first in line. I want to know what it is all about. I have been looking forward to this being open," Whetstone said. Hundreds followed, gathering outside Lidl ahead of the 8 a.m. grand opening. The $7 million, 36,000-square-foot standalone store is located at 2510 North Road. Baby Ray Larkin, another early bird, said, "We wanted to come out and check the store out to see what they have to offer the people of Orangeburg County. "We feel that it is a great thing, this store here, and it brings jobs here. That is the big thing." Larkin, like many of those in line, said he has never heard of Lidl. But he was ready to get to know it. "More stores are always good. The more stores, the more money you will spend! he said. The store's parking lot was full for the grand opening. Some customers parked in nearby lots, like at the former Ryans restaurant. Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler welcomed the crowd, saying Yall make some noise for this new store. The crowd answered with a roar. Butler described Lidl as a, great asset to the city and the North Road corridor. "We have a lot of traffic that travels this road," he said. "As they travel this road, they will be able to turn into this grocery store and pick up what they need." Dorothy Thomas Smith arrived at the store about 5:45 a.m. "I wanted to be able to be first in line to get good prizes," Smith said. "I have never been able to come to these things. No opening. I have had to work all the time. This is the first time Ive been able to come to get something free in my life." She said the store is wonderful. "We need a lot of stores because a lot are going out of business," Smith said. Orangeburg resident Anna Craig arrived at 6 a.m. "I want to take a look at the store because it looked so pretty on the outside," Craig said. "I am excited about the store being in Orangeburg. It is such a beautiful place." Sandra Guinyard said Lidl marked the third grand opening shes attended. She also went to the opening of Aldi and the Walmart neighborhood market. "Me and my golden girls, we normally hit them all, she said. Customers were able to take advantage of get-them-while-you-can special offers. The first 100 customers received a wooden coin for a chance to win up to $100 in Lidl gift cards. Shoppers also were able to sample an array of Lidls products and get a complimentary Lidl reusable bag. Some came to the grand opening to purchase items ahead of Hurricane Irma. Bottles of water were flying off the shelves and bread was also a hot commodity. The grand-opening event, which runs through Sunday, will include games, activities, prizes, special deals and giveaways. The store will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. It employs about 50. The company announced in May 2016 it planned to open a store in Orangeburg. The grocer chose the area due to its high traffic, dense population and established retail locations. The Orangeburg opening is a part of the store's expansion into the United States. The grocery store plans to roll out 150 stores in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern markets by 2018. Lidls U.S. headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. The store is building distribution and regional headquarter sites in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Georgia. Lidl, a division of German retailer Schwarz Group, has been in operation in Europe for more than 40 years with about 10,000 stores in 26 countries, according to its website. As Hurricane Irma moves closer to South Carolina, its unpredictability is leading some area schools to close as a safety precaution. Others are keeping a watchful eye on its path. "At this time, I expect the district to make a decision about schools by midday on Friday. Right now we are not expecting any impacts from Irma until Sunday evening so everything is operating on normal schedules this week, said Bill Clark, spokesman for Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5. Next week is another story and we are watching conditions and forecasts very closely." Some districts were also waiting to make a decision on Thursday, while many area colleges and universities were closing. OCSD4 is seeking more information before making a decision about closures, Assistant Superintendent Ernest Holiday said. "Right now we haven't made any plans as to what we're doing yet," Holiday said. OCSD3 Superintendent Jesulon Gibbs-Brown said students and teachers will be dismissed early at 11:30 a.m. Friday. The district office will close at 1 p.m. The Lake Marion High School game against Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School, which was scheduled for Friday, has also been postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date. Bamberg School Districts 1 and 2 were awaiting more information from emergency preparedness officials on Thursday before finalizing any plans. District 1 Assistant Superintendent Robert Kearse said, "Nothing is planned at this point. I'm fairly confident that something is going to be planned based on all the information that we see on the Internet." Deborah Anderson, assistant to BSD2 Superintendent Dr. Thelma Sojourner, said, "We're still waiting to hear from the authorities in Bamberg as far as the weather is concerned. So no decision has been made here." Dr. Steve Wilson, superintendent of the Calhoun County School District, said the weather situation was being monitored, but no decision on school closures had yet been made. "We're talking with EMS here locally and kind of seeing what they're saying and forecasting. And as soon as we know something, we'll make the appropriate call. But in the meantime, we put all our people here in the county on notice that no field trips and that kind of thing," Wilson said "We're not going to be caught out there without having planned well for the kids." Evan Powell, headmaster of Orangeburg Preparatory School, said the school would not make a final decision on its storm plan until noon Friday, though there is a strong possibility school will be closed Monday and Tuesday. OCAB Head Start Centers in Orangeburg, Calhoun, Allendale and Bamberg counties will be closed Monday. In addition, Head Start Centers in Allendale County and Orangeburg County school districts 3 and 4 will close at noon Friday. All Head Start Centers will open and close on the same schedules as their local public school districts. A few colleges and universities have decided to close school out of safety concerns. South Carolina State University, Claflin University and Denmark Technical College closed at 5 p.m. Thursday. S.C. State said that all scheduled programs, activities and events were cancelled. All residential halls will close at noon Friday, and all students are encouraged to begin immediate evacuation. Remaining S.C. State students will be required to take shelter at the on-campus emergency shelter, Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Claflin University said all evening classes and activities were cancelled until further notice. Essential employees are expected to report. Beginning Friday, the University Dining Center will operate from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. for brunch and from 5 to 7 p.m. for dinner. There will be no late-night dining. Jazzmans Cafe, Pizza Hut and the 1869 Club will be closed on Friday until further notice. Anne Kline, Denmark Tech's public information coordinator, said while the college will be open for employees, classes had been cancelled beginning Thursday "until further notice to ensure safe travel for our students." Voorhees College canceled all classes beginning on Friday. The campus will close at 8 a.m. Saturday until further notice. All students remaining on campus will follow the brunch dining schedule beginning on Friday, Sept. 7. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College said it is continuing to monitor the weather. Several academies across The T&D Region announced closures, including Dorchester and Holly Hill academies, both of which will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Holly Hill Academy Headmaster Garland Crump said the Holly Hill Academy Child Care facility will also be closed Monday and Tuesday. Calhoun Academy Headmaster Becky Haigler said the school would likely make a decision on its plans on Friday. "We're just watching the weather," she said. Wesley Christian School Administrator Peyton White said the school would be closed Monday and Tuesday. Danielle Newhall, vice principal of Orangeburg Christian Academy, said, "We are going to actually not make a decision until Saturday, when we can find out really for sure what is going on with the storm." Jamie Barnes, Andrew Jackson Academy headmaster, also said they would make a determination on whether to close their school over the weekend. "We're going to kind of watch it as of now. And we're going to make a determination over the weekend and post it on our webpage, www.andrewjacksonacademy.org and put it on a Facebook page called Friends of Andrew Jackson Academy." While uncertainty remains about Hurricane Irmas exact path, models are pointing to significant impacts for The T&D Region. "It looks like we are definitely going to get hit," Calhoun County Emergency Services Director Bill Minikiewicz said Thursday. He said the forecast for Irma calls for it to be stronger than last years Hurricane Matthew when it arrives. Through late Thursday afternoon, Irma continued to churn in the Caribbean with sustained winds at 175 miles per hour. The National Weather Service is forecasting the storm will begin impacting The T&D Region on Sunday night, with conditions deteriorating Monday and especially into Monday night. Even though later models seem more favorable for the region, NWS Meteorologist Chris Rohrbach said residents should not let their guard down. "The impacts likely will still be strong winds, which will cause power outages and cause damage to large limbs and to trees," Rohrbach said. The T&D Region could find itself in the northeast quadrant of the storm, which would mean a greater chance of tornadoes. According to windy.com, a website used by the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities for planning purposes, wind gusts could get as high as 64 miles per hour. Saturday and Sunday NWS Meteorologist Al Moore said indirect impacts from Irma will be felt as early as Saturday afternoon. "We are calling for winds in the afternoon from the northwest around 10 miles per hour to 15 mph," Moore said. Sunday will be the more breezy day. "There should be a steady increase in sustained winds throughout the day Sunday," Moore said. Monday and Tuesday Moore said the area should start feeling stronger winds Monday afternoon into Monday night. "I would try say people should try to determine whether your homes where you live are able to stand winds at least at a minimal hurricane strength," Moore said. "People who live in trailers may want to consider getting out if this track holds." Moore said people should prepare for potential power outages possibly lasting for days with nonperishable food items and water for drinking and bathing. Loose lawn furniture and other items should also be placed inside. Moore said the Orangeburg area could conservatively receive about 5 inches of rain with isolated higher amounts. Winds in the Orangeburg area would be expected to diminish by Tuesday afternoon. Coastal evacuations of those with medical needs in hospitals and nursing homes were ordered Thursday. Lane reversals may be put in place over the weekend. Additionally, the governor ordered all dam owners throughout the state to evaluate and assess current water levels to determine whether levels can be safely lowered to accommodate anticipated rises in water level. Emergency preparedness Orangeburg County officials spent Thursday finalizing their preparations, including support for shelter operations, Emergency Services Director Billy Staley said. Shelter locations will be announced over the weekend. The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to help support shelter operations. It will be conducting a training class for volunteers at noon Friday at the County Administrative Centre on Amelia Street. In Bamberg County, a shelter will open at Richard Carroll Elementary School at noon Sunday. The school is located at 1980 Main Highway in Bamberg. Individuals can bring bedding, clothing, medications, blankets and an emergency kit. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and weapons are not allowed. Pets are not allowed in shelters. The shelter will be manned by the American Red Cross and the Department of Social Services. Minikiewicz said a decision will most likely be made about Calhoun Countys shelters on Friday. The main shelter will be in St. Matthews at Calhoun County High School, 150 Saints Avenue. A second shelter would be at the St. Matthews K-8 at 135 Saints Avenue and a third shelter could open at the Sandy Run K-8 school, if theres a need. Cancellations The Orangeburg County Farm Bureau meeting scheduled for Sept. 12 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 20. President Donald Trump recently endorsed legislation that would cut the number of legal immigrants admitted to the United States in half. He claims it would put the needs of American workers first. Hes mistaken. The bill would not make more jobs available for the native born or improve their wages, but it would harm our economy. The RAISE Act, sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and David Perdue, R-Georgia, would significantly reduce the number of immigrants admitted through family reunification, cap the annual number of new refugees taken in at 50,000, and create a new merit-based system that awards points for a visa applicants level of education, ability to speak English, possession of a high-paying job offer, and a record of entrepreneurial achievement. Trump claimed that the legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first. Similarly, Cotton claimed that by cutting back on low-skilled migration, working-class Americans would be helped. Contrary to the claims made by the president and the bills sponsors, the RAISE Act would not help working-class American families. Instead, it would slow our economy while doing nothing to improve the job prospects of working-class Americans. There is widespread agreement among economists that immigration helps to grow the economy. Most of the gains from immigration accrue to the immigrants themselves, but native-born employers, home owners, and consumers of goods and services produced by immigrant labor enjoy modest increases in their standard of living because of immigration. Supporters of the RAISE Act mistakenly think that the gains experienced by immigrants and some of the native-born population come at the expense of working-class Americans. But history, and a slew of economic studies, show us otherwise. The National Academy of Sciences recently conducted a survey of the entire economics literature on immigration and concluded, When measured over a period of 10 years or more, the impact of immigration on the wages of native-born workers overall is very small. Rather than looking at the overall evidence, Trump administration official Stephen Miller justified the new legislation by citing only a hotly contested study by Harvard University economist George Borjas, which claims that the mass influx of low-skilled Cuban immigrants to southern Florida during the 1980 Mariel boatlift temporarily depressed the wages of high school dropouts in Miami. Even if this conclusion is true, it tells us nothing about how the RAISE Act would affect working-class Americans. Most working-class Americans are not high school dropouts. In the Mariel case, native-born workers with only a high school diploma, who outnumbered the dropouts, saw their wages increase because of immigration. Immigrant workers are not, as many people assume, substitutes for most of the native-born workforce. Instead, they are complements that free up native-born workers to do jobs where they are more productive. By restricting low-skilled migration, the RAISE Act would likely harm the wages of most working-class Americans who have high school diplomas. But it is far from clear that the act would help even low-skilled high school dropouts. The last time U.S. policymakers tried to help low-skilled agricultural workers by cutting legal immigration, the intended beneficiaries ended up worse off. From 1942 to 1964 the federal Bracero Program allowed American farmers to hire Mexican seasonal workers. Each year it permitted half a million workers about the same number of legal immigrants the RAISE Act would eliminate. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy claimed that the program harmed the wages, working conditions and job opportunities of American agricultural workers, but recent evidence shows otherwise. In one of the most extensive studies, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research last February, Michael Clemens, Ethan Lewis and Hannah Postel examined the wages of American farm workers after the Bracero Program was canceled in 1964. They found that agricultural wages rose more slowly not faster after it was eliminated. Thats because farmers made up for the loss of migrant labor in large part by using more machinery and switching to crops that did not require as much labor to harvest. Such unintended consequences are to be expected whenever policy reforms aim to restrict the labor pool for the supposed benefit of native workers. The RAISE Act is no exception. Its drastic cuts to legal immigration would damage our economy, needlessly harm potential immigrants, and hurt American businesses and consumers. These harms come with little economic benefit to any sizable population. Anti-immigrant rhetoric shouldnt trump sound science. The RAISE Act should be defeated so that Congress can pursue more sensible immigration reform. SEOUL Donald Trump doesnt get it. He warns South Korea about appeasement, but whos appeasing whom? Yes, President Moon Jae-in, hero of the candlelight protests that lofted him as the liberal darling into the presidency after the ouster of the conservative Park Geun-hye, would love to go down in history as the one who brought about reconciliation on this conflicted peninsula. No, thats not going to happen any time soon, much to the chagrin of some of the ideologues and idealists counting on him to say yes to just about anything North Korea wants. The Norths sixth nuclear test shows Moon is not getting anywhere in his quest for dialogue, and he knows it. Confounding many of his more left-leaning followers, Moon is talking as tough as the conservatives who ruled for nearly 10 years until Parks downfall. Hes chatting with the hated Japanese, and hes vowing no more advances in North Korean technology for fixing a warhead onto a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the United States. Hes also calling for strengthening the South Korean armed forces in the face of North Korean threats, and hes in favor of still stronger U.N. sanctions. What do a legion of progressives have to say about their hero now? We must revive the candlelight revolution, said a member of the far leftist New Peoples Party. He is not the president we elected in May. With 72 percent of South Korean voters still enthusiastic about him, Moon advocates say hes trying to have it both ways talking tough to the North while hoping Kim Jong-un will calm down enough to make a deal with the South. Trouble is, Trump, the ultimate wheeler-dealer, seems unwilling to make a deal that will satisfy the Moon government, much less the North Koreans. Having spoken on the phone with Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moon did get Trump on the line to agree, sure, South Korea should develop a missile thats twice as powerful as the Hyunmoo in the Souths inventory, but did they get around to the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, KORUS, that Trump would jettison along with all the other unfair deals of his predecessors? Just as Moon is standing tough on North Korea, hes not bowing to the United States on trade. The question remains are the United States and South Korean national security councils so tightly bound on defense as officials on both camps want everyone to believe? Moons meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin shows his desire to pursue a more independent course. U.S. officials, keenly aware of Korean sensitivities while not openly deriding Trumps appeasement tweet, dissociate themselves with off-record comments like, You know how he is he doesnt always mean what he says dont take him literally. Beneath the level of the White House and the Blue House, South Korean diplomats and officials at the unification ministry, responsible for carrying out policy with the North, are busy coordinating in Washington and other capitals from Tokyo to London. The goal is to line everyone up against North Korea. Nobody seriously believes, of course, that Kim Jong-un might abandon his program for turning North Korea into a nuclear power capable of brandishing nukes and missiles at targets near and far, but what about that red line that Moon said North Korea must not cross? Its far from clear exactly where that line is while leaders of his Minjoo or Democratic Party of Korea have said he cannot risk a second Korean War. Such talk leaves one wild card, namely the Trumpster himself. On the streets of Seoul, no one quite trusts him not to take matters in his own hands and fire away pre-emptively at North Koreas missile and nuclear facilities. Is Trump fully aware that North Korea might gain revenge by pouring conventional, old-fashioned artillery shells over the northern tier of South Korea, including Seoul and the industrial port city of Incheon. Not only South Korea but the region and much of the world would panic. What South Koreans want, though, is often about as unclear as what Trump will do. Credit the Americans with inspiring South Korean air strikes at targets simulating North Korean leadership. It was the United States that added decapitation to the lexicon of war games, giving rise to sardonic questions about whos on the decap list. Moon, however, professes not to be interested in regime change up there while awaiting a response to his pleas for a Moon-Kim summit. Hes in for a long wait. (L-R): Jacqueline Browne-King: WPP Eastern Caribbean Representative, Patricia Baynes - Julies Mother, Julie Theobalds, and Simon Carey - Rotary Club South Representative, at the presentation ceremony. Ms Julie Theobalds of Park Hill is heading for Shriners Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, for a total hip replacement. Her surgery has been made possible because of the ongoing collaboration between the Rotary Club South and the World Paediatric Programme (WPP). A monetary donation in this regard was handed over to Julie last week Wednesday. Newly installed president of the Club, Kim Haydock, affirmed her clubs commitment to WPP and "their mission to improve the lives of the unfortunate who require critical medical care and treatment, unavailable in St. Vincent. WPP Eastern Caribbean Representative Sister Jacqueline King commented, "Our long partnership with Rotary Club South has once again proven to be very helpful to the families of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Julie thanked everyone involved, and said, "This could not have happened without everyone. Since 2002, the WPP has been mounting medical missions to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, conducting specialized consultations and surgeries for children. Up to April 2017, over 1000 children have received lifesaving surgeries. The number of persons who have graduated from the Annual Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestras Training Programme has risen to over 900. This, after another 46 who were exposed to the art of playing the steel pan, graduated from the 2017 programme, last Sunday. The training was done by Mikalla Knights, who was part of the first training session back in 1995. An excited bunch of graduates thrilled those present with an exhibition of their newly acquired skills, as they rendered four songs, during the graduation ceremony staged at the Sion Hill Village hard court. However, the 2017 programme was an undertaking with a difference, as the trainees not only learned to play the instrument, but were taken on educational tours, including one to the Vermont Nature Trails. And, those who excelled during the six weeks of the training, were recompensed with tokens. Adjudged to be the Most Outstanding trainee was Kyshana Alexander, while Kironique Thomas copped the Most Disciplined award, with Keanu Providence named the Most Promising awardee. Students listed among the more exemplary were J tsi Yon Simmons, Chante Garrick and Jomiyah Francis. Concerns But it was not all glee at last Sundays ceremony, as Chair of the Sion Hill Euphonium organisation, Warren Knights expressed sadness in some corporate entities response towards support of the steelband. Knights moaned: "Each year, letters go out to various business houses inviting them to partner with us in our youth development programme and panorama participation The majority dont reply, (and) when you give a follow-up call, some say they will get back to you, but never do, (while) others may look at the $60,000 budget you sent them and offer you a $500 with bold expectations of title sponsorship. Knights added, "It is difficult to comprehend when a businessman can say to you, he cannot justify giving a steel band a $10,000 sponsorship which goes towards the development of that band and its community, while it is so easy for him to give five times that amount to sponsor a fete You be the judge. Knights took the time out to thank those who, over the years, have helped the band and its programme. "The truth is that all the business houses we approached are not uncharitable; there are some sponsors who are generous, kind and have the development of the nations youth at heartWe thank you very much for understanding our value, sharing our vision, and for being a good corporate citizen, Knights acknowledged. Apart from Knights, others addressing the ceremony were Oneka Morgan- President of the Youlou Pan Movement; Lavina Gunn- Director of the Mustique Trust Company, the main sponsor of the training programme; Clayton Burgin Chairman of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority; Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment- Hon Luke Browne, and Hon. Arnhim Eustace, parliamentary representative for East Kingstown. All speakers lauded the Sion Hill Euphonium organisation for its efforts aimed at of ensuring that the youths are given the opportunity to learn the art of playing the steel pan. As expected, Vincentians were part and parcel of the staging of the 50th anniversary of the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade on Monday, Labor Day, on Brooklyns Eastern Parkway. Nationals either played in the predominantly Trinidadian-owned mas bands or reveled with the Vincentian-owned Mas Productions Unlimited, the sole Vincentian mas band in New York. This year, the Brooklyn-based Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center, whose chief executive officer and president is Calliaqua native Vaughan Toney, teamed up Mas Productions Unlimited in a "show of force on the Parkway. For at least the third successive year, revelers, masqueraders and millions of spectators from around the world converged, in picture-perfect weather, on the sprawling Eastern Parkway for what is described as the largest carnival parade in North America. With a high of 84 degrees, it was, unequivocally, a remarkable day for the explosion of the sight, sounds, pageantry, artistry and everything else West Indian. The cornucopia of colors and the potpourri of West Indian dishes that wafted the air brought the best out of West Indians, including over 3 million onlookers. Even the ubiquitous police presence and extraordinary security did not prevent Caribbean nationals from reveling in the extravaganza. Some spectators even ventured among the multiplicity of costumed bands to "get down with masqueraders and revelers. Vincies react Wayne Commissiong, of McKies Hill, Kingstown, was, perhaps, the sole tenor pannist on the Parkway. "You have to take the culture and show where youre from, he told THE VINCENTIAN. "As a mas man, a pan man, you have to represent where youre from. The culture is ever-lasting. Brooklyn residents Charelle and Gabrielle Ollivierre, of Bequia, played "Party of the Parkway with the newly-formed Stronjeh International. "Weve been playing for years, they said in unison. "We expect a good time. As soca vibes emanated from gigantic speakers mounted atop a huge flatbed truck, Keisha Durant, a New York City Transit Police sergeant, whipped out, and posed with, a Vincentian flag. "Im happy, said the daughter of Kenny Durrant, in uniform, on police duty. "Its been a long time, and Ive been excited to do it. Im home again. "I feel like doing it again next year, she added. A few yards away, Jackie Jackson, of Biabou, portrayed "Little Bo Peep with Mas Productions Unlimited. "Were a little late, but well make it, she said. On the right side of the float, Michelle Hillocks, who trekked from Philadelphia, "got down with her Arnos Vale native, Betty Trent. "I feel good, said Hillocks, who carries the soca sobriquet "Hibiscus, winner of the 2016 Vincy New Song Competition in New York. "Vincy people, you know we love we culture. "Feel good! Trent chimed in with a hoarse voice. "First time doing this. Mas lover Antonia Saunders, of Kingstown Hill, brought along her aunt, Joy Saunders. "This is wonderful, Joy said. "The band is playing real good. Verna Arthur, chair of the Exposition Committee for the Brooklyn-based Club St. Vincent, Inc., said it was good for St. Vincent and the Grenadines to be fully represented on the Parkway. "Im happy to have a Vincentian band this year, she said, congratulating Toney and Wesley Millington, the Sion Hill-born founder and president of Mas Productions Unlimited, in their collaborative efforts. Last year, Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center featured masqueraders solely in graduating caps and gowns in "Jump for Education. But despite the pageantry, gaiety and revelry, police said four people were stabbed and one person was shot along the parade route. Injuries to two victims in separate incidents were not life-threatening, police said; the conditions of the other victims were unclear. The shooting victim, taken to the sprawling Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, was in stable condition, police said. Lead-up activities Mondays grand parade climaxed five days of Caribbean carnival festivities, celebrated under the theme "From A Dream to A Legacy, which began on Thursday, August 30. It featured Reggae Unda Di Stars, starring "Reggae Ambassadors Cocoa Tea, Ghanian Dancehall Reggae artist, Stonebwoy, and Brooklyns own Afrobeat songstress, WUNMI. The show was augmented with "a taste of Marley magic by the appearance by Grammy award-winning artist, Stephen "Ragga Marley, commemorating his fathers visit to the same Brooklyn stage where he (Bob Marley) debuted Uprising. Reggae Unda Di Stars expressed enthusiasm and support for WIADCAs efforts in bringing the community together by promoting diversity and tolerance through music and culture in New York City. Friday, Sept. 1, celebrated the annual Summer Jam: Stay In School Concert & Youth Fest; and, in the evening, the popular Brass Fest concert featured soca artistes the likes of DAll Stars, including Blaxx; Antiguas 2017 Party Monarch King Ricardo Drue; ; Teddyson John (St. Lucia); Lyrikal and Farmer Nappy (Trinidad and Tobago); 2017 Road March King of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Problem Child; Lavaman (Grenada); King Bubba (Barbados); and Trinidad and Tobagos 2017 Road March King MX Prime of Ultimate Rejects. On Sat., Sept. 2, the Junior Carnival and Panorama took place. The next day, the Dimanche Gras finale was showcased, featuring the Calypso King of the World, The Mighty Sparrow; the Calypso Queen of the World, Calypso Rose; David Rudder; Swallow (Antigua); Ras Iley (Barbados); and Dane Gulston steel pan virtuoso, along with the King & Queen of the Bands costume presentations. "Weve worked hard to make this carnival what it is today, said Trinidadian Angela Sealy, chairperson of the Brooklyn-based organizing group, West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), in addressing the annual pre-Carnival Breakfast, at the Lincoln Terrace Court, near the beginning at the parade route. "Were not paid; were doing this for the love of the culture. "Ladies and gentlemen, 50 years of my life, and were still jamming, added Sealy, who was among the original founders of Caribbean Carnival in New York City, flanked by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other elected officials. By Azernews By Amina Nazarli Baku will offer a package of investment projects to Jordanian companies at the upcoming meeting of the Azerbaijan-Jordan intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for late November, a source told Trend on September 8. The previous meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission was held in Baku in 2011. In May 2017, the Jordanian government proposed to intensify the work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation with Azerbaijan after a six-year break. The sides plan to discuss the prospects of expanding economic and trade cooperation, creating joint ventures, as well as hold a business forum with the participation of businessmen of the two countries. The two countries may develop cooperation in agriculture, tourism, ICT, pharmaceutics and other spheres. Jordanian companies intend to expand their participation in pharmaceutical and agrarian markets of Azerbaijan. Jordan recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established in February 1993. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Jordan was opened in March 2006, the Jordan embassy opened in March 2007. Today the products of more than 10 Jordanian companies, involved in food, pharmaceutical and other industries, are present in the Azerbaijani market. The Azerbaijani side intends to attract Jordanian companies to the investment projects. More than 30 Azerbaijan-Jordan intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements have been concluded since 2006, covering a wide range of issues of interaction in various sectors. The Jordan Kingdom relates to Azerbaijan as reliable economic and political ally. Jordan repeatedly voiced intention to activate ties with Azerbaijan, which turns recently to the leading country in South Caucasus and to invest heavily in economy of the country. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Jordan amounted to about $5.8 million in January-July 2017, which is by 78.5 percent more compared to the same period of 2016, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee. By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere congratulations to you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Macedonia Independence Day, said President Aliyev in his letter. We are satisfied with the current level of Azerbaijani-Macedonian ties, noted the president. I hope that friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries will continue to develop and expand in the best interests of our nations. On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your activities, and the friendly people of Macedonia peace and prosperity, added the Azerbaijani president. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov The issue of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be discussed at regular sessions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), Assembly's President Christine Muttonen told reporters in Baku on September 8. She said the Parliamentary Assembly is a good platform for discussing existing conflicts in the OSCE area. "Parliamentarians from various member countries regularly raise issues concerning their countries at the organization," she noted. Undoubtedly, we expect the issue of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be included in the OSCE PA agenda." Muttonen added that the OSCE PA Rapporteur Kristian Vigenin is actively working towards restoring peace and stability in the region. We, together with our Azerbaijani partners, are working to restore stability in the region and in the interests of peoples well-being, she said. Muttonen also added that there is good cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the organization is interested in its further development. Muttonen arrived in the country on September 7, and was received by President Ilham Aliyev on Friday morning. Speaker of Azerbaijan`s Parliament Ogtay Asadov met Muttonen later during the day. The consequences of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the current state of peace talks were touched upon during the meetings in Baku. The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is more than two-decade-old, but still actual. It began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Today, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. In 1992, the OSCE established the Minsk Group in order to resolve the conflict by peaceful means. However, the organization, co-chaired by Russia, the U.S. and France, still fails to find a solution to the problem. Iraqi forces have said they are poised to recapture the city of Tal Afar from so-called Islamic State (IS) after six days of intense fighting. Troops have cleared the old citadel and its surrounding neighbourhood of militants, Lt Gen Abdul Amir Yarallah was quoted as saying by BBC. Clashes were still being reported in the northern outskirts of the city. Tal Afar, near the Syrian border, is one of the jihadists' last remaining strongholds in Iraq. Last month, a long-running operation drove IS militants from the Iraqi city of Mosul. Gen Yarallah, who is in charge the latest offensive, said his forces were now dealing with the final pockets of jihadi resistance in Tal Afar. Footage from within the city shows Iraqi forces moving through the streets in tanks with black smoke billowing from targeted buildings. "Tal Afar city is about to fall completely into the hands of our forces, only 5 per cent remains [under IS control]", a military spokesman was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. Bahrains Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza recently met executive heads and senior officials of major non-oil companies, a report said. Dr Mirza explained the background of the setting up of the Sustainable Energy Unit and its two main objectives - to encourage investment in renewable energy as well as to raise the efficiency and rationalization of energy consumption, reported Bahrain News Agency (BNA). The minister spoke of the national objectives adopted by the Council of Ministers. He said the objective of the meeting was to work towards achieving objectives of the National Energy Efficiency Plan (NEEAP) and the National Renewable Energy Plan (NREAP). The minister reviewed the plans and objectives of the Sustainable Energy Unit along with those of NEEAP and NREAP and their initiatives related to the petroleum, petrochemical and gas industries. Dr Mirza also reviewed the activities and achievements of the National Committee to follow up the implementation of these plans, through its agenda and sub-committees emanating from it, and the initiatives that are included in the national plans. The visitors expressed their readiness to support the national energy plans and the work of the National Committee in addition to their readiness to support the efforts and objectives of the Sustainable Energy Unit. The minister thanked the attendees for their constructive suggestions and support. United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP resident representative Amin Al-Sharqawi, along with senior officials of Bahrain International Airport, Alba, Batelco, Garmco, JBF Bahrain, MAF Investment, Seef Properties, Triebacher Al Zayani and Abu Hussain Fiberglass attended. Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the first six months of 2017, some 36 million more than in the same period of 2016 with Middle East showing the strongest growth (+9 per cent). At 6 per cent, the global growth was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong demand for international travel in the first half of 2017, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6 per cent compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4 per cent or higher growth since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years. Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years. Of UNWTO regions, growth was strongest in the Middle East (+9 per cent), Europe (+8 per cent) and Africa (+8 per cent), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6 per cent) and the Americas (+3 per cent). The first half of the year usually accounts for about 46 per cent of total annual international arrivals, with the second half longer by three days and including the Northern Hemisphere high season months of July and August. The first half of 2017 shows healthy growth in an increasingly dynamic and resilient tourism market, including a strong recovery in some of the destinations impacted by security challenges last year, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai ahead of the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in Chengdu, China from Septeber 13 to 16. As explained in my article Tourism: growth is not the enemy; its how we manage it that counts, international travel creates jobs, economic growth and development opportunities for many communities around the world. But this source of prosperity needs to be managed efficiently, for the good of visitors and host communities alike. This year we celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (IY2017) to remind destinations and travellers that we must work for a sustainable tourism sector that protects the environment, preserves the cultural heritage of destinations, and fosters respect for local communities everywhere, Rifai added. Mediterranean destinations reported particularly strong growth in the first half of 2017, as reflected in the results for Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+12 per cent), North Africa (+16 per cent) and the Middle East (+9 per cent). This trend is driven by the continued strength of many destinations in the area, combined with a significant rebound in destinations that suffered decreases in previous years, such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, the report said. Furthermore, international tourist arrivals through June grew 8 per cent in Northern Europe, 6 per cent in Western Europe and 4 per cent in Central and Eastern Europe. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4 per cent more arrivals. Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years. South Asia (+12 per cent) led growth in Asia and the Pacific, followed by Oceania (+8 per cent) and South-East Asia (+7 per cent), while results in North-East Asia (+4 per cent) were more mixed. The Americas continued to enjoy positive results across most destinations. Growth was solid in South America (+6 per cnet), Central America (+5 per cent) and the Caribbean (+4 per cent). In North America (+2 per cent), robust results for Mexico and Canada were partly offset by a decrease in arrivals to the United States, the regions largest destination. Arrivals growth in this period was fuelled by strong outbound demand from major source markets. In particular, Canada, China, France, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States continued to report solid growth in outbound expenditure. The first half also saw a strong recovery in demand from Brazil and Russia after a few years of declines in terms of expenditure abroad. - TradeArabia News Service Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village The Lost Creek uranium mine north of Rawlins shut down operations Wednesday just weeks after reporting one of the largest spills of uranium injection fluid ever recorded in the U.S. The spill was contained on site and is not a human health hazard, according to federal regulators. The spilled fluid had not yet been pumped into the uranium ore beneath the surface. Radioactive metal contained in the fluid was naturally occurring. The mine, owned by Littleton, Colorado-based Ur-Energy, reported an Aug. 19 spill of 188,000 gallons of pre-injection fluid at Lost Creek. Another spill of 10,000 gallons of pre-injection fluid at Lost Creek on Tuesday was reported to federal regulators. A call to the Urs Casper office was not returned Friday. It was unclear if the mine unit had returned to operation. The larger spill covered about a half an acre, according the companys notification to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The total amount spilled is roughly equivalent to a third the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, which holds about 660,000 gallons of water. The fluid that had collected in the basement of the header house, an onsite gathering location for the pipes, contained about 24 parts per million of U308, or uranium, wrote Michael Gaither, the companys manager of regulatory affairs. Most of the spill was likely at a much lower concentration of 1.2 parts per million, the company stated in its report. The broken pipe was the result of chronic stress, Gaither wrote. The second spill was in a separate header house, on the same mine site. Because the concentration of uranium is so low, it doesnt pose any threat to public health and safety, said Victor Dricks, spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. What the NRC will do is monitor the companys response to both events, look at their corrective actions and document it in a future NRC inspection report. Wise-uranium.org, an online database that tracks all the NRCs uranium notifications, says the spill may be greater because additional fluid was recovered from two locations at the mine. In-situ uranium mining involves pumping an injection fluid of carbonated water into uranium rich formations to dissolve the potent metal. The solution is then pumped to a header house on the surface and then to a plant, where it is extracted and treated before processing. Camecos Highland Mine had recorded the largest spill on record, with a nearly 200,000-gallon unplanned release of injection fluid in 2007, according to Wise-uranium. The NRC began tracking spill data on a public database in 1999. Shannon Anderson, a lawyer for the environmental advocacy group, said she believed the companys response to the spill was notable. Shutting something down would only happen if there are health and safety concerns with operating, she said. Shutting down is often the only way the industry can figure out what is happening. Spills, mechanical integrity failures, and other issues are pretty routine at these ISL sites, and the size of that spill at Lost Creek is significant. Sunday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 10 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 10:15 a.m., 917 N. Beech; noon, 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 6:30 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 6:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 8 p.m., 328 1/2 E. A. Douglas: 1 p.m, Douglas, 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back), womens meeting; 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688. Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 6:30 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 8 p.m., 15th & Melrose at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Nicotine Anonymous: 5 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518. Kick-off Sunday at FCC Please join us for our Fall Kick-Off Worship Service at 10 a.m. and celebration/dedication for all building projects completed at First Christian Church, 520 CY Ave. Following the service will be a potluck luncheon for all to enjoy. UU talks free speech The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at 1040 W. 15th St., just north of the CY Avenue Albertsons. Services are Sundays at 10 a.m., and a youth religious exploration program and child care are available. On Sept. 10, guest speaker Jeff Lockwood, a UW professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities, will present Sounds of Silence, where he will explore the importance of free speech to any democracy, from a nation to a religious community. Based on his recent book, Behind the Carbon Curtain: The Energy Industry, Political Censorship and Free Speech, Lockwood will share stories and thoughts about human freedom, the control of citizens by those in power. Cinerama at Studio City The Cooper at Studio City Mesa concludes a weekend of special Cinerama presentations, including presentations by famed Cinerama restorationists David Strohmaier and Randy Gitsch. Sunday: 1:30 p.m., Cinerama Adventure and This is Cinerama double feature; 7:30 p.m., 2001: A Space Odyssey in Cinerama. Tickets for Seven Wonders of the World and the Cinerama Adventure-This is Cinerama double feature are $12.50 for adults and $9.50 for children and seniors. Tickets for 2001: A Space Odyssey are $10 for adults and $7 for children and seniors. Seating is very limited. Jam session at Eagles There will be a Jam Session at the Eagles Hall, 306 N. Durbin St., from 4 to 8 p.m. Swingsounds Band will be on stage and welcomes all music lovers to participate on stage or just listen and dance to various types of music. In addition to the Jam Session, Mike of the Eagle Riders Club will be cooking up some fine hamburgers with the trimmings for those who are hungry for a hamburger cooked home style. No admission charge, just bring your dancing shoes or musical instrument. Sunday bowlers needed The 4-10 Mixed league is looking for anyone who wants to bowl and loves to have a great time. We have four-person teams and are a coed league. We are looking for full teams or individuals who like to have fun. We start Sunday, Sept. 10, and bowl through April at Sunrise Lanes. For more information, please call or text Connie at 267-8687. New players are accepted through the month of September. Audition for Stage III Stage III Community Theatre, 904 N. Center, will hold open auditions for An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe, directed by Brandon Paad, at 7 pm. The cast could consist of anywhere from four to 12 members...all ages, all genders plus a narrator (this role will require no memorization). Lighting and sound techs are also encouraged to sign up at auditions. When City Manager Carter Napier was hired in June, Casper City Council members firmly instructed the new official to rein in spending and reduce the approximately $4 million in reserves being used in the budget. Napier hasnt wasted any time getting started. A series of budget cuts took effect Monday: City employees wages were frozen, employees with more than 200 hours of disability time had excess hours reduced, employees are no longer permitted to convert extra disability time to vacation time or the salary equivalent at the end of each calendar year and street sweeping services were moved to the Solid Waste Division. These changes are expected to save the city about $1,037,000 annually, according to a memo the city manager released last week. However, Napier said Thursday this is just the beginning. We have a lot more to do, he said, adding that his goal is to cut all $4 million being used from reserves. Napier said he and his staff are still figuring out the next steps and will likely be discussing some of their ideas at upcoming city council meetings. The city manager previously told the Star-Tribune that he considers cutting jobs to be an extreme measure that he hopes to avoid. However, he also acknowledged that layoffs are a possibility if no further means for balancing the budget are found. Caspers budget challenges stem from low sales tax revenue and concerns over the certainty of state funding. City and county government leaders are worried that the money they receive from the Wyoming Legislature roughly $100 million annually is in jeopardy, as the state is continuing to face low tax revenue due to weak energy prices. V.H. McDonald, the previous city manager who abruptly retired in April, had also anticipated that serious cuts were in Caspers future. Tracey Belser, who was then an assistant city manager, explained at a City Council meeting in May that McDonald had advised spending reserves in the coming fiscal year to allow time for planning a drastic reduction in public spending the following year. At the City Councils Tuesday night meeting, Councilman Chris Walsh urged any disgruntled city employees to refrain from taking their frustrations out on Napier. Walsh explained that the city manager is only following the directions of the council, and said he hopes citizens will understand he is in a difficult spot. Walsh added that economic conditions might improve soon. Please be patient, he said. I think things will turn up. A judge on Friday sentenced a carnival worker to a maximum of 115 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 5-year-old boy whom he kidnapped from a Casper bowling alley last year. As Natrona County District Court Judge Thomas Sullins handed down the sentence, the mother of the victim hugged her boyfriend while former carnival worker Joshua Winters rocked back and forward on the soles of his feet. Joshua Winters received a 50- to 70-year sentence for kidnapping and 30 to 45 years on merged charges of first and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. That sentence will begin after Winters completes his first sentence, meaning he would need to serve 80 to 115 years in prison. He received credit for 416 days served. Winters, 34, was convicted in May after a four-day jury trial in which he took the stand in his own defense. At his sentencing hearing Friday in Natrona County District Court, Winters maintained his innocence. He said he still did not remember the entirety of the July 2016 day when he kidnapped and molested the child. I know deep down in my heart I would not harm a child, Winters said, despite a jury finding beyond a reasonable doubt that he had done just that. Winters claimed he had a problem with alcohol, rather than with children. I beg you to give me the chance to live my life again, he said. As Winters worked toward the conclusion of his remarks, the victims mother whispered, how much longer? Soon after, Sullins handed down the sentence, asking that Winters also have access to any and all substance use treatment available to him in prison. Unusual start The hearing began just after 10:30 a.m., with Sullins considering whether to allow the victims father and step-mother to listen in on the proceedings by phone from their out-of-state home. The judge eventually decided to allow them to listen in without speaking, although he noted it was a procedure typically confined to civil cases, rather than criminal ones. The couple was not allowed to speak during the hearing, but did provide a written statement to the court. The victims mother spoke soon thereafter, saying It takes a lot of courage to come up here. She said Winters had HIV, and her son had to be tested for the virus. Thus far, the results have come back negative, Oldham said later. The victim, who splits time between his parents homes, visited Casper over the summer, which his mother described as traumatic. She said he may not return to the town again. Halfway through her statement, she said I have so much more to say but I dont know if Im gonna be able to, as her voice quivered. She said her son was undergoing counseling as a result of the trauma he endured at Winters hands, and said Winters will have to live with (his actions) the rest of his life. A man who described himself as a long-time friend of Winters spoke next, alternating between questioning the quality of Winterss defense counsel, bemoaning Winterss fraught childhood and referencing the Sermon on the Mount. Jim Arcane of Massachusetts concluded his remarks by asking the judge to sentence his friend to probation and allow Winters to stay with him on the east coast. In contrast, the prosecuting attorney sought a 125-year-to-life sentence for Winters, describing the victims tears on the morning of the crime as the kind of crying that shakes the entire community. After Oldham asked for leniency in sentencing his client, he said his request seems ridiculous to just about everybody in (the) courtroom except me and my client. When Winters spoke, he described the investigative interrogation process as intense and deceitful. That did little to sway Judge Sullins, who noted that jurors had found that Winters committed the kidnapping specifically to sexually assault the boy. The aggravating factors are many in number, Sullins said. After being sentenced, Winters waved to his friend and was escorted out of the courtroom. Justice has been served After the hearing ended, prosecutor Kevin Taheri described the sentence as appropriate when you consider the crimes (Winters) was convicted of. The victims mother said the boy and his brother were both having a hard time healing from the event. She described the past year as the most horrifying...year ever in my entire life. Winters blaming his alcohol use and childhood trauma for his actions was unbelievable, she said. Im glad hes gone, she said. Justice has been served. The Wyoming students who graduated in spring had the 35th best ACT scores in the nation, according to national data, and saw some gains in meeting readiness benchmarks. Wyoming is one of 17 states that had 100 percent of graduating seniors take the test. Of those states, Wyomings class of 2017 was seventh, with an average score of 20.2 out of 36. New Hampshire had the highest scores in the nation, with a 25.5, and Minnesotas 21.5 was the highest of the 17 states with 100 percent participation. To be admitted to the University of Wyoming, students generally need a 21 on the test. The ACT tests students in four areas English, math, reading and science. Wyomings 2017 seniors improved their scores marginally in all four areas compared to the class of 2016. But the improved numbers were nearly identical to the scores hit by 2015 seniors. The standardized test measures students college readiness based on their scores in those four areas. For instance, an 18 is the benchmark for college readiness in English. Thirty-four percent of seniors hit the science goal of 23, 42 percent reached the reading level of 23, 34 percent hit the math target of 22 and 48 percent were ready in English. Twenty-one percent hit the mark in all four areas. Were in the top half of states that give the ACT to all of their students, and now the work continues to improve student outcomes, state Superintendent Jillian Balow said in a statement. Last month, the state Department of Education released the ACT results for students who just finished their junior year and will graduate in 2018. The overall state average score of 19.7 was down from the previous year. Natrona Countys students averaged a 19.3. Natrona County School Disrtict Associate Superintendent Walt Wilcox said that the district wasnt pleased with its scores and that the countys high schools were doing a deep dive into their data to improve. Wyoming's Congressional delegation said this week that President Donald Trump made the right choice when he decided to end a program that postponed deportations for more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children. Rep. Liz Cheney and Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso all agreed with the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, citing what they saw as overreach by President Barack Obama when he created the program by executive order in 2012. President Trump was right to rescind DACA, Cheney said in an emailed statement. President Obama overstepped his authority and acted in an unconstitutional manner when he put it into place. Barrasso said in an email that the program was created without statutory basis and Enzi said the decision to create DACA was unconstitutional. Trump announced the end of the program on Monday, fulfilling one of his campaign promises. In the months between his inauguration and the decision, however, the president made several comments suggesting that DACA recipients should not worry about deportation. More 620 Wyoming residents have DACA status, more than similarly sized rural states such as South Dakota, North Dakota. Beginning in March, some of those people commonly known as DREAMers will lose their work permits and protection from deportation as the program is phased out. Shortly after announcing the programs end, the president tweeted strong encouragement to Congress to pass legislation similar to that of DACA. Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do), he wrote. If they can't, I will revisit this issue! Cheney appeared to heed Trumps call to action, though it was unclear whether she would support legislation with similar protections that were provided by DACA. It is now the responsibility of Congress to enact legislation addressing the status of children whose parents brought them here illegally, she said in the statement. Barrasso said he was confident we will use this time to reach a consensus on legislative options. Enzis spokesman Coy Knobel said the senator believes the gradual ending of the program would give Congress the opportunity to improve immigration policies and discuss border security. I can tell you that the goal for him for immigration reforms would be to ensure that they are compassionate, especially to children, but also fair to American citizens, Knobel said. There are lawful ways for individuals to earn citizenship. People who want to come to this country need to follow them. Presidential administrations need to enforce them. CHEYENNE Twenty years ago this month, the Philippines ambassador to the U.S., Raul Rabe, visited Cheyenne in an effort to retrieve the Bells of Balangiga for his country. The Catholic church bells were taken by American troops in 1901 as spoils of war. Official accounts said they were seized in retaliation for a massacre in Balangiga, where Filipino guerrilla killed 48 of the 75 American soldiers attacked. Some who died were said to be mutilated or burned beyond recognition. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said recently that Americans retaliated by ordering the killing of all Filipinos who could bear arms. Two of the bells wound up at the entrance of what is now Warren Air Force Base in West Cheyenne, originally Army Fort D.A. Russell. A third is with a U.S. army unit in South Korea. Getting the bells returned is a very big deal for the Filipinos, who consider them as a symbol of their fight for independence. During his visit in 1996-97, Rabe called on then-Gov. Jim Geringer, Mayor Leo Pando, the Rotary Club, the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and Father Carl Beavers, then rector of St. Marys Cathedral, in his search for support. Rabes compromise was to make duplicates of the bells that would allow dual monuments in Cheyenne and the Philippines. The Wyoming military in general, as well as veterans organizations, opposed that or any other idea that meant losing any of the bells. Although Rabes visit was unsuccessful, it revived the decades-old debate over the ownership of the church bells. It also drew the attention of the national media. Stars and Stripes magazine conferred the Bloody Bells of Balangiga title in an article that quoted several Cheyenne community leaders who opposed returning the war booty along with a handful who supported giving them back. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times chimed in. To Wyoming veterans, the bells are reminders of the worst massacre of army soldiers in the decade after Custers defeat in 1876 at the Little Big Horn, a Times story by James Brooke said. The local veterans, younger people, many of whom never served in the military are rewriting history and adding a dollop of guilt. Most of the history I quote is from a small book, The Bells of Balangiga, by retired Air Force Colonel Gerald M. Adams, a historian, whose last assignment was at Warren Air Force Base. He wrote that when the 11th Infantry Regiment returned from the Philippine Islands in 1904 to Fort D.A. Russell near Cheyenne, they brought two bells and a cannon from the Philippines. He quotes at length stories written by my former colleague at the Casper Star-Tribune, Kerry Drake, who is still the resident expert on the bells. In the newest development, a moratorium on the bells debate will expire at the end of this month. Gov. Matt Mead, in a letter to the Wyoming congressional delegation, recently reiterated his position that the bells should remain at Warren. Moving the bells will set a dangerous precedent for future war memorials, Mead wrote in July. In Wyoming, we never forget the sacrifices of our troops. Duterte, in his second state of the nation address in July in Manila (it was more than two hours long) demanded the U.S. government return the bells. Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonizers and sacrificed their lives in the process, Krag against bolo, Duterte said, according to published accounts. Krag was the standard rifle issued to U.S. Bolo is the Bolo knife that was a popular weapon of the Filipino guerillas. After Dutertes speech, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, told reporters the U.S. is deeply committed that the bells are returned to the Filipino people, but could not specify when that would happen, according to the Associated Press. In his letter to the delegation, Gov. Mead closed by emphasizing the matter is of critical importance to veterans, not only in Wyoming but throughout the United States. The battle of the bloody bells is not over yet. Arizona business and industry leaders released an open letter Friday addressed to the Arizona Congressional Delegation, opposing the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The group cited economic data compiled by New American Economy on the DACA-eligible population in the state, and called on the delegation to pass meaningful legislation that allows "dreamers" to stay and contribute to the Arizona economy. "In Arizona alone, as many as 39,682 young people are DACA-eligible, the vast majority an estimated 87.9% of whom are already working and contributing to our states key industries," the letter states. "These individuals pay a total of $40 million in state and local taxes, and according to a recent study, removing DACA holders would cost Arizona more than $1.3 billion in GDP every year. These young people are crucial to our states economic future, and it makes business sense to keep them in the country and allow them to work here." The cohort of state leaders, which includes Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lea Marquez Peterson, will lead the charge to mobilize signatures and support from additional conservative and business voices across the state. St. John on the Desert Presbyterian Church, 2695 N. Houghton Road, will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with worship services dedicated to Martin Luther and the Five Solas: Grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, Scripture alone and to the glory of God alone. The 10 a.m. services will highlight one of the Five Solas respectively: "There IS Such a Thing as a Free Lunch!" September 17, "Is Faith Alone Good Enough" September 24, "Gatekeepers" October 1, "600 Channels and There's Still Nothing on TV" October 22, and "Happy Birthday Church!" October 29, according to press materials. PHOENIX Proof that a statement is substantially true is enough to escape being found guilty of libel or slander, the state Court of Appeals has ruled. In a detailed decision on First Amendment rights, the judges said that someone being sued for defamation need not prove the literal truth of every detail of the statement at the heart of the litigation. Instead, they need to show only that the statements are substantially true to have the case dismissed. Slight inaccuracies will not prevent a statement from being true in substance, as long as the gist or sting of the publication is justified, wrote Judge Paul McMurdie for the three-judge appellate panel, relying on earlier court precedent. What that means, McMurdie said, is that when the underlying facts are not in dispute, it is up to a court to determine if publishing the literal truth would have made a material difference to a reader as compared with the substantial truth. And if there is no indication that is the case, the court concluded, the case has to be thrown out. Potentially more significant, the ruling affirms the authority of judges to toss such cases without defendants having to go through the time and legal expense of a full-blown trial. We place a higher burden on the plaintiff to show a triable issue because the expense of defending a meritless defamation case could have a chilling effect on free speech, he wrote. This case surrounds a dispute going back three years between two firms that collect signatures for candidates and ballot measures. In 2014 Sign Here Petitions, a limited liability company, was working to place a zoning referendum measure on the Phoenix city ballot. It failed after the city clerk disqualified close to 40 percent of the signatures, at least in part because Sign Here used two convicted felons, who are ineligible to circulate petitions, to gather signatures. Citizens for Fair Dealing had agreed to pay about $71,000 for the work. But the committee withheld about $17,000 of that because of performance issues. Andrew Chavez, managing member of Petition Partners, posted a series of comments on his Twitter account about the effort, including statements that the other company was in hot water for using felons, and another that said that a third of the signatures being collected by Sign Here Petitions are suspected of being collected by felons. Bad gets worse on #phx referendum. In filing an appeal, Paul Weich, the attorney for Sign Here, argued that Chavezs statements were substantially false and that the trial judge should not have thrown out the lawsuit. McMurdie said the Arizona Constitution is clear. Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right, it reads. More significant, McMurdie said that is broader than the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which simply protects individuals against government action. He said that clearly makes the truth of any contents a complete defense against charges of defamation. But McMurdie said it was not necessary for Chavez to prove that everything he posted was precisely true. He said even inaccuracies do not make someone guilty of defamation if they have no real bearing on the issue. Sign Here provided no evidence that the inaccurate statements caused it damaged beyond what otherwise resulted from its own inability to deliver the sufficient number of valid signatures, the judge wrote. Even if the comments that Chavez posted were more precisely accurate, McMurdie said, it would have made no difference. Any damage to Sign Heres reputation arose from its own inability to collect enough valid signatures to place the referendum on the ballot and to fulfill the terms of its contract, for which it was paid a substantial amount of money, the judge said. Because it is not disputed that Sign Here contracted to deliver at least 16,987 valid signatures for the payment of approximately $71,000, and because two of the collectors were in fact convicted felons unauthorized to collect signatures, the gist of Chavezs statements were accurate. McMurdie said its the same standard that applies elsewhere, including to newspapers. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is holding a yard sale Sunday, peddling personal possessions and mementos from his 15-plus years as bishop here and decades more as a priest. Set up outside of St. Augustine Cathedral, the sale will offer crosses of all kinds, images of saints, praiseworthy knickknacks and some really nice olive wood carvings, says Steffannie Koeneman, a diocese spokeswoman. There will also be photos Kicanas took while traveling; artworks, religious and nonreligious, some of them handmade; hundreds of books, including heady tomes about faith and ministry as well as writings about social issues; and many other items, some of them from around the world. Theres a really good chance of finding something unique, she says. Theres no telling how much money the sale will raise, she adds, noting that quirky trinkets will be priced as low as 50 cents while some olive wood carvings might go for about $100. Proceeds will benefit Cathedral Square, including the construction of new diocese offices and a conference center. Last summer, the bishop submitted his letter of retirement to Rome, as is required for bishops at the age of 75. The pope will give word on what happens next and who will fill the position. PHOENIX Turning the legal tables on Bob Burns, the states largest electric utility is accusing him of an improper and illegal power grab. New documents filed in Maricopa County Superior Court by Arizona Public Service and parent Pinnacle West Capital Corp. say Burns cannot use his constitutional power of subpoena to force the companies to disclose their financial contributions to political candidates. Attorney Mary OGrady acknowledged the state Constitution and statutes do give the Arizona Corporation Commission and its members some power to demand documents from publicly held corporations doing business in the state. But she said anything her clients did and shes not admitting to anything that Burns has alleged fits within whats allowed under state election law. OGrady said, only the Legislature can demand more details. Commissioner Burns may not rely on his subpoena power to override the Legislatures judgment and impose a different disclosure regime that he prefers, OGrady told Judge Daniel Kiley in asking him to throw out Burns lawsuit seeking to compel her clients to comply with his subpoenas. It is not, and should not be, Commissioner Burns job to investigate alleged violations of the states campaign finance law. Burns has been on the offensive, not only in issuing subpoenas to APS and Pinnacle West and demanding to question Don Brandt, CEO of both firms, but also in seeking a judicial ruling that he has such authority. He argues APS expenditures are relevant for several reasons, including the possibility the utilitys alleged covert support for fellow Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little in the 2014 election and open support for other Republicans last year has created an improper conflict of interest, undermining and possibly invalidating their vote last month to let APS collect another $95 million a year from its customers. The outcome of the legal fight has implications beyond this particular case. It would set the rules for how broad are the rights of individually elected commissioner to delve into the books of not only regulated utilities but every corporation doing business in the state. And that could allow any commissioner to demand that every publicly held corporation disclose their donations to dark money groups that, in turn, seek to influence the outcome of all elections, donations that state lawmakers have determined can be kept secret. At the heart of the dispute is $3.2 million Save Our State Now and the Free Enterprise Club put into that 2014 race on behalf of Forese and Little. APS will neither confirm nor deny it was the source of those dollars. And the groups contend that their status under federal tax law as social welfare organizations exempts them under Arizona campaign finance laws from having to disclose their donors. So Burns wants corporate documents and answers from Brandt. In asking Kiley to quash the subpoenas, OGrady contends they have an improper purpose: to undermine the First Amendment rights of APS and Pinnacle West. She cited the historic 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that concluded corporations, like individuals, have a right to participate in political debate, including with their dollars. OGrady also said other court cases say that corporations cannot be subject to any more stringent disclosure requirements than anyone else. In this case, she said, if Burns can force her clients to spell out publicly how they spent their money it would discourage them from making future political donations. She told Kiley that is impermissible use of his powers. And theres something else. OGrady said Burns, in seeking to figure out how much APS and Pinnacle West allegedly spent through the dark money groups to elect Forese and Little, is effectively suggesting they coordinated their individual election campaigns with these groups, something that is illegal under Arizona law. These are explosive allegations striking at the core of the commissions integrity, she charged. She said even if it were true, it is not for Commissioner Burns to investigate. That responsibility lies with other branches of government, OGrady said, including the attorney general and secretary of state. Commissioner Burns is neither authorized by law, nor competent, to conduct a law enforcement investigation, she continued. He has put forth no credible evidence that any laws have been violated, and if there is any such evidence, he should take it to the state officials who bear responsibility to enforce state law. The Tucson City Council hasnt always embraced pragmatism when it comes to hot-button political issues. Theyve often bowed to the loudest activist voices in the room. Now, though, it seems they know when to fold em. And thats a good thing. The council decided Wednesday to rescind the ordinance under which seized guns are destroyed. It was a shame they were forced into the decision, because it was another case of the state lording its power over municipalities that ought to be allowed to set policies for themselves. Still, Council Member Steve Kozachik tried to publicly explore ways of avoiding the decision. He asked for City Attorney Mike Rankin to explore whether the city could symbolically leave the ordinance in question on the books. Whether crime victims could decide what happens to a gun used against them. What happens if a resident gives city officials a gun and asks them to destroy it. Rankin gave a consistent answer: The city is obligated to sell the guns to a licensed dealer for resale. It sucks, but its the law, and the Supreme Court has said so. Also, it would cost the city $57 million to do otherwise. The vote was still close, at 4-3, but it was the only thing to do under the circumstances. The same goes for persistent calls for the city to declare itself a sanctuary city. Some marchers who arrived at Tucson City Hall Tuesday and Wednesday, protesting the impending end of the DACA program, got angry at the mayor and City Council for not doing enough in support of immigrant rights. Some called for Tucson to declare itself a sanctuary city in a challenge to the policies of the Trump Justice Department. That would be crazy. Years before Donald Trump took that ride down his golden escalator and declared his hardline position on illegal immigration, SB 1070 had already taken effect in Arizona. That law forces Arizona cities to allow full enforcement of immigration laws. And it creates liability for any public official who stands in the way. A pragmatic approach has held sway here declaring the city immigrant-friendly, helping some residents become citizens, proscribing the situations in which police officers can call immigration officials. Its the best we can do under current law. People who want us to do more need to elect a new state Legislature. Dark money doubts Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a group that works to reduce the influence of money in national politics, dug into Tucson politics for a recent piece. The group, which calls itself CREW, analyzed the tax filings of a nonprofit that in 2015 formed to try to defeat Democratic candidates for Tucson City Council. Local Republican Christine Bauserman and former state Sen. Frank Antenori formed a 501 6 nonprofit called Foundation for Responsible Accountable Government. It gave about $50,200 to another group they formed, called Revitalize Tucson, which put up billboards and made robocalls. Typical campaign stuff. What CREW found out, by looking at the foundations 2015 tax return, is that the Foundation for Responsible Accountable Government declared to the IRS that the money it spent was simply grants, not political expenditures. The group explained on its return: Promoting government accountability was realized by sending out emails and direct interactions with the community. We hosted a Summer and Fall series of 8 monthly Townhalls on the issues affecting peoples lives including issues like bonds, election integrity, saving jobs, roads, budget spending, and protecting peoples fundamental right to voice opposition to their Government. Additionally we hosted a debate on bond issues, created and distributed a survey of issues affecting the community and produced blogs. Through these efforts we increased our membership by more than 50%. It would be interesting to know just how many members the foundation had. Going from two to three, after all, is a 50 percent increase. But more importantly, the foundations tax return says it did not engage directly or indirectly in any political campaign activity, and says it spent no money on political activities. By a common sense definition, thats clearly not the case, since the foundation gave money to another group operated by the same people that spent money on campaigns. CREW does sometimes sue or make complaints about alleged election-law violations but hasnt done anything so far in this case. Bauserman has moved to D.C. for a job in the Interior Department, and Antenori has since moved out of Tucson. Bets are off I reported last week that former Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was placing bets on whether his old rival, Supervisor Ally Miller, would show up to meetings where she was likely to be heavily criticized. Well, he got one absence right, but he went for the double-or-nothing and was wrong about this weeks meeting. Miller showed up, heard criticism of her Facebook comment declaring her pride in being white (posted hours after the attack in Charlottesville, Va. killed one protester), and nothing really happened. That is, the Pima County Attorneys Office declared there was nothing much the supervisors could do to censure or chastise her for her comment. That was, of course, pretty obvious: She can say what she wants on Facebook, and its up to the voters to punish her if they want for her comments and for her selective attendance of supervisors meetings. SAN FRANCISCO The University of California sued the Trump administration Friday over its decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation, saying thousands of its students and some faculty would be affected if they are ordered to leave the country. University President Janet Napolitano, who was Homeland Security secretary in the Obama administration and helped implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, is listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco. Napolitano said it's important for the public university system to stand up for members of its community. "They represent the best of who we are hard-working, resilient and motivated high achievers," she said. "To arbitrarily and capriciously end the DACA program, which benefits our country as a whole, is not only unlawful, it is contrary to our national values." The program protects about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. It currently includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students. The lawsuit said the university will lose students and employees because of President Donald Trump's decision to end the program in six months if Congress doesn't take action first. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said President Barack Obama's decision to implement DACA was an unconstitutional exercise of his authority. "While the plaintiffs in today's lawsuit may believe that an arbitrary circumvention of Congress is lawful, the Department of Justice looks forward to defending this Administration's position," DOJ spokesman Devin O'Malley said in a statement. Fifteen states have sued separately over the president's decision, although California is not among them. The UC system has about 4,000 students who are in the United States illegally, "a substantial number of whom have DACA, as well as teachers, researchers and health care providers who are DACA recipients," the university system said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. Napolitano said the university system could pursue damages for interference with the relationship it has developed with its students and staff and for deprivation or interference with the investment it has made in students to give them an education. In a conference call with reporters, she said there was no conflict between her previous role as Homeland Security secretary and her decision to file the lawsuit. "It went through a careful legal analysis. No court has ever held that DACA was illegal and I believe it to be a legal exercise of prosecutorial discretion," Napolitano said. "There's no conflict and no thought of recusal." There is outrage by some including the Star at President Trump for rescinding President Obama's DACA executive order, which was likely unconstitutional, circumventing the legislative process. But the blame here is neither on Trump or Obama, but rather on the parents of these "Dreamers," who either brought their children with them when being smuggled into the U.S. or later placed them alone in the hands of violent Mexican smugglers. Two takeaways from President Trump's reaction to Hurricane Harvey: (1) His first visit was totally devoid of any empathetic feelings whatever but was descriptive of his true feelings when he addressed a small crowd from behind some autos: "What a crowd! What a turnout!" (Huh?) (2) His second visit was for optics (passing out food along with FLOTUS) to prove that he is, after all, empathetic, especially when he turned as he was leaving a shelter full of Harvey victims: "Have a good time!" (Double Huh?) Don: Your well documented hypocrisy, lying, bullying, bigotry, nepotism, narcissism, conflicts of interest, and who knows what else, by any standard render you unfit to be president. Your embodiment of these personality and performance aberrations render you unimaginably bereft of morality the likes of which the American people have never before known. Your romantic entanglement with Russia and Vladimir Putin appear to be based on concealing questionable (or illegal?) financial activity or other hijinks. Your actions, from withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accords to your unconscionable acts of bigotry pardoning Joe Arpaio (a forerunner of other pardons to come?), banning transgender Americans from serving our country, and now sending Jeff Sessions to do your dirty work by having him announce your DACA decision are tantamount to sticking your tiny thumb in the eye of the American people and giving us all your tiny middle finger. Good work. Most Americans want a positive solution for the "dreamers" so they can stay in this country, but it has to be through the rule of law, and not at the whim of the executive branch, which doesn't have the power to grant legal status. The editorial does not mention that Obama did not have the authority to unilaterally grant this type of legal status to almost one million aliens. Only the legislative branch can decide on immigration issues. Even Obama acknowledge this fact. I would like to clarify that Chelsea Manning was not pardoned; her sentence was commuted along with more than 100 others by then President Obama. She was not pardoned. The feeling was that the punishment was harsh given the facts that numerous calls for help were not answered during Manning's enlistment. I would also challenge those who say that the president has a right to pardon anyone he/she chooses. Yes, the president has the right to pardon, but there is a very specific set of rules to be followed to come to that position. None of those were followed when Trump pardoned Arpaio. In fact, Arpaio had not even been sentenced when the pardoned was issued. In 1899 Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote: I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. Terminating DACA threatens 800,000 educated, productive, law-abiding dreamers with expulsion and is neither ethical nor practical. As an older citizen (even older than the president) I need those dreamers to help pay my Social Security, add tax revenues, augment an ageing work force and revitalize the economy. DACA is not amnesty, its common sense. The cynical March termination date adversely affects students and employers, and doesnt give Congress time to evolve a careful plan while they deal with the budget and other national disasters. Brave, law-abiding youth came forward and registered for DACA, even though they understood the precariousness of going public in a temporary program. Their dreams are my dreams. Congress should extend DACA now. Dont trample our dreams. Ila Abernathy Midtown Workers at the S&H Vina in northern Vietnam should be sure to let the company know at least three days in advance if they plan to catch a cold or have a family member pass away. The absurd regulation prompted approximately 6,000 workers at the textile and garment firm in Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province, to walk out of the factory on Thursday. When Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper arrived at the scene later that afternoon, the strike against S&H Vina managements inhumane actions was still in full force. S&H Vina laborers are only permitted one day of leave per month and are expected to request sick days at least three days in advance. The final straw came at 1:00 pm on Wednesday when workers at the factory were settling down for a quick nap. Some of the laborers laid plastic sheets on the ground for added comfort and cleanliness, but a manager quickly appeared and seized the sheets, insisting that the workers lie on the brick floor should they want to take a nap. The hostile act sparked a strike from more than 2,000 workers who said the managers actions were inhuman and asked to speak with company leaders. The discussion ended without resolution. As the strike continued into a second day, 4,000 additional workers joined the cause. Later the same day, officials from the Thanh Hoa labor union and Thach Thanh administration participated in a dialogue between S&H Vina and its workers in a bid to settle the unrest. Following the dialogue, the company said it fired the manager for his inappropriate behavior towards the workers. S&H Vina said it is still considering other employee petitions will address each complaint separately. The firm started operations in September 2015 and specializes in exporting textile and garment products. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The state visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Vietnam has opened new opportunities for cooperation between two nations in the coming years. The Egyptian head of state joined talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on Thursday morning, as part of his trip to the Southeast Asian country on September 6 and 7. During the conversation, the two leaders agreed that President Sisis visit is the foundation for new cooperation opportunities between the two countries in the future. PM Phuc asserted that the Vietnamese government would instruct competent agencies to coordinate with their Egyptian counterparts in implementing commitments reached by the two countries leaders, including the US$1 billion worth of bilateral trade turnover. Both nations should step up their cooperation across fields and increase the exchange of goods such as Vietnams tea, seafood, rice, cashew nuts, coffee, pepper, garments, textiles, and rubber, and Egypts petrochemical products, chemicals, cotton, and processed food, the premier continued. He asked Egypt to soon approve the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed by the two countries in 2006, create conditions for the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to seek investment opportunities and provide oil-related services in African nation. Vietnam wishes to further its collaboration with Egypt in national defense, agriculture, culture, tourism, transport and education-training, the head of government said. Replying to his host, President Sisi stated that Egypt can act as a gateway for Vietnam to enter the African and Middle East markets, thanks to its free trade agreements from various regions. Egypt always treasures its multi-faceted relationship with Vietnam, the leader added. Following the talk, the Egyptian president also met with Chairwoman of Vietnams National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese police have initiated legal proceedings against a former deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam for his alleged negligence in relation to a massive state budget loss of more than $401 million. Dang Thanh Binh, 63, is being investigated for on charges of negligence and irresponsibility that cause severe consequences, a top official from the police general department under the Ministry of Public Security confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday. Binh is not taken into custody, but is not allowed to leave his residence, according to the police. The source said Binh has been placed under investigation for his role in the notorious financial loss at the erstwhile Vietnam Construction Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VNCB), which cost the state budget more than VND9 trillion (US$401.79 million). The ex-VNCB chairman, Pham Cong Danh, was sentenced to 30 years in jail in September 2016 for his main role in the case. Binh had 30 years of experience in the banking sector. He was appointed deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, the countrys central bank, in May 2005, when he was head of the institutions training department. Binh retired in 2014, with his last official job being chairman of the board of member of the Vietnam Asset Management Company. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The massive amount of pesticides being imported into Vietnam is sparking major concerns over the negative effects of such chemicals on agricultural products and consumer health. Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that the Southeast Asian country has spent more than US$660 million on pesticides in the first eight months of 2017, up 47 percent year-on-year. According to the ministry, China is the primary exporter. The increased purchase has a direct correlation to their application in agricultural activities across Vietnam a trend that could put consumers in harms way. Pham Van Banh, a farmer in Chau Thanh District in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, confirmed that local farmers have become more reliant on insecticides over the past few years. To meet the rapidly growing demand for agricultural products, farmers are expanding their operations and increasing their output, thus leaving little time for conventional pest control methods. Pesticides are considered the fastest way to protect plants from insects and disease, Banh elaborated. During a typical 90-day farming season, insect repellant chemicals are used on seven to eight separate occasions at a cost of about VND8 million ($353.5) per hectare of filed per season, the farmer added. There are endless varieties to pesticide and other farming chemicals. Some are designed to protect from bugs and diseases while others help make produce appear fresher, he said. Knowing that the overuse of pesticides can be harmful for consumers, Bui Van Thanh, a farmer in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, explained that he would risks heavy losses if he forewent such chemicals. Thanh Hien, who another Soc Trang resident, was of the same opinion, sharing that he and his family do not consume vegetables farmed on their land. According to Le Van Da, deputy head of the Plant Protection Department in Kien Giang Province, many farmers have neglected regulations on pesticide limits. Some people even create their own mixture from several types of products to maximize their farming productivity, a highly dangerous practice, Da continued. A farmer sprays pesticide on a paddy field in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Only warnings Regarding penalties for the abuse of pesticides, authorities in most Mekong Delta provinces say the violators are only warned for their wrongdoing. We mainly remind them not to rely too much on chemicals. Our main goal is to change the farming habits of local residents step by step, said Truong Thanh Binh, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Dai Hai Commune, Soc Trang Province. Meanwhile, Cao Xuan Dieu, chairman of Phu Huu Commune, in the southern province of An Giang, said that local authorities primarily seek to raise farmers awareness of the situation and have no intention to penalize anyone for their actions. According to an expert from the agricultural ministry, farming products treated pesticides can be harmful to consumer health. Local authorities should consider the abuse of pesticides as a serious crime and impose harsher punishments upon violators. The central government should have a nationwide strategy aimed at prompting farmers across the country to follow regulations regarding chemical use in farming and contribute towards a cleaner agricultural industry. New policies should be implemented to encourage the use of alternate and eco-friendly pest control measures such as organic fertilizer and biopesticides, said Nguyen Xuan Hong, former head of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The fire consumed a 500-square-meter house on 10A Street in Binh Tan District after breaking out at around 11:00 pm on Thursday, according to the local fire department. In no time, the flames tore through the house and destroyed five metric tons of flammable clothes the owners had stored inside. Luckily, the house was unoccupied at the time of the incident. Seventy officers from Binh Tan Districts Fire Department and backup personnel from neighboring Binh Chanh district were dispatched to the scene. Authorities were finally able to declare the fire under control at 2:39 am on Friday. During the incident, a wall of the house was weakened and collapsed killing Senior Lieutenant Pham Phi Long, 31, on the spot. Two corporals, 24-year-old Pham Tan Quoc and 20-year-old Bui Van Dung, were also severely injured. The remains of the house on 10A Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City after the fire on September 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to Colonel Le Tan Buu, director of Ho Chi Minh Citys Fire Department, four officers entered the building to inspect the source of thick smoke billowing out from inside. After the wall collapsed, only one was able to make an escape while the other three were trapped in the rubble. Senior Lieutenant Long is survived by his four-year-old child and pregnant wife. The municipal fire department says it is making arrangements to organize a funeral for the late officer. Police are working to investigate the cause of the fire. The remains of the house on 10A Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City after the fire on September 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre The remains of the house on 10A Street in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City after the fire on September 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Upcoming CI series Hollywood Homicide Uncovered revisits horrific homicides where a celebrity is at the centre of the crime. Hollywood Homicide Uncovered tells the story of unthinkable murders, all connected to the pursuit of celebrity. Each hour- long episode uncovers the real-life drama, deceit and crime itself, against the backdrop of a city where dreams are supposed to come true. At the heart of each episode lies a mystery surrounding a suspicious Hollywood death. Detectives must uncover the true motives and clues amongst the media circus. Investigators who try to solve celebrity homicides operate in a world unlike any other, as beautiful Hollywood stars are surrounded by jilted lovers, wannabes and fans who are dangerously obsessed, leaving detectives to wade through a legion of bizarre suspects often hitting dead ends. Paparazzi trample on valuable evidence. Police, witnesses and juries are blinded by the glare of the press. Rich celebrities hire lawyers so powerful that justice may never be served. Hollywood may be a place where dreams can come true, but for a few unlucky souls, their dreams have a deadly ending. Fridays from September 29 at 8.30pm on CI. Former My Kitchen Rules contestant David Vu has pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in a Sydney court this morning. Vu (pictured left) who appeared in the 2017 MKR series, was charged with possession of just under half a gram of cocaine. Fairfax reports he was arrested at Hunter Arcade Double Bay just before 1am on August 5 after he admitted to possessing a prohibited drug, according to a police statement of facts. Vus lawyer, Robert Daoud, told magistrate David Price he was instructed his client doesnt use drugs. He will be assessed for his suitability to take part in a rehabilitation program. Vu made it to the 2017 MKR semi-finals in April. The matter returns to court on September 29. Four Corners screens a BBC report, North Korea Murder in the family looking at how Kim Jong-uns murderous ambitions are driving North Koreas nuclear weapons program and threatening world peace. This includes interviews with former members of the North Korean regime, former intelligence officers and friends of assassinated brother Kim Jong-nam. North Korea is at the last stage of perfecting its nuclear program So I think this crisis is heading towards a finale. Former CIA senior analyst Across the globe, tensions are rising as North Korea flaunts its growing missile capability and nuclear weapons program. The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, shows no sign of backing away from this high stakes game, prompting many to ask whats motivating him. In order to survive (he) needed to show progress on the critical defence systems. This would be the missile systems and the nuclear systems. He needed to be able to show that North Korea had a viable deterrent. Strategic affairs analyst Kim Jong-un was only in his twenties when he was installed as North Koreas leader, but holding onto power was not guaranteed. In order to survive he had to conduct politics inside the regime and politics inside North Korea is a blood sport, it is not something for the weak of heart. Strategic affairs analyst In this BBC film, the program traces Kim Jong-uns rise to power and the lengths hes gone to, to shore up his position, from aggressively pursuing a nuclear weapons program to eliminating potential rivals. Kim Jong-un has to make a decision whether he let his half brother, wandering around the world, meeting foreign journalists and saying negative words against Kim Jong-uns leadership, or he should eliminate the physical existence of Kim Jong-nam. Former North Korean diplomat In February this year the North Korean dictators half-brother Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur airport. The brazen murder, with the chemical weapon, VX, was like something out of a spy novel but behind the tabloid headlines, it revealed a frightening capacity. Chemical agents, in general, used in a military context can be loaded into bombs, mines, mortars, that type of thing. All chemical agents could kill huge numbers of people if its delivered effectively for their purposes. Chemical weapons expert In interviews with former members of the North Korean regime, former intelligence officers and friends of Kim Jong-nam, the program examines why he was such a threat to his half-brother. There was a movement, starting late last year to establish a government in exile and install Kim Jong-nam as its leader. The North Korean government found out about it. Kim Jong-nam confidante This investigation also sheds light on North Koreas secret international business network which is helping to fund the regime. North Korea is very sophisticated in concealing the fact that it is, indeed, North Korea doing business overseas. Its good at hiding in plain sight. Defence analyst Monday 11th September at 8.30pm on ABC. An assault case faced by George Calombaris has been adjourned for 6 weeks after the magistrate ordered a pre-sentencing report. In August the MasterChef judge pleaded guilty to assaulting 19 year old man at an A-League grand final in Sydney in May. The incident, following a match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium, saw Calombaris arguing with fan in the stadium, filmed by SBSs The World Game cameras. Calombaris has also attracted headlines this year over staff underpayments at his Melbourne restaurants. Help India! By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: In a conflict zone like Kashmir, the tales of excesses by the state and the continuous portrayal of its people in a bad light by mainstream media invariably overshadows everything else coming out of Kashmir. Support TwoCircles Whether it is art, achievement in sports, education, trying hands on some software or music, the conflict tag of Kashmir ensures that few, if any, positives coming from the Valley see the light of the day. It was in 2010 when Kashmir youths took up the music as a tool to protest the oppression perpetrated by the security forces. Roushan Illahi who took the stage name of MC Kash released his debut English rap song I Protest which became an instant hit. Since then dozens of youths have taken up the rap as a career option. But there are others who are trying to re-invent Kashmiri music and telling the Sufi poetry written in Kashmir to the world. Taking a shift from traditional Kashmiri Chakr Sufi Music, the youth use musical instruments like guitars, drums, pianos and violin for their songs. Meet Yawar Abdal, a 23-year old from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. His tryst with music started at an early age. He used to write songs and practice all day to the imaginary tunes made in his mind. Growing up in a culture where Kashmiri music and Sufi poetry was very much respected, Abdal was determined to represent his rich culture to the audience outside the valley. In 2010, he came to Pune for his studies and started singing in his colleges which were appreciated by the fellow students and motivated him to take music as a career option. Inspired by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and music band Junoon, Abdal produced a single Tamanna released in the first week of June this year. The multilingual song, sung in Kashmiri, Urdu and Persian is based on the poetry of three legendary poets: Mehjoor, Mirza Ghalib and Amir Khusrow. This song defines some of the stages of sufis where they try to come out of this world and stop desiring for the materialistic world. The only thing they desire is the love of their beloved, said Abdal. The song which was uploaded on Youtube has garnered more than 300,000 views and has become an instant hit in the Valley. I tried to bring forward the ancient Sufi poetries through my music, which our youth is unaware about. The poets like Mehjoor, Soche Kraal, Rasul Mir, Neami Saeb, Shamas Fakeer and many more are still unknown among our youth in the valley. Our culture is very rich in poetry and Sufism, so its necessary we put forward it and respect it, says Abdal. When asked about the response he received despite singing in three different languages, he said, Initially, I thought fusing three different poetry that too Persian, Urdu and Kashmiri would make it difficult for the people to understand but I was wrong. People loved it so much that I think this love and support would never let me stop doing this. Aamir Muzzafar Wani, from Sopore in Kashmir, has been living in New Delhi since last four years as a student as is a big fan of Abdal. Whenever I hear this song, I feel home even though I am not there. The traditional Kashmiri music didnt appeal to youths too much, but making it with the blend of modern musical instruments makes it quite attractive, he said. Mohammad Waqqas Khan, another resident of the Valley, has similar thoughts to share. He feels that this is the very first time a music coming from Kashmir has found a permanent place in his play list. Abdal is currently working on a new Kashmir song Lalle Wan based on the poetry of Kashmiri poet, Soche Kral and will be released this month. Side by side he is also working on a song based on the poetry of Rasul Mir and some self-written songs in Urdu, which will be released later this year. Help India! By Khushboo Khan for TwoCircles.net The Supreme Court verdict over triple talaq, following a long battle in court, has been debated across the country with many coming out in support of it. Support TwoCircles On the other hand, the opposition to the verdict predominantly relates to the conspiracy by the BJP-ruled central government, guided by the Hindutva ideology, to interfere in Muslim personal laws for which the Indian Constitution already guarantees rights to the religious minorities to practice their respective religions. Thus, the verdict and the politically motivated continuous demand for the implementation of uniform civil code are regarded as unconstitutional, and it is not surprising the verdict on triple talaq has been hailed vociferously by the Hindu right-wing groups, which in turn raises several questions over the validity of constitutional rule of law. The Holy Quran and Hadith had already invalidated and prohibited the practice of Instant Triple Talaq and described as Talaq Ul Bidat which is considered to be the sinful form of divorce as it is against the spirit of Quran and was opposed by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Quran has carefully laid down the procedure of talaq over a period of three months. Moreover, Quran facilitates a woman to choose their spouse and to call off the marriage by the procedure of Khula. It (should be the) responsibility of the clerics and Islamic religious institutions to implement the Shariah without any external interference in Shariah. Triple Talaq is depicted as an anathema for Muslim women by Hindu right-wing groups for the sake to represent them as the true saviour of womens rights and also to sidetrack the attention from the 2002 rape cases during Gujarat communal riots. To the right-wing groups, triple talaq is a mere parameter to measure the women empowerment and gender justice. If they are so concerned then why arent they talking about women education, their economic status, enhancement of their capabilities in the field of entrepreneurship? In reality, its not the personal laws which makes one backward and retrogressive, but the unavailability of resources and the lack of basic amenities. An educated and independent working woman doesnt need alimony from her husband either any form of economic support to survive; its her existing economic status which decides the impact of any sort of separation. According to Shariah, a woman is not eligible for alimony after her divorce but her children are (its the prime duty of her former husband to fulfil all the needs of their offspring). BJPs mere concern surrounds the Muslim women. Hindu women or women from the other communities are not the part of their vision for development; why not women in general and for Muslim in particular? Still, a number of social evils are finely embedded in our society (dowry system, Devadasi, alienated widows living in Vrindavan, child marriages etc) as a result of which thousands of women are compelled to live a derogatory life. Right wing groups never made any effort to eradicate different embedded evil practices from society, hence promoting their agenda of polarization of women on religious lines for the sake to create their vote bank. Zakia Jafri, Bilquis Bano, the victims of Kunan Poshpora gang rape, Muzzafarnagar riots victims, Ishrat Jahan belong to the very same Muslim community for whom justice remains elusive even after decades. Right wing approach would be considered authentic if they raise their raise demanding justice for such women. (Khushboo Khan is an activist and student of Sociology at the Department of Sociology in Jamia Millia Islamia. She writes on social and political issues) Help India! By TCN News Support TwoCircles In an attempt to help the flood-affected families in West Bengal and Assam, Hyderabad-based Sahayata Trust distributed food packets containing ration among 2,000 families in both the states. The flood relief program was organized on September 4 to redress the worst-hit areas of Malda district, 327 km from Kolkata. The four teams of Sahayata Trust reached Harishchandrapur, Chanchal and Ratua villages with 1,000 relief packets. The flood hit Bengal on August 16, when water entered North Bengal hitting Malda district the worst. More than 200,000 people have been affected by the floods. Four blocks of Malda district were under the water including Englishbazar. The relief packets comprised of nine food products including 10kg of rice, salt, pulses, and other necessary ingredients. To ensure the relief packets reach the deserving, the team first distributed tokens and later delivered the food packets. The relief was extended to the affected families in the interiors and badly affected areas. Although the water level has dropped considerably, the effect was a colossus. In Ratua block, nearly 87 % mud houses collapsed and people took shelter in makeshift tents on high roads. In Harishchandrapur, Panchayat I & II, a major embankment broke and as a result, the village stays disconnected from the nearby town. We were without proper ration stocks and were wondering how to arrange the same and suddenly these people came with food packets. We can now eat until things go back to normal, said Biplab Saha of Narayanpur village in Harishchandrapur block. Nurjahan Bibi of Monipur village who live in a relief camp after her house was destroyed in the flood, said, I lost my house, belongings and everything we had collected all through these years. We live in a relief camp now and due to floods we cant find any work either, besides arranging food is a big problem from the very first day. These food packets will at least assure that we stay fed for next 15 days. In Assam, the Floods wreak havoc every year, and this year has been no different. This year, floods caused by three long and heavy spells of rain since March have claimed 157 lives so far. The damage to life and property has been enormous. There are thousands of people who, having lost their homes, are still living in relief camps. As of September 8, 44,618 people continue to be affected by floods in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Chirang, Morigaon, Nagaon, Jorhat, and Cachar districts. As per the report issued on Sunday by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Nagaon is the worst affected with 23,500 people, followed by Morigaon with over 12,500 people affected by the deluge. Sahayata Trust also distributed relief packets among 1000 floods affected families in Tengaguri, Falihamari, Joribor, Laharighat villages of Morigaon district in Assam. We were in dire need to food grains and the help to us has come in time, said Abdul Khalek one of the beneficiaries. Importantly, the relief work is under way in flood hit Bihar, where 3,000 families are being provided with food packets containing food grains for a month. Earlier in July this year, the relief was also extended to 1000 flood-affected families in Manipur. Jeremy Corbyn took to Twitter to accuse the Conservatives of a "power grab" and other opposition parties think he is right in his assertion. As we gear up to leave the EU many of the European laws we have lived by like workers rights will be transferred over to the British statute book. Some laws will be kept while others will be disposed of as the government sees fit but this has rung alarm bells in certain quarters. People worry that certain laws of EU origin will be cherry picked to suit the government and others discarded. Corbyn has accused the government of trying to hijack the Withdrawal Bill with putting more Tories on a standing committee than Labour or SNP. A committee selection is made up of cross party members to oversee certain issues in this case Brexit. The committee is influenced by a general election and as May did not gain a majority the committee should be made up of four Conservatives, four Labour, and one SNP. Leadsom's Proposal Ms. Leadsom who lost out in the leadership election to Theresa May has proposed a tinkering of the committee which has had opposition parties up in arms. She proposed that the committee should be made up of five Conservatives, four Labour, and one SNP. If this goes ahead it will give the Conservatives a majority when dealing with the issue of Brexit. Thus the Tories have been accused of undermining the democratic process. MP's will vote on who sits on the committee on Tuesday and vote on the Brexit Bill (Withdrawal) on Monday. The Bill will be receiving its 2nd reading as the government tries to finalise what Brexit will look like. They can expect a stormy time in the Commons as Labour have already accused the government of being undemocratic over this. Can Theresa May be trusted on any aspect of Brexit as she is a woman who seems to say one thing and do another? Brexit: Still hurts 53 percent of our population voted for leave and 48 percent voted to stay in the European Union and the issue is still a hot potato between the two groups. Even now the atmosphere between leavers and remainers is just as poisonous as it was when David Cameron called the referendum. On social media and on political programmes the words between leavers and remainers are vitriolic. There are demonstrations and counter demonstrations on a daily basis on the issue of Brexit. For the leavers, it seems if they are UKIP or right wing Tories and they want a hard Brexit. Some leavers, on the other hand, would prefer a soft Brexit but it looks like the Brexit the government is proposing may be on the hard side. For remainers, they now know unless a miracle occurs the UK is leaving the EU forever and will try to make the best of it. Hurricane Harvey is a distant memory now as Hurricane Irma has been charging its way through Haiti and the Bahamas, and now its headed on its way to Florida, leaving death, devastation, and destruction in its path. At least 13 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives to Irmas wrath, while the death count is expected to rise significantly as more information comes to light during the humanitarian efforts to provide relief to the hurricanes victims. The expectation of a rising death toll was announced by Lonnie Soury, speaking as a representative for the US Virgin Islands. Captain Stephen Russell, who is a part of the Bahamas national service for dealing with emergency situations, has said that the biggest concern of the agency in response to Hurricane Irma is the rising tide levels that are coming as a result. He says that our greatest concern is the destructive force of a 25-foot surge, which he says would have the ability to really cause catastrophic results. Irma is losing strength, while Jose and Katia are getting stronger Irma has lost some of its strength, being downgraded from a category 5 storm to a category 4, but two other hurricanes in the same region have been gaining strength. Irma is by no means weak now, but the storms sustained wind speeds have dropped a full 30mph from 185mph to 155mph, which is a relatively small difference, but at least its a step in the right direction. It seems as though the three storms are looking to meet somewhere in the middle. Coming close to matching Irmas now-lowered 155 mph, Hurricane Jose has sustained speeds of 125mph with its increase in strength. The forecast says that over the weekend, Jose will reach the Leeward Islands, which spent earlier this week being battered by Hurricane Irma. Meanwhile, Hurricane Katia has been building up its sustained wind speeds to 90 mph in the south-western direction from these other storms, as it batters the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Centre have released two warnings, one about Jose and the other about Katia, to say that both have gotten a little stronger. Hopefully such a trajectory wont continue and theyll follow the example of Irma start to lose strength now, rather than continue to gain. The NHC has yet to speculate on this, although they are expecting the storms to continue to rage on well into next week, so slowing down does seem unlikely at this point. Governor of Florida warns that storm is bigger than the entire US state Experts are expecting Hurricane Irma to spread vastly over the coming days. Right now, its path is headed straight for the US state of Florida, which is being evacuated in anticipation of the devastating superstorm. Before reaching the southern region of Florida, Irma will batter the northern part of Cuba. Based on the forecast images released by the NHC, Florida Governor Rick Scott has warned that Irma will be bigger than our entire state and will have completely engulfed the state by early on Sunday morning. After that, the hurricane is expected to reach parts of other US states bordering on Florida North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Exactly what degree of impact the hurricane will have on these states remains to be seen, but Irma should have slowed down and weakened significantly by then. Holidaymakers with trips booked for the Disney theme parks in the area are being allowed by the company to rearrange their holidays so that they dont have to miss out, although the effects of the hurricane will decide just how long that will be. Obviously, Irma is the main priority for Florida over the course of this weekend, but for Disney, it seems that its still all about the consumers. Big Data Startup MapR Technologies is getting a big lift this week. The company raised fresh capital in its latest funding round. However, the company still has no word about its rumored IPO. According to Forbes, the San Jose-based company has raised $56 million in its latest funding round. Lightspeed Venture Partners led this latest funding round, with some participation with Google private equity unit CapitalG, Redpoint Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Mayfield Fund, and Qualcomm Ventures. The new funding will be used to fuel the companys global expansion, with a particular focus on Australia, Japan, and South Korea regions. MapR also said it hopes to be cash neutral by the end of 2018. About the big data company Founded in 2009 and based in San Jose, California, MapR Technologies is an enterprise software company that provides the MapR Converged Data Platform. The platform allows companies to harness the power of big data by combining analytics in real-time with operational applications to get more improved business results. The startup provides an Apache Hadoop distribution, including a distributed file system, a set of data management tools, database management system and other related software. The companys Apache Hadoop distribution provides improved computing performance along with full data protection, dramatic ease of use and no single point of failure. The startup has recently signed a technology licensing agreement with EMC for its Apache Hadoop distribution. The MapRs Apache Hadoop distribution was selected by Google as a technology partner and also picked up by Amazon in its Amazon Elastic Map Reduce service. In addition to MapR Converged Data Platform, the company also contributes to Apache Hadoop projects like HBase, Pig programming language, Apache Hive, and Apache ZooKeeper. MapR still has no plans for IPO As mentioned earlier by Forbes, the company still has no time table for its IPO. Forbes has had some conversation with MapR CEO Matt Mills. The CEO said that they still have no timetable for IPO and that they plan to do it at the right time. The Palo Alto-based startup has been among those watched for an IPO debut over the past couple of months as rival big data companies made their own IPO debuts. Hortonworks first launched its IPO in December 2014 and its second one in January 2016. Cloudera went public in April 2017. As for MapR, the company hired IPO specialist firms to explore and pursue its own IPO process, Forbes reported. A Virginia woman was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. She left her three minor children at home alone while she went on vacation to Cancun, Mexico. Her trip was exactly one year ago in September 2016. She didn't leave an emergency number behind, and she didn't check on them while she was away. Aida Stovall left for vacation with her boyfriend on September 13, and the police were notified on September 16 after her oldest daughter told the school principal that she and her sisters were left alone. That's when the investigation was launched. The 11-year-old girl and her 8-year-old twin sisters took care of themselves, getting dressed and going to school on their own. Investigation When Stovall was on her way home from Mexico, she was arrested by U.S. Customs agents after her plane landed in Florida. She was extradited back to Virginia. The three minor children were placed with relatives. The judge ordered Stovall not to have any contact with them unless their guardian approved it. NBC12 reported that a 67-year-old neighbor who was listed as a witness in the court documents had been asked to check in on the children while their mother would be away for five days. She was told that the oldest daughter would do the cooking and the laundry. Stovall was convicted on three felony counts of Child neglect. A Henrico judge sentenced the 31-year-old mother to a total of 15 years in prison with 13 and a half years suspended. That means she will be in prison for only a year and a half. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the judge is allowing the mother to serve out her time in a work-release program. She can go to work during the day, but she must report back to the prison after working hours and spend her nights there. The Henrico Sheriff's Office will have to finalize the other requirements concerning the program for Stovall. No isolated case Stovall is not the only mother who has been convicted for similar cases. Mothers in other states have left their small children alone while they went shopping, to play Bingo, to go to the movies and even to go on vacation as Stovall did. The time their children were left alone were from a few hours to up to five or more days. The case is more serious when kids are left alone overnight. According to the law in most states, minor children should not be left at home alone. However, the age varies depending on the state. The minimum age for leaving a child home alone for a few hours in Illinois is 14 years old. The minimum age in Oregon is 10, but the minimum age in Maryland is 8. The Virginia Social Service Department has no minimum age listed, but the general rule is that small children aren't capable of taking care of themselves for long periods of time especially overnight, and each case should be judged on several factors. It's no secret that Donald Trump hasn't always seen eye to eye with his own Republican Party. In his latest rant on social media, the president once again took a shot at the GOP. Trump on GOP When Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in June 2015, he did so by quickly making headlines when he referred to illegal immigrants as "rapists" and "murderers." In the months that followed, many in the GOP worried that Trump's influence on conservative voters would become a negative to the Republican brand, which appeared to be the case as the former host of "The Apprentice" went on to win the primary election. Fast forward until last November and Trump pulled off one of the most shocking and historic upsets in recent political history with his win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Though Republicans now control the White House and have the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the president has clashed with his own party on a variety of issues, including the future of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and tax reform. As seen during multiple tweets on September 8, Trump is going back on the attack to throw shade at his fellow conservatives in Washington. Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen! Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 ...never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 Taking to his Twitter account on Friday, Donald Trump hit back at Republicans for not making a move to repeal Obamacare, while calling them out on their past failures. "Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen!" Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation." "8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish!," he continued. Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP. Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2017 Not stopping there, Donald Trump then pushed for Republicans in Congress to make a move on tax reform, which the White House has put added focus on in the last week. "Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP," Trump posted, while noting, "Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry!" Trump's tweets come just days after bailing on House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to cut a deal on the debt ceiling with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Next up As Donald Trump and the Republican Party continue to have issues with each other, the president is also struggling with many others around the country. In the latest polls to be released, Trump's approval rating has dipped down to just 35 percent after just over eight months in the White House. According to a press release by the Miami-Dade Police, they received a 911 call about a man acting erratically and carrying a knife at Miami-Dade International Airport. Calling it a security incident, the report said a white male ran through Concourse J into a restricted area of the airport and out on to the tarmac. The man then ran into a secure room where a confrontation occurred between an officer and the male suspect, leading to the officer opening fire and shooting the man. At least one gunshot was heard by witnesses close by. Everything under control at Miami-Dade International Airport People contacted Miami-Dade Police soon after the incident, which occurred between 8:30 PM and 9 PM on Thursday. Detective Alvaro Zabaleta told the news website that the matters were under control and there was no further danger to people and workers in the airport. Regarding the police involved shooting at @iflymia - there is no further threat or danger to the public at this time. FDLE will investigate pic.twitter.com/ZSWxtmzOkZ Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) September 8, 2017 The Miami Herald reports that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the suspect to Jackson Ryder Trauma Center. Police director Juan Perez said the man is in a stable condition and the officer was not harmed in the incident. Perez stated that the incident appeared to be isolated and they did not suspect any other individuals were present in the airport at that time. Only one flight was delayed by the incident, as at the time there was only one plane scheduled to depart. All other flights left on time. Concourse J evacuated While the incident was ongoing police evacuated Concourse J, leading many travelers to post videos and images on Twitter relating to the incident, including police cars out on the tarmac. Other travelers had no idea the incident was happening. Shooting in MIA and hurricane coming liz (@liz_abreu16) September 8, 2017 One Twitter user, Shawn Woodford, addressed a tweet to the Miami Herald to say Concourse J was being evacuated and passengers were being moved to Concourse H. He took video of police and fire trucks surrounding a plane on the tarmac at Gate J7. Hey @MiamiHerald - entire Concourse J just evacuated at MIA. Fire trucks and police surrounding aircraft at Gate J7. pic.twitter.com/3vNr5w7pqV Shawn Woodford (@ShawnWoodford) September 8, 2017 The security incident is now being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) which handles police-involved shootings. Evacuations ongoing ahead of Hurricane Irma The security incident couldnt have come at a worse time, as Florida anticipates the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Saturday. Many residents in the area are currently flocking to the airport to evacuate before the storm makes landfall. The Miami Herald reports that there is currently heavy traffic on roads in the area, leading to many evacuees opting to rather fly. However, by Friday afternoon almost 100 flights had been canceled out of the airport ahead of the hurricane. Immigrants are crucial to the foundation of America. The first settlers of the United States were immigrants, seeking a better life across the Atlantic ocean. Today, the situation is no different. Except for one thing: President Trump. Trump's Rise to Power In order to fully understand how we got to this point, we need to understand how exactly Donald Trump was elected. He campaigned under various platforms, but one of the issues he placed on emphasis on was illegal immigration. That disdain for immigrants could be seen in Trump's proposal for a wall that would extend across the Mexican border. He gave no exact plans or details for it, but some Americans still ate it up and supported him in this endeavour. Only now are those who voted for him starting to see just how cruel a harsh immigration policy can be. Think of the Children! Those children who were brought into America on the DREAMers program could now be kicked out of the United States, removing approximately 200,000 people. Can you imagine if these were your kids? They've grown up in the U.S., understand the U.S., and have known no place other than the U.S. This program will leave these kids in unfamiliar territory with no real understanding of what to do in a brand new country. And even those who were recently granted permission to enter the country are at risk of losing that chance. Can you imagine being in that person's shoes? You do all this work to finally make it into the Land Of Opportunity, and now you're denied? What kind of justice is that? None at all, and it's time for the American people to realize that. Economic Cost And the ending of this program doesn't just have a social cost. The repeal of DACA has an economic cost as well. With those children and immigrants deported, America will lose talented minds and talented people that could have helped to build a better economy. Instead, those people will now be contributing to the economies of other countries. Is that really what we want as a nation? It's not what we should want, but it is what some people want, and it's hard to understand why. Do these young children really pose massive risks to society? Is our police force incapable of handling such "problem people." I don't think so. It's time for the American people to take a stand. Is this really the direction we want our country to head in? This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, but for many, it's quickly turning into the Forbidden Forest. "Days of our Lives" spoilers for the end of the week reveal that Brady Black will continue his downward spiral when it comes to jealousy over girlfriend Nicole Walker and step-brother, Eric Brady. Brady will break into Eric's room looking for any and all evidence that Nicole and Eric are having an affair. However, while Brady may not find evidence of an affair, he will find something much more shocking, and it could lead to big trouble for Eric. Brady makes a shocking discovery in Eric's room "DOOL" fans will watch as Brady tears through Eric's room in a jealous and angry rage, and what he finds will completely throw him through a loop. Brady will make a shocking discovery and uncover that Eric has the alleged cured amulet that Chad, Sonny, and Deimos have all risked their lives for, but why is it in Eric's room? Could Eric have something to do with Deimos' murder, and will Brady look to get the police involved? It seems that Brady is out of his mind at the moment, and if he can get his own brother, Eric, locked away from Deimos' murder, then he wouldn't have any more competition when it comes to Nicole's affections. Things may be about to get interesting in this heated love triangle. Chad and Sonny compare notes about Deimos' death Speaking of Deimos Kiriakis' death, Chad may find himself wanting to confess to the murder of Deimos, even though he doesn't remember killing his enemy. Chad feels bad that Sonny is currently behind bars for a murder that he may have not committed, and he'll want to help his friend. "Days Of Our Lives" viewers will see Chad and Sonny get together to compare notes about what they remember concerning the night of Deimos' murder. The two friends will talk it out and share their memories in hopes of putting some of the pieces of the puzzle together and possibly figuring out who is responsible for committing the murder. While Victor says he's innocent, other "DOOL" fans believe that Dario Hernandez may be to blame for it all, and since he's recently left Salem, there is no way to interrogate him. Marlena finds herself in a nightmare with no way out Meanwhile, the end of the week will bring a real-life nightmare for Dr. Marlena Evans. As many "Days of our Lives" fans know, Hattie Adams drugged and kidnapped Marlena only to stuff her into a psychiatric hospital. Hattie took over Marlena's life, and now Marlena is stuck in a padded cell. Marlena will wake up to find herself trapped, and be completely stunned. The shrink will try to calmly explain that Hattie has stolen her identity, but everyone will believe that her comments are just the ramblings of a crazy woman. She'll try to figure out a way out of her mess, including trying to reach out to John, but it looks like she'll have a very tough road ahead of her. Bonnie takes over Adrienne's life As Hattie is busy living it up as Marlena, Bonnie is about to do the same as Adrienne. Bonnie Lockhart has left prison, and put Adrienne Kiriakis in her place. Bonnie is ready to live as Adrienne and her first order of business will be to break off Adrienne's relationship with Lucas Horton. Lucas will be heartbroken about the split, and it could lead him to begin drinking again. Like Brady, Lucas' broken heart will cause him to fall off the wagon. However, "Days of our Lives" viewers are about to see Chloe Lane return to Salem to help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart. Will Chloe and Lucas get back together as Adrienne is stuck in prison? "Days Of Our Lives" fans know that Hattie Adams and Bonnie Lockhart are a little rough around the edges when they are just being themselves. Eric knows Marlena and Adrienne are always poised. When he tries to visit his mother, he is in for a surprise. Will the encounter make him suspicious? The following will contain "Days of Our Lives" spoilers. If you don't want to know what may be coming on NBC's long-running soap opera, stop reading now. A return to Salem "Daytime Royalty Online" reports that next week viewers will see Hattie succeed in having Adrienne locked away in prison, and returns to Salem to take her place. As viewers saw, Anjelica had drugged her. When she awoke she didn't know where she was. Spoilers say Adrienne will spend her time unsuccessfully trying to convince the prison staff who she really is. The real "Days of Our Lives" Marlena remains hospitalized by Hattie. While impersonating Dr. Evans, Hattie committed her to an asylum as a patient that was obsessed with her along with other issues. Spoilers don't reveal if Marlena is able to convince the nurses and doctors of who she really is, but she will manage to get a call to John. Spoilers say that major drama will ensue when Hattie, posing as Marlena, tries to cozy up to Roman Brady. John will get wind of this and end up punching Roman. Hattie and Bonnie loose in Salem With Marlena and Adrienne safely out of the way, Hattie and Bonnie decide to let their hair down and celebrate a little. As they are popping the cork on the champagne and shooting it in the air, they are making lots of noise with whoops and laughter. Eric walks in on the party and knows this isn't typical behavior for his mother. But will it be off enough that he begins to wonder if something is going on? Are you ready for Chloe to return to Salem? She will return to "Days of Our Lives" this week. Just in time to be there for Lucas. Brady requires some attention as well and she calls him out on his drinking. Later in the week, Bonnie finds herself drawn to Lucas. She broke his heart as Adrienne, but she just may be falling for him. Other spoilers for next week tell us "Days of Our Lives" viewers will see Kayla try to talk her son out of making a confession for the murder of Ava. The guilt is overwhelming and more than Joey can take anymore, however. Kayla's stepson, Tripp, wants to apologize to her for all the things he has done. Rafe and Hope make an arrest mid-week that is a shocker. Sonny will recall a memory that just may help them get a step closer to the truth of who killed Deimos. Do you think Eric will become suspicious of his mother after the party? What do you think of the Hattie/Marlena and Bonnie/Adrienne storyline? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Be careful: potential spoilers on "Game of Thrones" season 7 will follow! In the fourth episode of this season, "The Spoils of War," Littlefinger gives Bran the Valyrian steel dagger involved in Bran's assassination attempt back in season 1. Most fans think Bran's murder was ordered by Cersei or Littlefinger, but according to "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series, there is someone else behind the failed assassination attempt. What Bran says in "The Spoils of War" Keep in mind what Bran said in the last episode of the show: "Someone very wealthy wanted me dead." It's also worth noting that the young Stark openly asked Littlefinger about the dagger's owner. "Do you know who this belonged to?" he asked, and Littlefinger replied that he didn't know. Who ordered the murder according to the books The question is, who gave the Valyrian steel dagger to the killer? The answer is quite surprising. In the first book of George R.R. Martin's fantasy series, Littlefinger says that he had once owned the weapon, but he bet and lost it to Tyrion Lannister. According to Baelish, Tyrion won the dagger when Ser Loras defeated his brother Jaime at the tourney on Prince Joffrey Baratheon's name day. When Catelyn Stark captures Tyrion, he insists he never owned the ancient dagger. Please note that the War of the Five Kings started after Bran's assassination attempt: Littlefinger's lie contributed to triggering the war. Let's get back to the dagger. When Jaime is imprisoned in Riverrun, he admits to Catelyn that he threw Bran out the tower window, but he swears that Tyrion would never have made a bet against him, therefore what Littlefinger said was a lie. Tyrion wasn't the one who owned the blade. Jaime also reveals Catelyn a very important detail: that dagger was displayed by Robert Baratheon during a feast. King Robert was the man who won the bet against Littlefinger. The story gets better Obviously, King Robert would never have attempted to take Bran's life. Later in the books, Tyrion Lannister realizes that the man who hired the murderer should have been someone close to King Robert, someone rich and cruel, someone like Joffrey Baratheon. Tyrion thinks that Joffrey could have found the assassin in the camp followers attached to King Robert's party that reached Winterfell at the beginning of the story and that he could have grabbed the Valyrian steel dagger from his father's weapons stash. Tyrion is not the only one to think that Joffrey could be the one who sent the killer. At a certain point in the books, Cersei recounts to Jaime what Robert Baratheon once said about Bran: "We kill our horses when they break a leg and our dogs when they go blind, but we are too weak to give the same mercy to crippled children." Since Joffrey was present when his "father" said this, Jaime realizes the young and cruel prince may have paid an assassin as a misguided attempt to impress King Robert. This is the most popular theory about who ordered Bran's assassination. We must point out that we cannot be sure that the TV series will follow the books about this event, but Bran said "Someone very wealthy wanted me dead," and Prince Joffrey was very wealthy indeed. What now? We wouldn't be surprised if Bran, who can see "a lot of things now," would time travel to find out the truth about the dagger. In that case, he would probably discover how Littlefinger lied to Catelyn about Tyrion Lannister. But maybe Bran has something more important to think about, like the Night's King and his undead army, so this is just a hypothesis. In the coming week, fans will witness the return of NCIS season 15 to the small screen. As Timothy Mcgee (Sean Murray) and Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) were left in Paraguay in the previous season finale, its team had no idea what was actually happening to them. In the television show's latest photo teaser, the two agents were seen being held captives by the Paraguayan rebels. And as they are still missing; it looks like someone will take their place. NCIS season 15 will start after two months since McGee and Gibbs have been stranded in Paraguay. There is no news about the two agents whereabouts or even any signs that they are still alive. As they are desperately in need of their teams rescue, it looks like they are all busy handling their works back home, Hidden Remote reported. Alex Quinn (Jennifer Esposito) has to quit her job to look after her mother. So, Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham) now takes Gibbs position as the teams leader as the senior field agent is still missing. She has the help of Nicholas Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry) to manage all the workloads. However, as they seem busy in handling new cases, it is still their top priority to look after McGee and Gibbs. What happened in Paraguay is still hunting them and their colleagues real situation actually fears them. Their absence also leads to the questioning of Torres and Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll). The two are invited to attend a congressional hearing to talk about their failed mission in the South American country. The season finale To recall, in the previous season finale, Gibbs and McGee decided to be left behind in Paraguay as the rebels saw them escaping with their young trainees. The two agents let Torres flee using their helicopter to save the childrens lives and take them away from the revolutionaries. The television show ended with one final shot featuring Gibbs and McGee exchanging fires with the mutineers on the ground. An expected character development Fans are now looking forward to the return of Gibbs and McGee in NCIS. Aside from that, many are expecting to see some character development. Carter Matt reported that viewers want to see some improvements in Duane Henrys character. As Clayton Reeve is going to be seen in the television shows first episode, they are expecting to see him in full action. NCIS season 15 returns on September 15 on CBS. Scott Disick was hospitalized last month after a reported breakdown, and was even placed on a 5150 hold after he was deemed uncooperative by professionals. The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star had spent the entire summer partying hard and traveling the globe, landing in spots like Cannes and Las Vegas as he was spotted drinking alcohol and hanging out with multiple women, including teen actress Bella Thorne and Sophia Richie. Scott hospitalized after alleged breakdown According to website The Blast, Scott Disick was hospitalized in mid-August near his Los Angeles home. A LA Fire Department spokesperson revealed that the reality TV dad was transported to a local hospital shortly after a they responded to a call from Disick's home. The sheriff later arrived at the scene, and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star was then taken the hospital. Disick placed on 5150 hold Scott Disick was allegedly being uncooperative with emergency responders and later placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. When a person is placed under a 5150 hold it means that they are deemed a danger to themselves and/or others and can not be released from medical care for up to 72 hours. Due to Scott's celebrity status, he was given a private room at the hospital and even had his very own security guard posted outside. Disick was reportedly allowed to leave his hospital room to take short smoke breaks from time to time. However, during those breaks, a hospital staff members accompanied him at all times. Kourtney Kardashian showed up to support her baby daddy Kourtney Kardashian reportedly showed up at the hospital to support Scott Disick in his time of need. Kourtney, who is the mother of Scott's three children, Mason, Penelope, and Reign Disick, reportedly wanted to be there for Scott because he has no other family members. Scott, who is an only child, lost both of his parents in a short span, and seemingly hasn't been the same since their tragic passings. Another scary episode for Scott? Scott Disick was released before the 72 hour time limit, and was seen walking the streets of Hollywood days later. However, no confirmation has been given about what sparked the hospitalization in the first place. As many "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" fans know, Disick has struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues in the past. During a previous episode of the reality TV series, Scott called a member of the Kardashian family and was seemingly suicidal. Perhaps another episode similar to that one occurred, sparking someone to call for help. Hollywood sources have revealed the plot for Bond 25, the sequel to Spectre. In the film, Agent 007 James Bond is retired and has a happy married life. However, tragedy brings him back into action. Leaked plot Insiders told Page Six that when Bond 25 opens, notorious playboy James Bond has finally decided to settle for one woman. He has chosen to wed Dr. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), who he rescued at the end of Spectre. He also fancied and romanced the doctor in the film. James Bond (Daniel Craig) is a happily married man when the film opens. He has retired from being a secret agent to live a domestic life. Tragedy brings Agent 007 back to work However, the way Bond movies go, nothing this good lasts forever. There is no happy ever after because something or someone always ruins the day. This time it is a tragedy. James Bonds married life is shattered when his wife is killed. There is no mention of who killed his wife, but it would not be a surprise if the person has ties to the films main antagonist. The death of his wife then prompts James to return to work so he can avenge her death. The films like Taken with Bond, the source told the publication. The insider did not provide any other details about the films plot. However, fans should take this information with a grain of salt unless otherwise confirmed. The studio has yet to release the synopsis for the movie. Last stint as James Bond for Daniel Craig This will be Daniel Craigs last film as the suave British agent. After several speculations about his involvement, the actor finally confirmed his return to the franchise just recently. He told Stephen Colbert during an interview on The Late Show that he decided that Bond 25 would be the last time he would take on the iconic role. Craig admitted that he took on the role again as he wanted to end on a high note. The actors confirmation came after he previously said that he would rather slash his wrist than do another James Bond film. He clarified with Colbert that his remarks at the time were made in the moment, when he was exhausted after filming for Spectre which wrapped up two days prior. He said that he was always interested in a return, but he just needed a break. 'Bond 25' release date Filming for the sequel will begin in November with the screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who also worked on Spectre and Skyfall. Yann Demange will direct. Bond 25 is scheduled for release on Nov. 8, 2019. When the news broke that Donald Trump would move take steps to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the reaction was mostly negative from the majority of the American people. As for the more liberal-leaning celebrities in Hollywood, they made sure to use their popularity and influence on social media to get their message across. Trump and DACA When DACA was first put into law by former President Barack Obama via an executive order in June 2012, it allowed millions of undocumented children brought to the United States by their parents the ability to stay in the country under several conditions. Under DACA, the children were allowed to remain in the U.S. if they were in school, obtained a work visa, or served in the military. According to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services test in June 2016, nearly 850,000 applications had been filed at the time, with just under 90 percent being approved under the order. This has predictability divided the American people due to the politics surrounding the issue at hand, and was made a hot topic during the 2016 presidential election. On Tuesday, the White House announced that Donald Trump would end the program, while giving Congress six months to make changes that he could approve. As seen across Twitter on September 5, top celebrities were not pleased, including strong opposition from vocal Trump critics in author Stephen King and actor George Takei. Staffers worried Trump didnt fully grasp details of ending DACA: report https://t.co/UoiygG19Uz pic.twitter.com/0ZeFgcj22D The Hill (@thehill) September 6, 2017 Taking to his Twitter account on Tuesday night was Stephen King who continued his social media attack on Donald Trump. "Trump is no leader. He has 2 default positions: 'Not my fault' (it's China's) or 'not my job' (DACA). What a bitter joke he is!" King tweeted. The famous horror author has spoken out so strongly against Trump that the president blocked him on Twitter earlier this year. Trump is no leader. He has 2 default positions: "Not my fault" (it's China's) or "not my job" (DACA). What a bitter joke he is! Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 5, 2017 Takei's Trump takedown In addition to Stephen King, George Takei made sure to take several shots at Donald Trump over his decision to end DACA. "Donald's decision to reverse DACA should not be surprising. He has no positive agenda, he simply longs to undo everything Obama accomplished," Takei tweeted. "Jeff Sessions says 'We are people of compassion' while announcing the end of DACA!? The American people are, sir, you and your boss are not," Takei added. Donald's decision to reverse DACA should not be surprising. He has no positive agenda, he simply longs to undo everything Obama accomplished George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 4, 2017 Jeff Sessions says "We are people of compassion" while announcing the end of DACA!? The American people are, sir, you and your boss are not. George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 5, 2017 "In '41 the govt relocated 120K Japanese Amers to internment camps at huge economic & psychic cost. Trump would deport 7x as many Dreamers," George Takei added. Not stopping there, the former "Star Trek" star thanked Barack Obama for his support of DACA. "Thank you Pres Obama for your eloquent rebuke of the DACA reversal. It's times like this when your compassionate leadership is sorely missed," he wrote. In '41 the govt relocated 120K Japanese Amers to internment camps at huge economic & psychic cost. Trump would deport 7x as many Dreamers. George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 5, 2017 Hollywood responds While Stephen King and George Takei ripped into Donald Trump over DACA, they weren't the only ones who were angry at the news. "WHEN GOP LISTS ALL ATTRIBUTES A PERSON MUST HAVE 2 LIVE IN USA,CHECK EVERY BOX 4 DREAMERS, CAUSE THEYRE ALREADY ROCKN THE AMERICAN DREAM," Cher tweeted out. WHEN GOP LISTS ALL ATTRIBUTES A PERSON MUST HAVE 2 LIVE IN USA,CHECK EVERY BOX 4 DREAMERS, CAUSE THEYRE ALREADY ROCKN THEAMERICAN DREAM Cher (@cher) September 5, 2017 ""This is a sad day for our country," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said. "#DACA #Trump ruins the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people, after he cries crocodile tears about how much he loved them. PHONEY!!" Bette Midler tweeted out. #DACA #Trump ruins the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people, after he cries crocodile tears about how much he loved them. PHONEY!! Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) September 5, 2017 I hope that by the time I have to explain Trump to my kids, they'll never have a frame of reference to understand how bad he really was. John Mayer (@JohnMayer) September 5, 2017 "Fu*king fu*k fu*kity fu*k you fu*king fu*ks #DACA #Republicans," actress Rose McGowan wrote." "I hope that by the time I have to explain Trump to my kids, they'll never have a frame of reference to understand how bad he really was," musician John Mayer added. The backlash continued as Donald Trump's move to end DACA went viral on Twitter and for mostly the wrong reasons. Stephen King fans have plenty of good stuff on their plates right now, what with the movie adaptation of his novel It about to open in theaters on Friday and other excitement, so ITs nice to have some personal news about the popular horror and fantasy author. The first relates to a special screening of It, sponsored by Kings own radio station, WKIT-FM in Bangor, Maine on Wednesday evening. As reported by Page Six, when King walked into the theater he got a standing ovation from Bangor residents who were privileged to attend the special screening. He then went on stage to warn them they were going to be scared out of their seats, but they may as well sit down anyway. It was an appropriate setting for the special screening as Derry, the fictionalized town in which Pennywise the Clown lives in the sewers and reeks havoc is based on Bangor. Stephen King's #ITMovie has sold the highest number of presale tickets for a horror flick. Ever. https://t.co/xyV8kAuQ7R pic.twitter.com/hM86iprULJ Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) September 6, 2017 Stephen King and traveling preferences The second piece of interesting King-related news was obtained by the New York Times. They wanted to know what the authors preferences were when it came to travel. The interesting answer is that he prefers driving to flying. He didnt mention whether his novella Langoliers had anything to do with it, but says he will fly if he has to but prefers to navigate his own way to his destination. King went on to point out that should your car break down, you can pull over into the breakdown lane. However, if something should happen to your plane when you are at 40,000 feet, you die. Look, kids! A sweepstakes! Signed copies for winners!https://t.co/x5vRW37Jb4 Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 5, 2017 King did add that while occasionally his work takes him overseas, he prefers to be at home. He says he travels if he has to and tries to enjoy it, but that hes done more Traveling that he really wants to. Also, as fans know, he has family and Molly, aka the Thing of Evil, waiting for him back home. Molly, aka the Thing of Evil, prepares to go on an evening rampage with her faithful sidekick, Dipshit the Moose. pic.twitter.com/ruH2Ofri7u Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 26, 2017 Kings idea of a vacation is to head to Florida in winter, with his wife, Tabby flying, while he drives. According to King he thoroughly relies on Siri to get him where he wants to go and should the traffic get too much, she will always find back ways to travel, joking that usually, those back ways dont include man-eating hillbillies. Stephen King has modest tastes for a world-famous author While he must have made a fair fortune with his many books and stories, Kings tastes are modest. He says he normally stays at Motel 6 while eating out at the Waffle House. He said he doesnt need anything fancy, just somewhere where he can relax and read a book. King even gave a few tips for lonesome travelers when staying at Motel 6. He said he always asks for a room at the end of the building, to lessen the chances of someone having a party next door. If the motel has three stories, he prefers a top floor room so he doesnt have to worry about a couple above him going at it all night long. What does the author pack? When it comes to packing a suitcase, King also keeps things simple. He says he takes only the basics for toiletries, he relies on what the motel has to offer. However, what he does need to take, and what he packs it into, is interesting to hear. Everything King does take with him on his travels is packed inside an old battered Samsonite suitcase that he has been carrying with him for around 30 years. He says it drives his wife crazy, but it's everything he needs, even though it's old school and doesnt have wheels. For each trip, King has to have his iPad, loaded with audiobooks and at least a couple of movies that he wants to see, or maybe just a couple of episodes of The Americans. He always has a big crossword book with him, saying they are particularly handy if he flies, as you cant always read on a long trip. Probably works well to keep his mind off any incoming Langoliers too. Besides the audiobooks, he always has a couple of physical, actual paper, books with him the one hes planning on reading and a backup in case it turns out to be terrible. He went on to recommend the book My Absolute Darling to the reporter who interviewed him, saying it's best to take advice from someone you trust when it comes to books. While you wait for the next great Boston crime movie, pick up a copy of KILLERS, by Howie Carr. It's a terrific read. Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 3, 2017 As for clothing, most of Kings Constant Readers who have seen him speak, know he is most comfortable in jeans and T-shirts. That is what gets packed into the trusty Samsonite for each trip. He says it makes him comfortable, as hes not very good with big crowds of people. He said most writers are like that as they prefer to work in solitude and are not made for audiences like actors and comedians are. He added that by keeping clothing simple, also makes it much easier to pack for the trip. King is sometimes seen to wear a jacket, however, if the weather is cooler, as can be seen in the image at the top of this article. King on big and small screens Meanwhile for anyone that doesnt already know, It hits theater screens on Friday, September 8, while The Dark Tower is currently in theaters. Not to forget, a terrifying movie adaptation of Kings "bondage" book Geralds Game is heading to Netflix on September 29.There's also a Netflix film adaptation of King's story "1922" coming on October 20, just in time for Halloween. Netflix announces premiere date for adaptation of Stephen Kings 1922 https://t.co/Xv5Puzb2V9 Anne Sewell (@anners2008) August 25, 2017 For those who prefer things serialized, Mr. Mercedes is an excellent, gruesome and exciting adaptation of Kings novel on Audience Network. Another upcoming series is Castle Rock, which will take several King characters and stories along a brand new route, is coming soon on Hulu. While we're at it, take a peek at the scary trailer for "Gerald's Game" included below. File photo shows the national flags of China and US. [Photo/IC] Business council report comes after Washington probe, threat to cut trade Booming US exports to China are vital to the US economy and nearly all congressional districts, according to a report released on Wednesday by the US-China Business Council. The report was released at a time of serious concern about bilateral trade after the United States announced two weeks ago a Section 301 investigation into China's intellectual property policies and practices and a threat by US President Donald Trump this week to cut trade with any country doing business with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The business council's report shows that 432 out of 435 congressional districts have seen triple-digit growth in exports of goods and services to China since 2006. The value of US goods and services exports to China is significant for the districts, the report said. China was a top three goods export market for 263 districts in 2016, and among the top five for 358 districts. China was the top services export market in 2015 for 93 congressional districts and a top five market for 399 districts. The 448-page Congressional District Export Report concludes that US exports to China are vital to US economic growth. China was the third-largest export market for the US in 2016, trailing Canada and Mexico, the report said. Total US goods exports to China stood at $113 billion in 2016. The exports of US services to China are becoming significant. In 2015, the most recent complete year available, those exports reached $47 billion, making China also the third-largest services export market. From 2006 to 2015, US services exports to China shot up more than 400 percent, compared with 76 percent to the rest of the world. The report said exports continue to play an essential role in the US economy and job growth. US goods exports to China come from a wide range of industries like transportation equipment, agriculture, computers and electronics, and chemicals. These exports also sustain logistics jobs in US ports and throughout the country. US services exports to China in 2015 included travel and education, royalties, transportation, business and professional services, and financial services. The report noted the huge potential given that US goods accounted for only about 8.4 percent of the Chinese mainland's total imports in 2015, trailing the European Union, Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The US had a 10 percent share in 2000. While the report called on the Trump administration to pursue results-oriented engagement with China designed to address some of the trade and non-trade barriers, it said the US should push forward negotiations with China on a high-standard bilateral investment treaty. Talks on the treaty advanced rapidly in the latter years of the Obama administration. But there has been no sign that the Trump administration will continue the talks anytime soon. HANGZHOU - China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published on Thursday a new index to show the ups and downs of the country's new growth drivers. The newly released index consists of five sub-indexes, covering economic vitality, digital economy, restructuring, knowledge capacity and innovation. China's new economic momentum development index stood at 129.0 in 2015, up 29 percent year on year, according to Ning Jizhe, head of the NBS. "After five years of exploration and application, China has established a statistical system that can reflect the development of the country's new growth drivers and industries," said Ning at the ninth meeting of the heads of the national statistical institutions of BRICS in Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province. The system highlighted new industries and business models in statistical standards and accounting methods, according to Ning. The index was included in a development report on China's new economic momentum, which was published for the first time by the NBS at the meeting. The two-day meeting opened in Hangzhou Thursday, shortly after the ending of a three-day BRICS Summit in Xiamen in southeastern China's Fujian province. Jiang Tao's mother, Wang Yunxiang, blends seasonings for noodles. [Photo/VCG] The Chongqing version of Midnight Diner happens in a 24-hour restaurant located at a business center of the Southwestern city's Yuzhong district. In the past 11 years, the family-run workshop has earned its boss four houses in Chongqing. "In order to make more money, we opened the restaurant around the clock from the very beginning when we took over the business in 2007," Jiang Tao told The Chongqing Morning Post. He is one of bosses and employees of the restaurant, whose name, "No Closing Time for Jiangyu()", also indicates the restaurant's distinguishing feature. According to Jiang, the idea of shutting down at night has never crossed his mind. "It is too hard to give up the booming business in the evening. As one of favorite restaurants for taxi drivers to grab something if they are hungry at night in Chongqing, its name has spread over the internet, "People like drivers and those who hang out at night order from about 11 pm to 4 am next day," said Jiang, adding that night revenue is sometimes even better than that in the daytime. Apart from the delicious food, reasonable prices also help Jiang keep his regular customers. Spicy slices of poached pork, the specialty dish of Jiang's father, costs 14 yuan ($2.15) per plate; and pickled peppers fried with shredded pork costs 13 yuan per dish. About 7 pm every day, Jiang Tao starts to run his Midnight Diner after his parents and wife go back home. As to the future, he hopes things keep getting better and better. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Documentary over 5 days details cases against many key figures A five-episode political documentary focusing on an effective anti-graft measure taken by the Communist Party of China began airing on Thursday, with many details of corrupt officials revealed for the first time. The documentary, named Sharp Sword of Inspection, highlighted President Xi Jinping's strategy of using inspections as tools to boost clean governance amid the country's unprecedented campaign of fighting corruption. It was jointly filmed by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog, and China Central Television. It is being aired by CCTV with one episode each day. According to the documentary, Yu Haiyan, former vice-governor of Gansu province, cut up all his photos taken with bosses who bribed him and flushed the pieces down the toilet to destroy evidence for graft charges. It said he also dipped his cellphone in vinegar and then threw it into the Yellow River to erase his phone records with the bosses. Nearly 20 corrupt senior officials, including Wu Changshun, former police chief of Tianjin, and Wang Min, former Party chief of Liaoning province, were interviewed in the TV series. They expressed their regrets and confessions over their misdeeds. All of the corrupt officials who appeared in the documentary were investigated after they were inspected. "I was afraid of the inspection team, and I drained my brains to learn the activities of the inspection team," Wang said in the documentary. He was sentenced to life imprisonment last month for receiving 146 million yuan ($22.5 million) in bribes. Inspection, or xunshi, proves to be an effective tool for fighting corruption. Among the corruption cases probed by the top anti-graft watchdog, about 60 percent of the indicators of corruption were collected by the inspection teams. The discipline inspection commission has launched 12 rounds of inspections at 277 Party and government departments, State-owned enterprises, institutes and universities since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. On Aug 30, 17 organizations inspected in the 12th round, including the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Peking University and the Cyberspace Administration of China, publicized their measures for correcting problems found by the inspection team. The inspection team found that the promotion of some officials at Peking University had violated rules. The university said in its rectification report that it had removed the posts of those officials as a measure to implement the inspection report. Xi has highlighted the importance of inspections numerous times in the five years since he initiated the anti-graft campaign. In May, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, during which senior officials were asked to set themselves as examples by exercising self-restraint in the use of their power, accepting supervision and acting in line with rules. The inspection work should focus on sticking to the Party's leadership, strengthening the Party's buildup and comprehensively enhancing Party discipline, according to a statement released after the meeting. Yang Xiaodu, minister of supervision and deputy head of the discipline inspection commission, said last month that 256,000 graft cases were filed for probe from January to June, compared with 193,000 during the same period a year earlier. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, July 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a phone conversation on Thursday that the Korean Peninsula issue should be solved peacefully through talks. Xi said facts have proved time and again that eventually, the Korean Peninsula issue can only be solved through peaceful means, such as dialogue and consultation. The international community needs to make joint efforts to achieve a peaceful solution of the issue, Xi said. The president emphasized that China maintains its goal of the peninsula's denuclearization. Merkel said Germany supports peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political means and agrees to push all relevant parties back to dialogue and negotiation. Germany hopes to strengthen communication and coordination with China to find a way to solve the issue peacefully as soon as possible, Merkel said. Xi said the significance of China-Germany cooperation has long transcended a bilateral scope and is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining world peace and stability as well as promoting common development. A day earlier, Xi and US President Donald Trump exchanged views on the situation. In a news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China supports the UN Security Council in responding further to the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue. "Given the new development (a DPRK nuclear test) in the situation in the peninsula, China agrees with the Security Council to make further response and take necessary steps," Wang said. "China will keep close communication with all parties in a manner that is objective, just and responsible," Wang added. The foreign minister said China is "resolutely opposed to" the nuclear test the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted on Sunday, and urged the DPRK to "make the right decision" and "stop challenging the consensus and limit of the international community". The Sunday test drew condemnation from the Security Council on Monday. The United States has proposed a draft resolution to seek UN sanctions that would ban all oil and natural gas exports to the DPRK, according to the Associated Press. Wang said any new actions the international community would take should not only deter the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs but also help talks resume as soon as possible. Gao Feng, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that China will continue to handle its trade with DPRK based on principles that are conducive to the peninusla's denuclearization and its peace and stability. As the number of Chinese tourists to Antarctica soared to the No 2 ranking, experts urged the country to speed up legislation on Antarctic travel to protect the environment there as well as tourists' safety and interests. Last year, 5,286 Chinese tourists visited the frozen continent, amounting to 12 percent of worldwide visitors there, second only to the United States with 14,566 tourists, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Fewer than 800 Chinese tourists made the trip in 2010, when China was ranked behind countries such as Australia, Canada and Germany in visitor numbers. "The size of the market for Antarctic tourism grew dramatically with people's rising interest in natural wonders, but the legislation in this respect lags behind," said Qin Weijia, director of the China Arctic and Antarctic Administration. He said the number of Chinese tourists to Antarctica last year alone was equal to the total visits by team members participating in the country's expeditions to the Antarctic since 1984. "Among the 29 countries that are consultative parties of the Antarctic Treaty, China, together with India, Poland and Ecuador, are the only four that have not yet made laws to specify their citizens' behavior and protect their safety when they travel to the most remote place on Earth," he said. Yang Huigen, director of the Polar Research Institute of China, said, "The legislation may also put what President Xi Jinping said into practice to pursue a community of shared future for mankind and to be a responsible great power." In April, Lin Shanqing, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration, told Xinhua News Agency that the country's legislative body had started to pay attention to the legislation on issues regarding traveling to Antarctica. Ponant, a French cruise company, started to offer polar excursions to Chinese three years ago. Prices range from $400 to $1,250 per person per night based on different cabins for a journey ranging from 11 to 16 days. Jean-Philippe Lemaire, a captain of a Ponant cruise liner, said the staff vacuum all the tourists' garments before they go on shore each time to minimize dust pollution. But Wang Wenlong from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, who has taken the cruises to both poles, said tourists still need guidance on dos and don'ts and the corresponding legal liability and punishment. "We had plenty of opportunities to encounter a large number of rarely seen animals but didn't have rules of how to interact with them without interrupting them," Wang, 41, said. The legislation will come in handy in case of accidents or trouble happening to Chinese tourists, Qin said. "It may stipulate a fixed coordinating mechanism after an accident occurs and give clear requirements regarding the purchase of travel insurance," he said. The Jing'an Hilton in Shanghai. GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY Jing'an Hilton, Shanghai's first five-star hotel, will no longer be operated by Hilton Hotels and Resorts at the start of 2018, read a statement by the US hospitality group. According to local media, Shanghai's homegrown hospitality conglomerate, Jinjiang Hotels, will take over the property. Representatives from Jinjiang Hotels told China Daily USA that they were not able to disclose any information as of press time. Launched in 1988, the 42-floor, 775-room hotel was Hilton's inaugural project in China. The $100 million building was jointly invested by Hilton and Hong Kong's Cindic Holdings Limited. Peter Budd, the British structural engineer who worked on the construction of the hotel between 1979 and 1984, once said that the building was a symbol of China's opening-up to the world. News of the hotel rebranding has sparked a wave of nostalgia among the city's hoteliers who used to refer to the hotel as "the West Point Academy of the hotel industry in China" during the 1990s. Social media was also abuzz with chatter as people reminisced about how the building used to be a landmark in Shanghai. Chen Yunrong, the former food and beverage manager at one of the seven restaurants in the hotel, remembered that she was once the subject of envy because she got to work in an air-conditioned environment. Zhang Shuhao, a former housekeeping manager at the hotel, told a local newspaper that he was one of the 92 university graduates that the company recruited to be management trainees. Since no one had any idea what a five-star hotel was, they were sent to Hong Kong for two months to stay at various luxury hotels and experience the service standards. It was not until the late 1990s that major international hotel brands started to venture into Shanghai. Today, the city has become one of the world's most competitive markets for the hospitality industry, with almost every major player having a presence. He Jianmin, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics' tourism college, called the hotel's rebranding a "normal readjustment" of the local industry. He added that such news are likely to become more frequent in the coming years. "Thirty years ago, the high-end hospitality industry was mainly dominated by inbound tourists. Today, Chinese guests are the ones who form the majority of the clientele at the country's five-star hotels," said He. Statistics from the national tourism bureau showed that Chinese travelers made 4.4 billion domestic trips in 2016. xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn The "brick'' has fallen on hard times except in China. Lego Group, the toymaker of colorful interlocking plastic building blocks, said it will cut 1,400 jobs globally after suffering its worst financial performance in 13 years as sales fell in the US and Europe. The Danish company, however, said it remains fully committed to its growing market in China, where it said growth was in the double digits. The privately owned company said on Tuesday that in the first six months of the year, revenue dropped 5 percent to $2.3 billion, and profit fell 3 percent to $544 million. But Lego's sales grew by double digits in China during the first half, and "China remains a growth market for the LEGO Group," Rude Trangbaek, the company's press officer, told China Daily in an email on Wednesday. "At the beginning of the year, approximately 1,200 employees were based in the factory in Jiaxing, and we remain fully committed to our factory in China," he said. The company, which appointed a new chief executive in August, said growth in countries like China had not been enough to balance the decline in sales from more established markets like Europe and the US. Lego entered the Chinese market in 1993. It built the 160,000-square-meter plant in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province in 2014, and increased staff at its office in Shanghai to 200 from 80 this year. Its revenue in China has registered annual growth of 25 to 30 percent since 2015, according to Reuters. The employee reduction is about 8 percent of Lego's global workforce of 18,200. The company sells its products in more than 130 countries and regions. Lego Chairman Joergen Vig Knudstorp said the long-term aim is to get sales growing again in Europe and the United States. He noted that there were strong opportunities "in growing markets such as China". He said the company needs to simplify its business model to reduce costs. Vig Knudstorp said that while Lego will try to engage children and parents through online products, such as digital social platforms and coding sets, the plastic toy blocks remain key. "The brick is the heart of our business," he said. Encouraging report comes amid heightened scrutiny of trade practices Booming exports to China are vital to the US economy and nearly all congressional districts, according to a report released on Wednesday by the US-China Business Council (USCBC). The report was issued at a time of serious concern about bilateral trade after the US announced two weeks ago a Section 301 investigation into China's intellectual property policies and practices and a threat by US President Donald Trump this week to cut trade with any country doing business with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The USCBC report shows that 432 out of 435 congressional districts have seen triple-digit growth in the export of goods and services to China since 2006. The value of US goods and services exports to China is significant for congressional districts, the report said. China was a top-three goods-export market for 263 districts in 2016, and among the top five for 358 districts. China was the top services-export market in 2015 for 93 congressional districts and a top five market for 399 districts. The 448-page report, titled Congressional District Export Report, includes detailed figures for each district and concludes that US exports to China are vital to US economic growth. According to the report, China was the third-largest export market for the US in 2016, behind Canada and Mexico. Total US goods exported to China stood at $113 billion in 2016. In 2015, the most recent available year of complete data, US services exports to China reached $47 billion, making China also the third-largest services-export market. From 2006 to 2015, US services exports to China rose more than 400 percent, compared with 76 percent elsewhere. The services sector accounts for an increasing part of China's GDP as the country moves towards a consumption-based economy. Despite slowing global trade, US exports of goods services to China continue to outpace exports to other major markets, according to the report. On average, US goods exports to China grew by 8 percent annually over the past 10 years, despite the modest decline over the past two years versus 2014. Of the US' top 10 goods-export markets, only Japan had positive export growth in 2016. US services exports to China also grew more rapidly than all other major trading partners, averaging nearly 19 percent annually over the last decade. Only Brazil came close over the same period, with 17 percent average annual growth, according to the report. China's maturing economy is undergoing important changes that have resulted in a slowdown in GDP and trade growth. Even so, US exports of goods and services to China have grown faster than exports to any other major US trading partner over the past decade, the report said. A United Airlines jet takes off from Washington National Airport in Washington, US, August 9, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] CHICAGO - The US Department of Transportation (DOT) will deal no punishment to the United Airlines (UA) over its passenger-dragging scandal that happened at Chicago O' Hare International Airport in April this year. DOT has made this clear in a letter sent to the airline in May this year. And the letter remained unknown until non-profit organization Flyers Rights obtained it under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and released it Wednesday, President of Flyers Rights Paul Hudson told Xinhua Thursday. DOT Assistant General Counsel Blane Workie wrote in the letter "there was no evidence that United discriminated against any of the passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding on Flight 3411 based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry." "We generally pursue enforcement action when a carrier exhibits a pattern or practice of noncompliance with the Department's consumer protection regulations and Federal anti-discrimination statutes that we enforce," Workie wrote. In his email to Xinhua, Hudson said "it should be clear that removing Dao from Flight 3411 in such a brutal manner and without legal notice was egregious in every sense of the word." DOT's conclusion that UA's conduct did not warrant an enforcement action is a dereliction of duty, Hudson said. Dr. David Dao was forcibly dragged from an overbooked UA flight on April 9, a scene that has been captured by fellow passengers in their cell phones and circulated online and went viral, triggering nationwide condemnation. It took 107 days for DOT to respond to Flyers Rights' FOIA Request, according to a newsletter from Flyers Rights. UA has reportedly reached a settlement with Dao. Donald Trump Jr walks out of bathroom during a break as he attends a closed interview with staff members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the committee's ongoing probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., US September 7, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - Donald Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday that he agreed to meet with Russians during his father's 2016 presidential campaign because he wanted to assess Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's "fitness" and "qualifications" for the White House. In a 10-minute opening statement, the US president's eldest son insisted that though he accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised damaging information on Clinton, he always intended to speak to his lawyers before using any of such materials. The interview, which took place behind closed doors and was not under oath, lasted just more than five hours as one of the most sensitive and sought-after interviews yet in the congressional probes into the alleged Russia's election meddling in the US 2016 elections. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character, or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Donald Trump Jr. said in a statement provided to the Senate panel. "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration." according to the statement obtained by The New York Times. Donald Trump Jr. said in his initial statement after the newspaper broke the news of the meeting that he and a Russian lawyer primarily "discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children." "There are a lot of areas that have been opened for future witnesses and questioning," said Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, "There will be a lot of areas to be pursued." The White House staunchly defended the June 2016 meeting as appropriate after Trump Jr. released in July the full email chain leading up to the meeting on Twitter upon learning that The Times was going to publish them. The emails showed that Trump Jr. agreed to meet with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, at the Trump Tower in New York to discuss compromising information she said she had on Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya was at the time lobbying for the removal of US sanctions on Russia which had prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to ban all American adoptions of Russian children in retaliation. Though the interview was not under oath, lying to the US Congress is still a crime, according to a TheHill news daily report. Thursday's interview was conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee staffers. Lawmakers were allowed to observe, but not ask questions. Trump Jr. is one of the first members of Trump's inner sanctum to come before congressional investigators and the only immediate member of his family to do so. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, has interviewed previously before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The sale of a private street in one of San Francisco's richest neighborhoods to a Chinese- American couple will get a public hearing. The city's Board of Supervisors decided at a meeting on Tuesday that it would hold the hearing on Nov 28 to consider whether to rescind the sale of Presidio Terrace. Michael Cheng and Tina Lam, both San Jose-based real estate investors, bought the block-long street lined by 35 multimillion-dollar mansions, the sidewalks and other common ground, for a little more than $90,000. It was put up for sale in an online auction two years ago by the city's tax office due to the previous owner's failure to pay $14 tax for three decades. The city was seeking to recover $994 in unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. The homeowners association that oversees the private street - one of 181 private roads in San Francisco - wasn't aware of the sale until a title company hired by the Chengs contacted them in May. The association has since filed a lawsuit challenging the sale and is asking the supervisors to rescind it. Supervisor Mark Farrell, who represents the district that includes Presidio Terrace, said at Tuesday's meeting that the board should "get to the bottom of what happened," including whether property owners were properly notified. Cheng, who was at the meeting, said the couple would back the city's sale of the street to them as they were on the same side of the lawsuit and that a hearing was a waste of the city government's time and money. The Presidio homeowners association said the tax bills were sent to an incorrect address and that the city had an obligation to post a notice in Presidio Terrace notifying the residents of the pending auction back in 2015. Cheng said everything the city did was correct. "The association made a mistake for over 30 years and the city rectified it. We happened to be the one who bought it," he said. "We see ourselves as new neighbors to the association; our stance has been 'Let's work it out as neighbors'," said Cheng. "But they never approached us." The homeowners association, which had managed the street and other common areas since 1905, seems to doubt the Chengs when they said they have no intention of selling the street. "Among all the things I've ever heard of bought as San Francisco keepsakes, a $90,000 real estate parcel is the most unusual," Matt Dorsey, spokesman for the Presidio homeowners association, told China Daily. "The homeowners' interest in buying the property back was implicit in the inquiries made by the new owners' representatives. In fact, one of their representatives' emails made explicit reference to 'what their position might be about getting the property back'", said Dorsey. The association's attorney, Scott Emblidge, called the couple "savvy real estate professionals" who waited for more than two years to approach the homeowners' group, "presumably so the property sale would be more difficult to rescind." "We are not savvy. We are learning. We now learn more, but that's after two years of very long digging, trying to figure this out," Cheng said. liazhu@chinadailyusa.com By Hong Xiao in New York | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-09-08 12:00 A model presents a creation from the Tadashi Shoji Spring/Summer 2018 collection at New York Fashion Week in Manhattan, New York on Thursday. JUDY ZHU / CHINA DAILY Largest contingent ever of established and emerging talent takes over runway New York City is putting on the Ritz. Thousands of designers, models and celebrities will gather in the Big Apple for the semi-annual New York Fashion Week (NYFW) from Thursday through Sept 13. Sixteen Chinese designers - the most to date - are prepping to showcase their collections on the catwalks of the premier fashion event in the world. "More and more Chinese designers coming to overseas fashion weeks reflect the rise of China's fashion market and its synchronization with the overseas fashion market," said Todd Hessert, founder of fashion media company Globe Fashion Runway. "It's a good phenomenon," he added. "Design in China has gradually globalized and been recognized by overseas media and buyers." Based in New York, Hessert and his teams in London, Milan and Paris help global designers market their brands. Hessert said that over the past two years, be it in Paris or New York, Chinese designers have been more accepted by organizers. "The door is open for Chinese designers to be more active in the world fashion market," he said, citing Wang Tao, Lan Yu, Zhang Chi, Yang Lu, Snow Xue Gao, Calvin Luo and Vivienne Hu as examples. Taoray Wang, whose designs are a favorite of US first daughter Tiffany Trump, is returning to New York Fashion Week for the eighth time. Once the chief designer of Chinese domestic brand Broadcast:Bo, Wang Tao launched her namesake Taoray Wang line three years ago. Since then, her brand, which targets the modern professional woman, has been prominently featured in New York seven times. Her latest collection, "Shanghai Baroque", will be debuted at NYFW on Saturday. The line was inspired by a program of music by Baroque composers Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel presented at the Shanghai International Music Festival. Wang Tao said she embraced a blurring of time and culture, balancing the ornate detail of the baroque with her signature sophisticated tailoring. On Sept 12, Taoray Wang will also present its new taoray taoray line, a brand designed to cross boundaries of age, gender, nationality and occupation. As a third-time shower at NYFW, Lanyu will unveil her new ready-to-wear collection. The namesake brand established by Chinese designer Lan Yu has been best known for its wedding dresses and evening gowns. The brand has earned widespread recognition not only in China but worldwide thanks to many celebrities wearing its dresses. Nicole Zhao, CEO of Lanyu Couture in New York, said in an interview that the newly added ready-to-wear production line was a strategic move in the company's plans for global expansion. Aside from the big names, China's younger generation of designers is testing the waters in New York City. Emerging brand Lu Yang, established by 31-year-old Yang Lu, will debut its new collection "Fall in Love", which features bright colors and geometric figures derived from the flamingo, a metaphor for faithfulness in love. "These designers have successfully established a world position of 'design in China'," said Hessert. "In the future, I believe more and more Chinese brands will go to the Big Four Fashion Weeks. It's a process of accumulation; it's also a necessary course for Chinese designers to reach out to the world," he said. Hessert's advice for Chinese designers who want to develop an international legacy brand: have a comprehensive outlook that balances design, media exposure and sales marketing. xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com Zhang Qiyue (center), Chinese consul general in New York, and Wu Haitao (center left), deputy permanent representative of China to the UN, attend the opening ceremony of Nanjing Week at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday. ZHANG RUINAN / CHINA DAILY. Nanjing Week kicked off at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Thursday, giving New Yorkers a taste of Nanjing's people, culture, history, art and food a glimpse of the city from a variety of angles. Viewers learn of the city's features through the picture exhibition "Splendid Nanjing" on the first floor of the UN, which presents both the ancient and the modern views of the city through six sections, including Cultural Qinhuai, Great Beauty of Qixia and Artistic Nanjing. "It's very important to improve US and China relations at the sub-national level especially through cultural exchange," said Zhang Qiyue, Chinese consul general in New York, who attended the event. "Many of the events during Nanjing Week are very down to the earth, so ordinary American people can better understand Nanjing and China." At the Nanjing Promotion Conference, a series of famous Nanjing tourist attractions was vividly presented through a video, giving guests a fresh image of the urban area of Nanjing, as well as Qinhuaihe and Jiangbei, new areas being promoted by the Nanjing Municipal Tourism Commission. "The mission of Nanjing Week is to promote the image of Nanjing and the city's culture," said Pan Guping, chief of the publicity department of Nanjing Municipal Party Committee and the executive director of Nanjing Week. "As 'the Capital of Six Dynasties and Ten Dynasties', Nanjing has a very rich cultural heritage." "We hope to showcase Nanjing to people in New York under the image of 'Global, Cultural, Fashionable' by telling the stories of the lives of the people of Nanjing," said Pan. "These stories are also related to Nanjing's contemporary culture, like model Chen Bige's story and ordinary people's lives as well." The event also brought an authentic taste of the city 12 Nanjing traditional dishes including May-ling Congee to the UN. "Our slogan is to carry on the traditional taste of our hometown food," said Xu Weiwei, the director of marketing of Nanjing Impression, which provided the dishes. "We are representing Nanjing to present traditional Chinese dishes to the United Nations and the US." Besides Nanjing's history and food, the guests also experienced Nanjing's traditional art, culture and urban scenery by watching "The Magical Journey of Yong Dong: Multi-media Performance of Intangible", a stage drama that integrates intangible cultural heritage with Chinese characteristics like Kun Opera with multi-media technologies. Nanjing Week has already been launched at the Milan Expo in 2015 and the London Design Festival in 2016. The New York Nanjing Week will last through Sept 13, and be followed by a series of events such as Nanjing Face: One City Ten Faces Images Show at the New York Grand Central Station, the "Golden Phoenix Tree" cultural creativity summit forum and the Sino-US "Ancient Book Repair" international workshop. I have to preface this post by first saying that I am not a fan of the [former] Olori of Ife. And this is all because of that time she came to America to talk nonsense about gender equality. Yes, Im still mad about that. According to her, gender equality is the number one cause of divorce in Nigeria. Honestly, now that her marriage is over, the Petty Betty in me wants to ask her if gender equality was the reason her marriage ended. But I wont ask mostly because I cannot even reach her. But Olori, if you are ever in Maryland again, lets talk! *WINK* All that being said, her marriage to the Ooni of Ife has unfortunately ended. But as usual, some Nigerians have automatically dashed the blame to her you know, with her being a woman and all. Or to put it in Nigerian lingo, some Nigerians are already fingering the Olori of Ife. Some might argue that I mean this literally. Anyway, the fingerers accusers say that the marriage ended because she was previously married three times. I dont know how true it is, but the story out there in the virtual streets is that she was first married to the former Governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki. And when that marriage crashed, she got married to former Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Abdul Ningi. And when that ended, she got married to a Dubai billionaire, named Eli Khoury and changed her name to Sonia. Allegedly, as of 2015, she was still married to him, and in 2016, she got married to the Ooni of Ife. Now, if this is all true, the only thing it proves is that the Olori of Ife likes powerful, wealthy men, and clearly, they like her back. If you have a failed marriage or relationship, it is only wise to look within yourself to see how you contributed to the demise of the relationship, so that next time, it will not happen again. If you have had two or three or four marriages end, then you really need to look at yourself to figure out what you are doing wrong. However, the problem with this particular relationship is that some people have jumped to a conclusion and assumed that she is at fault because she has been married more than once. These people are not considering the fact that the Ooni himself was previously married (or maybe even still legally married) before he married her. Instead of pointing fingers at the Olori of Ife because she has a vagina between her legs and is not allowed to do what men have been doing and are still doing, here are 10 reasons why you shouldnt blame her (in the form of questions): 1. According to what we were told, the Ooni of Ife married the Olori of Ife because the ifa gods chose her for him. Were the gods not aware that she was previously married? And if it did not matter then, why does it matter now? 2. Did the ifa gods really, really pick this woman? Or did someone pick her? 3. Why is the Oonis previous marriage inconsequential here? 4. Did the Olori of Ife walk out of the marriage? Or was she sent out? 5. Why did the Oonis first marriage allegedly end? 6. Would it matter if it was the Ooni who had been previously married to three powerful, wealthy women? 7. Why is the Ooni silent? 8. Will the ifa gods pick another wife for him? If so, did they make a mistake in picking this woman for the Ooni? 9. What is next for the Ooni of Ife and the Olori of Ife? Or should I say who is next for them? And by the way, this woman is beautiful. No wonder everyone wants to wife her. 10. And most importantly for me, is she ready to change her mouth about her stand on gender equality being the number one cause of divorce in Nigeria? Because I know for damn sure that that is not what she was fighting for when her marriage ended. Speaking of fights, I see that she has social causes where shes traveling around and fighting against cancer and domestic violence and what not, so I suppose that she will not have to be beside herself with nothing to do, now that her marriage to the Ooni is over. The Incredible Lesson I Have Learned From This Fiasco: I have seen many, many posts on social media about the Oloris multiple experiences in the institution of marriage. Many Nigerians have bashed and insulted her, but I have to admit that many Nigerians have also defended and supported her. The support has been unlike that time Chimamanda dared to be a pregnant feminist because apparently, those two things are mutually exclusive. The lesson here, therefore, is that Nigerians would rather you be a community wife than be a feminist married to one man AND pregnant for that one man. Okay. Got it. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. The Government has a major role in incubating enterprises, participants at a seminar in HCM City were told on Thursday. Photo sggp.org.vn HCM CITY The Government has a major role in incubating enterprises, participants at a seminar in HCM City were told on Thursday. It is imperative that the Government take part in the initial stage of incubation, organising and calling for donations, Dr Nguyen Hai Anh, director of the municipal High-tech Agriculture Enterprise Incubation Centre, seminar organiser, said. The initial funding for these incubations could come from the State budget, but in the long run funds should be raised from localities, enterprises, foreign investors, ODA or FDI. According to Assoc Prof Dr Mai Thanh Phong of the National University-HCM Citys Polytechnic University, there are many different models for incubation with different targets, standards and operations. The public-private partnership model has its advantages. The model is still new in Viet Nam but has become popular all around the world with its proven efficiency. A major task of the Government is to develop infrastructure and the legal framework, provide initial financial support and support venture capital funds. Enterprise incubation is still new in Viet Nam but becoming increasingly common around the nation, and HCM City is considered the biggest hub for incubation with 10 Government incubators and 14 private ones. Phan Quy Truc from the city Department of Science and Technology reported that private incubators have achieved good results with 60 per cent of enterprises becoming operational, higher than the rate for their Government counterparts. She explained that the Governments incubators focus on information technology, agriculture, high technology, bio-technology, which involve high costs for equipment, machinery, materials and require long periods of training while private incubators target e-commerce and telecom, which involve lower costs, and less time and returns are very quick. However, private incubators find it difficult to attract foreign investments due to the legal framework. The Government incubators have not attracted investors due to red tape and their success ratio is very low at around 15 per cent. Experts suggested solutions for boosting start-ups like promoting incubation at universities since they have research capabilities, diversifying the source of funds for incubation and supporting start-up products. VNS HCM CITY The Viet Nam-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in December 2015, has given a big boost to economic ties between the two countries, a Korean diplomat told a seminar in HCM City yesterday. Speaking at a seminar on how to capitalise on the deal, Moon Byung Chul, commercial counsellor at the Republic of Korea consulate general, said bilateral trade was worth US$45.1 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of more than 20 per cent. It grew by 30 per cent in the first seven months of this year to $35.5 billion, he said. Investment by Korean firms in Viet Nam has also gone up significantly, rising to $54 billion as of last June, making it the largest foreign investor in Viet Nam, he added. Yoon Joo Young, director of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in HCM City, said Viet Nam is Koreas third largest trade partner and the largest investment destination in the ASEAN bloc, with about 4,500 Korean firms operating in the country. Park Hyung Min from the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said while his countrys trade with other partners has reduced, it has remained robust with Viet Nam. He believed that the FTA would further boost bilateral investment and trade ties. Unmindful of opportunities But according to delegates, Korean firms have capitalised on the lower tariff duties under the FTA to boost exports to Viet Nam while Vietnamese firms have not. As a result, Viet Nams trade deficit with Korea has widened sharply since the FTA came into effect, delegates said. According to Korea Customs Service, exports to Viet Nam in January-July this year were worth $26.95 billion, up 50 per cent from the same period last year, which is three times the overall export increase rate for Korea of 16.3 per cent. Nguyen Quang Phuc from the Ministry of Industry and Trades Import-Export Department said Korean firms have taken advantage of the FTA while Vietnamese enterprises are passive in getting information about it, even unmindful of it, thus missing out on its much-touted benefits. But when his ministry organises seminars on the FTAs provisions, not many businesses take part or send the right employees, he said. ang Thai Thien, deputy head of supervision and management at HCM City customs, said compared to the South Korea-ASEAN FTA, the Viet Nam-South Korea FTA offers more benefits to Vietnamese firms exporting to Korea, more products enjoy tariff incentives and rules of origin are easier. Both Phuc and Thien urged Vietnamese firms to be more active in getting information about the latter to boost export to Korea. Yoon said Vietnamese firms should contact the Viet Nam-Korea Free Trade Agreement Support Centre, which was established last year, for consultancy and accurate and detailed information on the FTA as well as help to resolve difficulties related to non-tariff barriers and obtaining certificates of origin. VNS Vu Hoa BANGKOK The third edition of SIMA ASEAN Thailand, the most comprehensive international trade exhibition for agribusiness in ASEAN, opened its doors on Thursday in Bangkok. This year, the exhibition focuses on the latest innovations in agricultural machinery, with the aim of improving Thai agro-industry to reach the Agriculture 4.0 era. Agriculture 4.0 refers to farming practices that make use of digital technology to increase sustainability and productivity. In addition to machinery displays, the exhibition offers seminars to support the education of farmers. The event is expected to attract 15 per cent more visitors than the previous year and to generate more than one billion baht. The event has drawn more than 300 exhibitors from many countries, including China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey and Viet Nam. SIMAs exhibitors are showcasing a comprehensive range of products and services, such as tractors; spare parts and accessories; embedded electronics; tilling, sowing, planting, harvesting and post-harvest equipment; equipment for tropical and special crops; livestock handling, transportation, storage and breeding equipment; renewable energy; consultancy; management and software. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Suwit Chaikiattiyos, director general of the Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, said, We hope that this event will be a platform to exchange ideas and the latest technology, leading to rapid industrial development, an increase of leverage in negotiations for farmers, and a higher capability of Thai agribusiness in the highly competitive international market. Jean-Hugues, Key Account Manager at SIMA SITEVI, told Viet Nam News that they are working to attract international companies to bring new materials and technologies that could be applied in the Southeast Asian region and Thailand. SIMA can help farmers to develop their production and to increase efficiency of production by proposing new technology that will help them to have more sustainable agriculture, he said. Its important that we introduce materials, machinery and equipment adapted to size of the crop, because the size of the crop in the Southeast Asian region is of course smaller than ones in Western Europe. The Vietnamese delegation this year includes 30 business members of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Viet Nam. Alexander Nguyen, CEO of Alexs Organic Nutrition Food for Animals, believes this event will be a good opportunity to introduce Vietnamese organic food for animals to international customers. He also plans to learn about the latest market trends and current demands of specific markets while seeking new customers. We want to advertise Vietnamese agriculture to the world, declaring that the country has specific strengths and diversified products, he said. Bui Phong Luu, director of Bui Van Ngo Industrial and Agricultural Machinery Company Ltd, which has exported their agricultural machinery products to 22 countries, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Australia, Malaysia, and countries in Africa and South America, also told Viet Nam News that they have previously exported their products to Thailand until 1997. However, the exports were halted in 2007. We want to seek new customers and connect to the Thai market again as well as buying new technology for our expansion, he said. The expo, which continues until September 9th, is expected to attract 20,000 trade visitors and create business opportunities for all participants. Experts will be present to share their knowledge on the capabilities of the machinery. There will also be a drone pavilion and workshops that are geared toward Agriculture 4.0. The Thai Society of Agricultural Engineering Conference will also be held during the show. The event will also host several seminars, where experts in agriculture will be presenting over 20 topics that can develop the Thai agriculture industry and drive Thailands economic growth. VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue told the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on Wednesday to hasten the handling of 12 inefficient projects under its management. Nine months after the overhaul of the projects began, some have moved from losses to profits, some have generated investor interest, but some are struggling, according to the ministrys report. The ministry reported that Viet Trung Steel Plant and DAP No 1 Hai Phong were now operating profitably, while ethanol projects in Quang Ngai and Phu Tho provinces had attracted the interest of investors in possible cooperation or acquisition. In addition, handling legal issues with contractors at some steel and fertiliser projects also improved. According to the ministrys report, four fertiliser plants under Viet Nam National Chemical Group returned to stable operation, running from 19 to 24 days a month. The ministry aims to enhance corporate management, cut costs, expand the consumption market, improve quality and diversify products to revive these plants. However, except for DAP No 1 Hai Phong, the other three remain inefficient due to higher-than-expected input costs. The ministry said it issued temporary safeguard measures on several fertiliser products and continued updating market information to support fertiliser plants. Regarding five suspended projects under the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN), including three ethanol projects in Quang Ngai, Phu Tho and Binh Phuoc provinces, inh Vu Polyester Plant and Dung Quat Shipyard, the ministry asked PVN to report on plans to resume the operation of these projects, as well as prospects for acquisition deals. The ministry reported that two investors were interested in operating the ethanol project in Quang Ngai and one seeking to buy the project in Phu Tho. No more Govt funds Viet Trung steel plant reported profits from March at an estimated VN67 billion (US$2.94 million) for the first half of this year and expected to pay VN290 billion in taxes to the State budget. MCC, contractor of the phase 2 of Thai Nguyen Steel and Iron Plants expansion project, resumed negotiations with the projects investor on handling legal problems after the State withdrew its VN1 trillion capital contribution. The ministry said it would continue working on divesting out of Phuong Nam Pulp Factory. At the working session on Wednesday, Hue asked the ministry to hasten efforts to remove legal hindrances in these projects within this year and tackle weaknesses by the end of 2018 in line with the Politburos requests. The Politburo has asked the issue of the 12 loss-making projects be resolved by 2020. Hue reaffirmed that the State would not pump additional funds into these projects, asking them to enhance savings and reduce operation costs. He also asked the debt restructuring of these projects to be sped up. The ministrys statistics showed that these 12 projects incurred total losses of over VN16 trillion as of the end of 2016 on investments of VN63.6 trillion, with loans accounting for roughly 75 per cent. VNS HA NOI According to the World Bank (WB), Viet Nam has integrated into the global value chain and improved national economic progress and productivity through creative policy making for the transportation, service, border control and regional co-operation sectors. Speaking at a workshop on Thursday on Viet Nams value chain integration, enhancing enterprise competitiveness and small- and medium-sized enterprises linkages, Ousmane Dione, Country Director for the WB in Viet Nam, praised the countrys efforts in generating more added value, as well as connecting domestic producers and foreign investors, creating a stable business environment and helping the country move up the international economic ladder. Agreeing with Dione, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade o Thang Hai expressed his support for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Viet Nam, which he considered a drive for export growth and job creation. Hai affirmed that the country would continue to facilitate FDI through preferential policies and encouraging domestic supporting industries to help Vietnamese producers get involved in the global production chain. Charles Kunaka, the WBs Senior Trade Specialist, said at the workshop that with a 180 per cent ratio of exports over gross domestic product, Viet Nam is one of the most active exporters in the world and one of the most open in terms of trade potential. Kunaka also said that as the country moves up on the global value chain, it has increased total export turnover, and made a name for itself as a manufacturer in Asia, with four industrial sectors joining in the worlds production chain, including automobiles, electronics, agriculture and textile. Citing the WBs two reports on Viet Nams productivity and competitive factors enhancement, Dione hoped that through climbing in the worlds value chain, the country could attract even more FDI and with more profitable projects, which will create more jobs for domestic workers and opportunities for producers. The two reports also advised the Vietnamese Government that to quickly integrate itself into the international value chain, Viet Nam must implement comprehensive solutions, such as infrastructure improvement through mobilising private capital, and apply a more consolidated approach in developing communication systems, market competition and customs clearance procedures. According to Asya Akhlaque, WBs Task Team Leader, in Viet Nam at the moment, several manufacturers of automobile parts have integrated into the global value chain, though they still focus on final assembly instead of production phases requiring high skilled workers or engineers. Akhlaque said these Vietnamese firms still had much to do before they could fully connect with foreign investors. He also considered a lack of financial access as main thing holding Vietnamese firms back, as 21.8 per cent of Vietnamese manufacturers reported having financial troubles with little help from commercial banks, as opposed to just 11.5 per cent of firms having the same issue in more developed countries in the region. The WBs reports also pointed out that just roughly 300 Vietnamese firms are fully eligible to join the worlds production chain, though still only in lower tiers. Advising on this matter, Kunaka said that in the future, Viet Nam must be careful not to stay stuck in the low added value trap by not using creative production methods. At present, large multinational companies such as Samsung, Toyota or Ford are placing manufacturing plants in Viet Nam, but this might leave little room for growth for domestic firms. Should these foreign companies decide to move their production away from Viet Nam, the country might find itself without demand and at a loss. As such, Kunaka hoped that the Vietnamese Government would focus on specialised industrialisation across various economic sectors, and take advantage of the new global growth wave to nourish domestic businesses and create a national brand name. The WB also asked that Viet Nam channel its potential into improving administrative policies for a more transparent business environment, utilising the private sector in terms of capital flow, making use of technological transfer and ensuring a stable economy to attract more sustainable foreign investment. The workshop was held in Ha Noi, organised by the WB and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. VNS TOKYO Enterprises from the southern province of ong Nai and Japan were given a chance to meet and seek co-operation opportunities at a conference in Tokyo on September 7. The event was jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and ong Nai province Peoples Committee with the aim of promoting export-import activities between the two countries. Speaking before representatives from 20 Vietnamese firms and over 50 Japanese enterprises, Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Tran Van Vinh highlighted the provinces advantages in terms of natural, economic and social conditions. He stressed that ong Nai, with stable and high economic growth at an average 13 per cent per year, is one of the leading industrial localities in Viet Nam. According to Vinh, the province accounted for 9-10 per cent of the nations export revenues with key staples like garments, footwear, coffee, rubber, cashew and pepper. Japan is the second largest trade partner of ong Nai, importing US$1.58 billion worth of products from the province in 2016 while the province splashed out $1.3 billion buying Japanese goods the same year. The official stressed that there is large room for ong Nai to enhance trade relations with Japanese businesses, and the province commits to creating favourable conditions for enterprises for mutual benefits. Minister Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen Truong Son affirmed that Viet Nam and Japan are enjoying sound relations, facilitating bilateral trade relations. Meanwhile, ong Nai is in the development triangle of HCM City-Binh Duong-ong Nai, which is Viet Nams most dynamic economic region. Thanks to efforts to renovate administrative procedures and good business climate, ong Nai has been a bright spot in foreign investment attraction. Many Japanese enterprises have made success doing business in ong Nai, he added. Ta uc Minh, Trade counseller of Viet Nam in Japan, said that bilateral trade relations have been promoted in the past years and Japan has become Viet Nams fourth largest trade partner. The conference will strengthen trade between the two countries in general and ong Nai and Japan in particular. VNS HA NOI The Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) and its coal supplier Viet Nam National Coal - Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin) have finally reached an agreement on coal selling prices for power production. The agreed price, which has not yet been disclosed, has come into effect from September 1, according to the Ministry of Finance. Earlier, the relationship between EVN, the countrys largest power generator, and Vinacomin, a long-time coal supplier of EVN, became tense when EVN revealed its plan to reduce coal purchased from Vinacomin, the countrys largest coal miner, explaining that the group wanted to buy products at reasonable prices which fitted its power generation technology. EVN was then seeking the Governments permission to move forward with the plan, according to which it looked to reduce its coal purchase to 17.92 million metric tonnes, a two-million-tonne drop from its previous plan. Vinacomin immediately expressed its opposition to EVNs proposal, claiming it would make Vinacomins coal production costs increase and reduce effectiveness. Besides this, the corporation would have to lay off 4,000 workers to make up for the financial losses if EVN went through with its plan to cut coal purchase. Vinacomin requested intervention by the Government and relevant ministries to convince EVN to avoid purchasing coal from other units this year to avoid losses for Vinacomin. In addition, claiming unfairness in taxes and fees, Vinacomin said the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) should have policies to encourage use of locally produced coal and limit imported coal. Under no circumstance should EVN stop buying coal from Vinacomin to purchase coal from foreign suppliers, a representative of EVN said. It was the high coal prices that had forced EVN to cut coal bought from Vinacomin. High coal prices would make electricity production cost increase and force the power sector to bear huge losses, he added. Therefore, instead of buying from Vinacomin, EVN would consider buying coal from other domestic companies at more reasonable prices, he added. At a recent meeting, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung requested that the MoIT and related agencies urgently implement solutions to consume Vinacomins coal inventory. Dung said Vinacomin should also take measures to lower cost and increase competitiveness. For example, imported coal dust was priced at just VN1.4 million to 1.6 million (US$61-70) per tonne, while the price of coal produced by Vinacomin was VN500,000 higher per tonne, he said. VNS HCM CITY Every commune or ward in HCM City will be allocated VN500 million (US$22,000) this year towards addressing a funding shortage for sorting waste before it is treated. The municipal Department of Finance has said the allocation will be increased to VN1 billion at the beginning of next year. If costs rise further during the 2017-18 pre-treatment trash classification programme, the department will recalculate and submit a new allocation plan to the city Peoples Committee. Environmentalists have welcomed the allocation as a step in the right direction. They have, however, cautioned that the pilot trash classification programme implemented in several districts has to be analysed and lessons learnt so that the citys budget is used effectively. Tran Thi Hong Cuc, chairwoman of Tan Thanh Ward Peoples Committee in Tan Phu District, said that the ward had conducted a survey first to gauge local residents willingness to sort their trash. Later, the local administration worked with relevant agencies to communicate and encourage residents to sort their trash, Cuc said. Trash classification has been carried out since 2013, in the ward, she said, adding that trash collector in the district, including her ward was HCM City Urban Environment Co Ltd, which has the necessary equipment to transport classified trash to treatment plants in the city. Moreover, classification should be carried out regularly, Cuc said. Khuat Trieu Long, head of the District 3 Natural Resources and Environment Division under the district Peoples Committee, said that private trash collectors were not collecting garbage as scheduled. Their vehicles were also not equipped for transporting classified trash, Long said. He suggested that the city authorities issue policies to help trash collectors form or become members of co-operatives. They should be strictly fined if they do not properly sort and transport trash, he added. Nguyen Thi Thanh My, deputy head of the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the department is carrying out many methods in different districts, based on actual conditions. Since July 1, all districts in the city have been asked to open bids for trash collection and transportation, My said. Collectors winning the bid have to classify trash before transporting it to treatment facilities, and this process will be carried out throughout the city by 2020, she said. Moreover, the department suggests that the city Peoples Committee punish residents which do not classify garbage, she said, adding that the fines will be VN15 million to VN20 million. According to the department, the sorting of garbage aims to reduce landfills to 60 per cent and increasing the amount of recycled solid waste to 40 per cent by 2020. It estimates that the city produces around 8,000 tonnes of trash every day, an increase of more than 1,000 tonnes per day over 2016, it reported. More than 80 per cent of this trash is sent to landfills, and this is a huge obstacle in the citys efforts to reduce environmental pollution. VNS A LAT The central highland city of a Lat in Lam ong Province will be Viet Nams representative to receive the fourth ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City at the fifteenth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment. Also, the city of Can Tho will be awarded the potential ESC certificate. The meeting will take place in Brunei Darussalam on September 12. It will be followed by 16 ASEAN Plus Three Environment Ministers Meeting (EMM), the ASEAN ESC Award Presentation Ceremony and the fifth ASEAN State of Environment Report Announcement (SOER5). Head of the Vietnamese delegation to the AMME is Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan. On Thursday, he had a meeting with related agencies to prepare for the AMME and other events. Viet Nams message to the conference focuses on cross-border environmental pollution and marine environmental pollution. VNS HCMCITY Dozens of old and rare books featuring Vietnamese history and culture in the 20th century are on display at the HCM City Book Street on Nguyen Van Binh Street in District 1. The books selected from collections by authors and collectors in Ha Noi and HCM City. Each book represents a report on the countrys history, culture and lifestyle. Featured books are by authors Nguyen Tuan, Ngo Tat To, Bui Hien and Phan Van Hum, who played a role in Vietnamese literature in the 1920s and 1940s. Readers have enjoyed the first publication of Tuans Vang Bong Mot Thoi (Echo and Shadow Upon a Time), printed on silk paper by the Tan Dan Publishing House in 1940. The book has Tuans signature on the title paper. Other books of Tuan, including Thieu Que Huong (Without Homeland), published in the 1930s are also displayed. Tuan was one of the nine biggest authors of contemporary Vietnamese literature. His writing style is creative and lively. Born in Ha Noi, Tuan began his career in the early 1930s, but only gained public recognition from 1938 with several essays and reports such as Vang Bong Mot Thoi, Mot Chuyen i (A Journey) and Chu Nguoi Tu Tu (Penmanship of A Death Row Prisoner). After the August Revolution in 1945, he joined the Communist Party and later became the chief secretary of Viet Nam Art & Literature Association. He was knowledgeable in painting, sculpture and theatre. His works are masterpieces that highlight the beauty of Vietnamese culture and language. He was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Award for Art and Literature presented by the Government. Ha Noi has a street named after him. One of the highlighted books is Leu Chong (Heading for Royal Exam), a publication on do (handmade paper made from the bark of do tree) written by Confucianist, writer and reporter To. The work features the lives of Vietnamese farmers under the feudal system and French colonialism in late 1930s. It was printed by Mai Linh Publishing House in 1952. The exhibition will include a forum on publications, hosted by cultural researcher and literature critic Vuong Tri Nhan on the closing day on September 10. A book auction to raise funds for charity will also be included. VNS LOS ANGELES Canadian actor Donald Sutherland is to receive an honorary Oscar to recognise a glittering career that has seen him become one of Hollywoods most recognisable faces. The 82-year-old two-time Golden Globe winner got his big break in The Dirty Dozen (1967) and has more than 140 film credits spanning six decades. Writer-director Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman and filmmaker Agnes Varda will also be awarded Oscar statuettes at the Academys 9th Annual Governors Awards in November. "This years Governors Awards reflect the breadth of international, independent and mainstream filmmaking, and are tributes to four great artists whose work embodies the diversity of our shared humanity," said Academy President John Bailey. Sutherland has had starring roles in numerous iconic movies, including M*A*S*H, Dont Look Now, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Italian Job, Pride and Prejudice and The Hunger Games series. Married three times, he is the father of five children, including actor Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys, 24). Raised in Los Angeles, Burnett is an independent filmmaker whose work has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience. Roizman earned five Oscar nominations for his work on The French Connection (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Network (1976), Tootsie (1982) and Wyatt Earp (1994). Belgian-born Varda, sometimes described as the "mother of the French New Wave," wrote and directed her debut feature, La Pointe Courte (1956), with no formal training and has had career spanning more than 60 years. Previous winners of honorary Oscars include Jackie Chan, Lauren Bacall, Francis Ford Coppola, Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie and Spike Lee. The Governors Awards were created as a separate event in 2009 to allow more space for the honorees to accept their statuettes and to declutter the main shows packed schedule. AFP HA NOI Viet Nam will present the classic film, Bao Gio Cho en Thang Muoi (When October Comes) at ASEAN Film Festival 2017, which kicks off in Cambodia on September 8. Jointly held by Cambodias information ministry and the embassies of the 10 ASEAN nations, the event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the forming of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Each embassy will select a film from its country to be screened on the National Television of Kampuchea (TVK) and Royal Armed Forces Television Channel 5 (TV5) at 10pm every day for the duration of the festival. Other films that will be aired include Pee Mak (Thailand), Ada Apa Dengan Rina (Brunei), Lousiss Loves Bai Tong (Laos), By Coincidence (Myanmar) and Price of Love (Cambodia). Director ang Nhat Minhs When October Comes, released in 1984, is a haunting portrayal of one womans struggle with loss and personal sacrifice during the war. Many local and international critics consider it to be the greatest Vietnamese movie ever made. The film won a Special Jury Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1985 as well as a Golden Lotus at the Vietnam National Film Festival in the same year. It was selected by CNN as one of the 18 all-time best Asian films. The ASEAN Film Festival will run untill September 15. VNS National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Ha Noi on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Trong uc HA NOI Viet Nam treasures and wishes to promote friendship co-operation with Egypt, especially in politics-diplomacy, culture, sports, tourism, and education-training, said National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. At a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Ha Noi on Thursday, the top legislator noted that bilateral ties are thriving. Vietnamese people remember the support of Egyptian people during the struggle for national liberation, the NA Chairwoman said, recalling how Gamal Eldin Omar, Counsellor and Charge daffaires of the Egyptian Embassy, stood alongside Vietnamese people during the fiercest time of the war in 1967. For his part, President el-Sisi briefed the host on outcomes of his talks with President Tran ai Quang, during which the two sides agreed on measures to enhance bilateral collaboration and signed co-operation documents. As the first Egyptian President to visit Viet Nam, el-Sisi said his visit demonstrates Egypts determination to deepen friendship with Viet Nam, expressing his belief that the visit will contribute to boosting bilateral ties. On female parliamentarians, President el-Sisi said there are approximately 90 women among 600 members of the Egyptian parliament. Egyptian women have played an important role in protecting traditional culture and maintaining peace, stability and development, he said, noting that Egyptian women have created momentum for social progress. Host and guest agreed that parliament is a significant channel to advance bilateral ties, and agreed to help the two legislative bodies step up co-operation in order to exchange law making experience, increase their supervisory role and accelerate the implementation of agreements reached by the two countries. Ngan told her guest that Viet Nams National Assembly established the Viet Nam-Egypt Friendship Parliamentarians Group and suggested Egypt soon form a similar group to connect the two legislative bodies. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he will instruct Vietnamese agencies to work with their Egyptian counterparts to hasten the implementation of commitments reached by the two countries leaders, aiming to increase bilateral trade to US$1 billion. He told visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Ha Noi on Thursday that Viet Nam treasures friendship and co-operation with Egypt. The PM called on the two sides to step up co-operation, saying they should increase the exchange of goods of their strength such as tea, seafood, rice, cashew nuts, coffee, pepper, garments-textiles and rubber of Viet Nam, and petrochemical products, chemicals, cotton and processed food from Egypt. He suggested Egypt soon approve the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed by the two countries in 2006 and create conditions for the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to operate and invest in Egypt. Viet Nam wishes to boost collaboration with Egypt in national defence, agriculture, culture, tourism, transport and education-training, the Government leader said. Expressing his thanks to the Egyptian government for granting Arabic language scholarships to Vietnamese students, Phuc said these students had contributed to bilateral ties. He urged the two countries diplomatic agencies to work together in organising activities to celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The host suggested assigning agencies of Viet Nam and Egypt to research President Ho Chi Minhs activities in Egypt, considering it an invaluable asset that helps tighten the bilateral relationship. He thanked the Egyptian government and people for their support to Viet Nam in evacuating Vietnamese workers from Libya in 2011 and 2014. In reply, President el-Sisi said his visit aimed to affirm that Egypt places importance on ties with Viet Nam. He also used the occasion to invite PM Phuc to visit Egypt. The President informed his host about outcomes of his talks with President Tran ai Quang, during which the two sides agreed on co-operation plans and signed agreements. Egypt hopes to co-operate with Viet Nam and learn from the countrys experience in socio-economic development, he said. Egypt respected Viet Nams experience, particularly in developing industrial parks, fishery and seafood processing, the President said, noting his wish that the two countries would join hands in these realms. President el-Sisi said Egypt had about a 4,000 km Red Sea coastline and a market of 91 million people, which, he considered a great opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country. Egypt can also serve as a gateway for Viet Nam to enter the African and Middle East markets, he said, adding that Egypts engagement in free trade agreements with Africa, Gulf States and Europe would make it easier for Vietnamese goods to access these markets. He stressed that Egypt wishes to balance trade with Viet Nam and that Vietnamese enterprises should invest in his countrys industrial parks. In education, Egypt stands ready to provide scholarships for Vietnamese students, he said, voicing his hope for enhanced co-operation in tourism. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam attaches great importance to the traditional friendship with South Africa, the only African country with which it has a partnership for cooperation and development, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said on Thursday in Ha Noi during talks with South Africas Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said she was happy to visit Viet Nam on the occasion of the 100th birthday of O.R Tambo, the African National Congress (ANC) late President, who came to Viet Nam in 1978 to learn about the countrys experience in national liberation. The two sides agreed to continue increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high level ones, and to encourage the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges to foster solidarity and mutual understanding. Viet Nam hopes for a visit by South African President Jacob Zuma in 2018, said Minh. Both sides affirmed their determination to reach annual two-way trade value of $2 billion and discussed measures to attain the target. Minh proposed that South Africa consider increasing imports of Viet Nams farm produce, processed food, footwear, garment and wood. He also suggested that the two sides sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in mining, making it easier for the export of coal to Viet Nam to meet the countrys demand, especially for thermal plants. Regarding agriculture, after the success of a project sponsored by South Africa and conducted by Viet Nam for raising the productivity of rice and vegetable growing in Guinea from 2008 to 2014, the two sides are considering additional trilateral cooperation models in other African nations. The Vietnamese FM and Minister Mashabane also discussed measures to promote cooperation in national defence, security, law, education-training and science-technology. In addition, both sides committed to supporting each other at multilateral forums. FM Pham Binh Minh thanked South Africa for backing Viet Nams bid to run for a non-permanent members seat at the United Nations Security Council in 2020-21 and expressed his hope that the country will also support Ambassador Pham Sanh Chaus candidacy for the General Directors position of UNESCO in 2017-20. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concerns, agreeing to foster cooperation between ASEAN and the Southern African Development Community, the two developing regional organisations in Asia and Africa. VNS HA NOI Ha Noi Police have busted a gold smuggling ring and put all six suspects in custody for further investigation. The six suspects, Chu Thanh Long, 27, Le Trung Khanh, 57, Le Thi Ngoc Mai, 45, Nguyen Anh Tuan, 59, Bui Xuan Thanh, 49, and Hoang Van Thang, 45, are all from Ha Noi. At 8pm on August 25, they were found with undeclared golden jewellery hidden on their bodies at Noi Bai International Airport. The jewellery included bracelets, necklaces and earrnings weighing a total 28.5 kilogrammes. At the police station, the suspects alledgedly admitted that they brought the jewellery from Hong Kong to Viet Nam, and planned to store the gold at Mais house. They were paid VN10 million (US$440) per person. The police raided Mais house and seized VN 480 million ($21,120) and $20,000 in cash, about eight kilogrammes of gold jewellery and some documents. VNS QUANG NAM A new elephant protection area was launched by the US and the central province of Quang Nam in mountainous Nong Son District on Thursday. This protected area will conserve 18,977 hectares of critical habitat for one of the last groups of endangered Asian elephants in the province. The area, part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Green Annamites Project, will be invested with approximately US$24 million in Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces in assisting Viet Nams transition to climate-smart and low-emission development through improved forest protection, enhanced biodiversity conservation, and increased resilience of communities in 2016-20. The US Government through USAID is working with Quang Nams leaders to improve livelihoods for locals living in and around the protected area, conduct biodiversity monitoring, and raise conservation awareness among locals. The initiative is part of the larger USAID Green Annamites project that partners with Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue provinces to promote growth while conserving forests and biodiversity. Improving the lives of local communities, conserving biodiversity, and supporting provinces to implement sustainable economic growth programmes are an important part of the US commitment to Viet Nam. We are proud to partner with the Quang Nam provincial leadership to provide a critical habitat for the endangered Asian elephant, while finding ways to improve the incomes of local farmers, said US ambassador Ted Osius at the launch. Viet Nams forests and biodiversity are not just important to the countrys culture, but also to sustain economic growth, increase agricultural production, and reduce risk from natural disasters. The US ambassador, Ted Osius, and representatives of Quang Nam Province and NGOs visit a forest in Nong Son district in Quang Nam. VNS Photo Cong Thanh I am impressed with Viet Nams conservation efforts. The Government of Viet Nam recognises that conservation is just as important to present and future economic growth as investments in infrastructure. Viet Nams forest cover has been significantly increasing for the last two decades, and the country has established a system of 176 protected areas starting with the first national park, Cuc Phuong, established in 1962, Osius said. Vice chairman of provincial Peoples Committee Le Tri Thanh said the province has allocated nearly 19,000ha for an elephant conservation centre in two communes Que Lam and Phuoc Ninh in the mountainous district. Last year, a herd of seven elephants was found in the forest in Nong Son District. Head of provincial sub-department of ranger and forest protection Phan Tuan said the herd could develop as it includes males, females and calves. He said the project would help local community and rangers protect the endangered elephant herd and rich biodiversity in the region. The USAID Green Annamites Project, working in tandem with provincial authorities, will engage small-hold farmers and their families to improve livelihoods and increase investment in climate-smart agriculture while conserving natural biodiversity. VNS PHU YEN Phu Yen Provinces Peoples Committee has asked relevant units to promptly conduct dredging of ong Tac Ports entrance channel to ensure arrival and departure of hundreds of vessels to/from the port during this stormy season. The instruction was issued after fishermen in Tuy Hoa City repeatedly complained about the serious sand clogging of the ports channel and asked the authorised agency to conduct dredging at the port. Dredging would be conducted along 700m of the ports channel at a depth of 3.2m. Total sand clogging on the channel was estimated to be more than 132,000cu.m. Work would be carried out from now until October 20, it said. Currently, nearly 600 vessels use the port. The committee has assigned Tuy Hoa Citys Peoples Committee to be the investor to mobilise funds for the project. Previously, local press reported that a Dien Estuary in Tuy Hoa City is clogged with silt, preventing hundreds of vessels from approaching and leaving the port. Many vessels were reportedly stranded, causing losses of billions of ong. ong Tac Port, which is located inside the estuary, was built in late 2015 with investment capital of more than VN54 billion (US$2.3 million). However, the exploitation of the port remained ineffective due to regular sand clogging at the entrance channel. VNS THANH HOA About 6,000 garment workers of S&H Vina company in Thanh Tam Ward, Thach Thanh District have gone on strike due to what they say inhumane conditions at the company. The work stoppage began on Wednesday after a factory manager told workers not to sleep on sheets used to cover stock during their breaks. Protesting the inhumane requirements, more than 2,000 workers of workshop No 1 stopped working and gathered in the factory yard. After that, nearly 4,000 workers of workshop No 2 and 3 joined the strike, asking for changes in labour policies. Some workers said that the company offered only one-day monthly leave in case of accidents, sickness or death of relative, and three days notice must be given to be counted as a reasonable absence. Death or illness is unpredictable, worker Nguyen Thi Tam told e-newspaper Vnexpress. She cited that one worker who attended a relatives funeral had their salary docked VN300,000 (US$15) for an unseasonable absence. We are asking the company to accept our 14 legitimate requests, she said. The demands include a basic salary increase, no deduction of wages in case of sickness, accidents or other unexpected events and a better maternity policy. Representatives of Thanh Hoa Province Trade Union and Thach Thanh District Peoples Committee have gone to the company to dialogue with workers. The companys leaders are negotiating with workers but have yet to reach an agreement. S&H Vina sacked the manager who offended the workers, according to Pham Trong Dung, deputy secretary of Thach Thanh Districts Party Committee. We require them to ensure the legal rights of their employees so that workers will stay with the company, he said. VNS HA NOI Health experts have proposed piloting the release of bacteria-bearing mosquitoes in the mainland of central Khanh Hoa Provinces Nha Trang City till the end of this year to combat dengue fever, with the disease causing 26 deaths nationwide this year. The proposal was made after the Ministry of Health announced the initial success of a plan to release thousands of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria on the provinces Tri Nguyen Island. Leaders of the ministry, reseachers of institutions had worked with Professor Scott ONeil, director of the Institute of Vector-born Disease of Australias Monash University to discuss the expansion of the experimental plan to areas in the south in the upcoming years. Dengue fever epidemics have broken out in four regions of the country this year with 108,000 infected cases, an increase of 43.5 per cent compared to the same period of last year. A group of scientists of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology worked with Australian scientists to breed Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that can reduce the spread of dengue fever. Previously, Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes had been released on Tri Nguyen Island in April, 2013 and November, 2014. Data showed that the number of dengue fever cases in Nha Trang City has remained high in the past several years, yet no outbreaks were reported on the island. Wolbachia is a natural bacterium present in up to 60 per cent of insect species, including some mosquitoes. However, it is not usually found in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species mainly responsible for transmitting viruses like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. For many years, scientists have been studying Wolbachia. Research has shown that when introduced into the Aedes aegypti mosquito, Wolbachia can stop these viruses from growing inside the mosquito. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes have been released in Australia, Brazil and Colombia. VNS By Le Huong Those visiting the central province of Phu Yen never forget Ghenh a Dia (a Dia Reef), a masterpiece of nature that has become a symbol of the province. They also honour a man who helped to develop the romanised Vietnamese script, distancing it from centuries of introduced Chinese characters. The volcanic lava reef consists of hexagonal columns of basalt that attract up to 6,000 visitors a day. The stone formation was formed during the eruption of volcanoes in Van Hoa (Son Hoa) highlands 30km from the site. The eruptions took place about 200 million years ago. The red hot lava ran into the sea and was turned into huge crystals. The site measures 50 metres by 2,000 metres. Standing on black stone columns and letting the waves wash my feet was one of the most relaxing moments I experienced on a recent vacation to the site. I felt so small in front of the greatness of nature. Many children jumped back and forth on the tops of columns with screams of joy, while young women lost themselves taking photos at the spectacular scene. The stone site has remained unchanged throughout centuries despite waves lapping the giant stones every single minute. Another site rarely missed by tourists when visiting Ghenh a Dia is Mang Lang Church. I have spent lots of time admiring the architecture of Roman Catholic churches, important relics left by the French throughout Viet Nam in the 19th century. These include the Stone Cathedral in Sa Pa, St Josephs Cathedral in Ha Noi and the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in HCM City. Mang Lang Church is among the most popular destinations in Phu Yen. It is situated in An Trach Commune, Tuy An District, 30km to the north of Tuy Hoa City. Documents say the church was built in 1892 by a Frenchman called Joseph de la Cassagne, whose Vietnamese name was Co Xuan. He was also the first priest in the locality. An old man, who looks after the church, told me that 100 years ago, there were hardly any residents here. The area was surrounded by wild trees. There were a lot of trees with oval-shaped leaves and purple flowers called Mang Lang. The jungle of Mang Lang has disappeared over the time, but the name of the precious wood has remained in the name of the church. Actually, one can find a table made of this wood inside. Tourists can gaze at gothic domes and Vietnamese features in delicate engraved patterns on the main wooden doors. In the complex are various sculptures of Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen (1624-1644), who is known as the "Proto-martyr of Viet Nam". According to catholic.org website, he was baptised in 1641 and was a dedicated assistant to Jesuit missionaries and was arrested in the purge of Christians launched in 1644. After refusing to abjure the faith, he was put to death in Ke Cham, Quang Nam Province. Andrew was beatified by Pope John Paul II on March 5, 2000. A surprise to tourists is a man-made grotto dug inside a hill next to the cathedral. The grotto hosts a prayer hall and exhibition areas which houses a book titled Phep Giang Tam Ngay (or Cathechisms Divided into Eight Days) written by priest Alexandre de Rhodes (local name: ac Lo), a French Jesuit missionary and lexicographer. Latin and Vietnamese The book is the first one printed in the Romanised Vietnamese language, which led Viet Nam away from centuries of using the Chinese script. It was printed in Latin and Vietnamese in 1651 in Italy. A scientific conference held last year in ien Ban District, central province of Quang Nam, confirmed that Thanh Chiem Palace (1602-1883) in that area was a cradle of Vietnamese romanised script and that the Portuguese priest Francisco de Pina (1585-1625) was the founder of the modern writing system of the Vietnamese language. The book Viet Nam: A History from Earliest Times to the Present written by Ben Kiernan says that in 1615, a group of five Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese Jesuit priests and lay brothers established the first Catholic mission in ang Trong. Two years later, Francisco de Pina, joined them and became the first Westerner to master the Vietnamese language. In 1620, the French Jesuit Alenxandre de Rhodes arrived, studied Vietnamese under de Pina, and then moved with a Portuguese confrere to ang Ngoai, where he spent most of the years 1627-33, the book said. De Rhodes was said to continue uncompleted research on Francisco de Pinau and to have perfected the romanised Vietnamese script based on Pinas work. A dictionary of Vietnamese script-Latin-Portuguese, written by de Rhodes, was believed to have been printed in Rome in 1651. Leaving Mang Lang Church, I felt moved. I was so lucky to visit such a beautiful land with so much valuable historic treasures. VNS CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti Hurricane Irma on Thursday pounded the Caribbean, shredding homes and weather records and leaving at least 10 people dead before honing in on the United States where up to a million people were ordered to flee. The evacuation of coastal areas of Florida and neighboring Georgia was the biggest seen in the US in a dozen years, as Brock Long, head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned: "It will be truly devastating. "The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention." Barreling across the Caribbean, the rare Category Five Irma wielded monster winds and torrential rain, wreaking destruction on tiny islands like St Martin, where 60 percent of homes were wrecked, before slamming into the US Virgin Islands. In its westward rampage, Irma packed winds of up to 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour), an intensity that it sustained for 33 hours - the longest of any storm since satellite monitoring began in the 1970s. The latest bulletin from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center put the winds at 175 mph as the storm headed for the Bahamas. Devastation was left in the storms wake. The International Red Cross said 1.2 million people had already been hit by Irma, a number that could rise to 26 million. Tossed aside like matchsticks On many islands, roofs were ripped off buildings as if by a giants hand, shipping containers were tossed aside like matchsticks and debris flung far and wide, and airports, sea ports and mobile phone networks were knocked out. At least four people were killed in the US Virgin Islands, officials said, with the toll expected to rise. "We lost a significant and a good number of assets... in terms of fire stations, police stations," Governor Kenneth Mapp said in a Facebook post, adding that the regions main health facility, the Schneider Regional Medical Center, lost its roof. St Martin, a pristine island resort divided between France and the Netherlands, also suffered the full fury of the storm. France said four had died and 50 were injured, two of them seriously. Sixty percent of homes were so damaged that they were uninhabitable. The Netherlands said the storm killed at least one person and injured several others on the Dutch part of St Martin, where communications were all but cut off. The Netherlands said it was racing to provide food and water for 40,000 people over the next five days, while France said more than 100,000 packages of combat rations were en route. A 200-member French team flew in to Guadeloupe to coordinate rescue efforts, headed by Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin. Britain said it was sending two warships to help victims in the Caribbean, and earmarking US$41 million in aid. The first vessel was expected to reach affected territories on Thursday. Everything is destroyed Irma also laid waste to tiny Barbuda which suffered "absolute devastation," with up to 30 percent of properties demolished, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. "Barbuda now is literally rubble," Browne added. One person is known to have died on the island of 1,600 residents, apparently a child whose family was trying to get to safer ground. More than half of Puerto Ricos population of three million was without power, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island where Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient for up to 62,000 people. As of Thursday evening the eye of the monster storm was located a few dozen miles north of Haiti, churning past Turks and Caicos and heading for the Bahamas. Poor Haitians were left to face Irmas fury alone as authorities showed little sign of preparing for what forecasters said could be a catastrophic event. Two people were injured when an uprooted coconut tree crashed onto their home near Cap-Haitien, authorities said, while neighboring Dominican Republic had evacuated about 5,500 people. Cuba moved 10,000 foreign tourists from beach resorts in the exposed part of the island, and hiked its disaster alert level to maximum. US President Donald Trump has already declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Florida, while the southern state of Georgia ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas. AFP MADRID Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed Thursday to block an independence referendum in Catalonia slated for October 1 which he branded an "intolerable act of disobedience". But Catalans leaders vowed to go ahead with it, even after the nations top court intervened at the central government request in an effort to prevent the vote. Rajoy promised earlier in the day he would do "all that is necessary" to prevent the plebiscite in the wealthy northeastern region from being held. Catalonias regional parliament, which is controlled by separatists, voted Wednesday to push ahead with the referendum in the wealthy northeastern region, sparking the countrys deepest political crisis in 40 years. "This referendum, no matter how much they try to impose it in a hasty, amateur and illegal way, will not take place," Rajoy said. He said all 947 mayors in Catalonia would be warned over their "obligation to impede or paralyse" efforts to carry out the vote which he said is unconstitutional. As was widely expected, Spains Constitutional Court suspended the texts passed by the Catalan parliament to stage the referendum while judges consider arguments that the vote breaches the countrys constitution. According to court regulations, the suspension lasts for five months while judges come up with a ruling. The court has since 2014 declared regional independence referendums to be unconstitutional. But Catalan authorities routinely ignore the courts decisions because they do not recognise its legitimacy. Spains top prosecutor meanwhile said voting materials would be seized and "criminal charges are being prepared" against the leaders of the Catalan parliament as well all members of the regional government for signing the referendum decree. General prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza told reporters the officials could be charged, among other things, with disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement. Maza called on police to seize anything that could be used in the voting and accused Catalonias government of "blatantly disobeying" repeated rulings by Spains Constitutional Court against steps to hold an independence referendum. Tsunami of democracy The warnings were brushed aside by Catalonias president Carles Puigdemont, who said 560 municipalities had already committed their support for the referendum, and 16,000 volunteers have registered to help with the vote. He had sent a letter to Catalonias mayors on Thursday asking them to give notice within 48 hours of what locations they could make available for ballot stations. "No cabinet, no discredited court will suspend democracy in Catalonia," Puigdemont, a lifelong proponent of independence, said during an interview with Catalan TV. "In the face of the tsunami of lawsuits there will be a tsunami of democracy," he added. Shortly after midnight Friday, the separatist majority in Catalonias regional parliament voted a second controversial law which outlines the terms of a transition to a Catalan Republic, independent from the Kingdom of Spain. The law is meant to take effect only if the separatists win the referendum. Catalonia accounts for about one-fifth of Spains economic output, and already has significant powers over matters such as education and healthcare. But Spains economic worries, coupled with a perception that the region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid, have helped push the cause of secession from the fringes of Catalan politics to centre stage. Adding to the rise in separatist sentiment was a 2010 ruling by the Constitutional Court striking down parts of a 2006 autonomy charter which granted new powers to Catalonia and recognised it as "a nation". Wont be recognised Opinion polls show that Catalans are evenly divided on independence. But over 70 percent want a referendum to take place to settle the matter, similar to the plebiscite held in Scotland in 2014. The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, warned that an independent Catalonia would be left outside of the European Union. Caroline Gray, an expert on Spanish independence movements at Britains Aston University, said the referendum would lack legitimacy if it goes ahead since people who oppose independence would likely stay home just as they did during a mock referendum in 2014. Over 80 percent of participants voted to split from Spain during that symbolic plebiscite -- though only 2.3 million of Catalonias 5.4 million eligible voters took part. "If we look at it from how Spain and the international community is going to react, I think it is difficult to see how people will take it more seriously than previous attempts which did not work," Gray said. "It would be very difficult for the Catalan government to get to the stage to be able to proclaim independence because it wont be recognised beyond its own authorities." AFP WATERLOO The Voices of Payne Choir, of Payne A.M.E Church, 1044 Mobile St., will host the Annual Day at 4 p.m. Sunday. Theme is When the Church Begins to Pray. Guests will be the Rev. Morris Anderson and choir of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, the Rev. Helen Seenster and choir of Koinonia Ministries Full Gospel Baptist Church, the Rev. Belinda Creighton-Smith and choir of Faith Temple Baptist Church and the Rev. Carolyn Stevenson and the Voices of Payne Choir. Call the church at 233-8189 or Jody Cook 269-6847. WATERLOO Central Christian Church, 3475 Kimball Ave., will observe 120 years as a congregation in Waterloo and the completion of a new gathering space and elevator with an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. The community is welcome to come for refreshments and tour the sanctuary, classrooms, library with its historical photo albums, F.R.O.G. Pad, bazaar room and outreach displays. The church also is home to Small World Preschool. WATERLOO Shilliam Church of God in Christ will celebrate its 97-year anniversary at 4 p.m. Sunday at 307 Shilliam Ave. Guest speaker is the Rev. John Hall of Emannuel Church of God in Christ, Des Moines, along with his choir, who will perform musical selections. CEDAR FALLS St. Paul Lutheran Church will host its 16th annual 9-11 Service of Remembrance at noon Monday at the church, 2812 Willow Lane. The church will set aside a half hour for prayer and meditation. Everyone is welcome. The Rev. Lawrence Stumme is pastor of the church. WATERLOO The musical celebration at Antioch Baptist Choir, set for Saturday, has been postponed. WATERLOO The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo are receiving registrations for The Bible Timeline video series, which will start in September and meet for 12 weeks. The Bible Timeline is a series that provides an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This series will be offered Monday evenings and/or Saturday mornings if a sufficient number of people are interested. Find out more and register at http://waterloocatholics.org/the-bible-timeline. Wcfsymphony names officers CEDAR FALLS -- Joanne Lane, retired from a professional career where she served in leadership roles on local, state, regional and nation boards, was elected to lead the wcfsymphony board for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Other officers elected to lead the symphony are Brad Jensen, retired music educator, secretary; Louis Fettkether, CPA, and recently retired from BerganKDV, treasurer; and Dee Vandeventer whose marketing and fundraising career spans more than 40 years, past president. The officers are joined by personnel chair, E. J. Gallagher; finance chair, Kathy Duke; upbeat chair, Stephany Clohesy; education chair, Martha Kroese; fundraising chair, Russ Curtis; players committee, Sally Malcolm; and governance chair, Dee Vandeventer. Newly elected members of the board include Lee Nicholas, CPA; and Kent Opheim. UNI to host blood drive CEDAR FALLS -- The University of Northern Iowa will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15 in Maucker Union. Schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org or (800) 733-2767. Luther hosts recital series DECORAH -- Violinist Hirono Borter and pianist Kyoko Kaise will open the Luther College guest recital series at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music on Luther's campus. The performance is open to the public with no charge for admission. DAR program slated Sept. 16 CEDAR FALLS -- The Cedar Falls Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution will meet Sept. 16 at the Cedar Falls Public Library, 524 Main St. Social time will begin at noon. The program will be on conservation with an emphasis on Iowa wetlands by Carol Boyce. Hostess will be Barb Gregersen. The DAR is open to any woman 18 years of age or older who can prove lineage to an ancestor of the American Revolution. For help with research, email cedarfallsdar@gmail.com. Information about future meetings can be found at isdar.org. Coin club hosts meeting at WCA WATERLOO -- The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Coin Club will host its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St in Schoitz Room III. Dean Parr, current Iowa Numismatic Association president, will present An Introduction to World Money following the business meeting. An auction will follow his presentation. Visitors are welcome and may bid on the auction lots if they wish. Register at the front table. For more information and an auction list go to www.w-cfcoinclub.com. Woodcrafts on display at NCC WATERLOO -- The Cedar Valley Woodworkers will again sponsor the wood crafting at the National Cattle Congress this year. Woodcrafter items made by individuals are to be delivered to the Ag building from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday or 9 a.m. to noon Monday. Items will be displayed in categories of furniture, toys, carving, turning, intarsia, scroll work and miscellaneous. Members of Cedar Valley Woodworkers and the general public are encouraged to provide items of their work for display, which will be open to the general public throughout the event. The NCC premium book contains another section on wood crafting that will be judged and awarded prize money and ribbons. For more information, call Reed Craft, 234-6537. Church to raise funds Monday CEDAR FALLS -- Our Savior's Lutheran Church will have a community fundraiser at Pizza Ranch, 4302 University Ave., from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday. All money raised will be used for a special church project. Mystery tour is set for Sept. 24 WEST UNION -- The Fayette County Tourism Councils Mystery Tour 2017 is set for Sept. 24. Check-in will be between noon and 2 p.m. at the Fayette County Tourism Center, 606 W. Water St. This year's theme, Look up and Learn, will take people to several unique sites in Fayette County. After checking in, participants will receive directions to the first site along with additional information. Directions to each subsequent site will be handed out along the route. The final stop will include a meal. Cost will be $15 for through Monday and $20 after. RSVP to (563) 422-5073 or admin@fayettecountyia.com. CV3D discussion set for Monday CEDAR FALLS -- The first fall Cedar Valley Discuss, Discover Diversity event will start at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Cedar Falls Public Library in the large meeting room on the second floor. All Cedar Valley residents are invited to join the discussion of "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead. Rowena Hardinger will lead this months discussion. CV3D is a community action project that supports the mission and values of the Cedar Falls branch of AAUW. Audubon group meets Tuesday CEDAR FALLS -- The first meeting of the Prairie Rapids Audubon Society this fall will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, Ninth and Main streets. The program will be Pollinators in Iowa: Conservation and Management Strategies to Preserve Wild Bees presented by Ashley St. Clair, a third-year Ph.D. student at Iowa State University. The focus of her presentation will be the causes of declines in pollinator populations and specifically the conservation and management strategies undertaken to protect bees in both agricultural and urban settings. All are welcome. Lodge planning coming events WASHBURN The Moose Lodge 328, 6636 La Porte Road, has several events planned. Tacos are on the menu Tuesday, and other specials are planned Wednesday and Thursday. An omelet and waffle breakfast will be served from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 17. Blood drive set for Wednesday DUNKERTON -- There will be an American Red Cross blood drive from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday in the old gym at Dunkerton High School. Schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org or (800) 733-2767. Waverly library hosts author fair WAVERLY -- The Waverly Public Library will host an author fair from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sept. 16. More than 40 authors will be present, representing genres such as childrens, fiction, nonfiction, young adult, Christian and poetry. The public is invited to meet the authors, purchase books and get books signed. Attendees also will have the opportunity to enter to win door prizes. Farmers can win donation WATERLOO -- The Americas Farmers Grow Communities program is giving area farmers a chance to win a $2,500 donation to direct to their favorite local eligible nonprofit organization. Through the program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, farmers across rural America will donate more than $3 million to nonprofit organizations in 2018. Farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming 250 acres or more. Enter for a chance to win at www.GrowCommunities.com or call (877) 267-3332 by Nov. 1. WINTHROP An Iowa agricultural services company was assessed a $4,000 penalty in a May accident that killed a Winthrop worker. Iowa Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited Viafield for a serious violation after alleging employees werent properly trained in safety procedures for clearing jammed spouts. The company paid the penalty and undertook corrective measures, according to Iowa OSHA officials. The finding came following a May 16 accident at Viafields Winthrop facility in which 74-year-old James Jim Schweitzer was buried while moving soybeans. Cause of death in grain entrapment accident WINTHROP Authorities have determined the cause of death in a farm services accident in May. According to an OSHA report obtained by The Courier, Schweitzer was blending wet and dry soybeans and moving them between silos with the help of a gravity-fed wagon. No one witnessed the accident, but investigators concluded Schweitzer became trapped when he attempted to clear a jam using a metal rod. Another worker had been looking for Schweitzer when he noticed beans were coming out of a loading chute into a wagon that was overflowing. He opened a side door on the wagon and noticed a foot, according to the report. The bean flow was stopped, and wagon was pulled forward and emptied so workers could pull Schweitzer out. He wasnt breathing and CPR was started, the report states. He was taken to Regional Medical Center in Manchester where he was pronounced dead. The incident was one of two fatal grain facility deaths in northeast Iowa in recent months. UPDATE: Worker dies in Waterloo grain bin WATERLOO -- Authorities confirmed that a worker caught in a grain bin in Waterloo has died. In August, an employee at the East Central Iowa Co-Op elevator on Broadway Street in Waterloo died after becoming trapped in soybeans in one of the towers. The Waterloo accident remains under investigation, according to OSHA officials. CHARLES CITY -- A narcotics-related search warrant led to one arrest and discovery of a marijuana growing operation Thursday night, Charles City police said. Police executed a search warrant on the 900 Block of Allison Street in Charles City around 5 p.m., according to a news release. Officers say they found a marijuana growing operation in the residence. Joseph Jordan, 28, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and possession of drug paraphernalia. Additional charges are pending and could be filed against multiple people, the police department said. RICEVILLE -- Reported suspicious activity in Pioneer Park led to discovery of stolen items, drugs, cash, weapons and more, Mitchell County officials say. The Mitchell County Sheriff's Office said in a news release it responded to citizen complaints of suspicious activity in Pioneer Park in the northeast part of the county around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Upon investigation, a 16-foot car hauler trailer, a Polaris four-wheeler with a trailer and numerous power tools and hand tools were recovered. Those items are believed to be stolen from Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties, the sheriff's office said. Methamphetamine, edible marijuana wax, marijuana, cash and two handguns were also recovered at the scene. Danielle Jo Calhoun, 27, of Charles City, was arrested during the investigation. Calhoun was charged with felony theft, with additional charges pending. She was transported to the Mitchell County Jail. Additional suspects have been identified and the investigation continues, the sheriff's office said. The Osage Police Department, Iowa State Patrol and Floyd County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene. CEDAR RAPIDS State Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, is among those mentioned as a possible successor to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. Gov. Kim Reynolds will appoint a successor to Northey if his nomination by President Donald Trump to be an undersecretary at the USDA is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Other names mentioned as possible replacements include Sen. Tim Kapucian, a Benton County Republican, former Iowa House member Annette Sweeney of Alden and Sen. Dan Zumbach of Ryan. Stone Soul Picnic in C.F. CEDAR FALLS The sixth annual Stone Soul Picnic will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Gateway Park to raise awareness of child hood hunger in Northeast Iowa. The picnic features live music, Ornery Uncle Roys BBQ and childrens activities to support the childrens program of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. This years bands include Milk and Honey, Bob Dorr and the Blue Trio, Checker and the Bluetones and Brazilian 2wins. Kids activities include the Dean of Juggling, face painting, bubbles, petting zoo and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. The picnic is free. Donations will be accepted. Market will feature salad WATERLOO The Kimball Ridge Family Market will be celebrating summer at the corner of Kimball and Ridgeway Avenue on Saturday with free samples of caprese salad. Hours are 8 a.m. to noon with the free samples available from 9 to 11 a.m. Vietnam vigil seeks volunteers WATERLOO The annual vigil at the Black Hawk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Paramount Park will be 3 p.m. Sept. 29 to noon Oct. 1. Black Hawk County residents who lost their lives in the Vietnam War and subsequent conflicts in the Middle East will be remembered. The public is welcome. Those wishing to volunteer to take time slots during the vigil may call Craig White at 215-7104. HCC sets suicide prevention month WATERLOO Hawkeye Community College will host a series of events in conjunction with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September. From Tuesday to Thursday, the campus will again present the Dont Let Them Walk Alone suicide awareness display, with pairs of shoes lining the courtyard to represent the 1,100 college students who die by suicide in the U.S. each year. Troy Belmer and Ryan Nesbit, co-founders of Alive and Running, will speak on the outdoor stage of the Brock Student Center Wednesday at noon. The nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention was created in 2010 in memory of Rodger Dos, Belmer and Nesbits friend who was lost to suicide during high school. They will be joined on stage by several college students who have been impacted by suicide and depression. Before and after the presentation, guests are welcome to participate in a walk around the campus courtyard at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. All attendees will receive a Dont Let Them Walk Alone wristband. WATERLOO Theres an old saying that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Maureen and Tom Porth would add it also applies to hurricanes. Yesterday was the longest day of my life, Maureen Porth said. She and her husband couldnt communicate for several hours Wednesday while Tom sat out 100-mph winds from Hurricane Irma. Maureen reports both Tom and their charter motor yacht, La Buscadora, are safe. The couple have operated the charter yacht service for about six years. Many Cedar Valley residents have been among their customers. The yacht is normally based on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, which took the brunt of the massive hurricane. Fortunately, the yacht was at a dock in Puerto Rico for maintenance and remained intact. Tom and the ships chef, Spencer Wright, took shelter in a rented condo during the storm. Maureen and her husband were able to text during most of the storm, as Maureen relayed developments she saw on The Weather Channel on the storms track. He said to me, You better be prepared for the possibility you might not hear from me for a couple of days. Ill be OK, but youll be concerned, Maureen said. After they had been in communication all day long, sure enough, as Maureen was relaying information to him about the movement of the eye of the hurricane, she received no response. She wasnt worried as long as they were in communication, but became more anxious as the hours passed. Five hours later she received a text. It was Tom. Not only were her husband and Wright safe, but the ship miraculously endured the storm. They still havent heard from ships Capt. Mike Hallett and his family, who live in an elevated area on Tortolas north shore. While shes grateful, Maureen said its difficult to view the extensive damage to familiar locations in the British Virgin Islands and surrounding areas including the devastation to other ships in the area where La Buscadora normally would be located. She said the British Virgin Islands took a direct hit and the destruction is catastrophic. It will be quite some time before the severity of the damage can be assessed. The Porths 1940s vintage vessel has a storied history, according to the La Buscadora website. Built by a Wall Street tycoon to commute from Long Island to Manhattan, it was procured by the U.S. government and used for anti-Nazi submarine patrols during World War II. It was used by President Truman for meetings when he was in the Florida Keys, by the CIA for reconnaissance off Cuba and appeared in the 1989 Robert Redford movie Havana. The Porths are local restaurateurs who operate local Village Inns. Evacuations As residents in Florida brace for the brunt of the hurricane this weekend, some residents with local ties arent waiting around. Samra and Garrett Oswald, who now live in Clearwater, Fla., left their home Thursday and began a drive back to Iowa. Samra is a graduate of West High School and Upper Iowa University. Garrett is from Dubuque and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. Garrett works in Florida for CBE Cos. in Cedar Falls. The couple will stay with family here until the storm passes. They moved to Florida in July 2016. I think its great so far, minus the hurricanes, Samra said. They were in state for Hurricane Matthew last fall, which was much smaller. They initially intended to stay put, but when Florida Gov. Rick Scott said mandatory evacuations were beginning they decided not to wait. They packed up food, water and their dog and cat. They secured their home as well as they could before leaving. American government courses spend a lot of time on the checks and balances regarding the three branches of government executive, legislative and judicial but not much on the influential fourth branch lobbyists. Iowas much beloved/detested new commercial-grade pyrotechnics law (also known as fireworks) didnt suddenly happen because legislators found the common good lacked celebratory explosives. It just so happens fireworks companies significantly increased their lobbying efforts, doling $133,000 in 2017 up from $83,000 in 2016 to successfully press the issue. A Des Moines Register analysis of lobbying in Iowa found 943 groups paid lobbyists $20.4 million during the legislative year that ended June 30 about $1.5 million more than in fiscal year 2016. They had increased incentive to lobby up with Republicans controlling both the executive and legislative branches, adding the Senate during the 2016 elections. In fact, 123 more organizations entered the fray for FY2017, spending $1.1 million. The average expense for a lobbyist was $21,645. They also spent $325,976 on events for legislators. Pro-business lobbyists worked their magic as Republican legislators eviscerated home rule for cities and counties by eliminating minimum wage increases passed in Polk, Johnson, Linn, Wapello and Lee counties. In addition, collective bargaining rights for government employees (aside from public safety) were eviscerated and workmens compensation benefits reined in. They also got a lot of bags for their bucks. The counterintuitive-named American Progressive Bag Alliance spent $25,000 on lobbyists to stop cities and counties from implementing a ban on plastic bags, which was considered for environmental reasons in Iowa City, Dubuque and Marshall County. The bags are banned in 132 U.S. cities, California and Hawaii, and numerous countries, including China. While insurance companies want people to use the lowest-cost drugs possible until proven ineffective known as fail-first pharmaceutical companies outbid them to limit that practice. Merck and Pfizer spent a combined $545,000. Wellmark (Blue Cross Blue Shield) spent $191,972. And you wonder why drugs arent competitively priced? While President Trump and Republicans tout deregulation, the truth is many regulations exist to protect companies from competition. Take Altria (Philip Morris and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco and more), which spent $172,701 on lobbyists who won a regulation regarding the sale of e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine products. Templeton Rye Spirits can now pour samples for customers at its expanded facility in Templeton, which includes a museum, after investing $108,014 in lobbyists for the first time. Previously, breweries could offer samples, but distilleries couldnt. Go figure. You cant imagine having someone come up and doing a tour of a ($26 million) facility and then not being able to do a tasting, Jane Knutson, Templetons chief financial officer, told the Register. So we were very proactive in trying to get the law changed. All told, the alcohol industry spent $231,000 on lobbyists. The Iowa Hospital Association paid 10 lobbyists $265,800, while the Iowa Medical Association paid $204,759, spurred by Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. They ranked second and third among individual lobbyists. The hospital group, in particular, has issues with former Gov. Terry Branstads privatization of Medicaid, which caused payments to providers to be delayed and, in many cases, decreased. The Mercy Health Network was engaged in a dispute with Ameri-Health Caritas that threatened payments before being resolved in June. Mercy, which includes Wheaton Franciscan medical facilities in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, spent $156,000 on lobbyists. Taxpayers footed the bill for some expensive lobbying efforts with government agencies fearful of losing their footing or intent on making inroads. Included in the top 10 individual rankings were: No. 1 Iowa Association of Community Colleges, $289,598. No. 5 Iowa League of Cities, $181,543. No. 6 Iowa Board of Regents, $176,214. No. 9 Iowa Economic Development Authority, $171,000. The community colleges, according to MJ Dolan, the associations execution director, get the least amount of funding per pupil of all the public schools while focusing on workforce development issues. The League of Cities was a loser on home rule, but thats a nationwide trend. Rural-dominated Republican statehouses reversing their traditional position on the sanctity of local control have been thwarting actions by progressive cities. The economic development agency has lobbied legislators to provide more incentives to lure prospective businesses. While 10 states ban using state funds for lobbying, the Register reported 49 Iowa offices and organizations spend an average of $29,654 on such efforts. The process puts the lie to the Schoolhouse Rock video, How a Bill Becomes a Law, with the song Im Just a Bill, about laws being initiated by constituents presenting ideas to their representatives. The absence of lobbyists who drive the legislative agenda makes it more fairy tale than fact. Follow the money instead. Alec Baldwin sues to 'clear his name' in movie set death Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. 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to turn her back to the West, while watching very closely for the coming surprise attack. There is nothing in America for Russia. Any American investment in Russia will be used to damage Russia. Russia does not need any American capital. The Russian central banks belief in Russias need for foreign capital is proof of the successful brainwashing of Russian economists by American neoliberalism during the Yeltsin era. The Russian central bank is so brainwashed that it is incapable of understanding that the Russian central bank can finance Russian development without any foreign loans. The Russian government still doesnt seem to understand that the only reason sanctions can be imposed on Russia is because Russia is ensnared in the Western financial system. The economic advice that the Russian government gets from its brainwashed neoliberal economists serves Washingtons interests, not Russias._._._ Here is the America quote of the week to show; well I am dumbfounded at what I heard Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants. We dont want it now. But our countrys patience is not unlimited, said US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley said about NK (She really said that? Yup!) I am still in disbelief that she said this in the presence of the members of the UN. This woman is following a script, yet that very script is proof of a psychosis form of illness that is abundant within the American Gov. system This is from a country (USA) that at one time recently, we were bombing 7 countries at the same time According to the New York City-based think tank, 26,171 bombs were dropped on Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan during the year What she should have said is, Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants, it is something that we must have, just as an addict must have their drugs! And our country is in withdrawal right now! There, I corrected it for you. You are welcome Nikki Haley WtR The 2017 edition of the Spanish Tile Awards has recently been announced by its organizers, the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association, "ASCER". The competition is held annually and open to projects and professionals in Spain and worldwide, with the organizers welcoming submissions from architects, designers and students. The use of ceramic tiles is ubiquitous throughout Spain, with each region having a unique type. The prize aims to improve awareness and understanding of ceramic tiles made in Spain amongst architects and interior designers and promote their use by these professionals. The importance of this award is highlighted by the large prizes on offer to successful entries. There are three categories in total, with Architectural and Interior projects vying for a prize of 17,000 euros each. The third category invites submissions of degree projects, and is open to students at advanced technical schools of architecture in Spain, has a prize of 5,000 euros. The award, now in its 16th edition, has adopted a more contemporary image in line with current design trends, with a new website to match this revamped image. The organisers have also launched a promotional video about the Awards on social media. The judging panel for this award is comprised of numerous high profile architects. The panel will be led by Spanish architect Inaki Abalos (chairman for this edition), Professor at ETSAM and resident professor and Chair of Department of Architecture at the GSD of Harvard and founder of international study of architecture Abalos + Sentkiewicz. The panel also includes Victor Navarro from Madrid based studio Langarita-Navarro, Portuguese architect Bak Gordon; editor of the journal "2G" Moises Puente; Barcelona based designer Martin Azua and Ramon Monfort, from the Castellon Architect's Professional Association. The 2016 architecture award went to a renovation project for two homes in Oropesa (Toledo) by the Paredes Pedrosa studio. Architect Angela Garcia de Paredes, the winning studio from previous years, will also feature in the judging panel for this year. The use of ceramic tiles was not limited to a mere covering or finish, but instead it will be evaluated as a material capable of enveloping the project. MM house by Raul Montero Martinez and Emilio Pardo Rivacoba. Image Jose Hevia Last year, the panel also decided to give a Special Mention to 'MM House' by Ohlab, a home designed in accordance with the Passivhaus standard in order to guarantee optimum energy efficiency. 2016 winner of the interior design prize, the "Taba spazioa" gastro space by Ibon Salaberria, - Image Mikel Eskauriaza The 2016 interior design prize was awarded to the "Taba spazioa" gastro space by Ibon Salaberria, which is located on the ground floor of the Tabakalera Culture Centre in San Sebastian. Special mention in this category was given to "casa#77" by Raul Montero Martinez and Emilio Pardo Rivacoba, a project to renovate an apartment measuring just 51-square-metre space situated in the loft of a housing block in Pamplonas historic quarter. Winner of the 2016 student category. Image M Wesam Al Asali In 2016, the prize in the student category went to M Wesam Al Asali from Cambridge University. The winning project in this category consisted of the construction of three domes using pieces of bamboo to support the domes during construction, an undertaking which highlighted new possibilities for construction using ceramic tiles. To be eligible for entry, Projects submitted need to have been completed between January 2015 and October 2017. Registrations are currently open and the project submission deadline is 24th October 2017. All information about this year's competition, detailed descriptions of previous finalists, or to download application forms, can be found at the competitions website. Top image: Two Homes in Oropesa (Toledo) by Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos. Image Luis Asin y Paredes Pedrosa > via Tile of Spain Awards Sep 8, 2017 | By David The expansion of 3D printing is continuing at a remarkable rate, as the technology enters an ever- growing number of industries as well as being studied and implemented in more and more regions. The latest area to benefit from this unstoppable advance is Morocco. Global technology leader Thales Group, based in France, has recently established a new industrial research and development center in the North African countrys capital, Casablanca. It will be focused on improving the regions competencies in metal 3D printing, to benefit industries both local and further afield. Thales Groups international presence is already considerable, with over 64, 000 employees and collaborators in 56 different countries. The company specializes in cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing, and has major influence in the aerospace and defense industries. This latest step will expand the French companys global footprint even further, while in the process supporting Moroccos ambitions to develop its aerospace sector. Aerospace accounted for around 40 percent of Thales Groups revenue in 2016, which in total came to around 16 billion Euros. An opening ceremony for this new research center was held this week, after it was initially announced back in June. The Moroccan Minister for Industry, Investment, Commerce and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, was in attendance, as was the director of Thales Group Morocco, Pierre Prigent, and Jean-Claude Derbes, who is overseeing the partnership. Local industrial leaders and authority figures also saw the inauguration of this major new establishment. The Kingdom of Morocco is supporting an initiative known as the Industrial Acceleration Plan 2014-2020, which heavily involves Thales Group alongside other local technology suppliers and manufacturers. It is intended to develop an innovative technological eco-system in the country, with a strong influence over manufacturing. Boeing has already established several sub-contractors in the kingdom, and Thales Group is continuing this wave of investment and enthusiasm . This center is part of Thales Groups Industry 4.0 plan, which is aiming to take full advantage of the new disruptive technololgies that will completely revolutionize the way manufacturing works over the next few years. Prigent described the new center as a form of experiment, allowing the company to see what new directions to pursue as innovations such as artificial intelligence, alongside 3D printing, change the way businesses operate. A total investment of around 25 million Euros was made by Thales Group to establish the center, and they should expect a major return on this if the 3D printing industry continues to grow at the same pace. Metal 3D printing in particular is proving incredibly valuable, due to the increased efficiency and improved material qualities offered by 3D printed parts. The new center covers an area of 1000 square meters, and is located in the Midparc zone of Casablanca. While currently still in its developing stages, it should eventually employ around 20 engineers for a range of different tasks. Currently 7 highly qualified professionals are operating at the center, which has two 3D printing systems that make use of the Selective Laser Melting technique. 8 more metal 3D printers should eventually be added to its portfolio. They will be used to produce high-quality, reliable metal parts for various applications, particularly in the aerospace sector. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Elitza Stanoeva at Eurozine: My personal memory of 10 November 1989 is one of confusion and embarrassment. Ten years of age at the time, I came home from school and found my parents laughing and jumping around the kitchen like madmen. Through uncontrolled laughter, they finally answered my questions about what was going on with the brief statement: Todor Zhivkov has fallen. Having recently joined the ranks of the pioneers, a membership extended to all third-graders, I was sufficiently indoctrinated to object through tears But he is such a good man, which only added to their exultation. In reality, our breakdown of communism one day after the fall of the Berlin Wall was a palace coup rather than a triumph of revolutionary momentum. With Soviet blessing, the Politburo of the Bulgarian Communist Party demanded the resignation of Todor Zhivkov, party leader since 1954, and on 10 November he handed it in officially during a televised party plenum. Less of a regime change than elsewhere in Eastern Europe, this event did not undermine the communists grip on power as state control was passed to Petar Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs since 1971. The party soon to be renamed to Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) committed itself to organizing free elections with the hope of retaining control. With the name change, the BSP washed its hands of responsibility for the abuse of power by the former regime by putting Zhivkov on trial for communist crimes. more here. This week's Bay Area stories you may have missed. Alice Waters Debuts Long-Awaited Memoir, Coming To My Senses, SFist Berkeley's grande dame of local eating, sustainability and Cal-Med cuisine, Alice Waters, has as of today released her first memoir, titled Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook. The book covers her slightly wild teenage years, complete with pregnancy scares, getting kicked out of a sorority on "moral" grounds, backpacking through Europe in the 1960s, her first (and only) acid trip, and her fateful move to Berkeley in 1964, where seven years later she would open her "little French restaurant" Chez Panisse. Read more. Watch 9 days of Burning Man festivities in 2 minutes, SFGate A hyperlapse video from the nine-day annual celebration in Nevada almost makes you feel like you were actually there (without having to endure the blazing hot temperatures and dust clouds, that is). Watch it. Top U.S. tech companies founded by immigrants are worth over $3 trillion, Recode As the Trump Administration attempts to decrease the number of legal immigrants it allows into the U.S., it's helpful to remember that we are a country of immigrants. More than half of the 25 most valuable tech companies in the U.S. have a founder that was either a first- or second-generation American. Read more. Why eye-popping whale shows off the California coast are the new normal, SF Chronicle Humpbacks have put on a show this summer inside and outside the Golden Gate flopping around, waving their flukes and leaping out of the water a bonanza for whale watchers in tour boats and on dry land that scientists say will remain a regular thing. The ballet of the behemoths, far from a one-time event, is the result of the humpbacks recovering from near-extinction thanks to an international whaling ban, intense conservation and protection of their breeding grounds. Read more. Dominique Crenn, San Pellegrino's 'Best Female Chef,' Calls Out Company For (Latest) Gender Bias, SF Eater Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, Petit Crenn) is delivering a long-delayed memo to San Pellegrino this week, casually observing in an Instagram post that, you know, women represent half the population, and calling out the company for including far more men than women in its award competitions. The post was a response to San Pellegrino's 2018 Young Chef competition, where 37 jurors from nine different regions of the contest all have one thing in common: They're dudes. Read more. In 80 cities around California and across the continental United States tomorrow, Muslims will be performing an outreach effort to bridge the divide between what people think they know about Islam and what practicing the faith actually means. It's all part of National Meet a Muslim Day. Organized by Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA), the group hopes to break everyday misconceptions about the religion as well as the many Islamophobic ideas engendered by hate groups across social media. AMYA is one of the oldest Muslim youth organizations in America, founded in 1939. In Northern California, you can find people holding sings that read "I'm a Muslim. Ask me anything," or "Meet a Muslim" at the following locations: 170 S Market St. in San Jose from 11am2pm Pleasanton Farmers Market at 77 W Angela St. in Pleasanton from 11am2pm 301 Castro St in Mountain View from 11am2pm Sather Raod in Berkeley from 11am2pm 1201 W 10th St. in Antioch from 11am2pm 71 E Via la Plata in Fresno from 11am 3pm The group held their first Meet a Muslim Day earlier this year in March and considered it such a success, they realized they needed to do it again. The first time out they had nearly 23,000 first-person conversations and reached at least four million people via social media. Waqas Hussain, the 30-year-old spokesperson for the event, said, "We've learned from polling that most Americans claim to not know any Muslims personally. We've found that simply by engaging in dialogue, people come away with a much more positive understanding of Islam." He explained that most people wanted to talk about our views on Trump's travel ban, shariah law, the status of women in Islam, and the concept of jihad (which refers to a person's "inner struggle"). Hussain continued, "Most conversations were very productive. And the few that started out as confrontational or argumentative ended on a positive note as we simply continued to engage those persons in a constructive dialogue." To the best of my recollection, I've never cried in a restaurant, although on my recent visit to Atelier Crenn, I came close. It was in the midst of the seventh courseosetra caviar with a velvety cream of koji (a type of fermented rice with flavor-enhancing properties) and daikon, whose buttery slices brought to mind the most exquisite scalloped potatoesthat I glanced up at an artwork on the wall. It was a poem, in gilt letters, about two people on a sand dune. There was a fierce sense of loveplatonic, it seemedand the implication that the person to whom the poem was written, was gone forever. As poetry goes, it was plain and unaffected, but its power caught me off guard. Feeling a tightening of the throat and the onset of tears, I looked away, and in need of a prop, lifted a glass of sake ('Sawahime' Shimotsuke Junmai Daginjo) whose fine earthy sweetness carried me back to childhood, the New England woods, and memories of drinking the sap of sugar maples, raw and cold, from buckets hanging from the trees. Whether this is chef Dominique Crenn's intent, whether the aim of her poetryboth on the wall, and on the menuis to grab the reader by the heart, or whether the dishes she conjures up out of particularly vivid moments from her past are supposed to send her guests on similar reveries of their own, I'm not sure. But when one is in a certain state of mindopen, receptive, setting aside the cynical impulse as well as any expectations of what food, or a menu, or a restaurant for that matter, should look likean evening at Atelier Crenn can be a transcendent and transportive thing. Crenn opened Atelier Crennthe name an homage to her late father's painting studioin January 2011. The restaurant received its first Michelin star that year, and in 2012, Michelin awarded a second star, making Crenn the first female chef in the U.S. to win the honor. Atelier Crenn has retained its two-Michelin-star rating to this day. Last year, she was recognized as the world's best female chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and featured in an episode of the Netflix series, Chef's Table. In a recent conversation, Crenn was circumspect about the notoriety, acknowledging that while it had led to many opportunities, she is mindful of the need to choose carefully from among them. More recently, Crenn made several changes at the restaurant. Last December, she bought out her longtime business partner. In April of this year, she hired Jonathan Black (formerly of Quince and Per Se) to serve as the executive chef of the Crenn Dining Group (which includes Petit Crenn, and the forthcoming Bar Crenn, due to open in Cow Hollow next month), a move that she said has allowed her to focus more fully on the creative process. That same month, Atelier Crenn revealed a redesigned dining room, whose softly illuminated wooden-slab tables, each set apart on its own Persian carpet, imbue the space with an almost seance-like atmosphere. On the evening in question, the Grand Tasting Menu began with Crenn's classic amuse-bouche, Kir Breton: a cherry-sized bauble with an ultra-thin white chocolate and cocoa butter shell topped with a tiny piped-on button of jellied creme de cassis. Popped gingerly in the mouth, the candy shell collapses in an instant, unleashing a cold little rush of apple cider, followed by the creamy-sweet remnants of its vessel. Crenn calls her style of cooking "poetic culinaria." Previous Next A painting by Dominique Crenn's father, Alain Crenn. Previous Next A place setting in Atelier Crenn's newly redesigned dining room Previous Next The centerpiece of each table: a tiny bouquet Previous Next Atelier Crenn's menu takes the form of a poem Previous Next Dominique Crenn's playful take on Kir Breton Previous Next Crenn's similarly inventive interpretation of fish and chips Previous Next Smoked trout roe in a tiny pie shell made from buckwheat, the latter a culinary ode to Brittany Previous Next Atelier Crenn's tomato and melon salad Previous Next Hokkaido sea urchin and Koshihikari rice Previous Next Osetra caviar and koji cream Previous Next Daikon, slowly cooked in a salt-and-seaweed crust Previous Next Atelier Crenn's brioche Previous Next Grilled Monterey abalone Previous Next Fermented and grilled corn, beneath a blanket of sunflower petals Previous Next Grilled turbot with a fermented carrot "veil" Previous Next Chef Juan Contreras' avocado, lime and white chocolate cremeux Previous Next Contreras' mignardises, served in a cacao pod Previous Next The playfulness continued with Fish et Chips, a curious, and curiously delicious interpretation of the British staple. The furthest thing from a battered and fried filet of cod and French fries, Crenn's version consists of a small glass bowl of swordfish bone marrow and cucumber gelee, and tiny, nibble-sized bundles of crisp potato threads seasoned with malt vinegar. My dining companion's eyes widened as she munched a diminutive buckwheat cracker shaped like a pie crust and filled with glowing orange orbs of smoked trout roe. "It's like eating a campfire," she said. Which sounds strange, and inadvisable, but spot-on. Accompanying this delicacy, a small salad of canary melon and tomatothe latter in many forms, from fresh to powdered to confit. The wine pairing had gotten underway by this point as well, its first salvo a pale straw yellow sancerre with notes of honey, melon, and fruit tree blossoms, from Domaine Pascal Cotat. A dish of sea urchin, Koshihikari rice (a variety used for sushi) and a Provencal-style barigoule broth was particularly arresting. Served in a snifter-like bowl, its deep, savory aroma took me straight to 1980, and an inn somewhere on the Schneeberg, a mountain in Lower Austria where I first learned the joys of Knodelsuppea Tirolean dumpling soup. The urchin, poached in butter, was impossibly creamy, its flavor slightly more mellow than when served quiveringly raw; the rice, which acted as both a pedestal and a float for the uni, was crispy, sticky, nutty and sweet. An outstanding gruner veltliner from F.X. Pichlera winery in Austria's Wachau region, on the banks of the Danube west of Viennawaltzed amid the dish's subtle flavors with an elegant mineral edge. Next, a morsel of brawny yet tender Monterey abalone: Grilled and garnished with a puree of its liver, roasted garlic aioli, and toasted seaweed, it was set on a dab of egg yolk jam and finished with a smoky sauce made from grilled oysters, dashi and creme fraiche, the remnants of which we mopped up with hunks of scrumptiously yeasty-buttery brioche. Then, in a simple earthenware bowl, beneath a blanket of sunflower petals, we discovered a savory and ever-so-slightly-funky mix of fermented and grilled corn seasoned with black truffle butter and finished with an onion brulee and corn stock. The evening's savory act concluded with a grilled fillet of turbot, draped in a veil of tangy jellied carrot vinegar, topped with a scattering of flower petals and nasturtium leaves, and finished with Meyer lemon beurre blanc. Along with the fish, a mesmerizingly yummy 2011 Cuvee Reservee Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine du Pegau, whose intense vanilla-blackberry-eucalyptus aroma persisted until there was nothing more than a purple smudge in the glass. From this point on, Juan ContrerasAtelier Crenn's pastry chef, and Crenn's close collaborator since the restaurant's opening dayassumed control. Recently, Contreras, who was born in Mexico, has been working with traditional Mexican ingredients in an exploration of Mayan culture, and of his own heritage. He swiftly reoriented the palate with a shot of Nopal Elixir, a slightly sweet, fruity-citrusy blend of lime juice, cucumber, mint, tomatillo, cactus, agave sugar, Hoja Santa (a leafy member of the pepper family), and lulo (a small orange fruit from the nightshade family). Contreras has a particular gift for creating things that look like other things. A tiny jade Mayan mask, for instance, was in fact a clever simulacrum, made of chilled avocado, lime and white chocolate cremeux. The flavor was subtlecreamy, citrusy, and like many of his desserts, delicately rather than overtly sweet. Similarly captivating, an utterly convincing vanilla bean concocted from cacao butter and vanilla was filled with soursop curd creme anglaise that oozed through the skin of the skinny brown pod at the slightest touch. Alongside the vanilla bean was a tobacco leaf, a real one. Crystallized, and perfumed with vanilla, it melted on the tongue, leaving nothing but the memory of a warm, sweet sensation. // Atelier Crenn, 3127 Fillmore St. (Cow Hollow), ateliercrenn.com Mr. Smith wants a narcotic prescription, and you suspect he is trying to satisfy an addiction rather than appropriately addressing pain. This type of visit is uncomfortable for most family physicians. To reframe this situation, try de-emphasizing the conflict and emphasizing, to yourself and to your patient, the common goal: the patient's physical and psychological well-being. If appropriate, discuss with the patient how, based on your medical experience and education, prescribing more narcotics will not provide long-term benefit but, rather, will likely cause harm. Explain also that a doctor's prime directive is to first do no harm. Then, if appropriate, you can discuss the risks of addiction and opioid-induced hyperalgesia and offer to refer the patient to a pain management specialist or an addiction specialist. Finally, offer the patient alternative types of treatment and next steps that are more appropriate and less likely to cause harm. Even if your patient is angry, you can be empathetic to his suffering and use your best judgment to act in his best interest. The primary feature of most physician employment contracts is, of course, a base salary. A standard contract will typically stipulate a guaranteed amount that the physician will be paid and may also include a production bonus formula. Most production bonuses are based on relative value units (RVUs) or other volume-related metrics, although a growing number may include value-related metrics such as patient satisfaction scores, adherence to treatment protocols, or use of electronic health records (EHRs). Between the base salary and the production bonus outlined in the contract, physicians should be able to determine both the minimum amount they will earn during the contract period and the maximum they could achieve through the bonus. What Is Burnout? Burnout is a psychological syndrome in response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. The three key dimensions of this response are an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.1 Burnout is a critical issue for us because family physicians suffer from significantly higher rates of burnout than physicians in most other specialties.2,3 Nearly two-thirds of family physicians experience at least one element of burnout, with the specialty's women suffering burnout more than men. Early and mid-career physicians are at greatest risk. Our Approach Nothing is more important than physician well-being, and these tools and resources will help you stay passionate about your purpose: providing high-quality care. The Physician Health First initiative is devoted to improving your well-being and professional satisfaction by addressing the causes of physician burnout, including the broken U.S. health care system, the organizations employing physicians, the practice environment, individual well-being, and a physician culture of self-sacrifice over self-care. This resource, built specifically for family physicians like you, addresses all aspects of physician well-being: approaches for creating a culture of well-being, tools to make you an effective leader, steps to reduce burnout, and ways to prioritize self-care and prevent suicide. Even though having a stroke is most often associated with older people, our data show an increasing number of younger adults [ages 18 to 54] are having strokes, which can cause lifelong disability, Fitzgerald added. When a stroke occurs, parts of the brain are deprived of oxygen and start to die immediately. Fitzgerald said a CDC analysis found that the decline in stroke deaths has either slowed or been reversed since 2013, most notably in what she called the stroke belt in the South. The 12 states where stroke death rates have continued to decline are mainly in the western Plains from Kansas to Montana. The CDC analysis noted that strokes continue to affect blacks and Hispanics at higher rates than the population at large. Blacks have the highest rate of any race or ethnicity, and death rates for Hispanics increased 6 percent each year from 2013 to 2015. Overall, the stroke death rate for adults age 35 and over fell sharply through the first 13 years of the century, decreasing by 38 percent from 118 to 73 per 100,000 people, a result of more effective treatment to break up the blood clots that cause most strokes. But from 2013 to 2015, the stroke death rate inched upward by 2.5 percent. Of the 800,000 annual stroke victims, about 140,000 people die, accounting for 5 percent of all deaths in the United States. Its the fifth-leading cause of death, at an economic cost of $34 billion a year, according to CDC figures. While controlling risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes is key in preventing stroke, taking quick action when a stroke is suspected can lessen its effects. Signs of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness in the face or extremities; sudden confusion or trouble speaking; sudden issues with vision; sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance; and a sudden severe headache with no known cause. The CDC has developed a set of actions called FAST to take if you think youre witnessing a stroke. After clinching Valley title, playoff seed, South Dakota State football prepares for two weeks off Having two weeks off before the playoffs is unusual, but the Jackrabbits could use it to get healthy A day after countrys first full-time woman Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assumed office, another transformational move in the direction to promote women in the armed forces has come into effect. A major decision has been taken to induct 874 women in Corps of Military Police, with a yearly intake of 52 per year. In an Army briefing on Friday, Lt. General Ashwani Kumar, the Adjutant General of Army, has acknowledged the fact that amid increasing needs for investigation against gender specific allegations and crime, a necessity was felt to introduce women in Corps of Military Police. The training for the women joining the Corps of Military Police will be of 62 weeks, same as the male soldiers. This induction is likely to begin by 2018 as the modalities are being worked. In addition to this, Lt. Gen. Kumar also informed that two new state of the art centres have been established in Bhopal and Guwahati, so that childless couple need not unduly wait for their turn. These centers are in addition to the existing ones at Delhi, Pune and Mumbai. Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday that he hoped France could play a constructive role in restarting talks on North Korea, state TV said; days after the reclusive country conducted its sixth nuclear test. The Korean peninsula nuclear issue in the end can only be resolved through peaceful means, including through dialogue and consultations, Xi said in a telephone call with Macron. Macron said France was working to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula and valued Chinas role in resolving the issue, China Central Television said. China hosted the on-gain, off-again six-party talks on North Korea, including Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas, that fizzled out in 2008. Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Koreas young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of U.N. sanctions, testing a string of missiles this year, including one flying over Japan, and conducting its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sunday. Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to prevent. Xi discussed North Korea in calls with Trump on Wednesday and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. Trump has urged China, North Koreas lone major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbour. An earthquake of magnitude 8.1 struck off the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, killing at least six people and triggering small tsunami waves but no major destruction. The quake was apparently stronger than a devastating 1985 tremor that flattened swathes of Mexico City and killed thousands, but this time damage to the city was limited. A number of buildings suffered severe damage in parts of southern Mexico. Some of the worst initial reports came from Juchitan in Oaxaca State, where sections of the town hall, a hotel, a bar and other buildings were reduced to rubble. Rescue workers labored through the night in badly affected areas to check for people trapped in collapsed buildings. Windows also shattered at Mexico City airport and power went out in several neighborhoods of the capital, affecting more than 1 million people. The cornice of a hotel came down in the southern tourist city of Oaxaca, a witness said. The tremor was felt as far away as neighboring Guatemala. The epicenter of the quake was in the Pacific, 54 miles (87 km) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the poor southern state of Chiapas, 43 miles deep. Four people were killed in the state, Governor Manuel Velasco said. Two children were killed in neighboring Tabasco State, Governor Arturo Nunez said. The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Mexican television showed images of the sea retreating about 50 meters, and authorities evacuated some coastal areas. The tsunami risk on the Chiapas coast does not represent a major risk, its not very big, its not a major worry, President Enrique Pena Nieto said in a call to TV network Televisa. The president said more aftershocks were likely and that people should carefully check their homes and offices for structural damage and for gas leaks. We are alert, he said. The USGS reported multiple aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.7. Classes were suspended in most of central and southern Mexico on Friday to allow authorities to review damage. There was no tsunami threat for American Samoa and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System. The national disaster agency of the Philippines put the countrys eastern seaboard on alert, but no evacuation was ordered. Russia claimed on Friday to have killed several top commanders of the Islamic State group in an airstrike in Syria, including the Minister of War and the so-called Emir of Deir Ezzor. As a result of a precision airstrike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali, the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as the IS groups Minister of War and the highest-ranking defector from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, suffered a fatal injury, it added. Russias SU warplanes dropped bunker buster bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. Reports of Khalimovs death have surfaced before. The Times said in April that Khalimov, described as the highest-ranking IS commander in Mosul, had been killed in an airstrike. A former colonel, he headed the Tajik interior ministrys Special Forces unit and received American training before joining IS in 2015. Khalimov pledged allegiance to the jihadist group in a video released in May 2015 in a high-profile defection that rocked Tajikistan, a mainly Muslim country. In the footage, he warned that he and other IS, recruits based in the Middle East were coming for top officials in the country, including long-ruling President Emomali Rakhmon. In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to his location or arrest. In July, police in Tajikistan killed four relatives of the former Special Forces colonel in a gun battle, an interior ministry source has said, and three other relatives were detained. The source claimed that all of those killed or detained were IS supporters and said that they were intending to flee to neighbouring Afghanistan, but did not offer any proof to back up the claims. By Laura Hayes In a recent radio interview, CA State Senator Richard Pan accuses some of his physician colleagues who sign Medical Exemptions as seizing an opportunity to monetize their license by providing inappropriate medical exemptions. Really? Morally and ethically, which child shouldnt be granted a medical exemption when that is the only option left for parents to protect their children from the known and unknown dangers of vaccines, which include death, permanent disability, lifelong illness, and infertility? In truth, Senator Pan is the definition of a physician who monetizes his license in an inappropriate manner. During election campaigns, this pediatrician-senator took money from vaccine-making pharmaceutical companies, then introduced and passed bills to first restrict the use of a Personal Beliefs Exemption (AB2109), then to completely eliminate the PBE in CA (SB277). As an assembly member, then senator, who has remained a practicing pediatrician while holding office, he has personally profited from the passage of both these bills. So then, who is he to accuse his physician colleagues of monetizing their licenses inappropriately? After the egregious and fascist SB277 became law in CA, requiring CA school children to submit to scores of vaccines for 10 different infections throughout the course of their childhood, with more to be added as deemed appropriate by and at the sole discretion of CAs Department of Public Health, Senator Pans next focus became the egregious and fascist SB18. Fortunately, he could not find a co-sponsor to sponsor this bill which included a Childrens Bill of Rights which was ultimately the State of CAs Bill of Rights to Own and Control Your Children. Since SB18 did not become law, it appears that Senator Pan is pursuing a new tactic for forcing mandatory vaccine compliance for all of CAs children, and for ensuring state control over a childs education. How? First, by eliminating the use of medical exemptions, with just the rarest exceptions (ironically, those exceptions will be for children who are immune-comprosmised, likely a result of being vaccinated). Then will come the redefinition of education, and it wont include home schooling as an option. The final result could very well be mandated and forced vaccination combined with institutionalized schooling for all of CAs children. This link to the 4-minute radio interview from 8-28-17 also includes an expanded transcript. Carefully read Senator Pan's comments: "We cant punish the children for the errors of their parents," said State Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a practicing pediatrician and the law's co-author. "Most parents are trying to decide whats best for their families and for their children," he added. "Sometimes, unfortunately, because there are people actively spreading misinformation, theyre making decisions based on bad information. To a certain degree, we can't punish their children by denying them an education that would be both unconstitutional and immoral." "There is a very small minority of physicians," Pan said, "who have seen this as an opportunity to monetize their license to provide inappropriate medical exemptions because there is a demand by some of these parents who are willing to pay." Pan said officials with the Medical Board of California and the Attorney General's Office need tools to better-regulate these exemptions. He left open the possibility that this could be an area for future legislation. My thoughts regarding Pan's statements: Aiken, SC (29801) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 56F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Overcast. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Norways Oslo Airport has teamed up with DHL Global Forwarding to establish a twice a week chartered Boeing 747-400 freighter link to Seoul and Shanghai, with the ambition of establishing a scheduled service. The Norwegian seafood gateway, with a 32% general cargo growth so far this year, said that it is further strengthening its role as the largest and preferred Nordic freighter hub. The aircraft, chartered from Atlas Air, will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays. It will start in Brussels and pick up the seafood at the DHL terminal in Oslo. From there it will be flown to Seoul, where the plane will be discharged and loaded with general cargo for its next destination in China. This procedure repeats at the next stops in Shanghai and Cincinnati and prior to the return to Brussels. Martin Langaas, director of cargo at Norwegian airport operator Avinor, said: For the past year, we have been working closely with DHL Global Forwarding to establish new flights that can serve the strong global demand for Norwegian seafood and bring the different regions in Norway closer to the world markets. Avinors close co-operation with DHL has resulted in several new routes such as Lakselv and Seoul, increasing the competitiveness of Norwegian seafood exports and strengthening the position of Oslo Airport as the leading freighter hub in the Nordics. This move has government support, with the involvement of Norways minister of transport and communications, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, who said: Seafood from Norway is popular in markets around the world. It is important to facilitate good international transport for these products. The market has been trying to find a way to transport seafood from northern Norway to Asia for some time, said Alvinor. Earlier this year DHL opened a cargo route from Lakselv to Oslo. It added: A new service from Oslo to Seoul and Shanghai will make it possible to transport fresh seafood all the way from Lakselv to Asia in a fast and efficient manner. We note that the service is starting out as a series of charter flights, which will be the basis for scheduled flights if the service is economically viable. We are pleased that this new service now becomes a reality. Henk Venema, senior vice president and global head of network carrier management at DHL Global Forwarding, said: DHL aims to be the leading seafood logistics provider in Norway. Our work with Avinor has been very constructive, and we are delighted to be able to present yet another service designed for the seafood industry. This route will save our customers time on connections to South Korea, Shanghai and to the rest of DHLs global network. Trond rjan Olsen, head of airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight Norway, said: "From Northern Norway, we will be providing an absolutely unique product for the region, with a connection to our existing service from Lakselv. We will be delivering seafood from Lakselv to the market in South Korea and China in less than 24 hours. With the launch of our new service to Seoul, we also expand our service from Lakselv from one to two flights a week. Oslo Airport expects its seafood traffic to increase by around 50% in 2017 thanks to the addition of new freighter services. The Norwegian Airport expects to handle a total of 90,000 tonnes of seafood as air cargo this year as freighter services flying directly to import markets have been added. Ingo-Alexander Rahn, global head of airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding, said: Given our expertise in temperature controlled logistics solutions and rapid transportation by plane, we make sure that the seafood arrives at its destination in the best possible condition. Cutting the lead-time by more than 50% and providing seamless logistics processes, can furthermore help the Norwegian fishing industry to grow and win considerable market shares with high quality seafood around the globe. "DHL does not only provide greater transportation capacities of fresh seafood to Asia, we overall contribute to the logistical accessibility of the region and improve the global supply of the time-sensitive goods. Share this story September 7, 2017 CAIRO The Egyptian Interior Ministry shocked the public Aug. 22 by announcing it had arrested 12 people who had formed an organ trafficking network in Giza governorate, south of Cairo. The revelation sparked the public's fear of a rise in such trafficking in the country, as did media reports this week that piles of human remains were found along a desert road near Mir in Asyut province. Residents of the Mir area discovered the remains mostly bones and skulls of adults and children. Soon after authorities confirmed that they had examined, documented and buried the remains of 14 people, another site was located almost 190 miles away. Al-Ahram reported that residents had told officials about adults and children disappearing. After the remains were discovered, the people expressed fear that organ trafficking might be involved. As for the ministry's announcement of arrests in Giza, authorities said they actually caught 12 people including doctors and nurses in the act of an illegal transplant at a private hospital. The bust came after Germany's ProSieben channel published on Aug. 7 a short investigative documentary that it said revealed the existence of an organ trafficking mafia in Egyptian hospitals, a network of physicians working with traffickers. It also said helpless African refugees were being procured from human traffickers for their organs. But the Egyptian Ministry of Health rejected the documentary, saying it was filled with lies and deceit. "The German documentary was recorded outside the ministry's [government] hospitals and does not prove any trade or trafficking in human organs inside [these] hospitals." The report, the ministry said, undermines therapeutic tourism in Egypt and "harms Egypts national security." However, reports of trafficking are hardly new in Egypt. In 2011, a report issued by the Coalition for Organ-Failure Solutions based on the testimony of 57 victims said, Organ traffickers have exploited and are continuing to exploit Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt. These abuses include removing kidneys either by inducing consent, coercion or outright theft. In 2010, the World Health Organization ranked Egypt fifth for illegal human organ trafficking, noting that hundreds of Egyptians living in dire poverty feel compelled to sell their organs. Nine months ago, a roundup of alleged traffickers might have lit a fire under the legislature. On Dec. 6, 2016, the Egyptian Administrative Control Authority, an anti-corruption body, revealed it had arrested dozens of members of an international organ trafficking network that included physicians, university professors and nurses. On July 4, Egypt's parliament approved amendments to the law regulating organ transplants. The amended law stipulates penalties for organ traffickers including fines up to 2 million Egyptian pounds ($113,400) and imprisonment up to a life sentence if a donor dies. If a donor is tricked or coerced into surgery, and that donor dies, the death penalty can be applied. There are also provisions carrying various prison terms, fines and/or license suspensions for people aiding in such operations, as well as sanctions against doctors, clinics and medical centers. Egyptian physician Ali Mahrous heads the Health Ministry's central administration for nongovernmental health facilities and licenses. He told Al-Monitor by phone that the severe penalties are designed to deter violators. He maintains that organ trafficking has decreased recently in Egypt because hospitals licensed to transplant organs are inspected periodically "to make sure that the necessary health and legal conditions are met." According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health on Aug. 20 in response to the German documentary, a specialized ministry committee must approve transplants, and doctors must examine prospective patients and donors to ensure they are ready and medically compatible. The statement also noted that Egyptian citizens cannot donate organs to foreigners, and foreigners wishing to undergo an organ transplant in Egypt must obtain approval from their embassies in Cairo. A donor must sign an officially registered, notarized contract "to confirm there is no human organ-trafficking suspicion, Mahrous told Al-Monitor. In Aug. 22 statements to al-Dostor newspaper, Egyptian parliament members criticized the Ministry of Health's failure to control organ transplant centers. Parliamentarian Sami al-Mashad told al-Dostor, The executive bodies should impose strict supervision over centers trading in human organs. The Health Ministry has no control over these centers in many areas of the country, in violation of the law. Abdel Hamid Abaza, the former head of the Health Ministry's Higher Committee on Organ Transplants, told Al-Monitor that harsher legal sanctions will not eliminate gangs that deal in human organs: This will only happen when the law is efficiently applied." He was speaking of the law regarding "deceased donations," organs that are harvested from the brain-dead or nearly dead. This is a common practice in many nations, but it faced resistance in some Muslim countries because Sharia law says the heart must have stopped for someone to be declared dead. The practice became legal in 2010 but has yet to be implemented. Three problems allow trafficking to continue at the international level, Abaza said: These are the lack of human conscience; poverty; and unemployment, which lead some citizens under the pressure of deprivation and poverty to fall prey to human organ traffickers." On a related topic, the Egyptian Prime Minister on July 5 issued a decision to restructure the Higher Committee on Organ Transplants, which is headed by Minister of Health Ahmed Emad. A source familiar with the ministry told Al-Monitor that the committee will meet in mid-September to consider applications for transplant center licenses and enforcement of the new amendments to the law. September 8, 2017 Last January, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation delayed its decision about a proposed law submitted by Likud Knesset member David Amsalem, which would have banned criminal investigations into a sitting prime minister. At the time, the investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were beginning to gain momentum. In explaining his proposed new law, Amsalem, who was the chairman of the Knesset's Interior Committee, explained that his law was necessary to ensure that a sitting prime minister could carry out his responsibilities without interference. To anyone who claimed that he was acting on behalf of the prime minister himself, Amsalem swore that the initiative was his alone and that in any event, it could not be implemented retroactively. In other words, Netanyahu would not benefit from it. Despite this, Amsalem could not get a majority to support his legislation and the proposal was shelved though as we are learning, not for long. It is now quite clear to everyone that recent developments in the Netanyahu investigations threaten his very ability to continue on as prime minister. On Sept. 6, it also became obvious that Amsalem has no plans to give up. According to a report on Channel 2, Amsalem is planning to resubmit his proposed law to the Knesset as soon as it returns from its recess in late October. What he is actually proposing is an amendment to the Basic Law of the Government, determining that a criminal investigation cannot be launched against a sitting prime minister if the maximum sentence is less than six months in prison. Since it would be unjust for a prime minister not to pay for such a crime if he is found guilty, the proposed law also determines that the statute of limitations for the crime would not include the time that the prime minister is in office, and that he could be investigated for it as soon as he is out of office. The proposal also offers two exceptions. The first is that the prime minister could still be investigated for crimes against the security of the state, or crimes involving violence, sexual assault or substance abuse. The second is that the prime minister could be investigated for other crimes, too, if delaying such an investigation during his term in office could cause significant damage to the security or economic well-being of the state. The chances of Amsalem's proposed law passing are slim. It is even fairly safe to assume that he is well aware of this. Nevertheless, the very fact that he is submitting the proposal can be seen as a pledge of loyalty to the prime minister from one of the Likud's most vocal advocates of defending Netanyahu at all costs. As far as Amsalem is concerned, defending the prime minister in his time of dire need can be used as a political springboard. If Knesset member David Bitan is appointed a minister after an expected reshuffling, Amsalem sees himself as his natural successor as chairman of the coalition. It is also rather safe to assume that if Netanyahu really wasnt interested in seeing Amsalem's law passed, it would not have been recycled at this time. In the meanwhile, the proposal law is stirring up a media frenzy, even before it is actually submitted for a second time. Amsalem played innocent by explaining that he wasn't doing this for Netanyahus sake, but for the prime ministers who will succeed him since, as statistics show, it is highly likely that they will also come under investigation. The fact is that in the past two decades, four prime ministers have come under criminal investigation: Netanyahu in his first term, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu again. Amsalem outlined the need for such a law in an interview with Army Radio: "I said it then, and I'm saying it again. I am not about to defend Netanyahu, so all the leftists can calm down. I am doing this to save Israel a lot of money 3 billion shekels [$854 million] on new elections. We have a country to run. There is no other country in the world where a prime minister is under investigation while he is in office. In many countries, it would be impossible to investigate a sitting prime minister. Nor can I think of a single country that would investigate a prime minister for receiving cigars and champagne as a gift from a friend. Amsalem is correct about a great deal of countries, though the presidents of Brazil and South Korea have been questioned by police in recent months. The surprising thing is that if we were to separate Amsalem's proposed legislation from its timing, the personal component and the way it serves Netanyahu's campaign, there is a certain logic to it. It is worthy of a serious discussion at the very least, instead of the inevitable political bickering. It is also worth noting that Amsalem is not the first politician to propose a law like this. Former Knesset member Ronit Tirosh of the Kadima Party proposed similar legislation back in 2011. Tirosh's proposal was known as the "French Law," because in France a sitting president cannot come under investigation so as not to interfere with the performance of his duties. Tirosh was considered close to Prime Minister Sharon and later to Prime Minister Olmert. She proposed her legislation in order to allow the prime minister to fulfill his duties without interference. In her case, the proposed law dealt with crimes that were committed before the prime minister began his term in office. At the time, Tirosh claimed that the law would strengthen the elected prime minister, and by extension, the entire form of government. Her proposed law stated: "A situation in which a prime minister is under investigation is intolerable. It raises the concern the prime minister will make fateful decisions in an egregious manner simply because the many investigations are consuming his time and energy." But Tirosh's proposed law was blocked nonetheless, even though it received the support of then-Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman. It was argued that what she was proposing violated the principle of equality before the law. While this was a strong argument against it, there was also a certain logic behind her proposal. In its current form, the Basic Law of the Government does not impose any limitations on launching an investigation into a sitting prime minister's affairs, even if he is suspected of committing a crime prior to his election, as long as the investigation is approved by the attorney general. Right now, Netanyahu is entangled in a web of criminal investigations, yet he still makes fateful decisions every day. The attack on Syria on Sept. 7, which was attributed to Israel by Syria, might have been one of these. Obviously, in an ideal situation, a sitting prime minister should be free from dealing with legal battles. While it is inappropriate for legislation of this kind to be passed while investigations against the prime minister are already underway, this should not rule out a discussion about some law of this kind in the future. The only condition would be that the debate surrounding the law have nothing to do with any particular individual or any existing legal entanglement. If this is indeed the case, the law would certainly win broad support from the coalition and opposition alike. September 7, 2017 Six years since the Syrian uprising turned into an all-out civil war, tensions in Lebanon between Syrian refugees and Lebanese nationals have continued to intensify, especially in Beirut. It is no secret that Lebanese officials have contributed to the scapegoating of refugees for Lebanons socioeconomic and political woes. In February, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil hinted that the influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon poses a demographic and existential threat. Lebanon, without its philosophy and culture, will go to the advantage of refugees and terrorists, he told expats in Johannesburg, South Africa. In July, reported incidents of violence against Syrian refugees increased in and around Beirut. The army was also accused of torturing four Syrian refugees to death, while the military said the detained Syrians died of natural causes. However, the xenophobic rhetoric seems not to have infected many of Lebanons communities near the border in the countrys two most impoverished regions. While tensions do exist between them and the Syrian refugee community on an economic level, there appears to be a level of mutual understanding over their difficult economic circumstances. Recent military offensives in northeast Lebanon between Hezbollah and the Lebanese army against former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and the Islamic State have intensified existing tensions between many Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees. However, Lebanons poorer border towns and villages remain more concerned with the persisting dire economic situation. Lebanons poorer border towns and villages remain more concerned with the persisting dire economic situation. A joint report published by the World Bank and the Lebanese governments Central Administration of Statistics, using research spanning late 2011 to late 2012, concluded that north Lebanon and the Bekaa in the east were the country's two poorest areas. With poverty rates of 36% and 38% prior to the refugee influx, the situation has continued to deteriorate as refugees poured into Lebanon fleeing the ongoing violence in Syria. Wadi Khaled, a town in the impoverished Akkar region near the northern border, has been impacted by the Syrian conflict beyond its refugee influx. In 2013, gunfire and shelling between the Syrian army and opposition groups on the Syrian side of the frontier killed two and wounded three civilians. The closure of the northern border crossing in late December 2014 shut down trade. Extremist militants were holed up in the area until the summer of 2016. Overlooking Syrian territory and what Al-Monitor was told are common illegal border crossing routes stands a Doctors Without Borders clinic providing free services for Lebanese and Syrian nationals alike. An IS operative suspected of planning to carry out attacks against senior military officials was arrested on Aug. 26, nine days after visiting the clinic in Wadi Khaled. Among the free services the clinic provides is Wadi Khaled's only psychiatric care. Mental health supervisor Dana al-Laham told Al-Monitor that while mixed group sessions experience a little bit of racism, they have often played a role in increasing empathy. However, she added that the groups tend to be divided as Syrians share their experiences in the war and their difficult situations as refugees. Syrian refugees cannot cross checkpoints because of their documents, Laham explained. Lebanons northern Akkar region has plenty of military checkpoints, especially as one approaches the border. Mohammad Merei, a doctor specializing in noncommunicable and chronic diseases, told Al-Monitor that the presence of a clinic in the area has eased tensions between the populations. Merei is from the area and previously worked in Lebanese hospitals. Government budgets [in Lebanese hospitals] for Lebanese and foreign nationals are separate, he explained. Lebanese nationals are frustrated that their budget ceilings are already low, but Syrian refugees have been able to receive some treatment from the hospitals budget for foreign nationals. That said, he explained that the lack of access to public services, especially health care, predates [the] refugee crisis. A Lebanese man from the Akkar region who asked to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor that relations between Lebanese and Syrians have usually remained positive. Both populations are mostly Sunni and have many cultural similarities, he said. It is not uncommon for intermarriages to take place." In the less homogenous Bekaa region near the remaining open border crossing to Syria, the Italian nongovernmental organization AVSI has been trying to help impoverished villages and towns mitigate their economic crises with their Cash For Work program that was launched on April 3. Partnering with local municipalities, the project provides some work for small teams of vulnerable Lebanese citizens and displaced Syrians to fix roads and infrastructure and restore old buildings, among other projects. Khaled, a 30-year-old engineer from Daraa who declined to give his full name, has been in Lebanon since 2012, and has been residing in the small village of Kfar Dines in the Bekaa since 2014. I first was in Sidon [south Lebanon] and Zahle [east Lebanon], each for a year, Khaled told Al-Monitor. There generally is racism, but I experienced most of it in cities. He said that while he is happy to make some money for his mother and family back in Syria, he vehemently denied claims by Lebanese officials that refugees enjoyed plenty of handouts and easy living. I studied civil engineering, and nobody wants to work a job in a field that is not related to the career they aspire to have, he said. I cannot return to Syria. We fear for our safety, especially with conscription. A Kfar Dines local named Reda, who works as a supervisor for one of AVSIs projects, admitted that there is tension between the two communities. [Syrians] offer their labor at lower wages than [the Lebanese] do, so it is to be expected, he told Al-Monitor. With all due respect to them, we handled a lot. However, Reda said that the town faced problems well before the refugee crisis. We have had a huge water problem, he said, explaining that the amount the village receives weekly is nowhere near sufficient for the residents' needs. When asked about some of the rhetoric coming from Beirut, he condemned it. [Syrians] are not a demographic threat. This is just sectarian talk because theyre mostly Sunni, he said. What are we supposed to do? Convert them? We [in Lebanon] slaughtered each other for 15 years because of sectarianism. Mayor Fawzi Salem of the southeast village of al-Bireh and head of a 12-town municipal union, blames both the international community and the national government for the situation. As a border town, we have a huge Syrian population, and we are trying to do what we can to help, he said, adding that, in those 12 towns and villages, there are almost two refugees for every Lebanese person. Salem told Al-Monitor, I give the previous government full responsibility for not regulating [the refugees'] entry, which has impacted our economy and for some, not all our army and security. He added that the villages and towns in east and southeast Lebanon have always been neglected by the national government. Salem praised the NGO works, saying, They have immensely eased tensions and improved the economic situation, but expressed concern that the situation will worsen once the projects end. While some residents told Al-Monitor that there is no racism whatsoever, Salem admitted there has been some xenophobic and racist rhetoric. There is no smoke without fire, he said. September 6, 2017 Morocco has joined the list of countries where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pursuing the followers and sympathizers of the Hizmet (Service) movement. Like many countries, Morocco has succumbed to Ankaras pressure and arrested individuals affiliated with the movement that Fethullah Gulen established in 1970. In January, the Moroccan government announced it was closing several schools that Turkish contractors affiliated with the Hizmet movement had run in the country since 1994. The shutdown was in response to official Turkish orders that classify the group as terrorist and accuse it of being implicated in the failed coup attempt of July 2016. The Ministry of Interior accused the educational institutions of turning the educational sector into fertile land for promotion of Gulens ideologies and spreading a line of thought that goes against Moroccos religious and educational standards. A source close to Gulenist circles in Morocco told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Moroccan authorities have been holding four Turks captive since March. The source said that the Moroccan Court of Cassation decided to hand over two of them to the Turkish authorities, but the decision has not been implemented and awaits approval from the Moroccan government. The captives concerned are Esmat Bakay, the owner of a clothes retail company in Casablanca, and Farhat Erdogan, who has lived in Morocco since 2011. The source added, The UN Committee against Torture intervened and asked the Moroccan authorities to put the decision on hold temporarily until the issue is re-examined. The committee is concerned that the Turkish citizens might be tortured in case they are deported to Ankara. The other two Turks under arrest are Mustafa Onder, a former teacher at a Gulen-affiliated school in Morocco, and Eidin Elmez, who manages a pastry shop. They await the Sept. 9 decision of the Moroccan Court of Cassation, human rights sources told Al-Monitor. They said Onder and Elmez are not hopeful and believe their verdict will be similar to their two friends because it is a matter of politics. Attempts by Al-Monitor to get an official comment on the matter went unanswered. One government official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that he had no information on the matter. The source with Gulenist connections in Morocco said, The problem is that the Moroccan Court of Cassation should verify the evidence and the accusations against the men before ruling. But the court is biased toward the Turkish authorities and is acting as though all charges are correct. We were shocked to see this in Morocco because we never did anything to bother the Moroccan authorities, and we expected Morocco to stay out of this dispute. The Turkish authorities accused the four Turks of being affiliated with and funding a terrorist organization. The Moroccan court is only in charge of verifying the charges and handing over the accused to Turkey per the extradition agreement between the two countries from 1989. But why is Morocco caving to Erdogans pressure and agreeing to participate in his war to eradicate the religious group outside Turkey? Idris al-Kanabouri, an independent researcher on the affairs of Islamist groups, said that Morocco has trade and economic interests in Turkey it does not want to jeopardize. Kanabouri told Al-Monitor, The developments did not come as a surprise after the shutdown of the Gulen-affiliated Al-Fatih schools months ago. Erdogan is linking cooperation and friendship ties with countries to respond to his demands to close the schools and pursue their members. He is also trying to pressure the United States to hand over Gulen, who is in US territory but in vain. Kanabouri noted that Morocco enjoys sovereignty in its national decisions and must not get carried away with Erdogans policies. Emri Dimir, the former editor-in-chief of the French edition of Zaman newspaper close to the Hizmet movement, told Al-Monitor that the Moroccan stance that is biased toward Erdogan is in Moroccos economic interests as well as the new foreign policy it has followed for almost a year. Erdogan already asked the Moroccan king to close the schools affiliated with Hizmet in 2015, but the king did not oblige. The change in stance can be seen as Moroccos attempt to adopt a balanced foreign policy between the different axes and to diversify partners. Economically, there are huge investment incentives that Erdogan can offer Morocco, especially from the industrial groups close to him, Dimir said. According to the source close to Gulenist circles, dozens of Turks who live in Morocco and are affiliated with Gulens group left the Moroccan territories weeks ago for fear of pursuit. The source said, As soon as the Turkish authorities want someone handed over, they are arrested in Morocco. The Turkish Embassy presents reports about any Gulenist suspects. For that reason, those who have European visas left Morocco as soon as they could, while the others are waiting for the opportunity to flee. The security authorities have asked several Moroccan religious figures who openly sympathize with the Hizmet movement to halt communication with it and keep their distance, according to sources close to these figures who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Ahmed Abbadi, the secretary-general of the Mohammadia League of Scholars, which is an official religious institution, is a strong advocate of Gulens ideology in Morocco and a regular contributor to Hira magazine funded by the Hizmet movement that has been distributed in Morocco for years. Dimir argued, Gulen calls for classic Sunni Islam marked by moderation, which does not threaten Moroccos religious norms, but is close to them. Otherwise, Moroccan authorities wouldnt have allowed Gulen to organize activities that official Moroccan clerics and figures influenced by him repeatedly attended. He noted that Morocco, by going too far in cracking down on the Gulenists, is losing an objective ally that shares a similar religious vision and joining hands with Erdogan, who has a Muslim Brotherhood perspective. September 2, 2017 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Egypt has taken several steps to improve economic conditions for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. On Aug. 11, an agreement was reached to establish a free-trade zone on the Gazan-Egyptian border during a visit by a Hamas delegation to Cairo. On June 21, Egyptian industrial diesel was brought to Gaza to operate the enclaves sole power plant. Egypts actions are a response to the sanctions imposed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Gaza, where Hamas has been suffering a financial crisis since 2014, when Iran cut its aid to Hamas in light of the Syrian crisis. On Aug. 15, Hamas' spokesman in Gaza Abdullatif al-Kanou told the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency that the free-trade zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will open after the Rafah crossing is restored. Work on the crossing is expected to end Sept. 5. He said that the Hamas delegation discussed the operation of the commercial crossing and the entry of the goods with Egyptian officials. The relationship between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Egypt has been lukewarm for years, for several reasons. Abbas rejected Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's efforts to reconcile with dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan in November 2015. Abbas also rejected Sisis peace initiative launched in May 2016. On the other side, Egypt rejected the PAs request in late July 2016 to hold an Arab summit in Cairo to discuss the Israeli settlement issue and set a date for taking the issue to the UN Security Council. Hamas leader and head of the economic committee in the Palestinian Legislative Council Atef Adwan told Al-Monitor, The free-trade zone currently under construction on the border between Gaza and Egypt will benefit both Gaza and Egypt. The daily trading volume is expected to reach $2 million. He went on, Hamas buys diesel from Egypt for 3 shekels per liter ($0.84) and sells it to the filling stations at 4.2 shekels ($1.18). These stations sell it to citizens at 4.37 shekels ($1.22), which means that Hamas is making a profit of 1.2 shekels ($0.34) per liter of Egyptian diesel. Adwan explained, Gaza does not receive fixed quantities; it all depends on the security situation in Sinai, but in most cases, between 1 million and 1.5 million liters of diesel enter per day, 300,000-400,000 liters of which go to the power plant, and the rest is sold to filling stations. Adwan said that the Egyptian diesel will help alleviate Hamas financial crisis, noting that the establishment of the free-trade zone will also significantly contribute to improving the economic conditions in Gaza. In a parallel development, Hamas announced Aug. 15 the disbursement of 60% of the monthly salary of its employees in Gaza. It has been disbursing only 40% of those salaries in light of the worsening financial crisis. Mohammed Abu Jayyab, the editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Al Eqtisadiah, told Al-Monitor that the introduction of Egyptian diesel into Gaza has had a positive effect on government revenues in Gaza, but has not made a significant change in the deteriorating economic situation there. However, he expected Hamas' revenues to steadily improve should the supplies of Egyptian fuel continue and the free-trade zone between Gaza and Egypt be established successfully. Abu Jayyab pointed out that the Egyptian fuel has cost the PA significantly, as it normally profits from supplying Gaza with Israeli fuel. Such losses may reach over 400 million shekels ($111.9 million) annually if Egypt continues to pump industrial diesel into Gaza. Meanwhile, an economic source from the PA told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The introduction of Egyptian diesel into Gaza has disrupted the revenues the PA gets from supplying Israeli diesel to Gaza, resulting in monthly losses for the PA of about $45 million. The source pointed out that the Egyptian diesel has reduced Gaza's consumption of Israeli diesel from 2 million liters to 150,000-200,000 liters per month, adding, Egypt's approval of the introduction of Egyptian diesel into Gaza without the PAs approval will deepen the internal Palestinian division and increase tension in the relationship between Egypt and the PA, especially in light of Egypt's alliance with Dahlan, who is on the PAs wanted list. In an attempt to counter the Egyptian fuel's impact, the consensus government in Ramallah decided on Aug. 13 to reduce the price of Israeli diesel supplied to the Gaza Strip from 5.36 shekels ($1.50) to 4.36 shekels ($1.22) to encourage citizens to use Israeli diesel. It should be noted that Palestine is the country with the second highest diesel prices in the Arab world due to the variety of taxes imposed on it. Adwan noted that the reduction of the Israeli diesels price has not affected demand for Egyptian diesel, which is a better quality source. Political science professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza Talal Okal does not believe Egypt is deepening the internal Palestinian division. I think Egypt wants to achieve two objectives through the decisions it made regarding Gaza. It mainly wants to pressure the PA to put an end to its punitive measures against the Gaza Strip and try to achieve reconciliation, Okal told Al-Monitor. Egypt was commissioned by the Arab League to be the exclusive sponsor of the Palestinian reconciliation; it is not attempting to deepen the division. Egypts second objective, according to Okal, is to ease the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza, but not end it, for fear of escalating the situation in Gaza. If such a thing happens, it will destabilize Sinai and Egypt in general. In addition, Egypt cannot solve Gaza's economic problems drastically, because this is Israels responsibility as the state occupying the Palestinian territories, Okal noted. Fears are growing in Ramallah of Hamas abandoning reconciliation after finding a solution to its economic and financial problems through Egypt. September 8, 2017 WASHINGTON As pro-regime forces move to recapture the largest city in eastern Syria, the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) is considering extending cooperation with Russia to avoid run-ins with its Syrian ally near militant strongholds. Earlier this week, Syrian forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad began operations with Iran-backed troops to break a three-year siege by some 2,500 IS fighters in Deir ez-Zor, a critical thoroughfare on the Euphrates River. While the United States does not maintain diplomatic ties with Assad, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve said the Pentagon could expand de-confliction agreements with Russia to prevent clashes with pro-regime forces. There is a de-confliction line that runs south of Taqba and goes all the way across parallel to the Euphrates River, so that we can maintain our focus, both the Russians and the regime and the coalition on defeating [IS]," Col. Ryan Dillon said in response to a question from Al-Monitor at a Pentagon press briefing on Thursday. As pro-Assad forces "move closer into the Middle Euphrates River Valley, like into Deir ez-Zor, and we de-conflict with the Russians we'll continue to draw that line farther on down the Middle Euphrates River Valley, if necessary." Washington and Moscow have used a de-confliction communications line that extends from a US base in Qatar to Russian command centers to warn one another of pending airstrikes in Syria, including a Russian cruise missile strike against IS from Mediterranean-based warships in June. Under the agreement, the United States operates out of al-Tanf garrison inside a 35-mile radius in southern Syria, south of Raqqa province and parallel to the Euphrates River, to train vetted Syrian opposition fighters, supposedly without fear of reprisal from Russia or Assad. But the deal has faced pressure, with clashes between US and pro-regime forces prompting Russia to threaten to shut down the line. In June, American forces shot down a Syrian drone and a Syrian Su-22 fighter jet headed toward the de-conflicted areas, the first air-to-air combat kill by the US military in nearly two decades. And this month, coalition officials said de-confliction efforts to get Russian help in separating civilians from an IS convoy recently stranded in the Syrian Desert by a US airstrike have not been successful. Yet the pact has served Moscows interests, too, allowing the Kremlin to scale back its presence in Syria as pro-Assad forces have retaken major population centers in recent months. Still, its not clear that Damascus or Tehran will honor an expanded safe zone arrangement. Russia and the US are working on de-confliction zones and trying to prevent any major wars, Ahmad Majidyar, a resident fellow at the Middle East Institute who studies Iranian military movements in the region, told Al-Monitor. However, Assad and the Iranians may not agree to those sorts of arrangements. With the US-backed coalition estimating that as few as 6,000 IS fighters are preparing for a last stand in the Middle Euphrates River Valley between Iraq and Syria, Iran appears to be expanding its presence in the border region. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in July that Iran has military advisers in both countries, with a recent uptick in casualties suggesting that Tehran has a large presence of both ground troops and allied Shiite militias. Regime gains in Deir ez-Zor province, Syrias second largest, could provide a boost to both Assad and Iran, experts say, allowing Damascus access to its largest oil fields and giving Tehran a chance to control the Iraqi-Syrian border and link up with Shiite militias fighting on the other side. These include fighters who participated in the recent liberation of Tal Afar from IS. Deir ez-Zor is the main route that would link up Iran and Syria, Majidyar said. Thats the strategic prize that Iran is focused on right now. Rapid deterioration of IS forces could hasten a US-Iran confrontation, Majidyar added, as both sides may race south to seek control of the al-Bukamal border crossing, a critical Iraq-Syria junction. The United States isnt ready to concede that prize, with the American-led coalition stepping up airstrikes on Deir ez-Zor in recent months. On Thursday, Dillon promised that the assault from above would continue, especially as US officials arent convinced that Assad-backed forces will remove IS from their holdings. Are they going to squeegee [IS] out of Deir ez-Zor and push them elsewhere? he said. Not if we can help it. Dillon said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters that have taken the lead in recapturing the IS stronghold of Raqqa, have forged partnerships with local tribes and will be ready to seize Deir ez-Zor. But some experts question whether the SDF will be motivated to help retake Deir ez-Zor, where local Arab tribes are on the front lines, unlike other Syrian battlegrounds where foreign IS militants struggle for control. Its tribe against tribe, said Fabrice Balanche, an associate professor at the University of Lyon 2 in France who is currently serving as a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute. Its not so easy to retake territory. And to take the fighting to IS fighters in Deir ez-Zor, the SDF will first have to finish retaking Raqqa. So far theyve reclaimed about 60% of the area, chasing IS out of its sanctuary in the Old City and liberating a childrens hospital that served as a forward base for the group. The SDF is now engaged in block-by-block combat to retake buildings and an extensive network of tunnels that an estimated 1,500 IS fighters are using to resupply their effort. Its not clear whether the White House plans to continue US involvement in Syria after the fall of IS. Though the White House asked for funding for temporary US facilities in the country, including ammunition and resupply sites, on Sept. 7 President Donald Trump moved away from the possibility of US involvement in the wider Syrian civil war. As far as Syria is concerned, Trump said, we have very little to do with Syria other than killing [IS]. September 7, 2017 BEIRUT More than 75,000 people have disappeared in Syria since 2011, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). Amnesty International started a campaign on Aug. 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, with the aim to push the authorities and armed groups to reveal the status of the disappeared to their families. The human rights group organized a weeklong exhibition at cultural space Station Beirut to remember Syria's missing and disappeared. The exhibition, titled Tens of Thousands, shows poems written by detainees and portraits of prisoners by Syrian artist Azza Abou Rebieh. Copper wires / my blood / has turned / by their generous servings of electric shocks / and yet despite that / I see you / here, wrote Syrian poet Aref Hamza after he was released from a Syrian prison. His words describe the cruelty of life in detention. Since the start of the conflict in 2011, thousands have been detained in Syrian regime jails, held by armed groups or abducted. Many will never be heard from again. Amnesty International has been documenting the disappeared in Syria from before the war. But since 2011, many more people have disappeared, and it is now a priority issue for us, Leen Hashem, the regional campaigner on Syria for Amnesty International, told Al-Monitor. It is a real human issue that cannot be buried under political negotiations. Through an online campaign, the organization is calling out the Syrian government and armed groups to disclose the fate of the disappeared, as well as the international community such as Russia and the United States to push their allies to answers, Hashem said. So far, no one replied, but we will keep insisting for the families who have the very righteous demand of knowing what happened to their loved ones. In the meantime, we support them and we dont lose hope. Amnesty International organized this campaign in collaboration with Families for Freedom, a US human rights organization whose representative on the Syrian disappeared, Fadwa Mahmoud, had a son and husband taken by the regime Air Force Intelligence in September 2012. She has not heard from them since then. I tried to be involved in political groups to push forward this issue, but it was in vain, Mahmoud told Al-Monitor. As I needed to speak up, I took part in Families for Freedom. It is not only for me or for my son it is for everyone feeling like me today. SNHR's Aug. 30 report titled Where are they? stated, The report records that no less than 85,036 persons are still forcibly disappeared at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria between March 2011 and August 2017. The Syrian regime was responsible for 76,656 enforced-disappearance cases, including 1,116 children and 4,219 women (adult female), while 4,698 individuals, including 204 children and 182 women, have been forcibly disappeared at the hands of ISIS [the Islamic State], in addition to 1,121 individuals, including seven children and 12 women, who have been forcibly disappeared at the hands of Fateh al-Sham Front, whereas Self-Management forces were responsible for the enforced-disappearance of no less than 1,143 individuals, including 22 children and 33 women. Lastly, no less than 1,418 individuals, including 178 children and 364 women, have been forcibly disappeared at the hands of armed opposition factions. These disappearances go against the Syrian Constitution and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. In October 2013, Human Rights Watch reported that those missing are mainly journalists, doctors, activists and humanitarian workers. Four activists Razan Zeitouneh, her husband Wael Hamada, Samira Khalil and Hazem Hammadi who worked at the Violations Documentation Center, a nongovernmental organization monitoring human rights violations in Syria, have not been heard from since their disappearance in 2013. They were not dangerous, but their disappearance puts pressure on all the other activists, Diala Brisly, a Syrian artist now living in Germany, told Al-Monitor. The regime can use kidnapping to get names by torture, or just to set an example. Some die during torture, others are released, others we don't hear from again. Now what is new is that they kidnap people to get money from their families. This happened to my sister; the regime took her husband and after a few weeks she was approached to give money in exchange for him. She didnt have any money and ended up being threatened, so she had to hide in Lebanon for a few months. Her husband ended up coming back alive. But it works. They used to be activists and now they stopped everything they keep very quiet. Brisly said that some of her friends had been kidnapped by the Islamic State. She said that Samar and Mohammad, who worked as childhood educators, were kidnapped three years ago. These groups just want to brainwash people, Brisly said. So activity enlightening the population such as journalism, education or medicine is seen as a threat. Many organizations, associations and individuals are making sure those who disappeared in Syria over the last few years will not be forgotten. Amnesty International uses the internet to tell the stories of some of the disappeared, showing their pictures, names, affiliation and when and where they were last seen. Gov. Kay Ivey made several stops in Birmingham today, as she kicked off what is being called a "listening tour" one day after she announced she will seek re-election. Her first stop was Birmingham's Florentine Building, where she spoke with business leaders and elected officials. It was also a way to spotlight the downtown Birmingham landmark, which used the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit reinstated by the Legislature earlier this year. That legislation is credited with spurring more than $200 million in downtown Birmingham over the last five years. As people sipped coffee, Ivey shook hands and gave a few brief remarks. She called her tour "a good thing." "Sometimes we get in our own little silos, and 'nobody told me such and such was happening over here,'" she said. "To listen to the people of Alabama - what's working, what's not working. This is the people's business. This is the people's state. The people of Alabama pay their taxes to operate our state, and all of us have to be good stewards." Ivey then went on to a ribbon cutting at Kamtek's new $60 million manufacturing expansion, as a way to draw attention to the Alabama Jobs Act, which helped the expansion. She was also scheduled to visit Southern Research and the Alabama School of Fine Arts, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. John Sharp | jsharp@al.com The City of Birmingham is interested in becoming the home for a second corporate headquarters for Amazon.com, Mayor William Bell said today. In a brief interview this morning with AL.com, Bell said today's announcement of Amazon scouting for a $5 billion second campus "did not come as a surprise." Birmingham is looking in the western area of town for possible locations. Don't Edit William Thornton | wthornton@al.com Credit monitoring company Equifax has been hit by a high-tech heist that exposed the social security numbers and other data of about 143 million Americans. Now those people have to worry about the threat of having their identities stolen. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. Don't Edit Blue Bell If you you can't find it in the freezer, it's probably because somebody beat you there. Blue Bell Ice Cream's newest creation is Pink Camo 'n Cream, a variation on last year's Camo 'n Cream. It is available in limited quantities in the half gallon and pint sizes. Don't Edit William Thornton | wthornton@al.com Hector's Kitchen stands out along a stretch of Alabama 77 in Attalla, not far from Interstate 59. A former barbecue stand, it is the sole Cuban-themed restaurant amongst Mexican and American offerings, both local and national. The signage and interior has a colorful Caribbean hue, as does the music playing inside. It's the retirement project of Hector Contreras and his wife Bonnie, the latest among the businesses they've started during their 30 years of marriage. Don't Edit Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com Florida's two senators are openly criticizing President Trump's nominee to head NASA, but the Alabama senator who also plays a key role in NASA's future is more open to the nomination. Trump's Sept. 1 nomination of U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla) confirmed speculation that he would tap the former military pilot to head the space agency. Don't Edit Don't Edit Bob Carlton | bcarlton@al.com The arrival of autumn not only means cooler weather and vivid colors but also a bevy of food festivals throughout the state -- events celebrating everything from peanuts and butter beans to catfish and oysters. Here, with the help of the Alabama Tourism Department, is our list of 25 of Alabama's top fall food festivals to put on your 2017 calendar. Don't Edit Christopher Harress | charress@al.com Maria Trejo has no memories of the few years she spent in Mexico. At age three, she and her mother were helped across the U.S. border by coyotajes, also known as people smugglers. Since then, Mobile, Alabama the place she refers to as "home," and where she lived illegally for years, worried about being caught and deported. But on Tuesday afternoon, the years of uncertainty that Trejo experienced as a child returned. Don't Edit William Thornton | wthornton@al.com After 13 years in business, Sweet Home Alabama, a candy store in Sunderland, a coastal city in northeast England, has closed. Owners Martin and Joan O'Neill, who ran the store along with their daughter, Siobhan O'Neill, announced the news on Sweet Home Alabama's Facebook page Thursday morning. Don't Edit Bob Carlton | bcarlton@al.com The Houston, Texas-based Perry's Steakhouse & Grille chain is offering a three-course dinner special throughout September at all 13 of its restaurants, including its location in Birmingham, to benefit flood relief efforts in the Houston area. The steakhouse chain hopes to raise $200,000 for the Houston Flood Relief Fund organized by Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Don't Edit Tara Massouleh | tmassouleh@al.com Hotel rooms were not available in much of south Alabama Thursday, as cities from Mobile to Birmingham prepared for an influx of Florida evacuees ahead of Hurricane Irma's arrival into South Florida on Sunday. Most of the bookings occurred overnight Wednesday into Thursday after Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered mass evacuations ahead of the powerful Category 5 storm's arrival. From Mobile north to Montgomery, hoteliers were telling evacuees Thursday to seek overnight accommodations in Birmingham and north toward Huntsville. Don't Edit Don't Edit Trisha Crain / tcrain@al.com Gov. Kay Ivey finally put in words today what her actions had said for weeks - she's running for a full term as Alabama's governor next year. "Four months ago, I was sworn in as the 54th Governor of the State of Alabama," Ivey said in a statement. "There hasn't been a more humbling moment in my life. That so many of you have supported and prayed for me and my team means the world--and it's our highest honor to serve you. I took over at one of that darkest times in our state's memory. I'm proud to say we've steadied the ship. Now it's time to steer it to continued conservative progress and prosperity." Don't Edit Lee Roop | lroop@al.com Apple Inc's new iPhone had hit production glitches early in its manufacturing process and could lead to supply shortfalls and shipping delays following its launch next week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Don't Edit Carolyn Kaster President Donald Trump on Thursday embraced a suggestion from the Senate's top Democrat to end congressional battles over the U.S. debt ceiling, a day after he stunned fellow Republicans by striking a major budget deal with the opposition party. Testing his new opening with Democrats, Trump also reached out on another tricky issue, the fate of 800,000 so-called Dreamers, young adults brought illegally to the country as children, Reuters reported. Don't Edit William Thornton | wthornton@al.com SpaceX launched an unmanned space place for the U.S. Air Force Thursday morning, as Hurricane Irma took aim at Cape Canaveral, CNN reported. Irma, a Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph, was about 100 miles north of the Dominican Republic. Some forecasts suggest it could reach the Kennedy Space Center by late Saturday or early Sunday morning. Don't Edit William Thornton | wthornton@al.com Facebook has claimed that its advertising platform can reach millions more young adults in the U.S. than are estimated to actually live in the country, according to Brian Wieser, an analyst with Pivotal Research Group, according to CNNMoney. Don't Edit A Birmingham activist has filed an ethics complaint against Mayor William Bell over a mayoral campaign-related meeting held at city hall where he warned employees they could be out of a job if he wasn't re-elected. Iva Williams, who filed the complaint, alleges Bell used his office for personal gain. He also claims the mayor violated state law by using his official position for political activities and by using city facilities for political activities. "I think it deserves due process," he told AL.com on Friday. An audio recording of the meeting was released to members of the media this week. In the mandatory meeting held in the City Council Chambers on Aug. 28, Bell told staff that they couldn't campaign during work hours. He asked staff to tell residents of the progress being made in the city and "magnify" his voice in the community. "The political survival of my administration is at stake," Bell said. "And if you think that is just about William Bell, no it is about everyone in this room. It is about each of us in this room. Because I guarantee you while some may survive, the vast majority of you will not. OK. I'm not trying to put fear I'm just trying to tell you the realities of the situation." In last week's meeting, Bell doesn't explicitly ask staff members to campaign for him. "Now, what do I need from you? It is improper for you to campaign during working hours," he said. "I am not asking you to do that, but what I am asking you to do when you are at work - do your job professionally. Reach out to citizens. Whatever they need try to meet them as immediately as possible. Don't get into any arguments with people, but try to satisfy whatever their needs are. That's the best thing you can do to help me while you are on duty." Bell tells them to be professional to residents. He also asks them to "tell the true story" of his leadership and the progress going on in the city. April Odom, spokesperson for the mayor's office, told AL.com earlier this week that the meeting wasn't a "campaign meeting." She said it was a meeting to "address the widespread information that was being put out. "After the election we were inundated with requests from staff on how they could help," she stated in an email. "We had a staff meeting where the mayor clearly outlined what was acceptable and not acceptable." The mayor has yet to comment on the complaint. Williams filed the complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission on Sept. 7. "Mayor Bell used the facilities and employees of the city of Birmingham to hold a meeting to solicit contributions and support for his campaign for re-election as mayor of Birmingham, the complaint states. Mayor Bell used official stationary of the Office of the Mayor of the city of Birmingham to order city employees to attended a mandatory meeting to solicit contributions and their support for his campaign for re-election as Mayor of Birmingham, during working hours. "Mayor Bell solicited things of value from city employees that he directly supervised, the complaint states. "Mayor Bell used his official position to solicit things of value from public employees for his own personal gain." In an email to AL.com, Tom Albritton, executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, said the commission's traditional approach is to not resolve a complaint related to an election within 45 days of that election. "We recognize that many complaints filed with us are not being filed for political gain but are, rather, being filed for legitimate reasons," he said. "We won't throw it out, but someone shouldn't file one with us and expect a resolution of that complaint within 45 days of an election." In a field of 12 candidates, Bell came in second to Woodfin, an outgoing member of the Birmingham Board of Education, in the Aug. 22 municipal election. Woodfin received 1,643 more votes than Bell. The runoff is set for Oct. 3. Woodfin issued a statement on Bell's meeting at city hall. "Alabama law is clear: no elected official can use their office to influence the employees they supervise. Despite the clarity of this law, William Bell issued a mandatory meeting request on official letterhead asking city employees in the Council Chamber to volunteer and contribute to his campaign. William Bell even urged City employees to attend churches and speak on his behalf. These coercive acts William Bell committed are an absolute abuse of power and public resources, and he should be held accountable." Woodfin said he is also asking the Alabama Ethics Commission and Alabama Attorney General to open an investigation into the meeting. "The disturbing audio of William Bell inappropriately using the platform of the Mayor's office and City Council Chambers for campaign purposes is illegal, and serves as another example of his blatant disregard for the rules," he stated. "City Hall is supposed to be a noble place where the business of the people gets done, not a platform for politicians to recruit volunteers and raise campaign donations. The state must act urgently to enforce the law and begin the process of restoring the public's trust in City Hall." In June, Williams also filed a lawsuit against mayoral candidate and Birmingham contractor Chris Woods, who came in third in the Aug. 22 municipal election. He claimed Woods couldn't run for mayor because he actually lived in the city of Irondale. A judge dismissed that lawsuit in August. The two remaining candidates for Birmingham mayor painted two different pictures of the Magic City while addressing the Downtown Democrats Club on Friday afternoon. The runoff between incumbent Mayor William Bell and Randall Woodfin, an outgoing member of the Birmingham Board of Education, is about four weeks away on Oct. 3. Woodfin calls Birmingham "a tale of two cities." He tells the story of neighborhoods west of Interstate 65, and where he grew up in north Birmingham, that are filled with dilapidated houses and overgrown lots. "You would see people not feeling safe on their own front porch, not feeling safe in their own front yard," he said. "You will see that too many people are unemployed in the city of Birmingham, and you would see a lot and feel a lot of frustration and concern out there in the city." He said these residents aren't receiving the same attention and funding as downtown and Southside. Bell paints a different picture. The incumbent highlighted the progress the Magic City has experienced in the seven years he's served as mayor. "We had boarded up buildings in downtown Birmingham (in 2010)," he said. "We had a deficit anywhere from $70 and $80 million. Our city government had a crisis of leadership. That is how I came to office is running in a special-election." Bell spoke responding to the devastation in Pratt City moments after tornadoes touched down in 2011. He touted the rebuilding efforts he led, including the construction of a new fire station, library, senior citizen community and new houses. He mentioned Regions Field and Railroad Park, which brings families to downtown, and the building of new apartments downtown. Bell said the Crossplex facility in west Birmingham attracts athletes from across the region. A new hotel is being constructed in Five Points West. "Things are happening all over the city," he said. "All over this city you have growth and opportunity Do we still have pockets that need to be touched? Yes, we do." If re-elected, Bell said he will continue "to build this city." Woodfin contends that Birmingham is only experiencing "pocket growth," and all residents don't get to benefit from it. "Several weeks ago, on Aug. 22, 63 percent of the voters, who voted in the election, said they wanted a different direction, said they wanted change," he said. "They said they wanted progress for the entire city." Woodfin said Birmingham residents need mayor with a sense of urgency, a mayor that will allocate more city funds to the school and will take a different approach to fighting crime. "We have a role to play in improving the quality of life for the people who live in the city of Birmingham," he said. "That is going to take a style of leadership that is collaborative and wants to work with the city council. It is going to take a sense of urgency and a willingness to put people first." The adult grandson of an 88-year-old woman found murdered in her Ensley home has been charged in her death. Sean Delong Wilson, 48, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 2:44 p.m. Thursday, jail records show. Already a convicted felon, he is charged with murder, and held on $150,000 bond. The body of Doris Gooden was discovered midday Wednesday, reportedly by Wilson. Police on Thursday said she had been stabbed and beaten to death. Friends said they had been unable to reach her and that's when Wilson supposedly went looking for her and found her dead and wrapped up in bedding. That's when police were called to the scene. Birmingham police responded to the home in the 3200 block of Avenue D about noon. "Whoever this individual is doesn't have heart,'' Birmingham police Lt. Sean Edwards said at the scene. "It's pretty cruel." Peggy Smith, a friend of the victim who attended church with Gooden and has acted somewhat as a caregiver to the victim for a couple of years, provided an account of what happened to AL.com. She said she was unable to reach the Gooden Tuesday by phone, which isn't that unusual. They had a system, Smith said, where if she couldn't reach the victim, she would drive over there and tap on her bedroom window. Usually, Smith said, Gooden would respond and Smith would know that all was OK. After repeated attempts, Smith called the victim's grandson Wednesday morning who told her he was at the doctor. He said he and the victim's daughter, who lives in Germany, also had been trying to reach her, but to no avail. The grandson told Smith Gooden kept the back door unlocked in case he needed to get in the house, so he told Smith she could go inside to search for the victim. Smith said she went to the victim's bedroom and though she didn't turn on any lights, she called out her name. There was no answer. She left, but returned to the home again to check the bathroom in case the victim was in there. The victim's grandson then told her he would go check. She was on the phone with him when he began yelling that he had found her in the bedroom. The victim was apparently covered by, or wrapped up in, bed sheets. Several family members and church members were on the scene as investigators collected evidence and canvassed the neighborhood. Gooden's body was removed from her home at 1:39 p.m. Her grandson was taken into custody at the scene for questioning and held overnight in the city jail. Detectives obtained the formal murder warrant against him Thursday. Gooden had lived in the home for decades. Wilson lived with her for a time, but recently moved to his own apartment nearby, friends and family said. Just last week, Smith said, someone knocked out the victim's window with pick axe but said she didn't call police about the incident. Court records show Wilson was convicted of first-degree robbery in 1993 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in 2004 to second-degree assault, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case. Police have not yet said what led to the killing. The Mountain Brook man who has made national headlines over the years for filing several federal lawsuits regarding his desire to marry his computer said he is on a mission to preserve the "integrity of the Constitution." Mark "Chris" Sevier filed a lawsuit in Alabama's Northern District last month stating his rights, along with several "ex-gay" co-plaintiffs, were violated by Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Blount County Probate Judge Chris Green because Sevier's marriage to an Apple computer-- which he claimed to marry in New Mexico-- was not recognized in Blount County. In the filing, Sevier claimed he "married an object in New Mexico with female like features" and asked Green to either recognize the union or issue him a new marriage license. "Defendant Green issues marriage licenses to individuals who self-identify as homosexual, but he refuses to issue marriage licenses to zoophiles, machinists, and polygamists license on a basis that can only be described as procedurally arbitrary," the complaint states. The Mountain Brook native told AL.com he still partially lives in Alabama, but spends time in Paris, New York, D.C., and Hollywood. He attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate degree in politics and also attended Vanderbilt University Law School. He said he then ran a record company in Tennessee, was an officer in the U.S. military, and worked on overseas humanitarian cases. Sevier said he now works on federal litigation involving human trafficking and child exploitation, and writes bills from those lawsuits for politicians to sponsor. He also works as a Christian electronic dance music writer and vocalist. "I'm on a lot of different missions," he said. Sevier said his lawsuits regarding his marriage to a computer all stem from the belief that if gay marriages are legal, a person should be able to legally marry a machine--like his computer. "Sexual orientation is not civil rights.... we are absolutely defending the integrity of the civil rights movement," he said about his lawsuit. "You can identify as anything you want to, have as many wedding ceremonies as you want... but the federal government shouldn't recognize it," Sevier said when asked to describe his position on the issue. He called gay marriage a "charade" and a "parody marriage," and said if the federal government recognizes gay marriages, then it must recognize other "parody marriages" of machinists, zoophiles, and polygamists. But, Sevier said he does believe these "parody marriages" are religious in nature. "It takes a true amount of faith to truly believe a man can marry a man... to believe that is a true marriage... it takes a lot of faith to believe that's true." When asked if he was a Christian, Sevier replied: "That doesn't matter." He said, "What I personally believe does not matter at all." What does matter, he said, is what Sevier and his supporters believe the Constitution allows. He maintains that his arguments are based solely on "indisputable evidence." The former Eagle Scout discussed the difference in marriages that are secular and marraiges that are not-- and which should be permitted under the law. The attorney is no stranger to the law himself. According to The Daily Beast, Sevier has been previously charged with stalking and harassing both country star John Rich and a 17-year-old girl. He also pushed for pornography taxes in 13 states. The website also reported Sevier was wanted earlier this year for failure to appear at criminal contempt proceedings. He has also previously failed to pay child support, and violated a restraining order put in place for his ex-wife. That restraining order stemmed from Sevier's 2011 conviction for assaulting his father-in-law during a fight over a visitation rights of his then-7-month-old son, whom Sevier tried to take during a supervised visit. The baby was injured in the fight and was taken to the emergency room, The Daily Beast reported. Sevier doesn't seem too bothered by the news, though. He said publicity about arrests or failing litigation is all "fake." He called himself a target for bullies, and said, "It's all an effort to stop me. I just let that roll off of me, I'm not going to let that stop me." Several other people have joined in on Sevier's lawsuit, who are described in court records as "ex-gays." Those people, Sevier said, "left the lifestyle," became Christians, and now speak out against homosexuality. Their testimonies at conferences nationwide are "damaging" to gay rights, he said. Sevier doesn't oppose people who "believe they are gay," but said he believes the federal government should not recognize those unions as legal marriages. About 95 percent of his latest lawsuit focuses on that theory, he said, and not on his marriage to a computer. "It's just like the jihadist suicide bomber," Sevier said. "who thinks they are doing it to better the world." Green, the judge mentioned in the lawsuit, said neither Sevier nor the co-plaintiffs made the request in person, but instead called inquiring about getting the licenses. "I just said I wouldn't do that in Blount County. No way, no how." Green's office began issuing same-sex marriage licenses after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but state law does not grant him the authority to issue polygamist licenses or marriage licenses for people seeking to wed an "inanimate object," he said. Sevier stated several times that emotion should not be a factor into the lawsuit, and that judges often use their emotions as a basis for rulings. "Were not here to prove or disprove whether a person who lives a homosexual lifestyle... is living a wise lifestyle." He said he also believes legalized gay marriage is a license to "infiltrate public schools to indoctrinate minors to their world view." Sevier said his focus in the lawsuits is to show the marriage law in Alabama-- and mostly across the nation-- is unconstitutional, and to change that. "We definitely do not think we are morally superior to anyone," he said. After being sentenced to life in prison for the murders of two elderly brothers at a Huntsville church, convicted killer Richard Burgin is asking for a new trial and acquittal. Just days after Burgin was sentenced to life without parole in August, defense lawyers Larry Marsili and Chad Morgan filed motions alleging their client was denied a fair trial and that the evidence against him was insufficient for a conviction. The lawyers ask Madison County Circuit Judge Karen Hall to declare Burgin not guilty and set a new trial date. "The jury's verdict of guilty is contrary to the law," the motion for a new trial states. "The verdict of guilty was contrary to and against the weight of the evidence." Prosecutors have said Burgin stabbed to death brothers Anthony and Terry Jackson because he was trying to rob them of money to fuel his drug addiction. The brothers were killed at West Huntsville United Methodist Church on May 21, 2013 while they volunteered in a community food pantry. A jury convicted Burgin in May of this year. The defense argues the prosecution should not have been allowed to discuss robbery as a motive during the trial. "There was no allegation of robbery prior to the trial," the motion states. Marsili and Morgan argue the state could have indicted Burgin on a charge of capital murder during a robbery, or they should have notified the defense about their intent to bring it up at trial. "Additionally, there was no evidence presented at trial that a robbery was involved in the incident," the document states. "Specifically, no property of the victims were found in the possession of Richard Burgin, even after a search of his residence. At trial, Lane Eason, a now-retired Huntsville police investigator, testified Anthony Jackson may have been robbed of his wallet. The jury saw photos of Anthony Jackson's pants, which had blood stains above and inside the back-left pocket. The pocket appears stretched, as if a wallet had previously been there for long periods of time, Eason, who worked the case before retiring, testified. The 76-year-old's wallet was not found at the scene, Eason told the jury. Asked by prosecutors what the blood stain and stretch marks indicate, Eason replied, "That somebody with bloody fingers reached in there and removed something. It appeared to be in the shape of a standard wallet." Testimony did not suggest Terry Jackson was the victim of a robbery. Crime scene photos showed his wallet, car keys and other belongings were recovered. At least one dollar was found, the photos show. Eason did not tell the jury if any of the 69-year-old's property was taken. Testimony did not include whether Anthony Jackson's wallet ever was found. The defense also claims there was not sufficient evidence for a jury to convict Burgin of capital murder. A witness who lived across the street from the church at the time of the killings testified about seeing a black man leave the church carrying a red Solo cup, but that witness never identified that person as Burgin. "Additionally, there was no evidence presented to indicate that Burgin was ever inside the church (crime scene)," the motion for an acquittal states. "Despite there being a voluminous amount of blood, footprints, fingerprints and other potential evidence, none of that evidence was in any way tied to Burgin." Burgin's DNA was found on a plastic red cup near the crime scene. His fingerprints were found on a church bulletin that also was found in some bushes outside a nearby home. Additionally, police recovered a butcher knife, the suspected murder weapon, and a bloody dish towel. Burgin's DNA wasn't connected to the knife or towel, though the victims' were. "As a whole, the defendant contends that all of the evidence, considered in light most favorable to the state, is still insufficient to establish that the defendant committed the crime he was convicted of." The case was prosecuted by Madison County Chief Trial Attorney Tim Gann and Assistant District Attorney Randy Dill. Gann told AL.com the allegations made in the defense motions are "typical" for appeals in capital murder cases. "These are so standard that we are not even planning to comment on them," Gann said. "This is the kind of stuff they normally would file." Hall set a hearing on the motions for Oct. 4 at 1:30 p.m. Fifty-four years after a federal court placed Huntsville City Schools under a desegregation order, the school district is still trying to prove it's making progress despite changes in leadership, school board drama and new discipline procedures. "The past school year was a pretty rocky year," U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala told a crowded courtroom on Wednesday during a public hearing designed to let Huntsville City Schools update the court on steps the district is taking to implement a plan - called the consent order - that would allow the school district to prove it no longer operates as a racially segregated system. The hearing lasted all day, as attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and for the school system presented data and information related to the consent order's implementation. The courtroom remained near capacity the entire day, with a mostly even split of black and white spectators that included the school board, central office administrators, representatives from auxiliary groups like the PTA and the Schools Foundation, members of the Desegregation Advisory Council, and North Huntsville community groups. When Haikala addressed the courtroom at the beginning of the hearing, she noted the system's lack of stability in recent months. The district has had two superintendents and an interim superintendent over a year that's been marked by squabbles among the school board, yet another overhaul of the discipline system, and the reworking of the district's alternative school program. Constant change has made it more difficult for the district to move forward on the consent order, said Haikala. "I don't think the school system had the baseline (stability) last year that was needed." She heaped praise on new Superintendent Matt Akin, saying she was impressed by what he has been able to accomplish in his six months on the job. She toured schools with him this week and said it was "incredible" to see him shake every teacher's hand and greet many by name. The district has made strides, she said. "I've never seen a school district with as many assets as this school district (has)," she said. Akin told the court that implementing the consent order is "vital" to achieving his oft-stated goal of Huntsville becoming a model school system for the nation. "Everyone sitting here knows there are division in the community and divisions on the (school) board," said Akin. "Each of our districts has challenges," from the geographic challenges facing the sprawling west Huntsville district to the extreme poverty in North Huntsville, he said. But, he added, "I believe the provisions of the consent order push the school system to (benefit) all children." Public concerns Catherine Hereford addressed the court during public comments at the end of the day. Her grandfather sued the district more than a half-century ago to end dual schooling and launched the legal case that continues today. She urged the district and the court to not ignore concerns of the black community in Huntsville, particularly in the north part of the city. "A lot of people in North Huntsville feel they have been treated as less-than, particularly in the decisions that have been made for North Huntsville," she said. One concern that she said seems to have fallen on deaf ears is the North Huntsville community's concern over the district's decision to build the brand-new Jemison High School and McNair Junior High on the same campus. Some have worried it exposes the middle-school students to more discipline issues at the high school. She wondered aloud if the same decision "would have flown in South Huntsville." Ayoka Billions, the mother of students at Blossomwood Elementary School, said she pulled one of her children out of the school after he was bullied and she felt the school wasn't able to adequately discipline those who bullied him. She worries about friends who have withdrawn their students from schools. "We've talked a lot about black and white, but where are these kids coming from? They are in unstable homes," she said. "I've spent hours (volunteering) with children who, when there's a noise down the hall, they wonder if it's a gunshot. And we wonder why they can't read. Obviously schools can't always address those things, but that piece is something you can't measure through black and white." Elizabeth Flemming, executive director for The Schools Foundation, said she has a kindergartener in a Huntsville school and "this process has not been easy for families across the board. I've had friends pull their students out from Huntsville City Schools, and I've had friends who put their students back in Huntsville City Schools. "Change is not always easy, but in my heart, and after seeing the data we've seen today, we needed to do better by all students across the system." Teacher ratios Attorneys for the Department of Justice acknowledged that their interactions with the district overall "have been positive" and that schools had been cooperative in granting access to inspectors. The DOJ has visited several Huntsville schools. The Department of Justice has been particularly focused on discipline, minority transfers and equitable access to course offerings. Rolling Hills Elementary in north Huntsville is one school where administrators have not been able to maintain the ratio of black to white teachers outlined in the consent order - the proportion of black and white teachers has to be roughly the same as the proportion of black and white students in the district. Rolling Hills has a higher ratio of black teachers. This is because the principal has had difficulty finding white teachers who are even willing to interview for teaching positions at the school, said Chris Pape, attorney for the district. "Of the white candidates (the principal) asked to interview, 77 percent of them declined to even interview," he said. The DOJ attorneys will visit Rolling Hills on Thursday. Five of the 38 schools in the district have a racial makeup of teachers that is markedly different from the district as a whole. Another school on the DOJ's watch list is Huntsville High, which began reporting a series of incidents of racial harassment and discriminatory behavior last year. One of the most egregious events happened shortly after the presidential inauguration in January, said schools attorney Chris Pape, but he didn't give details about the incident. Since that time, school administrators have been working to develop a better climate of inclusion in the school, and streamlining the formal process for reporting harassment. There's now a formal process for reporting harassment that can be done through the school's website, and reports go directly to the principal and to district staff. "(Having new harassment reporting procedures) was a positive outcome of what was a challenging time," said Pape. At predominantly white Blossomwood and Jones Valley elementaries, the district has seen a high number of students withdrawing from the schools. As part of the federal negotiations, both schools saw their zones expanded west of Memorial Parkway to increase student diversity. "Blossomwood and Jones Valley are two of our most integrated elementary schools," said Pape. The schools struggled through multiple changes to the student code of conduct over the past few years - four different codes without the past four years. Hamilton said the feedback the DOJ has received indicated the climate at Blossomwood has stabilized, and that while Jones Valley initially better adapted to the new code of conduct, behavior issues have cropped up again more recently. The DOJ has requested more information "about the situation there." Discipline & behavior The DOJ heard more concerns and complaints regarding discipline than almost any other topic, said Andrea Hamilton, attorney with the Department of Justice. The district has overhauled the student code of conduct four times in the past four years as schools struggled to implement programs meant to close the gap between the percentage of black and white students who are disciplined. Several years ago, according to Hamilton, black students were disciplined ten times the rate of white students. "Those racial disparities meant black students were spending significantly more time outside classroom than white students for similar infractions," she said. That gap has narrowed slightly in recent years. In the 2015-2016 school year, four times as many black high school students received a disciplinary infraction as white students. Last year that difference shrank a few percentage points to just over three times as many black high school students receiving disciplinary referrals as white students. Overall, the percentage of students with at least one disciplinary referral rose last year for both black and white students. Data table showing Huntsville City Schools disciplinary referrals by race. (Huntsville City Schools) Achievement gap Akin identified the gap in academic performance between white and black students as one of the district's biggest challenges. Last year, only 16 percent of black students passed at least one AP exam, compared with 56 percent of white students. The rate for black students rose slightly from 10 percent in the 2014-2015 school year while the percentage for white students fell during the same timeframe, from 61 percent. "We still see the same disparity that brought us to the need for the consent order in the first place," said Pape, attorney for the district. Haikala also addressed the achievement gap: "The achievement gap isn't unique to this school district but it is a challenge," she said. "if you all close that gap, you will truly be one of the greatest school systems in the nation." Congressman Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, plans to introduce an amendment to block federal funding for day cares that have a record of injury or death due to health and safety violations. In a series of tweets yesterday, Sewell highlighted last month's death of a 5-year-old boy in Mobile, who died after being left in his day care van by the van's driver, according to police. "The childcare center responsible for Kamden's death is still eligible for federal funding, despite their failure to meet safety standards," she tweeted. "For our children, for parents, and for kids like Kamden, I know that we can and must do better. Looking forward to bipartisan support." And it seems she's gotten it. Congressman Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, tweeted his support of Sewell's amendment, "especially in light of the recent tragic incident in Mobile," he said. The amendment is scheduled for a vote on Monday. It would be added to an appropriations package for multiple federal agencies. Alabama is one of only a handful of states that allow day cares to operate without license or regulation by the state if they claim a religious exemption. Alabama's child care system has come under intense scrutiny in the past few years, thanks to media reports of injury and death of children in license-exempt day cares. "No child care center like the one that killed Kamden should be eligible for federal funds - especially when Alabama day care centers, like the Head Start centers in our district, are short on funds," said Christopher MacKenzie, press secretary for Rep. Sewell. If Sewell's amendment passes, the federal funding that would be blocked comes from the Child Care Development Grant. That same funding already has some new restrictions on it. Beginning in July, all day cares in Alabama that take children who qualify for federal subsidy under the Child Care Development Grant have to undergo a basic safety inspection by the Alabama Department of Human Resources and do a criminal background check on staff. The federal rule is brand new, and DHR is in the process of completing inspections on license-exempt centers that accept federal subsidy kids. The requirements to receive the federal funding are minimal, and don't include most of the regulations that licensed centers must follow, including transportation safety protocols. If, during the safety inspection, DHR found a day care had deficiencies, DHR does not have the power to close the license-exempt center or suspend its ability to transport children. The only action DHR could take would be to revoke the center's ability to accept subsidies. Dozens of day cares have already stopped accepting subsidy children, rather than be subjected to background checks and inspections. Even with new federal subsidy rules, only about 500 license-exempt day care centers statewide will undergo some inspection. There are still about 400 that do not receive subsidies and are operating with no oversight. A bill that would have required all day cares to be at least nominally regulated by the state passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House earlier this year, but died on the Senate floor in the last few minutes of the legislative session. The bill was opposed by some conservative groups over concerns about religious freedom. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has overruled a judge who refused to give a minor permission for an abortion despite finding that she was mature enough to make the decision. Justices on Thursday ruled in favor of the girl and granted judicial consent for the procedure. A juvenile judge last month found that the girl was adequately mature, but ruled that an abortion was not in her best interest. Justices said the judge misapplied the law which requires either a finding that the girl is adequately mature or that an abortion is in her best interest. They said the judge does not have to find both factors. Alabama law requires minors to get permission from a parent, guardian or judge for an abortion. State regulators slapped Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama last month with an $8 million penalty for charging rates that differed from those approved by the Alabama Department of Insurance from 2005 to 2013. The charges investigated by the department occurred in about 1,400 plans issued to small group employers - those with two to 50 employees - and some COBRA plans for former employees. Company officials have said the rate variations were tied to a policy that was intended to reduce the shock of large rate increases and resulted in savings for most customers. However, attorneys suing the company for alleged anti-trust violations said the practice violated state laws that require rates to be filed and approved by insurance regulators. "The goal was to smooth rate adjustments over time and provide small employers more predictability in their business planning," according to a statement issued by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. "We believed these practices were beneficial overall to our small business customers." The rate variances resulted in undercharges of almost $107 million and overcharges of almost $33 million, according to the order issued on Aug. 16 by the Alabama Department of Insurance. The department has been investigating Blue Cross' small group and COBRA charges since February. The $8 million assessment, as it was described in the order, was levied because the company failed to inform the department of insurance about its methods for raising or reducing rates. "Within 60 days of the date of this Order, Blue Cross shall pay the amount of $8,000,000 to the Commissioner of Insurance as an assessment for Blue Cross' oversight in not filing its renewal rating methodology with the Department pursuant to [Alabama law]," the order read. "This assessment is a result of Blue Cross' inability to reasonably conduct variance analysis outside of the study period due to incomplete data." In the statement, Blue Cross officials said its rate-stabilization practices were common in the health insurance industry and ended in 2014. "Although premium rate stabilization efforts are common insurance practices, we mistakenly did not document these practices in our Small Group rate filings," the statement read. "We also did not adjust the rating category for some small business customers when their annual employee health insurance enrollment fluctuated from the previous year." The company must also pay $100,000 to the department for costs related to the investigation. The Blue Cross Blue Shield statement reported that refunds have been made to more than 1,400 small business customers and 2,200 COBRA customers. The company will not seek reimbursement from customers who were undercharged. Customers who believe they were overcharged by the company can make a claim to the Alabama Department of Insurance within the next two years. 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. Jean Meadows of Huntsville asks: "Why is it that the state said 'no' to passing the anti-puppy mill bill?" You read that correctly. In April 2017, elected officials in Montgomery rejected a bill seeking to put an end to puppy mills, in the state, place regulations on dog and cat breeders, and continue the nationwide push to stop the alleged abuse of animals. A puppy mill is defined by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) as "a large-scale commercial dog breeding facility where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs." In a follow up email AL.com Meadows said she was "astonished" by the decision of state officials, which prompted her to reach out to AL.com. "When I first heard about the puppy mill bill I thought 'this is a really good idea and comes at a great time because of all the awful politics going on in Alabama with Bentley and with Judge Roy Moore, just horrible, horrible stuff,'" said Meadows. "This could have been great for the state of Alabama and given us a chance to 'say look what we did today, we're doing this great thing.'" The bill didn't even make it to a vote on the floor. Officials and campaigners that brought the bill forward had spent years trying to get the bill passed, writing and rewriting sections of it to satisfy dissenting parties. "We were pretty confident that it would pass this time. We were told senators were going to pass it, "said Angie Ingram, a Birmingham-based attorney and animal rights activist that helped draft the bill. "Then we sat down in the meeting that morning with the senators and they started saying things that completely undermined all our hard work and what we were trying to achieve." The Alabama Puppy Mill Project, an initiative of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, claims 99 percent of pet store puppies come from puppy mills, and only 21 states have laws regulating the mills. In the month before the vote, police investigators described finding dozens of dogs cooped up in cages on a property in Dothan, claiming that the conditions were "deplorable" and some of the worst ever seen in the state. Two years earlier, 130 dogs, including around a dozen that had died, were rescued from a puppy mill in Choctaw County. Animals were found to be suffering from various ailments, including hypothermia, dehydration, dental disease and painful ocular damage resulting in blindness. The bill was placed under consideration in the governmental affairs committee, but senators in the room that morning began asking why it wasn't in the agricultural committee, which is what Ingram described as the beginning of the end. "It was extremely frustrating to hear that, because protecting dogs from abuse has nothing to with agriculture. But it certainly told us how many of the senators felt about dogs and cats and what they thought would happen to agriculture if the bill passed." Ingram said she believed that anti-regulation groups had gotten to the senators before the committee meeting, spreading the idea that a bill to stop puppy mills would eventually bleed over into protections for agricultural animals like cows, chickens and pigs. A similar bill was rejected in 2015. Graham Champion, a lobbyist for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society told the Decatur Daily late last year that all the issues from 2015 rejection had been addressed and that supporters had begun campaigning against groups like the American Kennel Club, which has historically pushed back against regulations on breeders and lobbied against bills in other states. After the 2017 vote failed, the Alabama Puppy Mill Project named five senators on its Facebook page that it claimed had flipped on the day of the committee meeting. Those were Senators Phil Williams, Paul Bussman, Shay Shellnut, Paul Sanford and Clay Scofield. Scofield is a chicken farmer in the north west of Alabama. Sen. Williams said in an email to AL.com Thursday evening that he has "loved animals all of my life" but said the bill was "written in such a way to be incredibly punitive to anyone, or any legal entity, that breeds or sells cats and dogs." He added: "There is also a great concern that it would create a slippery slope toward deeper and more stringent regulation on agricultural animals such as cattle, poultry, etc. The farming community, of which I have many constituents in agribusiness, were very concerned about the Bill." No other Senator responded to AL.com's request for comment. Have a question you want answered? Help us choose the next topic by submitting it below. You can always submit your questions and vote on the next round by visiting al.com/ask. _ Vote here. Alabama State University's Board of Trustees is expected to name a new university president on Friday, and some former trustees are questioning the fairness of the process. ASU alumni James McNeil and Kimberly Kelley Rucker were removed from the board last year when their appointments were rejected by the Confirmations Committee in the Alabama Senate. Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, serves on the Confirmations Committee and is a finalist for the ASU presidency. McNeil and Rucker, during their time on the ASU board, supported retaining former President Gwendolyn Boyd. The board fired Boyd eight months after McNeil and Rucker were removed. Rucker, an attorney in Huntsville, and McNeil, who is retired from a career in information technology and lives in Virginia, say Ross has a conflict of interest in being able to influence who serves on the board that does the hiring and firing for the job he is seeking. Ross declined comment for this story, including when asked if he supported the removal of McNeil and Rucker from the ASU board. Ross is one of four finalists the ASU Board is expected to consider on Friday. The others are Robert C. Mock Jr., Tony Atwater and Willie D. Larkin. Ross holds bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from ASU and his candidacy for president has some influential backers, including some of his colleagues in the state Senate. Rucker, a 2000 graduate of ASU, was appointed to the ASU board by then Gov. Robert Bentley in May 2015. She served on an interim basis until her rejection by the Confirmations Committee in April 2016. Rucker said about two weeks before she was removed from the board, Ross asked her if she could help bring about a "major move" by the board. Rucker said she believed Ross was asking her to help fire then-President Gwendolyn Boyd, although she said Ross did not specifically say so. The board had hired Boyd in December 2013. Ross was also a finalist at that time. Rucker said she told Ross she did not support firing Boyd. Rucker said she was surprised to learn about two weeks later that the Confirmations Committee had rejected her appointment, removing her from the board. That came on April 19, 2016. That same day, the committee also rejected McNeil's appointment, as well as that of Howard Watkins, another ASU alumnus. "Honestly, there's absolutely no reason why either one of them, really, would have been removed," Rucker said. "But certainly, James McNeil had been a financial supporter of the university for a very long time. It just didn't make any sense." Rucker believes support for keeping Boyd as president was the reason for their removal from the board. McNeil said he supported retaining Boyd and had voted to extend Boyd's contract in September 2015, shortly after he was appointed to the board by Bentley. McNeil is a 1976 graduate of ASU who founded McNeil Technologies, an information technology and intelligence firm that would employ 3,000 people, the university said in a press release when Bentley appointed McNeil to the board. McNeil said he tried, unsuccessfully, to talk to Ross both before and after his confirmation was rejected. "It is a conflict of interest for him to be in a position to be able to approve people to go onto ASU's board and then to apply for a position as president of the university with people he's put into that situation," McNeil said. "I look at myself as an example. I've had a very successful life in terms of my private life. I'm a graduate of Alabama State, huge contributor to the university. I started several companies. Sold my last company in 2010 for about $365 million." McNeil said he thought he had much to offer as a board member. The third ASU board member who was removed in April 2016, Watkins, is a 1980 graduate of ASU and an Air Force retiree. Bentley appointed Watkins to the board in December 2015. An ASU press release announcing Watkins' appointment described him as a "committed ASU alumnus who has dedicated countless hours recruiting students to attend his beloved alma mater." Watkins said he made several attempts to meet with Ross but was unsuccessful. He said he was never told why the committee rejected his appointment. "I tried to stay out of the politics and focus my energy on the positive things," Watkins said. He said he had no hard feelings about his removal and would continue trying to recruit students for the university. "I just move on. I don't get stressed out over things like this," Watkins said. Rucker said Ross questioned her about what he believed was her own conflict of interest, that her cousin served as vice president of finance at the university. Several ASU trustees have left the board in recent years over conflicts or alleged conflicts of interest. Rucker said she did not believe her cousin's job posed a conflict, partly because she had the job before Rucker came on the board. But Rucker said she disclosed it anyway and that the board determined it was not a conflict. Rucker said if Ross considered her cousin's job a conflict then it is "certainly" a conflict for him to serve on the Confirmations Committee. "It's very disappointing to me as a citizen of Alabama to think that this could even happen," Rucker said. "Alabama State is an important institution to the state and should be treated as such." "At the end of the day, whether he or anyone that's being considered would make a good president is a decision that the board will have to make," Rucker said. "But the process should be fair and it should be transparent and that's what I'm concerned with, the transparency of the process. Both for the appointment of trustees and for the selection of the president." McNeil said he's disappointed that he won't be able to serve his alma mater as a board member. He said he hopes the next president, whether it is Ross or one of the other finalists, is someone who can move the university forward. "Someone that can raise money for the university, bring in the much-needed funds to make some needed repairs on the dormitories and improve the academic standing of the university," McNeil said. "So I'm even still willing to support the university any way that I can because it needs it. In today's time, we have too many kids who need opportunities to sort of advance themselves. I believe that whoever takes over that position needs to be really committed to the university." Ross was a high school principal in the Montgomery County school system and was director of adult education at Trenholm State Community College from 2004 to 20014. Since 2015 Ross has worked as a manager and consultant working with two-year colleges for the Alabama Education Association. Ross has served in the state Senate since 2002. "Along with his professional qualifications, Senator Ross is a man of integrity that ASU will be proud to have as its leader," Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh wrote in a letter of recommendation to the ASU presidential search committee. Troy State University Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Sens. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery and Arthur Orr, R-Decatur and state Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, also wrote letters recommending Ross. Orr and Poole chair the education budget committees. Atwater is former president of Norfolk State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Larkin is former president at Grambling State University. Mock is the former president at the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. This story was corrected at 7:14 a.m. on Sept. 8 to say that Howard Watkins was appointed in December 2015. All public schools, universities and state offices in Florida are closed Friday as the state braces for a direct hit from Hurricane Irma. The Category 5 storm - already blamed for as many as 13 deaths in the Caribbean - is packing sustained winds of 175 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, Irma is moving towards the west-northwest at 16 mph on its way towards Miami where it is expected to be a Category 4 or 5 storm. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 70 miles from the center; tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. "Everyone should prepare to evacuate," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday. "We don't know where this storm is going. It could potentially devastate our state." Scott said residents in the Florida Keys have responded to the evacuations, but added "if you're there, get out now." The storm, Scott said, is "powerful and deadly" and the downgrade from a Category 5 to a Category 4 doesn't lessen concerns. "Remember, we can rebuild your home, we can't rebuild your life. All Floridians should be prepared to evacuate soon," he said. "Today is the day to do the right thing for your family and get inland for safety." Irma, Scott added, is "wider than our entire state" and is "expected to cause major and life threatening impacts from coast to coast." The forecast track for the hurricane has shifted west to now run up inland Florida. The storm is expected to travel up the Florida peninsula to reach Georgia as a Category 1 storm by midday Monday before traveling northwest, just east of Atlanta, to reach Tennessee Tuesday afternoon as a tropical storm. A hurricane watch is in place for the Florida Keys and parts of south Florida, including Miami. Closures Scott said the school closures will allow for some of the facilities to be used as shelters or staging areas and so that buses can be used to transport evacuees. All state universities, including the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic and Florida International, are closing in coming days. The University of Miami has evacuated its campus; Florida State University in Tallahassee remains open and will have classes as scheduled Friday. Evacuations Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in Miami Dade and Monroe counties and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued in Broward and Collier counties. School buses are being used to transport those who have no other way to leave the areas. Tampa has issued a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying coastal regions, as well as people with special needs and those who live in mobile homes. More evacuation orders are expected as the storm approaches, officials said. Disney, Universal and cruises Disney remains open at this time, though several special events - Saturday's The Night of Joy and Sunday's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party - have been cancelled. Disney's Blizzard Beach will be closed Friday and Saturday; the park's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground will be closed beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. Disney has added a direct chat to its website for those with questions related to Irma. Universal Studios has canceled Saturday's "Rock the Universe" concert. All other operations continue as normal. SeaWorld and LegoLand are also operating under normal conditions. Officials at both said they are closely monitoring the storm. USA Today is reporting all cruise lines have canceled every voyage scheduled to depart from Florida ports on Friday. Many of Saturday's sailings have been canceled, too, including all departures scheduled for the Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Transportation & airports The number of evacuees fleeing Irma is causing traffic tie-ups from South Florida to Atlanta. As many as 31,000 people have fled the Florida Keys; another 500,000 are expected to be leaving south Florida in the coming day. The Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will suspend operations on Friday, with the last flight departing at 7:45 p.m. The airport will be closed Saturday and Sunday. The Orlando International Airport will close at 5 p.m. Saturday. Airlines are adding last-minute flights to help move people out of the path of the storm. Watches and warnings A storm surge watch has been issued for the Florida peninsula from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys. A hurricane watch has been issued for the Florida peninsula from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee, and Florida Bay. Military support A total of 4,000 members of the Florida Army and Air National Guard have been activated to help with planning and logistics for Irma. All remaining Guard members will report for duty Friday. Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation has suspended all highway repair work and is preparing evacuation routes so that cars may use shoulders. Tolls throughout the state have been suspended. Relief efforts Gov. Scott said the state has requested federal resources such as disaster tarps, water, baby food supplies, supply trucks, search and rescue personnel and equipment and incident management teams. The state is also staging mass care supplies such as meals, shelter support trailers and water at the State Logistic Response Center in Orlando for deployments as needed. Fuel All delivery restrictions have been lifted in Florida, with surrounding states - Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina - follow suit to allow quicker shipments of fuel to Florida. Some 1.5 million gallons of fuel is on its way to the state, including a fuel ship in route from a refinery in Mississippi to the Port of Tampa. The shipment will receive a military escort to the port. Visit Florida Visiflorida.com is serving as the point of contact for those planning to travel to the state. The site has information on housing and real-time traffic information. Kennedy Space Center is closed today with the NASA facility operating on a skeleton crew as it braces for Hurricane Irma. Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said facility is closed through Monday except for essential work crews of about 140 people that will remain at the Launch Control Center to monitor critical equipment and infrastructure. "Essential personnel will make final preparations to secure center facilities and infrastructure," NASA said in a statement. "After the storm has left the area, Kennedy's Damage Assessment and Recovery Team will evaluate all center facilities and infrastructure for damage. The spaceport will reopen after officials determine it is safe for employees to return." Kennedy Space Center is located on Florida's eastern coast, about halfway up the peninsula about an hour's drive easy of Orlando. The center is currently on Hurricane Condition 3 status, which means they expect sustained winds of at least 58 mph to reach the facility within 48 hours. Irma, now a dangerous Category 4 storm, is barreling towards south Florida for a Sunday morning landfall after which it is expected to travel up the Peninsula. Miami and other parts of South Florida should see hurricane conditions as early as Saturday night. The eastern part of the state faces the highest risk from the hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Patrick Air Force Base and the Jonathan-Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex are under a limited evacuation order, allowing personnel to move to a safer location. While preparing its own facilities, NASA technology is also being used to capture some of the most striking images of the massive storm: View of Hurricane #Irma's eye, now southwest of Acklins Island in the #Bahamas with max sustained winds of 150 MPH. #GOES16 pic.twitter.com/hloLSeRkVH NASA SPoRT (@NASA_SPoRT) September 8, 2017 Tonight, far too many people in #Irmas path and in its wake. pic.twitter.com/bWQMxae9GV Randy Bresnik (@AstroKomrade) September 8, 2017 The last 4 days of Hurricane #Irma's eye as seen by the #GOES16 Advanced Baseline Imager. pic.twitter.com/ppht5XoiSe NASA SPoRT (@NASA_SPoRT) September 7, 2017 Hurricane Irma is barreling towards Florida, bringing with it the potential for devastating winds and life-threatening flooding. What it is not bringing with it - contrary to what you may be seeing on social media - is sharks. The latest social media hoax claims to show sharks caught up in the hurricane, supposedly ready to cause a real-life Sharknado in Florida. The post claims that reports from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the presence of the ocean predators in the storm as it heads north from the Caribbean. It's not real of course. As Time explained, sharks - and other fish - are sensitive to barometric pressure, which drops when a storm comes in. Research shows sharks can sense the change in pressure from a storm and will go to deeper water where it's safer, according to Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. In other words, most sharks get out of the way of a storm. Those that don't would likely be washed ashore if they remained in shallow water but not caught up in a hurricane and then deposited alive somewhere else. Irma is not the first time sharks have shown up in bogus reports as a hurricane approaches. Following disastrous flooding along the Texas coast in the wake of Hurricane Harvey late last month, a photo claimed to have captured the image of a shark swimming down a Houston freeway. The photo was actually an image from a 2005 issue of National Geographic, doctored to appear as if it was taken on a highway. The shark-swimming-on-a-highway photo has appeared after several recent hurricanes. As Hurricane Irma nears the U.S. coast, Alabama cities are readying for the arrival of hundreds of evacuees. Birmingham Mayor William Bell announced that the Bill Harris Arena (2337 Bessemer Road) will open at 7 a.m. on Monday as a shelter and as the Jefferson County EMA Emergency Operations Center. The Alabama Emergency Management Association released a list on its website of shelters opening for Hurricane Irma evacuees. The list can be seen here, and it will be updated throughout the weekend. Some of the larger shelters listed are the Alabama State University Acadome on campus, the Talladega Superspeedway, and the Baldwin County Coliseum. Another shelter and emergency accommodations list has been released on social media from the Alabama Tourism Department. That list contains addresses, phone numbers, and capacity information on hotels and lodging options across the state. See that list here. If you are fleeing the path of Hurricane Irma, we have compiled a lodging vacancy list within Alabama. We will be... Posted by Sweet Home Alabama on Thursday, September 7, 2017 An emergency declaration has been declared in 30 counties along the coast, and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal ordered the mandatory evacuation of Savannah and other coastal cities. That mandatory evacuation order covers all areas east of I-95, and goes into effect Saturday. While hotel rooms are an option for those leaving the Sunshine State who don't want to stay in shelters, the availably of rooms is quickly decreasing in cities south of Birmingham, including Dothan and Montgomery. A representative from the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce said only several hotel rooms in the area are available for Friday and Saturday nights, but RV parking is available. Anyone needing a room in Montgomery should call the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-240-9452. The Alabama Department of Tourism reported that all hotels along Interstate 65 from Mobile to Clanton were booked Thursday, but hotels in Anniston still had rooms available. Livestock shelters are also open, and are listed on the state's EMA website. Several of the larger shelters include the Houston County Farm Center, Garrett Coliseum, and the Alabama A&M Agribition Center. According to the Birmingham mayor's office spokesperson April Odom, storm shelters for evacuees will be filled from south to north. The city of Birmingham will open Bill Harris Arena at the CrossPlex on Monday morning. Red Cross officials chose the arena over Boutwell Auditorium, the original location, because it allows for a larger capacity and has more parking for evacuees. Boutwell will serve as the drop-off location throughout the week for donations, canned goods, and bottled water starting Monday at 8:00 a.m. The Alabama State Park System has overnight accommodations available for evacuees. All rooms have been made pet friendly, although a cleaning fee will be applied. Dry camping will be allowed in the parks' parking lot. RV's must have its own clean water supply and be able to contain all wastewater. All owners can use the park dumping stations. Park officials advise evacuees to check the Alabama State Park website for updates on availability. You can also call 1-800-ALA-PARK (1-800-252-7275) to confirm availability before heading to the park. At 6 p.m. Saturday, Auburn Univeristy announced that all classes will be cancelled Monday. The open campus lecture by retired four-star Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey that was scheduled for Monday is also being postponed. McCaffrey, a former White House cabinet member, was scheduled to discuss leadership of complex organizations. The school is working to schedule the event. Enterprise State Community College, the Alabama Aviation College in Ozark, and the Alabama Aviation College in Andalusia announced they will be closed Monday and Tuesday because of safety issues related to Irma. Classes will resume on Wednesday. Saturday evening, Fort Rucker Schools also announced they will be closed Monday. Fort Rucker itself will continue with normal operations. Canada's Consul General for the southeastern U.S. Louise Blais issued a statement regarding Canadians in the path of the storm. Canadians requiring emergency assistance should call Canada's 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Center at 1-888-949-9993 or sos@international.gc.ca. "Our Atlanta office is working closely with officials in Ottawa and will provide assistance to Canadians in the territory as appropriate," the statement said. The office is also in contact with emergency preparedness organizations and airports across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This post will be updated throughout the weekend. Thousands live in poor conditions near UN camps as aid agencies struggle to cope with the influx of refugees. Kutapalong, Coxs Bazar Everywhere you look, there are heartbreaking scenes. A five-year-old sheltering his little brother from the rain; a little girl with only a skirt and no blouse; a baby chewing his hand because he is so hungry and cannot cry any more; and a grandmother sobbing because she has outlived most of her children and grandchildren. Well before the Rohingya Muslims started arriving in Kutapalong in late August, the United Nations camps in the area were full to the brim. THE STREAM: Who will save the Rohingya? The men, women and children fleeing violence in Myanmar were forced to put up tents outside, lining the streets to the settlement. Now, three weeks later, the makeshift shelters stretch for kilometres. No idea where well go When we arrived at the camp, just a short distance away from the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, a truck carrying mostly women and children stopped in front of us. I counted five babies under the age of one. This was the end of a five-day journey to safety. We met a family that had just arrived the previous day. They managed to set up in a half-constructed shop three walls and no roof, but at least it wasnt in the mud. A woman was cooking their meal for the day, a few handfuls of rice over an open fire. She told us the group fled after their village was burned down, but her husband and son died before they could escape. But she told us she could not think of that now. We need food for the children, she said. We have no idea where we will go from here, we are just following what everyone else is doing. The UN says an alarming number of refugees have come into Bangladesh in the past two weeks. But the conditions they come into are also alarming. READ MORE: Rohingya warn of another Srebrenica if violence rages Most do not have food or shelter; children run around half-naked; adults barefoot all in torn clothes that tell the tale of their journey. Families mark out any space they can with whatever they can find: pieces of tarpaulin, broken umbrellas, bits of plastic. We spoke to a man putting up a tent using bamboo poles and plastic sheets. He said he bought them from a nearby market with money borrowed from a relative at the camp. As we left, the rain started pouring, those with tents or cover made way for families and little children. They all squeezed into the makeshift shelters, without an inch to spare, watching the rain come down. Those with bottles or containers started collecting the rainwater, gulping it down as soon as they had enough to drink, then passing it around. This is the only clean water theyll be getting. Aid agencies say they do not have enough food or provisions, cautioning that it is just a matter of time before there is an outbreak of disease given the conditions the refugees are staying in a warning that the worst of their journey may not be over. The whistled speech comprises seven tones and can be understood at distances of up to one kilometre away. Oaxaca, Mexico The small village of San Pedro Sochiapam, deep in the mountainous region of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, is home to the Chinantec people. Here steep footpaths end at chicken coops and cornfields grow on mountainsides, while the villagers clear brush with machetes and children enjoy ice-cream cones from a stall near the town hall. But, in its day to day routines of life, this community is struggling to maintain a unique and important cultural tradition whistling. Chinantec whistled speech is a form of communication where people can really whistle whatever they can say in the spoken language, even though theres more ambiguity in the whistled channel, explains Mark Sicoli, a linguistics professor at the University of Virginia, noting that the presence and absence of glottal stops, tones, and stress patterns make it a particularly productive form of communication. The sounds carry across canyons better than a shout in sharp, birdlike chirps that allow people to make plans, negotiate, and chat without ever saying a word. The whistled speech, which can convey past and future tense, comprises seven tones and can be understood at distances of up to one kilometre away. It can also be transmitted even further, with messages said to wind through the Sierra Madre mountain range to reach a recipient. Fascinating as it may be, however, the Chinantec community is facing an inescapable reality: Whistled communication, practised since pre-Hispanic times, is slowly falling out of use. IN PICTURES: Mexico Ritual flying in magical town Cuetzalan Decline of the whistled language Marcelino Flores, a local translator, estimates that only a handful of people are still entirely proficient in this musical form of communication. There is less of a need to whistle today, he says. He and others say that the decline can be explained by the lack of community conservation efforts aimed at teaching children. Another explanation is the waning interest among young people in farming and agricultural communities where whistled speech is commonly used. The agricultural sector has suffered a decline in recent decades, especially in coffee production, which is a key sector in the state of Oaxaca. Until 1990, coffee constituted the third greatest source of foreign exchange in Mexico after oil and cars, with coffee crops in the state of Oaxaca once accounting for more than 30 percent of the states exports. Climate change, leaf rust, and an international fall in coffee prices have drastically lowered output over the years. As a result, rather than work the land, some Chinantecs have migrated to larger cities in search of better-paid work, and consequently, often lose the art of whistled communication in the process. Most children are learning how to whistle but are limited to one or two types, says David Foris, a linguist and author of A Grammar of Sochiapam Chinantec, referring to the various ways whistling sounds can be made, such as with ones tongue or fingers. It is much less common than it used to be. Although cell phone coverage is limited, loudspeakers and walkie-talkies in the town have facilitated long-distance communication, making it less vital for younger generations to whistle as loudly as adults did in the past, Foris says. Prior to the introduction of walkie-talkies, the morning air would be filled with whistles across the town as men made their plans for the day, Foris adds, noting that local women understand whistled Chinantec, but usually do not use it. Read more about the deadly human trafficking business on Mexico-US border: Sinaloa cartel, extortion, kidnapping and death A worldwide loss of language The gradual loss of whistled speech, however, is a worldwide concern among other communities that use this form of communication. Whistled speech is now considered a dying art form in localities around the globe, including La Gomera in the Canary Islands, the village of Aas in the French Pyrenees, Kuskuy in the Mediterranean, St Lawrence Island in Alaska, and Papua New Guinea. In Greeces Antia, for example, only three to four people are fluent whistlers of the local language, according to Whistled Languages: A Worldwide Inquiry on Human Whistled Speech (2015), a book that explores the origins of as well as environmental and geographic factors that have shaped whistled communication. When you lose the language, youre not just losing the particular way of communicating and passing things back and forth, but youre also losing the social world that goes along with that, says Paja Faudree, a linguistic anthropologist at Brown University who is studying Mazatec whistled speech in Mexico. As in other parts of the world, whistled speech in Mexico has deep roots. This form of communication has been used in other Mesoamerican languages including Mazatec, Zapotec, and Mixtec, and in places such as the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala. Simeon Carasco, a village elder in San Pedro Sochiapam, expresses his sadness at the loss of this tradition. From when we were little our grandfathers taught us, he says. This language is what we do; we have this gift. In recent years, a language archive that consists of multimedia recordings and transcribed Chinantec whistled conversations has been developed by Professor Sicoli and preserved in archives at The University of Texas at Austin and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Sicoli, along with filmmaker David Yetman, have also made a documentary about the community. Back in San Pedro Sochiapam, villagers like Marcos Dominguez, remain highly attuned to whistled speech. While walking toward corn fields, the farmer recalls how one afternoon he heard a whistle and thought someone was trying to get his attention. I answered by whistling, Here I am, but I didnt get any response, he says. Then he realised it was just a bird. Israel holds the largest military drill in two decades on its border with Lebanon, stirring fears of another conflict. Tensions between Israel and its northern neighbours have risen once again, stirring fears of another military confrontation between the Lebanon-based Hezbollah armed group and the Israeli army. While the border region has remained restive since the 2006 war between the two sides and the discussion of another conflict has become almost constant, a series of recent developments have renewed such worries. On Thursday, the Syrian state news agency reported an attack by Israeli jets on a military facility in western Syria, killing two people. Though Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, a former major general, Yaakov Amidror, told Israels largest radio station, the Army Radio, that the attack was an effort to weaken Iran and Hezbollah, who operate in Syria. Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israeli military intelligence, also said on Twitter that the attack sent several important messages, including Israels refusal to allow for empowerment and production of strategic arms. READ MORE: Syrias civil war explained from the beginning Earlier this week, Israel also began a 10-day military drill, the largest in two decades, on its border with Lebanon. The Israeli army said the main goal of the exercise was to improve combat readiness on the northern front and to adapt the response to the challenges facing Israel. The drill comes after accusations by the United Nations envoys for Israel and the United States that the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon was ignoring a buildup of Iranian arms by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, on the Israeli border. Experts and political analysts say that while a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah is unlikely, the option should not be ruled out. Based on the information that we have, I think it is improbable that a war would break out, even though there have been several limited attacks by both parties. However, Israel could surprise us with war in the moment we least expect it, Kassem Kassir, a Lebanon-based journalist with close ties to Hezbollah, told Al Jazeera. Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody 34-day war in 2006 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 Lebanese, the majority of whom were civilians; around 4,400 were injured and an estimated one million displaced. An estimated 159 Israelis, including 43 civilians, were also killed by Hezbollahs rocket attacks. The group was able to overwhelm Israels ground invasion of southern Lebanon and strike military and civilian targets, undermining internal Israeli support for the war and spurring regional support for Hezbollahs military successes against a state army. With Hezbollahs deep involvement in the war in Syria over the past six years, the group and those close to it argue that it has gained a more sophisticated level of tactical experience and weaponry while fighting alongside the Syrian regime and allied groups. Others say the war has worn the group out and prevented it from engaging in a future conflict with Israel. Yet, on several occasions in the past few years, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has threatened that the group would be capable of invading Israels northern region and beyond in the case of an Israeli offensive against Lebanon. In a speech last year, Nasrallah also mentioned a chemical plant in the city of Haifa where thousands of ammonia tanks are stored as a potential target, threatening death to tens of thousands. Hezbollah, after it entered the war in Syria, acquired new abilities and powers that it did not enjoy before the war in Syria. Hezbollah went from fighting guerilla warfare to engaging in professional army-scale battles in areas across Syria for the first time, Kassir said. Also, the coordination that is happening between Hezbollah and Russia which, for the first time, are sharing the same fighting field also constitutes worry for Israel. The other point which must be highlighted is that Hezbollah now has a relationship with tens of thousands of non-Lebanese fighters that have participated in the fight in Syria whether Afghanis, Pakistanis or Iraqis which could possibly participate in any future confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel. Over the course of the war in Syria, Israel has targeted Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys on multiple occasions, saying it would continue to block any Iranian efforts to transfer weapons to the group. Hezbollah expert Amal Saad said the changing nature of the war in Syria has meant that Israel would no longer be fighting a localised war. Theres no longer a separation of battlefronts, and Israel has made sure of that because of its aggression on Syrian territory. It has become a very active player on the Syrian battlefront, and therefore, it has ensured that Hezbollah and the Syrian regime remain linked; its erased the borders in that sense, Saad told Al Jazeera. And while there have been tit-for-tat attacks including assassinations, attacks on arms convoys, and rocket attacks on the borders analysts agree these incidents would not necessarily spark a war. These are limited attacks or security responses designed to respond to a single event which do not warrant a wide-scale conflict. For the two parties to go to war there would need to be aggression of a different level, such as an invasion or large-scale attack, Saad said. Is Israel ready for another round of war with Hezbollah knowing full well that were no longer talking about a localised war? Were talking about a regional war that would involve the participation of all the allied groups fighting in Syria. READ MORE: The history of Hezbollah, from Israel to Syria For now, the military drill seems to be a form of psychological warfare intended to make a statement about the Israeli armys capabilities. The exercise has two main objectives: first, training the Israeli army for a large-scale confrontation in light of Israels inferior strategic position as a result of the war in Syria, [including] Hezbollahs growing military capacities in Lebanon [and the] expanded presence of Iranian and Iranian-backed armed forces in Syria, said Ofer Zalzberg, a senior Israel/Palestine analyst for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group think-tank. Second, [it is about] demonstrating to others the sheer strength and scale of Israels military capacities, Zalzberg told Al Jazeera. Still, indicators point to the growing influence of Iran, Israels principal enemy in the region, as the reason behind the recent symbolic escalation. Along with Russia, Iran has been able to tip the scales of the conflict in Syria in favour of the Syrian regime. And with the war edging ever closer to Israels borders, the Israeli fear of an Iranian corridor through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon has come to the forefront. We do not interfere in the question of who will rule in Damascus; we interfere with the question of how strong Iran and Hezbollah will be in the region, Amidror said in his interview on Israels Army Radio. In the context of the regional divide between the Gulf states and Iran, Israeli officials and analysts have often spoken of an unofficial moderate axis of Arab countries that are working behind the scenes with the Israeli government. In this alliance, US-backed countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and several of the Gulf states, as well as Jordan and Morocco, are said to be pitted against common enemies Syria, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. Saad believes that Hezbollahs role in the war in Syria has only strengthened the alliance between the latter and added other countries, including Iraq, to what she terms the resistance axis. Iran is far more influential than the US and Saudi Arabia in the region. Thats very worrisome for Israel and its allies, the tightest of which is Saudi Arabia. Leaders of Qatar and the US hold phone discussion over the GCC crisis in wake of Kuwaiti rulers White House visit. Shortly after calling for unity and offering to mediate in a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its neighbours, US President Donald Trump has held a phone conversation with the Qatari emir to discuss the latest developments in the Gulf. The call on Thursday followed a White House meeting between Trump and the emir of Kuwait, who is mediating in the dispute since June 5, when a Saudi-led group announced it was cutting ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegations. During his conversation with Trump, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed Trumps position on the need to resolve this crisis through dialogue to ensure the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to Qatars state media. The GCC is an alliance of six Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The Qatari emir also expressed Dohas position on resolving differences through constructive dialogue that does not affect the sovereignty of states, Qatar News Agency reported. OPINION: The energy factor in the GCC crisis For his part, Trump pledged his commitment to ending the crisis, stressing the importance of maintaining unity while trying to defeat terrorism. The president underscored the importance of all countries following through on commitments from the Riyadh Summit to maintain unity while defeating terrorism, cutting off funding for terrorist groups, and combatting extremist ideology, read a statement by the White House issued on Friday. Trump met leaders and representatives of 55 Arab and Muslim-dominated countries in Saudi Arabias capital, Riyadh, in late May, to discuss, among others, security and the fight against armed groups. War stopped On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt announced they were imposing a land, sea and air blockade against it. On June 22, the group issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade. Doha rejected all the demands, denouncing them as attempts to infringe Qatars sovereignty. Earlier on Thursday, at a joint press conference with Kuwaits emir, Trump had said he supported Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabahs mediation efforts, but if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be willing to be a mediator. We call on our GCC and Egyptian allies to focus on our commitments at that Saudi Arabia summit to continue our joint efforts to drive out and defeat terrorists, Trump said. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are all essential US partners in this effort. OPINION: GCC crisis Why is Kuwaiti mediation not working? At the press conference with Trump, the emir of Kuwait said he was glad that military action against Qatar was no longer being considered. What is important is that we have stopped any military action, Sheikh Sabah said. In a joint statement, the blockading nations expressed regret about the Kuwaiti emirs comment. The military option was not and will not be [used] in any circumstance, it said. Mahjoob Zweiri, an associate professor in contemporary history of the Middle East at Doha University, said the Kuwaiti emirs comments marked the first time that a main player in the efforts to defuse the crisis spoke publicly about the possibility of a military option. It was something that some people were whispering about, there were assumptions everywhere, but this was something where you see someone like the emir of Kuwait, who is the main mediator in this crisis, coming out and saying that this is now not on the table, Zweiri told Al Jazeera. This doesnt mean that it was on the table, and this tells us basically a sort of concern from different parties that this option may be used by the four countries. Polish officials have spoken of plans to push for compensation for the destruction of towns and cities caused by Nazis. The German government has rejected claims by Polish officials that it should pay billions of dollars in reparations for World War II. Key figures in Polands right-wing government said recently that Germany has a moral obligation to pay for the massive destruction of many towns and cities by the Nazi war machine. The demand has been voiced by a number of officials, most recently by Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, who spoke of her plans to push for a payment in an interview with Polish broadcaster RMF FM. Responding to Szydlos comments, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Friday cited a postwar declaration in which Poland had waived its right to further compensation. READ MORE: Why remembering the Holocaust matters more than ever While insisting that Germany took full responsibility for the unspeakable crimes of Nazi Germany, Seibert said his government saw no reason to doubt the internationally binding effect of the 1953 reparations waiver. Poland suffered massively at the hands of invading Nazi Germany in World War II; some six million people were killed. The renewed debate over payments by Germany to its formerly occupied neighbour comes at a time of already tense relations between Berlin and Warsaw, due to political differences over migration and an ongoing legal procedure against Poland by the European Union. An exact figure has not been placed on the restitution that Poland intends to seek. Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak placed the sum of material damages at one trillion dollars in a televised interview. Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski later said in comments to RMF: Perhaps even more. In 2015, Germany dismissed similar demands from Greece to pay it World War Two reparations Nazis destroyed hundreds of Greek villages and killed more than 20,000 civilians between the 1941-1944 occupation of the southern European country. READ MORE: Poland is turning authoritarian On Friday, Polands powerful Roman Catholic church warned that poor decisions by the countrys right-wing leaders could undermine ties with Germany. The manner in which unresolved issues are dealt with in the relations between the two countries is of utmost importance, according to a statement signed by five of Polands most senior clerics. They need to be conducted on a level of wise diplomacy to maintain hard-won trust, not to be undermined by arousing negative social emotions on either side, said the church leaders, including Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz and Archbishop Henryk Muszynski. According to a survey by Polands independent Ibris pollsters published last month, 51 percent of Poles oppose any reparation claims against Germany, while 24 percent believe such claims ought to be made. EU top court rejected Hungarys challenge on migrant relocation plan, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban vows to fight on. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said the real battle is just beginning, vowing to continue fighting against the European Unions migrant relocation plan despite suffering a setback at the blocs top court. Orbans remarks on Friday came two days after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) threw out the case from Hungary and Slovakia against the EUs quota scheme to spread up to 160,000 Syrian, Iraqi and Eritrean asylum seekers among the 28 member states. Hungary is a European Union member, so the blocs treaties must be respected and the courts rulings must be acknowledged, the populist leader said in a radio interview. But this is not a reason to change an immigration policy that rejects migrants, he added. The courts ruling does not require Hungary to do anything, Orban said, because it focused only on whether the EU had the legal right to enforce refugee quotas. He said EU countries which let in migrants, unlike Hungary, decided to do so of their own will and now they cannot ask Budapest to take a part in correcting their mistake. It is not us Hungarians who question the rules of the club, but the Commission had changed the rules and this is unacceptable, Orban said. The real battle [against Brussels] is just beginning, he added. The whole issue raises a very serious question of principles: whether we are an alliance of European free nations with the Commission representing our joint interests, or a European empire which has its centre in Brussels and which can issue orders. READ MORE: Rejected asylum From Karachi to Germany and back again On Wednesday, the Luxembourg-based ECJ rejected a complaint filed by Hungary and Slovakia, reaffirming the blocs right to order individual countries to accept refugees as part of a scheme drawn up in a bid to resettle arriving refugees more equally across the EU. Under the scheme, Hungary is required to take in 1,294 refugees and Slovakia 902. The courts decision is final and not open to appeal. As a result, European officials will continue to be able to order member state governments to take in specific quotas of refugees entering the bloc. Countries refusing to abide by the programme risk facing fines. Refund request Describing immigration as poison, Orban has been at the forefront of a rebellion in eastern and central Europe against the quotas. At the height of the migrant crisis, Budapest erected fences on its southern borders and recruited 3,000 border hunter police to patrol the frontiers. The tough measures, which were denounced by Brussels and human rights groups, slowed the influx of refugees to a trickle until the so-called Balkan Route was effectively closed in March 2016. In July 2016, Human Rights Watch released a report criticising Hungarys treatment of refugees and migrants detained after entering or while attempting to enter its territory, accusing the countrys authorities of breaking all the rules for asylum seekers. READ MORE: UN urges EU not to send asylum seekers back to Hungary Last month, Orban asked the EU to refund half the 800 million euros ($950m) Hungary says it has spent on the borders. But European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker chided Hungary this week for demanding extra money while refusing to participate in the relocation scheme. Orban on Thursday sharply criticised Junckers response, saying that forcing Hungary to accept immigrants amounted to violence. In July, the EU Commission threatened the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland with lawsuits for not implementing the relocation measures. Hungary and Poland remain the only EU states that have not relocated a single person, while the Czech Republic has not relocated anyone since August 2016, the Commission said. UN official says there are consistent reports of Rohingya homes and villages being burned down by security forces. Abandoned by their government, more than 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled violence in Myanmar by crossing into Bangladesh over the past two weeks, bringing with them harrowing tales of murder, rape and burned villages. Women, children, the elderly no one has been spared, survivors have said, pleading for the international community, regional powers and their civilian government to stop the bloodshed. Myanmars army has previously said it had killed 387 Rohingya fighters, blaming the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the latest round of violence that began last month. Yet, fleeing Rohingya refugees have accused the countrys security forces of responding with a campaign of arson and murder in a bid to force them out of Myanmar. READ MORE: Who are the Rohingya? Stripped of their citizenship by the military government in the 1980s, more than 50 percent of the beleaguered ethnic group have been forced to neighbouring countries. Now, fewer than one million remain. The Rohingya, a minority Muslim group who have lived in Myanmars Rakhine State for centuries, have suffered decades of repression under the countrys Buddhist majority. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing, appealing to the countrys civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the countrys security forces to end the violence. But with the violence showing no end in letting up the new influx of refugees is overwhelming camps in Bangladesh that were already bursting at the seams. Al Jazeera spoke with Vivian Tan, a spokesperson for the UNs refugee agency (UNHCR), about the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims and the bodys response to the crisis. Al Jazeera: Does the UN have the resources to look after 270,000 new refugees? Vivian Tan: No, we dont, not at this point. The numbers are immense and they just keep growing. Over the last few days, different UN agencies and NGOs went to affected areas to do a rapid means assessment and we reached out to areas we were not previously aware were hosting refugees. It was here that we found these pockets of new arrivals in villages and in spontaneous settlements sprouting on the side of the road. So no, we dont have enough resources, and based on this rapid needs assessment we will get a clearer picture of what we need and appeal for funds. Al Jazeera: Can you describe the cases of some of the refugees youve come across? Vivian Tan: Were consistently told by most of the arriving refugees: My home was burned, or my village was burnt. Were often told that a helicopter came and dropped something onto their village, and a number of them reported shootings, but it still isnt clear if they were targeted shootings or shootings to scare people away. Some said they lost family members. In terms of how they fled, most reported walking for several days. The minimum Ive heard is three days and the maximum is nine. They said they hid in jungles, in mountains, and they helped each other because of the difficult conditions. And there were also quite a few stories about babies being born along the way. I was in Shamlapur a few days back, a seaside area some 7km from the border, and I came across a family who had a baby in the jungle as they were hiding. And yesterday [Thursday], at the Nayapara camp in Teknaf, a father approached a clinic we were at looking very worried, gesturing come-come. We came out and he took us to this little basket covered by a blanket. I thought this could be chickens or vegetables, but he opened it up and showed us two tiny, babies. His wife had just given birth to twins while they were on the run. There are a lot of really heartbreaking stories. OPINION: Aung San Suu Kyi does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize Al Jazeera: Whats the situation for children in the camps? Vivian Tan: Were seeing a worryingly high number of unaccompanied children and separated children. Many have either lost their parents in the violence or along the way as they fled. Some are with aunts or neighbours. Others, however, are completely alone. We are trying really hard, working with volunteers and NGOs to identify them and take them to special protected spaces. There are NGOs like Action Against Hunger, who are providing hot meals and supplementary foods and nutritional assessments, but there are so many weak and malnourished children. Sadly, its not just from the journey many of them hadnt eaten for days before they left. Al Jazeera: Whats your assessment of how refugees have been treated? Vivian Tan:Whats really been surprising and heartening is the local response. In areas such as Shamlapur and Teknaf, villages are just taking them in. One village took in around 10,000 people in a few days, and they continue to accept them, feed them and provide for them. Even in Coxs Bazar town, which is quite far from the refugee camps, people have rallied together, collecting food, money and bringing it to the new arrivals. The public response has been very encouraging in spite of Bangladesh hosting Rohingya for decades. One would expect host-fatigue but the locals have really rallied around these new arrivals. But at some point their own resources are going to run low or completely run dry, we think its not only important to help these new arrivals but also provide support for the host community. WATCH: Exclusive Strong evidence of genocide in Myanmar (48:15) Al Jazeera: What is your biggest concern in terms of the refugees rights, and their ability to be protected? Vivian Tan:Were looking at this at two levels right now: immediate needs and this involves saving lives, giving people food, water and a roof over their heads and medical attention if they need it. Were currently talking to the authorities about purchasing more land because if it continues like this, its going to be a big mess. Its going to give rise to health issues, serious overcrowding and even tensions between the locals, so it needs to be managed better. And then theres the second issue, legal protection, which includes registration. Even the 270,000 number the UN came out with today is just a rough estimate. Until we do a headcount, a proper registration and document them, we wont know home many are here, whos looking after them and what they need. By documenting them, theyll be better protected here in Bangladesh. Should they get stopped by the police or anyone else, theyll have the evidence to prove theyre a refugee and theyre here legally. And in the long run, if and when conditions improve in Myanmar, if theres a chance of voluntary return, we will need this information to send it to the government so they can start discussing repatriation. In the short, and long term, its crucial they get their documents so they can retain their identity. Follow Faisal Edroos on Twitter: @FaisalEdroos Qatars contribution is the largest from a foreign government to assist the devastated stretches of the Texas coast. Qatar is donating $30m to help people in Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey, its ambassador said; this is apparently the largest contribution from a foreign government to assist the devastated stretches of the Texas coast. The Gulf nation pledged the funds through the newly created Qatar Harvey Fund, which Ambassador Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani said on Thursday would work with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, local organisations and other Texas officials including the Houston mayor. The funds will be used to help rebuild communities affected by flooding. Texans are stronger than any storm and will come back bigger and better, and Qatar stands ready to help our friends at every turn, Al Thani said in a statement that emphasised the gas-rich countrys ties to Texas, including its consulate in Houston. READ MORE: Officials warn of powerful Hurricane Irma impact It came the same day that the United Arab Emirates, one of Qatars opponents in a diplomatic dispute in the Gulf, announced its own $10m donation to help Harvey victims. Both donations were announced as the leader of Kuwait, which has been mediating the Gulf crisis, was in Washington discussing the dispute with President Donald Trump and other US officials. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut ties with Qatar in June over allegations it allows a permissive climate for funding extremists, foments opposition elsewhere in the region and maintains too close ties to Iran. Qatar firmly denies the allegations. Amazed and humbled Several other countries have offered smaller amounts along with non-monetary assistance. Abbott, the governor, said he was amazed and humbled at how people from around the world had shown support for Texas after the hurricane. Texas and Qatar have a long-standing partnership, and I thank the government of Qatar for their generosity and support for Texas and our citizens as we begin the long road to recovery, Abbott said. Qatar has emphasised its role as a key US security partner. The country hosts thousands of US troops and a major base that is key for the military campaigns in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Harvey killed at least 70 people in a storm system that escalated to a Category 4 hurricane before striking Texas last month, dropping more than a metre of rain over the Houston area. Abbott has said recovery could cost as much as $180bn. Qatar opened a consulate in Texas in 1997 and also has ties to the states natural gas industry. The country says more than 450 Qataris live there. Doha, the Qatari capital, hosts a satellite campus of Texas A&M University. Qatari and Saudi leaders express willingness to start talks in phone call, but apparent protocol dispute causes hiccup. Saudi Arabia says plans to hold talks with Qatar have been suspended, shortly after the emergence of reports that a phone call between Qatars emir and the Saudi crown prince hinted at a potential breakthrough in a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf. The call on Friday between Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the first official contact between Doha and Riyadh since the start of the crisis more than three months ago. In the phone call, which was reported by state media from both countries, the two leaders expressed a willingness to discuss an end to the rift. However, there seems to be a dispute over protocol with some reports pointing to Qatar News Agencys (QNA) apparent failure to mention that it was Doha that had initiated the call. READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis All the latest updates In its report about the two leaders call, QNA said that the phone conversation had been coordinated by US President Donald Trump. In the phone discussion, Sheikh Tamim and Mohammed bin Salman stressed the need to resolve this crisis through dialogue to ensure the unity and stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said QNA. The Qatari emir welcomed a proposal by the Saudi crown prince to assign two envoys to resolve the dispute in a way that does not affect the sovereignty of states, the Qatari news agency added. Suspension of dialogue On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade against it, accusing Doha of funding terrorism. Qatar has vehemently rejected the allegations as baseless. On June 22, the group issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade. Doha rejected all the demands, denouncing them as attempts to infringe Qatars sovereignty. PROFILE: Who is Qatars emir? In what appeared to be a possible breakthrough, Saudi state news agency SPA initially issued a statement confirming Fridays phone conversation, saying that Sheikh Tamim had called Mohammed bin Salman and expressed his desire to discuss the demands of the four blockading countries. The details will be announced later after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concludes an understanding with the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt, it added. But SPA later issued a second statement, citing an unnamed official at the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs as saying that what QNA had published earlier in its report about the phone call was a distortion of facts. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announces the suspension of any dialogue or communication with the authority in Qatar until a clear statement is issued clarifying its position in public, the second statement added. Trump calls GCC leaders The latest dispute came shortly after the White House issued a statement saying that Trump had spoken separately earlier on Friday with the Qatari and Saudi leaders, as well as UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In his phone calls, Trump told the Gulf leaders that unity among Washingtons Arab allies was essential to promoting regional stability and countering the threat of Iran, the statement added. The president also emphasised that all countries must follow through on commitments from the Riyadh Summit to defeat terrorism, cut off funding for terrorist groups, and combat extremist ideology, it said. PROFILE: Who is the Saudi crown prince? Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett said there was tremendous optimism in Washington over the fact that the White House had successfully coordinated the first official contact between the GCC partners. Yet, it was what happened after the phone call that seems to be what has caused so much consternation, said Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC. The fact that there is an accusation by Saudi Arabia that Qatars news agency misrepresented the facts, failing to report in the eyes of the Saudis that it was the emir of Qatar who initiated the phone call to Saudi Arabias crown prince. Mohammed Cherkaoui, a professor at George Mason University, said he was still optimistic about the call. I remain optimistic since there was a major turning point in the conflict itself, and I think now that were watching the end of the escalation process that started three months ago, Cherkaoui told Al Jazeera. The latest news now that there is this resistance this is normal because conflict escalation comes fast and mediation is very slow by its nature, he added. Kuwaiti mediation On Thursday, Trump held talks with the emir of Kuwait, who has been acting as a mediator to defuse the crisis, at the White House. Speaking at a joint press conference after their meeting, Trump said that he supported Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabahs mediation efforts, but added that if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be willing to be a mediator. Later on Thursday, Trump also held a phone conversation with Sheikh Tamim. In the call, the Qatari emir expressed Dohas position on resolving differences through constructive dialogue that does not affect the sovereignty of states, QNA said. The GCC is an alliance of six Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Another UN official says more than 1,000 people, mostly Rohingya Muslims, may have been killed. The number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh in the last two weeks to escape the violence in Myanmar has shot up to about 270,000, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said. Vivian Tan said the number had jumped from an estimate of 164,000 on Thursday because the agency had found new pockets of refugees in border areas. A UN official told AFP news agency on Friday that more than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmar, mostly minority Rohingya Muslims. This [the refugee figures] does not necessarily reflect fresh arrivals within the past 24 hours but that we have identified more people in different areas that we were not aware of before, said Tan. The numbers are so alarming. It really means we have to step up our response and that the situation in Myanmar has to be addressed urgently. The fresh influx of refugees across the border has overwhelmed camps in Bangladesh that were already bursting at the seams. The two refugee camps in Coxs Bazar in southeast Bangladesh home to nearly 34,000 Rohingya refugees before this influx are now bursting at the seams. The population has more than doubled in two weeks, totalling more than 70,000. There is an urgent need for more land and shelters, UNHCR said in a briefing note for reporters in Geneva. The vast majority are women, including mothers with newborn babies, families with children. They arrive in poor condition, exhausted, hungry and desperate for shelter. OPINION: Aung San Suu Kyi does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which denies them citizenship and regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations. Myanmars army has previously said it had killed 387 Rohingya fighters. Authorities say they have lost 15 security personnel since the August attacks. Myanmars Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest when Myanmar was a military dictatorship, is now the countrys de facto leader with the title of State Counsellor. Rights groups, activists including many who campaigned for her in the past and her fellow Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have condemned her. When it awarded Aung San Suu Kyi the 1991 Peace Prize, the Nobel committee said that she emphasises the need for conciliation between the sharply divided regions and ethnic groups in her country. But earlier this week, in her first statement since the violence erupted, Aung San Suu Kyi, 72, condemned a huge iceberg of misinformation on the crisis, without mentioning the Rohingya flocking to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Rohingya Muslims are warning that unless the international community takes a firm stance against the violence, the country could witness ethnic cleansing on the scale of the Srebrenica massacre. On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing, appealing to Aung San Suu Kyi and the countrys security forces to end the violence. Two Rohingya sources told Al Jazeera on Thursday that several people had been shot dead near the Maungdow township in Rakhine, with thick plumes of smoke seen billowing from the village of Godu Thara after security forces burned down the homes of fleeing Rohingya. Access to the area has been blocked to foreign media so Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the sources accounts. Speaking to Al Jazeera from Maungdow township under a pseudonym, Anwar, 25, said there was a sustained and targeted military campaign against Muslims. The Myanmar army and Buddhist extremists are specifically targeting the Muslim population, he said. Women, children, the elderly no one has been spared. The situation is continuing to get worse, and Aung San Suu Kyis government is failing to raise its voice, Anwar added. ISIL leader in Deir Az Zor and groups minister of war among 40 fighters killed in air strike, defence ministry says. A Russian air attack in Syrias Deir Az Zor has killed at least 40 fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, including several of the groups top commanders, Moscows defence ministry said. In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday, the defence ministry said the groups leader in Deir Az Zor and its minister of war were among those killed in the attack. As a result of a precision air strike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Az Zor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed, the statement said, referring to ISIL. According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders, including Deir Az Zor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali, the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, a native of Tajikistan, who is known as the armed groups minister of war, suffered a fatal injury, the ministry added. Khalimov received US training and headed the Tajik interior ministrys special forces unit before joining ISIL in 2015. READ MORE: Syrian forces break ISIL siege in Deir Az Zor The Russian defence ministry said the air attack, which was carried out on an unspecified date, was ordered after Moscow received intelligence earlier this week about a meeting of senior ISIL commanders in the area. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by ISIL fighters on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Az Zor. Heavy clashes are taking place between Syrian government forces and the armed group around the city as ISIL fights back to reinstate a years-long siege of the city. President Bashar al-Assads troops on Tuesday broke the nearly three-year ISIL blockade of parts of the city, marking a significant advance against the armed group. Seoul, South Korea For the past 25 years, Koreans both young and old have gathered in front of the Japanese embassy in central Seoul every Wednesday 1,300 times making it the worlds longest-running protest. South Koreans demand that the Japanese government apologise and compensate the estimated 200,000 female victims known euphemistically as comfort women forced into sexual slavery by imperial Japan. When leaders realised this would never happen, many decided to ask that these elderly women, known as halmonies or grandmothers in Korean, be honoured and remembered with a national memorial day in South Korea. President Moon Jae-in agrees. It could be a great step forward if the new [South] Korean government adopts this as official policy, said Sunghee Oh, general-secretary of the Foundation for Justice and Remembrance for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, an advocacy group based in the capital. The government is trying to support them, but these women are old and dying, Oh told Al Jazeera. A presidential spokesperson was unavailable for comment. But an official stated the matter is now in the hands of the National Assembly, South Koreas parliament. A spokesperson for the National Assembly was unavailable for comment. In 2015, the Korean government announced it reached an agreement with Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered compensation to South Koreas former President Park Guen-hye. According to the Japanese, this would resolve the comfort women issue finally and irreversibly. But they misjudged how deeply ingrained the issue is in South Korean society. And some Japanese were outraged at Tokyos concessions. At the centre of this controversy is a bronze statue of a young Korean girl. It sits in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, where protesters have gathered every Wednesday since 1992. This statue symbolises innocence. It offends the Japanese because its a constant reminder and they want to forget what happened. They tried to solve this problem with money, but thats not what we want, said Hyo Jin-kim, creative director of Uncomfort Women Project, a cyber protest launched in Seoul last August. I wanted to use social media to take this weekly Wednesday demonstration online so people outside of [South] Korea could participate. The Uncomfort Women Project began by uploading photos to Instagram and Facebook of young Koreans with their faces digitally placed on to the bronze statue, known as Sanyeosang, or statue of girl in Korean. According to Hyo, many Japanese have gone to the Uncomfort Women Project website to upload photos of themselves in support of the cause. When I got started with this project I learned there were women from not only [South] Korea but from all over Asia forced to work as sex slaves by Japan, said Hyo. The Uncomfort Women Project seeks to engage a global audience and uses geotagging to place the geographical location of the photos at the UN headquarters in New York. WATCH: Filipina comfort women await Tokyo apology This way, Hyo said, people who care for human rights can see this cyber protest and join calls for an international day for comfort women the projects ultimate goal. The real issue is protecting and honouring the survivors. We need to set the record straight and watch this cause grow from a Korean one into an international one, said Hyo. There are only 35 Korean comfort women survivors alive today. Most live with family or in government-run care centres. Their average age is 91-years-old. Two died last August. Nine survivors live at House of Sharing, located in a suburb southeast of Seoul. The adjacent buildings house a museum dedicated to comfort women from Korea and the rest of Asia, including Japan. This is what most dont realise that Japanese women were also recruited and forced to serve their country as comfort women, said Shinkwon Ahn, chairperson of House of Sharing. Chinese and Philippine women were also forced into sexual slavery. The South Korean president has also mentioned a national museum for comfort women to be opened by 2020, pending government approval. Anh believes another museum dedicated to women and human rights will help bring more international visitors to the country and raise the profile of the comfort women issue abroad. A national museum set up by the government could mean a lot. The War and Women Human Rights Museum in Seoul is operated by a civil society group and The House of Sharing, outside of Seoul, is managed by a Buddhist social welfare organisation, said Anh. FEATURE: The debate over South Koreas comfort women Sunghee Oh and Hyo Jin-kim know a comfort women museum will infuriate hardline Japanese, who believe comfort women were prostitutes who voluntarily gave up their freedom to serve the colonial military until the end of World War II. Its not an anti-Japan issue. Its a human rights issue. Sexual slavery still occurs today in countries around the world, said Oh. Since 2012, August 14th is the date set aside to remember comfort women in South Korea. Its the day before Independence Day when decades of Japanese colonial rule ended in 1945. Its not ancient history. There are women still suffering because of the abuse faced over 70 years ago. Its time to right the wrongs of the past, Hyo said. Call for referendum on Catalonias independence suspended despite its regional parliament vote to go ahead with it. The constitutional court in Spain has suspended the call for a referendum on Catalonias independence after agreeing to review an appeal by central authorities in Madrid. The move was widely expected after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that the government would challenge both a controversial law meant to legitimise the independence vote and a decree signed on Wednesday by the Catalan regional government summoning voters for the October 1 ballot. On Wednesday, Catalonias regional parliament, which is controlled by separatists, voted to push ahead with the referendum in the wealthy northeastern region, sparking the countrys deepest political crisis in 40 years. The central government called the move an attack against Spains and Catalonias institutional order. Thats something that the government and the courts cant allow, Rajoy said in a televised address on Thursday after a meeting of his cabinet. There wont be a self-determination referendum because that would be taking away from other Spaniards the right to decide their future. The reaction to the courts decision by leaders in Catalonia also did not come as a surprise. Carles Puigdemont, the regions president and one of the main promoters of the referendum, said that neither central Spanish authorities nor the courts could halt their plans. Spains constitutional court has previously ruled that a referendum can only be called with the approval of the central authorities. OPINION: The case against Catalan secession But Puigdemonts pro-independence coalition claims that the universal right to self-determination overrules Spains laws. We will respond to the tsunami of lawsuits with a tsunami of democracy, Puigdemont told local broadcaster 8TV. He also boasted that more than 16,000 people had already registered online as volunteers and that more than half of the mayors in Catalonia were supporting the vote. The Catalonia region, centred on Barcelona, generates a fifth of Spains gross domestic product and holds 7.5 million people. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructure are in the hands of the Spanish government. Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions. Lawsuit against officials The state prosecutor, meanwhile, announced plans for lawsuits accusing Catalan officials involved in the possible referendum of disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement, among other charges. One lawsuit seeks to punish members of the Catalan Parliament who allowed the debate and the vote on the legal framework of the referendum. A separate lawsuit was aimed at Puigdemont and the other members of his cabinet who signed the referendum decree. Chief state prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said prosecutors and police forces in Catalonia had been told to investigate and stop any actions taken to celebrate the referendum. Businesses who print tickets for the ballot, produce commercials to advertise it or provide ballot services to the Catalan government could also be legally liable. He said the measures were aimed at guaranteeing the constitutional coexistence framework in Spain. Opposition MP Tundu Lissus condition is improving at a hospital in Kenyas Nairobi, his party says. Tanzanian opposition legislator Tundu Lissu is recovering in a Kenyan hospital after being wounded in a gun attack at his residence in Tanzanias administrative capital, Dodoma, according to his party. Abdallah Safari, the vice president of main opposition party CHADEMA, said at a news conference on Friday that Lissu was taken to the Aga Khan hospital in neighbouring Kenyas capital, Nairobi, after a decision by his family and his party. His health is improving, he said. Vincent Mashinji, CHADEMA secretary-general, said: Those who wanted to kill him have failed. The motive for the shooting by unknown gunmen was unclear. READ MORE: Tanzania: Opposition MP Tundu Lissu wounded by gunmen Lissu, 49, was attacked at his home in Dodoma on Thursday, after returning from a parliamentary session. He was shot in the stomach and leg, according to local media reports, with party spokesman Tumaini Makene describing his condition as critical. According to party leaders, Lissu had previously complained to being tailed by a car and repeatedly said he feared assassination. Party members are afraid, Safari said. Police said on Thursday they had opened an investigation. Rights groups, Tanzanias government and others have condemned the shooting. In a statement, President John Magufulis ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party also condemned this cruel and inhuman act. Magufuli tweeted that he was shocked to hear the news of the attack on Tundu Lissu and I pray to God almighty that he will soon recover. Government critic Lissu has had a series of run-ins with Magufulis government, and has been arrested at least six times this year, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges. He serves as chief whip for the parliamentary opposition and is president of Tanzanias bar association, the Tanganyika Law Society, as well as being CHADEMAs attorney general. His most recent arrest was in August, after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts. Internet access restricted as thousands take to the streets for a second day against President Gnassingbes rule. Togolese authorities have blocked internet access as opponents of President Faure Gnassingbe marched for a second day against his familys 50-year rule. Hundreds of protesters marched from the opposition stronghold of Be towards a meeting in central Lome, the capital, on Thursday, a witness said. Police later fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. The scale of this weeks protests, which the opposition said were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, represented the biggest challenge to Gnassingbes rule since the aftermath of his ascension to power in 2005. READ MORE: Togo protesters demand constitutional reform US-based company Dyn, which monitors the internet, said traffic dropped off at 09:00 GMT in what critics said was a move by the government to suppress protests as other African governments have done. Residents said that text messages had also been blocked. The communications minister could not immediately be reached for comment on the cuts. Analysts said Gnassingbe might find himself isolated amid growing criticism of autocratic rule in West Africa. The presidents position is very fragile, and we do not think his peers in ECOWAS or his friends in Europe will help him if things get ugly, Francois Conradie, head of research at NKC African Economics, said. Gnassingbe, who took power after his long-ruling fathers death, has sought to appease opponents by introducing a draft bill to reform the constitution this week. Such changes would reintroduce a two-term limit that was scrapped by the late Gnassingbe Eyadema in 2002. But opposition leaders are sceptical that this would apply retroactively, meaning the current president might stay until 2030. They have called for his immediate departure. Adama Gaye, a political analyst and author, said the opposition portion of the Togolese population is fed up with the fact that its the same family which has been ruling the country for five decades Faure Gnassingbe is now facing the battle of his life because the population of Togo is young, Gaye told Al Jazeera from Dundee, Scotland. They are determined and they are taking advantage of the technological advances and internet, and also of some progress that has been made in democratisation in others parts of the continent, such as in Kenya recently, referring to a ruling by the East African countrys Supreme Court to annul the result of last months elections citing irregularities and illegalities. Togo, a regional financial hub that aspires to be an African Singapore, is at odds with West African neighbours, which mostly have laws restricting presidential mandates. Togo along with The Gambia voted in 2015 against introducing term limits across the 15 members of the ECOWAS regional body, which Gnassingbe currently chairs. US president says Pyongyang is behaving badly and its got to stop as officials eye policy of nuclear containment. An American military attack on North Korea is not inevitable, US President Donald Trump said, but it would be a very sad day for the Asian nation if it ever came to fruition. Trump also said North Korea is behaving badly and its got to stop. He was speaking at a White House news conference after meeting the leader of Kuwait on Thursday. Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable, nothings inevitable. Hopefully, were not going to have to use it [military action] on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea, he said. Trump, like his predecessors, may find neither negotiations nor economic and military pressure can force North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme, and the United States has no choice but to try to contain it and deter North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from ever using a nuclear weapon. READ MORE: North Korea: More gift packages coming for the US North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 2, describing it as an advanced hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile, a dramatic escalation of its standoff with the United States and its allies. Even as Trump has insisted now is not the time to talk to North Korea, senior members of his administration have made clear the door to a diplomatic solution remains open, especially given the US assessment that any pre-emptive attack would unleash massive North Korean retaliation. US officials declined to discuss operational planning but acknowledge no existing plan for a pre-emptive attack could promise to prevent a brutal counterattack by North Korea, which has thousands of artillery pieces and rockets trained on Seoul, the capital of South Korea. US and Asian officials say it is necessary to try negotiations and more economic pressure but concede these are unlikely to curb, let alone eliminate, the nuclear and missile programmes that North Korea considers essential to its survival. North Korea says it needs its weapons to protect itself from US aggression. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. Invariable is the aggressive ambition of the US to dominate Asia and the rest of the world by swallowing up the whole Korean Peninsula, said a statement on Friday on the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. A senior Trump administration official said it is unclear whether the Cold War-era deterrence model that Washington used with the Soviet Union could be applied to a rogue state such as North Korea, adding: I dont think the president wants to take that chance. We are very concerned that North Korea might not be able to be deterred, the official said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity shortly after Trumps remarks. North Korea: All you need to know explained in graphics There has been no sign the White House, which has been cool to the idea of talks and hopes that pressure can change the Norths calculus, is ready to settle for a containment strategy. Despite pessimism about discussions with Pyongyang, a US official speaking on condition of anonymity said there was a chance that economic pressure, especially from China, combined with an agreement to negotiate could convince North Korea to limit its nuclear arsenal or even sign the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. Signing the CTBT would give the North tacit admission to the nuclear club but end its testing programme, the official said. That, along with assured destruction, might be the best that could be done. The remaining question, however, is whether Trump would be willing to settle for that. Discipline and steadiness are not words one usually uses in a sentence that also has the name Donald Trump, said Robert Einhorn, a former State Department official who negotiated with North Korea and is now at the Brookings Institution think-tank. Would he over time recognise that he may have no choice? Frank Jannuzi, president of the Mansfield Foundation, which promotes US-Asia relations, is more optimistic. Does he have the patience to manage a difficult process of deterrence and containment against the [North] rather than doing something impulsive? I think so, he said. Some of his deals have taken years to come to fruition. The concept of containment comes as the US and its allies plan to go to the UN Security Council with major new sanctions, including cutting off Chinas oil supply to North Korea and imposing an asset freeze and travel ban on leader Kim Jong-un. OPINION: Peace with North Korea is still possible Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke in Vladivostok on Thursday and agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off oil to North Korea as much as possible, according to South Korean officials. North Korea accused South Korea and Japan of dirty politics, and said it would respond to any new UN sanctions and US pressure with powerful counter measures, accusing the United States of aiming for war. Meanwhile, the Mexican government on Thursday declared the North Korean ambassador to Mexico, Kim Hyong-gil, persona non grata to protest its recent nuclear activity. In a statement, the government said it had given the ambassador 72 hours to leave Mexico in a step meant to express its absolute rejection of North Koreas actions, describing them as a grave threat to the region and the world. Washington condemns deadly attacks by military and rebels as Aung San Suu Kyi says shes trying to protect everybody. The United States expressed concern about the crisis in Myanmar and urged authorities to allow humanitarian access to restive Rakhine state as violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority continues. Refugees arriving in already packed camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, many exhausted and desperately hungry, have brought harrowing tales of murder, rape and widespread arson. Some 164,000 Rohingya have fled since violence erupted two weeks ago. There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters on Thursday. We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further attacks on local populations. READ MORE: Rohingya warn of another Srebrenica if violence rages The United Nations says more than 250,000 refugees, most of them Rohingya, have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh since the violence began last October. Witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya fighters launched a series of attacks on August 25, prompting the latest military-led crackdown. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday that her government was doing its best to protect everyone in Rakhine. Aung San Suu Kyi did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya. Critics have accused her of not speaking out for the Rohingya, some 1.1 million people who have long complained of persecution and are seen by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked. We have to take care of our citizens, we have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens, Aung San Suu Kyi said in comments to Reuters Televisions Indian partner, Asian News International. Of course, our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be but, still, we try our best and we want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law. Aung San Suu Kyi said the situation in Rakhine has been difficult for many decades and so it was a little unreasonable to expect her administration, which has been in power for 18 months, to have resolved it already. OPINION: Aung San Suu Kyi does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyis spokesman, Zaw Htay, on Thursday, posted what he said were photos of Bengalis setting fire to their houses. The pictures of several sword-wielding women wearing headscarves and men in Islamic prayer caps setting a house on fire, which were published in one of the countrys leading newspapers, were also shared widely by the military. These photos showing that Bengalis are torching their houses emerge at a time when international media have made groundless accusations of setting fire to Bengali houses by the government security forces and the killings of Bengalis, said the Eleven Media daily The photographs sparked controversy on social media with many people who identified themselves as Myanmar Muslims saying they appeared staged. Rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh say the Myanmar army has been trying to force them out of Rakhine state with a campaign of arson and killings. Boatloads of exhausted Rohingya continued to arrive in the Coxs Bazar region of neighbouring Bangladesh. Many refugees are stranded in no-mans land between the border with Myanmar, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym MSF) said in a statement. Police in Bangladesh say they recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river. Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat after fleeing her township in Rakhine. People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink, she told AFP news agency inside Bangladesh. Most managed to swim ashore, but the children were missing. Mazor Mustafa, a Bangladeshi businessman handing out food and rehydration fluids at one refugee camp, said food was running low as more people arrived. These people are hungry, starving to death together, he said. Kuwaits emir says military action by four Arab countries blockading Qatar has been averted as Trump changes his tone. The emir of Kuwait says the threat of war between Qatar and Arab nations blockading it for the past three months has been neutralised. Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the main mediator in the Gulf dispute, spoke in Washington, DC, on Thursday at a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump. While both sides in the dispute have ruled out the use of armed force, some ordinary Qataris say they worry about the possibility of military action, given the ferocity of the criticism their country has received from media in the four Arab states. What is important is that we have stopped any military action, Sheikh Sabah said. READ MORE: Donald Trump calls for united GCC, offers to mediate In a joint statement, the blockading nations expressed regret about the Kuwaiti emirs comment about stopping military intervention. The military option was not and will not be [used] in any circumstance, it said. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the worlds biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Qatar is also home to the regions biggest US military base. The four nations say Doha supports regional rival Iran and funds terrorism charges Qatars leaders vehemently deny. The countries reiterated on Thursday the accusation that Qatar continued to finance terrorism and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Trump said there is still funding of radical groups by some nations, but added multiple countries are responsible. There is massive funding of terrorism by certain countries, he said. Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said Trumps tone had changed after previously sending mixed signals. What is significant is the US president is now no longer singling out Qatar. He made a phone call to the emir of Qatar immediately following his press conference to provide further assurances, she said. The joint statement by the blockading nations praised what they called Trumps firm assertion that the only way to resolve the crisis was by stopping the support and financing of terrorism, and his unwillingness to resolve the crisis unless this is achieved. Sheikh Sabah said he had received a letter from Qatar that expressed willingness to discuss a list of 13 demands from its neighbours. We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable, Kuwaits leader said, referring specifically to issues that affected Qatari sovereignty. A great part of them will be resolved. Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Al Jazeera that any mediation had to come without conditions, reiterating Doha would not negotiate while transport links with neighbours remained cut. The Arab powers responded in the statement by accusing Qatar of putting preconditions on negotiations, which they said showed a lack of seriousness in resolving the dispute. Qatari officials have repeatedly said the demands are so draconian they suspect the four countries never seriously intended to negotiate them, and were instead seeking to hobble Dohas sovereignty. At the same time, they have said Qatar is interested in negotiating a fair solution to any legitimate issues of concern to fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member states. Beekeepers will toast with beer to the construction of a new bee lab on campus. First Magnitude Brewing Company, located at 1220 SE Veitch St., will host Bees and Brews, a fundraising event for UF bee research, Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., said Ben Guzman, the event coordinator at the brewery. Tickets are available in increments of $10, $15 and $20 depending on the amount of beer and freebies offered. Visitors will be able to sample honey, eat honey-infused foods and drink beer at the event. The money will be used to build the UF Bee Lab, which is scheduled to break ground near Southwest Recreation Center in September but may be postponed due to Hurricane Irma, said Mickey Schafer, the communications secretary of the Gainesville Area Bee Club. Guzman expects more than 110 people to attend the event. We have a very strong ecologically minded base here, Guzman said. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and UF will donate $2.5 million if the Florida State Beekeepers Association raises $200,000, Schafer said. The event sponsors The Gainesville Area Beekeepers, FSBA and the UF Bee Lab research declining populations of bee colonies. Susan Harris, a master craftsman beekeeper, said the lab will find new ways to raise strong colonies. Honey bees are dying at rates that have never been seen in the past, Harris said. Trying to keep the bees healthy, thats giant. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Amber Young-Parker walked into Alachua County Humane Societys shelter Thursday and asked for a cat any cat. Young-Parker, 44, went home with a 2-year-old cat named Carmilla, one of more than 100 animals available at the shelter to be taken home before Hurricane Irma hits Florida this weekend. The humane society, Gainesville Pet Rescue Inc. and Helping Hands Pet Rescue waived adoption fees for adult cats and dogs Thursday and Friday. About 41 animals were fostered since Wednesday. The goal is to empty our shelter as much as possible, said Margot DeConna, the director of development for ACHS. We want to ensure we have space to take in animals that require shelter from the storm or are lost or stray. Any remaining animals at Gainesville Pet Rescue and Helping Hands Pet Rescue will be transported to ACHS, the largest and safest of the facilities, to weather the hurricane, DeConna said. ACHS can normally hold 200 animals but will house 100 more in an emergency. DeConna said although adoption is a lifelong commitment, fostering a pet requires about two weeks of caring for the animal. Fostering is an excellent way to dip your toes into pet ownership and give (a) pet a safe place to stay in an emergency, DeConna said. ACHS will be open for adoptions and fostering Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and will be closing Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the storm. Young-Parker, a mother of two, frequently volunteers with the shelter and has been fostering animals for the last two years, so she knew they would be in need with the storm approaching. I just know they needed extra hands, and I think its better for the animals to ride out a storm in a home instead of here in the shelter, Young-Parker said. I told them just tell me who you need me to take. Gainesville resident Amber Young-Parker, 44, holds her new foster cat, Carmilla, at the Alachua County Humane Society. Young-Parker is fostering the cat for two weeks to help the shelter before Hurricane Irma. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now In a suitcase large enough for him to fit inside comfortably, Frank Curtis wants to fill it with his personality. The large-scale suitcase installation, which is 12 feet long, 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall, is a part of Curtis new art installation titled Lost and Found: The Art of Assemblage. The free installation will open Friday and run until Oct. 20 at Cofrin Gallery at Oak Hall School, located at 8009 SW 14th Ave. The event celebrates Curtis, a local Gainesville artist who has been creating sculptures out of suitcases for over 30 years. The exhibit includes original suitcase pieces and several other non-suitcase pieces. I began making suitcase sculptures in 1984 after I went on vacation to the Dominican Republic, Curtis said. I had this suitcase, and I realized it was made out of wood and I thought I could cut things out and put things into it and make artwork. The exhibition features artists who repurpose old belongings in their art, including Charisse Celino, Bill Paine, John Patterson and Marie and Rusty Hammer. Curtis will spend about five days building the largest piece in the collection. The schools art class students helped Curtis build his suitcase and will cover it with their art. Robert Ponzio, a co-curator of the Cofrin Gallery, said Curtis and the students have learned from each other during the process. Students are painting, everyones just trying to do what we can, Ponzio said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now 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 [] The suit against President Trump for letting the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA) lapse, filed by virulently anti-Trump New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, is politically motivated blue state nonsense: The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, seeks to preserve former President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. When bullies step up, you have to step to them and step to them quickly, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, a Democrat, said at a news conference at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. The 58-page lawsuit -- in which New York is the first named plaintiff and is joined by Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and North Carolina, among others -- challenges what it refers to as the illegal actions of the president and the federal government. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which wants less immigration, said what the president says or doesnt say, his supposed animus, has nothing to do with the legality of this program. There cant be disparate impact, because the same percentage of Hispanics who got DACA will lose DACA, Krikorian said. He pointed to a 2011 statement in which Obama said suspending deportations through executive order would not conform with my appropriate role as president. Racism has replaced patriotism it seems as the proverbial last refuge of scoundrels as Attorney General Lisa Madigan of the bankrupt state of Illinois, one of 14 states plus the District of Columbia, joined her brethren in playing the race card in joining the lawsuit against President Trumps decision to let DACA lapse. As Madigan said in her press release: Attorney General Lisa Madigan today joined with 15 attorneys general to file a lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) grantees. Madigan and the coalition allege the federal governments rescinding of the DACA program violates Due Process rights; violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against DREAMers of Mexican origin, who make up 78 percent of DACA recipients; and harms the states residents, institutions, and economies. The lawsuit was filed earlier today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against President Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Click here to read the lawsuit Joining Madigan in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general from: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. So we have 15 attorneys general arguing that it is unconstitutional to rescind an unconstitutional executive order that even its issuer, President Barack Hussein Obama, acknowledged that his fix was unconstitutional and temporary. As constitutional law professor Obama said, he didnt have the authority to do what he eventually did -- enact the Congressionally rejected DREAM Act through executive order: With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, thats just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed -- and I know that everybody here at Bell is studying hard so you know that weve got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branchs job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws. There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply through executive order ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President. The argument of disparate impact is constitutionally irrelevant. DACA was unconstitutionally enacted through executive order. The argument of disparate impact is also nonsense All DREAMers are being treated the same as a class of people (children brought her by their illegal alien parents) so there can be no discriminatory intent, just as there was none in President Trumps travel ban, which was base on geography and not religion. It is not President Trumps fault there are not many Scandinavians, for example in either group, or that DREAMers do not mirror Americas ethnic and racial breakdown. Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano has rightly called this move a political stunt by states with no legal standing: Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano called the lawsuit against the Trump administration over ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) nothing more than a political stunt. You cant sue in federal court unless youve been harmed, Napolitano said. The states have not been harmed DACA is in place right now. Donald Trumps Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security are honoring it. The president himself said its not going to happen. No change until March 5th and by the way the, Congress may have legislated DACA and made it the law of the land. I think the lawsuit is premature and probably will be dismissed, he said. I think his [Trumps] heart is in the right place but hes trying to do what he took an oath to do, which is uphold the constitution and uphold the laws as Congress has written them not as he wants them to be. The attorney generals suing the Trump administration over DACA presumably took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States as well as the constitutions of their own states. Nowhere in these documents does it say laws not passed can be implemented through executive orders, that two wrongs make a right or that illegal executive orders make illegal aliens legal. They should go back and read the document they claim is being violated. Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. Hurricane season is upon us. Harvey last week and Irma this week. Both monster storms and long overdue if one looks at the pattern of hurricanes throughout history. After a hurricane drought, Harvey was the first major hurricane, meaning Category 3 or higher, to make U.S. landfall since 2005 when Hurricane Wilma hit Florida. Despite myriad predictions of monster storms after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, there were not a plethora of superstorms to follow. Why not? These megastorms were predicted based on the settled science of global warming, climate change, severe weather, and the like. Such predictions are based on computer models, factoring in tons of data including ocean temperatures and currents, wind patterns, moisture levels and other factors. Many models exist, their accuracy based on their ability to predict the severity and track of hurricanes and tropical storms. As these storms are frequent and short lived, there is ample opportunity to run the models and compare predictions to reality. The models can also be modified based on how accurate their predictions turned out, hopefully improving their reliability with each iteration. Otherwise the predictions are nothing but guesses. Thats the scientific method. Develop a hypothesis, test it, then modify it until it predicts with a high degree of reliability. Exactly what climate models do. Or are supposed to do. Hurricane predictions are all over the place. Wild guesses. Spaghetti models with lines going every which way. Hurricane Irma heading into the Gulf of Mexico, hitting Florida, making landfall as far north as Canada, or veering harmlessly out to sea. Which is it? Each spaghetti line is based on some computer model, aggregating data, plugging numbers into equations, and spitting out a particular storm track. Only one of the below lines, maybe even none, will be the actual track Hurricane Irma follows. Climate models are similar, factoring in measurements of temperatures on land, air and sea, ocean currents, wind patterns, geological activity and a host of other variables. All in an effort to predict future climate. Yes, I know that weather is not climate. But the commonality is that predicting both rests on computer models. Collecting data and feeding the data into equations. Then interpreting the results in such a way as to predict future events. Whether a hurricane over the next five days or the climate over the next five decades. The commonality is the predictive model. It all sounds simple and straightforward. But its not. Weather and climate are incredibly complex, and as a result, not easily predictable. You can predict tomorrows weather by saying it will be the same as todays weather and be correct much of the time. Hurricanes in the next few days or climate in a century are not as easy to forecast. Which is why Al Gore and others have failed spectacularly in their doomsday prognostications. Melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels flooding cities, superstorms, and droughts. All based on what? Some computer model that has no track record of correctly predicting future events? The reality is that weather and climate cannot be predicted with accuracy, at least given our current knowledge. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agrees, The climate system is a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible. The idea of chaos theory is that complex systems, such as weather, cloud patterns, financial markets, bird migrations, and so on, while appearing random, actually follow a set of rules. Small changes in any of the numerous variables affecting such a system can change the outcome. The problem is that we cant measure each and every one of these variables or their seemingly inconsequential effects on the model. Think of a butterfly flapping its wings in Nepal, influencing a hurricane in the Caribbean. Heady stuff but this explains why hurricane trackers cant know in advance where Irma will make landfall. They can only guess. Then how does Al Gore know what the temperature will be in 2050? Or the sea level? Or the mass of Antarctic ice, which, as an amusing aside, is increasing according to NASA. With dozens of hurricanes each year, each model, every one of those spaghetti lines, can be tested. And refined. The lousy ones get tossed and the good ones are tweaked and retested as their accuracy improves. Knowing that none of the models will be right every time as hurricanes are non-linear chaotic systems and therefore unpredictable. Newsweek writer Kurt Eichenwald claims to have predicted Irma intensity growth and timing. 100% correct. This was a few days ago, before Irma hit the U.S. mainland. He cites a fancy math formula of differential equations as the basis of his prediction. Pretty impressive for a political science major. I was a math major and I dont understand the equation. He should go on record stating where Irma will hit U.S. mainland, the wind speed, size of the storm surge, and track after landfall. If everything happens as predicted, his formula may be the winning ticket. If not, back to the Newsweek drawing board. Since there are three storms currently in the Atlantic, he should predict the future for all three and see if his model is 100% correct as he claims. How about climate? Rather than turning it into a political issue, calling anyone who disagrees a denier, meaning a Luddite, a rube, a Trump supporter, wheres the science? The hypotheses subject to scrutiny and testing? If the predictive models are correct, then prove it. So far, all the apocalyptic forecasts have fizzled out. Past measurements should be able to be placed into a climate model with an accurate prediction of future climate. Easy to test, just as with a stock market predictive model, using old data to accurately predict current conditions. Recall the last presidential election, another example of predictions based on computer models and data. In previous years fairly accurate, but not last year when almost everyone, from Nate Silver to the New York Times to the Huffington Post all predicted a Hillary Clinton landslide, holding to their predictions even on election day until evening when their prognostications blew up in grand fashion. The point is that computer models provide nothing but educated guesses. They should be taken as such, not as gospel. Whether hurricane tracks or climate change. Test and rework the models improving their accuracy, with the understanding that non-linear chaotic systems are impossible to predict accurately, at least based on current knowledge. Instead we have NOAA manipulating climate records to advance the theory of man-made global warming. What kind of science is that? Pseudo-science to advance a political agenda. If we cant predict the course of a hurricane over a week, how can we predict the climate over a century? Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Once upon a time, there was a cruel, nasty ogre, "The Donald," who dreamed of becoming king. But The Donald had no claim to the throne. Princess Hillary was next in line. Hillary was royalty, and he was just a disgusting ogre. No one would ever see him as king. Desperate, the ogre went to Putin, the dark one, to help him. The sorcerer agreed to help in return for half the kingdom. The dark one then cast a spell that reached every corner of the land, every mountaintop and valley. This spell made the people see the ogre as royalty and Princess Hillary as a witch. The people rallied to the ogre and made him king of the realm. Then they banished the witch to obscurity. It happened, really! I saw it on CNN. Okay, not exactly, but closer than you'd think. Fast-forward to our government's own fairy tale, that Donald Trump enlisted Vladimir Putin's dark magic to steal the election from Hillary Clinton. This myth is just as fantastic, as implausible as the tale of the ogre yet treated as gospel by our government and their media. Oh, at first it was no more believable than the ogre-princess fable. Trump-Putin was a total non sequitur to Trump's campaign, to his life. It didn't fit with the man we saw roll from city to city to rally voters, who faced down enemy press to get his message out, who refused special interest money and funded his own campaign. Yet the left, script in hand, staged performance after performance. The left hammered the plot home: Russia, Russia, Russia. And even though most Americans know the story's a farce, the plot continues to play out. The left takes a scalp here and there, General Flynn's resignation an early win. Then leftists clear the way for their coveted "special counsel" when Attorney General Sessions's swamp muscle memory moves him to recuse himself from the phony Russia investigations. Finally, they score a home run with an independent counsel, Bob Mueller, to investigate the crime. Except there is no crime to investigate never was. This whole Russian conspiracy is the MOAG the Mother of All Gaslighting. Now, our precious government-media has been gaslighting us for years: fake polls with Hillary trouncing Trump, a united front to deny the existence of voter fraud, and the list goes on. But at least polls and votes actually do exist; there's a basis in reality to build on. With the amorphous Russia meme, there's not even that. Now, there are some people who are incredibly resistant to gaslighting, Lou Dobbs among them. Recently, Lou went off on his guest, Tom Dupree, over the mind-numbing Russian insanity. Tom: Well, as long as the special counsel's investigation is hovering over this White House, I agree with you: it kind of sucks the oxygen out of the room. Lou shouting over Tom: There's no cloud of uncertainty! Here's the certainty! There has been no evidence, and the FBI has been on it for over a year! Seventeen intelligence agencies, and they can't tell us there's collusion between the Trumps and the Russkies? Are you kidding me? Tom (Joker grin firmly in place): But Bob Mueller hasn't been on the job that long, Lou. I'm willing to give him a chance and let him do his job. Let's see what he says. And there it is: 17 intelligence agencies confirmed there's no there there? Let Bob do his job. The FBI spent a year investigating this farce and came up with zip? Let's see what Bob says. Multiple congressional committees keep coming up empty? Let's see what Bob turns up. No facts, no evidence? No problem let's see what Bob can find. Translation: lack of evidence and zero proof of a connection don't kill the storyline. The show must go on. However, even with "Bob" on the case, it appears that these subversives are having trouble framing the President for Russia. Too many FOPs (Friends of POTUS) are successfully refuting the charge. So it's on to Plan B: "Trump's a white supremacist." Using the Charlottesville's riot between the Alt-Right and Alt-Left, our government and media again pull a scenario from their rear ends to support their drive for impeachment. They blow up the incident, turn it into a race war, and blame it all on the president. How? Well, like the Russia campaign, the racist charges revolve around what's not there. When the president makes a statement on Charlottesville, they rail that the president never specifically voiced disgust and revulsion for Nazis and the KKK. So the president tries again, calls out the bigots by the exact names dictated by the left, but alas, too little, too late. Third time's the charm: the president makes a last stab at getting his lines right but makes things worse when he goes off teleprompter and says there were two sides fighting, that the blame should be shared. The left explodes: the president made Antifa the moral equivalent of Nazis and white supremacists. Antifa people were there just to stop the hate. They're the good guys. Oops unfortunately for the left, turns out Antifa's activities were identified as domestic terrorism back in 2015. Then, after Charlottesville, Antifa goes off script and shows up at Berkeley brandishing metal poles, bike locks, and mace for yet another random beat-down. This story highlights the fact that these thugs show up at conservative events to violently shut them down. The speaker doesn't have to be a white supremacist, doesn't even have to be white. Any old conservative will do. So here we are: a Russian scandal that never was and a racist president convicted by words he never said. These are classic examples of gaslighting, where the abusers push a completely false reality to make people doubt their own knowledge and perception. Gail Saltz, M.D., a psychiatrist, explains it like this: [Gaslighting] is like someone saying the sky is green over and over again, and at first you'll be like 'no, no. Then over time the person starts to manipulate you into saying 'I guess I can't really see what color the sky is.' It's just this sense of unreality. So what can you do to defeat gaslighting? Don't participate. Turn off the TV. You don't need it to keep up with the news because they gave up on actual journalism a while back. Don't indulge friends, neighbors, or co-workers who have bought into fake news. If they're on board with the fiction, don't argue or try to defend the truth. Simply explain that you don't deal in fantasy and change the subject. If they won't let it go, turn away. You'll never change their perception, but you can save your own sense of reality and salvage your personal peace of mind by opting out. Meanwhile, our precious government and their lapdog press will continue to tell us facts are facts, no denying the mountain of evidence. There's absolutely Russian collusion; President Trump is a white supremacist; and yes, the sky is green. On August 22, the Washington Times ran "Senate health panel announces hearings on Obamacare markets" by Tom Howell, Jr., who quoted health committee chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander: "While there are a number of issues with the American health care system, if your house is on fire, you want to put out the fire, and the fire in this case is in the individual health insurance market." Alexander is "pushing for legislation that props up Obamacare's markets, which failed to attract young and healthy people in the early rounds, in part by funding critical 'cost-sharing' reimbursements." In this effort to prop up Obamacare's markets, Alexander is seeking a bipartisan solution, working with Democrat Patty Murray. The article also reports a bipartisan plan being forged by two governors that "would focus on stabilizing the individual market." It seems that some Republicans have given up on their pledge to repeal Obamacare. On Aug. 21, The Weekly Standard ran "Diagnosis: Heartburn" by Jay Cost. The blurb was "Is an Obamacare Bailout Coming?" Jay Cost thinks so, and the reason for it won't please conservatives: If history is any guide, conservatives should prepare themselves for some kind of bailout of the insurance industry a backstop of some sort to keep insurers on the exchanges, offering policies that are not prohibitively expensive. Such a subsidy, while sure to generate bad headlines, would be perfectly in keeping with the corporatism that has defined our welfare state for more than half a century. ... The unfortunate truth is that many Republican politicians are much more comfortable with Obamacare than they have let on these last seven years. Push comes to shove, they like its corporatist approach, and rather than doing the hard work to reform it will prefer simply to write a check to the insurers. Mr. Cost repeatedly refers to "corporatism." Republicans in Congress need to appreciate that one form of corporatism is the economic system of fascism. Corporatism is when government gets in bed with business, and it hasn't worked very well in the health insurance industry. On August 8 at The Hill, Mallory Shelbourne quoted Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell: Now our new president has of course not been in this line of work before. And I think had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the democratic process. And so, part of the reason I think people feel like we're underperforming is because too many artificial deadlines unrelated to the reality and the complexity of legislature may not have been fully understood. McConnell doesn't seem to appreciate that the problem with his legislation is its complexity. But there's nothing complex about repeal. Repeal can be entered on a single sheet of paper. Republicans in Congress made the replace part complex by trying to retain Obamacare's "individual market" and its subsidy program. If Senator McConnell can't get repeal done this year, then he needs to be replaced as majority leader with someone who can. One August 10, The Daily Caller ran "Here's Who Could Replace McConnell As Senate Majority Leader" by Thomas Phippen. It's an impressive list, but unless McConnell's replacement is prepared to jettison the filibuster, the GOP will just be playing games. If Republicans like Senators Alexander and McCain are so anxious to get back to regular order and bipartisan legislation, then what they should have done back in January is a simple repeal of the individual and business mandates that would have taken effect immediately. That would have told the Dems that the GOP was serious about keeping the promises they made to the voters, and it would have created the possibility for some real bipartisanship. Instead, Republicans reach out to the opposition only after they've failed. The above repeal of the individual mandate should also have outlawed commanding Americans to buy things, thus codifying certain dicta in NFIB v. Sebelius (see page 50 of the pdf): "The Federal Government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance. Section 5000A would therefore be unconstitutional if read as a command." Repealing the individual mandate would be disastrous for what's left of the Obamacare exchanges. But Obamacare was disastrous for the pre-existing individual market. The GOP's replacement legislation is complex precisely because it is trying to retain Obamacare's replacement for the individual market i.e., the exchanges. Government needs to get totally out of the individual market for health insurance. It was government that ruined the individual market, which now requires constant infusions of government cash to private insurance companies just to keep limping along. There's your corporatism, America. Having wasted the first seven months of a historic opportunity to change the direction of government, the Republican Congress is turning out to be a huge disappointment. There's still time enough to turn it around. But if Republicans are not willing to do what's necessary to keep their promises to repeal and replace, then each and every one of them needs to be primaried and replaced. Jon N. Hall of Ultracon Opinion is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City. As we see in weather reports, Hurricane Irma is very close to Cuba and will likely cause significant damage. We hope for the best for the island, its neighbors, and Southern Florida. There is another storm brewing in Cuba, but you have not heard much about that one. We see this from U.S. News about what we can call an electoral storm: Opponents of the Cuban government are putting forward an unprecedented number of candidates for municipal elections in late October, the first step in a process to select a new president after nearly 60 years of the Castro brothers' rule. The electoral cycle comes at a tricky time for the Caribbean nation as the Castros' revolutionary generation dies off, an economic reform program appears stalled, aid from key ally Venezuela shrinks, and the Trump administration threatens. The municipal vote, the only part of the electoral process with direct participation by ordinary Cubans, is expected to attract 35,000 candidates for the island's 168 municipal assemblies. It will be followed by provincial and national assembly elections in which candidates are selected from slates by commissions. The new national assembly will in late February select a successor to President Raul Castro, 86, who has announced he will step aside after two terms. Raul, younger brother and successor to Fidel Castro who died in November, will retain a grip on power as head of the Communist Party, the only legal party in Cuba. The elections are being cast in state-run media as a show of support for the Castros' 1959 revolution rather than an opportunity to debate the pressing issues. In other words, the Castro era is not going away because Raul is retiring. After the upcoming vote, it is very likely that these candidates will have a hard time being seated. Again, this is still the Castro government. Sadly, we can say President Obama missed an opportunity to demand something from the Castro regime. He could have demanded multi-party elections in exchange for an embassy or further trade benefits. We demanded nothing, so nothing will change for the time being. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. The crisis of the Democrats deepens as the foundations of their power continue to crumble. Far more than the Republicans, the power of the Democratic Party rests on its domination of various major institutions in American society: the media, government bureaucracies, academia, and labor unions most prominently. Without the constant exercise of power on its behalf by insiders in these spheres, the Democrats' share of the vote would decline by an unknown but probably measurable degree. Money, propaganda, information, and ideas, and manpower flow from these institutions to help the Democrats. Yet each of these institutional spheres faces a crisis. The mainstream media's influence remains substantial but is in constant decline, with the newspaper industry leading the way down the tube. The "higher education bubble," to use the expression coined by Professor (and blogger) Glenn Reynolds, stays inflated only by vast subsidy and shaky loans, causing a generation to become indentured to their education debt. Burlington College, run by Bernie Sanders's wife Jane, no longer exists, due to risky borrowing aimed at funding expansion, a problem that is very widespread and resembles the problems of individual students and the industry as a whole. Labor unions, though representing a declining share of the national workforce, continue to generate vast political contributions for the Democrats. Industrial unions like the United Auto Workers and United Steel Workers chose to pursue compensation packages that have gutted the level of employment of their members and driven production overseas, so their ability to keep Democrats in power is declining, though substantial. It is only among government workers that unions are growing. Government bureaucracies may have the most staying power, and with their command of inside information and decision-making power, they are the most formidable base of support. But as the emergence of the expression "Deep State" demonstrates, a growing number of Americans realize that government employees are an interest group, as selfish as any other, and feasting on the involuntarily confiscated funds that Americans otherwise might spend on themselves. It is only a small sign, but it may be significant that: Nearly 400 workers have left the Environmental Protection Agency in recent days, the agency said Tuesday, a wave of departures that soon could take the agency's staffing to its lowest point in almost 30 years. Now comes evidence that among the most sacred of sacred cows supporting the Democrats no longer carries the weight it used to: teacher unions. Unlike EPA bureaucrats, teachers have a largely favorable public image and are in contact with large numbers of individual Americans. And their unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have now become "paper tigers" fierce in appearance but powerless in the eyes of Jeanne Allen, CEO and founder of the Center for Education Reform. Writing in the Washington Examiner, she makes the case that they, too, are in deep trouble: The latest evidence of their vulnerability is Illinois' education funding compromise, signed into law last week, which has huge national ramifications. The bill was adamantly opposed by teachers' unions, yet their opposition crumbled as Republicans and Democrats came together to boldly improve Illinois' education system. ... That all changed last week. The bipartisan agreement created Illinois' first private school choice program, aimed at helping low-income and working-class families attend a school of their parents' choice. The agreement also addressed equitable funding for public charter schools, taking the innovative schools of choice from 75 percent of per pupil funding to 90 percent. Finally, the bipartisan law created a new funding formula to benefit traditional public schools and fund teacher pensions. What's most telling about the teachers' unions defeat in Illinois is that this is not a unique story, but that it's taking place in a state they would have never dreamt of "losing." After all, the AFT was founded in Illinois. The reason for teachers' union decline in influence is rooted entirely in its status as a paper tiger. ... In May, teachers' unions lost a series of major races in another deep-blue state in a deep-blue community -- the Los Angeles Unified School District. Pro-public charter candidates secured their first-ever majority on the LAUSD school board, with upsets that included defeating the union-supported school board president. Several years ago in Wisconsin, another state dominated by union politics, Gov. Scott Walker pledged to expand school choice and advocated for a series of reforms as part Wisconsin Act 10. The teachers' unions (along with other public sector unions) protested relentlessly, but not only was Walker able to expand education options in Wisconsin, his Act 10 was passed and he would later go on win re-election twice, once as part of a recall and later re-election. Ms. Allen neglects to mention that Act 10 required that union members be offered the choice of not joining or re-upping their membership. And once union membership was no longer required, almost 40% of union members left the movement a crippling decline in union dues and therefore political funding for Democrats. In other words, Democrats have less and less of an advantage in behind-the-scenes support from big, powerful, moneyed, and self-interested groups, forcing them to rely on the power of their ideas to persuade voters. In other words, a serious crisis. This weekend in Philadelphia, a four-day-long convention of LGBTQ (gay, lesbian, transsexual, bisexual, queer) activists is meeting with leading mainstream journalists and corporate media producers and executives. The stated purpose is to influence mainstream reporting on issues close to the heart of the LGBTQ activist community. The issues include same-sex marriage, transgenders in the military, isolating conservative religious groups as hate-mongers, and even how to cover President Donald Trump. Incredibly, the journalists are there not to report on the event, but to be enthusiastic participants while their employers help to pay for it. It's one thing for a group like the NLGJA the Association of LGBTQ Journalists, the sponsor of the event to hold a convention of its members. It's something else entirely to have this agenda-laden meeting sponsored and supported financially by the very news media that the LGBTQ association is trying to influence while leading members of the media appear in person at the event to endorse the goals of the organization. NLGJA fundraiser, New York, N.Y., March 20, 2013. Don Lemon of CNN (L) takes a selfie. Others include Shepard Smith and Jamie Colby (Fox News) and Ashleigh Banfield and Ronan Farrow (MSNBC). Photo by Michael K. Lavers. But that's exactly what is going on. And I seriously doubt that any of the happenings at the Philadelphia convention will be reported by the media who are there not to cover it, but to actively participate. Hat Tip to Alex Nitzberg The tip-off to the existence of this well planned annual professional gathering came during an appearance by journalist Alex Nitzberg on the Hagmann Report on September 5. I was intrigued by Nitzberg's mention of the NLGJA's 2017 national convention and immediately started looking into it. Fortunately, there is a lot of information about the convention and the activist organization behind it online, including a detailed agenda of convention speakers, topics, and events. What I wasn't quite prepared for was the prominent listing given to corporate sponsors of the convention, in particular a number of major media companies. Right behind Coca-Cola and JetBlue came the #3 sponsor the first "editorial sponsor" on the list and it was Fox News! Yes, Fox News, which in the past, at least, has purported to give conservative/"fair and balanced" coverage to controversial issues. But that was then, and this is now. Other media further down on the sponsors list are Google Newslab; Comcast NBCUniversal; Gannett Foundation (Gannett owns USA Today, and a large number of local newspapers and TV stations around the country); CBS News; McClatchy; and, with a surprisingly minor mention and no logo, CNN. Fox News full-page ad in NLGJA 2017 convention program. This effort appears to be aimed partly at recruiting more members of the LGBTQ sexual minority into the organization, as if they were seen as underrepresented in the news or broadcasting industries. Gallup polling shows that Americans vastly overestimate the percentage of the population that is lesbian or gay, with a mean estimate of 23%, as compared to the 3.8% of the adult population who identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in Gallup Daily tracking in the first four months of 2015 [corrected]. Only 9% of the public holds the accurate view that this minority is 5% or less of the population, meaning that 91% of the public substantially overestimates their numbers. In addition to organizing an annual convention with at least 350 attendees, the NLGJA, founded in 1990, serves as a full-fledged LGBTQ lobbying organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is a tax-exempt non-profit, and its 2014 Form 990 federal tax return (the most recent one available) describes the organization's mission as: Opposing all forms of workplace bias and providing professional development to its members who are journalists, media professionals, educators, and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. To that end, the NLGJA publishes a very detailed and obviously influential "LGBTQ Stylebook" to establish a standard for the media's reporting on "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer terminology," among other things. The organization's 2014 federal tax return describes its annual convention: This program attracts attendees from across the United States and Canada for three days [sic] of skills training, professional development and networking. The convention program also includes a career and community expo, [and] a training program for journalism students. The tax return goes on to note one of the organization's major agendas: its programs and outreach aimed at students. An excerpt: One of NLGJA's most successful programs is the annual student project held at the national convention and LGBT media summit, a six-day intensive training program for student journalists. In other words, get to and influence fledgling journalists while they are young. Presentations at the NLGJA 2017 convention are not limited to LGBTQ issues alone. One panel, for example, advises attendees on how to "cover Trump." Source: NLGJA 2017 convention program. One wonders if the situation would be different in a parallel universe for example, if a group of conservative journalists, maybe religiously inclined, founded an organization to support concepts like traditional marriage or the right to life. Would these same corporate sponsors, including major media conglomerates, that are falling over themselves to support the LGBTQ organization's convention and agenda lend it their support? Don't hold your breath. This investigation continues. 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. Strictly speaking, the tweet from Bill Kristol embedded below is not an offer to anyone, much less to me. Nonetheless, he offers a tantalizing possibility, as if hoping for a response. How could I refuse? Perhaps he is seeking some momentum in making a major life decision and relocating to a retirement-ish place far from the Beltway. Perhaps even a withdrawal from public life? You see, Bill may be the bitterest among the conservative NeverTrumps, which is saying quite a lot especially since his public persona for the past several decades has assumed the form of a gentle, thoughtful, quietly humorous man. I can't claim to know him, but I talked with him a few times years ago, resulting in a favorable sense of the man. We share a couple of friends and both sport Harvard Ph.D.s earned at approximately the same time. But the shock of Donald Trump gaining ascendancy, first in the GOP and then in the Executive Branch, seems to have pushed him into a new personality equilibrium, amplifying (or perhaps only unmasking) a generalized attitude of disdain toward not just Trump, but his collaborators the American people. How else to explain this astonishing tweet that appears to be genuine, not a mean-spirited satire: Enjoying wonderful outdoor lunch at nondescript cafe in Ferrol. Given hurricanes and state of American politics, thinking of staying here. Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) September 7, 2017 When I looked up Ferrol, I was not surprised to see that it is a historic, charming, and beautiful oceanside city in Spain, known to cognoscenti but not to the sort of people who buy package vacations in Las Vegas. This makes a big plus for it in Bill's list of places to consider moving to, I bet. I like Bill Kristol and still respect his mind. At the moment, he is surrendering to an emotional trap in response to a huge shock. I sincerely hope he can see his way toward a more productive and healing response. He may be smarter than most people, but he's no better than them. There is no peace in contempt for others, nor any growth. Perhaps some contemplation and reflection, cut off from the sting of disappointment Go for it, Bill. Everybody wins. The vast political network of Charles and David Koch announced that they will support legislation in Congress that would continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program begun by executive order under President Obama. The Koch brothers are longtime advocates of immigration reform and have supported the DREAM Act in Congress. The DREAM Act would codify much of the DACA program into law. Daily Beast: "The Seminar Network is committed to working with and encouraging lawmakers to come together to pass a durable solution into law," said James Davis, a spokesman for that network, in a Wednesday email. "Our country has benefited tremendously from a history of welcoming people from all cultures and backgrounds. This is a hallmark of free and open societies." The bulk of the Koch network's promotion of a DACA fix will take place through its entity that focuses on Latino issues, the Libre Initiative. Brian Faughnan, a Libre spokesman, said the group will engage with lawmakers in the hopes of securing permanent U.S. residency for DACA beneficiaries, commonly known as DREAMers. Leading Libre's legislative campaign will be Marilinda Garcia, the group's national spokesperson and a former New Hampshire state legislator. Garcia is also registered to lobby Congress on behalf of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch network's issue advocacy arm. "She (and we) have always made our views clear on immigration," Faughnan said. "With the recent action on DACA/Dreamers, she'll be encouraging lawmakers to act as expeditiously as possible on a bipartisan fix that allows Dreamers to remain here, achieve their potential, [and] help build a stronger nation." With its formidable political and policy operation, the Koch network could provide more political cover to Republican members of Congress as they consider a replacement to the DACA program. Koch network alumni are sprinkled throughout Trump's inner circle, and include White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short and Corey Lewandowski, the former Trump campaign manager who now advises a prominent independent political group supporting the president. Though the Kochs have clashed with President Trump on some major issues including his ban on immigration from six Muslim-majority nations they retain significant influence among Hill Republicans, many of whom were elected with the support of Koch network organizations. The statement did not mention making passage of the DREAM Act a litmus test for support from the Koch brothers political action arm, but when the brothers talk, Republicans listen. The involvement of the Koch brothers in the push to legalize DREAMers complicates matters for conservatives who are lining up to fight the legislation. The brothers' support means some Republicans who may have been inclined to pass a restrictive DREAM Act or no legislation at all will now find it difficult to do so. That's how extensive and broad the Koch brothers network of PACs and grassroots political organizations are. They have their fingers in a lot of conservative and libertarian pies and few Republicans want to get on their bad side. As it stands now, a new push for the DREAM Act would almost certainly pass the Senate. It's assumed that almost all Democrats would vote for the measure, meaning only a dozen or so Republican votes would be necessary to eclipse the 60-vote filibuster. But the House is a different story. Even with solid Democratic support, many House conservatives are opposed. It remains to be seen whether the Koch brothers' power and influence could tip the balance and save the DREAMers from deportation. Grassroots conservatives expected Democrats to oppose President Trump's pro-jobs and America First agenda, but much of the real opposition has come from his own party. One must look only at an upcoming congressional hearing for proof of how difficult it is to protect American workers. The president caused a stir when he put his top aides on the spot for not developing tougher trade sanctions against countries and companies that consistently violate our trade laws. He followed that mandate by threatening to withdraw from an existing free trade deal with South Korea. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who watched Trump's campaign. Many of us flocked to Trump because he was the only candidate in the 73-person field who actually talked about an issue that weighs heavily on working Americans: the migration of American jobs to lower-wage countries. Steel workers in Pennsylvania, auto workers in Michigan, and textile workers in the South have all felt the sting of factory closures that resulted from corporate chieftains moving production to countries where they could pay workers a fraction of what they made in the U.S. Foreign conglomerates, backed by their governments, accelerated that exodus by dumping foreign-made products in our market. The result is a forgotten class of American workers who no longer have access to the kind of jobs that could buy a home, keep food on the table, and put children through college. That life has disappeared with the jobs that made it possible. Those hollowed out factory towns now breed the kind of drug-addiction and crime that once defined now-thriving American cities. The reversal isn't lost on Trump-supporters. That is why Trump energized so many of these Americans by vowing to fight back. These workers have been steamrolled by globalization for too long, so they welcomed a politician willing to stick it to the corporate bigwigs who gave them a raw deal. Now that Trump is president, they expect him to follow through on those promises to restack the deck in favor of American workers. Not everyone sees it that way. South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, a newly elected Republican, will appear before a government panel this week to defend indefensible behavior by two South Korean conglomerates that epitomize the bad behavior undercutting American workers. Norman, who was just elected in June, testified on behalf of Samsung and LG, two companies that have repeatedly violated U.S. trade laws to undercut American workers. Samsung's and LG's bad behavior is well documented at this point. Most Americans know Samsung for its exploding cell phones and the corruption scandal it bankrolled back in South Korea. What people may not know is that Samsung and LG have been systemically undermining American appliance-makers by selling products at artificially low prices to steal market share from the U.S. manufacturers of those products. The U.S. government has already found both companies in violation of U.S. trade law. Each time, the government imposed trade sanctions to prevent future cheating. And each time, Samsung and LG spent hundreds of millions of dollars to move production to countries not covered by the trade sanctions, bouncing from Mexico and South Korea to China and then to Thailand and Vietnam. This country-hopping is a direct assault on American workers. Norman is new to Congress, so we shouldn't blame him for carrying either company's water. In a desperate effort to avoid the wrath of President Trump, Samsung recently announced plans to open an appliance factory in Norman's home state of South Carolina. Who knows if the company will actually build the facility? The bigger concern is that they use it to put the finishing touches on products made abroad, only to slap an "American Made" sticker on the merchandise. These repeated efforts to avoid U.S. trade law are exactly the kind of behavior Trump ran against and just the kind of trade violation our government should work to prevent. That's not protectionism. That's just smart policy, the kind of policy American workers desperately need to get a fair shot in the global economy. Edward Woodson is a lawyer and now host of the nationally syndicated Edward Woodson Show, which airs daily from 3 to 6 P.M. EST on gcnlive.com. In December 2009, as Congress debated whether to approve President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, U.S. senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) compared the Medicaid entitlement program to "the Pac-Man that gobbled up our state budget dollars," consuming every other government program. Expanding the taxpayer-funded health care program to include individuals and families earning up to 133 percent of the federal "poverty line," Voinovich said, would crowd out allocated resources for other programs, eating up state governments' budgets as if they were so many white dots. By taking entitlement reform, a process started in the 1990s, to the next level, state lawmakers and Congress can work together to stop Medicaid's looming Pac-Man doomsday, ensuring that the truly needy are being helped. The federal government spent about $545.1 billion about $1,694.05 per man, woman, and child on Medicaid in 2015, the most recent year for which official numbers are available. Incredibly, 14 cents out of every dollar taken from taxpayers go to this one program. Unless significant reforms are made, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts that "over the next 10 years, expenditures are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 5.7 percent and to reach $957.5 billion by 2025," or about $2,756.71 per capita a 62.7-percent increase in the program's cost. Working hand in hand, lawmakers in Congress and our statehouses can apply two time-tested solutions to the ballooning Medicaid spending crisis: block grants and work requirements. Lawmakers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania are ahead of the curve; they are seeking federal permission to enact work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients. Lawmakers in every state need to follow suit. By mandating that individuals who are capable of being self-sufficient, at the very least, seek employment, work requirements help to ensure that only the truly needy are being assisted, slowing Medicaid Pac-Man's budget binge. Another key to stopping the Medicaid explosion is block grants, a reform integral to defusing welfare's detonation in the late 1990s. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWOA) into law, reforming the welfare system, cutting welfare rolls, and dramatically helping millions of people move to self-sufficiency. Although the provision was ultimately left out of PRWOA, block-granting Medicaid was on the table, according to Clinton adviser Peter Edelman. "Whatever the reason, when the governors came to town for their winter meetings early last year, the President invited them to draft and submit new proposals on welfare and, for that matter, Medicaid," Edelman wrote in a 1997 article published in the Atlantic. By replacing the broken Aid to Families with Dependent Children program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families model, states were allowed to set their own food stamp entitlement programs, including work requirements for able-bodied recipients without dependents, reducing the overall cost of entitlement programs and increasing the quality of service. Applying the lessons learned from PRWOA's success to the looming Medicaid apocalypse means that state lawmakers would have more power to try out new ideas, such as global spending caps, health savings accounts, or program budget rebalancing. Cost overruns would be discouraged by more direct pressure from taxpayers, incentivizing lawmakers to fight Medicaid fraud and mismanagement and optimizing programs to get the most bang for taxpayers' bucks. Time is running out to stop Medicaid's "Pac-Man Apocalypse," but it's not unavoidable. The best time to reform Medicaid was yesterday, but the second-best time to do so is now. Jesse Hathaway (jhathaway@heartland.org) is a research fellow with The Heartland Institute. Education secretary Betsy DeVos announced that the Department of Education would revise Obama-era Title IX rules on campus sexual assault that resulted in short-circuiting due process and freedom of speech. The nightmare on campus perpetrated by the misuse of Title IX to cover a wide range of transgressions against political correctness, as well as accusing male students of rape or sexual assault and denying them basic constitutional rights, was based on a "Dear Colleague" letter sent by the Obama administration to colleges receiving federal aid. CBS News: In 2011, responding to alarming rates of campus sexual violence, the Obama administration issued a "Dear Colleague" letter with guidelines for investigating and adjudicating sexual assault on more than 7,000 universities that get federal funding. The guidelines lowered the standard of proof in sexual assault cases and allowed accusers to appeal not-guilty findings. Federal funds would be withheld from schools that didn't comply. But opponents, including leading law professors and civil libertarians, argue the guidelines disregard due process and have created another class of victims: innocent students who are accused of sexual assault, denied fair hearings and wrongly punished with suspension or expulsion. DeVos said her department will develop guidelines that continue to protect sexual assault victims, while also ensuring fair hearings for the accused. It will take time to undo the previous guidelines, DeVos suggested. "The process is an extended one but it is the intention to revoke or rescind the previous guidance around this," she told Crawford. Earlier on Thursday, while delivering remarks at George Mason University, DeVos announced the administration would be taking steps to revise the current policy, by seeking "public feedback and combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise and the experiences of students to replace the current approach with a workable, effective and fair system." The Education Department, DeVos said in her address, would be launching a "notice-and-comment process" to re-vamp the Obama-era policy on addressing sexual misconduct, incorporating the "insights of all parties in developing a better way." While she condemned acts of sexual misconduct as "reprehensible, disgusting and unacceptable, they are acts of cowardice and personal weakness" DeVos criticized the investigative process of of Title IX investigations and cases. "Any perceived offense can be turned into a full blown Title IX investigation. If everything is harassment than nothing is," said DeVos, a critique that suggested that the Obama administration had gone too far in writing its 2011 directive. Hit and Run supplies some of the more egregious examples of how Title IX was misused: Imagine being in this guy's shoes: An athlete of color, Grant Neal, was accused of sexually assaulting a female trainer but not by her. When questioned, the trainer said, "I'm fine and I wasn't raped." University officials pointed out that according to Title IX, they got to be the judge of that, not her. Neal was deemed guilty and expelled: "Female Student Said, 'I'm Fine and I Wasn't Raped.' University Investigated, Expelled Boyfriend Anyway." The Obama rules turned the concept of "It's better that 100 guilty men go free than one innocent man be imprisoned" on its head. The SJWs and campus rape activists viewed the rules as an opportunity to stifle opposition speech and stick it to males, paying no price for ruining innocent people's lives. For hundreds of male students, rescinding the rules comes too late. But the mothers of these students refuse to take the injustice lying down. They've formed an organization called FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality). FACE has spawned another group. FACE in turned spawned a second group, called Save Our Sons, run by Alice True, who on her site recounts her own experience after her son - whose name and school she withholds to protect him as his case move through the courts -was expelled. Like Warner-Seefeld's story, hers, as recounted on her site, began "when the phone rang late one night." "'Don't worry mom, I'm fine but I've been taken out of my dorm room and moved elsewhere. . . . A girl and I had sex a few weeks ago . . . she filed a complaint against me. . . . She agreed to have sex, I have it in writing. . . . I don't know why she filed. "Also Mom, I'm on suicide watch.'" "Well," writes True, "I slowly learned over the months, that the college would do nothing to help my son through their Kafkaesque college investigation and hearing process. But the college would do everything and more to help the girl in all ways possible at all times. When we asked to see what the charges were or other pertinent questions we were met with no comment or you have to figure that out for yourself." True, in an interview, declined to provide further detail to protect her son, whose case is in court where he is identified only as John Doe. He is now attending a different college, she said, and does not want him singled out. "Because of the way the whole thing played out, I was so shocked and blindsided, I thought I need to do something," she told The Washington Post. She became involved in FACE and decided to branch out on her own, starting her Save Our Sons site which, as she put it, describes through parents' eyes and news articles what she calls "a toxic environment in the way these boys are treated and the way these accusations are made." Can DeVos bring sanity to the process? What the numerous examples that have been publicized (and perhaps hundreds more that have been covered up) show is that the inmates are in charge of the asylum, and getting them to act reasonably will take more than a revision of federal regulations. But revising the regulations is a good first step. President Trump was upbraided in the press for stating that illegal out-of-state voters swung the New Hampshire vote to Hillary Clinton in a state he otherwise would have won in the presidential election of 2016. Mixing news with opinion, the Boston Globe, under the headline, "Trump makes groundless N.H. vote fraud claims," led with: WASHINGTON President Trump has revived unproven voter fraud allegations, telling a group of senators in a private meeting Thursday that he lost New Hampshire last November because thousands of Massachusetts residents were bused to the neighboring state to cast ballots against him. The president offered no evidence to support the claim. WMUR, an area broadcaster, had the same kind of mixed news-opinion reporting here. But it turns out that Trump was objectively right all along, and not for the first time. According to Rowan Scarborough of the Washington Times: More than 6,500 people registered to vote in New Hampshire on Nov. 8 using out-of-state driver's licenses, and since then the vast majority have neither obtained an in-state license nor registered a motor vehicle. Conservatives say the state's same-day registration is an invitation for fraud because of loose proof-of-residence rules. New Hampshire House Speaker Shawn Jasper, a Republican, issued the numbers Thursday based on inquiries he made to the Department of State, which oversees elections, and the Department of Safety. Since Election Day, Republicans have charged that a significant number of nonresident Democrats, principally from Massachusetts, flowed into New Hampshire to vote illegally, tilting a close race to their party. And don't think it didn't matter. According to GatewayPundit, Trump lost the state by the narrowest of margins: New Hampshire was a close race in the 2016 Presidential election. Hillary won the four electoral votes, however; it took a week to count the votes because it was tight. Hillary received 348,521 votes, while Trump picked up 345,789. Trump lost by 0.4 percent. That's 2,736 votes. The GOP's Sen. Kelly Ayotte lost her seat by an even narrower margin: 1,017 votes. So, like colonists taking over a puppet state, hordes of mostly Massachusetts voters, upset at the election returns coming in on their TV sets, rolled into the state to take advantage of its same-day registration, plunked down their Massachusetts state driver's licenses, got a voter card, and got in time to illegally cast ballots for Democrats. Their onslaught canceled out the votes of legitimate New Hampshire voters, a violation of state sovereignty if there ever was one. And they illegally shifted the results. That news gives Trump a score of 100% on calling voter fraud, because Trump's claims about illegal immigrants voting in California's election to swing the vote Democrat was verified as likely true, too. According to a study from Old Dominion University, illegal immigrant participation in balloting could be seen in the patterns evident in past elections. According to Investor's Business Daily: But there is evidence to back Trump's claims. A 2014 study in the online Electoral Studies Journal shows that in the 2008 and 2010 elections, illegal immigrant votes were in fact quite high. "We find that some noncitizens participate in U.S. elections, and that this participation has been large enough to change meaningful election outcomes including Electoral College votes, and congressional elections," wrote Jesse T. Richman, Gulshan A. Chattha, both of Old Dominion University, and David C. Earnest of George Mason University. More specifically, they write, "Noncitizen votes likely gave Senate Democrats the pivotal 60th vote needed to overcome filibusters in order to pass health care reform and other Obama administration priorities in the 111th Congress." Specifically, the authors say that illegals may have cast as many as 2.8 million votes in 2008 and 2010. That's a lot of votes. And when you consider the population of illegal inhabitants has only grown since then, it's not unreasonable to suppose that their vote has, too. Thus far, Trump is batting a thousand. Yet as news rolls out about illegal Democrat voting and illegal Democrat office-stealing, both from out-of-staters and illegal immigrants, coverage is minimal from the mainstream press and nonexistent from the television press. But it does matter. On Sept. 12, New Hampshire is holding a meeting from the Presidential Advisory Commission on Voter Integrity, led by Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach. They should be able to use these facts on the stolen elections in the work they do and make some significant recommendations for change, starting with ending New Hampshire's same-day voter registration and acceptance of Massachusetts driver's licenses as ID for voting. And the fact that the commission does have the goods can be seen in the attacks they are under by their partisan opponents from the Beltway smear industry. The David Brock-linked team at CREW is attacking him for baseless "ethics" violations over a column he occasionally writes for Breitbart News and the mainstream media is calling them an "ethics watchdog" instead of a a rabid partisan group still staffed with Brock's political cronies. Meanwhile, the Washington Post has just come out with an attack on Kobach, ridiculing the hard facts of the matter in the interest of defending Democrats. The Beltway smear games are on as more hard facts come out. They will go after Trump, and they will go after Trump's men. But the hard fact remains that Trump is right. What remains to be seen is whether Republicans can show the political will to defend the truth as President Trump has found it. ABC News(MIAMI) -- With more than a million Florida residents ordered to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, Gov. Rick Scott urged people to leave without delay. "If you're in an evacuation zone, you've got to get out. You can't wait," Scott said in an interview Friday with ABC News' Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts. "This thing's coming," he said. "It looks like it's going to go right through the middle of our state." Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for Florida's barrier islands, coastal communities and low-lying areas across Florida, including Brevard, Broward, Collier, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and St. John's counties. Scott, who declared a statewide emergency earlier this week, has also ordered all public schools, including state colleges and universities, to be closed Friday through Monday so those buildings can be used for shelters. State offices will also be shuttered. "It's a massive storm; it can be devastating," Scott said of Irma, which is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in southern Florida early Sunday morning. "I'm a father, I'm a grandfather, I love my family," the governor added. "I hope every parent in this state and grandparent is thinking, 'How do I protect my family?' " Scott said Irma could be worse than Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the Bahamas and Florida in August 1992. About 1,000 volunteers with the American Red Cross are stationed in Florida, Scott said. An additional 9,000 people have also volunteered to help. But he said the state needs a total of 17,000 volunteers. As of 8 a.m. ET, Irma had weakened from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. The storm as of that time was moving toward the U.S. mainland at 16 mph, and was located 450 miles southeast of Miami, according to the National Weather Service, which cautioned that Irma was still "extremely dangerous." If Florida residents are unsure how to evacuate ahead of Irma, Scott said they should call the state emergency hotline or go online to www.floridadisaster.org. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Hetty Douglas should join the Labour Party and really belittle the working class By way of a follow up to the story of Hetty Douglas, the artist who sneakily took the piss out of scaffolders as they all waited in line for a McDonalds in central London, the victims employer has issued a statement. It alerts readers to people, like Hetty, who equate high-vis jackets and steel-toe boot with stupidity. GKR scaffolding also notes that many highly successful businesses have been created by people with few or no academic qualifications to say nothing of self-taught artists: Hetty Douglas has now deleted her Instagram account. But her work remains online. As they say, no publicity is bad publicity. Although Hetty may be a little put out that the people she publicly labelled thick are appraising her work and, as the Sun says, finding it wanting. Too much time on Facebook does this to you, comes one comment. Probably done at 5am after a late night, is another. Not that Hetty is of the same planet as her critics. On her website, Hettys bio presents Hetty in the third person. Hetty Douglas makes work that represents both the light and dark that comes with simply existing. Douglas simultaneously conveys, subverts and celebrates the complexities of trust, sexual boundaries,and the labyrinth of unspoken intimacies of masculine/feminine truths. The flippant and challenging textual content of this work is a deeply personal response to past and present relationships. It is obscure and hidden, and thus serves its unintentional purpose to provoke an exploration of sincere emotions. Underneath the tantalising layers of Douglass work lies a clear pursuit for something that truly matters astable place and a true identity in a world that can happily chew you up, spit you out and not think twice about it. Can Hetty turn adversity to her advantage? After all, the best bit of this story is that her Instagram photo is the most artful thing shes produced. A series is surely in the offing, in which Hetty gets to the essence of what it is to exist today with a series of images in which she derides not only workmen, but also bankers, grammar school children, men on trains, the fat, smokers and Essex men. She should find a ready market for her stuff in the Labour Party. Anorak Posted: 8th, September 2017 | In: Key Posts, News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink (ANSA) - Rome, September 8 - Pope Francis told 1.1 million faithful at a Mass in Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park Thursday that "the shadows of injustice and social inequity must be dispelled". The pope met with Colombian bishops after the Mass and then, after returning to the nunciature, some groups of young people and the disabled who staged traditional songs and dances for him. Earlier on Thursday the pope urged Colombian civil and political authorities to "heal wounds" and "not indulge in any vendettas" following more than 50 years of conflict between the government and FARC rebels. The pontiff said it was time "to help each other" after hatred that had lasted "too long". "Bullets are becoming words" of peace and reconciliation, President Juan Manuel Sanchos told the pope in Bogota. Francis and President Santos on Thursday lit a torch of peace symbolising the South American country's desire to achieve peace after more than 50 years of conflict ended last year. "Thank you for accompanying us and stimulating us in our first step towards reconciliation," Santos told the pope three months after FARC rebels completed handing in their weapons. Francis urged Colombia's leaders to set aside "hatred and vengeance" and "listen to the poor, to those who suffer", in order to create a culture of encounter, for peace and reconciliation in a nation that is emerging from Latin America's longest-running conflict. The pope, who is on an Apostolic visit to Colombia, September 6-11, to encourage the peace and reconciliation process in the nation, delivered his first address at the presidential palace and seat of government in the capital, Bogota. Among those listening to him were members of the government and the diplomatic corps, religious authorities, business leaders and representatives of civil society and of culture. Pope Francis urged them to address the "structural causes of poverty that lead to exclusion and violence", reminding them that "inequality is the root of social ills." Upon his arrival in Colombia Wednesday, the pope met with victims of the 52-year conflict between the government and the FARC rebels. Among the youth he met was Emmanuel, son of Clara Rojas, an MP today who was taken hostage in 2002 and held by the FARC for years in the jungle, where the boy was born. Arriving in the nunciature, Francis met a group of young people in a programme of recovery from drugs and street life in the barrios. "Don't let them steal your happiness, and let no one deceive you or steal your hope," Francis said. The pope then turned his attention to Venezuela where, he said, "may dialogue happen and may the country rediscover a good stability with the dialogue of all". (ANSA) - Rome, September 8 - Pope Francis told 1.1 million faithful at a Mass in Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park Thursday that "the shadows of injustice and social inequity must be dispelled". The pope met with Colombian bishops after the Mass and then, after returning to the nunciature, some groups of young people and the disabled who staged traditional songs and dances for him. On the third day in Colombia Friday Pope Francis will visit the second city on his apostolic visit, Villavicencio. The pope will there say a Mass to beatify a priest and a bishop martyred in Colombia. Francis will beatify Bishop Jesus Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve of Arauca and Father Pedro Ramirez Ramos. At a meeting July 7 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the pope signed decrees acknowledging the martyrdom of Bishop Jaramillo, who was murdered by Colombian Marxist guerrillas in 1989. The Colombian bishop, along with a local priest, was kidnapped by members of the National Liberation Army, known by the Spanish acronym ELN, because of his criticism of the rebel group's violent actions. Although his companion was freed, Bishop Jaramillo was shot twice in the head. His body was found by local peasants near the Venezuelan border. The pope also recognized the martyrdom of Father Ramirez, known as "the martyr of Armero," who was killed at the start of the Colombian civil war in 1948. Later Friday, the pope will take part in a prayer meeting for national reconciliation, in which victims of the civil war, former guerrillas, former paramilitaries and police officers will take part. Earlier on Thursday the pope urged Colombian civil and political authorities to "heal wounds" and "not indulge in any vendettas" following more than 50 years of conflict between the government and FARC rebels. The pontiff said it was time "to help each other" after hatred that had lasted "too long". "Bullets are becoming words" of peace and reconciliation, President Juan Manuel Sanchos told the pope in Bogota. Francis and President Santos on Thursday lit a torch of peace symbolising the South American country's desire to achieve peace after more than 50 years of conflict ended last year. "Thank you for accompanying us and stimulating us in our first step towards reconciliation," Santos told the pope three months after FARC rebels completed handing in their weapons. Francis urged Colombia's leaders to set aside "hatred and vengeance" and "listen to the poor, to those who suffer", in order to create a culture of encounter, for peace and reconciliation in a nation that is emerging from Latin America's longest-running conflict. The pope, who is on an Apostolic visit to Colombia, September 6-11, to encourage the peace and reconciliation process in the nation, delivered his first address at the presidential palace and seat of government in the capital, Bogota. Among those listening to him were members of the government and the diplomatic corps, religious authorities, business leaders and representatives of civil society and of culture. Pope Francis urged them to address the "structural causes of poverty that lead to exclusion and violence", reminding them that "inequality is the root of social ills." Upon his arrival in Colombia Wednesday, the pope met with victims of the 52-year conflict between the government and the FARC rebels. Among the youth he met was Emmanuel, son of Clara Rojas, an MP today who was taken hostage in 2002 and held by the FARC for years in the jungle, where the boy was born. Arriving in the nunciature, Francis met a group of young people in a programme of recovery from drugs and street life in the barrios. "Don't let them steal your happiness, and let no one deceive you or steal your hope," Francis said. The pope then turned his attention to Venezuela where, he said, "may dialogue happen and may the country rediscover a good stability with the dialogue of all". (ANSA) - Strasbourg, September 8 - The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) said Friday that "the problem of the overcrowding of Italian prisons has not been resolved because many penal institutions are still operating above capacity." In a report based on an April 2016 trip, the CPT also denounced several cases of ill-treatment of inmates. The report said the CPT's delegation received a number of allegations of physical ill-treatment and/or excessive use of force by all law enforcement agencies and in particular by State Police and Carabinieri officers. The alleged ill-treatment consisted of punches, kicks and blows with batons at the time of apprehension (and after the persons concerned had been brought under control) and, on occasion, during their stay in a law enforcement establishment. In some cases, the delegation found medical evidence in relevant registers in prisons which was consistent with the allegations made. (ANSA) - Rome, September 7 - An autopsy will be performed later today on a four-year-old Italian girl who died of malaria in a northern Italian hospital earlier this week. It is already known that the girl had the same parasite as two Burkina Faso girls who had returned from their home country. The girl may very well have contracted the illness in the northern Italian hospital where the African family were successfully treated. If the strain of malaria that killed the Italian girl was the same as one that hit four members of a Burkina Faso family who recovered, then the fatal infection "must" have taken place in a Trento hospital, the vice-president of the Italian society for infectious and tropical diseases, Massimo Galli, said on Wednesday. The mother and teen brother of two malaria-recovered Burkina Faso girls aged 4 and 11 have also been successfully treated for malaria and discharged from a hospital in Trento where 4-year-old Sofia Zago probably contracted the disease and later died of it in Brescia, Trento hospital paediatrics chief Nunzia Di Palma said. The parasite that gave fatal malaria to Zago was the same as the one that infected the two children who had returned from Burkina Faso and were in the same hospital as her in Trento, Di Palma said. A Trento probe into Zago's death is looking into possible culpable homicide by persons as yet unidentified, sources said Wednesday. Zago died in hospital in Brescia on Monday but she had previously been in hospital in Portogruaro near Venice and then in Trento in relation to diabetes. In Trento, there were the two other children with malaria who were receiving treatment after their return form Africa. The girl reportedly returned to the hospital in Trento a second time, when she was diagnosed with pharyngitis and then with malaria. The investigation will look at how the disease was contracted - by a contaminated medical instrument or through a mosquito bite - and whether the correct protocols were followed, the sources said. The girl, the daughter of an Italian couple resident in Trento, had reportedly never been to a country where malaria is a problem. Prosecutors have asked to receive Zago's medical records from Portogruaro hospital. Several human rights organizations are assessing possible legal action against two Italian newspapers that ran front-page headlines on Wednesday accusing migrants of bringing disease to Italy. Social networks are awash in criticism of Libero and Il Tempo, right-wing and conservative newspapers that used their front pages to accuse migrants of Zago's death. Libero's front-page headline translates as "After Poverty, Now They Are Bringing Disease" and another article within it was entitled "Immigrants Suffering from Deadly Diseases Spread Infection...". The Il Tempo headline translates as "Here is the Migrant's Disease". The Articolo 21, A Mano Disarmata, Progetto Diritto, Rete Nobavaglio rights groups and the Italian branch of Amnesty International have asked their legal teams to look into possibly reporting the publications to the judiciary for violation of a 1993 law that prohibits gestures, actions and slogans linked to neo-Fascism that intend to incite violence and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or nationality, as well as Article 658 of the Criminal Code on spreading alarm among the public. The abovementioned "headlines and summaries take their cue from a hypothesis that has not been proven in any way," the associations noted, "and cannot be considered 'opinions', since they report events that never happened as if they were fact. As citizens even before professionals in the field of information, we are for freedom of expression as protected by Article 21 of our constitution." "However, we are also compliance with the law," they added, "and above all we are for the free information that protects the main asset of democracy: the truth. We ask all citizens, associations and political parties to join us in this fight for civilization." Much lively discussion has been seen on Facebook on the issue, with many disputing the theory of how the disease was transmitted. "I am against censorship and denunciations. My freedom is theirs," TgLa7 director Enrico Mentana said. "But this morning's headlines in Libero and Il Tempo are very far from the truth and incite readers to ugly thoughts". (ANSA) - Trento, September 8 - The father of a four-year-old Italian girl who died of malaria earlier this week said Friday on Facebook "you feel impotent facing a treacherous and aggressive disease like malaria, despite the cordiality and constant commitment of doctors and nurses. "You feel impotent when the media besiege you without respecting your grief", said Marco Zago. Sofia Zago died in a Brescia hospital after previous hospital stays in Portogruaro near Venice and Trento. Probes are continuing at all three hospitals. An autopsy on Zago confirmed Thursday she died of cerebral complications following a bout of malaria. Earlier sources at Portoguraro said she had been symptom-free during her spell in the hospital there, the first of three hospital stays. The head of the health ministry's task force on the case, Raniero Guerra, said the girl may have been infected before she went to hospital, at a campsite at Bibione near Venice. It is already known that the girl had the same parasite as two Burkina Faso girls who had returned from their home country. The girl may have contracted the illness in the northern Italian hospital where the African family were successfully treated. If the strain of malaria that killed the Italian girl was the same as one that hit four members of a Burkina Faso family who recovered, then the fatal infection "must" have taken place in a Trento hospital, the vice-president of the Italian society for infectious and tropical diseases, Massimo Galli, said on Wednesday. The mother and teen brother of two malaria-recovered Burkina Faso girls aged 4 and 11 have also been successfully treated for malaria and discharged from a hospital in Trento where 4-year-old Sofia Zago probably contracted the disease and later died of it in Brescia, Trento hospital paediatrics chief Nunzia Di Palma said. The parasite that gave fatal malaria to Zago was the same as the one that infected the two children who had returned from Burkina Faso and were in the same hospital as her in Trento, Di Palma said. A Trento probe into Zago's death is looking into possible culpable homicide by persons as yet unidentified, sources said Wednesday. Zago died in hospital in Brescia on Monday but she had previously been in hospital in Portogruaro near Venice and then in Trento in relation to diabetes. In Trento, there were the two other children with malaria who were receiving treatment after their return form Africa. The girl reportedly returned to the hospital in Trento a second time, when she was diagnosed with pharyngitis and then with malaria. The investigation will look at how the disease was contracted - by a contaminated medical instrument or through a mosquito bite - and whether the correct protocols were followed, the sources said. The girl, the daughter of an Italian couple resident in Trento, had reportedly never been to a country where malaria is a problem. Prosecutors have asked to receive Zago's medical records from Portogruaro hospital. Several human rights organizations are assessing possible legal action against two Italian newspapers that ran front-page headlines on Wednesday accusing migrants of bringing disease to Italy. Social networks are awash in criticism of Libero and Il Tempo, right-wing and conservative newspapers that used their front pages to accuse migrants of Zago's death. Libero's front-page headline translates as "After Poverty, Now They Are Bringing Disease" and another article within it was entitled "Immigrants Suffering from Deadly Diseases Spread Infection...". The Il Tempo headline translates as "Here is the Migrant's Disease". The Articolo 21, A Mano Disarmata, Progetto Diritto, Rete Nobavaglio rights groups and the Italian branch of Amnesty International have asked their legal teams to look into possibly reporting the publications to the judiciary for violation of a 1993 law that prohibits gestures, actions and slogans linked to neo-Fascism that intend to incite violence and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or nationality, as well as Article 658 of the Criminal Code on spreading alarm among the public. The abovementioned "headlines and summaries take their cue from a hypothesis that has not been proven in any way," the associations noted, "and cannot be considered 'opinions', since they report events that never happened as if they were fact. As citizens even before professionals in the field of information, we are for freedom of expression as protected by Article 21 of our constitution." "However, we are also compliance with the law," they added, "and above all we are for the free information that protects the main asset of democracy: the truth. We ask all citizens, associations and political parties to join us in this fight for civilization." Much lively discussion has been seen on Facebook on the issue, with many disputing the theory of how the disease was transmitted. "I am against censorship and denunciations. My freedom is theirs," TgLa7 director Enrico Mentana said. "But this morning's headlines in Libero and Il Tempo are very far from the truth and incite readers to ugly thoughts". Serbia-Bosnia: Vucic, do not see Belgrade as a bete noire 'Our country is a sincere friend'. After a visit to Sarajevo (ANSA) - SARAJEVO - Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic ended a two-day visit to Sarajevo. He was satisfied with the talks with Bosnian leadership, and expressed the hope of opening a new chapter in relations with the neighbouring country. Vucic's visit was the first in Bosnia for a Serbian president over the last six years. ''I would like to say clearly that Serbia should not be seen as a 'bete noire', but my country is a sincere friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina'', the president said at a joint press conference after a meeting with Bosnian Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic. Belgrade, he added, is certainly wiiling to improve relations with Sarajevo by solving all the issues still open. ''Let's focus on the future and let's do everything we can to improve our people's lives''. Prime Minister Zvizdic agreed with Vucic and focused on the need to further boost economic relations and trade, bringing it up to 2bn euros. In November, he said, a joint session may be held between the two governments, in which all co-operation projects will be examined in detail. ''Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are neighbouring countries, located in the same geographical area and share the same goal, that is EU membership'', Zvizdic said. Vucic, after talks with the members of the Bosnian tripartite presidency - Croatian Dragan Covic, current president, Muslim Bakir Izetbegovic and Serbian Mladen Ivanic - said that Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina now ''have a better mutual understanding'' and that a ''different atmosphere'' has been created between the two countries. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - Tutti i diritti riservati ISIS 'minister of war' dies in air strike Russia Gulmurod Khalimov one of 40 militants killed (ANSAmed) - Moscow, September 8 - ISIS 'minister of war' Gulmurod Khalimov has been killed in a Russian air strike against the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, the Russian defence ministry has said in a statement. In all, approximately "40 ISIS militants were killed" in the raid, which allegedly destroyed a military command and a communications hub. This is not the first time that Khalimov has been reported dead but the reports have never been confirmed. (ANSAmed) ROME - Italy is aiming to improve conditions in Libyan migrant detention camps working with NGOs, Deputy Foreign Minister Mario Giro told ANSA Friday. Italy's aid department will launch a six-million-euro tender "very soon, before the end of September," he said. "The Libyan authorities will be totally involved too, asking them to give us access," Giro said. Aid and rights groups have complained that a recent Italian deal with Libya to stop migrant crossings has left migrants languishing in harsh conditions in Libyan camps. Rome has vowed to help improve conditions there. If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both The orders were led by 10 A321ceo versions for Wizz Air, which are to join the Hungarian-based carriers all-Airbus fleet. The other bookings involved an A320neo for Frontier Airlines of the United States (which also flies Airbus aircraft exclusively), along with an ACJ319neo Airbus Corporate Jetliner for a private customer. Taking these latest transactions into account, along with conversions and cancellations during the year, Airbus overall net orders for the first eight months of 2017 totalled 215 jetliners. The August deliveries for 33 customers were composed of 35 A320 Family jetliners, three A330-300s, seven A350-900s (confirming Airbus ramp-up to the targeted rate of 10 A350 XWB deliveries per month by the end of 2018), and one A380. This brought overall Airbus deliveries since the companys creation to above the 10,600 mark: reaching a total of 10,607. Included in the months delivery activity was the first A350 XWB for Hong Kong Airlines an A350-900 leased from AerCap becoming the 15th carrier to receive the worlds newest and most efficient twin-aisle airliner. Also during August, two more operators joined the line-up of airlines with A320ceo aircraft: flyadeal, the newly-established low-fare carrier in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and China Express Airlines. With the latest order and delivery activity, Airbus overall backlog of jetliners remaining to be delivered stood at 6,690 as of August 31, representing approximately nine years of production at current rates. Musser, 45, has more than 20 years of strategic communications and public relations experience, including 10 years as a consultant to Boeing. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of IMGE, an Alexandria, Virginia-based digital communications firm he co-founded in 2013. He will join Boeing Sept. 25, reporting to Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg and will move into Downey's place on the company's executive council. He will be based in Chicago. "Phil is a seasoned and highly respected executive who knows Boeing well and brings to us an exceptionally broad and relevant set of communications experiences, capabilities and insights," said Muilenburg. "He is a creative, strategic and energetic leader who understands the scale of our brand and how to inspire confidence and support among our many important stakeholders. He also has a passion for engaging our people, shaping culture and investing in talent for the future. He is the right choice to lead our world-class communications team into Boeing's second century," Muilenburg added. Clark said: Demand for travel is still fairly strong, and Im hoping that in the next six to nine months that we will restore our capacity to what it was. Emirates started cutting frequencies on five U.S. routes from May, blaming a drop in demand on travel restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trumps administration. Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: With the electronics ban out of the way, Emirates has been experiencing a resurgence in travel demand to the US and it comes as no surprise that they want to ramp up capacity on key routes like Boston and Seattle, among others. Emirates enjoys big revenue gains from high yield, business and first class passengers across all its touchpoints in the USA and adding more flights will help cater for that demand, which in turn will drive Emirates' earnings for the year. Ahmad added: Critically, with the Trump Administration sitting silently on the sidelines while US carriers whine about unproven state subsidies for GCC airlines, Emirates sharper focus on growing US-bound traffic will signal support by the US Government and airports that will lead to even more city pairs being launched. Many of the industrys key players will be in attendance, a testament to the reputation and potential of the market in the region. With North Africas business aviation fleet growing at an impressive twice the global average, its no surprise that the industry considers it an important place to be. Jetcraft noted in its market overview that the realisation of the market potential will be driven by the dual fundamentals of increasing numbers of high net worth individuals and their global travel needs. In addition, 50% of aircraft movements in the region take place in Morocco, making the country a natural fit for this event. The MEBAA Show Morocco 2017 is the second edition of the event; in 2015 the inaugural edition took place in Casablanca, with the move to Marrakech this year offering greater opportunities for exhibitors and sponsors. The 2015 show attracted 2033 visitors and 57 exhibitors, with this years edition expected to grow on both counts, with 2500 visitors expected to view offerings from around 65 exhibitors. In addition to industry giants such as sponsor Bombardier, Boeing Business Jets and sponsor Gulfstream, the MEBAA Show Morocco will feature local and regional companies such as Air Ocean Maroc and Africair. Africair will be exhibiting at the show for the first time, along with Bell Helicopter. Im thrilled to see the interest in the second edition of the MEBAA Show Morocco, said Ali Alnaqbi, Founding & Executive Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA). It demonstrates that the market is indeed growing here in Morocco, and that the key industry leaders have identified the opportunities that it offers. By using the techniques employed by the solutions, Oman Air will be better placed to make decisions on future employees suitability for a job opening. This helps identify employees strengths and areas of development. The assessment solutions will also be used internally for assessing leadership capabilities and succession management. Asma Humaid Al Ghabshi, Oman Air executive vice president for human resources, said: Working with Takatuf as a professional partner leading to the signing of this agreement has been vital to centralising some of our resource allocations. As we continue this drive, it is vital that we inspire our employees to reach their full potential and the new assessment solutions will play an important role in facilitating this. Hilal Al Jadidi, Takatufs director of consulting services, said: Takatuf has made it a priority to contribute to the development of Omans Human Capital and the potential of the labour force to effectively respond to the regions fast-growing competitiveness. We are delighted to partner with Oman Air as it continues its drive to develop its employees and remain one of the best airlines in the region. Being introduced this month (September), the assessment solutions are provided by Takatuf Oman LLC Assessment Centre. The Centre is managed by a Registered Industrial Psychologist supported by Omani team members who are all qualified and accredited to administer and interpret psychometric assessments. Highlighting the airline's strong recovery and increasing guest numbers in 2017, Ozturk said: Despite tough times for the industry and the region, we're optimistic for the rest of 2017 and forecasting growth following a recovery in demand. Already we have carried 12.6 million guests in the first half of this year, growing 12.5% year-on-year and we're on course for 11-13% year-on-year growth in guest traffic. We've also achieved growth load factors in the first half of 2017, up 5.9% year on year, together with capacity growth of 4.5%. Discussing the factors contributing to the recovery and Ozturk said: With a focus on our 3Cs business strategy this year to streamline Cask, Cash and Capacity we have been able to weather the market conditions and remain as Turkey's fastest growing airline. A strong domestic market in Turkey and growing traffic from all the regions we connect via our hub and spoke model including Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine has meant we're on track to meet and exceed the targets for 2017. It's been supported by network growth with the launch of new destinations including Abu Dhabi and four destinations in Russia as well as from our new second hub in Ankara. Stressing the importance of Pegasus' continual investment in its new fleet to business performance and improving the guest experience Ozturk confirmed that Pegasus has increased the number of new A320 Neo purchases planned for 2017 from 3 to 6. Ozturk said: We already have the youngest fleet in Turkey and one of the youngest in Europe comprising 77 aircraft with an average age of 5.80 years - and with the new deliveries, the average age will fall even further as we look to create our fleet of the future to improve the customer experience, drive efficiencies and reduce our environmental impact across the board a vital part of our strategy to transform travel in our region This plant will become a platform allowing the international requirements of the Group and its customers to be met. This industrial Competence Centre forms part of the Industrial Acceleration Plan 2014 to 2020, supported by the Kingdom of Morocco, which supports the development of an innovative ecosystem involving Thales and its local suppliers, including the creation of a high-tech industrial competence centre. Spread across an area of 1000 m, in the Midparc zone in Casablanca, this industrialCompetence Centre will eventually employ around twenty engineers and technicians. It is currently equipped with two so-called selective laser melting technology machines. This technique, which involves fusing metal alloy powders using a high-intensity laser, is used to manufacture metal parts of unrivalled complexity, which cannot be manufactured using current technologies. It is freed from the high-reliability constraints of traditional manufacturing, while reducing the number of parts used and making them lighter. The initial qse series will be produced using aluminium and titanium, widely used in the aerospace sector. In the medium-term, Thales is planning to acquire 10 machines. The "Industry 4.0" type procedure undertaken accelerates the efficiency of the production tool, allowing improved production, at a lower cost and in a more environmentally friendly manner. It offers a new way of handling production through smart systems used to collect, store, manage and analyse thousands of items of information from their sensors. This Competence Centre, which specialises in 3D printing, is fully in line with the digital transformation of Thales and will provide a genuine global centre of expertise, from which Morocco will be the first to benefit. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: The time has come for the passage of legislation to bar museums from monetizing important collection objects that are in the public domain and should stay there. The recent examples of the sale of art from Randolph Colleges Maier Museum and planned sales from the Delaware Art Museum demonstrate, once again, that censures and sanctions from the Association of Art Museum Directors are powerless to prevent deplorable deaccessions of museum-quality artworks that are held in public trust. Some attorneys general have tried to combat this pernicious practice. Most dont seem to care. Museums have always preferred self-policing to government intervention. But self-policing hasnt worked. As Danielle Rice, former director of the Delaware Art Museum, lamented in this CultureGrrl Q&A, museums running afoul of the AAMDs professional standards regarding art sales endure the usual brouhaha and sanctions, andget over it.In the end, as with the National Academy [my links, not hers], youve got the money in the bank. Rice was strongly opposed to the action taken by the Delaware museum after she left for another job last August. In an Op-Ed piece Saturday for the Wilmington News Journal, Timothy Rub, AAMDs president, called for a spirited public debate on whether the Delaware Art Museum should go ahead with its planned disposals to pay off its expansion debt and beef up the endowment. His essay was a last-ditch attempt to counter the viewpoint express in the newspapers own editorial and another Op-Ed piece by Elva Ferrari-Graham, president of the Delaware Art Museums board of trustees. Rub expressed disappointment with the museums decision not to disclose publicly the works of art that will be deaccessioned until after they are sold, which he said was clearly intended to forestall criticism. He also called attention to the fact that Winslow Homers Milking Time, 1875, one of the Museums greatest treasures, is no longer listed in Collections section of the Delaware museums website. Like Rub, I couldnt find the Homer on the collections website, but I did find a poster of it being sold for $15 by the museums shop. I also found a framed reproduction of it featured in the museums 2012 Art is Everywhere programa pop-up campaign throughout the state. Unlike the just announced Art Everywhere program, wherein reproductions of art from five major U.S. museums will be enlarged for display on billboards, Delawares initiative featured faithful replicas of some of the Museums most beloved paintings [emphasis added], including the Homer that Rub suggests may now be slated for sale. This is another sad case of what I have called off-the-wall deaccessionsart jettisoned not from storage but from the permanent collection galleries where it is customarily on view. Mike Miller, the museums CEO, said at least three of the four works that could be sold are on display in the museum, according to Margie Fishmans News Journal report. The more that museums thumb their noses at AAMD standards, the more that others will be tempted to do so, as an easy solution to their financial challenges. In her above-linked conversation with me, Danielle Rice asserted that alternatives to selling had been insufficiently explored by her former institution, notwithstanding the deaccession-or-die claims of the museums current leadership. Rice also expressed a fear that I believe will prove prophetic, unless attorneys general or legislators promptly take forceful action: Whats so scary about this situation is that it has the potential of causing a huge domino effect. The unrepentant (and resurgent) National Academy, the Maier, Delawarewhos next? And what can the AAMD do to stop this momentum? Perhaps the professional community is still feverishly working on this behind the scenes. Maybe local and state philanthropy will at last be energized. Is there yet time to save Milking Time? The Age of Trump has rapidly changed the American cultural landscape in many ways. In the silo of classical music, there is suddenly a felt need to ask: Whats it for? Why are we doing this? How can the arts affect social or political change? How can concerts help us understand who we are as a nation? What weve been or want to become? These questions are newer than they should be. So long as orchestras cling to traditional templates the generic mixture of concerto and symphony; the mandatory soloist ; the deferent audience they will rarely be satisfyingly addressed. Because we program thematically and across the disciplines; because we regularly interface with schools, universities, and museums; because we invariably invite our audience to speak, PostClassical Ensemble has been tackling such questions for some time. And now that were Ensemble-in-Residence at the Washington National Cathedral, this exercise will become more concentrated and (we hope) more impactful. Our new season, for instance, closes with Secret Music Skirmishes of the Cold War: The Shostakovich Case. Well take a close look at the CIAs Congress for Cultural Freedom, and how it waged war with Soviet propagandists to capture the hearts and minds of intellectuals on the left in Europe and Latin America. The participants will include Nicholas Dujmovic, former Staff Historian of the CIA, and an actor impersonating President John F. Kennedy. Kennedys claim that the arts can only flourish in free societies will be juxtaposed with the evidence of piano works composed by Dmitri Shostakovich as performed by a formidable American pianist. Well also invite our audience to read a couple of pertinent books: Frances Stonor Saunders The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters and Marina Frolova-Walkers new and revelatory Stalins Music Prize. Thats May 23 at the Cathedral. Our annual PCE immersion experience is The Russian Experiment a look at experimental Soviet culture before Stalin. The pertinent events include Vladimir Feltsman performing Mosolov, Roslavets, and Protopopov (whose visionary Piano Sonata No. 2 from 1924 is a major find); and the 1929 classic silent film The New Babylon with Shostakovichs symphonic score performed live. Well want to inquire what this idealistic adventure in political music and cinema amounted to, and why Stalin put an end to it. Our ongoing American Roots initiative explores little-known chapters in the history of African-American music (without which there would be no American music). This season, we focus on Harry Burleigh, who turned spirituals into art songs, and the once famous black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose historic visits to the US (facilitated by Burleigh) immersed him in plantation song and its potential for the concert hall. A major theme of these events will be the subsequent bifurcation of American music into classical and popular white vs. black. How did that happen? What did it cost us? I append an overview of our 2017-2018 season. For more detail, click here. Oct. 19 The Russian Experiment with Vladimir Feltsman Dec. 7 Music in Wartime: A Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration Feb. 28 Deep River: The Art of the Spiritual March 30-31 The New Babylon The Soviet silent film classic with Shostakovichs score performed live April 21 The Star of Ethiopia: Samuel Coleridge-Taylors Historic Visits to DC (1904-1910) May 28 Secret Musical Skirmishes of the Cold War: The Shostakovich Case The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country. Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability. New Delhi: Auto industry body SIAM on Thursday asked the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old in the country to reduce pollution. The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country. Auto industry is doing a lot of work to reduce pollution. We are working to move to BS-VI emission norms. In order to reduce pollution, we request the government to ban vehicles which are 15 years old, SIAM president Vinod K. Dasari said. Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability. Mr Dasari also said the auto industry has been going through one of the most challenging and disruptive times due to frequent changes in policies for the sector. He said every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the countrys manufacturing GDP. The state will offer financial support to rebuild homes and also build schools and other facilities, he added. Mumbai: Gujarat will move 15 villages that were affected by floods in 2017 to higher ground, officials said, as they look for new ways to tackle the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding. Villages in northern Banaskantha and Patan districts will be moved within a 10 km (6 miles) radius of their existing locations after consultation with residents, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told reporters. These villages are in low-lying areas and were affected by similar floods in 2015. They will now be moved to higher ground in a nearby location, he said. The state will offer financial support to rebuild homes and also build schools and other facilities, he added. The relocation will be modelled after a similar move following a massive earthquake in 2001 that levelled several villages in the state and killed thousands, Patel said. Heavy monsoon rains in South Asia this year triggered the worst floods in a decade in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, killing hundreds of people and affecting tens of millions. India has the most exposure to damage from river flooding, according to research organisation World Resources Institute. While monsoon rains trigger floods in northern and eastern India every year, Gujarat, which is in a semi-arid region, has also experienced floods more frequently in recent years as warming temperatures bring heavier rains. Analysts have criticised the governments flood mitigation measures, including massive embankments and river linking schemes they say will only exacerbate the damage. An official audit of Indias flood management schemes over the last decade found they lacked forecasting mechanisms, pre-emptive safety measures and effective post-flood management. Dinesh Mishra from the non-government organisation Barh Mukti Abhiyan, which works with communities in flood-prone areas, said officials in Gujarat must not coerce people into moving, and need to ensure residents are given adequate compensation for any losses suffered due to the move. Relocation may be a solution in Gujarat, where there is land, but what about other states where there is nowhere to go? he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. People have deep ties to where they live; you cannot move everyone affected by floods to higher ground. Political analysts said Mr Dhinakaran seemed to have knocked at the wrong doors since Raj Bhavan does not decide who gets to be the chief minister. Chennai: Embattled AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Thursday met governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao demanding a floor test for the government of E. Palaniswami. Meeting Mr Rao 15 days after 19 legislators supporting him submitted a letter withdrawing their support to Mr Palaniswami, Mr Dhinakaran told the governor that the chief minister has lost his majority in the AIADMK Legislature Party since required number of MLAs 117 did not turn up at a meeting called by him on Tuesday. We apprised the governor of the latest developments and told him that chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has lost his majority and is indulging in horse-trading to cling to power. To stop such activities, we asked the governor to direct the chief minister to prove his majority. The governor told us that he is watching the situation and will take good decision soon, Mr Dhinakaran told reporters after the meeting. Political analysts said Mr Dhinakaran seemed to have knocked at the wrong doors since Raj Bhavan does not decide who gets to be the chief minister. Tourism minister KJ Alphons was responding to questions on whether the restriction on beef in several states would impact tourism in India. Union minister for Tourism KJ Alphons has advised visitors to 'eat beef in their own country' before travelling to India. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: The newly sworn Union minister for Tourism KJ Alphons on Thursday has advised visitors to "eat beef in their own country" before travelling to India. Responding to questions on whether the restriction on beef in several states would impact tourism in India, Alphons said, "They (tourists) can eat beef in their own country and come here." The minister was speaking at a convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. A day after he was sworn in as one of the new ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, bureaucrat-turned-politician from Kerala, Alphons on Monday told NDTV that the ruling BJP had "no food code" for states. "In Goa, ruled by BJP, people continue to eat beef. Kerala will also continue to eat beef, BJP doesn't really have a problem with that," said the ex-bureaucrat dubbed Delhi's demolition man during his stint in Delhi's top civic planning agency. Just three days later, his advice to foreigners appeared to strike a different note. When he was reminded of his earlier comments, he said, "That is a cock and bull story...I am not the food minister...I am the minister for Tourism." Twitter users earlier launched a social media campaign with hashtag 'BlockNarendraModi' that was trending since Thursday. The statement from the saffron party came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew flak for following online trolls on Twitter, who expressed happiness over the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said in a clarification that the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted. "The controversy over the prime minister following people on social networking platform Twitter is mischievous and contorted. He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues. He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter," a statement by BJP's Information and Technology National Head Amit Malviya said. The statement further read that the Prime Minister following someone is not a character certificate of that person and is not in any way a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself. "PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in any way a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself," statement reads. The statement from the saffron party came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew flak for following online trolls on Twitter, who expressed happiness over the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. The statement also took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and read, "However, PM also follows Rahul Gandhi, who is also an accused in loot and fraud. PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'Settle Kar lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her. PM still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and abused PM in the worst possible language. Thus, this debate is not only farcical and fake, but also an exhibit of selective right to freedom of expression." Since Thursday, a segment of Twitterers were unhappy over the celebration tweets on Gauri Lankesh's death and the fact that Prime Minister did not unfollow them post those tweets. As a result, they launched a social media campaign with hashtag 'BlockNarendraModi' to block Prime Minister Modi that trended on twitter since Thursday. Senior journalist Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 pm. As per the reports, three bullets were pumped in her body. Her last rites were held at Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Cemetery on Wednesday. Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid described as an "anti-establishment" publication. A SIT, comprising of 19 officers, headed by IGP Intelligence BK Singh, has been formed to probe Gauri Lankesh's murder. He will interact with college students to ascertain their aspirations and expectations. New Delhi: A day before starting his four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said, I am going with a very open mind and willing to meet all those who come to see me as we are keen to find a resolution to the problems. During Mr Singhs visit to Srinagar, Jammu, Anantnag and Rajouri, he will meet delegations ranging from members from political parties, civil society, social organisations and business delegations. He will interact with college students to ascertain their aspirations and expectations. According to the home ministry, Mr Singh will meet governor N.N. Vohra and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Also, he will review various development works funded by the centre. On the security front, he will hold discussions and meet personnel from the CRPF and BSF deployed in the region, particularly in Anantnag. Also, he is expected to visit a BSF camp in Rajouri. In addition, Mr Singh will hold security review meeting on Sunday with the state CM, top brass from multiple security and intelligence agencies. He is also expected to brief the media on issues related to the Valley on Monday in Srinagar. Alongside, he is expected to hold consultations with Kashmiri pandits and representatives from communities like Gujjars and Bakarwals. The move is being viewed as part of the governments plan to reach out to the people as mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech. Mr Modi had said that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved either by bullets or by abuses and that a solution can only be found by embracing all Kashmiris. Siddaramaiah, along with state Home Min Ramalinga Reddy on Friday held a meeting with SIT to assess the progress of the investigation. Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP (Intelligence) BK Singh, constituted to find the killers of senior journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh has sought help from public to solve the crime. Gauri Lankesh was murdered outside her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday evening. In their twitter handle, Bengaluru police has circulated a phone number and email id for people to share any information they might have on the case. "General public is requested, any information on #GauriLankeshkillers. Public can call or email @ 09480800202, sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in," the tweet read. General public is requested , any information on #GauriLankesh killers. Public can call or email @ 09480800202, sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in pic.twitter.com/O7HLcGgzgp BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 7, 2017 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday held a meeting with SIT to assess the progress of the investigation. The State Home Minister announced Rs 10 lakh reward for any clue related to Gauri Lankesh's murder. Read: No political, ideological colour to murder, please: Gauri's brother According to the source, the footage shows Gauri parking her white Toyota Etios in front of the gate between 7.45-7.55 pm on Tuesday night. She steps out of the car, with the keys still in the ignition, to open the gate and park the car inside. As she walks towards the gate, a man wearing a helmet and a jacket enters the frame, pulls out a pistol and fires a single shot at Gauri who had by then half-opened the gate. Earlier, Kavita, sister of Gauri Lankesh, said she was optimistic that the killer will be nabbed soon. Though we cant give any deadline to them (SIT), we also cannot wait for two years like in the case of Dr MM Kalburgi. If nothing happens in two weeks, we will ask for a CBI probe. On Tuesday evening, seven bullets were fired at journalist Gauri Lankesh at her doorstep, when she was about to enter her Bengaluru house. Three bullets hit her two in her chest and one in the forehead. The investigating teams suspect the murder was well planned. Read: Writing against RSS cost Gauri Lankesh her life: BJP MLA "Usually, she left office and reached home only after 9 pm. But on Tuesday, she was early by an hour. But still the assailants managed to get her, which suggests that there was a proper ground work by them," an official said. The location was an advantage for the assailants as there are no houses for more than 100 metres on both sides of her house as 3-4 sites are vacant. In front of her house there are two under-construction apartments and no one had reportedly seen the assailants. In addition, the roads were sparsely lit. While there is one street light is front of her house, the next one is around 400 metres away. The locality also has many cross roads, making it easy for the assailants to escape. The ED registered the case under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). New Delhi: There seems to be no respite for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members. The CBI has summoned him and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with the agencys probe pertaining to the alleged irregularities committed in awarding tenders for development, maintenance and operation of railway hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a private company in 2006. Mr Lal Prasad Yadav was the railway minister in 2006. Sources in the agency said the RJD chief has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarters here on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day. It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also investigating the case, has summoned Vinay and Vijay Kochhar for questioning next week. The ED registered the case under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The CBIs FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to the Kochhars and acquired the high-value premium land through a benami company named Delight. It alleged that Yadav, dishonestly and fraudulently, managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of the Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions. The CBI registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta. The arrested included some prominent separatists over past few weeks. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and president of opposition National Conference (NC), Farooq Abdullah, on Friday criticised the National Investigating Agency (NIA) which has conducted a series of raids across the state with an arrest of a dozen people. The arrested included some prominent separatists over past few weeks. Mr Abdullah said, I will acknowledge the NIA raids only if they bring any consequences. If they are being conducted to threaten people then I would like to tell the Centre and the NIA that no matter how much they torture us, nobody will bow down before you. He alleged that the raids by the NIA wont yield anything as these exercises are only aimed at defaming and creating a turbulent situation in Kashmir. Also, he demanded the immediate release of all separatist leaders including those placed under house arrest ahead of union home minister, Rajnath Singhs, three-day visit to the state beginning on Saturday. They should be set free so that they tell the home minister what they want to, he added. The home minister on Friday said, I personally want that we talk to everyone. So whoever comes to meet me, I will talk to them. He also said that the government had all intentions to solve the Kashmir issue. Earlier while speaking to a gathering beside the mausoleum of his father and legendary Kashmiri leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah at Naseem Bagh to commemorate his 35th death anniversary, the NC president said the assault on the states special status was a challenge. The assault on Article 35A is an assault on our soul and our identity and we should all unite to defend our honour. The powers that be are using myths and distortions to support their long-cherished goal of weakening J&K from within but in the end the truth always prevails, he said. He claimed that the NCs outreach and awareness programme on the issue is being met with overwhelming response in Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region of the state and that this is a proof of our unity in standing up for our rights as one state and one people irrespective of our religion, region, caste or creed. Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah who is the NCs working president paid glowing tributes to the Sheikh and said that his struggle to defend the States political identity was ongoing in the face of recent challenges, which, they said, have to overcome by its people as one entity. Sher-e-Kashmir spent his life struggling for all of us and for our political aspirations and rights. Today as we commemorate his 35th death anniversary, we are confronted with a new assault on the States special status both from within Jammu and Kashmir and from outside the State, the senior Abdullah said. Omar Abdullah, in an obvious reference to chief minister Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party, said, Those who have always dreamt of weakening our special status are now in an alliance with a party from within our state. He said that the best tribute to the Sheikh would be to fight against these forces with full political might and ensure their evil goals are nipped in the bud. The late journalist Gauri Lankeshs fiery tweets have been considered one of the probable causes for her brutal death. The shocking death of famed journalist Gauri Lankesh has sparked many questions, speculations and debates on social media. Speculations ran amok could it be her no holds barred online demeanour that triggered the brutal demise? From her blatant sarcasm at political parties to tongue in cheek communal (yet intelligent) humour, did those seemingly harmless posts irk a bunch of closet assailants? In a seemingly free virtual world, is it too soon to say that the #righttofreedomofspeech is a reality? We take a deeper look at the To dos, when online... How much is too much: Saddened over how the instance brings to light the fatality of keeping mum when danger is lurking, 29-year-old Anil Shetty, national president, Nav Bharat Democratic Party, believes one ought to take responsibility of their safety, whether online or offline. If you are online, and expressing your views, be prepared to draw irk or even seething responses. Ive had many in my circle get hate mails and do nothing about it. When you are a free-thinker and a common man, it is not easy. One needs to watch their back and most importantly, not rely on the privacy settings as a shield. Dont shy away from seeking expert help and security. Access is a lot easier than youve imagined. Madhavi Jadhav Asserting how when an allegation is made, the individual in question needs to find evidence to justify it, filmmaker Chaitanya KM adds, The law of the land is simple. What you write on social media is publication. Whatever defamation law applies to a newspaper also applies to a WhatsApp group or Facebook and Twitter. Users need to be made conscious of this. It is important to be cautious and most importantly, responsible enough to be aware that anything online is never wholly personal. Simmer but never step back: Entrepreneur Madhavi Jadhav believes the news has not just spread shock waves across the country, but is a cue that one needs to simmer down, when online, but never digress from their views. Nobody can be killed for having an ideological stand. This instance brings to light a rather harrowing truth- about how the shut up or get shot way of functioning prevails in the modern society too. If feelings of fear are instilled in people when it comes to expressing their views, the very intent of being active on social media becomes null. I believe there are serial online miscreants out there and awareness of the same is needed. At the same time, one must also be careful when it comes to playing around with words, she adds. During interrogation, Garg told police that he was inspired by the Bollywood film 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl'. The accused had made videos of the victim and would threaten to upload them on social media sites if she did not pay up, police said. (Photo: File/Representational) New Delhi: Inspired by Ranveer Singh-starrer 'Ladies vs Ricky Behl', a 34-year-old man duped several women over the last six years on the pretext of marrying them and would later blackmail them with intimate videos. Yogesh alias Sameer Garg conned close to 15 women of more than Rs 50 lakh in the year 2016, police said. He was arrested on September 5 from the New Delhi railway station while trying to flee. Police said he mostly targeted single women in their late 30s, who had registered themselves on matrimonial sites. On September 5, a woman's brother approached police with a complaint that his sister, a divorcee, was missing along with her 12-year-old son for the last two days. He told police that his sister had uploaded her profile on a matrimonial site and had come in contact with Garg through it. Police started tracking the mobile numbers of the accused. Meanwhile, the woman's brother managed to get in touch with his sister. He lied to her that their father is sick and admitted to AIIMS. She agreed to come to see him but told her brother that she is leaving for Mumbai, the police said. Garg came to AIIMS along with the victim's sister but he sensed something amiss and escaped from there taking her along. A police team started for the airport to nab the accused and rescued the woman and her son. However, the cell phone location of Garg's phone indicated that he was at the New Delhi railway station on September 5, the police said. The team proceeded there and it was found that the Mumbai-bound train was slated to leave from a different platform. A trap was laid and the accused was arrested. The woman and her son were also rescued. The victim said that the accused had lured her on the pretext of marriage and had taken her to Vaishno Devi. Later, he took her to Goa on the pretext of making her meet his parents, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara). The woman, who works as a teacher, told police that he had been extracting money from her and had taken Rs three lakh from her. He had made videos of her and had threatened to upload them on social media sites if she did not pay up, they added. Garg has also been charged with rape. During interrogation, Garg told police that he was inspired by the Bollywood film 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl'. He would project himself as the country head of a high- profile conglomerate firm and tell women that his father is a retired IAS officer, said the DCP. He also told police that he had completed his graduation from SRCC and had pursued his MBA from one of the Indian Institutes of Management. He also claimed to have studied in a prestigious institution in the United Kingdom. However, these claims have been found to be false, the police said. He had been conning women since 2011. So far, five women in their late 30s, have approached police. One of the victims is from Ahmedabad and another is from Noida. They claimed that the accused also got intimate with them on the pretext of marriage and deserted them after taking money from them. They have claimed that they were conned of Rs eight lakh respectively, the police said. The conductor, Ashok, allegedly killed the child after failing to sexually assault him. Gurgaon: The Gurgaon police detained 10 people, including a driver and conductor of a school bus and a staff member, in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old boy, who was found inside the washroom of a school with his throat slit open, on Friday morning. Police sources later clarified that the bus conductor has been arrested. The conductor, Ashok, allegedly killed the child after failing to sexually assault him. The victim, a student of Class 2 in Ryan International School of Bhondsi campus, was found in a pool of blood inside the toilet of the school. He was bleeding profusely. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. A knife has been recovered from the scene of the crime, said a police official. It seems that after the boy was attacked, he tried to run outside for help. Blood was spotted outside the washroom, which is located close to the main lobby. The school staff took the injured child to a hospital and informed the police about the incident, added the police official. A school driver spotted the injured boy just outside the toilet when students were attending the morning assembly. The victims father, a quality manager with a private company, was informed by the school. It is a clear case of murder. I dont know what happened, but I am sure its a murder. The school management is responsible for this heinous crime. If they cannot provide security to the students, why do they run a school? said the victims father. The deceased received two cut marks on the right side of his neck. One was a superficial cut, but the second cut was deep, said Dr Deepak Mathur, who conducted the autopsy. Meanwhile, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school premises and protested against the management. They also tried to vandalise school property. The Republic of Macedonias capital city Skopje is the birth place of St Teresa, better known as Mother Teresa. Kolkata: St Teresas birthplace Skopje came closer to her place of work in Kolkata on Thursday with the Republic of Macedonia opening its consulate in the city to boost economic and cultural ties. The Republic of Macedonias capital city Skopje is the birth place of St Teresa, better known as Mother Teresa. Namit Bajoria, director of kitchen appliances brand Kutchina, has been appointed as the honorary consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata. The ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia Dr. Toni Atanasovski on Thursday inaugurated the consulate bureau inon the eve of the 26th National Day in the presence of ambassadors from Bosnia, Ecuador, Jordan, Libya and the UAE. The Republic of Macedonia is a small Balkan nation with one fourth the size of Kolkatas population. The two cities of Skopje and Kolkata are like two soulmates, as they share the heritage of Mother Teresa. The opening of our honorary consulate bureau in Kolkata is expected to boost cultural exchanges, tourism and trade between Skopje and Kolkata. Our mission is to promote and assist in any possible way these initiatives, said Dr. Toni Atanasovski, ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in India. The Republic of Macedonia would approach the West Bengal government with a proposal to mutually promote and support foreign direct investments in trade between India and Macedonia. The accused tried to gag her but Ms Chavan pushed him away. Mumbai: A 19-year-old girl survived after a robber pushed her out of a running train at Virar station on Thursday night. The teenager was returning to her Nalasopara home from work and was alone in the Western Railway local's women's compartment, when the incident took place. According to the Vasai Government Railway Police (GRP), victim Komal Chavan works part time at a lottery centre in Virar. At around 9.49 pm, Ms Chavan boarded the Churchgate bound train from Virar station. The accused boarded the compartment soon after the train began moving. Ms Chavan stood next to the door, as she was alone in the compartment. The robber demanded money from her. She refused and started shouting, said an officer of the Vasai GRP. The accused tried to gag her but Ms Chavan pushed him away. This enraged him and the robber pushed her out of the train which was yet to gather speed. Ms Chavan was lucky as the train was chugging slowly from platform number 2 of Virar station. She landed on the platform. Some commuters and patrolling railway police personnel rushed to her help. They took Ms Chavan to a nearby hospital, while the accused fled from the spot. The officials are scanning the CCTV footage to ascertain his identity. A case has been registered against the unknown person under sections 393 (attempt to robbery), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to robbery) of the Indian Penal Code and further probe is underway. Well now China has added its voice to the list of those countries pointing out that the presence of militant groups in Pakistan is a problem. If you hide from reality for long enough, you can land up in a place from where it is next to impossible to find your way back. Something like that may be happening to Pakistan, where for more than a quarter century, our state has come to be virtually held hostage by a reality that we have been denying in almost every forum around the world. This reality is that within Pakistan, as a matter of official policy, violent militant groups have been nurtured, trained, supported and nestled within the general population for use as assets in an underground geopolitical game that we have tried to play in the region. This history has been told so often, within and outside Pakistan, and evidence of the official patronage that these groups and their larger milieu enjoys has now mounted to such levels, that it has become an act of wilful schizophrenia to actually deny it now. Where exactly does one even begin to explain this to those who remain unaware of this fact even today, and resistant to really internalising its import? For years, we have found different rationales to either justify or explain this away. Most recently, when the BRICS countries pointed to three specific groups in Pakistan and labelled them as terrorist entities, they were only echoing what the UN Security Council had done more than a decade and a half ago. Still the line came up that these groups are already proscribed in Pakistan, as a rationale or soft justification for the fact that the groups not only exist, but operate freely and openly, propagate their literature in society, operate giant administrative operations, and in some cases, are actually being mainstreamed into society as bona fide political parties. What does proscription actually mean in Pakistan when the same members of the group in question need only start another organisation under a different name and carry on business as usual? One need only take a close look at what happened to the case against the Lal Masjid cleric who less than a decade ago had taken up arms against the state, and triggered a confrontation that actually resulted in the deaths of scores of military personnel. The case fell apart (take a look sometime at how this happened), and the cleric in question continues to live and preach openly in the same mosque. How did this come about if some form of official support was not available to him? Another line told us that we need not worry. The countries that are crying foul over this situation are biased against us, and need to be perceived more as enemies than allies. Now we have China, we were told, which will stand by us and has no intention of similarly wagging a finger at us on this point. And with China we have CPEC, which is our road to future prosperity, something we have believed for generations now is given by a big brother, not earned through ones own smarts and hard work. Well now China has added its voice to the list of those countries pointing out that the presence of militant groups in Pakistan is a problem. To add meat to the proposition, they point to a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, to include countering radical ideologies, halting the movement of terrorist fighters as well as their recruitment, interdicting their finances and much more. This is a heavy menu, and notice that all of what the BRICS declaration is committing to is within the framework of the United Nations, and an extension of what other leading powers in the world have already been saying for many years. If anybody out there thought that somehow the emergence of China on the global stage, and its growing stakes in our neighborhood as well as others, along with its creed to not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, meant that finally we would have a free pass to engage our great game fantasies without let or hindrance, they ought to be in for a rude shock. The person who is still spinning the words to mean something other than what they say is like that person who has lived so long with his or her lies that they are unable to find their way back to reality. Everything in the declaration shows that the BRICS countries, that include Russia and China, will not advance an alternative set of norms to those around which the Euro-American world order is constructed. To combat terror financing, for example, they seek to work with the UN resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force that has for years been pointing out the vulnerability of the Pakistan financial system to being used by designated terrorist groups because the latter operate with impunity in Pakistan. Yes there have been huge successes in our own war against terror. Groups like the TTP have been pushed out of Swat and North and South Waziristan, and the sacrifices made by Pakistans soldiers in the course of this fighting have been admirable and deserve commendation. Yes, the security situation has improved from a decade ago, although much ground remains to be covered. And yes, lets also add that much of the finger-wagging from the West, particularly America, is in bad faith. America is not losing the war in Afghanistan because of Pakistan. America is losing the war for the simple reason that no sooner had the fighting commenced in earnest in Afghanistan, it lost its focus and went barrelling into Iraq instead. All else is detail. But there is a reason why Pakistan has had such a difficult time getting the world to recognise this simple reality: because we have been lying to ourselves and our allies about the nature of our involvement in this war all along. If Abbottabad didnt establish this, surely the death of Mullah Mansour on Pakistani soil, with Pakistani credentials in his pocket, did. By arrangement with Dawn Nawaz Sharifs political oscillations remind one of the person who had a nightmare that he was making a public speech, and awoke to find that he was. There must be moments in Nawaz Sharifs mind when he questions whether it has all been worth it. The humiliation at the unfeeling hands of Z.A. Bhuttos nationalisation, the confiscation of his newly wedded wifes jewellery stored in the office safe in Ittefaq Foundries, the grovelling before a PPP government to have it restored, the sycophancy before Gen. Zia-ul Haq, the puppet years as Punjabs finance minister and then chief minister, the gruelling rigours of electioneering, the bittersweet fruits of three prime ministerships, incarceration in Attock Fort, the 24-karat alms given as political zakat by the Saudis, the luxury flats in London, the obese bank balances held abroad, and the widening rift in his fathers family. Was it worth the price? Now, he sits by the bedside of his ailing wife in a London hospital, helpless witness to her suffering, unable to compensate her for the years of separation and her self-sacrifice during their 46-year marriage. Nawaz Sharifs political oscillations remind one of the person who had a nightmare that he was making a public speech, and awoke to find that he was. In Nawaz Sharifs case, his recurring nightmare has been of being removed from office by forces inimical to him. Thrice he has woken and found that he was. In 1993 the Supreme Court granted him a reprieve, but it proved shortlived. In 1999, US President Bill Clinton rescued him over the Kargil misadventure, but could not prevent the coup by Gen. Pervez Musharrafs cohorts. And now, in 2017, he has again been ousted. None of his friends (CPEC notwithstanding) have volunteered to help him. The ex-PM is growing in similarity to King Charles I.As each day passes, Nawaz Sharif grows in similarity to the dethroned King Charles I of England. Vainly did the deposed king assert that Princes are not bound to give an account of their Actions but to God alone. Unheeded went his claim that the King can do no wrong. And in his final moments, on the scaffold in Londons Whitehall in January 1649, he uttered these words: I Am the Martyr of the People. Many argue that the National Assembly byelection will be the barometer of Nawaz Sharifs popularity. Whatever the result may be, it will be a false reading. No more than one swallow doth a summer make, one byelection does not an electoral landslide create. The test for all the parties determined to have a say in the governance of Pakistan elected or self-appointed will be the next general election. They are currently scheduled within 90 days after June 2018, or whichever earlier date Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi may be told to recommend to the President. After those elections, whichever party (if any) gains an absolute majority, whichever person (if any) secures the prime ministership in his own right, whatever the authority (if any) of the federal cabinet, none of them will be able to escape the reality that is todays Pakistan. It is said that outgoing US President Barack Obama left a letter for his successor Donald Trump, which Mr Trump has chosen not to read. That is understandable. Mr Trump doesnt want to be prejudiced by realities. Pakistani PMs have never left such letters for their successors. Althoughthey failed to do so, here is a bucket list of tasks our future PMmight like to ignore: Control the population. The latest provisional census has revealed that there are 207.77 million Pakistanis. Half of them are under the age of 25, and will in time procreate. No man is an island, but every nation is. We have a limited territory within which to live. Implement a national curriculum. Nations are not built from bricks of different shapes and sizes, fired in unsupervised kilns.Ration water usage. Water, like a mothers love, cannot be taken for granted. Water, water nowhere, and not a potable drop to drink. Encourage vertical urbanisation. The sky is the limit. Control consumption. No nation can afford $50 billion of unbridled imports, more than twice the value of its exports. Pity the nation whose fish suffocate in polluted rivers, yet hungers for imported smoked salmon. Justify defence expenditure. Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. Dwight D. Eisenhowers words, not mine. The law is not malleable play dough, to be bent and twisted at will in exercised hands. The list of imperatives is endless. It will grow, not because Pakistans problems are insoluble but because every government whatever its constitutional paternity has chosen to oscillate between rapacious governance, inept governance and vacuous governance. Why does Nawaz Sharif then crave a fourth term? By arrangement with Dawn SpaceX successfully launched a secret US military space plane on Sept 7 ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma. SpaceX successfully launched a secret US Air Force space plane on Thursday ahead of the arrival in Florida of Hurricane Irma. Live images broadcast by the California aerospace company showed a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the unmanned X-37B drone lifting off at 10:00 am (1400 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The recoverable first stage of the launch vehicle then landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station less than 10 minutes later. There were concerns SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, would be forced to postpone the launch as Hurricane Irma threatens to batter Florida. But skies were clear Thursday and the company managed to complete the launch ahead of the expected weekend arrival of Irma, a powerful Category Five hurricane. It was SpaceX's second mission for the Pentagon this year following a secret satellite launch in May and the private company's first launch of the X-37B. Previous X-37B launches had been performed by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is one of two known craft of its type in the US Air Force's fleet and part of a classified program whose details are shrouded in secrecy. A resuable shuttle, Thursday's launch is its fifth mission since its maiden flight in April 2010. "The fifth OTV mission continues to advance the X-37B's performance and flexibility as a space technology demonstrator and host platform for experimental payloads," the Air Force said in a statement. "This mission carries small satellite ride shares and will demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies." On its last mission, the solar-powered X-37B stayed in orbit for 718 days before returning to land on May 7 -- longer than any of its previous flights. Some 29 feet long (nine meters) and 15 feet (4.5 meters) wide, it resembles the space shuttle, the last of which flew in July 2011. Trump said all the countries involved are 'essential partners' with the United States in efforts to crack down on extremism. Washington: President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed efforts by the leader of Kuwait, a staunch American ally, to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors that could have implications for the US military presence in the region. However, the quartet of Arab nations now boycotting Doha issued a strongly worded statement early Friday morning dismissing some of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah's comments, signaling the diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf is far from over. At a White House news conference with Sheikh Sabah, Trump said he appreciated the emir's thus-far unsuccessful bid to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. He applauded Kuwait's "critical contributions to regional stability" but also repeated an offer to mediate himself, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He suggested a deal would be "worked out very quickly" if he became personally involved. Trump said all the countries involved - members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - are "essential partners" with the United States in efforts to crack down on extremism, including the fight against Islamic State group. "We will be most successful with a united GCC," he said. "We will send a strong message to both terrorist organizations and regional aggressors that they cannot win." His comments came after he sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort. Still, the dispute has dragged on for more than three months, even after Tillerson shuttled between the parties in July and dispatched two other US envoys to bolster the 88-year-old Kuwaiti emir's initiative. The crisis erupted June 5 when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all cut ties to Doha over allegations Qatar funds extremists and has ties that are too warm with Iran. Qatar, which hosts a US military base critical to the effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that makes its citizens among the world's wealthiest. In his comments, Trump offered a pointed reminder that terrorism financing is at the heart of the crisis. At one point he said the dispute "began because of that fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries." He did not identify those countries, but in June he had made reference to Saudi and other Arab complaints about Qatar. For his part, Sheikh Sabah said he remained hopeful that a resolution to the crisis could be reached. He noted that Qatar had been presented with a list of 13 demands by the other countries and was willing to discuss them. Although Qatar has rejected some of them out of hand, Sheikh Sabah said he believed negotiations were possible. "I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future," he said. "The hope has not ended yet." That hope appeared in jeopardy early Friday with a statement by the boycotting countries saiding "any dialogue on meeting their demands should not be preceded by any prior conditions." The statement, which said the countries "regret" several of the comments by Sheikh Sabah, represents an unusual rebuke in the clubby world of Gulf Arab nations. The nations also said a military intervention "has not been and will not be considered" to end the crisis, something mentioned by Sheikh Sabah in his remarks as once a possibility. However, Qatari exiles whom analysts believe are backed by the boycotting countries have repeatedly called for a coup in Qatar, while Saudi columnists at state-backed newspapers have repeatedly suggested an invasion to overthrow Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. In response to a reporter's question, Trump briefly spoke about his administration's efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Trump plans to meet both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly later this month. "I think we have a chance of doing it," he said. "I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen, I think the Israelis would like to see it happen." In Kuwait, media reports on Thursday focused on the emir's visit to Washington as a sign of the strong relationship the two countries have, including when a US-led coalition expelled occupying Iraqi forces from the small nation during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan south of Kuwait City, which also is home to the forward command of US Army Central. Across the Caribbean authorities rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of residents and tourists. This satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Irma at 1145 UTC on September 6, 2017 (Photo: AP) Providenciales, (Turks and Caicos): The eye of Hurricane Irma grazed the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday, rattling buildings after it smashed a string of Caribbean islands as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, killing 14 people on its way to Florida. With winds of around 185 miles per hour (290 km per hour), the storm the size of France has ravaged small islands in the northeast Caribbean in recent days, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands, ripping down trees and flattening homes and hospitals. Winds dipped on Thursday to 165 mph as Irma soaked the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and brought hurricane-force winds to the Turks and Caicos Islands. It remained an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, the highest designation by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Irma was about 55 miles (85 km) south of Great Inagua Island and is expected to bring 20-foot (6-m) storm surges to the Bahamas, before moving to Cuba and plowing into southern Florida as a very powerful Category 4 on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding due to begin within the next 48 hours. Across the Caribbean authorities rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of residents and tourists. On islands in its wake, shocked locals tried to comprehend the extent of the devastation while simultaneously preparing for another major hurricane, Jose, now a Category 3 and due to hit the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday. It was the first time the Turks and Caicos Islands had experienced a Category 5 storm, said Virginia Clerveaux, director of Disaster Management and Emergencies. We are expecting inundation from both rainfall as well as storm surge. And we may not be able to come rescue them in a timely manner, she said in comments on social media site Facebook. The few tourists who remained on the Turks and Caicos Islands were in hotels, as were some locals. A Reuters witness described the roof and walls of a well-built house shaking hard as the screaming storm rocked the island of Providenciales and caused a drop in pressure that could be felt in peoples chests. In Miami, hundreds lined up for bottled water and cars looped around city blocks to get gas on Thursday in panicked preparations. Gas shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. To the people of Florida, we just want you to protect yourselves, be very, very vigilant and careful, said US President Donald Trump. Trump owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, which was ordered to be evacuated, media said. He also owns property on the French side of Saint Martin, an island devastated by the storm. A mandatory evacuation on Georgias Atlantic coast was due to begin on Saturday, Governor Nathan Deal said. DEATHS RISE In the US Virgin islands, four people died, a government spokesman said, and a major hospital was badly damaged by the wind. A US amphibious assault ship arrived in the US Virgin Islands on Thursday and sent helicopters for medical evacuations from the destroyed hospital. Barbuda, where one person died, was reduced to rubble, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla another person was killed, while the hospital and airport, power and phone services were damaged, emergency service officials said. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four bodies were recovered on the tiny French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, which was hit hard. It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock, Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and around two-thirds of the population lost electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm rolled by the US territorys northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. CUBA EVACUATING TOURISTS The storm passed just to the north of the island of Hispaniola shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing some damage to roofs, flooding and power outages as it approached the impoverished Haitian side, which is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and rain, although it did not make landfall. Cuba started evacuating some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the picturesque northern coast. That included all Canadian tourists, who Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero estimated made up 60 percent of foreign visitors in the countrys keys. In Caibarien, a coastal town in the hurricanes predicted path, residents piled mattresses and a television in a car to get farther inland. The roof here is rotten so it will just fly away. Everything will get ruined if we leave it here, said Miriam Faife, 69. Im scared. Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated to be as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Pyongyang pledges more powerful counter-measures to sanctions, pressure by Washington. Korean Peoples Army soldiers cheer while watching fireworks during a mass celebration in Pyongyang on Wednesday for scientists involved in carrying out North Koreas largest nuclear blast to date. (Photo: AFP, AP) New York/Valdivostok (Russia): The United States on Wednesday asked the UN Security Council to slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-un, in response to Pyongyangs sixth and most powerful nuclear test. A US-drafted resolution obtained by AFP also called for banning textile exports and ending payments made to North Korean labourers sent abroad, further depriving the regime of revenue to pursue its military programmes. The United States circulated the proposed resolution to the 14 other council members two days after ambassador Nikki Haley called for the strongest possible measures to be imposed on North Korea. Ms Haley said that the US was seeking a vote on the new sanctions on Monday, but it remained an open question whether Russia and China, which have veto power at the council, would back the tough measures. The draft text takes aim directly at North Koreas leadership with a freeze on Mr Kims assets as well as those of the ruling Workers Party of Korea and the government of North Korea. Mr Kim would be added to a UN sanctions blacklist that would subject him to a global travel ban, along with four other senior North Korean officials, according to the draft. The state-owned Air Koryo airline would be hit with an assets freeze, as would the Korean Peoples Army, the ruling partys central military commission and seven other government or party departments. All countries would be authorised to seize and inspect North Korean cargo vessels on the UN sanctions list, according to the 13-page document. An annex adds the names of nine ships to the blacklist. North Korea on Thursday pledged to take powerful counter measures to respond to US pressure or any new sanctions against it over its missile programme, accusing Washington of wanting war. Pyongyangs pledge, made in a statement by its delegation to an economic forum in Russias Far East. We will respond to the barbaric plotting around sanctions and pressure by the United States with powerful counter measures of our own, the statement read. The same statement also accused South Korea and Japan of using Russian forum to play dirty politics, saying the event was meant to be about discussing economic cooperation in the region and not its missile programme. Norwegian Nobel committee rules out any such move saying a Nobel prize cant be taken back. Oslo: Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyis peace prize over the Myanmar governments treatment of its Rohingya Muslims. But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account. The change.org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of on Thursday, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants. The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country, the petition says. Ms Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmars military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the countrys first credible elections since independence. But her government has faced international condemnation for the Armys response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers. The United Nations said on Thursday that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya Muslim refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October. Ms Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called a huge iceberg of misinformation over the crisis, with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists. In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said that it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed. Neither Alfred Nobels will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize whether for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature or Peace can be revoked, he said. Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee, he said, and not any subsequent actions. Paks leaders have consistently used the UNGA podium to internationalise the Kashmir issue even as its efforts have found no international backing. Pakistan played the fresh Kashmir card about 10 days before the annual high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session is set to begin at the world bodys headquarters. United Nations: India has firmly told Pakistan that Jammu & Kashmir will remain an integral part of the country and criticised Islamabad for using terrorism as a tool of state policy to covet the Indian territory. India strongly hit back at Islamabad for raking up the Kashmir issue at a UN forum on culture of peace, saying Pakistan is well-known for providing safe havens to terrorists and cloaks its designs in the garb of concern for justice and self-determination. Pakistan played the fresh Kashmir card about 10 days before the annual high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session is set to begin at the world bodys headquarters. At the UN forum, senior Indian diplomat Srinivas Prasad said, May I remind our neighbour that Jammu & Kashmir is and will remain an integral part of India. It is time that Pakistan too reconciles to this. As a democracy, India always abides by the choice of the people and will not allow it to be undermined by terrorists and extremists. Mr Prasad was countering Pakistans Permanent Representa-tive Maleeha Lodhi, who raised the Kashmir issue during a debate a day earlier. The Indian diplomat said, It is ironic, that our neighbour Pakistan, well-known for providing safe havens to terrorists and using terrorism as a tool of State policy, has used this platform to yet again covet Indian territory, cloaking its designs in the garb of concern for justice and self-determination. A culture of peace, not only symbolises peace in the larger context, but in terms of inter-state ties is also a value built on good neighbourliness, mutual respect and non-interference, he said. Ms Lodhi had brought up the Kashmir issue, saying there are long standing cases where historic injustices wait to be corrected and where people are still denied their fundamental right to self-determination. Pakistans leaders have consistently used the UNGA podium to internationalise the Kashmir issue even as its efforts have found no international backing. New Delhis strong diplomatic counter-attack at the UN forum comes close to Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwas statement that India should resolve the through political and diplomatic means rather than abusing a veiled reference to Indias successful campaign for getting Pakistan-based terror groups named in the recently-released Brics declaration. The timing of the virtual spat between the two neighbours at the UN form has brought into focus home minister Rajnath Singhs four-day J&K visit beginning Saturday during which he will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others with an open mind to resolve all problems. 'We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organising, or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable', declaration said. India, China and three other members of the BRICS group pledged to exchange tax information to address the problem of tax evasion. (Photo: AP) Beijing: China on Friday assured its all weather ally Pakistan of no change in policy despite BRICS leaders unanimously declared Islamabad based organisations as a global terror outfits that of same stature of Islamic State group, NDTV reported. The Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Haqqani network were declared as terror outfits during 9th annual BRICS summit which was recently held at Xiamen in China. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan said in statement that There has been no change in Chinese policy regarding Pakistan...Pakistan and China are in constant contact regarding regional challenges. According to BRICS declaration, the statement said, We strongly condemn terrorist attacks resulting in death to innocent Afghan nationals. We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, al Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. The declaration also added, We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organising, or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable. China on Thursday had invited Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif's to Beijing since there had been deep concern in Pakistan's cabinet over the BRICS declaration. The media reports also said Khawaja Asif will also discuss the Trump criticism on Islamabad during an announcement of his new Afghanistan and South Asia policy. Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. The two sides have seen their relationship growing with sound momentum, frequent high-level exchanges and fruitful outcome of practical cooperation." Beijing: China on Friday assured its all weather ally Pakistan of no change in policy despite BRICS leaders unanimously declared Islamabad based organisations as a global terror outfits that of same stature of Islamic State group, NDTV reported. The Pakistan based terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Haqqani network were declared as terror outfits during 9th annual BRICS summit which was recently held at Xiamen in China. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan said in statement that There has been no change in Chinese policy regarding Pakistan...Pakistan and China are in constant contact regarding regional challenges. According to BRICS declaration, the statement said, We strongly condemn terrorist attacks resulting in death to innocent Afghan nationals. We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, al Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. The declaration also added, We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organising, or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable. China on Thursday had invited Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif's to Beijing since there had been deep concern in Pakistan's cabinet over the BRICS declaration. The media reports also said Khawaja Asif will also discuss the Trump criticism on Islamabad during an announcement of his new Afghanistan and South Asia policy. Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. The two sides have seen their relationship growing with sound momentum, frequent high-level exchanges and fruitful outcome of practical cooperation." Firoz Khan and Tahir Merchant will be executed. A third detainee, Abu Salem, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Explosions caused 257 deaths and 713 serious injuries. The bombs, placed in dozens of targets, shocked a tranquil city. New Delhi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A special Indian tribunal issued two death sentences for those responsible for the 1993 Mumbai massacres, during which 257 people died and 713 others were injured in severe conditions. Firoz Khan and Tahir Merchant, both behind bars, have been charged with criminal conspiracy and murder. Another culprit, Abu Salem, who had tried to flee to Portugal but was extradited by the Lisbon authorities in 2005 (with the promise he would have escaped execution in case of liability), was sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentencing has takenyears and was part of the second round of investigations into the attacks that upset the capital of Maharashtra. All in all, seven guilty suspects were arrested between 2003 and 2010 and tried separately. In June, the Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity Tribunal (Tada) in Mumbai found six of them guilty and ordered the trial. A detainee, Mustafa Dossa, died of heart attack shortly after entering prison. Yakub Memon, considered the mastermind of the attacks, was hanged in 2015. The explosions of '93 targeted dozens of different objectives, including the Mumbai Stock Exchange (Bombay Stock Exchange), the offices of the Air India flagship company and a luxury hotel. The attacks shocked a city that was reputed to be quiet, peaceful and multiethnic, creating sectarian divisions. Although no clarity was ever made on the matter, the bombs were seen as a Muslim response to the demolition of Babri's mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu extremists in December 1992. The Archbishop of Manila revives the tradition of the bells tolling in the evening to remember the dead. "We cannot promote a human and decent Filipino culture with killing." The appeal to pastors and lay people for solidarity with the victims and their families counter to the campaign of "cleanliness" launched by President Duterte. Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - "You can not govern with killing". These are the words of Card. Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and President of Caritas Internationalis. He is inviting parish priests to toll church bells for five minutes in the evening, starting on September 14 (Feast of the Cross Exaltation of the Cross), to remember and pray for all the victims of President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. "The tolling of church bells in the evening to pray for the dead is an old Filipino custom that has almost disappeared. Now is the right time to revive it, he said in a letter issued on Friday, the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. Card. Tagle calls on pastors and lay leaders to intensify their solidarity with the victims and their families, finding time to bless the dead and grieve with those who have been left behind. With pain and horror we continue to get daily news of killings around the country. We cannot allow the destruction of lives to become normal. We cannot govern the nation by killing. We cannot foster a humane and decent Filipino culture by killing, Tagle lamented. After winning the presidency in July last year, President Duterte launched an unprecedented war on the illegal drug trade with the promise to kill tens of thousands of criminals. The Catholic Church is among the few voices that denounce the deaths, in spite of the polls revealing the popularity of the Philippine president. In response to criticisms of extrajudicial killings, Duterte has repeatedly launched strong attacks on bishops and priests. During the 14 months of administration, some 8,000 suspected drug users or drug dealers have lost their lives during security operations. The police confirmed the killing of more than 3,500 people, insisting on having acted in self-defense. More than 2,000 people have been killed in drug crimes and thousands are still murdered in unexplained circumstances, according to police figures. On the run since 2014, he fears Beijings retribution. The Chinese government wants the tycoon arrested. Guo is under investigation in China for corruption, kidnapping, fraud, money laundering and rape. He denies the charges, which he claims are politically motivated. No extradition treaty exists between the US and China. His tourist visa in the US will expire by the end of the year. New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui has asked for political asylum in the United States. Beijing has sought his arrest. The controversial tycoon, also known as Miles Kwok, claims that he is "perceived as a political opponent of the Chinese regime," his lawyer Thomas Ragland said. State media outlets have accused the 50-year-old of bribing a vice-minister, a charge which Mr Guo has denied. The Chinese government in April issued a global "red notice" through the global police co-operation agency Interpol for Mr Guo's arrest. Chinese authorities have reportedly investigated Mr Guo for at least 19 crimes including kidnapping, fraud and money laundering. Last month Chinese police opened an investigation into a new allegation of rape against him. In April, Chinese news media said Mr Guo had bribed the former vice-minister of state security, Ma Jian, with 60 million yuan (US$ 8.7m). Mr Ma has since been arrested and is being prosecuted for corruption. Mr Guo has denied the charges and suggested the arrest warrant was politically motivated. "He fears that the Chinese regime would seek retribution for the things he's been saying and the exposure he's been responsible for," Mr Ragland said. Mr Guo, who left China in 2014, has published a series of tweets and YouTube videos to allege corruption among top members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, including Beijing's anti-corruption czar, Wang Qishan. He has also released what he alleges are official state secrets ahead of the 19th Communist Party congress, which is held every five years and is scheduled to begin on 18 October. Though Mr Guo has not provided substantial evidence for his claims, his criticism has drawn fire from Beijing. No extradition treaty exists between the United States and China. The two sides need to engage in bilateral talks to repatriate any overseas fugitives back to their home country case by case. As an asylum applicant, Mr Guo, whose tourist visa is due to expire later this year, is entitled remain in the US until a final administrative decision is reached. On average, the asylum application process can take two to three years. In the United States, Mr Guo also faces a series of defamation lawsuits by several Chinese individuals and companies. Mr Guo says he is no longer a citizen of China. In April, he told Voice of America's Chinese-language service he had passports from 11 countries, but it is unclear why he would not move to another country once his US visa expires. by Pierre Balanian Through Interpol and the fight against terror, the Turkish president is able to get the arrest of journalists exiled in Germany or Sweden. The latter have been accused of "terrorism" because they criticise Erdogan, or publish articles on the Armenian Genocide or the Kurds. Beirut (AsiaNews) The number of journalists detained in Turkey, which now stands at 133, includes a 27-year-old French student, Loup Bureau, who worked as a freelance journalist for a French television network. The crime by the Nantes native was taking selfies with some Kurdish Peshmerga. Not even a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron got him released. In addition to journalists arrested in Turkey, people will have to get used to the arrest and the extradition of journalists or intellectuals of Turkish origin, citizens or residents of European countries. This is the new weapon used by the Turkish government to stifle criticism outside the country. Its instrument is Interpol and the countrys much abused anti-terrorism law. This is what happened to Dogan Akhanli, a German and Turkish citizen, who has lived in Germany for 40 years. He was in Spain on holiday when Spanish police arrested him at the request of Turkish Interpol at the entrance of the hotel where was staying. Brought to Madrid, the Spanish Justice Ministry is waiting for Turkish authorities to provide the evidence. Dogan Akhanli's fault is one of the worst. For his government, he is a traitor because he wrote books on the Armenian Genocide. Worse still, he also published essays on Kurdish rights. Hence the accusation of supporting terrorism. In Spain again, this time in Spain, another Turkish citizen, Hamza Yalcin, believed to be a Swedish citizen, found himself in the same situation. Whilst vacationing, he was arrested at the Barcelona airport following an arrest warrant against him issued by Turkish authorities. For Spanish police waiting for Turkey to apply for his extradition, the 60-year-old journalist is charged with insulting the president Erdogan online. From Sweden, the exiled journalist freely expressed his ideas on the net. But in his country of origin, Turkey, such "freedom" is a crime that could cost him 22 years in prison, which, given his age, would mean life imprisonment. After imposing a reign of terror in the country with the arrest of illustrious and popular journalists, Turkey is now trying to impose silence through fear among European citizens of Turkish origin or among Turks or Turkish immigrants abroad. If they are against Turkeys ruling party and President Erdogan, they risk extradition for "terrorism". As Lenin famously said, "prison is a good school". Sending opposition journalists and thinkers will teach everyone the virtue of silence. Yesterday Israeli jets targeted government army bases in Syria. The Jewish state wants to prevent by all means the existence of a "Shiite corridor" linking "Tehran to Damascus." Chief of Intelligence: Tehran finances and supports armed organizations that pose a threat to Israel. Tel Aviv (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has made a tough (verbal) attack on Syria and Iran, threatening to attack the two nations in a preventative manner in the event of a danger to the Jewish state. His words come a few hours after a series of air raids against military targets in Syria (pictured). According to Damascus Israeli jets carried out the attacks but Lieberman refused to confirm or deny the charges. Yesterday the Syrian army accused its Israeli counterpart of having committed a series of attacks on a strategic military site in the west of the country before dawn, causing two deaths; according to some sources, the raid centered a deposit used by Damascus for the production of chemical weapons. "We are determined," said Lieberman, "to prevent our enemies from threatening or even creating the conditions to pose a threat to the security of Israel's citizens." He also added that "we will do everything to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor" that goes "from Tehran to Damascus." The Syrian military site hit at dawn yesterday is north of Mesyaf and is used by both Iran and Lebanese militia (Hezbollah Shiites). Both are close allies of the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad and their contribution has been decisive in the fate of the war that has been waging for over six years in the country. Since the beginning of the conflict, in March 2011, Israel has repeatedly conducted strikes and strategic bombings against [Damascus] military targets in Syrian territory. Israel also has ties with anti-Assad and anti-Iranian militias [and the same Islamic State]. Israel accuses Tehran of transferring sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah, which then uses them to support the Syrian regular army against rebel groups and jihadist militias. Israel fears that in the future they can be used against it. The head of intelligence services of the Jewish state, General Herzl Halevi, who pointed his finger at Iran, also spoke. "The major threats - he says - against Israel's security are represented by armed organizations, most of which are funded and supported by Iran." "We are ready to meet these threats, close and far, with determination and our enemies know well the combination of intelligence and our operational capabilities, the general concluded. One million people at the first Mass celebrated by Francis on his trip to Colombia. The darkness of social injustice, the interests of those who exploit for themselves what is destined for everyone, the lack of respect for life, the thirst for vengeance, the insensitivity to the pain of so many victims. Bogota (AsiaNews) - In Colombia, as in other places, "there is a dense darkness that threatens and destroys life." The first Mass celebrated yesterday by Pope Francis in this trip to Colombia was dedicated to peace and life. There is the darkness of "injustice and social inequality," those "corrupting personal or group interests, consuming in an egoistic and unbridled manner what is meant for the well-being of all", those "of non-respect for human life which daily destroys the life of many innocents, whose blood cries out to heaven"; the darkness of thirst for vengeance and the hatred which stains the hands of those who would right wrongs on their own authority; the darkness of those who become numb to the pain of so many victims. One million people (in the photo) crowded the great Simon Bolivar park to hear the Pope, despite occasional raining. Among them were also victims of the civil war and groups of Venezuelans, with the flags and the image of their patron, the Virgin of Coromoto. Francis also had a brief meeting with some bishops of the nearby country. There was also a group of disabled people in the crowd, amongst whom Francis stopped and who accompanied him for a short stretch, to the foot of the stage. In his homily, commenting on the passage of the Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus preaches at the Sea of Galilee, understood as "immensity where all peoples live," Francis said that Colombia, a land of "unimaginable fertility", could give fruits to all," but "there are a thick clouds of darkness that threaten and destroy life. " And only Jesus is able to disperse them. Like Colombia, he went on to say that the local Church also had " the Church in Colombia knows also about unsuccessful and fruitless pastoral work, but, like Peter, we too are able to trust the Master, whose word is fruitful even where the hostility of human darkness renders so many attempts and efforts fruitless" . Because the Gospel invitation to "cast nets" is not only addressed to Simon Peter. The Pope explained that the command to cast out the nets is not directed only to Simon Peter; he was directed to put out into the deep, like those in your homeland who first recognized what is most compelling, like those who took the initiative for peace, for life". Laying networks involves "responsibility". " In Bogota and in Colombia a vast community journeys forwards, called to conversion in a healthy net that gathers everyone into unity, working for the defense and care of human life, especially when it is most fragile and vulnerable. And these communities can become "living, righteous, and fraternal communities if they listen to and accept the Word of God". They will be so evangelized and will follow Jesus, loving "life at all stages", respecting and promoting it. In his first meeting in the South American country, Francis calls for the inclusion of all citizens, especially the weak, as well as the protection of the family, life and nature. Just laws are needed to help overcome the conflicts that have torn apart this nation for decades; laws are required which are not born from the pragmatic need to order society but rather arise from the desire to resolve the structural causes of poverty that lead to exclusion and violence. Bogota (AsiaNews) In his first address today, Pope Francis spoke before Colombias political and religious authorities as well as the diplomatic corps, business leaders and representatives of civil society and culture (pictured). The Holy Father focused on national reconciliation based on the rule of law and not on the law of the mightiest, a situation that entails the inclusion especially of the weak, as well as protection of the family, life and nature. Francis arrived at the Casa de Narino, the presidential palace, at 9 am (2 pm GMT), with a cavalry escort. Welcomed by the President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez Munera, wearing an unusual white dress, the Holy Father was accompanied to the palaces Plaza de Armas, to a gathering of some 700 people. Choirs, a large group of children, and the lighting of a dove-shaped torch preceded the greetings of the president, who thanked the pope for the visit and spoke about peace, reconciliation and forgiveness in a unique country that wants to be a "monument to peace". This meeting, the pope said, allows me to express my appreciation for all the efforts undertaken over the last decades to end armed violence and to seek out paths of reconciliation. Over the past year significant progress has been made; the steps taken give rise to hope, in the conviction that seeking peace is an open-ended endeavour, a task which does not relent, which demands the commitment of everyone. It is an endeavour challenging us not to weaken our efforts to build the unity of the nation. Despite obstacles, differences and varying perspectives on the way to achieve peaceful coexistence, this task summons us to persevere in the struggle to promote a culture of encounter. This requires us to place at the centre of all political, social and economic activity the human person, who enjoys the highest dignity, and respect for the common good. May this determination help us flee from the temptation to vengeance and the satisfaction of short-term partisan interests. The motto of this country is: Freedom and Order. These two words contain a complete lesson. Citizens must be valued according to their freedom and be protected by a stable order. It is not the law of the most powerful, but rather the power of the law, approved by all, that regulates a peaceful coexistence. Just laws are needed, which can ensure harmony and which can help overcome the conflicts that have torn apart this nation for decades; laws are required which are not born from the pragmatic need to order society but rather arise from the desire to resolve the structural causes of poverty that lead to exclusion and violence. Only in this way can there be healing of the sickness that brings fragility and lack of dignity to society, leaving it always vulnerable to new crises. Let us not forget that inequality is the root of social ills (cf. ibid. 202). In this perspective, I encourage you to look to all those who today are excluded and marginalised by society, those who have no value in the eyes of the majority, who are held back, cast aside. Everyone is needed in the work of creating and shaping society. This applies to everyone. Then and now, we observe the variety of ethnic groups and the inhabitants of the remotest regions, the campesinos. Our gaze fixes upon the weakest, the oppressed and maltreated, those who have no voice, either because it has been taken from them, or was never given to them, or because they are ignored. Let us stop to recognize women, their contribution, their talent, their being mothers in their great number of tasks. Colombia needs the participation of all so as to face the future with hope. The Church, faithful to her mission, is committed to peace, justice and the good of all. She is conscious that the principles of the Gospel are a significant dimension of the social fabric of Colombia, and thus can contribute greatly to the growth of the country; particularly, sacrosanct respect for human life, above all for the weakest and most defenceless, is a cornerstone in the formation of a society free from violence. We cannot fail, moreover, to emphasize the social importance of the family, envisioned by God to be the fruit of spousal love, that place where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another (ibid. 66). I ask you, please, to listen to the poor, to those who suffer. Look them in the eye and let yourselves be continually questioned by their faces racked with pain and by their pleading hands. From them we learn true lessons about life, humanity and dignity. For they, who cry out from their shackles, really understand the words of the one who died on the cross, as expressed by the words of your national anthem. The Pope, who urged care for the country's natural beauty, ended his speech citing Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In spite of this, before oppression, plundering and abandonment, we respond with life. Neither floods nor plagues, famines nor cataclysms, nor even the unending wars down the centuries, have been able to subdue the tenacious advantage of life over death. An advantage which is both increasing and accelerating. What is thus made possible, continues the author, is a new and sweeping utopia of life, where no one will be able to decide for others how they die, where love will prove true and happiness made possible, and where the races condemned to one hundred years of solitude will, at last and forever, have a second opportunity on earth (Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, 1982). Francis travelled to Villavicencio for a visit centred on national reconciliation. During his stay, he beatified a bishop and a priest killed "in hatred of the faith". In communities where we are still weighed down with patriarchal and chauvinistic customs, it is good to note that the Gospel begins by highlighting women who were influential and made history. Villavicencio (AsiaNews) Pope Franciss visit to Villavicencio, about 75 km southeast of Bogota, was centred on national reconciliation. For the Holy Father, this is not an abstract word. It is not meant to legitimize personal and structural injustices, nor adapt to them. It means opening a door to every person who has experienced the tragic reality of conflict, overcoming the understandable temptation to vengeance. During the Mass service (pictured) Francis beatified Jesus Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve, bishop of Arauca, and Pedro Maria Ramirez Ramos, both martyred "in hatred of the faith". Later in the day, the venue will see a prayer meeting for National Reconciliation in front of the Cross of Reconciliation before the Holy Father returns to Bogota. This morning, at Bogota's CATAM military airport, Francis greeted about 400 veterans, soldiers, and police officers. Songs and dances welcomed him at Villavicencio airport, and a large crowd stood along a road of some ten kilometres that led to the Catama grounds, on the outskirts of the city. There were so many people that the convoy was forced to proceed at snail pace. According to organisers, a huge crowd almost a million people filled the site of the open-air Mass. On the day the Church has devoted to the birth of Mary, the new dawn that proclaims joy to the whole world, Francis stressed the role women play compared to patriarchal and chauvinistic customs that still exist. In the Gospel, the pontiff said, we have heard the genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17), which is not a simple list of names, but rather a living history, the history of the people that God journeyed with; by making himself one of us, God wanted to announce that the history of the just and of sinners runs through his blood, that our salvation is not a sterile entity found in a laboratory, but rather something concrete, a life that moves forward. The mention of women though none of those referred to in the genealogy has the category of the great women of the Old Testament allows us a particular rapprochement: it is they, in the genealogy, who tell us that pagan blood runs through the veins of Jesus, and who recall the stories of scorn and subjugation. In communities where we are still weighed down with patriarchal and chauvinistic customs, it is good to note that the Gospel begins by highlighting women who were influential and made history. The nobility of Josephs heart is such that what he learned from the law he made dependent on charity; and today, in this world where psychological, verbal and physical violence towards women is so evident, Joseph is presented as a figure of the respectful and sensitive man. Even though he does not understand the wider picture, he makes a decision favouring Marys good name, her dignity and her life. In his hesitation as how best to act, God helped him by enlightening his judgment. Yes, to truth, goodness and reconciliation The people of Colombia are Gods people; here too we can write genealogies full of stories, many of love and light; others of disagreement, insults, even of death How many of you can tell of exile and grief! How many women, in silence, have persevered alone, and how many good men have tried to put aside spite and resentment, hoping to bring together justice and kindness! How can we best allow the light in? What are the true paths of reconciliation? Like Mary, by saying yes to the whole of history, not just to a part of it. Like Joseph, by putting aside our passions and pride. Like Jesus Christ, by taking hold of that history, assuming it, embracing it. That is who you are, that is who Colombians are, that is where you find your identity. God can do all this if we say yes to truth, to goodness, to reconciliation, if we fill our history of sin, violence and rejection with the light of the Gospel. Reconciliation is not an abstract word; if it were, then it would only bring sterility and greater distance. Reconciliation means opening a door to every person who has experienced the tragic reality of conflict. When victims overcome the understandable temptation to vengeance, they become the most credible protagonists for the process of building peace. What is needed is for some to courageously take the first step in that direction, without waiting for others to do so. We need only one good person to have hope! And each of us can be that person! This does not mean ignoring or hiding differences and conflicts. This is not to legitimize personal and structural injustices. Recourse to reconciliation cannot merely serve to accommodate unjust situations. Instead, as Saint John Paul II taught: [Reconciliation] is rather a meeting between brothers who are disposed to overcome the temptation to egoism and to renounce the attempts of pseudo-justice. It is the fruit of sentiments that are strong, noble and generous that lead to establishing a coexistence based on respect for each individual and on the values that are proper to each civil society (Letter to the Bishops of El Salvador, 6 August 1982). Reconciliation, therefore, becomes substantive and is consolidated by the contribution of all; it enables us to build the future, and makes hope grow. Every effort at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail. Two martyrs beatified Pope Francis also beatified two clergymen. Mgr Jesus Emilio Jaramillo, of the Institute for the Foreign Missions in Yarumal, was born on 14 February 1916, and killed on 2 October 1989 by a group of guerrillas from Domingo Lain's National Liberation Army (Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional, ELN). His body, showing numerous wounds, indicates that he was put on trial, tortured, and killed "as a member of the most reactionary sector of the Colombian Church hierarchy," an ELN statement said. Father Pedro Maria Ramirez, known as the "martyr of Armero," was 68 years old in 1948 when he was lynched by a large group of liberal supporters in Armero-Tolima because he was considered a "fanatical and dangerous conservative". Thirty-seven years after his death, he was also accused of causing the mudslide that killed more than 20,000 people in November 1985 because he supposedly cursed the town shortly before dying. At the end of the service, Francis met in the sacristy with a small delegation of victims of a disastrous mudflow that hit the city of Mocoa this year and offered them some economic help. In his encounter with the bishops of the entire Latin American continent, Pope Francis invites us not to dwell on past memories, but to "concretize" the hope that comes from the faith. "Encountering the living Christ", "going out", enhancing the "religiousness of the people", through "passion for evangelization". Accompanying young people; to valorize women; pushing lay people to social commitment. Bogota (AsiaNews) - Latin America, the "continent of hope," needs bishops to help "concretize this hope" by underscoring the signs of this hope in the faces of youth, women and lay people of this continent. "Meticcio [mixed race]: not just indigenous, neither Hispanic nor Latin, nor African American, but Meticcio, Latin American! " Pope Francis said this afternoon as he addressed the bishops of CELAM (Latin American Council of Episcopal Conferences), gathering pastors from Latin America and the Caribbean. From the late 60's to the late twentieth centuries, CELAM's reflections - at Medellin, Puebla, Santo Domingo, and Aparecida - were nearly all the words of the whole Church: liberation, community base, option for and poor, indigenous ... Meeting with the bishops at Bogota's nunciature, Francis warned them of a sterile celebration of the past: " The essential things in life and in the Church are never written in stone, but remain a living legacy. It is all too easy to turn them into memories and anniversaries to be celebrated: fifty years since Medellin, twenty since Ecclesia in America, ten since Aparecida! Something more is required: by cherishing the richness of this patrimony (pater/munus) and allowing it to flourish, we exercise the munus of our episcopal paternity towards the Church in our continent." He also listed "temptations" to reduce the Gospel " o a programme at the service of a trendy gnosticism, a project of social improvement or the Church conceived as a comfortable bureaucracy, any more than she can be reduced to an organization run according to modern business models by a clerical caste ". In addition, in the contemporary world it is easy to "become lost", "fragment". The antidote of all this is "the encounter with the living Christ", which also establishes the unity of life: " Where do we find unity? Always in Jesus. What makes the mission last is not the generosity and enthusiasm that burn in the heart of the missionary, even though these are always necessary. It is rather the companionship of Jesus in his Spirit. If we do not we set out with him on our mission, we quickly become lost and risk confusing our vain needs with his cause. If our reason for setting out is not Jesus, it becomes easy to grow discouraged by the fatigue of the journey, or the resistance we meet, by constantly changing scenarios or by the weariness brought on by subtle but persistent ploys of the enemy'". Against "sterile speculations" and "Byzantinisms of doctors of the law," Francis proposes to "set out with Jesus." "The Gospel speaks of Jesus who, proceeding from the Father, journeys with his disciples through the fields and the towns of Galilee. His journeying is not meaningless. As Jesus walks, he encounters people. When he meets people, he draws near to them. When he draws near to them, he talks to them. When he talks to them, he touches them with his power. When he touches them, he brings them healing and salvation. His aim in constantly setting out is to lead the people he meets to the Father. We must never stop reflecting on this. The Church has to re-appropriate the verbs that the Word of God conjugates as he carries out his divine mission. To go forth to meet without keeping a safe distance; to take rest without being idle; to touch others without fear. It is a matter of working by day in the fields, where Gods people, entrusted to your care, live their lives. We cannot let ourselves be paralyzed by our air-conditioned offices, our statistics and our strategies. We have to speak to men and women in their concrete situations; we cannot avert our gaze from them. The mission is carried out by one to one contact ". Against the "strong utopias" that " have promised magic solutions, instant answers, immediate effects. ," and against a vision of life that serves to "colonize" the Latin American soul, the pontiff returns to valorise popular religiosity, the spiritual soul of the peoples of the continent: "which is part of its anthropological uniqueness and a gift by which God wants our people to come to know him. The most luminous pages of our Churchs history were written precisely when she knew how to be nourished by this richness and to speak to this hidden heart. For it guards, like a spark beneath a coat of ashes, the sense of God and of his transcendence, a recognition of the sacredness of life, respect for creation, bonds of human solidarity, the sheer joy of living, the ability to find happiness without conditions." Faced with a certain "complacent shadow", due to a "deficit of hope in Latin America today", he traces some paths for the "concretization of hope" on the continent. These paths are both signs of novelty and of challenges to be pursued. First of all, the world of young people: " We often speak of young people and we often hear statistics about ours being the continent of the future. Some point to supposed shortcomings and a lack of motivation on the part of the young, while others eye their value as potential consumers. Others would enlist them in trafficking and violence. Pay no attention to these caricatures of young people. Look them in the eye and seek in them the courage of hope. It is not true that they want to return to the past. Make real room for them in your local Churches, invest time and resources in training them. Offer them incisive and practical educational programmes, and demand of them, as fathers demand of their children, that they use their gifts well. Teach them the joy born of living life to the full, and not superficially. Do not be content with the palaver and the proposals found in pastoral plans that never get put into practice. " The pope explains that following this track he decided that the 2019 World Youth Day will be celebrated in Panama. Another track is that of the female world, restrained in the Church by a " ingrained clericalism". " I think of indigenous or black mothers, I think of mothers in our cities working three jobs, I think of elderly women who serve as catechists, and I think of consecrated woman and those who quietly go about doing so much good. Without women, the Church of this continent would lose its power to be continually reborn. It is women who keep patiently kindling the flame of faith. We have a grave obligation to understand, respect, appreciate and promote the ecclesial and social impact of all that they do. They accompanied Jesus on his mission; they did not abandon him at the foot of the cross; they alone awaited for the night of death to give back the Lord of life; they flooded the world with his risen presence. If we hope for a new and living chapter of faith in this continent, we will not get it without women. Please, do not let them be reduced to servants of our ingrained clericalism. For they are on the front lines of the Latin American Church, in their setting out with Jesus, in their persevering amid the sufferings of their people, in their clinging to the hope that conquers death, and in their joyful way of proclaiming to the world that Christ is alive and risen. " The third recommended route is the promotion of laity, whose mission is expressed not in a clerical way, but in the social commitment: " Men and women believers, who are prepared to contribute to the spread of an authentic human development, the strengthening of political and social democracy, the overturning of structures of endemic poverty and the creation of an inclusive prosperity based on lasting reforms capable of preserving the common good. So too, the overcoming of inequality and the preservation of stability, the shaping of models of sustainable economic development that respect nature and the genuine future of mankind, which unfettered consumerism cannot ensure, and the rejection of violence and the defence of peace. " Linked to the world of lay people, there is attention to the poor. It is necessary, the Pope says, "to see the world with the eyes of the poor" to find solutions to social life: " Wealth, and the sense of self-sufficiency it brings, frequently blind us to the solutions to the complex problems we face in that Christian simplicity hidden to the powerful yet revealed to the lowly. " Finally, Francis invited all the bishops to "passionately" live their pastoral ministry: "Today there is a need for passion. Put your heart in everything you do ... Brothers, please, I ask for passion, evangelizing passion. " And he proposed Saint Toribius of Mogrovejo, who was never really installed in his see: of the twenty-four years of his episcopacy in Lima [Peru], eighteen were passed visiting the towns of his diocese." by Luca Galantini The referendum set for 25 September calls for the regions independence from Iraq. All major powers as well as Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq oppose it. The dream of a Kurdish nation state emerged at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Now many fear a domino effect across the Middle East. Milan (AsiaNews) On 25 September, Kurdistan, Iraqs Kurdish-majority autonomous region, will hold a referendum on independence from the central government in Baghdad. Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), wants full political sovereignty and independence for a future Kurdish state. But this goes against the explicit "no" of the major powers and Kurdistans neighbouring states. Despite disagreements and often conflicts over the Middle Easts geopolitical framework or their own character democratic, theocratic, authoritarian these countries the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Syria unusually agree on preventing Barzanis goal. Iraqi Kurdistan de facto exercises broad political autonomy from Iraqs central government. It has its own bureaucratic apparatus and armed forces, the peshmergas. The latter contributed decisively to the defeat of the terrorist so-called Islamic State. Kurdistan has a capital Erbil and huge oil wealth that represents 50 per cent of Iraqs production, including the disputed city of Kirkuk, which wants to be part of Kurdistan. The referendum on Kurdish independence is likely to become the first major international political crisis in the Middle East after that provoked by the Islamic State. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressly criticised Barzani's decision, expressing hope that Kurdistan will find an arrangement with the federal government under Iraqs 2005 Constitution. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also said that the referendum over Kurdistan's independence was a mistake. Pragmatically, he noted the security risks to neighbouring states posed by Iraqi Kurdistan secession. The fact is Kurdistan represents a historic, political, and economic issue that is not easy to solve today. The legitimate ambition of the Kurdish people to have their own nation state dates back to the end of World War I when the winning powers recognised the Kurdish people in the 1920s Treaty of Sevres, and their right to their own state in eastern Anatolia out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. Until then, the Kurds who descend from the ancient Medes had been subjects of Turkey. Faced with a bellicose nationalist Turkey created out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire under the secular and pro-western regime of Kemal Ataturk, western powers signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which divided up Kurdish lands between the new states of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq as well as Iran. Since then, the regions 50 million Kurds have been split between these states, as more or less large minorities aspiring to national reunification. This unsolved historical problem is at the roots of the regions political problems today. Indeed, any declaration of independence by the KRG could undoubtedly trigger a domino effect, stimulating the aspirations for independence of other Kurdish minorities in Turkey, Iran, and Syria. Unfortunately, the federal or decentralised system envisaged by Iraqs 2005 Constitution after the fall of the despot Saddam Hussein was not very effective. The idea of dividing the state into three administrative regions along ethnic and religious lines (Kurds, Shias and Sunnis) has reignited local tensions and Iraqs Federal Government in Baghdad has not shown itself able to counterbalance centrifugal thrusts in these regions. Irans six million Kurds are mostly Sunni. After the establishment of the ayatollahs theocratic regime in 1979, they have led an intense political campaign for autonomy. This has triggered harsh repression by the central government in Tehran, with more than 10,000 dead. Irans theocratic regime is very suspicious of Kurdish aspirations for independence. The latter could not only challenge the Islamic Republics territorial integrity, but also prove an obstacle to Irans policy towards the Mediterranean and Syria via the Hezbollah movement. By far, the worst nightmare is that of Turkey's autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since most Kurdish-inhabited land is part of Turkey: some 250,000 km with about 15 million inhabitants. In Turkey, the Kurdistan independence movement constitutes the main political opposition to Ankara's centralist regime. For decades, this has entailed a struggle aimed at the legal recognition of Kurdish identity and language. The various regimes that have ruled in Ankara, including Erdogan's, have been highly nationalistic and authoritarian, and have never shown any openness to dialogue. Nevertheless, the legitimate aspirations of the Kurdish people to their historical, ethnic and cultural identity in the form of a nation state runs up against the realpolitik of foreign and international politics in the Middle East region. The birth of a Kurdish state could be the cause of a new civil war in Iraq, pitting Shias against Sunnis. It could further weaken Syrias fragile political institutions as a result of territorial losses, and would stir up Kurdish regions in Turkey and Iran. The rights of the Kurdish people could instead be guaranteed by in an international conference that would ensure the peaceful coexistence of ethnic and religious groups in the same area. Experience teaches that nurturing nationalism in the Middle East contributes only to pouring fuel onto fire. (Alexandra_Strekoza/Bigstock.com) (Alexandra_Strekoza/Bigstock.com) Links between Australia and Brazil will increase with the announcement of a collaboration to boost research in science, technology and innovation.Under an agreement signed by Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, and Brazil's Ambassador to Australia Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos there is likely to be a rise in job creation and economic growth.The Agreement for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation will support Brazilian researchers in collaborating with Australian partners and support institution to institution and researcher to researcher links.Australia and Brazil have a long history of collaborating on scientific projects in areas including physical and biological sciences, clinical medicine and astronomy.In 2016 the Australian Government provided more than $17 million in funding support for collaborative projects with Brazilian research partners through the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Collaboration with Brazil is also supported under the National Innovation and Science Agenda's Global Innovation Strategy.'Both our countries understand that science, technology and innovation are vital for economic growth and job creation. Science has helped make lives longer and healthier across the world and this agreement will only make collaboration between our two nations easier,' said Sinodinos.Meanwhile, two of the first successful applicants for a new temporary work and holiday visa for young people from Singapore has been confirmed under a recent reciprocal agreement.Deborah Yap, Amira Rahmat and Ryan Kieran Tan will have the opportunity to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year under the new visa, which was opened for applications a few weeks ago.The temporary visa is aimed at encouraging closer economic and cultural ties between the two counties as part of a range of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) initiatives. In 2016, the number of Singaporeans visiting Australian rose by 11% to 383,000 and they spent a record $1.4 billion. Of those, almost 100,000 were youth travellers aged between 15 and 30 years of age.And Tourism Australia's campaign activity with airlines and key distribution partners in Malaysia alongside major broadcast projects has helped boost bookings for Australia to record levels despite a challenging aviation environment.Australian Bureau of Statistics data for the year ending June 2017 show Malaysian arrivals into Australia exceeded the 400,000 mark for the first time, a 13.3% increase year on year.Tourism Australia's consumer demand research shows Malaysian travellers choose a destination based on family friendly attractions, worldclass nature and friendly and open citizens. March, May, June, November and December are the peak travel months for Malaysian consumers, with lead times typically falling between three to six months. An agreement between the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Hertz, and Thrifty over back pay owed under SeaTac's minimum wage law will mean checks for thousands of dollars for numerous workers at the car rental companies' SeaTac locations. In total, the nearly $2 million agreement is one of L&I's largest over back pay in recent history, according to a news release by L&I. A total of 157 workers filed L&I claims for wages owed between Jan. 1, 2014, when the $15 minimum wage took effect, and Sept. 30, 2015. The latter date is when the Washington Supreme Court ruled the ordinance covered companies at the airport. "People have a right to get paid what they've worked hard for; when they don't, L&I can help," said Joel Sacks, director of L&I. "Now that this agreement is in place, we're moving ahead to get this money into the hands of the people who worked hard for it. The funds will make a real difference for these workers and their families." The Hertz and Thrifty workers clean, maintain, and prepare rental cars for customers. They also drive shuttles to locations around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Hertz and DTG Operations Inc. (Thrifty) formally signed the agreement Aug. 18. The companies will pay anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up to $30,000 per employee, including interest. The back wages alone total $1.51 million with another $458,651 in interest, according to the news release. Under the agreement, the state waived any associated penalties, and there was no admission of wrongdoing by the companies. The companies will send L&I checks for individuals, who must sign a form freeing the employers from any further claims. If a worker can't be contacted, L&I will hold the checks for a year before sending them to the Department of Revenue as unclaimed, according to the news release. The agreement covers additional claims for back wages other workers at Hertz and Thrifty may file through L&I. It also ends any other outstanding legal proceedings on this issue that involve L&I. Royal Netherlands Navy (MIAMI) -- Irma was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm this morning as it barreled through Florida. When the monster storm made landfall in the Florida Keys Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane, it became the first such storm to make landfall in Florida since 2004. A storm surge of 10 feet was recorded in the Florida Keys and Naples reported a 7-foot storm surge in at least one location, according to the National Weather Service. Here's what else to know about the storm by the numbers: At least 32 deaths At least five people, including a sheriff's deputy, died of storm-related injuries in Florida as the ferocious hurricane barreled across the state. Two people were killed in Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys. One of them was found dead in a home in Shark Key. Another man was killed after he lost control of a truck that carried a generator as winds whipped at tropical-storm strength, officials said. Two others, a sheriff's deputy and a corrections officer, died from a two-car crash in the rain in Hardee County, which is about 60 miles inland from Sarasota, officials said. The fifth fatality was from a car crash in Orange County, which includes Orlando. At least 27 people died from Irma in the Caribbean. Widespread power outages As of 6 a.m. today, more than 5.7 million customers in Florida were without power, which is more than half of the state. Another 73,000 lost power in Georgia. Millions evacuated About 6.5 million Floridians were under mandatory or voluntary evacuations, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said Sunday, in addition to some residents in Georgia and South Carolina. FEMA said 192,000 people are seeking shelter in 590 shelters across multiple states. One Naples resident told ABC News she was turned away from two shelters before she and her 10-year-old son were finally accepted at one. "We have a dog and there were not that many shelters that accepted dogs," she said, adding, "We didn't want to be that far away from our home." While she and her son stay inside the shelter, her husband is hunkering down with their dog at home. But not everyone is evacuating. Miami resident Rafael Cabanzon, 20, told ABC News, "We are going to stay for sure." We've experienced so many hurricanes, I think we can wait it out," Cabanzon said. "We have a garage, so we are going to buck the bottom of the garage and a couple of doors to make sure sand doesn't come in," he said. "We're not too worried about it. We are taking precautions, but we got it." Flight cancellations More than 12,500 flights have been canceled to and from airports in the Caribbean and Florida because of the storm. Federal response More than 21,800 federal personnel are working in support of preparedness and response to Irma, including more than 2,100 FEMA staff. Devastation in Caribbean As Irma tore through the Caribbean islands, it left a terrifying trail of devastation behind. In Barbuda, over 90 percent of buildings and vehicles were destroyed. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told national broadcaster ABS that the island is "barely inhabitable" after Irma. Browne told ABC News in a phone interview, When you have an unprecedented storm like this that comes with such significant wind force this is like having a bomb literally thrown on a city. ... It is really the sheer magnitude of the winds that destroyed these properties." Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Florida Salvation Army staff just back from Texas and Hurricane Harvey geared up on Sept. 7 for a new mission, this time in their home state. Salvation Army members spent 9 days in TX SA Field Kitchen can produce up to 20,000 meals a day More information: Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or visit www.helpsalvationarmy.org As Irma continued its approach to the Sunshine State, Salvation Army staff and volunteers started packing supplies and preparing their mobile field kitchens to help areas impacted by Hurricane Irma. Emergency Services Director Kevin Smith just spent the past nine days in Texas, and is now gearing up for another difficult stretch. "I'll tell you what keeps me going is, while this is a very hard, overwhelming job, it's the hope and watching people come together to support each other," Smith said. Smith and other team members have been loading pallets filled with cases of water, pre-prepared meals, and other supplies into giant trucks and mobile canteens that will be shipped out to affected areas. Just one of the Salvation Armys Field Kitchens can produce up to 20,000 meals a day. Crews agreed with Smith -- its a tough job, but the rewards outweigh the sacrifice and theyre always there to help whoever and wherever needs it. "The Salvation Army has had to handle multiple disasters at the same time on many occasions so we're ready we didn't send all of our assets to Texas so were prepared," Area Commander Captain Andy Miller said. The Florida Division is also preparing its homeless shelter in downtown Tampa for those displaced by the storm. Theyll be adding extra beds in anticipation of increased need. The Salvation Army is still in need of financial donations in order to buy supplies. For more information: call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or visit www.helpsalvationarmy.org Eleven U-Haul Companies across Florida are preemptively offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage to residents who stand to be impacted by Hurricane Irma. U-Haul offers 30 days free self-storage at 96 facilities in Florida RELATED: Tracking Hurricane Irma The Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend. Irma is among the most powerful Atlantic storms recorded and prompted Governor Rick Scott to urge Floridians to take evacuation orders seriously. Thousands have begun to leave their homes, creating an immediate need for secure facilities where evacuees can store their possessions, U-Haul Company of Eastern Florida president Cal Conner said. This is a neighborly service we have the ability to extend as Irma approaches, and in her aftermath. We are happy to assist our communities in times of need. U-Haul Companies of Clearwater, Eastern Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Miami, North Orlando, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa and Western Florida have made 96 facilities across 54 cities available to offer the 30 days free disaster relief assistance program. Floridians seeking self-storage assistance should contact the nearest participating U-Haul facility (locations alphabetized by city): U-Haul Moving & Storage of Altamonte Springs 598 W. Hwy. 436 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (407) 788-2815 U-Haul of Bradenton 3602 14th St. W. Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 747-3744 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Brooksville 15334 Cortez Blvd. Brooksville, FL 34613 (352) 799-0591 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Spring Hill 13416 Cortez Blvd. Brooksville, FL 34613 (352) 596-6825 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Sunset Point / U.S. 19 23917 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. Clearwater, FL 33765 (727) 796-2132 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Daytona Beach 700 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114 (386) 252-1834 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Haines City 3307 U.S. Hwy. 17-92 W. Haines City, FL 33844 (863) 588-0707 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Hudson 14906 U.S. 19 Hudson, FL 34667 (727) 862-2572 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Moon Lake 10601 State Road 52 Hudson, FL 34669 (727) 856-1633 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Lakeland 1621 N. Florida Ave. Lakeland, FL 33805 (863) 688--6725 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Lake Wales 24789 U.S. Hwy. 27 N. Lake Wales, FL 33859 (863) 439-4773 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Belcher Road 2180 Belcher Road S. Largo, FL 33771 (727) 531-1072 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Largo 13564 66th St. N. Largo, FL 33771 (727) 536-7849 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Starkey Road 12420 Starkey Road Largo, FL 33773 (727) 584-1660 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Walsingham Park 13240 Walsingham Road Largo, FL 33774 (727) 596-0765 U-Haul Moving & Storage of New Port Richey 5631 U.S. Hwy. 19 New Port Richey, FL 34652 (727) 842-8415 U-Haul Storage of New Port Richey 6118 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. New Port Richey, FL 34652 (727) 848-2598 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Ocala 505 SW 17th St. Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 867-8442 U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Ocala 5555 S. Pine Ave. Ocala, FL 34480 (352) 368-7003 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Ocoee 11410 W. Colonial Drive Ocoee, FL 34761 (407) 877-7642 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Eastlake 3182 Curlew Road Oldsmar, FL 34677 (813) 854-5002 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Alafaya 11815 E. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32826 (407) 275-9267 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Baldwin Park 4001 E. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32803 (407) 894-6011 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Goldenrod 508 N. Goldenrod Road Orlando, FL 32807 (407) 282-5879 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Hunters Creek 13301 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 (407) 888-8279 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Kirkman Road 600 S. Kirkman Road Orlando, FL 32811 (407) 295-3100 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Maitland Blvd. 7803 N. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32810 (407) 578-2500 U-Haul Moving & Storage at S. Orange Ave. 3500 S. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32806 (407) 240-9999 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Palm Bay 4703 Babcock St. NE Palm Bay, FL 32905 (321) 473-3681 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Palm Harbor 30750 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. Palm Harbor, FL 34684 (727) 771-8058 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Pinellas Park 4015 Park Blvd. Pinellas Park, FL 33781 (727) 545-1723 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Lake Mary Blvd. 3851 S. Orlando Drive Sanford, FL 32773 (407) 322-3167 U-Haul Moving & Storage of North Sarasota 7850 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 355-8535 U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Sarasota 4861 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 (941) 921-6605 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Seminole 6249 Seminole Blvd. Seminole, FL 33772 (727) 393-3569 U-Haul Moving & Storage of St. Augustine 3524 U.S. Hwy. 1 S. St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904) 797-3667 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Park St. 5200 Park St. St. Petersburg, FL 33709 (727) 546-1572 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Citrus Park 6111 Gunn Hwy. Tampa, FL 33625 (813) 962-7338 U-Haul Moving & Storage of East Tampa 5806 N. 56th St. Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 621-9764 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Florida Ave. 9505 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 (813) 933-0499 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Gandy Blvd. 3939 W. Gandy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33611 (813) 832-5682 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Historic Ybor City 2309 Angel Olivia Senior St. Tampa, FL 33605 (813) 247-5936 U-Haul Moving & Storage of North Tampa 10415 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 (813) 933-2821 U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Tampa 3826 W. Marcum St. Tampa, FL 33616 (813) 839-2376 U-Haul Moving & Storage at W. Waters Ave. 5404 W. Waters Ave. Tampa, FL 33634 (813) 249-9677 U-Haul Moving & Storage of West Tampa 4406 W. Hillsborough Ave. Tampa, FL 33614 (813) 873-2333 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Westchase 11401 W. Hillsborough Ave. Tampa, FL 33635 (813) 855-5976 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Titusville 2070 Garden St. Titusville, FL 32796 (321) 269-9944 U-Haul Moving & Storage of West Park FL 2033 S. State Road 7 West Park, FL 33023 (954) 962-3776 U-Haul stores offer needed supplies to help with storm recovery like boxes, tarps, propane and propane tanks. U-Haul urges customers to ensure their tanks are topped off since propane is good to have in the event of long-term power outages. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate John Alexander, a 17-year-old Beaumont native, has more on his plate than most West Brook High School students. To be technical, it's not so much a plate as a pottery wheel, and he uses it to balance much more than the average teen. Between classes and regular adolescent shenanigans, he creates the inventory for J. Alexander Pottery Co., the studio he owns and operates in downtown Beaumont. Alexander says his passion for pottery began with volunteering and working at The Art Studio around age 10. "I basically apprenticed under Greg Busceme Sr. and I had a studio space there for six years. There was a time when I decided I wanted to start looking into turning my passion for pottery into a business," Alexander said. "I was driving down the street and saw these little sets of spaces I liked and contacted the landlord." J. Alexander Pottery Co. Where: 810 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy., Beaumont Info: "J. Alexander Pottery Co." on Facebook See More Collapse People questioned how a 17-year-old could possibly make that happen, but Alexander said he hit the books to learn everything he could about business operations. He had to convince the landlord that a kid could run a ceramics studio. "I do everything that anyone who rents a space out would do," he said. "I pay electricity and water and utilities, and of course, rent. I pay for materials, and I pay tax." Alexander said the freedom his studio gives him is a fair tradeoff with the adult realities of owning a business. "The reason I started doing pottery was because I wasn't satisfied with painting and other mediums," Alexander said. "I do have slight ADHD, and I like to work with materials that are hands-on. It's like an instrument, you have to continue to learn. The reason I like ceramics is - the first several pots I made - I was horrible. "Eventually it got to the point where you're more and more comfortable with what you're doing." Alexander said his mastery of ceramics didn't come naturally. He struggled. "There were times when, working with clay, I wanted to throw in the towel but at the same time, I had already bought my first pottery wheel from Greg, and I was renting out a space from him," he said. "So it kind of motivated me to talk to Greg and what he very clearly would say is, 'You've made progress.'" Alexander said progress is the goal of ceramics. "You don't want to sit there and throw the same form over and over for the next 20 years," he said. "People tell me now that my work is great and my response is always 'Thank you,' but I'll never see these forms as being perfect. That's just the way ceramics is - you can never really call yourself a master." "Potter" isn't Alexander's only title. He says his work takes on sculptural elements from time to time as well, but he tries to focus on pieces that are functional while still being art. "I want every piece to be different," he said. "With my forms, I don't like to necessarily copy. A lot of people, not just locally, but everywhere - people will get a form and repeat it. I tend to go for an (Asian) shape, or early English pots, or Roman vases. But when I make a vase, I try to go for something that's familiar but not exact - taking an idea and re-incarnating it, in a sense." Alexander says Beaumont is the perfect place for his studio. "Beaumont is really starting to bloom," he said. "A lot of artists have started to open up more studios. What I want people to know with me being a pottery studio, is that they can come to me like people did 100 years ago, before all the big-box stores started carrying pottery. "People used to go to local potters and tell the potter you wanted, say, 12 mixing bowls - he would throw you 12 mixing bowls. I would like for people to know that you don't have to travel all the way to Houston or further away to find beautiful, handmade pottery." Haley Bruyn is a freelance writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A North Texas family has sued the Boy Scouts of America over their son's death after he collapsed on a hiking trip. John and Lee Comita filed a lawsuit in Dallas County on Aug. 18, seeking $1 million in damages from the scouting organization and Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch where their 15-year-old son, Reid, died from a heat stroke in June. Reid Comita, who was involved in scouts and show choir in Keller, collapsed while on a group hike at the West Texas ranch June 12. He was there to complete an "Intro to Backpacking" course, moving him one step closer to becoming an Eagle Scout. "Mr. and Mrs. Comita placed their son into the custody and protection of the Boy Scout defendants, and instead they led him on a hike to his death," the suit states. The suit states "Reid was not an athlete and was not in top cardiovascular condition," when he arrived at the ranch to complete the hiking requirement. He chose the intro course knowing he was not in the best physical condition, according to the lawsuit. On the day Reid died, the lawsuit says the 15-year-old was sent on a hike without proper training. RELATED: Father of Texas Boy Scout recounts son's death on camp hiking trip: 'This isn't supposed to happen' "The next morning, instead of Reid starting his two-day orientation and training, he was immediately sent on an extremely aggressive hike in temperatures that produced a heat index in excess of 100 degrees, likely with the approval of the Outback Director or the Camp Commissioner," reads the lawsuit. While on the hike, Reid began to vomit and the closest help were ranch employees who were about a 90-minute horseback ride away, John Comita told mySA.com. Helicopters in the area were grounded due to an electric storm, he said. As officials worked on his son, John and his wife raced to the ranch and struggled to get updates. Once help arrived, an official performed CPR on Reid for more than an hour-and-a-half before a helicopter arrived, John Comita said. Kristi Coleman, a public affairs liaison for Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations, said a crew responded to the scene within 30 minutes. "And they kept saying, 'We don't have any details,'" he said of the ranch employees who told him EMS officials made them turn their radios off. Roughly four hours after they got the first call, John said the assistant scout master contacted them. "(My wife) answered the phone, and she screamed, 'Oh my God,' and she looked at me and said, 'John, pull over,'" he said. "Well, I pulled over and then she told me. Of course I was devastated. Then I talked to him and I said, 'Is my boy gone?' and he said, 'Yes, John.'" The lawsuit says Reid was dead for 4.5 hours before his parents were notified. "I'm saying to myself, 'This isn't supposed to happen. This isn't supposed to happen,'" John said. In a statement to WFAA, the Boy Scouts of America said the Comita family was in their thoughts. "This remains a difficult time for our Scouting community, and we continue to keep the family in our thoughts and prayers. The health and safety of our youth members is of paramount importance to the BSA, and integral to everything we do. We strive to create a safe environment for youth to experience outdoor adventure," reads the statement. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 Home Free, an all-vocal country group that includes a Nederland native, has launched a fundraising campaign to help Southeast Texas - and kicked it off with a $20,000 donation. The fund raiser has since passed the $45,000 mark. Tim Foust, a 1999 graduate of Nederland High School, and Home Free members Austin Brown, Adam Chance, Rob Lundquist and Adam Rupp have started a YouCaring campaign to help Beaumont and its surrounding areas. Here are 10 gastroenterologists making news this past week. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas awarded Navkiran Shokar, MD, $3.7 million to study colorectal cancer. Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine gastroenterology division physicians Avi Ketwaroo, MD, Richa Shukla, MD, Yamini Natarajan, MD and Jordan Shapiro, MD, met with U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas. Addison, Ill.-based Bariatric Endoscopy Institute gastroenterologist Nitin Kumar, MD, addressed a group of community members at a Dine with a Doc event. Brian Liem, DO, joined the staff of Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Medicine. Sheryl DeLeon-Dial, MD, and Nicole Lawrence, MD, joined Sacred Heart Medical Group's regional physician network. The International Association of HealthCare Professionals profiled Shaista Safder, MD, in its The Leading Physicians of the World publication. Former Tenet Healthcare Chairman and CEO Trevor Fetter made headlines last week when he announced plans to step down from his roles once the company appoints a successor or by March 15, 2018. Business columnist Mitchell Schurman published an article in Dallas News dissecting the timing of Mr. Fetter's exit and how that aligned with the company's falling stock prices and issues with stakeholders. Following Mr. Fetter's departure, Tenet has since launched plans to "refresh" their board of directors in order to "head off a proxy fight with Glenview Capital Management," according to Mr. Schurman. Glenview Capital Management owns nearly 18 percent of Tenet shares. Mr. Fetter isn't the first Tenet employee to leave, with two Glenview Capital Management employees resigning from Tenet's board of directors mid-August. Randy Simpson and Matt Ripperger jointly submitted a letter to the board, citing "irreconcilable differences." Mr. Simpson and Mr. Ripperger joined Tenet's board in January 2016. Tenet's decision to allow the two on the board was contingent on Glenview Capital Management agreeing to not increase its stake in the company beyond 25 percent. The agreement also prohibited Glenview Capital Management from teaming up with other investors to replace Tenet's management or sell the company. The "standstill agreement" initiated by the two parties is no longer valid, leading Tenet to launch a "poison pill' defense to ensure Glenview shares' would be diluted if the firm bought more stock. Following the two Glenview Capital Management employees' resignation, the hedge fund said it was weighing its options on how to increase shareholder value, which may include bolstering Tenet's financial performance, leadership and operations. The changes may be pertinent as Tenet's stock prices are falling. Since July 2017, Tenet's market cap. has declined by nearly 66 percent. The company has also made a series of acquisitions in recent years, which Mr. Schurman says played a part in the company's growing long-term debt, which increased by more than $10 billion from 2011 to 2016. The company's future as of now is uncertain as the board of directors searches for a new CEO. Regarding Tenet's new leadership, Mr. Fetter did say during an investor call Sept. 7 that a "lively debate will and should take place." After Amazon announced plans to build a second North American headquarters dubbed HQ2 a number of cities expressed interest in submitting bid proposals, reports CNBC. In its request for proposals, Amazon said it wanted to establish HQ2 in a city with more than 1 million people and that has access to an international airport, mass transit, quality higher education, a highly educated workforce and a business-friendly environment. Here are 16 cities, listed in alphabetical order, vying for Amazon's HQ2, according to a separate report. 1. Baltimore 2. Boston 3. Chicago 4. Cincinnati 5. Dallas 6. Houston 7. Los Angeles 8. Nashville, Tenn. 9. New York City 10. Oakland, Calif. 11. Philadelphia 12. Sacramento, Calif. 13. San Antonio 14. San Diego 15. Toronto, Canada 16. Vancouver, Canada More articles on health IT: UW-Madison exposes information via postcards, notifies 1k patients Equifax hack compromises financial data of 143M Yale connects Epic EHR to Connecticut PDMP Here are nine recent news updates on health IT companies. American Well, Doctor On Demand, EpicMD, MDLive and Teladoc were among telemedicine vendors to offer free services to victims of Hurricane Harvey, a storm that battered the Texas coast last month. Major IT companies like Apple, Google and IBM are moving into the healthcare analytics market, according to a report by healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information. Cerner revealed the roster for its advisory group on veterans healthcare Sept. 5. Cerner teamed up with Birmingham, Ala.-based HealthSouth Corp., a provider of post-acute services, to establish a post-acute innovation center. Cognizant completed its acquisition of TMG Health, a subsidiary of the health insurer Health Care Service Corp. Cognizant Technology Solutions revealed plans to build a facility focused on healthcare organization services in the Tampa, Fla., area. Hyperledger an open-source, cross-industry effort hosted by The Linux Foundation to advance blockchain added Oracle and Patientory as general members Aug. 29. Orion Health, a health technology company, named Terry Macaleer president of its U.S. operations. Alphabet's life science arm Verily opened what it calls a "partner space" for healthcare-focused startups. Tidelands Health in Georgetown, S.C., and Grand Strand Health in Myrtle Beach, S.C., have requested waivers that would allow the facilities to defy a mandatory evacuation and remain open during Hurricane Irma. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, R, issued a medical evacuation order Thursday for hospitals and nursing homes in several coastal counties. Tidelands Health and Grand Strand are in two counties asked to evacuate Horry and Georgetown. However, Tidelands Health said it has applied for waivers that would allow Tidelands Georgetown (S.C.) Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, S.C., to remain open throughout the hurricane. "Patients who are hospitalized have complex medical needs and a medical evacuation presents numerous challenges and risks," Tidelands Health COO Gayle Resetar said. "Our hospitals were built with severe weather in mind, and we have the resources we need on hand to safely care for our patients everything from medication and food to back-up generator power." Grand Strand Health has also applied for waivers to remain open. "At this time, we expect that Grand Strand & South Strand Medical Centers and North Strand ER will operate throughout this weather event," according to a statement on the hospital's website. As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, the state has not decided whether to grant the hospitals' requests. Nurses at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth are calling on officials to improve staffing at the facility, reports The Ellsworth American. The unionized nurses made their request in a petition delivered to officials last month, according to the report. Nearly 70 signatures are on the petition. The petition contends "a lack of staffing has led to nurses having to cover phones when they should be working with patients" and "that charge nurses, who are supposed to oversee department operations, are being assigned patients in violation of their contract," among other allegations, the report states. MCMH stood behind the hospital's practices in a statement obtained by The Ellsworth American. "We strongly believe that Maine Coast is abiding by all contractual obligations," hospital officials said. "Charge nurses are always available as a resource to nursing staff. As agreed through collective bargaining, there are times, because of higher numbers of patients or patient acuity, that charge nurses are assigned to care for patients." Read the full report here. Matthew Kumar, MD, has filed four antitrust complaints since 2015 against his longtime employer, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System, according to the Post Bulletin. Dr. Kumar is the anesthesiology department chair at Mayo Clinic's Albert Lea, Minn., and Austin, Minn., locations and has been employed with the system for 25 years, according to the report. His whistleblower complaints are just now coming to light because he contacted a Freeborn County attorney who forwarded them to the state attorney general and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who is running for governor of Minnesota, according to report. Dr. Kumar filed the first report with the Justice Department and filed the subsequent three with the Federal Trade Commission. "It is already a dictum within MCHS that one conforms to the orders from [Mayo Clinic] or they will be fired: 'Mayo way, or the highway,'" reads his first complaint, filed in 2015, according to the Post Bulletin. Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System had not previously heard of the complaints filed by Dr. Kumar or any antitrust complaints filed in the past two years, Mayo Clinic spokesperson Ginger Plumbo said in an emailed statement to Becker's. "We have not been contacted by either agency or any government official about these complaints specifically, or about any anti-trust concerns," the statement reads. "We are confident that we are in full compliance with corporate governance, anti-trust statutes, and all other applicable Minnesota law." In his August letter to Freeborn Attorney David Walker, Dr. Kumar notes Mayo Clinic is the only healthcare provider in 72 adjoining communities. "I predicted the current situation that the citizens of Austin and Albert Lea find themselves reduction or elimination of services, rise in cost of healthcare, loss of choice in treatment options, and being forced to seek healthcare far away from home," Dr. Kumar wrote, according to the report. The Post Bulletin has published all four complaints in full, noting "the contents may further inflame citizens and local officials," and "could breathe new life into concerns about possible antitrust violations at the Albert Lea site." Mayo Clinic announced plans in June to consolidate inpatient services between the Albert Lea and Austin facilities. After an investigation into the consolidation plan, Attorney General Lori Swanson decided Aug. 21 the consolidation plan did not violate antitrust laws, allowing Mayo Clinic to move forward with the plan, according to the report. "If the Attorney General has any additional questions for us, we will respond accordingly," Ms. Plumbo said in a statement. Changes are slated to begin Oct. 1. Read the full story here. Editor's note: This story was updated on September 8 at 8:30 a.m. CT to include the statement from Mayo Clinic. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Utah cop at center of nurse arrest scandal fired from paramedic job Review finds 5 in 20 Washington hospitals violate state charity care law 9 Connecticut psych hospital employees charged in patient-abuse scandal Federal prosecutors asked a judge to revoke bail for former pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli after he offered his Facebook followers $5,000 to grab a strand of Hillary Clinton's hair during her upcoming book tour, according to USA Today. Federal prosecutors argued his recent post implied "threats and harassment" against the former secretary of state and proved he poses a danger to the community. "[Mr.] Shkreli's latest threat is concerning not only because it has required a significant expenditure of resources by the U.S. Secret Service, which is charged with protecting Secretary Clinton, but also because there is a significant risk that one of his many social media followers or others who learn of his offers through the media will take his statements seriously as has happened previously and act on them," prosecutors wrote in a legal motion, according to USA Today. Currently, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals is free on a $5 million bond. The judge who presided over the trial that found Mr. Shkreli guilty of three counts of securities fraud, U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, scheduled a hearing Sept. 14 on the bail revocation motion. A district judge on Tuesday sentenced a former 20-year employee at the National Institutes of Health headquarters in Bethesda, Md., to six months in federal prison. Christopher Dames pled guilty in May to stealing medical research equipment, printing supplies and photography equipment from the facility and selling them on eBay. "Between 2013 and 2017, Dame stole over 400 items belonging to NIH," said the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Maryland. "As part of his plea agreement, Dame will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which is $75,613.14." After serving the six month prison term, Mr. Dame will then serve six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. More articles on legal issues: New Orleans physician pleads guilty to illegal prescribing, faces 10-year prison sentence Ascension to pay $29.5M settlement in pension lawsuit Anesthesiologist files 4 antitrust complaints against Mayo Clinic A New Orleans-based physician pled guilty Thursday to federal charges of money laundering and illegally dispensing controlled substances, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern District of Louisiana. Here are seven things to know. 1. Frederick Floyd, DO, was arrested July 7 on federal drug charges related to evidence he illegally prescribed millions of doses of oxycodone, fentanyl and other controlled substances while serving as the lone physician at two New Orleans clinics, according to The Times-Picayune. 2. Dr. Floyd began working at New Orleans-based Bullard Medical Center in June 2013. By 2014, the Drug Enforcement Administration launched an investigation into the clinic as prescribing practices appeared to be "outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose," according to court records cited by The Times-Picayune. 3. In March 2016, Dr. Floyd opened New Orleans-based St. Ignatius of Loyola Health Clinic where he also allegedly issued illegal prescriptions for controlled substances. 4. Dr. Floyd allegedly saw 50 to 70 patients a day, with some traveling in from out of state. Some patients were provided transportation assistance. 5. Court documents detail about 15 visits made by undercover DEA sources acting as patients. The sources would wait several hours before having their blood pressure and weight checked, then, after another several hours, they would see Dr. Floyd. The physician would allegedly not ask these sources about their pain, discuss non-medical matters and then write them prescriptions for drugs like Percocet and Roxicodone. On average, these sources would pay $275 to $300 in cash during each visit, according to court documents cited by The Times-Picayune. 6. Between Jan. 1, 2015 and Aug. 31, 2016, Dr. Floyd allegedly issued prescriptions for more than 4.8 million doses of controlled substances, according to court documents. Per the plea arrangement, the government and Dr. Floyd agree that at least half of the 4.8 million doses were prescribed without legitimate medical cause. 7. Dr. Floyd has been detained since his July 12 hearing. If the court accepts the plea agreement, Dr. Floyd will face a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and will be subject to a $1.25 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 28. More articles on legal issues: Ascension to pay $29.5M settlement in pension lawsuit Anesthesiologist files 4 antitrust complaints against Mayo Clinic Tennessee home health providers to pay $1.8M for improper Medicare billing Salt Lake City District Attorneys asked the FBI to join an investigation into the violent arrest of a nurse who refused to allow a police detective draw blood from an unconscious patient without a warrant at Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Hospital, according to The Washington Post. District Attorney Sim Gill, who is overseeing the criminal investigation into XXXX, called upon the FBI to investigate whether the officers or anyone else involved in the arrest violated the rights of nurse Alex Wubbles, RN. While the county DA office is pursuing a criminal investigation, it needs the FBI's help to launch a civil rights investigation into XXXX, which falls under federal law. "There continue to be issues that go beyond merely a criminal investigation, and in an effort to address those concerns, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has formally asked for assistance from our federal law enforcement partners to fully vet issues only they can investigate," Mr. Gill said in a prepared statement, according to Deseret News. After the video surfaced last week, the FBI opened its own civil rights review and agreed to assist the county investigation, according to Deseret News, which cited FBI spokeswoman Sandra Yi Barker. Two law enforcement agents involved in the July 26 confrontation at University of Utah Hospital have been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. In response to the incident, the University of Utah Hospital imposed a new protocol to limit police access to patient care areas. The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion issued a warning letter to Cipher Pharmaceuticals last month, demanding the Canadian drugmaker discontinue the use of misleading promotional materials for its extended-release opioid ConZip. Cipher licensed ConZip to Vertical Pharmaceuticals for sale in the United States. The FDA's letter cites issues with a promotional detail aid such as a brochure or booklet for the opioid, which does not communicate the potential risks associated with the medication. "By omitting the risks associated with ConZip, including serious and potentially fatal risks, the detail aid fails to provide material information about the consequences that may result from the use of the drug and creates a misleading impression about the drug's safety, a concern heightened by the serious public health impacts of opioid addiction, abuse and misuse," said the FDA in the letter. "OPDP requests that Cipher immediately cease misbranding ConZip and/or cease introducing the misbranded drug into interstate commerce." The FDA letter instructed Cipher to respond to the agency on or before Sept. 8, regarding its intentions to comply with the order and its specific plans for discontinuing the use of the misleading promotional materials. "Cipher takes all compliance matters very seriously and is currently working with Vertical to address the concerns identified," Cipher said Thursday. "Vertical has informed Cipher that it has taken immediate corrective actions, including ceasing distribution of the ConZip promotional material cited in the warning letter, preparing a plan to collect and destroy the material, and commencing a corrective action communication to healthcare professionals." More articles on opioids: Sen. McCaskill to hold roundtable on deceptive opioid sales practices: 4 things to know Gov. Rauner signs executive order to create Illinois opioid task force CDC awards $28.6M to 44 states for opioid epidemic fight Here are nine device company mergers, acquisitions and agreements. Tissue Regenix acquired CellRight Technologies in a $30 million deal. Medtronic acquired Covidien for around $49.9 billion in 2015 and the combined company became Medtronic plc. Emerging Implant Technologies acquired a portfolio of patents from Morgan P. Lorio, MD, of Nashville, Tenn.-based Hughston Clinic Orthopaedics. DePuy Synthes signed an agreement with JointPoint to co-market proprietary software for the JointPoint navigation system. Medtronic entered into the next phase of its strategic partnership with Mazor Robotics, making a third investment in the company. Stryker finalized its Novadaq Technologies acquisition for $701 million. They announced plans to purchased Novadaq Technologies in June. ApiFix entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Joint Solutions Alliance Corp. in Canada. Smith & Nephew signed a three-year partnership with Imperial College London to develop enhanced surgical techniques relating to ligament function, biomechanics and knee soft tissue injuries. NuVasive acquired Vertera Spine, a medical device company focused on interbody implants using patented porous polyetheretheketone technology. Facing fear: Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the clown in It Buried within the 1,000-plus pages of Stephen King's disturbing 1986 novel It are piercing truths about the corruptibility of childhood innocence and the redemptive power of friendship. Among the expertly crafted lines is one hypochondriac's sombre realisation that true evil doesn't always manifest as a dancing clown. "Grown ups are the real monsters," he laments. Director Andres Muschietti's nerve-jangling adaptation of King's hefty tome seizes on those words, even if it doesn't speak them aloud, by portraying the fictional town of Derry, Maine, as a hotbed of exploitation, abuse and degradation committed by adults on the young. Menace leaches from every frame and the three screenwriters make our skin crawl by exposing the festering underbelly of a community that has stopped listening or caring. The script sensibly cleaves the book by timeline. This opening salvo - a caption reads It: Chapter 1 - is reset to the late Eighties to focus on the stories of seven children, whose lives are scarred by a malevolent presence that materialises as Pennywise the clown (Bill Skarsgard). In June 1989, seven tormented pre-teens bond as the Losers' Club, drawn together by mutual beatings at the hands of sadistic 15-year-old Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton). The stuttering leader of the Losers' Club, Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), bears the deepest and freshest wounds: his younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) was dragged into Pennywise's subterranean lair the previous autumn. Bill seeks balm for his grief in the company of fellow misfits Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Beverly (Sophia Lillis), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), Mike (Chosen Jacobs), Richie (Finn Wolfhard) and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff). However, Pennywise intends to divide and conquer by feasting upon children's fears. Three stars Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said a solution to the question of the Irish border following the UK's separation from the European Union will be found. The Tory minister said it was "not beyond the wit of man" to find agreement. It comes after EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier described the UK's proposals on the border as "worrying and unfair". Read More "I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man," Mr Johnson told the Press during a trip to Estonia to meet other foreign ministers. "We've had a common travel area between the north and the south of Ireland for getting on for a century and we're going to continue to make that work." He said he was "rock solid" confident a deal with the EU will be agreed but said the talks should include matters on the arrangements the two have after Brexit. The EU has said the UK's plans for the Irish border would represent it having all the benefits of staying in the single market. It has said that any agreement on the border must uphold peace, the Good Friday Agreement and respect the right for all born on the island to be British or Irish citizens, or both. However, the 27-country bloc has said it is up to the UK to find that solution. The PSNI has issued a warning over a GAA All-Ireland ticket scam. Police said the fraudster claimed to be from Antrim GAA and offered tickets for cash. Numerous people - from right across Ireland - have sent money to various addresses in Belfast only for no tickets to be sent. "Scammers are inventive and can be very convincing," police said. "Their singular aim is to gain access to your money and they will employ just about any tactic to do so, from purporting to represent businesses and government agencies to claiming to be fundraising for charity. "Always be wary of any individual that cold calls you and be especially suspicious of anyone who asks for money, banking or credit card information. It is highly unusual for any legitimate company or organisation to demand money over the phone. "If you are at all suspicious about a call that you receive, hang up and phone the organisation that the person is purporting to represent to check their authenticity. Ideally make the call from another telephone so you can be sure the original caller has not remained on the line. "Guarding your personal and banking details is essential. Never disclose them to any unauthorised person." Anyone with concerns should contact Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040, or call police on the non-emergency number 101. Further advice and information can also be obtained by visiting https://www.psni.police.uk/crime/fraud/ and www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni. Leigh Vogel/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- After a five-hour meeting with congressional investigators, Donald Trump Jr. said he felt his interview "fully satisfied their inquiry, but Democratic lawmakers tell ABC News he didnt come close. "There are gaps in the information we have today that we need to fill. And he was unable to answer a lot of those questions for whatever reason and we need to continue to explore them and seek answers, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sat in for most of the interview, told ABC News. While the bulk of Thursday's interview centered on Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer and others in Trump Tower during his father's presidential campaign, investigators said questions remain. Sources told ABC News that Trump Jr. told investigators that he did not tell his father about that June 2016 meeting and said he didn't introduce any of the meeting participants to his father while they were at Trump Tower. Its unclear if his father ever found out about the meeting before The New York Times reported on it. Investigators are also curious to learn more about the presidents role in crafting the White House response when news of the meeting broke. It was previously reported that President Donald Trump personally dictated the first statement his son gave in response to questions about the June 2016 meeting. Sources said Thursday the presidents son tried to distance himself from the White House response and his fathers involvement. Sources also said Trump Jr. fielded a lot of questions about the structure and financial dealings of the Trump Organization. Members of the committee said todays interview, which was conducted by staff, is just a jumping-off point. It frankly raised more questions for me than it answered, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC News. And I am very much looking forward to having him in front of us on the Judiciary Committee under oath, on television, answering questions that I think the American people need to hear answered. Coons is confident that one way or another Trump Jr. will testify publicly, saying they will issue a subpoena if necessary. I don't think Donald Trump Jr. will be able to avoid the public eye much longer, he said. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Danske Bank said its ATMs were hit by an IT problem at the companys servers in Denmark The PSNI has launched an investigation after some Danske Bank customers apparently withdrew massive amounts of cash from ATMs during Wednesday's IT meltdown. Last night, the bank said that while the IT crisis was now resolved, the PSNI was probing what it termed "irregular transactions". It is understood Danske customers were able to take large amounts of cash from other banks' machines during the crash. Ironically, Danske had recommended its customers use other banks' ATMs while the fault at its parent company's servers in Denmark was being fixed. But one man told the BBC last night that although he had just 600 in his account, another bank's ATM allowed him to withdraw 7,000. Last night, a Danske Bank spokesman said: "All debits are linked to customer accounts. "Irregular activity which occurred last night is being followed up, and in some cases, investigated by the PSNI." The bank added that any outstanding payments will be processed by today. "Danske Bank ATMs and our digital banking services are up and running," the bank said. "We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused by the IT issues, which were the result of a technical error affecting group servers in Denmark. Any outstanding transactions will be processed today and all customer balances will be up to date by tomorrow at the latest. "If there have been instances where customers have suffered inconvenience, or if customers have any queries or concerns, they should contact our customer contact centre on 028 9004 9221, where our team will be on hand to help." It's understood around 180,000 customers use the company's online banking services. As a result of the Danske ATM failure, many customers took to social media to highlight their concerns and issues. The bank first tweeted that customers were having problems shortly after 4pm on Wednesday. "We are currently experiencing issues with a number of our systems. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this," it said. One Belfast woman, who was on her way to Australia, said she discovered the issue during a layover in Singapore. Tara Johnston said: "I first discovered a problem when my card didn't work when trying to make a purchase. Then I tried to access my online banking, only to realise the app isn't working at all. "The big problem is that I need to show my bank statement on arrival to Australia to show I have sufficient funds. "My flight leaves in just over an hour and I need the online banking to be working when I arrive - but they have given no indication of the timescale of when it will be fixed." A legal challenge to how the decision to hold a border poll in Northern Ireland is made is about taking the "fear factor" out of politics, a court has heard. Victims campaigner Raymond McCord insisted his case against the UK Government is aimed at removing any threat of abusing the circumstances in which a referendum on Irish unity can be called. The staunch unionist was joined by Irish Senator Mark Daly as a judge at the High Court in Belfast set a date for proceedings later this month. Lawyers for Mr McCord also confirmed they will be inviting the Irish Government to become a notice party in the case. Judicial review proceedings against the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland question the legality and transparency of current provisions for going to the public on the constitutional issue. Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement a referendum can be called if it appears to the Secretary of State that a majority of people in Northern Ireland no longer want to remain part of the United Kingdom. Mr McCord, an outspoken critic of loyalist paramilitaries since a UVF gang beat his son Raymond jnr to death in 1997, is not seeking a border poll. But the Belfast man believes authority for calling such a significant ballot should not rest with one individual. He also claims the current criteria is too vague, undermines the Good Friday Agreement and could leave the decision open to political expediency. As Sir Paul Girvan confirmed the case will be heard in just under three weeks, Mr McCord stressed the need for clarification. Outside court he said: "This case is about taking the fear factor out of politics. "The two big parties (Sinn Fein and the DUP) keep using the border poll as a stick to put people in fear. "Let's have something set in stone, not at the discretion of one man or woman from England, ie the Secretary of State, whose party could make political deals." Mr McCord's solicitor Ciaran O'Hare of McIvor Farrell law firm predicted the case will centre on a legal argument with the Good Friday Agreement at its core. Alongside them for the preliminary hearing was Senator Daly, who served in the Good Friday Agreement implementation committee. With peaceful Irish unification assessed as being a constitutional obligation of the Dublin administration, the Fianna Fail representative recognised the potential to become involved in the case. He said: "How a referendum comes about is a key factor in that aim (of peaceful unification)." A Northern Ireland politician with multiple sclerosis has accused the health service of "cruelly targeting" MS sufferers in a bid to slash costs A Northern Ireland politician with multiple sclerosis has accused the health service of "cruelly targeting" MS sufferers in a bid to slash costs. Victor Warrington was speaking after the revelation that new MS patients here will not be offered access to essential drugs until at least next March. Mr Warrington, a UUP councillor from Fermanagh, is one of the approximate 4,500 people in Northern Ireland living with MS. He said: "MS can be a terrible condition for anyone affected by it, but if caught and treated on time it can be very well managed. "I was fortunate as it was detected early, but my diagnosis has given me a direct insight of just how chaotic and frankly dangerous local MS services are." Last month it was revealed that the five health trusts here need to claw back 70m. The Belfast Trust holds responsibility for dispensing Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) used to treat MS for the whole of Northern Ireland. One of the proposals contained in the Trust's consultation paper on the savings plan is to defer dispensing a number of high-costing drug treatments for five to six months. It means that newly-diagnosed MS patients may not receive drug treatment until spring next year. Mr Warrington said he was "dumbfounded" by the news, branding the proposal an "absolute outrage". He added: "Balancing books is being placed ahead of safe hospital services. It is abhorrent to me that someone, somewhere, thought withholding crucial drugs from patients who desperately need them was an acceptable choice." The MS Society in Northern Ireland warned the cuts would have a direct and highly detrimental impact on sufferers. In a position paper, the charity said: "This proposal is most concerning and sets a dangerous precedent. "The proposal has the potential to impact provision of these drugs across Northern Ireland. "A move which would delay treatment with specific 'high cost drugs' for any condition is unacceptable. "Restricting the options open to consultants and patients sets a very alarming precedent, with legal and moral questions to be answered." A spokesperson added: "Cuts to care provision mean people with MS can face uncertainty and disruption at a time when they are feeling vulnerable." The Belfast Trust had not responded to requests for comment last night. Northern Ireland's first ever Mental Health Pride Day will take place next month after a spate of young male suicides motivated a campaigner to fight against the stigma associated with depression. Father-of-two Gordon McNeill (48) - whose candid YouTube videos documenting his own battle with suicidal feelings have gone viral - recently launched the HeadStrong Life Campaign for a new state-of-the-art mental health hospital in Northern Ireland. The Ballymena man has battled mental illness since a motorbike accident in 1989 led to a series of operations, leaving him in constant pain and culminating in a suicide attempt four years ago. On Saturday, October 7, he is hoping to be joined by a crowd of thousands to call for an end to the stigma still suffered by those with a mental illness. "I'm going to stand up and say that I won't be stigmatised and no one is inferior because they have a mental health condition. I am hoping others will stand with me," he said. "I launched the HeadStrong Life Campaign to challenge what people think about mental health. For me, stigma really does kill, because people fear going out and speaking out as they fear ostracisation. "It breaks my heart to think of the young people in Northern Ireland who took their lives recently, as I know the emotional trauma they were in. I'm also heartbroken for the people who are left behind asking: 'Why?'" The Mental Health Pride march will leave Queens Square at noon, passing through the city centre and back again for 2pm. "I am hoping to be joined by charities and by people affected or those who support them - everyone is welcome," said Gordon. "I would like to think this will turn into an annual event where people will get the courage to break the taboo of suicide." He is also calling for our politicians to break the Stormont deadlock and come together to boost mental health support facilities. "If people focus their minds we can change the future and change the dynamic of Northern Ireland," he added. For more information, visit the HeadStrong Life Campaign Facebook page After information surfaced, Dr Michael Maguire called himself in to investigate. Police Ombudsman investigators examining claims of social media misuse have arrested a PSNI officer. Dr Michael Maguire is tasked with investigating complaints against police officers. In a statement, his office said: "He [the officer] is being question as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of social media by a serving police officer. "It was initiated after a decision by the Police Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, to "call himself in" to investigate information he has been made aware of. "The Police Ombudsman's Office is also dealing with a number of complaints it received in recent weeks from members of the public, which include allegations that officers have leaked confidential information and posted abusive comments on social media." Prince Harry is making his first official visit to Northern Ireland Prince Harry meets members of the public in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland Prince Harry has urged an end to the stigma around mental health. The prince is campaigning for change from the "bad habits" of the previous generation. The 32-year-old said he was inspired and uplifted after meeting young people working to improve support and prevent suicide in Northern Ireland. He added: "The older generation have had it one way and handed whatever you want to call it, the bad habits, down to all of us, as the younger generation. "What we have been trying to do is remove the stigma around mental health, to encourage people to have a conversation." The prince met young people aged 15 to 17 from the Northern Ireland National Citizen Service, whose motto is "Say yes", during a visit to the MAC arts centre in Belfast city centre. He said: "It is easy to bury your head in the sand and not do anything about it, but much more inspiring and uplifting to go to a group like this with like-minded people. "When you are together like this, you have an opportunity to start the change, to have an influence." Harry revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph he spent nearly 20 years "not thinking'' about his mother Diana, Princess of Wales's death and eventually got help after two years of "total chaos''. Earlier on Thursday, the prince put an ambulance worker in a spin after he used a harness to demonstrate some emergency equipment during the opening of a new 5 million ambulance centre in Ballymena, Co Antrim. Harry quipped "I am all right down here" and twirled him around as he hung by cables from the ceiling during a demonstration. During his visit, Harry spoke with young people about empowerment, about standing up and doing something for peace-building. The royal family have a history of working for reconciliation during trips across the Irish Sea and the prince's humanity while meeting community groups from nationalist and unionist backgrounds across the island was outstanding, his hosts said. Co-operation Ireland, which organised the meeting, is a charity which has worked for almost 40 years to build a shared and cohesive society within Northern Ireland and across the Irish border. Its chief executive Peter Sheridan said: "Today was about reaching to the next generation, to the next generation of the royal family, the next generation of young people across this island, whatever background they come from." A total of ten schools were represented from across Northern Ireland. A group had travelled from just across the border in Belturbet, Co Cavan. The prince was applauded as he left and schoolchildren from both sides of the divide sung his praises. Aodhan Mackin, 16, from Ardoyne, a republican district of north Belfast which has been the scene of bitter conflict over past years and decades, said: "Not many people would think to meet the prince but we did meet him, so it was good, and he was down to earth." Co-Operation Ireland helped arrange the Queen's first visit to Dublin, which was a groundbreaking moment for Anglo-Irish relations. In 2012 it hosted a historic and highly symbolic handshake between late Sinn Fein deputy first minister and lifelong republican Martin McGuinness and the Queen. Mr Sheridan said Harry's visit was about building on that legacy. "Here was an opportunity for young people to say what they think about peace-building, about the issues of today and you could see the connection between them and Prince Harry, who is a young person himself. "They sat down and had conversations, all of us have prejudices but to be able to sit down and have conversations about things which are of common interest, be it mental health or how we build peace in this place. "I think it went incredibly well." Prince Harry meets Julia Crozier and daughter Rebecca (right) and Emma Mason and son Henry (left) in St Annes Square It wasn't the greatest first impression Prince Harry could have had of Belfast. Incessant rain, dark clouds and a biting wind ... but it was all warmth and sunny smiles when he arrived at the Mac theatre to meet an expectant crowd comprising youth organisations and school children. Read More Representatives from Co-operation Ireland, the event host, were also there to welcome the 32-year-old royal, who was casually dressed in a grey jacket and navy slacks, on his inaugural visit to Northern Ireland. During his walkabout in the Mac, the prince learned how the leading peace-building charity was working to promote interaction and cross-community links between Northern Ireland and the Republic. And, after an hour-long meet and greet inside, Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, thrilled members of the public who were eagerly waiting outside by stopping to chat and posing for numerous selfies. Emma Mason (29), a classroom assistant from Bangor, who was standing in the courtyard, was the envy of many when the dashing prince stopped to talk to her and admire her seven-month-old son Henry before his departure. "He said hello to me but he talked mainly to Henry, whose jacket he was admiring," she said, admitting that she's a "big fan" of the Royal Family. "He asked me if I thought they made it in adult sizes too." She added: "He seems like a really lovely person. He gave up a lot of his time to talk to people. Actually meeting him went beyond my expectations." Her 30-year-old sister, Julia Crozier, was also there with her daughter Rebecca, who is almost five months old. "Rebecca was crying in his face so he joked that her cousin Henry must have done something to upset her," said Julia. "I think she was simply overcome with emotion at having met a prince." Harry, who also stopped to talk to two tourists from "hot and dry" Australia - for whom meeting him was "an unexpected bonus" - joked it must be "quite nice here, just to cool off". After their meeting, Belfast's Lord Mayor, Nuala McAllister, described him as "a lovely person who's very genuine" and someone "who comes out of himself when he's talking to the public". She added: "It's great for Belfast when someone from the Royal Family takes the time to visit." Prince Harry also talked to children from schools across Northern Ireland, which are involved in the youth-led Amazing the Space programme, including three 17-year-olds from Londonderry. Niamh McCourt, from Lumen Christi, admitted she was a little starstruck and couldn't "wait to go back home and tell all her friends about the day". Her schoolfriend Mark Gallagher said he was pleased that the prince had taken the time to come to Northern Ireland to hear about the project they were involved in. "Fair play to him for showing such an interest in us. We've been working so hard and it deserves recognition and it's great that someone of his stature has given us that," he said. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Prince Harry meets guests at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry plants a tree at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets guests at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire pause for the national anthem at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets guests at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry looks up at a police helicopter talks to children from Downshire Primary School as he arrives for a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry pictured meeting Lauren Maze from Markethill outside the Mac theatre in Belfast Northern Ireland Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press Prince Harry pictured meeting members of the public that were keen to take photos of the prince outside the Mac theatre in Belfast Northern Ireland Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press Prince Harry is pictured meeting guests whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Prince Harry on first visit to Northern Ireland. Prince Harry pictured meeting members of the public that were keen to take photos of the prince outside the Mac theatre in Belfast Northern Ireland Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press Prince Harry waves as he leaves The MAC in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry is pictured with Lord Lieutenant, County Borough of Belfast Mrs Fionnuala Jay-OBoyle and Chairman of Co-Operation Ireland Dr. Christopher Moran whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Prince Harry meets Julia Crozier (right) and her four month old baby Rebekah as Emma Mason (second left) and her seven month old son Henry Mason look on in St Anne's Square, Belfast, during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 7, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Prince Harry is photographed with school children in St Anne's Square, Belfast, during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 7, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Prince Harry meets members of the public in St Anne's Square, Belfast, during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 7, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Prince Harry meets a range of range of youth organisations at The MAC in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 7, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Prince Harry is pictured high giving a baby whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The event was hosted at the MAC in BelfastOs Cathedral Quarter. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Prince Harry is pictured meeting children from Victoria College prep School whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The event was hosted at the MAC in BelfastOs Cathedral Quarter. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Dr. Christopher Moran and Peter Sheridan OBE whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The event was hosted at the MAC in BelfastOs Cathedral Quarter. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Prince Harry is pictured meeting teenagers who took part in the Northern Ireland National Citizen Service whilst visiting Co-Operation Ireland, a peace building organisation working to encourage and promote interaction, dialogue and collaboration within Northern Ireland and the Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Prince Harry meets Emma Mason (second left) and her seven month old son Henry Mason in St Anne's Square, Belfast, during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets members of the public in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets a range of range of youth organisations at The MAC in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry talks to Hannah Joy Graham 3, who is in the crowd outside during his visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets with members of the public at the new 5m ambulance station in Ballymena on Thursday. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 06/09/2017 Prince Harry meets with members of the public at the new 5m ambulance station in Ballymena on Thursday , which also houses the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's regional HQ, during Prince Harry;s first visit to Northern Ireland. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Prince Harry at the new 5m ambulance station in Ballymena on Thursday. Prince Harry meets a range of range of youth organisations at The MAC in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets a range of range of youth organisations at The MAC in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry waves to the crowd during his visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry unveils a plaque opening the Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets ambulace crews during a visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets ambulace crews during a visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets ambulace crews during a visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry meets ambulace crews during a visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA Prince Harry's first visit to Northern Ireland. Thursday 7th September2017.Prince Harry visited Ballymena on his first engagement to officially open the new Northern Ireland Ambulance Service station which combines Ballymena Ambulance Station and North Division Headquarters. His Royal Highness was given a briefing from the design team behind the new 5.6million facility before watching a demonstration of the stations resources. He then undertook a tour of the station and had the chance to meet staff.Photo by simongraham.photography Prince Harry jokes with Ivan Kenny by spinning him around as he is using climbing equipment in a display, during his visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION PA Prince Harry talks to Ivan Kenny, who is using climbing equipment in a display, during his visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA 7 September 17, Mandatory Credit Press Eye/Darren Kidd Prince Harry makes his first official visit to Northern Ireland. Beginning in Ballymena he opened the town's new 5m ambulance station, which also houses the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's regional HQ. Before leaving Prince Harry took time to speak to crowds of people who came to see him. Hannah Joy Graham with Prince Harry. @Press Eye/Darren Kidd Prince Harry arrives in Ballymena to meet ambulace staff. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry meets guests at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle during a visit to Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Monica Sorrenti from Thornhill College said it was "a big deal" that he was visiting Belfast for the first time. "It was a great opportunity for us to tell him about our peace pledges and what they mean to us," she said. Co-operation Ireland's Catrina Gallen said the success of yesterday's event was down to a "massive team effort" and the Prince's "undeniable charm". "He was so personable, he looked liked a family member," she said. A police officer has been charged with two offences linked to the death of a man in a single punch attack outside a Co Londonderry bar last year. Cathy Thompson, whose address was given as the PSNI Station at Lodge Road in Coleraine, yesterday launched a legal bid to stop the case against her going to trial before a jury. She faces two charges of sending text messages with intent to pervert the course of justice. The victim, James McDonagh (28) from Castledawson, died in hospital from brain injuries he sustained in the attack in the car park of the Elk Bar, Toomebridge, on January 10, 2016. Finbar McCoy jnr (25), from Loughbeg Road in Toomebridge, has been charged with the manslaughter of Mr McDonagh and is due to be arraigned at the Crown Court in Belfast next Friday. The Crown Court in Derry was told yesterday that Thompson (34) is charged with sending two text messages to McCoy's sister - Ciara McCoy - whom Thompson was then in a relationship with. One text stated: "Yeah, don't have anything in the house u shouldn't have as they will land to arrest him. They will then search the whole house for clothing." The second text message stated: "Tell him to behave and say nothing." The defendant's barrister Gavin Duffy QC moved a 'no bill' application before Judge Philip Babington, arguing that the defendant had done nothing illegal in sending the two text messages. "There is nothing illegal in saying to someone to say nothing. It seems to me to be patently clear that is not an act with intent to pervert the course of justice, nor was it intended to do so." Mr Duffy added: "If saying nothing was a crime our docks would be full of local solicitors who advised their clients being interviewed in police stations to say nothing. "I struggle to see how that in any way can be deemed to be a criminal act." Opposing the application, prosecution barrister Ciaran Murphy QC said by sending the messages the defendant was tipping off McCoy's family "in terms of what was going to occur when the police arrived". "The defendant knew what had happened and that Mr McDonagh was then in a critical condition in the hospital with a critical brain injury. "It is not a case of treating the defendant differently because she is a police officer. She knew what she was doing and what she was exhorting Miss McCoy to do," he said. "I submit it was to remove potentially incriminating material from the house. "This material was in relation to the criminal death of Mr McDonagh." Judge Babington said he would rule on the no bill application on September 21. Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann has said that Sinn Fein need only look south of the border to see the impact of an Irish language act. In a statement on Friday, Mr Swann said: "The experience of the Republic of Ireland should act as a warning as to how legislation is no guarantee to promoting the Irish language. "After almost a century of compulsory Irish language lessons in schools and support from the State, the use of the Irish language is still in decline and English is the common tongue. And as the previous Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said on BBC's the View on 26 March 2015, Ireland is an English speaking island." The comments were made as Swann questioned Sinn Fein's ongoing commitment to the Irish language act as a red-line issue for restoring the Stormont executive. "The Belfast Agreement made generous provision for the Irish language and the bottom line is there is no discrimination against Irish speakers," he said. "Instead of focusing on that which should unite society the need to tackle waiting-lists, the crisis in school budgets, and the need to create new and better jobs Northern Ireland is being all but held to ransom by Sinn Fein demands about a language that was politicised by them and used and abused by them for their own selfish reasons." Writing in an September's edition of Sinn Fein publication An Phoblacht, the party's national chairperson Declan Kearney says that it is possible for an executive to be restored, but that any future version should be one that is "committed to equality and anti-sectarianism and accepts that objective need should be the key determinant of public policy". On direct rule, Mr Kearney says it is something that has been advocated by "several DUP and UUP politicians", and would "undo all the political progress made to date". The South Antrim MLA also states that the British government was wrong in its rebuttal of Irish minister for foreign affairs Simon Coveney's comments that direct rule could not be imposed without the input of the Irish government, and that a British-Irish partnership would be required should there be no agreement on devolution. Micheal Martin warned that if the region is to break out of a cycle of low incomes and poverty it needs a new economic model Northern Ireland and the border counties should be designated a "special economic zone" to challenge poverty and help limit the damage of Brexit, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has said. The Cork South Central TD warned that if the region is to break out of a cycle of low incomes and poverty it needs a new economic model. Speaking at the British-Irish Association in Cambridge, Mr Martin said: "Northern Ireland will not break out of a cycle of low incomes and poverty - in fact things will get worse - unless there is a move to address its structural problems. "I believe the answer is the creation of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Northern Ireland and at least the border counties in the South. "This can be done while fully respecting the constitutional rights protected in the Good Friday Agreement and incorporated into both UK and Irish law." Mr Martin said an SEZ could be recognised by the EU as being distinct from the rest of the UK in terms of Single Market and Customs Union access. He pointed out that the terms of the Good Friday Agreement set Northern Ireland in an EU context. "It should not be hard to design a mechanism for certifying that Northern Ireland businesses conform with EU standards relevant to market access. "UK sovereignty would remain intact - in fact it is the UK government's official policy to support such zones in countries with structural development issues in defined regions," Mr Martin said. He added: "There is a solution available to the economic threat to Northern Ireland from a Brexit vote passed solely on an English majority. "It is a solution which has the potential to prioritise and kick-start long-delayed and urgently needed development in the most disadvantaged region of these islands." Mr Martin also warned that the ongoing political deadlock at Stormont was causing "enormous concern". "It is deepening political disengagement and leaving Northern Ireland voiceless during Brexit negotiations," he said. "We have to understand that we have to do things differently if we are to break out of the ongoing cycle of crises which we have been caught in. "We have to do things differently if we are to prevent Brexit causing deep destruction to relations and progress in these islands." There are 21 patients with the condition in Ireland Twenty-one patients with severe lung disease have been told they will lose access to a vital drug at the end of the month after health chiefs failed to strike a price deal with the manufacturer. One of the Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) sufferers, father-of-two Gerry Finnerty, who has spent years on the specialist intravenous treatment Respreeza, asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) where their compassion was. Respreeza is the only therapy in a clinical study to slow the progression of lung disease caused by the genetic condition. "I don't know if I'd actually be alive without it," Mr Finnerty said. "I probably would have had to go for a lung transplant and then the problem is whether it would work. That's my honest opinion." Most of the group have been using Respreeza therapy, made by German pharmaceutical CSL Behring, on a "compassionate" basis for several years after going through a clinical trial. Their doctor in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Gerry McElvaney, Professor of Medicine at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), told them the drug would be stopped on September 30 after the HSE and manufacturer failed to agree a deal on price. It is estimated to cost about 85,000 euro per patient per year. CSL Behring said it wanted a different outcome and was deeply disappointed. "While we had hoped for a different conclusion, we remain committed to AATD research to improve the quality of life of people living with the condition," the company said. It said it was looking at a new clinical trial across Europe, including Ireland, where severe Alpha 1 patients would be given the drug. "We worked tirelessly to identify and agree on a solution that would work for both patients and for the HSE and give Respreeza the best chance of gaining reimbursement," CSL Behring said. Mr Finnerty, 69, from Kinsealy, Co Dublin, said he had one question for those who determine whether he gets the drug: "Where is the compassion?" The HSE decided last month it would not fund the drug. On Thursday, the agency also revealed its budget overruns for this year were soaring to more than 300 million euro. Mr Finnerty added: "My wife Helen feels very sorry for me, very upset. "She just feels: 'How can you put a price on my husband's life?' And that's what it is coming down to." The Alpha One Foundation said 60 patients could benefit from the drug if the HSE could secure a price deal with CSL Behring. Thousands of other people in Ireland are thought to be living with the condition with varying degrees of severity. Geraldine Kelly, the foundation's chief executive, appealed for health chiefs to make the necessary money available and for drug maker CSL Behring to cut its price. "We have a therapy that works and that has been proven effective, and it is wrong of the HSE and the Department of Health not to fund it," she said. "Equally, it is wrong for a company to discontinue a therapy that works to patients who have provided it with a rich resource of research information that has undoubtedly been of huge commercial benefit." The HSE said: "The HSE is very much aware that this decision is upsetting to patients who are affected by this condition. "It will also be a disappointment to their families and the treating clinicians who support these patients." But it added that its research found Respreeza did not result in a significant improvement in quality of life. The HSE said it has an onus to ensure that any new drug is cost effective. It said: "The HSE has to have regard to its wider obligations to the 4.7 million population it serves and needs to maintain the full range of health services to all of the other patient groups within the finite resources at its disposal." Detectives have been given more time to question two men arrested at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences (Joe Giddens/PA) Detectives have been given more time to question two men arrested at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences after flying in from Turkey. The men UK nationals aged 40 and 29 were held as they arrived from Istanbul on Thursday morning. The 29-year-old was taken to a London police station for questioning on suspicion of belonging to a proscribed organisation under section 11 of the Terrorism Act. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference The second man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. He was taken to hospital for a medical assessment but later transferred to a London police station. Scotland Yard said on Friday that a warrant of further detention has been granted for both men, which will expire on Wednesday, September 13. Houses on fire in Gawdu Zara village in Burma (AP) According to the United Nations, 270,000 Rohingya people have entered Bangladesh after fleeing Burma since August 25. And Burmese leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has been fiercely criticised over the crisis. But who are the Rohingya people, and why have they been forced to leave their homes? Who are the Rohingya? Expand Close Newly arrived Rohingya Muslims in a refugee camp in Bangladesh (Bernat Armangue/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Newly arrived Rohingya Muslims in a refugee camp in Bangladesh (Bernat Armangue/AP) The Muslim Rohingya people live in Buddhist-majority Burma, particularly in the state of Rakhine in the west of the country. Around 800,000 of them used to live there, according to a UN report issued in February. The state is one of the poorest in the country, and Muslims in particular face barriers to education and freedom of movement. In Burma they are referred to as Bengali, with many locals contending that they migrated illegally from Bangladesh. Even though many have lived in Burma for generations, they are heavily discriminated against and over the years violence has erupted the last major incident being riots in 2012. How did this start? Expand Close A heavily militarised police officer sits in a car, wearing a hat and holding a rifle AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A heavily militarised police officer sits in a car, wearing a hat and holding a rifle Rohingya militants reportedly attacked several police and border outposts in Burma on the 24th of August, and in response the government said it launched clearance operations which initially killed 77 Rohingya people. Thousands of Muslims then tried to cross into Bangladesh, according to the Associated Press. What has happened to the Rohingya people since? Expand Close Remnants of a burned out home AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Remnants of a burned out home Initially reports emerged from Rohingya supporters that the Muslims villages were being burnt, and civilians were being shot indiscriminately. Just a week after the initial clashes, the UN said 73,000 Rohingya people had crossed into Bangladesh, some of whom described bomb attacks on their villages by the Burmese military and attacks by Buddhist mobs in Rakhine. A hospital in Bangladesh near the Burmese border reported that refugees were arriving with bullet wounds, and the country plans to open another refugee camp to ease pressure on one that already has 50,000 inhabitants. Journalists who visited Rakhine state found villages abandoned by Rohingya people were still smouldering from fires the military said were started by the Muslims themselves. Whats the situation like in Burma? Expand Close Policeman holds large rifle AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Policeman holds large rifle Burma, also known as Myanmar a name its military leaders introduced became independent from Britain in 1947. After just 15 years of democracy the nation was subjected to a coup detat, and has had only a handful of military leaders since. In 1978 one of these leaders led an operation that caused an estimated 250,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. Over the years, peaceful protesters from all religions were arrested, and the country held captive many political prisoners and was accused of torturing them. Expand Close Protestor in India holds a burning image of Aung San Suu Kyi (Bikas Das/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protestor in India holds a burning image of Aung San Suu Kyi (Bikas Das/AP) Multi-party elections were eventually held in Burma in 1990 after huge protests in the late 1980s. Current leader Suu Kyi won by a landslide, but was placed under house arrest. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and finally created a civilian government in 2015. Throughout this political turmoil, persecution and violence against Rohingya Muslims has been consistent. What has the worlds response been? Expand Close A Rohingya Muslim child carries a solar panel as she crosses over the border (Bernat Armangue/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Rohingya Muslim child carries a solar panel as she crosses over the border (Bernat Armangue/AP) Suu Kyi has dismissed the crisis as misinformation helping to promote terrorism, referring to the initial attack on police. Fellow Nobel Prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Desmond Tutu have urged her to intervene, as has the Pope and the Turkish government. And UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told Suu Kyi to use all her remarkable qualities to stop the violence. Police show photos of murder suspect Lloyd Welch and his alleged victims at a news conference in 2014 (The Washington Post /AP) A convicted sex offender accused of murdering two young sisters who disappeared from a Maryland shopping centre is expected to plead guilty to the crime that has haunted the area for more than 40 years. Lloyd Welch, 60, was due to to stand trial on Tuesday for the murder of Sheila Lyon, 12, and her sister Katherine, 10, but o nline court records in Bedford County, Virginia, indicate it has been "withdrawn" and a plea hearing is scheduled instead. The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the plea negotiations, said Welch planned to plead guilty. Prosecutors and Welch's lawyers would not comment, citing a gagging order issued in the case. The Lyon sisters disappeared on March 25 1975, after walking from their home in the suburbs of Washington DC, to Wheaton Plaza to have pizza with friends during the school holidays. Cold-case detectives took a fresh look at Welch beginning in 2013 after finding a sketch in the case file of a man who resembled a 1977 photo of him. Welch, a former carnival worker, who was charged two years ago over the killings, was already in prison in Delaware, having pleaded guilty in 1998 to molesting a 10-year-old girl. If convicted at trial in Bedford of two counts of first-degree felony murder during "the commission of abduction with the intent to defile", he faced the possibility of the death penalty. Welch was prosecuted in Bedford because authorities believe he dumped the girls' bodies there, on a remote mountain where his family owned land. But without recovering the girls' bodies, prosecutors may have had a difficult time proving their case at a trial. In interviews with police from 2013, Welch acknowledged he was at the mall the day the girls disappeared, and said he believed they had been "abducted, raped and burned up", according to court documents. Any plea deal would not be final until Welch appears before a judge and agrees to the terms. The deal would also need the judge's approval. The Post said the plea agreement also would resolve two unrelated sexual assault cases in Prince William County in northern Virginia. In 2016, Welch was indicted there for the rape of a six-year-old girl in 1996. Earlier this year, he was indicted for allegedly sexually abusing another girl about the same time. AP A photo taken on September 7, 2017 shows damage in Orient Bay on the French Carribean island of Saint-Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma. France, the Netherlands and Britain on September 7 rushed to provide water, emergency rations and rescue teams to territories in the Caribbean hit by Hurricane Irma, with aid efforts complicated by damage to local airports and harbours. The worst-affected island so far is Saint Martin, which is divided between the Netherlands and France, where French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed four people were killed and 50 more injured. / AFP PHOTO / Lionel CHAMOISEAULIONEL CHAMOISEAU/AFP/Getty Images the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma is seen clearly from the extensive television coverage, but nevertheless it seems so far away. However, the reality is brought home to us when we read the stories in today's Belfast Telegraph about the ways in which this storm has been affecting the lives of people with close Northern Ireland connections. The island of St Martin, west of Barbuda, was right in the eye of the storm, and Stephen Thompson - brother of BBC broadcaster Noel Thompson - lives there and was directly affected. Despite taking precautions, the roof of his house and the hurricane shutters were destroyed, and the hurricane was followed by torrential rain which flooded the area. We also report that Nattassa Latcham, a native of the Caribbean but now working in Northern Ireland, has been told that "things are really bad back home". It is in these kinds of personal stories that we realise the fear of people living in the affected area, and their continuing anxiety about more damage that might be caused by yet another hurricane that is on its way. At times such as these there is evidence of great courage on the part of those people who come to the rescue, and who share their food, shelter and other resources with those badly in need. These include the professional rescue services, including the US Coast Guard, which has the unofficial motto: 'You have to go out, but you don't have to come back'. No doubt there will be a large humanitarian effort both locally and on a wider scale to help rebuild the lives of those so badly affected, and to bring some practical help, as well as offering comfort and reassurance. This help will include food and drinking water, as well as essential medical services. This is a catastrophe for many people, but hopefully they will not have to face their many challenges entirely alone. As is so often the case, in the worst of times we witness the best of human nature. Our attention is concentrated on the damage and distress in the Caribbean, but we must not forget either those people nearer home who have been badly affected by floods in the west and north west of this province. They, too, have been trying to cope with the enormous setbacks they have had to face, and they are also in our thoughts at this time. We always knew Ireland would be the meat in the EU-UK Brexit sandwich. Now, here's the incontrovertible proof in practice. Britain would like any settlement on the border in Ireland to be a template for its border and trading arrangements elsewhere - like the Dover-Calais axis and other links with mainland Europe. So, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier's response to that emerging scenario in Brussels yesterday was characteristically blunt. "The UK want to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future of the EU-UK customs relations," he said. "That cannot happen. "Creativity and flexibility cannot be at the expense of the integrity of the single market and the customs union." The former French agriculture and foreign minister, and former EU regional commissioner, has great empathy with Ireland's unique predicament. The Republic has achieved recognition for its interests by getting the border, and the Good Friday Agreement, listed among the first wave of key items to be dealt with in these EU-UK divorce talks. There was a positive development last week, in the third phase of EU-UK talks. This was Britain's recognition that free movement can continue between these two islands, and no impediment from London will be placed in the way of Ireland's obligation to guarantee EU citizens' free movement in and out of the Republic of Ireland. Michel Barnier alluded to it again yesterday. It is, in sum, a good thing. The point in practice is that EU citizens moving between the British and Irish jurisdictions - including across the border north and south - could not bring trade products with them. That is the rub and the ongoing row. Things are headed towards an outer deadline of March 29, 2019, for the UK's formal exit from the EU. The nearer deadline is October 19 and 20 next, when EU leaders gather in Brussels for a special Brexit summit. According to the rather vague negotiating timetable, three key issues: EU citizens' rights, the Irish border, and the UK's financial bill on leaving the EU bloc, would have to be resolved by this upcoming summit. Only then could talks move on to the issue closer to British interests, and also of vital interest to the Republic. This is the EU-UK's future trading links, which raise the nightmare spectre of tariffs and customs procedures applying to imports and exports with our oldest and major trading partners. There is a great deal of chicken and egg surrounding this talks division. Britain keeps saying it really cannot do meaningful talks until it knows the shape of the EU-UK future trading relationship. But viewed from Brussels, and taking on board the interests of the other 27 EU member states, the issue of Britain's exit bill is paramount. EU negotiators are implacable on this one: Britain must agree the calculation key for the divorce bill before much else can happen. The actual amounts being cited - from 40bn to 100bn - only seem huge. You have to realise that they are based on several years of payments, mostly on budget plans already agreed, and to be paid by the world's fifth largest economy. There were speculative British media reports through August, and again this past weekend, that Prime Minister Theresa May is ready to settle on something between 40bn-plus and some 55bn. There is an understandable proviso that no such thing can be done until after the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on October 1. But while in reality the likely amounts are not huge, the political implications are totally explosive. Even a settlement sum at the lowest of those ranges has the potential to stoke up rage among anti-EU elements in England, rather than Britain writ-large. There were stark reminders of this in the British parliament yesterday as the major task of bringing in Brexit legislation began. This is aimed at incorporating current EU laws into UK domestic law to avoid a huge legal vacuum. But already anti-EU Conservatives are collecting signatures for a warning to Mrs May there can be no "backsliding" on her stated aim of leaving the EU single market and customs union. Both sandwich sides are very hard bread. The Quran often spelled as Quran or Koran is the primary holy text of the Islamic faith. According to Muslim beliefs, the words of the Quran were dictated by Muhammad, who relayed them orally to his followers. The term Quran translates to mean the recitation. The message was delivered by Muhammad approximately 600 years after the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Given the Quran is the foundation of the Islamic worldview the basis of Muhammads prophetic claims, the foundation of Sharia law, and the most frequently recited book in the world, many Christians wonder if there is value to reading this religious text? There are many Christians who believe that we should not read the Quran or that reading it is unnecessary. Muslim convert to Christianity and popular writer Nabeel Qureshi answers with an emphatic no whenever Christians ask him whether they should read the Quran. His first reason is that the Quran was not designed to be read like a book. Qureshi explains, When Muhammad was alive, there was no such thing as a written book in Arabic. What the early Muslims knew as Quran were short liturgical recitations. After Muhammad died, all these recitations were compiled into a book we call 'the Quran.' This explains why many who try to read the Quran walk away confused and frustrated. It was not designed to be read like the Bible. His second reason is that the Quran comprises only a small part of Muslims worldview. Qureshi explains, Far from solar scriptura, the Islamic way of life mostly comes from traditions, called hadith. How many times to pray, rules for ceremonial washing and rituals, details on fasting and commerce lawsalmost everything comes from hadith. Some hadith even render Quranic verses abrogated, or repealed, depending on which imam interprets them. Thus, a complex system of time-honored traditions, authoritative leader, and theological branches interact to form Islam. Qureshi shares that as Muslims, they did not learn directly through the Quran. They absorbed it by being immersed among other Muslims. He argues that if Christians wish to reach their Muslim neighbors, they should do the same thing: be with Muslims. But might Qureshi have said this not because he didnt find value in reading the text, but more because Muslims in fact find interpreting the Quran difficult. Given this, he feared it would be even more difficult for Christians. Despite these challenges, there is value and merit to Christians understanding this holy text. While many Christian scholars argue that the Quran is a primitive document, mounting a weak challenge to Christianity, this is not a strong basis for not reading the text. Christians should be aware of what the Quran actually says. Its one of the only books that regularly makes it to the news and there are many misconceptions around what the text says and how it is applied to the lives of those who are a part of the Islamic faith. We dont have a choice but to engage with this book. Its important that we understand the scripture that shapes Muslim thinking. Harold Bloom, author of The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages believes that now as never before, we need to understand this text. Ignorance of the Koran is foolish and increasingly dangerous," Bloom says. He implies that our very future may depend on the understanding of it. As the influence of Islam continues to reach westward, as immigrants, skilled laborers, refugees and students enter our communities, Christians must be ready to give an answer to what they believe about Islam. That answer has to be more nuanced than Muhammad was a false prophet. Urging other Christians to not read this book is unwise and ignoring it is no longer an option. When we, as Christians, take the time to read the Quran, we are showing respect to our Muslim neighbors, respect enough to try and understand their religion. In the process, we may also gain their respect. Reading the book also gives you leverage. When you ask a question or make an argument about the Quran, a Muslim friend may ask you if youve taken the time to read their holy book. When you answer in the affirmative, it gives them pause and shows that youve taken the time to understand their religion and the arguments youre making. You can even challenge them to read the Bible with good grounds. It also shows that you take your faith seriously. Youre not just blindly accepting your faith. You know why you believe what you believe. Before you set out to read the Quran, its important to know that it is not light reading. Many find it repetitive and confusing, and is very difficult to read from cover to cover. But if you are going to reject a book and critique its religion, its important that you work hard to grasp its message. Remember, the revelation was given over a period of decades, and each verse has a particular scriptural and historical context. The themes of the Quran are interwoven among the chapters, and the book is not in chronological order. Despite the challenges of reading the text and understanding its message, there are more tools and resources available to help Christians read than ever before. Ultimately, reading the Quran helps us in our witness as well as understanding the differences between the Quran and the Bible. It can also help us to grow in our Christian faith, securing us in what we believe. Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council. Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan talks to Rohingya refugees at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Sept. 07, 2017. Bangladesh wants the world to help it resolve a burdensome new Rohingya Muslim humanitarian crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Turkeys visiting first lady and foreign minister on Thursday after they toured refugee camps in the countrys southeast. Hasina met with Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Dhaka, while U.N. officials updated estimates for the number of Rohingya refugees spilling into Bangladesh over the past two weeks to 164,000, as they have fled an outbreak of violence in the neighboring Myanmar state of Rakhine. The international community must take the responsibility, Hasina told her Turkish visitors, adding that Dhaka would accept new Rohingya refugee arrivals on humanitarian grounds. The flood of new refugees since Aug. 25 combined with 87,000 who arrived following another cycle of violence in Rakhine in October 2016, according to the United Nations brings the total number of recent refugee arrivals to around a quarter-million. This influx adds to more than 400,000 Rohingya refugees who were already sheltering in camps and settlements across southeastern Bangladesh. In the past few days, U.N. and Bangladeshi officials warned that the existing camps were overflowing with refugees and that the crisis was straining humanitarian resources. The Bangladeshi prime minister also told the Turkish visitors about how the exodus from Myanmar was a big burden for us, said her spokesman, Ihsanul Karim. Turkey is trying to build up a global opinion against the persecution, as the whole world has the responsibility to resolve the crisis, Karim quoted Erdogan as telling Hasina during their meeting. Hasina said her government had taken initiatives to identify incoming Rohingya and others to ensure that no terrorists were posing as refugees crossing the border, according to Karim. We will not allow our land to be used by any insurgent [group] for terrorist activities against any country, Hasina said. The latest cycle of violence flared in Rakhine on Aug. 24, when members of an insurgent group calling itself the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) carried out multiple attacks on Myanmar police posts in Rakhine. Since reports of mass atrocities against Rohingya civilians and burnings of Rohingya villages emerged in Rakhine state, starting in late August, at least 85 people have died along the Myanmar border as they have tried to enter Bangladesh, according to Bangladeshi authorities. Most of the victims have drowned while trying to cross the Naf River that separates the two countries. The number includes five Rohingya villagers from Rakhine whose bodies were found on a river bank on the Bangladeshi side, after they were allegedly shot dead by Myanmar security forces, a police officer-in-charge in Ukhia, Bangladesh, told BenarNews on Wednesday, citing eyewitness accounts from other refugees. On Thursday, the bodies of the five villagers were buried, according to Bangladeshi authorities who said that the bodies of 15 people who drowned while trying to cross the river were pulled out of the Naf. People have walked for up to six days before crossing into Bangladesh and are suffering hunger and exhaustion, and are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and health services, U.N. Bangladesh Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins said in a statement issued on Thursday. Turkish dignitaries visit camps During her trip to the southeast earlier in the day, Erdogan was photographed shedding tears while talking to elderly Rohingya women at the Kutupalong camp, one of the two U.N.-run refugee camps in Coxs Bazar district. The two camps had a combined population of about 30,000 people before the new influx of refugees. Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, posted photographs from the camps on Twitter. #Turkey will never leave #Rohingya Muslims alone. International community should also provide the necessary support without further delay, he said in one tweet. A day earlier, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would send 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to help Rohingya who had fled violence in Myanmar, according to reports. He earlier had accused Myanmars government of carrying out genocide against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority whose members are not recognized as citizens in Myanmar, where the Buddhist majority refers to them pejoratively as Bengalis. Rohingya refugees enter Bangladesh at Khanjoroara in Teknaf, Coxs Bazar, Sept. 7, 2017. [Abdur Rahman/BenarNews] In just two weeks, a quarter of the entire Rohingya Muslim population of Myanmars Rakhine state has fled to Bangladesh amid surging violence, according to sharply revised estimates from the United Nations. An estimated 270,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladeshs southeastern region since Aug. 25, U.N. officials said Friday in releasing updated estimates that reflected a leap of more than 100,000 from the day before. Bangladeshs government has called the fresh influx of Rohingya seeking shelter on its territory unprecedented, saying it is struggling to cope with the flood of new refugee arrivals from neighboring Rakhine. In the last two weeks an estimated 270,000 Rohingya refugees have sought safety in Bangladesh, Duniya Aslam Khan, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in Geneva, said in a statement. The new number reflects findings of an inter-agency assessment carried out in southeastern Bangladesh on Wednesday and Thursday, Khan later told BenarNews in an email. Teams from different U.N. agencies and NGOs identified new pockets of arrivals that we were not aware of previously, including in local communities and spontaneous settlements that have sprouted on available land, she said. Combined with a refugee population that fled earlier cycles of killings and burnings of villages in Rakhine, the new number means that close to 700,000 Rohingya refugees are concentrated in southeastern Bangladesh, where camps and settlements for displaced people are overflowing and humanitarian resources are being stretched very thin, according to U.N. and local officials. Amid a dramatic increase in the number of refugees fleeing violence in Myanmars Northern Rakhine state, UNHCR calls for urgent action to address the root causes of the recent surge in violence, so that people are no longer compelled to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity, the statement from the U.N. agency said. The limited shelter capacity is already exhausted. Refugees are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land in the Ukhia and Teknaf areas, it added. The vast majority of refugees waiting to board wooden fishing boats to cross the Naf River over to Bangladesh were women and children. They were exhausted and hungry after having trekked through jungles and mountains for days as they fled the new cycle of violence in Rakhine, the U.N. agency said. Sons burned alive: Refugee The violence broke out Aug. 24, when an insurgent group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) mounted attacks on Myanmar police posts in Rakhine. That same day, a nine-member Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, appointed by Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and led by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, released a report on the situation in Rakhine. It noted that the states Muslim population numbered around 1 million, which represented a third of Rakhines overall population. As of Friday, at least 88 people had died since the influx began on Aug. 25 mostly from drowning after their boats overturned while crossing the Naf, according to Bangladeshi authorities. Abu Bakkar, a Rohingya refugee from Dragar Dailpara in Rakhine state, said Myanmar soldiers killed his four sons when an army unit raided their village on Sept. 1. They pushed them into a room, locked it from outside and set the house on fire. All of my sons burned into ash, he told BenarNews. Bakkar said he and three of his relatives survived because they were outside when the attack occurred. If we were at the house, we would die like Abu Syed, Abdul Khaleque, Abul Boshor and Abdur Razzaq, he said, referring to his sons. He and three surviving relatives hid out for days, and made it into Teknaf, a sub-district of Coxs Bazar, on Friday. We have taken shelter at a school as we have no relatives here, he said. A politician through and through The military and security forces of Buddhist-majority Myanmar, as well as militia groups, have been widely accused of targeting Rohingya civilians in the new wave of violence. The Rohingya are facing attacks, murder and persecution in Myanmar . We strongly protest and condemn it Ashok Barua, the leader of an association of groups from Bangladeshs Buddhist minority told BenarNews, as its members demonstrated in Dhaka on Friday. Members of Bangladeshs Buddhist minority form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka to protest against violence targeting Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Sept. 8, 2017. [Newsroom Photo] In Myanmar, authorities have blamed ARSA insurgents for the acts of violence, including setting fire to villages in Rakhine. On Friday, New York-based Human Rights Watch released satellite images that showed 450 buildings being destroyed by fire in a primarily Rohingya neighborhood of Maungdaw township, the administrative seat of Rakhine state, on Sept. 2. The rights watchdog also issued a statement saying that fleeing Rohingya had described killings, shelling, and arson in their villages that have all the hallmarks of a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Suu Kyi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for her longtime efforts in leading Myanmars pro-democracy movement, this week deflected worldwide criticism over her apparent silence on alleged abuses being committed against the stateless Rohingya in Rakhine. She said this was the result of a huge iceberg of misinformation. The Myanmar government has said that 432 people, mostly ARSA insurgents, have been killed since the fighting flared on Aug. 24. But, on Friday, a senior U.N. official challenged that assertion and took Suu Kyi to task, saying that more than 1,000 people had died in the new wave of violence in Rakhine. What we forget is that she is a politician through and through. People expect her to have that big high moral voice but shes a politician, and whats the most important objective if you are a politician? Getting elected, Yanghee Lee, the U.N.s special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar told Agence France-Presse during an interview in South Korea. I think we need to delete our memories of the imprisoned democratic icon. Malaysian aid mission The violence in Rakhine and resulting humanitarian crisis has unleashed anti-Myanmar protests in Asian capitals and an outpouring of sympathy for the Rohingya people from leaders of Muslim majority countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia. During a visit to Bangladesh earlier this week, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Jakarta was ready to help Bangladesh ease its humanitarian burden from the massive influx of new refugees. On Friday, the office of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that his government was launching a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to refugee camps clustered along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. It is an integrated aid mission to supply urgent need and assistance to shelter refugees across the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Najibs office said in a statement. Discussions would also be held for the placement of a military hospital in the area with the further consent of Bangladeshi authorities, according to the statement. Imran Vittachi in Washington and Razlan Rashid in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. An Indian police officer stands beside a charred automobile outside the Air India Building in Mumbai following a series of bombings, March 14, 1993. An Indian court on Thursday sentenced two men to death and two others to life in prison for the countrys deadliest terrorist bombings that killed more than 250 people in Mumbai 24 years ago. The series of 13 blasts that ripped through the western coastal city of Mumbai, known as Indias financial hub, on March 12, 1993, also wounded at least 700 people. The Indian government blames Dawood Ibrahim, a Mumbai-born gangster who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, for the attack. A special court sentenced Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and Tahir Merchant to death and gave life terms to Karimullah Khan and Abu Salem, a high-profile underworld kingpin who was arrested by the Interpol in Portugal in 2002 and subsequently deported to India in 2005. Another accused, Riaz Siddiqui, received a 10-year jail term. Prosecutors said the bombings were widely believed to be an act of revenge against communal riots that occurred after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in 1992. At least 2,000 people, both Hindus and Muslims, were killed in the almost month-long violence, according to official figures. The court had convicted the accused on June 16. More than 100 others already have been convicted and sentenced to terms ranging from life imprisonment to death. Historic judgment Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam was instrumental in getting the convictions in a trial that lasted more than two decades. It was a historic judgment and its impact will reverberate for years, he said, according to the French news agency Agence France-Presse. Survivors of the brutal assault that targeted prominent sites, including hotels and shopping bazaars, across the city said they were dissatisfied over the verdict. Why didnt everyone get the death sentence Kirti Ajmera, a real-estate broker, who was injured in the explosion outside the Bombay Stock Exchange building, told BenarNews. Journalist Daya Kishan, who immediately went to the building after news broke, recalled seeing bodies and blood scattered on the street. Justice, but too late, too little, he said. What about those that hatched this entire attack? They used people, and are now sitting safe in another country, Kishan said, referring to Ibrahim, the underworld kingpin. Kamla Malkani lost her sister in one of the explosions. She blamed the government for not doing enough to help families of the victims. Until this day, the government has not come forward to help families of those who lost their lives, their belief in humanity that day, she told BenarNews. Indonesian activists protest in front of Surabaya City Court to demand justice for Salim Kancil, an environmental activist who was killed in East Java, June 23, 2016. Indonesian environmental activists condemned the arrest this week of one of their own for allegedly displaying a banner displaying communist symbols during an anti-mining protest in East Java province back in April. Communism is outlawed in Indonesia, and activist Hari Budiawan (alias Budi Pego), has been in custody since his Sept. 4 arrest by the Banyuwangi District Attorneys office. Budi Pego has been accused of spreading communism by displaying a banner with a hammer-and-sickle printed on it during a protest against the local gold mine operation, fellow activist Agnes Deva told BenarNews. She is the coordinator of For Banyuwangi, an organization seeking environmental justice in the region. She said Budi, 37, a well-known local anti-mining activist, was picked up on suspicion of being involved with the banned Indonesia Communist Party (PKI). On Oct. 18, 1965, 62 members of Ansor, the youth wing of the largest Indonesian Muslim organization, were killed by PKI sympathizers in a Banyuwangi regency, leading the government to declare communism illegal. At least 500,000 Indonesians died during a nationwide anti-communist purge that targeted suspected PKI members in 1965 and 1966. Police official M. Lufti said Budi was arrested for a crime against national security tied to a protest rally against the Tumpang Pitu gold mine on April 4. The criminal statute states: Those who publicly commit crimes verbally, written, or through other media, spread or develop communism, Marxism, Leninism in any attempt, will be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years in prison. Budis lawyer, Subagio, said police fabricated the complaint against his client, adding they could not present evidence of the banner other than a set of photographs of a banner with a hammer-and-sickle. Such arrests have been commonly practiced by law enforcers once there is a protest held against mining companies, said Subagio, who uses one name, according to Detik.com. He plans to file a petition to suspend the charges. Agnes said police did not have enough evidence to charge Budi, adding she questioned the banners authenticity. She is confident it was not displayed by Budi and other protesters. We all clearly remember there were 11 banners made to be displayed during the protest and none of those had a hammer and sickle printed on them, she said. Local police and residents were also there. If the activists made such a banner displaying the hammer and sickle, they would have been aware. Police could have stopped the protest and arrested anyone joining in, she said. On Thursday, Budis house was quiet. His family told us they would no longer be available to meet the press for any kind of interview, Agnes said. Targeting environmentalists Herlambang P. Wiratraman, head of the legal and human rights studies at the University of Airlangga, said Budis arrest was tied to his activism against mining companies, and had nothing to do with the communist party. He said the stigma against communism in Indonesia was used to stop activists efforts against mining companies. He said the protest erupted because a deal allowing the mining operation did not include enough input from the community, along with a lack of public information regarding the project including potential environmental damage. Tekad Garuda, a land sovereignty advocacy group, said there had been five attempts to file criminal charges against 11 activists protesting against the mine. Such arrests would run counter to the Environmental Protection and Management act established in 2009 that states, those who fight for their right to live in a healthy and proper environment cannot be charged with crimes or civil penalties. In September 2015, environmental activist Salim Kancil was killed and his cousin assaulted while they protested against sand mining in East Java. About six months later, 35 suspects, including two local government officials, were charged with the assaults. North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (right) shakes hands with Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting, Aug. 6, 2017. The Philippines has temporarily cut bilateral trade relations with North Korea in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said. North Korea, which has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its missile launches, tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb on Sept. 3, just days after it tested a ballistic missile that flew over the Japanese island of Hokkaido. We can say we have suspended trade relations with North Korea, Cayetano told reporters. The UN Security Council is quite clear. Part of these are the economic sanctions and the Philippines will comply. The Philippines, which is this years chairman of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has been calling on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear and missile tests which it called a cause of worry for the regions security. The Philippines sent about $29-million worth of products, mostly computers and circuit boards, to North Korea in 2016. Manila is the fifth largest exporter to Pyongyang and it also imported North Korean goods worth about $16 million last year, according to government figures. The two countries established diplomatic relations in July 2000. We are one with the world in wanting denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula. We are against anything that causes instability, we are against provocation, we are for dialogue, Cayetano, who recently visited South Korea, said. The Philippines has an estimated 65,000 nationals living and working in South Korea, and about 240,000 others live in Japan. Cayetano said the Philippines remains gravely concerned about the developments in the Korean Peninsula, which he said had undermined regional peace and stability. He said the North was flouting all of its commitments under the U.N. Security Council resolutions, and emphasized that Pyongyangs actions have limited available options for a meaningful dialogue. However, he said ASEAN remained ready to broker a dialogue to de-escalate tensions. But, he said, should tensions continue to rise, the Philippine government was prepared to evacuate its citizens facing danger. Relatives and classmates of teenager Carl Arnaiz, who was shot and killed after he allegedly robbed a taxi driver at gunpoint, cry as they attend a Mass at the Mater Dolorosa Parish in Manila, Sept. 5, 2017. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said the recent killings of three teenagers were intentional and aimed at sabotaging police carrying out his internationally condemned war on drugs. Duterte did not offer any proof of his assertion about the successive killings of Kian Loyd delos Santos, 17, Carl Arnaiz, 19, and Reynaldo de Guzman, 14, last month. Look at the cases more deeply because you are being sabotaged, Duterte told national police chief Ronald dela Rosa in a nationally televised speech in the southern city of Digos. The killings were intentional. Duterte did not explain the basis for his allegation and did not elaborate on who was behind the supposed plot. But he insisted Friday that unnamed political opponents were out to discredit his regime. The claim comes amid widespread allegations that the three boys were killed one after another by police carrying out Dutertes anti-drug war in Manila and nearby suburbs. Forensic investigators have said that delos Santos and Arnaiz appeared to have been shot at close range, belying earlier reports that they resisted arrest. A closed-circuit TV camera caught plainclothes policemen leading delos Santos away, contrary to their report that a shootout had occurred. Police alleged Arnaiz held up a taxi and fought with them, but his relatives said the boy was a university scholar and not known to be violent. De Guzmans body was found this week, with at least 30 stab wounds. His head was wrapped in packing tape. He and Arnaiz went missing after telling their relatives they were going out for a late-night food run. In a bizarre turn of events, the president claimed that Arnaiz was a distant relative. He did not explain. This I can tell you one of the persons killed is my relative Carl Angelo Arnaiz. He is my relative, Duterte said. Will I allow the police to kill my own relative? Rogue cops Dutertes comments came a day after his government appeared to have a change of heart about the anti-drug campaign, saying it has forced a rethinking about how police were carrying out the policy. On Friday, Dutertes spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said Dutertes administration was one with the public in condemning the suspicious deaths of the boys and vowed that the police would cooperate with any investigation to be carried out by any institution. Rogue cops, if and when allegations are proven true, have no place in an institution like the Philippine National Police and we need everyones full support and cooperation as we continue to cleanse its ranks, Abella said. More than 8,000 suspected drug dealers and addicts have been killed by police and unknown vigilantes since Duterte became president last year. Last month, he praised police for the bloody crackdown and told them he would pardon officers if they got caught and convicted. He also frequently joked that police should make sure to kill suspects and plant evidence. Duterte has also lashed out at the United States, European Union and the United Nations for criticizing his violent method, stressing that he was in the middle of a campaign to end what he claims is a creeping narco-politics in the country. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. 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Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. Who will pay for the fence? | Von: RALF SCHULER Vicious battle of letters between Brussels and Budapest! The argument started in late August with a letter by Hungarys Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. It contained an invoice over 440 million euros. This sum is, according to Orban, what the EU should contribute to the costs of building and guarding the Hungarian border fence. Lesen Sie auch The refusal followed promptly. On September 5, Juncker wrote to dear Viktor that this would not happen. His message was that solidarity is not a one-way street. If you do not take in any refugees, you also cannot, at a whim, demand money from others. However, Juncker wrote that he is glad that Orban appreciates the European solidarity. The reply from Budapest followed immediately and is exclusively available to BILD. It is harsh, lacking any diplomatic formalities. Orban writes to dear Jean-Claude: In the name of the Hungarian government, I would like to make it clear that, in our view, the principle of solidarity in the interpretation presented by you is incompatible with the EUs legal provisions. It is also not compatible with Hungarys historical traditions. Lesen Sie auch Orban explains his attitude towards migration and immigration with a dig at the history of other EU countries: In contrast to some eminent EU member states, Hungary was not a colonial power in the past. These eminent EU states became immigration countries as a consequence of their obligations that are due to their former position as colonial powers. Hungary, however, is not an immigration country and does not wish to become one. Orban directly attacks Juncker, as well as basically any EU critics of Hungary. His charge is that the EU intends to forcefully transform his country: Moreover, Hungary cannot accept being coerced into such a transformation. The interpretation of the principle of solidarity presented in your letter implies the transformation of Hungary into an immigration country against the will of Hungarys citizens. This is not solidarity, but coercion. Orban does not shy away from openly confronting Juncker and the Commission. Finally, I register with astonishment and bewilderment that you and the European Commission are not willing to spend any money on the border fence. I firmly believe that anyone who does not support the fence cannot and does not want to defend the citizens of the European Union. Given the huge numbers of attempts to cross the borders illegally, a defense without creating physical obstacles is not possible. If the European Commission is only willing to finance measures and institutions that aim at taking in migrants instead of defending the borders, we will merely create a further incentive for hundreds of thousands of migrants to set off towards Europe. This will not stop the migration. Auch interessant At the end of his letter, Hungarys head of government repeats his claim that the EU should contribute to the costs of protecting Hungarys southern borders. Over the past two years, the sum of 270 billion forints was, in its entirety, paid by Hungarian tax payers. However, the fence and the Hungarian border patrols do not only protect Hungarian, but also Austrian, German, and other EU citizens. Yours sincerely, ORBAN Viktor A reply from Brussels can presumably be expected very soon Von: RALF SCHULER They are shouting, Get lost! Get lost! Some of the protest signs read, Go to your Muslims or Close the Borders. Chancellor Angela Merkel (63, CDU) has to shout over whistles of protesters and a crescendo of boos during many of her election campaign events. But, she is not just being heckled in East Germany. She was pelted with tomatoes on Tuesday in Heidelberg. Are these protests led by far-right extremists, AfD supporters or are they unorganized demonstrations? Tension is rising among members of the Union party, who are worried that the numbers of potential CDU/CSU voters will decrease on election day while the number of AfD voters will increase. How realistic is it to worry when 50 peoples whistles are louder than the clapping of 100 people? According to an INSA survey, every third German citizen (36 percent) would like Angela Merkel to remain Chancellor. 39 percent oppose Chancellor Merkel seeking a fourth consecutive term (9 percent dont care and 11 percent are undecided). INSA chief Hermann Binkert said: In 2013, Merkel was the presidential candidate with high approval ratings across all political parties. But in 2017, people have a different opinion of her. According to Forsa, however, Merkel comes in at 47 percent and Martin Schulz, Chancellor candidate of the SPD, comes in far behind her with 21 percent. Lesen Sie auch The estimated number of those who are angry has yet to be determined. AfD is pretending on the internet as if they were just the tip of the Angela Merkel iceberg. According to information obtained by BILD, an association supporting AfD has started a campaign across Germany that involves billboard posters with eight different themes. Details on who is financing the campaign are still in the dark. Merkel was never a dazzling political street fighter like her predecessor Gerhard Schroder who loved being in the limelight. And she knows it. Yet the protests leave her unperturbed. You have to live with it. Thats democracy, she says. Why does Merkel face these hecklers anyway and doesnt preserve her voice for cities where she wont be booed and mocked? Because she feels committed towards loyal supporters. To cancel an event would be out of the question. For Immediate Release, September 8, 2017 Contact: John Fleming, (213) 785-5400 x 103, jfleming@biologicaldiversity.org Analysis: Majority of Flooded Texas Superfund Sites in Low-income Neighborhoods, Communities of Color HOUSTON A majority of polluted Superfund sites flooded in Texas by Hurricane Harvey are in low-income neighborhoods or communities of color, according to U.S. Census data analyzed by the Center for Biological Diversity. Todays analysis found that nine of the 16 Superfund sites reported flooded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Associated Press are in communities where the majority of residents are people of color, low-income or both. The potential overflow of toxic chemicals from inundated Superfund sites designated by the federal government as the most hazardous polluted areas in the nation poses contamination risks to surrounding floodwater, soil and people. Yet EPA response personnel did not visit many flooded sites for days, even though they were accessible. These flooded sites are a toxic threat to people living nearby, and the EPAs slow response to this crisis compounds the risks, said John Fleming, a staff scientist at the Centers Climate Law Institute. This situation is horribly unjust to people of color and low-income communities already bearing an unfair pollution burden. Hurricane Harvey unleashed a risk to these neighborhoods that shows how climate change will magnify public-health disparities. There are 82 Superfund sites in the coastal counties in Texas affected by Harvey, which generated extreme flooding driven partly by climate change. According to the Centers analysis, 60 of these polluted sites or 73 percent are located in communities that are predominately low-income or people of color. Harris County alone has 50 Superfund sites, the most of any county in Texas. Neighborhoods with Superfund sites in this county are on average 79 percent people of color and 42 percent low-income residents. The potential release of Superfund contaminants like perchloroethylene and chlorinated hydrocarbons poses long-term health risks for residents, many of whom have just lost loved ones, homes and pets because of the storm. The badly flooded Highlands Acid Pit in the Houston area, for example, was used by the petroleum industry as a dump site for toxic sludge and sulfuric acid. The Harvey crisis comes at a time of turmoil for the EPA, which has lost 400 employees since Aug. 31. The Trump administration has pushed for deep cuts at the agency, which is now headed by Scott Pruitt, a close ally of the oil industry. Harveys toxic fallout is an environmental-justice issue the EPA is increasingly ill equipped to handle, Fleming said. This poorly led agency is driving off its best and brightest, even as environmental threats from pollution are multiplied by extreme weather. Below are maps displaying the Superfund sites among coastal counties affected by Harvey that reflect sociodemographic data. Attacks on Kenya's judiciary by President Uhuru Kenyatta, has damaged his support base, according to social media research conducted by social media monitoring firm, BrandsEye. Maurizio Giovanni Bersanelli via 123RF BrandsEyes latest research between August 28 and September 4, looked at online conversation from 150 000 Kenyans in order to gauge public sentiment towards their President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader and presidential candidate, Raila Odinga. The findings show Kenyattas attack on the Kenyan judiciary angered Kenyans and led to a further drop in support for the incumbent leader. In response to the Supreme Courts 1 September decision to annul the election results, Kenyatta referred to the judges as wakora meaning crooks or thugs. Kenyatta experienced a peak in net sentiment on the August 31 as the Supreme Court investigation into the recent Kenya presidential elections concluded. Kenyattas supporters rallied around the candidate calling on the Supreme Court to respect the will of Kenyans. The Supreme Courts decision was positively received by Kenyans who viewed the announcement to suspend the result as a triumph for democracy and rule of law. The Supreme Courts decision was positively received by Kenyans who viewed the announcement to suspend the result as a triumph for democracy and rule of law. Odinga has managed to consistently stay above the negative threshold. Support for Odinga peaked on September 1 when the election result was annulled. In the week leading up to the Kenyan elections (1-6 August 2017), 443 000 mentions from 173 000 Kenyans discussing the election were analysed. According to the data, BrandsEye predicted that incumbent Kenyatta was under threat of losing the presidency. Prior to the courts intervention, BrandsEyes data shows that there were 12 937 mentions pertaining to vote rigging and fraud on August 9, the day after the election. This points to some concern from voters about the fairness of the election. Of those 12 937 mentions, 61% referenced Odingas claim that the election system was hacked. Prior to the election results being announced on August 11, Kenyan social media signaled that fraud had played a role in the voting process, highlighting the predictive value of social media as a gauge of public opinion. BrandsEye method Social media opinions have traditionally been very difficult to analyse in aggregate due to the scale and complexity of the conversations. The scale challenge can be solved using artificial intelligence (AI), but this approach leads to inaccurate data, which at best is 60% as machines struggle to understand the nuances of human conversation. BrandsEye solves the inaccuracy challenge by complementing the AI with trained crowds large teams of local language speakers who review and verify the data allowing us to get online accuracy of 97%. In the case of this election, our crowd was made up of Swahili speakers who understood the local dialects and social context. Kenyas presidential elections have been rescheduled for October 17. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has declared an outbreak of measles in KwaZulu-Natal, after an increase in laboratory-confirmed measles cases was observed in the Ethekwini and Umgungundlovu districts since July 2017. Many of the cases are among persons older than five years, outside the age groups that were targeted by the national measles vaccination campaign conducted earlier this year. Furthermore, the majority of the cases are from the private sector and within communities that are hesitant to accept vaccination for religious reasons. Outbreak response activities are ongoing. Provincial and district outbreak response teams have met, and interventions are being planned, including targeted vaccination campaigns. Community engagement meetings are being held, and information, education and communication material are being disseminated. The public are urged to ensure that all children are up to date with vaccinations. Healthcare workers are advised to be on the alert for persons presenting with fever and maculopapular rash (i.e. non-vesicular) and any one of the 3 Cs cough, coryza (i.e. runny nose) or conjunctivitis (i.e. red eyes) or any person in whom a clinician suspects measles infection. Healthcare workers should notify all suspected cases to district and provincial authorities, and should confirm each measles case through submission of a blood specimen and a completed case investigation form to the NICD, which provides testing free of charge. Private laboratories have agreed to courier blood specimens for measles testing to the NICD, when the specimen request form clearly indicatesMeasles serology for NICD-JHB no charge Prior to the measles outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal, there have been two measles outbreaks in 2017: the first in Western Cape in January and the second in Gauteng in June. There have been concerns by some religious communities about the presence of porcine gelatin in the measles vaccine. Currently, public and private providers in South Africa use the MeasBio (Biovac) vaccine. The MeasBio (Biovac) vaccine contains porcine gelatine but it is currently the only option available in South Africa. The previous vaccine for measles called Rouvax (Sanofi Pasteur) did not contain porcine gelatine but it is no longer manufactured. In the private sector, some providers may offer a vaccine called Priorix which contains measles, mumps and rubella virus (MMR) but this vaccine is not currently available in South Africa. Healthcare workers should inform persons who hesitate to receive vaccination of the risks of illness, the benefits of vaccination, and religious authorities official responses. Material on vaccination, including statements from the Jaimatul Ulama, and the Islamic Medical association in support of vaccination may be found on the NICD website. Bell Pottinger, which has staff, partners and offices in many parts of the world, is headquartered in London. So when the South African political party the Democratic Alliance wanted to complain about the firms activities, the London-based PRCA was its chosen route. The whole issue of ethics and regulation in public relations is a thorny one. In virtually every country, anyone can call themselves a PR practitioner. I am an accredited practitioner with all sorts of qualifications, but there is nothing in law to stop my neighbour, a plumber, from hanging out a sign saying he is a PR officer, too. But thanks to a drive from industry professionals there have been efforts to promote ethics and ensure some sort of regulation, which practitioners and companies can choose to sign up to. In the UK, there is the PRCA (mostly for organisations) and the CIPR (mostly for individual practitioners). Each has codes of conduct and disciplinary processes. Each can censure and expel. Ethical practitioners hope that clients will equate membership with high standards. The PRCAs expulsion of Bell Pottinger is the most serious sanction it can take, and follows an investigation, a provisional ruling and an appeal. But now Bell Pottinger is out, and it cannot apply to rejoin for at least five years. According to PRCA Director General Francis Ingham: Bell Pottinger has brought the PR and communications agency into disrepute The PRCA has never before passed down such a damning indictment of an agencys behaviour. Bell Pottinger was founded in part by Sir Tim (now Lord) Bell in 1987. Advising former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher on her presentational style, he became one of the biggest names in PR . The firm did not shy away from controversial clients , who included former South African president FW de Klerk, Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian president Bashir al-Assad, and the South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, after he was accused of murder. Lord Bell himself resigned from the company last year. And in an interview with the BBCs Newsnight (which was twice interrupted by his mobile phone ringing) he said this latest episode was almost certainly the end. Experts in keeping up appearances, the firm no doubt regrets the work it carried out for the wealthy Gupta family, which has close links to South Africas president Jacob Zuma. The British PR firm got into trouble with a social media economic emancipation campaign in which the phrase white monopoly capital was said to have been deliberately, or irresponsibly, used, stirring up racial tension. South Africas opposition Democratic Alliance accused Bell Pottinger of a hateful and divisive campaign to divide South Africa along the lines of race. The scandal led to resignations and the loss of clients. Britains biggest bank, HSBC, has said it would no longer use Bell Pottinger. A Swiss luxury company headed by a South African businessman, a South African investment group, and Acacia, which owns gold mines in Tanzania, are also reportedly off the books. The damage to the companys reputation is immense. While Bell Pottinger did take on work for clients which some of us find offensive or to be avoided, there is a difference between a client with a bad reputation deserving some help, and creating a bad reputation through the very act of communication. Is all publicity still good publicity? Will nations and companies still want to hire the company in the future? Some will probably take the attitude that recent events do not affect the organisations ability to carry out its work. But will journalists and other PR audiences be ready to accept the firms messages? Probably not. The first response of any journalist contacted by a Bell Pottinger spokesperson will surely be to think of this damning incident. It will be tough for any lobbying campaign to carry conviction with the Bell Pottinger name attached. Of course, being expelled from a professional association does not take away the ability to practice. The Democratic Alliance itself has pointed out that Bell Pottinger can still work in South Africa. But PR depends on the ability to win client accounts by convincing them that you will protect and enhance their reputation. It is difficult to see how an organisation which has effectively trashed its own reputation can protect someone elses. Paula Keaveney, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Politics, Edge Hill University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. South African mining is in crisis, but there are solutions to restoring the dream' of a prosperous, growing, and transformed the sector. In addition, key governance and policy challenges in South Africa have eroded business and investor confidence, said Roger Baxter, Chamber of Mines CEO at the Africa DownUnder Conference in Perth, Australia. Roger Baxter, CEO: Chamber of Mines In effect, he noted, policy and regulatory uncertainty have frozen new investment in the sector. It is extremely difficult to get any company investment committee to approve any new greenfields project in South Africa today. Real mining GDP in 2016 of R226bn was less than the R242bn reported in 1994. Real mining fixed investment has shrunk over the past two years, with large parts of the industry continuing to report losses. Scant attention He added that it was very concerning that the minister of mineral resources paid scant attention to this crisis in his conference presentation the previous day, but that perhaps this is because the department of mineral resources (DMR) has provided no assistance to help the industry through the crisis. The industry is very surprised that the minister claims to have received positive feedback from any investor on the DMRs charter, and the state of the industry. This has not been the industrys experience, and it is the industry that engages with investors and raise capital on a regular basis. The economic opportunity cost of the failure to get the policy, legislative, administrative and operating environment right to promote investment, growth, transformation and job creation in South African mining is material, Baxter said. Some of the key uncertainties being perpetuated by the DMR include: Uncertainty regarding the ownership element of the Mining Charter. Uncertainty created by the DMRs unilaterally developed and imposed Reviewed Mining Charter. Uncertainty regarding the finalisation of the MPRDA Amendment Bill which is incomplete after being published nearly five years ago (remaining uncertainty on section 11 approvals). Uncertainty regarding the ministers proposed section 49 moratorium on new right and section 11 applications. Uncertainty created by double financial provision for environmental rehabilitation. Baxter stated that the chamber and its members have lost confidence in the minister and in his leadership of the DMR. Significant corruption allegations against the minister and the DMR have not been cleared and the proposed judicial commission of enquiry into state capture has not been established. The industry does not believe that the approach adopted by the DMR is serving the national interest of the country and the negative impacts of the unilaterally imposed Reviewed Mining Charter, the proposed section 49 rights moratorium, the non-resolution of the charter ownership issues, imposition of inappropriate section 54 safety stoppages, for example, have created a major crisis for the sector. The industry is of the firm view that the DMRs Charter is designed to benefit a select few at the expense of the whole country. But, to get mining back on track requires policy and regulatory certainty, and government oversight that recognises minings unique characteristics, and that: mining is a high risk industry, with long lead times from exploration through to mine development and ultimately closure; mining is very capital intensive, with a large portion of capital being spent in development of the mine; the sector is exposed to cyclical commodity markets, and is generally a 'price-taker' that cannot pass on cost increases to the final consumer; and mining is geographically determined, and requires access to cost competitive and efficient infrastructure. To encourage investment into mining, policies need to recognise the characteristics of mining and help reduce the risks of investment in long term projects. The Chamber remains committed to finding workable solutions in the national interest. This is a resilient industry. Its stakeholders including business, government, unions, communities and civil society have reached a precipice in the past, but then realised that mutually agreeable solutions are possible. But, this will require ethical leadership and a focus on the national interest by all parties, he concluded. In 2012, the G20 heads of state recognised tourism as a catalyst for growth and development. According to the Department of Tourism, the sector directly supported more than 700,000 jobs in 2016, with over 10 million foreign visitors coming to South Africa, surpassing the global growth average. Image Supplied It is little wonder that the construction so visibly unfolding at the Graskop Gorge in Mpumalanga is drawing much attention. Motorists on the R533 towards Hazyview have for months been watching the constant activity on the side of the gorge opposite to the Big Swing. A private entity, the Graskop Gorge Lift Co, is developing the site at a cost of R40m. When completed, the adventure centre will include a glass elevator that will transport visitors 51m to the bottom of the gorge, where they will explore the diverse forest below via a series of elevated walkways and suspension bridges. Back top-side, they will be able to enjoy a meal at the restaurant or drink at the bar both of which will boast breath-taking views. There will be shops for some retail therapy, viewing decks and a childrens play area. While all this spells excitement and anticipation for those people eager to experience this new offering on the Panorama Route, others cannot wait for the opening in December 2017 because of the impact the development will have on the community. Tourism equals job creation A development of this magnitude, which is expected to draw domestic and international visitors, has spin-off benefits for the region, including the preservation of cultural heritage, improved infrastructure and more visitors to surrounding tourism establishments. Mpumalangas scenic beauty, wildlife, sunny climate, outdoor activities, foodie options and relatively close proximity to Johannesburg and Pretoria, make it a prime tourist destination. In the first quarter of 2016, Africas only rail toboggan opened at Misty Mountain amid much fanfare it was something new and exciting for the tourism sector to attract more visitors to the Kruger Lowveld, South Africas inland tourism destination, but aware of the been-there-done-that challenge. The Graskop Glass Lift Co has generated much attention from international quarters after being introduced at Indaba and World Travel Market 2017. Local tour operators too will be glad to have another attraction to add to their books, alongside old favourites like the Skyway Aerial Trail, especially when one considers that tourism today is all about the experience. Once tourists find what they want to do, they then book accommodation. James Sheard, Campbell Scott, and Oupa Pilane three local businessmen with vast experience in the tourism sector owns the Graskop Gorge Lift Co. They have a long-term lease with the Thaba Chweu Municipality, which owns the land, and obtained funding through the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), which is a 26.1% shareholder in the project. The rest of the shares are privately held. The project is providing much-needed innovation in the majestic Panorama route, says Xolisile Ntanzi, a senior investment associate within the Strategic Projects Fund of the NEF. She adds that the NEF was attracted by the uniqueness of the product, the calibre of the entrepreneurs and the support from Thaba Chweu Municipality through its local economic development agency Thaleda. The business case is strong, with good profit generation potential backed by a strong indication of a booming market! she Ntanzi. Our investment shows the level of confidence we have in the area. The Lowveld is a place of immense natural beauty that has always been a popular destination, affirms Pilane. He says that while it thus made sense to invest in the region, his involvement and that of Sheard and Scott go beyond business and underpins the "special attachment we have for the province." We want to see the region thrive, he adds. Already, 120 temporary jobs have been created, while it is expected that 44 people will eventually secure full-time employment. BEE opportunities have been structured into the procurement of services and where possible, procurement is done locally. One of the requirements we insisted on is that every company we appoint as suppliers or contractors must have a minimum BEE level 4 rating, says Pilane. Locals are being trained to assist with the less technical construction jobs and are consequently gaining skills that they can use in future to earn an income. Local benefit for traders Mpumalanga has a rich cultural heritage, evident in many of the curio items on sale in all tourist spots, including at the Graskop Gorge. The developers plan to incorporate the 14 veteran Graskop Gorge traders into the new venture, has seen them refurbish the existing trade area, registering the group as a cooperative. We will help them with skills and product diversification, says Pilane. Sindiswa Mathebula, Thaba Chweu Local Municipalitys newly-appointed Director: Local Economic Development and Planning (seated, in yellow jacket) with traders Chrissie Mann, Grace Mashego, Christina Maila and Allen Mashigo. The traders are among 14 who will benefit from the lift development. Trader Allen Mashigo says he is relieved that they will be better protected from the elements and safeguarded against criminals. Mainly, he says, they are excited that they will reach more people. Sindiswa Mathebula, Thaba Chweu local municipalitys director: local economic development and planning, says that registering the traders as a cooperative was the first step towards meeting the criteria for government funding, a process that the traders are being assisted with. Another project that will empower crafters from across South Africa is the establishment of a shop on site that will cut out the middleman and sell crafters handiwork directly to the public. Art Aid Africa, which specialises in the facilitation and development of visual art in local communities, is collaborating in this project. It is going to be 100% South Africa, says Art Aids John Anthony Boerma. He and Art Aid partner, Jan Bhuda believe the shop will create a great platform for South Africas top crafters. Art Aid holds workshops around the country for crafters and Boerma says they hope to identify a crafter in each area who can be guided to develop items specifically for the shop. Addressing infrastructure challenges Another tangible benefit of the lift project is the commitment by the municipality to address infrastructure challenges in and around Graskop. A world-class facility needs proper supporting infrastructure. Already, the municipality has budgeted money to fix the towns water pumps and assessments are being done to existing infrastructure to determine priority areas, says Pilane. Mathebula says the local authority is glad that what was previously an unused piece of land is now going to be a catalyst for growth and development. She explains that in 2013, they did a hotel development feasibility study but found that the occupancy rate at hotels and lodges in the area was only 46%. We realised we needed activity-based developments first, to increase the number of visitors. She confirms that infrastructure upgrades will be needed to support the development of this tourism node, most specifically the state of the access road. Apart from the rates and taxes payable to the local council by the Graskop Gorge Lift Co, she says SMME opportunities have already been created and the expected influx of people will have a great social impact on the area. I hope the lift development spurs the rejuvenation of other tourism sites, likes Pilgrims Rest, she says. Earlier in the year, Mpumalanga MEC of finance, economic development, and tourism, Eric Kholwane said his department would be focusing on tourism infrastructure and tourist attractions. Pilane explains that once the loan is repaid to the NEF, the Graskop Gorge Lift Co would be given first right to buy back NEFs shares. Our thought is that we should create a community trust that is able to participate in the buyback. It is our thinking that this would create a long-term legacy for the project. The second phase of the project will include a 40-bed boutique hotel. The experience was transformative but not in the grad student-saves-the-poor kind of way. I saw that there were these students being parachuted down from a different part of the world and expected to make some sort of impact in three months. Three months is only a blip of time when you consider it against the past 10 years that New Orleans has been recovering from the disaster. If youre trying to help a city, you need people who are from there and who are invested in the city over time and there are [people like that], I was just not one of them. This realisation would form the foundation of her work in the tech industry. Remix, the four-year-old startup she co-founded with Sam Hashemi, is redesigning the way cities and city planners design their transit routes by making the design process accessible where it had for decades been complex and driven by labour intensive processes. If a city planner were to try and do something as simple as shift a bus route, they would have to use hand-drawn routes and spreadsheets to manually evaluate factors such the cost, the impact on the environment and the impact on other transit routes to name a few. With Remix, planners are able to plan and test complex scenarios in seconds. It also gamifies the process, making it easier for policymakers or other stakeholders to comprehend and hopefully invest some money. Remix was named a GovTech 100 company for 2017 and recently raised $10m in Series A funding. This comes after the web-based platform tripled its profits in 2016. Over 200 cities in over 10 countries now use Remix, and the company has helped approximately a quarter of all US transit systems optimise transit routes, impacting close to one billion transit trips per year. When I ask Chu if shes surprised, she answers that its more like bewilderment. The project started as a side project between a group of four technologists Chu and Hashemi included. The initial platform allowed residents from San Francisco to suggest new bus routes using a drag-and-drop function. Called Transitmix at the time, the programme went viral overnight, attracting over 250 planners looking to have a similar system established in their cities. In 2014, Chu and Hashemi founded the company based on the Transitmix prototype and now they are known to have taken transit planning into the future. But for Chu, the process would not be a success without an equal investment in the people in the cities it serves. We develop long-term relationships with our cities who are Remix customers. Well start off by visiting the city. We spend a couple of days on-site helping them train, and really understanding their context, she explained. We dont do short-term or couple of month projects, we say we want to be your resource for the next three to five to seven to ten years. This investment in the community was something she picked up in an earlier project. As part of her graduate thesis at MIT, Chu travelled to Vietnam to map 1000+ street vendors in Saigon. There, she worked to affect change at a policy level by talking to the people of the city about the importance of street vendors. She tells me that the experience taught her that her work, whether in architecture or tech, is essentially about people rather than design. I guess its bringing information to people where they are and making it more accessible in a way thats understandable to everyone and not just the academics that you think might be reading your research. So, that was what I learned in Vietnam, she says. In my day to day, right now, thats basically what I do. Its basically taking complex topics such as how transportation works in a city and boiling it down to, you know, the one or two high level takeaways that makes a policymaker say, yes, I understand now and I want to make this change as a result. Its no surprise that Chu brings up policy so frequently during our talk. Change is unlikely to happen in a city when local governments are ineffective or if local governments are not supported by national funding. Thats the situation in the United States right now, explained Chu. As the Donald Trump administration leans to more conservative, more budget-cutting views with regards to public service, plans to build new infrastructure in the countrys cities is faltering. A city might have already invested in the planning stages of a very large infrastructure project such as a Bus Rapid Transit route. It requires a lot of community buy-in from stakeholders and the moment that you introduce a tiny bit of doubt, for example the doubt that federal funding may or may not come through, then it throws the entire project into risk, she said. It throws that local government into disarray where they dont know whether to continue spending resources there or whether they should be spending their money elsewhere. Along with federal government, people on the ground can also push back against proposed changes to infrastructure. According to Chu, whats playing out in cities today is a battle between the haves and the have nots, the latter of which often finds themselves farther away from the opportunities such as jobs and education. To be honest, I think its a battle for space, she explained. That battle can be seen everywhere, from the battle for housing affordability in many of the top expensive cities in the world, and its also a battle of accessibility for neighbourhoods trying to connect themselves to the rest of the city. Thats usually done through some sort of transit or transportation. So this issue of space and who gets what space and who is allowed to prioritise their space over others. While conservative notions tend to exclude and other minority communities or vulnerable groups, Chu believes the conversation needs to centre the benefits of a truly diverse, mixed-use city. A lot of the voices in the conversation are very selfish in the way that their cities are planned because everyone wants to protect their own property values. People think buses are for poor people so they dont want buses going by next to their house because its noisey and we need to have a conversation around how do we make the city better as a whole, for everybody instead of just for specific groups of privileged people. For now, Chu plans to use Remix to make it easier for changemakers to attract the funding they need to help their communities. Shes like a designer working to make better design possible. So its helping the practitioners, who are the ones doing all the work, and saying, Hey we want to help you visually communicate to convince the city council or the board of directors to get more local funding for your projects instead of depending on other more risky sources. Chu is one of the speakers at the inaugural Design Commons, which is taking place in Helsinki later this month. MAS Real Estate, the JSE-listed group that invests in Europe, on Thursday, 7 September, posted a 30% increase in distribution for the full year to June 2017, describing its results as "outstanding". Distribution per share rose to 5.85 from 4.50. "This distribution is underpinned by the increase in distributable earnings and strong pipeline of investments and developments," MAS said in a statement. "The group has had an exceptional year. We have doubled our income-generating property portfolio in the year, in turn driving up rental income and earnings," the compamny said. The portfolio benefited from gains of 36.8m in the value of investment property, driven predominantly by value uplifts from the maturing New Waverley development and the value of the 25-year lease with the UK government. This resulted in an increase in the adjusted NAV per share of 10% to 126.5 euro cents per share, despite the continued currency headwinds of a weakening sterling. During the year under review, the group raised 158m via the issue of new ordinary shares in two over-subscribed private placings during the financial year. In addition, the group had 147m of third-party debt finance in place as at 30 June 2017, having drawn-down a net amount of 112m during the year at a weighted average cost of 2.14%. Source: BDpro After announcing its ten-year growth plan for its African business in 2012, Syngenta is now halfway through its journey. The agritech company is now taking stock of what have it has achieved so far and where the bottlenecks are. Tabitha Muthoni grows tomatoes in Utange, near Mombasa. There are more than 450-million smallholder farmers like her around the globe, most of whom have family farms of less than 2ha of land. For farmers like Muthoni, increased productivity can make a big difference in their ability to support their families, send their children to school and continue investing in their fields. Tabitha Muthoni, a smallholder farmer near Mombasa, Kenya. Source: Syngenta Mavuno Zaidi project Since 2016, Muthoni has been part of Mavuno Zaidi, a project by Syngenta and TechnoServe that tackles difficulties faced by potato and tomato farmers in Kenya, including access to inputs, training opportunities and post-harvest storage solutions. Farmers participating also get better linkages to local markets. Before the programme Muthoni says, I had tried out tomato farming but had little knowledge on the crop and its diseases, often visiting agrovets with picked leaves to explain the problems I was facing. Now she makes $5,000 per season on her small tomato farm an increase from $2,000 and has grown from four to 11 employees. To date, Mavuno Zaidi, or grow more in Swahili, has helped Syngenta and TechnoServe reach over 25,000 farmers, returning an average productivity increase of 185% for those tomato farmers. Reaching out to farmers like Muthoni serves as an example of Syngenta 's Africa ambitions. Creating sustainable value Alexandra Brand, Syngentas regional director for Europe, Africa and Middle East, explains, Our chief aim is supporting the inclusion of smallholder farmers into viable value chains so that they produce more of what national and global markets want. We strive to transform farmer yields at scale and increase their profitability in a way that creates sustainable value. Our expertise lies in bringing top-class technology and agronomic knowledge tailored to the needs of diverse growers. Recognising that Syngenta cannot achieve these goals alone and that farmers require holistic solutions, we continue to invest in innovative partnerships. These collaborations must tackle such barriers faced by African farmers as access to inputs, inadequate financial solutions, limited produce aggregation, dysfunctional markets, skills and information gaps, says Brand. But despite many collaborative efforts, progress is slow. Moving Africa closer to the UN Sustainability Development Goal of zero hunger requires long-term commitment. Moreover, the food chain revolving around the smallholder remains too disjointed. A lead farmer checks his rice field in Senegal. Source: Syngenta Building stronger partnerships Attending the African Green Revolution Forum 2017, Brand elaborates: We see AGRF as a springboard to build stronger partnerships with like-minded organisations who share our vision and who can complement our skills and expertise with their own. Smallholder development projects, run in partnership with industry, academia, farmer organisations, civil society and enabled by national governments and international organisations, are crucial to achieving impact at scale. According to Syngenta, only through creative and committed collaborations can farmers access the full suite of products and services they need to succeed. Click here for more info on Syngenta partnerships that have been successful so far. On 6 September 2017, the City of Cape Town's executive mayor, Patricia de Lille conducted the final site inspection of the Cape Town International Convention Centre's (CTICC 2) expansion with CTICC's chief executive officer, Julie-May Ellingson before contractor's hand over the building for occupation. The mayors inspection included a tour of the main conference and exhibition halls, meeting pod rooms, and the facilitys extensive back-of-house areas. These include the control room with state-of-the-art building management systems as well as the facilitys hot, cold and pastry kitchens. The mayor also viewed the centres open-air rooftop terrace, with views of the city and Table Mountain. "In July 2014, I broke the first ground at the construction site. Now, in September 2017, we are standing in the impressive, light-filled reception hall of CTICC 2. This has been a long journey, but its only through focused and visionary leadership by the city and its partners that we can welcome even larger events and conferences to our shores and take this city to greater heights. Today Im even more proud to say that the CTICC is indeed a key driver of our efforts to position Cape Town as a forward-looking, globally competitive business city," said De Lille. An elegant and modern space CTICC 2 is an elegant and modern expansion of the original building, now to be known as CTICC 1. The 31,148m expansion adds 10,000m of multi-purpose conference and exhibition space through six halls located across two floors. The facility also includes 3,000m of informal and formal meeting space in the form of four larger meeting suites, a terrace room, and five smaller meeting pod rooms. Two modern rooftop decks provide the ideal backdrop for post-meeting cocktails. Unlike its original counterpart, the new centre is built across six floors and has more exterior balconies. CTICC 2 will also be able to operate as an independent facility. Its design received a four-star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa. CTICC 2 is at the heart of the citys mixed-use Foreshore Freeway Precinct project and the great new opportunities it will bring. At one level, the expansion will enliven this very area, but more importantly, it will continue to create jobs and provide a community hub that will make progress possible for the CBD and the city as a whole, continued De Lille. Ellingson, who oversaw the construction process, said: "The City of Cape Town has been the driving force behind making CTICC 2 possible. The city and its partners recognised the importance of an expanded CTICC more than a decade ago. Its only through their committed support that we could steer a complicated construction process so successfully, and I wish to personally thank the mayor for her encouragement and ongoing support." Events to be hosted in coming months The centre will host its first event, the 21st Annual Congress of the Council of Shopping Centres, from 13 to 15 September 2017. From 27 to 29 October, Mama Magic the Baby Expo, a longstanding CTICC client, will host the first consumer exhibition in the new centre. From 7 to 9 November 2017, Africas largest technology-focused event, AfricaCom, will host its 20th edition in the centre. CTICC 2 has already struck a chord with international associations, and by August 2017 the centre had already secured 10 major international events up until 2022, which includes the third International conference on Global Food Security will seek solutions to feed the earths nine billion people. The event takes place in CTICC 2 from 3 to 6 December 2017. In 2020, the World Ophthalmology Congress promises to attract 15,000 delegates and is the largest event the centre has secured in its 14-year history. The City would not have been able to win the bid for this event without an expanded convention centre. International experts in biomedicine will meet in CTICC 2 for the 18th International Congress of Immunology in August 2022. With a forecast attendance of 6,000 delegates, the conference will also be using both CTICC buildings. The CTICC has been a key driver of the regions knowledge economy, a place where ideas are shared, investments planned, a platform for creativity and innovation and a stage where South Africans and Africans can take part in the co-creation of future scientific, technological and academic advances. CTICC 2 will no doubt bolster the centres credentials as a positive contributor to Cape Town and the Western Capes socio-economic growth, added Ellingson. While the new centre will host its first events over the coming months, contractors will complete the multifaceted marshalling yard, roadworks around the centre, and add finishing touches to the building. Construction of the sky bridge across the Heerengracht connecting CTICC 1 with CTICC 2 will commence in 2018. Over the past few years, the term deep learning' has become more prominent, particularly in conversations around artificial intelligence (AI), big data and analytics. It is an approach to AI that shows great potential in the context of advancing the autonomous, self-teaching systems revolutionising many industries. Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa use deep learning in their voice- and image-recognition algorithms. Researchers at MIT use it to predict the future and some of the winners that we saw in the 2017 Cannes Lions showcase also made use of these technologies for example, the chatbot campaign by Tommy Hilfiger for TMY.GRL and the chatbot campaign rolled out by McDonalds Japan. Being a child born in the 80s, it is not difficult for me to think back to when all of these new technologies were just things of fiction, and the only time we experienced them was in movies and books. This got me thinking about the movies I grew up watching and the different technologies they had been able to foresee over 20 years before they became reality. Lets take a trip down memory lane and see how popular culture from back in the day was able to accurately (or inaccurately) predict present-day reality. Knight Rider (1982 to 1986) This television show was a huge hit in the 80s, with David Hasselhoff as the main protagonist. He was flanked by his trusty steed, or rather, autonomous driving motorcar. Fast-forward to the year 2015 and the autonomous car is no longer a figment of fiction. Car manufacturer, Tesla was one of the first to experiment with an autopilot feature on their vehicles. The company hopes to enable full self-driving under certain conditions by the end of 2017. The Terminator (1984) In the first Terminator movie the audience is introduced to Skynet, an hostile, neural net-based, intelligence system. Contrary to the vision of humans at odds with machines, todays future outlook focuses on how well we can partner with machines. The 2017 Cannes Lions brought our attention to applications such as Logojoy and Scriptbook, where creatives now partner with technology. The view is that people wont lose jobs to machines; rather, people will lose jobs to other people who have learnt how to partner better with machines. Robocop (1987) Speaking of partnering with machines, the movie Robocop was based on this thought. Today, we see many instances in which man and machine are moving closer and closer. For example, in 2016 the first cyborg Olympics were celebrated in Zurich, Switzerland. 16 teams of people with disabilities used technological developments to turn themselves into cyborg athletes. There were six different events and its competitors used and controlled advanced technologies such as powered prosthetic legs and arms, robotic exoskeletons, bikes and motorised wheelchairs. Back To The Future 2 (1989) This movie follows a crazy scientist by the name of Doc, who has developed a time-travel machine. The audience follows him into a future where we see a key biometric feature appear fingerprint verification. Two of the first smartphone manufacturers to integrate fingerprint recognition into their phone software were Motorola, with the Atrix 4G in 2011, and Apple, with the iPhone 5S in September 2013. In April 2014, Samsung released the Galaxy S5, which integrated a fingerprint sensor on the home button. A new world The accuracy with which many of these fictional pieces were able to predict the future is eye opening and slightly scary particularly given the dystopian nature of many of todays future-facing movies. Contrary to the recurring theme of dystopia, todays world shows us a face that looks confidently to technologys ability to shape our future for the positive. In my opinion, these new technologies are good for society. They take human beings into a future where the possibilities for new discovery are infinite. They equip inventors, engineers and even medical experts with ideas, algorithms and cures that essentially make life better for everybody. Children born with certain ailments and others with certain disabilities can now rely on new tech to overcome their limitations. Progress in fuel technology will have a revolutionary impact on how humans care for the environment in the future. And the advancement of biotechnology will have a strong impact on industries where security, privacy and secure access are key. These new developments create an ever-shifting landscape for marketers and force us to continually reassess the ways in which we communicate to markets, the media we use and the needs and wants we are satisfying. The speed at which these technologies are being actualised is increasing and this tells us that we are at the threshold of a time in history that will change our world forever. In short, if you want to predict the future, go watch a movie. As part of the annual South African National Parks Week , SANParks will once again be opening its doors for free from Monday, 18 September to Friday, 22 September. This year's theme, Know Your National Parks will allow locals with valid identity documents to spend a day at a national park of their choice free of charge. The week-long campaign will be applicable to all the national parks managed by SANParks, with the exception of Boulders in Table Mountain National Park and Namaqua National Park. Some of the parks will be extending the week to include the weekend. According to SANParks head of communications, Janine Raftopoulos the objective of the week is to cultivate a culture of pride in all South Africans in their relationship with the countrys natural, cultural and historical heritage. When people start to take pride in the national parks, then we believe that they will start to understand the importance of conservation. Free access to national parks The idea of a national parks focus week is a world-wide campaign and was conceived in South Africa in 2006, after realising that a vast majority of South Africans were not accessing the national parks. The feature element of this campaign is the free access granted to all South African day visitors carrying their official Identity documents. Young persons under the age of 16 will be allowed free access without proof of identity. It should be noted that the free access to the parks will not include accommodation and any commercial activities in the park such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks, etc. #worldlionday #bigcats #big5 @apouwelswildlife A post shared by South African National Parks (@sanparks) on Aug 10, 2017 at 12:05am PDT This years SA National Parks Week will include exhibitions around the country at various key national parks which will represent the different geographical regions of SANParks. The expo will include cultural, conservation, nursery and tourism aspects from the community, rangers and various conservation entities in order to highlight the broader South African biodiversity landscape, said Raftopoulos. The annual SA National Parks Week has been made possible with support from First National Bank (FNB) and Total SA. Boosting local communities, awareness of natural heritage The spin-off of this initiative is that it boosts the local communities of the areas around the parks while creating awareness of the need to preserve our natural heritage. I would like to encourage all South African citizens to come out in their numbers to experience our countrys natural heritage in its abundance, said Kgosi Ledimo, CEO of FNB Public Sector Banking. Total South Africa has again stepped up to the plate to help South Africans access these beautiful acres of land across the country. Happy 10th Birthday to #mokalanationalpark - "Where endangered species roam". The isolated dolerite hills create a sense of serenity and seclusion that contrasts with the large open sandy plains in the north and west of the Park. A post shared by South African National Parks (@sanparks) on Jun 19, 2017 at 2:59am PDT Total South Africa is proud to be a long-standing partner of the SANParks Week since its inception in 2006 - 12 years ago - and our company fully endorses SANParks commitment to developing and promoting a system of sustainable national parks countrywide. Total views environmental conservation as a key priority and we are committed to preserving the natural environment for future generations, , says Pierre-Yves Sachet, MD & CEO Total South Africa and Vice-President Total Southern Africa. SANParks encourages all South Africans and especially educators and school groups to diarise these dates and plan a visit to a national park nearby. The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa, concludes Raftopoulos. For more info go to www.sanparks.org The SABC says that Metro FM DJ Criselda Dudumashe has been "unscheduled until further notice" because of comments she made about former deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana, who faces charges of assault. Dudumashe landed in hot water last month after she shared a social media post that defended Manana's character only a few days after allegations emerged that he had assaulted a woman outside a Johannesburg bar. After the public backlash, the radio and TV personality deleted the post and issued a public apology. SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said: "No formal investigation into her conduct has been launched but we have been in discussions with her to deal with the matter internally." Responding to fans' inquiries on social media, Dudumashe said she did not know when or if she would return to her slot on Metro FM. She was also criticised for comments she made at a discussion on gender-based violence at the University of Venda, in Limpopo, last month. Dudumashe asked men in the audience to stand, reportedly advising those unsure about whether to stand to look between their legs. She has apologised for her comments and has declined a nomination to the board of the SA National Aids Trust because of the controversy she has attracted. #Loeries2017: Stoked about camelpower Fitting for #InnovationMonth, I chatted to Charbel Aouad, executive producer and cofounder at Dubai's Stoked, the production company behind an integrated campaign Loeries Gold and this year's integrated Grand Prix for turning horsepower into camelpower. Theres clever advertising, then theres really clever advertising, which actually innovates and solves a problem. Camelpower is the latter. The spot, which was a logistical challenge solved through engineers research into what makes a vehicle perform well in the desert, eventually become a National Geographic documentary. It also won a Silver Lion in the media category at Cannes Lions earlier this year. Developed with agency TBWA\Raad Dubai for Nissan, Aouad says camelpower is effectively a new unit of measurement. #Loeries2017: TBWA\Raad on winning a Grand Prix in the mother of all categories' By Jessica Tennant 25 Aug 2017 The final formula amounted to: CP = velocity x weight x sin (trajectory) Desert camelpower unit engineer Joseph El Hachem, explains that it all comes down to the interplay between the vehicle's weight, its velocity and its trajectory. So by standardise a vehicle's approach speed and trajectory in a given environment, they can time how quickly it travels a set distance, then factor in its weight to work out its desert camelpower. No pie in the sky, the scientific paper resulting from the collaboration and the formula itself have been presented to the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology or Esma, which is now fully on board to help to standardise the new unit. Thats what I call true innovation. Aouad agrees that camelpower is a genius idea, as its an obvious one yet previously unexplored. Here, he shares the production company perspective on the work and what makes creativity from the region stand out. Congratulations on those wins! Talk us through how the production company-client-agency relationship contributed to the ideas success. Congratulations on those wins! Talk us through how the production company-client-agency relationship contributed to the ideas success. Thank you, it really paid off in the end! It all started with sharing a simple idea that we instantly knew would go far, even though it would be a whole new path for us. We took on the challenge and thank both Nissan and TBWA for putting their trust in us. We had never conducted scientific research before, so hunted down the best names in engineering. Once the engineers had worked out the formula, TBWA took it to Nissan for approval by their engineers and were all walked us through all the steps. While the Nissan engineering team signed off the formula, it would not have been legitimate if it went uncertified. Thats why Nissan and TBWA called on ESMA for their involvement. Impressive! The work itself took almost two years to research, test and bring to life share a few of the logistical challenges and highlights in that time. Impressive! The work itself took almost two years to research, test and bring to life share a few of the logistical challenges and highlights in that time. After the formula was approved by the Nissan experts, we had to step on the ground to see if it worked but how to do so? The camels have to perform on slope angles, ranging from 5 to 20 degrees over precise distances. So our next destination was to travel to the desert. If we didnt find what nature could provide we would have to do it with machines, which was the case in the end. We first cleared the necessary permissions, then moved big trucks and bulldozers to the desert. After many days of hard work under the sun, we had the test tracks ready for our hero camels! Work from Dubai/UAE and the Middle East really did well at this years Loeries and in Cannes. Talk us through the current state of creativity in your region and what makes it stand out. Work from Dubai/UAE and the Middle East really did well at this years Loeries and in Cannes. Talk us through the current state of creativity in your region and what makes it stand out. Humbly speaking, our region has been gaining a lot of attention and proving itself on the creativity and production scene, both in advertising and in cinema. A mixed blood of veterans and young creatives of different nationalities are pushing to create great work, with clients backing them up. There is a sense of healthy competition, which is great fuel for great work. On a parallel path we see more and more film academies and film schools being developed to boost our hungry filmmakers skills. Seems the UAE is the place to be. While Stoked didnt attend the Loeries this year, theyre looking forward to attending next year as its a great learning experience. Click through to our Loeries Creative Week Durban special section for all the latest updates and be sure to follow Stoked on Twitter. Sophisticated international trafficking of ivory in central Africa is being fuelled by high levels of corruption, according to a report published on Thursday, 7 September. The study by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic said weak governance, corruption and shifting trade dynamics are seriously undermining efforts to control ivory trafficking throughout Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. It found that ivory trade in the region is shifting from an open domestic retail market to underground transactions, with a focus on the export of raw ivory to foreign markets, especially China. "The report's findings show that open ivory markets in the region are disappearing, largely due to increased enforcement and competition with underground criminal networks," Traffic said. "In its place, high-level corruption and poor governance are helping enable sophisticated international trade." Current legislation in the five central African countries prohibits domestic ivory trade, with the exception of Cameroon. However, according to the report, there is a "loose and ambiguous interpretation of the law in all countries" and enforcement efforts are hampered by corruption often involving high-level government officials. It also blamed insufficient human and financial resources, mismanagement and weak political will. The report said a common theme heard throughout the region were allegations concerning Chinese citizens operating within organised criminal networks as key actors in the ivory trade. In 2014/2015, 80% of foreign buyers were ethnic Asians, especially Chinese, but also Malaysians and Vietnamese. It is estimated that about 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks, leading to a steep decline in numbers. The international trade in ivory was outlawed in 1989. Traffic said the report, supported by conservation organisation the WWF, is the first comprehensive assessment of ivory trade in the region in nearly two decades. Investigators posed as buyers at ivory markets and workshops throughout the Congo Basin in 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015. Paulinus Ngeh, director of Traffic in central Africa, said regional governments must ramp up efforts to implement their commitments to stop elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade. Source: AFP The increased participation of women in intra-African trade is critical to sustainable growth on the continent. Today, intra-African trade stands at about 13% of the total trade in Africa. This is extremely low when compared to intra-Asia trade, which sits at about 40% of total trade. Clearly we are not tapping into the full opportunities our continent has to offer to each other's growth. Deepa Vallabh According to the African Economic Outlook 2017, trade between African countries has significant potential for building sustainable economic development and integration. Furthermore, intra-African trade is also far more resilient than trading with other regions. Since 2011, exports to United States fell by a staggering 65%, while exports to China dropped by 48% during the same period. Therefore increased intra-Africa trade makes global market shifts having a lesser negative impact on a particular countries growth. In this regard, integration and in particularly regional integration in Africa, appears to be the key to freeing up bottlenecks in Africas economic potential and developments. Initiatives such as the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) with all 54 African Union states, as well as the Tripartite Trade Agreement Africa, are likely to strengthen the continents appeal as a global trading partner, not just an Intra-African trading partner. However, an often overlooked opportunity to foster increased intra-Africa trade is by harnessing the potential of the women of the continent. Womenomics In this regard, there are lessons that can be learned from Japan. With its ageing population, there is a dire need to get more skilled people into the labour market. To do this, Japan introduced a policy called Womenomics, which hinges on the belief that the more women are advanced in society, the higher the growth rate of the country. In just four years after the policy was implemented, Japans female labour market has surpassed that of the United States. From an African perspective, women constitute the largest sphere of informal traders - roughly 70% in Southern Africa and around 50% in the rest of the continent. Yet we have not managed to properly harness this potential at all. We need to prioritise the formalisation of the informal cross-border trade which is at the heart of what a lot of women in Africa are doing. The access to a formal trading economy also requires us to unlock potential and give women access to market training, financial support and guidance in terms of formalising their businesses. Just imagine what can be achieved and unlocked if these women become visible and a priority in policy making- not a side issue that needs to be integrated on some level but the core of what will drive growth. This will significantly change the landscape of the rate of economic growth on the continent. A new series of What's Up Africa' launches this week and will broadcast daily on BBC World News with the latest news across the continent in an off-beat tone with critically acclaimed Nigerian-born vlogger, Ikenna Azuike. Ikenna Azuike Whats Up Africa features on the BBC World News daily African news programme, Focus on Africa, with a weekly round-up of the highlights broadcast every Friday. Unravelling complex issues with laughter - nobody and nothing is safe from Azuikes fun-poking. From cults to corruption and chart-toppers to chiefs, he finds the funny side of stories from across the continent for the popular satirical news segment. Whats Up Africa has built up quite a following over the past five series, and I think thats because there are no taboo topics on this show, said Azuike. Humour can break down barriers and so the show is able to tackle issues across the continent head on. The 90-second episode of Whats Up Africa will broadcast every Friday with a round-up of the latest news from across the continent. Catch it on Focus on Africa from 17:30 GMT on BBC World News and on the BBCs partner stations: Canal 2 in Cameroon; Metro TV in Ghana; Power TV in Liberia; MBC in Malawi; One Africa Television in Namibia; SBC in Somalia, SBLC in Sierra Leone, Star TV in Tanzania; Urban TV and TV West in Uganda; and ZNBC in Zambia. Whats Up Africa, produced by Jollof Rice Productions, will air from September 8. The Golden Age of Postcards in Albuquerque PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Journalists Aye Nai (L) and Lawi Weng speak to journalists from inside a prisoner transport vehicle outside the courthouse in Hsipaw in Shan State on July 28, 2017. Photo: AFP In an open letter to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Reporters Without Borders (RSF, also known under its French name Reporters sans frontiere) has stated its belief that press freedom is not a priority for the Government noting that violations of the freedom to inform as unacceptable in a country that claims to be in a transition to democracy below is the letter in full. After your party, the National League for Democracy, won the November 2015 general election, Myanmars journalists hoped that they would be free to work and would no longer have to fear arrest or imprisonment when they criticized the authorities. Two years later, Reporters Without Borders (RSF, also known under its French name Reporters sans frontiere) is forced to conclude that media freedom has clearly not been one or your governments priorities. In relation to clashes between Myanmars armed forces and Rohingya terrorists,the statement continues . . . it seems urgent that journalists should be allowed to do their job of investigating and reporting in the western state of Rakhine. In RSFs view, this is the only way to be able to shed light on the responsibility of the various parties for triggering the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in this region. Yesterday, you blamed terrorists for a huge iceberg of misinformation, objecting to the expression ethnic cleansing, which has been used several times by Nobel laureates to describe what the Rohingya minority has suffered in Rakhine. Since the start of the current crisis, Myanmarese and foreign journalists have been systematically denied access to the conflict region by the military authorities, with the result that the only reliable information has come from interviews with refugees who fled into Bangladesh and from the smoke of burned villages that can be seen from the border. RSF firmly condemns this state of affairs, which recalls the worst moments for media freedom during the five decades of military dictatorship in Myanmar. These restrictions have been compounded by cases of blatant censorship. In particular, RSF voices its support for the BBC, which had to suspend local retransmission of its Burmese-language service on 4 September. The BBC was censored by its local broadcast partner, which refused to retransmit content if the term Bengalis was not used to refer to Rohingyas. RSF regards these violations of the freedom to inform as unacceptable in a country that claims to be in a transition to democracy. As head of the government, your silence on these media freedom violations is absolutely deafening. Must we remind you of what you said when you were freed in 2010, namely that the basis of democratic freedom is freedom of speech? Must we remind you of the assurances you gave to RSF in 2011 about your commitment to media freedom? Today we have to point out that many journalists have been silenced since you took over as head of your countrys government in April 2016. In June of this year, RSF condemned the detention of three journalists Aye Naing and Pyae Phone Naing of Democratic Voice of Burma and Thein Zaw of The Irrawaddy under the Unlawful Association Act, a law widely used by the previous military government to silence dissent when you were heading the opposition from prison or house arrest. At the start of June, we issued a press release about the defamation suit that the armed forces brought against two Voice Daily journalists over a satirical article regarded as insulting. Shortly before that, Myo Yan Naung Thein, an imprisoned blogger who is a member of your party, was convicted in April of defamation over a comment criticizing the head of the armed forces. At the start of this week, RSF issued a press release deploring the fact that the journalist Swe Win was going on trial on a charge of defaming Ashin Wirathu, a fundamentalist Buddhist monk who is notorious for his use of hate speech. These are just a few of the nearly 70 journalists who have been prosecuted under article 66(d) of the 2013 Telecommunications Act. RSF asks you to ensure that this article is amended again because it still criminalizes the provision of news and information and because its vagueness facilitates disregard for the rule of law with respect to journalists and their work. Awarded the Sakharov Prize in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, you are a leading figure in the defence of human rights in general and freedom of the press in particular. RSF urges you to remain equal to the moral authority that these awards gave you, by doing what is necessary to better ensure respect for the freedom to inform. PR Newswire LONDON, Sept. 7, 2017 LONDON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First Responder UAVs Are Finally Getting Serious. Law enforcers and other First Responders have a very poor track record with 'drones' or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). They proved as likely to recover insurance money after a crash as to recover a lost citizen. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5088430 With so much hype and promise, why have UAVs for First Responders worked out so poorly? One fundamental reason is that First Responders believed the sales hype and bought whatever toy, radio controlled, hobby drone the industry would paint in their colors. Two thousand dollar RC helicopters became $150,000 'systems'. Quad, hex and octo rotors became the flavors of the day. Then reality arrived in the form of weather, darkness, airspace rules and a pair of officers sidelined to struggle with each toy. The airspace bureaucracy is very slow: The FAA is not sure how to deal with this new phenomenon (other than to try to restrict their operation as much as possible). Almost daily news of civilian quadcopters flying illegally near commercial airlines, interfering with firefighting efforts and invading privacy harm First Responder efforts to do it right. No wonder that the public is very suspicious of unmanned systems for First Responders. This is why Market Forecast created an all-you-need-to-know UAVs for First Responders report a single publication that combines a Market and Technology Forecast with an Operating Concept and a Buying Guide. Specifically, this report provides the following advantages: Readers, particularly homeland security professionals, will be better prepared to use future capabilities, better equipped to compete for those sales and well prepared for the coming changes. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5088430 About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers https://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-uavs-for-first-responders-market-forecast-to-2021-300516169.html SOURCE ReportBuyer American firms dominate a list of companies which workers would recommend to a friend, with Facebook rated the best, new research shows. Favourable comments made by employees revealed that tech and software companies, many owned by USA citizens, feature strongly in the top 20. Jobs website Glassdoor said its study found that tech companies were most likely to attract voluntary endorsement from staff. Nine out of 10 employees at Facebook who made comments said they would recommend the firm to friends. Facebook was followed in the ratings by Arm, GE, Google, Expedia, Salesforce, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Rackspace and Chess ICT. David Whitby of Glassdoor, said: "The recommend to a friend rating can make a big difference to recruiting informed candidates. Tech companies are most likely to have that voluntary employee endorsement." Fiona Mullan, international vice president of HR at Facebook said: "A core tenet of Facebook is building a strengths-based company, in that we want people doing work they are good at and work they enjoy. This enables them to make impact and gives employees a great sense of fulfilment. "We also work hard to create a culture that is open, social and inclusive. At Facebook, we have seen the way that our users use the products to build community, and we use it ourselves to build community internally." Comments from Facebook employees included: "Very friendly environment, flexible working attitudes, trust and you feel well looked after with travel paid, free food, wellness funds and fair salary payments. "Full transparency and honesty from the very top on a regular basis. Fast-paced, always moving and developing as a company." An employee at software firm Arm wrote: "The people are nice to work with, appreciative and bright. The work/life balance is respected and many people have a keen focus on diversity and inclusion." A Google employee wrote: "Google goes above and beyond to look after employees." by Denise O'Donoghue A 79-year-old man from Galway will have a night to remember in November when he rocks up to Kasabians concert in the Three Arena with Jennifer Zamparelli and the RTE 2fm Breakfast Republic team. Tom Grealy wrote a letter which was published in yesterdays Irish Times. Short and sweet, it was the story of a recent text message Tom received. "I have often wondered how I have managed for most of my 80 years without receiving a text message. I have just received one from Three telling me that Kasabian will be at the 3Arena in Dublin in November. "I cant wait," Tom wrote. His letter was spotted by Keith Walsh, who read it out on the radio today before contacting the man himself. Tom launched straight into an anecdote about letter-writing. "An aunt of mine once told me that anyone who writes letters to the paper, and I have done it before, they either have nothing to do or theyre cranks. As Im fairly busy I must be the other one." When asked if he would like to go see Kasabian with Jennifer Zamparelli, he jumped at the chance. "Cripes, would I what? Yeah, of course!" Tom will turn 80 in two weeks, and previously worked as an accountant. He says he actually gets loads of texts, but he just doesnt know how to send one. Jennifer promised to teach Tom how to send a text when they meet. "Hes so cute. I cant wait," she said. Listen to the chat in full here: A man in his 60s has gone missing from his home in Dublin. William Gaule is missing from his home in Malahide, Co Dublin since Wednesday, September 6. Health Minister Simon Harris has said he is "delighted" with the appointment of Professor Donal O'Shea as the HSE national clinical lead for obesity. Minister Harris described Prof. O'Shea as a passionate advocate in the area of obesity. "Professor O'Shea's appointment will strengthen clinical leadership within the health service across prevention, early intervention and treatment of overweight and obesity," he said. "The appointment of a National Clinical Lead for Obesity is a key action under our national Obesity policy, A Healthy Weight for Ireland:Obesity Policy and Action Plan(OPAP)," he added. OPAP aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent health complications and reduce burdens on the health system. His comments were echoed by the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Catherine Byrne who added that Prof O'Shea's appointment will further progress the Government's 'Ten Step' plan to tackle obesity. "I am glad to report that almost all of the Ten Steps Forward are being progressed, as addressing these is such an important public health and wellbeing challenge," she said. Prof. O'Shea told RTE's Today with Sean O'Rourke yesterday that "aggressive" prevention and treatment methods were required to deal with the obesity problem. He said chronic diseases like obesity, cancer and depression can be mapped in relation to socioeconomic areas and people should not blame parents for childhood obesity. "12% of our three-year-olds in socially deprived areas are obese, 4% of our three-year-olds in better off areas are obese. That's a massive disparity by the age of three," Prof. O'Shea said. "We know that obesity spreads through your environment. If a friend of yours becomes obese in the next five years, your risk of becoming obese increases by 70%," he added. Describing himself as a "proud member" of Ireland's public health service, he acknowledged access to services and a lack of resources were still big problems. "We simply can't afford optimum healthcare across the population. It would break the bank almost on a single disease if you were to do that. We have to decide how we use our resources. "Previously we used to just throw money at a problem and you'd set up units without planning them. What has been made very clear to me is that there isn't spare money in the health service," he added. Prof. O'Shea also called for a tax on sugar, which is expected to be outlined by the Government in upcoming Budgets, which could raise money for obesity prevention. "If you introduce a sugar tax you would educate people. It's a behaviour tax - a bit like the plastic bag tax. You would generate money. The Department of Finance say you can't put that money into obesity prevention but I would say that attitude has to change." Update - 9.53am: The Government will announce immediate changes to their housing strategy later, according to the Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy. Mr Murphy is meeting with the CEOs of local authorities in Dublin to discuss how to end the housing crisis. On the way in to the meeting the Minister was challenged by a number of campaigners about the Government's lack of action. He said: "There is not a problem with funding. This year we are going to build four times as many social houses as we built in 2015 and we have more money to re-prioritise that into social housing as well. "The local authorities have to work with housing bodies to actually build new houses and that's what we want to do. "I'm working on this every day, it is the top priority for the Governent and you really need to understand. "The reason the local authority CEOs are coming in today is because I've phoned them directly and they are directly responsible to me for building social housing and dealing with this crisis, that's what we're talking about today." A number of protesters had earlier chained themselves to the gates outside the Custom House. Anthony Flynn, CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless, does not believe Mr Murphy is the man to end the crisis. He said: "At the moment I don't believe the Minister is able to cope with his brief, I think he has been put into a position where he has been given a brief, you know he has only been a Minister for a short period of time, he has come over from Dublin City Council. "It's a big, big Cabinet brief to have and I think somebody with a hell of a lot more experience would have been worth while putting into the brief." Mr Flynn stressed that Ireland is in the midst of a national emergency. "We have council land that the council want to build on but they need the proper funding. This falls on Minister Murphy and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to release the funding immediately. "As winter is fast approaching we cant wait for long term plans, we need immediate solutions. I would echo Councillor Christy Burke's comments on the amount of empty homes around the city that could be revamped into social housing. "As well as more social housing there also needs to be more affordable housing to prevent the huge number of families entering homelessness down the road." Earlier: The Government is to reveal its plan to end the homeless crisis today. Part one will be released at the Emergency Housing Summit in Dublin's Custom House later. The latest statisitics show there are more than 8,000 homeless people in this country, an increase of 26% over the past year alone. Sinn Fein Councillor Daithi Doolan says local authorities have been left out of the loop. He said: "We're going to be outside the Customs House at 9 o'clock with our elected councillors to say that first and foremost the Minister has an obligation to talk to us about any plans. "We have a crisis and we've got solutions. If the Minister wants to talk solutions, we'll be outside on the Customs House Quays at 9 o'clock." The Childrens' Minister has warned that more than 200,000 families are "one step away from being homeless". Addressing the Kennedy Summer School in Wexford last night, Katherine Zappone said the Government needs to focus on housing supply. However, the Minister said there are other measures that need to be considered too. She said: "What I am bringing to the table is recommendations of a number of actions in order to ensure that people are secure in their homes, if they are renting. "We dont have enough actions to ensure there is security of tenancy." A Dubin man has been charged with possessing a Beretta handgun, a silencer and ammunition following a confrontation with armed gardai during which shots were fired, writes Tom Tuite. Andrew OKeeffe, 28, from Drumcliff Road, Cabra West, made no application for bail when he appeared before Judge Anthony Halpin at a late sitting of Dublin District Court on Friday. He also had no reply when charged with firearms offences and was remanded in custody pending his next appearance on September 13 at Cloverhill District Court. He was arrested following an incident in west Dublin during which shots were fired by officers from the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau on Wednesday. A van was intercepted by officers from the Special Crime Task Force which is attached to the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) at about 3pm on Kylemore Way in Inchicore. Shots were fired by gardai during the incident in which no one was injured and the firearm and silencer were recovered. A second man thought to be involved in the incident fled the scene. The arrested man was detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 at Ballyfermot Garda Station. Mr OKeeffe was brought to appear before Judge Anthony Halpin at Dublin District Court on Friday evening to face two charges under the Firearms Act in connection with the incident. He is accused of unlawful possession of a 9mm Beretta handgun and a silencer along with nine rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances. Det Garda Fiona Connaughton of the DOCB told Judge Halpin that the accused was charged at Ballyfermot station on Friday at 3.41pm after which he made no reply. She confirmed that gardai intended to object to bail however defence solicitor Geraldine Wycherly said that a bail application was not being made at this stage. Mr OKeeffe, who was wearing a navy T-shirt, light grey tracksuit bottoms and black runners, sat silently throughout the brief hearing and has not yet indicated how he will plead. He was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday. His solicitor also told Judge Halpin that her client consented to appearing via video-link at his next hearing. Legal aid was granted. Regional leaders in Catalonia have moved to defy the central government in Madrid and go ahead with a ballot on independence even though Spain's constitutional court has ordered the vote suspended. While the pro-independence Catalan government tried to flex its muscles, most of the opposition to the vote - both regional and national - rallied around conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy and his efforts to crush the planned October 1 ballot. On Friday, the state prosecutor targeted members of the Catalan parliament and the Barcelona-based regional government in separate lawsuits. Mariano Rajoy The prosecutor's document asked judges to look into possible disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement charges against the officials. Despite the court's suspension of the vote and the legal threats, regional president Carles Puigdemont has pushed ahead with preparations for the ballot. An official website offers volunteers the chance to register and help with the vote. A promotional video published in official media asks: "You were born with the ability to choose. Are you going to give it up?" Officials in the north-eastern region claim they have enlisted 560 Catalan town halls to open facilities for the ballot, despite letters sent by Spain's central authorities to the region's 947 mayors warning them that their legal duty is to impede the vote. Authorities said similar letters were being sent to public Catalan media organisations and the regional police force. It was not clear what position officials would take in Barcelona, the main city in Catalonia. Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, an activist against evictions who has become a rising political star, said people should be able to vote as long as there are no liabilities for them or for public servants. On Friday, central government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo clarified that legal actions are targeting "those who organise the vote" and not voters themselves. The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia says the vote will be binding and that if the "yes" side wins it will lead to independence from Spain by October 3 no matter what the turnout. Spain's constitutional court has previously ruled that only the national government is allowed to call a referendum on secession and that all Spaniards must have a vote when it comes to sovereignty. On Friday, Mr Rajoy's cabinet began procedures to strike down a new bill approved overnight by Catalan pro-independence legislators. The new law was meant to become Catalonia's legal framework, or mini-constitution, as it moves from a Spanish autonomous region to an independent republic. AP Hillary Clinton will speak "candidly" about her US presidential election election defeat at the hands of Donald Trump when she visits Britain to publicise her book about the contest. Mrs Clinton will speak at the Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on October 15 before making an appearance later the same day at the Southbank Centre London Literature Festival at the Royal Festival Hall, in her only UK events to discuss her election memoir, What Happened. A British ex-school governor and church warden who imported a child sex doll from China has been jailed for 16 months. David Turner, 72, was arrested in November last year after UK Border Force officers intercepted a 3ft doll he had ordered from China at Stansted Airport, England. It was labelled as a mannequin and came with a fishnet body-stocking. When officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) searched his home in Kent, England in December, they discovered two more child sex dolls. An analysis of his computer revealed he had viewed websites selling items advertised as a "flat chested love doll" and a "mini silicone sex doll 65cms little breasts", the NCA said. Further analysis of his computer, tablets, external hard drives and pen drives revealed he had also downloaded over 34,000 indecent images of children. There were 138 category A images of children, the most serious level of child abuse, 299 category B images and 33,619 category C images involving children aged approximately three to 16. Following his arrest, Turner resigned as a governor of St Ethelbert's Church Primary School in Ramsgate and from St Ethelbert's and Gertrude Church, where he was a warden. Turner pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, and two counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of making indecent footage of children. He appealed to the judge for a ruling on whether or not the sex doll was an obscene object, but Judge Simon James ruled it was. Turner later admitted one count of importing an obscene object in relation to one of the dolls found at his house, which was deemed the most life-like. It emerged he had even bought outfits for the 3ft 10in doll. He was not prosecuted over the second doll found at his home, or the doll seized at Stansted. Turner was jailed for a total of 16 months by Judge James today. Officers also found 29 fictional stories describing the sexual abuse of children on his computer, but these fell outside the Obscene Publications Act and were not the subject of a charge. Hazel Stewart, from the NCA child exploitation and online protection specialist operation team, said in a statement: "Importing child dolls to have sex with, as David Turner did, is a crucial flag to potential offending against children. "In this case it enabled us to uncover Turner's long-standing sexual interest in children." A devastated mother whose teenage son was stabbed to death in an attack believed to have been filmed on Snapchat has spoken of her anguish as it was revealed no one has been convicted over his killing. Alhaji Mohamed Dura-Ray, known as Mo, was brutally killed in September 2015 in a violent street struggle, the day before his mother's birthday, an inquest was told. But prosecutors were later forced to drop charges against the 16-year-old's alleged killer after a key witness refused to give evidence, Southwark Coroner's Court heard. After the coroner returned a conclusion of unlawful killing, Mo's mother Marima Baby Kamara said the family remained devastated by his death. Ms Kamara, originally from Sierra Leone, said: "I'm heartbroken. I cry every day, I'm depressed, I can't go to work." The mother added that her son had been on the way to a friend's house when the attack took place, and before leaving had told her "when I'm coming home, I'm going to buy you flowers for your birthday". She said Mo's friends told her the attack was filmed on Snapchat, a social network that allows friends to share pictures and videos which are then deleted automatically once they have been watched - and appealed to anyone with information to come forward. She continued: "They (the killers) were doing it on Snapchat. The people said they saw in Snapchat - that is how they knew they had killed him." Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant Cary Crawley told the court that Mo had been seen crying out in pain by witnesses to the attack in the Newington Estate in Kennington, south London, less than a mile from his home in Walworth. He said that at 10pm on Monday, September 14 2015, witnesses had reported seeing "an unknown male swinging his right arm up and over at Mo", who then called out: "I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed!" Members of the public gave first aid before paramedics and the London Air Ambulance arrived, Mr Crawley said, but Mo was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.52pm. A post mortem later showed that he died from a single stab wound to the heart, the inquest heard. A number of knives were recovered, but none which were later linked to the attack, Mr Crawley said, and detectives also found a letter containing the name of the former suspect, which had traces of Mo's blood. The suspect was later charged on suspicion of murder, but the Crown Prosecution Service was forced to drop the case due to a lack of evidence when another witness refused to testify against him, the policeman added. During Friday's inquest, Assistant Coroner Henrietta Hill QC read a statement from Ms Kamara, a former care assistant, in which she spoke of her son's "promising future" as an engineering student. The family had been preparing to celebrate her birthday together the following evening, and he had made her a birthday hat that read: "I love Mum." Ms Kamara, in the statement, said: "He wanted to become an engineer. This was his dream. "He was my little star. He used to sit next to me at night asking me if I was okay. "I loved him dearly and he loved me." She added: "He always helped old ladies to carry their shopping to their front door." Speaking outside the inquest, Mo's uncle Mohammad Bangura described his nephew as a "brilliant young man", who cared for his mother and younger sister dearly. "His mother still asks why," he said. Mr Bangura said the family was thankful to the police for their efforts, but called upon anyone with information to share it with detectives. "It has happened to us, but what will happen tomorrow?" he said. Ends Australian broking franchise Mortgage Choice has joined a nationwide movement to bring a more human face to mortgage brokers through its newly launched ad campaign.The ads will showcase the local expertise of the companys mortgage brokers and financial advisers through a variety of media, including TV, radio, digital ads, outdoor advertising and social media.Called Were Locals Too, the campaign was created in partnership with the creative content agency Now We Collide and aims at building up a human connection with consumers by positioning the firms brokers as part of the local community.Mortgage Choice general manager of marketing Melissa McCarney said the campaign was launched to coincide with the firms 25th birthday.At the core of our brand is the expertise and knowledge of our brokers and financial advisers, local experts who are passionate about helping Australians make better choices with their money so they can afford to live the life they want to live, she said.We help people make better choices for a better life and we do so by offering them choice and expert advice across all of their financial service needs.Mortgage Choices people and its unique way of doing business sets the company apart from other players in the market, she said.Our experts are more than just an image on a website, or a voice over the phone, they are trusted locals who are a part of the communities they live and work in.The foundation of the campaign will be a series of 30-second television commercials to be aired on Foxtel and YouTube which feature the daily routine of Mortgage Choice brokers, tying that in with the advice they can offer to the community at a local level.Weve really enjoyed partnering with Mortgage Choice, said Keir Maher, CEO and head of strategy at Now We Collide.In developing the strategy and creative which is true to Mortgage Choice as a brand we have connected with the consumer insight on the need for a trusted source of information and advice when making big financial decisions. With video at the heart of the integrated campaign, its been a true collaboration with the Mortgage Choice team. The Turnbull Government has introduced a number of targeted tax measures aimed at improving housing affordability in Parliament.This includes legislation such as the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) and rules allowing Australians to contribute to their super by downsizing, limiting travel claims and plant and equipment deductions for property investors, and taxing foreign property owners for vacant dwellings.These four measures were first proposed in the Federal Budget and were finally tabled for discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday (7 September).Through the comprehensive housing affordability package announced in the budget, the government is radically improving outcomes across the entire housing spectrum, from first home buyers, to renters, to downsizers, to those in community and affordable housing, and those suffering homelessness. This is getting on with it, Treasurer Scott Morrison said in a joint press release with Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar.Through the FHSSS, individuals will be able to put away a maximum of $30,000 (up to $15,000 per year) into their superannuation for the purpose of purchasing their first home. Withdrawals will be permitted from 1 July 2018 and will be taxed at a marginal tax rate minus a 30% offset.This will give prospective first home buyers a significant step up at a time when saving for a deposit is becoming increasingly difficult for many people, Morrison and Sukkar said.The governments downsizing proposal will let older Australians contribute proceedings from the sale of their family home into their super and, if passed, will have come into effect on 1 July 2017.Those over the age of 65 will be able to contribute a maximum of $300,000 into their super when they sell a home theyve occupied for more than ten years. Couples can make a maximum contribution of $600,000.Claims for travel expense deductions for inspecting and maintaining residential properties will be disallowed and plant and equipment depreciation deductions will be limited to new assets only from 1 July 2017.This will improve the integrity of the tax system by preventing residential property investors from taking holidays at the taxpayers expense.Public consultation around measures limiting plant and equipment deductions mean that deductions are only allowed in situations where a developer tenants a property prior to selling it to an investor provided that investor purchased the property within six months of it being completed. In addition to this, the developer cannot have also claimed any depreciation deductions.Together, the travel and plant and equipment deduction changes will improve the integrity of the tax system and are estimated to generate $800m in revenue over the forward estimates, Morrison and Sukkar said.Finally, the vacancy levy will be applied to foreign buyers who have made a foreign investment application from 7.30pm (AEST) on 9 May 2017. The charge will be paid if the property is not occupied or genuinely available on the rental market for at least six months out of a 12 month period.When announcing this proposal in the budget, Morrison said that the amount charged will be at least $5,000 per year for all eligible foreign buyers. Regional brokerage Robinson Sewell Partners has continued its national expansion by opening a new office providing agricultural, commercial and corporate finance in Tasmania.The office will be located in Launceston and will be headed by David Robertson, who comes with experience in the real estate, banking and agricultural fields.Robertson was born on a dairy farm in northwest Tasmania. He has been involved in agriculture all his life, including a 20-year stint owning and managing a large-scale grazing operation on King Island. He was also worked for real estate agency Elders and was employed for nearly four years at Rural Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank It was a natural fit for me to join Robinson Sewell and bring their business model down to Tassie, he told Australian Broker. As a farmer, you deal with banks all the time. My understanding of banks comes from both sides of the equation from being a banking client right through to being a banker.On leaving the banking industry in December last year, Robertson said he was seeking a new opportunity to do something on his own within the advisory space.He could see why Robinson Sewell was a fit for Tasmania especially given the gaps in the current market. That they were like-minded people interested in agriculture was also a bonus, he said.They were an obvious fit. They matched what I believed was a gap in the marketplace and so it was just a really natural fit for me.Joining the firm around ten days ago, Robertson said he had already been around talking to locals to give them an idea of what the brokerage could do.Weve been getting a very positive response right across the board from professional advisers through to farmers. Its been very encouraging. The common thread is that we really need something like this in Tasmania.Gaps still exist because the idea of the agri-business brokerage is still relatively new across Australia, he said.Its developed across the last five to ten years and it just hasnt really pushed through into Tasmania. Its something that hasnt really been on peoples radar.In his new role, Robertson highlighted the need for education around commercial and agricultural finance in the local market as a key issue.The other challenge that Ive picked up is that a lot of people down here have been banking with the same institution for a long period of time and its just bringing about change that can be a challenge.However, there are a lot of young farmers moving into the agricultural space who are more accepting of change, he added.There are a lot of progressive farmers down here who are using advisers and thats part of the fit for us. They want to get the best possible advice that they can across all facets of their business. Thats why I think that theres an opportunity in the market down here. Due to the publics continued distrust of Chinese investment, former Prime Minister John Howard used two public forums in Sydney last week to urge Australia to recommit to foreign investment as well as open trade.At the Symposium 17 by Commercial Real Estate event, Mark Wizel, national director at CBRE, interviewed Howard about the potential ramifications of discriminating against Chinese investment in Australia.In the long run, we would be crazy as a nation and it would be an act of self-destruction to ever become unfriendly towards foreign investment, Howard said.The conversation then moved on to how China has become entangled in the current cycle of public backlash, which Howard suggested other countries, such as the United States and Japan, had experienced in the past.The former prime minister made it very clear that Chinese investors still need to obey the existing rules around foreign investment.Chinese companies and Chinese authorities have to understand that theres reciprocity in this openness and equal treatment of foreign investment, he said.The points raised in Wizels conversation with Howard were reiterated at the Asia Society Australias 20th Anniversary Dinner, when Howard suggested in his keynote address that the cardinal rule is that all foreign investment should be welcomed as long as investors abide by Australias rules and regulations.Howards endorsement of foreign investment follows Beijings decision last month to ban certain types of investments by Chinese companies abroad, including casinos and defence technology. Other types of investments, such as hotels and overseas property development, were classified as heavily restricted.Despite the dramatic changes to Chinas regulatory environment, foreign investment still accounted for about one-third of all activity in Australias commercial real estate sector, with approximately $56.9bn of Asian outbound capital being directly invested into global property in the first six months of 2017. This is a 98.4% uplift on the $28.7bn allocated in the first six months of 2016.Wizel, who is highly respected in the real estate sector for his knowledge of capital flows from Asia, said he was buoyed by the resilience of Australias key commercial property markets. He also welcomed the comments made by Howard, as they highlight Australias deepening relationship with Asia.When asked what Australian commercial propertys biggest barrier for continued growth in Chinese investment was, Wizel said the industry needs to remain competitive due to global competition for Chinese investment.Australia cannot rely on its intrinsic relationship with China as a safety blanket for continued interest and growth in investment, Wizel said. The industrys greatest challenge is ensuring that Australian commercial real estate remains competitive and attractive, particularly as the increasingly savvy and knowledgeable Chinese consumers discover more and more markets around the world, such as South America and parts of Europe. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Talk about being too close for comfort. The city must drop its plan to give the publicly owned Bedford-Union Armory to a private developer because the head of the agency overseeing the project bought property near the military structure and stands to cash in on that investment if the deal goes through, according to local housing advocates. James Patchett, the president of the Economic Development Corporation, purchased a home near the armory just months before the mayor named him as the head of the agency that brokered the development deal, and activists allege that transaction compromises his impartiality in a letter they sent to City Hall on Tuesday. Purchasing a property so close to the site puts Patchett in a clear and direct position to cash in on a redevelopment process he is helping to oversee, read the missive from Our Armory Coalition, an alliance of advocacy groups opposed to the scheme. DeBlasio appointed Patchett to the post this January. In Oct. 2016, he paid $1.8 million for property on Park Place between Nostrand and New York avenues. The lot sits about seven blocks from the armory at 1579 Bedford Ave. that the city wants to hand over to developer BFC Partners, which has promised to build below-market-rate housing and a non-profit recreation center there in return. But anti-gentrification advocates strongly oppose the plans affordable housing component, which they claim offers only 18 of 330 rental units at rates within the means of longtime Crown Heights residents. Opponents also blast the more than 50 luxury condos the scheme calls for, which they argue will draw an affluent out-of-town set, leading nearby property values to spike if and when the project concludes, according to another activist. Patchett bought the property knowing that he could influence the armory deal, and benefit from rising home prices on the gentrifying blocks surrounding the building, said Celia Weaver, a director of advocacy group New York Communities for Change. The Economic Development Corporation finished negotiating the armory deal between the city and BFC Partners in Dec. 2015, nearly a year before Patchett purchased the Park Place home, according to an agency spokesman. That timeline clears the official of any wrongdoings, he said. EDC managed a competitive RFP process and announced the project in December 2015, almost a full year before James Patchett purchased a home in the neighborhood, said Anthony Hogrebe. So to claim that this decision was made for his benefit is simply absurd. In addition, Patchett took office in Feb. 2017, after he bought the house and at the beginning of the schemes public review process, which he and his agency have no say in, Hogrebe said. EDC does not control the final approval of this project, which is an independent public process that includes input from the Community Board, Borough President and city Council, he said. But Economic Development Corporation representatives have appeared at meetings throughout its review process, according to Weaver, who argued their presence suggests Patchetts continued involvement. His agency represents the project at every public meeting in Crown Heights about it, she said. As the head of EDC, he has a direct say in the armory deal. And Patchett worked for an Economic Development Corporation board member prior to purchasing the property and taking charge of the agency, the activist said. When he bought the house, Patchett was working for Alicia Glen as chief of staff, and she is on the board, Weaver said. He should be removed from further discussions about the project due to his alleged impartiality, and the city should take its redevelopment plan back to the drawing board, according to Our Armorys letter. Patchett declared his purchase as a potential conflict of interest prior to assuming the top job at the Economic Development Corporation, which raised no issues with the city according to Hogrebe, who said the agency has no plans to drop the armory project. The fact that our president and his family live in Crown Heights should not and will not stop us from continuing to invest in that community, he said. Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Its back to the books! Kids were herded out of bed and into classrooms across Brooklyn in the wee hours Thursday morning, continuing a time-honored tradition of all generations the first day of school. And the thrill of busting out new clothes and supplies for the occasion soon erased any gripes about heading back to class, according to parents. She wasnt jumping for joy, but all kids want to put on their new clothes, shoes, and best hairstyle to make a good impression, said Faraji Hannah-Jones, father of 7-year-old Najya, a second-grader at Vinegar Hills PS 307. She did all of the above. And unlike the scholars before them, this years school-age pupils were younger than usual because of the citys expanded universal pre-kindergarten program, which now serves squirts as young as 3-years-old. Nearly 800 tykes signed up for the 3-K for All program, which the mayor said will make New York Citys kids some of the countrys sharpest. 3-K for All will ease the financial burden on parents and give our littlest New Yorkers an invaluable head-start in life, said Mayor DeBlasio. Also new this year are fully subsidized lunches for all children, which will feed about 200,000 more students than last years free-lunch program and ensure no student is stigmatized for signing-up. Hannah-Jones, who paid for his daughters lunch last year, said he completely supports the city footing the meals bill. We had to pay for lunch last year, but this year, being that its free, of course were happy about that. Of course, the start of school brings new opportunities to break the rules, and this year is no exception. A 17-year-old student at Downtowns City Polytechnic High School was arrested on the first day after school-safety officers discovered an unloaded pistol in the kids bag while searching it around 10:30 am, according to police. The student was arrested on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, cops said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Locals blasted police and city officials for dodging questions about why the garbage-truck driver who hit and killed a cyclist in Greenpoint on July 22 still hasnt been charged at a Wednesday community forum, arguing their silence makes it seem like the motorist is getting away with murder. We want to know if theres any consequences for killing somebody with a vehicle even if its unintentional, said Greenpoint resident Sarah Lilley. We havent been told anything. Cops and a rep from the district attorneys office had few answers about nearly seven-week-old hit-and-run death at the 94th Precincts Community Council meeting, a monthly event that gives residents a chance to ask about crimes in the neighborhood. The precinct captain said the nabes police force passed the probe to the city-wide accident investigation squad, and a rep for the district attorneys office, which ultimately decides whether to bring charges, told attendees he didnt know the cases specifics and didnt bring people who do because he didnt know the topic would come up. But attendees didnt buy the excuses, saying it seemed like authorities are letting the Action Carting driver who killed 27-year-old Neftaly Ramirez off the hook. I dont think we got any substantive information. They certainly knew that people were going to bring it up, the police are on Facebook too, Lilley said. And we certainly havent been given information that would make us feel in any way hopeful that any kind of justice will happen for Neftaly and his family. The driver was turning left onto Noble Street from Franklin Street when he struck Ramirez, who was pedaling home from work at pizzeria Paulie Gees. Police told reporters in August the motorist isnt being charged because their investigation found he didnt know he hit the cyclist, but cops wouldnt say what evidence they based that decision on. Their findings were handed over to the district attorneys office, which hasnt closed the case, but has yet to charge the driver. A spokesman for the office said the investigation is ongoing, but refused to state what evidence attorneys are waiting on to close it. Residents grilled the police about why the case hasnt been shut, which would allow evidence to become public. The 94th Precincts commander said he knew little about the probe because it was punted to the crash investigation squad, which then relayed its findings directly to the district attorneys office. A rep from the top prosecutors office at the meeting said he didnt know the cases details either, and offered a vague explanation for why the driver hasnt been charged. When we determine if were going forward with any charges, we have to assess if we can prove it in court, said Courtney Hogg, an assistant district attorney. If we say its a homicide, the first part we have to prove is if that person intended to cause crime. If we cant prove the elements of the charges, we cant go forward. Hogg said he would bring the lawyers overseeing the case to next months meeting and instructed people with questions about the case to contact him so that he could connect them with the appropriate prosecutors in the meantime. The top prosecutors spokesman, however, refused to let the Brooklyn Paper speak to the lawyers handling the case, and would not explain why residents could talk to them, but not journalists. The 94th Precincts commander defended the decision to keep the case open and said the month-and-a-half-old probe is still fresh, claiming investigators are still looking into it. Its fairly new, its not that old of a case, said Captain Peter Rose. Theres always a rush to close, but no one wants to rush and potentially miss something. Two lawyers who specialize in representing cyclists told the Brooklyn Paper in August that its not uncommon for the district attorneys office to keep cases open for months on the grounds that it is continuing to look into them a tactic that makes it appear theres a chance charges may still be brought, despite the fact that most evidence is gathered in the hours immediately following any incident. The officials lack of answers about the case at the meeting suggested that drivers can kill cyclists without being held accountable, according to Lilley. I think people rightfully want to know if were safe riding a bike lawfully on our streets. If someone mows us down, even accidentally, is that going go by the wayside and no one will ever hear about it again? the Greenpoint resident said. Because right now thats basically what it looks like, and its very upsetting. Police also explained why cops ticketed cyclists at the intersection where Ramirez was killed in the days following his death, saying they issued 9 summonses in 72 hours in an effort to crack down on risky behavior. Its a strategy we use. If someones riding a bike, they stop at a red light, but sometimes there are people who shoot straight out through the intersection, said Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, the commanding officer of Brooklyn North, which oversees the areas local precinct. As much as we have to address the trucks, we have to address the cyclists as well. State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than... Campus News Rocket fever launches UB students to engineering competition in New Mexico The UB SEDS team poses for photo after putting the rocket on the launch rail. From left: August Bartoszewicz, Owen Langrehr, Peter Wilkins, Sayre Stowell and Jonathan Przybyla. By EMILY SUGARMAN The group from UB SEDS Students for the Exploration and Development of Space was taking part in the First Annual Spaceport America Cup at the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) in Las Cruces. It was so hot, recalls Pete Wilkins, a rising senior majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering, that even under a tent, his camp chair melted from the 110-degree heat and it was set up under a tent. Ten students from UBs School of Engineering and Applied Sciences took a long drive from Buffalo to the desert of New Mexico in late June, with a rocket called Volans Tauri in tow. The ESRA website proclaims that students who take part in the contest have Rocket Fever and competition motivates them to extend themselves beyond the classroom to design and build these high-flying machines themselves. These students also learn to work as a team, solving real-world problems under the same pressures of cost, schedule and technical risk that theyll experience in their future careers. The UB students competed with 45 other teams in the 10,000-foot Consumer off the Shelf category, in which motors were factory-manufactured but rockets were designed and built by each team. There were five other categories, among them higher target altitudes and student-made motors. Students were judged based on a number of criteria, such as poster and podium sessions, written technical and safety reports, amount of student-developed systems, the teams professionalism, and the quality and competency of the rocket design and performance. Each teams rocket and strategy were unique: The height and width, the fins, the weight, electronic use for deployment, parachute designs, tracking techniques and more would influence their performance. The UB team came in 21 out of 45 a significant accomplishment, the students say, considering it was the first year the team had competed and the team was comprised solely of undergraduates. Volans Tauri shot up 7,400 feet, with a successful recovery. While team members were content with their overall performance, they considered this year to be a learning experience. Next year, we would like more diverse majors on the team to specialize in various aspects, such as avionics, for a larger base of knowledge and more student-designed systems, says Wilkins, head of rocketry for UB SEDS. We are working on strategies to better recruit students to get involved next time around. There are no restrictions on who can be involved. Wilkins joined UB SEDS when he was a freshman. After working on several projects, such as a solar-boat competition with UBs student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and another rocket competition run by SEDS USA, he says he discovered the rewards of large technical projects collaboration, innovation and fun and the potential for SEDS future at UB. And that is why he encouraged members from UB SEDS to take part in the 2017 Spaceport America Cup. It was the next logical step, Wilkins notes. Weve been working toward this. The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has launched its second Regional Centre of Excellence in the Anglia region at ACO. The facility, which is located in Shefford, was attended by John Newcomb, Chief Executive Officer of the BMF, Alex Clifford, BMF Regional Manager London and South East,Phil Windus, ACOs Marketing Manager, and Richard Hill, ACOs Managing Director. BMF members around the UK have welcomed the Federations Regional Centres, which will give them access to BMF training and events on their doorstep. Speaking at the launch, Richard said: We are delighted to have been selected as a Regional Centre of Excellence and look forward to hosting BMF members for training and regional meetings. The BMF is doing a great job bringing together different elements of the supply chain and we look forward to playing our part in the Anglia area. Alex added: The BMF appreciates ACO allowing the BMF to use its impressive facilities in Shefford, as the second Centre of Excellence in the Anglia region. We very much look forward to welcoming members to the venue when the BMF Anglia Regional Meeting is held there on 11 October, 2017. Picture caption: Left to right: Phil Windus (ACO), Alex Clifford (BMF), Richard Hill (ACO) and John Newcomb (BMF). Families need help: Donate and Give a Christmas During the holiday season, in partnership with NJ 211, we are pleased to offer the Give a Christmas program to Burlington County residents. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. Days, after the US Food and Drug Administration(US FDA) slapped a Form 483 against the Indian drug major Dr Reddy's Laboratories after completing the inspection of its Duvvada facility in Vishakhapatnam, the pharma major was dealt a second blow as German regulatory authorities made six major audit observations for the same plant. Riding on sops to compensate for the lack of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status, information technology (IT) major Infosys is set to mark its entry in West Bengal. Expecting a revenue and sales volume growth rate of 20 per cent this year and in the coming few years, India, a 50:50 joint-venture between Japan-based Yakult Honsha and Groupe Danone of France, will be coming out with a new probiotic product under the fermented milk category. has announced a host of offers on Nissan and Datsun models for customers with effect from September 5. Customers can enjoy benefits up to Rs 71,000 on Nissan models, which include free insurance, an exchange bonus of Rs 20,000 and a corporate offer of Rs 6,000, a statement from Nissan said. Similarly, there are benefits of up to Rs 39,000 on the Micra MC, and up to Rs 34,000 on Micra Active which include free insurance, an exchange bonus of Rs 10,000 and a corporate offer of INR 4,000, it added. Datsun is offering benefits of up to Rs 16,000 on GO+, up to Rs 14,500 on GO, and up to Rs 13,000 on redi-GO (800cc) which include free insurance and a corporate offer of Rs 2,000 on these Datsun models, the statement said. Additionally, customers are assured one gold coin as a festive offer on every new Nissan and Datsun car purchase during this month and financing options are available at 7.99 per cent. Nissan and Datsun are also giving customers the chance to win a free car if they book an order on or before September 19. Nine winners each for Nissan and Datsun stand a chance to win a car through this festive offer. Datsun is also offering an additional discount of Rs 6,000 on the Datsun redi-GO for government employees under its 'Pillars of India' program, the statement said. With over 500 of its pilots and cabin crew coming under the DGCA scanner for skipping mandatory alcohol tests, Air India has told the regulator that there has been no violation even as a pilots' grouping has threatened to go on protest if any action is taken. The DGCA has found 132 pilots and 434 cabin crew of Air India to have allegedly skipped the mandatory pre- and post- flight alcohol test this year and they face the prospect of being grounded. Air India pilots' union ICPA has threatened to go on protest against a senior official at the DGCA if the airline staff are suspended. Earlier this week, Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal told the DGCA that pilots should not be punished for something that is not their fault. "There has been no violation of any nature by pilots and the cabin crew and the management has not introduced medical checks at transit stations due to interpretation of language of DGCA CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement). "It is requested that a lenient view be taken a suspension proposed for three months for such a large number of crew be not implemented," Bansal said in a letter. He also assured the regulator that the airline had taken "immediate corrective action." The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had written to Air India informing it of a likely action against some of its pilots and crew members for skipping the mandatory alcohol tests. In a statement today, Indian Commercial Pilot's Association (ICPA) said, "if even one of our innocent member pilot becomes a victim of DGCA for no fault of the pilot", the union would resort to a full-fledged protest against a senior official at the regulator. The union has also blamed the official for "victimisation towards a section of pilots". The union also wondered why has the DGCA been selective in its action and allegedly picked only two flights of narrow body aircraft of Air India and left out wide body flights. As part of the DGCA's safety regulations, all pilots and cabin crew must undergo the breath analyser test before and after flights. Any crew member who tests positive in the pre-flight medical check or refuses to take a breath analyser test is required to be taken off flying duty for at least four weeks and the airline is required to initiate disciplinary proceedings, according to civil aviation rules. Budget airline SpiceJet has begun an order contest between Boeing and Airbus for wide-body aircraft, in the strongest indication yet that it will go ahead with a move into discount long-distance flights. The stock rose to their highest ever. The Army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, a senior officer said today. The plan -- being seen as a major step towards breaking gender barriers in the force -- is to induct approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year, Adjutant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar told reporters. In an interview to PTI in June, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into military police corps. Lt. Gen. Kumar said the decision to induct women in Corps of Military Police would help in investigating allegations of gender specific crimes. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava on Friday said the auto industry is moving towards electric vehicles (EVs) despite the challenge to come up with an affordable car, taking cue from the government's push for the eco-friendly technology. Union minister Nitin Gadkari had warned the automobile industry yesterday to go for alternative fuel, else he would not mind "bulldozing" them in his bid to check pollution and imports. "We are all moving towards it (electric vehicle) now. It wouldn't have happened so fast if the government hadn't pushed that's also a fact," Bhargava said. Speaking on the sidelines of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) annual convention here, he added: "The challenge is to have an affordable (electric) car that be made acceptable to the customer." When asked for comments on Gadkari's message to the auto industry to move towards alternative fuel in order to reduce imports of petroleum and curb pollution, Bhargava said there was nothing wrong about it. "What he is trying to say I think is that this programme has be implemented...Do not take everything too literally," he said. Supporting the road transport and highways minister's views, Bhargava said: "If you want a change of this kind there has to be a push on somebody otherwise the inertia of not doing anything is very high." On the challenges for bringing electric vehicles, he said: "Infrastructure is where we need to meet the challenge. I think the government is very serious in solving this problem." Moreover, he said: "Nothing remains hard if you have will to do." Gadkari had also said a Cabinet note on electric vehicles was ready that would take care of charging stations. Disaster Response Force (NDRF) engaged in rescuing flood hit people of Bihar has so far rescued 102 expecting mothers while three babies were born on the force's boat. "NDRF rescuers helped three expecting mothers in their advance stage of pregnancy to deliver their babies on NDRF boat," a statement from 9th battalion of NDRF based at Bihta in Patna district said today. The babies were born on August 16 at Madhubani, August 18 in Gopalganj and August 23 at Motihari, the statement quoting commandant Vijay Sinha said. The NDRF teams so far have safely shifted 102 expecting mothers from their flood-hit villages to nearby hospitals, he said. The 28 teams of NDRF have so far evacuated 48,486 people and 292 livestock from marooned areas to safer places since start of flood condition on August 12. NDRF medical teams are also providing help to the needy in flood affected villages with the help of river ambulances, the commandant said. The Army has briefed its former chiefs about the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the Dokalam standoff, and the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The former chiefs were also apprised of the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff with China and the surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) last year, official sources said. The former chiefs were briefed by the incumbent Gen. at a three-day biennial Chiefs' Conclave, which will conclude tomorrow. Eight former army chiefs including Generals (retd) V P Malik, Deepak Kapoor, S F Rodrigues, J J Singh, V N Sharma, Vikram Singh and Dalbir Singh Suhag attended the conclave. They were also told about steps being taken to enhance the combat capability of the force as also structural reform initiatives. Various issues relating to human resource policy of the force were also discussed, sources said. The Army chief had on Wednesday said the country should be prepared for a two-front war, noting that China had started "flexing its muscles" and there seemed no scope for any reconciliation with Pakistan. "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict," he had said. In military parlance salami slicing denotes divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition. A notable feature of what could be the penultimate cabinet reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Democratic Alliance (NDA) cabinet is that it was limited to BJP ministers alone. The NDA allies, at least those present at the swearing in ceremony, were onlookers. A case on Friday was registered against hair stylist Jawed Habib following a complaint accusing him of "insulting and demeaning" Hindu Gods in a newspaper advertisement for his salon. Based on the complaint of K Karuna Sagar, a practising advocate, the Saidabad police station here registered the case under IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), a senior police official told PTI. Asked if a notice will be issued against Habib for questioning, he said, "We will take legal opinion and proceed accordingly." When told that the hair stylist had apologised over the matter, the official said, "We will look into that." The advocate, in his complaint with the Saidabad police, earlier stated that while browsing through a social media service, he came across a photo of an advertisement "issued" by Jawed Habib in a newspaper, allegedly depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses in a "derogatory and insulting" way. He said the ad, which carried the caption 'Gods too visit JH Salon', "insulted his religious sentiments." Sagar sought action against Habib in the complaint. However, Habib, through a video message posted on his twitter handle, offered an apology over the issue. "One of our partners released the advertisement without our permission in Kolkata. Our system is through franchise..I have been working for 25 years. My only religion is scissors. Sentiments have been hurt...I apologise."A letter was also posted on the social media handle, in the name of Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty Limited, which read:"We never ever intended to hurt the sentiments of any community. It was done without our knowledge of the company by some local people in West Bengal. We undertake to remove all such advertisement material from the media.""If our ad campaign had inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments we apologise for that to the public at large," the letter said. Besides Sagar, a student of the University of Hyderabad had also lodged a complaint against Habib with the Gachibowli police over the same issue. He too accused the hair stylist of hurting his religious sentiments. Gachibowli police station inspector S Chandrakanth earlier said that following the complaint they made a General Diary (GD) entry and were seeking legal opinion. As Bengaluru editor Gauri Lankesh was murdered on September 5, 2017, 142 attacks against journalists for grievous hurt were registered nationwide over two years to 2015, according to the latest available Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. As many 70 journalists were killed in India over 24 years to 2016, according to the Committee To Protect Journalists, a nonprofit. As many 73 people were arrested for the 142 attacks, revealed in NCRB data quoted in this reply to the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament) by Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, minister of state for home, on July 26, 2017. Union Human Resource Development Minister on Friday said the government will undertake a programme from next year to enrol "70-80 lakh" students in the country who are out of schools. "There are about 70-80 lakh children who are not going to schools. We have thought of a plan to address the problem... it will be known as School Chalo Abhiyan," Javadekar said while addressing a seminar here on International Literacy Day. "Many states have started it already. From next year onwards we will launch it in the entire country with more planning." He said that a lot of progress has happened in the country since 1947 in that "we have achieved 81 per cent literacy" which was 18 per cent at the time of Independence. Stressing that literacy, as we know it, is not enough, he emphasised on getting digital literacy to the masses. "This is not only the time for literacy in terms of reading and writing but of digital literacy as well. And people have moved in that direction already. Rural India alone has 70 crore mobile phones," said the Minister. "When all these challenges are met, we will be able to fulfil Prime Minister's dream of 100 per cent literacy, digital and otherwise, by 2022, " he added. Minister of State (HRD) Satya Pal Singh, who also addressed the event, advised people to read a bit of India's history, which he said, led the world in education during as recent as the 19th century. "The problem is that we do not read... Thomas Monroe (a British administrator) had written an account in the year 1810, in which he mentioned that India had 100 per cent literacy...," he said. "We have a lot to do now. I am new to the ministry but we will plan on what can be done to bring complete literacy." (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 midair selfie over the green waters of Seychelles Islands, those epic celebrations till the crack of dawn, the dance, the music, the achievements, the opinions and all those beautiful stories of human connections that are liked and shared, expressed and engaged. feeds have the DNA of a good life. But what becomes of it when youre at your weakest? Authorities on Friday imposed restrictions in parts of the city in view of protests called by separatist groups against the alleged atrocities on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "Restrictions are in place in the Nowhatta police station and Urdu Bazar post areas as a precautionary measure," a police official said. Separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani have called for peaceful protests across the Valley after Friday prayers against the "persecution" of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The Rohingyas, branded illegal immigrants in Myanmar and mostly denied citizenship, make up the vast majority of the dead and displaced since 2012. Due to the ongoing bout of violence, thousands of them have fled to neighbouring countries either by land or boat. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Friday asserted that Japan can make a substantial difference to India's nuclear industry. Speaking at the India-Japan Colloquium session, Jaishankar stressed as to how cooperation and civil nuclear, defence will be two key components of the future for both India and Japan. "The difference that Japan can make to our nuclear industry can be quite substantial. Japan's openness to supply India with military technology also reflects the high level of confidence between the two countries," he said. The Foreign Secretary also spoke about a number of infrastructural and economic projects which both the countries are planning to undertake. "India's accelerated business growth provides new opportunities for Japanese countries. Japan offers capabilities and practices that are needed in this juncture. This will help one of the emerging bi-lateral relations in the world. Make-in India, Business India provides more opportunities for these countries," he said. Jaishankar highlighted the role of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in expediting the rapid modernisation of the Asian countries. He said, "The Japanese ODA's relevance to construct a better infrastructure is noteworthy. We must recognize the expanded ODA relationship between India and Jap. It definitely plays an important role in accelerating our infrastructure." He also spoke about a number of infrastructure projects that both the countries are working on at present. "Japan is working with India in the western dedicated trade corridor, Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor and various metro projects. India and Japan are working on a number of projects with the flagship being Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway project," he said. He ended his speech by saying that convergence between the two countries has the capability to drive Asia's economy and stimulate global growth. The mammoth trial of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case had concluded in February 2007 but Karimullah Khan, who was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment, remained elusive for over 14 years before being nabbed by police. Recalling Khan's arrest, a police official said in August 2008, the crime branch of the Mumbai Police got a tip off about him. The crime branch, then headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria, was informed that Khan was living at Nalasopara for the past 2-3 years with his family members and working as a real estate agent by assuming a fake identity Khan had changed his looks to avoid identification. The official said Khan had left the country immediately after the 1993 blasts. He had allegedly stayed with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Clifton area of Pakistan's Karachi till 2006, an official said. ALSO READ: Abu Salem & 1993 Mumbai blasts: 10 things you should know The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Khan. After getting the tip-off, for the first few days, a crime branch team kept an eye on the activities of Khan, who had changed his name to Osan Khan, and found that he is in the business of selling and purchasing of property and letting flats on rent, the official said. Inspector Pandharinath Vavhal, who was then attached to Chembur unit of the Crime branch, and Sub-Inspector Rutuja Nemlekar, posing as a couple, approached Khan for a flat, he said. The couple went to Khan's office on August 20, 2008, at Nalasopara and told him that they wanted to meet the owner and pay a token amount for booking the flat. ALSO READ: 1993 Mumbai blasts: Abu Salem gets life term, 2 others get death sentence As Khan got into their car, the team of the crime branch began following them in their vehicle. When the car crossed some distance, he was told that he was arrested by the crime branch. "Initially, he was not accepting that he is Karimullah Khan. He was misleading police with his fake identity. He was consistently saying that he is Osan Khan," the official said. "As I remember, he was not cooperating with the police in the beginning. But, after few tough questions, in the middle of the journey, he accepted that he is Karimullah," he said. He had managed to procure a ration card, a PAN card and a driving licence by using his new identity, he added. ALSO READ: 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Mustafa Dossa dies of cardiac arrest In crime branch custody, he then joined all the dots of the bomb blast case, an official said. During the interrogation, he had said he thought that 15 years after the blast no one would recognise him and he also wanted to see his children, who have grown up since he fled the country, the official said. Khan, who was actually a close aide of Ejaz Pathan and landing agent of explosives like RDX and weapons, spent a long period of time with Dawood Ibrahim after fleeing the country, the official said. In December 2006, he left Pakistan and went to Nepal from where he entered Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, he resided in Cotton Green but after the blasts his family moved to Mira Road and then to Nalasopara. Khan was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by the special TADA court in Mumbai for his role in the 1993 blasts case. The Centre on Friday proposed rules for a "no-fly list", the first of its kind in the world, that allow airlines to bar unruly passengers from flying for up to two years. A plea was filed in Supreme Court on Monday seeking identification and deportation of . The plea has been filed by Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan, (RSA) leader, K.N. Govindacharya. Govindacharya, in his plea, said the Rohingya Muslims are a burden on a country's resources and also a serious threat to India's security. Govindacharya is opposing the plea earlier filed by two Rohingya Muslim refugees, for which Prashant Bhushan had appeared in the apex court. The plea filed by the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who are registered refugees under the United Nations High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR), stated that "this act (deportation) would be in contradiction with the Principle of Non-Refoulement, which has been widely recognized as a principle of Customary International Law". The Principle of Non-Refoulement prohibits states from sending back refugees to a country where their life may be in danger. Earlier, India announced that it plans to deport an estimated 40,000 living illegally in India. The government said that even those registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees would be deported. The Rohingyas fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar. Investigators from the IG-headed SIT on Thursday pored over the CCTV footage of the scene of murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh for clues in the hunt for the killers even as her family spoke against giving "political colour" to the incident. The brother and sister of 55-year-old Gauri, who was gunned down at her home on Bengaluru on Tuesday night, also appeared divided on the probe with the former saying he would approach the CBI or a court if they don't get justice from investigations by the SIT. As outrage across the country over the murder grew, Union minister Ramdas Athawale demanded that the killers be immediately arrested and hanged. He also said there was no need for levelling political allegations over the incident. The Karnataka government on its part said it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible." Protest rallies and candlelight vigils were also held for the second day today in several cities. "We need a CBI probe into the murder," said a student protester in Kolkata. The Karnataka government yesterday announced the formation of a 21-member Special Investigation Team(SIT) headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh to probe the killing that has led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum. "SIT members have started their investigation into the case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here. Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "the duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public." He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV fixed at the location where Lankesh was gunned down. The SIT personnel also searched for clues at the murder scene. Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe, Reddy said, "who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it." Gauri, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borneassailants sprayed bullets at close range with two hitting her in the chestand one on her forehead, police had said. As a political slugfest erupted on the killing, her family today made a plea against giving political colour. The family also said the probe should look into all angles behind Gauri's killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about possible Naxal hand other than suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life. "I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice for a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his other sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters here. Asked about Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it. "What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said. "Please don't take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please don't colour this with political angle." While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time. Indrajit said, "we don't know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we don't get justice I will give memorandum to CBI or retired judge (for inquiry), because we want justice." On whether they will ask for a CBI probe only on not getting justice from SIT or immediately demand for probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI." Immediately intervening, Indrajit said "according to me it's not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we don't get justice, I personally- I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it- I will go to CBI." When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to SIT before going to CBI independently, Indrajit said, "what we want is justice for our sister and family." He said "at the end of it, it is not about going to CBI or special judge or SIT, it is about getting justice, for that I'm ready to anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister." He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed. Indrajit said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone. Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies. "Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites or any other angle, it has to be probed," he said, adding that because she was rehabilitating them (Naxals), if there was any differences, it has to be probed. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the government had an "open mind" on a CBI probe. He said he had met Gauri's mother, brother and sister and that they had not insisted on CBI probe. Restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar city on Friday to prevent protests against the killings of the in Myanmar, police said. The restrictions were imposed in the areas of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj and Safa Kadal. Authorities also decided not to allow Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area. Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had called for the protests. Mirwaiz has been placed under house arrest to prevent his participation. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was arrested on Thursday, has been lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. Life in the Valley was partially affected due to the protest shutdown call. Shops, public transport and other businesses remained closed in the five areas. In New Delhi on Thursday, the worlds largest aerospace corporation, The Company, openly expressed what many global arms vendors have complained about in private: The Indian private sector is not yet capable of manufacturing complex military aircraft under transfer of technology (ToT). India has imposed an additional import tax on certain stainless steel flat products from China for five years in order to curb influx of cheaper foreign imports, a government statement said on Friday. The government imposed 18.95 per cent countervailing duty on some hot-rolled and cold-rolled stainless steel flat products, a first such levy on a steel product. This is aimed at helping local steel makers benefit when there is surge in imports, it said. "This would provide the much-needed relief to the stainless steel industry from the subsidized imports from China," the statement said. "These imports were distorting the domestic market, which was under huge stress and led to financial stress in the industry." India has previously imposed a slew of anti-dumping duties on import of steel and stainless steel products from China, Japan and South Korea. The U S Department of Commerce said on Wednesday it has started a probe into possible dumping and subsidisation of stainless steel flanges from China and India. The income-tax (I-T) department has established charges against five persons with unaccounted foreign assets of Rs 5,000 crore in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a Caribbean tax haven. Investigations are on in more cases. Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan has said needed to be more independent and should be able to hire and fire chief executive officers (CEOs) without needing to take permission from the government. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya on Friday drew a parallel with the weak recapitalisation of capital-starved European that hurt those economies to say India should avoid that route. Imposition of Countervailing Duty on Imports of Stainless Steel Flat Products Will Strengthen the Ongoing Efforts of Indian Industry for Moving Towards 100 % Quality Regime for Better Safety and Health of Users, Says Shri Birender Singh, Union Steel Minister . Welcoming the imposition of Countervailing Duty on imports of Stainless Steelflat products by the Ministry of Finance, Union Steel Minister Shri Birender Singh said in New Delhi today that, CVD on Stainless Steel will strengthen the ongoing efforts of Indian industry for moving towards 100 % quality regime for better safety and health of users. This will provide a level playing field to the industry to grow to its full potential after attaining 2nd largest rank in stainless steel production in world in 2016." . . The notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, dated 7th September 2017, prescribes a total of 18.95% CVD on imports of Stainless steel flat products from China for the next five years. Reacting to the development Dr. Aruna Sharma, Secretary Steel said, This is the first case of imposition of CVD on any steel product in India. This would provide the much needed relief to the stainless steel industry from the subsidized imports from China." Dr Sharma said that this was one among the many steps taken by the Government to help the domestic Stainless Steel Industry. Among the other steps were the imposition of the Stainless Steel Quality Control Order (QCO) and other trade remedial measures. . . The CVD investigations were initiated on 12th April 2016 by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) in response to a surge in subsidized imports of stainless steel flat products. These imports were distorting the domestic market, which was under huge stress and was leading to financial stress in the industry. Extensive investigations were carried out by DGAD and the final findings were issued by the DGAD vide notification dated 4th July 2017. . . The final findings list a possible 81 known subsidies being provided by China. They were categorized into five different heads including Grants (0.55%), Export Financing (0%), Tax & VAT incentives (2.3%), Provision of Goods & services (15.78%) and Preferential loans and lending totaling 18.95%. . . YSK/MI J&K Minister Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali calls on Dr Jitendra Singh, discusses development issues The Jammu & Kashmir Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information & Public Relations, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali called on the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here today and discussed wide range of issues related to development as well as some of the immediate problems faced by the border districts. Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali gave Dr Jitendra Singh an update about the progress of various Central schemes and projects in his Ministry as well as in other sectors in general. He said that with the support of Union Government, the development activity has received an impetus and as the situation gradually returns to normalcy, the benefits of development will be realized in full measure. He also gave a resume of the various flagship programmes including the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. He also requested for initiating the work on Rajouri-Poonch railway line. He also made a plea for increasing the employment opportunities for the people of the region. Dr Jitendra Singh said that he would put forward the issues raised by him before the concerned Ministries, like Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, however, he suggested that the State Government should get into a more active mode and try to fast-track the works which have already been approved and for which even the funds have been sanctioned by the Central Government. Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Union Government is liberal in offering all kinds of support, both financial and otherwise, to the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Northeast, but it is up to the respective State Governments to make the best use of this patronage. Emphasizing the need to fast-track construction of roads sanctioned through Central Roads Fund (CRF) by the Government of India and rural electrification under "Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana" (DDUGJY), Dr Jitendra Singh said that J&K Government should expedite work to achieve the fixed timelines and targets set to be achieved by 2019. At least six people were killed as two powerful earthquakes measuring 8.1 and 7.3 jolted Mexico and Guatemala, respectively, on Friday, media reported. Three people were killed when a house collapsed in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas and two children died in the state of Tabasco, Efe news quoted Mexico's Interior Ministry officials as saying. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales confirmed that there was at least one death in the country but did not give any further details. The quake struck 120 km off the Pacific Coast at 12.49 am, southwest of Tres Picos, Mexico, which is 1,000 km southeast of Mexico City, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. It was close to both the states of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala and Oaxaca in the Middle America trench, reports CNN. At least 12 aftershocks with tremors measuring above 5.0 in magnitude and a fifth at 4.9 were recorded and some 23,000 people likely experienced the violent shaking, according to the USGS. In Guatemala, a number of houses were damaged and many people sustained injuries in the 7.3 quake that hit the country just hours after the one in Mexico. The Guatemalan Army said it had deployed troops to ascertain the damage caused by the tremor. Meanwhile, a tsunami was confirmed in Mexico, with one wave coming in at 3 feet, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre's verified account. The Centre immediately issued a tsunami warning and advised the public that waves could hit the coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and even Ecuador. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted: "Civil protection protocols are activated, including the National Emergency Committee." Mexico CIty Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said parts of the capital were without any electricity. Tremors were felt across many other Central American countries. The quake comes a few days before the anniversary of the earthquake of September 19, 1985, that killed over 40,000 people in Mexico City. Mexico is currently also being threatened on its eastern coast by Hurricane Katia, BBC reported. The category 1 hurricane is about 300 km south-east of Tampico and has sustained winds of 140km/h, according to the US National Hurricane Centre. (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.) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will support new measures against North Korea following the latest nuclear test by the Kim Jong-un regime. Given the situation on the Korean peninsula, the UN Security Council should seek a "further response" and adopt new measures, Yi said at a press conference on Thursday after a meeting with Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, although he added that sanctions were only part of the solution, Efe news reported. New measures by the community should be aimed at "harming the nuclear and missile program of the government of North Korea while helping restart dialogue and negotiation," Wang said. "We believe that sanctions and pressure are just half of the key to the problem, and the other half is dialogue and negotiation," Wang said. "Only by combining these two together will it be possible to resolve the Korean peninsula issue," he said. Wang's remarks came after Chinese President Xi Jinping's telephone conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Wednesday night, in which the Chinese leader called for a peaceful solution to the conflict. After the latest nuclear test by North Korea at the weekend, the USand its allies called for tougher sanctions against the North Korean regime. After the test, Trump said he was considering suspending trade with any country that did business with Pyongyang and hinted that he did not rule out an attack on North Korea. Following the conversation with Xi, the US leader said that a military response was not his first option. Pakistan has lauded China's "constructive role" in the process for a politically negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict. Addressing a joint press conference after his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that the two countries are in favour of a political solution for the Afghan conflict and not military. Asif, who arrived in China on Friday, appreciated China's "constructive role" in the process for a politically negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict, saying that Pakistan and China can together contribute to a political solution to the conflict. He is in China as a part of his regional outreach for consultations on the new US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia "Pakistan strongly adheres to one-China policy: We support Beijing on its core issues of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and South China Sea," the Dawn quoted Asif as saying. He said Operations Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad have yielded positive results against terrorist groups including East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). He added that ETIM is a threat not only for China but also to Pakistan. China had repeatedly blamed ETIM for carrying out attacks in its far western region of Xinjiang. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Minister reaffirmed Beijing's continuous and firm support for Pakistan in war against terrorism, saying that both the countries stand together in the changing regional and global scenario. "China supports Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity," he said. Emphasising on trilateral cooperation between Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, Wang said his country wants improved relations between Islamabad and Kabul and is also ready to support both the sides. He said peace in Afghanistan remains in the interest of both countries. Wang further said that China, Pakistan and Afghanistan will hold new high-level talks this year to push forward for settlement negotiations to resolve Afghan issue. Wang said that Pakistan's efforts to eliminate terrorism should be recognised by the community. "When it comes to the issue of counterterrorism, Pakistan has done its best with a clear conscience. In comparison, some countries need to give Pakistan the full credit that it deserves," he said. Wang's statement in favour of Pakistan come days after the BRICS declaration that named militant groups allegedly based in Pakistan as a regional security concern. BRICS leaders had recently unveiled the Xiamen Declaration in which member countries unequivocally condemned terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations and called upon all states to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating the menace, including countering radicalisation, recruitment, and movement of terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters. The Xiamen BRICS Declaration signed by the BRICS members specifically stated, "BRICS express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir." "BRICS deplore all terrorist attacks worldwide, including attacks in BRICS countries, and condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. We reaffirm that those responsible for committing, organising, or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable," it added. Asif will travel to Iran after completing his China visit. He is also expected to meet Russian and Turkish leaders in coming days. China on Friday defended its all-weather ally Pakistan, saying Islamabad has done its "best" to combat terrorism and some countries need to give it "full credit" for that, days after Beijing backed the BRICS's declaration which named Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT and JeM for the first time. "Pakistan is a good brother and iron friend of China. No one knows Pakistan and understands Pakistan better than China," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif here. Asif is visiting China after China backed a tough resolution on terrorism at the just concluded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Xiamen. The resolution expressed concern over violence caused by terrorist groups including the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Haqqani network. The BRICS indictment also followed a scathing criticism of Pakistan over terrorism related issued by US President Donald Trump in his South Asia and Afghanistan policy. Ahead of his visit Asif for the first time admitted Pakistan needed to rein in terror outfits to avoid "embarrassment" on the global stage. Avoiding any direct references to BRICS declaration, Wang said terrorism was a global issue and requires concerted efforts from all countries. "Instead of blaming each other, countries need to work with each other. For years Pakistan has been a victim of terror and more importantly Pakistan is an important participant in cooperation against terrorism," he said. "The government and people of Pakistan made huge efforts and sacrifice on the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifice are there for everyone to see. The community should recognise that. When it comes to the issue of counterterrorism, we believe Pakistan has done its best with a clear conscience," he said. "In comparison, some countries need to give Pakistan the full credit it deserves," he said in a veiled reference to India and the US. The declaration of BRICS, in which China is a prominent member had expressed "concern" over the security situation in the region and the violence caused by the Taliban, ISIS, al- Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) active in China's Xinjiang and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, LeT, JeM, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Hizb ut-Tahrir. At the ninth BRICS Summit from September 3 to 5, the BRICS leaders also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever. They stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. The naming of the JeM in the declaration also sparked speculation whether China would continue to resist efforts by India to bring about a UN ban on its leader Masood Azhar. China has blocked the resolutions brought about by India and later the US, backed by the UK and France, in the UN by putting repeating technical holds. Meanwhile, Asif said that Pakistan "strongly" adhered to one-China policy. "We support China on its core issues of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and South China Sea," he was quoted by as saying by Dawn news. He said Operations Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad against terrorist groups "including ETIM [East Turkestan Islamic Movement]", which China blames for carrying out attacks in its far western region of Xinjiang, have yielded positive results. "ETIM is not only a threat to China but also to Pakistan," he said. The foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will hold their first trilateral talks within this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. Wang made the remarks during a press conference after a meeting with visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Xinhua news agency reported. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan are important countries in the region and he hoped the two nations could work together to safeguard stability in the region. China attaches great importance to the relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and actively helps the two countries narrow their differences and enhance mutual trust. It is also exploring opportunities to develop cooperation among the three countries, Wang said. Through consultations, the three countries' Foreign Ministers will hold their first trilateral talks this year, Wang said, adding that they will focus on strategic communication, practical cooperation and security dialogue. On the anti-terrorism issue, Wang said terrorism is a global problem and all countries should work together to solve it. He said Pakistan has always been a victim of terrorism and an important participant in anti-terrorism cooperation and the world should recognise the efforts and sacrifice made by the Pakistani government and its people. During the meeting with Asif, Wang said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and China supports Pakistan's efforts to uphold sovereignty, fight terrorism and safeguard national security. On his part, Asif said Pakistan will always firmly support China on issues concerning China's core interests, including issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and the South China Sea. Foxconn is pressing its case to acquire Toshibas memory chips unit, as the Japanese conglomerate struggles to complete the sale and avoid having its shares delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Foxconn has broad support for its offer from Apple, SoftBank Group and Sharp and is ready to proceed right away, said Louis Woo, a spokesman. will "devastate" part of the US, authorities warned, as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century closed in on the state of Florida after lashing the Caribbean with devastating winds and rain and killing at least 18 people. Irma was about 724 km southeast of Miami, Florida, early on Friday (local time) after saturating the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and pummelling the Turks and Caicos Islands, ABC News reported. The "extremely dangerous" hurricane was downgraded from a category five to a category four early on Friday but still packed winds as strong as 240 km per hour, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said in an advisory. Head of the US' Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Brock Long said US officials were preparing a massive response to the storm. " continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the southeastern states," he said. Long warned that parts of Florida would be out of electricity for days, if not longer, and that more than 100,000 people may need shelter. The National Weather Service said Friday was the last day to evacuate before winds would start to hit unsafe speeds in Florida. Airlines said on Thursday they were adding extra flights from Florida before announcing plans to halt service from some southern Florida airports starting on Friday afternoon. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Irma was a "remarkably dangerous storm, and the window to get yourself in the right spot ... is closing rapidly". A massive evacuation has clogged Florida's major highways as residents tried to escape, but traffic officials decided against reversing the direction of southbound lanes because they still needed to move petrol and supplies south. The toll from the storm has risen as emergency services got access to remote areas pummelled by heavy winds and rain. Irma led to at least 18 deaths in the Caribbean, including nine in French territories, one at the British overseas territory of Anguilla, one on Barbuda, four on the US Virgin Islands, and three in Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Cuban authorities also evacuated 700,000 people from the country's northeastern coast ahead of the hurricane hitting the island nation, authorities said. At the time this article was written, was hours away from making its pit stop in the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Its first rain showers and gusts of wind were just making themselves known, and people were still hammering wood panels over their windows, making last-minute supermarket runs, using Facebook live and risking their lives to witness the life-threatening sublimity of the rising tides and swells. When Gaston- died, the contents of his office were packed up, stored away, and eventually forgotten. Vuitton (1883- 1970), the grandchild of the luxury trunk maker Louis Vuitton, ran the eponymous company for more than 50 years and was the aesthete of the family, said Patrick Mauries, a French writer and historian. Over time, as the head of a company that made suitcases, he amassed a bizarre assemblage of objects related to travel, which he kept in his home and his office, Mauries, said. It was sort of a mess it was stacked by the door, around his desk, and so on. The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been formally told she faces a possible trial over alleged misuse of public funds, the justice ministry said on Friday. "The attorney general has informed the counsel of Mrs. Sara Netanyahu, wife of the prime minister, that he is considering putting her on trial," it said in a statement. Sara Netanyahu and an aide are accused of falsely declaring there were no cooks at the prime minister's official residence and that they ordered from outside caterers at public expense. "In this way, hundreds of meals from restaurants and chefs were fraudulently obtained from chefs and restaurants at a cost of 359,000 shekels ($102,000, 85,000 euros)," the statement said. Netanyahu himself is also under investigation for suspected corruption, and last month his former chief of staff signed a deal to testify on behalf of the state in probes involving the premier. The investigations have stirred Israeli politics and led to speculation over whether Netanyahu will eventually be forced to step down, which he is only obliged to do if convicted. He denies any wrongdoing. Sara Netanyahu's lawyer said on Sunday that she had taken a voluntary lie detector test to try to dispel the allegations she misused public funds. Results of polygraph testing are not admissible as evidence in Israeli criminal trials. Apple Inc's new iPhone had hit production glitches early in its manufacturing process and could lead to supply shortfalls and shipping delays following its launch next week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. New Yorks banking regulator ordered Habib Bank to pay $225 million and surrender its licence to operate in the state, effectively removing Pakistans largest lender from the US financial system. The battlefield of Chinese e-commerce giants has shifted offline. The latest move is by Alibaba, which joins its competitors in venturing into the supplier market space for Chinas mom-and-pop stores. The idea is to reach the 600 million Chinese consumers still unexposed to online retail. US banking regulators ordered Pakistan's Habib Bank to shutter its New York office after nearly 40 years, for repeatedly failing to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering, officials said today. Habib, Pakistan's largest private bank, neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends, New York banking officials said. The state's Department of Financial Services, which regulates foreign banks, also slapped a $225 million fine on the bank, although that is much smaller than the $629.6 million penalty initially proposed. Habib has operated in the United States since 1978, and in 2006 was ordered to tighten its oversight of potentially illegal transactions but failed to comply. New York regulators said Habib facilitated billions of dollars of transactions with Saudi private bank, Al Rajhi Bank, which reportedly has links to al Qaeda, and failed to do enough to ensure that the funds were not laundered or used for terrorism. "DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this State and the financial system as a whole," DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo said in a news release. "The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so." Habib permitted at least 13,000 transactions that were not sufficiently screened to ensure they did not involve sanctioned countries, the agency said. And the bank improperly used a "good guy" list to rubber stamp at least $250 million in transactions, including those by an identified terrorist and an arms dealer, regulators said. In an August letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Habib company secretary Nausheen Ahmad called the proposed fine of $629.6 million "outrageous" and "capricious" and said the bank had decided to close its New York operations "in an orderly manner." But DFS said Habib will have to surrender its license after it meets the agency's requirements. "DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States," Vullo said. United States President Donald Trump has hailed the efforts made by the leaders of Kuwait to mediate in solving the crisis of Qatar and its Arab neighbours, however, Trump said a deal would be "worked out very quickly," if he became personally involved. "Kuwait has been really the leader of getting it solved, and we appreciate that very much. But I do believe that we'll solve it. If we don't solve it, I will be a mediator right here in the White House. We'll come together. Very quickly, I think, we'll have something solved," Trump said, at a White House news conference. "While I do appreciate and respect the mediation, I would be willing to be the mediator. I was telling the Emir before that if I can help between the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia," he added. Trump said all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council are "essential partners" with the U.S. in efforts to crack down on extremism, including the fight against Islamic State group. "We will be most successful with a united GCC," he said. "We will send a strong message to both terrorist organisations and regional aggressors that they cannot win." Earlier, Trump welcomed the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Twitter. "Welcome to the @WhiteHouse, Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait! Joint press conference coming up soon," he tweeted. The crisis erupted on June 5 when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Doha over allegations of Qatar funding extremists and having warm ties with Iran too. Qatar, which hosts a U.S. military base critical to the effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has long denied funding extremists. The sixth and latest nuclear test by North Korea on September 3 has once again put the spotlight on China. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asked China to do more to rein in the nuclear weapons and missile development by its neighbour and treaty ally, but to no avail. Dr Reddys Laboratories dipped 7% to Rs 2,066 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in intra-day trade after the company said its formulations manufacturing facility in Duvvada, Vishakhapatnam, got zero critical and six major observations from the Regulatory Authority of Germany. The buoyancy in the primary market continues with the initial public offering (IPO) of Dixon Technologies receiving an impressive response from investors. The issue was subscribed over 25 times, indicating strong demand from all quarters of investors. This demand augurs well for the primary market as of five companies are scheduled in the next two weeks. A group of doctors at the Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy on Friday conducted cesarean operation on the 13-year-old rape victim. The Supreme Court earlier this week allowed the rape victim to terminate her 31-week-old pregnancy. The girl has given birth to a premature boy child weighing 1.8 kg. Doctors said that mother and child both are safe and normal. Chile is kept in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as it is premature. On September 6, the Supreme Court allowed the 13-year-old rape victim to terminate her 31 week old pregnancy. The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and Justices Amitava Roy, passed the order for terminating the pregnancy. While pronouncing the ruling, CJI Misra said that keeping in mind the age of the petitioner and the trauma she faced, the court is allowing her to terminate her pregnancy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As two Pakistani women and a 11-year-old girl, born in Amritsar jail, continue to stay in a transit camp of Amritsar Central Jail even after completing their sentences, their advocate has approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to ensure freedom of the trio, especially the 11-year-old girl Hina, who is in jail without any fault. The two Pakistani women, Fatima Bibi and Mumtaz, were nabbed in 2006 at Amritsar's Attari Railway Station with some contraband and were awarded ten years of sentence by the court. As Fatima Bibi was pregnant at the time of arrest, she gave birth to Hina in India. After completing their term in 2016, the women, along with the child, are yet to return to their homeland Pakistan, as they are waiting for a required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Government. Recently, a Pakistani Embassy staff member visited the jail and ensured all help to the trio. As a fine of Rs four lakh was also imposed on the two women, it was paid by an NGO named Sab Da Bhala. Had the fine not been paid, the Pakistani nationals would have spent additional two years in jail. Awaiting the State Government's NOC, the trio is in transit camp of the jail. Advocate Navjot Kaur Chabba, who is fighting the case for the two women, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention and especially, stressing that Hina is in jail for no fault of hers. Talking to ANI, Advocate Navjot Kaur Chabba said, "Both Fatima Bibi and Mumtaz, who are sisters, have completed their sentence and 11-year-old Hina is also staying with them in the transit camp of the jail. I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the release of the two women and especially Hina who is in custody without a reason. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beware! A team of researchers has recently claimed that in a bid to protect its profits, alcohol industry is misleading the public by downplaying and misrepresenting the link between alcohol and cancer - especially breast cancer. The researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine with the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden found that nearly 21 of the organisations present no, or misleading, information on breast cancer, such as presenting many alternative possible risk factors for breast cancer, without acknowledging the independent risk of alcohol consumption. They analysed the information relating to cancer which appears on the websites and documents of nearly 30 alcohol industry organisations around the world between September 2016 and December 2016. Lead author Mark Petticrew from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said that the weight of scientific evidence is clear - drinking alcohol increases the risk of some of the most common forms of cancer, including several common cancers." "Our analysis suggests that the major global alcohol producers may attempt to mitigate this by disseminating misleading information about cancer through their 'responsible drinking' bodies," Petticrew added. Through qualitative analysis of this information they identified three main industry strategies. Denying or disputing any link with cancer, or selective omission of the relationship, Distortion: mentioning some risk of cancer, but misrepresenting or obfuscating the nature or size of that risk and Distraction: focussing discussion away from the independent effects of alcohol on common cancers. The researchers aimed to determine the extent to which the alcohol industry fully and accurately communicates the scientific evidence on alcohol and cancer to consumers. Petticrew stated that the existing evidence of strategies employed by the alcohol industry suggests that this may not be a matter of simple error. This has obvious parallels with the global tobacco industry's decades-long campaign to mislead the public about the risk of cancer, which also used front organisations and corporate social activities. The findings also suggested that major international alcohol companies may be misleading their shareholders about the risks of their products, potentially leaving the industry open to litigation in some countries. Petticrew added that despite their undoubtedly good intentions, it is unethical for them to lend their expertise and legitimacy to industry campaigns which mislead the public about alcohol-related harms. "It's important to highlight that if people drink within the recommended guidelines they shouldn't be too concerned when it comes to cancer. For accurate and accessible information on the risks, the public can visit the NHS website," the researchers suggested. The team noted that there is an urgent need to examine other industry websites, documents, social media and other materials in order to assess the nature and extent of the distortion of evidence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The hearing in connection of the bail application of Rajneesh Mittal, one of the directors of a real estate company Earth Infrastructures Ltd (EIL), was adjourned again on Friday in CMM court. The application will now be heard on September 12. Earlier in June, his bail application was rejected by the session's court. The three directors of EIL namely, Avdesh Kumar Goel, Rajneesh Mittal and Atul Gupta are in judicial custody for offences like cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy under Sections 406, 409, 120 B and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Delhi Police has still not been able to apprehend the fourth Director Vikas Gupta, who has been absconding for a long time and will be declared a proclaimed offender if he does not surrender himself in court or otherwise by September 20. Representatives of different buyers associations were present in the court today with their counsel to oppose the bail application. In what appears to be one of the biggest real estate scams in India, multiple FIRs have been filed in different parts of country against the directors and its sales agents. Total four FIRs have been registered in the economic offences wing of the Delhi Police against the directors of Earth Infrastructures Ltd., who are reported to have misappropriated thousands of crores of the buyers' hard earned money. The company had started almost 11 projects between the period 2010 and 2014 and none of the projects have been completed so far. Even in some projects, no construction has started yet. According to reports, more than 4000 crores were collected from about 10,000 buyers for different projects in Greater Noida, Lucknow and Gurugram. Spokesperson of the Earth Victims Association Shashank Raghav said, "It is necessary in a scam of such huge proportions like this Earth Infrastructure scam, that all the directors and accused persons should join the investigations before things go any further." Since there is no senior management, now the company is being run by the families of the directors, who are also shareholders of the company but not experienced and capable of corporate management. The different buyers associations associated with the project are at their wits end and unable to get any concrete proposal from the EIL management which appears not to be chastised still after the mammoth fallout of what appears to be the biggest real estate scam in Indian real estate history. Several fund raisers and project contractors are still interested to invest in the incomplete projects but the company is not allowing buyers associations to meet them directly, which is also creating lots of confusion and mismanagement. The company has created a complex web of over 100 subsidiary companies, land owning companies etc. in some of which their wives are also prominent players. The buyers complain that the wives should also be interrogated to know the money trail. The buyers' problems are further complicated because the information gathered by authorities are not being shared with the buyers which would have allowed them to carry forward the project analysis and way forward for a solution to the buyers' suffering. The Earth saga has all the makings of a Bollywood potboiler with money laundered abroad, ladies employed to persuade buyers with false promises, non- payment by builders of government dues, political players trying to bail out the builders, and unscrupulous directors, who still cling on to their properties acquired illegally through diversion of public money. Surprisingly, the Government of India or the anti-money laundering authority has still not initiated any solid action like forensic audit into the affairs of the company even though they have been requested to do so. Ex-army officer Hardeep Chowdhary said, "People have put in their life savings into the company relying on their bogus promises and actions devoid of any honest intentions. They are suffering because of gross misappropriation of their money by the directors for their personal ends. They diverted money and built up a huge inventory of properties and material goods at the expense of the buyers. They deserve no leniency, whatsoever as their approach was against all norms of ethics and business proprietary. This is a case of a massive corporate fraud which brings the nation into disrepute. A very large number of reputed foreigners, NRIs, corporate big-wigs, spouse of foreigners have invested money into the EIL project. Their shock and trauma on being relieved of their life savings has a cascading impact on the reputation of our country. If left unpunished, they can do further damage." Former senior doctor Dr. Vivek Saraswat said, "A proposal which does not contain truth but has only a hidden agenda of getting bail is not acceptable in any circumstances, Buyers are still waiting eagerly for a proposal which can solve their problems. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the miscreants are trying to spoil the name of the Bihar Government and added that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will handle the situation efficiently. "The miscreants and vested interest people always try to create a trouble so that they can bring a bad name for a good government which is governing the state. Probably Nitish Kumar will be able to handle this situation and convey the right message," BJP leader C.N. Ashwath Narayan told ANI. Another BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that the culprit will not be spared. "Nitish Kumar is not going to compromise with any criminal activity," he added. Seems like the pen is under sever attack in the nation, as two days after senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was murdered, yet another attack on a scribe has been reported from Bihar's Arwal. Pankaj Mishra a journalist, who works for a hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara, was shot by two bike-borne assailants. The incident took place when Mishra was leaving the bank after withdrawing Rs one lakh. The condition of Mishra is said to be critical. The police has arrested one of the accused, while the other is absconding. Prima facie, according to the police the untoward incident seems to be an outcome of personal enmity. "Mishra was shot dead by two people from his village while he was leaving the bank with Rs. 1 lakh cash which was robbed by them. One accused has been arrested. It is a case of personal enmity," Arwal's SP Dilip Kumar said. More details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reacting strongly after Digvijaya Singh posted a meme on Twitter abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on Friday termed the Congress leader as a person "who cannot differentiate between the age of a wife and daughter". Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Lokendra Parashar said people, whose political career is getting affected drastically and personal life is also not going well, they cannot dare to comment anything on the Prime Minister of India. "PM Narendra Modi is the bright star of India. But those people whose political career is getting affected drastically and personal life is also not going well they can't dare to comment anything on PM of India. Nobody is going to take his comments seriously now in politics (Jinko beti ki umar mein aur patni ki umar mein farak na pata ho vo humare PM par ungli uthate hain?) he should look at his character and image because he even don't know the difference between the age of his daughter and wife," he added. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao said that the Congress Party is actually committing a "great sin" by indulging in vitriolic abuse against an elected Prime Minister, who represents the mandate of 130 crore people of this country. "Is this also a part of Congress party grand plan? To abuse the Indian Army and the Prime Minister and to somehow give satisfaction to the enemies across the border? Has the Congress Party's confidence degenerated to such an extent that they are indulging in such abnormal and obnoxious behaviour? We cannot expect anything from a man with deranged ability like Digvijaya Singh who has called his lady colleague a "tanch maal" it is the worst thinking of Digvijaya Singh and Congress party," he said. Further attacking the Congress Party, Rao said that Digvijaya and Rahul Gandhi should be prepared for another major electoral slap on the Congress Party. Digvijaya Singh, who invited quite the ire of the Twitterati when he posted an 'abusive' meme against Prime Minister Modi on the micro-blogging site earlier in the day, has stood by his action. "The basic principle of Twitter is that retweets are not endorsements. I just retweeted something. I did not abuse Prime Minister Modi. I have just said that he is the best in the art of fooling. Is it abusive?" Singh said, while addressing the media. He added, "He has not fulfilled any of the promises he had made. He can comment on all the world issues. Can't he tweet something on Gauri Lankesh's murder." Digvijaya further reiterated that he has not said those words and just retweeted the meme, and that Prime Minister is the best in the art of fooling. Digvijaya Singh took a shot at Prime Minister Modi and his followers who were termed as 'Bhakts', a derogatory term used on the social media against those who were supporters of the Prime Minister. The meme posted by Digvijaya had a picture of PM Modi with text next to it that read, "Mere do achievements 1.) Bhakton ko Ch** banaya 2.) Ch*** ko Bhakt banaya." Singh added a caveat to his post by saying, "Not mine but couldn't help posting it. My apologies to the person concerned. He is the best in the art of fooling!" This quote is an apparent jab at Prime Minister Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the Congress government in Karnataka and demanded to know why the government in the state "failed to provide security" to the murdered scribe, who was said to have been involved in "mainstreaming naxalites". BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to the comments made by Lankesh's brother, who reportedly said that his sister was working actively on the surrender of Naxalites. Prasad said, "Was she doing it with the consent of the state government? Because some of the naxals have cases registered against them. And if she was, why was she not provided security by the government?" Prasad also slammed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier blamed the RSS for Lankesh's killing, for "politicising the murder" of the slain scribe. "Rahul Gandhi has questioned us and blamed us. I'd like to ask the Chief Minister of Karnataka that if he has already declared us guilty, what is left for their police to investigate?" he said Prasad also spoke out against the "hypocrisy and double standards" of the liberals when a RSS worker is killed in Karnataka. "Why do the liberals stay silent when a RSS worker is killed in Karnataka? Does an RSS swayamsevak not have the right to keep an ideology? The right of dissent is also being crushed. This hypocrisy needs to be exposed," he said. Senior journalist Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 p.m. As per the reports, three bullets were pumped in her body. Her last rites were held at Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Cemetery earlier in the day. Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid described as an "anti-establishment" publication. An SIT comprising of 19 officers, headed by IGP Intelligence B.K. Singh, has been formed to probe into the murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death case of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, the Congress on Friday said that there are strong chances of the case being associated with ideologies. "The SIT is investigating the matter. There is a perception that it has to do with the right ideologies. There are similarities in the earlier assassinations of Kulburgi and other victims. Be what her brother's statement says, I think there are a lot of evidences that the SIT has got which will help in cracking the case soon," Congress leader Tom Vadakkan told ANI. He added that all should wait for the evidences to emerge from SIT because the perception that has strongly gone around has a lot to do with the ideologies. Another Congress leader P.L. Punia said that the journalist was raising questions on the functioning of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and therefore she had to meet this fate. "On the social media platform a few people are mocking the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh and these are the very people who are close to Prime Minister Modi, hence showing a link with the case. Such ideologies are very dangerous for the nation. I appeal the Karnataka Government to reveal the evidences and expose in front of the public," Punia added. The death of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh has shaken the entire journalistic fraternity and has opened questions about the safety of "firebrand" journalists. Lankesh's family, on its part, has said that all they want is justice and will fully cooperate with the SIT. Talking about his sister's "fight of ideologies" that probably led to her death, Indrajit Lankesh said, "She had strong ideological views, be it about Naxals or the right wing. We are all together and ensuring justice for her." Indrajit Lankesh further said that what she did with the Naxals was "admirable", and he respects that. "She was trying to bring them to mainstream," said Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh. Addressing the media today, he further said that the SIT has formed three different teams and they are working on the case. "It's not about going to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it's not about a special judge or SIT, it's about getting justice. And for that we are ready to do anything for that," Indrajit Lankesh said. He also added that they saw the suffering of Kalburgi's family. "We don't want it to happen like that. I am just requesting the government and am requesting the investigating team to give justice to my family and to give justice to Gauri," he said. Indrajit added that Gauri Lankesh was friends with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has said that the Chief Minister had assured the family that if they want then he will give the case to CBI. He further requested the media to not politicise the issue and said, "Please don't give this incident political or ideological colour." Gauri Lankesh's sister, who was also present at the press conference said that Gauri had come to her mother's house and talked about "some kind of guy who was suspiciously walking around her house." "There are brave people, but Gauri was 'foolishly brave'," said Gauri's sister. Indrajit Lankesh also said that for fourteen years, Gauri ran the publication without any advertising and from her savings. "She continued father's legacy, and I am proud of her," said Indrajit Lankesh and added that Gauri was like her father, who too was very "aggressive" in his writing and so was she. "She had no personal enmities, only ideological adversaries," said Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh. He also said that the Home Minister had told that all angles had to be probed, adding, "We agree that every angle has to be and should be probed." Speaking to ANI, Indrajit Lankesh said that Gauri was rehabilitating the Naxalites, and so if there are any differences they have to be probed. "But that is not the only reason. She was a firebrand journalist, and she was the critic of the right wing. If that is the reason then it has to be probed," Indrajit Lankesh said. Directing a statement to the journalists present, Indrajit said, "If you say that somebody, who writes about the RSS is killed, then I don't have an answer to that. Because you know it better and I don't even have to say it." "First the right wing extremists were considered to be involved because Gauri was a strong critic of theirs," said Indrajit Lankesh. He has requested all the media organisations to look at all the angles and try to come to a conclusion. "We have still not been able to find M.M. Kalburgi's killers," he said. Senior journalist Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 p.m. As per the reports, three bullets were pumped in her body. Her last rites were held at Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Cemetery earlier in the day. Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid described as an "anti-establishment" publication. An SIT comprising of 19 officers, headed by IGP Intelligence B.K. Singh, has been formed to probe Gauri Lankesh's murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it will withdraw the lookout circular notice against wife and daughter of meat exporter Moin Qureshi within a week. Earlier in the day, a Delhi Court sent Qureshi for 14 days judicial custody in the money laundering case. On September 5, the Delhi High Court heard a plea challenging the look-out notice issued against Qureshi's kin. Qureshi, who was arrested on August 25, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after he was not cooperating in the probe, is presently in ED's custody. Earlier last month, Qureshi challenged his arrest in the Delhi High Court, to which the court issued a notice to the ED and sought their response within five days. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Nazmi Waziri had issued a notice to the government and the ED, asking them to file the reply within five days. The controversial meat exporter, Qureshi, was arrested on August 25 and sent to five-day custody of the ED by a trial court the next day for a thorough investigation in the case against him and others. During the hearing, advocate R.K. Handoo, appearing for Qureshi, contended that he had been illegally detained by the ED. He claimed that Qureshi had been directly arrested when he was called for questioning and was not informed about the grounds of arrest. Central Government standing counsel Anil Soni, who also appeared for the ED, said that there was due compliance of the Constitution mandate regarding informing a person about his arrest. The bench, however, said a person cannot be taken into custody without telling him the grounds and giving him an effective legal aid. "Information is not just to make a person read the grounds of arrest. You have to give him a copy of it," the bench said and asked the Centre and ED to show the official records pertaining to the arrest on the next date of hearing on September 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood actress Eva Green is all geared up to star in a new astronaut action-drama from 'Disorder' director Alice Winocour. Green will be joined by German actor Lars Eidinger ('Sils Maria', 'Sense8'). An American co-star is soon to be announced for the bilingual drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Green will play an astronaut with the European Space Agency that is preparing to go on a one-year mission to the International Space Station, but must first face intense training as well as the impending separation from her 7-year-old daughter. Winocour is currently prepping the project, tentatively titled 'Proxima', for a nine-week shoot beginning in January. Winocour said the story takes place as Green's character prepares to depart. "[It] is just before the launch, which is the worst part of the astronaut's training. Because when they get in space they are ready for everything, but just before is really the hard part - how to say goodbye to your relatives, how to prepare your body for space. It's really about how you put your fears and pain into something bigger than your life," Winocour shared. While speaking at the Deauville Film Festival, she noted, "The idea is also to have an astronaut that can be a superheroine and at the same time a mother, because I think in movies mothers are always very weak characters. It's time that women should assume that you can be an astronaut and a mother too." The 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' star will be trained by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who completed a six month ISS tour in June alongside American astronaut Peggy Whitson. Green was cast because she embodies an otherworldliness that Winocour has come to know in astronauts. "I think Eva has this thing that she is here and in another world as well, that she's not on earth. And I think she's really sexy too. I think it's time for her to play in her native language and to act something less gothic, maybe more human," noted Winocour. She also shared that James Cameron's 'The Abyss' was an inspiration for the tone of the film. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), a movement for Science, is organising Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM) - the science talent search through digital devices for new India on 26 November, 2017. The aim behind this search is to select students with scientific temperament from class VI to XI, across the country. Vigyan Prasar (VP) - an autonomous organisation under Department of Science and Technology - and Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India have joined hands in organising this competition. This competition will be held exclusively on digital platform so that the young generation enters the new world of science through Digital India. The uniqueness of this talent search is that the entire process of VVM is Digital platform based. For the first time, around 5 lakh students will be undertaking a competitive exam through mobile phone at nearly 5000 centres spread across the country. The VVM will be multi-level competition and the students can register with their respective schools. The schools will have to sign up for the registration by assigning a person-in- charge to coordinate the examination. The school login ID will be created and schools can register as many students as they may like to until 20 September, 2017, which is the last day of registration. Student can change his or her login ID 48 hours before the day of competitive examination. The syllabus for this competition includes NCERT books of science and mathematics of respective classes, Indian Contribution to Science (articles published by VIBHA), biographies of Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha, General knowledge and Logic and Reasoning. The examination will be conducted for two sections: junior classes (VI- VIII) and senior classes (IX-XI). The students from respective classes will be compared separately for the purpose of evaluation. Registered students can also appear in series of mock examinations from October 1, 2017 to November 20, 2017. For details, participants are advised to visit the VVM website. The participants will undergo multilevel competition right from school level to district, state and finally at level. At state and national level the skill test for creative writing, experimental skill, presentation, leadership qualities, creative thinking and innovative learning will be conducted. Top 3 rankers per class will be selected as state level winners. They will be given certificate and memento, apart from the cash rewards. Finally, top 3 rankers per class will be selected through comparative evaluation per class. These students will be named as "Himalayans" at national level. The national level winners will get a chance to undertake study tours and opportunity to interact with renowned scientists both from our country as well as abroad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) D.N. Jeevaraj, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karnataka, has suggested that senior journalist Gauri Lankesh would have been alive if she had not spoken against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In a video going viral, Sringeri BJP MLA D.N. Jeevaraj made a statement saying, "If she had not written 'chaddis' maaranahoma' (Death of RSS) in her paper that day, would she still be alive today?" Jeevaraj made the statement in reference to an article written by Lankesh titled, 'Chaddigala Maaranahoma' meaning 'Death of the RSS'. The BJP MLA added, "Gauri Lankesh used harsh words against the RSS workers, and I respect that. But that might have been the reason for her death." The statement from the BJP MLA has stirred a new wave of controversy, while reports of a complaint being filed against the MLA have also surfaced. The 55-year-old senior journalist was shot dead on Tuesday evening at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A delegation of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday over the long pending issue of Gorkhaland. This meeting came a day after; an arrest warrant was register against GJM chief Bimal Gurung and seven others. According to the reports, the warrant has been issued in the wake of the unrest created in Darjeeling on June 8 when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had held a cabinet meeting in the hilly city. Earlier on September 1, the police issued a lookout notice against the GJM chief for his alleged involvement in various cases, including a bomb blast in Kalimpong police station, in which a civic volunteer was killed. The lookout notice was issued after the expulsion of the party assistant general secretary Binay Tamang and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) member Anit Thapa for violating the party line. Last month, a section of the GJM's central committee met in Kurseong and decided to suspend the indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling and Kalimpong till September 12, when the Hills parties would be meeting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Siliguri for a second round of talks. But, the suspension of the shutdown resulted in turmoil and confusion within the GJM as another group, apparently with party president Bimal Gurung's blessings, removed Tamang from the post. A delegation of the GJM leaders met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on August 29 and submitted a memorandum demanding a judicial inquiry into the deaths caused due to the police action. The meeting was also attended by other hill parties like the Gorkha Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Jan Andolan Party (JAP). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hike Messenger on Friday launched personalized sticker packs for over 500 colleges across India. Hike has adopted a hyper local strategy aimed to connect with college groups in over 100 cities across 26 states. It has created stickers for Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU) colleges from Delhi, IIT Bombay, Mithibai and Xavier's from Mumbai, MS Ramiah and RVC from Bengaluru in the dialect used in their campuses. The company aims to create these custom stickers for more than 1,000 colleges by 2018. Canteens, libraries, auditoriums and classic packs like Masterji, College life are immortalized on the Hike Sticker Store which already has 15,000 stickers across 40+ languages. Hike company has also received requests from students of various other colleges for localized and specific stickers for their colleges. A large percentage of the Hikers are between 18-21 years of age and in college. While, college sticker packs are created to make their conversations more personal by adding a sense of pride. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The most powerful category 5 Hurricane Irma has killed at least 10 people across a number of Carribean islands, according to the Independent. Florida is on high alert and has ordered evacuations, while the Carolinas and Georgia have also declared emergencies. One of the strongest storms ever recorded has caused widespread destruction and number of casualties in northern Caribbean islands specially Barbuda, which has been "literally reduced to a rubble". Earlier, three deaths were reported and there were fears of more fatalities. The most powerful hurricane ever recorded over Atlantic Ocean battered Barbuda, St Martin and Puerto Rico as it moved west with category 5 packing devastating winds and rain and left 60 per cent of the islands' population homeless. The communication has been disrupted totally after winds snapped a cell tower in two on the island and the Barbuda residents are living under harsh conditions with no water supply and electricity. After slamming St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Kitts and Nevis, the storm was expected to move near the British Virgin Islands and northern US Virgin Islands. The storm's centre was then expected to pass near or just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon and evening. "Barbuda right now is literally a rubble," CNN quoted Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda as saying after Hurricane Irma left a trail of "absolute devastation" across the tiny Caribbean island. The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands. The region is south-east of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America. Irma damaged Barbuda's lone airport, which will now force officials to ferry supplies by boat and helicopter from Antigua. Browne estimated rebuilding would cost about $100 million. "The entire housing stock was damaged," Browne said, after visiting the island of 1,800. "It is just a total devastation." Irma killed at least three people, destroyed government buildings, tore roofs from houses and left islands without power or communications. St. Martin/St. Maarten and St. Barts also felt the fury of the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, according to updates from the region. Weather Forecasters warn that Irma's likely path will be near the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday. The storm is expected to pass just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, bringing hurricane force winds to northern sections of the island, likely causing mudslides and flooding. In the Bahamas, emergency evacuations have been ordered for six southern islands -- Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight more people have been reported dead taking death toll to 18 after Hurricane Irma hit Caribbean region. The deaths, all on Caribbean islands, include nine in French territories, one at the British overseas territory of Anguilla, one on Barbuda, four on the US Virgin Islands, and three in Puerto Rico, CNN reported. Caribbean Islands were hit by Hurricane Irma earlier today leaving catastrophic damage in the region. Florida has been put on high alert and evacuation has been ordered , while the Carolinas and Georgia have also declared emergencies. United States President Donald Trump while asking people to be safe, lauded the efforts of U.S. Coast Guard who save 15000 live. Taking to twitter trump said, "Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way,if possible. Federal G is ready! Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard saved more than 15,000 lives last week with Harvey. Irma could be even tougher. We love our Coast Guard!," Trump said in a series of tweets. One of the strongest storms ever recorded has caused widespread destruction and number of casualties in northern Caribbean islands specially Barbuda, which has been "literally reduced to a rubble". According to local media reports, Irma was downgraded to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm on Friday, with winds reaching a sustained maximum of 150 mph. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Brock Long warned that hurricane will be "truly devastating" for the people of the region. The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands. The region is south-east of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America. Irma damaged Barbuda's lone airport, which will now force officials to ferry supplies by boat and helicopter from Antigua. Browne estimated rebuilding would cost about $100 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indrani Mukerjea, jailed for allegedly murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, will be produced before a Special Patiala House court here on Saturday in connection with INX Media case. Indrani Mukerjea is currently lodged in Byculla Jail, Mumbai. On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached a Special Patiala House Court and sought production warrant of Indrani for questioning in the INX media case against her, her husband Peter Mukerjea and Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram. The ED submitted before the court that there is some discrepancy in the Income Tax returns and Indrani needs to be questioned in this regard. During the hearing on production warrant of Indrani, the court asked the ED that why Indrani can't be interrogated in Mumbai Jail where she is in judicial custody for alleged charges of murder of her daughter Seena Bora. Responding to the query of court, the ED counsel informed the court that Indrani is not cooperating in investigation inside the jail so they want her custodial interrogation. Further, the ED also informed the court that Indrani's custodial interrogation is also necessary as INX Media's over 46 percent shares were sold to three foreign investors and over Rs 3700 crore came to India via Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) route illegally and that has to be interrogated. Indrani is a former HR consultant and media executive. In 2007, she co-founded INX Media with her husband Peter Mukerjea, where she took on the role of CEO. In 2009, she resigned from the company and later sold her stake in it. In August 2015, she was arrested by Mumbai Police and charged as the main accused in the alleged murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 23 questioned Karti Chidambaram for over eight hours in New Delhi for the alleged irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007. The CBI questioned Karti Chidambaram over the clearance awarded to a foreign investment proposal made when his father was finance minister in 2007. The CBI is also investigating a money trail and the bribe allegedly given to Karti. (ANI) . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Friday asserted that Japan can make a substantial difference to India's nuclear industry. Speaking at the India-Japan Colloquium session, Jaishankar stressed as to how cooperation and civil nuclear defense will be two key components of the future for both India and Japan. "The difference that Japan can make to our nuclear industry can be quite substantial. Japan's openness to supply India with military technology also reflects the high level of confidence between the two countries," he said. The Foreign Secretary also spoke about a number of infrastructural and economic projects which both the countries are planning to undertake. "India's accelerated business growth provides new opportunities for Japanese countries. Japan offers capabilities and practices that are needed in this juncture. This will help one of the emerging bi-lateral relations in the world. Make-in India, Business India provides more opportunities for these countries," he said. Jaishankar highlighted the role of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in expediting the rapid modernisation of the Asian countries. He said, "The Japanese ODA's relevance to construct a better infrastructure is noteworthy. We must recognize the expanded ODA relationship between India and Jap. It definitely plays an important role in accelerating our infrastructure." He also spoke about a number of infrastructure projects that both the countries are working on at present. "Japan is working with India in the western dedicated trade corridor, Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor and various metro projects. India and Japan are working on a number of projects with the flagship being Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway project," he said. He ended his speech by saying that convergence between the two countries has the capability to drive Asia's economy and stimulate global growth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Friday filed a police complaint against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi had hit out at Prime Minister Modi after the killing of senior journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh. The BJP members filed a complaint at a police station in Chikmagalur here. The complaint also asserted that if Gandhi is found guilty the he must also tender an apology to RSS. Gandhi on Wednesday had attacked PM Modi over the killing of Lankesh. Commenting on the killing of Gauri Lankesh, the Congress leader had said, "Anybody who speaks against the ideology of BJP and RSS, is pressurized, beaten, attacked and even killed." "People say that the PM is quiet and not said anything, the point is that the entire ideology is to crush dissent," Rahul Gandhi added. Calling Prime Minister Modi a skilled 'Hindutva politician', Rahul said, "Sometimes, under pressure, the Prime Minister makes some statements. But the entire idea is to crush dissent;" adding that "non-violence is the history of this nation. Murder cannot be justified". The Gandhi scion further accused the PM of double speak. Lankesh was killed on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 pm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Keeping with its vision to redefine media communications and brand reputation management in the Middle East markets, Goa-based media services and investment firm Kaydence Media Ventures (KMV) has launched its 'Kaydence Media' and 'Kianna Media'brand of media services in the Gulf. Commenting on the new focus markets, Savio Rodrigues, Managing Partner, KMV expressed, "Kaydence Media is a specialist in brand communications across offline and digital platforms. Kianna Media is a specialist is reputation management and crisis management. We believe that with the growth Middle East nations are witnessing, there is a tremendous opportunity for a media firm like ours that focuses on small and mid-market companies who need brand communications and reputation management services." With an office in bustling emirates of Dubai, KMV plans to slowly build a strong team and presence in key Middle East markets of U.A.E, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. "We know we are new entrants in a highly competitive market and it is the competition that drives us to do our best. In India, currently Kaydence Media and Kianna Media work with a few high profile clients in the small and mid-market segment with minimum annual turnover over between Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 100 crore. Our policy is simple, we work with few companies that prefer our specialized services," Rodrigues further added. Speaking on whether KMV would venture into online media platforms in the Gulf like GoaChronicle.com its news portal and soon to be launched IndianExpose.com (inspired by Wikileaks.com), "We do have plans to launch a news portal in 2018 which will be a news and information portal from India and the Gulf, that however is in our second phase," asserted Rodrigues. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After cancelling her September 4 tour date in Montreal over health concerns, Lady Gaga is now all set to attend a press conference for the Netflix documentary 'Gaga The pop icon's publicist confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that she will promote the Netflix documentary at the Toronto Film Festival press conference ahead of its world premiere later that night. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel, 'Gaga: Five Foot Two' offers behind-the-scenes access as Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Germanotta, meets with close friends and family, records and releases her 2016 album, Joanne, and deals with personal struggles. The documentary is produced by Heather Parry for Live Nation Productions, and CAA brokered its sale to Netflix. Gaga's latest concert tour kicked off in Vancouver on August. 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has been known for its culture-centric diaspora, with weddings being an integral part of its daily life. Presently, the Indian Wedding market is witnessing an unprecedented hikeon account of rise in growth of online matchmaking market players. Spurred by the introduction of new technologies, rise in internet penetration and entry of new players in wedding planning segment, these players are changing the way partners are selected and relationships are forged. Digital literacy has been a major champion of the cause, spearheading people to find love under the jurisdiction of a few key strokes. Domestic factors such as increased subscriptions, increased freedom of choice in seeking a life partner, convenience and the availability of suitors from global as well as on local basis has cemented the presence of these verticals, creating a progressive space for new entrants to populate the market. Today, players like Matrimony.com, Jeevansathi and Shaadi.com are dominating the market. Alongside, new entrants like LoveVivah.com who have come up with innovative features like Aadhaar linked profiles, is gaining popularity amongst the consumers. These provide a plethora of offerings for the prospective bride/groom to bank on. As a move to synergize the fragmented market, Matrimony.com, a part of Bharat Matrimony brand is unveiling an Initial Public offer (IPO) to bolster its operations. The initial public offer of Matrimony.com, which runs online match making business, is likely to open on 11 September. Here are a few key findings in regard to the offer: The Chennai-based organization has unveiled fixed a price band of Rs. 983-985 for raising over Rs. 500 crore. Murugavel Janakiraman is the CEO and founder of Matrimony.com The set extensively consists a fresh issue of up to Rs. 130 crore, alongside an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 37,67,254 shares . The OFS consists of up to 14,61,006 shares by Bessemer India Capital Holdings II Ltd., 1,55,760 by Mayfield XII, Mauritius, 16,83,207 by CMDB II, 3,84,447 by Murugavel Janakiraman and 82,834 by Indrani Janakiraman, with face value of Rs. 5 each. The IPO is set to remain open from September 11 - September 13. Net proceeds will be poured into various marketing activities such as advertising and promotion. Along with that, purchase of land for construction premises in Chennai, repayment of overdraft facilities and other purposes would be facilitated through this IPO. Axis Capital and ICICI Securities are set to be the official book running lead managers to the offer, while registrar to the offer is Karvy Computershare Private Ltd. The shares of Matrimony.com are projected to be listed on the BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India. The firm had previously witnessed a negative net worth of Rs. 3113.2 crore as of March 31, 2017, owing to competition scaling up efforts to garner larger traction. The firm also restated losses in a sum total of three of the past five fiscal years-it sustained losses of Rs. 915.9 crore, Rs. 292.9 crore and Rs. 7506.9 crore in fiscal 2014, fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2016, respectively. Currently as of April 15, 2017, Bharat Matrimony mobile app and apps for regional and community sites have noted a 5.8 million estimated downloads, according to www.androidrank.org. A significant figure of its members utilise mobile facilities to access online matchmaking services. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The removal of Nawaz Sharif from the office of Prime Minister through a Supreme Court ruling is being seen by experts as a shot in the arm for the judiciary-military nexus in Pakistan. Sharif's ouster came under intense scrutiny at a seminar 'Withered Democracy in Pakistan - The Role of the Deep State' held in London recently. The seminar saw academicians from Britain and the United States of America get together to discuss the evolution of politics, the role of armed forces, democracy and judiciary in Pakistan. The seminar was organised by Democracy Forum at Senate House. Farzana Shaikh, a Pakistani-origin fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, described the country as a "bonsai democracy" or a state restricted by its environment. She said, "And yet the emergence in the last decade to competing institutional forces in Pakistan that have sought to muzzle in on space once thought to be exclusively to preserve the so-called deep state has arguably made business of conspiring against democracy far more challenging than at any time in the past". Marie Carine-Lall of London University's Institute of Education, said that the Pakistani youth did not seem to choose the system of democracy and there is an inclination towards a pro-order or pro-army view. She also drew attention to the blasphemy law in conservative Muslim country. "Social media during 2009 and 2014 was seen as an arena where there was a level of political engagement to a certain degree that has been reduced because now any kind of criticism be it consider blasphemy or be it consider anti-national carries severe consequences as we know what happened to the bloggers", said Marie. Christine Fair, an Associate Professor at Washington's Georgetown University, called Sharif's ouster as a "judicial coup" and said she did not see the judiciary as independent. She also exposed the nexus of jihadi outfits with the country's intelligence agency, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) and Army. Christine said, "LeT and JuD are very close partners with the ISI, not only because of the external objectives of the state but also because of the internal politics. In some sense, its unexpected if you take them out their word that they would be extended into a political party. It's actually a very natural extension from all the domestic work that they have been doing, first to the JuD and FiF (Filah-i-Insaniat Foundation). There was a really funny speech where the rebranding of LeT is JuD and FiF have been so successful that Hafiz Saeed had to remark in a rally in Sindh "Oh my God, we are actually doing this, don't forget that we are actually doing this. It's not a separate organization. So, I think this is really a combination of the domestic work that they done under the guidance of JuD and FiF". Hafiz Saeed, the founder of proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit, recently launched Milli Muslim League, a political party in Pakistan. It openly organizes gatherings to spew venom against the United States, India and Afghanistan. The nexus of Pakistan Army, ISI and terror outfits is no secret as they work together to create instability in the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Thursday announced a fine of USD 225 million on Pakistan's Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and its New York branch for failure to comply with New York laws and regulations designed illicit financial transactions. DFS Superintendent Maria T. Vullo emphasised that new consent order follows a 2016 DFS examination that found weaknesses in the bank's risk management and compliance and the bank's failure to undertake extensive remedial actions required by a 2015 consent order. "DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this state and the financial system as a whole," The Express Tribune quoted Vullo as saying. "The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so. DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States without holding it accountable for putting the integrity of the financial services industry and the safety of our nation at risk. The terms of this consent order and the surrender order now agreed to by the bank will ensure that Habib's misconduct will no longer occur on US soil and that DFS will still investigate the bank's prior activities," Vullo added. Earlier, the bank facing a possible $630 million fine over compliance failures by its New York branch, admitted mistakes but denied any wrongdoing and said the penalty sought by US regulators was disproportionate. Formerly Habib Bank Limited and now referred to as HBL Pakistan had said that it would fight all 53 points included in the charge sheet over suspicious transactions after the United States financial regulator imposed a penalty of nearly USD 630 million on its New York branch. HBL Pakistan was penalised by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) for deficiencies in risk management and for not adhering to the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money laundering compliance programmes since 2015. Speaking at a press conference, HBL Chief Executive Officer Nauman Dar had said the penalty has no logic. However, the bank will pay the penalty if it is in a "reasonable amount". He did not elaborate what he meant by "reasonable amount," The Dawn reported. The negotiations were failed with the U.S. regulators regarding the issue as the bank doesn't find any logic in penalising the branch 2006 onward, he added. The bank had also announced that it would close its branch in New York after the United States financial regulator imposed a penalty of nearly USD 630 million. The bank had said that it will contest the DFS notice in court. The civil monetary penalty is to the tune of USD 629,625,000 read a letter filed by HBL to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. "Despite HBL's sincere and extensive remediation measures, DFS is still not appreciating... the significant progress that HBL has made at its branch in New York," read the letter filed by the bank. "HBL shall vigorously contest this [order] in the scheduled administrative hearing and the courts of law in the United States," it added. In December 2015, the U.S. Federal Reserve had restricted HBL from conducting any dollar-clearing transactions or accepting any new accounts for US dollar. The banking circle took the situation seriously and called it a bad omen for the country as well as the banking industry. HBL Pakistan is headquartered in Karachi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States Department of Defence on Tuesday has awarded a new contract for the Afghanistan's Air Force worth more than USD 1.3 billion. The new contract comes after the Afghan government with the support of the The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the U. S. has been making efforts to boost the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force, the Khaama Press reported. "MD Helicopters Inc.,* Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a USD 1,385,497,987 firm-fixed-price foreign military sales (Afghanistan) contract for procurement of an estimated quantity of 150 MD 530F aircraft and required production support services to include program management, delivery support, pilot training and maintenance," the U.S. department of Defence said in a notification. "One bid was solicited, with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of August 31, 2022," it further added. Pentagon has informed regarding the award of at least two contracts worth USD 727 million and USD 69.3 million. Earlier, Pentagon had sent additional U.S. Marines to strengthen its forces in the violent Helmand province of Afghanistan where Taliban has increased their attacks. Pentagon's decision of deploying more troops in Afghanistan comes when recently the Afghan Security and Defense Forces have successfully repelled the multiple attacks of Taliban fighters who targeted a bridge in the district and create a hurdle to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI) project in Gereshk district in the southern Helmand province in which over 40 Taliban insurgents and four soldiers were killed. The deployment is not a part of the Trump administration's strategy for Afghanistan but 100 additional Marines were being deployed on a request from the Marine commander in the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi converted black money of every thief into white money through demonetisation. He said that we have been asking the Reserve Bank of India to disclose how much currency came back after demonetisation and few days back, the RBI said that 99 percent old currency came back to banks. "Let me tell you the fact of demonetisation- Prime Minister Narendra Modi converted black money of every 'thief' into white money through demonetisation," Rahul said while addressing a Sangarsh Sabha here. In his speech, the Gandhi scion launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Referring to demonetisation, Rahul said that no one knows what came to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mind on November 8 last year when he imposed demonetisation. "The Finance Minister didn't know, the Chief Economic Advisor didn't know about the note ban. Perhaps Modi jee didn't like the design of old currency of Rs. 500 and 1000 and that is why he 'smilingly' announced on November 8 last year that after 12 midnight the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes will become scrap," Rahul said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation in an unscheduled live televised address at 8 p.m. on November 8 and said Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes won't be legal tender after 12 midnight. Rahul further said that Prime Minister Modi didn't target the areas where 90 percent of black money is stashed. "Modi ji had said that demonetisation was done to curb black money. Modi jee had himself said that 90 percent black money is in the form of gold, land and in the Swiss banks but it is surprising that he didn't target that 90 percent and went after 10 percent," the Congress Vice President said. He said that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) rate has come down after the demonetisation. "Who will be accountable for the GDP that has plummeted to 4.5 percent, for the deaths during the demonetisation, for the sufferings of common man, labourers, and small traders?" Rahul asked and added that "But, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not give answer". Talking about the recently implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Rahul said that the GST is not brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but of Congress party and the entire BJP led Central government works for 50-60 big industrial houses. "The GST that has been given by Narendra Modi government to India is not of the Congress. This GST is of India's big 50 industrialists. The goal of this GST is to crush India's small traders and shopkeepers. We had told Narendra Modi government that if you want to give India 'one nation, one tax' then the tax shouldn't be more than 18 percent and implement it slowly after taking views of people. Now, they (Narendra Modi government) have made five tax brackets and maximum levied tax rate is 28 percent," Rahul said. He further said that the GST has brought woes for the small traders "who don't have accountants and are required to fill up three forms in a month". The GST is an indirect tax which was introduced on July 1, 2017 and replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments. The Congress leader also alleged that Prime Minister Modi, BJP and RSS are dividing the country on the communal lines. "Anger is brewing in India because the main agenda of Prime Minister Modi, BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is to fuel anger in the country. They are dividing the country on the communal and caste basis," Rahul alleged. He said that nobody would be benefitted by dividing India and nobody should feel that this country is not mine. "Nobody should feel that this country is not mine. No one will be benefitted by dividing this country as the Congress has united the country. A person has not created this country; crores of Indians have made this country," Rahul said. He further said that Prime Minister Modi is not able to show a way forward to India. "During the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the country was peaceful and the GDP was at 9 percent and this had happened because the UPA used to show India a way forward," the Gandhi scion said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a student leader's convention on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Centenary Celebration and 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address at the Chicago World Parliament of Religions on September 11. The Theme of the programme will be on "Young lndia, New lndia - A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Sidhhi". On September 11, at 10.30 am, Prime Minister Modi will address the nation to remind one and all about the relevance and significance of Swami Vivekananda's teachings in the backdrop of today's social milieu. It would be of particular importance for the youth of today to understand and absorb the content of Swami Vivekananda's messages to the World, in order to ensure their right educational, career and spiritual growth. In the light of the above, it is requested that all vice -chancellors of Universities, heads of higher educational institutions provide an opportunity and facility to the teachers and students to view Prime Minister Modi's address by: - Identifying for the above programme a common place, audio-visual room or auditorium in the campus. - Installing of proper TV and projection facility for wide viewing. The students and teachers may be encouraged to participate in the event. It is requested that the above event is propagated effectively and interested students obtain the facility to view such a significant programme that could be life changing. The programme and venue may be prominently displayed on the campus notice board. The link for the webcast of the programme is http://webcast.gov.in/mhrd (link also available on MHRD Website http:/1mhrd.oov.in) and the common email id to which any queries may be addressed is kumar.aswani@nic.in. Swami Vivekananda was a great philosopher-saint, who through his teachings, strove to infuse a knowledge amongst people that addressed their spiritual as well as socio-economic needs, so as to the enhance the quality of their lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After a seven-year old student was found dead inside the school premises in Gurugram, the authorities of the Ryan International School have said that there wasn't any delay in taking the child to hospital. Speaking to the media, school caretaker Neerja Batra said the kid was alive when they saw him lying in the pool of blood. "The child was looking serious. We didn't lose a minute. The kid was alive when we saw him lying in the pool of blood. We took him to the hospital immediately. Police are here to investigate the matter and after investigation one can say from where the knife came inside the school premises," she added. Also, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) K Krishan said that the matter has been taken very seriously. "We are taking the matter very seriously. A Team is already there in the school to find what happened and ensure it never recurs," he said. In the mean time, Hundreds of worried parents sit in protest at the Gurugram Police Commissioner's office demanding justice for the boy's family and immediate arrest of those responsible for his death. Meanwhile, the father of the victim asked as to why no action been taken till now. As the news spread, hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the management and vandalised the school's property. Earlier in the day, the father of the victim had said that it was a "clear case of murder". "It was a normal day. I left my child in the school and then went back to home. After I reached home, I got a call from the school saying that he is in hospital and he is bleeding and that he was found lying down on the floor of the washroom. After this, I rushed to the hospital and by the time I reached, my child was no more. It is a clear case of murder, don't know what happened but I am sure its murder," said the father. The body of the class II student with his throat slit was found inside the toilet of the school located at Bhondsi in Gurugram on Friday morning. Now, the police is investigating whether it is a case of murder or an attempted suicide. In the wake of a search operation being conducted at the Dera headquarters here, a series of plastic currency was found in the markets near the Dera on Friday. These currency tokens, which are given in exchange of money, were used to purchase commodities inside the Dera. According to the people, these plastic currencies had been operating inside the Dera for quite a long time. "This currency has been running here for very long. The people used to give money to buy these tokens," said a Dera follower. Meanwhile, a computer, hard disks and cash were recovered in the search. Heavy security was deployed here and in surrounding areas in wake of the search operation. Ten companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), along with the Haryana Police, were deployed at the Shah Satnaam Chowk. A forensic team was called from Roorkee. 41 companies of the Paramilitary Forces, four columns of the Army, the Haryana Police from four-five districts, 16 Checkpoints, one SWAT team and one dog squad were also deployed. A curfew had also been imposed in the areas surrounding the Dera and there will be no relaxation given in these areas till the search operation is on. Ahead of the search operations, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's close aide and Dera chairman Vipassana Insan has appealed the self-proclaimed godman's followers to maintain peace. Earlier on September 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave orders to conduct a search operation at the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda, under the supervision of a judicial officer. This order came after the Haryana Police seized a cache of 33 licensed weapons of the Dera Sacha Sauda. These weapons include 14 revolvers, nine guns, four rifles and other modified weapons. The police later seized and sealed all the weapons. One prison died while two got injured after they were attacked inside the premises of Bihar's Barh Court on Friday Following which, two police officials and 23 constables responsible for security at the court were suspended. Meanwhile, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Police Headquarter SK Singhal informed that investigation on the incident has begun. "Investigation is on to find how such an incident took place when adequate security was present in the Court premises," Singhal told ANI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump has once again called on Senate Republicans to get rid of the legislative filibuster of requiring 60 votes for a Bill and move towards passing legislation with a 51-vote majority. Trump has called the Senate filibuster rule a "death wish" for the Republicans. "Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen! Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will.... ..never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish!" Trump said in a series of tweets. He also urged republicans to work for tax reform. "Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP. Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry!" Trump said in a tweet. The U.S. President has been pressing Republicans to nix the filibuster for months and even spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.) to get rid of the option and secure Republicans' ability to pass their agenda. Last month, Trump specifically called out McConnell and pushed the GOP leader to end the filibuster and move toward passing legislation with a 51-vote majority. Trump started criticising the filibuster rule after the healthcare debate. Republicans didn't need 60 votes on that bill because ObamaCare repeal was moving under special budgetary rules. But the GOP couldn't win 50 votes on its repeal effort. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least seven PKK terrorists have been killed on Thursday in the airstrikes by Turkish forces in the country's southeastern and eastern provinces. The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey. Turkish General Staff, in a statement, said that during a counter-terrorism operation, Turkish fighter jets targeted the PKK terrorists preparing for attacks on bases, the Anadolu Agency reported. "Two terrorists were killed in the rural area of Silopi district of southeastern Sirnak province, five terrorists were killed in the rural area of Diyadin district in eastern Agri province" the statement added. Moreover, one PKK terrorist surrendered in Mardin's Nusaybin district. Earlier, Turkey security forces have killed at least five PKK terrorists in eastern and southeastern Turkey. The Turkish Armed Forces had said at least four terrorists, who were plotting a terrorist attack in Baskale district of Van province, were killed in an air operation in the district. In the recent past, the clashes between the security forces and PKK terrorists have intensified, in which more than 1,200 people, including members of security forces and civilians, have lost their lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was knocked out of the US Open after facing a three-set defeat against Sloane Stephens in a thrilling semifinal on Thursday evening. Stephens, who missed 11 months with a left foot injury before returning in July, defeated Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 at the Flushing Meadows to dance into her first-ever Grand Slam final. The match featured wild momentum shifts which lasted entire sets, as evidenced by the scoreline. "I have no words to describe what I'm feeling, what it took to get there," said the American after her victory. "It's just a journey. I have no words. When I started my comeback, if someone told me I'd make two Grand Slam semis and a final, I would probably have passed out." "It required a lot of fight and a lot of grit. I just worked my tail off and ran down every ball," she added. 24-year-old Stephens is the 14th unseeded player to advance to a Grand Slam final in the Open era, and only the fourth at the US Open after Venus Williams (1997), Kim Clijsters (2009) and Roberta Vinci (2015). Only one of those, Clijsters, has captured the title. Stephens will now face 13th-seeded Madison Keys---who came out with a dominant performance and defeated fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2---in the summit showdown on Saturday. It will be the first all-American final at the US Open since 2002, when Serena Williams defeated Venus, and the first all-American Grand Slam final not involving a Williams since 1990, when Martina Navratilova defeated Zina Garrison at Wimbledon. The two players would meeting for the third time overall, all of which have come this summer; Keys was victorious in the final at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford in straight sets, and prevailed in three at another US Open Series event in Cincinnati in August. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Conference president (JKNC) Farooq Abdullah on Friday said he would not acknowledge the Investigation Agency (NIA) raids in connection with a terror-funding case and Line of Control (LoC) trade case until it brings out some results. Addressing the media, Abdullah said nobody would bow down due to the torture of the NIA and the Government of India. "I will acknowledge the NIA raids only if they bring any consequences. If they are being conducted to threaten people and to torture them, then I would like to tell the Centre and the NIA that no matter how much they torture us, nobody will bow down before them," he added. The NIA on Thursday carried out searches at 11 more locations i.e. nine in Kashmir valley and one each in Jammu and Gurugram, in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case and Line of Control (LoC) Trade case. The locations related to Hurriyat leaders namely Ghulam Nabi Sumji and Syed Aga Hassan Budgami and close aides of Shabbir Shah viz. Zameer Sheikh and Razzaq Choudhary were searched. The offices of the Chartered Accountants of Hawala operator Zahoor Watali and residences of suspect LoC traders were also searched. They are suspected of fuelling secessionist and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir . During the searches, FDs worth over Rs. 1 crore, and lots of incriminating material, suspect's financial records, property-related documents and electronic devices have been seized. Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief and top separatist Yasin Malik was arrested in Srinagar by the NIA. Malik, who had warned to launch a protest against the NIA in Delhi, was nabbed from his Abi Guzar office in Srinagar. On Wednesday, separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had said that they will protest outside the NIA headquarters on September 9 against, what they termed as, 'vilification of Kashmiri' people by the investigation agency. However, Malik had alleged that the Centre was foisting one issue or the other every month on the people of Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Biocon rose 3.46% to Rs 346.75 at 10:36 IST on BSE after the company said that its insulin facility in Malaysia received compliance certificate. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 49.03 points, or 0.15% to 31,711.77. On the BSE, 2.56 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 4.43 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 353 and a low of Rs 345.95 so far during the day. The stock hit a record high of Rs 424.15 on 19 July 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 267.57 on 9 November 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 7 September 2017, falling 1.25% compared with 0.42% decline in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 1.66% as against Sensex's 1.28% rise. The scrip had underperformed the market in past one year, rising 8.31% as against Sensex's 9.01% rise. The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 300 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5. Biocon said its subsidiary in Malaysia, Biocon Sdn. Bhd., received a certificate of 'GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Compliance' for its Insulins manufacturing facility by the HPRA (Ireland) as the representative European inspection authority. The certificate of GMP compliance reflects that the agency considered the site to be in compliance with the principles and guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practices for active substances, sterile drug products and quality control testing operations. Biocon's Malaysia facility was inspected by the EMA (European Medicines Agency) in April 2017. Biocon Sdn. Bhd. (Biocon Malaysia) is one of Asia's largest integrated insulins manufacturing facilities, set up with an investment of about $275 million, at the BioXcell Biotech Park in Johor, Malaysia. This is the first overseas biopharma manufacturing & research facility of Biocon and it employs over 600 professionals. The facility is designed to manufacture recombinant human insulin and insulin analogs to cater to the needs of people with diabetes in global markets. On a consolidated basis, net profit of Biocon declined 51.2% to Rs 81.30 crore on 5.6% decline in net sales to Rs 927.40 crore in Q1 June 2017 over Q1 June 2016. Biocon is India's largest and fully-integrated, innovation-led biopharmaceutical company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company rose 3.72% to Rs 159.10 at 11:36 IST on BSE after the company said its sold 48.457 acres of freehold land in Pune, Maharashtra for Rs 13.57 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 28.51 points, or 0.09% to 31,691.25. On the BSE, 18.15 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 9.92 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 161.05 so far during the day, which is also a record high for the counter. The stock had hit a low of Rs 154.35 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 41.20 on 22 November 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 7 September 2017, rising 96.04% compared with 0.42% decline in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 84.04% as against Sensex's 1.28% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one year, rising 207.11% as against Sensex's 9.01% rise. The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 41.31 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2. Shares of Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company spurted 115.73% in 12 trading sessions to its current market price of Rs 159.10, from a close of Rs 73.75 on 22 August 2017. Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company's net loss of Rs 32.71 crore in Q1 June 2017, compared with net loss of Rs 43.58 crore in Q1 June 2016. Net sales rose 31% to Rs 592.43 crore in Q1 June 2017 over Q1 June 2016. Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company is engaged in textile, polyester and real estate business segments. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cadila Healthcare said that at the end of inspection of its Moraiya facility from 31 August to 7 September 2017 by the US drug regulator, no observation (483) was issued to the company. The clarification was issued on news report after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. ICICI Bank said it has fixed the price band for the proposed initial public offer (IPO) of its insurance subsidiary viz. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company at Rs 651 to 661 per share. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. TCS and GE's Power Services business (PS), together completed a complex integration of field service technician information into a Services Data Lake. The platform improves financial process efficiency for power generation asset service operations by integrating disparate data of service work orders and case management from multiple product and service lines including parts, services and repairs. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. Vakrangee announced its tie-up with Vasco Worldwide, an avant-garde travel service enterprise, to provide travel concierge services to its customers comprising of both independent and corporate travelers. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. Gammon India said that pursuant to the sale of shares of Gammon Infrastructure Projects (GIPL) by Gammon Power and Gactel Turnkey Projects-wholly owned subsidiaries of the company, in various tranches in the open market, the company currently holds less than 51% of shareholding in GIPL. Pursuant to the sale of shares, GIPL ceases to be a subsidiary of Gammon India. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 September 2017. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 15,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) from across Karnataka joined an indefinite protest for the second day here on Friday, demanding regularisation of their jobs, fixed salaries and welfare schemes for the workers. Undeterred by the lashing rain, thousands of ASHA women from various districts of the state gathered at Freedom Park here. They are demanding a regular monthly pay of Rs 6,000. ASHAs are the trained female community health activists under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the National Health Mission (NHM), so as to provide a connect between the community and the public health system. The women are trained by the government to provide information to people in rural areas about health, sanitation, nutrition, conduct ante-natal and post-natal checkups, and assist women during their deliveries, etc. In rural areas, there is one ASHA worker for every 1,000 people. There are a total of about 37,000 ASHAs in Karnataka. "The central government has not fixed any salary for ASHA workers. It is only performance-based incentives based on 38 different activities that the workers have to take part in," D. Nagalakshmi, Secretary of Karnataka State ASHA Workers' Association, told IANS at the protest venue. "Considering the amount of work our women put in each month, including attending to delivery calls even at night, there has been no proper payment system. Some haven't received their payments for over three months," she said. "Some workers receive a meagre Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 a month, which is not enough as many women are the breadwinners for their families." "We demand a regular monthly scale of Rs 6,000 for the workers as it is in other states," Nagalakshmi said. The online payment system named 'ASHA Soft', introduced by the central government, had been creating immense difficulties in claiming their pay, the workers said. "There is only one computer operator for many villages, who updates all the tasks we take every month, so the payment can be made," R. Nagomi, an ASHA from Raichur district, told IANS. "The operators many a time fail to upload the data, due to which we don't get paid though we toil day and night," the 40-year-old Nagomi said. "We demand that the ASHA Soft system be scrapped, as it is leading to problems in timely disbursal of our hard earned money," stated Nagalakshmi. The state government implementing the scheme in Karnataka agreed on Thursday to give Rs 5,000 to each of the workers. "ASHA workers are entitled to get about Rs 13,000, but due to administrative difficulties, many of you are not receiving even Rs 1,500," Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Shalini Rajneesh told the workers on Thursday. "We will appoint a data entry operator at the taluk level and every ASHA worker will get Rs 5,000 a month, which includes the commitment from both state and central governments," she said. But ASHA workers stuck to their demands and continued the protests on Friday as well. "Once it is announced that all the workers will get Rs 6,000, our protest will be called off," Nagalakshmi said. --IANS bha/nir/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Police have arrested 16 youths for the gang rape of a tribal girl on September 6 night. "Total 16 youths have been arrested. Seven gang raped the girl and the rest were present at the incident site and helped in the crime," Dumka Police told reporters on Friday. The arrested youths are between 18 and 24 years. The girl along with her boyfriend was travelling on a bike in second capital Dumka on September 6 evening. A group of youths intercepted them. The youths snatched their mobile and demanded Rs 5,000 from them. When they were denied the money they took the girl to a nearby place a called more youths to join them and gang raped her. The girl was admitted in Dumka hospital for treatment. She remained unconscious for more than 12 hours. Dumka police set up a team and arrested the youths within 48 hours of the incident. --IANS ns/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday took a dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for holding the RSS and right-wing ideology responsible for the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh even before the actual investigation had started. Addressing a press conference here, Prasad said "Before the investigation starts, Rahul Gandhi, who always speaks without any home work, has publicly alleged that right wing and the RSS ideology was responsible. Therefore, he has given a verdict of guilty. The BJP would like to ask the Chief Minister of Karnataka that in the light of the unilateral malafide comment of Rahul Gandhi, should we expect a fair investigation by the SIT." The BJP leader added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should make it clear whether he agreed with Gandhi's comments. Calling Lankesh's murder "not a first such case in the state", Prasad questioned why were not the killers of rationalist M.M. Kalburgi caught so far. "It is not the first incident in Karnataka. Why are the killers of Kalburgi not captured yet? Whose government is there? Rahul Gandhi asks us questions. Has he asked the (Karnataka) Chief Minister why killers are not caught?" he said. "We do not want any on the issue. We hope the Congress government holds fair investigations and captures the killers." Prasad said lots of "prejudiced and malafide comments" were being made on the "regrettable and unfortunate" death of Lankesh. "We condemned it," he said. He also questioned liberals and intellectual for their silence when the RSS and BJP workers are killed in Karnataka and Kerala. "Nowadays people give their opinion on social media. There are comments on Lankesh by intellectuals, so-called liberals. Why are they silent on killing of RSS workers in Kerala?" Prasad said. "Those who give lessons on liberal values, I want to ask them did not the RSS workers killed by CPI-M have human rights? They speak for Maoists, rights of Naxalites. However, when the RSS, the BJP workers are killed, my liberal friends, who speak eloquently and strongly against killing of journalists or Maoists, maintain conspicuous silence." Prasad said that "the hypocrisy and double standards" needed to be exposed. Prasad also asked if the Karnataka government had provided Lankesh adequate security if she was working with it to bring Maoists to the mainstream. "Lankesh's brother has raised some questions. He said Lankesh had supported Naxalites and was trying to bring them to the mainstream. This is what agitated the Naxalites," he said. "Our question is was Lankesh doing it with the support of the state? If yes, why then was adequate security not given to her? It is a serious issue. BJP wants to know." --IANS spk/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Tripura youth was rescued from Saudi Arabia, where he was tortured by his employer, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention in the case, BJP sources said here on Friday. A Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman said that Gopal Das, 34, was allegedly tortured by his employer in Saudi Arabia for over 20 months. Gopal spoke about the problem to his wife Bhabita Das in Tripura last week. The victim's friends informed Modi and of the ordeal via social media, the spokesman told the media. " immediately asked the Indian High Commission in Riyadh to rescue the youth. Within four days he was rescued by the officials of Indian Consulate in Jeddah and he returned to Agartala on Thursday night," he added. Das, a resident of Belonia, went to Saudi Arabia three years ago and took a transport worker's job at Abha in Aseer Province. A Mumbai-based private organisation facilitated his travel. He was not paid any salary for the last six months. To Czech writer-researcher Martin Hribek, Durga Puja epitomises the "condensation of creative energy" and he believes that even if the traditional forms of worship were to somehow fade into oblivion, the city's creative spirit has what it takes to bring them back. "It's amazing the form has been preserved. If you speak about preserving something you are implying its almost dying. I don't think it's going to die. It's a young festival in many ways. The (aristocratic) family pujas (the 'Bone Di Bari' puja) may be fewer. Sometimes it happens that some forms fall into oblivion and then they are resurrected," Hribek told IANS in a candid chat here. Hribek, a professor of Bengali and Indian Studies, Institute of South and Central Asia, Charles University, Prague, was in the city for a illustrated lecture in Bengali, titled "Bideshir Chokhe Durgapujo" ('Durga Puja in Foreign Eyes') at Victoria Memorial here. "I have much belief in the creative spirit of Calcutta and if it happens (if a form of puja dies) then somebody will take it up and revive it," he said. Asked whether any festival in the world could be compared to the sheer scale of Durga Puja -- the biggest festival in this part of the country, Hribek likened the form of the celebration to Ganesh Chaturthi. "Ganesh Chaturthi, to some extent, is very much comparable. The form is similar and also the history of nationalism involved is similar. Also, the the Santa Rosalia Festival, in Palermo in Italy, that celebrates Palermo's patron saint with a week of festivities, including parades, fireworks, and music. It's actually quite similar -- they have pandals and statues. They even have the lightings," he noted. From 2000 to 2004, Hribek spent most of his time in Kolkata and its environs doing research on the festival as well as other annual pujas that mark the Bengali calendar. He soon became fascinated by the coexistence of multiple historic and contemporary layers within a single festival. The puja is usually a five-day event with Sasthi, and the subsequent four days -- Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami -- translating into frenzied pandal-hopping (visiting marquees) in new clothes, meeting friends and family and stuffing oneself with traditional delicacies. Puja celebrates the annual descent of Goddess Durga, the slayer of the demon Mahishashur, accompanied by her four children -- Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati -- on the Earth to visit her parents. The goddess, astride a lion and wielding an array of weapons in her ten hands, stays for four days to eradicate all evil from the Earth before returning to her husband Lord Shiva at Kailash on Dashami. This year, Puja runs from September 26-30. "It's like a window into the culture. It's like a good place to start with because you will see different domains of culture reflected: from social structure to kinship to foods to anything," Hribek highlighted. In addition, what intrigues him most is the makeover that city goes through to accommodate the creativity and celebration. "The way in which images mediate between past, present and possible futures and condensation of all this creativity and all this labour and talent which is given into this festival throughout these five days in the city which changes so much so that the police give out maps for their own citizens so that they can navigate through the corridors... it is all so intriguing," he added. --IANS sgh/pgh/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday retweeted a derogatory remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but later insisted that the words are not his after controversy erupted. "Retweets are never endorsements. This is the basic principle of Twitter," Singh told reporters here. Earlier in the day, Singh had retweeted a meme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that said: "My two achievements - Made fools of bhakts, made bhakts out of fools" in Hindi. The meme used an uncivilised word for "fool" in Hindi. Digvijaya Singh shared the tweet with a disclaimer: "Not mine but couldn't help posting it. My apologies to the person concerned. He is the best in the 'Art of Fooling!'" After it triggered a controversy, the Congress leader said that the words used by him - "He is the best in the 'Art of Fooling'" -- are "not derogatory". He asked mediapersons as to why they were not questioning the Prime Minister who "did not tweet a word of condemnation on journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder". "Does Modiji, who tweets on even very trivial things, not have time to write a word in condemnation of that lady's murder who, much like her illustrious father, fought all her life against the people who are spreading poison of communalism in our society?" Singh said. He also demanded to know why Modi had not "unfollowed" four people who used abusive language against Lankesh after her murder. He tweeted: "I am being unnecessarily blamed for my tweet where I have supposed to have used abusive language against the PM." But in later tweets, he became belligerent and less defensive. "I have and shall continue to speak against those who are taking the whole Country for a ride by fooling the People with wrong facts," he posted on Twitter. Singh also questioned the as to why they did not take note when some people abused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. "I have a question for the When Modi ji & those he follows have used abusive language against Soniaji Rajivji Indiraji Nehruji Gandhiji why they remained quiet?" he wrote. "What abusive language and fake stories they have posted against them? Does not Notice them?... And don't those who find my tweet offensive have the courage to speak up against them?" the Rajya Sabha MP said. "And believe me there is no match for Modiji in the 'Art of Fooling'. Any objections Modiji?" he wrote. "A woman journalist is shot dead. Is calling her a b***h honour for India? BJP people should not teach me manners/values," he said. Singh was trolled for his tweet on social media. However, the Congress distanced itself from Singh's tweet with party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala saying Digvijaya Singh had already explained his tweet and "we have nothing more to say on this subject". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the controversy over Modi following people on Twitter was "mischievous and contorted". "Prime Minister Modi freely engages with people on social media. PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and in no way a guarantee how that person would conduct himself," BJP's IT head Amit Malviya said on Twitter. --IANS mak/rn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of the GST Council's next meeting on Saturday, the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) has called for reducing the GST of 28 per cent on batteries. It has pointed out the anomaly of the higher tax on these when sold separately as against 12 per cent when sold with the vehicles. "Lithium batteries usually need to be sold separately from the electric two-wheelers to give a choice of the batteries at the point of sale. Such batteries have become significantly costlier because of the 28 per cent GST on them, leading to a big dampener for the electric two-wheeler customers," an SMEV release said on Friday following its annual general meeting (AGM) here earlier this week. "SMEV is requesting uniform GST rate for EVs (electric vehicles) and batteries at point of sale," it said. At its meeting with the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) and NITI Aayog officials, the SMEV emphasised the need for incentives and appropriate policy measures to encourage wider use of electric vehicles in the country. "Short-term measures and incentives for the existing manufacturers are the need of the hour," SMEV Director (Corporate Affairs) Sohinder Gill said in a statement. "The FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) India scheme is expiring this month and we request the government to announce its continuation at the earliest," he added. The FAME scheme, extended earlier for six months till September-end provides incentives for purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles in particular areas. The SMEV also called for prioritising the development charging infrastructure, which is mostly limited to the private sector. "The government needs to build a robust charging infrastructure for mass usages of EVs," the statement said. Meanwhile, Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete has said that the government is considering the extension of the FAME scheme by six more months. "Most likley, we will extend it for another six months after the end of September. Earlier, the phase one of the FAME scheme was extended by six months," Geete said at the 57th SIAM Annual Convention here on Thursday. --IANS bc/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, Sep 8 (IANS/AKI) European Union countries that refuse to shelter their allotted share of asylum-seekers should see cuts to their funding from the 28-member bloc, Italy's ruling centre-left Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi said on Thursday. "As I see it, the countries that do not take people in should be punished in a very simple way: You don't show solidarity in the management of migration? Then you don't get solidarity in the allocation of funding," Renzi wrote in his e-newsletter. "They want to build walls. Let them do it without Italian money, given that our country puts 20 billion euros into the EU annually and gets back 12," he said. "This isn't blackmail, it's called social justice, solidarity. This is what's Europe is about." Renzi's comments came after the EU's top court on Wednesday rejected a challenge by Hungary and Slovakia to relocation quotas approved at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015. European leaders agreed in September 2015 to relocate a total of 160,000 migrants "in clear need of international protection" from Italy and Greece to other EU countries over two years. So far less than 28,000 people have been relocated in the face of opposition from several Eastern European countries notably Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Romania also voted against the quota scheme, which was approved by a majority vote. At the latest count, just 8,451 asylum-seekers have been relocated from Italy, where over 600,000 migrants and refugees have arrived by boat from North Africa since 2014. If Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic refuse to cooperate with the relocation scheme, they could be referred to the European Court of Justice and face heavy fines. Hungary, which has built a controversial fence on it southern border with Serbia and Croatia, has vowed to use all legal means against the ECJ judgement, which is final and cannot be appealed. --IANS/AKI vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former BJP leader and Hindutva ideologue K.N. Govindacharya on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking deportation of Rohingya Muslims, expressing apprehension that the terror outfit Al-Qaeda was trying to use Rohingya community for terror and Jihad. Govindacharya has in his application, seeking to be impleaded in an already pending matter, said: "It has also become known that Al-Qaeda is trying to use the Rohingya community for terror and Jihad, and if Rohingyas' plea is entertained, then it may lead to another partition of the country." Along with Govindacharya, advocate Rohit Pandey has also moved the top court seeking deportation of Rohingya Muslims. The top court is hearing a plea by one Mohammad Salimullah and others seeking a direction to the central government not to deport about 40,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees back to Myanmar. Counsel Prashant Bhushan is appearing for Mohammad Salimullah and other petitioners. On September 4, the top court had directed Mohammad Salimullah to serve the copy of his petition on the central government counsel, Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta. Next hearing has been scheduled for Monday. Govindacharya has said the "population explosion" was taking a heavy toll on the already strained resources of the country. "People are dying in Delhi under heaps of garbage and Rohingyas' demand to the government to provide them with basic amenities violate the fundamental rights of Indians," he said. His impleadment application mentions that the Union Home Ministry has issued an advisory to all the states to "identify and deport all illegally staying immigrants, as they pose a threat to the national security". Telling the court that he had retired from active politics and was engaged in social service and associated with Rashtriya Swabhimaan Aandolan, Govindacharya has said that "the decision by the government has not been made in a haste". The government's decision to consult the National Security Advisor and Intelligence Bureau Director, besides other top officers of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other intelligence agencies, showed that "the threat is credible". The impleadment application says that the "national security has to be paramount even if it is pitted against the celebrated right to privacy". Rohingya Muslim refugees have taken shelter in India and a large number of them in Bangladesh to escape persecution against them by Myanmar authorities. The Rohingya immigrants, who fled to India after violence in the western Rakhine state of Myanmar, have landed in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. Mohammad Salimullah and others have moved the top court urging it to direct that they should not be deported as they faced certain death in Mayanmar from where they had fled to escaped persecution. The petitioner has said the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) too had taken note of the Rohingya refugees issue and sought the Union Home Ministry's report. Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports regarding the government's plan to deport them, the NHRC had on August 18 observed that "refugees are no doubt foreign nationals but they are human beings, and before taking a big step the government of India has to look into every aspect of the situation". The NHRC had observed that the Supreme Court had consistently held that the Fundamental Right enshrined under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution regarding Right to Life and Personal Liberty, applied to all, irrespective of whether they are citizens of India or not. Referring to the international convention on human rights and other world bodies, including UNHCR, Bhushan had said that refugees could not be expelled if they face certain death or torture back home. --IANS pk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cuban authorities have evacuated 700,000 people from the country's northeastern coast ahead of the category 5 hitting the island nation, authorities said. The eye of the hurricane was expected to pass between the island of Hispaniola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday morning, reports Xinhua news agency. "The core of the hurricane will then move between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas," said the statement from Cuba's weather service. Irma's maximum sustained winds remain at 280 km/h with higher gusts making it a potentially catastrophic tropical cyclone. The hurricane's outer bands unleashed pounding rain on Cuba's eastern provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin on Thursday night, along with tropical storm force winds and waves that reached 6 to 8 metres high. Cuba's Civil Defense declared a hurricane warning for all eastern provinces and the central territory of Ciego de Avila, and urged all governments and civilian groups to complete their preparations for the superstorm. More than 10,000 tourists vacationing in the island have already been evacuated or returned home. Irma has left a wake of devastation in the Caribbean, killing at least 10 people and damaging homes and other infrastructure in Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It made landfall on Wednesday. The unusually powerful storm is the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic. After grazing northern Cuba, Irma is expected to hit the US state of Florida. Actress Priyanka Chopra, who showcased her first northeastern film production "Pahuna: The Little Visitors" at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is overwhelmed by the response she has got for the movie and says this was the reason she wanted to be a filmmaker. "Pahuna: The Little Visitors" narrates the story of three Nepalese children separated from their parents and their journey back home. Priyanka on Friday shared a video on Instagram, where she and the film's director Paakhi A. Tyrewala, are seen on a podium along with festival artistic director Cameron Bailey. Captioning the short-video, Priyanka wrote: "Never be ok with hearing the word no...because there will always be someone who will say "yes." I'm very proud of my first time 'female' director Paakhi A. Tyrewala for having the courage to not give up, when people didn't believe this film could be made." She added: "Bravo for wanting to tell a beautiful story that may not be what people consider mainstream... but today had a world premiere on an international platform at TIFF, with an applause that resonated for a very long time." The actress, 35, said that this was the first time an audience watched the film outside of their offices at Purple Pebble Pictures. And told us how proud they were that a story like this was told." The "Mary Kom" star also thanked her mother Madhu Chopra, with whom she shares her production banner Purple Pebble Pictures. She added: "Thank you Cameron Bailey for the opportunity to share this small film and a big message with a world audience...one about children's rights, the refugee crisis, religious conversion and the affect of adult decisions on kids from the perspective of our protagonists, who are to young kids from a small village in Sikkim. "My heart swells at the thought of people standing up and applauding our effort. This is the reason I wanted to be a filmmaker. Major feels." The first look of the film was released at the Cannes Film Festival this year. --IANS dc/nv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran on Friday urged Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingyas and allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions. The international community and Islamic countries expect the government of Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslim community, said Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Besides, Iran expects Myanmar to allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions, Zarif said in his letter written to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Xinhua news agency reported. The powers responsible for the atrocities in Myanmar should be brought to justice, he said, urging the government of Myanmar to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of violence in the future. "It is disappointing that such minimum global demands are yet to receive a proper response," Zarif said. The Rohingya, one of the world's largest stateless communities, are fleeing in droves towards Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge of violence in Rakhine state between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's Army. The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days. On Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Minister criticized the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Zarif as saying. Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "we must act now before it is too late". Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Thursday it had set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani. Hamid Jamaloddini, the Society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items were ready to be dispatched to Myanmar. He also expressed readiness to help relocate those in urgent need. Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims. --IANS soni/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Modern life is weird. Thanks to supermarket delivery tracking apps, we know the precise location of our next roll of toilet paper, but we haven't the faintest idea where our children are. I ask mine, of course, but my teenage daughter divides the world into only two locations: "Home" and "Out". Plan: All dads should sell their children to their wives through Amazon's reseller programme, so they get tracking chips attached to them: "Hold still, darling, while this nice uncle inserts something under your skin." Of course the danger is that someone else buys your children before your wife can click the "add to cart" button, but, hey, what's life without risk? Any buyer who ends up with my brood will eventually discover they've made a horrendous mistake and can send them back to me (preferably after they've all graduated from university). Yet surely it is odd that in today's world, under-skin chips are routinely implanted into dogs for their safety, but not into children. Which are more important contributors to family life? (Don't answer that.) Ideally, children should have microchips with little built-in speakers so that they hear Things Dads Say at regular intervals: 1) "Do you think I'm made of money?" 2) "You're not going out in that," and 3) "Ask your mother." Listening to me rant, a China correspondent told me about a problem in Shanghai which could have been prevented by microchipping children. A father in Shanghai complained about his handsome, clever son: "How can someone as ugly as me have a kid like that?" he said. Good point. Still, his wife insisted she had never been unfaithful. He divorced her anyway. The woman, named in reports only as Mrs Zhang, admitted that something was wrong, as the boy was adorable, while her ex-husband looked like the back of a hippo. DNA eventually showed that the boy was not related to either parent and a mix-up had been made at the Shanghai hospital. The report was printed recently in the Chinese media -- which means that a hundred thousand parents are exclaiming: "So THAT'S why you're so ugly and stupid, son!" Be tactful, mums and dads. But the switched-at-birth story that scores highest on the facepalm index is that of Mary Miller from This American Life, a podcast. In 1951, Mrs Miller realised that nurses had given her the wrong baby because it was much lighter than it had been at birth. Instead of pointing this out, she consulted her husband Norbert. I know! For a woman to ask her husband anything about babies is certifiably insane. Norbert, being an insensitive idiot ("a male"), couldn't see any problem. She went into hospital pregnant, she came out with a baby. A baby's a baby, right? Just keep it. What's the difference? She listened to him. But she owned up 43 years later, leaving two families furious with her. Microchipping kids could prevent such problems, but this is the weird thing. It seems that modern society only tracks what it considers important. I'm not sure where the kids are. But my toilet paper is two streets away and should arrive in four minutes. --IANS nury/sac/ky (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special trial court here on Friday granted last opportunity to former Gujarat BJP Minister Maya Kodnani to present party President Amit Shah as her defence witness in the Naroda Gam massacre case during the 2002 communal riots in the state. She has been given time till Tuesday. Kodnani, former Minister for Women and Child Welfare in the Narendra Modi government in the state, is a convict in the mass murder of 97 Muslims in Naroda Patiya, an area adjoining Naroda Gam where 11 people were killed on the same day -- February 28, 2002. After several adjournments when Kodnani, a key accused in the Naroda Gam case, sought more time to serve summons on Amit Shah to establish her alibi, the court had asked her to present Shah latest by Friday. In all, she had presented 12 others in her favour earlier. They included her husband Surendra Kodnani, former Deputy Mayor and Bhartiya Janata Party corporator Dinesh Makwana and former BJP MLA Amrish Govindbhai Patel. The special sessions trial court of Justice P.B. Desai on Friday gave Kodnani the final ultimatum till Tuesday and stated there would be no further adjournment after that. Last month, the Supreme Court issued an order to the special trial court to wrap up the hearing in the Naroda Gam case within four months. The former Minister's advocate had on Monday informed the court they she needed more time to be able to contact Amit Shah. In her application to the court, she said since Shah was not "reachable due to his busy schedule, it is difficult to decide as to which address the summons be served to him". Kodnani is among the 82 accused on trial in the Naroda Gam case. In 2012, she was convicted on similar charges and sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in Naroda Patiya massacre, where she was termed a "kingpin". She and 31 other convicts have challenged the verdict in the Gujarat High Court which concluded its hearing on August 30 and reserved the verdict. --IANS desai/him/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after two students of an Ahmedabad-based institute drowned in the sea, Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Friday said the teachers accompanying the students should be questioned. He added that a law was needed to ban beachgoers from venturing into the sea after sunset. Speaking to IANS on Friday, Ajgaonkar called the twin drownings "unfortunate", but also asked how students were allowed to go to the beach at night and venture into the sea. "There are teachers and guardians accompanying students on such tours. It is to be probed as to how they were out late on the beach and permitted to venture into the sea. The teachers should be questioned in this regard," Ajgaonkar said. Two students from the Ahmedabad-based Mudra Institute of Communication drowned after they ventured into the sea at the popular Candolim beach at 3 a.m. on Thursday. The deceased, identified as Anuja Susan from Chennai and Gurram Chenchu Sai from Andhra Pradesh, were part of a group of 47 students on a study tour to Goa along with faculty. "The issue of people venturing into the sea after sunset also needs to be looked into," Ajgaonkar said. --IANS maya/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A strong earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale jolted Mexico, near the border with Guatemala on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). A tsunami warning has immediately issued after the quake struck off the Pacific Coast 120 km southwest of Tres Picos, Mexico, which is 1,000 km southeast of Mexico City, reports CNN. The Centre advised the public that tsunami waves could hit within three hours off the coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and even Ecuador. The temblor was felt as far Guatemala City and had a depth of 33 km, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. It was a particularly shallow quake, according to Jana Pursely, a geophysicists at the USGS. "The shaking along the coast of Chiapas state, next to the border with Guatemala, at this point is estimated to be very strong to severe," Pursely told CNN. "I would expect damage along the coast of Chiapas." Pursely said these types of shallow earthquakes with long shaking have the potential to be very dangerous. She also said there will likely be aftershocks. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted: "Civil protection protocols are activated, including the National Emergency Committee." CNN attempted to contact two seaside hotels in Chiapas but the lines appeared to be down. Parts of Mexico City are without power, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera confirmed. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages. Mexico is currently also being threatened on its eastern coast by Hurricane Katia, reports BBC. The category 1 hurricane is about 300 km south-east of Tampico and has sustained winds of 140km/h. according to the US National Hurricane Centre. --IANS ksk/vm (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gathered for a meeting that marked the end of the latter's two-day trip to Germany, which had celebrated their bilateral relations. Merkel and Rivlin met on Thursday at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, where they discussed the fight against international terror and the situation in the Middle East, Efe news reported. "Honored to meet this morning in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel," the President said in a tweet after the event. The meeting was Rivlin's last official engagement in Germany, where on Wednesday he visited the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau in Bavaria, which is now a museum, along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer. There, alongside his German counterpart, he laid a wreath to remember those killed at the hands of the Nazi regime, and walked through a replica of the notorious iron gate with the words "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work will set you free") on it. Rivlin and Steinmeier also attended the inauguration of a memorial center to the 11 Israeli athletes and a German policeman who were killed by members of Palestinian terror group Black September during an attack at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Relatives of the victims and President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach also attended the event. --IANS vgu/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Get insights into methods of cooking, and various features of a professional kitchen; learn about the use of digital resources such as social media and web analytics for the purpose of marketing; read about a legacy of unforgettable characters old and new; and flick through tales around a fictional place -- Pandupur -- teeming with life, much like the river Dhun that flows alongside. The IANS bookshelf has a lot of knowledge and fun to offer this weekend. 1. Book: Theory of Cookery; Author: Parvinder S. Bali; Publisher: Oxford University Press; Pages: 230; Price: Rs 325 "Theory of Cookery" is designed for students of diploma and food craft courses in hotel management. Catering to the syllabus of the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, the book elaborates on the concept of cookery, methods of cooking, and various features of a professional kitchen. The book begins with an introduction to cookery, standards of personal hygiene, protective clothing and safety procedures in handling equipment that a chef needs to maintain. It also gives an overview of the origin of modern cookery and provides a list of culinary terms. Following this, the book discusses organisational structure and layout of a professional kitchen, along with duties and responsibilities of various chefs. Basic menu planning, aims and methods of cooking food as well as commodities used for cooking have been explained at length too. The book also includes chapters on salads, soups, eggs, meat, and fish cookery. 2. Book: Internet Marketing; Author: Moutusy Maity; Publisher: Oxford University Press; Pages: 359; Price: Rs 425 Internet Marketing, designed with the purpose of explaining concepts of the subject from an India-specific context, also provides comparisons of ways online marketing is dealt with in India and in the West. An apt textbook for students of MBA specialising in marketing, it also describes the importance of digital resources such as social media and web analytics for the purposes of digital marketing. The book is divided into seven sections discussing Internet users and usage in India; search engine marketing; the consumers; social media marketing; mobile marketing; e-mail marketing; online marketing strategy; and the existing challenges and emerging areas of opportunities surrounding the adoption of the Internet in the country. Besides students, the book with its application-oriented approach would also be useful to marketing professionals. 3. Book: A Legacy of Spies; Author: John le Carre; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 264; Price: Rs 599 Peter Guillam, staunch colleague and disciple of George Smiley of the British Secret Service, otherwise known as the Circus, is living out his old age on the family farmstead on the southern coast of Brittany when a letter from his old service summons him to London. The reason? His Cold War past has come back to claim him. Intelligence operations that were once the toast of secret London, and involved such characters as Alec Leamas, Jim Prideaux, George Smiley and Peter Guillam himself, are to be scrutinised by a generation with no memory of the Cold War and no patience with its justification. 4. Book: Growing Up in Pandupur; Authors: Adithi Rao and Chatura Rao; Publisher: Scholastic; Pages: 117; Price: Rs 199 With its bustling marketplace and honking traffic, posh colonies and shanty towns, railway station and looming dam, forests and playgrounds, Pandupur is teeming with life, much like the river Dhun that flows alongside it. In "Growing Up in Pandupur", sisters Adithi and Chatura Rao weave a web of stories of life lessons, laughter and tears, insecurity, and surprising friendship in this fictional town. The book builds a map of Pandupur through the lives of its youngest residents. Characters in the 13 stories are faced with bullying, gender stereotyping, poverty and privilege. In the process of tackling these issues, they learn valuable lessons about the human heart and about growing up. The book will resonate in the hearts and minds of children and those who are young at heart. --IANS mg/vm/sac/ky (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Against the backdrop of nationwide outrage over the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday accused liberals and intellectuals of speaking eloquently for the rights of "Maoists and Naxalites" but practicing "conspicuous silence" when RSS and BJP workers are killed in Karnataka and Kerala. "Nowadays people give their opinion on social media. There are comments on Lankesh by intellectuals, so-called liberals. Why are they silent on killing of RSS workers in Kerala? "Those who give lessons on liberal values, I want to ask them, did not the RSS workers killed by CPI-M have human rights? They speak for Maoists, rights of Naxalites. However, when RSS, the BJP workers are killed, my liberal friends, who speak eloquently and strongly against killing of journalists or Maoists, maintain conspicuous silence," he told the media. Prasad said lots of "prejudiced and malafide comments" were being made on the "regrettable and unfortunate" death of Lankesh. "We condemned it," he said adding, "the hypocrisy and double standards" needed to be exposed. He also asked if the Karnataka government had provided Lankesh adequate security if she was working with it to bring Maoists to the mainstream. "Lankesh's brother has raised some questions. He said Lankesh had supported Naxalites and was trying to bring them to the mainstream. This is what agitated the Naxalites," he said. "Our question is was Lankesh doing it with the support of the state? If yes, why then was adequate security not given to her? It is a serious issue. BJP wants to know." He also took a dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for holding the RSS and right-wing ideology responsible for the killing of journalist-activist Lankesh even before the actual investigation had started. "Before the investigation starts, Rahul Gandhi, who always speaks without any home work, has publicly alleged that right wing and the RSS ideology was responsible. Therefore, he has given a verdict of guilty. The BJP would like to ask the Chief Minister of Karnataka that in the light of the unilateral malafide comment of Rahul Gandhi, should we expect a fair investigation by the SIT," he said. The BJP leader added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should make it clear whether he agreed with Gandhi's comments. Calling Lankesh's murder not a first such case in the state, Prasad questioned why were not the killers of rationalist M.M. Kalburgi caught so far. "It is not the first incident in Karnataka. Why are the killers of Kalburgi not captured yet? Whose government is there? Rahul Gandhi asks us questions. Has he asked the (Karnataka) Chief Minister why killers are not caught?" he said. "We do not want any on the issue. We hope the Congress government holds fair investigations and captures the killers." --IANS spk/vsc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A retired sexagenarian scientist of Pusa Institute here was found dead in his flat on the campus in west Delhi, police said on Friday. Police said Yashvir Sood, a Principal Scientist in the Nuclear Science Department, had retired in March 2015 at the age of 62. "Field Officer Sonu Kumar informed police on Thursday about a foul smell emanating from Flat No.B1, where Sood stayed with his younger brother Harish and sister Kamla inside the Pusa campus," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said. Sonu Kumar tried to check but Kamla, who is said to be of unsound mind, did not allow him to enter the house. He later informed the police. A police probe allegedly found that Sood was an alcoholic and under severe depression before his retirement. Sood had not withdrawn a single penny from his pension as also gratuity and other amount he got on his retirement, the official said. "Police found Sood's body lying on a folding cot in a state of decomposition. The physical health of Harish and Kamla also indicates very poor personal hygiene and fragile health. The sanitary conditions in the house were very poor," the official added. Kamla and Harish were admitted to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences while the body has been sent for post-mortem. Sood's father too was a scientist at Pusa Institute, police said. --IANS sp/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of his four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said he was going there with an "open mind" and that the government was ready to discuss the Kashmir issue with all stakeholders in the state. "I am going with an open mind. I personally want that we talk to everyone. So whoever comes to meet me, I will talk to them," Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new headquarters building of Bureau of Police Research and Development. Singh, who begins his visit on Saturday, said the government has "all the intentions" to solve the Kashmir issue. He will be accompanied by newly-appointed Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior ministry officials. During his four-day visit, the Home Minister will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others. Rajnath Singh's visit to the state is seen as a follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech in which he reached out to the people of the Valley saying "Na gaali se, na goli se, samasya suljegi gale lagane se", (Neither bullets nor recrimination, the problem will be solved by embracing Kashmiris). The Home Minister had on August 19 said that a solution to the Kashmir problem would be found before 2022. During his visit, the Minister will also meet Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He will also review the Prime Minister's Development Package and the security situation in the state. He is to meet various delegations in Srinagar and Jammu and also interact with police jawans, CRPF and BSF personnel in the state. The Minister is slated to meet and interact with college and university students in Srinagar. The Home Minister is expected to attend a comprehensive security review meeting with Mehbooba Mufti and the top brass of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday. The following day, he will address a press conference in Srinagar before leaving for Jammu. He will also visit a camp of the BSF in Rajouri. Singh will meet traders, migrants, Kashmiri pandits and representatives of communities including Gujjars and Bakarwals. In September 2016, he had visited the state leading an all-party delegation and met people from various sections of society. However, the Kashmiri separatists had rebuffed attempts by five opposition MPs to talk to them. --IANS rak/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chairman of NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel and Chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff Valery Gerasimov agreed to continue contacts during the meeting here, media reports said. The meeting on Thursday is believed as "a follow-on" from the March 3 phone call between the two generals, according to the message posted on NATO website. That conversation, held at NATO's initiative, was the first-ever high-level contact after the NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia in April 2014 over the situation in Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported. Valery Gerasimov and Petr Pavel exchanged views on the situation in the sphere of international security in Europe and the Middle East, local media cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying. Valery Gerasimov briefed the NATO official on the Zapad 2017 exercises, stressing that they are not directed against third countries. Gerasimov said the main purpose of the exercises was to maintain the security of Russia and Belarus. The talks between Russia's top military official and NATO military chief in Baku ahead of the joint Zapad 2017 Russian exercises with Belarus next week have already stirred unease in Poland and the Baltic States. --IANS vgu/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security agencies and district authorities began search operations at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Haryana's Sirsa town on Friday amid tight security and curfew in the area. The search, which is being video-graphed, is being conducted under the supervision of court commissioner A.K.S. Pawar appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Senior district administration and police officers, along with para-military forces and Haryana Police, were involved in the operation around the sprawling 700-acre campus. Duty magistrates have been appointed for various zones of the Dera. Officials from police, revenue, health, education, tourism and other departments have also participated. Bomb disposal squads, commandos, dog squads and locksmiths were deployed. All roads leading to the headquarters from Sirsa and nearby places were sealed. Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted on two counts of rape of two female disciples in 1999 by a CBI Special Court in Panchkula on August 25. He was later sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and is currently lodged in the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak. His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab. --IANS js/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telecom Commission on Friday sought clarification and more details on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on deferred spectrum payment liability as well as shifting from pending lending rate (PLR) to marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) regime for calculation of interest on delayed payment of licence fees and spectrum usage changes, according to official sources. The task of the IMG was to examine systemic issues affecting viability and repayment capacity in the telecom sector and furnish recommendations for resolution of stressed assets. According to a source, the Telecom Commission would meet in another fortnight and the clarifications would be tabled during that meeting. Broadly, the panel has given in-principle approval for all the recommendations given by the IMG. Apart from the IMG report, the commission on Friday took up four oher items -- implementation of Bharat Net Phase II, mobile services in the north-east India, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations on free data, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Award. "Six states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh -- would take up state-led model of Bharat Net. They had submitted detailed project reports earlier, which were approved," the source said. The total cost of Bharat Net Phase II is Rs 18,792 crore. The cost of implementing it in six states would be around Rs 7,000 crore. For mobile towers' coverage of uncovered areas under the Universal Service Obligation Fund, around 4,177 towers will be installed for covering 4,502 villages at a cost of Rs 3,100 crore. After this project, only two states will remain uncovered under this project -- Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Regarding the TRAI's recommendations regarding data usage made in Decemebr 2016, the Telecom Commission has decided to refer it back to the TRAI, according to the source. --IANS ag/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Texas Governor Greg Abbott has hailed the US Senate's approval of a $15.25 billion hurricane Harvey fund to the state. "The response by the federal government has been swift and effective, and the passage of a bill allocating an initial down payment for recovery and rebuilding is a continuation of their assurances to stand firm with Texas," Abbott said in a statement on Thursday after the Senate voted to allocate the fund to Texas for the aftermath of Harvey. Harvey made landfall on August 25, as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, has displaced more than 1 million people and damaged some 200,000 homes in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 480 km, reports Xinhua news agency. So far, 71 people were confirmed dead. The Houston area has been devastated by severe flooding, after receiving about 1.4 metres of rain. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it was working to accelerate buyouts of repeatedly flooded properties in Houston area. The buyouts following Hurricane Harvey aimed at helping Houston citizens escape from perennially soggy neighbourhoods and keeping the federal government from paying to rebuild homes time and time again. FEMA was receiving thousands of Harvey claims and paying out millions of dollars every day. By the end of Wednesday, more than 80,000 Texans had filed claims and FEMA had issued about $76 million in advance payments. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Chief Minister and president of the National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah on Friday said unless the NIA probe into terror funding brings out some result he would not acknowledge the actions taken by the agency. Abdullah also said he had "no hopes" of anything emerging from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's four-day visit to the state from Saturday. "Unless the NIA investigation produces some results, I will not acknowledge it. If the NIA action is intended to create turbulence in Kashmir, then let me tell the Centre and the NIA that no torture would force the people of Kashmir to give up their ideals." The NC president was speaking to media on the sidelines of a function to remember his father and NC founder, late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah on his 35th death anniversary. Abdullah said "nobody would bow down due to the torture of the NIA and the Government of India". He alleged that the present NIA probe is being carried out only to "create turbulence" in Kashmir. Asked what hopes the NC had of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's four-day visit to the state beginning on Saturday, Abdullah said, "I have no hope from this visit." He said the separatists "must be released so that they can tell the Home Minister what they have to tell". The NC president also said the NIA should probe the "money pumped into the state by the Government of India to weaken" the NC party. Speaking in New Delhi, Rajnath Singh said the central government was ready to discuss the Kashmir issue with all stakeholders in the state. "I personally want that we talk to everyone. So whoever comes to meet me, I will talk to them," Singh told reporters, ahead of his visit. Singh, who will be accompanied by newly-appointed Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior ministry officials, said the government has "all the intentions" to solve the Kashmir issue. He alleged that senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was killed because she wrote about how the RSS was weakening the country. Late Sheikh Abdullah passed away on this day in 1982 and lakhs of weeping and wailing Kashmiris had participated in his funeral procession. --IANS sq/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With August 31 marking the 20th anniversary of Princess Dianas death, Britain has had extensive print and television tributes to the beloved Princess of Wales. Hilary Mantel wrote a piece for The Guardian in which she was far more charitable than has been her record with writings on royals. Netflix re-issued The Story of Diana, a popular series that showcased the two phases of her life, as a young woman still finding her feet in Buckingham Palace, and later as a global celebrity battling a failing marriage. The rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and the corresponding decline of other political forces is causing violent contradiction in Karnataka society. This is evident in the rise of forces like Sri Ram Sene and the Hindu Jagarana Vedike. A police probe is still on but Gauri Lankesh could have been a victim of this process. Rahul Agarwal talks to Sangeeta Tanwar about the challenges PC makers are facing and why his company wants to drop the brand from some products. Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Friday got elected unopposed to the Vidhan Parishad (legislative council), thus becoming a member of the state legislature and retaining his post as well. Vidhan Parishad seats are filled through indirect polling by Vidhan Sabha members. RDX cannot be used as a powder to kill mosquitoes and flies, the Special TADA court here observed while awarding death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life term to gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Noting that the accused had knowledge about the crime, the court yesterday said "it cannot be assumed that AK-56 rifles were being distributed in schools in Bombay as toys." The Special TADA court yesterday awarded death sentence to Merchant and Khan in the case but Salem escaped the noose and was handed down life imprisonment due to a provision in the Extradition Act. Besides Salem, the court sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment, while awarding 10 years in jail to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui. "It is necessary to mention that RDX cannot be used as a powder to kill mosquitoes and flies and it cannot be assumed that AK 56 rifles were being distributed in schools in Bombay as toys. The accused had knowledge about the offence," Special TADA court Judge G A Sanap said in his judgement. It is necessary to note that the conspirators and the perpetrators of the crime rejoiced at its success and when it came to face the consequences they were getting justice, the court observed in the 2,100-page judgement. The court also observed that the punishment must be proportionate to the depravity and gravity of crime. It would be necessary to make a mention of the worldwide scenario and menace of terrorism. It was pertinent to note that a case related to terrorism could not be treated at par with other offences. "Offences and offenders of terrorism need to be dealt with sternly. Further generations need to be saved from the menace of terrorism," judge Sanap observed. A lenient view in such cases can weaken the fight and collective efforts to combat terrorism, the court said. The court had in June convicted six persons, including prime accused Mustafa Dossa and Salem, 24 years after the blasts left 257 people dead in Mumbai. It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum for want of evidence. The court also imposed a fine totalling Rs 27.09 lakh on the five accused. Firoz was fined Rs 4.75 lakh, Karimullah Rs 8.88 lakh, Tahir Rs 4.85 lakh, Salem Rs 8.51 lakh and Siddiqui Rs 10,000. Salem, a notorious gangster considered close to fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, escaped death sentence as the Extradition Act bars India from seeking capital punishment for an accused extradited from a country where the practice is not in force. Before Salem's extradition in 2004 following his arrest in 2002 in Portugal, India had assured Lisbon that he would not be awarded capital punishment, if convicted in the case. This was the second stage of trial in the case. All the seven accused were facing multiple charges, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against Government of India and murder. The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial). The trial of Salem, Dossa, Karimullah, Firoz, Siddiqui, Merchant and Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested after the first set of trial had already started. Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted on June 28. The court had held that Tahir was among the main conspirators. "The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the court said in its ruling on June 16. The court also held that the prosecution proved that Firoz was a "prominent and trusted" member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the landings of weapons effected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district. On the victims' compensation, the court said that 257 people died and 718 suffered grievous injuries while some had become disabled. "The victims in the Bombay blasts case, deceased and injured/disabled are entitled to get compensation as per the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the victim compensation scheme of Government of Maharashtra," observed judge Sanap. The court said as per its record, the prosecution has submitted a list of 232 persons who died and 638 who were injured and disabled in the blasts. "In view of the finding on the point of entitlement of the victims of the blast for compensation this court is satisfied that the compensation which could be paid out of the fine amount would be very meagre and inadequate for the rehabilitation of the victims," the court said. The court also recommended District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to decide and award compensation to the victims. It said the CBI should extend all possible assistance to DLSA. The court said there are still 33 absconding accused and the CBI should take necessary steps to expedite proceedings initiated for the sale of attached property in public auction. The court also said that the CBI shall initiate further proceedings for attachment of properties of the absconding accused in Mumbai or any part of India. On the role of Tahir, the court observed that he was absconding and by remaining in Dubai he had deprived the investigating agency necessary assistance for investigating the case. Commenting on Firoz, the court said he came from a well-educated family and his father was an officer in the Indian Navy. The court sat till late last night to hand over copies of the judgement to the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The city police today arrested a plastic surgeon's maid servant and her son on charges of stealing from the surgeon's house. The police said they have also recovered a substantial amount of stolen cash and gold ornaments from the accused persons. The plastic surgeon had lodged a complaint on August 28 stating that Rs 40 lakh in cash and gold ornaments worth over Rs three lakh went missing from his house. The police zeroed in on Padma alias Natramani Patra, the surgeon's maid servant after tracking telephone calls, an officer said. Patra confessed to have committed the crime during interrogation, the officer said. The police recovered substantial amount of stolen cash and ornaments after raiding her son's house in Cuttack, said ACP Nimai Charan Sethy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Indians have been injured by a man who opened fire on them following a chase near a casino in Nepal's western Kanchanpur district, police said today. Jagat Singh Chauhan and Chandra Kishor Singh of Uttarakhand's Banbasa town have been recuperating at a hospital in Bhimdutta municipality. Chauhan and Singh themselves informed the police at the Gaudachauki Police Post after yesterday's incident. Bikram Nath and Karan Bhandari have been detained, Kanchanpur Superintendent of Police Prakash Chand said. The incident occurred when the victims were returning from a casino at night. "Bhandari was riding a bike while Nath opened fire on the Indians when they did not stop during a chase," he said. A home-made pistol has been seized from the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saying that 20 per cent of the population in the country is illiterate even after seventy years of independence, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today called upon every section of the society to come forward in eradicating illiteracy. Addressing a programme organised on International Literacy Day here, Naidu said that it was shameful for the country that even after 70 years of independence 30 crore people are illiterate. But he cautioned that it is not a subject of politics rather all the citizens must think over the issue and come forward to eradicating illiteracy. It is not only the responsibility of the government, but also the society. Naidu said that this is a big challenge for the country as literacy and education are must for the uplift of the poor, development of the state and the country, eradication of corruption and even for the fight against superstitions. Naidu said that it is not that the governments after independence did not try to eradicate illiteracy but even after their best efforts only 80 per cent of the country's population is literate now. He said it is appreciable that the Raghubar Das government in its tenure of nearly three years has succeeded in making 32 lakh more people literate and it will be an important achievement of the state if they achieve complete literacy by the year 2019/20 as per their commitment. He expressed happiness at people coming from far off places to attend the programme. "Literacy is for self-respect, literacy if for total development," Naidu said while saying literacy campaign is not only done by the governments but everyone should come forward and participate in the programme. Expressing happiness at honouring women who have showed interest in the literacy campaign, learned and inspired others, he said honouring them would inspire others too. "...They are doing work of the community, work of the state and work of the country," he added. He said age is no bar for learning and one can learn at any age. Literacy is very much necessary for taking forwarding the society, industry, he said and added education for enlightenment, education for empowerment and education for employment. "Saab ka Saath Saab ka Vikas (Together with all, Development for all)" would happen when Jharkhand would become literate and the pledge of Saab ka Saath Saab ka Vikas would be fulfilled, he said. He also said that it was necessary to educate women as when they become educated 'sanskar' would be developed in the family. He quoted the reference from puranas and mahabharat and said that India has a rich culture and the tradition of empowerment of women as "saraswati was education minister, Parwati/Durga was defence minister and Laxmi was the finance minister during that period. Even rivers are named after names of women." After 70 years now India has got a women defence minister in the form of Nirmala Sitharaman. The vice president stressed upon the education and empowerment of women for the holistic development of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government announced on Friday three-tier rules for a in an attempt to crack down on unruly travellers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has recommended three levels of unruly behaviour by passengers, each with a different duration of ban on flying, the ministry officials said. The first level of misdemeanour is verbal harassment and will invite a flying ban of three months. No-Fly offence categories: Level 1 - unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation. Ban - upto 3 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 The second level comprises physically abusive behaviour which will carry a ban of six months. No-Fly offence categories: Level 2 - physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, inappropriate touching); Ban - upto 6 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 The third category consists of life threatening behaviour and will carry a flying ban of two years or more without limit, they said. No-Fly offence categories: Level 3- Life threatening behaviour - assaults, damage to aircraft systems etc. Ban - min. 2 years Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 The move comes in the wake of some incidents, including one involving Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who allegedly hit an Air India staffer with a slipper for not getting a business class seat. He had a business class ticket but he had to travel the economy class because the flight was an all-economy one. Goes without saying, but since many have asked, let me reply - the provisions are applicable to EVERY passenger. No exemptions. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 According to a mechanism laid down by the ministry, after the pilot-in-command of a plane complains about a passenger, the airline's internal committee will probe the matter and decide the quantum of ban within a period of 30 days. If the committee fails to give a decision within this period the passenger will be free to fly. Three members of a family were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a bus coming from the opposite direction on Bijnor-Chandpur Road, police said today. The incident took place late last evening when the UP Roadways bus lost control on the Bijnor-Chandpur Road and hit a buffalo cart in front of it and then hit the two-wheeler coming from the opposite direction. All the three riders, Riyasat (35), his wife Rizwana (28) and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Ayesha, were crushed to death, they said. The family was returning home in Bijnor from Bashta village, in Chandpur, where they had gone to attend a function. Bijnor SHO Fateh Singh reached the accident site and sent the bodies for post-mortem. The bus was taken into custody. The driver and the conductor of the bus are at large. After the accident, the bus hit a tree before coming to a stop. Two people riding in the buffalo cart, farmer Buddh Singh and his wife, also suffered minor injuries, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 59 per cent of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students today turned out to cast their ballots to elect new office-bearers of the students' union. This year's election assumed significance given the recent developments in the Left-dominated campus. The varsity politics has hit the headlines several times over various issues in the past few years. This election was predominantly a three-cornered fight between the right wing ABVP, the Left Unity of AISA, SFI and DSF, and the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA). "Since last year the BAPSA has evolved as a strong force in the varsity which is evident from their debates, support and the movements they have held," said a student. Seven candidates are in the fray for the post of the student's union president, which is currently held by the AISA in alliance with the SFI. Total 4,639, or 58.69 per cent, of 7,903 voters cast their ballots, a drop from 59.60 per cent last year, according to the JNUSU election committee. Polling was held in two phases -- between 9.30 am and 1 pm, and 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm. Out of total 8,045 students of JNU, only 7,903 students were eligible to vote for the central panel of four, whereas the remaning 142 students who have taken up certificate courses can vote only for councillors, according to the election committee. However, looking at the absolute numbers - this year total number of voters were just 8,045 because of seat cuts compared to last year's around 8,600 students. Though the first phase witnessed a lower voter turnout, large number of voters turned up in the second phase. The counting has begun and results are expected by early morning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The anti-corruption branch of the Rajasthan Police today raided the residence of an office superintendent, posted in Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), and seized documents related to immovable assets worth Rs 4 crore, an ACB official said. Acting on a complaint, the ACB sleuths raided the residence of JDA office superintendent, Mukesh Meena, and seized documents related to residential, agriculture and farm house lands along with those related to multiple bank accounts, an ACB spokesperson said. A case has been registered against Meena for having assets disproportionate to his income, he said, adding and further investigation is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Domestic budget carrier India on Friday said it has inducted a new Airbus A320 aircraft in its fleet and will commence flight services to three new routes from Ranchi from next month. India will introduce flights from Ranchi to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar, besides scaling up the frequency on Bengaluru-Hyderabad route, the airline said in a statement. "We are happy to add new routes connecting tier-II cities, while making air travel affordable to one and all," India's managing director and chief executive officer Amar Abrol said. With the induction of the new plane, AirAsia India has now a fleet of 13 A320 aircraft, which are not in sync with its plans of adding 10 aircraft per year, announced at the time of launch in June 2013. AirAsia plans to aggressively grow its Indian joint venture fleet by adding 10 planes a year and "India will become a very big hub for us eventually," AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes had said at the time of launch of services more than three years ago. With a meagre 3.4 per cent market share in the April-June quarter of the fiscal and just 13 aircraft with 16 destinations in its network, the Bengaluru-headquartered airline is struggling to match with the competitors in the world's one of the fastest aviation market. Low cost carriers account for over 70 per cent of the total domestic air passenger traffic which stood at 9.65 million in July this year. AirAsia India currently flies to Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Guwahati, Imphal, Vizag, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bagdogra, and Ranchi and Bhubaneswar from its three hubs - Bengaluru, Delhi ad Kolkata. Odisha's ruling BJD today hit back at Amit Shah equating him with the 'Blue Whale Challenge', a lethal online game, for "spreading hatred" across the nation, hours after the BJP chief termed Naveen Patnaik as a "defunct transformer". BJD general secretary and former minister Arun Sahoo also appealed to the youth of Odisha to "steer clear of the line of Amit Shah as he is a political Blue Whale who misleads people. "He (Shah) is speaking the language of demons." Earlier in the day, Shah had described Patnaik as a "defunct transformer" and said the people should replace the BJD government for overall development of the state. "Narendra Modi is like a powerhouse and supplies huge funds to the state. But Naveen Babu is like a defunct transformer because of which people of the state are deprived of development," Shah told a BJP workers' meet on the third and last day of his visit to Odisha. Accusing Shah of using the language of demons like 'Ravana' and 'Kansa', Sahoo alleged the BJP has been "spreading hatred" across the nation after coming to power in 2014. On Shah seeking to know from the state government as to what it did with the Rs 4 lakh crore given by the Centre during the last three years, he said, "We are giving one month time to the BJP to give account of how much money the Centre has taken from Odisha and the amount of funds allocated to it." "The rate of economic growth of Odisha is higher than the national rate of growth and also some BJP-ruled states, including Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh," said BJD spokesman Sanjay Dasburma, who was also present. BJD Rajya Sabha MP and spokesman P K Deb said, "BJP leaders are blaming us for the Nagada malnutrition time and again whereas such incidents also happen in the states ruled by it, including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. "Children died due to lack of oxygen in UP," he said referring to death of scores of children at a Gorakhpur hospital. BJP state vice-president Prithiwiraj Harichandan countered the attack saying, "The BJD sees the lotus symbol everywhere like the demon king Kansa used to visualise Lord Krishna all the time." Calling Shah 'Blue Whale' shows BJD's lack of political courtesy, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anti-NEET protests by students and pro-Tamil activists continued for the seventh day today in various parts of Tamil Nadu with scores of volunteers being arrested by the police. All the protests were held before the Supreme Court had given a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that no agitation takes place in the state over the NEET examination issue. The apex court had also directed that anybody involved in any kind of activity that stalls normal life of citizens in the state should be booked under the appropriate law. Students in Chennai, Cuddalore and Tiruchirappally among other districts protested against NEET and demanded 'justice' for Anitha, a 17-year-old medical aspirant who committed suicide last week in Ariyalur, apparently upset over the fact that Tamil Nadu will not get exemption from NEET. She had earlier moved the apex court against the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET). Among others, members of a student outfit climbed on the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple at Virudhunagar district and raised slogans against the Central and state governments and demanded immediate withdrawal of NEET. They were later secured by police and detained. Students boycotted classes in Chennai and Cuddalore. Some of them also formed a human chain protest in Cuddalore district. Student activists who staged a flash protest at Tiruchirappally were detained by police. In Coimbatore, about 60 lawyers were arrested when they attempted to hold a 'rail roko' at the railway station demanding immediate and permanent exemption to Tamil Nadu from NEET. Led by Coimbatore Bar Association president K M Dhandapani, over 100 lawyers stood on the track, when Alleppey-Dhanbad Express was scheduled to arrive on platform number three. The advocates, who boycotted the court proceedings for the second day today, raised slogans in support of their demands, which also include the removal of education from Concurrent list and moving it to the State list. As the agitators squatted in front of the train, police arrested nearly 60 lawyers, including a few women, police said. Protests had erupted in Tamil Nadu soon after Anitha, daughter of a daily wage earner, allegedly hanged herself at her house in Ariyalur district on September 1. She was reportedly upset after reports emerged that Tamil Nadu would not be exempted from the ambit of NEET. The Supreme Court had last month asked the Tamil Nadu government to start counselling for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in the state, based on the NEET merit list. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, seen as a major move towards breaking gender barriers in the force. Adjutant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar said today it planned to induct about 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel. Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women. The Adjutant General said the decision to induct women in the Corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the "increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime". The announcement -- also being seen as a step towards the eventual opening up of doors to women in combat roles -- came a day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the country's first full-time woman defence minister. The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs today by incumbent Gen. Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs' Conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan. "We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police," Kumar told reporters here. In an interview to PTI in June, Gen Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into the military police corps. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as the medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. The process of induction is likely to start next year. About their proposed deployment in Kashmir, the senior official said women military personnel would assist in tasks such as frisking women, currently being carried out by women constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. "At present, whenever we have to frisk women, we take the help of local women police personnel," Kumar said. However, it will be done is a phased manner and will be started with their deployment in peace stations, and then in conflict-prone areas. The Indian Army is yet to open doors for combat role for women. Very few countries have allowed women in combat roles. The exceptions include Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel. Kumar also informed the Chiefs Conclave about approval given to a cadre review proposal, which is expected to benefit approximately 1.45 lakh Junior Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks (JCO/OR). The upgradation is to take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progressions of JCO/OR. The last cadre review was done in 1984, benefiting 22,000 JCOs/OR. Kumar also told the Chiefs Conclave that the Defence ministry had agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of Army personnel of all ranks. As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) manages 137 schools and 11 professional colleges across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hurricane Irma ripped through the Caribbean today, leaving a trail of devastation and killing 17 as it barrelled towards the United States where up to a million people have been told to flee. So far, 1.2 million people have been affected by Irma, the Red Cross said. But that number looks set to rise -- and could reach as high as 26 million, the agency said. With the monster storm expected to reach the American south by the weekend, coastal areas of Florida and Georgia were battening down the hatches and carrying out their biggest evacuation since 2005. "The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention," warned US federal emergency chief Brock Long. "It will be truly devastating." Roaring across the Caribbean, the rare Category Five hurricane laid waste to a series of tiny islands like St Martin, where 60 percent of homes were wrecked, before slamming into the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. By this morning, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) had downgraded Irma to Category Four with maximum wind speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour while warning it was still extremely dangerous. On many islands, violent winds have ripped roofs and facades off buildings, hurling lumps of concrete, cars and even shipping containers aside. At least two people were killed in Puerto Rico, and more than half of its three million residents were without power after rivers broke their banks in the center and north of the island. Another four people were killed on the US Virgin Islands, with the governor's office saying a number of badly injured people had been airlifted to Puerto Rico. One person died in tiny Barbuda which also suffered "absolute devastation," with 300 people evacuated to Antigua and up to 30 per cent of properties demolished. St Martin, a pristine island resort divided between France and the Netherlands, also suffered the full fury of the storm, as did the French island of St Barthelemy. France said at least nine people had been killed across its Caribbean territories and seven more were missing. There were 112 people injured, including two seriously, said Interior Minister Gerard Collomb. Six out of 10 homes were left uninhabitable, with insurers in Paris estimating their overall costs would likely be "much higher" than 200 million euros (USD 240 million). On the Dutch side of St Martin, one person died, officials said. Dutch King Willem-Alexander will head to the island of Curacao to the south on Sunday for a briefing on the aid operation, and may travel on to St Martin, officials said. "It's as if a bomb went off. Before everything was so beautiful and green here. Now everything is as grey as a Dutch winter," retired police officer Klaas Groen told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. A state of emergency has been declared in the British Virgin Islands where residents spoke of scenes of "total devastation". "Our downstairs doors suddenly blew out, which was terrifying," Emily Killhoury told the BBC from her home in Tortola. "We eventually emerged at about 7:00 pm to see total devastation." Britain's defence ministry said it was sending two military transport planes to the region carrying personnel, supplies and recovery equipment. As European nations quickly mobilized to help their citizens in the Caribbean, French and Dutch ministers said they were sending hundreds of extra police to St Martin tackle a spate of "looting". The storm has caused major shortages of food, water and petrol. "The situation is serious," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today when asked about reports of looting on the island. Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, one witness reported seeing "people with guns and machetes" in the street. French Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin said 400 police officers would be deployed after seeing "pillaging right in front of us" in St Martin where most of the 80,000 inhabitants have lost their homes. In the Dominican Republic, torrential rain and powerful winds whipped the northern and eastern coasts, leaving 17 districts cut off. Nearly 20,000 people were evacuated and more than 100 houses destroyed. And in Cuba, some 10,000 foreign tourists were evacuated from beach resorts as authorities hiked the disaster alert level to maximum. As of early today, the eye of the storm was just north of Great Inagua, at the southern tip of the Bahamas. The worst of the storm is expected to hit Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula on Sunday, the NHC said, with forecasters warning of storm surges of up to 25 feet (almost eight meters) above normal tide levels. After going for a walk along the beach in Miami, theology professor James Nickolos, 69, spoke of a sense of impending doom. "I had the feeling of watching a great beauty walking on a gang-plank to their death," he said. Trump said he was "very concerned" about the situation but insisted Florida was "well prepared" for the storm. As Irma cut through the Caribbean, two other storms in the region were upgraded to hurricane status: Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico. Katia is expected to hit the coast of the Mexico today, while Jose -- a Category Three storm -- is following Irma's path, the NHC said. Still reeling from Irma, many islanders were bracing for the next storm, with Jose bearing down hard. "I hear we could take another direct hit," Carlos Suarez Menendez told Dutch television RTL from Philipsburg on St Martin. "That will be terrible. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 33-year-old Australian woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a posh colony in the city, police said today. The body was found in Ashok Nagar police station area and the deceased was identified as Kim, SHO Ashok Nagar, Bala Ram said. Kim got married to Monendra Richard Lathar three years ago and was living here with her relatives since the last 11 days. The couple has both Australian and Indian citizenship. The woman and her three-year-old son had slept in a room at their relative's place on Wednesday and she was found dead yesterday, the SHO said, adding that her body was found lying on the floor. There were no injury marks on the body and the cause of death will be known after post-mortem, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were busy dividing society in their quest to retain power. Only the Congress ideology could take on the BJP and the RSS, he said at a party rally. Gandhi also took potshots at the Modi-led government on and described the exercise as a total flop. "Entire India knows that it turned the black money of India's 'thieves' to white," the Congress leader said. "First they said would result in checking terror. Then they said would check black money. The reality is that everyone in India knows that 90 per cent of black money is in real estate, gold," he said. "We don't know the reason why Modi was after the cash of farmers, poor labourers and housewives," he said. Gandhi also took a dig at RBI, saying it took almost a year to announce that 99 per cent of the scrapped currency had been returned to the coffers. "We had asked in Parliament about the amount of black money unearthed in the demonetisation exercise. It took RBI a year to say that 99 per cent of old money came back in the coffers," the Congress leader said. He blamed the government for GDP reaching "a low of 4.5 per cent". "Who will own responsibility for this? The prime minister is responsible for this," Gandhi said. According to Gandhi, anger was building up with the BJP and Modi engaged in dividing society. "In Haryana they pit Jat vs non Jat and in Maharashtra they create a Maratha vs non Maratha divide. Their only goal is that BJP and RSS should be in power," Gandhi alleged. "They speak of fight against corruption but they 'purchase' people (legislators) in Goa and Manipur and also try to purchase people in Gujarat." Only the Congress ideology, he added, could take on the BJP and RSS. "They (BJP and RSS) will fight one or two elections. After that it will be the Congress which will be in power." The Congress leader also criticised the prime minister over his promises of providing jobs to youth. "Modi had said he would give jobs to two crore youth every year after becoming the prime minister. Two years ago, we were told that just one lakh youth had got jobs and last last year the figure was zero," Gandhi claimed. "Their minister informed that the unemployment figure is at the lowest... In the last several years," he said. Commenting on GST, Gandhi said the Modi government was claiming credit but it was the Congress which initiated it. "There should have been one slab, as against five now. Also, GST should have been capped at 18 per cent, against 28 per cent now in the highest slab," he added. BJP's Kerala unit will organise a grand reception to Alphons Kannanthanam, who will be visiting the state on September 10 after assuming office as union minister. BJP leaders and workers led by state president Kummanom Rajasekharan would receive the Minister on his arrival at Nedumbassery airport that day. A reception has been arranged at Moovatupuzha in Ernakulam district later in the day, a party release said here today. A bureaucrat-turned-politician, Kannanthanam, a national executive member of the party, is the first from Kerala to become a minister in the BJP-led NDA goverment headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A road-show has also been arranged by the party for the Minister in his home constituency Kanjirapally in Kottayam district. Kannanthanam would also participate in the Sree Krishna Jayanthi celebrations at Kottayam on September 12. A reception has also been organised for Kannanthanam, who has been made Minister of State for Tourism, IT and Eectronics in the state capital on September 16 before he leaves for New Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boko Haram jihadists killed eight people in a series of raids on farming communities in northeast Nigeria, civilian militia members and local residents said today. The attacks were carried out by gunmen travelling in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday and Thursday. Homes were razed, and food and livestock seized in an apparent reprisal attack against young men joining the civilian militia, which helps the military with security. "They killed eight farmers in the raids and burnt three villages which forced farmers to abandon their farms," said one militia leader, Ibrahim Liman. Some 17 Islamist fighters stormed Mallan village at about 8:00 am yesterday, killing two farmers. Three people were shot dead in the same village on Wednesday night, said resident Jidda Kori, who fled to Maiduguri. "They mainly targeted young men in the attacks because they believe every young man is a member of the civilian vigilante" he added. "They burnt down the entire village and took away our food, livestock and 13 bicycles." Kesa Kura village, which is near Mallan, was also attacked on Wednesday night, killing three people, said resident Mohammed Ahmed. Another village, Manjita, was razed but residents managed to flee after they were alerted by people fleeing Mallan, he added. The eight-year Boko Haram conflict has forced farmers and their families to flee their homes and fields, leading to a shortage of food and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. Many were living in camps for the displaced in and around Maiduguri but had moved back to their homes because of apparent successes in the counter-insurgency. A cash funding shortfall for feeding programmes has also forced people to leave the camps to try to resume farming in liberated areas after three missed seasons. At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless by the violence, which began in 2009. The latest attacks come despite the repeated insistence of Nigeria's government and military that Boko Haram is a spent force. On Monday, four people were killed in a drive-by shooting on a group of farmers working on their fields in Ngawo Fato Bulabulin village outside Maiduguri. Last week a farmer was shot dead and four others were abducted by the jihadists as they worked on their farms near the town of Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from Maiduguri. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP and the Congress government in Karnataka were on Friday locked in a spat over issues relating to security of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh even as a breakthrough eluded investigators three days after her murder. The Karnataka government, meanwhile, announced Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone who provides clues about the killing of 55- year-old Gauri at her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. The BJP accused the Congress government of failing to provide security to Gauri by bringing up the work done by her for the surrender of Naxalites on the basis of claims made by her brother. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also condemned the "malafide comments" on the "regrettable and unfortunate killing" of the journalist-activist. Various party leaders, he added, had spoken out against the murder. Showing copies of news reports of Gauri's brother, Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, Prasad asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. "Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...So was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government...And if so why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad asked at a press conference in New Delhi. It had also been said that Naxalites were unhappy with this. "Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?" he added. Taking on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Prasad asked why he had not questioned his party's government in the state. Rahul has already blamed RSS wing groups for killing the journalist, Prasad said. How then could a fair probe be expected from the Congress government in Karnataka, he added. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy hit back at Prasad for alleging that the state had failed to provide security to Gauri. Reddy said Prasad was not acquainted with the facts about the slain journalist and that she never asked for security. "Whenever she met the chief minister or senior police officials, including the DGP, she never asked for security," he told PTI in Bengaluru. Reddy said that if Gauri had sought security, thestate government would have given it. "No government will deny protection to anyone if asked for it. We'd have certainly given her protection," he said. "In this light, therefore, the government has decided to give protection to intellectuals even if they haven't asked for it," he added. The announcement of the Rs 10 lakh award by Reddy came a day after the Bengaluru police asked public to share any information that they may have in connection with the case through a specific phone number and e-mail id. "Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) has given instructions to intensify the investigation and nab the culprits as soon as possible. We have given enough officials to the SIT, if they need additional officers we are ready to give," Reddy said. Speaking to reporters after meeting Siddaramaiah, he said, "We will give Rs 10 lakh reward to anybody who gives clues about the culprits." Siddaramaiah held a meeting with the SIT on the investigation that is in progress in connection with the case. Reddy, along with SIT chief B K Singh, Director General of Police R K Dutta and Intelligence DG A M Prasad were present at the meeting. Asked to comment on concerns expressed by Gauri's family about the possibility of a delay in nabbing theassailants, citing the delay in solving rationalist M M Kalburgi murder case, Reddy said the SIT had been formed with the intention to nab the culprits at the earliest. "The government's intention is to solve the case as quickly as possible... That's the reason we have given so many officials to this case particularly. If more officials are required, we are ready to give," he said. Britain backed moves to expel North Korean workers from the European Union as part of fresh sanctions to punish Pyongyang after its latest nuclear test. Foreign minister Boris Johnson told AFP there was a "wide measure of agreement" among his EU counterparts to forge ahead with new measures against Kim Jong-Un's regime after it carried out its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, its most powerful to date. Washington is pushing for a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for tough new measures on the North, including an oil embargo, an asset freeze on Kim and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. Johnson said talks with his EU counterparts in Tallinn on Thursday had produced a "very very wide measure of agreement" on the need to do more to pile pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. "In a lot of EU countries there are a lot of DPRK workers who are sending remittances back to North Korea," Johnson said. The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "There are sanctions you can impose, you can send them back and there's a wide measure of support for that," Johnson told AFP during a visit to British troops on a NATO base in northern Estonia. When asked, Johnson confirmed he supported sending North Korean workers home from the EU. Overseas workers, most of them posted in China and Russia, are a key source of revenue for Pyongyang. European diplomats say there are around 300 North Korean workers in the bloc, most of them in Poland While the number is not huge, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday said it was important to move against them "because the money which is earned there, has only the purpose to be channelled into the nuclear programme". Gabriel also said EU ministers had agreed to do more to track where the North is obtaining the technology it is using to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "If we know... Where the material comes from to build missiles, to build nuclear weapons, I think that we have to put those counties under economic preassure in order to stop this," he said. Efforts to boost sanctions face resistance from Russia and Pyongyang's chief ally China, which has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border. "Riverdale" star Camila Mendes, who plays Veronica Lodge in the series, said she wants to be a part of a superhero project. Though she enjoys her work on "Riverdale", Mendes, like others in the business, is always looking forward to other projects, reported People magazine. "I would love for my next project to be a well-written, character-driven indie. Something intimate, low budget, and completely different from the well-oiled machine of network television. But I'd also love to play a superhero in a big feature - so honestly, anything goes!" Mendes said. Mendes returns as Veronica Lodge in "Riverdale" season 2. The show is expected to make its return to Netflix in the UK. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canada's Supreme Court today ruled that two of its citizens can be extradited to India for their alleged role in an honour killing 17 years ago. Surjit Singh Badesha, 72, and Malkit Kaur Sidhu, 67, are wanted in connection with the murder of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, who was 25 at the time of her death. The suspects, both Canadian citizens of Indian origin, are the uncle and mother of the slain woman. Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu's body was found with her throat slit in June 2000 in Punjab state. Indian prosecutors say that she was the victim of an honour killing planned by her mother and uncle, who furiously opposed the young woman's marriage to a poor rickshaw driver, something the victim had kept secret for a year. After revealing her marriage to her family, the victim reportedly flew from Canada to India to reunite with her husband, Mithu Sidhu. The couple was later attacked as they rode a scooter in a village near Sangrur, Punjab in June 2000. Her husband was severely beaten and left for dead while Sidhu was kidnapped and later killed. The slain woman's mother and uncle allegedly hired the thugs that carried out the attack. Seven men were eventually convicted of the crime in India, but several of those convictions were overturned on appeal. The family has denied involvement in the killing. Three people were found guilty of the murder in India, and authorities for years have been seeking the extradition of the two Indo-Canadians. Canada's justice minister granted an extradition in 2014, but the ruling was reversed on appeal in 2016. Today, the nine Supreme Court justices unanimously authorised the extradition. "In this case, it was reasonable for the minister to conclude that, on the basis of the assurances he received from India, there was no substantial risk of torture or mistreatment" of the suspects "that would offend the principles of fundamental justice" in the Canadian constitution, the ruling read. In so-called "honour" killings, carried out to protect what is seen as family pride, reasons for disapproval can include having relationships outside of one's caste or religion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Education minister Partha Chatterjee today accused the Centre of trying to saffronise the education system by asking the institutions of higher education to make arrangements for students to view the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11. The prime minister will deliver the speech that day on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's centenary celebration and 125th year of Swami Vivekananda's Chicago address. "This is nothing but an attempt to saffronise the education system in the country. I have never seen such a 'Tughlaqi' decision ever," Chatterjee told reporters at the state secretariat today. The education minister said that the state government would not allow the universities and the higher education institutions in the state to follow the order. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had yesterday sent letters to universities and other institutes of higher education to arrange facilities to teachers and students to view Modi's speech on September 11. Chatterjee said that the Centre was "forcibly" trying to impose such orders. "There has been no discussion with the state government regarding this matter. And the UGC is sending instructions directly to state-run universities despite there is an education department of the state government," he said. The minister also criticised the Centre for putting Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Swami Vivekananda on the same platform and described it as a "wrong move". "Vivekananda is a global figure and the move to keep him on the same platform with Deendayal Upadhyaya is not a correct move," he said. The UGC has asked the institutes to identify a common place, audio visual room or an auditorium inside the campus for wide viewing of the PM's speech on September 11. The UGC letter has also asked the universities to install televisions or projection facilities for viewing of PM's speech. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJD legislators today created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly, shouting slogans in support for a hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy, following which the House was adjourned till 3 pm. As soon as the House assembled on the second day of monsoon session, BJD legislators stood up, shouting slogans in support of their demand. Unable to conduct business due to the chaos, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat adjourned the House till 3 pm. Thereafter, a delegation of the BJD went to the Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor, addressed to the President, listing their demands. Attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre on the MSP issue, senior BJD leaders, including Debi Prasad Mishra, told reporters outside the House that the party was also in favour of special category state status to Odisha. The party leaders lashed out at the Central government over a water dispute connected to river Mahanadi between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, seeking early resolution. Flow of the river water into Odisha was severely affected, due to construction of barrages and dams in the upper reaches of Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh, they said. Regretting adjournment of the House, Leader of Opposition Narasimha Mishra said that discussion on an adjournment motion on a farmers' problem moved by Congress could not be taken up because of the disruption. A debate on the issue would have put both the ruling BJD in the state and the BJP in an awkward position, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The air forces of China and Pakistan today began a joint training exercise and deployed their latest fighter jets and AWACS aircraft. China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to- air missile and radar troops, Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force said. The exercise will run until September 27 in China. AWACS is Airborne Warning And Control System, a mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centre for air defence. The Chinese navy's aviation troops are also participating in the training. Pakistan has sent JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and early warning aircraft to join the exercise, named "Shaheen VI", Shen said. "To build a world-class air force, we need to learn from foreign armies and improve our capability to complete multiple tasks," Shen said. The Chinese air force will increase international exchanges and sharpen its combat effectiveness, state-run Xinhua agency reported. The "Shaheen" joint training between the two militaries which maintain close relations was launched in March 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today said it will play a "constructive role" to bring Pakistan and Afghanistan on the same page as part of fresh efforts to resolve the 16-year conflict with the Taliban by hosting a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries. The move by Beijing and Islamabad is seen as an apparent attempt to counter US President Donald Trump's tough policy against the Taliban and Pakistan which was announced last month as part of America's new Afghanistan and South Asia policy. Unveiling the new China-driven Afghanistan policy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Beijing will play a "constructive role" to bring Islamabad and Kabul together. "The participation of China in bringing together and finding a political solution to Afghan problem is very vital. To support the initiative, Pakistan has already undertaken many steps, and will pursue those steps of improving relationship with Kabul," Asif said while addressing a joint press conference with Wang. He said that before his visit to Beijing, he had held talks with his Afghanistan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and they have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly which will be the first such meeting after Trump's Afghanistan and South Asia policy speech wherein he announced deploying more troops in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, specially the Haqqani network based in Pakistan. To keep Pakistan and Afghanistan engagement substantive and robust, Asif said Pakistan will take up confidence building measures and keep engaged with Kabul at all levels including political, military and intelligence. "We have had a very compressive discussion a while ago. China and Pakistan have agreed that the solution to Afghan problem is fundamentally a political solution and not a military solution. We three are neighbours. We have stakes in Afghanistan's peace and we are already involved in a substantive way, creating atmosphere and culture of peace in the region. "With China's intervention and its role in bringing together Islamabad and Kabul, we will go a long way and will definitely pursue a policy of engagement with Kabul in bringing peace to our region," Asif said. Meanwhile, Wang, who has been trying to play a mediatory role between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last few months following persistent criticism by Kabul accusing Islamabad of fostering terrorism by aiding and abetting the Haqqani network, said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are important neighbours of China. "A good relationship will serve both the countries otherwise it will hurt both the countries. So, we sincerely hope that both the countries will work in the same direction and work together for the well-being of Pakistan and Afghanistan and contribute peace in the region," he said. The Chinese side welcomes Pakistan's attitude of improving relations with Afghanistan, Wang said. As a close neighbour of Pakistan and Afghanistan, China values its relations with both the countries and will work to narrow the differences between them and help them build mutual trust, he said. "In addition, we are exploring trilateral cooperation between the three countries. I want to let you know that with the communication between the three parties, there is initial progress in trilateral cooperation," he said. It is planned that before the end of this year, there will be the first China, Pakistan, Afghanistan foreign ministers meeting in China, Wang said without directly referring to Trump's more pro-active engagement in Afghanistan wherein the US president also spoke of India's active role in rebuilding the war-ravaged country. "We have identified three priority areas which are strategic communication, security dialogue and practical cooperation. On that basis, we will work to advance on trilateral basis starting from easier matters with goal of establishing a new platform for regional cooperation. "I am confident that with the consorted efforts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and with the active support from China and relations between the two countries and cooperation among the three countries will embrace a brighter future," Wang said. Observers say that Wang's remarks indicate that China will re-activate its efforts to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan which till now were proved unsuccessful due to Islamabad's unwillingness to withdraw its backing to the Taliban, blamed for creating havoc in Afghanistan. China in the past also tried to engage the Taliban by inviting its representatives to Beijing. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani started his presidency in 2014 with a visit to China soon after his election hoping for a pro-active role by China to rein in Pakistan to control the Talban and bring it to the negotiating table in the backdrop of then US president Barack Obama's plans to withdraw US troops. With unabated violence, Ghani's government turned to India and the US, leading to the recent policy rejig by Trump to announce the new Afghan policy under which Washington will pursue more aggressive policy against the Taliban and Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 48-year-old Chinese national arrested for alleged theft of diamonds died in the Thane central jail, a prison official has said. The Vanrai police in adjoining Mumbai had arrested Jiang Changquing and another Chinese national Deng Xiaobo (45) on August 1 for allegedly stealing two diamonds worth Rs 36.5 lakh from an exhibition centre in suburban Goregaon. Both of them were subsequently remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Thane central jail. On August 29, while having lunch with Xiaobo in the prison, Changquing collapsed all of a sudden, Thane jail superintendent Nitin Waychal told reporters yesterday. He was rushed to the jail hospital and then taken to Thane civil hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he said. The jail authorities and the district police later informed the Chinese Embassy about the death, Waychal said. The deceased had no previous medical history, he said. The autopsy was done at Mumbai's J J Hospital where the body was handed over to Changquing's family members on Wednesday, the official said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel had nabbed Changquing and Xiaobo at the Mumbai international airport minutes before they were about to board a flight to Osaka in Japan on July 31, police earlier said. The duo, who had arrived in the city on July 30, visited an international jewellery exhibition at NESCO ground in Mumbai's Goregaon area on July 31 afternoon. They engaged the sales executive at one of the stalls in conversation, asking several questions, and managed to steal diamonds on display by replacing it with fake ones. The stall owner noticed the theft after the duo had left. The police then alerted CISF officials at the airport. The duo had cleared immigration checks when the CISF personnel apprehended them, police had said. The police interrogated the accused for about seven hours with the help of an interpreter, and recovered the stolen diamonds, they said. Subsequently, both were arrested on August 1 under relevant IPC sections for cheating and theft. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Class 2 student of Ryan International School in Sohna area here was today found dead on the campus with his throat slit, police said. Some students found Pradhuman Thakur (7) lying in a pool of blood in a toilet in the school building around 8:30 am, they said. "The students alerted the teachers and the school management then informed police, who rushed him to Artemis Hospital. He was declared brought dead by doctors," Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police, said. A police team, including forensic experts, is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot, he said. "We are investigating the case from all angles ... Of homicide, enmity and others. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises," the officer said. Staff members and classmates of Thakur, who hailed from the Bhondsi area, are being questioned, he said. The body has been sent for postmortem, police said. The boy's father, Varun Thakur, who works as a quality manager with Orient Craft in Gurgaon, accused the school administration of negligence. Varun said the school administration did not inform him about his son's death initially. "They told me his health deteriorated suddenly. They did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time," he said. "I dropped him today at around 7:30 a.M. He was happy," the grieving father said. Hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management. Senior officials of the Gurgaon police intervened to maintain calm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Back home after meeting Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, some MLAs today said they suggested that the party should have no truck with the RJD "at the moment" and work to strengthen it at the grassroots level. Gandhi had on Wednesday and Thursday met over 20 of the total 27 MLAs of Bihar to elicit their individual views on how the party should tread in future in the state after JD(U) dumped Grand Alliance in July and joined BJP to form the government. The Congress had four ministers in the Grand Alliance government. The interaction was significant as, at this juncture, some Congress MLAs are gravitating towards JD(U) and some others are against going with RJD now because of "past bad experience" with its chief Lalu Prasad. Bhagalpur MLA Ajit Sharma told PTI that he requested Gandhi that the party should work alone "at the moment" assessing its strength to forge alliance with other secular forces to defeat BJP in general and state elections. "Lalu Prasad has always undermined Congress by offering 10-15 seats in Assembly poll and even a smaller number in Parliamentary election," he said. "But, when we strengthen our position in the state by propagating contributions of Congress to the nation, we can dictate terms in the coalition on the eve of general elections and later state polls," Sharma said. After assessing its strength around four to five months before the elections, it would be decided whether to go it alone or an alliance could be forged with RJD, Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Left from a position of strength, he said. "Being a national party, Congress should get lion's share of seats in such an alliance," Sharma said. Recounting "bad past experience" with Lalu, Sharma said "even in the August 27 RJD rally in Patna, posters of Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi were hard to find". Amit Kumar, Congress MLA from Riga in Sitamarhi, also spoke against siding with Lalu. When Gandhi asked him why Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance, Sharma said he told him "Congress should have put pressure on Lalu Prasad to ask his son Tejaswi Prasad Yadav to quit after graft charge. It could have prevented Nitish Kumar from leaving the coalition". The Bhagalpur MLA claimed that this was the majority view of Congress MLAs during interaction with Gandhi. Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, who after skipping summons from Gandhi on Wednesday went to Delhi yesterday and was the last to meet him, was tight lipped about the meeting and whether the party should side with RJD. "Whatever I had to say I told Rahul Gandhi. These are not for public consumption," Sadanand Singh, ninth term MLA from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, told PTI. Another senior legislator and former minister Vijay Shankar Dubey said "I will be with whatever decision the high command takes as future strategy in Bihar." Congress MLA from Benipatti in Madhubani, Bhavna Jha, however, spoke in favour of Lalu Prasad. "I told Rahul Gandhi that Lalu Prasad has always sided with us in times of trouble and hence we should be with him," she said. The Congress' state chief Ashok Choudhary has been accused by some party leaders of working to split the party in favour of JD(U). Choudhary, however, denied the charge and blamed some AICC leaders for working against him to get him replaced as PCC chief with their "favourite". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government's decision to impose countervailing duty on certain stainless steel products is expected to provide some relief to the domestic industry as imports from China will be subjected to 18.95 per cent levy on the landed value of such items, industry leaders said. The government has imposed countervailing duty on certain stainless steel products which will go a long way in encouraging production of the metal within the country. This much-awaited decision, taken after a year-long meticulous investigation conducted by the Directorate of Anti- Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), will provide some relief to the domestic industry and provide a level-playing field, Jindal Stainless said in a statement here. Welcoming the government's decision, vice chairman - Jindal Stainless, Abhyuday Jindal, said, "This decision will provide much-needed safeguard from imports. Furthermore, we may expect better quality compliance as majority of the substandard stainless steel was being imported from China." Imports from China will be subjected to 18.95 per cent countervailing duty on the landed value of stainless steel flat products, he said. This duty will remain effective for a period of five years and would encompass products in both hot and cold rolled stages in any form. In its finding, the DGAD concluded that subsidised imports from China had increased significantly. As a result, the domestic industry continues to suffer financial losses. It is evident from the DGAD investigation that the Chinese government is providing various forms of subsidies to support local stainless steel manufacturing units, the statement said. Countervailing duty is country specific and is imposed to safeguard domestic industry against unfair trade subsidies provided by the local governments of the exporting country, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcoming the finance ministry's decision to impose countervailing duty on import of certain flat steel products from China, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh today said it will help the domestic players to grow to full potential. Besides, it will strengthen the ongoing efforts of Indian industry to move towards 100 per cent quality regime for better safety and health of users, the steel ministry said in a statement. "This will provide a level-playing field to the industry to grow to its full potential after attaining second rank in stainless steel production in world in 2016," Singh said. Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said: "This is the first case of imposition of CVD (countervailing duty) on any steel product in India. This would provide the much needed relief to the stainless steel industry from the subsidised imports from China." This was one among the many steps taken by the government to help the domestic stainless steel industry, she said. Among the other steps were the imposition of the Stainless Steel Quality Control Order (QCO) and other trade remedial measures, the statement added. The government has imposed countervailing duty for 5 years on imports of certain flat steel products from China to guard domestic players from imports that are subsidised by exporting nations. The decision to impose the duty was taken by the finance ministry after the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) found that despite sufficient demand in India and capacities, the domestic industry has lost sales opportunities, which is a direct consequence of subsidised imports from China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government's imposition of countervailing duty on certain stainless steel products from China will provide safeguard to domestic players from subsidised imports as well as a level playing field, Jindal Stainless said today. The company said it expects better quality compliance as majority of the substandard stainless steel was being imported from China. "The much awaited decision, taken by the government after a year-long meticulous investigation conducted by Directorate of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), will provide some relief to the domestic industry and provide a level-playing field," Jindal Stainless Vice Chairman Abhyuday Jindal said in a statement. Jindal Stainless Ltd and Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd on behalf of the domestic industry had filed the petition for initiation of anti-subsidy/countervailing duty investigation concerning imports of 'flat rolled products of stainless steel' from China. DGAD is an investigative arm of the commerce ministry. While DGAD recommends the duty, finance ministry imposes it. The actual duty imposed by the government will be the difference between the quantum of countervailing duty proposed (which is 18.95 per cent) and anti-dumping duty payable, if any. Jindal said the duty would encompass products in both hot and cold rolled stages in any form. In its findings, DGAD had concluded that subsidised imports from China had increased significantly and as a result, domestic industry continues to suffer financial losses. "It is evident from DGAD investigation, that Chinese government is providing various forms of subsidies to support local stainless steel manufacturing units," he added. Countervailing duty is country specific and is imposed to safeguard domestic industry against unfair trade subsidies provided by the local governments of the exporting country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today left for a 20-day visit to various European countries, including Germany and Italy, where he will address gatherings and hold discourses. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said that the Dalai Lama will reach theUnited Kingdom tomorrow and will speak on 'Compassion in Action' at an event the following day. "The Dalai Lama will leave for Germany on September 12 and on September 13, he will speak on 'Global Ethics-Shared Values' at a programme organised by the Frankfurt Tibet House at Jahrhunderthalle," CTA's PRO Jamphel Shonu said. On September 14, he will participate in a one-day conference on 'Western Science and Buddhist Perspectives' at Jahrhunderthalle, the official said. The PRO said that on September 16, in Italy, the Dalai Lama, will talk on 'Peace' and will address gatherings in Sicily on September 17 and 18. From September 20 to 21, the Dalai Lamawill participate in a symposium on 'Buddhist Science and Modern Science' at the University of Pisa, and in Riga in Latvia he will give a two- day teaching on 'Harmony without Boundaries', the official said. He will return here on September 27 from Latvia, Shonu said. Earlier this month, the spiritual leader hadcancelled a visit to Botswana because of "exhaustion" and his office had stated that his doctors had advised him to "avoid long journeys for a few weeks". The 82-year old Dalai Lama lives in exile in Dharamshala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several police personnel and Gorkhaland activists were injured after clashed broke out between them in the Chowkbazar area here today, the 86th day of the indefinite shutdown. The clashes broke out between the police and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists, who had taken out a rally in support of their demand for separate Gorkhaland, resorted to stone pelting on the police personnel deployed there, the police said. The police initially tried to convince the GJM activists to refrain from stone pelting but they remained defiant, forcing police to use water cannon, resort to baton charge and also fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Several police personnel and pro-Gorkhaland supporters were injured in clashes, they said. Meanwhile, the police discovered a secret location in Patlebas area of the hills and seized bomb making materials from it during the day. Patlebas is a stronghold of GJM supremo Bimal Gurung. "Based on a tip off we raided the place which was used to make bombs and IEDs. We have sealed the place and seized bomb making materials. "We suspect that there are few modules of GJM who are behind the several blasts that took place on the hills in the last one month," a senior police official said. GJM supporters took out processions in various parts of the hills in support of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland state amidst patrolling by police and security forces, who also kept a tight vigil at all entry and exit routes as in other days. Except medical shops, business establishments, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed. GJM workers and various NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people as food supply has been severely hit due to the indefinite shutdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Death in Paradise" has resumed filming, after it was temporarily suspended due to Hurricane Irma safety concerns. The popular BBC show is halfway through production on series seven in Guadeloupe, which is understood to not be hit directly by Hurricane Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. A spokesperson for producers Red Planet Pictures told Digital Spy that they were given the go ahead to resume filming on September 6. Filming had previously been suspended due to concerns over the safety of the cast and crew, following the Guadeloupe government issuing a red warning alert to all of its residents about the hurricane. "Father Ted" star Ardal O'Hanlon took over as the lead of "Death in Paradise" from Kris Marshall towards the end of series six as Saint Marie's newest inspector, Detective Inspector Jack Mooney. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The murder of a seven-year-old Gurgaon schoolboy may have triggered outrage among parents concerned about the safety of children on campuses, but schools in Delhi say it is a one-off case and and should not be "generalised". "It is one unfortunate but serious lapse which needs to be investigated but schools generally have strict measures in place to ensure safety of children. Outsiders are not allowed, students can't go outside, these are general practices. Whether an outsider was involved (in the Gurgaon case) or someone who was already inside is a matter of investigation. "Generalising the opinion that schools do not have enough safety measures in place would be unfair," said a member of the National Progressive Schools' Conference, an association of over 1,000 private schools in the national capital. Greenfields Public School's Pratigya Mehta said, "There are already laid down rules, we as human beings also would not let any kid's safety be comprised but accidents like this should be taken as lessons to be extra careful." "How did somebody take a knife inside? There should be some measures to scan pointed objects which can be harmful to anybody? Installation of CCTVs is also another measure. It is an accident but there has to be an explanation about what happened and how?" said Ashok Agarwal of All India Parent's Association (AIPA). Seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur, a Class 2 student of Ryan International School in Sohna area, was found with his throat slit in a washroom in the school building around 8.30 am. While the boy's father accused the school administration of negligence, hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sidelined AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief TTV Dhinakaran today announced cancellation of an anti-NEET protest by his faction's students wing here tomorrow, in view of a Supreme Court directive on the matter. "Respecting the Supreme Court directive, the protest scheduled tomorrow by the party against NEET stands cancelled," he said in a tweet. On September 5, Dhinakaran had announced that this party's students wing will hold the protest demonstration here against the National Entrance-Cum-Eligibility Test (NEET). He had then alleged that Centre was imposing NEET on the students with the "help" of the state government, thereby affecting the dreams of the students of getting admitted into medical colleges, Dhinakaran said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the apex court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to prevent any agitation over the NEET examination issue in the state, where protests have intensified after the suicide of a Dalit medical aspirant. The court also directed the government to prosecute under appropriate law anyone indulging in any activity that creates law and order problem in the state and stalls normal life. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also issued notice to the state seeking its response on a plea which has sought a direction to Tamil Nadu government to maintain law and order and ensure that protests over the death of 17-year- old girl S Anitha do not disrupt normal life. Protests had erupted in Tamil Nadu soon after Anitha, daughter of a daily wage earner, allegedly hanged herself at her house in Ariyalur district on September one. She was reportedly upset after reports emerged that Tamil Nadu would not be exempted from the ambit of NEET. The Supreme Court had last month asked the Tamil Nadu government to start counselling for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in the state, based on the NEET merit list. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking cognisance of a media report, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij today ordered an inquiry to ascertain if the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda had sent 14 bodies to a medical college in Lucknow earlier this year in violation of rules. He has asked the Director General of Health Services to complete the inquiry at the earliest. "There have been reports in the media that about 14 bodies being sent from the Dera to a medical college in Lucknow. If this was done, all formalities should have been completed. The reason for sending the bodies must also be ascertained," Vij said. The head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is in jail after being convicted for rape. On a controversy surrounding government grants being given to the Dera, the minister said he had gone to attend a sporting event organised by the Dera a year ago and had announced a grant for the promotion of sports. "This grant was not given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. It was given to encourage sportspersons of the Dera," he said. Whenever any grant is given to any society or institute, it has to submit utilisation certificate which is examined by the government from time to time, he added. Asked whether he would reach out to the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda in future to seek votes, he said, "We seek votes from all." "It is the Dera's head who has been convicted by the court and the Dera has not been declared illegal," he said. During the last Assembly polls in Haryana, the Dera head had announced support to the BJP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior leader Narayan Rane today said he didn't attend Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Maharashtra because he hadn't been invited. Speaking to reporters in Sindhudurg district, Rane said he didn't attend Rahul Gandhi's meetings in Marathwada region today because he wasn't invited by local leaders from Nanded. Rane's remarks come amid recent reports that he was on way to joining the BJP. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan hails from Nanded and was present at Gandhi's Nanded and Parbhani rallies. "Party workers from Marathwada attended the rallies today. Had the programme been in Mumbai, I would have attended," said Rane, a former chief minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A poverty-stricken 35-year-old man allegedly killed his son and daughter before committing suicide at a village here, police said today. Ashok Santu Fatangare, who worked as a daily wage farm labourer, was living in extreme poverty at Pokhari Baleshwar village in the district's Sangamner tehsil, about 98 kms from the district headquarters, Ghargav police station inspector Dilip Nighot told PTI today. He said the villagers told the police that because of his financial condition, Fatangare was under stress since about a week. Fatangare allegedly throttled his seven-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter early yesterday. He then hanged himself from the ceiling fan at his home, the police official said. At the time of the incident, the man's wife had gone to her maternal home in nearby Devgav village to get some food grains, police sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A counter affidavit was today filed in the Madras High Court by the Tamil Nadu transport department in connection with the petitions challenging the insistence on carrying original licence while riding or driving vehicles. It stated that the original licence has become indispensable based on the recommendations of the Road Safety Committee constituted by the Supreme Court in 2014 to monitor the road safety laws in the country. The insistence on original driving licence is the fall out of the stringent directions issued by the Committee, said the counter affidavit filed by the Transport Commissioner Dayanand Kataria IAS before the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar. The committee after going through the reports, filed before it relating to accidents, stated that road accidents were very high in Tamil Nadu compared to other states in August 2015, and also recommended suspension of the licences for the offences listed by it, it added. The matter relates to the announcement by State Transport Minister M R Vijayabhaskar recently that all vehicle drivers should carry their original driving licences with them from September 1 onwards, failing which they would be fined. The counter also pointed out that the committee had been time and again issuing several directions, with the last one onApril 24this year, expressing deep concern over the rise in the number of accidents and deaths. From January to July this year, the police had booked 58, 32,120 offences including 1, 79,230 cases of drunken driving. However, the cases could not be referred to the RTOs concerned for suspension or cancellation of licences in the absence of non-availability of the same at the time of booking the offences, the counter said. Section 130(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act makes it mandatory to produce the driving licence if demanded by a police officer, it added. The word 'original' is not in the Rules as there is no need to mention it. The licence to be produced by a driver is the document issued by the Transport Department as defined in Section 3, it noted. In other Acts also, whenever a document is mentioned, it means the original only, unless the law specifically mentions copy thereof, the counter clarified. The bench adjourned the matter tillSeptember 15. On September 1, the high court had directed the Tamil Nadu government not to implement till September 5 its notification making it mandatory for drivers of all vehicles to carry original driving licence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former RSS ideologue and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan leader K N Govindacharaya today moved the Supreme Court seeking to make him a party in a case that challenged Centre's decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants to Myanmar. Govindacharya opposes the plea of two Rohingya refugees, which would come up for hearing on September 11 before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, saying they are a burden on country's resources and pose serious threat to national security. The plea, filed through advocate Archna Pathak Dave, favoured deportation and alleged that if the petition of the Rohingyas was entertained, it may lead to another partition of the country. "It has also become known that Al-Qaeda is trying to use the Rohingya Community for terror and Jihad and and if Rohingyas' plea is entertained then it may lead to another partition of the country," the plea said. The plea also said the population explosion in India as it is is taking a heavy toll on the resources of the country. "People are dying in Delhi under the heaps of garbage and Rohingyas' demand to the Union Government to provide them with basic amenities violates the fundamental rights of Indians," it said. The apex court had on September 4 sought to know the stand of the government on a petition challenging the latter's decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants to Myanmar. It had asked Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take instruction from the Centre about its response to the petition which has challenged the decision on various grounds including that it violated international human right conventions. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the two Rohingya immigrants, wanted an assurance that during the pendency of the petition, the Centre will not take any step including deportation of the immigrants. The ASG had made it clear that he was not making any statement. Violent attacks allegedly by the Myanmar army have led to an exodus of the Rohingyas from the western Rakhine state in that country to India and Bangladesh. Many of them, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, have settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The plea, filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who are registered as refugees under the United Nations High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR), claimed they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. "Proposed deportation is contrary to the constitutional protections of Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) and Article 51(c) of the Constitution of India, which provides equal rights and liberty to every person. "This act would also be in contradiction with the principle of 'Non-Refoulement', which has been widely recognised as a principle of Customary International Law," the plea said, while seeking a direction to the government not to deport them and other members of the community. It has also sought a direction that Rohingyas be provided with "basic amenities to ensure that they can live in human conditions as required by international law". It also said that India has ratified and is a signatory to various conventions that recognise the Principle of "Non- Refoulement', which prohibits deportation of refugees to a country where they may face threat to their lives. The principle of non-refoulement - or not sending back refugees to a place where they face danger - is considered part of customary international law and is binding on all states whether they have signed the Refugee Convention or not. The government had raised "serious concern" over reports of renewed violence and attacks in Myanmar and extended its "strong" support to the Myanmarese government at this "challenging moment". On August 18, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had issued notice to the Centre over its plan to deport Rohingya immigrants, who are residing in various parts of India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese woman, raised by an Indian family, has been conferred with the 'Champion of Community' award for fostering 43 children in Singapore over a period of 35 years. Indranee Elizabeth Nadisen,77, was yesterday awarded with a trophy and a check of 10,000 Singapore Dollars which she donated to the Ramakrishna Mission and the Sree Narayana Mission here. Married to a Singaporean-Indian, Ambrose Anthony Dorai, and a mother of her six, Indranee has fostered 43 babies, some abandoned and abused, till about two, two-and-half years of of age before giving them for adoption. "It used to break my heart when they left. The child also wouldn't want to leave. They would cling to me," Indranee, who was adopted as a child by the Indian couple, told The Straits Times. "My children were so good and they helped me in my chores. They loved the babies and treated them like their own brothers and sisters," she said. In a Facebook post in April, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged her 35 years of humanitarian work for abandoned babies. "Madam Nadisen has cared for many abandoned, abused or neglected children, treating each one as her own," the post said. Her work has been recognised with a series of awards since 2001. The latest being the Community Champion award given by 'tabla!', a social-lifestyle weekly catering to the Indian community here. "Indranee serves as an inspiration to us all. In the path set by St Teresa of Kolkata, she gathered God's children under her and lavished love and care on them," said K. Kesavapany, president of Singapore Indian Association and winner of the same Community Champion award last year. "She has always been a selfless person. Teaching us that love must go beyond family and friends, that love must be for all," said Indranee's son, Richards Ambrose, a priest at a church here. "If you want to become a foster parent, you must be very patient and must love children, if the child is naughty and you shout at him, then the child will become even more angry and aggressive. So you must be calm and talk to them in a nice way," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has approved a long-awaited cadre review policy for Junior Commissioned Officers and other rank-holders in the Army, a step which will offer higher career progression to nearly 1.45 lakh personnel of the force, a senior Army official said today. Adjutant General of the Army Lieutenant General Ashwani Kumar said the upgradation would take place over a span of five years. "The third cadre review has been approved by the government on September 1. This is for upgradation of JCOs and Other Ranks," he said. The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs by incumbent General Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs' Conclave where they were also apprised about overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan. Kumar told the Chiefs' Conclave that the defence ministry has agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2,000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of army personnel of all ranks. As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) is managing 137 schools and 11 professional colleges. Lt. General Kumar also informed the Chiefs' Conclave that two more state-of-the-art assisted reproductive technology (ART) centres have been established in Bhopal and Guwahati to assist childless couple in the Army. These centres are in addition to the existing ones in Delhi, Pune and Mumbai. After the amendment in electoral rules in October, 2016, which permitted electronic transfer of postal ballots, the Army has in a big way undertaken measures for electronic registration of Army personnel, the officer said. He said there were instances of postal ballots reaching the returning officers after completion of the election process, but the electronic transfer of postal ballots would reduce this time to half. He added that the electronic transfer of postal ballots were used in five states that went to polls early this year. Of the 12 lakh personnel, over 10 lakh personnel have been registered for this. Lt. Gen. Kumar also appraised the Chiefs' Conclave about the formation of the Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualty to help the next of the kin and disabled veterans, and the first tranche of disbursement of Rs 3.24 crore was done in July this year. The Army Welfare Housing Organisation, from being a construction agency, is also acting as a facilitator to all ranks in negotiating bulk requirements of dwelling units already constructed by reputed builders, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly-appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today said the government is "working hard" to double farmers' income by 2022. The government over the last three years has been working to minimise the cost incurred by farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Shekhawat was in town to meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and other state leaders after being inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Interacting with reporters here, Shekhawat asserted that borders of the country have become secure and the world sees India as a strong nation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power at the Centre. He saw India taking its rightful place in future. The minister discussed the issues affecting farmers and agriculture schemes in Rajasthan. Shekhawat promised that he will raise the same in Parliament, along with other members of the Cabinet from the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gujarat High Court is likely to pronounce on September 26 its order on a petition filed by slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia challenging a lower court order upholding a clean chit given to then chief minister Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 riots cases. Justice Sonia Gokani today said the order would now be pronounced on September 26, after the lawyers of Jafri and the special investigation team (SIT) informed the HC that copies of all orders passed by the Supreme Court on the 2002 communal riot cases had been submitted to the designated trial court. Earlier on August 21, the court had sought to know from the SIT if papers related to further investigation carried out into a larger criminal conspiracy in the riot cases, as ordered by the Supreme Court, were submitted before the designated court hearing them. The high court also wanted to know if the SIT had placed the documents related to further investigation before the court hearing the 2002 Gulberg massacre case, one of the 2002 riots cases in which Ehsan Jafri, a former MP, and 68 others were burnt alive by a mob. The SIT today informed the high court that along with the apex court's orders, reports relating to further investigation, SC order on former IPS Sanjeev Bhat's plea, material evidences and reports of amicus curiae had already been submitted to the designated court. As directed by Justice Gokani, all the documents and orders were also submitted before the high court today during the final hearing. The massacre had taken place at the Gulberg housing society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002. A special SIT court had last year convicted 24 people in the Gulberg case, but had ruled out a larger conspiracy behind the killings. On February 8, 2012 the SIT had filed a closure report in the special court, giving a clean chit to Modi and others in the case. In December 2013, a metropolitan court had rejected Zakia Jafri's plea to book Modi and others for criminal conspiracy after which she moved the high court in 2014. Apart from political leaders, Jafri's complaint also named bureaucrats, police and private individuals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today allowed NSUI candidate Rocky Tuseed, whose nomination for presidential post was rejected, to contest the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections. In an interim order, Justice Indermeet Kaur granted the relief to Tuseed by allowing him to contest the polls to be held on September 12. The court listed for September 28, his main petition challenging the rejection of his nomination by the DU Chief Election Officer's (CEO) on grounds of disciplinary action. The detailed order would come later. Earlier in the day, the high court posed searching questions to the Delhi University (DU) for rejecting the nomination of the Congress-affiliate NSUI's presidential candidate for the upcoming students' body elections. It sought to know from the University how a warning given to a student by a college could be termed as disciplinary action taken against him. "The petitioner says he was warned by Shivaji College and it was not a disciplinary action which this court is finding to be true. I don't understand how can it be a disciplinary action. By no stretch of imagination, it can be put as a disciplinary action," the judge said while hearing the arguments. The court also said that the university was "stigmatising" the student by rejecting his nomination. Senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for Tuseed, argued how the CEO can reject his nomination on the basis of an anonymous complaint. "It was done behind my back. If there was any disciplinary action against me in the past by the college authorities, I should have been called and heard. I was only warned and no disciplinary action was taken against," Chidambaram contended. He argued that in view of the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, a person is not eligible for contesting polls if he has been convicted in any criminal offence and there should be no disciplinary action against him. Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog, appearing for DU and CEO office, opposed the plea saying it was not maintainable and the university has been wrongly made a party. He said that not allowing a student to enter the college premises amounted to punishment, which showed that disciplinary action was taken against him. "A student is not necessarily sent behind bars. He was barred from entering the college. What is this if not a disciplinary action? He was called along with his mother and he has apologised," the counsel argued. National Students Union of India (NSUI) candidate Tuseed's nomination was cancelled on September 6. He had said he has contested elections earlier too for the Department of Buddhist Studies' students body and hence should be allowed to contest the DUSU elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government to ensure safety of children, some of whom were allegedly sexually assaulted by a British national at the National Association for the Blind (NAB) here. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also issued notice to the Delhi government and the police station concerned and sought status report on the issue by September 12. The bench asked the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) member secretary to immediately look into the matter and place a report before the court regarding disbursement of compensation to victims of the offence. DLSA Secretary, if required, shall call for inspection of the school and interact with the children, it added. The bench further directed that the concerned authorities shall "ensure that every step is taken for welfare, security and safety of children". The court's direction came on a social worker Prashant Kumar's PIL highlighting the absence of due care and framework during appointment of personnel and volunteers at the special home for visually-impaired minor inmates in south Delhi. Advocate Ajay Verma, appearing for Kumar, alleged that if there would have been a proper mechanism, the incident of sexual offence that has occurred recently at NAB, could have been prevented. 54-year-old Murray Dennis Ward was arrested and remanded to judicial custody in a case of alleged sexual assault on three visually-impaired minor inmates of the special home. The police has told the trial court that Ward had been associated with the NAB as a regular donor for almost nine years and was a frequent visitor to the institute. He was arrested for allegedly inappropriately touching three NAB inmates on September 2, police has said. Ward, a native of Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom, had been working with Sterlite Technology Limited in Gurugram till April. Seeking to prevent such incidents in future, the plea has sought court-monitored investigation by constituting a multi- disciplinary SIT to actively monitor the probe in this case. It said that there should be time bound investigation to ensure impartiality. The plea filed by advocate Katyayini also sought protection for witness in the case and said the court should issue direction to formulate regulation for volunteers and donors who visit the special schools. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to withdraw within a week its look out circular (LOC) against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi's wife, who was summoned in connection with a money laundering probe against her husband. The court passed the direction after the ED submitted that it was ready to withdraw the LOC with a condition that Qureshi's wife, Nasreen Qureshi, would inform it whenever she goes abroad. "ED counsel, on instructions, states that they are ready to withdraw the LOC and the petitioner shall inform it before leaving for overseas and also on returning India and also to furnish her contact details while going abroad. "This court does not find the request unreasonable. It is directed that LOC be withdrawn in one week," Justice Vibhu Bakhru said. The court also decided not to consider at this stage, Nasreen's prayers that she be awarded Rs 10 lakh compensation for humiliation, mental and physical agony she has allegedly faced due to ED's action and action against ED officials. When ED counsel Ajay Digpaul submitted that Nasreen should inform the agency before leaving the country, it was opposed by her advocate R K Handoo who said "why should we inform ED? We can inform the court if it wants". He said there was no investigation against her and it was only against her husband. To this, the judge said "the idea is to keep your freedom intact. They have the power to investigate and they should investigate." Qureshi, arrested in August by ED in connection with a money laundering case, was today sent to judicial custody by a trial court. The ED had earlier released Nasreen's passport, seized by it, after the court questioned its authority. Nasreen had earlier sought a direction to the Centre, the ED and the authorities concerned to immediately hand over her original passport impounded by the agency in December 2016. She has also sought quashing and setting aside of the LOC issued by the ED against her. The ED defended its decision, saying the wealth and life- style of Nasreen's husband and his family was disproportionate to the declared sources of income. It had claimed it was noticed that she and her daughter were incurring expenses on hotel accommodation, purchase of merchandise and other expenses on a very large-scale at foreign destinations and the "payments were settled through money transfer by hawala channels". ED's lawyer had submitted that the violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) was detected during investigations against the petitioner, her husband and daughter for which investigation was separately initiated under the Act. "After receipt of intelligence input that the petitioner (Nasreen) might escape from the country, the LOC was issued on October 25, 2016," the agency had said in its reply. It had said Nasreen was also summoned for questioning in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against her husband. Qureshi, who returned to India in November last year, has been questioned multiple times here by the agency in the money laundering and hawala dealings case. ED had asked him to join the probe citing a court directive in this regard. The high court, while hearing a plea filed by Qureshi, had in November last year directed him to return to India by mid-November and appear before the agency for questioning in this case. He is facing probe by ED as well as the I-T department. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking to restrain the authorities concerned from continuing with the work for the proposed new Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) units, citing alleged non-compliance of norms. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before which the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by G Sundarrajan of the Poovulagin Nanbargal, a green NGO, came up, posted the matter to September 15 for further hearing. In his plea, the petitioner sought to forbear the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and KKNPP from going ahead with the "First Pour of Concrete" (FPC) for units three and four. The FPC, an important milestone in the construction of a nuclear power project, signifies the commencement of construction. The NGO, while referring to a 2014 order of the Madras High Court, said, "Despite the optimism expressed by the court about the strict compliance of all the prescribed norms, the respondents have again failed to consider the conditions." The conditions include setting up of an "exclusion zone" around the plant with required control and designation of an area of a five-km radius around it as a "sterilised zone". The petition contended that without complying with such norms, the clearance for site excavation of KKNPP units three and four, granted by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Explaining further, the petitioner claimed that an area up to a distance of 1.6 km around the plant should be physically isolated from the external area by "plant-fencing" and that no public habitation should be allowed in it. He further said such an area, known as the "exclusion zone", should be under the control of the plant. Around this exclusion zone, up to a distance of five km only, natural growth should be permitted and developmental activities, which might result in population growth, must be restricted, the petition said, adding that this annular area was called the "sterilised zone". Citing "desirable population distribution" statistics around the site, the petitioner said there should be no population greater than 10,000 within 10 km of the plant. Also, there should be no population centre of more than one lakh within 30 km of the plant and the total population in the sterilised zone area should be small. However, within a distance of 10 km of the site for the proposed KKNPP units three to six, there were six villages with a population of more than 10,000 each, the petition said. Since more than six population centres were there within 10 km of the plant, the AERB could not have granted "siting consent" vide its order dated February 9, 2011, the petitioner contended. Therefore, the petitioner said the AERB order granting "siting consent" for KKNPP units three to six was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Court "cannot dictate" the editorial policy of a channel, the Delhi High Court said today as it refrained from passing any interim order on a plea seeking to restrain TV journalist Arnab Goswami and his Republic TV from airing any or debate about the death of Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar. The high court also expressed anguish that the Delhi Police has failed to complete the investigation and file a charge sheet in the three and a half-year old case. Justice Manmohan posted the matter for further hearing on September 21 asking Goswami and the channel to file their responses to Tharoor's plea seeking to restrain them from alleged misreporting of the ongoing court proceedings. The court said the matter required detailed hearing and a detailed order could be passed on it only after this. It observed that the Congress leader had not shown any law by which investigation cannot be done by the journalist. "Show me that after the first date of hearing (May 29), he (Goswami) has called you (Tharoor) a murderer," the judge said, adding "I cannot dictate what should be the editorial policy of a channel." "Not (any interim order) at this point," the judge replied to Tharoor's counsel Guarav Gupta, who insisted that the court should pass an interim order restraining Goswami and the news channel from casting aspersion on the Congress leader during broadcast of news on the issue. The judge, who issued notice to Goswami and Republic TV on Tharoor's application seeking direction not to make any defamatory publication against him in any manner, said "I cannot stop them from running of a debate of their TV channel." "Certainly, the public surely has a right to know what has happened in the case. The police has not even filed any charge sheet for last three and half years," the judge said. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for the Goswami and the channel, opposed Tharoor's application on the ground that it was not supported by the MP's affidavit as the counsel has attached the affidavit in his name. "This application should not be entertained as such an affidavit in the name of counsel is inappropriate," Sethi said, adding "we (Goswami, Republic TV) have not made any accusation while airing the news related to Sunanda Pushkar's death case." The Congress leader has alleged that after the last hearing on August 16, the journalist and his channel continued to indulge in misreporting and had broadcast an 8-hour long programme on September 4 relating to his wife's death. Tharoor moved a fresh application in the pending Rs 2 crore civil defamation suit against Goswami and the Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him while airing news on the death of Pushkar. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. The matter is still under investigation. In their affidavit filed before the high court recently, the journalist and the news channel had said they have neither "condemned" Tharoor, nor suggested that he was involved in the death of his wife. They had also denied that Tharoor was called "the killer" of his wife by him or the channel, as alleged by the MP. The politician has alleged that despite assurances given in the court on May 29 by the counsel for Goswami and Republic TV, they were engaged in "defaming and maligning" him. The Congress leader has sought a direction to them that they should not mention the expression "murder of Sunanda Pushkar" anywhere, since it is yet to be established by a competent court whether her death was "murder". The court had on May 29 said the journalist and his news channel could put out stories stating the facts related to the investigation of Pushkar's death, but could not call the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram a "criminal". It had also told their counsel to reduce the rhetoric. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The high court today sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi government on a plea seeking implementation of an NCERT-panel recommendation to bring all public-funded schools under the city government for betterment of education. The court also asked local bodies like the municipal corporations, the Delhi Cantonment Board and the NDMC to examine the matter in view of the larger public interest. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said, "These are very important issues. It may help in the cause of education. Get the matter examined in larger public interest." The plea filed by an NGO said that over 25 lakh students study in the schools run by the Delhi government and local bodies here, and despite repeated recommendations of various committees, including the NCERT panel of 2010, they have not been brought under a unified body, i.E. The Delhi government. The court issued notice to authorities concerned and directed them to file a status report by September 19. "Respondents have to positively file counter affidavits in four weeks," it said. The court was hearing the petition filed by NGO Social Jurist, through advocate Ashok Agarwal, seeking a direction to authorities, particularly the Delhi government, to implement the recommendation of NCERT committee report, 2010. The plea said that as per the NCERT committee report, the state-provided school education should be administered by a unified body, i.E. The Government of NCT of Delhi by taking over all the schools of local bodies including those run by municipal corporations. "If all these schools are brought under the government of NCT of Delhi, there could be much better management and utilisation of physical infrastructure and academic resources," it said. The plea said that after the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the responsibility of implementing this law has been given to the state government. It alleged that standard of education of all public- funded schools was not up to the mark. The plea said that for the betterment of education of children in Delhi, all the public-funded schools were required to be brought under the Delhi government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today said there was no obstruction before it to hear petitions seeking to make marital rape an offence, as the issue raised before the Supreme Court was different. The court appointed senior advocate Raju Ramachandran as amicus curaie to assist it in the matter, considering its importance. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar listed the matter for further consideration on September 20, when it would hear it on a daily basis. In pursuance to its earlier direction, advocate Gaurav Aggarwal, who appeared before the Supreme Court for petitioner NGO Independent Thought, apprised the court that the issues raised by petitioners in high court are different from those in the pleas before the apex court. He said the issue in the apex court does not relate to the larger challenge, which is before the high court, on the constitutionality of an exception made in section 375 (rape) of IPC that does not consider sexual intercourse with a wife, not less than 15 years of age, as rape. The apex court is hearing the issue relating to an exception in section 375 of IPC which says that intercourse or a sexual act by a man with his wife, aged between 15 and less than 18 years, is not rape. After seeking clarification, the bench said, "there would be no impediment in hearing the case by this court." Earlier, the bench had said it would be "highly improper" for it to continue hearing this matter after being told that the apex court was also hearing the marital rape issue. Advocate Karuna Nandy, appearing for petitioner NGOs RIT Foundation and All India Democratic Women's Association, has said in the high court that they have challenged the constitutionality of section 375 (rape) of the IPC on the ground that it discriminated against married women being sexually assaulted by their husbands. Marital rape (or spousal rape) is an act in which one of the spouses indulges in sexual intercourse without the consent of the other. The high court had earlier agreed to examine the issue raised in PILs by the two NGOs, a man and a woman, who have sought striking down of the exception in the Indian penal law that did not consider sexual intercourse with a wife, not less than 15 years of age, as rape. It had earlier allowed two intervention applications, one in support of pleas to make marital rape an offence and the other opposing it. The Centre has opposed the main petitions saying marital rape cannot be made a criminal offence as it could become a phenomenon which may destabilise the institution of marriage and an easy tool for harassing the husbands. The Centre, in an affidavit filed through central government standing counsel Monika Arora and Kushal Kumar, has said the Supreme Court and various High Courts have already observed the growing misuse of section 498A (harassment caused to a married woman by her husband and in-laws) of the IPC. Earlier, it had defended its legislation saying child marriages were taking place in India and the decision to retain a girl's minimum age as 15 years to marry was taken under the amended rape law to protect a couple against criminalisation of their sexual activity. (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 1700 hrs. BOM 2 MH-CHINESE-JAIL-DEATH Thane: A 48-year-old Chinese national arrested for alleged theft of diamonds died in the Thane central jail, a prison official says. BOM 4 MH-MAN-POVERTY-SUICIDE Ahmednagar (Maha): A poverty-stricken 35-year-old man allegedly killed his son and daughter before committing suicide at a village here, says police. BOM 5 CG-NAXAL-BUS-TORCHED Raipur: Naxalites torcheda bus after asking the passengers travelling in it to alightin Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, says a senior police official. BOM 10 MH-RAHUL-MODI Nanded (Maha): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi alleges that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were busy dividing society in their quest to retain power. BOM 11 MH-WOMAN-TRAIN Thane: A 19-year-old woman sustained severe injuries when an unidentified man pushed her out of a moving suburban train at Virar Railway Station in neighbouring Palghar district, says police. BES 4 MP-STABBING Jhabua (MP): A 25-year old man attacked his friend with a knife for refusing to get into a same-sex relationship with him in this tribal-dominated town, says police. BCM 7 BIZ-AVI-AIRASIA Mumbai: Domestic budget carrier AirAsia India says it has inducted a new Airbus A320 aircraft in its fleet and will commence flight services to three new routes from Ranchi from next month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A full security alert was declared at the Delhi airport in the early hours today after a hoax call was received claiming that a bomb would go off on a China-bound flight. Officials involved in aviation security said the call was received at 11:42 pm last night at the control room of the airport operator of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). "China eastern ki flight mein bomb hain (there is a bomb on a flight of China Eastern airlines)," a man claimed. The man who made the call from his mobile phone indicated that the threat was on a China or a Hong Kong-bound flight, they added. They said a bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC) was immediately convened at the airport, involving CISF security officers and IGI officials, and a full alert was declared at the airport entailing enhanced frisking of arriving passengers and their luggage. A second round of body search was also carried out before the passengers boarded two flights bound for Shanghai and Hong Kong in the early hours today, they said. The man who made the call was again contacted by the BTAC but he did not give a clear reply and cut the phone saying "he cannot help beyond this and that he was in a party". The call was declared a hoax at 1:17 am, over an hour after the security personnel went into a tizzy, they said. The police has registered a case and is investigating, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While sentencing gangster Abu Salem to life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, the court for Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act cases here held that actual execution of the sentence is in the domain of the Union government. Salem, arrested in Portugal in 2002 and extradited to India in 2005, had argued that he cannot be given a sentence longer than 25 years as per the extradition treaty between the two counties. However, while awarding him life sentence TADA court judge G A Sanap said yesterday that the roles of judiciary and executive have been "demarcated by the Constitution", and award of punishment and execution are different aspects. "Once the punishment is awarded by the court the execution falls within the exclusive domain, power and jurisdiction of the executive. "The Union of India in its wisdom would be free to exercise its power in the matter of execution of sentence in consistence with the assurance given to Portugal," it held. The judge also held that if Salem is to get any setoff for the time he spent in prison as an undertrial, the period should be counted from 2005, and not 2002, as sought by him, when he was held in Portugal. "Solemn sovereign assurance given by the then deputy PM (to Portugal government) is plain and simple, death penalty is out of question, and if any other punishment is awarded as per the law by the Indian courts, the government of India would exercise its powers (for his early release)," the court said. The court rejected Salem's claim that he had made the confession under duress. The confession was voluntary, the court said, adding that the "diabolic and gruesome crime committed in this case is bound to be unbearable burden, even to a hardened and dreaded criminal". "It is necessary to mention that the crime committed by the accused is bound to always dwell in the heart and mind of the accused," the judge said. "Even a hardened criminal, when confronted with such a crime and the effects and consequences is bound to melt, and such a person would start repenting," the court said. The court, while convicting Salem and five others on June 16, had accepted the CBI's case that the gangster, one of the main conspirators in the blasts, was involved in transportation of smuggled arms and ammunition to Mumbai prior to the blasts and handed over weapons to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in the case in the earlier phase of trial). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister today said he did not expect anything at all to come out of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Kashmir Valley. "I have no expectation at all. He will come, he will meet as he had done before. He led a delegation of MPs (earlier). What happened to that delegation and their recommendations? Nothing happened and I expect nothing to happen now," said Abdullah, the president of the opposition National Conference. He was talking to reporters after a visit to Naseembagh mausoleum of his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 35th death anniversary. During his four-day visit beginning tomorrow, Singh will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others, a move seen as a follow-up to the prime minister's Independence Day speech in which he had reached out to the people of the valley. In response to a question on the arrest of separatist leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as part of its probe into terror funding, Abdullah said, "That is the tragedy. If you have come to talk to anybody, then those people (separatists) should be released so that they can tell the home minister what they have to tell." "It is important that they should be released and they can tell him what is in their minds and hearts," he said. Abdullah said he would accept the NIA raids on separatists as "genuine" only if these actions throw up something against them. "If it is only to harass them (separatists) so that they bow before them (government), I want to tell the NIA and the Government of India that no one here is ready to sell their beliefs," he added. On the steps were taken by his National Conference for defending Article 35A of the Constitution which has been challenged by an NGO before the Supreme Court, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar said his party had already prepared a team of lawyers for this purpose. "I have also spoken to the lawyer. We will have a good representation of lawyers who will defend Article 35A," he said. Article 35A provides special rights to permanent citizens of the state. On the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru, Abdullah said it was the most tragic event "for us all who want to defend democracy, who want to defend against the communal tendencies that are emerging in the country." On the Rohingya issue, Abdullah said, "It is the most tragic event of the century where innocent people are being eliminated because of their religion. I want to raise this question to the United Nations Human Rights Commission What are they doing? Do not they see the murder of democracy and humanity?" "I would request Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that she must work very hard to save these (Rohingya) people who are part of her country," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Egypt should work together on development and infrastructure projects in the fast-growing African continent, the Indian envoy here said. Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya said Africa is of "greatest promise" as the continent has a fast rate of growth. India has focused on capacity building as it believes "the strongest potential that any country or continent can have are its people", he said during a discussion on 'The leap forward: The evolving role of India and Egypt in Africa'. The roundtable was organised by The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in Cairo yesterday. It discussed the future plans for cooperation between India, Egypt and Africa. Mohamed Hegazy, Egypt's former assistant foreign minister for African affairs, said the two countries can "definitely add" to the African developmental and infra-structure plan. During the discussion, prominent journalist Gamal Nkrumah highlighted the historical and cultural links between India and the African continent. "There is no African country where Bollywood films are not known and popular there regardless of cultural differences. In fact, India is associated more closely with certain countries in Africa such as South Africa, which has a large Indian community, and also with east Africa generally," he said. "When I compare India with China one of the great strengths that India has and advance over China is the linguistic fact; the fact that English is an official language in India and it is an official language of many African countries also," he explained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India today took up with Australia a recent offensive advertisement which features Lord Ganesha and other divinities promoting consumption of lamb meat and demanded its withdrawal. The advertisement was released on Monday by the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), triggering protests from the Indian community in the country. "High Commission is taking note of the protests of Indian community in Australia, have made a demarche to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Communication and Arts and Department of Agriculture bringing to their notice an offensive advertisement by Meat and Livestock Australia that hurt the religious sentiments of the Indian community," the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a statement. In a video advertisement released by MLA recently, Lord Ganesha along with other religious figures is found to be 'toasting lamb', which the Indian community considers to be offensive and hurting their religious sentiments. The Consulate General of India in Sydney has taken up the matter directly with MLA and urged them to withdraw the advertisement, it said. A number of Community Associations have also registered their protest with Government of Australia and MLA. MLA's latest campaign for lamb features a number of religious figures including Jesus, Buddha,Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard and Greek goddess Aphrodite sitting around a lamb lunch. The advertisement has led to protests by Hindu organisations and Indian community in Australia who have demanded to take it off air. Hindu Council of Australia called on MLA to voluntarily take the advertisement off air. "We strongly urge MLA to withdraw the offensive advertisement immediately and extend an unconditional apology to not only the Hindu-Australian community but to members of all religious groups that are hurt by this nonsensical advertisement," the Hindu Council of Australia said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal government today decided to allow IT major Infosys to get land on freehold basis for its first IT development centre in the state. The company had purchased 50 acres from the government at Rajarhat for the project. Speaking about the outcome of the cabinet meeting, State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said that earlier the land was given IT major on lease for 99 years on a renewal basis. "Earlier we had decided to allow 75 per cent of the 50-acre land for IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS). Now today in the Cabinet we have decided to bring it down to 51 percent for IT and ITeS," he said after the cabinet meeting. "They (Infosys) had written us requesting that 51 per cent will be used for IT and ITeS besides, asking for freehold instead of leasehold which we have decided to allow," he said. According to another senior officer, Infosys needed to submit the DPR (detailed project report) within a month of registration of the land. The IT major would also be asked to be functional within 15 months after the registration, he said. Chatterjee said that Infosys will invest around Rs 100 crore in the first phase while 1000 persons were expected to be employed. A spokesman of the IT major had already said that it would submit the plan for the proposed Kolkata centre to the West Bengal government after completion of the land registration process. On August 29, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that IT major Infosys would invest in the state without the special economic zone (SEZ) status, which the company had sought. "The company (Infosys) has agreed to accept all other facilities offered by the state government," she had said. Infosys had earlier asked the Banerjee government for SEZ status for their project or return of the Rs 75 crore it had paid for land at Rajarhat. The Trinamool Congress government is against SEZ as a policy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's defence minister today issued a veiled warning to Syria, without confirming or denying what Damascus said was an Israeli air strike on its territory. Syria's army accused Israel of hitting one of its positions, killing two people in an attack earlier the same day that a monitor said targeted a site where the regime allegedly produces chemical weapons. "We are determined to prevent our enemies harming, or even creating an opportunity to harm, the security of Israeli citizens," Avigdor Lieberman said in Hebrew, in remarks broadcast on Israeli television. "We shall do everything in order not to allow the existence of a Shiite corridor from Tehran to Damascus." The site struck near Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, is reportedly used by forces from Syria's allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Israeli planes have previously carried out strikes believed to have targeted the transfer of weapons to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with the Jewish state in 2006. Israel has long warned it would not allow the transfer of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah and has accused Iran of building sites to produce "precision-guided missiles" in both Syria and Lebanon. In comments made earlier, the head of Israeli military intelligence, Major General Herzl Halevi, did not mention today's strike directly but warned his country's enemies "near and far". "Serious security threats to Israel are presented by armed organisations most of them financed and aided by Iran," he said in a public address. "We are dealing with these threats, both near and far, with determination and our enemies in every arena know very well the combination of (our) precise intelligence and operational capabilities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said his government has made 32 lakh illiterate people literate and has set a target to make the state fully literate by 2020. Welcoming Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on the occasion of International Literacy Day, Das said that his government has made 32 lakh people of the state literate in the first one thousand days of his government. He said that his government was working to make the state fully literate two years advance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 2022 as the target year to make the country fully literate. Das said that in 2011 Census the literacy rate of Jharkhand was 66.41 per cent. He said that these data themselves speak volumes about the challenge in this area. The chief minister said that Jharkhand needs full literacy for women and the tribal society as only education can develop the state in all respects. He said that the state government decided to make the state 100 per cent literate but the target can only be completed with the help of the society. Das called upon literate people to take responsibility to teach the illiterate so that the dream of new India of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be fulfilled. On the occasion of International Literacy Day the mukhiyas of different panchayats were honoured by the vice president for encouraging literacy in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, and accused Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad of giving "political and communal colours" to it. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was "unfortunate" that Prasad sought to link the slain journalist to the outlawed Naxals. "Barely 72 hours after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, the law minister has embarrassed the entire country with his controversial remarks linking the investigative journalist to Naxals. "It is the country's misfortune that the BJP and the law minister are seeing a murder through political and communal colours," he told reporters. It is "shameful and condemnable", he said, adding that "a killing and the killer have no colour and they have to be dealt with as per the law and the Constitution". A breakthrough eluded investigators three days after the journalist's murder outside her residence in Bengaluru. The Congress governs the state. Surjewala said, "There is a conspiracy to suppress the voice of the writers, journalists and activists." In the three years of the BJP government, 10 journalists have been killed and 142 attacked across the country, he said, without giving further details. He said that the BJP government at the Centre either disclose any evidence it has on Gauri's alleged links with Naxals or stop spreading misinformation. "Why don't they share if they have any such information with the Congress government of Karnataka and we will be happy to look at it. And if they do not have any such information, then they should stop this entire game of misinformation and maligning an independent journalist, who took on BJP and RSS leaders," he said. When asked about the delay in the investigation into the 2015 killing of scholar M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the Congress leader sought to deflect the question, and raised question about the delay in probe into the murder of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra, ruled by the BJP. "The threads of both these murders are allegedly linked to a certain institution in Maharashtra against which no action has been taken so far," he said. Many people have drawn parallels between the gunning down of Gauri and rationalists Dabholkar and Kalburgi. Surjewala said the killing of Lankesh was "celebrated" on the social media by several people who are followed by the prime minister on Twitter. He said this was sought to be justified by the BJP's social media chief, who described it as a part of the freedom of expression of these people. The Congress leader also criticised Karnataka BJP MLA D N Jeevaraj for his statement that Gauri would have been alive if she hadn't written against RSS and BJP. Prasad earlier showed copies of reports of Gauri's brother, Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, and asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. "Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...So was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government...And if so why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad asked at a press conference in New Delhi. It had also been said that Naxalites were unhappy with this. "Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?" he added. On the attack on a journalist in Bihar, the Congress leader demanded a probe by either the CBI or a court-monitored SIT. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The annual Kailash-Mansarovar yatra through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand came to an end today with the 33-member last batch arriving here this morning. There were 34 members in the last batch. One pilgrim had taken ill at the Tibetan camp of Darchin and returned earlier, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) Managing Director Dhiraj Garbiyal said. The batch will rest at the Gunji camp today. From there it would be airlifted to the base camp at Dharchula tomorrow as the trek route from Gunji to Mangti is disrupted, he said. The KMVN, headquartered in Nainital, is the nodal agency for the annual pilgrimage. The last batch is likely to reach New Delhi on September 11, KMVN sources said. This year's yatra has broken all past records in terms of the number of pilgrims. A total of 919 pilgrims from more than 24 states undertook the pilgrimage through the pass this year after Chinese authorities denied permission to visit Kailash- Mansarovar via the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim in the wake of the Doklam stand-off, the KMVN MD said. Uttar Pradesh also showed a surprising increase in the number of pilgrims. A total of 112 pilgrims from the state visited these centres of faith after the UP government announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh to every yatri, he said. According to Nigam sources, six returning batches and three ongoing ones had to be airlifted as heavy rains and cloudbursts had on August 14 damaged the trek route. Helicopter services provided by state government to the pilgrims and villagers of the Vyas Valley were of great helpful in continuing the yatra this year, Garbiyal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy today hit back at Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for alleging that the Congress government in the state had failed to provide security to journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her house here. He said Prasad was not acquainted with the facts about the slain journalist and that she never asked for security. "Whenever she met the chief minister or senior police officials, including the DGP, she never asked for security," he told PTI here. At a press conference in New Delhi, Prasad showed copies of reports of Lankesh's brother, Indrajit, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites and asked as to why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. "Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...So was she doing it with the consent and approval of the state government...And if so why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad had said. Reddy said that if Gauri Lankesh had sought security, thestate government would have given it. "No government will deny protection to anyone if asked for it. We'd have certainly given her protection," he said. "In this light, therefore, the government has decided to give protection to intellectuals even if they haven't asked for it," the state home minister said. On Prasad lashing out at the "so-called liberals" for their double standards and remaining silent on the killings of RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala, Reddy said, "I would not liketo comment on it, but would do so later." At the presser, Prasad had said, "Why is that all my liberal friends who speak so eloquently and strongly against the killing of ajournalist...Maintain conspicuous silence when so many RSSand BJP workers were killed in Karnataka and Kerala." The 55-year-old Left-leaning journalist, a fierce critic of Hindutva politics, was shot dead at the doorstep of her house while she was returning from her office earlier this week. Her killing sparked outrage across the country and the state government has formed an SIT to probe it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National vice president of All India Prosecutors Association and Supreme Court Advocate Padmarao Lakkaraju has been invited as a speaker for the Annual Conference and General Meeting of International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) to be held in China. Lakkaraju, will deliver a talk on the topic 'Methods to Secure Statements as Evidence', at the 22nd Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors, to be held in Beijing from September 10 to 15. According to a letter of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People's Republic of China, the theme of the conference is 'Prosecution in the Service of Public Good, Facing the Challenges and Opportunities of Changing Societies'. "The overall aim of the Beijing conference is to engage the global community of prosecutors in a discussion of how prosecution services can make a positive contribution to building and sustaining safe, prosperous and just societies," it said. This year's event is being attended by about 500 prosecutors from about 90 different countries, Lakkaraju said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt Governor Anil Baijal today asked the Delhi Police to focus on enhancing professionalism and improving soft skills as the former chaired a meeting over law & order in the city. Asserting that technology across various verticals like intelligence, investigation, forensics, cyber etc plays an important role, he directed the force to establish structured linkages with premier universities such as IIIT-Delhi, IGDTUW etc for their constant inputs and guidance. The direction was issued at a meeting chaired by the Lt Governor and attended by Chief Secretary M M Kutty, Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, Special CPs and Joint CPs of the Delhi Police. In the meeting, the training programmes of the Delhi Police was also reviewed. "The Lt Governor emphasised upon the need for increased professionalism within the police force. He also stressed upon the critical need to improve soft skills as well as the skills for better stress and time management," the LG office said in a statement. It stated that the LG directed to involve premier private sector organisations for training in soft skills and communication skills. Baijal stressed upon the importance of proper communication skills especially for PCR units and public facilitation desk officers to improve public interface and make the services more people-friendly. In meeting, the LG was also informed that specific study material for police officers has been developed in the form of CDs, training films, informative booklets, etc. Further, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has approved Rs 137.78 crores for a modern Police Training School at Jharoda Kalan with a proposed training capacity of 2,000 personnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spain's top courts today heaped fresh threats on Catalan separatists who have pushed on with their independence bid, passing a law outlining a transition to a possible independent republic. After sparking Spain's deepest political crisis in 40 years by voting this week to move ahead with a referendum, Catalonia's separatist-controlled regional parliament upped the ante by passing a bill in the early hours which would take effect if they won the popular vote on October 1. The separatists say the law would serve as a temporary "basic law" in the wealthy northeastern region of 7.5 million people in the event of a "yes" vote, until a new constitution was in place. Spain's Constitutional Court has since 2014 declared any bid for an independence referendum to be unconstitutional, and last night it moved again to suspend the bills passed by Catalan lawmakers to organise the vote. The court was set today to suspend the law outlining a possible transition, too. But the separatists have ignored the actions of the judges -- most of them named by the ruling conservatives -- branding them illegitimate. "It is worrying that the state is seeking to scare people and make threats, faced with a desire for a vote," Lluis Corominas, vice president of the Catalan parliament, told national radio today. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed yesterday to block the referendum, branding it an "intolerable act of disobedience", and the Supreme Court warned senior Catalan officials to desist from promoting "any accord or action which permits the preparation and/or holding of a referendum". The warning went out to all members of the regional government, as well as mayors, the directors of regional public broadcasters, and Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero, a popular figure after winning plaudits for his handling of last month's terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. The region's 948 mayors now find themselves in a delicate position. The court today ordered them to respect its suspension of the referendum bid, "warning them of their potential liabilities, which include criminal liabilities", just a day after regional authorities asked them to provide lists of possible polling stations. Neus Lloveras, mayor of the town of Vilanova outside Barcelona who heads an association of pro-independence municipalities, said "more than 600 town halls have already informed the regional government of the total availability" of their polling stations. Others have said they will refuse to organise a banned referendum, such as Angel Ros, mayor of the town of Lerida. "We would be leaving the legal framework," he told TV3 television. "Is it worth trying to build a state in order to divide the country? I'm among those who think not." Yesterday, the national prosecutor announced that investigations into the planning of the referendum would be carried out with the help of the Civil Guard and Catalan police, and that voting material would be seized. Corominas retorted that "there will not be enough paper to send all these summons and scare practically half of Catalan society". With its own language and customs, Catalonia accounts for about one-fifth of Spain's economic output, and already has significant powers over matters such as education and healthcare. But Spain's economic worries, coupled with a perception that the region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid, have helped push the independence question to centre stage. The region remains divided, however. In a survey by the Catalan Centre of Opinion Studies in June, 41.1 per cent backed independence while 49.9 rejected it. Some 70 per cent wanted a referendum, however, to settle the question once and for all. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The maggot-infested body of a nuclear scientist was found in a Pusa Institute quarters and the police said his "mentally disturbed" siblings were by his side, oblivious of his death despite a foul smell emanating from the decomposing corpse. The police said the post-mortem was not carried out due to unavailability of any other relatives to give consent for it. They said they would wait for relatives to come in the next 72 hours. It is suspected that Sood died of malnutrition around three-four days ago. His two younger siblings, Harish and Kamla, both said to be mentally disturbed, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vijay Kumar said. Yesterday, the police were informed by the field officer of the Pusa Institute, Sonu Kumar, about a foul smell emanating from one of the quarters on the campus. He said a security guard posted at a neighbouring quarter called him and informed him about the foul smell coming from the quarter of retired scientist Yashvir Sood. The neighbours had noticed the foul smell earlier but did not raise an alarm. It was only yesterday when the stench became unbearable that one of them alerted their guard, who in turn informed Kumar. Kumar, who was posted in the locality for the last six years, told the police that when he attempted to enter the house, Sood's sister did not let him in. He then informed the police, who arrived at the spot and forcibly entered the house while some women constables pacified Sood's sister who protested their entry. The team found the scientist's maggot-infested body lying on a bed inside. "When I tried to talk to his sister, she turned me away. Then I informed the police. I took the police team and some neighbours to their house," Kumar said. Sood had retired as a principal scientist from Pusa Institute's nuclear science department on March 31 at the age of 62 and was living with his two younger siblings, both in their 60s, at an abandoned government quarter, he said, adding that the police could not trace any other family member. Sood's father was also a scientist at the institute. The police have learnt that Sood was an alcoholic and was under severe depression before his retirement. Kumar said that Sood became a recluse after retiring. "When he was in service, I used to see him outside and sometimes, he also spoke to me. But after his retirement, one would rarely see him outside," he said. The siblings mostly kept to themselves and did not interact with their neighbours. They had been living there for a long time and were unmarried. Locals, however, claimed that Kamla had got married but she had left her husband and returned to living with her brothers. The deceased had not withdrawn a single penny either from his pension or gratuity funds. The family has its roots in Punjab. Sood's siblings have been admitted to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) by the police. Similar incidents have been reported in the past where people were found living with the bodies of their relatives. In July, a 70-year-old mentally challenged man was today found living, for almost a week, with the body of his younger brother in northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar. The incident was reported to the police after neighbours noticed foul smell emanating from the house where the duo stayed. In another incident last year, a 90-year-old man was found living with the body of his wife in their one-room flat in south east Delhi's Kalkaji. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mahindra and Mahindra today launched e-rickshaw -- e-Alpha Mini -- priced at Rs 1.12 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, as part of plans to expand its electric vehicle portfolio in the country. The company, which already sells a range of electric vehicles including e-Verito and e20 Plus in passenger vehicle space, has introduced the three-wheeler taking care of the last mile connectivity. "The launch of this electric three-wheeler is another step towards e-mobility by the Mahindra group. It will cater to last mile connectivity," M&M Managing Director Pawan Goenka told reporters here. He added that the company is looking to expand electric portfolio and there will be more product launches in the segment, going ahead. Asked about the company's investment plans in the electric vehicle space, Goenka said the company has already invested Rs 500 crore and has also committed another Rs 600 crore for the vertical. "We are also raising the production capacity. From 500 units a month, it will go up to 1,000 units in a couple of months and around 5,000 units in a couple of years," Goenka said. The company will also take a call on which models from its current product portfolio could be given electric makeover. Powered by a 120 Ah battery, the five-seater e-Alpha Mini can travel 85 kms on a single charge and can hit a top speed of 25 kmph. After NCR, the company plans to launch it in Lucknow followed by Kolkata and other parts of the country. "The launch of the e-Alpha Mini is yet another step to provide an emission free, green mode of safe intra city transportation in the country," said Rajan Wadhera, M&M President - Automotive Sector. Matrimony.Com, which runs online match-making portals, on Friday raised nearly Rs 226 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial share sale opening next week. Little over 22.93 lakh shares would be allotted to 10 anchor investors, including Goldman Sachs, Small Cap World Funds, HDFC Trustee Company and Baring Private Equity India AIF. These shares would be sold to anchor investors at Rs 985 apiece the upper end of the IPO price band. The total proceeds would be around Rs 225.88 crore, according to a filing to the BSE. The price band is Rs 983-985 per share for the share sale, which would be open from September 11-13. The allocation was finalised by the IPO Committee of the company's board of directors. The IPO comprises fresh issue aggregating up to Rs 130 crore and an offer for sale of up to 37.67 lakh equity shares. Matrimony.Com, which runs online match-making business under BharatMatrimony brand, among others, is expected to raise over Rs 500 crore. Net proceeds from the issue would be utilised towards advertising and business promotion activities, purchase of land for construction of office premises in Chennai, repayment of overdraft facilities and general corporate purposes. Axis Capital and ICICI Securities are the book running lead managers to the offer. The registrar to the offer is Karvy Computershare Private Ltd. The mentally disturbed siblings of a retired scientist were found living with his decomposing corpse in west Delhi's Inderpuri, the police said today. Yesterday, the police were informed by the field officer of the Pusa Institute, Sonu Kumar, of a foul smell emanating from one of the quarters on the campus. Kumar told the police that as he traced the source of the foul smell to the quarter of retired scientist Yashvir Sood, he attempted to enter the house, but Sood's sister did not let him in. He then informed the police, who arrived at the spot, forcibly entered Sood's house and found the scientist's decomposing body lying on a bed. It is suspected that Sood died of malnutrition around three-four days ago but his two younger siblings, Harish and Kamla, both said to be mentally disturbed, did not inform anyone of his demise, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vijay Kumar said. Sood had retired as a principal scientist from Pusa Institute's nuclear science department on March 31 at the age of 62 and was living with his two younger siblings at an abandoned government quarter, he said, adding that the police could not trace any other family member. Sood's father was also a scientist at the institute. The police have learnt that Sood was an alcoholic and was under severe depression before his retirement. Sood's siblings have been admitted to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) by the police. Sood had not withdrawn a single penny either from his pension or gratuity funds. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's eldest son denied colluding with Russia to hurt rival Hillary Clinton's campaign, saying he met a Russian lawyer ahead of the presidential elections to assess the Democratic nominee's "fitness, character or qualifications" for the highest office. In a close-door grilling by the Senate Judiciary Committee that lasted nearly five hours, Donald Trump Jr detailed his account of the June 9 meeting at the Trump Tower in New York with the Russian lawyer. The meeting had attracted close scrutiny from the Congress. In his prepared remarks, Trump Jr said: "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out." "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration. I also note that at this time there was not the focus on Russian activities that there is today." In a statement issued after nearly five hours of interview with the Senate Committee, the 39-year-old said he answered every question posed by the committee. He also said that the meeting provided "no meaningful information" to him. However, Democratic lawmakers did not agree and said his statement raised more questions. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump Jr's statement "contains a notable omission". "It no longer mentions that President Trump 'knew nothing of the meeting or these events,' raising questions about whether then-candidate Trump was in fact knowledgeable about the meeting in advance, and whether it formed the basis of his contemporaneous public promise of derogatory information about Secretary Clinton." Schiff said the statement also for the first time includes the argument that Trump Jr sought information on the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate. "This is far afield of the impression he originally conveyed about a meeting 'about adoptions'," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mongolian lawmakers voted to dismiss the prime minister and his Cabinet for alleged incompetence and corruption related to the signing of government contracts with companies linked to three Cabinet members. A majority of lawmakers from the ruling Mongolian People's Party joined with members of the opposition to pass the motion demanding that Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat and his 14-month-old Cabinet resign over the granting of contracts worth USD 328 million. The MPP controls 65 seats in the 76 member Great Hural, with the opposition Democratic Party and independents sharing the remainder. Out of 73 lawmakers present during the voting late Thursday, 33 from the MPP and nine opposition and independent lawmakers voted for the dismissal. Parliament is expected appoint a new Cabinet and prime minister in 45 days, and the current officials will continue serving in the interim. Democratic Party lawmaker Batzandan Jalbasuren said the government had failed in the fight against corruption and accused Erdenebat's administration of "stealing." Supporters of the motion cited contracts signed with the minister of justice, who owns a large construction company, a Cabinet secretary with interests in a road building company and the minister of labor and social protection, whose family owns a large mining company. The contracts are for roads and power transmission equipment, including substations for the mining industry. Erdenebat, in office since 2016, has also been accused of distributing millions of dollars in cash to families with children ahead of a presidential runoff election on July 7, in an apparent attempt to win votes for the ruling party's candidate, who lost. Mongolia, a landlocked country of 3 million, boasts vast mineral wealth but has struggled to court foreign investment in the face of plunging commodity prices and high-profile disputes between the government and large investors such as mining giant Rio Tinto. The government has also been weighed down by a national debt of about $23 billion, or twice the country's annual economic output, and recently obtained a $5.5 billion bailout led by the International Monetary Fund. In July, populist business tycoon and ex-judo champion Khaltmaa Battulga of the Democratic Party was elected president, edging out the establishment MPP candidate in a runoff. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the widespread anger triggered by the killing of noted journalist Gauri Lankesh, the Madhya Pradesh government today said the police will ensure security of scribes in the state so that they carry out their duties with complete freedom and without any fear. Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said journalists in Madhya Pradesh will receive full cooperation and protection from the police. "We have always taken attacks on journalists very seriously. We will ensure journalists perform their duties with complete independence and without any fear. Journalists will receive full cooperation and protection from the police," he said. Singh was talking to reporters after holding a meeting with police officials here. However, he did not comment on a question related to long-pending demand of journalists for a separate law in the state for their protection. The Kannada journalist-activist, 55, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. The home minister praised the ongoing campaign of the Indore Police to demolish the illegal properties of people with criminal antecedents. He said this campaign will be replicated in the entire state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 13-year-old rape survivor, who was allowed by the Supreme Court to terminate her 32-week-old pregnancy on medical grounds, today delivered a baby boy after a cesarean operation at a government hospital here, a doctor said. The newborn weighs 1.8 kg and has been kept in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the J J Hospital in Central Mumbai. "The cesarean operation was performed this afternoon after which the girl delivered a male child," Vinayak Kale, Acting Dean and Professor of Department of Psychiatry of J J Hospital, told PTI. Two days ago the Supreme Court had allowed the minor to terminate her 32-week-old pregnancy after taking note of her medical report and the "trauma of sexual abuse". "We went by the directions of the Supreme Court for the medical termination of pregnancy. But we found that the foetus had fully developed in the womb and its delivery was the only option," said Kale. The physician was a member of a committee constituted by the apex court to look into this case. The mother and the child are safe and stable. The baby boy has been shifted to the NICU for further care, he added. The operation was conducted by a team of doctors led by Ashokanand, who was also the head of the committee. "The child is in good health. There was no problem during the surgery too," Ashokanand said. In its ruling on September 6, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had directed that the medical procedure be conducted on the girl at the earliest, preferably on September 8, after it took note of the report of the Supreme Court- appointed medical board comprising doctors of J J Hospital. The victim, a Mumbai resident and 7th standard student, had to knock the doors of the apex court as the law prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bench also took note of the risk factors and asked the hospital to do the needful and admit the girl a day prior to conducting the procedure for aborting the foetus. The Section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal minister and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the second consecutive day today in connection with the Narada sting operation case. Chatterjee, a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, arrived at the CBI office here in the morning and his interrogation continued till evening. He was interrogated by the CBI officials yesterday also. The mayor was purportedly seen accepting money from a businessman in the Narada tapes. Several other TMC leaders, including MPs and ministers, also allegedly accepted money from Narada CEO Matthew Samuels, who posed as the businessman while conducting the sting operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Neo-literates" will be the ambassadors of the country's literacy programme and community learning centres that would be developed into hubs of literacy learning and community empowerment, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said here today. Naidu was addressing an event on the 51st International Literacy Day. "It is indeed heartening to note that every year more than one crore adult learners appear in the bi-annual learners assessment tests held across the country and that around 6.66 crore learners have successfully passed the test conducted by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) up to March 2017, of which about 70 per cent are women. "I firmly believe that these neo-literates, majority of who are women, will be the ambassadors of our programme leading towards making 'Saakshar Bharat' (literate India) a 'Saksham Bharat' (capable India)," he said. Asserting that literacy provides the first essential step towards building a participative, vibrant and a more inclusive democracy, Naidu suggested ways to achieve universal literacy including improving the quality of pre-primary and school education and providing opportunities for learning to those who have never been to school or have dropped out of school. "If we have to move at a faster pace and achieve a literate world by 2030 and India has to ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults acquire these skills, we may have to review our past strategies and after an assessment of what has worked and what has not, learn from successful examples from within our country and outside. "We may have to chalk out new ways to reach out to those learners who have not been reached till now," Naidu said. The event was also attended by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and Ministers of State for HRD Upendra Singh Kushwaha and Satyapal Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal has slapped fines on seven housing societies in the national capital for generating waste in large quantity and not complying with the solid waste management rules. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar imposed environment compensation on these societies after their lawyers contended that their houses were constructed long ago and they were complying with all environmental measures subject to their limitations. They said the societies would take all appropriate steps to comply with the environmental laws and install anti- pollution devices to treat the pollutants. "In light of the above, each of the societies shall pay environmental compensation of Rs 10,000 to Delhi Pollution Control Committee within two weeks and would carry out all the compliance in relation to environmental laws and install anti-pollution devices within six months. The directions issued by joint inspection team shall also be complied with. "All these societies shall take steps for collecting the wastes, in their area, in a segregated manner and ensure its carriage to the identified dumping site," the bench, also comprising Justice R S Rathore, said. The societies are Jawaharlal Nehru Cooperative Group Housing Society Ltd, Jhang Cooperative Group Housing Ltd, Delhi Citizen Society, Neelkanth Apartments, Bharat Apartments, Printers Apartment and the Police Colony. During the proceedings, the counsel appearing for Jawaharlal Nehru Society told the bench that they were paying Rs 66,000 to Delhi Jal Board for discharge of their sewage in the sewer line. He said these housing societies were financially weak and hence only a token amount of environmental compensation should be imposed on them for the deficiencies pointed out by the inspecting team. The NGT order came after it perused an interim report submitted by a committee set up by it which recommended action against defaulting bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste. The committee comprised representatives of the ministries of Environment and Urban Development, Director General of Health Services, Medical Council of India, DDA, municipal corporations, the Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board, railways and Delhi Pollution Control Committee. It also had four independent experts. It had directed the committee to inspect all five-star hotels, hospitals which have more than 200 beds, cooperative group housing societies with over 300 flats, markets, shopping malls with built up area of over 50,000 sq mts, colleges having hostel accommodating more than 500 students in Delhi. The green panel had earlier directed the Delhi government to provide a list of all mass generators of waste, while noting that the problem of waste generation was being faced by the entire country and urgent steps were needed to be taken without "demur and default". The green body had noted that Delhi generates nearly 14,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and said that the mass generators of waste cannot be equated to a simple households generating trash. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The labour unrest at the Tata Motors' Jamshedpur plant entered the fourth day today with the unions and the management making counter-claims and levelling allegations. According to union leaders, the strike so far has resulted in production loss of around 9,000 vehicles a month, but the output has come down to around 60 units today. The agitation is being spearheaded by around 4,500 contract workers, around 600 of them women, with active support of a union. They are seeking higher wages. When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesman denied the union's claim that there has been a halt in the production saying the reports on production being stalled are "speculative and baseless". He also said the union leading the strike is a only a breakaway faction. "There is no halt in production as is being claimed by a union that is only a breakaway faction. They are inciting and misguiding others, including the media. The majority of the union understands the issue and is working in alignment with the management to resolve the same at the earliest," the company said in a statement. The company further claimed that protests are being staged by a section of temporary workers, who are being instigated by some vested interests. Contrary to reports, permanent employees are working normally to ensure production. "The problem arose due to a technical error in their payment slips, which led to the payment being less than what they were entitled to. This was later resolved and the payment was made. "However, this section of workers are protesting and are now demanding to mak them permanent workers and give other perks of the permanent staff. The management has been in constantly holding dialogues with them and trying to resolve the same at the earliest," the company said. The company further said that production is going on as per schedule as the management has taken remedial steps to ensure that production is close to the requirements and in line with the stringent quality measures and standards. But the union leaders spearheading the strike claimed that they are the legitimate union. They told PTI that the management has brought in over 1,000 contract workers to help in production, thereby compromising with the product quality. The union leaders also claimed they rejected an offer of regularising 200 temporary workers annually seeking least 500 of them should be made permanent workers. They also said the talks failed to resolve the deadlock. The unions have been on a sit-in since Tuesday, protesting against non-payment of revised three-year wage agreement signed with the permanent workers' union early last month. These workers include around 600 women. The Jamshedpur plant produces about 9,000 commercial vehicles a month, with a daily production averaging 300 units, in three shifts. As per union, while around 4,500 permanent workers at the plant were given a wage hike of Rs 12,500 per month (15 per cent and 13 per cent for each year) the temporary workers' wages were given only Rs 1,500-2,000. But when the wages were paid early this week, the permanent workers got only Rs 6,500 extra whereas the temporary ones were paid as per the now-defunct agreement, they claimed. A permanent worker on an average gets Rs 30,000-32,000 a month, while a temporary worker gets Rs 12,000-13,000, the sources said, adding that after workers launched the sit-in, the management sought six months to look into the issue, but the union was ready to give only three months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today directed deputy commissioners to expedite work in urban areas falling in their respective districts so that all such parts of the state could be declared open defecation-free (ODF) by September 25. He also said that Haryana would be declared a stray cattle-free state after September 30. Khattar was presiding over a meeting of all deputy commissioners through video conferencing here to review the progress on ODF (Urban), stray cattle and 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme. The CM said rural Haryana has already been declared ODF. He directed deputy commissioners (DCs) to make necessary arrangements for community toilets, mobile toilets, and household latrines wherever required and also get the third party inspection completed well before the scheduled date of September 25. Khattar also directed them to lay special emphasis in and around the industrial areas of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Dharuhera, and Bawal in district Rewari and make arrangements for mobile toilets in all the labour colonies. He said the DCs should not limit themselves to providing the facility of community toilets and also work towards behaviour change in the people by launching special campaigns in their areas. Apart from this, they should also work towards sustainability after achieving the ODF status, he said, according to an official release. Reviewing the progress of the districts in the rehabilitation of stray cattle, the chief minister directed the DCs to make their respective districts free of stray cattle by September 30. He said those districts that had not received the grant of Rs 15 lakh for making the arrangement of sheds could send their requirement so that the same could be released at the earliest. He said besides utilising the available funds, they should also urge the corporate sector, villagers and other institutions to come forward and contribute for this cause by way of making arrangements of fodder for the cattle. Khattar also asked them to make all necessary arrangements for the rehabilitation of stray cattle in the 'gaushalas' and 'nandishals'. He said besides tagging the cattle in the gaushalas, tagging of abandoned cattle should also be done so that their owners could be ascertained. Khattar said that he would also write to the chief ministers of neighbouring states asking them to ensure that the cattle from their states do not enter into Haryana. Later, while reviewing the progress of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme, the chief minister claimed the state has made remarkable progress in this field and its efforts are being appreciated throughout the country. He directed the DCs to conduct regular raids and ensure the strict compliance of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was arrested here for his "involvement" in printing and circulating counterfeit currency notes of Rs 100 and Rs 500 denominations, the police said today. Fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 47,500 and equipment used to print these notes were also seized from his possession, they added. The police recently got to know about a syndicate involved in printing and circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) at central Delhi's Farash Khana. On September 6, the police were informed that a man was selling fake currency notes for half the value of their denominations at Kudda Khatta, near the Chawri Bazar metro station. Posing as a customer, a constable met the accused. While the accused was busy striking a deal with the constable, a police team arrived at the spot and nabbed him. The accused, Sameer Khan (32), a tailor by profession, was found to be in possession of 35 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination and 80 fake notes of Rs 100 denomination, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa. Subsequently, fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 22,000 were seized from the residence of the accused, he added. Khan told the police about his involvement in a 2007 murder case at the Lahori Gate, in which he was arrested and sent to Tihar Jail. There, he met another inmate, Wasim, who was jailed in connection with a counterfeit currency case. Wasim told Khan that he used to procure counterfeit currency notes and the material for printing these notes from Bangladesh, the officer said, adding that the two decided to work together after getting out of jail. Khan was released from Tihar Jail in 2014 and Wasim walked out of prison in 2016. Wasim used to supply fake currency notes to Khan, who used to sell them at the weekly markets, the police said. The equipment for printing fake notes were seized from the residence of Khan, who had learnt the technique of producing counterfeit notes, the DCP said. Recently, Wasim had gone to Bihar and Bengal with fake currency notes in order to use them through his contacts to buy machines to print fake notes, he added. He was also planning to bring some "high-quality" counterfeit notes from there, the DCP said. A hunt to nab Wasim was on, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today opposed the proposed disinvestment of Air India, saying that the national carrier is now performing "relatively better", according to sources. The committee, headed by senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, today interacted with officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India on the airline's turnaround plan. Sources said some of the members opposed the proposed divestment of Air India and sought explanation from the ministry on the decision. Members wanted to know the reason for such a decision when the airline, which is receiving money under turnaround plan, is doing "relatively better", sources added. Some members wanted to know about the bailout money pumped in when the airline goes for divestment and the interest burden, they said. Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey, among other officials, was present at the meeting. Approved by the previous UPA regime in 2012, the turnaround plan provides for equity infusion of Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021 into Air India subject to the carrier achieving certain milestones. As part of the plan, various steps have been taken to cut costs and losses. These include route rationalisation and enhanced utilisation of new fleet. The panel today took oral evidence from representatives of Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India on 'Turnaround Plan and Financial Restructuring Plan of Air India Ltd based on C&AG Report' that was released in 2016, as per its schedule. As part of efforts to revive the loss-making Air India, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in- principle approval for strategic disinvestment of the airline in June. A group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is working on the modalities of the divestment. Sources said the PAC would also be asking officials from Niti Aayog, Cabinet Secretariat and Finance Ministry to appear before it on the Air India matter. PAC has 20 members, including those from the Congress and the BJP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Election Commission has warned an "independent" candidate for using a photograph of Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in his poll campaign against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's wife. Sheikh Muhammad Yakoob is contesting from a constituency in Lahore under the banner of Milli Muslim League (MML) - a political front of the Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD). The seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case. The JuD recently launched the political party and fielded Yaqoob against Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz. Kulsoom has undergone a successful throat surgery in London and in her absence her daughter Maryam is running her election campaign. The MML has applied for registration with the ECP. The ECP yesterday issued a notice to Yaqoob barring him using Hafiz Saeed's picture in his election campaign. In the notice, the ECP said: "Independent candidate Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob is warned against displaying banners bearing the photograph of proscribed organisation (JuD) leader (Saeed) for his by-election campaign in NA-120." The ECP also restrained Yaqoob from using the MML name. "Yaqoob is required to strictly comply with the ECP code of conduct otherwise action will be taken against him under law," it said. The election will be held on September 17. There were reports that Kulsoom could become the prime minister for the remaining eight months of the PML-N government if she wins the election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's anti-graft watchdog today filed four corruption cases against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his children and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over the Panama Papers scandal. The cases have been initiated after the Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified 67-year-old Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the scandal. Those named in the cases filed include Sharif, his sons Hasan and Hussain, daughter Maryam, son-in-law Muhammad Safdar and Ishaq Dar. The apex court had tasked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to register corruption cases against him, his children, son-in-law and the finance minister within six weeks. "The references were prepared on the basis of the material collected and referred to by the Joint Investigation Team (set up by Supreme Court) in its report and any other material collected by NAB during the course of investigation," the NAB said. The cases have been filed with anti-corruption court of Rawalpindi-Islamabad following the court orders before the end of the deadline of September 8, a NAB official said. The cases were approved yesterday by NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry at special meeting of the senior officials. One of the cases against Sharif, his children and Safdar is about purchase of four luxury flats in Park Lane area of London. The second one is against Sharif and his son Hussain and is about setting up of Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Company. The third case is against Sharif and his two sons and is related to several private companies set up by the family and which have been already identified in the judgement of the court. The fourth came is against Dar for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income. The accused can be sentenced for several years in jail and they could be permanently disqualified for any public office if proved guilty. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patna Pirates came back from the dead to tie their match against Haryana Steelers 41-41 in the fifth Pro Kabaddi League here today. Pardeep Narwal, who had a disappointing first half, ended up scoring 13 points to script Patna's recovery, while Haryana steelers blew their first half advantage. Wazir Singh scored 12 points for Haryana Steelers. Patna Pirates are second in Zone B after 10 matches with 36 points whereas Haryana Steelers moved to second spot in Zone A with 41 points from 10 matches. Haryana Steelers raiders got into the act quickly and scored three points in two minutes to lead 3-1. Monu Goyat scored two raid points in four minutes as Patna Pirates trailed 2-4. Haryana Steelers managed to keep Pirates danger man Pardeep Narwal quiet for the first 10 minutes and inflicted an all out in the 11th minute to lead 15-7. Surender Nada and Mohit Chhilar were rock solid at the back as they didn't let Patna score too many raid points. Pardeep could muster just one bonus point in the entire half even as Surjeet Singh and Wazir combined to score 11 points in the first half to help Haryana led 22-12 at the break. Haryana Steelers began the second half in style as they forced an all out in the 21st minute to lead 26-14. Pardeep finally made a successful raid in the 23rd minute as Patna Pirates trailed 15-28. With his team looking down in the dumps, Pardeep came up with a super raid in the 29th minute to as Patna reduced the deficit to 21-32. Pardeep scored another raid point as Patna inflicted an all out in the 30th minute to further reduce the margin to 26 -32 and they were trailing by five points with less than five minutes to go. In the 36th minute, Patna Pirates cut the lead to just two points after Monu Goyat made a super raid. Patna then inflicted an all out in the 37th minute to lead 38-37. Wazir's two raid points in a minute helped Haryana Steelers tied the match at 39-39 in the 38th minute. It was all square in the last minute with both teams tied at 41-41. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A PIL was filed in the Calcutta High Court today pleading for an immediate halt to the West Bengal government's plan to construct a six-km long flyover over East Kolkata Wetlands, claiming that the project will severely impact its ecology. Counsel for the NGO that moved the PIL submitted before the division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty that the nature and character of the land cannot be changed as per the East Kolkata Wetland Management Act of 2006. East Kolkata Wetlands is a notified RAMSAR site, which is the international convention on wetlands for conservation and their sustainable use. The petitioner's counsel, Siddhartha Mitra, submitted that as per the Act, permission needs to be taken from the central government for any activity at the RAMSAR site and that there cannot be any construction there for non-wetland purpose. Joydeep Kar, the high court-appointed amicus curae on wetlands, told the court that the state government or any other authority has to take prior permission of the high court for any activity on the wetlands. Asked about the state government's position on the PIL, Advocate General Kishore Dutta told the division bench that he has to consult state officers before making his submission. He was granted time till September 13, when the matter would come up for hearing again. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prosecutors in the western Mexico state of Jalisco have said that detectives killed a member of a local drug gang who allegedly burned his victims or tossed their bodies into a well. State prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer didn't identify the dead suspect, who allegedly refused orders to surrender when he was surrounded on a highway late Wednesday. Almaguer said only that the man was known by his nicknames: "TunTun," ''Barbas" or "El Viejon," the "Old Man" or the "Beard." Almaguer yesterday said that two burned bodies had been found at a rural encampment where the suspect hung out and that there was evidence he had killed at least 30 people and tossed some bodies into a well near an old mine. In 2010, authorities recovered 55 bodies dumped in an abandoned mine in the southern state of Guerrero by a local gang. Also Thursday, officials in the border state of Tamaulipas said soldiers killed six suspected kidnappers during a shootout near the US border. Authorities said the troops were patrolling a neighborhood near the border crossing that leads to McAllen, Texas, when they came under fire from assailants inside a property. The soldiers returned fire, entered the property and found two kidnap victims as well as a bullet-proof vehicle and seven assault rifles, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A junior engineer of a private power distribution company in Ajmer was today arrested by the Anti- Corruption Bureau sleuths for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 7,000, an ACB official said today. Junior engineer Praveen Sharma was arrested by the ACB for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 7,000 for providing a power connection from complainant Devendra Singh, an ACB spokesperson said. Following the complaint a trap was laid by the Rajasthan Police ACB and Sharma was nabbed, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam today sought life sentence for Riyaz Siddiqui in the murder case of city-based builder Pradip Jain. Nikam conceded while arguing before TADA court Judge G A Sanap here that the case did not fall in the "rarest of rare" category. Hence, the prosecution was seeking life imprisonment for Siddiqui, he said. The court has already sentenced gangster Abu Salem and his driver Mehdi Hassan to life imprisonment in this case. Siddiqui's trial was separated as he turned approver, but later, he was declared a "hostile witness" by the prosecution during his deposition. The TADA court convicted him last month. Jain was shot dead outside his Juhu bungalow in 1995 after he allegedly refused to give away his huge property to Salem. Like Salem, Siddiqui was also an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The TADA court sentenced Salem to life imprisonment and Siddiqui to ten years in jail in that case yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A review into the UK's justice system today concluded that there is an inherent racial bias against the ethnic minority population in the country and called for deferred or dropped prosecutions to fix the imbalance. 'The Lammy Review', an independent review into the treatment of, and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals in the Criminal Justice System, was conducted by Labour party MP David Lammy, who concluded the justice system in England and Wales discriminates in its treatment of people from ethnic minority backgrounds. The vast divide is reflected in data which reveals that people from BAME backgrounds make up 25 per cent of the prison population in England and Wales and 41 per cent of the youth justice system, despite these groups being 14 per cent of the general population, the review says. "My conclusion is that BAME individuals still face bias, including overt discrimination, in parts of the justice system," Lammy said. The review was commissioned in January 2016 by David Cameron, the then Prime Minister, in an effort to tackle the broader effects of discrimination and disadvantage in British society from the procedures of police, courts, prisons and the probation service. Among the report's 35 recommendations is the concept of deferred prosecutions, permitting suspects to enter rehabilitation programmes without having to admit guilt. These have been piloted successfully in New Zealand, California and even the West Midlands region of England, the report says. People completing programmes have their charges dropped, but those who do not go on to face criminal proceedings. The scheme should be rolled out across England and Wales for adult and young offenders, the review recommends. The report also calls for an "ethnically representative judiciary and magistracy" by the year 2025 to increase trust in the system. While 14 per cent of the general population are from BAME backgrounds, the proportion within the police and prison service is 6 per cent, 7 per cent in the judiciary, 11 per cent among magistrates and 19 per cent in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "The review calls on all parts of the criminal justice system to be more open to external scrutiny, have rigorous internal oversight, and to develop a diverse workforce as we have done and will continue to do," said Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, as she broadly welcomed the review. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four men robbed passengers in the general compartment of the Sampark Kranti Express near Bhopal little after midnight today, the Government Railway Police said. Interestingly, initial probe revealed, the 'robbers' had appeared for a written test for police constable's post in Bhopal, said a GRP official from Bina station in Sagar district. The passengers overpowered two of them, identified as Pramod Dhakad (22) and Suresh Verma (24), both from Madhya Pradesh's Morena district. Around 12.30 am, as the Yeswantpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Sampark Kranti Express (12649) chugged off from Bhopal station, the four men started looting passengers of cash and valuables at gunpoint, said Ravi Jatav, the complainant. A little later, they pulled the chain, and two of them jumped off and fled. But Jatav (19), resident of Unnao district, and one of his friends got hold of Dhakad and Verma. One of the accused fired from revolver, injuring Jatav, but other passengers came to his help and pinned down the duo. They were handed over to GRP officials at Bina. According to the initial probe, the accused had taken the written test for police constable's post held in Bhopal yesterday. The country-made revolver and some cartridges were recovered from the arrested men. Jatav, who was hit in the head and chest, and the two accused who were bashed up badly by the passengers, were sent to Bhopal for medical treatment. The police haven't ascertained the names of remaining two accused as the arrested duo were not in the condition to speak yet, said the GRP official. A case under sections 394 (causing hurt while committing robbery), 397 (robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and other relevant IPC sections has been filed. Bhopal GRP would conduct further probe, said the official. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia claimed today to have killed several top commanders of the Islamic State group in an airstrike in Syria, including the "Minister of War" and the so-called Emir of Deir Ezzor. "As a result of a precision airstrike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali," the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as the IS group's Minister of War and the highest-ranking defector from ex- Soviet Tajikistan, suffered a "fatal injury," it added. Russia's SU warplanes dropped "bunker buster" bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. Reports of Khalimov's death have surfaced before. The Times said in April that Khalimov, described as the highest-ranking IS commander in Mosul, had been killed in an airstrike. A former colonel, he headed the Tajik interior ministry's special forces unit and received American training before joining IS in 2015. Khalimov pledged allegiance to the jihadist group in a video released in May 2015 in a high-profile defection that rocked Tajikistan, a mainly Muslim country. In the footage he warned that he and other IS recruits based in the Middle East were "coming" for top officials in the country, including long-ruling President Emomali Rakhmon. In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to his location or arrest. In July, police in Tajikistan killed four relatives of the former special forces colonel in a gun battle, an interior ministry source has said, and three other relatives were detained. The source claimed that all of those killed or detained were IS "supporters" and said that they were intending to flee to neighbouring Afghanistan, but did not offer any proof to back up the claims. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Saudi-led bloc of Arab states hostile to Qatar took aim today at Kuwaiti mediation and maintained a tough line. Saudi Arabia led the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain in cutting ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups and of being too close to Iran. They also shut down air, maritime and land links and imposed economic sanctions on Qatar. The gas-rich emirate denies the claims and accuses the four countries of attacking its sovereignty. In a statement earlier today, the Saudi-led bloc showed no signs of backing down as it questioned the Kuwaiti emir's statement that Qatar would be willing to accept their 13 demands. "Dialogue on the implementation of the demands should not be preceded by any conditions," they said in the joint statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The demands include shutting Doha-based broadcaster Al- Jazeera, closing a Turkish military base in the emirate and downgrading Qatari diplomatic ties with Iran. The bloc also voiced "regret" about the Kuwaiti ruler's statement "on the success of mediation in stopping military intervention". Instead, the four Arab states stressed that "the military option has not been and will not be considered" under any circumstances. "Setting preconditions for dialogue confirms Qatar's lack of seriousness in dialogue, combating and financing terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of countries," they said. In remarks aired on the Al-Jazeera network, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani rejected the Saudi-led bloc's 13 demands. Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator in the crisis, while the United States has given mixed signals on its policy. Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court has expanded the ambit of a PIL seeking protection for witnesses in rape cases involving self-styled preacher Asaram Bapu and sought replies from all states on implementation of the witness protection programme. The apex court has asked the petitioners, who are witnesses in case related to Asaram, to implead all the states as party on the issue of witness protection programme. It has questioned why till now, the states have not formulated any witness protection programme. The court's direction came in the wake of the petitioners seeking investigation into the instances of attacks and disappearances of witnesses in cases against Asaram. "Since in this petition, the Court is primarily dealing with the issue pertaining to witness protection programme, it would be appropriate to issue notice to all other States as well. "The petitioners shall implead other States also as parties and notice shall be served upon them, returnable in four weeks," a bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said. The apex court also granted the last opportunity to Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, who are already party in the case, to file their replies in four weeks to a plea of four key witnesses in a rape case of minors allegedly involving Asaram Bapu, being tried in Jodhpur. Advocate Utsav Singh Bains, appearing for the four witnesses, said that states should formulate a programme for the protection of witnesses. He had sought a SIT probe into the instances of attacks and disappearances of the witnesses in cases against Asaram and pleaded for expeditious framing of the national witness protection guidelines. The apex court had on March 24 questioned Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the implementation of the witness protection schemes till now and directed them to provide security cover to the witnesses in rape cases against Asaram. It had asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to provide security to the witnesses residing in their jurisdictions. While UP has three such witnesses, Haryana has one. On November 18 last year, the apex court had asked the Centre and the states to reply to the pleas by witnesses in cases against Asaram, seeking protection. The four petitioners who have filed the plea are - Mahinder Chawla, a witness in a rape case allegedly involving Asaram, Naresh Gupta, the father of a murdered witness, Karamvir Singh, the father of a child rape victim and Narender Yadav, a journalist who allegedly escaped a murder attempt. "A very dangerous scenario has emerged which attacks the heart of our constitutional rights and freedoms, where the rich and powerful accused openly subvert the rule of law and pollute the streams of justice by murdering, attacking and threatening witnesses with impunity. "Recently several witnesses in the Asaram Bapu and Narayan Sai rape cases were killed, attacked or went missing under mysterious circumstances," their plea said. The petitioners also sought directions from the court to the Centre and states protection by the central forces to the witnesses who have been attacked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today set aside three orders of Allahabad High Court summoning the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary of the state in a matter in which the state's Advocate General Raghvendra Singh was rebuked for not appearing before it. The apex court observed that the three High Court orders summoning the Chief Secretary was "unnecessary" and "inappropriate". A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and M M Shantagoudar said the high court orders summoning the chief secretary and requiring him to file affidavits was unnecessary and inappropriate. It also appreciated the stand of Attorney General K K Venugopal and Supreme Court Bar Association president R S Suri in the matter. On August 4, the apex court had observed that it was "shell-shocked" at the chain of events involving the advocate general (AG). The AG, the highest law officer of the state, had on that day turned up in the apex court and tendered his unconditional apology for not appearing before a high court bench. Attorney General K K Venugopal had tendered the apology on his behalf. The apex court had then extended the interim stay on the high court order after rebuking Singh and asking the chief secretary of the state to appear before it. The bench after perusing the orders passed by the high court had observed that it seemed to be a "personality clash" which might ultimately damage the credibility of institution. It had also held that the high court should restrain itself from further "precipitating the unsavoury situation". It had observed that if the chief secretary keeps on filing affidavits and appearing before courts, how will governance go on. The apex court also urged the high court not pass any further order against Singh and the chief secretary till August 11, the next date of hearing. The high court had in its three orders on July 28, July 31 and August 1, expressed displeasure over the conduct of the advocate general for not appearing before it despite repeated calls. It had even said that the indulgence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would be sought on the issue and had directed the chief secretary to appear before it. The Uttar Pradesh government had then challenged the high court order. On August 2, the apex court had stayed the three HC orders and asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha to ensure the presence of Singh in the court today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scottish police officers are probing an "unexplained" death of a nine-year-old girl, a niece of Scotland's leading Indian-origin restaurateur, in her home in Glasgow. The girl has been identified locally as the niece of Satty Singh, after she died in her sleep late last night. "Enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact cause of death which officers are treating as unexplained at this time," a Police Scotland statement said today. A post-mortem examination will be carried out and a report sent to Glasgow's Procurator Fiscal, Scotland's public prosecution service. The girl was reportedly discovered by another child, who was unable to wake her and alerted the adults. "The family are devastated, she has simply passed away in her sleep," an uncle told the Daily Record. "She is a close relative of Satty, but I don't want to give all the names without the consent of the parents. There is nothing suspicious, the police are doing their job, they need to investigate these things," he said. Singh, popularly referred to as Glasgow's curry king, is the founder of Mister Singh's India restaurant in the city - described as one of Glasgow's oldest Indian restaurants. The 48-year-old Glasgow-based British Sikh, originally from Ambala in Punjab, lives next door to his brother Bobby Singh. The young girl found dead belongs to Bobby's family. Members of the local British Sikh community had started gathering at the homes on Dumbreck Road in Glasgow as of the tragedy spread. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Manoj Sinha today criticised the alleged cancellation of booking of BJP president Amit Shah's programme at a West Bengal government owned indoor stadium and termed it as "a violation of democracy". Sinha claimed that the BJP's strength in Bengal is rising and said such incidents (cancellation of booking) would not be able to stop party's popularity in the state. "The strength of BJP in West Bengal is constantly on the rise. No matter how much injustice is done, no one can stop the BJP from increasing its strength in the state," the Union Communication minister said on the sidelines of BSNL's function in city. Shah was supposed to hold a programme in the state owned Netaji Indoor Stadium during his visit to the state from September 11-13. The BJP alleged that a state-owned Netaji indoor stadium, where Shah was scheduled to attend a programme had cancelled the booking for the event. The state BJP leadership had claimed that the stadium authorities had earlier accepted the booking for Shah's programme but later denied it stating the stadium was booked for the entire month barring the days of Durga Puja. West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has claimed it had nothing to do with the alleged cancellation. Shah had yesterday said that the BJP will move the court against the alleged cancellation of booking at a state-owned Netaji Indoor stadium for a party event in Kolkata. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DMK leader M K Stalin today indicated adopting legal means and mobilising people to "topple" the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government if Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao did not order for a floor test within a specified time-frame. DMK and its allies-- Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have sought an appointment with Rao on September 10, 2017 to apprise him of the "prevailing issues" during the proposed meeting, Stalin, DMK's Working President, said. Referring to the revolt of the 19 AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to party's sidelined deputy chief T T V Dhinakaran against Palaniswami, he said the government was now short of the required majority of 117 MLAs in the 234-member House. Palaniswami now had the support of only 109 MLAs, he said, citing a meeting of AIADMK legislators convened by the Chief Minister early this week. Speaking at a marriage function here, Stalin, also the Leader of the Opposition, indicated he himself could lead the delegation this time. "When the Leader of Opposition seeks (appointment) it has to be given. In the event of it being given, we are going to apprise (Rao) of the prevailing issues and urge him to convene the Assembly and give an opportunity to prove (the Chief Minister's) majority," he said. "While making that plea, we are also going to fix a time frame. If the Governor doesn't take steps within that time, in the next step as part of toppling this government... Not just (by adopting) legal means but by also mobilising people," he said. "Our struggle will not relent till this government is brought down," he added. Stalin, whose party has a strength of 89 members in the 234-member house, claimed his efforts were not aimed at taking DMK to power nor was there any intention of enjoying posts. The philosophy of DMK founder C N Annadurai and party chief M Karunanidhi was to use posts to serve the public, he said, adding Tamil Nadu was now in "ruins". "The state is in ruins. Law and order situation is deteriorating. Farmers are facing untold miseries," he said and also pointed out at the state-wide protests against the Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) by members of different strata of the society. Stalin recalled that he had earlier written to Rao to order the Palaniswami government to face a floor test following the revolt of 19 ruling AIADMK MLAs against the Chief Minister, seeking his removal. Opposition parties led by DMK leader Durai Murugan had also met the Governor with a similar demand even as the Opposition parties, including the Left, had knocked on the doors of President Ram Nath Kovind with a similar plea. In the 234-member house, AIADMK has a strength of 135, including the Speaker. The opposition has a total strength of 98, including 89 of DMK and eight of Congress, besides the lone IUML member. On the Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) issue, he charged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre with "planned imposition" of the entrance exam on Tamil Nadu and said it was a "betrayal" of the rural pooor and others. As India plans to deport Rohingya Muslim immigrants, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) today said the principle of non-refoulement -- or not sending back refugees to a place where they face danger -- is binding on all states. In an e-mail response to PTI's questions on the Rohingyas in India, the UN body said the principle is considered a part of customary international law and therefore is binding on all states, whether they have signed the Refugee Convention or not. "In addition, India is party to major international human rights instruments, such as International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child," it said. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had recently said the Rohingyas, whether they are registered under the UNHCR or not, are "illegal immigrants in India and hence they stand to be deported". The Rohingyas Muslim minority in the Rakhine state of Myanmar have been fleeing to Bangladesh and India amid reports of alleged ethnic purging and persecution. Over the past few months, they have fled in their thousand because of military action against militancy in the state and the ensuing violence and arson. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this week visited Myanmar where he held talks with the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Asked if there was any change in India's stance vis-a-vis the Rohingyas after Modi's visit, it said, "UNHCR has not received any official communication from the government regarding any changes to its approach on refugees." It, however, said there were no reported instances of deportation of the UNHCR-registered Rohingyas from India. Some 16,500 Rohingya from Myanmar are registered with the UNHCR in India. About 40,000 are said to be staying illegally. The UN body also appreciated the protection given by India to "vulnerable" refugees and its "long and proud" history of solidarity with the people fleeing violence. According to estimates, Hyderabad is home to about 3,600 Rohingyas, taking shelter here under a UNHCR programme. "They are not willing to go back to Myanmar," a volunteer with an NGO working for them said requesting anonymity. Sources in the Rohingya camp here say they are apprehensive about their future if they are deported and fear that they would be killed or subjected to torture back home. "There are about 3,600 Rohingyas, who are UNHCR card holders. Most of them are illiterate. We have not seen any fresh arrivals after the recent incidents in Maynmar. Whoever lives in the camp (in old city area) is not willing to go back as they fear for their lives," one of them said. "Lot of them are very worried about the situation in Myanmar. If India does not want them, where will they go? They fear that they would be killed if they go back to Myanmar," they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ben Stokes followed his Test-best bowling figures with a rapid fifty as England gained a first- innings lead of 71 runs against West Indies in their series decider at Lord's today. England, at tea on a rain-marred second day, had been bowled out for 194 in reply to West Indies' first innings 123 to leave the match finely balanced with this three-Test series all square at 1-1. Kemar Roach took five for 72, with West Indies captain and fellow seamer Jason Holder following up with four for 54. James Anderson, unbeaten on eight after Stuart Broad was last man out for a valuable 38, spent the 20-minute tea break knowing he was just one away from becoming the first Englishman to take 500 Test wickets. Left-handed batsman Stokes made 60, his fifty coming off just 51 balls, including 10 fours. That followed the Durham all-rounder's six for 22 on Thursday in overcast conditions ideal for his lively right-arm swing bowling. But it might have been a very different story when, just two balls into the second session after a rain delay, Stokes, on 24, edged Shannon Gabriel only for Kraigg Brathwaite to drop a tough chance as he dived far to his left at second slip. Brathwaite had to go for the catch as, despite the overcast conditions continuing to make life tough for the batsmen, there was no third slip. There had been one present as Jonny Bairstow took a single off the first ball of the afternoon's play. The delivery after the drop saw Holder reinforce his slip cordon. As if to underline the error, Stokes celebrated his reprieve by driving that very next ball from Gabriel down the ground for four. Bairstow found runs rather harder to come by and, after repeatedly playing amd missing at Roach, was lbw to the fast bowler for 21 to end a stand of 56. It seemed as if the West Indies had made another costly mistake when Gabriel bowled Stokes only for replays to reveal a no-ball. But two deliveries later, with Stokes still on 60, Gabriel produced a near identical ball that saw the batsman bowled by the late inswing as he stretched forward. This time, however, Gabriel had kept his front foot behind the crease line and he had his only wicket of the innings. Roach had his fifth wicket when new batsman Moeen Ali, rarely able to resist the lure of driving outside off stump, fell for three when he sliced the paceman to gully, where Kyle Hope held a sharp catch. Ali's fall meant Roach had achieved one of West Indies' pre-match aims by gaining a coveted place on the dressing room honours board that records all those who've taken five or more wickets or scored a hundred in a Test innings at Lord's. But Broad, who made his Test-best score of 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, added valuable late runs, the left-handed batsman carving Roach over cover and point for two sixes over the relatively short Tavern side boundary before he was caught behind. England resumed on their overnight 46 for four, with Dawid Malan and Stokes both 13 not out. Roach, adjusting his angle from around the wicket, nipped one away to have left-hander Malan, still to cement his England place ahead of the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia, caught behind for 20 on his Middlesex home ground. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The TADA court in Mumbai which sentenced Tahir Merchant to death in the 1993 serial blasts case has said that his role in the conspiracy was more serious than that of Yakub Memon. Memon, convicted in the earlier phase of trial, was the only one whose death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court, and he was subsequently hanged. The TADA court, which awarded capital punishment to Merchant and Feroz Khan yesterday while announcing the sentences of five accused whose trial was held later, said the cases of both Merchant and Feroz fell in the "rarest of the rare" category. "His (Merchant's) role is more serious than Yakub Memon's," judge G A Sanap said in the judgement. While convicting Merchant, the court had held in June that "evidence proves the anguish, agitation and frustration expressed by Tahir due to situation prevailing in Bombay during the period of riots in January 1993". "The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the judge had said. On the other hand, while awarding life imprisonment to co-accused Karimullah Khan yesterday, the court said he can't be sentenced to death only because he was once the bodyguard of absconding accused Anees Ibrahim. "He stayed in Pakistan for almost 13 years. He has stated that in Pakistan he was bodyguard of Anees Ibrahim Kaskar... brother of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, main absconders in the case. "In my view, on this ground alone it would not be proper to award death penalty...Considering the degree of culpability of the accused, Karimullah, and the mitigating circumstances, he deserves to be awarded imprisonment for life. He cannot be awarded death," the court held. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior IPS officer from Telangana Mahesh Bhagwat was today presented with the '2017 Hero Acting to End Modern Slavery Award' by the United States Department of State, for his fight against human trafficking in India. US Consul General Katherine Hadda presented the 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Hero Award to Bhagwat, who is currently the Rachakonda Police Commissioner here. The US Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons every year honours outstanding individuals from across the world who devote their careers to the fight to end human trafficking. For 2017, the US Department of State chose to recognise eight such individuals, including Bhagwat. Bhagwat is the third IPS officer to get the honour. Consul General Hadda said, "By presenting Commissioner Bhagwat with this 2017 TIP Hero Award, we are also recognising the commitment of the Telangana government and its hardworking police force to fight a huge and growing tragedy: trafficking in persons for sexual and labour exploitation." Bhagwat said he would like to view the TIP Hero award as recognition of the work the Government of Telangana and the police are doing to combat trafficking in persons for sex and labour. According to the report of the US State Department, "Mahesh Bhagwat has demonstrated remarkable commitment to the fight against organised human trafficking for the last 13 years in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. "He has participated in anti-trafficking operations that have removed hundreds of victims from situations of trafficking, and with the help of other government departments and civil society organisations, has ensured their placement in rehabilitation programmes." In addition to being a central figure in trafficking deterrence efforts, Bhagwat's dedication to the fight against the menace is further demonstrated by his innovative and effective approach in investigating such cases, it said. Bhagwat had rescued more than 1,000 women and children from sex trafficking besides 800 children from forced labour. He has pioneered the use of legal provisions to close sites where trafficking is known to occur. Under his command, Rachakonda police closed 25 brothels -- five hotels and 20 residential apartments -- in less than a year and participated in one of the largest crackdowns on labour trafficking in the country, which led to identification and removal of more than 350 children forced to work in brick kilns. Rachakonda Commissionerate is among the three Police Commissionerates in Hyderabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Music maestro A R Rahman has condemned the killing of senior journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, saying the current scenario does not represent the India he knows. The Kannada journalist, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence on September 5. The 50-year-old music composer expressed sadness over the incident. "I am so sad about this. These kind of things don't happen in India. This is not my India. I want India to be progressive and kind," Rahman told reporters. The Oscar winning-musician was speaking at the premiere of his upcoming film "One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film". The movie is based on Rahman's concert tour across 14 North American cities, which includes footage of the composer and his band members during the gigs and rehearsals. Talking about his movie, Rahman said, "'One Heart...' is probably the first concert film in India. We wanted to give you an alternate kind of film, because we have seen an action, comedy and romantic film. "This is a musical with great quality sound. The profit from the film will go to One Heart foundation." When asked if the audience will see a biopic being made on his life, the music composer said, "I am still young. I don't need a biopic. May be someone will make after I am gone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Bangladesh today to protest the killing of Rohingya Muslims in neighbouring Myanmar, police said. At least 15,000 supporters of the Islamist Islami Andolon Bangladesh party chanted slogans against Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi as they demonstrated in Dhaka and the town of Tongi to the north of the capital after Friday prayers. "Myanmar army is carrying out a genocide of the Rohingya with the help of Suu Kyi's government. She must be held accountable and tried," said party spokesman K.M. Atiqur Rahman. Earlier, several thousand supporters of Bangladesh's main opposition political party formed a human chain to protest the treatment of Myanmar's Rohingya minority. The UN says 270,000 Rohingya have arrived in Muslim- majority Bangladesh in the last fortnight after fleeing Myanmar, where refugees say their villages have been burned to the ground and relatives killed by the army. Images purportedly showing atrocities against the Rohingya have flooded Bangladeshi social media, triggering an outpouring of sympathy among locals, who have historical ties with the community. Dhaka has protested what it called an "unprecedented influx" of Rohingya since the latest violence erupted on August 25. In the past two weeks, the Bangladesh government has twice summoned the Myanmar envoy to express its concern over the escalation of violence. It says the arrivals represent an "unbearable additional burden" on the poor country, already home to 400,000 Rohingya before the latest influx. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The "whimsical" Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014, will create a new social disorder in Arunachal Pradesh if implemented, state Congress president Takam Sanjoy has said. Sanjoy said Arunachal Pradesh has been facing a crisis with the Chakma-Hajong refugees for decades in spite of having constitutional safeguards, and implementation of the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy would open another flood gate in the state. "This predominately tribal state, protected by constitutional safeguards like Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, and Chin Hills Regulation 1896, cannot be equated with Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi. Uttarakhand, which have decided to adopt the policy," he said. Not all policies are mandatory for the state, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief told reporters here. There have been growing protests in Arunachal Pradesh against the recent decision by its Cabinet to implement the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014. Sanjoy said the national rehabilitation policy for the Tibetan refugees was prepared by the Centre without consulting any state government. Terming the policy adoption as "whimsical", he said, if implemented it would create a new social disorder as there are already Tibetan settlements at Tenjing Gaon, Tezu and Miao in West Kameng, Lohit and Changlang districts, respectively, he said. The guideline of the policy states that Tibetans may be allowed to undertake any economic activity and to that extent, relevant papers/trade license/permit may be issued to them, and also permitted to take jobs in any field for which they are professionally qualified. "When the lease period expires, the state government through a policy decision can extend lease further. But, there is no question of allowing new settlement in any part of the state as available cultivable lands are limited even for its growing indigenous population," Sanjoy said. He said issues relating to the Chakma-Hajong refugees, Tibetans or Bangladeshis should be viewed seriously, as the Himalayan state has turned into a "most volatile hotspot of South East Asia." "Any trading license should not be granted to them (Tibetans), except the way others Indians are given on power of attorney basis on humanitarian grounds," said Sanjoy, a former Lok Sabha member. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A tribal girl was allegedly raped by at least six men when she was taking a stroll with her boyfriend near a university campus in Jharkhand's Dumka and 12 persons have been arrested in this connection, a police officer said today. According to the police, the men first demanded Rs 5,100 and a mobile phone from her as a "penalty" because her friend was a "non-tribal" and then allegedly forced the girl and her boyfriend to strip and have sex in front of them, before taking turns to rape her. Superintendent of Police Mayur Patel said 12 people have been arrested on the basis of inputs given by the girl and her friend. The girl was taking a stroll with her boyfriend near the Sidhu Kanhu Murmu University campus at Dighi eight km from here when at least six men intercepted them at the crossing of Ring Road and Dighi Road on Wednesday evening. The men demanded Rs 5,100 and a mobile phone from her as a penalty for roaming with a non-tribal. Her boyfriend refused to hand over the mobile and assured them of giving them the money if he was permitted to call his friend. But the culprits snatched her mobile phone and instead asked their friends to come to the spot, the police said. The accused then allegedly forced the girl and her boyfriend to have sex in front of them at knifepointby the side of the road. They then allegedly took turns to rape the girl, the police said. After the crime, the accused forced the girl to wash herself in a nearby pond and handed her over to her boyfriend without her clothes, the police said. The girl and her friend contacted their friends and relatives and reached Muffassil police station at around 11.30 pm that night and lodged a gangrape case, the police said. The girl was sent to Sadar Hospital, where her condition was stated to be 'out of danger', the police said. Her statement was recorded in camera in the presence of a lady magistrate under section 164 Crpc on the directive of Dumka SDO Jai Prakash Jha. While the girl is a native of Dumka, her friend is employed in Kolkata. DIG Akhilesh Kumar Jha said, a case of gangrape has been registered against all the persons present on the scene of crime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump said military action against a defiant North Korea is certainly an option, but hoped that he does not have to use it. Tensions have dramatically risen on the Korean peninsula after North Korea on Sunday conducted its biggest nuclear test, which its state-run KCNA agency described it as a hydrogen bomb. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable. It would be great if something else could be worked out," he told reporters at a conference with the Kuwait's Emir Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday. "We would have to look at all the details, all of the facts. But we've had presidents for 25 years now, they've been talking, talking, and the day after an agreement is reached, new work begins in North Korea, continuation on nuclear. So, I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen," Trump said in response to a question. Pyongyang in July conducted two long-range ballistic missile launches, followed by a medium-range over Japan, a US ally, in August. The US has responded to meet the challenge with "fire and fury". Stressing that the US military is now stronger than ever, Trump said, "Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea". "I'm not negotiating with you. Maybe we'll have a chance to negotiate with somebody else, but I don't put my negotiations on the table. Unlike past administrations, I don't talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea is behaving badly, and it's got to stop," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump offered today to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors and said he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily." "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two youths were today sentenced to 20 years rigourous imprisonment by a court here for gang rape of a mentally-challenged minor girl in February last year. Thane Special (POCSO) Judge A S Bhaisare also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the duo. The convicts 21-year-old Samin Ansari and 22-year-old Sonu Murmu hail from Jharkhand, while the main accused Isaque Ansari is still at large since the day of the crime. The prosecutor told the court that on February 1, 2016, the mentally-challenged girl, aged around 11 and resident of Shil-Padle gaon, was playing outside her house when the accused wooed her by giving her chocolate. The trio took her to bushes near her house and raped her in turns. The accused also made an attempt to strangulate her to death. But as they did not succeed in their attempt they abandoned her in the bushes and fled from the spot, the prosecution said in its argument. The girl later returned home and with gestures narrated the horrifying incident to her parents after which the police complaint was lodged. As many as 18 witnesses were examined in the case. The court took serious note of the manner in which the child was subjected to inhuman torture by the trio. It termed the act was inhuman, terrible and brutal and observed that the atrocity needs to be condemned in strong words. They were tried for offences punishable under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 363 (punishment for kidnapping), 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 376(d) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural sex) and 336 (act endangering life and personal safety of others) of the IPC and under relevant sections of the POCSO Act, 2012. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ride-sharing company Uber today announced the launch of its "biggest" 'Greenlight Center' in India here, which will act as a one-stop solution for driver-partners' needs. The 15000 sqft facility is dedicated to driver-partners in Bangalore for best-in-class customer service and support, the company said in a release. It said from new driver sign ups to offering subsidized services for existing driver partners, the center acts as a one-stop solution for all their needs. The center was launched in the presence of Dr B Basavaraju, Karnataka Principal Secretary of Transport., "Through the Greenlight Center, we are offering in-person assistance to more than 4,000 driver- partners a week," Uber South India General Manager Christian Freese said. "We're continuing to invest in our in-person locations and have launched three other facilities at the Devanahalli, Yeshwantpur and HBR," he said. The new facility is specially designed to meet the needs of drivers, with features like: space for a team of Uber Experts, who will help new drivers get signed up and address any questions current partners have along the way. Also, UberBazaar offers driver partners several benefits on new vehicles, vehicle maintenance, health benefits, financial planning and many more services and dedicated training area for driver partners to learn about the app, among others, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An undertrial prisoner was killed and two others injured in a shootout at the premises of Barh sub-divisional court in rural Patna district today, police said. It is suspected that the killing was a fallout of gang war, a police officer said. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Lallan Mohan Prasad said that rival gang members opened fire at notorious criminal Guddu Singh while he was coming out of the court after production. Two other undertrial prisoners were injured in the firing, the SP said, adding they were out of danger. Guddu Singh was a history-sheeter and he was facing over 25 criminal cases, the SP said. Prasad also said a search operation was launched to nab the assailants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre today unveiled the first-ever guidelines on no-fly list under which air travellers can now be banned from flying for a period ranging from three months to lifetime for unruly behaviour on plane. Aviation regulator DGCA will maintain the record of all such blacklisted passengers. The quantum of punishment is based on the severity of offence, which has been divided into three categories. Several airlines have been demanding a no-fly list of disruptive passengers following an incident in which Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad allegedly hit an Air India staffer with his slipper "25 times" over not being given a business class seat in an all-economy plane. The amended Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) or rules on "handling of unruly passengers" announced today by the government come into effect immediately but will not apply retrospectively. The no-fly list will be compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) based on inputs from various airlines. The country is the first in the world to have a no-fly list that is based on safety and not just security, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said at a press conference. He clarified that the no-fly list will apply only if the incident is inside an aircraft which could adversely affect the safety of the aircraft and its occupants. Otherwise, the matter will be probed by security agencies. The pilot-in-command of an aeroplane can report an incident involving an unruly passenger and the matter will be investigated by an internal committee of the airline concerned within 30 days. If the probe is not concluded within the time-frame, the passenger will be "free to fly", say the revised rules. However, the airline "may" impose a ban while it is probing the matter for a period not exceeding 30 days, it adds. The committee will decide the quantum of punishment based on the nature of misbehaviour, which has been divided into three categories on the basis of their severity. The first category of disruptive behaviour includes verbal assault and carries a ban of 3 months, the second includes physical attack with a ban of six months and the third and most serious category comprises life-threatening behaviour as well as sexual harassment with a ban ranging from two years or more without upper limit. In case a passenger is a repeat offender, the duration of the flying ban will be twice that of his previous ban. Other domestic carriers "will not be bound by the no-fly list of an airline", the ministry of civil aviation said in a press statement, implying that they are free to decide whether or not to bar a passenger already banned by one of the airlines for his/her misconduct. An airline is also required to inform a traveller about the flying restrictions imposed by it. The list will also comprise passengers identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a threat to national security. Unruly passengers will also be investigated by the local police in addition to the airline's internal committee and can face criminal charges as a carrier is required to file an FIR. "The Directorate General of Civil Avaiation (DGCA) is a safety regulator and the goal of this exercise is safety, which starts once you board the aircraft. If you are not on the aircraft, it is not within the legal scope or purview of DGCA," Sinha said. On how will the airlines track an unruly passenger banned by them, Sinha said that the government's "digi yatra" initiative to be implemented soon will allow "unique identification to be associated with a PNR number". On earlier occasions he has said that this could be done by making an Aadhar card or a passport mandatory for booking a ticket. The rules apply for domestic and international scheduled and non-scheduled (chartered) air transport services, all Indian airports as well as passengers flying into and over India. International airlines will have to conform to these rules as per the Tokyo Convention, 1963, said Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The Convention allows a contracting country to impose its criminal jurisdiction on an aircraft in flight if there is a breach of flight related rules, in case the offence has been committed by or against a national of that country and if it harms its security. A passenger barred from flying can approach an appellate committee constituted by the ministry within a period of 60 days. The decision of this committee will be final but if the appellant is dissatisfied he or she can approach the high court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States is determined to have a vote at the UN Security Council on Monday on imposing tough new sanctions against North Korea despite resistance from China and Russia, UN diplomats have said. Washington has presented a draft UN resolution calling for an oil embargo on North Korea, an assets freeze on Kim Jong-Un, a ban on textiles and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. UN diplomats did not rule out the possibility that China or Russia could veto the measure, but stressed that the US administration had launched a major push to win approval. "The US intent is so strong on this issue and clearly they are throwing a lot at this," said a Security Council diplomat. "I would expect the central scenario to be that they throw anything they have to throw at it to have it voted on Monday," he said. The council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he expected negotiations on the draft resolution to lead to some changes that could address Russian and Chinese concerns. China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi cut short a visit with other council envoys to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa to return to New York and take part in negotiations on the draft text. Russia's Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia this week said a vote on Monday would be "a little premature." The United States wants tough sanctions to be imposed to maximize pressure on Pyongyang to come to the table and negotiate an end to its nuclear and missile tests. The proposed raft of sanctions would be the toughest-ever imposed on North Korea and seek to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test. Britain yesterday backed the measures, saying the sanctions resolution was "a proportionate response to North Korea's illegal and reckless behavior." "To give a chance for diplomacy to end this crisis, we need DPRK to change course now. That means the maximum possible pressure," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. UN diplomats said that a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on North Korea could be held during the high- level debate of the General Assembly starting on September 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US-India military ties has been an "extraordinary story" of the past decade and the bilateral relationship "stands on its own", a top America diplomat said. Alice Wells, the acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, said both India and China are leading powers but the ties with India are based on democratic values. "The US supports peaceful and stable relations globally among all countries, including India and China. Our goal, ultimately, in the Indo-Pacific region, is every nation should be able to work together to uphold international norms and to prosper," Wells said during a Congressional Subcommittee hearing on South Asia yesterday. She said the Trump administration "obviously strongly supports" a prosperous India that plays a leading global role. "Both China and India are leading powers, but our relationship with India really stands on its own. And it stands on its own because it's based on democratic values, on close political and economic ties," she said. Wells was responding to a question from Congressman Ted Yoho, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and The Pacific. "With President Trump's speech... Where he was talking about our pivot with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and India's more increasing role with Afghanistan, and we saw India's willingness to stand up to China in the northern territory, and then we saw the resolution of that peacefully, thank God," Yoho said. "Are there provisions in our proposed budget that could help deepen the US-India security partnership, which could be beneficial in checking China's unwarranted territorial claims through the rest of Asia?" Yoho asked. Wells did not give direct answer to the China question. But she said the military relationship between the US and India in the past 10 years "has been an extraordinary story, wherein the military sales jumped from zero to USD15 billion". "We're currently holding the largest military exercise with India and Japan, the Malabar exercise, that brings together 10,000 personnel and our largest carriers. With India as a major defence partner, we are able to now offer advanced technologies. During the visit of Prime Minister Modi with President Trump in June, we had the unprecedented offer of the nonlethal Sea Guardian UAV for maritime security," she said. "Now we want to build on that military partnership. India over the next seven years, is projected to spend USD 30 billion in military modernisation. Our companies, like Boeing and Lockheed, with the F-18s and the F-16s, are natural competitors. It would deeply enhance our interoperability with India," Wells said. "But then how do we build that relationship further outwards? We are already working with Japan. There are opportunities to work with Australia. How do we, as democratic nations that share values, enshrine those values? And again, freedom of navigation, demilitarisation, working together on disaster response, humanitarian assistance, setting a standard for the region," said the top US diplomat. Responding to a question, Wells said the Trump administration is working to reduce trade deficit with India. "The administration is doing an assessment of the top countries with trade deficits and the goal is to equalise and reduce those trade deficits," she said. "And in the case of India, there are obvious areas where we can work to improve IPR protection, to reduce nontariff barriers. We have several high-level, serious dialogues through USTR and the Department of Commerce to tackle specific sectoral issues. We've used the WTO in the case of our chicken, our poultry and egg exports, where we expect India to implement the WTO ruling." she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Senate has passed a USD 15.25 billion relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in an effort to fully fund federal emergency operations as another potentially catastrophic storm bears down on Florida. The package passed 80 to 17 yesterday, one day after President Donald Trump and congressional leaders announced a shock deal that includes the hurricane relief, as well as temporary lifting of the US debt ceiling and funding of the federal government into December. The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which approved a USD 7.9 billion, stand-alone emergency relief package Wednesday with no debt ceiling or government funding language. The two versions would need to be reconciled before a final bill is sent to the president for his signature. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, the state which bore the brunt of devastation from Hurricane Harvey, said it was "unfortunate" that leaders tied the relief bill to funding and debt ceiling extensions. But he voted for the measure anyway, saying it was vital to have "immediate" funding for hurricane relief, even if it was only a first step in a much larger need for aid. Leaders of a group of far-right House conservatives, the Republican Study Committee, have come out against the package because it ties relief funding to the debt ceiling, which they see as a tool for negotiating over spending. The head of another conservative group, the House Freedom Caucus, also opposes the three-pronged package. "We want to see a longer term debt-ceiling bill that has real conservative structural reforms and obviously we didn't see that yesterday" with the Trump deal, Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows told Fox Business Network. With most if not all Democrats expected to support the package along with Republican moderates, the House could still pass the legislation and send it to Trump for his signature. House Speaker Paul Ryan, noting that monster Hurricane Irma was now tracking toward Florida, said there was "a sense of urgency to get this relief package done." Under the Senate plan, USD 7.4 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Administration's disaster relief fund. FEMA has burned through much of its disaster funding, due to the scope of Harvey and technical advancements that allow the agency to distribute money more quickly than in previous disasters. Another USD 7.4 billion would fund community development block grants, used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, while USD 450 million was headed to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended tying hurricane resources to the debt ceiling and government funding. It will provide "certainty and stability" for first responders and state officials as they grapple with the massive relief efforts for Harvey in Texas, and as they brace for Hurricane Irma. The bill will provide "critically needed emergency resources that will not be interrupted by the prospect of a shutdown or default," he added. But Republican Senator John McCain, who opposed the measure, said it was "irresponsible" to roll hurricane relief into such fiscal issues, essentially forcing Congress into another short-term federal spending fix. "We are shirking our responsibilities and kicking the can down the road" instead of debating federal expenditures and voting on a new budget before the 2018 fiscal year begins October 1, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States has expressed concern about the crisis in Myanmar, urging authorities to allow humanitarian access to Rakhine state amid reports of violence against the Rohingya minority. But the State Department would not say whether Washington is considering sanctions against Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, nor whether US officials find the reports of state- sponsored massacres credible. "The United States is deeply concerned about the troubling situation in Burma's northern Rakhine state," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters yesterday. Rakhine is the country's poorest state. "There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians," she said. "We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further attacks on local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights." The United Nations says that more than 250,000 refugees, most of them Rohingya, have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh since violence erupted last October. Witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of attacks on August 25, prompting a forceful military-led crackdown. Refugees arriving in already packed camps in Bangladesh, many of them exhausted and desperately hungry, have brought harrowing tales of murder, rape and widespread arson. "We call on the authorities to facilitate immediate access to affected communities that are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," Nauert said, adding that US officials are working to help the United Nations cope with the exodus. But she would not comment on who is at fault in the latest violence. Myanmar's de facto leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has claimed that allegations of army-led massacres are part of a "huge iceberg of misinformation" designed to sow division. Nauert said US diplomats are in regular touch with Myanmar authorities but that Rakhine is "a difficult place to get information from, it's difficult to get access to." "Some of these areas are areas of open conflict, we can't necessarily get in there," she said. Nauert refused to address calls for international sanctions, saying, "We don't want to get ahead of the conversations that we're having. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Vietnamese merchant ship titled while loading steel billets at the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), a senior port official said today. The 11,000 tonne 'Hai Duong 09' tilted to one side at the EQ berth number 5 at VPT here last evening, he said. VPT Chairman M T Krishna Babu told reporters that no injuries and causalities were reported in the incident and efforts are on remove the loaded cargo to enable the ship to stabilise on its own. Babu said the VPT would submit a report on the incident to the authorities concerned and the incident has been reported to the Director-General of Shipping. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said he is going there with an "open mind" and is ready to meet anyone who wishes to interact with him as the government wants resolution of all the problems. During his four-day visit beginning tomorrow, Singh will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others, a move seen as a follow-up to the prime minister's Independence Day speech in which he had reached out to the people of the Valley. "I am going with an open mind and I am willing to meet all those who come to meet me. We want a resolution to the problems," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here today. A home ministry statement said during his visit, the home minister will meet Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He will also review the works related to the Prime Minister's development package of Rs 80,000 crore announced in 2015 and security situation in the state, it said. Singh will interact with the personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the CRPF and the BSF, who have been in the forefront of the anti-militancy operations in the state, in Anantnag. On Sunday, Singh is expected to attend a comprehensive security review meeting with the chief minister and the top brass of the Army, CRPF and J&K police. Singh is also likely to interact with college students in Srinagar to get their views on the Kashmir situation. The home minister will address a press conference in Srinagar on Monday before leaving for Jammu. He will also visit a camp of the BSF in Rajouri. In Jammu, the home minister will meet stakeholders including traders, migrants, Kashmiri pandits and representatives of communities including Gujjars and Bakarwals. In his August 15 speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached out to strife-hit Kashmiris, asserting that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved either by bullets or by abuses, and that a solution can only be found by embracing all Kashmiris. The home minister himself had said on August 19 that a solution to the Kashmir problem, besides terrorism, Naxalism, and the northeast insurgency will be found before 2022. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the Congress policy planning group on Kashmir, will also lead a team of party leaders to Jammu and Kashmir next week for discussions on the current situation in the state with party workers and "like-minded" groups. A group of citizens, led by former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, had visited Jammu and Kashmir on August 17-19 and prepared a report which said the sense of "dismay and despondency" had grown among the people and the situation was "much worse" than their previous visits. In September 2016, the home minister had visited the state leading an all-party delegation when he met about 200 members of 30 delegations from various sections of society and listened to their point of view to arrive at a common solution to the Kashmir issue. However, the Kashmiri separatists had rebuffed attempts by five opposition MPs to talk to them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the Centre turning down the West Bengal government's last proposal on changing the state's name, its cabinet today decided to send another proposal. "After the central government turned down our request to change the name of West Bengal, in the cabinet meeting today it was decided to send them another proposal of changing the name to Bangla in all three languages - Bengali, Hindi and English," state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said. The Centre had earlier turned down the state government's proposal to change the name of West Bengal to 'Bengal' in English and 'Bangla' in Bengali. Incidentally, the state government had decided to rename the state as 'Bengal' after its earlier proposal of rechristening it as 'Paschim Bango', made in 2011 when the Trinamool Congress took office, failed to get the Centre's approval. The primary reason for changing the name of West Bengal is that whenever there is a meeting of all states, West Bengal figures at the bottom of the list which is prepared in alphabetical order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu government today informed the Madras High Court that it would settle the dues of Rs 1,136 crores to retired Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) employees by October 7. An undertaking to this effect was given by Advocate General Vijay Narayan, representing the state government, to a division bench of Justices S Manikumar and M Govindaraj. When the matter came up today, the AG also submitted that with regard to the settlement of dues worth around Rs 5000 crores to the serving employees, submitted that the scheme of payment will also be submitted on October 7. The bench recorded the submission and posted the matter to October 21. The matter was taken up as Suo Motu PIL by the court based on a post card sent by a retired employee of the corporation from Madurai to a division bench of Justices MV Muralidharan and N Seshasayee at the court's Madurai Bench in May last year. Justice Muralidaran had directed the High Court Registry to treat the post card sent by R Mayandi Servai as a suo motu public interest litigation petition which was then transferred to theprincipal seat of the High Court in Chennai. In his letter, Servai had claimed that his benefits had not been settled even after 24 years since his superannuation and that hundreds of other retired employees too were facing a similar situation. He had accused the judges of having passed a harsh order against the striking TNSTC employees without knowing the ground situation and the government's failure to honour its statutory liabilities. Earlier the bench had directed the TNSTC employees, who were then on strike, to return to work forthwith or face action under the Essential Services Maintenance Act of 1968. The employees had sought among other benefits settlement of pending retirement benefits and payment of operational deficit to transport corporations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 32-year old man from Tripura has been rescued from his employers in Saudi Arabia following intervention by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, state BJP in-charge Sunil Deodhar said today. Gopal Das, a resident of Barapathari village in South Tripura district, had gone to Saudi Arabia in search of a job three years ago. He got a job as a driver but was made to slave for about 22 hours a day working also as a household and agricultural farm worker for his employer. To add to his woes Das was not given any salary by his employer, who also tortured him physically. He, however, could not inform the matter to his family members as he was put under constant surveillance. Deodhar said Das' employer had sacked him and drove out of his house on August 29. He managed to get a shelter in a garage and informed the matter to his wife Bhabita. Bhabita had contacted a person Russel Sinha in her neighbourhood, who is an expert in handling social media and spoke to Gopal. He asked the man to send a video of his statement. Russel tweeted the video to Swaraj on August 31 and the external affairs minister promptly directed the Indian consulate in Jeddah to rescue Gopal, Deodhar said. Gopal returned here last night and left for his ancestral house at Barapathari in South Tripura district. He was received at the Agartala airport by BJP state president Biplab Deb, Deodhar, Russel and BJP MLA Sudip Roy Burman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Elias Glenn and Stella Qiu BEIJING (Reuters) - China posted stronger-than-expected import growth in August, reinforcing views that the world's second-largest economy is still expanding at a healthy pace despite tighter policy. China's imports grew 13.3 percent from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday, handily beating analysts' forecast of 10 percent and accelerating from an 11.0 percent pace in July. Purchases of industrial commodities continued to lead the way as soaring steel prices boost Chinese mills' appetite for high-quality foreign iron ore to feed a year-long construction boom. "The strong import data suggests that domestic demand may be more resilient than expected in the second half to less accommodative monetary policy," said Louis Kuijs at Oxford Economics in a note, referring to a clampdown on riskier forms of lending which is pushing up borrowing costs. Exports showed signs of softening, however, with growth cooling to 5.5 percent from a year earlier, roughly in line with analysts' forecasts for a 6.0 percent increase but down from 7.2 percent in July. Export growth was the slowest since shipments fell in February, but analysts don't foresee a protracted slowdown for the world's largest exporter as global demand still appears solid. Germany's BGA trade association now expects German exports to rise 5 percent in 2017, double its earlier forecast, Die Welt newspaper reported on Friday. Global manufacturing activity also expanded strongly in August, adding to views that demand was holding up in the current quarter. In addition, China has tended to lag export trends seen elsewhere in North Asia this year. Neighbouring South Korea last week reported robust shipments in August, though the rate of growth eased slightly from July. China's electronics exports, which tend to be higher-value and higher-margin goods, increased 7.4 percent in August, while textile and apparel shipments fell by the single digits. BEIJING BEGINNING TO WORRY ABOUT STRONGER YUAN A surging yuan could complicate China's trade picture in coming months. Policymakers are beginning to worry as exporters come under strain as the currency scales 21-month highs, insiders told . But most analysts say the stronger currency has not yet had a big impact on exports as companies price orders based on longer-term currency trends. "The strength in the yuan is unlikely to change our optimistic view on China's near-term export outlook," ANZ senior China economist Betty Wang wrote in a note, arguing that China has a strong position in global supply chains. Nevertheless, some smaller Chinese exporters have started to complain of losses due to a sharp turnaround in the yuan, which has firmed nearly 7.8 percent against the faltering U.S. dollar so far this year. Much of that surge has come in just the past few months, with the currency appreciating 2.1 percent in August alone. The mixed performance left China with a trade surplus of $41.99 billion for August, the General Administration of Customs said, the lowest since May. Analysts were expecting China's trade surplus to have widened to $48.6 billion in August from July's $46.73 billion. SURPLUS WITH U.S. RISES The growth of China's exports to the United States at 8.4 percent in August was the slowest pace since a decline in February, while its imports of U.S. goods rose 18.1 percent on-year after a 24.2 percent jump in the previous month. Shipments to the European Union rose only 5.2 percent in August, the second straight month of declining growth, while exports to Southeast Asia and Taiwan grew at a faster rate. Despite a rebound in 2017 from several lean years, China's trade picture also continues to be clouded by persistent worries of further trade tensions with the United States, China's largest export market. August saw China with its largest surplus with the U.S. since September 2015 at $26.2 billion, up from $25.2 billion in July. That could give fresh ammunition to U.S. President Donald Trump who has long complained that the trade imbalance between the two nations hurts the U.S. economy. Trump in August authorized an inquiry into China's alleged theft of intellectual property in the first direct trade measure by his administration against Beijing, but one that is unlikely to prompt near-term change. Beijing has responded that China will tighten controls over IP theft, admitting that its IP protection was "not perfect" as a developing country. Improving global demand, particularly for electronics, has boosted exports for China and other trade-reliant Asian economies this year. But investors have been more focused on its strong appetite for imports, particularly industrial commodities such as iron ore and coal, which have sparked a global price rally and fuelled higher earnings and share prices for many resource-related companies. Sturdy import demand is good for the government as it prepares for a key Communist Party Congress next month. Fueled by strong government infrastructure spending, generous bank lending and improving exports, China's resilience has surprised investors and analysts so far this year. First-half economic growth surged to 6.9 percent, which should provide enough momentum to easily meet or beat Bejing's full-year growth target of around 6.5 percent. (Reporting by Stella Qiu and Elias Glenn; Editing by Kim Coghill) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Paul Lienert DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to offer hybrid gasoline-electric versions of all its U.S. models by 2022, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Details could be announced as early as Oct. 3, when Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett plans to update investors on the automaker's strategy. Company officials are also considering whether to introduce one or more all-electric Lincoln models, one source said. The proposed electrification scheme could be critical to Lincoln's future in China, which will require automakers to make electric vehicles an increasing percentage of their total sales. The Lincoln hybrids are part of a broader Ford program to offer at least 18 new electric and hybrid models over the next five years, the sources said. Lincoln aims to follow a path blazed this year by several European premium brands, including Daimler AG , Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's Volvo Cars [GEELY.UL], BMW and Jaguar Land Rover [TAMOJL.UL], all of which have announced plans to offer more hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Global luxury brands are responding to competitive pressure from Elon Musk's Tesla Inc , and proposals by the Chinese government to mandate significantly higher levels of electric vehicle sales in the world's largest auto market. The plan to offer a portfolio of Lincoln hybrid models was crafted before Hackett took over in May, the sources said. Ford said in January 2016 it would spend $4.5 billion to electrify a portion of its U.S. fleet, including hybrid versions of the Mustang and the F-150, and at least 11 other models. The extent of its electrification effort, including details on specific new and redesigned models, has not previously been disclosed. A Ford spokesman said the company would not comment on future products. As the Lincoln brand rolls out redesigned versions of its existing models and introduces at least one new model, it is planning to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of those vehicles, beginning with the redesigned MKC crossover and the new Aviator crossover in 2019, the sources said. The redesigned Lincoln Navigator utility vehicle, which goes on sale this autumn, is expected to add a conventional hybrid version in 2019. Subsequent redesigned Lincoln models, including the MKZ sedan in 2020 and the Continental sedan and MKX crossover in 2022, are expected to include plug-in hybrid variants, the sources said. (Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by Peter Cooney) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities said Brett Kennedy gave fellow University of Washington alumnus Maziar Rezakhani nonpublic information from Amazon's database, showing that the retailer would lose less money and report higher revenue for the first quarter of 2015 than Wall Street expected, in exchange for $10,000 cash. In a related civil case, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Rezakhani made $115,997 trading Amazon shares based on the April 2015 tip, after posting the results on Internet message boards and boasting that the "numbers are so obvious" that a "5 year old can guess what they will do." Rezakhani was sentenced in March to five years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges in a separate case. U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes in Seattle said Kennedy pleaded guilty to securities fraud in the federal court in that city. Kennedy, 26, of Blaine, Washington, faces up to 20 years in prison at his Dec. 8 sentencing, but prosecutors will recommend that he serve no more than a year and a day. He agreed to pay $10,875 to settle with the SEC. "Mr. Kennedy was little more than a kid (24) at the time of the incident," his lawyer Chris Black said in an statement. "He exercised very poor judgment in this case but it was a one-time incident. ... He has taken responsibility for his actions and looks forward to putting this chapter in his life behind him." The SEC also charged Rezakhani and his former investment adviser Sam Sadeghi, who the regulator said discussed the tip with Kennedy and Rezakhani, and hoped to eventually start a New York hedge fund with Rezakhani. Sadeghi, 28, agreed to pay $24,215 to settle with the SEC, without admitting wrongdoing. Contact information for his lawyer was not immediately available. Rezakhani, also 28, pleaded guilty in July 2016 to mail fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return after being accused of defrauding Apple Inc , a small bank and various shippers in connection with his iPhone resale business. A lawyer for Rezakhani did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged French businesses on Friday to invest in Greece, as it emerges from its debt crisis, and assured them that they would not regret it. Tsipras said attracting investment was a priority for his leftist-led government, which aims to reduce the jobless rate and make Greece financially independent in 2018, when the country's third international bailout expires. "Greece is an opportunity... a real opportunity," Tsipras told French business leaders accompanying French President Emmanual Macron on a two-day trip to Athens. "You won't regret your choice," he said. After seven years of crisis, Greece's economy could grow by more than 2 percent, Tsipras said. Macron echoed the call, urging Europeans to invest in Greece, returning to his theme from Thursday that Europe needs to protects its strategic investments to protect itself. Greece has boosted investment ties with China in recent years after China's COSCO Shipping bought a 51 percent stake in Piraeus Port OLPr.AT, Greece's biggest, for 280.5 million euros. "Greece was sometimes forced to choose non-European investments because European investors weren't there any more. I'm not happy with this situation," Macron said during his two-day visit to Athens with about 40 French executives. "I want Europeans, as much as the whole world, to come and invest in Greece," he said. "We were here, we are here, we will be here." France, which has a strong investment presence in Greece, supported Athens in 2015 during its talks with European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders in 2015 that almost forced the country out of the euro zone. (Reporting by Michel Rose and Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alison Williams) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) slapped a penalty of about $379 million on property developer PACL Ltd and four of its directors on Thursday, in a renewed attempt at sanctioning the firm for what it said were its fraudulent fund-raising schemes. The fine comes after India's market regulator three years ago had ordered PACL to return the 491 billion rupees it had raised from customers from financial products that promised returns based on land investments. SEBI labelled those schemes as fraudulent and said the market products were illegal as they had not been registered with the regulator. However, PACL had denied they were investment products or that it had engaged in fraud, and said they were land sales that would not need to be registered with SEBI. PACL challenged that order with the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), but the court upheld SEBI's order. In a 47-page order issued late on Thursday, SEBI said it would impose a fine of 24.23 billion rupees ($379.07 million) for not having registered its schemes with the regulator. "In my considered opinion, the amount of penalty is commensurate with the defaults committed by the Noticees," SEBI Adjucating Officer Amit Pradhan wrote in the order. This is the second attempt by SEBI to fine PACL and some of its directors. In late 2015, the regulator had imposed a penalty of 72.69 billion rupees, or what it then estimated was three times the profits made by the company. That fine, however, was rejected by SAT late last year after the company appealed, disputing how the profits were calculated. The tribunal sided with PACL and asked SEBI to announce a new fine. In Thursday's order, SEBI asked PACL and the four directors - Tarlochan Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Subrata Bhattacharya - to pay the penalty within 45 days of receiving the order. PACL and the four directors were not immediately reachable for comment. SEBI has stepped up its scrutiny of unregistered investment products, plugging regulatory loopholes that had long allowed unregulated entities to raise billions of dollars from small investors. ($1 = 63.8800 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Abhirup Roy; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said on Thursday that any tax reform package passed by Congress this year would be retroactive. "If it passes by the end of the year it will be retroactive," Mulvaney told Fox Business Network when asked whether any changes in law would be retroactive to the start of the year. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Leslie Adler) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Dear Customer, as per a Government of India mandate (under Prevention of Money Laundering Rules, 2005), all bank accounts must be linked with Aadhaar. Since your Bank account xxxxxxxxxx0000 is not linked with Aadhaar, please do so at the earliest to avoid any inconvenience. Please note that the last date for updating Aadhaar is 31st December 2017 post which accounts not linked with will become inoperative to comply with the guidelines." As a bank customer, you must have got this message recently from your bank for linking your bank account with your Aadhaar. Apart from an important KYC document, Aadhaar has become important for availing a host of social welfare schemes like direct credit of subsidies from government on LPG, Kerosene, sugar, pension, scholarship etc. But that is till December 31. If after that your bank account is not linked to Aadhaar, your account will be made inoperational and will not be able to avail any services. Before it slips your mind, make sure you link your bank account and Aadhaar as early as possible. Here's how you can confirm the same and link the two. Steps to verify Aadhaar-Bank account linkage 1. Visit the Aadhaar website - www.uidai.gov.in 2. Click on 'Check Aadhaar & Bank Account Linking Status 3. Enter your Aadhaar number and security code. Once submitted, an OTP will be sent to your mobile number registered in the Aadhaar database. 4. Enter the OTP and click on 'Login' 5. On successful login, the website shows whether your Aadhaar number is successfully mapped or not. Verify through SMS 1. Dial *99*99*1# 2. Enter your 12 digit Aadhaar number 3. Confirm that the digits entered by you is correct 4. On confirmation, it will show you the bank account linked with Aadhaar How to link your bank account with Aadhaar If your bank account is not linked with Aadhaar, you can link Aadhaar with your bank account in three ways-Net banking, SMS, or through branch. To link it through net banking, all you have to do is log into your bank account, click on the link that says "Aadhaar Seeding Option''. Enter your Adhaar number. This will show you a screen with a transaction number and the number of days required to complete it. When it is done, you get an alert from your bank saying it is complete. You can link through SMS too. If your mobile number is registered with the bank, then you have to send UID (Space) Aadhaar number (Space) to the bank via SMS. When it gets linked, you will get an SMS alert about it. You can also link your Bank account with Aadhaar by visiting the bank branch. Give a photocopy of your Aadhaar card to the bank representative. After necessary verification, the account will be linked and customer would be informed via SMS With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done "chest-thumping" on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years. In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years. Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was "mentally not fully Indian". Refusing to comment on Swamy's remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context. "Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves. That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didn't have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted," he maintained. India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months. China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters. He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports. "There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the world -- cultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent," he advised. An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed. "We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy," he said. "We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent." Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but "we feel we are a big country." China is five times India's size. Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years. "Then, people will see us in a more serious light," said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016. On its very first commercial run, the newly-launched Lucknow Metro seized around 20 Kg of tobacco products such as pan masala and ghutka. Apart from tobacco, cigarettes and bidis were also seized from passengers who had come to board the metro. Commuters chewing pan masala were asked to spit it before entering the station. "Out of eight operational Metro stations, maximum pan masala packets, weighing 6kg, were seized at Charbagh Metro station, followed by Transport Nagar Metro station where items weighing 4kg were confiscated," TOI reported. Dilip Singh Pawar, chief security officer of eight Metro stations, told TOI, on an average, three out of five persons arriving at the stations either had tobacco packets or were chewing tobacco. "This was because most of the people were not aware that tobacco products are not allowed inside Metro. However, most of them were cooperative and readily gave away the items." "I'm happy that people of Lucknow are cooperative. We faced this problem because most of them were unaware about ban on tobacco products. At our end, we are making efforts to tell people about dos and don'ts in Metro. All efforts will be made from our end to keep the public transport clean and comfortable," the report quoted Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation managing director Kumar Keshav as saying. Meanwhile, a report by inUth said that Alambagh station of the Lucknow Metro was defaced with paan and gutka stains. It's been a year since Reliance Jio launched its VoLTE service which was free for the first six months of the launch. Airtel promised to launch its own VoLTE service and is finally gearing up to launch it next week. According to a report by the Economic Times, India's biggest cellular network, Airtel will be launching its VoLTE service in Mumbai. Other Indian cities will also start receiving the VoLTE network calls very soon. According to the report, Delhi and Kolkata and other major cities will get the update soon. When the update goes live, users will receive a message from the company asking them to switch on VoLTE on their respective devices. Most smartphones launched this year will have a VoLTE option on their device. Older devices, however will have to check with their manufacturer to confirm the availability of this feature. VoLTE or Voice over LTE is a service that enables voice calls using 4G network instead of GSM. So far, only Reliance Jio has been able to provide this service to all its users. All Jio calls are VoLTE calls and though the company had figured out a way to enable the same on 3G devices, the service requires special hardware to function flawlessly. Reliance Jio is planning to tap into India's massive feature phone market using this VoLTE service and ultra-cheap feature phone that will be capable of using 4G. Jio announced that voice calls on this device will always remain free. In response, Airtel is planning to launch an ultra cheap smartphone which will also be capable of using 4G network. This device is expected to come with an Android operating system. Idea-Vodafone is also planning to launch a 4G smartphone at a price of Rs 2,500. With its shuttle diplomacy between Pakistan and Afghanistan to ease tensions between the two neighbors, China has expanded its peacemaking role in the Afghan conflict. Successful peacemaking is vital for ensuring stability in the region, which in turn is needed to secure the future of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. It will require Beijing to move beyond offering Kabul and Islamabad economic incentives to address the core issue underlying Afghanistan-Pakistan estrangement: alleged support to acts of terror directed against each other. Given its own strong interests in undertaking peacemaking, can China be an honest broker? BACKGROUND: With his visit to Islamabad and Kabul on June 25-26, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi set in motion Chinas shuttle diplomacy between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Chinese initiative has come amidst a worrying deterioration in Afghan-Pakistani relations and mounting instability in Afghanistan. Afghanistan-Pakistan relations have rarely been trouble free and since May this year have deteriorated dangerously. Serious border clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani forces and resulted in the closing of a major border crossing for more than three weeks. Then on May 31, a truck bomb went off just outside Kabuls diplomatic district, claiming the lives of 150 people and injuring 400 others. The blast was the deadliest in 16 years. Three days later, suicide bombers attacked a funeral of the son of a Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan leader. The attacks triggered a familiar cycle of accusations and counter accusations. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan of instigating an undeclared war of aggression against Afghanistan and Pakistan retaliated by chiding Kabul for blaming others to hide its own failures. Ghanis frustration with Pakistan stems from the fact that the latter continues to support and provide sanctuary to the Taliban. The Taliban is gaining ground in Afghanistan and is said to be in control of or contesting 40 percent of Afghan territory. And while the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghanistan affiliate of the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has suffered some setbacks in recent months Abu Sayeed, the ISKPs leader was killed in U.S. air strikes in early July it remains a threat, having the capacity to carry out major attacks in Afghanistan. The May 31 attack in Kabul again exposed Ghanis inability to protect civilians even in the capital. His credibility has plunged and Kabul is roiled in unrest with huge crowds participating in street protests and sit-ins to demand security reforms and resignation of top security officials. Protestors and police have clashed frequently. Ghanis National Unity Government (NUG) is under pressure from within as well. Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammed Atta Noor and Mohammed Mohaqeq, the leaders of Afghanistans three major ethnic minority parties, which are part of the NUG, have united against Ghani and are demanding greater power sharing. They are said to be orchestrating the ongoing unrest in Kabul and could unleash more in the coming weeks and months. The three-year-old Ghani government is facing its worst crisis ever. If it collapses Afghanistan would descend into unprecedented chaos. A chaotic Afghanistan would severely destabilize the neighborhood. It would make Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor vulnerable to insurgent and militia violence. It would also provide a boost to unrest and insurgency in Chinas restive Xinjiang province. It appears to be to prevent Afghanistan from descending into such chaos that China has stepped in to manage an important source of instability the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship. IMPLICATIONS: Wangs first round of shuttle diplomacy between Pakistan and Afghanistan culminated in the two countries agreeing to establish a bilateral crisis management mechanism to keep communication channels between them open during emergencies, including terrorist attacks and enable them to defuse a crisis through dialogue, and thus prevent conflict escalation. Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have also agreed to set up a trilateral foreign ministers dialogue forum. Additionally they propose to revive the dysfunctional Quadrilateral Coordination Group as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations Contact Group on Afghanistan in order to breathe new life into the stalled Afghan reconciliation process. Wangs shuttle diplomacy has started well and was productive. However, whether his efforts will lead to reducing bilateral tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan seems doubtful. Chinas primary tool to get them to work together is economic and it is likely to stress economic development of the region as an incentive. It is with this in mind that economic cooperation has been made the focus of the trilateral foreign ministers dialogue forum. But this alone will not work to mend fences between the two neighbors. The core issue, allegations of supporting terrorism directed against each other, must be tackled to build trust between them. The crisis management mechanism provides for intelligence sharing to prevent terrorist attacks. Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to share intelligence in the past, in a May 2015 cooperation agreement between the Afghan and Pakistani intelligence agencies. It failed to take off as Afghan parliamentarians as well as intelligence and security agencies strongly opposed such cooperation with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Bilateral relations have worsened since and Ghani is in a far weaker position today than he was in 2015. Will he be able to convince his political and security establishment to cooperate with and more importantly trust ISI? This seems unlikely. For decades, Beijing avoided a peacemaking role outside its borders. Although Afghanistan is a neighbor, it maintained a low profile there. It is only in recent years that China has stepped up its presence in Afghanistan by investing heavily in resource extraction. And since late 2014, it has played the role of a facilitator in the Afghan peace process and is working on bringing the Afghan government and the Taliban to the negotiating table. Several Taliban delegations are said to have travelled to Beijing. But breakthroughs have been elusive. Chinas shuttle diplomacy is an extension of the role as a facilitator in the Afghan peace process that it adopted in 2014. There is a danger that its shuttle diplomacy could also run aground if Beijing remains reluctant to use its enormous leverage over Pakistan to persuade it to halt support for terror attacks in Afghanistan. Hitherto, China has only used its leverage to get Pakistan to act against groups with links to Uighur nationalists and militants. Chinas preoccupation with its own security and interests rather than the larger goal of building peace in the region has undermined its efforts so far. Its selective approach to dealing with terrorism could undermine Chinas credibility as peacemaker. Whether China will function as a truly honest broker or a biased arbiter between Afghanistan and Pakistan will determine not only relations between the two countries and thus stability in Afghanistan but also the future of Chinas role in Central Asia and the fate of BRI. With BRIs success hinging on stability in Central Asia, China will likely be tempted to adopt peacemaking roles in conflict-ridden countries along the BRIs route. Central Asian countries will be watching closely to see how China carries out its responsibilities as peacemaker in the Afghan peace process and between Pakistan and Afghanistan. CONCLUSIONS: Chinas peacemaking role in Afghanistan has expanded with its initiation of shuttle diplomacy to ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is welcome given the serious deterioration in Afghan-Pakistani relations and its impact on the security situation in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Wangs first steps in shuttle diplomacy were positive but for Chinese peacemaking in Afghanistan to result in concrete achievements, China needs to address the core issue underlying their fraught relations. It must press Islamabad and Kabul to abandon support for terror attacks directed against each other. Offering economic incentives for co-operation is valuable but cannot by itself improve bilateral relations. Beijing needs to avoid skirting the core issue bedeviling Afghan-Pakistani relations. AUTHORS BIO: Dr. Sudha Ramachandran is an independent researcher / journalist based in India. She writes on South Asian political and security issues. Her articles have appeared in Asia Times Online, The Diplomat, China Brief, etc. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 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A 43-year-old man was arrested on August 29, for illegal possession and transportation of a baby chimpanzee at the entrance to Ebolowa by wildlife officials, The man was travelling with the chimpanzee hidden in a black bag to Ebolowa where he was expected to sell the animal alongside 45kg of pangolin scales that were also found in his possession, according to sources close to the matter that requested for anonymity. The arrest was carried out by the South Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife working in collaboration with the gendarmerie. The operation was technically assisted by LAGA a wildlife law enforcement support body. As the car that was transporting the trafficker approached a police check point located at the entrance to Ebolowa. gendarmerie officiers and wildlife officials who had been patiently waiting for him sprung to their feet and stopped the car. The Chimpanzee and the pangolin scales where quickly identified as well as the owner who had travelled all the way from Meyo was immediately arrested. The chimpanzee was malnourished, weak and dehydrated, signs of inappropriate treatment that was very clear and she was immediately rushed to Yaounde and the next day, she was taken to the Mefou National Park where appropriate medical attention and care administered to her. Prior investigations into the activities of the man had demonstrated with little doubt that he was involved in primates trafficking. According the sources, he bought and sold primates among other wildlife contraband. The baby chimp was bought from a poacher who probably killed the mother for the equally illegal trade in meat derived from protected species. Baby chimps are generally sold on by poachers after the killing their mothers because the meat value of these babies is low and fetches more money when sold alive. The chimps are then sold on to people who keep illegal zoos and with some even ending up in legal zoos. The chimp trafficker is said to get supplies of chimpanzees from around the Meyo area from several different poachers. The arrest was the third carried on the same day in four African countries replicating the Cameroonian wildlife law enforcement model that is built around the collaboration between the Ministry of Forestry and Wildllife and The Last Great Organisation (LAGA). The are 8 other countries using this model and these countries are grouped under the EAGLE network. In Congo, two trafifkcers were arrested with eight ivory tusks, while in Gabon another man was arrested with two large ivory tusks. The two operations were conducted just a few hours before the chimp trafficker was arrested in Ebolowa, while a couple of minutes after, it was Guineas turn to do an operation that resulted in the arrest of one trafficker with a leopard skin and two crocodile skins. The operations were all coordinated with assistance from EAGLE headquarters in Nairobi. | BY Ricki Green | Australian Reading Hour has launched a new film to encourage people to pick up a book for an hour on September 14. JOY has teamed up with Andreas Smetana of Flint Sydney to create a film featuring Australian Reading Hours extensive list of friendly authors, celebrities and politicians. The film is a tongue-in-cheek reminder that reading the right stuff in books makes you smarter and reading the wrong stuff on the Internet can make you dumber. It ends with a powerful plea to read more because the world needs readers. Supported with press, in-store activity and social media it will act as a rallying cry to pick up a book on the 14th of September and help make Australia healthier, happier and smarter. The campaign will also be celebrated at the launch of the new Parliamentary Friends of Australian Books and Writers at Parliament House on 12 September. Says Louise Sherwin-Stark: As an industry, we can encourage Australians to read Australian stories for pleasure for an hour on Thursday 14th September. As an industry, we can spark a love of reading in children and set them up for a successful life, we can create more empathetic people and strive for a more prosperous and equitable society. Most of all, we can give everyone an hour out of their busy lives to escape into a great Australian book and reduce their stress levels by a fantastic 68%. Client: Australian Reading Hour Managing Director Hachette Australia, Chair of Australian Reading Hour Committee, representing the Australian Publishers Association (APA): Louise Sherwin-Stark Director Better Reading: Cheryl Akle Creative Agency: JOY Senior Account Executive: Rick Curtis Creative Heads: Dan OBey, Ben Pearce Producer: Oscar Birken Production House: Flint Director: Andreas Smetana Producer: Rachel Rider Post House: The Hive Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 7:50PM Huawei has overtaken Apple Inc. as the world's second biggest smartphone maker in terms of sales. Huawei surpassed Apple in sales for June and July, breaking the duopoly enjoyed by Apple and Samsung for at least five years according to figures from Counterpoint Research. Apple has moved to third place, a position it hasn't seen since the heyday of BlackBerry and Nokia. Apple has held one of the top two spots since 2010 after unseating BlackBerry and later on Nokia, companies that are no longer considered serious platforms and merely serve as Android OEMs today. Huawei's reign, however, is expected to be short as Apple is planning its biggest iPhone release in years starting next week. With multiple models expected to hit the market, the company is expected to rally in terms of sales even as initial supplies are expected to be constrained. This is a significant milestone for Huawei, the largest Chinese smartphone brand with a growing global presence, Counterpoints Peter Richardson said. Huawei is not that popular in North America as it usually saturates entry-level and pre-paid segments of the market. The company has, however, tried to release competitive handsets with more upscale design and features. Huawei is popular in its home country of China, Europe, The Middle East and Latin America. Source: The Telegraph "That might just be because there are plants and animals in Antarctica that we haven't sequenced at those parts of the genome before, so they might just be your bog-standard plants and animals from Antarctica, or they might indicate something more exciting, like species that we don't know anything about yet," she said. "The plaintiff fitted aftermarket modifications to the vehicle, which at no time were approved by [Mitsubishi Motors Australia], as such modifications diverged from the vehicle's original engineering design, and in particular, had the effect of causing an extreme restriction in airflow to the vehicle's cooling system," the motoring giant's defence said. THIS WEEK IN CAPE BRETON: Raising the peace flag, reviewing future plans for Centre 200 and more SYDNEY During a time of conflict around the world and with racial tensions on the rise in many parts, its clear there are those who want to find a bright, positive light wherever they can. Over the next several days, the YMCA of Cape Breton will ... Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Just as Toyota Motor Philippines updated the specs of the Hilux pickup truck , theyve done the same for the Fortuner as well. Hurricane Irma continued on a collision course with Miami after devastating a chain of Caribbean islands, triggering the largest evacuation in Miami-Dade County history and threatening to become the most expensive storm in U.S. history. The life-threatening storm is heading for a direct hit on Florida Sunday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. That prospect has roiled markets for everything from orange juice to insurance and natural gas. Barclays Plc has estimated insured losses in a worst-case scenario from the storm at $130 billion. Irma may reenter the Atlantic and make a second landfall Monday somewhere near Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C. The Southeast coast of Florida, including Miami, would be expecting potentially catastrophic storm surges Saturday night and Sunday morning, said Todd Crawford, lead meteorologist at The Weather Company in Andover, Massachusetts. The timing of Irmas turn on Saturday will make the difference between a multi-billion dollar storm for Miami and the Gold Coast, and a major, but less devastating, weather event. In the U.S., mandatory evacuations were issued for the Florida Keys and other areas. Around 650,000 people were told to leave Miami-Dade, the largest evacuation ever attempted in the county. Irma is one of three hurricanes churning in the Atlantic Basin. Jose, which was following Irmas path in the Atlantic, became the third major hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season. In the Gulf of Mexico, Katia was about 195 miles (315 kilometers) northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, and is forecast to come ashore overnight Friday. Insurers extended their declines Thursday, with XL Group Ltd. dropping 5.1 percent and Everest Re Group Ltd. losing 6.8 percent in New York. Smaller companies that focus on the Florida market had steeper declines. Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. and Federated National Holding Co. fell more than 10 percent. Irma may knock out power to almost 2 million people, curb natural gas demand in one of the largest U.S. markets and threaten $1.2 billion worth of crops in Floridathe top U.S. grower of fresh tomatoes, oranges, green beans, cucumbers, squash and sugar cane. The storm has already damaged or destroyed about 95 percent of homes on the small island of Barbuda, crippled its airport runway and broke a cellular tower in two, complicating relief efforts, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on national television. It is absolutely heart-wrenching. There was massive damage on two French West Indies islands where eight people were killed, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said at a press conference in Paris Thursday. Power Outages Irma comes less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey smashed ashore in Texas, knocking offline almost a quarter of U.S. oil refining capacity and causing widespread power outages and flooding. Current models show Irma veering away from gas and oil platforms off the coast of Texas and Louisiana, sparing Houston more devastation. Irmas top winds held at 175 miles an hour, meaning its still at Category 5 strength, the highest measure on the five-step Saffir Simpson scale. It was about 40 miles south of Grand Turk Island as of about 5 p.m. New York time, according to the hurricane center. Carrier Management Editors Note: Separately, S&P Global Ratings said Thursday that 13 natural-catastrophe bonds could be at risk of triggering or incurring a reduction in the retention layer from Hurricane Irma. A strike on Miami at Category 4 strength could lead to insured losses of $125 billion to $130 billion, Jay Gelb, an analyst at Barclays, wrote in a note Tuesday. Uninsured losses would add to that. Total losses from Katrina reached $160 billion in 2017 dollars after it slammed into New Orleans in 2005. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Musicians Take A Stand (MTAS), a nonprofit, and the Phoenix Ensemble, devoted to music education and advocacy, are hosting a performance of Beethovens Ninth at Hill Auditorium September 10 (see Events). The event is free, but an afterglow party at Zingermans Greyline will raise money for two refugee aid groups, Freedom House Detroit and the International Rescue Committee. MTAS organizer Austin Stewart, an opera singer and musicologist, says musicians love to perform a great work for an important cause. Among others, hes signed up volunteer players from the Detroit Symphony, Michigan Opera Theatre, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Flint Symphony, and singers from the UMS Choral Union and U-M music students and faculty. Beethovens Ninth was an easy choice, not only because of its musical importance, but because it is about our common humanity, says Stewart. Throughout its entire history, it has shown up as an anthem for brotherhood. MTAS, which has a sister organization in Los Angeles, plans to create a national movement that enlists musicians in humanitarian causes. The Los Angeles Auto Show has confirmed this years event will include more than 50 debuts. Set to kick off on November 27th, the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show will have significant world and North American premieres from BMW and Mercedes. Other global debuts will come from automakers such as Lexus, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Toyota. General Motors will also introduce at least one new model but theres no word on which brand or brands are involved. If that hasnt whetted your appetite, the auto show says we can expect debuts and experiential showcases from Audi, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo. Tesla will also be exhibiting in the main hall for the first time in the shows history. Only a handful of debuts have been officially announced and they include North American premieres of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and MINI Electric Concept. We can also expect to see the BMW i8 Roadster, Mercedes CLS, Jeep Wrangler, and possibly even a Volkswagen Passat GT. Porsche has also been rumored to introduce the new 911 Speedster at this years event. Photo Gallery U.S. President Donald Trump said he would discuss trade and military issues with the emir of Kuwait at the White House on Thursday, as well as tensions over Qatar, Reuters reported. September 8, 2017, 09:37 Trump intends to discuss trade and military cooperation with Kuwaits emir STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 8, ARTSAKHPRESS: Trump, welcoming Kuwaits Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to the White House, said Kuwait was helping the United States in the Gulf and things were coming along nicely. The UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia severed relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies all accusations. Kuwait has been trying to heal a bitter dispute between Qatar and its neighbors. In order to celebrate 25 years of BMW Individual products, the German automaker teamed up with Finnish shipyard Nautors Swan to build this custom M760Li xDrive V12 Excellence. The starting point for the project was of course, the car, wearing a special BMW Individual color named Damask Red, while the interior featured two-tone Merino leather in smoke white and Criollo brown. BMW even dressed up the A and B pillars in leather, as well as the seat trims, door sills and the side covers for the instrument panel. This car was certainly one of the most luxurious 7-Series models even before it was customized with outside help. Speaking of which, the brake calipers, finished in the same color as the exterior, bear the raised Swan logo, while the boot lid is also decorated with the Finnish companys arrow usually found on the side of yachts. For the interior, Nautors Swan produced teak panels with joints filled with a fine layer of rubber, allowing the wood to expand and contract with changing temperatures, a procedure that works well on the deck of a yacht. BMW added this carbon-bonded wooden component to the boot floor of the car, which is fitted out in Alcantara Smoke White. Other custom components include the entry sills and floor mats (also made with teak), as well as the Finnish companys signet, stitched into the headrests and cushions, and also found on the sun visors and oak trims, on the drivers side and center console. The BMW Individual M760Li inspired by Nautors Swan will make its debut next week at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, September 12th. PHOTO GALLERY One year after the introduction of the limited-run Seven Sprint, Caterham has launched yet another model meant to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the retro-flavored car. Its called the Caterham Seven SuperSprint, and just like the previous one, its offered in just 60 examples, destined for the European and UK markets, where they can already be ordered from 29,995 ($39,210). Some of the technical specs that should interest potential buyers are the 95PS (94hp) three-cylinder engine, with overhead camshaft, radiator, electric fan, and turbo, the five-speed transmission, limited slip differential, front disc brakes with twin piston calipers, rear drum brakes, the race-inspired suspension with adjustable platforms, and Bilstein shock absorbers. The Caterham Seven SuperSprint can also be had with single or twin seats, and with a choice of six paint schemes, each with its own signature color, and contrasting noseband, which are named after some classic race circuits such as Imola, Hockenheim, and Aintree. Other styling features include the Brookland aero screen, extended front cycle wings, Le Mans-style mesh grille and side intake, polished exhaust, silver mirrors, classic taillights, non-louvered bonnet, grey-finished chassis and suspension, full racing livery, and 14-inch cream wheels, wrapped in Avon 155/65 tires. Inside, it benefits from a 4-point racing harness, wooden rimmed steering wheel, unique dashboard finishes, quilted stitched seats trimmed in Innes Tan, Scottish Muirhead leather, push-button start, a heating system, 12V socket, and others. Each car gets a numbered plaque on the dashboard, and can also be equipped with optional features such as the tonneau cover for the two-seater (330/$431), stainless steel rear wing guards (40/$52), lowered floors (495/$647), sidescreen armrests trimmed in Innes Tan, Scottish Muirhead leather (170/$222), or the polished windscreen with Mohair hood and sidescreens (1995/$2,608). PHOTO GALLERY VIDEO Nissan is looking to expand its presence in the zero-emission segment by starting full production of the new Leaf in the United States and United Kingdom. The electric vehicle will hit the assembly lines at Smyrna, Tennessee, and Sunderland, by the end of 2017, thus joining the brands Oppama Plant in Japan. Were proud to continue manufacturing the Nissan Leaf at three plants globally. The Nissan Leaf is the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, with its many advanced technologies. Nissan employees in Oppama, Smyrna, and Sunderland are excited to continue producing the most popular electric vehicle in the world, said the companys Executive VP of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, Fumiaki Matsumoto. Unveiled earlier this week, the 2018 Nissan Leaf will arrive at dealers in Japan next month, before being launched in the United States, Canada, and Europe early next year. It has an entirely new design and powertrain that combines a 40kWh lithium-ion battery pack to an electric motor, feeding 147hp and 236lb-ft (320Nm) of torque to the wheels. Its EPA-estimated range is 150 miles (241km), while in Europe, its believed that it will cover 235 miles (378km) between charges. Recharging the battery takes as much as 16 hours via a 3kW plug, or 8 hours from a 6kW plug. Moreover, users will also get to use the quick charging function, which allows the battery to be filled up to 80 percent in just 40 minutes. Prices for the new generation Nissan Leaf will start at almost $30,000, in the States, before incentives. PHOTO GALLERY With Audi already confirming the debut of the new RS4 Avant at next weeks Frankfurt Motor Show, these will be our final spy shots on the upcoming M3 fighter. Fast estates dont come much more iconic than the Audi RS4 and judging by the photos, the German car maker appears to have kept all the visual traits that make this fast wagon instantly recognizable. The iconic wider fenders, complete with the aggressive front and rear treatment will make the 2018 Audi RS4 one of the best-looking models in the segment. The dual oval exhausts along with the big wheels complete the picture of the new fast Audi. This is also the first time we get to see in detail the design of the front bumper. The powertrain will be the same with the Audi RS5, meaning a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 with 444hp (450PS) and 446lb-ft of torque. Power will be transferred to all four wheels of course via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with the Quattro all-wheel drive system sending more power to the rear, just like in its two-door sibling. Headline figures will include a sub-4sec time for the classic 0-62mph (100km/h) procedure and a limited 155mph top speed. Customers will be given the option of a higher top speed (174mph 280km/h) through the RS Dynamic Package, which will also include a rear sport differential. Stay tuned for the full details of the 2018 Audi RS4 in the coming days. Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops PHOTO GALLERY Up to three-quarters of all diesel cars in Scotland could be banned from city centers in Scotland. The Scotsman reports that under plans of the countrys first minister Nicola Sturgeon, only Euro 6 diesels and Euro 3 petrol-powered vehicles will be allowed in city centers across the country. This means that approximately 738,000 diesel cars and 244,000 petrol cars in Scotland wouldnt be able to enter city centers without facing fines of up to 20 pounds a day. The first Scottish city to enforce a diesel ban will be Glasgow and it could be enforced as early as the end of the year. After Glasgow, similar zones in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee will be established. Ensuring heavily-polluting diesel and petrol vehicles are taken off the streets wont be easy however. For example, approximately two-thirds of all taxis in Glasgow and Edinburgh have engines that dont comply, potentially forcing the government to provide grants for cleaner engines to be retrofitted. According to RAC spokesman Nicholas Lyes, the proposed bans may prove too harsh for most car owners. These proposals will have motorists reeling at the thought that they could be banned from driving in certain areas as early as next year if they drive a diesel vehicle registered prior to September 2014. Motorists accept that tough measures are essential to tackle our air quality problem. However, there should not be a rush to penalise them at the first opportunity, he said. PHOTO GALLERY Photo: Contributed Vancouver police are crediting an alert citizen for information that led to the recovery of stolen property and the arrest of a man who had just broken into a car near Vancouvers Downtown Eastside. Const. Jason Doucette said police received a 911 call about 7 p.m. Wednesday from a citizen who observed what he felt was suspicious behaviour in the area of Keefer Street and Heatley Avenue. He reported two people had been kneeling beside a parked vehicle with a smashed window before running off with a guitar case, said Doucette. The information provided by the witness enabled officers to locate and arrest a 30-year-old Vancouver resident and recover the stolen guitar. Theft and mischief charges have been recommended. The arrest was a direct result of the citizen calling 911 and providing timely information to police, said Doucette. This is a perfect example of how the community and police can work together to reduce property crime." Photo: Facebook The Okanagan River near Oliver, B.C. The Town of Oliver said it is relying on its own local data when it comes to determining water restrictions, which may not be consistent with the province's data. "The operations department are continuing to monitor groundwater and surface water levels to ensure they meet the Towns drought management plan criteria before issuing stage one to four restrictions on water users," the town said in a news release. The release stated that ground and surface water levels are at normal levels, but added that residents are still encouraged to cut back water usage. The province called for a voluntary 30 per-cent reduction in water usage for residents on Sept. 1, which was when a drought level three was declared in the Okanagan. Photo: Contributed Langley RCMP are searching for a suspect after a shooting on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday night. The incident occurred just before 10:30 p.m. between 200th Street and 192nd Street. The gunshots came from a black Acura sedan and were fired into a white Jeep, while both vehicles were heading west. The driver of the Jeep drove to the area of 96th Avenue and 176th Street in Surrey. From there, he was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police confirmed the shooting was targeted, and that it was related to the drug trade. Anyone with more information is asked to contact Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200, or CrimeStoppers. Saturday, August 26th, 11:30 AM, sitting in the parking lot at the Westside Walmart in a handicap spot with my handicap sticker hung on the mirror waiting for my spouse who had gone in to the store. There are 4 empty parking spots to my left a handicap spot, a parent with infants spot, and 2 normal spots. At 11:34 a car pulls into the parents with infant spot and a 40 something woman steps out with two teenage girls. One of the girls points out the blue marker on the pavement showing behind the car. The woman looks both ways without seeing me behind her and then motions with her head to all go into the store. What do you suppose those two teenage girls are learning from that? At 11:37 a car pulls into the handicap spot just beside me and a 20 something couple with a 4-5 year old child stroll into the Walmart. At 11:48 (not exaggerating), a pickup pulls into the parents with infants spot across the lane from me and a 40 something year old walks into the Walmart store. Nobody had gone into the 2 normal parking spots located 2 parking spots away! Four healthy adults within the space of 14 minutes ignoring the handicap spot signs as big as, what 3 feet by 3 feet or more on the pavement there? Do people truly feel it is a waste of their time to add 14 feet of walking by parking in the normal spots? Do they care so little for the other less fortunate, or more challenged people? Don't they feel like they have to share the planet? Do they honestly feel entitled to ignore the perfectly reasonable request to reserve these handicap/parent spots? In practical terms, I'm at a loss for the words I need to convey my feelings. Westside residents should be very ashamed of their community. My spouse and I both need the help of the handicap spot yet we always return our cart to the carts hut (just like we always pick up after our dog). And if my spouse is not with me, I do not use the handicap spots even though I keep the sticker in the car. Do the police respond to this kind of offence or if it's the store's responsibility would they respond? How about, for one or two days a week, we have the tow trucks use the store parking lots as their stand-by station while waiting for calls so they can immediately respond to the call of the store manager to have the cars removed? This could generate a whole new income stream from the looks of what I've seen. Len Cotton Photo: Twitter B.C.'s minority NDP government is set to table a throne speech outlining its political blueprint after months of tension, upheaval and backroom machinations following a spring election that failed to produce a clear winner. The New Democrats will walk into the legislature Friday with a promise to make life better for residents after 16 years of Liberal rule, said Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Carole James. The Liberals fell one seat short of a majority in the 87-seat legislature, prompting 41 New Democrats and three Green members to reach an agreement that ousted the Liberals in a non-confidence vote in June. The move paved the way for a minority NDP government under Premier John Horgan. Former premier Christy Clark heightened the political drama with a failed attempt to force a new election before she resigned as Liberal leader and MLA for Kelowna-West. The vacant seat provides temporary breathing room for the tight NDP minority. Clark's resignation also temporarily reduces the pressure on Horgan's minority government, which will be expected to yield one of its voting members to take on the role of Speaker of the legislature. MLAs' first order of business Friday will be to elect the Speaker, who may eventually be forced to break ties in votes. The NDP made numerous promises during the election, including pledges to cut medical services plan premiums, offer a $400 subsidy to offset the high cost of living, ban corporate and union donations to political parties and hold a referendum on electoral reform. "People have waited a long time, 16 years, for a change in government," said James. "People are counting on us to work on their behalf. There are so many issues that need to be addressed and we're not going to be able to fix them all overnight, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't get started." The government will table a budget update Monday, followed by a more complete budget in February, James said. Independently audited statements released last month confirmed the NDP inherited a solid financial bottom line from the Liberals, including a surplus of $2.7 billion. Since being officially sworn in two months ago, the NDP increased welfare rates by $100 a month, scrapped tolls on the Lower Mainland's Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges, waived post-secondary tuition costs for people who spent time in foster care and eliminated fees for adult basic education and English language programs. The government also pressed the reset button on a couple of multibillion-dollar mega projects tied to the former Liberal government. The $8.8 billion Site C hydroelectric dam project in northeast B.C. is under review. The $3.5 George Massey bridge project in suburban Vancouver is also on hold and the government is registered as an intervener against the $7.4 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project between Alberta and B.C. "We said we wanted to show people that we were going to put people first," James said. "We were going to get up every day and go to work on their behalf." The European Parliament will soon prepare the Corruption and human rights in third countries document, which will touch upon the recently revealed and widely discussed Azerbaijani Laundromat scandal involving a state-sanctioned money laundering scheme of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his family, Azerbaijani media said. September 8, 2017, 15:40 European Parliament to scrutinize Azerbaijani money laundering scandal STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 8, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The document focuses on the European Unions action in the fight against corruption and protection of human rights. The document mentions that corruption is an extreme threat for human rights, and that anti-corruption actions have great importance from this point of view. According to a statement of the European Parliament, 96 European lawmakers proposed amending the document after the Azerbaijani Laundromat scandal emerged. The European Parliament plans to scrutinize the scandal. An investigation shows that Azerbaijan's ruling elite operated a secret $2.8bn slush fund for two years to bribe European politicians and make luxury purchases. The money was allegedly channelled through four UK-based opaque companies. People said to have been paid include European politicians who adopted a favourable attitude to the government. The secret fund, nicknamed the Azerbaijan Laundromat, operated for two years until 2014, according to the investigation, carried out by a consortium of European newspapers and published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Photo: Mike Biden Air tankers parked at the Penticton Regional Airport. Air tankers in Southern B.C. haven't been fighting wildfires this week due to poor visibility caused by smoke. Thick smoke has blanketed most of the Southern Interior since Monday evening, forcing the grounding of the entire fleet, according to Kevin Skrepnek B.C.'s chief fire information officer. Eight of the aircraft are stationed at the Penticton Regional Airport. "It's kind of two issues, it's visibility at the airport where they are going to be taking off from but also at the fires themselves," Skrepnek said. "They have gone out a few times to take a look at things but there havent been any actual fire fighting missions with air tankers." Another reason air tankers haven't been flying this week is because they are generally needed more during the initial phases of a wildfire, according to Skrepnek "They kind of fly in to do the initial attack to buy time for our crews on the ground," he said. "Having said that, there may have been uses for them the last few days if these fires had been more visible." However, the smoke has actually been beneficial for firefighting efforts in another way, Skrepnek added. "The smoke that we have across most of the southern part of the province is actually keeping a lot of the fire behaviour more mild than it should be, because its cooler near the smoke." Over the next couple days the Southern Interior is expected to get wind and light rain, which may clear some of the smoke, making it safe for air tankers to fly again. Photo: Dave Ogilvie A quick response from passing motorists prevented a vehicle fire in West Kelowna from spreading to the shoulder and nearby businesses Thursday afternoon. A pickup began smoking on the side of Stevens Road near Ross Road about 3:30 p.m. The driver, along with others driving by, used multiple fire extinguishers to get the engine fire under control and prevent it from spreading. West Kelowna fire crews attended and ensured the fire was fully out before the truck was removed from the scene. The fire forced the closure of Stevens Road. The driver of the truck inhaled some smoke while he fought the fire, but was not otherwise injured. I watched with great interest, the announcement on television that B.C. is now toll free as the tolls have now been taken off the Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges. This means that all British Columbia taxpayers will all share via their tax money the approximate 2 billion dollar debt to pay for the two bridges in the lower mainland. Why has the toll not been taken off the Kelowna Bridge and the overpass at the end of Swan Lake in Vernon? When these two items were constructed, the government of the day implemented a 3 cent a liter fuel tax only in the Okanagan to pay for these two items. They couldnt put a toll on the bridge as it is the only route across Okanagan lake so they sidestepped it with a fuel tax. So now the way it is without the two toll bridges in the lower mainland we in the Okanagan have to pay for our bridge plus pay for the two bridges on the coast. We are the only area in the province that have to pay for our own bridge with absolutely no help from anybody out of this region. The only fair way to address this issue is to immediately reduce the fuel surcharge of 3 cents a liter in the area in the Okanagan that is paying it or to increase the fuel tax by 3 cents in every area of the province except the Okanagan. In a way we in the Okanagan are now being double taxed. Dave Jones An ambitious and ground-breaking new experiment is coming online this week at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Kaleden. CHIME the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment will be sifting through the cosmos, mapping the sky and listening for faint radio bursts billions of light-years away. This map will enable cosmologists all over the world to better discern the cause of the universe's accelerating expansion, federal Science Minister Kirsty Duncan said at a launch event at the observatory Thursday. The $16 million project will try to measure the rate of expansion by detecting the faint hiss of interstellar clouds of hydrogen gas, and in the process, mapping the largest volume of space ever surveyed. Because the universe is expanding, we now live in a time where there is twice as much dark energy as everything else all put together, said principal CHIME investigator Dr. Mark Halpern. We know that it's there the problem is, we have no idea what it is. Learning about, and measuring the expansion of the universe CHIMEs main goal could help explain dark energy and in turn, the origins of the universe itself. The wide array, made of four half-cylinders 20 metres wide by 100 metres long, will map the entire northern half of the sky. Thanks to its novel and creative design, it will also simultaneously tack one of the hottest and puzzling astrophysical problems today, the mystery of fast radio bursts, said McGill University astrophysicist, Dr. Victoria Kaspi. The short bursts of radio waves coming from far beyond the Milky Way have been detected by humans just a few dozen times, but are thought to be ubiquitous. CHIME will be a game changer in this field, we estimate that we will detect at least two dozen in our first week of full operation, Kaspi said. There is a wide range of theories for what could be behind the short radio bursts: merging black holes, neutron stars or even intelligent extraterrestrial life. The telescope gathers a mammoth amount of analog data, fed by kilometres of cables into small water-cooled shipping containers, where it is digitzied. When it gets digitized, we get 13.2 terabits per second of data, that is basically two times more than the whole throughput of the world's cell phone network, that includes talk and data said local CHIME operator Nikola Milutinovic. The data then moves on to a supercomputer with computational power that didnt exist when the CHIME project started about five years ago, where it will be analyzed in real-time. Contributed Lyndie Hall A challenging obstacle course is returning to the South Okanagan for a sixth year. The Freak'n Farmer adventure obstacle race will take place on Sept. 23 at Covert Farms in Oliver. The race features 25 farm-themed obstacles, and participants have the option of racing in a five kilometre, 10 km or 20 km course. There is also a three kilometre race for kids aged 6-12, and a .75 km race for ages 3-6. There is post-race lunch catered to all participants as well. "The Freak'n Farmer is so unique in the way that we meet families and individuals every year that are sharing this experience for all sorts of great reasons. It's inspiring to watch and to participate alongside these people," said Lyndie Hill, co-owner of Hoodoo Adventures, who co-coordinate the event. There will be a hop-on, hop-off farm transportation for spectators, available by donation. Part of the proceeds from there support the youth outdoor recreation society, a non-profit group that subsidizes outdoor recreation programs for local youth. The fee for spectators is $25 dollars, which includes lunch and a keepsake glass with two tickets to sample local wine and beer. Registration for the obstacle race is open until Sept. 17. To register, you can visit freaknfarmer.com. Photo: The Canadian Press Kanahus Manuel First Nations protesters started building tiny homes Thursday, directly in the path of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, an idea drawn from an influential Indigenous movement in the United States. Activists say the houses are symbols of sustainability in the face of what they see as an environmentally damaging project. They are based on structures built at a sprawling protest camp in North Dakota initiated by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline drew international attention and was credited with achieving a temporary halt to construction. Kanahus Manuel of the Secwepemc Nation said she hopes the structures also have a powerful effect in Canada. "Our goal is to stop this pipeline. Our goal is to stop investors from investing in this pipeline," she said. "If I don't stand up for my rights and our title as a Secwepemc woman and as a mother, I'm leaving this fight even greater for my children. I love my children so much that I'll do whatever I can to protect their water and their salmon for all of their future." Trans Mountain, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Canada, plans to begin construction this month on a $7.4-billion expansion of its 1,150-kilometre pipeline that carries crude oil from Alberta to B.C.'s southern coast. Members of the Secwepemc Nation and Greenpeace gathered at a site near Chase on Thursday to build the first of 10 tiny homes that they say will be moved to Secwepemc traditional territory near Kamloops to block pipeline construction. Manuel said she lived in a tiny home at the Dakota protest for three months in 2016 and asked the designer to create plans for structures that could be placed along the Trans Mountain route. The insulated wood houses are to be occupied by Secwepemc people who are struggling with inadequate housing. They are to be 5.5 metres wide and 3.6 metres tall, with wood stoves and solar panels, she said. "A part of this tiny house project and movement is that we want to continue to have these, not just as a battle against the Kinder Morgan pipeline, but to help solve some of the housing crises that Indigenous people are facing," she said. Photo: BC Wildfire Services A fire burns south of Keremeos Thursday night. UPDATE: 3:00 p.m. The K Mountain wildfire burning near Keremeos is now estimated to be seven hectares in size, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Fire information officer Justine Hunse said it's a unique fire because it's burning on extremely steep terrain. Fire crews are unable to access the fire on the ground but continue to monitor the situation. Aircrafts can't access the blaze either, due in part to the thick smoke and because of the slope the fire is burning on. Hunse described the fire to be burning almost vertically. "The way that helicopters drop water and that air tankers drop retardant over a fire, it's not effective in the way that it is when they're unloading over flat surfaces," she said. Moderate winds from the south-southwest of 15 kilometres per hours and gusts up to 25 kph are expected in the area this afternoon. No structures are currently threatened by the blaze. UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen says the wildfire burning atop K Mountain poses no immediate threat to private property, structures or infrastructure. Information officer Cameron Baughan says the B.C. Wildfire Service is monitoring the fire, which is not related to the active Diamond Creek wildfire about 35 kilometres away. People are advised to stay well away from the K Mountain upland area while the wildfire is active, Baughan said. No Evacuation alerts or orders are associated with this fire at this time. UPDATE: 9:40 a.m. The BC Wildfire Service says the K Mountain fire is approximately two hectares in size. Fire information officer Justine Hunse say it's burning near the summit, overlooking Keremeos, and is very visible to nervous residents below. It is about six kilometres from the village. A Wildfire Service supervisor assessed the scene overnight, but fire crews could not begin fighting the fire in the darkness. Hunse reassured residents the fire is not part of the much larger Diamond Creek wildfire, which crossed the border from Washington state. So far, the cause of the Keremeos blaze is unknown. UPDATE: 9:35 a.m. Local fire crews are still standing by and monitoring a fire burning on top of K Mountain near Keremeos, which broke out Thursday night. Jordy Bosscha, fire chief of the Keremeos Fire Department, said his crew is still waiting to hear from the BC Wildfire Service for an assessment of the blaze burning at the top of the mountain. "We're just waiting to see what happens; hopefully nothing." The exact location of where the fire is burning is not clear for fire crews. Bosscha said that there are hiking trails on the mountain that are frequented. ORIGINAL: 9:15 p.m. Flames can be seen on top of K Mountain, south of Keremeos, after yet another wildfire was sparked Thursday night. Keremeos fire chief Jordy Bosscha says the blaze is "way up on top of the mountain" and not threatening any buildings at this time. Deb, a resident of Keremeos, says the town has been enveloped in thick smoke from the Diamond Creek wildfire for the past three days, but she can see the flames on K Mountain through the smoke from her home. "It means it's got to be a fairly strong fire," Deb said. "When I first saw it, one tree kind of went up and then it broke into two fires and each started heading in different directions. "I won't be going to bed anytime soon." Another resident says she's seen several trees candle on different parts of the mountain, and is concerned ash from the Diamond Creek wildfire may be starting the fires. Bosscha says a member of the BC Wildfire Service is coming to assess the location of the fire this evening and they will "hopefully work on it tomorrow morning." Bosscha says there is little wind in the area this evening. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Send videos and photos to [email protected] The grand designs put forth by West Kelowna Council to improve Boucherie Road have been put on hold. The plan appears to be to provide an extension to the wine trail with sidewalks and bike paths. A wonderful but truly unworkable plan. The increase in traffic has now made Boucherie a secondary highway servicing commuters from Glenrosa, Mission Ridge, Lakeview Heights and all points in between. Many commuters avoid highway 97 all together. Council has also designated Boucherie as a truck route. The condition of Boucherie has deteriorated substantially over the past year. The surface is full of dips and deep potholes that make it seem more like a cow path. It is time for council to take a different approach. Repair the surface and treat it like the secondary highway it has become with left hand turn lanes and lights at the major intersections. Commuters often wait five minutes or longer to enter at busy intersections. Council needs to spend monies on improving the cities infrastructure as has been the key issue in every citizens survey. Improving the flow on Boucherie Road would be a great place to start. Boucherie road can no longer be looked at as a picturesque, meandering wine trail. Gordon Parrott Photo: darrylplecasmla.ca A Liberal member of British Columbia's legislature has defied his party and taken on the important job of Speaker, breaking with parliamentary tradition and offering some breathing room to the New Democrat's razor-thin minority government. Darryl Plecas has been acclaimed as the new Speaker to referee debates in the province's often fractious 87-seat legislature. Minutes after the Liberal party released a statement on Friday saying it had expelled Plecas from its caucus, he was escorted into the legislature by house leaders of both the NDP and Liberals. Interim Liberal Leader Rich Coleman said in a statement that Plecas repeatedly promised he would not seek the office of Speaker and the party is disappointed with his decision. "On several occasions, Mr. Plecas has made clear to me and the B.C. Liberal caucus that he would not seek the office of Speaker," Coleman said. "We took him at his word and believed that he would stand by his commitment." The acclamation ends months of speculation on how Premier John Horgan would manage a government with such a narrow minority had he followed protocol and offered up a New Democrat member as Speaker. "I can't tell you how happy I am to work with you over the next number of years to make B.C. better," Horgan told Plecas, addressing the whole legislature. "This is not about partisanship. This is about a new government and a new opportunity. I fully expect those on the other side of the house to keep us accountable and I fully expect members on this side of the house to be respectful to the questions asked and most importantly respectful to you and the office you hold." No party was able to win a legislative majority following the May 9 provincial election, which gave the Liberals 43 seats, the New Democrats 41 and the Greens three. The Liberals lost a confidence vote after the election when the New Democrats and Greens combined their 44 seats to defeat former premier Christy Clark's government. Clark's resignation, both as party leader and as an MLA, gave Horgan additional space to manoeuvre, at least until a byelection is held later this year. Former Liberal cabinet minister Steve Thomson was the most recent Speaker but resigned less than a week after being elected to the position when the Liberals were ousted in non-confidence motion. Green Leader Andrew Weaver commended Plecas for taking on the role of Speaker, describing him as a politician of exceptional ethics and high moral standards. "Darryl's willingness to stand for Speaker is an encouraging sign that the MLAs of all parties will be able to work together in a productive, collaborative session," Weaver said in a statement. "He will undoubtedly serve with dignity and honour as Speaker of this House." What was once a raging torrent of water is now dry as the desert sand. It was in April when BX Creek was threatening homes on 20th Street near 48th Avenue as residents scrambled to get sandbags in place to hold back the raging current. BX Creek also created what some called Lake Toyota at the intersection of Highway 97 and 48th Avenue. Today, however, the upper part of BX Creek has completely dried up. The lower section of the creek that leaves Swan Lake and passes through the recreation complex grounds is down to a trickle. But officials with the province say there is nothing to worry about because this is not unusual under the current weather conditions. BX Creek is not a spawning creek so there is no threat to fish, but it does feed Vernon Creek which provides tributary spawning habitat for Okanagan Kokanee stocks. However, officials said the creek was surveyed approximately two weeks ago and there are currently no concerns regarding adequate flows for spawning fish. She said that the more she looked into it, the more the things they did began to resonate with what she wanted to do. Ms Hardy said she had done volunteering in her teens and twenties with St Vincent de Paul, but was looking for a placement overseas with her husband when she heard about the role in PNG. The married couple a nurse and speech pathologist - spent 18 months in 2007-08 working for Palms Australia supporting villagers in Banz to provide services to people with disabilities. PERTH - For Perth couple Sarah Hardy and Damien Beale, a volunteering program in Papua New Guinea provided them with many happy memories and the opportunity to put their medical and educational training to good use. Palms Australia is a small personalised organisation, so they could accommodate both my husband and myself and the skills we brought, Ms Hardy said. Upon arrival in PNG, the couple travelled to the highlands where they were tasked with setting up a disability services sub-station near Mt Hagen, working for Callan Services a disability support provider linked with the Edmund Rice Foundation. Wed use a method where people working in disabilities go into the community and give resources, and educate or train the local people to look after their own disabled, Ms Hardy said. So we were promoting that model as well as setting up the sub-centre with buildings that Callan had provided, and just get services going within the district, which was quite large. So it wasnt like we were walking into something that was already set up, we had to create our own roles a bit. To support them in this role, they were provided with a local teachers wage, which helped put them on a more equal standing with members of the community. Damien Beale attends a school meeting It helped us be seen as one of the locals a bit more. We tried to find our way, listening to the community and used the resources we were given, Ms Hardy said. Now back in Australia, Ms Hardy said she would consider doing volunteering again with her family, although they would probably wait until their two children, born since their return had grown up. The organisation they volunteered with Palms Australia - has its origins in the Paulian Association, which was established in Sydney in 1956, providing assistance to local communities. In recent years, Palms volunteers have been sent to communities in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, including in Tanzania, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and indigenous Australia Photo: Contributed Maco the police dog ended his career on a high note, helping Salmon Arm RCMP nab four bad guys. Staff Sgt. Scott West said on Sept. 6 shortly before 2 a.m., police responded to a complaint of a theft of a pickup truck and trailer from a residence on Auto Road. The owner located his truck and trailer very quickly on Auto Road at 12th Avenue Southeast, after calling police to report the initial theft, said West. As a result of the quick report to police, investigating officers called in an RCMP police dog who was minutes away. The police dog and his handler tracked two suspects to a house and arrested them there. A member of the general public helped with that arrest by providing officers with their witness account of where two people ran, when they fled the truck and trailer. As the investigation unfolded, police determined two other suspects were also involved. A third member of the general public called police and reported seeing two people looking into vehicles just blocks away. RCMP attended the scene, again with the police dog unit, and tracked and arrested the two new suspects. It was quickly determined that the second duo that were tracked down by the dog were involved in the initial theft of the truck and trailer as well. One of the second pair attempted to flee after being arrested, but he was re-arrested after a short foot pursuit, said West. The adult male who tried to escape had four warrants for his arrest from the Yukon. The unidentified suspect has been remanded into custody and will be transported to the Yukon, so he can answer warrants for multiple counts of assault with a weapon, aggravated assault and forcible confinement. All of the individuals were held pending further investigation and police will be recommending charges of theft over $5,000 to Crown Council against the males involved. "This is a fine example of how the public-police partnership works to keep our community safe, said West. On another note, this was a matter of pride for our police dog handler and his police dog, Maco. Police dog Maco is due to retire soon and this may have been his last call. It is a great way to end his time with the RCMP and begin his well-deserved retirement. Photo: The Canadian Press Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women The Canadian government has announced $2.2 million for gender-equality projects in British Columbia, saying more must be done to improve the lives of women, girls and people who don't conform to a specific gender. Seven organizations that received funding include the Ending Violence Association of B.C. and the Women Against Violence Against Women Rape Crisis Centre. The centre will launch a project to improve the justice system's response to survivors of sexual violence, while the ending-violence association aims to improve the way workplaces respond to gender-based violence. The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology says it will work to increase gender diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math fields in Vancouver. Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef says the organizations receiving funding are led by strong, dynamic women working hard to catalyze change and she's proud to support them. Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she and the government of Canada are deeply committed to ensuring survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are supported. Photo: darrylplecasmla.ca Political observers were surprised Friday when Opposition Liberal member Darryl Plecas accepted the role of Speaker, despite earlier reassurances he'd given that he would not consider the position. The Speaker traditionally comes from within government ranks, but this move gives NDP Premier John Horgan breathing room for his minority government. Here are some facts about the new Speaker: Photo: Contributed While some parts of the province are reeling from a drought, Greater Vernon Water officials say there is enough to go around locally as long as residents keep up conservation efforts. A statement from GVW said, The Province has declared a Level 3 Drought for our region as some streams are at very low levels. Most of the streams of concern are not supplied by storage reservoirs. Based on GVWs Drought Management Plan, we will be able to remain at stage 1 water restrictions and also maintain adequate stream flows for fish in the Duteau Creek watershed. Stage 1 restrictions mean residents and businesses may water outdoors up to three days per week before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. as follows: Odd address numbers - Tuesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday Even address numbers - Wednesday, Friday, and/or Sunday Outdoor watering on Mondays is not permitted Duteau Creek water reservoir readings taken by GVW staff Sept. 1, show reservoirs were slightly above stage 1 levels. The efforts of the RDNO Operations staff to manage water outflows from reservoirs, as well as the efforts of residents to conserve water, has helped the water situation. GVW expects to remain at stage 1 for the remainder of the irrigation season. However, officials are still urging residents to maintain current conservation levels. Weather forecasts indicate minimal rain, with continued warm temperatures and with a late start to the growing season, some crops may still need water. Photo: The Canadian Press Former Liberal MLA Darryl Plecas is escorted from the speaker corridor to the legislative assembly. B.C.'s minority NDP government released a long list of pledges in its throne speech Friday, and the possibility of passing them into legislation grew stronger when a Liberal member "betrayed" his party to become the Speaker. The surprise acclamation of Darryl Plecas as Speaker added more breathing room to the razor-thin minority of the NDP government led by Premier John Horgan, who has an agreement with the Green party to combine votes for a one-seat majority in the legislature. The throne speech, read by Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, says British Columbians can expect reforms to provincial campaign finance laws that "eliminate corporate and union donations, put strict limits on individual contributions and make sure that only people living in B.C. can donate to our political parties." It also says the government will set the terms for an electoral reform referendum and change the current fixed election date from the spring to the fall every four years starting in 2021. The speech highlights affordability for British Columbians, starting with a $100 monthly increase to income assistance and disability rates and the removal of tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges. Protection from hefty increases for renters and annual bus passes to people with disabilities as of next January were part of the list of promises. The speech cites homelessness as an issue that would be tackled for residents in every region and notes the devastation from the worst wildfire season in the province's history. "The circumstances that bring a person to homelessness can be as arbitrary and unexpected as a wildfire but it is no less devastating. Those without homes need and deserve our help," Guichon read from the speech. The speech says the government will take on the issue of overdoses that killed 876 people between January and July, many of them as they were alone because they weren't aware of the risks of fentanyl-laced substances or couldn't get treatment. It highlights education as a high priority and says next week's update to the budget will restore funding for classrooms, a key plank for the New Democrats after the Liberals stripped cash and provisions from teachers' contracts, leading to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that called for reinstatement of funding. A large part of this audience was new to PNG affairs and an audible gasp ran around the room when people learned that, at the recent national poll, the people of PNG had managed not to elect even one woman to sit in the 111-member parliament. As the event got into full stride, with Rashmii Bell expertly chairing the session, her three colleagues illustrator and photographer Tania Basiou, lawyer Elvina Ogil and poet and film-maker Vanessa Gordon provided an engaged audience with a brisk and candid walk through some of the big issues facing PNG women today. Even after the session had begun, a queue of 20 people including well known PNG Attitude personalities Murray Bladwell, Ed Brumby and Lindsay Bond were being shunted back and forth by bemused attendants until finally the doors were flung open again. BRISBANE The presentation by Papua New Guinean women writers to a packed auditorium at the Brisbane Writers Festival yesterday was a great success on the back of a great achievement. It seems that this is a statistic that will hang over the parliament for its five-year term and I am confident that will be the case because I will be among those people who will not let it be forgotten. Unlike some people in PNG who should know better, I do not downplay the humiliation that the 0/111 confers upon this great country. Meanwhile back in Brisbane, we heard a fascinating discussion on the cultural misappropriation (including into the realm of foreign swimwear) of the iconic PNG string bag, the bilum. As Elvina Ogil pointed out, the bilum is more than a utilitarian accessory, it is a symbol both of the womb and of the strength of much put-upon Melanesian women. As the panel moved deeper into the issues, it became clear that Papua New Guineans have some trouble accommodating modern women professional, ambitious, assertive into the Melanesian cultural mindset. In traditional Melanesian society, women often had considerable influence and tended to be well-regarded for that. But, as things have turned out, these days there can be great pushback against women achievers. Part of the remedy, Elvina Ogil said, is for women themselves to take responsibility for driving towards gender equality. At the national political level, though, this task has been made more complex by that total lack of female representation in parliament. These elections were unsuccessful, Ms Ogil said. And in many ways they were untoward. We have lost our way. Men say theyll vote for a woman if shes quality. But when the time comes, its never enough. And its made particularly hard because theres no level playing field. "PNG is not a meritocracy. Winning on merit is virtually unknown. When were brave enough to find our voice, said colleague Vanessa Gordon, theres often an effort by men, and women too, to shout us down. They may allow that we are good, but there is often a reluctance to enable us to be great. When I started writing, and found I couldnt stop, I thought to myself, wow, Ill be making some enemies," Ms Gordon said. One of the challenges women face is to show, no matter what, that we are determined to have a voice. I hope the publication of My Walk to Equality lights a fire and evokes a feeling in PNG that we dont want to be ashamed. I hope it will help PNG women get over their sense of shame, she said. Yesterday's discussion was expansive, informed and entertaining and the audience departed for lunch well satisfied with their hour of engagement with four articulate PNG women. And, when I repaired to the State Library of Queensland bookshop not long after to buy another copy of My Walk to Equality (having given away my own stockpile some time ago), I found myself purchasing the last one in the shop. Now that too is a sign of success. The 'My Walk to Equality' panel ready to present (photo Stefan Armbruster) Rashmii Bell will again be presenting at the festival tomorrow as part of a panel on domestic violence. In a session entitled 'Staying Power', the panellists will explore the deeper psychological aspects of domestic violence and ask what happens before the violence and why people stay. Co-presenters will be authors Kerrie Davies and Michael Sala and the discussion will be chaired by Emily Sexton. This event is sold out. U.S. Rep. John Katko said Tuesday he's reviewing legislation that would achieve similar goals as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that President Donald Trump rescinded this week. One bill under consideration by Katko, R-Camillus, is the Recognizing America's Children Act. The legislation is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a Florida Republican, and would provide legal status to individuals who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. To achieve legal status, the undocumented immigrants must be employed, enrolled in college or serving in the military. Anyone with a significant criminal history would be ineligible for legalization. Curbelo noted that many of the young people are law-abiding citizens who aren't familiar with their parents' home country. The U.S., he said, is "the only country they have ever called home." DACA is a policy implemented by the Obama administration that would allow children of undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation as long as they were attending school, employed or serving in the armed forces and didn't have a significant criminal history. The Obama administration attempted to expand DACA, which led states to challenge the policy in federal court. That legal fight was cited as a reason why Trump opted to discontinue DACA. Trump is giving Congress six months to develop a legislative alternative to DACA. Curbelo's bill is receiving more attention from his colleagues, including Katko. As of Wednesday, Curbelo's measure has 20 cosponsors. Four New York Republicans U.S. Reps. Chris Collins, Dan Donovan, John Faso and Tom Reed support the bill. "That's definitely one of the ones I'm looking at. That's probably the biggest one," Katko said in a phone interview Tuesday. "That's the one that's most commonsensical to me because it incentivizes people to be productive members of society. It will not reward them with citizenship, but it would reward them with some sort of status over a period of time if they showed a demonstrated productivity, either scholastically or employment-wise. That's good. I'm intrigued by that." Katko reiterated his position on DACA. While he doesn't oppose granting legal status to children who were brought to the U.S. illegally, he believes the Obama administration's action amounted to executive overreach. He also thinks it's "highly unlikely" that DACA would've been upheld in federal court. He's hopeful that Trump's decision to rescind the DACA order will compel Congress to act on immigration and border security. He recently outlined his stance on immigration reform at an agricultural forum in Wayne County. Katko suggested that a larger immigration bill could include a provision that provides protections for children who were brought to the U.S. illegally. "We need to do the whole package and this could be a very key component of that package," he said. "But we do need to act on it and I'm glad the president gave us six months. I'm glad there's a deadline because it's going to give us time not a ton of time to get something done." The marker there honors 19th century artist Sheldon Peck, and is placed at the site of his former residence. He and his family lived at the site (but not the home currently there) from 1828 to 1836. Peck went on to a long career as an artist and portrait painter whose work is in the collections of major U.S. museums, including the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. When Jay Subedi began working at Subway in Syracuse in 2008, he only recognized two ingredients: tomatoes and cucumbers. At 30 years old, Subedi had never seen deli meat before. He didn't understand the difference between salami and ham, and he didn't know that there were several kinds of bread and cheese. All he'd ever really known, he said, was rice. Born in Bhutan a small country between India and China Subedi had spent most of his life in a refugee camp in Nepal. For 18 years, he said, he and his relatives were given equal rations of rice. That rice would have to last them 15 days, until they received their next ration. "It's a very, very difficult life in the camps," Subedi said. "There's not enough food, not enough education, not enough water and not enough health care, so it's crossing the line with human dignity. ... But somehow we survived." On Nov. 14, 2008 after more than two years of extreme vetting and medical screening with the United Nations and the Department of Homeland Security Subedi landed in Syracuse with his wife, mother and father. And he was hired as a janitor at Subway. During the day, Subedi worked hard at cleaning the toilets, floors and dishes. Then, at night, he studied. "Every day I went home and read the formulas (to make a sandwich) ... because I only knew tomato and cucumber," he said. "And my English was not good, so in the beginning it was very challenging and I had to catch up with the language." Despite the culture shock and language barrier, Subedi succeeded, and within a month he was offered a manager position. He was also hired as a case manager and Nepali interpreter at Interfaith Works of Central New York. Now, nearly a decade later, Subedi still works with Interfaith Works, a nonprofit that helps resettle refugees in Syracuse. And Subedi is sharing his story with others this time in Cayuga County. On Thursday, Sept. 14, Subedi will be one of many former refugees to speak about resettlement at an event at the Booker T. Washington Community Center in Auburn. The Rev. Patrick Heery, the pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, said several community and faith-based organizations have partnered with Interfaith Works to host the event, which will explore opportunities for refugee resettlement in Cayuga County. "Interfaith Works has been looking to expand ... and it raised the question, 'What would (resettlement) look like here?'" Heery said. "What can we do?" Heery said the event will be the first of its kind in the county in which the community can hear directly from former refugees like Subedi, as well as Lorina Mpinga. Like Subedi, Mpinga spent most of her life in a refugee camp overseas her parents were from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa and she was born in a camp in Tabora, the capital of Tanzania. Her family spent four years being vetted by the United Nations before they were brought to Syracuse in 2004. She was 16 years old. "It was a culture shock," Mpinga said. "Back home in the refugee camp, there are always people all the time and everybody knows everybody. But here, we didn't see or meet our neighbors for two months. We felt isolated." Now 29, Mpinga said she and her family have become accustomed to the American way of life and "love it here." She spent a lot of time with her Swahili/English dictionary, she said, and was hired as an interpreter and case manager at Interfaith Works soon after she arrived in Syracuse. She received a degree in French and foreign studies and international relations from Hobart College. Both Subedi and Mpinga will share their stories at the event in Auburn. One of their goals, Subedi said, is to educate the community on the economic benefits of resettling refugees. "Thirty percent of the economy in upstate New York is created by the new Americans and refugees," he said. "We are so fortunate as former refugees to help and give back to the community. ... After staying for such a long time in the camp and having a very hard life, it's our time to give back to this country." Heery said he hopes the event will open a dialogue about refugee possibilities in Cayuga County. However, he also said he knows there are some issues that could interfere with resettlement in the area, the biggest being a lack of affordable housing. "If we were to talk about refugee resettlement here, how could we do that ... without doing harm to people who are already here and in need of (housing)?" Heery said. "The goal is not to displace others. The goal is to stand together as a community and help those among us. "We're hoping that this event will be the beginning of the conversation to address the complexities and hear people's stories," he continued. "By telling stories and getting to know the real human faces of this debate, we come another step closer to recovering a humane and educated dialogue on this subject." AUBURN The proposed expansion of the Court Street parking lot was put off by the Auburn City Council after Court Street residents raised concerns about the project. During the public to be heard session of Thursday night's council meeting, Court Street resident Roberta Williams claimed parts of the city's State Environmental Quality Review report were not true, such as those relating to water drainage. Williams, a senior partner with the WHMB law firm, said she does not have much knowledge of environmental law and that while she did not have time to review the SEQR thoroughly, "it was easy enough for a lay person to look at it and know that the papers attached to it are not accurate." Williams also owns property at 11 and 13 Court Street and said the entire time she has owned those properties, there have been "enormous problems" with drainage coming from the city's parking lot. The city's SEQR states that while expanding the lot will create storm water discharge, it would not flow to adjacent properties. The SEQR also reports that "no, or small impact may occur" in regard to erosion, flooding or drainage problems. Williams said she came back from a 10-day vacation Sunday night to find the area behind her house "decimated," with the trees that butted up against her property having been removed. She said she had no knowledge this was going to happen and no one from the city had contacted her or any of her neighbors. "I'm an attorney, and I speak in front of people every day," Williams said, visibly emotional. "But when you're talking about your own home and your own property, your response is very different than when you stand in front of a court to speak for someone else." City Manager Jeff Dygert said he has met, and will continue to meet, with the affected residents to hear their concerns. "We're confident we can deal with the majority of the issues," Dygert said during the meeting. Following the meeting, Dygert said removing the trees was not directly related to the parking lot's expansion. "There had been some work going on in that area anyway," Dygert said. "We were receiving some complaints about some overgrowth on the trails and some less-than-desirable activities happening through there. I asked (the Department of Public Works) to go back there and start clearing some of that out." The city has been discussing plans to expand the lot as a way to compensate from the parking that will be lost once the Cultural Heritage Welcome Center is constructed. The currently proposed expansion would create 33 new parking spaces. The council now plans to vote on the parking lot expansion at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 21. Other resolutions that came before council Thursday night relating to the 2016 Road Improvement Program, the 2017 Community Development Block Grant Sidewalk Program, the North Hunter Brook Bridge Replacement project and the North Division Street Dam Hydro Facility project were unanimously approved. In other news Members of the council unanimously voted to approve the installation of an electric vehicle charging station in the Lincoln Street Parking Garage. The total cost of installation is $13,496. However, the city would only be responsible for $1,250. The rest will be provided through a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority grant and other discounts, Director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development Jennifer Haines said. The grant covers a three-year network subscription to run the charging station, Haines said, and after the first three years, the city will be required to pay $470 a year for the subscription, which is required to manage the system. Haines said city council will have to discuss charging electric car owners for using the charging station. "It is our recommendation that there would be a charge for that," Haines said, adding she would research how much other municipalities charge for similar services. Approving the electric charging station installation was the fourth and final step the city needed to take in order to be designated a Clean Energy Community from NYSERDA, which now allows the city to qualify for state grant money to fund future clean energy projects. Following a presentation from Corporation Council Stacy DeForrest during the last Auburn City Council meeting, on Aug. 24, members of the council voted to amend the city's land sale policy. The biggest change, DeForrest said Thursday, is a provision that requires the city to notify adjacent landowners prior to any sale of city-owned lands. Chih-Jen Shih is very satisfied with his breakthrough: "To date, no one has succeeded in producing green light as pure as we have," says the Professor of Chemical Engineering in his laboratory at ETH Zurich. He points at an ultra-slim, bendable light-emitting diode (LED), which displays the three letters "ETH" in a fine hue of bright green. Shih's progress is significant, particularly in terms of the next generation of ultra-high resolution displays used for TVs and smartphones. Electronic devices must first be able to produce ultra-pure red, blue and green light in order to enable the next generation of displays to show images that are clearer, sharper, richer in detail and with a more refined range of colours. For the most part, this is already possible for red and blue light; green light, however, has hitherto reached the limits of technology. This is due mainly to human perception, since the eye is able to distinguish between more intermediary green hues than red or blue ones. "This makes the technical production of ultra-pure green very complex, which creates challenges for us when it comes to developing technology and materials," says Sudhir Kumar, co-lead author of the report. Up to 99 percent ultra-pure green It becomes clear from reference to the Rec.2020 standard just how much progress Shih's ultra-green light has made in the development of the next generation of displays. The international standard defines the technical requirements for ultra-high resolution (known as "Ultra HD") displays and provides a framework for further research and development. The requirements also include an improvement in colour quality visible to the naked eye. The standard provides the colour scale that a display can reproduce and therefore a broader range of colour hues. Ultra-pure green plays a key role in extending the colour range, or gamut. Ultimately, new hues are created through the technical mixture of three base colours: red, blue and green. The purer the base colours, the broader the range of hues a screen can display. Shih's new LED is in line with 97 to 99 percent of the Rec. 2020 standard. By comparison, the purest colour TV displays currently available on the market cover on average only 73.11 to 77.72 percent; none exceeds 80 percent. Inexpensive, producible LED technology Wendelin Stark, ETH Professor of Functional Materials Engineering, along with researchers from South Korea and Taiwan, also contributed to the project results. Shih not only made a breakthrough in terms of the results, but also in the material and method. He and his colleagues have effectively developed an ultra-thin, bendable light-emitting diode able to emit pure green light using simple room-temperature processes. Shih says that this is the second aspect of his breakthrough and is at least equally important, as until now high-temperature processes were required to produce pure light with LED technology. "Because we were able to realise the entire process at room temperature, we've opened up opportunities for the simple, low-cost industrial production of ultra-green light-emitting diodes in the future," says Jakub Jagielski, co-lead author of the report. More specifically, Shih and his team used nanomaterials to further develop the LED technology. A light-emitting diode usually contains a semiconductor crystal that converts electrical current passed through it into radiant light. The raw material is usually indium gallium nitride (InGaN); however, this material does not have the ideal properties for production of ultra-pure green light. So Shih's team instead used perovskite, a material that is also used in the manufacture of solar cells and which can convert electricity into light relatively efficiently. It is also inexpensive and helps make the manufacturing process simple and fast - it takes just half an hour to chemically clean perovskite and make it ready for use, says Shih. The perovskite material in Shih's light-emitting diode is a miniscule 4.8 nanometres in thickness. This is an important factor, since the colour quality depends on the thickness and form of the nanocrystal used. In order to reach the desired pure green, the crystals should not be any thicker or thinner. These flexible, ultra-thin light-emitting diodes are as bendable as a sheet of paper. Hence, they can be produced inexpensively and quickly using the existing roll-to-roll process for example. Shih says this will also benefit industrial production in the future. Next step: improve efficiency However, it will still take some time before we see the first industrial application of ultra-green light-emitting diodes. The next step for Shih is to first improve the efficiency. Today, his LED works at 3 percent efficiency when converting electricity into light; in comparison, TV screens currently available on the market have efficiency values of 5 to 10 percent. Shih is hoping that the next version will be 6 to 7 percent more efficient. He also sees potential for improvement in the lifespan of his light-emitting diode. Currently, it illuminates for about two hours, whereas screens available on the market should work for many years. JORDAN Elbridge Elementary School Principal R.J. Hartwell noticed an "eerie calm" instead of a frenzy at the end of the school day Tuesday, the first day of the fall curriculum. Once the students left school grounds, teachers chatted about how great the day went, he said. Speaking at a Jordan-Elbridge Central School District Board of Education meeting Wednesday night, Hartwell attributed that calm to the work staff have been doing with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, an effort to improve student behavior. Hartwell and program specialist Dan Howard gave an update on how the implementation of practices for kindergarten through fourth grade have been going in the school. Through Positive Behavioral Interventions, Howard said, appropriate behavior in a class, in a hallway or on the bus is taught by elementary teachers just as English and math are. Howard said he began work at the school in Dec. 2015, implementing those practices with students at the beginning of the school year that fall. The specialist said he believes there is a difference in how students behaved decades ago versus today, saying pupils in years' past had a "automatic sense of respect for the adults in charge." Presently, he argues, students simply don't understand what it means to behave properly. He believes modern students have a lack of parental support, with many parents balancing multiple jobs. While teachers have no control over what kind of environments students come from,, Howard said, there are ways for teachers to encourage constructive behavior as opposed to focusing on the consequences a child will face for unruly conduct. Howard said that while each instructor has their own personal ideals for how a child should act, specific uniform standards for appropriate behavior have been established. For example, proper behavior for a school assembly includes sitting quietly and listening to the speaker. The elementary teachers must incorporate particular goals from the Positve Behavioral Interventions curriculum into their day, Howard said, though it doesn't have to be at the same time every day. One day, for example, a teacher may teach a math lesson for the first hour, then go over behavior work and then move on to something else. The crux of the approach, Howard said, is the importance of teachers building relationships with students and talking to those students when they show a positive behavior to reinforce it. While Hartwell didn't have hard numbers to show the strategy's success in the school, he said he has seen strides in recent months. For example, he saw a difference in student behavior after the first day of class in fall 2016, after months of preparation work with staff. He said there was a aforementioned "eerie calm" at the end of that school day as well, with some teachers concluding that was the best first day of class they've ever experienced. Howard said the approach is being expanded to fifth grade this year. And while the program isn't a "cure-all" for negative behavior, Howard said he believes it is helping immensely. Future plans include gauging how much instructional time in a classroom was lost due to disruptive behavior as a way to possible determine the approach's success, Howard said. Howard believes carving out relationships based in kindness with students is critical, as he said studies have shown the top predictor of a child graduating is if an adult in the school be it a teacher or the principal or a staff member supports that student. "If a child is going to graduate, they need an adult in that school who believes in them," Howard said. A mechanic works on a car at Sherman Dodge in Skokie, which broke with a dealership bargaining committee to sign its own agreement with its unionized mechanics. (Kristan Lieb / For the Chicago Tribune) As a Chicago-area auto mechanics strike nears its seventh week, the union involved is accusing the bargaining group for new-car dealerships of violating federal labor law. It's the second such accusation surrounding this strike in as many weeks, with the first charge filed by the dealerships against the union, Automobile Mechanics' Local 701. Advertisement The newest charge, filed Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board, accuses the New Car Dealership Committee of bargaining in bad faith. Nearly 2,000 mechanics at almost 140 new-car dealerships throughout the Chicago area walked off the job Aug. 1, demanding a contract that resolves sticking points such as uncompensated work time. Though the parties have come to the bargaining table multiple times, negotiations have stalled. Advertisement The dealership committee on Wednesday presented its "last, best and final" contract offer to the union. The committee allegedly provided union members the offer before Local 701 had a chance to review it, according to a post on the union's website. Dealing directly with technicians in that instance constitutes bargaining in bad faith, the union alleges. Dave Sloan, a spokesman for the New Car Dealership Committee, said the charge is without merit. "We sent it to the union before we sent it to our dealers," he said. "We obviously didn't send it directly to the technicians." The committee sent the offer to dealers so the mechanics would have an accurate portrayal of the deal, Sloan said. The technicians have run out of time, he said. If they don't return to work this week, according to the committee's site, many of the workers will experience a four-week gap in health coverage once they do return. Representatives from the union did not respond to requests for comment, but the union said on its site that there is a lack of clarity surrounding the insurance issue. Advertisement Meanwhile, last week some dealerships affected by the strike broke ranks with the New Car Dealership Committee and reached separate agreements with their unionized workers. Soon after, the committee filed a charge with the NLRB. Asking dealerships to break ranks with the bargaining committee violates fair labor practices, the charge alleges. Negotiating with the individual dealerships and entering into separate agreements with them are also violations, the charge states. Business at the dealerships affected by the strike has suffered. Though some have continued offering basic services like oil changes or tire rotations, many had to shut down repairs completely. Some laid off nonunion employees for lack of work. The "last, best and final" contract offer would increase base pay hours for journeyman service technicians (the highest classification) from 34 hours to 35, according to the committee's website. It also includes wage increases for all classifications of technicians and limitations on scheduling for journeyman technicians. The base pay issue has been a major sticking point throughout negotiations. Mechanics often are paid based on billable hours set by carmakers. For example, if a manufacturer says an oil change should take one hour, the mechanic gets compensated for one hour of work, regardless of whether he or she spends longer on the job. Under the previous contract, mechanics received base pay for 34 hours. The union has been asking for that to increase to 40. Advertisement amarotti@chicagotribune.com Twitter @AllyMarotti An effort to protect Illinois borrowers from abusive and predatory student loan practices is at death's door, and it needs to be jolted back to life. However, resuscitation requires state lawmakers, when they reconvene this fall, to override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's recent veto of legislation calling for an Illinois Student Loan Bill of Rights. Advertisement Overturning the governor's veto is a long shot but worth taking. This bill will provide a helping hand to student borrowers and their families coping with an often confusing and complex college loan system. It's also a significant step toward addressing a growing student loan crisis, one that's dealing with rising defaults and could morph into a nationwide financial catastrophe. Advertisement "The student loan debt crisis is having a serious impact on our economy, the largest since the mortgage foreclosure crisis," contends Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose office has been tracking the student loan industry for years and drafted the bill that Rauner spiked. Madigan versus Rauner doesn't that have a familiar ring? Nonetheless, Illinois Senate Bill 1351 would provide important, baseline consumer protections for students in this state. In Illinois, the average amount of a student loan owed is $29,305, according to the latest data from the California-based Project on Student Debt. The bill would compel loan servicing firms, which administer the lion's share of government-backed student loans, to tell borrowers about all of their repayment options. Those options include a federal program based on a borrower's income that's designed to produce lower, more manageable monthly payments. The bill also requires servicing companies to tell customers that their loans could be forgiven due to a disability or problems with the school they attended, such as false program certification or sudden closure. At the root of this legislative push is Madigan's recent investigation into the student loan industry, which uncovered the abusive and wily ways in which this sector can keep borrowers in the dark about their loan repayment alternatives. In January, the attorney general filed a lawsuit against Navient and related businesses. Delaware-based Navient is one of the country's largest student loan service firms. Advertisement The filing alleges Navient didn't properly assist its Illinois-based consumers by telling them about less expensive repayment options. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, the company steered clients into plans that unfairly increased the cost of their loans. Navient, in an email to me, labeled the lawsuit's allegations as "false" and asserted it has a "superior track record" of helping borrowers find the right way to repay. That legal wrangling will be settled in court, but right now the student loan service industry has found a buddy in Gov. Rauner. Rauner's veto message called the bill's intent "laudable" but added its enactment would encroach on the "federal government's responsibilities" to monitor the industry. He added it would place a regulatory burden on the sector and foist confusion on an "already complex student loan process." It's unclear what federal responsibilities are going to be trampled by this effort to provide basic information to those who really need it. Illinois wouldn't be getting in the way of the Department of Education, which oversees the loan program and uses taxpayer funds to contract loan service providers. Advertisement California, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., already have variations of a student loan bill of rights. Other states are looking into the possibility too. Enacting this bill also sends a strong signal that Illinois is trying to do its part to avoid, or at least temper, any impending student loan disaster. The situation is fraught with political intrigue. Sen. Daniel Biss, a Democrat who is one of the bill's sponsors, is running for governor. Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan, father of the attorney general, have been known to lock horns over an issue or two. Will Lisa Madigan ask her dad to help bring her important consumer protection bill back from the near-dead? "We fight our own battles," she told me, but then quickly added: "I should give him a call." Advertisement roreed@chicagotribune.com Twitter @reedtribbiz Nurse Doris Carroll participates in a rally held by members of the nursing staff of the University of Illinois Hospital and their supporters, Thursday, August 24, 2017, in the Illinois Medical District neighborhood. Nurses plan to strike Wednesday at University of Illinois Hospital. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) A Cook County judge has thrown a wrench into a planned Wednesday nurses' strike at University of Illinois Hospital, ruling that 213 of those nurses can't participate because it would endanger patient safety. Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Mullen on Friday granted the U. of I. Board of Trustees a temporary restraining order, prohibiting nurses in certain areas from taking part in the strike if no contract agreement is reached before then. The bargaining unit includes about 1,200 nurses. Advertisement Mullen wrote that the order was necessary "to avoid or remove any clear and present danger to the health or safety of the public." Nurses who won't be allowed to strike include those working in the bone marrow transplant unit, emergency department, labor and delivery, five intensive care units, the oncology center and the psychiatric comprehensive adolescent treatment unit. Advertisement The trustees had argued, on behalf of the university's health system, that the hospital couldn't replace all the nurses in those units for the day and wouldn't be able to transfer all the affected patients to other facilities for the day. "There are certain units within UI Health that, due to the unique and critical nature of the services provided in those units, the significant and specialized needs of the patients they serve, the lack of qualified substitutes to perform the nurses' duties and the inability to move such patients to other facilities without jeopardizing their health ... would constitute a clear and present danger to the health or safety of the public," the trustees said in a court filing. The Illinois Nurses Association said in a statement Friday that the hospital was granted a similar restraining order three years ago, the last time a contract was being negotiated. In that case, the system and union reached an agreement before a planned strike. "We find it interesting that in court, (the hospital) says its nurses are indispensable, but at the bargaining table, they treat them with disrespect," the association said in the statement. The hospital and the nurses, represented by the Illinois Nurses Association, have been negotiating over a new contract for months. Negotiations continued Friday. lschencker@chicagotribune.com Twitter @lschencker Chicago chefs and restaurateurs Graham Elliot, left, and Matthias Merges are opening a new cocktail bar and restaurant Gideon Sweet, coming to the West Loop by early November. (Mike Rivera) Expect mini movable feasts at Graham Elliot and Matthias Merges' new cocktail bar and restaurant Gideon Sweet, coming to the West Loop by early November. The veteran Chicago chefs and restaurateurs, in an exclusive interview with Food & Dining, shared details about the approach of the menu (though little about particular dishes) and how they will use the space, formerly home to Graham Elliot Bistro. Advertisement "It's a craft cocktail-focused menu with 20 dishes or so that are going to be constantly evolving and moving around the dining room. Think creative dim sum, if you will, based on our travels," said Elliot, perhaps best known now as the white framed glasses- wearing judge on "MasterChef" and "Top Chef" TV cooking competition shows. "Not appetizer, entree, dessert, or 20-course tasting menu, but something that's very fluid, but delicious and seasonal," he added. Advertisement Elliot, who first opened his namesake restaurant in 2012, closed it last August after a short-lived four-month re-concepting partnership with the DMK Group. He has also overseen the Lollapalooza Chow Town food and drink booths, where his lobster corn dog is considered a classic, and will open a restaurant in Macau called Coast this fall. Merges said, "I like to look at dim sum not as a food product but a style of service. I think there's something so beautiful about dim sum restaurants, that you're able to understand what a preparation is or what the chef is trying to produce by taking it around the room." The founder and owner of Folkart Restaurant Management (Billy Sunday, Old Irving Brewing, A10, Lucky Dorr), Merges recently closed three Yusho Japanese-inspired restaurants, including his beloved flagship in Logan Square, but plans to reopen Chicago and Las Vegas locations. "It's so important to showcase and give the opportunity for our guests to see what's in front of them, and smell it as it comes to the table," he added, "Not only food but we're also going to do cocktails the same way." "What we are doing at Gideon Sweet is more 'naschen,' a German style of grazing and snacking," said Merges. The word is also related to the Yiddish word "nosh." Said Elliot, "When you think of Randolph, Restaurant Row, you've got everything from Grace and Blackbird on one side to BellyQ and all these spots on the other, but you can think of maybe one bar or drink-centric spot. So I think for us to be able to bring that, and the food and our story and an open kitchen and patios, it's something that isn't only new but needed. It's something that everyone is desiring over there." Said Merges, "We'll have a patio out front on Randolph, we have a huge bar that we're building on the inside as you walk in, a dining area, a back patio, an alleyway, so there's an opportunity to explore the restaurant and have different experiences on different levels as you move through the space." An alleyway? Advertisement "One of the great things about the site is that there is an alleyway in the back that hearkens back to when Randolph Street was a meatpacking district," added Merges, "It's one of the only alleys like that in the whole area. So the developers and the owners of the buildings around are going to make that a pedestrian way." RM Champagne Salon, Green Street Smoked Meats, and Gideon Sweet will all share the outdoor space on restored cobblestones over 100 years old. The name Gideon Sweet refers to an heirloom apple once thought to be extinct but rediscovered. "It's something that Chef Matt came up with," said Elliot. "Speaking of names it's been 'Chef Matt' for 19 years. He's one of the few people on the planet I still refer to as 'chef'. It's a respect thing." Elliot and Merges first met in the kitchen of the late, legendary Charlie Trotter's restaurant as cooks nearly 20 years ago. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > They dodged repeated questions on food and drink specifics, but Merges did hint at one possible dish. Advertisement "Me and my kids, we love to eat poke, but it's always been mediocre at best at most places," he said. "This should be vibrant and bright and exciting and delicious. Let's just take this curry that we just made and use that as the medium. It turned out to be this fantastic dish, great with wines and cocktailing, that's how food should be: flavorful, explosive, eye-catching, and all your senses incorporated. From the crunch of the nori to the yellow of curry, to the heat of the galangal and ginger. I think it's so important that every dish Graham and myself created has that intensity and power and intrigue." Elliot added, "So tomorrow that poke could turn into a beet poke resembling tuna but tossed with this kind of curry. And the next day it's a curry bisque with dried tuna bottarga shaved over the top." "One thing that we've talked about is not having the menu be like these are Chef Matt's and these are Graham Elliot's or these are signatures. It's clean slate," said Elliot. Gideon Sweet, 841 W. Randolph St., 312-888-2258, www.gideonsweet.com lchu@chicagotribune.com Twitter @louisachu The Kennison, which opened in the Hotel Lincoln space that once housed Perennial Virant, does not have the polish of its predecessor, nor does it seem to want it. Named for a gentleman with a knack for embellishing his personal history (more on that later), The Kennison, a joint venture between the Boka Restaurant Group's Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, and the newly formed 90/94 Restaurant Group of Ryan See and Dan Warren (Dan + Ryan = 90/94), seeks a stronger connection to its host hotel as well as to the local clientele. Advertisement The result, which opened in early July, is something of a cross between a hotel restaurant and a neighborhood hangout. The open layout and unadorned marble tabletops speak to efficiency and accommodation; the layout is especially friendly for the stroller crowd, which should help brunch attendance. A back wall, where shelves of vegetables once trumpeted chef Paul Virant's commitment to peak-season pickling, now displays an art installation of vintage hotel room keys. I wouldn't call it a warm look, but it's certainly comfortable enough, though the noise level is louder than I remember it. Lighting dims down to can't-read-the-menu levels in the evening; I don't know if the goal is to maximize the summer-evening park views or to claim a bit more intimacy, but it's time to lighten up in either case. Advertisement Executive chef Bill Walker logged time at Green Zebra, Old Town Social, Salero and Wood; his time at Green Zebra seems to have been most influential. Though the menu, at first glance, seems hotel-level conservative, Walker shows a deft hand with even the simplest-sounding creations. His salad options, for instance, include heirloom tomatoes who wouldn't, at this time of year? but he adds a welcome complexity to the mix by tossing the tomatoes with olives and white anchovy, supported by smoky chorizo sofrito. Charred broccolini is elevated by piquillo peppers, eggplant and feta; this dish lurks among the veggie sides but is worth more attention than that. Another seasonal inspiration is a corn and wild-mushroom risotto. It's an ugly plate to contemplate, but studded with freeze-dried corn niblets and brightened with lime, it works as a sort of formal version of elotes, and tastes delicious. The must-have dish is Walker's pastrami-spiced carrots, which the chef conceptualized while at Green Zebra but never produced there. Glossy, herb-rubbed carrots lie on a pile of sauerkraut, topped with caraway-inlaid tuile and neon-pink dots of beet-caraway-horseradish emulsion. It's an all-veggie salute to the Reuben sandwich, as well as a beautiful salute to the fall, and I'm hoping that Walker doesn't run out of carrots anytime soon. From the raw bar come oysters, lovingly handled and with a raspberry Champagne mignonette I'd happily slurp from a spoon; hamachi crudo in a mosaic of color provided by purple leaves of opal basil, red chile slices, tiny pieces of lemon, chile threads and cucumber-gin gelee; and tuna tartare with radish chips, jalapeno and dots of tequila gelee. But Walker has no problem with animal proteins, from a perfectly fine beef tartare to sufficiently irked meatballs arrabbiata with olive, brioche crumbs and pecorino cheese. Uniform rectangles of medium-rare pork loin lie alongside a summery succotash of corn, cherry tomatoes, red okra, tomato jam and blistered shishito peppers; cut-up roasted chicken with summer squash, Italian sausage and lemon-kissed stock is simple and nurturing. Black tagliolini noodles tangle with curls of octopus tentacles to good effect over a coarse eggplant sauce; pappardelle, by contrast, is summer personified, matched to rabbit, peaches and ricotta salata sprinkled with lavender honey. Maree Rogers' desserts impressed me. Dark-chocolate cake, layered with dark-chocolate mousse and caramel cremeux, gets a Cracker Jack-inspired topping of caramel corn pieces and roasted-peanut ice cream. A long, narrow sliver of mascarpone cheesecake is piled high with sliced plums, pepita granola, honey tuiles and apricot-tea sorbet. An artful deconstruction places torn pieces of poppy seed-studded angel food cake with meringue batons, Meyer lemon curd, blueberry-lavender sorbet and blueberry compote, while brown-butter cake is piped with white chocolate mousse, flanked by blackberry tuile and cornmeal crisp, along with blackberry sherbet and fresh blackberries. Even the cookie plate, a trio that might include Demerara chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and peanut butter, is impressive. Advertisement The beverage program covers the basics. Ten cocktails at $12, two dozen wines by the glass or bottles and a dozen or so beers, equally divided among draft pours and bottles/cans. The restaurant takes its name from David Kennison, a legendary figure in Chicago history; there is a boulder to his memory in Lincoln Park, near, but apparently not precisely at, his gravesite. What's known about the man is that he was the last survivor of the Boston Tea Party, fought in numerous battles during the Revolutionary War and lived to be 115. What's also known is that probably none of those claims is true. Naming a restaurant after a famous Chicago charlatan is an interesting tactic, but in a hotel whose rooftop bar (the J. Parker) honors a policeman who abandoned his post for a drink when he should have been guarding the president's box at the Ford's Theatre one fateful night, Mr. Kennison seems like a good fit. pvettel@chicagotribune.com Twitter @PhilVettel The Kennison 1800 N. Lincoln Ave. Advertisement 312-981-7070 www.thekennison.com Tribune rating: Two stars Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Open: Dinner daily; brunch Saturday-Sunday Prices: Entrees $14-$36 Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V Advertisement Reservations: Recommended, especially brunch Noise: Conversation-challenged Other: Wheelchair accessible; valet parking Ratings key: 4 stars, outstanding; 3 stars, excellent; 2 stars, very good; 1 star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune. A helicopter carrying singer Troy Gentry, of the award-winning country music duo Montgomery Gentry, crashed on Friday, killing Gentry and the pilot. The crash occurred in a wooded area as the helicopter approached the Flying W Airport in Medford hours before Montgomery Gentry was due to perform at a resort housed at the airport, authorities said. The band's website called Gentry's death "tragic" and said details of the crash were unknown. "Troy Gentry's family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time," the website said. Gentry, who was 50 years old, was from Kentucky. Police got a call at about 1 p.m. of a helicopter that was in distress, said Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County prosecutor's office. The helicopter crashed as emergency crews arrived at the scene. Crews removed Gentry, who was a passenger, from the wreckage, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital, Medford police Chief Richard Meder said. The crews worked for hours to remove the body of pilot James Evan Robinson from the mangled wreckage. Robinson had been living in Medford but was originally from Meigs, Georgia. He was a helicopter pilot at the flight school at the Flying W Airport, police said. Members of the country duo's band including the other half of the duo, Eddie Montgomery, were at the airport when the helicopter crashed, Meder said. They were taken to the hospital to see Gentry, he said. The helicopter had taken off from the Flying W Airport but went into distress and was approaching the airport to land when it crashed, Meder said. The purpose of the helicopter trip wasn't known. The National Transportation Safety Board was headed to the crash scene. Gentry was born in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met Montgomery and they formed an act based off their surnames. Montgomery Gentry had success on the country charts and country radio in the 2000s, scoring No. 1 hits with "Roll With Me," ''Back When I Knew It All," ''Lucky Man," ''Something to Be Proud Of" and "If You Ever Stop Loving Me." Some of the songs even cracked the Top 40 on the pop charts. The band mixed country music with Southern rock. It was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009. It released its debut album, "Tattoos & Scars," in 1999. Associated Press writer Kristen de Groot contributed to this story from Philadelphia. RELATED STORIES: Notable deaths in 2017 Country star Don Williams, 'the Gentle Giant,' dies at 78 Kate Millett, feminist author of 'Sexual Politics,' dies at 82 This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on January 10, 2010. To say that Eric and Kathy don't pal around when they're off the air is an understatement. "Kathy's never even been to my house," says Eric Ferguson, the proactive half of the morning team at WTMX-FM 101.9. "I've been to Kathy's house one time." "It's not like I don't like him," says Kathy Hart, the team's reactive half. "But we just don't hang out." Their distance is partly by temperament, partly by design. He grew up in Elburn, the far reaches of the Chicago suburbs, and moved in; Ferguson, 42, now lives in Lincoln Park with his family, attending sporting events around the city, going out to eat several times a week, but always returning to be in bed by 10:15 to be ready for the next day's show. After growing up in Crystal Lake, Hart, 45, lives more in the country, in Long Grove, in a house that looks out on a "postcard-perfect backyard," she says. "It's my sanity." But the by-design part of their off-air separation is what's really interesting, one of the things that have helped them become, in more than 13 years on the air here, one of the most successful pairings in Chicago radio. From when the station first matched them up, Ferguson insisted that the duo conduct their relationship in the only venue that would matter to their audience: on the air. Both had done shows where the personalities all hung out together, and both had come away feeling as though listeners were excluded. "I just think there's nothing worse than being an outsider in a group, like stumbling into a party where everybody knows everybody," Ferguson says. Even as ratings and riches have come to them, as other members have joined the morning team and other big-name morning shows in the city have dropped away, as billboards have appeared along the expressways portraying them as chums of the first magnitude, Ferguson and Hart have held to the no-fraternizing rule. It's just one example of the focus and discipline they've applied to make their show work. Their extraordinary success has been under-recognized in the city, though, in large measure because no part of Eric and Kathy is hip. There isn't the stab at psychic unraveling you get with a Howard Stern or a Steve Dahl. There's no attempt to take radio someplace it has never been (while wearing chunky-framed eyeglasses), as with Ira Glass and "This American Life." Appearing on a "hot adult contemporary" (radio-speak for adult-skewing Top 40) station, targeting women in particular, the Eric and Kathy Show aims -- unapologetically -- to be middle of the road. "Eric and Kathy = Mom jeans of the airwaves," sniffed one commenter in a discussion of the show on the Chicago edition of Yelp, the online, user-generated ratings and review site. "They're the best-kept secret in radio," rebuts the station's program director, Mary Ellen Kachinske. "There's no other morning show in Hot AC in the country that has been ranked at least in the top 3 with adults 25 to 54 for almost 11 years straight." These days, they're a steady No. 1, even with the upheaval in radio ratings wrought by the introduction of people meters in late 2008. Portable people meters record what people are actually listening to, replacing the old measurement method of diaries, where people would write down what they remembered listening to (or, in a more cynical interpretation, what they wanted to vote for). "It's already one of the most remarkable runs in Chicago radio history," says Rick Kaempfer, a former producer for Steve Dahl and Garry Meier who covers the medium on his Chicago Radio Spotlight blog. "Some shows have been hotter for shorter periods of time, like Steve & Garry in the late '70s/ early '80s and (Jonathon) Brandmeier in the mid- to late '80s, but very few others have had this kind of success combined with longevity." And while Eric and Kathy may seem under the radar to many, the heat their show brings is intense enough to have persuaded a star local TV news anchor to sign on as a daily part of the show, despite the very quick turnaround from a nighttime newscast. Mark Suppelsa -- at WFLD-Ch. 32 when he joined as the Eric and Kathy newsman almost two years ago, at Tribune-owned WGN-Ch. 9 now -- was routinely getting more reaction from his radio guest appearances than he would from the TV news, he says. "Their audience is so big I almost couldn't say no," says Suppelsa, who contributes not only news but also wry asides and even the occasional rant, a regular segment inspired by his criticism, one morning, of "Balloon Boy's" parents. "They kill TV in terms of ears vs. eyeballs." Yet where Eric and Kathy might be tempted to start believing their own voodoo and get more personal or pedantic, they instead keep trying to focus the show on its 500,000 weekly listeners, almost to the point of hectoring. "Every moment of the show is designed to be audience participation and make them the stars," Ferguson says. "If the audience has 100 percent of the content, that's the greatest show ever. Too many of the guys that have fallen by the wayside got lazy. They turn on the mike and talk about themselves." So Ferguson asks the listeners questions: Should family members wear underwear beneath their PJs? What's the most disgusting thing you learned about your partner when you moved in with him? Guys, have you ever driven a "sissy car"? How far can you go, married ladies, with flirting? Men, does the wedding dress matter to you? The call-in number -- 312-591-6800 -- goes out scores of times between 5:30 and 10 a.m. every weekday. Interspersed with the callers reacting to the series of questions are the bubble-gum pop hits that are the station's staple: Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga. "Their execution is as close to seamless as it gets," says Dahl, who lost his Chicago radio morning gig in December 2008 after the PPM introduction adjusted his ratings downward. "I know they spend a lot of time preparing, and it sounds tight and well-planned, but not overly rehearsed. It sounds comfortable, like a radio version of the Snuggie." "Crazy girlfriends," says Eric, on the air one morning. "Are you labeled for life? In the next 10 minutes, we find out." Who's running the show Despite the equal billing, there is inequity in the relationship. Ferguson's office is the big, inner half of a suite in WTMX's quarters in the Prudential Plaza. It's where show staffers congregate for the regular Tuesday morning meetings to map out upcoming promotions: Couples dating for Valentine's Day! John Mayer tickets! Hart's office is the suite's outer half, the part that would be occupied, in a more conventional business, by the secretary. Stumble into the station shortly before the 5:30 airtime, and you'll find her sitting in the standard-issue company cafeteria, the day's newspapers spread out on a table before her. The light is better, she says. When Ferguson came on board in September 1996, it was more like an arranged marriage than a careful courtship. WTMX thought Hart would do better with a co-host. Ferguson had been working in Denver and saw an opportunity to get to the market where he grew up listening to Brandmeier and Dahl. "I met her briefly in passing in the hallway and that was it," he says. "I saw an opportunity to work in Chicago and I wasn't going to miss out on that opportunity." The former Kathy Achenbach -- who became Kathy Hart for a DJ job in Milwaukee as "The Hart of Rock and Roll" -- had been running "the board," the cockpit-like center of the studio that is the nerve center of the show. She surrendered that to him. Ferguson runs the board now, with Hart directly opposite him, traffic person Melissa McGurren to his left, and Suppelsa in an adjacent studio through a window behind Hart. And now, when you listen to the show, there is often a whole lot of Eric and only little bits of Kathy. He brings in the lists culled from newspapers and the Internet. He steers the conversations. He shuts them down and moves on when he thinks they've reached a peak. It's tight and snappy, but it can sound, many mornings, like the "ERIC (and Kathy) Show." If Hart's contribution is too often to just add a "yeah" or a "really," it's because, she says, she doesn't always know where Ferguson wants to take a segment and doesn't want to get in the way. Ceding control was hard at first, but she says Ferguson "runs the best board I've ever seen. ... I'm 100 percent OK with being the co-host. I'm real good at -- what's the volleyball term? -- at the set so that he can go for the kill." To hear her describe the role, it's a little like the old line about Ginger Rogers having to do the same steps as Fred Astaire, but backward and in high heels. "It's challenging," she says. "I struggle with at times sharing too much of my information or my personal opinion because Eric wants the listener to do that. He obviously knows where he's going. He knows what he's saying and has everything prepared ahead of time. I've got to think on the fly and figure out what he's doing." "I totally get it," Ferguson says. "It would be hard to be on the other side of the chair from me." But forcing others to react spontaneously, he believes, keeps it fresh: "I said, 'When you go out to dinner with friends, do your friends send you a note the night before that says, "Here are our conversations for dinner tomorrow"?'" But the balance works, says someone who watches them daily. "Eric drives the ship," Suppelsa says. "Kathy keeps it from tipping over. It's kind of like brother's acting out and big sister's saying, 'Hey. Hey. Hey!'" For a time, too, Ferguson made a lot more money than Hart did, although the disparity has been diminished recently. But the economic gulf between the marquee stars was, in essence, what broke up Steve & Garry. "I'm very aware of that," Hart says. And she's also, she admits, probably less concerned about money than she ought to be, in part because of a tough upbringing. The kind of money they make now -- Ferguson will soon be the last million-dollar man in Chicago radio when Roe Conn's current contract at WLS-AM expires, say radio insiders, and Hart's salary is said to be close to that -- can seem like gravy to her on top of the mashed potatoes of a "dream job." "I came from a family -- you know, boo-hoo -- we grew up on food stamps, single mom, four kids, she was a waitress, that whole story," she says. "When that first contract came up that there was a huge disparity, I came to terms with it. ... We kind of made an agreement that, 'OK, I'm going to spend less time here. You're going to have to deal with all the client meetings, all the extra hours stuff, and I'm going have the freedom to be home with my family.' "He does a tremendous amount more than I do for this show. So -- God, my agent will kill me if I say this -- - but it would be unfair for us to make the same amount of money and I know that. How can I be upset about that? He does more work and I have the luxury to be able to go home and be a mom." Hart and husband Bert, owner of a karate studio, have three kids between 2 and 10 years old. Ferguson has four kids with his wife, Jen, a dentist: a 19-year-old stepdaughter, 8-year-old twins and a 6-year-old. In the two-year contract Hart just signed, the salary gap was diminished. "They have new contracts in place to make them the two highest paid radio talents (in Chicago) going forward to the next few years," says Greg Solk, vice president of programming for Bonneville International, which owns WTMX and, also in Chicago, WDRV-FM 96.9 and WILV-FM 100.3. Solk is happy to pay them well, in part because of what they bring in: WTMX pulled in about $34.8 million in 2008, third in the market behind news-talk stations WBBM-AM 780 and Tribune-owned WGN-AM 720, according to BIA/Kelsey, a firm that analyzes media revenues. Typically, a morning show will account for about 30 to 40 percent of a station's income. But Solk was also at WLUP-FM 97.9 in its talk-personality heyday, a station that tried, and sometimes failed, to contain the egos of Brandmeier, Dahl, Meier and Kevin Matthews, among others. Working with Ferguson and Hart, he says, is a treat: "They are the easiest of the megapersonalities that I've worked with in town. They are more down to earth. They are more accessible. They don't take themselves as seriously. "It's quite frankly boring a lot of days when there is not a lot of nonsense behind the scenes. They are total pros. They're just really pros." The sweet spot The people who like Eric and Kathy love Eric and Kathy. For an average successful morning show, about 40 percent of the audience is people who listen to that show primarily. With Eric and Kathy, says program director Kachinske, it's 84 percent. But whether you like them or not depends, in large measure, on your tolerance for celebrity gossip, often rendered uncritically, and for stories about what men and women do to drive one another batty. "They're incredibly consistent," says Kaempfer, the radio blogger. "Other shows have good days and bad days, and Eric and Kathy just don't seem to have bad days." Kachinske compares them to "Seinfeld": "They kind of talk about nothing and everything at the same time. That's a timeless sort of show." Steve Dahl (who writes a weekly column for the Tribune) has a different sitcom in mind. "Listening to Eric and Kathy is a lot like watching an episode of 'Friends,'" he says. "It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but it's witty, amusing and predictably safe. They seem to be doing something right (as) they're the only ones left. It's not my cup of tea, but I like to drink strong, dark coffee." "Is it edgy enough?" asks Suppelsa. "It's funny stuff, and they're getting a huge mainstream audience." And if you listen frequently, you'll start to find the show's a little edgier than it gets credit for. Trying to understand the mythology of the vampires in the "Twilight" series one morning, because a couple of the "New Moon" actors are coming in to the studio, Eric says, "So there's biting but no sucking -- or Saturday night, as it's known in Melissa's house." His goal with such material, he says, is to amuse the parents in the front seat without being obviously risque to the kids in the back seat. "I think it is a perfect success formula for radio: Go in there and hit one home run every day. Have that one moment, that one bit that resonates," he says. "If you do one in 41/2 hours, you'll be successful. "For the first six months, eight months of the show we would announce when it happened. We'd turn off the mikes, go, 'There's your home run.' It built that camaraderie." Now Ferguson is more confident, not so reliant on planning. "If I go in tomorrow and the phones were to blow up and Kathy were to drop dead from a fever and Melissa were to get hit by a car, I could still do the show," he says. He's even starting to be secure about his place in Chicago radio. "My buddies will give me a hard time: 'You'll never be as big as Johnny (Brandmeier).' I'll say, 'Hey, man, you want me to put my numbers next to Johnny's, we can.' But that's ego talking. I know the success we've had. "Trends come and go. We're a staple. Staples may not be the flashiest, the most exciting thing, but you always have it in your closet, and you always want to wear it. Men go, 'Oh, Eric and Kathy, that's just a chick thing.' You know what? Everybody loves to ride the moped, but nobody wants to admit it." - - - On top with Eric and Kathy Rank of Chicago morning radio shows among 25- to 54-year-olds 1. Eric and Kathy, WTMX-FM 101.9 2. Steve Downes, WDRV-FM 97.1 3. Felicia Middlebrooks and John Hultman, WBBM-AM 780 4. Steve Harvey, WVAZ-FM 102.7 5. Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley, WSCR-AM 670 6. Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo, WOJO-FM 105.1 7. Lisa Dent and Ramblin' Ray, WUSN-FM 99.5 8. Lin Brehmer and Mary Dixon, WXRT-FM 93.1 9. Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, WMVP-AM 1000 10. Brian Peck, WILV-FM 100.3 ---------- sajohnson@tribune.com Two Republican Elbridge Town Board members are looking to fill the town supervisor position, a seat that will be vacant at the end of the year because current Town Supervisor Ken Bush Jr. is making a run for the Onondaga County Legislature. Rita A. Dygert and Vernon J. Richardson are both on ballot for the Republican primary on Tuesday. There's also a Conservative Party primary election for the supervisor seat, with Dygert listed as the endorsed candidate and a space for write-in votes. Dygert has the Independence Party ballot line secured for the November general election, and no Democratic Party candidates will be on the ballot, according to the county elections board. Both candidates are long-time town board members. Richardson has served for 12 years as a councilor and Dygert has been on the board for almost 20 years as a councilor, most recently serving as deputy supervisor. Dygert said her past experience as both a board member and an assistant director with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management will give her the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the position. "I care about this community and the future of the community," Dygert said. "I am extremely interested in what becomes of the town. I want to continue to move it forward in terms of residential growth and development." Dygert, who has lived in Elbridge for 40 years, said one of her first goals if elected is to update the town's comprehensive plan. She said she wants to see the community get more involved and hear what residents have to say. "I just care a lot about this community," she said. "I know what needs to be done and I can do it to move the town forward." Prior to serving on the Elbridge Town Board, Richardson said he was a member of the town of Elbridge Zoning Board of Appeals and was previously a construction worker and a school bus driver. A native of Elbridge, Richardson said he was asked by many people in town to run for the position because "they thought I would do a good job." Richardson said his main goal is to make it easier for businesses to grow and expand in the town, as well as improve communication between the town and the villages of Jordan and Elbridge and the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District. "I would like our town to be more business friendly to new businesses coming in and have less restrictions for current businesses to expand," he said. In addition to the supervisor primary, Elbridge voters in the Republican and Conservation parties can cast primary ballots in the Onondaga County Legislature race featuring Bush. The current town supervisor is challenging incumbent Derek Shepard, of Baldwinsville, to represent District 13, which includes the towns of Camillus, Elbridge and Van Buren. Bush is also on the Conservative Party primary ballot, with an opportunity to ballot petition allowing for write-in votes against him. Voting for the primary elections will take place noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Elbridge voters will be able to cast their ballots at the Elbridge Firehouse, 275 Route 5 East, Elbridge, or the Jordan-Elbridge Community Center, 5 Route 31 West, Jordan. Tatiana Kronberg's work will be on display in "Jetties," an exhibit running through Oct. 7 at the ADDS DONNA Gallery. (Tatiana Kronberg photo) Let there be light When Leonard Cohen died days after last year's presidential election, optimists referenced his 1992 ballad "Anthem." "There is a crack in everything," it goes. "That's how the light gets in." Nearly a year later, many would argue that those cracks, bruises and scratches certainly outnumber any glimmers of light, but visualizing that imbalance is what makes Tatiana Kronberg's artwork particularly moving. With "Jetties" at Adds Donna, Kronberg turns the gallery into both a camera and darkroom, creating an AV language that shows what those small bursts of light can do once they are in. Advertisement Kronberg, along with collaborator Meg Clixby, was scheduled Wednesday to expose photo paper hung across the darkened gallery's walls to flashes of light maneuvered through prisms and other obstacles with an accompanying score that mimics the light's movement. Kronberg's most recent performances are sinister and glamorous the same way that Animal Collective's "Oddsac" is sinister and glamorous: Things are gonna make you squirm but their bold color and abstract shape almost transcend any kind of anxiety. Advertisement The series of photograms on display also offer a multifaceted portrait of light as an entity: its movement, its chemical reactions, its impact when left to its own devices. Sept. 8 Oct. 7, ADDS DONNA, 3252 W. North Ave., Chicago; www.addsdonna.com KT Hawbaker LUMA gets lost in a beautiful space For 11 years, artist Michelle Murphy worked as a photographer at the NASA Glenn Research Center. While her current practice is a tad more earthbound, Murphy still concerns herself with the infinite and unreachable, namely the relationship between female appearances and beauty culture. With Responsive Beauty at the Loyola University Museum of Art, the artist playfully convenes with science, cosmetics and photography to examine what she calls the ultimate look. Propelled by media representations of beauty ideals, Murphy uses cosmetic products and tools as artistic materials. She experiments with goops and goos like concealer, pulling inspiration from scientific imaging and Third-Wave Feminism. In pieces like Op Lipstick, Murphy brings in optical illusions, building a straight bridge between science, perception and beauty. With Nails Array, Murphy builds a constellation of glittery fake nails that spiral into infinity and beyond. Aesthetically, the end result parrots modern advertising and radiates a type of high femme futurism. Think Jeffree Starr meets starburst galaxy. Through Oct. 21, LUMA, 820 Michigan Ave., Chicago; www.luc.edu/luma khawbaker@tronc.com "Aladdin" "Aladdin," the most frenetic and cartoonish of Disney's screen-to-stage musicals, officially opened its first national tour in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. And Adam Jacobs, his gleaming white teeth, his charming costar Isabelle McCalla as Princess Jasmine and the rest have all acquired a little more attention to veracity and Broadway chops since this show's first turn on the rialto. The new "Aladdin" crew is committed and fun, but they also bring more emotional depth to a show naturally inclined to remain in the shallow end of the pool. You can't beat catching a first-class Equity tour right at the start. Through Sept. 10 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.; $44-$153 at 800-775-2000 or www.broadwayinchicago.com Advertisement "The Audience" The longevity of the British monarchy as manifest for the last 64 years in the personage of Queen Elizabeth II is at the center of Peter Morgan's play "The Audience," a smart, gossipy exploration of the queen's complex, sometimes political relationship with her decades of prime ministers. Nick Bowling directs TimeLine Theatre's simple but enjoyable Chicago premiere, starring Janet Ulrich Brooks as the queen. The best scene of the night is between Brooks and Carmen Roman, who portrays a terrifying Margaret Thatcher in high dudgeon. Through Nov. 12 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave.; $40-$49 at 773-281-8463 or timelinetheatre.com Advertisement "Barbecue" "Barbecue," directed for Strawdog Theatre by Damon Kiely, is a play by Robert O'Hara ("Bootycandy"), a skilled satirist who knows that to really lampoon the nonsense that comes out of our mouths, you have to know how people talk. His 2015 play is about two families, one white and one African-American. We meet them, at different moments, in the same picnic area of a public park. Each is working toward an intervention, trying to get a family member into rehab, even though the rest of the family should probably also come along in the suitcase. The coals of the grill are burning hot. Through Sept. 30 in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St.; $45 at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org "Blue Man Group" 1/2 "Blue Man Group" has been playing at Briar Street since 1997, a remarkable run of 20 years. There have been only two major overhauls in that time; the latest adds selfie sticks, new music and a livelier finale. I'd argue the Blue Men need a bigger overhaul they still chomp marshmallows, bang drums and paint up audience members but this remains a fine gateway for the young into the arts. If you've never had the pleasure, go. Open run at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St.; $49-$69 at www.ticketmaster.com "Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno" 1/2 "Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno" is an inclusive and warmhearted new e.t.c. Theater show, directed by Ryan Bernier, that takes a broad view of the moment. There have been edgier revues on the e.t.c. stage, but this crew is so funny you worry some coastal talent-spotters soon will steal them away. Alan Linic plays a Cubs fans who slept through everything that has happened since. Katie Klein's old-school parody of affirmative women's daytime talk shows "What's Up Girl?" is probably the richest material of the night. Open run in Second City e.t.c. Theater in Piper's Alley, 1618 N. Wells St.; $19-$46 at 312-664-4032 or www.secondcity.com "Hair" 1/2 In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, "Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" is now at the Mercury Theater in the Southport Corridor. Hello again, long-haired star-shines. Of all the local productions of "Hair" during the last decade, I think this one is my favorite, first and foremost because of the quality of the singing. Brenda Didier's production is an Equity show stocked with Chicago talent. Liam Quealy, who plays Claude, fully understands this show and for its quirks and dated tropes, "Hair" remains a remarkable work. Through Sept. 24 at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave.; $30-$65 at 773-325-1700 or www.mercurytheaterchicago.com Advertisement "Hamilton" This Broadway show has given Chicago a Chicago-style production. The heartland "Hamilton" is performed by players mostly younger and less experienced than the original New York cast and is less flashy. But it is more in touch with the fundamental scrappiness of the early years of a rebel colony turned into a spectacular democratic experiment. And in a city whose native theater is founded on truth, it is somehow very much more human and vulnerable. That Chicago-style sensibility is led by Miguel Cervantes, the superb actor in the title role. This is a company that deserves to be embraced. Open run at PrivateBank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.; $65-$400 at 800-775-2000 or www.broadwayinchicago.com "Lela & Co." Steep Theatre has been set up like a European cabaret, with little tables and shaded lamps. But rather than Sally Bowles, we are there to keep the company of Lela, a woman from a remote village near an unspecified war zone. The story she tells through some unwelcome male interruptions is utterly horrific, a first-person account of sex trafficking and manipulation. This play by the young British writer Cordelia Lynn is overwhelmingly intense in Steep's tiny room. Lela is played by the Chicago actress Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, variously funny, charming, stoic and agonized. Her work here is extraordinarily empathetic. Through Sept. 16 at Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn Ave.; $25-$35 at 773-649-3186 or www.steeptheatre.com "Machinal" "I suppose I gotta marry somebody," says Young Woman in Sophie Treadwell's "Machinal," sounding like she's acquiescing to a death sentence. "All girls do." This beauteously bitter 1928 play is now at the Greenhouse Theater Center in an outstanding new production with a blistering central performance from Heather Chrisler. Her character and story are adapted from the real-life criminal trial of a New York woman named Ruth Snyder, who died in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison for the murder of her detested husband. Director Jacob Harvey's show takes a deep dive into the psyche of the Young Woman and forges a palpable everywoman from her misery. Through Sept. 24 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.; $35 at 773-404-7336 or www.greenhousetheatre.org Advertisement "Spamilton" 1/2 With "Spamilton," the savvy parodist Gerard Alessandrini ("Forbidden Broadway") has come roaring back in a Chicago production that delivers nonstop laughs to anyone with enough knowledge of "Hamilton" to get the gags. The famous "blue-collar/shining beacon/Puerto Rican" is played by Yando Lopez, an actor with a better vocal instrument than Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Eric Andrew Lewis blows out the room as Aaron Burr. It's a fair criticism to say that Alessandrini is perhaps too much in love with the real "Hamilton" to really skewer the show, but there's guaranteed fun here for Miranda obsessives. Open run at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St.; $59-$99 at 312-988-9000 or www.spamilton.com "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" I actually had a blast at this semiscripted affair that employs 23 actors to play members of the two feuding families joining in holy matrimony. Don't judge without going. Still, I wouldn't be recommending this thing if it were just like last time. The difference this time around is that the show begins in an actual Chicago church, where the congregants are to be commended for their sense of humor, and the scale and quality of the Chicago improv community (not all of whom are in the first blush of youth) have improved vastly in the years since I last saw this show. It's a rough, tough, divisive world out there. Here, everyone was having fun. Go in a group. Open run at Resurrection Church, 3309 N. Seminary Ave.; $75-$85 at 773-327-3778 or www.tonylovestina.com "Trevor the Musical" Trevor, the hero of the promising new musical at Writers Theatre, is a gay 13-year-old who is very easy to love. He first appeared in an Oscar-winning short film that led to the creation of the Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention hotline for LBGTQ kids. "Trevor the Musical," in a world premiere in Glencoe from writer Dan Collins and composer Julianne Wick Davis, is directed by the Broadway team of Marc Bruni and choreographer Josh Prince. It still needs work, but Trevor's story of triumphing over humiliation deserves to be a hit. Through Oct. 1 at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; $35-$80 at 847-242-6000 or www.writerstheatre.org Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox) Chicago immigrants currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are eligible to apply for financial aid to renew their permits at the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago. Recipients whose DACA expires between now and March 5th of next year must apply for renewal with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services by October 5, 2017. Those who are interested in financial aid to cover the $495 DACA renewal fee, must visit the Consulate, 204 S. Ashland Ave., or call its Protection Department at (312) 738-2023 during regular office hours by October 5th, as well. Mexican nationals should know that the Mexican government is providing financial and legal assistance to DREAMers that need it. We will always support them, said Luis Adrian Sosa Morales, of the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago. The Consulate will advise applicants on the required paperwork. For those who demonstrate financial need, the Consulate may cover from $300 to the full amount of the renewal fee. Members of the Chicago Artists Creating Transformation Collective (ACT), during a community gathering at Barrett Park, in the Pilsen neighborhood. ((AMANDA CORTES/ COURTESY)) As Amanda Cortes sees gentrification impact her Pilsen community, she fears its immigrant history could be erased. That fear inspired her to make a change. Cortes joined the Chicago Artists Creating Transformation Collective (ACT), a group of politically and socially engaged artists, and will produce a 12-episode Pilsen Community Narratives Podcast, that will focus on stories of community members that have been impacted and challenged by the transition of the neighborhood. Before our history is erased, lets create a space where people in the community can talk about themselves: resistance, how they continue to survive and thrive in the face of all of this economic change, said Cortes, whose project grew out of an On The Table community roundtable sponsored by the Chicago Community Trust. I want to ask people and talk about why Chicago is unable to sustain a diverse neighborhood in terms of race and in terms of income. Or, what are the the real reasons that people in power, who have money to fund things, keep investing in cleansing a neighborhood of one group and recreating it in a new image?, Cortes said. Cortes and other ACT Collective members hope to hear from Pilseners of all ages, particularly seniors and youth, two groups often left out of neighborhood planning. By distributing the conversations publicly, on Soundcloud, and capturing interviews at community events, Cortes hopes to start a conversation. What we want is to see residents as leaders. We want to create a space where people can talk about their experiences here, Cortes said, Its something powerful when we get people to share their stories and when you get to document them. Amanda Cortes, of the ACT collective, creates protest art. ((AMANDA CORTES/ COURTESY)) Since the collective began, in 2016, its 15 members have blended art and activism, creating artwork in support of social movements within Chicagos Latino communities. Through partnerships with community organizations and social justice groups, the artists use alternative creative mediums like screen printing, graphic design, zine making, and podcasting for social change. In Little Village, the group created a zine about lead in the water, making it easier for residents to understand the threat of aging pipes. It also distributed screen printed posters in support of the movement to make Illinois a sanctuary state, a measure signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner in late August. Having grown up partly in Pilsen, Cortes has seen big changes, as rents have increased and more affluent residents have moved into the neighborhood. Pilsen is going through a transformation engineered [since] the 70s, Cortes said, noting that development around nearby University of Illinois at Chicago through then-mayor Richard J. Daleys Chicago 21 Plan was an early cause of Latino flight. Between 2000 and 2013, more than 10,300 Hispanics left Pilsen, a loss of 26% of the communitys Latino population, according to the study, "The Trajectory and Impact of Ongoing Gentrification in Pilsen," from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In that time, the population of the neighborhood fell by 15%, but the number of families with children fell much more steeply, some 41%, the study found. A mural depicting Mexican culture, in the Pilsen neighborhood, has now been painted over by the buildings new owner. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Gentrification has been accelerated because the economy is bad... for Pilsens old residents, Cortes said. We are seeing the visual change of white wealthy people move into neighborhoods in which it is easy for them to acquire properties, and transform them into whatever they want. This year, the collective held gatherings with residents of Pilsen and Little Village, its neighbor to the southwest, focusing on those with least awareness of gentrification. According to Cortes, residents expressed worries about tax increases, high rents, and losing houses and businesses. Cortes hopes the podcast series, whose release date has not yet been set, will help those communities share such information, all while preserving their immigrant histories. ***********About the Reporter*********** Adilene Salgado, 19, was born and raised in La Villita, and is currently a student at Morton Community College. Adi participates in the radio journalism and production program at Yollocalli Arts Reach, a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art. Q: Your friend breaks up with his or her significant other. Do you stay connected with the ex on social media? Being caught in the middle of someone else's breakup can be extremely tricky, and the transparency of social media often can make the situation even harder to navigate. You could remain friends on social media as a "silent" connection because, after all, you may gain valuable intelligence for your friend on the ex's actions (if your friend is interested), but ensure you are being a very good IRL (in real life) friend to your friend. Alternatively, you can quietly cut online ties, but it is best done without any grand gesture or act of aggression. Remember, this breakup is not your battlefield, so it is best to focus your efforts on helping and supporting your friend, rather than scoring online points on his or her behalf. Advertisement Jo Bryant is a British etiquette expert and the editor of more than 15 books on etiquette and modern manners. In most adult, mature relationships, it may be possible to stay friends with both without jeopardizing either friendship. However, it may depend on a number of factors, such as how close you are to your friend, the reason for the breakup, who initiated the breakup, how often and under what circumstances you might get together, etc. What you may want to make clear for both is that you will not divulge any of the conversations that you have with the other party or serve as a messenger between them. This firm rule may help maximize the likelihood of not damaging either friendship. The best course of action is honesty. You may want to approach your friend and explain your dilemma and your wishes to stay in touch with the ex if you have become friends with him or her as well. Advertisement Angela Londono-McConnell is a licensed psychologist in Athens, Ga., president of AK Counseling & Consulting Inc. and specializes in parenting, relationships, college mental health and mind/body health. Social Graces is a series asking two experts for advice on awkward situations. Responses are edited for space and clarity. ebenmoche@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ebenmoche [ Running into an ex and her new squeeze ] [ How to confront your partner about spending too much time with friends ] [ How to deal with your ex's flirtatious friend ] If you're a fan of getting-away-from-it-all vacations, Lost World Adventures offers the Dientes Circuit Tour. The six-day/five-night trek explores Navarino Island in Chile's Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. This is about as far south as you can get before hitting the Antarctic, and some call this the best trek in Patagonia. The package starts with a flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Puerto Williams, the island's diminutive capital. This is the embarkation point for the 3 1/2-day trek among the craggy peaks of the Dientes Circuit. The hiking, as much as six hours a day, will offer views of the Beagle Channel and Cape Horn while passing picturesque mountain lakes. Three nights will be spent camping, and the other two nights are at Lakutaia Lodge in Puerto Williams. Cost of the package is just $1,677 per person, double occupancy. That includes the flight to/from Puerto Williams, lodging, all meals including Chilean wine, all camping gear, bilingual guides and porters for personal equipment. The trip can be extended to include kayaking the Magellan Strait. Info: 800-999-0558, http://tinyurl.com/y6vq2n7g Island time The enormous damage in Texas from Hurricane Harvey focused attention on the dangers to low-lying coastal areas from natural disasters. If the predictions of rising sea levels around the world prove true, some coastal areas, particularly islands, may be uninhabitable. Jetsetter.com lists some of the most popular island destinations, all in the Pacific or Indian oceans, that it recommends seeing sooner rather than later. Among them are well-known places like the Maldives and Seychelles, as well as lesser-known locations, such as the Solomon Islands and Palau. Check your must-see destinations against their list at http://tinyurl.com/ybkwjpy3. Advertisement Passion Play 2020 Every 10 years since the 1600s, the town of Oberammergau, Germany, has staged a Passion Play depicting the final period of Jesus Christ's life. Legend has it that the town's residents vowed they would hold such a play if the town were spared from the bubonic plague. The next staging of the play will be in 2020, and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is already offering two packages that include the play. The eight-day Alpine Highlights and Oberammergau or the five-day Bavarian Highlights and Oberammergau tours will be paired with a few of Scenic's river cruises, and there will be five departures from May 20 through Sept. 9, 2020. Complete tour details and pricing aren't available yet, but a $250 per person registration fee, which is refundable, will get you on the list for the cruise/Passion Play offering. As 2020 approaches, other tour companies, of course, will be offering Oberammergau tours, but if this is a trip that's been on your bucket list, the refundable deposit makes this a good way to lock in availability. Info: 857-216-7003, http://tinyurl.com/ycmtnrcz Phil Marty is a freelance reporter. [ Related: 3 Midwest places to watch bird migrations this fall ] [ On the sport-fishing bucket list: Alaska's Bristol Bay ] [ Vintage trailer court takes tourists back in time ] Ben Benedict, 46, stands in the Washington Street Blue Line station on Sept. 6, 2017. Early in August, Benedict was pushed by a man onto the CTA subway tracks. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) If you've ever been alone on a subway platform late at night, a story in the Tribune the other day is an urban nightmare. Ben Benedict, a Chicago musician, was waiting for a Blue Line train at the Washington Street stop. Advertisement And then Benedict was pushed from behind, with force, onto the tracks below. In a story by reporters Jeremy Gorner and Rosemary Regina Sobol that is as good as newswriting gets, Benedict said he landed just a foot from the electrified third rail. Advertisement Stunned, his arm injured, Benedict tried to scramble up to the platform and safety, but the man who'd pushed him on the tracks was there. He was wordless, staring, shadowing Benedict, blocking his way back up to the platform. "He has this blank look on his face and he starts pacing pack and forth," Benedict told the Tribune reporters of the Aug. 1 attack. "It was like a lion looking at his prey, that's kinda what it looked like to me." Benedict screamed. Other passengers appeared and shielded him from his attacker and helped him up. The man with the blank look in his eyes ran off. That's chilling enough. But what's really amazing is that in all this time since the reported attack, neither the CTA nor police put out a warning. "That guy is probably still out there," Benedict told the Tribune reporters. "And he might want to do it again. And if he needs help, we need to get him off the street." With millions riding the CTA, it's inevitable that some fall on the tracks. Some have been suicides; some were drunk or just plain clumsy. But not this time. This time someone pushed a man onto the tracks and then tried to keep him down there. And the CTA and police warned no one. Advertisement They had a photograph. They had video. But they chose not to tell other riders. "For the life of me I can't understand why they didn't release a warning," Ald. Brendan Reilly , 42nd, told me Thursday. "That stunned me. And I'm left scratching my head. Why on earth wouldn't we share information like this? "When you have people pushing people onto the tracks, and I'm going by the Tribune story now, the general public needs to know and know immediately," Reilly said The CTA is a political bureaucracy, full of Chicago politicos cunning enough to clout their way to double pensions. Many come from City Hall , and then do a short, easy stretch at CTA and get fat in retirement, eating two nice pensions while most taxpayers have none. I called the CTA for comment Thursday morning and was told someone would contact me to explain things. I called again, and again. I'm still waiting. "We've put photographs out there for thieves. Why wouldn't a photograph or a warning be put out there about a man who pushed the musician? Someone might have recognized him, and find him and give him the help he needs," Reilly said. "But not telling CTA riders? I just don't understand it." I couldn't understand it, either, thinking of it as a public safety issue. Later, though, I thought of it as a political issue. Ben Benedict, 46, shown Sept. 6, 2017, said he was pushed by a man onto the CTA subway tracks at the Washington Street Blue Line station in August. ( Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune ) The CTA and the Chicago police don't want this heat. Mayor Rahm Emanuel cares about the crime issue. But he also cares about re-election. Advertisement He has done an amazing, politically adroit dance away from crime in Chicago. He's used President Donald Trump 's criticism of Chicago and its street crime as something of a political shield, deflecting the focus away from how City Hall has handled the gang wars. The politics work for him. And he's been given cover by African-American politicians and clergy. They don't make the slaughter on the South and West sides an issue. And the last thing Emanuel needs is panic over some random psycho pushing a man off a downtown "L" platform to fry or be flattened by a train. In the Tribune news story, the CTA said it's the Chicago Police Department's job to put out alerts. But Chicago doesn't ride the police. Chicago rides the CTA. Police said they didn't put out a warning because detectives hadn't yet connected with Benedict. Their phone calls weren't returned, said spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, and detectives then sent a letter. "We take this seriously, which is why we're trying to reach him," Guglielmi said. "But at this point, we do not have enough information to suggest there is any threat to the public, and whenever we put out an alert, it must be based in fact." Guglielmi said that, at least for now, the Tribune has more information than the police. Advertisement I don't want to heat up the detectives. They're the most overworked people in town. With all the slaughter, there just aren't enough of them. The initial reports listed the incident as a misdemeanor battery. And with all the other violent crime in Chicago, misdemeanor battery isn't priority one. But it only took the Tribune's Rose Sobol about 20 minutes to find Benedict and talk to him. He was cooperative. So the CTA and the CPD didn't tell the public about the man who's out there. Tribune reporters did. "Letting the public know about this earlier would have been the best thing to do," Ald. Reilly said. "The riders have the right to know. They should have known." If they read the Tribune, they know it now. Advertisement Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast: http://wgnradio.com/category/ wgn-plus/thechicagoway. jskass@chicagotribune.com It's no secret that Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis and Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool don't see eye to eye on much. But Lewis revealed this week that she and her fellow Democrat share an unlikely appreciation of literature, specifically the writing of ... libertarian poster girl Ayn Rand? Advertisement Claypool's love of Rand is well-known. He for years kept a photo of her in his office (along with one of Martin Luther King Jr.), telling the Tribune back in 2006 at the time Claypool was a Cook County Commissioner that "Ayn Rand was similar to Martin Luther King in the sense that she taught the power of an individual who stands up to popular convention ... in order to advance a cause which is noble or purposeful." Lewis's interest was better hidden. She on Thursday publicly razzed Claypool for belief in competition between schools, saying it was a product of his "Ayn Rand worship, his 'objectivism' if you've been in his office you know he has a picture of her." Advertisement But she later confessed to Chicago Inc. that, "I love Atlas Shrugged, for a variety of reasons not for what they (Claypool and others) like. It's beautifully written. You can't go wrong with that. That's why it's so powerful and why it's so seductive, because it's so beautifully written." Is a book club in the offing? Probably not. Claypool no longer keeps the Rand picture in his office, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said. And Lewis said she has never discussed the author with Claypool. "I don't talk to him!" she said. "I've tried and he's impossible to work small things out with." Back to the drawing board. kjanssen@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimjnews Women who report sexual violence on college campuses seldom see their accused attackers arrested and almost never see them convicted, according to a Tribune survey of several Midwestern universities. The survey of six schools in Illinois and Indiana found that police investigated 171 reported sex crimes since fall 2005, with 12 resulting in arrests and four in convictions. Only one of the convictions stemmed from a student-on-student attack, the most common type of assault. The rate of arrests and convictions is far below the average for rapes reported nationally. The trend leaves untold number of college women feeling betrayed and vulnerable, believing that their allegations are not taken seriously. The Tribune's findings also raise fresh questions about the way college administrators and law enforcement officials handle the allegations, even as the Obama administration calls attention to the issue with a series of initiatives and investigations aimed at better protecting students from sex crimes. Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Education, said the Tribune's findings are in keeping with anecdotal evidence her office has gathered from victims. "I say this, albeit, with a very heavy and saddened heart," Ali said. "These kinds of data are illustrative of the disturbing and alarming trend we are seeing across this country." For its survey, the Tribune selected public and private colleges with varying student enrollments in Illinois and Indiana. The Tribune compiled its information from crime data that campuses are required to report under federal law, and then checked with college administrators, prosecutors and others to obtain arrest and conviction information. Three of the six schools surveyed by the Tribune had zero convictions from their 63 reported cases. For instance, the University of Notre Dame has had 34 reported sex crimes during the last six school years with four arrests and no convictions, and Northwestern University had 21 reported cases with no arrests or convictions at its main campus in Evanston. Indiana University has seen only one conviction from its 69 allegations of sexual attacks reported to police during that time period. On Thursday, a Monroe County judge accepted Hai Yu's guilty plea to sexual battery and criminal confinement, making him the only one convicted of a student-on-student sex crime in the Tribune survey. The university's numbers do not surprise Margaux Janda, a suburban Chicago woman who accused a fellow Indiana student of rape after she had a night of drinking in 2006. Police declined to press charges against her alleged attacker; the university eventually suspended him for a year. Though the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights investigated her complaint during the Bush administration and found that the university acted "promptly and appropriately," Janda still left the school rather than share a campus with the man. "Part of me wonders why someone would even bother making a report," she said. "What's the point in going to police if they don't do anything about it? It almost makes me feel worse." Kim Lonsway, director of research for the nonprofit group End Violence Against Women International, worries that low arrest and prosecution rates could discourage future victims from coming forward, leaving them with the impression that reporting a sex crime is pointless and only serves to cause further pain and humiliation. "If you're a parent or student looking at those numbers, it suggests rapists can commit their crimes with impunity," she said. The Department of Education currently is investigating a number of colleges for how they have handled sex offense reports, including Yale University, Ohio State University and Notre Dame. The department began looking into the pre-eminent Catholic university in November following a Tribune story about a student who killed herself shortly after telling campus police that a male student there sexually attacked her. The department this year also began a new initiative to push educators, police and others to aggressively pursue reports of sexual violence on campuses, where nearly 1 in 5 women will be a victim of an attempted or actual sexual assault during their college careers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. By their very nature, campus sex crimes are difficult cases to investigate and prosecute. They often involve alcohol and conflicting accounts on whether the physical interaction was consensual, making it difficult for law enforcement to sort out the truth. About 1 in every 4 rapes reported nationally results in an arrest, statistics show. Of those arrested, about 62 percent are convicted, according to a Justice Department study. The FBI, which annually compiles crime statistics, does not track arrest and conviction rates for sex offenses on college campuses. The Tribune's analysis found that at the six Midwestern universities surveyed, law enforcement made one arrest for about every 14 alleged sex crimes including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and sodomy reported on campus. The conviction rate of those arrested was 33 percent. Roger Canaff, a former prosecutor who now trains and advises military prosecutors on how to handle sex crimes, said he believes that the newspaper's numbers mirror arrest and conviction rates at other colleges and universities. "Unfortunately, I think you'd find the same thing at campuses across the country," Canaff said. "It's something that needs to be changed, but it's not an easy fix." Society compounds the problem with antiquated views about what constitutes a sex crime and who commits it, experts said. The public and therefore potential jurors is generally comfortable with the idea of convicting a masked rapist jumping out of a dark alley. It's harder, they said, to convict a clean-cut college student of assaulting a classmate after a night of drinking. It's against that backdrop that prosecutors and detectives decide whether to move forward with a case. Their hesitance often is reflected in police investigations, where victims say they frequently feel like they must prove their innocence. "It's not so much that successful convictions cannot be obtained; it's just that these crimes are complex and require enhanced awareness and training given the dynamics involved," said Gary Margolis, managing partner at Margolis Healy & Associates, which focuses on higher education safety. The University of Illinois at Chicago noted in a 2010 report to the federal government that "it has been very difficult to get sexual assault cases" prosecuted by the Cook County state's attorney's office. UIC filed the report as part of a federal grant program to reduce dating violence and sexual assaults on college campuses. Rebecca Gordon, director of UIC's Women's Leadership Resource Center and the Campus Advocacy Network, said the state's attorney's office has not prosecuted a single sexual assault that occurred on campus during the last six years a fact confirmed by prosecutors. "It has been very challenging," she said. "Our police are aggressive. We don't have a problem with our police making arrests." The Tribune asked UIC police June 6 for their arrest numbers, but the university has not yet provided them. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provided the data for its campus. Gordon said UIC staff, police and county prosecutors will be undergoing additional advanced training this month on investigating and prosecuting "alcohol-facilitated" sexual assault cases. "We're making progress," she said. "I can't say we have gotten any more cases through felony review, but they are aware of the issues." Sally Daly, spokeswoman for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, said prosecutors do not treat campus sexual attacks differently than any other sexual assault case in deciding whether to file charges. "Non-stranger sexual assault investigations are among the most challenging to effectively prosecute because there is often a relationship between the individuals, the use of alcohol might be involved, and there are typically no witnesses to the incident," Daly said. "Even if UIC perceives that there are challenges in this process, our response has been to work with university officials to enhance communication and make them aware of the factors that must be considered when reviewing a case and what evidence prosecutors need, not just to charge a sexual assault case but also to ensure that the case can be prosecuted effectively," she said. At Illinois State University, police handled 20 reported sex offenses, but the victims in slightly less than half of those cases declined to press charges, records show. Rather than endure police investigations, some students have pursued the matters with their universities' administrations. As part of a two-tiered justice system offered at colleges and universities nationwide, administrative hearings provide students with a private, less demanding counterpart to the criminal justice system though national studies suggest women who opt for the internal process face disappointing outcomes nearly as often as those who go through law enforcement. ISU police Chief Aaron Woodruff said victims sometimes decline to move forward at all because they are concerned about seeing the offender around campus or fear being ostracized by friends who know him. "You will see in our cases that the victims themselves don't wish to prosecute and don't want to relive the experience," he said. "There are a lot of social issues because they know the acquaintances. It can affect a lot of their friendships and other things in their lives." Woodruff said campus officers take every reported sexual assault seriously and conduct aggressive investigations. While investigating a 2007 rape allegation, police used an "eavesdropping device" to secretly record a conversation between the victim and the suspect, records show. Woodruff said the use of such equipment is rare because it relies on the victim's willingness to participate. "You are basically asking them to confront the offender, and if they are not willing, we will not force them," he said. At Notre Dame, four people have been arrested during the last six school years for sex crimes, three on misdemeanor charges and one felony rape. Eventually, charges were dropped against the defendants in all four cases. Dennis Brown, the university's spokesman, said campus police sent another 16 cases to the prosecutor's office during that time, but the St. Joseph County, Ind., prosecutor's office declined to bring charges. "Our sincere hope is that in every case of sexual misconduct, justice will prevail that those who are guilty face appropriate punishment and those who have been violated find hope and healing," Brown said. St. Joseph Prosecutor Michael Dvorak told the Tribune that in many college cases, students file police reports in good faith but do not understand what rises to the level of a sex offense. In a lot of cases, he said, the women do not realize that rape means the victim was compelled to submit by force or threat of force. Though Indiana statutes also state an individual cannot knowingly consent to having sex if they're drunk, Dvorak said students must reach a high level of intoxication before any sexual activity crosses that criminal threshold. He has seen rape reports in which students say they had "two or three beers and then were talked into having sex," but he does not consider that a crime under the law, he said. "We want to prosecute people who rape women. And we have," he said. "But college campuses present a unique set of challenges. The students are drinking and doing things at night that they normally wouldn't do when class gets out at 3:30 in the afternoon. But those ingredients, per se, don't mean that a rape has occurred." Some families and victim advocates, however, have taken issue with how Notre Dame police and Dvorak's office respond to and investigate sexual attacks on the South Bend campus. They have criticized the agencies for, among other things, failing to gather key evidence, not trying to build winnable cases and waiting more than a week to interview suspects. The Tribune earlier recounted the frustrations of Tom and Mary Seeberg, a suburban Chicago couple, and of an East Coast family who said Notre Dame failed to adequately investigate their daughters' allegations last school year. The Seebergs' daughter, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Seeberg, killed herself nine days after reporting to police that she was sexually attacked. Dvorak declined to file charges in both cases. After reading about those cases, another woman, a 21-year-old St. Mary's College student, spoke with the Tribune about her experience. Her story is reminiscent of many reported sex offenses on college campuses, as it involves another student, alcohol and an alleged sexual attack that resulted in no arrest. The woman and other witnesses say she had passed out in a male friend's room at Notre Dame after she and her date had been kicked out of a social event at nearby St. Mary's for being intoxicated. She said she awoke a few hours later to find a third male student who did not live in the room on top of her. He then took her to his own room, where she says she tried to fight off the attack until she passed out again. A friend later found her with blood running down her legs in a dormitory hallway, according to interviews and documents reviewed by the Tribune. The woman reported the incident to campus police two days later and consented to a DNA test done at a local hospital. She quickly began to have doubts about having gone to police, she said. Witnesses submitted written statements via email, but campus police never questioned them face to face, those witnesses said. Her alleged attacker told school officials that she had been the aggressor and he had woken up in a room that wasn't his own to find her kissing him, a document shows. Authorities declined to file charges, and Notre Dame administrators cleared the alleged attacker of any wrongdoing through the school's disciplinary process. The male student said in an email to the Tribune that the accusations caused him "great pain given my unblemished record." "Through a very thorough and detailed process, it was confirmed on several levels that allegations levied against me were unfounded and without merit," he said. The woman's father called the Rev. Thomas Doyle, a high-ranking Notre Dame administrator, to express his anger. After listening to his concerns, Doyle suggested they pray together over the telephone, the father said. "We're as Catholic as they come," the woman's mother said. "But are you serious? Pray on this? That was not good enough." The woman now wonders if she should have ever reported the incident to police. An estimated 95 percent of college students who are victimized do not report sexual-related crimes to law enforcement, according to a study funded by the Justice Department. "It's a long, painful process, and in the end, nothing happened," she said. "The only way a boy would be guilty is if he said, 'Oh, yes, I did rape her.'" tlightly@tribune.com sstclair@tribune.com jscohen@tribune.com Chicago police released video on Sept. 8, 2017, of suspect Chad Estep, who allegedly pushed a man onto CTA tracks Aug. 1 as he was waiting for a Blue Line train downtown. The man was not seriously injured. (Chicago Police Department) (Chicago Police Department) The Chicago Police Department on Friday issued a community alert and a short video of a suspect wanted in an August attack in which a man was pushed from a Loop subway platform onto the train tracks. The publicly issued alert comes two days after the Chicago Tribune first reported on its website that the Police Department and the Chicago Transit Authority did not notify the public about the Aug. 1 incident at the CTA Blue Line's Washington Street station. Advertisement Chicago police had previously said they did not issue an alert because they believed the incident was isolated. They also previously said they had trouble contacting the victim after the incident. Anthony Guglielmi, the Police Department's chief spokesman, said detectives spoke about the incident Thursday with the victim, whom the Tribune identified as 46-year-old Ben Benedict. Advertisement "The victim had provided more information to the Chicago Tribune than he provided to police," Guglielmi said. "When detectives read that story, they went to the home of the victim because there was a lot more information given there than they were able to put in an investigative case report. "We were able to corroborate this statement. We were able to corroborate the investigative timeline. And based on all the information that detectives reviewed and received, we do not believe that (the victim) knew the assailant," Guglielmi said. "There's no information that they knew each other prior." Guglielmi also urged the public to encourage the suspect "to do the right thing" and turn himself in to answer detectives' questions. The suspect in an alleged Blue Line attack is described as a white man, about 30 to 35 years old, between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10, between 180 and 190 pounds, with sandy blond hair. (Chicago Police Department) Friday evening, Benedict said he was glad the Police Department had issued the alert. "I'm happy to see them following up," he said. "Hopefully this guy will come forward and get some help.'' Benedict was waiting to board a train at the station when the suspect approached him and pushed him onto the tracks, according to his account and Chicago police. "The offender then menaced the victim and would not allow him to climb back onto the platform, until bystanders intervened and assisted the victim," according to the new community alert, which was sent to the media from the Police Department's Office of News Affairs on Friday evening. In the alert, the suspect is described as a white man, about 30 to 35 years old, between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10, 180 to 190 pounds, with sandy blond hair. The suspect was also described as being last seen wearing black or blue jeans and a light blue short-sleeved shirt. A photograph of the man was included in the alert. Advertisement While the alert says the man was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, the video appears to show it was a long buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. CTA surveillance video released along with the alert shows the suspect appearing to jump the turnstile at the subway station but does not show the attack. On Wednesday, Benedict told the Tribune he had attended a Cubs game Aug. 1 and got to the Washington Street station to catch a Blue Line train. As he walked down the stairs, he saw one other man standing on the platform. "The guy was standing there for two or three minutes," Benedict said. "I'm 4 to 5 feet from him and there was one of those metal support beams between us." Neither of them said anything. The other man kept walking back and forth behind him. "I didn't think anything of it and then, probably 30 seconds later, I felt his hands on my back and he just pushed me. It wasn't like a bump or a shove. It was a full-on running push," Benedict said. He fell hard onto the tracks. "I went over the side," he said. "I kept thinking: Don't worry about the train, it wasn't there the last time you looked. Just don't hit the third rail. I realized I didn't hit the rail. It was a foot away. OK, I didn't hit that." He said he looked up at the man. "He never said one word. There was a sort of empty, glossy look in his eye." Advertisement Benedict said he was able to stand up and thought he'd broken his right arm. "I couldn't reach in my pocket to get my phone. There was not much I could do. I looked up and he's just standing there, staring at me. So I yelled up at him using an expletive. 'What's your problem?'" The man pointed at him and, when Benedict tried to get onto the platform, the man started pushing Benedict's hands away. "I can't really fight back," he said. "I got to lift myself up and he starts shooing me back. "Then he does the weirdest thing. He has this blank look on his face and he starts pacing back and forth. It's was like a lion looking at his prey, that's kinda what it looked like to me." Benedict said he yelled, "Dude, what the (expletive)!" Fearing a train could be coming any moment, Benedict said he started screaming. A few people who had come down into the station heard him. "They were saying, 'Why are you on the track?'" Advertisement "Because this guy is trying to kill me," he said he told them. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > They crowded around Benedict and pulled him onto the platform as the man ran away. "The last time I saw him, he was bolting up the stairs," Benedict said. The other people soon left for their train, he said. "They pulled me off and nobody stuck around." Guglielmi said that when detectives have information on a case, there's a "balancing test" to decide whether a community alert is appropriate. "And in this case, the community alert is warranted only to identify the offender," Guglielmi said, adding that the suspect might have been intoxicated during the incident. "We still do not believe that this is part of a larger pattern." Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Area Central detectives at 312-747-8380. Advertisement jgorner@chicagotribune.com rsobol@chicagotribune.com The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Hobart and William Smith Colleges nearly $900,000 to fight invasive species in New York, according to a news release. Split up into two grants, one totaling $598,960 is specifically for tackling hydrilla found near the village of Aurora in Cayuga Lake. The approximately 30-acre patch is being treated and monitored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mike Greer, a regional technical specialist with the Army corp's Buffalo district, had told The Citizen in August that funds had been found for a second year of treatment. Hydrilla is a fast-growing invasive that chokes out water bodies and is easily spread. According to the EPA's release, the funding will help control the species and will include training opportunities for approximately 1,100 community members. Another invasive species plaguing water bodies, including Cayuga Lake, is starry stonewort. The invasive algae grows in thick mags and like hydrilla, can obstruct boating, fishing and swimming. The EPA designated $299,474 for the colleges' Starry Stonewort Collaborative, which will look at the species as it affects the Great Lakes region. The collaborative will develop prevention strategies, refine best management practices and enhance surveillance and control of the species, according to the release. "Invasive species is a serious problem facing the Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in a release. "These EPA grants will help prevent larger costs and damage to the environment in the future and will educate students and boaters about what they can do to reduce this threat to the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes." This Thursday, Sept. 8, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. (Jalon Manson Shortte / AP) For much of the year, Brittany Meyers lives on a 48-foot sailboat on the British Virgin Islands with her husband and their three children. During part of hurricane season, the family stays in Arlington Heights. Advertisement This week, the couple watched with dread from afar as Hurricane Irma developed into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. Their friends back on the island were "very scared," Meyers said, "because they realized this was a superstorm." Some left, but many stayed behind as Irma devastated the island. At least four deaths were reported in the British territory, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. The storm caused major damage to the largest and most populated island of Tortola, where video of the hillside capital, Road Town, showed the scattered wreckage of buildings and piles of debris. Advertisement The emergency agency said there was a critical need for security amid instances of looting. Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, who rode out the storm at his home on private Necker island, said entire houses disappeared and the area was "completely and utterly devastated." Much of the international attention from Irma has been focused on its looming landfall in Florida. But Meyers said she hopes people also will pay more attention to what's happening on the British Virgin Islands. "These are our people, our island and our friends, and they are in so much trouble," Meyers said. "It's been horrible." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Citing friends' accounts and images posted to BVI Abroad-Hurricane Irma, a public Facebook group, Meyers said "the whole entire island looks like a lawn mower went over it." One of Meyers' friends hunkered with her husband and two small children in a bathroom, in the dark, for 15 hours. When they emerged, the rest of their home was virtually gone, Meyers said. The friend said "it sounded like a freight train and felt like an Earthquake," according to Meyers. Meyers and her husband, Scott, lost their home and their charter business in the storm, she said. Her husband flew to Puerto Rico Friday and is planning to head back to the island after Hurricane Jose passes to help with relief efforts. The Associated Press contributed. Advertisement gpratt@chicagotribune.com Twitter @royalpratt Denise Domagala and her husband, former Chicago police Officer Bernie Domagala, blow the horn for the start of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's ninth annual Run to Remember outside Soldier Field in 2013. Officer Domagala was shot in 1988, and he died Sept. 5, 2017. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) Bernard "Bernie" Domagala, a former Chicago police officer who was left with brain damage after he was shot in the line of duty 29 years ago, died Tuesday as a result of his injuries. He was 66. An autopsy performed Thursday showed Domagala died of complications from a bullet wound to his head, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Advertisement "The City of Chicago has lost a true hero," the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation said in a statement about Domagala, a father of three sons who became a Chicago cop in 1981. "Despite the many challenges his life held for him since being injured, he never lost his love for the two most important things in his life: his family and the Chicago Police Department." On July 14, 1988, Domagala, then 37, was working as a member of the department's Hostage, Barricade and Terrorist unit when he was shot in the forehead as he and other officers surrounded a home in the 7200 block of South Stony Island Avenue. Domagala was shot by a former Chicago police officer who had barricaded himself inside the home after shooting a mover trying to evict him. Advertisement After Domagala was wounded, police fired at least 50 tear gas canisters into the home before the former officer, Tommie Lee Hudson, surrendered after an eight-hour standoff, waving a white flag on a stick. At the time of the shooting, then-police Superintendent LeRoy Martin said, "I'm shocked that a former officer would do it. I'm dismayed." Police said Domagala was shot when he peeked around a corner of the garage toward the home. He was then taken to Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, where he underwent about six hours of surgery to remove a lead ball, which was fired from a revolver, from a bone behind his ear. Hudson was later charged with several crimes, including attempted murder, aggravated battery and armed violence. A psychiatrist later found Hudson to be mentally ill and he was committed to a state mental health facility. He died in the 1990s. In a statement Thursday, First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said that "a part of Chicago was lost" with Domagala's death and that he'd never be forgotten. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "For nearly three decades he and his family bravely faced the challenges of his injuries up until his recent passing," Navarro said. "On behalf of the entire Chicago Police Department, we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones for the loss of a true hero." Mayor Rahm Emanuel also offered condolences to Domagala's family, saying his death is an example of the dangerous job that police officers face on the streets. "The passing of Chicago police Officer Bernard Domagala is a tragic reminder of the danger our officers confront and the sense of dedication and duty in which they serve," Emanuel said in a statement. "Officer Domagala dreamed of being a Chicago police officer from a young age, and he served and sacrificed for the city he loved." Advertisement Domagala is survived by his wife, Denise, and his three sons, Erik, Craig and Adam, all of whom were young children when their father was shot. A visitation for Domagala is scheduled for 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Blake Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 W. 103rd St. in Oak Lawn. His funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Queen of Martyrs Church, 10233 S. Central Park Ave. in Evergreen Park. jgorner@chicagotribune.com Twitter @JeremyGorner Staff and volunteers unload animals that were evacuated from animal shelters in Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma and driven to the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago. About 45 dogs and cats arrived at the shelter on Sept. 9, 2017. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) A week after it opened its doors to pets displaced by the devastation Hurricane Harvey wreaked in Texas, an animal welfare organization in Chicago is helping similar groups in Florida deal with the expected impact of Hurricane Irma. The Anti-Cruelty Society has taken in animals who had been in Florida shelters so that those shelters can make room for pets who will become separated from their owners by Irma, which will hit the state this weekend. Advertisement It was just part of the ongoing effort by schools, Illinois National Guard members, animal welfare organizations and community groups to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and those who will likely be affected by Hurricane Irma. On Friday, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was ferrying more than two dozen cats and dogs from shelters in Lee County, Fla., to the Anti-Cruelty Society. Advertisement "We're expecting over 30 tomorrow," Anti-Cruelty Society spokeswoman Colette Bradley said. "We've told them we're prepared to take more, but at this time they've only asked us to take (about) 30." (Update: The animals did arrive Saturday afternoon.) But the wave of natural disasters is straining resources for animal shelters. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Anne Vopat carries a cat in a crate as animals arrive in Chicago on Sept. 9, 2017, from animal shelters in Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma. About 45 dogs and cats were driven to the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Paula Fasseas, founder and chair of PAWS Chicago, said her shelter is still taking in animals from Hurricane Harvey, but expects that it will soon be providing aid to those left homeless or abandoned in the wake of Irma. "We've made contact with one of our rescue partners that brings us a lot of rescue animals from the Tennesee area," Fasseas said. "Once the aftermath of (Irma), she's probably going to be taking a lot of animals at her facility in Nashville, and we'll meet them half-way." Fasseas said that animal welfare groups appear to be taking a more pre-emptive approach to clear shelter space in the Southeast before Irma makes landfall, but kennel space and resources are tight. "I think people are thinking ahead, but I also think people are sitting on hundreds of Harvey animals," Fasseas said. "So it's going to be more challenging." Bradley agreed, saying the influx of animals poses an unexpected financial burden. Advertisement "We're going to be performing a lot of spay and neuter surgeries, because they may not have been spayed or neutered prior to coming to Chicago," Bradley said. "And we're going to be providing the basic supplies to the foster homes, so that's an added expense as well." The shelter took in 84 animals from shelters in Texas following Hurricane Harvey, and placed them in 60 foster homes. For Irma, the shelter is seeking 15 foster homes, though they may need more if more animals are sent their way. Bradley said that animal lovers have stepped up to ease the burden. "There have been an incredible amount of people asking to foster," Bradley said. Bradley and Fasseas said those who are unable to provide temporary homes for the animals can visit the PAWS Chicago or Anti-Cruelty Society websites to donate money, goods or sign up to volunteer. Illinois National Guard Advertisement The Illinois National Guard is preparing to send soldiers to support Hurricane Irma recovery and relief efforts when it is set to make landfall in Florida this weekend. As of Friday, 65 soldiers have been activated on federal orders and are preparing units to deploy if needed, according to a news release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the path of Hurricane Irma. We are proud of our role to save lives and protect property when needed," Maj. Gen. Richard Hayes Jr., the adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, said in the release. "Our soldiers and airmen are trained and ready to respond when called upon." The National Guard Bureau has asked the Illinois National Guard to be prepared to deploy up to 800 soldiers to Florida, pending a formal request for support from Florida officials. The Illinois National Guard already has more than 30 airmen supporting hurricane response and relief efforts. Student efforts Advertisement Triton College's student association is holding a hurricane relief supply drive from Monday through Friday. The school and its students are encouraging community members to donate unopened toiletries, diapers, hand sanitizer, black construction-grade trash bags, mops and buckets, heavy-duty work gloves, Latex/Nitrile gloves, box fans and bottled water. Donations of food, clothing, furniture or hazardous materials will not be accepted. People can bring them to Building O on the west campus at 2000 Fifth Ave. in River Grove between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Hollander Storage & Moving Co., based in Elk Grove Village, will be transporting the items to areas affected by Hurricane Harvey and Irma, where they will be distributed by the United Way. "Like everybody else, we're watching the pictures and we feel thankful for ourselves but we also feel very helpless, like 'How can you help and how can you make a difference?'" said Dawn Hasil, vice president of Hollander Storage & Moving Co. "We thought that this is something we can do. We can offer our transportation services." Hasil said financially, moving the donated items would cost the company anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 and that employees will be there to help shrink-wrap the donations and load them into the truck. "We're trying to do our part," she said. Advertisement Humboldt Park community concerned for Puerto Rico In Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, leaders in the city's Puerto Rican community said widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Irma have spurred them to convene a special meeting by local members on Saturday to decide how to best assist their home island. Outages have left 63 percent of the island in a blackout, rendering many local Puerto Ricans unable to reach their families by phone. Early estimates had electricity in the economically struggling island being fully restored in four to six months. Leaders of several community groups said their gathering is partly to draw public attention to Puerto Rico, believing the storm damage there had been overlooked as Irma moved toward the States. "Everything has been focused on Florida (with) very little mention of Puerto Rico," Cristina Pacione-Zayas, a co-chair to the community collective, the Puerto Rican Agenda, told reporters at the Casa Puertorriqena offices. The local groups said they have been in contact with San Juan's mayor and hope to coordinate relief efforts in the coming days. Advertisement In addition to 70 mph winds, parts of Puerto Rico also received 20 inches of rain, with some areas suffering mudslides, Pacione-Zayas said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Raul Maldonado, a coordinator at Casa Puertorriqena, said he was "aggravated" being unable to speak with his mother or other relatives in San Juan since Irma passed. "This is the first time they've gone through a hurricane and I'm not there," said Maldonado, 32. "I have my mother, I have my sister, I have my niece and my friends. My entire life is back there. I'm the only one that's here." Zenaida Lopez, 67, said she has been unable to reach her sister, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, in Aguada since Monday. Though a brother briefly spoke with Lopez's sister by phone, she's still quite concerned. They wondered if their sister has enough food and water. "And she's saying 'yes, yes,' but I don't know," Lopez said. "It's extremely nerve-wrecking and I'm thinking about her health issues and my whole family." mwalberg@chicagotribune.com Advertisement gwong@chicagotribune.com wlee@chicagotribune.com A 30-year-old man was shot during an argument with two men on a Green Line train at the CTA Ashland station Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune) Earline Carson showed Chicago police officers where bullets pierced the front of her two-story South Side home, adorned with hanging flowerpots, where she's lived for 50 years. One bullet through a windowpane, and the other through the stone facade, the 76-year-old woman dressed in blue pajamas explained to officers. A 41-year-old woman who also lives in the home was shot in the shoulder just after 2 a.m. Saturday, police and family members said. It was the second time this summer that bullets hit the home in the 8600 block of South Kingston Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood. In late June, one punctured a gutter when a 15-year-old boy was shot on the block. Carson said she was sleeping early Saturday when the woman was shot on her front porch. The woman ran behind the home through a gangway and collapsed on the ground, she said. Officers also found bullet holes in the side of the home. I thought something was going off in the house, said Carson as she leaned on a decorative railing on her porch. It was good I wasnt in the front. Carson put on a long robe as she sat on the porch in cool weather and talked with detectives, her grandsons standing nearby. I hope your night gets better, an officer said after handing her a slip of paper with instructions for crime victims. The wounded 41-year-old woman was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital in good condition. She was one of eight people who were shot, one fatally, between Friday and Saturday mornings, according to police. One of the shootings happened on a Green Line train after a struggle for a gun. In the homicide, a 22-year-old man was shot multiple times as he was taking a child out of a parked car in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side early Saturday, police said. Officers found the man in the street in the 5300 block of South Seeley Avenue just before 2:20 a.m. Saturday, police said. He was shot multiple times and taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. About 14 rifle shell casings littered the ground next to a silver Ford sedan, which had its windows shot out. People filled a flight of steps outside a nearby home watching officers investigate. Green Line shooting Advertisement A man was shot during an argument and struggle with two men on a Loop-bound Green Line train in the West Town neighborhood Friday night. Police on the scene added that the wound may have been "self-inflicted.'' The train was pulling into the station when three men got into an altercation and one of them pulled a handgun, said Chicago police Chief of Patrol Fred Waller, who spoke to reporters on the scene after the incident. It appears there was a struggle for the gun, Waller said, and one of the men was shot. Officers responded to a call of a person shot in the 1600 block of West Lake Street at 7:20 p.m., Chicago police said. The victim, 30, was on the train, involved in an argument with two males, when the argument turned physical and shots were fired, said Officer Christine Calace. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the left shoulder area, Calace said. Paramedics found the victim lying on the platform at the Ashland station, 1601 W. Lake St., according to a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department . He was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious to critical condition. Two persons of interest are being questioned, according to Calace. Waller said Chicago's transit system is one of the safest in the country. The altercation occurred on a Loop-bound train, CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. A man who was about to get on the train said he heard a loud shot and thought the train had derailed. The witness, who declined to give his name, said he believed a gunman shot another man as he was getting off the train. Green Line service had resumed about 9:15 p.m. after being halted earlier. Shuttle bus service was in place. In other shootings: A 21-year-old man was shot in the thumb while walking in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The man was in the 2200 block of West 21st Street just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday when he heard gunfire and realized he was hit. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. On the West Side, a 24-year-old man was shot while standing in an alley in the Lawndale neighborhood about 9 p.m. Friday, police said. A dark-colored sedan pulled up to the 1200 block of South Avers Avenue and fired shots, hitting the man in the buttocks. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. A 23-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the 8800 block of South Eggleston Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood about 7:45 p.m., police said. He was taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said. About 4:35 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Honore Street in the West Englewood neighborhood, a 29-year-old man suffered a wound to the buttocks, and was taken in good condition to Holy Cross Hospital. Earlier Friday afternoon, a man was shot in the on the West Side in the Austin neighborhood. About 1:25 p.m., a 36-year-old man was shot in the left leg in the 4900 block of West Augusta Boulevard. Police said someone in a white van pulled up and shot him. The victim was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said. According to the CTA website, Orange Line service was stopped at the Western Avenue station Friday morning due to Chicago Fire Department activity. Service was stopped about 10:45 a.m due to "a very small' electrical issue, according to Fire Department media information. Advertisement Officials said a fire was struck out, and normal service was restored. A 16-year-old boy was shot by Chicago police in the 1100 block of South Sacramento Boulevard late on Sept. 7, 2017. A gun was recovered, police said. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune) A Chicago police officer shot a 16-year-old boy in the arm while responding to a call of shots fired in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side on Thursday night, authorities said. The teen was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department. His condition was later stabilized, police said. No officers were injured. Advertisement Ogden District tactical officers responded to the calls and a "ShotSpotter" detection in the 1100 block of South Sacramento Boulevard just before 10 p.m., Sgt. Cindy Guerra said at the scene of the shooting. When they arrived in the 1100 block of South Richmond Street, officers saw someone running through a gangway leading into an alley, Guerra said. Advertisement An officer got out of the car and chased the person before an armed confrontation ensued, and an officer shot the teen in the arm, Guerra said. Officers used a tourniquet to treat the teen's wound until paramedics responded. A gun was recovered on scene. Check back for updates. Illinois Sen. Iris Martinez, D-Chicago, speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Jan. 13, 2016. (Seth Perlman / AP) State Sen. Iris Martinez is stranded on the Caribbean island of St. Martin in the wake of Hurricane Irma and is awaiting rescue, her office said Friday. The Chicago Democrat was at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort for a "much-needed days off after this whole mess in Springfield," administrative assistant Sonia Sanchez said. Martinez's office had not heard from her since Wednesday before getting a call Friday morning. Advertisement John Patterson, a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton, said late Friday afternoon that arrangements were being finalized to have her and others evacuated from the island. Earlier in the week, Sanchez said Martinez told her office she felt confident the resort was prepared for hurricanes. When she called Friday Martinez "said (the hurricane) was horrible," Sanchez said. Advertisement "I think her biggest fear right now is that ... Hurricane Jose is on its way there as well," Sanchez said, referring to a separate storm approaching the Caribbean. "They're trying to get these people evacuated before Jose gets there." At least five people died on St. Martin, an island split between the Dutch Sint Maarten and French St. Martin. Homes were splintered, schools were destroyed and the cafes and clothing shops of the French seaside village of Marigot were submerged in floodwaters. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Authorities reported gunfire amid looting of televisions as well as food and water. Sint Maarten Prime Minister William Marlin said the government anticipates a serious housing shortage and is already fretting over a lost tourist season. "We foresee a loss of the tourist season because of the damage that was done to hotel properties, the negative publicity that one would have that it's better to go somewhere else because it's destroyed so that will have a serious impact on our economy," he said in an interview with the Dutch military. Martinez's office believes there are 147 Americans at the Oyster Bay resort, which is on the Dutch part of the island, awaiting rescue. There's supposed to be a private plane airlifting people, Sanchez said, though they don't know who sent the plane. Martinez didn't say whether she was injured in any way, Sanchez said. "I can't even imagine what must be going through their minds right now," Sanchez said. "I think the worst part is that, just having lost communication with the rest of the world, that feeling nobody knows we're here, does anybody know? Is anybody coming?" The Associated Press contributed. gpratt@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @royalpratt Gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Daniel Biss, seen here on Aug. 17, 2017 at the annual Democratic Chairman's Brunch in Springfield, dropped his running mate of less than a week over differences on Israel. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here. Topspin Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss on Friday announced a state lawmaker as his running mate after severing ties with Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa over differences involving Israel. Advertisement Biss named Rockford Democratic Rep. Litesa Wallace to join his ticket. In a video of about two and a half minutes, Biss acknowledged that Wallace "wasn't the original choice, but is the person we need in this campaign and in this state. She's the kind of person who inspired me to run for governor in the first place." Advertisement "As a single mom and sole breadwinner for her family, she knows the struggles that millions of Illinois families experience just trying to get by," Biss says in the video. "As a woman of color, she understands that justice and opportunity are not equally distributed and in fact are not available to many. As a champion for social and economic justice, she's a proven fighter for the issues and people that Illinois government so often forgets about." In the video, Wallace, who was born and raised in the Chicago area, said she was "so thrilled to join" Biss on the ticket. "In the legislature, Daniel and I have fought we fought for child care assistance, a $15 minimum wage, expanding health care, and we fought to make millionaires pay their fair share. And that's what we'll fight for in our administration," she says. Biss, an Evanston state senator, is picking a new lieutenant governor candidate after dumping Ramirez-Rosa over complaints about the 35th Ward alderman's views on how to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The issue is not a subject normally associated with state politics, but Biss' move reflected concerns among Jewish voters he was courting. Ramirez-Rosa, who was a Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential delegate and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, advocated a position that backed U.S. investment boycotts, sanctions and disinvestment involving Israel to try to force a Middle East peace deal. Illinois adopted a law prohibiting that strategy for state investments. The choice of Ramirez-Rosa was viewed as a way to promote Biss to the progressive Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, though Biss' decision to drop him has elicited complaints from progressive supporters. Wallace, an African-American, was appointed to the House in 2014 to replace former Rep. Chuck Jefferson. She could provide Biss with a Downstate connection. (Rick Pearson) Advertisement What's on tap *Mayor Rahm Emanuel has no public events scheduled. *Gov. Bruce Rauner's public schedule wasn't available. *Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will have a morning news conference at the county building to talk about the new state Youth Opportunity and Fairness Act. *U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will have a morning news conference at the Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Campus in Maywood to talk about his proposed Dream Act. Later, he'll talk about energy drinks at Hadley Junior High in Glen Ellyn. Then, Durbin will speak at the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health conference in Naperville about substance abuse treatment and mental health. From the notebook *Schakowsky wants Confederate statues out of the Capitol: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky on Thursday addressed a protest outside the Capitol, joining Jewish and progressive activists and other lawmakers in urging the removal of Confederate statues from the building. There are about a dozen statues of Confederate figures in the National Statuary Hall Collection, including Gen. Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, who was president of the Confederate States of America. Advertisement Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, said Confederate statues had no place in the Capitol and said she'd also like "more women heroes" on display. "This fight is far from over," she said. Illinois is represented by statues of two 19th century notables in the Capitol. One, Union Army brigadier general James Shields, is the only lawmaker to have represented three states in the Senate: Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri. The other is Frances Willard, a former Evanston resident who was president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union and also made contributions to women's suffrage and higher education. Hers was the first statue honoring a woman to be chosen for the collection. At the Thursday news conference, Schakowsky spoke in front of a sign showing words spoken by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel when in 1986 he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize: "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim." She and others from Bend the Arc Jewish Action also called on Congress to censure President Donald Trump for his comments after deadly protests last month in Charlottesville, Va., when he both condemned bigotry at the protest but also said "very fine people" were on "both sides." The demonstrations drew neo-Nazis, white nationalists and Ku Klux Klan members, and a woman was killed when a man drove his car into a group of counter-protesters. Thursday's speakers also urged Trump to fire senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, saying the aide had advanced white nationalism and was a leading proponent of the president's phase-out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Advertisement Asked about Miller, a White House spokesperson addressed only the end to DACA, saying: "The Trump administration acted lawfully to correct the unconstitutional actions taken by President Obama. It is now up to Congress to act on behalf of the American people." Schakowsky said Thursday that because she is Jewish, she was offended personally by an attempt in 1977 by a neo-Nazi group to hold a march in Skokie, home to a large number of Holocaust survivors. She wasn't in Congress then but now represents the village. She said, though, that subsequent neo-Nazi demonstrations in Chicago were thwarted by an outpouring of community residents who showed up in opposition. At the time, she said, not a single elected official said some of the neo-Nazis were "fine people." (Katherine Skiba) *Schneider formally launches re-election Saturday: Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider will formally kick off his re-election bid in the North Shore 10th Congressional District on Saturday in Deerfield. The re-election announcement is to take place at an event starting at 10 a.m. at the Warehouse Eatery in Deerfield. The 10th District is one of the state's most competitive. Highland Park attorney Jeremy Wynes has announced his bid for the Republican nomination to take on Schneider. (Rick Pearson) Advertisement *Quick spin: Gov. Rauner announced his Chief Information Officer Hardik Bhatt will leave the state Department of Innovation and Technology at the end of the month. The governor has emphasized his efforts to make upgrades to the state's aging technology via the agency he calls DoIT. Bhatt is returning to the private sector, Rauner's office said. *On the Sunday Spin: Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests are Rebecca Shi, executive director of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, former state GOP chairman Pat Brady and WTTW Ch.-11 correspondent Amanda Vinicky. The Sunday Spin airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN 720-AM. What we're writing *Rauner will borrow $6 billion to start paying off Illinois' pile of unpaid bills. *Preckwinkle says Big Soda driving pop tax opposition. *Chicago will bid for Amazon's second headquarters as the company seeks incentives. 50,000 jobs won't be shipped for free. *Prosecutor indicted for official misconduct, calls case "vindictive abuse of power." Advertisement *Seeking community feedback on presidential center, Obama Foundation will host a public meeting. What we're reading *Massive development planned along Chicago River's North Branch. *Chicago-area residents with Florida homes brace for Irma. *In loss for Netflix, "Star Wars" and Marvel films will move to Disney's new streaming service. Follow the money Advertisement *Democratic candidate for governor Ald. Ameya Pawar reported $253,000 in contributions, including a single $250,000 donation from Will Hobert of WH Trading. *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *Senate approves Harvey aid, debt ceiling plan. *Russians created fake Americans to post on Facebook. *Irma looms as the "Big One" Florida has feared. *Speaker Ryan on Trump's deal with Democrats. South Side Ald. Howard Brookins will pay a $5,000 fine for not keeping time sheets on five employees, including his now-convicted former chief of staff, according to a settlement agreement the Chicago Board of Ethics made public Friday. A hearing officer determined Brookins ultimately was responsible for failing to keep time sheets on Curtis Thompson Jr. and four other employees for spans of time between 2010 and 2012, the settlement agreement states. Advertisement Testifying at that hearing last month was former Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan, who initiated the investigation back in 2013. Around that time, some aldermen were highly critical of Khan's requests for employee time sheets, suggesting he was going beyond the authority they had given him to probe the City Council. "It's gratifying that the system worked the way it should," Khan said Friday. "It showed that there's a need for oversight of the City Council." Advertisement Chicago aldermen ultimately pushed Khan out of office and assigned his duties to Inspector General Joseph Ferguson. Since Khan departed City Hall in late 2015, two people including 20th Ald. Willie Cochran, who has yet to be tried have been indicted following FBI investigations based on his initial work. According to the settlement agreement, Khan started his investigation of Brookins after receiving a complaint alleging that two people in 2011 loaned money to the alderman's then-chief of staff Curtis, but were not repaid. No probable cause to investigate those allegations was found, but the Board of Ethics did give Khan the go-ahead to look into the time sheet issue. Brookins agreed to settle the case after the hearing officer issued findings against him, but before the ethics panel made its final ruling. "An administrative mistake was made and the alderman recognizes that it's the public's expectation that records are properly maintained," Brookins spokesman Thomas Bowen said. "He will ensure that it doesn't happen again." In May 2015, Thompson was sentenced to 15 months in prison for or accepting a $7,500 cash bribe to fix a liquor license in Brookins' 21st Ward. Brookins was not charged with any wrongdoing, but in court papers, prosecutors alleged that in one of the meetings involving the fixing, the alderman was passed a note from an informant that said "12K to you" in return for a letter of support for the liquor license. Brookins was captured on undercover video turning his head "slightly sideways" as he looked at the paper, then passing it to an aide who handed it to Thompson, prosecutors have said. Also Friday, the ethics panel announced a settlement with former Family and Support Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz, who self-reported to Ferguson's office that she talked about getting a job with the Heartland Alliance while she was commissioner in early 2015. At the time, Heartland Alliance had city contracts. Ferguson determined Diaz provided no preferential treatment to Heartland while commissioner, but that there was probable cause to believe she violated a city rule against a city official negotiating future employment with any agency doing business with the city, according to the settlement agreement. Advertisement Diaz agreed to pay a $1,500 fine. hdardick@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ReporterHal Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was back out defending her controversial beverage tax Friday for the second time in as many days, saying she's not surprised opponents have formed a political action committee to try to defeat it. A multimillion-dollar ad war already has been going on for weeks. Preckwinkle said the recent formation of Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County to back County Board candidates who oppose the tax was to be expected given the deep-pocketed beverage industry's fight to overturn it. Advertisement "What's happened in American politics is that it used to be individual contributions and corporate contributions, and now a lot of the action is in political action committees," she said. "So it doesn't surprise me. You know, Big Soda has been spending a fortune to attack our sweetened beverage tax, not only last fall around budget time, but starting in the spring as we were moving toward implementation." "These folks have a very problematic product and they know it, and they're spending a lot of money to promote consumption. I think it's disgraceful," Preckwinkle added. Advertisement The anti-tax committee hasn't reported any money in its coffers yet, but in an announcement Thursday it said: "Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County is a community PAC that receives support from businesses, their customers and residents and will be a voice for the millions of Cook County citizens devastated by unfair, regressive and skyrocketing taxes." With opponents of the tax on the Cook County Board set to introduce an ordinance Wednesday to repeal it, Preckwinkle has been out touting its benefits in fighting health problems and helping the county's bottom line. She discussed the situation Friday at a news conference downtown to promote a new law that will allow most juveniles with criminal records to see those records automatically expunged rather than linger in their official backgrounds into adulthood. Preckwinkle declined to discuss the likelihood that opponents will be able to build enough support to overturn the penny-per-ounce tax on a wide variety of sweetened drinks. "My expectation is that we will continue to collect this tax, and I know there's a repeal measure that's coming before the body," she said. "My expectation is that that matter will go to committee, as is the regular order of business." "It will become part of the budget process," she said when asked whether she will try to hold it in committee rather than allowing it to come to the full board for a vote. On Thursday, Preckwinkle spoke to reporters about the beverage tax at a Little Village event to promote a 2-year-old partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to public health patients who are "food insecure." jebyrne@chicagotribune.com Twitter @_johnbyrne U.S. Reps. John Katko and Elijah Cummings are reintroducing legislation to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Katko, R-Camillus, and Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland, had introduced a similar bill in June 2015, but it was dropped after former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced last year that Tubman would be the new face of the note. That is no longer a guarantee, however, after Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin appeared uncommitted to the change in an interview with CNBC. Bishop Dennis V. Proctor of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church where Tubman had attended in Auburn, called the news "deeply disturbing," and urged President Donald Trump and Mnuchin to keep plans to have the abolitionist on the note. "Harriet Tubman is a hero who bravely led countless Americans to freedom and opportunity, courageously fought for her country, and was an outspoken advocate for women's suffrage," Katko said in a press release. "Last week, I called on the Treasury Secretary to move forward with memorializing Harriet Tubman's likeness on the $20 bill, and today I'm proud to once again introduce legislation with Rep. Cummings to honor the life of Harriet Tubman and her incredible contributions to this great nation." The 2015 bill had had bipartisan support with 12 Republicans and seven Democrats as cosponsors. It had originally sought to have Tubman's image on any currency note, but the latest bill now stipulates replacing President Andrew Jackson's facade on the $20 bill with Tubman's. The legislation also states the change would occur by the beginning of 2020. Katko and Cummings said they will work to get support for the latest version on both sides of the aisle. "Too often, our nation does not do enough to honor the contributions of women in American history, especially women of color," Cummings said in a release. "I am proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Katko to honor Harriet Tubman's role in making America a more free and more equal society." Katko and Cummings tie two important places in Tubman's life together. Tubman was born in Maryland, but she lived out her adult life in Auburn. Her house on South Street in Auburn, along with the Home for the Aged were named the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in January. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park also commemorates her and is located in Church Creek, Maryland. Gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Daniel Biss, seen here on Aug. 17, 2017 at the annual Democratic Chairman's Brunch in Springfield, dropped his running mate of less than a week over differences on Israel. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss on Friday named a Rockford state lawmaker as his new running mate as he looked to reboot his campaign following an embarrassing breakup with his first lieutenant governor pick after less than a week. Biss, an Evanston state senator, announced the choice of Rep. Litesa Wallace via a video to supporters just two days after dropping Carlos Ramirez-Rosa over complaints about the 35th Ward alderman's views on how to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Advertisement In the video, Biss acknowledged Wallace "wasn't the original choice, but is the person we need in this campaign and in this state." "As a single mom and sole breadwinner for her family, she knows the struggles that millions of Illinois families experience just trying to get by," said Biss in the video posted on Twitter, a choice that allowed him to avoid taking reporters' questions. Advertisement "As a woman of color, she understands that justice and opportunity are not equally distributed and in fact are not available to many. As a champion for social and economic justice, she's a proven fighter for the issues and people that Illinois government so often forgets about," he says. Wallace, who was born on Chicago's South Side and raised in the south suburbs, said in the video she was "thrilled to join" Biss' campaign. "In the legislature, Daniel and I have fought we fought for child care assistance, a $15 minimum wage, expanding health care, and we fought to make millionaires pay their fair share. And that's what we'll fight for in our administration," she said. Wallace was appointed to the legislature in 2014 and has now won two elections. She becomes the second relatively new African-American woman lawmaker to be named a lieutenant governor candidate. State Rep. Juliana Stratton of Chicago was announced Aug. 10 as the running mate for governor candidate J.B. Pritzker. The campaign is highlighting Stratton in a video. Wallace also is the second Downstate black politician to join a statewide Democratic ticket. Governor candidate Ameya Pawar, a North Side alderman, previously picked Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman as his running mate. African-Americans are a significant voting demographic in Democratic primary elections. Biss dropped Ramirez-Rosa from his team less than a week after naming the Northwest Side alderman to be his running mate in an effort to reach out to progressives who are backers of Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. A Sanders delegate last year, Ramirez-Rosa is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has advocated a position that backed using U.S. investment boycotts, sanctions and disinvestment involving Israel to try to force a Middle East peace deal. The alderman's views met with complaints from Biss' Jewish supporters and those the governor candidate had been courting. Advertisement In addition, Illinois has adopted a law prohibiting the boycott strategy for state investments. Under state law, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must run as a team and jointly circulate candidacy petitions. The period to circulate petitions began Tuesday, and the documents must be filed by Dec. 4. Among Democratic contenders without a running mate is businessman Chris Kennedy, an heir to the iconic political family. He is expected to reveal his choice next week. rap30@aol.com Twitter @rap30 Rush Limbaugh recently claimed that the media is manufacturing unwarranted panic about Hurricane Irma as part of a plot to hype climate change, boost ratings and increase advertising revenue from businesses that stand to make money off purchases of batteries and bottled water. Limbaugh then accused The Washington Post and other news outlets of twisting his words while simultaneously doubling down on his conspiracy theory on Thursday. "I explained how severe weather events are opportunities for big ratings boosts in the media and explained how it happens," he said. "I explained how severe weather events impact retailers and how some retailers are smart enough to coordinate advertising with television stations. It happens!" Limbaugh said something else on Thursday: He indicated he is evacuating his Palm Beach mansion, from which he broadcasts daily, for "parts unknown." "May as well go ahead and announce this," he said. "I'm not going to get into details because of the security nature of things, but it turns out that we will not be able to do the program here tomorrow. ... We'll be on the air next week, folks, from parts unknown. So we'll be back on Monday. It's just that tomorrow is going to be problematic. Tomorrow it would be, I think, legally impossible for us to originate the program out of here." Limbaugh presented the departure as more of an inconvenience than a proper response to imminent danger. "You know, I had to cancel a bunch of stuff," he said. "I was going to go to a private movie screening this afternoon, and I had a bunch of stuff to do tonight, and now that's all blown to smithereens." Here is The Washington Post's original analysis of Limbaugh's comments: Rush Limbaugh didn't say the magic words, but on Tuesday he basically accused the media of creating fake news about Hurricane Irma, which is threatening Florida after hitting Barbuda and Antigua. The storm's 185-mile-per-hour winds tied the record high for any Atlantic hurricane making landfall. These storms, once they actually hit, are never as strong as they're reported, Limbaugh claimed on his syndicated radio show. He added that the graphics have been created to make it look like the ocean's having an exorcism, just getting rid of the devil here in the form of this hurricane, this bright red stuff. Why would the media exaggerate the threat of a hurricane? Here's Limbaugh's theory: "There is symbiotic relationship between retailers and local media, and its related to money. It revolves around money. You have major, major industries and businesses which prosper during times of crisis and panic, such as a hurricane, which could destroy or greatly damage peoples homes, and it could interrupt the flow of water and electricity. So what happens? "Well, the TV stations begin reporting this and the panic begins to increase. And then people end up going to various stores to stock up on water and whatever they might need for home repairs and batteries and all this that theyre advised to get, and a vicious circle is created. You have these various retail outlets who spend a lot of advertising dollars with the local media. "The local media, in turn, reports in such a way as to create the panic way far out, which sends people into these stores to fill up with water and to fill up with batteries, and it becomes a never-ending repeated cycle. And the two coexist. So the media benefits with the panic with increased eyeballs, and the retailers benefit from the panic with increased sales, and the TV companies benefit because theyre getting advertising dollars from the businesses that are seeing all this attention from customers." To state the obvious, these are potentially dangerous comments from Limbaugh, who is based in Palm Beach, Fla. He is encouraging listeners who might be in Irma's path not to take seriously the official guidance disseminated through the media. I wish that not everything that involved news had become corrupted and politicized, but it just has, he said. More broadly, Limbaugh's bad advice reveals the metastasizing nature of fake news attacks on the press, which have been led by President Trump. How did we get from Trump's claim that he has never seen more dishonest media than, frankly, the political media to the idea that weather reports are phony, too? Alex Jones might have something to do with it. The Infowars founder who has an amazing reputation, according to Trump has for years promoted the notion that the U.S. government possesses the power to conjure and control weather events. Just last week, as Hurricane Harvey battered Texas, Jones devoted part of his show to questioning why the government didn't use the technologies to kill [the storm] out in the gulf. It is weird how these storms go, he said, suggesting Harvey might have been manufactured or manipulated. They just sit over a city. Jones's contention is that the government or, more precisely, the deep state, now that Trump is president uses its weather weapon to stoke fear of climate change and promote a liberal agenda. Jones might be a fringe figure, but he increasingly bleeds into the mainstream, thanks in part to Trump's validation. Witness Limbaugh's monologue about Irma, which echoed some of Jones's conspiracy theory. Limbaugh, a fellow Trump booster, didn't say the deep state causes storms, but he did say you have people in all of these government areas who believe man is causing climate change, and theyre hellbent on proving it, theyre hellbent on demonstrating it, theyre hellbent on persuading people of it. Limbaugh didn't say the deep state directs storms toward major cities, but he did say hurricanes are always forecast to hit major population centers because, after all, major population centers is where the major damage will take place and where we can demonstrate that these things are getting bigger and theyre getting more frequent and theyre getting worse all because of climate change. Thus we have two of the president's biggest promoters in the media telling people that news about a storm or perhaps even the storm itself is fake. There could be serious consequences to Trump's ceaseless effort to lower trust in institutions such as the government and the press consequences that the president and his team might not have fully considered. On the morning before Harvey hit Texas, CNN's Jim Acosta tweeted that a moment when millions will be relying on national and local news outlets to stay safe during hurricane is not a good time to take shots at 'fake news.' Brad Parscale, the digital media director of Trump's campaign, scoffed at Acosta's warning, tweeting that nobody said the weather is fake. Actually, whether Parscale and Trump realize it or not, somebody does say the weather is fake. As Florida prepares for a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, a deadly Category 4 storm with 150 mph sustained winds, the U.S. military has launched an amphibious relief operation into the Caribbean to aid the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Irma's first contact with land occurred earlier this week after approaching perpendicular to the Lesser Antilles before colliding with them, causing widespread damage - and several deaths - on a cluster of the Leeward Islands including Barbuda, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Maarten and St. Barts. Advertisement The death toll is expected to rise. The Dutch, British and French governments have all pledged resources to help with relief efforts, and in recent days, two Dutch ships have arrived at St. Maarten, and a British warship is headed toward Anguilla. The U.S. response has included five warships, helicopters, cargo aircraft, National Guard troops and thousands of pounds of supplies. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains a modest base in Puerto Rico and has auxiliary contingents in St. Thomas and St. Croix. It is unclear how many resources the Coast Guard can commit to the Caribbean as their helicopters and boats will probably be urgently needed in Florida next week. Advertisement The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday and had committed its contingent of helicopters to help move patients from St. Thomas to St. Croix and survey damage in the islands, the Pentagon said in a statement Thursday night. A C-17 cargo jet is also evacuating patients from St. Thomas. The Pentagon also said parts of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill, were headed to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and would arrive sometime Friday. Both ships were previously helping with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The Marine unit's landing craft, helicopters and personnel will be primarily dedicated to helping those ashore. The USS Iwo Jima and USS New York will also be in the area, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on standby to ensure that shipping lanes running into major ports remain open. The Pentagon also said that Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida had activated their National Guard detachments to help with search-and-rescue and evacuation operations. There are 5,242 National Guard troops in Puerto Rico, 596 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 8,052 in Florida, according to the Pentagon. Smoke rises from a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, near Houston, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. Thick black smoke and towering orange flames shot up from the flooded Houston-area chemical plant after two trailers of highly unstable compounds blew up a day earlier after losing refrigeration. (KTRK via AP) A group of first responders exposed to smoke from a Crosby, Texas, chemical plant fire after Hurricane Harvey are suing the owner of the plant for more than $1 million, saying that they vomited and gasped for air in the middle of the road in a scene the suit describes as "nothing less than chaos." The responders allege that the plant owner, Arkema, minimized the dangers of exposure to the fire and failed to warn the responders manning the perimeter of the mandatory 1.5 mile evacuation area to move further away from the fumes after the first of nine trailers full of volatile organic peroxide burst into flames in the early nighttime hours of Aug. 29. Advertisement "Immediately upon being exposed to the fumes from the explosion, and one by one, the police officers and first responders began to fall ill in the middle of the road," says the lawsuit, which was filed in a Harris County, Texas, court on Thursday. The responders' lawyer Mo Aziz said they initially saw no smoke in the darkness. "Emergency personnel arrived on scene, and even before exiting their vehicle, they became overcome by the fumes as well," the lawsuit adds. "The scene was nothing less than chaos. Police officers were doubled over vomiting, unable to breathe. Medical personnel, in their attempts to provide assistance to the officers, became overwhelmed and they too began to vomit and gasp for air." Advertisement The lawsuit also said that some police officers, unable to abandon their vehicles with weapons in them, drove themselves to the nearest hospital. Other responders were taken by ambulance. The company said it regretted that anyone suffered harm, particularly first responders. "We reject any suggestion that we failed to warn of the danger of breathing the smoke from the fires at our site, or that we ever misled anyone," Arkema said in a statement. " To the contrary, we pleaded with the public, for their own safety, to respect the 1.5 mile evacuation zone imposed by the unified command well prior to any fire. We will vigorously defend a lawsuit that we believe is gravely mistaken." The responders said they were at the 1.5 mile perimeter. Separately, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ordered Arkema, a French multinational company, to provide a detailed timeline of events and to respond within 10 days to a series of questions about the handling of organic peroxides, which are combustible if not kept refrigerated, the amount of chemical materials, and the measures taken in advance to guard against flooding and loss of electricity. After the loss of refrigeration led to an evacuation of the plant, Arkema executives and the Harris County fire marshal's office warned people to stay at least 1.5 miles away, a distance the lawsuit calls "arbitrary." Arkema and fire officials have avoided calling the smoke from the fires toxic. The company initially called the smoke inhaled by police officers as a "non-toxic irritant." When pressed by reporters at an Aug 31 press conference Rich Rennard, president of Arkema's North American operations, said "the smoke is certainly noxious." But he added that toxicity is "a relative thing." And he said "it's not a chemical release that's happening, and I want to be clear about that."At another press conference, Rennard was asked whether responders should "consider that ash to be more dangerous than something from a campfire or normal fire?" He replied that "it's debris that would be similar to a house fire." Advertisement Asked on Aug. 31 about how dangerous the chemical fire was, Robert Royall, assistant chief of emergency operations for the Harris County Fire Marshal's office, told The Post: "That's really relative. If you're standing right next to something and you had a chemical release, it would probably be pretty dangerous. But we have a mile and half safety radius and there's nobody in that plant." He added, "You don't go stick your head in a barbecue pit or anything. You wouldn't want to breath that smoke in.'' The lawsuit was filed by Houston attorneys Kimberely Spurlock and Misty Hataway-Cone of Spurlock & Associates and MoAziz of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz. Collectively, they are representing a group of seven first responders who claim to have been injured from a release of toxic chemicals from the Arkema plant. About 15 responders were treated for exposure. The suit accuses Arkema of negligence for failing to adequately prepare for an extreme flood, improperly storing chemicals at the plant, and not having a more reliable backup form of refrigeration. The company has failed to answer questions from The Post about whether or not the backup diesel generators were elevated or whether they were resting on the floor of the plant, which eventually was under 6 feet of water. North Korea said the U.S. will "pay dearly" after its United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said the isolated nation was "begging for war," again ratcheting up tensions as world leaders consider a fresh round of sanctions. Describing Haley's comments to the U.N. this week as a "hysteric fit," a commentary by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday warned the U.S. of unspecified retribution. North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb on Sunday, and South Korea has said Kim Jong Un's regime may be planning to launch another intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday. Advertisement "The U.S. administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing," KCNA said of Haley's remarks. The Trump administration is pushing the U.N. Security Council to ban oil sales to North Korea in a fresh bid to pressure Kim. The North Korean leader is seeking the capability to strike the U.S. with a nuclear weapon, and has said he won't negotiate unless America drops its "hostile" policies. Advertisement On Thursday, President Donald Trump said it wasn't inevitable that the U.S. would end up in a war with North Korea over its nuclear weapons development, but that military action remained an option. "I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it is something certainly that could happen," Trump said in a press conference at the White House. He declined to say whether he'd accept a nuclear-armed North Korea that can be successfully deterred from using such weapons. A senior administration official later told reporters that the U.S. won't let North Korea extort or threaten the world with its nuclear program, and that the administration isn't sure the country could be deterred. The official said that the danger of war is rising, and that the U.S. is also concerned about North Korea exporting its nuclear technology to other nations or to terrorist groups. Any threat to the U.S. or its allies will be met with a massive military response, the official said. "North Korea is behaving very badly, and it's got to stop," Trump said. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Thursday fueled speculation of an imminent launch, saying that North Korea may fire its next missile on Saturday -- the anniversary of its founding. An analysis published Thursday by NK Pro points to little correlation between key dates in the country and its testing cycle. NK Pro is a U.S. subscription-based website that provides analysis on North Korea. The U.S. is circulating a draft resolution at the U.N. that would bar crude oil shipments to North Korea, ban the nation's exports of textiles and prohibit employment of its guest workers by other countries, according to a diplomat at the world body. The proposal also calls for freezing the assets of the North Korean leader. But China and Russia, both of which have veto power in the Security Council, have indicated resistance to imposing more sanctions. Advertisement The U.S. is willing to risk a veto of its proposal rather than see it watered down, according to a Security Council diplomat who asked not to be identified while negotiations are under way. The U.S. continues discussing the draft with other Security Council members but is still pushing for a Sept. 11 vote on the proposal. The Trump administration also kept up efforts to persuade other governments to scale back diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised the issue of North Korean "guest workers" in Kuwait during a meeting with the Middle Eastern country's foreign minister in Washington on Friday. On Thursday, Mexico gave North Korea's ambassador 72 hours to leave the country in protest over Pyongyang's latest nuclear test. Earlier in the week, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke for 45 minutes as the U.S. president seeks China's help in putting pressure on Pyongyang. While both sides released statements agreeing on the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, there was no mention of next steps. Top Trump administration officials including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Tillerson and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford briefed Congress on Wednesday about the crisis and the administration's approach. Bloomberg's Kanga Kong, Kambiz Foroohar, Nick Wadhams and Eric Martin contributed. Former White House chief of staff Reince Preibus, second from left, and former press secretary Sean Spicer, right, seen here on Jan. 28, 2017, are among six current or former White House staffers that special counsel Robert Mueller wants to interview as part of the Russia investigation. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) Special counsel Robert Mueller has alerted the White House that his team will likely seek to interview six top current and former advisers to President Donald Trump who were witnesses to several episodes relevant to the investigation of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the request. Mueller's interest in the aides, including trusted adviser Hope Hicks, ex-press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus, reflects how the probe that has dogged Trump's presidency is starting to penetrate a closer circle of aides around the president. Advertisement Each of the six advisers was privy to important internal discussions that have drawn the interest of Mueller's investigators, including his decision in May to fire FBI Director James Comey and the White House's initial inaction following warnings that then-national security adviser Michael Flynn had withheld information from the public about his private discussions in December with Russia's ambassador to the United States, according to people familiar with the probe. The advisers are also connected to a series of internal documents that Mueller's investigators have asked the White House to produce, according to people familiar with the special counsel's inquiry. Advertisement Roughly four weeks ago, the special counsel's team provided the White House with the names of the first group of current and former Trump advisers and aides that investigators expect to question. In addition to Priebus, Spicer and Hicks, Mueller has notified the White House he will likely seek to question White House counsel Don McGahn, and one of his deputies, James Burnham. Mueller's office has also told the White House that investigators may want to interview Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. White House officials are expecting that Mueller will seek additional interviews, possibly with family members, including Kushner, who is a West Wing senior adviser, according to the people familiar with Mueller's inquiry. Spicer declined to comment, while Priebus did not respond to a request for comment. Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer focused on the probe, declined to comment on behalf of current White House aides McGahn, Burnham, Hicks and Raffel. Cobb also declined to discuss the details of Mueller's requests. "Out of respect for the special counsel and his process and so we don't interfere with that in any way, the White House doesn't comment on specific requests for documents and potential witnesses," Cobb said. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. No interviews have been scheduled, people familiar with the requests said. Mueller's team is waiting to first review the documents, which the White House has been working to turn over for the last three weeks. Advertisement But people familiar with the probe said the documents Mueller has requested strongly suggest the topics that he and his investigators would broach with the aides. McGahn and Burnham were briefed by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on Jan. 26, days after Trump's inauguration, about the department and FBI's concerns that Flynn could be compromised by the Russians. She warned that the FBI knew he wasn't telling the whole truth - to Vice President Mike Pence and the public - about his December conversations about U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Courts have held that the president does not enjoy attorney-client privilege with lawyers in the White House Counsel's Office and their testimony about their Oval Office dealings can be sought in investigations. Spicer had been drawn into the White House's handling of the Flynn matter before the inauguration. After The Washington Post reported that Flynn had talked with Kislyak about sanctions, Spicer told reporters that Flynn had "reached out to" Kislyak on Christmas Day to extend holiday greetings - effectively rejecting claims that they had talked about U.S. sanctions against Moscow. A few days later, President Barack Obama had announced he was expelling Russian diplomats in response to the Kremlin's meddling in the U.S. election. After Obama's announcement, Spicer said Kislyak had sent a message requesting that Flynn call him. "Flynn took that call," Spicer said. But he stressed that the call "centered on the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and [Trump] after the election." Advertisement As chief of staff, Priebus was involved in many of Trump's decisions, including the situations involving Flynn and Comey. Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June that Priebus was among a group of White House aides whom Trump instructed to leave the Oval Office before he asked the FBI director to drop the inquiry into Flynn. Hicks, who is now White House communications director, and Raffel were both involved in internal discussions in July over how to respond to questions about a Trump Tower meeting that Donald Trump Jr. organized with a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign in the summer of 2016. The two communications staffers advocated being transparent about the purpose of the meeting, which Trump Jr. had accepted after he was offered damaging information about Hillary Clinton that he was told was part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign. Ultimately, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to The New York Times, which was preparing a story about the meeting. The response omitted important details about the meeting and presented it as "primarily" devoted to a discussion of the adoption of Russian children. CNN first reported on Thursday that Mueller has sought interviews with White House staff related to the preparation of that statement but did not name them. The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin, left, smiles as he leaves a federal courthouse with assistant Joshua Wisch after appearing there Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Seattle. Lawyers for the government and the state of Hawaii, which challenged the travel ban, argued the case in Seattle last week. (Elaine Thompson / AP) Grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States are exempt from President Donald Trump's travel ban, as are refugees with a formal assurance from a government agency, a federal appeals court panel ruled Thursday. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is a blow to the government, which after the most recent Supreme Court compromise had been allowed to block refugees with assurances, though not grandparents and other extended relatives. Advertisement "Resettlement agencies will face concrete harms and burdens if refugees with formal assurances are not admitted," the judges wrote. "In the same way that the Court considered the harms of the U.S. citizen who wants to be reunited with his mother-in-law and the permanent resident who wants to be reunited with his wife, the employer that hired an employee, the university that admitted a student, and the American audience that invited a lecturer, the district court correctly considered the resettlement agency that has given a formal assurance for specific refugees." The judges also said their ruling would take effect in just five days, a significant decrease from the normal 52 days, saying that refugees' lives "remain in vulnerable limbo" in their current, uncertain state. The government has estimated there are about 24,000 refugees with a formal assurance. Advertisement The ruling does not drive to the heart of whether the travel ban is lawful. The Supreme Court is still scheduled to hear arguments on that next month. And given that the measure was supposed to have been temporary - 90 days for citizens of the six countries affected by the ban and 120 days for refugees - it is also possible that the dispute will be moot by then. In the 9th Circuit, the parties had essentially been arguing over who could be excluded from entering the United States after the justices in June ruled that a limited version of the travel ban could take effect. The high court had said officials could not enforce the measure on those with "a credible claim of a bona fide relationship" with a person or entity in the United States, but offered only limited guidance on what type of relationship would qualify. "Close familial" relationships would count, the court said, as would ties such as a job offer or school acceptance letter that were "formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course." The same standard applied to both citizens of the six countries affected by the ban, as well as all refugees. The government initially sought to block grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the country from entering, along with refugees with a formal assurance letter from a resettlement agency, but a U.S. district judge ultimately stopped them from doing so. The Supreme Court then put on hold the portion of that district judge's ruling on refugees, but not on grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States. That led to the legal wrangling before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The 9th Circuit judges wrote that the government had not offered persuasive evidence that grandparents and other extended relatives did not count as "close" family members, rejecting the government's argument that they had drawn their position from immigration law. They rejected similar arguments on refugees with assurances. The 9th Circuit opinion was written by judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez, all appointed by President Bill Clinton. A view of the proposed Obama Presidential Center campus from the southwest shows the Museum Building, Forum Building and Library Building surrounding a public plaza in Chicago's Jackson Park. (Obama Foundation) The Obama Foundation will host a public meeting in the South Loop next week to gather feedback from residents on the development of the Obama Presidential Center, officials announced on Thursday. But while the event will allow residents to meet the foundation's top brass and the key figures working on the project, it comes just as several community organizations have been hosting their own gatherings to push for a signed contract guaranteeing long-term, well-paying jobs for residents who already live near the campus. Advertisement The foundation's public meeting comes just a week after the organization announced its ambitious hiring goals as it sets out to select a firm to manage construction of the center. It also follows the formation of a 25-member nonprofit group charged with exploring ways to spur economic development in the neighborhoods closest to the center. "We appreciate the feedback we have already received from our neighbors in the South Side and beyond from the City's public meetings, our smaller group meetings and surveys," said David Simas, the chief executive officer at the Obama Foundation, in a written statement. "We believe we must continue to discuss with the community what they want out of the Center in Jackson Park. We look forward to hearing from residents on how the Obama Foundation can be a vital part of this community." Advertisement The meeting Thursday is set to start around 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and will operate as an open-house for nearly three hours. There will be a presentation, but no new sketches, designs or plans are expected to be presented, officials said. It is not known if other such forums are planned. The foundation's vice president for civic engagement, Michael Strautmanis, will appear at the meeting as well as the museum's celebrated director, Louise Bernard. In addition, the lead architects, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, and the lead landscaper for the project, Michael Van Valkenburgh, are expected to be present. Part of the focus of the meeting is to hear what type of programming the center should develop and how the center can support civic leaders that are working to create positive change in their communities, officials said in the press release. Construction of the presidential center is expected to start in 2018 and will cost between $300 million and $350 million. Officials with the foundation say it should draw between 625,000 and 760,000 visitors annually and pump billions of dollars into the local economy through the first 10 years. Last week, the foundation announced that it is trying to select among four firms to manage construction of the project. And in making their decision, officials wanted each of the firms to present a strategy for inclusive hiring and to demonstrate a history of hiring, promoting and retaining women, African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims, workers that identify as LGBTQ and other historically underrepresented groups. But while the foundation has said that its staff members are open to listening to feedback, their organizing tactics have been called into question by some community leaders. For weeks, organizers, activists and residents have been hosting meetings in Woodlawn, South Shore, Hyde Park and Washington Park to draft a written list of demands, including guaranteed jobs specifically for youths, seniors and the formerly incarcerated and efforts to minimize displacement. Some community groups want the foundation to promise minimal damage to local parks and to preserve historic monuments like the Cheney-Goode Memorial. While those meetings have been attended by Chicago Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp, no one from the foundation has attended, said Jawanza Malone, the executive director of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization. Advertisement "There are key stakeholders involved in a process, who have been coming together for a long period of time to talk about these issues," Malone said. "It seems like if they really were earnest about hearing from the communitythey would reach out directly to us and come to our meetings." Naomi Davis, an attorney and activist who lives in West Woodlawn, said she welcomes the foundation's public meeting, as long as it is a dialogue. "Things have been moving so so fast," she said. "And we believe there are lots and lots of questions that haven't been answered and there's lots of information we need to receive We know President Obama cares deeply that's not the issue. The issue is can we have a transparent, deeply engaged process and a conversation. "We want to be a part of the solution," she said. "Not just observers with popcorn in the gallery." At a recent Get It in Writing meeting, residents sat in small circles and spent an hour imagining ways the presidential center could benefit local schools around it. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Will the center have a public library tucked inside it for public use, one resident asked. Can the foundation help provide librarians for the surrounding public schools, another inquired. Could Chicago public school students get entrance into the facility for free with their identification? Advertisement But residents at that meeting also expressed worry about the pace of the project and the way they feel so much of the business is being handled without them. Some lamented that it seemed that the same network of residents connected to city politics were the ones being tapped to give input and even help work on the massive project. "We can make requests to the city and make demands" to the foundation, said Jessi Choe, a Woodlawn resident, who acknowledged that she was growing skeptical. "But is the only thing these people care about is money and public shame?" On Friday, in their press release, the foundation said it has been hosting small group meetings with residents to go over the fundamentals of the project and solicit feedback. They've also sent out surveys. In addition to the foundation's meeting next week, community activists will host a Get It in Writing summit at 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at Hyde Park Academy. lbowean@chicagotribune.com Twitter: @lollybowean The overall consensus (sometimes grudging) on the Trump administration's handling of Hurricane Harvey was that the federal government, particularly the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was well prepared and has so far carried out its duties swiftly and effectively. Many analysts concede that on his measured rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, President Donald Trump is right constitutionally. President Barack Obama's directive doing what Congress did not regarding children brought to the United States by parents who illegally immigrated was legally shaky at best. So, all that remains to criticize are matters of optics and levels of visible sympathy. In both cases, Trump's critics accused him of lacking empathy. With Harvey, Trump didn't do enough to demonstrate he commiserated with the victims, they said. With DACA, according to a Post editorial that summed up much of the mainstream media's take, he was "heartless." Observing all the hand-wringing over the president's emotional deficiencies are Trump supporters who come from America's heartland and who, by and large, are outwardly stoic by nature. They do not wear their emotions on their sleeves. They greet strangers with a subtle nod rather than a showy hug or kiss on the cheek. A parent's response to a child's bump or bruise is a quick rub, a pat on the head and a prescription to run along. As they do everywhere, people love each other deeply, but their public displays of affection won't nauseate any bystanders. Outwardly, the emotional model is more Gary Cooper, less Al Pacino. I received an email from a reader who shared a letter he sent to his congressional delegation. The letter opened with this complaint about the president: "He never smiles. He never laughs." My first reaction (before replying with a more congenial one) was, "So what?" If there is one thing Trump and Hillary Clinton have in common, it is being emotively challenged. This was particularly detrimental to Clinton, since more voters on the left seem to place importance on a potential president's ability to show his or her emotional depth. Such a requirement is a recent phenomenon, and it was a skill mastered by Clinton's husband, who so convincingly felt our pain. At some point, almost certainly since the beginning of the TV age, how a president does something became more important than the thing the president is doing. News reporters have morphed into judges sitting in a row, as if they were the panel on "American Idol," grading the president's artistic merit. Ironically, it was not a Democratic or liberal president who first elevated imagery to equal standing with substance. That honor goes to Ronald Reagan, who refined the art of staging White House events for the cameras, complete with poignant backdrops suited to each occasion. A former actor, Reagan knew how to emote, which is not to say he was never sincere. But he knew how to make sure his sentiments were appropriately visible and his message delivered only when it was deemed camera-ready. The Reagan template has been carefully followed ever since, with varying degrees of success, considering that not everyone has Reagan's dramatic gifts. Nevertheless, political events are routinely choreographed to the point of rivaling Hollywood and Broadway in planning and detail. The news media has dutifully played its role, often with little choice, placing cameras where instructed, framing pictures just so. Most modern political performances are so meticulously scripted and executed that their delivery across media platforms should include the same disclaimer required on official campaign literature and commercials. It is almost refreshing in a way the media should appreciate but doesn't that the Trump administration has not completely mastered the theatrics of the presidency. The White House may well be hindered in doing so by its lead player, who, despite his television background, has never portrayed anything but a version of himself. But it is peculiar that much of the media's criticism of Trump is that he is too undisciplined, which is another way of saying he should be more scripted. Perhaps too many journalists are not old enough to remember presidents before Reagan and the careful stagecraft he initiated. It is true that Trump displays little outward empathy. Nor does he convincingly display a host of other emotions, not having the political or acting experience necessary to truly hone the craft. But to about half the country, such criticism would be greeted with a giant shrug, if it wouldn't be considered so overly demonstrative. Washington Post Gary Abernathy is publisher and editor of the Times-Gazette in Hillsboro, Ohio. What to read next: Donald Trump governs the way any white racist would Democrats show they are the party of sanity North Korea's advancing nuclear weapons program isn't the only news to unnerve arms-control experts this summer. A new survey has revealed that Americans are surprisingly willing to make a first nuclear strike and kill millions of civilians abroad. The survey casts doubt on the power of what experts call the "nuclear taboo," said Stanford University historian David Holloway, author of "Stalin and the Bomb." The idea, or hope, behind the concept is that it's not just luck that humans haven't dropped any nuclear weapons for 70 years that there's a stigma that makes the use of nuclear weapons unthinkable. Advertisement But many Americans say it's quite thinkable. The taboo may be eroding, or it may never have been the protective barrier people thought it was. Perhaps if people more clearly understood the destruction of human life that would result, the taboo would regain its power. The survey's designers sketched out a hypothetical conflict with Iran a country without nuclear weapons. Around 60 percent of those polled said that if Iran provoked the U.S. with some non-nuclear aggression, they'd approve of blowing up 2 million Iranian civilians using nuclear weapons rather than sacrificing 20,000 American lives in a ground attack. Advertisement "That just means they haven't thought about it," said Brian Toon, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Colorado. They think nuclear weapons are just big bombs that blow up lots of people, he said, without considering the way a nuclear conflict even a "small" one involving some 10 percent of the U.S. arsenal might poison millions of men, women and children, and change the climate enough to starve hundreds of millions. Today, it's not Iran but North Korea that's the focus of concern with its continued testing of nuclear missiles despite Trump's threat of "fire and fury." Serious people are starting to consider the possibility of nuclear conflict. While the North is unlikely to be capable of sending nuclear missiles all the way to the U.S., at least for now, there are plenty of ways casualties could escalate. "There are nuclear reactors all over North Korea," Toon said. So you might have Fukushima-type contamination all over the country. Perhaps if people more clearly understood the destruction of human life that would result, the taboo would regain its power. In the early years of the Cold War, the power of nuclear weapons apparently surprised Daniel Ellsberg, a RAND Corp. analyst on loan to the Pentagon for the purpose of nuclear war planning. "One day in the spring of 1961, soon after my 30th birthday, I was shown how our world would end," he wrote in 2009. Ellsberg, who is famous for leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971, has spent recent decades examining the potential for nuclear catastrophe. His latest book, "The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner," will be released in December. The end of the world was described in a highly classified document, Ellsberg recalled. While it didn't necessarily spell extinction of the human race, it estimated a nuclear war would kill at least 600 million people or as Ellsberg put it, "a hundred Holocausts." Is there some logic to accepting 2 million deaths but not 600 million? Is there some number of holocausts that would be acceptable? Historian Holloway said that such mass killing would be considered unacceptable under the philosophical framework called just war theory a set of criteria that political and military leaders have used to determine if a war is justifiable. Still, mass bombings during World War II made people familiar with the idea of targeting civilians. And the advent of nuclear weapons made it seem unavoidable. To Americans, apparently, the morality of using nuclear weapons to kill civilians depends on time and place. In a paper describing this new survey, "Revisiting Hiroshima in Iran," the authors write that most Americans approved of dropping nuclear weapons on Japan in 1945. But by 2015, most said the U.S. should not have used nuclear weapons or should have dropped them on unpopulated areas. The authors attribute this change of heart to Americans' changing attitudes toward the Japanese. It might be worth considering why experts have such a strong sense of the nuclear taboo one that goes beyond horror at sheer numbers of deaths an attack would cause. Advertisement A nuclear exchange might remain limited but then, it might not. Physicists chart the probability of nuclear war with what they call the Doomsday Clock, which has recently been edging toward midnight. If the U.S. launched a first strike against North Korea, experts say there's no guarantee that China or Russia wouldn't join in, either on purpose or by mistake. The actions of other countries are hard to predict in a state of confusion and fear. During the Cold War, several false alarms brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union within a heartbeat of launching massive attacks. Even as late as 1995, a science experiment sent off a false alarm and almost triggered an attack from Russia. Recent calculations suggest that 50 or 60 nuclear weapons might be enough to change the climate, if they're dropped on cities where massive fires would release sky-darkening smoke into the atmosphere. Hundreds of millions or even a billion people could starve in such a nuclear winter. "The scary thing is that this could potentially kill the majority of people on the planet," said Colorado's Toon. That would seem to be more than enough reason to keep up the nuclear taboo. Bloomberg Faye Flam is a Bloomberg View columnist and a former staff writer for Science magazine. Multiple law enforcement divisions spent two days collecting more than 250 marijuana plants found growing in northern Cayuga County. The Auburn Police Department said that on Sept. 6 and 7, members of the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force in conjunction with the New York Army National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Air Assets, with assistance from state police, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office, conducted the marijuana eradication detail. The plants ranged in size from 3 to 10 feet and were removed from multiple properties in Cato, Victory, Conquest, Mentz, Throop and Brutus. More information on the eradication was not immediately available Friday. APD said arrests will be forthcoming. Police said that some of the marijuana will be kept as evidence until the case is disposed of. The rest will be left to dry before being incinerated with other old evidence at a later date. This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 2, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang. (Korean Central News Agency) The conventional view of North Korea is that it is an insane society run by an insane set of rulers, the primary villain being Kim Jong Un. By any normal standards the first of these propositions is true: North Korea is an insane society, but it is an insanity with long historical roots all across the world. Advertisement The second proposition is false, however; Kim Jong Un is anything but crazy. He is playing the hand he was dealt and trying to preserve his and his family's hegemony over an unstable situation so that they can continue to live off the essentially uncompensated labor of the typical North Korean. The insanity thesis is straightforward. A small oligarchy lives anywhere from enviable comfort to spectacular luxury by keeping the great bulk of North Koreans in an abject and deprived state. What small surplus the miserable North Koreans generate is siphoned off for military purposes and to keep Kim living in the lap of luxury. Advertisement This does seem crazy to modern eyes, but remarkably it is the history of most societies, East and West. Virtually all institutions attempt to collect power and wealth, and in much of history, women. As princes and bishops were living comfortable lives in the Late Middle Ages, they also conspired to siphon off the surplus of an equally destitute population to build grand monuments to themselves, a process that continues in modern times. The Vatican alone is estimated to be worth $10 to $15 billion, which does not count the value of its art or land. Dedication to poverty is apparently a good business. The Eastern world is no better, with the powerful becoming increasingly wealthy over time, and indeed making the availability of women through capture a strong motivating force for young men to go to war. In all these cases, and throughout most of history, rulers were able to exploit the ignorance of the masses. The astonishing thing is how much has changed in so much of the world, and one of the reasons it has changed is the increasing availability of knowledge. To put it pithily, people object to being ripped off once they become aware of it. This is why in those societies that most strongly bear the imprint of this sordid past, the continuing control of the means of information is critical. This is why China employs upward of some 2 million people simply to patrol the internet to suppress information (and thankfully for its competitors, this also suppresses innovation one of the reasons China will never surmount the West economically). This is why various countries with dictatorial regimes systematically engage in censorship and thought control, and this is why North Korea is such a closed society. Kim Jong Un (to personify the government in his form) is acutely aware of the hideous scam he is pulling on the rest of the North Korean people, and he is deathly afraid (literally, as it turns out) of the power of the word rippling through the suppressed population. North Korea is a tinderbox waiting to explode, and all it will take is a match. And so matches must be suppressed. But how long can this go on? As all societies are increasingly finding, technological advances are making the preservation of masses of woefully ignorant and thus compliant people more and more difficult. Kim wants nothing more than to just be left alone to continue his predatory violence against his own people. Advertisement For various reasons, if all the regime did was continue starving and executing innocent people, the international community would pay him no mind (which is one indication of why much of the international community is deserving of contempt). Quite the contrary, it is the "madness" of building nuclear bombs and delivery systems that is bringing the North Korean regime all the attention. But, isn't that more evidence of madness? No; it is the opposite. Kim Jong Un's endgame is international guarantees that the regime can continue its murderous and predatory ways, and continue to live in the lap of luxury. He is angling for negotiations that will guarantee his existence in exchange for giving up his nuclear ambitions. What other purpose could his nuclear ambitions have? At some point he might be able to harm the U.S. or one of its allies, but that would come at the cost of much of North Korea being turned into a nuclear waste zone. That truly would be madness. The only value of this "crazy" move is to preserve his own safety. He is thus crazy like a fox. And when these things come to pass, the "international community" will face a profound moral question: How many innocent North Korean lives is it acceptable to sacrifice to keep Kim Jong Un in power and to remove this nuclear threat? I am not sure how that calculus will come out. There is a reasonable chance that the international community will think that quite a large sacrifice of North Koreans is worth making. What another dark mark on humanity that would be. Ronald Allen is a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey's hit on Texas, and with Hurricane Irma threatening Florida, let's all acknowledge one reason for the vulnerability of Americans who live in low-lying coastal regions of the Sun Belt: The federal government has been paying people to locate there. Not explicitly, of course. But an abundance of inexpensive housing is a big attraction. And a big factor in the low cost of housing in the Houston area is that developers are free to build almost anywhere, including marshy, low-lying areas where land is cheap. Advertisement The chance of being swamped deters some people, but the government offers flood insurance to pay for repairing and rebuilding. The owners of a Houston home that flooded 16 times in 18 years got more than $800,000 in payments for a house worth just $115,000. The folly of the government's flood insurance program has been evident for decades, and some Midwestern communities have been in on the action. We've written about how federal flood insurance has serially benefited many of those who refuse to move from river flood plains, sometimes to a fault. After the Mississippi River flood of 1993, one Grafton, Ill., resident explained to a reporter that he had collected $24,000 in federal insurance for damage to his small house from floods in 1979, 1982, 1986 and 1992. For '93, he expected an additional $32,000. His total insurance premiums since buying the house in 1975: $6,000. Advertisement Houston, according to a new study by the National Wildlife Federation, accounts for more than half of all the properties that are flooded and paid for over and over. It has "managed to host three '500-year floods' in the past three years," notes Michael Grunwald of Politico. Each one costs taxpayers large sums. Yet development in these precarious spots continues apace. "Why are we writing flood insurance (policies) for new construction in flood zones?" asks Craig Fugate, who headed the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Obama administration. "Think about it: If you're going to build a new structure in the flood zone, the private sector can insure it. And if they can't insure it, then why is the public subsidizing the risk?" It's a big subsidy. Thanks to past storms, the flood insurance program has a $25 billion deficit. The Congressional Budget Office found that coastal counties at risk from tropical storms make up just 10 percent of all the counties with federal flood insurance policies but generate 75 percent of the claims and most of the deficit. So why is the public subsidizing the risk in these places? Because the people living there, the politicians they elect, the businesses they patronize and various interest groups (such as homebuilders and the real estate industry) have strong stakes in preserving this program. They've been able to prevent the sort of reforms needed to make it actuarially sounder and closer to self-sustaining. In 2012, Congress passed a modest package of sensible changes that would have raised costs to the flood-prone. But two years later, feeling the political heat, lawmakers backtracked. Homeowners located in areas that are expected to flood every 100 years are required to buy flood insurance if they want federally insured mortgages. But they pay rates far lower than the risks warrant. That gap deprives builders of incentives to stay out of low-lying areas that are vulnerable to flooding or to elevate structures to keep them dry when the waters rise. It also promotes the destruction of wetlands that could reduce flooding. Oh, and it helps to tilt migration toward vulnerable coastal regions like those of Texas and Florida. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Advertisement Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. I think a reply is in order to the strident column by Marc Thiessen advocating a return to an anti-missile defense system like the failed "Star Wars" program initiated by President Ronald Reagan, an effort which has now cost billions of dollars over three decades. It is unreliable and easily overcome by an enemy with decoy and multiple warheads, electronic jamming and other strategies. It has been, as recently as July, described as "disastrous" by the Union of Concerned Scientists which goes on to point out that "its test record is poor and has no demonstrated ability to stop an incoming missile under real world conditions." Advertisement The frantic saber rattling and war-drum beating from Washington grows apace about a tin-pot dictator who poses no realistic threat to the United States, but has perfected the art of twisting our tail. This sounds very much like the prelude to the catastrophic Iraq War, which was also promulgated based on specious reasons by Mr. Thiessen while in the George W. Bush administration. Advertisement Carl Gilmore, Chicago Our best hope Thursday's Tribune editorial suggesting that putting pressure on China to cut off the oil China exports to North Korea would be a way to bring the North Korean regime to our desired result is probably as foolish as what the U.S. had done with respect to Japan before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Pardon me while I review a little history here: Going back as far as the 1920s, Japan was an expansionist empire. Japan made several imperialistic moves in its region that we Americans objected to and we finally placed an embargo on oil exports to Japan, which the Japanese Navy needed to continue its campaigns. At the time, the Japanese Navy held about two years' worth of oil to operate its fleet. But, Japan needed that oil and so assessed its options. Leaders found that attacking the Philippines, occupying it, and waiting for the U.S.' response would only bring the full might of the U.S. Navy upon Japan, while attacking the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor would destroy much of the U.S. Navy and allow Japan to continue taking territory in the region without immediate interference from the U.S. While it is not currently an expansionist nation, North Korea is in much the same situation. Cutting off the oil flow to North Korea will have little or no effect on Kim Jong Un. Likewise, banking limits, denial of food exports and trade restrictions just aren't going to stop Kim. Predicting his response to a serious oil embargo is almost a given: If North Korea has a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental U.S., why would Kim fire it at Guam or any other U.S. territory or protectorate when he could strike the U.S itself? We need to face the inevitability of a nuclear-armed North Korea. Several administrations have tried to stop the ambitions of Kim's predecessors and have been fooled by them at every turn. We need to stop blustering about what harmful steps the U.S. may take and start engaging the North Koreans. It has (over time) worked with other totalitarian regimes, and it may be our best hope with the North Koreans as well. George Weiler, Woodstock Seeing the Michael Bloomberg-funded commercials telling us that the Cook County soft drink tax is good for us, I have to wonder, is Bloomberg that stupid or does he think the Cook County Electorate is? Anyone can see that the Cook County soft drink tax is nothing more than a money grab. If the tax is intended to promote better health choices, why not tax lack of exercise or bad posture? Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has stated repeatedly that this tax was implemented to fill a gap in her Cook County budget. When implementation of the tax was delayed by court order, Preckwinkle threatened huge layoffs of Cook County employees. She didn't scream, "This will be devastating to people's health." She also couldn't care less about the businesses, especially the small businesses, that will suffer and may close their doors due to lost revenue as a result of this tax. Advertisement I could envision Preckwinkle and Bloomberg thinking, "That would solve our budget problems," while viewing the victims of Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma lined up to buy food. Robert Kandelman, Chicago Advertisement Voters will remember Just wanted to thank Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for saving me money. Not because I'm not buying sugary drinks anymore but because I discovered that things are cheaper outside of Cook County. Not only is pop cheaper, but food, gas and clothing are also cheaper because of lower taxes. Go across the border to Indiana and sale tax is 7 percent. I refuse to spend anymore of my hard-earned money here in Cook County. Preckwinkle says the tax is necessary to help with obesity, diabetes and tooth decay in children, yet low-income families on welfare are not affected by this tax. These are families they should be protecting, because they are most susceptible to some of those health issues. Preckwinkle also says that good government costs money. No. Good government balances its budget and lives within that budget just like politicians expect the people of Cook County to do. I love it when our politicians try to disguise a tax as a safety or health concern. I would like to see how much of this tax money actually goes toward programs to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes. Cook County voters will remember this tax come election time, and all the county commissioners who voted for it will be looking for new jobs. And one more thing: Tell Michael Bloomberg to worry about New York and stay out of Illinois politics. We have enough bad politicians here. Advertisement Richard Clemens, Chicago Dreamers Karen Caudillo, 21, of Florida is comforted by Jairo Reyes, 25, of Rogers, Ark., listen as Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., accompanied by members of the House and Senate Democrats, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. (Jose Luis Magana / AP) Suddenly in Washington, deal-making is busting out all over, most significantly between President Donald Trump and his new BFPNF Best Friends, Probably Not Forever in Democratic leadership. In Trump's telling, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are now "Chuck" from Brooklyn and "Nancy" from San Francisco, not "clown" and "incompetent," their earlier tags in Trumpspeak. Advertisement Surprisingly, Trump was on his phone Thursday morning gushing to the two Democratic leaders about the televised news reactions to the fiscal agreement he reached with the two, much to the consternation of Trump's Republican allies who were blindsided by the deal. "The press has been incredible," Trump told Pelosi, according to an unnamed source quoted by The New York Times. Even Fox News was positive, Trump waxed to Schumer, according to the Times. Advertisement That sounds like our reality-TV president. For all the rhetorical shots he takes at the "lying media" and "dishonest press," the former host of "The Apprentice" still yearns for favorable reviews. Later in the day, Trump was personally spreading his joy on TV, vowing to cut more bipartisan deals by harvesting votes on the Democratic side when he can't get a win from the Grand Old Party's votes alone. Suddenly, a day after announcing he would rescind President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shields from deportation young people who came to this country illegally as minors, Trump was hinting at more such deal-making. He could work to turn DACA into permanent law in exchange for something he wants like, perhaps, Democratic support for his proposed "beautiful wall" on the Mexican border. "Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do)," Trump tweeted. "If they can't, I will revisit this issue!" While many wondered what that "revisit" will mean, Trump basked in admiration of his statesmanlike pose. Still, Pelosi urged Trump to tweet reassurance to the nearly 800,000 "Dreamers," as Obama called the immigrants who received work permits and other protections under DACA. And Trump did. "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period," he tweeted early Thursday, "you have nothing to worry about No action!" Good. Considering Trump's flip-flops on this issue, among others, it was smart of Pelosi to get this promise in writing. But as much as I dislike adding to the anxiety already being felt by these young immigrants, experience tells us that, when Donald Trump says "you have nothing to worry about," maybe you do. Advertisement Four years ago, as Trump was beginning to flirt with a presidential run, he met in Trump Tower with a delegation of a half-dozen young immigrants brought to the United States without documentation and happily declared afterward, "You convinced me." But when Trump launched his presidential campaign two years later, he tagged Mexicans as mostly "rapists" and "killers" and promised a get-tough immigration agenda, including an immediate end to the DACA administrative program that he incorrectly called "amnesty." Then after his election Trump softened his rhetoric, after ramping up immigration enforcement efforts by executive order. Young people living here illegally could "rest easy," he said, because they weren't targets for deportation under his policy. However, contrary to his promise that his crackdown would focus on "criminals" and "bad hombres," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed in May that the biggest spike in immigration arrests has actually been of those with no criminal records. Yet, sadly and significantly, Alonso Guillen, a 31-year-old immigrant in the U.S. illegally, drowned in the Houston area trying to help rescue victims of Hurricane Harvey. Gullien quickly became a national symbol of young immigrants without legal status. The young people who have qualified for DACA protection defy the scary stereotypes of "bad hombres" that Trump used to fire up his presidential campaign. Quite the opposite, they tend to be the sort of honest, ambitious, hardworking and outstanding students, soldiers and workers who always make important contributions to this country, the only country that most of them know. President Trump should help them stay so they can do even more. Then, even a Trump skeptic like me will give him good reviews for that. And I just put it in writing. Advertisement Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage. cpage@chicagotribune.com Twitter @cptime Community Consolidated School District 59 Superintendent Art Fessler (left), school board president Barbara Somogyi (center) and school board secretary Sunil Bhave are pictured during a recent board meeting. Cook County election officials recently ruled in favor of a District 59 citizens group effort to place a binding referendum about a proposed bond issuance in the school district on the March 2018 ballot. ( Karen Ann Cullotta/Pioneer Press ) Next spring, local voters will get the chance to decide whether Community Consolidated School District 59 can borrow up to $20 million. District 59 board members voted unanimously Monday night to allow the fate of the proposal to be determined by a citizen group's referendum on the March 2018 ballot. Advertisement The move comes after the Cook County Electoral Board ruled Sept. 7 in favor of the citizen group's proposed referendum after a challenge to the petition was withdrawn. The group has had issues with district officials' plan to issue up to $20 million in working cash bonds and fund a new administration building. "The petition passed and is valid, and the next step in democracy is to let the people vote whatever the results, I'm fine," board member Sunil Bhave said during the raucous school board meeting. Advertisement At one point Monday evening, the meeting erupted into insults and accusations of impropriety between elected officials, as well as shouting from the crowd of residents. Elk Grove Village resident Kathy Christian, who led the petition drive alongside her husband, William Christian, said that the past few weeks have left her exhausted and feeling disheartened with the school board, but she also is encouraged that local voters will have a voice in the matter. "I'm glad we worked for it, and we kept our promise to taxpayers," Kathy Christian said. "But my personal feelings are, I think the school board voted the way they did tonight just to save face." The ruling earlier in the month from the Cook County Electoral Board gave District 59 officials the option of "abandoning" their intention to issue up to $20 million in working cash bonds, which would have made the referendum question "moot," and removed it from the ballot, said Ares Dalianas, an attorney for the school district. Dalianas said that even if a majority of voters vote cast ballots against the district issuing the bonds, the fate of the proposal would be similar to officials rescinding the borrowing plan. The district still will have the option of considering a new resolution to authorize a bond sale, but it would have to happen after the primary election on March 20, 2018, Dalianas said. William Christian has lauded the Cook County Electoral Board for letting District 59 taxpayers have a formal say on the controversial bond issuance, which school district officials proposed as a way to fund a roughly $17 million administration building at 1001 Leicester Road in Elk Grove Village. District officials have been planning to move from its longtime headquarters at 2123 S. Arlington Heights, and said construction on the new building in Elk Grove Village already has begun. "Our goal is to hold the overall taxes in Cook County for all of the people who are suffering," said Christian, who attended the electoral board hearing. "We want the District 59 school board, and all of the taxing bodies, to be better stewards of our money." Advertisement The Christians and dozens of other volunteers canvassed neighborhoods in Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and Mount Prospect last month, collecting 4,368 signatures from residents who said they supported the idea of placing the binding referendum question on the ballot. During the hearing Sept. 7, officials with the county electoral board ruled that the referendum petition is valid, meaning the question will appear on the general primary election ballot on March 20, 2018, said James Scalzitti, a spokesman for Cook County Clerk David Orr's office. District 59 voters will be asked if they would support the school district issuing up to $20 million in working cash bonds, officials said. In recent months, District 59 officials have changed course on how to fund the new administration center, pointing to a more than $30 million budget deficit and voicing concerns with having to spend down the district's $110 million in reserves in coming years if they can't find additional revenue sources. District 59 school board member Tim Burns said he attended the electoral board hearing as a taxpayer and resident not as an elected official to show moral support for Christian. As one of the board members who previously had voted in favor of the new building earlier this year, Burns said he had assumed it would be paid for with the district's reserve funds. Advertisement "We've recently hired 22 new staff members, but we have no long-range plans on how to pay their salaries, and every model shows we can't afford this," Burns said, adding, "I don't want to ask the public to pay an extra $25 (a year) for a new district administration building. But if the referendum comes back, and the voters tell us to issue the bonds, I'll accept that as a done deal." Board member Karen Osmanski said she also supports taking the bond issue question to voters in a referendum. Osmanski is among the school board members, including Bhawe and Janice Krinsky, who said they prefer to leave the bond sale option on the table to ensure that vital educational programs for students, including a new early childhood center, are not jeopardized in the future by budget deficits. "We're only hearing from 10 percent of registered voters with the petition process, and there is another 90 percent of voters who need to understand the issues and vote their conscience," Osmanski said. If voters support the district issuing $20 million in working cash bonds, residents would pay an additional $25 a year in property taxes, officials said. The electoral board hearing earlier this month also was attended by Chicago attorney Ed Mullen, who represented Elk Grove Village resident Esther Carrera, who had filed a challenge to the referendum petition last month. Advertisement Carrera serves as secretary of the Elk Grove Township Democratic organization, but District 59 officials said she was not acting on the part of the political group when she filed her challenge. Carrera, who argued many of the petition's 4,368 signatures were illegible, filed a motion with Orr's office Aug. 31 to withdraw her challenge without explanation. kcullotta@tribpub.com Twitter @kcullotta Congressman Katko was home in the 24th District during the congressional recess. His office had assured a Sierra Club representative that a meeting would be arranged while on recess. I was to join the Sierra Club-initiated meeting to ask Mr. Katkos support in maintaining present levels of spending for the EPA (the present EPA budget is already 20 percent lower than it was in 2010) and to support environmentally sound efforts in the proposed renegotiation of NAFTA (NAFTA allows companies to offshore their jobs and their pollutants). Mr. Katkos office never communicated back to the Sierra Club representatives and in fact wouldnt let anyone come up to his office when they stopped by to deliver petitions from over 600 Sierra Club supporters asking for protection for the EPA. Neither did his office respond to an invitation from Indivisible-Cayuga for him to attend a town hall during the recess which initially gave him control of dates to match his calendar needs. Mr. Katko is now back in Washington. His selective meetings allow him to get and give support without hearing from a large contingent of constituents. Katko is good at making broad statements about supporting the environment while his record of support is 26 percent for 2016, as scored by the League of Conservation Voters. I think one of the more egregious positions Katko has taken this year was his support for Trumps repeal of the Waters of the U.S. Rule. Mr. Katkos statement about this support indicated he had heard from countless farmers from across his district about this broad rule [with] the potential to harm Central New Yorks vast agriculture economy. Agriculture is important to the 24th District economy. In Cayuga County there are approximately 890 farms (113 dairy farms with 72,000 plus cows) and 78,000 plus citizens. Farmers and their families are approximately 5 percent of the population. The voices of the rest of the county, who are watching our lakes experience toxin blue-green algae, have not been able to communicate with their congressional representative about their concerns for safe drinking water and protections for lands within our county. Minimally Katko needs to be more responsive to requests. He then needs to take action that protects our water and land for all of us. He represents all the people of the 24th District not just those who are lucky enough to be able communicate with him. Janet Reohr Union Springs Aurora police are asking for information on two shootings over the last week on the city's Near East Side. No one was struck in either shooting, which occurred Sept. 2 and 4, according to a statement police shared on Facebook. Advertisement Police said neither shooting appears random, though they are still working on definite motives. At about 10:50 p.m. Saturday , a 911 caller reported shots fired and people fleeing near Pearl Street and Melrose Avenue, police said. Advertisement Responding officers noted three cars on the street had been hit by gunfire. Shortly after, Montgomery police recovered a red minivan that had been reported leaving the scene and was abandoned at Railroad Street and Mill Street with several bullet holes in it, police said. Police said they don't know if the shots were fired from inside a vehicle or on foot, and provided no suspect information. At about 12:50 a.m. Monday , a masked man wearing dark clothing approached a 27-year-old woman and her 26-year-old husband on foot while the couple stood outside their home on the 700 block of Front Street, police said. The masked man had a handgun and started shooting, according to police. The woman ran into the house while her husband got on the ground to avoid the gunfire, and the gunman then ran from the scene, police said. Aurora police are asking anyone with information to call investigators at 630-256-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000 or to submit tips using the MyPD app. A man charged in an August home invasion in Aurora carries with him a lengthy history of criminal charges and time in prison. Aaron Hummell, 40, appeared in court Friday in connection to the Aug. 19 break-in and robbery at a River Street apartment. He is charged with home invasion, robbery and aggravated battery on allegations he entered the residence, stole a cell phone from a man over the age of 60 and also striking the man with his own cane, according to charging documents. Advertisement Hummell remains held in Kane County Jail on $50,000 bail with an October court date scheduled. Illinois Department of Corrections records state that Hummell was paroled from the Illinois River Correctional Center June 16, about two months before the Aurora home invasion. Advertisement Court documents show Hummell with a series of felony cases which stretch back 20 years. His history in Kane County alone includes convictions for possession of LSD, possession of a controlled substance, deceptive practice for writing bad checks and, most recently, theft of an SUV. Hummell received prison sentences ranging from two-and-a-half years to eight years in those cases. The 2015 theft conviction earned him a three-and-a-half year term behind bars of which he served about 18 months, according to the Department of Corrections. The department also lists Hummell as having been incarcerated for drug, forgery and bad check convictions out of Kendall, Cook and DuPage counties in the last decade. Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. As Kane County prosecutors continue their push to make sure former Aurora priest Alfredo Pedraza-Arias remains in the United States to faces sex abuse charges, the judge overseeing the case agreed to postpone his trial until November. Arias, 51, is being held in Kane County Jail on allegations he fondled two girls under the age of 6 at Aurora's Sacred Heart Church between 2012 and 2014. Arias is also facing deportation to his native Colombia, an issue that arose in June and has prompted prosecutors to seek increases in Arias' bail amount in an effort to keep him in the country. A third motion to revoke or increase the bail, which suggests Arias asked to be voluntarily removed from the United States in an attempt to avoid prosecution, is scheduled to be heard soon by Kane County Judge Linda Abrahamson. Advertisement Arias' attorney, David Camic, wrote in a response to the motion that Arias simply asked for a "voluntary departure status," but a federal judge denied the request and then issued the deportation order. Additionally, Camic said prosecutors have no basis for continually seeking changes to Arias' bail because he hasn't been accused of violating bond conditions or committing any new crimes. "His status with immigration does not, as a matter of law, bar him from bail," Camic stated in the filing, adding the prosecution's claim that Arias wants to be deported to skip out on his trial "is disingenuous." Advertisement Arias' trial had been slated to begin Sept. 18, but Abrahamson rescheduled it for a Nov. 27 start date as attorneys sort out subpoenaed information from the Diocese of Rockford and because attorney Sandra Parga, who was also representing Arias, withdrew from the case after being selected to become a judge. Camic said he needed time to find a bilingual lawyer to assist him moving forward. Although the trial delay is attributed to the defense's request for a continuance, prosecutors noted some concern in a recent court filing about the timing of things should Arias again demand a speedy trial. As of Aug. 31, all but 14 days had elapsed on the 120-day limit involved when a defendant invokes their right to a speedy trial, according to prosecutors. "Should (Arias) demand trial at some point, the (prosecution) will have approximately 14 days to prepare," the filing states. Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. Four people were charged with prostitution after a sting operation Wednesday around downtown Aurora. The undercover sting involved special operations investigators from the Aurora Police Department, assisted by the Kendall County Sheriff's Office Cooperative Police Assistance Team, according to a Facebook post by Aurora police. Advertisement The detail was a response to citizen complaints of prostitution activity "on the eastern fringe of downtown" and concentrated on East Galena Boulevard between Broadway and Lincoln, according to police. Police said they arrested four Aurora residents who are accused of offering to perform sexual acts on undercover officers. All four arrests occurred within a two-hour time span Wednesday, according to police reports. Advertisement Linda Owens, 56, 600 block of South River Street, was charged with prostitution at 6:38 p.m. in the 400 block of South LaSalle Street. Mary Smith, 38, 900 block of North Avenue, was charged with prostitution at 6:42 p.m. in the 500 block of South Lincoln Avenue. Asia Watkins, 36, 600 block of South River Street, was charged with prostitution at 8:21 p.m. near South Broadway and Washington Street. Maurice Scott, 26, 600 block of South River Street, was charged with prostitution at 8:25 p.m. near South Broadway and Washington Street. Jennifer Laesch, who recently moved to Aurora and teaches in U46 School District, is dealing with her flooded Texas home from afar. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News ) Newlywed Jennifer Rumsey Laesch, who has only lived in Aurora for a couple months, loves her new husband, her new city and her new job as a teacher in Elgin with the U46 School District. But her heart, especially in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, is still in Texas. Advertisement For one thing, that's where her house is, which flooded when Harvey stormed into her hometown of Orange in the southeast section of the state, causing devastation to the entire community of 19,000, including the school district where she taught high school English for many years, and which still has no idea when classes can resume. Laesch, who met new husband John an East Aurora School Board member through the Bernie Sanders campaign, is not just concerned about the welfare of her former students, friends "and the entire community" she left behind when she moved here in June. She's also worried about her parents and other family members living 20 miles away in Beaumont, Texas, which still does not even have running water. Advertisement Then there's her personal loss. Laesch was set to close on the sale of her Texas home, where she'd raised her two children, ages 14 and 12, on the Monday after the flood hit. The house, she said, sustained two feet of water, enough to ruin the "new flooring and paint job" her husband just completed to get the property ready to sell. Laesch said she did not have flood insurance, but did carry "tropical cyclone insurance" she claims the insurance company is refusing to honor. Adding to her woes, because the house was not her primary residence at the time of the flood, "I'm not eligible for FEMA money," she noted. Which means the cost of repairing it will come out of the couple's own pockets. John, who is a carpenter, left for Texas at the end of the week and "may be gone for a month," she said, trying to repair the damage. When you are waiting on someone to give you money, things are very scary, she noted. How do you go about putting a home back together? How do you go about putting a community back together? "I have cried multiple times my home is so messed up. We're not even at square one," she said of the ruined floors, walls, cabinets and appliances. "But I don't want to complain too much. I know I am better off than so many." Having been born and raised in the Orange, Texas, area, 44-year-old Laesch is no stranger to hurricanes. Although she's evacuated three times, she said, her home had never before flooded. Because the community had never experienced this sort of devastation, "they did not think it would be this bad, so many stayed in their homes." But those local heroic attempts to rescue victims some on top of their roofs have buoyed this Fox Valley transplant, who says she continues to be inspired by how her hometown "came together to help each other." She was especially proud of former students who, despite losing their own homes, got into fishing boats and spent "day after day" in the dirty water helping others, including perfect strangers, who were stranded. Advertisement Laesch said when she called her former neighbor to see if he knew anyone who could help her husband with her house, he immediately put her in touch with a man from his church who promised a crew would be ready to help as soon as her husband arrived. "That's the spirit I love about my hometown," she said. Laesch admits it's hard being so far from home when disaster hits, especially as she adjusts to life here in the Fox Valley. But she says she loves her new job teaching English at Elgin's Dream Academy, an alternative school that opened a couple years ago for teens who "fall between the cracks." And she enjoys the size and diversity of Aurora, as well as the many parks and natural amenities, including the Fox River. "I stay appreciative of what I do have," she said. "There are so many who have much less." DCrosby@tribpub.com Twitter @dencrosby Turning the legal tables on Bob Burns, the state's largest electric utility is accusing him of an improper and illegal power grab. New documents filed in Maricopa County Superior Court by Arizona Public Service and parent Pinnacle West Capital Corp. say Burns cannot use his constitutional power of subpoena to force the companies to disclose their financial contributions to political candidates. Attorney Mary O'Grady acknowledged the state Constitution and statutes do give the Arizona Corporation Commission and its members some power to demand documents from publicly held corporations doing business in the state. But she said anything her clients did -- and she's not admitting to anything that Burns has alleged -- fits within what's allowed under state election law. More to the point, O'Grady said, only the Legislature -- and not Burns -- can demand more details. "Commissioner Burns may not rely on his subpoena power to override the Legislature's judgment and impose a different disclosure regime that he prefers," O'Grady told Judge Daniel Kiley in asking him to throw out Burns's lawsuit seeking to compel her clients to comply with his subpoenas. "It is not, and should not be, Commissioner Burns's job to investigate alleged violations of the state's campaign finance law." Burns has been on the offensive, not only in issuing subpoenas to APS and Pinnacle West and demanding to question Don Brandt, CEO of both firms, but also in seeking a judicial ruling that he has such authority. He argues that APS expenditures are relevant for several reasons, including the possibility that the utility's alleged covert support for fellow Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little in the 2014 election and open support for other Republicans last year has created an improper conflict of interest, undermining -- and possibly invalidating -- their vote last month to let APS collect another $95 million a year from its customers. The outcome of the legal fight has implications beyond this particular case. It would set the rules for how broad are the rights of individually elected commissioner to delve into the books of not only regulated utilities but every corporation doing business in the state. And that could allow any commissioner to demand that every publicly held corporation disclose their donations to "dark money" groups that, in turn, seek to influence the outcome of all elections, donations that state lawmakers have determined can be kept secret. At the heart of the dispute is $3.2 million Save Our State Now and the Free Enterprise Club put into that 2014 race on behalf of Forese and Little. APS will neither confirm nor deny it was the source of those dollars. And the groups contend that their status under federal tax law as "social welfare" organizations exempts them under Arizona campaign finance laws from having to disclose their donors. So Burns wants corporate documents and answers from Brandt. In asking Kiley to quash the subpoenas, O'Grady contends they have an improper purpose: to undermine the First Amendment rights of APS and Pinnacle West. She cited the historic 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling which concluded that corporations, like individuals, have a right to participate in political debate, including with their dollars. O'Grady also said other court cases say that corporations cannot be subject to any more stringent disclosure requirements than anyone else. In this case, she said, if Burns can force her clients to spell out publicly how they spent their money it would discourage them from making future political donations. She told Kiley that is impermissible use of his powers. And there's something else. O'Grady said that Burns, in seeking to figure out how much APS and Pinnacle West allegedly spent through the "dark money" groups to elect Forese and Little, is effectively suggesting that they coordinated their individual election campaigns with these groups, something that is illegal under Arizona law. "These are explosive allegations striking at the core of the commission's integrity," she charged. Anyway, she said, even if it were true, it is "not for Commissioner Burns to investigate.'' "That responsibility lies with other branches'' of government, O'Grady said, including the attorney general and secretary of state. "Commissioner Burns is neither authorized by law, nor competent, to conduct a law enforcement investigation,'' she continued. "He has put forth no credible evidence that any laws have been violated, and if there is any such evidence, he should take it to the state officials who bear responsibility to enforce state law.'' In her new filing, O'Grady seeks to undermine Burns's interpretation of his powers. She does not dispute that individual commissioners do have the authority to issue orders and inspect corporate books. But O'Grady contends, in effect, that the other members of the panel can overrule him. "If a party does not comply with a commissioner's order, the commission gets to decide what happens next,'' she said. That could be finding the company in contempt and imposing penalties -- or simply declining to punish the firm. And O'Grady said it is up to the full commission -- and not any one member -- to determine whether the information sought is relevant to the case before the panel. She contends it is not, saying even if APS and Pinnacle West did help elect utility regulators of their choosing, it is irrelevant to the rate hike the commission just approved for the utility. O'Grady said that's because the four other commissioners who voted just last month to allow APS to collect another $95 million a year from customers said their decision of the company's financial needs and expenses did not include what it spent for political, charitable, lobbying and advertising purposes. APS did put more than $4 million openly into the 2016 campaign to defeat Democrat contenders Bill Mundel and Tom Chabin, money that helped elect Republicans Andy Tobin, Boyd Dunn and Burns himself. Burns, however, said he was a beneficiary only because the utility feared the Democrats more than they did him. Monique Nolden of Chicago, left, holds a photo of Sema'j Crosby, while holding hands with Joliet residents Destini Hayes, center, and Briana Johnson during a prayer in the vacant lot at Second and Iowa avenues in Joliet, minutes from where Sema'j was found dead two years ago, Saturday April 27, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) Community members and activists gathered in front of the Will County Courthouse on Thursday demanding answers regarding the spring death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby. The toddler was found dead under a couch in her family's home in late April. No cause of death has been given and no arrests have been made in what sheriff's detectives have described as a "suspicious" death. Advertisement "We want answers for baby Semaj," said Leslie Jones, a member of the Justice for Semaj action group that organized the rally. The group has been advocating for answers in the wake of Semaj's death. Advertisement In July, members of the group testified before a panel investigating the Department of Children and Family Services' involvement in the case. DCFS had been investigating various complaints connected to people living in the Joliet Township home. A DCFS investigator had been at the home just hours before Semaj Crosby was reported missing April 25. "We're not going to forget her, we're not going to go away until we have answers," said Mireya Reyes, a member of the action group. "Her life mattered." Members at the rally vowed to return in a week if answers regarding Semaj's death aren't forthcoming. Jones noted that after Semaj's death, investigators said it would take four to six weeks to determine a cause of death and to have toxicology results. "It's been almost four months," Jones said. "We have no results on toxicology, no one is in custody and no one is speaking." Sheriff's investigators have identified four persons of interest including Semaj's mother, Sheri Gordon, the child's paternal grandmother, aunt and a minor who was in the home April 25 in the investigation. Investigators have suggested the four have not cooperated and have not spoken with them since the days immediately after Semaj's death. All four are represented by attorneys. State's attorney's office spokesman Chuck Pelkie on Thursday stressed that the investigation remains a "top priority." "I don't think anybody wants to find out what happened to that little girl more than the investigators (working on the case)," he said. "This is the kind of case that keeps people up at night." Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Attorney Cosmo Tedone, who is representing Darlene Crosby and Lakerisha Crosby, Semaj's paternal grandmother and aunt, rejected claims that his clients have been uncooperative. The Joliet attorney said the two women gave statements to investigators and have been willing to cooperate. "As a family they would like to have answers too," said Tedone, who also questioned the "excessive time" it is taking to get toxicology results. An attorney representing Semaj's mother declined to comment Thursday. Several at the rally echoed what sheriff's investigators have said since Semaj's death. "We know that she didn't get under the couch by herself," said Gordon's cousin, Tarra Sanders. A reward of up to $5,000 has been made available through Crime Stoppers of Will County for information related to the case. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers of Will County at 800-323-6734 or Will County Sheriff's Detectives RJ Austin at 815-727-8574, ext. 4950 or Jeff Grozik at 815-727-8574, ext. 4948. Advertisement Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Club One in Dolton was the scene of a shooting early May 14, 2017, in which five men were wounded, police said. (Frank Vaisvilas / Daily Southtown) The retired judge appointed to oversee a liquor license hearing for a Dolton nightclub where five people were shot on Mother's Day has recused himself from the matter, citing a conflict of interest. Retired Cook County Judge Michael Stuttley confirmed Friday that he had recused himself from the hearing "based on past representation," but said attorney/client privilege prohibited him from disclosing the exact nature of his conflict. Advertisement Stuttley, a former Dolton village attorney and south suburban juvenile court judge who ran for mayor of South Holland in 2013, had been asked to preside over the hearing for Mucho Gusto LLC after Mayor Riley Rogers recused himself from the case. The village seeks to revoke Mucho Gusto's license for allegedly allowing an unlicensed tenant to operate a nightclub in the building its principal Robert Terzich owns at 14112 S. Chicago Road. Advertisement Dolton asserts that Club One, which opened without a valid liquor license, improperly used Mucho Gusto's license after leasing the space in early 2017. The village also alleges Club One, which has been closed since the Mother's Day shooting, failed to adequately screen and search patrons for weapons before they entered the club, failed to maintain crowd control and permitted drug use within the club. Terzich and his lawyer have not responded to several phone calls requesting comment on the village's allegations. Rogers, who doubles as liquor commissioner, had been set to hear the case in July until a Daily Southtown investigation revealed he had received more than $5,000 in campaign contributions from people connected to the club. Rogers denied any improper ties to the nightclub, but said he asked Stuttley to oversee the proceedings to avoid any perception of favoritism. Stuttley had been set to hear the case on Aug. 9, but notified village officials of a scheduling conflict the day before, resulting in the postponement of the proceedings, village attorney John Murphey said. "They set a date without checking with me," the retired judge said at the time. A short time later, Stuttley said he notified village officials of his conflict of interest and immediately recused himself from the case. The village did not confirm Stuttley's recusal until Friday, about three weeks after the judge said he notified officials of his conflict. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Dolton has yet to appoint a new hearing officer or set a new hearing date, and did not immediately respond to questions about the delay in doing so. Advertisement On Thursday, Mucho Gusto was summoned to appear privately before an administrative law judge appointed by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission on unrelated allegations of noncompliance with state tax laws. According to a citation and hearing notice issued by the ILCC, Mucho Gusto failed to file and pay sales/use tax, E911 surcharge returns and withholding income tax for all of 2017. The ILCC will decide later this month whether to fine Mucho Gusto, or suspend or revoke its liquor license, a Department of Revenue spokesman said. Mucho Gusto will no longer be permitted to sell alcohol if either its state or local liquor license are revoked, he said. zkoeske@tribpub.com Twitter @ZakKoeske Matteson police said they have been in contact with family members of a baby found abandoned Thursday evening strapped in his car seat behind an apartment building. Through initial news reports about the infant and social media, some family members contacted the department directly and others contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which has temporary custody of the baby, according to Matteson Police Chief Michael Jones. Advertisement He said the baby remains in the care of DCFS until his department finishes its investigation and determines why the child was abandoned. Police said they were dispatched about 10 p.m. Thursday to the 3700 block of 214th Street and Old Plank Trail after a resident who had been out for a walk heard a baby cry. Advertisement The child, approximately 6 to 9 months old, was buckled into a car seat, which was on the ground behind the apartments near a trash container in a wooded area, police said in a news release Friday. Police said the baby appeared to be in good health and was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. The child was turned over to the DCFS for temporary placement. mnolan@tribpub.com Twitter @mnolan_J Cook County sheriff's police said Thursday that a 19-year-old Robbins man was ordered held without bond after being charged with sexually abusing a Gary, Ind., woman who'd asked to use his cellphone. Shaymontae Mobley, of the 13400 block of St. Louis Avenue, was flagged down by the woman after she had been left stranded in a car shortly before 6 a.m. Monday in the 14000 block of Finley Avenue in Robbins, according to police. Advertisement Mobley had been out on bond after being charged with battery in a separate case from last year, according to Sophia Ansari, a spokeswoman for Sheriff Tom Dart. The woman had asked to use Mobley's phone to call for a ride and Mobley, who did not know the woman, got into her vehicle to wait with her and while in the car forced the woman to touch him then choked her when she tried to flee, police said. Advertisement The woman was able to escape and although her own cellphone wasn't working she was able to call 911, according to police. Robbins officers were able to quickly locate Mobley nearby, in the 13900 block of Grace Avenue. Robbins police asked Cook County sheriff to investigate the incident. Police said the woman's injuries were not life-threatening. Mobley was charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, one count of aggravated battery and one count of unlawful restraint. At a hearing Thursday at the Markham courthouse, bail was set at $150,000 on the new charges, but Mobley was held without bond for violating terms of his bond from the previous arrest, Ansari said. His next court date on the fresh charges is Monday at Markham, she said. mnolan@tribpub.com Twitter @mnolan_J St. Xavier students observe a moment of silence for detainees outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Center in Broadview during a recent prayer vigil. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown ) Gladys Marquez and several of her former students from Eisenhower High School in Blue Island got the news as they were marching on Federal Plaza in Chicago. Even though Tuesday's announcement by President Donald Trump that he is rescinding the act that protected some 800,000 youth living in the country without legal permission from being deported and giving Congress six months to legalize the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, came as no surprise, Marquez said, it still stung. Advertisement "He's always taken the approach of being anti-immigrant," Marquez said. "I think what's disheartening to me is the fact that he's targeting children students who were brought here through no fault of their own, who for all intents and purposes consider themselves Americans with the exception of the fact they don't have that piece of paper. "I'm angry, very angry," said Marquez, an English teacher at Eisenhower and a member of the board of the National Education Association. "The kids are scared. Their parents are scared." Advertisement Across the Southland last week, from Blue Island to Summit to Palos Hills, DACA supporters railed against what they call the Trump administration's move to undo former President Barack Obama's act that enabled people who were brought to the United States before age 16 and had been living here since June 15, 2007 to apply for renewable two-year visas. Since 2012, those registered with DACA have been able to obtain drivers licenses, work and attend college, as well as pay income taxes. Though DACA was not enacted by the legislature and did not provide a path to citizenship, it enabled mixed status families to stay together and its participants to "step out of the shadows," said Marquez, who chairs the Hispanic Caucus for the NEA and works as an advocate for children in public schools. "There's a sense of culpability here, too. These are kids who chose to abide by the rules," she said. "So they 'outed' themselves. Many times, their parents were afraid for them to do this but because these kids wanted to become somebody, they wanted to go to college and work, and because they trusted and believed their government, they volunteered this information." Now, she said, the federal government has a database of names, addresses and parental information that could put other people living in the country without legal permission in danger. With a high population of Hispanic families living in Blue Island and some other south suburbs, Marquez said the area will definitely be affected by Trump's announcement. There are an estimated 11 million people living in the country without legal permission, she said, with the greatest number of DACA applicants hailing from Mexico. "But it's not just the Latino community. It's Middle Easterners and Filipinos, too," she said. "It's almost like (this government is) promoting a cookie-cutter type of mentality, that if you don't fit a specific criteria you're not wanted here," Marquez said. "Some of my former students who marched with me are now in college. They were in shock when they heard and are now grieving the loss, because this had given them the opportunity to work and go to school without fear, and now they have six months and it will be stripped from them," she said. Advertisement More than 1,000 people gathered at Federal Plaza on Tuesday to protest President Donald Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protected immigrants brought to the United States as children. Among those angered by the decision was Eisenhower High School teacher Gladys Marquez and several of her former students. (Gladys Marquez) "We don't know what will happen in six months. We don't know what (Trump's) long-term agenda is. We know they say they want a Dream Act, a legislative piece that would provide a permanent solution and comprehensive immigration reform. But the concern is his erratic behavior and some of the decision-making practices that he's engaged in over these past months. It makes them fear for their safety and the safety of their families," she said. Will these kids and young adults be sent back to a country they may not even remember and whose language they may not even speak, she asked. "They feel double-crossed," she said. Marquez is urging citizens to write to their congressmen and push for a pathway to citizenship. "Ideally, Congress will decide to shelter these 800,000 young people who in good faith provided their information. But there should also be some sort of a longitudinal plan for helping undocumented people become citizens. I don't necessarily believe it should be one type fits all, it needs to be progressive in nature," she said. 'Deeply troubling' Advertisement Sister Carol Mucha, campus minister at Saint Xavier University in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood, accompanies the university's Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants (ICDI) on periodic vigils outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Center in Broadview. She calls Trump's announcement "a betrayal." "It represents a historic injustice and a violation of the human dignity of young people. It diminishes us all as a nation. We are not as we once were in welcoming people," she said. With a 43 percent Hispanic population, Saint Xavier considers itself a "Hispanic-serving university," Mucha said. "This is deeply troubling. We join with others in the faith community and stand in solidarity with these young people," she said. "We're not going to stand by as DACA recipients and others are scapegoated and blamed for the economic and social problems in this country. That's what's happening. When things don't go well, they want to blame the immigrant." On Tuesday, University President Laurie M. Joyner released a statement showing support for its DACA population: Advertisement "Saint Xavier University and the Sisters of Mercy have taken a stand against the termination of these programs, and the University will do all we can to support those impacted by today's announcement. Please know that DACA students, like all of our students, are important and valued members of our campus community. "Fortunately, the six-month time period will give Congress an opportunity to create legislation designed to maintain DACA. Already, House and Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle have spoken out in support of DACA and against any decision by the President to terminate the programs. "We are a nation built on the talents and gifts of the many immigrants that have come to our shores. Our core values of respect, excellence, compassion, service, hospitality, integrity, diversity and lifelong learning call us to stand as a united community in support of (people living in the country without legal permission) and DACA students." Mucha said, from DACA, "have come some of the most talented and hard working members of our mercy educational system. They also are hardworking in terms of the local community in which we serve. They hold two jobs, they work at their studies. They want to improve themselves. "I also see the spiritual side of them. They are so invested in being good people, moral and kind," she said. But now, she added, "Our students are walking around in a state of shock. They're down, they're depressed, not feeling good. It's sad to see them very unhappy." Advertisement 'Congress needs to act' Mucha said despite the solemn mood, she and others "will never give up hope. I hope that somehow Congress will be touched and not only speak but act in a merciful, compassionate way. "We're going to do everything possible to advocate for Congress to pass the Dream Act and other bipartisan legislation that will enshrine the values of family unity and replace this country's outdated immigration policy," she said. In Summit, the mood also was somber. "Like it is everywhere," said Rubin Guerrero, coordinator for the religious education program at St. Blase Parish and a former village trustee. "I'm upset because this is not for the benefit of the people. From Day 1, (Trump) has wanted to get rid of anything that has to do with Obama, and that's what he's doing," Guerrero said. Many of the affected students were brought here at an early age and are now teenagers or older, he said. Advertisement More than 1,000 people gathered at Federal Plaza on Tuesday to protest President Donald Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protected immigrants brought to the United States as children. Among those angered by the decision was Eisenhower High School teacher Gladys Marquez, who was joined by her young son and several of her former students. (Gladys Marquez) "(Trump) wants to send them back, but send them back to where? This is their home. This is the only home they know," he said. "There are a lot of kids who are going to be impacted by this, in this area," he said. "A lot of kids and parents are afraid." Congress, he said, needs to change Obama's act into law. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Jill Kingsfield is superintendent of Argo High School, which serves a large Hispanic population drawing from Summit, Bridgeview, Bedford Park, Justice, Hickory Hills and Willow Springs. She released the following statement: "As a Spanish-speaking school administrator I have worked for years to help our Latino families navigate our educational system and to involve themselves in the education of their children. I have worked with countless numbers of students who were brought to the United States at very early ages and have become very successful young adults after college. It has been my honor working with students who have been able to qualify for DACA and are now fully contributing members of our communities. Their perseverance in school and unwavering respect for the risks their parents took by bringing them to the U.S. as infants or toddlers is admirable. These are the stories President Trump and his administration need to hear about." Advertisement Officials at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills also posted a statement to the school's website regarding the DACA announcement: "Moraine Valley Community College is committed to providing its students and residents with access to opportunities, and we stand together in support of all students who seek higher education as a means to a better future. We join our fellow community colleges from around the nation, the America Association of Community Colleges, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and many other higher education organizations and institutions in calling upon Congress to act quickly in preserving a program that has created brighter futures to more than 800,000 young people nationwide." dvickroy@tribpub.com Twitter @dvickroy I'm skeptical of a new study that suggests the nation would reap billions of dollars in economic benefits if teenagers were allowed to sleep longer. Researchers with the Rand Corp. said the nation's economy would grow by $83 billion within a decade if every high school and middle school started the school day no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Advertisement Academic performance would improve, researchers said, building on previous findings by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More students would go to college and productivity would increase. Fewer sleep-deprived teens would be involved in car crashes if they didn't have to get up so early for school, researchers also found. Advertisement I think that's nonsense. Several readers who commented on an online version of a Chicago Tribune story about the study this week shared my skepticism. "Anything claiming increased productivity is snake oil," someone named The Paraclete said. "What a great way to prepare students for the working world when they graduate. Just tell your employer you are sleep deprived and cannot come to work (on) time," Kasha11 said. "If all schools change their start time to later, kids will just go to bed later," Beentheredonethat3 said. I agree. In my experience, young adults who don't have to wake up by a certain time will generally stay up until about 4 a.m. and sleep until noon. They'll be crabby and unproductive until about 3 p.m. Rand says schools aren't the only ones to blame for sleepy teens, but that later school start times would help address the problem. "While many factors have been found to be associated with adolescent sleep loss, including busy social lives, homework, participation in after-school activities and use of technology in the bedroom, one other factor is a direct matter of public policy: school start times," Rand said in its study. Advertisement There seems to be universal agreement that teens would benefit from sleeping later into the day. "Numerous studies have shown that later school start times are associated with positive student outcomes, including improvements in academic performance, mental and physical health, and public safety," Rand said in an announcement about its study. Schools, however, have been slow to change their schedules. The CDC said in 2014 that 93 percent of the nation's high schools began the day before the recommended 8:30 a.m. start time. "While the benefits are well-documented in the literature, there is opposition against delaying school times across the U.S. A major argument is the claim that delaying school start times will result in significant additional costs due to changes in transportation, such as rescheduling bus routes," Rand said. I think Rand's study intends to nudge school and community leaders into considering later start times. Warnings from medical experts haven't produced results quickly enough, so maybe pressure from business and government officials anticipating huge economic benefits will do the trick. I tried to understand why schools would resist the recommendations for later start times. I reached out to representatives of several Southland high school districts for their input, but none volunteered comment. I think there are many reasons why it's difficult to change traditional start times that have long been in place at many schools. Advertisement For one, I think local school officials listen to the concerns of parents. Many families rely on older children to watch younger ones for a couple hours after school until the parents get home from work. Also, many teens work after-school jobs. I believe shifting the school schedule an hour or so later in the day would deprive some teens of the opportunities to earn income, and some families might incur additional expenses for child care. Plus, I wonder how a school day that ends later in the afternoon would impact evening rush-hour commutes. I assume there would be more school buses and parents in vehicles shuttling kids around during peak evening travel times. All that time sitting in traffic would hurt productivity. I could not find where the Rand study addressed such concerns. That's why I agree with the Tribune reader who said claims about increased productivity are "snake oil." Rand's study acknowledges it's expensive for schools to delay the start of the school day. "It is documented that the largest cost of delaying (school start time) in the U.S. would incur from changes in school bus schedules, which have been estimated to be around $150 per student per year," the study says. Advertisement I think that's a hard sell for local school superintendents and board members to make to homeowners already paying burdensome property taxes to fund schools. "We need more of your tax dollars so students can sleep later," a school official might say. I imagine most taxpayers would be unhappy about such an appeal. I suppose that's why schools have been reluctant to shift to later schedules, despite evidence teens would benefit from more sleep. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > I think most people would like to tell scientists and researchers that the best solution would be for parents to make their teens go to bed earlier. Rand says it's not that simple because adolescents are biologically inclined to want to sleep later. "Sleep-wake cycles are in large part governed by the circadian rhythm, which controls the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin," Rand says. "Adolescents experience major changes in their circadian rhythm, resulting in a roughly three-hour shift towards later bed and wake-up times compared to adults." This is not a new problem. Schoolteachers have dealt with sleepy teens for generations. I'm unconvinced delaying the start of the school day by 30 or 60 minutes would do much to change that. Advertisement I think this is a topic people will continue to debate but I'll be surprised if anything ever changes much. It reminds me of issues like whether the United States should do away with daylight savings time or adopt the metric system. There is a lot of discussion and plenty of opinions, but little action. tslowik@tronc.com Twitter @tedslowik More than 200 community partners gathered Sept. 7 to mark the formal kickoff of the annual United Way of Northern Arizona fundraising campaign at a luncheon that also celebrated the nonprofits 50th anniversary. The event was led by the 2017-18 Campaign Co-Chairs, Colleen Smith, president of Coconino Community College, and Jeanne Swarthout, president of Northland Pioneer College. This is a very special campaign for us as it marks half a century of creating lasting change and improving community conditions in our focus areas of education, financial stability and health, said UWNA President and CEO Steve Peru. The organization began in the summer of 1967 as the United Fund of Flagstaff. It initially served as a common community fundraiser to collect money that would be distributed to other nonprofits. Over the past five decades, however, it has evolved into a community convener, bringing partners together to tackle common issues and, in some cases, launching its own initiatives to address concerns in the community. United Way now houses the KinderCamp program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance initiative, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, LAUNCH Flagstaff, a community-wide initiative to improve educational outcomes and VOAD, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters. The organization has also grown dramatically in the past 50 years and changed its name to the United Way of Northern Arizona to reflect its work in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties. As part of its anniversary celebration, the United Way is holding a special drive for its KinderCamp program, a four-week bootcamp for preschoolers to ensure that they are academically, socially and emotionally ready to enter kindergarten. That effort is being led by County Supervisor Liz Archuleta. The drive, called 50 for 50, aims to raise $50,000 to mark the 50 years the United Way has been in northern Arizona. The drive is separate from the UWNAs overall resource development goal, which is $1.7 million this year. The campaign got a jump start with the summer Pacesetter campaign raising approximately $200,000. The four-week Pacesetters Campaign, under the direction of Rich Bowen (Northern Arizona University), Gail Jackson (City of Flagstaff) and Zachary Meier (Arizona Daily Sun), serves as an opportunity for businesses to set the tone of the campaign by announcing their results at the kickoff event. This years Pacesetter businesses, who engaged employees in creative ways to raise funds included: APS (Flagstaff based); APS (Cholla Plant); the Arizona Daily Sun, Catholic Charities of Flagstaff; City of Flagstaff leadership team; Coconino County, Kinney Construction Services; Native Americans for Community Action; Lowell Observatory; Northern Arizona University Civic Service Institute; Northern Arizona University Presidents Council; United Way Northern Arizona Board of Directors and United Way Northern Arizona Staff. In addition to the Pacesetters, the Summit Society campaign, which is being co-chaired by Gary and Lori Pearlmutter, hopes to raise more than $600,000. Summit Society donors are individuals and families that give $500 or more during the campaign. These generous donors were recently honored at an evening reception held at Findlay Honda. For more information or to make a contribution, visit www.nazunitedway.org. Roberta Smith facilitates the dialectical behavioral therapy program at Ela Township Community and Family Services in Lake Zurich. (Courtesy of Tim Barry) Roberta Smith, of McHenry, works as a social worker for Ela Township Community and Family Services in Lake Zurich. She said she facilitates the dialectical behavioral therapy program, which is free to Ela Township residents near the Lake Zurich area. Smith recently talked with Pioneer Press about the program and why she went into social work. Advertisement Q: What is dialectical behavioral therapy? A: DBT is a way to help one's skills in four ways. Mindfulness is a way of being present and nonjudgmental in the moment. Second, interpersonal effectualness is skills to get along with people, and emotional regulation is identifying emotions and ways to moderate them. Last, there's distress tolerance. Advertisement Q: How is the program conducted? A: Sometimes, we have group discussions, but the majority of times I'm explaining and teaching the skills. There are books people can buy, but we provide photo copies, too, for those who don't want to buy them. It runs all year, and people can join when we are starting a new skills group. It helps those struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship conflict and low self-esteem. Q: How did you get into social work? A: I had been greatly helped by a mental health provider, and it inspired me to do the same work for others. Q: What is something people may not know about you? A: I've had a lifelong passion to own a horse because I spend a lot of time riding English style. I started riding when I was 8 years old. Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. tshields@pioneerlocal.com Advertisement Twitter @tshields19 ECHO Inc., a maker of outdoor power equipment, recently expanded its Lake Zurich headquarters (pictured), adding 51,000 square feet that will house two additional business divisions, business representatives said. (ECHO Inc.) Running out of room, ECHO Inc., a maker of outdoor power equipment, recently expanded its Lake Zurich headquarters, adding 51,000 square feet that will house two additional business divisions, officials said. But the manufacturer is not yet certain how many new employees the expansion will bring, according to a company spokeswoman, who said the business could add to its existing staff of 860 people over the next few years. Advertisement "There will be a period of growth over the next few years," said company spokeswoman Barb Gora. "The two businesses that are moving in are just ramping up now." ECHO, 400 Oakwood Road, officially will unveil the expanded space during a grand opening Sept. 15, she said. The added square footage increases the size of ECHO's corporate offices in Lake Zurich to 585,000 square feet. Advertisement The added room will include the company's industrial generator division, which recently launched in North America, and also ECHO's robotic division, Gora said. The business has just started bringing in staff for the new industrial generator division, while the robotics division is slated to start manufacturing activity roughly a year from now, she said. "Staffing is still skeletal," Gora said. "The building expansion is an investment for the future. Growth will continue for the next few years." Since new jobs could be added over the next few years, the new space at the Lake Zurich location features flexible office space and cubicles that can accommodate future growth, Gora said. "The offices have been laid out even if they're not going to be occupied now. The cubes will be placed as employees are brought in," she said. "We're not sure what the capacity will be. It's flexible. It's built, so we can configure the arrangement as expansion needs require." Construction on the expansion began during the second quarter of 2016, Gora said. The addition is a "natural extension" of the building already in place, she said. The majority of the new structure was built using precast steel and glass materials. The new building contains 450,000 pounds of steel, or enough to build about 200 cars, Gora said. The exterior features new sidewalks, curbs and trees, while a new parking lot will add 212 parking spaces, company representatives have said. Advertisement The expansion was needed because the business was running out of space, Gora said. Sales employees work remotely and other employees work in satellite offices, restricting meeting spaces at times, she said. "We're always bumping against each other with the lack of space," Gora said. "We have outgrown our meeting room for full employee meetings. The new space will provide a place for that." The expansion reflects Yamabiko Corporation's confidence in the continued growth of ECHO, which is Yamabiko's largest subsidiary, said ECHO President Tim Dorsey. "While our core business remains within the landscape and arborist segments, we have grown in recent years with synergistic acquisitions and the introduction of product segments, such as industrial generators," Dorsey said. "With our growth comes the need for a larger facility to house those expanding businesses." Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Mario Casciaro hugs his uncle Lorenzo Vallone at his sister's home in Addison on Sept. 23, 2015, after being released from Menard Correctional Center. Casciaro's 2013 conviction in a 2002 slaying was overturned by an appeals court. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Mario Casciaro, whose conviction for the murder of his teenage co-worker Brian Carrick was overturned, has settled a wrongful prosecution lawsuit against the McHenry County state's attorney's office. The prosecutors' office agreed to pay $50,000 to Casciaro, who served about two years of a 26-year prison sentence before his conviction was reversed on appeal. The figure was far less than the millions Casciaro's lawyer sought when the suit was filed, though he has yet to settle his case against Johnsburg police. Police departments have less immunity than prosecutors to damage claims by those whose convictions have been overturned. Advertisement Carrick was 17 when he disappeared in 2002, after having been last seen at a Johnsburg grocery store where he and Casciaro both worked. Carrick's remains have never been located, but his blood was found in and around a walk-in cooler at the store, and his presumed murder has become one of McHenry County's biggest mysteries. Though Casciaro was a suspect early on, more than seven years went by before he was charged in Carrick's murder. In 2013, after two trials, Casciaro was found guilty of the rarely used charge of murder by intimidation. Advertisement Authorities alleged that Casciaro directed another co-worker, Shane Lamb, to confront Carrick about paying a drug-dealing debt he owed to Casciaro. Lamb testified at Casciaro's trials that the confrontation became violent and he punched Carrick, delivering what likely was a fatal blow. Lamb, who is in prison on unrelated weapons charges, later recanted his testimony and accused prosecutors of feeding him the story in order to convict Casciaro a claim prosecutors have vehemently denied. But appeal judges who tossed out Casciaro's conviction wrote that the physical evidence and other testimony showed that "whatever happened to Carrick could not have been what Lamb portrayed." The ruling called the state's case "so unreasonable, improbable and unsatisfactory that a reasonable doubt exists." Casciaro's lawyers sought to lay the blame on a third co-worker who was never charged in the case and has since died. Casciaro, now 34 and attending law school, had little comment Friday on the settlement except to say that it "was just the best way to move forward." He said the amount is what he forfeited for his bond. "I am still paying loans for attorney fees and the bond money that I lost," he said. "I had to sell everything I owned and borrow from every person I know to fight this case. ... This event devastated my life." Advertisement McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally issued a statement Friday on the settlement, noting that $45,000 of the settlement will be covered by insurance and that the payout was far less than it would cost the county to defend the lawsuit in court. Kenneally called the lawsuit "baseless" but cited his financial responsibility to taxpayers. The settlement "is in no way a recognition of wrongdoing on the part of this Office. We remain confident that the Office properly brought charges against Mr. Casciaro and maintained the highest level of professionalism and integrity throughout the prosecution, which resulted in a jury of twelve citizens finding Mr. Casciaro guilty of felony murder beyond a reasonable doubt," the statement said. Casciaro still is pursuing a certificate of innocence from the county. He said having the murder conviction on his record has created difficulties in many areas of his life. "When they run my background ... it still shows up that I was convicted of murder, literally, anywhere, anytime I have my background run. It's rough. I was turned down for multiple apartments," he said. Casciaro also has a pending suit against Johnsburg for the police department's involvement in the case. Advertisement Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter. With family members sitting behind her in court and caring for her infant son, a Woodstock woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison for selling a lethal dose of drugs to a 20-year-old woman. Durelle Hall, 26, was convicted in July by a McHenry County jury of drug-induced homicide for selling a lethal dose of heroin mixed with fentanyl to Chelsie Kumm. Advertisement Kumm died Oct. 6, 2015, of an overdose in the basement of her boyfriend's mother's home in Marengo, where Kumm had been staying. Hall's baby boy, who could be heard crying at times during Thursday's sentencing hearing, was born days after her conviction. The son is one of two children she has. Advertisement Kumm's mother, Kristine Hensley, wrote an impact statement read by Assistant State's Attorney Rita Gara. Hensley said Chelsie, the youngest of her four children, was her baby and is now "gone forever." "All her birthdays and holidays are just memories now," she wrote. She acknowledged her daughter "was sick" with a drug addiction but said "people like you have no regard for what you do." She wrote that Hall will never know just how many families she has destroyed by selling drugs. "It has been two years now," Hensley wrote. "I still struggle every day not to break down." Hall's family members, in tears, took the stand and described her as loving and caring and said she had a painful childhood and was bullied in high school. They said she had mental health issues, cut herself in her teens and at 16 was raped by two men in Chicago, an assault from which she never recovered. Her mother, Ellen Hall, told the court, "You only know one side of Durelle ... one who made bad choices and (who is) in the court system." Advertisement "She is very loving," Ellen Hall said, adding that her daughter often stood up for others who were being bullied, sat with the kids with special needs in school and helped to care for her aging grandparents. She said she is angry at the choices her daughter made. But she added that Durelle Hall has two children, a 7-year-old son and her newborn whom she and her husband, Mike Hall, will care for and said they need to know their mother. "Please consider the impact a (long sentence) will have on her children and her family," Ellen Hall said. "She is not evil or malicious. She is a good person." Before sentencing, Prather viewed a video taken of Hall's 7-year-old son recorded with a child advocacy worker after Hall was arrested in June, while awaiting the drug-induced homicide trial and charged with possessing and selling drugs. In the video her son says his mother had taken him with her when making drug deals and that he has seen the "weed" and knows the "white stuff" is kept in her bedroom and in kitchen drawers. He told his interviewer that his mother had "made bad choices." Advertisement Assistant State's Attorney Randi Freese argued that Hall is every parent's "biggest fear." "She chose to make a living destroying people's lives," Freese said. Freese noted that one of Hall's relatives is a drug addict. "(Hall) knows the horrors of heroin first-hand," Freese said. "She relies on that. ... She knows what she is doing and she keeps selling it. It is awful, unforgivable ... disgusting." In asking for a 25-year prison term, Freese said: "To her, Chelsie was nothing more than a junkie and a quick buck." Defense attorney Dan Hofmann blamed Hall's crimes on her untreated mental health issues and asked that she receive a light sentence so her children would have a chance to know her. Advertisement People with mental health issues "are not happy unless they are miserable and making more problems," Hofmann said. In announcing her sentence, Prather said she disagrees with those who say Hall is a "loving mother." "No loving mother would expose their children to that lifestyle," the judge said, referring to Hall taking her son to make drug deals. Noting Hall has been in and out of the courtroom over the last seven years, committed crimes while awaiting the drug induced homicide trial and still faces prosecution on three more cases, the judge said Hall continues to "thumb your nose" at the law, the court and her own family. Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter. Areas with underground utility lines often have markers, like the pictured orange and white pole just outside a shopping center near Route 60/83 and Midlothian Road, in Mundelein. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press) An upcoming bike path on Route 176 is the first project tied to Mundelein's newly formalized plan for taking unsightly electric and cable lines off traditional wood poles and burying them underground. The policy was drafted after a strategic planning session in October 2016 when economic development employees said the droopy and overcrowded lines have deterred a handful of prospective companies from moving to Mundelein. Advertisement Village trustees on Aug. 28 unanimously approved a policy that identifies priority locations and potential funding methods. Assistant Village Administrator Peter Vadopalas is a lead employee in executing the plan. "The policy that was adopted is intended to be a long-term policy. We're talking about some significant investments over time," Vadopalas told Pioneer Press Wednesday. "These sites will be kept in mind during capital planning, and I envision during each budget year we will look to see if it's possible to pencil anything in." Advertisement All new construction is required to put utility lines underground, Vadopalas said. This plan addresses long-standing cables and poles located in key areas of town, he continued. New roadway or public infrastructure projects are identified in the policy as opportunities to relocate utility lines. The policy says utility companies are required to move poles that are in the way of a project. If the cables are put underground then the utility company pays what it would have cost to move the poles and Mundelein pays the remainder. Similarly, the policy says certain road projects would be convenient and financially beneficial opportunities to build conduits under the roadway for cables that hang over the street. A new bike path along the north side of Route 176 falls under that category, according to Vadopalas. He said the path is scheduled for construction in 2018 and the stretch where cables would be moved underground spans from Midlothian Road to Route 45. Commonwealth Edison is already doing engineering work, while Comcast and AT&T were only recently sent notices, Vadopalas said. Mundelein has not determined how much the process will cost, he saiddopalas. "Each location is different and has its own set of challenges," Vadopalas said. "There's no A-typical model to follow." A map attached to the policy shows Route 176 between Route 60 and Carmel Catholic High School as a high traffic "gateway" path that needs to be addressed. Other gateway roadways in the policy include all of Allanson Road and the entire portion of Townline Road that's in Mundelein, as well as Route 45 between Route 83 and Dunbar Road. The policy also identifies Diamond Lake Road between Route 45 and Oak Avenue as a "commercial corridor" that should be addressed. Advertisement Mundelein's downtown district is listed in the policy as a priority as well. The map shows 15 challenging spots where cables cross over the roadway and would need to be tunneled under the pavement. Many of those locations are along Diamond Lake Road and Route 176, with one on Allanson Road and three on the southern portion of Route 45. Regular light poles also were mentioned in the report, which says older wooden poles should be replaced with modern metal poles. Even though the policy was unanimously approved, Vadopalas said all those sites will be reviewed publicly before work begins. "The policy itself gives us direction and focus," Vadopalas said. "Based on the costs associated with these types of projects, we would still need board approval on a case-by-case basis." Mundelein does have some experience with burying utility lines. Advertisement When the current Village Hall was constructed in 2013 and 2014, the cables atop poles on Archer Avenue were put underground, according to a report issued during the 2016 strategic planning session. The burial project cost just over $1 million, the report says, which was twice the estimated cost. Officials at the time said the project involved unique circumstances and unforeseen issues. Funding options listed in the new policy include paying from the village's regular account, charging a new village-wide electrical tax that ranges between $5.34 and $10.56 per month, negotiating cost sharing with state or county projects, negotiating cost sharing with developers, making the expense eligible under a TIF district or other subsidy, using motor fuel tax proceeds, or a combination of options. Having developers pay for the burying was mentioned in the 2016 discussion, but village employees expressed worries of being too burdensome. Vadopalas said the electrical tax will be a primary option, though he pointed to a provision in the policy that says burying Comcast and AT&T lines cannot be paid through this tax. He said the electrical tax usually only lasts up to a year, and it is not currently active. The grouping is still an unknown factor. The policy references the possibility that all three companies may not be on the same poles and that some streets may have two cords on one side of the road and one cord on the other. Those cases will need to be reviewed for actions that produce the best appearance improvement within financial limitations. Advertisement Village trustees made no comments before unanimously approving the policy on Aug. 28. When contacted Sept. 6 Village Trustee Kerston Russell said he's in favor. "I'm very pro, extremely pro-burying utility lines and for multiple reasons," Russell said. "One reason is improved service. As a business owner in Mundelein I'm forever concerned when our power goes out, and we have a lot of brown outs and black outs." Russell said he believes weather greatly affects above ground utility lines and he wants to see as much as possibly put underground. "I'm told (being underground) doesn't completely protect them and there are still some issues, but it's better than above ground," Russell said. "I balance that against spending, but when the spending is appropriate and we gain civic value and we gain continuity to our power supply to business owners then I'm very much in favor of it." Russell also mentioned public safety benefits, such as the dangers of live power lines falling to the ground and kids attempting to climb the poles. Village Trustee Robin Meier was less enthusiastic. Advertisement "There are pros and cons to this concept," Meier said Sept. 6. "Obviously it's aesthetically better and they do get damaged by trees and wind during storms, but there are pitfalls to putting them underground: they're harder to get at for maintenance and repair, and they're susceptible to a different kind of water damage." Meier said she prefers the opportunity-based relocation projects. "To me, it makes sense to do it when someone is already tearing stuff up," Meier said. "To bury lines just to bury lines, I'm not sure that's cost effective." rkambic@pioneerlocal.com Twitter @Rick_Kambic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin Friday said he doesn't think Hillary Clinton should run in the next presidential election, giving others in the wings a chance. (Erin Hegarty/Naperville Sun) Hillary Clinton should not run for president in 2020, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Friday in Naperville. Clinton has been back in the spotlight recently with her new book "What Happened" due to come out next week. The book release tour is scheduled to come to Chicago's Auditorium Theater Oct. 30. Advertisement "I think it's time for our party to move to a new leadership, a new spokesperson," said Durbin, an Illinois Democrat. "There are plenty in the wings plenty interested. I think she would be the first to say she had her chance." The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate was in Naperville Friday for a speaking engagement at the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health's annual conference. Advertisement In a page from the forthcoming book that was leaked earlier this week, Clinton points to Sen. Bernie Sanders as contributing to her loss to President Donald Trump. "When I finally challenged Bernie during a debate to name a single time I changed a position or a vote because of a financial contribution, he couldn't come up with anything," Clinton wrote in the book, according to an article published by the Washington Post. "Nonetheless, his attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign." But including the base of supporters Sanders' built up through his campaign is important for the Democratic party's future, Durbin said. "In fairness to Bernie Sanders, nobody took him seriously when he got started. He created not only a candidacy, but a movement that still has life in it," Durbin said. "I think that the future of the Democratic party needs to include Bernie Sanders followers, and though we may not agree on everything, they're an important progressive voice." And with nine democrats having announced plans to run in the 2018 Democratic 6th District primary for a chance to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, Durbin said he doesn't expect to back any of the candidates in March. "It's unlikely that I will endorse in that primary," Durbin said. "It's certain I wouldn't even consider it seriously until after filing has passed." ehegarty@tribpub.com Former Naperville resident Lee Gallerano kayaks down a flooded Houston street in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. After living in Naperville for 10 years, Gallerano and his family moved back to Houston this summer to be closer to family there. ( Lee Gallerano/Naperville Sun ) During Curriculum Night last week at our younger son's elementary school, his teacher told parents of a surprise question she planned to ask on a social studies quiz the next day. Unbeknownst to the children, she would ask them to list advantages and disadvantages of living in Naperville as opposed to other locations, so wink-wink if we wanted to prepare the kids for the question. The intent was to get the children thinking about geographical differences from one part of the country to the next, with perhaps also at least a basic understanding of some simple socioeconomic differences as well. Advertisement While the advantages are clearly plentiful the Riverwalk, fantastic schools, a Starbucks mere feet away in any direction many of us might put one advantage in particular atop our list these days: No matter where you live in Naperville, you don't have any hurricanes. Sadly, we likely don't have to think hard to find someone we know directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey's assault on Texas last month and/or Hurricane Irma's approach on Florida and the Southeast this weekend. Whether it be friends, relatives, acquaintances, investment property or a favorite vacation destination, odds are you have some connection to the devastation wrought by one or both of these monster storms. Advertisement For us, that most immediate tie is Lee and Gabby Gallerano, friends from our neighborhood who recently moved back to their native Houston. After living here 10 years, making countless friends in and around Naperville, they decided to return to Texas this summer to be closer to their families. Little could they have known at the time what a fateful decision that would be, for better and for worse. For days as Harvey approached and then churned out up to 50 inches rain over Houston and the surrounding area, we worried for our friends and looked forward to the next text message, Facebook post or phone call informing the outside world that they were still OK. Round-the-clock news coverage showed the unimaginable horrors of the devastation, thousands of people forced from their homes with entire neighborhoods under water in some cases. Were the Galleranos somewhere in all of that? Stop and think about that for a second. Imagine that the streets you drive home on each night, the corner where your children board the school bus, the lots where you park your car at the store to run in for a gallon of milk all completely under water, navigable now only by boat. And you don't have a boat. But it gets worse. Home offers no respite from those horrors as the floodwaters creep in, sending your belongs floating about the house and ruining everything in their path. The power is out and you've likely lost running water by now as well. Your cell phone becomes your chief communication device, requiring you to pace its use and preserve its precious remaining battery charge like never before. For us watching from afar, news reports talked about the now infamous Buffalo Bayou, a slow-moving river that flows through Houston, into Galveston Bay and out into the Gulf of Mexico. As The Weather Channel, CNN and others provided on-the-scene news coverage, we heard how the overflowing bayou and raging water from dams and levees threatened even more homes beyond those already affected. As we monitored the news, our friends explained that their neighborhood backs up to the bayou. "It is a damn nightmare," Gabby Gallerano texted. "The dams have overflowed and are heading our way. We found roads to get my mom to my brothers, the kids are at Lee's dad's right now, and then we have packed up to leave to go to my Dad's. "We lost power yesterday and they are expecting an increase of 2-3 feet of flooding," she typed. "Rain has stopped for now until the storm comes back in off the coast. Lee had to help rescue people yesterday, it has been absolutely horrible. I'm too stressed to drink or eat, and didn't sleep at all. (Rant) over, sorry! Love y'all and thanks for checking on us." About a week before Harvey made landfall, my wife and I had bought airline tickets to go down and visit our friends. We had no idea how quickly the excitement over that planned trip to visit their new home later this month would turn to thoughts of not only canceling but also very real fears of whether that home would even still be there. Advertisement Naperville Sun Twice-weekly News updates from the Naperville area delivered every Monday and Wednesday > In the end, our friends' house was spared, the water creeping only up the yard and driveway but never reaching the house. Though they'd evacuated, they returned home to find their belongings intact. Unfortunately, Gabby's mother wasn't as lucky, with a couple feet of water inundating her house. Luckily enough, because they'd moved back to Texas, they were there to help her and other family members to safety. Most importantly, they're all OK, escaping injury or far worse from Harvey, whose death toll now stands at 70. Back here in Naperville, a scene that played out last week will likely repeat itself again soon, with schools, businesses and other groups taking donations and supplies to help aid relief efforts, this time for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida. As events require from time to time, we can all do what we can to help. Yes, there are many advantages of living in Naperville. RobManker@gmail.com Twitter: @RobManker Advertisement Rob Manker is a freelance writer who lives and parents in Naperville. Norridge officials have dismissed complaints against two local establishments recently cited in a recent underage liquor purchase operation, calling them a "one-time occurrence." Training was ordered for the establishments. Advertisement In separate appearances at the village's administration adjudication court on Thursday, representatives from Walgreens, 4101 N. Harlem Ave.; and City Tap & Grill, 7230 W. Irving Park Road; were told that the village would be dismissing the cases. Village officials regard the violations as isolated incidents and one-time occurrences, said Village Attorney James Etchingham. Both have been good corporate members of the Norridge community, he said. Advertisement Representatives from the establishments declined further comment after leaving the courtroom. Chicago resident Lisa Lopez, who accompanied her son, a Walgreens employee, to the hearing, said he should not have been allowed to scan in liquor sales at the store. Had the village prosecuted, "that could have put him in a bad position, especially going to school in criminology." A Walgreens representative declined to respond. The Kaibab National Forest hosted two youth crews for the summer to accomplish projects, experience public lands, and learn skills and a strong work ethic, all while earning money and the possibility of an education award upon program completion. The Youth Conservation Corps is a program coordinated through the Arizona Conservation Corps that affords young people, typically 17- and 18-year-olds, the opportunity to perform community service and resource conservation through hands-on project work with a variety of land management and community partners, including the Kaibab National Forest. As in past years, the Kaibab hosted two crews this summer, one stationed in Williams and the other in Fredonia. When I think about the experience our YCC members get serving on public lands, Im struck with what a great opportunity it is for them to develop a healthy relationship with work and service, said Russ Dickerson, operations director for the Arizona Conservation Corps. They get to work as a close team, come to understand that if they dont give it everything they have someone else may have to pick up the slack, and see firsthand the lasting impacts that their service can have. The 2017 YCC program ran from June 5 to July 22. Corps members worked Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and assisted with a variety of resource areas on the Kaibab National Forest including range, wildlife, recreation, fire, archaeology, timber and silviculture. Both the Williams and Fredonia YCC corps members completed a diverse array of projects helping Kaibab employees with work they may not have otherwise had the time or person-power to accomplish. The Williams YCC crew assisted range staff in removing a broken trick tank, which is a watering device for livestock or wildlife, and unneeded fencing material. Working with the recreation department, they helped maintain the popular Bill Williams Mountain Trail by using crosscut saws to clear fallen trees, and they helped clean out drainage ditches. Assisting silviculturists, they scrubbed aspen trees to remove damaging oystershell scale insects and helped monitor the condition of aspen stands. On the Kaibab National Forest, we take a multi-faceted approach to protecting our aspen, which are in decline due to a variety of factors, said Josh Giles, silviculturist for the Williams and Tusayan districts of the forest. The corps members helped us scrub off pathogens, cut encroaching conifers out of aspen stands in order to reduce competition, and monitor the progress we are making to protect this important species. We were able to teach them about the precarious state of aspen and the role we can play as land managers to help make a difference. The Williams YCC corps members worked with fire and archaeology crews to thin and pile trees from the historic 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps interpretive site located near Barney Flat south of Williams. They also removed fuels and low vegetation from historic logging railroad grades across the Williams Ranger District in order to help protect the sites from future wildfires. Finally, they assisted biologists in removing crayfish, an invasive species, from Keyhole Sink. Crayfish are not native to Arizona, but they have become established in many waters throughout the state and endanger aquatic native species. Fredonia YCC corps members tackled projects on the North Kaibab Ranger District. They worked with the range department to remove invasive bull thistle and old, unneeded fencing across the district. They assisted the timber and silviculture programs to mark boundaries for a timber sale while also being taught skills in map reading and GPS, plant and tree identification, forest health, and insect and disease identification. Working with the youth is not just about getting the job done, said Allison Ayers, wilderness and trails specialist with the North Kaibab Ranger District. Its also about empowering young people to do things they never thought in their wildest dreams that they could do. This program makes the impossible possible for many young adults. The Fredonia YCC crew also assisted in clearing and maintaining a number of trails, including the iconic Rainbow Rim Trail, and received instruction on crosscut saw and ax use and technique. They helped spruce up the popular Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center and were treated to a presentation on California condors. They assisted in painting the porch, steps and outhouse at the historic Jacob Lake Ranger Station Cabin and then got to take an educational tour of the North Kaibab Ranger District to view archaeological sites and learn about Forest Service cultural resource management and laws. All told, YCC corps members contributed 2,410 hours toward project work on the Kaibab National Forest. They also saw places that few people will ever see, overcame challenges, and made investments in public lands. Weve all been passed a torch to conserve and care for these lands that have been set aside, Dickerson said. The story about young people only staring at their phones and thinking only for themselves is so widespread that it goes unchallenged. I know a different set of young people, though their boots are trashed, their hands have hard callouses, their packs are heavy, and theyre giving, unselfish, aware, and thoughtful. For additional information on YCC, visit www.azcorps.org. Laurie Baum is getting ready for Shermerfest, the Northbrook Historical Society's big fundraiser, which will take place noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17 at Village Green Park. She'll be leading the docents inside the society headquarters, 1776 Walters Ave., while the antique car show, live music, kids' programs, farm animal exhibits, and food sales go on just outside. Baum has run the elementary school children's education program for the society for 19 years. An active volunteer, she's been a Northbrook Woman's Club member for almost 30 years, and at one time, was on all three School District 28 PTO boards simultaneously. She and her husband, Chuck, are parents of Kathryn, 34, and Austin, 32. Q: Where did you grow up? Advertisement A: We moved to Northbrook when I was in third grade. We were in Glenview before that. Grew up? Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Advertisement A: I can tell you this, I did not want to spend the rest of my life in Northbrook. I was so bored. But I'm still here! I love it here now. Q: What was your first job? A: My first job (at 15) was working at Sunset Foods. And Ron Bernardi was my boss. I was a cashier. It was before bar codes, but we did have electricity. Q: What's your favorite restaurant? A: I don't have an exact favorite. I like (Trattoria Oliverii, 1358 Shermer Road, Northbrook). Did you know for a short time in the early '30s it was John Werhane's funeral parlor? I know so much useless trivia about Northbrook. Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? A: England, Ireland and Scotland, the UK. Only because that was my ethnic heritage and I do a lot of genealogy work. Q: Do you have any pet peeves? Advertisement A: We all do. Mine is when people interrupt each other. Q: Do you have a favorite charity? A: I married a Boy Scout. He's still involved in Troop 64. My son is an Eagle Scout. We do a lot with the scouts. Q: Tell me something about yourself that most people don't know. A: That I'm a redhead. Q: Words of wisdom? Advertisement A: Treat people with kindness, respect and a smile. ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com Twitter @IrvLeavitt Rush Oak Park Hospital is seeking to construct a new 55,000-square-foot emergency room addition to its campus at the southeast corner of Madison Street and Maple Avenue. (Rush Oak Park Hospital ) A 55,000-square-foot emergency room addition to Rush Oak Park Hospital has been recommended for approval by the village's plan commission. During the plan commission's Sept. 7 meeting, commissioners spent hours debating the look of the building, traffic around the hospital and its effect on local residents before recommending the village board approve the proposal. Advertisement According to Rush Oak Park Vice President of Hospital Operations Robert Spadoni, the current emergency room has seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients served during the past 20 years, which necessitated a newer, larger space. "When Rush became affiliated with Oak Park in 1997, the number of emergency room visits a year were 11,000 to 12,000," Spadoni said. "We're now on track to have 37,000 in the same space. It would be nice to get [our staff] some upgraded facilities." Advertisement Following the unanimous recommendation of the plan commission, the project is expected to head to the village board for a final approval vote. According to the proposal, the new emergency room entrance would be near the southeast corner of Madison Street and Maple Avenue. Currently, the emergency room entrance is accessed off Wisconsin Avenue south of Madison Street. Architect David E. Mikos of Anderson Mikos Ltd. said the new space is expected to have 21,000 square feet of new first-floor space, with the remaining square footage in lower level spaces. "The current [emergency room on Wisconsin Avenue] is really not well," Mikos said. "Seconds count. We believe we built this new addition to handle up to 55,000 yearly visits, easily." Should the $30 million plan be approved by the village, hospital officials said the new emergency room could open to patients in early 2019. "This is a huge community asset," plan commission Chair David Mann said. "I think it's going to be a new presence in Oak Park, and we thank you for your efforts." In order to accommodate increased emergency room traffic on Maple Avenue, several residents living south of the hospital voiced their support for the hospital's plan to install a cul-de-sac on Maple Avenue just north of Adams Street. Currently, a traffic diverter sits in that area, though residents say it is ineffective as numerous cars are able to drive around the diverter. Resident Michael Weik presented a petition signed by more than 30 area residents in support of the cul-de-sac. Advertisement "To date, there has been unanimity with regard to the issue of the cul-de-sac," Weik said. "I live there, I walk my dog there and there are dozens of kids that have to walk across Maple Avenue to get to the bus stop. I have witnessed, on a number of occasions, kids almost being hit by cars. Now we're moving 30,000 to 50,000 traffic visits from Wisconsin Avenue over to Maple Avenue. You're going to add that to [people cutting through to avoid Harlem Avenue traffic], and it's going to create an even more serious problem." Commissioners voiced their approval for Rush Oak Park's plan with a number of conditions, one of which includes the hospital conducting a traffic analysis within 1.4 miles of the development site nine months after the project is complete. Those findings will be reviewed by village staff, who could ask the transportation commission to review the data. The project is also proposed to include a new left-turn lane on westbound Madison Street to allow traffic to turn south onto Maple Avenue. With the Harlem Avenue southbound turn lane just one block away, the village is proposing one large turn lane on Madison Street to service southbound turners for both Maple and Harlem avenues. To accommodate the new striping on Madison Street, the village is proposing a resurfacing of the roadway between Harlem and Wisconsin avenues, with the plan commission recommending the hospital contribute to that project. "Madison Street, in that area, is in really poor shape," Village Engineer Bill McKenna said of the need to repave the road. Commissioners recommended the hospital contribute up to 50 percent of the costs of the Madison Street resurfacing project, or up to $50,000, whichever number is lower when resurfacing costs are known. Advertisement In addition, the commission recommended signage allowing right turns only from Maple Avenue onto Madison Street during peak hospital hours. The hospital also sought approval to re-zone and demolish two hospital-owned houses at the northwest corner of Monroe Street and Wenonah Avenue, which the commission unanimously recommended for approval. Should the plan receive village board approval, the hospital would use the space of the demolished homes to increase the size of its surface parking lot just east of the parking garage. sschering@pioneerlocal.com Twitter @steveschering A Park Ridge 7-Eleven store, at 555 Devon Ave., was the target of an armed robbery Friday morning. (Jennifer Johnson/Pioneer Press ) A Park Ridge convenience store was the target of another armed robbery Friday morning the third such robbery in roughly two months, according to police. An employee of the South Park 7-Eleven, located at 555 Devon Ave., told police that a man with his head and face covered entered the store shortly after 5 a.m., armed with a knife, Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen said. Advertisement A preliminary report of the incident stated that an undetermined amount of cash was stolen from the store and that the suspect was last seen fleeing east on Talcott Road on foot, Jogmen said. The robbery mirrors one reported on Aug. 15 at the same 7-Eleven store. In that incident, a store clerk reported that a man wearing a black mask over his face displayed a large hunting knife and stole approximately $200 from the cash register. Advertisement When the robbery was reported, police said the clerk acknowledged that the same man had robbed the store "approximately two to three weeks prior," though the incident was not reported to police. Jogmen said there is a "distinct possibility" that the suspect in Friday's robbery is the same man who targeted the 7-Eleven previously. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Park Ridge Police Department at 847-318-5252. In August, Chicago police reported that two 7-Eleven stores in the Norwood Park and Jefferson Park neighborhoods were also robbed by a man wearing a mask over his face and armed with a knife. The robberies, according to an alert issued by the department, occurred around 3:15 a.m. Aug. 18 near the corner of Northwest Highway and Sayre Avenue, and shortly before 4:30 a.m. Aug. 20 at Higgins Road and Austin Avenue. Jogmen said investigators believe the man who robbed the Park Ridge 7-Eleven is also responsible for these robberies, in addition to a third Chicago robbery. jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @Jen_Tribune At the From the Farm stage cooking show Aug. 29, Don Pujo, of Crown Point, attended as a surprise guest. Pujo is a dedicated member of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville and a friend of the late, great Karl Malden, a Hollywood legend who always remembered his Northwest Indiana roots. Malden was raised in Gary. Advertisement Pujo made a batch of his family's rice pudding, which takes more than four hours to prepare, and packaged 10 containers to give away to the audience as prizes. Pujo also brought a special bottle of wine as a prize donation for the audience. This wine was served for the 100th anniversary for St. Sava's in November 2014. Advertisement "Even though Karl Malden died at age 97 in 2009, the members of our church will always be grateful to him and Mona, his wife of 70 years, for their kindness and generosity," Pujo said. "Karl always made time to fly back to Northwest Indiana to see his mother, Minnie Sekulovich, who lived at St. Anthony Home in Crown Point until her death at age 103 in 1995. Karl and his wife also helped pay off our church mortgage by doing a matching funds donation of $100,000 per year for three years." As for the special wine, Pujo said it ranks as a favorite of the Malden family. For St. Sava's 100th anniversary, Pujo arranged for a number of cases all of it custom bottled and featuring commemorative St. Sava labels of this vintage of red wine from Tvrdos Monastery,shipped from Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "This wine comes from the same region overseas as Karl's family roots, which is also where my family is from, on my paternal side," Pujo said. "It's a 2006 vintage produced from grapes grown from the vines nestled among the banks and bends of the Trebinje River, where the monastery is based and believed to be founded in the fourth century by King Constantine and his mother, Queen Helen. This impressive dry red wine variety, which is called Vranac, is still produced by the monks, who also harvest a special honey from that region. Their monastery remains the ecclesiastical center of the ancient Diocese of Hum founded by St. Sava and has existed since 1219." Pujo said that Malden's father, Peter Sekulovich, worked as a milkman for one of the earlier settlers of Gary, Mitchel (Mihailo) Duchich, who owned Cloverleaf Dairy. Cloverleaf was one of the largest employers in Gary at the time, second only to U.S. Steel, Pujo said. "Both Karl and myself are graduates of Emerson High School, and we both worked for a time at U.S. Steel," Pujo said. "Karl's dad was always in charge of the church plays and pageants we would do on weekends. His dad cast me (at age 6) in the role of a priest in a Christmas play, and I still recall him pasting this long beard on my face. Of course, it was Karl who went on to act at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, then to New York and eventually Hollywood." Advertisement Over the years, I became friends with Malden, primarily from the number of interviews I did with him. One of my favorites was in November 2007 during a visit to his home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Karl and Mona shared his family's recipe for stuffed cabbage (sarma), so I could include it in my 2010 "Further From the Farm" cookbook. Of all of his Hollywood roles, Malden said he was proudest of his work in the 1951 classic "A Streetcar Named Desire." Based on the 1947 play by Tennessee Williams, Malden also starred in the original Broadway run with most of the same co-stars, including Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter, who reprised their roles along with Malden for the feature film. (Jessica Tandy starred on Broadway as the female lead Blanche; Vivien Leigh who starred as Blanche in the film version.) Malden also remained friends with Hunter and said they shared a special bond. When he won his 1951 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing the Southern gentleman suitor Harold in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Hunter took home the 1951 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress playing Blanche's married sister, Stella. Malden said Hunter, who died in 2002, was not only a great friend but also a great cook. Though I never had a chance to interview or meet Hunter, I still associate her late career claim to fame role under heavy makeup as the kind-hearted chimpanzee Zira in the first three installments of the original "Planet of the Apes" film franchise. I'm sharing Hunter's recipe, provided by the Maldens, for her easy macaroni stew, which is a fall favorite comfort food dish. Here's the note Hunter scribbled on the recipe card, as copied by the Maldens: "It's really better to make this dish early and reheat, allowing the flavors time to blend. To reheat, put the stew pot over a pan of boiling water and take care not to mush up the macaroni by overstirring it." Advertisement Philip Potempa has published three cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. Mail questions to: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374. pmpotempa@comhs.org Kim Hunter's Macaroni Stew Makes 4 servings 1 large Spanish onion, minced 1 large clove of garlic, minced Advertisement 1 medium-size green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, crushed Salt and black pepper to taste Advertisement 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 package (8 ounces) elbow macaroni Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Advertisement 1. Saute onion, garlic and bell pepper in butter and oil for about 15 minutes until mixture is tender. Add beef to mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring to crumble, until lightly browned. 2. Stir in to beef mixture tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili powder, basil, oregano and parsley and mix well. 3. Simmer covered for 30 minutes and taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 4. Prepare macaroni according to package instructions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add meat mixture to pasta and fold together until well combined. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Various fund transfers were approved by the Gary Common Council to provide quicker and wider services to residents. The council Sept. 5 voted 8-0, with Councilwoman Rebecca Wyatt, D-1st, absent, to approve taking money the city received through federal Community Development Block Grant programs and scattering it throughout the municipal budget. Advertisement Two other measures also were approved, both with Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, D-6th, opposed, to move funds from Temporary Repair programs to Housing Repair programs. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said the action would make the money more quickly available to city officials. She said the CDBG program funds will be used for various purposes. Some $208,000 will go toward repairing sidewalks in neighborhoods across the city. Another $270,000 will be shifted to city programs meant to provide emergency shelter and address the problem of homelessness. Advertisement A last-minute amendment approved some $67,000 being shifted to city Youth Services programs. Also, transfers will provide some $40,000 for programs meant to reduce sexually-transmitted diseases and $15,000 to address literacy. Freeman-Wilson said she hopes that common council members help to secure more CDBG funds. "I hope that as members of this council, you contact the congressional delegation to make them realize how important CDBG funds are to our government," the mayor said, adding that municipal entities such as code enforcement rely entirely upon these grants for their budgets. In other business, the council voted without opposition to alter the fee schedule the city has established for film companies seeking to use Gary as a setting. The mayor said the fees are meant to reimburse the city for any expenses it incurs in accommodating film crews. She said city officials often are called upon to block off streets and that sometimes police and fire department crews must spend time watching over sets rather than dealing with other duties. "We just want to make sure (Gary) is compensated," she said. "We want to make sure there is a uniform process for charging such fees." The council also postponed action on a measure appointing members to a board overseeing a Gary Port District. The issue will be discussed at a council finance committee hearing Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Creating a port district could help Gary's efforts to attract new businesses to the city by offering tax breaks that currently are only permitted to shipping ports in Indiana, officials say. Advertisement Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. The state-appointed head for the Gary Community School Corp. will seek a new state loan for the struggling district next week, the district said Friday. Emergency Manager Peggy Hinckley will ask the Distressed Unit Appeals Board for a loan during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, according to a release. It would be the first common school loan fund request of her tenure. Advertisement The school district had previously appealed to the board in the spring, getting loans to get through the end of the school year. The size of the loan request is not yet known. Paul Pastorek, her chief of staff, was not immediately available for comment late Friday afternoon. Advertisement Pastorek told the Post-Tribune last month he updates the Distressed Unit Appeal Board members three days a week on finances and progress. "We've tried to be creative in using the money we have. ... If we have to ask for more money, then we will ask," he said. DUAB selected Hinckley and Tallahassee, Fla.-based firm MGT Consulting as the district's new emergency manager in July. The Gary district has faced years of declining enrollment and is at least $110 million in debt, officials said. Since July, Hinckley's team has prioritized extensive repairs to the district's buildings. Hinckley's staff has been focusing on repairing roofing and plumbing problems. Each school now has toilet paper and at least one working boiler, according to her staff. A routine inspection by the Gary Fire Department last month found all 12 schools had fire code violations, which Hinckley's team has pledged to fix. The DUAB meeting begins at 1 p.m. CST at the Indiana Government Center South Building in Room C at 402 W. Washington St. in Indianapolis. Advertisement It will be broadcast online at http://in.gov/dlgf/7175.htm. mcolias@post-trib.com Twitter @meredithcolias With her future newly uncertain, Maria Enriquez is waiting to see how she can apply to Ivy Tech Community College in East Chicago. Days after President Donald Trump announced he would move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program if Congress doesn't fix the immigration issue in six months, she's decided to go ahead with her goal of becoming a pediatrician. Hovering, however, is the threat that the end of the program could result in her deportation. Advertisement At 4, her parents brought her and older siblings into the country from Michoacan, Mexico, she said. Two of her older siblings are now in college. One is studying to be a nurse, she said, while the other is studying business. Advertisement Although Enriquez speaks Spanish and has extended family in Mexico, she has never returned. Her memories of the country are "just blank," she said. "My whole life's been here." As one of seven children, her family has mixed immigration status. She and three older siblings were brought to East Chicago as children while her three younger siblings were later born in the United States. Her parents have not been naturalized, she said. With no process available to become U.S. citizens, she and her older siblings jumped at the chance to enroll in DACA for legal protection against deportation after it was introduced in 2012. Now with Social Security cards, it also allows them to more openly work and go to college. "DACA for us was something that opened doors for us," said Enriquez, 20. "But now, with it ending, it's back to the shadows," she said. "It's like, What is going to happen for us?" The program protects qualifying children against deportation if they were brought to the U.S. before age 16. Ideally, Enriquez said she wants to become a U.S. citizen. "If I had the chance, yes, I most definitely would," she later said via text. Advertisement With the program's future now uncertain and without a sense how Congress would act she felt she has no choice but to continue with her life, building plans to eventually attend medical school. Enriquez an East Chicago Central High School graduate is one of thousands in Lake and Porter counties wondering if they have a future in the United States if the program is dropped without any replacement. More than 10,000 people are now covered in Indiana alone, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). At 2, Miguel Molina was brought by his parents into the United States in the back of a car from Guerrero, Mexico, he said. By the time he graduated high school in 2012, he thought he'd have to rejoin his sister in Mexico. He said she was unable to finish college in the United States, but frustrated with lack of opportunities without a Social Security number and other documentation. She returned to Mexico in 2011, he said. His parents, he said, have not been naturalized. "After seeing my sister do that, I thought I was destined for the same fate," said Molina, now 23. Advertisement Miguel Molina, a Valparaiso University student, was accepted into the DACA program in 2012. He plans to become a political campaign manager after graduation. (Meredith Colias / Post-Tribune) When the DACA program was announced the summer after his high school graduation, it gave him an incentive to stay. A few years ago, he joined his family, which had moved to Portage from California, and graduated from Ivy Tech. He is currently a junior at Valparaiso University studying political science. Regardless of what happens, he said, his goal right now is to finish his degree. In the meantime, he said, he has become involved in the fight to stay in the country. Molina said he has participated in several protests including at least one at the Gary/Chicago International Airport earlier this year. His goal is to become a political campaign manager working to influence public policy on immigration. "I wouldn't be able to run myself, but I know I can help people the right people get in (office to enact) policies around immigration that would definitely benefit my community." If an opportunity was there, he would jump at the chance to become a U.S. citizen, he said. Like Enriquez, his family has a mixed immigration status with younger siblings all born in the United States. Advertisement The immigration system as a whole needs to be addressed, he said, particularly for his parents who also want citizenship. "I wish the (the opportunity to become a citizen) was there, I would have taken it," Molina said. On Thursday, Trump posted a widely circulated message on Twitter, requested by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "For all those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about No action!" Notwithstanding his tweet, the nearly 800,000 immigrants who obtained temporary work permits and deportation protections via DACA cannot necessarily rest easy. Any of them whose protections expire within the next six months have until Oct. 5 to reapply. Statements from Indiana University, Purdue University and Valparaiso University have condemned the Trump administration's initial announcement. Advertisement Catholic Diocese of Gary Bishop Donald Hying offered words of support to affected families. "I offer the prayerful support of the Church, as we stand in solidarity with our DACA youth and their families who are facing the possibility of deportation and an uncertain future," he said in a statement. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. government Wednesday to block the end of DACA, saying it was motivated by prejudice against Mexicans. Legal experts, however, say the evidence of bias is not strong. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program. Opponents of the program called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power. Federal records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show nearly 80 percent of DACA applicants were born in Mexico. Advertisement The Washington D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 18,000 DACA-eligible children living in Indiana about 1 percent of those qualifying in the U.S. As of March, USCIS accepted 10,709 new applications to date in Indiana, approving 9,840 or nearly 92 percent. It has accepted 8,559 renewal applications and approved 8,076 or 94 percent. Research from the Migration Policy Institute has concluded that DACA-eligible workers are more likely to be found working in white-collar industries with up to one-quarter attending college or other higher education institutions at the same time. "If the deferred action program is terminated, most DACA-eligible workers in medium- and high-skilled occupations will be unable to continue this work, while those enrolled in higher education may be unable or have fewer incentives to complete their degrees," according to a research report available on its website. Since DACA was announced in August 2012, Jose Bustos, a program manager at Immigrant Support and Assistance Center in East Chicago estimated his office has assisted between 1,200 and 1,500 applicants. "We try to give a sense of hope (right now)," he said. "Us as a community have gone through this type of (crisis) before. We have come out of it with our head held high." Advertisement Besides Mexico, he also sees applicants born in Central America, South America, Asia, Eastern Europe and in countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Indonesia, El Salvador, Brazil, Peru, Columbia and the former Yugoslavia. The traffic through his door has "doubled" since Trump's announcement, he said. "Unfortunately, we cannot take any more applications," Bustos said. "Many kids who are in high school or waiting (with hopes to attend college), that went out the window completely." The Associated Press contributed. mcolias@post-trib.com Twitter @meredithcolias Lake County Sheriff John Buncich leaves the federal courthouse in Hammond with his girlfriend, Deborah Back, after jurors found him guilty on all counts Aug. 24, 2017. (Suzanne Tennant / Post-Tribune) While the sheriff is billed as the top law enforcement position in the county, the legally obligated duties that come with the job tend to be more overreaching and administrative than rough-and-tumble police work. Whoever is selected as the next Lake County sheriff Sept. 16 will be tasked with these duties. A handful of people have announced they wanted the job after former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich was found guilty on all counts at his federal public corruption trial last month. With his conviction, Buncich forfeited his office, according to state law. He's set to be sentenced Dec. 6. Advertisement While former Lake County Chief of Police Dennis Matthew Eaton took over as sheriff in the meantime, the county's Democratic precinct committeemen will choose a new sheriff to serve until Buncich's term ends Jan. 1, 2019, at a Sept. 16 caucus. The person selected will face "a tremendous obligation" with the responsibilities of the job, Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, said. Advertisement "Once you take that position of sheriff, now you're overseeing the law enforcement duties for the county," Strong said. "You have to maintain the jail, in our case. And these are all very, very expensive obligations, and you have to maintain them." Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds, now in his third term, thinks "everyone has a different style or a different approach" to the job. "I've learned that you're as effective as the people that you have around you," Reynolds said. Even with a good team, "the buck stops with the sheriff," Strong said, and a state statute outlines what a sheriff must fulfill. According to a statute in Indiana code, the sheriff must "suppress breaches of the peace," "pursue and jail felons" and "take care of the county jail and the prisoners there." As of Thursday, the Lake County Jail had 816 inmates, according to Mark Back, sheriff's department spokesman. Earlier this year, Buncich estimated that 2,100 to 2,300 meals a day are served at the jail. The sheriff has to keep records of everyone there. A sheriff has to file a weekly report of each person held, a biannual report on the daily cost of housing inmates and an annual report on the jail's condition and recommended improvements, according to the statute. Buncich was tasked with making changes to the jail after it came under U.S. Department of Justice oversight. In June, Buncich said that while much had been accomplished, the jail remains under the DOJ's watch as mental health care improvements continue. Advertisement In his term, Buncich met with the Lake County Council as they approved medical contracts for the jail and paid vendors to keep the inmates fed. Strong said it's important for any incoming sheriff to have good communication with the council and other county officials and a "willingness to work with us." The council began reviewing the 2018 budget Wednesday, as Eaton appeared before the council to address the needs of the sheriff's department. It's "a huge responsibility" for the sheriff, Strong said, as the sheriff's department gets a large chunk of the budget. "He's the guy that comes to us and tells us what he needs. Not the police chief. Not the detective chief. Not the warden," Strong said. Under that budget, the sheriff has myriad other tasks to address, including overseeing the Lake County Sheriff's Animal Control and Adoption Center. Since a May raid, Buncich worked with the center to house 68 dogs, three goats and a miniature horse from an alleged illegal puppy mill. The sheriff's department said those running the jail and animal center would not comment on what they hope for from a new sheriff to help their departments "at risk of the perception of bias towards one candidate over another," according to Back. Advertisement The sheriff also provides security of the county's courts, Reynolds said. In Lake County, that includes courts in Crown Point, Hammond, Gary and East Chicago. In the department, the sheriff oversees 157 merit police officers and 517 total employees, as of Friday, Back said. An orientation is scheduled this month to hire more officers who will work under the sheriff. Together, the state's sheriffs maintain the Indiana sex and violent offender registry website "to inform the general public about the identity, location and appearance of every sex or violent offender," updating it daily, according to the statute. Nearly 600 people were registered in Lake County on the site Friday. The statute also states that the sheriff supervises and inspects "all pawnbrokers, vendors, junkshop keepers, cartment, expressmen, dealers in secondhand merchandise, intelligence offices and auctions" in the county. And "once you become sheriff, you become a political figure," Strong said. Buncich served as the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Committee before Jim Wieser took over the role earlier this year. The next person to take over these roles will be selected at the caucus 10 a.m. Sept. 16 in the Syd Garner Auditorium at the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point. People have until 10 a.m. Wednesday to announce their candidacy. Advertisement rejacobs@post-trib.com Twitter @ruthyjacobs After giving a trailer full of donated goods a last look, Chris Beach, of Portage, is ready to begin the trip to Texas to deliver goods to victims of Hurricane Harvey. Beach said he was glad he had another person ready to take over behind the wheel. ( Joe Puchek/Post-Tribune ) As the nation's eyes have turned toward Florida and Hurricane Irma, Northwest Indiana is letting the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas know they haven't been forgotten. A dozen trucks and 20 members of the NWI Truck Club left the area Friday morning from a Hammond parking lot near Interstate 80-94 headed to two communities in Texas devastated by the hurricane, where they'll pass out donated bottled water and other needed items to victims. Advertisement Members Matt Abner, of Hobart, and Chris Beach, of Portage, said they'd been up until 3 a.m. Friday loading supplies in the pickups and trailers. Beach said he was glad that he had another driver in his truck for when he was ready to "tap out" during the 17-hour trip. A semitrailer left Thursday with more supplies, according to Tina Bateman Anderson, one of about 500 members of the club. Advertisement Bateman Anderson said truck club members collected items contained in a list she received from individuals she knows in the Beaumont area, where she grew up. In addition to eight skids of bottled water, members are bringing diapers, cleaning supplies, tools, clean socks and underwear, clothing, Ramen noodles and dust masks. "Many people don't know that the clothes they were wearing were ruined if they were walking in the contaminated water," Bateman Anderson said. She said if the victims were carrying clothing in bags and the bags got wet from the flood waters, those clothes were contaminated and ruined as well. "Some people don't even have the clothes that were on their back," she said. Beach said Abner had stickers made for the convoy with "NWI Harvey relief" and "Come hell or high water" surrounding an outline of Texas. Bateman Anderson said the dust masks are needed for individuals trying to clean up the mess in their homes in the aftermath of the destructive storm. She said the Northwest Indiana contingent's first stop would be in Beaumont where they will deliver items in the neighborhoods she grew up in, then would head to Baytown to drop off other supplies. Advertisement "We can't go to their homes," she said. "Many have no place to live. Most don't have flood insurance. They aren't in a flood plain. There is no coverage for them." She said the NWI Truck Club also delivered bottled water to Flint, Mich., during its water crisis last year. Municipalities have also responded. Merrillville and Hobart have set up areas where residents can donate cases of bottled water. The two communities are partnering with Indiana American Water to bring the water to individuals in the areas hit by Hurricane Harvey. "I know we need to do something. This is the right thing to do," Merrillville Town Council President Richard Hardaway, D-2nd, said. "People down there will need water way beyond tomorrow and next week," Hardaway said. Advertisement He said the cases of water can be brought to the Merrillville Stormwater Resource Center, 7404 Broadway, or the Pruzin Center, 5750 Tyler St., during regular business hours. Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor said donations of bottled water can be dropped off at any time at the Hobart Police Station, 705 E. 4th St., Fire Station 1, 400 W. 10th St., and Fire Station 4, 7710 S. Colorado St. A spokesman for Indiana American Water said it wasn't known yet when the water would be delivered. The bottled water drive is a partnership between Indiana American Water, the communities of Hobart, Merrillville, Gary and Lake Station, and JMD Construction and NWI LINKS. Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Northern Arizona University student workers will be getting a raise this year, but it wont be the same as Flagstaffs minimum wage and theyll have to wait until nearly the end of October to receive it. NAU President Rita Cheng released a statement Sept. 1 saying that the university will increase the wages of the lowest-paid student and temporary employees to $8.50 an hour. The current lowest-paid student wage is $8.05 an hour, the old Arizona minimum wage that was in effect before Proposition 206 raised the minimum wage to $10 an hour in January for everyone but state and federal employees. The Flagstaff minimum wage is currently $10.50 an hour due to local Proposition 414, but that also exempts state and federal workers. The NAU wage increases go into effect on Oct. 23. NAU student Arial Alvarez and Ashley Wickham said they dont have jobs on campus and hadnt heard of the increase in wages. They also didnt know that the university is exempt from the state and local wage laws and is only required to meet the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Its weird that its less, Alvarez said. I think it should be at least the (new) state minimum. Wickham pointed out that a student working at a restaurant on campus would be making less than a student working at a restaurant off campus. In that case, Id rather work off campus, she said. Students Bella Plumb and Lauren Bolten were also surprised by the news of the increase in wages and the difference between the universitys and local and state wage levels. Both thought the student wage should be at least the state minimum. Bolten said she was considering getting a job on campus, but the lower wage didnt scare her off. They base things off your class schedule, which is really convenient, she said, referring to most of the jobs on campus. I kind of feel that it should be at least $10, but if youre only working two days a week In her statement, Cheng stated that the increase in student wages will give approximately 25 percent of student employees a raise. Though NAU is only required to follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25, a higher starting rate better balances the economic needs of our student workers, while preserving the number of student jobs we can offer at NAU, she stated. The university is also increasing the wages of at least 100 regular full-time employees from $10.50 to $12 an hour, a 12 percent increase, according to Cheng. The increase in pay will go toward mostly custodians and groundskeepers, she said. And will bring their salaries more in line with rates paid by major employers locally. In her statement, Cheng said the NAU wage increase was a recommendation from a committee put together to look at the universitys wage structure. Jason J. Williams, of Evanston, pictured in this Sept. 7, 2017 surveillance video from the PNC Bank in Skokie, is charged with robbing the bank that day. (FBI ) An Evanston man was ordered held on federal charges of bank robbery Friday, after he allegedly held up a PNC Bank branch in Skokie and was caught shortly after shopping at a nearby Walmart, according to the criminal complaint the FBI filed in federal court. Jerry J. Williams, 42, of Evanston was arrested by Skokie police after authorities said he robbed the PNC Bank branch at 3636 Touhy Avenue in the north suburb and got about $285 from the heist, FBI Special Agent Hebert Hogberg III stated in the criminal complaint. Advertisement According to the document, at around 10:23 a.m. Sept. 7, a man now identified as Williams walked into the bank. After going to the ATM, he went to a teller window and handed the teller a note, the criminal complaint states. "The note stated, 'This is a robbery give me 1000 in large bills pronto,'" Hogberg said in the affidavit. Advertisement The teller was not sure exactly how much the teller gave the robber, according to the criminal complaint, but was sure that the alleged thief was given two $100-bills along with other smaller bill denominations. It was later determined that Williams was allegedly given $285 from the hold up, according to the Hogberg's affidavit. Williams was seen on surveillance video fleeing the bank, headed toward a Walmart that shares the same large parking lot as the bank, according to the criminal complaint. He went into a bathroom at the store and changed clothes. Skokie police detectives found the clothing in a trash can, the criminal complaint states. Williams was located in the store "in the dairy section, pushing a cart with a pair of women's shoes." Williams was arrested and $285 the only money he had on him at the time was recovered, according to the criminal complaint. The FBI special agent said his criminal complaint was based on conferring with the Skokie Police Department, including two detectives who investigated the robbery and initially reviewed surveillance video of the incident. Hogberg said in the affidavit that Williams previously plead guilty to a June 7, 2006 bank robbery and was sentenced to 151 months in prison and supervised released. According to information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Williams is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago. Some things never get old. Seedy Urlich may be 91, but it was a refreshing experience for him to be back Friday at the Rotary Club of Western Springs' Veterans and First Responder Steak Fry at the Western Springs Baptist Church. Advertisement "I've been at every one of these, right from the very beginning, and it's always very nice," the lifelong Western Springs resident and World War II Army veteran said. "This is a great way to thank the veterans for what we did, and we all enjoy getting together. We reminisce about the war and the old days." Urlich was one of many local veterans in attendance at the 17th annual steak fry, along with firefighters and police officers from Western Springs and some nearby towns. Advertisement While Urlich is a veteran of both World War II and the Rotary steak fry events, Bob Moreschi, 89, a Korean War veteran, was at the event for the first time. He is a resident of Presence Bethlehem Woods Retirement Community in La Grange Park and learned there about the steak fry. "It's amazing," he said, as he filled his plate with food and looked around the room, which was filled with about 250 people. "There's a tendency in today's world that they forget all of us, and the youth don't pay much attention at all. But it's very nice of them to remember us and make this wonderful lunch for us." Bob Nyberg, president of the Rotary Club of Western Springs, called the steak fry the highlight of the club's year. "It's a way for us to honor our veterans and first responders, which is something they deserve so much," he said. "We're very happy about being able to bring them together for this each year." Longtime Western Springs Rotary member Linda Johnson didn't mind standing over the heat and smoke coming off the grill on which she cooked 200 steaks as the main course for lunch. "This is a great event that allows us to thank our veterans and first responders, who have done so much for all of us in this country," Johnson said. Western Springs deputy police chief Daniel Albrecht was appreciative being among those honored, but said he was there to honor others, too. "We're definitely here to honor the veterans," he said. "It's great to have this opportunity." Advertisement McClure Junior High eighth-graders Annie Tracy and Gracie Regan, who sang "America the Beautiful" before lunch was served, probably were the youngest attendees at the steak fry. But its importance wasn't lost on them. "My grandpa (Roger Herring) is here because he's a veteran and in Rotary," Gracie said. "It is very important to honor them here because they are just everyday people who also are heroes." cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com Twitter @chuckwriting Adam Frisch keeps calm waiting for all ballots to be counted in CD-3 It was 5:15 p.m. on Thursday and traffic was bumper to bumper on Columbus Avenue as cars crawled westbound toward Humphreys Street. Just before Columbus crosses Leroux Street, its hard to miss a line of orange cones and a sign anchored by sandbags clearly indicating that left turns onto Leroux by westbound cars are prohibited. The cones and sign, both newly installed, were a reaction to a dramatic spike in illegal left turns onto the residential street since June. That's when construction began on the 18-month Beaver Street road and utility improvement project one block away. According to statistics from the Flagstaff Police Department, between June 1 and the end of August, police issued 85 citations and warnings to people who failed to obey the three existing no left turn signs at the Leroux and Columbus intersection. Sergeant Jeff James, who oversees traffic enforcement for the police department, said that number is also likely to grow because some reports from that time period have yet to be processed. On top of that, the police department asked area residents to record the license plate numbers of drivers they saw making illegal left turns onto Leroux and, so far, the department has sent out an additional 15 warning letters to drivers identified by those residents. By comparison, over the same time period last year, the police department issued zero warnings or citations for an illegal left turn at that intersection. Residents are also reporting more traffic and vehicles driving faster down Leroux since construction started. We're living like we're on Beaver Street here and weve got a narrower street than Beaver and a lot of vehicles parking on the street, said Dan Cady, who lives on Leroux just south of Columbus. I don't know what to make of it. Last Wednesday, Cady counted 160 to 170 cars an hour coming down his street during rush hour. James explained that with the closure of a major downtown artery like Beaver, all traffic coming from the north has to funnel onto Humphreys, which creates backups that extend up Columbus. People stuck in traffic seem to be ignoring posted signs and turning onto Leroux to avoid the gridlock, James said. Some drivers access Leroux from DeSilva one block north, then cross Columbus and continue south on Leroux legally without making a turn. Also, it is not illegal to turn right onto Leroux going eastbound on Columbus -- in fact, detour signs direct drivers to do so from that direction. After receiving an uptick in resident complaints about the traffic and the illegal turns, the police increased enforcement in the area. While that tactic usually leads to a decrease in violations, that doesnt seem to be happening this time, James said. Were still seeing a lot of violations, he said. When he stops people for making the illegal left turn, James said he asks them if they saw the signs posted around the intersection. Most people admit that yes, they were aware, he said. But there is frustration from violators as well that they're getting backed up in traffic and there is congestion, James said. While they are consciously committing that violation, they're also wondering why they can't use Leroux Street. Jeff Bauman, traffic engineer with the city of Flagstaff, said the left turn restriction was implemented in response to a petition from area neighbors for traffic calming devices or other restrictions. Cady and another Leroux Street resident Connie Ghiglieri were among those neighbors and said they were spurred to action after Beaver and San Francisco became one-way streets, causing traffic on Leroux to swell. They said it was an 18-month effort to petition the city's traffic commission for a remedy. Eventually, they got the left turn restriction and a large median structure at the head of the road. Those two things worked well until the Beaver construction started, Ghiglieri said. She and Cady both said noise from the increased traffic on their street has been the most noticeable and bothersome impact. Cady said he also worries more about neighborhood safety now. They said they wish people would simply slow down when going through the residential area. As for businesses on the torn up part of Beaver Street, at least two said the construction hasnt been any sort of headache for employee and customer access. We just tell people to access our building another way. It takes a little explanation but its tolerable said Kate Noonan, a legal assistant at Shorall McGoldrick Brinkmann. Renee Spannuth, a broker at Flagstaff Property Management, similarly said that all of the business clients have been able to find their way to the office via Leroux or crossing Beaver at times when the construction team will allow. "Leroux is the new Beaver," Spannuth said. Kenya's Elius Magu has nurtured a passion for arts since childhood and his one-bedroom house located in a low-income Nairobi suburb attests to that fact. At the center of his neatly arranged sitting room is a small coffee table where a huge pile of art pieces, with some having a Chinese touch, catch the attention of visitors. Magu, a recovering alcoholic, is now soaking his soul in art to shake off memories of wasted youth in drinking dens that dot Kenya's rural villages and urban slums. With no wife or children to take care of, Magu who turns 45 next month, now invests all his energy in art hoping to close a sad chapter in his life. Two months into his recovery journey, Magu who is also a taekwondo fan, said his love for art, especially Chinese art, started in his primary school days when he watched his first film by Jet Li, a renowned Chinese action film actor. Even though Magu does not expect to make any money from art, the therapy in it is more fulfilling. Still learning the basics of creating a great piece of art, Magu has focused on paper quilling as materials needed for this type of art are not hard to get and are generally affordable. "I watch YouTube videos to learn some of the basics of paper quilling. I hope I will soon create one of my pieces. I have a diploma in Graphic Design from Technical University of Kenya and I wish I had nurtured my love for art back when I was still a young man," he told Xinhua. According to Fatema Qureishi, the founder of Amathus Arts, an art studio predominantly working in the realm of paper craft in Nairobi's Karen area, though not popular, paper quilling can be a great stress reliever and a great technique to help people like Magu trying to salvage their lives. "As a professional artist, I would encourage people to learn paper quilling as rolling and scrolling of paper channels the unexpressed energies and releases anxiety and stress. In performing this art, the coordination of hands-eyes movements strengthens the motor-skills. Along with regular practice, one tends to develop a phenomenal creative expression in life," she added. For Zawadi Robi, paper quilling saved her from the jaws of depression. Having lost her son and only child in a road accident three years ago, she slipped into depression and lost hope in life. "During one of my counselling sessions, my therapist urged me to take up an activity that would keep my mind busy and creative and since I have a background in paper craft, I embarked on paper quilling. For the past one year since I started doing it, my situation has really improved. I no longer feel hopeless," she said. In her early 40s, Zawadi said paper quilling has helped her survive anxiety attacks which mostly strike at night. "Sometimes I get overly emotional but crafting has brought some balance in my life," she said. Having been in the paper crafting industry for over 10 years now, Fatema said paper quilling still has some distance to cover before it becomes popular. According to a report of the Kenya Bureau of National Statistics (KBNS), Kenya saw a growth of only 4 percent in the creative sector in 2016. "There is abundant artistic potential in Kenya that waits to be tapped. Take paper quilling as an example, while it is a popular form of art in many parts of the world, it still remains to be relatively unknown in Kenya," Fatema said. Paper quilling or paper filigree is the art of rolling thin strips of paper into circular shapes that are glued together to make decorative patterns, ornamental artwork and functional pieces. The craft originated in Europe among religious communities during the Renaissance period where it was used to decorate books and sacred items. It then became a popular pastime among upper class women before being employed as a decorative technique on furniture and high-value accessories. Shanghai will begin selecting new judges from the ranks of its judge assistantsa position created five years ago as part of the city's wide-ranging judicial reform. Newly appointed judge assistants take their oath as they assume their posts in Shanghai. [Photo/China Daily] Up to 160 judge assistants, who serve in the city's district and intermediate courts, will be promoted and assume new roles by the end of the year, the Shanghai High People's Court announced. Nearly 300 candidates took written tests on Sept 2 and will go through simulated court hearings and qualification tests in mid-September. "We believe the size of the talent pool is big enough, and that the people are ready in terms of professional capability and maturity," said Wei Jianping, a senior official at the high court. The average work experience of the candidates is 6.6 years. The role of judge assistant was created by the Supreme People's Court in 2012 as part of its effort to streamline personnel, increase efficiency and reduce the workload of judges. Unlike court clerks, who mainly handle administrative tasks such as filing and taking notes, judge assistants preview case files, coordinate mediation hearings and handle the exchange of evidence, which were all previously a judge's responsibility. "When court assistants shoulder the time-consuming tasks, such as pretrial mediation, judges can be more focused on hearing cases," said Zhang Xiaoli, director of the general political department of the court. When the reform was rolled out, judges had to reapply for their jobs, with only the best qualified chosen. Others were reassigned as judge assistants, many of whom are law graduates and experienced court clerks. Shanghai currently has 1,939 judge assistants assigned to help 1,108 judges. The first round of promotions marks an important step, said Ye Qing, director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences's Law Institute. "Chinese courts are moving forward in deepening personnel management reforms and building a more elite team of judges to respond to people's high expectations of fairness and justice," he said. Candidates with spouses who are lawyers or serve the court in other capacities can only become judges if their spouses leave their positions, a measure designed to protect the courts' impartiality, Zhang said. Guo Weiqing, vice-president of the high court, said that from now on all the judges in the district courts will be selected from the pool of judge assistants, and those for the city's intermediate courts and high court will be selected from the pool of judges from district courts. The selection of judges from the judge assistant pool will be carried out once a year, he said. Official investigators in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Thursday evening said a hospital had been negligent in a case that led to the suicide of a pregnant woman. The investigation panel, composed of officials with the health and public security departments in Yulin city in Shaanxi, decided the case was a suicide and not a homicide, as angry members of the public had accused the woman's family and hospital of being murderers. The investigation ruled that Yulin No.1 Hospital had been negligent in its care of the inpatient. The official case description said the woman went to the hospital on Aug. 30 when she was very close to labor. The hospital had suggested she have a caesarean because a "large foetal head circumference meant vaginal delivery would be risky." However, the woman's family insisted on a vaginal delivery and signed papers accordingly. From 5:50 p.m. on Aug. 31, the woman walked out of the delivery ward twice to tell her family that her pain were unbearable, but she was escorted back to the ward both times.. At 8 p.m., nurses found that the woman had jumped out of the window of the operation room, and they called for emergency rescue. She was announced dead of severe brain injury, multiple fractures and hemorrhagic shock at 9:25 p.m. The child she was carrying was also dead. Investigators said that the hospital's medical procedures were immaculate, but staff failed to give due care and where not prepared for an emergency. The investigation on the direct cause of the woman's suicide is ongoing. Authorities have vowed to deal with the case according to law. Many people on social media questioned why the woman was not allowed to make her own decision on how to give birth. People stand outside the polling booth in Angola's capital Luanda on August 23, 2017 [Xinhua] The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the political organization that led the country's long independence struggle, has retained power in the latest election. In the lead-up to the vote, Angola announced it was cutting oil production in cooperation with OPEC. As quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the Petroleum Minister explained, It is better to cut production and make the price of oil rise instead of producing the maximum and selling at low prices. The recent history of oil-rich Angola shows the tragedy of the current global set-up, and the promise and potential offered by forces working to change it. Until 1975, Angola was a colony of Portugal. London-based British Petroleum had primary access to the country's natural resources. Most of the population lived in extreme poverty, with their civil rights routinely infringed, while London and Wall Street bankers made huge profits. The MPLA was formed by African people who did not want to live under apartheid conditions. With financial and military support from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, the MPLA fought for and eventually won independence, when Portugal withdrew in 1975 during its own anti-fascist revolution. As the MPLA grew more powerful in the 1960s and 70s, a tactic utilized by the British in Palestine and Kenya, was used by the forces seeking to keep Angola colonized. In addition to the direct fight between the MPLA and the Portuguese, a series of counter-gangs were created. Various groups that were armed and trained by the West, but espoused nationalist, Pan-Africanist or Communistic politics, were utilized to attack the MPLA. Even after independence, the war continued. U.S. made weapons flowed in. Tribal and ethnic rivalries were exploited. Any existing rivalry or tension that could keep Angolans killing each other, and not uniting to develop their country, was used. The apartheid government of South Africa even invaded Angola, but was driven back when Cuba sent troops to stand with the MPLA. While BP remained in the country, cooperating with the MPLA government to extract and sell its oil, chaos and bloodshed kept Angola from really developing. Furthermore, a culture of corruption developed, as it often does in conditions of scarcity and war. Though Angola was independent and led by a Marxist-Leninist political organization, it remained impoverished as it fought for its life in decades of civil war, instigated and promoted by the West. When peace finally came in 2002, the world saw what Wall Street and London were truly afraid of. With lots of oil to sell on the market, and a revolutionary anti-imperialist party in control of the state, Angola finally saw some real, solid improvements in its living conditions. Between 2003 and 2015 Angola's GDP increased by an annual average of 7.2 percent. With the support of China, new railways and highways were built. Parts of the country that had been completely isolated now gained access to the major cities. However, the recent drop in oil prices devastated Angola, and put the progress of previous decade on hold. Unemployment is above 20 percent. In 2016, the GDP declined. Oil revenue accounted for half of the Angolan economy, and prices below US$30 per barrel proved devastating. Though the MPLA was victorious in the recent election, the opposition party, friendly to the U.S. and hostile to China, made significant gains, taking advantage of the serious hardships. With so many people killed during the wars, it is youth who now make up the majority of the population. They have their frustrations with corruption and continued poverty, and unlike their parents, loyalty to the MPLA has not been cemented over decades of struggle. Yet, the election showed that a solid majority of the country still backs the revolutionary leadership. Angola's growing economic relationship with China opens up the possibility of eventually moving Angola away from the mercy of oil markets. Cooperation with China's Belt and Road Initiative holds the potential for Angola to develop industries and an economy of its own. Angola remains a long way from eradicating poverty, with desperate conditions existing across its territories. It is this kind of dire poverty, and the terrorism, crime, drug gangs and human trafficking that is a negative byproduct, that China's New Silk Road aims to eliminate. While Wall Street oil cartels would certainly benefit from political turmoil or more fighting in Angola, the people of the country have seen enough war. They voted for peace and economic development, with their growing relationship with China, and their campaign to erode corruption, efforts toward this goal can continue. Caleb Maupin is a journalist and political analyst who resides in New York City focusing on U.S. foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and imperialism. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. You are here: Home Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, July 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that the international community should make a concerted effort to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. During a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Xi said facts have repeatedly proven that an ultimate settlement of the nuclear issue could only be found through peaceful means, including dialogue and consultation. Xi stressed that China remains persistent on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, adamant in preserving the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and resolute in safeguarding peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Merkel said Germany supports a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political means, and favors efforts to bring related parties back to the track of dialogue and negotiation. She pledged to enhance communication and coordination with the Chinese side in a bid to find a solution as early as possible. During the phone conversation, Xi also noted that China-Germany cooperation has gone beyond their bilateral relationship, and plays an increasingly important role in maintaining world peace and stability and promoting common development. Xi said China-Germany relations are currently riding a wave of momentum, adding that China is willing to continue its cooperation with Germany under multilateral frameworks. Xi also recalled the new consensus reached with Merkel during his state visit to Germany in July on advancing overall China-Germany strategic cooperation and strengthening coordination in international affairs. Merkel said Xi's visit to Germany in July was highly successful and significant to the development of Germany-China ties. Noting the increasingly close political, trade, economic, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the German chancellor said Germany hopes to maintain communication and coordination with China on major international and regional hot-button issues. You are here: Home Flash South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating fell this week on rising geopolitical risks on the Korean Peninsula and controversy over the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, a survey showed Friday. According to the Gallup Korea poll, Moon gained 72 percent of support this week, down 4 percentage points from the previous week. It was based on a poll of 1,004 voters conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. It had 3.1 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. The negative assessment on Moon's management of state affairs was 20 percent this week, up 4 percentage points from a week ago. The biggest reason for the negative evaluation was the geopolitical risks on the peninsula, caused by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test on Sunday of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb warhead that can be fitted atop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Controversy over the THAAD deployment was cited as one of the reasons for the negative assessment on Moon. Four more THAAD launchers and other equipment were transported Thursday morning to the site in southeast of the country, causing a physical clash between anti-THAAD protesters and riot policemen. Almost 30 people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital because of the physical conflict, which was broadcast by global media outlets as well as local news organizations. Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party gained 2 percentage points over the week to 50 percent this week. The approval rating for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party advanced 4 percentage points to 12 percent in the same period. The minor conservative Righteous Party and the minor progressive Justice Party garnered 7 percent and 5 percent each in support scores, with the centrist People's Party earning 4 percent. Flash Nepal and China sign the Memorandum on Energy Cooperation in Beijing, Sept. 7, 2017. [Photo by Cui Can/China.org.cn] Nepal and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on their energy cooperation in Beijing on Thursday. Speaking at a reception at the Nepalese Embassy two days earlier, visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said Nepal and China had witnessed continuous cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in recent years. Prior to the signing, Mahara held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which they exchanged views on further expanding cooperation. According to an embassy press release, Mahara expressed the conviction that, being a close neighbor, Nepal's development needs and aspirations would be prioritized and given due place under the Belt and Road Initiative. "Nepal-China cooperation has been flourishing in multiple directions in recent years, " he said. Last March, Nepal signed an MoU to become a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, first proposed by China in 2013 aiming to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. Last year, agreement was reached on grant assistance totaling 1 billion yuan from China for reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake damaged facilities in Nepal. And, more recently, a Memorandum on the Development of a Cross Border Economic Zone was also signed to promote the construction of such a facility along the Nepal-China border. "Chinese investors have been showing keen interest in investing in Nepal and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Nepal is also increasing rapidly," said Mahara, adding that the two sides should capitalize on the new opportunities created by the B&R Initiative and enhance mutual cooperation in the fields of developing cross-border connectivity, building physical infrastructure, promoting trade, tourism, investment people-people relations. In his speech, the Nepalese minister expressed his confidence that the latest understanding would pave the way for expanding cooperation between the respective agencies of the two countries in the development of power generation projects and joint investment in the power grid, including a feasibility study on cross-border power grid interconnection. The Nepalese government was very encouraged by Chinese assurances of continuing cooperation in common developmental efforts, he said. Mahara said Nepal had never allowed any anti-Chinese activities on its soil in the past, and would never allow any activity inimical to Chinese interests in the future. When talking about the great transformation taking place in Nepal, the minister showed his appreciation for the support of the international community, especially neighboring countries, for the democratic path Nepal had chosen. A screenshot of Lee Ching-Yus statement, which can be read translated below. (Photo: ChinaAid) ChinaAid (Yueyang, HunanSept. 7, 2017) The wife of a pro-democracy activist released a statement revealing that her husbands trial would take place on Sept. 11, the first word shes had of his condition since he disappeared 172 days ago. Lee Ming-Che initially disappeared en route to a meeting in Zhuhai, Guangdong on March 19, and authorities later revealed that he was accused of pursuing activities harmful to national security. Since then, there has been no word on his condition until Zhang Zhongwei, a man claiming to be his lawyer, contacted his wife, Lee Ching-Yu and asked her to attend her husbands trial in mainland China. A notice from the Yueyang Municipal Intermediate Peoples Court revealed that Lee was being tried alongside Peng Yuhua, a pro-democracy advocate, on charges of subverting state power. After investigating, Lee Ching-Yu discovered that the lawyer who had been assigned to Lee Ming-Ches case is a branch secretary of the Communist Party and a member of the 7th National Peoples Congress, well-connected with Chinese officials. Concerned about the nature of the trial, Lee Ching-Yu made a disclaimer that she would not acknowledge any confession from her husband that had been coerced. She also announced that she would travel to China for the trial and requested help from any volunteers with legal experience willing to travel with her as a legal advisor. Lee Ching-Yu has traveled the U.S. advocating for her husband, even taking part in a ChinaAid-led delegation to Washington, D.C., and testifying before Congress. No matter how much despair or conflict I feel, there is finally a light of hope that I may see my disappeared Lee Ming-Che again, Lee Ching-Yu wrote. Her full statement and a copy of the arrest notice, translated by ChinaAid, can be read below. ChinaAid reports on the trials and legal defense of falsely detained activists in order to expose the abuses perpetuated by the Chinese government and promote human rights and rule of law. 2017-9-6 The Announcement of Lee Ching-Yu It has been 172 painful days since Lee Ming-Ches disappearance, and no one has heard anything about him since. Today, a long-distance phone call came from a Mr. Zhang Zhongwei, who claimed to be Lee Ming-Ches representative lawyer. He asked me to go to China immediately to attend Lee Ming-Ches impending public trail. After investigation, I found out that this lawyer that the Chinese government has assigned for Lee Ming-Che is also a party branch secretary and a member of the 7th National Peoples Congress. No matter how much despair or conflict I feel, there is finally a light of hope that I may see my disappeared Lee Ming-Che again. Having faith in human nature, I hereby make the following announcements: 1. I must restate my original principle: before I see Lee Ming-Che with my own eyes, I do not acknowledge any confession and commission Lee Ming-Che makes under coercion. 2. Tomorrow, I will start to gather the travel documents for my trip to China. 3. At this moment, with all sincerity, I would like to publically recruit volunteers from the legal field to serve as my legal advisor, so I will have someone to consult during my trip to China. Yueyang Municipal Intermediate Peoples Court in Hunan Province Notice This court will try defendants Peng Yuhua and Lee Ming-Ches subversion of state power case in court room number 14 of the public court at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2017. You are hereby notified. Sept. 7, 2017 ChinaAid Media Team Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here More efforts will be made to encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation in China, as the national initiative to promote innovation has yielded significant results in recent years, a senior official said on Thursday. "According to the latest report of the World Intellectual Property Organization, China ranks 22nd globally in terms of innovation in 2017, up three places year-on-year, and becomes the only middle-income country that has narrowed the gap with developed countries," said Shen Zhulin, deputy director-general of the Department of High Technology Industry under the National Development and Reform Commission. "We can say that this success is thanks to mass entrepreneurship and innovation as China has a very strong atmosphere in terms of innovation," Shen added. He made the comments at a news conference of the 2017 National Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week, which will be held from Sept 15 to 21. The week long campaign takes place every year to encourage people to start businesses and cultivate innovation. According to the NDRC, Shanghai will be the main venue this year, and will hold a variety of activities including exhibitions, competitions, carnivals and live online broadcasts. A total of 153 innovative programs in advanced technology and industrial fields will be on display. "This year, we are paying more attention to companies, as they are the main body of innovative entrepreneurship," said Wang Sizheng, an official from the Shanghai municipal Development and Reform Commission. "We have encouraged enterprises in different fields including big State-owned enterprises, national and local enterprises, as well as a group of foreign companies, to take part in mass entrepreneurship and innovation," he added. Activities will also take place in eight foreign countries and regions including the United States, Israel, Germany and Australia. For years, China has promoted mass entrepreneurship and innovation to boost employment, optimize the economic structure and facilitate a shift of growth engines. The State Council, China's cabinet, approved 92 national demonstration bases in June to boost mass entrepreneurship and public innovation, followed by the first group of 28 such bases earlier this year. Among those demonstration bases, nine come from institutes belonging to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a research institute functioning as the national scientific think tank. "These nine demonstration bases have achieved huge progress in transforming scientific and technological achievements, and promoting innovative entrepreneurship," said Yan Qing, director of Bureau of Science and Technology for Development of the CAS. One of the nine national demonstration bases, namely Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, established China's first national hub focused on "hard technology", which they explained covers core technologies with high barriers including photonic chips, genentech and new material. The institute said that it has invested in and launched over 190 technology enterprises and held 120 training activities for more than 15, 000 entrepreneurs. Yan added that according to the preliminary estimate of the CAS, with total funds in excess of 5 billion yuan ($0.77 billion), these nine demonstration bases have incubated over 700 enterprises and provided services to over 20,000 entrepreneurs. Joergen Vig Knudstorp, chairman of the Danish toy company Lego, has announced plans to cut 1,400 jobs, or 8 percent of its global workforce. [Photo/VCG] COPENHAGENFor Lego, it is time to break down the blocks and start again. After building up sales aggressively since near bankruptcy in 2004 through new ventures such as films and creative toy lines, the Danish company seems to have hit a peak. Its sales are now falling for the first time in 13 years and it needs to rework its operation. In simple terms, that means cutting 1,400 jobs or 8 percent of its global workforce. Earlier this week, the famous toy brand announced that it was "now prepared to reset the company," with a new chief executive officer due to take over next month. In August, Niels B. Christiansen, who headed thermostat-maker Danfoss for nine years, was named as the replacement for interim CEO Bali Padda. "We will build a smaller and less complex organization than we have today, which will simplify our business model in order to reach more children," said Joergen Vig Knudstorp, chairman of Lego A/S. Knudstorp was only 35 when he took over the top job in 2004, and set about reviving the group's core business. Making an instant impact, he fired consultants and hired new designers to come up with higher-margin products that were more up to date. At first, it appeared to work for Lego, an abbreviation of the Danish leg godt, meaning "play well". But after strong growth, revenue dropped 5 percent in the first six months of this year to 14.9 billion kroner ($2.4 billion). This was mainly a result of weaker demand in key markets such as the United States and Europe, where sales have been "solid" for years. Profits also slipped 3 percent to 3.4 billion kroner. Even so, classic toy lines, such as "Lego City," have done well, as have products associated with "The Lego Batman Movie." But revenue in other lines slumped with investments in some new products not yielding the desired benefits. "I am very much accountable for the situation and for the results," Knudstorp said. "We've been through a decade of very high growth and during those years we have invested a great deal," he continued, noting that the company hired more than 7,000 new staff between 2012 and 2016. "We have now realized that we have built an increasingly complex organization to a degree that makes it difficult for us to realize our growth potential. What we have unfortunately seen is that despite the continued high level of investment, these have not materialized into a good harvest," Knudstorp added. In March, the family-owned group stated that mid-to single-digit growth rates were more realistic for the years to come, but revised those expectations downward earlier this week. "We are not saying specifically whether we will grow in the next two years or not," Knudstorp said. Analysts pointed out that while the drop in revenue was disappointing, it had to come at some point after years of growth. "You hit a peak," said Jim Silver, CEO and editor in chief of toy review site TTPM. "Nothing keeps going up like that." He was quick to mention that the company grew rapidly after launching new products, such as its Lego Friends line aimed at girls. The Lego Movie, which was released three years ago, also helped. Looking ahead, Silver is still expecting Lego to have some bright spots this year. The company's "Star Wars" sets are selling well and this month's movie release based on its "Ninjago" line could have kids asking for Lego toys again. But the traditional industry as a whole is coming off a strong few years fueled by innovation and a boom in interest in collectibles. Knudstorp felt the long-term aim was to get sales growing again in Europe and the US, and noted opportunities "in markets such as China," where sales were up by double digits so far this year. But the company will need to simplify its business model to reduce costs. Part of a new push will include trying to engage kids and parents through online products, such as digital social platforms and coding sets, although the physical plastic toy blocks remain the focus. "The brick is the heart of our business," Knudstorp said. He told Denmark's TV2 station that staff cuts would mainly affect administration and sales, not production. These would include up to 600 redundancies at its headquarters in Billund, Denmark, the majority of them before the end of 2017. The company employs 18,200 people. ASSOCIATED PESS-REUTERS A staff member works at a China-invested photovoltaic technology company in Hanoi, Vietnam. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese firms fuel funding for power projects in Belt and Road economies Investment in renewable energy projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative "exceeded expectations" last year. Industry insiders expressed delight with the better-than-expected results with total investment by Chinese companies in the entire energy industry more than doubling compared to 2015. "Existing cooperation projects in renewable energy with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative have exceeded our expectation," said Zhang Shiguo, director with the China Industry Overseas Development and Plan Association, a key non-profit organization. "Total investment in the power generation sector in 2016 reached $7.66 billion (more than double the 2015 figure)," he added. Hydropower and other renewable energy accounted for 48 percent of total investment. Thermal power came next with 21 percent, while power transmission and transformation reached 16 percent, Zhang pointed out. He also suggested that governments could play a bigger role in improving the business environment for Chinese companies looking to invest in renewable energy projects. "Legislation on outbound investment was also crucial to regulate the overseas business operations of companies, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests," Zhang said. "Policies on financing, tax preference and foreign exchange management should be improved to make it easier, and cheaper, for these companies to raise money for their overseas projects," he added. JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd announced that the Belt and Road Initiative had opened up new growth opportunities outside of China. The world's largest solar panel producer by shipments has taken advantage of overseas projects and recalibrated its strategy toward these markets. "Infrastructure in certain economies involved in the initiative are at early stages of development, while China's photovoltaic technology has made clean energy affordable," said Qian Jing, vice-president at JinkoSolar. The company has invested heavily in economies involved in the initiative, with the production capacity of its projects surpassing 1 gigawatt, the equivalent of 1 billion watts. These included a power supply agreement with the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico for 188 megawatt of capacity. Industry experts confirmed this investment has proved vital to economies associated with the Belt and Road Initiative. Pakistan, for example, is benefiting from investment in the energy sector after Chinese companies rolled out 16 projects for wind farms, solar power plants, coal and hydropower stations. This will boost the country's installed capacity by 11.6 mW, an increase of 70 percent. "By providing power to Pakistanis, who previously had no proper access to electricity, these projects will also greatly help the country's economic and social development," said Yuan Jiamei, a professor at North China Electric Power University. In the past decade, power consumption of economies involved in the initiative has increased by 30 percent and it will continue to rise. "China's development in power generation technology will (also) play an even bigger role in these economies' development, which is beneficial to the entire world," Yuan said. Cooperation between China and other Belt and Road Initiative economies is linked through development contracts and equipment exports. China has signed agreements involving 295 power projects with more than 40 countries in the past four years. These include coal-fired and hydropower stations in Southeast Asia, and wind farms and coal projects in South Asia. Last year, the world's second biggest economy invested in 189 projects in 29 countries in regions including Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Africa and North Africa. Fossil fuels, including oil and coal, are still the main energy sources for most economies linked to the Belt and Road Initiative. But they are now looking for renewable energy alternatives. "The installed capacity of these (greener) plants is likely to rise by 1.96 gW to 2.83 gW by 2030," said Yuan, adding that alternative energy is crucial for these economies as they combat air pollution and water shortages. Zhu Huiping, vice-secretary general of the Association for International Power Production Capacity Cooperation, echoed those views. She said green energy alternatives should be seriously considered when developing new power plants to address environmental issues. Britain's only indigenous bespoke trombone manufacturer has enlisted an overseas trade company to advise on entering the Chinese market. Rath Trombones produces around 500 of its handmade instruments a year. Customers have included the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Military School of Music, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Berlin Opera and the US and Norwegian armed forces. The company, founded in 1992 by Mick Rath in the West Yorkshire village of Honley, is looking to boost its export business and has set its sights on China. "The trombone market is fairly small and we need to export to keep growing," Rath said. "We cannot rely on the UK alone to sustain business. Exporting enables us to take advantage of fluctuating economies and exchange rates." The company currently generates around 60 percent of sales from overseas orders. It has sold instruments in 25 countries, and works with dealers in the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe. "We've been trying to get into Chinaa large and increasingly wealthy market with good arts fundingfor some time," Rath said. China's musical instrument market surpassed the US in 2012 to become the largest in the world, with domestic production and sales totaling $6.2 billion and imports worth $300 million. "A lack of understanding of Chinese business culture, which is very different to ours, is holding us back," Rath said. Rath estimates that orders from the Chinese market could boost sales by as much as 25 percent. He has enlisted the help of Bradford-based export-import service Chamber International to help gain a better understanding of Chinese business culture. "Every country has its own culture when it comes to purchasing, and China is no exception," said Matthew Grandage, China affairs associate at Chamber International. "Understanding this is often the difference between success and disappointment in overseas markets." Rath, who started playing the tuba when he was 11, works with his wife Nikki and nine other makers. They build the trombones by hand, employing traditional techniques rarely used today. "Visiting Rath Trombones' factory is a privilege," Grandage said. "You know you're meeting top craftsmen in their field. Professional musicians will recognize and value that quality as it transcends international boundaries." "Ours are high-quality instruments made by British craftspeople," Rath said. "The fact that a modular design enables customers to interchange components to ensure a perfect instrument for most trombone players gives us wide appeal to players and dealers overseas." VLADIVOSTOK - China is working for the establishment of an investment fund worth 100 billion yuan ($15.3 billion) to finance regional cooperation projects between China and Russia, Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang said on Thursday. China is ready to increase the scale of the investment fund and suggest the Silk Road Fund finance China-Russia joint programs, Wang said in a speech at a commercial conversation on the sidelines of the Third Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city in Russia. He said the Chinese government encourages enterprises to invest in Russia's Far East and expand cooperation in manufacturing, resources exploitation, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism. China will work to further facilitate trade and ask its companies to abide by Russian laws and regulations, while it hopes the Russian side will implement its preferential policies and safeguard the lawful interests of Chinese enterprises, Wang said. He said China is an ideal partner of Russia in its Far Eastern development and both sides can together explore vast opportunities. According to the vice-premier, the two countries have mutual political trust and the two economies are complementary and their development strategies dovetail with each other. China is the biggest import source and second largest export destination for Russia's Far Eastern Federal District and Chinese enterprises have invested in 26 projects in this region so far. PARIS - China e-commerce giant Alibaba will celebrate wine and spirits festival day on Saturday in partnership with Vinexpo, the world's leading international wine and spirits exhibition, the French wine expo organizer said on Thursday. "Vinexpo's participation in the "09/09" marks a new stage in the strategic partnership aimed at promoting domestic wine brands and producers in the heart of the Chinese market," it said in a statement. With 100 selected brands, Vinexpo targets "to bring the best of French wine-growing know-how to a market of more than 460 million consumers and offering many opportunities," it added. "We are delighted to share our expertise by guiding Chinese buyers during 9/9 through a selection of wines divided into three categories: wines of current consumption, wines to be served at friendly moments and wines for exceptional experience," said Guillaume Deglise, Vinexpo CEO. In 2016, Alibaba created its first on-line wine and spirits festival day. It was offering, via e-marketplaces Tmall and Tmall Global, 100,000 references of wines and spirits from more than 50 different countries to Chinese consumers. QINGDAO - Chinese enterprises have great opportunities in international marine engineering, a US oceanic engineer said on Thursday. China should invest in developing new drilling machinery, said William Webster, member of the US National Academy of Engineering, at the 2017 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Huangdao Forum held in Qingdao, in Shandong province. "Companies in China are building the drilling structure. But currently owners of these drilling platforms order a whole range of machinery that is needed to actually do the drilling from American and European manufacturers, not from Chinese manufacturers," he said. China could "enter this market while the other manufacturers aren't doing anything," he said. To break into the market, Webster suggested that Chinese enterprises pay more attention to the reliability of their drilling equipment. "Equipment that is used today has been developed for only about a hundred years," he said. "There is a very difficult hill to climb to prove that your equipment is more reliable than others. Failure can cause a large loss in production." Besides, opportunities require innovation, he said. "China has good engineers, and wonderful institutions that teach engineering. I think you are up to the challenge," he said. YINCHUAN - Projects with total investment of 17 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) were signed at a forum on industrial capacity cooperation between China and Arab States. The 22 projects, covering the infrastructure, mining, energy and chemical, textile, food, agriculture, internet and tourism sectors, were inked during the capacity cooperation forum, which was held for the first time during the ongoing China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan city, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. According to a report issued at the forum, China's direct investment in Arab countries grew to more than $2.2 billion in 2015 from $788 million in 2010. By the end of 2015, the accumulated direct investment from China in Arab countries exceeded $14.6 billion, up more than 27 percent year-on-year, the report said. Following the establishment of an economic and trade cooperation zone between China and Egypt, China is building industrial parks with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The four-day China-Arab States Expo will focus on trade in commodities and services, as well as cooperation in technology, investment and tourism. The Belt and Road will be highlighted during the expo, and forums on high-speed railways, logistics and credit will be held. Executives from 1,080 companies and nearly 5,000 exhibitors covering 31 industries ranging from transportation to big data will attend. Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia, the biennial expo has been held three times since 2013. Suspicious death The Flagstaff Police department is investigating a suspicious death that occurred Friday morning. Jaron R. James, 23, of Flagstaff was found dead in a room at the L Motel located on 121 S. Milton Road at 9:20 a.m. Police noted James had several injuries and have conducted several interviews. James has been turned over to the Coconino County Medical Examiners Office and the investigation is open pending cause of death. Trespassing An intoxicated person entered a mans house on the 1500 block of West University Heights Drive on Wednesday and passed out on his bed. The resident did not know the man and called police after the man vomited on his sheets. When police arrived the resident said he did not wish to press charges and only wanted him out of the house. Police contacted the intoxicated mans girlfriend who took him home. Weapons Discharge A fast food employee called police after she saw six bullet holes through the window of Jack in the Box on East Route 66 on Tuesday. Police suspected that the bullets were related to an earlier unrelated incident. The bullets found at the restaurant were .45 caliber casings. Police have forwarded the case to detectives. CHENGDU - Premier Li Keqiang and Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu sent letters of congratulations to an international high-tech expo that opened Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province. Li said that China highly values sci-tech innovation, pursues an innovation-driven development strategy and promotes mass entrepreneurship and innovation in order to maintain medium-high speed economic growth. Stating that China's innovation-driven development is open, Li said China is willing to carry out international cooperation, strengthen the synergy of innovation networks and contribute to global economic recovery and growth via sci-tech innovation. As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel, Li said China is also willing to work together with Israel to strengthen cooperation and create new growth engines. China hopes the two sides can enhance exchanges, discuss cooperation models and complement each other's advantages so as to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results. Netanyahu said in his letter that he believes the expo will help advance Israel-China trade and sci-tech cooperation. The fifth China Science and Technology City International High-tech Expo started Thursday in Mianyang city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, with Israel as the guest of honor. It will conclude on Saturday. YINCHUAN -- A total of 253 deals worth about 186.05 billion yuan (around $28 billion) had been signed so far at the third China-Arab States Expo in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. The agreements involve agriculture and food processing, new materials, equipment manufacturing, bio-pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, textiles, industrial park construction and modern services. The new cooperation is expected to forge closer ties between China and Arab states, and add momentum to the Belt and Road Initiative. The expo, which kicked off Wednesday in Ningxia's capital Yinchuan and will run until Saturday, is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia. Two State-owned building materials firmsChina National Building Materials Group Corporation and China National Materials Group Corporation Ltdstarted merger preparations in the latest move of SOE consolidation and shedding of cement industry overcapacity. [Photo/VCG] Nine listed subsidiaries of China's two building materials giants suspended trading on Thursday, evoking speculations that further substantial actions may be taken in the State-owned enterprise merger announced last year. Both China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM) and China National Materials Group Corporation Ltd (SINOMA) are central government-administered enterprises. The two companies have acquitted themselves well in different sectors CNBM is well known as a producer of cement, glass, lightweight building materials and glass fiber, while SINOMA possesses core technologies and complete innovation systems for non-metals. In fact, restructuring of SINOMA into CNBM dated back to Aug 26, 2016. According to financial media outlet Caixin, CNBM's Board Chairman Song Zhiping said in February that integration and adjustment of the corporate structure and secondary platforms has been completed, and CNBM is going to further integrate the business of 15 listed subsidiaries of the two enterprises. The consolidation makes CNBM the largest comprehensive group in the building materials industry, with total assets of 550 billion yuan ($85.3 billion). CNBM also leads the world in production capacity of glass fiber and gypsum board. China pledged to deepen SOE reform in this year's annual government work report as a method to improve efficiency. Apart from measures like cutting capacity, managing "zombie companies," excising layers of hierarchy and calling for innovation among firms, China also introduced a mixed-ownership system. One recent example of this reform comes from China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd, the country's second-largest mobile carrier by subscribers. The firm carried out the mixed-ownership reform scheme in August and received capital from private investors among them domestic tech titans Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Baidu Inc, JD.com Inc and Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd by selling a 35.2 percent stake. At the end of the same month, China's major power generator China Guodian Corporation and largest coal miner Shenhua Group merged their coal power assets, creating an energy behemoth with combined assets in the range of 1.73 trillion yuan to more than 1.8 trillion yuan These reforms follow a clear trend. Since 2003, the total number of central SOEs has sharply fallen from 196 to 98. A press conference for the First Silk Road International Innovation Design Week is held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Sept 7. [Photo/china.com.cn] The First Silk Road International Innovation Design Week will be held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, from Sept 21 to 29. The week, which will run alongside the Euro-Asia Economic Forum expected to open in Xi'an from Sept 21 to 23, will feature a series of colorful events, including a report meeting, high-end sub-forums and professional design exhibitions and competitions, representing the fields of architecture, 3D printing, aviation, big data and intellectual property. More than 600 big industry names from over 10 countries and regions such as academician Xu Zhilei from the China Academy of Engineering Physics, academician Lu Bingheng from the China Engineering Academy, and Thom Mayne, winner of The Pritzker Architecture Prize, are expected to attend the event. A dozen signing ceremonies are also expected be held during the week to set up coordinated innovation platforms for Xi'an and other countries involved in the Silk Road in the areas of education, culture, services and commerce. "Innovative design should be a priority for the Belt and Road Initiative. With rich design resources and fruitful achievements, Xi'an should actively join the initiative and cooperate more with other countries in Europe and Asia," said Lu Changde, executive vice-president of the Innovation Design Alliance of China. It is expected that the week will be attended by nearly 3,000 forum guests, around 200 enterprises, over 50 colleges and 100,000 visitors. A nurse at Weifang No 2 People's Hospital in Shandong province applies a monitoring device that helps specialists in obstructive sleep apnea assess the optimal air pressure needed to keep a patient's airways open during the necessary long-term therapy. ZHANG CHI/CHINA DAILY Home testing kits for sleep apnea are cutting hospital waiting times and helping patients recover faster. Kong Siu-ki used to regularly wake up on mornings feeling as exhausted as when he went to bed the night before. He rarely slept well. Neither did his family, as his loud snoring could rattle the dishes. Yet this portly, 54-year-old man simply dismissed it as one of life's little irritants. He would go through the day tired and listless, never grasping that his sleep difficulties were destroying his health. A lack of sleep affects the body's normal healing processes and cognitive functions, leaving a person accident-prone or hyperactive. Research has also found sleep-deprived individuals process glucose more slowly, which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and have a shorter-than-average life span. Kong was obese, diabetic and had high blood pressure. Yet it was only in November, when he consulted doctors about getting laparoscopic surgeryan adjustable gastric band around the stomachto lose weight, that he learned the terrifying ramifications of his loud snoring. Doctors suspected he had obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which people have paused or shallow breathing during sleep. One doctor issued a stark warning: Kong would need anesthesia to go under the knife, but if the sleep apnea was left untreated, the anesthetic could soften his throat muscles, blocking his airway, which could kill him. "I had no idea. I was overweight, drowsy and snored louder than other people, but I thought that was all," Kong said. David Hui Shu-cheong, head of medicine and therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who specializes in respiratory medicine, stressed that one of the biggest risk factors associated with sleep apnea is obesity. Anyone with a large neck is at risk. Then there are other issues like smoking and alcohol that only make things worse, he said. Luxury hotel room of a five-star hotel, file photo. [Photo/VCG] More travelers have been bringing along their own sheets, sleeping bags, kettles and bathrobes after a video posted online raised public concern about the hygienic condition of hotel rooms. Lanmei Test, an organization that claims to be independent, released a video on WeChat of a recent undercover inspection during which its employees left marks on sheets, toilets and cups at several five-star hotels. The marksvisible only under ultraviolet lightwere still there when Lanmei employees checked into the same rooms the next day. Wang Ni, a Beijing resident who travels on a regular basis, said she would consider buying some sheets because the hygienic conditions of hotels have always been a concern for her. "I haven't bought them yet, but I would never use the towels in the hotel room because it is hard to tell if they are clean enough simply by looking," Wang said. Beijing launched a citywide inspection of all its five-star hotels on Tuesday. Hotels found with hygiene problems face warnings or fines up to 20,000 yuan ($3,050), according to Wang Benjin, a spokesman for the capital's Health and Family Planning Inspection Office. He said the move was in addition to annual checks on hotels. The hotels involved were W Hotel Beijing, InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun, Hilton Beijing, Beijing JW Marriott Hotel and Shangri-La Hotel Beijing. Wang said authorities had since taken samples at the five hotels for testing, with the results expected to be released this weekend. Some questions were raised over the independence of Lanmei and its intentions in releasing the video. The verified information on Lanmei's WeChat account shows that it is affiliated with Huanyu-Huilv (Beijing) Technology Co, whose legal representative, Xiao Yi, is also the founder of qyer.com, an online platform that provides travel strategies and booking services for outbound tourists. It can promote certain hotels over others. Both Lanmei and qyer.com released statements saying that Lanmei is an independent reviewer, and its choice of topics is not affected by qyer.com. Zhang Lu, director of Lanmei, said the video was inspired by similar investigations by foreign media, and was selected according to the needs of Lanmei users. "The video was planned by us independently. We didn't accept any form of sponsorship. The video is meant to be neutral," Zhang said. In 2011, the Ministry of Health passed a regulation requiring hotels to change sheets for every guest. For long-term guests, the sheets should be changed at least every week. Star-rated hotels have stricter regulations for sheets. All five hotels involved in the exposure released statements this week saying they had launched internal investigations. Shangri-La Hotel Beijing said on Tuesday that it has "strict policies" in place regarding cleanliness, and that the recent media reports, which the hotel said it cannot validate, does not reflect their "high standards". On Sunday, shortly before the video was released, the health inspection office released a report on the result of this year's inspections of 691 express hotels. Thirty-five of the hotels were fined for poor hygiene and asked to strengthen their management. Geng Songmei, a dermatologist at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, said dust mites on unchanged sheets may lead to allergies for asthma patients. Used sheets also raise the risk of parasite-related infections, although she added, "the chance is rather slim". Rong Yihui, deputy director of the infectious disease department at Peking University International Hospital, said bacteria on bedsheets can lead to gastrointestinal trouble like diarrhea. However, compared with unchanged sheets, a used towel may pose a greater challenge, especially for female guests, he said. "Some sexually transmitted diseases may be passed on by sharing towels and other toiletries, and female guests face a greater risk," he said. Inside Edition, a television show in the United States, ran similar tests in New York and found three of the nine hotels it tested had unclean, used sheets. An earlier video released in China also showed a cleaner at a hotel in Jinan, Shandong province, scrubbing a toilet with a guest towel. Li Lei contributed to this story. HARBINRussian doctor Alexey Zhao comes to China twice a yearonce for Chinese New Year and the other for his father's birthday. Zhao, the son of a prominent Chinese scientist, was born in Beijing in 1959 but moved to the Soviet Union as a boy with his Russian mother when relations between the countries cooled. It was 23 years before he saw his father again. "When you get out of the station, you will find an old man holding a windbreaker with his left hand. That is me, your father," Zhao Pengda told his son in a letter in 1989. After a five-day journey, Alexey's train chugged into a railway station in Beijing. "In fact, I recognized him the moment I saw him," Alexey said. "I could find him even without the windbreaker." His geologist father, now 86, is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former head of the China University of Geosciences. In 1954, he went to study in the Soviet Union, where he met Irina. They were married in 1957 and came to China the following year. "I can still recall the fragrance of the wine her sister brought from Georgia," the elder Zhao said. Alexey's Chinese name, Lianqiang, literally means "uniting the powerful". It was meant to be a crystallization of China and Russia, the father said. In the 1960s, relations between China and the Soviet Union were rocky, and many Russians returned home. Irina felt the chill. The marriage reached a crossroads in 1966. Zhao begged his wife to stay, but she had an ailing mother to take care of. She asked him to go with her, but he refused. That spring, Zhao waved goodbye to Irina and Alexey at the railway station. "I knew how much she loved him and could not be so selfish as to keep him with me," Zhao said of his son. Zhao continued his research, becoming the first Asian to win the William Christian Krumbein Medal in 1992, the highest award offered by the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences. Alexey, meanwhile, grew to become an outstanding doctor specializing in liver transplants. When Sino-Russia relations improved, a delegation of Chinese doctors went to Moscow in 1987. Wang Huiqing, formerly a doctor at Harbin Medical University, remembers how Alexey showed her a comic book that his father had given him. She got a message to Zhao that his son was looking for him. That was when Zhao sent the letter. Before Alexey returned to Russia, the father and son took a stroll to see the old house where they lived as a family. "No matter how far one travels, family bonds can never be cut," Zhao said. People face a jungle of shared bikes near the Lishuiqiao subway station in Beijing in June. [Photo by ZHU XINGXIN/CHINA DAILY] The Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport decided on Thursday to stop adding new shared bikes to the city's streets and to strengthen the management of existing bikes. The decision was made after an exchange of opinions with the directors of 15 shared bike companies, and all said they "fully understand" and would comply, according to a statement from the commission. The city has 15 shared bike companies and more than 2.3 million shared bikes, it said. "While they make travel more convenient, too many bikes causes problems such as improper parking, especially near bus and subway stations and in shopping districts," the statement said. "Therefore the commission decided to halt new bikes and will begin to tackle improper parking." A foreigner near the capital's Sanlitun area who identified himself as Paul said everyone benefits when the bikes are parked in "proper, decent places". "The sidewalks have been taken over by these bikes, which is forcing pedestrians into the street," he said. Zhu Dajian, a professor at Tongji University who helped the Shanghai Bicycle Association review its initial standards for shared bikes, said the halt on new bikes comes as the market for shared bikes has became saturated. "It's high time we improve the turnover rate of existing bikes rather than continuing to put more bikes onto the streets," said Zhu. "Excessive bikes on the streets will no doubt lead to problems, and more efficient use of the bikes is the key." The statement also said the commission discourages the development of shared electric bikes, considering road conditions, the need for charging equipment and safety concerns. Eleven other cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Wuhan have put the brakes on shared bikes. On Aug 3, the central government released a guideline urging city governments to set up parking zones for the bikes and to punish misbehavior. Li Lei contributed to this story. As the new semester began this week, freshmen at a college in Dengfeng, Henan province, got their first lessona public trial in a telecommunications fraud case. Their attendance was arranged to help them avoid being cheated by fraudsters, while alerting them not to become one of the crooks, according to the Physical Education College of Zhengzhou University. Eighteen defendants stood in front of the court on Sunday, 12 of whom were college students or just graduated, according to Wang Tianchao, chief judge of the Dengfeng People's Court. They had been hired by Zhengzhou Yuanzhishen Technology Co to post false information online in order to identify fraud targets, especially women who wanted to run online shops at home. In order to gain the women's trust, the male suspects pretended to be female, communicating via QQ, an instant messaging platform. Up to 231 people were cheated in the case, which involved 350,000 yuan ($53,600), Wang said. "Many of the suspects came from poor families and wanted to reduce the economic burden on their family. But their eagerness to earn money, and lack of experience, pushed them into the fraud trap," he said. The judgment will be announced later. Liu Yandong, an official at the Henan provincial Public Security Bureau's anti-telecommunication fraud center, said there's a trend for telecommunications fraudsters to target college students, and some college students have cheated others after being cheated themselves. There were 19,502 telecommunications fraud cases in Henan in the first five months of this year, 18 percent of which targeted college students. The number of frauds that relied on QQ jumped 172 percent over the same period last year, and 76.7 percent of the suspects who used QQ for fraud were between 18 and 30 years old, according to official data. Police officers who gave lectures at colleges to alert students about telecommunications fraud were quoted by a Xinhua News Agency report saying that some students fell asleep while listening to a lecture. The real trial was a different matter: "Hearing a court trial with 200 other freshmen is more impressive," said Zhang Hongfu, 19. Some students said that after attending the trial, they were not as confident as before that they could not be swindled by the complex traps set by fraudsters, Xinhua reported. Xiao Yong, a teacher at Zhengzhou University, said college students would face the issue of finding a job when they graduated, so it was meaningful to warn them to stay away from telecommunications fraud as freshmen. It also helped them increase their awareness of the law, Xiao said. Newly appointed judge assistants take their oath as they assume their posts in Shanghai. [Photo/China Daily] Shanghai will begin selecting new judges from the ranks of its judge assistantsa position created five years ago as part of the city's wide-ranging judicial reform. Up to 160 judge assistants, who serve in the city's district and intermediate courts, will be promoted and assume new roles by the end of the year, the Shanghai High People's Court announced. Nearly 300 candidates took written tests on Sept 2 and will go through simulated court hearings and qualification tests in mid-September. "We believe the size of the talent pool is big enough, and that the people are ready in terms of professional capability and maturity," said Wei Jianping, a senior official at the high court. The average work experience of the candidates is 6.6 years. The role of judge assistant was created by the Supreme People's Court in 2012 as part of its effort to streamline personnel, increase efficiency and reduce the workload of judges. Unlike court clerks, who mainly handle administrative tasks such as filing and taking notes, judge assistants preview case files, coordinate mediation hearings and handle the exchange of evidence, which were all previously a judge's responsibility. "When court assistants shoulder the time-consuming tasks, such as pretrial mediation, judges can be more focused on hearing cases," said Zhang Xiaoli, director of the general political department of the court. When the reform was rolled out, judges had to reapply for their jobs, with only the best qualified chosen. Others were reassigned as judge assistants, many of whom are law graduates and experienced court clerks. Shanghai currently has 1,939 judge assistants assigned to help 1,108 judges. The first round of promotions marks an important step, said Ye Qing, director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences's Law Institute. "Chinese courts are moving forward in deepening personnel management reforms and building a more elite team of judges to respond to people's high expectations of fairness and justice," he said. Candidates with spouses who are lawyers or serve the court in other capacities can only become judges if their spouses leave their positions, a measure designed to protect the courts' impartiality, Zhang said. Guo Weiqing, vice-president of the high court, said that from now on all the judges in the district courts will be selected from the pool of judge assistants, and those for the city's intermediate courts and high court will be selected from the pool of judges from district courts. The selection of judges from the judge assistant pool will be carried out once a year, he said. The following editorial appeared in the Victoria (Texas)Advocate, on Sept. 3, 2017: Crossroads residents are demonstrating a determination and grit that only people living in a hurricane-ravaged area can. Many have persevered the past week with no power; some with no reliable shelter, limited water and food rations. Along with our anxieties, Harvey's impact will not drift away any time soon. God forbid, but storms swelling up in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea can swirl any time into another deadly threat. With these concerns all-too-fresh in our minds, it would be wise to start asking now some tough questions of ourselves and of our leaders. One of the first questions is about weather forecasting models. Nationally, officials have touted improved hurricane models, but no one predicted the severity of Hurricane Harvey in time. Early forecasts described the storm first as a tropical depression or storm. Within about 24 hours, Harvey mushroomed into a Category 1, 2, 3 and, finally, a 4. The rapid escalation led Victoria officials to issue a mandatory evacuation order at 5:24 p.m. Thursday about a day's warning for everyone to prepare and leave their homes. By then, most residents had made the incorrect decision to stay and ride out the storm. Should the order have been issued earlier? Did Crossroads officials properly prepare residents for a Category 4 storm? Why did weather forecasting models fail to provide an accurate prediction of Harvey's strength? Questions sprang up after the storm, too. One of the first wounds of Harvey was our above-ground power lines that could not withstand hurricane-force winds in the neighborhood of 100 mph. Burying power lines throughout Victoria has been a recurring debate with money at the center of that discussion. Many have argued the cost would be too expensive, but now we have to ask again whether its benefits are worth the investment. Across the country, in places much less prone to hurricanes, power lines are commonly buried. Underground lines may not be a guarantee of power at the back end of a storm, but the shorter amount of time to restore power may be its biggest advantage. And we also must weigh the public safety factor and huge property loss caused by numerous structure fires related to downed power lines. In terms of essential city of Victoria services, we need to look at why our water system failed because of the power outage. There may be no easy answers to this question, but it's one our city officials must consider carefully. Part of the solution is looking at best practices put in place by other comparable cities prone to natural disasters. How do they ensure a redundancy of power source to their water system? If the water system goes out, how do they most rapidly restore the service? Down the highway is the coastal town of Port Lavaca, which lifted its boil water notice late Thursday. The town, which also took a direct hit from Harvey, already has water safe to drink. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority owns and operates a water plant on State Highway 316 South and sells the water to Port Lavaca, which distributes it to residents. In advance of Harvey making landfall, the city filled its two, above-ground storage towers, carrying a total of 1 million gallons of water, before the GBRA shut down the plant hours before landfall Aug. 25. GBRA shut down the plant not because it worried about the storm surge but because it was worried about the high winds damaging the plant. The city didn't use generators to deliver the water it had in its towers to residents. It just needed gravity. Of course, Port Lavaca's population is about one-fifth of Victoria's so the comparison might not be apt. It is only one data point. These questions should be asked in every Crossroads community, not just Victoria. In poor Bloomington, only 5 percent of the homes had electricity Friday while wealthier Port O'Connor on the coast had almost all of its power restored. Both towns are served by the same utility company. These questions are not meant to criticize those who have worked tirelessly during the past week to serve our communities. All of our first responders, utility workers and officials did outstanding work. Most of all, our residents are safe. Incredibly, no one in the Crossroads died. But whenever a natural disaster occurs, it behooves all of us to ask: What can we do better next time? Voluntary guard believes protecting the site helps people understand history Cao Wentong sits on railway tracks in front of a watchtower built by Japanese troops during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) in Cangxian county, Hebei province. [Photo by LYU HONGYOU/CHINA DAILY] A retired soldier has voluntarily guarded a military watchtower in Hebei province for about three decades in the hope future generations can learn from it. The tower in Jiedi village was built by Japanese troops during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Cao Wentong, 67, moved to a home near the tower when he was 36, as he aimed to protect it from other villagers. "It is evidence of Japanese invaders' monstrous crimes in China, which we Chinese should never forget," he said, adding that to understand history, people need to see such relics. The tower, which is made of concrete and bricks, is 4.43 meters high and has a footprint of about 40 square meters, according to Cangxian county's cultural heritage protection bureau. Gun slots were placed in the walls for the Japanese soldiers to fire through. The watchtower was used to protect the Tianjin-Pukou railway, on which the Japanese transported supplies, the bureau said. "Nobody can say how many Chinese villagers were killed here, only that it was too many," Cao said. His father's aunt and his wife's grandfather were shot and killed by Japanese soldiers in 1937 at the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China. "My family can never forget the brutalities committed by Japanese troops," he said. Out of a sense of patriotism, Cao served in the army for five years until 1974. After being discharged from the military, he returned to his hometown and found the tower in a state of disrepair. According to Cao, villagers used to come to the area to dig up earth to build houses, which gradually caused damage to the tower. "For about a decade, I tried my best to stop them and even quarreled with them if they didn't listen to me," he said, adding that many people didn't realize the significance of the tower. At the time, Cao was working as a carpenter and was not able to keep an eye on the site 24 hours a day. But in 1986, the local government gave him permission to build a house near the watchtower, making it easier for him to look after it. "My wife was opposed to me protecting the tower because it took me away from my job, " he said. "She wanted me to focus on making money while I was young and strong, but she couldn't stop me." After decades of effort, villagers have started to share Cao's views and the tower has been listed by the county government as a protected cultural relic. As a result, the tower has become increasingly popular, and heritage experts from different provinces have visited the site. "They told me it is the only tower along the railway built by the Japanese," Cao said. The tower has also become an educational site, attracting school students, soldiers and public servants. Cao often acts as a guide, recounting the watchtower's history. "To know and understand history, they need to see real evidence and hear what happened back in the 1940s," he said. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of nationwide war against Japanese aggression in 1937. To commemorate the occasion, Cao repaired part of the tower wall, which had been damaged by rain. "This is my way to remember history and cherish peace," he said. BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed three new ambassadors, upon approval by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, according to a statement by the national legislature Friday. Zhang Lizhong was appointed ambassador to the Maldives, replacing Wang Fukang. Lyu Jian was appointed ambassador to Thailand, replacing Ning Fukui. Li Changlin was appointed ambassador to Burundi, replacing Zhuo Ruisheng. China's quality standardization procedures will be enhanced by greater access and use of information, especially in the aviation and rail sectors as well as the internet of things, a government official said. Tian Shihong, director of the China's Standardization Administration, made the remarks when addressing a press conference held by the State Council's information office on Friday. He said China has always attached great importance on quality control, and has managed to build a quality recognition system that is in line with international standards. So far, China as issued a total of 454,000 certificates on product quality management to more than 429,000 organizations, the highest of any country. "Yet we should be aware that there have been many flaws in China's quality recognition system," he said. He said the Standardization Administration will also require stricter certification on products related to food, healthcare and environmental protection and work harder in brand building in these industries. The government will also seek innovative ways of management regarding new products and emerging industries. The annual Cybersecurity Week, an activity aimed at raising awareness about knowledge and policies related to cybersecurity, will be held in Shanghai on Sept 16, China's top internet watchdog said on Friday. Organized by multiple authorities, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Education and Bank of China, this will be the third time the activity is held in the country. The first two were respectively held in Beijing and Wuhan, Hubei province. This time, the activity will focus on the enforcement of the Cybersecurity Law, which came into effect on June 1, as well as protection of personal information, a hot topic especially after an 18-year-old student in Shandong province died of cardiac arrest after being cheated out of her tuition fees last year. The activity will run until Sept 24. Jiang Xun, organizer of the activity from Shanghai, said many internet and technology giants, such as Alibaba and Qihoo 360, will also attend the event, where they will introduce their new security products and their efforts against online attacks. "The security products will be displayed during an exhibition, and everyone can visit the activity for free," he said. A summit on cybersecurity technology will also be held, with several foreign guests from the United States, France and South Korea taking part, according to him. "We'll hold forums on different topics, such as mobile networking and big data protection, and provide visitors knowledge about different aspects of online security. For example, we'll teach and popularize the Cybersecurity Law and online security-related tips in schools and communities." In addition, to encourage cybersecurity talents, including teachers and enterprises, the activity will award the best, said Zhao Zeliang, director of the administration's cybersecurity coordination bureau. "After all, the key to improving cybersecurity is to educate more talents, asking them to further study cybersecurity technologies," he added. CE warns that slogans promoting "independence for HK" run against law and city's interests Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Friday condemned the "Hong Kong independence" slogans which were displayed in the city's universities, saying such remarks had "overstepped the bottom line of society" and were in violation of the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests. Lam said freedom of speech had its limits and academic independence should not be used as an excuse for advocating fallacies. She urged the university administrations to take timely and appropriate action to handle the incidents and appealed to society to join forces to "rectify such abuse of freedom of speech", safeguarding the city's core values and defending moral standards. Lam made the remarks one day after a group of Chinese University of Hong Kong students and alumni voiced strong objections to the university student union's separatist advocacy on campus on Thursday. Slogans that advocated "Hong Kong independence" were spotted in various locations inside the CUHK campus after a new semester started, and were soon removed by school authorities. In phone call with Macron, he urges constructive Korean Peninsula role President Xi Jinping held a phone talk with a leader of a Western country over the Korean Peninsula issue for the third consecutive day on Friday, speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, France should play a constructive role in alleviating the situation of the Korean Peninsula and restarting talks, Xi told Macron. Analysts said China has been making practical efforts to prevent war on the peninsula after the nuclear test conducted on Sunday by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The Korean Peninsula issue can only be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and coordination, Xi said. China sticks to its goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, firmly maintains the international nonproliferation system and firmly safeguards the peace and stability of Northeast Asia, he added. Xi pointed out that China deems France and Europe as key forces to maintain the worlds stability and prosperity, and said China and France should keep close communications on major global and regional issues. France is dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, Macron said, adding that his country attaches great importance to Chinas stance and role in resolving the peninsula nuclear issue. France would like to enhance cooperation with China to properly resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, he added. Macron congratulated China on its successful hosting of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, from Sept 3 to 5. Its important for France and China to jointly face global challenges, he said, adding that the two sides should enhance cooperation on economic, nuclear and environmental issues. The phone call followed Xis phone conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. During the two phone calls, Xi reiterated Chinas stance on seeking peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the international community is strongly focused on the Korean Peninsula issue, adding that the DPRK has challenged the authority of the UN Security Council and undermined regional security. Zhou Jin contributed to this story. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, condemned on Friday the "Hong Kong independence" slogans that were displayed in the city's universities, adding that such remarks were in violation of the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests. "'Hong Kong independence' runs against the 'one country, two systems' principle and the Basic Law as well as the overall and long-term interest of society," Lam said. Lam also denounced a poster at the Education University of Hong Kong that gloated over the death of the son of the city's undersecretary for education. She said such remarks were "entirely disrespectful, against the moral values of society and coldblooded". Lam, describing the incidents at the universities as "having overstepped the bottom line of society", said that freedom of speech had its limits and academic independence should not be used as an excuse to advocate fallacies. She said university administrations should take timely and appropriate action to handle the incidents and appealed to society to join forces to "rectify such abuses of freedom of speech" while safeguarding the city's core values and defending moral standards. Lam made the remarks one day after a group of Chinese University of Hong Kong students and alumni voiced strong objections to the university student union's separatist advocacy on campus. Slogans that advocated "Hong Kong independence" were spotted in various locations inside the campus after the new semester started, and were soon removed by school authorities. Offensive posters also were found on a public billboard at the Education University of Hong Kong ridiculing the death of Undersecretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin's son, who died after jumping off a high-rise in Jordan, Kowloon, around noon on Thursday. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said displays in public areas should be "morally sound and legal". He noted that the Education Bureau is against the "independence" fallacies and students should not waste time discussing such issues because they are against the Basic Law. The city's education head also stressed that moral and legal considerations should be taken into account when people exercise freedom of speech. The city's academics and lawyers also expressed strong criticism over the illegal and insensitive remarks that appeared at universities. Lau Siu-kai, sociologist and former top adviser to the Hong Kong SAR government, said some of the students took advantage of the tolerant and relatively relaxed environment on campus to advocate illegal fallacies or taunting messages that crossed the line for society, messages that would in turn backfire. "Giving students a more tolerant environment doesn't mean that there is no bottom line, no matter if it is morally or politically," Lau said. Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a Hong Kong lawmaker and lawyer, said universities have the "ultimate duty or liability" for excluding illegal posters advocating separatism on campus. Designer Tiffany Huang (front left) poses with models on Thursday in New York City. [Photo/Agencies] As thousands of designers, models and celebrities gather in New York City for the semiannual New York Fashion Week from Thursday through Wednesday, 16 Chinese designersthe most to dateare ready to showcase their collections at the premier international fashion event. "More and more Chinese designers coming to overseas fashion weeks reflects the rise of China's fashion market and its synchronization with the overseas fashion market," said Todd Hessert, founder of fashion media company Globe Fashion Runway. "It's a good phenomenon," he added. "Design in China has gradually globalized and been recognized by overseas media and buyers." Hessert, who is based in New York, and his teams in London, Milan and Paris help global designers market their brands. He said that in the past two years, be it in Paris or New York, Chinese designers have been more accepted by organizers. "The door is open for Chinese designers to be more active in the world fashion market," he said, citing such examples as Taoray Wang, Lan Yu, Zhang Chi, Yang Lu, Snow Xue Gao, Calvin Luo and Vivienne Hu. Wang, whose designs are a favorite of US first daughter Tiffany Trump, is returning to New York Fashion Week for the eighth time. Wang, once the chief designer for Chinese domestic brand Broadcast: Bo, launched her namesake Taoray Wang line, which targets the modern professional woman, three years ago. Her latest collection, "Shanghai Baroque", will debut on Saturday at New York Fashion Week. Wang said she has embraced a blurring of time and culture, balancing the ornate detail of baroque with her signature sophisticated tailoring. On Tuesday, Taoray Wang will also present the new Taoray Taoray line, a brand designed to cross boundaries of age, gender, nationality and occupation. Lan Yu, a third-time shower at New York Fashion Week, will unveil her new ready-to-wear collection. Lan's namesake brand is best known for its wedding dresses and evening gowns. The brand has earned widespread recognition not only in China but worldwide, thanks to many celebrities wearing its dresses. Nicole Zhao, CEO of Lanyu Couture in New York, said the newly added ready-to-wear production line was a strategic move in the company's plans for global expansion. Besides the big names, China's younger generation of designers is testing the waters in New York City as well. Emerging brand Lu Yang, established by 31-year-old Yang Lu, will debut its new collection "Fall in Love", which features bright colors and geometric figures derived from the flamingo, a metaphor for faithfulness in love. Hessert of Globe Fashion Runway said, "These designers have successfully established a world position of 'design in China'. "In the future, I believe more and more Chinese brands will go to the Big Four fashion weeks. It's a process of accumulation; it's also a necessary course for Chinese designers to reach out to the world," he said. Hessert's advice for Chinese designers who want to develop an international legacy brand: Have a comprehensive outlook that balances design, media exposure and sales marketing. Doctor Liang Yijian returned to his office on Thursday afternoon after operating on a patient with a bent spine, only to find two other patients waiting for him. They wanted to take a photograph with him. "Doctor Liang is famous but very nice to patients. We believe he will improve our condition," said Feng Cheng, 24, from Anhui province, who also has a bent spine, or scoliosis. Liang, head of the orthopedics department at Third People's Hospital of Chengdu in Sichuan province, achieved national fame in February when he was honored during CCTV's annual "Touching China" awards. His department is recognized nationwide for its unique methods that have helped almost 1,000 scoliosis patients to walk tall again. Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a patient's spine has a sideways curve. It can damage the heart and lungs if the curvature exceeds 100 degrees, and a bend of that much or more is difficult to treat. Three-fourths of the patients who come to see Liang suffer from a curvature of at least 130 degrees. China has 5 million scoliosis patients. In Liang's department, corrective measures involve inserting four metal rods into a patent's torso to help straighten the back before a surgeon removes the most protruding bone without touching the spinal cord. A scoliosis patient's height may increase dramatically after the procedure. Wu Cailin, a farmer in Yanyuan county in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, was less than 1.3 meters tall because his spine curved nearly 120 degrees. His chest almost touched his thighs and he could only look down while walking. After the operation, he is 1.78 meters tall and owns a rural resort in his home county. Following media reports on his life-changing story, more patients have come to Chengdu to seek help. Another patient was a taxi driver in Wuhan, Hubei province, who was 37 years old in 2010 when he sought Liang's help. He was embarrassed when collecting his nine-year-old son from school and would not go to the gate, instead staying in a lane near the school to prevent the boy's schoolmates from seeing him and then teasing his son. Juveniles are ideal subjects for treatment, but many patients in the department are 20 to 30 because they live in remote, rural areas with little access to medical information. There are 90 beds in the department that are always full. "Some 600 patients are waiting for beds," Liang said. Only four surgeons, including Liang, are qualified to operate. Surgery can last up to seven hours. An individual surgeon may operate on 40 patients a month. In addition to treating those who visit the department, surgeons visit remote areas where patients lack the means to search them out. In June, Liang stayed at the Red Cross Hospital in Xining, Qinghai province, for two days, operating on six patients. One of them suffered from a curvature of 180 degrees. A year earlier, Liang and a colleague visited Dafang, a poverty-stricken county in Guizhou province, for two days, consulting with more than 100 scoliosis patients whose primary desire is simple: to lead a decent life. Liang said that's what inspires him. Dong Lan contributed to this story. China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Nepal and enhance connectivity and capacity cooperation under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday. Li made the remark when meeting with Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Nepal's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, who is on a six-day visit to Beijing. "China and Nepal share a long-standing friendship and China wishes stability and sound development for Nepal," Li said. Did you know that there are almost as many Independents as Republicans registered to vote in Arizona? There are about 3 percent more registered Independents than Democrats. Independents are the fastest growing identification among voters, yet we know virtually nothing about what they want politically. Apparently, neither party is sending a message they want to hear. It is alarming that so much money, time and effort are being made and yet one-third of the registered voters in Arizona hear nothing they like. The American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters think that this is an alarming state of affairs for our political stability. We want to offer a chance to Independents/unaffiliated voters to speak your minds. What do you want to say to elected officials about future policy? We invite you to Speak Your Mind, Independents, on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Church of the Epiphany on Beaver Street from 9-11 a.m. This is an opportunity to voice your suggestions for the future policy initiatives you want for Flagstaff and Arizona. Elected officials gain an insight into what the general public wants by reading election results that reward one party or the other. The term Independent does not indicate any particular policy outcome. We hope you will join us for an examination of the signal you want to send when you register as an independent. What is the message you want to hear from candidates? Make your voice heard. HARRIET H. YOUNG AAUW of Arizona Public Policy Chair DAMASCUS, Syria - The United States has accepted the fact that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is winning and staying, as his administration is in its strongest military position in six years, former US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford said on Wednesday, the pan-Arab Mayadeen TV reported. In contrast, the opposition, whether the political and military groups, are at their weakest, he said in a live interview. Ford also said the Western and regional backers of the Syrian opposition have abandoned them. Saudi Arabia has largely dwindled its support to the opposition, he added. Ford, now a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, also said the Syrian opposition has made mistakes during the crisis. The first error, he said, was that the moderates in the political and armed opposition have allowed the extremists to join their ranks. The second mistake, Ford continued, is that the opposition didn't present any clear political project that could be understood and accepted by the Syrian people. The Syrian civil war is declining, which is "a good thing", Ford noted. He said Iran is helping Russia to shrink the US influence in the region, adding that the US has, to some extent, lost in Syria. Regarding the Kurds and the US support to them in northern Syria, Ford said that the idea that the US will militarily defend the Kurdish interest is wrong, warning that the Kurds shouldn't rely on the US help but should embark on talks with the Damascus government directly. Meanwhile, Ford said the Lebanese Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the Syrian government forces, is a winner in the war, despite the loss of many fighters. The former ambassador also said the Syrian army reaching Deir al-Zour wasn't expected by the US. A day earlier, the Syrian army and its allies broke the siege of the IS militants to the city of Deir al-Zour amid intense battles to drive out them out of the area. The army also seized large swathes of IS-held territories in the desert region near the Iraqi and Jordanian border. Ford's remarks reflect the so-called change in the international stance toward Syria, which Assad attributed recently to the military victories achieved by the army on the ground, with the Syrian troops controlling all major cities. Xinhua (China Daily 09/08/2017 page11) The Kubuqi, China's seventh largest desert, is turning into a land of green - after years of effort and innovation using desertification control methods. Located to the north of the ridge of the Ordos plateau, the Kubuqi desert covers an area of 186 million hectares. It had been infamous once for being a seemingly lifeless dust bowl. After 28 years of controlling the desertification, as well as seeding and planting, now a quarter of the former wasteland has become home to thriving trees and undergrowth. Wang Wenbiao, owner of Elion Resources Group, was born in Nao'er village, Hanggin Banner in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. "My childhood memories were haunted by sand," the 58-year-old said. "When I ate, I tasted sand. When I went to bed, I slept on sand. When I breathed, I inhaled sand." Wang said his dream was to go out of the desert and eat a meal without sand in the food. In 1997, Wang's company Elion cooperated with the local government to build roads in the desert. To date, they've built five expressways stretching 343 kilometers, connecting Kubuqi to the outside world. The expressways are all lined with trees. Lin Fawang, a retiree from an afforestation plant in the city of Ordos, started his battle against desertification after his retirement in 1993, when he was in his sixties. In Xuhaitu village, Dalad Banner, in the middle of Kubuqi, Lin stepped in to protect his home from being devoured by the sand. "The thought of the desert becoming an oasis gave me a thrill," Lin said. "I was so excited by the idea that I couldn't get any sleep because I felt I must do something." Lin moved into the heart of desert with his wife and over the past decade they planted trees every spring. What he has done has encouraged more and more villagers to get involved in the anti-desertification cause. Over the years, anti-desertification methods have become more and more advanced and systematic, with the local government's help. One of the desert control methods is to plant licorice plants in a square patch, to prevent the sand inside the square from flying away on windy days. The licorice, grown under the strong desert sunshine, also provides extra income for the locals. "We say Kubuqi licorice is the best because it's red while the other licorice is black," said Wu Zhihua, a local resident aged 60, who earns 6,000 yuan ($900) a month from her licorice plot. Another way of taming and harnessing the desert involves adapting photovoltatic technology. The Kubuqi has more than 3,180 hours of sunshine in a year, which makes it an ideal spot to install solar power farms. The locals have installed photovoltatic generators to produce electricity, while the shade underneath the generators provides space for undergrowth. The grass growing under the generators can also be used to feed the animals, such as sheep and chickens. The local government also built a seed museum to preserve the diversity of plant life grown in the region. The seed museum has collected more than 1,040 types of seeds that can grow in dry, cold and salt laden land. Since 2010, the government has invested over 1.16 billion yuan in controlling and greening the desert. So far it has planted over 6.77 million plants of various types. By the end of 2016, 26.7 percent of Ordos had been covered by forests and 75 percent covered by various plants, up 14.54 percent and 40 percent respectively from 2010. Due to its significant outcome, the Kubuqi desertification control model was named by the United Nations as a "global ecological and economic demonstration zone" in 2014. The United Nations Environment Program released a report in 2015 at a climate conference that year in Paris, recognizing the success of the Kubuqi desert's desertification controls. The area has held a Kubuqi International Desert Forum every two years since 2007. The latest forum was held in July this year, and the theme was "Greening the Belt and Road, Sharing the Desert Economy". renxiaojin@chinadaily.com.cn Comparison pictures of before and after. The highway, which previously traversed barren land, was constructed in 1999, and crosses the Kubuqi desert in Hanggin Banner, Inner Mongolia.Provided To China Daily (China Daily 09/08/2017 page12) When Guo Jingyu traveled to the Saihanba National Forest Park for the first time, he was a teenager. And his only memory of the park was the vast grassland. But many years later, in 2015, Guo, then a TV producer and director, learned more about the area, which is located in Hebei province and borders the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Zhou Zhongming, Party secretary of Chengde, Hebei province, told Guo about those who had devoted their entire lives to reviving the area. Saihanba becomes green again after decades of hard work by people involved in turning a desert area into a forest. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily] When Guo Jingyu traveled to the Saihanba National Forest Park for the first time, he was a teenager. And his only memory of the park was the vast grassland. But many years later, in 2015, Guo, then a TV producer and director, learned more about the area, which is located in Hebei province and borders the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Zhou Zhongming, Party secretary of Chengde, Hebei province, told Guo about those who had devoted their entire lives to reviving the area. The conversation sparked Guo's interest and paved the way for the TV series Zuimei de Qingchun (Most Beautiful Youth). In the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week, Guo alongside the cast and crew wore black T-shirts with the drama's name to promote the 40-episode series, which began filming on Sept 5 in Saihanba. The filming is expected to take around five months. The story starts in 1962 with 127 college or vocational school graduates joining 242 employees in the local forest farm. Saihanba was a popular hunting ground for northern China's rulers in the 10th century, and for emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). But the area's natural environment deteriorated because of unlimited logging. In the early 1950s, Saihanba was no more an oasis, but barren land. And it became a passage for sand blowing into Beijing from the deserts in Inner Mongolia. Estimates then said that the sand would bury the Chinese capital within decades if the situation continued. Poster of Cai Guo-qiang's documentary Sky Ladder [Photo provided to China Daily] The documentary Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guoqiang will debut in Chinese mainland theaters on Sept 22. Cai is known for pyrotechnic artworks. He's among the Chinese artists who are most celebrated in the West. The feature is directed by Oscar-winning auteur Kevin Macdonald. It's jointly produced by IDG Capital's chairman, Xiong Xiaoge; Netdragon Websoft's chairman, Liu Dejian; and Chinese-American businesswoman, Wendi Deng. Xiong says he's a fan of Cai and persuaded the artist to join the project when they were on an overseas flight. The producers offered Cai a list of directors. Macdonald was selected because he has limited knowledge about the artist and his achievements, which allows him to use an easily understood storytelling approach to introduce Cai to a wider viewership. Macdonald and his crew followed Cai for three years, from his New York office to his home city of Quanzhou in East China's Fujian province. The documentary includes interviews from several sources close to Cai. A highlight is his work Sky Ladder a 500-meter ladder made of rope and gunpowder hung from a giant hot-air balloon over a fishing village in Quanzhou in 2015. It was a dream project that Cai had attempted to realize for over two decades. He failed multiple times previously. The documentary is also considered a birthday present to Cai's 100-year-old grandmother, who supported his artistic pursuits. It was released to critical acclaim on Netflix on Oct 14, 2016. A scene from Chinese language film Angels Wear White. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese-language film Angels Wear White has premiered at the ongoing Venice International Film Festival. Written and directed by Vivian Qu, the film is representing China in the main section of Venice, which overall sees 21 movies contending for the top Golden Lion prize. The film focuses on two young girls living in a small southern Chinese coastal town, who are assaulted by a middle-aged man in a motel. The drama is shown through a double perspective one from a victim and another of a female witness. Speaking in Venice, the director explained that she wanted to use the film to raise awareness for the "left behind" children, especially girls, in China, as they parents look for work away from home. "(In) the last 30 years, China has developed very dramatically, economically and in all aspects. But the price might be families and children. A lot of people have to move to different cities to work in order to have a decent living. So many children are left in their hometowns, without proper care from their parents," said Qu. The film, a Chinese-French co-production, stars Wen Qi, Zhou Meijun and Shi Ke. Vivian Qu is the only female director among those in competition at Venice this year. She has come back to the Italian city with Angels Wear White, after premiering another film of hers Trap Street in 2013. Performers play "Inch of Land" on stage at the opening of the 10th Beijing Fringe Festival at Fengchao Theater, September 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] The curtain has been raised on the 10th Beijing Fringe Festival at the capitals FengChao Theater on Tuesday. Opening this years event was Inch of Land," an experimental production by pioneering theater director Li Ning. The play saw performers building a steel tower on the stage - occasionally accompanied by the ear-piercing sounds of metal colliding. "The process of building the tower is the process of exploring ourselves, said Li Ning, This show is trying to explore the relations between the inner and the external worlds of human beings. Space on the steel tower that they are building is very limited, but the other tower they are building in their heart is like a boundless universe." Started in 2008, the Beijing Fringe Festival aims to nurture young theater talents. To mark its 10th anniversary, this year's event has planned a special project featuring ten young theater pioneers. Those who have taken part in the festival over the years, including Li Ning, will each stage one of their signature works. "The Beijing Fringe Festival has reached its tenth year. Over the years, these young directors have faced many challenges and tried their best to face them. Now, it is time to see how the festival has influenced and shaped these young directors," said Meng Jinghui, the artistic director of the festival and world renowned theater veteran. Artistic director Meng Jinghui speaks at the opening ceremony of the 10th Beijing Fringe Festival at Fengchao Theatre, September 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] This year, a new section called Action Start has been established to give young and enterprising directors more chances to bring their works to the stage, according to Meng. Young directors from Spain, Denmark, UK, Norway and the Netherlands will also present their productions in the "International Stage" section. They will also attend seminars, workshops and script readings with Chinese theater directors. "It's very important to communicate and interact with theater artists from other countries. So the festival has established cooperative ties with international arts festivals and organizations. It has become a big gathering in which theater directors and artists from all over the world connect, communicate and collaborate," Meng said. The Beijing Fringe Festival has presented a large selection of original theater works by young directors from the very start. Some of them have gone on to feature in prominent international festivals in Asia, Europe and the US. This year, more than 60 shows will be staged at various theaters throughout the capital till September 28th. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily] The National Art Museum of China is holding an exhibition titled First National Exhibition of Sculpture to mark the development of sculpture in the country since the 20th century. On show are some 590 sculptures by more than 300 artists. The 3-D reconstruction of the surface of the Monument of the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square, completed in 1958 and sculpted with more than 170 figures to honor those who died in the revolution, and figurines depicting victims of the Nanjing Massacre, created in 2005 by the national museums director Wu Weishan, are highlights of the ongoing exhibition. The exhibition, which runs through Sept 17, also displays diverse approaches of a younger generation of artists who re-create daily scenes to reflect social issues. The Helan Mountains' eastern foothills in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region are ideal for growing quality grapes. [Photo provided to China Daily] South African winemaker Justin Corrans embarked on a journey into the unknown to practice his craft in September 2015. He flew over half of the hemisphere to take part in a two-year winemaking challenge in a country he knew nothing about. His destination was the Helan Mountains' eastern foothills in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, which hosts some of the country's best-known wineries. "I was very much overwhelmed by the size of the wine industries and the quality of the wines," Corrans recalls. "There were some very good wines, very good vineries and very passionate Chinese people making wine." Corrans was one of 48 winemakers from 17 countries who took part in the Ningxia Winemakers Challenge. Contestants were paired with local wineries. He worked with Domaine Lanxuan and received a 3-hectare parcel of grapes to make cabernet. He harvested the fruit by hand during the first two months. He selected the best grapes and used high-temperature fermentation to enhance extraction. He returned to Ningxia twice to perfect his creation. Corrans describes his wine as elegant, fruity and well-structured. "I want people to be able to taste my wine and say: 'This is a world-class wine.'" The contest's final round took place in Beijing on Aug 29. GIEC 2017 embraces IoE era ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-09-08 The 2017 Global Internet Economy Conference (GIEC) kicked off at the Beijing International Convention Center on Sept 5, ushering in the new era of Internet of Everything (IoE). The two-day event attracted hundreds of China's internet giant and institutes, including Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, 360, Microsoft China, China Unicom and Beijing's Central Business District. A forum series was organized for the event, covering topics including digital business, intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, smart ecology development, big data and financial science and technology. Alibaba's Qianxun SI invited Xiaomi and 360 to join in a roundtable. Ping An of China held a product release conference, providing science and technology solutions for finance. The 2017 Global Internet Economy Conference (GIEC) kicked off at the Beijing International Convention Center on Sept 5. [Photo/zhsp.gov.cn] China has started research and development on fifth generation mobile networks, and it plans to build an open R&D platform for 5G technology this year, with the technology being fully commercialized by 2020. The consumption of information is expected to generate 6 trillion yuan ($916 billion) with an average annual growth of over 11 percent. IoE is a broad term that refers to devices and consumer products outfitted with expanded digital features. It is a philosophy in which the future of technology is comprised of many different types of appliances, devices and items connected to the internet. GIEC, as a leading convention for the internet industry, aims to drive innovation and seek new opportunities for cooperation between internet giants. Liu Xiaoke, vice-president of Yiche.com, delivers a speech during the 2017 Global Internet Economy Conference. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Edited by Zachary Dye Workers remove floating objects from the Xiaojiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, in Chongqing in October. [Photo by Rao Guojun/For China Daily] The Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms approved a document on Dec 11 last year to implement the river chief system across the country by the end of 2018. The river chief system is aimed at promoting better coordination among government departments to protect the country's water bodies. It is just one example of President Xi Jinping's environmental protection and eco-civilization philosophy. China has a long history of water control and management. In ancient times, the administrators appointed special officials in charge of river affairs. During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) governor of Shu prefecture Li Bing, ordered the building of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System in today's Sichuan province in Southwest China, which is a famous example of water conservancy and could be regarded as the precursor of the river chief system. The river chief system today is a management system for rivers and lakes and is linked to the accountability system of environment protection and performance evaluations of top officials. It was first implemented in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, in 2007 to solve the algae problem in Taihu Lake. Wuxi municipal authorities made the local chiefs at different levels the river chiefs, too, giving them the full responsibility of water and environmental management. The move proved a big success, as algae pollution is now a thing of the past. In 2012, the Jiangsu provincial authorities extended the river chief system to cover the entire province. The next year, the Zhejiang provincial authorities implemented it. And in 2015, the Ministry of Water Resources launched pilot river chief system programs nationwide. Although governments at all levels have made great efforts to control water pollution, the condition of China's water bodies has worsened over the past four decades. The quality of water in one-third of China's rivers is below the third level of the national water quality standard, mainly because local governments have failed to strike the right balance between economic development and environmental protection. Local governments used to sacrifice the environment for economic growth, and water management suffered from a lack of coordination. Comprehensive water management calls for unified management and control, but in reality environmental protection departments are in charge of tackling water pollution while water resources departments are responsible for managing water bodies. The river chief system is expected to break through this institutional barrier and build a unified management and control system. At the core of the river chief system is river and lake management, which is the responsibility of government heads. The river chief system will be established at the provincial, municipal, county and township levels, and the government heads of every province, autonomous region and municipality, by default, will be the general river chiefs. Besides, mayors and county heads will be responsible for the protection of water bodies in their administrative regions. The river chief system is a provincial-level unified management system that will facilitate better coordination among departments and thus strengthen water management. The system also has provisions for involving the public in water management and supervision through modern network technology and reporting platforms, which is an excellent example of China's social management. By making the Party chief the top water management official, too, in his or her administrative area, the authorities have ensured that the Party's advantages in terms of leadership and foresight are used to better protect the water bodies. Also, the system provides a mechanism for cross-regional water management by clearly defining a river's divisions into different administrative zones. To fully implement the river chief system nationwide, local authorities have to make sure the system operates as part of the current water management system. And the system would function more smoothly if the river chief directly coordinates with relevant departments to ensure rivers and lakes get full protection against pollutants and polluters. Alcohol ban [Zhao Tianqi / China Daily] On Sept 1, the provincial government of Guizhou in Southwest China said no alcoholic drinks will be served at official business receptions, making it the province to implement the strictest ban on alcohol since the central authorities tightened discipline supervision after the leadership with Xi Jinping as the core took office in 2012. The ban in Guizhou is remarkable because the province is home to the prestigious liquor brand Moutai and applies to all Party and government units that operate on taxpayers' money, including Party departments, various levels of governments, branches of the people's congress and people's political consultative conference, judicial departments, investigating and prosecuting wings, public institutions and State-owned enterprises. Although the prohibition order says some foreign affairs and investment-promotion activities can be exceptions, prior permission has to be sought from government department heads before serving alcohol at such events and the discipline inspection commission at the same level has to be informed about the matter. It also has detailed rules on the categories, volumes and prices of the alcoholic drinks that can be served on such occasions. It is almost predictable that alcohol will no longer flow at official business receptions in the province if the ban is strictly implemented. Statistics show the Chinese government's spending on receptions, cars and overseas business trips reached a record high in 2011. Although government spending on official receptions, foreign trips and cars has dropped markedly since 2012, the prohibition order in Guizhou is still remarkable. Previously, governments at the provincial, city, county and township levels decided to what extent they would implement the central authorities' prohibition order. And because of the lack of direct, effective supervision by the central authorities, the ban on alcohol was not strictly enforced, as the central discipline watchdogs have occasionally disclosed the "black list" of the violators. The Guizhou prohibition order reflects the further change in the mentality of provincial authorities as they have taken a stand in concurrence with the central authorities, making strict supervision clear to the lower-level authorities. The other important aspect of the ban on alcohol at official receptions in Guizhou is that the provincial authorities have supplemented the central authorities policy, which has some loopholes that some grassroots officials often take advantage of to consume, for example, expensive liquor in mineral water bottles in canteens instead of fancy restaurants. Guizhou's move redefines "official business activities", which includes almost all possible events which officials have occasion to attend during their career and senior officials use to consume as much "alcoholic drinks" as possible. Also, the Guizhou prohibition order makes it clear that senior officials will be held accountable for dereliction of duty if they do not discipline their subordinates who violate the rule, which is widely seen as one of the most potent clause that makes the ban order too powerful to ignore. But Guizhou's ban on alcohol at official business gatherings still has room for improvement, for instance, it can include public supervision of officials' behavior at business receptions to ensure they think twice before consuming in alcohol. Still, Guizhou has set an example for other provinces and regions to follow. Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-14 is pictured during its second test-fire in this undated picture provided by KCNA in Pyongyang on July 29, 2017. KCNA via Agencies The message was clear. As President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone on Wednesday, China remains "unswervingly committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, and preserving the international nuclear nonproliferation regime". The message was crucial, too, because it came at a time when the international community is racking its brain over how to respond to Pyongyang's latest, and most serious, nuclear provocation. The last thing Beijing wants to see is a warand the subsequent chaos and refugee exoduswhich, besides raising security and humanitarian concerns, would exact an unbearable cost on China's Northeast, which is already struggling economically. That Xi reiterated the belief that a long-term solution lies in dialogue and a "comprehensive" approach was only logical. And by highlighting Beijing's commitment to denuclearization and nonproliferation, Xi made it clear a nuclear-armed, saber-rattling Democratic People's Republic of Korea is as unacceptable as a war. Since the almost unavoidable heavy civilian toll a military approach is widely believed to result in has made forcefully disarming Pyongyang a non-option, non-military means remains the only agreeable way to reason with the DPRK, and draw all the parties to the negotiation table. China and Russia have proposed an ideal short-term tension-defusing solution: "dual suspension", meaning the United States and the Republic of Korea suspend their joint military drills in exchange for the DPRK halting its nuclear and missile adventure. The proposal is important because the concerned parties' deep-rooted mutual distrust, especially Pyongyang's belief in nuclear deterrence, could escalate tensions further leading to the catastrophic, yet avoidable, worstcase scenarioa military conflict. Strong protests from Beijing and Moscow failed to stop Seoul and Washington from deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the ROK. Four more launchers were installed in the wee hours of Thursday. Now, Seoul and Tokyo are considering introducing more powerful US "strategic assets", tactical nuclear weapons included. Should this pattern of escalation perpetuate, the resultant arms race in Northeast Asia could spiral out of control. Of course, more efforts should be made to discourage Pyongyang from making fresh trouble. But, as China said on Thursday, while the United Nations should take more action against the DPRK, it should also push for dialogue, even the revival of the Six-Party Talks. Perhaps the failure of even the severest sanctions to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program suggests something the world seems to have missed: until the DPRK is assured there is no threat to its security, it will continue its, at times desperate, attempts to possess nuclear weapons as deterrence against the US. So, if the Six-Party Talks is the means to a long-term solution to the peninsula crisis, addressing the DPRK's security concern could be the start of that process. A man experiences the pain of childbirth at a pain experience camp in Ji'nan, capital of East China's Shandong province, Nov 3, 2014. Volunteers attended the activity here on Monday to understand the hardness of childbirth. [Photo/Xinhua] ON AUG 31, Ma Rongrong, a 26-year-old pregnant woman jumped from the labor room on the fifth floor of First Hospital of Yulin in Yulin city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. Beijing News comments: Soon after Ma's death, the hospital posted a statement online, saying Ma had asked for a C-section because she could not bear the labor pain, but since her husband Yan Zhuangzhuang refused to sign the required document, the hospital could not perform the C-section, implying Yan was partly responsible for her death. Even though Yan later clarified that he had agreed for the C-section and the hospital did not heed his request, netizens criticized him for being indifferent to his wife's pain. On micro blog, China's equivalent to Twitter, many used abusive language against Yan and his family. That the netizens have jumped to a conclusion before the police have completed the investigation into the incident is disturbing. The only conclusion the police have reached is that it is not a case of murder. There is no solid evidence to suggest which side refused a C-section, so it is unfair to blame Yan for being coldblooded and causing Ma's death. The case reflects what has come to be known as "web hate", which is quite rampant in society. Whenever a serious incident happens, people try to find the "evil guy". But in many cases, the "evil guy" has turned out to be innocent, and thus a victim of the incident. The hospital acted irresponsibly by posting its statement online, because that was only its side of the story. As one party to the case, the hospital should not have tried to influence public opinion. Social network is prospering in China, but users need to learn how to be a good citizen and use it properly. The General Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a document recently saying local authorities should take measures to prevent students from dropping out of school at the compulsory education level. The goal is to ensure 95 percent of the children complete the nine-year compulsory education by 2020. The document requires the local authorities to establish a working mechanism to prevent dropouts, and help those students who have stopped attending class to go back to school. For example, the local authorities should improve the quality of education, by allotting the needed resources for compulsory education, and provide the necessary assistance to poor students. Also, employers have been warned to not hire juveniles below 16 years of age, and parents and statutory guardians advised to help children complete the nine-year compulsory education. The local authorities have also been urged to intensify poverty alleviation work, in order to ensure students from poverty-stricken families do not drop out of school, and make efforts to solve the transportation problems of rural students as well as guarantee compulsory education for children of migrant workers. Tourists visit the Baishi Mountain in Laiyuan county, Baoding city, Hebei province, on Sept 6. [Photo by Bi Nan/chinadaily.com.cn] The Baishi Mountain, which stands for the Whitestone Mountain, is named due to numerous white marbles, and the Baishi Mountain Geological National Park, located in Baoding, North China's Hebei province, is about 200 kilometers southwest of Beijing. As a national 5A-level scenic spot, the mountain is renowned for its sea of nearby clouds on overcast days, turning the area into a fairyland. The scenic area has also become well-known for its glass skywalks. The spot built in September 2014 features the longest, widest and highest glass skywalk nationwide, standing at an altitude of 1,900 meters. In August 2015, the scenic area opened another glass skywalk, standing at an altitude of 1,600 meters, which was also the first double-deck glass bridge in China. The scenic spot strives to forge a fusion of nature and culture, and had tried to build and maintain the reputation as a "love mountain". Tourists can see a range of landscapes related to love, as love proverbs such as "Though I am a person fear of height, I am willing to experience heartbeat on the glass skywalk with you" are printed on the footpaths. Some scenic spots, like a lover's bridge, are also designed to coincident with the theme of love. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier addresses a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, Sept 7, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] LONDON - The British government gave its first official response Thursday to a European position paper on the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. The future of the border is critical as once Britain leaves the European Union (EU) it will be the only land border between the UK and the bloc. Addressing the issue in Brussels, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Britain wanted to use Ireland as a test case for future UK-EU customs relationship, but Barnier added: "this will not happen". As he unveiled the EU paper on the Irish issue, Barnier referred to the British government's own position on future cross-border arrangements. Barnier said: "What I see in the UK's paper worries me. Creativity and flexibility cannot be at expense of integrity of the single market. This would not be fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union." He has called on Britain to come up with a unique solution to the border question. In response, the British government said unilateral flexibility by the UK would not be sufficient to meet the shared objectives. The government spokesman in London said: "We welcome the Commission's position paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, which continues to demonstrate that the UK and EU's objectives on this issue are closely aligned." "In particular, the commitment to avoid any physical infrastructure at the border is a very important step forward. As the UK's position paper set out, this is a crucial objective for the government, given the importance of the Northern Ireland peace process," the statement said. "We were clear in our position paper that the nature of the border means that an agreed, reciprocal solution must be found...we welcome the Commission's continued recognition of the need for flexible and imaginative solutions," it said. Theres a new cop on the beat and he speaks both German and Hungarian. Seth Howard is one of two new police officers that started at the Beatrice Police Department about a week ago, and while hes not as fluent as he might have once been, hes transformed his love of linguistics into a passion for policing. Howard was a police officer in Ames, Iowa for six years and a patrol officer in Dodge City, Iowa for three years before that. He moved to the Lincoln area last year and applied to be an officer in Beatrice. After written tests, physical tests and a series of interviews, Howard and Zach Smithwho will be profiled in the Daily Sun next weekwere brought on as the newest police officers in Beatrice after officer Christopher Whitfield left to work as a trainer for the U.S. Marshals Service and Doug Heminger returned to work in the prison system. Being a cop wasnt what Howard was originally planning on doing, however. He grew up in Illinois and spent his last two years of high school in Bakersfield, Calif. before attending Iowa State University where he earned a degree in German. He wasnt sure what he wanted to do professionally with his linguistics degree, but a major event changed his plans, he said. Languages were of real interest to me at the time, so I was kind of really thinking of some kind of linguistics degree, Howard said. But then after 9/11 happened, it really kind of got me thinking of more of a service-oriented career choice, so that's where I ended up after graduating. Service to the community was the biggest thing that drew Howard into police work, he said, which, Beatrice Police Department captain Gerald Lamkin said, is what they were looking for in their new officer. The department can get between 20 and 50 applicants for a single police officer position, Lamkin said. The Civil Service Committee narrowed the field of applicants down to a pool of six for the department to choose from. After interviews with the top brass and fellow officers, the two best fits were Howard and Smith, Lamkin said, who both had background in law enforcement. The ones that do make it, we feel really, really good about, Lamkin said. These two gentlemen, we feel real comfortable with. During his search for work, Howard said he got a good feeling from being in Beatrice. It reminded him of Dodge City, a place he loved working in, and the BPD made him feel at home. Seemed to me it was a kind of tight-knit, family department, Howard said. The department saw something in Howard as well, Lamkin said, as well as Smithwho came to the department from the Gage County Sheriffs Office. We look for those officers that have a passion, Lamkin said. Passion and integrity are not something that can be taught. So you look for those unique qualities in those that do apply. People gather on a street after an earthquake hit Mexico City, Mexico late September 7, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] MEXICO CITY -- At least nine people were killed in a powerful earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale that struck off Mexico's southern coast late Thursday, local authorities said.Seven people were killed when homes collapsed in the state of Chiapas, confirmed Jose Garcia, an official from the state's civil protection department.Another two were killed in the neighboring state of Tabasco, according to local authorities.The epicenter of the quake is 96 km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in Chiapas, at a depth of 33 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.The shock was also felt in the capital of Mexico City, where many people ran out of buildings onto the streets.People said the shock lasted for about dozens of seconds and the windows and beds in some building were shaking when the quake occurred.Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told local media that there were electrical outages but no reports of collapsed buildings or deaths.Firefighters and police have been on inspection tours around the capital to check for any damage caused by the quake.The southern Mexican state of Chiapas bordering Guatemala suffered severer damage than the capital according to pictures posted by Twitter users showing some houses collapsed or cracked.A picture posted by "Periodico Coleccion" on Twitter shows the severely damaged roof of a shopping mall in Chiapas, with part of it falling on the ground.Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said the national emergency-response system has been activated and instructions have been issued to local governments to undertake monitoring and rescue operations.The earthquake is the strongest in Mexico since 1985 when a magnitude-8.0 quake hit Mexico City that killed thousands of people and destroyed large parts of the capital. Three-way foreign ministers' meetings to be held with Pakistan, Afghanistan China, Pakistan and Afghanistan will hold their first joint foreign ministers' meeting this year as a way to establish a new platform for regional cooperation. "Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are important countries in the region. Cooperation will benefit both while confrontation can only hurt," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday in a joint news conference in Beijing with Khawaja Asif, his Pakistani counterpart. Asif embarked on his first trip abroad on Friday after being appointed foreign minister last month. "China values its relations with both countries and is working to help bridge the differences between them," Wang said. He said strategic communication, practical cooperation and security talks will be three key areas of discussion at the first trilateral foreign ministers' meeting. Last month, US President Donald Trump decided to deploy more soldiers to Afghanistan and alleged that "Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror". Wang said both China and Pakistan hope the US strategy will help Afghanistan reach long-lasting peace and stability while considering the reasonable security concerns of regional countries. "Terrorism is a global issue, and requires joint efforts from all. Instead of pointing fingers at each other, all sides should work together in a concerted way," he said. Wang defended Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts, saying that the huge sacrifices of the country's government and its people in the fight against terrorism "are obvious to all". "Global society should fully recognize it... and some countries should give Pakistan the credit it deserves," he said. "Pakistan is China's good brother and ironclad friend. No other country could understand Pakistan better than China," Wang added. Asif thanked China for firmly supporting the country in maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Pakistan will, as usual, stand with China on issues that involve China's core interests," he said. Asif added that his country will continue to fight the East Turkestan Islamic Movement terror organization and help maintain the security of both countries. Tang Mengsheng, director of the Pakistan Studies Center of Peking University, said that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism and the international community should impartially evaluate its efforts. "China, Pakistan and Afghanistan should push forward economic cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, thus helping to eliminate terrorism," he said. Zhou Jin contributed to this story. The Supreme Court will soon hear the case of Jack Phillips, the owner of Colorado-based Masterpiece Cakeshop, who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. Now, the Trump administration has come out in support of Phillips. Phillips lost his initial appeals case with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, but he then appealed his case to the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission in its fall term. Phillips case will be a pivotal one for religious freedom and gay marriage. His lawyer, Kristen Waggoner from the Alliance Defending Freedom, has argued that Nobody should be forced to choose between their profession and their faith. Phillips gladly serves anyone who walks into his store, but, as is customary practice for many artists, he declines opportunities to design for a variety of events and messages that conflict with his deeply held beliefs. In this case, Jack told the couple suing him he'd sell them anything in the store but just couldn't design a custom cake celebrating their wedding because of his Christian faith. Now, the U.S. Justice Department has urged the Supreme Court to side with Phillips. "Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights," Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall wrote in a brief, sent to the Court on behalf of the Justice Department. CNN Supreme Court analyst and University of Texas School of Law professor Steve Vladeck stated that, while it is not unusual for an administration to file an amicus brief with the Court in an important case such as Masterpiece, it is unprecedented for an administration to argue in favor of a constitutional exemption to antidiscrimination laws -- a constitutional right to discriminate. Phillips and his lawyers, however, argue that, at its core, the case is about religious freedom. Phillips also asserts that he would gladly serve members of the LGBT community; he simply draws a line at participating in a gay wedding ceremony by providing the cake. Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/AmberLaneRoberts Publication date: September 8, 2017 Australias High Court on Thursday ruled that a national postal vote to gauge public opinion on legalizing same-sex marriage could proceed as planned. The ballots are set to be mailed Sept 12. LGBT advocates challenged the survey, asserting the unusual measure (it is not required by law, and its results are not binding on legislators) violated appropriations rules. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull advocated for the vote as a way to let every Australian have their say on an important social issue. But LGBT leaders argued Parliament should vote on the issue without an unnecessary postal vote. Fundamental rights should never be put to a popular vote, said Elaine Pearson, the Australian director of Human Rights Watch. Pro-family groups called the vote a referendum on freedoms and radical LGBTQI sex education in schools. The Australian-based Coalition for Marriage is advocating for a no vote. Last week, the group released a national television ad featuring moms talking about compulsory LGBT school programsboys being told they can wear dresses and children being asked to role-play same-sex relationshipsarguing that in countries with legal gay marriage, parents lose their right to choose. The group also warned that legal same-sex marriage would threaten religious freedom. While the government said it would ensure clergy members were not forced to officiate same-sex services, the coalition said everyday Australians remained at risk. Concerns about the impacts of the redefinition of marriage go far beyond the wedding ceremony or even the freedoms of wedding service providers like florists, bakers and photographers, the group said on its website. It noted the effects of a change in law are also about whether religious schools will be allowed to continue teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, whether faith-based charities will retain their tax-exempt status, or whether religious organizations will be allowed to continue to hire people who agree to publicly support their ethos. Most major polls have found a majority of citizens plan to vote in the postal survey and a majority also support legalizing same-sex marriage. Results of the survey will be released Nov. 15, and the Australian Parliament plans to vote on the issue Dec. 7. Courtesy: WORLD News Service Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com Publication date: September 8, 2017 The Christian musical landscape includes dozens of widely known worship leaders and recording artists but comparatively few hymn writers. Of these, Keith and Kristyn Getty are preeminent. Their songs are enormously popular (over 40 million people sing In Christ Alone in church services each year, according to their website). And in June, Keithwho is from Northern Irelandbecame the first contemporary Christian musician to be honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, an award given by Queen Elizabeth II. Over the last decade, the Gettys have been leading seminars around the United States for pastors and ministers of music. This teaching work forms the foundation of their book Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church. Steve Guthrie, professor of theology at Belmont University (and head of the schools Religion and the Arts program), spoke with Keith about reinvigorating the Christian practice of singing, in congregations and families alike. With so many difficult issues facing the church today, why give special attention to congregational singing? As evangelicals, we take the Bible as our authority. And when we look at the Bible, we find that, actually, the second most common command is to sing. It wouldnt come up that often if it werent extremely important to God. Yet when Kristyn and I started studying this, we realized we couldnt find good books on singing for ordinary people. In 2013, we did a series of leadership lunches where we would ask the participants: Whats the first question you ask about music in church? And we got a whole range of answers, from production to musical style to personality to presentation. But ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. The Gage County Sheriffs Office reported that scammers targeted a couple in Beatrice this week and tried to convince the couple to pay $2,000. A caller claiming to be their grandson told them hed been in jail following an accident and needed the money for bail. The couple didnt fall for the scam and contacted the Gage County Sheriff. Its called the grandparent scam, and its fairly common, according to investigator Tim Hanson. A caller will dial a phone numbertypically a landline, as those numbers are easier to find onlineand start off the call by saying either grandma or grandpa, depending on the gender of the person answering, Hanson said. Usually, the person on the receiving end will guess the grandchild calling them, and the scammer will play that role, typically saying theyve been arrested for one reason or another. They'll come up with some sob story about how they're totally innocent, Hanson said. They went to give a friend a ride and the friend got stopped and had drugs on him, and they arrested both of them, and now they need money. Or they were in an accident and they were ticketed and he needs x-amount of money to get out of jail. The scammers will most often ask the person on the other end to send a wire transfer to Wal-mart, typically in an amount that seems like a reasonable amount of bond money, Hanson said. While the idea that a law enforcement department would ask for money to be wired to another location might seem preposterous, Hanson said he has seen numerous people fall for it. I've had cases throughout my career, especially the last five to six years, where they've sent a couple thousand or $500, whatever they could think to get out of them, he said. One lady sent $30,000--in cash--on three separate occasions. Scammers will look for a name that would be associated with someone from an older generation, Hanson said. For instance, he said, the name Mabel wouldnt be a common name for someone born in the 1980s. The good news, Hanson said, is that people have started recognizing the scams for what they are in recent years, thanks to reading reports in the newspaper or on the sheriffs office website. Generally, they recognize right away, he said. The number of actual victims that suffer monetary loss has gone way down because they read about it in the paper. Arresting the scammers is fairly difficult, he said, as its almost never a local person pulling the scam. People will send credit card information or even gift cards to places like California, Florida, Oregon and Connecticut. Scammers often try to conceal their identities by using caller ID spoofing technology to make it appear that the call is coming from a local number or even the number of a county officials office. The key to avoiding these types of scams is to be skeptical and make sure its true, Hanson said. Hang up the phone, call the grandchild who the caller claims to be and make sure he or she is not in trouble. Hanson also suggested calling the local law enforcement agency. The simple thing is, nothing ever requires you to make an immediate decision, Hanson said. If you need to take an hour and talk to an investigator or a Beatrice police officer or Gage County sheriff, give one of them a call and one of us will get back in touch with you. I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up. I, Amy, am often asked why I became a historical theologian of early Christianitywhat it was that gripped my imagination and pricked my desire to contribute to the 2,000-year-old conversation by Christians speaking about God. For me it was sitting in an undergraduate class and hearing about the controversial second-century prophetesses Priscilla and Maximilla. All of a sudden my charismatic tradition, which before had seemed to me to be a novel force for mobilizing the church, had a history beyond the New Testament. Almost 15 years later and on the cusp of doctoral work, I was approached by Sarah, a 20-year-old pastors daughter, after a service at my small urban church in Aurora, Illinois. She asked, What is my role now in the church as a single, young adult woman? Where do I fit? I knew Sarah well, and her earnest question confirmed that part of my journey as a theologian was to answer her question and to tell some stories about women in early Christianity and how they were instrumental in constructing the church and its teachings. In graduate school in the 1980s, I, Lynn, read Julian of Norwichs Showings; I was pregnant with my first child. The juxtaposition is important, for Julians vision includes a rich reflection on Christ as our Mother. This 14th century anchorite gave me my first glimpse of womens influence and authority in the life of the church. I wanted to investigate more and plunged into the church fathers work. If reading Julians Showings was like a walk in a gentle summer rain, then Tertullians hateful comment, Woman is the devils gateway, stung like hail in a thunderstorm. I decided to abandon the exploration for a time, ... 1 'Leaving Mormonism' -- New Book Explains Why Four Christian Scholars Left Contact: Sheryl Young, Media Outreach Coordinator, 813-486-8594, sherylyoung@ratiochristi.org INDIAN TRIAL, N.C., Sept. 8, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ratio Christi Campus Apologetics Alliance announces the forthcoming publication of the book Leaving Mormonism: Why Four Scholars Changed their Minds, co-edited by Ratio Christi's president, Dr. Corey Miller, and Lynn Wilder; written by Miller, Wilder, Vince Eccles, and Latayne C. Scott. The book is published under the Ratio Christi Books imprint division of Kregel Publications and will be released to the public on November 21. The Amazon pre-order page can be found here. Leaving Mormonism (#leavingmormonism) offers the academic expertise and personal experience of four ex-Mormons who explain why the Church of Latter-Day Saints proved to be intellectually and spiritually deficient for them and others. No previous book has pooled the collective wisdom of people who are former members of the Mormon church and who also possess the highest academic credentials. Speaking to both the heart and mind, the four contributors share their stories of leaving the LDS church and their well-considered reasons for doing so. All four scholars now embrace biblical Christianity and recognize Jesus as Messiah. Miller holds a Ph.D. in philosophical theology and teaches philosophy and comparative religions at Indiana University. He leads Ratio Christi, a global campus ministry dedicated to equipping faculty and students with scientific, philosophical, and historical evidence for following Jesus Christ. See his one-minute video about the book. Wilder holds a Ph.D. in education and was previously a tenured professor at Brigham Young University. She and her husband cofounded Ex-Mormon Christians United for Jesus. She has mentored thousands of students, written sixty scholarly publications, and now teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University. Vince Eccles is a research scientist at Utah State University with a doctorate in physics. Latayne C. Scott holds a doctorate in biblical studies and is the award-winning author of more than seventeen books, including one in print for nearly thirty years. Dr. Miller states, "Our hope is that our words will be respectfully, honestly, and openly considered with both mind and heart" ... "The spirit motivating Leaving Mormonism was one of urgent concern for those we love about a future that goes well beyond this life." President of Southern Evangelical Seminary Richard Land, Ph.D., writes in the book's Foreword: "Drs. Miller and Wilder explain the unique tenor of the book, which is not mean-spirited or hostile to Mormons as people." Members of the media can arrange interviews with Drs. Miller and/or Wilder by contacting Sheryl Young, Ratio Christi Media Outreach Coordinator, sherylyoung@ratiochristi.org or (813) 486-8594. Share Tweet Life Legal Files Joint Amicus Brief with SCOTUS in Masterpiece Cakeshop Case WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2017 / As you may be aware, the Masterpiece case involves a baker who was asked to create a cake for the wedding of a same-sex couple. The baker, Jack Phillips, said he could not use his artistic talents to give approval to a marriage that violated his religious beliefs. In response, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission said Phillips' religious beliefs were illegal and prohibited him from designing any wedding cakes, which resulted in the loss of 40% of his business. The Commission imposed draconian reporting requirements on Phillips, forcing him to provide a detailed account of the reasons for any orders he declines. So why would Life Legal, a pro-life law firm, file a Supreme Court brief in support of a baker? If the State of Colorado can destroy Phillips' business because he chooses not to use his skills to create a product that expresses the state's sentiment on a controversial issue, what is to stop a state from forcing any professional to violate his or her deeply held belief in furtherance of the state's viewpoint? Our concern is that the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is "likely to have rapid and lasting impact on the rights of medical professionals to practice their professions consistently with their consciences and the teachings of their faiths on issues of life and deathor indeed to practice their professions at all." "Masterpiece Cakeshop has enormous implications for the First Amendment rights of everyone in the workplace, especially those whose deeply held beliefs require them to opt out of certain practices," said Life Legal Defense Foundation Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. "We have seen increasing pressure on health care professionals, in particular, to perform or facilitate abortions or risk losing their livelihoods. Life Legal trusts that the Supreme Court will adhere to precedent in guarding First Amendment freedoms, including protections against laws compelling speech and activities that violate religious and conscience objections." Link to brief: About Life Legal Defense Foundation Life Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit Share Tweet Contact: Alexandra Snyder, Life Legal Defense Foundation , 202-717-7371WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Life Legal has collaborated with the Bioethics Defense Fund in an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court yesterday in Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The brief was written on behalf of the American College of Pediatricians and other pro-life health professionals.As you may be aware, the Masterpiece case involves a baker who was asked to create a cake for the wedding of a same-sex couple. The baker, Jack Phillips, said he could not use his artistic talents to give approval to a marriage that violated his religious beliefs. In response, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission said Phillips' religious beliefs were illegal and prohibited him from designing any wedding cakes, which resulted in the loss of 40% of his business. The Commission imposed draconian reporting requirements on Phillips, forcing him to provide a detailed account of the reasons for any orders he declines.So why would Life Legal, a pro-life law firm, file a Supreme Court brief in support of a baker?If the State of Colorado can destroy Phillips' business because he chooses not to use his skills to create a product that expresses the state's sentiment on a controversial issue, what is to stop a state from forcing any professional to violate his or her deeply held belief in furtherance of the state's viewpoint?Our concern is that the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is "likely to have rapid and lasting impact on the rights of medical professionals to practice their professions consistently with their consciences and the teachings of their faiths on issues of life and deathor indeed to practice their professions at all.""Masterpiece Cakeshop has enormous implications for the First Amendment rights of everyone in the workplace, especially those whose deeply held beliefs require them to opt out of certain practices," said Life Legal Defense Foundation Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. "We have seen increasing pressure on health care professionals, in particular, to perform or facilitate abortions or risk losing their livelihoods. Life Legal trusts that the Supreme Court will adhere to precedent in guarding First Amendment freedoms, including protections against laws compelling speech and activities that violate religious and conscience objections."Link to brief: lifelegaldefense.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/16-111-tsac-amer-coll-of-pediatricians.pdf About Life Legal Defense FoundationLife Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org home World Christian children in Sudan's refugee camp forced to recite Islamic prayers before receiving food Christian children at refugee camps in Sudan are not being provided with food unless they recite Islamic prayers, sources have told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). A source, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told ACN that Christian refugees from South Sudan are "in a terrible situation" in refugee camps in Sudan. "We have heard stories where children are conditioned to say Islamic prayers before [being] given food. This is not right. These children are Christian. They should be respected for that," the ACN source said, as reported by Independent Catholic News. The source has estimated that there are as many as 700,000 South Sudanese Christian refugees in Sudan, adding that many are confined to the camps and not allowed to go further north to the cities. Another report received by ACN indicated that refugee families are having a hard time surviving on food provided by the government. Parents are forced to seek provisions in the local market because a monthly food parcel for a family only lasts for a little more than two weeks. Some of the items provided by U.N. are sold in the market, and many still bear the logos of UNICEF or UNHCR. ACN's source further explained that the Sudanese government had blocked the efforts of charities who are providing emergency assistance to refugees at the camp. "We have heard the story that the government does not allow any other agencies to give support including the Church agencies. The government knows very well that the Church is the body in the world that supports enormously the needy around the world. The Muslim community have a charity, so the Christians have a charity, so that possibility should be given so that the people are supported," he said. Dr. John Newton, who works with ACN, said he hopes that the refugee children would not be conditioned into abandoning Christianity. He called on other Christians to pray for peace and stability in South Sudan so that the refugees can return to their homes and resume their lives as they were before the conflict started. The conflict in South Sudan stems from a feud between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. The feud became a full-blown inter-ethnic war in 2013, when soldiers loyal to Kiir's Dinka tribe clashed with rebels aligned with Machar's Nuer tribe in villages and towns. According to the UNHCR, as many as 1 million South Sudanese refugees have fled across the border into northern Uganda since the start of the conflict. It has been estimated that 60 percent of the refugees are children, many of whom are unaccompanied minors who have suffered violence. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Longtime Conroe attorney R.A. "Mickey" Deison holds a distinction that no one else in the county's history can claim. Deison is the only person who has served as Conroe's mayor and as the county judge for Montgomery County. Additionally, he is also the last county judge who was an attorney and served as an officer of the court in his term. He's spent a lifetime helping shape and better the community through his work in various organizations like the Montgomery County Fair Association, Chamber of Commerce, Conroe Noon Kiwanis Club and many more. His interest in the county's economic future also lead to expansions at the Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport where the control tower is named in his honor and the development of Deison Technology Park meant to attract new business to Conroe. Early life Deison was born in May 1931 in Austin. His father, R.A. Deison Sr., was a Presbyterian minister. His father and mother, Helen Kirk Deison, were both from the Austin area. Deison was one of seven children in the family including Peter, David, Rebecca, Patsy, Betty and Diane. The Deison family moved to Houston in 1934 for Deison Sr. to pastor at Northside Presbyterian. As a part of those duties, he often visited a church in Old Waverly. According to "Mickey" Deison, at the time, the only way to get to Old Waverly was to go through Conroe so he became acquainted with some of the folks in Conroe. "Mickey" Deison, 86, recalls the first time he came to Conroe was in 1939 when the Presbyterian church was being built on San Jacinto Street. He remembers he was a boy at the time, and found the construction area a good place for playing make believe and envisioning robbers and Indians. The family then moved to Dallas and later back to Austin when Deison Sr. suffered a heart attack. On June 1, 1948, Deison Sr. became the pastor at the Presbyterian church in Conroe. "Mickey" Deison however stayed in Austin to finish high school, living with his grandmother. Deison spent a year at Austin College and a year at the University of Texas before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Military service Deison enlisted because he thought he was going to be drafted. Given the choice he selected the U.S. Navy. "I thought the Navy was a much better approach than the infantry," he said. And those three years he served in the Korean War from 1951 to 1954 were quite eye-opening for the young college student. "It was the first time I was away from home in my life," he said. "I got to know a lot of people from different parts of the country that I would not have known. Living on a ship in close quarters, it forced you to get to know the people that you're serving with." The ship he was on carried a British Commando unit. The unit's mission was to disrupt transportation in Korea. Another mission of Deison's ship was to carry prisoners from the western coast of Korea to an island, Koje-Do, where they were being held. One of his most vivid memories was once when the ship was sitting in Wonsan Harbor, it was shelled by the enemy. His quartermaster had a cigar in his mouth and when the first shell hit, the man bit through his cigar and swallowed it. The ship was able to quickly cut away as a destroyer moved in to return fire. And Deison just so happened to return to the US with a Conroe soldier. "There was a small crew on the ship, about 150, so it would have been unusual for two people from Conroe to serve on the same ship," Deison said. But there was. His name was Walter Schroeder. The two had an arrangement. As they were coming into port in San Diego, they would make arrangements to have one of their cars serviced and ready for the trip back to Conroe. They'd only get 10 to 12 days leave, so they'd take turns driving back to Conroe from San Diego. They did that several times during their service. Deison completed his service in the fall of 1954, receiving a variety of accolades from the Navy. Education and family life It was Deison's intention to return to school in Austin, but the girl he was interested in, Justine Calfee, was a Conroe native and she had some words of advice for him. She encouraged him to start back at school at Sam Houston State University just to get the hang of it again, then he could opt to return to Austin if he wished. They both enrolled in SHSU and were married Dec. 21, 1957 in Conroe. As they settled down in an apartment in Conroe, Deison began work as an accountant for Humble Oil Company while Justine taught school. He later worked for General Crude Oil Company, but from a young age, he'd always felt a calling in law. He started law school at the University of Houston, but switched over to South Texas College of Law when he discovered others from the Conroe area were attending there. He received his law degree on May 28, 1966. He set up a practice in the old Houston First Savings Building where he officed with several other people, including Henry Brooks from The Woodlands. Deison knew that he wanted to move the practice back to Conroe though and the family moved back to Conroe in 1967. He was joined by partners Mathis Kinney and Gordon Redd. They remodeled an old building on the corner of 101 Simonton Street as an office. Deison moved his office and became a partner at the building called the Conroe Central Complex at I-45 and FM 2854 which is today known as the Louisiana Pacific building. His law office was there from 1974 to 1990 when he moved into his current office at 307 N. San Jacinto in downtown Conroe. George Gordon moved his practice up from Houston in the early 1990s to become a partner in the business. Deison, who practices a lot of real estate and probate law, is celebrating 50 years of practicing law in Conroe in 2017 and said it's his clients and the people he's met that he's enjoyed all this years. At 86, Deison said he still enjoys coming in to the office. Entering the political arena "In 1970, I got a wild hair about politics and decided to run for mayor," Deison said. The previous mayor was also the fire chief and as a growing city, Deison and others felt the it was time for a new vision and direction for the city that wasn't so tied into the fire department. Deison was elected mayor and served two terms from 1971 to 1974. Deison brought a restructuring to the administration of the city and hired a city manager. During his terms, the city also addressed east/west traffic and designated Davis and Phillips streets as one-way sections through downtown. A shooting at the city jail of a black man by a white police officer was a jarring event that brought about change in the community during his term. Deison said the shooting opened up a lot more contact between the black community and the city and he got to know some of the leaders like Rev. John Davis. He was also in office as The Woodlands was in formation and opened in South Montgomery County. A friend of his, Jim McAlister, wanted Deison to come meet with oilman George Mitchell. They met at the Houston Club and Mitchell laid out his plans to develop The Woodlands. Mitchell relayed specific directions to Deison. He wanted Deison to go back to the city council and have the city drop all of the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). He wanted to bring it all under Houston's ETJ. "I told him, 'If I do that, I'll never be able to run for public office in Conroe again'," Deison said. The matter ended up in a lawsuit and resulted in the creation of Shenandoah as a city in 1974. Deison left his term of mayor early as pressing business needs with the Louisiana Pacific building arose. He had no intention of returning to politics. Then, when Lynn Coker left the county judge seat to take a district judge's seat, county commissioners sought out Deison to finish the term, which he did, with one additional term serving in total from 1977 to 1982. Like Coker before him, as an attorney, Deison served as an officer of the court and ruled on probate and civil commitment cases. He found it created a conflict with his law business, and eventually left his term early to rebuild his law practice. During his term as county judge, Deison was also Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in 1979. Conroe's economic future Deison has always been an avid pilot who loved to fly, calling the Conroe airport his second home. Once while working on a deal for Louisiana Pacific, he and another attorney flew a jet up to Ohio to get the deal met on a deadline. On their return, they discovered Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston had severe weather. They wanted to land in Conroe, but there was no control tower and the runway was not long enough. His wife had to come and pick him up from the Houston airport. Deison knew to attract new business to Conroe, Conroe's airport would need improvements and expansions. He was on an airport advisory board that saw improvements like a new control tower and expansion of the runways. In 2016 a customs facility opened there and the regional airport is more popular than ever. Another part of the economic vision was having new businesses set up shop in Conroe. The plan was to attract higher-end businesses where the employees would establish homes in the community. The 248-acre Deison Technology Park opened on FM 1484 on May 29, 2013 with Deison making remarks before a ribbon cutting. Visit www.deisontechnologypark.com for more on the project. Family life Deison is the father of two daughters, Dana and Taylor, and one son, Michael and five grandchildren. He enjoys traveling with his children and grandchildren. He's also supportive of his second wife Suzan Deison's work with the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce, a group of which she is the founder, President and CEO. Actor Blake Heron, star of the beloved movie "Shiloh," was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. According to TMZ, his girlfriend found him and called the paramedics, who tried to revive Heron for 40 minutes before pronouncing him dead at the scene. As Friendswood lifts the curfew designed to prevent looting in flood-affected areas at 6 a.m. Sept. 7, the city's police remind residents that the aftermath of a natural disaster and the process of rebuilding can bring new problems. "Scams that follow a disaster like Hurricane Harvey include shady contractors looking to make fast money off rebuilding homes and the dishonest sale of flood-damaged cars," according to a department bulletin. "Keep your guard up, Friendswood. You are vulnerable, so be suspicious." Residents can report fraud and price gouging to the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection hotline, 800-621-0508. BURGLARY A power saw and other tools were stolen between Aug. 28 and Aug. 30 from a residence in the 4300 block of Saffron Lane, according to an Aug. 31 police report. Authorities consider the burglary a looting incident. A burglary was reported Sept. 1 in the 2000 block of Pine Drive following a disturbance between two brothers. One of the brothers told police he entered the home through the garage to check for flood damage and wait for his mother. He reportedly took his father's gun and walked outside. His brother then struck him with a stun gun and took the father's gun back, police said. Residents who evacuated their home for Hurricane Harvey Aug. 24 in the 400 block of Castlelake Drive returned Aug. 31 to find the interior garage door unlocked, according to a Sept. 3 police report. Inside the home, jewelry boxes were missing from the master bedroom. Two Yeti coolers and a pistol were stolen from an unlocked truck Sept. 1 in the 400 block of South Shadowbend Avenue, according to a Sept. 3 police report. A smash-and-grab vehicle burglary was reported Sept. 3 at Friendship Haven, 1500 Sunset Drive, police said. A purse and jewelry were stolen. Jewelry was stolen from a home Sept. 3 or Sept. 4 in the 16900 block of Stardale Lane, police said. The resident, who evacuated her home because of rising flood waters, told police she suspects a family member. When a resident returned to her home in the 15500 block of Wandering Trail to check the progress of renovations, she discovered the back door had been kicked in, according to a Sept. 4 police report. Nothing was stolen from the flood-damaged home, and the residence was secured. ASSAULT Police investigated an alleged assault Aug. 31 in the 1300 block of Crawford Drive. A 55-year-old female patient punched a nurse at First Choice Emergency Clinic, 225 E. Parkwood Ave., according to a Sept. 1 police report. The patient, in pain, was verbally abusive toward staff and demanded a specific opioid medication, police said. When the nurse refused, the patient attempted to leave with her IV line. She reportedly pushed and spit on the nurse. Friendswood EMS transported the patient to a local hospital. NARCOTICS Police charged a Pearland man, 21, with possession of a controlled substance after observing him driving erratically Sept. 4 in the 600 block of West Edgewood Avenue. A search of the vehicle yielded marijuana, cocaine and alprazolam, police said. Bond was set at $5,000. DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED A Rosharon man, 28, was charged with DWI after he was seen driving dangerously Sept. 3 in the 2400 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test but agreed to provide a blood specimen. PUBLIC INTOXICATION An 18-year-old Pearland man was charged with purchasing alcohol for minors following a party Sept. 1 in the 900 block of Glenlea Court, police said. Officers broke up the party and reportedly observed cans and bottles of beer through the house as well as an unresponsive partygoer. Bond was set at $1,500. Three girls were released to adults and issued citations for underage drinking. Police charged an Alvin man, 24, with public intoxication after he reportedly was found covered in vomit and sleeping in a vehicle Sept. 2 at a Citgo station in the 1500 block of FM 528. Police charged a Friendswood man, 24, with unlawful carrying of weapons after he reportedly fell off a bicycle into traffic in the 900 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He exhibited signs of intoxication and was taken into custody, police said. An officer found a firearm in the man's backpack; he does not possess a license to carry, police said. Police charged a Bacliff man, 41, with public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia after he reportedly was observed driving suspiciously through the parking lots of closed businesses Sept. 3 in the 700 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He had a meth pipe in the seat of his vehicle, police said. THEFT A kayak was stolen from the intersection of Bay Area Boulevard and FM 528, according to a Sept. 1 police report. The owner, reportedly assisting with water rescues during Hurricane Harvey's flooding, secured the kayak with ropes to the back of his truck. Afterward, his truck was towed, but the kayak was gone. The kayak is described as a light blue Hobie Outback with a single black seat and a black storage compartment. TRAFFIC Police said they intend to charge a driver with failure to stop and give information after a hit-and-run collision Aug. 31 in the 16700 block of Blackhawk Boulevard. Officers found the suspect vehicle in the 17200 block of Townes Road, and the driver reportedly admitted involvement in the crash. The driver of a gray Ford Mustang hit a tree Sept. 2 in the 2300 block of Taylor Sky Lane and left car parts all over the yard, police said. As Friendswood lifts the curfew designed to prevent looting in flood-affected areas at 6 a.m. Sept. 7, the city's police remind residents that the aftermath of a natural disaster and the process of rebuilding can bring new problems. "Scams that follow a disaster like Hurricane Harvey include shady contractors looking to make fast money off rebuilding homes and the dishonest sale of flood-damaged cars," according to a department bulletin. "Keep your guard up, Friendswood. You are vulnerable, so be suspicious." Residents can report fraud and price gouging to the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection hotline, 800-621-0508. BURGLARY A power saw and other tools were stolen between Aug. 28 and Aug. 30 from a residence in the 4300 block of Saffron Lane, according to an Aug. 31 police report. Authorities consider the burglary a looting incident. A burglary was reported Sept. 1 in the 2000 block of Pine Drive following a disturbance between two brothers. One of the brothers told police he entered the home through the garage to check for flood damage and wait for his mother. He reportedly took his father's gun and walked outside. His brother then struck him with a stun gun and took the father's gun back, police said. Residents who evacuated their home for Hurricane Harvey Aug. 24 in the 400 block of Castlelake Drive returned Aug. 31 to find the interior garage door unlocked, according to a Sept. 3 police report. Inside the home, jewelry boxes were missing from the master bedroom. Two Yeti coolers and a pistol were stolen from an unlocked truck Sept. 1 in the 400 block of South Shadowbend Avenue, according to a Sept. 3 police report. A smash-and-grab vehicle burglary was reported Sept. 3 at Friendship Haven, 1500 Sunset Drive, police said. A purse and jewelry were stolen. Jewelry was stolen from a home Sept. 3 or Sept. 4 in the 16900 block of Stardale Lane, police said. The resident, who evacuated her home because of rising flood waters, told police she suspects a family member. When a resident returned to her home in the 15500 block of Wandering Trail to check the progress of renovations, she discovered the back door had been kicked in, according to a Sept. 4 police report. Nothing was stolen from the flood-damaged home, and the residence was secured. ASSAULT Police investigated an alleged assault Aug. 31 in the 1300 block of Crawford Drive. A 55-year-old female patient punched a nurse at First Choice Emergency Clinic, 225 E. Parkwood Ave., according to a Sept. 1 police report. The patient, in pain, was verbally abusive toward staff and demanded a specific opioid medication, police said. When the nurse refused, the patient attempted to leave with her IV line. She reportedly pushed and spit on the nurse. Friendswood EMS transported the patient to a local hospital. NARCOTICS Police charged a Pearland man, 21, with possession of a controlled substance after observing him driving erratically Sept. 4 in the 600 block of West Edgewood Avenue. A search of the vehicle yielded marijuana, cocaine and alprazolam, police said. Bond was set at $5,000. DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED A Rosharon man, 28, was charged with DWI after he was seen driving dangerously Sept. 3 in the 2400 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test but agreed to provide a blood specimen. PUBLIC INTOXICATION An 18-year-old Pearland man was charged with purchasing alcohol for minors following a party Sept. 1 in the 900 block of Glenlea Court, police said. Officers broke up the party and reportedly observed cans and bottles of beer through the house as well as an unresponsive partygoer. Bond was set at $1,500. Three girls were released to adults and issued citations for underage drinking. Police charged an Alvin man, 24, with public intoxication after he reportedly was found covered in vomit and sleeping in a vehicle Sept. 2 at a Citgo station in the 1500 block of FM 528. Police charged a Friendswood man, 24, with unlawful carrying of weapons after he reportedly fell off a bicycle into traffic in the 900 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He exhibited signs of intoxication and was taken into custody, police said. An officer found a firearm in the man's backpack; he does not possess a license to carry, police said. Police charged a Bacliff man, 41, with public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia after he reportedly was observed driving suspiciously through the parking lots of closed businesses Sept. 3 in the 700 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He had a meth pipe in the seat of his vehicle, police said. THEFT A kayak was stolen from the intersection of Bay Area Boulevard and FM 528, according to a Sept. 1 police report. The owner, reportedly assisting with water rescues during Hurricane Harvey's flooding, secured the kayak with ropes to the back of his truck. Afterward, his truck was towed, but the kayak was gone. The kayak is described as a light blue Hobie Outback with a single black seat and a black storage compartment. TRAFFIC Police said they intend to charge a driver with failure to stop and give information after a hit-and-run collision Aug. 31 in the 16700 block of Blackhawk Boulevard. Officers found the suspect vehicle in the 17200 block of Townes Road, and the driver reportedly admitted involvement in the crash. The driver of a gray Ford Mustang hit a tree Sept. 2 in the 2300 block of Taylor Sky Lane and left car parts all over the yard, police said. Arizona businessmen Deon Nikolich and Stewart Meadows put a call out to their community for donations to help those who lost their homes to flooding in Kingwood. From a simple Facebook post, word spread quickly about the effort and Arizona residents came from miles away to drop off donations of everything from water to baby supplies. They accumulated approximately 250 to 300, cases of water, a large stock of food, toiletries, clothing, baby supplies and many other items. They loaded everything into a trailer and took off toward Kingwood. "The final thing that put me over was watching my friends' live feed when they went back into their house and they were opening their cabinets, closets, pantry and just seeing everything covered with mud," Nikolich said. "That's what made us realize these people really need everything. Anything we can get them, they need it." Nikolich and Meadows left their businesses, homes and families in Arizona to embark on what they intended to be a three-day mission to Kingwood. "Deon knows a couple that live in the back of Kingwood that got flooded out," said Allyson Mansfield, director of Showcase Kingwood. "They told him that their community got torn up and he said, 'Well, I've got a big trailer, we'll come and bring some stuff.'" Due to the large outpouring of donations, their trailer was overloaded, but they were determined to not leave behind any of the supplies. Then, on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 3 a.m., they experienced what would be the first of multiple tire blow-outs. They eventually ended up stuck in El Paso for Sunday and Labor Day, until they were finally able to acquire the materials needed to fix their tire. "It was a pretty hard trip," Meadows said. "I've learned I'm very quick at changing trailer tires now." As they were getting ready to depart from El Paso, they were approached by a local news station that did a story on their efforts. Once again, it was social media that had helped spread the word about their endeavor. After their long journey, they arrived in Kingwood on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Word of their undertaking had reached Mansfield, who is the director of Showcase Kingwood. She helped coordinate the effort to spread the word, get volunteers and set-up the donation station. On Wednesday morning, Sept. 7, a group of volunteers showed up in the parking lot of the old H-E-B at West Lake Houston Parkway and Kingwood Drive, and together they all helped set up and distribute the supplies to Kingwood residents in need. "It is inspiring," said Rebecca Roddy, who was volunteering at the event. "I hope people here in Houston see this and say, 'Wow, they came all the way from Arizona what can I do to help?' To see people coming here for people they don't even know, it's beautiful. It really is." Several of the volunteers at the event had heard of the effort through social media, and had never met each other prior to this. "I didn't know Allyson before this, but I didn't know a lot of people before this," said Mary Ellen Waskow, volunteer. "There's a lot of outreach going on in the community, and you can plug in anywhere. There's plenty of need. This is a way of reaching out to help others in the community." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tropic Storm Harvey caused vast damages to Lone Star College-Kingwood due to flooding. LSC-Kingwood hosted a news conference on Friday, Sept. 8. Six of the campus' buildings received first-floor flooding, including Classroom Buildings A and B, the Library, Health Science Building, Fitness and Training Center and the Performing Arts Center. The campus' Administration Building, Student Conference Center and Music Instructional Building did not receive flood damage. "In six of the nine buildings it flooded," said Katherine Persson, LSC-Kingwood president. "Ninety percent of what's on the downstairs floor that flooded is lost. Estimates from the insurance companies that have been here say it's over $10 million." The flooded buildings will be unusable for a majority of the semester, but the college has begun restoration activities. Persson said the hope is the campus may be reopened by January. "It will depend on how fast we get construction crews in to repair the damage to the first floors," Persson said. "And, we're competing with everybody else in Houston getting workers and materials. If we were the only ones who flooded, I'd feel confident we'd be in by January classes. That's what we're shooting for." Persson said they are working on an ambitious timeline to get things organized. Within the week following Wednesday, Sept. 6, the campus will work to make adjustments to most 16-week classes, originally scheduled to begin Aug. 28, to 12-week classes that are now scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 25. Additionally, a majority of the courses will need to be converted to online and hybrid classes. Personnel are working to determine which courses will need to be converted and planning how to do so. "We know our students are stressed out, too, and many are facing a lot of obstacles due to the flood, with either their immediate families, or their relatives or their neighbors," Persson said. "We'll work with our students. And, if any start and feel like they can't do it, we'll drop them and refund them." Personnel are also working to determine in which of four locations face-to-face and hybrid classes will be held. The four locations include the LSC-Kingwood SCC and MUS building, the Atascocita Center, the EMCID building in New Caney, and a leased building in between LSC-Kingwood and EMCID. Any classes offered at other sites will be communicated to the students registered for those classes. Sept. 9 is the deadline for class schedule changes for courses on other campuses. LSC-Kingwood acknowledged that some students may not prefer online courses. Online and in-person support services will be available for students taking online classes. In-person support can be accessed at the main college campus, Atascocita Center and EMCID complex. "We're having to switch about 900 of our 1,275 classes to online or hybrid, so it involves getting faculty trained, and asking students if they need computers, and reaching out to other agencies," Persson said. "We should have our revised schedule out next week, and then, starting the week of Sept. 18 - a week before classes start - they can come in and change schedules if it's not doable with location changes and online." Faculty have been instructed to reach out to students to inquire about students' needs for these courses, with particular attention to whether or not a student has access to a computer with internet. LSC-Kingwood is attempting to coordinate vanpools for students experiencing issues with transportation, but nothing official has been organized yet. Students are asked to communicate transportation issues to faculty members. The week of Sept. 11 is the earliest LSC-Kingwood can release a revised fall class schedule. The college is prepared to work with students on schedule changes to accommodate any format or location alterations made to classes in which they had been registered. These services will be available online and in-person at the main campus SCC building, Atascocita Center, or at one of the sister LSC colleges beginning Sept. 18. Throughout this process, LSC-Kingwood is in collaboration with several local entities, including the Kindred Rehabilitation Center, First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, Kingwood Music School, Atascocita United Methodist Church, Harris County Sheriff's Office and Farouk Systems. For information and updates, visit www.lonestar.edu/kingwood. To register for classes online, visit www.lonestar.edu/registration. Gov. Pete Ricketts has nominated John Bolduc, who has served as police chief for the port of San Diego, to be the next superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. Ricketts introduced Bolduc, who must be approved by the Legislature after it convenes in January, at a press conference Thursday. His first day will be Oct. 16. Previously, Bolduc, 52, who is from Minnesota, served 23 years in that state in the cities of Brainerd as police chief, Mora as police chief, and as the police officer and supervisor in Maple Grove, a suburb of Minneapolis. The new superintendent will replace Col. Brad Rice, who was fired by Ricketts after initial findings of an internal review suggested interference in internal investigations at the highest level. The review, led by Nebraska Chief Human Resources Officer Jason Jackson, found Rice interfered with internal affairs investigations at least four times and violated the agency's workplace harassment and equal opportunity policies, and that Rice was thought to be too friendly with the State Patrol union. Ricketts appointed a search group to help him find and vet a replacement. They are Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, who chaired the group, Weysan Dun, a retired FBI executive; Deborah Gilg, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska; and Hall County Public Defender Gerry Piccolo. Ricketts said the next leader would "drive continuous improvement throughout the organization and lead with the unimpeachable integrity Nebraskans expect. Huffman Independent School District is working to realize and document the scope of Harvey's effects on its students by reaching out to its student families in Harvey's aftermath. So far, more than 100 students are estimated to have been affected by severe damage to homes and properties. However, more affected students are being found daily, so that number is expected to slightly increase. "We are grateful, however, that most of the parents in our community that have students that will experience long-term effects from Hurricane Harvey have reached out to us and informed us of their circumstances and let us know how we can help their children," said Shirley Dupree, executive director of human resources and communications for Huffman ISD. Huffman ISD welcomed Ben Bowen, Copeland Elementary and Hargrave High School students back to school Wednesday, Sept. 6, and announced its intention of opening Huffman Middle School's doors to students Monday, Sept. 11. The school district has, and continues to receive, donations of clothes, backpacks and school supplies for students in need. Other school districts and entities are also coordinating with Huffman ISD to learn and meet the needs of its students and staff. "The Huffman Education Foundation has established a Harvey Relief Fund," said Dupree, who also serves as the executive director of the Huffman Education Foundation. "The purpose is to collect monetary donations that will be used to purchase items needed to help our students with school and personal needs and to help teachers (who may have been affected by Harvey) with instructional and personal needs as well." The Huffman Education Foundation will work with school counselors to prioritize needs and create a plan to address the needs of students and their families. "Through social media, we are continually asking parents to email us or contact us with needs," Dupree said. "We had also set up a phone bank that was open 8-4 each day last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for parents to call with needs and to let us know transportation needs if they had relocated." Huffman ISD plans to make accommodations to transport students of families that have been displaced, with a student pick-up point from Grand Parkway in Baytown. In its first two days back, the school district did not have an influx of out-of-district students. However, Dupree said some may arrive next week. She does not anticipate a significant number will be added. "We will be ready for them if they arrive, and we will welcome them and provide for them if we need to," Dupree said. She said missing the school days will impact instructional schedules, but Huffman ISD is confident teachers will be able to adjust accordingly. "We do not see this event impacting our enrollment or attendance in the long-term," Dupree said. "We are confident that although we have students that have been significantly impacted by Hurricane Harvey, our parents and students want to remain a part of the Huffman ISD community and they will make efforts to stay with us." The school district's facilities sustained some rainwater getting into Huffman Middle School, and a middle school chiller unit was impacted. During an emergency school board meeting Friday, Sept. 1, Huffman ISD approved an amount not to exceed $500,000 for facility repairs and treatments, including sanitation treatments to disinfect the school, and repair work on the chiller unit. The district will seek reimbursement for any expenses from these projects. For more information about Huffman ISD, visit www.huffmanisd.net. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The antidote for a catastrophic storm is the steady stream of volunteers who come to the disaster area. Houstonians flocked to the George R. Brown Convention Center, NRG Center, the Houston Food Bank and smaller shelters and distribution centers to help. They were joined by volunteers who descended on Houston from all corners of the country and the world before the rains had even stopped. University of Houston student True Furrh started the "UH Harvey Relief Carpooling & Volunteer Opportunities" Facebook group on Aug. 29 - as the rains were beginning to recede - by adding 50 people on his friends list. As of Wednesday, the group had over 1,200 members. The group, he said, was meant to coordinate potential student volunteers as those trapped on or off campus looked for ways to help the community. It's a microcosm of the volunteer organizing efforts taking place throughout the city. "I saw that there was a gap in coordination, and I knew the university would be making a specialized response," Furrh said. "I wanted to do this in the meantime to get people out there and working." Furrh's parents work at Lone Star Legal Aid, whose office caught on fire Aug. 29 during the height of the flooding. They helped set up legal aid clinics at Harris County's GRB shelter. Though the storm has passed and recovery efforts in Houston and Texas are well underway, volunteer assistance will be needed for weeks, if not months, to come. Here are some ways you can help rebuild: Call the Harris County Volunteer hotline at 281-656-1533 or visit volunteerhouston.org to sign up for shifts at shelters and donation sorting centers in the greater Houston area. BakerRipley is asking for volunteers at NRG, GRB and other major shelters in the area. Sign up at volunteer.bakerripley.org. Apply to work as a volunteer through the Red Cross at redcross.org for major shelters and donation centers, including Toyota Center. Texas Muck Map is coordinating volunteer efforts to remove wet carpets, flooring and drywall to prepare affected houses for renovations. Sign up at texasrescuemap.com. The Houston Food Bank is seeking volunteers for food preparation and other duties. Visit the Food Bank's website to register as a volunteer. The Houston Furniture Bank is seeking volunteers for furniture distribution, helping to move furniture in the warehouse and other duties. Call 713-842-9771 or email info@houstonfurniturebank.org for more information. The South East Texas Regional Advisory Council is connecting licensed caregiver volunteers with hospitals and health providers in need. Sign up to volunteer at surveymonkey.com/r/HurricaneHarveyClinicalVolunteers. Lord of Life Lutheran Church in The Woodlands is partnering with Interfaith Ministries for clothing distribution. Volunteers can sign up by calling the church at 281-367-7016. Houston Volunteer Lawyers is asking attorneys to volunteer their time and expertise to provide legal help to storm victims. Register to volunteer at makejusticehappen.org. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston is calling for volunteers to man its donation distribution centers across the city. For a list of distribution centers and to sign up to volunteer, visit isgh.org or call 832-941-0766. Check helphoustonharvey.com for an updated list of shelter volunteer opportunities in the Houston area. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mark Garfield did not know when his power would be restored, but he would not complain about the wait. Too many lost too much to bemoan the temporary loss of electricity. Instead, he returned to his neighborhood, crowded with as many CenterPoint trucks as rumors swirling about when power would return, and looked at the bright side. "I'm trying to keep everything in perspective," Garfield said after a day in his neighborhood in the Memorial and Eldridge area. "We don't have water in our house. We have numerous friends from church, Sunday school and living out here for 25 years that really have severe problems. Some have 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet of water in their houses." Still, life changes without power. Most of the power throughout the area had been restored. Most that had been lost, as with Garfield's neighborhood, had been from flooding at the substation, rather than hurricane winds. More Information RECOVERY TIPS Still without power? If you have a generator, use it with care. Keep it out of enclosed spaces. Do not connect a generator to the home's wiring system without proper isolating equipment. Turn it off when you leave the house. If heading to the store, grab non-perishables such as canned meats and fruits and vegetables that require no cooking and little or no water. Eat perishable items first, then the canned goods. Treat all lines on the ground as if they are energized. That means, stay away from them. A car charger for your cellphone can be a lifeline when power is out. If the rest of your neighborhood has power and you don't, call CenterPoint Energy. Cook meat on a gas stove or barbecue grill. The best light comes from candles with hurricane globes. If you are going to work, plan your wardrobe and take your clothes out of the closet the night before. Take time to catch up on your sleep. Embrace good old-fashioned entertainment like games, storytelling and conversation. Be kind. Everyone will be emotionally drained. See More Collapse As of Tuesday evening, CenterPoint reported that 99.8 percent of its customers had power. Still, that left more than 5,000 in the dark, many with work to be done. "It's frustrating, but I think it's understandable," said Nicole Saegusa, who left her home in the Energy Corridor when the substation there was flooded. "I trust that they're doing what they can. Obviously, if the whole substation is underwater, it takes a lot of work to get that fixed. "We're one of the lucky ones that didn't actually flood. We haven't had power since last Monday." Saegusa and her family have lived in hotels, moving back into their area in time for the delayed first day of school on Tuesday. Like many in the area, Garfield and his family have stayed with relatives and friends, moving around while waiting for the power to be restored. "Like my grandmother used to say, fish and family start to stink after three days," Garfield said. "We don't like to wear out our welcome. We've kind of jumped around. "We still have a business to run," said Garfield, president of Ecosystems Management Co., a landscape architecture firm. "We have to get that up and going again. We have people who work for us for many years. They're part of our family. We have to get that going again so they can pay their bills." With that in mind, Garfield said he has been closely reading the reports in the Houston Chronicle and following conversations on the social network app Nextdoor. Mostly, as with so many, he just waits and counts his blessings. "We've been sitting out front and visiting with neighbors," he said. "It's kind of a bittersweet circumstance. We've had the opportunity to meet people we've never met before, and they're just delightful people. It's such a damn shame we had to have such an incredible disaster." When Fred Teague and William Brewer with the Arkansas-based nonprofit, RussBus, saw the devastation from Harvey in the greater Houston area, they leapt into action. RussBus is an organization dedicated to helping homeless people. They realized Houston's homeless population likely lost all of the few possessions they may have had. Teague and Brewer acquired a box truck, named it the Big Yellow Box of Hope, and drove from Arkansas to Houston. "Our main goal was getting to Houston to help the homeless," Teague said. "We hit the ground Monday night and got organized. Then, we hit downtown Houston Tuesday, but realized it was too crazy to work there during the day because of the traffic." Teague and Brewer started reaching out to find other ways in which RussBus could help the people of Houston and surrounding areas during the day. They were eventually put into contact with Huffman ISD, where several students who were affected by Harvey are in need of items like shoes and socks. RussBus was able to provide approximately $2,300 for goods needed by Huffman ISD students Thursday, Sept. 7. "Mr. Teague said, 'We're headed your way. Go shopping and select things at Payless, and we'll go by and pick it up,'" said Shirley Dupree, executive director of human resources and communications for Huffman ISD. "So, we got a group together, went to Payless and they gave us a fabulous discount of shoes and socks." From there, the group met up with Teague and Brewer at Walmart, where they were able to get even more supplies. Together, they loaded up the day's purchases into the Big Yellow Box of Hope, and drove it back to Huffman ISD. "We hear stories of people coming in to help from out of state, but this is the first time I've actually met someone doing it," Dupree said. "When you're actually the one touched by their mission, it's a whole 'nother level of emotion. This is so much more than the things we're getting. It's an inspiration and belief in the kindness of humanity." In total, the funds were able to purchase approximately 134 pairs of shoes, as well as socks, underwear, and toiletries. "(Huffman's) a small area, so where there may be enough resources in Houston in larger demographics, they just haven't always made it into the smaller areas yet," Teague said. "There are people getting overlooked. Our purpose it doing this is to get in here and give people hope. We want you to know that we love you and value you." Dupree feels this serves not only as a means by which to help students in need, but also as a greater lesson about providing help to others when it is needed. "It teaches our kids and the community that there are genuine people who want to reach out and help during a tragedy like this," Dupree said. "In turn, when there is a tragedy in other places, hopefully our community will go and help we stand ready to help others when they need us." Dupree said these supplies will be immediately distributed to students from their school campuses. Teague said he considers himself and Brewer as the lucky ones for being allowed to use donations to drive around and help others. "It's amazing to get to spend donations to bless people," Teague said. "We have amazing donors that are willing to give money to help, and we just happen to be the quickest way to do that. They gave last night and that money is already here doing good in the community. It's not a weeks-long process. What they gave last night was spent today, and it'll be on kids' feet tomorrow." For more information, visit www.therussbus.org and www.huffmanisd.net. The Omni Houston Hotel spa manager who vanished during Tropical Storm Harvey and whose body was found 11 days later was located Thursday near the luxury hotel's elevators, Houston police said in a statement Friday morning. Jill Renick, 48, was last heard from Aug. 27 when she is believed to have called a co-worker around 5:40 a.m. saying she was stuck in the hotel's service elevator as it filled with floodwater. She had ridden out the storm overnight in a fourth-floor room with her dog, and reportedly was contacted to help with guests as floodwaters poured into the lobby and basement and evacuations were getting underway. Dozens of suspects in jail on felony charges, some as violent as murder or child molestation, may soon be free on minimal bail after the Harris County District Attorney's Office missed deadlines to indict, largely because of Hurricane Harvey. The technical snag, being raised by defense attorneys across Houston, means 56 people who are in jail suspected of felonies, including armed robberies and causing drunk driving wrecks, could be released on personal recognizance bonds because they were not indicted, or formally charged, by a grand jury within the 90-day window required by law. "This is not a procedural nicety," said Troy McKinney, a past-president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "This is substantive. People who do not have other holds are being held unlawfully, and they need to be given PR bonds or a bond they can make." BUYOUTS: FEMA may buy often-flooded Houston homes Prosecutors at the district attorney's office are trying to keep these accused criminals behind bars. They will be filing motions arguing to trial judges to extend the deadlines because Texas was under a state of emergency during the flood. The record storm closed the county's courthouses, cancelling court proceedings since Aug. 28. Grand juries, which typically meet twice a week, have not been able to convene. Now Playing: 09:00:00 Video: Fox 26 Houston "The bottom line is that I don't believe that anyone is getting out of jail because of the delay caused by the hurricane," said David Mitcham, the chief over the DA's trial bureau. "We believe this is an issue that we are going to be able to resolve without any exposure of the public to any danger." He is basing his argument on an order issued Aug. 28 by the Court of Criminal Appeals saying, "All courts in Texas should consider disaster-related delays as good cause for modifying or suspending all deadlines and procedures - whether prescribed by statute, rule, or order - in any case, civil or criminal." If an attorney pursues the issue, they will have to go before a judge and request their client be released because their client has not been indicted. If that happens, the district attorney's office will argue that the high court's order inoculates them against missing the deadline. "The reason the deadline wasn't met was because it couldn't be met," Mitcham said. "We were in an impossible situation, there were no grand juries, there was no court." HCCLA lawyers said they want the law followed as it is written. McKinney, one of Houston's most respected criminal law scholars, said Mitcham was making "a creative argument but one that has no legal basis in reality." "Neither the Texas Supreme Court nor the Court of Criminal Appeals have blanket authority to override the Constitution or state statute, no matter how much they want to," he said. DON'T BE FOOLED: Tips to avoid scam contractors He said the Texas Constitution limits the government's ability to hold people in custody without cause, and state laws have been written with that in mind. "The statute is there for a reason," he said. "It is there to ensure that people are not held excess periods of time without cause, and if the state hasn't indicted somebody in 90 days - the law has been clear for decades - that they are entitled to a PR bond." A personal recognizance bond, which is sometimes called a free bond because no money changes hands, allows people to get out of jail with just the promise to return for court. They may sign documents making them responsible for a money bond if they don't make their court appearance, but no money is required to get out. It is generally reserved for low-level non-violent offenders with no criminal history. The issue is expected to linger until next week when Harris County courts re-open on Monday. Since the criminal courthouse will be closed for the next 6 to 9 months, the county's 22 felony courts will be re-open in courtrooms in the civil courthouse at 201 Caroline. Grand juries began convening Thursday in Houston's historic 1910 Courthouse. After judges are back in courtrooms, defense lawyers will be able to get to court to argue that their clients should be released on personal recognizance bonds. Some are expected to argue that even if their clients were indicted after the 90 day window, it does not matter. They are also expected to argue that the district attorney's motion to suspend deadlines is unconstitutional. "There are procedural rights, and there are fundamental rights," said Tucker Graves, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "The fundamental rights include the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments and that's what this falls under." Graves said individual lawyers in HCCLA are trying to determine the best course of action for their clients. He said lawyers will be in contact with specific prosecutors to work on the issue in light of the havoc wrecked by the storm. "We want to digest this and talk among our members because we understand we are in a unique set of circumstances," he said. "And we are trying to work hand-in-hand with the district attorney's office to help everyone in this time of crisis." Members of the defense bar were also circulating a list of almost 100 possible suspects who appeared to have missed the deadline. The district attorney's office drafted a motion late Wednesday with a preliminary list of 96 defendants, but that number fell Thursday as officials reviewed the files and determined that 56 people may be affected. The others are either being held because they were lawfully indicted on other charges or were not in custody for 90 days before the storm began, according to a breakdown provided to the Houston Chronicle. Two of the suspects on the longer list are Philip Battles, 18, Ferrell Dardar, 18. The two teens with 17-year-old Marco Alton Miller are accused of a crime spree last year that included several armed robberies and two capital murders allegedly committed while two of them were out on bail for other crimes. Since they have other cases that have been lawfully indicted, they will not be eligible for release. In order to address the massive pools of water around Houston that have become mosquito breeding grounds following Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have activated their aerial spraying process. The announcement was made Wednesday by DSHS, which has released a fact sheet on what will be sprayed and its impact on humans. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Pinal County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Police Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Police are investigating whether a former Central Texas principal has any sexual assault victims in the Lone Star State after he allegedly tried to lure teenage girls to his home in Arizona through online ads. Karl Waggoner, 59, was arrested by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office near Four Peaks Elementary School on Tuesday. He is charged with luring a minor for sex. Waggoner was the principal of Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock for the past three years before moving to Arizona. Floodwater from Hurricane Harvey left homes, businesses and schools in serious distress after it receded, and Pasadena ISD was no exception. School officials report that of the district's 67 campuses, several of which received some level of flood damage, three schools took a more serious hit. "While many of our schools sustained some damage, the three hardest hit were Thompson Intermediate, Williams Elementary and Frazier elementary," said Art Del Barrio, spokesman for Pasadena Independent School District. "We are still assessing a dollar figure for the damage." The damage has left some students displaced. Students who go to Thompson, which received the worst of the damage, temporarily will be relocated to a section of the Beverly Hills Intermediate campus. According to a statement released by the district, officials "hope Williams Elementary and Frazier Elementary will open in their current facility; however, if repairs are not completed prior to Sept. 11 we will directly work with those parents to communicate alternate plans." As of Sept. 7, district officials did not have an estimate regarding how long it would take to complete repairs, though repairs have begun on all damaged campuses. "Crews have already been working nonstop to have campuses ready to begin on (Sept. 11)," said Del Barrio. "Right now we are still assessing damage. It would be irresponsible to set a timeline without all the facts." If students and their families have been displaced as a result of Hurricane Harvey, Pasadena ISD officials said according to Mike Morath, Texas Education Commissioner, these students are technically classified as homeless and may enroll and attend the school that immediately services the area in which they are living. "... A child whose family has been displaced due to Hurricane Harvey will generally meet the definition of 'homeless'," Morath said in a letter. " Any student staying with friends, relatives or other persons or staying in a shelter or other temporary location due to loss of housing because of the hurricane are considered homeless these displaced students are entitled to enroll immediately in the public school which serves the attendance area where the student is staying temporarily." The same goes for any student who had to relocate to Pasadena ISD temporarily following the potential loss of their home following Hurricane Harvey. If parents who have been displaced would like for their child to remain in their school of origin, that's fine, the district said in a statement. "Simply provide the new address of where you are living to your child's school," the statement on their website read. "Regardless of where the new address is located, within Pasadena ISD or outside of Pasadena ISD, your children will be able to remain at their school of origin. You will be asked to complete a Student Residency Questionnaire to see if you qualify for any federal assistance due to having to relocate." Del Barrio recommends that parents with questions visit Pasadenaisd.org and look for the Hurricane Harvey question and answer document on the home page. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It takes three coats of a water-and-bleach mixture to clean and sanitize water-damaged walls and floors. Brookside Village neighbors Jesus Flores and Jose Moreno are on their first project. "We just need to clean, that's all we can do," Flores said. "The main thing to stop the mold." With thousands of residents in and surrounding Houston dealing with post-Harvey damages and loss, the community of Brookside Village, northeast of Brazoria County, is putting its best foot forward. The city, just off Mykawa Road, sits along Clear Creek, making it vulnerable to flooding, and according to the city's mayor, Craig Bailey, 95 percent of the city was underwater in the immediate aftermath of Harvey, with the majority of the city's roughly 1,500 residents suffering major damage to their homes, anywhere from one inch to six feet. And sometimes a small city can get lost in the shadow of a big city's catastrophe. G.C. Atkins, the city's police chief, found that out when he reached out to Brazoria County emergency officials. "They said they were tied up on the south end and had nothing for us," he said. The city has three full-time police officers, and its other emergency responders are mostly volunteers, so it's resources were limited; but members of the community relied on each other and whoever could lend a hand and a boat, Atkins said. Within an hour of putting the word out through an underground message system, the volunteers and boats started coming. "I ended up with more than we needed," said Atkins, who estimates that more than 200 residents were rescued by boat. "People who could get out here came out from all over to help us." By mid-week, after calls to District 29 state Rep. Ed Thompson, R-Pearland, and the governor's office, 20 state troopers and national guardsmen arrived in Brookside to help with relief efforts. But once those troops were rerouted to the south end of the county, the city was on its own again. "I've been through this, I know what needs to be done, but we couldn't get the resources fast enough," said Atkins. The city recorded no injuries related to Harvey, Adkins said. Neighbors Jesus Flores and Jose Moreno were deep in bleach - and would be for a while - but getting closer to making their homes livable. "We just have to clean as best we can and try to keep the mold out and rebuild," said Flores. "What else can we do?" "We're Texans, we're going to survive," said Bailey. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed aid to a devastated string of Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least 10 people dead and thousands homeless as it spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. Hundreds of miles to the west, Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in with winds of 175 mph (281 kph). "Take it seriously," said Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer who flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet. "Because this is the real deal." By Thursday afternoon, the hurricane was north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where authorities reported some flooding and building damage but no deaths. Big waves smashed a dozen homes into rubble in the Dominican fishing community of Nagua, but work crews said all the residents had left before the storm. About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island overnight, but there were no immediate reports of large-scale casualties. The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. At least three people were killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, officials said, describing the damage as catastrophic and saying crews were struggling to reopen roads. Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, independent Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. Irma also slammed the French island of St. Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies. "It's a tragedy. We'll need to rebuild both islands," he said. "Most of the schools have been destroyed." Photos and video of St. Martin circulating on social media showed major damage to the Philipsburg airport and heavy flooding in the coastal village of Marigot. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm "caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses." "There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world," he said. Far out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose grew into a Category 2 storm, threatening some of the same islands ravaged by Irma. Meanwhile, Irma, the most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded, appeared increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday after threatening parts of the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday and sweeping along Cuba's northern coast on Saturday. People in Florida rushed to board up their homes, take their boats out of the water and gas up their cars. With gasoline running out and tensions rising, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks sent to replenish gas stations. "It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," Gov. Rick Scott said. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in U.S. history. French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was "grief-stricken," Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters. Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. Britain was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery will take months, if not years. "It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said. A man is in the hospital after being shot 14 to 16 times outside of a southwest Houston home. The 24-year-old man was in surgery late Thursday. He was expected to survive, said J. Hasley with the Houston Police Department's homicide division. BROOKSHIRE - Six soldiers piled into the back of a Chinook helicopter on Wednesday, ready for a rescue mission of a different kind - locating and feeding stranded cattle. Thousands of head of cattle in the region have been without food for more than a week, stranded as a result of the high waters left behind by Harvey. Massive losses would devastate ranchers and add another blow to the regional economy. The "Muscle 13" crew, part of the Michigan Army National Guard sent to help with the Hurricane Harvey recovery, buckled themselves in, bales of hay their primary cargo. The helicopter lifted off from the parking lot of Hamshire-Fannett High School, just outside of Winnie, a town of 3,200 about 25 miles southwest of Beaumont. Not long after the crew was airborne, a little humor punctuated what would be a long day of tossing hay. "Haaaaaaaaaaay," Maj. Jeremy Barnard to his copilot. "Pretty decent hayride," First Lt. Todd Osborne replied. "Yeah. I need some apple cider," Barnard said. Flying 200 feet above the ground, the pilots took turns scanning the horizon. Once they found cattle, it took a few seconds to determine if the head were trapped, and if so, if there was already hay in the area from the previous day's hay drops. Barnard, who briefly worked on a dairy farm in his youth, was the most proficient at spotting the animals, which often hid among trees and bushes. "You have to look for movement," he said, pointing Barnard to a spot west of the chopper. "Otherwise, it's just a spot of brown." During this run, the crew dropped off 150 bales, enough to feed 300 head of cattle. They would return to the high school, load up again and head back out. During another run, Osborne guided the Chinook to hover about 10 feet over a hillock where at least 20 head were trapped. Sgt. Bobby Joe Spivey poked his head out the uncovered windows. "Left, 10987, 6, 54321," he counted down over the intercom. "Okay, you're good. Lower, 10987654321 Good." Several of the crew began pushing bales out. Unable to see the cattle and horses, they relied upon Spivey and the pilots to tell them how many they needed to drop. "Twenty head, maybe 15 bales," Barnard said. "There's probably more in the trees we can't see." Once the crew hit seven hours of flight time, they headed back for the high school. They are allowed only 8 hours of flight time before they must stop for their mandatory minimum 12 hours off. The crew dropped approximately 500 bales of hay. Compared to the time they spent in Afghanistan, the crew thought this kind of humanitarian - and animal - aid was a treat. "It was really rewarding," Barnard said. "It's a good mission to do. Not just because we get a lot of flight time but it's good to help people that aren't shooting at you. It's a good twist of events for us, compared to what we normally have been getting overseas." A Dallas area special education teacher was recently indicted by a grand jury for allegedly sexting an eighth grade student and asking him to draw her nude. Rebecca Goerdel, 28, was arrested in March and accused of having an improper relationship with a student at the Young Men's Leadership Academy, a school in Grand Prairie. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday gave Houston and Harris County more than $135 million in advances from the federal government for the staggering cost of recovering from Tropical Storm Harvey. The city received $91.2 million and the county $44.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "One thing I know: the city , the county, as well as all these other governments, have desperate needs," Abbott said. "One of those desperate needs is the ongoing efforts to make sure they are going to remove debris to clean up the city to get the city going again. I want to make sure that you don't leave here empty handed today." As to whether the state would commit any additional funds beyond the federal advances and local expenditures, Abbott said the state has spent $220 million in out-of-pocket money for emergency responders and military response, and that it was a "matter of cash flow management." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he and legislative leaders could consider, without a special session, moving funds from the 2019 budget into the current budget to help with recovery. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp, who is leading Harvey recovery efforts for the state, said the state "is not there yet" when it comes to committing any additional funds. Abbott pledged to use his emergency powers to clear regulations and tap state personnel to help local officials in the Houston region recover from Tropical Storm Harvey's devastation. Abbott, in remarks before a private meeting with local elected officials, including Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, repeatedly emphasized what he envisioned as a "land speed record" toward recovery. "Our mission is to rebuild Houston and Harris County and the Gulf Coast region, quickly," Abbott said. Sharp said Abbott would use his emergency powers to suspend state regulations that impede recovery efforts, and tap personnel from a multitude of state agencies, to help Emmett, Turner and others move forward in recovery. "Our job is to clear a path for them," Sharp said. For example, Sharp said the state was working with FEMA on a program to quickly repair flood victims' homes through an initiative in which contractors would be sent into affected homes to make permanent, structural repairs so displaced residents could move back in. Housing, Turner and Emmett emphasized, is the primary issue facing the thousands of flood victims. Sharp said FEMA still is working out how to suspend some of its regulations to implement such a program, which had previously not been tried. He said the first step was to set up disaster recovery centers fixed and roving sites where FEMA and other agency representatives could in person help each flood victim with their recovery needs. That would include the new housing program, Sharp said. The state is the main conduit between the federal government and local officials looking to rebuild after Harvey. For example, decisions on where to place disaster recovery centers to help people sign up for federal aid are made jointly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state. Abbott said a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would be embedded with the state during recovery efforts. FEMA dollars also flow through the state to local governments. Earlier this week, Turner sent a letter to Abbott asking for state and federal resources outlining the "unprecedented" nature of the storm that put an "extreme economic strain on the city and its residents." Turner asked for advance funding of $300 million for debris removal and shoring up public infrastructure, and to establish at least 15 to 20 disaster recovery centers. He also asked Abbott to provide $60 million in state relief emergency funds, request FEMA to move quickly on a re-housing program and clear other regulations. Emmett sent a separate letter asking for $75 million in advance funding, half of a preliminary estimate of $150 million for debris removal and "emergency protective measures." Thousands of Houstonians who spent time in Hurricane Harvey flood waters could likely have a date with a needle soon. Those who were exposed to Houston's murky, dirty flooding should be proactive and get a tetanus shot, according to various medical professionals. Mail trucks and letter carriers are moving in the Houston area after a mail suspension imposed last week because of Hurricane Harvey. The U.S. Postal Service reports that the agency continues to "reconnect people with their mail" in the midst of storm recovery. The Postal Service stopped mail delivery and closed facilities because of Harvey. Now, all of the region's major processing units are operating and most post offices are open for business. "We are delivering to homes and businesses, wherever it is safe and accessible to do so," a news release said. The Postal Service opened three dozen post offices on Sept. 1 for customers to pick up first-of-the-month Treasury checks and "identifiable medications" during the mail delivery suspension. The following is the latest delivery, retail operations and information: Effective Wednesday, September 6, 2017, Priority Mail Express service will be restored for the following 3-Digit ZIP Codes: 770, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777 and 778 The following offices have resumed normal operations: BRAZORIA, 111 GAINES ST, BRAZORIA TX 77422 LUMBERTON, 650 S MAIL ST, LUMBERTON 77657-9998 SWEENY, 301 E 2ND ST, SWEENY TX 77480 THOMPSONS, 222 OILFIELD RD, THOMPSONS TX 77481 The following office has resumed Retail Operations. Drop Shipments and Delivery Services have been suspended: WEST COLUMBIA, 350 W BRAZOS AVE, WEST COLUMBIA TX 77486-9998 oCustomers can collect their mail at the Retail counter The Postal Service continues its suspension of LIVE animals destined for the following 3-Digit Zip Codes until further notice: 770, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777, and 778 ALL OFFICES IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT HAVE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF: Retail Operations, Delivery Operations, and Drop Shipments have all been suspended at the following offices-with services being offered by an alternate location as shown: BEAR CREEK, 16015 CAIRNWAY DR, HOUSTON TX 77084-9998 oALL OPERATIONS FOR BEAR CREEK HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: FLEETWOOD, 315 ADDICKS HOWELL RD, HOUSTON TX 77079-9998 DEWEYVILLE, 680 TX STATE HIGHWAY 272, DEWEYVILLE TX 77614-0001 oALL OPERATIONS FOR DEWEYVILLE HAVE MOVED TO: BRIDGE CITY, 900 TEXAS AVE, BRIDGE CITY TX 77611 DOWNTOWN BEAUMONT, 300 WILLOW ST, STE 1, BEAUMONT TX 77701-2296 oALL OPERATIONS FOR DWTN BEAUMONT HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: BEAUMONT, 5815 WALDEN RD, BEAUMONT TX 77707-9998 GLEN FLORA, 126 BRIDGE ST, GLEN FLORA TX 77443-0177 oALL OPERATIONS FOR GLEN FLORA HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: WHARTON, 141 E MILAM ST, WHARTON TX 77488-9998 KATY, KATY FINANCE, 5701 4TH ST, KATY TX 77493-9998 oALL OPERATIONS FOR KATY FINANCE HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: KATY, 20180 PARK ROW DR KATY TX 77449-9998 MAURICEVILLE, 11424 HIGHWAY 12, MAURICEVILLE TX 77626-0016 oALL OPERATIONS FOR MAURICEVILLE HAVE MOVED TO: BRIDGE CITY, 900 TEXAS AVE, BRIDGE CITY TX 77611 NOME, 2285 HIGHWAY 90, NOME TX 77629-0010 oALL OPERATIONS FOR NOME HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: CHINA, 305 N BROADWAY ST, CHINA TX 77613-0016 ORANGE, 500 4TH ST, ORANGE TX 77630-9998 oALL OPERATIONS FOR ORANGE HAVE MOVED AS FOLLOWS 77630 ZIP CODE CUSTOMERS: BEAUMONT, 5815 WALDEN RD, BEAUMONT TX 77707-9998 77611 ZIP CODE CUSTOMERS: BRIDGE CITY. 900 TEXAS AVE BRIDGE CITY TX 77611-9998 STOWELL, 3608 STATE HIGHWAY 124, STOWELL TX 77661-0045 oALL OPERATIONS FOR STOWELL HAVE BEEN MOVED TO: WINNIE, 324 HIGHWAY 124, WINNIE TX 77665-0190 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey has created many amazing, heartwarming moments as humanity rises to the occasion. Southwest Airlines decided to kick the cuteness factor up a notch this week by flying a plane full of 64 shelter dogs and cats from Austin to San Diego where they will be put up for adoption. RELATED: Actor Liev Schreiber adopts two dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey The flight this week held a cabin full of animals escorted by volunteers. The pets were en route to the Helen Woodward Animal Center's San Diego adoption center. Now Playing: More than 70 cats and dogs affected by Hurricane Harvey arrived in San Francisco from Texas Sunday night in need of new homes. Video: KTVU These animals were residing temporarily in a shelter operated by Operation Pets Alive. They were collected from various animal shelters around Houston after they were displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Time was tight for the pets as options were running out for them. Luckily, some humans stepped in. "There are shelters that have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey, without electricity, without supplies," Mike Arms, president and CEO of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, said in a statement this week. RELATED: Houston scrap metal king starting to see fallout from Hurricane Harvey "Operation Pets Alive has taken in an overwhelming number of orphan dogs and cats who had inhabited those shelters before the storm and were suddenly facing euthanasia simply because they had no place to go." Southwest was more than happy to cede a plane to four-legged passengers. "We're so happy to partner with the Helen Woodward Animal Center to extend hope to Houston by transporting shelter animals to a new home in San Diego, while making additional space for family pets whose humans are currently displaced," Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Chief Communications Officer said this week. RELATED: Do you need a tetanus shot after wading in Hurricane Harvey flood waters? "Our employees care so deeply for our customers and all those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, including our sweet little four-legged friends." she added. No word if they dogs and cats got their complimentary drinks and snacks on the direct flight to San Diego. The pets will reside at the shelter but will soon be up for adoption, according to a statement from HWAC. Jon Shapley/Staff AUSTIN -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with officials from 19 other states, on Thursday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of a Colorado cake artist who refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. Lower courts have ruled that Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, violated Colorado law when he refused to make the cake for David Mullins and Charlie Craig in July 2012. Phillips cites his religious beliefs when he declined to sell a cake to the couple. Colorado law prohibits refusing service to customers based on factors such as martial status, sex, race and sexual orientation. The calendar may show that it's just after Labor Day, but with another enormous American harvest and its resulting low prices just around the corner, it feels more like Groundhog Day. The movie, I mean, not the shadowy holiday. The reason why, as Bill Murrays boorish character learns, is because weve been here before--many times. In agriculture, old-timers see these repetitive, big harvest-low price loops as the proverbial farm problem. After decades of these endless loops, however, maybe the real problem isnt on the farm. Maybe the real problem is our loopy farm policy that all but guarantees long stretches of little-to-no profit interrupted by short bursts of (usually) disaster-inspired, low yields and high profits. Thats our past and it will likely remain our future because farmers, ranchers and taxpayers are about to go for another lap in the farm policy hyper-loop machine. Congress is back in Washington and its ag leaders hope to finish the 2018 farm bill before the snow flies. By all accounts, however, the new law will mirror the old law because "old" is what our mostly old representatives and senators deliver when we are asked what we want. New ideas, it seems, are as rare in rural America as they are in Washington. That means the well-worn, low-and-going-lower price centerpiece of recent farm bills, crop insurance, will again be the centerpiece of the newand in all likelihood, really low pricefarm bill of the future. Like crop insurance, other tired policy elements wont even bother to shower and shave before going back into the new law: there will be no meaningful conservation cross compliance, no program payment caps, no increases in land grant research funds, no needed increase in rural infrastructure spending and no new money for beginning farmer programs. All, either individually or collectively, could be a starting point to meaningful farm policy reform. But, no, no, no, no, and no. We know this because, as Bill Murray finds out over and over in the 1993 movie, no is easy; it carries its own strident righteousness. Heres how Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-KS, recently explained why the status quo no of today will become the status quo no of tomorrow: This is no time to be proposing revolutionary ideas with the farm bill crop insurance is, for many, the most valuable tool in the risk management toolbox. Besides, he added, he doesnt want to make cuts in crop insurance, but rather reduce regulations that impact farmers and ranchers. While Chairman Roberts didnt point to any specific regulation whose elimination would deliver more profit to farmers and ranchers, his committee colleague, Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, did recommend the elimination of one that not only isnt a regulation now, it wont be in your lifetime or mine. Fischer said there is a movement by some activists, reported the Columbus (Neb.) Telegram, to tie more conservation programs into any kind of farm payments. These programs can, in turn, be tied into crop insurance. That would be very bad, she said, because putting an extra burden on our farmers isnt the way to go. Extra burden is an interesting and revealing phrase for what should be at the very center of all farm bills: a clear public benefitcleaner water, less soil erosion, more vibrant rural communities and a safe, abundant food supply to name but a fewin return for the subsidies received by farmers. Accountability, after all, is how well-deserving farmers and ranchers build trust with hungry, helpful taxpayers. But today, our farm and political leaders often are so scared of their own shadowa primary challenger, a knee-buckling White House tweet or some awful activist with an idea that challenges conventionthat few pause to consider what change could mean for rural Americas economic and cultural future. And yet change is what is needed to make tomorrow a new day, not another Groundhog Day, again and again and again. 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. How a community responds to a crisis indicates character and values. Our community has taken major steps to combat Montanas suicide rate, which is twice the national average. On Sunday, people will join together for the Out of Darkness Walk to raise awareness about suicide prevention strategies. Montana teens are one of several segments of the population with high rates of suicide. The 2017 Montana Youth Risk Behavior survey results indicate: Percentage of high school students who have considered suicide is 20.8 a 2 percent increase over 2015 survey data. Nearly 40 percent of females and more than 22 percent of male high school students felt sad or hopeless every day for at least two weeks in a row. Nearly 20 percent of females and more than 13 percent of high school students made a plan about how they would attempt suicide. Almost 10 percent of the students indicated that they had attempted suicide in 2017. In Yellowstone County, several community responses are aimed at raising awareness of students mental health needs and increasing their resilience under stress. Those responses include: QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. Like CPR trains people to provide first aid during a heart attack, QPR trains community members to respond to individuals in crisis. QPR gives people permission to broach the subject of suicide with a person they are concerned about. It dispels the myth that mentioning suicide will trigger a suicide, since evidence indicates the opposite. PAX: Good Behavior Game is used in grade school classrooms to develop resiliency in children by improving their ability to manage their own behavior. Those skills result in more productive teaching time and better coping skills in times of stress. In August, 45 teacher/counselors took the third session of PAX training. In Yellowstone County, students at Big Sky, Boulder, Orchard, Lockwood and Shepherd elementary schools have large numbers of K-3 teachers using the PAX techniques. Signs of Suicide, a middle and high school prevention program, is the best example of community partners working together. Through a federal grant, the Healthy By Design Coalition got health professionals and educators talking about adverse childhood experiences and how trauma-informed care could lessen the impact of those negative experiences. After seeking guidance from a range of medical and social service providers, School District 2 chose to incorporate SOS training for sixth- and ninth-grade students. SOS combines depression awareness and suicide prevention and encourages students to seek help for themselves and for their friends. The curriculum engages parents and school staff as partners in prevention and encourages community-based partnerships to support student mental health. In addition to working with students and teachers, ongoing efforts continue to train family medicine residents and physician assistant students about how to recognize and respond to the warning signs of suicide. As a community, we will continue to work together on these and other efforts to decrease Montanas public health crisis of suicide. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova A Billings man downloaded thousands of child pornography videos and images with rape victims as young as infants, prosecutors allege. Roy Deming, 63, was set to appear Thursday in Yellowstone County Justice Court on one felony count of sexual abuse of children. Deming was arrested Thursday and booked into the jail on a $200,000 bond. Deming came to law enforcements attention when the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force submitted a tip about an IP address downloading large amounts of child porn, charges say. The FBI had also been alerted to the IP address, and told the Billings Police Department that the address had been used to download images of infants being raped and a small child bound and being sexually abused by a dog, charges state. The images were downloaded between December 2016 and February 2017, charges say. Investigators with the BPD learned that the IP address was registered to a home on Washington Street and was apparently being paid for by a temporary employment service on Broadwater Avenue. Deming was present when officers searched his home, charges say. Deming told them hed been downloading child pornography for years and that his interest started with girls as young as 7 years old, charges say. The images and videos depicted infants and toddlers in various stages of sexual exploitation. The BPD has submitted some of the images to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrens Child Recognition and Identification system to be reviewed by their analysts for identified child victims. When it comes to commercial drones usage, 61 percent of risk managers are concerned about the potential for invasion of privacy, according to a 2017 survey conducted by Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. (Munich Re, US) during the Risk Management Society Annual Conference held in Philadelphia, Penn. Other concerns include inadequate insurance (15 percent), personal injury (15 percent) and property damage (9 percent). In August 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued operational rules that would allow for commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones in U.S. airspace for operators who complete a certification process. The FAA anticipates commercial drones sales to reach 2.7 million by 2020. With the use of commercial drones soaring, it is revolutionizing how many companies conduct and grow their businesses, said Gerry Finley, senior vice president, Casualty Underwriting, Munich Re, US. Drones can be used by farmers to monitor fields for pest management, or by an energy company to monitor a solar panel farm. We may even see drones deliver packages for an online retailer on a daily basis. As the use of drone technology continues to evolve, the insurance industry will need to be prepared with innovative products and services to help its customers understand and manage the emerging property and liability risks involved. The majority of the 100 risk managers surveyed (62 percent) expect commercial drone usage to become common practice for businesses in less than five years a significant increase from the 37 percent who believed this in 2015. Eleven percent of respondents consider drone usage already a common practice. Since approval of the FAAs new operational rules last year, one in two (46 percent) risk managers would consider or explore the use of drones within their own businesses, and 7 percent are already using drones to conduct business. New FAA regulations have encouraged the commercial use of drones across a broad spectrum of industries, said Tim Brockett, senior vice president, Reinsurance Division, Munich Re, US, and more companies and public entities are exploring new, safe and cost effective ways to use drone technology. However, they may be at risk since most commercial insurance policies dont cover or offer very limited liability protection for drones. We recently launched a Drone Liability Endorsement to help address this emerging market need. Source: Munich Re, US His three vehicles flooded by Hurricane Harvey, Jason Bell checked at one car-rental office only to find about 2,500 people ahead of him on the waiting list. When he tried a more out-of-the-way location, the reservations still numbered about 300. Many other storm victims have the same problem. Tens of thousands of personal vehicles were inundated by floodwaters or smashed by wind-tossed objects, creating a huge demand for rentals that has put the cars in painfully short supply in the Houston area and across eastern Texas. Rental companies say they are bringing in more vehicles from areas including the Southeast, but the logistics problems left by Harvey could get worse as Hurricane Irma threatens Florida. Cesar Garcia of Port Arthur, Texas, doesnt know when he will be driving again. I tried renting a car and none of those places said there was availability from here to Houston, Garcia, 28, said Monday. I was told good luck. Nothing. Auto industry experts estimate as many as 1 million vehicles were damaged by Harvey, with most being total losses. State Farm, one of the largest U.S. auto insurers, said it has already received nearly 20,000 claims from the Houston area alone. The scope of the problem is evident in a field that has become a massive parking lot for storm-damaged vehicles at Royal Purple Raceway, a dragstrip located on 500 acres in Baytown, about 35 miles east of Houston. Tow trucks pulling or carrying flooded cars enter the parking area every few minutes, dropping them off so insurance adjusters can assess the damage. Water lines are evident on many of the vehicles, which workers say are mostly from the area east of Houston. Dealership advertisements are visible on some of the cars, but many appear to be private vehicles. The owners may now be among those in lines at car rental counters. Enterprise Holdings which includes the Enterprise, National and Alamo car rental brands said it has already moved more than 4,000 vehicles to southeast Texas and plans to bring in at least 17,000 more in coming weeks. The Avis Budget Group, which operates Avis and Budget car rentals plus Budget Truck, said it also was moving additional vehicles into the affected areas and was waiving late fees, one-way rental fees and rental extension fees in the Houston area. The car rental crunch extends outside the hurricane zone. Company websites show it can be hard to make reservations in cities that were not directly affected by Harvey, including Dallas, where many people headed to the Houston area landed before Houston airports reopened. Until he can get a car, Bell is hitching rides from son Jason Bell Jr., who drove him to an Enterprise office in Beaumont. The elder Bell said he lives on a high spot in his neighborhood, so friends left their cars on his property as a safeguard against rising waters. Then the entire area flooded for the first time, he said, and now his own house looks like a resting place for wet Fords, Chevys and other vehicles. There are probably 15 flooded cars in my yard right now, he said. (Associated Press Writer John Mone in Port Arthur contributed to this report.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Harveys lengthy stay over Texas and Louisiana, first as a hurricane and then as a tropical storm, will result in considerable losses for businesses located in both states. According to Finley Harckham, a shareholder in the Insurance Recovery Group at Anderson Kill P.C., In the affected areas of Texas, businesses will need to assess not only physical damage to their property but also income losses stemming from flooded and blocked roads and bridges, interrupted shipping and air transport, evacuations, and closures by civil authority. Charles Martin, national claim practice leader and chief claim officer for Marsh, described the perils likely to result from Hurricane Harvey in a recent Risk in Context blog. He explained that one involves wind, windblown debris, and rainfall entering buildings through damage caused by wind and windblown debris. Another peril could result from wind-driven water above the predicted tide, also known as storm surge or as a result of accumulating surface water or bodies of water overflowing their banks. Harckham defined different types of business interruption coverage that may be applicable after Harvey: Business interruption Covers businesses for losses stemming from unavoidable interruptions in their daily operations. BI coverage may be triggered by circumstances including a forced shut-down, a downturn in business due to damage to premises or a substantial impairment in access to a businesss plant or premises. Contingent business interruption Triggered when policyholders lose revenue after a property loss sidelines a major supplier or customer base. While the business itself doesnt have to sustain physical damage, it does need to have coverage for the type of damage that affected its suppliers, business partners or customers. For example, a business must have flood coverage to file a contingent business interruption claim for losses triggered when a supplier is incapacitated by flood. Evacuation by order of civil authority Triggered when authorities close off access to a damaged area. Relatedly, ingress/egress coverage insures lost profits due to difficulties in accessing the insured premises due to the storm. Damage to the insureds property is not required to trigger coverage; though typically, the losses must result from property damage of a type covered by the insurance policy. Extra Expense Coverage applies to additional costs incurred by the policyholder as a result of damage to its property, and to costs incurred to mitigate economic losses. Anybody who has direct physical damage to their plants will also likely have business interruption losses, said Jill Dalton, managing director of Aon Global Risk Consulting. Bob Fisher, managing partner of the Atlanta office of the global law firm Clyde & Co., said Harvey raises many coverage issues regarding occurrence limits, application of flooding sublimits and deductibles and business interruption claims where there was no physical damage. Coverage for business interruption isnt automatically included on most policies, but can be added through an endorsement. The coverage is available as part of other policies like commercial property insurance, business owners policy or a commercial package policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) The I.I.I. noted that most business interruption claims will have a separate deductible, apart from the deductible applicable to damage to covered property. Business interruption claims typically include a 24, 48 or 72 hour waiting period. Coverages differ widely on what constitutes flood damage, according to Harckham. Policies may have different definitions of flood and some policies provide coverage for named storms. There will likely be considerable analysis on whether coverage applies to a roof collapse claim where water ponding resulted from heavy rains, he added. According to Fisher, though similarities exist between Harvey and Katrina, each storm intensified rapidly before landfall and each affected major metropolitan areas; the differences between each storm are more significant, he said. With Harvey, the duration of the event, the extensive rainfall and the amount of flooding will drive a number of policy-related issues. Fisher, who has 35 years litigation experience in first party property commercial claims, said occurrence limit issues will likely be examined and may lead to property insurers facing claims for multiple limits. He said the analysis will drill down to the language of the definitions, the number of events, the overall limits and sublimits. The decision by officials to open dams to release excess water may result in a determination of a second occurrence, said Harckham. He explained that many commercial property insurance policies provide different sublimits for losses caused by flood, storm surge and named storms. How the policy defines these key terms can be critical in determining the amount recoverable for the policyholders loss, he said. For most businesses in the Houston area, Harvey wrought its worst under the aegis of tropical storm rather than hurricane and that could affect coverage terms in some policies, Harckham said. Other forms of business interruption losses will include ingress/egress claims, claims related to orders of civil authority like mandatory evacuation orders. In addition, there will be contingent business interruption claims for damages a supplier or manufacturer incurs that affects the insureds business. Too many businesses do not think about insurance unless their premises are damaged or if they do, they fail to calculate the full range of loss, Harckham said. Some may not even be aware of their civil authority, ingress/egress and business interruption coverage, let alone contingent business interruption coverage for those far from the damage site. Theres potential losses from service interruption and loss of access that will affect a businesses ability to operate, said Dalton. Several conditions must be met to trigger coverage, Martin wrote. There may be time and distance requirements for waiting periods and periods of indemnity or distance limitations for losses caused by damage away from an insured location. In light of past claims and court issues related to Katrina claims, Fisher said courts handling cases related to Harvey will still look to determine what caused the flooding wind, storm surge or rain in applying coverage limits, sublimits and deductibles. He noted that since Katrina, case law has developed that didnt exist prior to the 2005 storm. Harckham added that anti-concurrent clauses will be an issue in states other than Texas, where courts have upheld the language in property insurance policies. People in Oregon covered their faces with scarves to keep choking ash from wildfires from filling their lungs and wiped the soot from windshields, similar to what long-time residents said they had to do in 1980 during the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens. The growing blaze east of Portland, Oregon, in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, was one of dozens of wildfires in western U.S. states that sent smoke into cities from Seattle to Denver prompting health warnings and cancellations of outdoor activities for children by many school districts. The 16-square mile (41-square kilometers) fire east of Portland forced hundreds of home evacuations. And embers from the fire drifted across the Columbia River sparking blazes in neighboring Washington state. People shielded their faces and authorities in the Northwest urged drivers to use headlights during the day to increase visibility. I havent seen ash fall like this in the Portland metro area in my 18 years as a firefighter, said Damon Simmons, with the fire incident management team for the Oregon State Fire Marshal. Joanna Fisher walked to work Tuesday at a Troutdale, Oregon, naturopathic clinic with Calla Wanser, who was wearing a red bandana around her mouth. You cant really stand outside without getting rained on by ash, Fisher said. The only comparison people could come up with was the eruption of Mount St. Helens in nearby southwest Washington more than 35 years ago. In 1980, we had a couple of significant ash falls here in the Portland area and this is very reminiscent of what we saw in the ash fall in those days, said Don Hamilton, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation. The particulate matter that shows up on the cars, it gets in your hair, it gets in your eyes, its all over the place like it was in those days. A closure of one section of Interstate 84 because of thick smoke and falling ash was extended 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Portland while the U.S. Coast Guard closed about 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the Columbia River in the same area. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, a federal agency that coordinates wildfire-fighting, said 80 large fires were burning on 2,200 square miles (5,700 square kilometers) in nine Western states. A fast-moving wildfire in northern Utah swept down a canyon Tuesday morning destroying structures, forcing evacuations and closing highways. A least five homes burned and more than 1,000 people were evacuated as high winds fed the flames in the canyon north of Salt Lake City. Thick black smoke closed parts of two highways as firefighters struggled to fight the blaze fueled by winds gust at up to 40 mph. In Washington state the U.S. Department of Defense agreed to assign 200 active-duty soldiers to help fight a wildfire. Civilian firefighting commanders said Tuesday the soldiers from Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, would undergo four days of training and then be sent to a complex of 14 wildfires in southern Oregons Umpqua National Forest that have burned 47 square miles (120 square kilometers). And a wildfire near Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state grew to more than 29 square miles (75 square kilometers) and heavy smoke blanketed many cities in Washington state. A portion of the park was closed. Mandatory evacuations were called for the fire near Mount Rainier, including the Crystal Mountain ski resort, which closed Monday because of smoke. The air quality in Spokane, Washington, was rated as hazardous Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service says it was likely to get worse as wind shifts bring in smoke from fires in Canada, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Air quality alerts were issued for parts of Idaho as well. In Oregon, people living in about 700 homes in and around the Columbia River Gorge have been forced to evacuate. Others have been warned to get ready as flames burn trees and brush in one of the states biggest tourist attractions. Authorities say they believe the blaze, which started Saturday, was caused by a 15-year-old boy and friends using fireworks. Theyve identified a suspect but have made no arrests. Gov. Kate Brown visited the fire scene Tuesday as ash fell around her. The fire spread 13 miles in 16 hours, pushed by winds overnight that ranged from 30 mph to 40 mph in tinder-dry conditions, Brown said. It looks like there has been a devastating impact on the Gorge, she said, speaking of the renowned Columbia River Gorge, famous for its hiking and spectacular vistas. A total of 600 Oregon National Guard troops have been called up to fight more than a dozen blazes across Oregon, including a much larger blaze in southwest Oregon in a rural area along the California border. (Geranios reported from Spokane, Washington. Associated Press writers Phuong Le in Seattle, Matt Volz in Helena, Montana, and Sudhin Thanawala in San Francisco contributed to this report.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. BROOK PARK, Ohio -- Private Investigator Rob Slattery gave Brook Park City Council Sept. 5 an oral status report of his investigation into council's operations. He spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting and indicated he was "not prepared to submit this in writing at this time." City council hired him in April to look into possible wrongdoing surrounding allegedly altered documents from November 2016 that involved correction tape and former councilwoman/finance committee chairperson Julie McCormick (she later resigned after being charged with thefts from local Target stores). Just three months ago, irregular law department ink stamps that included misspellings and odd spacing were affixed by someone to four pieces of draft legislation presented June 27 by Council President Jim Astorino. "My report would be completed if I had all the information that I requested," Slattery told council. "I made several attempts to reach out to past councilperson McCormick ... with negative results." Council Clerk Michelle Blazak, however, provided him information linking McCormick to the correction tape-altered legislation. "She did state she observed Julie McCormick seated at that typewriter with the documents," Slattery said Blazak told him. "When Julie was finished, she handed Michelle the altered documents that were taken from Michelle's binder." Slattery added Astorino told him in April that "Julie changed the legislation, but it was within her authority as the chairperson of the committee." Slattery said he attempted without success to interview Councilwoman Jan Powers and Councilman Tom Troyer. He interviewed councilmen Rick Salvatore, Carl Burgio, Rich Scott and Jim Mencini but said "None of them had any direct knowledge of any of the altered documents." During his investigation, Slattery said he asked Astorino about the four documents Astorino presented in June that appeared to have altered law department ink stamp images on them. "He failed to respond to me," Slattery said. "To clear this issue, I think it would be of value to offer a polygraph test to the law clerk, council clerk, law director and council president. Maybe we'll get some answers about the stamp." Additionally, Slattery so far has been unable to determine who owns and has administrative rights to a separate Brook Park City Council website that exists outside of Brook Park's official city web page. City council voted recently to have the unofficial website permanently removed but has been unable to get access to do so. WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - The popular Cleveland-based bar and restaurant chain Barrio plans to open a new location in Willoughby, director of operations Jake Hawley said Thursday. Hawley said they hope to have the Willoughby restaurant open the first week of December. Barrio already has four locations throughout Greater Cleveland and is known for its tacos and margaritas. The upcoming restaurant will move into a building at 4061 Erie St., the site of the now-shuttered Olivor Twist martini bar. "We think it will be a great compliment to the neighborhood, and we're really excited to be part of downtown Willoughby," Hawley said. Barrio's flagship location opened in Tremont in 2012, and the bar and restaurant chain has expanded steadily throughout the Cleveland area, opening locations in downtown Cleveland and Lakewood. Its most recent location opened in Cleveland Heights this year. Barrio also has a booth at Progressive Field and four food trucks. The Willoughby location - in Lake County - is their furthest from Cleveland. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus police arrested on person early Friday after a report of an active shooter at a city high school, police said. Police said they learned about the shooter about 9 a.m. at Scioto High School. No one was hurt, police said. A SWAT team surrounded the high school and arrested one person. A gun was also seized during the arrest, police said on Twitter. Police closed off the area surrounding the school and searched the building. Police did not immediately provide further information on the incident. *Please RT* UPDATE 9:15am: SWAT made an arrest, gun taken, no injuries. Excellent job by our officers! #TogetherIsBetter #CPD https://t.co/m4B8eYxNB1 Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) September 8, 2017 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A private pilot who flew into Akron on a business trip last month has been indicted on charges accusing him of driving to a Cleveland suburb to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. A Cuyahoga County jury on Friday handed up a three-count indictment charging Ryan Johnson, 33, with importuning, attempted sexual conduct with a minor and possessing criminal tools, all low-level felonies. Johnson was arrested Aug. 30 with a keycard to an Akron hotel, condoms and lubricant, prosecutors say. He is being held on a $100,000 bond and is set for a Wednesday arraignment in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Johnson, of Camarillo, California, responded to a Craigslist ad on Aug. 15 and started Google chatting with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, prosecutors say. The conversations turned sexually explicit, prosecutors say. Johnson asked the girl to send him nude pictures of her and talked about taking her to a hotel, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Carl Sullivan said. Johnson, while in New York on Aug. 29, arranged to meet the girl the next afternoon at a Newburgh Heights park, court records say. Johnson flew into Akron the next morning, borrowed a car the real estate company he was flying for had rented and drove to Newburgh Heights, prosecutors say. The girl turned out to be an undercover investigator, and Newburgh Heights police and investigators with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force were waiting for him when he showed up at about 3 p.m., court records say. Police found a keycard to an Akron Marriott, three condoms and a bottle of lubricant in the rental car, Sullivan said. They also seized two cellphones and are working to obtain a warrant to go through the phones, Sullivan said. Johnson made his initial court appearance on Sept. 1. A judge barred him from leaving Cuyahoga County until his case is over and ordered him to wear an ankle monitor and be on home detention if he is released on bond, records say. Newburgh Heights police and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force, led by Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office, investigated the case. To comment on this story, please visit Friday's crime and courts comments page. The Missoulian reports 19-year-old Trai Ann Dewey pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Feb. 10 death of 20-year-old Joseph Bremner. A deal with prosecutors calls for 30 years in prison with 25 years suspended. Investigators say Dewey's SUV hit another vehicle when she swerved into oncoming traffic on U.S. Highway 93 near Missoula. She later told a Montana Highway Patrol trooper that she and her boyfriend had been smoking marijuana before they left Missoula to drive to Polson. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- About 250 people gathered at Market Square Park in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood Thursday night for a candlelight vigil to support immigrants and others who could be affected by the end of the DACA program. President Donald Trump announced this week that he wants to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program over the next six months. The program allowed undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children to remain in the United States. Thursday's crowd weathered graying and swollen skies to listen to speakers voicing concerns about how the termination of DACA would uproot their lives, families and force them into countries they do not know. "We face uncertainty," said Jose Mendez, 25, of Cleveland. "We face those six months of what's going to happen to us. ... I don't think [Trump] understands the DACA program. We can't trust the president anymore." Mendez, who recently renewed his DACA permit for the third time, said he and others like him are more than just immigrants. They pay taxes, obey the laws and are a part of communities aimed at making cities, states and the world a better place, he said. He added that he wishes Trump and his administration would recognize the role DACA participants play in society. Following Trump's orders, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday the Obama-era program would end after six months to give Congress time to address the fate of the program's participants. The program's policies conflicts with immigration laws, he said. President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012. It gives unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States before age 16 a chance to stay if they meet certain conditions, which include working toward or obtaining a high school degree or a GED, and avoiding a serious criminal conviction. DACA participants get a two-year reprieve from deportation and are permitted to work in the United States. They are often called DREAMers after legislation called the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act that would have given them a path to citizenship. But that proposed legislation failed in Congress, so the DACA program was created. Thursday's gathering, which lasted well over an hour, was peaceful as attendees huddled together holding umbrellas and winter coats for a cold and wet night on the city's West Side. The crowd was diverse. Some people represented groups advocating for the end of police brutality and right for individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender and queer. Representatives of religious organizations stressed the importance of inclusion and love with their handheld signs. Many held signs that read, "Protecting Dreamers #DACA," or "We Stand With Immigrants and Refugee's." Others held signs like "Don't Build A Wall Around Their Dreams," and "Dreamers, Not Criminals," which jabbed at the notion that immigrants were rapists and criminals as Trump claimed during his presidential campaign. Amy Kyremes-Park, of Cleveland, who wore a sign around her neck that read, "No One is Illegal. Sanctuary NOW!" said her father immigrated to the United States as a 9-year-old from the Dominican Republic. His mother wanted to give him an opportunity for himself and his future children, and he was able to that as a carpenter. She wants people to understand the damage that labeling causes and how generations have been able to benefit from being able to build a life for the better. "When they talk about the dreamers it's these people we don't ever see," Kyremes-Park, 40, said. "It's these families who are willing to let people go and not know if they'll ever see them again simply because this country has more to offer their children." For an 18-year-old Case Western Reserve student, being in an America is the only thing she knows. She said she was brought to the United States less than a year old and identifies as an American. It's the only home she knows. She speaks and writes in English much more fluently than she can in Spanish, she said. The woman, who asked not to be identified for this story, said she wants to become a lawyer and work for the United Nations after she finishes her dual degree in international studies and pre-law. But she also wants to be seen as person. "This is the country I love, this is the country I know, this is the country that saw me grow up and for them to tell me that in six months I will go back to country that I don't know is just. ... I don't deserve that," she said. As for of those who thinks she doesn't belong and that the DACA program should be rescinded, the student said, "I was best friends with their kids, I ate in the same cafeteria with their kids, I played at recess with their kids, you know, I fell in love with their kids. "I am a human and I'm just like one of them. Although DACA is a status issue, it's also a racial issue. Despite me coming from a brown skin family, I love the same way as a white kid, black kid and as an Asian kid does." Montana students who graduated high school in 2017 performed about on par with their peers on ACT tests, a national college readiness test that Montana gives to all juniors. Montana was tied for fifth among 17 states who tested all their juniors in 2016, with an average score of 20.3. The score differs from scores previously reported by the state, as the scores encompass only graduates, not all students tested as juniors. The score is about on par with regional peers Wyoming, which tests all juniors, scored 20.2. North Dakota, which tested 98 percent of juniors, scored 20.3. ACT scores are reported on a 36-point scale. Montana State University students have a 25.4 average score. The University of Montana lists a score of 22 as a "primary requirement" for admission. Among states that tested all students, scores loosely correlate with the child poverty rate. Montana's scores are about average with the trend. A handful of states stand out, like Mississippi, with a score of 20.4 despite a 31 percent child poverty rate, or Wyoming, with a score of 20.2 with only an 11 percent child poverty rate. "Underserved learners (low-income, minority, and/or first-generation college students) continue to struggle in terms of their achievement levels and readiness for college," a report released by the ACT company says. "Less than a fourth of graduates who qualify as underserved met or surpassed three or four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, compared to more than half of ACT-tested graduates who are not underserved." A long-held achievement gap between Native American and white students persisted; Native American students averaged a score of 16, while white students averaged 20.8. Girls outperformed boys in reading and English, with 8 and 12 percent more girls hitting college-ready benchmarks in the topics. But three and two percent more boys hit benchmarks in math and science. For both sexes, 23 percent of students hit benchmarks in all four subjects. The report also released data on students who met benchmark scores scores that indicate students are ready for college. Montana students ranked 10th in English among the 17 states that tested all students, with 55 percent meeting the benchmark. Montana excelled in reading, ranking third with 44 percent of students meeting the benchmark. Students ranked fourth in math with 37 percent meeting the benchmark, and ranked seventh in science, with 33 percent of students meeting the benchmark. States that test fewer students generally had higher scores, as college-bound students are more likely to take the test. For example, New Hampshire had the highest average score in the nation at 25.5, but tested only 18 percent of students the second lowest. As the deadline for Montana to submit a plan to comply with a new federal education law approaches, the state is working to shore up the plan with suggestions from groups around the state and bracing for federal criticism. We are concerned they might say our goals are not ambitious enough, said Susie Hedalen, OPIs director of educational services. The plan calls for steep improvement on test scores for all Montana students, but especially students in typically low-performing groups, like students with disabilities and American Indians. Four percent of non-proficient students are expected to reach proficient scores each year, an unprecedented rate of improvement in Montana. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires schools to continue giving standardized tests, but eliminates the goal of reaching 100 percent proficiency for all students. It does require states to set ambitious goals. Hedalen said the state plans to defend its goals, offering further explanation to federal officials if necessary. Gov. Steve Bullock signed off on the plan Tuesday, after suggesting minor changes including the addition of a mention of early childhood education standards. States are required to submit plans to governors for review, but their signatures are not required for submission to the feds. Louisiana recently won approval from the U.S. Department of Education despite the states governor opposing the plan. Montanas deadline to submit the plan is Sept. 18. Federal officials review the plan then provide feedback, after which Montana has 15 days to respond with an updated plan. Neither OPI officials nor Bullock's office were able to provide a copy of the updated plan Wednesday; OPI provided a copy on Thursday. The state has received feedback from several education groups, Hedalen said, but from only a handful of individual educators and school districts. Some of that has resulted in minor changes, like changing wording about Native American languages and adding references to groups like librarians and school psychologists. A handful of educators shared feedback with Lee Montana Newspapers. We have a local school board that establishes a plan in the local community, but we also need that teamwork on the state and federal level, said Casey Olsen, a Columbus High School English teacher. From a rural school perspective thats really important From a standpoint of distance and resources, we need the state and federal government on our side, on our team. Some feedback includes praise for making issues like mental health and Indian Education For All a priority. In other cases, educators expressed frustration with a focus on test scores a major tenet of federal requirements and were worried that the plan lacks specifics to make good on its goals. Im not an assessment specialist, but test scores arent everything and sometimes theyre nothing, said Anna Baldwin, an Arlee English teacher and 2014 Montana Teacher of the Year. We had eight or nine suicide attempts in a four-month period. Its during spring. During testing. It was awful. It happens every few years and a bunch of horrible things that happen all at once. Theres just things that are out of the control of schools and teachers that are nevertheless held against schools and teachers, she said. I dont have a way of measuring whether my students are safe and presenting that information. OPI acknowledged criticism on test scores but said its hands are tied by federal regulations and that other parts of the plan, like mental health initiatives, havent gotten the same attention as testing. There was a bit of false advertising with ESSA that theres going to be all this flexibility, said Hedalen. 'How do we do that' Several educators questioned what additional resources OPI would be applying to help schools hit those growth goals, especially for students who typically have the most trouble with standardized tests. OPI Special Education Director Frank Podobnik said that despite the rejection of several special education funding initiatives by the state legislature, the plan must move forward. What were doing is submitting a plan that we believe is the right thing, he said. The right thing is to work hard and try to close the gap. Olsen wasnt opposed to ambitious goals, so long as they werent tied to punitive measures. His biggest criticism was a lack of details following up on initiatives identified in the plan. OPIs ESSA plan named admirable priorities They reflect a plan that starts with the reality of where Montana is at and the issues Montana faces, he said. Thats positive. Whats problematic is how do we do that. He cited mental health as an example; Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. It makes sense that OPIs plan would include those concerns, he said. Our schools are also in a great position to address that problem. (But) there are no concrete steps to address the problem that Im seeing in the plan itself. Podobnik said that the state has a pair of grants for school climate and school safety with a focus on mental health enhancement. Both Baldwin and Olsen cited OPIs discontinuation of Graduation Matters, a privately funded program that offered grants to programs around the state with the goal of raising graduation rates. You had a program that was working, Baldwin said, citing a recent increase in statewide graduation rates. Avoiding specifics Hedalen noted that the plan intentionally doesnt provide specifics in some areas, because OPI didnt want to be locked into using a specific program. She cited ongoing exploration into options like using the ASVAB, a military readiness test, as criteria for college and career readiness. A survey for school climate hasnt been developed yet, and questions remain about the reliability of school climate data a relatively new concept. Some of the implementation is going to be spelled out when we get there, she said. The plan combines test score growth with other factors like attendance, school climate, behavior, student engagement and college and career readiness. ESSA requires states to try to improve schools with academic performance in the lowest 5 percent statewide. Olsen would like to see the state go farther than five percent. There are many schools that need targeted support and guidance that would be ruled out in that number, he said. Olsen also said that he felt the plan could have communicated better why it set the test score goals that it does. OPI hosted explainer sessions on the plan in several communities over the summer; a meeting in Billings was attended by representatives from a handful of local school districts. Hedalen has cited Nevadas state plan, which uses the same test score goal structure, but with 5 percent increases instead of 4 like Montana. Communication with schools and communities will be critical in implementing any plan, Olsen said. They need to understand how the increase levels were arrived at, he said. Theres a balance that we need to strike between local communities, state agencies and the federal government. I feel like the plan is still wrestling with that balance. About 30 Montana farmers and ranchers whose property was destroyed by wildfires will get $2.5 million in federal assistance to help rebuild. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., sent a press release Friday announcing the money, which is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Environmental Quality Incentive Program. After our relentless persistence, Montana farmers will begin to see some relief from what has been a historically difficult summer, Tester said in the release. This is the first wave of meaningful resources that will help producers rebuild after horrific devastation. I will keep rattling cages in Washington to ensure every farmer gets what they need to rebuild. Montana's congressional delegation, which also includes Republicans U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, all called for federal assitance to help offset the impact of the more than 1 million acres that have burned statewide this year. Two fires, the Lodgepole Complex that burned about 50 miles northwest of Jordan, and the Lolo Peak fire, still burning about 10 miles outside Lolo, have been approved for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants that can match state spending up to 75 percent for approved firefighting costs. Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, also announced Thursday he was seeking to fast-track additional money from FEMA. The money Tester announced Friday can be used to assist with livestock grazing deferment, damaged fence and post removal, livestock fencing, water facility development, critical area plantings, and cover crops. In July, Tester penned a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue asking the USDA to tap into disaster assistance initiatives. He also invited Republican President Donald Trump to tour Montana fires. The Virginia State Board of Elections voted this afternoon to retire voting machines that have been identified as vulnerable to manipulation and tampering and will shift to the use of paper ballots statewide before the November election. Common Cause and other groups had urged the board to retire the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines, before the upcoming election because they do not produce a durable paper record of votes. Computer scientists have long advised that paper ballots should be used for voting because they are not digital and therefore cannot be altered by malware. Virginians deserve to know their ballot is safe and this decision will help safeguard the integrity of the coming election, said Susannah Goodman, Director of Voting Integrity at Common Cause. Security experts have long warned of the vulnerabilities of these machines and certainly the 2016 elections showed there are sophisticated and hostile players looking to exploit weaknesses in our election infrastructure. The board of elections voted today to help safeguard the ballots of tens of thousands of Virginians registered to vote in the 22 localities, including counties and independent cities, that would have used DRE machines in November. In a letter this morning to the State Board of Elections, Common Cause emphasized that the DRE voting machines in use in precincts across the state have multiple security flaws that should render them obsolete. The machines vulnerability has always been unacceptable, but is even more untenable given recent national security threats to our election infrastructure, the letter asserted. In a letter to the State Board of Elections Common Cause said the state should shift to machines that generate a durable voter verified paper record that can be used in recounts and audits. The lack of a paper record in the DRE machines makes it impossible to conduct a post-election audit that will confirm that an election outcome is correct, the letter added. The General Assembly already has passed legislation phasing out the DRE machines by 2020. The elections board convened in Richmond this afternoon and voted to follow a Department of Elections staff recommendation that the state de-certify them immediately. In Virginia, local governments purchase voting equipment from a list of state approved vendors. To read Common Causes letter to the elections board, click here. SOUTH STORMONT, Ontario Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry (SD&G) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers are currently at the scene of a three (3) vehicle fatal collision on Highway 401 (east of the Moulinette Road exit, Long Sault), South Stormont Township. A section of Highway 401 (Eastbound lanes only), between Brookdale Avenue(Cornwall) and Dickinson Drive(Ingleside) is closed to traffic with indicated Emergency Detour Routes (EDR) in place onto County Road 2. Due to construction in the Village of Long Sault motorist should expect long delays. Motorist travelling today are urged to avoid the area if possible. Due to damages to Highway 401 the closure will remain in place for up to 8 more hours. Preliminary investigation has indicated that at approximately 11:27pm, a Tractor trailer(1) travelling east on Highway 401 collided with an also eastbound Tractor trailer(2) which then collided with another tractor trailer(3). The second tractor trailer became engulfed in flames and the occupant was pronounced deceased at the scene. The male drivers of tractor trailer (1)(3) were not injured driver. Names are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. SD&G OPP, assisted by OPP Traffic Collision Investigators (TCI) continue to process the scene. Where the hell is Roscoe? Just tell folks its on the way to East Rosebud. You may have seen the Grizzly Bars most famous non-food merchandise stuck to vehicle bumpers around Montana, bluntly asking about the location of a small outpost in the Beartooth Mountain foothills. Its less than a tank of gas away from Billings, and only a few more miles from one of Montanas most accessible mountain lakes and the Beartooths most famous trail. Start out with a jaunt west along I-90 to Columbus before going south through Absarokee on Highway 78. Several fishing access sites just off the highway provide fly-casting opportunities along the poorly-named Stillwater River. Its noted more for its rushing, fast-paced waters, but ample rainbow and brown trout can be found lurking behind boulders between Absarokee and Columbus. Continue south for about 13 miles. You wont miss the Roscoe turnoff if you blink, but it could be a close call. Turn right on one of two closely-spaced roads that trundle through Roscoe. You cant miss the Grizzly Bar; the road passes within 10 feet of the front door, but its probably the sculpted grizzly bear prowling the roof thatll grab your attention. Burgers and steak always taste better after a hike, so continue further south on East Rosebud Road. The winding paved path soon gives up to gravel; take a right over a cattle grate not quite four miles later, staying on East Rosebud Road. The bumpy dirt can be anywhere from one of the better trail-access roads in Montana to deeply rutted and potholed, depending on if its had a recent facelift, but its always navigable for any sound vehicle, including sedans. Ranches and homes dot the road as it slices deeper into the mountain valley. Slopes rise up as another stretch of pavement intersperses the road before turning back to dirt. As you pass the turnoff for the Phantom Creek Trailhead, youre getting real close. East Rosebud Creek ducks in and out of view, sometimes rushing, calm at other times. A last bridge over the creek is near a boat launch and picnic area for East Rosebud Lake. The trail Much of the lakeshore is privately owned. The East Rosebud Creek area was originally assigned as part of the Crow Indian Reservation before shifting boundaries landed it in the hands of a former Indian agent; he eventually sold it to developers who parceled out cabin properties. Fishing on the lake can be hit or miss; like many mountain lakes, the good days can be fantastic but the fish arent always biting. Its one of the few true mountain lakes in southeast Montana where boaters can easily navigate. Canoers or kayakers can paddle around the lake on calm days. The dry-footed can scoot around the east side of the lake on the main road to the East Rosebud trailhead, slipping past a small campground. Expect some company. They dont call it the Beaten Path for nothing. The East Rosebud Trail winds its way across the Beartooth Mountains, past spectacular lakes and stark plateaus, to another parking lot outside of Cooke City about 26 miles away. The full trip is usually completed over several days. That it took 43 years to blaze the full trail reflects just how deep it cuts into the heart of the wilderness. In 1949, when the trail was less than halfway to Cooke City, forest supervisor Roy A. Phillips predicted its popularity. "...this will be a heavily used recreation trail and should be located and constructed to high standards," he wrote in a letter. In addition to scattershot funding and challenging terrain, distractions for crews ran from accordion-playing cooks to fruit juice wine and homemade canvas-tent saunas. One time, a ranger arrived to find workers playing cards in a tent and fired nearly all of them in a fit of rage, according to Chris Branger, who worked on the trail during his teenage years in the 1950s for 98 cents an hour. The Forest Service got serious in the 1960s and finished the trail in 1964; a press release said "this trail traverses some of the most spectacular country in the Beartooth Primitive Area." The section between the trailhead and Elk Lake, three miles away from the East Rosebud parking area, might now be the busiest section of trail in the Beartooth Mountains. What passes for busy in the Beartooths would be considered a slow day in many scenic Montana locations. Yellowstone National Park draws off most tourists, and the trail is just far enough from Billings and Bozeman to avoid being choked with day hikers. Lake country In late summer and fall, look for huckleberries and raspberries on the way to Elk Lake which, ironically, isnt known for roaming elk and bring a fishing rod for brook trout. While fly-fishing inspires a near-religious conviction in many Montanans, blasphemous spinning tackle has been known to bring in a few fish as well, and Elk Lake is a great spot for beginners. Hang out on a small beach where the trail first meets the lake, or lounge on rocks near the lakes inlet. Remember that this is wilderness country, and practice leave-no-trace ethics. Keep an eye out for wildlife as well and always hike with bear spray. Ambitious day hikers can continue up the valley. The terrain gets steeper, and a section of trail parallels a healthy dropoff at one point. But the route has some prime raspberry bushes and the view of Rimrock Lake about 2 miles from Elk Lake is superb. Wind rushing through the valley might seem as if it could blow you clear back to Roscoe, but grab on to bridge railings and soak up the view as mountains splay out beyond the shimmering, glacier-blue lake. Steep, rocky walls make camping here a non-starter, but overnighters can find good sites at Rainbow Lake, another scenic spot about three miles up the trail. In "Hiking the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness," author Bill Schneider declares, "many people who know the Beartooths say the East Rosebud is the most scenic valley of all. It's filled with lakes and waterfalls that would be major tourism attractions anywhere else... This trail touches the true essence of the Beartooths." Side Trips For day hikers, anything beyond Rimrock, a 10-mile round trip, becomes a challenging distance; remember that going down a steep trail can seem just as tough as going up. And keep an eye to the sky, as thunderstorms have been known to quickly interrupt beautiful afternoons. For hikers that are true gluttons for punishment with basic backcountry skills, other lakes can be rewarding side trips. The Snow Lakes lie a few miles to the east of the trail between Elk Lake and the trailhead, but its a gnarly few miles, defined by bushwhacking through downed timber and boulder hopping. Even the best-conditioned hikers will find cause to re-evaluate their life choices. But if you make it to the lakes, thick, pink-meated rainbow trout await, and the climb offers spectacular views of the East Rosebud valley. On the other side of the valley, Arch Lake is another brutal bushwhack thats been known to reward ambitious hikers with sublime lake views and an iconic rock arch, plus trophy cutthroat trout fishing. Those in search of golden trout can start at the nearby Spread Creek Trailhead, which climbs about six miles to Sylvan Lake and holds a clan of goldens so robust that Fish, Wildlife and Parks extracts eggs from the lake to help populate other water bodies. Pit stop The wiser choice for East Rosebud day-trippers is to snack on more raspberries going back down the trail and relish the thought of one of Montanas best burgers being a short car ride away. The Grizzly Bar has changed over the years, evolving from a biker-heavy roadhouse to an all-types sit down restaurant, which often merits a good hat and clean boots. The sturdy wood bar endures. Ripe-smelling hikers sit alongside local ranchers or homeowners, and of course bikers too; often, the restaurant is a destination in itself. Its hard to go wrong with any burger, but the restaurants namesake sandwich the Grizzly Burger is always a good choice. Wash it down with a Red Lodge ale thats brewed just down the road. For those willing to spend an extra buck, the Grizzly Bars steaks are as thick as a grizzlys paw. The menu also offers more diversity for those looking to branch out. The iconic bumper stickers asking "Where the hell is Roscoe?" won't add much to your dinner tab. You'll likely find yourself wanting to make a second trip, once you know how to get there. Those interested in donating to communities affected by wildfires in Montana can use the state's Fire and Drought Assistance Hotline, which the state Department of Agriculture has established to coordinate the response. The department, along with Miles Community College and the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation, is using the hotline to coordinate hay donations to be distributed through an expanded hay lottery. To make a hay donation, contact the hotline at 1-844-515-1571. To donate cash, contact the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation at 406-442-3420. Other ways people can donate include: Montana DNRC Forestry Division: 2705 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804. Phone: 406-542-4251. 406 Family Aid Foundation: All donations will go directly to the evacuees of the Lolo Peak Fire. United Way of Missoula County has set up a fund to help victims of the Lolo Peak Fire and the Seeley Lake/Rice Ridge Fire. Garfield County Relief Fund: This fund is a subsidiary of the Central Montana Foundation. It has been created to help victims of the 2017 Lodgepole Complex fire. The American Red Cross of Montana has opened 10 shelters for fire evacuees in Montana. To make sure your donation is being used to help the most people, check your charity with Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. A Croydon MP leading a campaign to cut knife crime has called for a 10-year plan to combat an epidemic of violence in the borough. Sarah Jones, elected Croydon Central MP earlier this year, believes a generation of young people has grown desensitised to knife crime. She fears it will take a decade of dedication to bring down the levels of violent crime in the borough, other parts of London and across the country. The MP is calling on the government to set up a long-term strategy to tackle the issue after hearing local stories of tragedy and violence which she says "broke my heart". READ MORE: First meeting of Croydon MP Sarah Jones's parliamentary knife crime group confirmed Mrs Jones said: "A generation of young people are becoming increasingly anxious and desensitised to the existence of dangerous weapons. "Studies have shown that 50% of London's kids know somebody who carries a knife. Imagine what that does to your childhood, to your sense of anxiety even if you and your friends are nothing to do with knife carrying." 15-year-old Jermaine Groupall who was stabbed in Croydon a month ago was the 15th teenager to die in a knife attack in the capital this year. READ MORE:The barbershop owner trying to steer Croydon kids away from knife crime Cases of knife crime are up by a fifth across England and Wales, and of the 44 police forces, all but 7 are reporting a rise in knife offences. Sarah Jones said: "This is a UK problem which needs a UK-wide response." Currently she said government programmes are under resourced and short term. Arguing for a more cohesive, cross-government approach, the new MP cited teenage pregnancy strategy. The MP has spent much of the summer running Croydon Voice, a programme of meetings and local consultation in preparation for the Commons debate. READ MORE:'We need to get into schools,' say residents taking it upon themselves to tackle youth violence Mrs Jones said: "I heard stories which broke my heart. "Two police officers battled to save the saved the life of a putting their fingers in a wound to stop the streaming blood. He survived despite losing six pints of blood. But a week later he was picked with a knife as he went looking for revenge." "But this summer I also met towering figures in the local community who are giving their all to fight this problem and some amazing young people who against the odds have turned their lives around." She said MPs off all parties had to stand shoulder to shoulder with the committed people to tackling the pressing issue. We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to FREE email alerts from croydonadvertiser - Daily Officers searching for a 16-year-old girl who didnt come home from her south London college on Thursday evening (September 7) are growing increasingly concerned for her safety. Dorcas Ibandula, from Tulse Hill, was reported missing at 5.30pm yesterday after she failed to return home from college as usual. She is known to frequent Croydon, as well as Peckham, Wandsworth and Kennington. Dorcas is described as black, with long black braided hair and of slim build. When she was last seen, she was wearing a short black and white dress and a military-style khaki jacket. Anyone who sees Dorcas or who has information on her whereabouts should call police in Lambeth on call police on 101 or Missing People on 116000. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Sarah Grote Photography / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Sarah Grote Photography / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Sarah Grote Photography / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5 A stroll through yesteryear on the the gorgeous grounds of Mathews Park is the way Steve Balser describes the upcoming 10th annual Flea Market at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk. Balser, event chairman, said the event on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the the National Historic Landmark will appeal to shoppers looking for bargains and treasures as well as auto aficionados. BRIDGEPORT Bridgeport Bluefish owner Frank Boulton said his team wouldnt be homeless for long and he was right. On Friday, the Atlantic League revealed the new home of the team to be the city of High Point, N.C. Bolton said the team would begin playing there in 2019. We had choices for where the Bluefish would go, Boulton said. We spent 20 years in Bridgeport, and the city made a decision to go in the amphitheater direction. We wish them the best. The city announced last month that it would convert the Ballpark at Harbor Yard into an amphitheater, which would leave the Bluefish team without a diamond. The Bluefish have three games remaining on Sept. 15-17, all against the Somerset Patriots at Harbor Yard as a part of their regular season. Should they continue into the playoffs, Boulton said, the teams lease allows for postseason games. Itll be a little slice of history our last few games there, Boulton said. Its ending a 20-year run. The amphitheater proposal is far from being finalized, though. A formal contract needs to be drafted and some legal issues must be resolved. Back in March, the city was looking for a new tenant for the ballpark, and the Bluefish were among those vying for the space. Meanwhile, Boulton said, High Point emerged as a viable place for relocation. Ive been in serious discussion (with High Point) for about six months, he said. Bluefish co-founder Mickey Herbert sold the team to investors in 2005, who in turn sold it to Boulton in 2008. Herbert is now the head of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Its really starting to hit home to me, Herbert said Friday. No matter what, whether the amphitheater thing flies or doesnt, theres not going to be a Bluefish team around. It was unclear where or whether the team would play in 2018, and whether the Bluefish name will change. High Point is a city, roughly in the middle of North Carolina, more than 200 miles from the coastline. In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau said the citys population was over 111,000. The teams future home city is known as the furniture capital of the world, Boulton said. (Bluefish fans) can stop by when theyre buying their furniture, he joked. Herbert said hes trying to get people together who have worked and played for the Blue Fish to attend the final game of the regular season at Harbor Yard. Its almost like a funeral dirge, but were all going to go and kind of say we were there for the first game, well be there for the last game, Herbert said. Staff writer Brian Lockhart contributed reporting. MILFORD A man was charged after police said he was accused of eating a carrot cake in a local grocery store that he did not pay for. Christopher Taylor, 48, of Davenport Street in Bridgeport, was charged with disorderly conduct, police said. I appreciate that The Gazette allows differing opinions in their paper to stimulate ideas. I love Montana, the beauty is stunning, and it is aptly named "The Treasure State." It is my favorite state to visit. The thing is you Montanans are "owned" by the eco-leftists. You rank next to last state in money earned per hour. The editorial guest promoting Montana support of the civilization destroying Paris climate accords is proof your great state leaders don't like you and don't want you in the state. It certainly doesn't want you creating wealth and expiring carbon dioxide. How is this possible? Because Montana is owned by the environmentalists, the media, the elite, Democrats, and RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) in other words, the left. I admit it has been entertaining to watch Montana race to the bottom. The enviros will not be happy until Montana takes first-place in being a third-world state. That its fine citizens put up with the mismanagement of this state is instructive to we who live in other states on how not to let the eco-leftists destroy our wealth and happiness. 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 ... Three Bismarck residents were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of North Dakota Change Network, a program created by the Bush Foundation to enable North Dakotans to build their self-awareness, leadership abilities, and systems-change skill sets. Brandi Jude, Kayla Schmidt and Renee Stromme will join 12 other North Dakotans to complete the year-long program. Jude is a veteran and social entrepreneur who is the founder of Invisible Innocence, serves on the AG Human Trafficking Commissions training sub-committee and is active in the Bismarck-Mandan community. Schmidt is the program coordinator for the North Dakota Humanities Council, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing thoughtful and engaging humanities-based events and programs to communities statewide. She is an active member of the BisMan Young Professionals and various feminist groups. Stromme is the sexual assault coordinator at the Abused Adult Resource Center. Stromme was named Business & Professional Women of Bismarck-Mandans 2015 Woman of the Year, White House Champion of Change for Working Families in 2015 and Bismarck-Mandans Chamber of Commerce Leadership Programs Distinguished Alumni in 2016. Executed through a partnership of National Arts Strategies, Strengthen ND, and Vision Maker Media, Change Network will provide a supportive environment to learn the skills needed to enable participants to lead change in a more equitable and inclusive manner. All Change Networks will have access to a $5,000 grant to implement an action plan or support a related ongoing project. The application period for the second cohort of North Dakota Change Network opens on April 1. More information about Change Network can be found at www.artstrategies.org/programs/change-network-north-dakota/. Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean Catholic education is showing itself to be "alive and well" in Bismarck, apparent with $38 million in donations raised to build a new private high school north of town. Light of Christ Catholic School's capital campaign surpassed the $36 million needed to construct the new school, which the system will use to break ground on later this month. Within a year, a total of $38 million has been collected, with $46.5 million required to complete the high school and renovate the other schools within the system. The Light of Christ Catholic Schools student body packed the St. Mary's Central High School gymnasium on Thursday afternoon for an announcement of the campaign milestone. The 2017-18 school year marked continued enrollment growth for LOC, with a 25 percent increase in students over the past five years. A total of 1,320 students are enrolled across the system. "Do you think Catholic education is alive and well in the Bismarck Diocese?" Vern Dosch, the chairman for LOC's capital campaign, asked students, parents and others who attended Thursday's event. The gymnasium erupted in cheers. "Do you think we should build a new school?" Dosch continued as the students clapped and cheered again. "Well, today we are here to tell you that we are ready, we have met the criteria, we have raised the money the effort is ongoing and we will build a new St. Mary's Central High School." The new high school will be located on 48 acres of land donated by local developer Ron Knutson and his wife, Ruth. Bismarck residents Ken and Marilyn Keller also gave a $5 million matching donation, which raised $10 million for the campaign. Additionally, they made a multimillion donation for a 600-seat chapel to be built at the new high school. The couple grew up in Bismarck, and their six children and 10 grandchildren have attended Light of Christ Catholic Schools. "As (Light of Christ) president Gerald Vetter often states, 'It all started 140 years ago when the Benedictine nuns got off the train," said Bishop David Kagan. "This is a historic time for Catholic education in central North Dakota. I want to thank the thousands of people who have contributed through prayer and generosity ... and especially Ken and Marilyn Keller for their belief in Catholic education. " A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 17 at the site for the new high school, located near 57th Avenue and east of Washington Street in Bismarck. Two police reports classified as observance without consent, or apeeping toms,a and one report of aindecent exposurea were filed within 10 hours of each other on Aug. 28 after a suspect made three different appearances to three different victims. On Aug. 30, a fourth report was filed after a different apeeping toma incident occurred in the University Center involving a male suspect and a male victim. The first suspect was identified as a 21-year-old male University of Memphis student. According to the reports written by officers Kelly Straub and Scott Templeton, campus police responded to two calls regarding a apeeping toma and one call regarding aflashing.a Derek Myers, interim chief of police, said because police were not present during the incidents, their ability to intervene was delayed. Tennessee state law requires police to obtain a warrant before they can pursue the case and detain the suspect. A A aUnless it is domestic violence, all we can do is issue a warrant,a Myers said. aSo the next day, we got warrants for observation without consent and indecent exposure.a The first occurrence happened in the Art and Communication Building when a female student was using the restroom and noticed the suspect staring at her through an opening in the stall door. Later that day, the suspect allegedly exposed himself to another female student at McWherter Library. The final incedent of the day took place at Carpenter Complex after a female student noticed the suspect apeeking into windows and possibly trying to lift [them]a, according to the report. The suspect will appear in court where he will receive disciplinary actions. The Office of Student Conduct can neither confirm nor deny that the suspect has been removed from campus since his warrant was issued. On Aug. 30, a 21-year-old male student was using a UC restroom and saw a red iPhone emerge above him from the stall next door, according to the police report written by officer Kelly Straub. The victim said the suspect then began taking a photo or video of him sitting on the toilet, according to the report. Myers says that this incident is unrelated to the initial three incidents. aWe have not yet identified the male suspect in the UC incident, but it is under investigation,a Myers said. In light of the four incidents, Myers said it is important to come to police when something like this happens. He said the victims did the right thing by telling police right after each incident. aThe big message is immediacy,a Myers said. aWhen you have something happen, donat waitatell us immediately.a After North Koreaas sixth and latest nuclear test, President Donald Trump was quoted on Wednesday by USA Today saying aWe will not be putting up with whatas happening with North Korea,a and aWeare going to see what happens.a These statements differ somewhat from last month when North Korea threatened a nuclear strike on the aheart of the U.Sa and the president responded saying that North Korea abest not make any more threatsa and would be met with afire and fury, like the world has never seen.a Stephen Stein, associate professor of history at the University of Memphis, said that statements like afire and furya are not likely to change North Koreaas behavior. He said the country will probably continue to fire missiles into the ocean until their leaders get bored or there are no more missiles. aUnless supported by specific action, threats of afire and furya are pointless and unlikely to change North Korean behavior,a Stein said. aThe only way to get North Korea to cease these provocations is to convince China to apply pressure to North Korea. Only China has the economic ties to North Korea that give it any leverage in this situation.a On Aug. 28th, North Korea fired ballistic missiles over the Japanese island Hokkaido, which ultimately landed in the ocean, according to CNN. Trump then warned the missiles increased North Koreaas isolation regionally and nationally, and that aall options are on the table,a according to The New York Times. In spite of the back and forth banter between the two countries, Stein said war between the U.S. and North Korea is unlikely to occur. aIt is very unlikely that North Korea will start a war by invading across the 38th Parallel as it did in 1950,a Stein said. aSo, all the United States needs to do to avoid war is to avoid being provoked by North Koreaas missile tests. U.S. efforts to pressure North Korea to limit its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles have failed repeatedly over the last 20 years, and there is no reason to expect them to succeed in the future.a Nicole Detraz, a political science professor at the U of M, said there is no consensus on the best way for the U.S. to avoid war with North Korea. After World War II, the United Nations was created based on the idea that security should be treated as a global issue and the best way was to collectively address threats, according to Detraz. She also said others argue that individual countries are responsible for security and war. aEven during past administrations, which have advocated the second approach, there was still some attempt to conform to international norms of multilateralism and cooperation,a Detraz said. aFor instance, George W. Bushas acoalition of the willinga during the Iraq war was an attempt to demonstrate multilateral support for the military endeavor.a Detraz agreed with Stein that the presidentas afire and furya rhetoric is just atough talka and will not actually do much to stop North Koreaas aggressive behavior. Still, doing nothing is not palatable, according to Detraz. aDoing nothing is not palatable because the U.S. and others want to send a message that they regard North Koreaas behavior as unacceptable,a Detraz said. aWhat the current administration has relied on so far is largely a continuation of what came before a the use of sanctions to try to shape behavior.a A sex offender has been charged with luring after allegedly making plans to have sex with who he thought was a teenage girl. Timothy Joshua Adam Carnahan, 24, of Bismarck, is charged with felony luring minors by computer and misdemeanor carrying a concealed firearm or weapon. Court documents say he responded Sept. 2 to an undercover Bismarck Police officer's online ad that said "looking for a good time with no strings attached." The officer presented himself as a 16-year-old girl, court documents say. Carnahan reportedly gave his phone number, and the two exchanged messages over two days. During the conversations, Carnahan reportedly asked to meet, take his correspondent to his house and "he would be gentle" during sex acts. Police arrested Carnahan on Saturday night in a parking lot, where the suspect made plans to meet his correspondent. Officers found a large machete in his car, the case's affidavit said. He reportedly admitted to communicating with whom he thought was a teenage girl about having sex. In 2012, Carnahan was convicted of indecent liberties in the state of Washington's Cowlitz District Court. He is a registered sex offender in North Dakota with an undetermined risk level. On Tuesday, his bond was set at $7,500. He is to have no contact with anyone younger than 18. Amped up patrols and "a lot" of planning by local law enforcement agencies helped President Donald Trump's visit to North Dakota Wednesday go off without a hitch. We couldnt have asked for a better outcome, said Deputy Chief Dave Draovitch, of the Bismarck Police Department. There were no arrests, our president was never in danger and, overall, the people were really good. It was a very good day for everybody. Overall, I think everything went really really well," said Lt. Patrick Haug, of the Mandan Police Department. "There were no arrests on our side of the river and, for an event like this, thats a good day." Bismarck and Mandan police departments worked with the Secret Service to devise a security plan to protect not only the president, but everyone involved, from bystanders to protesters to members of law enforcement. We plan for the worst and always hope for the best," Haug said. "We knew there was the potential for protests." Planning for the worst means staffing accordingly. Twenty-four Mandan Police Department officers were on active duty during the dayshift Wednesday, up from the three to six officers clocked in on a "normal" day. The department also requested mutual aid, which brought in 15 officers each from Cass County and the Fargo Police Department. "We ended up not using them, but they were nearby," Haug said. The Bismarck Police Department upped its staff, as well, with a total of 47 employees on active duty during Trump's visit. That number includes SWAT team members put in place to protect the president and members of special teams. The department employs as few as seven and as many as 20 to work active duty on a typical day. "Our regular shift was not impacted at all by the president's visit," Draovitch said. "They were able to perform their normal duties." Other agencies involved were the Burleigh and Morton County sheriff's departments, the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Central Communications, Bismarck and Mandan fire departments and ambulance personnel, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and other state agencies. "If there ended up being some kind of medical emergency, the fire department and ambulance were right there. They were two very important groups," Draovitch said. "And Central Communications was key to all of this, taking care of the daily calls in addition to all of the extra radio traffic." Haug said he couldn't speculate on Mandan's total cost of security for the event. "There was an agreement made with Cass County and the Fargo Police," Haug said. "Im sure well be covering some of their costs." Draovitch said the Bismarck Police Department did not acquire any costs in addition to normal day-to-day operations. "It was a scheduled event, so our officers made adjustments to their hours worked," he said. "Of course, there's always a chance an officer received a little overtime if he or she was unable to adjust their schedule." The Secret Service, working alongside local law enforcement, devised the presidential motorcade route, which took Trump over the Bismarck Expressway Bridge. Haug said he knew of at least one secondary route, but very few details were provided. If theres a bad crash blocking traffic along the main route, there has to be another way out," he said. Protests remained peaceful, with minor traffic congestion being the event's only hiccup. "There was some backed up traffic during the motorcade, but we got people going again," Haug said. It couldnt have gone any smoother, Draovitch said. "The people were outstanding. If it wasnt for their cooperation, we couldnt have pulled off an event like this." "It was a lot of work, but it was awesome to have a sitting president visit our city," Haug said. When I saw those photos in yesterdays Mail of Alastair Campbell in a skirt, I thought to myself: Hello, this trendy trans nonsense is really getting out of hand. The pictures, in Sebastian Shakespeares Diary, showed Campbell climbing into a car, squeezing his knees together to preserve his modesty and clutching a goodie bag containing Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara and LOreal Hydra Energetic Anti-Fatigue Moisturiser. Bonjour, matelot! Its probably only a matter of time before some right-on retailer starts selling burkas for boys Tony Blairs former bully-boy-in-chief has always been keen to celebrate diversity, but this was ridiculous. Ive known him for 30-odd years and never suspected for a moment that he had a feminine side, let alone that he was on the turn. Maybe hes decided to change sex to throw the Iraq historic war crimes investigators off his scent. At the very least, if they finally get round to feeling his collar he can do his porridge in a womens prison. Only then did I remember that Allys idea of celebrating diversity is to embrace his shortbread tin Scottish heritage as publicly, and as often, as possible. It wasnt a skirt, it was a kilt frequently an ominous precursor to Campbell bringing out the bagpipes and performing his best cat-strangling impersonation. My favourite story of the week Supermarket shelves in the southern U.S. states have been stripped during this turbulent hurricane season except for those containing vegan meals. Even during a force five hurricane, Texans would rather starve than give up steak. A vegan diet isnt food, its what food eats. Head em up, move em out! Advertisement At this weeks GQ Men of the Year awards he looked like Frank Spencer in the Scottish Country Dancing episode of Some Mothers Do Ave Em. Oo, Betty, the cats done a whoopsie in my goodie bag! Despite being born in Yorkshire, going to grammar school in Leicester, attending Cambridge University and supporting Burnley which is in Lancashire he flaunts his Caledonian roots at the drop of a sporran. Perhaps he thinks it qualifies him as a member of a vulnerable, persecuted minority. Call me insensitive, but I cant understand some peoples proclivity for raiding the dressing-up box to proclaim their identity. I come from a long line of London dockers, yet Ive never felt it necessary to turn up for a black tie dinner dressed as a Pearly King. Not that Ive ever been invited to the GQ do. Actually, Im astonished theyre still allowed to call it Men of the Year. Surely that suggests a celebration of privileged patriarchy. Thats probably why they were giving away eye make-up and hydra-energetic wossname, as a plea of mitigation. Still, Id have thought anything called Men of the Year was about as welcome as a mouldy old jock-strap in this age of identity politics. Unless, of course, the Man of the Year award was won by a woman or a transsexual. These days, anybody can pretend to be whatever they want to be and woe betide anyone who gainsays them. This lunacy is a direct consequence of the deliberate policy of Campbells New Labour to divide and rule carving up society into a gaggle of competing victim groups based on race, gender and sexual preference. It was inevitable that having won every other battle, they would turn their attention to reordering the world to suit the demands of trans activists, a minuscule, but gobby, minority within a minority. When I saw those photos in yesterdays Mail of Alastair Campbell in a skirt, I thought to myself: Hello, this trendy trans nonsense is really getting out of hand Even though we rightly treat genuine cases of gender dysphoria with sympathy and understanding, it was never going to be enough for the diversity nazis, who are now hell-bent on eradicating any notion of men and women as part of their crusade to destroy every last vestige of traditionalism. Politicians and public bodies were always going to be a pushover. You can rely on taxpayer-funded organisations to advance the diversity agenda. Just as I predicted ten years ago, trans-friendly toilets are now everywhere even in schools. Yesterday, a Cardiff secondary school introduced open-plan, hotel-style gender-neutral cubicles for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. Needless to say, the boys have already gravitated to one side of the room and girls to the other. Headmaster Marc Belli said: We felt it more appropriate that each cubicle should be available to all as opposed to separating them by gender. The decision on this area was purely practical and not designed to be political. Pull the other one. Of course its political. Everythings political these days. Especially when it comes to imposing Left-wing adult agendas on impressionable young people. PC Jesse Antonelli, a member of the Mets Aviation Policing Unit, accidentally Tasered his own police van while entertaining his colleagues by dancing to bhangra music while on duty near Heathrow. Another one I dont know whether to file under Mind How You Go or You Couldnt Make It Up. Advertisement For instance, it was revealed this week that education authorities across Britain have put Islamic hijab headscarfs on the uniform list for children as young as five, thinking it would appease the militant Islamic lobby. Hilariously, this backfired spectacularly when moderate Muslim leaders objected that hijabs were only designed for girls who had reached puberty. Yesterday, we learned that much to the disgust of many parents a mixed secondary school in East Sussex had banned girls from wearing skirts as part of new gender-neutral rules. All pupils must now wear trousers. Tony Smith, headmaster of the Priory School, in Lewes, said: We have an increasing number of students who are at that crossroads of understanding around their gender. This removes the need for anyone to make a decision about whether they wear a so-called male or female uniform. Crossroads of understanding? Where do they find these people? In the jobs pages of the Guardian, obviously. Its only what we have come to expect. But what is most sickening is the craven surrender of commercial interests, intimidated by social media campaigns instigated by a handful of headbangers. Retailers and advertisers run up the white flag even before theyve been targeted. They think if they give in early, theyll be left alone. Its cowardice, pure and simple. Theres been plenty of comment this week about John Lewis scrapping the distinction between boys and girls clothes. I dont propose to add to it, other than to observe that the mooted boycott of the store isnt going to happen. Unlike the pond life who swim in the sewer of social media, and the Left-wing parasites who populate the Stalinist directorates in our Town Halls, the kind of decent folk who shop at John Lewis dont go in for petulant gesture politics. But, not for the first time, I cant help wondering where its all going to end. Now education authorities have put hijabs for five-year-olds on the uniform list, its probably only a matter of time before some right-on retailer starts selling burkas for boys. Scuse me while I nick this guy . . . Cultural appropriation is the latest hate crime dreamed up by the diversity nazis. While they actively promote men dressing up as women and vice-versa (see elsewhere in this column), they deplore anyone dressing up as a member of another race. Remember the fuss over students wearing sombreros, which was taken as a racist slur against Mexicans? Barely a week passes without another ridiculous complaint. Jan Ravens, from Spitting Image and the BBCs Dead Ringers, was recently accused of racism for doing an impersonation of Diane Abbott on the wireless. Maybe I should call in the police to investigate Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the smug Leftie Channel 4 newsreader Police are investigating four men who blacked up as members of the Jamaican bobsleigh team, from the film Cool Runnings, for a carnival parade in Aberaeron, West Wales. And a shopping centre in Bristol has been similarly accused of hate for staging a Jamaica Day celebration, featuring head-dresses and a steel band. If thats racist, where does it leave Notting Hill carnival? The problem is: the law defines hate as anything perceived as hate by anyone, a gift to Left-wing troublemakers. On that basis, maybe I should call in the police to investigate Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the smug Leftie Channel 4 newsreader. Guru-Murthy dressed up as Jimi Hendrix for a cancer fundraiser. If its a crime for a white student to wear a sombrero, surely the same applies to a British celebrity of Indian extraction doing an impression of a black guitarist. Claiming its for charity is no defence. Hendrix had Native American blood, too. It must be a hate crime for an Indian to impersonate a Red Indian. Or can only whites be guilty of racism? As regular readers know, if theres one thing I hate its bogus allegations of hate. But Im sorely tempted to set the Old Bill on the priggish Guru-Murthy, who is always parading his own moral superiority. Put your loon pants on, Krishnan, youre nicked. When Jane Fonda decided to put together scenes from her eventful life for a homemade movie to be shown at her 60th birthday party, she asked her daughter, Vanessa, a documentary film-maker, which bits to include. Vanessa, none too kindly, replied, Why dont you just get a chameleon and let it crawl across the screen? She had a point. Daughter of a movie giant, idealised screen sex object, political activist, three times married mother-of-two, Oscar-winning movie star, revolutionary workout queen, reborn working actress, Jane Fonda has done the lot. She laughs when I suggest that, if she were an animal, it would have to be a cat to accommodate all those lives. Jane Fonda, 79, is known for being a movie star, political activist and sex object. She says 'Its more pleasing to me that people regard me for my body of work than my physical body' No, the animal I identify with is a bear because I love to play and cavort and be social, she says. But then I have to go into seclusion, a kind of hibernation. I feel I get all emptied out and then I have to refill. I do it either by being silent meditating or getting close to nature or by reading. Were in Los Angeles ahead of her visit to London next month for An Evening With Jane Fonda in which she will be in conversation with Graham Norton at the Savoy Theatre. And shes looking forward to it. Its been a long time since I was last in London and I like England a lot. Also Im going to enjoy talking to Graham: hes very clever, very funny. Although shell be 80 just before Christmas, she looks wonderful today. She readily admits to having her drooping eyelids lifted and the bags beneath her eyes removed, and shes also had work done on her jowls which would explain the firm jawline. 'I reckon all of that has bought me another decade of work, she says. But theres a fine tracery of lines around her lips and crows feet spreading from the corners of her eyes. Shes been careful not to overdo it and look as though shes been caught in a wind tunnel. She stays in shape through exercise. I walk. I do Pilates. Im careful about what I eat and drink. Its then that she shares a barely believable confession. Men dont look at me any more, she says. I dont mind. As a matter of fact, they never did. I think its hard for a woman whos been defined by her beauty to grow older. But that wasnt the case for me. I know so many women who were used to having the male gaze follow them as they walked down the street. So they really feel the disappearance of that when its gone. Its more pleasing to me that people regard me for my body of work than my physical body. My acting is very important to me, right up there with my activism. Pictured in Barbarella in 1968, she says that she wishes that she was still young enough to do a sequel of the movie to embrace it's feminist aspects She did model for the Ford Modelling Agency at one stage though before she started acting. I did but I wasnt very successful, it didnt last long and I hated it. So the good old days never applied to me. For me, these are the good old days literally. Aside from her father, the actor Henry with whom she had a famously difficult relationship, there have been four significant men in her life three of them husbands. French film director Roger Vadim, former husband of Brigitte Bardot, effectively turned Jane into a sex kitten, both in life and on film. She reluctantly participated in three-in-a-bed romps with him because she knew it would please him. And although they married in 1965 and had a daughter, Vanessa, in 1968, she had to accept his diktat that marriage was bourgeois. She played the scantily clad heroine of Vadims futuristic 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella, and says now she wishes she were still young enough to do a sequel. Ive come to realise that the original was almost a feminist movie. Pictured with her third husband Ted Turner in 1991. Her view of relationships is to avoid grudges With a few tweaks it could be a fun feminist film, a bit like the latest Wonder Woman movie. Barbarella travelled by spaceship. She was commissioned by the President to save the planet from the forces of evil. It could have been more than a kitschy, campy, sexy science-fiction movie. But Im glad I did it and Im glad it provided a lot of young men with their first physical frisson of excitement. Just ask Richard Branson. Hed had a delicate operation in his early 20s, and the stitches were still in place when he went to see Barbarella, at which point they promptly burst. He told this story to an audience of 2,000 people at a convention 20 years ago, she smiles. I thought I was going to drop dead from embarrassment when I heard about it. After Vadim came Tom Hayden, whose activism chimed with a newly politicised Fonda. She threw herself into a succession of causes with characteristic energy. The incident that had her branded Hanoi Jane came in 1972. On a visit to Vietnam she was photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. It was the most horrible mistake which I did unthinkingly at the time before quickly realising the publicity capital that could be made out of it. That image made it look as if I was on the side of the North Vietnamese against America. That simply wasnt the reality. Id spent two or three years prior to that working with our soldiers, trying to help them. I wasnt against American soldiers. I was against our involvement in what I saw as a pointless war. She also managed to build a successful workout empire and was listed as a New York Times Bestseller for a solid 24 months. Pictured here with first husband Roger Vadim in 1967. Id been a guest of the North Vietnamese for about two weeks and I was in almost total emotional turmoil. There was a ceremony in my honour on a military site. I didnt want to attend but I ended up being taken there. There was some singing, and then I sat down. It wasnt until I walked away that I saw all the cameras and that it was a set-up. I asked them to delete the pictures but of course they didnt. Theyd created a powerful piece of propaganda. It made it look like someone privileged turning against her country. There was no longer a war in the air and the gun wasnt active. But the clear implication was that I was against our soldiers and that kills me. So how has she dealt with the vilification down the years? Ive been able to withstand it because I know who I am. I know I was not guilty of what people think I did. And Im blessed with resilience which helped me to inure myself to the hatred. That doesnt mean, though, that it doesnt still haunt me to this day. Janes next incarnation as workout queen could not have surprised her more. It was a revolution and it all had to do with timing. I was unaware of the fledgling video industry. I didnt even know what videos were. Jane with her father Henry and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond in 1981. Growing up Jane had struggled with bulimia that lasted into adulthood and had a cold relation with her father The hardware was expensive so almost nobody owned them. The industry was waiting for a product that women wanted to use over and over again and then my workout video came along. I could pass myself off as a brilliant businesswoman, but Im not. It was pure accident. Gradually she became aware that there was a whole other level of importance to what she was doing. Before I opened my studio, I was filming The Electric Horseman with Bob Redford in St George, Utah, and I would teach classes every night. Women would come from miles away. In time, theyd tell me theyd stopped taking their anti-depressants or their sleeping pills. We now know, of course, that exercise releases endorphins. So I began to realise that something physiological, something psychological takes place when a body starts pushing itself. Then my book of workout routines sat on the New York Times Bestseller list for a solid 24 months. So imagine how hard that must have been for Tom, whod written six or seven books. Hayden had taken against Janes success with her workout videos and books, which was less than generous as she donated $17 million dollars to his political coffers. He resented the fact that it took me away from him and into what he viewed as a vanity project. Having said that, towards the end, he himself started exercising. Its just that he went too soon. Hayden never properly recovered from a stroke, dying last October aged 76. When Jane married her third husband Ted in 1991 she decided to give up her career for 15 years At Christmas 1988, he had announced he was in love with another woman. Janes unravelling self-esteem all but withered and died. When people have lost touch with their spirit they become their most vulnerable to consumer culture and the toxic drive for perfection. Instead of dealing with my crisis in a real way, I got breast implants. I am ashamed of this but I understand why I did it at the time. I had somehow believed that if I looked more womanly, I would become more womanly. She later had the implants removed. When a relationship ends, the pattern with me has usually been a year or two of terrible anger and then gradually remembering why I loved them in the first place while realising that life is so short. Whats the point of holding a grudge? Better to understand the role you played in it and move on. Doesnt she find it depressing that the important men in her life all ended up cheating on her? Depressing is one way of putting it, I guess. But then the question I have to ask myself is why did I have to choose men who were so highly sexed? Following the divorce of her third husband, she dated Richard Perry for eight-years Enter Ted Turner, business magnate and founder of CNN, the first 24-hour TV news channel. When I first met Ted, he literally couldnt pronounce the word monogamy. But even that made him so charming. And he wouldnt take no for an answer. When Janes brief affair with an Italian hit the rocks, Ted was back badgering her to spend time with him. In the end he picked her up at Santa Monica airport in his private jet to fly up to his Big Sur ranch and proceeded to initiate her into the Mile High Club. They married in 1991 and she gave up her career for 15 years. Hes a life force. Hes so smart. He knows so much, whether its about the Peloponnesian War or identifying a bird flying in silhouette high in the sky and its nesting patterns. One of the things we had in common was that we both had difficult childhoods and both find solace in nature. On top of that hes hysterically funny and not afraid to be outrageous. Hes also, apparently, a consummate lover. I later described to friends that making love with Ted was like being in Versailles surrounded by spectacular lit-up fountains. Hes a very sexy man. Period. So why did the marriage fail? Ted has many demons from childhood and among them is one that makes it impossible for him to be alone. He has to keep moving. I do a lot of travelling but I also do months and months when I stay in one place putting down roots. As Ive got older, thats something Ive wanted to do more. I dont want to have to be at someones side. They divorced in 2001, and more recently she enjoyed an eight-year relationship with record producer Richard Perry which ended earlier this year. Were still very close, but hes got advanced Parkinsons and Im not a natural carer. It became harder and harder. Shes adamant shell never marry again. Why would I? My children are grown. I just bought a new house and I told my architect there will never be a man living in my house. Ever. I want to be free. If I want to go to a monastery on the top of a hill for a year, then thats what Ill do. I no longer need to be validated by being with an alpha male because it wasnt just being with a guy. It had to be with a certain kind of guy, someone absolutely brilliant in a particular field and who could bring me into a new world. So how does she feel about that upcoming milestone birthday? I feel fine. Look, 80 is the new 50 but only if youre healthy. Katharine Hepburn once said to me she planned to live for a long time she died when she was 96 but that she knew it was her joints and bones that would let her down. Thats true for me, too. I have a replacement hip and knee. I suffer from osteoarthritis. My father had it; my brother has it. Other than that, Im very healthy. For a long time she hated her body and suffered bouts of bulimia that lasted well into adulthood. As a young girl I remember cutting out a magazine ad that said, for $2 and some box tops, they would send you a special gum that had tapeworm eggs in it which, when you chewed it, would hatch and eat up all the food you consumed. It sounded like a splendid idea a way to have your cake and eat it, so to speak. But the gum never materialised. She says she was a tomboy back then. I learned to fish and hunt. I rode horses. I know how to handle a gun. When I was about 12 or 13 a boy asked me whether I was a boy or a girl. That must have hurt. On the contrary, it was the greatest compliment Id ever been paid. For me, being a woman meant you were a loser, that you were destined to go down in flames. The winning team or so I saw it for many years was male. By any reckoning, hers was a difficult childhood. Her relationship with her undemonstrative father was never easy. It was different in his work. When he had a script he was fine at conveying his feelings. So how does she explain his apparent coldness towards his family? I think a lot of men of that generation had a hard time expressing emotion. But put him behind the mask of a fictitious character and that was a whole different thing. He hated displays of emotion. You disgust me, he would say to at least two of his wives if they cried. Perhaps it scared him; perhaps he sensed that if he ever allowed his emotions to surface, theyd swallow him up. And yet, I would often meet people whod tell me they flew transatlantic next to my dad and he never stopped talking. He found it easy with strangers but I dont think thats uncommon. That of course is why so many people identified with On Golden Pond, because it reflected their own experience with their father. In spite or perhaps because of all that, the day she picked up her fathers only Oscar for On Golden Pond in 1981 was, she says, the proudest moment of her life. He was very sick at that point. She produced the movie 'Golden Pond' to co-Star with her father for the first time. It went on to become the second largest-grossing film of 1981 We knew he was going to die soon. Id produced the movie the first in which wed co-starred and Id hoped it might bring him a longed for Academy Award. So this was the culmination of my dream. It doesnt get more special than that. But there was something more. This was a story about a daughter whod had a troubled relationship with her father, something I knew all about. On Golden Pond, the second largest-grossing film of 1981, tells of a long-married couple (Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn) who are visited by their daughter, Chelsea, on their summer holiday where she leaves her young son before heading off to Europe with her fiance. The curmudgeonly old man gradually opens up like a flower in the sun by daily exposure to the boy so that when Chelsea returns, shes able at last to confront her father and encourage him to reveal his feelings for her. Never has a movie of mine had such a profound personal impact on people, says Jane now. Never have people crossed the street just to hug me and tell me that seeing it, and then bringing their fathers to see it, had altered their relationships forever. Jane's mother Frances committed suicide when she was just 12 So did she continue to crave her fathers love? I cant say that I was ever waiting for the moment he said, I love you. Its just that I wanted to know that he did. Looking back now, she says, her relationship with her father could all have been so different. If Dad could have embraced the sensitive part of himself full-time, he would have been happier and so would several subsequent generations of us. The belief system that underpins the old notion of masculinity is a poison that runs deep, something he learned at his fathers knee, and his before him. I think he should have been on Prozac. Our lives would have been very different. He needed something to keep that little hormone in his brain so he didnt go dark. Poor thing. I feel real sympathy. But then thats the point of life: to go back and examine things and then to forgive because you dont want to die with all that rattling round your brain. And I do forgive him, as I hope my children will forgive me when my time comes. She still feels she wasnt as good a mother as she could have been to Vanessa and her son Troy by Tom Hayden. I was away too much, she explains. I was either filming or driving across America as a political activist when they were young. And, when I was at home, I wasnt always present, by which I mean I wasnt there for them. I wasnt very good at putting my life beyond home to one side. Im better at it now but my childrens formative years are over. Maybe Im a narcissist. But then parenting hadnt ever really been modelled for me. I didnt know how to do it. Jane lost her mother, Frances, when she was 12 and in the most horrible circumstances. Frances had a traumatic upbringing under the tyrannical thumb of a philandering and alcoholic father who beat his children, and she was sexually abused by a piano tuner. Little wonder she was later diagnosed with manic depression (or bipolar disorder, as it would be called today), and checked into a sanatorium when Henry asked for a divorce. On a visit to see the family she retrieved a razor from a drawer, then back at the sanatorium she slit her throat on her 42nd birthday in April 1950. Jane and her brother Peter were told their mother had died of a heart attack. Jane's screen career spans 57 years and continues with her new film Book Club and TV sitcom Grace And Frankie. She says the TV show gives women hope It was only later at school, when a classmate read an article in a magazine, that Jane found out the truth. If my mother had been healthy, Id have had a better model for motherhood. But she wasnt healthy because of the abuse shed suffered as a child so, even if she hadnt killed herself, she still wouldnt have known how to really show up. Of course, all of it shaped the adult I became. But the one ingredient thats such a mystery because you never know quite why one person has it and another doesnt is that, as Ive said, Im resilient. For as long as I can remember, my internal radar has been scanning the horizon for any warm body that might offer love or learning or protection. People whove had a troubled childhood but who arent resilient can be surrounded by love and yet they cant take it in. That resilience has seen her screen career span 57 years, and shes currently enjoying success in bittersweet TV sitcom Grace And Frankie, in which she and Lily Tomlin have been abandoned by their husbands whove come out and set up home together. And I just did my fourth movie with Bob Redford. Its called Our Souls At Night, about two lonely old people who become friends and then something more. Do the protagonists have a physical relationship? Eventually, they do. And is she comfortable with depicting that? Yes, without going overboard. The young always think theyve invented sex. I understand that. When they try to imagine their parents having sex, it seems pretty yucky. Its why Im enjoying being in Grace And Frankie because we show that you may be over the hill but youre not finished on any level. That gives women hope. Now shes shooting a new film called Book Club with Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton and Mary Steenburgen. My character owns a fancy hotel and has sex all the time and she doesnt want to let the other women go softly into the night without feeling the rush of desire again. It comes to her month for recommending the book and she picks 50 Shades Of Grey. Everything kicks off from there. How much does her characters attitude to sex reflect her own? Not much. Men are great but Im no longer looking for a lover. I feel like that stage of my life is over. I have my health. I have love, my children, my grandchildren [Vanessa has a son, Malcolm, 17, and a daughter, Viva, 14], wonderful friends, a successful career. Its hard to ask for more than that. But all that aside, Im extremely frightened. Weve come to that Trump moment. We have a man running America at the moment who is not fit to do so. In my opinion, hes deeply disturbed. If we dont stop him, I dont see how we can come back from it. Im not the full-time activist I used to be but I dont want my grandchildren to look back and feel like I didnt do my best. Right now, I feel prepared for battle. But then thats always been true of Jane Fonda. Yes, but weve never, ever been in a situation like this. Theres a crisis happening and I feel more able than at any point in my life to make a difference. An Evening With Jane Fonda, hosted by Graham Norton, is at Londons Savoy Theatre on Sunday 15 October. Visit atgtickets.com. Len Harley has seen many things and experienced a great deal in his long life. A veteran of the Second World War, hed fought in the deserts of North Africa, been taken prisoner and then after a harrowing journey that nearly killed him been incarcerated in a camp in Italy. After two long years under lock and key he escaped when the Italians surrendered, and made an epic trek over a Nazi-occupied mountain range to freedom. Through it all he had remained determined, resolute and singularly self-controlled. And yet now, at his home in Sandwich in Kent, Lens eyes are filling with tears, his voice cracking with emotion. Rosina, he says, Rosina, Im lost for words. Its so wonderful to see you again. Before him on the desk is a computer screen, and on that screen is a smiling Italian lady, leaning forward to get a better view of the man whos life shed saved. Shes speaking from her home in central Italy, surrounded by her delighted relatives. Four extraordinary tales are revealed in Channel 4's new series, WW2s Great Escapes: The Freedom Trails. Len Harley pictured left with fellow escapee Nick Some 74 years previously, Rosina Spinosa was 19, the daughter of a farmer in the Peligna valley in Italy. When a group of half-starved, freezing POWs on the run had turned up on her fathers doorstep, her father had initially turned them away harbouring and helping POWs was punishable by death. But shed persuaded him to take them in, and had fed them, housed them and protected them from the Nazis for an incredible five months. Even when the house was raided by German troops after a tip-off, Rosina had hidden Len and his best friend Nick in the attic, and refused to divulge their presence even when two of her own family members were taken away as hostages. The risks she had taken were very real indeed. For every Allied serviceman that made their way back to freedom from Italy, at least four Italian civilians were executed. Len owed Rosina his life, yet had never had the chance to say thank you. After the war hed returned to Italy twice to try to find her, but the Spinosas had moved to America after the war before Rosina returned to Italy, and in the confusion of the post-war years no one knew where they were. Len had finally accepted, aged 98, that hed never get the chance to thank the woman whod risked so much on his behalf. But now here she is. Through my new Channel 4 series WW2s Great Escapes: The Freedom Trails Rosina has been traced, and even though Lens now too frail to travel, the wonders of modern technology mean he finally has the chance to look her in the eyes and utter the words hes been waiting more than 70 years to say. Its all because of you, Rosina. Its all because of you. Beside Len, his daughter Chris wipes away a tear. This is my daughter, Chris. And Ive got grandchildren now. And its all because of you. One story follows the exploits of a 33-man SAS patrol dropped behind enemy lines in the Apennine mountains of Italy in December 1944. Pictured the SAS troops who wreaked havoc I am happy, Rosina says simply, leaning forward to look at Len. I am happy to see you again. Lens extraordinary tale is just one of those covered in the new series that tells the incredible stories of Allied servicemen and women escaping through Europe during the war. As well as the recurring themes of great personal endurance, defiance, initiative and courage shown by the servicemen and women themselves, theres also the bravery of the civilians who helped them. Many paid a terrible price, with their families executed, their homes burnt, their farms destroyed and yet they continued to help. In many cases this was out of a simple sense of doing the right thing. One Italian farmer who helped 58 Allied servicemen to safety said, just before he faced the firing squad, I was just doing what I was taught as a child in church if someone is hungry, you feed them. The series follows four incredible tales. The first is the remarkable story of the largest successful Allied escape of the entire war more than 100 prisoners made it through 150 miles of Nazi-occupied territory in Slovenia to finally be airlifted from a temporary airfield in the south of the country. The story of this escape known as The Crows Flight was suppressed by the British Government after the war as the local partisans who helped the group were considered Communist sympathisers, and as such regarded with suspicion in the post-war years. Monty Halls pictured at Monte Amaro, where Len Harley slid to freedom on his backside This escape involved a third more prisoners than were involved in the best-known story of POWs in the war the famous Great Escape from Stalag Luft III immortalised in the Steve McQueen film. The Crows Flight group was led by an Australian called Ralph Churches, whose role is of particular note in that hed already escaped from the camp as part of a much smaller group, and then persuaded local militia to go back with him to release many more of his fellow POWs. The resultant trek involved scaling mountains that were home to bears and wolves and fording the largest river in Slovenia, all the while relying on local communities for help and support as the Germans harried them. Another story follows the exploits of a 33-man SAS patrol dropped behind enemy lines in the Apennine mountains of Italy in December 1944. Their mission was to create chaos and confusion among German forces in the region, drawing them away from a heavily defended barrier across the country called the Gothic Line. By weakening this line, the Allied advance coming up from the south would be made easier. After 40 days in the field, the SAS had wreaked such havoc that they were now being pursued by thousands of German soldiers. They decided to withdraw to the Allied lines, and the programme follows their route through the Apennines, relying on the testimony of one of the few remaining survivors of the mission, Trevor Harrold. This extraction route took them past the scene of a terrible massacre at the village of Vinca, where 174 people, 144 of them women and children, had been gunned down by a vengeful Italian fascist force only a few months before. The POW camp where Len Harley was held before his extraordinary escape The SAS eventually made it over the summit of Monte Altissimo a set of stark ridges heavily patrolled by the Germans, and through to the Allied front lines. It had been one of the most successful SAS missions of the war. Perhaps the greatest of all the Freedom Trails was over the Pyrenees. By the time the war was over, these trails had seen 33,000 refugees and 3,400 Allied servicemen and women make their way to safety in neutral Spain. To do the entire route through the heart of the mountains was to ascend half the height of Mount Everest. Many died during the crossings, caught in blizzards, avalanches or from exhaustion or hypothermia. These are some of the great untold stories of the Second World War. The team involved in creating the series spent many months tracking down survivors, and then followed the routes themselves, piecing together stories along the way. They also brought together the few remaining survivors or their descendants with those who helped them, to at last repay a debt of gratitude. But perhaps the most powerful reunion of all is between Rosina Spinosa and Len Harley. Len had been liberated with vast numbers of POWs in Italy when the Italians surrendered in September 1943. But they walked out of their camps and straight into a nation still swarming with German troops. After being sheltered by Rosina for several months, Len finally made his run for freedom over 2,800-metre Monte Amaro. Caught in a blizzard on the summit, Len and his friend Nick decided the only thing to do was drink an entire bottle of brandy theyd been given just before leaving the valley beneath, then slide on their backsides down the vertiginous upper slopes to the safety of the forests below. Miraculously, they made it in one piece and found themselves in the village of Fara San Martino, and under the protection of a British Sikh Officer. Theyd made it, but Len knew if he was to die happy, he had to thank Rosina for all she had done for him. And so we arrive in the present day, to the front room of his house in Kent, and to Len shaking his head in wonder at the vision on the screen before him. For almost 75 years hes waited, not knowing what had become of the woman whod risked everything for him, and who in the words of the Spinosa family themselves Len had almost certainly been in love with. Now I see you again, Rosina, I think you look beautiful, he says. The family gathered around Rosina in Italy laugh in delight. We are survivors, you and me, Len continues. Its just so, so wonderful to see you again. Its just one remarkable tale in these momentous journeys through a war-torn landscape that saw the very worst, and best, of the people who lived through it. WW2s Great Escapes: The Freedom Trails is coming soon on Channel 4. We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions and only accept THE definitive answer. This week its ITV newsreader Julie Etchingham ITV newsreader Julie Etchingham is in the hot seat for this week's definite article The prized possession you value above all others A pillow with a speaker inside, which my husband Nick gave me. I have insomnia, so when I wake up at 3am I can listen to the World Service without disturbing him for an hour and a half until I drop off again. The book that holds an everlasting resonance The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank which I read when I was ten. I wrote a diary from the age of six to 21, so it had a deep impact on me. The temptation you wish you could resist Giving unsolicited advice and drinking white wine especially both combined! The pet hate that makes your hackles rise Tangled wires behind TVs or computers. I have to sort them out. The film you can watch time and time again The Pink Panther movies Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom still make me howl with laughter. The biggest regret you wish you could amend Giving up ballet when I had glandular fever at the age of 16. I wouldnt have made it as a ballerina, but its such a joy to dance. The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day Id watch the dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet rehearse and then stand beside them on stage during a major performance. She says she can watch The Pink Panther time and time again The person who has influenced you most My mum Sheila. She saw my love of writing and said when I was 12 or 13, Maybe youd like to be a journalist? I thought, Thats it! If it wasnt for her I might not be doing what I do now. The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child Dont bother about selfies look beyond yourself and concentrate on putting other people in the frame. The figure from history for whom youd most like to buy a pie and a pint Im intrigued by Elizabeth I she had such an extraordinary life. She used to say, I see, and say nothing the journalist in me wants to find out who she really was under the make-up. The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity I taught English near Dusseldorf during my gap year and I still love all things German. The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again Head space. At university I could spend all day in the library, but lifes so busy these days that I find myself longing for solitude. The poem that touches your soul I Love Digging by Seamus Heaney, which is about heritage. It makes me contemplate where Ive come from. The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase That because I appear on TV I must be happy to stand up and talk in front of a crowd. In fact I find it nerve-racking. The event that altered the course of your life and character Going to Cambridge to study English after my teacher Michael Sweeney suggested I go for it. The experience was extraordinary and literally changed my life. The unending quest that drives you on Curiosity. Its my job to remain curious and it never ends theres a constant search for answers. The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it Id visit the National Gallery and the British Museum at night so I could feast on all the riches without anyone else around. Julie says she would stroll around Rome and have pasta for dinner with some white wine with her family in her fantasy 24 hours The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions Id begin with a long walk on Waxham Beach, Norfolk with Nick and our sons Leo, 14, and James, 11. Wed then cruise along the Broads in our little boat called Golden Copper. Nicks a keen sailor and the boys are getting good at it, so Im a deckhand and cook. The boat would then magically start floating around the Greek island of Kefalonia. Wed swim in beautiful coves, then eat lunch in a fishing village. After that Id go to Moscow to see the Bolshoi perform Romeo And Juliet. All the family would then stroll around Rome and have pasta for dinner with some white wine, then ice creams at Gelateria Giolitti. Wed end the day back at home in west London. The song that means most to you Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. It was playing in the delivery room when Leo wriggled out during the Caesarean. I still cant hear it without crying. The happiest moment you will cherish forever The surprise ride in a hot-air balloon over the Leicestershire countryside that Nick organised during our wedding day in 1997. We had an hour together, which was heaven. The saddest time that shook your world Im blessed not to have suffered a life tragedy yet. Ive seen a lot of sadness as a journalist, especially in Thailand after the 2004 tsunami, but thats different to a personal sadness. The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you Id love to go to Australia and India and to finish the pile of books by my bed. The philosophy that underpins your life Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The order of service at your funeral Id have a Catholic service, including my grandfathers favourite hymn, Soul Of My Saviour. Id then like a raucous wake with plenty of Blondie, The Boomtown Rats and The Jam. The way you want to be remembered She gave it her best shot. The Plug Julie Etchingham presents News At Ten and the Tonight programme on ITV. Love Island star Chris Hughes is swapping cocktails in the villa for a night in a haunted house in a new show - and has admitted he's absolutely terrified. Chris, 22, who was a breakout star of the last season of the hit ITV2 dating show, is set to take part in a live ghost hunt in one of the most haunted spots in the UK. He will appear in 5STAR's Celebrity Ghost Hunt Live alongside other famous faces, including Geordie Shore's Charlotte Crosby and her Big Brother boyfriend Stephen Bear. Speaking exclusively to Femail, Chris revealed that he is 'petrified' to take part in the live experiment, which involves being locked in a cell with no one but the alleged spirits to keep him company, and has been question his decision to get involved. Celebrities will travel to the Harwich Redoubt Fort in Essex for a seance in a bid to communicate with ghosts at the the 200-year-old site. Chris Hughes, 22, from Love Island is taking part in a live ghost hunt on 5STAR next week The fort is said to be home to the spirits of a headless soldier and a pregnant 13-year-old who died in the moat. Joined by psychic Ian Lawman, the stars will be challenged to spend time alone with the ghosts while they're locked in cells. For Chris this is less than appealing, and he admitted he is having doubts about the experiment. He said: 'The thing is I'm actually scared of the dark, I threw up watching Paranormal Activity 2 in the cinema a few years back. 'To be honest, I really don't know why I'm doing it but I've signed up now. I'll be there. He is starring in Celebrity Ghost Hunt Live alongside Stephen Bear and Charlotte Crosby. The famous faces will be visiting a haunted fort in Essex 'I'm not stable enough for this but we'll see. I hate everything that I'm about to experience. It's not me... as long as I don't have a heart attack I'll be fine.' Chris shot to fame after coming third in the last series of Love Island with his now girlfriend Olivia Atwood, with their fiery relationship leaving viewers frustrated and gripped in equal measure. His time in the Spanish villa is a far cry from a haunted Essex fort, but Chris believes he won't be the most panicked celeb in the experiment. Joining him at the fort will be Charlotte and Bear, as well as Real Housewife of Cheshire Ampika Pickston, and the daughter of comedian Les Dawson Charlotte Dawson. Chris said: 'I think the girls will be alright but I think Bear will struggle a bit. The girls seem pretty mentally strong and I don't think it will phase them that much but wait and see. Chris came in third place with his now girlfriend Olivia Atwood, 26, and the pair's rows dominated the latter part of the ITV2 series Chris says he's 'petrified' to meet a ghost and says he threw up while watching Paranormal Activity in the cinema 'I think Bear's got a phobia of snakes so he's scared of something. He does have a good solid front but ghosts just change your game don't they? I just imagine him being funny with it.' During the show the celebrities will wear ghost tracker glasses so viewers can see what they are seeing. They will also be using a ghost audio recorder to communicate with spirits and their every move will be recorded with a night vision camera. The star, who is originally from Gloucesteshire, says he's always believed in ghosts because his family have had spooky experiences with the paranormal. The reality TV star says his brothers were haunted by a ghost in their shared bedroom as children He said: 'I've never done Ouija boards or anything like that. I'm completely petrified so I would never put myself in that position if I can help it. 'The thing is I do believe in ghosts because my brothers have all seen them. I go off what they say, so I do believe in ghosts. They saw them in their old house where they used to live. 'My brothers when they were really young slept in the same room together because they're twins. In their old house they saw just standard ghosts really just normal looking people. It does terrify me. I'm really kind of bricking it.' Celebrity Ghost Hunt Live starts on September 13 at 9pm on 5STAR. A young woman's remarkable discovery about why her father has worn the same shirt for 20 years has melted hearts around the world. Twitter user Ria, 24, shared the heartbreaking reason online by posting photos of her dad wearing an old polo t-shirt which had been weathered from two decades of use. After clearing out her grandfather's place after his death, the Japanese-born woman found a blissful snap of her parents on their honeymoon - and her father was in the very same shirt she had grown up watching him wear. Twitter user Ria shared images of her father wearing an old polo shirt he had kept for 20 years And in that moment everything suddenly made sense, Ria revealed. Her mother had passed 18 years beforehand and her grieving father kept the shirt as a precious reminder of the woman he loved. Ria shared two old pictures of a young couple wearing matching t-shirts, and another picture of her father - now in his 60s - wearing the very same polo. 'I wondered why he kept on wearing that old polo shirt,' Ria told Buzzfeed News. 'Why didn't he just buy a new one? I never imagined that the polo shirt would contain such a special memory for him.' After her father's heartwarming story became an overnight sensation, Ria told her followers more adorable details about the beloved polo shirt. After clearing out her grandfather's home, the woman found a heartbreaking photo of her father with her late mother on their honeymoon Ria shared two old pictures of a young couple wearing matching t-shirts, and another picture of her father - now in his 60s - wearing the very same polo 'Even if there was a hole he would sew it by hand himself,' she said. 'He wears it for any special occasion, be it a work study event or a trip out with the family.' She also pointed out her love-struck father never remarried, instead devoting himself to raising Ria and her younger brother. Thousands of people have since responded to Ria's heartbreaking story with amazement and praise, with many admitting her confession made them cry. 'I am surprised by everyone's reaction as my first tweet was about a disgusting father who continues to wear the same clothes forever,' she added. A young mother has penned a glowing review about a new Muslim doll who wears a hijab and recites four chapters from the Quran. Aysh Siddiqua, from Saudi Arabia, who blogs under Jeddah Mom, recently purchased the Jenna the Quran Teacher doll for her daughters. Barbie-lookalike Jenna, with a name derived from the Arabic word for heaven, comes dressed in a lengthy 'abaya' robe with a matching purple headscarf. Jenna the Quran Teacher doll wears a hijab and she can recite four chapters from the Quran Barbie-lookalike Jenna, with a name derived from the Arabic word for heaven, comes dressed in a lengthy 'abaya' robe with a matching purple headscarf 'As soon as we opened the box, my five-year-old remarked: "Mommy, she is just like you!" Of course she is. She wears a full dress and a pretty hijab,' Ms Siddiqua said in her blog post. The mother explained how she wanted her children to learn about the Muslim way of dressing, and how it's important in Islam to 'cover ourselves appropriately'. 'I personally love makeup myself but, I don't think I want my young daughters to start wearing makeup or giving importance to that kind of hobbies from the very young age,' she said. 'Jenna is a Muslimah doll. She is pretty, modestly dressed, has good manners and respects her adults. She loves reciting the Quran.' Ms Siddiqua pointed out some of the features she loved most about the doll, including her clothes, make-up and quality. 'I really liked the how they designed her dress to look modern yet modest,' she said. She also added how the doll 'helps Muslim girls relate to her. It isn't just about the clothes or her looks, she actually fells like "our" doll.' Her review comes just months after the 'Jenna' doll hit the market in Gulf Arab countries. The Barbie-lookalike doll has entered mass production and is on sale in Gulf Arab countries Founder of the Jenna doll and French businesswoman Samira Amarir said she decided to design her own doll from scratch to recite the Quran. The mother wanted a doll that could help impart her Islamic faith to her young daughter after she struggled to find the perfect toys for her. 'When my daughter Jenna turned two years old, I was looking for a toy or a tool,' Amarir said. 'The idea was to come up with a toy that would enable her to learn the Quran fast and easily while she plays.' Founder of the Jenna doll and French businesswoman Samira Amarir said she decided to design her own doll from scratch to recite the Quran Designing the doll using online modelling software, Amarir decided to give it a dark skin tone and little makeup. 'For me it was important that the doll would show something my daughter can recognise herself in, or recognise her mother at least,' she said. The four chapters that Jenna recites are short and designed to be easy for a child to memorise. Within days of playing with the doll, she would recite verses. Amarir and her family have moved from their home in France to the United Arab Emirates to market the doll in the wealthy and religiously conservative Gulf. After four years and many flights to Chinese factories to get the doll produced, she launched Jenna earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE. It couldn't be further from her usual wardrobe, yet Princess Marie of Denmark looked effortlessly elegant after swapping her tiara for full military uniform at an engagement in Copenhagen. The 41-year-old Princess was met by other members of the official visit to DEMAs Chemical Lab in in the Danish capital on Thursday. Donning a tailored blazer and a peak cap, the Parisian beauty looked fresh faced and even managed to make a tie look glamorous. As a working member of the royal family, and a Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.), Marie occasionally wears her military uniform for official engagements. Scroll down for video Princess Marie dons full military uniform during a royal visit to a laboratory in Copenhagen Glamorous: Princess Marie dons a glittering tiara at her wedding to Prince Joachim of Denmark in 2008 Marie's visit to the laboratory this week was organised as a special trip to mark its 50th anniversary. Princess Marie became the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark in 2008, and since then the couple have had two children - Athena, five, and Henrik, eight. Marie, who was born to a wealthy family in Paris, fell for the recently-divorced royal in 2005, but has previously admitted to being reluctant to become a full-time working royal. A self-sufficient woman, Marie had held jobs in PR at beauty giant Estee Lauder before landing a gig as an executive secretary in ING Numismatic Group SA, where she worked until her engagement to Joachim. The 41-year-old Princess was met by other members of the official visit, in matching attire Princess Marie being shown around DEMA's chemical lab in Copenhagen 'There was no doubt in my heart that I loved him, but I had my life,' she said. 'I was happy, and I had my pride. 'I simply was not ready to get married and take on the responsibility it would be to become part of the royal family.' She added: 'I had been fending for myself for years, and it felt overwhelming that suddenly everyone apparently had an opinion about me,' she said. 'I was not prepared that attention could be so negative,' she said. 'There were some stupid articles. I did wonder whether it was worth it.' By the time Joachim popped the question in 2007, though, she had apparently decided that it was worth it, after all. The visit was in celebration of the lab's 50th anniversary. As always, the Princess looked professional and relaxed during the trip Princess Marie because the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark in 2008, since then the couple have had two children - Athena and Henrik She now calls him her 'soulmate' and attributes part of that to the fact that he gave her a sense of stability, which she had been lacking since her parents' divorce when she was 11. Very soon after becoming a member of the Danish royal family, Maria decided upon her areas of interest. In October 2008, she undertook her first official engagement as she travelled to Morocco where she visited an orphanage, in Rabat. Today, the royal sported a flawless complexion with natural looking makeup and had her brunette locks in natural waves. She did however add a touch of sparkle to her outfit with a pair of delicate diamond earrings. BELFIELD -- The proposed Davis Refinery has drawn ire from environmental groups who object to its close proximity to the borders of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. As the North Dakota Department of Health scrutinizes the refinerys permit application, CEO of Meridian Energy Group William Prentice spoke about why this refinery is going to be a good neighbor to the people of Billings County. The local community wants the refinery there, Prentice said in a phone interview. Weve conclusively demonstrated that the refinery cannot be seen from the park. Were having a hard time understanding the resistance...especially when the local community is behind the project. Prentice estimates that the Billings annual tax revenues will nearly triple when the refinery is open. Meridian has never asked for and will never ask for any tax breaks from the state or county, Prentice said. Billings County has an annual budget of $2.3 million, the taxes we pay will bring that up to $6 million a year. That money, Prentice said, would go to providing Billings County funds to improve schools, roads and anything else. The influx of money and workers could even help return a grocery store to the town, as Belfield has lacked one for years now, Prentice said. Everything needs a little bit of tender loving care, Prentice said. The economic benefits to Billings County would be quite large, by Prentices estimation. Construction employment will peak out at 500 jobs and there will be 200 permanent employees at the refinery. However, in terms of broader impact to the local economy, Prentice said that they estimate the presence of this refinery will generate between 2,500 to 4,000 jobs in the area, to a ratio of approximately 12 jobs to every 1 refinery position, based on data from a study of petroleum work in Washington State by the Washington Research Council that Prentice cited. You add one refinery employee (then) they have to hire somebody extra over at the Roughrider Restaurant, somebody else gets hired at the Starbucks in Dickinson, Prentice said. Refinery positions are very high paying, require a higher level of education and training (and) those types of people tend to spend more money. These jobs will be tailored towards hiring workers from North Dakota, whose work ethic Prentice praised. Meridian was founded by ... the Davis family partnership, Prentice said. The founder of the company wanted to make sure that the people who are a part of that partnership are descendents of people who are from North Dakota. The purpose ... was to create opportunity in North Dakota, high-paying opportunities that college graduates could take advantage of. Out of 200 permanent refinery jobs, Prentice estimates 180 will be local hires. Creating opportunity, he said, would entice young people to stay in North Dakota. We dont want to be located where all the other refineries are on the coast, Prentice said. We like Bakken crude and (would) build a nice, lanky refinery that can refine that crude and serve local markets.The benefits stay local. Its a good solution to what I think is a bad resource allocation model. There will be many technological innovations involved in this refinery, which is the first complex oil refinery to be built in the United States in over 50 years, Prentice said. Those innovations include optical sensors for detecting even slight leaks in oil pipes, which themselves will be constructed using more modern machining methods and will be of a higher quality. By the time youd notice some leaks in an old refinery youre probably already in danger of a fire, Prentice said. We dont wait for those things to happen. You actually have an optical sensor that looks for leaks...when you have a leak itll sense it immediately and somebody goes out to fix it. So you dont have fugitive emissions. Prentice directly challenged assertions made that there should be more federal overview brought into the permit approval process in a major environmental review. One of the implications of that comment was that the health department was not capable of doing this adequately, that we were somehow getting away with something, Prentice said. The rigor of the analysis (that) the North Dakota Department of Health has (shown) would not support that contention. The North Dakota Department of Health is as knowledgeable, if not more knowledgeable than any other agency weve worked with on a complex project, including federal agencies. They are a world-class organization. The refinery will be located north of Belfield, about three-and-a-half miles away from the parks borders. Depending on when the permit is approved, Prentice hopes to begin work as soon as possible, and anticipate the first phase of the refinery, producing 27,500 barrels of gas and diesel a day, to be operation in early 2019. She's something of a royal rule-breaker when it comes to style, but that doesn't mean Queen Letizia of Spain is averse to the classics. The monarch, 44, chose a chic midi-length black and white dress to greet guests at an oncology conference in Madrid on Thursday night. Letizia, a mother of two, added a pair of stylish mules with a clear strap, and carried a neat black clutch. Queen Letizia of Spain looked glamorous in a black and white dress and strappy mules The Bardot neckline showed off the monarch's tan - she recently enjoyed a summer holiday in Mallorca with her husband King Felipe VI and their two daughters Her dress had a Bardot neckline, and showed off the Queen's tan following the royal family's summer holiday in Mallorca. Letizia, her husband King Felipe VI and their daughters Princess Leonore and Infanta Sofia enjoyed a stint at their summer retreat, Marivent Palace in Palma. The Queen's chosen dress was not dissimilar to the number she wore at an audience at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid earlier in the week. The cream and taupe dress also had a simple pattern and a demure hemline, and showed off Letizia's impressively honed arms. The Queen wore a pair of statement earrings to offset her off the shoulder neckline Her on-trend mules featured a clear strap, and she carried a neat black clutch handbag Queen Letizia of Spain shakes the hands of a guest at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, revealing her honed arms at the same time The Queen looked chic as ever in a cream and taupe sleeveless dress with tan high heels The Queen was snapped smiling as she mingled with guests at the palace. It was a case of back to business for the fashion forward monarch, who is juggling a full calendar of engagements again after the family holiday last month. Spain's royal family was seen shunning private transport to pay a visit to a tourist spot on foot in the pretty resort city. Queen Letizia, 44, is a mother of two daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia If her athletic physique is any indication, the monarch has a very firm handshake The photogenic quartet visited the Can Prunera Modern Museum in Soller, to take in a Picasso exhibition. The King and Queen were seen greeting locals and chatting to shopkeepers as they strolled along with their pretty daughters - the eldest of whom looks just like her mother, Letizia. The world's most elite nanny school, whose alumni includes the Duchess of Cambridge's nanny, has unveiled this year's new recruits including its largest ever intake of men. Graduates from Norland College go on to look after the children of some of the richest people in the world - including celebrities and royalty. The prestigious institution has supplied childcare services to the likes of Mick Jagger and, most famously, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Future king Prince George's Norland Nanny, Maria Borrallo, trained at the exclusive academy in Bath, Somerset. This year's intake of 'Mary Poppins' includes four men - the highest number of male recruits in its history dating back to 1892. New recruits: L-R Ruby Chandler, Gregory Ridley, Connor Beckles, Nathniel Fabien, Jordon Murray and Hannah Berry who are new first year students at Norland nanny school which has had its largest amount of male students join the course Perhaps its most famous alumna, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo trained at the institution before being snapped up by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured here with Prince George, watching the Trooping Tthe Colour from inside Buckingham Palace in June 2015) Spot the future mannies: Women wear A-line dresses and white gloves ,while the men's uniform is a brown tweed jacket and beige chinos. Norland welcomed four men this year Staff say 2017 is also the largest in the college's 125-year history with 103 students starting the coveted BA in Early Years Development and Learning. One of the new recruits, Connor Beckles, 18, from Bath, said: 'I've worked with kids before and it's something I enjoy. 'However, in a weird way I'm also a big kid myself so if I'm enjoying the activities then hopefully the children will as well. 'Living in Bath I've been aware of Norland for quite a while. They obviously have quite a big presence with the uniform and the reputation that they uphold. 'However, it's not something that I seriously considered until very recently. When I went to the open day I realised it was something that could really work - it made sense.' The world's most elite nanny training school has unveiled this year's new recruits - including its largest ever intake of men - with students hailing the career opportunities it provides Abby and Lauren Barns who are new first year students at Norland. Graduates go on to look after the children of some of the richest people in the world - including celebrities and royalty Prince George has a Norland Nanny - Maria Borrallo who trained at the exclusive academy in Bath, Somerset. This year's intake of 'Mary Poppins' includes four men - the highest number of male recruits in its history dating back to 1892 Diverse: The college has campaigned to sign up students from a wider range of backgrounds and 20 per cent of this year's intake came straight from employment or gap years (pictured, Principal Dr Janet Rose) Staff say 2017 is set to be the largest in the college's 125-year history with 103 students starting the coveted BA in Early Years Development and Learning The future's bright: Students often earn about 26,000 after leaving the college, which was founded by Emily Ward in 1892 Gregory Ridley, 19, from Warrington, said: 'The opportunities that Norland gives you are above and beyond any other institute, certainly in this country if not the world. 'When my mates found out that I was coming to Norland at first they were really unimpressed. 'But then I told them about the salary and they said 'Can I come?! Where do I sign up?'' Nathaniel Fabien, 18, from Romford, said: 'I became a Norland Nanny because if you're good at something and you enjoy something never do it for free. 'Norland is really prestigious and gives the best care and the best education for looking after children. 'I thought if I was going to do it I may as well do it well.' Making history at the college this year are the first identical twins to enrol - 18-year-old Lauren and Abby Barnes from Eastleigh, Hampshire (pictured) Tradition: The college, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has more than 3,500 Twitter followers and is known for its students' iconic brown and white uniforms Jordan Murray, 19, from Doncaster, said: 'I wanted to become a Norland Nanny mainly because I enjoy working with children. 'I don't really feel like it's a job because it's so much fun most of the time.' Also making history at the college were the first identical twins to enrol - 18-year-old Lauren and Abby Barnes from Eastleigh, Hampshire. The college, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has more than 3,500 Twitter followers and is known for its students' iconic uniforms. Women wear A-line dresses and white gloves while the men's uniform is a brown tweed jacket and beige chinos. Brown boater hats worn by girls and the brown tie for boys are inscribed with a gold 'N' for 'Norland'. L-R Gregory Ridley, Connor Beckles, Nathniel Fabien and Jordon Murray. Nathaniel, 18, from Romford, said: 'I became a Norland Nanny because if you're good at something and you enjoy something never do it for free' Suited and booted: Brown boater hats worn by girls and the brown tie for boys are inscribed with a gold 'N' for 'Norland' Jordan Murray, 19, from Doncaster (second left) said: 'I wanted to become a Norland Nanny mainly because I enjoy working with children. 'I don't really feel like it's a job because it's so much fun most of the time' The college, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has more than 3,500 Twitter followers and is known for its students' iconic uniforms The new school year has begun at the prestigious Norland College where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's nanny was trained (pictured: Identical twins Abby and Lauren Barns who are new first year students at Norland) Dr Janet Rose, Principal of Norland College said: 'It's a truly historic year for Norland College. 'Not only is it 125 years since our founder welcomed the first set of Norland students, but we have also moved to a brand new building in Bath as we welcome our largest ever intake of students.' The college has campaigned to sign up students from a wider range of backgrounds and 20 per cent of this year's intake came straight from employment or gap years. Students often earn about 26,000 after leaving the college, which was founded by Emily Ward in 1892. The pupils' antics have taken a backseat on the new series of Channel 4's Educating Greater Manchester, because viewers can't stop swooning over the headteacher. Drew Povey, who has been the head of Harrop Fold since 2010, stars in the latest Educating series, and his dashing appearance has already got viewers talking. That and his uncanny resemblance to the Hollywood film star Tom Cruise. Fans took to social media to point out the similarities between the pair, who one Twitter user described as being 'separated at birth'. Spot the difference: Left, Mr Drew Povey is the head teacher of Harrop School in Manchester. Right, Hollywood film megastar Tom Cruise Viewers watching the new Channel 4 series thought there were some similarities between Mr Povey and the film star 'Anyone else think Headteacher Mr Povey look like a young Tom Cruise?' asked one. 'Separated at birth! Just imagine, Tom Cruise teaching you,' said another along with a heart-eye emoji. 'Does anyone else think Mr Povey looks like Tom Cruise? So alike!' added one excited viewer. Others continued to share in their admiration for the father-of-three, who also works alongside his brother Ben at the school. 'Not ashamed to say I have a crush on Mr Povey from Educating Manchester,' gushed a fan. And it seems the teacher is aware of his growing fanbase as he shared a tweet from Harrop School's Twitter page mocking him. 'There's only one thing worse than a bad Headteacher...! A Headteacher with a fan club...!' it said. The first episode of the popular series, which follows the staff and pupils at the secondary school, saw a special friendship grow between Syrian refugee Rani and Jack. Mr Povey seems aware of his growing fanbase, of which some have admitted to having a 'crush' on the head teacher The Channel 4 sereis follows two 12-year-old friends Rani (left) and Jack (right) as their friendship blooms The two 12-year-old friends warmed the hearts of viewers when they bonded at school. They both appeared on This Morning last Thursday were they discussed their friendship with Rani explaining that when he was feeling lonely Jack realised he needed a pal. 'When I was alone I was really sad because I didnt have any friends, when Jack came up to me I felt something in my heart and then we were friends,' Rani explained. A brave mother has documented her length labour live on Facebook to show other women the reality of birth. Charlotte Adams, 28, from Surrey and her husband Rob Adams shared eight videos with more than a million viewers on Netmums' Facebook page as she gave birth to their daughter. The new mother detailed her experience from her waters breaking at 6 AM, through to her induction on a drip the following evening and the very last stages of her labour almost 48 hours later. 'Im rather sore, Im not going to lie,' Charlotte said. 'I dont even really know how that happened! One minute I was only three cm dilated, then the next thing I know I was seven cm and asking for an epidural, and then she decided to come.' Despite begging for pain relief at the last minute, Charlotte managed to give birth without and said she felt proud that she'd managed it after such a long labour. Explaining her intentions behind the vlog, she said that she wanted to give women a realistic view of what it's like to give birth. 'I want to do this mainly to help other women out there,' she said. 'But also as a bit of an experiment for myself. Maybe I'm a bit nuts.' And her experience proved that the best laid plans for childbirth often come to nothing, when she couldn't go ahead with a water birth or having her best friend there after being induced. Charlotte was filmed sucking on gas and air as she tried to manage her contractions without resorting to an epidural for the birth Charlotte's first video, filmed at six in the morning, detailed how her waters had broken at 12.15 AM. 'I've had contractions on and off for the past hour or so,' she said. 'I've made a hot water bottle. I'm trying to relax. I literally have no idea what to do. 'I have no idea what to expect. I feel a bit nervous. I feel a bit scared. My partner is still asleep, I'm not planning on waking him up anytime soon. 'The pain is more like really strong period pain. I'm not in agony at the moment. Charlotte Adams, 28, from Surrey posted her first update at 6 AM after her waters broke just after midnight (left). She updated followers on the way to the hospital (right) but was sent home to wait for her contractions to progress 'I think I'm going to make some toast. But is that a weird thing to do?' Charlotte and Rob went to hospital but were told to go home and wait it out until the contractions got stronger. Proceedings were tiring for her husband Rob too, who she praised for being very supportive during the labour She was booked in to return for an induction at 11 PM if labour hadn't progressed, but on arriving at the hospital she was told there was no room in the birthing suite. 'It's not really how I saw it happen in my head,' she admitted. 'I've tried to keep a completely open mind all throughout my pregnancy about how my birth was going to be. 'But you do get some sort of visioin of how you'd like it to be and it's not going like that at all.' Charlotte had wanted a water birth but when labour is induced with a syntocinon drip the baby needs to be monitored constantly, which isn't possible in a birthing pool. 'I do feel a bit disheartened,' she said. 'But I'm trying to keep an open mind and think as long as they baby comes out healthy and we're both well that's the most important thing.' Next morning she returned to hospital to be induced and updated followers on Facebook. 'Just had a sweep, not pleasant,' she said. 'I'm only 1 cm dilated. But I am having contractions.' 'I haven't had any pain relief other than a bit of co-codamol. I'm going to see how long I can go with it and then maybe get on the gas and air. I want to avoid the epidural. Let's see what I can do. I'm determined I can do this.' Charlotte admitted that her labour hadn't progressed as she'd imagined, but was trying to focus on her daughter arriving safely Despite the pain, Charlotte was keen no to have an epidural for the birth of her daughter Charlotte also found out that she couldn't have her best friend as a birthing partner anymore because of how the situation had progressed. 'Plans, why make them. They just go completely out the window,' she said. By the time of the next update, Charlotte was in a lot more pain and was seen sucking on gas and air. 'I was braving it without this for quite a while but it does really help,' she said. 'They're lasting about 40 seconds. Every three minutes, which is pretty bearable. I'm going to keep going. 'I'm going to keep going and trooper through. Stay tuned. I'm going to end this now and crack on with this contraction.' The proud parents with their new baby daughter who arrived after almost 48 hours of labour In the eighth and final update Charlotte was able to introduce her baby daughter. 'I did it without the epidural and I was literally dying for one,' she admitted. 'Contractions are intense and I was so wanting one but I'm proud I managed to do it without. 'Got to have three stitches done, which isn't fun.' Anne Marie OLeary, Netmums Editor in Chief, said: 'Were proud that a member of the Netmums team is so dedicated to showing birth just as it is with none of the airbrushing or lip gloss. Netmums is a big believer in keeping things real and thats exactly what Charlottes doing with this video.' A rare letter from the Queen to her midwife gushing over the 'good as gold' newborn Prince Edward has been unearthed. The handwritten message, written in 1964, sees the monarch talking about her 'wonderful' baby and telling how he 'makes everyone happy'. Edward, the Queen's fourth and youngest child, was born on March 10 at Buckingham Palace and five months later his proud mother said he was 'good as gold, trying to sit up and weighing 15 lbs 12 oz'. The one-page handwritten letter, signed 'Elizabeth R' on Buckingham Palace letterhead, is dated August 5, 1964 and due to be sold by Boston-based RR Auction. Written from Eastbourne, Sussex, the letter to 'Rowie,' her midwife Helen Rowe, says: 'I am terribly sorry we never got in touch with you before you left London. Baby prince: Edward, the Queen's fourth and youngest child, was born on March 10 and his proud mother said he was 'good as gold, trying to sit up and weighing 15 lbs 12 oz' 'The baby is flourishing': The one-page handwritten letter, signed 'Elizabeth R' on Buckingham Palace letterhead, is dated August 5, 1964 and due to be sold by Boston-based RR Auction 'Mabel was ill in bed when you wrote, and I confess I misread your letter in a great hurry and remembered the wrong day you put down, and when I was away at Arundel last week, I suddenly was reminded of your letter and of course it was too late by then! 'The baby is wonderfulgood as gold, trying to sit up and weighing 15 lbs 12! 'He smiles and giggles at everyone, and makes everyone happy! Charles, I'm thankful to say, is better but very frail as yet. I hope we see you when we return in October.' The letter is being sold with its original mailing envelope, addressed by the queen, who adds her initials next to her personal stamp, 'ER.' At the time of Edward's birth, the 15-year-old Prince of Wales was convalescing from a bout of pneumonia after having been taken ill during a camping trip with other boys from Gordonstoun School. Midwife Helen Rowe was present for the births of all four of Queen Elizabeth II's children, as well as for the offspring of other British elite and royalty (pictured here with a newborn Prince Andrew and his siblings Charles and Anne) Proud mother: The handwritten message, written in 1964, sees the monarch talking about her 'wonderful' baby and telling how he 'makes everyone happy' A trainee at King's College Hospital, London, who later transferred to the Middlesex Hospital for Midwifery, Sister Helen Rowe was Britain's most famous midwife. Rowe was present for the births of all four of Queen Elizabeth II's children, as well as for the children of other British elite and royalty. According to her 1966 obituary in the Glasgow Herald, she disliked the limelight. After a royal birth she would slip quietly away to her home, entering and leaving such places as Buckingham Palace by side doors. A second letter is to Mabel Anderson, who was nanny to all four of Elizabeth's children; she retired in 1981 after 32 years of service. This letter, also up for auction, is to Mabel Anderson, nanny to all four of Elizabeth's children; she retired in 1981 after 32 years. The Queen says: 'Goodness, what fun it is to have a baby in the house again!' and talks about how Prince Andrew is 'fascinated' by his baby brother Also included in the Royal section of the auction is a Queen Elizabeth letter stating, 'Goodness, what fun it is to have a baby in the house again!' The one-page letter signed 'Lilibet,' on Buckingham Palace letterhead, March 23, 1964 - just two weeks after Edward's birth. It says: 'What lovely flowers arrived from you today! It was extremely kind of you to send them when all my others had faded and gone, thank you very much indeed for the thoughts and for your congratulations. 'The baby is flourishing and gaining weight splendidlyhe is a great joy to us all, especially to Andrew who is completely fascinated by him. 'In fact he considers him his own property, even telling Charles and Anne to "come and see my baby!" Goodness, what fun it is to have a baby in the house again!' Queen Mathilde made a typically graceful entrance as she arrived by boat for a whirlwind visit to Venice. The Queen of Belgium dazzled in a head-to-toe matching blush pink ensemble at the 57th Venice Biennale in the Italian city. The 44-year-old royal wore a co-ordinating hat, heels and handbag to the international art show, curated by Christine Macel, where she was welcomed by organisers. Queen Mathilde was resplendent in blush pink, opting for a head-to-toe matching ensemble for her trip to Venice The royal made a chic entrance in her outfit which she had picked out for the one-day cultural trip The mother-of-four, who attended on her own, wore a pink floral embroidered dress which fell to the knee. Flared sleeves provided a quirky touch, exposing a delicate watch as she clutched a neat handbag and a pair of gloves. Famous for her perfectly coiffed locks, Queen Mathilde topped off her look with a fascinator, and a pair of tear-drop earrings. Mathilde went solo for the outing, taking in the Viva Arte Viva show, part of the 57th Venice Biennale International Art Festival The Belgian royal was all smiles as she gracefully stepped off the boat, which had been her mode of transport The mother-of-four was accompanied by event organisers who were seen accompanying her in to the venue. She leaned in intently to listen to their welcome Mathilde also made time to take in the sights of the beautiful Italian city with the famous Venice canals as a backdrop The Belgian royal also made time for a picture with the beautiful backdrop of the famous Venice canals. She took in the art on show, curated by Christine Macel, which followed the theme of art with social consciousness and opened earlier this year in May. Mathilde is just one of hundreds of thousands of visitors to the exhibition which is in partnership with 14 museums across Venice showcasing artwork like installations, paintings, sculptures and performance pieces. It features 126 artists, including Damien Hirst, who has crafted a fantasy world across two spaces for a comeback show. Outlander fans are well aware that Sam Heughan has a phenomenal physique, but the Scottish actor admits he has to tailor his workouts to achieve Jamie Fraser's 'fine a**'. The 37-year-old actor and his on-screen love Caitriona Balfe have been busy promoting the upcoming season of the Starz series, and he recently dished about what it is like to be one of the most desired men on television. Sam is often scantily clad and baring his backside in the series, and when asked if has any particular tush maintenance to play Jamie, he told Glamour that he has recently been using a booty band to sculpt his glutes. Ripped physique: Outlander star Sam Heughan has detailed how he tailors his workouts to play hunky Jamie Fraser in the Starz series Working those glutes: Sam, who is often scantily clad in the series, aid he just discovered the booty band, noting that 'it really works' 'I do tailor my workouts,' he said. 'There is something very physical about Jamie, and he is probably bigger than I would be in real life. Also, I just discovered the booty band, and well, you might find one in my bag. It really works.' Sam's efforts are clearly paying off, as Diana Gabaldon, the author of the Outlander book series, publicly announced during a recent interview that the show's star has a 'fine a**' and he has no problem with the description. 'Id say this: Diana Gabaldon has very good taste, and she would know a fine a** if she saw one,' he joked. 'Really, I feel very fortunate that shes given me that title.' Sam went on to hint that his booty will continue to be on display, saying: 'If thats what youre looking for, season three wont disappoint.' Keeping fit: The Scottish actor admitted he has his insecurities, which is why he goes to the gym all of the time That's a wrap: Sam is pictured on set with his on-screen love Caitriona Balfe Like his character, Sam is just as humble about his appearance, and he admitted that he isn't always comfortable with his body, even though many would describe it as perfect. 'Im a Scotsman. I love my whiskey and bad Scottish foods,' he explained. 'All actors are insecure. And Ive got my insecurities, which is why I go to the gym all the time.' James White, founder of Roark Gyms, recently detailed how he got Sam in shape for his role on the series and his cover shoot for Men's Health South Africa, and surprisingly, he was allowed to have some of his beloved whiskey. 'We allowed Sam to have five units of alcohol a week,' he told Channel 24. 'The man likes a drink and it seemed cruel to completely deprive him of his one true love. Red carpet events: Sam and Caitriona, both 37, have been busy promoting season three of the series, which premieres on Sunday Spoiler alert: Caitriona recently assured fans that Jamie and Claire will reunite in the 18th century this season 'He could choose to drink five whiskeys in one night or have one whiskey each night for five nights.' And while he may have been allowed alcohol, Sam had to fast intermittently which left him with only an eight-hour window per day to eat 'eggs, meat, salad and vegetables'. As for his on-screen romance with Caitriona, season two of the series ended with Jamie sending his pregnant, time-traveling wife Claire back to the mid-20th century. But Caitriona promises they will be reunited once again. 'I think its safe to say there may be a reunion in the future I think its not too much of a spoiler. Its definitely an 18th century reunion,' she revealed on Friday's Good Morning America. A grandmother-of-two almost committed suicide after being left in agonising pain throughout her body from a controversial mesh implant. Sylvia Litchfield, 61, from Birmingham, claims the only reason she is still alive today is because of her three cats and grandchildren, who gave her a purpose to live. Her problems stem from a rectopexy mesh, similar to that of the vaginal procedure which has left thousands of other British women in agony. The scandal came to light earlier this year, but its true extent is yet to be uncovered - though mounting pressure is being placed on health officials to address concerns. Senior doctors now calling for a public inquiry into its usage say it could be akin to thalidomide, as the NHS has been accused of sweeping the matter under the carpet. Within days of undergoing the scandal-hit procedure, an 'incredible' discomfort started in Ms Litchfield's body - before it spread and left her disabled. The mesh, made of the same material as that used in the more common surgery, even triggered a stroke and heart attack, she claims. Sylvia Litchfield, 61, claims the only reason she is still alive today is because her three cats and grandchildren gave her a purpose to live for (pictured before the surgery in 2014) Not only was the pain so bad it forced the former charity worker to retire, but she is now completely dependent on crutches to move. Speaking for the first time since having the mesh fitted, Ms Litchfield has revealed the devastating impact it has had on her life. She told MailOnline: 'If it wasn't for the fact I have three cats, a granddaughter and grandson, I would have done it [committed suicide] a long time ago. 'The pain just drains you.' Ms Litchfield described her discomfort as being like 'having your skin scrubbed with a wire brush all the time'. She added: 'All I can think of in the morning is getting through the day, not going anywhere has taken everything away from me except my existence. 'I was fine until the mesh. I'm still in incredible pain from my waist down to nearly my knees. I can't stand or walk properly, I can only do that with crutches.' Ms Litchfield, who now lives in a warden-controlled flat, was originally fitted with the mesh at Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry in January 2014. It was meant to only take 20 minutes, but the procedure to treat her collapsed rectum went wrong and instead lasted for nearly seven hours. Within days of undergoing the scandal-hit procedure, an 'incredible' discomfort started - before it spread to the rest of her body and left her disabled (pictured now) She only found out something happened while under the knife when a concerned passerby asked why she was gone for so long. It's like having your skin scrubbed with a wire brush all the time Sylvia Litchfield, 61 After challenging nurses for more information, Ms Litchfield found out her blood pressure plummeted during the operation, before shooting back up. But no more details were given to her, despite her relentless pursuits to discover the complete truth about the surgery. Problems started just 10 days later, sparking her first visit to the doctor. But they said she was just recovering from her operation. When Ms Litchfield returned again two weeks later, she was told that it was just an infection, she claims, despite evidence linking such pain to the mesh. But her attempts to have the mesh removed have been unsuccessful, as she is adamant the NHS is trying to cover-up the scandal. No consultant will admit the mesh is causing her pain, meaning she is unable to claim the correct the right benefits. As a result, she said she is 'living on a pittance'. WHAT ARE VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS? Vaginal mesh implants are devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women. Usually made from synthetic polypropylene, a type of plastic, the implants are intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue in the vagina wall. Other fabrics include polyester, human tissue and absorbable synthetic materials. Some women report severe and constant abdominal and vaginal pain after the surgery. In some, the pain is so severe they are unable to have sex. Infections, bleeding and even organ erosion has also been reported Advertisement She said: 'Getting a doctor to say that [the mesh is causing pain] is so difficult, I've got the same symptoms as hundreds, if not thousands, of other women. 'They wouldn't look, they wouldn't accept it could be the mesh, they just dismiss it every time you ask. It's a huge problem. 'Unless you can get doctors to acknowledge the damage it is doing, we will continue to be left in excruciating pain that keeps up all day, you can't escape it.' Ms Litchfield has since put her details forward to the MHRA for investigation and is in the process of getting records from the hospital to seek legal action. She has researched and found the damage that toxins in mesh can do, causing high blood pressure partly responsible for her near-death cardiac events. As a result of her heart attack and stroke, she is unable to take most painkillers - leaving her reliant on widely-ineffective paracetamol and aspirin. Alarming studies show that mesh implants can trigger pain, erosion and perforation in up to 40 per cent of women. Others suggest it could be as high as 75 per cent. But English health officials have yet to acknowledge the risks of the brittle implants which can break into tiny fragments and cause nerve damage. Currently, the NHS and MHRA state that as little as 1 per cent of women will go on to experience the life-changing complications such as pain. Vaginal mesh has been considered a high-risk device for nearly a decade in the US, with officials accepting that up to 40 per cent of women may experience injury. Professor Meghana Pandit, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said: 'We follow national guidance around the use of vaginal meshes and other surgical implants and devices. 'We discuss risks of all surgical techniques with our patients before their operations. However, we would urge any women experiencing complications to contact their surgeon or GP for further investigations or onward referral.' The parents of a boy born with a rare condition have revealed strangers point and laugh at their son's redder than average skin. Nine-year-old Jack Oldacres has Netherton syndrome a genetic disorder affecting just 16 people in the UK. It causes chronic skin inflammation, constant itchiness and dehydration and puts sufferers at risk of developing life threatening infections, like sepsis. Royal Mail manager, Danny, 39, and carer, Julie, 45, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, say they have never had a family breakfast with their son as he eats his in the bath, where he spends 90 minutes every morning having his skin peeled off. But it is the nasty comments from strangers including adults that they fear will knock Jack's self-confidence. Jack Oldacres has Netherton syndrome which caused him to be bright red from birth The rare genetic disorder affects just 16 people in the UK and causes the boy to be constantly itchy and dehydrated His family get upset when strangers make cruel comments over jack's skin colour His father said: 'People stare when we are out and about. 'Jack's starting to notice it now he's a bit older. He has started covering his head up a lot. He wears a hat with a hood over the top. 'We've had people comment about leaving him out in the sun. We were in a restaurant earlier this year and a man started pointing and laughing at him when we walked through the door. 'We are just trying to go about our day to day lives and don't deserve that. In our town, everyone knows who we are and it's fine. We sort of have our safe places where we feel comfortable and are reluctant to go somewhere new.' 'He looked like he had been pulled out of a fire' Julie, who had suffered three miscarriages before having Jack, was overjoyed to fall pregnant. But as soon as he was born on August 23, 2008 at George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton, weighing 5lb, doctors realised there was something wrong. The boy wasn't allowed to leave the house until he was one because sufferers are at risk of developing life threatening infections, like sepsis His parents thought his red skin was because of his traumatic birth. He was born breech bottom first meaning he had to be delivered by caesarian at 35 weeks. But his skin remained red raw and soon started peeling. Julie said: 'We just didn't know what it was. Danny was doing research online and had seen something called Netherton syndrome. 'It caught his eye, because Jack's hair follicles were different and it described something called bamboo hair where hair splits, rather than growing straight.' Danny said: 'He didn't seem to warm up at all and was struggling to regulate his body temperature. The 9-year-old needs to be covered head to toe in paraffin ointment in a routine that takes 90 minutes a day 'Doctors moved him to special care, but over the next few days, he just got redder and redder. By day three, he looked like he had been pulled out of a fire. He looked like he had been scalded and we couldn't even touch him.' For the first five weeks, medics struggled to tell the couple what was wrong with their son, as his skin peeled and broke. 'Finding out what he had was a relief' Jack was referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where specialists confirmed the couple's suspicion that he had Netherton's syndrome. 'It was a relief to know that Jack's condition had a name,' Julie said. 'We had been living in denial for five weeks. 'Finding out what he had was a relief, although, as a mum, I did go through a bit of mourning for the healthy child I thought I was going to have. Parents Danny and Julie say because of their son's skin care routine they never have breakfast as a family WHAT IS NETHERTON SYNDROME? Netherton Syndrome is caused by damage in a gene called SPINK5, which controls the formation of a protein found in the skin. A lack of this protein results in flaking, red, dry and itchy skin. The condition requires regular hospital check ups including appointments with a dermatologist and ear specialist (because of skin blocking the ears as it flakes). The skin needs to be cared for several times a day using various mixtures of paraffin and Vaseline. Infections to the skin and other body parts can quickly develop into life-threatening conditions because of the delicate nature of the skin. Advertisement 'Still, I knew I would love him no matter what. I accepted Jack, but it just took me a while to accept the condition.' The condition is genetic and after Jack was diagnosed, they discovered that they were both carriers of the faulty gene. Danny said: 'We did feel guilty and we still do but we had no idea we were both carriers. 'It's so rare that doctors asked us if there was any chance we could be related but we had met on holiday in Marbella and lived 100 miles away! It was upsetting to think that it was our genes that had caused this.' Jack spent the first six months of his life in hospital in an incubator for the first two months and then four months in an isolated room, where they had to wear protective clothing when visiting him. When he was finally allowed home, he wasn't permitted to leave the house until after his first birthday, because the risk of infection was so high. We want him to have a normal life The couple have fought hard to make sure that Jack has as normal a life as possible. But, in order for him to go to mainstream school, with the help of a classroom assistant, every morning he has to spend 90 minutes in the bath, while Julie slowly exfoliates and peels off his skin, to keep him comfortable. Danny said: 'It's a long process and it upsets him that he has to eat breakfast in the bath, because we just don't have time for anything else.' Danny and Julie discovered that Jack has Netherton syndrome because they were both carriers of the faulty gene that causes it The routine has to be repeated every night before he goes to bed and every three hours including throughout the night his parents have to cover him from head to toe in a paraffin ointment, to keep his skin hydrated Danny explained: 'Jack grows a mask of skin throughout the day and if we leave it, it would crack and split. That's when there could be a risk of infection. 'He spends so much of his time having treatment, just so he can do normal things like going to school. Having his skinned peeled off isn't nice for any of us, but it also means he misses out on normal family things like eating together.' Fundraising for a new bath While strangers can be cruel, the family say many people in their home town have been hugely supportive. Locals have helped with fundraising as well as with renovating their house to meet his needs. But now they are desperate to buy a new bath for him, that will reduce his morning bathing routine and allow them to eat breakfast together for the first time. Danny added: 'We started fundraising when Jack was young and we raised 40,000 for research, as at that point we had everything we needed for him. 'As he's got older, though, we've looked into more things that can help him and people in our community have really rallied round. 'We've also had lots of support from X Factor winner Sam Bailey, who has been a rock to us. 'We discovered something called a micro-silk bath and we are fundraising to get one for Jack. 'it produces very tiny bubbles. These hit the skin, exfoliating and re oxygenating it. These baths stay warm all the time, too. 'At the moment, he's in the bath for so long that we need to refill it several times, as he can't regulate his body temperature. 'This special bath would transform his life. It would reduce bath time to just half an hour in the morning and at night. It would free up two hours a day for him meaning we could spend time together before school and eat breakfast together, like a normal family.' To donate to Jack's fund, visit here. A father whose body has been severely ravaged by thousands of tumours is hoping a miracle will stop the perpetual growth and finally give him a clear face. Surinder Sharma, 46, from India, started growing benign lumps on his face and body at the age of 20. The undiagnosed condition, which is believed to be neurofibromatosis, was passed on to Mr Sharma from his father and causes people to be scared or mock him. The father-of-four said: 'The tumours are only growing with my age. These tumours have ruined my life. People laugh at me, children are scared of me. I have no social life. 'I do not have money but I hope that [the] government helps. Medicine is advancing and I have [a] firm belief in God and doctors that some day I can be cured from this disease that has ruined my life.' A father whose body has been ravaged by thousands of tumours is hoping for a miracle Surinder Sharma is hoping God will stop the growths and finally give him a clear face Mr Sharma, 46, grew lumps on his face and body at 20 (pictured with two of his children) NEUROFIBROMATOSIS FACTS Neurofibromatosis is a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow along nerves. Type 1 affects one in 3,000 births. Symptoms and severity vary but it typically causes coffee-coloured patches and non-cancerous lumps on or under the skin. Type 2 affects one in around 33,000 births. As well as causing benign tumours, it can also lead to gradual hearing loss, tinnitus and poor balance. Both types are often associated with learning difficulties. There is no cure, but surgery can remove the bumps. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement 'I have a firm belief in God that I can be cured' Mr Sharma, who earns the equivalent of 100 a month in the grocery store he runs, has visited several local doctors over the years but is told he must travel to big cities, such as Delhi, for treatment. Unable to afford such therapy, and faced with the responsibility of feeding four children, Mr Sharma has abandoned any hope of paying for his treatment. He said: 'I have spent thousands of rupees on consultations but none of the doctors here could tell me what I am suffering from. 'Going to a big city would mean a lot of money but I cannot afford the travel or stay and doctor's fees. 'I do not have money but I hope that [the] government helps. Medicine is advancing and I have [a] firm belief in God and doctors that some day I can be cured from this disease that has ruined my life.' The condition, which is believed to be neurofibromatosis, was passed on to him from his father Mr Sharma says the condition has ruined his life as people are frightened and mock him Earning just 100 a month, Mr Sharma hopes the government will help or God will cure him 'I feel very low about myself' Although Mr Sharma is not in any pain, he describes the discomfort as unbearable. He said: 'There is a weird sensation in the lump and when I sweat I feel burned and itchy. I try to keep as clean as possible.' Other than the physical effect the lumps have had on Mr Sharma's life, they have also severely knocked his confidence. He said: 'I feel very low about myself. I run this store but hardly [any] people come to buy from the shop. 'I feel uncomfortable in moving freely in [the] market because people stare at me and children get scared. 'My family loves me but I feel inferior in front of others. The society demands a person to look in a certain manner and my appearance does not fit that criteria. 'My kids are very supportive but they are growing and a day might come when they feel bad about me.' Mr Sharma say he is uncomfortable but not in pain (pictured with GP Dr Suraj Sahay Saxena) Mr Sharma says his children are supportive, but he worries they will be ashamed as they age Although he inherited the condition from his father, Mr Sharma says his is much more severe 'The lumps spread over my entire body' Mr Sharma was born healthy, however, when he turned 20, lumps started to appear on his face. As his father also had these growths, Mr Sharma ignored them at first. Unfortunately, the lumps became progressively worse and within a few years engulfed his body. Mr Sharma said: 'I was a handsome man in my youth but just a few months after my marriage, I noticed a lump on my face. Within [a] few days there was a cluster of them; they were growing really fast. 'Because I had seen my father with these lumps on his face I thought I too would be fine just like him. But as time went by, the lumps started growing bigger and bigger and eventually spread [over] my entire body. 'It was really severe and worse than my father.' Dr Suraj Sahay Saxena, a GP who also advised Mr Sharma's father, said: 'It looks to me a case of neurofibromatosis. It is a very uncomfortable condition to live with but sadly I cannot be of any help to him. 'He had come to me two months [ago] and I had advised him to go to a skin specialist as they will be able to diagnose the condition. 'Years ago his father had also come to me for help but his condition was not as bad as Surinder's. 'I believe there can be a treatment for his condition but it is not possible here as we do not have the resources for the examinations. I have suggested him to see doctors in Delhi.' FARGO -- A former University of North Dakota aviation professor was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to spend more than 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges. Eric Hewitt Basile, 38, was sentenced to 198 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson. He pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of materials containing child pornogrphy and three counts of possession of materials containing child pornography. Basile was an associate professor in the UND John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences from 2014 to his arrest one year ago. He was arrested Sept. 8, 2016, after UND administrators asked to search his work computer on a tip he may have been using it to facilitate inappropriate relationships with students, according to court documents filed in Grand Forks last year. A North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent conducted a forensic examination of the computer. That examination revealed child pornography, which led to a Grand Forks district judge signing a search warrant, according to court documents. Detectives from the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, the UND Police Department, BCI and Homeland Security executed a warrant on Basile's residence on Level Plains Circle in Grand Forks and seized multiple digital devices. In an interview with detectives, Basile admitted to having child porn images and videos. He said he had collected about 100 images and videos from a website and stored them in a Dropbox account, according to court documents. Detectives said they were able to uncover eight images on Basile's computer. These images depict male and female children between 1 and 3 years old being sexually assaulted by adult males, according to the affidavit. The case was transferred to federal court in November. He signed a plea agreement in March. Basile will be on supervised probation for 15 years following his release. He is also required to pay $20,800 in assessment fees and restitution. Basile will be placed in a prison near Chicago so he can be near his family. UND has dealt with several child pornography cases in recent years. Last July, former UND chairman of Family and Community Medicine Robert William Beattie was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for child pornography possession. In February, former UND Police officer Paul Bradley Meagher was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing and receiving child pornography. UND aviation student Connor Brennan, 20, was charged with five counts of child porn possession in Grand Forks in July. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 9. His case has not been picked up in federal court at this time. Danielle Thrasher and her partner found out they were pregnant with their first child through a home pregnancy test. Little did the couple know, though, that before they got married they would become a family of six. A pain in the 32-year-old's abdomen sent her to the emergency room over a month later to do an ultrasound. The scan showed that Danielle and her partner Joseph Odom were pregnant with not one baby, but two, which didn't surprise her because her older brothers were twins. But then a new ultrasound a week later showed another baby hiding with the twins. The couple was having triplets. At 13 weeks pregnant, the third ultrasound revealed the final count and doctors informed them they were actually having quadruplets. The fourth baby was hiding by her belly button. Danielle gave birth to naturally conceived quadruplets on August 17, a feat that is only done in one and 700,000 women who are pregnant with four children. Danielle Thrasher, 32, gave birth to quadruplets on August 17 after first being told she was pregnant with twins. From top left clockwise is Zoey, Lyla, Arya and Maya Odom Danielle (left) and her partner Joseph Odom (right) were planning on getting married but those plans are on hold to focus on the girls. They have been together for three years Danielle Thrasher and Joseph Odom, both 32, from Noblesville, Indiana, took on the shock of having not one or two or even three children, but four after two false readings on an ultrasound. The couple first found out they were pregnant with a child when Danielle took a home pregnancy test. Severe abdominal pain sent her to the emergency room at six weeks pregnant where doctors revealed that she was actually having twins. The twins were no surprise to her because her brothers were twins and she knew genetically that it was possible for her, too. How rare are quadruplets and what are the risks for this type of pregnancy The most common form of multiple births is twins. Twins occur 90 percent of the time with the other 10 percent divided between triplets, quadruplets, etc. These multiple births are more likely with the help of IVF and other fertility drugs to help people get pregnant. The most common way someone can conceive quadruplets is if there are four separate eggs that are fertilized by four different sperm. But, it is also possible for embryos to split to form multiple babies. There is a one in 700,000 chance that someone can conceive quadruplets naturally without any help from IVF or other fertility treatments. How are the chances of producing quadruplets increased? If the mother comes from a family with multiple births because there is a genetic link to hyper ovulation. If the couple is using a fertility treatment to help get pregnant. If the couple has regular sex during the woman's fertile phase of her cycle. If the woman is 35 years or older because the body is more likely to release multiple eggs at one time. What are the risks to a quadruplet pregnancy on the mother? The mother is at a higher risk for miscarrying one of the children if she is carrying all four. Other increased risks include uterine rupture, placental rupture, gestational diabetes and hypertension. The additional babies can also cause psychological, financial and social effects on both of the parents. What are the risks for the babies? Premature birth is always a risk factor when the mother is carrying multiple babies in her womb. The babies are also more likely to have a low birth weight. Quadruplets can have breathing difficulties, problems maintaining their temperature and blood sugar levels. They can also experience hearing loss, vision loss and heart complications. Source: Huggies Advertisement But then on an ultrasound one week later showed a third baby hiding in her womb. Joseph was the one who experienced the largest shock of the news. 'It took him a good solid month to process all that,' Danielle said to Daily Mail Online. Little did they know at the time, but a fourth baby was hiding under Danielle's belly button. Doctors revealed Danielle was having a quadruplets when she was 13 weeks pregnant during her third ultrasound. 'I turned to Joseph and said "What are we going to do" in the middle of the ultrasound,' Danielle said. Joseph was the calm one after the big reveal that they were having four. 'He was like "it's fine, it's just one more",' Danielle said. But they couldn't understand how the fourth baby was missed when the ultrasound technicians first found the three and their individual heartbeat. Her doctor explained that they didn't have any reason to check and see if she was having more than three babies. 'Because of the placement of the babies, they didn't go searching around for four,' Danielle said. The quadruplets were naturally conceived from four individual eggs that were fertilized by four separate sperm. There is only a one in 700,000 chance of someone pregnant with quadruplets to naturally conceive them. On that same day of seeing their fourth baby, doctors brought up a potential plan to reduce the pregnancy down to twins. 'It was very tough to hear all the statistics,' Danielle said. The chances of her having a miscarriage had significantly increased with having all four babies. Also, there was a higher risk of her going into preterm labor where the babies could be born with developmental problems. The couple decided together that giving up one or two of their children wasn't an option. 'We really felt in our hearts that if God wanted to give us four, we would have four,' Danielle said. 'We couldn't live with ourselves knowing we had to pick two.' This decision brought them down a harder road with the knowledge that the births would cause extra stress on both Danielle and her babies as well as a larger financial burden. The average mother carrying quadruplets goes into preterm labor at 24 to 26 weeks. Danielle was able to make it to 27 weeks and five days before having each child by a cesarean section birth. She wanted to make it longer, but her waist at the time measured at the size of a 53-week pregnancy and her blood pressure was high. Daniele and Joseph found out they were having quadruplets during an ultrasound when she was 13 weeks pregnant. The fourth baby was hiding under her belly button Danielle and Joseph are holding their daughter Lyla after she was born. Lyla is easy for them to recognize because she has golden hair while her sisters all have darker hair Baby D, who is now called Arya, was also getting a lower blood chord flow than the other babies. This provides oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby, so it was imperative to deliver to make sure all the children remained healthy. We really felt in our hearts that if God wanted us to have four, we would have four. Danielle Thrasher, mother Baby A, named Zoey Cheyenne after Danielle's deceased sister, was born at 2lbs and 2oz as the smallest of her siblings. The hiding baby was Baby B and the couple named her Lyla Mae, which they came up with in the car on the way home from finding out they were having quadruplets. She weighed 2lbs and 6.5oz. Baby C was named Maya Jo after her father and was born weighing 2bs and 4oz. The final baby was Baby D, named Arya Grace because Danielle is a big Game of Thrones fan. She weighed in at 2lbs and 2.9oz. The couple stuck with a trend of having each girl have four letters in their name because they are quadruplets and they wanted them to have short names. 'We both have long names,' Danielle said. 'So we thought "let's keep it short and simple".' The doctors were all pleased that the babies all weighed so much considering they were born premature. Their actual due date was supposed to be November 11. But with this birth has come complications for the quadruplets. Lyla, Arya and Zoey have done extremely well with gaining weight since they were first born, but Maya has been having more trouble. Arya Grace was born at 2lbs and 2.9oz. She is named after the character Arya in Game of Thrones because Danielle is a big fan of the show Lyla Mae was the fourth baby that was hidden during the ultrasound the first and second ultrasound. She was born weighing 2lbs and 6.5oz She is gaining weight but has developed a heart murmur and can't always breathe on her own. A heart murmur is when an extra sound is made in the heart as the blood is traveling through it. Depending on the murmur, it can cause no problems at all for the baby. But other murmurs could lead to severe problems with the valves or walls of the heart. Doctors are monitoring Maya closely to make sure it doesn't develop into something more serious. All four babies are expected to stay in the hospital at least until the end of October because doctors need them to reach a certain stage of development before they feel comfortable releasing them. Danielle explained that the doctors are looking for each baby to weigh 4.5lbs, breathe on their own, suck and swallow on their own and pass the car seat test. This test involves the infant having to sit in a car seat for 90 to 120 minutes while a nurse monitors their breathing, heart rate and oxygen levels. Weight also plays a large factor in the car seat test because their isn't one small enough to handle a child that weighs less than 4lbs. Until then, Danielle is traveling 30 minutes to the Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, Indiana, every day to be with her daughters while Joseph goes to work. She has been feeding them with her breast milk because doctors think that is the best way to give the children nutrients to help with growth. But the hard part is far from over for the new parents. The couple has been together for three years and was originally going to get married, but those plans have been put on hold. 'The needs of the girls comes first,' Danielle said. Financial problems have occurred because they currently live in a one bedroom apartment and do not have a car large enough to fit all four car seats. Maya Jo was born weighing 2lbs and 4oz. She is named after her father Joseph. Maya is the quadruplet that has had the most difficulty because she developed a heart murmur and occasionally has trouble breathing on her own Zoey Cheyenne was the smallest weighing at 2lbs and 2oz when she was born. She is named after Danielle's sister who died when she was only 11 But Joseph is the only one that can go to work because daycare is too expensive for them to both to be at work. 'We don't have cable and we cut down on internet usage,' Danielle said. 'We are limiting things we would indulge in and really watching what we are spending.' One of Danielle's friends reached out to the apartment complex they live in to see if the building could help them pay for a two-bedroom instead of a one, but they have had no luck so far for that to happen. If the couple paid for a two-bedroom on their own it would add $300-350 a month to their rent. 'That's diapers for the girls,' Danielle said. A GoFundMe page was created to help raise money for the price of hospital bills and other necessities for the quadruplets. The couple is focused right now, though, on keeping their girls healthy and getting them out of the hospital. 'Knowing they have a roof over their head, food in their mouths and basic necessities is enough for now,' Danielle said. British children are suffering from severe head lice infestations because parents refuse to treat them, an expert has claimed. An increasing number of parents are failing to treat head lice in their children because they fear using chemicals or simply 'can't be bothered'. Parasitologist Ian Burgess, director of the Medical Entomology Centre in Cambridge, warned parents' relaxed attitudes were contributing to an increase in serious infestations which can cause skin infections and put other children at risk. He said: 'People are putting up with them for much longer than they would have done in the past. It could be that they don't want to use a treatment or they simply can't be bothered.' Around one in 10 primary school children in the UK has head lice - tiny insects which live and lay their eggs in hair. Their empty egg cases which stick to hair are known as 'nits'. British children are suffering from severe head lice infestations as parents refuse to treat them SMARTPHONE HEAD LICE ALERT! CHILDREN GATHERING AROUND A SCREEN COULD FUEL THE PEST'S RISE Children who own smartphones or tablets are more likely to have head lice, research revealed in July. Some 62.5 per cent of youngsters with such devices will experience head lice within a five-year period compared to just 29.5 per cent of children who are less technologically savvy, a study found. One explanation could be that the pests easily spread when children gather together to look at a screen, according to the researchers from Oxford University. Yet, taking selfies is not associated with an increased risk of head lice, the research adds. Matthew Gass, of the British Association of Dermatologists, who was not involved in the study, said: 'We're not saying that smartphones are causing children to get head lice, but that there is a link, so if there's an outbreak at home or at school, consider how electronic devices might cause children to congregate, allowing head lice to spread.' Advertisement 'People are not bothering to treat head lice' Lice quickly multiply and can cause itching and inflammation of the scalp. In severe cases, infections can be caused when children scratch their head with dirty fingernails or if faecal matter from the lice gets into a scratch. Mr Burgess and his team conducted tests in a primary school in Cambridgeshire before this year's summer holidays and found around eight per cent of the children had head lice. They handed parents of all the infested children vouchers worth 10 to collect any treatment of their choice from a pharmacy metres from the school. Yet only a quarter of the vouchers - for just eight of the children - were cashed in. Mr Burgess said: 'An awful lot of people are not bothering to treat [head lice]. 'Treatments cost less than a bottle of cough medicine these days, but even when we were offering treatment for free most parents didn't take it. That's a worrying factor. 'The other 75 per cent of parents presumably decided for themselves there wasn't anything there, despite the fact that we could not remove all the eggs by combing, or maybe they just looked and thought: "So what?". 'One parent told us: "Nobody ever died from head lice so we're just going to live with them". 'There is potential for those children to go on and infest others.' An increasing number of parents have a fear of using chemicals or simply 'can't be bothered' 'It causes an inflammatory reaction, it triggers an immune response' Mr Burgess warned that leaving lice untreated could affect a child's wellbeing, adding: 'It causes an inflammatory reaction, it triggers an immune response which makes you feel unwell. 'It causes disturbed sleep and a loss of condition, the hair gets lank and you feel less inclined to groom. As well as the irritant effect it has there's a higher risk of infection.' He said parents should make sure they check and treat children for lice before they go back to school as they are most likely to catch them while playing with other children during the holidays. Caroline Wheeler, of the UK's leading head lice treatment brand Hedrin, said some parents tended to blame others instead of taking responsibility for their own children. She said: 'Parents' relationship with lice is interesting as there is often a focus on who is to blame. You rarely hear parents blaming another parent or the school if their child gets chicken pox or a cold, however when a parent discovers lice a fixation can sometimes occur with a particular parent who they believe is not treating their child for lice. 'Weekly checking is crucial as not everyone itches so children can have an infestation for months before it is picked up if they are not scratching their head. Regular checking will ensure lice are picked up early and parents can then treat accordingly.' Recent figures suggest nearly half of British school children have had head lice at least once in the last five years. There are two medications that prevent preterm birth, the most common cause of perinatal death in the US. One costs 16 cents a week, one $285. Poor black women arent getting either. Why? In 2015, for the first time in eight years, the rate of preterm birth in the US rose, despite increased understanding of preventative measures. By one estimate, preterm births cost us an estimated $26billion per year. Additionally, US maternal death rates are the among the worst for economically similar countries, currently double that of Canada and Spain, and almost three times than for women in Japan. In Texas, they doubled in just over two years. When the rates are examined more closely, they reveal an alarming narrative about differences in health outcomes that are systematic, avoidable and unjust. The increased burden of preterm birth on low-income, urban and black women in America is 48 percent higher that of white women in every state. As an obstetric provider for women with high-risk pregnancies at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital in New England, I witness the tragic outcomes of these health inequities every day. As an investigator tasked with reducing them, I lead teams who have identified several important barriers to access. The women in the US who have a higher risk of delivering preterm are rarely prescribed medications that could reduce that risk (file photo) PREVENTING SPONTANEOUS PRETERM BIRTH One potentially preventable cause of preterm birth is recurrent spontaneous preterm birth. Thats when babies deliver early despite attempts to prevent it, to mothers who have a history of early deliveries from the same cause. Both the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine and the American College of Ob/Gyn recommend a specific progesterone preparation called 17P. This medication can reduce recurrent preterm birth in women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth. Currently, its available only at high cost, between $225 and $385 per week. The cost has profoundly impacted obstetric providers ability to obtain 17P for all eligible women and contributes to the increased incidence of spontaneous preterm birth in black women. Most health insurers who enroll low-income and urban women those seeking low-cost insurance through connectors require prior authorization or numerous additional communications. These hurdles can be daunting, especially for anyone with competing financial needs and language or literacy challenges. In Louisiana, a state with one of the highest rates of preterm birth in the US, only 5 percent of women who should be getting this medication are able to obtain it. When we started a study at Boston Medical Center, we found that only 37 percent of our eligible patients received 17P. Our patients were not routinely informed that they had delivered preterm and were at risk of recurrence. In fact, we found that none of our patients delivering preterm had documented counseling about their diagnosis or recommendations for future pregnancy during their hospitalization for that first preterm baby. Without this information, they were unaware of the risk to their next pregnancy or that they could reduce risk by asking in prenatal care for 17P. A CHEAPER TREATMENT 17P is expensive, so perhaps it seems reasonable for insurers to restrict it even from those who qualify for its benefit. But what about other preventable causes of preterm birth? Maternal complications of high blood pressure, also known as preeclampsia, can also induce preterm birth. Preeclampsia, a disease of constriction of small blood vessels, costs an estimated $2.1billion per year in the US This is at a time when the poorest women in America are at rising risk of maternal death, of which preeclampsia is a leading contributor. HEALTH RISKS OF PREMATURE BIRTHS Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy may need special medical attention. This is due to some of their vital organs not being developed fully, including the lungs, brain and liver. Around 10 percent of infants born annually are premature. In addition to the immediate health concerns, these babies may face other risk factors as they grow up. Premature babies have a higher risk of being depressed as they grow older, recent research suggests. They are more prone to have ADHD in childhood, anxiety and even being shy as an adult, experts claim. Preterm birth can also cause childhood neurologic disability, as well as long-term medical consequences including respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases and decreased immunity. Advertisement The population at highest risk for preterm birth due to hypertensive disorders or placental insufficiency? Black women, especially those with a personal or family history of high blood pressure; first-time mothers; and obese women with low socioeconomic status. A medication that costs 16 cents a week is also unavailable to many of the women most likely to benefit. This magical treatment is low-dose or baby aspirin. In 2014, the US Preventive Services Task Force, a congressionally authorized independent group of national experts, officially recommended low-dose aspirin for pregnant women at high risk of preeclampsia. Aspirin in highest-risk women may reduce preterm birth by 62 percent. It can also cut the overall incidence of hypertensive pregnancy complications in half. Low-dose aspirin has been used safely for both mothers and babies for more than 80,000 pregnancies over 30 years. But our study showed that only 11 percent of high risk pregnant woman at Boston Medical Center received low-dose aspirin, when our goal is for 90 percent of qualified women to get this benefit. Why arent women, especially high-risk women, getting this medication? At Boston Medical Center, we are working to address our three specific identified barriers to access. Providers are reluctant to prescribe low-dose aspirin, pharmacists are reluctant to fill it, and, when prescribed, women are afraid to take it. Though it hasnt been fully studied, reluctance on the part of providers and pharmacists likely stems from a lack of knowledge or acceptance about risk factors. Meanwhile, women, eager to have a safe pregnancy, are bombarded by mixed messaging when searching online for information about aspirin in pregnancy. CHANGING THE NARRATIVE The medical community can do better to reduce this racial disparity, but doing so requires focused interventions directed toward those women most likely to benefit. At our hospital, we were able to increase our patients access rate to 17P to almost 90 percent. We focused on four specific barriers: lack of patient knowledge, lack of provider awareness, suboptimal communication in the electronic health record and insurance challenges in obtaining the medication. This subsequently reduced our preterm birth rate by 62 percent. At a time when reproductive health care sites are being closed and preventative care restrictions on poor women are implemented daily, we need to prioritize every womans access to interventions that reach high-risk women in order to prevent infant mortality and preterm birth. This article was originally published by The Conversation The FDA has blasted EpiPen manufacturers for doing nothing while users died or developed serious illnesses after using faulty products. In a letter published this week, the agency said these deaths would have been preventable had the makers of EpiPen tested their products, or at least investigated malfunctioning reports more thoroughly. Tens of thousands of EpiPens were recalled in March after reports from earlier this year saying the allergy-shot devices failed to work during emergencies. It is the latest scandal for EpiPen distributor Mylan, which is known for raising the price of the life-saving devices more than 400 percent in just a few years. Pfizer, which owns Mylan, has responded to the FDA's accusations, saying that there is no evidence that their devices led to patient deaths. EpiPens, which people with severe allergies depend on, have been linked to patient deaths and severe illnesses, the FDA has said (file photo) WHAT IS EPINEPHRINE? Epinephrine is a chemical that opens up the airways in a person's lungs by relaxing their muscles. It also narrows their blood vessels. EpiPen users are warned to inject themselves with epinephrine as soon as they suspect an allergic reaction. Symptoms of these reactions include: sneezing wheezing hoarseness swelling hives itching a weak pulse an accelerated heartbeat skin redness stomach pain feeling faint People with severe allergies should tell their doctors if they have the following conditions before considering an EpiPen as a treatment plan: high blood pressure heart disease coronary artery disease diabetes Parkinson's any thyroid or adrenal gland disorders Advertisement EpiPens are used by people with severe allergies who inject themselves with the drug epinephrine during life-threatening allergy attacks. When a person who has a severe reaction to a certain food, drug or other allergen comes into contact with it, they can shoot epinephrine into their thigh, which will temporarily offset the symptoms of their attack until they can get to a hospital. Millions of Americans rely on EpiPens, which they carry with them at all times in case they undergo an attack. EpiPens are made by Meridian Medical Technologies, which is owned by Pfizer. The products are sold by a company called Mylan NV, which sparked outrage last year when it hiked the price of EpiPens up to $608 for a two pack of the devices. This pricing was up 500 percent from the cost of a two pack ten years ago. The company's CEO defended the price increase, saying that Mylan was barely making a profit. And this week, the FDA blamed Pfizer for not keeping its Brentwood, Missouri, manufacturing facility up to code in a warning letter to the company issued earlier this week. 'You failed to thoroughly investigate multiple serious component and product failures for your EpiPen products, including failures associated with patient deaths and severe illnesses,' the FDA said. One example of the pharmaceutical company's failures was its choice not to investigate a batch of EpiPen products, even though it had discovered that one included in the batch would not properly fire and deliver the correct dose of epinephrine to its user. Instead of testing the entire case of EpiPens in which the faulty one was found, the company only threw out the faulty one and one other from the lot. 'You did not examine any units from the associated lot to determine whether additional units were affected by the same or similar manufacturing defects,' the FDA explained. And as a result, EpiPen users complained to Pfizer that their devices failed or were difficult to activate. Pfizer was aware of these complaints but did nothing to address them, according to the letter. 'Your own data show that you received hundreds of complaints that your EpiPen products failed to operate during life-threatening emergencies, including some situations in which patients subsequently died,' the warning said. Pfizer responded to the FDA's allegations, saying that they are confident their products are safe. The company also said that the chance that an EpiPen is used incorrectly is great since most people who use them - to inject themselves - are not doctors. Pfizer said: 'Between 2015 and now we have shipped more than 30 million EpiPen Auto-Injectors globally. It's not unusual to receive product complaints, especially when the product is frequently administered by non-medically trained individuals. 'We currently have no information to indicate that there was any causal connection between these product complaints and any patient deaths' The company added that they do not anticipate any supply issues as a result of the FDA's warning letter. Hurricane Irma's full-forced winds and rainfall are expected to hit south Florida this weekend forcing hospitals and care homes to scramble to protect their patients. More than 1.4million people in Florida and Georgia have been forced to evacuate so far due to the impending storms. This includes hospitals and care homes who have patients that need around-the-clock care. To prepare, hospitals in the Keys have been discharging patients that aren't as serious and evacuating others to areas such as north Florida, North Carolina and Georgia, Miami is one of the cities with the most concern as it will be hit right in the center of the category 4 storm. This forced Mercy Hospital in Miami to start evacuating more than 200 patients to areas in the north of Florida and close its emergency room. Other hospitals are remaining open with more than two weeks of supplies available to get them through the storm. Nursing homes have also been advised to have prepared at least seven to 10 days worth of drugs and supplies for each patient in case a need to evacuate occurs. But people in the state of Florida are worried that this might not be enough to protect those who are elderly or chronically ill from the damage of the storm. Hospitals and care homes in counties such as Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward have been forced to evacuate their patients to areas in north Florida, Georgia and North Carolina in anticipation of the storm. Hurricane Irma is expected to hit Florida this weekend Some hospitals close their doors for safety Many hospitals in the Florida Keys and Miami are taking precautions such as closing their doors and evacuating patients to higher ground. This is in anticipation of the hurricane that will hit the lower half of Florida with hard wind and rain to cause significant damage. How one Texas hospital go patients out during Hurricane Harvey Baptist Beaumont in Beaumont, Texas, was forced to transport its 243 patients after the water pump in the city failed. The hospital evacuated and canceled all of its services. This required firefighters and emergency medical technicians to help transport all of the patients safety to other areas. Ambuses (bus-sized ambulances) and ambulances traveled from Weslaco, Texas, to transport all 243 patients to hospitals around the state, including some in Houston. Some patients even ended up in Louisiana to receive the care they needed. The hospital was able to find a place for everyone during Hurricane Harvey. It started admitting patients again on Tuesday after a back-up water system was installed in the hospital. Source: The New York Times Advertisement But prior to the closures, hospitals also experienced an increase in patients from people getting injured. Wayne Brackin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health South Florida, told to CNN that a lot of people have gotten injured while preparing their homes for the hurricane. 'People fall off ladders; they cut themselves; they break bones,' he said. The seriously ill are the patients hospitals are most concerned about because they aren't healthy enough to be discharged. Hospitals in Monroe County, which includes the Keys, has been evacuating patients to north Florida, North Caroline and Georgia. Lower Keys Medical Center even got help from the North Carolina National Guard to help evacuate its patients. Some patients have also been evacuated to Baptist Hospital of Miami. This hospital is staying open for emergencies and patients who are too ill to be discharged. But it is prepared for the storm with more than two weeks of food and supplies to survive if need be. The hospitals in southern Florida have also been busy putting shutters on windows, picking up supplies, loading up on food and making sure generators are working. Mercy Hospital in Miami is one hospital that is shutting down its operation in anticipation of the storm. They have evacuated more than 200 patients and are closing their emergency room as a precaution. But even these precautions might not be enough. While the hospitals in Florida are more used to storms like Irma than other states, there hasn't been one quite like this. With winds at 185mph, hospitals and other facilities could be in trouble for this coming weekend. Stores across Florida have been wiped out as people anticipate the storm. Hospitals and care homes have increased the amount of food and medication they have in order to provide the best care for their patients. This is a store in Kissimmee, Florida on Friday Care homes bulk-up on supplies Florida has the largest elderly population with more than 19 percent over the age of 65. And a study in 2009 revealed that 60 percent of the deaths in Hurricane Katrina were of people who were 65 years and older. Elderly people are a concern during natural disasters because they are more likely to have a chronic illness and a need for medications or medical supplies. They also are more likely to suffer from memory impairments, frailness and limited mobility. Most Florida nursing and care homes are hunkered down in anticipation of Irma if that county has not been ordered to evacuate. Already homes in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties have been issued emergency evacuation orders. Each facility, whether it is evacuated or not, is required to prepare at least seven to 10 days worth of supplies and medication for every resident. This is to help get them out quickly if an evacuation is required. Other retirement communities, such as Shell Point in south Florida, have hurricane shelters that are prepared to be used if the storm gets bad enough. Children and adults with chronic illnesses Living with a child or adult who has a chronic illness can cause a lot of problems during an emergency evacuation. These chronic illnesses require medication, supplies and special conditions that can be hard to achieve when traveling away from the home. Some hospitals such as Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, released a guide to how to prepare for an evacuation due to a natural disaster. It is recommended to prepare at least one weeks of medication if you are anticipating being evacuated from your home. The hospital also advises for people to load up on gas, food and other necessary equipment in case they are trapped somewhere. Extra batteries are necessary if there is any medical equipment that needs energy in order to stay functioning. If a child or adult has a serious illness that requires immediate medical attention, it is recommended to go to the nearest emergency room or medical shelter that is open. Surgeons performed an emergency cesarean section to save a terminally ill mother and her baby just five weeks after she was left unconscious from a stroke, but now doctors are preparing the mother to die. Carrie DeKlyen, 37, was 24 weeks and five days pregnant at 5.30pm Wednesday when doctors delivered her sixth child, a girl who has been named Life. Carrie's breathing and feeding tubes were removed on Thursday after the birth and her husband said she is hours away from dying. She discovered she was pregnant in April, days after she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, the same one John McCain has. On July 28, at just 19 weeks, Carrie suffered a traumatic stroke. She has lain unconscious on and off a ventilator ever since. Doctors at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor were trying to wait till end of September for Life to be delivered at 28 weeks, but they decided on Wednesday that they could not wait any longer, as the baby has been moving less and less and they were worried she would die in Carrie's womb. Surgeons warned the family that Carrie could die on the table during the delivery because she still relied on a machine to help her breathe and the cancer has worn down her body. Her baby survived the delivery, weighing 1lb and 4oz. But Carrie's body is no longer capable of handling the damage from the cancer. She is expected to die later today. Life will stay in the hospital for the next four to five months as she continues to grow, and her family remains hopeful that she will be a healthy baby. Carrie DeKlyen, 37, found out she was pregnant with her sixth child, Life, after doctors found a terminal brain tumor that was causing her extreme headaches Life, the baby, was doing well last week but her situation took a turn for the worst. Doctors delivered her today because she is sick and they worried she would die in Carrie's womb Before her stroke: Carrie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in April. Pictured: Carrie in the hospital with Jez, Laila, Nevaeh and her husband Nick Carrie was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis, a terminal brain tumor that was originally the size of a clementine. At the time, she and her husband Nick, 39, didn't know she was pregnant. When she found out she decided to forgo chemotherapy to keep the child. Although it could have extended her life and shrunk the tumor, it would have killed the baby. Doctors have yet to test the risks of chemotherapy on a baby during the first trimester. Those first months are crucial for a baby because most of the internal organs are developing and the drugs could hinder that. Chemotherapy is also more likely to cause a miscarriage during the first trimester. So Carrie opted for radiation treatment in hopes it would keep herself alive long enough to have her child. She also had two surgeries, one to try to remove the tumor and the other to drain the liquid, but both have no helped her situation. People with this aggressive form of brain cancer only have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after diagnosis. The mother, from Wyoming, Michigan, has been unresponsive at the hospital since the end of July. Doctors had to put her into a medically induced coma after she suffered a dangerous stroke from the tumor that continues to grow in her brain. The stroke has left her off and on a ventilator for over a month as she fights to breathe on her own without exerting too much energy on her body. Towards the beginning of her coma, she was responsive and would occasionally open her eyes or move her limbs. Doctors were hopeful that she would maybe even wake up from the coma once the swelling in her brain went down. Sonya, Carrie's sister-in-law, has been keeping people updated on Carrie's progress through a Facebook account. Today, doctors told the family they needed to deliver Life because of Carrie's current condition But the tumor continues to grow and with that growth comes the need to constantly drain her skull from excess fluid. Doctors tested Life's size and health on Wednesday because they were worried about her viability outside of the womb. She measured last week in the three percentile range for size at 24 weeks and five days old. Her mobility has also grown less and less over the weeks, which has prompted the doctors to decide to deliver her tonight for fear that she would die in Carrie's womb if they didn't. She's going to be here for four or five months, but we expect her to be a healthy baby. Nick DeKlyen, father At 24 weeks, Life is considered in the extremely preterm category. She also has developed a small amount of fluid in her brain. This fluid can cause minor symptoms for Life or severe brain damage, but doctors won't know more until they monitor her more. On average, 63 percent of babies born at 24 weeks survive in the United States, and Life is now another baby who so far is doing OK outside the womb. The normal gestation period for an infant is 40 weeks old. Some problems that doctors are worried about when they deliver a baby this young is the high risk of developing a neurological disability. These disabilities can include something as severe as an inability to walk or control their muscles or something mild such as having a learning disability. Nick said they expect her to remain in the hospital for four to five months to get her larger and more healthy. 'She's going to be fine,' he said. 'She's going to be here for four or five months, but we expect her to be a healthy baby...The doctor just said the timing (of the birth) couldn't have been more perfect.' He said she is gaining weight and almost breathing on her own. Life has all of her organs intact but the fluid in her brain could cause her problems later on. Carrie and Nick have been married for 17 years. Their sixth child was a shock but they decided together to forgo chemotherapy and keep her Fighting: Carrie, pictured after her first surgery to remove her tumor. It was just days before she found out she was pregnant with her sixth child Carrie's husband Nick has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, since Carrie went unconscious so he can be close to his wife and baby while they fight for their lives. Now, the entire family is with Carrie in the baby as they prepare to say goodbye. 'My wife loves the Lord and she loves her children more than anything,' Nick said. 'It's painful. But this is what she wanted. She wanted to protect this child.' Carrie and Nick have five other children besides Life: Elijah, 18; Isaiah, 16; Nevaeh, 11; Leila, four; and Jez, two. Sonya DeKlyen Nelson, Nick's sister, created a Facebook page, Cure 4 Carrie, to keep family, friends and supporters updated on Carrie's struggle during her cancer diagnosis. She also created a GoFundMe page to help raise awareness of what the family is going through to help pay for Carrie and the baby's care. So far, the page has made close to $80,000 with more than three thousand shares on Facebook. What is glioblastoma? The most aggressive tumor that forms from glial cells in the brain Glioblastoma is the most aggressive tumor that can form in the brain and was also found in John McCain last month. Patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after their diagnosis. It is made up of a mass of cells growing in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. The tumor won't spread to other organs, however, once it is diagnosed, it is nearly impossible to target. Unlike other types of brain cancer which are more specifically located, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain. Because the tumor likely already spread deep into the brain by the time it is diagnosed, the cancerous tissue is incredibly difficult to remove. It is mostly found in men between the ages of 50 and 60 with previous history of cancer, so it is incredibly rare that Carrie got the cancer. Symptoms: Symptoms can include blurred vision, severe headaches, trouble with memory and dizziness. Carrie experienced three weeks of severe headaches before doctors found her tumor. In order to diagnose the disease, doctors will do a CAT scan or MRI, and then biopsy the tumor and run pathology tests. Treatment: Chemotherapy is one option to treat glioblastomas, though it is relatively ineffective because of the blood wall surrounding the brain that protects it. That barrier makes it difficult for the drugs to reach the tumor. Radiation is another option the Senator's doctors will employ, however because of the chance of harming other organs or brain tissue, they will only be able to use a low dose. The low dose might shrink the cancer, but will not kill the entire tumor. Carrie opted to do radiation since she could no longer do chemotherapy since it would terminate the pregnancy. Although the radiation might have shrunk the tumor some, the doctors say Carrie's tumor continues to grow. The tumor makes it impossible to remove every microscopic growth. Therefore, it will continue to grow. Advertisement Dr Emily Grossman (pictured) has frozen her eggs to 'side-step her biological clock' - and urged other women to do the same A scientist and broadcaster told how she had frozen her eggs to side-step her biological clock and urged other women in their 30s to consider doing the same. Dr Emily Grossman said freezing her eggs at 38 has given her a chance of motherhood when she is ready. Dr Grossman, a television presenter with a top degree from Cambridge University, revealed her move at the British Science Festival in Brighton yesterday. She said: I strongly believe that all women in their mid to late 30s should be made aware of the risks of waiting too long to try for a family ... and, more importantly, that theres no shame in freezing your eggs. I think perhaps some women see egg freezing as admitting defeat admitting that they havent managed to do it the natural way. Thanks to modern science we have the opportunity to take a look at our biological clocks and side-step them for long enough to give ourselves a chance of motherhood that otherwise might not have been possible. Explaining the highly personal decision, she said: Theres nothing to be ashamed of in freezing your eggs and admitting ... you have not had the opportunity to have a child and you want to do something about it. I want every woman in their mid to late 30s to know she has options. Dr Grossman, a panellist on Sky1 science show Duck Quacks Dont Echo, is freezing three cycles of eggs. Dr Grossman (pictured), a television presenter with a top degree from Cambridge University, revealed her move at the British Science Festival in Brighton yesterday This typically costs around 9,000-12,000 depending on the clinic. Dr Grossman has partly paid for the cost of the procedure herself, and with the help of her father, who sees it as investing in his grandchildren. Her mother has also contributed funds. She said she was inspired after attending a talk at the Cheltenham Science Festival two years ago, in which fertility experts Dr Allan Pacey, of the University of Sheffield and Dr Gillian Lockwood, the medical director of Midland Fertility Services, warned how womens fertility dropped from their late 30s and some found it impossible to conceive at all. Dr Grossman said: From the age of about 36 the pressure I felt to have a child began to get really intense. I was scared that it would get too late and Id lose the opportunity ... So when I reached 38, I decided to freeze my eggs. How the procedure works Egg freezing is becoming increasingly popular as more women choose to delay motherhood. Women are said to be receiving the procedure as a gift, aimed at preserving good-quality eggs at a younger age. It means they are less likely to be let down by older, less effective eggs, if they decide to start a family later in life. Women take powerful drugs to stimulate their ovaries to produce additional eggs for freezing. Instead of the one egg released naturally every month, often as many as 15 are collected under sedation or anaesthetic. It can cost up to 400 a year to store the eggs, some of which will not survive when they are later thawed. The standard period to store them is for ten years, although some women are given the option to keep them for up to 55 years. But official figures show only around 15 per cent of IVF cycles using frozen eggs are successful and just 60 babies have been born from frozen eggs since 2001. Advertisement While egg freezing may offer another chance at motherhood, it is not guaranteed to work. Some experts and official figures put the chances of having a baby successfully with a frozen egg at as low as 15 per cent. But earlier this year a Daily Mail investigation found some clinics have claimed the success rate is as high as 65 per cent, leading to accusations they are peddling false hope. Dr Grossman said: Im fully aware that the success rates for IVF from frozen eggs is quite low, so having this done absolutely doesnt replace the urgency to conceive naturally at my age. She has been told her chances to have a successful birth are between 20 to 30 per cent and hopes that to conceive naturally but will have the option of using the frozen eggs if she is unable to. Dr Grossman said: This is not an alternative to doing everything you can to starting a family naturally. Society EVERY THIRD THOUGHT ON LIFE, DEATH AND THE END GAME by Robert McCrum (Picador 14.99) Robert McCrum was only 42, and at the height of his career in publishing and literary journalism, when he was felled by the stroke that was to transform his life. That was 23 years ago and afterwards McCrum found himself living permanently in the shadow of death. He knew that after the colossal shock to his system, and the year-long recovery, he could never go back to my old self. Once you are brought face-to-face with the end of life, you expect it all the time. He calls it the endgame the process to which we are all subject; the moving escalator carrying us remorselessly towards a final breath. McCrums quest in this book is to make sense of all these thoughts, to remind us all there are no privileges or exemptions, so we must live each day in the knowledge that it is one step towards the grave. Robert McCrum embarks on a quest to explore life and death after gaining afresh contemplation of mortality after turning 60 (stock image) Do I hear you murmur that this is too depressing? No, on the contrary. To the wisest ones, the idea of mortality acts as an electric shock to body, mind and spirit, telling us to seize the time, jolting us into the well-lived life. This engaging and honest book was triggered by an unexpected fall three years ago. McCrum tripped and fell in a London street and was taken to hospital, had tests and, eventually, went home. But he noticed that something had changed. More than two decades after the stroke, and having turned 60, McCrum began to contemplate mortality afresh. Like Shakespeares Prospero in The Tempest, he vows: Every third thought shall be my grave yet, paradoxically, that is the basis for a narrative full of vigour, even (sometimes) black humour. McCrum takes us through one year of reading, thinking, weighing up the dire statistics on dementia and other threats and talks to individuals who have also found themselves on the interface between death and life, through personal experience or through work. The format works: it is like wandering around with a wise peer, eavesdropping on his conversations and enjoying his literary quotations. With the distinguished British neurologist Andrew Lees, he discusses the death-in-life that is Alzheimers disease and continues this theme with world-famous brain surgeon (and bestselling author of Do No Harm) Henry Marsh. What is consciousness? What happens when the brain fails? Are we still human? All the expertise of two brilliant men cannot answer every question but Lees and Marsh stress the importance of exercise to keep the brain healthy. EVERY THIRD THOUGHT ON LIFE, DEATH AND THE END GAME by Robert McCrum (Picador 14.99) McCrum talks to friends whose lives have been interrupted by the threat of ill-health or death, and who can no longer push the Grim Reaper to the back of their minds. He considers the idea of the good death, looks at the ever-expanding literature of death and dying and shows (again and again) that all the evidence factual, personal and literary demon-strates the truth of Sigmund Freuds dictum: We must make friends with the necessity of dying. What choice is there? In the course of a fascinating conversation about war, loss, survival and literature, the Freudian psychotherapist and writer Adam Phillips points out that loss and mourning are integral to our development and death is at the heart of psychoanalysis . . . Of all McCrums encounters, I found this one the most uplifting, Phillips positive conviction that there will be more possibilities when we are 70 was music to my ears. One example, Clive James, is the still-living proof that we must never give up. The brilliant writer and critic has been dying for quite a while now in 2013, the worlds press gave James the last rites, since his demise from leukaemia and emphysema was thought to be imminent. But the irrepressible Aussie went on stubbornly clinging to a physically impaired existence. He wrote scintillating criticism and the best poetry of his life, gave more interviews and delighted friends with the coruscating brilliance of an intelligence all the more powerful as the body declined. There are those who might think Every Third Thought too full of names yet, to me, McCrums encounters with the famous and the not-so-famous serve to underline the memento mori message of the medieval Dance Of Death illustrations: that rich and poor, renowned and humble alike will all face the same fate eventually. But right at the end of the book, after we have heard about the sad end of his marriage, McCrum leaves us with an unexpected and tantalising glimpse of a new relationship in his life. It just goes to show that you must never give up, never lose hope. Memoir MOZART'S STARLING By Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Corsair 14.99) On April 12, 1784, Mozart completed the score of his Piano Concerto No 17 in G. Six weeks later, he was astonished to hear a whistled fragment of his new piece coming from a pet shop. Somehow, a caged starling had learned the phrase ahead of the concertos first official performance. The cocky little bird had even given the tune a new twist, tweaking the last two Gs up a semitone. That was wonderful! Mozart wrote in his diary that night, beside a transcription of the avian variation. Although such a common bird was an unusual choice of pet for the status-conscious composer wealthy Viennese preferred canaries and parrots Mozart took it home to join his household during the most productive period of his life. American naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt was intrigued by the bond between the maestro and his little mimic When the bird died four years later, Mozart was so heartbroken that he held a grand funeral, complete with a poignant eulogy he had written himself. American naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt was intrigued by the bond between the maestro and his little mimic. Starlings are rarely kept as pets these days (its illegal to take one from the wild in the UK), but they have a long history as domestic companions. Pliny the Elder raised them for study and recorded that Julius Caesar taught them to parle Greek and Latin. So Haupt and her husband half-inched a five-day-old starling from a local nest she knew was slated for destruction and raised her as a pet, feeding her cat food and playing her regular bursts of Mozart. Her charming account of life with the bird she christens Carmen demonstrates what extraordinary characters they can be. As hoped, Carmen proves a brilliant impressionist, quickly mastering the sound of a wine bottle opening, the cats miaow and her mistresss call of Cmere honey! More impressively, she learns to make the stopper sound before the wine is opened, greet the cat with a miaow and summon back her mistress with that Cmere honey! When the bird died, Mozart was so heartbroken that he held a grand funeral, complete with a poignant eulogy he had written himself Shes a clever and engaged family member, snuggling onto Haupts shoulder to sleep and pecking at the keys of her computer when she tries to type. She also poops all over the place. No wonder Mozart loved his starling: he found it easier to compose in a chaotic environment and rejoiced in toilet humour. (He once signed off a letter to his cousin: Oui oui, by the love of my skin, I s*** on your nose, so it runs down your chin.) Like his starling, Mozart was a brilliant mimic who loved drinking and, when Haupt discovers Carmen has a taste for wine, she imagines the composer sharing a glass with his pet as they bounced musical phrases back and forth, just like the birdcatcher Papageno and his lover in his opera The Magic Flute. When Mozarts beloved father, Leopold, died in 1787, money problems prevented his famous son from attending the funeral. Some musicologists have suggested the strange Musical Joke he published shortly afterwards was a consequence of his grief-stricken mind. MOZART'S STARLING By Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Corsair 14.99) But Haupt quotes ornithologists who hear the distinctive patterns of starling song in the piece he wrote during the three years he kept his bird. Mozarts pet died soon after his father. The two bereavements collided. He mourned them both in music that lives on centuries after his own premature death. Dizzying swarms of notes: rising, soaring, twisting and turning. On a darker note, Haupt lives in America, where huge flocks of starlings murmurations are a serious problem. Theyre believed to cause $800 million of damage to U.S. agriculture each year as they binge-feed in cattle troughs. A flock of starlings even brought down a passenger plane in 1960, killing 62 people, when hundreds of their bodies were sucked into its engine shortly after take-off from Boston the worst bird strike in aviation history. Even the most devoted American bird-lovers despise the robust, invasive species for their ability to outcompete more sensitive native birds, such as bluebirds, chickadees and swallows. Their emergence in the U.S. is a peculiar story they were shipped across the Atlantic from England in 1890 by the eccentric pharmacist Eugene Schieffelin. The misguided Anglophile was on a mission to populate New Yorks Central Park with every species of bird mentioned in the works of Shakespeare. The chaffinches, nightingales and skylarks he imported all died. But genetic research has proved that the 80 starlings he released are the direct ancestors of all 200 million of the birds that now live across North America. Perhaps Schieffelin should have read his Shakespeare a little more carefully: the starling described in Henry IV is a curse disguised as a gift . . . Advertisement A Hawaiian street artist painted an incredible mural in Canada that shows a woman disappearing and reemerging with the changing tide. Sean Yoro used non-toxic paint to keep the waters as clean as possible to create his 30 by 45 foot masterpiece at the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada. For legal purposes, he did not disclose where exactly the artwork is located. He had to paint quickly as well with the tide that changed approximately one foot every 15 minutes, he told CNN on Tuesday. Yoro told CNN: 'Calculating the lifespan is very difficult because of variables such as sunlight and currents around the wall itself, but a safe estimate would have it lasting two to three months.' Sean Yoro used non-toxic paint to keep the waters as clean as possible to create his 30 by 45 foot masterpiece at the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada For legal purposes, Soro did not disclose where exactly the artwork is located. He had to paint quickly as well with the tide that changed approximately one foot every 15 minutes he said that 'calculating the lifespan is very difficult because of variables such as sunlight and currents around the wall itself, but a safe estimate would have it lasting two to three months' In total it took him nine days to complete the mural and he had to paint quickly and consider the tide But with using the eco-friendly paints, Yoro said the artwork could last up to two years under perfect conditions. He had to experiment with different kinds of paints and work with a wall that was already wet. It took him nine days to complete the artwork. It is his latest work in a series of water murals that have appeared in locations including Puglia, Italy and West Palm Beach, Florida. According to his Facebook, Yoro is a self-taught street artist who grew up on the east side of the island Oahu. He discovered his passion for graffiti and tattooing in his late teenage years. Yoro - known by his artist name Hula - transforms the dilapidated constructions by balancing on a paddle board to paint the enormous faces and figures, often with tribal markings on their bodies. He moved to New York to pursue his career and painted semi-submerged murals in the water. According to his Facebook, Yoro is a self-taught street artist who grew up on the east side of the island Oahu He discovered his passion for graffiti and tattooing in his late teenage years. He is seen above painting the mural A work of art: He had to experiment with different kinds of paints and work with a wall that was already wet His designs can brighten up even the dullest of buildings, and leave visitors with pleasant memories that could have so easily have been negative. Hula writes: 'Merging his backgrounds in both street and fine art, Hula works entirely with oil paint and uses traditional techniques to create soft, female figures interacting with the surface of the water.' 'Hulas work often leaves you feeling an array of emotions while proposing an environmental discussion.' Some images show just a woman's head, as if emerging from the water, while others show women at angles, as if they are swimming. Hula's designs can brighten up even the dullest of buildings, and leave visitors with pleasant memories that could have so easily have been negative MINOT -- Minot police are investigating an incident where a man is reported to have had a gun exposed on his hip in the parking lot area of Minot High School-Souris River Campus. Capt. John Klug of the Minot Police Department declined to release more information because it is an open investigation. Shanon DeVries, a mother of a student at the alternative high school, reported that the incident happened on Tuesday. Heres what she and other students involved reported: Two of the students at the school said a group of students had been walking back to the school from a gas station when they walked by the man's house. The man took offense at something he overheard a boy saying and told them he had video surveillance cameras. The students said the man must have followed them back to the school grounds, where a barbecue had been taking place over the noon hour. The students said the man first approached a teacher. He also had some sort of verbal altercation with a group of students on the grounds and talked about fighting them. At one point the man lifted up his shirt and showed them a gun. The students said the school principal was angry with the students who had spoken with the man and the teens said the principal asked the man to come into the school office, possibly to cool off the situation. The students said the principal likely did not know at that point that the man was carrying a gun. The teens said the man, who lives in a house near Longfellow Elementary, seemed to be disturbed. The teens said that students have been told not to talk about the incident and some of the students at Souris River Campus have been disciplined for asking other students questions about it. The teens also said that the school did not call the police about the incident. It was reported by a concerned neighbor. Superintendent Mark Vollmer said Thursday he cannot comment regarding an ongoing investigation. A judge has sentenced a former New Jersey police officer to 20 years in prison for firebombing his supervisor's home while the police captain and his family were inside asleep. Under terms of a plea agreement, 40-year-old Michael Dotro must serve 17 years before he'll become eligible for parole. Dotro did not speak during Thursday's sentencing. Michael Dotro, 40, received 20 years for attempted murder and arson after firebombing a police captain's home while the family slept The judge said: 'his time as a police officer was a complete fraud.' He previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson. He admitted setting fire to Edison police Captain Mark Anderko's home in Monroe Township in May 2013. Anderko's wife, two children and 92-year-old mother were in the house at the time, but weren't injured. The former police officer used a pair of gasoline-filled jugs to start the fire and was charged with five counts of attempted murder. The house was heavily damaged. Dotro received 20 years for attempted murder, a first-degree crime, and 10 years for aggravated arson for setting the May 23, 2013 fire at Anderko's home. The prison terms will run concurrently. Captain Mark Anderko's home was heavily damaged in the 2013 fire. Dotro pleaded guilty on all charges He was also given 10 years for official misconduct, five years for conspiracy to tamper with a witness and 18 months for conspiracy to retaliate. Dotro apparently set fire to the house after he was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after his 11th excessive force complaint. The assessment took place four days before the fire. When he entered the courtroom, his wife, Alycia, yelled out 'you're a monster. You're a manipulative monster,' according to mycentraljersey.com. Dotro resigned from the Edison police force last fall. Police Captain Mark Anderko (pictured) had ordered Dotro to undergo a psychological evaluation after he had received 11 excessive force complaints. The fire happened 4 days after the assessment He will serve five years of parole supervision once released. After the May 2013 fire, authorities dug deeper into Dotro's behavior and filed 17 additional charges against him. They found that Dotro had bought marijuana while in uniform and on duty in December 2012. In March of 2013, Dotro and his wife had slashed the tires of a 25-year-old woman who worked in the police department. The woman had filed a complaint against Dotro, alleging the married patrolman was harassing her. Dotro also had bought marijuana while on duty and in uniform, slashed the tires of a woman who filed a complaint against him, and pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy He later accessed the department's database to find the criminal mischief complaint relate to the tire slashing. Dotro was also found to have brass knuckles, a fake weapon, and a club in his duty bag. Alycia Dotro was charged with hindering for allegedly providing false information during the investigation of the fire. She also was charged with official misconduct, conspiracy and criminal mischief in connection with her criminal involvement for the tire slashing. Alycia Dotro (pictured) has entered a pre-trial intervention program that could clear her record within two years The day after Dotro pleaded guilty, Alycia Dotro was admitted to a pre-trial intervention program that could clear her record in two years. In September 2016, Dotro pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy. He admitted he sought retaliation against another police officer who had ticketed a family member for drunk driving. Four other former Edison police officers pleaded guilty to their roles in the retaliation plot. Alycia and Michael Dotro opened a restaurant under the names Alycia and Michael Frances. They initially denied they were the Dotros, but then admitted their true identities. The couple posted more than $2million combined in bail. A 49-year-old Connecticut woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly shooting birds with a pellet gun off her own bird feeder. Police found Melinda Bennett in the garage of her Ledyard home intoxicated and holding a pellet gun. The garage floor was covered in blood and bird feathers, according to police. Officials say that Bennett admitted to shooting the birds. Melinda Bennett, 49, was arrested for allegedly shooting birds with a pellet gun from a bird feeder Police arrived because they had received a report that Bennett shot birds off the bird feeder daily. She was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and cruelty to animals. Bennett was released on a $500 non-surety bond and will appear in court on September 28. Bennett is a volunteer at a Connecticut horse sanctuary, according to her Facebook page. Supporters and opponents of same sex marriage have clashed outside a Brisbane church following the High Court decision allowing a postal vote to go ahead. Police say one woman was arrested for obstructing police and another person suffered a minor injury during the angry stand-off outside the Ashgrove church on Thursday night. Jessica Payne, who was injured at the scene, told the Today show that the crowd was 'extremely violent.' Scroll down for video Police say one woman was arrested for obstructing police and another person suffered a minor injury during the angry stand-off 'I suffered an injury because people drove their cars nearly at full speed into the yes campaigners here today,' she said. 'It was extremely scary, extremely irresponsible, and police actually tried to help the people in the cars get through the crowd of protesters.' Cabinet minister Peter Dutton told the Nine network the incident does not reflect the respectful debate the government wants on marriage reform. 'Of course it's not. Conduct yourself in a reasonable way. Have a respectful discussion,' he urged during an interview on the Nine Network. Supporters and opponents of same sex marriage have clashed outside a Brisbane church following the High Court decision allowing a postal vote to go ahead Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said the church stand-off was unsurprising, and the government's postal survey was always going to be divisive. 'That was one of the concerns we had about a plebiscite or a postal vote - that there would be division in the community,' he told Nine. He said incidents like the one at Ashgrove didn't advance the yes or the no campaign. Cabinet minister Peter Dutton told the Nine network the incident does not reflect the respectful debate the government wants on marriage reform 'You can have different points of view without engaging in that sort of behaviour.' Footage of the stand-off showed pushing,shoving and shouting outside the Banks Street church, where yes campaigners had tried to disrupt a meeting of marriage reform opponents. The incident happened just hours after the High Court gave the green light to the government's survey, and dismissing challenges about the way it had been funded. Former Labour minister David Lammy outlined the proposal as part of a plan to improve the treatment of black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the criminal justice system Criminals should be allowed to sidestep prosecution in order to tackle racial inequality in the justice system, a Government report recommends. Defendants charged with crimes such as drug dealing, shoplifting or assault could opt for a treatment programme rather than give a plea. If they successfully complete a course for, say, drug or alcohol problems or anger management, they will go free. But failure to comply would lead to them being hauled before the courts and risking a criminal record. Violent criminals who took part in a pilot study in the West Midlands were 35 per cent less likely to reoffend, the report claimed. Former Labour minister David Lammy outlined the proposal as part of a plan to improve the treatment of black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the criminal justice system. He said the recommendation known as deferred prosecution could help address a chronic trust deficit. Studies show that suspicion of police, prosecutors and solicitors makes ethnic-minority defendants a third more likely to plead not guilty than white suspects, leading to harsher sentences if they are convicted. Guilty pleas carry a discount of up to a third at the sentencing stage, but black and ethnic minority offenders are so distrustful of the system that they refuse to admit culpability. Defendants charged with crimes such as drug dealing, shoplifting or assault could opt for a treatment programme rather than give a plea Mr Lammy, who was asked to conduct the review last year by ex-prime minister David Cameron, spent 18 months investigating reports of racial bias in the criminal justice system. He said: Many black, Asian and minority ethnic defendants simply do not believe the justice system will deliver less punitive treatment if they plead guilty. It is only through delivering fairness, rebuilding trust and sharing responsibility that we will build the equal and just society so often spoken about. But he warned there was only so much the justice system could do to tackle over-representation among black, Asian and minority ethnic people. He said black children were twice as likely to grow up with a single parent, while black and mixed ethnic boys were more likely than white boys to be excluded from school. Communities must take greater responsibility for the development of their people failing to do so damages society as a whole, said Mr Lammy. The MP made 35 recommendations in his review, which found the proportion of youth prisoners in the black, Asian and minority ethnic group increased from 25 per cent to 41 per cent in the decade to 2016, despite a fall in the number of under-18s in custody. He said criminals should be allowed to hide their convictions from prospective employers to prevent their lives being derailed by juvenile mistakes. Black and ethnic minority people are more likely to fall foul of the criminal justice system. Theresa May has identified the treatment of young black men in the justice system as a burning injustice. Black people make up 3 per cent of Britons, but 12 per cent of the prison population. In total, 25 per cent of the prison population and 40 per cent of youth offenders are from ethnic minorities, despite making up 14 per cent of the population. Police are searching for a pregnant Maryland high school teacher who was reported missing after she failed to turn up to the first day of class. Laura Elizabeth Wallen, 31, has not been seen or heard from since Monday when she sent her family a series of text messages. She sent a 'troubling' message to her family about an hour after she was last seen at about 8.30am on Monday at her condo in Olney where she lives alone. Video from WJZ Laura Elizabeth Wallen, 31, has not been seen or heard from since Monday when she sent her family a series of text messages from Olney, Maryland Her father Mark Wallen went to her condo but could not find her. Wallen, who teaches history and law, then failed to show up to work on Tuesday at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. It set off alarm bells for her father who immediately contacted police. Wallen's family said she is four months pregnant. They said she was excited about her baby and had posted her sonogram on her refrigerator Wallen, who teaches history and law, then failed to show up to work on Tuesday at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia Wallen's family said she is four months pregnant. They said she was excited about her baby and had posted her sonogram on her refrigerator 'That obviously puts an enormous amount of worry on us because she is out there somewhere and she has a baby, so that's a really scary thing,' her sister Kadi told NBC. Her father suspects someone is behind the teacher's disappearance. Police have described her as a white female who is 5'5' tall and weighs 200 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. Investigators also believe that she may be operating a black, 2011 Ford Escape with Maryland tags: M522473. Police say the family are concerned for Wallens emotional and physical welfare. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. wants to see James Comey back in the Congressional hotseat, over concerns he has over the ex-FBI head's account of the closing of the Hillary Clinton email probe. 'This doesnt add up, and I smell a rat here,' Graham told Fox News Channel on Thursday. Graham and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed new details last week that they learned from interview transcripts, which suggested Comey had written an 'exoneration statement' for Clinton prior to having her interviewed for the case. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (left), told Fox News he'd like to see former FBI Director James Comey (right) testify before a congressional committee again After seeing new bits of testimony, Sen. Lindsey Graham called into question testimony James Comey made about the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton (pictured) email probe The existence of such a statement calls into question some of Comey's previous Congressional testimony, Graham suggested. Comey said he publicly decided to announce the results of the Clinton email probe in July 2016 after Attorney General Loretta Lynch had met on an airport tarmac with Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, giving the investigation a whiff of impropriety. 'Yes, in an ultimately conclusive way, that was the thing that capped it for me that I had to do something separately to protect the credibility of the investigation,' Comey said in June before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The July 2016 press conference was notable because while Comey said the FBI wouldn't be recommending charges, he called Clinton's government email use through a private, homebrew server 'extremely careless,' to the press. However, the interview transcripts that Graham and Grassley observed suggest Comey was ready to let Clinton off the hook with a statement weeks or months earlier. The transcripts come from conversations with Comey's chief of staff, James Rybicki, and Trisha Anderson, the principal deputy general counsel of national security and cyberlaw, and were conducted by the Office of Special Counsel under the direction of Robert Mueller. Mueller took over the FBI's Russia probe after Comey was fired by President Trump in May. Graham told Fox he doesn't believe Comey necessarily perjured himself, but he wants to clear some things up. The South Carolina senator said he first wanted to know if Comey had 'predetermined the result' of the investigation into the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee. Comey reportedly 'wrote a draft' of his exoneration letter in May 2016 and sent it around to be 'forward-leaning' given the 'direction the investigation' was going. There's no evidence that he wrote a sample letter for if Clinton had been charged. Secondly, Graham wanted to know if Comey was truly motivated by the Lynch-Bill Clinton meeting or if he feared Russian blackmail, as there was talk that the Russians had an email linking the Obama Justice Department and the Democratic National Committee, suggesting they were in cahoots to skirt the Clinton investigation. 'He needs to come back to committee,' the South Carolina Republican said of Comey to Fox. An Etihad flight was forced to return to Perth after encountering severe turbulence shortly after take-off. Flight EY487, which left Western Australia at 5.15pm on Thursday heading towards Abu Dhabi, only managed to climb to 8534 metres before turbulence rattled the plane. The pilot requested a lower altitude, which was agreed on, but the turbulence became worse off the coast of Geraldton. Flight EY487, which left Western Australia at 5.15pm on Thursday heading towards Abu Dhabi, only managed to climb to 8534 metres before turbulence rattled the plane It was at this time that the crew agreed to turn the plane back to Perth - a move The West Australian reported would have to mean the turbulence was particularly bad. The plane safely landed at Perth airport by 6.42pm and even though it can carry up to 231, no passengers were declared injured after the mid-air scare. Etihad confirmed the news shortly after, adding that all affected passengers would be assisted with 'hotel accommodation and alternative travel arrangements.' 'Etihad Airways flight EY487, operating from Perth to Abu Dhabi today, September 7, 2017, has returned to Perth Airport having experienced severe turbulence an hour into its journey. 'Etihad Airways flight EY487, operating from Perth to Abu Dhabi today, September 7, 2017, has returned to Perth Airport having experienced severe turbulence an hour into its journey' 'No passengers were hurt during the turbulence event, however as a precaution, the aircraft is being inspected by engineers, the airline said. 'The safety and wellbeing of crew and passengers is Etihad Airways' number one priority.' The flight to Abu Dhabi is expected to be rescheduled on Friday. One passenger on the flight, Paula Tannous, took to Twitter with the hashtags #thankingmyluckystars and #severeweather to praise the crew for making the albeit short trip a safe one. The plane safely landed at Perth airport by 6.42pm and even though it can carry up to 231, no passengers were declared injured after the mid-air scare 'Thanks to the crew and pilots who took us through this and landed us safely,' she wrote alongside a picture of the plane's window view. A study by University of Reading researcher Dr Paul Williams suggests these kind of occurrences could triple in the coming years as a result of climate change. The results of the study showed the average amount of light turbulence in the atmosphere will increase by 59 per cent with light-to-moderate turbulence rising by 75 per cent, moderate by 94 per cent, moderate-to-severe by 127 per cent and severe by 149 per cent. A grandfather who sexually abused his young granddaughter for a decade has been jailed. The now 80-year-old Sunshine Coast man appeared in Maroochydore District Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to five charges of sexual abuse committed between 2003 and 2013- when the girl was five to 15-years-old, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. A grandfather who sexually abused his young granddaughter for a decade has been jailed (stock image) The man touched the girl inappropriately, made her touch him, watched her in the shower, kissed her and rubbed his genitals against her body, the court heard. Most of the abuse occurred between 2004 and 2008 when the grandfather and his wife were staying with the young girl's family. Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks described the attacks as 'brazen' and said they often occurred when other family members were in the same house. 'It was one of the most serious breaches of trust - that of the grandfather granddaughter relationship - particularly in circumstances where the relationship was otherwise strong and the children were often left in his care,' Ms Marks said. The victim, now an adult, said her grandfather had inflicted lasting consequences on her. The grandfather was sentenced to five years in jail. Ruth Deech, a Crossbench peer, said some friends in the fashionable North London enclave of Hampstead had even abandoned her after she admitted backing Brexit A leading academic has spoken of being ostracised in liberal circles after admitting she had voted to leave the EU. Ruth Deech, a Crossbench peer, said some friends in the fashionable North London enclave of Hampstead had even abandoned her after she admitted backing Brexit. The Spectator magazine reported Baroness Deech as saying: Telling people in Hampstead you voted Leave is a bit like coming out as gay in the 1950s. Even some of your oldest friends suddenly want nothing to do with you. Hampstead, where the average house price is more than 1 million, was one of the strongest bastions of the Remain campaign during last years EU referendum. Some 76.3 per cent of voters in the area backed remaining in the EU, compared with just 48 per cent nationally. Lady Deech is a former chairman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and also previously chaired the Bar Standards Board. Her comments will underline concerns that many members of the London-based Establishment are so opposed to Brexit that they will seek to undermine it. Hampstead, where the average house price is more than 1 million, was one of the strongest bastions of the Remain campaign during last years EU referendum During the debate on Brexit in March, Whitehall mandarins and former quango chiefs lined up to speak out against leaving the EU. At the time, Lady Deech criticised attempts to defy the result of the referendum. The mother in Houston who disappeared the same day Hurricane Harvey hit did not go missing because of the storm, police have said. Crystal McDowell, 38, was last heard from on August 25 when she left her boyfriend's home to go to collect her children from her ex-husband in Houston. She never showed up and later missed several business appointments, prompting her uncle to report her missing on August 26. Four days after vanishing, the woman's Mercedes was found submerged in flood water in the parking lot of a Motel 6. It was recognized by someone who had seen her family's frantic social media appeals to find her. Now, nearly two weeks after she first disappeared, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told ABC News 'Hurricane Harvey is not the reason Crystal McDowell is missing.' The sheriff said police are pursuing multiple leads and suspect foul play was involved. Scroll down for video Crystal McDowell, 37, is still missing two weeks after going missing from Houston on August 25, a day before Hurricane Harvey hit She was last heard from on August 25 when she left her boyfriend's home to go to collect her children from her ex-husband in Houston. She is pictured with her boyfriend, Paul Hargrave Now, nearly two weeks after she first disappeared, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told ABC News 'Hurricane Harvey is not the reason Crystal McDowell is missing.' Both he and Hargrave (right), believe foul play was involved Chambers County Sheriff's Office beefed up its search effort on Wednesday by enlisting a local equestrian unit to help them search an area near the Cedar Bayou river. Speaking to ABC News, Crystal's boyfriend Paul Hargrave said he is convinced foul play was involved. He said the morning she went missing was a normal morning, and that she'd he remembers her saying 'Alright, I'm taking off,' before leaving to collect her children from her ex-husband's house. 'She did send me some text messages... a little after that,' Hargrave said. 'She had mentioned that she was going to stay at the house, the ex-husband's house, with the kids or, depending on the traffic and how the weather conditions were, she was going to take them out.' Crystal stayed at her boyfriend Paul Hargrave's home on August 24 the night before she disappeared On August 29, her car was found submerged in flood water at a Motel 6 in Houston but she was nowhere to be seen Crystal said she was on her way to her ex-husband Steve McDowell's home to collect their children, five and eight After she failed to show up to collect their children, Steve revealed that he received a text message from her phone in which she claimed she was going to Dallas McDowell has two children, five and eight, with her ex-husband Steve. Steve claims she never showed up at his house to collect the children. He also said he received a text message from her before she was due to arrive in which she described plans to take the children to Dallas to ride out the storm. Her uncle Jeff Walters has cast doubt on the authenticity of that message. 'We arent sure she sent those messages to him. She never told me of plans to go to Dallas for the storm,' he told Dateline. He also said Crystal was still living at her ex-husband's house while works on her townhouse were ongoing. Sheriffs later found a black bag containing her business paperwork at Steve's house. She is seen leaving his house on surveillance cameras inside the home. Circled is the black bag she was carrying After leaving her boyfriend's home, she text him to say the roads were clear. She also sent a photograph of a billboard advert of her realtor business which he had installed at his jewelry store and thanked him. It was their last exchange Crystal's uncle Jeff Walters said he does not believe she sent the text claiming she was going to Dallas and suggested it may have been written by someone else It is not clear how long the pair have been separated or how long she has been dating Paul. Walters said he also heard from McDowell the morning she went missing, and that she had texted him about a her boyfriend put up for her. Hargrave put up a billboard advertisement for McDowell's real estate business, and showed ABC news texts from his girlfriend with a photo of the ad and a text saying 'You are so sweet.' He replied: 'I love you and I'll always support you.' He said he started getting worried when he hadn't heard from his girlfriend in a few hours, telling ABC that she normally replies back very quickly. Three days later McDowell's Mercedes was found flooded in a parking lot of a Motel 6 less than 10 miles from home, but she was nowhere nearby. TIMELINE OF CRYSTAL MCDOWELL'S DISAPPEARANCE Thursday August 24: Crystal stayed overnight at her jeweler boyfriend Paul Hargrave's home Friday August 25: McDowell left Hargrave's home in the morning and was seen on surveillance cameras in his home in a purple dress and black coat, carrying a black bag. She drove to her ex-husband Steve's house to pick up her two children, five and eight. During her drive stopped to text her boyfriend a photograph of an advert featuring her real estate business. At 7.27am, she texted Paul a photograph of the billboard and told him: 'You are so sweet'. Saturday August 26: Harvey hits Houston hard, and McDowell's uncle, Jeff Walters, reports her missing. Tuesday August 29: McDowell's Mercedes was found submerged in flood water in the parking lot of a Motel 6. It was recognized by someone who had seen her family's frantic social media appeals to find her. Advertisement Sheriff Hawthorne said he doesn't believe she parked it there, and that whoever did 'hoped that somebody would take it.' 'They left the car unlocked and they left the keys in the console,' he explained. Hargrave is convinced foul play is involved. 'She wouldn't just get up and leave her kids. She wouldn't do that so I think something is horribly wrong,' he said A Former FBI agent said that when dealing with this kind of case, police usually look at a few different things. 'One thing is the immediate circle of people around them, an ex husband, former employee,' he told ABC. 'Then you have to come up with a timeline.' According to her uncle, McDowell recently started working with him in real estate, and everything was falling into place. 'She said herself she was the happiest she had ever been in her life,' Walters, who said he is like a second mother to the missing woman, explained. Her parents died when she was 11, and after that she lived with him. Additionally, in the days before her disappearance, Crystal made teasing reference to a happy new life on social media. 'I've never been happier in my whole life than I am right now. God is so good,' she wrote. When friends begged for more information, she replied: 'Details soon.' Crystal's boyfriend and uncle have pulled money together and hired a private investigator, they are offering a $15,000 reward to anyone who can help find her. Anyone with information is urged to contact Chamber County Sheriff's Office on 409-267-2500. Two days before she vanished, Crystal said cryptically that she was 'happier' than she had ever been and she told friends she would give them 'details soon' FARGO Work on the flood diversion to protect Fargo-Moorhead must stop immediately pending the outcome of a years-long lawsuit, a federal judge ordered on Thursday. The $2.2 billion project is opposed by Minnesota, and John R. Tunheim, chief judge in the District of Minneapolis, said there is a likelihood that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority will have to get a state permit. The corps has maintained that, as a federal agency, its immune from state environmental regulations. Tunheim suggested Congress waived that immunity by requiring the corps to follow state laws. Tom Landwehr, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said in a statement Thursday that the judge has clearly and unequivocally agreed with the DNRs position. As the DNR has stated consistently in this matter, the public interest is not served by allowing the Corps and Diversion Authority to invest public funds in construction in the absence of the required state permits, which are designed to protect the public and the environment. While North Dakota regulators have OKd the diversion project, the DNR has refused to do so citing state policies on removing undeveloped land from the flood plain. This ruling is excellent news for the safety and protection of Minnesotans, whose lands and livelihoods could be devastated by the diversion project, as proposed, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who has paid close attention to the lawsuit, said in a statement. Importantly, it also upholds Minnesotas rightful permitting authority. Authority Chairman and Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said hes disappointed with the judges order but hopes it will encourage the DNR to come back to the negotiating table. When the agency decided to stop informal talks in June, Mahoney had said engineers from both sides were close to an agreement and he still believes that. Im disappointed the Judge ruled against our city, our businesses and our homeowners, Authority Vice Chairwoman and Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams said in a statement. I hope this ruling will help bring the MDNR back to the table to discuss how to move forward on permanent flood protection for Moorhead and Fargo. Both Dayton and Landwehr said they do wish to work with all parties to come up with an acceptable flood protection project. I strongly agree with Judge Tunheims statement, It is time for all parties to work together to find common ground. This ruling should prompt the beginning of genuine collaboration by all affected stakeholders to address flooding in the Fargo-Moorhead area," Dayton said. Mahoney said the authority must consult with the corps, but he said he expects they would file an immediate appeal given the financial harm of the injunction. Every year of delay raises the cost of project construction an estimated $60 million a year, he said. The corps and the Richland-Wilkin Joint Powers Authority, representing upstream counties, are also parties to the suit. The JPA filed the original suit against the diversion in 2013. The DNR filed suit earlier this year after the corps began work in North Dakota on a dam that would eventually span the Red River and cross into Minnesota. Though Tunheims order is not the final word in the lawsuit, it does reveal some of his thinking on issues brought up. In dismissing with prejudice JPA allegations that the corps violated federal law and policy, he focused the lawsuit only on the question of whether the corps and authority must obey state laws. And he appears to believe the answer is yes. Had Congress intended to circumvent Minnesota laws and regulations in order to ensure fast construction of the Project, it could have fashioned the authorization in a way that avoided Minnesotas regulatory requirements, he wrote. Instead, Congress has repeatedly indicated its intent that the Project comply with Minnesotas laws and regulations and, therefore, as Congress made this express statement, the public interest weighs in favor of granting the motions for a preliminary injunction. The judge sidesteps the corps argument that, as a federal agency, its immune to state environmental regulations. He said the corps itself told Congress that non-federal sponsors, meaning the authority, would have to comply with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations. The corps has said its in charge of building the dam, the only project component that reaches into Minnesota and that the DNR has complained about. The authority is in charge of building the diversion channel, which is entirely in North Dakota. Tunheim, citing the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard an appeal of another one of the judges injunctions, said legal jurisdiction doesnt necessarily end at the state line. If the diversion could only be stopped once it reached the Minnesota border, the practical effect would be that for interstate projects, the state with more lenient laws would always control, he quoted the upper court. This judge is going to rule in our favor, said Nathan Berseth, a spokesman for the JPA after seeing the order. All indications are that. Everything that's taken place with this project was leading up to this." Tunheim said in his order that he will consider requests for construction of diversion project components that do not affect Minnesota waters, presumably referring to the ring dike around the Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke area south of Fargo. He also required the DNR and JPA to post a $10,000 bond for payment of damages to the corps and authority should the plaintiffs prove to be wrong in asking for the order, as federal rules require. Nuclear power plants directly in the path of Hurricane Irma are preparing to shut down as the powerful storm barrels towards Florida. Officials at Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point and St. Lucie say the plants are directly under threat, and need at least 24 hours to shut down. 'Based on the current track, we would expect severe weather in Florida starting Saturday, meaning we would potentially shut down before that point,' said FPL spokesperson Peter Robbins in a statement. The St. Lucie nuclear power plant is being closed ahead of Hurricane Irma Florida Power and Light workers Pehter Rodriguez (L) and Juan Madruga (R) confer at the Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor Building in Homestead, Florida A general view of the Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor Building in Homestead, Florida on May 18, 2017 Juan Madruga (L) and Pehter Rodriguez (R) of Florida Power and Light work on the Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor in Homestead Before Thursday's announcement, bosses expressed confidence that the power plants could weather the Category 5 hurricane, which were designed to withstand extreme natural events and serious floods. Turkey Point, on Biscayne Bay about 24 miles south of Miami, saw off a Category 5 strike from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, sustaining $90million of damage in the process. St. Lucie on Hutchinson Island about 55 miles north of West Palm Beach, weathered Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2005 and Wilma the year after. Robbins said the plants were designed to withstand extreme natural events including hurricanes and serious floods. The reactors are encased in six feet of steel-reinforced concrete and sit 20 feet above sea level. But as Irma stampeded over the Caribbean early Wednesday morning, officials aired on the side of caution and decided to take measures to close the two facilities. 'This is an extremely dangerous storm,' Rob Gould, chief communications officer at Florida Power & Light, told CNN. The hurricane is now barreling towards Florida, and is followed by a Category 2 Hurricane named Hurricane Jose City officials in Miami have also said that as many as 25 construction cranes cannot be taken down before Irma's expected arrival over the weekend. Resident who live near buildings are being urged to evacuate as quickly as possible. All together, more than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in with winds of 175 mph. Meanwhile, French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed aid to the devastated Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least 10 people dead and thousands homeless. Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. This Sept. 7, 2017 photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten Juan Negron, right, prepares to start up a power generator in front of whats left of his damaged property, after the passage of Hurricane Irma A damaged house is pictured as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, A man walks among debris as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua Officials have also warned that the city will not be able to take down some 25 construction cranes before Irma arrives Hundreds of miles to the west, Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. 'Take it seriously,' said Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer who flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet. 'Because this is the real deal.' Jeremy Corbyn is facing a Commons rebellion next week after Eurosceptic Labour MPs accused him of trying to scupper Brexit by blocking vital new legislation. The Labour leader was under fire after confirming he will order his MPs to oppose the EU Withdrawal Bill in a crunch Commons vote on Monday. Thirty Labour MPs have met with shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer to raise concerns about the stance, warning that it will be seen as a betrayal by millions of Labour voters who backed Brexit. But, as the flagship legislation began its passage through parliament, Sir Keir confirmed that Labour is implacably opposed to it, even though it has no alternative plan for implementing Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn is facing a Commons rebellion next week after Eurosceptic Labour MPs accused him of trying to scupper Brexit by blocking vital new legislation The new law repeals the European Communities Act 1972 that enshrines the supremacy of EU law. And it transfers thousands of EU regulations into British law in order to smooth the path to Brexit. Ministers have come under fire for proposing the widespread use of so-called Henry VIII powers to enable them to complete the job with only minimal parliamentary scrutiny. Ministers believe up to 1,000 legal changes will have to be made in this way. And last night it looked likely that the government would have to introduce further safeguards, after a number of Tory MPs raised concerns about the extent of the powers. But Labours position goes much further, with Mr Corbyn ordering his MPs to wreck the legislation completely. The party is now also demanding a guarantee that the UK will continue to keep pace with EU laws on workers rights and the environment even after Brexit. Labour also wants legal guarantees that the UK will be able to stay in the single market and customs union during any transition deal, with Sir Keir yesterday saying Labour could back permanent membership of the customs union, even though this would make it impossible for Britain to strike new trade deals. Brexit Secretary David Davis accused Labour of taking the most cynical, unprincipled approach to the legislation, adding: People will not forgive them if the end of the process is to delay or destroy the process of leaving the EU' And Labour is pushing for the EUs Charter of Fundamental Rights to be written into British law, even though the party pledged it would have no more legal relevance than the Beano comic when Tony Blair first signed the UK up to it. Brexit Secretary David Davis accused Labour of taking the most cynical, unprincipled approach to the legislation, adding: People will not forgive them if the end of the process is to delay or destroy the process of leaving the EU. Eurosceptic Labour MPs also reacted angrily to the decision. Former minister Kate Hoey said her party appeared to be trying to scupper Brexit. She told MPs: This will be seen out there in the public by Labour voters - many Labour voters who came back to us having fraternised with Ukip for some time, came back and voted - as we are not really serious about leaving the European Union. Fellow Labour MP Graham Stringer also said he would be defying Mr Corbyns orders, saying the legislation was absolutely fundamental to leaving the EU. Don't backslide on Brexit, 40 MPs warn May in letter Jeremy Corbyn faces a Commons rebellion after Eurosceptic Labour MPs accused him of trying to scupper Brexit by blocking vital new legislation. The Labour leader confirmed he would order his MPs to oppose the EU Withdrawal Bill in a crunch Commons vote on Monday. Thirty Labour MPs have met with Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer about the stance, warning it would be seen by Leave-supporting Labour voters as a betrayal. The new law would repeal the European Communities Act 1972 that enshrines the supremacy of EU law, and transfer thousands of EU regulations into British law in order to smooth the path to Brexit. Labour is demanding a guarantee the UK will continue to keep pace with EU laws on workers rights and the environment. And it wants legal guarantees Britain will be able to stay in the single market and customs union during any transition deal. Sir Keir said yesterday that Labour could back permanent membership of the customs union, even though this would make it impossible for Britain to strike trade deals. Brexit Secretary David Davis accused Labour of taking the most cynical, unprincipled approach to the legislation. Former Labour minister Kate Hoey said her party appeared to be trying to scupper Brexit, while Labour MP Graham Stringer said he would also be defying Mr Corbyns orders. Advertisement Mr Stringer added: The electorate have made the decision to leave. I dont think they will understand the Labour Party taking a tactical position to vote against it, having said at the General Election only three months ago that we would implement the result. Mr Davis warned that a smooth and orderly exit is impossible if the legislation is rejected by MPs, as Britain would be left in a legal vacuum. He said Labours approach would lead to a chaotic Brexit. The Brexit Secretary also rejected claims the new law amounted to a massive power grab, saying this was a fundamental misrepresentation. Mr Davis said the Governments powers to change laws would not be unchecked and would be limited to minor corrections on legislation directly linked to Brexit. Ministers could not use the power to create serious criminal offences, amend human rights laws or increase taxation, he added. But, hinting at possible future concessions, he said was ready to listen to those who offer improvements to the Bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union. Sir Keir said the legislation would hand the government unacceptable powers, including the ability to agree any Brexit deal and divorce payment without a vote for parliament. He said Mr Davis was keen to portray this Bill as a technical exercise converting EU law into our law without raising any serious constitutional issues about the role of Parliament. Nothing could be further than the truth. He added: Its no good the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State saying they wouldnt use these powers. If they wouldnt use them, they are unnecessary and they shouldnt be in this Bill. Pro-Remain Tories also signalled they would rebel at a later stage unless the government introduced new safeguards. Former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and former ministers Nicky Morgan and Anna Soubry all raised major concerns. Mr Clarke said MPs may have to force the Government to go back to the drawing board unless it tones down its plans. Mr Grieve acknowledged the principle of the legislation was absolutely vital. But he said the proposed use of Henry VIII powers went much too far, adding: It is in many respects an astonishing monstrosity of a Bill. Lee Rigby's murderer wants 100,000 'blood money' over allegations that prison officers left him mentally scarred. Michael Adebolajo, 32, who murdered the fusilier Mr Rigby, 25, in Woolwich, south east London, in 2013, lost his two front teeth when prison staff tried to restrain him four years ago. He has now officially launched a court writ in which he claims he was left with a 'psychiatric injury'. And Mr Rigby's mother, Lyn, 50, hit out at her son's killer and said he deserves to 'die in jail'. Michael Adebolajo (left), 32, who murdered the fusilier Mr Rigby (right), 25, in Woolwich, south east London, in 2013, lost his two front teeth when prison staff tried to restrain him four years ago Adebolajo, wants 25,000 in compensation after claiming to 'suffer distress, loss and damage' on remand at London's top-security Belmarsh jail. But he has been fighting the battle for two years and it could cost the taxpayer a further 75,000 in police and legal costs. The writ has now been officially passed on to the High Court in London. It claims that while Adebolajo, who killed Mr Rigby with Michael Adebowale, 26, was being escorted back to his cell after a phone call he dropped his hands from his head and spun round to confront officers. He warned staff to 'watch themselves' and asked 'Allah to strike down his oppressors'. The killer claims he was 'verbally abused' before he was smashed into bars of his cell windows. Adebolajo, wants 25,000 in compensation after claiming to 'suffer distress, loss and damage' on remand at London's top-security Belmarsh jail Writ claims that while Adebolajo, who killed Mr Rigby with Michael Adebowale, 26, was being escorted back to his cell after a phone call he dropped his hands from his head and spun round to confront officers He also claimed officers twisted his left arm and that he was 'stamped on' in an 'unreasonable, unjustified and excessive' assault. The Crown Prosecution Service ruled out action against the five prison officers after a police investigation. A Ministry of Justice spokesman told The Sun: 'The public will be rightly outraged at the thought of this offender claiming compensation from the taxpayer.' And Mr Rigby's mother, Lyn, 50, hit out at her son's killer and said he deserves to 'die in jail' Lyn told the newspaper: 'This is gut-wrenching for me, my family and Lee's memory. And still he holds his hand out for blood money. 'He deserves not a penny from the state. The only thing he deserves is to die in jail. 'He lost a few teeth because he was violent and brought under control. Lee lost his life and I lost my son at his hands.' George Cambridge is just one of many thousands of children who started school this week Just like Whitney Houston, I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a . . . stop. Hold it right there. Yes, children are lovely, children are adorable, children need a sense of pride or whatever but dont you think far, far too much fuss is made over them? Full disclosure. I may be a childless, ancient crone, but from my godchildren to my nephews and nieces, to the random offspring of my friends and the little people who actually are my friends, I adore children. Occasionally. However, from my cheerleading position on the touchline of family life, I do think something terrible has fractured in the adult-child relationship over the past few decades. For a start, the way todays little darlings are lionised, fetishised and venerated by their star-struck parents has become really disturbing. The nappy-filling perishers are closely monitored, photographed, Instagrammed, videoed and worshipped as if they were Hollywood starlets or gods. Their baby feet are cast in bronze, their tufty-haired, poster-sized portraits hang on living room walls, their tiny, starfish handprints are exhibited in gilded frames, like holy relics. Parents push buggies through city streets with the selfish pomp of those who secretly believe they have given birth (or life) to the Second Coming. Baby is the emperor, the precious jewel, the shining light around whom all family life revolves helicoptered, monitored, indulged and pampered. If you have ever wondered why we have produced a generation of lily-livered snowflakes who fall to pieces if challenged, who cry at the drop of a fruity swear-word or when confronted with an opinion that differs to their own cosy world view, look no further than proud, bedazzled, cossetting mum and dad. I was reminded of all this watching Prince George turn up for his first day at school yesterday, as cute as a button in his navy uniform and polished shoes. Clutching onto daddys hand, standing on the threshold of a new life, Georges expression was one of apprehension. What the heck was going on? No mummy, for a start. No nanny, either. And I am supposed to stay here all day by myself, in a room full of other children, and at some point I am expected to do sums? He was right to look worried. Prince George arrived for his first day at school this morning with only his father Prince William because his mother is cripped with morning sickness - they were greeted by Helen Haslem, head of the lower school George Cambridge is just one of many thousands of children who started school this week; just another little bunting swept from the nest, unaware of the parental expectation that will now freight his progress through prep school and beyond. You dont have to be at an 18,000-a-year private school like him to feel the pressure, but mums and dads do want value for money. From day one, he will be expected to participate in a packed schedule which includes Maths, English, Mandarin and Science, plus classes in understanding the world; expressive arts and design; and communication and language. In addition there will be Art, Ballet, Drama, French, Music and PE, alongside lectures in information and communication technology. May I just remind everyone that the little Prince, with his eye bags and sometimes grumpy demeanour, has barely turned four? Four! Yet for his tiny generation of troupers, the starting-gun has already been fired on the race to accomplished adulthood. How did this happen? My parents childhoods were ruptured by World War II. Back then, they were not expected to enjoy themselves or to be brilliant; to understand the world or speak two languages before they were six. Just surviving was enough. They didnt have a safe space literally. The threat of German bombers, real or imagined, shadowed their truncated schooldays and they were both out of their paltry education and into employment by the time they were 16 as expected. They raised their children with the same spirit of independent, casual brutality. At the start of the summer holidays, we were given a jam sandwich, a clip around the ear and told not to come back until September. Or until teatime, at the very earliest. We had to amuse ourselves, rather than be entertained. We were never the centre of attention and never expected to be. Now overweening parents turn children into precious, mollycoddled jellies whose slightest whims are granted and who are assumed to be transgender if they want to play with a dolly (boys) or climb a tree (girls). The little mites are around two decades away from having an Important Thought, but there is no end in sight to all this nonsense. Perhaps it is partly because parents are now so suffused with guilt (working, absent, divorced, struggling) and so fearful about the world outside, they can never loosen their vulture grip. Children are not allowed to play in the street, to climb trees, to walk to school on their own. Yet, ironically, there are few other boundaries in a world where parents are scared to tell them no. It amazes me that even the simplest of kiddy-outings must be larded with treats; a cake at the bakery, an iPad cartoon, a present from the toy shop. Im not saying children should be stuffed up chimneys with a circular brush or beaten with canes before bedtime, but what good comes of all this hot-housed pampering? None. Wayne Rooney is said to have vowed to give up drinking if his wife Coleen gives up her sunshine holidays. The ghastly subtext here is clear for all to see Wayne's women and booze? Yes, he blames it all on Coleen Wayne Rooney is said to have vowed to give up drinking if his wife Coleen gives up her sunshine holidays. The ghastly subtext here is clear for all to see. It was Coleens fault that poor, lonely Wayne hooked up with another girl on a lads night out. It was Coleens fault that he drove said totty home while drunk. And it was Coleens fault that he got caught, humiliated, and found out all over again. Blame the booze, Wayne. Blame your blameless wife. It is far easier than blaming yourself. It sure takes a certain kind of man to be pulled over at 2am with another woman when his wife is pregnant with their fourth child, but Wayne Rooney is that man. What an utter dolt. This week, hes found out two things the hard way. One, some girls are only after him for his money and fame. (Unbelievable, but true, Waynester.) And two, that he loves his wife and family more than he ever thought possible. Coleen is to be admired for getting on with the school run and the kids in the midst of her husbands tacky implosion. He doesnt deserve her even if they are made for each other but I do find myself wishing they manage to sort it all out. Another clueless couple get in a grand old mess Grand Designs (C4) has returned for a new series. And straight away we were confronted with a weathered facade, a patchy thatch and a sour outlook over a ditch of despair. But thats enough about presenter Kevin McCloud, whose disapproval of Jon and Gill Flewers new-build on a steep English hillside could have been measured on a seismometer. Never mind the architecture and the mandatory artsy-fartsy staircase, Grand Designs is not really about the building, it is all about the people. Jon was a pilot, but his Croc shoes, nervy demeanour and failure to locate his homes utilities made me fear flying ever again. Kevin informed him that not buying a 25 map had cost him 40,000 in rerouting those utilities. The couple said they had no choice but to borrow 40,000 from family to sort out the mess. In the end, they spent 600,000 on a house with criminally bifurcated views from the top floor. Kevin was not impressed, and neither were we. Grand Designs unleashes such a helter-skelter of lamentable emotions in viewers. Jealousy, bitterness, cheery pleasure in the grandiose plans and discomfiture of others. When I watch this show, in its 18th series, I am utterly appalled at myself. Next week, someone called Micah converts a barn in Northern Ireland. I can hardly wait. Pictured: Meghan Markle Meghan's not so private - when it suits her Id like to stop being fascinated by George and Amal Clooney, but its impossible. Just when one thinks that their high-wall, carefully burnished exclusivity is becoming rather boring, they tease afresh with the latest glamorous instalment from their unlikely lives. This week it was an appearance at the Venice Film Festival; George in his stack heels looking more like Cary Grant than ever, Amal a pastel vision of suburban bridesmaid chic in ten yards of lavender chiffon. No sign of their baby twins yet, but like Prince Harry and Meghan We Are In Love Markle, the Clooneys are hysterical about privacy until it commercially suits them to invade it themselves. In Vanity Fair, George has been over-sharing about his proposal to Amal, plus giving the deets on changing his babies nappies. Meanwhile, Amals make-up guru shared the inside track on her red carpet look, right down to the colour of her lipstick and shade of concealer. There are actors on Emmerdale who are classier and more discreet than this pair. Just dont tell the Clooneys that. You know you're at home with M&S Online fashion retailer Asos (valued at 4.9 billion) is on the brink of overtaking Marks & Spencer (5.3 billion) in terms of stock market value. The grande dame of the High Street overtaken by new tech upstarts? Pass me the Rhubarb Scented Room Spray from the M&S home collection before I faint clean away. Asos is cool, but it lacks a lot. My New York-based girlfriend often gets homesick for Blighty. When she visits, what is the first thing she wants to do? Tour the British Museum, visit the Opera House, take a walk along the Thames? Can we go to Marks & Spencer? she always pleads. A tour around the store, with its box pleat skirts, floral cushions, multi-pack knickers, dustable potted plants, prawn sandwiches and unspeakable slippers are all it takes to make her feel properly at home. Asos may have its benefits, but it cant give a girl that. Ministers announced yet another consultation on plans to expand Heathrow Airport yesterday - but insisted it will not cause further delays to the project. Proposals for a third runway at the West London airport have suffered years of setbacks since first being proposed in 2003. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said yesterday that a Whitehall shut-down caused by the snap election meant the most recent air pollution data had not been available for people to comment on. In a written statement to MPs, he said this necessitated a short period of extra consultation so everyone has the chance to comment on the latest data. But he insisted the timetable for Parliamentary scrutiny of the plans would not be affected, meaning there would be no further delay. Proposals for a third runway at the West London airport, pictured, have suffered years of setbacks since first being proposed in 2003 MPs are still expected to vote on the plans in the first half of 2018. Critics of the project hope the Tories reduced majority after Junes snap election will mean increased opposition in the House of Commons. Government sources have admitted they are concerned the 18billion expansion of Heathrow could be blocked by MPs. Mr Grayling said more than 70,000 responses had been received during the initial consultation period between February and May. But he said revised aviation demand forecasts and the Governments final air quality plan had not been presented for consideration at the time because of the election. The Transport Secretary said yesterday: I am therefore confirming that there is a need to conduct a short period of further consultation to allow this updated evidence to be taken into account. He added: This Government remains committed to realising the benefits that airport expansion could bring. 'I can confirm that we do not expect this additional period of consultation to impact on the timetable for parliamentary scrutiny. Later, the Prime Ministers spokesman told a Westminster briefing: We have been clear on our commitment to moving ahead with Heathrow. But in June, Government sources acknowledged it was unclear whether they can now push the plan through following the loss of the Governments majority at the general election. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, pictured, said yesterday that a Whitehall shut-down caused by the snap election meant the most recent air pollution data had not been available for people to comment on One senior source said: Heathrow, like some of the counter-terrorism agenda, is one of those issues where we may struggle for numbers. But we are going to go ahead with the vote because it is in the national interest and we hope that other parties will support us on that basis. It doesnt need primary legislation, but we are committed to giving parliament a vote. If we fail at least we can say we tried. Support for Heathrow expansion in the Commons was looking tight even before the snap election that saw the Government lose its majority. Mrs May indicated last year that ministers are likely to get a free vote on the issue, following warnings that senior Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson and Education Secretary Justine Greening might otherwise walk out. Tory whips have warned that as many as 40 Conservative MPs could vote against the plans because of concerns about noise and the impact on the environment in their constituencies. Labours position on the issue is unclear. Senior figures such as shadow chancellor John McDonnell and London Mayor Sadiq Khan are opposed to the construction of a third runway. But the partys manifesto was silent on the issue. Privately, ministers believe Labour will now oppose expansion at Heathrow in a bid to force an embarrassing defeat on the Government. But they think it is possible the project could be saved by the SNP, which could benefit from additional transport spending if the project goes ahead, as well as potential for improved air links. Jenny Bates, from the Friends of the Earth, said: Regardless of how long ministers decide to consult, its clear that a third runway at Heathrow would be bad news for the air we breathe and bad news for our climate. The government had previously claimed that its OK for a third runway to make Londons air pollution worse because other areas in the capital would be even dirtier. That assumption looks even more absurd now that air pollution projections have worsened, with more realistic assumptions in the governments Air Quality Plan. We need to protect peoples health and reduce exposure to dirty air as quickly as possible, not add to the problem, which a third runway inevitably would. She's usually spotted wearing sparkling jewels and high fashion garments in exclusive modelling campaigns. But John Ibrahim's girlfriend Sarah Budge appears to have swapped her trendy designer digs for a simple tracksuit while out for lunch in Double Bay on Thursday. Ms Budge, who was sporting a makeup free look for the lunchtime catch up with a friend, didn't muster a smile while enjoying a moment in the Sydney sun. Ms Budge, who was sporting a makeup free look for the lunchtime catch up with a friend, didn't muster a smile while enjoying a moment in the Sydney sun Dressed in a knitted navy sweatshirt and matching blue track pants the high profile model relaxed next to a girlfriend who was wearing a slightly more glamorous look with heels Dressed in a knitted navy sweatshirt and matching blue track pants the high profile model relaxed next to a girlfriend who was wearing a slightly more glamorous look with heels Dressed in a knitted navy sweatshirt and matching blue track pants the high profile model relaxed next to a girlfriend who was wearing a slightly more glamorous look with heels. She kept jewellery to a minimum with a simple pair of silver stud earrings and $55 Quay sunglasses called 'Needing Fame'. Her hair was slicked back in a tight ponytail as she wiped her face with a napkin. She's usually spotted wearing sparkling jewels and high fashion garments in exclusive modelling campaigns (pictured) Ms Budge was arrested in August after a loaded 'Baby Glock' pistol was allegedly found in her Double Bay apartment. The 27-year-old model was charged with possessing a loaded semi-automatic handgun which had its serial numbers removed. She had to surrender her passport and pay $50,000 with strict bail conditions. Her arrest was part of an AFP operation that busted an alleged drug syndicate operating across Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands. Her arrest was part of an AFP operation that busted an alleged drug syndicate operating across Australia, Dubai and the Netherlands Ms Budge was arrested in August after a loaded 'Baby Glock' pistol was allegedly found in her Double Bay apartment Reports last month suggested Ms Budge (pictured) may plead the 'Filipetti defence' over her gun charges, meaning she would argue the gun cannot be proven to be hers The Daily Telegraph has previously reported that Ms Budge and Mr Ibrahim (pictured) met in 2014 and 'hit it off right away because she was gorgeous but was also her own person' The raids also included her boyfriend John's house but police did not charge John Ibrahim. Reports last month suggested Ms Budge may plead the 'Filipetti defence' over her gun charges, meaning she would argue the gun cannot be proven to be hers. If Budges defence is unsuccessful, she could end up spending five years in jail. The Daily Telegraph has previously reported that Ms Budge and Mr Ibrahim met in 2014 and 'hit it off right away because she was gorgeous but was also her own person.' They revealed Ibrahim was done with dating blondes, saying Budge 'had half a brain which John was into'. Dame Glynis Breakwell, pictured, faced calls to quit the University of Bath last night after it emerged she had claimed more than 18,000 in total during the last academic year A university chief who earns 450,000-a-year and lives rent-free in a 1.6million home has claimed 8,000 for laundry and housekeeping on expenses. Dame Glynis Breakwell faced calls to quit the University of Bath last night after it emerged she had claimed more than 18,000 in total during the last academic year. Along with the 8,000 on washing, ironing and other housekeeping duties, the university spent 1,286 on electricity at the house, 3,848 on gas, 390 on water and sewerage and 3,082 on council tax. The vice chancellor also billed them 279 for cleaning products. Dame Glyniss latest expenses accounts have emerged weeks after the charities watchdog was asked to examine whether her salary is in line with charitable duties and responsibilities. Critics say there is a huge gulf between the salaries of ordinary staff and those of management at the university, where students are charged the maximum 9,250 for tuition. Her expenses were revealed following a freedom of information request from local Labour councillor Joe Rayment. He said: Once again, the public, students and staff are seeing the extent to which they are funding privilege at the University of Bath. 'While ordinary working people in this city have seen rent and bills rise at a much faster rate than their wages, Glynis Breakwell has seen her salary skyrocket and her rent and bills stay static at 0. I repeat my calls today for Glynis Breakwell to resign. The 65-year-old was last year exposed for claiming 20,000 in 12 months including 2 on biscuits on top of her large salary and grace-and-favour home. But it appears she has continued to demand vast sums from her institution during the 2016/17 academic year, despite being Britains highest-paid university chief. Last night Lord Adonis, former Labour education minister, said: Professor Breakwell appears to have no shame or restraint in claiming huge expenses on top of her already colossal salary and free house in the historic centre of Bath. Along with the 8,000 on washing, ironing and other housekeeping duties at her 1.6million rent-free home (pictured), she claimed 1,286 on electricity, 3,848 on gas, 390 on water and sewerage and 3,082 on council tax It can only be a matter of time now before she is forced to stand down. The figures came as Jo Johnson, the universities minister, launched a crackdown on vice chancellor pay and said those wanting enormous salaries were simply in the wrong business. The MPs Kerry McCarthy, Darren Jones, David Drew and Andrew Murrison all recently quit roles at Baths university court in protest at her pay. In February, the court a body which represents the interests of its stakeholders met to discuss a motion censuring the remuneration committee for allowing Dame Glyniss pay to escalate. After a debate, the court voted by 33 to 30 not to censure the committee although the vice chancellor and members of the remuneration committee took part in the vote themselves. Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East, said: I would like to see the vice chancellor of Bath justify to her students, who will leave university with a massive debt burden and, indeed, to lowly-paid academic staff why she deserves this level of pay and perks. A university spokesman said the expenses were not registered as Dame Glyniss personal expenses because her flat sometimes hosts university events. They said: The university-owned property provides a venue for university activities such as hosting events for visitors from honorary graduates to community leaders, industry partners, staff and students. Dame Glynis was not available for comment at her Bath townhouse yesterday. An alleged child groomer has been caught by police as he arrived at a shopping mall to meet what he thought was a young girl he'd been talking to online. Incredible video of the moment police pulled off their sting shows the man walking across the busy street in Parramatta, Sydney, completely unaware he'd been set up. The 31-year-old allegedly began talking online with what believed to be a 14-year-old girl in July, regularly engaging in sexually-explicit conversations before arranging to meet. An alleged child groomer (pictured) has been caught by police as he arrived at a shopping mall to meet what he thought was a young girl he'd been talking to online Footage shows plain-clothed police officers grab the man as he waits at the location he planned to meet the girl. After containing the man they can be seen pushing him onto a concrete bench and placing him under arrest. As shocked locals sitting in nearby cafes watched on, police seized a backpack from the man. Inside the found a flashlight, Australian flag themed sunglasses and a knife. Incredible video of the moment police pulled off their sting shows the man walking across the busy street in Parramatta, Sydney, completely unaware he'd been set up As shocked locals sitting in nearby cafes watched on, police seized a backpack from the man and later found a knife inside Wearing a dark tracksuit, cap and runners, police handcuffed the man before a team of officers led him away Wearing a dark tracksuit, cap and runners, police handcuffed the man before a team of officers led him away. He was charged with using a carriage service to procure persons under 16 and also with carrying a knife. The man was refused bail and will face Parramatta Local Court on Friday. Advertisement Hurricane Irma is once again forecast to hit the Florida Keys as a Category 5 storm, as more than a million people have fled its path and abandoned their homes. Meteorologists expect the powerful hurricane to hit the Sunshine State between 5am and 7am ET on Sunday. 'Obviously Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States,' Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said at a press conference Friday morning. 'We're going to have a couple rough days.' The storm was first downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 earlier on Friday morning, but as of 5pm ET on Friday, it is predicted to hit the U.S. as a Category 5. This will only be the fourth time ever a Category 5 has hit US mainland. As of 6.30pm ET Friday, the hurricane is moving west at 12 mph and located 345 miles southeast of Miami. Government officials along with the National Hurricane Center have cautioned that Irma is 'extremely dangerous' with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. That's strong enough to bring down power poles, uproot trees and rip the roofs off of homes. In preparation for what is predicted to be the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in years, an estimated 1.4million people have been given mandatory evacuation orders in both Florida and Georgia. Scroll down for video The above map shows Hurricane Irma's current projected track towards the U.S. and up the state of Florida this weekend Boarded up buildings are seen in preparation of Hurricane Irma during a mandatory evacuation in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday People use their cellphones near boarded up stores in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday Hundreds of people gather in an emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida on Friday A message to Hurricane Irma is written on the facade of a boarded restaurant on Friday in Miami Beach, Florida An empty beach is seen before the arrival of hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida on Friday Traffic along Interstate 75 north, rear, crawls toward Atlanta as drivers flee Hurricane Irma on Friday in Griffin, Georgia The Worth Avenue shopping district is shown after a mandatory evacuation order went into effect on the barrier island of Palm Beach, Florida on Friday In this geocolor image GOES-16 satellite image taken on Friday, Hurricane Irma, center, approaches Cuba and Florida, with Hurricane Katia, left, in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, right, in the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Irma is driving toward Florida passing the eastern end of Cuba as Hurricane Katia (L) is also seen in this NASA GOES satellite image taken at 1pm ET A photo of Hurricane Irma on Thursday, taken by NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik on the International Space Station. Apocalyptic scenes are playing out across the Sunshine State, as more than a million people flee Hurricane Irma's wrath. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is telling residents in the southern coastal evacuation areas to leave by midnight. 'If you are planning to leave and do not leave tonight, you will have to ride out this extremely dangerous storm at your own risk,' Scott said at a Friday press conference. He also urged residents on the Gulf Coast to take evacuation orders seriously since Irma's path has moved slightly west. 'You are not going to survive this if it happens,' Scott said. 'Now is the time to evacuate.' The forecasts show that dangerous storm surges could begin as early as Saturday night before the storm even hits Florida. It's then expected to track directly up the state, crossing the state line into Georgia early next week. Hurricane Irma killed at least 24 people in the Caribbean and left thousands homeless as it devastated small islands in its path. And it's already proved deadly in the U.S. A man installing hurricane shutters on his Florida home fell off a ladder and died on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane warnings for the Keys and parts of South Florida and Lake Okeechobee. It added a storm surge warning and extended watch areas wrapping around much of the peninsula. For Irma, forecasters predicted a storm surge of 6 to 12 feet above ground level along Florida's southwest coast and in the Keys. As much as a foot of rain could fall across the state, with isolated spots receiving 20 inches. Scott has been pleading with his citizens all week to evacuate if they are ordered to, and to prepare - no matter the direction of the storm. CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS FOR THE U.S. FLORIDA Mandatory evacuations Monroe County: This mandatory order stands for the entire Florida Keys. About 31,000 people were evacuated as of 6pm Wednesday Miami-Dade County: Mandatory evacuations for all of Zone A, all of Zone B, and portions of Zone C. Broward County: Voluntary evacuations of mobile homes and low-lying areas; mandatory evacuation of all areas east of U.S. 1 including barrier islands beginning Thursday Brevard County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A, Merritt Island, barrier islands, and some low-lying mainland areas along Indian River Lagoon beginning Friday Lake Okeechobee: Florida officials want residents to evacuate the area directly south of Lake Okeechobee. A voluntary evacuation was issued for the cities of South Bay, Lake Harbor, Pahokee, Moore Haven, Clewiston, Belle Glade and Canal Point. Mandatory evacuations for these cities will be put into effect Saturday morning. Collier County: Mandatory evacuations for Goodland, Everglades City, Chokoloskee, and all mobile homes beginning on Friday Glades County: Residents in zone A must evacuate by noon Friday. Everyone living in an RV park, mobile home or a building constructed before 1992 must also evacuate. Flagler County: Mandatory evacuations for nursing homes, all varieties of assisted living facilities, and community residential group homes within coastal and Intracoastal areas and voluntary evacuation for zones A, B, C, F beginning on Thursday; mandatory for Zones A,B,C,F, and substandard housing beginning on Saturday Lee County: Mandatory evacuations for barrier islands Bonita Beach, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine Island beginning Friday morning Martin County: Mandatory for barrier islands, manufactured homes, and low-lying areas beginning Saturday Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A and B, voluntary for Zone C Pinellas County: Mandatory evacuations all mobile homes and Zone A Indian River County: Mandatory evacuations for low lying areas go into effect on Saturday St. Johns County: Mandatory evacuation go into effect Saturday morning for Zones A and B Duval County: Residents in Zones A and B and those living in mobile homes and low-lying homes are instructed to evacuate immediately Nassau County: Mandatory evacations go into effect at 6pm Friday for people who live in zones A, C and F Citrus County: Mandatory evacuation for residents west of U.S. Highway 19, those living one and a half miles east of U.S. 19, Crystal River residents, residents living in low-lying areas, and residents living in mobile homes, manufactured homes and all unsafe structures. Hernando County: Mandatory evacuation for coastal zones A and B and mobile homes countywide. Hendry County: Mandatory evaciation for Clewiston, Hookers Point, Harlem, Flaghole, Montura Ranch Estates, and communities within the Mid-County MSBU which incudes Ladeca, Pioneer Plantation and Leon-Dennis Subdivision. resiednts in no-slab build homes, mobile homes trailers and RVs are under voluntary evacuation. Sarasota County: People living in evacuation Zone A are to leave between 2pm Friday and 8pm Saturday. Pasco County: Mandatory evacuation for residents who live west of U.S. 19, north of Fox Hollow, west of Little Rd and special needs residents throughout the county. Voluntary evacuations: St. Lucie County: Voluntary evacuations DeSoto County: Voluntary evacuation for people in low-lying/flood prine areas and residents living in mobile homes and RV parks Charlotte County: Voluntary evacuations on Don Pedro Island, Knight Island, Little Gasparilla Island, Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key and those living in mobile homes Okeechobee County: Voluntary evacuations of low-lying areas prone to flooding Volusia County: Voluntary evacuations of residents in beachside, low-lying areas and in RV, mobile or manufactured homes. Polk County: Voluntary evacuation for residents in manufactured homes and flood-prone areas Hillsborough County: Voluntary evacuations for residents in Zone A who are registered for special needs shelters staring 8am Friday. Manatee County: Voluntary evacuations for Zone A Highlands county: Voluntary evacuation for residents who live in low-lying areas and manufactured mobile homes. GEORGIA Georgia ordered the evacuation of the state's coastal areas. It applies to all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah. The above map shows the counties in Florida that currently have mandatory or voluntary evacuations. Note that evacuations may only pertain to certain residents or areas within the county Towns to the south of Lake Okeechobee are under evacuation over fears that the dam could overflow The governor of Georgia has also ordered the evacuations of the state's coastal areas, including the city of Savannah Advertisement The latest forecasts show Hurricane Irma hitting Miami Sunday morning and then travelling directly up the state to Georgia As of Friday, Irma was battering the northeast coast of Cuba, on a northwestern track that will see it pass the Bahamas as well The hurricane as of 12:15pm on Friday, as seen from radar satellite. The hurricane weakened to a Category 4 storm overnight Both Florida and Georgia were seeing traffic jams of people trying to flee the hurricane Friday afternoon At a Friday morning press conference, his message grew even more dire. 'We're running out of time. The storm is almost here. If you are in an evacuation storm you need to go now,' he said. He added: 'This is a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen. We can rebuild your home but we can't rebuild your life. Protecting life is our absolute top priority. Our number one priority is protecting everyone's life. Everyone's life is important. No resource or expense will be spared to protect families.' While current projects show the storm hitting Miami and then going up the state's east coast towards Florida, Scott said that all Floridians needed to prepare because the storm's so large and powerful that it will cause serious winds and storm surge on both coasts. 'It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate,' Scott said. He ordered all state offices, schools, colleges and universities to close from Friday until Monday to free up space for evacuation shelters and staging. Most school districts and universities had already voluntarily agreed to close due to the looming arrival of Hurricane Irma over the weekend - but many school districts and colleges in north central and northwest Florida had remained open. Boarded up stores are seen in preparation of Hurricane Irma during a mandatory evacuation in Miami Beach, Florida, on Friday Business owners left less-than-polite messages for the incoming storm A strip club is boarded up in preparation of Hurricane Irma during a mandatory evacuation in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday Tourists wait with their luggage as they prepare to leave in advance of Hurricane Irma during a mandatory evacuation in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday A popular tourist area of South Beach is deserted during a mandatory evacuation in advance of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday Hundreds of people gather in an emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida on Friday Anthony Exposito and Cindy Varahona buy plywood for shutters at a Home Depot in Miami, Florida on September 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma Oscar Villanueva ties plywood sheets to his car outside a Home Depot in Miami, Florida on September 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma Robert Johnson fills gas containers at a gas station in Miami, Florida on September 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma Jessica Cespedes and Nick Cespedes pack their vehicle with items as they evacuate their condo since the area is in a flood zone of Miami on Friday 'Floridians are strong and resilient. In times like this we band together and help each other. We will continue working around the clock to help you prepare and after the storm we'll be here to lift each other up and recover. We will make it through this together. Florida is an amazing melting pot of loving people,' Scott said. Gas shortages and gridlock plagued the evacuations, turning normally simple trips into tests of will. Interstates 75 and 95 north were bumper-to-bumper, while very few cars and tractor-trailers drove on the south lanes. Floridians fleeing Hurricane Irma have turned Atlanta's freeways into a ribbon of red neon brake lights, with traffic in some spots barely moving. Thousands of the evacuees have been funneled to the city, since so many them are heading north on Interstate 75 straight to Atlanta. Some ended up at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which opened its vast camp grounds to anyone trying to escape Irma. It took 21 hours for Suzanne Pallot of Miami to reach Atlanta Thursday, in an SUV packed with four other people, their luggage and two cats. After a night at a relative's house, she heard weather forecasts predicting tropical storm force winds for Atlanta on Monday. So the group decided Friday to keep moving, this time to Memphis, Tennessee. Manny Zuniga left his home in Miami at midnight Thursday, planning to drive through the night to avoid the traffic gridlock that he'd seen on television. It still took him 12 hours to get 230 miles to Orlando - a trip that normally takes four hours. Zuniga is headed for a relative's house in Arkansas with his wife, two children, two dogs and a ferret. 'We're getting out of this state,' he said, filling up the gas tank of his tightly-packed SUV in Orlando. 'Irma is going to take all of Florida.' Mari and Neal Michaud loaded their two children and dog into their small sport-utility vehicle and left their home near Cocoa Beach about 10am, bound for an impromptu vacation in Washington, D.C. Using a phone app and calls to search for fuel along the way, they finally arrived at a convenience store that had gasoline nearly five hours later. They said the 60-mile trip up Interstate 95 should have taken an hour. 'There was no gas and it's gridlock. People are stranded on the sides of the highway,' Mari said. 'It's 92 degrees out and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them.' Florida Governor Rick Scott warned that all of the state's 20 million inhabitants should be prepared to evacuate as Hurricane Irma bears down for a direct hit on the southern US state Dogs sit inside their cages as hundreds of people gather in a pet-friendly emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida, September 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma Christina Grimann, of Germany, was hoping to go on a cruise out of Miami, but now she is headed to Atlanta, GA to escape Hurricane Irma. At Miami International Airport, the last flights will be this afternoon with the airport closing tonight at 6pm. Most travelers are taking flights to anywhere they can find U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion is shown with shutters on the windows after a mandatory evacuation order went into effect on the barrier island of Palm Beach on Friday The historic Mar-a-Lago is sandwiched on a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and an intercoastal waterway Traffic rolls at a crawl on the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike near the intersection of I-75 in Wildwood on Friday A traveler looks at a monitor listing canceled flights at Miami International Airport on Friday A worker trims branches from trees near power lines in a downtown neighborhood in Orlando, Florida in preparation for Irma on Friday Mang Don Man, of Miami, attends to her seven-month-old baby Vung Vaang Nuam as they eat lunch at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School on Friday People at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School eat lunch on Friday Noel Marsden said he, his girlfriend, her son and their dog left Pembroke Pines north of Miami with plans to ride out Irma in Savannah, only to find the city was also shutting down because of Irma. Marsden isn't sure where they'll all end up. 'I've got a buddy in Atlanta and a buddy in Charlotte. We'll wind up one of those two places because there are not hotels, I can tell you that,' he said. The governor said people fleeing could drive slowly in the shoulder lane on highways. He hasn't reversed the southbound lanes because he said they were needed to deliver gas and supplies. The Homeland Security Department is temporarily waiving federal restrictions on foreign ships' transportation of cargo in order to help distribute fuel to states and territories affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In a statement Friday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said, 'This is a precautionary measure to ensure we have enough fuel to support lifesaving efforts, respond to the storm, and restore critical services and critical infrastructure.' The seven-day waiver specifically affects shipments of refined products, such as gasoline, in hurricane-affected areas. The Jones Act prohibits such shipments between U.S. points aboard foreign vessels. The last such waiver was in December 2012, for petroleum products delivered after Hurricane Sandy. Above, some of Key West's famous roosters being evacuated during the storm A person stands on a lifeguard stand at an empty South Beach on Friday in Miami Beach, Florida St Johns County, Florida residents wait for the arrival of sandbags at Mills Field early Friday morning in Jacksonville, Florida Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma early Friday in Miami, Florida Florida residents flee Hurricane Irma as traffic backs up on I-75 at its intersection with the Florida Turnpike on Thursday Boarded up buildings on normally bustling South Beach are shown on Friday, in Miami Beach, Florida Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Forrest Park, south of Atlanta Luis Garcia, right, packs a car that he and five other members of his extended family will use to evacuate north from their home in Miami Beach, Fla, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 epa06192094 A business owner boards up windows of a restaurant ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in downtown Miami, Florida, USA, 08 September 2017 Orlando city employees and volunteers fill sandbags for residents as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Friday The above graphic shows Hurricane Irma compared to 1992's devastating Hurricane Andrew, the costliest hurricane in Florida's history Airline seats out of Florida were in short supply as well but American, United and Delta all said Thursday that they were adding extra flights in the next couple days. CURRENT HURRICANE WARNINGS IN PLACE: Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach Florida Keys Lake Okeechobee Florida Bay Southeastern Bahamas Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, and Villa Clara Central Bahamas Northwestern Bahama Advertisement An armed man caused extra panic and delays at Miami airport on Thursday night after he was shot by police - prompting the evacuation of an entire terminal. Officials across Florida, meanwhile, opened shelters for people who chose not to leave town. Florida's emergency management division says nearly 6,000 people are already huddling in shelters ahead of Hurricane Irma. Most of the evacuees are gathered in shelters in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where catastrophic Category 4 winds are expected to hit this weekend. Miami- Dade County planned to open 43 shelters with room for more than 100,000 people by Friday night. That includes the homeless. The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust says more than 1,000 people live on the streets in Miami, and only 300 have been evacuated so far. Many are willingly moving to shelters, but some have to be detained using the 'Baker Act', a law which allows officers to hospitalize people with mental illness against their will. The Associated Press was there as Miami police handcuffed one man to evacuate a waterfront park. Another man resisted until police threatened to hospitalize him instead. Ron Book with the homeless trust says anybody who stays on the streets during this storm is 'going to die.' Evacuation orders are multiplying by the hour in Florida. Currently the entire southern tip of Florida is under evacuation, and those orders continue county by county almost all the way up the east coast. Several small communities around Lake Okeechobee in the south-central part of Florida were added to the evacuation list because the lake may overflow, the governor said - but he added that engineers expect the protective dike around the lake to hold up. Some residents in downtown Miami were also advised to leave, if they leave near one of the city's two dozen construction cranes. Construction sites across Irma's potential path in Florida are being locked down to prevent building materials, tools and debris from becoming flying missiles in hurricane winds. The horizontal arms of the tall tower cranes, however, will remain loose despite the potential danger of collapse. City officials say they cannot be tied down or moved. Miami officials say it would take two weeks to move the cranes. On Thursday, the governor of Georgia also ordered the evacuation of the state's coastal areas, including the large city of Savannah - about 540,000 people. However, just where the storm will enter Georgia is to be determined. Forecasts show it could enter the state Monday anywhere from the Atlantic coast to the Alabama state line. The last time Georgia was struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher happened in 1898. A man bikes past a restaurant boarded up in preparation for hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida on Friday People line up to refill propane during preparations for hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida on Friday People line up to get gas during preparations for hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida on Friday Cars line up in long lines waiting to get sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Friday Supplies are loaded into a truck at the Sea Esta mobil home park during preparations for Hurricane Irma in Hallandale, Florida on Friday People load up a car with supplies at the Sea Esta mobil home park during preparations for Hurricane Irma in Hallandale, Florida on Friday A house is boarded up at the Sea Esta mobil home park during preparations for Hurricane Irma in Hallandale, Florida on Friday Customers buy plywood sheets to protect their homes at a Home Depot in Florida City, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 Traffic rolls at a crawl along the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike near the intersection of Interstate 75 in Wildwood, Florida on Friday Ryan Kaye loads sandbags into his truck at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma on Friday in Palm Coast, Florida As additional evacuations continue to be announced, Irma could potentially create one of the largest mass exoduses in the country's history. Forecasters warn the storm could hit anywhere from Florida to North Carolina over the next few days. The most severe impacts will be felt on the eastern side of Florida, including Miami, West Palm Beach, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. AccuWeather founder, Dr Joel N Myers, said there was no way the U.S. was going to avoid another catastrophic weather event. 'There will be massive damage in Florida. (It will be) the worst single hurricane to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992,' he said said. 'It's a monster hurricane out there - it's bringing along with it something to be feared. According to Credit Suisse, the storm has the potential to do $125billion worth of damage. NASA has secured Kennedy Space Center and SpaceX launched an unmanned rocket for an experimental flight. Kennedy closed its doors to all nonessential staff and a crew of about 120 people will ride out the storm on site. Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of up to 135 mph. Irma's wind could exceed that if it reaches Cape Canaveral. Irma poses a bigger menace to power supplies in Florida than Hurricane Harvey did in Texas because Irma is packing near 200 mile-per-hour winds that could down power lines, close nuclear plants and threats to leave millions of homes and businesses in the dark for weeks. A business owner boards up windows of a restaurant ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in downtown Miami on Friday A boarded up building on normally bustling South Beach is shown on Friday in Miami Beach, Florida Customers at a Home Depot buy wood to secure their property in anticipation of Hurricane Irma early Friday in Miami, Florida Customers at a Home Depot in South Miami Dade buy building materials to secure their property in anticipation of Hurricane Irma early Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Miami, Florida Hanz Paez, left, and Cirous Amiri, right buy wood at a Home Depot in South Miami Dade to secure their property in anticipation of Hurricane Irma early Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Miami, Florida Amy Nacollari, left, greets her friend Mandy Varna at a bus stop in Miami Beach, Florida, Friday, September 8, 2017 Leonel Geronimo, stuffs food into his suitcase as he and others wait for a bus in anticipation of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida, Friday, September 8, 2017 Liz Hankins and James Kiernan, of North Lauderdale, fill trash bags with sand on Pompano Beach, Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Friday Gretchen, left, and Ron Levine of 'A Paw Above' in Hollywood, Florida, take care of 20 dogs and 21 cats as they have been inundated with pet care requests by people fleeing Hurricane Irma on Friday And another concern is two nuclear power plants in the storm's track. Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point and St. Lucie plants, which can supply power to almost two million homes, are under threat. Spokesman Peter Robbins said: 'Based on the current track, we would expect severe weather in Florida starting Saturday, meaning we would potentially shut down before that point.' The company, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc, is watching the weather and would adjust any plans as necessary. It can take more than 24 hours to shut down a reactor, so the decision will have to be made well in advance. DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE ANDREW IN 1992 Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida, and the costliest to the United States until Katrina in 2005. The storm sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph and passed directly through Miami-Dade County. It stripped many homes of all but their foundations, and destroyed more than 63,500 homes. The storm cost a total of $26.5 billion in damages and left 65 people dead. Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. Pictured is the devastation it left Advertisement But bosses are confident the power plants can weather the 185mph storm, as they both have a track record of surviving hurricanes. The National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at category 4 for the next day or two as it passes between Cuba and the Bahamas. The last major hurricane - a storm with winds of at least 111 mph - to hit Florida was Wilma in 2005. Its eye cut through the state's southern third as it packed winds of 120 mph. Five people died. Andrew slammed into Florida as a Category 5 storm in 1992 and at the time was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history with damages of $26.5 billion. With winds that peaked at 185 mph, Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Irma's weakening comes at a cost. When that happened, its hurricane-force wind field expanded greatly, to about 110 miles wide, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the private service Weather Underground. 'It's a big storm,' Masters said. 'It's not as big as Katrina, but it is definitely a large hurricane now.' FEMA chief Brock Long said people in Florida and other states must heed evacuation orders as the Category 4 hurricane surges towards the US after causing death and destruction in the Caribbean. 'Bottom line is the majority of people along the coast have never experienced a major hurricane like this. It will be truly devastating,' he told CNN. 'The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention.' President Donald Trump says Hurricane Irma 'is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential.' In a video posted to Facebook, the president urges those in Irma's path to be vigilant and heed the recommendations of all government officials. Trump says his administration is doing all it can to help with disaster preparations, and the U.S. 'stands united' to address the storm. He says, 'We will endure and come back stronger than ever before.' Trump also spoke briefly to reporters Friday before boarding Marine One to travel to Camp David for the weekend. He told reporters, 'Hopefully everything will go well.' After struggling to hear the shouted questions from reporters, he says that while the storm is 'a really bad one,' the U.S. is prepared for the dangerous major hurricane heading toward Florida. Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach - the unofficial Southern White House - sits in the path of the storm. US Air Force Reserve weather officer Maj. Jeremy DeHart flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet Wednesday and through Hurricane Harvey just before it hit Texas last month. Above, destruction seen in Puerto Rico after the storm passed north of the island on Thursday Three people died in Puerto Rico after the storm scratched the island. Above, a scene of Puerto Rico after the storm Palm trees blow in the gale-force winds as Hurricane Irma hit Haiti on Thursday Fronds are blown off palm trees and streets are flooded with storm surge in the Dominican Republic on Thursday Marine firefighters from the French city of Marseille board a plane to help the storm ravaged French Caribbean In this undated photo provided by the British Ministry of Defence on Friday taken from a Royal Navy helicopter, a RLC Mexeflote approaches Sandy Bay Village beach, in the British oversees territory of Anguilla loaded with the 2 JCBs, 1 flatbed lorry, fork lift truck, BV 206 multi terrain vehicle, a Land Rover and a mobile generator Hurricane Irma destroyed 90 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda (above) when it made landfall early on Wednesday. The Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Browne Destruction: Dozens of cars were thrown around the hotel car park by the 185mph winds which tore through St Martin This Wednesday photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin He said Irma's intensity set it apart from other storms. 'Spectacular is the word that keeps coming to mind. Pictures don't do it justice. Satellite images can't do it justice,' DeHart said. The five living former U.S. presidents said Thursday they would team up to create the 'One America Appeal' to raise money for storm recovery as Texas and Louisiana seek to regroup from Harvey and Florida and the Atlantic coast brace for Hurricane Irma. The hurricane recovery effort was announced by former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Online donations can be made at OneAmericaAppeal.org. President Trump tweeted his support of the plan: 'We will confront ANY challenge, no matter how strong the winds or high the water. I'm proud to stand with Presidents for #OneAmericaAppeal.' As people along the Atlantic coast anxiously watched the behemoth, Irma battered the northern Caribbean, killing at least 24 people and leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Hurricane Irma battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday and Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts as the fearsome storm continued a rampage through the Caribbean that has killed at least 24 people, with Florida in its sights. Nine deaths were reported in the French Caribbean (St Martin and St Barthelemy), three in Puerto Rico, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, four in the British Virgin Islands, two on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, one on Barbuda and one on Anguilla. Waves as high as 20 feet were expected in the Turks and Caicos. Communications went down as the storm slammed into the islands, and the extent of the devastation was unclear. Irma rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday and spun along the northern coast of Cuba on Friday morning. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from low-lying keys off the Cuban coast Thursday in anticipation of 20-foot storm surges. Buses loaded with tourists began streaming out of Santa Maria, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and other keys dotted with all-inclusive resorts. The Maersk Line container ship Sealand Illinois heads out to sea after leaving the Port of Miami on Friday. The ship is headed to Portugal, according to a marine traffic website A lone cyclist rides by The Carlyle Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida on Friday British tourists wait for a ride as they leave ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida on Friday A customer watches news reports at a French restaurant ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida, on Friday Residents in Jacksonville County, Florida shovel bags of sand on Friday, ahead of Hurricane Irma All residents of the area were under mandatory evacuation orders from the Cuban government, which was moving tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastline. French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed aid to a devastated string of Caribbean islands where at least 11 people were dead and thousands homeless. Warships and planes were sent with food, water and troops after the hurricane smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction. The cafes and clothing shops of the picturesque seaside village of Marigot were submerged in brown floodwaters. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. Looting was reported in St. Martin. Annick Girardin, minister for France's overseas territories, described on BFM television Friday 'scenes of pillaging' of televisions as well as food and water. She lamented 'how people can take advantage of the distress of others' and said it's essential for police to restore order and ensure urgent care for victims. The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao said it believes about 6,000 Americans are stranded on St. Martin. It said it was working with the U.S. and other governments to try to figure out how to get the Americans off the island either by air or boat. Frantic Americans were calling home to relatives to try to get them off the island ahead of Hurricane Jose. The hospital on St. Thomas was destroyed and dozens of patients were being evacuated to St. Croix and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Coast Guard. Local official said a U.S. Navy hospital ship was arriving as early as Friday to care for unknown numbers of injured and two Air Force C-130s transport planes were bringing in food and water. Power lines and towers were toppled, leaves were stripped off plants and trees, a water and sewage treatment plants was heavily damaged and the harbor was in ruins, along with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses. Gov. Kenneth Mapp imposed a 6 p.m. curfew. The primary focus for now is 'making sure people have meals, water and shelter,' Mapp said. 'An event of this magnitude is very chilling.' Irma also slammed the French island of St. Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity in the high-end tourist destination. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm 'caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses.' 'There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world,' he said. Residents line up in Dania Beach, Florida on Thursday to fill up sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Irma People walk past empty shelves where bread is normally sold in a Walmart store ahead of Hurricane Irma's expected arrival in North Miami Beach Miami Beach was deserted on Thursday after a mandatory evacuation was ordered ahead of Irma An armed man caused extra panic and delays at Miami airport on Thursday night after he was shot by police - prompting the evacuation (above) of an entire terminal Traffic was banked up in Pasco County, Florida late on Thursday night as residents evacuated the state Big waves smashed a dozen homes into rubble in the Dominican fishing community of Nagua, but work crews said all the residents had left before the storm. Officials said 11,200 people in all had evacuated vulnerable areas, while 55,000 soldiers had been deployed to help the cleanup. In Haiti, two people were injured by a falling tree, a national roadway was blocked by debris and roofs were torn from houses along the northern coast but there were no immediate reports of deaths. Officials warned that could change as Irma continued to lash Haiti, where deforested hillsides are prone to devastating mudslides that have wiped out entire neighborhoods of precariously built homes in flood zones. 'We are vulnerable. We don't have any equipment to help the population,' Josue Alusma, mayor of the northern city of Port de Paix, said on Radio Zenith FM. French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in U.S. history. 'Take it seriously, because this is the real deal,' said Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer who flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet. Farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose, a Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds, posed a potential threat for Saturday to some of the same islands ravaged by Irma. Advertisement These are just some of the people from the British Virgin Islands whose pictures have been shared on Facebook by friends and family who are desperate to find their loved ones after Hurricane Irma smashed into the Caribbean and laid waste to a paradise. Dozens of desperate appeals have been made in the wake of the catastrophic storm as a state of emergency is declared and British aid begins arriving in planes and boats. The island's governor, Gus Jaspert, said there had been devastating damage and 'reports of casualties and fatalities'. He added: 'I am truly heartbroken by this news. My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you. 'May God bless and protect the territory and our people.' The hurricane has left apocalyptic scenes behind it in the Caribbean, killing 24 in total. In BVI, the relatives of 27 people who are now feared missing frantically shared their photographs online to try to track them down. Left: Another family - the Mosterts - have also been reported as missing. Nadia, Philip, Bradley and Jade were last heard from on Wednesday morning, when they were in Road Town. Right: Josh Paris and Tamar Olivier are missing on the British Virgin Islands. Carl and Tracey Olivier are also missing Left: Kelly Sahota appealed for information about Chhya Sahota (pictured), who was last seen on the CocoMaya resort on Virgin Gorda. Right: Melinda Scholz and Art Shemwell are also missing, causing friends to be 'sick with worry' as they search for them Left: Jenny Wilkinson from the Philippines has not been seen since the storm. She lives in Road Town, Tortola. Right: Patrick Francis was searching for his father, Patrick Francis Sr, who is on Tortola. He expressed his deepest sympathies and prayers to to everyone on the islands Left: Vladimir and Natalie Boshoff - alongside their two children Alissa and Sash - had not been heard from since hurricane struck, with relatives making desperate appeals. Right:Another woman was searching for her parents, Jeff and Jinx Morgan, who live in Brewers Bay on Tortola The hurricane is currently menacing Cuba and the Bahamas as it drives towards Florida after having battered Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St Martin, Barbuda and other islands in the area with devastatingly high winds, leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. But while families search for their loved ones, another storm - category 3 Hurricane Jose - is currently to the east of the islands and causing panic among those who remain. But with communications severely hampered, worried residents on the islands have taken to social media to appeal for information about family and friends. In one post, Nadya Reinhard Pretorius makes an impassioned appeal for word of her brother, sister-in-law and their two children. She explained that Vladimir and Natalie Boshoff - alongside their two children Alissa and Sash - had not been heard from since hurricane struck. Left: Phil Nelson, who is also missing after the devastating Hurricane Irma. Right: Ana Ligia Peralta posted this picture of Toni Bonzon Left: Beccy and Pip Nockolds were last heard from at Hodge's Creek. Right: Ashley Bailey, a teacher at the Cedar School, has not been heard from either. Her family in the US is desperate to hear from her Left: Susan Hayes made an appeal for her parents, John and Sandra Hayes, who are also missing after the catastrophe. Right: Kylie Henderson posted this photograph in a group for searching out missing people on the British Virgin Islands Another face of a man believed to be missing on the British Virgin Islands - again unnamed Another family - the Mosterts - have also been reported as missing. Nadia, Philip, Bradley and Jade were last heard from on Wednesday morning, when they were in Road Town. It is understood the first of the British relief forces has landed on the islands. Downing Street said it was waiting for 'a full picture of intelligence to come through' of the Caribbean, adding: 'Three flights departed this morning carrying marines and engineers as part of the MoD task force. A spokeswoman said: 'Tomorrow, another C17 will leave carrying two Puma helicopters. And the RFA Mounts Bay ship is due to arrive in the British Virgin Islands ... bringing aid and helicopters to help deliver supplies.' Downing Street said that the Department for International Development's disaster response centre was sending out supplies of aid to be loaded on to HMS Ocean, which has been diverted from the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean to help with the disaster relief efforts. The aid heading for HMS Ocean includes 10,000 buckets and 5,000 solar lanterns, the spokeswoman said. This is the hurricane's path as of Friday morning. It will move into Florida in the early hours of Sunday morning. It has been downgraded from a Category 5 hurricane to a Category 4 Meanwhile another resident on the British Virgin Islands has explained how his home has been absolutely destroyed - and with it most of his possessions. Dan Perkins told MailOnline he was not on the islands when the storm hit, but has been told that about the damage done to his property. He said: 'My house started at the top of the hill and ended up at the bottom of it, so I'm told. 'I now own pretty much what I took with me in my suitcase. I'm sure it will sink in soon, but right now we have to focus on the most important things - people who are missing and hurt.' He added: 'It's just stuff at the end of the day.' Elsewhere in the Caribbean, a British woman trapped in a hotel on the Turks and Caicos islands has documented the territory's pounding by Hurricane Irma. Director Helen Crosse has been writing about the storm's arrival and recorded several videos showing the 'pretty crazy' wind battering her hotel as she attempts to remain calm. British director Helen Crosse (left) has been writing about the storm's arrival and recorded several videos showing the 'pretty crazy' wind battering her hotel. She said her hotel has been on lockdown since 5pm. Pictured right: Helen with her husband Mike She said guests at the hotel were forced to stay inside from 5pm local time yesterday, In one of the last videos she uploaded, she explains that the wind is 'becoming more severe by the minute', and in her last video she said 'we're not even close to the worst bit yet - which is a bit scary'. The powerful storm - now relegated to a category 4 but still extremely dangerous - made landfall in the British islands on Thursday evening with winds as high as 175 miles per hour, and isn't expected to slow down through this morning. According to Credit Suisse, the storm has the potential to do $125 billion worth of damage - and could even be double that. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma's maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 155 mph while some fluctuations in strength are likely over the next day or two - but it is expected to stay a category 4 storm. John Freeman, governor of the Turks and Caicos islands, told CNN: 'Hunker down, stay where you are. Nobody can get to you either. 'People are, for a little while, on their own.' The Turks and Caicos are being pounded by Hurricane Irma, which has made its way through the Caribbean and killed at least 14 in its deadly path to the United States. Pictured is the island of Providenciales The powerful category 4 storm made landfall in the British Overseas on Thursday evening and isn't expected to slow down through Friday morning. Pictured is the island of Providenciales Many people on the island (who could not evacuate) were moved to shelters, and any heavily pregnant women or people on dialysis were moved to hospitals. Pictured is the island of Providenciales Irma is currently pounding Turks in Caicos with some of the strongest winds that any of the islands have seen yet Deadly: The current location of the hellish Hurricane Irma can be seen above, just northeast of Cuba and north of Haiti. In its wake comes Hurricane Jose - a category 3 hurricane expected to batter some of the eastern Caribbean islands before heading north A map from Thursday night shows the projections of both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose. Irma is expected to hit the United States on Friday, and Jose is expected to follow in its path a few days later The latest satellite image of Hurricanes Irma and Jose shows their progress west as the Caribbean takes a battering from winds of up to 185mph A map shows the projection that Hurricane Irma is expected to take over the next few days In this satellite image, the three main storms in the Atlantic can be seen - Katia, Irma and Jose He also explained that the islands were protected the best they could be before the storm hit. Many were moved to shelters, and any heavily pregnant women or people on dialysis were moved to hospitals. 'Water production goes down, of course, with the electricity. On Grand Turk, the water went down quite early because the electricity went down quite early,' Freeman said. But the governor also said that people there are used to hurricanes, and have been collecting water and preparing since before the storm hit. And now Hurricane Jose has strengthened to a category 3 storm and is getting ready to hit the islands that were just pummeled by Irma. Jose currently has maximum sustained winds of 120mph. At least 14 people have been killed in the storm so far: Eight on the French/Dutch island of St Martin, three in Puerto Rico and the islands of Anguilla, Barbados and Barbuda recorded a death each. In video of the chaos being unleashed upon Turks and Caicos, trees and houses can be seen blowing in the devastating winds. One video even shows a small orange car being battered by the hurricane. Irma has currently been hitting islands with 185mph winds for 33 straight hours - making it the longest storm of this level of intensity since monitoring by satellites began in the 1970s. It is also the longest lasting Atlantic storm of 2017, surpassing Harvey by a number of hours. In Turks and Caicos the directors of the department of disaster management and emergencies Virginia Clerveaux told BBC that people have been urged to find shelter and stay safe. 'We are now trying to remind them that this is a category five,' she said. 'In the history of Turks and Caicos islands this is the largest storm we have ever been impacted or threatened by.' The US National Hurricane Center has warned the islands that Irma might bring waves as high as 20 feet above normal sea By early Thursday afternoon, the hurricane was north of the Dominican Republic, where authorities reported some flooding and the evacuation of several thousand locals and tourists but no serious damage or casualties. About a million people are now without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island, but the damage was nothing compared to the smaller islands that were first hit by the storm. More than 90 percent of all properties on the islands and Barbuda and St Martin were destroyed in the storm, leaving thousands homeless. On Barbuda, more than 90 percent of buildings were damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday - resulting in the death of a child. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press. 'It is just really a horrendous situation,' Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne said. And following right in Irma's path is Hurricane Jose, which has ramped up from a category two to a category three hurricane. It is now classified as a major hurricane, and is expected to strengthen even more in the next 24 to 36 hour period, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm will likely cause even further damage and leave people in the Caribbean without water or electricity for longer. Craig Ryan, owner of Tropical Adventures Antigua, told the Washington Post that the scene there is currently 'a level of devastation that you can't even see structures standing.' The 29-year-old's family business dispatched a 75-foot motorboat to ferry people off the island before Jose arrives and does any more damage to the already devastated island. Phone and internet connections are already down there and on Barbuda, and some residents are stuck on isolated areas of different islands because their roads are blocked. 'We really are in a rush against time,' Ryan told the Post, referring to the small window of time before Hurricane Jose comes crashing into the area. St Maarten took a huge pummeling as Hurricane Irma crashed into the French-Dutch island of Saint Martin View of wreckage in the vicinity of the Santurce neighborhood in the aftermath of the hurricane Irma, in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday Destruction: Dozens of cars were thrown around the hotel car park by the 185mph winds which tore through St Martin Cuba has also now started to evacuate the roughly 51,000 tourists currently on the island in wake of the storm. The island is particularly focused on getting out the 36,000 individuals at resorts on the picturesque northern coast. In Barbuda, which is one of the islands most severely impacted by the hurricane so far, Knacyntar Nedd, chairwoman of the Barbuda Council, told the local ABS news station that people tied themselves to roofs with ropes to keep from blowing away. 'We had cars flying over our head, we had 40 foot containers flying left and right,' she said. 'What we experienced is like something you see in a horror movie, not something you expect to actually happen in reality.' She also said the people most severely traumatized were those who tried to stay home and ride the storm out. 'It was like it was sucking us up,' Jacqueline Bisa said. She was in her home with seven relatives at the time of the storm. They took shelter in a closet and the bathroom, but winds were so strong they had to cling tight to the door to keep it from flying open. In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. Photos and video of St Martin circulating on social media showed major damage to the Philipsburg airport and heavy flooding in the coastal village of Marigot. While the storm passed just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, the U.S. territory island suffered three deaths in the storm. More than half the island is still without power as well, leaving more than 900,000 in the dark and 50,000 without water. Fourteen hospitals on the island have resorted to backup generators thanks to the winds which knocked power lines down. Puerto Rico's public power company warned before the storm hit that some areas could be left without power from four to six months because its staff has been reduced and its infrastructure weakened by the island's financial crisis. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing federal agencies to step in and provide aid. Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach, in Cap-Haitien on Thursday as Hurricane Irma approached This Wedesday photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees Marines of the Dutch Defence of the Armed forces load humanitarian aid for victims of the hurricane Irma on the island of Saint Martin at the Air force base in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on Thursday Chaos: One home-owner on St Martin had put up boards outside his house to protect the windows but they offered little help Violent: The winds battered the St Martin coast, tearing trees from their roots and snapping the weaker vegetation clean in half Force: The winds, which are as fast as 185mph, were so strong that they upturned cars on the Caribbean island of St Martin Bird's eye view: This image was taken on a flight above Saint Martin to determine the damage caused to the Caribbean island by Hurricane Irma Broken palm trees on the beach of the Hotel Mercure in Marigot on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Chaos on the beach: Some of the damage at Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic after hurricane Irma Holidaymakers return to their rooms after spending the night in the Theater taking refuge from Hurricane Irma at the Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Hurricane Irma destroyed 90 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda (above) when it made landfall early on Wednesday. The Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Browne An aerial photo taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Maarten Devastation: This was the scene on Saint-Barth after the hurricane hit. French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on the island This was the bizarre scene along the coast of St Martin after roofs were torn off houses and blown off in to the streets Dramatic pictures have emerged on social media showing the scale of the flooding on the island St Martin in the immediate aftermath of the storm passing This morning, the United Nations said up to 49 million people are in the hurricane's path as aid agencies prepare for a 'major humanitarian response'. France, the Netherlands and Britain have sent water, emergency rations and rescue teams to their stricken territories. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St Barts and St Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies. 'It's a tragedy, we'll need to rebuild both islands,' he said. 'Most of the schools have been destroyed.' Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm 'caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses.' 'There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark, in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world,' he said. French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was 'grief-stricken,' Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters. A Dutch navy ship arrived in St Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. Meanwhile, residents on the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla said the island was 'utterly devastated' and looked as though it had 'suffered nuclear bomb devastation' while shocking videos have emerged showing the scale of the devastation in the British Virgin Islands. Luxury homes and hotels were destroyed, roads submerged in water and sturdy palm trees ripped out of the ground on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Marteen Shipping containers were left strewn around a port area at Sint Marteen while homes and hotels were left in ruins Hurricane Irma has ripped through Caribbean islands on a path towards the US. A second hurricane, Jose, is developing in the Atlantic Tracking the storm: This model from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast shows the projected path of Irma. The red shows where it will hit land and cause serious damage The UK government says Irma has inflicted 'severe and in places critical' damage to the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan says the Caribbean island took the full force of the category five hurricane. He told lawmakers on Thursday that the British Virgin islands have also suffered 'severe damage.' On another British territory, Monsterrat, the damage is 'not as severe as first thought.' Britain sent hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. Two military transport planes loaded with 'personnel, supplies and recovery equipment' set off for the Caribbean this morning - with one heading for the British Virgin Islands. On the ground, governor Gus Jaspert said he had declared a state of emergency, indicating there had reports of both injuries and deaths during the storm. 'Apart from structural damage, there have sadly been reports of casualties and fatalities,' he said in a recorded message to residents. A man walks past damaged buildings and debris in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin Carnage: An iron railing fence was shattered into pieces in St Martin by the hurricane which is the most powerful ever recorder in the Atlantic Aftermath: A woman walks across a road littered with debris and smashed cars in St Martin outside a battered house Destroyed: This house in St Martin was so damaged by the winds that the inside looked unrecognizable with furniture scattered around Path of destruction: This map shows the projected path of the hurricane which will hit the US this weekend The majority of Barbuda's buildings were flattened when Hurricane Irma battered the tiny island with a population of 1,600 on Wednesday The devastating hurricane pulverised the island of Saint Martin, ripping roofs off buildings, flipping cars over and flooding roads Roads were swamped underwater, buildings left in ruins and cars tossed upside down in Saint Martin by the devastating force of the hurricane Damage: The storm laid waste to coastal resorts in Saint Martin as it ripped across the island yesterday Devastation: A picture taken outside this home in St Martin showed a car upturned on the drive alongside fallen drainpipes Windswept: A large pile of debris was washed up on the beach in St Martin by the storm which overturned a boat and destroyed trees A photo taken on September 6 shows cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle in St Martin Abandoned: A book lies sodden and torn on a sandy road lined with torn trees and plastic debris after the hurricane hit St Martin Uninhabitable: The winds were so violent that they tore down the outside of wooden houses, depositing debris all around. Above, a picture of the devastation in St Martin A photo taken on September 6, 2017 shows debris outside the damaged Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on St Martin Life goes on: People walk through damage on September 7 in a sand-covered street of Marigot in St Martin Two residents survey the destruction in the wake of hurricane Irma which tore through St Martin on Wednesday night On the Dutch part of the island of St Martin, looting has become a 'serious' problem, Netherlands PM Mark Rutte said this morning. Extra troops and police are arriving on the southern part of the island, which is shared between France and the Netherlands, and part of their job is to help keep order, officials said. The badly damaged airport and port have now 'been opened for military purposes,' Rutte said, adding 'we are doing everything possible to get aid to the area.' He said food, water and security were the priorities on the island, known in Dutch as Sint Maarten. 'We will not abandon Sint Maarten,' he said, adding that officials were also sending medicines, tents, tarpaulins and hygiene kits as fast as possible to the Caribbean. 'The military has two tasks after arriving there. Firstly to ensure that there is food and water, but also to ensure security,' Rutte said. 'There are people on the streets armed with revolvers and machetes,' one witness told the Dutch newspaper AD on Friday. 'The situation is very serious. No one is in charge.' Dutch officials have confirmed that one person was killed on the Dutch part of Saint Martin by the Category Five storm, before it was downgraded earlier today to a four as it barrelled towards Cuba and Florida. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, meanwhile, told ABS TV Radio in Antigua that his island was in 'total devastation' and has been reduced to 'literally rubble.' He added that the island, which is home to 1,800 people, was left 'barely habitable'. 'The entire housing stock was damaged... Some have lost whole roofs. Some properties have been totally demolished,' he said. STARK BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES REVEAL HOW IRMA LEFT ISLANDS IN RUINS IN A MATTER OF HOURS These starkly contrasting photos show how 185mph Hurricane Irma laid waste to Caribbean islands in a matter of hours. Before and after pictures from some of the worst affected islands reveal how airports, luxury hotels, beach front bars and entire marinas have been destroyed by furious winds since the early hours of Wednesday morning. The images emerged as Irma continued its path of destruction after slamming into Anguilla, Barbuda, Saint-Barthelemy, St Martin and the British Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have also been hit as the UN predicted 49 million people lie in the hurricane's path. The before and after pictures show the extent of damage on holiday hotspots St Martin, where at least eight are confirmed dead, and the British Virgin Islands where Richard Branson's home was destroyed. A composite image shows how the Dolphin Discovery attraction on Tortola in the Virgin Islands was ravaged by Irma's force Before: This was the plush atrium in the 144-room, waterfront Beach Plaza Hotel in St Martin before Irma struck on Wednesday After: But by Wednesday night the same hotel had been badly damaged with water cascading through its atrium amid 185mph winds Another composite image shows how Irma's power wrecked the popular Honky Tonk bar in Philipsburg St Martin Before: The luxury Eden Rock hotel on St Barts, owned by the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews, is a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez After: Pictures on social media show how it looks after being ravaged by Hurricane Irma on Wednesday when the storm swept over St Barts Before: This was the scene at Paraquita Bay as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed Tortola in the British Virgin Islands Before: Pictures show how the marina was laid to waste as boats were driven onto the shoreline by the force of the storm Before: The popular Ivan's Stress Free Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands was a hit with tourists and locals alike After: But by the end of Wednesday, the area had been laid to waste by Hurrican Irma it swept north west over the British Virgin Islands Before: Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side of St Martin was famed for its proximity to the beach with tourists gathering to watch planes land just over their heads After: But this was the scene after it was ravaged by howling winds as Irma crashed into the island on Wednesday Advertisement Ruins: A house reduced to rubble on the French administered territory of Saint Barthelemy, after the passage of Hurricane Irma Raging water: Waves crash against a boat near the shore as Hurricane Irma passes over Samana, Dominican Republic Damage outside the Mecure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma Cars remain outside a destroyed building with debris that was flow on to the ground below by the high winds of Irma in St Martin 'We have estimated the rebuilding efforts to be no less than $150 million. That is conservative, because we're talking about rebuilding everything, all of the institutions, the infrastructure, the telecommunications, the roads... Even the hotels on the island, those are totally demolished, as well. It is terrible.' Aerial footage of Barbuda after Irma passed through showed a flattened, flooded landscape. The child who was killed, aged two, was trying to escape a damaged building with its mother at the time. Irma passed to the north of Puerto Rico just before 10.30pm on Wednesday lashing it with heavy rain and powerful winds. 'The winds that we are experiencing right now are like nothing we have experienced before,' Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told CNN. 'We expect a lot of damage, perhaps not as much as was seen in Barbuda.' More than half of Puerto Rico's population of three million was left without power and at least 50,000 were without water, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island. Governor Ricardo Rossello had activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient to house up to 62,000 people. Fourteen hospitals were relying on emergency generators. Luxury yachts were destroyed and sunk as huge waves battered the coast of St Martin overnight Wooden structures were obliterated by ferocious winds that battered St Martin on Wednesday Even shipping containers were thrown around like Lego bricks as the wind battered the coastline of St Martin on Wednesday Entire communities were laid to waste as the wind levelled homes and businesses in St Martin yesterday Massive waves continued to crash into the coastline of the Dutch side of St Martin last night in the aftermath of the storm IRMA'S PATH OF DESTRUCTION: 185MPH HURRICANE'S DEADLY MARCH ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN Hurricane Irma has killed at least ten people and caused devastation on Caribbean islands as it heads towards the south coast of America. It first hit land in the early hours of Wednesday morning before heading north west on a deadly path of destruction. These are the islands affected so far: Antigua and Barbuda Barbuda was the first land to be hit by 185mph Irma with the storm destroying nearly all buildings on the island and killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape. Officials described 'total carnage' with 95 percent of Barbuda destroyed by the force of the wind and left 'barely habitable'. A two-year-old child was reportedly killed in the storm. St Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister minister Timothy Harris said the island was 'spared the full brunt' of Irma, but warned of 'significant damage' to buildings. Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy At least eight were left dead on Saint Martin as the storm wreaks havoc on the two islands. Speaking on French radio France Info, Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands. Some 95 percent of St Martin has been destroyed. 'It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed, I am in shock,' Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Anguilla The tourist board says the major resorts on the island survived a hit from Hurricane Irma but many private homes have been damaged. However, Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a lawyer from the British Overseas Territory, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme today: Anguilla is utterly devastated. We are very familiar with hurricanes, but this particular one, Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. It has certain cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces. 'Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position. 'When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation. We are in such a compromised position at the moment.' Hurricane Irma started hammering Puerto Rico with 185mph winds late on Wednesday as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday British Virgin Islands The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over the British Virgin Islands with wind gust of up to 110 mph to the west at Buck Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Significant damage has been reported with critical facilities, homes, businesses and supermarkets destroyed. Among the people hunkered down was Richard Branson, the head of the Virgin Group, whose home on Necker Island was destroyed. US president Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico At 1 p.m. local time, the storm was centered about 35 miles east of St Thomas and 105 miles east of San Juan. Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico as the dangerous Category 5 storm raked the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea. Irma is the worst hurricane to hit the island since 1928. Most have been left without power and 50,000 without water. Advertisement NOAA Hurricane Hunters flight director Richard Henning told CNN Wednesday night that Irma is 'getting stronger'. He said hurricane aircrafts were measuring winds over 189 mph at the eye of the storm. 'You really can't over-hype this storm. We haven't really seen a storm like Irma.' The US National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida. 'The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we've ever seen,' Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. 'A lot of infrastructure won't be able to withstand this kind of force.' Waste land: Luxury yachts and power boats were tossed on top of each other as the hurricane blasted through Saint Martin Locals walk through the ruins of a harbour area on the island of Saint Martin after the hurricane left it in ruins Fallen trees block a street in Fajardo, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma howled past after thrashing several Caribbean islands A rescue team from the local emergency management agency inspects flooded areas after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Wednesday night in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Hotels were flooded and cars submerged as floods hit coastal areas during hurricane-force winds on St Martin overnight Flooding and strong winds on the island of St Martin in the Caribbean destroyed about 95 per cent of the buildings This was the scene of devastation on St Martin after fierce winds and flooding destroyed buildings and swamped roads On St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and 1-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters, with many of their neighbors' homes damaged and the once-dense vegetation largely gone. 'There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone,' said Strickling, who moved to the island with her husband three years ago from Washington, D.C. 'It will take years for this community to get back on its feet.' Significant effects were also reported on St Martin. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. Destruction: A building can be seen with its roof almost completely torn off after the British Virgin Islands was battered by Hurricane Irma Catastrophe: In Everton Powell's 'traumatic' video, the remnants of houses can be seen lying next to uprooted trees in the streets of Tortola EXCLUSIVE HOTEL OWNED BY PIPPA MIDDLETON'S IN-LAWS LIES IN RUINS A luxury hotel owned by the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews has been left in ruins after being ravaged by Hurricane Irma. Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today strewn with rubble after a devastating encounter with the storm, which has left ten people dead. The shocking photos were taken by Kevin Barrallon and posted online under the caption, 'St Barts after the passage of Irma'. Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today in ruins after it was struck by Hurricane Irma Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night and which is pictured before the devastation, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock' Eden Rock became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions. Pictured is David and James Matthews, left, and James with Pippa Middleton, right Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock'. David and Jane Matthews moved to St Barts in September 1995 after purchasing Eden Rock from local adventurer Remy de Haenen. It quickly became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions. Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews is also a fan of the resort, and has been seen visiting it with friends and girlfriends. Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic and devastated the hotel, pictured Made in Chelsea star's Ollie Proudlock and Spencer Matthews at the Eden Rock hotel Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock' Hurricane Irma left a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean when it struck on Wednesday. Pictured: The scene at Eden Rock The hotel was the first to be built on St Barts, in 1950. It quickly pulled in celebrities, and was visited in the 50s and 60s by guests including the Rothschild and Rockefeller families. Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Advertisement France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity. In Cuba, a state of alert was declared in several eastern and central provinces, with at-risk residents advised to move in with relatives or reach government shelters. Haiti's northern coast was on hurricane alert, although in the town of Cap-Haitien residents appeared mostly unaware of the impending storm. The US National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds would fluctuate, but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it roared past the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas. Evacuations from high-risk areas were ordered throughout the path of the storm. By early Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Governor Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday and warned that Irma is 'bigger, faster and stronger' than Hurricane Andrew. Andrew pummeled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighborhoods with ferocious winds. Huge metal objects were flipped over, buildings were flooded and people were left trapped in buildings as the hurricane struck on St Martin Brute force: Hurricane Irma has wreaked havoc after pummeling exotic Caribbean islands with 185mph winds on its devastating march towards the US east coast. This was the scene on St Martin on Wednesday US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico as well as the US Virgin Islands and Florida where he said the outlook was 'not good.' Trump spoke by telephone with the governors of all three areas to assure them of the federal government's support. It means that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies can remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the US government. A mandatory evacuation is under way in the Florida Keys, Miami's coastal zones and the Georgia coast as Hurricane Irma approaches. Experts are worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas. 'This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago,' said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami. Because of the uncertainty in any forecast this far out, authorities in Miami held off for the time being on ordering any widespread evacuations. The mayor of Miami-Dade County activated the emergency operation center and urged residents to have three days' worth of food and water. Social media videos show how the hurricane lashed the coastline of Saint Martin overnight with cars submerged in water. This picture is believed to have been taken at the Beach Plaza hotel on the island Children in a low-income neighborhood carry containers for water as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic September 6, 2017 Fishermen remove their wooden boat from the sea as a precaution against Hurricane Irma, in the seaside slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Wednesday Billionaire Sir Richard Branson bunkered down with staff at his private island in the British Virgin Islands to ride out the storm on Wednesday night. His son revealed on social media that the home had been completely destroyed by Hurricane Irma. British holidaymakers on Caribbean islands have described barricading themselves into hotels and villas as authorities in other areas order mass evacuations. Alex Woolfall, who is staying on the island of St Maarten, told how he and other holidaymakers huddled in the concrete stairwell of their hotel as the 'apocalyptic' noise of the winds roared outside. He tweeted: 'Still thunderous sonic boom noises outside & boiling in stairwell. Can feel scream of things being hurled against building.' Experts said Irma was so powerful it was registering on devices designed to detect earthquakes. Scientists picked up the background noise of winds causing trees to move and crashing ocean waves on their earthquake-detecting seismometers. In addition to Irma, Tropical Storm Jose has now formed behind it in the open Atlantic and is expected to develop into a hurricane. A third tropical storm - Katia - has also formed in the Gulf of Mexico with winds but is expected to stay offshore until Friday morning. Hurricane Irma roared into the Caribbean with record-setting force early Wednesday, shaking homes and flooding buildings on a chain of small islands along a path to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and eventually south Florida. Warm water is fuel for hurricanes and Irma was moving over water that was 1.8 degrees warmer than normal. The 79 degree water that hurricanes need went about 250 feet deep, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private forecasting service Weather Underground. Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region, but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which usually have warmer waters. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005's Wilma, 1988's Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Keys storm all had 185 mph winds. Eduardo Soriano of Miami, waits in a line since dawn to purchase plywood sheets at a Home Depot store in North Miami, Florida on Wednesday Motorists wait in line to fill their vehicles with gas as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Wednesday in Key Largo, Florida. The Florida Keys are currently under mandatory evacuation In preparation of Hurricane Irma, residents of Boca Raton line up for propane on Wednesday Miami residents shopping on Wednesday made sure to load their carts with bottled water and other supplies to last through the storm An employee restocks bottled water on bare shelves as customers look on at a Publix grocery store on Tuesday in Surfside, Florida Stocking up: Residents purchase water at BJ Wholesale in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Tuesday in Miami, Florida Hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel of MIT calculates that Irma holds about 7 trillion watts - about twice the energy of all bombs used in World War II. Floridians seem to be taking hurricane prep seriously. Stores throughout the state, which has been under a state of emergency since Monday, have already started running out of bottled water and other necessities and gas stations are struggling to keep up with the never ending lines of cars. Gov. Scott advised his citizens to stock up on what they need but not to go overboard, so that everyone can get the supplies necessary to wait out the storm. 'I'm asking everybody as you get prepared: three days of water per person, three days of food. Take enough, but only take what you need. Don't take more, so we can make sure we take care of all our neighbors,' he said Several big box stores have activated emergency response protocols, sending truck loads of hurricane preparation items to areas with the greatest need. Being able to enjoy some smashed avo on toast and own a first house may not have seemed possible until now. A Melbourne cafe has found a way to help millennials buy their first house by offering a deal that many will find too good to be true. Lux Foundry is giving away a free side of avocado to anyone who is renting, helping share the love for smashed avocado without digging into the housing budget. A Melbourne cafe (pictured) has found the solution to helping millennials buy their first house by offering a deal too good to be true Lux Foundry is offering free sides of avocado to renters when they show their rental agreement (stock image) The Melbourne cafe wants to help people enjoy the luxurious fruit without the expensive cost (stock image) Lux Foundry owner Daniel told Daily Mail Australia they wanted to help people save for their house deposits. 'We wanted to tap into [the idea] millennials aren't able to purchase houses because of the amount of smashed avo they eat,' he said. 'So we have some free avo ... and help them save up for deposit.' Deemed the 'Lux Found Avo-Assist Program', the trendy Brunswick cafe shared a social media post saying renters were entitled to a free side of avocado with any meal. Helping 'non home-owners unite', the popular cafe was welcomed by hundreds of supportive avo-lovers. 'This is the best idea ever!' one social media user commented. Social medias united at the idea of free avocado, thanking the cafe for understanding their struggles (pictured) The offer, which runs for a week, is available to those who show a copy of their rental agreement, and ends Friday (stock image) 'Thank you for understanding the plight of every millennial in Melbourne,' another wrote. 'Poor struggling first home owners/strugglers who love avo too!,' someone posted. The cafe north of Melbourne wanted to help people balance the two lifestyle luxuries, with a side of avocado usually costing them $4.50. The offer, which runs for a week, is available to those who show a copy of their rental agreement, and ends Friday. The man accused of murdering Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall engaged in consensual choking with three former girlfriends, a court has heard. Brenden Bennetts has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court after the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder. Ms Kendall was last seen getting into Bennetts' distinctive red car after school on August 14, 2015. Jayde Kendall (left) was last seen getting into Brenden Bennetts' (left) distinctive red car after school on August 14, 2015 The 16-year-old's body was found in a field 13 days later and was too decomposed to determine a cause of death. Three of Bennetts' former girlfriends testified on Thursday to having rough sex during their relationship, including consensual choking. Shantel Mason, who was dating Bennetts when he killed Jayde, said there was one occasion when the choking went 'a little too far'. 'He put his hands around my throat and squeezed tighter than normal,' Ms Mason said. 'I had trouble breathing. I kicked him off. He untied me and he was very apologetic.' The court heard the incident left a faint bruise on Ms Mason's neck and the pair did not engage in consensual choking after that. Brenden Bennetts (pictured) has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court after the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder Another former girlfriend of Bennetts testified they mostly had 'rough sex' including neck biting, hair pulling and strangulation. 'It was more that I received it,' she said. A third former girlfriend also testified she was making out with Bennetts against a wall when he put his hand around her neck, with consent. She said as things got more heated the pressure increased until it hurt so she pushed Bennetts away. He apologised and never did it again. Ms Kendall's (pictured) body was found in a field 13 days later and in a decomposed state The court has heard Bennetts lied to police about his contact with Jayde then changed his story when confronted with evidence. Bennetts claimed to detectives Jayde asked him for a lift after school on August 14 and to withdraw money from her bank account so she could run away. 'I didn't know she would runaway for a long period of time, I thought she would be back by now to be honest,' Bennetts told police. 'She stopped crying, looking dead in the eye and made me promise to give her as much time as possible before I would talk to you guys (police).' Bruce Morrissey (centre), Denis Morrissey (2nd right) father and grandfather respectively of Ms Kendall, and other family members, leave the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday Ms Mason said Bennetts appeared 'tired but normal' when he arrived at her house on the evening Jayde disappeared. She said she thought the 18-year-old was tired from working as an apprentice electrician, when in fact Bennetts was unemployed and had been lying to her and his family about having a job for the past month. Mother Wanda Bennetts cried in court on Thursday as she recalled her son being brought home by police after they questioned him on August 18. 'I was annoyed and pissed off and said 'how come you've never said anything?' He said that he was scared,' Ms Bennetts said. Bennetts, now aged 21, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The trial is due to continue on Friday. Ms Kendall seen here in an undated photo before her death on August 14, 2015 The body of Emely Peguero, a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was found in a suitcase on the side of the road on Friday Remains of a pregnant 16-year-old girl were found Friday buried in a suitcase on the side of a road in the Dominican Republic. Emely Peguero, a citizen of the country, was five months pregnant with her American boyfriend Marlon Martinez's child before a local Attorney General's Office determined Peguero died after suffering trauma to her uterus and a blunt trauma to the head. Peguero was last seen the morning of August 23 before she left home with him. Martinez, 19, since confessed to dumping his girlfriend's body in a ditch after he claimed to police she had fatal complications from an abortion performed at a medical center in San Francisco de Macoris. Unlike several other Latin American countries, abortion is prohibited in the Dominican Republic, according to dr1.com. Emely Peguero and her fetus were found Friday buried in a suitcase (seen above) on the side of a road, police in the Dominican Republic say Marlon Martinez, (pictured) the boyfriend of the 16-year-old and a U.S citizen, and his mother Marlyn Martinez have since been detained Marlon Martinez and his mother, Marlyn Martinez, were both arrested and detained in the country after Marlyn confessed to authorities she knew the whereabouts of Peguero's body. A third suspect, whose name was not released, was also taken into custody for their possible involvement in dumping the body. Authorities say they identified the doctor who Martinez claims performed the deadly operation on Peguero. His identity will be released during court hearing. Fetal remains were found in the body of Peguero who was confirmed to be five months pregnant at the time. Tests also showed that her uterus was punctured and she suffered a blunt blow to the head Marlon and Marlyn Martinez admitted their involvement in transferring her body Peguero's heartbroken mother, Adalgiza Polanco, previously spoke publicly on the nightmare event in hopes to reach the public and receive help in finding several missing pieces to the puzzle. 'I know that my daughter is not alive, but the least they can do is give me back the body to cry with,' Polanco said on national TV, before her daughter's body was discovered Friday. The strewed story has since created worldwide controversy. Peguero's heartbroken mother, Adalgiza Polanco, wants answers to the missing pieces 'I know that my daughter is not alive, but the least they can do is give me back the body to cry with,' Polanco said on national TV before her daughter's body was discovered Friday Further investigation on the horrific incident is underway. The 16-year-old is seen above in a Facebook photo Marlon, Marlyn and their lawyer, Cesar Jose Hernandez, received numerous death threats since death of the teen broke. The casket of Emely Peguero is seen at her funeral above Marlon, Marlyn and their lawyer, Cesar Jose Hernandez, received numerous death threats since the news broke. Hernandez revealed in an interview with People Chica that both he and his family 'have been threatened with physical assault and damage to goods and property.' He told the magazine: 'I have been slandered by the media and social networks. But I understand that ignorance is free and bold.' Marlon Martinez and his mother, Marlyn Martinez, (seen above) were both arrested and detained in the country after Marlyn confessed to authorities she knew the whereabouts of Peguero's body Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, Leyla Martinez, said public reactions following the tragedy have been heartbreaking all around. 'While I agree that this is a horrendous tragedy, and my heart breaks for Emely and her family, it also breaks for Marlon, Marlyn and their family. 'It hurts to see how people are calling for them to be stoned or lynched,' she said. The family's attorney told the magazine his clients plan to prove their innocence as closer investigation plays out in following weeks and months. Islamic State militants attempting to evacuate members stranded in the Syrian desert are being pummeled by US-led coalition air strikes, the military said Thursday. 'Like moths to a flame,' coalition spokesperson Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon told the military publication Stars and Stripes. Dillon said that at least 40 vehicles belonging to ISIS have attempted to rescue the stranded jihadists, including armored technical vehicles and a tank disguised as a truck. Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon said that ISIS fighters attempting to rescue members stranded in the Syrian is like picking off 'moths to a flame' US-led coalition forces destroyed routes and roadways leading to an extremist stronghold in Iraq 10 days ago, stranding 11 buses in the middle of nowhere 'We were able to continue to just observe and pick them off one at a time,' Dillion said. At least 300 ISIS militants and about as many women and children have been marooned in the Syrian desert over the past 10 days, who were seeking passage out of an enclave on the Lebanon-Syria border after surrendering and brokering a deal with the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah. But the United States, which was not party to the deal, quickly marshaled coalition forces to halt their progress, and began targeting routes and roadways to extremist-held areas farther east. Airstrikes on roadways and bridges have now left around 11 buses stranded in the middle of nowhere in between Syrian regime and ISIS-held territory on the border with Iraq. Militants who attempted to execute a scouting mission in recent days were also targeted in airstrikes after they strayed far enough from the buses to avoid killing civilians. In all, 85 ISIS fighters have been killed by coalition forces since the convoy was halted. The US has also disputed claims by Syrian opposition activists that some members of the convoy have made it safely to a nearby militant stronghold. The convoy 'has not ... and will not reach Iraq,' Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the coalition, said Wednesday on Twitter. The US has also allowed Syrian regime forces to send food and supplies to the stranded convoy. Police have discovered 17 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in door hinges after being imported into Sydney. The drugs were found by Australian Border Force officers after testing revealed the crystal substance secreted inside. Three Malaysian nationals were arrested on Thursday in Chifley, in Sydney's south, for allegedly importing the drugs. Police have discovered 17 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in door hinges The drugs were air freighted in Sydney and discovered by Australian Border Force The methamphetamine was found hidden inside the metal door hinge The men, aged 28, 31 and 35, allegedly imported the drugs via air freighter. The methamphetamine was found hidden in what appears to be orange straws inside each metal door hinge. The maximum penalty for these offence is life imprisonment. The drugs were found as a result of an ongoing investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Task Force. Australian Border Force Regional Commander Victoria, James Watson, said the operation was a terrific outcome. 'As this case once again shows, organised criminal syndicates are using sophisticated smuggling methodologies in an attempt to evade ABF scrutiny, but our officers have the expertise and technology to detect even the most elaborate concealment,' he said. The men have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and attempt to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs. They are due to appear at Sydney Central Local Court on Friday. The consignment of door hinges were found after a joint investigation by the AFP and the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Task Force An elderly former serviceman was interrogated 25 times by police investigating the death of a man with learning difficulties more than 40 years ago. Frail Dennis Hutchings, 75, was subjected to 84 and a half hours in police custody before he charged with attempted murder. The former army vet was questioned more than ten times over 11 hours when police launched a fresh investigation into the death of John-Pat Cunningham in 2013. Dennis Hutchings, 75, pictured left now and right in 1968 during his Army days, will not face an attempted murder charge over the killing of an IRA suspect more than 40 years ago Great-grandfather Mr Hutchings, centre, served 26 years in the Life Guards with distinction. Pictured, left in 1968 and right, with fellow warrant officers in 1978 Hutchings was on military patrol searching for an armed IRA suspect in 1974 when John-Pat, 27, was mistakenly shot. He had ran away across a field in Co Armagh before the soldiers opened fire. It has not been established who shot Cunningham but Hutchings was one of two soldiers at the scene. It later emerged the victim was an innocent member of the public who was afraid of uniforms and had the mental age of a child between six and ten. A hearing today at Belfast crown court will decide whether Hutchings will faces a jury or a judge-only trial. He was charged with attempted murder in 2015 over the death of John Pat Cunningham, 27, in 1974. Despite no new evidence, no living witnesses and the loss of key forensic evidence, Hutchings now faces jail if convicted. He was one of two soldiers - the other now dead - who shot at Cunningham mistakenly thinking he was an IRA suspect. After two probes Hutchings was told the matter was closed and he would not face charges. But after files were passed to Northern Ireland's Legacy Investigations Branch he was arrested in Cornwall. Pro-Remain campaigners are set to hijack the Last Night of the Proms by flooding the event with thousands of EU flags. It is traditional for audience members to wave Union Jacks during British anthems including Land of Hope and Glory or Rule Britannia - but this year the protesters plan to 'turn the Proms blue and yellow'. They will hand out 10,000 cloth EU flags to the 6,000-strong audience at the Royal Albert Hall - double the amount that were given out last year. The EU Flags Proms Team group raised 4,000 to fund its pro-Brussels stunt during tonight's event, which will be broadcast live to millions by the BBC. Campaigners will hand out 10,000 cloth EU flags to the 6,000-strong audience at the Royal Albert Hall, pictured - double the amount that were given out last year The protesters hope that the Royal Albert Hall will be awash with blue and yellow Volunteers wearing 'thank EU for the music' t-shirts will distribute the paraphernalia outside the hall meaning officials are powerless to intervene. A spokesman for the group told the Telegraph: 'During the Age of Enlightenment Mozart, Handel and Bach all lived and worked for part of their lives in London. 'Presumably under the Brexit dark ages, they would not be welcome. What an appalling backward step for our country.' But Nigel Farage has pledged a fightback with UKIP donor Arron Banks set to fund a similar number of Union Jacks for the audience. He said: 'I will definitely be giving Arron a call about this. As for this airy fairy 'music crosses all borders' nonsense, music is also an important part of national symbolism in every part of the world.' Last month the Proms was embroiled in a Brexit row after audience members claimed they had been prevented from waving EU flags. It is traditional for audience members to wave Union Jacks during British anthems including Land of Hope and Glory or Rule Britannia at the Last Night of the Proms, pictured Remainers said they were ordered to put the flags away after they unfurled them at the Royal Albert Hall. The row erupted towards the end of a performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The performance, with guest conductor Xian Zhang, featured a rousing rendition of Ode To Joy, the EU's official anthem. On the opening night of the Proms this year pianist Igor Levit played the popular tune wearing an EU badge. A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC Proms is a music platform not a political one, with the Last Night of the Proms offering a celebration of two months of extraordinary music making. 'As part of that tradition, flags are permitted in line with the Royal Albert Hall's guidelines, and as in previous years, we are sure there will be a wide variety of flags on display.' MasterChef judge George Calombaris will learn his fate after pleading guilty to assaulting a teenager following the A-League grand final in Sydney. The 38-year-old Network Ten personality was charged in May with assaulting the 19-year-old man at the grand final between Melbourne Victory and the ultimate winners, Sydney FC, at Allianz Stadium. Calombaris, a Victory supporter, apologised the day after the grand final, saying he was disappointed he had let the heckling of Sydney fans get to him. Nervous MasterChef star George Calombaris (pictured) fronts court in three-piece suit to learn his fate for assaulting a teenager, 19, at the A-League Grand Final The 38-year-old Network Ten personality was charged in May with the assault charge In a statement he said he was offended by a spectator telling abusive comments about his family 'I was offended by a spectator yelling out abusive and derogatory comments about my family,' he said in a statement. He will be sentenced in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday. Britain is sending hundreds of troops, ships, planes and helicopters to its islands battered by Hurricane Irma after it was criticized for being slow to send aid to territories in the storm's path. Britain has sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, and the Navy flagship HMS Ocean is on its way to the Caribbean with helicopters, Marines and engineers. The HMS Ocean is leaving its NATO duties in the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean - a journey that will take ten days to two weeks. Two military transport planes loaded with 'personnel, supplies and recovery equipment' set off for the Caribbean this morning - with one heading for the British Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, the Dutch already have two Navy ships in St Martin delivering food and water to those affected by the storm. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has said that 'we are going to make sure the islands get the help they need' after the UK Government was slammed over its 'pathetic' response to the storm. The UK Government was slammed this week over its 'pathetic' response to Hurricane Irma in hitting its territories in the British Virgin Islands Britain has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, and the HMS Ocean is on its way to the Caribbean with helicopters, Marines and engineers HMS Ocean is leaving its NATO duties in the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean, a journey that will take ten days to two weeks A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is loaded with supplies at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in preparation for its flight to the Caribbean Prime Minister Theresa May upped Britain's Hurricane Irma aid package on Thursday to 32million. Fallon said the UK will also be sending 'a task group of several hundred troops, marines, engineers and additional helicopters.' Two Puma helicopters will fly to the worst-hit British territory, Anguilla, as soon as a functioning landing strip is found. Prime Minister Theresa May upped Britain's Hurricane Irma aid package on Thursday to 32million Irma has hit the British territories Anguilla, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos. On the ground, governor Gus Jaspert said he had declared a state of emergency, indicating there had reports of both injuries and deaths during the storm. 'Apart from structural damage, there have sadly been reports of casualties and fatalities,' he said in a recorded message to residents. The category five storm is continuing to tear a deadly trail through the Caribbean and has already left thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. At least four people were killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and officials said they expected to find more bodies. Authorities described the damage as catastrophic and said crews were struggling to reopen roads and restore power. Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, independent Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. The UK has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, which took the full force of the storm French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was 'grief-stricken,' Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters. Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. The Foreign Office on Thursday insisted Britain was doing its 'utmost' to bring urgent assistance after the category five storm caused devastation in the Caribbean. A meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee to coordinate the response was chaired on Thursday by Mr Fallon after Mrs May spoke about it with French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, the Prime Minister said: 'No-one can fail to be affected by the absolutely desperate plight of people in the Caribbean who have been hit by Hurricane Irma and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, particularly with British nationals in the overseas territories of Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. Hurricane Irma slams into Sint Maarten as Caribbean islands were hit by the weather system 'It has been devastating, it is the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic, it has brought devastation in its wake, it has destroyed buildings and infrastructure, but it has had such an impact on people's lives because it has seen people's livelihoods completely destroyed and, of course, some people are missing and some will have lost loved ones.' But the money towards the relief effort came after Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful'. Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful' She said the UK should follow France in committing to an emergency fund and a reconstruction plan after the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in history. Ms Hodge told the Guardian: 'It's absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s. 'In comparison to the French president who has set up an emergency fund, an emergency hotline and a reconstruction fund her response after the storm has passed is absolutely pathetic.' Yesterday, international development secretary Ms Patel said three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval ship would be sent to the region. But Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, told BBC Radio 4 on Thursday that the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking'. She said Anguilla was 'utterly devastated' and has been left 'in absolute pieces', adding: 'Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. The shocking aftermath of the Category 5 hurricane on Sint Maarten in the Caribbean today 'It has certainly cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces. Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. 'Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position. When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation.' Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, said the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking' Discussing the British response, she said: 'While we understand that these things take time, I personally am very disappointed. We are supposed to be the same status as Gibraltar or the Falkland Island. 'I'm am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.' Today, delivering an urgent statement on the disaster, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan told MPs that 12 million had been made immediately through its 'rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery'. Sir Alan said the Government's focus was on 'everybody', not just tourists in the Caribbean. 'We really have complete overall concern particularly for our overseas territories which are affected and to that end we have 12 million immediately available through our rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery.' He said the Department for International Development (Dfid) and the Foreign Office were on 'full alert' and doing their 'utmost' with a 'great wealth of expertise to deploy on this'. 'We are pulling out all the stops to make sure that we can do our utmost to bring urgent assistance, once we, with the professionalism Dfid has, does the assessment to make sure we know who are in greatest need and then we can use our adeptness and flexibility urgently to address those who most need our help.' A man surveys the wreckage on his property after the passing of Irma in St. John's, Antigua Asked if the Government was expecting any British fatalities, the PM's spokesman said: 'We are working urgently to assess the damage and precisely what has happened. But you wouldn't expect me to speculate on whether or not there are British fatalities.' Downing Street said that the Royal Navy's RFA Mounts Bay is also in the region. Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan talks about Irma in the House of Commons today Mrs May and Mr Macron on Thursday agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane, and Mrs May told the president that advisers from the Department for International Development (DfID) have been sent to impacted areas. The PM's spokesman told a Westminster briefing: 'The Prime Minister called the French President Emmanuel Macron this morning to discuss our response to Hurricane Irma. 'They agreed the devastation it had wreaked was terrible, with unconfirmed reports emerging of a number of fatalities. 'The Prime Minister updated the French President on our response, noting that DFID humanitarian advisers had already deployed to the region to conduct damage assessments and provide humanitarian support, and RFA Mounts Bay was also in the area. 'They agreed to cooperate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate our relief efforts.' On Wednesday, Ms Patel said Britain has taken 'swift action' to respond to the crisis. She added: 'We have deployed three UK aid humanitarian experts to the region to help coordinate the response, and positioned a British naval ship with 40 Royal Marines, Army Engineers, and vehicles, tents and facilities to purify water on board. 'Our staff are on standby, both in the UK and at post, to support any British people affected. We urge British Nationals in the affected area to closely monitor and follow Foreign Office and local travel advice.' A young boy is in a critical condition after being found floating face down in a Melbourne swimming pool. Emergency services arrived at Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Glen Waverley at about 5.30pm on Thursdayafter receiving a call regarding an incident in a children's play pool. On arrival paramedics gave medical treatment to a six-year-old child following a lifeguard's attempted CPR. A young boy is in a critical condition after being found floating face down in a Melbourne swimming pool on Thursday (pictured) He was then taken to Monash Medical Centre in Clayton before being transferred to the Royal Children's Hospital. Monash Council chief executive Andi Diamond confirmed the boy was playing in the pool as opposed to being in a scheduled class. 'I have been in touch with his family and will continue to do so. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time', he told The Herald Sun. 'We are providing any support we can to them. We will provide a further statement if more information becomes available.' Witnesses have revealed three lifeguards tended to the boy as his devastated mother watched on. 'I saw the lifeguard blow his whistle three times and alerted everyone to get out of the pool, emergency services quickly arrived and I want to make it clear that lifeguards reacted quickly and did everything they could,' witness Belinda Lee said. Next week's ballot offers some intrigue for North Dakotans from late congressional entries by independent candidates to term limits and marijuana legalization. Voters will decide whether to endorse changing the state constitution to limit the terms of the governor and state legislators. Another citizen-led initiative also will put the question of marijuana legalization before voters, who rejected the idea four years ago. Ninety-eight of the Legislatures 141 seats are on the ballot. All but one Democrat is up for reelection this year. Contests for secretary of state, attorney general and other state offices Also will appear on the ballot. Hillary Clinton has revealed that she was so distraught after losing the election that she was unable to speak. The former Democratic candidate said that she was in the car on the way home from giving her losing speech when she felt the whole weight of it upon me. She said that she had no internal resources left and crumbled. Clinton described her loss as devastating and said that Donald Trump won because he was able to stoke the anger of the voters in way she was unable to. She also suggested that Mr Trump was un-Christian and that his cruelty did not come from Biblical teachings. Clinton spoke out in the week ahead of the launch of her memoir about the election, What Happened. Hillary Clinton described her loss as devastating and said that Donald Trump won because he was able to stoke the anger of the voters in way she was unable to. She is seen above Thursday speaking at the event in Manhattan She also suggested that Mr Trump was un-Christian and that his cruelty did not come from Biblical teachings. She waves to the crowd in Manhattan on Thursday Clinton spoke out in the week ahead of the launch of her memoir about the election, What Happened The event took place at the Riverside Church in Manhattan and was a fundraiser for Camp Olmsted, a summer camp in upstate New York for underprivileged children. Clinton told the packed church that during the election there was a misconnection between who I am and what I believe and the campaign you saw. She said: Im just not wired to think that the best way for a leader to bring people together is to stoke anger and to feed that anger. The kind of leadership I was offering was not satisfying enough for certain people. It wasnt enough for me to say I understand if I didnt display more anger so I could feel I got their anger. It was something I struggled with because I dont think anger is a strategy. Leaders, in church or politics or else should be looking to find common ground and not create scapegoats and stoke hatred and bigotry. The event took place at the Riverside Church in Manhattan and was a fundraiser for Camp Olmsted, a summer camp in upstate New York for underprivileged children Clinton said the two best politicians I know didnt think she would lose, referring to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and neither did she. She said: When it hit me, it just threw me back and threw me onto my own internal resources I knew I had to get up, to demonstrate the kind of personal composure and strength in order to deliver a concession speech in a way that wasnt bitter. But as soon as we left that stage I just felt the whole weight of it on me. We were relaxing in the car on the way home, I couldnt speak, I didnt have any internal resources left. Clinton also took a number of shots at Trump and got a big laugh from the crowd when she said: Who gets into a Twitter war with The Pope? Referring to Trumps decision to revoke the DACA program for young immigrants Clinton asked: Where does that cruelty come from? She said: It is not from the church, it is not from Christianity. Clinton said on Thursday: I knew I had to get up, to demonstrate the kind of personal composure and strength in order to deliver a concession speech in a way that wasnt bitter.' Pictured above at the concession speech on November 9 President Donald J. Trump is seen above Thursday holding a joint news conference with Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait in the East Room of the White House. Clinton also took a number of shots at Trump and got a big laugh from the crowd when she said: Who gets into a Twitter war with The Pope? Clinton was supposed to be joined at the event by the Rev Bill Shillady, her personal pastor but he pulled out at the last minute. He has been forced to apologize after it emerged that he plagiarized parts of a book of daily devotionals he had sent Clinton during the campaign. Attendees of the event at Riverside Church were supposed to get a copy of the book with their $83 tickets but it was pulled and pulled by the publisher, so the $15 was donated to Camp Olmsted instead In extracts of What Happened already made public Clinton has appeared to swing between angry and conciliatory. In the book Clinton calls former FBI director James Comey rash for revealing to the public he was reopening the investigation into her email server. She says that Bernie Sanders, her Democratic Presidential rival, did lasting damage to the party and claims sexism stopped her beating Trump, who she brands a creep. Clinton writes: What makes me such a lightning rod for fury? I'm really asking. I'm at a loss. think it's partly because I'm a woman. An armed robber who has the words 'Family' and 'believe' tattooed across his face is being hunted by police. Tayler Hazell is wanted over a number of armed robberies in south-east Melbourne and country Victoria. But despite the seriousness of his crimes the 24-year-old's unique face tattoos have seen him dubbed a 'family guy' by police. 'Family guy': Police are searching for Tyler Hazell (left) who has distinctive tattoos of the word 'family' and 'believe' across his face, leading to him being dubbed Family Guy - a reference to the popular cartoon (right) Police are asking the public for help to find the alleged criminal, who is known to be a regular visitor to Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Dandenong, Doveton and Traralgon. They believe Hazell is driving a silver 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero with the registration ANU 459. But with blonde hair, blue eyes and a slim build, Hazell bares no resemblance to the cartoon funnyman Peter Griffin. An armed man has been shot by police at Miami International Airport as thousands rush to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma. The confrontation between the man and the Miami-Dade officer unfolded on Thursday night and forced the evacuation of the airport's Terminal J. The man was allegedly armed with a knife and had been trying to get onto the roof of the terminal, ABC Miami reports. Witnesses said it appeared the man was drunk and acting erratically. The confrontation between the man and the Miami-Dade officer unfolded on Thursday night and forced the evacuation (above) of Miami airport's Terminal J He was taken to the Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. His condition is not yet known. The terminal was immediately evacuated and shut down. Shawn Woodford and his wife were about to board a flight home for Canada when fire trucks and police cars came 'flying across the tarmac' and 'surrounded a plane at the gate next to us,' he told The Associated Press. The plane the gate Woodford identified was a Latam Airlines flight to Santiago, Chile, according to Miami's departures board. Latam officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP. A short time later, police came into the terminal where Woodford and his wife were and "said 'everybody out of here' and evacuated the entire concourse," he said. Woodford said the majority of the flights in the terminal were international flights. Miami-Dade Police tweeted: 'We can confirm a police involved shooting as a result of a security incident at @iflymia. The scene is secure and our PIO is on scene.' They followed up shortly after confirming the scene had been secured. The man was allegedly armed with a knife and had been trying to get onto the roof of the terminal when an officer opened fire 'Regarding the police involved shooting at @iflymia - there is no further threat or danger to the public at this time. FDLE will investigate.' It was not immediately clear how the closure was affecting flights. Miami's airport departures notifications showed several delays for flights at J gates. But Woodford was able to board his flight for Toronto - at a different concourse and nearly 4 hours after his original departure time. The shooting occurred as the airport was busy accommodating travelers trying to evacuate Florida before the powerful category 5 hurricane is expected to hit at the weekend. Airline seats out of Florida are in short supply given the mandatory evacuation orders. American, United and Delta all said Thursday that they were adding extra flights in the next few days. The shooting occurred as the airport was busy accommodating travelers trying to evacuate Florida before the powerful category 5 hurricane is expected to hit at the weekend A man has been charged with producing child pornography and sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl while babysitting her. New South Wales police said the 64-year-old man had allegedly assaulted the toddler in Parramatta at Sydney's west. It is unknown when the alleged assault took place. A man will face Parramatta Local Court (pictured) on Friday for allegedly sexually a toddler Following reports, investigators from the Parramatta Local Area Command started investigating the man by searching his home at North Parramatta about 7am on Thursday. During the search, officers seized his mobile phones, computers and electronic storage devices. He was subsequently arrested and taken to the Parramatta police station. The man has been charged with assault with the intent to have sexual intercourse with a child under 10, four counts of indecent assault, person under 16, and four counts of produce child abuse material. He has been refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court on Friday. Ex-NBC news anchor Tamron Hall received a subpoena on behalf of her 'social acquaintance' Jesse Jackson Jr.'s estranged wife, Sandi. Hall was summoned to appear in court along with 11 other individuals Sandi Jackson claimed in divorce papers to have 'knowledge of the circumstances that led to the estrangement of the parties, financial issues raised, and allegations made in this matter.' Aside from Hall, other friends, former employees and acquaintances of Jackson Jr. subpoenaed include: Giovana Huidobro, Debbie Diaz, Joseph Colucci Jr., Nickie Lum Shapira, Regina Jackson, Change Hamilton-Hayyim, Victor Matos, Frank Watkins, Alana Ford and Dorris Davenport, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Scroll down for video Tamron Hall has been subpoenaed by Jesse Jackson Jr.'s estranged wife in heated divorce Former Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., walks with his wife, Sandi Jackson (L), as they leave the US District Court in Washington, DC, August 14, 2013 Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife Sandi arrive at the federal courthouse for a sentencing hearing on August 14, 2013, in Washington, D.C. Jackson Jr.'s attorney Brendan Hammer told People his client strictly had previous professional relations to Hall. 'Mr. Jackson is deeply saddened and understandably angered that a well-respected, accomplished, dignified and honorable woman like Ms. Hall would be dragged into these proceedings,' Hammer said in the statement this week. Hammer argued the claims are 'so cavalierly and with so little concern for the position (Hall) holds and the high regard in which she is held.' The former U.S. congressman and 7th ward alderman have made an agreement to arrange all legal requests in a timely manner as they prepare for their trial date set for January 8, 2018. Jackson, Jr. and former Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson, arrive for an appearance before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on February 20, 2013 The pair pleaded guilty to federal charges after being accused of spending more than $750,000 in campaign funds to purchase luxury items, memorabilia and other goods The pair both spent time behind bars for the crimes related to campaign fund fraud Sandi Jackson answers questions about the health of her husband, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) outside city council chambers, Wednesday, October 3, 2012, in Chicago Illinois The hearing will be held in Washington, where Sandi resides with the couple's two children, Jessica and Jesse. 'The case is simply transitioning from Chicago to Washington, D.C. All the concerns and issues that existed here continue to exist until they are resolved in the Washington litigation,' Hammer told the Chicago Sun-Times. 'There is no daylight between the movement of this case from Chicago to Washington, and none should be inferred.' US Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr (L), D-IL, poses for a photo with his wife Sandi (2nd-L) Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (2nd-R) and the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson 16 March, 2006 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Hammer said the ongoing case is nearing end and will mostly cover topics like 'property division, child support and alimony' in the final next stages. 'It is hard to envision how Ms. Hall and many of the others being pursued by Ms. Jackson in multiple jurisdictions could have any materiality regarding those issues,' he told People. Jackson Jr. filed for divorce from his wife of 25 years in July 2016. The pair previously spent time behind bars after pleading guilty in 2013 to federal charges for using campaign money for personal purposes. Advertisement A Queensland man is the first person in the world to get a new shin bone created with a 3D printer. Reuben Lichter, 27, faced losing his leg after an infection which rotted the majority of the bone in his leg. The infection went undiagnosed for four months before the tibia bone was removed in March while medical teams at Princess Alexandra Hospital grew a new bone using pioneering technology. Reuben Lichter (pictured with son William) is the first person in the world to get a new shin bone created with a 3D printer The Queensland man has the possibility of losing his leg before Christmas last year after an infection rotted the shin bone Mr Lichter's tibia was removed and after five operations, the new 3D printed tibia bone was successfully inserted (pictured) A new tibia was grown with a 3D printer, using what was left of his bone and nerves from Mr Lichter's left leg, his fiance Caity Bell wrote on her gofundme page. Unsure of how long it would take to produce the new bone, Ms Bell said until now, the process had only been 'tried on sheep'. Just two days after Mr Lichter's newborn son was born, he went to hospital, where he stayed for a month before having five operations over six months. The final transplant operation lasted 14 hours in late August. Now the 36 centimetre 3D printed bone has been transplanted, it will act as a prop so a new bone can grow, saving his leg. Ms Bell said while the last eight months had been scary and difficult, she couldn't wait for her finance to be able to carry their son. The pioneering technology meant a prop (pictured) was inserted into Mr Lichter's leg which a new bone can use to regrow Mr Lichter had to undergo five surgeries over the space of six months, with the 3D printed bone transplant lasting 14 hours The 36 centimetre 3D printed bone (pictured) means the 27-year-old's leg has been saved and he will one day walk again The X-ray scan (pictured) of Mr Lichter's leg shows the 3D-printed tibia transplant, world first surgery shaping the future The surgery was performed by medical teams at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital after infection first rotted the bone 'Reuben has never been able to pick his son up and carry him ... or throw him up in the air, making Will squeal with excitement,' she wrote. 'They seem like such small things in every day life, but missing out on the little things like that always hit the hardest.' Although the operation was successful, the 27-year-old father has a long recovery road ahead, with doctors expecting it will be 18 months before he can walk again, according to Fairfax Media. Mr Lichter told the publication his now eight-month-old son William would be walking before he does. 'If there was a chance for me to save my leg and do the things I want to do with my son, then I was going to take it,' he said. The 27-year-old went to hospital just two days after his now eight-month-old son William was born (both pictured Friday) Mr Lichter, expected to walk again in at least 18 months time, told the Fairfax Media his son would be walking before he does Kim Jong-un may be deterred from firing a missile to mark North Korea's anniversary tomorrow by solar storms. Eruptions of mass and energy from the sun pose a threat to electronics meaning missiles could lose data or ancillary equipment. Lance Gatling, an aerospace consultant with Nexial Research in Tokyo, said this may be enough to stop Kim unleashing another intercontinental ballistic missile in celebration of his state's anniversary. But he said the US and Japan may be hoping for a launch so they can test detection and tracking equipment in a storm environment. Kim Jong-un with his weapons developers as North Korea attempts to reach its decades-old goal of becoming a full-fledged nuclear state Tension: North Korea is feared to be preparing another missile launch tomorrow to mark the nation's founding anniversary. Pictured: South Korean air defence drills Defence: US missile defense system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea If not tomorrow, South Korea's Unification Ministry predicts a launch on 10 October, the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of North Korea. Meanwhile, North Korea today said the US will 'pay dearly' for UN ambassador Nikki Haley's accusation that the rogue state is 'begging for war' with its nuclear tests. The state's Korean Central News Agency branded Haley a 'political prostitute' whose 'hysteric fit' would have dire consequences for the United States. It said: 'Nikki should be careful with her tongue though she might be a blind fool. The US administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing.' It comes after South Koreans in Seongju protested the arrival of an American missile defence system so close to the border, fearing the move will provoke Kim Jong-un. On Sunday the North conducted its sixth and most power nuclear test, claiming to have detonated a thermonuclear weapon built for its ICBMs. The country tested its developmental Hwasong-14 ICBMs twice in July and analysts say the flight data from the launches indicate the missiles could cover a broad swath of the continental United States, including major cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, when perfected. WHAT IS A SOLAR STORM? Solar storms are a variety of eruptions of mass and energy from the solar surface. Flares, prominences, sunspots, coronal mass ejections are the common harbingers of solar activity, as are plages and other related phenomena seen at other wavelengths. They all involve sudden releases of stored magnetic energy, which accelerates the hot gases near the surface or in the corona of the Sun. Solar flares result from an accumulation of magnetic energy. A hole in the outermost layer of the sun opens the magnetic field up to stretch further than usual, which results in a gradual increase in solar wind. Pictured is a Nasa image of yesterday's second, larger flare Sometimes these particles make it all the way to the Earth and beyond by flowing along the Sun's magnetic field into interplanetary space. When the material collides with the Earth's magnetic field and trapped radiation belts, it can dump particles into our upper atmosphere to cause the Aurora. The same 'charged' particles can produce their own magnetic fields which can modify the Earth's magnetic field and affect compass readings. The changing magnetic fields can also 'induce' electricity in long pipelines, or produce electrical surges in our power grids leading to brown outs and black outs. Source: NASA Advertisement This photo taken on August 29 shows North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off South Koreans in Seongju protested the arrival of an American-made missile defence system (pictured moving past a gold course) so close to the border South Korean experts fear the rogue state will unleash another intercontinental ballistic missile in celebration of its anniversary In Washington, President Donald Trump reiterated Thursday that military action is 'certainly' an option against North Korea, as his administration tentatively concurred with the pariah nation's claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb. A senior administration official said the US was still assessing last weekend's underground explosion but so far noted nothing inconsistent with Pyongyang's claim. 'Military action would certainly be an option,' Trump told a White House news conference. 'I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen.' Pressed on whether he could accept a scenario in which the isolated nation had nukes but was 'contained and deterred,' Trump demurred. 'I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations. I don't talk about them. But I can tell you North Korea is behaving badly and it's got to stop,' he said. Experts have also earmarked 10 October, the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of North Korea, as a date for potential strikes The predictions were made by Seoul's Unification Ministry which aims to reunite the Korean peninsula North Korea broke from its pattern of lofted launches last month when it fired a powerful new intermediate range missile, the Hwasong-12, over northern Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un then called the launch a 'meaningful prelude' to containing the US Pacific island territory of Guam and called for his military to conduct more ballistic missile launches targeting the Pacific Ocean. South Korean experts say that the launch was Pyongyang's attempt to make missiles flying over Japan an accepted norm as it seeks to test new projectiles in conditions close to operational and win more military space in a region dominated by enemies. Kim, a third-generation dictator in his early 30s, has conducted four of North Korea's six nuclear tests since taking power in 2011. His military has maintained a torrid pace in testing weapons, which also include solid-fuel missiles built to be fired from road mobile launchers or submarines. In accelerating his pursuit of nuclear weapons targeting the United States and allies South Korea and Japan, Kim is seen as seeking a real nuclear deterrent to help ensure the survival of his government and also the stronger bargaining power that would come from it. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have been pushing for stronger sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear activities, such as denying the country oil supplies. China and Russia have been calling for talks, saying sanctions aren't working against North Korea. A pregnant British mother and her sister who were feared dead after Hurricane Irma ravaged Barbuda have been pictured giving aid natives of the island. Fears that Asha and Afiya Frank, aged 29 and 27 respectively, were among the fatalities grew after their mother, Claire, was unable to contact after since the Caribbean island was flattened by 185mph winds. But the siblings have since been spotted alive and well - and are now helping with evacuation efforts, with photo evidence now proving this to be the case. Afiya Frank, 27 who was spotted in this pictrure as searches were going on for her in Barbuda Former beauty queen Asha Frank (left), 29, and her pregnant sister Afiya Frank (right), 27, have been found on Barbuda Afiya who works as a beauty therapist and as an assistant manager at a hotel on the island is currently seven months pregnant and had been due to fly back to the UK next week to give birth to her first child. Their mother smiled with happiness as a Mail Online reporter showed her the photograph of Afiya amongst a crowd of islanders after the hurricane Earlier she feared that her daughters, along with her husband Mackenzie and her unborn grandchild, could have been sucked out of their newly built brick home on the island by the massive winds like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Speaking from her sisters home in Badwell Ash, Suffolk, she said she had been absolutely terrified for 24 hours. Mrs Franks fears were heightened when Antigua and Barbudas prime minister Gaston Browne said the devastation on Barbuda was so bad that only police, medical staff and relief workers were allowed to go there. Claire Frank was delighted smiled with happiness as a Mail Online reporter showed her the photograph of Afiya amongst a crowd of islanders after the hurricane But she said that some civilians from Antigua had take their boats over to Barbuda to bring supplies and had posted on social media that they had seen her daughters Mrs Frank from Suffolk who has lived in Barbuda with her family for 25 years, said: We found out in dribs and drabs of information from people over there who know them. People went over there to help and they knew we were asking about my daughters specifically and they said they had seen them. They are OK but I still havent heard from them. We just know through Facebook and other social media. People have seen them and there have been photographs. All I know that the relief effort is being organised by people in small boats who have come over from `Antigua and are going to pick up as many people as they can. They have got three hours to do it before the sea gets high again. That is not an official response from the Red Cross. Most people say it is my daughters doing the organising. But they are only two people out of 1,600. Their attitude will be, Why is it all about us when there are so many other people,? Afiya who is seven months pregnant with her first baby works as a beauty therapist and a hotel assistant manager on the island. Her older sister Asha is a former teacher who was crowned Miss Antigua and Barbuda two-years-ago and currently sits on the islands council. The young women and their father had boarded themselves into their family home on the island which had only just been built. Mrs Frank remains concerned about the lack of official information from the Antigua and Barbuda authorities. She said: We still havent had any official statement. We have heard criticism about the British over Anguilla and praise for the French because they sent in their Army before the hurricane. But weve heard nothing from Antigua about Barbuda. I dont even know what my house looks like now. Hopefully it will have stood up to the hurricane Afiya (left) and Asha Frank (right) with their cousin Caitlin Corrigan (centre) on the beach Asha is a former beauty queen and Miss Antigua (left) who has been working on Barbuda There was a child killed, but every single adult on the island survived. Mrs Frank said she was delighted that an appeal fund for Barbuda launched by her sister Ruth Bolton had so far raised more than 15,000. She said that some of the money had already been used to purchase an 800 satellite phone. The rest will go towards disaster relief work on the island Mrs Frank said: That money will go to Barbudans who want to go over and rebuild and for Barbudans over there to get supplies, or to buy equipment. We have already ordered a satellite phone from Trinidad. The whole aim is for Barbudans to be able to use a phone talk to each other without the filter of Antigua. It will go to the council or the police there, or whoever is co-ordinating the disaster relief effort Barbuda's prime minister said this morning that most of the island's buildings are no longer standing and some including two-year-old boy are confirmed dead In the context of the timeline, we were absolutely terrified for about 24 hours, especially when the leader said that only police, nurses and so on could go there and no civilians are allowed. We had a void of non communication, but now it is beginning to clear. I am certainly relieved. Mrs Frank said she was still waiting to hear when Afiya will be able to leave Barbuda to return to the UK to give birth. She had been booked on a flight next week as the hospital on Barbuda is not recommended for first time mothers giving birth But Mrs Frank said: All the flights might be backed up. She has a ticket but I dont know if she will get on. I dont know whether there will be any relief flights. We have to wait and see what is going to happen after the next hurricane, but t looks like it is going in a different direction. Asha had last texted family back home in Suffolk and London at 10.30pm on Tuesday night, leaving Mr and Mrs Frank desperate for good news from the island, which has been cut off from the outside world. Mrs Frank, from Suffolk, who is currently in the UK on holiday, said she could only desperately hope that her family's new brick-built house on Barbuda had been able to withstand the full force of the hurricane. But she said she was tormented by thoughts of famous scene in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz when the heroine Dorothy and her dog Toto are sucked into the sky by a tornado. She said: 'I keeping thinking of the scene from the Wizard of Oz when people were blown out of their house in fiction. 'I have heard reports online of people saying they had to hold on to the walls inside their houses to avoid being pulled out of by the pressure inside the hurricane. 'The winds are so strong and there is such extreme low pressure that houses can implode. I just don't think the world has seen a hurricane like this before. It is just so difficult to imagine.' Mrs Frank said she remained hopeful that her daughters and husband would survive and would be in touch as soon as communications were restored with the island. She said: 'It is the same for everyone with relatives on Barbuda. There are 1,700 people on the island and nobody has been able to communicate to establish what has happened. 'We don't know because we haven't heard anything and there has not been an individual head count but I feel they are OK.' Mrs Frank who has lived for most of the last 25 years on Barbuda said her daughters had previous experience of a hurricane as children when the island was hit by the 140mph winds of Hurricane Luis in 1995. Asha is a former beauty queen on Barbuda Speaking from the home of her sister Ruth Bolton in Badwell Ash, Suffolk, she said her family had been building a new brick house in the island's main village of Corrington. She said she expected the house to have been seriously damaged by the winds. Mrs Frank added: 'People on Barbuda usually have strong brick houses, but this was a storm that not even those houses could withstand 'The house was nearly complete. It was structurally finished and we just had to complete the inside. 'Who knows how strong it will have turned out to be? It depends on who built it. I trust the builder, but this hurricane has been so devastating. 'The Barbudans build quite strong houses because they own all the land in common together. 'The girls are very resilient. They are Barbudans. It is not as if they are on holiday and do not know what to do, but I think the experience will have been extremely traumatic for them. 'I am hopeful they are OK, but none of us can estimate the experience of being in a hurricane like this.' Mrs Frank said her daughters had grown up in the UK, attending school in Thurston, Suffolk, before returning to live on Barbuda several years ago. Her oldest daughter Asha who is a former teacher was crowned Miss Antigua and Barbuda two-years-ago and currently sits on the island's council. Mrs Frank said: 'It is the same for all Barbudans. There are more Barbudans in the UK, America and Canada than there are in Barbuda. People leave as there is not much infrastructure. 'People send their children abroad for schooling, but you encourage your children to return to the island so they can give something back because otherwise it's a bit of a brain drain. 'I lived there for 25 years and it is just a coincidence that I am in the UK. They stay over there, but they come backwards and forwards. I am married to a Barbudan and he is there.' Mrs Frank said she last spoke to her family on WhatsApp at around 10.30pm on Tuesday night as they were preparing to board up their home as the hurricane approached. But then the island's power was cut off as a precaution and she has not heard from them since. She has since been told that phone masts are down on the island, cutting off all communications. Mrs Frank said: 'We were discussing what they needed to do to keep safe because we knew it was going to be a massive hurricane. 'Then the island turned the electricity off as part of the safety measures so they couldn't tweet or communicate any more. 'They probably wanted to save their mobile charge and be ready to communicate when the power came back on in the morning, but then the communication masts came down. 'It is a small island and there is only one boat a week from Antigua, so if everyone wants to buy phone cards at the same time there is sometimes not enough to go round. 'They didn't anticipate these amount of damage and they would have expected to come out of it the next day with just a bit of cleaning up. The eye of the storm was due to reach them at 3am yesterday.' Mrs Frank said she was angry about the response to the disaster by Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister Gaston Browne who at first declared that his citizens had escaped serious harm in the hurricane. She said that the people of Barbuda had been having 'a problematic relationship with their larger twin-island of Antigua for many years. Mrs Frank said: 'The real story is how the prime minister went on television and said to the world, 'Thank the lord that everyone here is safe' while people still haven't heard from their families Barbuda. 'Then he went to Barbuda on a helicopter and saw 90 per cent devastation. It didn't affect Antigua. 'The problem is that he would like to see everyone off Barbuda so they can develop the land for tourism. Afiya is due to give birth in November and was booked to fly back to the UK next week 'A mass destruction of the island could be turned into a mass evacuation with him then declaring it uninhabitable so he can build on it. 'It's like the people were removed from the island of Diego Garcia so it could be developed as an American base. 'What the prime minister needs to be doing is having a head count so he can say for sure that there is only one death because he doesn't know. 'Yet the prime minister there said there was only minimum damage when the whole world knew that would not be the case. In this kind of situation you expect a more robust leader with integrity. He is a fool. 'Everything is down and it is symptomatic of the lack of interest in the island that we have no information. In this day and age it shouldn't happen. The police on the island still don't have satellite phones.' Mrs Frank met her husband in Leicester, and they have lived on the Caribbean island for 30 years. Their two daughters were born in the UK and moved to Barbuda when they were young, while the couple's son was born on the island but now works in England. Afiya is a hotel worker while Asha is a former teacher and 2015 beauty queen who was recently elected as a member of the Barbuda council. The women's aunt Ruth Bolton said that the sisters have not been heard from since the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic in its history ploughed through the area. 'After 18 hours of no news from the island we are starting to worry that they will be forgotten. My family the Franks - sister and nieces - live there alongside 1,600 other Barbudans. A dramatic Nasa Modis image from the Terra, Aqua and Nuomi NPP satellites shows the most powerful and devastating Category 5+++ Hurricane Irma over the Caribbean Sea last night 'It is the sister island to Antigua but very much left to its own devices. We don't know what they need at the moment as we have had no news, but a satellite phone would be a start. If we can just help them be able to communicate with the outside world then that would be great. 'They will surely need other help, but this is a start and any money raised will be sent to Barbuda Council to spend on restoring the infrastructure of the island.' Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean as the scale of devastation in its wake begins to emerge. Anna Baltimore Thompson, who was rescued with her family from Barbuda, wants it to be evacuated before another hurricane, Jose, is forecast to hit at the weekend. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'This has been horrific, terrifying, a terrible experience. Me and my family of seven, including an infant of two months, had to shelter in a closet. 'Before the hurricane-force winds began the roof had already gone from our premises and we had to go for shelter. The fireman and police officers came to our rescue and took us to a shelter. 'My main concern is how we are going to survive after this. Every house, every infrastructure, every utility is completely damaged and gone. Asha has not been heard from since the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic in its history 'All my family members don't even have a home no more. And possibility of another hurricane heading in our direction is terrifying. I think we should evacuate.' The historic storm destroyed nearly all buildings on Barbuda yesterday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape - before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least seven dead. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK is 'taking swift action to respond' to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit. Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane. A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands. Destruction in St John's on the nearby island of Antigua following the passing of the hurricane Meanwhile Sir Richard Branson was counting the cost of widespread damage at his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands after the category five hurricane pounded the archipelago. A massive operation is underway to evacuate people away from coastal areas on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where aid workers are moving residents into temporary shelters before the storm hits. This morning Irma's eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power. There were fears that the eye could come within 35 miles of the capital San Juan, bringing gusts of up to 100mph. People recover broken parts of the dock after the passing of Hurricane Irma in St. John's Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide. Some US government personnel have been ordered to leave the Bahamas before the hurricane's arrival, expected tonight local time. On the US mainland authorities fear the hurricane may slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after storm Harvey devastated Texas. A flooded street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy today Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been given in the Florida Keys. Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach could be affected by the storm, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely. 'It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good,' the US president said. With sustained winds of 185mph, the category five hurricane is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record. Ripped off trees in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy,after Irma sowed a trail of deadly devastation It is only the second time anywhere in the world a storm has been recorded maintaining such windspeeds for more than 24 hours, after typhoon Haiyan in 2013, according to an expert at the University of Colorado. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press that nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60 per cent of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless. Barbuda had been left 'barely habitable', he said. French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, known as St Barts. Briton Alex Woolfall hid in a concrete stairwell as the hurricane hit while he was on holiday in St Maarten, the Dutch area of the island. Irma has reduced the islands of Barbuda and St Martin to rubble. Saint-Barthelemy is pictured He tweeted: 'My god this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine! Constant booms and bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving.' Anguilla's tourist board said its major resorts had survived the storm, although many private homes had been damaged. There were no reports of any deaths. Mr Johnson said in a statement: 'I've just spoken to the Chief Minister of Anguilla to discuss the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma. My thoughts are with all those affected and the UK is taking swift action to respond. 'We have staff and a British naval ship ready to help those in need. Brits should follow our travel advice which will be regularly updated.' Flooded houses on Saint-Barthelemy as Hurricane Irma continues to hit the Caribbean Before the hurricane's arrival Sir Richard refused to his Necker Island retreat and said he would be seeking shelter in the wine cellar with his staff. His son, Sam, later wrote on Instagram: 'Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed. Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path. Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way.' Christian Aid is helping to orchestrate the mass evacuation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The charity's country manager, Prospery Raymond, said: 'People are being moved to schools and churches for safety but in some areas, especially in the north west of Haiti, these buildings will not withstand the force of the storm.' Dozens of British families 'abandoned' in the path of Irma Dozens of British families say they have been 'abandoned' in a hotel in the path of Hurricane Irma - despite foreign tourists being taken to safety. Around 40 English tourists - including children - claim they have been forced to sleep in the foyer of a boarded up hotel in Cuba. The tourists claim staff at beachside hotel Melia Cayo Guillermo have placed the hotel on lockdown and are no longer providing any food or water. Debris outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint Martin They claim they have been left to fend for themselves despite officials taking Canadian, French and German tourists to safety two days ago. Families claim their pleas to Thomas Cook and the Foreign Office have been ignored - despite the hotel being just a few metres above sea level. The storm is due to hit the nation tomorrow and families claim they have no idea where to go or how to get there. Among the abandoned tourists is accountant Gemma Doyle, 36, her husband Vincent Schofield, 45, a builder, and their son Marc, ten. Ms Doyle's mother Andrea Rawlinson from Southport, Merseyside, said she hasn't been able to get through on the phone since yesterday. Speaking from the UK, office worker Ms Rawlinson said: 'There is absolutely no plan in place and their families - including my daughter - are at their wits' end. People look down on a flooded street from a roof in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic 'Nobody is there to help the English families. I understand things are difficult but a plan was in place from the families from other countries. 'The families from Germany, Canada and France were taken to a place of safety two days ago. 'Someone - whether it be their government or travel companies - has intervened on their behalf. They have been taken to a place of safety. 'Why hasn't the same been done for the British families? Communication and signal is very patchy but the last I heard from her she was really, really upset. 'Along with around 40 other English people, she had been staying in the foyer for two days. They are terrified they will miss the evacuation, but it hasn't happened. 'I believe Boris Johnson was on the news today saying they will do all they could for the English people out there. A man photographs the waves as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua 'Nobody seems to be doing anything for my family of the other English people in this resort.' The family flew out to Cuba for the all-inclusive Thomas Cook holiday in Cayo Coco on August 26, and were due to come home this Saturday. Ms Doyle and her family spoke to hotel staff at the start of the week and were reportedly told to stay put. They were told by the Foreign Office to follow the advice of the hotel, it is claimed. 'The hotel manager told her not to worry because 'Cuba is used to hurricanes',' said Ms Rawlinson. But two days ago all the other families - from Canada, France and German - were moved out. It is not clear who organised the move. The Britons gathered in the foyer - frightened they would miss their evacuation - but nobody turned up. A woman walks on a street as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic The claim they phoned Thomas Cook who said a rep would arrive at the hotel yesterday, but failed to show. Hotel staff apparently boarded up the hotel, leaving tourists to survive on crisps, bread rolls and butter, and fizzy drinks they have been able to buy. 'They don't know what to do and nobody has given them any advice,' said Andrea. 'Last night the hotel was packed up and the staff told guests they need to evacuate, but no protestations have been made. Gemma doesn't know where to go that will avoid the storm. 'Last time I spoke to Gemma she was talking about getting a taxi to Havana but she has no idea if that is a good idea. She only thought there might be help there as it is a big city. 'The hotel is only a few metres above sea level - with a long ocean causeway leading to it - and it won't stand a chance it the storm hits. 'All the British families have no idea what to do, have been abandoned by everyone, and nobody is offering any advice. The Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French collectivity of Saint Martin 'Last I heard from her the wind was picking up, the skies had changed colour, and there was lightening.' A spokesman for Thomas Cook said evacuations had not yet taken place in the Cayo Coco resort. She said: 'We are looking out for our customers and doing everything we can do help them. The Cuban authorities do issue a notice of precautionary evacuation. 'Our special assistance team has been sent out and people will be evacuated to Varadero or Havana. People will either be in their hotel room or in an alternative shelter.' She added it was normal for Canadian tourists to be evacuated first due to their proximity to the country and it was more difficult to get British tourists home. She said the evacuation warning hadn't yet been issued to the Cayo Coco resort and they were shocked to hear about the mother and her 10-year-old son being stranded in the hotel lobby. The Foreign Office has been approached for comment. A mother who bashed her toddler so badly she had to be hospitalised has boasted about not being jailed and 'surviving' a storm of social media outrage against her. Lorien Norman was last week given a suspended jail sentence for a horrific attack in which she abused her eight-month-old daughter Evie with a kitchen serving spoon. In a text message sent by Norman to her former partner Shane McMahon after being sentenced, she said: 'So, I'm not going to jail... even with everyone against me on social media I still made it'. The adorable toddler was left with sickening bruises to her eyes, nose and cheeks at the hands of her mum, who after the incident threatened to throw her off a balcony. Despite the shocking nature of the attack an Adelaide District Court judge sentenced the 26-year-old mother to only a two-year good behaviour bond and a $500 fine. And after outrage at the soft sentencing ensued when photos of Evie's injuries were uploaded to Facebook over the weekend, her doting father Mr McMahon told Daily Mail Australia the abuse would cause long-term issues for his 'cheeky little monkey'. Pictured: Eight-month-old Evie after she was bashed by her mother with a slotted spoon and her hand After escaping jail time, Norman sent a smug Facebook message to her former partner Shane McMahon Mother Lorien Norman (pictured) could have been sentenced to up to 13 years behind bars Mr McMahon said despite his daughter's physical health being back to normal, it was likely to be years before she overcame the mental scars she suffered in the attack. 'Mentally she hasn't been cleared, because it's too early in a babies life to determine what the exact mental repercussions will be,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'She's going to have to have extensive mental rehabilitation down the track, but the concern is that what upsets her most is that she doesn't like anything near her face. 'My other daughter has a soft ball and if it goes anywhere near her or near her face she cowers, so she knows what shes been through and she's well aware that she's been hurt.' Despite being unable to have a haircut because of her fear of anything touching the area where she was bashed, Evie is back on track physically according to her dad. 'She's fantastic. It's 12 months on and she's been given the all clear physically by the paediatricians, so there's no long term affect on the physical structure of her bones.' 'Before she got here she was quite timid, shy and scared, but she's come into her own little world she runs the place now. 'She's just a cheeky little monkey running around without her nappy, climbing up on the bench when she's not supposed to, drawing on the walls - she's a beautiful girl.' Evie's father, Shane McMahon, says he is 'speechless' at the lenient sentence given to Norman Evie's mother initially told police the youngster had fallen at a playground, but later pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent Evie's father Shane McMahon (right) said his daughter would need ongoing rehabilitation to overcome her mental scars Norman was allowed to walk free on a two year good behaviour bond following her sentencing last week Evie's mother walked free from court last week with a good behaviour bond after a judge found the baby's injuries were 'likely to resolve'. Despite the offence carries a maximum sentence of 13 years Norman did not spend a day behind bars, instead given the bond and ordered to pay $500. Gloating about her escape in the hours after facing the District Court, Norman sent a series of messages to her former partner. 'So I'm not going to jail. What's your next move?' 'I'll send you photos in October. Cute family photos of myself, Indi, Evie, my sister, her partner and my nephew, Hudson. 'Even with everyone on social media against me, I still made it. And I'll be having part custody within a year.' Evie's father Shane McMahon (pictured) says he has raised the youngster and her sister India 'singlehandedly' Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Mr McMahon said he was 'speechless' at the soft sentence handed down Initially her mother attempted to claim the youngster had become bruised following a fall in a playground, before later pleading guilty aggravated assault causing harm. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Mr McMahon said he was 'speechless' at the soft sentence handed down. 'I'm disgusted - I'm truly speechless. Where is Evie's justice?' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I've raised both these girls [Evie and India, the second child he had with Norman] single handedly, and she gets 10 months of a sentence that carries a maximum of 13 years! One of the three main women in poet Philip Larkin's life has revealed the one true love he begged to see on his deathbed - and admitted it wasn't her. He began a sexual relationship with Monica Jones, a lecturer in English at Leicester, in the early 1950s, but he began seeing fellow librarian Maeve Brennan in 1962, behind her back. The final girl of the trio was his secretary Betty Mackereth, who became involved for five years while he was still with the other two, and he continued to triple-time the women until 1978. Larkin and his girlfriend Monica Jones ,pictured together while out boating in the late 1950s. He revealed on his deathbed that he truly loved Ms Jones Larking's secretary Ms Mackereth (right) knew all about Ms Jones (left) and Ms Brennan (middle) - he even asked her advice on juggling his arrangements - but neither of them knew about her All three remained unfailingly loyal to him, despite his infidelities. Significantly, Ms Mackereth knew all about his other two lovers - Larkin even asked her advice on juggling his arrangements - but neither of them knew about her. And Ms Mackereth told BBC Four documentary Through The Lens Of Larkin that airs later this month that he was visited by Ms Brennan before he died, but she reveals it was Ms Jones he truly loved all along. She told the programme: 'He said to me, not many hours before he died, "Maeve came to see me, I didn't want to see Maeve, I wanted to see Monica to tell her that I loved her". 'I felt like saying to him, "You stupid man, why the hell didn't you marry her years ago?'' He began a sexual relationship with Monica Jones (pictured together in 1984), a lecturer in English at Leicester, in the early 1950s Scholars have long disputed which of the three women Larkin (pictured) really loved the most Her admission clears up one of the British poetical circle's greatest mysteries of the 20th Century, with scholars disputing which of the women was his true muse. Ms Mackereth also claimed that she would never have married Larking, despite getting on well during her 28 years as her secretary, and revealed her disdain for devout Catholic Ms Brennan. She was a bit namby-pamby,' she said. 'I couldn't have made a friend of her. 'She was a pest, she fawned on him, she was always there. She was a flaming nuisance.' FARGO Three months after seemingly vanishing without a trace, prompting worried family and friends to ask for help, a Fargo restaurateur has been found alive. Its a development that raises new questions about where he is now and why he left. The Fargo Police Department announced on Facebook Thursday that the discovery came about after a detective followed up on a lead connected to Rodolfo Romo Garcia, 43, who did business locally as Rodolfo Romo. He was reported missing by his family June 2 after he didnt show up at work for two days and didnt answer his phone, which was turned off. Fargo police said another law enforcement agency was able to contact Garcia in person after the Fargo detective followed up on the lead. They were able (to) verify his identify by his North Dakota Drivers License, the post said. That law enforcement agency indicated Mr. Garcia stated he was fine and did not want his current location known to anyone. The department said the missing person report will be closed, and the case is no longer considered a criminal matter. Garcias three Romos Tacos restaurants in Fargo closed after he disappeared, and concerned friends pressured investigators to find him throughout the summer. Many of those leading search efforts said it was out of character for Garcia to disappear like this. Kay Cameron, a friend who looked into leads and updated authorities on possible clues, set up a Find Romo Facebook page to raise awareness. Several relatives came to town in mid-June from Omaha and Sioux Falls to talk with detectives and tell reporters they were worried about their family member who, according to them, suffered from diabetes and a hernia. Cameron said Thursday she just wanted to know he was safe. She said she hasnt communicated with him since late May when he was last seen at his restaurants. While the news is a relief, she said she hopes Garcia can get his life back on track now that hes been found. The truth is, I would still like to know what made him think he should leave? she said. What made him leave? New information about the case was scarce this summer, though court documents related to the filing of a search warrant seeking Garcias Verizon Wireless phone records shed some light on an investigation into reports of owed money and threats. Those documents said Garcias accountant told police he was a somewhat difficult client because he didnt submit payroll paperwork in a timely manner and didnt document deposits in his business account. The accountant, Cindy Slaughter, provided authorities with paperwork showing Garcia got a $25,000 loan from a finance company. Ahsan Khalid, who now operates Darbar Palace, 402 Broadway, at the site of Garcias short-lived business Magnolias Restaurant, told authorities that he gave Garcia $25,000 over the course of two months to be business partners in the new eatery. He also said several former employees of Garcias came to the restaurant to tell him their paychecks were returned with nonsufficient funds. One man claimed Garcia owed him $60,000 to $80,000, Khalid said, and he was threatened by other men who said Garcia also owed them money. The powers will only come into effect during a declared terrorist emergency The powers will only come into effect during a declared terrorist emergency The Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment bill passed in QLD The Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment bill passed in QLD New law gives police the power to turn your smart fridge into a listening device New law gives police the power to turn your smart fridge into a listening device Police have been given greater powers to access citizen's smart devices, such as phones, speakers and even fridges. The new law, which was passed in Queensland parliament, allows police to use existing technology for surveillance. Under the The Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment bill, it will be lawful to remotely install software in order to use devices such as smart fridges or AI-powered home speakers as listening devices. Police have been given greater powers to access citizen's smart devices in a terrorist emergency (stock image) The powers will only come into effect during a declared terrorist emergency and will be used when the life, health or safety of a citizen was thought to be in danger. Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart suggested the powers could be used to turn even your fridge into a listening device to help investigations. 'It is not outside the realm that, if you think about the connected home that we now look at quite regularly where people have their security systems, their CCTV systems and their computerised refrigerator all hooked up wirelessly, you could actually turn someone's fridge into a listening device,' he told the Brisbane Times. Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart suggested the powers could be used to turn even your fridge into a listening device to help investigations The laws would grant police power to search people or vehicles without a warrant. They would also allow law enforcement to search mobile phones for communication with suspected offenders or footage of an attack. A review of emergency situation declarations for the past two-and-a-half years didn't identify any incidents in which the new powers would be required. Smart devices such as phones, speakers and even fridges can we turned into listening devices (stock image) However Commissioner Stewart said the law was still helpful to allow police to fight terrorism on all fronts. 'The threat of a low-tech terrorist organisation inspired attack is exponentially harder to detect and disrupt,' he said. The new law will be subject to a public interest monitor, tasked with putting together an annual report on surveillance warrants. Judge accepted Voon was remorseful adding he was a person of good character Voon has Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive when he was charged The filming was done in Perth, New Zealand, Canada and San Francisco Aaron Szen Yang Voon, 42, filmed several boys under the age of 13 at urinals A Perth child psychiatrist who has an 'pre-occupation' with urination and was caught filming a 10-year-old boy in a public toilet in Canada has been spared an immediate jail sentence. Aaron Szen Yang Voon, 42, filmed several boys under the age of 13 at urinals in Perth, Queenstown in New Zealand, West Edmonton in Canada and San Francisco in the US between September 2015 and May last year. Voon attracted international media attention when he was arrested at the West Edmonton shopping mall in May last year after an angry father demanded to see Voon's phone and accused Voon of filming his son's genitals Scroll down for video Dr Aaron Szen Yang Voon (pictured), has received a suspended jail sentence of 18 months When police searched Voon's Perth home and business, they seized electronic devices and found 12 videos and 409 images. The WA District Court heard Voon had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder after he was charged. Voon pleaded guilty to eight offences, including producing child pornography overseas and possessing child exploitation material in Australia, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. Judge Alan Troy said Voon's mental impairments affected his ability to some extent to make rational decisions, but did not completely eradicate his ability to know his behaviour was wrong. 'You must have known what you were doing was wrong. You nonetheless continued with the conduct ... and you sought no professional help at all,' he said. Judge Troy accepted Voon was remorseful and had made a profound contribution to the community through his work, adding he was a person of prior good character. Defence lawyer Sam Vandongen said Voon was adamant his sexual interest in children did not involve any physical contact. Mr Vandongen said Voon had spent some time in custody overseas and in Australia, and was treated poorly by inmates and guards, including having faeces thrown on him. The suicide rate in Britain has fallen by nearly 5 per cent to its lowest level since 2011 in an apparent success for the Government's prevention campaign. The proportion fell for the third successive year across the country - with there being 10.1 suicides per 100,000 people last year, compared with 10.6 in 2015. But while the rate fell in England and Wales, it rose slightly in Scotland and the Samaritans charity has insisted the number of overall deaths is still too high. Middle-aged men are still the highest risk group - with the proportion of male suicides at 75 per cent last year, which has stayed about the same for 25 years. Meanwhile divorced men are at greatest risk of suicide, being nearly three times more likely to kill themselves than men who are married or in a civil partnership. And the Samaritans claimed men from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are ten times more likely to die from suicide than those in more affluent areas. However there was a 9 per cent fall in the rate of women taking their own lives in 2016 down to 1,381, one year after female suicide hit a ten-year high of 1,493. The rate of suicides - when calculated both overall and by gender - across Britain is falling The rate of male suicides fell in England and Wales but it did rise slightly in Scotland last year The rate of female suicides also fell in England and Wales but went up slightly in Scotland Scotland has by far the highest suicide rate of any UK region, with London having the lowest Suicide rates fell overall from 1981 to 2007 before rising again to a peak of 11.1 per 100,000 in 2013 - but that was still far lower than in the 80s and 90s. The past 36 years has brought a downward trend since a 14.8 peak in 1981 to a low of 9.8 in 2007, but it went up to 10.9 in 2013. The Office for National Statistics credited the suicide prevention work done in England by the Government, police, NHS, charities and others for the overall fall. A spokesman said: 'The national suicide prevention strategy for England has included work to reduce the risk of suicide in high-risk groups. The highest rate of suicide is among males aged 40-44, while for females it is 50 to 54 The suicide rate by age for males has varied wildly since the early 1980s, as this graph shows The suicide rate among women by age has become much closer together in recent years Hanging was the most common form of suicide for both men and women in Britain in 2016 'These include young and middle-aged men, people in the care of mental health services, and those in the criminal justice system.' Key facts: How suicides are falling across UK About 75% of all suicides in 2016 across Britain were male 3.4% fewer suicides registered in 2016 than in 2015; that is 5,688 in 2016, a decrease from 5,870 in 2015 South West had highest suicide rate for any English region at 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2016; London had lowest at 7.8 per 100,000 People aged 40 to 44 had highest age-specific suicide rate at 15.1 Same age group also had the highest rate among males at 23.7 Age group with highest rate for women was 50 to 54 at 8.1 Most common suicide method in Britain last year was hanging Advertisement Samaritans chief executive Ruth Sutherland said: 'Even though a fall in suicides compared with the previous year is welcome, 5,668 people dying in Great Britain in one year is still too high. 'Samaritans is working hard with partners, including the NHS, other charities and local authorities, to bring these figures down further. 'Every suicide is a tragedy leaving devastation in its wake. These figures emphasise the urgency with which we as a society need to work together to prevent needless loss of life.' Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, said: 'Every suicide tells a different but equally tragic story. 'Suicide prevention is a high priority for councils, which already provide a range of vital services that support the health and mental wellbeing of our communities. 'However we need a root and branch overhaul of mental health services, which focuses on prevention and early intervention, particularly for children and young people.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. Click here for details. Advertisement A 17-metre high Lobster has failed to reel in a single bidder at auction. Larry the Lobster was up for auction in Kingston, South Australia on Friday, with hopes of selling for about $300,000. Despite national attention Australia's largest Lobster and adjoining restaurant and function centre did not receive any bids. Australia's Iconic 'Larry the Big Lobster' failed to reel in a single bidder at auction on Friday Despite national attention Australia's largest Lobster and adjoining restaurant and function centre did not receive any bids Larry the Lobster was up for auction in Kingston, South Australia on Friday, with hopes of selling for about $300,000 Auctioneer Ben Treloar set a vendor bid of $300,000 but the crowd remained silent Auctioneer Ben Treloar set a vendor bid of $300,000 but the crowd remained silent. He said despite the poor performance at auction there were two prospective buyers with the sale price of $369,000. Mr Treloar hopes Larry will be sold within a week. 'The two perspective parties are from New South Wales and Victoria and they both saw the business through the national exposure,' he told The Advertiser. 'Both plan to move to Kingston (if successful) because they can see the potential of being on the highway with the number of people that stop to photograph Larry. 'Kingston is a magnificent part of the world, it's clean, green, pristine with good fishing and wineries close by.' Larry was built in 1979 and recently underwent a $50,000 refurbishment. It's considered a major attraction on Australia's list of 'big things.' Larry the Lobster (and adjoining fucntion centre) couldn't reel in a single bid at auction The 4500 square metre property is located on the Princes Highway Larry was built in 1979 and recently underwent a $50,000 refurbishment Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street yesterday) is facing a rebellion on two fronts as Tory Brexiteers and Remainers clash Theresa May is facing rebellion on two fronts as Tory Remainers urge her to sack frontbenchers over a letter warning against backsliding on Brexit. The letter, circulated by a group chaired by ministerial aide Suella Fernandes and signed by dozens of MPs, said it would be a 'historic mistake' to stay in the single market or customs union after 2019. But the message sparked fury from pro-EU Conservatives, who said it went beyond government policy. Brexit minister Steve Baker has also been criticised for posting to a WhatsApp group of Tories involved in the letter thanking 'everyone for their support'. The spat underlines the scale of the challenge for Mrs May to balance the hardline factions in her party. During a Commons debate on the crucial EU Withdrawal Bill yesterday Tory MPs indicated they would not rebel at second reading stage on Monday. But there is huge scope for revolt later in the process, with warnings that hundreds of amendments could be tabled in a bid to soften the approach to Brexit. The Brexiteer letter, which was due to have been released to a Sunday newspaper but was leaked to the BBC, says the UK must demand freedom to strike new trade deals during any transition - which appears to go further than the Government's position. 'When we leave in 2019 - we need to make sure we are well and truly out,' the letter said. It goes on: 'Continued membership of the single market, even as part of a transitional arrangement, would quite simply mean EU membership by another name - and we cannot allow our country to be kept in the EU by stealth. 'The Government must respect the will of the British people, and that means leaving the single market at the same time as we leave the EU.' Miss Fernandes, chairman of group of MPs that circulated the letter, said last night that it was designed to show 'support for the Government's position'. Miss Fernandes is leader of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs. However, as parliamentary aide to Chancellor Philip Hammond, her decision to go public with concerns about possible drift in government policy raised eyebrows among some MPs. Brexit Secretary David Davis opened the debate on the crucial EU Withdrawal Bill yesterday Tory MP Suella Fernandes, chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of MPs that circulated the letter, said last night that it was designed to show 'support for the Government's position' Former minister Anna Soubry (pictured left in parliament this week) accused Eurosceptic colleagues of trying to bind the Government's hands. Pro-Remain Tory MP Nicky Morgan, now chair of the Treasury select committee, said the letter risked 'undermining the UK's negotiating process' Pro-Remain Tory MP Nicky Morgan, now chair of the Treasury select committee, said the letter risked 'undermining the UK's negotiating process'. She said frontbenchers should generally only sign documents issued by the government. 'The Prime Minister has made very clear she does want there to be a deal with the European Union,' Mrs Morgan said. 'Having people undermine that while these very difficult negotiations are going on is not helpful for anyone.' She added: 'Look, there are many of us in the Conservative Parliamentary Party who feel that successive leaders have tried to appease the views of those who are in the European Research Group or have been putting these views forward.' Another former minister, Anna Soubry, accused Eurosceptic colleagues of trying to bind the Government's hands. She said: 'I am hugely disappointed, in the wake of the general election which saw the Conservatives lose our majority, that colleagues are seeking to bind the Government's negotiating hands in such a way as to make the hard Brexit the country and the PM doesn't want, inevitable.' Former minister Stephen Hammond told the Times any support from ministers or aides for the letter should be a resigning matter. 'The European Research Group letter is an unacceptable attempt to hinder negotiations and jeopardise the government. It is entirely at odds with stated policy, which colleagues should be supporting, not undermining. 'It would therefore be completely unacceptable for any minister or parliamentary private secretary to support it or encourage others to sign. They should either sign and resign or stay and support the government.' A Downing Street spokesman played down the importance of the letter. 'We haven't agreed or announced or negotiated yet what the implementation period looks like,' the spokesman said. 'We have been perfectly clear that we want an implementation period. That's government policy.' Asked whether members of the Government who signed the ERG letter would be in breach of their responsibilities, the spokesman said: 'People have their opinions, but we have set out what our intentions are.' Tearful: Volunteer Eli Fuller was saddened after hearing of a child's death on Barbuda A two-year-old child was killed in Barbuda after being snatched from a relative's arms by Hurricane Irma's 185mph winds, according to one of the first people to visit after the storm. Eli Fuller, who is based in neighbouring Antigua, went to Barbuda with supplies for the devastated population after the storm hit. But when he arrived, one of the first people he spoke to was an injured woman who had just had a child dragged out of her arms by the remorseless hurricane. Speaking in a video posted on Facebook, Mr Fuller - who broke down in tears while relaying his experiences - said: 'She came down to the dock, and she was wrapped up in bandages all over her face [which had] been busted in, and she says, 'Yeah, you know, I was the lady who lost the child'.' He explained that her roof had blown off her house during the savage storm. Mr Fuller said it was particularly difficult for him to tell the story of a 'child being pulled out their home' because he has a five-year-old himself. He added of the woman: 'She had her arm around a post after the roof blew off and walls [were] caving in and she had her other arm around the child - and she says the wind just pulled the child out of her hands. Scroll down for video 'And that was the last they saw of the child, [until] they found the child the next morning, dead.' Mr Fuller - from Antigua Atlantic Rowers - also described the destruction on Barbuda as 'like a nuclear bomb's gone off'. He added: 'You've seen photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after they dropped the nuclear bomb. It looks like that.' Prime Minister Gaston Browne (second from left) speaks with people affected by the disaster on the Island of Barbuda after Hurricane Irma smashed into the Caribbean More than 90 percent of buildings were damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island The majority of Barbuda's buildings were flattened when Hurricane Irma battered the tiny island with a population of 1,600 on Wednesday When he arrived, one of the first people he spoke to was an injured woman who had just had a child dragged out of her arms by the remorseless hurricane Another woman on the island, Knacyntar Nedd, told ABS TV that people 'were literally tying themselves to roofs with ropes to hold them down'. She added: 'We had cars flying over our head, we had 40ft containers flying left and right. 'What we experienced is like something you see in a horror movie, not something you expect to actually happen in reality.' Speaking after the disaster struck, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told ABS TV Radio in Antigua that the island was in 'total devastation' and has been reduced to 'literally rubble.' He added that the island, which is home to 1,800 people, was left 'barely habitable'. Hurricane Irma destroyed 90 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda (above) when it made landfall early on Wednesday. The Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Browne 'The entire housing stock was damaged... Some have lost whole roofs. Some properties have been totally demolished,' he said. More than 90 percent of buildings were damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island - but the child is believed to have been the only person to die. About 60 percent of its population was left homeless, however. 'It is just really a horrendous situation,' Browne said. Bernie Sanders last night attacked Hillary Clinton claiming she ran against the most unpopular candidate in history and 'still lost'. The Vermont Senator appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he refused to rule out running against Trump in 2020. The 76-year-old veteran politician called on Clinton to join him in a campaign to support a $15 minimum wage and a system of Medicare for all. Scroll down for video Bernie Sanders, pictured arriving at The Late Show last night in New York told host Stephen Colbert that Hillary Clinton ran against the most unpopular candidate and still lost Hillary Clinton, left, claimed her advisers warned against attacking Sanders during the primary campaign, which she now acknowledges was a strategic mistake enabling Donald Trump Sanders, right, now wants Hillary Clinton to join him in an effort to oppose Trump's policies Clinton, who won the popular vote against Donald Trump but lost the electoral college, has blamed Sanders for her defeat. In her new book, 'What Happened', Clinton said Sanders caused her campaign 'lasting damage'. She wrote: 'I go back over my own shortcomings and the mistakes we made. I take responsibility for all of them. You can blame the data, blame the message, blame anything you want - but I was the candidate. It was my campaign. Those were my decisions.' She said she was warned by her advisers against going on the offensive against Sanders because of fears she might alienate his supporters. However, she now acknowledges this was a tactical mistake and handed a significant advantage to Donald Trump. Commenting on Sanders, Clinton wrote: 'His attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's "Crooked Hillary" campaign.' However, Sanders rejected the criticism. He told Colbert: 'Secretary Clinton ran against the most unpopular candidate in this country and she still lost.' Clinton, pictured, claims she should have attacked Sanders during the primary campaign despite fears that she would have alienated the Vermont senator's core supporters He suggested he and his formal rival should join forces to combat the president. He said: 'So in other words, we need her help to go forward. Lets not keep arguing about 2016. Lets get together and take on Trumps desire to divide us up. Lets go forward with a progressive agenda. 'We have got to stand together against Trumps efforts to divide us up, take on the billionaire class...so we have a government that works for all of us, not just the one per cent.' He suggested he and Clinton should work together in opposition to the president. He told Colbert: 'I think the response is we have got to think going forward and I would like her to join us in a fight for $15 minimum wage, in a Medicare-for-all single payer system, in taking on the fossil fuel industry so that we transform our energy system away from fossil fuel and move to energy efficient and sustainable energy.' A disabled war hero was refused access to a Virgin train and escorted off the platform at Euston Station after he was unable to board the train without his railcard. Andy Grant, a former Royal Marine, was attempting to board a train to Liverpool Lime Street yesterday morning when he discovered he left his wallet in a cafe. But even though the 28-year-old had purchased his ticket using his Trainline app on his phone, staff didn't let him board the train without his disabled railcard. Andy Grant, a former Royal Marine, was refused access to a Virgin train after losing his railcard yesterday Writing on Twitter, Mr Grant, who has a prosthetic leg, claims: 'When I activated the ticket to board the train they asked to see my railcard. I realised it must be in the cafe so I ran back to the cafe to look for it. It wasn't there. 'I ran back and explained that I had lost my wallet. The Virgin staff said "Tough, you need to go but another ticket." 'I explained that would be impossible as I don't have my wallet now. She then said, "How do we know you are disabled and have a rail card?" 'I replied because I got blown up in Afghanistan and lifted my trouser leg up. At this point I was In disbelief at the lack of common sense.' He later tweeted that he bumped into a friend at Euston who purchased a ticket for him He said when he attempted to speak to the train manager he was escorted away by a Police Officer for British Transport Police. Footage shows him being led off the platform by a police officer. However, Mr Grant was able to board another train after bumping into his friend at the station who purchased a ticket for him. He finished his chain of tweets by urging Virgin founder Richard Branson to 'lower the ticket prices'. After chronicling the incident on Twitter, Mr Grant was flooded with messages of support from the public. Mr Grant holds the record for being the world's fastest single leg amputee He wrote on Twitter: 'Massive thanks for the the messages of people offering to pay for my ticket. All appreciated, thank you. Finally some decent people.' Mr Grant holds the record for being the world's fastest single leg amputee. He was injured in an explosion in an IED (improvised explosive device) explosion in Afghanistan eight years ago had his right leg amputated in November 2010. Since then, he has learned to ski, surf and skydive and won two gold medals and a bronze at the Invictus Games in London three years ago. A spokesman for Virgin Trains said: 'Were sorry to hear about Andys experience and weve asked him to get in touch with us so we can look into what happened.' A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: 'We are aware of a video circulated on Twitter of an officer at Euston station escorting a man from a platform. This incident occurred this afternoon (September 7). 'Officers are currently making enquiries into the circumstances which led to the man being escorted from the platform. We have contacted the man and are looking forward to speaking with him to understand exactly what happened.' A Japanese news conference which aimed to raise awareness of a tick-borne disease ended in disaster when a live tick disappeared. The governor of Miyazaki prefectural was left red-faced when he was forced to apologise on Tuesday, a day after the debacle. Monday's conference had been organised by the Miyazaki prefectural government to raise awareness about the tick-borne disease Thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), after a number of residents in the district had fallen ill with it. Scroll down for video Moments before the deadly tick disappears: An official attempts to pick up the live insect with a pair of tweezers One live and one dead tick were brought into the press conference so the media could take photographs and help raise awareness about Thrombocytopenia syndrome Thrombocytopenia syndrome: The facts Thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a relatively new infectious disease which has so far been found in China, Korea and Japan. The main symptoms include: Fever Thrombocytopenia - where you don't have enough platelets (cells in your blood that stick together to help it clot) - where you don't have enough platelets (cells in your blood that stick together to help it clot) Gastrointestinal symptoms - this can include acid reflux, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain - this can include acid reflux, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain Leukocytopenia - a decrease in the number of white blood cells which fight off infection in the body The virus is said to have high fatality rates of up to 30% and people aged over 50 are more at risk. According to Japanese media the virus was first discovered in China in 2009 but SFTS contracted from a tick was not reported in the country until 2013. It caused eight deaths in the summer of 2012. The symptoms for SFTS usually develop within two weeks of the initial infection. Advertisement SFTS can be deadly, with symptoms including fever, a reduction in the cells that clot blood to prevent people from bleeding out, nausea and vomiting, and a decline in white blood cells which help fight off infection in the body. Despite prefectural government officials carrying out a desperate search for the insect - even roping in reporters to help them - the little critter could not be found. The room was later sprayed with insecticide, according to officials. 'We should have been more careful about safety management as the prefecture is in a position to alert its people,' said Miyazaki governor Shunji Kono. A live tick and a dead one had been brought along to the event for the press to photograph but when an official attempted to pick up the live one with tweezers it disappeared. Last month, the Ehime prefectural government announced the death of a farmer in his 60s from the city of Shikokuchuo after he fell ill with spotted fever as a result of a tick bite. SFTS is a relatively new infectious disease which has so far been found in China, Korea and Japan. Symptoms usually develop within two weeks of the initial infection. The live critter is caught on camera just moments before it makes a break for freedom, throwing the meeting into chaos as government officials and reporters desperately try to locate it Miyazaki prefectural's governor Shunji Kono issued a public apology the following day, admitting more care should have been taken According to Japanese media, the first reported case of SFTS contracted from a tick bite was in 2013, but the syndrome was first discovered in China in 2009. The virus is said to have high fatality rates of up to 30 per cent and people aged over 50 are more at risk. Japan's health ministry has previously issued a warning for people in contact with animals in poor physical condition to be careful. Boris Johnson took the helm of a tank and met an unlikely doppleganger in the form of an army sniper during a visit to Estonia today. The Foreign Secretary went for a ride in a British Challenger tank wearing army fatigues over his suit and tie. And he appeared to see the funny side when he came face to face with a soldier whose camouflage gear bore an uncanny resemblance to his own famously tousled locks. Mr Johnson also met troops from Fire Support Company, 5 Rifle Snipper Platoon, who are deployed in Tapa The Foreign Secretary played down rising tensions with the EU as he joined British troops on exercises in the eastern European state Mr Johnson went for a ride in a Challenger tank in Tapa, wearing full army camouflage gear over his suit and tie The Foreign Secretary, who has a habit of grabbing military kit during photo opportunities, seemed to be relishing his experience in the tank. He even had his name emblazoned on the camouflage jacket The Russian embassy took to Twitter to ridicule Mr Johnson for his photo op, saying his Moscow counterpart Sergei Lavrov did not need to carry out such stunts UK troops are in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression. Speaking to reporters earlier, Mr Johnson also played down rising tensions with the EU over Brexit - saying he had 'rock solid' confidence that a deal would be struck. He insisted it was not 'beyond the wit of man' to find solutions for blocks in Brexit talks such as the future of the Irish border. 'I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man. 'We've had a common travel area between the north and the south of Ireland for getting on for a century and we're going to continue to make that work.' Asked if he was confident that Brexit Secretary David Davis will get a deal with the EU, Mr Johnson said: 'Absolutely, with rock solid confidence.' He also dismissed Brussels' stance that trade terms can only be considered after the divorce terms are settled. 'Article 50 makes it very clear that the discussion about the exit of a country must be taken in context with discussion of the future arrangements. And that's what we're going to do,' he said. Relations with the EU have reached a new low after commission president Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis for lacking 'stability and accountability' at an official Brussels meeting. Mr Juncker claimed the Brexit Secretary was threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an 'apparent lack of involvement'. The official record was published as Mr Davis opened the first day of a crucial debate in Parliament on passing Brexit laws. The Union flag was flying on the Challenger tank as it raced across the ground in Estonia Mr Johnson pulled the helmet down firmly on his head before the tank started moving The records revealed Mr Juncker, who has been forced to publicly deny claims he is an alcoholic, slammed Britain's chief negotiator at a meeting in July with Michel Barnier, the EU's representative in the talks. Mr Barnier today tried to play down the reports at a press conference minutes after the shocking comments were made public for the first time. Mr Davis has faced criticism for not attending every day of the face-to-face negotiating sessions. Last week he returned to London on Monday night following a brief welcome and returned on Thursday for a press conference. Mr Juncker's comments emerged as Mr Barnier released a raft of new papers setting out the EU's negotiating position on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, intellectual property rights, public procurement and data protection. DICKINSON While Houston and part of Texas is overflowing with water and flooding, hundreds of thousands of acres in western Montana are engulfed by wildfires. More than 30 large wildfires were burning in the state as of Thursday afternoon, causing major concern, said Angela Wells, fire information officer for the Montana Department of Natural Resources. A large wildfire is any fire over 100 acres. Over the past three months, fires in Montana have burned more than 1 million acres, with an estimated 700,000 acres currently burning. Wells said the fires, which are using local, state and federal resources to fight, have cost more than $300 million in total. Montana had $35 million in its fire suppression fund this year. Right now Montana is experiencing the most severe fire season in its history, she said. Weve had unprecedented warm and dry conditions. In fact, June to August was the warmest, driest period on record. Wells said fires burning across the rest of the West in California, Oregon and Washington means a contain and control strategy for most of the large fires is not realistic at this point. Firefighters are instead focused on protecting homes and communities from the blazes. Two people have been killed and numerous homes and other structures have been destroyed in the fires. Many people have also been evacuated from their homes. The top priority is maintaining public and firefighter safety, Wells said. Fire crews are working one of the longest fire seasons that weve ever seen and every day their level of exposure goes up. Theyre tired, theyve been working long hours for several months now. We are not taking any risks with firefighter safety. We are not going to put them in situations of trying to control fires where we have a very low probability of success. The largest fire so far this year was the Lodgepole Complex fire, which burned more than 270,000 acres and destroyed 16 homes in eastern Montana. The Lolo Peak fire, which is burning southwest of Missoula, was nearly 49,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon, and the Rice Ridge Fire northeast of Seeley Lake was at 120,000 acres. It may not get better. Wells said the typical period of wet weather at the end of August and into September has not occurred and may not occur until mid-October. If you are looking at visiting Montana for hunting or fishing in the near future, Wells said state officials encourage people to make sure their tires are in good condition and respect the fire restrictions in place: no open flames or charcoal grills. Effects on N.D. Some North Dakotans may have experienced an extra smoky morning when they stepped outside on Sunday, said Chuck Hyatt of the North Dakota Department of Health. Hyatt said the main pollutant that can affect air quality during fire episodes is particulate matter, which are real fine solid and liquid droplets in the air that can affect peoples health if it is breathed in. We are keeping track of the fires, Hyatt said. Its pretty spectacular up in the sky when you see the haze. Some of the sunsets are really something. But fortunately for the most part, what with the wildfire smoke has been staying high up in there air, it hasnt been coming down to ground level. So its not directly impacting people on the ground. Though he said there was an elevated level of particulate level on Sunday that affected air quality in parts of the state. He said the EPA air quality index reached the red in the state, which indicates an unhealthy level of pollution in the air. That only lasted for a few hours. Right now, levels seem to be good again, he said. Weve been pretty fortunate that it has stayed mostly higher up in the atmosphere. For more information about how wildfires can affect air quality go to www.ndhealth.gov/AQ/Wildfire.aspx. Where to donate Local residents are also focusing efforts to help their neighbors. Aloha Tan will collect donations at the salon until Sept. 13, when a customer will be taking the items to Montana. Aloha Tan is located at 12 First St. W. in Dickinson and is open seven days a week: from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. A donation box has been set up at the Belfield City Hall and Belfield Police Department. Both groups are collecting nonperishable items such as protein bars, MREs, toiletries, blankets and other items. For a complete list, check out Aloha Tans Facebook page. Several relief organizations in Montana are accepting donations to help those who are displaced by the fires and smoke. The Missoula United Way has set up funds for affected by the Lolo Peak fire and the Seeley Lake/Rice Ridge fire. For any questions call 406-549-6104. The Red Cross of Montana has also opened several shelters in the western part of the state. Donations can be made at www.redcross.org/local/montana. People can also mail donations to 1300 28th Street South Great Falls, Mont. 59405 and put Montana disaster relief in the memo. For more ways to learn how to help go to: http://mtpr.org/post/how-donate-montanans-affected-wildfires?fref=gc&dti=212167328932219. Advertisement Camilla smashed a bottle of whisky against the Royal Navy's second state of the art aircraft carrier at a naming ceremony in Scotland. Charles and Camilla - known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland - are attending the event along with senior politicians, naval officers and veterans of the HMS Prince of Wales which was sunk during the Second World War. The event is being held in Rosyth Dockyard, Fife, where the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier is being fitted before it launches in 2019. The Duchess of Cornwall declared: 'I name this ship Prince of Wales. May God bless her and all who sail in her.' Scroll down for video A military band marches past HMS Prince of Wales before a naming ceremony for the aircraft carrier at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife, Scotland today Earlier, the Duchess told the crowds that seven shipyards across the country have worked together to design and build the carrier and its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. Charles is pictured walking with Lord Lieutenant of Fife Robert Balfou Prince Charles chats to Lord Lieutenant of Fife Robert Balfou. The Lord-Lieutenant is appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the First Minister and on the advice of the Prime Minister The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving for the naming ceremony where Camilla, pictured with First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones, 'Christened' the hulking ship by smashing a bottle of whisky against it Charles and Camilla watch on as the ceremony got underway. The huge ship is not set to launch for another two years and those working on the 280-metre carrier say lessons have been learned in the construction of HMS Queen Elizabeth Known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, Prince Charles and Camilla are attending the event along with senior politicians, naval officers and veterans of the HMS Prince of Wales which was sunk during the Second World War Prince Charles and Camilla share a joke as they watch the ceremony. In her speech, she said: In her speech, the Duchess said: 'As Lady Sponsor, I take great pride in my own personal connections with the Royal Navy' Charles salutes as Royal Navy personnel watch the naming ceremony for the hulking ship. The vessel is planned to carry up to 40 F-35B Lightning II stealth multirole fighters and Merlin helicopters Sailors march by the the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier. Once complete, HMS Prince of Wales will be capable of accomodating 250 Royal Marines After a short speech Camilla declared: 'I name this ship Prince of Wales. May God bless her and all who sail in her.' She pressed a button to trigger the smashing of a bottle of Laphroaig whisky against the ship's hull A bottle is broken on the hull of HMS Prince of Wales as Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay and Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay attend the naming ceremony The Duchess of Cornwall laughs with a little girl who is wearing a navy hat during a reception after the naming ceremony in Rosyth Dockyard The excitement of the day all became too much for 11-month-old Myles Johnston who got to meet the Prince at a reception following the naming ceremony She pressed a button to trigger the smashing of a bottle of Laphroaig whisky against the ship's hull. The Islay single malt is believed to be one of Charles' favourites. In her speech, the Duchess said: 'As Lady Sponsor, I take great pride in my own personal connections with the Royal Navy. 'For almost ten years now, I have been Commodore in Chief of the Royal Navy Medical Service and of the naval chaplaincy service. 'I can also boast six Admirals among my forebears, who fought with varying degrees of distinction for King and country throughout the 18th century. 'Naturally, however, my closest connection with our great Navy is through another Admiral, my husband, another Prince of Wales. So I already feel a particular affection for this ship. Eighteen-month-old Imogen Holm plays with the braid on Prince Charles' uniform after getting to see the official naming of the new super-ship Prince Charles poses for photographs during the reception, where he met senior politicians, naval officers and veterans of the HMS Prince of Wales which was sunk during the Second World War The Prince shakes hands with a veteran as he meets with navy and government officials during a reception following HMS Prince of Wales' 'christening' It is hoped HMS Prince of Wales will be fully ready for front-line duties around the globe from 2023. Her first seagoing captain will be Captain Stephen Moorhouse MS Prince Of Wales is the second in a new generation of aircraft carriers and will commence sea trials in 2019. Its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was the first aircraft carrier to be built in the programme and set sail from Rosyth this summer Those behind the project, which costs an estimated 6.2 billion overall, say the QE Class will be the centrepiece of Britain's naval capability with an aircraft carrier permanently available to be deployed anywhere in the world in military or humanitarian action HMS Prince of Wales and the identical HMS Queen Elizabeth are described by the Royal Navy as 'four acres of sovereign territory deployable across the globe', and are the largest and most advanced ever built for Britain CLARINET PLAYER PASSES OUT MINUTES BEFORE WHISKY BOTTLE IS BROKEN TO 'CHRISTEN' HMS PRINCE OF WALES A witness told MailOnline that the women collapsed a second time after Navy medics helped her to her feet and that she was seen being given oxygen treatment A clarinet player from the Royal Marine Band appeared to pass out during the ceremony marking the official naming of HMS Prince of Wales. The woman was seen slumping to the ground before fellow band members rushed over to assist her. A witness told MailOnline: 'It was while we were waiting for the bottle to be broken on the side of the ship. 'She just passed out. A couple fellow bandsmen or women helped her to the side and a couple of Navy officials came to help her which allowed the band to go back.' The witness added that the women collapsed a second time after Navy medics helped her to her feet and that she was seen being given oxygen treatment. MailOnline has contacted the MOD for comment. Advertisement 'When she and her ship's company are out on the high seas, please remember that I will be holding you all in my thoughts and prayers. 'I am certain that you will carry out whatever is asked of you with the pride that comes of being at the forefront of our Naval prowess. Wherever she is asked to serve her country, may she and her company return safely to harbour.' Earlier, the Duchess told the crowds that seven shipyards across the country have worked together to design and build the carrier and its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall pictured with the ship's company today for the naming ceremony of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier 'Not only do they represent an extraordinary achievement, but also a new era in our long Naval history,' Camilla said. Camilla and Charles attended the event along with UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown. Sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth was the first aircraft carrier to be built in the programme and set sail from Rosyth this summer. HMS Prince of Wales is set to follow in 2019 and those working on the 280-metre carrier say lessons have been learned in the construction of the first ship which will make the second 'more efficient'. The pair are termed Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and are being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), a partnership of BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defence. First Sea Lord, Admiral Phillip Jones, tweeted: 'Tomorrow, we name the second of our new carriers HMS Prince of Wales - a moment of profound strategic significance for the UK' Overall, six shipyards around the UK - Appledore, Birkenhead, Govan, Portsmouth, Rosyth and Tyne - have been involved in building various parts of the carriers. Those behind the project, which costs an estimated 6.2 billion overall, say the QE Class will be the centrepiece of Britain's naval capability with an aircraft carrier permanently available to be deployed anywhere in the world in military or humanitarian action. Stephen Moorhouse was named the first seagoing captain of HMS Prince of Wales this week and will take over from captain Ian Groom, currently the Senior Naval Officer on board the ship during the carrier's build programme. Captain Moorhouse is a former Commanding Officer of HMS Ocean and HMS Lancaster. The 44-year-old said: 'Seeing our sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth make her debut in Portsmouth last month was an amazing sight and I look forward to one day bringing HMS Prince of Wales home to the same warm welcome. 'Until then the ship's company in Rosyth will continue to grow and they have much to be proud of in all the work they have done so far, working with our civilian industry partners to bring this ship to life.' The former HMS Prince of Wales (above) went down with 327 men on board, and left hundreds more clinging to wreckage. Some were attacked and maimed by sharks during an agonising wait to be rescued French fashion tycoon Pierre Berge, who was designer Yves Saint Laurent's partner, died on Friday aged 86. Berge - the business brains behind the YSL empire - died in his sleep at his country home at Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France, his foundation said. The couple - Berge the hard-headed foil to Saint Laurent's mercurial genius - turned the fashion world on its head when they set up their own label in 1961 after the fragile designer had fallen foul of Dior. A passionate philanthropist and art collector, Berge was also a tireless campaigner for gay rights and donated a large slice of his fortune to AIDS research. Pierre Berge, a French businessman and the former partner of late fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, has died at 86. Yves Saint Laurent (right) and Pierre Berge (left) are pictured together celebrating 40 years of haute couture in Paris, 1998 Pierre Berge stands among late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's creations as part of Yves Saint Laurent exhibition in Paris in 2010 Marina Schiano and Pierre Berge attending the Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche Boutique pour Homme opening on October, 1971 in New York Politically engaged to the end, he was an important backer and confidant of the late French leader Francois Mitterrand, and this year threw his weight behind Emmanuel Macron's successful campaign for the presidency. Former French culture minister Jack Lang led the tributes to a man he called a 'true prince of the arts and culture', a business 'angel' who backed a host of noble causes. Berge 'was there to take on all the good fights in particular to provide the means for research to defeat AIDS', he said. 'France has lost an exceptional person,' said the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. Berge and Saint Laurent - whose tumultuous relationship was the subject of two films - were joined in a civil union a few days before the designer died of a brain tumour in 2008 aged 71. Berge was the designer's rock, always there to pick up the pieces for a man who - despite his infidelities and addictions - he firmly believed was 'the world's greatest fashion designer of the second half of the 20th century'. Two museums he masterminded, dedicated to Saint Laurent's life and work, are to open in Paris and Morocco this year. Born on November 14, 1930 on the Ile d'Oleron off France's west coast, Berge was a particularly French self-made man, as passionate about culture as he was about making money. Indeed, the son of a teacher and a tax inspector made his first few francs as a student bibliophile in down-at-heel postwar Paris by buying and selling secondhand books. Saint Laurent and Berge are pictured here together in 1982 In this 2009 photo, the Grand Palais is decorated with a board advertising the auction of the Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Berge collection in Paris Pierre Berge was philanthropist and championed gay rights French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, left, and Pierre Berge, in Paris, in 2012 'I would pick them up down by the Seine in the morning and sell them - not always at a good profit - in the afternoon to antiquarian book dealers,' he told AFP last year. At the same time he was befriending the Paris literati, particularly Jean Cocteau and Jean Giono, and became the unofficial agent of the French artist Bernard Buffet, hugely facilitating his success. Over the years Berge built up a large art collection and one of the world's greatest libraries in private hands, which he was in the process of selling when he died. Like the proceeds of his and Saint Laurent's art collection - which went under the hammer for about 340 million euros in 2009 in what was dubbed 'the sale of the century' - almost all of the money from the sale is going to their charitable foundation or to HIV research. Always firmly on the Left despite his business success, Berge became a confidant of Socialist leader Mitterrand and launched the weekly magazine Globe to support his candidacy for the presidency in 1981. He also helped finance the Socialist Segolene Royal when she ran against Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2007 election and then the successful campaign of her former partner Francois Hollande, who defeated Sarkozy in 2012. Berge's activism extended far beyond gay rights, and in 2010 he led a trio of left-leaning and centrist tycoons to 'save' Le Monde newspaper despite right-wing President Sarkozy's attempts to stop them. He loved Marrakesh in Morocco, setting up a museum of Berber art there, yet last year lashed out at designers for creating Islamic clothing and headscarves, accusing them of taking part in the 'enslavement of women'. In later years Berge ran an auction house and a theatre, staged concerts, headed the Paris Opera, worked as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador and helped Chinese pro-democracy protesters. He wrote several books, including 'Inventaire Mitterrand' (the Mitterrand Inventory) and the more personal 'Lettre a Yves' (Letter to Yves). Clean, breathable air can easily be taken for granted in Australia but our precious atmosphere is proving to be big business, as keen entrepreneurs have taken to selling cans of 'premium air'. A photo of a can of 'premium Yarra Valley air' has gone viral after it was posted on Reddit on Friday. Entrepreneurs have been air-farming since last year, collecting it from some of Australia's most iconic natural destinations and selling it to heavily polluted China. Cans of 'Premium Yarra Valley Air' were spotted on sale for $29.95 each A photo of the canned air was posted to Reddit, sparking a number of comments The process for collecting the air is known as air-farming, and involves no digging, planting or harvesting. The air is pumped into disposable cans marketed as Pure Gold Coast Air, Bondi Beach, Blue Mountains, Tassie and Yarra Valley, sold for almost $20 each. Green and Clean Air founders John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok developed the technology to capture air from some of the most visited tourist destinations around Australia. 'Each holds upwards of one hundred and thirty deep breaths,' Mr Dickinson said. '[You] take off the lid, put the lid on the end, the cap fits over the mouth and take a deep breath of pure air.' Air from Yarra Valley (pictured) and other places in Australia is canned and sold overseas Mercedes Corby was released from AVO restrictions imposed on by former friend and business partner, Trudy Todd, on Friday after a nine month legal battle. The AVO was filed by police last year following a bitter feud between the duo, but Ms Corby claimed accusations made against her were false. Ms Corby made an emotional statement in a video shared to her Instagram on Friday, expressing her relief that the case had finally been 'withdrawn and dismissed'. Standing alongside her solicitor and sisters outside the courthouse, the embattled businesswoman was understandably happy to be putting the case behind her. In the video also shared by her sister, Schapelle, Ms Corby claimed her case had been a misuse of the legal system taking away much-needed police attention from people who needed it more. 'AVO's are needed to protect people but those who abuse the system for their own gain should be liable to prosecution for false police statements (lies),' she wrote alongside her social media post. Mercedes Corby posted an emotional video to Instagram on Friday sharing her relief that her AVO battle against her former friend, Trudy Todd, was finally over 'Some lose their children & family's business over people abusing the AVO laws,' she continued. 'Time for the ones who make false statements and ruin peoples lives (to) be prosecuted by law.' 'Police may then have more time to protect the ones who really need protection.' The AVO was filed by police last year on behalf of Trudy Todd (above) last year following a bitter feud between the duo In a police witness statement, Ms Todd alleged that a family member of her ex-pal had threatened her, and that Ms Corby had invited bikies to their co-owned Coolangatta bar. The bar was closed earlier this year amid the conflict, which Ms Corby claimed led her to face significant financial losses. She thanked her solicitor, Edwards Solicitor, for his assistance as well as her sisters, who joined her in court. Ms Corby was clearly ready for a celebration, finishing the caption off with: 'wine time.' The Prime Minister of Hungary today vowed to fight EU orders to take in refugees, declaring his nation 'is not an immigrant country' and does not want to be one. Speaking on Hungarian radio, Viktor Orban said forcing Hungary to accept asylum seekers would irreparably damage the country by creating a 'mixed culture and population'. The European Court of Justice on Wednesday rejected Hungary and Slovakia's legal attempt to quash a 2015 plan to share 120,000 refugees between all member states. Orban said he 'took note' of the ruling but vowed to fight on, saying: 'Now instead of a legal fight, we have a political fight to change the decision.' 'I will never contribute to making Hungary an immigrant country,' he added. The Prime Minister of Hungary today vowed to fight EU orders to take in refugees, declaring his nation 'is not an immigrant country' and does not want to be one Hungary accused the ECJ in Luxembourg of making a politically driven decision which was described as 'outrageous and irresponsible'. Its Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said: 'Politics has raped European law and European values. This decision practically and openly legitimates the power of the EU above the member states.' I have been given authorisation from Hungarian voters to guard Hungary's culture and identity PM Viktor Orban While Brussels expects previously non-compliant countries to accept refugees within weeks, Mr Szijjarto pre-empted a bitter stand-off by saying 'all legal means' would be used to oppose the decision. Paving the way for a further political clashes, he said: 'The real battle is only just beginning.' Hungary has so far refused to accept a single refugee as part of its hard-line response to the crisis that also saw the creation of an electronic fence along its border. The strategy has seen wave of criticism aimed at the country's president Viktor Orban, who has described immigration as a 'poison' and the 'Trojan Horse of terrorism'. The latest argument comes after months of increasingly hostile political debate between Eastern European countries and Brussels over its handling of the crisis. Orban (pictured in 2016) said he 'took note' of the ruling but vowed to fight on, saying: 'Now instead of a legal fight, we have to fight a political fight to change the decision.' While Brussels has insisted the move is necessary to help deal with the 1.6 million people who arrived in Greece and Italy since 2014, the group of countries believes it is not their responsibility. Eastern states have also claimed that the opening their borders to refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria and migrants could leave them open to threat of terrorism - and also dilute their culture. As the UK has an opt-out on EU rules regarding asylum, it decided not to take part in the scheme. The original decision to adopt the policy was taken by a majority vote, while the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania voted against. Hungary would be expected to admit more than 2,300 refugees under the plan, while Slovakia which has admitted a small number - must in the long term take in 1,400. A truck driver from Western Sydney is refusing to pay for using toll roads - racking up almost $65,000 after four years of refusing to contribute a cent. Scott Jones uses a toll road to get to and from work five days a week, but refuses to pay to use it. The father-of-two has bundles of unopened letters mounting up, but said 'there's no real point in opening them'. Scroll down for video Scott Jones, a father-of-two, uses a toll road to commute to work each week but refuses to pay Mr Jones says he is unhappy with the state of the Sydney roading network 'They can forget it, they're not getting my money... not even 50 cents,' Mr Jones told A Current Affair. 'I'm not going to pay something that's not more important... than putting food on the table for my kids.' Commuting to and from work, Mr Jones has clocked up about $60 a day each week, leading to a total of almost $65,000 outstanding. Part of his reasoning behind not paying the toll is a lack of satisfaction with the city's roading network. 'The road's not up to scratch. You wouldn't go to a mechanic and fully pay for a half job.' He said his drive to work should take 10 minutes, but can sometimes take 40 sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Mr Jones has piles of unopened letters demanding toll payment but refuses to open them He has racked up almost $65,000 in toll road fees after he paid his last toll four years ago 'I just use it, I don't care.' Mr Jones said he'd rather donate the money to a homeless person that pay the toll. New South Wales shadow roading minister Jodi McKay said she sympathised with Mr Jones' situation. 'People feel that tolls are unfair, they feel they're unjust.' Mr Jones uses a toll road to drive to work five days a week, racking up $60 in tolls a day National Roads and Motoring Association spokesman Peter Khoury warned not paying tolls can come with 'serious consequences', including loss of licence. One of Australia's largest toll operators - Transurban - collected more than $2 billion in toll fees last year making a profit of $210 million. A teenager who dyed his hair blue over the summer has been banned from lessons after six desperate attempts to return it to its natural colour made it green. Sharon Atherton let her son Brandon, 15, colour his hair blue at the start of the summer holidays on the condition it went back to brown on his return to school. But before the youngster went back to Cwmtawe Community School in Pontardawe, south Wales, Ms Atherton's efforts with brown dye, hair colour remover and a darker brown dye were unsuccessful. When Brandon tried to go back to lessons with streaky dark blue hair, he was put in isolation. Brandon Atherton, 15, from south Wales, had blue hair over the summer, but despite trying six times to get it back to brown, it has now turned ivy green His mother, of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, said: 'I just want Brandon back in lessons. 'Last Sunday we put brown dye in it, but instead of his hair being light blue it went dark blue. 'I drafted a letter and made six copies for Brandon to hand to his teachers on Tuesday to explain the steps we had taken and the products we had used.' That day at work at HSBC in Swansea, Ms Atherton got a message from the school asking her to get in touch about Brandon's unusual hairstyle. When she got through she claims she was told he would have to stay in isolation until the blue dye was gone and his natural brown colour had returned. She added: 'Luckily on the first day he had his Game of Thrones book, so he read that.' His mother Sharon allowed him to transform his hair over the summer break (pictured) providing it went back to normal when school started again The teenager's hair is usually brown (pictured) but the youngster is now stuck with green locks Desperate to get things back to the way they were, the mother and son duo tried hair colour stripper, bleach and another brown dye on his locks only for it to turn green. Brandon stayed at home on Wednesday while his mother tried to reason with the school. Head teacher Lee Hitchins said it would be 'inappropriate to comment on individual cases'. But he said: 'We have a clear and concise uniform policy which has been in place for many years and is communicated regularly to pupils and parents.' Teachers at Cwmtawe Community School in Pontardawe say they have a strict uniform policy and Brandon will have to stay in isolation until his hair is a natural colour again The teenager returned to school yesterday where he was allowed to pick up work to do and told he will have to stay away from his friends until his hair is a natural colour again. He was also advised to get it cut. Ms Atherton added: 'I fully understand rules, regulations and conformity - I was in the RAF for 22 years. 'And the school sent out a newsletter before the summer holidays saying they would be strict about uniform and things like that. 'But Brandon has not done this to be insolent or break the rules, and we have made so much effort.' This is the moment mysterious glowing lights appeared in the night sky above Mexico during the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in a hundred years. Footage shows glowing lights above what is believed to be Mexico City as fierce 8.1-magnitude tremors rattled the nation's capital last night. Multi-coloured flashes can be seen as buildings and lamp poles shake below during an earthquake that has so-far claimed six lives. Mysterious glowing lights appeared in the night sky above Mexico during the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in a hundred years Bizarre footage shows glowing lights above what is believed to be Mexico City as fierce 8.1-magnitude tremors rattled the nation's capital last night The lights immediately sparked speculation online, with social media users suggesting a range of explanations, including thunderstorms, a solar phenomenon and even reflection from city lights. Video of the flashes was posted online by Twitter user L4LO, who said it was taken during the earthquake. One possible explanation is so-called earthquake lights - rare flashes in the sky that occur during tremors. According to National Geographic, scientists in 2014 wrote a paper suggesting such lights were caused by electrical properties of certain rocks. Multi-coloured flashes can be seen as buildings and lamp polls shake below during an earthquake that has so-far claimed six lives Rescuers in southern Mexico are already battling to remove rubble from collapsed buildings after the earthquake struck Preparations: A hospital evacuated its patients and staff in Puebla after the earthquake struck amid reports at least six people have been killed The lights can sometimes take 'many different shapes, forms, and colors,' according to Friedemann Freund, an adjunct professor of physics at San Jose State University and a senior researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center. Previous theories attempting to explain the lights included the idea that the Earth's magnetic field is disrupted by tectonic stress. But Freund said in his paper: 'When nature stresses certain rocks, electric charges are activated, as if you switched on a battery in the Earth's crust. Buildings have collapsed and emergency crews have been working through the night after the 8.1 magnitude quake struck This image, taken on September 8, shows two men inspecting the damage caused by the 8.2 magnitude earthquake A massive 8.1 earthquake has struck 60 miles off the coast of Mexico and was felt across the country Basalts and gabbros rocks are particularly given to the phenomenon as they have small defects in their crystals and when a seismic wave hits, electrical charges may be released. These rocks are present in giant underground vertical structures in some areas, with the 'dikes' funneling charges along, according to the scientists, who added: 'The charges can combine and form a kind of plasma-like state, which can travel at very high velocities and burst out at the surface to make electric discharges in the air' creating the dramatic light shows. It is not the first time such lights have appeared. Small flames of light were seen above a stone street seconds before the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy. There were also reports of a faint rainbow of light before the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. A 15-year-old girl has claimed that she was systematically raped by dozens of men in a small village on an island in Thailand. The unnamed girl says up to 40 men had sexually abused her over eight months in 2016, taking advantage of her parents working nights to abduct her from her home and drug her before gang-raping her. Her accusations has shocked the village on Ban Koh Raed in Phang Nga Bay, southwest Thailand, which has a population of little over 100 people. Paradise hell: The girl, now 15, claims the attacks went on from May until December last year, and that it involved up to 40 men who drugged and gang raped her. Pictured is a different island in Phang Nga Bay The attacks reportedly began in May last year, when a man broke into the family home and raped the then-14-year-old while her parents were out tapping trees for rubber sap. 'Because I and my husband work as rubber tappers, we must leave our children alone between midnight and dawn,' her mother, 39, told The National. Her mother told police that the same man returned a few nights later in the company of a second assailant and gang raped her. Over the coming months, the attacks escalated, and men would come to the family home and force her to go to beach huts where they drugged her and let other men abuse her. Thai police said yesterday that they had identified 11 of the alleged attackers. The now-15-year-old's accusations has shocked the village on Ban Koh Raed in Phang Nga Bay, southwest Thailand, which has a population of little over 100 people 'Local residents are ready to cooperate with police,' Yuttanakorn Juanjenkij, a governing official in Tambon Loryoong, told Malaysian Digest. 'Think about children who live in the village. They feel stress as such a claim means their fathers may be suspects,' Yuttanakorn added. 'Local residents here are generally close. It is really hard for them to believe such a large-scale crime could have happened in their neighbourhood.' While the teenager has said some of her attackers were not from the island, the high number of assailants would indicate that most residents are directly related to a man she has accused of rape. As a result, the girl and her parents have been forced to flee their home, saying they feel unsafe on the island after threats from other villagers. Authorities say a Columbia, South Carolina man took his own life moments after his 2-year-old son found a gun and accidentally shot and killed himself. Richland County Corner Gary Watts says toddler Kyree Myers' mother called 911 after her son found the loaded gun in the family's Columbia home and shot himself. Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook says when officers arrived at the family's home on Traux Lane around 11am, 38-year-old Keon Myers had a gun and was threatening to kill himself. Two-year-old Kyree Myers (left) found a gun at his South Carolina home on Wednesday and accidentally shot himself dead. His father Keon, 38 (right), then committed suicide by shooting himself shortly after Above, a view of the scene after the shooting Wednesday morning. Officers will receive counseling for what they witnessed Officers ordered him to drop the weapon several times, before he fired the fatal shot into his head. Father and son were taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital were they were pronounced dead. Police say they are still investigating if the father and son were killed with the same weapon and whether that gun was bought legally. Holbrook says the incident has been 'emotionally trying for responding officers' and they will receive support as needed. 'Our hearts are heavy at the tremendous loss of life,' Holbrook said in a statement. He added: 'We have victim advocates assigned to the case to assist the family during this difficult time. This experience has also been emotionally trying for responding officers. They will participate in a debriefing to discuss the incident and receive further support as needed.' For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here WASHINGTON -- Nobody wants to pick on Texas, or especially Houston, after a 1,000-year weather event that for several days turned the city into a lake and dispossessed thousands of their homes, belongings and, in some cases, loved ones. The ultimate effects of the storm blandly named Harvey are yet to be fully understood. What is known is that most of the homes destroyed were uninsured for flooding and that U.S. taxpayers will be doing much of the bailing. Meanwhile, comparisons to Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago are intriguing, if one is fortunate enough to be hugging dry land. Chief among the obvious differences is the death toll. Katrina took close to 2,000 lives. As of Friday, Harvey's toll was 46, and the figure wasn't expected to rise significantly. Numbers matter little to those in mourning, but such comparisons can be instructive. In explaining differences between Katrina and Harvey, most experts naturally examine the weather itself and topography. During Katrina, New Orleans, which is shaped like a bowl, was hardest hit. Flooding from burst levees, as well as the colossal tidal surge driven by winds, essentially filled the bowl. In Houston during Harvey, the main force of the storm came from the skies, which dropped 9 trillion gallons (nearly 50 inches) of water onto the city, the flat topography of which gave residents an obvious advantage over New Orleans. Although cataclysmic over time, Houston's flooding was less abrupt and gave people more time to find higher ground. Setting aside weather factors -- and postponing for now a critique of human failure -- a couple of distinguishing psycho-techno-sociological factors also came into play. First, in 2005 when Katrina hit, there was no widespread use of smartphones -- iPhone hadn't hit the market yet -- and social media was in its incipient stages. Facebook was only a year old and still restricted to college students. Just think: When George W. Bush was beginning his second term as president, no one was tweeting. A second important factor affecting outcomes was the way people responded to the storm. Many New Orleans residents, given their historical distrust of public officials, disregarded warnings and failed to heed evacuation orders. In Houston, there was no call to evacuate. And though many of the poor in both cities often had no means of personal transportation, nearly every household in sprawling Houston has at least one car, according to the Census Bureau. New Orleans in 2005, by contrast, had the fourth highest rate among 300 metropolitan areas of individuals without access to a household car. Thus, the storms were very different, as were the people primarily affected. Reaction to the two storms also was initially different, though a common denominator seems to be the God factor. Recall that when Katrina hit New Orleans, some members of the cloth, including the Rev. Franklin Graham, Catholic priest Gerhard Wagner and televangelist John Hagee, opined that God was punishing the city for its legendary indulgences and supposed sins. But where is the comparable condemnation of Houston given Harvey's Noah-esque proportions? How soon before some looney says that Houston, the epicenter of America's energy and oil industry, bears responsibility for the flood? Already, one pastor is saying that Harvey was retribution for Houston's leniency toward the LBGT community. And Ann Coulter suggested that Harvey was more likely God's punishment for Houston's lesbian mayor than a result of climate change. No matter what one's religious beliefs or commercial incentives, it is absurd to blame cities or their residents for natural disasters. When otherwise intelligent people engage in such hyperbolic rhetoric, they encourage the sort of dumbing down that gets people killed. The science behind weather events isn't that complicated to understand. As a footnote, the Christian God doesn't single out the poor or the powerless for punishment. Rather, as Jesus said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," and also that the meek would inherit the Earth -- if they still want it. But make no mistake: We are being warned. Storms of the Harvey variety will become not one-in-1,000-year events but one-in-100. And then, well, who knows beyond worse-is-coming? The least we can do is exercise our free will -- and our reasoning powers -- to mitigate the effects of human activities on global warming to the extent possible. If we don't, Mr. President, we're going to need a bigger ark. Advertisement These astonishing never-before-seen photos show the devastation across Germany after World War II. They were taken by a British man representing the UK Board of Trade during a tour of post-war Germany in May and June 1946, visiting the all-but flattened cities of Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt. The black-and-white photographs show a landscape scarred with bomb craters and ruined buildings after major cities endured six years of Allied bombings. Devastation: Two women are walking through the rubble of what was once their home town in Germany in 1946 Rebuilding: A photo of an unknown street in Germany shows what was once shopfronts, but by then just used as storage of the rocks that have been cleared off the road Moving on: Resilient Germans walk down a street where all that is left of one building is what appears to be a corner shop In one poignant photograph taken in May 1946, a British soldier is seen stood looking over Hamburg. Germany was a nation destroyed, as well as defeated, after the end of the war in 1945. Overall, it is estimated that up to 70 per cent of buildings in Germany had been made uninhabitable, and in some areas it was worse. In Cologne, 66 per cent of homes had been completely destroyed, and in Dusseldorf 93 per cent made uninhabitable. One day at a time: By 1946, the streets in this city had been cleared and the rubble piled up along the pavement, but the blocks of flats still stand in ruins Buildings down: A man walks past the remains of the operahouse in a city in Germany Nothing left: In 1939, Germany had some 16 million flats, but by the end of the war 2.5 million had been destroyed, and another 4 million were uninhabitable, according to Der Spiegel Material: Some 14 billion cubic feet of rubble was recovered in West Germany alone after the war Bombed out: The skeleton of a building seen in 1946 is all that remains, its insides reduced to rocks and dust These images were taken by a British man representing the UK Board of Trade during a tour of post-war Germany in 1946. This photo was taken in Weissenberg, a town in Saxony A museum is little but walls, but at least its still standing - 80 per cent of historic buildings in Germany were flattened by Allied bombing during World War II The millions made homeless were soon joined by the 3million German nationals thrown out of then-Czechoslovakia, and the 1.3million kicked out of Poland. The Allied and Soviet split responsibility of what was left of Germany, and the homeless became known as Displaced People or DPs, housed in DP camps. A majority lived off rations provided by the victors, however food supplies were low for years. In the British zones, the German population lived off a 1,000 calories-a-day rations, which was not increased until 1948-49. Rebuilding the nation was arduous work - and post-war reconstruction of infrastructure in Germany continued into the 1980s. The images seen here were taken by Briton Harry Thurgar, appointed by the UK Board of Trade to visit Germany as part of the Allied Control Council post-war Mr Thurgar took this picture in Weissenberg in 1946 as Germany begun to rebuild post-war Germany Mr Thurgar's photographs were discovered when a house was cleared following the death of a family member His grandson Christopher Eve took the ten reels of film to to be developed, and was awed by the images he discovered Overall, it is estimated that up to 70 per cent of buildings in Germany had been made uninhabitable due to Allied bombings, and in some areas it was worse This image, taken during the tour, shows a house that had come under fire during the war This image taken in the city of Cologne shows a bridge sent into the river by an Allied bomb The images seen here were taken by Briton Harry Thurgar, appointed by the UK Board of Trade to visit Germany as part of the Allied Control Council post-war. They visited Germany in May and June 1946, which included stops in Hanover, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Weissenberg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Weisbaden and Frankfurt. The negatives of the photos taken on that trip were recently found following the death of a family member, and developed by Thurgar's grandson Christopher Eve. Mr Eve said: 'When I first saw the photos I was awed. Being 71 years old, they are truly a historical treasure-trove. 'The wreckage, as seen in the photos, was so immense and I pity the poor people who had to endure it. 'It's chilling to realise that there would have been many bodies buried underneath all that rubble.' Destroyed: The city of Cologne has 66 per cent of its buildings completely destroyed during World War II Another snap from Cologne shows the city's famous cathedral in the background Mr Thurgar's tourin 1946 included stops in Hanover, Hamburg, Cologne - pictured here - Munich, Weissenberg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Weisbaden and Frankfurt The 1946 trip to Germany was a small part of the Allied powers' intelligence gathering work after the war Russia has killed several top Islamic State group commanders in a Syrian air strike, it claimed on Friday. Both the US-trained 'minister of war' Gulmurod Khalimov, who has a $3 million bounty on his head, and the high-profile Islamic State commander Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali were among 'four influential field commanders are confirmed to be dead', the Russian defence ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. 'As a result of a precision air strike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed,' it said. 'According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali.' ISIS 'minister of war' Gulmurod Khalimov, had a bounty on his head of $3 million for information leading to his location or arrest Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali also known as Tarad Muhammad al-Jarba was reportedly killed in a Russian air strike in Syria Al-Shimali (also known as Tarad Muhammad al-Jarba) is believed to have helped six of the 2015 Paris suicide bombers to travel to Syria and back for training. The Iraqi-born Saudi Arabia citizen, who defected from Al-Qaeda to IS in 2015, had a $5 million bounty on his head following the attacks. Khalimov, who is known as the IS group's minister of war and the highest-ranking defector from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, suffered been 'fatally wounded', the ministry added. Reports of Khalimov's death have surfaced before and the Tajik interior ministry said it could not immediately confirm the claim. 'We are working with our Russian colleagues to obtain reliable information,' a spokesman told AFP. But a spokesman for the Tajik security services, speaking to AFP, suggested that 'this time around' he might have been killed. 'We're checking the information,' he said. The news of both men's deaths was met with skepticism. Twitter user @KyleWOrton posted: 'That man is Tarad al-Jarba and he was promoted some time ago. Let's wait and see if Russia actually got him.' That man is Tarad al-Jarba and he was promoted some time ago. Let's wait and see if Russia actually got him. https://t.co/weZM0IPo3X Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) September 8, 2017 In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to Khalimov's location or arrest. Russia's SU warplanes dropped 'bunker buster' bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. The Times reported in April that Khalimov, described as the highest-ranking IS commander in Mosul, had been killed in an airstrike. The trained sniper and former colonel was apparently wounded in 2015 but survived. He headed the Tajik interior ministry's special forces unit and received American training before joining IS in 2015, pledging allegiance to the jihadist group in a video released in May 2015. In the footage he warned that he and other IS recruits based in the Middle East were 'coming' for top officials in the mainly Muslim Tajikistan, including long-ruling President Emomali Rahmon. Tajikstan president Emomali Rahmon was named as one of targets in a jihadist group video released in May 2015 The high-profile defection rocked the country. Last year, his second wife, herself a former interior ministry official, fled Tajikistan with her three young children to join Khalimov in Syria. His eldest son, 18-year-old Bekhruz, also tried to join his father in Syria but was detained at the Dushanbe airport, and sentenced this summer to 10 years in prison. In July, police in Tajikistan killed four of Khalimov's relatives in a gun battle, an interior ministry source has said, and three other relatives were detained. The source claimed that all of those killed or detained were IS 'supporters' and said they were intending to flee to neighbouring Afghanistan, but did not offer any proof to back up the claims. This shocking public information film from 1961 warns young boys against 'dangerous' and 'contagious' homosexuality. Narrated by a police detective on his way to a school meeting, the short film, called Boys Beware, tells adolescent boys to watch out for gay men, who it says are mentally ill older male strangers who want sexual favours from them. Boys Beware claims gay men are murderous paeodophiles with a mental illness. This shocking 1961 film warns young boys such as character Jimmy Barnes (left) against 'dangerous' and 'contagious' homosexuality from older male friends like Ralph (right) The homophobic film earned a glowing review from former Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who in 1965 recommended it as required viewing at Dade County high schools to help curb the 'illness'. The narrator said: 'One never knows when the homosexual is about. He may appear normal, and it may be too late when you discover he is mentally ill.' The public service announcement, which was produced at the suggestion of a Southern California police department, said gay men often make their move by picking up unsuspecting hitchhiking youths. Boys Beware, tells adolescent boys to watch out for gay men, who it says want sexual favours Boys Beware claims gay men like 'Ralph' (above) are mentally ill, murderous paeodophiles A baby-faced actor plays young Jimmy Barnes, who is befriended by a man called Ralph who gives him rides home. The narrator said: 'What Jimmy didn't know was that Ralph was sick. A sickness that was not visible like smallpox, but no less dangerous and contagious - a sickness of the mind. 'You see, Ralph was a homosexual: a person who demands an intimate relationship with members of their own sex.' The grossly offensive film remained successful through the 1970s but fell out of favour as more US states became liberalised. Before 1962, sodomy was a felony in every US state, punished by a lengthy term of imprisonment or death. By 2003, the Supreme Court invalidated sodomy laws in the remaining 14 states that treated it as a felony. In 2015, a Missouri teacher was suspended after showing Boys Beware to his students. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named, has been convicted of killing Polish man Arkadiusz Jozwick (pictured) with a 'superman punch' in Harlow, Essex last year A teenager who killed a drunken Polish man with a 'superman punch' outside a takeaway has been sentenced to three years in prison. The boy, who was 15 years old at the time of the attack and cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced for the manslaughter of Arkadiusz Jozwick at Chelmsford Crown Court today. Mr Jozwik, 40, was drinking vodka with two friends and had just bought a pizza when he was set upon outside a row of takeaway shops in Harlow, Essex, shortly after 11.30pm on August 27 last year. The boy's brutal punch sent him falling to the ground where he hit his head. He suffered a brain injury and a fractured skull, never regaining consciousness, and died at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge two days later. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Jozwik's mother, Ewa, said: 'I cannot come to terms that my loving son is no longer with us. 'All the time I can see in my mind the moment I saw him lying motionless in the hospital bed connected to the life support machine. I wanted him to wake up so badly. Polish Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki (pictured second right) paid his respects to the 40-year-old with Harlow MP Robert Halfon (pictured far right) at the scene of the attack last year A protest march was organised by Harlow's Polish community after Mr Jozwick's death, with people claiming 'racism is a real problem' in the area 'I think about him every day, I wish he could be with us. In moments like this I cannot hold back my tears. When I think about him, I always cry. 'He was healthy, a good person, and no-one had the right to take his life in such a way. 'The last year has been very difficult for our whole family. 'If not for my other son Radek, his wife and kids, I would not be able to cope.' The now 16-year-old claimed he punched Mr Jozwik to defend a friend of his. Tributes were laid in The Stow, where Mr Jozwick was attacked with a friend who is also Polish. The 43-year-old was taken to hospital with broken bones in his hands and bruises on his stomach, but was later sent home. After his friend's death, members of Harlow's Polish community claimed the pair were targeted because of where they came from and organised a protest march. Its organiser Eric Hind said racism 'is a real problem in Harlow' and urged communities to come together. The Polish ambassador Arkady Rzegocki also visited to pay his respects, along with MP Robert Halfon. At today's sentencing, Patrick Upward QC, defending, said Mr Jozwik's injuries were caused by him hitting the ground and not from the punch itself. He said: 'The deceased and his companion, according to the witnesses called by the prosecution, were staggering from drink. Mr Jozwick, 40, from Poland, was set upon with his Polish friend by the teenager outside a row of takeaway shops 'They made racist remarks to the youngsters, then invited violence from them, and they were considerably bigger and stronger than the young people. 'It was after the deceased pushed one of the youngsters that this defendant did what he did and that presents a different picture from the hullaballoo that arose after this incident took place.' He described the defendant as a 'shrimp' who was '5ft something and weighs less than 10 stone'. Mr Upward said the teenager had a troubled family background, his father has cancer and a psychologist's report found he was remorseful. He added: 'He said he wanted Mr Jozwik's family to know he did not intend to hurt him and takes responsibility for what he's done and is extremely sorry.' There were shouts of 'love you' from the public gallery and sobs as the teenager was led to the cells at Chelmsford Crown Court today. Judge Patricia Lynch said she took the boy's youth into account when considering her sentence but condemned him to a young offender's institution. DCI Martin Pasmore of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: 'This has been a complex and difficult investigation and my thoughts very much remain with Mr Jozwik's family, who have lost a dearly loved son and brother in the most tragic of circumstances. 'While nothing will ever bring Mr Jozwik back, now the court proceedings are over, I hope his family can somehow start to rebuild their lives. 'Whatever the reason for the events of that night, the defendant deliberately used violence against Mr Jozwik. 'While he would not have intended for it to be a fatal blow, he made a decision to move deliberately behind the victim and take him by surprise with a forceful punch. He must have appreciated this would have caused harm.' Workers in Shanghai have started moving a renowned temple by pushing the entire structure along purpose-built rails. Weighing 2,000 tonnes, the building would be moved 30.66 metres (100 feet) to the north with the help of rolling tracks as part of a restoration project. The structure, called the Grand Hall, is the main part of the 99-year-old Jade Buddha Temple, a protected historic building complex in central Shanghai. The Grand Hall of the Jade Buddha Temple, in Shanghai, is set to be pushed for 100 feet Workers have lifted up the temple with over 40 hydraulic jacks prior to the ambitious move The move began on September 2 and is expected to finish tomorrow. According to the plan, the temple would be moved six metres (20 feet) a day along the rails. It would also be elevated 0.3 metres (one feet) every day. Afterward it reaches its new site, workers would further raise the temple from its previous location by 1.05 metres (3.44 feet). The move is due to tackle the overcrowding issue of the Jade Buddha Temple and is a part of an ongoing restoration project which began in 2014. The relocation of the Grand Hall (pictured middle) is a part of an ongoing restoration project at the Jade Buddha Temple, which began in 2014. It's set to solve the overcrowding issue Workers have built rolling tracks under the temple to help push the 2,000-tonne structure Stilts have been fitted under the temple to keep track of the progress of the relocation Moving such a heavy and large building in a week's time is an unprecedented challenge to local engineers. Feng Kangyi, an engineer involved in the project, told news site Sixth Tone that the difficulty of the project is to protect the hall's integrity as well as the large statues. Prior to the move, workers had lifted the Grand Hall off the ground. They put more than 40 hydraulic jacks and built 10 tracks underneath the wooden structure, which measures 30 metres long (98 feet) and 25 metres wide (82 feet). They are also said to have built a new concrete foundation for the hall as the original foundation, made of rocks glued together, was deemed to fragile to move. Located in central Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple (pictured) is a protected complex The Grand Hall (pictured), the main structure of the temple, would be pushed 20 feet a day Scaffolding is used to protect the three holy statues inside the Grand Hall. Shen Junqi, a project manager in charge of the restoration of Jade Buddha Temple, told China Central Television Station: 'We've given each Buddha two layers of protection, one around the shoulders and one around the waist. 'This way, the statue would be "hugged" firmly by the materials.' Buddhists gathered from different parts of Shanghai to see the iconic temple being moved According to the temple, the move has gone smoothly and is expected to complete on time The relocation project was kicked off by a grand ceremony at 10am on September 2, attended by the abbots from the monastery and the government representatives. Hundreds of Buddhist prayers also gathered from different parts of the city to witness the important moment. Jade Buddha Temple released a statement on its website yesterday and said the project had been going smoothly. The statement said the temple had been moved 21.6 metres (70 feet) by the end of September 7 and is expected to complete on time. Flyers asking former staff of embattled MasterChef judge George Calombaris to call a free phone line for free legal advice have begun sprouting around Melbourne. The flyers, part of a campaign by union-run shop Young Workers Centre, appear to have reached a number of furious employees with multiple tabs already ripped off. The A4 pieces of paper feature a blown up photo of Mr Calombaris' head with the words, 'Does this guy owe you money?' surrounding his face in bold text. It follows revelations that 162 underpaid staff from three of the chef's restaurants will allegedly have to wait up to a year for $2.6 million in wages to be paid. Flyers advertising free legal advice for former employees of George Calombaris have been taped around Melbourne following the businessman 'stalling' in paying them what they are owed Young Workers Centre claims Mr Calombaris owes about $16,000 each to up to 200 former employees. Some of who had clearly leapt at the offer of free, confidential legal advice. The campaign was in response to news of Mr Calombaris 'stalling' making payments to employees of his company, Made Establishments, until June 2018, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Multiple tabs had already been ripped from the poster on Friday evening, with them hung on Thursday in locations near Mr Calombaris' establishments YWC said its campaign begun on Thursday, with them hanging up flyers in areas they believed Mr Calombaris' unpaid employees were likely to see them. 'We've placed the posters in strategic locations around Calombaris' Melbourne restaurants in order to reach as many workers as possible,' Media and Communications Organiser Amy Fitzgerald said. 'We want workers to know that having to wait more than 12 months in order to receive the money they're entitled to under law is unreasonable and unacceptable.' The flyers state the man owes about $16,000 each to up to 200 former employees Ms Fitzegerald said the YWC were all too familiar with the importance of being paid fairly. 'As young workers ourselves, we know that $16,000 (the average repayment owed to each worker) can be a life changing amount of money,' she said. Mr Calombaris was forced to apologise earlier in the year after he underpaid his restaurant staff, understandably leaving former staff angry at him and his business partner Radek Sali. 'We want workers to know that having to wait more than 12 months in order to receive the money they're entitled to,' Ms Fitzegerald from the Young Workers Centre said In a recent letter to staff, the Masterchef star's chief executive, Troy McDonagh, announced that the company had not met it's deadline to submit their internal audit to the Fair Work Ombudsman in April. The company said it had spent $2.6 million to compensate 160 current employees. In the letter he said: 'Whilst we have made significant progress in our investigations and in compensating former employees, the total number of individual investigations we have taken to properly and accurately assess each claim is substantially greater than what we first anticipated.' Mr McDonagh added that the company will continue to keep the Ombudsman and former staff informed of what was happening and their payments. Employees will reportedly have to wait until June 2018, which has left former staff angry at the millionaire TV chef and his business partner Radek Sali 'We are absolutely committed to ensuring people receive all the payments they are entitled to under the Award,' he added. Meanwhile, a disgruntled employee told the publication: 'These guys are millionaires. It was their fault, they admitted to it, and now they want us to wait. This may not be a lot of money to them, but it's a fortune for me.' An FWO spokesman said they do not believe the former workers need to wait that long to recieve the money that is owed to them. George Calombaris' chief executive, Troy McDonagh (left) said, 'We are absolutely committed to ensuring people receive all the payments they are entitled to under the Award,' (pictured right Radek Sali) This also comes after the TV chef banned himself from attending A-League matches following his assault at the A-League grand final in Sydney earlier this year. The Melbourne-based personality will have to wait another six weeks to be sentenced over the attack, where he allegedly assaulted a 19-year-old man. He was in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday as a magistrate ordered further documents before sentencing can be arranged. But outside court, he revealed that he has decided to punish himself by not going to any matches for the next year. A huge British military presence is rushing to the aid of citizens stranded following the devastation of Hurricane Irma after the Government was slammed for its 'pathetic' response. RFA Mounts Bay has docked in Anguilla loaded with supplies for residents on the British Overseas Territory, many of whom are now homeless after the Caribbean island was battered by 175mph winds. The Navy flagship HMS Ocean is on its way to the Caribbean with helicopters, Marines and engineers, but will take ten days to two weeks to reach the island as it has to travel from the Mediterranean, where it is undertaking NATO duties. Meanwhile, troops back RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, have been pictured preparing to head out to join in the relief effort. RFA Mounts Bay has docked in Anguilla loaded with supplies for residents on the British Overseas Territory A helicopter with supplies takes off from RAF Mounts Bay providing relief to Anguilla following Hurricane Irma RFA Mounts Bay (pictured) will be joined by HMS Ocean, but only after it makes the journey from the Mediterranean Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out Department for International Development aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton British Army soldiers make final checks before soldiers are processed to fly out Hurricane Irma relief aid from Brize Norton Ultra-light airfield damage repair plant ready to be loaded at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman Ministry of Defence handout photo of soldiers booking equipment in ready to deploy, as part of the UK's response to the emerging disaster following Hurricane Irma Two military transport planes loaded with 'personnel, supplies and recovery equipment' set off for the Caribbean this morning - with one heading for the British Virgin Islands. Downing Street has defended its response Irma after criticism it did not do enough to prepare for the disaster. The move comes as Prime Minister Theresa May was holding another meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Friday to co-ordinate relief efforts for victims of the hurricane. Mrs May's spokeswoman dismissed criticism that the UK lagged behind France and the Netherlands in taking care of its territories in the path of the hurricane. The spokeswoman told a Westminster briefing: 'We believe our response was swift. We had a ship pre-positioned. We are getting lifesaving aid now to those who need it.' The spokeswoman, who said the Government was waiting for 'a full picture of intelligence to come through', added: 'Three flights departed this morning carrying marines and engineers as part of the MoD task force. 'Tomorrow, another C17 will leave carrying two Puma helicopters. And the RFA Mounts Bay ship is due to arrive in the British Virgin Islands ... bringing aid and helicopters to help deliver supplies.' Two military transport planes loaded with 'personnel, supplies and recovery equipment' set off for the Caribbean this morning Downing Street has defended its response Irma after criticism it did not do enough to prepare for the disaster Soldiers booking equipment in at RAF Brize Norton ready to deploy to Operation Ruman British Army soldiers checking their equipments as they prepare to fly out Hurricane Irma relief aid British Army Royal Engineers making final check before equipment gets loaded for onward journey Members of the relief effort talk. The devastation caused by Hurricane Irma can be seen behind them A handout photo made available by the British Ministry of Defence showing British Army soldiers checking their equipments as they prepare to fly out Hurricane Irma relief aid Downing Street said that the Department for International Development's disaster response centre was sending out supplies of aid to be loaded on to HMS Ocean, which has been diverted from the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean to help with the disaster relief efforts. The aid heading for HMS Ocean includes 10,000 buckets and 5,000 solar lanterns, the spokeswoman said Meanwhile, the Dutch already have two Navy ships in St Martin delivering food and water to those affected by the storm. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has said that 'we are going to make sure the islands get the help they need' after the UK Government was slammed over its 'pathetic' response to the storm. Fallon said the UK will also be sending 'a task group of several hundred troops, marines, engineers and additional helicopters.' Two Puma helicopters will fly to the worst-hit British territory, Anguilla, as soon as a functioning landing strip is found. Irma has hit the British territories Anguilla, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos. On the ground, governor Gus Jaspert said he had declared a state of emergency, indicating there had reports of both injuries and deaths during the storm. The UK Government was slammed this week over its 'pathetic' response to Hurricane Irma in hitting its territories in the British Virgin Islands Britain has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, and the HMS Ocean is on its way to the Caribbean with helicopters, Marines and engineers HMS Ocean is leaving its NATO duties in the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean, a journey that will take ten days to two weeks A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is loaded with supplies at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in preparation for its flight to the Caribbean 'Apart from structural damage, there have sadly been reports of casualties and fatalities,' he said in a recorded message to residents. The category five storm is continuing to tear a deadly trail through the Caribbean and has already left thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Prime Minister Theresa May upped Britain's Hurricane Irma aid package on Thursday to 32million French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. At least four people were killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and officials said they expected to find more bodies. Authorities described the damage as catastrophic and said crews were struggling to reopen roads and restore power. Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, independent Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was 'grief-stricken,' Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters. Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The UK has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, which took the full force of the storm The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. The Foreign Office on Thursday insisted Britain was doing its 'utmost' to bring urgent assistance after the category five storm caused devastation in the Caribbean. A meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee to coordinate the response was chaired on Thursday by Mr Fallon after Mrs May spoke about it with French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, the Prime Minister said: 'No-one can fail to be affected by the absolutely desperate plight of people in the Caribbean who have been hit by Hurricane Irma and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, particularly with British nationals in the overseas territories of Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. Hurricane Irma slams into Sint Maarten as Caribbean islands were hit by the weather system 'It has been devastating, it is the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic, it has brought devastation in its wake, it has destroyed buildings and infrastructure, but it has had such an impact on people's lives because it has seen people's livelihoods completely destroyed and, of course, some people are missing and some will have lost loved ones.' But the money towards the relief effort came after Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful'. Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful' She said the UK should follow France in committing to an emergency fund and a reconstruction plan after the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in history. Ms Hodge told the Guardian: 'It's absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s. 'In comparison to the French president who has set up an emergency fund, an emergency hotline and a reconstruction fund her response after the storm has passed is absolutely pathetic.' Yesterday, international development secretary Ms Patel said three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval ship would be sent to the region. But Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, told BBC Radio 4 on Thursday that the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking'. She said Anguilla was 'utterly devastated' and has been left 'in absolute pieces', adding: 'Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. The shocking aftermath of the Category 5 hurricane on Sint Maarten in the Caribbean today 'It has certainly cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces. Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. 'Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position. When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation.' Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, said the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking' Discussing the British response, she said: 'While we understand that these things take time, I personally am very disappointed. We are supposed to be the same status as Gibraltar or the Falkland Island. 'I'm am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.' Today, delivering an urgent statement on the disaster, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan told MPs that 12 million had been made immediately through its 'rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery'. Sir Alan said the Government's focus was on 'everybody', not just tourists in the Caribbean. 'We really have complete overall concern particularly for our overseas territories which are affected and to that end we have 12 million immediately available through our rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery.' He said the Department for International Development (Dfid) and the Foreign Office were on 'full alert' and doing their 'utmost' with a 'great wealth of expertise to deploy on this'. 'We are pulling out all the stops to make sure that we can do our utmost to bring urgent assistance, once we, with the professionalism Dfid has, does the assessment to make sure we know who are in greatest need and then we can use our adeptness and flexibility urgently to address those who most need our help.' A man surveys the wreckage on his property after the passing of Irma in St. John's, Antigua Asked if the Government was expecting any British fatalities, the PM's spokesman said: 'We are working urgently to assess the damage and precisely what has happened. But you wouldn't expect me to speculate on whether or not there are British fatalities.' Downing Street said that the Royal Navy's RFA Mounts Bay is also in the region. Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan talks about Irma in the House of Commons today Mrs May and Mr Macron on Thursday agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane, and Mrs May told the president that advisers from the Department for International Development (DfID) have been sent to impacted areas. The PM's spokesman told a Westminster briefing: 'The Prime Minister called the French President Emmanuel Macron this morning to discuss our response to Hurricane Irma. 'They agreed the devastation it had wreaked was terrible, with unconfirmed reports emerging of a number of fatalities. 'The Prime Minister updated the French President on our response, noting that DFID humanitarian advisers had already deployed to the region to conduct damage assessments and provide humanitarian support, and RFA Mounts Bay was also in the area. 'They agreed to cooperate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate our relief efforts.' On Wednesday, Ms Patel said Britain has taken 'swift action' to respond to the crisis. She added: 'We have deployed three UK aid humanitarian experts to the region to help coordinate the response, and positioned a British naval ship with 40 Royal Marines, Army Engineers, and vehicles, tents and facilities to purify water on board. 'Our staff are on standby, both in the UK and at post, to support any British people affected. We urge British Nationals in the affected area to closely monitor and follow Foreign Office and local travel advice.' Winston Churchill pictured during his time as a war correspondent for the Morning Post in South Africa The little-known story of how a young Winston Churchill was 'flayed alive' by a doctor so a wounded army officer could receive a skin graft has come to light. The future Prime Minister was a war correspondent interviewing Major Richard Molyneux in hospital when the overbearing doctor told him he needed a 10 pence-sized piece of skin. The injured officer had suffered a severe sword wound to his right forearm which needed to be 'skinned' over as soon as possible. A nurse turned pale and almost fainted at the prospect of donating some of her skin so the Irish doctor turned to Churchill and rolled up his sleeve before he could protest. The medic removed skin and flesh about the size of a 10 pence piece from the 24-year-old's arm without any anaesthetic and grafted it to the patient's wound. Maj Molyneaux survived and lived until the age of 80, always having a macabre piece of the great Prime Minister as part of him. The bizarre story has emerged after Maj Molyneaux's superb group of medals were put up for sale at auction for an estimated 26,000. Richard Molyneux (pictured left with Winston Churchill and right) survived and lived until the age of 80, always having a macabre piece of the great Prime Minister (right) as part of him Included in the sale is a grainy black and white photo showing the officer with his arm strapped up speaking to Churchill. Maj Molyneaux served in the Royal Horse Guards and was wounded at the Battle of Omdurman - the last meaningful cavalry charge by the British army - during the Sudan campaign of 1898. Surrounded by four Dervish enemy fighters, his life was saved by a Private Thoms Byrne who rode back for him and deterred the attackers. Nimrod Dix, a director of London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb said: 'Winston Churchill never lacked courage but the extraordinary occasion on which he was asked to provide a skin graft for Dick Molyneaux clearly tested even his fortitude. 'The skin and attached piece of flesh was removed without an anaesthetic, which must have been agonisingly painful. 'As for Molyneaux, who had so narrowly escaped with his life thanks to the heroism of Private Byrne, he could justifiably claim for the rest of his life to have a unique relationship with Churchill.' It was while he was recuperating in Cairo that Maj Molyneux was visited by Churchill, who was a war correspondent for London's Morning Post newspaper. In his 1930 autobiography, Churchill wrote of the visit: 'He had been seriously wounded by a sword cut above his right wrist. This had severed all the muscles' The future statesman suffered agonising pain as the doctor cut into his flesh during the skin graft. He wrote: 'My sensations as he sawed the razor slowly too and fro fully justified his description of the ordeal'. He is pictured circa 1900 Churchill is pictured left as a war correspondent during the Second Boer War, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 1900 and right at around the same period In his 1930 autobiography, Churchill wrote of the visit: 'He had been seriously wounded by a sword cut above his right wrist. This had severed all the muscles' 'He was now proceeding to England in charge of a hospital nurse. I decided to keep him company. While we were talking the doctor came in to dress his wound. 'It was a horrible gash and the doctor was anxious that it should be skinned over as soon as possible. He said something in a low tone to the nurse, who bared her arm. The bizarre story has emerged after Maj Molyneaux's superb group of medals were put up for sale at auction for an estimated 26,000 'The poor nurse blanched and he turned upon me. He was a great raw-boned Irishman. "Oi'll have to take it off you," he said. There was no escape and as I rolled up my sleeve he added genially, "Ye've heear of a man being flayed alive? Well this is what it feels loike." 'My sensations as he sawed the razor slowly too and fro fully justified his description of the ordeal.' Maj Molyneux went on to serve in South Africa in the Second Boer War and the First World War. He retired from the army in 1919 and became a groom to King George V. His medals are being sold on September 27. A primary school in regional Victoria that will allow students to discipline themselves as part of 'creative education' is being considered for registration. The School of Cultural Creativity in Cockatoo, near Yarra Valley, will allow primary-aged students to control their own learning, according to the Herald Sun. Founder and teacher Jane Macdonald said she planned to open the school next year. Students at the School of Cultural Creativity would be responsible for their own learning If approved, the school will allow students to discipline themselves as part of 'creative education' 'Many [students] are struggling in a mainstream environment and find themselves bored,' she said. According to Ms Macdonald, 65 students have already enrolled and another 120 were interested. 'This is designed for children who need a more creative approach to learning.' The school describes itself as 'democratic' on its website. Ms Macdonald said the school would keep to the national curriculum but with its own 'creative process'. Students would work in studios and have a workstation, bookshelf, drawing boards, headphones and music access. Founder and teacher Jane Macdonald said 65 students have already enrolled at the school (stock image) The school would cost parents about $3500 a year for their children to attend The Department of Education confirmed the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority was considering the school's application. The school would cost parents about $3500 a year for their children to attend, and it would be eligible for public funding. David Turner, 72, from Ramsgate, Kent, was today sentenced to 16 months in prison after he admitted importing and having sex with a life-like 3ft 10in child sex doll A sick ex-school governor and churchwarden who imported a child sex doll into Britain has been jailed. David Turner, 72, from Ramsgate, Kent, was today sentenced to 16 months in prison after he admitted importing and having sex with the life-like 3ft 10in model. It comes after Turner pleaded guilty, thereby accepting the doll was obscene or indecent, in a UK first. Officers also found 29 fictional stories which described sexual abuse of children but fell outside the Obscene Publications Act when they searched Turner's home. One of these Turner wrote after dreaming about having sex with a child, the court heard. The pervert was caught in November last year after Border Force intercepted a parcel containing another three foot doll he was attempting to import from China. Officers found the doll in a parcel labelled 'mannequin' at Stansted Airport. It came with a fishnet body-stocking. But when National Crime Agency officers arrested Turner and raided his home they found the anatomically correct doll which he had been sleeping with as well as 34,000 indecent images. The charge of ordering and importing an indecent or obscene article relates to a 3ft 10in doll that was already in his possession which the depraved pensioner had even bought clothes and underwear for. He pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing indecent images at an earlier hearing in June. He was in possession of 138 Category A images of child abuse (the most serious), 299 Category B images and 33,619 Category C images. Appearing on June 22 at the same court, Turner admitted that on November 10 2016 he had in his possession 138 photographs, and a further charge of having 33,918. Standing in the dock the bespectacled pensioner also confessed to a count of making 35 indecent images on November 2. Further charges of making 15 indecent photos, possession of category B and C videos and other moving images on November 10 were also admitted. Turner pleaded guilty, thereby accepting the doll he imported, pictured, was obscene or indecent - a UK first Analysis of Turner's computers showed he viewed websites selling items advertised as 'flat chest love doll' and 'mini silicone sex doll 65cms little breasts'. Children in the images were aged from approximately three to 16. In interview, Turner said his preference was to view indecent images of children aged four to 10 and he admittedly 'secretly' taking photographs of girls aged six to 11 in public places. After being arrested Turner resigned as a school governor of St Ethelbert's Church Primary School in Margate and from St Ethelbert's and Gertrude Church where he was a warden. Canterbury Crown Court heard how he had taken photographs of the children at the school where he was a governor. He regularly attended the school library to help children as young as four with their reading. In sentencing him Judge Simon James said: 'It is difficult for reasonable people to be anything other than horrified that you could find such material sexually arousing. 'Particularly as you were, at the same time, voluntarily involving yourself with children of a similar age as a school governor and at your church. 'What makes your circumstances of particular concern is the fact that, in addition to pictures and movies, you have also obtained a number of disturbingly lifelike and anatomically correct dolls of young age, so as to be in a position to recreate the sort of abuse you had viewed being perpetrated by others. 'Not only was one of these dolls, which are clearly designed for the purpose of sex, intercepted by Customs, but another was found in your possession, dressed in clothes that you had purchased and that you have subsequently admitted to having intercourse with. 'I have been shown the items and the word doll does not adequately convey what was imported by you. Frankly, without seeing one of these things it is difficult to convey just how lifelike and repugnant they are. 'Your deliberate seeking out of items designed to recreate sex with children is, in my judgement, a significant aggravating feature. 'It demonstrates, despite your protestations to the contrary, that having become dissatisfied with watching two-dimensional imagery, you have moved on to seek to act out your grotesque fantasies.' Hazel Stewart, from the NCA CEOP Specialist Operation Team, said: 'The importation of these child sex dolls is a relatively new phenomenon. 'We know their purchase can indicate other offences against children, as was the case against Turner who had a sickening stash of abuse images. 'The NCA and Border Force co-ordinate law enforcement activity, carrying out intelligence checks and offering specialist advice every time these indecent and obscene items are seized at the border. 'Importers of such obscene items should expect to have law enforcement closing in on them.' Pictured is a doll intercepted by UK Border Force which could be used for sexual gratification Border Force's Dan Scully, Deputy Director, Intelligence Operations said: 'Our front line officers and intelligence teams are vigilant to emerging criminal trends such as the importation of obscene dolls. 'This work is part of the Border Force-led Operation Shiraz. The seizure of the offending item led directly to the identification of Turner and ultimately to the uncovering of his criminal interest in children. 'Through our work with law enforcement partners like the NCA, we are committed to preventing the smuggling of obscene articles and bringing those responsible to justice.' Jon Brown, NSPCC Head of Development, said: 'There is no evidence to support the idea that the use of so-called child sex dolls helps potential abusers from committing contact offences against real children. 'And in fact there is a risk that those using these child sex dolls or realistic props could become desensitised and their behaviour becomes normalised to them, so that they go on to harm children themselves, as is often the case with those who view indecent images. 'The NSPCC is calling on Government to take action to criminalise the manufacturing, distribution and possession of these grotesque dolls, in the same way it does indecent images of children. 'And until this loophole is closed, online retailers who have these items available to purchase should immediately remove them from sale.' The judge ordered for the dolls and his computer to be destroyed as well as making a sexual harm prevention order stopping Turner from having contact with children under 16 without their parents' permission and only if they are aware of his crimes. He was also ordered to pay 140 mandatory surcharge. Barnardo's Chief Executive, Javed Khan, said: 'We hope the sentencing shines a light on this deeply disturbing trend and sends a stark warning to anyone thinking of buying one of these child sex dolls. 'Evidence from the National Crime Agency shows there's a clear link between these obscene dolls and offences against vulnerable children, including the downloading of indecent images. 'Children need the law's full protection and we welcome further investigations and prosecutions into people who import these disgusting dolls.' The president of France, with the agreement of Germany, has called for the creation of a single eurozone finance minister who would exercise some authority over the budgets of all its member nations and the right to redistribute wealth between them. Yet the euro itself removes 19 widely divergent economies from market influences, does not incentivize good behavior or disincentivize bad behavior, and ignores the most important lessons of Western culture. The last oversight is the most important, according to Michael Maibach in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic. The history of power and its successful use since the Protestant Reformation and the American Revolution has been the history of decentralized and disaggregated power, of federalism, or the closest European analogue, subsidiarity, he writes in his essay, The euro: An economic and moral crisis. Maibach, who is managing director of the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding, describes how an economic union intended to advance free trade and free markets morphed into an increasingly centralized government that continually removes financial decisions further and further away from its members and their citizens. Maibach is well-versed in how business really works in Europe. He served as president and CEO of the European-American Business Council after working with Intel and Caterpillar. In his concise but expert overview, Maibach describes the tensions inherent in one currency, the euro, attempting to unite 19 economies at varying levels of health, from Germany (on one extreme) to Greece (on the other). All 19 nations pursue their own fiscal policies, which are to some extent insulated by this common currency. Maibach explains why this is problematic in detail. Among the most important of his insights, he writes: When the value of a nations currency becomes disconnected from the decisions of elected leaders, public accountability is lost, just as are the vital market signals related to the efficacy of those decisions. Good behavior such as thrift, industry, and efficiency is not rewarded and bad behavior such as profligacy, sloth, and poor decision-making are not discouraged. The eurozone has realized that having one currency directed by 19 separate national policies is not working. As a result, it offers its panacea of an ever-closer union. Maibach notes that the creeping, institutionalizing tendencies of any government work against the greatest force for human flourishing, the free market. Maibach, who also also attended the most recent Acton University, brings his peerless insight to bear on the proposed eurozone finance minister, the development of eurobonds, how the euro temporarily concealed poor economic decisions, and the cultural insights that should guide the thinking of people of faith. You can read his full essay here. (Photo credit: weekendpower. CC BY-SA 2.0.) Theresa May has denied trying to 'rig' parliament by taking control of powerful but little known committees. The government wants the Committee of Selection - which appoints MPs to scrutinise legislation - and other standing committees to have Tory majorities. But Labour has complained that by tradition the make up of the bodies are determined by the size of parties, and the Prime Minister did not win an overall majority at the election. The constitutional clash is set to be resolved in a showdown vote on Tuesday, with support from the DUP likely to be crucial. Theresa May, pictured watching the cricket at Lords today, has denied trying to 'rig' parliament by taking control of a powerful but little known committee Jeremy Corbyn claimed appointing a majority of Tories to the committee was an attempt to 'rig' parliament Downing Street dismissed criticism today, insisting the government commanded a majority 'on the floor of the House' thanks to the DUP deal. It was 'common sense' that the government needed to by able to legislate, the PM's spokeswoman said. The motion being proposed by Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom on Tuesday would change parliamentary rules so that 'where a committee has an odd number of members, the Government shall have a majority'. The Prime Minister's spokeswoman said: 'The Government has a majority on the floor of the House, therefore, it is perfectly legitimate that it puts to the House, and thereby MPs, that it should also have a majority in committees. 'These proposals will make sure that detailed technical and secondary legislation can be dealt with in committee as usual, rather than everything having to be done on the floor of the House which would significantly restrict the amount of business parliament can consider at this crucial time. 'These are common sense proposals. We want a system which allows the opposition to conduct effective scrutiny while giving Government a realistic prospect of getting its business through the House in a timely fashion. 'In practical terms, the Government's working majority at second reading, report stage and third reading will be at odds with the opposition's majority at committee stage. 'From our perspective this could mean the Government is forced to reverse the amendments made by a handful of opposition MPs at committee stage, through multiple divisions involving hundreds of members. The effect of this would be unacceptable delays.' Asked if the move was part of the confidence and supply deal with the DUP that props up the Government, the spokeswoman said: 'I don't believe so.' The row comes as the Government faces a fierce battle to get its Brexit agenda through Parliament, after the Tories lost their overall majority at the general election The row comes as the Government faces a fierce battle to get its Brexit agenda through Parliament. Opposition parties, and some Tory MPs, have expressed concern about the sweeping nature of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which they say gives too much power to ministers. Public bill committees - formerly known as standing committees - scrutinise legislation line by line in a low-profile but crucial part of its passage through Parliament. The proportion of seats allotted to each party mirrors their representation in the Commons, meaning that the Government is normally guaranteed a majority and is able to force its legislation through so long as it can avoid rebellions on its own side. If committee membership matched the make-up of the Commons, the Government could lose control of a vital element of the legislative process. The motion tabled by Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom for a vote next week will change the rules to ensure Conservatives have a majority on all the committees. It states that 'where a committee has an odd number of members the Government shall have a majority, and where a committee has an even number of members the number of Government and Opposition members shall be equal; but this instruction shall not apply to the nomination of any public bill committee'. Liberal Democrat chief whip Alistair Carmichael said: 'With every day that passes, this Government gets further from the basic principles of democracy. 'Next they want to pretend that the election never happened in order to try and ram through a destructive hard Brexit. It is an affront to democracy.' Jenny Marie Hill and partner Anthony Broadbent are in Varadero with no prospect of being flown out before the Category 5 storm is due to strike the island A disabled British mother and her partner claim they have been 'abandoned' by Thomas Cook as they are stuck on Cuba with no way of avoiding the destruction of Hurricane Irma. Jenny Marie Hill and partner Anthony Broadbent are in Varadero with no prospect of being flown out before the Category 5 storm is due to strike the island. Ms Hill, who has an artificial leg, also suffers with lupus and her sister says she only has enough medication with her for one extra day. There are several other British people, including 26-year-old Krystina Firth in Florida, who are desperately trying to get back home before Irma strikes. Their travel operator Thomas Cook has told the couple, from Bacup, Lancashire, to sit out Irma from their hotel rooms. Jenny's sister, Janine Hall, said she is afraid for their safety, but Thomas Cook said its passengers will be flown out tomorrow evening and advised they will be safe in their hotel if the hurricane strikes as forecast. Mrs Hall said: 'She has alerted the resort and there's a doctor on site but the doctor has said he cannot get the medication and she needs to get a taxi into town. 'There's no taxis going to town. If she runs out of meds the blood cells attack each other. 'She would have no immunity and the organs would shut down.' Former Disability England swimmer Ms Hill had been enjoying swimming with dolphins after jetting out to celebrate her 33rd birthday with Anthony. Scroll down for video Their trip has taken a sinister turn with other holidaymakers being evacuated on rescue flights, and the hotel being fortified with sandbags But the trip has taken a sinister turn with other holidaymakers being evacuated on rescue flights, and the hotel being fortified with sandbags. Mrs Hall said: 'Thomas Cook wanted her to wait it out until Saturday at least, but it's going to hit. At the moment we are just waiting. Virgin, Air Canada and all the travel operators have sent rescue flights. 'The rep appeared on Wednesday and said it will be fine, you can't fly on Friday but we'll get you home. 'I've had her on WhatsApp crying and telling me to tell her family that she loves them. It's like the Titanic - all the staff have left her. Krystina Firth pictured at Disneyland Florida before her desperate attempts to get out of the U.S. 'She was due to fly this evening Cuba time but they are saying it will hit Cuba on Friday night or Saturday morning. 'They've just abandoned them. The only advice they've been given is fill up the bath and sink because it will take out the water supply so you will be able to flush the toilet. 'She is struggling at the minute and panicking. It's very stressful..' Mrs Hall says her sister's hotel, the Bella Vista, is right on the sea, leaving them fearful of the potential of flooding as well as wind speeds still raging at more than 150mph. 'I contacted Thomas Cook Care and said 'why is my disabled poorly sister abandoned in Cuba with no contact?' she added. 'The place has been evacuated and she is still there. She said there's about 10 people left and they are all with Thomas Cook. The hotel staff are telling them not to worry. 'But she said the majority of staff are packing up and leaving so they're not leaving for nothing. Miss Firth and her travelling companions received a mandatory evacuation notice at their Miami Beach hotel and were given until noon to leave the island Hurricane Irma has caused 'enormous damage' to the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and is now heading towards Cuba and Florida 'They've put paper on the windows and there's been sandbags everywhere. 'She said they were going to move everybody to the middle of the island but all they've done is moved room. 'None of Anthony's family have Facebook or anything and phone calls cannot work so we are having to contact his family to let hm know that he is okay. 'She's having to pay by the hour for wifi. She's picking a time when she can get hold of family.' Thomas Cook said it was sending two planes into Varadero tomorrow, and insisted its service was not affected by a pilot strike. The company said it had 4,800 customers in Cuba, of which 1,738 in the Cayos area were moved to Varadero or Havana as a precaution. A spokesperson said: 'Air Canada has a very different situation - they are only three hours away so can send in short haul planes to evacuate. 'We travel across the Atlantic on long haul planes. Virgin had very few holidaymakers there. The British Virgin Islands, which saw houses reduced to their foundations and many roads impassable following the 'devastating' storm, has declared a state of emergency Irma is currently pounding Turks in Caicos with some of the strongest winds that any of the islands have seen yet 'Some pilots are on strike today for 12 hours but that has zero impact on our Caribbean flights and all of our flights are operating today - to all of our destinations, not just the Caribbean. 'We are sending two planes into Varadero tomorrow - that's a delay of 24 hours because of the Hurricane - so these customers will be flying out tomorrow evening. 'The safety of our customers is always our first priority. All of our hotels are built to withstand a hurricane, so our customers will be safe in their hotels. 'As mentioned above, customers who were staying in another area have been evacuated to Varadero as that is considered more safe.' Irma was first classified as a tropical storm on August 30 and rapidly intensified over the following days, becoming a category four hurricane on September 4. Then winds reached a peak of 130mph but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph. The hurricane is heading quickly toward Cuba and America's east coast, with Florida set for a direct hit The Turks and Caicos Islands government has declared a national shutdown as the Category Five storm continued to tear across the Caribbean, with life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge expected into Saturday. The British Virgin Islands, which saw houses reduced to their foundations and many roads impassable following the 'devastating' storm, has declared a state of emergency. Thousands of British tourists believed to be in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms. States of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida, where the storm is due to make landfall this weekend. Other Brits have also spoke of they were left with similar feelings towards their flight operators. Around 40 British tourists in Cuba have reportedly been told to sleep in the foyer of their boarded-up hotel in Cuba. Andrea Rawlinson, from Southport, Merseyside, is fearful for her daughter Gemma Doyle, who is on the island with husband Vincent Schofield, 45, and their ten-year-old son, Marc. She told the Sun: 'There is no plan in place for them. Nobody is helping English families.' Thousands of British tourists believed to be in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms Carolyn Forster-Richards, whose son Jack travelled there with TUI alongside his girlfriend, told the Sun: 'They're terrified and can't get out, unlike all the other nationalities who have left. It's ridiculous.' A TUI spokesman said: 'The health and safety of our customers, crew and destination teams is our main focus.' Meanwhile, another British holidaymaker is desperately trying to get out of Florida before Irma arrives and causes citywide devastation. Krystina Firth, 26, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has already had two flights from Miami cancelled and is hoping it will be third time lucky after changing her outbound airport. She was due to fly back to the UK this weekend but the journey was cancelled on Wednesday. She then booked another flight from Miami to London, which was due to fly on Monday, but this has also been cancelled. Krystina and a friend then booked another flight for 700 which is due to leave Orlando for London Stansted this evening. But they were finding it very difficult to get out of Miami because there are no seats available on trains and car rental companies have shut up shop. They managed to book seats on a bus only for that to be cancelled too, but they managed to find a driver who was willing to share a car. On Wednesday, she and her travelling companions received a mandatory evacuation notice at their Miami Beach hotel and were given until noon to leave the island. 'Our hotel provided us with addresses for shelters inland and bus pick-up locations if we need them - that is as far as the advice has gone really. 'I actually asked the hotel if it was possible to stay on Thursday night as I was struggling to get transport out of the city, and they advised me to go to a shelter. 'As they left the hotel, workers immediately began boarding up the windows.' Krystina, who works at Heritage in Lindley, said she had seen miles-long queues at gas stations and notices on shops saying they were out of bottled water. She added: 'It's been really difficult to get through to airlines. Any flight out of Miami today (Thursday) is more than 1000. A direct flight can be up to 8,000. 'In Miami, sand bags are being given out (10 bags per vehicle), gas stations are backed up, toilet roll is running out and people are starting to be picked up for evacuation. A Wisconsin grandmother and another adult have been charged with keeping the woman's 9-year-old girl padlocked inside a dog kennel. Racine County sheriff's deputies and social workers investigated a home in the town of Norway, near Wind Lake, after a teacher made a child abuse complaint Wednesday. Sheriff Christopher Schmaling says the grandmother, 47-year-old Gale Lalonde, and the owner of the property, 48-year-old Dale Deavers, are in custody on possible charges of false imprisonment, causing mental harm to a child and other felony counts. Grandmother Gale Lalonde, 47 (left), and Wisconsin homeowner Dale Deavers, 48 (right), have been arrested on charges of false imprisonment, causing mental harm to a child and others counts for allegedly keeping the woman's granddaughter locked up in a cage Fit for a dog: Deputies went to Deavers' home in Wind Lake Wednesday and located the kennel, which measured 4 feet 10 inches in height, 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width (pictured) Schmaling says the girl had been kept locked inside the wire cage. I was sickened at what I witnessed last night, said Sheriff Schmaling, This by far, is one of the most disturbing and heart-wrenching cases of child abuse Ive seen, it doesnt get much worse than this. The victim and a 10-year-old sibling have been placed into protective custody after Lalonde and Deavers' arrests. The grandmother was apparently the children's caregiver and deputies are trying to locate their biological parents. According to a press release from the Racine County Sheriffs Office, just before noon on Wednesday, deputies and caseworkers from the Racine County Human Services Department responded to an elementary school in Wind Lake for a child abuse report. An investigation has revealed that a nine-year-old girl was being held in a dog cage at night and occasionally during the daytime hours at her home in the Town of Norway, and that the kennel was padlocked to prevent the child from escaping, according to the sheriffs office statement. Deputies went to the home and located the kennel, which measured 4 feet 10 inches in height, 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width. NBC Chicago reported that the metal enclosure was outfitted with a makeshift cardboard floor and a couple of blankets. 'I wouldn't treat my own dog that way,' said the sheriff, who has three children of his own. According to investigators, on some days, the girl spent up to 12 hours confined to the cage, and according to officials, the ordeal had lasted for at least a week. Her older sibling was not kept in the kennel. A 70-year-old grandfather has described the horrifying moments after an angle grinder blade disintegrated and sliced through his throat. Retired sheet metal worker, Bill Coles, was working on a fence at his western Sydney property on Thursday when the blade separated from his power tool and severed his wind pipe. 'I honestly thought I was going to die,' he told Nine News. He explained how he contained the innards of his neck with his bare hands while waiting for help to arrive. 'I was just sitting on the concrete, holding my neck,' the retired pensioner recalled. '(I was) holding it shut, holding it really really tight.' 'I wouldn't like this to happen to anybody, it's really really bad.' Bill Coles, 70, has described holding his neck together with his hands after his wind pipe was sliced by a flying angle grinder blade at his Western Sydney home on Thursday Mr Coles was left with no choice but to feed himself through a tube after the blade disintegrated and severed through his throat When she discovered her husband, Jean also thought his fate was sealed: 'I thought he was gone,' she said. 'There was nothing I could do...nothing anyone could do.' Paramedic Brian Parsell echoed the couple's concerns, confirming that Mr Coles was incredibly lucky to survive the ordeal. Lucky to be alive: Mr Coles remembers thinking he was going to die while trying to contain the bleeding 'We actually needed to put the man into an induced coma so we could manage his breathing and look after his airway while he was on the way to hospital,' he explained. Mr Coles' daughter, Crystal, said she was just grateful she wasn't planning her father's funeral. Careflight, a critical care service, sent a helicopter to the address and landed in a nearby park at 9.15am - less than ten minutes after a call was made. Mr Coles' daughter, Crystal (above), said she felt grateful she wasn't planning her father's funeral Careflight, a critical care service, sent a helicopter to the address and landed in a nearby park at 9.15am - less than ten minutes after a call was made Paramedics said the man received deep cuts to his throat after an angle grinder blade disintegrated while he was fixing a fence at St Marys in Western Sydney A specialist doctor and paramedic on board treated him at the scene before he was placed in an induced coma and intubated to manage his breathing. He was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition. Mr Coles' treatment is ongoing and he's expected to undergo further surgery. North Korea says the United States will 'pay dearly' for the 'hysteric fit' that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threw this week after its illicit weapons test. The regime was responding to Haley's assertion that it was 'begging for war.' State-run Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, did not make a specific threat against the United States, according to Bloomberg. It merely said, 'The U.S. administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing.' North Korea says the United States will 'pay dearly' for the 'hysteric fit' that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threw this week after its illicit weapons test The ominous warning corresponds with a passionate speech that Haley delivered to the United Nations Security Council on Monday after North Korea conducted its sixth major missile test. The rogue nation claims to have developed a hydrogen bomb that can be attached onto a nuclear warhead. U.S. intelligence officials have said they are 'highly confident' that the dictatorship tested an 'advanced nuclear device.' 'Enough is enough!' Haley said Monday during an emergency Security Council meeting. 'The time for half measures in the security council is over. The time has come to exhaust all of our diplomatic means before it is too late.' In the meeting, Haley pushed voting members of the committee to 'adopt the strongest possible measures' against the government in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-un has not demonstrated an understanding of the responsibilities that come with nuclear power, she said. 'His abusive use of missiles, and his nuclear threats show that he is begging for war. 'War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited,' Haley warned. 'We will defend our allies and our territory.' The confrontational language sparked new fears that President Donald Trump is mulling military action. He said Thursday that war with North Korea is not 'inevitable' but it's 'something certainly that could happen.' 'I would prefer not going the route of the military,' Trump said during an White House news conference, 'but it's something certainly that could happen.' Trump boasted that the U.S. has 'new and beautiful military equipment' that it could deploy in a conflict with Kim. 'Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea,' he quickly added. 'If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea,' Trump said during the East Room event. President Donald Trump said Thursday that war with North Korea is not 'inevitable' but it's something that 'could happen' Trump boasted that the U.S. has 'new and beautiful military equipment' that it could deploy in a conflict with Kim Jong-un. 'Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea,' he quickly added This image distributed on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, by the North Korean government, shows Kim at an undisclosed location during a test of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb that's ready to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile Trump gave new life to the conversation about a war with North Korea if Pyongyang doesn't behave after a call with China's Xi Jinping on Wednesday. He told reporters as he was leaving the White House for a tax speech outside Washington, 'We will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea.' 'Certainly, that's not our first choice,' he said then in response to a shouted question about military action, 'but we will see what happens.' The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is keeping every option on the table as it grapples with the threat from a nuclear North Korea. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday after a briefing with Trump that the president wanted to know what his 'many military options' are to deal with Kim and his government. Standing in front of the White House, the United States' top general warned Pyongyang that threats to America or its allies would be met with a 'massive military response.' 'We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so,' Mattis stated. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said last month that war with the country will become 'inevitable' if Kim refuses to halt his nuclear weapons program. A reporter asked Trump to comment on that during yesterday's news conference. Graham is seen Thursday on Capitol Hill Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said last month that war with the country will become 'inevitable' if Kim refuses to halt his nuclear weapons program. 'If theres going to be a war to stop him, it will be over there. If thousands die, theyre going to die over there. Theyre not going to die here. And he has told me that to my face,' Graham said of his conversations with Trump on NBC's 'Today.' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the U.S. 'would like to sit and have a dialogue about the future' with North Korea, though. In a break with his Cabinet secretary, Trump said yesterday that the time for talking is over. 'We've had presidents for 25 years now, they've been talking, talking, talking,' Trump said Thursday. 'And the day after an agreement is reached, new work begins in North Korea, continuation on nuclear.' It was at that point in his remarks that Trump said he would 'prefer' not to take military action against Pyongyang but would if the circumstances warranted. 'Our military has never been stronger. We are in a position now, and you know the new orders. You see the numbers just like I see the new numbers. It's been tens of billions of dollars more in investment,' Trump said. 'And each day new equipment is delivered. New and beautiful equipment, the best in the world, the best anywhere in the world by far.' CBS' Major Garrett had initially asked Trump if he believes, like Graham, that war with Kim is inevitable. Garrett also asked Trump whether he would accept a nuclear North Korea so long as its program was kept in check. He brought up military action as a deterrence tool. 'Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable. It would be great if something else could be worked out. We would have to look at all of the details, all of the facts,' Trump responded. Pressed on whether he would settle for containment, Trump got testy. 'I'm not negotiating with you. Maybe we'll have a chance to negotiate with somebody else. But I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations,' the Republican, who ran a global business before he became president, said. 'I don't talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea's behaving badly, and it's got to stop, okay?' Trump sparked new fears about war with Pyongyang if it doesn't behave after a call with China's Xi Jinping on Wednesday The United Nations Security Council is discussing another round of sanctions for North Korea as punishment for a nuclear test it conducted on Sunday. China gave the effort a boost yesterday afternoon when it said was in favor of a new package. 'Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the U.N. Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures,' Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters, according to Reuters. The U.S. wants the U.N to impose an oil embargo on North Korea. China delivers more than 500,000 tonnes of crude oil annually to the increasingly isolated nation. North Korea get some of its crude oil from other countries, including Russia, which also sits on the U.N. Security Council, but the sanctions would mostly impact Beijing. China has resisted efforts throughout the conflict to cut North Korea off completely. It indicated yesterday, though, that it is ready to do more after a conversation between it's president, Xi Jinping, and Trump. 'We had a very good phone call. It lasted for a long time,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday after the phone call. 'President Xi would like to do something. Well see whether or not he can do it.' UFC fighter Dustin Ortiz gets kicked, punched and choked for a living. But Hurricane Irma, which knocked a slew of Caribbean islands into submission with its 185mph winds, was not going to make Ortiz cut short his vacation in the Bahamas. The 28-year-old mixed martial arts champ and his girlfriend were evacuated from the Bahamian island of Exuma and moved to the city of Nassau on Thursday. They are among the 1,000 tourists stranded in the nation's capital while they ride out the record-setting hurricane expected to hit on Saturday. The Tennessee couple exclusively told the DailyMail.com that they decided to stay put and will help with search and rescue missions in the storm's aftermath. Scroll down for video Dustin Ortiz, a 28-year-old UFC fighter, and his girlfriend Tara Phillips (pictured together) are hunkered down in the Bahamas while waiting out Hurricane Irma. They were evacuated from the island of Exuma and moved to the nation's capital, Nassau, on Thursday Ortiz, from Franklin, Tennessee, is on the island celebrating his latest win. He had the fastest knockout in Flyweight history last month. Pictured: Justin Ortiz in his record-breaking fight against Hector Sandoval During lunch at the Warwick hotel, Ortiz said he is on his first long vacation ever. He said: 'I started fighting soon after I left high school. And with the training and everything, I just don't go on vacation. 'I'd never left the United States until now. I went for a few weekends in Florida when I was younger, but this is the first real vacation of my life. And I intend to enjoy it.' At 5-feet, 5-inches and 125 pounds when he is in fighting shape, Ortiz has 17 wins for seven losses. He is ranked 11th in the UFC for his division. His last fight in August was a record-setting bout. He beat Hector Sandoval in the flyweight division in just 15 seconds, the fastest KO in UFC flyweight history. Ortiz and hairdresser Tara Phillips, his girlfriend, plan to make themselves available to search and rescue operations if Nassau were destroyed. Phillips said: 'For one thing, every flight out is booked solid. We're from Nashville and we can't get home. And then we talked about it this morning and decided to stay. 'We think God wants us to stay here. We're both young, in good shape and we'd like to help with the search and rescue efforts if we're needed.' The couple said they decided to stay, despite Irma hitting the island on Saturday. They said they'll help with search and rescue missions in the storm's aftermath Although the hurricane is expected to hit, spirits remain high as a carnival-esque party, called a junkanoo, enters the lobby at Warwick Paradise Island Bahamas in Nassau Pictured: A graphic estimating when Hurricane Irma slams into the Bahamas Ortiz and Phillips are some of the 1,000 tourists stranded in the city of 250,000 people after the airport closed late Thursday. Earlier in the day, jets chartered by the government of the 700 islands evacuated its southernmost towns and villages, such as Exuma, and flew about 1,000 people to Nassau, its largest city. When they disembarked, the evacuees were welcomed on the tarmac by Prime Minister Hubert Minnis. They then fanned out to the homes of family members, shelters in public buildings and churches, and to the few hotels that are still open. Ortiz says his plans were to spend nine days in paradise, two in Exuma and a week in Nassau's tourist hangouts. 'We went out to walk Thursday morning in Exuma,' Phillips explains. 'When we got back, there was a piece of paper glued to the door of our room telling us we were being evacuated within an hour.' After being evacuated from the Bahamian island of Exuma toward the nation's capital of Nassau this morning, the mixed martial art star (pictured) said he was staying put Ortiz and Phillips are some of the 1,000 tourists stranded in Nassau as the island braces itself for the hurricane to hit. Pictured: People waiting in line at the Nassau airport The junkanoo group wore colorful outfits and played trumpets as they put on a show for stranded tourists at the hotel Phillips described how islanders and tourists boarded planes in a calm and composed manner even if, she says, a few Americans caused a ruckus by trying to be first in line. Late Thursday, about half the hotels in Nassau were closing and shuttling guests to the last flights to the United States. At the brand-new, 1,800-room luxury Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the hundreds of slot machines in the cavernous casino fell silent and guests trickled out to waiting cabs. As he checked out, Fort Lauderdale resident Aldo Piscitello and his French fiancee Svetlana Colibonova said hotel staff didn't suggest alternative accommodations and advised them to go home. In Piscitello's case, he is leaving 11 days early, saying: 'My fiancee and I arrived last week and we were supposed to stay until the 18th. 'It's disappointing but what can you do? I understand. Safety comes first. I'm OK with that. Now, I'm not sure what I'm going to find in Florida since it's also on the storm's path.' Ortiz said he planned to stay because 'he never left the United States until now.' He added: 'This is the first real vacation of my life. And I intend to enjoy it' Fort Lauderdale resident Aldo Piscitello and his French fiancee Svetlana Colibonova said hotel staff didn't suggest alternative accommodations and advised them to go home (pictured) Josh Pool, the owner of a fish fry stand on Arawak Beach, said: 'We're used to hurricanes. I went through dozens of them in my 67 years. We'll be fine' In true island fashion, the preparation for a hurricane deemed the strongest ever in the Atlantic continued in a relaxed fashion in the British commonwealth. While busy, the grocery stores and supermarkets didn't feature the long lines and empty water shelves seen in Florida and gas stations were operating normally. The crews of a dozen mega yachts docked at the famous Atlantis Resort were busy engineering a complex system of lines to tie the ships in time for the expected storm surge. On Bay Street, the shopping district where thousands of cruise ship passengers would otherwise be spending their money in tourist traps, store clerks and contractors were boarding up the stores' windows and doors. Still, there was an ease to the preparations rarely seen on the mainland. 'We're used to hurricanes,' said Josh Pool, the owner of a fish fry stand on Arawak Beach. He added: 'I went through dozens of them in my 67 years. The roofs of our houses might fall off, and there's going to be floods. 'But the structures of our buildings are the best in the universe. All the houses are anchored into the ground. Solidly. We'll be fine.' Late Thursday, about half the hotels in Nassau were closing and shuttling guests to the last flights to the United States While busy, the grocery stores and supermarkets didn't feature the long lines and empty water shelves seen in Florida and gas stations were operating normally ISIS supporters are celebrating the deadly Hurricane Irma which they pray will 'drown the enemies of Islam'. As the deadly storm thundered through the Caribbean on Thursday, wiping out islands and ripping babies from their mothers' arms, thousands in Florida and Georgia fled their homes in fear of where it will go next. But Islamist fanatics embraced the disaster, paying no heed to the many mosques Irma threatens to take out along with the rest of its victims. On The Monotheist Page, a Facebook account which supports the terrorist group, one post on Wednesday said: 'May Allah drown the enemies of Islam and force them to their knees to be subdued.' ISIS supporters including the Facebook group The Monotheist Page celebrated Hurricane Irma on social media and prayed for it to 'drown the enemies of Islam' The post included several weather maps detailing Irma's strength and path which had originally been posted by the Media Studies Center. Another post, showing a birds-eye view of the hurricane's terrifying eye, was accompanied with the caption: 'Made duaa [pray] tonight that Allah destroy them, and shake them, and restrain their might to heal the hearts of the Muslims bombed in Mosul, Raqqa, and elsewhere!' One person described the might of the storm as 'the power of Allah'. Others said it was payback for the US which they said has 'destroyed' the cities of Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq and Syria. 'Destroy them, drown them, annihilate them,' the person continued. Their vile posts were the minority among thousands of other Muslims prayed for the safety of those in the storm's path. Others prayed for the hurricane to 'destroy' and 'shake' the US to 'heal the hearts of Muslims bombed in Mosul, Raqqa and elsewhere' One social media user said the storm was 'the power of Allah' and shared this satellite aerial view of its eye Another person, sharing a photograph of a traffic jam as thousands fled their homes in Georgia and Florida, said the hurricane was 'the reward' for 'crimes against Muslims' Trump critics meanwhile hoped coldly for the hurricane to hit his Mar-a-Lago estate, with some saying they would give it 'bonus points' if it took out the president with it. 'Dear God if you're up there, give us a sign. Like Irma only destroying Mar-a-Lago. Thanks,' said one Twitter user. Others were more violent in their wishes. 'I pray that Hurricane Irma makes landfall at Mar-a-Lago while Trump is there. Amen,' said one. Trump critics said they hoped the hurricane would wipe out his Florida estate and take him with it Trump's Mar-a-Lago home (above) faces destruction as Irma barrels towards the south east coast of Florida This is the path Irma is expected to take over the weekend. It is a Category 5 in the Caribbean to a Category 4 over Cuba and is expected to weaken to a Category 3 storm once it hits Georgia then gradually grows weaker into a Category 2 then 1 hurricane before becoming a tropical storm in Tennessee on Wednesday Another hoped for the entire first family to be hit. 'I would be pleased if Irma just hit Mar a Lago like a bullseye & leave the rest of the US alone. Bonus if #45 & family were there,' they said. Hurricane Irma has already claimed 18 lives in the Caribbean and threatens to kill more as it barrels towards the east coast of America. Mandatory evacuations are in place in parts of Miami, the entire Florida keys and on the Georgia coast. Irma started as a Category 5 storm but has since been downgraded to a Category 4. Thousands have been forced to abandon their homes in Florida and Georgia as Irma approaches. Above, traffic on the northpoint Interstate 75 in Georgia earlier this week as the storm ravaged the Caribbean A gun running duo caught with five revolvers and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in the City of London have been jailed. Michael Redford, 24, and 19-year-old Thomas Parish pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms and ammunition after police found the handguns plus 322 rounds of live ammunition in their car in March. The two men, from Farnborough in Hampshire, were driving southbound over London Bridge when officers attempted to pull them over. Michael Redford (right), 24, and 19-year-old Thomas Parish (left) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms and ammunition after police found the handguns plus 322 rounds of live ammunition in their car in March The two men, from Farnborough in Hampshire, were driving southbound over London Bridge when officers attempted to pull them over. Inside their vehicle were several guns and ammunition (above) The vehicle sped away from police, going through a red traffic light. When finally stopped, Redford got out of the car and ran towards London Bridge Station. He was later arrested at a caravan park in the New Forest on March 26. Parish stepped out of the car and was immediately arrested for failing to stop. Officers searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag under the passenger seat which contained a gun and bag containing 42 live rounds of ammunition. In the footwell they also found four more guns and two bags which contained a total of 280 live rounds of ammunition. Following the search Parish was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of firearms. During his police interview Parish denied knowing that there were firearms in the vehicle. He was arrested on suspicions of possession of firearms and taken to Southampton police station. During his interview he made no comment. In the footwell, police also found four more guns and two bags which contained a total of 280 live rounds of ammunition Parish and Redford's fingerprints were found on various guns and bags of ammunition which shows that they had been in direct contact with the firearms and were aware of them being in the car. Parish was sentenced to five years and Redford was sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court. Detective Inspector Sam Toprak, of City of London Police, said: 'Parish and Redford not only failed to stop for police officers, but they were then found to be in possession of an extensive amount of firearms and ammunition. 'The City of London Police does everything it can to ensure that dangerous people like Parish and Redford are forced to face the consequences of their actions.' He added: 'This sentencing should make others realise that it is not okay to drive around the City with guns and ammunition and we have a zero tolerance attitude to anyone that does.' A Walmart in Michigan on Labor Day became the site of a wild brawl in which a woman was hit in the head and pepper sprayed by three other female shoppers. The incident took place at around 9pm at the Walmart location on Mercury Drive in Dearborn, and on Thursday local police announced that they have been able to identify and track down all three suspects in the violent altercation. A statement from the Dearborn Police Department said investigators were working to determine what charges, if any, will be filed in this case agaisnt the women. As of Friday morning, their names have not been made public. Identified: The Dearborn Police Department in Michigan has identified these three women as suspects in a Labor Day assault on a fourth woman at a local Walmart Walmart throwdown: The incident took place at around 9pm at the Walmart location on Mercury Drive in Dearborn Police officers were called to the big-box retailer on Monday night after getting a call about an assault. When they arrived, they talked to a 35-year-old woman from Pinckney, Michigan, who told them that she got into a verbal spat with two women at the store. The war of words turned physical when a third suspect walked up to the Pinckney woman from behind and hit her in the head, according to police. As the victim stumbled forward, the third suspect took out a canister of pepper spray and sprayed her in the face. All three alleged assailants then fled the store. The 35-year-old Pinckney woman sustained minor injuries caused by the pepper spray, police said. The fight was captured on the stores surveillance video, which shows the victim a tall, thin woman with long hair confronting another woman in the right aisle A few seconds later, two women gang up on the victim, while a third strikes her on the head, The CCTV footage also shows a man in a white T-shirt coming between the brawlers One of the three suspects is seen in the grainy video using pepper spray on the victim Dearborn Police Lt. Gary Mann told Detroit Free Press the argument began after one of the suspect's young children nearly ran into the victim, after which words were exchanged. The fight was captured on the stores surveillance video, which shows the victim a tall, thin woman with long, dark hair, wearing a light-colored jacket confronting another woman. A few seconds later, two women gang up on the victim, while a third strikes her on the head, then uses pepper spray on her. The CCTV footage also shows a man who comes between the brawlers and pulls one of the attackers away from the victim. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in Dearborn, said Police Chief Ronald Haddad. I urge the public to come forward and provide us with the identities of these suspects. The incident in Dearborn took place a week after a woman shopping at a Walmart in Novi, Michigan, was caught on camera pulling a gun on another shopper during an argument over a notebook. Shuk Potter, 48, blamed 'sophisticated fraudsters' for the elaborate con which TripAdvisor insists was 'wholly unconnected' to the website A mother has issued a warning after she was scammed out of nearly 3,200 by a fake TripAdvisor account. Shuk Potter, 48, blamed 'sophisticated fraudsters' for the elaborate con, which TripAdvisor insists was 'wholly unconnected' to the website. Just a week before she was due to board a flight with husband Andy, 51, and their three children, Mrs Potter was devastated to learn the holiday was a fake. She had been counting down the days until the family were sunning themselves on the Algarve in Portugal, with close friends they had arranged to share a villa with. Her children, Jack, aged 13, Charlie, aged nine, and Emily, aged six, were buzzing with anticipation for splashing around in the pool. But after arranging the 12-day trip and sending 3,500 Euros by bank transfer to what she thought was a TripAdvisor holding account, Shuk became alarmed when her emails to the owner went unanswered. She emailed the travel website, which she had used many times before, and was distraught to learn TripAdvisor had no record of her booking. Mrs Potter said: 'Part of me feels stupid, but at the time we checked it out and it looked genuine. 'We got the accommodation sorted, and got an email saying the booking was confirmed. 'They said the dates were available, and the money would be put in a holding account until we had checked in, which is what the TripAdvisor policy is. 'There were reviews on the page, we even checked out the CEO.' She believes a sophisticated hack was used to find out what specifications the group needed, and to target them based on the information with imitation webpages. Mrs Potter added: 'Just because it's a big company does not make it 100 percent foolproof. 'We've been told the bank can't help. We were devastated. It was more than 3,000 down the drain. 'The kids know we managed to find somewhere else but they are unaware why. For me, it has really knocked my confidence.' Her children, Jack, aged 13, Charlie, aged nine, and Emily, aged six, were buzzing with anticipation for splashing around in the pool. They are pictured on a previous holiday The two families agreed to split the cost of a trip to coastal town Portimao and planned to pack in trips to the beach and outings to historic towns nearby. After trawling the internet, Mrs Potter stumbled across a luxury villa which seemed to tick all the boxes. It was modern, with a massive swimming pool and balconies overlooking a lush green lawn. The 12-day break was not cheap - it cost a total of 3,500 Euros - but the families decided it was worth the price tag. After booking an early morning flight, Mrs Potter sent off an email to the owner, to ask if they could get to the villa a few hours before the agreed check in time. After contacting TripAdvisor, Mrs Potter realised she had been scammed when the company emailed her back saying they never accepted payment by bank transfer. Pictured: The family on holiday But after a day passed with no reply, she was plagued by doubt. After contacting TripAdvisor, Mrs Potter realised she had been scammed when the company emailed her back saying they never accepted payment by bank transfer. She had been tricked by the domain names, which all looked legitimate, and the web pages which looked just like genuine TripAdvisor ads. Despite her bad luck, Mrs Potter counts herself lucky as they managed to find another villa so the flights and hire car which had been booked were put to use. She said: 'It wasn't even too good to be true - people always say that's the biggest give away. It wasn't even that cheap. 'People rely on the internet and it can destroy lives. We have bounced back from it but I still feel so stupid. 'In the end, we had a lovely time, it's a holiday for the kids as much as anything else.' 'There's a lot of people who don't even find out until they get there, and have to tell their kids they aren't going anywhere. Luckily we managed to avoid that.' The family, from London, reported the fraud to police but were not optimistic that they would have the money returned. Mrs Potter said: 'There is no-one out there to protect you from cybercrime.' A spokesman for TripAdvisor said: 'We were very concerned to learn of Shuk's experience, and our Trust & Safety team has completed a thorough investigation.' Pictured: The family on holiday A spokesman for TripAdvisor said: 'We were very concerned to learn of Shuk's experience, and our Trust & Safety team has completed a thorough investigation. 'We've confirmed that this scam was wholly unconnected to TripAdvisor, and our sites remain safe and secure. 'We have no record of Shuk using our sites throughout her experience. 'We don't know how or where this scam originated, but we do know that the 'TripAdvisor' pages and email address she communicated with were not authentic. 'We've asked the traveller for further information so we can report these fraudulent pages to the relevant service provider, and we've advised her to contact her bank and the police. 'Unfortunately, scammers are hard at work across the internet. This form of scam is thankfully rare.' Rush Limbaugh closed out his popular radio program on Thursday by announcing he would be off the air on Friday and broadcasting next week from 'parts unknown' as he and other residents of Palm Beach were ordered to evacuate before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida. That announcement came just two days after Limbaugh delivered a dismissive diatribe in which he downplayed the threat of the then-Category 5 storm, stating that reporting on the natural disaster had become 'politicized' and was being used to advance the notion the climate change is real. His Friday program was hosted by Mark Steyn. Gone girl: Rush Limbaugh (above hosting his radio show) has evacuated from his home in Palm Beach and will be broadcasting from 'parts unknown' next week 'May as well announce this. Im not gonna get into details because of the security nature of things, but it turns out that we will not be able to do the program here tomorrow,' Limbaugh said at the end of his show on Thursday. 'That will be in the hands of Mark Steyn tomorrow. But well be on the air next week, folks, from parts unknown. So well be back on Monday. Its just that tomorrow is going to be problematic.' He then added: 'Tomorrow it would be, I think, legally impossible for us to originate the program out of here.' There was no offer of an apology or any remorse however for the comments he made on Tuesday. 'There is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it,' said Limbaugh at that time. 'You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced.' His downplaying of the storm's threat immediately drew the ire of 'Today' meteorologist Al Roker. 'To have Rush Limbaugh suggest warnings about Irma are fake news or about profit and to ignore them borders on criminal,' wrote Roker on Twitter. He then added: '#shameonrush.' And in another tweet Roker wrote: 'Do not listen to @RushLimbaugh when he says #Irma is not a dangerous #storm and is hype. He is putting people's lives at risk.' Two strangers forced a delayed holiday jet to make an emergency landing after they boarded the plane drunk and caused havoc. Derek Root, 30, downed 10 shots of Jack Daniel's whiskey in the departure lounge after his flight from Glasgow to Alicante was delayed by three hours. When he finally boarded a passenger sitting nearby, Alexander Gray, 38, handed him a bottle of Jagermeister which he also started drinking. Derek Root, 30, downed 10 shots of Jack Daniel's whiskey in the departure lounge after his flight from Glasgow to Alicante was delayed by three hours. When he finally boarded a passenger sitting nearby, Alexander Gray, 38, handed him a bottle of Jagermeister which he also started drinking The pair soon began acting disruptively, with Root asking stewards if they 'wanted his c**k' before Gray was sick on the floor. They were subdued by staff and returned to their seats - where they promptly fell fast asleep as the plane diverted to Bristol Airport. Police swarmed onto the plane, where it proved 'very difficult to rouse' the pair and arrest them, Bristol Crown Court heard yesterday. Root was jailed for eight months and Gray was given a six-month suspended prison sentence after both admitted being drunk on an aircraft and being abusive to staff. Judge Michael Cullum told the pair: 'You were both completely drunk and must have known you were getting drunk, drinking whiskey after whiskey, pint after pint. 'What you did was absolutely abhorrent.' The court heard how Root, a refuse collector at 'Happy Bins', and Gray, a hospital porter, had never met before the Thomson flight on July 8 this year. Root was going on holiday for a week with his girlfriend and had only been on a plane once before. They were due to depart at 7am but the plane did not leave until 10am, by which time both men were drunk. By sheer coincidence, they found themselves sitting near each other - the first time they had met. Chloe Griggs, prosecuting, said: 'As soon as the flight boarded, the crew were in difficulties. 'Mr Root and Mr Gray were both complaining about the delay and after about 20 minutes a passenger approached the crew and said they were shouting, swearing and disturbing passengers. 'Mr Gray was in possession of an open bottled of Jagermeister and the crew removed it from him. 'Mr Root pressed all the call buttons and a cabin crew member came over. 'He told her to "go and f*** herself" and she asked for his passport. 'He responded "do you want my passport or my c***?" 'Mr Root's partner handed over his passport and he got up out of his seat and went towards the cabin crew member to grab his passport. 'He said "Give me my f***ing passport you c**t!" and she said "Don't touch me". 'Mr Gray was repeatedly banging the seat in front of him and was sick on the floor and seat beside him. 'He then began spitting at the seat in front of him and was shouting and swearing.' At this point the pilot made the decision to divert and make an emergency landing at Bristol Airport, some 400 miles after taking off. 'Cabin crew asked Mr Gray to put his seatbelt on and he said "Do you want to sit on me? You do it for me," Ms Griggs added. 'Mr Root and Mr Gray then fell asleep in their seats.' Police vehicles swarmed onto the concourse as the plane landed at 11.50am. They were subdued by staff and returned to their seats - where they promptly fell fast asleep as the plane diverted to Bristol Airport 'Police found it very difficult to rouse Mr Gray and he had spit running down his chin,' Ms Griggs told the court. 'He had to be forcibly removed from the aircraft. 'He was arrested and taken to hospital then the police station. 'Police could smell alcohol on Mr Root's breath and he appeared to lose consciousness.' In interview Mr Gray said he had been drinking since the Friday evening and could not remember anything. Ms Griggs continued: 'Mr Root said he remembered the plane being delayed and during that time he drank 10 Jack Daniels. 'He said Mr Gray offered him Jagermeister and downed that drink for about three seconds. 'But he said he didn't remember anything further until he was off the plane.' The plane was delayed by a further 90 minutes, costing Thomson 69,468 because of the redirection of planes, flight delays and other expenses. Both men pleaded guilty to one count of entering an aircraft while drunk and one of 'behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting and disorderly manner'. Root, of Edinburgh, sobbed as he was jailed for eight months and told he would remain on licence for 12 months after his release. He has previous convictions including assault, possession of an offensive weapon and resisting and obstructing the police, the court heard. He was also given a community order in 2015 for breaching the peace. Gray, of Glasgow, who has no previous convictions, was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. Sentencing, Judge Cullum told Root: 'Your actions were far more serious - you were sexually vulgar to the air crew that were trying to control the situation. 'At the age of 30 you should of course known a little better.' He added: 'Then you Mr Gray, at the age of 38, should have known ever better than to get drunk boarding a plane. 'You were so drunk that when you woke up in Bristol you thought you were in Spain.' A Croatian activist who claims he is not a fascist has been mocked online for sporting a Hitler moustache at his party's press conference. British academic Eric Gordy shared a picture of Marko Skejo at the Croatian Party of Rights press conference yesterday. The UCL professor captioned it: 'Just for fun here is a picture of a guy who says he's not a fascist'. Mocking: British academic Eric Gordy shared a picture of Marko Skejo at the Croatian Party of Rights press conference yesterday Marko Skejo at the Croatian Party of Rights press conference yesterday Hundreds of Twitter users replied with jokes of their own. One wrote: 'His lips say no, but his mustache says yes.' Another added: 'It's unclear whether this is before or after he was placed in Madame Tussauds'. And one cat owner shared a picture of his moggy with the caption: 'Just for fun, here's Randy who insists he's not a cat.' As well as sporting a Hitler moustache, Skejo wore a tie bearing the words 'Za dom spremni' which translate as 'for homeland - ready!' Former army commander Skejo, whose extra-parliamentary party has an ethnocentric platform, has previously been arrested while shouting the slogan an event marking Operation Storm, the last battle in the Croatian War of Independence in 1995. He was also accused of extremist views after praising well-known fascist politician Ante Pavelic, who died in 1955, as the 'greatest son of the Croatian people'. Pavelic carried out genocidal persecutions of minorities in Serbia including Serbs, Romani and Jews while leader of the Independent State of Croatia during World War II. President Donald Trump is urging the Republican-run Senate to get rid of a procedural hurdle that could keep his tax overhaul from becoming law. Trump opined this morning on Twitter that the filibuster rule is a 'Repub Death Wish' that's preventing them from fulfilling campaign promises. He also told his party to pass tax reform 'ASAP.' 'Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry!' The president's directives preceded a vote in the House this morning to fund the government and extend the nation's borrowing authority through the beginning of December. A compromise bill that includes $15.3 billion for hurricane relief efforts passed 316-90 with a shove from 183 Democrats. President Donald Trump is urging the Republican-run Senate to get rid of a procedural hurdle that could keep his tax overhaul from becoming law Trump enraged Republicans this week when he agreed to a set of terms for government spending offered by top Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. He took the Democratic leaders up on an offer to approve Harvey aid so long as the measure was attached to a continuing resolution to put the federal government on a glide path for three more months. GOP leaders were opposed to the plan. It was their preference that legislators raise the debt ceiling for another 18 months, past the next set of federal elections, and tackle the fiscal year 2018 budget separately. House Speaker Paul Ryan had gone so far as to publicly call the measure 'ridiculous' at a news conference. Trump shocked both political parties on Wednesday when he sided with Schumer and Pelosi. Ryan said Thursday that Trump wanted a 'bipartisan moment' in the face of menacing storms along the Gulf Coast. 'What the president didn't want to do is have some partisan fight in the middle of the response to this,' Ryan said. 'He wanted to have a bipartisan response and not a food fight on the timing of the debt limit attached to this bill.' The Senate approved the package Thursday and left town. They nearly doubled Trump's initial request for Harvey aid on top of what Trump and congressional leaders had already agreed on. The bill now awaits the president's signature. Trump aides say the president gave in to Democrats' demands because he wanted to 'clear the decks' for tax reform this fall. Trump opined this morning on Twitter that the filibuster rule is a 'Repub Death Wish' that's preventing them from fulfilling campaign promises. He also told his party to pass tax reform 'ASAP' A bold timeline has Congress marking up a bill in the tax-writing committees this month. The administration envisions the legislation moving through the House in October and receiving a vote in the Senate in November. 'We want America to wake up on New Years Day 2018 with a new tax system,' Ryan eagerly proclaimed on Thursday. For the bill to pass the Senate, Trump will need the help of eight Democrats. He has four in mind - Missouri's Claire McCaskill, North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp, West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Indiana's Joe Donnelly. The other four won't be so easy to come by. That's why Trump is pushing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to change the way the Senate operates. If the upper chamber got rid of a rule requiring 60 votes on the motion to proceed to debate on legislation, the party in power could approve legislation with a simple majority of 51 senators or 50 senators plus the vice president. 'Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen!' Trump said today in a two-part tweet. 'Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish!' The president's directives preceded a vote in the House to fund the government and extend the nation's borrowing authority through the beginning of December. A compromise bill that includes $15.3 billion for hurricane relief efforts passed with a shove from Democrats The appeal came in the context of his tax cut package and his unexpected deal with Democrats. Trump said in message that followed, 'Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP. Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry!' With other major legislative priorities on hold until December, when the continuing resolution lawmakers are passing today runs out, the legislative branch is free to focus on Trump's tax proposal. 'The major blueprint has been outlined it's going to go to the committees,' Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said yesterday on Fox. 'The committees will add to different parts of this, but we have a path to get this done this year and we're still very hopeful we can get it done.' Mnuchin said, 'That's the president and my number one priority at the moment.' A Cirrus SR20 airplane that went missing on Tuesday was found in a mountainous part of Wetzel County in West Virginia on Thursday around 2pm. Illinois married couple, Bill and Pat Searcy, were flying the plane with their dog from Georgetown, Delaware, to Fleming-Mason Airport in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. They did not survive. Bill and Pat Searcy of Illinois. The married couple were were aboard a Cirrus SR20 when it went missing Tuesday They were flying back home from visiting their son on the east coast, according to WPSD. It wasn't a survivable crash according to Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny. Delaware Coastal Airport Manager Jim Hickin said the FAA shows the plane departed that facility in Sussex County, Delaware, at 9.07am Tuesday, according to Theet.com. Hickin said the plane was expected to arrive in Kentucky at 12.15pm later that day. But the FAA said the plane went off the radar between 11.30am and 3.30pm Tuesday. The crash site of the aircraft is being guarded by local authorities as the investigation continues to find the cause of the crash, according to The News Center. 'The FAA will investigate, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause of the accident,' FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac told Theet.com. The Cirrus SR20 aircraft was equipped with a parachute. Authorities said the plane could have drifted up to 100 miles. Pat and Bill Searcy. The Illinois couple left Delaware around 9am Tuesday and their plane went off radar between 11.30am and 3.30pm Fellow aviators at southern Illinois airport described Bill Searcy as an 'aviation nut' who was a great pilot that loved to fly and joke around at the airport. Searcy had more than a thousand hours of flight time along with an excellent rating. They said the single prop 4-seater plane he was flying Tuesday was a fairly recent purchase, loaded with GPS technology and safety equipment, according to Wsiltv A Cirrus SR20 pictured above. The plane was a recent purchase for Bill but he more than a thousand hours of flight time The Cirrus SR20 airplane Searcy recently bought was new to Bill, according to Zac Fager, someone who worked on Bill's plane for seven years, but Zac doesn't believe it had anything to do with him and his wife disappearing Tuesday. 'There's never a prediction, there's so many different factors and so many things that could go wrong at any given time,' Zac told Wsiltv. 'I mean, you can only hope that whatever you get into you can recover from.' Zac told Wsiltv that Bill called him last week before he left asking about getting an oil change on his plane when he returned. Phil Gormley has been granted 'special leave' while two gross misconduct allegations against him are investigated. Police Scotland's chief constable is off work today amid fresh bullying claims. Phil Gormley has been granted 'special leave' while two gross misconduct allegations against him are investigated. Mr Gormley already faced a misconduct probe into bullying allegations but stayed in his job. A new complaint has now been raised by a member of the Force Executive - Police Scotland's senior management team. The team comprises officers ranked at Assistant Chief Constable and higher, the force's deputy chief officer and the director of ICT. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) confirmed on Friday it was investigating a new allegation of gross misconduct by the chief constable, in addition to one announced in July. Both complaints were referred to the organisation following an investigation by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the oversight body for the force. Mr Gormley, who denies both allegations, faced calls to temporarily stand aside when the initial complaint was revealed but remained in post until the second accusation emerged. Police Scotland's headquarters in Scotland. The claims against Mr Gormley will now be investigated He said in a statement: 'I have been notified by the SPA of a complaint made against me. This complaint originates from a member of the Force Executive. 'In the interests of the office of Chief Constable and the broader interests of Police Scotland, I have sought and been granted special leave to enable this matter to be properly assessed. 'I deny and reject the allegations and will co-operate with the SPA's assessment and procedures. It is my intention to resume my full duties when this matter has been resolved.' No information was given regarding the nature either of complaint, but if a serious breach of standards is found, Mr Gormley could face dismissal. The SPA confirmed it had agreed to Mr Gormley's request for a temporary leave of absence and said this will be kept under review on a four-weekly basis. Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone will take over leadership of Police Scotland until further notice, the authority said. Pirc said once each investigation is concluded it will submit a report to the SPA on whether the allegations should be referred to a misconduct hearing. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called for Mr Gormley to stand aside when the first Pirc investigation was confirmed. At the time, the SPA ruled that temporarily removing him from his post was 'not appropriate'. Mr Rennie said: 'It has taken too long but Phil Gormley has made the right decision to temporarily stand aside and I commend him on that. 'The investigation needs to be completed effectively and swiftly so that Police Scotland can move on. 'There is a lot to fix in Police Scotland and we need effective leadership to fix it.' A paraplegic teenager was found in a pool of her own blood after a pack of rats descended on her as she slept and gnawed off her finger tips. The rodents inflicted dozens of wounds across the 14-year-old's body as she lay in her bed on the floor, in Roubaix, north eastern France. Her father, known only as Jerome, made the horrific discovery. He initially thought his daughter Samantha had been the victim of a botched burglary. In a video posted by Closer Mag in France the girl's rather described the horror he faced when he discovered his daughter after the attack 'There was blood everywhere. I thought it was a burglary that had gone wrong. I thought she had been the victim of a cerebral haemorrhage,' according to Le Courier Picard. The distraught father said he had found her 'drenched in blood' with lesions on the face, neck, hands, legs, ears and nose. She suffered 45 wounds to her face, 150 across hands and 30 to her feet as she slept. He believed it was due to her condition that she had not been fully aware of what was happening to her. 'Because of her illness, she is less sensitive to pain than we are. She must have felt the rats get on her but she did not have the presence of mind to call us,' he said. Samantha is recovering in hospital and has received a number of vaccinations. According to her father her rabies test came back negative. Jerome has filed a complaint against his landlord over claims of negligence. He alleges a pile of rubbish in the driveway attracted the rats. The family has since been moved from the property. The public prosecutor's office in Lille opened an investigation for 'unintentional injuries by breach of a prudent or security rule', France Info reported. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says establishment Republicans want to 'nullify' the 2016 election and that Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell asked Trump's team to cut out talk of draining 'the swamp' in Washington. Bannon made the claims in an interview with CBS ' 60 Minutes' where he also said he was going to war against the current Senate GOP leaders from his new position outside the White House. 'The Republican establishment is trying to nullify the 2016 election. That's a brutal fact we have to face,' he said. Asked for an example, Bannon recalled one of McConnell's first meetings with Trump and his team in Trump Tower. Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon says Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said he didn't want to hear any more talk of 'drain the swamp' 'Oh, Mitch McConnell when we first met him, I mean, he was ... he said, I think in one of the first meetings in Trump Tower with the president, as we're wrapping up, he basically says, "I don't wanna hear any more of this 'drain the swamp' talk," Bannon said, in a telling that includes a few qualifiers. 'He flat out. He goes, "A guy up on Capitol Hill can't buy a Coke unless it's gotta be reported." McConnell continued, in Bannon's telling: 'He says, "I can't hire any smart people," because everybody's all over him for reporting requirements and the pay, et cetera, and the scrutiny. You know, "You gotta back off that." The "Drain the Swamp" thing was is Mitch McConnell was day one did not wanna did not wanna go there. Wanted us to back off.' Interviewer Charlie Rose told bannon he was attacking people needed to get things done. NULLIFICATION CRISIS: Bannon said the GOP establishment was trying to 'nullify' the results of the 2016 election 'WING MAN': Bannon said he would go after President Trump's enemies now that he has left the White House Steve Bannon's "60 Minutes" conversation with Charlie Rose is the former White House chief strategist's first extensive interview since he left the Trump administration. He said Republican leaders in Washington don't want Trump's 'economic nationalist agenda' implemented Bannon's reply: 'They're not gonna help you unless they're put on notice. They're gonna be held accountable if they do not support the President of the United States. Right now there's no accountability.' He continued: 'They do not support the president's program. It's an open secret on Capitol Hill. Everybody in this city knows it.' When he got asked who was trying to nullify the election, Bannon responded: 'I think Mitch McConnell, and to a degree, [House Speaker] Paul Ryan. They do not want Donald Trump's populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented. It's very obvious. ... It's obvious as night follows day. HOT IN HERE: Bannon says McConnell asked after a meeting with the Trump team at Trump tower to stop talk of 'drain the swamp' HE'S MAKING A LIST: Bannon also said economic advisor Gary Cohn should have resigned. Trump nominated Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, to serve in his administration as Transportation Secretary The network put out Bannon's comments, as political Washington was still reeling from Trump's surprise decision to cut a deal on hurricane relief, temporary government funding, and a debt limit increase with Democrats. If McConnell did press the Trump team on and ending what Trump calls the 'swamp' and its 'revolving door' politics, his plea wasn't entirely effective. One of Trump's early cabinet decisions was to appoint McConnell's wife, Sen. Elaine Chao, to be his cabinet secretary. She previously served as Secretary of labor, sat on boards of banks and life insurance companies, did a stint as a White House fellow and at the Peace Corps, A couple married for 75 years has been left baffled after two devastating hurricanes in the Atlantic were named after them. Harvey and Irma Schluter - aged 104 and 93 - said they 'don't know how' both their names ended up being attached to the storms. The Washington state couple met in the 1940s and lived through the Great Depression, Second World War, John Kennedy assassination and countless deadly hurricanes - though none has ever hit their Spokane home. Harvey and Irma Schluter - aged 104 and 93 - said they 'don't know how' both their names ended up being attached to the storms The Washington state couple met in the 1940s and lived through the Great Depression, Second World War, John Kennedy assassination and countless deadly hurricanes But speaking to the New York Times, Irma said it was 'really sad' that her namesake has smashed into the Caribbean and left at least 14 people dead. She added: 'I have no idea what I'd do; I've never been in that kind of a situation. 'I'd try and help some people, I don't know how.' Irma - a stay-at-mother to foster children throughout her life - said she can't remember ever being badly affected by extreme weather. Harvey, who served in the US Army during the Second World War, spent 45 years as a barber and enjoys playing the banjo. His hurricane namesake was the first major storm to reach the US mainland since Wilma in 2005. It led to mass flooding in Texas and other parts of the south as 30,000 people were displaced and 71 killed. Deadly: The storm has already killed at least 14 people Hurricane Irma is currently off the coast of Cuba as it makes its way towards the Bahamas and the USA The majority of Barbuda's buildings were flattened when Hurricane Irma battered the tiny island with a population of 1,600 on Wednesday. The storm is wreaking havoc in the Caribbean At least 71 were killed as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey which hit southeast Texas and the southern USA The reason their names were chosen for this year's deadliest hurricanes is because the World Meteorological Organization picks from a list of male and female monikers for Atlantic storms. Hurricanes that do not cause too much damage are used again six later - but if they are more serious, the names are retired. For this reason Harvey, which has been the name for six other storms since 1981, popped up again this year. The name beginning with 'I' usually given to hurricanes after Harvey is 'Irene' - but because 2011's Hurricane Irene was so devastating, the name was retired. Anjem Choudary's associate Ricardo McFarlane, 30, has been jailed over fake IDs - but an ASBO breach charge was dropped A Muslim convert who prayed with one of the London Bridge terrorists has today been jailed for six months for having false identity documents. Ricardo McFarlane, 30, was arrested after the bogus Spanish ID card was found inside the boot of his blue Nissan Micra when it was seized following a routine stop by police last July. He was seen with killer Khuram Butt in the Channel Four documentary Jihadi Next Door, which got 1.2million viewers when it aired in January last year - and banned from seeing hate preacher Anjem Choudary. McFarlane was due to face trial for breaching an ASBO that barred him from approaching members of the public in order to promote sharia law in March last year. The Muslim convert was also told to stay away from Choudary. But he and about 20 other men were accused of setting up a stall on Oxford Street in central London where they called for strict Islamic laws to be imposed across the UK. His trial could not go ahead as planned because the key witness in the case against him, a Muslim security guard from Topshop, called prosecutors to inform them he had flown to Morocco on a family emergency. Prosecutors would have had to prove that McFarlanes actions caused harassment, alarm and distress for him to be found guilty of breaching the ASBO. The security guard did not identify McFarlane, but gave a description that prosecutors claimed matched what McFarlane was wearing in CCTV footage from the scene. However, Southwark Crown Court heard today that the man had in fact left the country on a pre-booked holiday. Ricardo McFarlane, 29, prayed with London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt on Channel 4's the Jihadi Next Door, broadcast last year Prosecutor Alexander Goudie said today: This defendant faces two indictments. One for the single count of breaching the anti-social behaviour order and the second which relates to the possession of a false identity document. He has pleaded guilty to the identity document matter. The breach of the anti-social behaviour order matter was due for trial on 29 August, however a key prosecution witness contacted the Crown on the day of trial saying he was away on a family emergency'. McFarlane was filmed in Regents Park before Khuram Butt murdered eight people and left 48 injured in a horrific van and knife rampage with Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba on June 3. He himself was arrested and quizzed about the terrorist atrocity by anti-terror cops following a raid in east London days later. Mr Goudie conceded he was in no position to apply for another adjournment and there was no realistic prospect of conviction in the absence of the witness so offered no evidence. Admitting possession of the false document, he claimed to have intended to destroy his Spanish ID once he noticed the card, bearing his photo, was in somebody elses name but simply had not got around to doing it. Roy Headlam, defending, told the court that despite the affiliation there is no suggestion that he is engaged in terrorist activity or intended to cross borders in such a capacity using the bogus card. There is no suggestion he has attempted to use it for any purpose whatsoever, he added. He wanted an identity document, a Spanish identity document, with his picture and in his name to enable him to work in Spain. Once he realised it did not have his name he thought it was of no further use - hence why it was in the boot of his car. London Bridge terror attacker Butt knew McFarlane, who was accused of setting up a stall promoting Sharia Law but the prosecution was dropped when the witness left the country Judge Peter Testar remarked that all of this is very odd, particularly bearing in mind the fact that even on his own account McFarlane would never have needed the card in the first place. The fact of the matter is that even on his own account he has obtained a false identity card in order to use it to work and that is more or less exactly what defendants from abroad do with identity documents when they want to use them to stay or open bank accounts in this country, he added. They are sentenced to tariff terms of six months imprisonment in those circumstances and my decision is that this is the punishment which the defendant should receive on this indictment. Last month he refused to stand up for a judge who told him: This is not a court of religion. He had told a court usher he would not stand for any man prompting the retort from the judge. But Judge Martin Beddoe noticed McFarlane was not standing as he entered at Southwark Crown Court yesterday. Roy Hedlam, defending, said: Because of his religious beliefs he believes there is only one person who he should bow to. Judge Beddoe replied: That is as may be, but this isnt a court of religion, this is a secular court and it expects to be treated with respect. That isnt in breach of any religious principles Im aware of. McFarlane, of Walthamstow, northeast London, denied one count of breach of an ASBO and no evidence was offered. He admitted a second charge of possessing a false identity document and was jailed for six months. PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- After serving as the host of a one-day Cruisin' the Coast event, Pascagoula is stepping up to the big leagues by becoming one of Cruisin' official three-day venues. Cruisin' the Coast, now in its 21st year, is set to begin Oct. 1 across the coast. With three weeks still to go, officials are once again expecting record numbers for the event. Longtime Cruisin' chairman Woody Bailey said online registration ended with 7,118 registered Cruisers -- 435 ahead of last year's record pace. Bailey noted that of that number, about 1,200 will be first-time Cruisin' participants. "To be a 21-year-old event and have that many people coming for the first time, I think that's pretty unique," Bailey said. "That's pretty special for us, to have people hear about us and want to come down here even after 21 years." Current registrants come from 39 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Germany. Last year's record total attendance fell just short of 8,000, with 7,957. Bailey said they are planning for 8,500 this year. "Whether we hit that number of not we won't know until noon on Saturday (the next to last day of Cruisin'). Cruisin' the Coast has over the past two decades become the Mississippi's coast's premier event, drawing not only thousands of registered Cruisers, but hundreds of thousands of spectators from across the coast. Seven cities serve as official Cruisin' venues, hosting the event over three days Thursday-Saturday during the week-long event. Pascagoula was the latest addition to the rotation. "They're going all-in," Bailey said. "It's going to be throughout the downtown area." When they arrive at "Cruise Central" at Gulfport's Centennial Plaza, they are given punch cards to use each time they visit a different venue. Those cards are then used to conduct a drawing for a $500 cash prize. Bailey said Cruisin' the Coast is trying to "incentivize" Cruisers to visit Pascagoula by offering an extra $100 to the drawing winners if their punch card includes a trip to Pascagoula. "We're trying to encourage people to go to Pascagoula," he said, "because it's a little bit longer distance that the normal venues. I'm real pleased about Pascagoula and what they're doing this year. I'm hoping it'll be a real successful venue for us and them. Now they're an official venue, I think it'll work out well." While not official venues, both Gautier and Moss Point will again serve as hosts for one-day Cruisin' events after being Cruisin' "rookies" a year ago. Gautier has also stepped up its game by hosting a separate Cruisin' event, rather than lumping it in with the city's annual Mullet Fest, as they did a year ago. Moss Point hosted its first "Cruisin' On the River" last year and event proved wildly successful. "Before last year, Moss Point had never hosted, but a lot of people went and there was a big turnout," Bailey said. "We were really pleased and surprised by that." Ocean Springs, of course, remains one of the most popular Cruisin' venues, drawing more than 100,000 to the downtown area over the three days of the event. With disastrous Hurricane Irma tearing through the Caribbean and headed for South Florida this weekend, zoos and conservation centers have taken precaution in anticipation. The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida, has already begun moving smaller animals into facilities that served as hurricane shelters on Wednesday, according to Communications Director Naki Carter. 'Our goal is to have all the animals safe and sound and moved to their appropriate locations by [Friday] night, with a final walk-through of the zoo on Saturday,' she said to NBC News. The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida, has already begun moving smaller animals into facilities that served as hurricane shelters on Wednesday, according to Communications Director Naki Carter This is the path Irma is expected to take over the weekend. It is a Category 5 in the Caribbean to a Category 4 over Cuba and is expected to weaken to a Category 3 storm once it hits Georgia then gradually grows weaker into a Category 2 then 1 hurricane before becoming a tropical storm in Tennessee on Wednesday The uncertainty of how severe the Hurricane will be leaves a lot of the facilities playing the waiting game to determine what best to do with the animal. Irma is expected to hit the region by Sunday morning She added that the zoo's tiger, jaguar, bear and Komodo dragon already live in habitats that double as hurricane shelters and would be staying where they are. 'They will be locked inside of those shelters before the storm comes,' she said, adding that they'll have a storm team monitoring. Based in the zoo's Animal Care Center, the largest hurricane shelter on the grounds, the team will be comprised of six people and will stay on sight during the storm. She said: 'That is our command center, that is also our surgery and triage center.' With more than 150 animals, 30 percent have been relocated to the Animal Care Center already. That includes birds, smaller mammals, howler monkeys, dingoes and turtles With more than 150 animals, 30 percent have been relocated to the center already. That includes birds, smaller mammals, howler monkeys, dingoes and turtles. Zoo Miami put out a statement on Wednesday saying that they don't evacuate animals in response to hurricanes 'since hurricanes can change direction at the last minute and you run the risk of evacuating to a more dangerous location' The director added that the zoo has about ten days of food on the ground for the smaller animals, having about a month's worth for the larger animals. She also said that they have made arrangements for more food. Windows were boarded up and there were also hurricane shutters and proofed glass put in throughout the zoo, 23-acres. 'We are prepared for the worst and hopeful for the best, we are preparing for a Category 5 to make direct impact with our zoo,' she said. Zoo Miami put out a statement on Wednesday saying that they don't evacuate animals in response to hurricanes 'since hurricanes can change direction at the last minute and you run the risk of evacuating to a more dangerous location.' 'Furthermore, the stress of moving the animals can be more dangerous than riding out the storm,' the zoo said on its Facebook page. The statement added more dangerous will be placed in secure night houses made of concrete and that this isn't first time the animals have had to brace for a hurricane, with Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Floyd both having hit the area. The statement added more dangerous will be placed in secure night houses made of concrete and that this isn't first time the animals have had to brace for a hurricane, with Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Floyd both having hit the area. Photo from Hurricane Floyd Miami will experience the first wave of the storm by Sunday morning. Dr. Paul Reillo, founder and president of the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee, said on Thursday that they would ride out the storm to keep their animals safe. 'We're with them every step of the way,' he said. 'You can't crate them and walk away our prime directive is to save lives here.' Depending on the path of the storm, the foundation would spend late Friday into early Saturday bringing smaller animals inside but they have already boarded up the structures. However, some of their larger animals will have to ride out the storm, according to Reillo. Dr. Paul Reillo, founder and president of the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee, said on Thursday that they would ride out the storm to keep their animals safe Depending on the path of the storm, the foundation would spend late Friday into early Saturday bringing smaller animals inside but they have already boarded up the structures 'We have large African antelope here and unfortunately they cannot be caught up and put in small spaces they're out in their environment and hopefully they'll hunker down and be fine,' he added. He also stated that many zoos and centers can't evacuate animals due to their large numbers being too hard to accommodate. 'The animals in our care are endangered species, they require very special care facilities are not provisioned to do that on normal day, much less in an emergency,' he said. 'We're kind of stuck with riding these things out.' However, some of their larger animals will have to ride out the storm, according to Reillo But the uncertainty of how severe the Hurricane will be leaves a lot of the facilities playing the waiting game. 'A mile or two can make a huge difference for a wildlife facility, and it's not just the stress on the animals of catching them up, but then realizing you have to have enclosures to release them into after the storm passes,' he said. Reillo added that the zoos and centers across the region would help each other, too. 'We work as team and do whatever we can to save lives,' he said. 'It's our life's work, it's not about the people this is bigger than us. 'It's about believing that wildlife deserves a chance for the future, we should do all we can to prevent extinction.' A thug who kicked a nurse in the face after saying she had 'no right to live' because she was wearing shorts during Ramadan has been jailed for three years in Turkey. Security guard Abdullah Cakiroglu was caught on CCTV kicking Aysegul Terzi, 24, on a bus in Istanbul. He screamed 'those who wear shorts must die' before the vicious assault in September last year. Security guard Abdullah Cakiroglu was caught on CCTV kicking Aysegul Terzi, 24, on a bus in Istanbul Cakiroglu was today jailed for three years and 10 months for 'preventing the practice of freedom of faith, thought and opinion' and deliberately causing injury. His victim told Turkish TV: 'I am often crying, I often find myself angry, I am often feeling like someone is about to attack me.' The thug attacked 24-year-old Aysegul Terzi (pictured), who works as a nurse At the time, Cakiroglu admitted to local media the assault 'was not right' and said he was suffering from a mental illness, having previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The incident galvanised public opinion in Turkey, which is officially a secular country, prompting street protests with the slogan: 'Do not touch my shorts!' Protesters said they were showing solidarity with Miss Terzi. Saadet Yesil, a 44-year-old accountant at a protest last year, said everyone had a right to dress as they saw fit. 'Just as we don't interfere with those in headscarves or gentlemen in turbans, we expect they extend us the same courtesy,' she said. She also accused Turkey's prime minister, Binali Yildirim of the Islamist AKP, of attempting to downplay the attack. Akin Ozcan Aksoy, a 21-year-old student, said 'the direction our country is headed makes me think we will encounter more of these stories'. Boris Johnson played down rising tensions with the EU over Brexit today, saying he had 'rock solid' confidence that a deal would be struck. The Foreign Secretary insisted it was not 'beyond the wit of man' to find solutions for problems such as the future of the Irish border. Relations with the EU have reached a new low after commission president Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis for lacking 'stability and accountability' at an official Brussels meeting. Scroll down for video The Foreign Secretary played down rising tensions with the EU as he joined British troops on exercises in the eastern European state Mr Johnson went for a ride in a Challenger tank in Tapa, wearing full army camouflage gear over his suit and tie The Foreign Secretary, who has a habit of grabbing military kit during photo opportunities, seemed to be relishing his experience in the tank. He even had his name emblazoned on the camouflage jacket The EU parliamentary's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt ramped up the rhetoric again today Mr Juncker has claimed the Brexit Secretary is threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an 'apparent lack of involvement'. The official record was published as Mr Davis opened the first day of a crucial debate in Parliament on passing Brexit laws. The EU parliamentary's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt ramped up the rhetoric again today be accusing the UK government of 'poisoning the diplomatic well' with tough proposals on immigration. But asked a visit to Estonia this morning whether he had confidence in Mr Davis reaching a deal, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'Absolutely, with rock solid confidence.' He also dismissed Brussels' stance that trade terms can only be considered after the divorce terms are settled. 'Article 50 makes it very clear that the discussion about the exit of a country must be taken in context with discussion of the future arrangements. And that's what we're going to do,' he said. Referring to the question of the Irish border, Mr Johnson said: 'I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man. 'We've had a common travel area between the north and the south of Ireland for getting on for a century and we're going to continue to make that work.' Mr Johnson took the helm of a tank and met an unlikely doppleganger in the form of an army sniper during his visit to Estonia today. The Foreign Secretary went for a ride in a British Challenger tank wearing army fatigues over his suit and tie. Mr Johnson also met troops from Fire Support Company, 5 Rifle Snipper Platoon, who are deployed in Tapa Mr Johnson pulled the helmet down firmly on his head before the tank started moving The Union flag was flying on the Challenger tank as it raced across the ground in Estonia The Russian embassy took to Twitter to ridicule Mr Johnson for his photo op, saying his Moscow counterpart Sergei Lavrov did not need to carry out such stunts And he appeared to see the funny side when he came face to face with a soldier whose camouflage gear bore an uncanny resemblance to his own famously tousled locks. UK troops are in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression. The records revealed Mr Juncker, who has been forced to publicly deny claims he is an alcoholic, slammed Britain's chief negotiator at a meeting in July with Michel Barnier, the EU's representative in the talks. Mr Barnier today tried to play down the reports at a press conference minutes after the shocking comments were made public for the first time. Mr Davis has faced criticism for not attending every day of the face-to-face negotiating sessions. Last week he returned to London on Monday night following a brief welcome and returned on Thursday for a press conference. Mr Juncker's comments emerged as Mr Barnier released a raft of new papers setting out the EU's negotiating position on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, intellectual property rights, public procurement and data protection. This was the scene of devastation after buildings were reduced to rubble in a town where 17 people were killed in one of Mexico's biggest ever earthquakes. Homes and businesses were laid to waste as fierce 8.1-magnitude tremors rattled Juchitan in Mexico's Oaxaca state. Sections of the town hall, a hotel and a bar collapsed and authorities say there are still people trapped under rubble at least 17 have died. Eerie footage taken the morning after the earthquake struck shows how entire streets were destroyed while video taken in its immediate aftermath show rescue workers desperately searching for victims. Footage captures the scene of devastation after buildings were reduced to rubble in a town where 17 people were killed in one of Mexico's biggest ever earthquakes Homes and businesses were laid to waste as fierce 8.1-magnitude tremors rattled Juchitan in Mexico's Oaxaca state Video from Juchitan showed rescuers moving injured people into ambulances in the immediate aftermath of the disaster Luis Felipe, the federal civil protection coordinator, told Televisa TV that there are still 'collapsed houses with people inside'. At least 61 people were killed after a massive 8.1 magnitude earthquake, one of the biggest recorded in Mexico, struck off the country's southern coast late on Thursday. The quake was apparently stronger than a devastating 1985 temblor that flattened swathes of Mexico City and killed thousands, but this time, damage to the city was limited. A number of buildings suffered severe damage in parts of southern Mexico. Some of the worst initial reports came from the town of Juchitan in Oaxaca state. In downtown Juchitan, the remains of brick walls and clay tile roofs cluttered streets as families dragged mattresses onto pavements to spend a second anxious night sleeping outdoors. Some were newly homeless, while others feared further aftershocks could topple their cracked adobe dwellings. Alejandro Murat, the state governor, said 23 deaths were registered in Oaxaca. A spokesman for emergency services said seven people were also confirmed dead in the neighboring state of Chiapas. Earlier, the governor of Tabasco, Arturo Nunez, said two children had died in his state. Sections of the town hall, a hotel and a bar collapsed and authorities say there are still people trapped under rubble at least 17 have died Eerie footage taken the morning after the earthquake struck shows how entire streets were destroyed The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 8.1 magnitude quake had its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, 54 miles (87 km) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the impoverished southern state of Chiapas, at a depth of 43 miles. Rescue workers labored through the night in badly affected areas to check for people trapped in collapsed buildings. Windows were shattered at Mexico City airport and power went out in several neighborhoods of the capital, affecting more than one million people. The cornice of a hotel came down in the southern tourist city of Oaxaca, a witness said. The tremor was felt as far away as neighboring Guatemala. The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Mexican television showed images of the sea retreating about 50 meters, and authorities evacuated some coastal areas. President Enrique Pena Nieto said the tsunami risk on the Chiapas coast was not major. 'We are alert,' he told local television. This image, taken on September 8, shows two men inspecting the damage caused by the 8.2 magnitude earthquake Luis Felipe, the federal civil protection coordinator, told Televisa TV that there are still 'collapsed houses with people inside' The town of Juchitan was left in ruins after the earthquake struck at a 11.49pm last night Juchitan in Oaxaca was particularly badly hit with 17 killed during the earthquake. This was the scene as one building collapsed on to its side in the town Aftermath: This was the scene in a shopping centre in Juchitan, southern Mexico after it was violently shaken by the earthquake overnight. At least 17 have been killed in the town More aftershocks were likely, the president said, advising people to check their homes and offices for structural damage and for gas leaks. The USGS reported multiple aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.7. Classes were suspended in most of central and southern Mexico on Friday to allow authorities to review damage. There was no tsunami threat for American Samoa and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System. The national disaster agency of the Philippines put the country's eastern seaboard on alert, but no evacuation was ordered. People in Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, ran out into the streets in pajamas and alarms sounded after the quake struck just before midnight, a Reuters witness said. Helicopters buzzed overhead a few minutes later, apparently looking for damage to buildings in the city, which is built on a spongy, drained lake bed. A man walks over the rubble of a ruined building in Juchitan in a photograph taken on September 8 Mexico's most powerful earthquake in a century killed at least 61 people. Pictured: Destruction in the town of Juchitan on September 8 Mexican Navy members walk amid debris of the Town Hall building which partially collapsed following an 8.2 magnitude earthquake in Juchitan Entire buildings were reduced to rubble as the earthquake rattled southern Mexico. This was the seen in one of the worst-hit placed - Juchitan in Oaxaca A massive 8.1 earthquake has struck 60 miles off the coast of Mexico and was felt across the country 'I had never been anywhere where the earth moved so much. At first I laughed, but when the lights went out, I didn't know what to do,' said Luis Carlos Briceno, an architect, 31, who was visiting Mexico City. 'I nearly fell over.' In one central neighborhood, dozens of people stood outside after the quake, some wrapped in blankets against the cool night air. Children were crying. Liliana Villa, 35, who was in her apartment when the quake struck, fled to the street in her nightclothes. 'It felt horrible, and I thought, 'this (building) is going to fall.'' State oil company Pemex said it was still checking for damage at its installations. Pena Nieto said operations at the Salina Cruz refinery in the same region as the epicenter were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure. (Repoorting by Mexico City Bureau, additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in the Philippines; Editing by Larry King and Bernadette Baum) Jon Vincent, 45, was sentenced to two years of federal prison for Social Security fraud and identity theft on Thursday in Philadelphia A fugitive on the lam from a Texas prison sentence has been sentenced to jail after stealing the identity of a deceased baby and living under the false name for 20 years. Jon Vincent, 45, was sentenced to two years of federal prison on charges of Social Security fraud and identity theft on Thursday in Philadelphia, after living as Nathan Thomas Laskowski for two decades. Since 1996, when Vincent absconded from parole under threat of returning to jail, he has married twice, had twin girls, and had settled in the Philadelphia suburbs where he worked as a nurse's aide. Handing down the sentence, US District Judge Jan E. DuBois observed that the case was 'the stuff of which short stories - even perhaps longer stories - are written,' the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The strange saga of Jon Vincent's double lives began in 1991, when he was convicted of indecency with a child and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Further details of the case were not immediately available, but the Texas law covers both molestation and indecent exposure with a child younger than 17 years. Vincent was paroled halfway through his sentence, and was sent to live in a halfway house. 'I went somewhere I wasn't supposed to go to which they wanted to violate may parole so I ran,' Vincent wrote in a signed confession. 'I was told by a step dad of mine about how to change one identity so I did it and it worked.' Vincent is seen in a 1991 booking photo from his arrest in Texas Vincent got his new identity from the gravestone of Nathan Laskowski, who died just two months old in 1972 and is buried at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Texas. Chillingly, he called the parents of the deceased baby under some pretense, and gathered enough information to get a replacement birth certificate and Social Security card under the stolen name. On Thursday, the parents, Margaret and Thomas Laskowski, made the trip from Texas to appear at Vincent's sentencing hearing. 'To claim that this crime tore open a wound long healed would most certainly be a lie, because we will always miss our son,' Margaret Laskoski said. 'That that stranger actually lingered over our child's grave - over our very sacred place - leaves an unfathomable ache.' 'That that stranger actually lingered over our child's grave over our very sacred place leaves an unfathomable ache.' Vincent, now a family man who has turned to religion in the Seventh-Day Adventist church in recent years, was remorseful and repentant in court. 'As a father now, I understand how precious kids are,' he said. 'When I did this, I didn't have a clue. I never meant to harm anyone.' His crimes came to light by chance, when a relative of the Laskowskis noticed that 'Nathan Laskowski' appeared on Ancestry.com as married with children, despite having died as an infant. Thomas Laskowski, the father of baby Nathan, wondered about the other unintended victims of Vincent's crime: 'What will happen to all the wives and children who now have our last name?' After Vincent completes his federal sentence for identity theft, he will be returned to Texas to finish the sentence he absconded from. Security experts say it is a 'matter of time' before ISIS start using commercial drones to bomb cities in Europe and in the United States. Jihadists could use quadcopters, a type of drone widely available to buy online, and often used by photographers to film or capture images from the air, and mount bombs on them, a leading terrorism official warned today. The warning came during a security summit in Washington DC on Friday, where winning the global war on Islamist terrorism was compared to trying to 'boil the ocean'. Dangerous toy: Security experts warned that ISIS jihadists could use commercially available camera drones - quadcopters - to carry light bombs (stock image) Top intelligence officials from Britain, Canada and Germany are giving their assessments of the threat from global terrorism at the Intelligence & National Security Summit 2017 in Washington DC. Friedrich Grommes, a top terrorism official with Germany's intelligence service, said drones could be the next step in ISIS's terror attack tactics, even if the commercially available drones are too small to carry any larger bombs. 'I understand that an openly available drone, such as a quadcopter, which is able to hold a camera, can drop some dirty explosive device,' Grommes told McClatchyDC. He added that the contents of the bomb is likely to be 'something which is poisonous. It could be a chemical or whatever is commercially available.' Speaking at the conference earlier on, Grommes had pointed out that the most recent attacks in Europe have been carried out by lone wolves who were inspired, but not directed by, militant groups. Lone wolves: ISIS has long been urging its jihadist supporters to use everyday items to inflict terror on Western nations He said as early as 2010, ISIS leaders were calling for these so-called 'leader-less jihad' attacks., and even then pushing for simplistic attacks with everyday items like knives, rather than complex ones that are more easily discovered and foiled. In recent years, several deadly terror attacks have been carried out using this specific strategy by renting large vehicles and cars and driving into crowds of people in public spaces, before using knives to kill or inflict injuries. Just last month, 13 people died and some 130 were injured when Islamist terrorists drove a white van down Barcelona's popular shopping street Las Ramblas. Also speaking at the event, Nick Rasmussen, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, said countering Islamic extremism globally is a nearly impossible task - like trying to 'boil the ocean.' Instead, the U.S. needs to be more hands-on at home and do a better job sharing threat information with local officials, he said. Ben Trane is charged with third-degree sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child endangerment The former owner of an Iowa boarding school coerced a teenager into a sexual relationship and made others undress for his arousal. Former Midwest Academy owner Benjamin Trane, 37, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse, sexual exploitation by a counselor and child endangerment. Investigators raided the Keokuk, Iowa, campus in January 2016 to investigate complaints that students faced physical, mental and sexual abuse. Trane coerced one 17-year-old student to engage in sex acts in order to advance in the program and be allowed to contact relatives, according to investigators. Trane also allegedly had other students undress for 'body image therapy' sessions he led, and kept students in isolation boxes for days or weeks at a time. Midwest Academy in Keokuk, Iowa, closed its doors in January 2016 Trane, 37, allegedly had students undress for 'body image therapy' sessions he led, and kept them in isolation boxes for days or weeks at a time. He is pictured above in a booking photo Twenty-eight students were assessed by child-abuse investigators during the two-day raid in January. A 19-month investigation into abuse allegations at the private, for-profit boarding school Trane operated in Keokuk ended Thursday when Trane turned himself in. The tough-love school for troubled youths closed in January 2016. It had about 100 students from mostly well-off families and 60 staff members. Brussels has begun to ramp up its efforts to combat the escalating number of migrants entering the area, after fears the EU capital could become the new 'Jungle'. Around 50 people were arrested during the Belgian police's first wave of checks carried out on the hundreds of refugees setting up camp in Maximilian Park in Brussels this week. 'We want to avoid a tents camp as in Calais, the local and federal police will check more often and at different times of the day,' said Interior minister Jan Jambon, according to local media. Scroll down for video Nearly 50 refugees have been arrested in the first round of police checks as Brussels attempts to combat growing numbers. A video from Ruptly shows the living conditions in the park 'We don't want the Calais 'Jungle' in Brussels,' interior minister Jan Jambon said, warning police patrols would be stepped up He said police are now carrying out daily patrols and they are also focusing their efforts towards detecting people traffickers in the same way. 'The police are now carrying out daily patrols in Maximilian Park, but the often migrants have disappeared because they know the police are coming. We are also trying to detect traffickers in the same way.' 'We don't want the Calais 'Jungle' in Brussels,' Jambon told Belgium media, warning that police checks would be carried out throughout various times of the time in a bid to turn back undocumented migrants. Eleven unaccompanied children were among the 44 migrants arrested by police on Wednesday morning, according to The Brussels Times. The fate of the individuals led away by police is now in the hands of Belgian immigration services. Hundreds of migrants are sleeping near Brussels' main train station sparking fears in the EU capital of a new 'Jungle', similar to the dismantled camp in Calais Young men spend their evenings in the park, hanging laundry from playground fences, but by dawn the Maximilian Park will mostly return to normal, as the migrants head into the railway station or continue their journey north On Tuesday the interior minister Tweeted that police checks would be stepped up. 'Government tackles situation Maximilian park firm. There are also more intense police checks. Illegal situation we can not tolerate,' he said. Regering pakt situatie Maximiliaanpark kordaat aan. Er komen ook intensere politiecontroles. Illegale situatie kunnen we niet tolereren. https://t.co/uEF0aQJzxG Jan Jambon (@JanJambon) September 5, 2017 Hundreds of young, mostly Sudanese and Eritreans, migrants have been sleeping in Maximilian Park, near the Gare du Nord station where trains depart for Belgium's North Sea coast. As in the French port of Calais, the dream for most here is getting to Britain. The young men, gathered just two miles from European Union headquarters, have survived a long and dangerous journey - through North Africa, across the Mediterranean and the gauntlet of police checks set up to catch them throughout southern Europe. Volunteers for the Belgian Red Cross and NGO Belgium Kitchen, who spend their evenings handing out meals, sleeping bags, blankets and clothes, said policeare increasingly harassing the refugees. NGO Belgian Kitchen founder Yassine Haj Idrissi also told reporters the number of people they cook for each night has swelled from an average of 250 to up to 650 Eleven unaccompanied children were among the 44 migrants arrested by police on Wednesday morning They confiscate not only the migrants belongings, but also their documents, phones, as well as things NGOs give them, like sleeping bags, backpacks, blankets, even clothes, Magali Clerbaux of the Belgian Red Cross told EuroNews. Belgian Kitchen founder Yassine Haj Idrissi also told reporters the number of people they cook for each night has swelled from an average of 250 to up to 650. Responding to the news, angry Twitter user @x_julieandrews posted: 'Hypocrisy, Brussels don't want the African migrants setting up camp there. Yet they're quite happy to force them on everyone else.' Staff at a Chinese psychiatric hospital have been caught bounding its patients to their wheelchairs and beds with ropes. One of the patients had his mouth taped shut while another desperately begged a visitor to free him, according to China's Jiangsu Television and Broadcasting Group. The horrifying incident was exposed after an undercover investigation was carried out at the Ruihaibo Medical Rehabilitation Centre by journalists at a programme called 'Nanjing Zero Distance'. A recent undercover investigation shows a carer walks past a patient who had his hand tied to his wheelchair at a hospital in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu Province The horrifying incident occurred at the Ruihaibo Medical Rehabilitation Centre (pictured), a hospital specialised in looking after people with mental disorders, according to a report Ruihaibo Medical Rehabilitation Centre, situated in Nanjing, is a government-certified hospital specialised in looking after patients with mental disorders. It claims to provide 24-hour care to the patients. In response to the footage, the hospital explained the staff had tied up the patients because it was a way to protect them. The news came to light after one woman called the TV station describing what she had seen at the hospital. The woman, surnamed Wu, claimed she was thinking of sending her father to the hospital after hearing good things about the place, so she wanted to visit it. However, Ms Wu was horrified after entering one ward. She claimed to see one elderly man being tied to his wheelchair. She said the man's two hands were bound to the two sides of the wheelchair while his feet were bound to the foot plates. Ms Wu also said the patient on bed number two had his mouth taped shut while being tied to his wheelchair. A third patient in the ward thought Ms Wu was a carer at the hospital and begged her to free him as he said 'I am in such pain', added the woman. The undercover journalists, who pretended to be visitors to the hospital, saw one of the patients (pictured) at a ward being tied to his wheelchair by hand with ropes The carer in charge of the ward (pictured) said he had to tie up the patients because he had to look after three people and was too busy, according to a written report by the same TV station After receiving the call, the journalists paid two visits to the hospital undercover. The programme said the journalists went at around noon time on September 2, but didn't notice anything special. However, when they went again on September 5, also around noon, they saw the scenes described by Ms Wu. Hidden camera footage televised by the programme shows one patient's hand was tied to his wheelchair while another patient's foot was bound to his bed. One of the journalists, who pretended to be a visitor, found the worker who was looking after the ward and asked him why he would do so. The worker said he hadn't worked here for long but had been told to do so because all workers had to sleep at night and wouldn't have time to take care of the patients. Apparently the worker had to look after three patients and was too busy, so tying up the patients would stop them from grabbing people and hurting themselves, said the worker, according to a written report from Nanjing Zero Distance. The journalists claimed they visited multiple wards and the situation was not uncommon. When the programmed contacted the hospital to comment on the matter, the hospital reportedly said they couldn't find a better way to treat the patients. The hospital said that because all the patients suffer from mental disorders, they would need intensive care, so staff's job was very challenging. The hospital also said the patients would sometimes unplug medical devices applied on them, which also caused the workers to tie them up. According to the report, the case is being investigated by the local authority. Two people have been injured after a light plane crashed on the New South Wales mid-coast. A male passenger and a female pilot were pulled from the wreckage around midnight Friday, after their plane went down south of Port Macquarie Airport. The man was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital in critical condition by the Westpac helicopter, Port Macquarie News reports. Two people have been injured after a light plane crashed on the New South Wales mid-coast The light plane, believed to be a Diamond 40 (stock pictured), went down south of Port Macquarie Airport The woman was said to have suffered a number of injuries but was taken to Port Macquarie Base Hospital in stable condition. Emergency services were called to the area around 8.30pm after a distress beacon was activated shortly after take off. The plane then reportedly crashed in dense bushland south of Port Macquarie Airport. A male passenger and a female pilot were pulled from the wreckage around midnight with the man airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital (pictured) in critical condition The Civil Aviation Safety Authoritys Peter Gibson told Port Macquarie News that the plane was believed to be a Diamond 40 light aircraft. He also confirmed that it was from the Australian International Aviation College. Crews from NSW Police and SES, along with Ambulance and Fire and Rescue were involved in the search and extraction. Australian Transport Safety Bureau officials are expected to launch an investigation Saturday. Are you brave enough to try the highest swing in South America? An incredible video shows a man named Marcelo Aleman trying 'The Swing at the End of the World' in Banos de Tungurahua, Ecuador. The swing is 8,500ft-high in the Andes mountains in central Ecuador overlooking an active volcano. It's the highest swing in South America. The instructor at the platform tells riders to shout as they fly through the air so that they don't experience any chest pain. Once Aleman is strapped into the swing only a seatbelt, the floor collapses under him and he goes swinging out into the beautiful mountains. A dad named Marcelo Aleman braves the tallest swing in South America in central Ecuador As he gets strapped in with only a seatbelt the instructor tells him to shout as he swings so that he won't experience chest pain. The floor drops out from under him and he starts to swing Aleman stretches his arms out comfortably as he flies through the air and his daughters cheer him on from the side of the mountain Aleman's daughters are watching him as he swings and cheering him on in Spanish. The swing is located at Casa de Arbol in the mountains. It costs $2 to enter and has three swings and a zip line. Banos is 3 hours far from the Quito, and 30 minutes from the jungle of the Amazon. Troops are being called in to stop looters armed with guns and machetes on hurricane-ravaged St Martin with food, water and medicine running low, it has emerged. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned the situation was already 'serious' and made worse by communication problems after 185mph Irma laid waste to infrastructure. Witnesses on the Dutch side of the island say people are roaming the streets armed with 'revolvers and machetes' while Rutte said most people are surviving without power and running water. Extra troops and police are arriving on the southern part of the island, which is shared between France and the Netherlands, and part of their job is to help keep order, officials said. Troops are being called in to stop looters armed with guns and machetes on hurricane-ravaged St Martin with food, water and medicine running low, it has emerged. Dutch soldiers are pictured patrolling the streets on the Dutch side of the island Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned the situation was already 'serious' and made worse by communication problems after 185mph Irma laid waste to infrastructure. A Dutch soldier keeps watch on the island Witnesses on the Dutch side of the island say people are roaming the streets armed with 'revolvers and machetes' while Rutte said most people are surviving without power and running water. A Dutch Royal Navy officer speaks to a driver at a check point on the island Up to 95 per cent of the island was destroyed as the hurricane pummeled its shores on Wednesday The hurricane has already torn through the Caribbean. It will barrel towards Florida over the weekend, making landfall on Sunday. It goes from a Category 4 storm over Cuba and Florida down to a 3 then 2 and 1 in Georgia before becoming a tropical storm in Tennessee Up to 95 per cent of the island was destroyed as the hurricane pummeled its shores on Wednesday. The badly damaged airport and port have now 'been opened for military purposes,' Rutte told reporters, adding 'we are doing everything possible to get aid to the area.' He said food, water and security were the priorities on the island, known in Dutch as Sint Maarten. 'We will not abandon Sint Maarten,' he said, adding that officials were also sending medicines, tents, tarpaulins and hygiene kits as fast as possible to the Caribbean. 'The military has two tasks after arriving there. Firstly to ensure that there is food and water, but also to ensure security,' Rutte said. 'There are people on the streets armed with revolvers and machetes,' one witness told the Dutch newspaper AD on Friday. 'The situation is very serious. No one is in charge.' Extra troops and police are arriving on the southern part of the island, which is shared between France and the Netherlands, and part of their job is to help keep order, officials said This was the scene at the island's world famous international airport after the hurricane had lashed it with ferocious winds Dutch officials have confirmed that one person was killed on the Dutch part of Saint Martin by the Category Five storm, before it was downgraded early Friday to a four as it barrelled towards Cuba and Florida. Earlier today it emerged that Dutch King Willem-Alexander will fly to the Caribbean to inspect the coordination of relief efforts. The Royal House announced the visit Friday, saying the monarch will assess in Curacao 'whether and when it is possible to visit St. Maarten' and nearby Dutch islands Saba and St. Eustatius, which were less severely damaged by Irma's winds. A headquarters in Curacao is helping coordinate a military operation to deliver supplies to the 40,000-strong population of St. Maarten. The tiny country, which shares an island with the French territory of St. Martin, has been autonomous since 2010, but remains part of the Dutch commonwealth. Dramatic aerial pictures show scenes of devastation on a Caribbean island after it was ravaged by the most powerful hurricane the Atlantic has ever seen. At a port area, shipping containers were strewn like children's building blocks (pictured) Astonishing images show the scale of the destruction on the island of St. Maarten in the aftermath of a direct hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma Massive waves continued to crash into the coastline of the Dutch side of St Martin last night in the aftermath of the storm Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that most people are surviving on the island without the basic necessities of life. Power, running water and most communications were knocked out by the powerful storm and looting has been reported by local authorities struggling to keep control of the island. He said the first plane already has landed at the airport in the capital, Philipsburg, and navy vessels have unloaded vital supplies in a race against time before the next storm arrives. Hurricane Jose is forecast to pass through the region Saturday, but Rutte says it's not expected - at the moment - to directly hit St. Maarten as Irma did Wednesday and winds will likely be significantly weaker. Rutte and Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk say troops are helping stretched local authorities on the autonomous territory to uphold law and order amid looting of stores. St. Maarten is the Dutch side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. 'Save us from HELL': British man describes chaos as armed looters smash into stores A British man has spoken of the 'hell' left in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Martin Lucas lives and works on the paradise isle of St Martin. But yesterday the piano player described how law and order was breaking down as desperate islanders were trying to survive. He said locals armed with machetes were smashing into shops and apartments to find food and water. Martin, from St Columb, Cornwall, said: 'I'm okay but I've had better days. I haven't been able to eat properly, drink properly, wash for four days now. The whole island has now power, water, toilet facilities. 'We've now got a breakdown in law and order. People with machetes breaking into shops and apartments taking what they need. It is a very violent and dangerous place.' A headquarters in Curacao is helping coordinate a military operation to deliver supplies to the 40,000-strong population of St. Maarten Martin, in his 30s, and his US fiancee took cover in a concrete bunker designed to thwart the power of 150mph hurricanes - but not 230mph hurriacanes. He said the eye of the storm hit the island and rocks and boulders were tossed through the air, along with cars. Windows were blown out like they were paper, he said. Martin went on: 'People are very scared. I have hardly slept and I have run out of words to describe what is happening. 'We are trying to survive. It is the worst experience. You cannot comprehend what it feels like. Wooden structures were obliterated by ferocious winds that battered St Martin on Wednesday Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side of St Martin was famed for its proximity to the beach with tourists gathering to watch planes land just over their heads. But this was the scene after it was ravaged by howling winds as Irma crashed into the island on Wednesday 'We were in our apartment and the storms was approaching and it was hours and hours away. The concrete building we wer in literally shook. 'The windows were torn out like paper and cars were flying through the air. Cars were on fire and fires were breaking out all over the place. Everything went silent when the eye of the storm was over us. It is hell. It is like the worst disaster movie. But it's real. 'Hollywood could not recreate this. Everything has gone. Nobody is safe right now.' And they are living in fear of being hit by another hurricane in the next two days. Martin appealed to the British Government to send ships to help the area. He said they needed a Dunkirk style armada of big ships and little ships to get people to safety. One of the world's leading model agencies has accused its rival of poaching its highly prized talent and staff. Elite Model Management filed a lawsuit against its old foe Ford Models in Manhattan's Supreme Court in January. Its bosses claim that Ford poached two of its top talent executives and that it also came after models Caroline Trentini, who walked in three Victoria's Secret shows between 2005 and 2009, and runway stars Cora Emanuel and Josephine Le Tutour. The two agencies have been at loggerheads since the 1970s when Elite was founded serial lothario John Casablancas. At the time Ford, so named after its notorious founder Eileen, had reigned the fashion industry for years and held all of the world's most coveted supermodels on its books but Casablancas went after them ruthlessly. It sparked a bitter feud which persists today years after both of their deaths. Elite Model Management has accused Ford Models of poaching talent including Victoria's Secret Angel Caroline Trentini (left in the 2009 show) In its most recent swipe at its enemy, Elite claimed that agents Michael Williams and Kwok Kan Chan were seduced over to the other side before the end of their contracts in October last year. Elite claims that once they were settled in at Ford, the pair aggressively went after talent that they used to manage under its US Division, The Society. This included Trentini, 30, who announced her move to Ford in June. At the time, she said she was inspired to jump ship in order to the new team at Ford with whom she had 'a lot of history'. 'In that way, it feels more like going home rather than to some foreign place that I dont know,' she told Women's Wear Daily. Le Tutour, 22, the current face of the Zadig & Voltaire fragrance campaign, followed in August. Elite alleged in its January lawsuit that the migration was proof of 'willful and malicious competition' from Ford. The suit was thrown out by a US Supreme Court judge, but Elite's lawyers aren't letting up. Trentini (above in the 2005 Victoria's Secret show) defected from Elite to Ford in June Models Josephine Le Tutour (L) and Cora Emmanuel (R) also left Elite for Ford this year Brian S. Cousin, the attorney which filed it on behalf of the agency, told The New York Post on Friday that he intends to depose Williams and Chan this fall and says he hopes they will incriminate their new employer by doing so. Their lawyers say the feud should stay on the catwalk and not spill over into the courts. 'If there is a model war going on, it should be fought on the runways and on magazine covers,' Williams lawyer, James Wicks said. The Society still counts Adriana Lima and Kendall Jenner, who Williams helped elevate from reality TV child star to fashion darling. Both Elite and Ford are in competition with the newer IMG Models which counts the Hadid sisters Bella and Gigi along with Ashley Graham, Hailey Baldwin, and the majority of the recurring Victoria's Secret Angels including Candace Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge on its books. The battle between Ford and Elite started in 1977, five years after Casablancas founded his agency in Paris. Staying put: Kendall Jenner (left walking in the Tom Ford show at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday) and Adriana Lima (right at a fashion week party on Thursday) still both belong to The Society, Elite's US division The rivalry between Ford and Elite started with its founders Eileen Ford (L in 2010) and John Casablancas (R in 2008) in the 1970s. Ford died in 2014 and Casablancas died in 2013 Ford discovered many of the 80s most famous models and hired them, taking a tough, motherly approach to the management of her agency Casablancas started Elite in 1972 and went after Ford's models in the years that followed. He was described as a 'sleaze' and ladies' man The pair were at first on good terms and worked in tandem across the Atlantic until Casablancas set his sights on New York and its teaming pool of fresh-faced models. Christie Brinkley and Naomi Campbell both defected to Elite after being originally discovered by Ford, and countless others joined. Following the death of legendary model agent Wilhelmina Cooper in the 1980s, the established order of the modelling world was obliterated and Ford and Elite were at the forefront of the chaos. They engaged in a hostile, all-out battle for the talent. Hurling lawsuits and tabloid insults at one another, their spat became known as The Model Wars. Many stars who had been discovered by Ford defected to Elite. They included Janice Dickinson, Christie Brinkley and Naomi Campbell. Janice Dickinson left Ford for Elite in the 1970s and started the supermodel trend under her new agency Christie Brinkley (left in 1977) and Naomi Campbell (right in the early 90s) both defected to Elite after being discovered by Eileen Ford. Brinkley left under bad terms in the 1980s and sued Elite and Campbell was fired for her abusive behavior towards staff Casablancas, who is credited with coining the concept of 'the supermodel', was commonly dubbed a 'sleaze' by his arch nemesis in the press. An unapologetic womanizer, his second marriage was torn about by his affair with Stephanie Seymour who he bedded when he was 42 and she was 16. Ford, by contrast, was traditional and scrupulous. She founded her agency with her husband Gerard and they treated their young models strictly and as if they were their children. Casablancas died in 2013 at the age of 70. Ford died in 2014 at the age of 92. CEO is Nancy Chen, its former COO. Elite Model Management is now part of parents company Elite World S.A. which has agencies around the world. It is run privately by businessmen Gerald Marie and Alessandro Raffelini. A gas station clerk fed up with teenage thieves stealing his stock locked them in his store before attacking them with a yellow warning sign. Anin Mirle, who was working at the Citgo gas station in Milwaukee on Wednesday morning, noticed the teenagers acting suspiciously. The clerk had previously identified the youngsters in the store as potential shop lifters. This is the moment a gas station clerk hits a suspected teenage thief with a warning sign Anin Mirle said his store has been repeatedly targeted by thieves in recent months Anin Mirle battled two teenage thieves who were stealing from this Citgo gas station, pictured One of the suspects picked up a yellow sign warning about a wet floor and attempted to hit Mirle with it. The clerk wrestled the sign from the suspect and hit him several times with it. After a brief scuffle the two thieves were able to escape from the store before police arrived. Mirle told Fox 6 News: 'It's not silly. It's a serious crime. It's very real and a terrible situation for us to running a business. 'They know how to rob. They know how to steal. They know how to snatch.' He called on authorities in Milwaukee to combat the crime epidemic. Michelle Irene Watkins was found naked in an unidentified mans bed in Sacramento, California According to California police a man arriving home from work north of Sacramento found a naked woman he did not know asleep in his bed. The unidentified man told police the strange saga started Tuesday when he found a parcel ripped open on the porch of his home in Anderson, California. Police have revealed that the uninvited intruder took a shower, made a sandwich and even drank a beer from the unidentified mans fridge. He also said that the woman, who is being identified as Michelle Irene Watkins, took a pack of his cigarettes. After noticing all these strange things in his house, he then found the woman sleeping in his bed and called 911 around 5:40 p.m. Police say the 33-year-old suspect got dressed, sat on the front porch until officers arrived and was arrested on suspicion of burglary. As well as burglary she was also booked into the Shasta County Jail for possession of stolen property, and petty theft. She is being held on $25,000 bail. Jail records don't indicate if she is represented by an attorney. When speaking about the bizarre event police said: 'We were thinking more of the Goldilocks theme,' said Anderson detective Sgt. Steve Blunk, according to Record Searchlight. Blunk thinks the woman broke into the house by breaking a back window or by slipping the lock on the back door. Jason Potter wore a mask when he broke into a large house in Cheltenham, but police still managed to catch him because his eyes were 'so distinctive' A burglar out of prison for just 17 days was caught carrying out another break-in despite wearing a mask - because officers recognised his eyes. Two police officers identified Jason Potter, 27, when he was caught on CCTV 'casing the joint' with an accomplice before breaking into a large detached house in Cheltenham. He was sentenced to four years behind bars and ordered to pay 500 compensation after a three-day trial at Gloucester Crown Court this week. The crime came on March 27 - just 17 days after he finished a prison sentence for another burglary. Today when Judge Jamie Tabor QC was told how quickly Potter re-offended, he said: 'I obviously didn't give him long enough.' As he broke into the property two doors were smashed and the householder's wallets, iPod and a phone were stolen. Potter, of Gloucester, wore a mask but officers viewing the 20-minute CCTV footage of the him and his accomplice looking around the property recognised his distinctive features. PC Alan Chalkley told the court the eyes and eyebrows were so distinctive that he had no doubt Potter was one of the intruders. During his evidence identifying Potter he said he had 'many dealings' with him in the past and knew his face well. The officers involved in the case said his 'eyes and eyebrows' meant they knew straightaway it was him. Potter, of Gloucester, had only been out of prison for 17 days after finishing a sentence for another similar offence He added: 'I can identify him from his distinctive eyes. His build, stature, height all further my belief that it is him. ' Mr Clarke asked PC Chalkley to be more specific about what it was that makes Potter's eyes so distinctive, to which the officer responded 'the shape, the eyebrows'. He was tried with the other alleged burglar Keiran Graham, 27, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on his involvement and a re-trial has been set. Judge Tabor said many burglars could cite deprived childhoods, broken families, drug addiction or childhood abuse for turning to crime. But he said Potter came from a good family and had no such problems to blame his offending on. He added: 'You have no reason whatseover to be one of Gloucestershire's most prolific burglars. You do it out of choice. 'You do it partly, I suspect, because you get a thrill out of it.' The judge went on: 'This was a planned two-handed burglary and it was only 17 days since you were released from the last sentence I imposed upon you.' Prosecuting, Janine Wood told the court the owner of the house, David Foreman, and his wife were left feeling anxious about their home security. Mr Foreman said his wife no longer likes sitting out on the patio on her own and is reluctant to open windows, even in hot weather. The judge said: 'Burglary undermines a person's feelings of security in their own home. 'Mr and Mrs Foreman are jittery because they don't know when the next burglar is going to be knocking on the door.' Defending, Dermot Clarke, said: 'I have told him quite bluntly that he has wasted his youth. 'He has spent most of his twenties in custody and will not be out of prison until he is 30. 'He comes from a good family. His father is a builder and his two brothers have never been in any trouble.' The other alleged burglar he was tried with was Keiran Graham, 27, of Cheltenham. Potter was working with the integrated offender management team in the few days he was out of prison. PC Damian Lee said: 'I had spent half an hour or forty minutes with him when he seemed very keen to work with the team. Leading officer PC Tom Finnikin said he was pleased with the sentence and that Potter would be off the streets for 'a significant amount of time' 'I was face to face with him and making eye contact the whole time which is why I am confident about the identification. 'It is everything from the nose, the eyebrows, the eyes - just the way he is. He is quite distinctive to my mind.' After the sentencing, leading officer PC Tom Finnikin said: 'I am pleased with the sentence passed on Potter today as the community is now protected from him for a significant amount of time. 'Burglary is a significant community concern and people who commit these offences do so for selfish personal gain with no regard for the victims who have to endure damage to and invasion of their homes, and loss of valuable and sentimental items so that the burglars can fuel their criminal lifestyle. 'Potter has previous convictions for similar matters and used all of his criminal experience to try to avoid capture on this occasion. 'Fortunately police officers who knew Potter very well were able to provide evidence to ensure his conviction.' Samantha the Sex Doll is a 3,000 interactive robot designed with one specific purpose: pleasure. She is the latest development in a growing trend in Austria which has seen brothel customers preferring robots over sexual intercourse with a human. During a display at the Ars Electronica Festival in the city of Linz, Samantha shows off her 'skills', which include reacting to touch, hugging and moaning - and remembering individuals she has 'interacted' with. Samantha the Sex Doll is a 3,000 interactive robot designed with one specific purpose: pleasure She is the latest development in a growing trend in Austria which has seen brothel customers preferring robots over sexual intercourse with a human During a display at the Ars Electronica Festival in the city of Linz, Samantha shows off her 'skills', which include reacting to touch, hugging and moaning - and remembering individuals she has 'interacted' with The robot doll's developer Sergi Santos says Samantha can remember someone she has interacted with in the past, as she communicates according to the way she was treated by them before. The robot reacts to touch, speaks multiple languages and is even said to be able to learn new things thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) software. Samantha approaches visitors at the festival by asking 'How are you?' and is even seen looking people deep in their eyes or handing out hugs. According to one tester, Samantha 'moans' and reacts to having her breasts touched, and Santos adds that she is able to replicate a female orgasm 'at a higher sex frequency'. For all her 'features', Samantha is a costly sex toy, and will set back a prospective buyer some 3,700 euro (3,375) However, the price tag does not seem to be putting customers off, as Santos, based in Barcelona, said he has already sold 15 'Samanthas'. The robot reacts to touch, speaks multiple languages and is even said to be able to learn new things thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) software A growing number of brothels in Austria, where prostitution is legal and regulated, are adding sex robots to their roster, local news reports A growing number of brothels in Austria, where prostitution is legal and regulated, are adding sex robots to their roster, local news reports. It follows the success of a sex doll christened Fanny who became the most popular 'attraction' at the 'Kontakthof' brothel in the capital Vienna. Psychologist Gerti Senger, said that she was shocked by the news that Austrian men were preferring dolls to prostitutes. Senger, co-chair at the Austrian Society for Sexual Research (OeGS) called the trend 'a real autistic tendency'. Elidona Demiraj, 25, was stabbed in the throat at Jessop Court in Graham Street, Islington A man who stabbed a woman to death in his flat admitted the crime today after a year and half of legal proceedings. Arben Rexha, 32, stabbed 25-year-old Elidona Demiraj in the throat at Jessop Court in Graham Street, Islington, north London, on 31 January 2016. Neighbours heard 'loud screams' and a 'thump' before Ms Demiraj was found with stab wounds late the following night. Medics battled to save her but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms Demiraj, who lived at the same tower block, had only come to the UK from Albania three months before her death. Her father, Halil, paid tribute to his daughter in the Islington Tribune after her death and said the family had been 'deprived of the love, happiness and her sweet smile that for 25 years never left her face, deprived... of life in the peak of her youth.' After she died, neighbours held a vigil outside her flat and members of London's Albanian community raised 3,000 so her body could be flown home, according to the newspaper. Rexha, an Albanian national believed to have lived in the UK for 16 years, appeared at the Old Bailey to plead guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. He was due to be sentenced but the judge adjourned the hearing for a further six weeks to allow for the preparation of a further psychological report. He first appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court charged with murder on February 2, 2016. Judge Cooke QC told Rexha: 'I can only sentence on the basis of matters that have been agreed or proved. Arben Rexha, 32, appeared at the Old Bailey today to plead guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility 'A report must be served within six weeks of today addressing the issues we have discussed. 'Your report will be by the 20 October which is six weeks from today. 'I have no idea what the outcome will be, I just want to avoid the situation where it's being done on a false premise.' Addressing Rexha, the judge said: 'If I had the power to undo the past I would exercise it every day of my life. 'No one is suggesting that you do not have your problems, we understand all of that. 'We have to understand their extent in accordance with law.' Rexha, of Jessop Court, Islington, thanked the judge after being remanded in custody until the next hearing on 15 December. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on Thursday her 'heart is with' the children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States at a young age and whose future in this country is uncertain after President Donald Trump announced plans to wind down a program that shields them from deportation. DeVos was asked by CBS News what she would say to the 'Dreamers' - the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Tuesday that the Trump administration is rescinding the Obama-era policy. 'Well, first of all my heart is with them,' DeVos said. Many of the dreamers enrolled in DACA are currently in American school systems or in colleges and universities, according to the secretary. One of the prerequisites to receiving DACA protections are enrollment in a school or a university. DACA recipients must also prove that they have no criminal record. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on Thursday her 'heart is with' the children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. at a young age and whose future in this country is uncertain after President Donald Trump announced plans to rescind DACA 'I understand they're here not by their own volition, and yet they are serious about pursuing their education and contributing to our American society and culture,' DeVos told CBS News. 'And I would just encourage them to take courage and have courage.' DeVos echoed President Trump, who said that the fate of dreamers should be up to Congress. The legislature needs 'to do what it needs to do,' she said. 'I know this is a very difficult issue, and I know it's one with which the president has struggled, as well as all of us,' DeVos said. 'We are a nation of compassion, and we are also a nation of laws.' DeVos said that rescinding DACA was the correct decision because the program was a 'temporary' stopgap. She would not express a clear opinion as to whether she believes dreamers should be able to stay in the U.S. 'Well, again, that's really up - it's Congress' role to pass the laws,' DeVos said. 'We are a nation of laws but we also a compassionate nation. So I - I hope that they will do their job and address this issue once and for all.' The Trump administration has been sending mixed signals about its intentions towards DACA recipients. Many of the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients, or Dreamers' are currently enrolled in K-12th grade or in a college or university, according to DeVos. Two Dreamers, Jovan Rodrigo (left) and Gloria Mendoza (right), take part in a protest in New York on Tuesday The president in the past has spoken of dealing with the situation 'with heart', at one point saying: 'I love the dreamers.' DeVos has also taken a softer tone in the past about undocumented migrants. When asked in April whether she supports undocumented immigrants receiving in-state tuition at public universities, she told the Miami Herald: '[Immigration] is an issue that's been widely discussed within the administration and I yesterday referred to [Homeland Security Secretary] Gen. [John F.] Kelly's comments about the fact that [undocumented] students should not be concerned. 'They should continue to focus on their studies and continue to pursue their educations.' In March, Kelly said after a meeting with House Democrats that DACA is 'the least of his worries right now.' DeVos's comments about the dreamers came one day after her decision to overhaul how colleges investigate sexual assault, saying Obama-era guidelines are not working and the rights of the accused are being violated. DeVos said current guidelines under Title IX U.S. education equality rules fail to do enough to address the due process rights of those accused of sexual assault and the victims of sexual violence. 'It is our moral obligation to get this right,' DeVos said at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School. She offered no details on how the administration would revamp the guidelines but said her department would seek comment on alternatives. The guidelines set up under Democratic President Barack Obama in 2011 have come under fire from critics because of the strict rules colleges must follow when investigating sexual assault complaints or risk losing funding under Title IX, the federal law that bars sexual discrimination in education. DeVos said too many students had been falsely charged with sexual assault and that schools were terrified about being accused by the Education Department's civil rights office of ignoring accusations. Coleman Martin, 29, handed in his resignation letter today after walking into police headquarters with his attorney A police officer accused of faking his own death in an 'elaborate ruse' has quit the Austin Police Department. Coleman Martin, 29, handed in his resignation letter today after walking into police headquarters with his attorney. He prompted a huge search effort when his truck was found with a suicide note near Lake Amistad on the Texas-Mexico border in May. Martin is said by police to have sent a text message to his wife containing a photograph of the suicide note, detailing his intention to kill himself in the lake. The American-Statesman quoted the attorney - Rachel Rogers - as saying: 'It's very important that what he does now is taking care of himself and his family.' But a day after police sent out the alert about the missing officer, they reported that a woman in a 'close relationship' with Martin had emailed her explaining that he had faked his death. Police said the email also explained that Martin rode a pedal bike to a store after leaving his truck at the lake before getting a taxi and heading to Mexico. The officer was arrested at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport nearly a week after going missing. He had entered Texas on a plane from Colombia. Martin was charged with causing a false alarm. Five former education secretaries, who served both Democratic and Republican presidents, are calling on congressional leaders to come up with a legislative fix to save hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers from potential deportation, now that President Donald Trump has rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program . The letter sent to congressional leaders Wednesday was signed by the last five education secretaries, including both of President Barack Obamas secretariesArne Duncan and John King and both of President George W. Bushs secretariesRod Paige and Margaret Spellings . Also signing was President Bill Clintons only education secretary, Richard Riley . DACA, which grew out of an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, gave about 800,000 people who came to the U.S. as children the chance to get a two-year work permit and remain in the country legally. The program has certain eligibility requirements. Enrollees must have been 16 or younger when they arrived in the U.S. and must have lived here since 2007. Trump put the kibosh on the program earlier this week, although he said it would undergo a six-month phase out. He called on Congress to come up with a new plan. For more than a decade, lawmakers have tried, and failed, to pass the so-called DREAM Act, which would give permanent legal status to adults who came to the country as children. The current head of the U.S. Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, has been silent on the presidents DACA decision. But dozens of education organizations, from Chiefs for Change to the American Federation of Teachers, have said that getting rid of the protection could have big ramifications for K-12 schools. Advocates fear that undocumented students may not show up and that teachers participating in DACA could be deported. The Migrant Policy Institute estimates that 250,000 schoolchildren are eligible for DACA. For their part, the former education secretaries noted that 45 percent of DACA recipients currently are in school and that most of them are pursuing a bachelors degree or higher. And they noted that 91 percent of DACA recipients are working, including at top companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Walmart. The secretaries warned of serious economic disruption if DACA ends. For most of these young people, the United States is the only home theyve ever known, the secretaries wrote. They grew up here, went to school herestudied and learned in our public schools, made friends and built lives here. They are American in every way but their paperwork. Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . A British woman who was raped and stabbed by her Mexican housemate in Australia was forced to take to Facebook to plead for help as she did not know the number for emergency services. The 23-year-old had been been attacked by Francisco Quibrera Villaescusa, who sexually assaulted and stabbed her in the hand with a kitchen knife, a court heard. In desperation, she sent a Facebook message to some of the other housemates pleading: 'Raped me...Been stabbed...Guys..call an ambulance..idk number... Plz...Need police...Hurry. Been stabbed in hand'[sic]. Assault: The British woman, then 23, took to Facebook as she did not know the Australian emergency number, after Francisco Quibrera Villaescusa (pictured) raped and stabbed her Court documents seen by Australian media, reveals the full extent of the horror the young woman is said to have endured at the hands of Villaescusa in March last year. The British woman and Villaescusa had only spoken a handful of times while living together in a backpackers house-share in Chippendale, Sydney with 13 others. She claims that he came into her room at 3pm on March 8, 2016, stating 'I have to have sex with you, you must have sex with me' before allegedly sexually assaulting her, prosecutor Katharine Jeffreys told the Downing Centre District Court on Monday. Afterwards, Villaescusa allegedly cut her hand open, before holding her down and masturbating. 'He cut my left hand between my thumb and first finger. It felt like he'd sliced me, the blood was pouring out,' the woman, who cannot be named, later told police according to Sunshinecoast Daily. 'The knife was a very large kitchen knife with a black handle and a very wide blade. He was pulling my hair with such force, he was basically throwing me onto his bed by swinging me by the hair. By this time my hand was pouring with blood.' In custody: Villaescusa denied all charges due to being 'mentally impaired' at the time and was today found not guilty due to mental illness and remanded to a secure mental health facility Horror: A smeared blooded handprint can be seen on the wall of the Sydney houseshare Attack: The woman claims her Mexican housemate came into her room and raped her, before stabbing her hand with a kitchen knife Fear: After she finally escaped from her attacker, she locked herself in a bedroom with a third housemate, but when Villaescusa came in after them, he stabbed her another three times, a court heard this week The young British woman told police that she managed to escape Villaescusa and send the message begging for help on Facebook before fleeing into the bedroom of another housemate, a French man named Leon Bajard. Bajard and the woman later described how Villaescusa tried to break into the room, and when he failed, he began stabbing the wood with the knife. Villaescusa was reportedly screaming: 'I have to have sex with her or I have to kill her,' News.com.au reports. The website says the court heart how Villaescusa made his way into the room, and that Mr Bajard grappled with him before he turned on the young woman again - and stabbed her three times. Haunting: Some of the blinds in one of the bedrooms shows blooded fingerprints Weapons: one of the knives allegedly used in the attack on the British woman The woman finally escaped after stabbing her attacker in the chest. Pictured is his t-shirt She was stabbed in the face, neck and in her armpit, narrowly missing a major blood vessel, the court was told by prosecutor Ms Jeffreys. The British woman managed to overpower her attacker despite the wounds, and stabbed him in the chest before finally making her escape. Villaescusa was arrested and taken to hospital and treated for psychosis, local news reports. During the trial this week, Villaescusa denied charges of sexual assault, reckless wounding, indecent assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and attempted murder, stating that he was mentally impaired at the time. Today, he was found not guilty due to mental illness after a two-day trial at the Sydney District Court and remanded to a secure mental health facility. A mother accused of drink driving has been charged with causing her three-year-old daughter's death after their car crashed in Dorset. Alanda Pike was at the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra when it collided with a Ford Transit on the A354 at Thickthorn Cross, Blandford Forum in Dorset on August 24. Pike, 34, was flown to Southampton General Hospital by air ambulance alongside her daughter Louisa May while the van driver, a 44-year-old woman, was taken to Salisbury District Hospital. A mother accused of drink driving has been charged with her daughter's death after a crash on the A354 at Thickthorn Cross, Blandford Forum in Dorset (pictured) Both drivers were later released from hospital but the three-year-old girl died the next day. Now a police spokesman has confirmed Pike has been charged with causing her daughter's death. A spokesman for Dorset Police said 'A woman has been charged in connection with a fatal collision in Blandford in which a three-year-old girl died. 'At 7.52am on Thursday 24 August Dorset Police was informed by the ambulance service of the collision between a white Ford Transit van and a silver Vauxhall Astra on the A354 at Thickthorn Cross. 'The driver of the Astra - a 34-year-old woman from Shaftesbury - and her three-year-old daughter were flown by air ambulance to Southampton General Hospital. 'The driver of the van - a 44-year-old woman from Salisbury - was taken to Salisbury District Hospital for treatment. Alanda Pike, 34, appeared at Poole Magistrates Court (pictured) and is facing charges including causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit 'Very sadly the three-year-old girl passed away on Friday August 25. The drivers of both vehicles were subsequently released from hospital. 'A 34-year-old woman from Shaftesbury was today charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit.' Pike appeared at Poole Magistrates' Court and is due to appear at Bournemouth Crown Court on October 5. Germany's financial hub Frankfurt is plotting to raid 8,000 banking jobs from London during Brexit. A report has claimed that the city could reap huge rewards from the upheaval as the UK cuts ties with Brussels over the next two years. The prediction, in a report for the Hesse-Thuringia State Bank, will heighten concerns about the consequences for London if Britain does not get a good deal from the EU. More than a dozen banks have already indicated they will move some staff to Frankfurt. including Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. A report has claimed that Frankfurt could reap huge rewards from the upheaval as the UK cuts ties with Brussels over the next two years. Pictured is the Frankfurt stock exchange y the end of 2019, a four percent increase in employment is expected in Frankfurt's banking sector, according to the report Gertrud Traun, chief economist for the Hess-Thuringia State Bank said: "We expect at least half of the London-based financial jobs to be moved to Frankfurt.' By the end of 2019, a four percent increase in employment is expected in Frankfurt's banking sector, according to the report. In total, up to 88,000 additional jobs are expected to be created by the bankers' influx - in the transport industry, construction, education and health sectors. Some banks have voiced alarm at the prospects of Britain losing its 'passporting' rights with the EU - which mean institutions based in this country can do unfettered business on the continent. Relations with the EU have reached a new low after commission president Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis for lacking 'stability and accountability' at an official Brussels meeting. Mr Juncker has claimed the Brexit Secretary is threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an 'apparent lack of involvement'. The official record was published as Mr Davis opened the first day of a crucial debate in Parliament on passing Brexit laws. The EU parliamentary's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt ramped up the rhetoric again today be accusing the UK government of 'poisoning the diplomatic well' with tough proposals on immigration. But asked a visit to Estonia this morning whether he had confidence in Mr Davis reaching a deal, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told reporters: 'Absolutely, with rock solid confidence.' He also dismissed Brussels' stance that trade terms can only be considered after the divorce terms are settled. 'Article 50 makes it very clear that the discussion about the exit of a country must be taken in context with discussion of the future arrangements. And that's what we're going to do,' he said. Referring to the question of the Irish border, Mr Johnson said: 'I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man. 'We've had a common travel area between the north and the south of Ireland for getting on for a century and we're going to continue to make that work.' Orlando Teneile Taylor, 35, is charged with rape and burglary in the home invasion The family of a woman who died fleeing from a brutal home invasion attack has called upon prosecutors to charge her suspected rapist with murder. Orlando Teneile Taylor, 35, is charged with rape and burglary in the August 18 home invasion that ended with 39-year-old Shannon Eileen Keithley dead in a single-car crash in Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas law includes in the definition of first-degree murder the killing of a human being 'in the commission of, attempt to commit, or flight from an inherently dangerous felony'. 'She was panicking, that's for sure' when the crash occurred, father Richard Keithley told the Kansas City Star. Shannon Keithley, who repaired musical instruments for a living, was home alone in the early hours of August 18 when someone kicked in the back door to her grandmother's house, where she had been living. Shannon Eileen Keithley died in a single-car crash on August 18, just minutes after calling 911 saying she had escaped from a brutal home invasion and rape. She was 39 Keithley had been living alone in her grandmother's house (pictured). The back door was found kicked in, and Taylor was discovered crouched in hiding under the back deck by police What happened in the home and how long it lasted remains unclear, with much of the evidence against Taylor under seal for now. But around 5am, Keithley escaped from the house. A kitchen knife was later found in her driveway, suggesting she fought for her freedom. Keithley made it to her car and called 911 as she sped away. Less than a mile away at 5.09am, her SUV collided head-on with the concrete pillar of an interstate overpass, killing her. She was not wearing a seatbelt, something friends said was highly out of the ordinary. Keithley died when her SUV collided with these concrete pillars as she desperately fled after calling 911. Prosecutors have thus far declined to press murder charges in the case Officers responding to her 911 call found the suspect Taylor crouched in hiding under a wooden deck behind her house. He is currently being held pending $500,000 bond on the burglary and rape charges. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree has thus far resisted bringing felony murder charges in the case. 'The possibility of additional charges exists,' Dupree's spokesman Jonathan Carter said in a written statement to the Star. 'However, the two charges, rape and aggravated burglary, are where the case stands at the moment.' A northern Illinois man was sentenced Friday to four life terms plus 280 years in prison in the 2014 killings of his ex-girlfriend, her two young sons and her boyfriend. Associate Judge Fernando Engelsma appeared emotional as he sentenced Calvin L. Carter III, 24, who did not appear in Winnebago County court, The Rockford Register Star reported. The judge called the killings 'cold and calculated.' 'These children were executed,' Engelsma said. 'It wasn't simply a murder.' Carter's defense attorney immediately filed an appeal. Carter was convicted in July on 133 counts including first-degree murder and home invasion. This undated booking photo provided by the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office shows Calvin L. Carter III of Rockford, Illinois. Carter was sentenced Friday, September 8, 2017, to four life terms plus 280 years in prison for the 2014 killings of his ex-girlfriend, her two young sons and her boyfriend Pictured is Carter's ex-girlfriend Martia Flint, 24. She was one of his victims in the December 2014 killings Pictured from left to right are Flint's two sons Tyrone Ken Smith III, 6, and Tobias K Smith, 4. They were killed by Carter He waived his right to attend sentencing and didn't provide a written statement to be read in court. Prosecutors asked for two life sentences. Carter's attorney didn't specify an amount. Investigators said Carter fatally shot 24-year-old Martia Flint, along with her sons - 6-year-old Tyrone Smith III and 4-year-old Tobias K. Smith - in a Rockford apartment. Also killed was 24-year-old Demontae Rhodes. Flint's mother, Rolanda Collins, testified at the sentencing hearing that she wanted Carter locked up forever. 'May the same demons you worshipped terrorize your soul in hell,' Collins said. Carter also killed Flint's boyfriend, 24-year-old Demontae Rhodes Prosecutors said Carter killed the four on December 20, 2014, after Flint broke up with him to rekindle a relationship with Rhodes. Carter's defense argued the case was built on circumstantial evidence. Carter has so far spent 983 days in jail. Two family members of the deceased - Rhodes' father and Flint's uncle - interrupted court proceedings during the trial's first day of testimony by directly addressing Carter. President Trump's administration has sided with a Christian baker who refused to make a gay couple's wedding cake because he claimed their marriage went against his religious beliefs. Forcing Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Denver, to bake a wedding cake for two men would be a violation of his constitutional rights, the Department of Justice declared on Thursday. The baker is challenging a Colorado law that says he was wrong to have turned away Charlie Craig and David Mullins, who wanted a cake to celebrate their nuptials in 2012. Phillips refused because his religion does not support same-sex marriage and said he should not be compelled to bake a cake that would specifically honor that. Trump's administration has sided Christian baker Jack Phillips (right). The Department of Justice said Thursday that forcing Phillips to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in 2012 would be a violation of his constitutional rights Phillips is challenging a Colorado law that says he was wrong to have turned away Charlie Craig and David Mullins (left and right), who wanted a cake to celebrate their nuptials in 2012. The baker refused because his religion does not support same-sex marriage The Justice Department wrote in an amicus brief filed ahead of the case's oral argument after the Supreme Court said in June it would hear the case. A portion of the brief read: 'Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights. 'In the view of the United States, a ... First Amendment intrusion occurs where a public accommodations law compels someone to create expression for a particular person or entity and to participate, literally or figuratively, in a ceremony or other expressive event.' The legal fight broke out in 2012 when Phillips told Mullins and Craig that because of his Christian beliefs, his store's policy was to deny service to customers wanting to purchase cakes to celebrate a same-sex wedding. After the couple was turned away, they complained about the shop on Facebook, then filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The state sided with the couple. Phillips (pictured) said artisans can't be compelled to produce works celebrating an event that violates the artist's religion The couple's (pictured) lawyer said: 'What the Trump administration is advocating for is nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate' Phillips said artisans can't be compelled to produce works celebrating an event that violates the artist's religion. The DOJ sided with him and added: 'A custom wedding cake can be sufficiently artistic to qualify as pure speech, akin to a sculptural centerpiece. In short, a custom wedding cake is not an ordinary baked good; its function is more communicative and artistic than utilitarian.' If Phillips wins the case, only businesses that engage in creative acts similar to making a cake would potentially be able to obtain similar exemptions from anti-discrimination laws, the department said. 'What the Trump administration is advocating for is nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate,' said American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Louise Melling, who represents the couple. The legal fight broke out after they visited Phillips' Masterpiece Cakeshop (pictured) in Denver in 2012. The couple filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission In recent months, the Trump administration has taken several legal and political positions to limit the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people, sharply reversing policies of former President Barack Obama. In August, Trump signed a memorandum directing the U.S. military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits and halting the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process had already started. The administration previously revoked landmark guidance to public schools saying transgender students should be able to use the bathrooms of their choice. In July, it told a U.S. appeals court that federal law does not ban discrimination against gay employees. Rafiullah Hamidy and three other men have been found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl Three men who gang-raped a lost teenage girl in a grubby flat above a kebab shop have been jailed for 14 years. The 16-year-old girl had been out drinking with a group of friends in Ramsgate, Kent when she stopped to ask a group of men for directions in the early hours of Sunday, September 18 last year. They lured her to a flat above restaurant 555 Pizza and Kebab where she was subjected to a horrific ordeal. After turning off the lights so she couldn't see, a court heard how she was thrown onto a mattress on the floor before she was raped multiple times as the men laughed. It took the jury two days to find all four defendants guilty of all charges. Today Shershah Muslimyar, 21, of Canterbury; Tamin Rahmani, 38, of Ramsgate; Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, of Herne Bay have been sentenced to 14 years each in prison. And a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons has been jailed for seven years. Initially 24-year-old Hambidy tried to escape to Italy after the attack but was arrested and sent back to the UK after police managed to track him down. All four denied rape but were found guilty following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court and were sentenced today. The three men were each sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and the 17-year-old boy was jailed for seven years. The jury heard how the victim had been out with a group of friends in Ramsgate but left them in the early hours with the intention of walking to another girls home in Cliftonville. She was later found crying in the street by two people returning from a night out. Police said they managed to link the defendants to the crime through CCTV and forensic evidence. The girl was taken to the home of Rahani, a flat above the 555 Pizza and Kebab shop, where the horrific attack took place Rahmani was the first to be arrested on Sunday 18 September followed by Muslimyar three days later. The 17-year-old was arrested on Monday 5 December. Hamidy could not be traced so a photograph of him was placed on the `Most Wanted page of the Kent Police website and circulated via social media. It was later established he had fled to Taranto in the Apulia region of southern Italy, where he was detained by officers from the local police force under a European Arrest Warrant. Hamidy was returned to the UK following an extradition hearing and taken into custody after arriving at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday 28 March. Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Richard Vickery said: The victim in this case was a vulnerable teenage girl who was taken advantage of and subjected to some of the most horrendous crimes imaginable. It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way. Rape is an abhorrent crime and the victim has suffered a great deal of emotional harm from the ordeal she was forced to endure. 'She has displayed tremendous courage in reliving what happened to her, and I would like to personally thank her for having the strength to help bring her offenders to justice. They clearly pose a significant danger to women and children and are fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentences they have received. 'Predator': Richard 'Ricky' White, Jr, 41, has been indicted on 11 counts of second-degree rape, four counts of sexual exploitation of a child and nine other counts stemming from his alleged sexual abuse of a girl A Delaware man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a girl 250 times over the course of five years, beginning when she was just 12 years old. Richard 'Ricky' White, Jr, 41, of Greenville, was indicted by a grand jury in New Castle last week on 11 counts of second-degree rape, four counts of sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography and other felony counts. According to a probable cause affidavit, New Castle County Police say White began exchanging text messages with the victim in the fall of 2012. At one point, their conversations turned to the subject of sex, with White asking the girl to provide details of her sexual history, the court document stated. One day that fall, when the girl was off from school, White picked her up from home and took her to his house near New Castle, where the man allegedly began kissing the girl and eventually had sex with her. For the next five years, according to the affidavit obtained by The News Journal, White had sex with the minor almost every week in various locations, including in the woods, behind a Popeye's fast-food restaurant in Ogletown and in a park. White was booked into the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, Delaware, after the victim confided in someone about the suspected rapes According to police, the 41-year-old also recorded their sex sessions on video and documented his trysts by taking explicit photos. Nearly every night, according to investigators, White would have the victim go on FaceTime while she was in the shower so he could watch her. When the girl told White she wanted to put an end to their relationship, he allegedly threatened to commit suicide, tell people about their sexual encounters and disseminate the pornographic videos and photos he had taken. When interviewed by police, the girl said she felt threatened by White and had a sense of obligation to carry on with the illicit relationship. Police became aware of the suspected years-long sexual abuse when the teen finally confided in someone about it, and that person raised the alarm, leading to Whites arrest. White is being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, charged with a total of two dozen criminal counts in this case. Theresa May risks being toppled by Christmas unless she takes charge of Brexit negotiations, according to Nigel Farage. Speaking alongside the granddaughter of a senior Nazi official at an event organised by a right-wing party in Berlin, former UKIP leader Mr Farage warned the Prime Minister could be ousted by her own MPs if she fails to stamp her authority on her party. He said: 'If she doesn't do those two things - doesn't get some sense of order back into her own party and direction back into where the negotiations are going then I think the whispering campaign will go from something that is being done in private to being done in public and she might not last til Christmas.' Nigel Farage (pictured) has warned Theresa May she could be out of her job before Christmas unless she takes control of Brexit negotiations Mr Farage (left) was speaking at event organised by the right-wing Alternative for Germany in Berlin. He was invited by Beatrix von Storch (right), the granddaughter of a Nazi official Mr Farage was invited to speak at a rally of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AFD) by party deputy Beatrix von Sturch, whose grandfather Lutz von Krosigk was Hitler's finance chief. At a citadel on the outskirts of Germany's capital, Mr Farage said leading British ministers have been contradicting each other on a weekly basis so the government looked rudderless. He added: 'She has to stamp her authority on the party and do so pretty damn quickly.' At the event on Friday at the Spandau Citadel, a 16th century military fortress surrounded by a moat, the AFD displayed a campaign poster that said 'For a Christian Occident'. The AFD, which rejects immigration and Islam, is on course to become the first hard-right nationalist party to enter Germany's parliament in the post-World War II era and are now polling around five to ten percent. Its leaders have sparked outrage by saying German border guards should open fire on illegal immigrants 'if necessary', labelling Berlin's Holocaust memorial a 'monument of shame' and suggesting a Turkish-origin German politician be 'disposed of in Anatolia'. Mr Farage (pictured) was speaking alongside Ms von Sturch, the deputy of the AFD. The party rejects immigration and Islam Lutz von Krosigk (left) was Hitler's finance chief. His granddaughter Beatrix von Sturch invited Mr Farage (right) to speak at an AFD rally Mr Farage said he wanted 'to get a proper debate going in the biggest, richest, most important and powerful country in Europe about not just the shape of Brexit but perhaps even the shape of the European project to come'. He said Germany, as the biggest EU economy, should 'say to Brussels: look, the reason the Brits left is because you're behaving so badly, you're taking away so much of people's freedom, liberty and democracy'. But Mr Farage charged that Germany 'hasn't had the debate' about Europe and 'about breaking the closed shop' of EU bureaucrats. 'We managed to break it in the United Kingdom. At the moment Germany is at a point where it is very, very to tough to break through,' he said, adding however that 'I predict, in Germany, it will probably start in Bavaria.' Advertisement As Hurricane Irma continues churning its way towards the Bahamas, with its sights set on southern Florida this weekend, startling new images show the devastation the deadly storm has left in its wake on more than a half-dozen Caribbean islands. The hurricane took a particularly heavy toll on the French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, where homes, stores, ports, airports, gas stations and power stations were left in shambles after Irma made landfall there as a Category 5 hurricane on Wednesday, packing winds of up to 185mph. Gnarled black branches of leafless trees, street after street now littered with piles of corrugated tin, plywood, wrought iron, battered cars and unidentifiable objects that were once parts of someone's life. The Dutch government on Friday raised its estimate of casualties caused on the Dutch part of the island to two dead, one of natural causes, and 43 wounded. Scroll down for video Ground Zero: A photo taken on September 7 shows devastating damage in Orient Bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin, which took a direct hit from Irma this week View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten - the Dutch part of Saint Martin island - in the Caribbean, taken on Thursday People survey damage in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma Heavy toll: Saint Martin is the worst affected so far by the storm, which killed four people and injuried dozens more A photo taken on September 7 shows damage in Orient Bay on the French side of Saint-Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Piles of rubble mixed in with tree branches are seen where once buildings had stood in Marigot, Saint Martin A hotel in Marigot, Saint Martin, is pictured with large sections of its roof missing in the wak of Hurricane Irma A helicopter is flying over a building that has been torn to shreds by the monster storm that made landfall on September 5 Firefighters are seeing working near a severely damaged building in Grand-Case on Saint Martin Thursday A picture taken on September 7, 2017 shows inhabitants of the Sandytown neighborhood in Marigot, Saint Martin, clearing debris in a street A picture taken on September 7 shows ravaged houses on the shoreline of Marigot on the French Carribean island of Saint-Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma A Dutch soldier patrols the visibly damaged streets of Saint Martin after Hurricane Irma Force of nature: This satellite image obtained from NASA's Earth Obervatory on Septermber 8 shows Hurricane Irma (C), Hurricane Jose (R), and Hurricane Katia Of those wounded, 11 are in critical condition, Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said at a press conference. Two hundred Dutch soldiers are assisting on the island from two nearby ships as it struggles to restore its airport and main harbor in order so that it can receive more aid. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on Friday nine people were killed, at least seven were missing, and 112 others were injured in St. Barthelemy and the French part of Saint Martin. The overall death toll stood at 21 Friday afternoon and was expected to rise as rescuers reached some of the hardest-hit areas. The hurricane smashed homes, schools, stores, roads and boats on Wednesday and Thursday as it rolled over islands long known as turquoise-water playgrounds of the rich. It knocked out power, water and telephone service, trapped thousands of tourists and stripped the lush green trees of leaves, leaving an eerie, blasted-looking landscape. Authorities reported looting and gunfire in Saint Martin, and a curfew was imposed in the US Virgin Islands. Aerial view of devastation following Hurricane Irma at Bitter End in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands September 8 The wrecked Bitter End In Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, is seen from a different angle in the wake of Irma A devastated airfield, with the air traffic control tower still standing in the center, is seen on Beef Island, British Virgin Islands, on Friday Aerial view of devastation following Hurricane Irma at Cow Wreck beach on Anegada, British Virgin Islands September 8 Powerful winds tore apart many homes and bungalows in Anegada, British Virgin Islands What looks like a hotel complex on Saba Rock, British Virgin Islands, is seen laying in ruins after the monster storm Aerial view of devastation following Hurricane Irma on Eustatia Island, British Virgin Islands Aerial view of devastation following Hurricane Irma at Mafolie on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, where a pool looks to be still intact after the hurricane Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands, was battered by the Category 5 storm, which has left the resort island in shambles The tiny eastern Caribbean island of Barbuda, where a 2-year-old child was killed, was reduced 'to rubble', Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. The storm flattened nearly 95 per cent of all structures on the island, and there were more bad news for the battered landmass in the form of Hurricane Jose, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 150 mph. Stevet Jeremiah, whose son was the sole casualty reported on Barbuda, said the boy was swept to his death after the hurricane ripped the roof off her house and filled it with water. 'There was so much water beating past us. We had to crawl to get to safety. Crawl,' she said. 'I have never seen anything like this in my life, in all the years I experienced hurricanes. And I don't ever, ever, ever want to see something like this again.' In the British overseas territory of Anguilla, another person was killed and the hospital, airport and power and phone services were damaged, emergency service officials said. Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the US National Hurricane Center. In this Thursday photo, a building is seen stripped down to the beams on the hard-hit island of Barbuda The storm killed one person on Barbuda and flattened nearly 95 per cent of all structures on the eastern Caribbean island Hurricane Jose is expected to make landfall on the storm-ravaged Barbuda on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 150 mph. Piles of debris are seen on Barbuda on Thursday, just days after the catastrophic storm Aerial view of devastation following Hurricane Irma in Tortola, British Virgin Islands September 8 An undated handout picture acquired from the Facebook account of Hubert Haciski on September 8 shows a boat resting on its side on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma Tree branches, street signs and poles are seen littering a road in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, in the wake of Irma The next big one: A satellite map show Jose, now a Category 4 hurricane, churning on Friday afternoon 380 miles away from the northern Leeward Islands in the Atlantic In Jose's cross-hairs: The map charts Jose's course, which will take it to Guadalupe and San Juan Under threat: Barbuda, Antigua and Anguilla are under hurricane watch. St Thomas is under tropical storm watch, as of Friday afternoon Downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane, Irma pummeled the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday after saturating the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti with torrential downpours. Communications went down as the storm slammed into the islands, and the extent of the devastation was not immediately clear. The hurricane also spun along the northern coast of Cuba, where tens of thousands of people were being moved to safety, including thousands of tourists along a shoreline dotted with all-inclusive resorts. US, Dutch, French and British authorities used warships and military planes to rush food, water and troops to the stricken zone. The frightful storm then took aim at the southeastern Bahamas, where 20-foot storm surges are expected Saturday. Palms trees are seen toppled on the ground outside Beaches resort in Turks and Caicos, having been snapped like toothpicks by the hurricane Fearsome gusts of wind brought by Irma uprooted this sign at the village of Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos The sun rises on a battered Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, on September 8 Large trees are pictured laying on the ground in Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, on Friday While Irma continues to wreak havoc in the Caribbean, before making the dreaded turn towards Florida this weekend, and then Georgia early next week, Hurricane Jose is now following close on its heels. On Friday, Jose strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane in the central Atlantic. A hurricane watch is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Dutch Sint Maarten, French Caribbean Saint Martin and St. Barthelemy. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Sint Maarten. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John. Hurricane Irma devastation is seen on the French Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy Monster winds accompanying Irma ripped off roofs and toppled trees on Saint Barthelemy in the Caribbean Saint Bathelemy has sustained dramatic damage as a result of the Category 5 hurricane A new hurricane watch is in effect for Saint Barth's, now that Jose has strengthened to a Category 4 storm A car is pictured resting upside down next to a battered home on a cliff in Saint Barth's after the storm Images of devastation caused by Irma coming out of the Caribbean this week offer a glimpse of what could lie ahead early Sunday for Florida, which braced for what many fear could be the long-dreaded Big One, with the Miami metropolitan area of 6million in the crosshairs. Irma was at one point the most powerful recorded storm in the open Atlantic. It could be one of the most devastating storms ever to hit Florida, a state that has undergone rapid development since the last major hurricane struck a dozen years ago. Florida residents and tourists faced gas shortages and gridlock on inland highways as a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to clear out before it's too late. Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, September 8 A man feeds pigeons next to a fallen power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Locals walk along a street covered with fallen trees in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic A man walks past boats lying on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Men clean a wastewater canal in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, September 8 Senators doused more cold water on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos vision of a big new investment in school choice, approving legislation that seeks to bar the administration from using federal funding for vouchers or public school choice. The legislation received bipartisan support from the full Senate appropriations committee Thursday, a day after a subcommittee overseeing K-12 policy made the same call. It also rejects the Trump administrations plans to dramatically slash spending at the U.S. Department of Education. It would continue funding for two high-profile programs the Trump administration is seeking to scrap entirely: Title II, which provides $2.05 billion in federal funding to hire and train educators, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which provides $1.2 billion for after-school and school and summer programs. But the teacher training program isnt out of the woods just yet. The House of Representatives spending bill, which will have to be conferenced with the Senate measure, would seek to scrap that program entirely. The Houses version of the bill would provide $1 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, meaning it is almost certain to stick around in the 2018-19 school year. Overall, the bill includes a lot more money for the departments bottom line than the administration wanted. It would provide $68.3 billion for the U.S. Department of Education, a slight increase of $29 million over the current level for fiscal year 2017, which ends on Sept. 30 and generally impacts the 2017-18 school year. Thats in contrast to the House proposal, which would provide $66 billion for the department, down $2.4 billion from the current budget. Dissing School Choice The bill aims to hamstring the Education Departments ability to move forward on a pair of school choice programs it proposed in its budget request, released last spring. The administration had been hoping for a $1 billion boost for the nearly $15 billion Title I program, the largest federal K-12 program, which is aimed at covering the cost of educating disadvantaged students. The administration had planned to use that increase for a new program that would allow districts to have federal funding follow students to the school of their choice. And the Trump team had hoped to use a new $250 million investment in the Education Innovation and Research programwhich is supposed to help scale up promising practices in states and school districtsto nurture private school choice. The Senate bill essentially rejects both of those pitches. It instead would provide a $25 million boost for Title I, and $95 million for the research program, a slight cut from the current level of $100 million. But importantly, the legislation wouldnt give U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her team the authority to use that money for school choice. In fact, the committee said in language accompanying the bill that the secretary needs to get the OK from Congress to create a school choice initiative with the funds. This isnt the first setback for DeVos school choice ambitions. The full House of Representatives approved a funding bill Thursday that doesnt provide any new money for the administrations school choice proposals. And it is looking less and less likely that the administration will be able to get a federal tax credit scholarship included in a forthcoming measure to overhaul the tax code. Such a program, a verison of which is currently in place in at least 16 states, would give a tax break to individuals or corporations who donate to scholarship granting organizations. DeVos and her team are said to be working on the idea behind the scenes, but its already drawn pushback from conservative organizations, including the influential Heritage Foundation. Still, the Trump team may end up with a small victory when it comes to charter schools, which for years have enjoyed bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. The Senate bill includes a $25 million increase for charter school grants, which would bring them to $367 million. Thats not as high as the $167 million boost the administration asked for, or even as high as the $28 million the House is seeking. Pell Grant Changes The committee is proposing $450 million for another program that the administration sought to zero-out completely, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, the new block grant program created under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The program, which can be used for almost computer science programs to band instruments and Advanced Placement test fees, is currently receiving $400 million. It is slated to receive $500 million under a bill approved by the House appropriations committee earlier this year. The bill also would increase the maximum Pell Grant for the first time in over a decade, from $5,920 to $6,020. The grants help low-income students cover the cost of postsecondary education, and advocates say they havent kept up with rising college costs. The bill would allow students to use the grants year-round, not just during the academic year. But there may be more bad news than good for Pell Grants in the bill. The Pell Grant program currently has a surplus of funds. This bill would take $2.6 billion out of a surplus in Pell Grant funding and divert to other priorities, to the chagrin of advocates for college access. The Head Start program, an early-childhood education program for low-income children, would receive $9.3 billion. Thats about the same as current levels. The House version of the bill includes a $22 million boost for Head Start. The National Head Start Association, which represents centers, said in a statement that the Senates plan to flat-fund the program could lead to cuts down the road. Democrats supported the bill overall, but expressed serious concerns about its skimpy funding levels. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., offered an amendment that would have included a $590 million increase for Head Start, among other priorities. It failed on a partisan vote. Other highlights Christmas comes early this year for a three-year-old Kansas boy with terminal cancer. This Sunday, Lebo, Kansas, will be celebrating the holiday for the little boy. People in the city have been hanging up Christmas lights, where Christian Risner and his family will see them from a horse-drawn sleigh, putting up trees and posting on Facebook their support for Christian and his family. Christian Risner, 3, was diagnosed with Rhabdoid kidney cancer 18 months ago. Doctors have said he has less than three months to live Christian was diagnosed with Rhabdoid kidney cancer 18 months ago after his mom, Sarah Risner, found blood in his diaper. She noticed that he didn't have a fever or appear to be in any pain but she was worried so she called doctors. Sarah and her husband, Josh Risner, went to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City where Christian was diagnosed with the disease that has caused tumors in his kidneys and lungs. Because Christian loves Christmas, the city of Lebo in Kansas is celebrating it early this year Last month, he underwent a procedure to drain 16 ounces of fluid from his lungs as he struggled to breath and experienced chest pains, according to The Wichita Eagle. Doctors have told Josh and Sarah Risner that Christian has less than three months to live. Kelly Freund of Lebo heard about Christian and was inspired by his cancer struggles because she too has had health issues before and almost died. Christian and his mother, Sarah Risner, at the hospital. She first noticed something was wrong when she found blood in his diaper What Is Rhabdoid Kidney Cancer Malignant rhabdoid tumor is a rare childhood tumor that commonly starts in the kidneys but can also occur in other soft tissues or in the brain, where it is referred to as atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). Malignant rhabdoid tumor occurs most commonly in infants and toddlers with the average age of diagnosis being 15 months old. There are about 20 to 25 new cases of malignant rhabdoid tumor diagnosed each year in the United States. Cells from malignant rhabdoid tumors in children can spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. Source: Boston Children's Hospital Advertisement After that she made a promise that she was going to 'live my faith'. 'I made a commitment that I was going to not just believe it, I was going to live my faith,' Kelly told the Wichita Eagle. 'Whatever God wanted me to do to show faith, I would do.' She then got the idea that she would help Christian celebrate Christmas, which soon spread through the city of Lebo, which has a population of about 900. A community dinner will also be held at the Lebo Baptist Church at 6pm on Sunday where a silent auction will take place. The money raised will go toward the Risner's medical expenses. Richard Odum, pastor of the Lebo Baptist Church, said he has been moved by Christian. He said that everything has been tried to save Christian and that for the last months of his life, his parents have chosen to let him be a little boy. 'Some days are good, some aren't,' Sarah told the Wichita Eagle. 'I have come to accept and believe in my faith. I don't know why God has chosen my child. I accept he needs him more than I need him and I don't like it but I am grateful I get to be his mom.' People in Lebo, Kansas, hanging up Christmas lights for Christian and his family The highly anticipated new CBS Star Trek series will seek to tackle the Trump-era political divide. Released on September 24th, Star Trek: Discovery will continue the show's time-honored practice of mirroring the contemporary world in a futuristic setting. The story, set 10-years before William Shatner's Captain Kirk, will focus on the fractious early relations between the United Federation of Planets and the aggressive Klingon Empire. The producers of the new Jason Isaacs fronted series have said that the Klingons will be one outlet by which they will explore themes of 'isolation' and 'racial purity' within the new series. The show begins to tell the war story between two opposing forces - the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, pictured here a Klingon from the new CBS show The sci-fi series always takes on real world issues and now they are taking on the current political divide in the U.S. to turn it into a serialized story. Pictured here, President Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton The show, which is created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, is set in 2256 where the Federation and Klingons are in a Cold War-style standoff. 'The allegory is that we really started working on the show in earnest around the time the election was happening,' showrunner Aaron Harberts said to Entertainment Weekly. 'The Klingons are going to help us really look at certain sides of ourselves and our country. Isolationism is a big theme. Racial purity is a big theme. The Klingons are not the enemy, but they do have a different view on things. 'It raises big questions: Should we let people in? Do we want to change? There's also the question of just because you reach your hand out to someone, do they have to take it? Sonequa Martin-Green (R) is set to play Michael Burnham, a Starfleet officer (L) Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Greens's character) carefully planned career is upended when she makes a decision with far-reaching consequences 'Sometimes, they don't want to take it. It's been interesting to see how the times have become more of a mirror than we even thought they were going to be.' These sorts of topics have been explored in previous series, however this one in particular shows the enemies are in an internal war: 'The thing about the war is it takes Starfleet and the Federation and forces them to examine their ideas and ethical rules of conflict and conduct,' Harberts revealed. 'It provides a backdrop to how we want to be as a society and that analysis and self-reflection is new for Trek. Theyve done it in certain episodes in the past, but this is a true journey for the institution in itself.' Jason Isaacs (L) will play Captain Gabriel Lorca (R) The highly-anticipated new Star Trek: Discovery show, that will air on CBS, aims to tackle the very controversial Trump-era political divide as the Klingons are depicted as Trump supporters Gretchen J. Berg, another showrunner said: 'In times of stress and conflict it can bring out the best of us and the worst of us.' 'But but ultimately brings out the best in our Starfleet officers,' he said. Berg also said that President Trump's relations with North Korea will be a focal point: 'North Korea is in our thoughts as we finish the series,' he admitted. 'What began as a commentary on our own divided nation - in terms of Trump supporters and non-Trump supporters - has blown out to North Korea and how were right on the brink.' The executive producers and cast of the highly anticipated and somewhat controversial series are pictured here at the Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour in LA '[The U.S. is] actually right at the place where Starfleet finds itself in episode one and we couldnt have anticipated that happening. But how do you end conflict when both sides have such strong opinions?' Sonequa Martin-Green is set to play Michael Burnham, a Starfleet officer, while Jason Isaacs, from Harry Potter, will play Captain Gabriel Lorca. The series debuts on CBS September 24 and will then move to the CBS All Access streaming service. These adorable photos show a proud mother gorilla gently cradling her precious three-day-old baby. The newly born endangered western lowland gorilla was snapped clinging on to its 22-year-old mother, Miliki. The tiny primate was born to Miliki and silverback father Bukavu in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Blackpool Zoo. Miliki nurtures her newborn at Blackpool Zoo following the infant's birth in the early hours of Tuesday Delighted keepers say the baby appears healthy but sightings have so far been rare due to it hiding away while building up strength and coordination. That makes this tender photograph all the more special, as it shows Miliki nurturing her newborn days after a natural, uncomplicated labour. Keepers have yet to discover whether the baby is male or female and will closely observe it over the coming weeks. Sightings at this early stage are rare as the infant builds up strength and coordination while relying on its mother for nurture Animal manager Peter Dillingham said he was delighted to welcome Blackpool Zoo's sixth gorilla. 'We are delighted to share the news of the birth of our gorilla,' he said. 'This is Bukavus third child and Milikis second so they have already proven that they are great parents. This brings the zoo's gorilla population up to six as the western lowland gorilla faces being critically endangered across the globe 'We wont find out the sex until the baby starts to move around more, as we are leaving everything to mum. 'It has been wonderful to watch Meisie and Moanda grow up together and they have both been over to have a look at the new baby a few times. 'I am sure they will show their new brother or sister the ways of the world when he or she starts to walk at around nine months.' Miliki cradles her newborn, holding its foot in her hand as the infant prepares for life at the zoo The beautiful infant has an older sister called Meisie, aged seven, and a four-year-old half-brother named Moanda. Western lowland gorillas originate from Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Their critically endangered status is a result of habitat destruction and poaching for the bushmeat trade. A naked butler accused of battering his glamour model girlfriend has walked free after his charges were dropped today. Callan Swadling, 27, was accused of assaulting Sabina Evangelista, 30, at her home in Bognor, West Sussex. But the charges were dismissed at Worthing Magistrates' court after Miss Evangelista declined to take the witness stand against her partner, who she arrived at court with. However Swadling, who owns Butlers Exclusive, a company that hires out naked butlers for events, was convicted of criminal damage. Callan Swadling, 27, was accused of assaulting his girlfriend at her home in Bognor, West Sussex Miss Evangelista has previously hit the headlines after her enhanced 34EE breasts exploded when her implants burst Callan Swadling arrives at court with his girlfriend Sabina Evangelista, whom he was accused of assaulting The court heard Miss Evangelista and Swadling's sister Rebecca had gone to the pub for a night of drinking on the evening of May 6. But after collecting the pair and dropping his sister to his girlfriend's flat to pick up her belongings, Swadling became impatient and forced his way through the door, damaging the frame. Kirsten Sharp, prosecuting, said: 'Swadling was in a bad mood and Miss Evangelista had had enough of him so she and his sister went to the flat and locked the door behind them. 'But she had dropped a set of keys in the car and he used them to enter the house. 'He then pushed the door, with a chain attached to a piece of doorway already weakened by previous damage.' Beverly Rayner, defending, said: 'Swadling thought his sister was collecting her bag and was waiting in the car to take her home. 'But he was concerned about her being sick. So he went to find out what was going on using the key he found but did not realise there was a chain on the door.' Swadling, of Bognor, admitted criminal damage to property valued under 5,000. He was given a six-month conditional discharge. Swadling owns Butlers Exclusive a company that hires out naked butlers for events Miss Evangelista once appeared on ITV's This Morning in which she revealed she spends nearly 2,000 on Christmas presents for her children Charges of assault by beating relating to both Miss Evangelista and Miss Swadling were dismissed. Miss Evangelista is 11 weeks pregnant by Swadling, who is an assistant manager at a gym as well as running his naked butler company. The model has previously hit the headlines after her enhanced 34EE breasts exploded when her implants burst. She also made an appearance on ITV's This Morning in which she revealed she spends nearly 2,000 on Christmas presents for her children. The model has two daughters with former partner and Conservative West Sussex county councillor for Arundel and Courtwick Gary Markwell. An East Coast drifter, who authorities say killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 while driving a van he called the 'murder mobile', pleaded guilty on Friday in connection with six of the slayings. William Devin Howell, 47, pleaded guilty to six counts of murder during a hearing in New Britain Superior Court on Friday. He is expected to be sentenced to 360 years in prison on November 17. The Hampton, Virginia, native was previously convicted of manslaughter in the death of one victim, Nilsa Arizmendi, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The guilty pleas on Friday confirmed that Howell is the most prolific serial killers in Connecticut history - not including the killers in mass shootings like the Newtown school massacre. William Devin Howell, 47 (pictured), who authorities say killed seven people in Connecticut in 2003 pleaded guilty on Friday in connection with six of the slayings. He'd already been serving a sentence for one of the murders The guilty pleas on Friday confirmed that Howell is the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut history. The victims' bodies were found behind a strip mall in New Britain (From left to right: victims Nilsa Arizmendi, 33, and Marilyn Gonzalez, 26) Howell allegedly committed the killings while driving a van he called the 'murder mobile' (above) The strip mall at 539 Hartford Road where the bodies of the seven victims were found The bodies of all seven victims were found buried in a wooded area behind a strip mall at 539 Hartford Road in New Britain. Three bodies were found in 2007, and the other remains were discovered in 2015 when authorities went back to the site. New Britain State's Attorney Brian Preleski on Friday praised a task force of local, state and federal authorities that investigated the killings. 'We express our sincere thanks to all who have worked so long and so hard on this difficult investigation, and we again express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of these innocent victims,' Preleski said. All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs in central Connecticut. They were identified as: Joyvaline Martinez, 24; Diane Cusack, 53; Mary Jane Menard, 40; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44; and Arizmendi, 33. Howell sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his 'baby', according to an arrest warrant affidavit. All seven victims disappeared in 2003, when Howell was mowing lawns and working other odd jobs in central Connecticut. He allegedly sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his 'baby' (From left to right: victims Mary Jane Menard, 40, and Joyvaline Martinez, 24) Howell also told a cellmate 'there was a monster inside of him that just came out', described himself as a 'sick ripper' and called his van the 'murder mobile', according to the warrant. When authorities searched Howell's prison cell in 2015, they found notes referencing a serial killer memorabilia website (From left to right: Diane Cusack, 53; Danny Lee Whistnant, 44; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29) Howell also told a cellmate 'there was a monster inside of him that just came out', described himself as a 'sick ripper' and called his van the 'murder mobile', according to the warrant. When authorities searched Howell's prison cell in 2015, they found notes referencing a serial killer memorabilia website and a newspaper article about Florida's death penalty, court records show. The seven killings topped the Connecticut body count of serial killer Michael Ross, who killed six women in eastern Connecticut and two in New York. He was executed in Connecticut in 2005. The state no longer employs the death penalty. 'By pleading guilty today, William Howell wanted to spare the victims' families further emotional pain through a lengthy and drawn out trial that would have taken several weeks, if not months. Avoiding a trial also saves the taxpayers of the state nearly $1,000,000,' Howell's attorneys, Jeffrey C Kestenband and William H Paetzold, said in a statement. Megyn Kelly was seen looking emotional outside her Manhattan apartment building on Friday morning. The new NBC hire was frowning and her eyes were closed shut and as she spoke to a man after arriving home from the morning school run. Megyn was also no doubt tired after hosting an vent for her memoir 'Settle for More' in Princeton, New Jersey the previous night. This comes just two weeks before her new morning show is set to premiere during the third hour of Today. Scroll down for video Tough day: Megyn Kelly looked emotional outside her NYC apartment on Friday Out and about: She had just returned from dropping her children off at school She clutched her phone in one hand and was wearing a backpack on her shoulder Back in action: She was then seen again leaving the apartment building later that day Despite reports to the contrary which have popped up in the media ever since Megyn made the decision to move from Fox News to NBC back in January, a network insider said that executives are 'very excited' about how the new show is coming together ahead of its debut. And that debut will be in front of a live studio audience. This marks the first time that NBC has offered up seats to watch the live taping of its most popular program in studio, though it has long offered up free tickets to join the 'Today' team on the plaza. Megyn certainly looked right at home when she joined Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Hoda Kotb on the plaza this Tuesday morning, where all six posed for a group shot with the Today puppy. The only person missing from the shot was Kathie Lee Gifford, Kotb's co-host on the show's fourth hour. Megyn also spoke about her excitement as the premiere date draws closer, saying: ' I feel like a racehorse in a starting gate.' She then spoke about the tickets to her show, noting they are free but then quipping: 'Until we can re-evaluate.' Busy bee: On Thursday, Megyn was in Princeton, New Jersey to promote her memoir 'Settle For More The team of hosts then joked that Daly would be scalping tickets before Megyn said to viewers: 'Bring every member of your family.' Later, it was time for the group shot, which most of the team shared on their social media accounts. Guthrie reposted the shot on Twitter writing: 'It's an us-ie... even better than a selfie.' It was also recently revealed that Kelly is making an annual salary of $18 million. Kelly's salary is of particular interest given the amount of press that surrounded her move from Fox News to NBC, with her former employer offering her a reported four-year contract that would pay her a total of $100 million to stay on as host of 'The Kelly File.' Reports had her new salary as low as $12 million and most seemed to believe her contract was for $15 million, but it seems those numbers were all too low. Two United States students have alleged that they were raped by Italian policeman who escorted them from a nightclub, leading to an investigation by Florence prosecutors on Friday. Italian authorities said the students, both 21, were questioned for hours the day before in the case the the US State Department is said to be taking very seriously. The women accused Carabinieri policemen who escorted them home of raping them early Thursday morning in their apartment building. Two American students, both 21, alleged that they were raped by Carabeinieri police when they escorted them home from a club in Florence, Italy on Thursday Three police cars went to Flo nightclub to investigate a fight, where one them stayed behind and supposedly took the girls home The officers, members of paramilitary police, are waiting to be questioned. Three patrol cars went to Flo nightclub to investigate a fight, according to Italian media as reported by the New York Post. After the issue was eased, two of the cars left while the last took the girls home and allegedly raped them. News report stated that witnesses confirmed that they saw the two women enter the patrol car with the officers. News report stated that witnesses confirmed that they saw the two women enter the patrol car with the officers An official from the State Department said they were aware of the allegations and were taking the matter seriously. The US Embassy in Rome said in an email: 'Due to the sensitive nature of this case and to protect the privacy of those involved, we have no further comment.' According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the US consul general in Florence met with Florence's police chief Friday morning to talk about the case for about an hour. The women had been said to be in Florence for several months studying Italian at an school in the area. The officers, members of paramilitary police, are waiting to be questioned Florence has become a popular tourist destination for lots of Americans and offers plenty of study abroad opportunities for students in the States. In January 2016, American woman Ashley Olsen was killed in her flat sparking lots of media attention. A court in Florence convicted a Senegalese man of murdering the woman and sentenced him to 30 years in prison, later that year. The 35-year-old had been strangled and suffered skull fractures. Witnesses had said they'd seen the woman and her attacker meet at a Florence nightclub mere hours before she was murdered. The event is one of a series that the royals are attending to commemorate the nation's war dead, ahead of the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Queen Elizabeth, who died nine weeks ago at the age of 96, considered Remembrance Sunday one of the most significant and important engagements in her royal calendar and missed just a handful of services in her historic 70 years as monarch. This year marks the King's first year as head of state and will double as a tribute to the late Queen. Charles (right) and Camilla (inset) were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured left), the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife (bottom right) were also in attendance. Kate was glowing in a tailored belted black blazer and flowing calf length skirt, with three poppies pinned to her collar. Camilla also opted for a black dress, adorned with sequined poppies and a delicate red poppy brooch, along with her favoured Van Cleef drop earrings. The King, meanwhile, showcased his collection of medals and wore a single poppy for the occasion. There's a reason the students at Cathays High School in Cardiff seem to be standing just that little bit taller this year. They are enjoying wearing a smart new uniform which they had asked for themselves. Some 70 per cent of the 850 boys and girls at the comprehensive voted in favour of changing the uniform this year from sweatshirts and polo shirts to blazers and ties. Meanwhile the Bishop of Llandaff school, which is just up the road, lavished 20,000 on installing nightclub-style gender-neutral loos. Change: Pupils at Cathay High School in their new blazers and ties The move was branded pointless because the pupils have shunned the concept, with girls tending to use one side and boys the other. Another secondary, Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, was also criticised this week for banning girls from wearing skirts as part of gender-neutral uniform rules. But Cathays has been praised for bringing in smarter attire. Yesterday Stuart Davies, the schools deputy headmaster, said the aim of the dark blue blazers and yellow-striped ties was to encourage better behaviour and learning. Over the last couple of years there has been a groundswell of opinion of pupils wanting a more grown up, professional look, he said. The governors gave permission, so we looked at costing and colours. They all look fantastic. It changes their perception of themselves. Students are positive and pleased, and people are complimenting them. I think it will have a positive impact on behaviour and learning and give them a sense of pride and see themselves as bringing the community together. In their old uniform some said they felt like primary school pupils. Old: The pupils in their previous uniform of polo shirts and sweatshirts Cathays, which opened in 1931 and caters for pupils aged 11 to 18, was voted good by Estyn, the Welsh equivalent of Ofsted, and last year recorded its best ever A-level results. The blazers were also backed by 80 per cent of parents and 90 per cent of staff. Parent Bridget Taylor wrote on Twitter: Love the new uniforms. Another said: Great to see all the pupils in their smart new uniforms. In contrast, Ian Beesley, whose child attends the Bishop of Llandaff school, said of the new toilets there: This work has cost an absolute fortune that couldve funded the childrens education in a far more beneficial way. Social media user Lara Sophia Lamb suggested many girls would find the arrangement awkward as they start puberty and may want some privacy in quite an emotional time of their lives. She added: Not something I would have wanted to share with males. Schools have faced mounting pressure to cater to transgender pupils. At least 80 are thought to have brought in gender-neutral uniforms last year. After the backlash, Marc Belli, headmaster of Bishop of Llandaff school, issued a statement claiming the toilets were built for practical reasons rather than political. A man in Bogota, Colombia, filmed himself shooting his wife as a promotion for his bulletproof clothing. Miguel Caballero, 49, aimed his .38-caliber pistol, took a deep breath, and fired a shot at his wife Carolina Ballesteros. He looks visibly rattled as he fires the bullet into her stomach. After he walked off his nerves. 'Now I know why doctors should never operate on their own family members,' he said. The producer of high-fashion bulletproof clothing is trying to break into the U.S. market. He's shot more than 230 volunteers to prove how effective the clothing is. Caballero's clothing line MC Armor is based in Colombia newly available in Miami. The 25-year-old company came to Miami three months ago. Ballesteros is leading the project. Miguel Caballero, 49, aimed his .38-caliber pistol, took a deep breath, and fired a shot at his wife Carolina Ballesteros to prove that his bulletproof clothing is effective Caballero started a club for the more than 230 people he has shot When Caballero started the enterprise in the 1990s, Colombia was one of the most murderous countries in the hemisphere Caballero has shot his wife twice in the past nine years. 'I swore to myself I would never do that again,' Caballero told SFGate. 'But she's trying to open up the American market and I'm helping her in every way I can.' Caballero's clothing line is being sold in gun shops 10 in Florida and others in Texas and California. The company's flagship product is a patented lightweight and flexible bulletproof tank top that can be worn discreetly under regular clothes. The shirt comes with different levels of protection, but the most basic model weighs about 2.4 pounds and is rated to stop .38-caliber, .22-caliber and 9 mm bullets. It costs $495. Ballesteros has been splitting her time between Colombia and the United States. 'We've been selling at gun stores, to Uber drivers, to doctors, lawyers, professors,' she said. 'People have been very interested in the product.' The brand MC Armor is based in Bogota, Colombia, where it was founded in the 1990s When Caballero started the enterprise in the 1990s, Colombia was one of the most murderous countries in the hemisphere. Almost everyone seemed to be a potential target. He produced bulletproof Bible covers for threatened priests, armored backpacks for school children, and once, as a special order, he made a bulletproof kimono. Ballesteros is in charge of bringing the brand to the U.S. market via Miami But as Colombia has grown safer, Caballero has been forced to look abroad. With sales of $25million last year, about 76 percent of his merchandise is exported. 'If we had to depend on Colombia for business, we would have gone broke a while ago,' Caballero said. Now, violence-plagued Mexico and Central America are his top markets, but he also has distributors throughout Africa and the Middle East. The company recently opened two stores in Iraq. Caballero's 4,500-sq-ft factory on the outskirts of Bogota employs 470 people. It churns out the reinforced fashion wear and more standard flak jackets and protective gear for the armed forces, including visors, riot gear and heavily armored mine-clearing outfits. The U.S. market could be a game changer for the company. Home to anywhere from 270million to 310million guns and more than 6,100 gun stores, the country is a mecca for anyone selling weapon accessories or ballistic products. Caballero said he expects the United States eventually will be the company's largest market. As part of his marketing strategy, Caballero has shot hundreds of people journalists, his lawyer, most of his employees, potential clients to prove how effective his vests are. He recently shot street magician David Blaine during one of his live stage shows. He's hoping his harmless execution routine (it's performed with a slightly thicker vest so there's no bruising or welts) will eventually get him into Guinness Book of World Records. UPDATED With Hurricane Irma making a beeline for Florida, after leaving a trail of wreckage in the Caribbean, Gov. Rick Scott has ordered all of the states public schools, colleges, and universities closed Friday through Monday. Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate, Scott said in a statement. Our states public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts, he said. The governors order came as many districts in south and central Florida had already decided to close ahead of Hurricane Irma, which was downgraded Friday from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm. Every Florida county is expected to feel some impact from the storm, which is forecast to make landfall on Sunday, according to the Orlando Sentinel . Hurricane Irma is one of the strongest storms recorded in the Atlantic. At its peak, it packed sustained winds of up to 185 mph. Not leaving anything to chance, schools in Monroe Countyhome to Key Westhave been closed since Wednesday when the county started to evacuate visitors and residents. Miami-Dade County, which weather models show to be in the storms path, decided earlier in the week to close schools beginning on Thursday, along with districts in Brevard and Broward counties. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for low-lying areas in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. @MDCPS schools will remain closed Monday. #Irma s threat to FL makes it necessary for us to take steps to ensure safety during/after storm. -- Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) September 8, 2017 Nearly 2 dozen @MDCPS schools now open as shelters to those who seek refuge from #Irma . We are here for & with you. //t.co/8hXD5of7ic -- Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) September 8, 2017 Schools in some of those districts will be used as shelters, but the early closures also gave families time to evacuate if they chose to do so. Hurricane Irma threatens Florida just two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, leaving thousands of damaged homes and schools in its wake as result of heavy flooding and strong winds. More than 1 million Texas students attend districts affected by Harvey. Barbara Jenkins, the superintendent of central Floridas Orange County schools, said the district had planned to close at the end of the school day on Friday and stay closed on Monday when Orange County was expected to experience some of the effects of the storm. The districts operations team had been meeting with the Orange County Office of Emergency Management and monitoring the weather models all week. The governor made the call that overrode the districts decisionan unusual one since local districts normally decide whether to close depending on where they are in the storms path, she said. We take hurricanes really seriously, Jenkins said. We have pretty sound systems to make sure that we are thorough in our preparation for storms when they are headed our way. Part of the equation is balancing students welfare and ensuring that instructional time is not lost if the hurricane changes course. You can imagine that in a state like Florida there have been days, in years past, where the districts called off school and then the storm was diverted somehow and [students] did not actually need to be out of school, she said. We try to be pretty conservativeerr on the side of safety for our students, but also try not to immediately shut down school because there might be something in the vicinity. Its easy for me to talk about how deliberative we were because we are not on the coast, Jenkins said. Id be a lot more anxious if I were in Miami. ...Being in central Florida, we could see the models and whether or not there would be an impact. The district shut down briefly last October after Hurricane Matthew. While Matthew did not hit the state directly, heavy winds still caused significant damage in the state, though the impact was minimal in Orange County schools. I dont know that we would be so fortunate this time around, she said. Folks are a little bit more anxious about it. About 11 of Orange Countys 188 or so schools are slated to be used as evacuation shelters and another nine could be used as secondary sites, Jenkins said. Because principals and teachers were expecting to come in to school on Friday, Jenkins said principals will be asked to come in and take care of wrap up activities, and teachers can come in to pick up personal effects that they had left behind. Preparing for Irma in Jacksonville Though the Duval County district is at the opposite end of the state from Miami, where the storm was expected to make landfall, it planned to dismiss schools Friday, even before the statewide order, Superintendent Patricia Willis said. Eleven of the countys 198 schools opened as storm shelters Friday after school administrators and county emergency personnel worked into the night Thursday delivering cots, paper goods, and food supplies to prepare them for up to 2,000 people. We are a state that sees storms. Its become a part of who we are, Willis said. We see our community really rally around us. Our number one goal is to make sure our community is safe. While Florida residents are accustomed to storms, coverage of the scale and scope of Harvey may have caused more people to heed advisories earlier than they may have otherwise, she said. By Friday afternoon, a few hundred people had shuffled into the empty schools to set up camp, Willis said. Most of the early arrivals were from low lying areas in the county under mandatory evacuation orders, like Jacksonville Beach. Willis said the shelters would likely fill over the weekend, taking in residents from counties farther away whove been driving to get out of the storms path. The Interstate is starting to slow down now and, as the storm gets closer, people will probably start to pull off, she said. Its been at least five years since Duval County schools have opened as shelters, but, in a state familiar with hurricanes and tropical storms, staff were pretty familiar with the procedures, she said. The 11 buildings, spaced throughout the county, include some special sites for people with higher levels of medical need, like those who require oxygen, and some pet-friendly shelters, Willis said. Each is staffed by police from the district-run police department, workers from the Red Cross, and principals who volunteer their time to run the sites, even as their own families prepare for the storm. After the storm hits and electricity is restored, school officials expected the shelters to clear out in a day or two. Schools will reopen after the buildings get a thorough cleaning, she said. Paulita Kundid, left and her brother, Mike Kundid, board up their apartment building ahead of Hurricane Irma in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Sept. 8. --David Goldman/AP People at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School go through a lunch line in North Miami Beach, Fla., on Sept. 8. The school was many throughout the area set up to house those seeking refuge from Hurricane Irma. --Wilfredo Lee/AP Staff Writer Evie Blad contributed to this report. Joe Biden opted not to run for president in 2016 as he mourned the loss of his of son and said just last month that he 'probably' won't pursue the Democratic nomination when Donald Trump comes up for reelection in 2020. The former vice president's daughter thinks her father could change his mind, though, telling Women's Wear Daily in an interview that ran Thursday that he is 'not there' but 'I think he is considering it.' A former pollster for the Clintons said today in The Hill that has his eye on another candidate whom he believes has a much better chance of beating Trump than any other national Democrat: Michelle Obama. Joe Biden says he 'probably' wont run. The former vice president's daughter thinks her father could change his mind, though, saying he is 'not there' but 'I think he is considering it' Joe Biden opted not to run for president in 2016 as he mourned the loss of his of son and said just last month that he 'probably' won't pursue the Democratic ticket in 2020. He's seen here in 2008 with Barack and Michelle Obama just after he was elected vice president Former First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a discussion with former White House chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy Sam Kass (R) during the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit May 12, 2017 in Washington, DC The former first lady declined to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016, despite pressure from within the Democratic Party to put herself on the ballot. She campaigned for Hillary Clinton, instead. Mrs. Obama became one of Clinton's top surrogates in an unlikely alliance that brought them together on the stump in a bid to take down Trump. Pollster Doug Schoen said in a Friday column that he believes Michelle Obama is the Democratic Party's best hope to take back the White House from the Republicans. Schoen has been fiercely critical of the way that Barack Obama did the job. He raked his party leader over the coals in a piece for Fox News ten days before left office. 'Obama remains more than anything else a symbol for Democrats disheartened by the stunning defeat of Hillary Clinton, rather than a truly successful president leaving behind a legacy of accomplishment,' Schoen said. Among his many problems with Obama was the Democrat's promise that he would unite the country only to leave it 'more divided and partisan.' Another one of his claims was that 'America is weaker, both at home and overseas.' 'Put another way, Obamas presidency was a disappointment, and he leaves behind a broken, unimpressive legacy,' Schoen curtly assessed. 'He always prioritized the symbolism and theater of the presidency over concrete policy accomplishments that benefitted Americans.' In a piece that ran today in The Hill on Michelle Obama as a potential 2020 candidate, Schoen doesn't back away from those criticisms. 'Let me be clear: This is not an endorsement,' he explains. 'Michelle Obama would not be my candidate, and I do not agree with many of the positions I believe she would advance. But as an analyst, Michelle Obama is clearly the Democrats best chance to reunite the party and win back the White House in 2020.' LIVING LARGE: Former First Lady Michelle Obama is seen out and about in Mallorca, Spain on Sept. 1 Schoen says he arrived at that conclusion based on polling when she left the White House that gave her a 68 percent favorability rating. Obama is seen as well-qualified, and she is well-liked, he posits. Compare that to Clinton, who had a 58 percent favorability rating when she sought a New York Senate seat as her husband was vacating office. 'Further, in plain terms, Michelle Obama would be a far superior candidate to Hillary Clinton,' he says. Schoen worked for Bill Clinton in the '90s and Hillary Clinton in her first race for president. He yanked his support for her the second time around after he concluded that her email crisis was too great a scandal to overcome. 'I opposed Hillary Clinton because she faced ethical issues that could very well have initiated a constitutional crisis had she been elected. Michelle Obama does not face such controversy,' he explained in his column on Friday. The Democratic pollster and Fox News analyst does not make a case against Biden himself. In fact, he notes that the former senator and vice president had a 61 percent approval rating in the same Gallup poll that gave Michelle Obama a score of 68 percent at the end of their time in office. It is merely his belief that Michelle Obama is the only Democrat who can unite his fractured party. 'Michelle Obama stands a cut above the rest as the only prospective candidate who can bring the party together, rebuild the Obama coalition, win back the Midwest and, thus, win the presidency,' he ends. Pollster Doug Schoen is pushing Michelle Obama based on a survey when she left the White House that gave her a 68 percent favorability rating Democrats have spent the better part of the last year playing the blame game in the wake in the wake of Hillary Clinton's spectacular loss to Trump. Biden has chimed in from time to time to say he thinks the issue was the candidate. 'I never thought she was a great candidate. I thought I was a great candidate,' Biden is said to have told hedge fund managers attending the annual SALT conference. TheStreets Ronald Orol says Biden left the door open to another bid for the White House when he spoke to conference goers in August. The former VP reportedly said he's still working to put his family back together two year's after his son Beau's death. 'If I get those things done, and Im healthy and viable, and it looks like Im the best man to do it, I may very well do it,' Biden reportedly said. 'But my family comes first.' Biden remarked at the time, 'Could I? Yes.' Adding, 'Would I? Probably not.' His daughter Ashley said in the Women's Wear Daily interview that her father is 'taking it day by day.' 'I hope so,' Ashely said of a future run. 'Hes busier truly than ever. Right now his focus is on the [Biden] Foundation and Cancer Moonshot, as well as getting other Democrats elected.' Ashley said, 'Hes not there....Hell make a decision when that time comes. 'Its a little ways away. A lot can happen in four years and we know this as a family,' she said. 'If he is in good health, knock on wood, and seeing what the landscape is at the time, yeah, I think he is considering it.' Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman Too many pupils are having to drop key subjects including history and French to allow them to start GCSE courses a year earlier, the head of Ofsted has warned. Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of schools, accused headteachers of whittling away the broader curriculum for hundreds of thousands of students. An Ofsted study has discovered that at least a quarter of secondary schools are slashing Key Stage Three by a year, to enable the expansion of GCSE courses to three years. But this means that many pupils are stopping core subjects such as humanities and foreign languages at 13. Miss Spielman told The Times: Starting GCSEs a year early is something worth thinking about carefully. At the point pupils start GCSEs they are typically dropping the subjects we all think are part of the broad education we expect. This is the point children are now dropping geography, history and languages. I am concerned when I see what is being whittled away, often with the best of intentions. Children are being asked to make choices very early. The first three years of secondary education are known as Key Stage Three. Youngsters study a huge range of subjects, including food technology, computing, music, art, languages, humanities, the three sciences, religion as well as English and maths. The breadth is designed to give pupils the chance to discover their strengths. But if they begin GCSE courses early, subjects must be dropped to let them focus on about ten qualifications. The Ofsted study found that history, geography and foreign languages were subjects most commonly dropped. Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: Allowing students to choose some options at the end of Year Eight so they no longer have to continue with those subjects can mean those students remain more engaged and Year Nine is a better experience for them. A Department for Education spokesman said: In designing and delivering their curriculum, schools must take the interests of their pupils into account. Swimsuit models are certainly not shy about sharing images of themselves scantily clad on a beach, but doing so with photos taken on islands being ravaged by Hurricane Irma crosses the line for some on social media. Three models sent out well wishes and prayers to the inhabitants of Caribbean islands hit by the catastrophic hurricane, and it drew a sharp backlash from social media users accusing them of being tone-deaf and self-absorbed. Kara Del Toro, a 25-year-old model who has over half-a-million followers on Instagram, had some people scratching their heads on Thursday when she posted a photo of herself relaxing on a beach. Sending positive thoughts and good vibes to the islands right now, she wrote on the Instagram post alongside a photo of her posing provocatively in a two-piece bikini. Kara Del Toro, a 25-year-old model who has over half-a-million followers on Instagram, had some people scratching their heads on Thursday when she posted a photo of herself relaxing on a beach in Turks and Caicos. The photo was taken last month Sending positive thoughts and good vibes to the islands right now, she wrote on the Instagram post alongside a photo of her posing provocatively in a two-piece bikini While Del Toro generated the usual fanfare from people who complimented her on her appearance, there were some who thought the timing of the Instagram post was inappropriate Del Toro, who rose to fame through the popularity of her Instagram account, defended herself by noting that she is a native of southeastern Texas, which was hit hard last week by Tropical Storm Harvey The picture was apparently taken earlier this past summer on a beach in Turks and Caicos, which bore the brunt of the Category 5 hurricane on Friday. So far, Irma has left at least 18 people dead in its path, while wreaking havoc and destruction of property that is likely to cost billions to repair. Since communication with the islands of Turks and Caicos went down on Friday, there is no word as to the extent of the damage. While Del Toro generated the usual fanfare from people who complimented her on her appearance, there were some who thought the timing of the Instagram post was inappropriate. Lana Alexandra, a Ukrainian woman with over 27,000 followers on Instagram, posted an image of herself in sexy lingerie while letting her concerned fans know that shes ok even though shes currently in Puerto Rico Some Instagram users were not amused, with one writing: This is in such bad taste. Millions in the path of a hurricane with their property and lives at stake and your thought is to post this? #idiot Talk about tone deaf, as people are losing all of their property and in some cases their lives this is what you post? Selfish narcissist, wrote one angry Instagram user. Del Toro, who rose to fame through the popularity of her Instagram account, defended herself by noting that she is a native of southeastern Texas, which was hit hard last week by Tropical Storm Harvey. I also lost my property during Hurricane Ike, she wrote. We lost EVERYTHING we owned.. and last week my town was just destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. If you were following me you would know that I have been a STRONG advocate to raising money for all victims people and animals of the last hurricane. I know what it's like to be in their shoes. I've been there. So check your facts before you criticize someone for posting a photo in a beautiful location that has been hit by a storm. I was just there [in Turks and Caicos] last month. I don't see any problem with sharing a little light in this world. Del Toro wasnt the only Instagram model to absorb backlash for posting half-naked pictures in the midst of Irmas devastation. Lana Alexandra, a Ukrainian woman with over 27,000 followers on Instagram, posted an image of herself in sexy lingerie while letting her concerned fans know that shes ok even though shes currently in Puerto Rico. Just wanna tell you guys that Im fine and it wasn't bad at all! Still have two days of vacation here and going to take as much as I can out of it, she wrote. Some Instagram users were not amused, with one writing: This is in such bad taste. Millions in the path of a hurricane with their property and lives at stake and your thought is to post this? #idiot Dana Hamm, an Instagram model from Ohio, decided this week was a good time to post a topless photo of herself swimming near the shore of another island battered by Irma, St. Maarten Hamm asks her 124,000 followers on Instagram to keep them in your prayers The gesture was not well received by some. Why would you post a picture like this for hurricane victims?? one Instagram user wrote. As anyone can see from the comments, no one is looking at your captions This is the first bikini photo that I would consider pathetic, wrote another Instagram user. How about you use your remaining "vacation" time to lend a hand to people. Like Del Toro, Alexandra felt the need to answer her naysayers. So Im the only one who's posting bikini pics right now?? she wrote. Why wouldn't you complain about every bikini pic posted during hurricane Harvey and Irma and coming Jose and Katya? Posting a photo in bikini doesn't make you heartless person. If you are so caring why do you waste your time checking out my IG account instead of helping people who are victims of hurricane??? Show in action how great you are. Dana Hamm, an Instagram model from Ohio, decided this week was a good time to post a topless photo of herself swimming near the shore of another island battered by Irma, St. Maarten. Hamm asks her 124,000 followers on Instagram to keep them in your prayers. Sending warm thoughts & positive vibes to beautiful St. Maarten today, she wrote. The gesture was not well received by some. Why would you post a picture like this for hurricane victims?? one Instagram user wrote. As anyone can see from the comments, no one is looking at your captions. Such a shallow-feeling, self-absorbed post instead of something that is actually thoughtful/meaningful. Another Instagram user wrote: Totally inappropriate. Have some decency. Hillary Clinton takes yet another dig at Donald Trump in new new memoir, saying the 'flagrantly sexist' candidate won the 2016 election. Clinton's memoir settles scores with a range of competitors and opponents, while providing unsparing language for Trump, who Clinton complains stalked her on a debate stage to the point where it made her 'skin crawl' and she wanted to say 'back up, you creep.' In another excerpt reported by the New York Times, Clinton says sexism 'played a role' in the election where she suffered a historic defeat. 'This has to be said,' Clinton writes. 'Sexism and misogyny played a role in the 2016 presidential election. Exhibit A is that the flagrantly sexist candidate won.' Hillary Clinton described her loss as 'devastating' and said that Donald Trump won because he was able to 'stoke the anger' of the voters in way she was unable to. She is seen above Thursday speaking at the event in Manhattan Clinton didn't shy from playing up gender issues during the campaign. She blasted Trump repeatedly after the emergence of the infamous 'p***y tape where he got caught on tape making crude comments about women. She also campaigned with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who spoke about Trump insulting her weight and cut a campaign ad. 'He calls women ugly, disgusting, nasty all the time,' Clinton said on the stump in Florida during the final days of the campaign. Clinton said in the campaign Trump had a 'penchant for sexism,' and Trump called her a 'nasty woman,' an insult Clinton supporters defiantly embraced. She also suggested that Mr Trump was un-Christian and that his 'cruelty' did not come from Biblical teachings. She waves to the crowd in Manhattan on Thursday Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump listens as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., October 9, 2016. Clinton complains stalked her on a debate stage to the point where it made her 'skin crawl' Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, speaks as Donald Trump, 2016 Republican presidential nominee, stands during the second U.S. presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Clinton complains stalked her on a debate stage to the point where it made her 'skin crawl' Clinton writes of Trump in the book: ''You've got to give it to Trump he's hateful, but it's hard to look away from him.' Clinton also settles scores with Bernie Sanders, Vice President Joe Biden, NBC's Matt Lauer, and others in the book, which goes on sale next week. Clinton has revealed that she was so distraught after losing the election that she was unable to speak. The former Democratic candidate said that she was in the car on the way home from giving her losing speech when she 'felt the whole weight of it upon me'. She said that she had 'no internal resources left' and crumbled. 'Sexism and misogyny played a role in the 2016 presidential election. Exhibit A is that the flagrantly sexist candidate won,' Clinton writes 'Sexism and misogyny played a role in the 2016 presidential election. Exhibit A is that the flagrantly sexist candidate won,' Clinton writes Clinton described her loss as 'devastating' and said that Donald Trump won because he was able to 'stoke the anger' of the voters in way she was unable to. She also suggested that Mr Trump was un-Christian and that his 'cruelty' did not come from Biblical teachings. Clinton spoke out in the week ahead of the launch of her memoir about the election, 'What Happened'. Clinton spoke out in the week ahead of the launch of her memoir about the election, 'What Happened' The event took place at the Riverside Church in Manhattan and was a fundraiser for Camp Olmsted, a summer camp in upstate New York for underprivileged children. Clinton told the packed church that during the election 'there was a misconnection between who I am and what I believe and the campaign you saw'. She said: 'I'm just not wired to think that the best way for a leader to bring people together is to stoke anger and to feed that anger. 'The kind of leadership I was offering was not satisfying enough for certain people. It wasn't enough for me to say I understand if I didn't display more anger so I could feel I got their anger. 'It was something I struggled with because I don't think anger is a strategy. Leaders, in church or politics or else should be looking to find common ground and not create scapegoats and stoke hatred and bigotry'. The event took place at the Riverside Church in Manhattan and was a fundraiser for Camp Olmsted, a summer camp in upstate New York for underprivileged children Clinton said the 'two best politicians I know' didn't think she would lose, referring to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and neither did she. She said: 'When it hit me, it just threw me back and threw me onto my own internal resources 'I knew I had to get up, to demonstrate the kind of personal composure and strength in order to deliver a concession speech in a way that wasn't bitter. 'But as soon as we left that stage I just felt the whole weight of it on me. We were relaxing in the car on the way home, I couldn't speak, I didn't have any internal resources left'. Clinton also took a number of shots at Trump and got a big laugh from the crowd when she said: 'Who gets into a Twitter war with The Pope?' Referring to Trump's decision to revoke the DACA program for young immigrants Clinton asked: 'Where does that cruelty come from?' She said: 'It is not from the church, it is not from Christianity'. Clinton said on Thursday: 'I knew I had to get up, to demonstrate the kind of personal composure and strength in order to deliver a concession speech in a way that wasn't bitter.' Pictured above at the concession speech on November 9 President Donald J. Trump is seen above Thursday holding a joint news conference with Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait in the East Room of the White House. Clinton also took a number of shots at Trump and got a big laugh from the crowd when she said: 'Who gets into a Twitter war with The Pope?' Clinton was supposed to be joined at the event by the Rev Bill Shillady, her personal pastor but he pulled out at the last minute. He has been forced to apologize after it emerged that he plagiarized parts of a book of daily devotionals he had sent Clinton during the campaign. Attendees of the event at Riverside Church were supposed to get a copy of the book with their $83 tickets but it was pulled and pulled by the publisher, so the $15 was donated to Camp Olmsted instead In extracts of What Happened already made public Clinton has appeared to swing between angry and conciliatory. In the book Clinton calls former FBI director James Comey 'rash' for revealing to the public he was reopening the investigation into her email server. She says that Bernie Sanders, her Democratic Presidential rival, did 'lasting damage' to the party and claims sexism stopped her beating Trump, who she brands a 'creep'. Clinton writes: 'What makes me such a lightning rod for fury? I'm really asking. I'm at a loss. think it's partly because I'm a woman'. Safe return: The Missing Minnesota teen was found alive on September 5, after she swam across a lake to freedom Three men were charged in Minnesota Thursday with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a 15-year-old girl who managed to escape and swim across a lake to her safety. Thomas Jay Barker, 32, Joshua Lee Holby, 31, and Steven Michael Samuel Powers, 20, have all been charged with kidnapping and falsely imprisoning a girl from Alexandria. Powers and Barker were also charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct of the girl, who said that she was held captive for 29 days and repeatedly raped and beaten. The young woman, who police are hailing for her bravery, also said the men attempted to drown her on a number of occasions. The horrific details of the alleged crime have been released in a criminal complaint filed in Douglas County on Thursday. Barker, who is believed to be the ringleader of the trio, has cerebral palsy and has admitted to using methamphetamine. He is also the father of one of the victim's close friends, court documents reveal. DailyMail.com is not naming the 15-year-old girl or showing her face because she is now believed to be the victim of multiple sexual assaults. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Thomas Jay Barker, 32, Joshua Lee Holby, 31, and Steven Michael Samuel Powers, 20, (left to right) have all been charged with kidnapping and falsely imprisoning a girl from Alexandria. Powers and Barker were also charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct of the girl, who said that she was held captive for 29 days and repeatedly raped and beaten All three suspects made their first court appearance on Thursday afternoon and had bail set at $2million for Powers and Baker and $1.5million or Holby, with no conditions. They will all appear in court again on September 18. Court documents outline the horrific crimes they were each accused of after the 15-year-old helped police track down the suspects. The teen was home alone around 10.30pm August 9 when Thomas Barker, who was the father of one of her friends, knocked on the door, according to the criminal complaint. She told police that Barker told her his son needed help and asked her to come with him to try and speak with his son. Trusting him, the teen agreed and didn't bring her phone with her, she said. Barker then allegedly drove the victim to his mobile home about nine miles down the road. The girl had been taken to this home in Carlos, Minnesota, after her abduction a month ago and locked in a closet for the majority of the time WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY? Cerebral palsy is the umbrella term for a number of brain conditions that affect movement and coordination. Specifically, it is caused by a problem in the parts of the brain responsible for controlling muscles. The condition can occur if the brain develops abnormally or is damaged before, during or shortly after birth. There's no cure for cerebral palsy, but some treatments are available to ease symptoms, such as physiotherapy. Life expectancy is usually unaffected, however, the emotional and physical strain can put a great deal of stress on the body which can cause further problems in later life. Advertisement Once inside Barker, who is physically impaired with cerebral palsy restrained her with zip ties, held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her, and then raped her, she told police. Within three hours of first leaving her home her mother reported her missing. For the majority of the 29 days she was in captivity, the teen said she was locked in a closet in Barker's bedroom, given Taco Bell meals and other fast food and water, and assaulted repeatedly. On at least one occasion, she said Barker put her in the bathtub and 'that he tried to drown her,' and that she fought against him. Eventually he gave up, she said. In a separate incident she said Holby and Barker put her in a duffel bag in the bathtub. She said that because of her small 110lb frame, she managed to stick her head out of a hole in the bag to see and breathe. And on another day she said a rope or cord of some sort was placed around her neck and she was told to stand on a bucket. 'She stated that Holby then forced her off the bucket and she described a period in which she could not breathe,' the court document reads. About two weeks into her abduction Powers came to the house and was told not to go into Barker's room when he and Holby left the residence, according to the complaint. But curiosity got the best of him and he went in and found her locked in the closet, but didn't free her or call the cops, the complaint says. In the closet, she told police she had a television set and a fan, and food and water were brought to her by her captors. On August 30, the girl alleges that a police deputy came and knocked on the door of the mobile home where she was being kept to look into a report of stolen property. No one answered the door, and all three men sat inside the home silently. Since then that home has been searched by police - who found a pair of women's underwear, rope and a hypodermic needle, the court documents read. No one answered the door, and after the men told her to get into a duffel bag, loaded her in the back of a truck before driving 30 miles away to a different home which they broke into using a screwdriver. Swimming for her life: After the girl escaped on Tuesday, she swam across a portion of Thompson Lake (pictured) That home in Barrett, Minnesota, the teen said, is where she was able to make her escape on Tuesday September 5 when the men left to get pizza and she was left completely alone for the first time since being taken. She told police that she knocked on neighboring door and then swam across part of Thompson Lake lake, losing her pants and shoes in the process, before running through a field and flagging down a farmer for help. Because she'd been reported missing for nearly a month, the farmer immediately recognized the soaking wet girl. While she was sitting in the Good Samaritan's car, awaiting police to arrive, she spotted Steven Powers drive by and alerted the man, who helped police track down that suspect. The teen later assisted police in locating the other two men, and all three were taken into custody. The Alexandria Police Department announced on its Facebook page that the girl, who had been missing since August 8, had been located about 40 miles from her home in Alexandria. Barker told police that he used methamphetamine and alcohol, but denied knowing who the victim is or ever picking her up, according to the complaint. He also told police that Powers had been with the girl sexually, but that he hadn't. Barker refused to answer more questions, according to the complaint. According to Chief Wyffels, none of the suspects said why they targeted the 15-year-old. Good Samaritan: This Grant County farmer encountered the missing teen near his home Tuesday and offered to drive her to safety Following her rescue, the 15-year-old was taken to Douglas County Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and has since been reunited with her family. The farmer who helped the teenage girl spoke to the station WCCO on the condition of anonymity, saying that he happened to be next to his house in Grant County on Tuesday because he forgot something at home and left work to retrieve it. He was getting ready to head back to work when he spotted something in the grass behind the property, which turned out to be a girl. He says he recognized her at once as the missing teen from news reports and offered to take her to safety. 'It was just a great feeling,' said the Good Samaritan, who has three daughters of his own. '[I told her] "just get in the pickup, were going to help you now.' He added, 'It was like somebody shined a big beam of light on me yesterday for some reason and, I dont know, I was kind of on a high all day long yesterday.' She was found by a farmer hiding in the grass (pictured) without pants or shoes Brave: A 15-year-old Minnesota girl is pictured with her mother on Tuesday, shortly after she escaped from three men who had been keeping her captive for a month The girl's safe return came a day after an anonymous donor added $5,000 to a $2,000 reward for information leading to her safe return. On Tuesday evening, her mother shared a photo taken after she was reunited with her daughter. It shows the 15-year-old wrapped in a blue blanket, standing next to her mother with a slight smile on her face. The mom also posted an update on a Facebook group dedicated to finding her daughter, saying that the 15-year-old has been found and is safe. Please be respectful I will not be answering any messages or calls and do not post rumors (the girl) and I will not tolerate that, she wrote. In a follow-up post, the parent thanked law enforcement officials for staying on top of the missing person case and even working on their days off to help bring her daughter home. The mother reiterated her request for privacy, writing that their family had been apart for four weeks and need their space. God answers prayers! she said. I am so damn proud of her [victim] and so happy to have her home safe with us. Thank you all so much. Police are now trying to identify the specific cornfields through which the suspects drove with the kidnapped girl. They are also hoping to locate her missing shoes and pants, which were lost as she swam across the lake for help. The grandson of an 88-year-old woman found murdered in her Alabama home has been charged with her death. Sean Delong WIlson, 48, was booked at the Jefferson County Jail on Thursday and held on $150,000 bond for the death of Doris Gooden at her Engsley, Alabama home. The already convicted felon reportedly found his grandmother deaconess midday Wednesday and police then said on Thursday that Gooden had been stabbed and beaten to death. Sean Delong WIlson, 48, was booked at the Jefferson County Jail on Thursday and held on $150,000 bond for the death of Doris Gooden at her Engsley, Alabama home Friends stated that they had been unable to reach her and once Wilson supposedly discovered her dead wrapped in bedding. Police were called after. 'Whoever this individual is doesn't have heart,'' Birmingham police Lt. Sean Edwards said. 'It's pretty cruel.' Peggy Smith, who has acted as a caregiver to Gooden and went to church with her, told AL.com that she was unable to reach the older woman by phone on Tuesday, which wasn't uncommon. Friends stated that they had been unable to reach her and once Wilson supposedly discovered her dead wrapped in bedding She said that they had a system where if she didn't answer, Smith would go over to Gooden's house and tap on her bedroom window. Gooden would normally respond and Smith, then, would know that everything was ok. After repeated calls, Smith called Wilson who said he was at the doctor's office. He told her that he and the victim's daughter also tried to reach her but failed to do so. Wilson told Smith that his grandmother kept the back door unlocked in case he needed to get inside and informed the woman that she could go inside to see if she was there. Gooden had been a resident at the house for decades and her grandson lived with her for a time, but recently moved to his own place, according to friends and family. She was also a deaconess at Pleasant Hills Baptist Church Smith asserted that she went to the house, walked in the bedroom and called for the victim but heard no answer. The lights had been off. She left, came back to check the bathroom and didn't see her. Wilson then told the woman he would go check and Smith was on the phone when he found the body in the bedroom. Gooden had been covered by bed sheets. A collective of family members and churchgoers gathered at the scene as investigators collected evidence. Wilson was taken into custody and held overnight in the city jail. A formal murder warrant was issued against him on Thursday. Gooden had been a resident at the house for decades and her grandson lived with her for a time, but recently moved to his own place, according to friends and family. Smith said that someone knocked out Gooden's window with a pick axe last week. but she didn't call police to report the incident. Court documents show that Wilson was convicted of first-degree robbery in 1993 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to a 2004 second-degree assult charge, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Police have not released what led to the killing. Fresh footage has emerged showing African migrants landing on a beach in broad daylight as stunned tourists look on. In the latest video, this time recorded in the beauty spot of Agrigento in Sicily, dozens can be seen clambering out of a small vessel and running up the beach before disappearing. An onlooker described the scene as like a 'D-Day style landing' or a military exercise. But in reality they were just some of the estimated 3,000 men who have sailed from Tunisia to Europe in the past two months in search of a better life. Fresh footage has emerged showing more African migrants arriving on tourist beaches as stunned holidaymakers look on It is the latest in a series of clips captured across the Mediterranean this summer which show migrants arriving on beaches in the middle of the day. In this video, the figures can be seen fleeing the small vessel after an estimated 125-mile trip before running up the beach and disappearing into the woods. Claudio Lombardo, the head of the Mareamico environmental group captured the moment on Wednesday morning. He said: 'In the past these boats came at night. When they came at night, all you saw was the abandoned boat on the beach the next day and the people were nowhere to be found, and that's why we called them ghost boats.' The latest video, recorded in Agrigento, Sicily on Wednesday, shows migrants abandoning a small vessel before paddling through shallow waters and running up the beach Scenes like this have become increasingly common with summer with the beaches on Italy's southern islands becoming a preferred landing spot for those coming from North Africa. People smugglers have changed their tactic, sending migrants over in the middle of the day instead of the night in a bid to miss officials. As departures from Libyan slowed up, boats from neighbouring Tunisia have picked up with their main route landing on secluded - but touristy - Sicilian beaches while tourists are out sunbathing. A police source said some 3,000 migrants, mostly men, have come from the North Africa country in the past two months, with between 1,500 - 1,800 landing on the south coast of Sicily. The rest have managed to land on the smaller islands of Lampedusa or Linosa. The island has already had an influx of 10,000 migrants from Libya in the last two months. Scenes like this have become increasingly common with summer with the beaches on Italy's southern islands becoming a preferred landing spot for those coming from North Africa Those who reached the smaller islands have almost all been identified by police, while between 20 to 40 percent of those who made it to Sicily vanished without trace, the official said. Almost all are Tunisians, and some had already been expelled from Italy in the past, the investigator said The 50 filmed by Lombardo were captured climbing up into the dry hills beyond the beach and headed inland, discarding T-shirts and shoes. 'They have a kit with them, which is a bag with a change of clothes, and bottles of water and milk,' Lombardo said. 'Within 30 minutes, they disappear. They're gone.' Police pick up many found walking along roads, the investigator said. On Thursday, one young Tunisian man was killed by a car in a hit-and-run near Agrigento. While some of the boats are big enough to make the more than 125-mile crossing from Tunisia, some are very small, raising questions about how they got there. 'We have not excluded the existence of mother ships,' the investigator said, referring to large fishing boats used in the past to ferry migrants close to the coast before putting them onto smaller boats for the last leg of the voyage.' Despite recent progress on Elon Musks radical Hyperloop system, tests have so far fallen short of the 700 miles per hour its said to achieve. In the next wave of the competition, however, it appears theres no more holding back. SpaceX has released the rules for its 2018 Hyperloop Pod Competition, revealing theres just one thing the teams will now be judged on: maximum speed. Scroll down for video Despite recent progress on Elon Musks radical Hyperloop system, tests have so far fallen short of the 700 miles per hour its said to achieve. But, SpaceX has released the rules for its 2018 Competition, revealing theres just one thing the teams will be judged on: maximum speed THE 2018 TIMELINE 9/5/2017 - 2018 Hyperloop Pod Competition Announced 9/29/2017 - Intent to Compete Form Due Fall 2017 - Preliminary Design Briefing and Competitor Entry Agreement Due Fall 2017 - SpaceX announces teams that have advanced Fall 2017 - Final Design Package Due Winter 2018 - Final Design Presentations via Skype Winter 2018 - SpaceX announces teams that have advanced Spring 2018 - Safety Briefing Due Summer 2018 - SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition Testing Week Summer 2018 - 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition Advertisement The competition will be judged solely on one criteria: maximum speed with successful deceleration (i.e. without crashing, the first revision of the 2018 rules and requirements states. Aside from this, theres just one other rule, which says that all of the pods must be self-propelled. This means SpaceX will not be providing any pushers for the tests. For the 2018 wave of the Hyperloop competition, only student teams are eligible to enter, including returning teams who have built a new pod, or modified their previous device. The selected pods will eventually compete at the test track. The new set of rules comes just a week after Elon Musk shared progress on his traffic-beating tunnel beneath Los Angeles, revealing it is now big enough to fit a Tesla Model S. Musk also shared footage from the Hyperloop competition the previous weekend, with a look at a hair-raising pod test from the winning team, WARR, which hit more than 200 miles per hour in the .8 mile-long tube. But, while the recent breakthroughs may be promising, Musk will still face a number of challenges before either system can truly come to life. Just the week prior, city officials revealed the Boring Company was given the green-light to build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of the plan. The CEO has shared a look at the first stages of the system, as it begins to take form. The tech boss took to social media to share progress on his traffic-beating tunnel beneath Los Angeles, revealing it is now big enough to fit a Tesla Model S. Musk was given the green light to built a two-mile-long test track under the city MUSK'S BORING PLAN Elon Musk has outlined how his Boring Company will work, claiming: Tunnelling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10 Key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly Will work to increase the speed of the Tunnel Boring Machine Envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful TBMs with triple the power of current machines that can tunnel continuously Advertisement A Model S in The Boring Company tunnel being dug under Los Angeles (starting in Hawthorne), Musk tweeted on Sunday, alongside a photo of the vehicle in the underground chamber. Eventually, the tunnel will run 44 feet under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, stretching outside of the property line for the first time. The dry run will prove whether the plan will actually work and, if it doesnt, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil. Musks other radical transportation system made progress this weekend as well, as the firm wrapped up its second Hyperloop competition. In the tests, the winning team achieved a top speed of 324 km/h (201 mph). White-knuckle footage from the event shows a pod-view perspective of the run through the test tube, as it accelerates to staggering speeds. Eventually, Musk says the system could even go supersonic but, the ride will be much smoother, meaning no spilt drinks. He also reassured his Twitter followers the strobe lights in the video were only for testing purposes, and said the passenger version would also have more comfortable levels of acceleration. Just arrived at the @Hyperloop competition final. Student teams have amazing talent, Musk tweeted. Musk took to Twitter after many viewers mentioned the uncomfortable strobe lights in the video footage The footage came from the second Hyperloop competition. The winning team, WARR Hyperloop, managed to hit over 200 miles per hour in the test track Musks other radical transportation system made progress this weekend as well, as the firm wrapped up its second Hyperloop competition. The winning pod from WARR Hyperloop is shown above Later, he wrote: Congratulations to WARR team from Tech Univ Munich for winning 2nd @Hyperloop competition! Peak speed of 324 km/h, which is over 200 mph!! Might be possible to go supersonic in our test Hyperloop tube, even though its only 0.8 miles long. Very high accel/decel needed Btw, high accel only needed because tube is short. For passenger transport, this can be spread over 20+ miles, so no spilt drinks. Will run the SpaceX pusher sled later this week and see what it can do, Musk tweeted a few hours later. Despite these breakthroughs, there are a number of hurdles Musk will still have to overcome. Might be possible to go supersonic in our test Hyperloop tube, even though its only 0.8 miles long. Very high accel/decel needed Musk tweeted Eventually, Musk says the system could even go supersonic but, the ride will be much smoother, meaning no spilt drinks THE CHALLENGES MUSK'S 'BORING' PLAN WILL FACE Musk has an uphill battle ahead if he's serious about tunneling under LA. Digging under cities takes a lot of time because the densely packed earth and rock underground is poorly mapped. 'Our recent experience with tunnels in the US is that neighbours worry, you run up against various environmental laws, and you just never know what's underneath the Earth,' Michael Manville, who studies urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Wired. The hole is legal because it has been dug on private property - and in late August, Musk was given permission for the first time to extend the tunnel outside of these boundaries, and beneath public roads. The City Council voted four to one in favour of two-mile-long test tunnel beneath Los Angeles. At the TED conference in Vancouver, Musk showed off a new video of electric 'skates' transporting cars in a narrow tunnel under a city before raising them back to street level in a space as small as two parking spaces. Behind him a Tesla car can be seen on one of the 'skates' Eventually, the tunnel will run 44 feet under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, stretching outside of the property line for the first time. The dry run will prove whether the plan will actually work and, if it doesnt, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil. 'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council last week. 'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said, writes the Verge. The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch work will stop immediately. Advertisement His Boring Company will be put to the test in Los Angeles, with a two-mile-long track that will determine its fate. 'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council last week. 'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said, writes the Verge. The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch work will stop immediately. In the tests, the winning team achieved a top speed of 324 km/h (201 mph). White-knuckle footage from the event shows a pod-view perspective of the run through the test tube, as it accelerates to staggering speeds On a longer track, Musk says the ride will be much smoother. Despite these breakthroughs, however, there are a number of hurdles Musk will still have to overcome A few hours later, the tech boss revealed he would test the system out with the SpaceX pusher as well Earlier in the month it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented. According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears Musk will build the whole system himself. Musk also hinted at it, replying to a tweet about the issues facing the various Hyperloop plans by saying 'I guess a proof of concept is needed.' Many had thought Musk would simply create the tunnels, using his recently revealed Boring Company. When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system. The extension - which will run 44 feet under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line. Pictured is the first image released of the Boring Company's tunnelling machine This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil. Pictured is the test tunnel route WHAT IS HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. As several firms vie to create the first operational Hyperloop, Elon Musk's vision of a radical transport system that could ferry passengers above land at 760 miles per hour continues to inch closer to reality Advertisement 'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time. 'While we're encouraged that others are making some progress, we would like to accelerate the development of this technology as fast as possible,' Musk's Boring Co., a venture created to build roads that run through underground tunnels, said in a statement. 'We encourage and support all companies that wish to build Hyperloops and we don't intend to stop them from using the Hyperloop name as long as they are truthful.' Just days earlier, Hyperloop One completed the first successful test of the passenger pod for its radical transport system, marking what the firm says is the debut of 'the dawn of a new era of transportation'. Advertisement Pluto's terrain has been named for the first time - with features honoring everything from Sputnik to pioneers of mountaineering to underworld mythology. It is the first set of official names of surface features on Pluto to be approved by the IAU, the internationally recognised authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features. NASA's New Horizons team proposed the names to the IAU following the first reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons by the New Horizons spacecraft. Scroll down for video NASAs New Horizons team proposed the names to the IAU following the first reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons by the New Horizons spacecraft. Some of the names were suggested by members of the public during the Our Pluto campaign, The IAU has assigned names to fourteen geological features on the surface of Pluto. The names pay homage to the underworld mythology, pioneering space missions, historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in exploration, and scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. 'We're very excited to approve names recognising people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld,' said Rita Schulz, chair of the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. 'These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery. 'We appreciate the contribution of the general public in the form of their their naming suggestions and the New Horizons team for proposing these names to us.' PLUTO'S NEW TERRAIN NAMES REVEALED Sputnik Planitia is a large plain named after Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957 Tombaugh Regio honours Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997), the U.S. astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930 from Lowell Observatory in Arizona. Burney crater honors Venetia Burney (1918-2009), who as an 11-year-old schoolgirl suggested the name 'Pluto' for Clyde Tombaugh's newly discovered planet. Later in life she taught mathematics and economics. Sputnik Planitia is a large plain named after Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honouring Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) and Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the Indian/Nepali Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer who were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return safely. Al-Idrisi Montes honours Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi (1100-1165/66), a noted Arab mapmaker and geographer whose landmark work of medieval geography is sometimes translated as 'The Pleasure of Him Who Longs to Cross the Horizons.' Djanggawul Fossae defines a network of long, narrow depressions named for the Djanggawuls, three ancestral beings in indigenous Australian mythology who travelled between the island of the dead and Australia, creating the landscape and filling it with vegetation. Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honouring Tenzing Norgay (R) and Sir Edmund Hillary (L) Sleipnir Fossa is named for the powerful, eight-legged horse of Norse mythology that carried the god Odin into the underworld. Virgil Fossae honors Virgil, one of the greatest Roman poets and Dante's fictional guide through hell and purgatory in the Divine Comedy. Adlivun Cavus is a deep depression named for Adlivun, the underworld in Inuit mythology. Hayabusa Terra is a large land mass saluting the Japanese spacecraft and mission (2003-2010) that returned the first asteroid sample. Voyager Terra honours the pair of NASA spacecraft, launched in 1977, that performed the first 'grand tour' of all four giant planets. The Voyager spacecraft are now probing the boundary between the Sun and interstellar space. Tartarus Dorsa is a ridge named for Tartarus, the deepest, darkest pit of the underworld in Greek mythology. Elliot crater recognises James Elliot (1943-2011), an MIT researcher who pioneered the use of stellar occultations to study the Solar System -- leading to discoveries such as the rings of Uranus and the first detection of Pluto's thin atmosphere. Advertisement Some of the names were suggested by members of the public during the Our Pluto campaign, which was launched as a partnership between the IAU, the New Horizons project and the SETI Institute. Other names had been used informally by the New Horizons science team to describe the many regions, mountain ranges, plains, valleys and craters discovered during the first close-up look at the surfaces of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon. More names are expected to be proposed to the IAU, both for Pluto and for its moons. 'The approved designations honour many people and space missions who paved the way for the historic exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the most distant worlds ever explored,' said Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is now more than 3.5 billion miles away from Earth, as it continues its journey beyond Pluto to an icy target in the outer reaches of the solar system. Throughout the years, the craft has collected countless observations of the tiny planet and its moons, offering a remarkable look at the landscape of these distant worlds. Earlier this year the space agency has released breathtaking flyover videos using the New Horizons data and digital elevation models, revealing a close-up look at everything from ominous craters of Pluto's 'Cthulhu Macula,' to the bizarre 'moated mountains' on its largest moon, Charon. In recognition of the two-year anniversary of New Horizons' Pluto flyby, NASA also revealed a stunning set of global elevation maps, showing the complex terrain of Pluto and Charon. Throughout the years, the craft has collected countless observations of the tiny planet and its moons, offering a remarkable look at the landscape of these distant worlds. In recognition of the two-year anniversary of New Horizons' Pluto flyby, NASA also revealed a stunning set of global elevation maps, showing the complex terrain of Pluto and Charon 'The complexity of the Pluto system from its geology to its satellite system to its atmosphere has been beyond our wildest imagination,' said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute. 'Everywhere we turn are new mysteries. 'These new maps from the landmark exploration of Pluto by NASA's New Horizon's mission in 2015 will help unravel these mysteries and are for everyone to enjoy.' In two stunning flyover videos, NASA compiles the New Horizons data into first-person perspectives of Pluto and Charon. The video of Pluto begins with views of the highlands beside a massive nitrogen ice plain known as Sputnik Planitia. Beyond the western border of that area, an expanse of craters speckles the dark terrain of Cthulhu Macula. Then, a mountain range appears to the right. The remarkable footage also shows views of the Voyager Terra highlands, and the deep pits of Pioneer Terra. Then, it concludes in a region known as Tartarus Dorsa. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is now more than 3.5 billion miles away from Earth, as it continues its journey beyond Pluto to an icy target in the outer reaches of the solar system In the second video, the data shows a look across Pluto's largest moon, Charon. It begins where New Horizons made its closest approach, and continues on to explore the Serenity Chasma. Then, it goes north for views of the Dorothy Gale crater and Mordor Macuka, the 'dark polar hood.' NEW HORIZONS' NEXT MISSION The spacecraft that gave us the first close-up views of Pluto now has a much smaller object in its sights. New Horizons is now track to fly past a recently discovered, less than 30-mile-wide object out on the solar system frontier. The close encounter with what's known as 2014 MU69 would occur in 2019. It orbits nearly 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto. Nasa and the New Horizons team chose 2014 MU69 in August as New Horizons' next potential target, thus the nickname PT-1. Like Pluto, MU69 orbits the sun in the frozen, twilight zone known as the Kuiper Belt. MU69 is thought to be 10 times larger and 1,000 times more massive than average comets, including the one being orbited right now by Europe's Rosetta spacecraft. On the other end, MU69 is barely 1 percent the size of Pluto and perhaps one-ten-thousandth the mass of the dwarf planet. So the new target is a good middle ground, according to scientists. The spacecraft was recently approved for its extended mission, allowing it to continue on its path toward the object deeper in the Kuiper Belt. It's expected that New Horizons will make its approach to the ancient object on January 1, 2019. Advertisement The video of Pluto begins with views of the highlands beside a massive nitrogen ice plain known as Sputnik Planitia. Beyond the western border of that area, an expanse of craters speckles the dark terrain of Cthulhu Macula The video then turns toward the south, to show a landscape known as Oz Terra. It ends with a look at the flat plains of Vulcan Planum, and the Clarke Montes mountains. New Horizons officially completed its Pluto mission this past October, after sending back the last bit of data from its 2015 flyby. Given the staggering distance, at more than 3 billion miles away, it took over five hours for the image to reach Earth. New Horizons officially completed its Pluto mission this past October, after sending back the last bit of data from its 2015 flyby The craft is now on its way to another target further out in the solar system, which it is expected to reach in 2019.' Last year, NASA scientists discussed the importance of the New Horizons data, ahead of the influx if its last observations. 'New Horizons not only completed the era of first reconnaissance of the planets, the mission has intrigued and inspired,' Nasa's Director of Planetary Science Jim Green said at the time. 'Who knew that Pluto would have a heart? Even today, New Horizons captures our imagination, rekindles our curiosity, and reminds us of what's possible.' The video then turns toward the south, to show a landscape known as Oz Terra. It ends with a look at the flat plains of Vulcan Planum, and the Clarke Montes mountains The recent discoveries of sun-like stars smaller in mass than our own, such as Trappist-1 and Proxima Centauri, have sparked hope that planets orbiting within the habitable zone could be able to support life. But, follow-up studies have suggested that these less massive stars may be subjecting their planets to harmful X-rays and ultraviolet radiation, effectively stripping away their atmospheres and squashing chances for alien life. Now, a new analysis has found this may not be the case while these stars may be turbulent in their youth, the researchers found that they calm down quickly after this period, potentially allowing life to form. Scroll down for video In the study, researchers looked at 24 stars each with a mass similar to the sun or less. And, all of the stars were a billion years or older. The data revealed that these types of stars decrease in X-ray brightness surprisingly quickly. They say this could boost hopes for habitability WHAT THEY FOUND The data revealed that sun-like stars and lower mass stars decrease in X-ray brightness surprisingly quickly. This rapid decline in X-ray brightness suggests these stars are also exhibiting less energetic activity, the researchers explain. That means that after their turbulent stage, they may the planets orbiting them could develop a more hospitable environment, allowing life to emerge. This could boost hopes for finding alien life in systems such as Trappist-1. Were not exactly sure why older stars settle down relatively quickly, said co-author Chris Watson of Queens University. However, we know its led to the successful formation of life in at least one case around our own sun. Advertisement In the study, researchers used data from NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESAs XMM-Newton to see how sun-like stars X-ray brightness changes over time. These emissions come from the corona, the thin, hot outer atmosphere. The team looked at 24 stars each with a mass similar to the sun or less. And, all of the stars were a billion years or older. The data revealed that these types of stars decrease in X-ray brightness surprisingly quickly. This is good news for the future habitability of planets orbiting Sun-like stars, because the amount of harmful X-rays and ultraviolet radiation striking these worlds from stellar flares would be less than we used to think, said Rachel Booth, a graduate student at Queens University in Belfast, UK, who led the study. This rapid decline in X-ray brightness suggests these stars are also exhibiting less energetic activity, the researchers explain. That means that after their turbulent stage, they may the planets orbiting them could develop a more hospitable environment, allowing life to emerge. The findings go in stark contrast to earlier works which have suggested that the activity of these stars may have dire consequences on the potential habitability of their planets. Studies have suggested that less massive stars, like Trappist-1 may be subjecting their planets to harmful X-rays and ultraviolet radiation, effectively stripping away their atmospheres and squashing chances for alien life. An artist's impression is pictured Weve heard a lot about the volatility of stars less massive than the Sun, like Trappist-1 and Proxima Centauri, and how thats bad for life-supporting atmospheres on their planets, said Katja Poppenhaeger, a co-author from Queens University and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). Its refreshing to have some good news to share about potential habitability. The study used age estimates for most of the 24 stars, relying on a new precise method of studying the way stars pulsate using NASAs Kepler and ESAs CoRoT missions. Stars are very magnetically active when they are young, according to the researchers, because they are rotating rapidly. STUDY CASTS DOUBTS ON LIFE IN THE TRAPPIST-1 SYSTEM The discovery of the Trappist-1 system 37 light-years away ignited hopes that alien life could soon be found just outside of our own stellar neighbourhood. But, two separate studies have now cast doubts on the possibility of life existing on any of the three Trappist-1 planets situated within the stars habitable zone. The analyses led by researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) found that radiation from the red dwarf star at the heart of the Trappist-1 system could be powerful enough to destroy a planets atmosphere, ultimately hurting the chances that any lifeforms could survive, or even form at all. The researchers investigated several other conditions, including the impact of the temperature on ecology and evolution, and the effects of ultraviolet radiation from the Trappist-1 star. Of the seven planets in the Trappist-1 system, three are located in the habitable zone, where its thought the conditions would be right to sustain liquid water at the surface. While this may be a promising factor in the search for life, it isnt the only thing that must be considered, the researchers explain. Because of the onslaught by the stars radiation, our results suggest the atmosphere on planets in the Trappist-1 system would largely be destroyed, said Harvard professor Avi Loeb. This would hurt the chances of life forming or persisting. Advertisement But, over time, the rotating star loses energy. As it spins more slowly, the magnetic activity level and X-ray emission drops. Why exactly older stars settle down more quickly is somewhat of a mystery. It may be that the decrease in spin rate for older stars happens more quickly than it does for younger stars, according to NASA. Or, the X-ray brightness may decline more quickly over time for older stars that are rotating more slowly. Were not exactly sure why older stars settle down relatively quickly, said co-author Chris Watson of Queens University. However, we know its led to the successful formation of life in at least one case around our own sun. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Thursday plans to revise Obama-era civil rights guidance on Title IX and sexual assault , a move that could affect elementary and secondary schools. While discussions on that directive largely focused on its effects on college and universities, advocates for sexual assault victims said it helped clarify the responsibilities of educational institutions at all levels. That clarity benefited K-12 schools, which have often lagged in their responsibilities to investigate assaults, to appoint Title IX coordinators , and to ensure that survivors of such incidents are free from fear and harassment from perpetrators, said Neena Chaudhry, the director of education for the National Womens Law Center, which supported the guidance. There was enough attention on the issue that schools were finally trying to get it right, she said. Others praised DeVos plans Wednesday, saying clarity is needed to protect the due process rights of those accused of sexual assault. The 2011 Dear Colleague letter detailed how, under Title IXs provisions about sexual harassment, schools and higher education institutions should work to respond to acts of sexual violenceboth those that occur on campus and those that happen off campus but affect the school environment. Schools have an independent responsibility under Title IX to investigate complaints of harassment and assault apart from separate criminal investigations led by law enforcement, the guidance said. And they can take action if there is a preponderance of evidence that a violation occurred, which is a lower standard than is used in criminal matters, the guidance said. Some conservative groups have said the guidance led to kangaroo courts on college campuses, under which the rights of the accused were not respected. Advocates for the guidance said it created a balance in power between accusers and those whod been accused and that problems highlighted by critics were often due to poor implementation, not a problem with the guidance itself. DeVos did not announce specific changes to the guidance in a speech at George Mason University Thursday. She said the Education Department would update the guidance after seeking public input. In order to ensure that Americas schools employ clear, equitable, just and fair procedures that inspire trust and confidence, we will launch a notice-and-comment process to incorporate the insights of all parties in developing a better way, DeVos said. We will seek public feedback and combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise and the experiences of students to replace the current approach with a workable, effective and fair system. Whatever changes DeVos ultimately makes, advocates fear that the revisionscoupled with a shifting approach to education civil rights under the Trump administrationcould cause school districts to step off of the gas in ensuring compliance with Title IX after a time of great momentum surrounding the issue, Chaudry said. Release of the guidance was followed by an uptick in Title IX complaints, including dozens at elementary and secondary schools. A touchstone Title IX case centers on K-12 schools. In the 1999 Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the family of a 5th-grade girl who argued that her school district had violated her right to equal educational opportunities when it did not adequately respond to sexual harassment from another student . Similarly, K-12 schools are obligated to address students concerns about assault and harassment, even if the accused are not found criminally liable, Chaudry said. Those responses might include moving students into different classes so they dont have to interact with each other. And that doesnt always happen, she said. We have seen many many cases of schools at the K-12 level completely abandoning their Title IX obligations, not following them at all, Chaudry said. She cited a recent lawsuit in which the National Womens Law Center asserts that a Pennsylvania district encouraged a female student to enroll in an alternative school rather than separate her from an ex-boyfriend who she said was repeatedly harassing her. Some K-12 education groups, including the National School Boards Association, have been involved in discussions with DeVos about the Title IX guidance . At the time the directive was released, NSBA General Counsel Francisco Negron had some concerns . Offering districts guidance thats useful ... can help them keep students safe, he told Education Week at the time. But it also raises some questions. Our concerns are that the requirements of the law not be interpreted in an overly expansive way, he said. Do you treat every incident of sexual violence as inherently creating a hostile environment? Mr. Negron said districts also need more clarification on when an off-campus episode rises to the level of requiring school district action. Say the allegations havent been proven, he said. Its not clear from the departments guidance what the districts responsibility would be. We dont want [school districts] measured decisions chilled by fear of litigation. Further reading on sexual assault and Title IX: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. Scientists have discovered fossilized space dust embedded in the white cliffs of Dover. The sprawling cliffs along the English coastline have long been known for the fossilized creatures trapped within their walls, serving as evidence of changes that took place on Earth millions of years ago. But, the new discovery sheds light on objects much further from home. According to the researchers, cosmic dust can be used to trace the location of water-rich asteroids, which could one day serve as pit-stops for deep-space travelers. Scientists have discovered fossilized space dust embedded in the white cliffs of Dover. Researchers were able to spot the cosmic dust based on the distinct Christmas tree-like shape of their crystal content (as seen on left) HOW COSMIC DUST CAN LEAD TO WATER When cosmic dust breaks through Earths atmosphere, the extreme heat transforms its original mineral content, turning it into glass and crystals. And, the heat vaporizes water molecules. By analyzing past studies, the researchers found that shattered pieces of olivine crystals in cosmic dust are a proxy for water, as the cooling effect as water is lost creates temperature differences between the surface and the core. According to the researcher, roughly 75 percent of the cosmic dust on Earth contains these crystals. Advertisement While cosmic dust has never been found at the white cliffs of Dover before, it has been found in rocks up to 2.7 billion years old. In the new study, the team from Imperial College London argues that the dust at the site may have been overlooked as a result of the fossilization process, which masked its true identity. As the dust fossilized, they explain, the original mineral content was replaced with different materials. But, the researchers were able to spot the cosmic dust based on the distinct Christmas tree-like shape of their crystal content. This dust could now help scientists to better understand events that took place millions of years ago, including major asteroid collisions. It could even contain evidence of process that occurred 98 million years ago, a period from which cosmic dust records have been difficult to unearth, the researchers note. The sprawling cliffs along the English coastline have long been known for the fossilized creatures trapped within their walls, serving as evidence of changes that took place on Earth millions of years ago The iconic white cliffs of Dover are an important source of fossilized creatures that help us to determine the changes and upheavals the planet has undergone many millions of years ago, said Martin Suttle, lead author and a research postgraduate from Imperials Department of Earth and Science and Engineering. It is so exciting because weve now discovered that fossilized space dust is entombed alongside these creatures, which can also provide us with information about what was happening in our solar system at the time. While cosmic dust has never been found at the white cliffs of Dover before, it has been found in rocks up to 2.7 billion years old. Above, the intricate microscopic patterns of a specimen of fossilized space dust can be seen In the new study, the team from Imperial College London argues that the dust at the site may have been overlooked as a result of the fossilization process, which masked its true identity. Martin Suttle is pictured above, at the white cliffs taking chalk rock samples In a second study about cosmic dust, the same team revealed a way to determine if cosmic dust is clay rich. If so, this could act as a diving rod for finding water rich asteroid in our system, as clay only forms where water is present. When cosmic dust breaks through Earths atmosphere, the extreme heat transforms its original mineral content, turning it into glass and crystals. And, the heat vaporizes water molecules. By analyzing past studies, the researchers found that shattered pieces of olivine crystals in cosmic dust are a proxy for water, as the cooling effect as water is lost creates temperature differences between the surface and the core. THE DWINDLING WHITE CLIFFS The cliffs in East Sussex have only been documented for the past 150 years, but researchers were able to look back much further by dating samples of the rocks. Cosmic rays penetrate through the atmosphere and collide with atoms in rocks, resulting in the production of rare isotopes such as beryllium-10 in the upper few metres of the Earth's surface. In a recent study, researchers counted the number of beryllium-10 isotopes in our shore platform rock samples to work out how long the shore platform had been exposed to cosmic radiation, and therefore how long it has been since cliff retreat uncovered that section of platform. They found the erosion rate of the cliffs was slow, around 0.8 inches (2 cm) a year, up until a few hundred years ago. Advertisement According to the researcher, roughly 75 percent of the cosmic dust on Earth contains these crystals. This suggests these asteroids were rich in clay and, water. In the distant future, asteroids could provide human space explorers with valuable stop offs during long voyages, said Matt Genge, lead author from the Colleges Department of Earth Science and Engineering. Being able to source water is vital because it can be used to drink, to make oxygen and even fuel to power spacecraft. The relevance of our study is that cosmic dust particles that land on Earth could ultimately be used to trace where these water-rich asteroids may be, providing a valuable tool for mapping this resource. Spanish palaeontologists have announced the discovery of a new genus of giant dinosaur that would have been between 43-46 feet (13 to 14 metres) long. Researchers uncovered a tooth, three ribs, part of its tail, leg and hip bones of the previously unknown sauropod - the massive long-necked plant-eaters of which the dipolodocus is perhaps the most famous example. The new dinosaur is in a genus - group of species - all on its own and has been named after the north-central Spanish province of Soria in which it was found. Scroll down for video The 43-foot (14-metre) long dinosaur, called a Soriatitan golmayensis, is believed to have lived 130 to 138 million years ago. Because they do not have a complete fossil, scientists estimated its length from looking at its humerus (right), which is 125 cm (49 inches) long SORIATITAN GOLMAYENSIS The enormous dinosaur, called a Soriatitan golmayensis, is believed to have lived 130 to 138 million years ago. Scientists say the specimen was an adult whose small 0.7 inch (18mm) teeth indicated it was, like all other sauropods, a grazer. Because they do not have a complete fossil, scientists estimated its length from looking at its humerus, which is 49 inches (125cm) long. Fossilised remains of plants that lived at the same time as Soriatitan indicate that it lived in a subtropical climate in a landscape dominated by conifer trees, which would have been its main food source. The bones indicate it was a quadruped dinosaur and would have had developed front legs. Advertisement The enormous dinosaur, called a Soriatitan golmayensis, is believed to have lived 130 to 138 million years ago - a period which palentologists know very little about due to the lack of fossils found. Scientists say the specimen was an adult whose small 0.7 inch (18mm) teeth indicated it was, like all other sauropods, a grazer. The bones indicate it was a quadruped dinosaur and would have had developed front legs, according to the research led by Spain's Fundacion Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel-Dinopolis. Because they do not have a complete fossil, scientists estimated its length from looking at its humerus, which is 49 inches (125cm) long. Fossilised remains of plants that lived at the same time as Soriatitan indicate that it lived in a subtropical climate in a landscape dominated by conifer trees, which would have been its main food source. From 2000 to 2005, the team of palaeontologists from Soria carried out their excavations. In 2009 they started collaboration with the Fundacion Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel-Dinopolis which led to the genus being named. The site which is near a town called Golmayo is a rich resource for fossil-hunters. It has previously yielded bones of heavily armoured and club-tailed ankylosaurs and bird-like ornithopod dinosaurs. Pictured is a tooth of a of a Soriatitan golmayensis. They are only 18 millimetre (0.7 inch) long which indicated it was, like all other sauropods, a grazer Soriatitan golmayensis is now the only known species in the genus Soriatitan. The new find belongs to the Brachiosarids family which are quadrupedal herbivores with long necks that allowed them to access leaves of tall trees. It would have been related to European sauropods, such as Tastavinsaurus of Penarroya de Tastavins, and other North Americans such as Cedarosaurus of the Cedar Mountain Formation. Pictured is researcher Rafael Royo studying the femur of a Soriatitan at the museum in Soria in 2008. The site which is near a town called Golmayo is a rich resource for fossil-hunters Fossilised remains of plants that lived at the same time as Soriatitan indicate that Soria (pictured) would have been subtropical climate in a landscape dominated by conifer trees 'The presence of Early Cretaceous brachiosarids in both, North America and Europe, give support to the hypothesis of a connection between the tectonic plates of these continents at some point during the Early Cretaceous', researchers wrote in their paper. Researchers Manuel Mejide and Carolina Fuentes at the site in the province of Soria with the fossils Though huge at more than 46 feet (14 metres), Soriatitan would have been dwarfed by the biggest sauropod ever discovered, the Patagotitan, estimated to have measured between 66 feet and 130 feet (20 and 40 metres). Last month, researchers named the dinosaur Patagotitan mayorum after the Patagonia region where it was found and the Greek word titan, which means large. At 76 tons (69 metric tons), the plant-eating behemoth was as heavy as a Boeing 737. The dinosaur averaged 122 feet long (37 meters) and was nearly 20 feet high (6 meters) at the shoulder. A cast of the dinosaur's skeleton is already on display at the American Museum of Natural History. If there were aliens sitting on at least nine Exoplanets in other solar systems, they would be ideally placed to spy on what we're doing on Earth, a new study has found. Researchers identified parts of the distant sky from where various planets in our solar system could be seen to pass in front of the sun so-called 'transit zones'. In addition to this, the team estimate there should be approximately ten (currently undiscovered) worlds which are favourably located to detect the Earth and could sustain life as we know it. Scroll down for video Image shows where transits of our solar system planets can be observed. Each line represents where one of the planets could be seen to transit, with the blue line representing the transit of Earth. If an observer were located along this line they could detect us WHAT ARE 'TRANSIT ZONES'? To look for worlds where civilisations would have the best chance of spotting our Solar System, the astronomers looked for parts of the sky from which more than one planet could be seen crossing the face of the Sun. These are called 'transit zones' and they allow astronomers to see light from the host star dim slightly at regular intervals every time the planet passes between us and the distant star. Of the thousands of known exoplanets, the team identified sixty-eight worlds where observers would see one or more of the planets in our Solar System using methods that are available on Earth. Nine of these planets are ideally placed to observe transits of Earth, although none of the worlds are deemed to be habitable. The team's plans for future work include targeting these transit zones to search for exoplanets, hopefully finding some which could be habitable. Advertisement Thanks to facilities and missions such as SuperWASP and Kepler, we have now discovered thousands of planets orbiting stars other than our sun, worlds known as 'exoplanets'. The vast majority of these are found when the planets cross in front of their host stars in what are known as 'transits'. These allow astronomers to see light from the host star dim slightly at regular intervals every time the planet passes between us and the distant star. Of the thousands of known exoplanets, the team identified 68 worlds where observers would see one or more of the planets in our solar system using methods that are available on Earth. Researchers concluded the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are much more likely to be spotted than the more distant 'Jovian' planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), despite their much larger size. 'Larger planets would naturally block out more light as they pass in front of their star', commented lead author Robert Wells, a PhD student at Queen's University Belfast. 'However the more important factor is actually how close the planet is to its parent star since the terrestrial planets are much closer to the sun than the gas giants, they'll be more likely to be seen in transit', he said. To look for worlds where civilisations would have the best chance of spotting our solar system, the astronomers looked for parts of the sky from which more than one planet could be seen crossing the face of the sun. They found that three planets at most could be observed from anywhere outside of the solar system, and that not all combinations of three planets are possible. 'We estimate that a randomly positioned observer would have roughly a one in 40 chance of observing at least one planet', said Katja Poppenhaeger, a co-author of the study from the Max Planck Institute. Diagram of a planet (for example the Earth pictured in blue) is shown transitioning in front of its host star (the sun, in yellow). The observer on the green exoplanet is situated in the transit zone and can therefore see transits of the Earth 'The probability of detecting at least two planets would be about ten times lower, and to detect three would be a further ten times smaller than this.' Experts say they do not currently believe the exoplanets they are aware of to be habitable. To date, no habitable planets have been discovered from which a civilisation could detect the Earth with our current level of technology. Of the thousands of known exoplanets, the team identified 68 where observers would see one or more of the planets in our Solar System using methods available on Earth (stock image) The ongoing K2 mission of Nasa's Kepler spacecraft is to continue to hunt for exoplanets in different regions of the sky for a few months at a time. These regions are centred close to the plane of Earth's orbit, which means that there are many target stars located in the transit zones of the solar system planets. The team's plans for future work include targeting these transit zones to search for exoplanets, hopefully finding some which could be habitable. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing to see if Uber Technologies Inc had used software to illegally interfere with its competitors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The investigation is focusing on an Uber program, internally known as 'Hell,' that could track drivers working for rival service Lyft Inc, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the investigation. Under the program, which was discontinued last year, Uber created fake Lyft customer accounts to seek rides, allowing it to track nearby Lyft drivers and ride prices, the Journal said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing to see if Uber Technologies Inc had used software to illegally interfere with its competitors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. A stock image is pictured UBER'S HELL SYSTEM Uber used top secret software called 'Hell' to track drivers working for its biggest US competitor Lyft. Uber employees created fake accounts on Lyft to find out which drivers were available, at what time and where, according to the report. They could also find out how much trips cost and could use this information to offer drivers exclusives that might tempt them to work just for Uber. Inside sources say Uber might face legal action as a result of this report Advertisement This also allowed Uber to obtain data on drivers who worked with both the car-ride providers and could have allowed it to lure drivers to leave Lyft with cash incentives, WSJ added. We are cooperating with the SDNY investigation, an Uber spokesperson told WSJ, referring to New Yorks Southern District, but declined to offer any further details. The key question for investigators was whether the program comprised of unauthorized access of a computer, the newspaper reported. The investigation is being led by the FBI's New York office and the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office, the Journal said. Uber is already grappling with a range of legal troubles and the report of the FBI investigation comes days after the company named Expedia Inc's Dara Khosrowshahi as its chief executive. The firm is already being investigated for another tool known as Greyball, which helped its drivers dodge local transportation regulators. Ubers so-called Hell software was first revealed in April, when a report by The Information claimed it allowed Uber drivers to create fake Lyft accounts to find out which drivers were available, at what time, and where. The report, citing inside sources, suggested the tracking software would allow Uber drivers to stalk their competitors, and lure riders away. The software allowed Uber to obtain data on drivers who worked with both the car-ride providers and could have allowed it to lure drivers to leave Lyft with cash incentives, WSJ added. A stock image is pictured It also claimed the program revealed the cost of the different trips, which could be used to offer drivers exclusives that could tempt them to work only for Uber. According to the report, Uber stopped using 'Hell' at the beginning of 2016 when Lyft completed a $1 billion (800 million) round of funding. Only the inner circle knew about the software, including former CEO Travis Kalanick and other executives. UBER'S BATTLE WITH WAYMO Alphabet's Waymo claimed in a lawsuit earlier this year that former engineer Anthony Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 confidential files before leaving to set up a self-driving truck company, which Uber acquired soon after. Many of these documents relate to lidar or light detection and ranging scanning, one or more lasers sends out short pulses, which bounce back when they hit an obstacle, whether clouds, leaves or rocks. In self-driving cars, the sensors constantly scan the surrounding areas looking for information and acting as the 'eyes' of the car. Uber denies it used any of Waymo's trade secrets. A trial is scheduled for October. Advertisement The software was first developed after employees at Uber created fake accounts to trick Lyft's drivers. This allowed them to see where free drivers were. Later they discovered that Lyft, which was founded in 2012, had ID numbers for each of its drivers which meant they could more systematically study them. At the time, inside sources said Uber might face legal action as a result of the report, which is another stain on the company's reputation, amid accusations of routinely tolerated sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace. And, then-CEO Kalanick faced backlash after a video surfaced showing him berating a driver. Kalanick stepped down as Ubers CEO in June. Advertisement The biggest solar flare seen for 12 years erupted from the sun this week triggering spectacular Northern Lights in some parts of the world. The particle debris from the flare reached Earth at around 00:00 BST last night (7pm ET), creating green, purple, pink and yellow lights. The auroras were seen as far south as Akansas and Edinburgh in Scotland, with stunning images showing capturing their beauty in incredible detail. And those in the northern latitudes may have yet more chance to see the lights over the next few days as the aftermath of the solar flare continues to pummel Earth. Scroll down for video The Northern lights illuminate the sky over Torsfjorden near Reine, on Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle. The biggest solar flare seen for 12 years erupted from the sun on Wednesday causing the spectacular displays NORTHERN LIGHTS The impressive Northern Lights could be visible from more locations than usual giving sky-gazers in high latitudes a spectacular view of the colourful auroras There are two types of auroras - Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit light in many colours, although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement Two high-intensity solar flares were emitted on Wednesday, the second of which was the most intense recorded since 2005, the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) said. The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit light in many colours, although pale green and pink are common. The light show over the the three Bridges of the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on Friday morning was a rare treat, as the Northern Lights are most commonly seen over Northern Scandinavia, including Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Greenland. The vivid aurora was seen further south than normal on Friday morning due to a burst of high solar activity. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Tuesday that it had issued a G3 Watch warning. During this time, there may be weak power grid fluctuations or slight impacts to satellite operations, along with effects on migratory animals, as a result of these solar flares. The light show over the the three Bridges of the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on Friday morning was a rare treat, as the Northern Lights are most commonly seen over Northern Scandinavia, including Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Greenland Northern lights illuminate the sky over Torsfjorden near Reine. There are two types of auroras - Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south The lights, pictured here over Reinfjorden in Reine are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles The lights seen over the sky near the village of Pallas of Lapland. These collisions emit light in many colours, although pale green and pink are common Two high-intensity solar flares were emitted, the second of which was the most intense recorded since 2005, the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) said. The flares knocked out radio communications for one hour on the Earth's side facing the sun, as well as low-frequency communications used in navigation. At 10:10 am BST (5:10 am ET) on Wednesday an X-class solar flare - the most-powerful sun flare category - erupted from a large sunspot on the solar surface. The auroras were seen as far south as Akansas and Edinburgh in Scotland, with stunning images showing capturing their beauty in incredible detail. Pictured are the lights over Edinburgh The vivid aurora, pictured here over Reinfjorden, was seen further south than normal due to a burst of high solar activity. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Tuesday that it had issued a G3 Watch warning Two high-intensity solar flares were emitted, the second of which was the most intense recorded since 2005, the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) said. Here they are pictured (left and right) near Lapland this morning The flares knocked out radio communications for one hour on the Earth's side facing the sun, as well as low-frequency communications used in navigation. Pictured here are the lights near the village of Pallas in Lapland The flare, an X2.2, was the strongest since 2015, but just three hours later it was dwarfed by an X9.3 flare, the largest since 2006, at X9.0. The second of the two flares is the largest in 12 years, after an X17 that erupted from the solar surface in 2005. These radiation flares, which can disrupt communications satellites, GPS and power grids, were detected and captured by Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite. Northern lights illuminate the sky over Reinfjorden in Reine. Experts say that a coronal mass ejection (CME) triggered by the flares will likely arrive in the next 1-2 days, and that this could damage satellites, communications and power systems on Earth The two eruptions occurred in an active region of the sun where an eruption of mid-level intensity occurred on September 4. This triggered a series of stunning Northern Lights across Earth's northern hemisphere. Pictured here they are over the village of Pallas in Lapland Northern Lights pictured over Northumbria. The particle debris from the flare reached Earth at around 00:00 BST last night (7pm ET). Solar flares result from an accumulation of magnetic energy in some places The two eruptions occurred in an active region of the sun where an eruption of mid-level intensity occurred on September 4. The current cycle of the sun, which began in December 2008, saw the intensity of solar activity decline sharply, opening the way to a 'solar minimum.' Solar cycles last on average eleven years, and at the end of the active phase, these eruptions become increasingly rare - but they still can be powerful. Solar flares result from an accumulation of magnetic energy in some places. A hole in the outermost layer of the sun opens the magnetic field up to stretch further than usual, which results in a gradual increase in solar wind. Solar cycles last on average eleven years, and at the end of the active phase, these eruptions become increasingly rare - but they still can be powerful. Solar flares result from an accumulation of magnetic energy in some places. Here are the Northern Lights pictured near Reine The wind fires out jets of ionised matter that are projected hundreds of thousands of kilometres outward at high speed. During larger solar flares, the sun can also fire out a cloud of energetic plasma in an event called a coronal mass ejection The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun hit another solar maximum in 2013. The biggest flares are known as 'X-class flares' based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength. Pictured as flares near Pallas in Lapland Pictured are the Northern Lights over Edinburgh. The storm could pose an 'elevated radiation risk to passengers and crew in high-flying aircraft at far north or south latitudes,' a NOAA warning says Solar flares result from an accumulation of magnetic energy. A hole in the outermost layer of the sun opens the magnetic field up to stretch further than usual, which results in a gradual increase in solar wind. Pictured is a Nasa image of yesterday's second, larger flare The wind fires out jets of ionised matter that are projected hundreds of thousands of kilometres outward at high speed. During larger solar flares, the sun can also fire out a cloud of energetic plasma in an event called a coronal mass ejection (CME). Yesterday's category X eruptions triggered a massive coronal mass ejection, which was also captured by SDO. CATEGORY-X FLARES Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun hit another solar maximum in 2013. The biggest flares are known as 'X-class flares' based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength. The smallest ones are A-class - near background levels - followed by B, C, M and X. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output. So an X is ten times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. Advertisement The category X eruptions (pictured) knocked out high-frequency radio communications for one hour on the Earth's side facing the sun, the Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) said. They also disrupted low-frequency communications used in navigation The biggest flares (pictured) are known as 'X-class flares' based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength. The smallest ones are A-class - near background levels - followed by B, C, M and X SOLAR FLARES Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. Astronauts are not in immediate danger because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions. They do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth's magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. Advertisement 'It was accompanied by radio emissions that suggest there's a potential for a CME,' SWPC space scientist Rob Steenburgh told Space.com. 'However, we have to wait until we get some coronagraph imagery that would capture that event for a definitive answer.' The biggest flares are known as 'X-class flares' based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength. The smallest ones are A-class - near background levels - followed by B, C, M and X. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output, so an X is ten times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class there is a finer scale from one to nine. Astronauts are not in immediate danger because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions. They do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. These radiation flares, which can disrupt communications satellites, GPS and power grids, were detected and captured by Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite (artist's impression) A mini-cab app hoping to rival Uber has been ordered to stop accepting bookings in London, just days after it launched. Estonia-based firm Taxify began operating in the capital on Tuesday, offering a mini-cab booking service similar to Uber. But Transport for London (TfL) demanded that it stop, after ruling it did not have the necessary licence. Scroll down for video Estonia-based firm Taxify, which was launched by a 23-year-old university drop out called Markus Villig (pictured), began operating in the capital on Tuesday, offering a mini-cab booking service similar to Uber WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY? Taxify is a fraction of Uber's size - being active in just under 25 cities compared to Uber's presence in nearly 600 cities worldwide - but runs on a lower cost business model, allowing passengers to pay marked-down fares and letting drivers retain a bigger share of the profits. A TfL statement read: 'The law requires private hire bookings to be taken by licensed private hire operators at a licensed premises, with appropriate record keeping. 'Taxify is not a licensed private hire operator and is not licensed to accept private hire bookings in London. TfL has instructed Taxify to stop accepting bookings and it has done so.' Advertisement A Taxify spokesperson said the company sent an application to TfL for a licence but the process was taking too long so it decided to buy an existing company instead. A TfL statement read: 'The law requires private hire bookings to be taken by licensed private hire operators at a licensed premises, with appropriate record keeping. 'Taxify is not a licensed private hire operator and is not licensed to accept private hire bookings in London. TfL has instructed Taxify to stop accepting bookings and it has done so.' A message on the London section of Taxify's website states that it is a 'technology platform' connecting passengers with a private hire company that does have a licence. London mayor Sadiq Khan said the safety of Londoners is his 'number one priority'. He went on: 'TfL must take robust enforcement action against any private hire provider or driver found to be breaching licensing rules. 'Following an investigation, it was right that TfL took immediate action to instruct Taxify to cease operating. 'As mayor I will continue to do everything I can within my powers to drive up standards across the taxi and private hire market, and ensure Londoners can get safely around our city.' Its 23-year-old university dropout founder, Markus Villig, says Taxify is 10 per cent cheaper for passengers than Uber and that thousands of 's drivers are shifting to his firm. Taxify purchased an established private hire company with a licence until 2019. The company planned to use this to operate until it gets its own. MailOnline has contacted Taxify for comment. Moving to London marked a major move forward for Taxify after missteps by the Silicon Valley giant already allowed it to make inroads in several cities in central and eastern Europe and Africa. For its first month in London, Taxify is offering 50 per cent discount on its standard price, which brings down the base fare to 1.25 ($1.64) with 39p (51c) per mile and 8p (10c) a minute. Uber counts 40,000 drivers and has 3 million London users, who take 1 million trips a week. Taxify is a fraction of Uber's size - being active in just under 25 cities compared to Uber's presence in nearly 600 cities worldwide - but runs on a lower cost business model, allowing passengers to pay marked-down fares and letting drivers retain a bigger share of the profits Taxify is a fraction of Uber's size - being active in just under 25 cities compared to Uber's presence in nearly 600 cities worldwide - but runs on a lower cost business model, allowing passengers to pay marked-down fares and letting drivers retain a bigger share of the profits. Taxify said on Monday it would take a 15 per cent commission on rides booked through its online platform, versus the 20-25 per cent Uber charges in London. Taxify also said it will accept cash as well electronic payments from riders, unlike Uber. 'We will always be cheaper than Uber,' company founder and Chief Executive Markus Villig said in a telephone interview with Reuters. From its home base in the Baltics, Taxify first staked out major cities in central and eastern Europe. Over the past year, it has vaulted into several of Africa's biggest cities, where Mr Villig says he expects to overtake Uber by the end of 2017 Uber has struggled over the past year with legal setbacks, workplace harassment scandals, driver protests and bitter disputes among directors. Over the past year it has pulled back from China, Russia and several eastern European countries, while retaining minority stakes in joint ventures in those markets. In a bid to stabilise the company, it fired its pugnacious co-founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick in June and last week named Expedia Inc CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to lead the company. From its home base in the Baltics, Taxify first staked out major cities in central and eastern Europe. Over the past year, it has vaulted into several of Africa's biggest cities, where Mr Villig says he expects to overtake Uber by the end of 2017. Taxify said on Monday it would take a 15 per cent commission on rides booked through its online platform, versus the 20-25 per cent Uber charges in London Bolstered by recently announced financial backing from China's DiDi, Taxify aims to expand into five more cities by the end of the year, including Paris, Mr Villig said in a phone interview. DiDi Chuxing, China's largest ride-hailing firm, is seeking to turn up the heat on ride-sharing pioneer Uber via a string of deals with regional rivals in Southeast Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 'Ride-sharing has been monopolised by Uber,' Mr Villig said. 'Now it is getting clear that in most markets there will be major competitors.' 'Competition is a good thing as it raises service levels across the board,' an Uber spokesman said in a statement. The grave of a 15th century infant 'prince' wearing a fur and wool 'crown' has been found in the Russian Arctic. The child, probably aged three or four, was buried with his feet trampling on reindeer bones, and a feast of newly-roasted venison interred with him as nourishment for the next life. Archaeologists say two iron knives were attached to his belt, and he was buried on birch bark with a stock of arrowheads. Scroll down for video The child, probably aged three or four, was buried (pictured) with his feet trampling on reindeer bones, and a feast of newly-roasted venison as nourishment for the next life THE INFANT PRINCE The child, probably aged three or four, was buried with his feet trampling the bones of a reindeer, and a feast of newly-roasted venison interred with him as nourishment for the next life. The child 'prince' is from the he indigenous Sikhirtya (Siirtya) people, described as 'very small, with blond hair and light eyes'. The elaborate headdress - decorated with iron rings and bronze ornaments - is seen as unique and indicating the boy had a high status in his Arctic society which existed on the remote Gydan peninsula in the late 15th or early 16th centuries. Advertisement The child was buried with an elaborate headdress decorated with iron rings and bronze ornaments. Researchers believe it is unique and indicate the boy had a high status in his Arctic society which existed on the remote Gydan peninsula in the late 15th or early 16th centuries. The child's remains were found on a spur on the Vesakoyakha River in the Siberian permafrost. Dr Alexander Tkachev, head of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography of Tyumen State University, said: 'The burial was unusually rich for such a little child. 'In fact, we were rather taken aback. 'When we dug down, we thought the grave was almost empty, but then we saw two knives and were very surprised. 'When we noticed the pieces of fur and woollen cloth along with the decorations - and understood it was impressive headwear - we were really shocked.' The grave was not found in burial grounds, but on its own, seen as another unusual aspect. The elaborate headdress - decorated with iron rings (pictured) and bronze ornaments - is seen as unique and indicating the boy had a high status in his Arctic society The child's remains were found on a spur on the Vesakoyakha River in the Siberian permafrost. Pictured is a fragment of the young child's skull The grave (pictured) was not found in burial grounds, but on its own, seen as another unusual aspect, researchers said Such burial sites do exist - known to the local Nenets people as 'The Road of Those Who Went To Heaven' - but graves here were simpler. 'There are no such rich kid burials,' he said. But eight other graves have been found, all on different the spurs of Arctic rivers. One of these is known to be a child's - a boy aged 13 or 14 was found with cross-shaped inlays of white bronze on his funeral gown, unearthed last year. Archaeologists say two iron knives were attached to his belt, and he was buried on birch bark with a stock of arrowheads (pictured) Iron knives were attached to the belt of the child. Such burial sites do exist - known to the local Nenets people as 'The Road of Those Who Went To Heaven' - but graves here were simpler The child 'prince' (artist's impression) is from the he indigenous Sikhirtya (Siirtya) people, described as 'very small, with blond hair and light eyes' Dr Tkachev believes the others, to be opened next year, will be children too. One theory 'is that the youngsters were buried alone, away from their clans, because they died before being fully initiated into their polar societies,' reported The Siberian Times. The child 'prince' is from the he indigenous Sikhirtya (Siirtya) people, described as 'very small, with blond hair and light eyes'. The researchers are to reconstruct the elaborate headdress worn by the child. The researchers are to reconstruct the elaborate headdress worn by the child. Eight other graves have been found, all on different the spurs of Arctic rivers One of these other graves is known to be a child's - a boy aged 13 or 14 was found with cross-shaped inlays of white bronze on his funeral gown, unearthed last year. Pictured is where archaeologists will be excavating Scientists investigating risks to the UK from tsunamis have found evidence that a huge legendary flood once hit our shores. Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes at sea sending walls of water long distances in a circle around the fault zone but they could even be caused an asteroid impact. And now there are new indications that massive tsunami hit Britain more than 1,000 years ago. Scroll down for video Scientists investigating risks to the UK from tsunamis have found evidence that a huge legendary flood once hit our shores (artist's impression) TSUNAMI THAT HIT THE UK Phill Teasdale, a senior lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Brighton set out to investigate whether there was any evidence in the flood legend. He told the British Science Festival in Brighton that at two vastly distant sites research colleagues have found initial signs that the account was more than a legend at two separate sites Fleet Lagoon at Chesil Beach in Dorset, and Marazion in Cornwall. Dr Teasdale said that while the cause of the waves were not known, 'asteroid impacts have the capability of causing large scale ocean disturbance.' He said that as the Earth is 70 per cent sea, and only 30 per cent land 'an asteroid impact is more likely to hit the ocean than land.' Advertisement The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles report that in 1014 AD a wall of water devastated much of the western coast, sweeping away homes many miles from the coast. The cause of the flood has never been pin-pointed and the event has passed into legend but some researchers claim it could have been caused by an asteroid landing in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Recording the event, the medieval chronicles' author William of Malmesbury wrote 'a tidal wavegrew to an astonishing size such as the memory of man cannot parallel, so as to submerge villages many miles inland and overwhelm and drown their inhabitants'. However the chronicle also records elsewhere 'fiery dragons flying in the sky' in accounts of Viking raids - raising questions about whether the accounts should be taken seriously. Phill Teasdale, a senior lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Brighton set out to investigate whether there was any evidence in the flood legend. He told the British Science Festival in Brighton that at two vastly distant sites research colleagues have found initial signs that the account was more than a legend at two separate sites Fleet Lagoon at Chesil Beach in Dorset, and Marazion in Cornwall. Dr Teasdale said that while the cause of the waves were not known, 'asteroid impacts have the capability of causing large scale ocean disturbance.' He said that as the Earth is 70 per cent sea, and only 30 per cent land 'an asteroid impact is more likely to hit the ocean than land.' At two vastly distant sites, including Marazion in Cornwall (pictured), researchers have found initial signs that the account was more than a legend THE LEGEND OF THE UK TSUNAMI The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles report that in 1014 AD a wall of water devastated much of the western coast, sweeping away homes many miles from the coast. The cause of the flood has never been pin-pointed and the event has passed into legend but some researchers claim it could have been caused by an asteroid landing in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Recording the event, the medieval chronicles' author William of Malmesbury wrote 'a tidal wavegrew to an astonishing size such as the memory of man cannot parallel, so as to submerge villages many miles inland and overwhelm and drown their inhabitants'. However the chronicle also records elsewhere 'fiery dragons flying in the sky' in accounts of Viking raids - raising questions about whether the accounts should be taken seriously. Advertisement However, he said it is possible that an asteroid may have hit more recently and was recorded by British scribes both in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as well as in Welsh bardic accounts. Dr Teasdale said: 'Interestingly, there is a documented account in 1014 AD in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles where catastrophic flooding was recorded all along the west coast. 'I had a couple of students dredging around in coastal lagoons, estuaries and in marshes to look for evidence of high energy events. 'We think we have two tsunami deposits in two sites, in Marazion Marsh, and Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach.' Dr Teasdale said he thinks they are 'tsunami deposits' because they contain microscopic sea creatures called foram that are only naturally found in the deep mud off the coast suggesting they have been swept inland by a powerful wave. Dr Teasdale estimates by calculating the rate of sedimientation - suggests they were deposited around the same time as William of Malmesbury's unparalleled wave. Phill Teasdale, a senior lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Brighton set out to investigate whether there was any evidence in the flood legend. He found evidence of the tsunami at Fleet Lagoon at Chesil Beach in Dorset (pictured), and Marazion in Cornwall 'We've got a couple of sites now, and tentative data and calculation takes me to an estimated date of 1018 AD, which is four years off the time of impact. 'If we can investigate this a bit more, we can talk about the geographical spread of the impact. Analysing the depth of the tsunami deposit can tell us whether that postulated asteroid impact in the Atlantic ocean was a reality.' In further comments he said that reports that a 'megatsunami' that could hit the UK with waves of up to 65-100 feet, which were once considered possible if an earthquake caused a massive landslide in the Canary Islands are no longer considered likely. Dr Teasdale said that while the cause of the waves were not known, 'asteroid impacts have the capability of causing large scale ocean disturbance.' He said that as the Earth is 70 per cent sea, and only 30 per cent land 'an asteroid impact is more likely to hit the ocean than land' (artist's impression pictured) Scientists found evidence of the tsunami at two very different sites on the west coast of the UK - Fleet Lagoon and Marazion He said analysis of rocks around La Palma, the most north-westerly island in the Canaries, show that if its ridge did collapse into the sea, a tsunami would be generated but would only create waves of up to 10 ft, which is high, but in a similar range to that created by a heavy storm. As Britain lies so far away from major geological fault lines, only one tsunami has been recorded as hitting these shores the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. This quake killed 100,000 in Portugal and led to waves of up to six foot hitting Cornwall. Viking era tales of fearsome female warriors fighting side-by-side with men have long aroused suspicions that women may, too, have dominated the battlefield. But, with little evidence to prove their presence, the idea has remained controversial, and many have dismissed it as folklore. Now, for the first time, scientists have confirmed the existence of a female Viking warrior, using DNA retrieved from a 10th century skeleton buried in the Swedish Viking town, Birka. Not only was she a professional fighter, but as she was found buried alongside two horses and surrounded by weapons, the experts say the Viking woman was once a high-ranking officer who led troops into battle. The bones were first excavated in the 1880s. Inside the grave, they also found two horses (on left side of the image), a slew of weapons - including a sword and armour-piercing arrows - and a full gaming set. Pictured above is an illustration based on the original plan of the grave RISE OF THE VALKYRIE Norse mythology tells of the fierce female spirits who served as helpers to the god Odin. Known as the Valkyries, or choosers of the slain, they were among numerous female figures who were tasked with selecting who on the battlefield would die, and who would live. The deceased warriors chosen by the Valkyries were then sent to Valhalla, the hall of the dead. Its thought that the image of the Valkyrie is based on another mythical figure called the Shieldmaiden. These were the legendary women who had chosen to fight as warriors. The existence of female Viking warriors has been heavily debated. While there are many tales of individual women fighting in battles in Viking folklore, there is little convincing evidence of their presence, nor of a community of trained female warriors like the Shieldmaiden myth. Advertisement This is the first formal and genetic confirmation of a female Viking warrior, said Professor Mattias Jakobsson at Uppsala Universitys Department of Organismal Biology. The bones were first excavated in the 1880s. Despite morphological traits suggesting the skeleton was female, the nature of the grave which contained a slew of weapons, including a sword and armour-piercing arrows led some experts to assume the deceased Viking was male. Inside the grave, they also found two horses (one mare, one stallion) and a full set of gaming pieces. The inclusion of the latter stood as evidence that the warrior had a knowledge of tactics and strategy, according to the researchers. And, it emphasized that persons role in life as a high-ranking officer. In the new study, published to the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, researchers set out to confirm the sex of the Viking remains. By analyzing DNA collected from the skeletons left canine and left humerus, the team discovered that the individual had two X chromosomes and no Y chromosome or, in other words, the warrior was female. The gaming set indicates that she was an officer, someone who worked with tactics and strategy and could lead troops in battle, said Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Stockholm University, who led the study. What we have studied was not a Valkyrie from the sagas but a real life military leader, that happens to have been a woman. Despite skeletal traits suggesting the body was female, experts assumed the deceased Viking was male. What we have studied was not a Valkyrie (pictured left) from the sagas but a real life military leader,' Hedenstierna-Jonson said. A reconstruction of the grave is pictured on right The team also conducted an isotope analysis of the remains, which provided evidence of a traveling lifestyle. This lines up whats known about the society that dominated Northern Europe between the 8th and 10th centuries. In addition to the genomic evidence, which now confirms the sex, there are several skeletal traits that support the identification of the body as being female, including a broad notch in the hip bone and a wide preauricular sulcus - a feature of the pelvis. And, the researchers note that the long bones are thin, slender, and gracile, further adding to the proof. In life, the Viking woman stood just over 170 centimeters tall (5 feet, 6 inches), Hedenstierna-Jonson told Dailymail.com. Now, for the first time, scientists have confirmed the existence of a female Viking warrior, using DNA retrieved from a 10th century skeleton buried in the Swedish Viking town, Birka. Burka is shown above, with the burial grounds indicated by the striped region WHO WERE THE VIKINGS? Ships were a Viking's most prized possessions. If a high-born Viking did not die at sea he would be buried in a ship on land. Vikings did not want to die in bed as this would mean thy would end up in a foggy underworld called Niflheim. But if they died in battle they would go to glorious Valhalla. Vikings believed that the world was flat, surrounded by sea and help up by a giant ash tree called Yggdrasil. They would only bathe once a week. Viking women were highly respected in Norse culture. They were free to choose their spouse and free to divorce. Advertisement Despite her role as a military leader, the Viking skeleton had no signs of trauma leading up to the time of her death, aged more than 30 years old. But, they say this is not uncommon for the burials at Birka. The new study now puts to rest a long-running debate on the existence of female Viking warriors, the researchers explain. Written sources mention female warriors occasionally, said Neil Price, a Professor at Uppsala Universitys Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, but this is the first time that weve really found convincing archaeological evidence for their existence. Some monkeys have learned to use the world around them to their advantage, using stones as tools to break open hard shells, and get to otherwise inaccessible prey. While tool use may open the door to a wider range of food, researchers have found that it could also come with negative consequences similar to those seen in response to human activity. Just as human tool use has ultimately led to the endangerment of many species, and even pushed some to the brink of extinction, the study found that tool-assisted foraging may be causing the monkeys prey to dwindle over time. Scroll down for video While tool use may open the door to a wider range of food, researchers have found that it could also come with negative consequences similar to those seen in response to human activity. A long-tailed macaque can be seen above, using a stone tool to crack open a snail WHAT THEY FOUND In the study, the researchers looked at the availability, size, and maturation stages of shellfish on two islands. The team compared these factors with stone artifacts found on the island. This revealed that, over time, the size of the shellfish shrunk. And, not only that, but the size of the available tools used to open them shrunk, too. As the prey populations drop, there will be no need for these tools. Once this happens, the monkeys could lose their ability to use them, at least until later generations revive the skill. Advertisement For the macaques and their shellfish prey in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Thailand, tool use has created an ecological feedback loop. Essentially, this means its effecting both the size and amount of available prey. And, if they eventually have no prey to necessitate the use of the stone technique, the moneys could unlearn the skill. People often say that practice makes perfect the more you do something the better you get at it, said Dr Lydia Luncz, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University. But the less you do it, the harder it becomes and the more you are likely to forget that skill completely. Our study shows that it is the same for monkeys. With no need to use the stones for foraging, the technique might be lost. As this is a learned social behaviour, in the long term there will be a generation of macaques that do not know how to use tools, and any associated benefit or trade with other species will be lost. In the study, the researchers looked at the availability, size, and maturation stages of shellfish on two islands. These islands were inhabited by macaque populations of differing sizes. The team compared these factors with stone artifacts found on the island. This revealed that, over time, the size of the shellfish shrunk. Just as human tool use has led to the endangerment of many species, and even pushed some to the brink of extinction, the study found that tool-assisted foraging may be causing the monkeys prey to dwindle. Researchers found both prey and tools shrunk, as seen above And, not only that, but the size of the available tools used to open them shrunk, too. As the prey populations drop, there will be no need for these tools. Once this happens, the monkeys could lose their ability to use them, at least until later generations revive the skill. Potentially, one day tool use might get reinvented by later generations, and it will be interesting to see how the skill is discovered and who they learn it from, Dr Luncz continued. This has interesting parallels to the evolution of human stone use, where stone technology might also have been lost and reinvented throughout history. In human society, the researchers note that tool use has been both a gift and a curse. Some monkeys have learned to use the world around them to their advantage, using naturally-occurring objects such as stones as tools to break open hard shells, and get to otherwise inaccessible prey. Stock image While it may have allowed the species to progress, its also drastically altered the numbers of others especially in the case of overfishing. The researchers plan to further investigate the phenomenon, visiting islands where the monkeys currently do not use stone tools. There, they will search for clues that the past populations did make use of these objects. In archaeology, generally the deeper you dig the further you go back in time, said Dr Luncz. The same methods used for human artefacts can tell us a lot about how species have evolved and adapted to environmental change over time. Among the many undocumented immigrants awaiting the fate of DACA, which President Trump has said he plans to cancel , are thousands of K-12 and postsecondary teachers. The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 20,000 teachers eligible to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a policy passed by the Obama administration that grants temporary deportation reprieves and work permits to people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. Currently, about 800,000 immigrants are protected under the policy. Overall, about 68 percent of people who are eligible for DACA actually apply, said Michelle Mittelstadt, director of communications for MPI, and most who do apply are accepted. However, the percentage of applicants is likely higher among teachers than it is among many other professions, particularly those that are unlicensed, she said. As my colleague Corey Mitchell wrote in February, the alternative teacher-certification program Teach for America has put an emphasis on placing undocumented immigrants in classrooms , in part because theyre able to identify with many of their students. The group had about 100 undocumented members teaching in 11 states during the last school year, and was offering them and other TFA alumni free legal assistance. Of the 20,000 people working as teachers who are eligible for DACA, about 5,000 are in California, according to MPI. The nonprofit analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau using a broad definition of teachers, including preschool, primary, secondary, and postsecondary teachers, as well as teacher assistants and other teachers and instructors. New York and Texas each have about 2,000 teachers that are DACA eligible, according to the nonprofit organization. Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania each have about 1,000 teachers who meet the eligibility criteria. (Other states sample sizes were too small for MPI to analyze.) Several education organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers, Educators for Excellence, the Education Trust, and TFA, will hold a tele-town hall next week to help educators understand how the repeal will affect them and their students, reports Mark Keierleber of the 74 Million. President Trump has said the federal government will honor existing DACA permits until they expire in up to two years. Recipients whose eligibility expires before March 5 can apply for renewal. However, new applications will be rejected. Education Week correspondent Kavitha Cardoza interviewed an undocumented teacher in Los Angeles for a PBS NewsHour segment on DACA that aired in April. With the Trump administration cracking down on illegal immigration, I had a lot of students in tears asking me if I was going to be taken away, and if they could hide me, he said. Image: Daniel Sosa, wearing his graduation robe, and Johanna Evans, who is a preschool teacher, lead a march in protest of the announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Sept. 5 in Minneapolis. Both Sosa and Evans were DACA recipients. Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP See also: For more news and information on the teaching profession: And sign up here to get alerts in your email inbox when stories are published on Teacher Beat. At first glance, it looks almost like a Stormtrooper from the Star Wars films. However, in fact this is the future of space travel - according to Elon Musk. The SpaceX and Tesla founder posted the image to Instagram, showing off the firm's full spacesuit design for the first time - in front of the spacecraft it hopes will send NASA astronauts to the space station in 2018. Scroll down for video Musk posted the image to Instagram, showing off the firm's full spacesuit design for the first time - in front of the spacecraft it hopes will send NASA astronauts to the space station in 2018. WHEN WILL IT BE READY? The suit will be worn by NASA astronauts for the commercial crew program when SpaceX starts launching people to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has been flying cargo capsules to the International Space Station for three years. The company is due to launch its first crewed mission with NASA in June next year. The firm also hopes to send two space tourists on a flight around the moon next year. Advertisement 'Astronaut spacesuit next to Crew Dragon,' Musk posted, after giving a glimpse of the suit a few weeks ago. It is believed the suit was designed by Marvel and DC movie legend Jose Fernandez. Musk has previously admitted that it is 'incredibly hard' to balance the look and its function. It features accents and lines that make it more stylish than current designs. It also appears to be more tight-fitting than anything NASA has produced. 'Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup),' Musk wrote in a caption to a previous post. 'Already tested to double vacuum pressure.' The suit will be worn by NASA astronauts for the commercial crew program when SpaceX starts launching people to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX has been flying cargo capsules to the International Space Station for three years. The company is due to launch its first crewed mission with Nasa in June next year. We now have our first glimpse at what astronauts may be wearing on SpaceX' crewed missions to the ISS next year. Elon Musk today revealed a new space suit design on Instagram, adding that more details will be released in the next few days The firm also hopes to send two space tourists on a flight around the moon next year. SpaceX chose to develop their its suit for their astronauts in-house. This is in contrast to the approach taken by Boeing which partnered with spacesuit specialist David Clark Company. Its inspiration may have come from Jose Fernandez, the designer of costumes for Iron Man, Spider-Man, Batman and Captain America. The sleek black and white design in reminiscent of the Stormtroopers from the Star Wars movies Last year, Musk revealed that he had contacted Fernandez to create a space suit. Boeing unveiled its own version of a space suit in January. The bright blue spacesuit will be worn by astronauts aboard the CST-100 Starliner. It is designed to be comfortable while still providing functionality, with the helmet attached to the suit itself, touchscreen-sensitive gloves, and vents to keep the astronauts cool. The 20 pound spacesuit is far lighter than other launch-and-entry suits, and its material allows water vapour to escape while keeping air inside. The suit is stylish and simple, with Elon Musk (pictured) admitting that its 'incredibly hard' to balance the look and its function According to Boeing, the Starliner spacesuit is roughly 40 percent lighter than other suits. But, the trim design still meets NASAs safety and functionality requirements. The most important part is that the suit will keep you alive, astronaut Eric Boe said. It is a lot lighter, more form-fitting and its simpler, which is always a good thing. NASA'S CURRENT SUIT: THE EXTRAVEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT Spacesuits are in short supply at Nasa and a replacement is still years away. The bulky white spacesuits, currently worn by US and European astronauts when they explore outside the International Space Station, were developed more than 40 years ago and intended to last just 15. Known as the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), they were introduced in 1981. The two-piece semi-rigid suits are made of 14 layers of protective materials, including for thermal insulation and pressure resistance. The mobile life support system has an oxygen supply, electrical power, water-cooling equipment, a ventilating fan and an in-suit drink bag. Known as the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), Nasa's current spacesuits (pictured) were introduced in 1981. The two-piece semi-rigid suits are made of 14 layers of protective materials, including for thermal insulation and pressure resistance Each suit has been refurbished over the years, with new features like glove warmers, improved helmet cameras and lights added. But they have suffered an increasing number of problems, such as water leaking inside the helmets. In 2013, the helmet of Italian space-walker Luca Parmitano's suit began filling with water, an emergency that risked drowning him. He quickly ended his spacewalk and returned to the space station to remove his headpiece, rattled but unharmed. Advertisement 'Complicated systems have more ways they can break, so simple is better on something like this. The new Starliner suit has zippers in the torso and materials in the elbows and knees that will give the astronauts a greater range of movement, and allow them to transition from standing to sitting more easily. It also has a communications headset inside of the helmet, along with a wide visor for better peripheral vision. The new Starliner suit has zippers in the torso and materials in the elbows and knees that will give the astronauts a greater range of movement, and allow them to transition from standing to sitting more easily Boeing has unveiled the bright blue spacesuit that astronauts will wear aboard the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. It is designed to be comfortable while still providing functionality, with the helmet attached to the suit itself and touchscreen-sensitive gloves The angels have landed. Victoria's Secret models Elsa Hosk, 28, and Josephine Skriver, 24, looked delighted to be working together again as they glammed up for the launch of Victora's Secret's new fragrance LOVE in New York on Thursday. Wearing considerably more clothing than when they last paired up earlier this year, the Danish and Swedish models both exuded formal elegance for the photo shoot. LOVE is in the air: Victoria's Secret Angels Elsa Hosk, 28, and Josephine Skriver, 24, looked delighted to be working together again as they glammed up for the launch of Victora's Secret's new fragrance LOVE in New York on Thursday Both the VS Angels shimmered in their golden cocktail dresses that revealed plenty of the supermodels' slim pins. Swedish model Hosk wore a dress with a gold belt that accentuated her tiny waist, and featured a eye-catching shiny roll neck. While Danish beauty Skriver's had a much more revealing, plunging neckline. Both women topped off the look with gold stilettos. Legs for miles: Both the VS Angels shimmered in their golden cocktail dresses that revealed plenty of the supermodels' slim pins Secret Angels: Both Josephine and Elsa are Victoria's Secret Angels, a term bestowed on spokesmodels for the prestigious womenswear brand Both Josephine and Elsa are Victoria's Secret Angels, a term bestowed on spokesmodels for the prestigious womenswear brand. And both women will be prowling the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai later this year. The show will be broadcast November 28 on CBS. All that glitters: both models shone in gold cocktail dresses, completing the look with matching golden stilettos Back to back: both women will be working again together later this year, prowling the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai Back in March, the duo set pulses racing with their scintillating behind the scenes lingerie selfies. Taking time out from their modelling shoot in Miami, the European beauties took some time between snaps to post some more candid shots to Instagram. The Angels showed off their pert posteriors in a post Hosk captioned: 'Miami with my fav bum [hearts emoji]'. Just peachy: Back in March, the duo set pulses racing with their scintillating behind the scenes lingerie selfies And on Tuesday, Skriver showed she's not afraid of public exhibitionism either. At the Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada on Tuesday, she and fellow Angel Jasmine Tookes bared their derrieres during the annual gathering. Pumping a defiant fist and peace sign respectively, Skriver and Tookes flashed their peachy behinds for the world to see. And as of Thursday, at least 175,000 Instagram users had seen, and liked, the image. She has started a lesbian romance with 25-year-old blonde beauty Coby Boatman, after ending her engagement to comedian Brett Hunter. But while this is Brynne Edelsten's first same-sex relationship, the 34-year-old has openly hinted she's had sex with women in the past. The ex-wife of Geoffrey Edelsten told KIIS FM's Kyle And Jackie O on Friday: 'It's the first relationship I've had with a woman.' 'She took me on a date before she got me in bed': Brynne Edelsten has revealed raunchy details about her sex life with new girlfriend Coby Boatman Shock jock Kyle Sandilands asked if this was the first time she'd 'been' with a woman, with Brynne responding: 'No, no, but it's the first relationship I've had with a woman.' Brynne was seen locking lips with new flame Coby at swanky Melbourne eatery Sash on Wednesday. The couple were seen to be getting very up close and personal at the Japanese pizza bar, looking smitten as they shared passionate kisses at the table. 'She was my girl crush, but more like a fantasy girl crush': Brynne claimed she'd known the advertising sales executive for two years and had a 'girl crush' on her for some time When asked by the radio duo why she chose Coby to embark on her first lesbian relationship with, she said: 'I actually don't know, because I never would of thought that was something that I would want to do, but like it just works, I don't know.' Brynne claimed she'd known the advertising sales executive for two years and had a 'girl crush' on her for some time. 'She was my girl crush, but more like a fantasy girl crush than anything I took serious,' the buxom beauty revealed. 'She took me on a date before she got me in bed': When prodded about her sex life, Brynne revealed they have had sex Gushing over her new love, she continued: 'She's amazing, she's a great girl.' When prodded about her sex life, Brynne added: 'She took me on a date before she got me in bed.' Already taking the next step in their relationship, Brynne confirmed the pair were moving into a new apartment together on Friday in Melbourne. Love birds: Already taking the next step in their relationship, Brynne confirmed the pair were moving into a new apartment together on Friday in Melbourne Meanwhile, Brynne's ex fiance Brett Hunter spoke about Brynne's unexpected lesbian romance during an interview on KIIS FMs Hughesy & Kate on Thursday. 'It was a bit of a shock,' said 33-year-old funnyman, before admitting that he was never even aware that she 'liked girls.' 'It's all new to me,' said the despondent dad-of-two. He continued: 'I really liked her, she's a good chick and I don't want to say anything bad about her.' 'It was a bit of a shock': Comedian Brett Hunter (Pictured) appeared on the KIIS Networks Hughesy & Kate radio show on Thursday to spill the beans about ex-fiancee Brynne Edelsten's lesbian romance Brett also alleged that they hadn't actually officially called off their relationship when photos emerged of Brynne locking lips with bombshell Coby. 'She [Brynne] wanted some space a couple of weeks ago...' he said, leaving host Hughesy flabbergasted. However, Brett added that the relationship is 'definitely off' now, but that he had nothing but well wishes for his former fiancee. She's thought to have found love again with boyfriend Cas Neill. And Carol Vorderman, 56, looked like the cat who got the cream as she arrived a book launch event on Thursday, hosted at Mango Tree Belgravia in London. The former Countdown presenter was joined by the likes of Lizzie Cundy to celebrate the release of Yvie Burnett's new book, Yes You Can Sing. Scroll down for video Stepping out: Carol Vorderman was dressed to impress when she arrived at a book launch event on Thursday, hosted at Mango Tree Belgravia in London Carol highlighted her hourglass physique in a simple yet sophisticated navy jumpsuit. The chic little number boasted flared sleeves and a nipped in waist, and was set off with gold sandals. The brainbox TV personality matched her earrings to her footwear, and styled her blonde locks in tousled waves. Joining forces: The former Countdown presenter was joined by the likes of Lizzie Cundy to celebrate the release of Yvie Burnett's new book, Yes You Can Sing Looking good: Carol highlighted her hourglass physique in a simple yet sophisticated navy jumpsuit Glamorous: The chic little number boasted flared sleeves and a nipped in waist, and was set off with gold sandals Also putting in an appearance at the launch was socialite Lizzie Cundy, who dared to bare in a black dress with a rather risque cut-out. Leaving little to the imagination, Lizzie flashed a lot of leg and cleavage thanks to the cheeky lace-up detailing. Meanwhile, Carol and her rumoured boyfriend Cas are rumoured to have got together earlier this year. Low-key: The brainbox TV personality matched her earrings to her footwear, and styled her blonde locks in tousled waves Poster girl: Carol posed up a storm as she arrived at the book launch Strike a pose: The TV personality ensured she was the centre of attention at the bash Natural look: The star opted for minimal make-up and wore her hair in a bedhead style They made their first formal public appearance together in July at a black tie gala hosted by Princess Anne. The romance comes less than two years after she split from her on-off toyboy lover, pilot Graham Duffy Duff, who is 14 years her junior. A friend of Carol said: Cas and Carol first met years ago after working together on a property project, but have always just been friends. It is still early days but theyre really good together, and are always laughing. Cas is completely laid back and relaxed which is exactly what Carol needs. Hes incredibly supportive, and totally happy to let Carol do her thing. More importantly, he knows all her friends and family and was an absolute rock when her mum recently passed away. Cheeky: Lizzie dared to bare in a black dress with a rather risque cut-out Revealing: Leaving little to the imagination, Lizzie flashed a lot of leg and cleavage thanks to the cheeky lace-up detailing He's starred in some of the most popular films of all time. And now Donald Sutherland is finally being recognized for his body of work with an honorary Oscar granted by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition to the 82-year-old actor, writer-director Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman, and director Agnes Varda will also be receiving honorary awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At last! Donald Sutherland is finally being recognized for his body of work with an honorary Oscar While Sutherland has never actually been nominated for an Oscar for his on-screen work, he's appeared in some of the most beloved films of all time. He broke out in the hit film MASH in 1970, which saw him play captain Hawkeye Pierce in the Korean war dramedy. Later he starred in such seminal works as Klute, The Day of the Locust and of course legendary comedy Animal House. More recently, he hit the big screen as President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise. A star is born: He broke out in the hit film MASH in 1970, which saw him play captain Hawkeye Pierce (left) in the Korean war dramedy Frazzled: Later he starred in such seminal works as Klute, The Day of the Locust and of course legendary comedy Animal House (pictured) Menacing: More recently, he hit the big screen as President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise Sutherland also played a part in creating a new Hollywood dynasty, as his son Kiefer, 50, has become a star in his own right thanks to roles in The Lost Boys and 24. The three other honorees will also receive a lifetime achievement award. Charles Burnett is an independent filmmaker whose work, including America Becoming, has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience. Father and son: Sutherland also played a part in creating a new Hollywood dynasty, as his son Kiefer, 50, has become a star in his own right thanks to roles in The Lost Boys and 24 Belgian-born Agnes Varda has experimented with shorts, documentaries and feature films during her more than 60-year career while Owen Roizman has five Oscar nominations for his work as a cinematographer on movies including The French Connection, Tootsie and Network. The special Oscar is awarded 'to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.' The ceremony will take place on November 11th at the Governor's Awards gala dinner in Hollywood. Accomplished: Charles Burnett is an independent filmmaker whose work, including America Becoming, has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience Jared Leto clearly does nothing by halves. The actor 'went blind' for the entire shoot of Blade Runner 20149, director Denis Villeneuve has revealed, and needed an assistant to bring him on set and help him get around during filming. 'We all heard stories about Jared, how he transforms into the characters,' the French filmmaker says in a profile of Leto in the new issue of WSJ magazine. 'But even this didn't prepare me for what was to come.' Method actor: Jared Leto is profiled in the new issue of WSJ magazine and shows off his colorful outdoorsy style in a series of special photographs Leto plays replicant creator Niander Wallace in the highly-anticipated follow-up to Ridley Scott's groundbreaking 1982 original. For the part, he decided to fit himself with opaque contact lenses that made it impossible for him to see anything. 'He was walking with an assistant, very slowly. It was like seeing Jesus walking into a temple. Everybody became super silent, and there was a kind of sacred moment,' Villeneuve stated. 'Everyone was in awe. It was so beautiful and powerfulI was moved to tears,' he added. The gambit worked, Villenueve said, adding that while 'it was insane,' Leto 'really created something.' All in: For his role in Blade Runner 2049 (pictured), Leto made himself blind by wearing opaque contact lenses for the duration of the shoot, the film's director Denis Villeneuve told WSJ Down the rabbit hole: 'I'm crazy but I'm not insane,'the actor said when asked about the lengths to which he will go for a movie role Leto himself tells the publication that his immersion in the role didn't take him 'as deep down the rabbit hole' as he's gone previously for his art, but opting not to have vision helped him stay 'really focused.' 'I'm crazy but I'm not insane,' he proffered. It's not the first time he's shown extreme commitment to a film part. He dropped more than 30 pounds while filming Dallas Buyer's Club, a role that won him a best supporting actor Oscar. He lost the same about the same amount of weight for his performance as a heroin addict in requiem for a Dream. In contrast, he packed on 60 pounds to play John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman in the independent film Chapter 27. Oscar winner: 'We all heard stories about Jared, how he transforms into the characters. But even this didn't prepare me for what was to come,' Villeneuve observed Typecast: Leto reveals he's never approached to do comedy, something he's open to. However, he's approached a lot to play serial killers Leto, who balances his acting career with rock gigs as part of the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, reveals to WSJ that one movie offer that never comes his way is to do a comedy. 'I might not be at the top of the list for, like, a funny dude. But if someone is dying or suffering greatly, I'll get a call,' he joked. 'I got calls about [playing] Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, David Koresh and Jim Jones, all within two weeks, he said. 'I'm not doing them but I thought for a second, 'Oh, my God, I should do them all.' Just put them together like a Criterion Collection box set. And then retire.' Blade Runner 2049 stars Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas and Harrison Ford reprising his character of Rick Deckard. It's set to hit movie theatres in October. She recently returned from Cannes, following her last holiday abroad before welcoming her first child. And not only was Ferne McCann, 27, showcasing the fruits of her sun-soaked getaway but she also revealed that becoming pregnant had helped her overcome insecurities about her body. The TOWIE beauty - who has decided to keep the gender a secret - was in jovial spirits as she attended the Animal Hero Awards 2017, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday night, alongside pal Stephanie Pratt, 31. Scroll down for video Girls' night! Pregnant Ferne McCann, 27, showcased the fruits of her sun-soaked getaway as she attended the Animal Hero Awards 2017, held at the at Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday night, alongside pal Stephanie Pratt, 31 Speaking to the Mirror on the red carpet, the I'm A Celeb Alum admitted she's loved every bit of the transformation her body has gone through during her pregnancy, confessing that the process has helped her with her body positivity. She said: 'I feel like this is the first time I've properly loved my body. I just love the bumps so much that I love it. I look at myself in the mirror and I'm like yeahhh! 'My boobs have literally come from nowhere, I swear to god, but now I've got used to them. It's all part and parcel of the pregnancy. It will come in handy when the baby comes and I want to breastfeed. Let's hope they stay!' The reality star is expecting her first child with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who currently faces trial for an alleged nightclub acid attack. Radiant: The TOWIE beauty showcased the fruits of her sun-soaked getaway but she also revealed she have finally overcome her body insecurities since becoming pregnant Bumping along: Speaking to the Mirror on the red carpet, the I'm A Celeb Alum admitted she's loved every bit of the transformation her body has gone through during her pregnancy, confessing that the process has helped her with her body positivity Protective: Stephanie placed a tender hand on the ex-TOWIE star's baby bump It was reported earlier last month that the former TOWIE star had gone to visit the 25-year-old scaffolder and businessman at HMP Thameside in south London in recent weeks. Under her current stressful circumstances, the ITV darling revealed that her mother Gilly will be her birthing partner. She added: 'My mum is my birthing partner, we're going through hypnobirthing together and everything important because you have to be so in tune with your birthing partner.' The TOWIE beauty looked positively radiant as she displayed both her blossoming bump and healthy glow in an exquisite turquoise-coloured mini dress at the awards on Thursday night. Having fun: She said: 'I feel like this is the first time I've properly loved my body. I just love the bumps so much that I love it. I look at myself in the mirror and I'm like yeahhh! Party pals: She added: 'My boobs have literally come from nowhere, I swear to god, but now I've got used to them. It's all part and parcel of the pregnancy. It will come in handy when the baby comes and I want to breastfeed. Let's hope they stay!' Ferne's choice of ensemble highlighted her ever-growing stomach with her wraparound skirt detail while the sweetheart neckline garment teased at her bust, showcasing her decolletage with aplomb. The bardot-inspired silhouette highlighted her hourglass frame while the knee-length hem displayed her lean legs. Letting her pregnancy glow command attention, the This Morning contributor navigated her way up the carpet in her gold strappy heels while her glossy tresses were worked up into a sleek up 'do. Making a speedy exit: The reality star is expecting her first child with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who currently faces trial for an alleged nightclub acid attack Birthing partner: Under her current stressful circumstances, the ITV darling revealed that her mother Gilly will be her birthing partner 'In tune': She added: 'My mum is my birthing partner, we're going through hypnobirthing together and everything important because you have to be so in tune with your birthing partner' Complementing her pal, former The Hills star Stephanie looked ravishing in a powder blue halterneck dress which made her eyes and blonde tresses pop. Ferne is expecting her first child with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who currently faces trial for an alleged nightclub acid attack. It was reported earlier last month that the former TOWIE star had gone to visit the 25-year-old scaffolder and businessman at HMP Thameside in south London in recent weeks. Ferne split from Arthur earlier this year, amid allegations that he carried out an acid attack at an east London club, that left 22 people injured. Pampered pooch: Stephanie brought her cute puppy along to the event Beautiful in blue: The blonde beauty highlighted her slender physique in a form-fitting dress Radiant: The TOWIE beauty looked positively radiant as she displayed both her blossoming bump and healthy glow in an exquisite turquoise-coloured mini dress at the awards on Thursday night A source stressed that the couple were 'certainly not' rekindling their romance, claiming that Ferne was visiting Arthur to discuss matters surrounding their unborn child. The insider told The Sun: 'They are most certainly not back together and she has no intentions of doing so. But she saw him to discuss certain matters, given she is carrying his unborn child. She clearly didn't want to be seen as she went in and kept a very low profile.' Arthur pleaded not guilty to six counts of causing grevious bodily harm and 11 of actual bodily harm in June, when he appeared at Wood Green Crown Court today via video link from HMP Thameside. Lively: Ferne's choice of ensemble highlighted her ever-growing stomach with her wraparound skirt detail while the sweetheart neckline garment teased at her bust, showcasing her decolletage with aplomb Chic: The bardot-inspired silhouette highlighted her hourglass frame while the knee-length hem displayed her lean legs All smiles: Ferne accentuated her plump pout with a slick of pink lipstick Following the news of his arrest, Ferne appeared on This Morning to discuss the prospect of becoming a single mother. Tearing up to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the star admitted her pregnancy was keeping her strong amid the tough time. She said: 'It had been such a stressful, surreal situation to be in but I'm actually feeling good, feeling positive because I'm pregnant. I think that has given me strength and hope to get through this.' Children's television experts are concerned about the nature of Channel Seven's hit show Little Big Shots, as the threat of possible child exploitation looms from overseas producers expressing interest in the show. Chief executive of the Australian Children's Television Foundation Jenny Buckland told The Sydney Morning Herald it's possible that the show's stars could be utilized in the wrong manner overseas due to child labour laws not being as strict. 'It shows off [children's] talent and enthusiasm .. and does not subject them to judgement and comparisons,' Jenny told the publication. Scroll down for video At risk? Children's television experts are concerned about the nature of Channel Seven's hit show Little Big Shots, as the threat of possible child exploitation looms from overseas producers expressing interest in the show She added: 'There is huge potential for the children in these shows to simply be exploited. I'm sure producers treat them well, but we live in a world where we're all a bit addicted to fame and celebrity.' In Australia, use of children in things like television productions is heavily legislated and there is no suggestion that Channel 7 are exploiting children. A Channel Seven spokesperson confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that none of the show's young stars have signed deals with any networks overseas. But as the show looks to be a ratings winner for Channel Seven, the possibility of the young stars travelling overseas to perform looks increasingly likely. Australian Children's Television Foundation chief Jenny Buckland told The Sydney Morning Herald: 'There is huge potential for the children in these shows to simply be exploited' Global: The performers on the show haven't been signed to any kind of deal yet, however producers of overseas networks have expressed their desire to take their talents global The show pulled in a whopping 1.67 million viewers for its debut episode last month, even beating rival reality show The Block again on Sunday. Bright sparks like Evan, the eight year old 'human encyclopedia' featured during Sunday's episode, are keeping fans coming back for more on Little Big Shots. To his captivated audience, Evan revealed he can remember such things as Pi to 200 decimals, the names of all the Australian prime ministers and American presidents. Pocket rockets! Little Big Shots has proven a true ratings winner, beating rival reality show The Block again on Sunday Shining star: Bright sparks like Evan, the eight year old 'human encyclopedia' featured during Sunday's episode, are keeping fans coming back for more on Little Big Shots When asked about how it felt to be so 'brainy,' Evan replied: 'It just feels so good.' Created by Ellen DeGeneres and originally presented by Steve Harvey, Little Big Shots has become an instant success in Australia, mirroring its results in America. The show's young contestants, who are aged between three and 13, showcase their stunning talents for an in-studio and televised audience. She's been doing the rounds of the fashion parties in Poland this week. And Joanna Krupa was leading the glamour at the Bizuu fashion show in Warsaw, rocking a sexy silk jumpsuit with a keyhole cut-out at the bust. The 38-year-old beauty exuded elegance in the sexy ensemble, which highlighted her slender figure. Scroll down for video Glamorous: Joanna Krupa was leading the glamour at the Bizuu fashion show in Warsaw, rocking a sexy silk jumpsuit with a keyhole cut-out at the bust Joanna teased her cleavage in the high-necked number thanks to the sultry slit on the bodice. The Real Housewives star pulled her look together with a pair of glitzy silver heels and wore her tresses tumbling loose. Joanna enhanced her pout with a slick of soft pink lipstick and donned intricate gold jewellery. The previous evening, she had stepped out in style to attend the Neonail showroom event in Poznan. Flashing the flesh: Joanna teased her cleavage in the high-necked number thanks to the sultry slit on the bodice Striking: Joanna enhanced her pout with a slick of soft pink lipstick and donned intricate gold jewellery Elegant: The Real Housewives star pulled her look together with a pair of glitzy silver heels and wore her tresses tumbling loose The previous evening, she had stepped out in style to attend the Neonail showroom event in Poznan. The blonde beauty showed off her tiny waist in her simple LBD while teasing a hint of cleavage in the low-cut number. Joanna's elegant frock boasted cut-out detailing on the sleeves and hemline, adding extra interest to the look. She wore her blonde locks pulled back in a high ponytail and kept her make-up minimal and matte. Glamorous: Joanna has been hitting the party scene this week, stepping out in style to attend the Neonail showroom event in Poznan the previous evening Sexy: The beauty showed off her tiny waist in her simple LBD while teasing a hint of cleavage in the low-cut number Partying in style: Joanna's elegant frock boasted cut-out detailing on the sleeves and hemline, adding extra interest to the look Understated: She wore her blonde locks pulled back in a high ponytail and kept her make-up minimal and matte The Poland's Next Top Model star set off her understated yet sophisticated look with a pair of simple stilettos. And earlier this week, Joanne made her way down the red carpet in her native Poland in style. The Real Housewives of Miami alum showed off her incredibly toned body in a gorgeous white and silver striped gown that featured a sweetheart neckline. She was joined on the carpet by Polish fashion model Anna Jagodzinska who also looked incredible in a sparkling silver pant suit. Newly-single: She finalized her divorce to Romain Zago just a few weeks ago Sparkling in silver! The previous evening, Joanna showed off her incredibly toned body in a gorgeous white and silver striped gown that featured a sweetheart neckline The duo were attending the Flesz Fashion Night party in Warsaw where they both opted for high glamour for the evening. Anna wore her long blonde hair in loose waves parted to the side and minimal makeup on her pretty face. She paired the futuristic pant suit that featured a low-cut neck with black stilettos and wore very little jewelry. Fashion elite: She was joined on the carpet by Polish fashion model Anna Jagodzinska who also looked incredible in a sparkling silver pant suit Anna wore her long blonde hair in loose waves around her shoulders as she walked the runway at the fashion event For her part, Joanna paired her gorgeous glittering dress that showed off her cleavage with gold pointy heels, which accentuated her fabulous pins. She opted to wear her light blonde hair in loose waves and parted it to the side for an ultra glamorous look. She made her eyes pop with long lashes and dark makeup, but kept her lipstick light to ensure her eyes were the focal point on her face. Pretty! For her part, Joanna paired her gorgeous glittering dress that showed off her cleavage with gold pointy heels, which accentuated her fabulous pins She has been living it up and enjoying life since finalizing her divorce from Romain. But she recently revealed she is thankful that she froze her eggs since starting a family is farther off for the model. 'Thank goodness I froze my eggs,' the Playboy vet told told Life & Style Magazine: 'I would honestly be freaking out right now if I didnt.' The former Dancing With The Star contestant continued: 'You dont want to wake up one day and be like, "My god, what was I thinking?" 'You never know what life will bring. What if that moment comes when you cant have kids?' Blonde glamour: She opted to wear her light blonde hair in loose waves and parted it to the side for an ultra glamorous look The model's ideal family is to one day have a baby boy and girl of her own. Joanna and Romain announced their separation last December but finalized their divorce August 17. The Poland-native said she was caught off guard when Romain decided to call it quits of their marriage of four years. After the divorce she told DailyMail.com: 'You gotta keep going, you can't hide under a blanket or underneath your bed and just be like, "I give up on everything." You just gotta keep going.' Amicable? Joanna and Romain Zago announced their separation last December but finalized their divorce August 17 The leggy blonde tries to stay positive, saying: 'I'm a hard worker, I'm very independent, so I think the fact that I have always had my own career, that really helped me as well. 'And thank goodness I never gave up my career for a man because you know what, maybe right now I would not be in the situation that I am. 'I still believe in love and finding the man I will still have kids with. You never know what life can bring.' Putting a family on hold: She recently revealed that she's thankful she froze her eggs as she doesn't see a family in the near future after her divorce She introduced Matty Johnson to the family on Thursday night's episode of The Bachelor. And Tara Pavlovic has slammed the show's producers for their negative portrayal of her brother Troy, claiming the segment was heavily edited to make it look like her sibling called Matty a 'liar'. 'Troy was edited so badly. He was very welcoming towards Matty. They cut the word liar from a completely [different] conversation and put it elsewhere to make it dramatic,' Tara said in an Instagram post on Friday. 'Troy was edited so badly': Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic SLAMS producers over brother's portrayal during home visit Tara took to social media after the episode aired to defend her brother, who had appeared to give Matty a hostile reception during home visits. During one conversation, Troy grills Matty over whether he plans to pick Tara as the winner. 'You've got, what, four girls still in the competition. You're gonna break some hearts, aren't you?' Troy asked. What really happened? Tara took to Instagram after the episode aired to defend her brother, who had appeared to give Matty a hostile reception during home visits Hit out: After the episode aired several viewers slammed Troy's grilling of Matty Not happy: Responding to one fan who said Tara could 'blame your brother' if she doesn't win, the nanny defended Troy Matty, trying to calm the situation, said: 'I wish I could tell you right now if I was gonna end up with Tara... or not. At the moment, I don't know the answer to that question.' Not pulling any punches, Troy shot back: 'Liar.' Responding to one fan who said Tara could 'blame your brother' if she doesn't win, the nanny defended Troy. 'Troy was edited so badly. He was very welcoming towards Matty. They cut the word liar from a completely [different] conversation and put it elsewhere to make it dramatic,' she wrote. Asking for a mate: During one conversation, Troy grills Matty over whether he plans to pick Tara as the winner Uncomfortable: Matty later said he found the whole experience very awkward Fan favourite: Tara has emerged as a front runner to win Matty's heart, boasting more than 90,000 followers on Instagram Defending her sibling: Protective sister Tara agreed with one fan's take on the situation 'Home towns were perfect. If Matty sends me home it has nothing to do with them.' She claimed Troy had called Matty a liar while they were discussing his ink, not the Bachelor hunk's future with Tara. 'That was clever editing. It was a happy conversation. Troy said liar to a whole other conversation about one of Matty's tattoos,' Tara said. 'I feel terrible that people think Troy would have ruined it for me - he was nothing but nice.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Network 10 for comment. Different conversation: She claimed Troy had called Matty a liar while they were discussing his ink, not the Bachelor hunk's future with Tara Forget movie stars and pop artistsChance the Rapper wants to honor educators. The Grammy-winning artist from Chicago announced last week that he would organize the inaugural Twilight Awards, highlighting teachers, parents, principals, and students who convey leadership. The ceremony will be held in Chicago in June 2018 and be hosted by James Corden, the late-night television host known for Carpool Karaoke. Chance also promised special guest performances. Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, also announced that his nonprofit, SocialWorks Chicago , had raised $2.2 million to give to arts education programs at 20 Chicago public schools. Earlier this year, the 24-year-old donated $1 million to the Chicago district . He has been a strong advocate for protecting funding to the cash-strapped school system. No further details have been released about the Twilight Awardsbut with Chances involvement, its safe to say this might be the biggest, most star-studded award ceremony for teachers out there. Chance has a lot of cool friends and fans , including Beyonce . Of course, educators have been in the awards-show limelight before: They were recognized at the Oscars this year , and the Topeka, Kansas, superintendent walked the Oscar red carpet . The Grammy Awards also recognizes a music teacher every year . And there are several teaching awards, including the National Teacher of the Year contest , the Milken Awards (called the Oscars of Teaching ), and the $1-million Global Teaching Prize . But according to Twitter, educators across the countryand perhaps especially in Chicagoare excited about the news of an awards show devoted to education. Image: Chance The Rapper performs at the Lollapalooza music festival last month in Chicago. --Grabowski/Invision/AP Pierce Brosnan had that man of action look Thursday while out to lunch with wife Keely Shaye Smith in Beverly Hills, California. The 64-year-old James Bond actor donned a blue short-sleeved shirt, black trousers and trainers while grabbing sushi with his wife in the tony city. Pierce accessorized with sunglasses and watch and looked debonair with slicked back grey hair. Lunch date: Pierce Brosnan took his wife Keely Shaye Smith out for sushi lunch Thursday in Beverly Hills, California The Irish actor was clean-shaven and sported his summer tan while out with Keely. Keely, 53, kept it simple in a knee-length black sleeveless dress with pleated skirt that also displayed her even tan. She completed her outfit with black sandals and had her long dark hair straight down around her shoulders. Pierce and Keely were spotted Tuesday enjoying a bike ride together in Malibu as they continued enjoying their endless summer together. Man of action: The James Bond actor looked ready for action with his trainers on The couple recently celebrated their 16-year wedding anniversary. They tied the knot in August 2001 in Ireland. Pierce married again 10 years after his first wife, Cassandra Harris, died at age 43 of ovarian cancer. Husband and wife: Pierce and Kelly were married in Ireland in August 2001 Cassandra and Pierce were married in 1980 and had a 33-year-old son Sean together. Pierce adopted Cassandra's children Charlotte and Christopher after her first husband Dermot Harris died in 1986 following their divorce in 1978. Charlotte who along with her brother took the surname Bosnan died in 2013 at age 42 also from ovarian cancer. Silver fox: The 64-year-old actor looked debonair with his grey hair slicked back and fresh tan Former Tory MP Gyles Brandreth has returned to his other profession acting in a three-person Hamlet, alongside his barrister son Benet and the latters actress wife, Kosha Engler Hamlet (Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London) Verdict: A family affair Rating: Former Tory MP Gyles Brandreth has returned to his other profession acting in a three-person Hamlet, alongside his barrister son Benet and the latters actress wife, Kosha Engler. Set in what looks like a country cottage, the tone is defiantly middle-class. Events kick off with John Humphrys et al advising us on the Today programme that the King has been poisoned. The three-person gimmick poses challenges for Imogen Bonds adaptation that reduces the sometimes four-hour Shakespeare play to 90 minutes. She shuffles the order, cutting between flashbacks and soliloquies and then plunging into the present with Engler and Brandreth Sr switching roles. It adds a saucy frisson to see Benets wife playing his mother; and his father getting a bit fresh with her (very politely, of course). But with so few actors playing so many characters, I did wonder if the audience would get as confused as Hamlet (his uncle is his father; Ophelia turns into her brother Laertes). In the title role, Brandreth Jr is a bit like a QC: his soliloquies as if summing up to a jury. There are nice moments in Simon Evans and David Aulas production which keep the story ticking along a thunderclap to the word murder is pure Danish bacon. Its an accomplished show, but a bit too genial like an Archers omnibus writ a little too large. Fans of The Bachelor usually save their enthusiasm for the show's handsome leading man, Matthew Johnson. But on Thursday night, viewers were left saying 'Matty who?' as another surprise guest stole the spotlight. Laura Byrne introduced three-legged rescue dog Buster during her hometown date, and he quickly proved a fan favourite. Scroll down for video So sweet! On Thursday night, fans of The Bachelor were left saying 'Matty who?' as another surprise guest stole the spotlight - Laura Byrne's adorable three-legged rescue dog Buster 'Buster stole the show tonight!', 'Dog is a winner of today's show' and 'BUSTER WAS THE BEST THING' were among the comments left on social media about the episode. During the hometown visits, Matty met the friends and family of the remaining four contestants - Laura, Tara Pavlovic, Elise Stacy, and Florence Alexandra Sophia. It was explained that Buster - who also has his own Instagram account - was adopted by the Sydney jewellery designer as a rescue animal. 'Oh I'm in love with Buster.... Matty who?' joked one viewer. Meanwhile, others commented, 'Cutest pooch ever!' and 'Buster is so adorable!' No wonder Matty has fallen in love with her! Buster - who also has his own Instagram account - was adopted by the Sydney jewellery designer as a rescue animal He's popular! 'Buster stole the show tonight!', 'Dog is a winner of today's show' and 'BUSTER WAS THE BEST THING' were among the comments left on social media about the episode Laura introduced the marketing manager to her pet in Sydney's Rose Bay - and it didn't take long for a fan to joke on Twitter: 'Matty chooses Laura because he wants to see Buster again.' During the romantic hometown date, Buster also seemed to approve of his owner's new boyfriend. Laura remarked: 'I'm actually so surprised by how good he is with you. Usually, what would happen, if he doesn't know you and he thought you were coming to approach me, he'd just, like, get really skittish and bark at you.' However, some fans speculated it may not have been Matty's first time meeting the adorable dog. 'Mmmm Buster so knows Matty... the rumours of them knowing each other before the show are clearly true,' tweeted a viewer. As Matty played with Buster, Laura couldn't contain her delight, saying: 'Look at him! He's rolled over and died for you. I am more than impressed and I absolutely love it.' 'I am more than impressed and I absolutely love it': As Matty played with Buster, Laura couldn't contain her delight 'Buster so knows Matty... the rumours of them knowing each other before the show are clearly true': Some fans speculated it may not have been Matty's first time meeting the adorable dog He's a fan! Laura regularly shares photos of Buster on his personal Instagram account Later on in the date, Laura introduced Matty to her grandparents, sister and mother. After the family dinner, Laura pleaded with Matty: 'Are you 100 per cent certain (about the relationship)?' but he was unable to give her an answer. Laura then reminded him: 'You know I want this.' Matty sent home Florence after the home visits - with Laura, Tara and Elise going into the finals. The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten She's mused on the merits of monogamy before. And it seems as though Scarlett Johansson is practicing what preaches, as she's apparently keeping her options open when it comes to her current relationship. Though the 32-year-old Avengers star was seen kissing actor Colin Jost over the weekend, she still is continuing to see her lawyer Kevin Yorn as well, according to a source for People. Open-minded: It seems as though Scarlett Johansson, 32, is apparently keeping her options open when it comes to her current relationship Indeed, they are 'both openly dating people,' claimed the source, while 'the feelings haven't fizzled.' However, the source also added that '[Yorn's] not 'the one' for her or anything like that. They genuinely enjoy each other's company and that will never change.' 'They're still seeing each other but are busy and have a lot of commitments, so when they get moments of time, that's when they make the effort to see each other outside of their work exchanges.' Apparently the duo's history together is long and somewhat confusing. Still together: Kevin Yorn, left, and the Lost in Translation star are 'both openly dating people,' claimed the source, while 'the feelings haven't fizzled' '[Their] relationship is complex and goes far back,' said the source, 'They've been friends outside of working together, but there's always been more to the equation.' Additionally, it seems that the relationship only blossomed into it's current form 'in the last year,' though no one is really sure how to classify said relationship. 'Dating wouldn't be the right word for their current status,' stated the source, who then added that Yorn has been 'very quiet about it among friends and colleagues because of how it may appear on the outside.' While the source clearly suggested the couple are on a solid footing, it seems Scarlett may still be looking around for love. New flame? Her blossoming relationship with Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost has sparked relentless rumors of a romance in recent months Her blossoming relationship with Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost has sparked relentless rumors of a romance in recent months. And Scarlett appeared willing to take things public on Saturday, as she was reportedly kissing the comedian during a Diana Ross concert in New York. The 32-year-old actress, who has been linked to Colin, 35, on and off over the last few months, danced in the rain at an exclusive bash in glitzy Long Island enclave the Hamptons before reportedly locking lips with her handsome companion. Over: Scarlett filed for divorce from her second husband Romain Dauriac earlier this year (couple pictured in 2016) The uncertainty around her love life came shortly after Scarlett - who filed for divorce from her second husband Romain Dauriac earlier this year - admitted she doesn't consider monogamy to be 'natural'. The actress, who has a daughter called Rose with her estranged husband, told Playboy: 'I think the idea of marriage is very romantic; it's a beautiful idea. And the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing. 'I don't think it's natural to be a monogamous person. I might be skewered for that, but I think it's work. It's a lot of work.' Scarlett was also married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008-2011. She's the jet setting supermodel who has recently faced rumours of marriage woes. And on Thursday, Bambi Northwood-Blyth appeared at the 2017 New York Fashion Week sporting a very slender frame in a photo uploaded to Instagram. But while appearing solo at the event without husband and Ksubi co-founder Dan Single, the 26-year-old appeared to be all smiles. Slender: Bambi Northwood-Blyth appeared at the 2017 New York Fashion Week sporting a very slender frame in a post uploaded to Instagram on Thursday 'Kicking off NYFW last night with @imgmodels Thanks team!' she captioned the image, in between cherry emojis and a star at the end. Bambi wore a plunging low-cut black leather dress, and accessorised with gold hoop earrings. The brunette stunner wore her hair back from her face in a bun, cheerfully staring at the camera with her hands firmly placed on her hips. The Melbourne-born model has raised a few eyebrows lately, appearing without her wedding band at an event for New York Fashion Week on Wednesday. Still together? The Melbourne-born model has raised a few eyebrows lately, appearing without her wedding band at an event for New York Fashion Week on Wednesday On the rocks? Bambi's marriage to Dan, 39, has been rumoured to have been on the rocks since his controversial Go Fund Me campaign in March Bambi's marriage to Dan, 39, has been rumoured to have been on the rocks since his controversial Go Fund Me campaign in March. The model hasn't been spotted with her husband in months and Bambi was previously photographed on multiple occasions without her wedding ring. The Ksubi founder suffered a horrific fall from a Paris hotel balcony earlier this year, but came under fire after asking fans to help pay $250,000 for flights home and medical bills. Speculation: Bambi's marriage to Dan, 39, has been rumoured to have been on the rocks since his controversial Go Fund Me campaign in March No ring: The model has been photographed on multiple occasions without her wedding ring The backlash centred around Dan's plea for cash, despite documenting his lavish jetsetting lifestyle on social media. A News Corp report in May alleged Bambi, who married Dan in 2014, had been left 'mortified' by his Go Fund Me page and the pair were now living apart. 'Bambi was mortified Dan would ask his friends and the wider community for money, particularly given their somewhat ostentatious lifestyle over the past decade,' an insider told the publication. Report: News Corp alleged Bambi, who married Dan in 2014, had been left 'mortified' by his Go Fund Me page. Pictured wearing her wedding ring in July 2016 However a conflicting report was published by Fairfax Media in July, claiming rumours the couple had split were 'crap'. 'Bambi and Dan are still together,' an associate of Dan's told Private Sydney. 'All her ''gallivanting'' trips have been for work and, while Dan would love to be with her, his current circumstances means that he obviously can't travel.' Millie Bobby Brown and Paris Jackson stuck close to one another when they stepped out for the Calvin Klein fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Thursday. Before taking their seats in the front row, the girls - who are both Calvin Klein ambassadors - posed for a series of sweet photos together. Clasping hands, Paris leaned into the 13-year-old Stranger Things star, pressing her cheek to her forehead. Close: Millie Bobby Brown and Paris Jackson stuck close to one another when they stepped out for the Calvin Klein fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Thursday The 19-year-old aspiring model has been friends with the young actress ever since they filmed The xx's I Dare You music video together earlier this year. Both girls rocked contrasting looks to the fashion show, which showed off their unique styles. Millie looked chic in a white pleated shift dress, which she wore with pointy-toe black stilettos. Her short brown hair was slicked back and her skin was glowing as she posed beside her famous friend. Firm friends: Clasping hands, Paris leaned into the 13-year-old Stranger Things star, pressing her cheek to her forehead Hug it out... After taking their seats side-by-side in the front row, Paris was seen hugging Millie as they watched the parade Plenty to talk about... The daughter of Michael Jackson was also seen chatting to Brooke Shields, who sat on the other side of her. The actress was a close friend of Paris' late dad On trend: The show appeared to have gone successfully, with the A-list crowd seen erupting into applause after it was over Meanwhile, Paris donned a red floral skirt, which she teamed with a denim jacket and low-cut white top. The quirky star also stepped out in a pair of mismatched high-top Converse sneakers, which she wore with the laces undone. She accessorized with brown beads around her neck, and wore her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. Unique: Paris showed off her quirky style in a red floral skirt, which she teamed with a denim jacket and low-cut white top Stylish: Millie looked chic in a white pleated shift dress, which she wore with pointy-toe black stilettos Putting in an appearance... The star-studded fashion show attracted a plethora of famous faces, including Karlie Kloss After taking their seats side-by-side in the front row, Paris was seen hugging Millie as they watched the parade. The daughter of Michael Jackson was also seen chatting to Brooke Shields, who sat on the other side of her. The 52-year-old actress was a close friend of Paris' late dad, with the pair growing up in the spotlight together. Star power: The statuesque stunner was seen chatting with Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen outside the event Picking up the slacks... The trio appeared to compliment each other in matching dark ensembles, with all three opting for pants 'From the day we met, we saw something of ourselves in each other. We felt really safe,' she told People back in November 2014 of their often theorized friendship. The star-studded fashion show attracted a plethora of famous faces, including Karlie Kloss. The 25-year-old supermodel went for a classic Calvin Klein look in a pair of dark blue jeans, which she teamed with a matching dark blue denim button-up shirt. Model friends: Inside, Karlie was seen catching up with fellow model Poppy Delevingne. The older sister of Cara Delevingne was seen hugging her friend ahead of the fashion show White hot: Poppy looked elegant in a slinky white dress with a low-cut back, which showed off her lithe frame Friends in high places... Karlie was also seen seated next to Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The notorious fashion icon looked chic in her usual uniform of a shift dress She also wore a pair of black oxford loafers and carried a small maroon briefcase as a handbag. The statuesque stunner wore her bleached blonde hair slicked back in a ponytail, and was seen chatting with Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen, both 48, outside the event. The trio appeared to compliment each other in matching dark ensembles, with all three opting for pants. Icon: Iris Apfel was also in attendance. The 96-year-old NYFW staple rocked her typical quirky style, stepping out in a black, white and red patterned ensemble Bringing the A-list... Jake Gyllenhaal was all smiles as he sat front row alongside Lupita Nyong'o and Mahershala Ali Mixing and mingling... Before the fashion show, Jake was also seen chatting with Trevor Noah and Lupita Deep in conversation... At one stage, Jake and Lupita appeared to have been engrossed by their discussion Inside, Karlie was seen catching up with fellow model Poppy Delevingne. The 31-year-old older sister of Cara Delevingne was seen hugging her friend ahead of the fashion show. Poppy looked elegant in a slinky white dress with a low-cut back, which showed off her lithe frame. Throwback style: Lupita brought an element of retro style in a pair of high-waisted blue jeans. She also donned a strappy white top with shirring detailing Fan girl: The 34-year-old Oscar-winning actress was at one stage seen sharing a laugh with Vogue magazine's creative director at large Grace Coddington Karlie was also seen seated next to Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The notorious 67-year-old fashion icon looked chic in her usual uniform of a shift dress, which was patterned with a colorful floral print. Fellow fashion icon Iris Apfel was also in attendance. Backstage pass: Lupita later posed for photos backstage with Calvin Klein's chief creative officer Raf Simons, alongside Trevor and Brooke Rubbing fashionable shoulders... Draping an orange-brown leather jacket over her shoulders, Lupita was later seen laughing with Anna, as she made her way through the fashionable crowd The 96-year-old NYFW staple rocked her typical quirky style, stepping out in a black, white and red patterned ensemble. She rounded out her look with a pair of red loafers and her trademark circular thick-framed glasses. Jake Gyllenhaal also turned out for the fashion show, dressed in a pair of black jeans, which he teamed with a grey sweater. Cool kid: Presley Gerber was also there, dressed in black jeans, a black bomber jacket and olive green T-shirt Family first: Presley was no doubt showing his support for his sister, Kaia Gerber, who walked in the fashion show A hint of the handsome 36-year-old actor's white T-shirt could be seen poking out from underneath his sweater. The Southpaw actor was all smiles as he sat front row alongside Lupita Nyong'o and Mahershala Ali, 43, who looked slick in a blue and black leather jacket. Before the fashion show, Jake was also seen chatting with Trevor Noah and Lupita. Making an entrance: The 16-year-old model was seen arriving separately to her brother in a pair of distressed maroon jeans The 33-year-old Daily Show host looked cool in an electric blue bomber jacket, which he teamed with dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Meanwhile, Lupita brought an element of retro style in a pair of high-waisted blue jeans. She also donned a strappy white top with shirring detailing and wore aqua colored Aztec drop earrings. Shirt happens: Christina Ricci opted for a sleeveless maroon shirtdress, which finished mid-calf and featured orange pocket detailing The 34-year-old Oscar-winning actress was at one stage seen sharing a laugh with Vogue magazine's creative director at large Grace Coddington, 76. She later posed for photos backstage with Calvin Klein's chief creative officer Raf Simons, 49, alongside Trevor and Brooke. Draping an orange-brown leather jacket over her shoulders, Lupita was later seen laughing with Anna, as she made her way through the fashionable crowd. Catching up: Inside the fashion show, Christina was seen chatting with fellow actress Kate Bosworth Flower power: The 34-year-old actress stepped out in a pair of pale pink pants patterned with white lace flowers and a matching button-up shirt Inseparable: The blonde actress arrived hand-in-hand with her husband of four years, Michael Polish Presley Gerber was also there, dressed in black jeans, a black bomber jacket and olive green T-shirt. The 18-year-old was no doubt showing his support for his sister, Kaia Gerber, who walked in the fashion show, just like their famous mom Cindy Crawford did back in the day. The 16-year-old model was seen arriving separately to her brother in a pair of distressed maroon jeans. White on: Winnie Harlow also turned out for the event. The 23-year-old Canadian model look effortlessly cool in a white tank top She also wore a ribbed white crop top, white slip-on shoes and a maroon captain's cap. Meanwhile, Christina Ricci opted for a sleeveless maroon shirtdress, which finished mid-calf and featured orange pocket detailing. The 37-year-old actress accessorized with a black and white clutch purse and clear perspex stilettos. Matching: Lupita and Trevor appeared to compliment one another in blue and white ensembles Putting on a show... Millie, Paris and Brooke were all seen clapping and cheering as models took to the catwalk one last time Inside the fashion show, Christina was seen chatting with Kate Bosworth, who arrived hand-in-hand with her husband of four years, Michael Polish, 46. The 34-year-old actress stepped out in a pair of pale pink pants patterned with white lace flowers and a matching button-up shirt. She clutched a pink snakeskin purse, and like Christina, wore clear perspex stilettos. Winnie Harlow also turned out for the event. Doing her thing... Looking every inch like her supermodel mom, Kaia took to the catwalk like a pro Step back in time... A host of models took to the runway in a variety of slightly '70s-inspired designs Style watch: Color blocking and statement buttons were huge elements throughout the show, with satin being Simons' fabric of choice The 23-year-old Canadian model look effortlessly cool in a white tank top, blue jeans and a matching blue denim jacket. She wore her long, dark hair loose in natural curls, and sported strappy yellow stilettos. Models took to the runway in a variety of slightly '70s-inspired designs. Color blocking and statement buttons were huge elements throughout the show, with satin being Simons' fabric of choice. She's been busy filming her hit comedy Modern Family. But Sofia Vergara, 45, appeared to be taking a break as she dressed down in ripped jeans to run some errands in Beverly Hills on Thursday. The gorgeous brunette paired the retro skinny jeans with an off-the-shoulder sweater in army green. Casual day out: Sofia Vergara, 45, appeared to be taking a break from filming Modern Family as she dressed down in ripped jeans to run some errands in Beverly Hills on Thursday She let a strap of her maroon bra show as the top fell off her shoulder. The Colombian actress brought a very large pink snakeskin hand bag with her to hold all her belongings. She paired the outfit with light-colored wedges featuring studded designs. Finishing off her look with large hoop earrings, the South American beauty wore dark lipstick for her day out in the city. Pretty in pink: The Colombian actress brought a very large pink snakeskin hand bag with her to hold all her belongings Wearing her dark hair straight down around her shoulders, she is still sporting the bangs she cut for her new birthday hairdo. Over the weekend, she reunited with her husband Joe Manganiello where she took a shot of the two relaxing and Joe smiling from behind his laptop. Just last week, the entire cast of Modern Family was in Lake Tahoe in northern California filming for the upcoming season. Filming again: Just last week, the entire cast of Modern Family was in Lake Tahoe in northern California filming for the upcoming season Sofia Vergara and Eric Stonestreet were spotted shooting scenes on board a boat on the water. Also on location were some of the sitcoms younger stars including Ariel Winter, Sarah Hyland and Nolan Gould.The trio were also seen out on the lake in a boat as boom microphones captured their dialogue. Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen also joined the rest of the cast in Northern California. Modern Family is going into its ninth season and will premiere its first new episode the last week of September. Over the weekend, she posted a picture of her handsome husband Joe Manganiello relaxing on his laptop Mike Epps had his divorce finalized Thursday in Los Angeles ending his 11-year marriage. The 46-year-old actor will pay ex-wife Mechelle spousal support of $25,000 a month for the next six and a half years unless she remarries, according to an article by TMZ. The comedian also will pay Mechelle $15,000 a month in child support for their two children as well as their private school education. Divorce finalized: Mike Epps, shown in May in Los Angeles, had his divorce finalized Thursday ending his 11-year marriage to ex-wife Mechelle The property settlement allowed Epps to keep 10 properties in Indiana and the former couple will sell their Los Angeles family home and split the profits. Epps will keeps his 2016 Mercedes, 2015 Jeep Cherokee, 1979 Cadillace and 2011 Suzuki motorcycle. Mechelle will get a 2014 Bentley, 2013 Mercedes, 2015 Toyota Prius and a 2013 Land Rover as part of the divorce settlement. The exes will split royalties from Epps's film and TV roles including The Hangover, Hancock and Girl Trip. Spousal support: Mechelle Epps, shown in March in West Hollywood, will receive spousal support of $25,000 a month for the next 78 months Epps and his ex agreed to joint legal custody of their young daughters Mariah and Maddie. They were still determining the physical custody arrangement for the girls. Epps also has daughters Bria, 24, and Makayla, 17, from previous relationships. Happier times: Mike and Mechelle, who have two daughters together, are shown in September 2014 in Beverly Hills, California The Next Friday star filed for divorce in January 2016. Epps met Mechelle while they were filming the 2003 musical The Fighting Temptations. They were married in July 2006 and had been living in the Encino area in the San Fernando Valley. Two children: Mechelle and Mike, shown in November 2013 in Beverly Hills, agreed to joint legal custody of their daughters Mariah and Maddie Epps currently is on a comedy tour with an engagement starting Friday in Denver followed by performances in New York, Alabama and California. The comedian started his career on the 1995 Def Comedy Jam series on HBO. Epps has since gained dozens of film credits and several television gigs, including hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards from 2009 to 2012. She shared some heated kissing scenes with Bachelor Matty J while competing for his affection on the matchmaking show. And now Florence Alexandra Sophia has revealed details regarding her private sex life. The Dutch beauty, 27, told Yahoo! Be 'I'm pretty cheeky', but admitted there was one thing she would find too 'awkward' in the bedroom. Scroll down for video 'I'm pretty cheeky': The Bachelor's Dutch beauty Florence Alexandra Sophia reveals X-rated bedroom secrets and boasts 'Ive got great t**s' in interview with Yahoo! Be on Friday The blonde stunner put on a raunchy display to gain the hunky marketing manager's attention last month, role-playing a naughty stripping teacher. During the episode, Florence pulled the Matty, 30, aside, suggestively promising: 'I have a little thing to show you.' The blonde beauty returned dressed as a very naughty teacher, with an unbuttoned white shirt tied loosely over her cleavage-bearing gown. However, she has since suggested role-playing is not something she would be comfortably doing in private. Sexy! The blonde stunner put on a raunchy display to gain the hunky marketing manager's attention last month, role-playing a naughty stripping teacher 'It was fun but I wouldnt do it in the bedroom, that would be awkward': Florence claimed she wouldn't role play in the bedroom 'Im pretty cheeky but Im not going to dress up as a teacher. It was fun but I wouldnt do it in the bedroom, that would be awkward,' she told the publication. Confident in her assets, Florence boasted, 'Ive got great t**s', when rejecting the thought of ever considering a boob job in the future. The reality star was more relaxed when it came to other cosmetic enhancements, adding botox was something she could see herself getting. 'Im open for it but its not like Im going to run to the nearest plastic surgeon and get a new face,' she said. 'Ive got great t**s' Florence denied she's ever get cosmetic surgery on her breasts, but was open to getting botox on her face After hometown visits, leading man Matty decided to give the Dutch beauty the flick during an intense rose ceremony. 'I really don't know how to feel right now,' Florence said as she left the mansion. 'It's a tough thing. I could see myself falling in love with him. He is an amazing guy and I'm pretty sure he's gonna make one of those three girls really, really happy.' Matty now has three girls left vying for his affection: Laura Byrne, Tara Pavlovic and Elyse Stacy. The Bachelor airs on Channel Ten from 7.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday nights On Friday, ex-My Kitchen Rules star David Vu pleaded guilty to cocaine possession at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court. Also in court on Friday was Masterchef judge George Calombaris, who will learn his fate after pleading guilty to assaulting a teenager. The pair join a curiously long list of famous Australian chefs who have ended up in hot water with the law. Couldn't handle the heat: On Friday, My Kitchen Rules star David Vu (L) and Masterchef's George Calombaris (R) joined a curiously long list of famous Australian chefs who have ended up in hot water with the law Over the past decade, they've undone the once clean squeaky image of the celebrity chef, fostered by the likes of Ian 'Huey' Hewitson and Maggie Beer. Australian audiences are still transfixed with the genre, but over time, it's become an arena for the toughest, most prickly characters to be lauded over by the massive. Some, like UK's Gordon Ramsay, have managed to stay be tough in the kitchen and upstanding citizen in the real world. But with multiple drug arrests, drink driving convictions and even child pornography charges, just who are the celebrity chefs who couldn't handle the heat? Tarnished? Over the past decade, some bad eggs have undone the once clean squeaky image of the celebrity chef, fostered by the likes of Ian 'Huey' Hewitson and Maggie Beer Fire not fury: Some, like UK's Gordon Ramsay, have managed to stay be tough in the kitchen and upstanding citizen in the real world, while those who couldn't handle the heat have paid the price David Vu - Cocaine Possession Cocaine possession: This wasn't the exclusive lists David Vu expected to find himself on after he and his friend Betty Banks placed third on My Kitchen Rules 2017 This wasn't the exclusive lists David Vu expected to find himself on after he and his friend Betty Banks placed third on My Kitchen Rules 2017. But on Friday, he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine, which he allegedly told police he bought in a Sydney nightclub. A document tendered to the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday alleged Vu volunteered to police that he had 0.46 grams of the drug. Possessing a prohibited substance carries a maximum two years of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $2,200. Guilty plea: But in Downing Centre Local Court, on Friday, he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine in which he allegedly told police he bought in a Sydney nightclub Grim: A document tendered to the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday alleged Vu volunteered to police that he had 0.46 grams of the drug George Calombaris - Underpaying Staff And Assault Join the club: While My Kitchen Rules star David Vu was facing drugs charges, George Calombaris, a judge from rival show Masterchef, was facing-up for his own transgressions While My Kitchen Rules star David Vu was facing drugs charges, George Calombaris, a judge from rival show Masterchef, was facing-up for his own transgressions. Although the matter was adjourned until October, the 38-year-old has already pleaded guilty to the crime: assaulting a teenager. During the A-Leage Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC in May Calombaris approached a 19-year-old heckler, allegedly punching him in the gut. Gutted: During the A-Leage Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC in May Calombaris approached a 19-year-old heckler, allegedly punching him in the gut In Friday's hearing, Magistrate David Price said:'It's an assault in public and I have agreed facts that he approached the victim and punched him in the lower abdomen.' Mr Price said the agreed facts stated Calombaris said: 'You're a big mouth man, you're a f**king c***.' Common assault, with which the chef has been charged, carries a maximum two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to $2,200. It's been a rough year for the celebrity chef, who was forced to apologise in April after his MAdE Establishment underpaid restaurant staff $2.6 million. Hearing: In Friday's hearing, Magistrate David Price said:'It's an assault in public and I have agreed facts that he approached the victim and punched him in the lower abdomen.' Tough year! It's been a rough year for the celebrity chef, who was forced to apologise in April after his MAdE Establishment underpaid restaurant staff $2.6 million Filippo Silvestro - Four Charges, Including Dangerous Drug Supply, Possession And Tainted Property Busted: In 2015, Police allegedly found 2012 Masterchef contestant Filippo Silvestro with 150 ecstasy pills and around $16,500 in cash, with the 2012 contestant reportedly preparing to enter a plea this year In 2015, Police allegedly found 2012 Masterchef contestant Filippo Silvestro with 150 ecstasy pills and around $16,500 in cash. He was arrested by police in Brisbanes CBD, after officers allegedly found the drugs and cash. In March this year, the Courier Mail reported that Filippo was preparing to enter a plea for the offense. The financial planner made the top 16 on the 2012 season of the TV cooking competition, but was eliminated when a Quiche Lorraine went disastrously wrong. Curtis Stone - Drink driving Redeemed: He's now been redeemed in the eyes of international audiences, but hunky Coles ambassador and My Kitchen Rules guest Curtis Stone has a checkered past He's now been redeemed in the eyes of international audiences, but hunky Coles ambassador and My Kitchen Rules guest Curtis Stone has a checkered past. In May 2009, Curtis was arrested in Los Angeles and was kept in jail overnight, after blowing 0.1 on a blood alcohol test. He was reportedly released from custody after stumping-up US$5,000 bail, later pleading guilty to the offence in court. He was fined $350 and given a three-year probationary licence. Arrest: In May 2009, Curtis was arrested in Los Angeles and was kept in jail overnight, after blowing 0.1 on a blood alcohol test Ben Ungermann - Drink driving Hot water: 2017 Masterchef finalist Ben Ungermann was charged and reportedly convicted for drink driving offences on July 4 2017 Masterchef finalist Ben Ungermann was charged and reportedly convicted for drink driving offences on July 4. Brisbane Magistrates court found the father-of-three engaged in drink driving on May 26 and he was banned from the roads for two-months and fined $400. At the time, The Courier Mail reported Ben told Magistrates he 'blamed the pressure of Masterchef' for the occurrence. In a letter penned to the court, he insisted the show's strict rules affected his mental state before the incident, which also involved a minor crash. 'Since being back from the competition, I suffered from waves of depression and felt very lost in the real world,' he wrote, according to the publication. Drink driving: Brisbane Magistrates court found the father-of-three engaged in drink driving on May 26 and he was banned from the roads for two-months and fined $400 Matt Michaelis - Convicted of receiving stolen goods, speeding and driving while disqualified Bad wrap: After his 2009 aired, reporters learned My Kitchen Rules star Matt Michaelis had been handed suspended jail terms for offences including receiving stolen goods, speeding and driving while disqualified It wasn't until after his 2009 season had finished airing that reporters discovered My Kitchen Rules star Matt Michaelis had a criminal rap sheet spanning nearly a decade. In 2010, The Daily Telegraph reported the South Australian contestant had been handed suspended jail terms for offences including receiving stolen goods, speeding and driving while disqualified. Despite his misdemeanor offences, Channel Seven stood by the contestant, who had admitted to his mistakes and hadn't been back in the bad books since. The network said the contestant entered the show 'for all the right reasons,' and added: 'everyone deserves a second chance. It was a rough year for reality TV, with The Biggest Loser forced to re-edit a season after contestant Deryck James Ward was charged and later jailed for child pornography offences. CA Courts Face Interpreter Shortage An interpreter told the defendant that he was accused of a 'violacion,' which did not exactly mean 'violation' in Spanish. "No he viole a nadie!" the distressed defendant exclaimed. It was a disconcerting moment for the man, who was actually charged with a traffic violation. It also troubled the judge, who learned that "violacion" meant "rape." Unfortunately, court interpreters are not always competent. What's worse, there are not enough interpreters -- especially in California where people speak more than 220 different languages. California del Sur Before Mexico surrendered California to the United States, Spanish was the official language. After 150 years of immigration, almost half of California residents speak a language other than English. It's a big problem for the court system, the largest in the country. According to the Los Angeles Times, the courts can't get enough qualified interpreters to do justice. "The goal is to get interpreters available in all case types," said Justice Terence L. Bruiniers of the First District Court of Appeal. "But the reality is we are never going to have enough qualified interpreters in enough languages for every courtroom that needs them at the time they need them. That is just not going to be possible." In places like Santa Ana, more than half the residents speak Spanish. Without enough interpreters, they have little chance of a speedy resolution of their cases. California del Norte In Northern California, a Spanish-speaking immigrant found himself on the brink of deportation. He didn't speak English well and couldn't complete paperwork in time for a hearing. "What can I do?" he told the judge. "I don't know how to read. I don't know how to write. I couldn't fill it out." It's a typical case and repeated virtually everyday throughout the country. It's not just a language problem; it's a legal problem. "It's an absolutely bewildering process," said Raha Jorjani, a public defender in Alameda County. "We're talking about some of the most complicated laws in the nation." Related Resources: They're usually posting from glamorous locations across the globe, including Greek islands and New York penthouses. Now pictures have emerged of model sisters Jessica and Ashley Hart in the middle of a desolate Nevada desert where they attended Burning Man festival last week. The sisters appeared to enjoy themselves as they dressed up in bohemian outfits and poured out drinks for thirsty revellers. Harts on fire! Model sisters Jessica and Ashley Hart appeared to enjoy themselves at Burning Man as they dressed up in bohemian outfits and poured out drinks for thirsty revellers Party to the break of dawn: Pictures show Ashley, 28, wearing a black lace leotard underneath a technicolour gown as she partied at sunset Futuristic: Meanwhile older sister Jessica, 31, also had her pins on display, wearing a disco-inspired leotard with long sleeves, and spiked platform boots Other pictures show Ashley, 28, wearing a black lace leotard underneath a technicolour gown as she partied at sunset. Meanwhile older sister Jessica, 31, also had her famous pins on display, wearing a disco-inspired leotard with long sleeves, and spiked platform boots. Ashley posted to Instagram on Friday, saying attending the festival was the 'best thing' she could have done in honour of Woman's Health Week. 'I've come out of it feeling so clear, grateful, connected, inspired, happy and above all, healthier in all aspects of my life,' she said. Reflective: Ashley posted to Instagram on Friday, saying attending the festival was the 'best thing' she could have done in honour of Woman's Health Week Ready to party: sisters Jessica and Ashley debuted their festival looks on Instagram before the week long event Burning Man festival is held annually with about 70,000 people flocking to a temporary city erected in Black Rock Desert. The festival has gained notoriety thanks to its scantily clad and naked revellers, with attractions including art installations and an 'orgy dome'. While on the way to the festival, Jessica wore her hair in braids with a statement pair of Gucci sunglasses, while Ashley channeled a more hippy vibe with an elaborate nose piercing. 'May the journey begin,' Ashley captioned a photo of the pair, also adding the hashtag 'burningman'. A video posted to Instagram showed Jessica preparing for the festival by getting her hair styled. She's the former Big Brother Australia star who isn't afraid to show some skin. And Skye Wheatley showed how she keeps her skin looking so tanned, promoting her favourite brand of tanning oil to her 333K followers with yet another racy bikini Instagram selfie on Thursday. 'Fav body oil for my skin all year round @labangbody..' she captioned, while quoting her discount code. That's one way to command attention! Skye Wheatley shows off her ample cleavage in a leopard bikini as she gives her fans a tanning tutorial The 23-year-old reality star held her phone across her face, while taking another trademark mirror selfie. Leaving not much to the imagination, Skye posed in a tiny leopard print bikini that flaunted her surgically-enhanced cleavage. Wearing nude coloured bottoms, the blonde bombshell had a packet of La'Bang tanning oil positioned inside the right of her bikini bottoms. No fear: Skye is the former Big Brother Australia star who isn't afraid to show some skin Not the first, not the last: While Skye is almost famous for her saucy selfies, it isn't the first time the has attracted attention for cosmetically enhanced body Rising to fame as a contestant on the last season of Big Brother in 2014, Skye has continued to make headlines thanks to her many surgical enhancements. The social media fanatic traveled to Bangkok in 2015 for a $3,800 breast augmentation. Wasn't happy: However Skye later claimed the surgery was botched, leaving her with a 'double bubble' in one breast However, Skye later claimed the surgery was botched, leaving her with a 'double bubble' in one breast. Since her boob job Skye has plumped her pout with lip fillers and underwent a nose job late last year. The busty blonde told Yahoo Be in August that she had the length of her nose shortened and her nostrils shrunk. Surgery: The social media fanatic traveled to Bangkok in 2015 for a $3,800 breast augmentation Lips done: Since her boob job Skye has plumped her pout with lip fillers 'When I woke up from surgery it was really painful because obviously I had just had my face half ripped up,' Skye recounted. 'The surgeon took most of the cartilage out my tip because it was really long and when you looked down at my face from a particular angle, it looked like a witch's nose. 'My nostrils were flared and I just wanted my them brought in and down.' Advertisement There was an overload of beauty Thursday night in Manhattan as Victoria's Secret Angels descended on a book launch for Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The lingerie models turned out in force to help the two fashion photographers celebrate at Public Hotel. The leggy beauties were led by Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge who bared plenty of skin in skimpy outfits for their night out during New York fashion Week. Scroll down for video Trio of Angels: Victoria's secret models Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge and Candice Swanepoel led the pack as a bevy of beauties showed up to support the Mert & Marcus book launch in NYC Aldridge, 31, rocked a cleavage-baring LBD that had a plunging neckline and thigh-skimming hem. The model added a pair of over-the-knee black boots and wore chandelier diamond earrings. South African beauty Swanepoel, 28, sported a strapless very short shiny mini dress that flaunted her cleavage as well as her long lean legs. She also chose to encase her limbs in thigh-high black boots as she headed to the event. Stunner: Aldridge, 31, rocked a cleavage-baring LBD that had a plunging neckline and thigh-skimming hem. She added over-the-knee black boots and wore chandelier diamond earrings Lima, 36, struck a series of poses as she stopped for photographers on her way into the book launch. The Brazilian model worked the line as she pouted and smoldered wearing red lip color and with dark kohl lining her eyes. The sultry beauty looked sizzling in a Alexandrine black mini dress with a sweetheart neckline and a contrasting metallic sleeve. She completed her look with a pair of pointed toe black pumps and Giuseppe Zanottis Black Leather and Silver Box Clutch Working it: Lima, 36, struck a series of poses as she stopped for photographers on her way into the book launch Sultry: The Brazilian model looked sizzling in a Alexandrine black mini dress with a sweetheart neckline and a contrasting metallic sleeve and completed her look with a pair of pointed toe black pumps and Giuseppe Zanottis Black Leather and Silver Box Clutch Out and a pout: The stunning models looked sensational as they dazzled inside the bash Working it: The stunning model was showing off her incredible figure as she posed for an impromptu photoshoot Portuguese model and Victoria's Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro also opted for a black outfit for her night out. The 26-year-old stunner wore a black wraparound mini dress cinched at the waist with an emerald green belt. She showed off her stunning long legs in a pair of knee-high peep-toe high-heeled boots. Sexy: Portuguese model and Victoria's Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro, 26, wore a black wraparound mini dress cinched at the waist with an emerald green belt Funky style: Sara Sampaio, 26, also from Portugal, paired tight black leather pants with a cropped dark denim jacket worn at an angle to display maximum skin Leggy: Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls, 29, flaunted her incredible figure in a black strapless mini dress with heels and a statement necklace Biker chic: Dutch model Doutzen Kroes, 32, wore a wraparound black leather coat worn off the shoulder and stiletto heels Joining the Angels at the event were a host of other celebrities. Russian model Irina Shayk, who gave birth to a daughter with actor Bradley Cooper in March, showed off her stunning figure in a white satin wraparound dress. She sported scarlet lip color and flashed a hint of cleavage in the outfit that was cinched at the waist with a sash. Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o kept it causal in a white tank top paired with wide-legged blue jeans. Yummy mummy: Russian model Irina Shayk, who gave birth to a daughter with actor Bradley Cooper in March, showed off her stunning figure in a white satin wraparound dress Down to earth: Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o kept it causal in a white tank top paired with wide-legged blue jeans Stunner: Australian transgender model Andreja Pejic looked sensational in a plunging red gown while her bleach blonde tresses were flawlessly styled in a centre parting Bella Thorne was putting on a typically edgy display as she headed out in PVC trousers, a red anorak and a lingerie style bustier pulled high on her hips underneath. Australian transgender model Andreja Pejic looked sensational in a plunging red gown while her bleach blonde tresses were flawlessly styled in a centre parting. Retired supermodel Cindy Crawford held hands with husband Rande Gerber as the two partied. She wore a burgundy two-piece of top with a front zipper and matching pants that she paired with a black leather jacket and black sandal heels. Former male model turned tequila businessman Gerber wore a navy shirt under a navy windbreaker and dark jeans with black shoes. Their 16-year-old daughter Kaia was in attendance as she sported a leather dress and baker boy cap. Happy days: Retired supermodel Cindy Crawford held hands with husband Rande Gerber as the two partied Leather lady: Their 16-year-old daughter Kaia was in attendance as she sported a leather dress and baker boy cap Posing it up: The teen was going for an edgy ensemble at the bash as she opted for an all leather look Strutting her stuff: Bella Thorne was putting on a typically edgy display as she headed out in PVC trousers, a red anorak and a lingerie style bustier pulled high on her hips underneath Keeping Up With The Kardashians momager Kris Jenner couldn't contain her excitement at being included on the VIP guest list as she headed into the book launch. The open-mouthed 61-year-old wore a black fur coat with heeled ankle boots and sported diamond earrings. Jenner's reality star daughter Kendall, 21, followed her in flaunting her boyish figure in a thigh-skimming gold shimmery mini dress and bauble earrings. Meanwhile, model Bella Hadid wore a jaunty cap with a blue denim overalls mini dress cinched with a Chanel belt and red pumps for her night on the town Open-mouthed: Keeping Up With The Kardashians momager Kris Jenner couldn't contain her excitement at being included on the VIP guest list as she headed into the book launch Time for fun! On Thursday night Kim Kardashian was also making a statement at the bash Striking: Her new platinum tresses were slicked back and down, providing a perfect view of her flawless visage Posing it up: Kim was joined by the men of the hour, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott as she lived it up inside Sizzling: Kim stole the show as she smouldered inside the bash alongside the photographer Naturally pretty: Bella appeared to keep her makeup natural, sporting a neutral lipstick and just a hint of eye makeup to highlight her features Gorgeous in gold: Kendall put her stunning figure on display in the gold sequined mini with a very high hemline which showed off her toned pins Elegant: She wore her short locks styled effortlessly behind her ears to reveal the pretty accessories Delightful in denim: Fellow model Bella also put on a fashionable display in a denim mini dress that featured a similar scoop neckline Advertisement They were hitting the town to celebrate the launch of fashion photographers Mert & Marcus. So Kendall Jenner, 21, was naturally keen to put on her very sexiest display while attending the star-studded bash, where she was showing off her enviable decolletage in a low scoop necked mini dress on Thursday night. She was joined by the equally stunning Bella Hadid, 20, who went for a more kooky look as she wore a denim dress with an equally daring neckline while cinching in her tiny waist with a funky Chanel belt. Scroll down for video Chic: Kendall Jenner, 21, put on a sexy display showing off her enviable decolletage in a low scoop necked mini dress and was joined by Bella Hadid, 20, who wore an equally short dress Kendall put her stunning figure on display in the gold sequined mini with a very high hemline which showed off her toned pins. She further elongated her elegant legs with a pair of high strappy metallic sandals that wrapped around her ankles. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stunner was naturally clad in the finest ensembles as she dazzled while heading into the event - making it very clear she is one of the world's top models. The gorgeous brunette matched her large dangling earrings to the color of the dress to further compliment the outfit. She wore her short locks styled effortlessly behind her ears to reveal the pretty accessories. Although she has proved time and again that she doesn't need any makeup to look flawless, Kendall opted for a full face for the event. Her eyes popped with long lashes and she had highlighter expertly applied to her complexion. She finished off the stunning look with a pop of neutral lip color. Elegant: She wore her short locks styled effortlessly behind her ears to reveal the pretty accessories Gorgeous in gold: Kendall put her stunning figure on display in the gold sequined mini with a very high hemline which showed off her toned pins Matching! The gorgeous brunette matched her large dangling earrings to the color of the dress to further compliment the outfit Natural beauty: Although she has proved time and again that she doesn't need any makeup to look flawless, Kendall opted for a full face for the event Endless pins: She further elongated her elegant legs with a pair of high strappy metallic sandals that wrapped around her ankles Fellow model Bella also put on a fashionable display in a denim mini dress that featured a similar scoop neckline. She accessorized with a pop of bright red, both with her Chanel belt that cinched in her waist and her eye-catching Brixton 'Ashland' hat. Yet another colour accent came from her pointed red Christian Dior heels, which are a natural addition to any of her looks given her work as an ambassador for the brand. The pretty brunette wore her hair up under the hat, which allowed her to show off her large hoop earrings. She added yet a final touch of red to her feet, sporting red pumps that helped highlight her endless pins. Bella appeared to keep her makeup natural, sporting a neutral lipstick and just a hint of eye makeup to highlight her features. She wore a similar red hat when she left a Manhattan building earlier in the day. Delightful in denim: Fellow model Bella also put on a fashionable display in a denim mini dress that featured a similar scoop neckline and a red Brixton 'Ashland' Naturally pretty: Bella appeared to keep her makeup natural, sporting a neutral lipstick and just a hint of eye makeup to highlight her features Sister act! Bella was overjoyed to see her fellow model sister Gigi at the event, with the blonde beauty looking incredible in a pink pyjama suit Hey there! It seems the sisters had not seen each other for some time, given their fond greeting Angels on Earth! Gigi looked stunning as she headed to the event Beautiful: Joining the ladies at the event was Kendall's half-sister Kim Kardashian, who revealed on her Snapchat that she dressed up for photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's bash celebrating their new book; she is featured in the book - snapped as she climbs a tree in the nude Incredible: Kim revealed on her Snapchat that she dressed up for photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's bash celebrating their new book; arriving with Mert Striking: Her new platinum tresses were slicked back and down, providing a perfect view of her flawless visage Time for fun! On Thursday night Kim Kardashian donned a black number for a night out in NYC Posing it up: Kim was joined by the men of the hour, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott as she lived it up inside Sizzling: Kim stole the show as she smouldered inside the bash alongside the photographer The IMG Model - who turns 21 next month - partially exposed her ample assets in the strappy navy top while heading inside a waiting SUV. Bella's sister Gigi was in attendance as she looked sensational in a magenta pyjama suit with a silk detail. She was greeting her sister fondly from within the bash. Also joining the ladies at the event was Kendall's half-sister Kim Kardashian, who revealed on her Snapchat that she dressed up for photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's bash celebrating their new book; she is featured in the book - snapped as she climbs a tree in the nude. The 36-year-old reality queen donned a revealing black dress which flashed a tantalizing glimpse of her incredible abs thanks to racy side cut-out panels. The asymmetrical garment featured different straps and several geometric cutouts, which showed off her amazing abs. The dress' sizzling side-split also ensured that her toned and tanned limbs were on full display. Chilly night? Accompanying the wife of Kanye West was her mother Kris Jenner, 61, who opted for a few more layers Monochrome maven: The momager donned a slinmky slip dress, over which she wore a knee-length black fur coat Having a laugh: It was a true march of the models at the bash as they were joined by Winnie Harlow, who looked funky in just a T-shirt while sporting sunglasses inside the venue Having a giggle: The stunning star was feeling playful as she larked around inside the venue and proved the camera is truly her best pal Some very delicate strappy stilettos rounded out the mother-of-two's chic ensemble. Her new platinum tresses were slicked back and down, providing a perfect view of her flawless visage. Also watching over proceedings was Kris Jenner - Kendall and Kim's mum - who was looking incredible in a fur coat and silken ankle boots, with the chic look displaying her ageless beauty. It was a true march of the models at the bash as they were joined by Winnie Harlow, who looked funky in just a T-shirt while sporting sunglasses inside the venue. Happy days: Cindy Crawford was looking sensational as she headed out with her handsome husband Rande Gerber Sensational: Adriana Lima, 36, struck a series of poses as she stopped for photographers on her way into the book launch. The Brazilian model worked the line as she pouted and smoldered wearing red lip color and with dark kohl lining her eyes Out and a pout: The stunning models looked sensational as they dazzled inside the bash Sexy: Portuguese model and Victoria's Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro, 26, wore a black wraparound mini dress cinched at the waist with an emerald green belt Trio of Angels: Victoria's secret models Adriana, Lily and Candice led the pack as a bevy of beauties Cindy Crawford was looking sensational as she headed out with her handsome husband Rande Gerber, with the fashion legend wowing in a wine-coloured jumpsuit. Their 16-year-old daughter Kaia was in attendance as she sported a leather dress and baker boy cap. Adriana Lima, 36, struck a series of poses as she stopped for photographers on her way into the book launch. The Brazilian model worked the line as she pouted and smoldered wearing red lip color and with dark kohl lining her eyes. Portuguese model and Victoria's Secret Angel Lais Ribeiro, 26, wore a black wraparound mini dress cinched at the waist with an emerald green belt. Bella Thorne was putting on a typically edgy display as she headed out in PVC trousers, a red anorak and a lingerie style bustier pulled high on her hips underneath. Stunner: Aldridge, 31, rocked a cleavage-baring LBD that had a plunging neckline and thigh-skimming hem. She added over-the-knee black boots and wore chandelier diamond earrings Strutting her stuff: Bella Thorne was putting on a typically edgy display as she headed out in PVC trousers, a red anorak and a lingerie style bustier pulled high on her hips underneath Funky style: Sara Sampaio, 26, also from Portugal, paired tight black leather pants with a cropped dark denim jacket worn at an angle to display maximum skin Leather lady: Their 16-year-old daughter Kaia was in attendance as she sported a leather dress and baker boy cap Posing it up: The teen was going for an edgy ensemble at the bash as she opted for an all leather look Biker chic: Dutch model Doutzen Kroes, 32, wore a wraparound black leather coat worn off the shoulder and stiletto heels Lily Aldridge, 31, rocked a cleavage-baring LBD that had a plunging neckline and thigh-skimming hem. The model added a pair of over-the-knee black boots and wore chandelier diamond earrings. South African beauty Candice Swanepoel, 28, sported a strapless very short shiny mini dress that flaunted her cleavage as well as her long lean legs. She also chose to encase her limbs in thigh-high black boots as she headed to the event. Sara Sampaio, 26, also from Portugal, paired tight black leather pants with a cropped dark denim jacket worn at an angle to display maximum skin Earlier in the day, Bella - who relies on stylist Elizabeth Sulcer - paired her racy tank with baggy distressed blue jeans, Nike Air Jordans, and a matching red newsboy cap. Bella accessorized her daytime attire with a red newsboy cap, black cat-eye shades, and a nude Chanel choker. Peek-a-boob! Bella Hadid put on quite a sideshow while leaving a Manhattan building on Thursday Red, white, and blue: The Bulgari brand ambassador paired her racy tank with baggy distressed blue jeans, and retro Nike Air Jordans Bella's sighting came a day after announcing that she'd broken 'the record this month for the most September Vogue covers ever.' 'That is crazy!' Hadid gushed on Instagram. 'Not sure if this is a dream or not but I'm just going to keep working and counting my blessings!! Thank you to everyone involved... and my wonderful agent @annemarieleonie of course. Love you!' The half-Jordanian, half-Dutch stunner and her 22-year-old sister Gigi will make their triumphant return to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show catwalk on November 28 in Shanghai. The avid equestrian confirmed her casting in the lingerie label's annual CBS-broadcast in an August 26 Instagram post. 'I am so excited!' Bella exclaimed. 'I feel so crazy humbled to get the opportunity to be a part of this show again...Walking into the offices this year i felt so happy, healthy, and honored. I can't wait for another incredible experience!!! Congrats to all of the beautiful ladies I will be walking beside. I can't wait!' It's been pioneered by the likes of Jaden Smith, who wore a skirt for a 2016 Louis Vuitton advert. And Robert Pattinson, 31, has embraced fluid dressing for his latest shoot with W Magazine. The British actor, who flew to fame in hit series Twilight, appears on their cover in a fluorescent ensemble, discussing his latest film- during which he went undercover in a carwash without being noticed. Scroll down for video Pulling it off: Robert Pattinson, 31, has embraced fluid dressing for his latest shoot, clad in a skin-tight orange turtleneck and pink bottoms Clad in a skin-tight orange turtleneck and pink bottoms, he opened up about about his recently released arty film Good Time, revealing he came to New York a few months in advance to practice his accent- even working in a car wash without being recognised. 'Me and (co-star) Benny Safdie, we went out a few times in character. Like we got jobs at a car wash,' he admitted. 'Just for a day until Benny started pulling off peoples windscreen wipers and stuff, and we were like, its actually committing crimes. But we spent a few days in character and we spent a whole day in Yonkers, just kind of talking to this guy in a, in a mechanics [shop]. 'So that was fun. Ive never done anything like it, where you just kind of full-on go in character, to spend an entire day in character. We did it a few times. 'Me and (co-star) Benny Safdie, we went out a few times in character. Like we got jobs at a car wash,' he said of his latest flick, where he spent the day as an average New Yorker And Robert embraced a whole new style of filming, shooting in public spaces and without a script. 'We were like shooting on the subway. And we were stealing so many shots. Like shooting on a packed subway at rush hour and were shooting on 36 millimeter cameras as well with big lenses.' he said. 'And no one really recognized it. No one could really tell. I was just getting directed by text message. It was pretty great, though.' Co-stars and former flames: Robert kick-started his career as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, followed by a five-film run co-leading the Twilight Saga opposite Kristen Stewart (pictured) Always offering the unexpected, Robert also revealed his unusual karaoke song, citing the 'Interlude on the Twelve Play-2 by R. Kelly', as he shares the same name with the song. The actor has long explored breaking boundaries, telling CBS Sunday Morning just weeks ago that he enjoys 'break the walls of the box around you'. 'It's just exciting to have a job where you're allowed to consistently break the walls of the box around you,' he told Michelle Miller. ''The only thing that being famous really helps in is getting financing for your movies,' he's maintained that these days 'the movies I do are weird and they don't make a lot of money a lot of the time.' He's also shared with Michelle that 'I always think that at some point karma is like: "Oh, that's all your luck run out, so a whole bunch of bad stuff's gonna happen!"' Robert kick-started his career as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, followed by a five-film run co-leading the Twilight Saga opposite Kristen Stewart, before recently branching out into smaller Independent films. Read Robert's full interview in this month's W Magazine, out now. She's known for her sizzling dancer's physique and sensational curves. And Ola Jordan, 34, flashed a hint of her side cleavage as she went topless while her husband James, 39, lovingly rubbed sun lotion into her back during their sun-soaked Skiathos getaway on Wednesday. Former professional dancer James Jordan, 39, who admitted that he piled on a few pounds after leaving the calorie-torching weekly routines of Strictly Come Dancing, displayed his more relaxed physique by going shirtless on the beach. Scroll down for video Relaxed: James Jordan, 39, displayed his more relaxed physique as he continued to enjoy his romantic sun-soaked getaway to Skiathos, Greece on Sunday While Ola kept herself covered from the sun by donning a makeshift hat out of a T-shirt, James was keen to soak up the rays, and exposed every inch of his fuller midriff as he set up camp on the sand. He slipped a pair of blue mirrored aviators over his eyes, and clad his bulky, muscular legs in a pair of khaki green swimming shorts. At one point, James was seen to chat away on his phone, while Ola took a nap under her makeshift cover. Fuller figure: The former professional dancer flaunted his fuller figure as he went shirtless, and lovingly rubbed sun lotion into his 34-year-old wife Ola's back The pair have been open about their fuller figures since leaving the televised ballroom competition. Speaking to new! magazine last year, Ola explained the secret to her happy relationship was simple, saying: 'We're not afraid to say things to each other. We're honest.' And James was no exception, as he explained he was the first to encourage his wife to lose weight before her last appearance on Strictly - with the outspoken dancer referring to Ola as a 'chunky monkey'. Sun worshipper: James was keen to soak up the rays, and exposed every inch of his fuller midriff as he set up camp on the sand Keeping cool: While Ola kept herself covered from the sun by donning a makeshift hat out of a T-shirt However the pokes and prods about her extra pounds came from a good place, as Ola explained her husband knows she is always happier when she cuts a 'trimmer' figure. But while Ola's weight has fluctuated since her appearance on The Jump, James has also piled on the weight in his absence from the Strictly dancefloor (which he left in 2013), and now weighs close to 15 stone. But it seems Ola is a fan of his larger figure, explaining: 'I don't like him really skinny. 'When he was on Strictly he was really trim. He's got a lot bigger,' she chirped, adding: 'I like it.' Flaunting it: He slipped a pair of blue mirrored aviators over his eyes, and clad his bulky, muscular legs in a pair of khaki green swimming shorts More to love: Speaking to new! magazine last year, Ola said of James' weight gain: 'I don't like him really skinny. 'When he was on Strictly he was really trim. He's got a lot bigger,' she chirped, adding: 'I like it' However their fuller figures haven't affected thing sin the bedroom, as the couple are still firmly slaves to their passion for on another. As despite accepting they've both 'let themselves go', the couple are still smitten with each other, as they maintained the other secret to their relationship success was a healthy sex life; with the couple affirming attraction was almost as important as the truth. The pair have been happily married since 2003, after they fell in love while becoming professional dance partners. Honest: And James was no exception, as he explained he was the first to encourage his wife to lose weight before her last appearance on Strictly - with the outspoken dancer referring to Ola as a 'chunky monkey' Selma Blair was spotted out and about in Beverly Hills on Thursday, looking cheerful as she grabbed some goods at some of the high-end boutiques. The 45-year old actress and mother braved the 30 degree heat and California sunshine to pick up some purchases in the swanky shopping district, during which she looked incredibly glamorous. She was beaming as she transported her goods to her car while appearing giddy and displaying her stylish looks to perfection. Scroll down for video. Loving life: Selma Blair was spotted out and about in Beverly Hills on Thursday, looking cheerful as she grabbed some goods at some of the high-end boutiques Selma looked stunning for her outing as she slipped into the two-tone Cruiser Straights Madewell jeans that are only in stores to the public for 2 hours on the 14th September. She paired the outfit with a Madewell shirt and Vince Camuto pumps red heels. The American Crime Story actress kept it casual in an airy blue and white striped shirt and rolled-up jeans which perfected her chic ensemble. The diminutive Blair, who stands at barely over 5 feet tall, added inches to her height with a pretty pair of crimson stilettos. Blair accessorised her outfit with subtle gold bracelets, chunky rings, and a sparkling green pendant on a fine-link gold chain. Hello Hollywood cameras: The 45-year old actress and mother braved the 30 degree heat and oppressive California sunshine to pick up some purchases in the swanky shopping district Bags of fun: Blair looked pleased with her new acquisitions from Vince Camuto and the A List. Walking in sunshine: Happy Selma strutted her stuff as she showed off her figure Well balanced: Blair split her burdens lugging one large bag on each arm Middle of the road: Cool and casual Selma took her purchases back to her car Blair was also spotted earlier on Thursday in a floor-length navy dress with floral print, as she picked up an iced beverage to help stave off dehydration in the sweltering sunshine. The beloved actress was very smiley again for the cameras as she went about her afternoon. Selma's fondness for her large green handbag is apparent as it carried across the ensemble despite the outfit change. Stepping up: Blair made the most of her time in the swanky boutique stores Ice ice baby: Blair wore a loose Sanctuary maxi dress and carried an iced beverage to help with the hot hot heat Cool lady: Blair's beverage was loaded with ice to combat the 30 degree heat Blair, who was running errands solo today, has frequently been seen recently on the arm of new beau actor and director Ron Carlson. The couple have been an item since as far back as February 2015. Ron, an actor and director, is constantly spotted out, with Blair with her son Arthur Saint Bleick and Ron's daughter Chloe in-tow. Fully loaded: Selma stows her new goods in the trunk of her car Heely classy: Short-statured Blair steps out in some high heels while loaded with bags Taking steps: Selma took a stroll after finishing shopping Crossing over: Making her way back to her car, Blair strides along in her fancy pink heels Nothing but smiles: It's no wonder that Blair is comfortable in front of the camera; Selma has been in the public eye since 1995 when she appeared in an episode of children's TV sitcom Pete & Pete It's no wonder that Blair is comfortable in front of the camera; Selma has been in the public eye since 1995 when she appeared in an episode of children's TV sitcom Pete & Pete. Blair broke into the big-time with her breakthrough performance in 1999's smash-hit film Cruel Intentions, and was recently seen in the star-studded FX TV mini-series American Crime Story: The People vs. O. J. Simpson, where she appeared alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta, and David Schwimmer. Blair can next be seen back on the big screen later this year in the upcoming Nicholas Cage-starring horror-thriller Mom and Dad. She always looks preened to perfection at fashion events. And Megan Fox boosted her sartorial credentials on Friday, as she stormed the catwalk at the Fashion Fest AW17 show in Mexico City. The stunning 31-year-old actress exuded high-octane glamour as she flashed her toned legs in a feathered gown with a decadent beaded skirt. Scroll down for video Looking good: Megan Fox boosted her sartorial credentials on Friday, as she attended the Fashion Fest AW17 show in Mexico City The Jennifer's Body actress also flashed a peek of cleavage in the gown, which featured a daring cut-out at the neckline. Styling her long raven locks in a sleek middle-parting, the brunette beauty allowed her striking features to shine. She plumped her pout with a slick of coral lipgloss and framed her eyes with lashings of mascara and iridescent shimmer. Taking centre-stage: The stunning 31-year-old actress exuded high-octane glamour in her decadent ensemble Body goals: She flashed her toned legs in a feathered gown with a decadent beaded skirt Mane attraction: Styling her long raven locks in a sleek middle-parting, the brunette beauty allowed her striking features to shine Glam: She plumped her pout with a slick of coral lipgloss and framed her eyes with lashings of mascara and iridescent shimmer Her outing comes after her husband Brian Austin Green recently spoke out to defend their young son's penchant for wearing dresses. The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum shares three boys with Megan and the eldest Noah, who's four, is often photographed in public in a dress and sometimes in a wig. 'I've heard from some people that they don't agree with him wearing dresses. To them I say, I don't care,' Green told the Hollywood Pipeline YouTube channel. 'He's four and if he wants to wear it, then he wears it.' The LBD: She later changed into a flirty black dress with an opulent feathered hemline, which she teamed with barely-there heels Working her angles: Fox proved it wasn't her first time on the catwalk as she waved at the audience Showstopping: She exuded glamour in her dramatic floor-length gown as she made her way down the runway Ruffling a few feathers: Her opulent gown was dripping in sequins and feathered embellishment The actor, 44, went on: 'I feel like at four or five, that's the time he should be having fun. He's not harming anyone by wearing a dress. If he wants to, awesome. Good on him.' Green also spoke about how he and Fox accept that paparazzi want to take pictures of them and their children and they've learned to deal with it. Sartorial maverick: The brunette beauty changed into a lace dress featuring romantic floral embroidery as she later posed on the red carpet Pucker up: She blew a sultry kiss at the cameras as she commanded attention with her revealing ensemble Ready for her close-up: Megan framed her eyes with silver glittery eye-shadow Monochrome maven: The Transformers star later rocked a white ruffle collar shirt tucked into chic tapered trousers Meanwhile, Megan - who is a doting mum to three sons - recently admitted she had an 'awful' experience trying to get her pre-baby body back following the birth of her third son, Journey River, in 2016. The brunette beauty is famous for her sizzling curves and killer figure but in a new interview she confessed it took a lot of hard work to lose the baby weight after Journey's arrival. The 31-year-old told Extra: 'I worked out really hard. This time, it was a struggle for me and there was just a lot of walks and very long runs. It was awful.' Megan, who is also mother to sons Noah, four, and three-year-old Bodhi, added that she's been sleep deprived for nearly a year thanks to the combination of a new arrival and two energetic little boys. Catwalk queen: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actress later posed with two child models on the runway Say it in stripes: For her final outfit, Megan opted for a nautical-inspired asymmetric blazer and ripped jeans Adorable: Megan, who is mother to three sons, tapped into her maternal side as she posed alongside a stylish young girl on the catwalk 'I haven't slept in almost a year. There's not one night that I have slept through the night. I'm still breastfeeding and he [Journey] wakes up all the time, and then the other two come and wake me up; they get in bed with me also. 'You tell them you're going to be somewhere. They take five minutes taking pictures and then they leave you alone,' he explained. He says he tips off photographers when they go on holiday to Hawaii so they can get the pictures taken and get on with having a family vacation without worrying about being snapped. Green and Fox welcomed their son Noah on September 27, 2012. Their second son Bodhi followed in February 2014. 'Good on him': Brian Austin Green is defending his son Noah's penchant for wearing dresses, saying it's 'not harming anyone'. Noah, four, is pictured wearing a pink princess while dress out with his mom Megan Fox and brother Bodhi in May The Transformers actress filed for divorce in August 2015 but the couple never legally ended their marriage. They reconciled in early 2016 after Fox confirmed she was pregnant and third son Journey was born in August last year. Green also shares son Kassius, 15, with his former girlfriend and Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Vanessa Marcil. He wears what he wants to: The actor said in an interview Thursday he doesn't care what critics of his kid say and says the tot, pictured with Fox in October 2016, is just having fun She's the Canadian transgender YouTube sensation who boats more than 400 million views on the video sharing platform. And Gigi Gorgeous has revealed that it was losing her mother to cancer that prompted her to transition, admitting her death was a 'blessing in disguise.' Appearing on The Project on Friday to promote her YouTube Red documentary This Is Everything, Gigi revealed that it was her mother Judith's battle with leukemia that put things into perspective. Revelation: Canadian transgender Youtube star Gigi Gorgeous has revealed that it was losing her mother to cancer that prompted her to transition, admitting her death was a 'blessing in disguise' 'It was when you learned that your mother was diagnosed with cancer that you realised that life was too short for you to live as a man. That's really interesting how those two things came together like that,' host Waleed Ali stated. Gigi replied: 'Absolutely that's one of the quotes that i live my life by. 'It was a crucial part of my life and it was a blessing in disguise to have my mum taken from me so young. It was definitely unfair but it taught me that every single day counts and not to take any minute for granted.' Guest host Meshel Laurie was clearly moved by the admission, saying: 'Oh my sweetheart she would be so proud of you. What a beautiful daughter you are for her.' Perspective: It was a crucial part of my life and it was a blessing in disguise to have my mum taken from me so young. It was definitely unfair but it taught me that every single day counts and not to take any minute for granted.' Pictured is gigi's mother Judith. Judith died in 2012 when Gigi was 20-years-old. Prior to transitioning, Gigi was known as Greg Lazzarato and uploaded makeup tutorial videos to YouTube. Since transitioning, Gigi's channel has incorporated more personal vlogs as well as fashion and lifestyle videos. A public life: Initially identifying as a gay male, Gigi revealed that she had come out three times via her popular platform Initially identifying as a gay male, Gigi revealed that she had come out three times via her popular platform. 'I feel like I've been on YouTube for so long I've been documenting my life since high school,' she said. 'I first came out as gay before I transitioned and then I came out as transgender and then I came out as gay again.' Panelist Anthony Lehmann joked with Gigi asking; 'do you have another one coming down the pipeline?' Gigi replied: 'You never know, I might come out as an alien. you never know.' She regularly wows fans with her age-defying looks and sensational physique. And on Friday it looked as if Davina McCall, 49, really had turned back the clock when she was spotted wearing double denim as she left the BBC Breakfast studios in Manchester. The mother-of-three looked in good spirits as she strode confidently out of the building, where she was busy promoting her new show, The Davina Hour. Scroll down for video Back to the 90s: Davina McCall channelled the pop group B*witched as she sported high-waisted pale denim trousers which she paired with round-necked jacket in a darker hue Looks familiar: The TV presenter channelled the 90's pop group B*witched as she sported high-waisted pale denim trousers which she paired with round-necked jacket in a darker hue The TV presenter channelled the 90's pop group B*witched as she sported high-waisted pale denim trousers which she paired with round-necked jacket in a darker hue. A pair of navy high-heeled ankle boots were just visible beneath the flared trouser legs. The star added a touch of glamour to her retro ensemble with a chic Louis Vuitton holdall. Remind you of anyone? The presenter channelled 90's pop group B*witched, famed for their love of double denim Retro: The B*witched crew show off more denim from their wardrobe Radiant: The star stopped to sign her autograph for an eager fan who braved the rain to meet the star Job done: The mother-of-three looked in good spirits as she strode out of the studio, after promoting her new show The Davina Hour on the morning programme Davina sported a trendy shoulder length do with a fringe that accentuated her youthful appearance. Earlier this month, the star underwent a jaw-dropping makeover as she transformed into heroine saint Joan of Arc in a star-studded Stand Up To Cancer campaign in collaboration with Channel 4. The presenter, 49, who lost her sister Caroline to cancer in 2012, rocked flame red locks, chain metal armour and a sword for her stunning take on the French heroine. She said: 'I chose Joan Of Arc as my rebel hero because she was French, and I'm half French. 'She's the ultimate strong woman... (an) incredible role model and in some ways reminds me of Stand Up To Cancer - rebelling against this awful disease by taking a different, bolder route. 'Getting involved in Stand Up To Cancer is a no-brainer when you think that one in two of us is going to get cancer at some point in our lives.' The Stand Up To Cancer campaign continues through September and October with organisers calling on people to get involved by doing everything from 'waxing or shaving body parts' to 'dusting off aprons to create and sell 'ballsy bakes' to raise cash. Chic: The TV presenter added a touch of glamour to retro ensemble with a Louis Vuitton holdall Alabama Supreme Court Reviews Judge's Facebook Post Despite his controversial Facebook comments, Judge Greg Griffin was not about to recuse himself from a racially charged murder case. The murder defendant, a white police officer, had shot and killed a black man after stopping him on the street. Griffin, as fate would have it, had been stopped by police in the same city as he walked down the street. "(I)t was aggravating to be detained when the only thing I was guilty of was being a black man walking down the street in his neighborhood with a stick in his hand who just happened to be a Montgomery County Circuit Judge in Montgomery, Alabama," Griffin posted on Facebook. "Lord Have Mercy!!!!" That post is at the center of a case that is now before the Alabama Supreme Court, which has postponed the trial to consider the issue: must a judge recuse himself for commenting about a personal experience with racial profiling? All the Circumstances The Alabama Supreme Court will consider all the circumstances, of course, including the Facebook comments and the underlying charges against police officer Aaron Smith. The officer spotted Gregory Gunn on February 25, 2016 as Gunn was walking home in a high crime area "besieged with burglaries," the Washington Post reported. Smith said Gunn tried to escape during a pat-down, and a fight ensued. Smith said he hit Gunn with his baton, and used a Taser to subdue him. But when Gunn ran to a neighbor's porch, grabbed a metal pole and swung it at him, the officer shot five times and killed him. Disqualified for Cause? In most jurisdictions, a judge may only be disqualified for cause. The challenger must show that a reasonable person would question the judge's ability to be impartial. In a heated exchange on the defendant's motion to disqualify the judge, Griffin said his Facebook story had nothing to do with the case. He also accused the defense attorney of using his race against him. "You brought race in here," Griffin said. "I'm a black judge. I can take this black robe off, but I can't take off this black skin. I live in west Montgomery. I live in the hood. Should I recuse myself from every criminal case that has happened on the west side?" The judge noted that the officer who stopped him was black. At the time, the Gunn shooting brought Montgomery into the national spotlight of racially charged police shootings. Related Resources: She's known for her sweet nature and philanthropist activities. And Hilary Duff, 29, looked radiant as she helped to raise money for low-income families at the Baby2Baby Back-to-School Event Sponsored by GAP at The Grove in Los Angeles on Thursday. The stunning actress helped children select clothes and footwear at the event, showing off her charitable side as she mucked in for the event. Scroll down for video Charitable: Hilary Duff, 29, looked radiant as she helped to raise money for low-income families at the Baby2Baby Back-to-School Event Sponsored by GAP at The Grove in Los Angeles on Thursday Hilary dressed casually for the event, ensuring that she was comfortable for a day of getting involved to help the charity. She clad her slim frame in a checked lumberjack shirt, and tucked it into a pair of skinny jeans, displaying her toned pins in the form-fitting jeans. The beauty sported glowing make-up, and styled her blonde tresses into waves which framed her face in a sleek centre-parting. Getting involved: The stunning actress helped children select clothes and footwear at the event, showing off her charitable side as she mucked in for the event Gorgeous: Hilary dressed casually for the event, ensuring that she was comfortable for a day of getting involved to help the charity The mother-of-one chatted to the children from low-income backgrounds at the event, and knelt to the ground as she gave a talk to their families. At one point, she tried on a furry waistcoat with one of the children, and grinned as she posed for photos with her. Baby2Baby's ethos is to 'provide low-income children ages 0-12 years with nappies, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves'. Keeping it casual: She clad her slim frame in a checked lumberjack shirt, and tucked it into a pair of skinny jeans, displaying her toned pins in the form-fitting jeans Sweet: At one point, she tried on a furry waistcoat with one of the children, and grinned as she posed for photos with her Inspirational: The mother-of-one chatted to the children from low-income backgrounds at the event, and knelt to the ground as she gave a talk to their families Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie are among the star-studded ambassadors for the charity. By distributing to non-profit partner organisations including homeless and domestic violence shelters, Head Start programs, and childrens hospitals, Baby2Baby will serve more than 150,000 children this year. Meanwhile, Hilary split from her ex-husband Mike Comrie in 2014 but the pair have maintained a friendly relationship since, and are committed to raising their son Luca, five, together. Caring: Baby2Baby's ethos is to 'provide low-income children ages 0-12 years with nappies, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves' Good cause: Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie are among the star-studded ambassadors for the charity The duo announced their separation in 2014, with their divorce being finalised two years later. The Disney vet got her first big break in Casper Meet Wendy where she played the role of Wendy. She eventually gained her popularity when cast in the Disney teen sitcom as Lizzie McGuire. Amazing: By distributing to non-profit partner organisations including homeless and domestic violence shelters, Head Start programs, and childrens hospitals, Baby2Baby will serve more than 150,000 children this year Richard Hammond appeared to be having a very fun time when he attended an RSPCA Animal Hero Awards in London on Thursday night. The Grand Tour star, affectionately known as the 'Hamster', 47, looked worse-for-wear as he made his way home following the London bash. The host was pictured enjoying what looked like glasses of wine at the party, while pulling a series of animated expressions. Not in such Top Gear: Wide-eyed Richard Hammond appeared worse for wear following the very animated night out at the RSPCA Animal Hero Awards in London on Thursday night Refill anyone?: Hammond handles a mostly empty wineglass Holding a tipple in his hand, the former Top Gear host appeared to be in great spirits as he chatted away to a guest at the awards. Earlier in the evening Richard arrived with his wife of 15 years Mindy, and the pair looked fresh-faced and handsome as they attended the pre-awards photocall. Hammond smiled happily for the cameras before the event, looking well put-together in a slim-fit, navy blue suit with a white shirt and matching blue tie. His wife Mandy looked classy and sophisticated in a simple black getup with long legs and and off-the-shoulder wraparound top, finishing off the outfit with some platform sandals. The Animal Awards was created by the RSPCA in order to recognise and celebrate the most inspiring examples of bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world. Smiles for miles: Hammond appeared in high spirits as he enjoyed another sip from his glass Doing his bit: He had lots to talk about with his pals as he did his bit for charity on the night out Richard's outing comes after he was told to get on his bike after he was banned from jogging following his 120mph crash in the Swiss Alps. The Grand Tour host fractured his knee when he veered off a mountain road in a Rimac Concept One sportscar in June. He's has now revealed how doctors overseeing his recovery have told him not to run - and instead to ride a bike for exercise. But the notorious petrolhead rejected the idea of getting about on two wheels, insisting he 'hates cyclists'. Posing up: Richard and wife Mindy look fresh-faced and fancy as they walked the red carpet at the event Driven couple: Richard and Mindy made their way through the crowd as they arrive at the RSPCA Animal Hero Awards It's been a tricky summer for the former Top Gear team, with Jeremy Clarkson also being hospitalised with pneumonia. Clarkson and James May feared Hammond had died when he flipped his 2million electric supercar near St Gallen. Hammond thanked his doctors after getting back behind the wheel for the first time since the crash last month. He has since posted two videos of himself driving cars to his three million followers on Twitter. Another bottle: Clarkson gazes off into the middle distance clutching his gifted bottle of champagne following the GQ Man of the Year Awards on Tuesday She stole the limelight at the Tom Ford show in striking Rapunzel-length tresses and a glamorous LBD earlier this week. But Suki Waterhouse opted for a more laidback off-duty model look on Friday, as she stepped out in three different casual ensembles in New York. The British model, 25, went braless in a simple cropped T-shirt and hailed back to the Seventies with her retro blue high-waisted flares - before ramping things up a notch and throwing on two much more revealing ensembles later in the day. Scroll down for video From perky to plunging! Braless Suki Waterhouse exudes off-duty model cool in a cropped T-shirt... before changing into VERY risque open shirt in New York Wow factor: Later on in the day she was spotted wearing a pink low-cut long sleeve as she went braless again The Love, Rosie actress started off the day looking relaxed in her low-key ensemble. Ditching the extensions she sported earlier in the week, Suki rocked her natural beachy waves which subtly framed her face. Shielding her eyes behind gold-rimmed shades, the model turned actress appeared to go make-up free. Letting her statement flares do all the talking, Suki rocked a pair of simple flatform black trainers. Taking the plunge: She later changed into darker flared jeans and white trainers, switching her casual Tee for a plunging striped shirt, open down to the tucked-in waist Out she goes: She swapped her black shades for some pink ones Swing it, sister: Suki swung her phone by it's earphone wires as she sauntered along Off you trot: It was left to be seen whether there would be a THIRD outfit change for Suki's busy day of clothes swapping Pretty: She later switched up her look to a pale pink top and tiny white shorts Sugar rush: She also held onto a Coca Cola Adding a grungy Nineties touch to the look, the model completed her ensemble with a green backpack. She later changed into darker flared jeans and white trainers, switching her casual Tee for a plunging striped shirt, open down to the tucked-in waist. She swapped her black shades for some pink ones and swung her phone by it's earphone wires as she sauntered along. It was left to be seen whether there would be a THIRD outfit change for Suki's busy day of clothes swapping. Looking good: The British model, 25, went braless in a simple cropped T-shirt and hailed back to the Seventies with her retro blue high-waisted flares Turning heads: The Love, Rosie actress looked every inch the catwalk queen in her low-key ensemble during the relaxed outing Traffic-stopping: The model no doubt turned heads in her eye-catching ensemble Ever the social butterfly, Suki was spotted putting on a glamorous display during NYFW earlier this week. She showcased her new Rapunzel-length tresses on Wednesday in New York while attending Tom Ford's NYFW Spring Summer 2018 catwalk. The British model looked unrecognisable as she seduced cameras with her long glossy locks while posing in a knee-grazing frock. Mane attractions: Ditching the extensions she sported earlier in the week, Suki rocked her natural beachy waves which subtly framed her face Shady lady: Shielding her eyes behind gold-rimmed shades, the model turned actress appeared to go make-up free She complemented her new glossy 'do as she slipped into a sensational LBD which featured sultry mesh side panels. Highlighting her lean limbs, the saucy leather number exhibited her lithe frame while it skimmed her slender thighs and pert posterior as she stood in her black patent stilettos. While her curled mane framed her face, she simply accentuated her pout with a slick of vibrant red lipstick to add a pop of colour to her ensemble while working a vintage smokey eye and feline flick. Killer footwear: Letting her statement flares do all the talking, Suki rocked a pair of simple flatform black trainers Smells like teen spirit: Adding a grungy Nineties touch to the look, the model completed her ensemble with a green backpack The grown-up display was world's away from her skin-flashing appearance while celebrating pal Cara Delevingne's birthday in Mexico last month alongside Georgia May Jagger, Jaime Winstone, Adwoa Aboah, Lady Clara Paget and socialite Mary Charteris. Elsewhere, Suki was previously linked in January Mexican actor Diego Luna when they were seen looking cosy during a sun-soaked break in Mexico. After months of laying low, Suki was then seen spending a week in the Big Apple with the Rogue One actor in June, reigniting rumours of a romance. Mane attraction: Suki Waterhouse, 25, was back to her head-turning tricks again as she showcased her new Rapunzel-length tresses on Wednesday in New York while attending Tom Ford's NYFW Spring Summer 2018 catwalk Fresh look: The British model looked unrecognisable as she seduced cameras with her long glossy locks while posing in a knee-grazing frock The pair have never confirmed their relationship status. MailOnline has contacted their representatives for comment. Previously, Suki enjoyed a two-year romance with The Hangover star Bradley Cooper but the former flames parted ways in 2015. At the time, a source told E! News: 'They both want different things right now. 'She loves Bradley and he loves her but she's so young and wants to concentrate on her acting career before becoming a mum.' Bradley has since gone on to welcome his first child with Victoria's Secret model Irina Shayk - a daughter Lea, born in March this year. Getting chic done: The Love, Rosie actress complemented her new glossy 'do as she slipped into a sensational LBD which featured sultry mesh side panels It was the party of the week - laden with top catwalk stars. So the Hadid sisters were naturally guests at the launch of fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's new book in New York on Thursday night - yet that did not stop Bella and Gigi greeting each other fondly. Gigi looked sensational as she headed to the bash in a chic hot pink two-piece which was pyjama-inspired and showed off a cheeky hint of bra from the plunging neckline while Bella went for an equally quirky ensemble. Scroll down for video Hey there! The Hadid sisters were naturally guests at the launch of fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's new book in New York on Thursday night - yet that did not stop Bella and Gigi greeting each other fondly Gigi spent Wednesday night rocking the runway at Tom Ford's star-studded New York Fashion Week showcase - nailing the stunning designs. She once again looked catwalk-ready as she the Calvin Klein studios in Manhattan after a fitting on Thursday which she attended before arriving at the party. Sporting the same outfit at the bash, the stunning star bumped into her sister who proved good genes run in the family. The supermodel, 22, looked incredible as she flashed her cleavage - and a hint of white lace bra - in a plunging hot pink jumpsuit. Stunner: Gigi looked sensational as she headed to the bash in a chic hot pink two-piece which was pyjama-inspired and showed off a cheeky hint of bra from the plunging neckline while Bella went for an equally quirky ensemble Sizzling stars: Sporting the same outfit at the bash, the stunning star bumped into her sister who proved good genes run in the family Pretty in pink! The girlfriend of Zayn Malik wore her blonde tresses loosely as she marched into the NYC office in a pair of Olgana Paris' AW17 L'Amazone jeweled satin emerald heels The girlfriend of Zayn Malik wore her blonde tresses loosely as she marched into the NYC office in a pair of Olgana Paris' AW17 L'Amazone jeweled satin emerald heels. Gigi, whose full name is Jelena Noura Hadid, was practical and pretty in a patterned silk jumpsuit which dipped low to reveal a hint of the model's lacey nude bra. The cover girl carried an green velvet clutch into the office which she matched with a delicate jade necklace. Green with envy! Gigi, whose full name is Jelena Noura Hadid, was practical and pretty in a patterned silk jumpsuit which dipped low to reveal a hint of the model's lacey nude bra Bra-vo! The 22-year-old's patterned silk jumpsuit dipped low to reveal her lacey nude bra Hot commodity: A delicate jade necklace and loose golden locks rounded out the IMG stunner's look Gigi kicked off Fashion Week with a gig on Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2018 runway on Wednesday night. Fellow model Kendall Jenner also walked the 80s inspired catwalk, which offered audiences big hair, dramatic shoulder pads and formfitting silhouettes. Come November, fashion darling will grace the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the third time. Can you keep a secret? Come November, the fashion darling will grace the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the third time Flashback: Gigi kicked off NYFW with pal Kendall Jenner on Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2018 collection runway in New York on Wednesday night Backlash: The cover girl has been facing backlash from Chinese fashion fans since the model was booked for Victoria Secret's Shanghai fashion show last month Since the model was booked for the Shanghai, China show, the cover girl has been facing backlash from Chinese fashion fans who took offense to a February video posted and later deleted by sister Bella Hadid in February. In the clip, Gigi is seen holding up a cookie that appears to be in the shape of Buddha during a birthday party - before smiling and squinting her eyes. She apparently issued a bilingual apology statement on Weibo from what appears to be her account. Not cool: Chinese fashion fans who took offense to a February video posted and later deleted by sister Bella Hadid in February Deleted but not forgotten! In the now deleted clip, Gigi was seen holding up a cookie that appears to be in the shape of Buddha while smiling and squinting her eyes It said: 'It hurts me to hurt anyone, and I want you all to know that it was never my intent to offend anyone through my actions and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt or felt let down by me. 'I have the utmost respect and love for the people of China and cherish the incredible memories I have made while visiting in the past. I have learned to be very careful of how my actions can come off or be portrayed, and Im hopeful youll accept my apology.' Gigi and 57 other Angels will take Shanghai for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show November 28 2017. Saying sorry: Since the Shanghai backlash, the blonde beauty issued a bilingual apology statement on Weibo He's the media personality-turned-politician who has already campaigned in favour of same-sex marriage. And on Friday evening, Derryn Hinch once again threw his support behind the cause as he attended the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Gala in Melbourne. While adhering to the black-tie dress code, the 73-year-old made a grand statement regarding marriage equality with his colourful accessories. Making his point: On Friday evening, Derryn Hinch attended Olivia Newton-John's Cancer Wellness & Research Gala in Melbourne and showed his support for gay marriage Wearing a white, fitted shirt under his buttoned up suit, the Victorian Senator added a chiffon muti-coloured scarf to his ensemble. Proudly modeling the bright fabric around his shoulders, Derryn certainly turned heads at the high-profile event. Bright! Wearing a white fitted white shirt under his buttoned up suit, the Victorian Senator added a chiffon muti-coloured scarf to his ensemble Derryn also wore an eye-catching tie that featured small squares in various colours. Looking happy to be at the charity event, Derryn smiled gleefully in front of the media wall. The journalist also sported a beard with his locks swept over to one side. Full ensemble: Derryn also wore a multi-coloured tie that featured small squares consisting of various colours Looking smart! Completing his look, Darryn added a pair of rectangular prescription glasses to his look Completing his look, Derryn added a pair of rectangular prescription glasses to his look. It comes after he was photographed cutting a rainbow Mr&Mr cake with Labor senator Sam Dastyari outside parliament last month to highlight the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage. 'We will fight for equality in any forum in any way, in any shape, in any form,' said Sam to the media. He's the Doctor Doctor star who was nominated for a coveted gold Logie at this year's awards. And with Australian television's night of nights moving from Melbourne to the Gold Coast, Rodger Corser has revealed he is a fan of the re-location Speaking to TV Week, the 44-year-old admitted that he was looking forward to celebrating the keynote event at Gold Coast's The Star, largely due to the proximity to the surf. New home: Doctor Doctor star Rodger Corser has thrown his support behind the decision to relocate the Logie awards from Melbourne to The Gold Coast 'It's probably far more attractive to jump into the Gold Coast surf than the Yarra River,' Rodger told the publication. He added that while Melbourne had always pulled out all the stops to provide a great event, the relocation would see a renewed interest in the iconic award ceremony. 'Melbourne did a fanstatic job hosting the Logies over the years,'he said. Beachside; 'It's probably far more attractive to jump into the Gold Coast surf than the Yarra River,' Rodger told the publication. Good publicity: He added that while Melbourne had always pulled out all the stops to provide a great event, the relocation would see a renewed interest in the iconic award ceremony 'And now Queensland is obviously really keen to have it. So, there is a new enthusiasm for the Logies which is good.' However, it appears that not everyone is as 'on board' with the move as Rodger with Today host Karl Stefanovic threatening to boycott the event. Earlier this week, Karl slammed the decision and condemned Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Today. Not happy: However, it appears that not everyone is as 'on board' with the move as Rodger with Today host Karl Stefanovic threatening to boycott the event 'This is disgusting, I will be boycotting the Logies until they are back in Melbourne at Crown casino,'he told viewers. However, in a shock turnaround, Karl told TV Week that he felt that he should host the 2018 ceremony. 'I think I should definitely be hosting it,' he told the publication. ''It will be fun and great to have it here. Queenslanders love their TV and they will come and support it for sure.' Logies veteran Bert Newton had also voiced his displeasure over the move, telling the Herald Sun it was 'like losing the AFL Grand Final or the Melbourne Cup.' She's has been tipped as the winner of The Bachelor Matty Johnson's heart. And although Laura Byrne has admitted she fell madly in love with Matty, there was one thing that was standing in her way. Speaking to news.com.au, the 30-year-old revealed there were times when some of the other girls were suffering from infectious oral infections which led her to avoid going near Matty's lips. Scroll down for video 'Dude, I'm not OK with this': Laura Byrne has revealed she refused to kiss Matty J because other girls were suffering from COLD SORES 'There were some people in the house who had cold sores and I was like, 'oh, dude, nup. I'm not OK with this!',' she revealed. But the way she felt for the second-time reality star all changed during this week's home town visits, where Laura admitted that's when she knew she was smitten. 'It was definitely during the hometown visits, having him there with my family, that made it real,' she confessed. Not impressed: Speaking to news.com.au , the 30-year-old revealed there were times when some of the other girls were suffering from infectious oral infections which led her to avoid going near Matty's lips Got the all clear! 'My family were so approving and so excited and accepting, and just instantly like 'this guy's great!'' she said 'My family were so approving and so excited and accepting, and just instantly like 'this guy's great!'.' With only one week until the finale, on Thursday night fans were delighted by the well-awaited home town visits episode. While Matty traveled all over the country to meet the family and friends of his four remaining ladies, he was able to stay in Sydney to meet up with Laura - who conveniently only lives a few minutes away from him. Perfect! While Matty traveled all over the country to meet the family and friends of his four remaining ladies, he was able to stay in Sydney to meet up with Laura - who conveniently only lives a few minutes away from him But to Network Ten's surprise, viewers were left saying 'Matty who?' as Laura's three-legged rescue dog Buster stole the show. Laura remarked: 'I'm actually so surprised by how good he is with you. Usually, what would happen, if he doesn't know you and he thought you were coming to approach me, he'd just, like, get really skittish and bark at you.' As Matty played with Buster, Laura couldn't contain her delight, saying: 'Look at him! He's rolled over and died for you. I am more than impressed and I absolutely love it.' They are two of the most well-known actresses on the planet. And on Friday, Salma Hayek and Sienna Miller offered some stellar support to children's Aids charity mothers2mothers. Salma Hayek flaunted her curves in a 50's-style button-down red dress with a white Peter Pan collar and black pussy bow. Scroll down for video Doing their bit for charity: Sienna Miller (left) and Salma Hayek (right) offered some stellar support at a breakfast thrown by children's Aids charity mothers2mothers at Mark's Club in Mayfair, London on Friday The 51-year-old film star, who has a nine-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, complemented her outfit with bold red lipstick and patent white heels. Sienna, 35, looked radiant in a pastel number decorated with golden frills at the morning event, which was held at the exclusive Mark's Club in Mayfair. The Layer Cake star complemented her ensemble with a pair of pointed mustard-coloured heels with grey feather detail. Yummy mummies: Sienna, 35, looked radiant in a pastel pink number decorated with golden frills. The Alfie star complemented her ensemble with a pair of pointed mustard-coloured heels Smart: Salma (pictured with Sienna and mother2mothers founder Dr Mitch Besser - centre) flaunted her curves in a 50's-style button-down red dress with a white Peter Pan collar The actress, who is mother to five-year-old Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge, stuck to a natural make-up palette, with a slick of black mascara. Her hair was worn in loose waves and parted in the middle and the star accessorized with a pair of old hoops. Sienna is currently treading the boards in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof at the Apollo Theatre in central London. The American Sniper star has been widely praised for her turn as Maggie in the Tennessee Williams play, which has been re-imagined for a summer run at the Apollo. She stars alongside former Skins actor Jack O'Connell, 27, as her husband Brick in the play, which runs until October. The Benedict Andrews directed performance centres around the sexual tension between Maggie and her alcoholic husband, who some believe is denial about his homosexuality. Chic: Musician Nick Cave's wife Susie, was also in attendance and glittered in a red midi number and silver heels However, playing the sexually frustrated wife of an alcoholic must be taking its toll on Sienna. The actress has resorted to having a vitamin drip in the interval to bolster her energy. 'Mid show IV maintenance,' she captioned a picture of her IV drip, which she uploaded at the weekend. They marked an exciting new chapter in their lives by moving into a New York pad together earlier this week. And Ireland Baldwin and Sailor Brinkley-Cook seemed determined to celebrate the milestone with a wild night out in the Big Apple on Friday night. Model Ireland, 21, showcased her cleavage in a lacy plunging bodysuit as she headed into U+D nightclub with 19-year-old Sailor during NYFW. Scroll down for video Wild night out: Ireland Baldwin and Sailor Brinkley-Cook seemed determined to celebrate the move with a wild night out in New York on Friday night Beaming as they headed inside, the new roommates held onto each other while making their stylish arrival. Ireland wore a low cut black lace top, while Sailor was looking stylish with a red bandeau and Nineties-inspired camouflage pants. The daughter of Brinkley and Peter Cook showed off her toned tummy in the skin-baring ensemble, which she teamed with black ankle boots. Looking good: Model Ireland, 21, showcased her cleavage in a lacy plunging bodysuit as she headed into U+D nightclub with 19-year-old Sailor during NYFW Loving life: Beaming as they headed inside, the new roommates held onto each other while making their stylish arrival Sailor shared a photo on to her Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon of the ladies taking a break in the back of a nearly-empty moving truck. She captioned the photo of the two ladies laying in the haul of the vehicle, '9/5/17 A fresh start'. Clearly inseparable since the move, the models roamed around the West Village to grab a bite to eat after a long day of moving into their new apartment in Soho. Chic: Ireland wore a low cut black lace top, while Sailor was looking stylish with a red bandeau and Nineties-inspired camouflage pants Stylish: The daughter of Brinkley and Peter Cook showed off her toned tummy in the skin-baring ensemble, which she teamed with black ankle boots Meanwhile, the Baldwins were back together for a large family wedding in Westchester County last weekend. Ireland served as a bridesmaid in her cousin Alaia Baldwin's wedding to Andrew Aronow, while Alaia's younger sister Hailey served as the maid of honor. The statuesque stunner wore an off-the-shoulder black lace dress, which hugged her famous curves and then flowed out in the skirt. The young Baldwin landed her first international fashion campaign for Guess in early August. The 5ft11in model will appear in other shots for the campaign along with veteran models Kara del Toro, Simone Holtznagel, Solveig Mork Hansen and Alex Dellisola. 'Who iz in new yerk': Ireland shared this steamy Instagram snap from inside her new Soho apartment Stephanie Davis posted an extremely sultry bathroom snap on Friday, after cruel trolls jibed her for spelling her own son's name wrong. The 24-year-old beauty went topless under a bathrobe for the sexy shot, flaunting her ample cleavage by leaving it slightly undone to expose her chest. Stephanie came under fire after spelling her eight-month-old son Caben-Albi's name wrong while filming a Instagram video in an embarrassing social media gaffe on Thursday, but her phone may have simply auto-corrected the word. Scroll down for video Defiant: Stephanie Davis, 24, posted an extremely sultry bathroom snap on Friday, after cruel trolls jibed her for spelling her own son's name wrong. She went topless under a bathrobe, flaunting her ample cleavage The Celebrity Big Brother star made an Instagram video where she showed off a gold pendant engraved with both her and her son's name - spelling it Cavern instead of Caben. She wrote: 'Would like to say thank you for my mummy and me necklace with caverns name on and a star for my angel baby.' She later posted a pic of the pair together at the airport, alongside the caption: 'Me and My Mummy are OFF.' Awkward: Stephanie came under fire after spelling her eight-month-old son Caben-Albi's name wrong while filming a Instagram video in an embarrassing social media gaffe on Thursday Mishap: The CBB star made an Instagram video where she showed off a gold pendant engraved with both her and her son's name - and she spelt it Cavern instead of Caben Sweet: She later posted a pic of the pair together at the airport, alongside the caption: 'Me and My Mummy are OFF' 'I hate the sound of the hoover and hair dryer so I hope I'm ok with my first time on a plane! Here goesssss'. The beauty previously sparked concern among fans after posting a cryptic tweet. Taking to Twitter, Stephanie shared a snap in which she cradled her son Caben-Albi, who she shares with former boyfriend Jeremy McConnell, with the accompanying caption: 'So long guys.' Some of her 440,000 followers swarmed the comments section to voice their worry, with one user writing: 'Hope you are ok Steph, Caben needs you', among other concerned messages. Despite the concern, a source close to Stephanie told MailOnline said her tweet was taken out of context she was merely jesting about everyone saying she was moving to Hollywood, nothing for anyone to worry about. 'So long guys': Stephanie previously sparked concern among fans after posting a cryptic tweet Embattled Stephanie suffered a difficult 2016 after a convoluted and public battle with Jeremy, who was arrested and later appeared in court on an assault charge against the actress. Their relationship began when they starred together on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2016 before becoming embroiled in a toxic romance which first ended in April - a month before she announced she was expecting. Once he was proved to be the father Jeremy swore to step up and moved from his native Dublin to be with her in Liverpool. However Stephanie was reportedly 'shaken' after calling the police on Jeremy at her home. Merseyside Police confirmed to MailOnline that Jeremy was taken into custody after voluntarily coming to the station. They were both enjoying a spot of al fresco dining with their respective loved ones. And Karolina Kurkova, 33, and Antonio Banderas, 57, looked positively delighted as they bumped into each other while eating at the same restaurant in Rome, Italy, on Thursday night. The model was chatting to the actor and his girlfriend Nicole Kimpel, 37, while her adorable son Tobin, seven, cuddled up to her. Scroll down for video When in Rome: Karolina Kurkova, 33, and Antonio Banderas, 57, looked positively delighted as they bumped into each other while eating at the same restaurant in Rome, Italy, on Thursday Nicole wore a stylish sleeveless dress with a slanted hem, while her older beau slipped on a white T-shirt and dark jeans. Karolina had flung a black jacket over a striped button-up blouse, sliding into a pair of black trousers. Archie Drury, her husband of eight years, was also there, as was the couple's second son Noah, 22 months. Smiles all around: The showbiz pair were also joined by Antonio's girlfriend Nicole Kimpel, Karolina's husband Archie Drury and her two sons Tobin, seven, and Noah, 22 months Karolina, a Czech model who used to be a Victoria's Secret Angel, is on her first marriage, while Antonio has two divorces behind him. The actor's marriage to Ana Leza began in the late 1980s but had splintered by 1996, and Antonio then spent 1996 to 2014 married to actress Melanie Griffith, 60. Antonio and Melanie have one daughter named Stella - his only child - who will turn 19 this month. Keeping him close: Karolina went make-up free and kept her look casual in a striped shirt and black blazer jacket as she soaked up the Italian atmosphere Antonio has been dating Nicole, a Dutch financial consultant, since 2014. The actor has been battling health issues this year while living and studying in Europe. Antonio said to the press in Spain in March: 'I suffered a heart attack on Jan. 26, but it wasn't serious and hasn't caused any damage.' Though three stents were inserted into his arteries, he still felt 'it hasn't been as dramatic as some have written'. Halle Berry got a cheeky surprise from her Kingsman: The Golden Circle co-star Channing Tatum during her appearance on The Ellen Show this week. The 51-year-old actress, dressed in a tight silver and black mini dress, giggled as she was treated to a lap dance on Friday's show - but unfortunately the Magic Mike hunk couldn't make it himself. Ellen told Halle: 'Channing felt bad and he sent you a gift to apologize. So from Magic Mike Live he hand-picked these guys to make it up to you' Scroll down for video So generous! Halle Berry got a surprise lap dance, a gift from her co-star Channing Tatum, during her appearance on The Ellen Show which aired on Friday Four buff gents then appeared on stage surrounding the X-Men star as she stayed seated with a big smile on her face. 'Oh god, oh god!' she exclaimed while the men danced around her to the Ginuwine track Pony. During the interview Halle talked about when Channing, 37, dared her to down what appeared to be a half-pint of whiskey at the San Diego Comic-Con in July. The 51-year-old actress, dressed in a tight silver and black mini dress giggled as she was treated to a show by some of the stars 'hand-picked' by Channing, 37 During the interview Halle talked about when Channing dared her to down what appeared to be nearly a pint of whiskey at the San Diego Comic-Con in July The Step Up star had brought along a bottle of whiskey as a nod to the fictional bourbon in their film. 'He dared me in front of 3,000 people and I just could not, stupidly I could not say no.' Halle recalled. While she managed to finish off the huge quantity of liquor with barely a wince, the actress has admitted it left her with a nasty hangover. 'You drank that much whiskey, and you don't drink.' Ellen said, astonished 'He dared me in front of 3,000 people and I just could not, stupidly I could not say no.' Halle recalled 'You drank that much whiskey, and you don't drink.' Ellen said, astonished. 'I was really ill for like three days': The star admitted. Ellen complimented the actress on her amazing body as a picture of her in a black bikini flashed up on screen. 'That's what 51 looks like ya'll... with two babies' the comedienne gushed, adding 'you must work out like crazy'. Dare: Halle appeared to down a half-pint of whiskey during a panel event at the show 'I was really ill for three days' the actress recalled of the stunt Age-defying beauty: The X-Men star looked amazing in an off-the-shoulder silver and black mini dress Halle replied: 'Not like crazy but I've done it my whole life, it's part of what I do'. Kingsman: The Golden Circle brings back the gang from 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service flick as they must join forces with a spy organization in the US. The two groups must band together in order to defeat a common enemy. The film hits theaters on September 22. 'You must work out like crazy': Ellen complimented the actress on her amazing bikini body Ellen, 59, made a surprise appearance at the Magic Mike Live show in Las Vegas on Thursday Rehearsals: The comedian stood on the stage next to the Step Up hunk and his team of strippers They finally ended their on/off romance in 2015, and she has since moved on with new man Stephen Bear. And Charlotte Crosby continued to rid her ex Mitch Jenkins from her life for good on Friday, as she continued to have the tattoo dedicated to him removed. The 27-year-old took to her various social media pages to document the procedure - which saw her proudly have the 'M' initial zapped off her upper arm. Scroll down for video Laser lover: Charlotte Crosby, 27, continued to rid her ex Mitch Jenkins from her life for good on Friday, as she continued to have the tattoo dedicated to him removed Taking to Instagram, the former Geordie Shore star shared a short video of the seemingly painful procedure. Dressed in a casual vest and tight-fitting black leggings, the beauty can be heard squealing and shouting in pain as the laser is pressed against the tattoo to remove the ink. Clearly excited by the procedure despite the pain however, she wrote to her 6 million followers: 'it's almost gone now!' 'It's almost gone now!': The former Geordie Shore star spoke of her excitement at erasing her ex's name Zap it off: The reality star took to her various social media pages to document the procedure - which saw her proudly have the 'M' initial zapped off her upper arm and two arrows Ouch: Taking to Instagram, the former Geordie Shore star shared a short video of the painful looking procedure No fun: Dressed in a casual vest and tight-fitting black leggings, the beauty can be heard squealing and shouting in pain as the laser is pressed against the tattoo to remove the ink She then added in support of her practitioner: '@chris_new_look_laser_treatment check him out if you need any laser treatments and your in the north east guys!' Charlotte had first got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015. She has announced the news on her Instagram with the besotted caption: Happy valentines........ #YoungStupidAndVeryCrazyInlove' No more: Charlotte had first got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015 (above) However breaking up soon after, Charlotte was quick to reveal her desires to remove the tattoo in August of that year. She said in her Star magazine column: 'I need to get my 'M' tattoo removed, though. I can't walk around with that now we're not together, can I?' The couple first called it quits in late summer of 2014, following a year and a half together, but reconciled months later - after Charlotte revealed to MailOnline he had dumped her by text message. For good: However it seems the course of true love was not meant to be for the couple, as they broke up once again later that year, just before they were due to move in together The pair became largely inseparable again following a trip to New York in January 2015 - confirming their reconciliation - before he accompanied her on her mammoth tour of Australia later that year. Yet, it seems the course of true love was not meant to be for the couple, as they broke up once again later that year, just before they were due to move in together. Removing the tattoo not only rids her life of her ex, but also shows a higher level of commitment to her current boyfriend Stephen Bear. The pair have put on an incredibly loved-up display ever since meeting on their new show Just Tattoo Of Us - and have even discussed the prospect of children after mere months together. Moving on: Removing the tattoo not only rids her life of her ex, but also shows a higher level of commitment to her current boyfriend Stephen Bear (above) Charlotte recently told OK! magazine: 'We always talk about children. All the time. He likes Teddy, but I like Wolf, or Elle for a girl.' It seems their relationship is only going from strength to strength, after Charlotte had gushed to CBB champion was 'the one' last year. She had told MailOnline: 'We fancied each other straight away and then things just developed slowly. I knew we couldnt rush into anything because he was going on a dating show so we took it really slow at first. 'Stephen really cares, he even got sacked from Celebs Go Dating because of me. Ive met all of Stephens family and they are amazing, it just works and feels so right.' They're both renowned English actresses. And Emily Blunt, 34, looked stylish as she posed with The Crown star Vanessa Kirby, 29, at the Tory Burch show at New York Fashion Week on Friday. Emily looked sensational as she clad her slender frame in a colourful patterned midi dress, accentuating her narrow waist with a trendy brown belt. Scroll down for video Gorgeous: Emily Blunt, 34, clad her slender frame in a colourful patterned midi dress, accentuating her narrow waist with a trendy brown belt at the Tory Burch show at New York Fashion Week on Friday She added height to her frame in a pair of blue strappy heels, and posed with one hand on her hip to emphasise her fabulous figure. The star shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of large round framed sunglasses, and grinned as she flaunted her chic ensemble. Vanessa looked equally as glamorous in a grey striped polo neck top and leather skirt, which displayed her long, lean legs with its thigh-skimming length. English roses: She posed with The Crown star Vanessa Kirby, 29, who looked equally as glamorous in a grey striped polo neck top and leather skirt, which displayed her long, lean legs with its thigh-skimming length Emily's outing comes after it was revealed that she and husband John Krasinski have put their stunning Brooklyn townhouse on the market. The couple have had the property for just under two years - purchasing it in late 2015 for $6 million - and are offloading it because they don't spend enough time there. The actors are asking for $8 million 5,200-square-foot, seven bedroom Park Slope home according to the Wall Street Journal. Leggy lady: Emily added height to her frame in a pair of blue strappy heels Meanwhile, the beauty, who is starring as Mary Poppins in the eagerly-anticipated sequel of Mary Poppins, spoke to Walt Disney Studios D23 Expo in July about the prospect of living up to the iconic part. Emily explained that following in Julie Andrews' footsteps was a daunting but exciting prospect. 'I found that I watched about 15 minutes of the original and then just stopped watching it because I needed to kind of try and pay homage to what Julie did but carve out new space for myself,' she said on stage, continuing: 'No one is ever going to out-Julie Julie Andrews. Shes just unbelievable. Iconic role: Meanwhile, the beauty, who is starring as Mary Poppins in the eagerly-anticipated sequel of Mary Poppins, spoke to Walt Disney Studios D23 Expo in July about the prospect of living up to the iconic part 'There will never be anyone else like her. So I just had to do my version of her and I think we were very loyal to the books. I think she is a little more sort of acerbic and odd and vain and weird in the books. And so we went that direction a little more. So its my version of her!' In November, The Devil Wears Prada star opened up to In Style magazine about dealing with a stutter herself. 'I think whatever you have to overcome in life ultimately paves the way [for whom you become as an adult],' she said. 'I got teased a lot, and to this day, I hate unkindness in people and bullies.' She's the former Big Brother Australia star known for her ever-changing looks. And on Friday, Skye Wheatley dramatically updated her look once again after chopping off her signature mermaid look. Taking to Instagram on Friday, he 23-year-old took to Instagram to showcase her new hair to her 333,000 followers. Skye, is that you? On Friday, Skye Wheatley revealed she had chopped off her signature blonde mermaid locks 'In love with my hair @missblisshair wouldn't trust anyone else with my hair #missblisshair,' she captioned. Wearing a oversized pink jacket, Skye sported a fresh voluminous lob. Holding out her healthy blonde locks with one hand, the cosmetic surgery enthusiast took a selfie with her other. New hair: 'In love with my hair @missblisshair wouldn't trust anyone else with my hair #missblisshair' Filler enthusiast: Donning a full face of makeup, Skye was also seen pouting with her incredibly plump baby pink coloured lips Donning a full face of makeup, Skye was also seen pouting with her incredibly plump baby pink coloured lips. Taking to Instagram Stories, the stunner was again seen pressing together her voluptuous lips in a Boomerang video. Earlier in the week, Skye took to the social media to flaunt her perky posterior and tiny waist. Signature pose: Taking to Instagram Stories, the stunner was again seen pressing together her voluptuous lips in a Boomerang video Bikini weather: Using the balmy temperatures as an excuse to model her peachy derriere, the makeup artist commanded attention in her belfie 'It's getting warm again (sic) summer is near,' captioned Skye. Using the balmy temperatures as an excuse to model her peachy derriere, the makeup artist commanded attention in her belfie. Known for her love of cosmetic surgery, in 2015, Skye traveled to Bangkok for a $3,800 breast augmentation, despite her families pleas for her not to go. Later however, Skye revealed the surgery was botched and had left her with a 'double bubble' in one breast. In 2016, Skye paid a Sydney surgeon $28,000 to fix the surgical error. She's burst onto the acting scene after a carving a successful career in modelling. But blonde bombshell Poppy Delevingne made a low-key appearance when she headed out from her hotel in New York City on Friday. The fashionista, 31, ditched her catwalk glamour for a casual ensemble as she showed off her model-honed legs in a tiny denim miniskirt. Scroll down for video Leggy lady: Poppy Delevingne made a low-key appearance in a casual ensemble when she headed out from her hotel in New York City on Friday Embracing her slim physique, the style maven tucked her plain white tee into her thigh-skimming garment to showcase her incredibly tiny waist. Looking glamorous as ever, Poppy looked positively radiant as she went make-up free and wore her golden locks in a loosely-tousled style. The sister of Cara Delevingne swapped her trademark sky-scraper heels for a pair of flat trainers, not needing to add to her statuesque height. Wow: The fashionista, 31, ditched her catwalk glamour (R) for a casual ensemble (L) as she showed off her model-honed legs in a tiny denim miniskirt Keeping her look fresh, she toted a leopard print shopping handbag and pulled on sexy sunglasses as well as huge golden hoop earrings for a hint of sparkle. Poppy was flying solo, away from her long-term lover and husband James Cook. Proving their marriage is a soaring success, she hailed James as the 'best date ever' on Instagram after a recent event Men of The Year Awards with GQ magazine. The couple are going stronger than ever, having toasted to their third anniversary together in May earlier this year. Glamorous as ever: Poppy looked positively radiant as she went make-up free and wore her golden locks in a loosely-tousled style James popped the question to his stunning girlfriend in October 2012. The lovebirds went onto exchange their vows in a lavish ceremony at St. Paul's Church, in Knightsbridge, London in May 2014. They then enjoyed a honeymoon in Marrakech, Morocco, where their second ceremony took place. As for her career, Poppy landed her debut role inGuy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword as she continues to move away from modelling into the acting sphere. Keeping her look fresh: She toted a leopard print shopping handbag and pulled on sexy sunglasses as well as huge golden hoop earrings for a hint of sparkle Kendall Jenner shows off her chameleon-like charm in a luxe shoot forW Magazine. The 21-year-old reality star stuns in designer Dior before transforming into a sporty It Girl in an Adidas track suit in the shoot for the magazine's The New Royals issue. The American beauty also made a political statement in the spread, posing in front of a 'Vote Labour' sign in support of the British party. Fashion statement! Kendall Jenner made a statement in W Magazine's October issue while posing in front of a 'Vote Labour' sign while donning a glittering Armani gown Jumpsuits and evening gowns join forces in the punchy vision from photographer Alasdair McLellan and stylist Katie Grand. There are just as many pairs of Manolos heels as Converse kicks in the shoot, which also showcased a look straight from bald beauty Slick Wood's closet. The Instagram favorites were just a couple of the photogenic faces featured in the fierce shoot. Emily Ratajkowski, Adwoa Aboah, and rapper-model Tommy Genesis also appear in the glossy along with others. The right mix! Models Kendall Jenner, Slick Woods and Adwoa Aboah grace the pages of W Magazine's October Issue in a luxe shoot that contrasts couture and casuals to awesome effect Culture clash: Photographer Alasdair McLellan and stylist Katie Grand seamlessly contrasted couture and casuals to perfectly capture the high-low attitudes of our modern stylescape Barefoot beauties: Emily Ratakowski let their Valentino gowns take center stage while ditching their shoes in these dramatic black and whites Hat's off! Kendall, Slick Woods, Hanna Halvorsen, and Adwoa Aboah (left to right) all looked fierce while posing in looks by Dutch designer Ronald van der Kemp October's New Royal's issue of the magazine also features exclusive photos taken by Miss Jenner herself. The snapshots offer readers a glimpse into the starlet's haute, haute world with candid backstage photos of pals Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, and Karlie Kloss, at last season's couture shows in Paris. W's October book showcases 10 cover stars who 'dare to challenge stereotypes and conventions by choosing exactly who they want to be.' Challenging expectations! W's October book showcases 10 cover stars who 'dare to challenge stereotypes and conventions by choosing exactly who they want to be' Blurred lines! Robert Pattinson, Pharrell, androgynous star Tilda Swinton and the six other cover stars blur gender lines with their one-of-a-kind styles in a fresh take on the annual His & Hers issue. Winona Ryder, Robert Pattinson, Pharrell, androgynous star Tilda Swinton and the six other cover stars blur gender lines with their one-of-a-kind styles in a fresh take on the annual His & Hers issue. 'How you dress is not necessarily a matter of gender, its just another way to express yourself,' wrote editor Stefano Tonchi in his intro. The October Issue of W Magazine hits newsstands mid-September. She's expecting her second child with her British aristocrat husband, James Rothschild, early next year. And Nicky Hilton Rothschild took her baby bump to New York Fashion Week as she attended W magazine's 'It Girl' luncheon on Friday. The hotel heiress, 33, offered a lesson in maternity style as she strutted her stuff in a black cherry-print mini-dress with cutaway keyhole detail at the cleavage. Bumping along: Nicky Hilton Rothschild took her baby bump to New York Fashion Week as she attended W magazine's 'It Girl' luncheon on Friday Teetering on a pair of black bow-detail stilettos, the socialite looked happy and relaxed as she headed inside the bash. Nicky wore her long blonde locks swept off her face into a high ponytail, while accentuating her pretty features with natural make-up. The mother-of-one completed her Fashion Week ensemble with a small cherry-print box clutch bag as she mingled with the likes of Chiara Ferragni, Caroline Vreeland and Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark inside the party. Nicky is already a doting mother to baby daughter Lily Grace, 14 months, with her second child set to arrive in early 2018. Mom's the word: The hotel heiress, 33, offered a lesson in maternity style as she strutted her stuff in a black cherry-print mini-dress with cutaway keyhole detail at the cleavage Plenty to smile about: Teetering on a pair of black bow-detail stilettos, the socialite looked happy and relaxed as she headed inside the bash Blonde ambition: Nicky wore her long blonde locks swept off her face into a high ponytail, while accentuating her pretty features with natural make-up DailyMail.com exclusively revealed the socialite was expecting her second baby earlier this summer. An insider claimed Nicky and elder sister Paris, 36, both love being close in age, so the family are all very excited at the news. 'It's Lily's first birthday July 8 so they are excited,' the source revealed. 'They always wanted to give Lily-Grace a sibling close in age, like they both have.' The source added the couple would love to have a boy to add to their brood, but of course will be happy with anything. Ready to mingle: The mother-of-one completed her Fashion Week ensemble with a small cherry-print box clutch bag Mom on the run: Nicky is already a doting mother to baby daughter Lily Grace, 14 months, with her second child set to arrive in early 2018 Nicky has previously described being a mother to daughter Lily Grace as 'heaven'. Speaking to E! News in September 2016, she said: 'I love it! I love it! Waking up to that face - it's heaven.' The Hilton hotel heiress married British banking heir James in a lavish ceremony at the Kensington Palace Orangery in London in July 2015, surrounded by the creme de la creme of society, as well as their friends and family. The bride wore a stunning $77,000 couture Valentino gown featuring a high-neck and a long train, topping the look off with a dramatic lace veil, while her reality star sister Paris acted as maid of honour. The royal seal of approval: Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark was also seen mingling with guests inside the party Girls' day out: Fashionistas Chiara Ferragni (left) and Caroline Vreeland (right) also attended the W magazine 'It Girl' luncheon Nicky and James started their relationship in 2011 after meeting at Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt's Italian wedding in 2011. James reportedly flew from England to the States to ask her parents for her hand in marriage before he proposed to her in Lake Como, Italy, in August 2014. Nicky was previously wed to financier Todd Meister, before having the marriage annulled less than three months after they tied the knot in Las Vegas in August 2004. In the space of a week she's been faced with dating dilemmas on both Made In Chelsea and Celebs Go Dating. But Georgia Toffolo swept all of that aside on Friday to throw on her glad rags and attend the annual Goodwood Revival historic motor racing festival. Celebrating mid-20th century motorsport, the festival saw the likes of Toff and fellow guests pottering around classic cars on show - something Toff seemed to be enjoying immensely. Scroll down for video Va-va-vroom! Made In Chelsea's Georgia Toffolo looks elegant and chic as she attends Goodwood motor racing festival... after making her debut on Celebs Go Dating The perky blonde smiled happily as she posed in front of eye-catching motors, looking every inch the chic Chelsea resident. Clutching a tan crocodile skin purse, Toff wore a navy and cream ensemble for the late summer event. She sported a buttoned-up cardigan which she decorated with a brooch and ribbon at the neckline. She wore a below-the-knee navy skirt and heels to complete the look. Chic, as always: The perky blonde smiled happily as she posed in front of eye-catching motors, looking every inch the chic Chelsea resident Classic look: Clutching a tan crocodile skin purse, Toff wore a navy and cream ensemble for the late summer event Toff wore her buoyant blonde locks loosely around her shoulders and kept her make-up natural and clean, with a pink/clay tint to her pout. Toff features on Celebs Go Dating with the likes of Frankie Cocozza, Calum Best, Bobby Norris and Sarah-Jane Crawford as they get back out on the dating scene. It follows Toff's up and down love life in the most recent season of Made In Chelsea, out in Ibiza. Chirpy: She sported a buttoned-up cardigan which she decorated with a brooch and ribbon at the neckline Smiley: Toff wore her buoyant blonde locks loosely around her shoulders and kept her make-up natural and clean, with a pink/clay tint to her pout Connection: Toff took onboard some dutch courage by swigging tequila shots before chatting up PHD student Laurent The reality stalwart was seen to be messed around by on/off man Sam Prince, who not only flirted up a storm with her pal Olivia Bentley but also slept with another girl in Toff's bed while she was away. Toff was seen taking onboard some dutch courage by swigging tequila shots before chatting up PHD student Laurent on the premiere episode of Celebs Go Dating on E4 earlier in the week. Disappointed: Toff's up and down love life has been a talking point in the most recent season of Made In Chelsea, out in Ibiza Channel Ten's matchmaking series The Bachelor usually introduces late-arrivals into the mansion midway each season. But as Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson's search for love nears its end, it's clear there will not be intruders added to the mix. With the top three ladies announced this week, the show's executive producer revealed the real reason for the decision to Sydney Confidential. Scroll down for video Did he pick a 'winner' early? Channel Ten producers reveal why Bachelor Matty J didn't have intruders enter the mansion during his search for love As of Thursday night, three ladies are left in the mansion vying for the hunky Bachelor's affection, including Laura Byrne, Elise Stacy and Tara Pavlovic. The marketing manager has become the first Bachelor to not have female infiltrators enter the house to disrupt the contest. The show's executive producer Hilary Innes explained to the publication: 'Format strands, like the inclusion of intruders, are never a guaranteed element in any series.' 'Never discussed in advance with the Bachelor': The marketing manager has become the first Bachelor to not have female infiltrators enter the house to disrupt the contest, with producers revealing it is a 'discussion point that would be had between the producers, Warners Bros. and the network' She went on to say: 'Whether or not to include intruders is a discussion point that would be had between the producers, Warners Bros. and the network.' Going on to suggest Matty had no say in the matter, the producer confirmed: '... and would never be discussed in advance with the Bachelor.' Previous reports suggested Matty J's ex-girlfriend Nathalie Darcas could be entering the mansion, until TV WEEK confirmed it wasn't happening. Rubbished rumour: The hunk's former model girlfriend Nathalie Darcas (pictured) was rumoured to be entering the mansion as an intruder in a quest to win him back NW Magazine originally claimed the blonde model model was called in after Leah Costa and Simone Ormesher's raunchy pasts were exposed on the show. In the past intruders have controversially shaken up the competition and annoyed and upset their rivals. Proving they are a threat to existing contestants, in Sam Wood's 2015 season intruder Lana Jeavons-Fellows made it all the way to the top two. The fitness hunk ultimately chose Snezana Markoski as his winner, with the pair now expecting their first child together. Ultimate threat: During the 2015 season, intruder Lana Jeavons-Fellows made it all the way to the top two with fitness hunk Sam Wood Matty J has met the families of all three finalists and regularly smooches the contestants when enjoying one-on-one time together. Laura is currently odds-on favourite to win by Sportsbet at $1.45, with Elise following and Tara as the outside chance at $6. The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten, with the finale set to air on Thursday night from 7.30pm News / National by Staff reporter A VILLAGE in Filabusi has "distinguished" itself as an extraordinary haven for wizards and witches.This came to light after a family claimed their son who went missing in February this year was kept at a neighbour's granary as a goblin.Amen Gumbi, a 33-year-old mentally challenged man from Magokoko Village in Gangabezi, Filabusi disappeared without a trace on February 23.Traditional leaders in the area have refused to assist the family saying they feared they would also get bewitched.His mother Gogo Josephine Gumbi (70) said word was going around their village that a certain allegedly powerful traditional healer cast a spell on her son and turned him into a goblin.The said inyanga cannot be named for ethical and legal reasons."Word is that my son is being kept in a granary by the biggest inyanga in our village who also doubles up as a powerful church leader here. There is nothing much that we can do but I want my son back," she said.She said she would get closure if she knew where her son had been buried, if he had died."If he died, I would have closure if someone would show me his resting place. But I know that he is alive and some Satanic person is causing my family such pain," said Gogo Gumbi.Amen Gumbi's brother, Samson Gumbi, said he could not go back to work in South Africa, as there would be no one to remain with his aged mother who is a widow."I feel let down by the traditional leadership, which swept the issue under the carpet. We need them to investigate and establish if my brother is indeed a goblin being kept by a known person," said Samson."I have gone around the country and the people I have consulted said my brother was captured by a powerful man whose powers they cannot match. I therefore call upon all those that feel they are powerful to assist. I have cattle and I will pay them if my brother comes home," said Gumbi."The headman, Johnson Dube, and village head Obert Mabuya don't want to get involved. They called a meeting and did not turn up. Now they said they were going to call the chief, but she still has not been consulted about our family matter. The village head last time told me that it was a family matter and I should deal with the family that's keeping my brother without involving him as he was scared of being bewitched too," he said.Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed having received the report."I can confirm that we received a missing person's report on Amen Gumbi, a 33-year-old male from Filabusi who is mentally challenged who went missing in February 2017. Anyone who may know his whereabouts is advised to contact their nearest police station," said Insp Ndebele.A B-Metro news crew visited the village head at his homestead and he maintained that he had to distance himself from the matter."This is very difficult because the man involved is a feared man and he has led to the downfall of many spiritual leaders who have tried to fight him. The community is divided on what should be done. Some suggested that we call tsikamutandas (witch-hunters), however, other people do not want them."The problem is that we can call these witch-hunters just for one case but they will end up exposing more people who are keeping their things and practising witchcraft without interfering with other villagers and it will not be fair. It is a fact; people keep all sorts of things and goblins. Who am I to start pointing fingers that so and so does such? It is none of my business," said the village head. There's a new colonel in town - and he means business. GoodFellas icon Ray Liotta has become the latest actor to play Colonel Sanders in a new commercial for KFC that was released online on Thursday. In a Scorcese-like touch, the Colonel loses his mind during the ad, hearing voices and developing split personalities, before wailing: 'What have I become?' Scroll down for video New colonel in town: GoodFellas icon Ray Liotta has become the latest actor to play Colonel Sanders in a new commercial for KFC that was released online Thursday The kick-off point of his breakdown is a pair of trays on the desk in front of him. 'Howdy, folks!' says the Colonel cheerfully, gesturing at one tray of chicken. 'I'm here to tell you about KFC's honey mustard BBQ, Georgia Gold!' Like night into day, the Colonel snaps into a gruffer, angrier personality that barks: 'No! Tell 'em about Nashville hot!' Losing it: In a Scorcese-like touch, the Colonel loses his mind during the ad, hearing voices and developing split personalities before wailing: 'What have I become?' Confused: The Colonel's face is seen snapping back and forth from a pained smile to a glower The two personalities squabble about which chicken dish to advertise, to the point the cheery Colonel snaps: 'I will warsh your mouth out with sweet 'n' tangy chicken!' 'Try it, you gold prune!' taunts the gruff Colonel with a laugh. Inanimate objects get in on the action, springing into life - at least in the Colonel's mind - to nudge him toward either Georgia Gold or Nashville Hot. A bust on a pedestal, a painting, bookends and a pair of theatrical masks hanging from the wall start talking, driving the poor Colonel into a frenzy. The man himself: The real Colonel Harland Sanders not only founded KFC in 1930 and became its logo, but also played himself in commercials hawking the fast food chain Salute: He died in 1980 at the ripe old age of 90, but two years ago the company decided to start cutting ads with actors playing him, one being Rob Lowe (pictured) 'What have I become?' he cries out to the ceiling, holding the two trays far apart. After the commercial, naturally, tells viewers to 'Try both,' the Colonel's face is seen snapping back and forth from a faintly pained smile to a glower. The real Colonel Harland Sanders not only founded KFC in 1930 and became its logo, but also played himself in commercials hawking the fast food chain. New challenge: The role marks a departure from Liotta's usual acting gigs, which have included the likes of Goodfellas, Something Wild and Sin City He died in 1980 at the ripe old age of 90, but two years ago the fast food chain decided to start cutting ads with actors playing him. Some of the names who've taken a stab at this gig include Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, Darrell Hammond and even Rob Lowe in an astronaut-themed commercial. The role marks a departure from Liotta's usual acting gigs, which have included the likes of Goodfellas, Something Wild and Sin City. Most recently, the star has been acting alongside Jennifer Lopez in Brooklyn-based cop drama, Shades Of Blue. She's been tipped as the betting odds favourite since The Bachelor Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson first met the her during the red carpet arrivals. But Laura Byrne has now dismissed claims Matty J has only ever had eyes for her on the show. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the accessories designer said: 'I think it's obvious there are other people he feels very strongly for.' Scroll down for video 'It's obvious there are other people he feels very strongly for': The Bachelor's Laura Byrne dismisses claims she's front-runner for Matty J's heart as finale approaches The 30-year-old is one of three ladies left in the mansion vying for the hunky Bachelor's affection, going up against Elise Stacy and Tara Pavlovic. Laura claimed it was flattering that Australian viewers had backed her from the beginning, but insisted other connections were definitely forming between her rivals and the marketing manager as the weeks went by. Matty J has met the families of all three finalists and regularly smooches the contestants when enjoying one-on-one time together. 'You can't help but have those feelings': Laura claimed it 'was great' meeting someone who she clicked with, but was remaining tight-lipped on whether she had fallen in love Who will win? Sportsbet tip Laura (L) to be the outright winner at $1.45, with Elise Stacey (R) at $3.75 and Tara Pavlovic (Middle) at $6 When asked if her feelings for the former Bachelorette reject had become serious, Laura responded: 'I was very open to meeting someone amazing... But when you meet someone you click with and it's great, you can't help but have those feelings for them.' With less than one week until the winner is announced, Laura insisted she's eagerly awaiting Thursday's finale episode so all can be out in the open. 'I'm definitely ready for it to be over so I can talk freely,' she said. 'I'm definitely ready for it to be over': Laura is eagerly awaiting the finale next Thursday so she can 'talk freely' about the exciting outcome After inviting Matty J to a family dinner, Laura pleaded with the reality star: 'Are you 100 per cent certain (about the relationship)?' but he was unable to give her an answer. Laura then reminded him: 'You know I want this.' The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten, with the finale set to air on Thursday night from 7.30pm Blake Heron has died at the age of 35. The actor, 35, famed for his role as Marty Preston in the 1996 classic film Shiloh, was found at his Los Angeles home by his girlfriend Chanel Panagiotolpoulos on Friday, TMZ reports. Heron's cause of death has not been officially confirmed, but it's claimed he had been suffering from bouts of the flu for the last few days. RIP: Blake Heron has died at the age of 35 (pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2017) The star's girlfriend allegedly found his unresponsive body on Friday morning before calling law enforcement officials. Sources reported that paramedics attempted to resuscitate Heron for nearly 40 minutes before pronouncing the star dead at the scene. Paramedics on scene reportedly did not find any illegal drugs, TMZ reports. Talent: The 35-year-old actor starred as Marty Preston in the 1996 classic film Shiloh Screen star: Blake had recently portrayed a heroin addict with the same name in the 2017 film A Thousand Junkies, which screened at Tribeca FIlm Festival in April 2017 He had recently completed a stint in rehab for his struggle with heroin addiction. Heron's Instagram account showed he had also just returned from a trip to Paris, France with his make-up artist girlfriend. 'Our last night in Paris. We had a rad dinner cruise on the Seine River to cap our week off,' Blake captioned his last social media post. Happy: Blake's last Instagram post was a touching image of him and make-up artist girlfriend Chanel Panagiotolpoulos outside the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France Trip of a lifetime: Heron had just returned from a trip to Paris, France with his make up artist girlfriend Chanel Panagiotolpoulos Heron had recently portrayed a heroin addict with the same name in the 2017 film A Thousand Junkies, which screened at Tribeca FIlm Festival. He made his film debut alongside Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro in the 1995 film Tom and Huck, based on Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. Renfro died of an accidental heroin dose in 2008. Heron was a lead character in the film Cheaters in 2000, which also starred Jeff Daniels, Jena Malone and Paul Sorvino, where students conspired to cheat on an academic event. In the past few years, Blake had also starred in the television shows Justified, Criminal Minds and NCIS: New Orleans. After last year's grand return after a hiatus of 13 years, viewers were chomping at the bit for the seventh season of Cold Feet to come back to ITV. And although overall the premiere episode of the new series didn't disappoint, the opening montage had fans wondering whether they'd accidentally switched the wrong show on. The opening featured James Nesbitt's character Adam rushing his girlfriend Tina (Leanne Best) to hospital, where she gave birth to a dog, with Adam and the hospital staff bursting into a song and dance routine. Scroll down for video 'Why is James Nesbitt dancing?' Viewers left baffled over Cold Feet's 'bonkers' musical dream sequence... as series seven starts with Tina GIVING BIRTH to a King Charles Spaniel Weird: The opening featured James Nesbitt's character Adam rushing his girlfriend Tina (Leanne Best) to hospital, where she gave birth to a dog, with Adam and the hospital staff bursting into a song and dance routine 'What is happening?' came one person asked on Twitter as the first scene aired. Another echoed with: 'What a weird beginning!' Someone else elaborated with: 'Wtf @coldfeettv #coldfeet Not liking the James Nesbitt singing, even if it was a dream! #notthebeststart.' A fourth and fifth wrote '#coldfeet 1 minute in and it's jumped the shark' and 'glad it's back but AWFUL start #ColdFeet #cheap #crap!' 'Stink bomb opening scene,' slammed a sixth. 'WHYS JIMMY NESBITT DANCING,' someone else demanded to know. Back for more: When the show returned last year after its lengthy time off the air, Adam was seen remarrying, then regretting it and opening up a whole new chapter of romantic angst A welcome return: After last year's grand return after a hiatus of 13 years, viewers were chomping at the bit for the seventh season of Cold Feet to come back to ITV On the flip side of this, others loved the start of the show, which also featured co-stars Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley, Hermione Norris and John Thomson. 'Cold Feet never disappoints! Great opening!,' squealed someone, as a second wrote: 'I certainly enjoyed #ColdFeet's La La Land moment at the start of the episode just now!' 'Hilarious opening scenes,' a third posted, followed by another who wrote: 'ColdFeet ha ha musical number - love it!!! Bonkers!' Someone else observed 'Loved the dream sequence at start of Cold Feet. Shades of Buffy', likening it to the famous musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Off piste: Although overall the premiere episode of the new series didn't disappoint, the opening montage had fans wondering whether they'd accidentally switched the wrong show on Distracted: Other distractions saw viewers querying star of the show James Nesbitt's apparent makeover Imagining things: Adam's dream sequence seemingly related to his desire to take things further in his relationship with Tina feeling unsure (partly because both Matthew, Adam's son, and David are living at Adam's house) Other distractions saw viewers querying star of the show James Nesbitt's apparent makeover. 'Why does James Nesbitt suddenly look like a Poundshop Simon Cowell?' came someone's sarcastic remark, as another tweeted: 'Cold Feet was pretty good , altho my dad spent the whole time talking about Adam/James Nesbitts hair and eyebrows!' The seventh season opened with the character of Karen setting up her own publishing house and recruiting ex-nanny Ramona as personal assistant. Adam's dream sequence seemingly related to his desire to take things further in his relationship with Tina feeling unsure (partly because both Matthew, Adam's son, and David are living at Adam's house). Old friends: (L-R) Cold Feet cast-members Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley, James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris, John Thomson and Leanne Best reunited on Wednesday afternoon as the hugely popular show prepares to return with a seventh series Pete is now a chauffeur and so spending less time with Jenny. Matthew's relationship with Olivia is also set to take a sudden new turn. The cast reunited on Wednesday to celebrate the launch with a special screening, held at London's Mondrian Hotel. Posing for a series of promotional photos ahead of the event, the cast were in high spirits as they readied themselves for a welcome return to British television. Popular: James Nesbitt plays Adam Williams in the hit show, which is returning to ITV1 Pals: Fay Ripley (L) and Hermione Norris (R) play Jenny Gifford and Karen Marsden respectively Troubled: John Thomsons character Pete struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts during the last series of Cold Feet When the show returned last year after its lengthy time off the air, Adam was seen remarrying, then regretting it and opening up a whole new chapter of romantic angst. Show creator Mike Bullen also tackled the topic of male depression, and had John Thomsons character Pete struggling with suicidal thoughts. The big question when Cold Feet returned last year was always how the cast would handle the absence of Adams true love, Rachel, played by Helen Baxendale, such a key character from the original line-up. Her death brought the first run of the show to a shuddering, devastating end. The idea of bringing her back even in ghost form had been mooted, but ultimately dismissed when Helen decided not to return. Rights groups have regularly accused Egyptian security services of practising torture, something the interior ministry has denied Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Egyptian security services of widespread torture of detainees in a probable "crime against humanity". The New York-based rights group said in a report that security services in the North African country used torture as a "systematic practice" against suspected opponents of the government. Egypt's foreign ministry said the HRW report was based on undocumented testimonies. Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid said it ignored steps the government had taken on human rights and accountability for individuals involved in torture cases. Rights groups have regularly accused Egyptian security services of practising torture, something the interior ministry has denied. "Human Rights Watch believes the torture epidemic in Egypt likely constitutes a crime against humanity, due to its widespread and systematic practice," the group said in the report. It said it had interviewed 19 former detainees who detailed the methods of torture, which include electrocution. Police also handcuffed suspects and suspended them by their arms. In another position called the 'chicken' or 'grill', "officers placed a stick or bar behind the suspects' knees, wrapped their arms around the bar from the other side so that the bar laid between the crook of their elbows and the back of their knees, and tied their hands together above their shins to secure them in the position," HRW said. The bar was then lifted, placing the suspects in a position "resembling a chicken on a rotisserie spit". The report quoted a former detainee alleging police "repeatedly raped" him with a stick. Egypt's government has acknowledged "individual" cases of torture in recent years, and several policemen have been tried and sentenced for violent deaths in detention. Police abuses fuelled a 2011 uprising that unseated veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak and ushered in years of political instability. In 2013, then army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew Mubarak's unpopular Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi, unleashing a bloody crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement. Jihadists have since launched a deadly insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers. Sisi, elected president in 2014, asked the police to crack down on abuses after a spate of violent deaths in prison and police shootings that sparked protests. In February last year, a court sentenced a policeman to eight years in prison for beating to death a veterinary surgeon in custody in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya. In December 2015, a court in the Nile delta city of Tanta sentenced two policemen in absentia to life in jail for killing a man in custody. The same month, a court sentenced two secret policemen to five years in prison for beating to death an imprisoned lawyer in a Cairo police station. In its report, HRW recommended Sisi tackle what it called a "torture epidemic" and task the justice ministry with appointing a special prosecutor to investigate complaints of abuse and prosecute them. Failing that, it urged "UN member states to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute in their own courts Egyptian security officers and other officials accused of committing torture or allowing it". South African chef Nthabiseng Mabuza, 35, was on her way to work and the only passenger in a public mini-bus taxi when she was raped by the driver South African chef Nthabiseng Mabuza, 35, was on her way to work and the only passenger in a public mini-bus taxi when she was raped by the driver. Her alleged attacker was arrested at the scene after she shouted for help to a passerby who flagged down a police patrol car. Although the suspect was held in custody for several months, he was later freed on bail. Two years on, the case has not yet come to court and the accused has vanished. Mabuza, a pseudonym as she did not want to be identified by her real name, is dumbfounded and angry at the police for releasing the alleged rapist and says she lives in fear that he is roaming the streets. Her case is one example of the struggles that rape victims face and how they are treated by the police in South Africa, where tens of thousands of people are sexually assaulted each year. "The day when I was supposed to testify, he (the alleged rapist) was nowhere to be found," Mabuza told AFP, recounting the day last year when she went to court hoping the trial would finally start after being repeatedly postponed. "Since then, nothing has happened," she said, flanked by her husband, 45, at their home in Vosloorus, a middle-class township east of Johannesburg. Her efforts to find out what was going on from the investigating officer proved futile, despite what she believes is overwhelming evidence of the brutal pre-dawn attack not far from Vosloorus. Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has vowed to overhaul the system after admitting there is something "wrong in the administration of justice at our police stations." "We need to respond to the outcries of millions of our people that our police force does not respond adequately (to rape cases)," the minister told AFP in an interview. He said his department would now do "what we are supposed to do so our police stations are functional and they do everything at their disposal to assist victims of abuse". - Blaming the victim - South Africa has in recent years created specialised sexual offences courts and 57 have so far opened, but activists say more are needed Mabuza's husband flips through photographs showing images of his wife, the bloodied mini-bus in which she was raped, her earring ripped off during the assault and a piece of synthetic hair extension lying in the grass. "This happened in 2015, now it is 2017, the guy was apprehended on the same day," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh. The couple is bewildered at how an alleged rapist could have been freed on bail. South African police are accused by NGOs, women's and human rights groups, academics, the media and some lawmakers of being insensitive to victims and slow in their investigations. Conviction rates from the reported cases are low at under 10 percent, according to several independent studies. A soon-to-be-published report, of which AFP was given an advance copy, entitled Rape Justice in South Africa, studied data from 2012 and found only 8.6 percent of cases that went to trial ended in a guilty verdict. Prosecutors declined to prosecute 47.7 percent of the cases referred to them by the police, due to the likely success rate based on the available evidence, according to the report conducted by the South African Medical Research Council, a government-funded research agency. It concluded that there was "substantial" under-reporting by victims due to "discriminatory police attitudes and the fear of secondary victimisation." Victims are "not happy with the way in which police handle their cases. There is a general lack of trust," said Marike Keller, an activist with an advocacy charity, Sonke Gender Justice. "There is a lot of insensitivity, a lot of victim-blaming," she said, adding police often ask questions such as what the victim was wearing "which imply it was the victim's fault." - Under-reporting - Another survivor Lu-Meri Kruger, 35, agrees that police ask "extremely difficult questions -- over and over. You become the guilty person." "Walking into a police station is the coldest, darkest, dustiest, most difficult time ever," she told AFP. "That is the most difficult part of being raped." "You don't know where to go to," said Kruger, who was raped aged 15 by a man, who barged into a communal bathroom where she was taking a shower at a Cape Town backpackers lodge. South African police not only suffer from inadequate training on how to handle rape victims, but also face high levels of work stress and a lack of transport, the Medical Research Council's report said. "Higher work stress was associated with holding generally less equitable and sympathetic attitudes to rape victims," it stated. Official crime statistics show that 51,895 cases of rape were recorded between April 2015 and March 2016. But activists estimate that only a small fraction of rape cases are reported. Out of dozens of NGOs helping abused women in South Africa, one single Johannesburg-based 24-hour helpline for victims, TEARS, said it had received more than 31,000 calls for the 12-month period ending in February from victims of rape and domestic abuse. The incidence of rape in South Africa is "driven by a violent political history, as well as by structural and gender inequality," warned the Medical Research Council study. South Africa has in recent years created specialised sexual offences courts and 57 have so far opened, but activists say more are needed. Manifestation d'immigrants et de supporters du programme "Daca", le 5 septembre 2017 a Washington Legislative efforts to reform the US immigration system failed in 2001, 2006 and 2013, but President Donald Trump's latest crackdown has paradoxically given modest hope to supporters of legal protections for so-called Dreamer immigrants. Trump, in a decision hostile to undocumented immigrants, on Tuesday abrogated the order issued by his predecessor Barack Obama that deferred deportations of immigrants who had arrived illegally as children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program (DACA) protected some 800,000 young people, granting them temporary legal status. Trump's rescission of DACA -- a program that fellow Republicans saw as an abuse of power by Obama -- fulfilled a campaign promise of zero tolerance toward illegal immigrants. But at the same time the president insisted he is showing compassion for the Dreamers, many of whom have known only the United States and speak only English, by giving Congress six months to craft a lasting legal solution. "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!" Trump tweeted on Thursday. DACA is now slated to expire in March, and Trump has made it clear he wants Congress to find a solution before then. "It's Congress's job to legislate," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Some Republicans see an opportunity for decisive and humane action. "This may be what we need in Congress to get our act together -- real people, something we can put our hands around and the public can understand," said Senator Lindsey Graham, referring to the sympathetic faces of young Dreamers. Graham and Democratic senator Dick Durbin recently introduced the latest iteration of the Dream Act, which would allow immigrant students who grew up in the United States to earn legal permanent residency and eventually citizenship. Public opinion favors legalization, with a poll by news outlet Politico showing support from 76 percent of Americans. The Dream Act is a Democratic priority, and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi said Trump told her he supports the bill. "He would sign it," she said. Hundreds of universities, joined by businesses from Facebook to Microsoft, are actively pushing for the legalization of the Dreamers. "This is a very different debate now than even a couple of years ago," Doris Meissner, director of the US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, told AFP. "There is a level of engagement by the business community that I haven't seen before on any immigration issue." - A deal with conservatives? - Should a form of the Dream Act come to a vote, it appears likely to pass, thanks to support from opposition Democrats and Republican moderates. "Congress has six months. It should take six hours to get this done," Ohio's Republican governor John Kasich, a 2016 presidential candidate, told CBS. But Republican leaders have so far refused to put the issue on the agenda, for fear of retaliation by the party's conservative faction. The challenge therefore is to know what sweeteners Republicans could insert into the measure to get it passed in coming months. For Trump, a key priority could be funding for his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. He reiterated as much on Wednesday. "I'd like to see something where we have good border security," he said. Anti-immigration Republicans have an arsenal of proposals, including restricting visas for foreign workers in order, they say, to protect the American labor force. A proposal from conservative Senator Tom Cotton, supported by Trump, would halve the number of green cards, or permanent resident permits, from one million to 500,000 per year by scrapping categories such as family reunification visas, and ending the annual visa lottery. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has struggled to maintain unity within his turbulent Republican caucus, said he favors legalization of DACA immigrants. In a delicately balanced statement Wednesday, Ryan said: "We want to make sure we fix this issue for these young people and address the root cause of the problem so we don't have the same thing 10 years from now." These debates will take place in coming months. Democrats, who have blocking power in the Senate, could use another deadline to pressure Republicans: December 8, the date by which Congress must again raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government. Uber confirmed one of the cars torched in confrontations with taxi drivers in Johannesburg was registered to use the Uber app Three cars were torched in a Johannesburg business district on Thursday in the latest clash between drivers with ride-hailing service Uber and traditional cabbies. "Three cars were set alight," police spokesman Mavela Masondo told AFP, adding that two of the vehicle were believed to belong to Uber drivers while one was owned by a cab driver. A fourth car had its windows smashed in the confrontations in the Sandton area. No injuries were reported. Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg confirmed that one of the cars was registered to use the Uber app. AFP reporters saw shells of the burnt vehicles, two just metres from a train station and another one in front of a five-star hotel in the wealthy financial district of Johannesburg. "We suspect it is the ongoing fight between Uber and metred taxis in the area," said Masondo. He denied local media reports that police fired stun grenades to disperse groups of rival drivers. Taxi drivers have regularly targeted Uber drivers in Johannesburg where they compete for passengers. They accuse Uber of stealing business and competing unfairly due to low fares. The Uber car-hailing app service is hugely popular in the city where public transport is poor and taxi drivers previously enjoyed a monopoly. The destroyer USS John S. McCain with a hole in its side after a collision with an oil tanker Foreign-based US Navy ships are suffering a slew of problems that are raising risks and impacting military readiness, a government watchdog warned Thursday in the wake of two deadly maritime mishaps. A review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that crews are being overworked and undertrained, just as vital maintenance is not being completed on time. Problems are particularly apparent in vessels ported in Japan, home to the Navy's Seventh Fleet, from where ships sail from Yokosuka and Sasebo on vital operational missions in the South China Sea and off the Korean Peninsula. "The Navy has been warning for some time that they have been keeping a pace that is unsustainable. Our work has confirmed the difficulties," said John Pendleton, a director at GAO. Last month, the USS John S. McCain collided with a tanker as the destroyer was on its way to Singapore, tearing a huge hole in the hull and leaving 10 sailors missing and five injured. In June, the USS Fitzgerald -- also a destroyer -- smashed into a Philippine-flagged cargo ship off Japan, leaving seven sailors dead and leading to several officers being disciplined. Two non-deadly incidents occurred this year -- in January, the USS Antietam ran aground near its base in Japan and in May, the USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing vessel. According to an updated GAO review, which began studying naval readiness in 2015, the number of sailors lacking current training certifications has risen five-fold in just two years. As of June this year, 37 percent of the warfare certifications for cruiser and destroyer crews homeported in Japan had expired, and over two-thirds of these had been expired for five months or more, Pendleton said. US lawmakers are gobsmacked that a warship could collide with something as big as a tanker or a freighter, and the Navy is even looking into whether cyberattackers may have played a role. "Two destroyers, 17 lives... something is definitely wrong," said Democratic Congressman Anthony Brown at a hearing attended by Pendleton and other officials, as well as the mother of one of the sailors who died aboard the USS McCain. While some experts believe that being able to engineer a collision would be unlikely, given the security systems of the US Navy and the logistics of having two ships converge, others say putting the recent incidents down to human error and coincidence is an equally unsatisfactory explanation. Ivory Coast has been shaken by army mutinies, violent protests by former rebels and a spate of attacks on prisons and police stations this year A group of people allied to Ivory Coast's former leader Laurent Gbagbo are behind a wave of recent attacks on police posts, the interior minister said Thursday. Thirty-five people have been arrested over the violence, which is being led by two men who are already in exile, Interior Minister Sidiki Diakite said after a meeting of the National Security Council. "These attacks are part of a project of destabilisation notably involving political leaders both inside and outside the country," the minister said, according to a statement. Ivory Coast has been shaken by army mutinies, violent protests by former rebels and a spate of attacks on prisons and police stations this year. Local media have also denounced rising instability in Abidjan by violent gangs of children known as "microbes" by Ivorians. The former French colony suffered a decade-long civil war from 2002 to 2011, splitting the country in two. The recent spate of attacks have raised fears over the country's long-term stability. Four separate prison breaks have happened in the last month, including 98 prisoners who escaped last Sunday. Forty-four of them have been recaptured, the minister said, adding that additional measures to reinforce security were being taken. Gbagbo is on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, but the prosecution has said the former Ivorian strongman still enjoys a strong network of support. Gbagbo and his former militia leader, Charles Ble Goude, 45, have pleaded not guilty to four charges arising out of post-election violence. About 3,000 people died in the turmoil that swept Abidjan in the aftermath of the November 2010 presidential polls when Gbagbo refused to accept his defeat by bitter rival Alassane Ouattara. News / National by Staff reporter A Gokwe woman let dogs feast on her newly born baby in a bid to save her marriage, after being impregnated by her husband's uncle, while the husband was working in South Africa.Svodai Murwisi (30) of Maritini Village under Chief Nemangwe was this week sentenced to 245 hours of community service, failure of which she will serve seven months in prison.Gokwe magistrate Christopher Maturure considered that Murwisi was a first offender who did not waste the court's time by immediately pleading guilty.The agreed facts are that Murwisi gave birth to a baby while alone at home without the knowledge of her husband and decided to conceal the birth.She placed the child under the cooking shed and proceeded to her bedroom hut to sleep, knowing there were dogs around. Murwisi's neighbour, Sylvester Ziumbwa stumbled on a dog feasting on a baby skull the following morning outside her homestead.Murwisi told the court that she wanted to conceal the birth from her husband."Your worship, I deeply regret my actions but the truth is I wanted to save my marriage since I had been impregnated by another man. I left the baby in the shed to die," said Murwisi.Tineyi Tirigo prosecuted. Anti-riot policemen (L) block the road against opposition supporters (R) keeping an all-night vigil to press for constitutional reform, during anti-government protests led by a coalition of opposition parties in Lome, on September 7, 2017 Riot police fired tear gas at massive crowds gathered in Togo's capital late Thursday, breaking up the huge opposition protests against President Faure Gnassingbe's regime. Demonstrators, blowing whistles and waving Togo's green, yellow and red flag, had said they were determined to stay in the streets "all night" but were finally made to disperse by security forces. In Be, a working-class district of Lome, small groups of protesters set fire to barricades. "Faure, get out, you're driving us mad," shouted one young male demonstrator. The rest of the city remained quiet, even as many residents had set up makeshift barricades in the streets, using tyres and rocks. The protesters, shouting "Liberate, liberate Togo!", had marched calmly during the day Wednesday and Thursday, but had been blocked from heading to the presidency, according to AFP journalists on the scene. Togo's political opposition has long demanded the introduction of a two-round voting system and a limit to the number of terms a president can serve. Gnassingbe, who has repeatedly promised to look into the reforms but never implemented them, took power in 2005 after the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who was installed as head of state of the tiny West African nation in 1967 after a military coup. "We're tired. Enough is enough," said one woman who gave her name as Agnes, 64. "I've known the same family since I was 14. Let's liberate Togo so these children can see something else." Protesters are demanding constitutional reforms, including limiting the president to two terms in office and a two-round election vote. "We are going to stay on the streets until he listens to us," another protester, Jonas Badagbo, told AFP. "We want Faure to re-establish the 1992 constitution and him to leave office," added the 29-year-old. Opposition supporters keep an all-night vigil to press for constitutional reform, during anti-government protests led by a coalition of opposition parties in Lome, on September 7, 2017 Veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre told AFP he was moved by the thousands of people who had turned out for the protest. "To see the Togolese people rise up as one is a source of great satisfaction," he said. "I'm overcome with emotion." Observers say the scale of the protests is unprecedented, which explained the heavy security. One said there was "a lot of tension in the air" and more people than Wednesday. - Internet problems - Mobile internet services were cut in Togo on Thursday, after an estimated 100,000 or more protesters turned out across the country on Wednesday. On social media sites Facebook and Twitter, which were still accessible using intermittent wifi access in the capital, users called for services to be restored. The Internet Without Borders group said the shutdown was "an attack on Togolese citizens' freedom of expression online". Amnesty International's Togo director, Aime Adi, told AFP by telephone that the internet and mobile phone networks were completely off in several cities in northern Togo. Information minister Gilbert Bawara has told several local radio stations that the government reserved the right to impose restrictions on access to the internet. A vendors sells goods during an anti-government protest led by a coalition of opposition parties on September 7, 2017 in Lome Amnesty's Adi said similar protests were taking place outside Lome, including in Sokode, 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of the capital, where two protesters were killed last month. In Bafilo, north of Lome, about 100 protesters had blocked traffic on the main road, he added. Gnassingbe won elections in 2010 and 2015 but the opposition disputed the results and hundreds of people lost their lives during violent protests after the votes. Transparency International ranked Togo 116th out of 176 countries in its annual corruption Perceptions Index last year. Togo was 166th out of 188 countries in the UN Development Programme's human development report, which looks at areas such as levels of income, health and education. AFP contacted the presidency repeatedly for comment on the protests but without response. On Tuesday, a tentative plan was announced for constitutional reform. But parliament, which has to approve it, is not due to return from its summer break until next month and exact details of the plan were vague. Sloane Stephens of the US celebrates after defeating compatriot Venus Williams in their 2017 US Open semi-final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 7 Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, both struggling with serious injuries just three months ago, advanced to their first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday. Stephens, who missed 11 months with a left foot injury before returning in July, outlasted seven-time Slam champion Venus Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. "I'm super happy to be in a Grand Slam final," Stephens said. "To do it here, my home slam, is obviously more special. I think this is what every player dreams about." US 15th seed Keys, who had left wrist surgery for the second time in 10 months after a first-round French Open exit, routed US 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2 in 66 minutes to complete the first all-American US Open final since Serena Williams beat sister Venus in 2002. "It still doesn't feel real. I'm still shaking," Keys said. "I played pretty well. There's a lot of things in my head right now so I'm struggling to come up with words. Madison Keys of the US hits a return to compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe during their 2017 US Open semi-final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 7 "I knew I had to rise to the occasion. I'm just happy to be in the final." The friends and Fed Cup teammates will meet Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the biggest match of either's career for a top prize of $3.7 million (3.07 million euros). "I've known her for a long time. She's one of my closest friends on tour," Stephens said. "I love her to death. And it's not easy playing a friend." Stephens, who was wearing a walking boot in June and ranked 957th in July, has won 14 of her past 16 matches, with semi-final runs at Toronto and Cincinnati. "I have no words to describe what I'm feeling, what it took to get here, the journey I've been on," Stephens said. "It's incredible. I don't know how I got here. Your guess is as good as mine. Just hard work. That's it." Venus Williams of the US reacts to a lost point against compatriot Sloane Stephens in their 2017 US Open semi-final match, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 7 Stephens beat Keys in the second round at Miami in 2015 in their only career meeting. "Sloane is a new person right now," Keys said. "She's so excited to be out on the court again. I'm excited we get to play each other in the US Open final." Stephens needed a thrilling break at love in the penultimate game and closing hold of serve to deny two-time champion Williams her first US Open final in 15 years. "I just worked my tail off and tried to run every ball down and here we are," Stephens said. "It required a lot of fight and a lot of grit." Now 83rd, Stephens is the lowest-ranked Slam finalist since unranked Justine Henin at the 2010 Australian Open and the lowest at the US Open since unranked Kim Clijsters won the 2009 title. Stephens, who beat Williams in the first round of the 2015 French Open in their only prior meeting, will jump into the world top 25 next week with the victory. US ninth seed Williams could not overcome 51 unforced errors that doomed her bid to become the oldest women's singles finalist in US Open history at age 37. "It was definitely well competed," Williams said. "In the end she won more points than I did and that's what it added up to. "Just made so many errors at the end there... I wasn't playing well. Just wasn't playing well." Williams will return to the top five in Monday's world rankings for the first time since 2011, the year she was diagnosed with strength-sapping Sjogren's Syndrome. - Stephens 4-0 in WTA finals - Stephens, 24, is 4-0 in WTA finals, having won titles in 2015 at Washington and last year in Auckland, Acapulco and Charleston. The only cautionary note for Keys, 22, was a medical timeout to have her right leg taped three games from the end. "I definitely started to feel it," she said. "I felt if I went too far it might be something more." It was the first all-American US Open women's semi-finals since 1981 and the first at any Slam since Wimbledon in 1985. On Friday, the men return to Arthur Ashe Stadium with 15-time Slam champion Rafael Nadal, the world number one, seeking his fourth trip to the New York finals against 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, the 24th seed from Argentina. South African Kevin Anderson and Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta meet in the other semi-final. New South Wales Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Hoffman with a selection of weapons previously seized from criminals. Nearly 26,000 guns have been surrendered under an amnesty A battery of explosives, gunpowder and detonators have been handed to police under an amnesty in Australia, along with 26,000 firearms as authorities work to remove illicit weapons from the streets. An amnesty was introduced by New South Wales state in March, allowing people to turn over any commercial explosives with no questions asked to stop them falling into the hands of criminals and homegrown jihadis. With one week left, counter-terrorism police said the response had been encouraging. "More than five months into the amnesty and there has been a wide variety of explosives surrendered, but we're sure there's more out there," said Mick Willing, head of the NSW counter terrorism and special tactics command. Among the cache is more than 146 kilograms (321 pounds) of explosives, over 20 kilograms of gunpowder and thousands of detonators and safety fuses. A separate national firearms amnesty -- the first in 20 years -- has also proved a success, with 25,999 guns surrendered since it got underway in June. "This is a great result, and shows Australians are serious about protecting themselves, their families, and their communities," said Justice Minister Michael Keenan. "As we know, just one firearm in the wrong hands can be deadly." Among the more unusual items handed in was a circa 1856 Beaumont Adams revolver, a World War I-era Lee Enfield rifle and two WWII US M1 carbines. The gun amnesty runs for another three weeks. The government believes there are as many as 260,000 illicit weapons on the streets, and with the threat of extremist attacks and a spate of recent gangland shootings, it wants to minimise the danger. Australian officials have grown increasingly concerned over the threat of extremist attacks and have prevented 13 on home soil since September 2014. But several have taken place in recent years, including a Sydney cafe siege in 2014 which saw two hostages killed. Despite growing public support for same-sex marriage, Australia has not yet legalised such unions after more than a decade of political wrangling Australia's ruling and opposition parties vowed Friday to work together to introduce laws against hate speech ahead of a contentious postal vote on gay marriage. Same-sex marriage advocates have opposed the voluntary postal ballot that opens next week, arguing it could turn ugly and expose gay people and their families to abuse. Despite growing public support for same-sex marriage, Australia has not yet legalised such unions after more than a decade of political wrangling. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last year made pledged to hold a national referendum, but switched to a postal vote when the original plan was twice rejected by the upper house. Some 15 million Australians will receive ballot papers after the High Court on Thursday threw out two challenges against the survey by marriage equality campaigners. The hate speech fears have led to the ruling conservative coalition and the left-leaning Labor opposition working together to try to get legislation past parliament as soon as next week. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, who is overseeing the survey, said the rules would include ensuring appropriate balance in broadcasting. Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten said the survey needed to have similar protections as political elections on what debate was allowed, and possibly even stronger safeguards. During election periods in Australia, restrictions are imposed on media advertisements in print, video and online. "At the moment, the protections in an election... are better than what we have for the survey," Shorten told reporters. "So we do need to regulate it so that we have some more decent debate than I think we're seeing at the margins," he added. Heated exchanges among supporters and opponents of gay marriage outside a Brisbane church late Thursday were an early sign of what might be in store. One woman rallying for same-sex unions told broadcaster Channel Nine the situation turned "extremely aggressive and particularly violent". Ahead of the court's decision, a poster emblazoned "stop the fags" was put up in Melbourne, while there were flyers describing homosexuality as "a curse of death" distributed in Sydney. The postal vote will close on November 7, with the result known later that month. If most Australians vote "yes", the government will move for a parliamentary vote, but will not do so if there is a "no" outcome. Hong Kong democracy activists Agnes Chow and Lester Shum are among the young leaders to have stepped into the breach left by jailed opposition figures The jailing of Hong Kong's best-known democracy activists has pushed a new wave of young leaders to take the helm as they seek to keep the movement's message alive. Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, who carved out international reputations with their campaigning, were both sent to prison last month in what rights groups slammed as politically motivated prosecutions. Alongside fellow activist Alex Chow, they are serving sentences of between six and eight months for their roles in a protest that triggered mass Umbrella Movement rallies in 2014 calling for democratic reforms. The jailings were a blow to the pro-democracy movement and seen as more evidence that Beijing is tightening its grip on semi-autonomous Hong Kong. But they also breathed new life into a campaign that had been struggling for momentum since the 2014 rallies failed to win concessions. Tens of thousands took to the streets to protest the jail terms last month, and activists who have long been at the right hand of Wong and Law are now stepping into the spotlight. "We should try to do more, not only for them but also for our city and to show the government and the Chinese regime that we are not going to be scared," Agnes Chow, 20, a close friend of the jailed activists, told AFP. Chow addressed the crowds at last month's protest over the sentences and has regularly spoken to the media since her friends were imprisoned. If a by-election for the Hong Kong legislature is held early next year -- after her 21st birthday in December -- she would be old enough to run for Law's vacated seat, and has not ruled that out. Law was one of four pro-democracy lawmakers disqualified from parliament in July for inserting protests into their oaths of office. Chow is already a seasoned activist -- she was one of the core members of Wong's Scholarism group, which organised huge rallies in 2012 forcing the government to shelve a proposal to introduce compulsory patriotic "national education" into schools. She was also one of the best-known faces of the Umbrella Movement, regularly taking to the stage to address protesters, and is a member of Wong and Law's political party Demosisto. Chow said the government was using the jail terms to scare people away from social movements. "It is important for us to learn how to overcome fear in order to fight for our own basic human rights and freedom and democracy," she said. - Turning point - Chow and fellow Demosisto member Derek Lam said the democratic movement now needed to improve its connections at the grassroots level to build a stronger base. Lam, 24, who made an emotive speech outside the jail where Chow and Law are being held and is one of Demosisto's most recognisable leaders, said the party ranks had swelled in the past two months. "Young people are all trying to find a way to change Hong Kong," he added. But Lam also faces charges over an anti-China demonstration last year and believes there will soon "only be a few people left" to lead the cause. Activist Lester Shum said those who are free to continue campaigning should put pessimism aside. Shum, 24, also a prominent student leader during the Umbrella Movement, has been at the forefront of recent protests over the jailings. He said the imprisonment of Wong, Law and Chow was a turning point for the democratic movement. "They have been facing their situation with a very calm and determined attitude," he told AFP. "I think this will somehow encourage pro-democratic Hong Kong people," said Shum, who is assistant to popular pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu. Shum is facing contempt of court charges relating to the clearance of one of the Umbrella Movement protest sites. Visibly thinner than when he first came on the scene, he said there had been an emotional toll. "One of the worst things for me has already happened," he said, referring to the imprisonment of his girlfriend Willis Ho. She was one of 13 activists recently jailed for charging the Legislative Council building in 2014 in protest over re-development plans for rural areas. But he remains optimistic about the city's campaign for democracy and vowed to fight on. "If we could stand up against their agenda, stand up against the challenges given to us by them, I think Hong Kong people will not be defeated easily." Protesters demonstrate at San Francisco International Airport in California, in January 2017 A federal court in California dealt a new blow on Thursday to the Trump administration's travel ban, ruling that some refugees must be allowed into the country. It is the latest twist of the legal wrangling touched off by President Donald Trump's ban, first announced in January with little notice and widely criticized as discriminatory against Muslims. Trump says it is needed to keep out terrorists. In the new ruling, the US Ninth Circuit of Appeals, based in San Francisco, upheld a ruling by a court in Hawaii, a decision against which the administration had appealed. The new decision states that the ban must exclude "refugees who have a formal assurance from an agency within the United States that the agency will provide or ensure the provision of reception and placement services to that refugee." It could pave the way for the entry of some 24,000 refugees whose asylum requests had already been approved. And as the US Supreme Court had ruled in July, the three-judge panel in San Francisco confirmed that the ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close family members living in six mainly Muslim countries and seeking to visit relatives in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled in late June that the 90-day travel ban, purportedly aimed at better screening out potential security risks, can be broadly enforced for travelers from the six mainly Muslim countries "who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." Days later, the Trump administration interpreted that to mean that only "close family" was exempted. It defined this as the parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings of people in the United States. The California court said Wednesday the administration "does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship in the Supreme Court's prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin is not." The San Francisco court was ruling on the issue because the Supreme Court had refused a Justice Department request that it define what it means by "bona fide relationship" and "close family." The Justice Department issued a statement saying "we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch duty to protect the nation." The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the travel ban and study its constitutionality in October. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif (L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speak during a press conference in Beijing, on September 8, 2017 China on Friday defended Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts, following President Donald Trump's accusation that Islamabad harbours militants attacking US and Afghan troops. "The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifices are there for everyone to see," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "The international community should recognise that... and give Pakistan the full credit it deserves," he added. The remarks were made at a press briefing in Beijing following a meeting between Wang and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. In a major speech outlining US policy on Afghanistan last month, Trump slammed Pakistan for offering safe havens to "agents of chaos" and suggested relations would be adjusted immediately. He offered few details. Following Trump's remarks, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also cautioned that Pakistan could lose its status as a major US ally and see its US military aid suspended. Asif on Friday said it is Pakistan's firm view that maintaining regional security is a "critical" priority and focus should remain on peaceful solutions. He also thanked Beijing for its role in hosting a trilateral Afghanistan-China-Pakistan foreign ministers' forum, which is expected to take place before the end of this year. Islamabad has repeatedly denied claims of being soft on militancy, accusing the United States of ignoring the thousands who have been killed in Pakistan and the billions spent fighting extremists. Analysts have long stated that Pakistan offers support to militant proxies, including the Afghan Taliban, as a bulwark against what it considers to be the existential threat of neighbouring India. Last year, the then-top foreign official Sartaj Aziz stated that the Taliban's leadership does enjoy safe haven inside Pakistan, which Islamabad uses as a "lever" to pressure the group into talks with Kabul. President Rodrigo Duterte has deployed thousands of troops and imposed martial law across the southern third of the country following a shooting, burning and looting rampage that began in May The Philippines has welcomed Australia's offer to deploy troops to train Filipino soldiers, the defence ministers of the two allies said Friday, as Islamic extremists continue to terrorise parts of the country. The announcement came as the Philippine military called Friday for more funds to root out pro-Islamic State group militants, more than three months into a deadly offensive devastating the southern city of Marawi. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne said Manila agreed to an offer from Canberra, made in August, for Australian troops to train local soldiers inside yet-to-be-named Filipino bases. "We have increased our engagement, a surge if you like, in the context of the current events," Payne said at a joint news conference with Lorenzana. She said many areas of the Asia-Pacific were threatened by the return of "foreign fighters" who had gone to engage in combat in the Middle East. "They (foreign fighters) are battle-hardened. They are well trained, they are very determined," she warned, adding that she had also discussed the threat with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop revealed last week that she recently spoke to President Rodrigo Duterte and offered training aid to the Philippines similar to that provided to Iraq. Lorenzana stressed that the Philippines did not need foreign troops for actual combat but said Australians could train local soldiers in information-gathering and analysis. "It will not look good if we would need (foreign) troops to fight the war here," he said. Australia has a defence cooperation programme with the Philippines and is its second closest defence ally behind the United States. It deployed two high-tech AP-3C Orion spy planes in June after hundreds of armed extremists, flying the black flag of the Islamic State movement in the Middle East, occupied Marawi on May 23, triggering fierce fighting that is still raging. More than 800 extremists, government troops and civilians have been killed in the conflict, the military said. Duterte has deployed thousands of troops and imposed martial law across the southern third of the country to deal with the crisis. The military revealed Friday it has asked Congress for a supplementary billion pesos ($19.6 million) to fund the Marawi campaign, which has cost three billion pesos so far. The military hospital at Shorab Camp in Helmand province is a particularly busy place, where three of the five surgeons learned their skills on the job -- and not at medical school Three of the five surgeons at a military hospital in Afghanistan's bloodiest province are learning their skills on the job as they struggle to keep up with a never-ending flow of injuries. The heavy workload at the Afghan National Army's no-frills 215th Corps hospital in Helmand is fuelled by a war to which US President Donald Trump has just signed an open-ended commitment. Surgeons, doctors and nurses at the facility in the hot and dusty Camp Shorab base sometimes spend up to 24 hours on their feet, treating injuries caused by the Taliban's highly effective improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mortars and guns. The bodies of police and soldiers killed in fighting across the province, Afghanistan's largest, are also brought to the hospital, where staff arrange their transfer to poor families, grieving not only the loss of a loved one but also of a breadwinner. "There's a lot of pressure on us because we have limited staff and we get a lot of injuries. One person is doing the work of four people," said Mohammad Karim, one of the three surgeons who picked up his operating skills at the hospital. The 50-bed military hospital is one of the busiest in the country, accounting for a quarter of all medical evacuations to better-equipped facilities in Kabul, US and Afghan officials say. Such is the demand for beds that the wounded spend at most a few days convalescing there before being airlifted to the capital for further treatment. A lack of specialised staff means those on duty are often required to do work that falls outside their area of expertise A lack of specialised staff means those on duty are often required to do work that falls outside their area of expertise. "We are trying our best to serve our people," said hospital chief Brigadier General Hussain Gul Paknihad. Their efforts have been recognised at the highest levels of the Afghan government. The facility, one of six military hospitals in the country, was recently awarded the presidential "Medal of Excellence". - Helping hand - In the well-used intensive care unit the main sound is the steady beeping of machines monitoring the vital signs of two badly wounded Afghan soldiers. Male nurses wearing green scrubs and matching hats brush aside a white mosquito net hanging over the doorway to check the readings of their heavily bandaged patients -- casualties of the resurgent Taliban in the opium-rich province. The strong smell of fresh paint wafts from another section of the hospital undergoing a facelift into the room where the two soldiers lie unconscious, awaiting surgery. Both men, aged in their early 20s, were wounded during a battle with insurgents in Helmand's Sangin district -- one by a gunshot to the head, the other by a mine explosion. "They will do anything and everything they can possibly do when it comes to surgery, emergency and trauma," said Michael Mercado, a US Navy doctor who has been helping the hospital since April as part of NATO's "train, advise and assist" mission in Afghanistan. In the 12 months to February nearly 1,600 soldiers and police wounded in action were brought to the facility, along with nearly 780 dead Heavy casualties among the demoralised Afghan forces since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops in 2014 have put a huge strain on the 215th Corps hospital and its medical staff, who live in shared rooms nearby so they can be called back to work when needed. In the 12 months to February nearly 1,600 soldiers and police wounded in action were brought to the facility, along with nearly 780 dead. But there are hopes that the return of Marines to Helmand -- the deadliest province for US troops during the 16-year war -- and Trump's pledge to keep American boots on the ground indefinitely will help reduce this year's toll. Since March the hospital has received 574 wounded and 276 dead from the battlefield, which Afghan and US officials attribute to better training of security forces and improving leadership in Afghan ranks. "We are happy that we have the Marines beside us, helping us," said Paknihad. Pacific Island leaders attend the opening ceremony of the 48th Pacific Islands Forum in Apia, Samoa, where the United States warned of potential terror threats to the region Australia and New Zealand announced plans Friday to step up security in the Pacific as the United States warned of potential terror threats to the region. Speaking at the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Samoa, an attending US delegation raised the possibility of terror groups using isolated Pacific islands as hideouts. "That might be a place to exploit for transit through to other countries," the US acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Susan Thornton told reporters in the capital Apia. "So we talked about the importance of having good information sharing on things like electronic passports and other migration data." New Zealand Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee said his nation would provide NZ$11.5 million (US$8.41 million) for aviation security including equipment and training. "Pacific island countries must meet global aviation safety and security standards, and this funding will provide passenger and baggage screening equipment that will help them to meet those standards," Brownlee said. Drug trafficking, people smuggling and illegal fishing were also discussed at the forum. Australia -- which is already building 19 patrol boats to help island nations protect their waters -- announced it would fund an aerial surveillance mission to crack down on crime, particularly illegal fishing. "Flights are expected to commence before the end of the year and will also be able to assist in addressing issues such as transnational crime and people-smuggling," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. Organised crime syndicates have already targeted remote and under-resourced Pacific nations to traffic drugs. Last month, the French navy seized 1.46 tonnes of cocaine in the South Pacific from a yacht bound for Australia. In 2015, 70 kilogrammes (154 pounds) of the drug were seized from a yacht when it arrived in Australia after making its way from South America via Vanuatu. A yacht which had set sail from Ecuador, washed up on a deserted Tongan island in 2012 with a decomposed body and 200 kilogrammes of cocaine worth up to US$120 million on board. News / National by Staff reporter A BULAWAYO man, Comfort Dungwana (29), beats up his mother Ethel Dungwana and blames it on evil spirits.At times he loses his mind then beats up other family members, breaks windows and steals property. Comfort has told his mother that he has no control over his bouts of violence but she allegedly ignored his confession.But with the beatings going unabated, Ethel has since applied for a protection order against him.In court she said trouble started in 2014 when her son lost his job in South Africa, forcing him to return home."He assaults his brother demanding money for beer and at one time hit me with clenched fists when I was trying to stop him from beating others."He is saying there is no need for him to work as he will inherit everything when I die. We no longer have peace at home as he steals property and breaks windows," said Ethel.He did not dispute his mother's claim but said he once told her the reason behind his behaviour."I have a serious problem. I once told my mother that I have a problem and different people are telling me that they know where my problem is coming from, but she never did anything," he said.The presiding magistrate Tancy Dube granted the protection order and Comfort is expected to keep peace towards family members. A North Korean embassy staff member supervises a photocall for an exhibition at the embassy in west London, on November 3, 2014, for four North Korean artists Britain backed moves Friday to expel North Korean workers from the European Union as part of fresh sanctions to punish Pyongyang after its latest nuclear test. Foreign minister Boris Johnson told AFP there was a "wide measure of agreement" among his EU counterparts to forge ahead with new measures against Kim Jong-Un's regime after it carried out its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, its most powerful to date. Washington is pushing for a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for tough new measures on the North, including an oil embargo, an asset freeze on Kim and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. Johnson said talks with his EU counterparts in Tallinn on Thursday had produced a "very very wide measure of agreement" on the need to do more to pile pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. "In a lot of EU countries there are a lot of DPRK workers who are sending remittances back to North Korea," Johnson said. The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "There are sanctions you can impose, you can send them back and there's a wide measure of support for that," Johnson told AFP during a visit to British troops on a NATO base in northern Estonia. Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told AFP there was a "wide measure of agreement" among his EU counterparts to forge ahead with new measures against Kim Jong-Un's regime When asked, Johnson confirmed he supported sending North Korean workers home from the EU. Overseas workers, most of them posted in China and Russia, are a key source of revenue for Pyongyang. European diplomats say there are around 300 North Korean workers in the bloc, most of them in Poland While the number is not huge, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday said it was important to move against them "because the money which is earned there, has only the purpose to be channelled into the nuclear programme". Gabriel also said EU ministers had agreed to do more to track where the North is obtaining the technology it is using to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "If we know... where the material comes from to build missiles, to build nuclear weapons, I think that we have to put those counties under economic preassure in order to stop this," he said. Efforts to boost sanctions face resistance from Russia and Pyongyang's chief ally China, which has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border. Do your feet smell bad? Just a little or absolutely awful? If you don't dare to ask a friend, one Japanese start-up might have the answer with a new robot dog that will sniff your feet and give you a pitilessly honest verdict - even fainting if the stink is especially strong. Malodorous feet can be socially awkward in Japan where shoes are removed at the entrance to every home. Scroll down for video Hana-chan, a Japanese robot dog with an odor sensor, will offer an honest appraisal of the smell of your feet, barking if they honk a bit and keeling over if they emit a putrid pong THE ODOR SNIFFING DOG Japanese start-up Next Technology has designed that can sniff out a person's feet and assess how strong the odor is. Hana-chan - a play on the Japanese word for 'nose' and a common girl's nickname - is a helpful little robot mutt who will bark if she detects moderately whiffy toes, but will keel over if the pong is particularly pungent. The 15-centimeter (6-inch) dog, equipped with an odor detection sensor for a nose, also sprays air freshener to resolve the situation if the aroma is unbearable. Next Technology plans to start selling the robot dog early next year, with a price tag of more than 100,000 yen ($9,280). Advertisement Hana-chan - a play on the Japanese word for 'nose' and a common girl's nickname - is a helpful little robot mutt who will bark if she detects moderately whiffy toes, but will keel over if the pong is particularly pungent. The 15-centimeter (6-inch) dog, equipped with an odor detection sensor for a nose, also sprays air freshener to resolve the situation if the aroma is unbearable. Manufacturers Next Technology created the robot in response to a request from a man who was desperate to know if he had a problem. 'He told us his daughter had said his feet were smelly,' employee Kimika Tsuji said. 'But he didn't want to know how bad the odor was because he would feel hurt. 'That's why we developed this cute robot.' Tsuji said smells are becoming more of an issue in Japan, a place where subjecting others to your honking body can even be considered harassment. Next Technology plans to start selling the robot dog early next year, with a price tag of more than 100,000 yen ($9,280). But this isn't the only device designed to detect body odor. In July, Konica Minolta, a Japanese tech company, began pre-sales of a pocket-sized device that allows people to self-test three categories of smell on a scale from 0 to 100. It can recognize perspiration odor, aging odor and middle fat odor. The device is currently only available in Japan, with no plans to sell it outside of Japan, and costs 30,000 yen (US$265 or 206). Protesters in Kuala Lumpur chanted "Long Live Rohingya", calling for Malaysia to sever diplomatic ties with Myanmar About 200 protesters rallied outside Myanmar's embassy in Malaysia Friday urging Kuala Lumpur to sever diplomatic ties with Yangon over deadly violence against Rohingya Muslims. The noisy protest was led by the powerful youth wing of predominantly Muslim Malaysia's ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), after Friday prayers. "If the Myanmar government fails to follow our demands, we will demand our government to stop the bilateral relationship," Armand Azha Abu Hanifah, a member of the UMNO youth, told the crowd. The demonstration comes after Malaysia on Tuesday summoned the Myanmar ambassador to voice its "deep concern" over spiralling violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The protesters chanted "Long Live Rohingya". They also carried banners with the words "Don't kill the innocent life" and placards saying "Myanmar stop killing Rohingya". Abdullah Muhammad, 25, a Rohingya migrant living in Malaysia, wore a headband inscribed with the words "Save Rohingya", and called for an end to the killings. In the last two weeks alone, 270,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh, after raids by Rohingya militants against security forces triggered a military crackdown. Witnesses said entire villages have been burned. Over 1,000 people -- more than twice the government's total estimate -- may already have been killed in Rakhine, mostly Rohingya, said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting. The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which denies them citizenship and regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations. Malaysia has criticised Myanmar's de facto leader leader Aung San Suu Kyi for not speaking out for the 1.1 million Rohingya minority Malaysia has criticised Myanmar's de facto leader leader Aung San Suu Kyi for not speaking out for the 1.1 million Rohingya minority. Analysts said the worsening crisis could hurt Myanmar's diplomatic ties, especially with Muslim-majority countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia and Indonesia where there is growing public anger over the apartheid-like treatment of the Rohingya. Malaysia's summoning of the Myanmar ambassador on Tuesday was a rare diplomatic rebuke in the Southeast Asian regional bloc, where non-interference in the internal affairs of members is the norm. As of June this year, there are 59,100 Rohingya refugees registered with the UN Refugee Agency in Malaysia. Police said they killed more than 3,800 drug suspects in the first 13 months in office of President Rodrigo Duterte, but a series of killings in the past month of three teenage boys -- two at the hands of the police -- has sparked public outrage The Philippines' most senior Catholic Church leader on Friday denounced thousands of killings linked to President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war and ordered the ringing of church bells each night to honour the dead. Police said they killed more than 3,800 drug suspects in the first 13 months in office of Duterte, who has vowed to kill tens of thousands of criminals to rid the country of narcotics. The crackdown has spawned wider violence and thousands of further killings, with near-nightly attacks taking place mostly in poor neighbourhoods and often at the hands of vigilantes, rights groups say. Many are shot dead by masked, motorcycle-riding gunmen, while others are abducted then killed, their bodies later dumped on unlit or deserted streets. "We cannot allow the destruction of lives to become normal. We cannot govern the nation by killing," Cardinal Jose Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila, said in a pastoral letter to his flock in the megacity of 13 million people. Tagle said bells will also be rung for five minutes each night in early evening starting on September 14, which the archdiocese said was a Catholic custom to honour the dead dating back to 11th-century religious wars. Manila parish priests and lay leaders would also "extend empathy and spiritual support" to the families of those killed, the cardinal said. "If there are cases of killings in your parish community, I ask our pastors and lay leaders to take time to go to the wake in order to bless the departed and to be one with the grieving families in sorrow and in hope," Tagle said. Duterte's drug war remains hugely popular among a citizenry fed up with high crime, according to many surveys. But a series of killings in the past month of three teenage boys, two at the hands of the police, has sparked public outrage. The Church, which claims eight in 10 Filipinos as its members, has been among the few institutions to directly challenge Duterte's drug war, and has been documenting the killings. Duterte has said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug addicts, even as critics warn the deaths of thousands of people killed in the crackdown may amount to a crime against humanity. Duterte has denied ever inciting police or vigilantes to commit mass murder. Boko Haram continues to wage attacks in northeastern Nigeria despite government and military claims that the jihadists are a spent force Boko Haram jihadists killed eight people in a series of raids on farming communities in northeast Nigeria, civilian militia members and local residents told AFP on Friday. The attacks were carried out by gunmen travelling in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday and Thursday. Homes were razed, and food and livestock seized in an apparent reprisal attack against young men joining the civilian militia, which helps the military with security. "They killed eight farmers in the raids and burnt three villages which forced farmers to abandon their farms," said one militia leader, Ibrahim Liman. Some 17 Islamist fighters stormed Mallan village at about 8:00 am (0700 GMT) on Thursday, killing two farmers. Three people were shot dead in the same village on Wednesday night, said resident Jidda Kori, who fled to Maiduguri. "They mainly targeted young men in the attacks because they believe every young man is a member of the civilian vigilante" he added. "They burnt down the entire village and took away our food, livestock and 13 bicycles." Kesa Kura village, which is near Mallan, was also attacked on Wednesday night, killing three people, said resident Mohammed Ahmed. Another village, Manjita, was razed but residents managed to flee after they were alerted by people fleeing Mallan, he added. The eight-year Boko Haram conflict has forced farmers and their families to flee their homes and fields, leading to a shortage of food and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. Many were living in camps for the displaced in and around Maiduguri but had moved back to their homes because of apparent successes in the counter-insurgency. A cash funding shortfall for feeding programmes has also forced people to leave the camps to try to resume farming in liberated areas after three missed seasons. At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless by the violence, which began in 2009. The latest attacks come despite the repeated insistence of Nigeria's government and military that Boko Haram is a spent force. On Monday, four people were killed in a drive-by shooting on a group of farmers working on their fields in Ngawo Fato Bulabulin village outside Maiduguri. Last week a farmer was shot dead and four others were abducted by the jihadists as they worked on their farms near the town of Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from Maiduguri. Moscow fears that if the confrontation with Pyongyang spirals into a punitive strike or regime change then that could create chaos -- and a potential new democratic US ally -- on its border As Washington and its allies push for sanctions on North Korea after its latest nuclear test, Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the most strident voices against punishing Pyongyang. The United States, South Korea, Japan and EU are keen to ratchet up pressure on Kim Jong-Un by cutting oil supplies and freezing his assets, while President Donald Trump has not ruled out military action. But Putin -- whose country enjoys relatively warm relations with Pyongyang rooted in a Soviet-era alliance -- insists further sanctions and threats are "useless" against a regime that feels cornered. "They (North Koreans) will eat grass but will not give up this (nuclear) programme if they don't feel safe," Putin said at a summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen this week. In pushing back against the West over North Korea, analysts say the Kremlin strongman is seeking to protect Moscow's long-term strategic interests and maximise his own short-term political gains as ties with the US remain in the doldrums. Moscow has "completely cynical, geopolitical reasons," Andrei Lankov, professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and director at consultancy Korearisk.com, told AFP. For the sake of regional stability and influence, the Kremlin will look to shield the Stalinist regime from serious retribution because Russia sees the current status quo as a lesser evil. - 'Disastrous consequences' - Russian President Vladimir Putin says further sanctions and threats against Pyongyang are "useless" Moscow fears that if the confrontation with Pyongyang spirals into a punitive strike or regime change then that could create chaos -- and a potential new democratic US ally -- on its border. Lankov said the Kremlin -- which has repeatedly voiced concern over NATO encroaching on its borders -- does not want a new "democratic, national, pro-American" state on its eastern flank if the Kim dynasty is ousted. "That scenario does not suit either China or Russia," said Lankov, who lived in the isolated state and is the author of "The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia." The prospect of a US nuclear strike and subsequent chaos and a refugee exodus is even more scary than a democratic country on Russia's doorstep, said another Korea scholar, Alexander Zhebin. "A military conflict on the peninsula would have disastrous consequences for the Koreans and the entire region," said Zhebin, director of the Center for Korean Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, adding that South Korea -- with its 25 nuclear reactors - was especially vulnerable. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime says its sixth nuclear test was a hydrogen bomb that could be fitted onto a missile "Where would 70 million people go to live?" said Zhebin, referring to a combined population of the two Koreas. "Radiation will also badly affect Russia and China." While the doom-and-gloom scenario is still seen by many as an unlikely occurence, experts say Putin is seeking to use the global jitters to reap benefits on the international arena. - 'Trump card' - Promoting himself as a negotiator capable of dealing with pariah regimes, Putin will once again polish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a 2018 presidential election which he is expected to win. The veteran Kremlin leader has positioned Moscow as a buffer between a bellicose Trump and unyielding Kim and is keen to be seen as a voice of reason amid all the super-charged rhetoric. Over the past days, he has discussed Korea with foreign leaders as he sought to impart his knowledge of the North to his counterparts. He says Kim would not forget the fate of Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi who gave up his country's nuclear programme but ended up being killed in an uprising in 2011. Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has refused to say whether it will support a draft sanctions resolution against North Korea. Washington wants to have a vote at the Security Council on Monday, diplomats say. By contrast, Moscow and Beijing, North Korea's sole major ally, have called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile tests and military exercises by Washington. Military balance on the Korean peninsula "As practice shows, China does not decide anything -- either it can't or does not want to or both. And other countries can count on Russia becoming a communication channel," said Andrei Baklitskiy, an expert with PIR Center, a Moscow think tank. "This can be used by Russia as a trump card." Fyodor Lukyanov, the Kremlin-connected chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, wrote in a government paper that whoever will manage to solve the Korea crisis and force Pyongyang to back down, will become the "most influential 'free agent' in Asia." Renewed violence among different armed groups has taken place in the Central African Republic in recent months as they fight to establish zones of influence and gain control of natural resources, which include diamonds, timber and gold Civilians in a central province of the strife-torn Central African Republic are enduring "a horrifying surge in torture, pillage and forced displacement", Amnesty International reported Friday. "Women have been raped, men murdered, villages destroyed, and the region's UN peacekeeping force has proved ineffective in stemming these abuses," Joanne Mariner, the rights group's senior crisis response adviser, said in a statement. Amnesty blamed "a wave of brutal attacks" in Basse-Kotto province on the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), an armed offshoot of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance that seized power in 2013 and installed a regime that lasted 10 months. The UPC is led by local warlord Ali Darassa, who is close to Fula nomads based in the Alindao region of Basse-Kotto, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) from the capital Bangui, where a degree of normalcy has been restored with foreign help. During a two-week mission on the ground in August, Amnesty gathered 30 eyewitness accounts of recent violence, including one from Annie, aged 36. "We're going to do something to you Christians that won't be forgotten for many generations," Annie quoted one attacker as saying. Her husband was shot in the legs when he tried to flee. "After raping my husband, he (a fighter) shot him in the head," said Annie, who was herself raped by another armed man. Both rapes and the killing took place in front of the couple's five children. Of 25 women interviewed by Amnesty, 20 said they had been raped. "The UPC's use of rape as a weapon of war, and as a means of violently humiliating and degrading its victims, appears to be systematic," Balkissa Ide Siddo, Amnesty's Central Africa researcher, said in the report. Amnesty said it regretted that the UN mission in the deeply poor nation, known as MINUSCA, "has failed to prevent these abuses", but acknowledged that "the force is stretched thin". Contacted by AFP, MINUSCA spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said that "teams have been sent to document the violations". A temporary base has been set up in Alindao "to ensure protection for displaced people and facilitate the work of humanitarian personnel," he added. Clashes in May claimed several dozen lives in Alindao, then in June about 10 people were slaughtered in a village not far from the town. United Nations aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council last month there were early signs of genocide in the deeply poor nation. Renewed violence among different armed groups has taken place in recent months as they fight to establish zones of influence and gain control of natural resources, which include diamonds, timber and gold. Pakistani activists hold placards during a protest against the Myanmar government and the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, in Karachi Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Pakistan's major cities Friday to condemn a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, with many carrying placards stating "Shame on Aung San Suu Kyi". The largely peaceful rallies were spearheaded by Islamist party Jamat-e-Islami (JI), but other groups including mainstream political parties joined in. Leaders including JI chief Siraj ul Haq called for an end to the "genocide" of the Rohingya and for Pakistan to break off relations with the government in Myanmar. Pakistan has previously expressed "deep anguish" at the violence. Many protesters also slammed Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, over her silence. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has faced criticism for failing to condemn the violence, leaving her global reputation in tatters. A senior United Nations representative told AFP Friday that more than 1,000 people may already have been killed in the military-led crackdown, which has seen 270,000 mostly Rohingya civilians flee to Bangladesh in the last two weeks alone. Others have died trying to flee the fighting in Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting the crackdown. In Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, which hosts one of the largest Rohingya populations outside of Myanmar, more than 2,000 people demonstrated outside the Karachi Press Club. "If our leader gives the call, we will lay down our lives for the Burmese Muslims," one protester, Maulana Ahmed, told AFP. In the capital Islamabad a similarly sized crowd gathered at the entrance to the diplomatic enclave, inside which the Myanmar embassy is situated. Many carried placards reading: "Why are these Muslims being killed? What is their crime?" as chants of "Allahu Akbar", or "God is the Greatest", reverberated. There were also some sporadic calls for "jihad", or holy war. Security forces with protective riot gear stood nearby and containers blocked off access to the enclave, with some small scuffles. But police appeared relaxed as the demonstrators, some armed with batons, showed no signs of trying to go further into the diplomatic area. Protests were also held in deeply religious neighbouring Afghanistan Friday. Hundreds of placard-waving men marched in the eastern city of Jalalabad in support of the Rohingya while smaller demonstrations were held in the capital Kabul, including one outside the compound of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and other cities. Earlier in the week the Afghan foreign ministry condemned the "barbaric and inhumane attacks". The Taliban insurgents have also spoken out in support, urging followers to help the "oppressed Muslims". Malaysia and Bangladesh also saw protests Friday evening. The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship. The death toll given to AFP by Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, is far higher than official tolls totalling 432. str-jaf-ak-st/amz Opposition supporters in Togo this week took to the streets in huge numbers to call for political reform, including a limit on the number of terms a president can serve At least 80 people were arrested in Togo's seaside capital, Lome, after two days of anti-government protests, as several areas remained blocked off on Friday after security forces clashed with opposition supporters. "A certain number of protesters were detained over the course of last night, about 80," Civil Service Minister Gilbert Bawara told AFP by telephone. "They committed or were preparing to commit violent acts, vandalise shops," he added. Eric Dupuy, the spokesman for Togo's main opposition party, the National Alliance for Change (ANC), said "at least 100 people are still in custody". Protesters took to the streets in huge numbers on Wednesday and Thursday calling for political reform, in the biggest protest against President Faure Gnassingbe in years. Gnassingbe came to power in 2005 after the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for nearly 40 years. The opposition wants to limit a president to a maximum of two, five-year terms and the introduction of two-round voting. Shops were shut on main roads and in working-class districts of Lome and there was a heavy police presence in the coastal city, AFP journalists said. In the Be area, where there were clashes with police throughout the night, barricades of rocks and burning tyres were visible. "We want him to leave. We'll stay here until he goes. We're tired," said one of them, referring to the president. Residents in some parts of the city said they were afraid to leave their homes. One man in his 40s refused to be filmed or give his name, fearing reprisals from the authorities. Columns of smoke from tear gas fired by the security forces could be seen in the sky in several areas. Telephone networks remained sporadic on Friday, with the internet still cut off in some parts of the country. - Muzzle criticism - The heads of a dozen opposition parties met outside the home of the leader of the Panafrican National Party, Tikpi Atchadam, and accused the government of intimidating him. Atchadam has been credited with bringing together opposition parties and has campaigned alongside the ANC's veteran leader Jean-Pierre Fabre. Amnesty International in a statement condemned the government response as "a clear violation of the freedom of peaceful assembly". Shutting down internet services "shows how far the authorities are willing to go to muzzle anti-government criticism", said West Africa researcher Francois Patuel. Protests have been held elsewhere in the tiny West African nation, including in the north, which has traditionally supported the regime. In Bafilo, where protesters blocked the main road to Lome to the south and north to the border with Burkina Faso, police fired tear gas, according to Amnesty's Togo director Aime Adi. - Extraordinary session - Togo's government made an apparent concession to the opposition earlier this week, agreeing to put forward a bill to parliament on constitutional reform. Lawmakers, who were due to return from their summer break only in October, have been recalled for an extraordinary session on September 12 to examine the proposals. Civil Service Minister Bawara told AFP next week's session had been planned for a while but said it was not guaranteed that the bill would come up for discussion. "We hope the text will very quickly be the subject of debate in the national assembly," he said. Protesters set bonfires during the anti-government demonstrations "The government can only encourage the majority parties and the opposition to find a compromise to vote on the bill," he added. Bawara made no direct comment on the calls for Gnassingbe to quit, saying only: "The president was elected democratically. "The majority of parliament equally has a democratic legitimacy and the opposition should respect these values." Exact details of the proposals are vague but the government has indicated the mandate provision would not be applied retroactively. That raises the prospect of Gnassingbe, whose rise to power was met with violent protests 12 years ago, staying in office until at least the next presidential elections in 2020. He won polls held in 2005, 2010 and 2015 but the opposition disputed the results. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the UN's special representative in West Africa and the Sahel, met Gnassingbe and Fabre in Lome on Thursday. Chambas told state television he had congratulated Gnassingbe on proposing the bill to parliament and encouraged Fabre to join talks with the government to "advance the reform agenda". Fabre however has told his thousands of followers it was "too late" while Atchadam said he "no longer believed in dialogue" with the regime. No caption Niger has launched a campaign to destroy mosquito breeding sites in the capital in the wake of heavy rains that have lashed the city since June. Health Minister Iliassou Mainassara said the operation will help combat the spread of deadly malaria in Niamey. During a 20-day campaign which began on Thursday, spray guns mounted on pick-up vehicles will treat areas that have been transformed into swamps by flooding. The liquid pesticide is not harmful to humans and animals, the minister said. The floods have killed 41 people across Niger since June, according to the civil protection agency, after more than 50 deaths last year. The operation is a joint exercise with Cuba, which pledged support for a malaria control programme across the country in 2014. Malaria kills around 2,000 people, mainly children, every year in Niger and is responsible for around 80 percent of visits to doctors during the rainy season. Of the more than two million malaria cases reported in 2015, 60 percent were children under five, according to health ministry figures. To fight malaria, the country and its partners have so far focused on the free distribution of treated bed nets, which aid organisations say are largely responsible for a 25 percent drop in cases between 2005 and 2015. There is no vaccine against malaria and efforts to stop the spread of the disease are often hampered by a lack of understanding among the population. News / National by Stephen Jakes Information has been leaking from highly placed sources within the ruling ZANU PF party that the ousted former vice president Joice Mujuru is still in actual fact working closely with a faction of ZANU PF.It is alleged that Mujuru is being paid to make sure that the coalition of opposition parties under Mugabe's only serious threat and erstwhile rival, Dr M R Tsvangirai never take off the ground.Fearing a humiliating defeat in 2018 elections, especially after opposition parties are demanding electoral reforms ahead of the watershed election, the ruling ZANU PF party has roped in Dr Mujuru, said the source.Mujuru is tasked with destroying the coalition of opposition parties by forming an own coalition herself with other parties and members from especially MDC T who have expressed displeasure towards the coalition.Targeted are Tsvangirai's top lieutenants, vice president Khupe, National Chair Moyo and Organising Secretary Bhebhe. The talks between the trio and Mujuru are said to have started long back and as a result the trio boycotted a fundraising dinner party that was organised by a senior member L Timveous in Harare which was meant to raise money for the charismatic leader's health bill.Mujuru is expecting to be rewarded with ZANU PF leadership after the retirement or death of Mugabe, by a clique within the ruling party who are not prepared to work under either Munangagwa's Lactoste or Grace's G40.The members of the opposition party are gullibly being used by Mujuru who would dump them at the last minute to revert to her beloved ZANU PF. This will not be the first time that this scenario happens in Zimbabwean politics.In the 90s Edgar Tekere fooled the electorate after he was sent by Mugabe to test their level of resentment towards the party. After gaining too much ground for Mugabe's comfort, Tekere was withdrawn from the assignment leaving a lot of people exposed and the electorate hopeless. Munangagwa did the same in the Tsholotsho debacle leaving seven provincial chairpersons exposed and ultimately fired.Knowing that the fractured ruling party is heading for an embarrassing defeat in 2018 election, the 'expulsion' of Mujuru from the ruling party became a blessing in disguise. In a typical, ' turn your mistake into a design' Mujuru was persuaded to join opposition politics for a big reward in return. Her antics were suspected by some members of ZIM PF whom she fired before she was exposed.Now that some mouths are beginning to open, it shall be seen how far Mujuru and ZANU PF's cunning tricks will prevailed. Regardless of the results, the anticipated grand coalition has been given a slight blow already as brother is turned against brother by the shrewd veteran politician Robert Gabriel Mugabe. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin gives a thumbs up as he arrives at a House Republican Conference to push for President Donald Trump's hurricane relief package and the lifting of the US debt ceiling US President Donald Trump signed a $15 billion hurricane relief package passed by Congress Friday, one that also raises the debt ceiling and avoids a looming shutdown by funding government into early December. Hours earlier, the House of Representatives voted 316 to 90 to approve the package, the result of an agreement struck between Trump and congressional Democrats in a hurried effort to free up emergency funding after Hurricane Harvey swamped Texas, and as a second monster storm bears down on Florida. The Senate easily passed the bill Thursday, 80 to 17. "The President appreciates Congress putting aside partisan politics and acting quickly to ensure that first responders, local officials and federal emergency management personnel have the resources they need to respond to the natural disasters impacting our nation," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "Additionally, as the damage from Hurricane Irma unfolds, it is especially important that the men and women in the Southeast and our Caribbean territories stand strong and rest assured that this Administration will always put the needs of the American people above partisan politics as usual." The bill extends US borrowing authority and funds the federal government until December 8, and frees up emergency relief funding just as Florida braces for a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, which has already been blamed for at least 19 deaths across the Caribbean. Some Republican conservatives had strongly objected to the deal because they wanted a stand-alone hurricane relief bill unconnected to efforts to raise the federal borrowing limit and keep the government open. All 90 House members against the measure were Republicans, including four from storm-ravaged Texas. "Disaster assistance should be considered on its own -- not to advance another agenda," Texas Republican Mac Thornberry said after voting against the package. Republican Representative Sean Duffy called the deal "foolish," stressing Trump inadvertently handed Democrats substantial leverage ahead of fiscal debates in December, in large part because Republicans will be pressing ahead at that time with a tax reform bid. - 'Heartfelt gratitude' - US homeland security advisor Tom Bossert speaks during a press conference at the White House on September 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. Congress's immediate focus, however, was on funneling sufficient funding to government authorities like the Federal Emergency Management Administration, which has been helping victims of Hurricane Harvey that recently pummeled Texas, and is preparing for devastation in Florida. House Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, whose Florida district was bracing for a direct Irma impact, expressed her "heartfelt gratitude" to Congress for the aid. Of the $15.25 billion in relief funding, about half is designated for FEMA's disaster relief fund. FEMA has burned through much of its funding, due to the scope of Harvey and technical advancements that allow the agency to distribute money more quickly than in previous disasters. Trump's Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert said FEMA was operating at full tilt, "but there will be a break in their operations if they run out of money. That's why that supplemental legislation was so necessary." With Harvey relief efforts expected to top $100 billion, lawmakers and officials agreed that the latest aid should be just a first step in broader federal assistance to come. "Congress came and stepped up in a bipartisan way," Bossert told reporters at the White House. "We're going to have to go back I'm sure for additional resources as these storms continue to hurt our states and our citizens." As Floridians prepared for the storm or evacuated, Trump assured that authorities were ready for Irma. "It's a really bad one, but we are prepared at the highest level," Trump shouted to reporters as he boarded a helicopter for Camp David, the retreat in Maryland where he will hold a weekend cabinet meeting and monitor the storm. The National Hurricane Center offered blunt warnings about the "extremely dangerous" storm. "THIS IS AS REAL AS IT GETS," screamed a warning posted by the National Weather Service for Key West -- one of the low-lying islands off South Florida that will be the first to face Irma's fury on Saturday night. "NOWHERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SAFE. YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO EVACUATE." British public relations firm Bell Pottinger was accused of orchestrating a racially-charged campaign on behalf of the controversial Gupta family in South Africa British public relations firm Bell Pottinger, accused of stirring racial tension in South Africa, faces administration to save it from collapse, a company source said Friday. "We may well be in administration by Monday," the source told AFP, in reference to the process whereby a troubled firm calls upon independent expert financial help in a bid to remain operational. In a chaotic week, major clients including banking giant HSBC and telecommunications group TalkTalk have axed ties with Bell Pottinger after it was accused of orchestrating a racially-charged campaign on behalf of the controversial Gupta family in South Africa. Other fleeing customers include construction company Carillion, financial services firm Investec and luxury goods maker Richemont, according to media reports. Britain's Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) trade body expelled Bell Pottinger on Tuesday over a campaign deemed "likely to inflame racial discord". - 'White monopoly capital' - "White monopoly capital" was one of the slogans Bell Pottinger used on behalf of Oakbay Capital, an investment holding company run by the Indian Gupta family. The Twitter hashtag #whitemonopolycapital is used by supporters of South Africa's ruling Zuma family, which has controversial ties to the Guptas, to discredit opponents. The British PR giant deliberately created a narrative of "economic apartheid" to defend the Guptas, according to an independent report, which was conducted by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills and published on Monday. By Thursday, Bell Pottinger chairman Mark Smith told a staff meeting at the PR firm's headquarters in Holborn, central London, that it was likely to go into administration. Accountancy firm BDO has been hired to look at options including a possible sale. Various media reported that Bell Pottinger's Asian division will separate from its parent group and rebrand under the name Klareco Communications. The group's second biggest shareholder, advertising firm Chime, has meanwhile written off its investment and handed back its 27-percent stake. Nevertheless, Bell Pottinger is still "considering all the options", according to an official spokesman. The group has pledged to introduce a more formal review of client work to help "identify high-risk clients and high-risk mandates", as well as redeveloping its corporate policies, including for social media, and establishing a new ethics committee. - 'Fall from grace' - Bell Pottinger was created in 1987 by Tim Bell, one of Margaret Thatcher's foremost PR advisers, and is well known in the UK for its links to the world of politics and business. British peers were informed on Thursday that the government has no power to remove the firm from its register of lobbyists. Speaking in the House of Lords, Conservative Party frontbencher Lord Young said that while the company had acted "unprofessionally and unethically" in South Africa, the only way it could be struck off was if it ceased its public relations business. He also said that the scandal has had "a very damaging impact" on the Britain's reputation in South Africa. AFP's source said Friday that they were still "hopeful" about the company's situation, adding that the international response to the scandal in their view had been "out of proportion". President Robert Mugabe, 93, has refused to name a successor in next year's presidential election President Robert Mugabe on Friday accused a recently launched opposition alliance seeking to unseat him in next year's elections of plotting with Western powers to force him out. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the country's main opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), formed a grand coalition last month with former allies and four opposition parties in an effort to end Mugabe's 37-year rule. "Recently we have witnessed the concerted effort by opposition political parties to coalesce and fight (us) as one," Mugabe, 93, said at a meeting of his ZANU-PF party's central committee in Harare. "We know of course they are a creature of the West whose sole purpose is to dislodge ZANU-PF from power, but really if they come together as a bundle, one blow will set the bundle in pieces. "Fortunately for ZANU-PF, the political parties are as divided as ever, fighting over political positions." A planned pact between Tsvangirai and Mugabe's former vice president Joice Mujuru failed following disagreements over leadership. Tsvangirai has made three failed bids for the presidency. In 2008, he beat Mugabe in the first round of voting but failed to win an outright majority, leading to a run-off. He later pulled out of the second ballot as violence against his supporters raged. Past elections in Zimbabwe have been marred by violence, intimidation and charges of electoral fraud. The president, who often travels abroad for medical treatment, has refused to name a successor and repeatedly denounced factionalism within his own party. Religious Jews on the roof of a house seized in the Sheikh Jarrah district of east Jerusalem, on September 8, 2017 Clashes broke out on Friday during protests in support of a Palestinian family evicted from their home in occupied east Jerusalem, AFP journalists said. Around 150 Palestinians and leftwing Israeli activists protested the eviction of the Shamasneh family, with scuffles between police, protesters and Israeli settlers, AFP reporters on the scene in the Sheikh Jarrah district said. At least four people, including a young child, were detained by police while settlers sprayed gas at the demonstrators, the reporters said. An Israeli civilian attacked an AFP video reporter without provocation, punching his camera, which hit his nose. As the reporter reacted to the attack, police officers on the scene intervened to defend the civilian, and hit the journalist several times. AFP's management said it protested "against this attack and asks Israeli authorities to ensure that journalists can carry out their work in complete safety." The Shamasnehs, including 84-year-old grandfather Ayoub, were forcibly evicted on Tuesday from their home of more than 50 years, after a court ruled Israeli Jews the legal occupants. They had for years been fighting a court battle against Jewish claimants who said the building was their family property, which they fled when east Jerusalem was occupied by Jordanian troops in the 1948 war that led to the creation of the Jewish state. Under Israeli law, if Jews can prove their families lived in east Jerusalem homes before the 1948 war they can demand that Israel's general custodian office release the property and return their "ownership rights". During that war, thousands of Jews fled Jerusalem as Jordanian-led Arab forces seized the city, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled from land that was later to become Israel. No such law exists for Palestinians who lost their land. The Shamasnehs say they had paid 250 shekels ($70) a month to the general custodian since 1967, an arrangement used by the settlers' side as proof that the family acknowledged its status as tenants. In 2013, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Jewish claimants. Tuesday's eviction was the first in the neighbourhood since 2009, according to Israeli anti-occupation group Peace Now. Model Teyana Taylor and GCDS founder Giuliano Calza walk the runway at the GCDS fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Gallery 2, Skylight Clarkson Sq on September 8, 2017 in New York City Top-flight American talent may have deserted New York Fashion Week this season, but it's still the dream for at least one up-and-coming Italian designer who made his Big Apple debut Friday. GCDS -- aka "God Can't Destroy Streetwear" -- unveiled a fun, flirty fantasy inspired by Truman Capote's novel "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" on the second day of the style fest kicking off the spring 2018 season. Giuliano Calza, 28, founded the luxury, made-in-Italy brand only two years ago in his garage but has already found a devoted niche and famous fans such as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin. His clothes are sold in more than 230 stores worldwide, the label opened its first shop in Milan last December and the Shanghai-educated Calza is busy making expansion plans in Asia. "Milan is fun, it's my town, it's where I live, it's where I do my stuff, but still New York is the dream," Calza told AFP backstage before a show that featured low-slung sweat pants, plenty of under boob, high-waisted knickers and sophisticated cropped knit skirts. "Being here in this city that I love the most, it's incredible." A young person's label, the GCDS customer ranges from teenage girls shopping for socks and underwear, to women in their early 30s snapping up their shoes. But if New York was primarily about maxing his exposure and business opportunities, showing in the US financial capital may not be a permanent move for Calza. It will depend on reviews, he jokes. If designers such as Rodarte, Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra escaping to Europe has raised questions about fashion health Stateside, Calza says he has no patience for those who say the runway show is dead. The real problem, he says, is millennial, social-media saturation that demands clothes now rather than the traditional six-month time lag. "It's not the fashion show that doesn't work, it's the entire system, that people want the things to see and buy, see and buy but it's not sustainable," he said. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reiterated President Donald Trump's threat to pull out of the free trade deal with Canada and Mexico if the US does not get a better deal US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday reiterated the threat of leaving the North American Free Trade Agreement if the outcome of the ongoing negotiations with Mexico and Ottawa does not satisfy Washington. "The president has made clear that if they don't work, he is going to pull out. That shouldn't be a shock to anyone," Ross said at a conference organized by the Washington Post. Trump ordered the renegotiation of NAFTA, which he has called the worst trade deal ever signed. He has threatened to exit the agreement if the US does not get a better deal. "We need to fix this deal. It has not worked the way it intended to. A trade deal is supposed to benefit both sides," said Ross, noting that since its entry into force in 1994, the US trade deficit with Mexico has exploded. Asked about the progress made so far in the two rounds of discussions, one in August in Washington and the other that had just ended in Mexico, Ross said, "It's too early to make a judgment. 10 days of discussion is not a lot." A third round is planned for the end of September in Canada. Ross said the strategy "is to start with the easy things ... try to build some momentum and a sense of togetherness as you move to the harder issues." However, compared to what has been done before in other trade negotiations the progress in the NAFTA talks has been "extremely rapid." But he warned that the talks "can't drag out too long because of the political calendar," with elections coming up in Mexico and Canada. In addition, the US Congress's "fast-track" procedure for approving new trade deals without changes expires in July, and midterm legislative elections are scheduled for November. A couple walks along the shoreline as it is battered by wind and rain from Hurricane Harvey on August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas As the United States braced for its second major hurricane in two weeks, Friday marked the 117th anniversary of the deadliest storm in US history, the "Great Galveston Hurricane." The Texas city of Galveston, situated on a narrow strip of land on the Gulf of Mexico, was spared the worst from Hurricane Harvey, which devastated Houston last month. But Galveston was virtually wiped off the map on September 8, 1900 by a storm which left between 6,000 and 12,000 people dead. At the turn of the 20th century, Galveston, population 40,000, was prospering thanks to its port and the cotton industry. But, like Harvey, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 was a Category Four storm. Winds of over 135 miles per hour (220 kilometers per hour) demolished the entire city -- situated less than 10 feet (three meters) above sea level. Storm surge reached 13 feet (four meters) high and bridges connecting Galveston to the mainland were wiped out. Given forecasting technology and communications at the time, it is unclear to what extent locals and tourists were aware of the danger approaching the city some 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston. According to the History Channel, the US meteorological service did warn people to seek higher ground -- but few obeyed. As a result, there were so many bodies that burying them proved an impossible task, according to an account of the disaster done by the Houston Chronicle in 2000 to mark the 100th anniversary. Eventually, local politicians decided to bury the dead at sea, arranging for them to be thrown into waters 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the coast. But the sea's strong current washed them up on Galveston's beaches, before they were eventually burned in fires which lasted weeks. Following the devastation, investors took their business inland to Houston -- which is now the fourth-largest city in the United States. A seawall was built in Galveston shortly after -- but it did not fully protect the city from two other major hurricanes in 1963 and 1981. Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu was shot in the stomach and leg, according to local media reports, with party spokesman Tumaini Makene describing his condition as "critical" Tanzanian politician Tundu Lissu, an outspoken government critic who was shot and wounded this week in an attack that shocked the country, is recovering in a Kenyan hospital, his party said Friday. "Tundu Lissu was evacuated to Nairobi overnight after a decision by his family and his party," Abdallah Safari, the vice president of main opposition party CHADEMA, said in a press conference. "He is now at the Aga Khan hospital. His health is improving". CHADEMA secretary general Vincent Mashinji added: "Those who wanted to kill him have failed". Lissu, 49, was attacked at his home in the capital Dodoma on Thursday, after returning from a parliamentary session. He was shot in the stomach and leg, according to local media reports, with party spokesman Tumaini Makene describing his condition as "critical". According to party leaders, Lissu had previously complained to being "tailed" by a car and repeatedly said he feared assassination. "Party members are afraid," Safari said. Lissu has had a series of run-ins with the government of President John Magufuli and has been arrested at least six times this year, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges. He serves as chief whip for the parliamentary opposition and is president of Tanzania's bar association, the Tanganyika Law Society, as well as being CHADEMA's attorney general. His most recent arrest was in August after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts. Police said Thursday they have opened an investigation. Rights groups, Tanzania's government and others have expressed shock at the shooting. The United States said it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting, adding: "We condemn this senseless act of violence and join Tanzanians in expressing our sincere hopes for his full and speedy recovery." In a statement, Magufuli's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party also condemned "this cruel and inhuman act" and Magufuli tweeted that he was "shocked to hear the news of the attack on Tundu Lissu and I pray to god almighty that he will soon recover." The USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) is one of several Navy ships ready to help out in humanitarian relief operations in the wake of Hurricane Irma The US military was mobilizing thousands of troops and deploying several large ships Friday to aid with evacuations and humanitarian relief from Hurricane Irma, as the Air Force removed scores of planes from the region. The governors of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Florida have together activated nearly 14,000 National Guard personnel to support search-and-rescue missions and evacuations, a Pentagon statement read. Meanwhile, the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill -- an amphibious assault ship and a dock landing ship -- are being sent to aid in relief efforts. The ships will not be in the Irma's path and were due to start response operations in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Friday. Hundreds of Marines aboard the ships had initially been deployed late last month to help with relief operations in Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Additionally, the USS Iwo Jima and USS New York are preparing to provide support, while the USS Wasp -- an amphibious assault ship bedecked with helicopters -- is conducting patient evacuation operations in the US Virgin Islands. The Wasp is evacuating critical care patients from St Thomas to St Croix and so far has launched six search-and-rescue missions and evacuated more than 20 patients. The Navy said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was also instructed to get underway to the region to provide help if needed. As Irma roared towards the mainland United States, the Air Force evacuated dozens of warplanes based in the South, including 50 F-16s from the Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Northern Command, which is coordinating military efforts, is also "providing urban search-and-rescue capabilities in the Caribbean to assist with life-saving and life-sustaining efforts," the Pentagon statement read. And the Defense Logistics Agency is supplying 50,000 gallons of gasoline and 50,000 gallons of diesel to an air base in Georgia. The US Army Corps of Engineers was preparing to conduct port surveys and dredging missions to reopen ports after the hurricane passes. Under the evacuation deal, several hundred jihadists and their families on both sides of the border are set to leave by bus for Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, the country's only province still under IS control. The US-led coalition on Friday pulled aircraft from the skies above a convoy of Islamic State buses stranded in the Syrian desert so regime and Russian forces could go past, officials said. Coalition drones had been circling the stranded 11-vehicle convoy for days and periodically picking off IS fighters if they strayed too far from the vehicles. The buses themselves, which are packed with civilians believed to be family members, have not been targeted. As many as 200 jihadists and 200 civilians, thought to be family members, are on board. The fighters had been headed from Lebanon to the Iraq border under an evacuation deal negotiated between IS and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighboring Syria to prop up the Damascus government. Russia notified the coalition through a special "deconfliction" line that regime forces were going to be passing through the area on their way to the city of Deir Ezzor, and asked for US aircraft to clear the area. "To ensure safe deconfliction of efforts to defeat ISIS, coalition surveillance aircraft departed the adjacent airspace at the request of Russian officials during their assault on Deir Ezzor," the coalition said in a statement. A US defense official told AFP the coalition was able to monitor the convoy until regime forces had passed through the area, but he would not say if the coalition was continuing to watch the buses. The United States has repeatedly stressed that it was not party to the Hezbollah deal and said the fate of those aboard the buses was not a coalition issue. "The regime's advance past the convoy underlines continued Syrian responsibility for the buses and terrorists," Brigadier General Jon Braga, director of operations for the coalition, said in a statement. "As always, we will do our utmost to ensure that the ISIS terrorists do not move toward the border of our Iraqi partners." News / National by Stephen Jakes Vice President Emmerson Mnangwa's allies reportedly forced vendors to attend a star rally at Rudhaka stadium in Marondera where Mnangagwa was guest of honour in Marondera Central.Zimbabwe Peace Project reported that a team of municipal police led by Kenneth Hwenjera forced vendors to attend the meeting."Municipal police forcefully took and confiscated goods belonging to vendors that had failed to comply. Several vendors lost their wares and among them was Lucky Zindoga a local cell phone vendor who lost a number of cell phones," reported ZPP."A group of Zanu PF youths who reside in Barrowsheet suburb, Goromonzi South allegedly assaulted four MDC-T supporters for wearing MDC-T party regalia. It is alleged that a Zanu PF youth group led by Maphios Makahamadze approached the four who were coming from an MDC-T rally held at Spar shopping centre."ZPP said the MDC-T supporters were ordered to remove their party regalia but they resisted."The four were assaulted resulting in their clothes being torn. One of the victims identified as Cleopatra Makoni ran away and called for backup and within minutes other MDC-T supporters intervened and rescued their colleagues. The incident was not reported to the police thus no arrests were made," reported ZPP."Goromonzi West villagers were forced to contribute $1 towards the Heroes' Day commemorations. It is alleged that Hatious Marange from ward 7 was selected to coordinate collection of the money on 8 August. Households that could not contribute $1 due to financial challenges were ordered to contribute 5kg bags of maize instead."ZPP said the commemorations were to be held at Umritsur farm in ward 8. ZanuPF youth leader, Tapiwa popularly known as Dread Taps intimidated people during the collections saying he will locate all those that fail to contribute."Mafios Shekede an aide to Chief Samuriwo threatened headmen Thomas Chinyowa and Jason Nhumbe in Marondera West. Shekede threatened to demolish newly built structures. It is alleged that Shekede accused headmen Chinyowa and Nhumbe for not adhering to Zanu PF values," said ZPP."Shekede accused the local traditional leadership of not vetting land seekers before selling them land. Shekede argued that newly resettled households would corrupt the community with oppositional ideologies." A federal judge gave Apple the first round in a patent battle with Qualcomm over technology for the iPhone, refusing to block Apple's legal efforts in other countries A US federal judge Friday rejected an effort by Qualcomm to limit legal challenges from Apple in the contentious patent battles between the two California technology giants. Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel refused to grant Qualcomm's request to prevent Apple from pursuing its litigation in a dozen other countries, in a ruling which represents just the first round of legal wrangling with Apple. Qualcomm, the computer chip giant, sued Apple in response to the iPhone maker's efforts to join antitrust actions in the United States and other countries, contending Apple has been using Qualcomm technology without paying for it. The procedural ruling still leaves a long road ahead for the two firms, which are battling over the rights for technology used in iPhones and other mobile devices. The judge said he was unable to enjoin Apple from pursuing legal action against Qualcomm in Britain, China, Japan, Taiwan and elsewhere, rejecting the Qualcomm argument that these are all part of "a single licensing dispute." "Qualcomm placed global relief on the table, not Apple," the judge wrote. "Accordingly, the court is not prepared to find that the threat of granting Qualcomm the relief that it seeks, here, is reason enough to enjoin the otherwise legitimate lawsuits that Apple filed elsewhere." Responding to the latest ruling, Apple welcomed the judge's decision in a statement, adding that "Apple has always been willing to pay a fair price for technology used in our products, but for years Qualcomm has acted unreasonably and refused to negotiate fair terms for the single connectivity component they provide." Qualcomm spokeswoman Christine Trimble said in an emailed statement: "While we are disappointed by todays rulings, we recognize that the motions involved high procedural hurdles. Nevertheless, we are pleased that the court has set a case schedule that will get us to trial expeditiously." Apple filed a US lawsuit in January accusing Qualcomm of abusing its market power for certain mobile chipsets to demand unfair royalties, and has also joined efforts in other countries where Qualcomm faces probes from antitrust authorities. Qualcomm responded with its own claims against Apple and argued that the iPhone maker had been providing "false and misleading information" to antitrust authorities in an effort to reduce its royalty payments to Qualcomm. Migrants from Africa walk in line at a naval base in Tripoli after being rescued by Libyan coastguards in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast on August 29, 2017 The United Nations on Friday accused the European Union of "turning a blind eye" to the brutality faced by migrants held in Libya, and urged "serious action" to protect them. "Some migrants die of thirst, hunger or easily-cured illnesses, some are tortured or beaten to death while working as slave labour, others are just casually murdered," UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said. Zeid detailed these and other abuses -- including the rape of women "in some cases, every night" -- that hundreds of thousands of migrants are suffering at the hands of authorities in Libyan detention centres in the country. He said their situation had been "appalling" during dictator Moamer Kadhafi's rule but had turned "diabolical" since his ouster. Italy and the European Union have been financing, training and providing aid to Libya's coastguard to stop smugglers from taking migrants and refugees in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean to Europe. Migrants are then sent to detention centres. The number of migrant arrivals in Italy in July was down dramatically against a year ago, suggesting efforts to train and better equip the North African country's coastguard could already be having an impact. But Zeid said such efforts -- including the plan by European and African leaders last month to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean -- are a "failure" because they do not deal with the "human calamity". His comments echoed those of medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) made a day earlier. MSF president Joanne Liu on Thursday published an open letter describing "the horrific situation" for refugees and migrants in detention centres she visited last week. Libya's detention of migrants "must be named for what it is: a thriving enterprise of kidnapping, torture and extortion," she wrote in a letter to European governments. Zeid said he agreed with Liu's assessment. "I fully support her analysis" and "share her disgust" at what she "describes as the 'cynical complicity' of those who support returning migrants to Libya while turning a blind eye to what is going on there," he said. He called for "serious action" to protect the migrants, adding: "We should not continue to avert our eyes from this brutal reality". An Angolan voter marks his ballot at a polling station in Luanda, on August 23, 2017 during general elections Three Angolan opposition parties on Friday filed a complaint against the outcome of nationwide elections on August 23 that asserted the 42-year grip of the ruling MPLA party. Representatives from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and two smaller parties, the FNLA and PNS, lodged a request at the Constitutional Court in Luanda for the results to be overturned, AFP reporters saw. A fourth party, Casa-CE, will follow suit on Saturday, party officials said. UNITA campaign manager Ruben Sikato said electoral laws had been breached in 15 out of the country's 18 provinces. "We will recount votes, polling station by polling station, to establish the truth of the ballot box," he told reporters. On Wednesday, the national electoral commission declared that the MPLA -- Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) -- had won 61.7 percent of the vote and 150 of the 220 seats in parliament. UNITA won 26.6 percent of the vote and 51 parliamentary seats, while Casa-CE managed 9.5 percent with 16 seats. The remaining three seats were shared by the FNLA and PNS. The victory will allow outgoing 75-year-old President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to install a party loyalist, former defence minister Joao Lourenco, in his place after 38 years in power. The MPLA has governed Angola since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The court must respond to the lawsuits within three days. If the outcome is unchanged, the inauguration ceremony will take place on September 25. Claims of voting violations have been dismissed by Lourenco, who has accused the opposition of "spoiling the people's party". "These political groups, by protesting in their sole interests against these so-called procedural irregularities, have violated electoral laws," he said late Wednesday. The MPLA had predicted it would win easily, but the result showed a decline in support from the 2012 election. The country of 28.8 million is battling high poverty levels and has suffered from a slump in crude prices in recent years. "She was a European-style intellectual: Cosmopolitan, literate, well traveled, multi-talented, ceremonial," Kate Millett's friend Phyllis Chesler said of the feminist writer, seen in 2006 Feminist writer Kate Millett, author of "Sexual Politics," has died at the age of 82, a close friend said Friday. Millett died of cardiac arrest in Paris, where she was on vacation with her wife, Canadian photojournalist Sophie Keir, said Phyllis Chesler, a writer and friend of the couple. Millett "died in a city she loved," said Chesler, herself a celebrated figure in the American feminist movement. "She was a European-style intellectual: Cosmopolitan, literate, well traveled, multi-talented, ceremonial," she said. Millett found fame in 1970 with "Sexual Politics", which started life as a doctoral thesis before becoming a point of reference for feminist theorists. In the book, she described a patriarchal society, took on the misogyny of novelists D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller and attacked the theories of Sigmund Freud. Born into an Irish Catholic family in Minnesota on September 14, 1934, Millett studied at the University of Minnesota and at Oxford, focusing on the Victorian period and English literature. Upon her return to the United States, she taught English and began creating sculptures, before moving to Japan in 1961. While in Japan, she married sculptor Fumio Yoshimura. After coming out as a lesbian, she published a memoir, "Flying," in 1974 and another "Sita," in 1977. Other works included "The Basement: Meditations on a Human Sacrifice" and "Iran," which followed a trip to the country in support of women's rights. Her book "The Loony Bin-Trip" (1990) was inspired by her personal experience in a psychiatric hospital, where she was sent for bipolar disorder. In the book, she described "the terrible toll that such imprisonment took on her artist-soul, her intellectual mind," Chesler said. Actress Lena Dunham was among those posting tributes to Millett on Twitter. "She pioneered feminist thought, de-stigmatized mental illness, wore massive fashion glasses," the creator of "Girls" wrote. WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Even in a city that had become almost numb to gun violence, Wilmington's record-setting 154 shootings in 2013 proved to be a tipping point. Desperate city leaders reached out for help to end the cycle of violence, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed to investigate. It was a rare move for an agency more typically known for studying disease outbreaks or causes of obesity. Two years later, the CDC published what remains its only report about gun violence in a single American city. It warned that Wilmington's rate was at "epidemic levels" and recommended a long list of steps for the city and state to follow. The former governor created a 25-member council charged with developing a plan to implement the recommendations. In this Friday, Jan. 15, 2015 photo, emergency workers use a stretcher to bring a shooting victim into an ambulance at West 4th and Broom Streets in Wilmington, Del., after gunshots claimed multiple victims. A 16-year-old who had been shot in the head died at the hospital, according to police. (William Bretzger/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) Despite that early momentum, most of the CDC suggestions remain unfulfilled even as gun violence continues to plague the city and claim young lives. The main culprit, according to state and city leaders, is lack of money. The CDC called on local and state officials to use data such as truancy records, emergency room visits, domestic abuse allegations and even a parent's filing for unemployment benefits to identify at-risk children, and then intervene in the elementary- and middle-school years. It also said Delaware should provide at-risk kids with mentorships and other programs to serve as a foundation for a more stable life. Mayor Mike Purzycki and Gov. John Carney said they supported the CDC plan. Still, neither the city nor the state has put any money into the data collection that is key to following the agency's roadmap. Carney said he wants a review of how money already being funneled to Wilmington is being spent but also said he is limited by budget constraints. The state just closed a $400 million budget gap through cuts and tax increases. The mayor, meanwhile, has focused on revitalizing beaten-down neighborhoods. The 25-member governor's panel, led by Wilmington City Council President Hanifa Shabazz, spent almost a year reviewing the CDC's recommendations and compiling its own 51-page "Call to Action" report, focused primarily on services to reduce youth violence. The report agreed that the city should gather data about at-risk children. What it did not include were details about where it would find the money, staff or software to make it happen. Shabazz said her strategy is to "re-appropriate dollars" from treatment programs to jump-start the CDC recommendations. She believes shifting money to programs geared toward younger children who have yet to be exposed to trauma would be more successful than trying to change the lives of adults who already have a long history with the criminal justice system. She would not specify which treatment programs she would cut, and the plan remains in limbo. Others on the CDC advisory council created a plan to link four city schools with community health and social services in New Castle County, which includes Wilmington. The program would use software to create a profile for each student so the child can continue to receive services even if they transfer between schools and districts. It could have begun as soon as this fall, but was awarded no state funding. Other projects in the works include a youth wellness center modeled after a city re-entry program, and an alternative school suspension program. Yet many of these efforts require money, which has yet to be secured. As the bloodshed continues, state and city leaders are offering glimmers of hope. The state health department hopes to start the data collection recommended by the CDC within two years - if it can find the $1 million to $2 million a year needed. The council formed in the wake of the CDC report launched the "Summer for Success Campaign," which included extended hours at safe haven community centers. The campaign also endorsed summer learning programs for low-income kids, and trained community center staff how to recognize the signs of children experiencing trauma. The city also renewed its program to hire 450 youths for summer jobs at day camps, landscaping businesses and office buildings. Shabazz, the council president, said the city, state and nonprofits are working together to devise lasting solutions, but that answers will not come overnight. "We need to ensure that what we are healing in this epidemic does not come back again," she says, "that we not create another toxic environment where our children cannot grow and thrive." ___ The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware, is part of the USA TODAY Network, which partnered with The Associated Press for an analysis of teenage gun violence nationwide. In this Feb. 2, 2015 photo, Shareece White, mother of William Rollins VI, the 18-year-old gunned down Jan. 24, 2015, cries as she stands next to his casket during his funeral in Wilmington, Del. In 2015, the CDC published what remains its only report about gun violence in a single American city, warning it was at "epidemic levels" and recommending a long list of steps for Wilmington and the state to follow. Despite early momentum, most of the CDC recommendations remain unfulfilled even as gun violence continues to plague the city and claim young lives. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Feb. 2, 2015 photo, the casket of William Rollins VI, 18, is slowly rolled out at the end of his funeral service in Wilmington, Del. Rollins was gunned down by another teenager on Jan. 24, 2015. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Feb. 2, 2015 photo, a mourner looks at the funeral program for William Rollins VI during a service at Ezion Fair Baptist Church in Wilmington, Del. The 18-year-old was gunned down Jan. 24, 2015. Ninteen-year-old John "Bin Laden" Brisco was convicted in his killing. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Oct. 19, 2016 photo, a boy rides a bicycle past "RIP" graffiti on a wall along West 3rd Street and North Broom in Wilmington, Del., an area where several shootings have occurred. In 2015, the CDC published what remains its only report about gun violence in a single American city, warning it was at "epidemic levels" and recommending a long list of steps for Wilmington and the state to follow. Despite early momentum, most of the CDC recommendations remain unfulfilled even as gun violence continues to plague the city and claim young lives. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) This Instagram post entered into evidence by state prosecutors shows Zakier Smith, 16, pointing a gun. In July 2016, the teenager and others ranging from ages 16 to 21, were charged with gang participation - which has been used frequently since the Delaware Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in 2013. It allows the state to charge a group of three or more persons who share an affiliation that includes a criminal activity. (The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this June 1, 2017 photo, tattoos show the history of people Michael Harris has lost to violence along with messages of love. In 2015, the CDC published what remains its only report about gun violence in a single American city, warning it was at "epidemic levels" and recommending a long list of steps for Wilmington and the state to follow. Despite early momentum, most of the CDC recommendations remain unfulfilled even as gun violence continues to plague the city and claim young lives. (Jennifer Corbett/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this June 1, 2017 photo, Michael "Doe Boyy" Harris, a Blood gang member who leans towards a peaceful philosophy in life, talks about why young children are becoming gang members and why they have become so violent. "There is a way out without you doing the wrong thing. Because the only other way you are going to go out is in a pine box or that jail cell." (Jennifer Corbett/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Oct. 19, 2016 photo, a teenager rides a bicycle along North Broom Street in Wilmington, Del. In 2015, the CDC published what remains its only report about gun violence in a single American city, warning it was at "epidemic levels" and recommending a long list of steps for Wilmington and the state to follow. Despite early momentum, most of the CDC recommendations remain unfulfilled even as gun violence continues to plague the city and claim young lives. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Friday, May 19, 2017 photo, Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracy, center, and other officers, as well as teachers and students from Lombardy Elementary School, join members of Safe United Neighborhoods in their regularly scheduled neighborhood walkabout. "There's a small percentage of individuals that are going back and forth causing this violence in the city," Tracy, Chicago's former top crime strategist, said during a vigil for a 6-year-old boy who had been shot. "And all the good people are tired of it, and they're outraged." (William Bretzger/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) In this Aug. 8, 2017 photo, Tyzell Cephas, 23, wipes the tears from his eyes as he visits the grave site of his 16-year-old sister, Tynesia, at Silverbrook Cemetery in Wilmington, Del. "It's like death don't have an age right now, and bullets, damn, don't have a name," says Tyzell. (Suchat Pederson/The Wilmington News-Journal via AP) OSSIPEE, N.H. (AP) - A New Hampshire woman who had 84 Great Danes seized from her home has pleaded not guilty to 12 additional counts of animal cruelty, but a judge has allowed her to pick a veterinarian to observe them. Wolfeboro resident Christina Fay initially was charged in June with two of the misdemeanor counts. Authorities say they found the dogs living in filth and suffering from sores, infections and other health problems. The additional charges allege that some dogs were held in a chain-link kennel with little lighting or ventilation, weren't provided water and weren't treated for health issues. Fay sought control over the dogs' care. An agreement reached Wednesday allows her to pick a veterinarian to observe the dogs. Fay's trial has been scheduled for Oct. 25. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A federal utility says it would take 24 years to dig up and move its coal ash at a Tennessee power plant under a court order that it still might appeal. The Tennessee Valley Authority said it will start the massive undertaking at its Gallatin Fossil Plant within 30 days unless a judge orders otherwise, according to the utility's court filing in U.S. District Court in Nashville on Tuesday. Cleanup could be halted at least temporarily if TVA appeals and asks for the requirement to be blocked, and the judge approves. The utility has until early October to consider whether to appeal, according to spokesman Scott Brooks. Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled in favor of two environmental groups and ordered the cleanup last month, saying the facility's unlined coal ash storage is leaking pollutants into the Cumberland River and violating the Clean Water Act. However, Crenshaw added that there's scant evidence so far of concrete harm beyond mere risk and presence of pollutants. TVA says the 24-year timeline assumes that the utility can set up a lined landfill onsite at Gallatin, which would put the project cost at $550 million. TVA says it's also considering offsite landfill options, which would bump the price tag up to $2 billion and likely change the completion date. TVA added that the size of the project would make it impossible to comply with a federal coal ash rule requiring the digging and disposal to be complete within 15 years. At the facility about 40 miles from Nashville, it would take 15 years just to excavate the coal ash pit that has been abandoned since 1970 and the coal ash ponds that are still in use, TVA's court filing states. TVA also anticipates years of permitting and reviews. Among other steps, the timeline also includes building a facility to remove water from coal ash storage and new wastewater process ponds, which were already planned, Brooks said. TVA, which powers 9 million customers in parts of seven Southern states, says it's investing billions of dollars in safer ways to store coal ash and other waste from burning coal across its operations. That includes converting all of its wet coal ash storage to dry storage, a decision made after a 2008 coal ash disaster at TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. More than 5 million cubic yards of sludge from the plant spilled into the Emory and Clinch rivers that year, destroying homes in a nearby waterfront community. The court order requires removing almost three times that amount of coal ash at the Gallatin plant. TVA has said that keeping the ash where it is and covering it with a cap would cost about $230 million and may be safer and more environmentally friendly. The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented one of the groups that sued TVA, has said that option does nothing to stop groundwater pollution. A related case brought by Tennessee environmental officials against TVA over the Gallatin facility's pollution is ongoing in federal court. TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - Tunisia's prime minister has named new interior and defense ministers as part of a broader government reshuffling that the African country's president says creates a "war cabinet" to fight terrorism and corruption. Prime Minister Youssef Chahed on Wednesday appointed Lofti Brahem as interior minister and Abdelkrim Zbidi as defense minister. Brahem has been the commander of the National Guard, while Zbidi previously oversaw defense in 2011-2013. Chahed also announced new ministers in the areas of finance and development, investment and international cooperation, and education. President Beji Caid Essebsi said in a statement that Tunisia's government is gearing up to be a "war government." Essebsi says the priorities will be to lead "the war on terrorism and corruption" and to fight unemployment and the economic imbalance between regions. CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP) - Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon returned a career best 13-154 on Thursday as his team completed a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second test to level the series. Lyon followed up his 7-94 with 6-60 in the second innings to wrap up Bangladesh's innings for 157 on the fourth day of the match. "He is magnificent, probably more the first innings than the second innings," Australia captain Steven Smith said. "The first innings, the wicket really wasn't offering a great deal. I thought the way he just hit that right area, particularly with the new ball, skidding it on and hitting a few guys in front. That was the perfect way to bowl. I'm really proud of him. Australia's Nathan Lyon looks on as he fields against Bangladesh during the fourth day of their second test cricket match in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) "It was nice to end with a 1-1 draw." This was the first test series between the two sides since 2006. Australia postponed the tour twice over security reasons. "Eleven years is a long time. I think the way they played over here was exceptional," Smith said. "They obviously beat us in the first test and challenged us again out here. If we get another opportunity to play against them, that'd be great." Australia lost three wickets for 48 but the victory was never out of the sight. Glen Maxwell ended the match with a consecutive cover-drive four and slog-swept six over mid-wicket as Australia brought up the victory in only 15.3 overs. Maxwell was unbeaten on 25 off 17 with two fours and as many sixes with Peter Handscomb on 16. Opener Matt Renshaw was out on 22. Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, left-arm spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam picked up one wicket apiece for Bangladesh. Lyon helped Australia bowl Bangladesh out just after the tea break. Left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe (2-49) and fast bowler Pat Cummins (2-27) complemented the effort of Lyon, who now has 22 wickets in the two-test series, second to Sri Lanka bowler Rangana Herath's 23. Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim was the highest scorer for Bangladesh with 31. Mominul Haque made 29 and Sabbir Rahman added 24. "There is chance of coming back but we couldn't show the necessary grit in the second innings," Rahim said. "There lead was just 72, it's bigger considering the condition, but if we could give them a target of 200, the match could have been different. Our batting was our weakest link in the whole series." Rahim and Rahman combined for 54 runs for the sixth wicket before Lyon left them at 43-5. As the partnership appeared to grow with confidence, Cummins took the wicket of Sabbir, who played an injudicious shot to be stumped. Sabbir hit two boundaries in his 59-ball knock. The real blow came when Rahim fended a delivery from Cummins to get a healthy edge. Rahim faced 103 balls and hit just one boundary. Lyon then completed his second five-for of the test and third straight, dismissing Hauqe for 29. Hauqe tried a sweep shot against the turn and top-edged to Cummins at deep backward square. O'Keefe then joined Lyon in cleaning up Bangladesh's tail to give Australia a small target to chase. Lyon, however, became the second Australian off-spinner to collect two 10-wicket hauls in his career after Hugh Trumble, who reached that milestone in 1902 with back-to-back 10-wicket totals in that year's Ashes series. Lyon has claimed 22 wickets in the series and surpassed J.J. Ferris' mark from the two-test 1887 Ashes series, when Ferris picked up 18 wickets in the first two matches of his international career. "To take 22 wickets in a two-match series it's a pretty big achievement personally," Lyon said. "But as I said, I don't do that without the other guys putting in at the other end, like Patty Cummins bowling well, Ashton Agar, Steve O'Keefe and even Hilton Cartwright in this game. "So without the support of those guys and the skipper, it's pretty hard to go out and have personal success. So I'm very pleased but very thankful as well." Earlier Thursday, Australia failed to add to its overnight total and faced only nine balls to be all out for 377 in its first innings, leading by 72 runs. In the second over, Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Lyon, who edged a ball to first slip. Rahman finished with 4-84. Opener David Warner led the Australians with 123, his second straight century in the series. Handscomb scored 82 while Smith added 58. Electing to bat first, Bangladesh was bowled out for 305 in its first innings before Warner's second successive century (123) guided Australia to 377 and earned a crucial 72-run lead. Australia lost the first test in Dhaka by 20 runs. Bangladesh's Nasir Hossain plays a shot during the fourth day of their second test cricket match against Australia in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) LONDON (AP) - With 18 months until Britain is due to leave the European Union, the U.K. government warned lawmakers on Thursday that it would be "reckless" to oppose a key piece of Brexit legislation. Meanwhile, the EU's chief negotiator said he was worried by some of the suggestions coming from the U.K. on a deal over Ireland, and voiced concerns Britain was backpedaling on its financial commitments to the bloc. British lawmakers began debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which aims to convert some 12,000 EU laws and regulations into domestic statute on the day the country leaves the bloc in March 2019. The legislation is a key plank in the government's plans to disentangle Britain from the EU after more than four decades of membership. Protestors dressed as Henry VIII with an entourage of Tudors demonstrate outside parliament in Westminster in London, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. The EU Withdrawal Bill (formerly known as the Great Repeal Bill) will be debated for the first time in Parliament. The Bill contains a series of controversial new powers for government which have been condemned by charities, academics and campaigners as a threat to democracy. Many of these new powers are called "Henry VIII" clauses. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Brexit Secretary David Davis said that "without this legislation a smooth and orderly exit is impossible" and delaying or opposing the bill would be "reckless in the extreme." The government says that once EU laws have been incorporated into the U.K. statute book, they can be kept, amended or scrapped by Britain's Parliament, fulfilling the promise of anti-EU campaigners during last year's referendum to "take back control" from Brussels to London. Critics say the bill gives the government worrying powers, because it allows ministers to fix "deficiencies" in EU law without the parliamentary scrutiny usually needed to make or amend legislation. Such powers are often referred to as "Henry VIII powers" after the Tudor king's bid to legislate by proclamation. Opponents worry the Conservative government could use such powers to water down environmental standards, employment regulations or human rights protections. Keir Starmer, the Brexit spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said the legislation would more accurately be named "the great power-grab bill." "So much for taking back control," he said. Labour says it will vote against the bill when it is put to lawmakers on Monday. Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019, two years after it triggered the official exit process. Exit negotiations have made little headway, with the EU and Britain accusing one another of failing to compromise. Davis has urged EU negotiators to show "flexibility and imagination" and begin negotiating on a future economic relationship that would include a free trade deal between Britain and the bloc. The EU says that can't happen until substantial progress has been made on divorce terms, including the amount Britain must pay to settle its financial commitments to the bloc. While lawmakers started debating the EU bill, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that the former British prime minister, David Cameron, had signed up to the EU's seven-year budget in 2013 and that Britain would have to honor the promise. Estimates of what Britain owes have ranged from 40 to 60 billion euros ($48-72 billion), but British officials have refused to say how much the U.K. is willing to pay. Barnier told reporters in Brussels that he was "disappointed" by recent British statements on the Brexit bill, which seemed to retreat from previous commitments. Barnier also said he was worried by some of Britain's proposals on another key issue, the status of the Ireland-Northern Ireland border. He said a "unique" solution would be needed to ensure there was no return to a hard border between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. And he warned that the EU would not allow Britain to use Ireland as "a kind of test case" for future customs arrangements. "This will not happen," Barnier said. EU officials have accused British negotiators of being slow and unfocused in their approach to the talks. Britain wants to move on to the second stage of talks, on future relations in October. But Herman van Rompuy, a former European Council president, said Thursday that the chances of that happening are "in the neighborhood of zero." ___ Casert reported from Brussels. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session, in parliament in London, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier insisted that Britain should pay up for its commitments it made as an EU member in full, reminding both the British government and parliament signed up to those. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier insisted that Britain should pay up for its commitments it made as an EU member in full, reminding both the British government and parliament signed up to those. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) News / National by Staff reporter The strongest solar storm in a decade could interfere with South Africans watching DStv, or using mobile phones, GPS or the internet on Friday.The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) warned that two monster solar flares unleashed from the Sun of Wednesday, were accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME) which travelled towards Earth at speeds over 1200 km per second.According to The Space Weather Prediction Centre in the US, CME's are explosions of magnetic field and plasma from the Sun.They often follow solar flares, and can cause geomagnetic storms.Sansa said the CME impacted the Earth's magnetic field early on Friday morning."The impact of the CME has sparked a strong geomagnetic storm on Earth which can have effects on HF (High Frequency) communication, power grids, navigation systems such as GPS, and communication systems such as DStv, mobile phones and internet connectivity. Moderate disturbances are expected at this stage," Sansa spokesperson Catherine Webster said in a statement.Sansa said the initial burst of radiation from the solar flares was so intense, it caused high frequency radio blackouts across the daytime side of Earth affecting HF communication over Africa, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean.Solar flares are giant explosions on the surface of the Sun that occur when twisted magnetic field lines suddenly snap and release massive amounts of electromagnetic energy.They do not pose any direct danger to humans, however."The impact of the space weather storm will not harm humans and other life forms on Earth as we are protected by the Earth's magnetic field," Sansa said.Sansa said it was monitoring the space storm closely with the storm expected to last for the next 24 hours, or until Saturday morning. BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local): 2:30 p.m. Syria's state-run news agency says a convoy of 40 trucks carrying 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid has arrived in Deir el-Zour after troops secured a corridor to the eastern city. The land convoy is the first since Syrian government forces and allied militiamen breached a nearly three-year-old siege by the Islamic State group on government-held parts of the city on Tuesday. SANA said the convoy reached a garrison known as Brigade 137 on the southwestern edge of the city Thursday, carrying thousands of food baskets, fruits and vegetables, medicine, school books and stationary. Syrian troops are dismantling land mines in an effort to expand the corridor to allow for more aid into Deir el-Zour amid Islamic State counterattacks and heavy fighting. ___ 9:20 a.m. The Syrian army says an Israeli air raid on a military position in western Syria has killed two soldiers and caused material damage. The army says in a statement that the attack occurred early Thursday and hit a facility near the western town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast. The army said the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while in Lebanese air space. It warned of the "dangerous repercussion of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region." While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces. TOKYO (AP) - Engine flames that forced a Japan Airlines plane to make an emergency landing earlier this week were caused by damaged turbine blades, not a bird strike as initially believed, Japanese transport officials said Thursday. The Boeing 777-300 ER carrying 250 passengers and crew returned to Tokyo's Haneda International Airport on Tuesday after its pilot requested an emergency landing minutes after takeoff, reporting a bird strike. An orange flame was seen coming from its left engine during takeoff. The plane landed safely about an hour later. The Japan Transport Safety Board said it has labeled the case a "serious incident" after finding damage to dozens of turbine blades in the engine, made by General Electric, but no trace of a bird strike. Shingo Funaki, one of three accident investigators who inspected the engine, told reporters that a number of holes were also found in metal surrounding the turbine. Aviation safety officials are investigating the cause of the damage. They plan to seek help from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, NHK public television said. JAL said in a statement that the airline will cooperate in the investigation. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State University has denied a request for a group to rent campus space for white nationalist Richard Spencer to give a speech next month. The Columbus Dispatch reports the school says there would be "substantial risk to public safety" if it accommodated the request from the National Policy Institute, led by Spencer. Several other campuses have rejected requests involving Spencer, citing safety concerns and August violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. A supporter of Spencer's is suing Michigan State University over one refused venue rental, alleging a violation of free speech rights. At Ohio State, Spencer's group had requested "a lot of security," noting that his events elsewhere have drawn protesters. The request indicated that Spencer's personal security detail would work with local police. ___ Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Bruce Rauner acknowledged Thursday that Illinois has no choice but to borrow up to $6 billion to tackle a financial crisis largely caused by excessive borrowing, reversing earlier declarations that the state with the nation's worst credit rating wouldn't take on more debt under his watch. The Republican governor said in a statement that he changed his mind from statements this summer because the budget the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved in July over his veto is still not balanced, despite an income-tax hike. Included in that budget is a provision granting Rauner authority to borrow the money. "My preferred solution has always been for state government to reform its spending, and for a strong, competitive economy to grow family incomes faster than the cost of government," Rauner said. "We're choosing to exercise borrowing authority because it's better to have Wall Street carry our debt than Main Street Illinois." FILE - In this June 14, 2017, file photo, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, responds to a reporter's question during an interview in Chicago. Gov. Bruce Rauner acknowledged Thursday, Sept. 7 that Illinois has no choice but to borrow up to $6 billion to tackle a financial crisis largely caused by excessive borrowing, reversing earlier declarations that the state with the nation's worst credit rating wouldn't take on more debt under his watch. Mendoza, the state's check writer, said the action will mean an end to "pouring gasoline on a $2 million fire," referring to the daily interest payments for which taxpayers are on the hook. (AP Photo/G-Jun Yam File) The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the Legislature's bipartisan budget agency, determined last month that $5.5 billion of the debt is assessed a 12 percent annual late-payment interest fee. Despite Illinois' low credit rating, the commission believes borrowing $6 billion would carry a 6.5 percent rate or less. That means interest payments of no more than $2.5 billion over a 12-year repayment schedule for bonds compared with as much as $8 billion at the current rate. Comptroller Susana Mendoza, the state's check writer, said the action will mean an end to "pouring gasoline on a $2 million fire," referring to the daily interest payments for which taxpayers are on the hook. "It's going to give me an opportunity to provide some immediate relief to many providers who have waited an unconscionable period of time to get paid for services they've already provided to the people of Illinois," the Democrat said in a telephone interview. The backlog tripled in size during a two-year standoff over an annual budget between Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature. Rauner also called Thursday for lawmakers to return to Springfield this fall to help him fix shortfalls. Sen. Donne Trotter, a Democratic assistant majority leader from Chicago who sponsored the borrowing plan, said spending authority was added to allow Rauner to cut because lawmakers couldn't get the governor's Cabinet members to suggest spending reductions last spring. Rauner spokesman Jason Schaumburg said details about how much will be sold at once and when are being worked out. The bonds must be sold by year's end. ___ The bill is SB1 . ___ Contact Political Writer John O'Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/john%20o'connor ___ Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv A man is accused of using a Hawaii vacation rental to receive a package sent from California containing 11 pounds of methamphetamine. Crystal meth is one of Hawaii's most popular illicit drugs. Drug traffickers often use the mail to smuggle it into the island state, where it sells for a premium. Walter Rolando Atemio Dominguez Garcia was staying at an Airbnb vacation rental in east Honolulu in June when postal inspectors intercepted the package addressed to him, court documents said. Scroll down for video Police arrested a Hawaii man after he allegedly mailed 11 pounds of crystal meth to an Airbnb Garcia even went as far as to leave a review of the room he sent the drugs to located on Wilhelmina Rise. 'We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and have permanently banned this user from our platform,' Airbnb spokeswoman Mattie Zazueta said in a statement Thursday. 'Airbnb reached out to the authorities to assist them with their investigation and we will help them in any way we can. There have been over 200 million guest arrivals in listings and negative incidents like this are incredibly rare.' Airbnb has permanently banned Garcia from the website. In July, postal inspectors intercepted a package containing another 11 pounds of meth addressed to Garcia at an apartment in Waikiki, according court documents. In August, he allegedly tried to sell three pounds of meth and three ounces of cocaine to an undercover officer for $30,000. When he was arrested, he asked investigators if 'it was from the first package or from the second package.' Alexander Silvert, his federal public defender, said he doesn't yet have much information about the case. Earlier this week, a magistrate judge ordered that Garcia be detained without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 19. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - After twists and turns worthy of the very spy series it sprung from, a movie featuring the indomitable fictional terrorism fighter Mitch Rapp is about to hit movie screens nationwide - four years after his creator, author Vince Flynn, died from prostate cancer. "American Assassin ," the first movie based on a Flynn best-seller, premieres Sept. 15, featuring Dylan O'Brien ("The Maze Runner") as Rapp and Michael Keaton as his weathered mentor, Stan Hurley, on a mission to avert nuclear war in the Middle East. Getting Rapp to the big screen has been a decade-long odyssey, said "American Assassin" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, a fan of the series who got to know Flynn before his death in 2013. FILE - This Sept. 2, 2005 file photo shows best-selling author Vince Flynn in the library of his Edina, Minn. home. The late Minnesota author's counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp is coming to the big screen in "American Assassin." Flynn, who wrote a series of thrillers featuring Rapp, died in 2013 after battling prostate cancer. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) "When Vince died we redoubled our efforts to get this made. I owed him that," said di Bonaventura, who produced the Transformers movies. Flynn, a native of St. Paul, wrote 14 political thrillers, starting with his self-published "Term Limits" in 1997, and featured his CIA counterterrorism operative Rapp in 13. His books have sold nearly 20 million copies in the U.S. and millions more worldwide, and include former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush among fans. But making a Mitch Rapp movie proved elusive. Originally Flynn's novel "Consent to Kill" was considered, then put aside. "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua originally was attached to direct "American Assassin," but moved on to direct "Olympus Has Fallen." Chris Hemsworth passed on the lead role because of scheduling issues, and Bruce Willis was interested in playing Hurley but no deal was made. Producers had to get cameras rolling before the film rights reverted to Flynn's estate, di Bonaventura said. "We weren't at an urgent level but we were approaching them," he said. Filmmakers also had to wait while O'Brien recovered from an injury suffered during an accident while filming a "Maze Runner" sequel in 2016. Finally the 55-day shoot began last September and jumped from London to Rome and Malta before finishing in Thailand. Changes were made to the plot of the film. Instead of having Rapp out for vengeance after his girlfriend is killed in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the movie moves the action to present day with Rapp's fiancee slain in a terrorist beach massacre in Spain. That creates an origin story and places Rapp, who is 23 in the story, closer in age to the 26-year-old O'Brien. "We were not making a period piece," said co-screenwriter Stephen Schiff, who said he came up with the beach massacre opening. "That seems like no way to launch a franchise." Eighteen months after the beach murder, Rapp is recruited by a CIA leader played by Sanaa Lathan for intense training by Hurley and given a mission to stop a former Hurley protege known as Ghost (played by Taylor Kitsch) from starting a world war. (In a nod to Rapp's creator, a battleship in the film's thrilling climax was named Flynn). Director Michael Cuesta, whose credits include the movie "Kill the Messenger" and the Showtime series "Homeland," was quick to praise his star. "I think Dylan brought an innocence and a boyishness, boy-next-door quality to the character," he said. "Dylan doesn't look like your typical assassin." O'Brien said he was taken with the story of Rapp's journey from young man - "a wounded human" - to assassin. "I thought that was a really fresh concept," said O'Brien, who is making his own transition from the teen roles of "The Maze Runner" and TV's "Teen Wolf." O'Brien did about eight weeks of training, going to a gym with his trainer every day and learning different martial arts. CBS Films' "American Assassin," distributed by Lionsgate, cost about $50 million, modest by action movie standards. Producers hope to carve out their own share of the market when the movie opens the weekend after Stephen King's killer clown movie "It" and before the sequel to the hit spy satire "Kingsman." And the Mitch Rapp series continues after Flynn's death. Writer Kyle Mills has continued the book series - "Enemy of the State," his third installment, was released Sept. 5 - and Mills has signed on for another three books. "These books are very patriotic and they're violent and they're ripped from the headlines," said Emily Bestler, Flynn's longtime editor at Atria Books. Doubters early on thought there would not be a movie audience for such flag-waving fare, Bestler said, "but we knew there would be." "If you read the papers, you're not sure we're winning," Bestler said. "You sit down with one of these books and we win, and it feels really, really good." Producers hope "American Assassin" leads to a Mitch Rapp franchise ("Kill Shot," the next book in the series, is being considered for a sequel), and the publisher has released paperback tie-ins to the movie. "I would love for this movie to be a part of bringing a whole new generation of Mitch Rapp fans into bookstores and movie theaters," Bestler said. Flynn's widow, Lysa Flynn, said she is glad the producers never gave up. "This is a happy time. It's just such an honor to see the movie finally happening," she said, adding that Vince Flynn will "always live on in his books. It's like having him back for a time." ___ Online: CBS Films: http://www.cbsfilms.com/american-assassin/ Simon & Schuster: http://www.simonandschuster.com Vince Flynn: http://www.vinceflynn.com ___ Follow Jeff Baenen on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jeffbaenen . Find more of his work at https://apnews.com/search/jeff%20baenen CLEVELAND (AP) - The Cleveland Indians have made several hundred customers of a window and home repair business very happy now that the team has extended its winning streak to 15 games. Cleveland.com reports Cleveland-based Universal Windows Direct offered customers in July free products and services, to include windows, doors, siding, roofs and other repairs, if the Indians put together a 15-game winning streak this season. Company president Chad Howman says more than 250 orders were placed in July in a promotion marking the company's 15th year in business. And the hometown team delivered. The Indians, first in the American League Central division, beat the last-place Chicago White Sox 11-2 Thursday night to set a franchise record with their 15th straight win. VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia (AP) - Pope Francis traveled Friday to an area once besieged by leftist rebels to pray with victims of Colombia's long conflict, urging them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. At an open-air Mass in the central city of Villavincencio, Francis praised those who had resisted "the understandable temptation for vengeance" and instead sought out peace. He said their choice in no way legitimized the injustices they suffered, but rather showed a willingness to build a peaceful future together. "Every effort at peace without sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail," he warned. A mutilated statue of Christ, which was rescued from a church destroyed in a rebel mortar attack 15 years ago, is displayed during a prayer meeting for reconciliation, with Pope Francis at Las Malocas Park in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Several Afro-Colombian residents of the impoverished town of Bojaya traveled days by boat, plane and bus to bring the modest plaster statue to Villavicencio so it could be blessed by the pope. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) The highlight of his daylong visit was to be what the Vatican has termed a "great prayer meeting for national reconciliation," bringing victims and victimizers together before a poignant symbol of the conflict: a mutilated statue of Christ rescued from a church destroyed in a rebel mortar attack. It was bound to be a deeply emotional gathering for Francis, who has made reconciliation the central theme of his five-day trip Colombia after promising to visit the country upon the signing of last year's peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The event was drawing thousands of victims from all walks of life: soldiers who lost limbs clearing land mines, mothers whose children were forcibly recruited by the rebels never to be seen again and farmers driven off their land by right-wing paramilitary groups. While still grieving, many said they had already worked through their sorrow to forgive. "When you forgive, you still have the scar of the wound, but yes, I have definitely forgiven from my heart," said Paulina Mahecha, whose daughter disappeared in 2004 while studying to be a nurse. Mahecha arrived at the event bearing photos of her daughter, Marina Christina Cobo Mahecha, around her neck and a banner accusing the army, police and paramilitary groups in her disappearance. She said she had moved beyond her grief with the help of a priest: "Otherwise I would be dead. Forgiveness was not for them, but for me," she said. Ahead of the event, the former commander of the FARC published a public letter in which he asked Francis for forgiveness. "Your frequent reminders about the infinite mercy of God move me to beg for your forgiveness for any tear or pain we've caused Colombian society or any of its individuals," wrote Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. The longtime rebel commander, who is undergoing medical treatment in Cuba following a stroke, said he regretted that he was unable to be present for Francis' visit. Declaring himself a "devout admirer" of the first Latin American pope, he praised Francis' insistence on the dignity of every human being and outspoken criticism of an economic system in which rich nations loot the riches of poorer ones. In another sign that the pope's message of reconciliation may be getting through to the deeply polarized nation, the mayor of Medellin confirmed that President Juan Manuel Santos will pray together Saturday at a Mass in Colombia's second-largest city with his predecessor and arch-rival, President Alvaro Uribe. Previously the two had refused to appear together at any papal events. The two former allies split over Santos' signing of a peace deal with the FARC and their feud has hampered the chances of successful implementation of the accord. Francis has tried to bring the two together, sponsoring a face-to-face meeting at the Vatican last December after Uribe led the opposition that narrowly rejected the original accord in a nationwide referendum. Among those attending the reconciliation event in Villavicencio was Lucrecia Valencia, who lost her husband and son, as well has her own right arm and left leg, when they were going out for firewood near their home. Her town was for years engulfed by violence and she said she wants the world to know that the country's peace is fragile. She said the land mine that upended her life in 2009 was likely planted by another rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, which remains active in many parts of the country. "We're sick of all this," the 40-year-old said. "I'm a woman of a good heart. I have nothing to ask for. But I want people to know we don't want any more war." Also on hand was Juan Enrique Montiel, a former paramilitary member, who said that he realized he couldn't start a new life until he faced his victims and apologized. "We made a lot of victims, so for us to get where we are, being able to walk without fear as a civilian (it is necessary to confront your victims)," he said. Presiding over the event will be a mutilated Christ statue rescued from a bombed-out church 15 years ago - perhaps the most powerful reminder of the senseless political violence that left more than 250,000 people dead and millions displaced. Several Afro-Colombian residents of the impoverished town of Bojaya traveled days by boat, plane and bus to bring the modest plaster statue to Villavicencio so it could be blessed by the pope. The town church was hit and destroyed by a FARC mortar when 300 residents had taken shelter there during a three-way firefight between the rebels, army and the paramilitaries. At least 79 people died and 100 were injured in the 2002 attack. Today the remote town is a model for reconciliation, having overwhelmingly backed President Juan Manuel Santos' peace plan and even taken the unusual step of welcoming back the FARC, whose leaders have twice visited the town to seek forgiveness and develop projects to benefit the community. At the start of Friday's Mass, Francis beatified two priests intimately identified with Colombia's conflict. The pope declared them martyrs who "shed their blood for the love of the flock to whom they were entrusted." The Rev. Pedro Ramirez was murdered in the turbulent days following the 1948 assassination of a leftist firebrand Jorge Eliecer Gaitan - a slaying that marked the start of Colombia's descent into political violence and the eventual arming of poor farmers excluded by the elite-driven political system. Priests in the town of Armero, in central Colombia, said Ramirez was pulled from the church, stripped naked and attacked with machetes by an angry mob of Gaitan's followers who accused him of protecting their conservative, landholding enemies. Bishop Jesus Jaramillo was gunned down in 1989 in the eastern city of Arauca by rebels with of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, with whom he clashed on theological grounds. The ELN was founded by priests and seminary students inspired by liberation theology, which sought to identify the church with the poor and excluded, and saw in the conservative but charismatic Jaramillo a potential rival for influence among the region's peasants and workers. Some 70 of Ramirez's relatives came from around the world to attend his beatification Mass, which Colombian authorities said drew some 400,000 people. "It is a very happy and exciting day," said Julia Eugenia Ramirez, a great niece of the slain priest. "I feel honored to follow the steps of our great uncle." ___ Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman reported from Bogota, Colombia; Trisha Thomas contributed from Villavincencio. Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Pope Francis beatified two priests killed during Colombia's years of political violence and guerrilla warfare, declaring them martyrs who died out of hatred for the Catholic faith. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) People wait under a light rain for the start of a Holy Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis, in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Francis heads Friday into an area once besieged by leftist rebels to pray with victims of Colombia's long conflict and urge them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) People wait for the start of a Holy Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis, in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) Priests wave from the stage where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. At an open-air Mass, Francis praised those who had resisted "the understandable temptation for vengeance" and instead sought out peace. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) A representatives of Colombia's indigenous community shakes hands with Pope Francis in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) Residents sit on top of a home to get a better view of Pope Frances celebrating Mass at a park in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. The sign reads in Spanish "Pope Francis, Welcome to Villavicencio!" (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) BEIJING (AP) - China's export growth weakened in August as global demand softened while imports showed unexpected strength despite expectations of a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. Exports rose 5.5 percent over a year earlier to $199.2 billion, down from July's 7.2 percent growth, trade data showed Friday. Imports rose 13.3 percent to $157.2 billion, up from the previous month's 11 percent. Forecasters have warned Chinese economic growth will cool this year, dampening demand for foreign goods as controls on bank lending to slow a rise in debt take hold. The International Monetary Fund expects this year's economic growth to slip to 6.6 percent from last year's 6.7 percent and to below 6.2 percent in 2018. "The strong import data suggests that domestic demand may be more resilient than expected," said Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics in a report. Export growth was unexpectedly strong in the first half of the year, a positive sign for Chinese leaders who want to avoid job losses in trade-related industries. China has been credited with helping to support global demand and weaker imports might hurt suppliers for whom this country is a major market. China's global trade surplus declined by 19 percent in August from a year earlier to $42 billion. The politically sensitive surplus with the United States rose 4 percent to $26.2 billion. American officials have resumed criticizing China's large surpluses and currency control after President Donald Trump said in April he would temporarily shelve complaints while Washington and Beijing cooperated on North Korea. This week, Trump threatened to block imports from countries that do business with the North, China's main trading partner. "Downside risks to exports remain, in particular in the area of U.S.-China trade relations," said Kuijs. China's trade surplus with the 28-nation European Union, its biggest trading partner, shrank 14 percent to $11.7 billion. ___ General Administration of Customs of China: www.customs.gov.cn BEIRUT (AP) - Only one health facility remains operational in the Islamic State-held part of Raqqa, serving thousands of civilians trapped in the Syrian city with virtually no emergency services or rescue personnel as the intense U.S.-backed campaign to liberate the city continues, Physicians for Human Rights said Friday. The New York-based group described as "nightmarish" conditions in the ever-shrinking area controlled by IS militants amid an incessant bombing campaign. The wounded civilians are left under the rubble because civilians fear being struck by further airstrikes. The lone operating hospital is using salt water to sanitize wounds and treatment of traumatic injuries is limited to stopping the bleeding, the group said based on interviews it carried out with survivors, physicians and aid workers from the city. The U.S.-led campaign, which began in earnest in June, left only the national hospital functioning at reduced capacity, as others were either bombed or closed, the group said according to witnesses it interviewed. In this photo taken on Thursday, July 27, 2017, a U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighter looks through a window as he takes his position inside a destroyed apartment on the front line, in Raqqa, northeast Syria. Kurds and Arabs are fighting side by side in the assault against the Islamic State group in Raqqa, but they have vastly different visions of what happens next. (AP Photo/Sarah El Deeb) One doctor who escaped in mid-August told PHR he operated out of his home because civilians feared going to the hospital in case it was shelled, or to avoid extortion by IS. Militants from the extremist group administer the hospital, which has been divided in two sections, one for civilians and another for the group's fighters. Amid the campaign, the last of the hospital's remaining services were forced underground, providing very basic medical care, PHR said. In recent weeks, medical supplies dwindled and pharmacies were closed. The doctor finally left Raqqa after two of his colleagues were killed in airstrikes that struck their homes. As he fled, his daughter was killed in a land mine explosion. "Raqqa is a deathtrap where civilians who have already suffered for years under (IS) rule now also suffer the deadly consequences of the fight against (IS)," said Racha Mouawieh, Syria researcher for PHR. The U.N. has estimated that up to 25,000 civilians remain trapped in the city, unable to leave either because IS holds them to use as human shields, or because of land mines along the roads and the heavy bombing. For those who survived escaping the city, the closest health facility is 50 miles away, in Tal Abyad, or 90 miles away in Kobane for a specialized trauma unit. A new private hospital opened in Tabqa, about 25 miles from Raqqa, last week, PHR said. The group called on parties to the conflict to ensure civilian access to medical care and safe evacuation. The U.S-led coalition described reports of the violence and destruction around the area's health facilities as "abhorrent". It reiterated that "the avoidance of civilian casualties is our highest priority when conducting strikes against legitimate military targets," but noted that casualties are inevitable in street-by-street battles with militants. Since the campaign began in June, U.S.-backed Syrian fighters have seized more than 60 percent of the city, tightening the noose on hundreds of IS militants who are fighting to the death for the city, and trapping thousands of civilians with them. The U.N. and rights groups have expressed concern for civilian safety, with one official urging a "humanitarian pause." Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defense said Friday it has killed four IS leaders, including one it described as the group's war minister, in an airstrike outside the eastern Syria city of Deir el-Zour, south of Raqqa. Russia has been providing air cover for Syrian President Bashar Assad's offensive on IS since 2015. The defense ministry said its airstrike killed 40 militants, including four prominent warlords who gathered for a meeting of IS commanders in an underground bunker outside Deir el-Zour. Heavy clashes are taking place between Syrian government forces and IS around Deir el-Zour as militants fight to reinstate a years-long siege of the city. Assad's troops on Tuesday broke the nearly three-year militant blockade of parts of the city, marking a significant advance against the extremists. The Russian military named Abu Muhammad al-Shimali and Gulmurod Khalimov as two of the four IS leaders killed in the airstrike. The other two were not named in the statement. Al-Shimali reportedly headed the movement of foreign fighters into Syria and processed the group's new recruits. Khalimov, a colonel who received U.S. training while heading the riot police force in his native Tajikistan, has often been described as the IS' minister of war. The United States last year placed a $3 million bounty on his head. ___ Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report. News / Press Release by Moses Mzila Ndlovu In African society old age confers wisdom upon an individual but where this fails the consequences are disastrous as in the case of the leadership of Robert Mugabe. Even if Zimbabwe and South Africa shared the same revolutionary objectives Mugabe cannot by any means make such extravagant claims to being the godfather/custodian of that ideology, its revolutionary ideals. Here is why.Historically the party that Mugabe leads was never classified as a revolutionary party because it was not and still is not. In Sub-Saharan Africa, ZANU was in the same category as UNITA of Jonas Savimbi (Angola), FNLA of Holden Roberto (Angola) within the Liberation Movement and this group was regarded as renegades planted by the colonists to derail the struggle for independence and countering revolution. Some of their leaders now demanding Hero Status in Zimbabwe were CIA agents. Liberation movements belonging to the progressive revolutionary group included MPLA led by Augustinho Neto (Angola), ZAPU led by Joshua Nkomo (Zimbabwe), ANC led by Oliver Tambo (South Africa), Frelimo led by Eduardo Xivambo Mondlane and later Samora Moises Machel, SWAPO led by Sam Nujoma (Namibia) and PAIGC led by Amilcar Cabral (Guinea Bissau) collectively known as the Authentic Six Liberation Movements. Despite their nationalist origins, these were Marxist inclined by virtue of their coming into contact with Communist Europe under the Warsaw Pact. ZANU was never a Marxist party, they borrowed a Communist mask after independence, used it as cover to stage an ideological fraud for purposes of acceptance in the Authentic Group after Zapu became the only party from the revolutionary group that did not rule the country they were fighting to liberate but Zanu knows it very well that they were never recognized as progressive. Why the socialist experiment exploded onto their faces in the first decade of independence was because it lacked an honest ideological foundation though it is also possible this was in connivance with the Margaret Thatcher Conservative (British) and Ronald Reagan (American) Republican governments in order to mount a decoy that would give them an opportunity to destroy ZAPU and the people of Matebeleland.There are numerous incidents which took place in exile and the war front confirming the reactionarism of Zanu. Killing comrades easily and their war tactics differed substantially from the revolutionary group in particular their relations with the civilian population based on terror. To this day Mugabe still talks of 'Striking terror in the hearts of the white men' in reference to unarmed civilians. It is a total fabrication to say ZANU is a revolutionary party. Revolutionary parties fight systems and not tribes and races like Zanu does. To mislead members of the public on a matter of such critical historical importance is gross chameleonic mischief aimed at concealing the true character of ZANU. People of Zimbabwe must pull down the curtain to see the monster behind but not standing behind treacherous caricatures some of whom are leading opposition.To accuse the ANC of betraying the revolution as justification for the cross-border ground and air vitriolic verbal incursions into a friendly neighbor, which is unfairly bearing the brunt of a man-made Zimbabwean economic and socio-political disaster, is an uncalled for criminal conduct of gross interference in the affairs of another country worsened by Mugabe's casting aspersions on the legacy of Nelson Mandela. It is strange that a leader of a failed state like Zimbabwe has the audacity to see a speck in South Africa's eye. This is an unmasked incitement of violence and chaos and indeed a diplomatic offence, the same chaos that has brought us where we are. An infectious streak of madness is at the door step of South Africa. Truth is that under Mugabe, Zimbabwe is living a lie. While their friends, the North Koreans are keeping the whole world on tenterhooks through atomic bomb testing, Zanu is finding cause to stir up dust in water within the country in an otherwise peaceful region. The bottom line though, is both countries are a big threat to international security, they are a stubborn axis of evil. Zanu and the North Koreans jointly committed a crime against humanity in Matebeleland in the 80s. It is time the world acted in a non-selective manner to deal with disruptive and divisive dynasties founded on The Juche Idea exported to Zimbabwe and intricately bonded by cruelty, arrogance, lack of compassion, recklessness, vindictiveness, adventurism, conceit and bullish behaviour.Moses Mzila NdlovuInterim President for ANSAAlliance for National Salvation Zimbabwe MIAMI (AP) - The Latest on Hurricane Irma (all times local): 11:10 p.m. The National Hurricane Center says Irma has strengthened back into a Category 5 storm. Forecasters also extended hurricane and storm surge warnings and watches farther north in Florida. CORRECTS DAY - This photo provided on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Irma scraped Cuba's northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. (Jalon Manson Shortte via AP) The center says Irma made landfall on the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba late Friday and has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph). The hurricane is about 300 miles (485 kilometers) from Miami and moving about 13 mph (20 kph) toward the west. In the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katia is making landfall north of Tecolutla, Mexico. Katia is still a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph (120 kph). Forecasters expect the hurricane to weaken quickly over the next 24 hours. In the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose has almost hit Category 5 strength, with tops winds of 155 mph (250 kph). Jose is about 265 miles (430 kilometers) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands. ___ 8:15 p.m. South Carolina's governor has ordered the evacuation of seven barrier islands, including Hilton Head Island, because they could be inundated by Hurricane Irma. Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday that 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of storm surge is possible on the islands in the southern part of the state even though the center of Irma is forecast to move 200 miles to the west. With about 40,000 residents, Hilton Head Island is by far the largest island evacuated. It also has a number of resorts, golf courses and hotels. South Carolina Adjutant General Robert Livingston estimates 20,000 people have already left Hilton Head Island. Edisto Beach is also being evacuated, along with Harbor, Hunting, Fripp, Daufuskie, Tullifini and Knowles islands. McMaster says a change in Irma's track back east might require more evacuations. ___ 8:05 p.m. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Irma. The remnants of the deadly hurricane are currently projected to sweep into Alabama and Georgia by Monday morning, bringing strong winds and rain. The governor said even though it appears Alabama will escape the brunt of the storm, the state will certainly be affected by the tropical system. "We must be ready to respond, no matter what comes our way," Ivey said. Under the projected track released Friday, the tropical system is expected to sweep into Alabama Monday morning bringing sustained winds of up to 30 mph, with higher gusts in the eastern part of the state. Alabama Emergency Management Agency meteorologist Jim Stefkovich says the greater inland threat for severe weather is in Georgia, but emphasized that could shift. ___ 8:05 p.m. A handwritten sign on the door of an Orlando Home Depot reads "sorry, out of plywood" - a nearly universal problem at stores across the city as residents scrambled to collect supplies, board up their houses and wait out the storm. Victor Hernandez wandered through the lumber racks just before closing time Friday evening, trying to think up a makeshift solution to protect two big windows at the front of his house. Hernandez thinks people might be overreacting in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, which sat over that city for days, dumping rain and causing rushing floods. He doesn't believe this storm, moving more quickly, will be so devastating. "I'm from Cuba, we're used to hurricanes. I grew up ready for storms," said Hernandez, who's lived in Orlando seven years and works as a real estate agent and valet driver. After his wood run, Hernandez had two more stops to make: Wal-Mart, for some board games, then the liquor store, for a bottle of rum. ___ 7:10 p.m. Florida has asked 5.6 million people to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, or more than one quarter of the state's population, according to state emergency officials. Andrew Sussman, the state's hurricane program manager, said Friday the total includes people throughout the southern half of the state as well as those living in inland Florida in substandard housing who were also told leave due to the dangerous storm that will slam the state this weekend. Florida is the nation's third-largest state with nearly 21million people according to the U.S. Census. For days Gov. Rick Scott has been urging residents to evacuate, especially those who live in coastal areas that could be flooded due to the walls of water expected from Irma's arrival. ___ 6:45 p.m. The National Hurricane Center is warning Floridians that even if the storm seems to moving away from the East Coast in the latest tracks, don't get complacent. "This is a storm that will kill you if you don't get out of the way," said National Hurricane Center meteorologist and spokesman Dennis Feltgen. Feltgen says the storm has a really wide eye, with hurricane-force winds that cover the entire Florida peninsula and potentially deadly storm surges on both coasts. "Everybody's going to feel this one," Feltgen said. ___ 6:45 p.m. As Florida deals with a catastrophic, dangerous hurricane, it may have a financial storm to deal with. The annual budget forecast released this week shows, despite an ongoing economic recovery, Florida is expected to bring in just enough money to meet its spending needs. That forecast shows the state will have a surplus of just $52 million during the fiscal year that starts in July 2018. The new estimate does not take into account the potential effects that will come from Hurricane Irma. In the past some have speculated hurricanes help the economy because of increased spending. But Amy Baker, the state economist whose office helps put together the forecast, says a look at previous hurricanes showed that the state wound up spending more as a result of the disaster. ___ 6:15 p.m. Hurricane Irma's predicted path continues to inch west as the massive storm, still armed with 155 mph winds, approaches Florida. The National Hurricane Center's latest track brings the Category 4 hurricane into southwest Florida, up the state a tad west of the center region, and further east than earlier forecasts. However, the margin of error is still large enough that the entire state may get Irma's powerful core. Taking into account Irma's 100-mile-wide hurricane-force winds, University of Miami researcher Brian McNoldy says most of the state will feel Irma's wrath. McNoldy says the storm will be "less costly (and) less deadly" on the state's west coast, in comparison to Florida's east coast, where there are more people. Forecasters keep moving Irma's projected track a bit west because its long-anticipated turn north keeps getting pushed back. McNoldy says forecasters had expected a high-pressure system to weaken further north, allowing Irma to make the turn, but it is not weakening as fast as originally forecast. ___ 5:50 p.m. Agricultural charity organization Heifer International said heavy rain and floodwaters from Hurricane Irma has devastated bean and corn crops and pasture land in northern Haiti. Hurricane Irma skirted the northwestern coast of the impoverished Caribbean country. There were no immediate reports of any deaths. In a statement, Heifer country director Hervil Cherubin says local farmers that the organization works with were able to protect their goats and other livestock thanks to preparations ahead of time. Cherubin warned that the flooded pasture land is expected to cause a shortage of forage in the coming months. That and the crop loss will mean that farmers will likely require assistance in the coming months. ___ 5:50 p.m. When Alix Agudelo heard Hurricane Irma was barreling toward Orlando, her mind turned to the images she recalled from Hurricane Harvey: people stranded on rooftops as the floodwaters raged around them, clinging to tree branches, wading through neck-deep, rushing water. She bought three life jackets, just in case, one for herself, one for her 10-year-old daughter, and one for her fiance, Gia Rodriguez. They plan to hunker down in their house, with a little dog named Picasso. Agudelo's daughter Alix Balcazar shoveled sand into bags as a city distribution center late Friday afternoon. "I'm not scared," the girl declared, and her mother smiled. "We don't want her to know much," she whispered. "We pretend to be calm for the little one. She shouldn't have to feel fear." ___ 5:25 p.m. Researchers calculated that Friday has had the most hurricane activity in the history of the Atlantic region. Scientists use a measurement called Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) to give a good snapshot of hurricane activity because it combines storms' wind speeds and how long they spin at such speeds. With Irma and Jose Category 4 storms and Katia knocking on the door Category 3, Colorado State University hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach calculated that the entire day - based on universal time - Friday had an ACE of 16. That beat out the region's record of 14.3 set on Sept. 11, 1961. Thursday now ranks third for ACE with 14.2 and Wednesday ranks fourth at 14.1. "I can't keep up with all the records," says Klotzbach, who keeps numerous hurricane records. ___ 5:15 p.m. Hurricane Irma has caused extensive flooding and damaged many homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands southeast of the Bahamas. Minister of Instructure Gold Ray Ewing says damage on the most populated island of Providenciales will total at least half a billion dollars. He says no one has yet been able to assess damage on Grand Turk and South Caicos islands. In an interview with The Associated Press, Ewing said that a community known as Blue Hill on the northwestern side of Providenciales is "gone" and that homes have been destroyed across the island. The Disaster Management Agency says it has no reports yet of any deaths in the British territory. Flooding is widespread and power is out throughout the island chain. There are many downed trees and utility poles, making some roads impassable. The storm passed near uninhabited West Caicos on Friday afternoon as it headed toward Florida. ___ 5:15 p.m. Emergency officials in Georgia are ordering the state's coastal residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma. But where should they go? The storm's unpredictable path beyond Florida is making that a tough question to answer. A westward shift in the storm forecast Friday put Irma's potential path in the same direction many coastal evacuees had been told to flee. On Thursday, when the forecast showed Irma coming up the coastline, Chatham County emergency management director Dennis Jones had told people in Savannah to "just move west." Jones was asked again Friday where residents should head after the National Hurricane Center moved its predicted storm track far inland into southern central Georgia. Jones' reply: "Honestly, I can't tell you where safe is." ___ 5 p.m. The U.S. Navy says four ships are ready to assist with Hurricane Irma relief. The U.S. Navy Fleet Forces Command said in a statement Friday that Adm. Phil Davidson ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the transport dock ship USS New York and the assault ship USS Iwo Jima to be in position to provide humanitarian relief if requested. The statement says the destroyer USS Farragut is already "conducting local operations" and has been ordered to join the group. The ships are capable of providing medical support, maritime security and logistical support. Irma, which was churning along Cuba's northern coast Friday afternoon, is expected to hit Florida early Sunday morning. ___ 5 p.m. Miami Beach resident George Neary was on one of the last flights out of Miami International Airport before it closed in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The American Airlines flight left for New York around noon Friday. "Everyone cheered when we got the OK to take off," Neary said. "It was kind of emotional for a lot of us. We didn't know until it finally left if it was actually going to leave." Neary says the checking-in and boarding processes were well organized Friday morning. Neary was planning to attend a business convention in New York and had booked his flight long before a hurricane was forecast to hit Florida. Still, he considered staying. "I thought about canceling my flight and staying, but I wouldn't be in my condo anyway," Neary said. "I might as well watch it from New York with my fingers crossed." ___ 4:45 p.m. Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency in Virginia so officials can better prepare for Hurricane Irma and help other affected states. The governor's office said in a statement that the order issued Friday allows the state to mobilize resources including the Virginia National Guard. It also allows people and equipment to be staged to assist in storm response and recovery efforts. The statement says that while the track of Hurricane Irma is still uncertain, it appears increasingly likely that Virginia will see "significant" impacts. It says the whole state should prepare for possible flooding, high winds and storm surge. The governor is also urging coastal residents to know what hurricane evacuation zone they live in under the state's new plan unveiled earlier this year. A tool to look up that information is available online. ___ 4:45 p.m. Dozens of people swarmed like ants Friday filling up white bags with free sand from a huge pile dumped at the Flagler County Airport in Palm Coast, Florida, as they prepared for Hurricane Irma. Sheriff's deputies watched as four minimum-security county prisoners helped carry bags to residents' cars and trucks. Daniel Nobles needed the assistance, wincing visibly as he scoped sand into a bag. "It's a struggle. I have a torn muscle that goes all the way from my chest down to my ribs, and just bending over doing this is a lot of stress," said Nobles, 27. "But I have to protect my property." Palm Coast is located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Jacksonville. ___ 4:30 p.m. The operator of two nuclear power plants in Florida says the plants will be shut down well before Hurricane Irma makes landfall. Florida Power and Light President Eric Silagy said Friday that the company will shut the Turkey Point and St. Lucie plants down 24 hours before the onset of hurricane-level winds. Turkey Point is located south of Miami in Homestead. St. Lucie is on the state's east coast. Silagy says the two plants are among the strongest structures in the world and are encased in a 6-foot-thick (1.8 meters) cement structure reinforced by steel. The plants also have multiple safety systems and are elevated about 20 feet (6.1 meters) above sea level to protect against flooding and extreme storm surges. Turkey Point took a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Silagy said officials "will not take any chances, and those plants will be secure." ___ 4:20 p.m. The death toll from Hurricane Irma has risen to 22 as the storm continues its destructive path through the Caribbean. The dead include 11 on St. Martin and St. Barts, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands and four in the British Virgin Islands. There was also one each in Barbuda, Anguilla, and Barbados. The toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach some of the hardest-hit areas. Irma weakened from a Category 5 to a still-fearsome Category 4 on Friday morning with winds of 155 mph (250 kph) as it churns along Cuba's northern coast. ___ 4:15 p.m. Uncertainty over the path of Hurricane Irma has prompted Georgia's governor to expand a pre-emptive emergency declaration to cover more than half of the state. By Friday afternoon, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal had declared a state of emergency for 94 of Georgia's 159 counties. The National Weather Service predicts Irma's center will cross the state line Monday as the storm churns northward from Florida. But it could arrive anywhere from the coast near Savannah to inland communities near the Georgia-Alabama line. Evacuations have been ordered only for six counties directly on the Georgia coast, affecting nearly 540,000 people. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration Friday authorizing federal disaster aid for 30 southeast Georgia counties bracing for possible destruction from Irma. ___ 4:05 p.m. The Palm Beach Post newspaper is evacuating its building in Palm Beach County, Florida, due to Hurricane Irma. Publisher Timothy Burke informed the staff in a memo on Thursday night. In the memo, Burke acknowledged that some employees had arranged to have their families stay at the building while they worked. In a Friday email, Burke said the decision was made to allow employees to evacuate to "safer locations." He says the Post building may not be able to withstand a storm above a Category 2 hurricane. Burke says the organization had been helping staff and their families find accommodations. In his memo, Burke told the staff the media organization would return to its building "as soon as possible." ___ 3:55 p.m. The Homeland Security Department is temporarily waiving federal restrictions on foreign ships' transportation of cargo in order to help distribute fuel to states and territories affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In a statement Friday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said, "This is a precautionary measure to ensure we have enough fuel to support lifesaving efforts, respond to the storm, and restore critical services and critical infrastructure." The seven-day waiver specifically affects shipments of refined products, such as gasoline, in hurricane-affected areas. The Jones Act prohibits such shipments between U.S. points aboard foreign vessels. The last such waiver was in December 2012, for petroleum products delivered after Hurricane Sandy. ___ 3:45 p.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is warning that residents in South Florida only have hours left to evacuate. Scott on Friday told residents from seven counties that they should leave by midnight or should not get on the road. "If you are planning to leave and do not leave tonight, you will have to ride out this extremely dangerous storm at your own risk," Scott said. Hurricane Irma is expected to rip into the state over the weekend. The looming threat of the dangerous storm has triggered a massive evacuation. Those trying to flee have encountered traffic jams and there have been fuel shortages, especially in south Florida. Scott has urged Floridians for days to heed evacuation orders, but he has also told residents they don't need to leave the region, but instead to seek out nearby shelters. ___ 3:35 p.m. President Donald Trump says the U.S. is "prepared at the highest level" to deal with Hurricane Irma. Trump spoke briefly to reporters Friday before boarding Marine One to travel to Camp David for the weekend. He told reporters, "Hopefully everything will go well." After struggling to hear the shouted questions from reporters, he says that while the storm is "a really bad one," the U.S. is prepared for the dangerous major hurricane heading toward Florida. Trump received a briefing on Irma earlier in the day. He is spending the weekend at the government-owned mountain retreat in Maryland where he'll monitor the storm and hold a Cabinet meeting on Saturday. ___ 3:25 p.m. Florida's major theme parks are planning to close as Hurricane Irma approaches the state. Officials at Walt Disney World in Orlando announced Friday afternoon that its parks will close on Saturday and remain closed through Monday. Universal Orlando announced on its website that it will close at 7 p.m. Saturday and will remain closed through Monday. Officials said they anticipate reopening on Tuesday. SeaWorld in Orlando and Busch Gardens, which is in Tampa, also announced plans to shut down at 5 p.m. Saturday and remain closed through Monday. Last October, the theme parks also closed down for Hurricane Matthew, which skirted Florida's southeast coast. ___ 3:10 p.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is urging residents along the state's Gulf Coast to get out of evacuation zones as Hurricane Irma's path has moved slightly west. During a news conference on Friday afternoon in Lee County in southwest Florida, Scott warned of storm surge which could be between 6 and 12 feet. "You are not going to survive this if it happens," Scott told residents. "Now is the time to evacuate." Scott says the state hasn't closed southbound lanes on interstates because of the need to continue getting supplies into South Florida. But he says they've opened the shoulder of Interstate 75's northbound lanes from Wildwood in central Florida to the Georgia line, north of Lake City. ___ 3 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has yet to decide whether to order residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma. McMaster said he is awaiting the next update from the National Hurricane Center. He has scheduled another news conference at 6 p.m. Friday. Federal forecasters have shifted the center of Irma well west of South Carolina. But western parts of the state are still in Monday's forecast cone as Irma diminishes from a hurricane to a tropical depression. McMaster says if he orders people to leave their homes, the evacuation would take effect at 10 a.m. Saturday. The governor also rescinded parts of an order signed Thursday requiring health care facilities in all coastal counties to move patients inland and not take new, non-emergency patients. The order still applied to three counties. ___ 2:30 p.m. A top homeland security adviser to President Donald Trump is urging those in the path of Hurricane Irma to stay vigilant and listen to the directions of their local and state officials. Tom Bossert says at the White House that people in Florida and elsewhere should not be focused on the specific track of the storm, but should make preparations now to take care of themselves and their families. As Florida deals with gasoline shortages, Bossert says responders are bringing in as much fuel as possible. Bossert says the Trump administration is thankful that Congress passed the $15.3 billion disaster aid package. He says Trump may sign the bill on Friday. ___ 2:30 p.m. A top U.S. homeland security adviser says President Donald Trump's administration wants some hurricane-ravaged areas to rebuild with potential flooding in mind. Thomas Bossert told reporters Friday that officials are reconsidering Trump's executive order last month that rolled back President Obama's directive for flood plain buildings to adhere to tighter standards. Bossert said that people "need to build back smarter and stronger against flood plain concerns when we use federal dollars." He added that the administration will decide new standards over the next month or so. Trump's order last month revoked Obama's directive requiring that such projects built with federal aid take rising sea levels into account. Trump suggested the predicted risks from sea level rise driven by climate change are overblown. ___ 2:30 p.m. Authorities in Florida say a man trying to install hurricane shutters in preparation for Hurricane Irma fell from a ladder and died. Davie Police Sgt. Mark Leone said in an email that a 57-year-old man had been hired to install hurricane shutters Thursday morning. He fell about 15 feet (5 meters) from a ladder and hit his head on a pool deck. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The man's name wasn't immediately released. ___ 2:30 p.m. A 16-year-old junior professional surfer in Barbados died this week while surfing large swells generated by Hurricane Irma. Zander Venezia was surfing on the island's east coast when he drowned Tuesday as the hurricane churned several hundred miles away. Family friend and surfing instructor Alan Burke said Venezia hit his head and lost consciousness. He said it was a freak accident that occurred under blue skies and ideal surfing conditions. Burke said Venezia told a friend in his last words that he was surfing the best waves of his life. Venezia had represented Barbados on its national surfing team as a junior pro. ___ 2:30 p.m. Laura Strickling and her husband, Taylor, moved to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands three years ago from Washington, D.C., so he could take a job first as a law clerk and then with a law firm. They rented an apartment at the top floor of a house with a stunning view of the turquoise water of Megan's Bay, which is surrounded by low hills covered in deep green trees. The couple is used to living in tough circumstances: Taylor Strickling worked in Afghanistan for three years, helping to set up a law school, and Laura, an opera singer, visited him there often. They've also lived in Morocco. But she says nothing prepared them for the stress of spending the night, huddled with their 1-year-old daughter and another couple and their 1-year-old son, inside the basement apartment of the house while Hurricane Irma raged outside for 12 hours. Strickling says she has sat through a Taliban gunfight "and this was scarier." When they emerged, they found that their apartment on the top floor was unscathed. All around them, though, was destruction, roofs torn from houses, the lush vegetation gone, and power lines strewn about, including across their driveway. Strickling says she and her husband have no plans to leave St. Thomas, although she admits she is worried about the impending approach of Hurricane Jose. "It's not good." ___ 2 p.m. Stevet Jeremiah lost her 2-year-old son, her house and all her belongings when Hurricane Irma slammed into the tiny island of Barbuda. Now she is leaving the island for good. Jeremiah said her mother and other son had been sent to Antigua and she and her husband were going to follow. She said she has "nothing, not even an ID to say my name." When it was still a Category 5 storm, the hurricane ripped the roof off her house and filled it with water. Jeremiah says there was "so much water beating past us, we had to crawl to get to safety." Her son was swept away in floodwaters. In Antigua, she planned to look for her surviving son and her mother, and start making arrangements for the 2-year-old's funeral. She said she has experienced hurricanes before, but "never anything like this in my life ... and I don't ever, ever, ever want to see something like this again." Irma practically decimated houses and other infrastructure on Barbuda, and damaged telecommunications equipment, roads and public utilities. The government has since declared the island a disaster zone and declared a state of emergency. Officials in Antigua launched a national campaign to open their homes to hurricane victims from Barbuda. ___ 1:40 p.m. Pope Francis is expressing solidarity with earthquake victims in Mexico as well as those in the path of Hurricane Irma. Francis spoke after a mass in Villavicencio, Colombia, where he said he's praying those who had lost loved ones or their homes in the disasters. The pope's visit to Colombia was intended to be a celebration of the country's steps toward peace. But the rising death toll from Irma and the magnitude 8.1 earthquake Thursday night in southern Mexico have somewhat dampened the spirited mood surrounding Francis' visit. Speaking to the disaster victims, the pope said: "I have you in my heart and am praying for you." ___ 1:30 p.m. As hundreds of thousands of people evacuate coastal Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma, Tony Marcellus was struggling to figure out how to get his elderly mother and grandfather from their home near the ocean in West Palm Beach to his place in Atlanta, 600 miles away. Flights and rental cars were sold out, so he hired an Uber driver to take them 170 miles to meet him in Orlando. He says he gave the driver a very nice tip. Getting out is requiring creative methods. Some are taking any available flight, even to random destinations. Others are combining buses, carpools, and hitching rides with strangers. Tony's mom Celine says she's been worried sick for days, since her father is in a wheelchair. Now she says she's got peace of mind. ___ 1:20 p.m. President Donald Trump says Hurricane Irma "is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential." In a video posted to Facebook, the president urges those in Irma's path to be vigilant and heed the recommendations of all government officials. The storm remains a powerful threat to Florida and the Southeast Atlantic coast. Trump says his administration is doing all it can to help with disaster preparations, and the U.S. "stands united" to address the storm. He says, "We will endure and come back stronger than ever before." ___ 1 p.m. Mayor Carlos Gimenez says more than 660,000 residents of Miami-Dade County must evacuate and find hurricane-proof shelter as Irma bears down on Florida. The county plans to open 43 shelters with room for more than 100,000 people by Friday night. That includes the homeless. The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust says more than 1,000 people live on the streets in Miami, and only 300 have been evacuated so far. Many are willingly moving to shelters, but some have to be detained using the 'Baker Act', a law which allows officers to hospitalize people with mental illness against their will. The Associated Press was there as Miami police handcuffed one man to evacuate a waterfront park. Another man resisted until police threatened to hospitalize him instead. Ron Book with the homeless trust says anybody who stays on the streets during this storm is "going to die." ___ 12:45 p.m. Florida's theme parks are staying open until what seems to be the last moment before Hurricane Irma carves up the peninsula. Universal Orlando has announced it is closing its parks Sunday, just ahead of when damaging winds should reach central Florida. Universal Orlando says it's closing all three of its parks at 7 p.m. on Saturday and will remain closed through Monday. Earlier Friday, Sea World said it will be closing its park on Sunday and Monday, as well. Disney World still has not confirmed its plans. At this point, all of these parks anticipate re-opening on Tuesday. ___ 12:15 p.m. Florida's emergency management division says nearly 6,000 people are already huddling in shelters ahead of Hurricane Irma. Most of the evacuees are gathered in shelters in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where catastrophic Category 4 winds are expected to hit this weekend. Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled in anticipation of Irma's winds and storm surge, which have already killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean. Many roads leaving the state have been jammed with traffic. Gov. Rick Scott has directed all public schools, colleges and universities and state offices to close through Monday at least to make them available for shelter and staging of recovery efforts. ___ 12:10 p.m. Floridians fleeing Hurricane Irma have turned Atlanta's freeways into a ribbon of red neon brake lights, with traffic in some spots barely moving. Thousands of the evacuees have been funneled to the city, since so many them are heading north on Interstate 75 straight to Atlanta. Some ended up at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which opened its vast camp grounds to anyone trying to escape Irma. It took 21 hours for Suzanne Pallot of Miami to reach Atlanta Thursday, in an SUV packed with four other people, their luggage and two cats. After a night at a relative's house, she heard weather forecasts predicting tropical storm force winds for Atlanta on Monday. So the group decided Friday to keep moving, this time to Memphis, Tennessee. ___ 12:05 p.m. Georgia's governor is still urging nearly 540,000 residents of the state's coast to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, even as forecasts show the storm's center could enter the state far inland after churning up the Florida peninsula. Gov. Nathan Deal told a news conference Friday he's not expanding his evacuation order affecting Georgia's six coastal counties. But Deal notes that Irma's path remains unpredictable, and forecasts show it could enter Georgia anywhere from the Atlantic coast to the Alabama state line. The National Weather Service says Irma could still slam coastal Georgia with dangerous storm surge. And while the storm could arrive as a weakened tropical storm, some areas would still face heavy rains and an elevated risk of tornadoes. ___ 11:55 a.m. Meteorology director Jeff Masters at Weather Underground says Hurricane Jose, now a Category 4 storm, will definitely add insult to the injuries caused by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean. But he says the islands that got nailed - namely Barbuda, St. Martin and Anguila - will mostly suffer tropical storm force winds and heavy rains. That will hamper relief efforts so it's a big deal, but he says it's "nothing compared to what they already went through." ___ 11:40 a.m. Hurricane Jose has now become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, threatening Caribbean islands already devastated by Hurricane Irma. Jose now has top sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph) and as it moves toward the northern leeward islands at a speedy 18 mph. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for St. Thomas and St. John. The government of Antigua has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the British Virgin Islands The government of France has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for St. Martin and St. Barts. The government of Sint Maarten has issued a Tropical Storm Warning as well. ___ 11:30 a.m. The latest storm discussion is out from National Hurricane Center reminding people in Florida that Hurricane Irma will likely hit land as a dangerous major hurricane. Irma is so immense that it will bring life-threatening wind impacts to much of the state regardless of exactly where its center moves. The storm surge also could be deadly across southern Florida and the Florida Keys during the next 36 hours. The threat of significant storm surge flooding along the southwest coast of Florida has now increased, with 6 to 12 feet of inundation above ground level possible in this area. Again, the hurricane center says this is a life-threatening situation, so everyone in these areas should take all actions to evacuate before rising water makes it impossible. ___ 11:20 a.m. Associated Press videos show the destruction Hurricane Irma brought to the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Gnarled black branches of leafless trees, street after street now littered with piles of corrugated tin, plywood, wrought iron, battered cars and unidentifiable objects that were once parts of someone's life. Handfuls of people are stumbling through the debris. One reaches the property where her home has now disappeared and says "Oh my God ... Where did you go?" There's little left of the Hotel Mercure - just its sign, painted on one of the walls that still stand amid the ruins. As some begin to clean up, others line up outside a hospital, where the first two syllables of an "EMERGENCY" sign lie on the ground. ___ 11:10 a.m. Authorities on the Dutch territory of St. Maarten say it will take months before people can recover from Hurricane Irma. Prime Minister William Marlin told the Dutch military that the Caribbean island lost many, many homes; schools are destroyed; both government buildings are severely damaged; many people have lost their homes; hotels are so damaged that tourists won't come; the electricity company lost its roof so generators aren't working; nearly half the water tanks are gone; and all the gas stations are destroyed. He also confirms that people have been looting. He calls it "a psychological thing that happens anywhere in the world following a major disaster like this. People become kind of hopeless and there is no communication." ___ 11 a.m. After days of saying they would continue with normal operations while monitoring Irma, Sea World and its properties on Friday announced closings for the weekend. Sea World and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will close down at 5 p.m. on Saturday, pending further updates on the storm. Both parks will remain closed Sunday and Monday. Aquatics Orlando will be closed Saturday through Monday. Discovery Cove will be closed Sunday and Monday. Disney World and Universal Orlando have not responded for requests on updated to their plans. As of Thursday both parks said they will continue with normal business hours but are monitoring the storm. ___ 10:45 a.m. The death toll from Hurricane Irma has increased to 20 with four more deaths reported in the British Virgin Islands. The other lives lost include nine on the French Caribbean islands of St. Martin and St. Barts, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and one each on the islands of Anguilla, Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency gave no details about the latest confirmed deaths in the British territory of about 40 small islands, where Irma caused major damage late Wednesday, especially to the largest and most populated island of Tortola. The British government has been coordinating relief efforts to the cluster of islands near Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Caribbean disaster agency says the Tortola airport is operational but the tower has been "compromised." ___ 10:10 a.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said traffic officials have decided against reversing the direction of southbound lanes because they still need to move gas and supplies south. A massive evacuation has clogged Florida's major highways. Scott says most of the state will have hurricane impacts and "we are running out of time - the storm is almost here." So what they are doing is opening up the shoulders to drivers on Interstate 75 from Wildwood, where the Florida turnpike ends, to the Georgia state line. In Georgia meanwhile, Gov. Nathan Deal just announced contraflow starting Saturday morning on Interstate 16 to ease the mandatory evacuation from Savannah and other coastal communities. ___ 9:50 a.m. Harvey and Irma. Who knew? Certainly not Harvey and Irma Schluter of Washington state. Married 75 years now, they're wondering how it came to be that two major hurricanes bearing their names are poised to strike the U.S. back-to-back. The New York Times reports 104-year-old Harvey married 92-year-old Irma in 1942. There have been a few storms named Harvey since then, but none followed by an Irma. And this is likely the last time a Harvey and Irma swirl through the Atlantic. The World Meteorological Organization alternates men's and women's names in alphabetical order for Atlantic storms. But since these two have caused widespread damage, they are almost certain to be retired. ___ 9:45 a.m. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told Florida's governor that the structural integrity of the Herbert Hoover Dike containing Lake Okeechobee "will not be compromised" by Hurricane Irma. But voluntary evacuations for communities surrounding the lake's southern half are now mandatory, because it's possible Irma's winds will push water over the dike. The seven cities under mandatory evacuation orders are South Bay, Lake Harbor, Pahokee, Moore Haven, Clewiston, Belle Glade and Canal Point. The same area was hit back in 1928 by the Okeechobee hurricane, which made landfall with 145 mph winds. The dikes failed then and at least 2,500 people drowned, most of them farmworkers and their families. More than 1,700 buildings were destroyed by that storm. But the only reported impact on the nearby Mar-a-Lago mansion, now owned by President Donald Trump, was a damaged Roman-style window. ___ 9:25 a.m. All five living former U.S. presidents have issued a joint "One America Appeal" for donations to support the staggering recovery needs from Hurricane Harvey. Now that Hurricane Irma has damaged Puerto Rico and is closing in on Florida, the presidents are expanding the appeal to help its victims as well. The appeal launched with a public service announcement focused on "Our Friends in Texas" during the NFL season opener, but a second PSA addressing both hurricanes is launching this weekend, and a website for tax-deductible donations related to both storms is now live at OneAmericaAppeal.org. A special restricted account has been established through the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation to collect and quickly distribute donations to ensure 100 cents out of every dollar goes to assist hurricane victims. The Carter Center says Harvey has displaced more than one million people and caused an estimated $180 billion in damage over its 300-mile path of destruction. Some forecasters have predicted that Irma's economic toll could be even greater. ___ 9:10 a.m. For an entire generation in South Florida, Hurricane Andrew was the definition of a monster storm. For the people who led victims through that devastating aftermath, Hurricane Irma is looking far worse by nearly every measure. Weather Channel senior hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross was a local television meteorologist hailed as a hero back then. He says Irma's impact on Florida will be much greater - "an entirely different level of phenomenon." Kate Hale grabbed attention as Miami-Dade's emergency management chief by saying "where the hell is the cavalry" after Andrew laid waste to half the county. She says nobody could make up a worse scenario than Irma right now. Combined with flooding from Hurricane Harvey and wildfires out west, she says the effect on the nation's economy is "potentially staggering." ___ 9 a.m. President Donald Trump is urging people to "be safe" as Hurricane Irma approaches. On Twitter Friday, Trump wrote, "Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible." Trump added that the federal government is ready, and in another tweet, he said: "Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard saved more than 15,000 lives last week with Harvey. Irma could be even tougher. We love our Coast Guard!" Coastal residents around South Florida have been ordered to evacuate as the killer storm closes in on the peninsula for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. ___ 8:50 a.m. The Miami Marlins are in Atlanta for the start of a weeklong road trip with Hurricane Irma very much on their minds. They arrived on a chartered flight crowded with the families of players and staff. That helped ease some immediate concerns, but they couldn't ignore what's going on back in Miami, where highways are jammed as coastal residents face mandatory evacuations. Miami Manager Don Mattingly says the team is still watching what happened with Harvey, and now worrying that Irma could devastate their hometown. __ 8:30 a.m. The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Irma weakened a bit more but remains a powerful threat to Florida with storm surges that could reach 10 feet in some places. Irma's winds dropped to 150 mph, still a Category 4 dangerous storm, as it moves between Cuba and the Bahamas over warmer than normal waters that can intensify tropical storms. Irma's core should hit Florida early Sunday morning, but its tropical force storm winds can arrive as early as Saturday morning. The hurricane center is projecting storm surge on top of normal tides of 5 to 10 feet all the way from Jupiter Inlet, which is north of Palm Beach on Florida's east coast, around to Bonita Beach, which is on Florida's west coast south of Fort Myers. The Florida Keys will likely be swamped. From Bonita Beach north to Venice, storm surge is expected to be 3 to 5 feet. And from Jupiter Inlet north to Sebastian Inlet, which is just south of Cape Canaveral, it is expected to be 3 to 6 feet. Forecasters say this life-threatening surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. ___ 8:05 a.m. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long offered some advice for people in the path of Hurricane Irma who've been ordered to evacuate: Get out now. Speaking at FEMA headquarters in Washington on Friday, Long said no one in Florida has experienced a storm with the intensity of what's now bearing down on the state. He said there is "a lot of certainty in this forecast" showing Irma making landfall somewhere in Florida this weekend, and the winds and storm surge from the storm will be devastating. Long said those in low-lying areas who've been told to evacuate "need to get out and heed the warning." More than 8,000 FEMA staff have been deployed to prepare for Irma and help with the continuing recovery effort from Hurricane Harvey, which caused massive flooding in southeastern Texas last week. ___ 7:35 a.m. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb says Hurricane Irma has left at least nine people dead, seven missing and 112 injured on the French Caribbean islands of St. Martin and St. Barts and urged coastal residents to take shelter as a new storm approaches. Collomb told reporters Friday that the casualty toll could rise as more emergency workers reach deeper into the area. He said France is shuttling security forces, emergency workers and aid to the islands before Hurricane Jose hits St. Martin and St. Barts on Saturday night. He said the top priority is to "save the population and restore order" after looting broke out in some areas. The French rescue operation includes military frigates, military and civilian planes and helicopters. A warship is leaving from France next Tuesday to bring heavy equipment to help rebuild the islands, where the government says a majority of buildings were damaged or destroyed. ___ 7:15 a.m. Dutch King Willem-Alexander will fly to the Caribbean island of Curacao on Sunday to inspect the coordination of relief efforts for devastated former colony St. Maarten in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which hit as a Category 5 storm. The Royal House announced the visit Friday, saying the monarch will assess in Curacao "whether and when it is possible to visit St. Maarten" and nearby Dutch islands Saba and St. Eustatius, which were less severely damaged by Irma's winds. A headquarters in Curacao is helping coordinate a military operation to deliver supplies to the 40,000-strong population of St. Maarten. The tiny country, which shares an island with the French territory of St. Martin, has been autonomous since 2010, but remains part of the Dutch commonwealth. Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that most people are surviving on the island without the basic necessities of life. Power, running water and most communications were knocked out by the powerful storm and looting has been reported by local authorities struggling to keep control of the island. ___ 6 a.m. Dutch military forces are helping maintain order and distributing aid to the shattered former colony of St. Maarten after clearing the runway at the capital's badly damaged airport and securing berths in the harbor for two navy ships to bring ashore supplies. Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters Friday that the first plane already has landed at the airport in the capital, Philipsburg, and navy vessels have unloaded vital supplies in a race against time before the next storm arrives. Hurricane Jose is forecast to pass through the region Saturday, but Rutte says it's not expected - at the moment - to directly hit St. Maarten as Irma did Wednesday and winds will likely be significantly weaker. Rutte and Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk say troops are helping stretched local authorities on the autonomous territory to uphold law and order amid looting of stores. St. Maarten is the Dutch side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. ___ 5:10 a.m. France's government is reporting looting of televisions and other goods on the Caribbean island of St. Martin after it was hammered by Hurricane Irma, as warships and military planes ferry police and rescue crews to the site. Annick Girardin, minister for France's overseas territories, described on BFM television Friday "scenes of pillaging" of televisions as well as food and water. She lamented "how people can take advantage of the distress of others" and said it's essential for police to restore order and ensure urgent care for victims. The French government says four people are confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin. Another death was reported on the Dutch side of the shared island. French military spokesman Col. Patrik Steiger told The Associated Press two French frigates are expected to arrive on St. Martin on Friday and military transport planes and helicopters are bringing in personnel and aid to the local population from the nearby French island of Guadeloupe. ___ 4:55 a.m. Hurricane Irma has weakened to a Category 4 storm Friday as it batters the Caribbean on a path toward Florida but remains a powerful hurricane. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Irma's maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 155 mph (250 kph). The hurricane center says some fluctuations in strength are likely over the next day or two but Irma is expected to stay a Category 4 storm. Just before 5 a.m. EDT Friday, the hurricane was centered about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Great Inagua Island and 495 miles (795 kilometers) southeast of Miami. ___ 3:15 a.m. Hurricane Irma battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday as the fearsome Category 5 storm continued a rampage through the Caribbean that has killed at least 11 people, with Florida in its sights. Waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters) are expected in the Turks and Caicos. Communications went down as the storm slammed into the islands, and the extent of the devastation was unclear. The first hurricane warnings were issued for parts of southern Florida as the state braced for what could be a catastrophic hit over the weekend. Following in Irma's wake was Hurricane Jose, with some of the islands hit hardest by Irma in its expected path. ___ HURRICANE NEWSLETTER - Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb A "Closed For Business," sign is strung across palm trees outside Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Hurricane Irma aimed its sights on millions of homes and businesses in Florida and officials warned that time was running out to evacuate ahead of the deadly hurricane, which was headed Friday on a long-feared path right through the heart of the peninsula. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) In this Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 photo, a man looks at a vehicle turned upside down by winds brought on by Hurricane Irma in the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Irma scraped Cuba's northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. (Garson Kelsick via AP) Traffic rolls at a crawl on the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike near the intersection of I-75 in Wildwood, Fla. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Motorists are evacuating for the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Pedro Reimundo installs wood shutters on a home in Florida City, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Hurricane Irma weakened slightly Friday but remained a dangerous and deadly hurricane taking direct aim at Florida, threatening to march along the peninsula's spine and deliver a blow the state hasn't seen in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas) Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Villavicencio, Colombia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) U.S. Navy helicopters land at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. The helicopters came from Florida and were flown in to be protected from Hurricane Irma. (Albert Cesare/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP) Miami-Dade County public school principal Tonya Dillard, left, gives county school superintendent Alberto Carvalho a hug as he visits a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in North Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Forrest Park, south of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) In this GOES-16 geocolor image satellite image taken Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, the eye of Hurricane Irma, center, is just north of the island of Hispaniola, with Hurricane Katia, left, in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, right, in the Atlantic Ocean. Irma, a fearsome Category 5 storm, cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida. (NOAA via AP) Mang Don Man, of Miami, attends to her seven-month-old baby Vung Vaang Nuam as they eat lunch at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in North Miami Beach, Fla. Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 20 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Cira Delia Rodriguez and her husband Jesus Mundia, wait for a bus to take them off Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Hurricane Irma has weakened to a Category 4 storm Friday as it batters the Caribbean on a path toward Florida but remains a powerful hurricane. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) St Johns County Florida residents wait for the arrival of sandbags at Mills Field early Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Irma weakened a bit more but remains a powerful threat to Florida with storm surges that could reach 10 feet in some places. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) This image made from video shows damage from Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Hurricane Irma weakened slightly Thursday with sustained winds of 175 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm boasted 185 mph winds for a more than 24-hour period, making it the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm was expected to arrive in Cuba by Friday. It could hit the Florida mainland by late Saturday, according to hurricane center models. (AP Photo/Ian Brown) This image made from video shows flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Hurricane Irma weakened slightly Thursday with sustained winds of 175 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm boasted 185 mph winds for a more than 24-hour period, making it the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm was expected to arrive in Cuba by Friday. It could hit the Florida mainland by late Saturday, according to hurricane center models. (AP Photo/Ian Brown) Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of the island in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. Hurricane Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds, leaving nearly 900,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) This Sept. 6, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island known as St. Martin in English which is divided between French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten. (Jonathan Falwell via AP) St Johns County Florida residents wait for the arrival of sandbags at Mills Field early Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, as those who had their own bags were able to start filling them with sand in Jacksonville, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Irma weakened a bit more but remains a powerful threat to Florida with storm surges that could reach 10 feet in some places. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) St Johns County Florida residents wait for the arrival of sandbags at Mills Field early Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, as those who had their own bags were able to start filling them with sand in Jacksonville, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Irma weakened a bit more but remains a powerful threat to Florida with storm surges that could reach 10 feet in some places. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Abby Jenkins walks with her suitcase on Miami Beach, Fla., before evacuating inland Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Florida is bracing for Hurricane Irma, a powerful storm that is expected to impact the entire peninsula this weekend. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Leonel Geronimo, stuffs food into his suitcase as he and others wait for a bus in anticipation of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Geronimo wants to get to a shelter off the beach, but is not sure what bus to take or which shelter to go. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Orlando city employees and volunteers fill sandbags for residents as they prepare for Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Lines of vehicles stretched for miles and many waited several hours to get the sandbags. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Lilimar Garcia loads sandbags in her car to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Lines of vehicles stretched for miles and many waited several hours to get the sandbags. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Luis Garcia, right, packs a car that he and five other members of his extended family will use to evacuate north from their home in Miami Beach, Fla, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 20 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) People at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School eat lunch, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in North Miami Beach, Fla. Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 20 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Dana Nichols, of Coral Gables, Fla., walks near her RV parked at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Hampton, Ga. Over 50 cameras and RV's are sheltering at the speedway from South Ga., South Carolina, and Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) A Miami-Dade County Public Schools police officer tells people arriving at a Red Cross shelter set up at North Miami Beach Senior High School that the shelter is full, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in North Miami Beach, Fla. Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 20 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Winds brought by Hurricane Irma blow palm trees lining the seawall in Caibarien, Cuba, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts after Hurricane Irma left thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) Pedro Reimundo installs wood shutters on a home in Florida City, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Hurricane Irma weakened slightly Friday but remained a dangerous and deadly hurricane taking direct aim at Florida, threatening to march along the peninsula's spine and deliver a blow the state hasn't seen in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas) A worker trims branches from trees near power lines in a downtown neighborhood in Orlando, Fla. during preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Inmate Eric Sumner, center, helps Kelly Acrin, left, fill sandbags at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma in Palm Coast, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Inmate Eric Sumner carries a sandbag for a resident at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma in Palm Coast, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Ryan Kaye loads sandbags into his truck at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Palm Coast, Fla. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A monitor listing canceled flights at Miami International Airport is shown, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Miami. Hurricane Irma scraped Cuba's northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Ryan Kaye loads sandbags into his truck at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Palm Coast, Fla. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Inmate Eric Sumner carries sandbags for a resident at a makeshift filling station provided by the county as protection ahead of Hurricane Irma in Palm Coast, Fla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman) A fleet of utility trucks head south along Interstate 71 toward the Georgia coast, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Griffin, Ga., in preparation for Hurricane Irma. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Traffic along Interstate 75 north, rear, crawls toward Atlanta as drivers flee Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Griffin, Ga., as a fleet of utility trucks head south toward the Georgia coast in preparation for the storm. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) A boy sits on wall near his home flooded by heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Irma, in Fort-Liberte, Haiti, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Irma rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti and battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday with waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters). ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Traffic rolls at a crawl on the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike near the intersection of I-75 in Wildwood, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Motorists are evacuating for the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Lamar Butler, left, and his wife Rosa settle in with their children at the Twin Lakes Elementary School's storm shelter in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The family evacuated from West Palm Beach. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Cots are set up at the Twin Lakes Elementary School's storm shelter in preparation for Hurricane Irma's impact Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Christian Griffith films the high hazard flag flapping in the wind near the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier as the surf continues to build in advance of Hurricane, Irma, Friday Sept. 8, 2017, in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. (Bob Mack/The Florida Times-Union via AP) A Jacksonville Beach public works front loader moves sand to fortify the dunes near the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier, Friday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., to help with a possible storm surge from Hurricane Irma. (Bob Mack/The Florida Times-Union via AP) This Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Irma scraped Cuba's northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. (Garson Kelsick via AP) This Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Irma scraped Cuba's northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. (Garson Kelsick via AP) Lucita Leonce 71, complains in front of her home flooded by heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Irma, in Fort-Liberte, Haiti, Friday Sept. 8, 2017. Irma rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti and battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday with waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters). ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) - The Latest on violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state and the flood of ethnic Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh (all times local): 6:35 a.m. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says it's horrified by the ongoing attacks on Rohingya civilians and is calling on Myamar's government to cease its military operations. Bangladeshi activists along with members of several Islamic groups participate in a protest against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, after Friday prayers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sept. 8, 2017. The U.N. said Friday that an "alarming number" of 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled violence in Myanmar by crossing into Bangladesh in the last two weeks. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar) Cameron Hudson, director of the museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, says "government efforts to deny Rohingya citizenship rights, restrict their freedom of movement and the practice of their faith, and deny their basic human rights have all been identified as leading precursors to a genocide." In 2012, the museum awarded Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi the Elie Wiesel Award, its highest honor. Now, it says the ideals that she inspired "appear absent" in the defense of Rohingya. The museum says it implores Suu Kyi to use her position in government and her "even more powerful voice to uphold those very ideals and work to stop the longstanding persecution and violence that threaten the very existence of Rohingya in Burma." ___ 12:30 a.m. The United Nations says the U.N. and its partners have a plan to provide up to 300,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh with food, shelter, water, health care and other services until the end of the year. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters on Friday that while many of the 270,000 Rohingyas who have fled violence in Rakhine state in the past two weeks initially arrived in Bangladesh by land, more are now making the journey by boat. He said five U.N. agencies have teams in Cox's Bazar where the Rohingyas are arriving and the $7 million released from the U.N. emergency fund will allow the U.N. and its partners to those in desperate need of aid. Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday and delivered the same message to her that he said publicly. Gutteres told reporters Tuesday the government must end the "vicious cycle of violence" and immediately reverse its longstanding policy and give Rohingya Muslims either nationality or legal status so they can lead normal lives and freely move, find jobs, and get an education. ___ 6:30 p.m. More than 1,500 supporters of an Islamist political party have rallied in Pakistan's capital to express solidarity with Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims. The supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party demanded the expulsion of Myanmar's ambassador over violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority in his country. The demonstrators wanted to march Friday to Myanmar's embassy in Islamabad, but authorities placed shipping containers on key roads, preventing them from reaching the building. The head of Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, urged the Organization of Islamic Countries to pressure Myanmar to stop the violence against the Rohingya. The violence began Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar police and paramilitary posts, and the military responded with "clearance operations." Many Rohingya homes were burned and an estimated 270,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh, according to the U.N. refugee agency. 6:15 p.m. A human-rights group has released satellite images showing about 450 buildings destroyed in mainly Rohingya neighborhoods of one of the larger towns in the region of Myanmar hit last month with ethnic violence. New York-based Human Rights Watch on Friday released images taken Sept. 2 showing blackened areas of Maungdaw. The group said satellite data detected active fires in that area Aug. 28, and added that expert analysis showed that the damage seen was consistent with fire. The group's deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, called on the Myanmar government to allow independent monitors into the area to investigate. The Myanmar government says nearly 400 people have been killed since last month in fighting it blames on insurgents. Rohingya Muslims say Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs attacked them and destroyed their villages. An estimated 270,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in just two weeks. ___ 4:40 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised more help for Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar, including the construction of refugee camps. Erdogan said Friday that Turkey plans to build safer and more livable camps in Bangladesh if its government allows it. Erdogan's wife and son, accompanied by the Turkish foreign minister, toured refugee camps in Bangladesh for minority Rohingya near the Myanmar border on Thursday. The president also promised 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medical assistance and clothing. Turkish humanitarian organizations have been assisting Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border since violence flared in Buddhist-majority Myanmar two weeks ago. About 270,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, the U.N. refugee agency says. ___ 4:30 p.m. Malaysian officials say they are bracing for a possible influx of Rohingya Muslim refugees because of renewed violence in Myanmar, and that any people arriving by boat will be treated humanely. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine state has prompted 270,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, according to the U.N. refugee agency. It began when insurgents attacked Myanmar police and paramilitary posts and the military responded with "clearance operations." Many Rohingya homes have been burned. Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Zulkifli Abu Bakar said there are no reports of new refugees heading to Malaysia but it is monitoring the country's waters closely. Zulkifli said: "I won't say if we will accept or reject the boats. We will look at it on a case-to-case basis but this time, we will consider it more from a humanitarian angle." Malaysia, which is already home to thousands of people from Myanmar, including 56,000 Rohingya, is cautious of being swamped by an influx of migrants. In 2015, boats carrying Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees were pushed back into international waters by the Malaysian and Thai navies. Later, more than 1,600 refugees were taken in by Indonesia and Malaysia. ___ 4:20 p.m. Thousands of Muslims in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have held rallies in solidarity with Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority despite a curfew in some parts of the disputed region's main city aimed at preventing the protests. Rallies occurred in many places in Kashmir on Friday calling for the end of violence against Rohingya in Myanmar. Separatist leaders who challenge India's sovereignty over Muslim-majority Kashmir urged residents to protest after Friday congregational prayers in solidarity with the Rohingya. The U.N. refugee agency is reporting that 270,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh to flee violence that began two weeks ago when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts, prompting the military to respond with "clearance operations." ___ 4:10 p.m. Thousands of Indonesian Muslims have held a rally near Borobudur, one of the world's famed Buddhist monuments, to condemn violence in Myanmar against minority Rohingya Muslims. Authorities barred protesters at the "Defend Rohingya" rally from entering Borobudur on the Indonesian island of Java, saying there was no connection between events in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and the Buddhist temple complex that was built in the 8th and 9th centuries. Protesters held Friday prayers at a mosque near the World Heritage site and a rally afterward at which speakers railed against Myanmar's government. The U.N. says about 270,000 Rohingya have fled across the border into Bangladesh since Aug. 25 to escape a military crackdown that followed attacks by Rohingya insurgents. Protests were also held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and other cities. ___ 4 p.m. The U.N. refugee agency is reporting a surge in the number of Rohingya Muslims who have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar, with an estimated 270,000 arriving in the last two weeks. The new number confirmed Friday by UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan marks a major increase from the 164,000 estimated Thursday to have arrived since Aug. 25. The exodus began after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts, prompting the military to respond with "clearance operations" to root out any fighters hiding in villages of Rakhine state. Journalists have reported seeing village homes burning as recently as Thursday in the region of Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Rohingya Muslims, who have recently crossed over the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, offer Friday prayers at a makeshift mosque in Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. The massive refugee camp in Kutupalong was set up in the early 90s to accommodate the first waves of Rohingya Muslim refugees who started escaping convulsions of violence and persecution in Myanmar. With the current influx pushing existing Rohingya refugee camps like this one to the brink, Bangladesh pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no-man's land between the two countries' borders. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) A Kashmiri girl holds a candle during a protest against the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Aid agencies were struggling to cope with a nonstop flood of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh, where some 146,000 have arrived hungry and terrified after fleeing renewed violence in Myanmar. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) Kashmiri government employees shout slogans during a protest against the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. The U.N. refugee agency said some 123,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar on Aug. 25, and that established refugee camps were now at "breaking point." (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, file photo, Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority refugees walk after crossing the Bangladeshi border near Cox Bazar's Kanjopara area Bangladesh. The U.N. refugee agency is reporting a surge in the number of Rohingya Muslims who have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar, with an estimated 270,000 arriving in the last two weeks. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File) FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, file photo, Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority refugees scuffle for food rations distributed by Bangladeshi volunteers near Cox's Bazar's Gundum area, Bangladesh. The U.N. refugee agency is reporting a surge in the number of Rohingya Muslims who have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar, with an estimated 270,000 arriving in the last two weeks. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File) ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is slamming the United States over charges that a former Turkish economy minister conspired to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Erdogan on Friday depicted the indictment of ex-minister Zafer Caglayan a political move against his country and called on U.S. authorities to "review" the decision. He said he would discuss the issue with U.S. officials. Erdogan said: "I assess the step taken against our former economy minister as a step against the Turkish Republic." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves prior to his speech at local leaders of his ruling party in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. Erdogan renewed his call on the European Union to make its up mind on whether it wants to continue or end membership talks with his country, angered by a political debate in Germany that centered on how to deal with Turkey. (Presidency Press Service via AP, Pool) He also criticized a separate criminal indictment of Turkish security officials accused of attacking demonstrators during Erdogan's visit to the United States. Erdogan says it demonstrates the U.S. administration's "weakness." A U.S. Senate committee on Thursday voted to block the U.S. government from supporting weapons sales to forces protecting Erdogan. CHICAGO (AP) - A hearing is scheduled for an ex-Northwestern University professor and an Oxford University employee accused in the fatal July stabbing of a hairstylist in Chicago as part of a sexual fantasy they allegedly hatched in an online chatroom. Friday's hearing gives attorneys a chance to update a Cook County judge on the status of the murder case, including on whether a formal indictment has been filed. Once it is, an arraignment would be set for Wyndham Lathem and Oxford financial official Andrew Warren. A bond-court judge ordered in August that they remain jailed. Prosecutors say they stabbed Lathem's 26-year-old boyfriend Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau 70 times at Lathem's Chicago apartment. They say the 46-year-old Lathem and 56-year-old Warren communicated for months about their sexual fantasy of killing others and then themselves. FILE - in this Aug. 19, 2017 file photo, Wyndham Lathem arrives at a police station as he is escorted by Chicago police in Chicago. Lathem, a Northwestern University professor, and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, a Michigan native who had been working in Chicago. Authorities say Cornell-Duranleau suffered more than 40 stab wounds to his upper body during the July attack in Lathem's high-rise Chicago condo. Lathem and Warren surrendered peacefully to police in California on Aug. 4 after an eight-day manhunt. (AP Photo/Jim Young, Pool File) GENEVA (AP) - Glencore says it is selling nearly all its stake in Russian oil company Rosneft to a Chinese energy company just nine months after the Swiss commodities trader bought it. The Baar, Switzerland-based commodities trader said it and Qatar Investment Authority, the rich Persian Gulf emirate's sovereign wealth fund, have agreed to jointly sell a 14.16 percent stake in Rosneft to CEFC China Energy Company Limited, at a premium of about 16 percent compared to an average weighted price of the shares over the last 30 days. Glencore said Friday that the deal was pending based on final negotiations and regulatory approvals. The deal comes about nine months after QIA and Glencore took a stake in Rosneft, a deal billed by the Kremlin as the privatization of the Russian oil giant. REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) - Residents on Iceland's remote farm of Stapakot were jolted awake on March 14, 1828, when a maid from a neighboring property burst in to tell them that a fire was raging and two men were trapped inside. It was a lie. The men were already dead - clubbed with a hammer and stabbed 12 times before the house was set ablaze with shark oil. Despite the years, it's a crime that Icelanders have never forgotten, since the convicted killers were the last people ever executed on this North Atlantic island nation. On Saturday, the crime is being analyzed by a mock court that will once again weigh the evidence. In this photo taken Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, the Illugastadir farm, where a chilling double murder took place 187 years ago, near Hvammstangi village, northwestern Iceland. The murders has haunted Icelanders for nearly 2 centuries. Now it will be in court once more in a mock proceeding that may shed light on the motivation and the circumstances surrounding the macabre case that led to Iceland's last executions. (AP Photo/Egill Bjarnason) The retrial, conducted under modern rules before a three-judge panel, may shed light on the motivation for the slayings, the fairness of the original proceeding, and whether the two maids - Agnes Magnusdottir and Sigridur Gudmundsdottir - had been abused by the man they eventually killed. The case has sparked endless speculation, a feature film and a pop song. The tenth book in Icelandic about the murders is set to be published and a documentary is in production. Seats for the retrial have long been sold out. It will be held at the community center in Hvammstangi, a northwestern village near the murder scene. The handwritten court records from the 1828 case are carefully preserved in the National Library. One of the judges - David Thor, a former judge at the European Court of Human Rights - told The Associated Press that the original trial nearly 200 years ago did not address the motivation for the killings. It's not clear why they killed Natan Ketilsson, a self-taught doctor, and his guest. "No one cared about the motivation behind the murders - that wouldn't happen in a modern court," he said. "Today we would try to understand the motivation behind the murders and particularly how the two women, who had no other place to live, were treated by their master." The two maids said the act was masterminded by Fridrik Sigurdsson, a 17-year-old who held a grudge against Ketilsson. He and Magnusdottir, 32, were put to death for their role in the killings. The other maid, a 16-year-old, was sentenced to life in prison in Denmark. The case highlights differing attitudes toward capital punishment. In modern Iceland, the usual prison sentence for murder is 16 years or less. But in 1828, officials successfully argued for the death penalty, which had not been imposed in decades. An axe was imported from Denmark to carry out the penalty and the brother of one of the victims was chosen as executioner. Every farm was instructed to send a male representative to witness the event and afterward the decapitated heads were jammed onto a stick for public viewing. Author Hannah Kent achieved international success with her novel "Burial Rites," which depicts the crime through the eyes of Magnusdottir, who was convicted of killing the two men and burning their bodies. Kent, who said the case is still constantly in her thoughts, hopes the retrial may provide some insight. "If the murders really were premeditated, I would want to know if something went wrong or if maybe this all happened more in the moment," she said. "Because to me, it has always seemed like a particularly clumsy murder." She said readers have often asked her what the outcome of the case would be if it were tried under today's rules. "I have never really been able to give them an answer until now," she said. DETROIT (AP) - A Michigan woman sacrificed the chance to prolong her life to give birth to her sixth child. Doctors removed Carrie DeKlyen's feeding and breathing tubes on Thursday, a day after her daughter, Life Lynn, was born. DeKlyen chose to forgo clinical trials and chemotherapy to treat her brain cancer, since it would have meant ending her pregnancy. "It's a tough time - she's hours away from passing as we speak," Nick DeKlyen, Carrie's husband and Life's father, told The Associated Press by phone Friday from University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. "All of my family is here, and her family from Kentucky, Tennessee and Oklahoma. We're just by my wife's bedside, just waiting." This October 2013 family photo shows Carrie DeKlyen and husband Nick DeKlyen in Grand Rapids, Mich. Carrie DeKlyen sacrificed the chance to prolong her life to give birth to her sixth child. Doctors removed Carrie's feeding and breathing tubes on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, a day after her daughter, Life Lynn, was born at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. DeKlyen chose to forgo clinical trials and chemotherapy to treat her brain cancer, since it would have meant ending her pregnancy. Their daughter was born prematurely, at 24 weeks and five days into the pregnancy and weighing 1 pound, four ounces. (Michelle Werkema/Courtesy of Sonya Nelson via AP) Life Lynn was born prematurely, at 24 weeks and five days into the pregnancy and weighing 1 pound, four ounces (567 grams). Nick DeKlyen said his daughter is doing better than expected in neonatal intensive care, gaining weight and "almost breathing on her own." "She's going to be fine," he said. "She's going to be here for 4 or 5 months, but we expect her to be a healthy baby. ... The doctor just said the timing (of the birth) couldn't have been more perfect." DeKlyen said that since his wife's cancer diagnosis in April, the family has been sharing updates about his wife and daughter on the Facebook page Cure 4 Carrie . He said she was determined to see the pregnancy through. The couple, who are from the western Michigan city of Wyoming, have five other kids who range in age from 2 to 18 years old, and Nick DeKlyen said the family is strong in its Christian faith. "My wife loves the Lord and she loves her children more than anything," he said. "It's painful," he added. "But this is what she wanted. She wanted to protect this child." ___ Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jeffkaroub NEW YORK (AP) - Investors were bailing out on Equifax a day after the credit monitoring company said a data breach exposed the Social Security numbers and other personal data of 143 million Americans. Equifax shares fell about 13 percent to $123.75 in heavy trading. The decline equates to about $2.28 billion in lost market value. The company is one of three major U.S. credit bureaus, the declines extended to its competitors. TransUnion fell 4 percent and Experian stock declined 1 percent in London. This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Lenders rely on the information collected by the credit bureaus to help them decide whether to approve financing for homes, cars and credit cards. Credit checks are even sometimes done by employers when deciding whom to hire for a job. PARIS (AP) - A man who provided housing to a suspected ringleader of the November 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people has been ordered to stand trial. A judicial official said Friday that six judges ordered Jawad Bendaoud - known in the French press as "the lodger" - and another man to be tried for allegedly taking in terrorists. The official says they face at least 10 years in prison, if convicted. He requested anonymity in keeping with court custom for ongoing cases. Bendaoud is accused of housing a suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, in the suburb of Saint Denis. Abaaoud, a female cousin of his who found the hideout and another man were killed in a police raid at Bendaoud's apartment five days after the attacks at multiple locations. Opinion / Columnist While multiparty politics has become a norm across the African continent, electoral contests have frequently been accompanied by violence. The violence is mostly caused by the opposition who will be so scared to lose and will cause violence so that they can convince the world to declare the elections not free and fair. There is a need to explore the causes, dynamics and consequences of electoral violence in comparative perspective.Each time towards elections electoral competition has become the norm. Moreover, the dominance of the liberal peace paradigm in the last two decades has engendered a heavy emphasis on the importance of competitive multi-party elections in post-conflict, weak or unstable societies. Electoral processes are widely regarded as effective mechanisms for managing and resolving conflict, and as key vehicles for establishing, stabilising and consolidating democracy. However, the relationship between democracy, elections and peace has been far from unproblematic and a significant number of provinces across the Zimbabwe have remained vulnerable to forms of election-related violence. Some areas have witnessed widespread and intense violence surrounding elections. Even more common, perhaps, is the persistence of low-intensity violence, intimidation, and manipulation during electoral processes in many areas in Zimbabwe. Despite its proliferation, the causes, manifestations and consequences of election-related violence remain relatively understudied, and the variations in violence intensity across time and space are poorly understood.The opposition has spread rumours of fear and are trying to cast aspersions on the coming elections. These elections were framed as a potential threat to security and marked by a pervasive politics of fear, which has significant implications for democracy and the democratic process. All this caused by speculation of violence peddled by the opposition.The enemies of peace ignore the impact of fear spreading which is in itself against democratic ethics.Far less attention, however, has been paid to elections that experience more low-intensity forms of the phenomenon. These elections have widely been hailed as being successful and relatively peaceful, seeing a transfer of power from outgoing presidents to new challengers. However, these elections were marked by a significant securitisation of the electoral process and a pervasive politics of fear. The emphasis on order and security, the uncertainty with which the elections were widely perceived, and the low-intensity forms of violence that took place in the lead-up to the elections, on polling days, and in the immediate aftermath, have significant implications for democracy and the democratic process.Competitive elections test the durability of democracies. Multi-party elections in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been characterized by violence. Even more stable democracies such as Ghana have not escaped the menace of electoral violence. In preparation for the country's seventh general election since re-democratization, the Ghana Police Service in September 2016, identified over 5,000 hotspots where election related violence was likely to occur. Electoral violence was likely to surface in nearly 30 percent of the country's 275 constituencies. What criteria are used in mapping electoral violence hotspots?It is true that the reason is to be found in urban position as a political swing area In a country otherwise strongly governed by an overlapping ethnic and regional logic, urban areas are ethnically diversified and politically split, and may swing in either direction. This renders urban areas highly courted areas by all political parties, contributing to raising the stakes of elections. Aspiring politicians approach the large number of young people and few adults many of which are ex-combatants - who reside in urban areas in the hope of profiting from the campaigns and promise them short-term benefits in exchange for mobilising electoral support and carrying out attacks on their political opponents. Similarly, in rural areas they make use of local chiefs who are dependent on connections and economic resources to retain their influence. In this way, national and local interests collide in the establishment of mutually dependent relations that contribute to increase the risk of violence around elections in Urban areas. Violence and terror after demonising ZANU PF and the war veterans and using opposition press that depict ZANU PF negatively and culminating with on going lies and libels that portray ZANU PF as an immediate threat to the people. The opposition then foment violence against the masses presenting it as legitimate and even as heroic self defence. The opposition elevates violence as a valid heroic means to achieve political goals while religiously disturbing peace and making the elections look like a sham.The opposition goes a step further to honour the most loathsome murders portraying them as heroes and role models.The president in Lupane called for intra ZANU PF youth cleansing. He said in his own words the youth who are perpetrating violence in the name of ZANU PF must be kicked out of the way. In all tense and purposes the president meant kicking Shoko and Rickette out by instituting proper disciplinary measures. ZANU PF youth understood their leader very well that is the reason why Shoko and his violent crew are alive now.In a shocking turn of events the opposition has jumped in the defence of violence by deliberately misquoting the president and portray him as a violent agitating man.One wonders how can the opposition rush to defend the rogue elements and violent youths in ZANU PF. It was expected that they should praise the president and the first lady for disowning the violent element and propagating peace and love in the country. There was no urging anyone to engage in any form of violence in any way.The scramble to tarnish ZANU PF world wide and soiling the legacy of the president as a reconciliatory machine is unfortunate. It should be known that the opposition is known to be opposing anything which comes out of ZANU PF.It is irresponsible for the opposition to declare the forthcoming elections as violent before even the date is set.Preempting the elections is a sure way of trying to hide from the reality that they will be trounced. Their rhetoric on violence is meant to cast doubt and a dark cloud upon our capability as a country to hold non violent elections.The words of President Mugabe have been twisted by these blood sucking opposition members.Their hand in the actions of COZWA has been exposed and now they are queuing to defend the rogue elements.If Cozwa Was ZANU PF why would the opposition grow goose pimples over the shunning of COZWA by the party. What is their profound interest in the internal affairs of ZANU PF. Instead of praising Mugabe for terming the wild they are going to town castigating ZANU PF for admonishing its errand children.ZANU PF has never been violent and the appetite of the opposition towards violence has been exposed. Instead of preaching peace the Opposition is spreading fear in down the spines of its people.In order to deal with their impending loss in the forthcoming elections the opposition is finding a way to chicken out. Now they are misquoting the president and try to legitimise their fear of losing the elections.They try to create a case of violence before their doom. This irresponsibility by the opposition is so severe and meant to rubbish the peaceful way we have run our elections which is very peaceful.Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk Eds: Major scheduled events for the week of September 10-17. Note that many events are subject to change at the last minute. The following economic reports will be issued in Washington (all times EDT), unless otherwise noted: SUNDAY: No events of note. MONDAY: No events of note. TUESDAY: Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for July, 10 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for August, 8:30 a.m.; Treasury releases federal budget for August, 2 p.m. THURSDAY: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.; Labor Department releases Consumer Price Index for August, 8:30 a.m.; Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates, 10 a.m. FRIDAY: Commerce Department releases retail sales data for August, 8:30 a.m.; Federal Reserve releases industrial production for August, 9:15 a.m.; Commerce Department releases business inventories for July, 10 a.m. SATURDAY: No events of note. ___ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 No events of note. ___ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump participates in Sept. 11 remembrances. ___ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump meets with Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Abdul Razak. WASHINGTON - House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on North Korea. WASHINGTON - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee hold separate hearings on health care. WASHINGTON - House Armed Services subcommittee hearing on "securing the peace after the fall" of the Islamic State group. WASHINGTON - House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on North Korea. ___ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 WASHINGTON - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on automated trucks. WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration. WASHINGTON - House Financial Services subcommittee hearing on North Korea. WASHINGTON - House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of over-the-counter drugs. WASHINGTON - House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Liberia. WASHINGTON - House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Venezuela. ___ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee hearing on taxes. WASHINGTON - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on health care. WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Venezuela. ___ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 No events of note. ___ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 WASHINGTON - March to Protect American Democracy, and the Mother of All Rallies, "to defend American culture and values." ___ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 ARLINGTON, Va. - White House conference on historically black colleges and universities, through Sept. 19. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A lecturer at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln is no longer working in a teaching role after receiving threats stemming from a video posted online that shows her confronting a student recruiting for a conservative group. Graduate teaching assistant Courtney Lawton was among several faculty members last month who protested recruiting efforts for Turning Point USA. The group advocates for conservative causes and maintains a "professor watch list" of faculty it deems radically liberal. Video circulating on social media shows Lawton flipping off the student recruiter and referring to her as a "neo-fascist." The footage also shows Lawton saying, among other things, that the student "wants to destroy public schools, public universities." University spokesman Steve Smith said Thursday that the school doesn't condone Lawton's behavior, but that the decision to take her out of the classroom "was made with the lecturer's safety concerns in mind." "Our expectations for civility were not met by the lecturer in her behavior ... and not representative of a university where the robust free exchange of ideas takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Smith said. Lawton said she has been reassigned to nonteaching duties because of emails and online messages that the school deemed threatening. She said an administrator told her the reassignment wasn't disciplinary and that she was "being removed from the classroom due to a security threat to me and my students." The student recruiter, sophomore Kaitlyn Mullen, said neither she nor the conservative nonprofit was responsible for the threatening emails. She also questioned the university's approach in not disciplining Lawton's conduct. "I would like to make it clear that I believe that professor should not be allowed to harass students," Mullen said. "I hope UNL will set an example by removing her from campus so she can't do this to any other students." SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A California senator says Democratic legislative leaders are squashing his attempt to stand up for practitioners of a banned Chinese spiritual movement under pressure from the government of China. The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate warning the measure would be detrimental to relations between California and China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, combines elements of Buddhism, Taoism and the ideas of its founder with meditation and exercises to improve physical and mental health. China regards it as a dangerous cult and a threat to social stability and outlawed the practice in 1999. State Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, center, speaks during a protest organized by Falun Gong practitioners outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in San Francisco. Anderson says his attempt to stand up for practitioners of the banned Chinese spiritual movement is being squashed under pressure from the government of China. The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate. The letter says the resolution may offend the people of China and damage the relationship between California and China. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Sen. Joel Anderson, a Republican from Alpine outside San Diego, tried repeatedly this week to attach his resolution to unrelated symbolic measures offered by Democrats, including one to show solidarity with the persecuted LGBT community in Chechnya. Anderson was a featured speaker at a protest Friday at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. "I don't care if Democrats vote no," Anderson said. "But they don't have a right to stop the minority to be heard, and they certainly don't have a right to pick and choose the genocides that they oppose." Jonathan Underland, a spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, declined to comment. Lawmakers have one week left before they adjourn for the rest of the year. Anderson vowed to continue his fight next year, including his attempts to attach his resolution to those offered by Democrats. Falun Gong supporters allege that practitioners in China have been executed and their organs involuntarily harvested for transplants - a charge the Chinese government vehemently denies. In their letter to lawmakers, Chinese officials condemned the movement and urged lawmakers not to adopt Anderson's resolution. "This may deeply damage the cooperative relations between the State of California and China and seriously hurt the feeling of Chinese people and the vast Chinese community in California," said the letter, dated Sept. 1 and signed without a name by the consulate general in San Francisco. China and California have deep ties through trade and tourism, and their governments are cooperating on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Jerry Brown met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a trip to China earlier this year. Anderson said he's so passionately taken on the fight over a purely symbolic resolution because of his longstanding interest in promoting human rights. He said he wrote a letter to the Chinese ambassador in 2008 on behalf a constituent whose mother was detained in China for practicing Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners gather during a protest outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in San Francisco. State Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, says his attempt to stand up for practitioners of the banned Chinese spiritual movement is being squashed under pressure from the government of China. The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate. The letter says the resolution may offend the people of China and damage the relationship between California and China. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Falun Gong practitioners gather during a protest outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in San Francisco. State Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, says his attempt to stand up for practitioners of the banned Chinese spiritual movement is being squashed under pressure from the government of China. The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate. The letter says the resolution may offend the people of China and damage the relationship between California and China. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Falun Gong practitioners including Arnold Yu, bottom right, and Dan Tsaggaris, left in pink, gather during a protest outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in San Francisco. State Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, says his attempt to stand up for practitioners of the banned Chinese spiritual movement is being squashed under pressure from the government of China.The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate. The letter says the resolution may offend the people of China and damage the relationship between California and China. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) State Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, speaks during a protest organized by Falun Gong practitioners outside the Chinese consulate Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in San Francisco. Anderson says his attempt to stand up for practitioners of the banned Chinese spiritual movement is being squashed under pressure from the government of China. The Senate last week shelved a symbolic resolution condemning persecution of Falun Gong practitioners after lawmakers received a letter from the Chinese consulate. The letter says the resolution may offend the people of China and damage the relationship between California and China. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) SAO PAULO (AP) - Authorities detained a former Brazilian cabinet minister on Friday, three days after police found the equivalent of more than $16 million in cash that allegedly belonging to him. Police said the money was found in suitcases and cardboard boxes in an apartment used by Geddel Vieira Lima, a close ally of President Michel Temer and former legislative affairs minister. The owner of the apartment told police he lent it to Lima to store objects belonging to his late father. Lima had been sent to prison July 3 on suspicion of obstruction of justice. His arrest was part of a corruption investigation into a government-controlled bank. Nine days later he was placed under house arrest, which was revoked on Friday. Also Friday, Attorney General Rodrigo Janot filed charges at the Supreme Court against five sitting senators of the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party and an ex-senator of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party. He also filed charges against former Sen. Jose Sarney who served as Brazil's president between 1985 and 1990. Janot charged the seven men with forming a "criminal organization" to obtain the equivalent of close to $280 million in bribes from suppliers of state-owned oil company Petrobras. The charges are part of a huge corruption investigation into a scheme to inflate state contracts in order to pay kickbacks and bribes to politicians. The probe has already netted dozens of executives and senior politicians. Next, the justice handling the probe will decide whether to accept the charges. Police in Delaware say two day care workers prevented a stranger from walking out with two infants he grabbed. State Police say a man pushed a worker at Happy Kids Academy in Newark early Friday to enter the facility. Spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz says the man went to the infant room, punched another worker in the face, and picked up two infants. Bratz says when the man tried to leave with the babies, a worker stood in front of the door to stop him. Another worker grabbed one baby. Troopers say a worker caught the second baby before the child fell to the ground. The suspect ran away. Bratz says police arrested the man nearby. This booking photo provided by the Delaware State Police shows Calvin Davis. Police in Delaware say two daycare workers prevented Davis from walking out with two infants he grabbed. State Police said early Friday, Davis pushed a worker at Happy Kids Academy in the face to enter the facility. Sgt. Richard Bratz, an agency spokesman, says the man went to the infant room, punched another worker in the face, and picked up two infants. Bratz said Davis will be charged with kidnapping, assault and other offenses. (Delaware State Police via AP) Bratz says 47-seven-year-old Calvin Davis will be charged with kidnapping and other offenses. TORONTO (AP) - How different was Stalin-era 1950s Russia to the Washington D.C. of "Veep"? For "Veep"-creator Armando Iannucci, there were more similarities than you might think. In his second feature film, "The Death of Stalin," some quite funny people (Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Simon Russell Beale) play some of the more fear-inducing names in 20th century history. When Stalin dies, it's a mad rush for power (Buscemi's Nikita Khrushchev comes running in his pajamas) and a race for the mantle of 'reformer' after years of purges, murders and imprisonments. Yet the satirical ballet of hapless government strivers will be familiar to those who know Ianuncci's other farces ("In the Loop," ''The Thick of It"). It's just that the consequences for losing step with the party line are a tad direr. FILE - In this July 24, 2013 file photo, Armando Iannucci arrives at the London Premiere of "Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa" at a central London cinema. Iannucci is premiering his second feature film, "The Death of Stalin," Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File) "If you say the wrong thing or back the wrong person, you might be out of power," said Iannucci in an interview. "But being outside of power can mean being dead, so there's that added tension. You don't just retire and open up a library. You're shot." "The Death of Stalin," which premieres Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, is Iannucci's first post-"Veep" project. He departed after the first four seasons. When it was announced Thursday that the acclaimed HBO season will end with its seventh season, he applauded David Mandel for "bringing her safely home." But while "Death of Stalin" might be a kind of comrade to "Veep," it also charts a different path for Iannucci. The movie, he feels, resonates particularly in the Donald Trump era, and, more than any of Iannucci's previous work, connects insular political maneuvering with its often tragic results for the populace. AP: This is a fairly brutal time period for a comedy. Iannucci: I was keen to make sure of that, yes, we see these people and the decisions they make within the Kremlin, but I also wanted to show how these decisions impacted people on the outside. There's no shying away from that. So you do see people rounded up. People are killed. People are taken away. And you never see those people again. So it was always about going inside, behind closed doors, and then going outside and seeing the effect of what's just happened. I wanted the audience to feel a little bit of what every Russian must have felt on a daily basis: Will I get through the day? AP: Do you think history remembers its figures too seriously and soberly? The Kremlin leaders of your film are uncouth, petty and often thoughtless. Iannucci: They're human. They're not superhuman. And I think a lot of them are either deluded themselves or are persuaded by others to think that they are superhuman. When they find out that they're human, that's when things unravel. In 'The Death of Stalin,' these are people who think they're powerful and therefore they're in complete control. It's fear of not having power that drives them. AP: Where do you get your interest in the comedy of politics? Iannucci: It affects everything you do. It's so important. And therefore I'm fascinated with how it happens. That's it, really. But I also want people to get that vague sense of finding out how important it is. When it goes wrong, it goes very badly wrong. We have this golden view of democracy. We think now that we've arrived at democracy, it's going to stay here forever. Well, no. Get it ever so slightly wrong, just tip it a slightly different way and you end up with authoritarianism and autocracy. AP: How do you think the Trump administration compares to your political comedies? Iannucci: I don't think I could ever reach the giddy heights of the inspired comedy and tragedy that's happening now in Washington. I mean, it's mesmerizing to watch but it's also scary. For me, the scariest thing about it is all those people who were so absolutely opposed to him before he got elected, and then have just drifted away and kept quiet. It goes back to: We've always got to be vigilant about democracy because it can go wrong. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP NEW YORK (AP) - A Maryland man who authorities say traveled to Somalia and became a fighter for an extremist group has pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges in New York. Prosecutors say 32-year-old Maalik Jones trained with and supported al-Shabab, an ultra-conservative Islamic militant group. The group seeks to run Somalia under a strict interpretation of Shariah law. Jones was turned over to U.S. authorities by Somali authorities who arrested him in December 2015, as he allegedly tried to get on a boat to travel to Yemen. According to court documents, he confessed to FBI agents that he fought Kenyan government soldiers in a battle until he was injured. The FBI said he admitted he was paid $100 monthly by al-Shabab while he worked for them from August 2011 to December 2015. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The Latest on protests in Santa Fe, New Mexico over a public tribute to Spanish conquistadors (all times local): 3:00 p.m. Police have arrested 12 people in Santa Fe during protests about a costumed re-enactment of the return of Spanish conquerors to New Mexico after a 17th century American Indian revolt. In this Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 photo, Edwin Quintana, left, dances with fifth grader Kaylee Pacheco and other students at Tesuque Elementary school in Tesuque, N.M. The students and others in Santa Fe's public school district were allowed to skip the annual presentation of Spanish colonial culture and history that honors a 17th century conquistador, in deference to Native American students and others who may find the performances disrespectful. None opted out in Tesuque. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors are enduring increased criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Police Sgt. Gardner Finney said a dozen people were arrested Friday on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Protesters were cordoned off in a corner of Santa Fe's downtown plaza during the re-enactment as police thronged the area. At the center of the plaza, a pageant marked the arrival of conquistador Don Diego de Vargas in 1692, 12 years after Pueblo Indians revolted and drove out Spanish colonists. Protesters shouted, "You're on stolen land" and "1680," referring to the year of the Native American revolt. ___ 1:00 p.m. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors across the U.S. are facing mounting criticism tied to brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by soldiers and missionaries. Activists are drawing ethical parallels to the national controversy over Confederate monuments. From California to Florida, historical markers and common-place names trace the path of Spanish conquistadors and missionaries who accompanied them. Starting in the 1500s, they explored and settled vast tracts of territory inhabited by American Indians in what is now the United States. Few if any monuments have come down. In northern New Mexico, statues and annual re-enactments recognize Spanish colonizers who quelled uprisings by American Indians and meted out reprisals that included slavery and executions. In Santa Fe, activists planned to protest Friday's Don Diego de Vargas pageant. FILE - In this July 2, 2015, file photo, the statue of missionary Junipero Serra, center, is displayed in Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Public statues and live tributes to early Spanish conquerors who colonized the Southwest and portions of Florida are enduring an onslaught of criticism, as questions multiply about how to address the brutal treatment of Native Americans and activists draw ethical parallels to Confederate monuments and history. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) In this Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 photo, David Monserat Jaramillo, right, dances with first grade student Harmony Roybal at Tesuque Elementary school in Tesuque, N.M. as Hope Andrea Quintana , left, twirls in white dress. These students and others in Santa Fe's public school district were allowed to skip the annual presentation of Spanish colonial culture and history that honors a 17th century conquistador, in deference to Native American students and others who may find the performances disrespectful. None opted out in Tesuque. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors are enduring increased criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) In this Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 photo, David Monserat Jaramillo, right, dressed as conquistador Don Diego de Vargas in a cultural presentation at Tesuque Elementary school in Tesuque, N.M. The students and others in Santa Fe's public school district were allowed to skip the annual presentation of Spanish colonial culture and history that honors a 17th century conquistador, in deference to Native American students and others who may find the performances disrespectful. None opted out in Tesuque. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors are enduring increased criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - A former Louisiana law enforcement officer charged with murder in a 6-year-old boy's shooting death will be jailed before trial for violating his bail conditions. The Town Talk reports that a judge on Friday sentenced Norris Greenhouse Jr. to seven days in jail for failing to properly report his recent trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, state District Court Judge William Bennett didn't revoke Greenhouse's bond pending his October trial. Greenhouse is charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for the shooting that killed Jeremy Mardis and critically wounded his father, Christopher Few, following a 2-mile (3-kilometer) car chase. A second officer, Derrick Stafford, was convicted of manslaughter in March. Greenhouse and Stafford were moonlighting as deputy city marshals in Marksville when the November 2015 shooting happened. ___ Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com Opinion / Columnist I have never claimed to be neutral - so here I go!The standoff between MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and one of his three deputies, Thokozani Khupe, over the political trade-offs with other opposition parties to form a coalition under the banner of MDC Alliance, has escalated.Some people are throwing tons of bricks at Khupe, but is it justified? In aid of who or what? Khupe has raised legitimate issues.She has not thrown tantrums. She hasn't behaved like a prima donna or drama queen. In Parliament, she is right up her street.She does really well in raising her points and dressing down her opponents. I have always seen some real political quality in Khupe.Thus, the Khupe saga puts under severe test Tsvangirai's crisis management skills.Not to mention that fellow MDC-T vice-presidents Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri have been disquietingly silent about the MDC Alliance.For all we know, they could be inwardly seething with anger.So, the characterisation and consequent demonisation of Khupe as the major stumbling block, the villain of the piece, the devilish cause of trouble in this venture, is wrong, premature and facile. Blunders have been made on both sides. Granted negotiations have been slow and tense, but Tsvangirai did not have to make dismissive statements about Khupe so publicly and so stridently when Khupe was calling for internal dialogue to settle the matter.One, it was most impolitic of Tsvangirai to ever accuse Khupe of tribalism.Need Tsvangirai be reminded that all politics is local?You start by building a local base and use this as a springboard into national politics. So there is nothing tribalistic per se about Khupe claiming the Matabeleland region as her political turf because she is a local girl, so to speak, in the same way that Buhera is home territory to local boy Tsvangirai, his political comfort zone where he is at ease.Two, accusing Khupe of tribalism was the unkindest cut of all. Need Tsvangirai be reminded that in 2011 when Khupe was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, the Welshman Ncube-led MDC's women assembly president Thandiwe Mlilo made a most disgusting and distasteful remark that Khupe had lost hair because of supporting a Shona leader -Tsvangirai - implying that Khupe should have based her backing according to tribe.This is not to say that Ncube was behind that, but that it actually harmed his electoral chances and shrank his party.Ncube, to his immense credit, finally and openly threw down the gauntlet to such toxic elements in his MDC formation, saying members had to decide whether their party was to remain national or be regional. Gladly, the MDC chose the sensible and mature national path, as is evident in its endorsement of the coalition initiative.Of course, regionalists are found in every province, not just Matabeleland, as heard in the obnoxious "Zezurus Unconquerable" chant spearheaded and danced to by you-know-who.Yes, Tsvangirai is highly popular, but there are some things that can be better handled by his deputies and other senior party leaders. Some issues are simply beyond his ken because, as humans, we can't possibly be knowledgeable about everything and dexterous in handling every situation to the same extent. "Whether we are talking about leadership, teamwork or client service, there is no more powerful attribute than the ability to be genuinely honest about one's weaknesses, mistakes, and needs for help," says American writer on organisational health Patrick Lencioni.The organisational health of the MDC-T could be in grave danger.We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and we should not masquerade as all-knowing and infallible like the First Family in Zimbabwe is deliberately and actively projecting itself to be in the party, the nation at large, and even beyond the borders where they are sending the message that it was actually First Lady Grace Mugabe who was wronged by the South African woman she left bruised in a Johannesburg hotel room last month. We must not mistake power for omniscience.Tsvangirai has needlessly put his authority to the test in the same way his party needlessly gave away parliamentary seats through a blanket election boycott which has achieved zilch, zero, nothing, as none of their demands for electoral reform have been met.And let's not mistake leverage for lack of democracy. The MDC-T, through its sheer size, will inevitably call the shots in the coalition. It will have a bigger say. Likewise, in the same way that all politics is local, Khupe, going by the poor attendance at the launch of the MDC Alliance in Bulawayo last Saturday, which she boycotted, demonstrated that she has considerable leverage in Matabeleland. Khupe has shown that she has real power, not the borrowed power that Grace Mugabe is flaunting and abusing, to the detriment of organisational health in Zanu-PF.There was no way that overnight Khupe could have turned into the monster some people - the usual suspects who rush to judge - are making her out to be. Khupe has taken a lot of stick for being with Tsvangirai. But she should not let anger and resentment get the better of her. Lencioni says: "Teamwork requires some sacrifice up front; people who work as a team have to put the collective needs of the group ahead of their individual interests."There will be a lot of backward and forward movement, to and fro before a clear picture or the final denouement - the outcome or resolution of a doubtful and difficult series of occurrences - about the envisaged coalition emerges. So Khupe is far from a goner. It's not the fait accompli that some quarters are saying it is. It's not an accomplished fact that she is finished. It's not a done deal. It's not a closed chapter.But does Tsvangirai have a contingent plan? Or he is staking everything on the MDC Alliance without the necessary tactical fluidity? Zanu-PF did not stake all on the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979. They held back some of their troops in Mozambique in case the ceasefire collapsed. Tsvangirai should be most careful not to irreconcilably antagonise and marginalise Khupe & Co who have always stood by him through thick and thin. A coalition is different from a political party, where you have to be all in, where you can't be half-pregnant, as it were.The MDC-T is far and away the biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe. However, while there is room for everyone, it could have given up or given away too much to other much smaller parties. Do the parts add to the sum?Yes, egos have been bruised, but Tsvangirai and Khupe just have to work it out. Now, at this late hour, is not the time to throw it all away. WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Barack Obama shocked students at a Washington school Friday by popping in to give them encouragement at the beginning of the new year. "I do believe that most of the problems we have are going to be solved by you," Obama told a group of students from McKinley Technology High School, according to an Instagram video posted on his account after his unannounced visit. In the video, a small group of students can be seen gasping in surprise as Obama walks into a room with a cheery "How's it going, everybody?" File-This May 25, 2017, file photo shows former US President Barack Obama waving before he is awarded the German Media Prize 2016 in Baden-Baden, Germany. Obama shocked students at a Washington school Friday by popping in to give them encouragement at the beginning of the new year. "I do believe that most of the problems we have are going to be solved by you," Obama told a group of students from McKinley Technology High School, according to an Instagram video posted on his account after his unannounced visit. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, FILE) The former president has made few public appearances since leaving the White House in January. Obama will be attending a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee on September 27, only the second time he's publicly raised money for his party since leaving the White House. Obama attended a fundraiser hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee back in July. District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson joined Obama at the school for a discussion with the students about their life goals, pursuing higher education and giving back to their communities. Former first lady Michelle Obama, who was not with Obama during the Friday visit, made a point of visiting local schools as first lady and has continued since the Obamas moved into a Washington home. McKinley Technology High School is the only Science, Technology, Engineering and Math application school in the District of Columbia public school system. It also participates in the district's Empowering Males of Color Initiative, which was launched in 2015 in response to Obama's My Brother's Keeper program. With Harvey's floodwaters rapidly flowing into the Houston hotel where she worked, Jill Renick reportedly made a frantic cellphone call to a fellow employee: "I'm in an elevator. The water is rushing in. Please help me!" Those words were among the few clues Renick's family and friends had to go on for a week and a half, when repeated searches of the Omni Houston Hotel failed to turn up any sign of her and desperate calls to shelters and hospitals were similarly fruitless. Worst fears were confirmed with the discovery of a body in the ceiling of the hotel basement near elevators Thursday, and police say they believe it to be that of the 48-year-old Renick. This undated photo provided by Pam Eslinger shows her sister Jill Renick. Renick's family had desperately spent the last week and a half trying to find out what happened to her after she pleaded for help as water rushed into an elevator as floodwaters from Harvey inundated a Houston hotel where she worked. Then news finally came: A body believed to be hers was found in the ceiling of the basement near a set of elevators. (Pam Eslinger via AP) "We are heartbroken. To know Jill is to have loved her," her sister, Pam Eslinger, said in a statement issued on behalf of the family. "She could light up a room just by walking in and adored life." Renick's disappearance had been among the most baffling mysteries in the wake of Harvey, which has killed at least 74 people after hitting the Texas coast Aug. 25 and dropping more than 51 inches (129 centimeters) of rain. At least 22 people in Houston remain missing. Renick, who was director of spa services at the four-star hotel, was last heard from Aug. 27, police said, when she made the call to a co-worker saying she was stuck in a service elevator that was rapidly filling with water. Eslinger, who has said she spoke with employees, detailed the call to Dallas television station KTVT. Renick had stayed the night with her dog in a fourth-floor room at the hotel but left to help guests evacuate as water poured into the lobby and basement. After her cellphone call, there was no sign of Renick. Her dog was found in the hotel room and her car in the parking lot. Attempts by the police dive team and the Houston Fire Department to locate Renick were unsuccessful because of the severe flooding. A hotel employee finally spotted the body early Thursday. "She was loved by so many people," said the family statement, "and we will feel the impact of her absence in our hearts forever." A man has been jailed for a year after posting on Facebook lets kill every Muslim in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing. Keegan Jakovlevs, 22, from Wrexham, North Wales, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars at Mold Crown Court on Thursday after admitting publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred. Jakovlevs posted the message, which was a public posting, shortly after the May 22 outrage by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, which killed 22 people and injured scores of others. His message read: Thoughts with all the families in the horrible Manchester bombing (hands together in prayer symbol) but no lets not stop letting them in the country lets kill ever Muslim we see.. bet they would still send us down. Keegan Jakovlevs from Wrexham was sentenced to 12 months behind bars at Mold Crown Court (PA Archive) The post was taken down shortly afterwards. Outside court, Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: After the Manchester attack there were countless messages of support on social media for those affected but Keegan Jakovlevs chose to stir up religious hatred by calling for British Muslims to be indiscriminately killed. No harmful consequences appear to have resulted but his intention was clear and he pleaded guilty once he saw the CPSs case against him. People should not assume they can hide on social media when stirring up hatred and violence. Where there is evidence, the CPS will prosecute them and they will face imprisonment as a result. A retired businessman has been given a restraining order despite being acquitted of a campaign of harassment against his neighbours in a dispute over a noisy foreign cockerel. Neil Dymott was found not guilty of two charges of harassment following a two-day trial at Southampton Magistrates Court. The court heard allegations that the 56-year-old threatened to cut the cockerels head off and shouted homophobic abuse at Helen Richardson and Paula Holland who lived next to his home in Marchwood, Hampshire. Paula Holland (left) and Helen Richardson (Andrew Matthews/PA) He was also accused of playing music by Queen at a loud volume as well as the song When A Man Loves A Woman repeatedly for an hour-and-a-half. Mr Dymott said he only played loud music on two occasions and said he did not swear at the complainants or insult their sexuality, but did admit calling Ms Richardson a psycho. Colin Wyatt, chairman of the bench, said: Whilst we find some of the actions and behaviour were inappropriate we do not feel this constitutes the offence of harassment. Mr Dymott was found not guilty of harassmen, but was given a restraining order (Andrew Matthews/PA) Referring to the music, he added: We agree the course of action was childish, immature and petulant. The magistrates imposed a restraining order on Mr Dymott prohibiting him from contacting the complainants directly or indirectly for two years. He said: You have to live as neighbours, you need to behave and stop being stupid or petulant. Can you get on as neighbours, life is too short. Helen Richardson and Paula Holland (right) have not ruled out having another cockerel in future (Andrew Matthews/PA) The defendant told the trial that he had complained to police himself about the noise created by his neighbours cockerel and hens and blamed the volume on the type of chicken. He said he had made audio and video recordings to gather evidence against his neighbours. Mr Dymott said: I think its irresponsible and not a nice thing to do, to have cockerels crowing at that level, they were crowing all day. Those cockerels go off as much as 60 to 70 times an hour. This is not a British bird, these are birds going all the time. When they started crowing they do not just crow once, they crow, crow, crow. The retired replacement window firm boss added: Its the type of chicken, an ordinary chicken that lays eggs do not make screaming noises, its the type of chickens, these arent ordinary little reds, these are colourful, these are Rhode Island reds, these are Plymouth Rocks, these are American beds. He continued: If these had been a British cockerel and going off at dawn and dusk we wouldnt be here. Speaking outside court, Ms Richardson, said: We are pleased that we have a restraining order in place against him so there shouldnt be any more instances. She added that they still kept chickens, but did not rule out have another cockerel in the future. Fenerbahce have reportedly claimed they came very close to signing Diego Costa from Chelsea ahead of the Turkish transfer window closing on Friday. The Istanbul-based club were pursuing a loan deal for Costa, according to reports in Turkey, but manager Aykut Kocaman indicated that had fallen through. Diego Costa has not played for Chelsea since May after falling out with Antonio Conte ( Jed Leicester/PA) Costa, 28, is yet to return to Chelsea for the new season, having remained in Brazil in a bid to force a move to Atletico Madrid. Atleticos transfer ban means the Spain forward cannot join them until January at the earliest. Now Fenerbahce are said to have been negotiating to bring him to their Sukru Saracoglu stadium. The transfer of Diego Costa was very close. But then the result was negative, Kocaman said, quoted by local media including CNNs Turkish website. Relief efforts are under way on islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as a second extremely dangerous storm threatens the Caribbean. Some already-ravaged areas are preparing for further possible damage as Hurricane Jose, which has been upgraded to category four, travels through the Atlantic. Medical supplies and other aid are being flown from the UK to the areas worst affected by Irma, following a 32 million pledge from the British Government. The government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were pummelled overnight, declared a national shutdown as the hurricane continued its destructive path towards America. The death toll from Irma has risen to 20 with four more people believed to have died on the British Virgin Islands, it is reported. US President Donald Trump warned Americans in Irmas path to get out of its way. He tweeted: Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible. The National Hurricane Centre said the storm is likely to move near the north coast of Cuba and central Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, and approach Florida by Sunday. Life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands into Saturday. Forecasters said Hurricane Jose could affect already-hit areas with the British Virgin Islands on tropical storm watch, and the Commonwealth islands of Barbuda and Antigua and British territory of Anguilla on hurricane watch. The British Virgin Islands, which saw houses reduced to their foundations and many roads impassable in the wake of Irma, has already declared a state of emergency. Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on the island of St Maarten (Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP) Images posted on social media showed entire structures razed to the ground, with debris scattered across the streets. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said aircraft carrying around 230 personnel, made up of engineers, marines and medical specialists, will take rations and medical supplies to places affected including Barbados and the British Virgin Islands. Troops deploy to Caribbean to provide immediate assistance with the humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts in response to #Irma pic.twitter.com/vnVK15On9o British Army (@BritishArmy) September 8, 2017 Officials said it has been difficult to gauge the extent of the damage due to communication lines coming down, but the Department for International Development (Dfid), which is co-ordinating aid, has sent advisers to Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica to assess the wreckage. A spokeswoman for the department said people are being evacuated from Barbuda to Antigua in advance of Hurricane Jose hitting. The eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola (NOAA-Nasa via AP) There has been criticism of the Governments response to Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Atlantic, with some saying more should have been done to prepare for the devastation. Labour MP Virendra Sharma, who sits on the International Development Committee, said there had been a lack of vision and lack of proper response, despite indications the hurricane was coming. WATCH: International Development Secretary Priti Patel updates on the #UKaid response to Hurricane #Irma pic.twitter.com/DhTi2OLMiS DFID (@DFID_UK) September 8, 2017 Theresa Mays spokeswoman dismissed criticism that the UK lagged behind France and the Netherlands in taking care of its territories in the path of the hurricane. Speaking after a meeting of the Governments emergency Cobra committee, Mrs May said she had spoken to governors from British territories overseas. She added that the Cobra meeting had also heard from the consul general in Miami to be updated on the support being given to British nationals and tourists in the Sunshine State. UK ship RFA Mounts Bay is delivering disaster relief to places affected by Hurricane #Irma pic.twitter.com/KauVIan7pK UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 8, 2017 The Government is working with the US authorities to ensure everything can be done before the storm arrives, she said. The Prime Minister also sought to give assurances to the British territories that the Governments support would include a focus on long-term rebuilding. She said: I give them this commitment I recognise that our immediate concern is ensuring the support is there and every effort is there as this hurricane is devastating these islands, but at the Cobra today I also ensured that a piece of work was being put in place, already started, on long-term planning. Tonight, far too many people in #Irmas path and in its wake. pic.twitter.com/bWQMxae9GV Randy Bresnik (@AstroKomrade) September 8, 2017 RFA Mounts Bay has helped to restore power and communications as well as clear the airport runway in Anguilla, and will next provide relief in the British Virgin Islands, Dfid said. Buckingham Palace said the Queen will be making a significant personal donation to the Hurricane Irma appeal organised by the British Red Cross. Irma was first classified as a tropical storm on August 30 and rapidly intensified over the following days. Winds reached a peak of 130mph but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph. Hurricane Irma's trail of destruction Thousands of British tourists believed to be in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms. Holiday firms said they are monitoring the situation and some have cancelled flights or offered to amend bookings for those due to travel to affected areas in the coming days. In Fort Lauderdale, Erik Petersen, 40, described the atmosphere as pretty tense adding that there was much more worry than last year, when the Sunshine State braced itself for Hurricane Matthew. Hurricanes with the highest wind speed to hit the US The dual American-British citizen told the Press Association: People arent just talking about this as a hurricane, theyre talking about it as the hurricane. Ive had a few people ask if Im considering going somewhere else in Florida, but this things the size of Texas. Roads are clogged, hotels are full, gas is running low. Id rather face this thing in a house in Fort Lauderdale than in a car in a traffic jam somewhere outside Orlando. The Foreign Office has set up a hotline for people affected by the disaster and for people whose loved ones may be affected, on 020 7008 0000. Americas five living former presidents are teaming up to raise money for storm recovery as Texas and Louisiana seek to regroup from Harvey, and Florida and the Atlantic coast brace for Hurricane Irma. The One America Appeal hurricane recovery effort was announced by former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and his father George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Online donations can be made at OneAmericaAppeal.org. Five former US presidents are to spearhead a hurricane relief appeal The hurricanes represent the latest philanthropic collaboration by living ex-US presidents and their first joint effort since Donald Trumps election. Mr Trump tweeted his support, saying: We will confront ANY challenge, no matter how strong the winds or high the water. Im proud to stand with Presidents for #OneAmericaAppeal. Mr Bush senior and Mr Clinton raised money for victims of the devastating tsunami in Asia in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and after Haitis massive earthquake in 2010, Mr Obama enlisted Mr Clinton and George W Bush to lead a relief effort. For the Bush family, Harvey struck close to home. George Bush senior lives part of the year in Houston, while his son, a former Texas governor, lives in Dallas. Organisers said a special restricted account had been established through the George HW Bush Presidential Library Foundation to collect and quickly distribute donations. Officials said 100 cents out of every dollar donated would help hurricane victims and all donations were tax-deductible. Donations designated to help victims of Harvey will be distributed to the Houston Harvey Relief Fund and the Rebuild Texas Fund. Thanks to Paul Simon & Edie Brickell for donating to People who feel forgotten in small Texas towns hit by #Harvey https://t.co/69jmg4G4Zx Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 8, 2017 The appeal is expected to be expanded to help those affected by Irma, which could strike south Florida and the states Atlantic Coast and then move up into Georgia and South Carolina. Harvey has caused widespread flooding in Houston and elsewhere and has been blamed for at least 71 deaths, while damaging more than 200,000 homes. Texas governor Greg Abbott has suggested that Harveys damages could cost up to 180 billion dollars (137bn), even more than from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Meanwhile Qatar has said it is giving 30 million dollars (23m) to help people in Texas recover from Harvey, in what appears to be the largest donation by a foreign government following the hurricane. Qatar giving $30 million to help Harvey victims in Texas https://t.co/20jdC5WCFH Houston Now (@Houston_CP) September 8, 2017 It comes as Qatar works to show it is a supportive player on the world stage amid a diplomatic crisis with its neighbours. Qatars ambassador to the US, Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, said the Qatar Harvey Fund would work with Texas governor Greg Abbott, the Houston mayor and Texas organisations to rebuild flooded communities. Mr Abbott says he was humbled by the worlds support and thanked Qatar for its generosity. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are feuding with Qatar over claims that the tiny gas-rich country funds extremism and other accusations, which Qatar denies. Nacho Monreal admits a dramatic improvement is required if Arsenal are to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners were beaten 4-0 at Liverpool before the international break on the back of another defeat away to Stoke. Since the humiliation at Anfield, Arsenal have sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool but managed to hang on to Alexis Sanchez as the transfer window closed. Arsenal's Nacho Monreal during the Premier League match at the bet365 Stadium Manager Arsene Wenger has already come in for criticism after a slow start to the campaign having been challenged to deliver major silverware following his contract renewal in May. The Frenchman said ruling his side out of the title race at this stage is absolutely stupid but Monreal reckons Arsenal must step up their performances to stand any chance starting at home to Bournemouth this weekend. Obviously it was really difficult for us because we didnt expect to lose as we did, he said. You can play against Liverpool away and lose this game because they are a good team, a strong team with good players, but we cant play as we played. We need to improve a lot, our target is to win the Premier League and obviously we cant win it if we keep playing like we did against Liverpool. Now we have to improve and on Saturday we have the next opportunity to get three points, so I hope the team is okay and we can win, get the three points and get confidence. Bournemouth visit the Emirates Stadium having lost their opening three league fixtures but the pressure will be squarely on the home side, but Monreal insists whatever the outcome it will not spell the end of Arsenals title hopes. Honestly, it is too soon to speak about if we can or we cant (win the Premier League), he said. We have played three games and we have only three points, that is six less than Manchester United at this moment but we are only thinking about playing Bournemouth and winning this game and keep looking forward. Police Scotlands chief constable has been granted special leave while two allegations against him of gross misconduct are investigated. Phil Gormley said the latest complaint was raised by a member of the Force Executive, Police Scotlands senior management team. The team comprises officers ranked at Assistant Chief Constable and higher, the forces deputy chief officer and the director of ICT. Statement from our Chief Constable: pic.twitter.com/pjROllD7dk Police Scotland (@PoliceScotland) September 8, 2017 The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) confirmed on Friday it was investigating a new allegation of gross misconduct by the chief constable, in addition to one announced in July. Both complaints were referred to the organisation following an investigation by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the oversight body for the force. Mr Gormley, who denies both allegations, faced calls to temporarily stand aside when the initial complaint was revealed but remained in post until the second accusation emerged. He said in a statement: I have been notified by the SPA of a complaint made against me. This complaint originates from a member of the Force Executive. Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone will take over leadership of Police Scotland until further notice In the interests of the office of Chief Constable and the broader interests of Police Scotland, I have sought and been granted special leave to enable this matter to be properly assessed. I deny and reject the allegations and will co-operate with the SPAs assessment and procedures. It is my intention to resume my full duties when this matter has been resolved. No information was given regarding the nature either of complaint, but if a serious breach of standards is found, Mr Gormley could face dismissal. The SPA confirmed it had agreed to Mr Gormleys request for a temporary leave of absence and said this will be kept under review on a four-weekly basis. Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone will take over leadership of Police Scotland until further notice, the authority said. Taken too long but right decision made. Investigation must be effective. There is a lot to fix in Police Scotland and leadership is needed. https://t.co/7tJSQ1HwUA Willie Rennie (@willie_rennie) September 8, 2017 Pirc said once each investigation is concluded it will submit a report to the SPA on whether the allegations should be referred to a misconduct hearing. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called for Mr Gormley to stand aside when the first Pirc investigation was confirmed. At the time, the SPA ruled that temporarily removing him from his post was not appropriate. Mr Rennie said: It has taken too long but Phil Gormley has made the right decision to temporarily stand aside and I commend him on that. The investigation needs to be completed effectively and swiftly so that Police Scotland can move on. There is a lot to fix in Police Scotland and we need effective leadership to fix it. A woman who found vulnerable victims for a Newcastle grooming gang to sexually exploit told police: Its self-inflicted, Ive got no sympathy, a court heard. Carolann Gallon took a 13-year-old who had run away from foster care to a Tyneside flat, knowing she was likely to be the victim of a sexual offence. She wept as she was jailed for six years and three months after admitting three counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Justice: Over 180 years for 17 offenders convicted as part of Operation Shelter. More information here: https://t.co/orPPCVR3xQ pic.twitter.com/5bEv67siYL Northumbria Police (@northumbriapol) September 8, 2017 The shaven-headed defendant, then aged around 17 but now aged 22, was obstructive with police when they made inquiries in 2012. The next year Gallon, of Hareside Court, Newcastle, took the same girl from a childrens home and took her to a series of addresses around the west end of the city. The girl said she was given drink and drugs at flats where men flirted with her and put their arms around her. Sentences totalling more than 180 years were handed down for 17 people (Northumbria Police/PA) She was to tell police that sexual stuff happened there, and that a man had sex with her against her will, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Gallon also invited a 14-year-old staying at another care home in the North East to a binge, but she was stopped by police. She rearranged the meeting, and the victim was taken to a house where she was given vodka and cannabis. Abdulhamid Minoyee Judge Penny Moreland said: You were taking her to that house, believing she was likely to be the victim of a sexual offence. The grooming gang tricked girls into thinking they were in a relationship, gave them drink and drugs at parties, then forced them into having sex with other men. John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, said Gallon told police after she was arrested: They shouldnt have too much to drink. If they want to go with them, they have got their own mind to go with people. They are not some kid, they are 15 or 16. If theyre mortal (drunk) they are going to do something, why get mortal in the first place? Its self-inflicted, Ive got no sympathy. Newcastle Crown court But her barrister Uzma Khan said Gallon was herself a victim. The judge said: It is clear you did not have the care and support during your childhood that you should have had. You were described yourself as being a victim. There have been ample opportunities for you to make complaints about these matters. You have never chosen to do so. The result is your complaints have never been tested in court. Steve Ashman The judge said Gallon continued to ally herself with other defendants. Gallon also took a girl with learning difficulties to a flat where she was raped by Abdulhamid Minoyee. Minoyee had already sexually assaulted a heroin addict having plied her with drink, but she managed to fight him off. Judge Moreland jailed him for 15 years, saying: You committed two sexual offences against young women you had enticed into your home. One remaining member of the gang will be sentenced next week. Speaking after sentences totalling more than 180 years were handed down for 17 people at Newcastle Crown Court, Detective Superintendent Steve Barron said: These offenders targeted these women because of their vulnerabilities. Steve Barron They hugely underestimated their strength and determination to seek justice, they thought no-one would believe them. We believed them, as did the jury. I have spoken to some of these victims and they are lovely people. They have had a tough life and to then go through courts is so difficult for them. It has just been brilliant to see how their bravery is now showing justice. French banking giant BNP Paribas has lost a tax avoidance case that could see it pay back 35 million to UK authorities. It comes after a tribunal ruled in favour of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which said the lender had tried to use a tax avoidance scheme known as dividend stripping that kept 35 million from UK taxpayers. The bank is accused of trying to claim an exemption from tax by generating an artificial loss on the purchase and sale of dividends, without getting rid of the underlying shares. Commenting on the ruling, Penny Ciniewicz, HMRCs director general for customer compliance, said: Tax avoidance doesnt pay. A tribunal ruled in favour of HM Revenue & Customs (PA) This decision adds to the comprehensive run of wins by HMRC in which the courts have found against the small minority of taxpayers who seek to avoid tax. Increasingly, companies and individuals who have tried to avoid tax are throwing in the towel and paying the tax they owe. BNP Paribas will not be appealing the tribunal ruling and said it took its tax obligations seriously. A spokesman for the French bank said: BNP Paribas respects the decision of the Tribunal in relation to this transaction, which was entered into 12 years ago in 2005. We did not appeal this decision and paid the tax amount in full before the tribunal was heard. BNP Paribas takes its tax obligations very seriously. We pay taxes fully in accordance with UK legislation; voluntarily adopted the Code of Practice on Taxation for Banks in 2009; and maintain an open and wholly transparent relationship with HMRC at all times. Detectives have been given more time to question two men arrested at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences after flying in from Turkey. The men UK nationals aged 40 and 29 were held as they arrived from Istanbul on Thursday morning. The 29-year-old was taken to a London police station for questioning on suspicion of belonging to a proscribed organisation under section 11 of the Terrorism Act. Police officers Warrants of further detention granted for two men arrested by Counter Terrorism Command https://t.co/1A4dyvnBj2 pic.twitter.com/aNh0w2c2ar Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 8, 2017 The second man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. He was taken to hospital for a medical assessment but later transferred to a London police station. Scotland Yard said on Friday that a warrant of further detention has been granted for both men, which will expire on Wednesday, September 13. A British naval ship spearheading the humanitarian response to Hurricane Irma will remain in the Caribbean as long as it takes, its captain has said. Stephen Norris, the commanding officer of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay, described scenes of devastation on the British Virgin Islands as military teams carried out relief work. Irma has torn a destructive trail through several British territories, including Anguilla, where the ships crew has already travelled to help restore the airstrip and hospital. RLC Mexeflote RFA Mounts Bay has been transporting a task group of experts including engineers and a medical team to the affected areas, along with supplies. Speaking from on board the vessel, which is stationed off Road Town in the British Virgin Islands, Capt Norris told the Press Association: I havent seen anything on the scale of what we have seen here, it is one of those storms which I think defies all expectations. We have looked at some of the outlying islands and we can confirm some of the damage there Road Town was hit bad, but there are other islands that are not as bad. As @RoyalAirForce aircraft fly to UK territories affected by #Irma, here is a snapshot of the relief effort so far. @BritishArmy @RoyalNavy pic.twitter.com/xkr7n7LgA4 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 8, 2017 Clearly, there has been some injuries, we havent got a full estimate yet. As I understand it, a lot of the islanders are fairly resilient, as hurricanes perhaps not of this magnitude do occur and I think their general resilience in this area says a lot. They are coming from their shelters, they are rebuilding, they are looking at the future and how they can recover from it. Specialist disaster relief team - drawn from the Royal Engineers and Royal Logistics Corps arrive in the Caribbean https://t.co/saIkIZL8hH pic.twitter.com/HhwuqnArUG British Army (@BritishArmy) September 8, 2017 The British Virgin Islands were said to have born the brunt of the damage across the British territories, as Anguillas skirmish with Irma did not see it fall under the eye of the storm. Overnight, the Turks and Caicos Islands were reported to have been pummelled by the hurricane. RFA Mounts Bay has been directed by governors at the territories to the areas of most need, with a focus on the British Virgin Islands of restoring communications, Capt Norris said. Troops deploy to Caribbean to provide immediate assistance with the humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts in response to #Irma pic.twitter.com/vnVK15On9o British Army (@BritishArmy) September 8, 2017 We will be here as long as it takes, I will stay here as long as I possibly can to support the islands, he said. We are here for the long term. The ship was said to have arrived within 20 to 24 hours of the eye of the storm passing over Anguilla, holding off until it was safe to make an approach. The captain responded to criticism that Britain had been too slow in providing relief to the area, saying: We were here, we were on task, we were right behind Irma. Looming large over the islands is the prospect of Hurricane Jose, a category-four storm expected to bring further chaos to the Atlantic in the coming days. Capt Norris expressed confidence that provisions would be in place to respond to the second storm. He said: Looking at the track of Jose, I believe it is going to move to the north of BVI, in particular, and hopefully where we are, we might not get the full effect of the wind, we might get some rain. I think we need to look at how we prepare for that and how we help the island prepare for that, that is getting the message out where we can. Pope Francis has travelled to an area once besieged by leftist rebels to pray with victims of Colombias long conflict and urge them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. At an open-air Mass in the central city of Villavincencio, Francis praised those who had resisted the understandable temptation for vengeance and instead sought out peace. He said their choice in no way legitimised the injustices they suffered, but showed a willingness to build a peaceful future together. Reconciliation is consolidated by the contribution of all. It enables us to build the future and makes hope grow. Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 8, 2017 Every effort at peace without sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail, he warned. The highlight of his visit was to be what the Vatican has termed a great prayer meeting for national reconciliation, bringing victims and victimisers together before a poignant symbol of the conflict a mutilated statue of Christ rescued from a church destroyed in a rebel mortar attack. Thismutilated statue of Christ was rescued from a church destroyed in a rebel mortar attack 15 years ago (Andrew Medichini/AP) Francis has made reconciliation the central theme of his five-day visit to Colombia after promising to visit the country on the signing of last years peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The event was drawing thousands of victims from all walks of life: soldiers who lost limbs clearing land mines, mothers whose children were forcibly recruited by the rebels never to be seen again, and farmers driven off their land by right-wing paramilitary groups. The Pope greets bishops at the Cardinal's Palace in Bogota (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) Ahead of the event, the former commander of the Farc published a public letter in which he asked Francis for forgiveness. Your frequent reminders about the infinite mercy of God move me to beg for your forgiveness for any tear or pain weve caused Colombian society or any of its individuals, wrote Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. Representatives of Colombia's indigenous community pose with Pope Francis in Villavicencio (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) The long-time rebel commander, who is undergoing medical treatment in Cuba following a stroke, said he regretted that he was unable to be present for Franciss visit. Declaring himself a devout admirer of the first Latin American pope, he praised Franciss insistence on the dignity of every human being and outspoken criticism of an economic system in which rich nations loot the riches of poorer ones. In another sign that the popes message of reconciliation may be getting through to the deeply polarised nation, the mayor of Medellin confirmed that President Juan Manuel Santos will pray on Saturday at a Mass in Colombias second-largest city with his predecessor and arch-rival, Alvaro Uribe. Previously the two had refused to appear together at any papal events. Pope Francis The two former allies split over Mr Santoss signing of a peace deal with the Farc and their feud has hampered the chances of successful implementation of the accord. Francis has tried to bring the two together, sponsoring a face-to-face meeting at the Vatican last December after Mr Uribe led the opposition that narrowly rejected the original accord in a nationwide referendum. By Josh Cohen Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wants the Trump administration to supply Ukraine with "defensive weapons" to combat the Russian-supported separatists occupying parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbass region. On a recent visit to Kiev, Mattis told a news conference that these weapons "are not provocative unless you are an aggressor, and clearly Ukraine is not an aggressor." While Mattis stressed that Donald Trump has not yet made a decision on arming Ukraine, there are certainly legitimate arguments for doing so. Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in March, 2014, and the Kremlin supplies both arms and Russian troops to its separatist proxies - the so-called "Donetsk Peoples' Republic" (DNR) and "Luhansk Peoples Republic" (LNR) - fighting Ukrainian troops. Arming Kiev would help it better confront this Russian threat while also permitting Washington to send a strong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that changing borders by force is unacceptable. But however justified the outrage over Moscows behavior, retaliation is risky. If the U.S. arms Ukraine, the Kremlin will almost certainly respond in ways that could damage American national security interests. For a start, Russia could escalate the violence by sending additional troops or arms to support its separatist proxies there - something Putin already implied would happen. Trump could then face pressure to send more weapons - thereby escalating Russian-American tensions. Russia could also retaliate against U.S. interests in other parts of the world. In North Korea, it could undermine the American-driven sanctions measures intended to force Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program. Although a number of Russian-North Korean economic projects remain frozen because of the embargoes, Russia could restart these projects - thereby providing Pyongyang with additional hard currency for its testing program. In Syria, Putin could end U.S.-Russian cooperation on enforcing a ceasefire in southern Syria. Moscow could also move additional weaponry - perhaps even including nuclear weapons - into Russia's Kaliningrad region, an enclave that borders Poland and Lithuania, or send Russian weapons to Afghanistan's extremist Taliban rebels to undermine Trump's "mini-surge" of troops to that country. Given the risks to American interests from arming Ukraine Trump needs to carefully consider both the pros and cons of this step. In the meantime, the U.S. can help Ukraine in other ways that include increased support for Ukraines anti-corruption reformers; nudging international donors to help Kiev rebuild war-damaged regions and push European countries to prevent their firms from selling to Russias defense contractors. What Ukraine needs most of all is breathing space to complete the economic and political reforms to consolidate its young democracy. That remains elusive in spite of the February, 2015 Minsk II accord - a package of measures signed by Russia and Ukraine to bring an end to the war. This is where Washington can bring its diplomatic heft to bear. That will require creative diplomacy along with some unpleasant compromises by both sides, but it can be done. Here's what a realistic settlement might look like. To begin, the possibility of Ukraine's joining NATO should be taken off the table. Ukrainian membership in the organization remains a neuralgic issue for the Kremlin, with Putin saying in his 2014 speech announcing the annexation of Crimea that Kievs statements about Ukraine soon joining NATO "would create not an illusory but a perfectly real threat to the whole of southern Russia." Keeping Ukraine out of NATO wouldnt be a big sacrifice for its members. Russia's overwhelming military strength in the Black Sea region makes it unlikely NATO could effectively defend Ukraine and many NATO countries don't support Kiev's admission anyway. Since all 29 members need to approve new members the alliance's expansion to Ukraine is extremely unlikely, meaning Kiev gives up little by foregoing NATO membership while potentially setting itself up to demand concessions from Moscow in other areas. In exchange for concessions on NATO, Moscow must accept it cannot block Ukraines right to pursue membership in the European Union (EU) - a priority for Kiev. This will be a difficult pill for Moscow to swallow since it wants Ukraine to join a Russian-dominated free trade bloc aimed at consolidating Russian influence in the former Soviet Union. However its time for the Kremlin to accept that Kiev wants a decisive break from Russia's political and economic orbit - and Washington should make clear to Moscow it has no right to prevent Ukraine from pursuing what it sees as its Western destiny. Once these two geopolitical issues are resolved it will be easier for Washington to help Russia and Ukraine to reach agreement in other areas. Any final deal must require that the Kremlin end military support for its separatist proxies in Eastern Ukraine and allow Kiev to regain full control over its border with Russia. In exchange, Kiev should forswear using military force to reclaim its separatist-occupied eastern territories and also offer some kind of special autonomy to the DNR and LNR. This would include full control over their own tax and spending, as well as control over social issues such as education, culture and the status of the Russian language. The issue of Crimea may be hardest to solve. Moscow says that it considers Crimea part of Russia while Ukrainian officials insist its part of Ukraine. For this reason, any final agreement may have to defer negotiations over Crimea - perhaps by suggesting some kind of formula for shared sovereignty or Russian payment to Ukraine for the territory taken. The U.S. can make this more palatable to Ukraine by not recognizing Crimea is part of Russia until a deal on the peninsulas status acceptable to Kiev is reached. The U.S. employed a similar policy regarding the Soviet Unions annexation of the Baltic states during the Cold War. Forging a deal of this sort won't be easy. Putin may not settle for anything other than pulling Ukraine back into the Russian orbit, while Kiev may consider any deal preventing NATO membership or fudging on Crimea to be unacceptable. However, the U.S. could provide a sweetener such as offering to ease sanctions against Russia while Ukraine could be offered assistance in rebuilding its war-torn Donbass region. These are hard compromises. But they beat the alternative of an endless war. (Reporting by Josh Cohen) MEXICO CITY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Mexican government on Thursday said it had declared the North Korean ambassador to Mexico, Kim Hyong Gil, persona non grata in protest at the Asian nation's recent nuclear activity. In a statement, the government said it had given the ambassador 72 hours to leave Mexico in a step meant to express its "absolute rejection" of North Korea's actions, describing the actions as a grave threat to the region and the world. (Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) BOGOTA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Venezuela's Roman Catholic Church leaders said on Thursday they would tell Pope Francis of the "truly desperate" humanitarian crisis in their country at a meeting they hoped would throw a spotlight on problems caused by political deadlock. The Argentine pontiff is visiting Colombia and had asked bishops from neighboring Venezuela to meet with him and brief him on the situation. The short meeting took place after the pope's Mass on Thursday night. Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, the archbishop of Caracas, told reporters ahead of the meeting that his country was mired in "a truly desperate situation. There are people who eat garbage and there are people who die because there is no medicine." "We want to remind the pope of this again ... because the government is doing everything possible to establish a state system, totalitarian and Marxist," Urosa said. On Wednesday, Francis told reporters he hoped Venezuela could find stability. Venezuela has been convulsed by months of near-daily demonstrations against leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who critics say has plunged the oil-rich country into the worst economic crisis in its history and is turning it into a dictatorship. Maduro has said that he is the victim of an "armed insurrection" and an "economic war" by U.S.-backed opponents seeking to gain control of the OPEC member's oil reserves. World bodies and foreign governments have expressed concern about the shortage of food and medicine in Venezuela and called for political dialogue between Maduro and the opposition. Church leaders in Venezuela have made a series of highly critical speeches since late last year. The Vatican mediated in talks between the government and opposition in 2016 that ultimately broke down. Venezuela's crisis has also sparked an increase in border crossings to Colombia, which is struggling to supply social services for the migrants. "This meeting is a real gift that the pope is giving to all of the Venezuelan people through the bishops who are here," said the archbishop of Merida, Cardinal Baltazar Porras Cardozo. (Reporting by Helen Murphy, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) By Thin Lei Win BANGKOK, Sept 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Asia-Pacific - home to more than half the world's population and some of its fastest-growing economies - is a key battleground in the fight against pollution, one of the biggest threats to the planet and its people, the U.N. environment chief said. An estimated 12 million people die prematurely each year because of unhealthy environments, 7 million of them due to air pollution alone, making pollution "the biggest killer of humanity", Erik Solheim told the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on the Environment in Bangkok this week. Humans have caused pollution and humans can fix it, said Solheim, executive director of UN Environment, in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the four-day summit. "The struggle for a pollution-free planet will be won or lost in Asia - nowhere else," said the former Norwegian minister for environment and international development. The sheer size of Asia-Pacific, as well as its continued economic growth, put it at the heart of the challenge, he added. The region's development has been accompanied by worsening pollution of its air, water and soil. Its emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide doubled between 1990 and 2012, and the use of resources such as minerals, metals and biomass has tripled, according to the United Nations. World Health Organization figures also show Asia has 25 of the world's 30 most polluted cities in terms of fine particles in the air that pose the greatest risks to human health. The pollution comes largely from the combustion of fossil fuels, mostly for transport and electricity generation. Solheim said Asia is also a major contributor of plastic polluting the world's oceans - and solutions can be found in the region. He pointed to a huge beach clean-up campaign in Mumbai that inspired Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overhaul the country's waste management system. "There's enormous environmental opportunity," Solheim said. "Asia has by and large strong governments, and they have the ability to fix problems." COAL NO LONGER KING? Solheim said fighting pollution by moving towards renewable energy sources such as wind and solar would also benefit efforts to curb climate change, which scientists say is stoking more deadly heatwaves, floods and sea level rise around the world. But environmentalists worry that Asia's demand for coal, the most polluting of the major fossil fuels, is likely to grow for years to come. Figures from a forum organised by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Singapore earlier this year show that some 273 gigawatts of coal power are still being built, although much more has been put on hold. In July, analysts told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that Japan, China and South Korea are bank-rolling coal-fired power plants in Indonesia despite their pledges to reduce planet-warming emissions under the Paris climate deal. The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement seeks to limit the rise in average world temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Experts say curbing or ending the use of coal is required if this goal is to be reached. Globally, many countries - including China - are shutting down or suspending plans for coal-fired power plants as costs for wind and solar power plummet. Solheim is optimistic, noting that the International Energy Agency significantly raised its five-year growth forecast for renewables led by China, India, the United States and Mexico. "There are very, very few people in the world who believe that the future is coal," he said. "I think we will see the shift (to renewables) happening much faster than people tend to believe." On U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull his nation out of the Paris Agreement, Solheim sees a silver lining. "The surprising judgement of history may be that Donald Trump did a lot of service to this fight against climate change by withdrawing, because he galvanised the reaction of everyone else," said Solheim. "All the big, iconic companies of modern capitalism - Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon - they immediately said, 'We will move into the green economy'." (Reporting by Thin Lei Win; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) SEOUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor said a Chinese plant had resumed production from Thursday afternoon, after output had been suspended earlier in the week due to a supply disruption. Hyundai's joint venture with BAIC Motor Corp Ltd suspended output at the car factory on Tuesday after a German supplier refused to provide parts due to delays in payment - its second such incident in recent weeks. "We continue to be in discussions over payment," a spokesman for the automaker said. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) BEIJING, Sept 8 (Reuters) - China's exports denominated in yuan rose 6.9 percent in August from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs said on Friday. * Yuan-denominated imports rose 14.4 percent y/y in August * That produced a trade surplus of 286.5 billion yuan in August * Note: Customs is expected to release dollar-denominated trade data later on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters expected exports rose 6.0 percent in dollar terms y/y (vs July +7.2 pct), with imports seen up 10.0 percent (July +11.0 pct) (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by) By Nelson Bocanegra and Helen Murphy VILLAVICENCIO/BOGOTA, Colombia, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of victims of Colombia's five-decade war will seek blessings, guidance and a path to forgiveness from Pope Francis on Friday, during his visit to a region that for years has been known as an epicenter of violence. The Argentine pope has received a rapturous welcome in Colombia, a majority Roman Catholic nation, bringing with him a message of peace and unity as he seeks to strengthen faith and heal the scars of civil war. In the city of Villavicencio, Francis will hold a prayer meeting with 6,000 survivors of a brutal conflict that has left millions scarred by kidnappings, massacres, rape, land mines and displacement. He will also bless the Cross of Reconciliation, a plain white memorial to the victims, and hear personal testimonies of those who have suffered. "There has been too much hatred and vengeance. The solitude of always being at loggerheads has been familiar for decades, and its smell has lingered for a hundred years," the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said on Thursday. "We do not want any type of violence whatsoever to restrict or destroy one more life," added the pontiff, who delayed visiting Colombia until a peace deal between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels was in effect. Colombians have suffered from war between right-wing paramilitaries, Marxist rebels, and government forces since 1964. More than 220,000 have been killed and millions more displaced as the war spilled into towns and rural communities. "SO EMOTIONAL" The 80-year-old Francis will also beatify two victims as martyrs. He will take the first step to make saints of Pedro Maria Ramirez, a priest who was killed in 1948 during the period of political violence known as "La Violencia," and Bishop Jesus Emilio Jaramillo, killed in 1989 by the National Liberation Army (ELN) for suspected collaboration with the military. The pontiff wants his message of reconciliation to resonate with the war victims and he urged his Church to help spread the message. "You are not bureaucrats, nor politicians, you are pastors," he said, addressing bishops in Bogota. In Villavicencio - the capital of central Meta province, a vast cattle ranching area which has been a hotbed of paramilitary and rebel violence - Francis will see a destroyed statue of Christ brought from western Choco province for his visit. The effigy was recovered from a church attacked by the FARC in 2002 in the rain forest village of Bojaya. About 80 people were killed as they sought refuge from rebel bombings inside the humble church. The plaster figure, without arms or legs, has become an enduring symbol of the bloody war. Forgiveness is pivotal if Colombia is to forge lasting peace, break cycles of revenge and rebuild once-hostile communities. But Colombians are deeply polarized as they prepare to receive 7,000 former fighters of the FARC into society and aim to repair divisions from the war. Many are furious that under last year's peace deal, FARC leaders accused of kidnapping, displacements and murder will avoid jail sentences and instead may receive seats in congress as members of a civilian political party. But at least during the pope's visit, people seem willing to forgive. "I'll be up at 3 a.m. to queue. It's so emotional, just to see him on television makes me tearful," said Francis Alvarez, a 59-year-old housewife, who hopes to attend the Mass in Villavicencio. "It will consolidate peace in this region that's been so forgotten." (Reporting by Helen Murphy in Bogota and Nelson Bocanegra in Villavicencio, Additional reporting by Anastasia Moloney; Writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Rosalba O'Brien) WELLINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The rising popularity of New Zealand's Labour Party in hotly contested elections is making it less likely that the nationalist New Zealand First Party will play kingmaker, poll averages released on Friday show. The uncertainty over which combination of parties will decide the next government is worsening an already topsy-turvy election, previously seen as a slamdunk for the centre-right National Party, which has ruled for almost a decade. Since taking over as leader last month, charismatic politician Jacinda Ardern has almost single-handedly changed the chances of her Labour Party, with her popularity blunting some criticism over vague tax plans and tighter immigration policy. Support for newly invigorated Labour rose to 41.8 percent in opinion polls, nudging ahead of the governing National Party's 41.1 percent, figures released by media showed. That put the centre-left opposition party closer to being able to form a government with the Green Party, which held steady at around 5.4 percent, and the smaller Maori Party, which posted support of about 1.2 percent. Alternatively Labour could join forces with New Zealand First, which slipped a little to 7.9 percent and had previously been thought likely to determine which major party governed. But if the Green Party fell further, sinking below the support threshold of 5 percent for seats in parliament, that would put New Zealand First in an even stronger position. "It is really unusual...it's all about which pieces land where," said Grant Duncan, a political analyst at Auckland University. "It's not entirely clear that New Zealand First will be necessary for either major party to form a government. It's not entirely clear that the Green Party will be necessary, or even in parliament." Minor parties often have an outsize role in New Zealand's German-style proportional representation system, in which a party, or combination of parties, needs 61 of Parliament's 120 members - usually about 48 percent of the vote - to form a government. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) By Matthew Tostevin PHNOM PENH, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Critics of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen have grown used to following upstart news service Fresh News to find out what the governments next target might be. From treason accusations against detained opposition leader Kem Sokha to the tax demand against the now-shuttered Cambodia Daily to allegations against the recently expelled U.S. National Democratic Institute, it was on Fresh News first. Its rise, just as pressure is growing on more critical media, reflects a shift in control of information in the run-up to next year's general election at the same time as a crackdown on Hun Sen's opponents. "If any news needs to be reported, I may contact the prime minister or the prime minister may contact me," 37-year-old Fresh News chief executive Lim Chea Vutha told Reuters. Lim rejected accusations it publishes unsubstantiated reports to serve the government's interest and said it was just ambitious to break news the same as any major news agency. Cambodia has long had one of Southeast Asias most open media environments, but journalists with publications critical of the government say work is becoming tougher than during any period of Hun Sens more than three-decade rule. "This means an imbalance of information," said Pa Nguon Teang, head of the partly EU-funded Voice of Democracy radio station, banned from broadcasting to its estimated 7.7 million listeners last month and now trying to publish via Facebook. Eighteen other radio stations were ordered off air while channels were also forbidden from rebroadcasting the U.S.-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. The Cambodia Daily newspaper, whose editor described it as "a burr in Hun Sen's side" since it was started 24 years ago, was forced to close by a crippling $6.3 million tax bill - news of which first appeared on Fresh News. The three-year-old publication also published the video that formed the basis for arresting opposition leader Kem Sokha for treason charges his lawyers dismiss as nonsense. "It's not fresh news, it's not even fake news, it's bad news - bad news for the future of Cambodia," said Mu Sochua, a deputy of Kem Sokha in his Cambodia National Rescue Party. Cambodia is not the only Southeast Asian country where the media is under pressure, with journalists and bloggers in Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar and Vietnam facing everything from verbal threats to arrest to violence. Hun Sen has said his attitude to media he does not like is no different to that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has branded some liberal U.S. news organisations "fake news" and has refused to take questions from their reporters. "CHILDREN" For Hun Sen, a 65-year-old former Khmer Rouge soldier, critical media are "like children challenging their father", said Huy Vannak, president of the partly state-funded Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia. "They only mock his good faith to the nation. That's why he's not tolerant," he said. Praised openly by Hun Sen, Fresh News now has more than 100 employees. At the company's ninth-floor offices near a busy Phnom Penh junction, signs tell journalists "the first enemy of success is laziness". Facebook is one of the main channels for Fresh News to publish and has also been embraced by Hun Sen since the opposition almost won the 2013 election, partly with the help of their social media strategy. While declining to give company financial details, Lim said he received no money from the government. A government spokesman said there was no funding for Fresh News or anyone publishing on social media beyond official accounts. Lim said he was supported only by advertising. Flipping through his mobile phone, he showed ads for everything from Range Rover to Coca-Cola to local businesses thriving in an economy growing at around 7 percent a year. But business and government are entwined in Cambodia and the leadership and its family members control many of Cambodia's biggest enterprises - including media businesses. Hun Sen's oldest daughter, Hun Mana, chairs Kampuchea Thmey Daily and Bayon TV and Radio among at least a dozen other firms. Senate president and the deputy leader of the ruling Cambodia People's Party, Say Chhum, owns Rasmei Kampuchea, Cambodia's most popular newspaper. According to a 2015 study, media organisations with politically affiliated owners accounted for 41 percent of print readership and 63 percent of television viewership. Of those owners, eight out of 10 were close to the ruling party. Businesses won't give advertising to media seen as pro-opposition because it wont help them, said Huy Vannak. "The government doesnt need to sponsor you when your content is positive. Business will come to you," he said. Despite international awards for its reporting, the Cambodia Daily was not a big commercial success. By the end, it said it was barely breaking even and had no hope of paying a tax bill it disputed before the Sept. 4 deadline set by government. The paper appeared to get limited sympathy from Lim. "Its the right of the government to shut it down," he said. "As we reported, its a legal matter." (Editing by Nick Macfie) Beijing, Sept 8 (Reuters) - China will on Monday put on trial a Taiwanese activist, who disappeared while on a visit to the mainland in March, on suspicion of subverting state power, in what court authorities said would be an open trial. Lee Ming-che, a community college teacher and human rights advocate, went missing on his March visit but authorities later confirmed he had been detained, straining already-tense ties between the mainland and the self-ruling island. Lee's trial will begin first thing on Monday morning, at the Intermediate People's Court of Yueyang city, in the central province of Hunan, a woman who answered the telephone at the court told Reuters. Authorities have video-streamed or live-blogged increasing numbers of court proceedings in recent years as part of a push towards judicial transparency. But rights activists say that in sensitive cases, holding "open" hearings is a tool for authorities to demonstrate state power and that usually the defendant has agreed to an outcome. Photographs of a billboard announcement of the trial date and time, which circulated online on Friday, were genuine, the woman at the court confirmed. The announcement said Lee would stand trial alongside another man, Peng Yuhua, who is suspected of the same crime. It is not clear who Peng is or what his relationship to Lee is, if any. Lee Ching-yu, Lee's wife, who has been campaigning for his release, was contacted this week by a man who said he was her husband's lawyer and who told her to come to the mainland for the trial, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said on Thursday. The council said the Taiwan government would help her apply for travel documents and arrange lawyers to go with her. Lee's case has strained relations between Taipei and Beijing, which have been difficult for decades but particularly tense since President Tsai Ing-wen, leader of Taiwan's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, took office last year. Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province and it has never renounced the use of force to bring it back under mainland control. Proudly democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by Communist Party rulers in Beijing. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd in Beijing and Jess Macy Yu and Damon Lin in Taipei; Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel) MOGADISHU, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday it had carried out an air strike in Somalia against an al Qaeda-allied Islamist group and killed one militant, the second such strike this week in which a total of four fighters have died. The group, al Shabaab, is fighting to topple Somalia's Western-backed transitional federal government and impose its own rule on the Horn of Africa country. In a statement, the U.S. military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it carried out the air strike on Thursday at 2:45 PM local time (1145 GMT). "The operation occurred near Baraawe, Somalia, about 270 kilometres southwest of the capital, Mogadishu," the statement said. It did not say whether the killed fighter was a senior al Shabaab member or a low ranking militant. On Tuesday U.S. forces also carried out an air strike in Bay region, about 75 kilometres west of Mogadishu, killing three members of al Shabaab. Al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns since it was pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011. But it retains a strong presence in parts of the south and centre and carries out gun and bomb attacks. (Writing by Elias Biryabarema) MANILA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The Philippines has suspended trade relations with North Korea to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution over its repeated missile tests, Manila's foreign minister said on Friday. The United States and other Western countries have asked the United Nations to consider tough new sanctions on North Korea after its test last week that it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb. "We can say we have suspended trade relations with North Korea," Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters after a meeting with the U.S. ambassador on cooperation on an anti-drugs programme. "We will fully comply with UNSC resolution including the economic sanctions." Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of U.N. sanctions. It has tested a series of missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan, and conducted its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sunday. The Philippines is North Korea's fifth-largest trade partner, with bilateral trade from January to June this year worth $28.8 million, according to the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. On an annual basis, North Korea imported $28.8 million of products from the Philippines in 2016, an increase of 80 percent from the previous year, while Manila's imports from Pyongyang surged 170 percent to $16.1 million. According to the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the main exports to North Korea in 2015 were computers, integrated circuited boards, bananas and women's undergarments. "The U.N. Security Council is quite clear," Cayetano said. "Part of these are the economic sanctions and the Philippines will comply. We have been communicating with the DTI secretary and I think it was yesterday and the other day, we have gotten direction from the (presidential) palace to support the U.N. Security Council." Cayetano said the trade ban covered raw computer chips from the Philippines. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Martin Petty, Robert Birsel) ROME, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations is preparing to deploy up to 250 peacekeepers to Libya to guard its base in the capital as part of a plan to return its operations to the country, the head of the organisation's mission there said on Friday. Backed by Western governments, the U.N. is trying to heal a rift between Libya's two rival governments, to tackle growing militant violence and people smuggling from its northern coast. Envoy Ghassan Salame told Italian newspaper La Stampa that "a little under 250" peacekeepers "can be deployed in the coming weeks". The mission has been based in Tunis since 2014 but has gradually increased its presence on the ground in Libya and has been planning for months for a fuller return. The military unit would probably consist of around 150 people, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, told a news briefing in Geneva. Deploying the peacekeepers to the base in Tripoli "will mean that around the beginning of October we can carry out a significant part of our work in Libya," said Salame, who has headed the mission since June. The rival leaders have pledged to work towards elections in 2018 and a conditional ceasefire in a conflict which broke out after the 2011 ousting of strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Salame said there were many issues to address to ensure a vote brought lasting change, including writing constitutional and electoral laws. "We need to be sure everyone accepts the final result," he said. "Let's not forget that presidential elections would be the first ever." (Reporting by Isla Binnie; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) By Pavel Polityuk KIEV, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Ukraine might lose its second largest wheat export market, Egypt, due to new wheat import requirements that favour rival Russia, Ukraine's acting agriculture minister said on Friday. Ukraine exported around 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to Egypt in the 2016/17 season, or about 14 percent of the country's total wheat exports of 17.5 million tonnes, according to consultancy UkrAgroConsult. "I do not exclude that this (marketing) year we will have problems with exports to Egypt and they will take our wheat in smaller volumes," Maksym Martyniuk told Reuters. "We could generally tumble out of the Egyptian market because we have no such volumes and specifications that we could supply to Egypt," he said in an interview in Kiev. This spring, Egypt, the world's largest wheat buyer, imposed new requirements for imported wheat, raising the protein content to 12.5 percent from 11.5 percent for wheat bought from Ukraine and Russia. Martyniuk said the move could help Russian suppliers. "There is an opinion that this is being done to increase the supply of Russian grain. And if the buyer intends to buy Russian grain, then we are unlikely to be able to change anything," he added. Black Sea grain growers Ukraine and Russia are rivals on the global market. Martyniuk said Ukraine would have to boost its exports to Asian markets to compensate for any possible fall in trade with Egypt. "We need to increase supplies to the Asian market, which consumes large amounts of both milling and feed grain ... Asian countries can bake from grain with a lower protein content," he said. In the 2016/17 July-June season Ukraine exported around 6.6 million tonnes of wheat to Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh and Korea. Those markets account for around 38 percent of its wheat exports. HIGH HARVEST, BUMPER EXPORTS Martyniuk said Ukraine was likely to harvest 61-63 million tonnes of grain this year, including 26.6 million tonnes of wheat, 8.6 million tonnes of barley and about 26 million tonnes of maize. Last year Ukraine harvested a record 66 million tonnes of grain, including 26 million tonnes of wheat and 28 million tonnes of maize. Giving the figures for the first time, he said grain exports could total 44 to 45 million tonnes this 2017/2018 season, exceeding the previous season's record of 43.9 million tonnes. Martyniuk added that the volume could include 17 million tonnes of wheat. Analysts see this season's grain exports at 42 million tonnes. (Editing by Matthias Williams and Jason Neely) By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill on Thursday evening that includes $10 million to help fund the United Nations' climate change body that oversees the Paris Climate Agreement, despite President Donald Trump's decision to stop funding it. The 30-member Senate panel, which allocates federal funds to various government agencies and organizations, approved a $51 billion spending bill for the State Department and foreign operations, which included an amendment to continue funding the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as the scientific body the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The amendment passed even though the 2018 budget proposal that Trump, a Republican, introduced earlier this year eliminated support of any mechanism to finance climate change projects in developing countries and organizations. The United States is still a party to the 1992 UNFCCC, which oversees the Paris agreement, although Trump announced in June that he would withdraw the nation from the global climate pact and cease funding the Green Climate Fund, which supports clean energy and climate adaptation projects in vulnerable countries. The United States has usually contributed to around 20 percent of the UNFCCC budget. Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the amendment's author, said on Twitter on Thursday: "Despite @RealDonaldTrumps dangerous #ParisAgreement decision & unwillingness to act, we can & will fight back to combat #climatedisruption." The amendment passed 16-14. Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee voted in favor, as did all committee Democrats except for West Virginia's Joe Manchin. Although the United States announced it would no longer be a party to the Paris Climate Agreement, a pact that nearly 200 countries approved in 2015 to combat global warming, it has said it will continue to observe the ongoing negotiations. In a diplomatic cable that Reuters obtained last month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said U.S. diplomats should sidestep questions from foreign governments on how the United States plans re-engage in the global Paris climate agreement. The cable also said diplomats should make clear that the United States wants to help other countries use fossil fuels, which have been linked to global warming. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) By Ben Hirschler MADRID, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Scientists are stepping up the hunt for better diagnostic tests to predict if cancer patients will benefit from costly modern immunotherapy drugs, which are transforming cancer care but remain a hit-and-miss affair. Research presented at Europe's biggest oncology congress in Madrid adds to evidence that patients with an above average number of genetic mutations in their tumours have a better chance of responding to the new treatments, and drugmakers are racing to confirm the idea. Immuno-oncology (I-O) drugs such as Merck & Co's Keytruda and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo, which help the immune system attack tumours, can have dramatic effects and yet only around 20 to 30 percent of patients show a lasting improvement. Analysing the number of mutations within a tumour makes sense: the more there are, the more the patient's killer T-cells - whose action is enhanced by I-O medicines - will recognise the cancer as foreign to the body and therefore attack it. Such analysis to measure what is known as tumour mutation burden (TMB) should lead to better targeting of medicines that have a typical list price of near $150,000 a year. It could also mean subgroups of patients with tumours where immunotherapy is not normally considered, like breast cancer, might get them. Progress is being made in applying the idea in practice, with Roche - a global leader in diagnostics as well as the top maker of cancer drugs - demonstrating for the first time on Friday that a blood-based test for TMB can accurately measure mutations. The Swiss group, which developed the test with majority-owned Foundation Medicine, presented data linking high TMB to improved results for patients in two lung cancer trials at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress. Doctors welcomed the results but said more evidence was still needed. Roche is not alone in seeking to use TMB as a new measurable biological signature, or biomarker, with which to personalise I-O treatment. Bristol-Myers also has a deal with Foundation Medicine and the U.S. drugmaker's head of medical oncology development, Fouad Namouni, sees TMB testing emerging as a powerful new tool. "We are moving the needle pretty fast and I am sure in the next few years patients will be tested for TMB and will be treated on the basis of that," he said. "We are looking at TMB in every major study we are doing." BLUNT INSTRUMENT At present, the one established way of selecting patients for drugs like Keytruda, Opdivo and Roche's Tecentriq is to test for a protein called PDL-1 in their tumours. But that involves scientists looking at cells through a microscope and making a qualitative assessment based on their judgment. Clinical trials suggest it is a relatively blunt instrument for predicting a patient's response to a given treatment. A quantitative blood test is a quicker and simpler option, doing away with the need to take a tissue biopsy, which until now has been the only reliable way to measure TMB levels. Thomas Buechele, Roche's head of global medical affairs in haematology and oncology, believes this may eventually lead to patients with a high level of mutations needing only one I-O drug while those with lower levels get a combination therapy. Oncologists in Madrid said prospective clinical trials still needed to prove the tests could accurately predict responses, rather than just correlating to outcomes after the event. "It's early days but this is clearly one way to go to address the shortcomings of PD-L1 testing," said Stefan Zimmermann, senior oncologist at Switzerland's HFR Fribourg-Cantonal Hospital. While a blood-based test would be a boon for convenience and affordability, the genetic detail it provides is inevitably less than with the more costly and time-consuming process of taking a tissue sample and sequencing tumour DNA. "It's clear it is a biomarker - the only question is how good a biomarker is it?" said Jeffrey Weber, professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine. Nonetheless, the more researchers learn about the complexities of cancer immunotherapy, the more it becomes apparent that treatment needs to be customised according to the different profiles of individual patients. One sign of that came last May when Keytruda became the first cancer treatment ever to win U.S. approval based on whether a patient's tumour carried a specific genetic glitch, irrespective of its location. Solange Peters of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne said an important issue would be establishing that TMB testing didn't miss patients who might benefit. "What we don't want is to have a test with a very low negative predictive value and thereby prevent patients getting immunotherapy because the biomarker wasn't good enough." (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by David Stamp) BRASILIA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Brazilian police on Friday said they arrested former minister Geddel Vieira Lima on new charges after a corruption probe found his fingerprints in bags hiding more than 51 million reais ($16.52 million) in cash. Vieira Lima was in charge of President Michel Temer's relations with Congress until November. He had been under house arrest since July, accused of obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to deter entrepreneur Lucio Funaro, who worked for politicians close to Temer, from striking a plea bargain deal with prosecutors. Judge Vallisney de Souza Oliveira said in a ruling authorizing the arrest that it was necessary to stop Lima from committing other crimes. Police took hours to calculate the exact amount of money found in boxes and bags earlier this week at an apartment in Salvador, in the nation's biggest-ever cash seizure. When Lima resigned from his cabinet post in November, he was the fifth minister to leave the administration over graft allegations. Temer himself was later charged by the country's top prosecutor of corruption, an accusation he managed to defeat through a lower house vote in August. Lima's lawyer, Gamil Foppel, said his client had no access to the court documents about the evidence found by police, in clear violation of the law. ($1 = 3.0875 reais) (Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Silvio Cascione; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA, Sept 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Pope Francis, visiting a war-torn region of Colombia, on Friday said women are weighed down by patriarchal and chauvinistic customs and violence against women is widespread. The Argentine pontiff, saying mass in the central plains city of Villavicencio, told his listeners that the Bible celebrates women who were strong and influential. The pope has received a warm welcome in Colombia, a majority Roman Catholic nation that is known for its macho culture and high levels of gender violence. "In communities where we are still weighed down with patriarchal and chauvinistic customs, it is good to note that the Gospel begins by highlighting women who were influential and made history," the pope said in a homily that was repeatedly interrupted by applause. Francis urged reconciliation and forgiveness in Colombia, which is emerging from a five decade-war that killed 200,000 people. The 2016 peace accord between the government and rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was hailed by the United Nations as putting an unprecedented focus on women's rights by recognizing how they suffered in the conflict. About 20,000 Colombians, most of them women and girls, were victims of rape and sexual violence, a weapon used by all sides in Colombia's war, government data shows. Women disproportionately have borne the brunt of displacement, with seven million Colombians forced from their homes. The pope talked about Joseph, the biblical father of Jesus Christ, in a mass attended by about 400,000 people. "And today, in this world where psychological, verbal and physical violence towards women is so evident, Joseph is presented as a figure of the respectful and sensitive man." One woman is killed every four days in Colombia, often at the hands of a former or current partner. In 2015, nearly 41,000 women reported suffering abuse at the hands of their partners, with 80 percent of attacks occurring inside the home, according to Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. Reproductive women's rights groups say the Roman Catholic Church's stance opposing abortion and not allowing female priests undermines women's rights and control over their bodies. Last year, Pope Francis indefinitely extended to all priests the ability to grant absolution for abortions, seen as a historic move for the church, which has been decidedly against the practice. (Reporting by Anastasia Moloney @anastasiabogota, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org) Tyeab Akbarally Chairman, Amana Takaful PLC, lighting the traditional oil lamp Amana Takaful Life which has continually grown and expanded to make a significant mark in the insurance industry in Sri Lankahosted their awards ceremony for the year 2017 on a high note, at the Galadari Hotel Ballroom recently. The chairman of Amana Takaful PLC,Tyeab Akbarallygraced the occasion as the Chief Guest, alongsidethe renowned, veteranManagement Consultant, Author, Trainer, and Speaker, Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, who graced the occasion as the key note speaker for the night. Annual Awards Night is one of the most awaitedevents in Amana Takaful Lifescorporate calendar as this splendid event celebrates their top achievers and performers for their efforts and commitment in steering the company to new heights. The awards night, aptly themed, Widening Horizons perfectly framed the organizations goals and aspirations for the future. Amana Takafulshows stability and growth as their net profit amounted to Rs.93 million at the half year ending in June 2017. Commenting on this performance, Tyeab Akbarally Chairman, AmanaTakaful PLC, said Stakeholders will be happy to note that in the last 12 months, amidst the challenges in Group Restructure, listing of the Life company and the successful accomplishment of the Rights Issue, which was necessitated in fulfilling the regulatory requirements, the position of the Group has been strengthened for stability and growth. Asif Hameed, Head of National Distribution, ATL Life addressing the gathering Furthermore, he extended his gratitude and sincere thanks to his staff members for their untiring efforts and allegiance towards the company. Congratulating the winners for the night he noted, I would like to congratulate everyone on the shortlist, and especially our winners. You show true innovation and leadership in driving Responsible Business and our staff remains the driving force behind our success story. Gehan Rajapakse - CEO AmanaLife, sharing his thoughts at the occasion stated, It indeed is a special day for all at AmanaLife, as we celebrate and take pride in our achievements for the year 2016. As a team driven by dedication and commitment, you all have worked towards keeping the momentum alive. Thank you and Congratulations. The Annual Awards Night recognizes the efforts of both sales and operations staff honoring their commitment in steering the company to enduring success. Employee motivation and recognition remains a key feature of this annual event encouraging the AmanaTeam members to achieve their maximum potential in a thriving corporate environment. Commitment and dedication towards achieving companys vision was recognized and acknowledged throughout the Awards Night, and the most prestigious award Champion of Champions was awarded to Mr. A.C.M Ramzan of the Metro Branch. Gehan Rajapakse - CEO Amana Life addressing the gathering AmanaTakaful PLC continues to show stability and rapid progress over the years. In comparison to 2016 GWP growth at AmanaTakaful PLC has doubled to 10%, therefore consequently ATPLC records a profit of Rs.30 million in comparison to a loss of Rs.98 million in 2016 which includes an intercompany dividend of 7 million. The companys strategies to boost productivity and to implement tactical insurance solutions have had a greater effect in the significant growth of profit recorded over the years.Amana Takaful Maldives PLC too continues to sustain their GWP at Rs.670 million with a profit outturn of Rs.44 million. Amana Takaful has made its mark in the Insurance industry in Sri Lanka since 1999 and continues to expand and grow while providing total Takaful solutions for their growing clientele. Their innovative services and products make them the forerunners in the Sri Lankan Insurance Industry, carving a niche for them as the leader of Takaful way. Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, Management Consultant, Author, Trainer, and Speaker A.C.M. Ramzan with the Champion of Champions Trophy A.C.M. Ramzan with the Champion of Champions Trophy with the colleague Fazal Gaffoor CEO, Amana Takaful presenting the claim money Amana Takaful with a rich history of over 18 years in the Sri Lankan insurance industryhas been the pioneer of the Takaful way and has been instrumental in introducing many one of a kind insurance solutions to their loyal and trusted clientele island wide. Catering to customers from all walks of life has been the winning formula behind its success story. Once again Amana Takaful came forward and compensated a fishing vessel that met with unfortunate sinking incident off the port of Hambanthota. Being a policy holder ofAmana Takafuls Ocean Insurance Scheme, R.M.Mihiraj, the owner of the fishing vessel, was eligible to receive a claim of 2 million rupees as accident claim for his boat. Expressing his thoughts on the claim, R.M.Mihiraj stated, My friends and colleagues expressed doubts as to whether I would be able to claim my insurance money at all. Amana Takaful Insurance proved all of them wrong and stood with me. Amana officials supported me from the time of the accident till the claim money was released. They were of great source of strength to me. Not only that, they were also very efficient in releasing the claim money and I am truly grateful to Amana Takaful. Fazal Gaffoor CEO, Amana Takaful addressing the gathering The claim entitlement was handed over toR.M.Mihiraj by Fazaal Gaffoor CEO, Amana Takaful PLC. The ceremony was attended by representatives and staff including Janaka Wijeyakumara Provincial Manager, South and Sabaragamuwa, Shammi Nissanka Senior Executive Sales and Promotions, Tharanga Suren Manager,Hambanthota Branch. As Sri Lanka-Bangladesh trade continued its steady climb, a top Bangladeshi Minister has recently issued a high-level call for a speedier Free Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka, to conclude as early as next year. And the yet another SL-Bdesh Working Group on Trade is also to take place in Colombo soon. Our present bilateral trade has been on the increase but the volumes are not so great, stressed Commerce Minister of Bangladesh Tofail Ahmed in Colombo recently, addressing Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka Rishad Bathiudeen. High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Sri Lanka Riaz Hamidullah joined the high-level discussion with Minister Bathiudeen. In the five year period of 2012-16, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka surged by a strong 43 percent to US$142 million (2016). Even YoY trade increased during this period every year; in 2016 alone an 11 percent surge (from 2015s US$131 million). It is time that we focus on much broader trade levels than at present. We can do much better. I propose we speed up the proposed FTA between both countries. It is great if we can conclude the FTA by end of next year and I propose so. Meanwhile we can conclude the next Joint Working Group before that, in view of the FTA. It is time to broaden the trade baskets as well. For instance, Sri Lanka can buy more Bdeshi pharma products at lower costs. The first meeting of the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on trade was held in Dhaka in February 2014 and both sides agreed on feasibility studies for a framework arrangement to boost bilateral trade. The approval of the Sri Lankan Cabinet was granted in May 2014 and the feasibility study (Sri Lanka Segment) was completed subsequently. According to the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka under Minister Bathiudeen, during the second JWG Meeting in Colombo in September 2014, both sides agreed that after finalization of the studies and consultation with the stakeholders, negotiations for a potential PTA/FTA or any other institutional mechanism may be initiated. I too agree that being in the South Asian region, our present trade levels do not reflect maximum outcomes responded Minister Bathiudeen and added: We are working for the third Joint Working Group session between both countries to be held in Colombo any-time before the end of this year. The prospects of FTA is being studied by my officials -and our President Maithripala Sirisenas Dhaka visit this July has provided further impetus for strengthening trade cooperation between both countries. Therefore better times are ahead for our bilateral trade. Once the SL-Bdesh FTA shall be wrapped up, Sri Lanka will emerge as the sole South Asian nation to have clinched FTAs with the three big league economies of South Asia thereby entering a dominant 1.7 billion strong market for Sri Lankan exports; Sri Lankas other two well-known FTAs being SL-India and SL-Pakistan. AFP: Chinas fifth-largest state-owned bank has had its credit rating downgraded to junk status by Moodys, the latest sign of fragility in the countrys financial system. The decision to downgrade Bank of Communications was based on the lenders lack of customer deposits and over-reliance on expensive and volatile alternative sources of funding, Moodys said this week. It follows a Chinese government crackdown on banks using excessive leveraging, including unregulated shadow banking. Moodys review on BoCom was triggered by the banks increasing reliance on wholesale funds in recent years and declining profitability, said the credit ratings agency in a statement Thursday. The downgrade was driven by BoComs weaker funding profile when compared to other state-owned Chinese banks, particularly weaker deposit holdings, it said. BoComs baseline credit assessment was moved from baa3 to ba1 -- crossing the junk status threshold. Chinese officials fear domestic banks growing dependence on less stable funding sources such as the sale of financial products and interbank lending, rather than traditional deposits, could imperil economic growth and stability in the worlds second-largest economy. In March, the newly appointed head of Chinas banking watchdog pledged to end regulatory chaos in the countrys banking system and cracked down on these instruments, limiting the availability and increasing the cost of financing sources on which BoCom depends. The increase in funding costs was expected to put pressure on BoComs profits, Moodys said. Much of Chinas growth over the past decade has been underpinned by debt-fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate, but has slowed in recent years. BoCom is 41.26 percent owned by the Chinese central government. It is the countrys fifth-largest lender by assets, although its holdings are considerably smaller than those of nations famous Big Four, which hold proportionately more deposits. AFP: Sophisticated international trafficking of ivory in Central Africa is being fuelled by high levels of corruption, according to a report published Thursday. The study by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic said weak governance, corruption and shifting trade dynamics are seriously undermining efforts to control ivory trafficking throughout Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. It found that ivory trade in the region is shifting from an open domestic retail market to underground transactions, with a focus on the export of raw ivory to foreign markets, especially China. The reports findings show that open ivory markets in the region are disappearing, largely due to increased enforcement and competition with underground criminal networks, Traffic said. In its place, high-level corruption and poor governance are helping enable sophisticated international trade. Current legislation in the five central African countries prohibits domestic ivory trade, with the exception of Cameroon. However, according to the report there is a loose and ambiguous interpretation of the law in all countries and enforcement efforts are hampered by corruption often involving high-level government officials. It also blamed insufficient human and financial resources, mismanagement and weak political will. The report said a common theme heard throughout the region were allegations concerning Chinese citizens operating within organised criminal networks as key actors in the ivory trade. In 2014/2015, 80 percent of foreign buyers were ethnic Asians, especially Chinese but also Malaysians and Vietnamese. It is estimated that about 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks, leading to a steep decline in numbers. The international trade in ivory was outlawed in 1989. Traffic said the report, supported by conservation organisation the WWF, is the first comprehensive assessment of ivory trade in the region in nearly two decades. Investigators posed as buyers at ivory markets and workshops throughout the Congo Basin in 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015. Paulinus Ngeh, director of Traffic in Central Africa, said regional governments must ramp up efforts to implement their commitments to stop elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade. We are all too familiar with the red brown wax produced in our ears. Many of us attempt to clean it off using cotton buds and other objects. But what you are really doing is pushing the wax further in. Many people are unaware of how you have to deal with ear wax which is why the Health Capsule approached Dr. Chandra Jayasuriya, Consultant ENT Surgeon, National Hospital, Colombo. Dr. Jayasuriya gave us a comprehensive explanation on wax impaction and how ear wax should be treated. Production The ear canal comprises of cartilage and bones, covered by skin. Ear wax is produced within the cartilage function of ear canals.Wax is there for a purpose, it is a protective action. Wax is only produced in the outer part of the ear canal, not the deeper part of it. So the ear is like a tunnel actually and the dead cells in the skin should come out from the deeper part of the ear canal to the outside of the ear, Dr. Jayasuriya explained. Epithelial Migration Speaking of how the wax exits the ear she said, The ear wax usually comes out with the exfoliated skin epithelial cells. This skin epithelial is a special because there is maturity. It matures from downwards to upwards so the deep cells are young and the topmost cells are very matured when they come out. It is said that when we wash our body we wash the dead skin cells off, but in the ear canal it isnt possible because it is like a tunnel. So there is a special mechanism for these dead cells to come out. They migrate from the deep part of the ear canal towards the outside or from the centre of the ear drum to the origin of the ear canal. This is called epithelial migration,she explained. Furthermore she said, Some people are born without this mechanism. When they are born without this mechanism there is wax impaction, which means that wax gets collected inside the ear. Regarding such people, doctors have to take the wax out. There is nothing else that can be done,Dr. Jayasuriya said. Wax impaction Speaking of wax impaction Dr. Jayasuriya said, The ear canal has both bone, in the deeper part of the ear, and cartilage on the outside of the ear. When the cartilage produces wax it mixes with the dead epithelial cells and naturally comes out. We have to then eventually wash it off. For people who arent born with this mechanism, the wax can build up within the ear and cause erosion and damage to the bone of the ear canal. In such cases patients will have to go to an ENT surgeon to get the wax extracted. Some extreme extractions are even done under anaesthesia. Some patients, due to the continuous use of cotton buds, too suffer from wax impaction. In elderly people wax can build up due to the use of hearing aids and even the use of earphones can cause wax build up, she added. Wax extraction She further explained how ear wax is extracted. When extracting wax we either use the suction method, where you suck the wax out of the ear. Or we can use the syringe method, where water is used to remove it. Sometimes a microscope is used and the wax is removed under magnification,she said. Washing and cleaning up are done by an expert. It has to be done by an experienced doctor; either by an ENT surgeon or an experienced general practice surgeon who has been trained. After washing the ear you have to wipe dry the excess water. Otherwise fungus can build up in this moist environment. People who are born without epithelial migration have to make an appointment with an ENT surgeon every 6 months in order to remove impacted ear wax. Simple wax isnt a problem and it will automatically come out. We dont have to make a special effort to remove it because if there is migration it can anyway come out without our interference. People who interfere with the process will get wax impaction. And due to the use of cotton buds they push the wax deeper inside, Dr. Jayasuriya emphasized. Symptoms Speaking about the signs and symptoms of wax impaction Dr. Jayasuriya said,You wont be able to hear on that side. The destruction there can cause severe pain, bleeding, a bad smell and deafness. But with simple wax impaction there will only be deafness. Regarding small children, if they have large balls of wax, they might fare poorly at school. Such students might also misbehave because they wont hear what their teachers are saying,she said. Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico with 185mph winds after reducing the tiny tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin to rubble and claiming at least ten lives. The category 5 storm - the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic - left a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean when it struck on Wednesday on a potential collision course with south Florida. Barbuda and St Martin suffered the storms full fury with roughly 95 per cent of properties destroyed on both islands. Officials said at least eight people died on the French part of St Martin - a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife. Its an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed, top local official Daniel Gibbs said. Im in shock. Its frighteningThe island, which is divided between the Netherlands and France, was left without drinking water or electricity and the death toll is expected to rise. Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, also suffered absolute devastation and is barely habitable with more than 90 per cent of dwellings completely destroyed, a child killed and 60 per cent of the population left homeless. Meanwhile, residents on the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla said the island was utterly devastated and looked as though it had suffered nuclear bomb devastation.This morning, the United Nations said up to 49 million people are in the hurricanes path as aid agencies prepare for a major humanitarian response. (Daily Mail), 7 September 2017 - DAMASCUS AFP Sept7, 2017 - Syrias army accused Israeli warplanes of hitting one of its positions Thursday, killing two people in an attack that a monitor said targeted a site where the regime allegedly produces chemical weapons. The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, is reportedly used by forces from Syrias allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Israel has previously carried out strikes believed to be targeting the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, which fought a deadly war with the Jewish state in 2006. Thursdays strike hit a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), an institution that Washington and former Israeli officials accuse of helping develop the sarin gas used in a deadly attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April. United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit. WESTERN WATERSHEDS PROJECT; NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION; NATURAL RESOURCE DEFENSE COUNCIL, Plaintiffs - Appellants, PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS INC; CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY, Plaintiffs, v. PETER K. MICHAEL, in his official capacity as Attorney General of Wyoming; TODD PARFITT, in his official capacity as Director of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality; PATRICK JON LEBRUN, Esq., in his official capacity as County Attorney of Fremont County, Wyoming; JOSHUA SMITH, in his official capacity as County Attorney of Lincoln County, Wyoming; CLAY KAINER, in his official capacity as County and Prosecuting Attorney of Sublette County, Wyoming, Defendants - Appellees, CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS; FIRST AMENDMENT LEGAL SCHOLARS, Amici Curiae. No. 16-8083 Decided: September 07, 2017 Before LUCERO, McKAY, and HARTZ, Circuit Judges. David S. Muraskin, Public Justice, P.C., Washington, D.C. (Leslie A. Brueckner, Public Justice, P.C., Oakland, California, Justin Marceau, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado, Deepak Gupta, Gupta Wessler, PLLC, Washington, D.C., Michael E. Wall, San Francisco, California, Margaret Hsieh, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York, and Reed Zars, Laramie, Wyoming, with him on the briefs), for Plaintiffs-Appellants. Erik E. Petersen (James Kaste, with him on the brief), Office of the Attorney General for the State of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyoming, for Peter K. Michael and Todd Parfitt, Defendants-Appellees. Matt Gaffney, Chief Deputy Sublette County and Prosecuting Attorney, Pinedale, Wyoming, filed a brief for Clay Kainer, Defendant-Appellee. Richard Rideout, Law Office of Richard Rideout, PC, Cheyenne, Wyoming, filed a brief for Joshua Smith and Patrick Jon LeBrun, Defendants-Appellees. Carrie Ann Scrufari, Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Vermont Law School, South Royalton, Vermont, filed an Amicus Curiae brief for Center for Agriculture and Food Systems. Alan K. Chen, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado, and Edward T. Ramey, Tierney Lawrence, LLC, Denver, Colorado, filed an Amicus Curiae brief for First Amendment Legal Scholars. In addition to its generally applicable law of trespass, the State of Wyoming has enacted a pair of statutes imposing civil and criminal liability upon any person who [c]rosses private land to access adjacent or proximate land where he collects resource data. Wyo. Stat. 6-3-414(c); 40-27-101(c). In light of the broad definitions provided in the statutes, the phrase collects resource data includes numerous activities on public lands, such as writing notes on habitat conditions, photographing wildlife, or taking water samples, so long as an individual also records the location from which the data was collected. See 6-3-414(e)(i), (iv); 40-27-101(h)(i), (iii). We conclude that the statutes regulate protected speech under the First Amendment and that they are not shielded from constitutional scrutiny merely because they touch upon access to private property. Although trespassing does not enjoy First Amendment protection, the statutes at issue target the creation of speech by imposing heightened penalties on those who collect resource data. See Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc., 564 U.S. 552, 570 (2011). Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. 1291, we reverse and remand. I Wyoming has long prohibited trespass as a matter of both criminal and civil law. See Wyo. Stat. 6-3-303 (criminal trespass); Edgcomb v. Lower Valley Power & Light, Inc., 922 P.2d 850, 859 (Wyo. 1996) (civil trespass). Criminal trespass occurs when an individual enters or remains on the property of another with knowledge or subsequent notification that he is not authorized to do so. 6-3-303(a). One convicted of criminal trespass is subject to not more than six months' imprisonment and a $750 fine. 6-3-303(b). For civil trespass, Wyoming generally follows the Restatement (Second) of Torts. See, e.g., Goforth v. Fifield, 352 P.3d 242, 249 (Wyo. 2015); Edgcomb, 922 P.2d at 859; Thunder Hawk ex rel. Jensen v. Union Pac. R. Co., 844 P.2d 1045, 1049 (Wyo. 1992). In 2015, Wyoming enacted a pair of statutes that prohibited individuals from entering open land for the purpose of collecting resource data without permission from the owner. Wyo. Stat. 6-3-414 (2015); 40-27-101 (2015). The statutes were largely identical, with one imposing criminal punishment, 6-3-414(c) (2015), and the other imposing civil liability, 40-27-101(c) (2015). Resource data was defined as data relating to land or land use, including that related to air, water, soil, conservation, habitat, vegetation or animal species. 6-3-414(d)(iv) (2015). And the term collect was defined as requiring two elements: (1) taking a sample of material or a photograph, or otherwise preserv[ing] information in any form that is (2) submitted or intended to be submitted to any agency of the state or federal government. 6-3-414(d)(i) (2015). Information obtained in violation of these provisions could not be used in any proceeding other than an action under the statutes themselves. 6-3-414(e) (2015); 40-27-101(d) (2015). The statutes also required government agencies to expunge data collected in violation of their provisions and forbade the agencies from considering such data in determining any agency action. 6-3-414(f) (2015); 40-27-101(f) (2015). The 2015 criminal statute imposed heightened penalties above and beyond Wyoming's general trespass provision. It provided a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a $1,000 fine for first time offenders. 6-3-414(c)(i) (2015). Repeat offenders faced a mandatory minimum ten days' imprisonment, a maximum of one year, and a $5,000 fine. 6-3-414(c)(ii) (2015). The 2015 civil statute imposed liability for proximate damages and litigation costs, including attorneys' fees. 40-27-101(c) (2015). Plaintiffs, who are advocacy organizations, filed suit to challenge the 2015 statutes. They argued that the statutes violated the Free Speech and Petition Clauses of the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and were preempted by federal law. Defendants moved to dismiss. Granting the motion in part and denying it in part, the district court held that plaintiffs had stated plausible free speech, petition, and equal protection claims, but failed to state a preemption claim. After the district court's decision, Wyoming amended the two statutes. Wyo. Stat. 6-3-414 (2016); 40-27-101 (2016). The revised statutes continue to impose heightened criminal punishment, 6-3-414, and civil liability, 40-27-101. But the amendments eliminate reference to open lands and instead penalize any individual who without authorization: (1) enters private land for the purpose of collecting resource data; (2) enters private land and collects resource data; or (3) crosses private land to access adjacent or proximate land where he collects resource data. 6-3-414(a)-(c); 40-27-101(a)-(c). Under the current version of the statutes, there is no requirement that resource data be submitted to, or intended to be submitted, to a government agency. Instead, the term collect now means: (1) to take a sample of material or acquire, gather, photograph or otherwise preserve information in any form; and (2) recording a legal description or geographical coordinates of the location of the collection. 6-3-414(e)(i); 40-27-101(h)(i). Plaintiffs amended their complaint to challenge the 2016 statutes, re-alleging free speech and equal protection claims. Defendants again moved to dismiss. This time, the district court granted the motion in full. It concluded that the revised version of the statutes did not implicate protected speech. Plaintiffs timely appealed. II We review de novo the district court's grant of a motion to dismiss under Fed. R. of Civ. P. 12(b)(6). Leverington v. City of Colo. Springs, 643 F.3d 719, 723 (10th Cir. 2011). In doing so, we assume the truth of all well-pleaded facts in the complaint, and draw all reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs. Id. (quotation omitted). On appeal, plaintiffs challenge only the district court's ruling regarding subsections (c) of the statutes under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. Those provisions state: (c) A person [is guilty of trespassing/commits a civil trespass] to access adjacent or proximate land if he: (i) Crosses private land to access adjacent or proximate land where he collects resource data; and (ii) Does not have: (A) An ownership interest in the real property or, statutory, contractual or other legal authorization to cross the private land; or (B) Written or verbal permission of the owner, lessee or agent of the owner to cross the private land. 6-3-414(c); 40-27-101(c). A In granting defendants' motion to dismiss, the district court concluded that the statutes do not regulate protected First Amendment activity. See Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Def. & Educ. Fund, Inc., 473 U.S. 788, 797 (1985) (if the regulated activity is not speech protected by the First Amendment, a court need go no further). It relied on Supreme Court precedent holding that individuals generally do not have a First Amendment right to engage in speech on the private property of others. See Hudgens v. NLRB, 424 U.S. 507, 520-21 (1976) (holding picketers did not have a First Amendment right to enter [a privately owned] shopping center for the purpose of advertising their strike); Lloyd Corp., Ltd. v. Tanner, 407 U.S. 551, 568 (1972) (noting the Court has never held that a trespasser or an uninvited guest may exercise general rights of free speech on property privately owned and used nondiscriminatorily for private purposes only). Although subsections (a) and (b) of the statutes govern actions on private property, the district court was mistaken in focusing on these cases with respect to subsections (c). Under a plain text reading, those subsections regulate activity on public property. Provided that such land is adjacent or proximate to private property, subsections (c) apply to the collection of resource data on public land. 6-3-414(c); 40-27-101(c). This reading is supported by the fact that subsections (b) already penalize unauthorized individuals who collect resource data on private land. 6-3-414(b); 40-27-101(b); see Rodriguez v. Casey, 50 P.3d 323, 327 (Wyo. 2002) (Each word of a statute is to be afforded meaning, with none rendered superfluous.). In challenging subsections (c), plaintiffs do not assert a right to engage in activity on private land, as was the case in Hudgens and Lloyd Corp. Instead, they claim that subsections (c) prohibit them from engaging in protected speech that would be otherwise permissible on public property. Defendants counter that the statutes regulate conduct on public land only if an individual first trespasses on private land. They characterize plaintiffs' argument as asserting a right to trespass. That framing misstates the issue. In considering a statute, we must view it in context and in light of related statutes. See United States v. Ko, 739 F.3d 558, 560 (10th Cir. 2014). Wyoming already prohibits trespass in general, albeit with lesser penalties than provided for in the statutes at issue. See 6-3-303. Thus, the effect of the challenged provisions is to increase a pre-existing penalty for trespassing if an individual subsequently collects resource data from public land. Plaintiffs challenge this differential treatment. To determine if such provisions are subject to scrutiny under the First Amendment, the question is not whether trespassing is protected conduct, but whether the act of collecting resource data on public lands qualifies as protected speech. See Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co. v. Minn. Com'r of Revenue, 460 U.S. 575, 592 (1983) (We have long recognized that even regulations aimed at proper governmental concerns can restrict unduly the exercise of rights protected by the First Amendment.). The fact that one aspect of the challenged statutes concerns private property does not defeat the need for First Amendment scrutiny. In Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton, 536 U.S. 150 (2002), the Supreme Court applied the First Amendment to a law regulating both access to private property and speech. The ordinance at issue there prohibit[ed] canvassers from going on private property for the purpose of explaining or promoting any cause, unless they receive[d] a permit and the residents visited [had] not opted for a no solicitation sign. Id. at 165 (quotations omitted). Invalidating the ordinance, the Court explained that although the village identified several important interests at stake, the notion that a citizen must first inform the government of her desire to speak to her neighbors and then obtain a permit to do so was a dramatic departure from our national heritage and constitutional tradition. Id. at 166. We thus consider whether the collection of resource data on public lands is entitled to First Amendment protection. B Wyoming has adopted expansive definitions of resource data and collect. The former covers any data relating to land or land use, including information about air, water, soil, conservation, habitat, vegetation or animal species. 6-3-414(e)(iv); 40-27-101(h)(iii). The latter applies when individuals take a sample of material or acquire, gather, photograph or otherwise preserve information in any form if those individuals also record the legal description or geographical coordinates of the location of the collection. 6-3-414(e)(i); 40-27-101(h)(i). Accordingly, prohibited acts include the following activities on public land, so long as an individual also records where such data was gathered: collecting water samples, taking handwritten notes about habitat conditions, making an audio recording of one's observation of vegetation, or photographing animals. Plaintiffs allege that such activities are indispensable to their participation in the formation of public policy. For example, the Western Watersheds Project reports information on water quality, including GPS location data, to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Under the Clean Water Act, state agencies must actively solicit [ ] field data from the public that can be used to evaluate pollutants in waterways. 40 C.F.R. 130.7(a), (b)(5)(iii). Similarly, the Natural Resources Defense Council has submitted geo-tagged photographs to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in support of a listing petition under the Endangered Species Act. Such petitions must present substantial scientific evidence showing that a species is endangered or threatened, which typically includes a record of where the species has been observed. See 16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3)(A). Other environmental statutes and regulations likewise require public input in crafting policy. See, e.g., 40 C.F.R. 1500.1(b) (under the National Environmental Policy Act, federal agencies must consider [a]ccurate scientific analysis in making environmental decisions, subject to public scrutiny); 43 U.S.C. 1712(a), (f) (Federal Land Policy and Management Act requires land use plans be developed with public involvement). We conclude that plaintiffs' collection of resource data constitutes the protected creation of speech. The Supreme Court has explained that the creation and dissemination of information are speech within the meaning of the First Amendment. Sorrell, 564 U.S. at 570. Facts, after all, are the beginning point for much of the speech that is most essential to advance human knowledge and to conduct human affairs. Id. If the creation of speech did not warrant protection under the First Amendment, the government could bypass the Constitution by simply proceed[ing] upstream and dam[ming] the source of speech. Buehrle v. City of Key W., 813 F.3d 973, 977 (11th Cir. 2015). Recognizing this danger, the Supreme Court has repeatedly extended the First Amendment to the creation of speech. See Brown v. Entm't Merchants Ass'n, 564 U.S. 786, 793 n.1 (2011) (Whether government regulation applies to creating, distributing, or consuming speech makes no difference.); Citizens United v. Fed. Election Comm'n, 558 U.S. 310, 336 (2010) (Laws enacted to control or suppress speech may operate at different points in the speech process.); Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of N.Y. State Crime Victims Bd., 502 U.S. 105, 118 (1991) (laws that establish a disincentive to create or publish works subject to First Amendment scrutiny); see also Anderson v. City of Hermosa Beach, 621 F.3d 1051, 1061 (9th Cir. 2010) (noting the Supreme Court has never drawn a distinction between the process of creating a form of pure speech (such as writing or painting) and the product of these processes (the essay or the artwork) in terms of the First Amendment protection afforded (emphasis omitted)). Applying this principle, several of our sibling circuits have held that the First Amendment protects the recording of officials' conduct in public. See Fields v. City of Phila., ___ F.3d ___, 2017 WL 2884391, at *3 (3d Cir. July 7, 2017) (The First Amendment protects actual photos, videos, and recordings, and for this protection to have meaning the Amendment must also protect the act of creating that material. (citation omitted)); Turner v. Lieutenant Driver, 848 F.3d 678, 689 (5th Cir. 2017) ([T]he First Amendment protects the act of making film, as there is no fixed First Amendment line between the act of creating speech and the speech itself. (quotation omitted)); Am. Civil Liberties Union of Ill. v. Alvarez, 679 F.3d 583, 595 (7th Cir. 2012) (The right to publish or broadcast an audio or audiovisual recording would be insecure, or largely ineffective, if the antecedent act of making the recording is wholly unprotected ); Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78, 82 (1st Cir. 2011) (Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting the free discussion of governmental affairs. (quotation omitted)); Smith v. City of Cumming, 212 F.3d 1332, 1333 (11th Cir. 2000) (The First Amendment protects the right to gather information about what public officials do on public property, and specifically, a right to record matters of public interest.); Fordyce v. City of Seattle, 55 F.3d 436, 439 (9th Cir. 1995) (noting plaintiff's First Amendment right to film matters of public interest). Many of the activities covered by the challenged statutes fit comfortably in the speech-creation category recognized in these cases. An individual who photographs animals or takes notes about habitat conditions is creating speech in the same manner as an individual who records a police encounter. See Alvarez, 679 F.3d at 595-96 ([B]anning photography or note-taking at a public event would raise serious First Amendment concerns; a law of that sort would obviously affect the right to publish the resulting photograph or disseminate a report derived from the notes.). The statutes' application to taking a sample of material, 6-3-414(e)(i); 40-27-101(h)(i), runs somewhat further afield of pure speech. But even as to samples, the statutes contain a speech-creation element. They apply only when coupled with the recording of a legal description or geographical coordinates of the location of the collection, 6-3-414(e)(i), 40-27-101(h)(i), which is information plaintiffs need to engage in environmental advocacy. Such a restriction operate[s] at the front end of the speech process and falls within the ambit of the First Amendment. Am. Civil Liberties Union of Ill., 679 F.3d at 596. Moreover, plaintiffs use the speech-creating activities at issue to further public debate. There is practically universal agreement that a major purpose of the First Amendment was to protect the free discussion of governmental affairs Ariz. Free Enter. Club's Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett, 564 U.S. 721, 755 (2011) (quotations and alteration omitted); see also Glik, 655 F.3d at 82 (Freedom of expression has particular significance with respect to government because it is here that the state has a special incentive to repress opposition and often wields a more effective power of suppression. (quotation and alterations omitted)). We agree with the Seventh Circuit that the First Amendment provides at least some degree of protection for gathering news and information, particularly news and information about the affairs of government. Am. Civil Liberties Union of Ill., 679 F.3d at 597. This is not to say that all regulations incidentally restricting access to information trigger First Amendment analysis. In Zemel v. Rusk, 381 U.S. 1 (1965), the Court explained that the right to speak and publish does not carry with it the unrestrained right to gather information. Id. at 17. That case concerned a ban on travel to Cuba, which plaintiff argued inhibited the free flow of information to citizens who might acquaint themselves at first hand with the effects abroad of our Government's policies. Id. at 16. The Court held that the restriction did not implicate the First Amendment because [t]here are few restrictions on action which could not be clothed by ingenious argument in the garb of decreased data flow. Id. at 16-17; see also Pell v. Procunier, 417 U.S. 817, 834 (1974) (rejecting argument that the Constitution imposes upon government the affirmative duty to make available to journalists sources of information not available to members of the public generally). Had plaintiffs challenged Wyoming's general trespass statute as impairing their right to gather information, Zemel might control. There, the plaintiff asserted a First Amendment right to be exempt from an otherwise generally applicable law in order to facilitate speech indirectly limited by the law's travel restriction. In contrast, plaintiffs in this case contest the constitutionality of Wyoming's differential treatment of individuals who create speech. For Zemel to be analogous, the federal government there would have had to implement a law banning travel to Cuba for the purpose of writing about or filming what they observe. The challenged statutes apply specifically to the creation of speech, and thus we conclude they are subject to the First Amendment. See Brown, 564 U.S. at 793 n.1. C Because we have determined that the statutes at issue regulate protected speech, plaintiffs ask us to go further. They seek a declaration about the level of scrutiny to be applied and whether the statutes survive the appropriate review. The district court did not conduct these analyses because it held that the statutes did not govern protected speech. As a general rule, we do not consider an issue not passed upon below. Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106, 120 (1976). We think it the better practice to remand to allow the district court to consider those issues in the first instance. See, e.g., United States v. Foote, 413 F.3d 1240, 1251-52 (10th Cir. 2005). III For the foregoing reasons, we REVERSE the district court's conclusion that subsections (c) of the 2016 statutes are not entitled to First Amendment protection and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. FOOTNOTES . In the 2015 version of the laws, these definitions appeared only in the criminal statute. However, the parties and the district court agreed that the definitions applied to both statutes. . All citations, infra, refer to the 2016 revised statutes. . Only three of the original five plaintiffsthe Western Watersheds Project, the National Press Photographers Association, and the Natural Resource Defense Councilappealed. For ease of reference, we refer to those three as plaintiffs throughout. . The challenged criminal statute provides for a maximum of one year imprisonment and a fine of $1,000, 6-3-414(d)(i), as compared to the general criminal trespassing maximum term of six months and a $750 fine, 6-3-303(b). Further, the general criminal trespass statute requires a defendant to have knowledge that he is not authorized to enter or remain on land, 6-3-303(a), unlike the challenged statute, which does not contain a mens rea element. We also note that under the challenged civil statute, prevailing plaintiffs are entitled to recover attorneys' fees and costs. 40-27-101(d). In contrast, parties in Wyoming generally must pay their own attorneys' fees. See Cline v. Rocky Mountain, Inc., 998 P.2d 946, 952 (Wyo. 2000).Wyoming has also enacted a trespass statute making it a misdemeanor to enter upon the private property of any person to hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property. 23-3-305(b). However, the maximum penalties for this crime are less than those imposed under the challenged criminal statute. 23-6-202(a)(v) (maximum term of six months' imprisonment). LUCERO, Circuit Judge. Mother Teresas 20th Death Anniversary fell on September 5 Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for great development, greater riches and so on that children have very little time for their parents and parents have very little time for each other. In the home begins the disruption of peace of the world -Mother Teresa Inspirational women belonging to religious communities and living according to vows, provide a more powerful view of women and their role in life, to inspire and encourage women to step out of limiting self-beliefs that keep them trapped in roles that lack of power. Historical characters like Arhant Mahaparajapathi Gothami and Saint Teresa of Calcutta are foremost in this respect. Good it is to restrain your eye; good it is to restrain your ear. Restraint in the nose is good, good it is to restrain your tongue(verse 360). Bhikku vagga- Dhammapada We cannot find God in noise and agitation. Nature trees flowers and grass grow in silence, the stars, sun and moon move in silence. Silence our eyes, silence our ears, silence our mouths, silence our minds, in the silence of hearts god will speak --Mother Teresa, in her book - Silence Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, Macedonia, to Albanian parents, on August 26th, 1910 as the youngest of three siblings, exactly hundred and seven years ago. She preferred to mention that her birthday was on 27 August, the day she was baptized. She believed that this day was more important than the day she was born. In 1928, Gonxha entered the order as a Roman catholic Loreto nun. She finished a three year training in Dublin, Ireland. She was posted to Calcutta (now Kolkatta), India, and was named Sister Mary Teresa. She was called to rest on 5th September 1997. Mother Teresa became an honorary citizen of India. In 1965 she received permission from The Vatican to expand her services outside India. She toiled endlessly on behalf of the down-trodden masses setting up orphanages, AIDS hospices, charity centres world-wide caring for refugees, blind, disabled, alcoholics, victims of famine and epidemics in Asia, Africa, Poland and Latin America. The work was acclaimed by award distributing organizations throughout the world, with Magsaysay awards and Bharet Ratne in 1980. Obtaining permission from The Vatican, Mother Teresa opened her own order, Missionaries of Charity in 1950, based in Calcutta. From this order she engaged in serving the poorest of the poor masses, initially as a teacher from 1931. She taught Geography and Catechism. She was thoroughly shaken by the miserable life of slum occupants in the poverty-stricken city of Calcutta. Here orphans were living in Government dwellings with no basic needs nor education. Adults with no fixed abodes wandered the streets in hunger. Most were sick and required help. She underwent a struggle and made a lot of personal sacrifices to elevate their living standards. Her selfless and caring work for them was well exemplified. Mother Teresa, Saint of the Gutters once said, God doesnt look how much work we do, but with how much love we do it. Let us touch the dying, the poor the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed of or be slow in doing the humble work. Un-egoistic and unmoved, this Albanian angel, never used labels to decorate her name. All donations received were diverted to charitable work. Do not wait for leaders, do it alone, person to person; if you judge people you have no time to love them. she said. Buddha Dhamma is very clear on the concept of silence. Meditation ensures absolute quietness in the mind, which means no seeking of self-importance and self-continuance. This cant be achieved through any form of manipulation of thought. Samatha-Vipassana or the repetition of stanzas and the wrong interpretation of Sathipattana like sitting in one posture for long periods must be mentioned here. A selfless silenced mind like that of Mother Teresa is needed. Only such a mind can understand what love, compassion or metta is. Love/metta can come into being simply when there is total self-abandonment. These concepts are not based on fear, pleasure and sensation. It is only compassion sans judgment of people that can bring about order, a new culture, and a new way of life. In 1971, she won the Pope John XXIII Peace prize worth $ 25000. She used this prize money to opened a hospital for leprosy patients. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003, with title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta on evidence of a miracle being performed. This is the first step pending one more miracle to proceed to Canonization. O Gotami perform a miracle in order to dispel the wrong views of those foolish men who are in doubt with regard to the spiritual potentialities of women, Buddha requested Maha Prajapati Gotami when she visited him just before death. These words of Lord Buddha illustrates the spiritual strength of a woman. The second miracle finally happened in Brazil. Hundreds of blue-and white-robed nuns gathered from around the world to attend the canonization of the churchs newest Saint, just 19 years after her death, when Pope Francis formally canonized Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016. Mother Teresa, Saint of the Gutters, said, God doesnt look how much work we do, but with how much love we do it. Let us touch the dying, the poor the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or be slow to do the humble work With her in-built charitable mind, caring for those who needed care, regardless of their religious faiths, she looked after the hapless. Mother Teresas exemplary work and life have given a sense of direction to others, that it is better to light one candle than curse the darkness. Conveying the message of Lord Buddha, Ven. Ananda Thera addressed Mahaprajapati Gotami. Great foster mother, you yourself are one who has been duly admitted to the Order of Bhikkhuni, the moment you adhere strictly to these Eight Special Precepts, said Ven. Ananda Thera. Mahaprajapati Gotami responded,Venerable Ananda, just as a young maiden who is in the habit of decorating herself with flowers, with her hair washed and brushed, so also I am prepared to adhere to the Special Rules with great delight. The Licchavi Kings of Vesali donated a large nunnery for Mahaprajapati Gautami and her retinue of hundreds of Sakyan princesses. Maha Prajapati was a role model for all nuns. She encouraged and helped them to adjust to the solitary and austere life of novice nuns. Buddha instructed and gave Mahaprajapati Gautami a subject to meditate and she became an Arhat. The enlightened one, when assigning positions to the Bhikkhunis, exalted Maha Prajapati to the chief place among those who are great in experience. Buddha said, Oh Bhikkhus, among my Bhikkhuni disciples who are of long-standing in the Order, Mahaprajapati Gotami is the foremost. Winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and addressing the Jurists, The poor people are wonderful people. One evening we went out. We picked up four old sick women from the street, and one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the sisters to take-care of the other three. I took this one that looked worse. So I did for her all that my love could. I put her in bed and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand and said only one word. Thank you and she died. I couldnt help, but examine my conscious before her and I asked what would I have said if I was in her place and my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said, Im a hungry, Im dying, Im cold, Im in pain or something, but she gave me much more - she gave me her grateful love, and she died with a smile in her face. Mother Teresa Service to womankind Prajapati Gotami and her companions had barbers shave off their heads. After donning yellow robes they followed the Buddha to Vesali on foot. They reached there with wounded feet at the Buddhas monastery and continued their appeal. Having made the tricky journey of fifty yojanas (An old term used to mention distance), their delicate feet were inflamed with boils that hurt. All the women led by Prajapati Gotami, who arrived at Vesali with bloated feet, stood in a group at the entrance to Kutagara Monastery. She did succeed in receiving ordination, subject to the eight chief laws. And all the other women received ordination at the same time. Over 25 centuries hundreds of thousand women have benefitted from the initiative which was taken by Maha Prajapati Gotami. Mother Teresas untiring efforts, resulted in a 4000 strong community of Missionaries of Charity nuns working in over 600 foundations spread over 123 countries. So many Gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind, Is all this sad world needs. ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox ~ HINDUSTAN TIMES, 8 September, 2017 - Pakistan has made great sacrifices in fighting terror and has a clear conscience, China said on Friday, barely five days after Beijing joined other Brics members in condemning the terror groups operating from that country. Chinas message of support came during a joint press conference foreign minister Wang Yi addressed with his visiting Pakistani counterpart Khwaja Muhammad Asif. Some countries should recognise Pakistans great sacrifices, Wang said. Pakistan is an important participant in fight against global terrorism, Pakistans Geo News quoted him as saying. Leaders of the five Brics countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa who met for a summit in Chinas port city of Xiamen on September 8, identified Pakistan-based terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among groups causing violence and security concerns, bracketing them with Islamic State. India has been highlighting its concerns over cross-border terrorism at various global forums. What does Patali know about politics that Harini doesnt know? Sri Lanka is going through great pains to get its economy in order after the By James Hohmann (c) 2017, The Washington Post Sep 07, 2017 - In early 2016, as the field of Republican candidates winnowed, Bob Dole said that Donald Trump was preferable to Ted Cruz because he could probably work with Congress. Wednesday, President Trump cut his first big deal with congressional leaders Pelosi and Schumer. Snubbing Republican leaders and his own Treasury secretary, he agreed with Pelosi and Schumer on plans for a three-month bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for the same amount of time. The president also signaled support for a Democratic push to pass legislation that would shield undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from deportation. Chuck and Nancy want to see something happen - and so do I, Trump said. Then he flew to North Dakota on Air Force One with Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, declared he really wants to work with her on overhauling the tax code and called her a good woman. As some Trump advisers signaled that this is a sign of whats to come, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill seethed with anger about all three of these developments. Veteran negotiators in Trumps adopted party think the freshman president agreed to a bad deal that gives Pelosi and Schumer more leverage. They feel like theyre being boxed in on immigration and being set up as fall guys. And they resent that Trump just gave meaningful air cover to one of the most beatable Democrats in 2018. Trump called it a very good deal. HINDUSTAN TIMES, 8 September, 2017 - It was the fast-flowing river that doomed the inhabitants of Tula Toli. Snaking around the remote village on three sides, the treacherous waters allowed Burmese soldiers to corner and hold people on the rivers sandy banks. Some were shot on the spot. Others drowned in the current as they tried to escape. Zahir Ahmed made a panicked dash for the opposite bank, where he hid in thick jungle and watched his familys last moments. I was right next to the water, he recalled in an interview a week later at a refugee camp in neighbouring Bangladesh, his eyes bloodshot and his shirt stained with sweat and dirt.More than 160,000 of Myanmars 1.1 million ethnic Rohingya minority have fled to Bangladesh, bringing with them stories that they say describe ethnic cleansing. Those who escaped fled to the hills in the west to make the three-day trek to Myanmars border with Bangladesh. The rest were buried in a mass grave, villagers said. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the oldest and largest trade body in Pakistan with strong credentials having a large membership base standing around 20 thousand members. LCCIs history dates back to the early part of the last century. LCCIs prime objective is to serve its membership to their utmost satisfaction. It acts as a bridge between the government and internal agencies on important national and international policy matters. In addition to its regular advisory and support services to the members, it actively promotes regional and international economic cooperation and trade. The Lahore Chamber is involved in extensive research used in nearly every discipline, formulating recommendations and analyzing various national and international policies affecting business, trade and industry. The delegation was led by Amjad Ali Jawa, Senior Vice President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The delegation consisted of pharmaceuticals, IT and beauty sectors. The Sri Lanka Pakistan Business Council organized a Business Forum. Rohitha Thilakaratne, President of the Business Council welcomed the delegation and discussed the relationship the two countries enjoy and the possible opportunities that exist. Dr. Safraz Ahmed Khan Sipra Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan addressing the delegates mentioned importance of the Business Forum and the assistance the Pakistan High Commission is willing to extend. Dr. H. U. M. Rumie, Managing Director of State Pharmaceuticals spoke on the topic of Importing of Laboratory items and Medical Devices specially highlighting the tender procedures. Chrishan de Mel, Executive Director, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Association for Software & Services Companies elaborated on What makes Sri Lanka a popular destination for IT/BPM services?. Trihan Perera, President, Sri Lanka Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association discussed Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Sri Lanka: Overview and Opportunities. Vidharshana Fernando, Executive Director of Board of Investments of Sri Lanka encouraged investment opportunities available in the interested sectors. Adnan Ayoni, Trade Secretary of the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka was. The Business Forum ended with B2B meetings between the members of the Sri Lanka Pakistan Business Council and the delegates from the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries. REUTERS: The Sri Lanka parliament passed tax reforms yesterday that should simplify the tax system, widen the tax base and increase government revenue, as agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for a US $ 1.5 billion, three-year loan. The Inland Revenue Act, Sri Lankas biggest major tax reform since it gained independence from Britain in 1948, should increase government revenue by at least Rs.45 billion per year, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. Under the current complicated income tax framework, we have faced several risks. Sri Lanka has become one of the countries which gets lowest tax revenue in the world, Samaraweera told parliament. Few companies and people are registered to pay taxes, Samaraweera said, and they pay less tax than they should. The reforms are expected to support fiscal consolidation, make the tax system more efficient and equitable and generate resources for social and development programs, the IMF, which approved its loan last year, said in August. Some of the proposals will take effect October 1. More will be implemented at the start of the next fiscal year, on April 1, 2018, finance ministry officials have told Reuters. Samaraweera said the reforms would broaden the direct tax base and reduce the indirect tax burden on the people. The bill follows pressure from the IMF to increase revenues after repeated balance-of-payment crises that have led to a 29 percent depreciation in the Sri Lankan rupee since 2008 and external borrowing surged in the final phase of a 26-year war against Tamil separatists. Tax revenue has risen to 12.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the last two years, after falling to 10.1 percent in 2014. It increased 9.2 percent to Rs.1.66 trillion last year, as Sri Lanka hit its budget deficit target of 5.4 percent of GDP, down from 7.4 percent in 2015. By Oxford Business Group Increased access for air travellers, stronger advertising campaigns and enhanced bilateral cooperation are underpinning Sri Lankas push to expand its foothold in one of the worlds largest potential tourism source markets India. Both private sector players and public officials in Sri Lanka see the countrys northern neighbour as a key source of growth in the coming years, central to increasing foreign arrivals beyond 3 million a year by 2020. India is already its leading source of overseas visitors, accounting for more than 17.4 percent of inbound traffic in 2016, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Last year visitor numbers from India reached more than 356,000, up 12.8 percent on 2015 and almost triple the figure from 2010. While in the first half of 2017 such arrivals stayed roughly even with those of the same period last year, the SLTDA projects the full-year figure will equal or surpass last years record. In the first six months of the year overall tourist footfall managed to grow 4.8 percent year-on-year to 1million, despite a partial closure of the international airport in Katunayake for maintenance, which disrupted flight services in May. On trend, Sri Lanka may struggle to achieve the SLTDAs goal of 2.5 million overseas tourists in 2017, though recent results put the industry well on its way to surpassing last years 1.8 million and close to breaking the 2 million barrier. Open skies to open doors for local and international carriers To reach its short- and medium-term targets, Sri Lanka is making it easier for visitors from India and other countries to visit. The government is considering expanding its open sky policy to allow international carriers to fly Sri Lankan routes without restrictions. Some open sky agreements are already in place, one of the first being a deal brokered with Japan in 2012, and Sri Lanka is looking to replicate this with other countries. In December the country signed an open sky agreement with India, allowing local carriers unlimited access to six Indian hubs Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai as well as giving Indian carriers greater access to Sri Lankan routes. SriLankan Airlines is steadily expanding its network into the subcontinent. In July it added three new routes, to the South Indian cities of Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Coimbatore, expanding its flight service footprint to 14 destinations and 126 flights per week. India is a market with the utmost potential for Sri Lankan air carriers, SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias told OBG. Facilitating air travel should help foster tourism growth; around 98.7 percent of tourists arrived in the country by air last year, with the remainder arriving by ship. Joining forces with India to boost arrivals Officials hope that deepening ties with Indias tourism industry will further strengthen arrival numbers. Under a new joint initiative with Indias Kerala state agreed in mid-July, the two countries are working to broaden the range of attractions on offer in a bid to keep holiday-makers in the region longer. Tourists do not stay in one place when on vacation, Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affair Deputy Minister Arundika Fernando told local media. If they come to Kerala, they travel to nearby places as well, including Sri Lanka. So we should be promoting each other to maximise the number of tourist arrivals to our destinations. The cruise segment in particular could benefit from greater cooperation, according to John Amaratunga, minister of tourism development. We are now actively promoting cruise tourism and trying to attract the big cruise liners to sail our way, he told OBG. To do this, economies of scale dictate that we need to work with the Maldives and India to be attractive to cruise companies. Key to this is stepping up marketing activities, with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau announcing plans in mid-July to double spending on advertising and brand awareness from US $3 million to US $6 million. Stax Inc., a global strategy consulting firm, has been working in collaboration with International Enterprise Singapore (IE) for over two years to inform Singaporean companies and investors on investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. IE is a statutory board under Singapores Trade and Industry Ministry that facilitates the overseas growth of Singaporean companies and promotes international trade. Given this liaison with IE, Stax has presented regularly to business communities in Singapore on the macroeconomic landscape and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Stax was recently invited by IE and the Singapore Water Association (SWA) to present an overview of the opportunities in Sri Lankas water sector. The presentation provides potential investors with a comprehensive view of the required investments relating to the water sector in Sri Lanka, said Stax Director Dr. Kumudu Gunasekera. Sri Lanka has an ample water supply with 52.8 billion cubic meters (BCM) of surface, ground and overlap between surface and groundwater. The countrys water consumption in 2013 was 16 BCM and is set to reach 20 BCM by 2018. Of the 120 BCM of annual rainfall received, only about 36 percent is available for use due to run-offs in the river system and lack of dam capacity. Over 64 percent of annual rainfall is currently non-utilisable because of insufficient catchment capacity. The other reasons for loss of water include infiltration and seepage, evaporation and ground water recharge. Despite the ample rainfall and the broad supply of water resources available to the populace, the Dry Zone in the island are expected to face absolute water scarcity by 2025, largely owing to the forecasted increase in water-intensive paddy cultivation. The situation is exacerbated by poor adoption of water saving techniques and technological advancements, high losses associated with storage, distribution and on-farm utilisation of water and lack of incentives for conservation due to free state supply of water for irrigation. The other reasons for the impending crisis include the regional differences in the distribution of usable water, as the Wet Zone (Central and South West districts) occupy 25 percent of the countrys area but have 70 percent of the water resources, while the Dry Zone (North and East) occupies more than half the land area but claims only 30 percent of the water resources and more than 80 percent of the water demand. Furthermore, climate change is expected to aggravate water scarcity in the future. This is evident in the increasingly unpredictable and debilitating droughts and floods that Sri Lanka has recently witnessed - both of which can lead to shortages of clean water. Pollution of water sources too plays a key role in reducing the water available for agriculture as well as domestic use. Hence, there is an increasing need for efficient water management to ensure sufficient water availability for all consumption sectors. While many efforts have been taken by the government and private sector, more investment is needed to implement schemes to adequately prepare for the upcoming crisis. These include efforts for water conservation (particularly in the agriculture sector)such as high-tech irrigation and precision agricultureas well as better techniques for water catchment, treatment and most importantly distribution. Our team at Stax is committed to not only researching the global best practices in these areas but also to harnessing investment potential to bring those much-needed best practices to Sri Lanka, added Dr. Gunasekera. Stax, Sri Lankas leading strategy consulting firm, has its headquarters in Boston and branch offices across Chicago, New York, Colombo and Singapore. For over 20 years, Stax has been advising 15 of top 20 global private equity investors and 25+ Fortune 500 companies. Since inception, it has delivered over 2,500+ client engagements, across diverse industries covering 40+ international markets. With a growing client base in Sri Lanka, including diversified conglomerates, blue-chip industry leaders and large family businesses, Stax inspires organisations to dream big, think outside the box and compliment gut-based decisions with fact-based research. A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society - Billy Graham When I was entrusted with the task of writing in memoriam of my father, I wondered if I would be able to do this wonderful person justice as to me it seemed impossible to sum up the remembrance of him to a few paragraphs. I doubted I would be able to contain all the emotions I was trying so hard to bottle up and get on with life; for in a society such as ours what choice do we have. Due to this reason I kept coming up with excuses to postpone the task and tried to justify it to my mother. However, it dawned upon me one night while I was reminiscing my wonderful childhood and the years gone by, that postponing this further was a lapse on my part, no matter what the reason behind it was. On the 5th of June this year my beloved father bade us farewell. There arent enough tears that could wash away all the sorrow that overcomes me when I realise that such a wonderful human being and the back bone of our family is no more. Hailing from a middle class family Leslie Sherington Wickramasinghe was born on the January 14, 1943 to Pudias Wickramasinghe, a Station Master during the British Colonial Era and Nancy Wickramasinghe. He was the eighth child in a family of ten and the seventh son. Despite losing his father at the tender age of three and a childhood that saw its share of hardship, he was never one to give up in life. A trait he carried successfully till the end of his days. As the youngest child in the family I knew my father to be a strong, multi-talented and successful man who was well established; a hero to many and an individual highly respected by all. I did not see his initial struggles in life nor the hardships he faced supporting a wife and two young daughters while climbing the ladder, earning respect and a good reputation because of the precision in his work and dedication. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a father like him not only because he was a brilliant Surgeon who worked with great devotion to his cause in saving lives and ensuring his patients received his undivided care but also because as a father he gave us an upbringing which kept us in touch with reality, taught us the value of earning our accomplishments and the importance of taking responsibility for our actions. He always told us that money is not everything and that integrity and respect earned in society outweighed all material riches. If he did not approve of something he never hesitated to express it and if someone had disappointed or betrayed his trust he did not feel the need to hide his dissatisfaction. He was a man of generally good judgement and although we failed to see it then, his judgement on good or bad affiliations have proved to be of great accuracy to this day. No matter whom it was or how a person had wronged him; there was never a day I heard him say that anyone deserved whatever wrong had come upon them. He was not a revengeful man and believed that natural justice would take its course. Being an extremely devoted son he never neglected his duties towards his mother and carried a deep sense of gratitude and love towards her to his last days. If there ever was a reason that could create an enemy out of my father; it was an attempt to harm his family. He was our defender and our protector. After retirement and away from the stress of service at the National Hospital we began to see a much more laid back and relaxed side to my strict disciplinarian father. He began to really enjoy life and it was a great disappointment when he suffered a fall resulting in a fracture in 2008. I will never forget the look of concern and worry in his eyes on his way to the hospital and although he said very little, his expression was easy to read for those who knew him well enough. That was a turning point and from then on it was with extreme difficulty that we watched the once active and energetic man gradually slow down over the years. He was however a fighter and through many medical ups and downs managed to recover even when some medical experts seemed to give up hope. He was a great example of someone who loved life despite whatever the situation and never lost the will to live, no matter what obstacles life threw his way. Even in the hardest of times his was a spirit that could not be broken. He would wait eagerly every evening for me to get back home after work and never ran out of topics to exchange information with me, be it regarding politics, current affairs or our mutual love of music. He would give me his opinion on all lifes decisions and advise me in the best way possible. Rest assured, most of that advice has proved to be the most sensible advice I have ever received. On the Wednesday before he was hospitalized, I came home after work and after having our usual evening chat he told me that I dont hug him anymore like I used to. I hugged him tight and neither of us had to say a word. It was as if time stood still. We had both fallen asleep and I woke up about an hour later to find him asleep hugging me tight. He was rushed to hospital on Monday morning and was back to normal within a few hours. We were told he could be discharged in the evening. The consultants follow up inspection did not happen till two days later and the days that followed are probably the worst and most traumatic days in my life and those I avoid looking back on. This task entrusted was indeed one that I hoped I would never have to face. It is one that given the choice, each and every one of us would avoid till the end of our days. However, as time flies by we have to face the inevitable truth. Those we love will one day part from us. My father was a man who left his mark on the world. He was an asset to our country and to his profession. His service was always tireless. Especially during the 90s, when Sri Lanka was severely affected by the civil war and many bomb blasts. Efforts towards ensuring that those affected were given prompt and the best care possible remained his priority. His care didnt stop at the hospital and he managed to save me and restore me back to health while keeping me in the comfort of our home when I fell victim to dengue fever. Time revealed that his role as a husband and father and his responsibilities towards his family which he never neglected were those that were most appreciated. This also carried a valuable lesson for every one of us. When he left us that day, he left behind a family that will carry him in their hearts and grieve his loss till the end of their days. -Beloved daughter Sheahana Wickramasinghe United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. DONALD WASHINGTON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. DALE ARTUS, MIKE SEDAR, LISA LAPENNA, NANCY LIAS, WILLIAM SCOTT, & PETER NIGRO, Defendants-Appellees.* 16-1034-pr Decided: September 07, 2017 PRESENT: RALPH K. WINTER, DENNY CHIN, SUSAN L. CARNEY, Circuit Judges. FOR PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT: Donald Washington, pro se, Alden, New York. FOR DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES: Frederick A. Brodie, Assistant Solicitor General, Barabara D. Underwood, Solicitor General, Victor Paladino, Assistant Solicitor General, for Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General of the State of New York, Albany, New York. UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. Plaintiff-appellant Donald Washington, a prisoner proceeding pro se, appeals the judgment of the district court entered February 29, 2016, in favor of various prison officials and nurses of the Wende Correctional Facility, dismissing his complaint alleging claims for unconstitutional conditions of confinement and deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983. By Decision and Order dated February 25, 2016, the district court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment, adopting the Report and Recommendation of United States Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott, and denied Washington's motion for reconsideration of the court's earlier denial of his motion for the appointment of counsel. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, procedural history, and issues on appeal. This matter arises from a slip-and-fall incident that occurred while Washington was working in the prison mess hall. Washington alleges that he was forced to work in unsafe conditions -- on a slippery floor -- which resulted in his breaking his ankle. He also alleges that the medical department took four hours to send him to the emergency room for treatment and subsequently denied him proper pain medication. We review de novo the district court's grant of summary judgment, with the view that [s]ummary judgment is appropriate when there is 'no genuine dispute as to any material fact' and the moving party is 'entitled to judgment as a matter of law.' Chabad Lubavitch of Litchfield Cty., Inc. v. Litchfield Historic Dist. Comm'n, 768 F.3d 183, 192 (2d Cir. 2014) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a)). There is no 'genuine' dispute when 'the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party.' Id. (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986)). Upon review, we conclude that the district court correctly granted defendants' motion for summary judgment and affirm for substantially the reasons stated by the district court and set forth in the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation. I. Conditions of Confinement To prevail on an Eighth Amendment challenge to conditions of confinement, a plaintiff must prove that (1) objectively, the deprivation the inmate suffered was sufficiently serious that he was denied the minimal civilized measure of life's necessities, and (2) subjectively, the defendant official acted with a sufficiently culpable state of mind, such as deliberate indifference to inmate health or safety. Walker v. Schult, 717 F.3d 119, 125 (2d Cir. 2013) (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted). We conclude that Washington failed to raise a genuine issue of fact as to either element. Washington failed to present evidence sufficient to raise an issue of fact as to whether the wet mess hall floor objectively posed a sufficient risk of inmate harm. Although he asserts in his appellate brief that the wet floor had resulted in prior accidents causing serious injuries to other inmates, he presented no such evidence below. He testified only that other inmates had tripped over like holes in the floors and stuff like that. App'x 41. But even assuming this included slip-and-fall incidents, Washington proffered no evidence that the prior incidents led to any injuries, much less that the wet mess hall floor posed the type of risk that society considers to be so grave that it violates contemporary standards of decency to expose anyone unwillingly to such a risk. See Helling v. McKinney, 509 U.S. 25, 36 (1993). Washington also failed to present evidence from which a reasonable jury could find that prison officials subjectively acted with the culpable state of mind necessary for an Eighth Amendment violation. Although he contends on appeal, and contended in his unsworn summary judgment papers, that he and other inmates had repeatedly warned prison officials about the dangers posed by the wet mess hall floor, he provided only conclusory assertions and no details or specifics. Further, even if Washington could demonstrate that the defendants were generally aware of the slippery condition of the mess hall floor, he proffered no evidence from which a reasonable jury could infer that the condition posed a risk of significant inmate harm and that the defendants intentionally disregarded that risk. See Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 837 (1994) ([T]he [defendants] must both be aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and [they] must also draw the inference.). We agree with the district court that Washington's claim sounds at most in negligence, not deliberate indifference: deliberate indifference requires a showing of a wantonness that is lacking here. See Wright v. Goord, 554 F.3d 255, 268 (2d Cir. 2009). II. Serious Medical Needs To prevail on a claim for deliberate indifference to an inmate's serious medical needs, a plaintiff must prove that (1) objectively, the alleged deprivation of medical care was sufficiently serious, and (2) subjectively, that the defendants acted or failed to act while actually aware of a substantial risk that serious inmate harm will result. Salahuddin v. Goord, 467 F.3d 263, 279-80 (2d Cir. 2006). Washington argues that the defendants were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs in two ways: first, by unreasonably delaying medical treatment after his slip-and-fall accident and, second, by later giving him insufficiently strong pain medication. First, Washington argues that the defendants demonstrated deliberate indifference to his broken ankle by allowing four hours to pass before transporting him to the emergency room. We conclude, however, that the record does not contain sufficient evidence to permit a reasonable jury to find a sufficiently serious deprivation of medical treatment or deliberate indifference. The defendants carried Washington on a stretcher to the infirmary soon after the incident, treated his broken ankle with a splint and ice, and arranged to have him transported to the emergency room after consulting with an outside doctor. Although Washington complains on appeal that the defendants should have provided him with pain medication at the infirmary, he testified that he did not request any. Further, Washington proffered no evidence, nor did he even allege, that any delay exacerbated his injury. See Smith v. Carpenter, 316 F.3d 178, 185 (2d Cir. 2003). On this record, no reasonable jury could find that the approximately four hours that elapsed between his injury and his arrival at the emergency room was a sufficiently serious deprivation of medical care or that the defendants were deliberately indifferent to his needs during that period. Second, Washington argues that the defendants demonstrated deliberate indifference to his pain by discontinuing his prescription-strength pain reliever. Again, we conclude that Washington failed to present evidence sufficient to raise an issue of fact. Washington was initially prescribed Percocet before and after his surgery. When he requested that he be transferred from the prison infirmary back to his regular cell, he was informed that he would no longer have access to prescription-strength painkillers, and he chose to be discharged anyway. And although he contends that the Tylenol and Motrin the defendants prescribed him afterward was insufficient to treat his pain, the record is clear that he did not thereafter complain of any significant pain. See Chance v. Armstrong, 143 F.3d 698, 703 (2d Cir. 1998) (It is well-established that mere disagreement over the proper treatment does not create a constitutional claim.). Accordingly, we conclude that the district court properly granted summary judgment to the defendants on Washington's serious-medical-needs claims. III. Appointment of Counsel We review the denial of appointment of counsel for abuse of discretion. See Hodge v. Police Officers, 802 F.2d 58, 60 (2d Cir. 1986). As Washington concedes, he was required to make a threshold showing of some likelihood of merit to have counsel appointed. See Cooper v. A. Sargenti Co., 877 F.2d 170, 174 (2d Cir. 1989) (per curiam). Although the magistrate judge initially appointed pro bono counsel, who subsequently withdrew due to a conflict of interest, by the time the magistrate judge revisited the issue, he had reviewed the summary judgment evidence and correctly concluded that Washington's claims lacked merit. Accordingly, we conclude that the denial of appointment of new pro bono counsel was not an abuse of discretion. We have considered Washington's remaining arguments and find them to be without merit. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court. FOR THE COURT: Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Clerk FOOTNOTES . On one occasion, Washington complained only of an itchy left foot, left ankle discomfort, and stomach discomfort. A northern Irish MP propping up the government accepted luxury holidays worth 100,000 from Sri Lanka without telling Parliamentary watchdogs, it was reported. Ian Paisley Jr, of the Democratic Unionist Party, accepted two all-expenses trips from the state. Mr Paisley, his wife and four kids flew business class, were ferried around in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes and stayed in posh hotels. In exchange he offered the Sri Lankans help brokering an oil deal, saying he had significant arrangements with national oil suppliers in Oman and Nigeria. He went on the 2013 jaunts without declaring them in the Commons register of interests, according to The Telegraph. MPs are obliged to declare income, gifts or affiliations that could spark a conflict of interest in their parliamentary roles. This week Mr Paisley posted a picture of himself alongside Sri Lankan high commissioner Amari Wijewardene outside the Houses of Parliament. Mr Paisley is one of 10 DUP MPs relied on by Theresa May to keep her government functioning properly. (thesun.co.uk) The big mistake, apparently about to be made by President Trump, in undoing the nuclear agreement made by President Barack Obama with Iran is not just that he intends to go backwards, it is that he doesnt intend to go forwards. (To be fair, neither did Obama.) What the Iranians negotiated about was not so much the bomb to be or not to be but about their pride and their position in the world and their right to become a thriving economic and political power inured from sanctions or military threats. (Sanctions were imposed before the nuclear issue came to the fore.) The nuclear programme was first and foremost about creating leverage so that Iran could regain the sort of respect that the offspring of the Persian Empire once was given. Second, it was about making sure that Iran is not found short when its oil reserves start to shrink. (Iran also has heavily invested in solar energy.) For Iran, negotiations were a suggestive game of hide and seek, played in front of all-angled, reflecting mirrors. They were not about actually building a bomb or, as we used to say in Pakistans pre-bomb days, of being a screwdriver away from completing a bomb. I doubt if it has ever crossed Trumps mind that by cutting Iran in he could achieve quite a lot. No, cut it out and squeeze it even more than it ever has been I dont actually believe that Iran ever had the intention of building a nuclear bomb. But it was not unhappy that the West thought it was. It did want to frighten the West. It did want to forestall what it believes is the Americans true ambition- to bring about regime change. Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Irans Supreme Leader, has spoken a number of times about how nuclear weapons go against the principles of Islam. Islam is a language of love and brotherhood, not of a nuclear holocaust. I believe him, not out of naivety, but because I know Iran is a deeply religious society and that the ayatollahs take Islamic teaching earnestly. Children are brought up to take values seriously, to love not hate, and to take care of the poor and widowed. War is a last resort. Reading the Koran, nuclear weapons could never be justified. Iran doesnt go easily to war. Saddam Hussein inflicted war on Iran for no good reason, other than to demonstrate the muscle of a dictator. Iran had never tried to build up a deterrent against Iraq. (The US and Britain supported Saddam and provided him with weapons.) Akbar Ganji, an Iranian journalist and dissident, wrote in Foreign Affairs that Khamenei is not a crazy, irrational or reckless zealot searching for an opportunity for aggression. Khamenei considers science and progress to be Western civilizations truth. He is a great reader of Western novels and considers Victor Hugos Les Miserables to be the best novel that has been written in history. He is an intellectual who enjoys the company of other intellectuals including secular opposition ones. Unfortunately, he was attracted as a young man to the writings of the Egyptian, Sayyid Qutb, whose severe Islamic thinking inspired Osama bin Laden. He has since moderated his opinions. Nevertheless, he wants, as does most of Irans elite, for the most populated country in the Middle East, after Egypt, be treated as a force to be reckoned with in Middle East politics. He does not like Iran being ignored when it comes to how to deal with Syria, Afghanistan or Israel. Obama didnt want to be seen to cosy up to Irans government, so the nuclear deal was as far as he was prepared to go. This was an opportunity forgone. So what happens? Iran is seen as a spoiler who gets in the way of rational Western policies and supports the Syrian government, deploys Hizbullah and like-minded armed groups and supports Hamas in Palestine to counter Western, Israeli and Saudi Arabian interests. I doubt if it has ever crossed Trumps mind that by cutting Iran in he could achieve quite a lot. No, cut it out and squeeze it even more than it ever has been. He has the tool at hand- reneging on the Obama deal. All he has to do is to persuade the intelligence agencies to manufacture some sort of a case that Iran is not doing its part to honour the deal. Hence the enormous pressure he has put on them. If Trump succeeds in his aim will other countries party to the solemn agreement ratified unanimously by the UN Security Council go along with him? China wont for a start- it purchases 30% of Irans oil. Is Trump going to punish China just when it needs Beijings help over the real bombs in North Korea? The EU will think on not dissimilar lines. Airbus needs that big new market- 173 new planes so far have been ordered. Again, the world has to find a way to stop Trump in his tracks. (For 17 years the writer was a foreign affairs columnist and commentator for the International Herald Tribune/New York Times.) United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JAMES BERGHUIS, Defendant-Appellant. No. 14-10527 Decided: September 07, 2017 Before: RAWLINSON and N.R. SMITH, Circuit Judges, and WATTERS, ** District Judge. MEMORANDUM* A jury convicted James Berghuis of multiple counts of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341, 1343, and 18 U.S.C. 1957, 2. At sentencing, the government sought an obstruction of justice enhancement under U.S.S.G. 3C1.1 based on Berghuis' perjury in a related civil case. The district court applied the enhancement and sentenced him to 168 months imprisonment. Berghuis appeals his conviction and his sentence. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. 1291. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for resentencing. Berghuis' sufficiency of the evidence challenges to his convictions on Counts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9, are reviewed for plain error because he failed to make a Rule 29 motion for judgment of acquittal. United States v. Gonzalez, 528 F.3d 1207, 1210-11 (9th Cir. 2008). For Berghuis to be found guilty of mail and wire fraud, the government was required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Berghuis acted with the intent to defraud; that is, the intent to deceive or cheat. 18 U.S.C. 1341, 1343; see also United States v. Sullivan, 522 F.3d 967, 974 (9th Cir. 2008) (per curiam). A jury may find a scheme to defraud and specific intent to defraud based solely on circumstantial evidence and the inferences drawn from it. Id. Intent may be inferred from misrepresentations made by the defendant. United States v. Jenkins, 633 F.3d 788, 804 (9th Cir. 2011). The jury heard testimony that Berghuis told each investor that he was going to use the investor's money for real estate and bridge loans, and instead, used the money to purchase cars, pay off credit cards, and pay off other investors. That testimony was sufficient evidence to prove that Berghuis intentionally deprived [his] victims of the opportunity to decide for themselves, on the basis of true and accurate information, whether or not to invest, which is all that is required to establish an intent to defraud. United States v. Treadwell, 593 F.3d 990, 999 (9th Cir. 2010). Berghuis did not object to the district court's use of the model jury instructions or offer an alternative instruction. Moreover, the government's case was a half-truths case, not an omissions case. Accordingly, the district court did not commit plain error by not instructing the jury about fiduciary duty. United States v. Lloyd, 807 F.3d 1128, 1153 (9th Cir. 2015). We affirm Berghuis' conviction. To support an obstruction of justice enhancement under U.S.S.G. 3C1.1, the government had to establish that the obstructive conduct (1) occurred with respect to the investigation, prosecution or sentencing of the defendant's instant offense of conviction; (2) related to the defendant's offense of conviction and any relevant conduct; and (3) was material. Id. 3C1.1 cmt. n. 1; United States v. Herrera-Rivera, 832 F.3d 1166, 1175 (9th Cir. 2016). The district court must make explicit findings on each element of obstruction of justice. See id. Because the district court failed to make findings as to whether the obstructive conduct occurred with respect to the investigation, prosecution, or sentencing and as to the materiality of the obstructive conduct, we must vacate Berghuis' sentence and remand to allow the district court to make such findings. United States v. Jimenez-Ortega, 472 F.3d 1102, 1103-04 (9th Cir. 2007) (per curiam). Consequently, we do not reach Berghuis' argument that the district court abused its discretion by varying upward from the guidelines and sentencing him to 168 months of imprisonment. See United States v. Cantrell, 433 F.3d 1269, 1280 (9th Cir. 2006). AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, and REMANDED to the district court for resentencing consistent with this opinion. Each party shall bear its own costs on appeal. "We make war that we may live in peace." --Aristotle "I exhort you never to debase the moral currency or to lower the standard of rectitude, but to try others by the final maxim that governs your own lives, and to suffer no man and no cause to escape the undying penalty which history has the power to inflict on wrong." --Lord Acton "Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." --Lord Acton "It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" --Patrick Henry "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." --Thomas Paine "The way to secure liberty is to place it in the people's hands, that is, to give them the power at all times to defend it in the legislature and in the courts of justice" --John Adams "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." --Thomas Jefferson "No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain hima?the idea is quite unfounded that on entering into society we give up any natural rights." --Thomas Jefferson "An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens." --Thomas Jefferson "The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, require that force should be interposed to a certain degree." --Thomas Jefferson "To draw around the whole nation the strength of the General Government as a barrier against foreign foes... is [one of the] functions of the General Government on which [our citizens] have a right to call." --Thomas Jefferson "It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war; but if it shall actually take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves. If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it." --Thomas Jefferson "I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are just friends and brave enemies." --Thomas Jefferson "By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression is committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another as his enemy." --Thomas Jefferson "I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." --Thomas Jefferson "Our duty to ourselves, to posterity, and to mankind, call on us by every motive which is sacred or honorable, to watch over the safety of our beloved country during the troubles which agitate and convulse the residue of the world, and to sacrifice to that all personal and local considerations." --Thomas Jefferson "It is an essential attribute of the jurisdiction of every country to preserve peace, to punish acts in breach of it, and to restore property taken by force within its limits." --Thomas Jefferson "By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression is committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another as his enemy." --Thomas Jefferson "Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. But the temper and folly of our enemies may not leave this in our choice." --Thomas Jefferson "We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." --Benjamin Franklin "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." --James Madison "Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed." --Abraham Lincoln "At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." --Abraham Lincoln "The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me." --Abraham Lincoln "Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built." --Abraham Lincoln "We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny." --Abraham Lincoln "If all do not join now to save the good old ship of the Union this voyage nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage." --Abraham Lincoln "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group." --Franklin D. Roosevelt "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing." --George W. Bush "When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and true maxim that 'a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.' So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really a good one." --Abraham Lincoln "To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours." --Mark Twain "It is with trifles and when he is off guard that a man best reveals his character." --Arthur Schopenhauer "When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them." --Plato "He that has light within his own clear breast may sit in the center, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the mid-day sun." --John Milton "Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries." --James A. Michener "We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it." --Abraham Lincoln "I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "A man's character is his guardian divinity." --Heraclitus "Character develops itself in the stream of life." --Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe "Do what you know and perception is converted into character." --Ralph Waldo Emerson "Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character." --Henry Clay The public is invited to attend the First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga World Missions Conference on Oct. 8-11. Featured speakers are Hugh Palmer, rector of All Souls, Langham Place, London who is a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II, and Matt Waldock, pastor of City Church Manchester (England). Mission partners from eight countries will speak in Sunday school classes. Events for all ages include Mission Vision for children and an outdoors Missions Fest of barbecue and live music. For addition information on scheduled events, call 423-648-7906. Rain or shine, students of Southern Adventist University will be holding an event on Sept. 17 from 4-7 p.m. to raise funds and collect cleanup supplies for hurricane victims. Senior nursing majors Alexandria Martin and Jennifer Vigil came up with the idea and are making it happen. After Hurricane Harvey, I saw a photo of elderly people in a nursing home sitting in their wheelchairs with water up to their waists, Ms. Martin said. The picture startled me, and I told my housemate, Jennifer, that we had to do something. They initially planned to raise funds by making a few goodies to sell to friends, but as Ms. Martin talked with others, the scope of the idea quickly grew. Now the event, which will be held at Cambridge Square in Ooltewah, will not only include a homemade bake sale (with contributions from many other Southern students and employees), but also live music, T-shirts for sale, and the opportunity to donate blood through Blood Assurance. Additionally, attendees are encouraged to bring cleanup supplies* that the Samaritan Center will distribute in the affected areas. All sales will be cash only, with 100 percent of event proceeds going to hurricane cleanup efforts; at the end of the evening, the students will present a giant check to the Samaritan Center. Event partners are: Blood Assurance, Cambridge Square, Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, and Samaritan Center, as well as Southerns Student Association, several student clubs, and multiple departments on campus. *Suggested supplies: rubber boots, brooms, cordless drills, dust masks/respirators (rated N95), heavy rubber or work gloves, heavy-duty garbage bags, insect repellent, mold retardant concentrate, mops, rakes, shovels, sunscreen, utility knives, water hoses/pumps, wet/dry vacuums, and wheelbarrows. Lee University will welcome Bob Rodgers to Chapel on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 10:40 a.m. in the Conn Center.We are thrilled to welcome Bob back to campus to speak to us on the critical topic of sex trafficking, said Dr. Mike Hayes, vice president for student development at Lee. His work with Street Grace is pivotal in intervening in difficult situations and in bringing awareness to the church and our communities to this problem to inspire us to hope and action.Rodgers, an alumnus of Lee (86), currently serves as the president and CEO of Street Grace, an Atlanta-based organization that strives to end the demand for commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the United States.Its vision is to see a world where all children are free from sexual exploitation.Street Grace mobilizes community resources financial, human, and material to fight CSEC through awareness, education and action.Rodgers was the fourth president of Richmont Graduate University, vice president of one of the largest restaurant chains in the Southeast, and spent more than 30 years in corporate and nonprofit leadership and team development.He has written for a variety of business journals and other publications, and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.Rodgers holds a bachelors degree in management and marketing from Lee College and is currently pursuing his masters degree in ministry from Richmont Graduate University.Outside of his professional responsibilities, Rodgers has hosted Thinking Out Loud, a weekly radio broadcast, and he is the co-author of the devotional God Is With Us. He serves on numerous boards, is on the Business Advisory Council for Lee University, and is the chair of the Freedom Coalition, a collaborative initiative addressing global human trafficking.Rodgers is married to Melinda, a Lee alumna, and they have three children.Tuesdays chapel service is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.For those not able to attend, the service will be live streamed at https://livestream.com/leeu.For more information about this or other chapel services, visit http://www.leeuniversity.edu/chapel/ or call Campus Ministries at 423-614-8420. RICHMOND Long & Foster Cos. Inc., one of the largest real estate firms in the Charlottesville area and the largest private residential real estate company in the United States by sales volume, was sold to HomeServices of America Inc., a Minneapolis-based affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, the companies announced Thursday. The acquisition includes Long & Fosters family of companies, including Long & Foster Real Estate and its affiliates in mortgage, settlement services insurance and property management. Financial terms were not disclosed. Long & Foster has about 11,000 agents in more than 230 offices in the Mid-Atlantic, including Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. About 1,300 real estate agents in about 45 offices in the Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads region are associated with Long & Foster. A call to the local headquarters in Henrico County was referred to Chantilly, where the company is based. That is big news, said R. Scott Shaheen, former Richmond regional vice president for Long & Foster. Shaheen left the company in May with three managers there to start Shaheen, Ruth, Martin and Fonville Real Estate, also known as SRMF Real Estate, in Henrico. Long & Foster filed a lawsuit in June citing contract violations against Shaheen, Scott Ruth, John Martin and Mahood Fonville. The suit was settled last week. We came to a mutually agreed upon settlement, Shaheen said. The acquisition expands HomeServices presence in the Mid-Atlantic region and extends its national footprint to Virginia and West Virginia. The Long & Foster name will be retained, as will the headquarters in Chantilly. Adding the Long & Foster brand puts HomeServices in position to be the nations largest real estate company based on transactions, according to the 2017 Real Trends 500 report. With this transaction, HomeServices has more than 41,000 agents in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Long & Foster was founded in 1968 by Wes Foster and Henry Long. Long sold his half of the company to Foster in 1979. Wes Foster will remain with the company as chairman emeritus. Jeff Detwiler, Long & Fosters current president and chief operating officer, will assume the role of chief executive officer and, together with a team of enterprise and business line leaders, will oversee growth initiatives and continue to manage day-to-day operations. Finding the right partner to maintain the legacy, culture and integrity of Long & Foster was of utmost importance to me, Foster said in a statement. Joining HomeServices ensures that our history of market leadership and industry expertise continues. Detwiler said the Long & Foster brand and its legacy of integrity will continue as it has for the past nearly 50 years. Joining HomeServices makes us an even stronger company ... This is a clear win for our clients, agents, and employees. In 2016, Long & Foster Real Estate had $29 billion in sales volume and more than 81,000 home sale transactions; Prosperity Mortgage originated $3.3 billion in home loans, representing nearly 12,000 mortgages; Long & Fosters settlement services companies closed more than 20,000 title and escrow transactions; and Long & Foster Insurance issued about 8,300 property and casualty insurance policies. HomeServices of America, founded in 1998, is made up of real estate brokerages, mortgage companies, settlement service providers, insurance companies, corporate relocation and affiliated businesses. It created the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand when it assumed control of the Prudential Real Estate franchise networks. HomeServices of America is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Another Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary owns The Daily Progress. RICHMOND Virginia students scored better than the national average on the ACT for the fourth straight year, but participation in the commonwealth fell compared to last year. Members of the Class of 2017 in Virginia earned an average composite score of 23.8, about three points higher than the national average of 21, according to data released Thursday by ACT. The ACT is a college readiness test taken voluntarily by high school students and is often used by colleges along with the SAT to help determine admission. Virginia also beat the national average each of the previous three school years. Last year, Virginia students scored an average of 23.3. The highest possible score on the test is a 36 and the composite score is the average of the four sections of the exam -- English, math, reading and science. While the results were strong in the commonwealth, participation was not. A mere 29 percent of graduating seniors took the test -- less than half of the national participation average of 60 percent, or about two million students. In 2016, 31 percent of Virginia seniors took the test. About 16 states require that all students take the ACT in some form. Virginia does not. Nearly twice as many Virginia students take the ACT today than 10 years ago, making it an increasingly important indicator of how well the commonwealths public schools are preparing young people for the future, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven Staples said in a statement. The latest results continue a long-term trend of higher achievement and increasingly well-prepared graduates. The ACT released its annual report on college and career readiness Thursday. The report showed that under-served students -- meaning those who would be the first generation in their family to attend college, come from low-income families or are a minority -- lag behind when it comes to college and career readiness. Under-served students readiness ranged from 9 percent to 26 percent depending on how many of the three classifications the students identified with. While its no surprise that under-served students fall behind their peers due to the inequities that exist, it is extremely alarming and concerning to see how large this achievement gap really is, said ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda in a release. This gap presents a major risk to our nations goals for post-secondary completion and economic competitiveness. We must work harder to ensure these students have access to quality coursework and information to assist them in planning for the future. Virginia-specific data for under-served students was not available. The College Board, which oversees the SAT, is expected to release its results later this month. Jeffrey Richardson has been named Albemarles county executive, replacing Thomas C. Foley, who left in February to take a job in Stafford County, supervisors announced Friday. Richardson will start on Nov. 6. Richardson has 27 years of local government experience, including 17 years in senior management. Since 2013, he has served as county manager for Cleveland County, North Carolina, according to a news release. He also served 12 years as deputy city manager for Asheville, North Carolina. In an interview, Richardson said Albemarle has a number of things that stick out favorably to someone who is in local government leadership, including its vibrancy, elected officials who are trying to move the community forward and a dedicated, committed staff. Those are three things that, when youre beginning to do your due diligence, you say, Its got a wow factor to it, he said. The county used a search firm, Springsted Waters, for the first time in recent memory, paying the firm $24,000 for the services. Supervisors first met with the consultant in April. Foley had served as deputy county executive for 11 years before serving as county executive for six years. Prior to Foley, Robert Tucker was county executive for 20 years. As we continue to focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by the countys evolution as an urbanizing locality, we welcome the skills and expertise that Mr. Richardson brings to our staff team, Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Diantha McKeel said in a news release, His demonstrated success in public-sector management, coupled with his background in developing successful economic development partnerships and responding to service delivery needs in rural, suburban and urban settings makes him an ideal choice to lead the county at this crucial moment in our journey. Richardson oversaw numerous successful economic development projects, oversaw capital improvements that were finished on time and under budget and earned his localities numerous awards, according to the release. Richardson has experience in building collaborative working partnerships with critical stakeholders and working with public education systems and human services, the news release said. While working in Asheville, Richardson was the staff liaison to the University of North Carolina at Asheville on all university relations, which McKeel also said was critical in the boards selection. That experience was important to us because certainly our board is really interested in partnering more with the university, as well as the city, and we're talking about partnering in areas of economic development, but other areas, as well, she said. Richardson has a Bachelor of Science degree from UNC-Asheville and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is also a 2003 graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia. He has a wife, Andrea, and three adult children. His annual salary will be $217,000. Two key positions will be vacant when Richardson arrives: assistant county executive for community relations and economic development director. In May, Assistant County Executive Lee Catlin announced she was retiring Nov. 1, and in October, Faith McClintic resigned as the countys first full-time economic development director after she got a job with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in Richmond. County staff members have said that the process for filling these positions will begin after a new county executive was hired. Richardson said will learn as much as he can from both the board and key staff in developing a recruitment strategy for both positions. Ill need some help because I cant walk in Day One and be an expert in no way with a community thats as complicated and multilayered as this community. Inside this organization, its the same thing theres a lot of talent here, he said. I want to visit more with key staff and elected officials on the economic development director, as well as Lee Catlin, he said. That is a unique position that she has and I really need to take three steps back and ask folks that are close to this, What have you guys been thinking here with the contemplation of her leaving? McKeel expressed gratitude to Doug Walker for serving as interim county executive since the departure of Foley in February. Doug has provided strong and effective leadership for an extended interim period and has continued the countys forward progress on a wide variety of critical initiatives, McKeel said. We very much appreciate his efforts and his professionalism in leading our organization for the past seven months and look forward to his continued critical role as a member of our senior management team. Walker will return to being deputy county executive on Nov. 6. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, released a statement Thursday night in response to a resolution introduced by Rep. Tom Garrett, R-5th, that condemns the violent and hateful attacks carried out in Charlottesville. The resolution specifically condemns the actions of white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. It also honors the lives of the three people who were killed on Aug. 12. I am pleased to introduce this important resolution tonight with Congressman Tom Garrett that brings the Virginia congressional delegation together with one voice, Connolly said in a statement. The U.S. House resolution comes a day after Democratic Virginia Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine introduced a companion resolution in the Senate. Republicans Cory Gardner, of Colorado, and Johnny Isakson, of Georgia, signed on, as well. Garrett, in his own statement, said that while these attacks and groups already have been repeatedly denounced and condemned, this joint resolution allows us to join, legislative and executive, Republican and Democrat, in doing so officially and on the record. President Donald Trump had come under fire for his responses shortly following the Aug. 12 rally when he said there was violence on many sides. Days later, he said there were very fine people among the Unite the Right ralliers and counter-protesters. On Aug. 12, a car drove into a crowd of people on the Downtown Mall, killing local resident Heather Heyer and injuring dozens more. Later that day, Lt. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, members of the Virginia State Police who provided support for authorities, died in a helicopter crash in Albemarle County. Protesters Block Traffic On Lake Shore Drive In Support Of Homeless Rights In Uptown By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 7, 2017 4:10PM Protesters block traffic on Lake Shore Drive on Thursday morning / Facebook Three people were arrested after protesters blocked southbound traffic on Lake Shore Drive, near Montrose, on Thursday morning in support of homeless residents who reside beneath viaducts in Uptown. The residentswho take shelter in tent encampments under the bridgeswere told last month to vacate by Sept. 18 ahead of bridge repair and bike-lane installation. The residents and advocates are calling for guaranteed permanent housing. Residents of the tent encampments and homeless-advocacy protesters took to Lake Shore Drive at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, creating a standing line and a barrier with homeless people's tents. Video coverage of the demonstration shows protesters carrying signs with messages like "CDOT Discriminate Not" and singing "This Land Is Your Land." "We want housing like everybody else," chanted demonstrators. Police started to clear away the tents about 10 minutes into the traffic-blocking protest. Three men were arrested, according to CPD spokesperson Michael Carroll. Those arrested were Pastor Fred Kinsey, of Unity Lutheran Church in Uptown; Mark Saulys, a tent-city resident of the viaducts; and Adam Gianforte, according to activist group One Northside. Another resident who helped block the Drive, Carol Aldape, was taken to a hospital "due to medical concerns," according to the group. Homeless residents of the so-called tent cities reside under the viaducts at North Lake Shore Drive and West Lawrence Avenue, and Lake Shore Drive and West Wilson Drive, one block south. Both bridges are crumbling and in need of repair. (The bridges are two of the most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridges in Illinois.) They are being told to vacate by Sept. 18 to make way for those repairswhich will also the concurrent installation of bike lanes along the sidewalk where the homeless residents set up tent shelter. According to DNAinfo, social service agencies told tent-city residents last month they could relocate to one of three shelters amid the displacement. Advocateswho have seen Uptown's homeless population and shelter demand swell in recent yearsare calling for permanent housing for the affected peoples. "We are not done until we all get housing," Louis Jones, an Uptown tent city resident, said in a release sent by One Northside. "Last year, some of us were left behind: the city provided to housing to some, but not all of us. It was a damn cold winter. Unless the city meets our demands, that all of us receive permanent housing, some of us are going to get left behind again." A neo-Confederate group based in Tennessee says it intends to proceed with plans to host a rally Sept. 16 around the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue despite an executive order temporarily banning protests there. The heritage group, called CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, is billing the event as the Protect the General Robert E. Lee Monument Rally. Its unclear, however, how much pull the group has and how large the event its planning might actually be. The groups website appears primarily dedicated to selling Confederacy-themed T-shirts and other merchandise, and on Facebook, where the rally is being planned, fewer than 50 people have indicated they plan to go. The only other event the group is currently promoting listed as pending is participation in a Dolly Parton parade in Tennessee in 2018. Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order temporarily barring demonstrations at the state-owned Lee monument after violence at last months white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Police have not said how they will address the rally in light of the ban. In an interview, the groups leader, Thomas E. Crompton, said only that we have it all arranged and then quickly hung up without answering additional questions. On Facebook, Crompton stressed that organizers would not allow racist groups to participate and that police are aware of this event and working on providing security. A Richmond police spokesman, Gene Lepley, said the department would address questions about the rally next week. The department has generally taken a permissive approach to unpermitted protests, typically only making arrests when they venture onto interstate highways. Asked about the groups plans, Dena Potter, a spokeswoman for the state Department of General Services, said in an email that permitting for events at Lee Monument is suspended pending a review of regulations, which is to be completed by mid-November. Any effort to hold a demonstration at Lee Monument before that time would be unlawful. RICHMOND Ever since Nazis and Klansmen descended on Charlottesville for a deadly August rally, Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and other Virginia politicians have described them as out-of-state troublemakers who needed to "go home" and never come back. On Thursday night, the Republican running to succeed McAuliffe said they did not even have a place in political debate. "They called themselves the 'alt-right,'" former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, a Republican said at an NAACP forum a month. "They are not on any legitimate political spectrum of left to right. If on a scale of one to 10 - one is the most liberal, and 10 is most conservative - these people are a yellow. They're not on the same continuum." Gillespie, who titled his political memoir "Winning Right," was not just defending his side of the political divide. Through his remarks, delivered at a university created for freed slaves, just blocks from a boulevard with grand monuments to Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Southern Civil War figures, Gillespie sought to separate himself from President Donald Trump. The president's response to Charlottesville was widely criticized for not drawing a moral distinction between the white supremacist protesters and the counter-protesters who opposed them. Gillespie, who needs both Trump supporters and moderate swing voters to carry purple Virginia in November, has tried to separate himself from Trump on controversial issues without directly criticizing the president. Gillespie appeared at the Virginia Union University forum immediately after his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Both took questions for about an hour but were not on stage at the same time. Northam drew warm applause as he recalled what he and McAuliffe said after the violence in Charlottesville, where a man identified as a white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd, killing a young counter-protester. Two state police troopers patrolling the events by air also died in a helicopter crash. "We told them in no uncertain terms to, 'Go back to where you came from and don't come back,'" Northam said. The crowd applauded again when Northam noted that Trump did not initially identify the hate groups by name. "I regret that the president of this great country of ours did not call it out for what it was," Northam said. "I'm proud that Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Mark Herring and I did." Gillespie expressed eagerness to speak about Charlottesville, describing his revulsion at the white supremacists in visceral terms. He said they made him want to "throw up." "If you believe that one race is superior to another or that one religion is superior to another . . . that is dehumanizing, and that is the presence of evil in our world and we have to reject it," he said. Northam and Gillespie also used the event to reiterate their opposing stances on the state's Confederate statues - while also hedging a bit. "I have said all along that these statues belong in museums," said Northam, a pediatric neurologist and former state senator. But Northam, who faces an electorate that favors preserving the monuments 51 percent to 28 percent in a recent poll, said he was even more concerned about "other monuments" to injustice -- such as racial inequities in healthcare, education and the criminal justice system. Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, lobbyist and adviser to President George W. Bush, said he would prefer to keep the statues up - in part because of the cost of removal, which has been estimated at $5 million to $10 million for the statues that tower over Richmond's Monument Avenue. "There's a lot more things we could do here in Richmond with $10 million," Gillespie said. But Gillespie also stressed that decisions about monuments "should be made at the local level" and encouraged communities to "have the conversation" about their fate. That is a softer tone than what he struck in recent campaign emails, in which he vowed to keep them up. The monuments were part of a broader conversation on racial equality at the forum, which was sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and several other groups. Northam called for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and expanding pre-K education to address inequities in healthcare and education. Gillespie said the way to lift people out of poverty was to stimulate the state's economy; he has proposed a 10 percent income tax cut but did not mention that at the event. He said public charter schools, which are privately run, would help empower poor parents whose children are in failing traditional schools. Both men agreed on the need for criminal justice reform, including raising the felony threshold to $500 - up from the current $200, which is among the lowest in the country. And both spoke of easing penalties for marijuana. Northam went farther, with a plan to decriminalize possession. Gillespie offered a "three-strikes" approach for possession; The first two arrests would not carry criminal charges, but a third would. There's a saying they teach in law school: "Hard cases make bad law." The current debacle over DACA demonstrates the inverse: Bad law makes hard cases. And DACA is bad law. President Obama, whose administration established the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrival program on June 15, 2012, had previously and correctly said (nearly two dozen times) that only Congress has the power to write immigration law. Obama then issued an executive order exempting hundreds of thousands of people from the law. This was an unconstitutional violation of the limits on presidential power, as Republican lawmakers, numerous commentators and even members of the federal judiciary stated thereafter. That said, the real blame must be laid at the feet of Congress, which has done nothing about our immigration problems for decades. In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, granting "amnesty" to approximately 2.7 million people then in the United States illegally. But the act imposed neither immigration "reform" nor "control"; we were promised that border enforcement would be ramped up. It wasn't. Today, more than four times that number more than 11 million people are estimated to live in the U.S. illegally. One reason Congress has stalled on any immigration overhaul is because Democrats insist upon what they call "comprehensive immigration reform," which translates to "amnesty for everyone now; fix the border later." But Americans who remember 1986 won't fall for that again. Republican lawmakers know that they can kiss their seats goodbye unless immediate border enforcement happens in any law granting amnesty to those here illegally. Under the Obama administration, Republicans whined that they couldn't pass immigration legislation because the president would veto it, and they didn't have the votes needed to override a veto. Now with a president hollering for legitimate immigration reform, Republicans reveal the squish where their spine should be. Oh, no! The left might call us nasty names! Unsurprisingly, the left is up in arms about Trump's revocation of the Obama administration's DACA program. But millions of people who don't identify as Democrats or progressives are just as incensed. Public sympathy for "Dreamers" is understandable. Most truly have known no other country as home, had no part in the decision to migrate here, and were brought in as children. Many have siblings who were born here and thus are U.S. citizens. Deporting them looks like victimizing innocent people to score cheap political points. It's cruel and stupid. It's also a public relations nightmare for a party that has already shown little aptitude for countering deceitful media narratives about "Nazis" and "white supremacists." The good news is that Trump's announcement created a six-month window prior to enforcement. This gives the GOP its chance to remedy many of the problems that plague our immigration system, at minimal political cost. Congress should immediately rewrite our immigration laws to (among other things) end chain migration, provide sufficient resources for border enforcement, deport everyone here illegally who has committed a serious crime, enforce prohibitions against receipt of welfare, deprive "sanctuary cities" of federal funds, and make clear that anyone who crosses the border illegally from here on out will be subject to immediate deportation. They can then grandfather in those originally covered by DACA, exempting them and family members already here from deportation, and give them a clear path to legal status. This option offers significant political advantages: Notwithstanding what Congress does, Trump can honestly tell his base that he lived up to his campaign promise. Congress can reassert its legitimate authority over immigration legislation. Trump's opponents among the GOP in Congress get to claim both constitutional integrity and the moral high ground. They can simultaneously oppose Obama's usurpation of Congressional power, condemn Trump's revocation of DACA, enact a DACA-esque policy legislatively and look like heroes. Such an approach would make it much more difficult for the left to oppose the other aspects of immigration reform. Are they really going to argue to the American public that criminals, gang members, drug traffickers and multiple deportees like Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez (who killed Kate Steinle) deserve the same sympathetic treatment as a straight-A high school student headed to college, or a hardworking 30-something who has never had a run-in with the law in his or her life? Fifth, even if Trump decides to veto such legislation, it's a win. The GOP and Democrats can override the veto. And in that case, Trump sticks to his guns, Congress is magically bipartisan, DACA recipients can stay, criminals get deported, sanctuary cities are defunded and the border gets closed. Neither side would get everything they want. But it's far superior to the current state of affairs. And it's probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix our broken immigration system. Now let's see if Republicans have what it takes to do it. Laura Hollis is a Creators Syndicate columnist and a teacher of business law and entrepreneurship who holds faculty appointments at the Mendoza College of Business and the Law School at the University of Notre Dame. You are here: Home The documentary Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guoqiang will debut in Chinese mainland theaters on Sept 22. Poster of Cai Guo-qiang's documentary Sky Ladder [Photo provided to China Daily] Cai is known for pyrotechnic artworks. He's among the Chinese artists who are most celebrated in the West. The feature is directed by Oscar-winning auteur Kevin Macdonald. It's jointly produced by IDG Capital's chairman, Xiong Xiaoge; Netdragon Websoft's chairman, Liu Dejian; and Chinese-American businesswoman, Wendi Deng. Xiong says he's a fan of Cai and persuaded the artist to join the project when they were on an overseas flight. The producers offered Cai a list of directors. Macdonald was selected because he has limited knowledge about the artist and his achievements, which allows him to use an easily understood storytelling approach to introduce Cai to a wider viewership. Sky Ladder, the artwork performed by Cai in a fishing village in Quanzhou, Southeast China's Fujian province. [Photo provided to China Daily] Macdonald and his crew followed Cai for three years, from his New York office to his home city of Quanzhou in East China's Fujian province. The documentary includes interviews from several sources close to Cai. A highlight is his work Sky Ladder a 500-meter ladder made of rope and gunpowder hung from a giant hot-air balloon over a fishing village in Quanzhou in 2015. It was a dream project that Cai had attempted to realize for over two decades. He failed multiple times previously. The documentary is also considered a birthday present to Cai's 100-year-old grandmother, who supported his artistic pursuits. It was released to critical acclaim on Netflix on Oct 14, 2016. Projects with total investment of 17 billion yuan (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) were signed at a forum on industrial capacity cooperation between China and Arab States. The 22 projects, covering the infrastructure, mining, energy and chemical, textile, food, agriculture, Internet and tourism sectors, were inked during the capacity cooperation forum, which was held for the first time during the ongoing China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan City, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. According to a report issued at the forum, China's direct investment in Arab countries grew to more than 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 from 788 million U.S. dollars in 2010. By the end of 2015, the accumulated direct investment from China in Arab countries exceeded 14.6 billion U.S. dollars, up more than 27 percent year-on-year, the report said. Following the establishment of an economic and trade cooperation zone between China and Egypt, China is building industrial parks with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The four-day China-Arab States Expo will focus on trade in commodities and services, as well as cooperation in technology, investment and tourism. The Belt and Road will be highlighted during the expo, and forums on high-speed railways, logistics and credit will be held. Executives from 1,080 companies and nearly 5,000 exhibitors covering 31 industries ranging from transportation to big data will attend. Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia, the biennial expo has been held three times since 2013. Russian doctor Alexey Zhao comes to China twice a yearonce for Chinese New Year and the other for his father's birthday. Zhao, the son of a prominent Chinese scientist, was born in Beijing in 1959 but moved to the Soviet Union as a boy with his Russian mother when relations between the countries cooled. It was 23 years before he saw his father again. "When you get out of the station, you will find an old man holding a windbreaker with his left hand. That is me, your father," Zhao Pengda told his son in a letter in 1989. After a five-day journey, Alexey's train chugged into a railway station in Beijing. "In fact, I recognized him the moment I saw him," Alexey said. "I could find him even without the windbreaker." His geologist father, now 86, is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former head of the China University of Geosciences. In 1954, he went to study in the Soviet Union, where he met Irina. They were married in 1957 and came to China the following year. "I can still recall the fragrance of the wine her sister brought from Georgia," the elder Zhao said. Alexey's Chinese name, Lianqiang, literally means "uniting the powerful". It was meant to be a crystallization of China and Russia, the father said. In the 1960s, relations between China and the Soviet Union were rocky, and many Russians returned home. Irina felt the chill. The marriage reached a crossroads in 1966. Zhao begged his wife to stay, but she had an ailing mother to take care of. She asked him to go with her, but he refused. That spring, Zhao waved goodbye to Irina and Alexey at the railway station. "I knew how much she loved him and could not be so selfish as to keep him with me," Zhao said of his son. Zhao continued his research, becoming the first Asian to win the William Christian Krumbein Medal in 1992, the highest award offered by the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences. Alexey, meanwhile, grew to become an outstanding doctor specializing in liver transplants. When Sino-Russia relations improved, a delegation of Chinese doctors went to Moscow in 1987. Wang Huiqing, formerly a doctor at Harbin Medical University, remembers how Alexey showed her a comic book that his father had given him. She got a message to Zhao that his son was looking for him. That was when Zhao sent the letter. Before Alexey returned to Russia, the father and son took a stroll to see the old house where they lived as a family. "No matter how far one travels, family bonds can never be cut," Zhao said. Overseas Chinese are finding increased business opportunities, thanks to an increase in the number of countries offering visa-free access, reports Chinanews.com. Waiters at Wang Luping's Chinese restaurant posing for a photo in front of the restaurant in Morocco. [Photo: Chinanews.com] Wang Luping, a post-80s man from Zhejiang province, China, earns 100,000 RMB (about $15,000) a month by running a Chinese restaurant in Morocco to offer Sichuan cuisines to Chinese tourists in the country, China News reported on Sept 7. There were less than 1,000 Chinese tourists in Morocco when Wang first came to the country. However, the number has skyrocketed by a factor of six since Morocco started letting Chinese tourists enter the country without a visa in June 2016. Wang opened the restaurant to offer Sichuan cuisines to Chinese visitors, as they usually have a hard time getting used to the local food. He decorated it with Chinese elements, including lanterns, couplets, and old-fashioned wooden armchairs, and named it the "Great Wall". The restaurant provides him a monthly income of 100,000 RMB. In addition, with more exchanges between China and Africa, people in Morocco are excited about learning Chinese. Wang said that sometimes people ask him questions about China, which makes him feel valued. Mumbai: State Bank chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya on Friday urged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to focus on raising funds through equity instead of debt to drive their businesses in a healthier manner. She said SMEs' relying more on debt for their growth capital in the initial stage of their business put pressure on their balance sheets. "One of the major problems facing SMEs in our country is lack of equity. Equity capital is a much-neglected area in the SME sector," Bhattacharya told an SME summit and asked them to learn from technology players which have sourced large amount of equity to ramp up their business and market share. Quoting the examples of e-commerce companions like the Flipkart and Amazon, she said these firms have done wonders with the help of equity. Urging SMEs to present their case in a better way to investors to attract investments, she said, "There are people who can give you equity but you should know how to convince them that you are the right person who can give them good returns if they invested in his/her company." She rued the fact a large number of entrepreneurs start off with borrowed money (from family or friends) and then depend on banks and not equity. "With more debt, the requirement of margin goes up which strain your financial statements," she said. Addressing the same event, chairman of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, M S Sahoo said the board will soon come out with an insolvency framework for SMEs. "Currently our entire regulatory framework and the ecosystem are designed only to deal with corporate insolvency. Over 95 per cent of SMEs, particularly MSMEs, are individuals and are not covered by corporate form of business. They would be covered when we come up with an individual insolvency regime," Sahoo said. The board will come out with an insolvency regime for SMEs in two phases, he said. "An individual insolvency regime is much difficult to bring in (as) compared to a corporate regime that is why we are planning to do it in phases. In the first phase, we are looking at guarantees to corporates--individuals who have given guarantees on behalf of corporates. "In the second stage, we will look at individuals who have some kind of businesses, proprietorships/partnership or a non-corporate form of business which should cover the MSMEs," Sahoo said. government over the last three years has been working to minimise the cost incurred by farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Jaipur: Newly-appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said the government is "working hard" to double farmers' income by 2022. The government over the last three years has been working to minimise the cost incurred by farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Shekhawat was in town to meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and other state leaders after being inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Interacting with reporters here, Shekhawat asserted that borders of the country have become secure and the world sees India as a strong nation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power at the Centre. He saw India taking its rightful place in future. The minister discussed the issues affecting farmers and agriculture schemes in Rajasthan. Shekhawat promised that he will raise the same in Parliament, along with other members of the Cabinet from the state. Hyderabad: Dr Reddys Laboratories, Indias second largest drug firm by sales, on Friday said that a German regulatory authority has issued six major observations against its formulations unit at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh after an inspection. The Regulatory Authority of Germany (Regierung von Oberbayern) concluded an audit of our formulations facility in Duvvada, Visakhapatnam with zero critical and six major observations, DRL said in a BSE filing. The company, however, did not disclose the observations made by the regulator. The company will be submitting a corrective and preventive action plan to the authorities. The auditor has cautioned that the facility will receive EU-GMP ce-rtification from the regulator up to November 2018 only when the regulator approves the CAPA, Dr Reddy's said. The company had earlier received 13 observations from the US health regulator, USFDA, for its formulations manufacturing facility at Visakhapatnam in March. Actress Aishwarya Rajesh has worked her way up the ladder in Tamil film industry. Today, she is one of the sought-after actresses when it comes to performance oriented roles. After Kaaka Muttais humongous success, she has successfully transcended borders to be part of Mollywood and Bollywood as well. The latest development is that the actress has been roped in for maverick director Mani Ratnams next flick. Speaking to DC, an elated Aishwarya Rajesh says, I am extremely thrilled to be part of this venture. At this point of time, I know that Im doing the project, but am unaware of who Ill be paired opposite. Every actress would have dreamt of being Mani sirs heroine and I didnt have to think twice when I was approached. With films like Gautham Menons Dhruva Natchathiram, Vetri Maarans Vada Chennai and Mani Ratnams untitled flick in the offing, Aishwarya Rajesh has definitely become one of the A-list actors in Ktown. When asked if she has finally arrived in the industry, she says, Well, I dont know! But, I definitely feel that I belong to what they call the cream of heroines which implies that I have collaborated with great directors that actors crave for. I hope I get to showcase my full potential. Telugu actor Nani who was supposed to work with Mani Ratnam a couple of years back will be part of this flick. Another interesting casting coup is the inclusion of actress Jyothika. Shooting of the film will begin in January. According to a source, the film will have four male leads and it is said that Fahadh Faasil, Arvind Swami and Vijay Sethupathi have been signed. An official announcement on the same will be out in the coming weeks. Dr Aparna Pandes From Chanakya to Modi: The Evolution of Indias Foreign Policy is that rare book. It is written by someone outside government, unencumbered by policy fatigue or being too close to the powers that be. In fact, in its refreshingly honest retelling of the dictum that Panditji knows best, a reference to Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus almost omnipotent influence on the conduct of Indias foreign policy, she paints a startling picture of how despite frequent changes in government, post the Indira-era, Indias external relations have shown remarkable continuity and consistency to this day. Her critique doesnt stop with Mr Nehru crafting the policy that his successors have followed and which she believes continues to remain overly idealistic, and has a strong moralistic undertone. Dr Pande, extends the metaphor right down to our present times in this book which examines how Indias world view has evolved over the years, while laying out the institutions, ideas and attitudes that have shaped it. Referring to PM Narendra Modis 2016 initiative that has seen the U.N. adopt World Yoga Day, she writes That Indians believe that the popularity of yoga is evidence of Indias importance in the world explains how India views itself from a very different perspective than other nations. Indian leaders often suggest that the more India participates in multilateral organisations, adopts principal stands on global issues, champions global peace and disarmament, and speaks out against military alliances, the higher the pedestal it occupies on the world stage. The reality of the world and the role India plays in it is more complex, she adds. Not mincing her words on how India fails to follow through on its big promises vis a vis aid to countries in its im-mediate periphery, Indias challenge, she writes, lies in wanting to be accepted as the dominant power in South Asia, its desire that neighbours look only to Delhi and not to outside powers, while expecting major powers like the US, China and the west to accept Indias dominance, keeping Indias interests in the region, in mind. As she tells Neena Gopal in an interview, the influence of Chanakya in this context lies not just in naming the capital Delhis diplomatic enclave after him, but in the way in which India has sought a system of layered relations coupled with the mistrust of other nations the core of Chanakyas mandala theory. Under the stewardship of PM Modi, who like the India of yore has skillfully asserted primacy but never forcefully taken territory, the new Modi Mandala expects its neighbours to consider India as the Chakravartin. Excerpts: You say that India which sees itself, as the champion of anti-colonialism, founding member of NAM still unable to fulfill the requirements that qualify it for great power status? You quote Bharat Karnad as saying that India does not have a driving vision , a sense of national destiny a definition of national interests, an imaginative use of hard and soft power? In essence, you are saying that even Narendra Modi, whos made such a big splash with International Yoga Day, we are essentially more about soft power than hard? No. Not yet. I do agree largely with Bharat Karnad except on one point: We do have a sense of our destiny. Its not well-laid out, perhaps, like the United States or China, but we see our rise to power as something inevitable, a conviction that stems from our pride in our 5,000 year-old civilisation. But nobody seems to have an answer about how were going to achieve this. We feel, at some level that the world owes it to us. Its wonderful that people across the world celebrate Yoga Day, although this does not establish us as a superpower! The term contains certain dimensions: Do we have the economic wherewithal from infrastructure to investment, to the economys size and the number of people below poverty line? Can we attract labour? That we are purchasing new military equipment is a point of pride but its such a slow process that complaints pour in from army, the Air Force and the Navy. Things have changed over the last three years but there is still a gap between who we are and how we see ourselves. What are we today, have we shed the preachy, moralistic Nehruvian tone, and the tough Indira Doctrine, and Rajiv Doctrine for a Modi doctrine. What do you see that as evolving into? Is there a Modi Mandala? Has he broken with the past or in reaching out to everyone, are we simply doing more of the same still non aligned yet tilting towards one great power? No, we have not shed our preachy, moralistic tone, because this is part of the Indian psyche. The National Movement, led by Gandhi, has made us believe that we are very special. So when youre unique, that moral dimension creeps in to your thinking. Contrary to popular belief, our foreign policy remains very Nehruvian. We seek independence in decision making and strategic autonomy or non alignment. The PM may not go to a NAM summit but someone will. The decision is taken and made out to be representative of India as a whole. We decide to sign Paris treaty, on Gandhi Jayanti, because its important for India. Symbolism matter. Our attitude has been one of entitlement, we see ourselves as very unique and special and that we should be treated as such accordingly: We are India, we are unique, you have to make an exception for us. We have 1.2 billion people and isnt it a moral responsibility to ensure that they are all fed? We say all the right things, but dont do very much more. The gap between what we are and what we could be is still there its huge. As China reminded us and we responded by saying that the India of 1962 is not the India of 2017. China isnt the same China either and I believe Doklam is different because we have the advantage there. We also have the US which is more disposed towards us. Will they support us like they did in 1962? Its hard to say, for Kennedy was personally disposed towards us. Things are favourable but will Trump really go out of his way to help India when its not doing much for the Allies? Its fortunate, perhaps, that they have chosen Doklam, any other place might not have given us the same advantage. Now, our military is better equipped there. Where is the Henderson Brooks report? Its time we went public with that. Have you had access to the report? No. I have only seen the bits that Maxwell posted on his blog. Can you chart the doctrines, from Nehru to Indira, Rajeev, Gujral and now, Modi? The Nehru doctrine had a very strong messianic idealism, it was based on the belief that India is very special and we dont have to do anything about it. He said, We only have to wait for the world to recognise us. Independence in decision making was all important, even if that meant walking a lonely path. He was a realist s he was, for example, in Goa. With the neighbours, India has been more realistic. I call it a Curzonian mindset. Delhi knows best, so all our neighbours must understand our imperatives and keep our interests in mind. With the neighbours it was an imperialist thing. Yes, India is a beacon, the main power along with China. Still, India wont send her troops out, doesnt want to be part of the world, we dont want to join alliances, Blocs. Lal Bahadur Shastri, who had a very short tenure handled it well. Indira did have a very strong realist dimension, but that messianic idealism did creep in this was evident in her speeches abroad, which would talk of peace, justice and the international order being against India. Nehru was more of an internationalist he had travelled the world and had relations with countries that had gone through national movements of their own. Indira didnt have that kind of background. Her interest beyond South Asia was strictly limited to what was required. It was very nationalist and focused largely on the subcontinent. The imperialist legacy also continued and it was important to her, that neighbours kept the Indira doctrine, refusing the entry of foreign powers into the area. She expected India to be accepted as a paramount power. India believes that the United States recognises us as a regional power and they consult us on Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Of course, we want them to consult us on Pakistan as well. On Pakistan, youve shown how the Gujral doctrine which in destroying our intelligence assets and removing our eyes and ears, handicapped the Vajpayee administration, with the two biggest blots on his handling of Pakistan Kargil and Kandahar caught India napping. Do you think this government has been equally blind to the power that Pakistans army wields in inviting Nawaz Sharif to the Modi swearing in, and the impromptu visit to Lahore for Nawaz grand-daughters wedding without factoring in the blowback from the military-ISI that has led to the current standoff in Indo-Pak ties? Every PM believes that his legacy is to resolve the India-Pakistan conflict, which unfortunately for all of them, will not happen unless the underlying reasons are looked at carefully. The Pakistani establishment looks at India as an existential enemy, their rhetoric comprises largely of Indias supposed wish to reverse the Partition as they seek parity with us in every aspect. Vajpayee, like Nehru, believed that India will benefit from better relations with Pakistan and being the right of centre, Jan Sanghi politician he was, fancied himself to be just the man for the job. Modi inviting Nawaz Shariff to his swearing-in was a very Vajpayee move in that sense. However, civilian Pakistani PMs are afraid to exert their power, they simply want to survive their term. The bottom line is that peace is not profitable to the Pakistani army. They dont want the ramifications of an all-out war, of course, but as far as theyre concerned, this uneasy status quo is ideal. On China, and the recent controversy over Doklam and Bhutan, how do you analyse our handling of relations with Beijing? While we may not be as naive as Nehru was, do you think PM Modi has again started off on the wrong premise with the jhoola diplomacy only to be caught napping with the OBOR, where we overplayed our hand in boycotting it, and still played nice at G 20 and now the disengagement ahead of BRICS, despite the daily bashing from a China government mouthpiece? The relationship between Mr Modi and President Xi goes back to the formers days as CMs. Both have a lot in common, theyre seen as economy-focused with a nationalist foreign policy. This might help China take him more seriously than other PMs. Unfortunately, China has views about what Indias place in the world should be and they want to ensure that we are kept in that place. Doklam was Chinas way of telling India that they might be building ties with the US but really should remember who they are. Dr Aparna Pande is director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia at the Hudson Institute in Washington, and author of From Chankaya to Modi as well as Explaining Pakistans Foreign Policy, and Escaping India. Alcohol consumption has been strongly linked to breast cancer and research shows that even a small glass of wine a that could increase its risk by 6 per cent. (Photo: Pexels) A new study says that alcohol firms are misleading public over the risks of drinking and cancer. The research goes on to add that the companies are using denying and distraction tactics to rebuff the evidence that even moderate drinking could lead to illnesses. Alcohol consumption has been strongly linked to breast cancer and research shows that even a small glass of wine a that could increase its risk by 6 per cent. Other cancers caused by the tipple are bowel, throat, mouth and prostate cancers. According to researchers, alcohol damages the cells, triggering tumour formations. The research, carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine along with the Karolinska Instute in Sweden concluded that alcohol manufacturers are distorting the truth to sell more booze. Researchers found that manufacturers grossly misrepresented the truth with some denying the relationship existed at all whereas others claimed the evidence was 'highly complex.' The study also found the firms were particularly vague about the link to breast and bowel cancers, possibly because they are the most common types. There have been cases of babies being born with one or two teeth but not seven (Photo: YouTube) Children do grow up quickly but it seems that some are really in a hurry as has been seen in rare cases. In the past there have been instances of children performing extraordinary feats at a young age, but one child seems one step ahead. Doctors in Ahmedabad were left astonished when they found a baby born with seven fully grown teeth and believe this is the fist time something like this has happened. The child was moved to the intensive care unit immediately after birth and the mother was unable to breastfeed him, but she noticed something in Prayans mouth when she breastfed him later. The paediatric dentist consulted by the family said there isnt any particular reason for Prayan to be born with seven developed teeth. The teeth were removed surgically since they posed a risk of the baby swallowing and choking on them. Cases of babies born with one or two teeth have been reported in the past and are considered as rare as one in 3000, but this is the first time a baby is born with seven. Doctors suggested malnutrition during pregnancy as a factor in addition to certain genetic reasons. You are here: Home Journalists from home and abroad are invited to cover the upcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), it was announced Thursday. Applications for covering the congress can be submitted between Sept. 8 and 25, according to an official statement obtained by Xinhua. Journalists from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas are required to submit applications via http://cpc19reg.zgjx.cn. During the congress, a media center in Beijing will organize press conferences and arrange interviews for reporters. An official website and a WeChat account for the media center will also be available. The 19th CPC National Congress is expected to start on Oct. 18 in Beijing. With Canada less than a year away from the planned legalization of marijuana for recreational use, licensed producers are rushing to try to fill an expected shortfall in supply. (Photo: Pixabay) Oronto: Canadas biggest licensed producer of medical marijuana has bought land next to its greenhouse production site that will allow it to more than double the total volume of cannabis it can grow, its chief executive said on Thursday. Canopy Growth Corps (WEED.TO) Tweed Farms Inc subsidiary expects to spend at least C$25 million ($21 million) to upgrade the property, a flower farm it purchased for about C$9 million in cash and equity, with work including the installation of security cameras and fences due to start in October. With Canada less than a year away from the planned legalization of marijuana for recreational use, licensed producers are rushing to try to fill an expected shortfall in supply. This is a very big leap, in terms of our output, our capacity, our footprint, Bruce Linton, Canopy Growths CEO, said in an interview. Canopy Growth is currently licensed to produce 31,000 kilograms of marijuana and related products, and aims to triple that by July next year, the deadline the federal government has given provinces to make pot legal for all. The deal gives Canopy 450,000 square feet of greenhouses that can be immediately added to its existing 350,000 square foot facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It is also building an additional 200,000 square feet of greenhouse capacity on its existing property. Linton said that a 250,000 square foot greenhouse should be able to produce around 10,000 kilograms of marijuana annually, which at an average sale price of C$8 a gram could bring in C$80 million. Beyond Niagara, the company is expanding its headquarters in a former Hersheys chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and developing other indoor properties in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The company has signed up about a third of the roughly 200,000 medical marijuana customers in Canada, and Linton said he expected some 3 million Canadians to use legal non-medical pot next year. Within three years he expected more than half the companys revenues to come from business outside Canada, as countries from Australia to Germany take Canadas lead in creating rules to regulate the industry. Canopy Growth has been exporting cannabis for sale in German pharmacies for more than a year, has a majority stake in a medical marijuana company seeking final licensing in Chile and a 10 percent stake in Australian company AusCann (AC8.AX). It has also partnered with two emerging medical marijuana companies in Brazil. The company has so far steered clear of the US market, citing the legal uncertainty of federal prohibition that overhangs legality in several states. Women who consistently get the minimum recommended amount of exercise for a healthy heart may be less likely to have a stroke (Pixabay) Women who consistently get the minimum recommended amount of exercise for a healthy heart may be less likely to have a stroke than their counterparts whose exercise habits shift over time, a recent US study suggests. Researchers examined data on more than 61,000 women in the California Teachers Study who reported their exercise habits at two points in time, once from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2005 to 2006. The women were current and retired teachers when the study began. Overall, 987 women had a stroke by the end of the study period. But the women who got at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise at both points in time were 30 percent less likely to have whats known as an ischemic stroke, the most common kind, which occurs when a clot blocks an artery carrying blood to the brain. How people exercise changes over time and some individuals exercise when they are a young adult but do not keep it up when they are older, said lead study author Dr. Joshua Willey of Columbia University Medical Center in New York. In our study, we found that maintaining exercise levels was protective against stroke, and that taking up exercise when not being active while younger was also protective, Willey said by email. Similarly, those who no longer exercised on the follow up assessment did not have a lower risk of stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise or at least 75 minutes of more vigorous physical activity. More than 22,000 women met these minimum recommendations at both points when they were assessed in the study, mostly with moderate exercise. Almost 19,000 women failed to get enough exercise at either point in time. Another 11,500 women fell short of this goal in the beginning but achieved it at the end, while about 8,600 women started out getting enough exercise but failed to do so by the end of the study. Compared to women who failed to meet exercise recommendations at either point in time, women who got enough moderate activity at both points were 38 percent less likely to have a fatal stroke and 12 percent less likely to have any kind of stroke, the study found. Meeting moderate exercise guidelines by the end of the study, but not at the start, was associated with 35 percent lower odds of a fatal stroke and 27 percent lower odds of any stroke. But the chance of any stroke, including fatal ones, was similar for women who never got enough exercise and women who started out meeting the activity recommendations but didnt do so at the end of the study, researchers report in the journal Stroke. The results were similar for women who did higher-intensity exercise. The study wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how exercise habits might influence the odds of having a stroke or dying from it. Other limitations include the lack of data on other factors that could influence stroke risk such as blood pressure, obesity or diabetes, the authors note. Even so, the findings add to growing evidence for the benefits of moderate exercise, said Joe Northey of the University of Canberra in Australia. Moderate intensity seems to be optimal for increasing blood flow to the brain, Northey, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. Increasing cerebral blood flow through exercise improves the health and function of the brain. Enjoyment, rather than intensity, should be the focus, said Dr. James Burke, of the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor VA. The best exercise is the one a person enjoys doing because he/she is more likely to make it a habit, Burke, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. Inactivity, meanwhile, can take a toll on health, said Sandra Billinger of Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City. When we dont exercise, our blood vessels become more stiff, we tend to gain weight, our lungs are not well used and our muscles become weak and lose size, Billinger, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. . It was rare but we are glad the surgery was successful. The baby showed remarkable improvement and was discharged 10 days after surgery. He will now be able to lead a healthy and happy life," said Dr C Ramachandra, senior consultant and head of the department of paediatric surgery at the institute. (Representational image) Bengaluru: Three-year-old Alhasan beat cyanotic heart disease and left lower lobe pneumonia, to return home to Iraq healthy and happy recently thanks to doctors at the Institute of Women and Child Health, Sakra World Hospital. "When the parents brought him, he had been diagnosed with cyanotic heart disease and also had left lower lobe pneumonia due to an acquired TE fistula. It was rare but we are glad the surgery was successful. The baby showed remarkable improvement and was discharged 10 days after surgery. He will now be able to lead a healthy and happy life," said Dr C Ramachandra, senior consultant and head of the department of paediatric surgery at the institute. Alhassan was admitted a few times to various hospitals due and underwent a procedures for placing a gastrostomy tube and jejunostomy tube for nutritional purposes at a hospital in Iraq. Unfortunately both tubes had to be closed due to complications. He also had an esophageal covered stent inserted into his body at a hospital in Lebanon, but it too hard to be removed. In Bengaluru, he was admitted to the Sakra World Hospital, where he was stabilised with chest physiotherapy, nebulisation, antibiotics and medication to improve heart function and then underwent various procedures. "There's more to Hampi than the Vijayanagara empire!" Diminutive but full of fire, renowned conservationist Shama Pawar, founder of the Kishkinda Trust in Hampi, is visibly rankled by this popular misconception. When she first arrived in Hampi in 1997, she found a quiet, riverside town steeped in history, mythology and art. Much of this traditional heritage has been lost to the growing demands of a booming tourism industry. Pawar, whose decades-long journey to revive culture has helped train over 3000 locals in traditional art and craft believes there is no development without empowered locals. She talks to Aksheev Thakur about her mammoth project: restoring the ancient houses in the area and re-adapting them for tourism. What does the word Hampi bring to mind? The relics of the great Vijayanagara empire, the Utsav and the much-loved cafes by the river, perhaps... Tourism might be a booming industry for the town, which is thronged by tourists all year round. Still, the idea of Hampi remains restricted to ruins. Few people know, for instance, that Hampi is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, until the year 2001, when the Kishkinda Tails, a collection of mythological stories began to do the rounds. The book is a product of the Kishkinda Trust, founded in 1997 by eminent conservationist Shama Pawar. Elegantly draped in a saree, her diminutive frame ensconsed in a large couch at a hotel in Bengaluru, Shama Pawars frailty belies her feisty nature. I want to set up a cultural industry to train locals in the performing arts. They can use them to talk of their history," she exclaims, her eyes lighting up at the thought. "The legend of Hampi isn't limited to the Vijayanagara Empire," Pawar says emphatically during her visit to the city to attend Tribute to Hampi organised by INTACHs Bengaluru chapter. Originally a painter, Pawar first made her way to Hampi in 1991, where she was instantly enchanted by the beauty of the place with its magnificent ruins, the river running through the town and its rich forests. Even in 1995, two years before she founded the Kishkinda Trust, Hampi remained a quiet, one-horse town, a far cry from the tourist-hotbed it would grow to become. Shama Pawar (Photo: B. Satish) As the change happened, the pressures of development began to encroach upon local livelihoods, architecture and traditions. That's where the Kishkinda Trust comes in. Founded in 1997, it was intended at using tourism to revive the local community. Over 3000 locals have been trained since, in skills like weaving, art forms, solid waste management and handicrafts. The initiative has enabled self-employment, made the women more vocal and given local youths new aspirations: "Most of them wished to leave their hometown for want of job opportunities," Pawar remarked. "Still, a lot needs to be done. The projects we have handled so far have been self-sustaining but the renovation of the centuries-old homes in Anegudi, most of which are dilapidated, requires government attention." A graduate in Fine Arts and Painting, Pawar had a natural inclination for the arts. In Delhi, however, she developed a fascination for cottage industries. Cleaning up the streets, training rural workers and organic farmer engrossed her completely. "In 2006, I went to Delhi to show my presentation on rural projects we were doing in Anegundi. Amitabh Kant, whom I didn't know at the time, liked my presentation so much that I was offered the rural tourism project," she recalled. It was this project, she says, "That transformed Anegundi." Reviving traditional architecture in the cradle city of Hampi tops her agenda now - "Tourists will get to experience the anciety city in all its traditional glory and the legends associated with it can be passed on to the next generation, too." It is, no doubt, an expensive proposition, apart from being an intensive process. "The plan is to restore these homes and convert them into tourism-oriented business incubators. All of it will be done with minimum interference with the existing landscape," explains Pawar, who has sought assistance from the Department of Tourism. The Skill Development Department of the state government has already chalked out a plan to improve the site. "I just hope that the Tourism Department initiates the process, for locals are ready to participate in the change." "Renovation at the moment is haphazard, nobody really knows what needs to be done," she said. "If these houses are renovated, pilgrims and tourists can stay in them when they visit. A revolving fund with planned infrastructure can accommodate thousands of tourists. This should happen seamlessly, without disturbing the site's ambience and serenity," Pawar says. This adaptive reuse of traditional homes for tourists can only be achieved with sustained efforts by the government, locals and the private sector. "Any heritage conservation that takes place in Hampi should benefit the people of Anegundi." Just by looking a photo, a computer program, can tell if you are gay or night with 91% accuracy, a study claims. The computer can detect subtle differences in facial structure that the human eye can't, researchers say. The system was first introduced to a number of photos that included a mix of gay and straight, male and female. The computed took in measurements of the ratios between the different facial features - face, cheekbones, nose and chin. It made a note of the one's that were likely to appear in gay people, the Daily Mail reported. When it was established that the patterns associated with homosexuality were learnt, the system was shown a series of new faces. When it was shown five photos of gay and straight, it was able to identify each man's sexuality 91% of the time. With women the model was only able to tell gay and straight apart with 71% accuracy. However, its performance far superseded human ability to make this distinction. However, critics are concerned that the artificial intelligence system to "out" those who are not ready to reveal their sexuality. "Is my husband gay?" is more searched for on Google that "is my husband having an affair," the Daily Mail reported. "In countries where homosexuality is a crime, software which promises to infer sexuality from a face is an alarming prospect," warn an article in Economist. Researchers Michal Kosinski and Yilun Wang will soon publish their findings in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. BENGALURU: A 22-year-old unemployed youth, who had posted a hate message regarding the murder of eminent journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, has been arrested by the cyber crime police. The accused has been identified as Mallanagouda Basanagouda Biradar alias Malli, who hailed from Surapura taluk of Yadgir district. A diploma holder in civil engineering, he had a Facebook profile by name Malli Arjun. Just a few hours after Gauri was shot dead, the accused had put up a post in Kannada Ondu ganji giraakiya hena bitthu, mikka ganji giraakigaligoo ide gati #gauri_lankesh mataash, which loosely translates as One person with leftist ideology (the words ganji giraaki is used on social media to refer people with leftist ideology) is dead, other such people will also meet the same fate. The Cyber Crime police had taken up a suo motu case regarding the post and the profile had similar inflammatory and derogatory posts. The Cyber Crime police along with CCB officials tracked him to Nagarabavi Circle on Wednesday night and arrested him. When questioned, he confessed to have posted the hate message and said that he had completed Diploma in civil engineering in Lingasagur and had come to Bengaluru in search of job about two months ago. He was staying in the house of his Facebook friend at Nanjarasappa Layout at Chandra Layout in Vijayanagar. He also confessed that he has multiple email IDs and Facebook profiles, and had got a SIM card using fake documents the police said. The police have seized the mobile phone and the SIM card used in the offence. He was produced before the 1st ACCM court and has been taken to police custody for seven days for further questioning. The gang enters MMTS trains as passengers and rob single passengers or women with children Hyderabad: Clues from CCTV cameras helped the Secunderabad Railway Police to nab a four-member robbery gang who targeted passengers travelling alone and women with children on MMTS trains in the city. Police also nabbed three others who received the stolen property and recovered valuables worth Rs 50,000 from them. The arrested persons are M. Venkatesh, 22, D. Nagaraju, 20, D. Yadagiri, 19, and G. Venkatesh, 19. The arrested receivers are O. Rangaiah, 45, O. Narsimha, 42, and M. Balaiah, 35, all labourers working in different parts of Medchal district. Police said a few days ago four people threatened a passenger on an MMTS train at night near Ammuguda when she was alone and robbed her 2.5 tola gold chain and a mobile phone. Police analysed CCTV records and checked details of suspects with neighbouring police stations. Inquiries revealed the suspects were involved in similar offences in Alwal police station limits and were earlier arrested. Using the clues and CCTV records police identified them and nabbed the suspects involved in the robbery at the Secunderabad railway station on Thursday. This gang used to commit thefts mostly at nights. They enter MMTS trains as passengers with valid tickets. During the journey they keep a watch on single passengers or woman with children and rob them. They strike when there are only one or two passengers in the compartment and when the train is in the outskirts. This gang is suspected to be involved in many offences but since losses were less there were no complaints, said Mr S. Rajendra Prasad, in-charge superintendent, Secunderabad Railway Police. During investigation they confessed that they sold the stolen property to the other three suspects. They were also arrested and three mobiles were recovered from them. They were sent to judicial custody. The child has been kept in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as it is premature. (Representational image) Mumbai: A group of doctors at the Sir JJ hospital on Friday conducted caesarean section on the 13-year-old rape victim. Doctors decided to perform caesarean because terminating 31-week-old pregnancy was risky for her life. The Supreme Court earlier this week allowed the rape victim to terminate her 31-week-old pregnancy. The girl has given birth to a premature boy child weighing 1.8 kg. Doctors said that mother and child both are safe and normal. The child has been kept in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as it is premature. On September 6, the Supreme Court allowed the 13-year-old rape victim to terminate her 31 week old pregnancy. The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices A. M Khanwilkar and Justices Amitava Roy, passed the order for terminating the pregnancy. While pronouncing the ruling, CJI Misra said that keeping in mind the age of the petitioner and the trauma she faced, the court is allowing her to terminate her pregnancy. The training for the women joining the Corps of Military Police will be of 62 weeks, same as the male soldiers. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: A day after country's first full-time woman Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assumed office, another transformational move in the direction to promote women in the armed forces has come into effect. A major decision has been taken to induct 874 women in Corps of Military Police, with a yearly intake of 52 per year. In an Army briefing on Friday, Lt. General Ashwani Kumar, the Adjutant General of Army, has acknowledged the fact that amid increasing needs for investigation against gender specific allegations and crime, a necessity was felt to introduce women in Corps of Military Police. The training for the women joining the Corps of Military Police will be of 62 weeks, same as the male soldiers. This induction is likely to begin by 2018 as the modalities are being worked. In addition to this, Lt. General Kumar also informed that two new state of the art centres have been established in Bhopal and Guwahati, so that childless couple need not unduly wait for their turn. These centres are in addition to the existing ones at Delhi, Pune and Mumbai. Mumbai: The Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court on Thursday pronounced the quantum of punishment for five convicts in the March 12, 1993, serial blasts case, awarding death sentences to Firoz Khan and Tahir Taklya Merchant, life terms to Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan, and a 10-year jail term to Riyaz Siddiqui. The judgement came 24 years after 13 blasts ripped apart the city, killing 257 and injuring 713 persons. Thirty accused, including the alleged masterminds underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, are still absconding. Retired CBI DIG, O.P. Chhatwal, who had investigated the case said, As per law, Abu Salem could not have been awarded death sentence because death penalty has been abolished in Portugal. India had assured Portugal, which extradited Abu Salem in 2005, that he will not get a jail term above 25 years. Mr Chhatwal said that the CBI will examine the judgement and see if there is any ground for moving the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of punishment to convicts. On Thursday, Special TADA Judge G.A. Sanap awarded punishment under various sections of the Tada, IPC, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act and Destruction of Public Property Act. The court said all the accused would have to go through all the punishment concurrently. On June 16, the court had held the accused guilty after which the prosecution and defence argued for the quantum of punishment. 24 years later, victims find justice The court also set off the sentence of the accused against the jail terms they had already served, but clarified that Salems term would be set off from the date of his arrest in India, and not keeping in mind the punishment he had undergone in Portugal. Subsequently, the court imposed fines of Rs 4.75 lakh, Rs 8.88 lakh, Rs 4.85 lakh, Rs 8.51 lakh and Rs 10,000 on Firoz Khan, Karimullah Khan, Merchant, Salem and Siddiqui Rs 10,000 respectively. The court at the end said that victims and family members of the deceased would be given compensation, as per the Criminal Procedure Code and directed the CBI Mumbai superintendent of police to list the names of all the deceased and injured victims within 15 days and submit it to the district legal services. The court then directed the district legal services to distribute the compensation amount. On March 12, Ibrahim and his accomplices - seeking to take revenge for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya - targeted important sites in the city such as the Air India building, Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar's Plaza cinema, Zaveri Bazar and the Centaur hotel in Juhu. According to officials, vast quantities of RDX were used in this operation. Initially, 123 people were arrested, of which 100 were convicted in September 2006 but later Salem, Merchant, Karimullah Khan, Siddiqui, Firoz Khan, Abdul Qayuum and gangster Mustafa Dossa were arrested and separate trial took place in the special TADA court. The court, while convicting the accused, had held that the prosecution had proven that Salem was one of the key conspirators and he had delivered three AK-56 rifles, ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt. He also allegedly participated in bringing weapons and ammunition to Mumbai. The court had also held that Merchant was amongst the main conspirators as he had attended several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Some legal experts opine that despite being held guilty of conspiracy under the stringent Tada, Salem managed to escape the noose while co-conspirators Tahir Merchant and Feroze Khan were given death penalty. The answer lies in the extradition treaty signed between India and Portugal. Retired CBI DIG, O.P. Chhatwal, who had investigated the case said, As per law Abu Salem could not have been awarded death sentence because death penalty has been abolished in Portugal. Also, India had assured Portugal, which extradited Abu Salem in 2005 that he will not get a jail term above 25 years. Opposing "protectionism," playing a bigger role in global governance and instilling vigor into addressing the gap between the world's wealthy and developing nations were the focal points of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the BRICS summit, bringing together five major emerging economies to chart a future course. The concept of "protectionism" has been increasingly taken up by President Xi, considering it as an anti-globalization sentiment prevailing in the West and jeopardizing China's effort to expand its export markets. Pushing for a bigger say in the economic and financial regime that was established by Western powers after World War II is a major objective for BRICS. Within this framework, establishment of the Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) in 2015 as a substitute for the World Bank, became the groups first major achievement since its inception in 2009. Home to almost half the world's population and accounting for one-fifth of global economic output, the five countries see the bank a means to tackle a huge infrastructure funding gap they commonly face. Chinas commitment to the NDB was highlighted by President Xi in his opening address as he promised to allocate 500 million yuan ($76 million) for South-South cooperation among BRICS countries, and $4 million in additional support. On the first day of the summit in Xiamen, China's vice trade minister Wang Shouwen voiced the main rallying call against trade protectionism. Earlier, at a business forum, Xis advocacy of trade liberalization was voiced plainly. In their final declaration, the five, represented by Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michel Temer, South African President Jacob Zuma and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said they would commit themselves to working together to improve global economic governance involving "a more just and equitable international order" through adherence to an "open and inclusive" multilateral trading system. As the summits host, China was given the chance to act as a rampart of economic globalization in the face of President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. Xis robust defense of globalization, which he believes should be rebalanced in order to be sustainable, was highlighted in his call to fellow G20 members in July to uphold an open global economy, and in his key speech at the January World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It is noteworthy that the possibility of BRICS expansion was evident in the presence at the summit of Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, Guinea and Tajikistan as observers. Mexico appears as a key player-to-be in this expansion as China is reportedly interested in the possibility of setting up a free trade agreement with it, an interest shared by Mexico in response to Trumps threats to discard the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that he claims is killing U.S. jobs. In an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos, former Brazilian Finance Minister Rubens Ricupero said: "The initiative to invite Mexico to participate ... may represent a confrontation with the U.S. president's policy." He continued: "Mexico has begun for the first time to consider the possibility of losing a free trade agreement with the United States ... So, through Mexico's participation, the Trump spectrum is present at the summit." Calling for improved terms for his country in the NAFTA negotiations, Trump threatened to walk away from the pact, having also said he will withdraw from the Paris climate accord. A criticism of the American inward-looking policy and resistance to international agreements made its way in Xis address to the "Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries" on Tuesday. "Some countries have become more inward-looking, and their desire to participate in global development cooperation has decreased," he said. Chinas push for improving global economic governance, facilitating trade, investment liberalization and rebalancing economic globalization resonated in the groups call for "comprehensive reform" of the UN and its Security Council with a view to making it "more representative and effective," and to increase the representation of developing countries to adequately respond to global challenges. The Xiamen summit has rekindled the spirit of the groups structure. There seems to be a trend to reactivate it in order to occupy a position in an international order, whose leadership is increasingly shaking under Donald Trump. In an interview with Global Times, Wu Bai, director of the Institute for Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "One country alone cannot change the general framework, but when BRICS countries unite under the same mechanism, they can gain benefits." Haifa Said is chief editor of the English Department at the Syrian Arab News Agency. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Senior journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh was shot outside her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday evening. (Photo: Facebook | @GauriLankesh1) Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP (Intelligence) BK Singh, constituted to find the killers of senior journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh has sought help from public to solve the crime. Gauri Lankesh was murdered outside her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday evening. In their twitter handle, Bengaluru Police has circulated a phone number and email id for people to share any information they might have on the case. "General public is requested, any information on #GauriLankeshkillers. Public can call or email @ 09480800202, sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in," the tweet read. General public is requested , any information on #GauriLankesh killers. Public can call or email @ 09480800202, sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in pic.twitter.com/O7HLcGgzgp BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 7, 2017 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday held a meeting with SIT to assess the progress of the investigation. The state home minister on Friday announced Rs 10 lakh reward for any clue related to Gauri Lankesh murder. Read: Gauri Lankesh murder: Forensic experts to reconstruct crime scene According to the source, the footage shows Gauri Lankesh parking her white Toyota Etios in front of the gate between 7.45-7.55 pm on Tuesday night. She steps out of the car, with the keys still in the ignition, to open the gate and park the car inside. As she walks towards the gate, a man wearing a helmet and a jacket enters the frame, pulls out a pistol and fires a single shot at Gauri who had by then half-opened the gate. Earlier, Kavita, sister of Gauri Lankesh, said she was optimistic that the killer will be nabbed soon. Though we cant give any deadline to them (SIT), we also cannot wait for two years like in the case of Dr MM Kalburgi. If nothing happens in two weeks, we will ask for a CBI probe. Read: CCTV footage shows one gunman targeting Gauri Lankesh On Tuesday evening, seven bullets were fired at journalist Gauri Lankesh at her doorstep, when she was about to enter her Bengaluru house. Three bullets hit her two in her chest and one in the forehead. The investigating teams suspect the murder was well planned. "Usually, she left office and reached home only after 9 pm. But on Tuesday, she was early by an hour. But still the assailants managed to get her, which suggests that there was a proper ground work by them," an official said. The location was an advantage for the assailants as there are no houses for more than 100 metres on both sides of her house as 3-4 sites are vacant. Read: Gauri Lankeshs siblings set 2 week deadline for cops to arrest killer In front of her house there are two under-construction apartments and no one had reportedly seen the assailants. In addition, the roads were sparsely lit. While there is one street light is front of her house, the next one is around 400 metres away. The locality also has many cross roads, making it easy for the assailants to escape. Chennai: Embattled AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Thursday met Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao demanding that he direct Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly even as he harped on his sleeper cells in the legislature party who would act when the need arose. Meeting Rao 15 days after 19 legislators supporting him submitted a letter withdrawing their support to Palaniswami, Dhinakaran told the Governor that the Chief Minister has lost his majority in the AIADMK Legislature Party since required number of MLAs - 117 -- did not turn up at a meeting called by him on Tuesday. We apprised the Governor of the latest developments and told him that Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has lost his majority and is indulging in horse trading to cling to power. To stop such activities, we asked the Governor to direct the Chief Minister to prove his majority. Governor told us that he is watching the situation and will take good decision soon, Dhinakaran told reporters after the meeting. The ousted AIADMK leader repeated more than once that their demand was removal of Chief Minister Palaniswami since he betrayed the leadership, suggesting that their motive was not to rock the government. Political analysts said Dhinakaran seemed to have knocked at the wrong doors since Raj Bhawan does not decide who gets to be the Chief Minister. Only the legislature party of the ruling outfit decides the leader who in turn is made the Chief Minister. So, if Dhinakaran wants just a change in leadership, he should not be seeking Governor's intervention. Dhinakaran is trying to hide his lack of courage in toppling the government by doing such public stunt. The fact is MLAs are not willing to let go of power, political analyst Ravindran Duraisamy said. On STK Jaggaiyan leaving his camp and joining the CM's faction, Dhinakaran sought to downplay the issue, saying he was forced to jump the ship after he was threatened. One person has left us, but three people have joined us, pointing to Thiruvadanai MLA Karunas, who won the elections on Two Leaves symbol, said. The EPS camp is indulging in horse trading to ensure that it stays in power. Our sleeper cells are still active in the AIADMK legislature party and they will get activated when the need arises. Our support base is intact, he said. Maintaining that his intention is to change the chief minister and his deputy O Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran said he was not willing to blame anyone, including the BJP, for the crisis. Why should I blame BJP or anyone when the problem is with the CM. He was made CM by us but he betrayed, Dhinakaran said. Union minister for Tourism KJ Alphons has advised visitors to 'eat beef in their own country' before travelling to India. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: The newly sworn Union minister for Tourism KJ Alphons on Thursday has advised visitors to "eat beef in their own country" before travelling to India. Responding to questions on whether the restriction on beef in several states would impact tourism in India, Alphons said, "They (tourists) can eat beef in their own country and come here." The minister was speaking at a convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. A day after he was sworn in as one of the new ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, bureaucrat-turned-politician from Kerala, Alphons on Monday told NDTV that the ruling BJP had "no food code" for states. Read: Kerala will continue eating beef, BJP doesn't have a problem: KJ Alphons "In Goa, ruled by BJP, people continue to eat beef. Kerala will also continue to eat beef, BJP doesn't really have a problem with that," said the ex-bureaucrat dubbed Delhi's demolition man during his stint in Delhi's top civic planning agency. Just three days later, his advice to foreigners appeared to strike a different note. When he was reminded of his earlier comments, he said, "That is a cock and bull story...I am not the food minister...I am the minister for Tourism." Cow slaughter is banned in as many as 21 states. Consumption of beef has also been barred in some of these states, including Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. It is also banned in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Mangaluru: BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa and hundreds of workers were detained here on Thursday after the police foiled a bid by them to take out a bike rally to protest the alleged killings of Hindu activists in the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi. But in a clever twist to the Mangaluru Chalo campaign, Yeddyurappa attempted to turn the killing of anti-Hindutva activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh to his party's advantage by clubbing it alongside the attack on RSS activists here, and calling on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resign over the breakdown in law and order. The BJP's Yuva Morcha is demanding a ban on the SDPI, Popular Front of India (PFI) and Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), describing them as Muslim 'radical' outfits. Tactical shift? BJP too joins chorus on Gauri In a tactical shift in strategy, BJP leaders have started taking up the murder of writers Gauri Lankesh and M.M. Kalburgi to 'prove' the failure of the Congress government in the state. It was common for BJP leaders to highlight the murder of 18 BJP-RSS workers after Siddaramaiah came to power. This was meant to encash the Hindu sentiment. But after the death of Gauri Lankesh, a severe critic of saffron outfits, BJP leaders have started mentioning the names of Gauri and Kalburgi in their speeches to show that not only BJP and RSS leaders, even those who stood by Siddaramaiah were not safe! During the Mangaluru Chalo rally, Udupi MP Shobha Karandlaje was the first to take up the issue and spoke of the two writers who were murdered along with the murder of 18 saffronists. "Not only Hindu leaders, there is no protection for even those who support Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Prof. M.M. Kalburgi was killed about two years ago and two days ago, Gauri Lankesh was murdered right in the state capital," former minister R Ashok said. Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Jagadish Shettar questioned why the Kalburgi case was not handed over to the CBI and lamented that though he was killed two years ago, the assailants have not been arrested yet. Chikkamagaluru: Former Naxal leader, Sirimane Nagaraj, who surrendered to the authorities on December 7, 2014, doesnt believe other Naxals, who were unhappy with his decision, could be behind the killing of senior journalist/activist Gauri Lankesh, who was instrumental in his return to mainstream society. Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle on Thursday, he said the Naxals fight was against the "anti-people" policies of the government and not other Naxals, who chose to lay down their arms. They may have criticised our return to mainstream society, but their opposition cannot be linked to the murder of Gauri Lankesh, he contended. Both Sirimane Nagaraj and his fellow Naxal, Noors decision to surrender had not gone down well with the Communist Party of India (Maoists) Western Ghat South Zone Committee,which accused them of ditching the Naxal movement in the state. A letter dated December 5, 2014 and signed by Gangadhar of the Communist Party of India (Maoists) Western Ghat South Zone Committee , which was released to the media in Chikkamagaluru, had dubbed the Naxal package as inducement aimed at deceiving Naxal leaders. It said it opposed the efforts of Ms Lankesh , senior advocate, AK Subbaiah and others to bring the Naxals back into mainstream society. Even after the surrender of some Naxals, pamphlets and banners opposing certain government policies have continued to appear in parts of Sringeri in Chikkamagaluru. But Mr Subbaiah agrees with Nagaraj that the opposing faction of the Naxals could not be responsible for Ms Lankeshs murder and claims the Sangh Parivar is more likely to have carried it out. Villages in northern Banaskantha and Patan districts will be moved within a 10 km radius of their existing locations. (Photo: AP) Mumbai: Gujarat will move 15 villages that were affected by floods this year to higher ground, officials said, as they look for new ways to tackle the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding. Villages in northern Banaskantha and Patan districts will be moved within a 10 km (6 miles) radius of their existing locations after consultation with residents, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told reporters. These villages are in low-lying areas and were affected by similar floods in 2015. They will now be moved to higher ground in a nearby location, he said. The state will offer financial support to rebuild homes and also build schools and other facilities, he added. The relocation will be modelled after a similar move following a massive earthquake in 2001 that levelled several villages in the state and killed thousands, Patel said. Heavy monsoon rains in South Asia this year triggered the worst floods in a decade in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, killing hundreds of people and affecting tens of millions. India has the most exposure to damage from river flooding, according to research organisation World Resources Institute. While monsoon rains trigger floods in northern and eastern India every year, Gujarat, which is in a semi-arid region, has also experienced floods more frequently in recent years as warming temperatures bring heavier rains. Analysts have criticised the governments flood mitigation measures, including massive embankments and river linking schemes they say will only exacerbate the damage. An official audit of Indias flood management schemes over the last decade found they lacked forecasting mechanisms, pre-emptive safety measures and effective post-flood management. Dinesh Mishra from the non-government organisation Barh Mukti Abhiyan, which works with communities in flood-prone areas, said officials in Gujarat must not coerce people into moving, and need to ensure residents are given adequate compensation for any losses suffered due to the move. Relocation may be a solution in Gujarat, where there is land, but what about other states where there is nowhere to go? he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. People have deep ties to where they live; you cannot move everyone affected by floods to higher ground. Body of a class 2 student was recovered from a washroom of Ryan International School in Gurgaons Bhondsi. (Photo: ANI) Gurgaon: In a horrific turn of events, the body of a class two student was recovered on Friday from a washroom of Ryan International School in Gurgaons Bhondsi. The seven-year-olds throat was slit open and a knife was found alongside his body. The minor victim has been identified as Pradyuman Thakur. It is a clear case of murder, don't know what happened but I am sure its murder, Varun Thakur, father of victim, told ANI. Police are looking at CCTV footage of the area to carry on with the investigation. They have questioned a school bus driver and school staff, ANI reported. Meanwhile, they have registered a case of murder and an FIR has been filed against unknown persons in connection with the boy's death. The incident comes days after mysterious death of a 10-year-old boy at GD Goenka School, Ghaziabad. The class four student had slipped and fallen in the school corridor. Further details are awaited. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IGP B K Singh at the residence of Gauri Lankesh at Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru on Thursday. (Photo: Shashidhar B.) Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team formed to probe the murder of eminent journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh started its work on Thursday. After a meeting, the officials carried out a thorough search for more than 10 hours at the residence of Lankesh at Ideal Homes Township in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, where she was shot dead. SIT Chief IGP B.K. Singh held a meeting with his team members of Thursday morning at the CID office. It is learnt that the officials discussed the possible reasons for the murder like personal reasons, ideology, her writings and her role in rehabilitating Naxals. It is said that they have chalked out a plan for the further course of investigation and arrest of assailants at the earliest. Soon after the meeting, a team of officials went to Lankeshs house and examined the crime scene, while the other team visited Lankesh Patrike office in Gandhi Bazaar. It is learnt that the officials spoke to the staff there and gathered some details. At the residence, the SIT officials took the assistance of anti-sabotage squad to gather physical evidence from the spot. They also searched inside the residence and left with some documents around 11 pm. It is learnt that as the face of the assailant is not very clear in the CCTV footage, the SIT is likely to call in artists to draw a sketch based on the footage. The assailants face in not fully captured as he was wearing a helmet during the attack, sources said. Seeks information from public In connection with investigation of the case, the SIT has requested the public to contact the following number to share any information regarding the case - 9480800202. E-Mail ID - sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in The department of pharmaceuticals wants to make adoption and implementation of the code mandatory. It plans to attach penal provisions to ensure that unethical practices are curtailed. Hyderabad: The Department of Pharmaceuticals is drafting a Uniform Code for Pharma Marketing Practices (UCPMP) to curb the practice of companies offering gifts and benefits to doctors, agents, distributors, wholesalers and retailers who prescribe and promote their drugs. The code already exists, but its adoption is voluntary at present. There are no penal provisions associated with it, as a result of which wrong doers are not deterred. The department of pharmaceuticals wants to make adoption and implementation of the code mandatory. It plans to attach penal provisions to ensure that unethical practices are curtailed. According to sources in the pharma industry, the draft states that no gifts, pecuniary advantages or benefits may be offered or promised to persons qualified to prescribe or supply drugs. Gifts cannot be offered to healthcare professionals, their family members, or their extended family. The department is contemplating the addition of a provision for the arrest of the Chief Executive Officer of a drug company found violating the code. According to sources, the draft is being vetted by the law ministry at present, to ensure that the penal provisions stand up to legal scrutiny. A senior member of the pharmaceutical industry says, At present, the big companies are complying with the voluntary law which is already in place, but they are very few in number. There are many small and medium companies in the market, and they need to follow the code. The law must be the same for all. Another member of the pharmaceutical industry says, The code must ensure compliance, but it must not create a fear psychosis. At present, the market has a range of medicinal products and their utility must not be undermined. These practices have to stop, but the restrictions have to be implemented in a systemic manner so that everyone follows them. Hyderabad: The Nizam Auqaf Committee has asked the Saudi Arabia government to give new properties as a replacement for the Rubath properties which were acquired by the Saudi government during expansion works it had carried out in Mecca and Madina. The fifth Nizam, Afzalud Dawlah Bahadur had bought the properties in Mecca and Madina to provide accommodation for the pilgrims from the Hyderabad State. The practice still continues with the Nizam Auqaf Committee accepting online applications and through a draw selecting the beneficiaries. Many buildings, however, were razed during the last two decades due to the expansion of the Masjid Al Haram or the Grand Mosque in Mecca. At least three properties were acquired during the developmental works in the holy city of Madina. There is a policy in Saudi Arabia to compensate any property acquired for developmental works with another property valued to the same extent as the one taken over. So we are asking for properties and not compensation so as to benefit a large number of pilgrims from the erstwhile Hyderabad State, said Mr M.A. Faiz Khan, Trustee, Auqaf Committee HEH the Nizam. He said that Prince Mukaramjah Bahadur, grandson of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan, who is now staying in Turkey, had also expressed his intention of seeking property to benefit more pilgrims during their visit to Saudi Arabia for the Haj pilgrimage or the Umra pilgrimage. Around 5,000 odd pilgrims from the erstwhile Hyderabad State are now spread over Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra and go for the Haj pilgrimage. Our plan is to accommodate almost all the pilgrims from the erstwhile Hyderabad State in the Nizam Rubath. We are going to hold talks soon and will identify the buildings, said Mr Faiz Khan. There are also reports of the Rubath facility being extended to pilgrims going for the Umra. We have no official communication regarding it. But are following it up with the Saudi government and hope to get a positive reply, said Mr Faiz Khan. In Haj 2017, a total of 1,153 pilgrims (568 pilgrims from Telangana, 450 from Maharashtra and 117 from Karnataka) were provided accommodation at Rubath. They were provided food too which was free of cost. Return gift Flash Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that the key to solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is both sanctions and dialogue. Wang made the remarks during a press conference after a meeting with visiting Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara. He said China strongly opposes the nuclear test made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which he said violated UN Security Council resolutions. Wang said China supports further moves made by the UN Security Council on the issue, and China will maintain close coordination with related parties on the basis of objectiveness and fairness. Sanctions are only one half of the key to solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and the other half is dialogue, he said, adding that sanctions and dialogue should work together to solve the issue. He called on the international community to push for the restarting of dialogue and expected all the members of the UN Security Council to maintain unity to reach consensus and send a concerted message on the issue. O Pannerselvam took oath as deputy chief minister contrary to the Constitution, the petitioner had claimed. (File photo) Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition, challenging AIADMK leader O Pannerselvam taking oath as deputy chief minister. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar dismissed the quo warranto petition filed by advocate V Elangovan. The bench while doing so referred to a Supreme Court judgement, in which late Devi Lal's appointment as deputy prime minister was challenged and a Bombay High Court judgement in which Gopinath Munde's appointment as deputy chief minister was challenged. Elangovan, in his August 29 PIL, had contended that there was "no provision in the Constitution for the appointment of a deputy chief minister ". Pannerselvam took oath as deputy chief minister contrary to the Constitution, he claimed. He should have taken oath only as a minister and not as deputy chief minister and hence his appointment was not valid, Elangovan claimed. According to the Constitution, there can be only a chief minister and ministers, he had said. The petitioner had prayed for a court direction asking Pannerselvam to show cause under what authority of law he took oath as deputy chief minister and holding that position. Panneerselvam was sworn in as deputy chief minister on August 21 marking the unification of AIADMK factions led by him and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. RSS and BJP workers are also entitled human rights. This hypocrisy and double standards need to be exposed, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The BJP on Friday questioned the Congress government in Karnataka on its failure to provide security to journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was murdered outside her house in Bengaluru. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the state government should have protected her because Gauri worked to make Naxals surrender, thereby, incurring the wrath of their leaders. "Indrajit Lankesh (Gauri's brother) is on record stating his sister was working actively to ensure Naxals surrendered... so was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government...? and if so, why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad said at a press conference. It had also been said that Naxalites were unhappy with her activities. "Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?" he added. Ravi Shankar Prasad also condemned the "malafide comments" on the "regrettable and unfortunate killing" of the journalist-activist. Various party leaders, he added, had spoken out against the murder. Also read: CCTV footage shows one gunman targeting Gauri Lankesh Taking on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Prasad asked why he had not questioned his party's government in the state. Rahul has already blamed RSS wing groups for killing the journalist, Prasad said. How could be a fair probe expected from the Congress government in Karnataka, he added. Stressing that the BJP respects everyone's right to express their feelings and sense of repulsion, Prasad lashed out against "so called liberals of double standards" who remain silent on on the killings of RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala. "Why is that all my all liberal friends who speak so eloquently and strongly against the killing of a journalist... maintain conspicuous silence when so many RSS and BJP workers were killed in Karnataka and Kerala," he said. RSS and BJP workers are also entitled human rights. This hypocrisy and double standards need to be exposed, he added. Protesters turned violent when police resorted to lathicharge and used teargas to stop them from heading to Lal Chowk in Anantnag. (Photo: AP/Representational) Srinagar: Six policemen, including two officers, were injured after clashes erupted in Anantnag town of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday afternoon over alleged persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. A group of people, headed towards Lal Chowk in Anantnag to observe a peaceful protest, attacked the police after they resorted to lathicharge and used teargas to stop the protesters from proceeding further. The crowd also resorted to stone pelting. The protesters turned violent and dragged policemen out of a Rakshak vehicle and torched it, eyewitnesses said. Jammu and Kashmir Police, through Twitter, gave information about the casualty in the violence. Reports from Anantnag said that protests and violence have spread to some other areas of the town too. Stray incidents of violence and clashes between irate crowds and the security forces were reported from a few Srinagar areas as well. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF personnel, in riot gear, had enforced a security lockdown in parts of Srinagar in the morning in view of the protests. An alliance of religious organisations asked people of Kashmir to observe September 8 as Solidarity Day and stage peaceful protests after Friday prayers. Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric and prominent separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest, while separatist leader Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested and sent to jail ahead of the 'solidarity day'. Separatist patriarch Syed Ali Shah Geelani is already under house arrest. However, official sources said that actions against the separatist leaders were taken primarily to prevent them from flying to New Delhi where they had planned to ask the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to arrest them. The police officials said that security restrictions have been imposed in the Srinagar areas falling under the jurisdiction of five police stations. The locals said over the phone that dozens of security personnel have laid siege around the citys Grand Mosque. The main gates of the premises have been locked and the worshipers are unlikely to be allowed to go inside for the Friday congregation. Chennai: A teacher of a government school in Villupuram district near here, Sabarimala Jayakandhan, 34, created a flutter when she quit her job over National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (Neet), moved by the tragic end of MBBS aspirant S. Anitha of Kuzhumur village in Ariyalur. This Panchayat Union Middle School teacher at Vairapuram in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district, tendered her resignation on Thursday and demanded the Central and state governments to evolve a nationwide uniform education policy and syllabus to empower students by ensuring them equal opportunities to face competitive examinations like Neet. "My conscience did not permit me to keep quiet after witnessing the prevailing scenario and the tragic death of Anitha. As my government job is preventing me to express myself, I have decided to resign," Sabarimala said. On Wednesday morning she wanted to express her "just feelings" and so began a token fast in front of the Panchayat Union Middle School, Vairapuram, but was denied permission by authorities citing lack of permission for government teachers to stage agitation against the government. "I felt that I didn't need the job, which denied me an opportunity to take up the people's cause despite receiving my salary from (tax payers') people's money. So I resigned my government job this morning," she said. Sabarimala met district elementary education officer (DEEO) at Tindivanam and submitted her resignation. The DEEO is said to have directed her to submit a copy to the assistant education officer. She expressed that she was not against any entrance examinations like Neet but "may be later, it will be scrapped and replaced with some other entrance tests." "My demand is that we prepare students for successfully writing entrance examinations, including Neet or any other screening examinations." Sabarimala's son J. Jayacholan is studying in class 2 in the same school. Her husband Jayakandhan is a station master at Mailam railway station. "I am planning to visit rural areas to garner support from students and teaching fraternity for a uniform education policy in the country," she announced. College students intensify Neet stir Anti Neet protests in the state to condemn the death of medical aspirant Anitha intensified on Thursday as the protests entered the sixth day. In Chennai, the protests were held at 23 places and thousands of students participated in the protests. Students from New College, Pachaiyappas College, Loyola College and St.Thomas College have boycotted their classes and raised slogans against Neet in their campuses.In some districts, school students also jumped into the protests. Student activists have petitioned the CM cell demanding to invite them for talks. The levels of cadmium, lead, uranium, strontium, silica were found to be higher than permissible in drinking water at various places in the region. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The chronic kidney disease and resultant deaths over the last 25 years in Uddanam in Andhra Pradesh was caused by polluted drinking water, the Uddanam Kidney Baadithula Sangibava Committee said on Friday. It said chemical analyses of samples collected from Siramamidi, Garudabhadra, Borivanka, Vagella and Kanchili villages had found that water was not suitable for drinking. Nims former director Raja Reddy, speaking to the media, said that the levels of cadmium, lead, uranium, strontium, silica were found to be higher than permissible in drinking water at various places in the region. The Committee criticised the AP government for not finding the cause of the chronic kidney disease, but announcing the setting up of dialysis centres in the affected areas. It said a permanent solution was needed for the problem. The Committee wanted the government should depute nephrologists and medical experts to Uddanam to help the affected. They said 35,000 people had died due to chronic kidney disease while another 40,000 were affected. The Committee said a public meeting was being organised on September 26 to sensitise people on the issue. The admit cards will be issued online after October 16. Hyderabad: The Army will conduct recruitments rally in all the districts from Novemebr 1 to 10 at Dr B.R. Ambedkar Stadium in Karimnagar. The rally will be conducted by the Army Recruiting Office, Secunderabad, under the aegis of Headquarters Recruiting Zone, Chennai. The Army is looking to hire soldiers in the following categories: technical, technical (aviation and ammunition examiner), nursing assistant, general duty, clerk/store keeper and tradesman. Candidates applying for general duty category should be between 17 years and 6 months and 21 years. For the remaining categories the age is from 17 years and 6 months to 23 years. Registration and online applications will open from September 17 to Oct 16. Applicants have to fill the application form online. It will be available on the website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. The admit cards will be issued online after October 16. Candidates must bring a hard copy of the admit card for the rally along with original and photocopies of qualification certificates. Candidates can clarify all their recruitment related queries from the online mobile application Army Calling and Army Recruiting Office, Secunderabad (040-27740059. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Union Home Minister Rajnath during an exhibition organised by Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence at DRDO Bhavan in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, seen as a major move towards breaking gender barriers in the force. Adjutant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar said on Friday it planned to induct about 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel. Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women. The Adjutant General said the decision to induct women in the corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime. The announcement is major step towards the eventual opening up of doors to women in combat roles. It came a day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the countrys first full-time woman defence minister. The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs today by incumbent Gen. Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs Conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan. We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police, Kumar told reporters here. Hyderabad: Passing on tax benefits to consumers is the main point on the agenda of the GST Council meeting that will be held in Hyderabad on Saturday. The meeting to be chaired by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley is significant as it is likely to finalise the modalities of setting up the national and state-level anti-profiteering authorities to enable consumers lodge complaints against traders and companies that are not passing on tax reduction benefits to consumers. Besides, the TS government, which is hosting a GST Council meeting for the first time, has threatened to move the Supreme Court if it does not approve its demand to reduce the tax on work contracts of projects of public importance to five per cent. The states major projects Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, the 2BHK housing scheme and various power projects have become more expensive as a result of the new tax. Following stiff resistance from Telangana state and some other states, the GST Council in its previous meeting in August had agreed to reduce the tax on contracts to 12 per cent from 18 per cent. Orders in this regard are yet to be issued. The TS government is not satisfied with this reduction and continues to demand five per cent GST on contracts, which existed in the previous VAT regime. Finance minister Etela Rajender on Friday inspected arrangements for the meeting at HICC. The government will host a dinner for visiting dignitaries at Falaknuma Palace on Saturday. The Chief Minister, who has undergone eye surgery on Friday, is unlikely to attend the dinner. Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) fares are yet to be finalised though commercial operations on the first 30-km phase will be launched between November 28 and 30, HMR managing director N.V.S. Reddy on Friday. He said the project developer L&T had been asked to submit proposals on fares which the government will examine and approve in October. The price band was fixed at Rs 8 to Rs 19 in April 2011. In March last year, municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao told the Assembly that the price band would be Rs 13 to Rs 25 as per existing market costs. With costs shooting up due to the delay in completing the project, there are indications that the price band could be increased to Rs 20 to Rs 50. Mr Reddy said a seamless smart card and an app will be launched for commuters, which would cover RTC and Metro Rail services. He said that government does not owe any arrears to L&T. The company had sought some funds from the government on the grounds of increased project costs but we made it clear that it would not be possible as per the agreement, he said. We will build skyways to help Metro commuters to avoid crossing the roads to enter or exit the stations. RTC buses will be given priority to provide transportation for commuters at Metro Rail stations. We will launch electric vehicles, Mr Reddy said. 32 stations will have parking faciities Parking developed by L&T: Ameerpet (Chalees Makanan) Panjagutta (Govt. quarters) Parade Ground (GHMC office) Miyapur open land (terminal station) Balanagar (Huda truck terminal) Irrum Manzil (govt. quarters) Malakpet (govt. quarters) LB Nagar (open space before indoor stadium) Falaknuma open land (terminal station) Hitec City (NIFT/ ATDC land) Nagole terminal station Raidurg Yousufguda (Gallery) Old Gandhi Hospital land (Secunderbad west station) Dhobighat land at MGBS Kukatpally (school land) Rasoolpura (Police quarters land) Parking developed by HMR Uppal Secunderabad Paradise Begumpet Madhuranagar Jubilee Hills check post Madhapur Yousufguda Bharatnagar Nampally Gandhi Bhavan MGBS Victoria Memorial Narayanguda station Sultan Bazaar (Putlibowli) Several social and religious organisations in the city on Friday took out protest rallies against the genocide of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. Hyderabad: Several social and religious organisations in the city on Friday took out protest rallies against the genocide of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. At several mosques across the city, special supplications (dua) was also organised for the persecuted community. A massive rally was taken out from Asifnagar to Mehdipatnam by local social organisations of the area while another small rally was taken out at Mumtaz Bagh colony in Errakunta area in the Old City. At Barkas, a group of youngsters including Arab Gau Raksha Dal burned pictures of the Myanmars state couns-ellor and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Abdullah Bahamed, who led the protest at Barkas, said that the premeditated targeting of Rohingyas in Myanmar is an act of terrorism. At Ujale Shah Eidgah in Saidabad, the Darsgah Jihad-o-Shahadat organised a special supplication session. At Jamia Masjid Darulshifa, prayers were held for the safety of the the Rohingyas. Similar prayer meetings were held at various other places in the city. Flash It is necessary to learn lessons from the recent incident to safeguard peace in the border area, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when asked to comment on China-India relations. India has withdrawn personnel and equipment from Dong Lang (Doklam) after a military stand-off lasting from mid June to late August. "The two sides should properly settle differences and issues on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence," Wang said. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence, were endorsed by China and India in the 1950s, and have been widely accepted as norms for relations between countries. Wang said that the two sides should implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries to ensure healthy and stable development of China-India ties. Wang said the two sides should strengthen mutual trust and treat each other as development opportunities and partners, not opponents and threats. "Peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is an inevitable choice and correct direction of China-India ties," he said. Indian army chief Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday that his country must be prepared for war and accused China of "testing our limits." "I'm not sure if his remarks have been authorized, and whether the remarks were impromptu speech or representing the position of the Indian government," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, noting even the Indian media considered his remarks shocking. Geng urged certain Indian military officials to clearly view the historical trend and make remarks and deeds conducive to China-India ties. The NCRB data showed that the highest number of farmer suicides occurred in Maharashtra (3,030), Telangana state (1,358), Karnataka (1,197), Chhattisgarh (854) and Madhya Pradesh (516). (Representational image) Hyderabad: As many as 1,990 farmers have committed suicide in Telangana state during the last two years, the government admitted in a report submitted to the Rajya Sabha Committee on Government Assurances last week. TS Chief Secretary S.P. Singh submitted a report to the committee giving details of farmer suicides in 2015 and 2016. The 2015 figures tallied with those provided by the NCRB for 2015 (NCRB data for 2016 is yet to be released). The NCRB data showed that the highest number of farmer suicides occurred in Maharashtra (3,030), Telangana state (1,358), Karnataka (1,197), Chhattisgarh (854) and Madhya Pradesh (516). Countrywide, bankruptcy and indebtedness were the major causes of these suicides in 2015, registering an almost three-fold increase (3,097), compared to 2014 (1,163). Maharashtra reported the most number of suicides due to indebtedness (1,293), followed by Karnataka (946) and Telangana (632). With 131 deaths, Telangana state reported the highest number of suicides by farmers who took loans from moneylenders, followed by Karnataka (113). Farm-related issues such as crop failure forced 769 farmers to end their lives in Maharashtra, followed by 363 in Telangana state, 153 in Andhra Pradesh and 122 in Karnataka. Family problems (933) and illness (842) were other top reasons for suicides among farmers in 2015, according to NCRB data. Mr Singh informed the committee that the state government was making sincere and committed efforts to make agriculture viable and prevent suicides among farmers. He said the government had waived Rs 17,000 crore worth of crop loans, launched a new scheme to give financial assistance of Rs 8,000 per acre per year to all farmers, is constructing irrigation projects, reviving minor tanks, providing 24x7 free power supply and timely supply of seeds and fertilisers. Hyderabad: The GST Council meeting to be held in Hyderabad in September will issue directions to all companies to pass GST price reduction benefit to consumers. Though its more than 50 days since GST came into force, its impact on prices is yet to be felt. The GST Council was said to have put a majority of consumer items in the lower tax slabs, there is no corresponding decrease in prices. This is because manufacturing companies and shops still retain old stocks. The government has not insisted that they reduce prices in order to clear the old stock and transit to the GST regime. The GST Council, headed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, had given an assurance that the issue will be resolved by the next meeting on September 9. IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, who attended the last GST meeting, said Centre had launched a publicity campaign promising that GST would bring down consumer prices as 81 per cent of the items were placed in the lower tax slabs of 5, 12 and 18 per cent. This is not seen on the ground so far. In some cases, the prices had increased and such instances will make people lose confidence in the GST regime, he said. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra backed TS and wanted the Centre to make companies fall in line. KOCHI: Nobel Peace laureate and child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi is all set to launch a Bharat Yatra from Kanyakumari to Delhi on September 11 marking the launch of his three-year campaign against child sexual abuse and trafficking. The yatra will touch Thiruvananthapuram on September 12 and reach Madurai on September 13. It will culminate in New Delhi on October 16. The Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation says that the yatra is aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of child abuse cases, strengthening institutional response, including medical health and compensation, ensuring protection for victims and witnesses during trials and raising convictions of child sexual abuse in a time-bound manner. The foundation says that it is supported from Kerala by State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Child Line, CII Young India, Lions Club, Rotary Club and District Child Protection Unit apart from NGOs like Don Bosco and educational institutions like Sarvodaya School. When it comes to child sexual abuse, in 99 percent of the cases registered in Kerala in 2015 under POCSO 4 & 6 (penetrative sexual assault on children), the perpetrator was known to the survivor/child victim. Mr Satyarthi has often expressed his concern about the fear that exists in society to stop victims or their families from speaking up. This fear emboldens the criminals to roam freely and commit more heinous crimes, thereby ruining many lives. It is critical to make the public aware of the extent and seriousness of the crimes of trafficking and sexual abuse. Citizen mobilisation and mass awareness creation help in bringing this issue to the centre stage for social awakening and action. The yatra will look to change the mindset of the people and sensitise them to the most urgent and pressing issue of child sexual abuse and child trafficking. This abuse is, in fact, an organised crime. Let safe childhood, safe Bharat resonate across the country and let it carry the message that we will no longer tolerate the rape of our daughters and sons, said Mr Satyarthi. Mangaluru: Defying the police ban, the BJP held a massive protest at Dr BR Ambedkar Circle and also took out a padayatra and procession till the Deputy Commissioner's office on Thursday as part of Mangaluru Chalo. The police arrested some people near Ambedkar Circle and others outside the DC's office which they had planned to picket. However BJP workers and leaders who gathered at Ambedkar Circle in the morning defied the ban and held a protest in the circle for about two hours till 12.15 pm. BJP leaders CT Ravi and Katta Subramanya Naidu arrived on a bike which was stopped by the police. Leaders including B.S. Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, K.S. Eshwarappa, Aravinda Limbavali, R Ashok and Nalin Kumar Kateel addressed the gathering. Over 5,000 workers participated in the meeting. As there was no permission to erect a stage, an open truck was converted into a temporary stage where the leaders stood and addressed the protestors. Despite police vigil, the workers succeeded in bringing about 20 motor bikes and in holding a bike rally from the circle to the DC's office covering 3 kms. Leaders including Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa and Shobha were arrested when they started the Padayatra. Police had turned the DC's office into a fortess and did not allow any protestor to enter. The protesors demanded that the government ban PFI, SDPI and KFD and also demanded the resignation of Dakshina Kannada District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai. Mangaluru MP loses his cool The clipping of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel shouting at officials and warning that he would call for a bandh, went viral on social media on Thursday. The clipping shows Nalin shouting at Police Inspector Maruthi Naik for not releasing the activists who were arrested during 'Mangaluru Chalo' rally. Though social media the messages claimed this incident was a tactic by Nalin to create fear among the police, the MP clarified he was angry over the dealy in releasing the workers. "Thousands of workers had come to attend the Mangaluru Chalo rally. The police arrested all of us and released us immediately. But about 25 workers were arrested and kept in a room without allowing them to have lunch. These workers called me and I asked the police commissioner who said that they would be released shortly. But round 2.30 pm I got to know they were still not released," Nalin told DC. THERE must be moments in Nawaz Sharifs mind when he questions whether it has all been worth it. The humiliation at the unfeeling hands of Z.A. Bhuttos nationalisation, the confiscation of his newly wedded wifes jewellery stored in the office safe in Ittefaq Foundries, the grovelling before a PPP government to have it restored, the sycophancy before Gen. Zia-ul Haq, the puppet years as Punjabs finance minister and then chief minister, the gruelling rigours of electioneering, the bittersweet fruits of three prime ministerships, incarceration in Attock Fort, the 24-karat alms given as political zakat by the Saudis, the luxury flats in London, the obese bank balances abroad, and the widening rift in his fathers family. Was it worth the price? Now, he sits by the bedside of his ailing wife in a London hospital, unable to compensate her for the years of separation and her sacrifice during their 46-year marriage. Nawaz Sharifs political oscillations remind one of the person who had a nightmare that he was making a public speech, and awoke to find that he was. In Nawaz Sharifs case, his recurring nightmare has been of being removed from office by forces inimical to him. Thrice he has woken and found that he was. In 1993 the Supreme Court granted him a reprieve, but it proved shortlived. In 1999, President Bill Clinton rescued him over the Kargil misadventure, but could not prevent the coup by Gen. Musharrafs cohorts. And now, in 2017, he has again been ousted. The ex-PM is growing in similarity to King Charles I. Vainly did the deposed king assert that Princes are not bound to give an account of their Actions but to God alone. Unheeded went his claim that the King can do no wrong. And in his final moments, on the scaffold in Londons Whitehall in January 1649, he uttered these words: I Am the Martyr of the People. Many argue that the National Assembly byelection will be the barometer of Nawaz Sharifs popularity. Whatever the result may be, it will be a false reading. The test for all the parties determined to have a say in the governance of Pakistan will be the next general election. They are currently scheduled within 90 days after June 2018. After those elections, whichever party gains an absolute majority will be able to escape the reality that is todays Pakistan. Here is a list of tasks our future PM might like to ignore: Control the population. The latest provisional census has revealed that there are 207.77 million Pakistanis. Half of them are under the age of 25, and will procreate. Implement a national curriculum. Ration water usage. Water, like a mothers love, cannot be taken for granted. Water, water nowhere, and not a potable drop to drink. Encourage vertical urbanisation. The sky is the limit. Control consumption. No nation can afford $50 billion of unbridled imports, more than twice the value of its exports. Justify defence expenditure. Every gun, every warship, every rocket is a theft from those who hunger, those who are not clothed. Dwight D. Eisenhowers words, not mine. The list is endless. It will grow, not because Pakistans problems are insoluble but because every government has chosen to oscillate between rapacious governance and inept governance Why does Nawaz Sharif then crave for a fourth term? By arrangement with Dawn Political theatrics is rapidly changing in West Bengal, as competition seems to be intensifying in the race to appropriate gods, goddesses and spiritual leaders as a tactic to leverage festivals and celebrations to capture popular attention. In this tug-of-war for fervent hearts, Sister Nivedita, the Irish-born disciple of Swami Vivekananda, appears to have been appropriated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, while Ganapati Bappa has been grabbed by local Trinamul enthusiasts. By cancelling permission for a celebration of Sister Niveditas contribution to Indian nationalism by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Kolkata on October 3, the Trinamul Congress government has on one hand succumbed to the provocation and on the other issued a challenge to the increasingly pushy plans of the BJP to invade and snatch West Bengal from Mamata Banerjees control. Read along with the directions to the police issued by the chief minister to ban all processions that include weapons - symbols of militant Hinduism like tridents and swords - as part of the dress code, the signals are easy to decipher. With every available means, it will be Mamata Banerjees agenda to thwart efforts by the RSS and the BJP to convert gods, goddesses, spiritual icons and tridents into political capital. Declaring the streets and government-controlled public spaces, such as the Mahajati Sadan hall, off limits is designed to deliver a high-visibility message of zero tolerance in Mamata Banerjees Bengal to the RSS plans to establish itself. But in reality, can she actually curb the spread of the RSS in the state? The facts indicate that the Sangh Parivar has already managed to establish bases in West Bengal, aided by the enormous reach of the BJP in power at the Centre and Narendra Modis relentless messaging amplified by the army of social media propagandists. The expansion of the RSS is revealing: from 580 shakhas in West Bengal in 2011, it now has over 1,500 shakahas and thousands of cadres. While most of this growth has been in the districts, including North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Birbhum and West and East Midnapore, Kolkata and the Muslim-majority districts of Malda and Murshidabad have also responded to the RSS messages of saving Hindus in the homeland. The RSS and its parivar is on a growth trajectory, backed by the advantage that the BJP enjoys as the party in power at the Centre. The clout and the cult of Narendra Modi has spread the BJPs popularity, and helped it to expand rapidly across the country. Denying this juggernaut space in West Bengal will not cripple its efforts to increase its presence; it will merely add to its growing capital of rage against Mamata Banerjee. The effect of denying permission has been instant; the BJPs state chief Dilip Ghosh has called on his troops to beat up the police and Trinamul Congress workers because that is permissible in Mamata Banerjees West Bengal. If this seems a bizarre response, then the logic of Mr Ghoshs argument needs to be understood - provoke the Trinamul Congress and create chaos, perhaps to the point when it will appear that there is an irreparable breakdown of law and order. His instigation to violence is spelt out in a three-step plan for his partymen to follow. First, provoke the Trinamul Congress to violence. Second, push the police to register FIRs. Third, if the police does not, because of its reluctance to take on the Trinamul Congress and the consequences that may follow if chief minister-home minister Mamata Banerjee gets angry, then beat up the police.Unlike the conventional and essentially constitutional political parties that have been opposing Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, the BJP is a different kettle of fish. It is clearly happy to dispense with the conventions of parliamentary politics. It is reshaping the politics of disorder that was once uniquely Mamata Banerjees strategy to break the polarisation in West Bengal of Left versus Congress to make space for Trinamul Congress. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar are casting themselves as the antidote to Trinamul Congress and the established political order. In doing so, it has by inference turned Ms Banerjee into the source of everything that is wrong or toxic in West Bengal. By extension, Trinamul Congress has become the legacy party of the Leftand Cong-ress, which makes it even more toxic. Therefore, every action or reaction of Mamata Banerjee is open to a very different interpretation, a mind game in which the BJP-RSS has acquired a certain expertise through practice in several other states. At this point, Mamata Banerjee is in danger of being outsmarted and so outmanoeuvred by the BJP-RSS. Her personal style is being challenged. To differentiate herself from the rest, Ms Banerjee used her simple faith to turn herself into the patron of West Bengals best carnival, Durga Puja. It gave her an immediate connect to the millions who celebrate the festival. The contrast to the dour and distant CPI(M) was brilliant tactics and she has used chanting mantras, painting the third eye and inaugurating pujas into her political signature. To compete now, the BJP-Sangh Parivar has to invent a toll that would provoke Ms Banerjee and make itself more popular. It hit upon multiple roadshows of trident-brandishing and sword-waving bhakts to celebrate Durga Puja, particularly on Vijaya Dashami, or the triumph of good over evil. By banning this, Ms Banerjee has stepped into a very slippery place. It has pushed her into a competition in which she will lose more often than win against the BJP-Sangh Parivar. In order to outdo the BJP in public displays of Hindu piety and undo the perception that she has overdone her appeasement of the states significant Muslim minority, Ms Banerjee has been reduced to organising Hanuman Utsavs and Ganesh Pujas. The absurdity of these manoeuvres have not damaged the BJP-RSS appeal; on the contrary, it has made her vulnerable to ridicule and provocation. The sudden appearance of the elephant-headed god in pandals across Kolkata is a clear indication that Mamata Banerjee is trying to accumulate a new kind of political capital. And that is a dead giveaway. China on Thursday sought to arraign Indias Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat for his recent comment that India should be prepared for a two-front war and that Beijing had begun flexing its muscle. But the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman who wore the mantle of victimhood appears to have a convenient memory, and asks if Gen. Rawat has top-level clearance to express those views. Beijing ranted and raved and threatened India right through the Doklam military sit-out, with its English-language media outfits dutifully transmitting every syllable of the venomous script. Was that sanctioned by President Xi Jinping? The small-minded nasty theatrics intensified after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj spoke of the sincere need for a diplomatic resolution. Officials of the Peoples Republic simply cant comprehend that in a democracy, a top military commander can make a professional evaluation of threat perceptions in the course of a lecture, as Gen. Rawat did. For this he does not need permission from on high - as may be usual in an authoritarian setup - as this isnt a street square airing of policy. The Chinese spokesmans concern was that Gen. Rawat spoke soon after President Xi told PM Modi in Beijing that China and India represented opportunities for one another, not threats. We hear those fine words, yet its imprudent to let down our guard. Chinas rise is being watched with wariness all round. Gen. Rawat spoke of being prepared for salami slicing by China, its tendency for creeping expansionism, and its tendency to gang-up on India with all-weather friend Pakistan. Hardly anyone will disagree. Sleeping dogs dont lie They dont even tell the truth They dream of juicy chunks of meat And the frolics of their youth From Bowl Rather Bowl by Bachchoo The film Victoria and Abdul, directed by Stephen Frears and starring the unsurpassable Judi Dench, premiered in London on Tuesday and will be in the cinemas soon. Its richly advertised with posters depicting its two principle characters, Queen Victoria and her Indian servant and adopted favourite, the rascal Abdul Karim. I have lived with Victoria and Abdul for the last 30 or more years. This isnt a confession about my acquaintance with dead souls I mean I have attempted in several formats, to write about this couple. At some point in the early 1980s Pakistani actor and savant Zia Mohyeddin asked me if I had heard of Victorias servant who insinuated himself into her confidence. I hadnt. He urged me to research the subject and write him a TV play with him playing Abdul. I began by reading biographies of Queen Victoria and found a few pages devoted to Abdul Karim and his curious interaction with the Queen and the royal household. There was no single book at the time dedicated to the story, if indeed there was a story to tell. Zia hadnt set me on the trail to further my education. I painstakingly (for me) pieced together Abdul Karims life. His father was an apothecary in an Indian jail, though he represented himself to the Queen as the son of the Surgeon-General of India. He was recruited as a domestic servant to an official of the Raj and then shipped, by one of Indias Viceroys, with another young Muslim man as a gift to Queen Victoria to serve at table in her palaces. As anyone who has worked on any dramatic form knows, biographies dont translate directly into films. A birth to death biographical account, with the exception perhaps of the life of Jesus Christ, is bound to put an audience to sleep. So a film about Mahatma Gandhi begins at the point where he is forcibly ejected from a South African railway carriage because he isnt white. The trick is to find, in all its possible dramatic dimensions, the short story within the biography. Zia and his selected TV director at Central Television, who then commissioned my script, said they saw it as a dramatic monologue for TV and they prescribed the limitations on length and budget. I seized upon three elements from my research. The first was Abduls character. He was conceited, conniving, self-seeking and a deceptive individual who began his process of endearing himself to the Queen by playing on her curiosity about her imperial subjects, their country and languages. He addressed her respectfully in Urdu and was soon invited to teach her the elements of the language. Second, his apparent rise drew the racial and class-based hostility of the royal household and even of Prime Minister Lord Salisbury and Edward, Prince of Wales. The third element was finding an intriguing plot. Abdul was acquainted with an Indian lawyer called Raffi-ud-din whom he attempted to get appointed as Britains ambassador to Turkey. The resentful household set the intelligence services to research Raffi-ud-dins background and found that he had spoken on rabidly anti-imperialist, anti-British platforms. It was the perfect starting point for palace intrigue and a plot - but was it true or did I invent the twist? I then wrote the monologue, Zia performed it, Central TV recorded it and Channel 4 broadcast it under the title The Empress and the Munshi. That led to a theatre company asking me to turn it into a two-hander stage play which was triple the length of the monologue and was called Victoria and Abdul. It was performed in Britain and then in Mumbai and other Indian cities by vaunted stage actress Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal playing Victoria. Obviously, the story had caught the eye of several journalists and writers and some years after the transmission of the monologue and the staging of the play, a couple of books were published telling the story of Victorias Indian favourite. At the same time, renowned British-Indian director Gurinder Chadha discussed with me the possibility of a film on the subject. I readily agreed and began work on it, going through a few drafts of the script which Gurinder and her producer Paul adopted. Gurinder was keen to recruit a famous American actress whose agent approved of the project, and Gurinders company sketched in a date depending on her availability. While we waited for this availability, Stephen Frears announced his project on the very same story. Before we could react to the announcement, the BBC agreed to fund Stephens film, which meant that my years of research and writing on Victoria and Abdul were, as they say dead in the water. It happens in this industry and I can only swallow my disappointment. I will of course go and see Victoria and Abdul. Since the material I unearthed through my research was not terribly detailed, I was compelled to invent very many aspects of the plot, scenes, dialogue and entirely fictitious encounters and even scandalous notices supposedly from the French press. I expect Stephens screenplay is based entirely on his writers research but cant help wondering, because of the scantiness of the primary evidence, if any of my inventions, of plot or scene or dialogue were used by the writers of the books on V&A and whether through them have found their way into the film. It would be one way of my words reaching the screen. It isnt the first time and wont be the last that a writer or filmmaker has to face being gazumped. Now Ive invented this character called Mickey Mouse and a ruthless secret agent called James Bond and Im sure no one will have the inventiveness to beat me to bringing these novel creations to the screen. Gauri Lankesh has been dead for less than 48 hours, as I key in these words. Her funeral is over. The savagery has begun. Lankesh will continue to be mourned by her family, friends and countless anonymous admirers, not just in India but across the world, for years to come. The savagery will soon be forgotten. Why has this particular cold-blooded murder of an outspoken journalist galvanised a nation into expressing anguish, anger, defiance? Perhaps because Gauri Lankeshs assassination may turn out to be the last straw to break the camels back. Everything about the brutal gunning down of a defenceless woman at her own doorstep suggests a treacherous political conspiracy to silence an important voice representing the sentiments of millions who live in fear want to speak out, want to protest, but dare not. Just as the Delhi rape case became a tipping point that led to an unprecedented outpouring of citizens grief, Gauri Lankeshs martyrdom (and I use that word deliberately) is likely to give rise to a wave of very vocal outrage that will be hard to dismiss by whichever government it is that is busy pointing fingers and looking the other way. Gauri Lankesh, in death, has already achieved her lifelong objective, which was to challenge the status quo. Question the over-manipulated Hindu dharma narrative. When she wrote and spoke extensively against the tyranny of the caste system, and the unfair gender-biased interpretation of Hinduism, she spoke on behalf of countless Hindus and people from other religions. To try and dismiss her as a Commie or an anti-national is to devalue the sentiments of all right-thinking Hindus. Right thinking is the operative term. Lankesh was pitted against right-wingers, who have been making State-sponsored attempts to suppress the articulation of any form of analysis/dissent/criticism that upsets their agenda. The question to ask this murder squad is: How many Gauri Lankeshes will you gun down? Ten more? A hundred more? Ten thousand? One lakh? What will those killings achieve? Nothing! Lankesh was not alone. Is not alone. Karnataka goes to the polls next year. The Chief Minister is obliged to act swiftly and nab the killers of Lankesh. Delays will not be tolerated this time. Gauri had stated boldly: Abnormality is the new normal in Karna-taka. Her murder has only underlined the truth of that statement. The awful thing is how the definition of normal/abnormal, decent/indecent has been twisted in the past few years. One would think even her most vicious, rabid critics would display a modicum of what the world recognises as decency. But no! Thats too much to expect from this lot. It was sickening to read some of the hate being spewed on the social media minutes after the sad news broke. If this is the expression of true Hindu dharma, God help us all. Altogether 27 journalists have been targeted and slaughtered since 1992, according to reports. Twenty-five more journo murders are under investigation. After highly respected scholar M.M. Kalburgi was shot dead, several red alerts did go off. What happened? Precisely nothing! The killers are still out there somewhere. The pattern of these killings has now been established. Follow the victim on a motorcycle, wait for the right opportunity... and bang! Bang! Bang! Shoot at close range and finish the job quickly... efficiently (as with Kalburgi, so with Gauri, a 7.65mm pistol was used). Once done, ride off into the sunset, never to be seen again. Professional hitmen can be hired for Rs 5,000. Even less. Gauri Lankesh was well aware of the threats to her life. And had refused to consider armed security guards. Even those would not have been able to save her. Gauri had made herself an easy and attractive target for those she provoked. And the reason she provoked openly was because she believed in the power of democracy. She believed democracy would protect her rights as a citizen to criticise and disagree publicly with those in power. Well, Gauri Lankesh was horribly wrong in harbouring such a belief... such an illusion. The idea of democracy... why, the idea of India itself has been mauled and distorted by the very people who claim to be its custodians. Its a matter of great shame that its we who have voted for these people. Its we who keep them in power. Its we who meekly surrender to their bullying. What is the point of over-analysing Gauri Lankeshs politics? Whether or not she let down Naxalites or protected dalits. Whichever way she lived her life, her ideology was hers she owned it. Her principles and value systems were equally hers. A democracy that does not respect a citizens supremacy over his/her mind and body, remains a fake democracy not worth the paper its Constitution is printed on. Once again, India is at that point where we can let her murder go with a shrug and a careless: These things happen. Or fight for her... and for ourselves. For if we dont, we will all be dead. And nobody will be left to light our funeral pyres. President Donald Trump looks to Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah as he speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington (Photo: AP) Washington: President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed efforts by the leader of Kuwait, a staunch American ally, to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors that could have implications for the US military presence in the region. However, the quartet of Arab nations now boycotting Doha issued a strongly worded statement early Friday morning dismissing some of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah's comments, signaling the diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf is far from over. At a White House news conference with Sheikh Sabah, Trump said he appreciated the emir's thus-far unsuccessful bid to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. He applauded Kuwait's "critical contributions to regional stability" but also repeated an offer to mediate himself, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He suggested a deal would be "worked out very quickly" if he became personally involved. Trump said all the countries involved - members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - are "essential partners" with the United States in efforts to crack down on extremism, including the fight against Islamic State group. "We will be most successful with a united GCC," he said. "We will send a strong message to both terrorist organizations and regional aggressors that they cannot win." His comments came after he sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort. Still, the dispute has dragged on for more than three months, even after Tillerson shuttled between the parties in July and dispatched two other US envoys to bolster the 88-year-old Kuwaiti emir's initiative. The crisis erupted June 5 when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all cut ties to Doha over allegations Qatar funds extremists and has ties that are too warm with Iran. Qatar, which hosts a US military base critical to the effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that makes its citizens among the world's wealthiest. In his comments, Trump offered a pointed reminder that terrorism financing is at the heart of the crisis. At one point he said the dispute "began because of that fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries." He did not identify those countries, but in June he had made reference to Saudi and other Arab complaints about Qatar. For his part, Sheikh Sabah said he remained hopeful that a resolution to the crisis could be reached. He noted that Qatar had been presented with a list of 13 demands by the other countries and was willing to discuss them. Although Qatar has rejected some of them out of hand, Sheikh Sabah said he believed negotiations were possible. "I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future," he said. "The hope has not ended yet." That hope appeared in jeopardy early Friday with a statement by the boycotting countries saiding "any dialogue on meeting their demands should not be preceded by any prior conditions." The statement, which said the countries "regret" several of the comments by Sheikh Sabah, represents an unusual rebuke in the clubby world of Gulf Arab nations. The nations also said a military intervention "has not been and will not be considered" to end the crisis, something mentioned by Sheikh Sabah in his remarks as once a possibility. However, Qatari exiles whom analysts believe are backed by the boycotting countries have repeatedly called for a coup in Qatar, while Saudi columnists at state-backed newspapers have repeatedly suggested an invasion to overthrow Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. In response to a reporter's question, Trump briefly spoke about his administration's efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Trump plans to meet both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly later this month. "I think we have a chance of doing it," he said. "I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen, I think the Israelis would like to see it happen." In Kuwait, media reports on Thursday focused on the emir's visit to Washington as a sign of the strong relationship the two countries have, including when a US-led coalition expelled occupying Iraqi forces from the small nation during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan south of Kuwait City, which also is home to the forward command of US Army Central. Flash A man watches the TV duel between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz, chancellor candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), at a media center in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 3, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] According to poll released on Thursday by survey institute Infratest dimap, support for the German Social Democrats (SPD) dropped by two percentage points to 21 percent, compared to last week. Support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) held steady at 37 percent. The Left party (Linke) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) were the only parties to gain support, rising to 10 percent (Linke) and 9 percent (FDP). The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to be third strongest party with 11 percent and the Green party (Gruene) stagnated at eight percent. Concerning the candidate for chancellorship, Merkel is seen as the stronger leader by a comfortable 75 percent of respondents in this week's survey. Although she is also seen as more competent by 63 percent, and more credible by 52 percent, her ratings have slightly fallen since July's survey. A majority of all Germans would now choose Merkel over Schulz as chancellor. The share of those polled who favored the CDU-leader surged by five percentage points to 54 percent compared to the August 31 survey by Infratest dimap. Support for an EU membership of Turkey fell to a historical low of 12 percent. Of 1,003 people interviewed, 84 percent think that Turkey should not be part of the EU as a "matter of principle" and 88 percent said that the German government should take a firmer stance on Turkey. Despite this tough position, 80 percent think it is good that Merkel is signaling to Turkey that she is "ready to talk". Concerning the diesel emission scandal in the German automotive industry, a huge majority thinks that carmakers must do more to compensate the owners of vehicles (83 percent) and that German politicians were much too forgiving and lax in their engagement with the automotive industry (79 percent). Nevertheless, only 30 percent of respondents agree that only non-petrol and non-diesel vehicles can be registered from 2030 onwards. Support for an immediate driving ban of old diesel vehicles from cities with high air pollution has fallen by six percentage points to 42 percent. President Donald Trump has said that he would bring in a new tax regime in the US that will induce American businesses to bring back trillions of dollars stacked abroad. We must bring back trillions of dollars in wealth thats parked overseas, and just cant come back. Our tax system penalises companies that bring wealth they have earned overseas back to America, he said while addressing an audience in the US state of North Dakota on Thursday. He said due to the current tax system corporations have parked trillions of dollars in foreign countries, money that could be and should be brought back into the United States, where it can be invested in American companies and American jobs. Mr Trump said his tax plan will give these companies a chance to bring back the funds from abroad, and spend it in cities and towns all across the country. Washington: The killing of activist- journalist Gauri Lankesh was a "tragic murder", the US has said, days after the slain scribe who was regarded as a symbol of free speech and dissent was shot dead outside her home. Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday, triggering nationwide condemnation. Addressing a Congressional subcommittee during a hearing on South Asia, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said India provides the "highest constitutional protections" for religious minorities, and the goal of the US is to work with India to encourage it to meet the goals set in its constitution and laws. "There are cases, obviously, of religious -- as we detail in both the Human Rights Report and the International Religious Freedom Report -- of infringements, and there was a tragic murder of a journalist just this week who was often the subject of nationalist criticism," she said, in a reference to the killing of Lankesh. She said these are the challenges for any democracy, but India is a democracy, and it is a "vibrant democracy". "And we have respect for Indian institutions and ability to raise and meet these challenges. And we certainly, in all of our engagements, at senior levels, encourage the Indian government to do so," Wells said in response to a question from Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. In a statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it "is deeply shocked" by leading Indian journalist and media freedom defender Lankeshs murder in Bangalore. It called on the authorities to do everything possible to quickly find and punish her killers. "We firmly condemn this terrible murder, which has deprived the media of a tough and determined champion and has deprived India of a voice that was fundamental for the countrys democratic life," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk. The Indian National Overseas Congress in the US said Lankeshs death appears to be a "meticulously planned" and executed to silence a powerful voice. "The opposing forces could not match her rationale pointing up the dangers of right-wing politics and its possibly disastrous effect on the secular fabric of the nation. Her harsh criticism of prevailing casteism in the society was often directed at institutions that still harbour those sentiments and made her more of a passionate activist who had little patience for the status-quo," George Abraham of INOC-USA said in a statement. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova also urged Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. "Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished," Bokova said. The position has been lying vacant since January after Mr Rivkin put in his papers following Trump's swearing-in as the 45th US President. Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate Indian-American Manisha Singh to a key administration position in US State Department that would make her in charge of economic diplomacy. Currently Chief Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Dan Sullivan, Ms Singh, if confirmed by the Senate, would replace Charles Rivkin as the assistant secretary of state for economic affairs. The position has been lying vacant since January after Mr Rivkin put in his papers following Trump's swearing-in as the 45th President of the United States. A resident of the state of Florida, Ms Singh, 45, has earlier served as the deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, and as a senior aide to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Her private sector experience includes practicing law at multinational law firms and working in-house at an investment bank. She holds an LL.M degree in International Legal Studies from the American University Washington College of Law, a J.D from the University Of Florida College Of Law and completed her BA from the University of Miami at the age of 19. Ms Singh is licensed to practice law in Florida, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. A native of Uttar Pradesh, she moved to Florida along with her parents as a child. In an interview to Washington Examiner early this year, Ms Singh said she worked on broader foreign policy component in the office of Senator Sullivan. A collapsed building in Oaxaca, Mexico, in the aftermath of the earthquake. (Photo: via web) One of the most powerful earthquakes to strike Mexico has hit off its southern Pacific coast, killing at least 32 people, toppling houses, government offices and businesses while sending panicked people into the streets. Mexicos President said it was strongest quake in a century to strike the country. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake hit off Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude of 8.1, slightly stronger than the magnitude 8 quake of 1985 that killed thousands and devastated large parts of Mexico City. Oaxaca state governor Alejandro Murat told local news that at least 23 people had died in his coastal state. Civil defence officials said at least seven died in Chiapas and two others in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut at least briefly to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools on Friday in at least 11 states to check them for safety. The house moved like chewing gum and the light and internet went out momentarily, said Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near the Chiapas state city of San Cristobal de las Casas. The US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within five hours after the main shake, and President Enrique Pena Nieto warned a major aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur. As beds banged against walls, people still wearing pajamas fled into the streets, gathering in frightened groups. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 3.3 feet above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Damage left behind by Irma in St. Maarten. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless (Photo: AP) The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Hurricane Irma will devastate either Florida or neighbouring states as US officials were preparing a massive response.Irma is set to hit Florida as early as Saturday. Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the southeastern states, FEMA administrator Brock Long said at a news briefing on Friday. He warned that parts of Florida would be out of electricity for days if not longer and that over 1,00,000 people may need shelter. Irma ripped through the Caribbean on Friday leaving a trail of devastation and killing at least 18 people. So far, 1.2 million people have been affected by Irma, the Red Cross said. But that number looks set to rise and could reach as high as 26 million, the agency said. With the monster storm expected to reach the American south by the weekend, coastal areas of Florida and Georgia were battening down the hatches and carrying out their biggest evacuation since 2005. Florida governor Rick Scott warned that all of the states 20 million inhabitants should be prepared to evacuate. Do not ignore evacuation orders. Remember, we can rebuild your home, we cant rebuild your life. All Floridians should be prepared to evacuate soon, he said. Roaring across the Caribbean, the rare Category Five hurricane laid waste to a series of tiny islands like St Martin, where 60 per cent of homes were wrecked, before slamming into the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. By Friday morning, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) had downgraded Irma to Category Four with maximum wind speeds of up to 250 km per hour while warning it was still extremely dangerous. Meanwhile, Hurricane Jose strengthened to a powerful Category Four storm as it followed in the path of Hurricane Irma, US weather forecasters said. The extremely dangerous storm was located in the Atlantic Ocean 670 km east of the Leeward Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. Further west, Hurricane Katia was also upgraded on Friday to a Category Two storm as it churned towards the eastern coast of Mexico, swirling about 205 km from the major port city of Veracruz. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday when asked about reports of looting on the island (Representational Image) Hundreds of extra police are being sent to the Caribbean island of St Martin after reports of people breaking into shops following the devastation of Hurricane Irma, French and Dutch politicians said. The storm tore through the popular holiday island, which is divided between France and the Netherlands, leaving at least five people dead and major shortages of water, petrol and food. The situation is serious, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday when asked about reports of looting on the island known as Sint Maarten in Dutch adding that extra troops and police were on their way. Speaking to the Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad (AD), one witness said: There are people with guns and machetes in the street. Its really serious. No one is in charge. French overseas territories minister Annick Girardin said pillaging took place right in front of us during a trip to St Martin, where a majority of the 80,000 inhabitants have lost their homes. Around 400 police officers would be sent to the French side of the island and to the nearby territory of St Barthelemy, she said. A federal court in California dealt a new blow to the Trump administrations travel ban, ruling some refugees must be allowed into the country. It is the latest twist of the legal wrangling touched off by Donald Trumps ban, first announced in January with little notice and widely criticised as discriminatory against Muslims. Mr Trump says it is needed to keep out terrorists. In the new ruling, the US ninth circuit of appeals on Friday upheld a ruling by a court in Hawaii, a decision against which the administration had appealed. The new decision states the ban must exclude refugees who have a formal assurance from an agency within the US that the agency will provide or ensure the provision of reception and placement services to that refugee. It could pave the way for the entry of some 24,000 refugees whose asylum requests had already been approved. The three-judge panel in San Francisco also confirmed that the ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close family members living in six mainly Muslim countries. Trump willing to mediate into Qatar row Donald Trump has offered to mediate into the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours, saying their dispute could be solved fairly easily. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt have accused Qatar of having ties with fundamentalist Islamist groups. In June, they cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. Qatar denies the accusations while Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator in the crisis. I think there is a chance there could be peace.... I say that a bit reluctantly. Were going to give it our best, Mr Trump said at a joint news conference with Kuwaits Emir Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Hindu Council of Australia called on MLA to voluntarily take the advertisement off air. (Photo: Youtube grab) Melbourne: India on Friday took up with Australia a recent offensive advertisement, which features Lord Ganesha and other divinities promoting consumption of lamb meat and demanded its withdrawal. The advertisement was released on Monday by the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), triggering protests from the Indian community in the country. High Commission is taking note of the protests of Indian community in Australia, have made a demarche to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Communication and Arts and Department of Agriculture bringing to their notice an offensive advertisement by Meat and Livestock Australia that hurt the religious sentiments of the Indian community, the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a statement. In a video advertisement released by MLA recently, Lord Ganesha along with other religious figures is found to be toasting lamb, which the Indian community considers to be offensive and hurting their religious sentiments. The Consulate-General of India in Sydney has taken up the matter directly with MLA and urged them to withdraw the advertisement, it said. A number of Community Associations have also registered their protest with Government of Australia and MLA. MLAs latest campaign for lamb features a number of religious figures including Jesus, Buddha, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and Greek Goddess Aphrodite sitting around a lamb lunch. The advertisement has led to protests by Hindu organisations and Indian community in Australia who have demanded to take it off air. Hindu Council of Australia called on MLA to voluntarily take the advertisement off air. We strongly urge MLA to withdraw the offensive advertisement immediately and extend an unconditional apology to not only the Hindu-Australian community but to members of all religious groups that are hurt by this nonsensical advertisement, the Hindu Council of Australia said in a statement. Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test and scored 96 per cent in the PSTAR Test, an eligibility test for Transport Canada (Representational Image) A 14-year-old Indian-origin schoolboy in the UAE has become one of the youngest pilots to fly a single-engine aircraft, according to a media report. Mansour Anis, a Class IX student at Delhi Private School in Sharjah, received a certificate for his first solo flight from an aviation academy in Canada last week, Gulf News reported. His solo flight was about 10-minute-long during which he taxied the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, took off for a flight of about five minutes and landed back, it said. Mansour, who flew a Cessna 152 aircraft during his solo flight, now has a student pilot permit. Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test and scored 96 per cent in the PSTAR Test, an eligibility test for Transport Canada. Let it be known throughout the aviation world that Mansour Anis at the age of 14 years successfully took off and landed from Langley Regional Airport thereby accomplishing his first solo flight, the solo flight certificate issued by AAA Aviation Flight Academy on August 30 stated. Mansour claimed that he had also set a record of being the youngest pilot to fly solo with the least number of training hours, the report said. He broke the previous record of a 15-year-old German pilot and a 14-year-old US pilot who took 34 hours of training. Mansour flew solo just after 25 hours of training, his father Ali Asgar Anis said. Ali, a civil engineer in Sharjah, said he had sent his son along with his wife Munira, a chemistry teacher, to Canada for the training session during the summer holidays. In some countries, like the US and the UK, a person has to be at least 16 years old before taking to the air on their own. Beijing: The top diplomats from China and Pakistan took swipes at President Donald Trump's newly unveiled Afghanistan policy on Friday as they called for new talks with the Taliban to resolve the 16-year conflict. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing stood firmly behind its "ironclad friend" Pakistan, even though "some countries" did not give Islamabad the credit it deserved in fighting terrorism, a pointed reference to the US Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif's first trip abroad to Beijing this week appeared to highlight how ties between the two all-weather allies have grown even closer while Pakistan's critical relationship with the US is disintegrating amid mutual recriminations and distrust. Wang and Asif announced that China, Pakistan and Afghanistan will hold a new series of three-way talks later this year in China to push forward settlement negotiations with the Taliban while the US doubles down on its military campaign. Trump infuriated Pakistan last month when he accused Islamabad of providing extremists safe haven and threatened to withhold military aid. He further raised alarms in Pakistan when he raised the prospect of recruiting archrival India into the US strategy in Afghanistan. Chinese FM Wang Yi welcomes FM @KhawajaMAsif visit 2 China; calls Pakistan 'our brother and best friend' pic.twitter.com/2Z1lD71hVO M. Nafees Zakaria (@ForeignOfficePk) September 8, 2017 US officials said this week that $225 million in military aid for Pakistan have been suspended while about 3,500 additional troops will head to Afghanistan to reverse the Taliban's battleground advances and gain leverage in negotiations. "It's our firm view that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, the focus should be on a politically negotiated settlement," Asif told reporters in Beijing. "China is playing a very constructive role in this regard." Pakistan has repeatedly rejected US accusations that it is abetting groups like the Taliban-linked Haqqani Network, a position that China has backed. "The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terror for everyone to see and the international community should recognize that," Wang said. The two ministers presented a closely unified front just days after China handed Pakistan an unexpected diplomatic setback at the BRICS economic summit in Xiamen. On Monday, China joined several nations to declare the Pakistan-based militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad as terrorist organizations, in a move that was praised by India and the US Asif did not address the terror designation on Friday but was quoted by Pakistani media before arriving in Beijing as saiding that it should not jeopardize bilateral ties. Rather, Pakistan should put its "house in order," he said. Beijing: Picking up the bits and pieces of the prolonged military standoff between the two neighbouring countries, Chinese media on Friday called India Army Chief General Bipin Rawat a big mouth. Chinese state-run media Global Times, in an editorial, said the Rawat with his statement India should be ready for a two-front war against China and Pakistan could ignite a hostile atmosphere between Beijing and New Delhi. Where does the Indian Army's confidence come from? it asked. Can India bear the consequences when it has both China and Pakistan as its adversaries at the same time? Should the Indian Army simulate a military rivalry with its Chinese counterpart before letting Rawat speak? the editorial read. The Chinese daily went on to say that Rawats remarks showed how arrogance prevailed in the Indian Army. Rawat had, on Wednesday, said that the country needs to be prepared for a two-front war. He accused China of taking over India's territory like "salami slicing" and warned that Pakistan "was likely to take advantage of the situation developing along the northern border." Spewing venom against India, the Chinese media said, The Chinese people have felt that the security situation of their country is becoming severe and the Chinese military sympathisers rarely viewed India as a potential military rival of China. The editorial further said that India has forced China to view two India one that is thrivingand the other that keeps provoking China. Should we embrace the first India or teach the second India a lesson? the editorial questioned. The Delhi High Court today refrained from passing any interim order restraining TV journalist Arnab Goswami and his news channel Republic TV from airing any news or debate in connection with Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar's death case. Justice Manmohan issued a notice to Goswami and the channel and sought their responses on Tharoor's plea to restrain them from allegedly misreporting the contents of court proceedings related to Pushkar's death. The court said the matter required a detailed hearing and only after that, a detailed order could be passed on it. It also observed that the Congress leader has not shown any law by which investigation cannot be done by the journalist. "Show me that after the first date of hearing (May 29), he (Goswami) has called you a murderer," the judge said, adding "I cannot dictate what should be the editorial policy of a news channel". "Not (any interim order) at this point," the court said and directed Goswami, Republic TV to file their responses with regard to Tharoor's application seeking direction not to make any defamatory publication against him in any manner. The Congress leader has alleged that after the last date of hearing on August 16, the journalist and his channel continued to indulge in misreporting and had broadcast an 8- hour programme on September 4 related to his wife's death. Tharoor moved a fresh application through advocate Gaurav Gupta in the pending Rs 2 crore civil defamation suit filed against Goswami and the Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him while airing news on the death of Pushkar. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Goswami and the channel, opposed Tharoor's fresh application saying "we have not made any accusations while airing the news." Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. The matter is still under investigation. In their affidavit filed before the high court, the journalist and the channel said they have neither "condemned" Tharoor, nor suggested that he was involved in the death of his wife Pushkar. They have also denied that Tharoor was called "the killer" of his wife by him or the channel, as alleged by the Congress MP. The politician has alleged that despite assurances given in the court on May 29 by the counsel for Goswami and Republic TV, they were engaged in "defaming and maligning" him. The Congress leader had also sought direction to them that they should not mention the expression "murder of Sunanda Pushkar" anywhere since it is yet to be established by a competent court whether her death was "murder". The court had on May 29 said the journalist and his news channel could put out stories stating the facts related to the investigation of Pushkar's death, but could not call the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram a "criminal". It had also told their counsel to reduce the rhetoric. The BJP today questioned the Congress government in Karnataka on its failure to provide security to journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was murdered outside her house in Bengaluru and referred to her work for the surrender of Naxalites. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the "malafide comments" on the "regrettable and unfortunate killing" of the journalist-activist. Various party leaders, he added, had spoken out against the murder. Showing copies of news reports of Lankesh's brother, Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, Prasad asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. "Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...so was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government...and if so why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad asked at a press conference. It had also been said that Naxalites were unhappy with this. "Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?" he added. Taking on Cong Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Prasad asked why he had not questioned his party's government in the state. Rahul has already blamed RSS wing groups for killing the journalist, Prasad said. How then could a fair probe be expected from the Congress government in Karnataka, he added. Stressing that the BJP respects everyone's right to express their feelings and sense of repulsion, Prasad lashed out against "so called liberals of double standards" who remain silent on the killings of RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala. "Why is that all my all liberal friends who speak so eloquently and strongly against the killing of a journalist... maintain conspicuous silence when so many RSS and BJP workers were killed in Karnataka and Kerala," he said. RSS and BJP workers are also entitled human rights. This hypocrisy and double standards need to be exposed, he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on France to help ease the situation in North Korea during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, state media said today, days after Pyongyang's largest ever nuclear test. The conversation came one day after statements from China supporting stronger sanctions against Pyongyang and "necessary measures" at the UN Security Council, where China and France both hold vetoes. "China hopes that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will play a constructive role in easing the situation and restarting dialogue" on North Korea, Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. North Korea triggered global alarm Sunday with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. During the call, the Chinese leader expressed his desire for the "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," which he had also noted during a conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel hours earlier. Macron told Xi that France is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to promote the proper settlement of the nuclear issue. Macron "reiterated the international community's condemnation of North Korea's provocations," the French president's office told AFP. "These provocations call on the international community to place new pressure towards the goal of bringing Pyongyang back to negotiations and avoiding dangerous escalations," it said. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said: "China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures." Earlier, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the German leader and Xi both agreed to support tougher sanctions against North Korea. China, which is the North's biggest ally and accounts for 90 per cent of its trade, is seen as key to efforts to convince Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programme. Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are the other veto-wielding permanent members of the security council. Xi also spoke to US President Donald Trump over the phone Wednesday, telling his American counterpart that China remains firm in its wish to resolve the situation through talks leading to a peaceful settlement. The US has accused North Korea of "begging for war" and pushed for the "strongest possible measures" against Pyongyang. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who held talks with Xi in eastern China during the BRICS summit earlier this week, has repeatedly insisted that further economic pressure on Pyongyang will not work. HOLCOMBE In August, two Chippewa County companies announced a joint business venture, Ntera, that would reportedly bring broadband internet access to the Lake Holcombe area. Although greater access to internet has been long-promised, the much-needed updates will hopefully let the Holcombe schools improve students education and help the neighboring areas, said Jeff Mastin, superintendent of the Lake Holcombe School District. Ntera will begin the first phase of construction to the Holcombe area in the fall of 2017, with expansion plans to follow, an August 15 press release said. The press release was unclear if Ntera would install the needed infrastructure fiber optic cable along Highway 27. Surveys conducted by Ntera showed that Holcombe had no internet access, or limited access at best, and Mastin agreed. Right now, we have a lot of our kids go home and to no internet accessunless we give them something to take with them, like a hotspot, or Wi-Fi on a bus, Mastin said. The Lake Holcombe School District currently has internet access, but the small amount of bandwidth it has is a problem, Mastin said. It is especially a problem for a school district that has big dreams for student success. Long-distance classes and virtual field trips are just some of the potential benefits of an improved internet connection for Holcombe students. Right now, were limited because of where were located, but we want to make sure the kids dont feel limited as far as their education, Mastin said. Holcombe teachers have done what they can in the last few years using their sparse internet access as a tool to help their students learn but theyre ready to take the next step. Holcombe lacks the infrastructure that brings cheaper and faster internet access: fiber optic cable. The school is in talks with providers about that infrastructure, and Mastin has an optimistic vision for the communitys future. Were still focusing on the backbone being laid on Highway 27, he said. Once that is laid, we have options. Were begin told we would have federal dollarsto allow us to have that line pulled from Highway 27 directly to our school. Theres a heavy cost involved, but were looking at 80 percent reimbursement. The Holcombe schools are about a half-mile away from Highway 27. Mastin said that once the school is connected to the infrastructure, the surrounding neighborhoods have the potential to benefit. We also have vendors looking to pull off the line as well, and give subscriptions to different homes and businesses in our area. Hopefully, its a rate thats affordablethis would open up a lot of doors for us, he said. The Herald spoke to five Holcombe high school seniors about their internet usage. All five had internet access at their homes, but three had slow access or limited bandwidth. Mastin has worked in education in southern and eastern Wisconsin: Verona, Sun Prairie, Columbus, Port Washington. I would put the quality of the districts here right up there with the districts in bigger cities, he said. Ntera has said it plans to begin construction in Holcombe in the fall of 2017. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was on Friday declared elected unopposed to the state legislative council. The deputy chief ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya and state minister Swatantra Deo Singh were also declared elected unopposed to the council, according to the official sources here said. Sources said that all of them were declared elected unopposed as none from the opposition parties had filed their nomination papers against them. Friday was the last day for withdrawal of names. Another UP minister Mohsin Raza was also likely to be declared unopposed as he was the lone candidate int he fray. All the five seats in the council fell vacant after resignations from four Samajwadi Party and one BSP MLCs. SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav had dared Adityanath and Maurya to contest by-polls to the assembly instead of taking the council route. ''BJP is engineering defections in our rank only to ensure that Adityanath and Maurya may not have to contest the polls...they (BJP) are not not sure of a smooth sailing,'' Akhilesh had said. EAU CLAIRE Pieces of Dennis Hunts lawsuit against Chippewa County came out at Thursdays pre-trial hearing. A trial with a jury picked in Chippewa County but heard in Eau Claire County beginning Monday, Oct. 2 is scheduled to last up to two weeks. Thats if the Wisconsin Court of Appeals decides against intervening to hear the countys appeal for a dismissal in the lawsuit. This is a potentially complicated case, said Eau Claire County Judge William Gabler, who will oversee the trial. Hunt is suing the county over his 2014 firing as the countys finance director. Hunts lawsuits against other county officials, including County Administrator Frank Pascarella, and former officials, including former County Board chairman Paul Michels, were dismissed. Only his suit against the county remains. Another lawsuit, brought by former county Risk Manager Connie Goss, who was paid on leave by Pascarella and then resigned, also has been dismissed. Goss and Hunt watched Thursdays proceedings in the Eau Claire County courtroom. Hunt maintains he was told by Pascarella to submit false information to the County Board over funding a human resources position. Hunt also reported what he thought was a sexual harassment matter involving Pascarella. Investigations by E.E. Larson Associates and the law firm of Weld, Riley, Prenn and Ricci, and both funded by the county, found that Pascarella did nothing wrong. I think we have a breach of contract, Hunt attorney Peter Reinhardt of Menomonie said. Really? Gabler asked. The judge said the lawsuit boils down to this: Was Dennis (Hunt) wrongly discharged by Chippewa County? Reinhardt said Hunt did what he should have done and took information he had to Chippewa County Board members and was later fired. Another Hunt attorney, Timothy OBrien of New Richmond, said Pascarella decided to fire Hunt without reading the two investigative reports done for the county. That was disputed by attorney Remzy Bitar, who represents Chippewa County along with attorney R. Valjon Anderson. Bitar said Pascarella was briefed on the reports by county Corporation Counsel James Sherman. Anderson successfully argued against a move by Hunts attorneys to have Goss to give full testimony about Hunts firing. She suffered similar retaliatory acts, Reinhardt said. But Anderson said: She has limited factual content that may be relevant. Gabler said it would be a high hurdle for Hunts attorneys to overcome. Connie Goss wasnt fired. She was placed on administrative leave. Four-five days later, she resigned. Bitar maintained: She can not come in here and go off the range...She should be off the stand in about 15 minutes. Gabler told the attorneys that he would decide issues as they come up at the trial. At one point during Thursdays arguments, Gabler wanted some focus from the attorneys. I knew this was going to be a shapeless, formless trial, he said. Members of the newly formed court committee to inspect Mantri Techzone near Bellandur lake have sought police protection. Prof T V Ramachandra from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, who is appointed as the committee member, told DH that in view of the recent incidents, the government should provide security when they visit the site. NGT on Friday gave a written order constituting a committee comprising Shivanna, chief executive officer, Lake Development Authority; N K Thippeswamy, additional director of Town and Country Planning, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP); Dr S P Rai, Scientist-E, Hydrological Investigation Division, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee; Dr Sidharth Kaul, Retd Advisor, MoEF; Brijesh Sikka, Advisor (NRCD), MoEF and CC; T V Ramachandra; Naganna, chairman, SEAC-Karnataka and Vijay Kumar, member secretary, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Ramachandra said that during the last hearing, NGT had directed a team comprising locals and petitioners to visit Mantri TechZone but private builders had denied them entry. Targeted in past I too have been targeted in 2013, then 2015 and in 2016. Private builders and their associates had ill-treated my students and locals accompanying me when I was conducting my study and following NGT orders surveying the areas. The study instruments were also damaged. Now, since the NGT has again directed me to visit the site, the least the state government can now do is give us police protection when we visit the site, he said. In the last five years, the IISc team has pointed out to the government that the land on which the survey has been ordered, is wetland and all encroachments should be evicted. My stand is very clear that all encroachments on wetlands and catchment areas should be evicted. Mantri TechZone is on the wetland allotted by the KIADB. Now, the state government should shift them elsewhere, he said. Additional chief secretary and Bangalore Development Authority commissioner had assured the expert committee members in the last meeting that Coremind and Mantri TechZone would be given land elsewhere so that treatment plants can be constructed, wetlands safeguarded and lakes are rejuvenated. DH News Service In what could be a new career opportunity for women in the armed forces, the Indian Army would induct 800 women in the military police over the next 15 years. The army is to induct approximately 800 women into military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year, Adjutant General of the Army Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar said here. With gender-specific crimes on the rise in the army, women in the military police can play an effective role in investigating them. The army and the defence ministry are implementing the decision taken earlier this year. Currently, women are allowed in medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the army. However, in February, the then President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to Parliament stated that the government in the future would induct women in all the fighter streams of our armed forces. The tasks of the military police are guarding the cantonments and army establishments, preventing the breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers and logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. Indian Air Force allowed women pilots to fly the fighter jets on an experimental basis for five years beginning in June 2016 and the first three women pilots are set to commence their regular flying of Su-30 MKI from later this year. Flying fighter aircraft was one of the combat areas where women were barred along with infantry and armoured corps in the army and serving on board warships in the navy. The navy permits women pilots flying the maritime surveillance aircraft where women were traditionally deployed as the observer (navigator). In all the three services, women had only been employed in in administrative and combat-support roles. Lt Gen Kumar also said the army had undertaken a cadre review for the junior commissioned officers and ordinary soldiers (other ranks). The last cadre review for the army was done in 1984. The Service HQ moved a proposal to upgrade the rank structure that will benefit approximately 1.45 lakhs JCO/OR. The proposal, which has been approved, is in the final stages of the issue at the defence ministry. The upgrade is to take place over a span of five years, he said. DH News Service The best of San Diegos independent craft brews can now be found in one place with the opening of The Brewers Tap Room in Encinitas Village Square. Owner Chris Duncan curates the rotating tap list, featuring 25 offerings from purely independent and small breweries, beers you typically wouldnt find anywhere but their own tasting rooms. The taproom opened up on July 26 and celebrated with a three-day grand opening extravaganza on the last weekend in August. Duncan said New Encinitas was in need of a spot like this a small, unique hangout for friends and beer lovers. We dont brew beer, we honor the brewers that do. This will be something special in Encinitas, the local gathering place weve been waiting for, said Duncan, a longtime Encinitas local. Everyone says they love this location because its so easy, its right here in the neighborhood. Duncan kept the look of the bar simple, aiming to replicate the feel of a brewery tasting room with stained concrete floors, corrugated metal siding and a reclaimed wood bar with orange barstools. The tasting rooms logo is painted on one wall and the front window opens up to provide an indoor-outdoor experience. Duncans background is in the healthcare and pharmaceutical business, where he worked for 23 years before deciding instead to focus on something he was passionate about: really good beer. Ive been a beer nut all my life, Duncan said. I even used to do my own homebrewing but the beer in San Diego is way too good. I asked myself, Why am I working so hard to make mediocre beer? Duncan first explored purchasing a craft beer distribution company and through the process he learned all about the challenges that small breweries have with distribution they dont make enough to compete with larger breweries and they have to hustle to get their beers into establishments. I thought what they really need is a place dedicated to them, Duncan said. And in North County San Diego where I live, there was really nothing like that. When Village Square began its renovations Duncan knew it would be the perfect spot for a craft beer bar. In opening, he joined the centers line-up of Habit Burger Grill, Corner Bakery, Pick up Stix and, coming soon, Luna Grill. As he prepared for his new venture, Duncan attended San Diego State Universitys Craft Beer Connoisseur Camp last year, an offering from SDSUs Business of Craft Beer program that serves as an intensive prep for industry exams. He is also Cicerone certified (like a sommelier but for beers) as is all of his staff they can expertly identify all of the different flavors in a beer and better educate customers on beer styles and history. As his beers are grouped by styles such as hops, darks or malty, Duncan or the beertender on duty can point customers in the right direction of what they might like to taste from one of San Diegos finest and smallest. Its a really fun experience, said Duncan of the ability to try beers from a variety of different places in full or four ounce pours or in a taster flight. Breweries that have been featured in the taproom include Aztec, Monkey Paw, Council, Lost Abbey and the one-year-old Longship Brewery. One brewery that Duncan is especially excited about is Burgeon Beer Company, a Carlsbad brewery started by a trio of La Costa Canyon High School graduates, a place close to Duncans heart as all three of his sons attended school there. Their beer is great and its neat because theyre local guys, said Duncan noting that Burgeons brand new Study Abroad IPA, a mix of Mosaic, Galaxy and Nelson hops, quickly became the taprooms number one seller last week. Duncan usually only orders one keg of each brew he selects so when its kicked, a new one will rotate right into its place, It keeps people coming back because they never know whats going to be on tap, Duncan said. Brewers is not allowed to fill growlers by law but they do have a selection of bottles and cans to go and while the taproom doesnt serve food, customers are welcome to bring in outside food. Some have taken to grabbing a burger from Habit or a slice from Flippin Pizza and coming in and enjoying it with a beer. Its kind of surreal, Duncan said of opening the doors on a dream. My friends come in and say You actually did it. Duncan is in the tasting room every day, serving up brews from behind the bar or visiting with guests. Since opening, its been so much fun seeing many friends he and his wife Lorie havent seen in years, friends from YMCA Adventure Guides and Little League teams his sons second grade teacher even stopped in for a taste. Its become a total local neighborhood gathering place, Duncan said. We are so grateful for all the support. The Brewers Tap Room is located on 1456 Encinitas Blvd. in Encinitas, open daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find them on Facebook @TheBrewersTapRoom or visit thebrewerstaproom.com By Elizabeth Kolbert 4 September 2017 (The New Yorker) On 29 August 2005, at six-ten in the morning, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the border of Mississippi and Louisiana, just east of New Orleans. Katrina had spent days wobbling over the Gulf of Mexico, and by the time it reached the coast it was classified as a strong Category 3 storm. As it pressed inland, its winds, which were clocked at up to a hundred and twenty-five miles an hour, pushed water from the Gulf westward into Lake Pontchartrain, and north, up a mostly abandoned shipping canal. The levees that were supposed to protect New Orleans failed, and low-lying neighborhoods were inundated. That day in Louisiana, at least six hundred and fifty people died.Katrina was widely described as a wake-up call for a country in denial about climate change. President George W. Bush and his Vice-President, Dick Cheney, during their first term, had withdrawn the United States from a global climate agreement and dismissed the findings of the governments own climate scientists. Now, a few months into their second term, the nation was facing just the sort of disaster that the scientists had warned about. Even if global warming hadnt caused Katrina, clearly it had intensified the damage: with higher sea levels come higher storm surges. And, with sea surface temperatures rising, there was more energy to fuel hurricanes, and more evaporation, which inevitably produces more rain. How many killer hurricanes will it take before America gets serious about global warming? the journalist Mark Hertsgaard asked at the time.Last week, as Hurricane Harvey lingered over Houston, dumping so much water on the city that the National Weather Service struggled to find ways to describe the deluge, this question sloshed back to mind. Again, climate change cant be said to have caused Harvey, but it unquestionably made the storm more destructive. When Harvey passed over the western part of the Gulf, the surface waters in the region were as much as seven degrees warmer than the long-term average. The Atlantic was primed for an event like this, Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told The Guardian.Harvey was less lethal than Katrina; as of this writing, forty-six storm-related deaths have been confirmed. But in financial terms the storms costs are likely to be as high or even higher. One estimate put the price of repairing homes, roads, businesses, and the petrochemical plants that line the Houston Ship Channel at a hundred and ninety billion dollars. And that estimate was made before storm-damaged plants started to explode.As misguided as the Bush Administration was about climate change, Donald Trump has taken willful ignorance to a whole new level. The President has called climate change an expensive hoax dreamed up by the Chinese. After much posturing, he announced in June that he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. With less fanfare, he has rolled back Obama Administration regulations limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from both old and new power plants and from oil and gas wells. (Regarding the wells, a federal appeals court recently ruled against the White House, saying that it could not simply suspend the regulations.) Trump also revoked a 2013 executive order directing federal agencies to prepare for the impacts of warming and tossed out a plan, issued the same year, that outlined steps that the U.S. would take to combat climate change.Then, just ten days before Harvey hit, the President rescinded a 2015 executive order requiring public-infrastructure projects in flood-prone areas to be designed with sea-level rise in mind. This move is likely to have particularly unfortunate consequences for Houston, a city with no zoning code, where thousands of buildings constructed on floodplains but lacking flood insurance are now filled with soggy debris. Last Monday, as rainfall totals in Houston were topping forty inches, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Congress that he was planning to eliminate his departments special envoy for climate change.Many members of Congress share Trumps climate-change delusions, especially in the Texas delegation. Lamar Smith, a Republican who represents parts of San Antonio, chairs the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Smith has spent the better part of his career harassing climate scientists, and in a recent op-ed for the Daily Signal, a Web site sponsored by the conservative Heritage Foundation, he celebrated the effects of global warming, arguing that they were producing beneficial changes to the earths geography. At a town-hall meeting in April, Joe Barton, a Republican who represents parts of Fort Worth and is the vice-chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, repeated the old denier canard that clouds are the cause of climate change. And, in June, House Republicans introduced a bill to prevent federal agencies such as the Department of Energy from considering the societal costs of carbon pollution when fashioning regulations. Among the co-sponsors were three Texas representatives. [more] By Kathryn Watson 8 September 2017 (CBS News) Four Texas Republicans on Friday voted against the bill that included aid for Hurricane Harvey recovery in their state, along with a debt limit extension.The House approved the legislation 316-90, in a vote that authorized $15.3 billion in aid for those affected by Harvey, raised the debt ceiling, and extended government funding for three months into December. But a handful of those no votes came from members of the Texas delegation, and from members of the Florida delegation who will soon likely have to grapple with the need for funding for Hurricane Irma. No Democrats in the House voted against the legislation. The Senate approved the legislation in an 80-17 vote on Thursday.The four Texas Republicans who voted no were Rep. Joe Barton, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Rep. Sam Johnson, and Rep. Mac Thornberry, none of whose districts are in the region hardest hit by the storm. The Two Florida Republicans who voted against the legislation were Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Ted Yoho. Harveys damage may be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, and the Texas governor has estimated the damage has reached $180 billion. Some of the Republicans who opposed the bill did so because theyre fiscally conservative, pointing to the national debt. Conservatives historically have qualms with raising the debt ceiling, which is a cap Congress sets on how much debt the U.S. Treasury can issue and determines how much money the federal government can borrow. Its like the Washington that Trump campaigned against, Barton said, explaining his no vote. So, as much as I want to help Texas, I cant vote for something that just is a blank check on the debt. [more] The Feed is Google's take on the News Feed, and it's available through the Google app. It starts rolling out in India today. Googles take on the news feed, known simply as The Feed, is being rolled out to users in India right now. The company first announced The Feed in December last year, and brought it to global markets in July this year. Today, The Feed is being rolled out to users in India, with support for Hindi. So, the Google app will now be showing you cards about news, sports, music, videos etc. in both English and Hindi. The choice of language will of course depend on the user using The Feed. The Feed shows information based on the users interest, which Google acquired from various sources. In addition, you will see a Follow button in search results, that tells the companys machine learning algorithms that youre interested in a particular topic. The Follow button is essentially Googles version of Facebooks Like, though the Search giant doesnt have alternatives to Facebooks See First option just yet. Its possible that Googles machine learning algorithms already have a way of determining just how interested you are on a particular topic. The Feed also takes trends into consideration, which is again based on the users interests and location. Further, for each card The Feed presents you, there will also be related links, so as to cover different viewpoints and sources. The feature will be rolling out to Indian users from today, although its likely to be a phased rollout, and may take a few days to get to you. Google is reportedly in the final stages of negotiating a deal for HTC's smartphone division. The search giant stands to gain a formidable partner for manufacturing its Pixel-branded smartphones. Google is reportedly close to acquiring HTC's mobile business as the Taiwan-based company continues to struggle with financial losses. According to China's Commercial Times, Google and HTC are in the final stages of negotiating a deal where Google will rescue the company behind the first Android smartphone. HTC launched the very first Android smartphone in 2008 and is also the manufacturer for Google's first Pixel-branded smartphones. The report states that Google is either looking to acquire HTC's smartphone business or become a strategic partner. In the past year, HTC has differentiated its smartphone division and Vive virtual reality unit and has focused more on the latter. DigiTimes notes that the demand for HTC made smartphones have waned and there doesn't seem to be a turnaround in the near future. If Google acquires HTC's smartphone business then it won't be the first time for the search giant to rescue its OEM partner. The company famously rescued struggling Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in 2012, only to offload it two years later for a mere $2.91 billion. However, Google said that its Motorola acquisition has been a major success in the form of access to a vast majority of patents. HTC, once known for its premium design and superior build quality, lost its prominent place to Samsung in the last few years. The company's latest flagship U11 was promising, but failed to stand against Samsung's Galaxy S8 with the nearly bezel-less design. On the other hand, Google has ditched the Nexus brand to announce its own Pixel and Pixel XL premium Android smartphones last year. The smartphones were a critical success, but Google failed to offer enough supplies. With the acquisition of HTC, Google stands to gain a manufacturing partner for its Pixel lineup, while the former's engineering prowess will continue to be available on a flagship device. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration has awarded more contracts to build prototypes for the wall President Donald Trump wants to build on the U.S. border with Mexico. The prototypes announced Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection are for four see-through walls. Last week, it announced contracts for prototypes for four concrete walls. . . . The local community wishes Pat Connaghan, Principal of St. Columbas NS, Acres all the best on his retirement. Pat concluded his final day at the school this week and is wished a very happy retirement by all. Pat was born on Arranmore Island, the youngest son of the late Mary and Mickey Connaghan. It was fitting therefore that at his last end of year Mass in St. Columbas NS, Acres, Burtonport, the PP, Fr. Pat Ward presented The Master as he's affectionately known, with a bowl fashioned from a doirlin from the island. Pat attended primary school on the Island. He moved on to secondary school in Falcarragh and later Summerhill College, Sligo. Pat completed a Bachelor of Education degree at Our Lady of Mercy College of Education, Carysfort Park, Blackrock, Dublin. During his college years Pat was president of the student union for 2 years and enjoyed a very harmonious relationship with both staff and students. Over the years Pat developed many and varied interests. He managed the Highlands Hotel, Glenties as well as Ostan na Rossan, Dungloe. He also co-owned and managed the Riverside Bistro, Dungloe. Loves to cook Pat loves to cook and is a warm host. He will forever be remembered by his past pupils for his cookery classes and in particular Pancake Tuesday! Pat also loves to travel and with the generous help of Mrs. Mae Berardi, a great benefactor of the school, he and his students have visited many places in Ireland, Scotland, even places as far flung as Belgium and Venice. Pat has been teaching in St. Columbas NS for his entire career. He always put the interests of the pupils to the forefront of school planning. His care and easy going manner is reflected in the mutual respect between himself and all those with whom he comes in contact. In recent years Pat served as the National Council representative for Donegal with the Irish Primary Principals Network. He was co-opted to the Board of Directors in November 2015, a position he currently holds. Let us hope that he enjoys many long, fruitful years of retirement. No doubt he will not be idle! The new president of Enterprise State Community College said a focus on two-year college aviation education programs could be a game changer for the Wiregrass. ESCC President Matt Rodgers lauded the recent appointment of Michael Mac McDaniel to the new position of Alabama Community College System Director of Aviation Programs. System Chancellor Jimmy Baker said the demand for aviation and aerospace careers in Alabama prompted the need for renewed focus at the community college level. McDaniel recently served as general manager of aircraft maintenance training at ExpressJet Airlines in Atlanta, and spent 25 years as an aircraft mechanic. Its a great for the aviation industry and aviation education in Alabama, Rodgers said. This will give a laser-like focus on aviation technology in our region and our state. With McDaniels leadership and the already excellent instructors working at our aviation college, there is no doubt this is a great step in making Alabama a national leader in aviation maintenance technology and education. Great days are ahead. Enterprise State Community College is one of three Alabama community college currently offering courses in several aviation-related fields including airframe maintenance and technology, power plant technology, avionics technology, aviation composite materials and general aviation technology. Alabamas aviation industry continues to expand with industry giants like Boeing, Airbus, and GE Aviation locating in our own backyard. The Alabama Community College System is working right alongside to ensure our aviation training program is among the best in the nation, Baker said in a written statement. Selecting Mac to oversee our aviation efforts signifies our serious commitment to meeting the industrys workforce needs. Macs nearly three decades of aviation experience will ensure our students across the state are receiving the most relevant and state-of-the-art skills training when it comes to a career in aviation. McDaniel will officially begin Sept. 11. Some local businesses were still unsure Friday at noon as to whether theyll be staying open or closing their doors as Hurricane Irma bears down on the state. Local residents should check with their financial institutions and other key contacts to find out what their plans are. Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tiffany Garling on Friday was urging local businesses to register with the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center immediately. This tool allows you to make us aware of closures and provide updates on the status of your utilities and telecommunications, officials responsible for the center advise. If you are already registered please log in and update your status. The registration address is http://flvbeoc.org/. The States response effort is initiated through the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), which is comprised of Governor-appointed Emergency Coordination Officers (ECO) from State agencies and volunteer organizations. Emergency Support Function (ESF) 18 Business, Industry, and Economic Stabilization integrates disaster response with private sector organizations. ESF 18 coordinates local, state and federal agency actions that provide immediate and short-term assistance for the private sector. Further, ESF 18 works with business and industry to identify available resources to meet the needs of the State and its citizens. Gov. Rick Scott Thursday night announced he is directing all public schools to close in preparation for Hurricane Irma. Superintendent Larry Moore confirmed Thursday that Jackson County schools will join other Florida schools in closing Friday and Monday, as directed by Gov. Rick Scott. All public K-12 schools, state colleges (which includes Chipola College), state universities and state offices have been directed by Gov. Scott to close Friday, Sept. 8 through Monday, Sept. 11. Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging," Gov. Scott said. "Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate. Our states public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts. Congress has no business raising the nations debt limit without reining in the runaway spending that is causing our debt problem, Roby said in the statement. Every day I hear from constituents who are concerned about our nearly $20 trillion debt and who are frustrated by Washingtons unwillingness to address it. The problem wont be easy to solve, but we have to try. This deal is temporary, so we will have another opportunity to enact spending reforms later this year. I sincerely hope we can negotiate a responsible agreement that will help put our country on a more sustainable financial path. Marianna High School opened as a host shelter at 2 p.m. on Friday. The school is located at 3546 Caverns Road. The local emergency management team had on Thursday said that it would not be open, but that was before Gov. Rick Scott that night ordered all Florida schools closed to make space for the millions of people fleeing Hurricane Irma. Jackson County Commissioners on Friday morning declared a local state of emergency, putting the community in line for cost reimbursements if the storm damages any county assets. With the suspected path of the storm shifting slightly westward as of Friday morning, there were fears that Jackson County could be in more danger than believed Thursday, but most models still predicted a direct hit for South Florida. As the storm continues inland, Jackson County could be seeing tropical storm force winds as of Sunday night. The county emergency management center was to open at Level 2 manpower Saturday morning at 6 a.m. and close down at 6 p.m. that day, then reopen at 6 a.m. Sunday and stay open through the remainder of the storm until it passes out of range. Law enforcement, fire-rescue, school officials, county road and bridge, and call-takers will be on duty with Jackson County Emergency Management Director Rodney Andreasen. If the storm continues on a track that puts Jackson County in a more direct line with the land-bound hurricane, activation will be notched up to Level 1 with more agencies sending people to help at the center. Andreasen said he'll ask the Department of Transportation to activate over-the-lanes signage providing information to Interstate 10 travelers about the shelter at MHS. If that fills, he has access to some shelters of last resort that could be used. Whichever path the storm takes to land, the local area is gearing up in response. A section at MHS will be set aside for special-needs storm refugees, while the main wing will be for others. The stalls at the Jackson County Agriculture Center on U.S. 90 will be the area horse shelter. As of 10 a.m., a few horses and one goat had already been placed and management was expecting another 100 or so, based on phone calls received by that hour. It can hold 250 horses. The building adjacent to the stalls may be put to use as a Red Cross staging area, as well. It is located at 3631 U.S. 90, Marianna. Plans will be modified as necessary as the storm progresses. The Florida Army National Guards 144th Transportation Company in Marianna hit the road late Thursday afternoon to assist in the storm, heading from the Armory eastward on U.S. 90 and to Interstate 10. Their destination was not disclosed. Gov. Scott activated the Guard in stages, and late in the week announced that all Florida National Guard units would be in play by Friday morning to assist in response to Hurricane Irma. As the soldiers moved out to help, their community was doing what it could to make the storm evacuees who were coming in feel welcome. The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the countys Tourist Development Council were fielding calls and helping scout out possible accommodations and supplies as evacuees reached out through the week. Chamber Executive Director Tiffany Garling said the local community wants to make sure that the visitors, although they may not be away from home by choice this time around, will leave here with a good feeling for the county. It might be enough to bring them back in brighter days. At any rate, she said, the local community wants to help them in this critical time. Some local businesses were still unsure Friday at noon as to whether theyll be staying open or closing their doors temporarily as Hurricane Irma bears down on the state in an uncertain path. Local residents should check with their financial institutions and other key contacts to find out what their plans are. Garling on Friday was also urging local businesses to register with the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center immediately. This tool allows you to make us aware of closures and provide updates on the status of your utilities and telecommunications, officials responsible for the center advise. If you are already registered please log in and update your status. The registration address is http://flvbeoc.org/. With the storm pushing South Florida residents north, there were very few or no hotel rooms left to book in Jackson County as of Thursday morning. That included not only the hotels on Interstate exchange and busy U.S. 90, but the dozen cabins in the Compass Lake in the Hills subdivision. John Laymon, manager there, said the last cabin was snapped up Wednesday night. Because of the emergency, the subdivision relaxed a rule for one party. Normally, only small dogs are allowed but accommodations were made for that guests larger animal in order to ease the evacuees burden. The new Residence Hub opened early to accommodate storm refugees. It wasnt supposed to get in operation until closer to the end of the month, and in a gradual progression, as rooms were made fully ready in the space. The hotel was once a Ramada Inn, but sat empty until Prathima and Satish Kumar bought it about a year ago and started renovating it. They had planned to phase in the start-up later this month, opening 10 rooms at a time until all 40 units in the renovated space were fully fitted out. But with hotels across the southeast filling up quickly as the storm progressed, the couple decided to open almost every room. Not all were perfectly ready some didnt yet have televisions, for instance but storm refuges were grateful for a place to stay. After they bought the hotel, Satish Kumar remained living in Canada and travels here as often as possible to be with his wife since she took over the management of their first hotel adventure. He hadnt planned to be there this weekend but booked a flight to help his family meet the storm challenge. Local restaurants were also brimming over with customers as travelers stopped in for a bite to eat in their temporary migration away from the storm. But one man was heading into it. Army veteran Steve Round had just come from helping rescue people in Houston and was on his way to Boca Raton Thursday. He got something to eat and also scoured the local Walmart for a resupply of things hed need when he got to what, by the time he arrives, may be an area in full crisis. Some important phone numbers : Jackson County Emergency Management: 482-9678 Jackson County Sheriffs Office: 482-9664 Marianna Fire Department: 482-2414 Marianna Police Department: 526-3125 Jackson Hospital: 526-2200 Jackson County Road Department: 482-9629 Who says watching TV never got anyone anywhere? The love Phillip Conner and his mother, Celeste Conner, have for Mike Rowes Dirty Jobs helped earn Conner a scholarship to pursue training in welding at Wallace Community College. Conner knew he didnt want to pursue a four-year degree, but wanted to make something out of his life. Welding seemed to be a natural fit for him. I hate school, he said. I cant stand sitting in a desk. I learn best by doing. Celeste said, Hes always been one of those kids who was happier working with his hands. Conners family was supportive of his desire to pursue a trade. Celeste and her son were fans of Rowes show, which explores blue-collar, skilled careers that dont always get the attention they deserve. Celeste and Conner worked on his application for the Mike Rowes Work Ethics Scholarship Program, including a short video segment. Conner said the application said the video was optional, but he thought Rowes foundation would appreciate the extra effort. Apparently, Conner reasoned correctly, as he was recently announced as one of the recipients of the scholarship. Conner received enough money to pay for one semester of school. The welding program Conner is enrolled in will take four semesters to complete. Joey Jackson, Wallace welding instructor, said he was pleased Conner had received the award, and that programs like Rowes made a big difference in students lives. Pell doesnt cover everything, and lots of students have to take a couple hundred dollars out of their own pockets to pay for their schooling, he said. Welders are in demand as a generation of skilled laborers retires, and few high school students in todays education culture are encouraged to pursue blue collar labor. Wallaces welding program has steadily grown in recent years, as people become more aware of the opportunities in the field. The Government housing policy has been labelled a 'catastrophic failure' in Louth by Sinn Fein TD Gerry Adams, due to the increase of homeless people in the county. Deputy Adams was commenting as the July report from the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government revealed a near 12% increase, on the previous month, in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Louth. Deputy Adams said; '123 people were homeless in Louth in July, up from 110 in June. 13 more people in our community have fallen into homelessness in the space of one month. 'The worsening crisis shows that the government is all at sea when it comes to addressing the crisis. Not enough is being done to prevent people from slipping into homelessness. 'The uncertainty and sky high rents in the private sector, coupled with landlords terminating tenancies because they are selling, is a huge part of the problem. 'The Minister must reconsider the Focus Ireland amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act that Fine Gael and its partners in government Fianna Fail refused to support last year. 'The amendment limits the circumstances where a landlord can seek vacant possession of a home they intend to sell. Adopting this measure could potentially help a number of people stay in their homes. 'The government needs to build more social and affordable homes. That is what Sinn Fein would do. We would not just manage this crisis. We would end it.' It is believed that over 1,400 SME's will benefit from a 16.6 million cross border scheme supporting innovation, that has been launched today by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD. Co-Innovate, which is being launched today in Monaghan, aims to increase the number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in research and innovation across the border region of Ireland, including Louth, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo as well as Northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland, from 22 per cent to 33 per cent over the next five years. The five year, 16.6 million project is the first funding offer to be announced under the EUs INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. It is one of 60 funding programmes across the European Union that have been designed to help overcome issues that arise from the existence of borders. A series of free, half day, regional workshops are being organised to demystify innovation and help companies understand how it can drive business forward. The Louth workshop will take place at Creative Spark, Clontygora Court, Dundalk on Thursday September 14th, from 10.30 am. Those interested in attending must first register and check their eligibility here Co-Innovate brings together the three regions key development agencies to deliver a programme aligned with each governments strategic priorities, led by cross-border body, InterTradeIreland, in partnership with Local Enterprise Offices in the border region, Enterprise Northern Ireland, East Border Region, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Launching Co-Innovate, Minister Humphreys, said: 'This is a very positive development for SMEs in our border counties. Supporting SMEs is a key strategic priority for the government and its crucial we continue to encourage and nurture innovation. 'Initiatives like Co-Innovate are central to this goal, providing one-to-one help and mentoring for smaller companies to help embed a culture of innovation in their businesses. 'I would like to acknowledge the work and contribution of the partnership of organisations that have come together to establish this important funding programme for the border region.' Match-funding for Co-Innovate has been provided by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Speaking at the launch event, Gina McIntyre Chief Executive Officer of the Special EU Programmes Body, said: 'The Co-Innovate project will allow the region to make a significant contribution to the achievement of the European Unions 2020 target of increased investment in research and innovation. 'The region, as a whole, is still characterised by low levels of innovation activity. 'Cross-border co-operation can however be used to help address this issue, by encouraging new partnerships between business and relevant research institutions. 'By working together through the Co-Innovate project, on a cross-border basis, participating businesses will become innovation active and thereby more competitive and profitable. Co-Innovate gives companies the tools and tailored support to help businesses innovate, dierentiate and compete successfully. The programme oers graduated levels of support including free workshops, individual business health checks, detailed innovation audits, sectoral networks, project management placements and one-to-one expert mentoring. Neil Ryan, Co-Innovate Programme Director, said: 'Every companys innovation needs are dierent so each companys journey through Co-Innovate will be unique. 'Over 1,400 businesses will receive support at Co-Innovate workshops over the next number of years. These workshops are aimed at demystifying innovation and helping firms understand how it can drive their companys growth and profitability. 'Companies who complete our workshops and subsequent assessments will be selected to take part in advanced programme supports. 'These advanced supports are designed to help develop detailed innovation delivery plans: bringing ideas to fruition.' For more information on The Co-Innovate Programme, please visit co-innovateprogramme.eu Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. If we dont stand up for our progressive values, who will? Some blog posts are more difficult for me to write than others. This is one of them. One Fair Wage is a coalition of pro-worker organizations who are working to ensure that all workers are paid a fair wage. Yesterday they announced they will introduce a ballot proposal to put raising the minimum wage to $12 in Michigan and that would ensure wage parity for tipped restaurant workers on the 2018 ballot: Michigans minimum wage would rise to $12 per hour by 2022 and tipped workers would earn the same guarantee by 2024 under a potential ballot proposal announced Thursday. One Fair Wage, a coalition that includes the labor-related Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, is expected to seek petition approval from the Board of State Canvassers before beginning a grassroots effort to collect signatures. [] The group is also seeking wage parity for tipped workers, whose current minimum hourly wage of $3.38 will rise to $3.52 next year. Under the proposed ballot measure, tipped workers would also earn $12 by 2024. As you might expect, I am in full support of this ballot initiative. I do this as a progressive that believes everyone should be fairly compensated for their work. Thats why I was disgusted to learn that One Fair Wage expects people who work for them to do so for FREE. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, women with strong ties to Michigan are participating in a series of fundraisers around the state for the One Fair Wage initiative. These are pricey events intended to raise money for the petition drive. Tickets range from $200 to $1000. The minimum ticket price for the Ann Arbor event is $200. For the Farmington Hills event, its a whopping $500: As readers of this site likely know, much of the visual content on Eclectablog is provided by my wife Anne Savage. Anne (thats her on the right with Rachel Maddow and some bald guy) is a well-established professional photographer and the go-to photographer for progressive causes and candidates. Shes earned that distinction because (a) shes a fierce warrior for progressive causes and (b) shes a damn good photographer. So good that she was the regional photographer for the White House during the Obama administration. She has photographed events with President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, and countless other major Democratic elected officials and candidates. Shes that good. So, it wasnt a surprise to her when the organizers for the Tomlin/Fonda fundraising events reached out to her to photograph the events. She agreed to do so and then never heard back from them. This morning she received a reply: Through another connection we found a photographer who is willing to donate his time for these events and since we are trying to cut down on expenses for the fundraisers we are going to go with him. In other words, rather than paying for their photographer, they are expecting him to do it for free. For the One Fair Wage initiative. The hypocrisy of this is not just galling, its offensive. If they had hired Anne, one or two of those high-priced tickets would have covered it and then some. As you can see in the screenshot above, the $1,000 VIP tickets include a photo. Heres how Anne sees it: I am asked to photograph for free or to give my photos away for free all of the time. I understand that these requests sometimes come from non-profit organizations or fundraisers, but the photography is also a service that is required to benefit the event. As a professional who makes a living doing photography I usually politely say no. But this time it was just too ironic to stay quiet. The organizers of these events found a photographer to do all of the events for free, and there are multiple events all over the southern part of the state, all week. It was disappointing that this happened for events that are aimed at raising money and awareness for fair pay. I understand the urge to accept free work but, as progressives, it runs counter to what we stand for. I frequently get requests for people wanting to be regular contributors at Eclectablog who are willing to do it for free. In every instance I politely decline telling them that this is not how it works. If I cant pay for your creative output, I simply cannot hire you in good conscience. If One Fair Wage hires someone who wants to return the pay in full or in part as a donation, thats up to the person they hire. There was once a regular contributor to Eclectablog who did just that. I discouraged it but it was their decision to make. However, a group working to ensure everyone is paid fairly for their work crosses a line when they dont pay their workers fairly (or at all, in this case.) The photographer they hired is also doing a profound disservice to those who are trying to make a living as a professional. Heres Anne again: To the photographers that offer to work for free, I ask you to please respect your work and the work of those of us who make a living at this, to and request pay. I do not begrudge you helping a charity of your choice from time to time, but for something where the smallest ticket is $200 or even $500 or $1,000, your work is likely needed for the success of the event. Donors expect their photo to be taken with the guest of honor. If you feel very strongly about doing the event without compensation then my suggestion would be to ask for pay and then make a donation. Continue to uphold the industry while doing your part to support the charities that are important to you. Like I said, some blog posts are harder to write than others. I detest having to call out progressive groups but sometimes we need to. Anne did eventually receive an apology from the organizers (who, by the way, never asked her to do it for free and simply found someone who would.) But thats not enough. This is a betrayal of the very principles they are fighting for. I hope its the last time. Sure, they arent reliable witnesses but lets take them at their word Special Counsel Robert Mueller reportedly has convened two Grand Juries and is employing several investigators as part of the investigation to the Trump campaign and administration ties to Russia. But all you need is access to internet, a television or a radio or to collect three key admissions by Donald Trump and his son that the president is doing his best to obstruct justice. Im not a lawyer and have no idea if this meets the standard of criminal obstruction of justice. But he works for us and we deserve to know what he did and didnt do to win the influence of the Putin regime, despite his obvious interest in making sure we dont. And regardless of their history of unrepentant lying, we should believe the Trumps when they admit that the president is participating in a coverup of into the most successful foreign interference into Americas elections ever documented. [Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr] Increased use of open source software could fortify U.S. election system security, according to an op-ed published last week in The New York Times. Former CIA head R. James Woolsey and Bash creator Brian J. Fox made their case for open source elections software after security researchers demonstrated how easy it was to crack some election machines in the Voting Machine Hacking Village staged at the recent DefCon hacking conference in Las Vegas. Despite its name, open-source software is less vulnerable to hacking than the secret, black box systems like those being used in polling places now, Woolsey and Fox wrote. Thats because anyone can see how open-source systems operate, they explained. Bugs can be spotted and remedied, deterring those who would attempt attacks. Open source software has proven to be so reliable and secure that its being used by the U.S. Defense Department, NASA and the U.S. Air Force, noted Woolsey and Fox. Microsoft Resistance Despite the benefits of open source software, Microsoft and other companies selling proprietary voting systems have lobbied aggressively against moving to open source, Woolsey and Fox contended. If the community of proprietary vendors, including Microsoft, would support the use of open-source model for elections, we could expedite progress toward secure voting systems, they suggested. Microsoft did not respond to our request to comment for this story. Theres a role for proprietary software, said Lawrence Rosen, an intellectual property attorney with Rosenlaw & Einschlag and former general counsel for the Open Source Initiative. Everything doesnt have to be open source, he told LinuxInsider, but when were talking about elections software that requires the confidence of the voters, thats different from whether my car radio is proprietary or open. Cracking Fest Woolsey and Foxs Times piece was particularly timely, coming as it did on the heels of the cracking fest at the Voting Machine Hacking Village. They confirmed what we already knew, said James Scott, a senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology. These are extremely vulnerable machines. Think of what a voting machine is, he told LinuxInsider. Its a 1980s PC with zero endpoint security in a black box where the code is proprietary and cant be analyzed. Although the researchers at DefCon impressed the press when they physically hacked the voting machines in the village, there are more effective ways to crack an election system. The easiest way to hack an election machine is to poison the update on the update server at the manufacturer level before the election, Scott explained. Then the manufacturer distributes your payload to all its machines for you. Security Through Obscurity Advocates for open source elections software argue that more transparency is needed in the systems. With closed source systems, you really have no idea what theyre doing, said Nicko van Someren, executive director for the core infrastructure initiative at The Linux Foundation. Diligent states will do some sort of auditing of their own, but we know from history that any sort of security audit on any sort of code seldom shows up everything, he told LinuxInsider. The more people you have examining the code, the more vulnerabilities youre likely to find, van Someren added. Although largely discredited, a belief persists that keeping source code secret is more secure than open sourcing code. Thats wrong-minded, van Someren said. In practice, hackers can look at binaries and still find vulnerabilities. Still, an ostrich attitude about security still prevails at some businesses, according to Brian Knopf, senior director of security research at Neustar. There are still some companies that have the idea that if they bury their head in the sand, if I ignore everyone else and dont provide access, then no one will find anything, he told LinuxInsider. Clearly, thats not the truth. Cant Hack Paper If elections systems makers arent willing to go the open source route, they at least need to open their code to expert eyes outside their organizations, maintained Mark Graff, CEO of Tellagraff. The source could be placed in escrow so an expert panel could look at it, he told LinuxInsider, but I dont think thats worked in the past, and I dont know if you could line up the commercial interests to agree to do what the experts say. A simpler solution to the security problem involves paper ballots and post-election ballot auditing, said Barbara Simons, president of VerifiedVoting. After all the votes are cast, a sampling of paper ballots would be compared manually to the electronic tally to determine the accuracy of the vote. Open source is good thing we support it but there are always bugs that are not going to be caught, Simons told LinuxInsider. What we need are paper ballots and manual post-election ballot audits, she said. If we have those, even with proprietary software, we can protect our election from being hacked, Simons maintained. You cant hack paper. 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But for teacher Jose Gonzales, the steps Trump took this week to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivalsor DACAare heart-wrenching. The day after the Trump administrations announcement to rescind DACA, an Obama-era program that shields some young immigrants from deportation, Gonzalezan undocumented immigrant himselffaced classrooms full of middle school students terrified that either they or relatives could face immediate deportation. Roughly 250,000 school-age children have become DACA-eligible since President Barack Obama began the program five years ago, the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute estimates. Millions more students in the nations public and private schools are the children of undocumented immigrants, according to the Washington-based Pew Research Center. Those numbersand the stories behind themdefine Gonzalezs work. A math teacher in Southern Californias immigrant-rich San Fernando Valley, Gonzalez said many of his adolescent students have lived in constant fear since Election Day because of their immigration status, or that of their parents. As he tried to explain to colleagues what the end of DACA could mean for him and his students, he said he trembled as tears streamed down his face. Theres a lot of confusion. Ive acknowledged that, shared with them how Im feeling, and acknowledged that its OK to be scared, Gonzalez said. To put all of that pressure of everything that is happening on the shoulders of a 10- or 11-year-old, I cant even imagine. The Trump administrations wind-down of the DACA program allows Congress time to find a legislative solution to address the status of the 800,000 so-called Dreamers, the young undocumented people who benefit from the program. The House and Senate now have until March 5 to pass an immigration reform bill, something theyve tried and failed to do for more than a decade. The Trump administration said it will honor all existing DACA permits until their date of expiration up to two full years from now. DACA recipients whose eligibility expires between now and March 5 have until Oct. 5 to apply for renewal. However, Trumps decision slams the door on people who were eligible for the program but who hadnt yet applied; all new applications for DACA protection will be rejected. The repeal of DACA only compounds widespread fear caused by what has been perhaps the most aggressive immigration enforcement operation in modern American history, said Roberto Gonzales, an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who studies the lives of undocumented residents. This is going to send a very clear message to those kids. Our government told their teachers that they dont belong, Gonzales said. Its sending a message that if you are undocumented, period, then you have cause to worry. Fighting Back From Los Angeles to Washington, school superintendents, education advocacy groups, and union leaders quickly and loudly condemned Trumps move. The day of the decision, hundreds of students in Denver walked out of classes, taking to the streets in protest. Rallies in Chicago and New York drew thousands. Former President Barack Obama, who used his executive authority to enact DACA in 2012, denounced his successors decision to terminate the program. Before that decision, nearly 400 corporate CEOs signed a letter asking Trump and Congress to save DACA protections for the dreamers. I had been very fearful and hopeless up until this past week, said Leslie Arreaza, a third-year student at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. The amount of action from different communities throughout the country kind of brought hope to me. At this point, were not fighting to get DACA back, were fighting to get a permanent solution. Arreaza, who wants to work as an English-language-learner teacher and counselor, came to the United States from Guatemala at age 8 speaking little English. Arreaza is attending college as a Golden Door Scholar, a partnership between private donors and private colleges that offers tuition support to DACA-eligible students, on the condition that scholarship recipients promise to help younger students like themselves attend college. Similar college-aid programs are popping up in places where undocumented students arent eligible for financial aid or in-state tuition. Nashville, Tenn.-based Equal Chance for Education has granted scholarships to more than 1,000 high-achieving DACA-eligible students including Berenice Oliva, a second-year social work student at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. After coming to the United States at age 9 from Mexico, Oliva graduated from high school in Nashville with honors. Now the aspiring social worker is wondering if her dream of working with immigrant children will be deferred. Youre constantly thinking, What is going to happen to me? Am I going to be able to finish my education? Is it going to be cut short? Will I be here next month or next year? Oliva said. Our lives are set out here, and moving back to the country that we were born in is just kind of like saying, Start over just like you did when you were brought here. Despite Trumps plans to end DACA, the Equal Chance for Education organization has committed to support Oliva and her peers through college graduation. It will also open another round of applications for the four-year, $25,000 scholarships to high school seniors, said Molly Haynes, the organizations co-executive director. These [students] are fighters, fighting every day to be the best that they could in school and be with their families, and be a part of this community, Haynes said. Immigration advocates in Tennessee are buoyed by the fact that the states attorney general backed out of a 10-state effort to pressure Trump to end DACA. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a coalition of Republican attorneys general that threatened to file a legal challenge to the program; Trump administration officials said the threat forced it to make a decision on DACA. But now the administration is facing legal action from the other side of the issue. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its decision to end DACA, arguing that repealing the program causes immediate harm and does not provide due process rights to the young people enrolled. Protecting Educators Jose Gonzalezs parents brought him to the United States from Mexico just before his second birthday. And because of that, hes found it difficult to sleep and focus on work in the days since the announcement. Before joining Teach For America in 2014, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business, Trumps alma mater. Hes shared the story with upwards of 500 students over the past four years. Gonzalez is among more than 180 undocumented Teach For America corps members who are teaching 10,000 students across 11 states. Amid the uncertainty, TFA is offering free legal assistance to its members and dozens of alums who are also DACA-protected. The impact of the DACA decision could devastate communities, not only for our teachers, but on all the lives that they touch, like all of these students and families, said Kathryn Phillips, a TFA spokeswoman. In response to stepped-up immigration enforcement, the organizations DACA-protected teachers ran training sessions this summer to educate new corps members on the rights and responsibilities of teachers with undocumented students and families. Gonzalez plans to keep fighting for those students, their families, and himself. [I] reassured them that Ive been fighting my whole life, and that our communities have been fighting their whole lives, and that this is no different, Gonzalez said. Were going to continue fighting and were going to put up the fight of our lives. Related Video In this April 2017 video, Education Weeks Kavitha Cardoza spoke to students and teachers who are DACA recipients about how the election of President Donald Trump and the increased threat of deportation has affected their lives. From Hurricane Katrina to the Joplin, Mo., tornado, the past dozen years have given education researchers unwelcome opportunities to study schools in the wake of disaster. Lessons learned from studying those disasters may help Texas and Louisiana educators pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and, potentially, Hurricane Irma as Florida braced for that storm late last week. Above all, this body of research finds that the full effects of disasters on children are far deeper and longer-lasting than expected. While floodwaters may recede in a matter of days or weeks, students in communities hit by natural disaster often face disruptions for months or years, including missed school, living in a shelter or a home under repair, and experiencing family financial and emotional stress. It is not only the event itself, but what comes after the event that causes problems for children, said David Schonfeld, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and the director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the University of Southern California. Theres a tendency to say, Look, the kids are better'meaning they arent crying anymore and they can sit in a classroom and have a conversationand they say, Well, kids like structure, lets get them back to normal. But they still may not be functioning at full level, Schonfeld said. One large-scale analysis of studies of children after natural and manmade disasters found they often reported symptoms of traumasuch as intrusive memories and feelings of detachmentthat adults did not observe. PTS [post-traumatic stress] may manifest largely without parents awareness , found the study by researchers at Boston and Temple universities. Observable symptoms of PTS may occur only in situations outside of the home, e.g., at school. After Hurricane Katrina, a group of researchers led by Joy Osofsky of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center also found that, childrens worries about school were significantly associated with long-term distress. Trauma not only sometimes triggered test anxiety, but interventions that addressed test anxiety improved students post-traumatic-stress symptoms, too. Osofsky tracked children in the hard-hit St. Bernard Parish schools for three years. After that time, while most students showed lower levels of depression and post-traumatic stress, nearly 28 percent still had made little or no recovery from the trauma and required ongoing mental-health services. The children who were ages 9 to 11 were significantly more likely to be anxious, depressed, or show signs of PTSD than were the older students. Age Differences in Effects In a separate but related study, LSU psychiatrist Tonya Hansel, Osofsky, and others also found that the reverse was true for students who had to move to new communities after the disaster; younger students adapted more quickly and had fewer symptoms than older students. Overall, students who had to relocate had longer-lasting traumaat times years longerthan those who returned to their homes. Older students, in particular, may be called to take on more family or financial responsibility after a disaster. One Syracuse University study of students in Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 found the percentage of students working and attending school at the same time jumped 58 percent in storm-affected areas. Findings like those suggest schools both in and out of the disaster zone need to prepare for long-term supports. But Schonfeld found children recover most easily when schools and districts provide broad help for both adults and students, rather than asking the teachers to put aside their own trauma on the students behalf. We tend in the literature on disasters to look at the stress of the individual and not understand that the family, the community, the school systems all are in distress and need supportand they arent likely going to get the supports they need, Schonfeld said. Schools that rebounded the fastest after disasters acknowledged the disruption and distress of both students and staff members and provided flexible supports for both, studies found. For example, schools used substitutes and volunteers to take over classes for teachers who needed to speak with family members or home contractors to supervise their own recovery and allowed more flexible schedules for students who were needed to help their families during reconstruction. All those responses are likely to require outside financial and administrative support. Yet federal and private studies have also found mixed progress in the state and national supports for schools following disaster. In 2010, the congressionally mandated National Commission on Children and Disasters reported that state and local governments need to better identify the needs of childrenincluding those with special needsahead of disasters and draft long-term recovery plans that address their housing, education, health, and mental-health needs. The nonprofit Save the Children, which has been tracking states disaster preparedness since Hurricane Katrina, found in its most recent report card in 2015 that only 17 of the federal commissions 81 recommendations had been fully implemented in states. K-12 education remained one of the areas that needed the most improvement. More than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas , dropping more than 51 inches of rain in Houston and surrounding towns and leaving a swath of devastation across the southeastern part of state, the scope of the damage to K-12 schools is still unknown. And it could be weeks before a full picture emerges of the total number of school buildings and property that were damaged or destroyed in the storm and how much it will cost to fix or replace them. Still, some staggering numbers were taking shape late last week. The damage to Houstons sprawling system of public schools could hit $700 million, Superintendent Richard Carranza said. Students from nine schools will relocate to other schools, and three of those schools may not open this year, because of extensive damage, he said. Some parts of the state are back up and running, with minor damages; in some parts of the state, of course, its more severe, said DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency. I am not even sure you can get into Beaumont yet. Port Arthur is still under water. Its really hard to say. In some of the incorporated areas in Harris County, where Houston is located, lingering flood waters have made it difficult for workers to even get to all schools and other buildings to assess the extent of damage. In some school communities, however, the storms devastation was heartbreakingly clear. On the southwestern edge of Houston, in the Pasadena Independent School District, Superintendent DeeAnn Powell last week gathered her team of around 300 principals, assistant principals, and support staff in a high school cafeteria to talk through an extensive to-do list before they opened schools on Sept. 11. Three of the districts 67 schools filled with water and one is unusable. Clean-up crews were set to work at the other two schools through the weekend in hopes of opening them by Monday. But first, Powell talked about the districts deepest loss: four siblings who drowned, along with their great-grandparents, as the family attempted to flee rising floodwaters in a van. The oldest brother and sister attended Pasadena High School. The younger siblings, a boy and a girl, had been students in the districts Williams Elementary School. The cafeteria filled with educators fell silent for several minutes. Being flexible, Powell told the educators, and providing students with some sense of normalcy, were their top priorities in the days ahead. We need to have big hearts and use common sense, she said. Closed Indefinitely As Texas districts tried to move on from Harvey last week, their counterparts in Florida were preparing for Hurricane Irma, a category 4 storm that had left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall in the Sunshine State over the weekend. Outside the Houston metropolitan region, entire school districts remained shuttered last week with spotty electricity and internet service, said Melissa Morin, who works in human resources and marketing for Education Service Center Region 2, a consortium of school districts that include Aransas County, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Port Aransas, Taft, and Tuloso-Midway. Superintendents and staff from some of those districts were working last week out of the consortiums facility in Corpus Christi, Morin said. Aransas County schools are closed indefinitely, Morin said. District leaders are still assessing the damage and cannot say with certainty when students would be able to return. In the interim, students have been enrolling in nearby districts and charter schools, she said. Whether a district is ready to open depends on multiple factors beyond that of building conditions, said Danny Lovett, the executive director of Region 5, which covers a collection of school districts in the Beaumont area that enroll about 90,000 students. Many of those same districts were hit hard by Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, he said. But the damage and disruption wrought by those storms have been superseded by that of Harvey. Someone asked the other day, Is this your first time? and we said, Its not our first rodeo, but its probably the biggest bull weve ever tried to ride, he said. Two districts, Deweyville and Bridge City, escaped major damage to their buildings, but the communities were decimated by flooding. In those cases, district officials still need to figure out where their students and families are, an especially difficult task, Lovett said. Transportation was a challenge for some districts, where buses were lost in flooding or drivers who evacuated havent returned, he said. But even for the schools working to open last week, major uncertainty remained on how many students would be back to attend. Houstons network of KIPP charter schools28 of them on 11 campuses across the cityre-opened last Thursday. While the charter networks school buildings weathered the storm well, many of their families did not. Staff members had been scrambling to set up food pantries on every campus as one concrete way to assist families. A day before students were set to return to KIPP Connect, an elementary school in southwestern Houston, it looked like someone had hit a pause button. Classrooms were freshly decorated. And desks were lined up for administering a test. Harveys arrival froze that moment. Teachers there were bracing for students who might be sad, frightened, and confused. When they walk in, we dont know what theyre walking through the doors with, said Paige Cockrell, a 1st grade teacher there. We want to talk about it, but we dont want to dwell on it. Mounting Costs for Schools While there are no firm estimates yet of how much it will cost the state of Texas and local districts to repair and replace Harvey-damaged schools, some officials said the price tag will be huge even after flood insurance payments come through. Lovett, the executive director for a consortium of Beaumont-area districts, said for a school district, a 15 percent deductible on a flood insurance policy applies to every building that is damaged. That adds up to millions of dollars thateven though you had insurancemillions of dollars that arent covered, he said. In Houston, Superintendent Carranza said the district hopes that federal emergency funding, insurance payouts, and possibly state assistance will help cover the huge bill, which will include overtime, repairs, and recovery. For now, the district will co-locate students whose schools will not reopen with other campuses and relax some enrollment policies. State officials are scrambling for ways to give districts flexibility and support as they start to recover. Culbertson, from the Texas Education Agency, said that in the wake of the storm, the education department is looking to extend the Oct. 1 deadline that districts use to set their enrollment for the year. Districts will also use a crisis code to identify students who were displaced by Harvey so that the state can get an accurate count on the number of students who were displaced by the storm, she said. District officials said the state has been responsive to their storm-related concerns, including by issuing waivers on missed school days and reminding districts that they are required by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act to enroll students who evacuated their homes because of the storm. Superintendents from affected areas also have daily conference calls with the states education commissioner. School districts outside the disaster zone have offered to enroll students displaced by Harvey, mirroring 12 years earlier when Houston, Dallas, and other Texas districts took in nearly 50,000 students and thousands of teachers who were forced to flee New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As of late last week, the Dallas school district had enrolled close to 100 students who were evacuated from storm-ravaged areas, including those who are staying at a shelter at the Dallas convention center and others who are staying with relatives, said Robyn Harris, a spokeswoman. The district is providing counseling services, as well as uniform assistance to students. Staff from the districts counseling service, youth and family services, homeless education department, and health clinics have also visited families at the shelter, she said. We are continuing our efforts to provide resources for however long they will be here with us, Harris said. She also said the district is prepared to take as many students as necessary. At Pasadenas Thompson Intermediate Schoolwhich filled with six feet of waterindustrial-sized dehumidifiers and fans whirred away last week while workers tore down drywall in the schools hallways to disinfect the steel beams behind. Drenched furniture was piled into the centers of classrooms. Trophies won by students were perched on shelves in the schools music room, just above the water line. Principal Melissa Allen and some teachers, meanwhile, were sorting through a massive pile of desks and chairs. Little seemed salvageable. Allen had been working round-the-clock to relocate students and teachers to another Pasadena district campus, nearly two miles from Thompson. The stories shed heard from students were haunting her. Stories of being trapped in their homes, and waiting to be saved and hoping that they are going to survive, and these are my kids, she said, her voice cracking. They are 11, 12, and 13 years old and theyre trying to figure out, Am I going to live through tonight because theres water coming into my house and I dont know what to do. I have kids that are going to come to my school next week and thats the life that they will have lived a week and a half ago, Allen continued. Were going to do everything that we can to support them through that. Search All categories Advertising General Aerospace General Agriculture General Airlines General America - Post 9/11 General Apparel General Apple Products General Architectural General Architecture Architecture Art & Entertainments Books Celebrities Country Music Dance Magazines Movies Museums Music Music Downloads News & Talk Shows Performing Arts Photography Television Web Sites Arts/Culture General Auction General Automotive Aftermarket Classic Autos Consumer Publications General Motorcycle & Bike Racing Recreational Vehicle Repair & Service Trade Publications Blogging & Social Media Blogging & Social Media Business Advertising / Marketing Books Consumer Research Direct Marketing e-Commerce Entrepreneurs Finance Franchise Human Resources Insurance Investment Management Markets Network Marketing Online Marketing / SEO Payday Loans Public Relations Publications Real Estate Retail Stocks Supermarkets Women in Business Careers/HR General Chemical General Coaching / Mentoring Coaching / Mentoring Computers Apple Products Databases Games & Entertainment General Hosting Instruction Linux / GNU "Open Source" Macintosh Microsoft Windows PC Operating Systems Programming Security Software Tablet PCs Utilities Construction General Consumer Gifts and Collectibles Hobbies Web sites / Internet Design Graphic Design Industrial Web E-Cigarette General eCommerce General Economy General Education College / University General Home Schooling K-12 Post Graduate Technical Electronics General Email Marketing General EmailWire Press Releases Press Release Tips Employment/Careers General Engineering General Entertainment General Environment General Events / Trade Shows General Finance General Food General Franchise General Fraud / Identity Theft General Gaming General Government General Judicial Law Enforcement Legislative Local National Public Services Security State Transportation Healthcare General Home and Family Banking / Personal Finance Bereavement / Loss Home Furnishings / Interiors Landscaping & Gardening Marriage / Relationships Money Parenting Payday Loans Pets Taxes Wedding / Bridal Home Schooling General Hotels/Resorts General Household General Industry Aerospace / Defense Agriculture Apparel / Textiles Broadcast Construction / Building Electrical Food Funeral Healthcare Leisure / Hospitality Logistics / Shipping Manufacturing / Production Mining / Metals Oil / Energy Paper / Forest Products Plumbing, Heating & AC Print Media Printing Publishing Radio Restaurants Tobacco Toy Insurance General Internet/Online General Legal General Leisure General Lifestyle Beauty Dating / Singles Diet / Weight Loss Fashion Food / Beverage Health & Fitness Hotel / Resorts Pastimes Restaurants Retirement Travel & Tourism Machinery General Maritime General Medical Addiction Allergies Alternative Medicine Asthma Cancer Cardiology Chiropractic Dental Dermatology Diabetes Emergency Family Medicine General General Geriatrics Hospitals Infectious Diseases Internal Medicine Managed Care / HMO Medical Products Mental Health Neurology Nursing Nutrition OB / GYN Pediatrics Pharmaceuticals Physical Therapy Plastic Surgery Psychology Radiology / Imaging Research Sports Medicine Surgery Vision Military General Mining/Metals General Miscellaneous General Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Non-profit General Occupational Safety Occupational Safety Oil/Energy General Opinion / Editorial Opinion / Editorial Paper Products General Paper/Forest General Pharmaceuticals General Podcasting Announce Tools and Services Politics Politics Print Media General Public Utilities Public Utilities Publishing General Radio General Real Estate General Religion Christian General Islam Jewish Other Restaurants General Retail General RSS & Content Syndication RSS & Content Syndication Science and Research Science and Research Self-Help / Personal Growth Self-Help / Personal Growth Shipbuilding General Society African American Interests Asian Interests Childrens Issues Disabled Issues / Disabilities Gay / Lesbian Hispanic Mens Interests Native American Senior Citizens Social Services Teen Issues/Interests Womens Interest Software General Sports Baseball Basketball Bicycling Boating / Maritime Bowling Boxing Fishing Football Golf Hockey Hunting Martial Arts Outdoors Rugby Soccer Tennis Water Winter/Snow Sports/Fitness General Stocks General Supermarkets General Technology Biotechnology Computer Electronics Enterprise Software Games Graphics/Printing/CAD Hardware / Peripherals Industrial Information Internet Multimedia Networking Public Sector/Government Robotics Semiconductor Software Telecommunications Webmasters Telecom General Wireless Television General Tobacco General Trade General Transportation General Travel General Utilities General Volunteer Volunteer Weather Weather False alarm for lifeboat Ramsey lifeboat crew was called out after Belfast Coastguard received an emergency distress signal. The team was dispatched Wednesday lunchtime in response to an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon transmitted along the east coast of the Isle of Man. 50 minutes after leaving the lifeboat was dispatched, the coastguard established that the distress signal had been set off by accident, allowing the lifeboat crew to return to the station. The RNLI says EPIRB signals usually indicate a vessel is in serious distress, and stresses that it's important to regularly check that they are in working order. Detention Center The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Thursday was 49, with 42 from Platte County and seven from out of county. Police Aug 5 12:15 a.m. At 2604 25th St., William Palma, 18, 312 27th St., was cited for possession of marijuana-one ounce or less, possession of drug paraphernalia and minor in possession of alcohol. Aug. 16 12:19 a.m. At the intersection of 33rd Avenue and Howard Boulevard, Phoenix Heiser, 19, 1658 44th Ave., was cited for failure to yield right of way. Aug. 24 12:11 a.m. In the 2600 block of 13th Street, Mercedes Stolepart, 18, 2265 Eighth Ave., No. 3, was cited for no operators license. 8:48 p.m. In the 2800 block of 23rd Street, Aron Enriquez, 21, Country View Estates, No. 62, was cited for no operators license Aug. 31 1:42 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Street and 30th Avenue, Dale Muckey, 85, 3470 51st Ave., was cited for traffic signal violation. Sept. 1 10:10 a.m. In the 800 block of 23rd Street, William Mayben, 80, 1912 32nd St., was cited for no operators license. Sept. 2 10:18 a.m. At the intersection of East Sixth Avenue and East 23rd Street, Marisol Velez, 19, Schuyler, was cited for negligent driving. Sept. 4 6:47 p.m. In the 1800 block of 32nd Street, Joel Acutin, 40, Valdosta, Georgia, was cited for a truck route violation. 11:16 p.m. In the 3200 block of Eighth Street, Jhonas Reve, 28, 172 18th Ave., No. 4, was cited for no operators license. Sept. 5 6:52 a.m. At the intersection of 30th Avenue and 23rd Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Lawrence Schielke, 81, 2669 Third Ave., and Alexander Moje, 19, 2404 Deermont Place. 3:30 p.m. In the 3900 block of 19th Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Matthew Brandt, 31, David City, and Darlene Ernesti, 80, 1855 45th Ave. Sept. 6 9:36 a.m. Theft at 2015 14th St., bicycle stolen, no loss amount. 7:12 p.m. Criminal mischief at 761 22nd Avenue, six windows broken and seven screens damaged, $1,100 loss. Sheriff Sept. 4 8:15 p.m. In the 1700 block of East 29th Avenue, a motorcycle driven by Jay Palmer, 49, Gretna, lost control and ejected the driver and a passenger. Aug. 24 4:02 p.m. In the Lakeview Community Schools parking lot, traffic accident. Drivers were Abigail Lutjelusche, 14, Richland, and Carissa Roth, 15, N. Shore Place. The Roth vehicle then struck a parked vehicle owned by Jennifer Heesacker, 2030 55th St. Sept. 5 10:20 a.m. At the intersection of East 41st Avenue and East 26th Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Jose Barbachan, 52, 2141 E. 26th St., and Kortney Adams, 18, 4010 E. 26th St. 11:17 a.m. Theft from a building at 205th Street and 370th Avenue, $100 loss. 12:20 p.m. Criminal mischief at 510 Sixth Street in Duncan, $100 loss. 1:50 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and South 63rd Avenue, Rosendo Rivera Aguilera cited for speeding and no seat belt. Sept. 6 12:32 a.m. Motor vehicle theft at 24960 445th Ave. in Monroe, $500 loss. 11:28 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of 53rd Street and 18th Avenue, Kara Larsen of Columbus cited for speeding. Fire Sept. 5 11:46 a.m. In the 1800 block of West Camino Real, medical. 2:01 p.m. In the 200 block of 23rd Street, medical. Sept. 6 6:53 p.m. In the 4500 block of 38th Street, medical. 8:01 p.m. Alarm activated in the 2000 block of 17th Street. 8:39 p.m. In the 2900 block of 21st Street, medical. 10:26 pm. In the 340 block of East 24th Street, medical. COLUMBUS A 39-year-old Columbus man died of a self-inflicted knife wound Friday after being involved in a reported domestic dispute at a residence in the area of 40th Avenue and Howard Boulevard. According to information released by Columbus Police, the man was threatening to harm himself shortly after officers arrived on the scene and, while they were trying to talk him into giving up the weapon, injured himself. Police said Columbus Rescue was immediately summoned and the city man, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at Columbus Community Hospital. Officers secured the scene of the 10:20 a.m. incident and turned the investigation of the death over to the Nebraska State Patrol. State law requires a grand jury be called when someone dies while in custody or while being arrested. No other information was available. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter A teenage boy who was found guilty of a Polish man's manslaughter will be sentenced today (Friday, September 8). Arkadiusz Jozwik, known as Arek, had been out drinking with friends when he became involved in an altercation with a group of youths outside The Stow, in Harlow, on the evening of August 27 last year. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, darted around the confrontation, came up behind Mr Jozwik and punched him in the back of the head. The blow sent the 40-year-old Polish national crashing to the floor and as a result he suffered a brain injury and a fractured skull. He sadly died in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, two days later. Although Essex Police initially launched a murder investigation, the 16-year-old boy was eventually charged with the lesser offence of manslaughter. After a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, the defendant was found guilty of causing Mr Jozwik's death. Speaking shortly after the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "This has been a complex and difficult investigation and my thoughts very much remain with Mr Jozwik's family, who have lost a dearly loved son and brother in the most tragic of circumstances. "While nothing will ever bring Mr Jozwik back, now the court proceedings are over, I hope his family can somehow start to rebuild their lives. "Essex Police, working in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service, has carried out a huge amount of work into trying to establish the course of events that led to Mr Jozwik's death and to find the truth of what happened. "My team has taken more than 150 witness statements, spoken to more than 300 people during inquiries and reviewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage. "More than 30 police officers and staff have been involved in the investigation and committed more than 1,200 additional hours. "Whatever the reason for the events of that night, the defendant deliberately used violence against Mr Jozwik. "While he would not have intended for it to be a fatal blow, he made a decision to move deliberately behind the victim and take him by surprise with a forceful punch. "He must have appreciated this would have caused harm." We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter A serial thief who stole a number of bicycles from an Essex train station has been handed a suspended sentence. Between May 29 and July 2 this year, 33-year-old Ronald Stopher pinched a total of nine bikes from Benfleet railway station. Stopher, of Thorney Bay Caravan Park, Canvey Island, was apprehended by British Transport Police officers after they recognised him from CCTV footage of previous thefts. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and was sentenced at Basildon Magistrates Court to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, on August 10. In addition, he was ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and pay 3,029 compensation. British Transport Police have issued advice on how to keep your bike safe: Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Get the latest traffic and travel news straight to your inbox A motorcyclist is in a critical condition after he was involved in a serious road traffic collision with a car. Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 11:30am on Wednesday (September 6) to a report of a crash in Green Lane, at the junction with Castle Lane and Greenway in Dagenham . Met officers, the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended and found a car in collision with a motorbike. A spokesperson from the Met Police said: "The male motorcyclist, aged 24, has been taken to an east London hospital where he remains in a critical condition. "No arrests have been made. Temporary road closures have been lifted. "Officers from the Met's Roads and Transport Command continue to deal. They are particular keen to hear from those who assisted following the collision and those at the nearby bus stop who may have witnessed the incident taking place." Anyone with information is asked to call Chadwell Heath Traffic Garage on 0208 597 4874 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. SAN FRANCISCO Credit monitoring company Equifax has been hit by a high-tech heist that exposed the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information about 143 million Americans. Now the unwitting victims have to worry about the threat of having their identities stolen. The Atlanta-based company, one of three major U.S. credit bureaus, said Thursday that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. The theft obtained consumers' names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver's license numbers. The purloined data can be enough for crooks to hijack the identities of people whose credentials were stolen through no fault of their own, potentially wreaking havoc on their lives. Equifax said its core credit-reporting databases don't appear to have been breached. "On a scale of one to 10, this is a 10 in terms of potential identity theft," said Gartner security analyst Avivah Litan. "Credit bureaus keep so much data about us that affects almost everything we do." Lenders rely on the information collected by the credit bureaus to help them decide whether to approve financing for homes, cars and credit cards. Credit checks are even sometimes done by employers when deciding whom to hire for a job. Equifax discovered the hack July 29, but waited until Thursday to warn consumers. The Atlanta-based company declined to comment on that delay or anything else beyond its published statement. It's not unusual for U.S. authorities to ask a company hit in a major hack to delay public notice so that investigators can pursue the perpetrators. The company established a website where people can check to see if their personal information may have been stolen. Consumers can also call 866-447-7559 for more information. Experian is also offering free credit monitoring to all U.S. consumers for a year. "This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do," Equifax CEO Richard Smith said in a statement. "I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes." This isn't the biggest data breach in history. That indignity still belongs to Yahoo, which was targeted in at least two separate digital burglaries that affected more than 1 billion of its users' accounts throughout the world. But no Social Security numbers or drivers' license information were disclosed in the Yahoo break-in. Equifax's security lapse could be the largest theft involving Social Security numbers, one of the most common methods used to confirm a person's identity in the U.S. It eclipses a 2015 hack at health insurer Anthem Inc. that involved the Social Security numbers of about 80 million people . Any data breach threatens to tarnish a company's reputation, but it is especially mortifying for Equifax, whose entire business revolves around providing a clear financial profile of consumers that lenders and other businesses can trust. "This really undermines their credibility," Litan said. It also could undermine the integrity of the information stockpiled by two other major credit bureaus, Experian and TransUnion, since they hold virtually all the data that Equifax does, Litan said. Equifax's stock dropped 13 percent to $124.10 in extended trading after its announcement of the breach. Three Equifax executives sold shares worth a combined $1.8 million just a few days after the company discovered it had been hacked, according to documents filed with securities regulators. The sales, executed on August 1 and August 2, were made by: John Gamble, Equifax's chief financial officer; Rodolfo Ploder, Equifax's president of workforce solutions; and Joseph Loughran, Equifax's president of U.S. information solutions. Bloomberg News first reported the divestitures. In a subsequent statement, Equifax said the three executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." The potential aftershocks of the Equifax breach should make it clear that Social Security numbers are becoming an unreliable way to verify a person's identity, Nathaniel Gleicher, the former director of cybersecurity policy in the White House during the Obama administration, said in an email statement. "This breach might just have put the nail in the coffin of the idea that we can use personal identifiers like Social Security numbers as security factors," wrote Gleicher, who now oversees cybersecurity strategy for computer security firm Illumio. In addition to the personal information stolen in its breach, Equifax said the credit card numbers for about 209,000 U.S. consumers were also taken, as were "certain dispute documents" containing personal information for approximately 182,000 U.S. individuals. Equifax warned that hackers also may have some "limited personal information" about British and Canadian residents. The company doesn't believe that consumers from any other countries were affected. The European Union provided 3.6 million to develop software that helps immigrants get access to healthcare services across the bloc. The software was tested in Spanish health centers in Barcelona and Tarragona and it can be used on laptops and tables in immigrants native languages targeting mostly newcomers from the Middle East and North Africa. Migrants who arrive in European countries may not be familiar with the health system at all, said Leo Wanner, the head of the project. Our agent would be able to assess their problem based on their age, location, gender, and other things so it can tell them in natural language where they need to go, he added. The funding was provided under the Horizon 2020 program that, however, runs out next year. Researchers nevertheless hope that they will still be able to turn the software into an app. The European Commission is about to introduce new measures in digital health services by the end of this year. In July, the Commission launched a three month-long call for public feedback on health-related issues like data analysis of digital health records cross-border access to health data in the EU. The EU executive wrote that digital health tools can support the transition from a hospital-based healthcare model to a person-centered and integrated model and help citizens to access their health data everywhere in Europe. The Commission seeks to enhance digital services in health care so that all citizens can in full privacy and confidence, access and transfer their complete electronic health record when receiving healthcare abroad. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will give a landmark annual speech before the European Parliaments plenary session in Strasbourg on 13 September in which he will outline his vision for the future of Europe. According to the sources close to Mr. Juncker, his speech will include some new initiatives, though the focus will not be on Mr. Junckers legacy but rather on a vision. His speech will be a culmination of the reflection and the thinking behind the future of Europe and the political season that will ensure the state of the union to be almost the last chance for Mr. Juncker to leave his mark on the EU. President Juncker reportedly wants to use the speech as an occasion to speak about the vision of the European project instead of listing too many specific proposals. Presidents team also reached out to the EU capitals to discuss the state of play of the EU and the future they would like to see including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Last week, Mr. Juncker and his college of commissioners also discussed the most pressing issues dominating the public discourse the tensions in Poland over the rule of law and the recent developments in Turkey. In his last years state of the union speech, President Juncker highlighted the importance of investment in Europes youth, job seekers and start-ups. He also presented an ambitious Investment Plan for Africa, a lifeline for those who might risk their lives in search for a better life in Europe. Digital economy played an important part in this speech when he proposed that each and every European city and village should have free wireless Internet connection by 2020. Marco Minitti, the Italian interior minister, has managed to decrease the number of African migrants and refugees arriving in the country from Libya in his eight months in the office. According to the latest statistics from August, the number has fallen by 87% a controversial success that has gained appraisal on the right and notoriety on the left. There are claims that the methods he is using to decrease the number of refugees are fragile and leave the fate of the tens of thousands of migrants unresolved and stuck in inhumane detention camps, but also unwilling to go back to their country of origin. Moreover, there are rumors that deals have been struck in the desert with the aim to induce tribes and militia to end the business of human trafficking. Mr. Minitti stoutly defends his methods as his country is facing an unprecedented influx of migrants. On one day in June, there were 12,500 arrivals in 25 vessels across the Mediterranean. Mr. Minitti says that the crucial point for him was to go to Libya to find a solution. In Turkey with its migrant crisis there was a strong leader with which to work perhaps too strong. In Libya it was the opposite. It was necessary to deal with a fatally divided national state that was trying to create an alternative set of state institutions. In February, Italy under his leadership signed a memorandum with the leader of the UN-recognized government, Fayez al-Serraj, introducing a new level of collaboration between both sides, including the provision of four patrol boats. If we look at results, the Libyan coastguard has saved more than 13,000 people figures that were absolutely unthinkable at the start of the year. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- During the incoming German Presidency of EUROCORPS for 2 Years (9/2017 - 8/2019), the use of Drones, announced Earlier this week by the New French Defense Minister Florence Parly, is Not yet Scheduled, but Neither Excluded, replied, in substance, to an "Eurofora" Question that European Army's Press Spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Kirchenbauer. He spoke shortly after a Change of Command, from the out-going Spanish Lieutenant-General Alfredo Ramirez to the in-coming German Lieutenant-General Jurgen Weigt, Earlier this Morning, but before the forthcoming German Election of September 24. Meanwhile, Parly, concluding French Army's Summer 2017 meetings, had Announced that France intends to Start using Drones Both for Surveillance and for Armed Operations, but always under Human and not Robotic control for the respect of Rules of Engagement. The move is due to Start, at Short Term, by using USA-Bought "REAPERS" Military Drones, (particularly for Wide Areas such as around Sahara, etc), but is due to unfold, Later-on, with the Creation of European Drones, as she said a few Months after a Franco-German Inter-Governemental Summit in Paris, chaired by President Macron and Chancellor Merkel, who Highighted various Decisions and prospects also on Joint Projects for New Defence Equipments. The New EUROCORPS' Commander, General Weigt, took over his duties at a ceremony symbolically held in EU Parliament's Headquarters in Strasbourg, as a Senior Officer had Warned "Eurofora" during a Press Conference by Top MEP Arnauld Danjean, EU's Rapporteur on Security /Defence Policy, and Experienced former President of EU Parliament's relevant Committee, now Heading its Delegation for NATO, (who had, then, Replied to other Topical Questions raised by "Eurofora" : Comp. http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/topmepdanjeanonsecuritydefenseandbrexit.html). EU Parlament has repeatedly and Strongly supported EUROCORPS' prospects at the Core of EU's Defence Policy, which is notoriously due to be Boosted Nowadays soon, particularly after the recent developments about UK's "BREXIT" and in accordance with the Strategic Decisions just taken by the Latest EU Heads of State/Government Summit on June 2017 in Brussels, (Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the spot). EUROCORPS, Headquartered in Strasbourg, has as "Framework" Nations France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, but also Poland as a New, evolving Member, while Many Other EU Countries have posted "Liaison Officers" here, and more are expected to join, sooner or later, in one way or another. It has also been used for Cooperation with NATO, and Headed Operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan (International Missions), Mali and Central Africa (EU Missions), etc. More Recently, it has started to Lead also EU's Battle Group, as on 2016. As a Multi-National but also Multi-Modal Force, destinated to Lead the Staff of Thousands of Soldiers from several Countries, EUROCORPS has been recently trained to Monitor Both Land, Sea and Air Military Operations in an organized whole. Therefore, it appears Logical to expect that, sooner of later, it would also Include the New Technologies of Drones inside its overall Activities' Know-how. - However, at least as things stand, "Nothing is Scheduled" yet for Drones, Replied EUROCORPS' Press Spokesman, L-C. Kirchenbauer to a relavant Question by "Eurofora". - But this goes only "For the Moment", he specified, i.e. withOut Excluding a priori eventual developments, in this direction, Later-on during the Incoming 24-Months-Long Period of the German rotating Presidency. - Simply, "we canNot Speculate" about that Today, EUROCORPS' Press Spokesman carefully explained. - "Eurofora"s Co-Founder has often covered "EUROCORPS"' main developments, already from its Creation, back on 1993, until now, on 2017, Publishing initially at "TCWeekly" and afterwards on "Eurofora", (Comp. various relevant Articles/Interviews searchable in this Newsite, etc). It is easy to be tax resident in a country, and in fact easy to be tax resident in more than one country at a particular time. I cannot understand why CWP says he is not resident in Dubai if he is working there for more than a short period. The best approach is as follows- Consider the UK domestic rules. Consider the tax rules of any other relevant countries. Look at any relevant double tax treaties. The UK domestic rules for residence are set down the Statutory Residence Test. The SRT can be complex in its details. For individuals seeking to show that they are not UK resident the usual key information is whether he is working abroad on a full time basis, the number of days of UK presence and the number of working days in the UK. I attach a brief summary, but it does not cover matters such as gaps between jobs. It is not necessary to have a UK address to be UK resident. A non-resident is of course liable to UK tax on UK source income. This can cover UK rental income and liability even as a non-resident for tax on work done while in the UK. The common reporting standard relates to exchanges of information between revenue authorities. The rules relating to domicile are not likely to be of relevance in establishing whether there is any liability to income tax. If CWP is interested the domicile rules for returning UK individuals are being amended from 6 April 2017. Progress is being made on the future relationship between the UK and the European Union with regard to citizen rights, despite headlines suggesting otherwise, the British Government has announced.Issues relating to the rights of EU citizens, including health and pensions, living in the UK and UK nationals in the EU have moved forward, according to a statement from Brexit officials.On healthcare, for example, it has been agreed to protect the rights to reciprocal healthcare, including European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs), for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU who are present on the day of exit.Both sides also agreed that the rights of cross border workers should be protected and on economic issues, the right of EU citizens to set up and manage a business in the UK have also been confirmed with the same applying to British citizens in their Member State of residence.Other areas of agreement included protection for so called frontier workers, those who live in one EU member state and work in another. This would include people who live in the UK and commute to Europe, or Britons settled in one country, for example Germany, who commute to work in another such as Luxembourg.Also, professional qualifications would be recognised across the EU after Brexit, allowing lawyers, doctors, accountants, seafarers, train drivers and others who have moved to or from the UK to another EU country to work to have their certificates recognised.These points of agreement are good news but the discussions also highlighted where more work is needed, the statement pointed out.This includes several areas where the UK wants to go further than the EU, such as posted workers and the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The UK will also continue to seek clarification on how the EUs stance on various issues would work in practice and be implemented within the EU27.The next round of negotiations in September will build on progress to date with a view to reaching a future agreement on citizens rights, the statement added.Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, has also confirmed that the UK government remains absolutely committed during the negotiation process to delivering the best outcome for the people of the EU and the UK.Officials also pointed out that EU citizens with settled status will continue be treated as if they were UK nationals for education, healthcare, benefits, pensions and social housing after Brexit.No EU citizen currently in the UK lawfully will be asked to leave at the point we leave the EU. EU citizens will have at least two years to regularise their status. The process to apply for settled status will be streamlined and user friendly, including for those who already hold a permanent residence document under current free movement rules. We expect the system to be up and running in 2018, a spokesman said.As the negotiations in Brussels progress, our advice to EU citizens remains the same: you do not need to apply for documentation confirming your status now, he added. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A recent report raises doubts about the economic future of San Antonios newest coal-fired plant, especially as natural gas prices remain low. The two units of CPS Energys J.K. Spruce Power Plant at Calaveras Lake in southern Bexar County operated at an estimated loss of $135 million in 2015 and 2016, says a report by Massachusetts-based Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. The plants older Spruce 1 unit is less economically viable than its newer unit, especially as CPS Energy considers spending $130 million on pollution controls to help reduce ozone-forming emissions, the report states. The report was commissioned by the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal campaign, which asked Synapse to take a look at the revenues and costs associated with operating the plants through 2037. Spruce 1 went online in 1992 while Spruce 2 started up in 2010. CPS also operates two older coal-fired units at Calaveras, J.T. Deely 1 and 2. CPS plans to close both Deely units next year. CPS Chief Operating Officer Cris Eugster said the utility welcomed the input and does not take issue with the reports overall findings. At a high level, we dont disagree with the reports overall perspective on the market moving away from coal, he said Thursday. In the report, Synapse consultants examined how much revenue the plants generated relative to purchasing power from outside sources. They compared that revenue to the cost of fuel, operation and maintenance and capital costs, Synapse associate Avi Allison said. The Spruce units have been increasingly challenged economically over the last few years to the point that theyve been losing money for CPS Energy customers, Allison said. Continuing low natural gas prices, which dipped further in 2014, led CPS Energy to operate the plant at less than 50 percent of its capacity in 2015 and 2016, the report states. Running the Spruce units less meant revenues fell for those years. Spruce will continue losing money over the next few years, the report states, estimating combined losses of $110 million through 2019. Both units could become profitable by the 2020s, as long as natural gas prices recover from recent lows, coal prices remain flat, environmental regulations dont change and CPS runs both plants closer to full capacity, the report states. However, both will continue losing money if gas prices recover only moderately, it states. Installing a pollution control known as selective catalytic reduction at Spruce 1 will also push that unit further into the red over the decades. The new equipment is meant to reduce emissions from ozone-forming nitrogen oxides. CPS power plants are among the top sources of ozone-forming emissions in the region, according to state data. The San Antonio metro areas ozone levels currently are in violation of federal health standards, and the city faces increased scrutiny from regulators and more difficulty funding transportation projects if the violation becomes official this fall. In a conference call, some Sierra Club members said that besides the economic benefits, there are public health and environmental consequences. In San Antonio, CPS coal-fired plants also are the top sources of greenhouse gases, which trap the suns heat and cause global warming. CPS Energy, representing the largest source of carbon emissions for the region, is going to have to step up, said Chrissy Mann, a representative for the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal campaign. This is the perfect time to take that next step to addressing carbon emissions and addressing the public health implications of burning coal, she said. In many ways, CPS already has, Eugster said. In 2016, CPS customers got 27.6 percent of their power from coal, 30.5 percent from nuclear, 24.1 percent from natural gas, 4.8 percent from purchased power and 13 percent from solar, wind and landfill gas. In 2010, 80 percent of that power came from coal and nuclear, Eugster said. The big question is what would replace Spruce, he said. CPS is not operating either Spruce or Deely at full capacity, but it sometimes relies on these plants during periods of high demand where renewable sources cant quite bridge the gap. The biggest issue is that you cant just turn off a unit like this and go out and buy a bunch of solar, he said. Until you have energy storage viable at the scale of a power plant youre going to need conventional assets. 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. It could immediately build a new natural gas plant, but CPS Energy could be stuck with a plant with at least a 40-year life that may become obsolete before then. In 2010, CPS Energy replaced the capacity it will lose from Deely by buying a natural gas plant. Theres also the possibility of storing energy generated by renewables and other sources, though thats too expensive now to do at power-plant scale, Eugster said. CPS is planning a pilot 10-megawatt lithium ion battery storage project for $10 million. For comparison, Spruce has a combined capacity of more than 1,400 megawatts if both units were running at full steam. Terry Burns, chairman of the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, said he doesnt believe natural gas should be used as a bridge fuel to replace retiring coal generation. It is still a fossil fuel and contributing to (carbon dioxide) emissions, Burns said of natural gas use. He stressed that the Sierra Club isnt recommending the immediate shutdown of Spruce 1 calling the Sierra Clubs advocacy an ongoing dialogue. CPS plans to install pollution controls at Spruce 1 are on hold for now, Eugster said. Asked Thursday whether CPS ever will build another large, base-load power plant, he said, I dont think so, but we have to see how storage plays out. Right now, our next power plant requirement, our next need for a power plant gets pushed out further and further, he continued. rdruzin@express-news.net More than $160 million in donations just from U.S. corporations have poured in to Texas since Hurricane Harvey and you may wonder where your $50 will go the furthest. Its probably not with the Red Cross. I know, the Red Cross is the preferred charity during major catastrophes. And, granted, its one of the biggest charities providing humanitarian relief for natural disasters, which also makes it one of the biggest targets for criticism. ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism group, reported multiple times since 2014 on the many failings of the Red Cross, following disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Isaac in 2012, earthquake relief in Haiti, and floods in Louisiana in 2016. The ProPublica investigations all seem to draw the same ugly conclusion. Theres something inherently worse about the Red Cross than other, smaller, relief groups. Theres a lot public relations show from the Red Cross instead of a lot of actual relief on the ground, in these past disasters, according to ProPublica. If you havent read the ProPublica investigative reports from 2014 and 2015, well, they are scathing. Their deep investigations include a trove of internal documents produced by the Red Cross itself, which were also damning. After Hurricane Sandy, for example, there was the deployment of 40 percent of emergency response vehicles to non-critical areas, in order to make them visible during press conferences on Staten Island. After Hurricane Isaac, a Red Cross truck driver reported being told to drive around the affected areas specifically to give the appearance of activity, but with no particular mission beyond public relations. There was the deployment of volunteers into the post-Sandy disaster who themselves were not fit enough to accomplish physically demanding tasks. In Haiti, ProPublica reported in 2015, the Red Cross raised half a billion dollars to build housing after a devastating earthquake, but only six houses ever got built. Less systemically, but still indicating ham-handedness, there was the truck full of pork lunches delivered to the Jewish retirement-community high rise in New Jersey after Sandy. One of the recurring arguments in the ongoing aftermath of reporting on the Red Cross and other relief charities is what percentage of an annual budget gets dedicated to programs (the actual relief effort delivery) versus overhead, or organization costs. The Red Cross says that 91 percent of its $2.7 billion in 2016 went to programs, with only 9 percent dedicated to overhead, and that figure represents its typical spending in other years as well. The nonprofit reporting group Charity Navigator gives the Red Cross a respectable three out of four stars on their scale, for a combination of financial efficiency as well as transparency. ProPublica itself challenges the 9 percent overhead figures, however, citing sub-contracting relief work to other organizations, which tack on their own administrative overhead costs, and thus obscuring the numbers. The larger point may not be arguing over what precise level of overhead costs is appropriate for what organization or what mission. Reasonable people could disagree on these issues. The larger point is probably whether they fulfill a needed role, at a crucial time, better than anyone else. And maybe for a high-profile organization like the Red Cross, the key is whether they respond to past criticism by improving their delivery of services in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Do they inarguably succeed at providing the best relief instead of the best public relations efforts? Time will tell. 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. I dont even think that all public relations efforts are bad. In the last few weeks, weve all watched elected public officials and other high-profile personalities conspicuously helping in front of cameras during post-Harvey relief, and this help is an obvious public relations ploy and also an important show of societal solidarity. Healing includes seeing our leaders see the pain and chaos directly, and us believing that at some level our leaders get it. We accept a certain amount of show, to go along with the actual work, from government leaders. With a non-governmental relief group like the Red Cross, however, maybe we expect a higher ratio of actual help to public relations show, since their role is less a symbol of our collective society and more about just delivering results? I dont know exactly whats fair. When I dropped a few bucks into the collection bowl at my CrossFit gym to help send a fellow gym-buddy with his food truck to the Texas coast to provide hot meals, I expected a certain amateurish approach, producing a limited impact with our limited resources. If I elect to send money to a huge professional organization like the Red Cross, I expect an almost militaristic deployment, efficiently solving huge needs with their vast resources. Right now, given all the immediate needs, all help is appreciated without an overly critical eye on efficiency. But as the post-Harvey recovery stretches into months and then years, well need an assessment of which large groups delivered best on their promise of disaster relief. Its probably too early to assess, just two weeks after Hurricane Harvey passed through the region, to know which organizations made the biggest impact and which organizations did not. A natural question we will want to keep asking ourselves, however, is who helped the most with our dollars, so that we know who to support now, and in the future. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and a former Goldman Sachs bond salesman. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com or @Michael_Taylor Cybercriminals stole Social Security numbers, birth dates and other sensitive information on almost half of all U.S. consumers in a massive data breach of credit reporting company Equifax Inc., the firm announced Thursday. Equifax said it discovered July 29 that criminals had obtained unauthorized access to Equifax data up to 143 million Americans from mid-May through July, adding that it acted immediately to stop the intrusion. The breach is one of the largest ever and involves information that could be more valuable on the black market and more damaging to U.S. consumers than any other cyberattack to date. The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, drivers license numbers, Equifax said. Hackers also got away with about 209,000 credit card numbers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed, the company said. The company set up a website, equifaxsecurity2017.com, that consumers can use to find out if their information was compromised. Its also offering free credit monitoring and identity-theft protection to all U.S. consumers for a year. It also will send direct mail notices to people whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personally identifiable information were affected. Equifax has been attacked in the past. Experian Plc, Equifax and TransUnion, the three biggest U.S. credit-reporting companies, uncovered cases in 2013 where hackers gained illegal, unauthorized access to user information. Credit reports, preportedly on famous people, ranging from Michelle Obama to Paris Hilton, were posted online in that hack. This is reason Number 10,000 to check your online bank statements and credit card statements on a regular basis, ideally weekly, Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com's senior industry analyst, said in a statement. We think nothing of checking Facebook or Instagram 10 times a day, but many think it is too much to ask to check your bank statements once a week. It's not. It's easy to do, doesn't take long and can help you spot problems before they get out of control. Target disclosed in 2013 that hackers could have stolen data on up to 40 million credit and debit cards, agreeing this year to pay $18.5 million to resolve related investigations. 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. Last year, Yahoo Inc. said more than 1 billion accounts were compromised in a 2013 attack, after also saying earlier that year that 500 million user accounts were hacked in 2014. Some U.K. and Canadian residents also were affected, the company said, adding that it will work with those countries regulators on the issue. This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do. I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes, Chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith said in a statement. The company said it had engaged an independent cybersecurity firm to conduct a forensic review, and reported the access to law enforcement. Bloomberg News contributed to this report. sehlinger@express-news.net Twitter: @samehlinger This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Texas Education Agency has removed Amanda Gonzalez from the board of managers it appointed more than a year ago to oversee the Edgewood Independent School District, notifying her by email Thursday and later confirming it had named her replacement. The agency had sent its letter to Gonzalez by regular mail, and she and other board members had not received it when word of her ouster and the name of the new manager, Timothy Payne began to spread from an early notice the TEA gave elected officials. Im very surprised, Gonzalez said. I wanted to provide the community with a desperately needed sense of transparency and accountability. But I strongly feel that TEA did not like the fact that I am vocal and I question things, as a young Latina. I wouldve really appreciated the professional courtesy of notifying me if I was going to be removed or replaced and the reasons why, said Gonzalez, who works for the nonprofit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Payne, a consultant who is on the board of directors for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, did not respond to a request for comment after the TEA publicly announced his appointment Thursday afternoon. He ran unsuccessfully for a spot on the Edgewood ISD board in 2012 and again in 2014. The state agency took over Edgewood, one of San Antonios poorest school districts, in 2016 after its elected board spent months in a 3-3 voting deadlock a paralysis that prevented it from hiring a new superintendent and two principals and even filling a vacant trustee seat. The TEA appointed a board of five managers and a state conservator to monitor the district. The TEA emailed the other Edgewood managers and Superintendent Emilio Castro about the removal of Gonzalez on Thursday afternoon. Its message to Gonzalez thanked her for her service but gave no reason for her removal. Agency spokesmen also declined to provide a reason or say whether the TEA normally notifies elected officials of such a removal before telling the affected board members. Board President Roy Richard Soto said he was somewhat surprised by the TEA action but said there had been a disconnect between Gonzalez and the other board members and that Gonzalez didnt place enough faith and trust in Castro to manage the district. Soto said Gonzalez had gained a reputation as a voice of dissent on the board, with clashes that included her disagreement with changing the districts law firm this year and her vote against the boards hiring of Castro late last year. Shes very bright a very, very impressive young lady. And shes very aggressive, Soto said. And shes very knowledgeable. So she has her opinions and she doesnt hold back. Youre always going to know how she feels about everything. State Sen. Jose Menendez, who represents an area that includes Edgewood ISD, released a letter he sent to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath questioning Gonzalezs removal, calling the lack of explanation unfair and requesting a meeting with Edgewood and TEA officials. Your actions must be an acknowledgment that your selection process and training was inadequate and ineffective, Menendez wrote, adding that it now casts a shadow over your entire role with Edgewood ISD. Was this person removed just because they wouldnt completely follow the actions of the rest of the board members? Menendez said in a later interview. Is there something much worse going on that people dont want us to know? sfosterfrau@express-news.net NEW BRAUNFELS Comal County commissioners unanimously approved a 1.5-cent-per $100 property tax rate hike Thursday to fund the $93.3 million county budget they adopted last week for 2018. The increase, to 35.79 cents per $100 in property value, was driven largely by financing obligations on a new jail and upgrades to existing law enforcement facilities, for which voters approved $76 million in bonds in 2015. The interest and sinking component of the tax rate grew by 1.8 cents, to 6.58 cents per $100, to cover the $2.6 million in payments due next year on the bonds, while the maintenance and operations rate dropped by a third of a cent. Overall county spending will climb $933,000 from $84 million last year, County Auditor Jessie Rahe said. The general fund will increase $4.7 million, to $59.2 million. Road and bridge spending will approach $14.4 million, up $524,000 from the current year. It was a pretty tight budget but we tried to meet the needs of the various offices while also financing the jail and keeping the taxpayers in mind, County Judge Sherman Krause said. The budget provides $915,000 for cost-of-living raises of 3 percent for all 652 county employees, he said, with seven and a half new positions on the county payroll, some underwritten by grants. They include a grants administrator, an animal control officer, a school resource officer, a DARE deputy and an assistant treasurer/payroll clerk. State grants will cover most of the cost of adding a protective order attorney, a victims assistance coordinator and a coordinator for a new unit being formed to combat domestic violence. This is a great opportunity for the county to save money and provide a needed resource to the community, District Attorney Jennifer Tharp told commissioners. Commissioners also discussed the climbing costs of renting cells in jails in other counties. They initially budgeted $100,000 for it this year, but Rahe said chronic overcrowding at the countys existing 337-bed jail pushed spending to $550,000. She said the new budget allots $700,000 for boarding prisoners elsewhere in 2018. I dont know what to do about it. Were in a tight spot, said Commissioner Kevin Webb. I dont want to let anybody out who shouldnt be out. Currently, 216 inmates are housed out of county, compared to an average of about 160 in past months, Maj. John Bell of the Sheriffs Department said. Commissioner Donna Eccleston expressed eagerness to have the new 589-bed jail open and operating so were not outsourcing. Krause said hes met with local prosecutors and law enforcement officials on potential measures to curb jail crowding pending the opening of the new jail in 2019. Groundbreaking for it at an 11.5-acre site on Water Street near Interstate 35 has been delayed as design work continues, he said. The new budget provides $16.57 million for sheriffs department operations and $10.78 million for current jail operations, both up about $500,000 over the current year, Rahe said. Numerous equipment purchases are slated to be made from the general fund, said Krause, noting he prefers pay as we go over issuing debt for such items. They include $2.49 million for items approved for the sheriffs department, among them 35 vehicles, 34 mobile radios and a $78,000 system to utilize bar codes to catalog evidence in criminal cases. An additional $838,000 in equipment purchases were approved for road and bridge workers, including a dump truck, a motor grader, a roller, a sweeper and a loader. The new tax rate is about 4.4 percent higher than the current county levy of 34.29 cents per $100 in property values, and 13 percent higher than the effective tax rate of 31.64 cents. The effective rate is the levy that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue in the current year, given changes in property values. The taxable value of all property in Comal County is $15.68 billion, officials said, up from $14.51 billion last year. zeke@express-news.net From the World Heritage San Antonio Missions to the Texas Hill Country and the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio Express-News photographers offer the best visual journalism of the region. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With the completion of a $6.6 million bond project to improve drainage on West Avenue, San Antonio has either finished or has under construction 96 percent of the 140 projects in the 2012 bond program. City officials celebrated Friday the completion of a 322-foot bridge built by J3 Construction Co. over the low water crossing on West Avenue northeast of Nakoma. The bridge, designed by Halff and Associates, is expected to handle water levels as high as those that would come during a 25-year storm event. The 2012 bond status shows 135 of the 2012 projects completed or under construction and five in design. The total bond package was $596 million. San Antonio voters on May 6 overwhelmingly approved the six propositions that made up the city's largest ever municipal bond at $850 million. "It is a home run. It is a definitive victory for the future of our city," said Christian Archer, the political consultant who headed up OneSA, the political action committee that promoted the bond. City officials project the 2017 bond will require no property tax increase. The propositions address streets, bridges and sidewalks; drainage and flood control; parks, recreation and open space; library and cultural facilities; public safety facilities; and neighborhood improvements. The 2017 bond package is the latest in a succession of ever-growing bond initiatives put to San Antonio voters since City Manager Sheryl Sculley was hired in 2005. So far, the city has had success with these elections: voters approved a $550 million bond in 2007 and the $596 million bond in 2012. "We really all worked together to make sure we had a good list of projects to address the needs of the community and also some of the future growth we expect in the upcoming years," Sculley said after the May election results were clear. The city is in the process of hiring firms to design the projects. The city has committed to finish or at least begin all 180 bond projects in the next five years. Staff writer Vianna Davila contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Less than two weeks after Harvey flooded Houston, wrecked thousands of homes and took the lives of more than 70 people, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday for an initial $15.25 billion in storm aid, doubling a relief package passed by the House a day earlier. The 80-17 Senate vote bounced the measure back to the House, which is expected to give its final approval today. That will replenish the federal governments depleted disaster fund, just in time to deal with the impact of Hurricane Irma in addition to Harvey. The new aid package, approved in lightning speed by the standards of an increasingly polarized Congress, is nearly twice the $7.85 billion approved Wednesday by the House. Congressional leaders said its but a down payment on a total storm bill that could exceed Hurricane Katrinas $120 billion toll. Many forecasters say Irmas economic destruction could be even greater. After the vote, Gov. Greg Abbott called the federal response swift and effective. Still, while Texas lawmakers cheered Congress rapid response, some also lamented that the larger sum is tied to a controversial fiscal agreement President Donald Trump reached with Democrats this week. That plan delays until December politically fraught decisions about 2018 government spending levels and an increase in the nations debt limit. Conservatives in both the House and Senate expressed opposition to the debt deal, which they see as a way of putting off debate about government spending cuts. This should have done as a standalone bill, said U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Republican from storm-tossed Corpus Christi. The debt ceiling deserves a debate and discussion on its own. Its an opportunity for us to take a look at some of the wasteful government spending thats going on. That debate is lost in the disaster relief debate, and thats disappointing. Despite those misgivings, Farenthold joined with much of the rest of the Texas delegation Thursday in a show of bipartisan unity on the Capitol grounds. Also announced was the formation of a bipartisan working group to look for short- and long-term proposals to help the region deal with storms, coastal protection and perennial flooding. The linkage of the controversial debt limit deal to disaster relief for Texas and Louisiana seemed to make House approval all but certain, especially after the reluctant backing of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a tea party conservative. It is unfortunate that congressional leadership and the administration chose to tie Harvey relief to short-term extensions (of government funding) and the debt ceiling, Cruz said. Historically, the (funding) and debt ceiling have proven to be the only effective leverage for meaningful spending reform, and I believe we should continue to use them as tools to reduce our long-term debt. I would have much preferred a clean Harvey relief bill which would have passed both Houses nearly unanimously. Nevertheless, conservatives in the House laid down a marker. North Carolina Republican Mark Walker, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday that his group of more than 150 opposes Trumps deal to extend the debt limit. But even with a significant number of dissenting Republicans, the storm aid still is expected to pass with Democratic votes. U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Republican whose district includes parts of Houston and Harris County, said Thursday he wasnt concerned. Everyones working arm-in-arm right now to ensure that people who were hurt are taken care of, Culberson said. So I dont expect to see many people peel off. Some of the no votes in the Senate included the chambers most fiscally conservative members, including libertarian Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky. Paul, who grew up in Lake Jackson, outside Houston, tried unsuccessfully to tie the Gulf aid package to other budget cuts. Were just adding to our $20 trillion bill, he said. Theyre giving away your grandchildrens money to help people. Senate leaders said its necessary to raise the federal governments legal debt limit to pay for the storm relief. Without lifting the debt limit, we couldnt actually vote for and send aid to the victims of Harvey, because wed be bumping up against the debt ceiling, said Texan John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate. First step Cornyn and Cruz both have been criticized for opposing a 2012 Superstorm Sandy relief measure that they and other Texas Republicans said was bloated and filled with unrelated spending. Some Republicans at the time also were calling for offsetting spending cuts. On Thursday, Cruz took pains to argue that the Harvey relief funds are narrowly drawn. These funds are immediate, properly targeted to the areas hit by the storm, and focused on cleanup and rebuilding, Cruz said. This will not be nearly enough to cover all the costs most estimates of total damage are well in excess of $100 billion but it is a significant first step. And Congress is committed to meeting the additional need as it is accurately quantified in the months ahead. The Senate move came as Irma, considered one of the largest Atlantic storms on record, approaches Florida. The recovery effort for a record-setting storm like Harvey has strained resources to the limit already, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. The advance of another historic storm now makes the need for action even more urgent. The Senate plan took shape Thursday as Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, backed by other Texas Democrats, proposed a $174 billion aid package for the Gulf region. Cornyn, however, said that federal aid for Hurricane Harvey is more likely to come in installments, much like in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the waters recede and folks return to their communities, Texans are still trying to take stock of the damage left by Harvey, he said. This funding will serve as an initial first step towards helping Texans begin the process of rebuilding. Ill continue to work with federal, state, and local officials to ensure Texas gets the resources we need to recover from this devastating hurricane. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps latest wave of judicial nominations announced Thursday would fill nearly half of the U.S. District Court vacancies in Texas, among them a federal judgeship in Texass Western District. Trumps nomination of Walter David Counts III as a district judge for the Midland-Odessa Division of the Western District was among five of 11 Texas vacancies that the White House moved to fill. All told, Trump nominated 16 new judges, continuing a record pace of the lifetime appointments that could leave a deep impact on the federal judiciary. Among his nominations, Trump chose Gregory Katsas, White House deputy assistant and deputy counsel, to serve as a circuit judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in the Texas Western District San Antonio headquarters said he was ecstatic at the elevation of Counts, who currently serves as U.S. magistrate judge in Midland. Counts also is a judge advocate in the Texas National Guard, where he holds the rank of colonel. He was an assistant U.S. attorney in the district before becoming a judge eight years ago. Hes an exemplary gentleman and he will fit perfectly for Midland in the Western District of Texas. Hell hit the ground running, Garcia said. Hopefully theyll get confirmed soon because justice delayed is justice denied. Counts was one of two Texans named Thursday who were originally nominated by then-President Barack Obama but didnt win confirmation in the polarized Senate. Trump also re-nominated Karen Gren Scholer as a district judge in Texass Northern Districts Dallas Division. She would be the first Asian-American to serve on the federal bench in Texas. Richmond University law professor Carl Tobias said the chance of speedy confirmation of the Texas nominees is enhanced by Texass two senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, sitting on the Judiciary Committee. Its a promising sign that they have nominees for five of the Texas vacancies. Thats a start; now they need to do more, said Tobias, who studies the federal judiciary. Trump also nominated Fernando Rodriguez Jr. for the district court bench in the Southern Districts Brownsville Division. Rodriguez presently works in the Dominican Republican for International Justice Mission, a nonprofit, where he directs a campaign to combat sex trafficking of children. Before that, he worked for a Dallas law firm. Trump named two district judges for Texas who have been affiliated with First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit that takes legal cases of people alleging violations of religious freedoms. Jeff Mateer, nominated as a district judge in the Eastern Districts Sherman Division, is a first assistant attorney general of Texas and previously was general counsel and executive vice president of First Liberty Institute. Matthew Kacsmaryk of Dallas, presently deputy general counsel of First Liberty Institute, was nominated for the U.S. District Court in the Northern Districts Amarillo Division. Cornyn said in a statement he hopes the Senate will move quickly to confirm the Texans. Cruz said the nominees are eminently qualified and called for speedy confirmation. blambrecht@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MEXICO CITY More than 5,000 homes in one city were destroyed. Its 19th century City Hall, with its 30 arches, buckled. The hospital collapsed, forcing staff members to rush patients to an empty lot and work by the light of their cellphones. By the time the earthquakes tremors finally faded, at least 36 people in the city of Juchitan were dead. The city, Oscar Cruz Lopez, the citys municipal secretary, said Friday, and then paused. Its as if it had been bombed. The most powerful earthquake to hit the country in a century killed at least 61 people in Mexico, the Associated Press reported, citing President Enrique Pena Nieto, 45 of them in Oaxaca state, 12 in Chiapas and four in Tabasco the southern part of the country that was closer to the quakes epicenter off the Pacific Coast. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.2 and struck shortly before midnight Thursday, was felt by tens of millions of people in Mexico and in Guatemala, where at least one person had been reported killed as well. In Mexico City, the capital, which still bears the physical and psychological scars of a devastating earthquake in 1985 that killed as many as 10,000 people, alarms sounding over loudspeakers spurred residents to flee into the streets in their pajamas. The city seemed to convulse in terrifying waves and made street lamps and the Angel of Independence monument, the capitals signature landmark, sway like a metronomes pendulum. But this time, the megalopolis emerged largely unscathed, with minor structural damage and only two of its nearly 9 million people reporting injuries, neither serious, officials said. But in the southern states, a total disaster, Juchitan Mayor Gloria Sanchez Lopez declared in telephone interview in which she appealed for help. Dont leave us alone. Chiapas officials said more than 400 houses had been destroyed and about 1,700 others were damaged. The deaths in Chiapas included two children: one when a wall collapsed and the other after a respirator lost power in a hospital, officials said. Pena Nieto flew to the region Friday afternoon to assess the damage and meet with officials. And several leaders in Latin America and elsewhere offered assistance to Mexico, including the presidents of Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Spain. Mexico is also facing the additional threat of Hurricane Katia, which is gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico and expected to make landfall in Veracruz State early Saturday. You can count on us, President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia said on Twitter. Residents spent the morning using backhoes and their bare hands to dig through the wreckage of collapsed buildings and pull the injured, and the dead, from the rubble. By early afternoon, the efforts had mostly turned from rescues to a cleanup operation, though the municipal secretary, Cruz, said workers were still trying to claw through the mounds of debris left by the collapse of the City Hall to reach one last victim. Nobody knew if the person was still alive. It is a nightmare we werent prepared for, Pamela Teran, a member of the City Council, said in an interview with a local radio station. She estimated that 20 to 30 percent of the houses in the city were destroyed. A lot of people have lost everything, and it just breaks your heart, she added, bursting into tears. With the hospital the regions main medical center destroyed, officials converted a grade school into a makeshift clinic and moved the hospitals patients and the hundreds of injured survivors there. Local officials appealed to state and federal governments for aid to help with the recovery. Its impossible to resolve this catastrophe, to respond to something of this magnitude, by ourselves, Cruz said. Aftershocks continued through the day Friday, unnerving the citys residents, many of whom spent much of the day out in the street rather than return to their homes, said Juan Antonio Garcia, the director of the Juchitan news website Cortamortaja. Reports of damage elsewhere in the region continued to emerge throughout the afternoon. In Union Hidalgo, just to the east of Juchitan, the mayor reported that about 500 houses had been destroyed. Schools in at least 10 Mexican states and in Mexico City were closed Friday as the president ordered an assessment of the damage nationwide. We are assessing the damage, which will probably take hours, if not days, Pena Nieto said in televised comments to the nation two hours after the quake. Throughout the day Mexicans lined up at emergency collections centers around the country to donate food, water and other supplies for delivery to the earthquake victims. Mexico is situated near the colliding boundaries of several portions of the Earths crust. The quake Thursday was more powerful than the one in 1985 that flattened or seriously damaged thousands of buildings in Mexico City. While the quake Thursday struck nearly 450 miles from the capital and off the coast of Chiapas state, the one in 1985 was much closer to the capital proved much more deadly. After the 1985 disaster, construction codes were reviewed and stiffened. Today, Mexicos construction laws are considered as strict as those in the United States or Japan. Though many Mexicans have grown accustomed to earthquakes, taking them as an immutable fact of life, Thursdays quake left a lasting impression on residents of the capital for both its force and duration. The scariest part of it all is that if you are an adult, and youve lived in this city your adult life, you remember 1985 very vividly, said Alberto Briseno, a 58-year-old bar manager. This felt as strong and as bad. Now we will do what us Mexicans do so well: take the bitter taste of this night and move on, he added. The quake occurred near the Middle America Trench, a zone in the eastern Pacific where one slab of the Earths crust, called the Cocos Plate, is sliding under another, the North American, in a process called subduction. The movement is very slow about 3 inches a year and over time stress builds because of friction between the slabs. At some point, the strain becomes so great that the rock breaks and slips along a fault. This releases vast amounts of energy and, if the slip occurs under the ocean, can move a lot of water suddenly, causing a tsunami. Subduction zones ring the Pacific Ocean and are also found in other regions. They are responsible for the worlds largest earthquakes and most devastating tsunamis. The magnitude-9 earthquake off Japan in 2011 that led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the magnitude-9.1 quake in Indonesia in 2004 that spawned tsunamis that killed a quarter of a million people around the Indian Ocean are recent examples. Those quakes each released about 30 times as much energy as the one in Mexico. Mexicos government issued a tsunami warning off the coast of Oaxaca and Chiapas after Thursdays quake, but neither state appeared to have been adversely affected by waves. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the largest wave recorded on Mexicos Pacific Coast measured less than 4 feet. In Guatemala, the military was out Friday morning assessing the damage, found mainly in the western part of the country. In Huehuetenango, bricks and glass were strewn on the ground as walls in the city collapsed. Quetzaltenango, Guatemalas second-largest city, which was beginning to recover from a tremor in June, suffered more damage to its historic center. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIAMI As Hurricane Irma threatened to engulf virtually the entire state of Florida in deadly winds, driving rain and surging seas, the largest evacuation in the states history saw hundreds of thousands of people scrambling into crowded county shelters and jamming highways as they fled north from the storm. With the clock ticking, some counties issued curfews for Saturday, and more shelters were opened to absorb the crush of people seeking cover from one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit Florida. Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, described Hurricane Irma as a threat that is going to devastate the United States, either Florida or some of the southeastern states. Irma has already flattened a chain of Caribbean islands, including Anguilla, Barbuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands, killing at least 20 people. Late Friday, the hurricane was making landfall on Cubas Camaguey Archipelago, still a Category 5 storm, the National Hurricane Center said. Eric Silagy, chief executive of Florida Power and Light Co., said in a news conference that power losses were expected to affect 4.1 million customers, or 9 million people in the state. He said that every part of Florida would be affected and that people could lose power for an extended period, possibly weeks. The number of customers affected in the state could be the largest ever. Airports and airlines raced to get flights off the ground Friday. Airport parking garages in Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale were full, and officials warned people of long lines and disrupted flights. At least 875 arriving and departing flights had been canceled by midday at those airports. There was one bit of good news: Gas prices have stabilized, mainly because Florida declared a state of emergency, which restricted abusive price increases. Georgia, too, declared a state of emergency. Hurricane Irma stands apart in one way from other storms, including Hurricane Andrew, the Category 5 storm that in 1992 devastated south Miami-Dade County: It is huge. Florida, surrounded by water on three sides, is only about 140 miles wide. The storm stretches over 300 miles. Every part of the state is expected to feel its wrath. And for all the warnings to evacuate, the time to flee was quickly narrowing. Its limited gas, and overcrowded exit paths, said Pete DiMaria, fire chief of Naples. The decision to evacuate and move upstate had to be done a few days ago. Packing 155-mph winds, the storm is strong enough to tear roofs off buildings and snap trees and power poles. The storm might drop as much as 20 inches of rain in some areas. But it is the expected storm surge that most frightens officials across the state. Several counties expanded their evacuation orders to cover more ground, anticipating surges in some places as high as 12 feet if the storm hits at high tide. Mayor Philip Levine of Miami Beach made one request to his citys residents and visitors: I beg them please leave Miami Beach; you dont want to be here. This hurricane is a nuclear hurricane, he added. It has so much power. In the eastern Caribbean, residents in Barbuda and St. Martin, islands that suffered extensive damage from Irma, wearily prepared for Hurricane Jose, a Category 4 storm that continued to strengthen late Friday and which could hit those islands within the next two days as a Category 5 hurricane. But while residents there braced for more destruction, Jose, for now, does not pose much of a threat to the U.S. mainland. Many gas stations around Miami have been out of fuel for days, complicating evacuation plans, and, in a city known for flash, bottled water has become the hottest commodity. Amid mounting alarm, Miami took on the feel of a ghost town. Roads and highways were largely clear, at least in South Florida, where most people were beginning to hunker down. Traffic jams had shifted farther north. Restaurants and nightclubs were closed. While the sun was still shining, the beaches were empty. The thump of Latin music on South Beach was replaced with the whir of mechanical saws as workers scrambled to cover windows with plywood. Defiant messages were scrawled on many storefronts, addressing the storm personally. You Dont Scare Us, wrote a group of students from the University of Miami. But all evidence suggested otherwise. Even for the holdouts who refused to leave low-lying and coastal areas from Key West to North Florida, there was dread both for the storm and for what are likely to be painful times afterward, when many expect to have no power, water or food for days. Its gonna be worse than Andrew, and Andrew was the worst one ever to hit Florida, said Rob Davis, owner of two small hotels just off Ocean Drive who said he was not leaving. The evacuation was called the largest in Florida history, but many, after agonizing deliberations, decided to stay put. Just off Old Cutler Road in southwest Miami, Alberto Valdes estimated that he was half a block from the shore of Biscayne Bay. But despite pleas from his neighbors including a broadcast reporter who had covered the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew nothing could convince him to abandon his one-story home. How can you abandon your stuff? the 63-year-old New Jersey native asked, gesturing to the home he has owned for 20 years. You work so hard to have it, and then walk away? Its not an easy decision. He ticked off the preparations: the door already barricaded behind aluminum shutters, a generator, food, water, the furniture brought inside and tied down. If the storm surge gets too close, Valdes said, he would leave in his red truck or on an inflatable raft. I dont foresee anything happening, Valdes said. But, he acknowledged, its a bad one. Others in battle-tested Florida were taking no chances. Some had flown out days ago, or braved countless hours of traffic to go north, anywhere north. The traffic of Irma escapees stretched up to South Carolina, with minivans and pickup trucks packed with people, pets, bedding and even furniture crawling north up I-95. We left at 4 in the morning; as far as weve gone, its been bumper to bumper, said Linda Caldwell as she idled at a gas station in Ridgeland, South Carolina. The 259-mile journey to that point from her home in Daytona Beach, she said, had taken 12 hours. Her destination was Roanoke, Virginia. On Miami Beach, as with every other evacuation zone, mandatory is not really mandatory. People are not forced to leave, if they do not want to go. We let them know there will be no police or fire responding to you when the winds rise above 39 miles per hour, said Elpido Garcia, a Miami Beach police officer. In Hollywood, Isaak Kaspler, 80, and his wife, Alexandra, 78, both Holocaust survivors, decided to stay put in their beachside building. They even invited friends over. His daughter pleaded and commanded them to leave but they said no. We got shutters here and well close up the shutters, Isaak Kaspler said. We got water. We got a radio. He added, I feel well be OK here. In Naples, in the Golden Gate Estates neighborhood, some of the few homeowners who remained were having second thoughts. Russell Spokish said that he had made the decision to stay but that other family members were starting to panic after hearing news reports. I think were safe here, Spokish said. Referring to forecasts that show Irma moving straight up the state, he added, It seems if you leave, the hurricane follows you wherever you go. At the Betsy Hotel in South Beach, guests were allowed to remain, but they were scared. What can we do? said a woman who gave her name as Sonya and was visiting with her husband from Germany. In Germany we dont have situations like this. My sister back home is very scared. She keeps asking, Are you all right? Is the storm there yet? Mayaguana and Inagua were among the first Bahamian islands to feel the impact. It was very loud, you could hear the debris flying around crashing into buildings, said Marcus Sands, an assistant superintendent with the police in Abrahams Bay, Mayaguanas main settlement. The eye of the storm was expected to move just north of Cuba and the central Bahamas for the rest of Friday and Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Irma was predicted to dump 10 to 15 inches of rain on northern Cuba, with some areas seeing as much as 20 inches. The storm passed Baracoa, a town near Cubas eastern tip, on Friday morning, but wrought less havoc there than was expected. Cuban state media reported winds of about 90 mph and said waves towered over the citys breakwater, causing localized flooding. In the Turks and Caicos, Virginia Clerveaux, the director of Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, said officials were assessing the effects, which included torn-off roofs, electricity outages and widespread flooding. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A medical doctor by profession and historian and writer by avocation, the late Dr. Pat Ireland Nixon wrote four books, including The Medical Story of Early Texas, 1528-1853, published in 1946 and considered the best work on the history of medicine in Texas. His first book, A Century of Medicine in San Antonio, was published in 1936, the year Texas celebrated its centennial. In Bexar County, this century has experienced the evolution of medicine from a few straw beds on the floor of the Alamo with one doctor to modern, thoroughly equipped hospitals of three hundred beds and a wide-awake medical society of three hundred members, Nixon wrote. Not only did he chronicle the evolution of medicine, Nixon was instrumental in that evolution, helping bring better health care to San Antonios poorest residents. The factors of bad sanitary conditions and the very obvious ignorance or indifference of elected officials to the citys myriad health problems led Nixon to accept an appointment in 1928 to the city health board. Like Father Carmelo Tranchese a few years later, Nixon railed against greedy owners of the corrals on the West Side where poor Mexican families lived. It would take years of struggles with several city administrations to improve attitudes at the city health department, which he said was staffed by politicians who wouldnt know a germ from a cockroach. Nixons beginnings in San Antonio, however, were inauspicious. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1909 and completing a two-year internship there, the native of Old Nixon in Guadalupe County moved to San Antonio, then a city of about 100,000. Here, he would say later, he timidly opened his office as a general practitioner. Unknown and with few patients, Nixons first months were rough, with little money coming in. One day in November 1911, all he took in was $3. In January 1912, he delivered his first baby in San Antonio, for which he charged $16. Eventually, his patient list increased, dotted with the names of the citys leading families. One of his early patients was Col. George Brackenridge, the civic leader and philanthropist who donated Brackenridge Park to the city of San Antonio. Before he moved to San Antonio, Nixon and his fiancee, Olive Read of Mineola, had agreed that we would marry when I was making one hundred dollars a month, as we felt we could live on that amount. They were married in July 1912. He settled into a routine of his practice and raised four sons the two eldest, Pat I. Nixon Jr. and Robert R. Nixon, both became physicians; the twins, Ben and Thomas, became a military pilot and a farmer-rancher, respectively. Somehow, Nixon found time to do research and write. Dr. J. J. Waller Jr., who has been practicing medicine for more than 60 years, including 40 years as an emergency room physician, said he often turns to Nixons books when he is writing about 19th-century medicine in Bexar County. In my opinion, Dr. Nixon is the most accomplished and best informed author of Texas medical history in print, said Waller, a history buff who calls writing about medicine an enjoyable hobby. His works are extremely detailed in their research, and to read his prose is most enjoyable, Waller said. Nixons third book, A History of the Texas Medical Association, 1853-1953, came out in 1953. He also wrote a history of his family, The Early Nixons of Texas, published in 1956. His memoirs were discovered after his death in 1965. That book was edited by Herbert H. Lang, a professor at Texas A&M University and a historian who also wrote the introduction to the book. Pat Nixon of Texas: Autobiography of a Doctor, was published by Texas A&M University Press in 1979. Self-described as book mad, Nixon was a collector of rare books on medicine and with his wife amassed a collection of more than 1,000 books on Texas history. Nixons personal collection of books on Texana was donated to Trinity University in 1964. Known as Dr. Pat, he participated in several state and local organizations. In addition to the citys health board, he was president of the Texas State Historical Association, the San Antonio Historical Society, the Texas Surgical Society and the Bexar County Medical Association. And he was instrumental in founding the Bexar County Medical Library Association in 1919. Through the years, the library acquired a considerable collection of rare books on medicine with Nixon as the collector and overseer of the acquisitions. Nixon knew every book that was in the library in the rare book room, Nathalie Grum, the librarian at the Bexar County Medical Society, said in a 1992 interview. He could spot em across the room. And he knew he could remember what he had paid for them, where he got them and from whom he had to beg the money for them, Grum laughingly recalled. In 1970, those books were donated to the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio now known as UT Health San Antonio. Today, the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library is housed on the 5th floor of the Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library at the center, at 7703 Floyd Curl Drive. Many first editions, such as De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (On the Workings of the Human Body) published in 1543 by Andreas Vesalius are included in the collection, said Mellisa DeThorne, Special Collections assistant in the UTHSCSA archives. When it was purchased by Nixon in 1939 from Yale University for $765, it was said to be one of only 16 copies in the United States. This is one of our most viewed books, DeThorne said. People come in and ask for it specifically. DeThorne said the oldest book in the 6,000-book collection is De Medicina written by Celsus. About medicine in the Roman empire, the first printed text in Latin was published in 1478 in Florence. The copy in the Nixon collection dates from 1481. The book is said to be the earliest Western history of medicine. When he wrote his memoirs, Nixon said he hoped that one day, there would be a plaque that said: This library is the lengthening shadow of Dr. Pat Ireland Nixon, 1883-. The plaque, with those words and the year of his death 1965 now hangs in the historical library named after him. COMING SATURDAY: A behind-the-scenes look at the popes 1987 S.A. visit. LINCOLN After simmering on social media and conservative news sites for a weekend, images of University of Nebraska-Lincoln employees protesting a student recruiting for Turning Point USA drew to a full boil by the following Monday. The email inboxes of NU's top administrators began filling with indignation and disgust on Aug. 28, messages aimed at a handful of university employees who protested the conservative student organization. On Thursday, UNL said it had reassigned Courtney Lawton, a graduate teaching assistant in the English department, to nonteaching duties following its own internal investigation and external reaction to the event. Video and photographs taken Aug. 25 by student Kaitlyn Mullen, showcasing what the sophomore said depicted harassment and intimidation by Lawton and others, were shared thousands of times by social media accounts. In one of the videos, Lawton can be seen referring to Mullen as a neo-fascist advocating for the destruction of public schools and universities. An accompanying photo shows Lawton extending her middle finger while holding a sign that reads Just say NO! to Neo-Fascism. Turning Point USA, which has more than 400 college chapters in the U.S., also maintains a Professor Watchlist that lists faculty it says discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom, according to its website. UNL spokesman Steve Smith said the university would not discuss specific actions taken against personnel, but that Lawton was reassigned "because of safety concerns raised by this incident." "Our expectations for civility were not met by the lecturer in her behavior toward a student, and not representative of a university where the robust free exchange of ideas takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he added. The statement did not mention any other employees, although approximately six participated in the protest of Mullens recruiting event. On Tuesday, Lawton said she met with a university administrator who told her she was being reassigned within the English department. Executive Vice Chancellor Donde Plowman told me I was being removed from the classroom due to a security threat to me and to my students after Turning Point USA publicized the protest and released a troll storm upon the university, Lawton said in a brief phone interview. Lawton added the university received many hostile emails and threats to her safety after the Aug. 25 incident at the Nebraska Union went viral through social media. (Plowman) stressed to me my reassignment of duties was due to the security concerns, the social media posts, and not disciplinary in any way, Lawton said. On Thursday afternoon, Mullen responded to Lawton, saying neither she nor Turning Point USA was responsible for the emails threatening the safety of Lawton or others. She also questioned the university's approach in reassigning Lawton for safety purposes rather than to discipline her conduct. "I would like to make it clear that I believe that professor should not be allowed to harass students," Mullen said. "I hope UNL will set an example by removing her from campus so she can't do this to any other students." Emails express disappointment, disgust Emails received by NU President Hank Bounds and UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green, turned over to the Lincoln Journal Star as part of a public records request, provide some context for the pressure NU found itself under following the confrontation. One email sent to Bounds from someone who described himself as a retired U.S. naval officer chided the university in vulgar terms. "I'll be looking for those who wrought this evil on America; every single Liberal-Communist professor and administrators of our public school system through the (National Education Association), public colleges and universities to hold you (expletive) accountable for what you've all done. "Sic Semper Tyrannis!" it concludes, a Latin phrase meaning thus always to tyrants! Others expressed disappointment and disapproval with the actions by university employees. I am troubled, disgusted and saddened by the treatment received yesterday by the young student at the Turning Point booth outside the student center, wrote one person, who demanded a public apology for the behavior on UNLs campus. Another said that IF they let their children consider attending NU in the future, they will NEVERNEVER take a class from this instructor. Please consider this immature response her breach of contract to uphold University standards. The emails also targeted a second UNL faculty member, Amanda Gailey, an associate professor of English who was photographed by Mullen holding a sign that read Turning Point: Please put me on your watchlist. The watchlist maintained by the conservative group serves to intimidate university and college faculty across the country, critics say. Some faculty ask to be put on the list as a show of solidarity. According to an independent witness of the Aug. 25 incident, Gailey did not engage with Mullen until the student became upset. Gailey defended herself in an email to a local TV station which was later forwarded to university administrators. I did not harass a student. I talked with the student only to express compassion for her as a person. Any statement that I harassed a student is defamatory. Reaction from elected leaders State lawmakers and political advocates also voiced disapproval of the actions taken by university employees, according to the records search. State Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete shared the news from the Turning Point USA website, as well as a tweet from its founder, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with each of her 48 colleagues in the Nebraska Legislature on Aug. 29. Im not a fan of the concept of free speech zones on college campuses I think that Universities should be a safe place for a broad exchange of ideas, Ebke wrote. That said, I understand that in todays environment, colleges need to try and maintain some level of control over their environs. Ebke added: I AM concerned about the University employees/instructors being actively engaged in counter-protests against University students on campus. It seems to me that at the very best, this violates some ethical codes of conduct. The Libertarian state senators email was shared with Bounds office shortly after by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon. Sir, This event is being watched very closely by the Unicameral. Please keep us updated on (what) your [sic] planning to do, Brewer wrote. Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, writing in an open letter on Sept. 1, cited statements made by NU Regent Hal Daub of Omaha indicating Gailey was part of a premeditated and organized effort to intimidate and shut down Mullen before calling for Gailey's firing. Unless Amanda Gailey is fired, a double standard will exist at the University of Nebraska between students and staff and between liberals and conservatives, Erdman wrote. Doug Kagan, president of Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, wrote to multiple regents on Aug. 28 that the organization has become increasingly concerned and irate over the utilization of our tax dollars by Nebraska universities. We are especially irate at the conduct of some university personnel, whose salaries and benefits our tax dollars pay, Kagan wrote. There appears a large deficit of protection for and encouragement of free speech, especially on the UN-L campus. Kagan asked the Board of Regents to establish a strict code of conduct with mandatory penalties for university employees prohibiting harassment and bullying of other employees and university students, as well as to eliminate the tenure system, thereby making it easier to terminate employees who refuse to follow the new code of conduct. Regents Tim Clare of Lincoln and Rob Schafer of Beatrice forwarded Kagan's email to Bounds, other regents and administrative staff. Event scheduled for Sept. 13 By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com The upcoming Shakespeare Swine Seminar, which takes place Sept. 13 at the Shakespeare Community Centre, will include a keynote speaker with international swine experience. Theis Hansen, technical service advisor with Denmark-based DanBred International, will give two presentations during the one-day event. As Ontario hog producers continue to shift towards group housing Hansens first presentation will focus on sow group housing and sow feeding. Ill be speaking about some of the systems we use in Denmark, including individual stalls, floor feeding, and feeding in long troughs, he told Farms.com today. Ill also discuss what some of our experiences were using these various systems. The second presentation will focus on global competitiveness and the steps Denmarks pork industry takes to remain an attractive pork supplier. Ontarios pork industry contributed $2.7 billion to Ontarios economy in 201 according to Ontario Pork. In contrast, and despite regulation challenges, Denmark exported $2.54 billion worth of pork in 2015, according to the Economic Complexity Index. There are about 1,600 pork produces in Ontario according to Ontario Pork, compared to 5,000 in Denmark, according to the countrys Agriculture and Food Council. We have a lot of environmental and animal welfare rules, but somehow (Danish farmers) manage to stay ahead of the curve, Hansen said. Ill give (the attendees) an idea of how farmers manage everyday life in Denmark. But why should Ontario pork producers be concerned with what Denmark or other countries are doing? Its because all farmers can learn a great deal from one another, Hansen says. Its always important that farmers look to other countries that have more experience in certain areas, he told Farms.com. Its good to tell yourself that you need more experience in something, so looking at other countries to gain that experience is always a good thing to do. Other speakers who will appear at the event include a number of Ontario hog producers, representatives from the transport industry and OMAFRA. The Shakespeare Swine Seminar will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the Shakespeare Optimist Hall. Registration begins at 4:00 p.m. and the first speakers will begin at 4:30 p.m. A full list of speakers and registation information can be found below. While the Woorree trial is doing exceptionally well, the trials at Katanning, Esperance and Eradu are looking patchy and the Manjimup one was only sown last week, so it is too early to tell how it will fare, he said. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support Priyanka Chopra believes people should never accept "no" as an answer. Priyanka Chopra The Indian actress has emerged as one of the most sought-after stars in the movie business over recent years, and Priyanka has now heaped praise on her first female director, Paakhi, for her movie 'Pahuna' during an event at the Toronto International Film Festival. Alongside a video clip of the duo at the event, Priyanka wrote on her Instagram account: "Never be ok with hearing the word no...because there will always be someone who will say "yes." I'm very proud of my first time "female" director @paakhi for having the courage to not give up, when people didn't believe this film could be made. Bravo for wanting to tell a beautiful story that may not be what people consider mainstream... but today had a world premiere on an international platform at @tiff_net, with an applause that resonated for a very long time. (sic)" Priyanka, 35, admitted she was extremely proud of the movie and the subsequent reaction to it. She continued: "Tonight an audience watched this film for the first time outside of our offices at @purplepebblepictures, and told us how proud they were that a story like this was told. Thank u @madhuchopra for your keen eye. "Thank you @cameronpbailey for the opportunity to share this small film and a big message with a world audience...one about children's rights, the refugee crisis, religious conversion and the affect of adult decisions on kids from the perspective of our protagonists, who are 2 young kids from a small village in Sikkim. My heart swells at the thought of people standing up and applauding our effort. This is the reason I wanted to be a filmmaker. Major feels. (sic)" by Charlotte Hough for www.femalefirst.co.uk Kate Middleton has reportedly suffered from Hyperemesis gravidarum throughout all three of her pregnancies, but what is it, and can it be cured? Here are ten things you didnt know about hyperemesis gravidarum. It is one of the most common reasons for pregnant women being admitted to hospital. Eight out of ten pregnant women are affected by nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Hyperemesis gravidarum is the severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It is one of the most common reasons for pregnant women being admitted to hospital. Hyperemesis gravidarum is diagnosed when nausea and vomiting in pregnancy continues over a long period of time, and according to The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), it culminates in three significant things; there is a 5% pregnancy weight loss, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Whereas nausea and vomiting in pregnancy can be managed in the community (primary care setting) with oral anti-emetics or anti-sickness medications, Hyperemesis gravidarum usually requires the pregnant woman to be admitted in hospital. This is as a result of continuous nausea and vomiting and inability to tolerate oral anti-emetics. Therefore other routes of administration are used such as rectally or intravenously. As we've seen with the Duchess of Cambridge, in women with previous hyperemesis gravidarum and/or a family history, there is a greater risk of recurrence in future pregnancies. Women affected by hyperemesis gravidarum need more support from healthcare staff. New guidelines from the RCOG say that a woman's quality of life and mental health can be adversely affected by these symptoms. Women can be sick up to 30 times a day and be bed-bound, often times in isolation. What should be a happy and in some cases long-awaited experience becomes a time of fear, panic, anxiety and extended stays in the hospital. The condition can be very isolating, pregnant women often have to forego their favourite or usual activities, such as cooking or even talking on the phone for long periods. Some women terminate, or contemplate terminating pregnancies- even those who have been longing to start a family. That's the severity of the condition. Over the past year research has shown that there can be negative impact for babies whose mother were severely ill with dehydration and malnourishment during pregnancy. Therefore the myth that however ill the pregnant woman is, the baby will be fine, should be debunked. Hyperemesis gravidarum not only affects the pregnant woman but the rest of the family also. While the pregnant woman is hospitalised, the mantle falls on the husband or partner and sometimes even the grandparents. In cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, family support in addition to healthcare support is imperative. By Abigail Morakinyo, nurse and founder of www.healthincheck.co.uk The Royal Navy's new 3 billion aircraft carrier will be named after the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles The 68-year-old royal and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall will attend the formal opening ceremony of the new vessel at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife on Friday (08.09.17), where they will witness a bottle of whisky thrown against the 65,000-tonne carrier, which will proudly be named HMS Prince of Wales. It's the second only aircraft carrier in the UK Navy's fleet after HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is expected to set sail from Rosyth this summer, with the Princes of Wales due to hit waters by 2019. The engineers working on the ship told the Daily Express that it will be "more efficient" than its sister ship. When its launched into the sea the current Senior Naval Officer Ian Groom will have handed over the reigns to Captain Stephen Moorhouse. The 44-year-old officer can't wait for the carrier to be completed and is already looking forward to sailing it. He said: "Seeing our sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth make her debut in Portsmouth last month was an amazing sight and I look forward to one day bringing HMS Prince of Wales home to the same warm welcome. "Until then the ship's company in Rosyth will continue to grow and they have much to be proud of in all the work they have done so far, working with our civilian industry partners to bring this ship to life." Turkey is a country that needs to be experienced with all of the senses. Visitors to Fethiye are drawn by photographs of the beautiful, lush Meditteranean scenery, reports of a wonderfully warm climate and friendly, hospitable people. And of course, thats all true. Once you arrive youll immediately realise theres much more to being in Fethiye than any information can possibly describe. The feeling of the warm sun on your face, the sound of the sea rippling along the edge of the beaches, the call of the simitci as he walks the streets selling his sesame seed coated bread rings (simits) One of the most distinctive sounds you will hear is that of the ezan (adhan in Arabic meaning to listen, to hear, be informed about). What is the ezan? The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life. One of these obligations is Salat, performing ritual prayers (namaz) five times each day The ezan (call to prayer) summons the faithful to the mosque for these prayers. In Turkey, the call to prayer is a central part of daily life and echoes throughout Turkey at five set times of the day. The exact time of the ezan is determined by the timing of sunset and sunrise. Gunes: Dawn (just before the sun appears) Ogle: Midday (when the sun passes its peak) Ikindi: Afternoon (when objects and their shadows are equal height) Aksam: Sunset (when the sun has disappeared below the horizon) Yats: When the last light of day has disappeared Muslim men should go to the mosque to pray although it is not compulsory as they can pray at home. If they pray in a mosque they get more reward. Friday is a congregational prayer held just after noon instead of the Ogle prayer and many Turkish people attend the mosque only on Friday due to work commitments. Who calls the ezan? The muezzin is a chosen person at the mosque who leads the call (ezan) to Friday service and the five daily prayers from one of the mosques minarets. The muezzin typically recites the call to prayer into a microphone in the main prayer hall where it is then pumped through loudspeakers installed on the minarets. What does the ezan mean? God is the greatest (Allahu akbar); intoned four times. I testify that there is no God but Allah (Ashhadu anna la ila ill Allah); intoned twice. I testify that Mohammed is Gods Prophet (Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah); intoned twice. Come to prayer (Hayya alas salah); intoned twice. Come to salvation (Hayya alal falah); intoned twice. God is the greatest (Allahu akbar); intoned twice. There is no God but Allah (La ilah ill Allah); intoned once. Another line is sometimes added to the first prayer of the morning (pre-sunrise): Prayer is better than sleep (Assalatu khayrum minan naum); intoned twice. Amazing Call to Prayer from Minaret What a beautiful call to prayer from a minaret by two muezzins. Posted by IlmFeed on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 Visiting a mosque Mosques in Turkey welcome non-Muslim visitors who, when correctly dressed, are allowed to stroll around and spend some time there. Working mosques can be visited at any time except during prayers. Shoes must be removed before entering the mosque. Wear modest, conservative clothing which exposes a minimum of flesh. No shorts or sleeveless shirts on either men or women Women should wear trousers or a dress or blouse and skirt (at least below the knees), preferably with elbow-length or longer sleeves (no bare shoulders or upper arms), and a headscarf. Next time youre in Fethiye and the muezzin calls the ezan, stop and savour the moment. If youre lucky enough to be up high youll hear it echoing all across the town. The net sales of G-III Apparel Group have climbed 21.6 per cent to $538.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018. This increase includes approximately $45.0 million of net sales of its DKNY and Donna Karan products. The company reported a net loss of $8.6 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared to a net loss of $1.3 million, in the year ago period. The company noted that the year-ago second quarter net loss did not include any results from the Donna Karan acquisition, but did include approximately $3.0 million, equal to $0.04 per share, net of taxes, of professional fees related to the acquisition. "The brand portfolio we have created through acquisition and partnership is powerful. This great portfolio is enabling us to perform well despite significant headwinds in the marketplace. We are fortunate to have developed a diverse business, anchored by Calvin Klein and supported by other brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld Paris. And now, Donna Karan and DKNY, both global power brands, will help us capture additional opportunities. We are positioned to provide exciting new assortments to a range of retailers and to demonstrate leadership in our industry at a critical time. We expect to generate growth in sales and achieve higher levels of profitability as we move forward," Morris Goldfarb, G-III chairman and chief executive officer, said. For the third fiscal quarter ending October 31, 2017, it is expected that net sales will be around $1.03 billion and net income between $69 and $73 million, or between $1.36 and $1.46 per diluted share. This forecast compares to net sales of $883 million and net income of $70.6 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, reported for the third quarter of fiscal 2017. The third quarter forecast assumes Donna Karan related transitional expenses of approximately $6.0 million and non-cash imputed interest expense of $1.4 million. The company is now forecasting revenues of approximately $2.80 billion and net income between $56 and $60 million or between $1.11 and $1.21 per diluted share. The company previously forecasted net sales of $2.76 billion and net income between $52 and $57 million, or between $1.04 and $1.14 per diluted share. The forecast includes Donna Karan-related transitional expenses of approximately $8 million and non-cash imputed interest expense of approximately $6 million. "In our own retail operations, we expect to improve performance through store rationalisation, better merchandising and expense reductions. We believe we can mitigate the pressure on our retail results while reaping the benefits of an exciting new phase of wholesale growth as we look forward to a successful second half of the year. We anticipate achieving our operational and financial objectives and fulfilling our ongoing mission to offer brand and product solutions to an industry affected by disruption and change," Goldfarb concluded. (RR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Applied DNA Sciences, provider of DNA-based supply chain, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, will support major brands and manufacturers at the New York Home Fashions Market, to be held from September 11 to 14, 2017, with agreements signed for cotton and synthetic recycled fibres for home textiles such as towels, bath rugs, and bedding.At this months New York Home Fashions Week, Applied DNAs cotton platform will be displayed by Himatsingka, who is promoting the Future of Cotton in their Pimacott and HomeGrown Cotton portfolio. Applied DNA Sciences, provider of DNA-based supply chain, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, will support major brands and manufacturers at the New York Home Fashions Market, to be held from September 11 to 14, 2017, with agreements signed for cotton and synthetic recycled fibres for home textiles such as towels, bath rugs, and bedding.# The home textiles market is seeing a dramatic change in best practices. As the new standard for cotton purity, leading-edge cotton technologies using molecular tagging are available from Himatsingka. The platform is accessible, scalable, and maintains the fibre performance attributes, without adding significant cost to the end product.Followed by the launch of the CertainT platform on March 2017, Applied DNA is actively engaged with two manufacturers to tag, test, and track recycled synthetic home textiles products being promoted at Market Week, namely Loftex Home, the manufacturer of high-quality towels and home textiles, and GHCL, a global manufacturer of home textiles.Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA said, Manufacturers, brands, and retailers are embracing the rising consumer demand to assure truth in labelling. SigNature T molecular technology assures that original raw materials used to make consumer products, for example cotton, leather, aloe vera, or recycled plastic water bottles, among others, remain pure and traceable throughout the supply chain. This approach enables brands to provide consumers with 100 per cent transparency and source-verified products. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said she wants the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) to vote on September 11 on a draft resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea that includes an oil embargo and a ban on the countrys textile exports and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad. The country recently tested a nuclear bomb.The United States wants the UNSC to impose the embargo and subject North Korean President Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, a news agency reported. However, Russia insists the North Korean nuclear crisis is impossible to solve with sanctions and pressure alone. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said she wants the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) to vote on September 11 on a draft resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea that includes an oil embargo and a ban on the country's textile exports and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad. The country recently tested a nuclear bomb.# Meanwhile, US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that if the UNSC did not act, he has an executive order prepared to send to President Donald Trump that would authorize him to stop conducting trade and put sanctions on any entity that maintains trade ties with North Korea.It is estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 North Koreans work abroad. Textiles were North Koreas second-biggest export after coal and other minerals in 2016, worth around $752 million, according to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). Nearly 80 per cent of the textile exports went to China.The draft resolution reportedly will allow states to intercept and inspect on the high seas vessels blacklisted by the UNSC. Around two dozen vessels are listed at present. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India HON PM BAINIMARAMA AT THE OPENING OF THE FIJI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE The President of the Fiji Medical Association; The President and members of the Fiji College of General Practitioners;Officials of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services;Ladies and Gentlemen;Im delighted to be here this morning to officially open the Fiji Medical Associations 2017 Scientific Conference and speak directly to our doctors and medical professionals, the men and women on the frontlines of our campaign to build a stronger and healthier Fiji.Id like to begin by welcoming our regional and international experts to Fiji who will be working with our doctors over the next few days at this conference. We are always keen to engage with our partners from around the world, especially on an issue of such vital importance as the health and wellbeing of our people. So welcome, and thank you for being here.Ladies and gentlemen,The success of a government and the progress made by a nation can be measured in a number of ways. It is measured in the opportunities that are afforded to ordinary people, the sense of safety and security they feel in their day to day lives and the quality of the services available to them. But one of the best ways we can measure how far a nation has come is by looking directly at the health and wellbeing of the men and women that call it home. Because caring for its citizens is ultimately the most sacred function of any government, and the Government I lead gives the health of the Fijian people the highest priority.Looking at the health outcomes of Fijians tells us an enormous amount about the lives they lead and about the job we are all doing to help them live longer, healthier and better lives. Ive said it many times before: a healthy Fiji means a better Fiji. Healthy people are happier, they are more productive and they are more capable of helping us realise the great potential of this nation.Yesterday I was at Lautoka Hospital, inspecting facilities and meeting with doctors, nurses and patients. Ive been in hospitals and health centres all across our islands, Ive listened to ordinary Fijians tell me what they think is working in our health system and what they think needs to improve. Over the years, Ive seen that weve made steady progress making Fiji a healthier place to call home, but Im here to tell you that Im confident we can do better.Doing better starts with our health professionals it starts with our doctors. It is your commitment to your patients that has the greatest impact on patient outcomes and the faith they place in our healthcare systems. My Government recognises your importance, we know how valuable you are. That is why you all recently received such substantial pay increases.And as part of the reforms we are making to the Civil Service, doctors jobs have been evaluated and the Job Evaluation Leadership Team is currently finalising additional moderations to your salaries. One big change that has been finalised is that on call allowances will now be paid out separately, so we can ensure that process is transparent as possible. And next week, we will be announcing the final salary increases across your profession, as determined by the job evaluations.We are doing this because we value our doctors. We are doing this to set expectations for the professionalism and commitment to service that we expect from every one of you. We are doing this because we want to retain you in Fiji. And we are doing this to establish a system that rewards on the basis of merit, and merit alone. Not on who you may know or where you may come from, but on your talent, your abilities and your commitment. So if you plan on advancing within this new framework, put your focus on your work, your patients and the good you are capable of achieving.Im well aware that the majority of the actions and decisions that determine an individuals health occur outside of a hospital. Im well aware that we need to be just as ambitious in giving the Fijian people greater opportunities to live active lives, and in generally raising awareness about healthy decision-making. But as doctors, you must never forget that just I am a servant to the Fijian people as Prime Minister you are here to serve, you are here to help, and you are here to save lives.Never forget that the patients you serve are ordinary men and women they and their families have anxieties, they have concerns and they have questions. Questions you need to be there to answer, and anxieties and concerns that you need to be there to assuage. Its all about communication. Its about putting yourself in their shoes and helping them understand their health status and their treatment options.Depending on you how to handle those interactions, depending on the effort you put in with each patient, you can be seen as a voice of comfort and reason, or as a cold and distant operator. And in their moment of need your patients and their families need that comforting and rational voice. And it is your duty to be that for every one of them.That being said, were not blind to the realities you face on the ground. I know there are challenges in our health sector that can make your jobs extremely difficult. I know youve all been in situations where you didnt have the right tools or equipment or facilities to do the best job that you could.If theres any lesson Ive learned in leadership, its that issues dont get solved by sweeping them into the corner or keeping them in the dark. Its only when we put them out in the open that we can see them for what they are and go about solving them.You should therefore in this respect expect further substantial reforms in the not so distant future and which are currently being driven behind the scenes by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Economy in partnership with some external expertise.Thank you for the invitation to open this conference, I hope you all have a very productive two and a half days and leave here with lessons and knowledge that will have a direct impact on the health of the Fijian people.It is my pleasure to officially declare this conference open.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Japan is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, headlining a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q2 figures for gross domestic product, plus July numbers for current account and August data for bank lending, bankruptcies and the eco watchers survey. GDP is expected to expand 0.7 percent on quarter and 2.9 percent on year following the 1.0 percent quarterly increase and a 4.0 percent yearly gain in the previous reading. The current account is expected to show a surplus of 2,044.6 billion yen, up from 934.6 billion yen in June. Overall bank lending is called steady at 3.3 percent, while lending excluding trusts is called unchanged at 3.4 percent. The eco watchers survey for current conditions is expected to see a score of 49.5, down from 49.7 in July. The outlook is called unchanged at 50.3. China will see August results for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to climb 10.0 percent on year, down from 11.0 percent in July. Exports are called higher by 5.1 percent, slowing from 7.2 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $48.60 billion, up from $46.74 billion a month earlier. Australia will provide July data for home loans. In June, the number of loans added 0.5 percent, while the value gained 0.3 percent. Investment lending jumped 1.6 percent. New Zealand will release Q2 numbers for manufacturing activity; in the first quarter, activity gained 2.8 percent and volume fell 0.3 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Regulatory News: TechnipFMC plc ("TechnipFMC") (Paris:FTI) (NYSE:FTI) (ISIN:GB00BDSFG982) announces that on 6 September 2017, Douglas J. Pferdehirt, Chief Executive Officer, addressed attendees at the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference. The transcript of Mr. Pferdehirt's remarks is attached below. PRESENTATION TRANSCRIPT Mick Pickup - Barclays PLC, Research Division MD Well, good morning, everybody. It's my great pleasure to welcome TechnipFMC. After 15 years of doing this conference, it's great to introduce a company with a U.S. audience and understand what they've been seeing all these years instead of an audience of 4. TechnipFMC obviously fully merged now, an integrated model in the subsea, a world leader on gas processing plants, and a model which is being creative in trying to solve the solutions of its problems -- the problems of its clients. So congratulations, and welcome, Doug Pferdehirt, CEO. Hopefully, a very interesting story. Thank you, Doug. Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Thank you very much, Mick, and thank you to the entire Barclays team for once again hosting us and putting on a very important industry conference. Before we start, I think it's important to reflect on the devastation and chaos that pursued from Hurricane Harvey, and we reach out. Our hearts are open. We're working very well across the organization. It's actually quite inspirational to see the solidarity across our industry in the Houston and Gulf Coast region in terms of companies helping companies, individuals helping individuals and companies helping the community. And we certainly are an active part of that and intend to remain so. If I was to summarize where we are today as TechnipFMC, it came up at dinner last night actually, Mick. We're executing very well in a challenging environment. You can see this in our operating results. You can see this in our inbound orders. And you can see this in the market adoption of our new and unique integrated business model. In July, we reported our second quarter earnings. And we were very pleased with the results. We had strong execution in the quarter, delivering solid improvement in adjusted EBITDA margin in all of our business segments, despite difficult revenue comparisons for most of the portfolio. Total orders were solid at $3.2 billion, including a very strong performance from Subsea at $1.8 billion in new orders, more than doubling the first quarter. We remain confident that we have seen the inflection in Subsea orders and that this will lead to a step-up in 2017 inbound. It is important to note that revenue growth will lag the inflection in orders, but we continue to invest in our core competencies through the cycle, ensuring that we can successfully deliver projects both now and into the recovery. Finally, we see strong growth in integrated FEED, or iFEED activity. When we presented at this conference last fall, we disclosed the award of 16 integrated FEED studies since the launch of the new integrated model, compelling evidence that the market was embracing this new approach to field development. Today, we will update you on our iFEED progress, which we believe further highlights near and intermediate-term opportunities for integrated project awards. Many of our FEED studies are focused on opportunities that are, first of all, unique to TechnipFMC. They are in assets or fields that otherwise may not be developed. And finally, they are convertible into direct awards, project awards to TechnipFMC as iEPCI projects. This provides TechnipFMC a unique insight into the market and a proprietary growth opportunity. Turning to our second quarter results. Here, you can see the numbers by reporting segment. Subsea revenues were down 28% from prior year pro forma results, yet margins were up almost 500 basis points. Onshore/Offshore revenues were down 20%. Margins up 600 basis points. And while revenues from Surface Technologies were essentially flat in the period, margins expanded by more than 900 basis points. When taken together, these results speak to solid execution from the entire team in the face of a very challenging backdrop. We're also benefiting from the significant cost reductions taken in prior periods. These savings go beyond just shrinking the global cost base. They're also focused on changing the way we do business. Yet despite all the efforts and distractions related to restructuring and merger-related activities, the team remains very focused on project execution, meeting several key delivery milestones in the period. While strong execution was broad based, let me speak to a few highlights in our Onshore and Offshore segments. Here, we continue to make very good progress on two of the company's largest projects, the Shell Prelude floating LNG and Yamal LNG, both of which are delivering highly unique, customized solutions for the development of major natural gas discoveries. First, let's talk about Prelude FLNG. This is the largest floating structure that has ever been built. TechnipFMC is responsible for the delivery of many of the key components required to transform the natural gas into a product that can be shipped worldwide. At the end of June, the vessel left the South Korean shipyard, a significant milestone in the life of this project. Today, she sits in Australian waters, where we have now moved into the offshore campaign. In addition to the floating LNG, TechnipFMC will also supply and install the subsea production equipment, which includes flowlines, trees, manifolds and control systems, just to name a few. We also benefit from continued success with the company's largest project, Yamal LNG. Previously, we had talked about the progress being made towards completion of module fabrication. This is work that is done far away from the project location in Sabetta, Russia. We have now completed construction work on all modules and expect final delivery to the site by mid-September. The work site is now at peak activity levels, and we anticipate completion of Train 1 in 2017. Construction is also underway on Train 2, with completion scheduled for 2018. In summary, we executed very well in Onshore/Offshore in the second quarter. Prelude and Yamal were two important contributors, and that success was reflected in the strong financial results we posted in the period. Turning back to Subsea. We reiterate our view that Subsea orders are recovering from the 2016 trough. We continue to believe we will see a step-up in inbound orders in 2017. And this has been supported by the improved order levels we experienced in the first half of the year. We remain very confident in both the revenue and margin guidance we have provided for full year 2017. Q2 inbound of $1.8 billion was very strong. Orders included 2 major project wins, the Subsea production system and umbilicals for the ExxonMobil Liza project, as well as the SURF installation package for ENI Coral. We also benefited from a healthy level of small project inbound in the period, driven by Subsea tiebacks, product sales and our unique position with alliance partners that resulted in more direct awards. While orders were broadly diversified in the quarter, the $1.8 billion of inbound will be very difficult to replicate for the remaining quarters of the year. Still, we remain confident in the order inflection for 2017, even with the potential for lower order activity in the back half of the year. This confidence in the market recovery and future inbound supports the investment decisions we are making today in our Subsea business. While we continue to make capacity adjustments in response to the market downturn, we have also been consistent in our view that we need to appropriately invest in our core competencies. We do not want to make the same mistakes of prior cycles by simply right-sizing to the current level of activity, leading to sub-optimal execution performance as the market recovers. We must ensure that we can continue to execute at the same levels or even higher both through the downturn and into the eventual recovery. While Subsea orders have improved, it will take time for revenues to catch up. Subsea backlog now stands at more than $6 billion, with the distribution of revenues that extends beyond 2019. Backlog for 2018 represents about one-third of the total at $2.1 billion. We also expect this to increase given the inbound we anticipate for the remainder of the year. A step-up in order activity would imply at least $1.5 billion in new orders in the second half. Included in this outlook would be two or three major projects and other small project awards, a portion of which will be accretive to the 2018 backlog. 2018 revenues will include more than just the revenues we convert from backlog. Subsea services are included in orders but are typically not reflected in backlog given the short time line between order and execution. For the current year, this will add more than $1 billion of order of revenues. There will also be revenues recognized from next year's inbound, which we refer to as Book Turn. In aggregate, these building blocks of backlog, plus services, plus Book & Turn orders points to revenues in 2018 that will be well above the $2.1 billion implied by backlog. However, it also strongly suggests that revenues will be lower than 2017. Major project wins will help grow backlog, but with delivery schedules typically extending two to three years, the revenue impact will shift increasingly beyond 2018 as the calendar moves forward. 2018 will be a more challenging year for Subsea, with revenue declines and strategic investment in our core competencies being among some of the challenges we face, but we are not standing still. Merger savings will offer some relief, and we have the flexibility to take additional restructuring actions should they be warranted. Taking a closer look at the merger savings. We have identified $400 million in run rate savings to be achieved by the end of 2018. We continue to guide to a $200 million run rate by the end of this year. And as we stated in a recent update, we have already executed plans that will deliver more than $100 million in run rate savings by the end of 2017. Previously, we had identified the savings across 3 major categories: corporate, operations and supply chain. Now we are showing you the split by reporting segments. Much of the operational overlap of the merged businesses does occur in Subsea and corporate. However, the combined savings are created by eliminating redundancies and leveraging the global scale of the organization, leading to a broader distribution of savings that stretches across the entire portfolio. The simplest example would be in our efforts around the supply chain. Aggregating common raw material purchases across the entire portfolio lowers the cost borne by all segments. The benefits will come not only from higher volumes, but also the ability to consolidate the spend across the more concentrated supply base. Procurement savings are highest in the Onshore/Offshore segment given the percentage of material cost in a typical EPC contract. We also note that some of the savings in Subsea had already been realized through our early work through the Forsys Subsea joint venture. Shared corporate costs would be an example of how we can do more by working as one. Much of these costs generally sit in the individual business segments. Now we can aggregate common functions around everyday expenses like information technology, accounts receivable and accounts payable, creating global centers that reduce risk in the cost of service delivery. We are also centralizing some of our global engineering capabilities in low-cost countries, allowing us to reduce our regional cost structure while at the same time reducing product cost. Taken together, these actions will generate a broad distribution of savings across the portfolio, with the greatest impact realized in our Subsea and Onshore/Offshore segments. While we are focused on delivering what is within our control, we also remain confident that the recovery in the market activity will continue. $50 oil is not an impediment to moving projects forward. This is substantiated by the significant increase in North America land activity we have seen since the trough of April 2016, as well as the 3 major deepwater project awards the industry has experienced in the first half of this year. Oil price uncertainty, not price, is the biggest potential roadblock today, as this tends to have a greater impact on the timing of investment decisions. Oil price volatility creates uncertainty regardless of an operator's long-term view of the commodity price. We believe that many of the current opportunities for deepwater developments remain economically viable at $50. Our customers have identified specific projects that can be sanctioned at levels far below that number. We also believe that the industry will deliver further cost savings over time, and these incremental savings could be significant. There have been tremendous cost and drilling efficiencies achieved on land in recent years. In deepwater, these are still early days. We are confident that both operators and service providers will continue to deliver greater efficiencies and higher project returns from Subsea projects. For TechnipFMC, it is important to note that downstream activity is more resilient and less impacted by the current oil price volatility. We continue to believe that we will see additional refining projects move forward in the coming quarters. Turning back to deepwater. We know that we can do even more to lower project costs today with our new integrated model. By becoming involved early in the life of the project at the FEED stage, we can influence field architecture by eliminating excess scope, often by a material amount. We can introduce new integrated technologies. Here, we are uniquely positioned with the broadest Subsea offering to drive the next generation of technologies focused on installability, serviceability and operability. And most importantly, as one truly integrated project delivery team, we can accelerate time to first oil, significantly lowering project cost and improving project returns. Key to maximizing these savings, though, is getting involved in the early stages of the project. Delivering the integrated FEED or front-end engineering and design work makes this possible. Integrated FEEDs are unique by design. They are built around low-cost solutions that incorporate our equipment standards, our technologies, our fleet, and our project management capabilities across the entire life cycle of the project. This makes the specifications unique and provides a higher level of savings to the operator, which can ultimately lead to a direct award for the project. At this conference just one year ago, we showed you a chart that identified a number of integrated FEEDs or iFEEDs that we had received since going to the market with the new integrated offering in 2015. We also stated that projects typically take 15 to 18 months to move from an integrated FEED to an integrated project award. Since that time, the integrated FEED list has grown. And more importantly, it has matured, meaning iEPCI project activity is poised to accelerate in the coming quarters. Here is the updated FEED chart. Last year, we had identified a total of 16 integrated FEED studies over the first 14 months. Since that time, the growth has accelerated, averaging 2 new studies per month, resulting in a cumulative iFEED count that has more than doubled over the last 12 months. This is the most visible opportunity set we have in support of this differentiated approach. Integrated FEEDs also serve as the catalyst for future integrated project awards. A year ago, we had not received a single integrated project award. This was not a surprise to us, as the list of potential award candidates simply had not had the sufficient time to mature to move forward to a project sanctioning. It typically takes 15 to 18 months to move from an integrated FEED project, including nine to 12 months to do the FEED study and about sixto nine months for the final investment decision to be made. Since that time, the list of potential project opportunities has indeed matured. Today, we have been awarded a total of five projects that have moved through the integrated FEED phase to a direct award and to now an integrated EPCI project. They reflect both brownfield and greenfield developments in both the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico. We have our first repeat customer, Statoil, which highlights their confidence in the model. And we have a project that incorporates new technology with the inclusion of our new proprietary compact manifold design. Given our success to date with the adoption of the integrated model as well as the increased size and maturity of the integrated FEED count, we are even more confident that we will continue to see further conversions from integrated FEED into integrated project awards. In closing, we are exciting we are executing, integrating and winning in a very challenging market. Despite the external challenges, we continue to deliver strong execution across the portfolio as evidenced by the financial results we posted in the most recent quarter. We are also doing this while meeting our commitment to deliver merger-related savings at a $400 million run rate by the end of 2018. And we are winning through differentiation. We are winning integrated FEEDs that create differentiation and lead to integrated project opportunities. We are winning both integrated and traditional project awards with new technologies that both lower development costs and accelerate time to first oil, and there is much more that we can do, and we will do, around the development of new technologies that will create additional savings and further competitive differentiation. And we look forward to sharing some of these new technologies with you in the coming months. I thank you very much for your attendance, your interest in our company, and I turn it back to Mick to take us through the next stage. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Mick Pickup - Barclays PLC, Research Division MD Yes. Do we have any questions in the audience? If not, could I kick it off? You talk about a challenging market in Subsea. Can you talk about competitive behavior? You said about shying away from projects that don't make sense. Can you talk about what you're seeing out there in the market, please? Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Sure. Before I do, I just want to emphasize what makes TechnipFMC unique. What makes us unique is we have a strategy in place. We've been executing it now for multiple years that allows us, in many instances, to be isolated from that competitive market. One example that we talked about today was the integrated FEED studies that are unique to the new company because of the capabilities that we have in being able to work with our customers, identify an economic project threshold, that if we can achieve through a redesign of the subsea architecture, a new way of installing and delivering the subsea architecture, that would then lead to a direct award for the project. And then if you will, that's not part of the competitive landscape. It's important also to note our services business. We have the largest installed base of subsea equipment. The majority of subsea equipment that is installed around the world is TechnipFMC. We have over 2,200 trees out there. We have the same a larger number of control systems. We have 11,000 kilometers of flexible pipe. We have over 5,000 kilometers of umbilicals. All of this equipment needs inspected, maintained and repaired over time. That's a steady stream that's also not exposed to the competitive landscape. And we have very, very intimate and very mature customer alliances that have been in place, in some cases for over two decades, with very large customers that we have worked with them and demonstrated over time our ability to continue to innovate on technology, on products, on services and on business models that keeps them performing in the top quartile. That is not exposed to the open market. But there is a portion, and the remaining portion of our business, that is exposed to the open market. Mick, to more directly answer your question, that is a very competitive market right now. There's certainly capacity, and there's certainly multiple players in that arena. Our approach to the open market is really twofold. It's to ensure that we can intimately understand the customer and the project and bring a solution that is not just price-driven. That may be an accelerated schedule, where we can deliver equipment in less time installed on the seafloor than our competition can. Or it may mean we are bringing a new technology that's going to reduce the total cost of the project over the life cycle of the project. The other metric that we use is purely based on price. And in those scenarios, we have demonstrated the will and determination to walk away from certain projects when we think that the economic threshold goes below a level that we deem appropriate for our company or we think for the industry. We'll walk away from those projects. We can do that because we have access to those other streams of projects, services, integrated EPCI contracts and our alliance partners that allows us not to be exposed, as most of our competitors are, only to that open market. Mick Pickup - Barclays PLC, Research Division MD There is one at the back. Unidentified Analyst Do you see more awards coming over the next 12 to 24 months from your FEED backlog or from existing awards in the marketplace? Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Interesting question. We have a clearer line of sight, obviously, on the projects that we're working on, many of them exclusive. We're working on most of those exclusively. We have more insight on how they're maturing, where the customers are more open with us in terms of their economic threshold, what needs to be achieved. So if I look at just total quantities of projects, I would say it's probably fairly balanced. If I look at projects that we have increased confidence that they're likely to actually move forward and be sanctioned, we just have greater visibility into that portfolio where we are working in a more intimate relationship. So net-net, I would say more on the FEED side, but overall, it's probably balanced in terms of quantity of projects. We publish a project list. We keep that updated. You can see that on our website of the projects that we are currently tracking in terms of the large projects, those greater than $250 million. Unidentified Analyst You gave some very helpful color on the performance of Subsea business going to next year, revenue wise. Any chance you could give us some indications on your other business, please? Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Indications? Unidentified Analyst Indications on revenues and general performance going into 2018 compared to what you gave on the Subsea. Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director For the other businesses? Unidentified Analyst Yes. Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Well, if just look at we're not giving 2018 guidance today, but if we just look at it directionally, clearly, our Surface Technologies business is improving. That's mainly driven by the level of activity in North America. That's you saw the 900 basis points improvement year-over-year in the second quarter. We have a very unique business where we're supporting the consumables, the high-pressure consumables to the pressure pumping industry. So as you see that industry recover and build capacity or reactivate capacity, we are a direct beneficiary of that. And then just the overall activity for our surface wellhead, frac flowback, water treatment business with our new integrated offering. There is a bit of a headwind from our international Surface Technologies business. During the downturn, if you will, or during the trough, some of the equipment and service providers that primarily focused on North America went to the international market, which was not as cyclical, bringing more competition, and in some cases, some lower pricing. That largely has reversed itself. That backlog takes about six to nine months in our Surface Technologies business to kind of work through, so we're working through a little bit of that lower-priced backlog right now. So that's a bit of a headwind against the North America. In Onshore/Offshore, as I said, we're tracking a handful of projects, particularly around refining. We've talked about some of those in the past, mainly in North Africa and in the Middle East. We're looking at those projects because we're either uniquely positioned because we are the incumbent, so it's a direct negotiation for an expansion of an existing facility, or projects where we have been doing the FEED study. In one case, we've been doing the FEED study since 2014, so we have a lot of visibility, and therefore, we feel we should be able to cost out that project much more effectively and much more rigorously than others who only have 90 days to endorse our FEED study and tender based upon that. The other market segment that we continue to track, and we're very excited about the ENI Coral FLNG award, is the LNG business. It's been slow. We expected it to be slow. There is most of the consensus is 2022 to 2025, there's going to be a shortage of LNG. If you back that up by five years for an FLNG project or seven years for an onshore LNG project, that means we should see additional projects being sanctioned in 2018, 2019. We were successful on the ENI Coral FLNG, an important project for us. We've delivered the first 2 FLNG vessels, which was for Petronas Satu, which is in Malaysia. She's operating. She is offloading gas. Everything is going well. And then Prelude, as I gave you an update earlier, and now the ENI Coral award. Mick Pickup - Barclays PLC, Research Division MD All right. If there are no further questions, we have a breakout in Liberty 1 and 2. Thank you very much, Doug. Douglas J. Pferdehirt - TechnipFMC plc CEO and Director Thank you all. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006871/en/ Contacts: Investor relations: Matt Seinsheimer, +1 281 260 3665 Vice President Investor Relations Matt Seinsheimer or James Davis, +1 281 260 3665 Senior Manager Investor Relations James Davis or Media relations Christophe Belorgeot, +33 1 47 78 39 92 Vice President Corporate Communications Christophe Belorgeot or Delphine Nayral, +33 1 47 78 34 83 Manager Public Relations Delphine Nayral or Lisa Adams, +1 281 405 4659 Senior Manager Digital Communications Lisa Adams LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former chief information officer of a U.S. business unit of Equifax with insider trading in advance of the company's September 2017 announcement about a massive data breach that exposed the social security numbers and other personal information of about 148 million U.S. customers. According to the SEC's complaint, Jun Ying, who was next in line to be the company's global CIO, allegedly used confidential information entrusted to him by the company to conclude that Equifax had suffered a serious breach. The SEC alleged that before Equifax's public disclosure of the data breach, Ying exercised all of his vested Equifax stock options and then sold the shares, reaping proceeds of nearly $1 million. According to the complaint, by selling before public disclosure of the data breach, Ying avoided more than $117,000 in losses. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia today announced parallel criminal charges against Ying. The SEC's complaint charged Ying with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, penalties, and injunctive relief. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Conference call and webcast to take place Monday, December 11th at 10:00 a.m. EST Regulatory News: ERYTECH Pharma (Euronext Paris: ERYP) (Nasdaq: ERYP) ("ERYTECH"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies by encapsulating therapeutic drug substances inside red blood cells, today announced topline results from its Phase 2b clinical study evaluating eryaspase (GRASPA) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The open-label, randomized, multi-center clinical study, evaluated eryaspase in newly diagnosed AML patients over the age of 65 and unfit for intensive chemotherapy. The study enrolled a total of 123 patients at 30 European sites. The median age of the patients was 78 years. Patients were randomized two-to-one to receive eryaspase in combination with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) versus LDAC alone. The primary endpoint in this proof-of concept study was overall survival (OS). The key secondary endpoints included progression free survival, overall response and toxicity. The study was performed in collaboration with Orphan Europe (Recordati Group), ERYTECH's partner for the anticipated commercialization of GRASPA for the treatment of ALL and AML in Europe. The study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). The OS Hazard Ratio (HR) was 1.06 (95% CI; 0.70, 1.61). When adjusting for minor imbalances in the main prognostic factors at baseline (age, karyotype and FAB status), the OS HR was 0.98 (95% CI; 0.64, 1.50). The median number of months on treatment was less then 2 months in both treatment arms. The toxicity profile was acceptable and consistent with previously reported data for eryaspase. "These data reflect the complexity of this disease, particularly in the older age group." commented Iman El-Hariry, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of ERYTECH. "While we are disappointed with the outcome, we are reassured with the safety profile of eryaspase in these very frail and elderly patients. Gil Beyen, Chairman and CEO of ERYTECH, added, "Although clearly disappointing, these results do not change our commitment to the development of the eryaspase product candidate. Eryaspase has shown positive safety and efficacy results in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia and we remain committed to bringing this treatment option to patients in these and potential other indications. ERYTECH will hold a conference call and webcast on Monday, December 11th at 10:00 am EST to discuss the results of this study. The full dataset will be discussed at a scientific congress in 2018. Investors and analysts wishing to participate can access the call via the following teleconferencing numbers: USA: +1 833 8186807 United-Kingdom: +080 00323836 Switzerland: +080 0561782 Germany: +080 01815287 France: +080 5081485 Belgium: +080 073308 Sweden: +020 798505 Finland: +080 0412874 Netherlands: +080 00200089 Password: 6983889 The webcast can be followed live online via the following link: Webcast Link: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/o2fziqc6 An archive of the webcast will be available for 90 days on the "Webcast" section of the Company's investor relations site at www.erytech.com. Additionally, a replay of the call will be available for 7 days. To listen to the replay, please dial: USA: +1 404 537 3406 Participant Password: 6983889 About acute myeloid leukemia (AML) AML is a form of acute leukemia or blood cancer that results from the improper maturation of myeloid stem cells leading to the production of myeloblasts. The increasing numbers of abnormal blasts crowd out healthy cells in bone marrow (resulting in infection, anemia, and bleeding) and can spread to other parts of body. With about 40,000 new patients per year in Europe and the United States, AML is the most common type of acute leukemia. Affecting mainly the adult and senior patient population, the median age of patients diagnosed with AML is approximately 67 years, and AML represents one of the highest mortality rates among all type of cancers and an important unmet medical need. About ERYTECH and eryaspase (GRASPA): www.erytech.com Founded in Lyon, France in 2004, ERYTECH is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for rare forms of cancer and orphan diseases. Leveraging its proprietary ERYCAPS platform, which uses a novel technology to encapsulate therapeutic drug substances inside red blood cells, ERYTECH has developed a pipeline of product candidates targeting markets with high unmet medical needs. ERYTECH's initial focus is on the development of products that target the amino acid metabolism of cancer, depriving them of nutrients necessary for their survival. The Company's lead product, eryaspase, also known under the trade name GRASPA, consists of an enzyme, L-asparaginase, encapsulated inside donor-derived red blood cells. L-asparaginase depletes asparagine, a naturally occurring amino acid essential for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. L-asparaginase has been a standard component of multi-agent chemotherapy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but side effects limit treatment compliance, especially in adults and patients with weak performance status. Eryaspase aims to provide L-asparaginase to patients who cannot tolerate current non-encapsulated asparaginases. In addition to eryaspase, ERYTECH is developing two other product candidates, erymethionase and eryminase, that focus on using encapsulated enzymes to target cancer metabolism and induce tumor starvation. ERYTECH is also exploring the use of its ERYCAPS platform for developing cancer immunotherapies (ERYMMUNE) and enzyme replacement therapies (ERYZYME). ERYTECH is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in the United States (ticker: ERYP)and on the Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011471135, ticker: ERYP). ERYTECH is part of the CAC Healthcare, CAC Pharma Bio, CAC Mid Small, CAC All Tradable, EnterNext PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indexes. Forward-looking information This press release contains forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates with respect to the clinical results from and the development plans of eryaspase, business and regulatory strategy, and anticipated future performance of ERYTECH and of the market in which it operates. Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will" and "continue" and similar expressions. They include all matters that are not historical facts. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable when made but may or may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are beyond ERYTECH's control. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline product candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. Therefore, actual results may turn out to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Documents filed by ERYTECH Pharma with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers (www.amf-france.org), also available on ERYTECH's website (www.erytech.com) describe such risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, no representations are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates only speak as of the date of this press release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. ERYTECH disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, forecast or estimates to reflect any change in ERYTECH's expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement, forecast or estimate is based, except to the extent required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171207006373/en/ Contacts: ERYTECH Naomi Eichenbaum Director of Investor Relations +33 4 78 74 44 38 +1 917 312 5151 naomi.eichenbaum@erytech.com or The Ruth Group Lee Roth Investor relations +1 646 536 7012 lroth@theruthgroup.com or Kirsten Thomas Media relations +1 508 280 6592 kthomas@theruthgroup.com or NewCap Julien Perez Investor relations or Nicolas Merigeau Media relations +33 1 44 71 98 52 erytech@newcap.eu BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China's exports expanded at a slower than expected pace but remained robust in September. At the same time, imports growth exceeded expectations on improving domestic demand. Exports climbed 8.1 percent year-over-year in September, data from the General Administration of Customs showed Friday. Economists had forecast exports to climb 10.0 percent, following August's 5.5 percent increase. At the same time, imports surged 18.7 percent in September from a year ago, faster than the expected growth of 15.0 percent. As result, the trade surplus totaled $28.47 billion in September versus the expected level of $38.0 billion. In renminbi terms, exports advanced 9 percent and imports grew 19.5 percent in September. Economists had forecast 11.5 percent rise in shipments and 16.5 percent increase in imports. Looking ahead, Julian Evans-Pritchard, an economist at Capital Economics, said he expects any further weakening of exports to remain mild given the relatively upbeat outlook for growth in China's main trading partners. In contrast, imports may eventually face a sharper slowdown as support from loose fiscal policy reverses after the Party Congress, with local governments forced to pair back spending in the final months of the year in order to meet budget targets, the economist added. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs is scheduled to release its unemployment data for September in the pre-European session on Tuesday at 1:45 am ET. The unemployment rate is expected to remain stable at 3.2 percent in September. Ahead of the data, the Swiss franc showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the Swiss franc fell against the euro and the pound, it held steady against the U.S. dollar and the yen. As of 1:40 am ET, the Swiss franc was trading at 1.1516 against the euro, 1.2885 against the pound, 0.9784 against the U.S. dollar and 115.13 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Destatis is scheduled to issue Germany's foreign trade data for August in the pre-European session on Tuesday at 2:00 am ET. Exports are forecast to rise 1.1 percent on month and imports to grow 0.5 percent in August. Ahead of the data, the euro showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the euro rose against the Swiss franc, it fell against the pound. Against the U.S. dollar and the yen, it held steady. As of 1:55 am ET, the euro was trading at 0.8937 against the pound, 1.1517 against the Swiss franc, 1.1769 against the U.S. dollar and 132.59 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The Lower Allen Fire Company is inviting the public to attend a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday to dedicate and unveil a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The ceremony will be at the Lower Allen Township Municipal Services Center at 2233 Gettysburg Road. Made from a six-foot steel beam from a fallen World Trade Center tower, the memorial will be in front of the fire station headquarters to honor the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11 in New York City. It represents the ultimate sacrifice of fellow public servants who put themselves in harms way to save others, company Chief Rodney Mumma said. The memorial includes a triangular-shaped granite monument depicting the raising of the flag at Ground Zero by three New York City firefighters, Mumma said. The beam from the tower is set at a 45-degree angle with the monument. A second monument includes a plaque honoring those fallen from the New York fire department, city police department and Port Authority police department along with those lost at the Pentagon and on the hijacked planes. In 2010, the fire company began the process of acquiring a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. Lower Allen first became aware of the salvage program through an affiliation Assistant Chief David Warren had with the state fire museum in Harrisburg, Mumma said. It took the company almost two years to get through the paperwork and bring a piece of the towers to Lower Allen. Several more years passed before the fire company could arrive at a final design and obtain permission from Lower Allen Township to place the memorial in front of the station. For part of that time, the beam was on display in the township municipal building. Over the years, the company raised about $30,000 in donations and in-kind services and materials to construct the memorial and ready the project site with landscaping and lighting, Mumma said. Below is a listing of other local commemorative events: Dickinson College will hold a Patriot Day observance at 8 a.m. Monday at the flagpole at Old West on the John Dickinson campus on West High Street between West and College streets. Organized by ROTC, the ceremony will include the playing of taps as the flag is lowered to half-staff by the color guard. College President Margee Ensign will lay a wreath at the flagpole. Senior music major Chelsea-Mia Pierre will sing Amazing Grace. Rev. Donna Hughes, director of the Center for Service, Spirituality and Social Justice, will close the observance with a prayer. Carlisle Barracks will hold its annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in front of Root Hall at the flagpole at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey will offer brief remarks. A veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Storm and four tours of duty in Iraq, Dailey is from Palmerton, Carbon County, and was sworn in as the 15th sergeant major of the Army on Jan. 30, 2015. In that capacity, he serves as the Army Chief of Staffs personal adviser on matters affecting the enlisted force. Taps will follow a reading of the Army War College alumni killed on 9/11 and in the conflict since then. There will also be the tolling of the bell for the fallen civilians, police, firefighters, emergency medical responders and soldiers who responded on Sept. 11, 2001. Gilat Telecom contracts more than 3 Gbps on SES Networks' O3b satellite fleet to serve the ever-growing needs ofbusinesses and consumers in the country SES Networks' longtime customer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gilat Telecom, has expanded the satellite capacity under contract with SES Networks in the country, now topping more than 3.0 Gbps. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006892/en/ More Cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Get Satellite-Enabled High-Speed Connectivity with SES Networks and Gilat Telecom (Photo: Business Wire) Gilat has been providing Kinshasa, the capital and largest city in DRC, with expansive internet connectivity services for many years, and has seen unprecedented network reliability and resiliency from the SES Networks service. The company has now also launched service over SES's O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite fleet to a second DRC location, bringing fiber-equivalent internet to customers in Lubumbashi. Gilat Telecom is based in Israel, and offers satellite and fiber-based connectivity services in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Gilat first deployed SES Networks' ultra-low latency, high throughput connectivity in 2014, following the launch of the first four satellites in the O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) fleet, becoming the first to use the new connectivity in Africa, and the second worldwide. Since that time, Gilat has seen strong and steady customer growth in DRC as customers have responded to the high-performance internet service and the applications it enables, and has effectively become one of the largest MEO satellite solutions users in the world. As the need for reliable connectivity has expanded in DRC, SES Networks worked with Gilat to implement a diverse routing solution to further increase network uptime and availability. With this solution, ground terminals were placed in multiple locations throughout the region, and an advanced intelligent routing platform was implemented to enable intelligent switching across multiple satellite links resulting in extremely high link availability. "For years, improving connectivity has been a high priority for us and we have been incredibly impressed with the speed and quality of our service through SES Networks," said Dan Zajicek, CEO of Gilat Telecom. "We chose SES Networks' MEO Satellites because of its unique ability to rival fiber performance, without having to rely on any land-based link from a neighbouring country. We look forward to many more years of partnership with SES Networks, and leveraging the company's unrivalled breadth of connectivity solutions to expand the reach of internet and mobile connectivity in DRC." "We are proud to celebrate this milestone of three years of service with Gilat," said Carole Kamaitha, Vice President of Africa Sales at SES Networks. "Our shared commitment to expanding and improving connectivity has enabled us to break through barriers together, and design creative and unique solutions for DRC. Moving forward, we are eager to work even more with Gilat, leveraging the diverse capabilities of SES Networks for the benefit of customers in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and across DRC." Follow us on: Social Media Blog Media Gallery White Papers About SES SES is the world-leading satellite operator and the first to deliver a differentiated and scalable GEO-MEO offering worldwide, with more than 50 satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 12 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES focuses on value-added, end-to-end solutions in two key business units: SES Video and SES Networks. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions. SES's portfolio includes ASTRA, O3b and MX1, a leading media service provider that offers a full suite of innovative digital video and media services. SES is listed on the Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange (ticker: SESG). Further information available at: www.ses.com About Gilat Gilat Telecom is a managed service provider that offers connectivity solutions together with other value-added services in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. With successful deployments in 50 countries worldwide, Gilat Telecom consistently delivers high-quality, cost-effective and efficient solutions to telcos, ISPs, governments, enterprise customers and international organizations. The company operates three international teleports in Europe and the Middle East, multiple hubs/PoPs in Africa, Europe and the US. In addition, Gilat Telecom is a shareholder in WIOCC, owners of the East African Submarine System (EASSy), and in the West Africa Cable System (WACS), with undersea fibre-optic cable systems connecting eastern and western Africa to the rest of the world. Gilat Telecom also provides space segments over numerous satellites including Intelsat, Telesat, Hellas Sat, ABS, SES NewSkies and others. Gilat Telecom is a subsidiary of The Eurocom Group. For more information, please visit www.gilat.net View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006892/en/ Contacts: Markus Payer Corporate Communications PR Tel. +352 710 725 500 Markus.Payer@ses.com SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading Korean laser and energy-based medical device company, WONTECH, will attend the 26th EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology) Congress that takes place in Geneva, Switzerland from September 13to 17. WONTECH is planning to display its latest product 'PICOCARE' at this congress. PICOCARE is the Nd:YAG picosecond laser system with 1064nm, 532nm, 595nm and 660nm multiple wavelengths. PICOCARE received U.S. FDA approval last June, the first in the industry from an Asian company. Being introduced at several academies domestically and globally, PICOCARE has been receiving favorable reviews from dermatologists, physicians and the industry. During the congress,a WONTECH clinical specialist will hold a PICOCARE workshop at 1:00 pm on September 15 at the WONTECH booth to display and demonstrate WONTECH's outstanding technology to the global industry. EADV is a non-profit association founded in 1987, whose mission is to advance excellence in clinical care, research, education and training in the fields of dermatology and venereology, and to act as the advocate and educator of patients, particularly those with cutaneous or venereal diseases. About WONTECH Co., Ltd. WONTECH is a market leader in the global laser and energy-based medical device industry. Founded in 1999, WONTECH Co., Ltd. presents a diverse collection of products related to laser, ultrasound and radio frequency technologies. Recently, WONTECH has been expanding its business to homecare markets with products like HairBoom, the personal hair loss treatment device, and Hifie, the personal skin care device.It specializes in medical devices exporting to over 60 countries worldwide based on its accumulation of technology with more than 180 intellectual property rights. For more information, visit www.wtlaser.com. Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/552749/WONTECH_booth_5CC_Barcelona.jpg Accelerating Digital Transformation through New Markets, Solutions and Ecosystem SHANGHAI, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At HUAWEI CONNECT 2017, Huawei successfully held its 5th eLTE Industry Alliance Summit themed "eLTE Practices Industrial Digital Transformation". Nearly 300 representatives from standards organizations, governments, enterprises and analysts - including over 100 alliance members - attended the event which focused on the latest eLTE development to advance industry digital transformation. At the summit, Huawei launched new solutions for public safety and power industries, new resources and global verification platforms. Private wireless broadband network provider Bei Xun, and port manufacturing representative Zhenhua Heavy Industries shared their experiences on successful eLTE enabled digital transformation. New markets: expanding industry wireless network adoption eLTE Industry Alliance is becoming a key platform for driving eLTE solution applications, solution innovation and standard evolution. As a result it has attracted 16 new members, including Wasion and Sanchuan, and alliance membership has grown to over 100 members from across the entire industrial value chain. While eLTE was used mainly in the public security sector, organizations and vendors within the ecosystem are now applying eLTE solutions to new markets including smart city, smart grid and smart campus. Chen Jiachun, vice director of the Communication Development Department at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that wireless private networks have been applied broadly in government, enterprises and more industries, which promotes the economy transformation and accelerates the development of the eLTE ecosystem. New Solutions: breakthrough of eLTE wireless private network applications Information and analysis firm IHS predicted that LTE private network market growth will exceed 2 billion US dollars by 2018, driven by fast-growing use of data services and an increasing number of LTE emergency communication users. With significant growth of eLTE wireless private network adoption anticipated in public services, transportation and industrial areas, the alliance launched new eLTE solutions for government affairs, smart city, and smart campus applications, and partners also shared various eLTE-based new applications, new terminals and new practices. New ecosystem: alliance members support program updated To promote the sustainable development of eLTE ecosystem, the alliance introduced more platform resources including a new unlicensed development package which supports IoT terminal developers, and a global OpenLab support program which allows alliance members to verify innovative solutions via 7 OpenLabs globally. Partners such as Di'aisi, Hikvisions, and Zhenhua Heavy Industries and users shared their eLTE-based new product development process and commercial progress, emphasizing the alliance's value in joint solution innovation. Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing officer of Huawei Wireless Solution, said, "We are delighted that eLTE wireless private network solutions are being widely adopted to drive digital transformation across various industries. As one of the founding members of the eLTE Industry Alliance, Huawei continues to partner with members to jointly develop innovative eLTE solutions for industries and enterprises, and build a mature industrial chain that helps them grow in today's competitive digital landscape." Huawei eLTE conducts continuous innovation and provides global services As of April 2017, Huawei has signed 390 eLTE network contracts, ranking it as the world's leading eLTE provider in terms of number of agreements. To increase solution development capabilities through continuous R&D, Huawei has launched three enterprise wireless focused joint innovation centers in Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Huawei is committed to growing the eLTE ecosystem chain through global collaboration to drive innovative ideas, integrate resources, and realize industry-wide interconnectivity. The industry alliance is embarking on a new journey through these new markets, new solutions and new ecosystem, enabling eLTE to drive unprecedented opportunities. New alliance members are welcomed to collaboratively explore these blue ocean opportunities and promote eLTE in public safety, power, transportation, smart cities and campus fields to accelerate industrial digital transformation. HUAWEI CONNECT 2017was held at Shanghai New International Expo Center, from September 5 to September 7. For more details, please visit: www.huawei.com/huaweiconnect2017 DUBLIN, October 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Wire Compound and Cable Compound Market by Type (Halogenated Polymers, Non- Halogenated Polymers), End-use Industry (Construction, Automotive, Power, Communication), and Region Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. The wire compound and cable compound market is projected to reach USD 16.42 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.7% between 2017 and 2022 The market is driven by growing power and automobile industries and increasing infrastructural development activities across the globe. However, the mature markets of Europe and North America are projected to inhibit the growth to some extent. Wire compound and cable compound are an integral part of the wire & cable industry, as these compounds provide high-quality insulation and jacketing to conducting materials. These compounds exhibit high durability, excellent chemical and corrosion resistance, and high mechanical stability, flexibility, and abrasion resistance properties. Wire compound and cable compound are used in various end-use industries, such as construction, power, communication, and power, among others. The construction segment is estimated to be the largest segment of the wire compound and cable compound market in 2017, in terms of value. Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East & Africa are considered as the key regions for the wire compound and cable compound market in the report. Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the largest market for wire compound and cable compound. The region has witnessed considerable economic development and high investments across end-use industries such as automotive, construction, communication, and power. The wire compound and cable compound market in emerging countries such as China, India, and Brazil is expected to witness growth, due to the increasing industrial activities in these countries. Market Dynamics Drivers Growing Demand From the Construction and Automotive Industries Increased Government and Private Sector Spending on the Development of Renewable Energy Resources Growing Demand for Advanced Wire Compound and Cable Compound in Offshore, Marine, Aerospace, and Oil & Gas Sector Restraints Sluggish Growth of the Wire Compound and Cable Compound Market in Europe Due to Slow Economic Growth in the Region Government Regulations Restricting the Use of Halogenated Polymers Opportunities Growing Use of Electric Vehicles Challenges Growing Wireless Communication Technology Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Wire Compound and Cable Compound Market, By Type 7 Wire Compound and Cable Compound Market, By End-Use Industry 8 Wire Compound and Cable Compound Market, By Region 9 Competitive Landscape 10 Company Profiles Aum Udyog Borouge E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company Eastman Chemical Company Electric Cable Compounds Inc. Evonik Industries AG Exxon Mobil Corporation General Cable Technologies Corporation Hanwha Chemical Corporation Melos GmbH Mexichem Specialty Compounds Inc. NUC Corporation Newgen Specialty Plastics Ltd. Otech Corporation Plasgom Polyone Corporation S&E Specialty Polymers SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd. Shakun Polymers Limited Solvay S.A. Sonneborn Techno Vinyl Polymers India Ltd. Teknor Apex Company Trelleborg AB Web Industries, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8sxwlk/wire_compound_and Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 4:30 am ET Friday, the Office for National Statistics releases U.K. industrial output and trade data for July. Industrial output is expected to grow 0.2 percent on month in July following a 0.5 percent rise in June. The U.K. visible trade deficit is forecast to narrow to GBP 12 billion in July from GBP 12.7 billion in June. Ahead of these data, the pound showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the pound rose against the euro and the Swiss franc, it held steady against the U.S. dollar and the yen. As of 4:25 am ET, the pound was trading at 0.9169 against the euro, 1.2452 against the Swiss franc, 1.3138 against the U.S. dollar and 141.49 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. IRW-PRESS: Spearmint Resources Inc.: Spearmint erhalt Genehmigung fur Bohrungen in Lithiumprojekt in Nevada Spearmint erhalt Genehmigung fur Bohrungen in Lithiumprojekt in Nevada 7. Februar 2018 - Spearmint Resources Inc. (SRJ oder das Unternehmen) (SRJ-TSX.V) (SPMTF-OTCBB) (A2AHL5--FWB) freut sich, bekannt zu geben, dass das Unternehmen von der Commission on Mineral Resources des US-Bundesstaates Nevada eine Bohrgenehmigung (Notice of Intent to Drill, NOI) fur das zu 100 % unternehmenseigene Lithiumprojekt Clayton Valley erhalten hat. President James Nelson erklart: Nach dem Abschluss unserer Finanzierung konnen wir nun mit den Arbeiten mit mehreren Projekten beginnen. Wir freuen uns uber den Erhalt der Bohrgenehmigung fur unser Lithiumprojekt in Clayton Valley. Wir rechnen damit, die Arbeiten noch im ersten Quartal 2018 aufzunehmen. http://www.irw-press.at/prcom/images/messages/2018/42344/feb 7 receives drill permit final_DEPRcom.001.png Die aktuellen Projekte von Spearmint beinhalten ein Portfolio mit Lithiumkonzessionen. Die Lithiumprojekte Clayton Valley in Nevada, die aus zwei Konzessionen mit einer Grundflache von 800 Acres bestehen, grenzen an die Projekte von Pure Energy Minerals (PE.v) und Cypress Development Corp. (CYP.v) an. Spearmint verfugt auerdem uber drei Lithiumprojekte in Quebec: die 4.485 Acres groe Lithiumkonzession Pressiac, die 524 Acres umfassende Lithiumkonzession Whabouchi und die 2.636 Acres groe Lithiumkonzession Whabouchi Lakes West unweit der Projekte von Nemaska Lithium Inc. (NMX.t) und Critical Elements Corp. (CRE.v). Spearmints Vanadiumprojekte Chibougamau, die aus funf unabhangigen Konzessionen mit 9.735 Acres Grundflache bestehen, grenzen an die Vanadiumlagerstatte im Vanadiumprojekt Ilmenite von BlackRock Metals (Privatunternehmen), das Projekt von Vanadiumcorp Resource Inc. (VRB-TSX.V) und das Vanadiumprojekt von Vanadium One Energy Corp. (VONE-TSX.V) oder befinden sich in deren Nahe. Spearmints Projekte umfassen auch drei Goldschwerpunktgebiete in British Columbia: die Goldkonzessionen im Golden Triangle, die aus vier unabhangigen Konzessionen mit 4.095 Acres Grundflache bestehen und an ein Projekt von GT Gold Corp (GTT.v) grenzen; die Konzessionen Gold Mountain, die aus drei unabhangigen Konzessionen mit 1.245 Acres Grundflache bestehen und an ein Projekt von Barkerville Gold Mines (BGM.v) grenzen, und das 3.052 Acres groe Kupfer-Gold-Projekt NEBA, das an den Grundbesitz von Aben Resources Ltd (ABN.v) grenzt. Das 8.482 Acres groe Nickel-Kupfer-Projekt EL North von Spearmint umfasst die zusammenhangenden Konzessionen EL North, EL North 2 und BUDDY im Bergbaucamp Eskay Creek und grenzt an den Grundbesitz von Garibaldi Resources Corp. (GGI.v) an. Das 1.500 Acres groe Magnesiumprojekt WHY WEST von Spearmint nahe Rossland, BC grenzt unmittelbar an das Projekt von West High Yield Resources (WHY - TSX Venture) an. Wenn Sie in den Nachrichtenverteiler von Spearmint aufgenommen werden, senden Sie Ihre E-Mail-Adresse bitte an info@spearmintresources.ca. Kontaktinformationen: Tel: 1604646-6903 www.spearmintresources.ca James Nelson President Spearmint Resources Inc. SPEARMINT RESOURCES INC. Suite 1470 - 701 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V7Y 1C6 Die TSX Venture Exchange und deren Regulierungsorgane (in den Statuten der TSX Venture Exchange Inc. als Regulation Services Provider bezeichnet) ubernehmen keinerlei Verantwortung fur die Angemessenheit oder Genauigkeit dieser Pressemeldung. Die Ausgangssprache (in der Regel Englisch), in der der Originaltext veroffentlicht wird, ist die offizielle, autorisierte und rechtsgultige Version. Diese Ubersetzung wird zur besseren Verstandigung mitgeliefert. Die deutschsprachige Fassung kann gekurzt oder zusammengefasst sein. 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ISIN CA8473811005 AXC0056 2018-02-07/09:05 Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/ TOKYO, Dec 4, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that Japan's Ministry of the Environment has honored the company's multi-node Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY CX600 M1 with the Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention Activity in the Technological Development and Commercialization category. This award is in recognition of the fact that the "hot water cooling" technology available on the PRIMERGY CX600 M1 reduces TCO(1) and power consumption throughout the system, contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions.Fujitsu will continue to develop highly energy-efficient products, contributing its efforts to alleviate climate change through its business activities.About the Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention ActivityThe Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention Activity has been bestowed by the Ministry of the Environment since 1998, as part of its efforts to promote global warming countermeasures, recognizing organizations and individuals which have made a notable contribution to the prevention of global warming.About PRIMERGY CX600 M1The PRIMERGY CX600 M1 water-cooled model employs a "hot water cooling" technology that relies on external air to lower the temperature of the coolant water circulated within the server. This model cools CPUs by using a water cooling pump inside the server, which can cut the number of fan rotations needed for cooling, reducing server power consumption. In addition, the heat removed from the server along with the coolant water is exchanged in a cooling distribution unit (CDU)(2) connected to the rack holding the servers, and cooling towers installed outside the facility enable cooling with less air conditioning equipment. This reduces TCO and power consumption by the system as a whole, contributing to lower CO2 emissions.Installation Diagramhttp://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuPRIMERGYCX600M1.jpg(1) TCOTotal cost of ownership. Includes not just the cost to install the system, but also the cost to operate and maintain it.(2) CDUCooling distribution unit. This unit circulates the coolant water from the water cooling pumps within the servers to the cooling towers, while also conducting heat exchange within the CDU itself.About Fujitsu LtdFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.* Please see this press release, with images, at:http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/Source: Fujitsu LtdContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. EIB WILL PROVIDE FINANCING FOR FIRST-IN-CLASS DRUG DISCOVERY PROJECTS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER COST OF CAPITAL FOR TRANSLATION FROM ACADEMIC SCIENCE TO INDUSTRY FUNDING IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE "EUROPEAN FUND FOR STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS", A KEY ELEMENT OF THE "INVESTMENT PLAN FOR EUROPE" (SO-CALLED "JUNCKER PLAN") Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and the European Investment Bank ("EIB") announced today that the EIB has granted Evotec an unsecured loan facility of up to EUR 75 m to support Evotec's Innovate strategy. The loan agreement is operated under the European Fund of Strategic Investments ("EFSI"). EFSI is an essential pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe ("IPE"), under which the EIB and the European Commission are working as strategic partners to boost the competitiveness of the European economy. The transaction is the first large success-sharing investment under EFSI in any industry anywhere in Europe. Furthermore, it represents EFSI's first contingent investment, whereupon the bank shares the risk of its client's research development (R&D) success. Supporting EVT Innovate at significantly lower cost of capital Cures are still needed for more than 3,000 serious diseases. As a consequence, indirect healthcare costs for treating patients are enormous, especially considering the impact of ageing populations in many countries of the developed world. Hence, the demand for new therapies continues to see steady growth and this requires innovation in drug discovery in a capital-efficient manner as well as through innovative financing models. The core of Evotec's business is research and development to support Pharma and biotech companies, venture capital groups, academic institutions as well as foundations and not-for-profit organisations. Within its EVT Innovate segment, Evotec is building a sustainable pipeline of partnered disease-modifying product opportunities. Its R&D activities are based on cutting-edge science, highest quality drug discovery platforms (e.g. Evotec's integrated patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells ("iPSC") platform) and innovative collaboration models such as the BRIDGE initiatives from Academia to Pharma. Since 2010, Evotec has built a pipeline of over 80 partnered product opportunities through such partnerships, spin-offs or equity investments. These partnerships hold significant upside value for Evotec in terms of development, clinical and commercial milestones, royalties or alternatively equity participations. The EIB funding specifically supports Evotec's Innovate strategy through a unique, innovative and flexible financing structure including a moderate reward-sharing component for the EIB. The EUR 75 m total loan financing will be invested into EVT Innovate R&D over a period of four years and will mature seven years after draw down. The long-term character of this financing reduces the cost of capital for innovation substantially. At the same time, it allows Evotec to pursue innovative drug discovery and development paths even more intensively (e.g. orphan drug programmes; invest in certain technologies and platforms), always focusing on disease-modifying treatments for diseases with an urgent unmet medical need. Evotec expects the first investments with this new funding tool already in 2017. EIB Vice President Ambroise Fayolle, responsible for Germany and EFSI, said: "We are proud to be able to support Evotec in this innovative and competitive strategy. Boosting research and development and standing by European companies is a priority for the EIB. Innovation is a key element for Europe in a global competition, to help secure competitiveness and jobs and achieve sustainable growth." European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, added: "The development of innovative treatments is a process which requires sustained investment. This is where the Investment Plan can play a role. I am glad that, with today's agreement, the Plan is supporting research which aims to tackle serious illnesses and diseases." Dr Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, commented: "We are honoured to be part of the European Investment Plan fund and are pleased with their trust in our innovation strategy. We will remain very focused on our investments and continue to build world-leading R&D efforts. The support of the EIB with the flexibility and innovative financing model will bring down our cost of capital significantly. Adding this new financing tool to the biotech industry is a truly important milestone and will have a real impact for the global innovation ecosystem in drug discovery." The transaction has been developed in cooperation with kENUP Foundation, a NGO supporting Innovation in Europe. ABOUT THE EIB The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. ABOUT THE INVESTMENT PLAN FOR EUROPE The Investment Plan for Europe, the so-called "Juncker Plan", is one of the European Commission's top priorities. It focuses on boosting investments to create jobs and growth by making smarter use of new and existing financial resources, removing obstacles to investment and providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is the central pillar of the Juncker Plan. It provides a first loss guarantee, allowing the EIB to invest in more, often riskier, projects. The EFSI is already showing concrete results. The projects and agreements approved for financing under the EFSI so far are expected to mobilise more than EUR 225 billion in investments and support around 445,000 SMEs across all 28 Member States. ABOUT EVOTEC AG Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide providing the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery solutions, covering all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery (EVT Execute). The Company has established a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuroscience, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain and inflammation, oncology and infectious diseases. On this basis, Evotec has built a broad and deep pipeline of more than 80 partnered product opportunities at clinical, pre-clinical and discovery stages (EVT Innovate). Evotec has established multiple long-term discovery alliances with partners including Bayer, CHDI, Sanofi or UCB and development partnerships with e.g. with Sanofi in the field of diabetes, with Pfizer in the field of tissue fibrosis and Celgene in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @EvotecAG. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Language: English Company: Evotec AG Manfred Eigen Campus Essener Bogen 7 22419 Hamburg Germany Phone: +49 (0)40 560 81-0 Fax: +49 (0)40 560 81-222 E-mail: info@evotec.com Internet: www.evotec.com ISIN: DE0005664809 WKN: 566480 Indices: TecDAX Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170908005320/en/ Contacts: EIB Christof Roche c.roche@eib.org tel.: +352 43 79 89013 Mobile: +32 479 65 05 88 Website: www.eib.org/press or Press Office +352 4379 21000 press@eib.org Follow us on Twitter @eib or Evotec AG Gabriele Hansen VP Corporate Communications Investor Relations Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255 gabriele.hansen@evotec.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) said that it flew 11.3 billion revenue passenger miles or RPMs in August 2017, an increase of 5.3 percent from the 10.7 billion RPMs flown in August 2016. Available seat miles or ASMs increased 4.9 percent to 13.3 billion in August 2017, compared with August 2016 ASMs of 12.7 billion. The August 2017 load factor was 84.9 percent, compared with 84.6 percent in August 2016. Based on these results, the estimated impact from Hurricane Harvey, and the current industry revenue environment driving weakness in revenue passenger yields, the Company expects its third quarter 2017 operating revenue per ASM (RASM) to be in the range of down one percent to slightly up, year-over-year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Kain Picken (centre) and Fiona Lau (right), Creative Directors of FFIXXED STUDIOS, share their experience and insights at the 7 September seminar "Master Sharing Series: A Dialogue with FFIXXED STUDIOS: A Creative Take on the 'Everyday'," which was moderated by Professory Cory Quach, Professor of Fashion Marketing & Management, SCAD Hong Kong (left). The seminar was held during the second edition of Asia's premier fashion event, CENTRESTAGE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Joe Kainz Tel: +852 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org HONG KONG, Sept 8, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Having had no formal training as a fashion designer has not been a deterrent for Kain Picken - one half of the award-winning Hong Kong label, FFIXXED STUDIOS.Mr Picken, along with design partner Fiona Lau, took part in the 7 September seminar "Master Sharing Series: A Dialogue with FFIXXED STUDIOS: A Creative Take on the 'Everyday'," held during the second edition of Asia's premier fashion event, CENTRESTAGE. The art graduate said that his and his partner's fashion background have given their brand, based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, a unique perspective."One thing that has made our brand develop differently, compared with new younger brands - particularly some Chinese and Hong Kong brands - is we were already looking at fashion from the outside to start with," said Mr Picken.Duo thrive on different skill setsThe couple's different skills have served them well, he said. "One advantage is you can leave out some of the baggage that comes with not having formal training. On the downside, that knowledge and expertise is sometimes really useful. [But] we both fill in the bits missing from the other person. With me having no technical training, Fiona can fill in the gaps, and vice versa."The seminar was part of a series of designer-sharing sessions during the four-day CENTRESTAGE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.The forum was held one day after the designers presented their 2018 Spring/Summer collection at the opening gala fashion show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES. The show also spotlighted the latest creations of Korean design master Juun.J, whose debut Hong Kong runway show was made possible through the collaboration of the brand's partner, JOYCE, and the HKTDC.The Hong Kong and Shenzhen-based couple will next focus on their 2018 collection, which is scheduled to be available early next year in stores in Hong Kong, the mainland, Japan, Korea, the United States, Sweden, Germany, Norway and the United Arab Emirates.Art project led to ready-to-wear brandThe Australian designers founded FFIXXED STUDIOS in 2010, two years after collaborating on an art project exploring different ideas and materials related to fashion. The project evolved into a ready-to-wear fashion brand and they released their first ready-to-wear product in 2009."Coming from an art background, one of the things that drew me into fashion was the idea that there's such a personal engagement with the object, about it being really part of your daily life. That's something you don't have with art," said Mr Picken.The couple's ready-to-wear collections are designed for contemporary living and evolve seasonally in response to ideas at work and home. The designers have made the movement and openness of their clothing a priority - conceptually and also in material and functional terms.They also place emphasis on modern cutting with a fluid eclectic aesthetic and use natural and recycled fibres and custom-developed fabrics as part of continuing efforts to support sustainability and ethical working processes.Everyday items inspire design detailsMs Lau said they like to use simple everyday items as inspiration for their designs. In their latest collection, for example, they added fruit stickers onto transfer prints and the detailing of their clothes, while using the size and shape of dust bags as the template for garment pockets and leather bags. The couple have also used beads from taxi driver's massage chair for the design of a pair of reflexology sandals.In the same way that jewels were used to embellish clothes, the couple decorated one of their garments with small buttons made from a lightweight compound so they resemble little rocks with holes cut in the centre. "No one looking at them would know they took hours to make," she said.Mr Picken added: "The idea that something that is totally mundane or has no value can be re-thought in terms of its aesthetic value or functional value, is interesting."The talk, moderated by Cory Quach, Professor of fashion marketing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong, included advice to fashion design students on how to break into the profession.Internships invaluable for gaining experience"Doing internships is really useful for helping you to make sense of what is involved, so you understand all aspects of fashion design," said Ms Lau. "After graduating, I wasn't sure about my next step. Luckily after my internship it made sense. I realised how to make my ideas into a finished product."She also advised students to serve internships at various places in order to learn how companies operate differently."Some kids come out of school already with a clear picture about their fashion brand," said Mr Picken. "But if you don't have a clear picture or plan about your brand, then industry experience is the only way - and it is invaluable."A benefit of coming to a small company like us is that you see the big picture. If interns do the full cycle, they see everything - from the design development, the sampling, sales, show, production. You can tell people, but you need to see it to grasp it."The duo's collections have shown at Paris and Shanghai Fashion weeks and have won several accolades, including the Hong Kong Young Talent Design Award in 2012 and the International Woolmark Prize - Women's Asia in 2013.CENTRESTAGE, which features more than 210 fashion brands from 22 countries and regions, along with nearly 40 fashion events, including more than 20 fashion shows, debuted last year as a new promotion and launch platform for international fashion brands and designs - particularly those in Asia, reaffirming Hong Kong as the region's fashion capital.Under the theme "Nouveau Playhouse," this year's CENTRESTAGE - one of the activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR - features three thematic zones, GLAM, ALLURE and METRO.Leading international brands taking partExhibiting fashion brands from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Britain and the United States, include BARBARA DI DAVIDE - I CASHMERE, CHENG PAI CHENG, Edward Achour, GLAMOROUS, KEEPSAKE, N12H and Zero Design, along with local brands anagram, Angus Tsui, HARRISON WONG, izzue and Yi-ming.The HKTDC has organised 34 buying missions to visit the show, bringing buyers from more than 1,000 companies from 25 companies and regions, including Galeries Lafayette from France, Andreas Murkudis from Germany, Shinsegae from Korea, Isetan from Japan, select shops DONGLIANG and AnyShopStyle from the Chinese mainland, Breeze Center from Taiwan and local retailers such as Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, D-mop, DFS and Club 21.Hong Kong in FashionThe Hong Kong in Fashion citywide campaign is underway to spread the fashion buzz to the wider community. More than 90 fashion-related activities are being staged around Hong Kong from 15 August - 30 September. The campaign has been organised in collaboration with over 100 partners, including high-end hotels, shopping malls, fashion boutiques, restaurants and design institutes.CENTRESTAGE becomes "OPENSTAGE" on the final day, when it will welcome public visitors aged 12 and above free of charge. A series of events, including a fashion parade, lifestyle tips-sharing, make-up and nail-art demo, will be arranged. Members of the public will have the chance to experience this major international fashion event and check out the latest designs from leading brands.CENTRESTAGE website: http://centrestage.com.hkThe Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest 2017 (YDC) website: http://www.fashionally.comCENTRESTAGE schedule: http://centrestage.com.hk/en/event/schedule.phpHong Kong in Fashion schedule: http://centrestage.com.hk/files/page/36/17_centrestage_guidemap_op-02.jpgFashion Summit (HK) 2017: http://fashionsummit.hk/Photo Download: http://bit.ly/2wb8zfDAbout FASHIONALLY.comThe HKTDC launched the FASHIONALLY.com online platform in early 2012 to provide a unique networking and exchange platform for global fashion experts to connect, inspire and share information.For Media:Media representatives wishing to cover CENTRESTAGE may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.About HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. On Wednesday evening, Sept. 20, all over the world Jews will gather to begin the annual 10-day period known as the High Holy Days. These days start with Rosh Hashanah (the First of the Year) and end with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These days are both solemn and happy days. During this period of time, Jews specifically concentrate on heshbon ha-nefesh, the examination of the soul. This is a time for deep self-reflection about our relationships with others and with God. It is a time for repentance, when we realize that we need to change certain behaviors and that we must commit to a better path. On Rosh Hashanah we observe the Birthday of the World, which will be the year 5778, according to the Jewish calendar. But we do not concentrate on how old the world is; we dont have a birthday party. Rather on the Birthday of the World, all humankind stands in judgment before God. We think about our own lives, about how we are treating others inside and outside of our families and communities, and about how we are treating the earth. It is said that on Rosh Hashanah that God writes the fate of every human being in the Book of Judgment. Knowing that our fate hangs in the balance, we look carefully at our lives and repent where we have departed from Gods moral and ethical teachings. We repent our mistakes in our behavior, and we resolve and commit to do better in the year to come. In our prayers we plead with God for forgiveness for our failings. However, Jewish teachings require that we must first reconcile with our fellow humans before we can ask God for forgiveness. If you have treated a friend, family member or co-worker poorly during the last year, you must go to that person and request forgiveness. Only after that can you ask God for forgiveness. During these 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Ten Days of Repentance, each of us has to reach out to others for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Rosh Hashanah is a serious, but joyous Holiday, and often families get together for celebration, to attend services together and to eat special holiday meals together. Some Jews send Rosh Hashanah cards to friends, wishing them Le-Shanah Tovah, meaning to a Good Year. One highlight of the Rosh Hashanah services is the Shofar Service, which will occur during the morning services both days. We blow the Shofar, made of the horn of a ram, several times in response to prayers recited by the congregation. On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Friday Sept. 30, some Jews perform Tashlikh. Tashlikh is a ceremony in which we symbolically cast our sins into a body of moving water, to be carried away. Traditionally we empty the lint in our pockets into the water, and we also bring bread and breadcrumbs to throw into the water for the fish, while we read special prayers. All this close examination of our lives and souls culminates with Yom Kippur, which will start Friday evening, Sept. 29 at sundown, and ends at sundown on Saturday, Sept. 30. It is said that at the end of Yom Kippur, God seals the Book of Judgment that was written on Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is a very solemn day and requires a 25- to 26-hour fast. We fast from sundown to sundown, avoiding any food or water, unless one must eat and drink for health/medical reasons. The fasting serves to concentrate our minds on our prayers, and helps us to block out thoughts of everyday concerns. Traditionally we spend most of Yom Kippur in prayer services. We start in the first evening with the Kol Nidre service, in which we ask God to release us from vows we made to God during the past year, but were not able to keep. The Yom Kippur day services, both morning and afternoon, include reading the Torah, and chanting special services that recall the days of the Temple in Jerusalem. We hold a service of remembrance of our Martyrs and also a Yizkor service to remember our departed loved ones. Late in the afternoon, as the sun starts to set, we begin the Neilah service. Neilah refers to the closing of the gates, the last chance for us to ask God for forgiveness before God seals the Book of Judgment. At this point in the day, we are very tired and thirsty and are feeling weak. But we stand throughout Neilah to plead with God to hear us and to forgive us. Finally at the end of Neilah, as the sun sets, we end our services, with the knowledge and confidence that God does forgive us. The end of the Yom Kippur Holy Day is marked by the blowing of the Shofar and the recitation seven times that Adonai Hoo Elohim, God is God. Many congregations gather after services end for a community Break the Fast. We finish Yom Kippur very tired, but we feel renewed and ready to work in the New Year toward improving our lives and the lives of our families, of our communities and of the world. This has been a very difficult year for me and my family due to family illness. The logistics of pulling together High Holy Day Services for Congregation Beth Tikvah have seemed especially overwhelming this year to me. But I am very blessed because, like every year, many wonderful friends in our congregation are taking on many of the jobs needed for successful High Holy Days services. I wish to add that our services are open to everyone who wishes to join us at services. Please check the Beth Tikvah website, for the latest Newsletter, that will have the dates, times and places for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. There is no cost for attending services with us, and we welcome your participation. The Jewish Community of Carlisle wishes for you all a Good New Year in 5778. LISBON (dpa-AFX) - Portugal's merchandise trade deficit for July widened from a year ago as imports logged double-digit growth, offsetting relatively modest gain in exports, figures from Statistics Portugal showed Friday. The visible trade gap widened to EUR 1.057 billion from EUR 611 million a year ago. In June, the trade deficit was EUR 1.011 billion. Imports rose 12.8 percent year-on-year versus a 6.7 percent slump in the same month last year. In June, imports grew 6.6 percent from a year ago. Compared to the previous month, imports dropped for a second straight month in July, down 0.8 percent. All economic categories registered imports year-on-year growth in July, led by a massive 45.8 percent jump in fuel and lubricants. Exports grew 4.6 percent year-on-year after 6.7 percent increase in the previous month. Shipments had dropped 4.8 percent a year ago. On a month-on-month basis, exports fell 1.9 percent in July, down for a second consecutive month. Excluding fuels and lubricants, the trade deficit was EUR 625 million versus EUR 406 million a year ago. Exports grew 5.1 percent year-on-year, while imports jumped 9.4 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MANCHESTER, England, September 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EDM, a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation and defence sectors, announced today that it has donated 5000 to the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham's Homelessness Fund. Mayor Burnham launched the fund in June this year as part of his mayoral election pledge to end rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020. After donating 15% of his own salary to the fund and encouraging donations from individuals and companies, the Mayor is now actively inviting community and voluntary organisations established to help homeless people to apply for money to help tackle the issue. Tony Bermingham, Managing Director of EDM, handed over the cheque for 5000 to the Mayor last month whilst he was visiting the company to formally open its new 1.3m 20,000 square feet manufacturing facility. "As a proud and long-standing member of the Greater Manchester business community, we're passionate about supporting worthy local causes," said Mr Bermingham. "We've been supporting various Manchester based charities for many years now and when we read about the Mayor's homeless initiative we felt strongly that this was another very worthwhile cause we should help with." Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: "We're lucky in Greater Manchester to have businesses like EDM who recognise the need to give back to our communities. Their donation to the Mayor's Homelessness Fund is incredibly generous and will go directly to supporting people who need help. "I would encourage other businesses to support and join our mission to put a roof over every head in Greater Manchester by 2020." For more information about EDM visit: www.edm.ltd.uk About EDM EDM is a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation, defence, rail and other industries. Combining the highest engineering standards with leading-edge technologies, EDM providesairlines withDoor Trainers, Cabin Service Trainers, Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainers andFull SizeMockups and defence organsiations withProcedure Trainers, Maintenance Trainers, Ejection Seats, Simulators and Full Size Replicas. Serving organisations worldwide from its UK headquarters, EDM is committed to delivering exceptional quality and value to its clients to help them enhance safety and operational efficiency. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Croatia's retail sales declined in July after rising in the previous two months, figures from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics showed Friday. The volume of retail trade turnover fell 0.9 percent month-over-month in July, reversing a 4.1 percent rise in the previous month. On a yearly basis, retail sales growth eased to 5.9 percent in July from 7.8 percent in June. Data also showed that retail sales value dropped 0.7 percent monthly in July, while it grew 7.7 percent from a year earlier. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 8, 2017) - Kaizen Discovery Inc. (TSXV: KZD) today announced that the Pinaya Copper-Gold Project in Peru has entered the final stage of government review prior to the Peruvian General Directorate of Mining (DGM) issuing Kaizen with authorization to commence drilling. Kaizen also announced that it is increasing its ownership of the Aspen Grove Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia from 60% to 100%, by purchasing the 40% held by its joint-venture partner, ITOCHU Corporation. Kaizen's Peruvian subsidiary, which holds the Pinaya Project, received notification from the DGM that it has entered the final stage of review - a "Consulta Previa" or "prior consultation" review - prior to the DGM issuing Kaizen with the Authorization to Commence Activities for the company's planned drilling program at the Pinaya Project. Under Peruvian law, the government-led prior consultation process verifies that the considerations of any local peoples that could represent an indigenous population have been recognized. This process is designed to ensure that, as the project advances, future community stakeholder relations are managed in a transparent and comprehensive manner. The company is assessing its options and the possible implications for its planned 2017 exploration program. Kaizen will provide an update on its planned drilling program at Pinaya once the Ministry of Energy and Mines completes the prior consultation process. Kaizen to acquire 100% ownership of the Aspen Grove Project On August 31, 2017, Kaizen and ITOCHU Corporation entered into a sale-and-purchase agreement that will provide Kaizen with 100% ownership of the Aspen Grove Project, located in southern British Columbia. Under the provisions of the agreement, Kaizen's ownership of KZD Aspen Grove Holding Ltd., which holds title to the Aspen Grove property, will increase from 60% to 100%, and ITOCHU will receive C$293,200 in exchange for relinquishing its 40% stake. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, which are expected to be completed later this month. Kaizen is assessing its options for the Aspen Grove Project, and discussions are ongoing with potentially interested parties for the possible sale or joint venture of the project. About Kaizen Discovery Kaizen is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company with exploration projects in Peru and Canada. More information on Kaizen is available at www.kaizendiscovery.com. Information contact Bill Trenaman +1-604-669-6446 info@kaizendiscovery.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation (i) statements regarding the expected closing date of the sale-and-purchase agreement with ITOCHU. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Kaizen Discovery, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. LONDON, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Chubb and App in the Air today announced the launch of Flight Delay Insurance, an innovative new insurance cover for airline travellers. Underwritten by Chubb European Group in partnership with Swiss Re and FlightStats, the proposition will be offered to UK App in the Air users through their personal travel assistant app. Flight Delay Insurance covers the additional costs and inconvenience travellers may face when their flight is cancelled, diverted or delayed and will pay out sooner than they might typically expect to receive compensation from their airline carrier. For example, under current EU legislation, passengers travelling from within the EU must be delayed by at least three hours before they are eligible for any compensation and this only applies if you are travelling with an EU-based carrier. Flight Delay Insurance will pay out sooner, applies to flights outside the EU, and is intended to cover unexpected costs incurred, for example a taxi, fees for a lounge, snacks, meals, refreshments, books, magazines, or any other expenses. App in the Air users will be offered Flight Delay Insurance for each eligible flight shown on their itinerary. Customers receive 100 compensation if they are delayed by more than an hour and in some instances as little as 30 or 45 minutes. Flight cancellations and diversions automatically trigger 100 payment. Claims are validated in real time using data from FlightStats, a leading provider of real-time global flight data to consumers and the travel industry, and paid directly into the customer's PayPal or bank account, or credited to their debit or credit card, typically within an hour, but at the latest within 72 hours of arriving at their destination. Commenting on the launch, Alex Blake, Senior Vice-President and Global Head of Travel Insurance at Chubb, said: "This exciting new proposition, launched in partnership with Swiss Re, FlightStats and App in the Air, marks an important step in our strategy to develop new and innovative ways to reach more customers with very tailored and relevant insurance offers. It also addresses a previously unmet customer need, having been designed specifically to pay out when they may not otherwise be eligible for compensation from their airline carrier. "Being able to assess claims automatically in real time, without any action on the side of the customer - such as obtaining proof of the incident - and then pay the claim directly to their PayPal or nominated bank account, debit or credit card, we think will be an appealing feature and provide the level of service we all now expect in our ever-increasing online, digital lives." Bayram Annakov, CEO of App in the Air said: "Working in conjunction with Chubb and Swiss Re has enabled us to develop a proposition that addresses a real and increasing customer need. This is exactly the kind of positive experience we want to provide to App in the Air users." About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com/uk Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160121/324916LOGO Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. -- ASN100 rapidly penetrates into lung epithelial fluid after a single intravenous dose and was detected out to 30 days in healthy volunteers -- Arsanis, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on applying monoclonal antibody immunotherapies to address serious infectious diseases, today announced that the company presented pharmacokinetic data from a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers and from a preclinical model of Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia for its investigational lead product candidate, ASN100, which is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for the prevention of S. aureus pneumonia in high-risk, mechanically ventilated patients. These data were described in three poster presentations at IDWeek 2017, taking place in San Diego from October 4 8. "The clinical and preclinical data presented at IDWeek 2017 continue to build on a growing body of evidence supporting the development of our lead candidate, ASN100, as a potential first-in-class monoclonal antibody therapeutic with a non-antibiotic mechanism of action," said Chris Stevens, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Arsanis. "We previously reported that in its first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial, ASN100 was well tolerated and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. At IDWeek, we reported additional data from this trial confirming that significant lung concentrations of ASN100 were detected in lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of healthy volunteers within 1 day and out to 30 days after dosing. We believe that this is the first report of an intravenously administered human IgG1 mAb measured in ELF in humans. In addition, we presented results from the ASN100 Phase 1 population PK model. Together these data support the single dose regimen in our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial. We also reported ASN100 data in a rabbit model of S. aureus pneumonia in which ASN100 mAbs demonstrated rapid penetration into ELF in both uninfected and S. aureus infected animals, and induced dose-dependent protection from lethal pneumonia and improved tissue pathology across multiple strains tested." Summary of Posters Serum and Lung Pharmacokinetics of ASN100, a Monoclonal Antibody Combination for the Prevention and Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia. Poster #1025. Twelve healthy volunteers received ASN100 open-label at doses of 3600 mg or 8000 mg. Each subject underwent two bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samplings either on days 1 and 30 or on days 2 and 8 post-dosing. A dose proportional increase in serum peak and exposure (AUC) of ASN100 mAbs ASN-1 and ASN-2 was observed, with an approximate half-life for each antibody of 3 weeks. Penetration of ASN-1 and ASN-2 into the lung ELF was observed at the first post-dose time point of 24 hours and both mAbs remained detectable at significant lung concentrations at day 30 post-dose. Population Pharmacokinetic Model for Intravenous ASN100 in Healthy Subjects. Poster #1849. Pharmacokinetic data from a previously reported ASN100 Phase 1 trial were incorporated into a two-compartment physiologic based pharmacokinetic (PK) model. This population PK model simulated various ASN100 dosing regimens to support dose selection for the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial. Prevention of Lung Pathology and Mortality in Rabbit Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia with Cytotoxin-Neutralizing Monoclonal IgGs that Penetrate Epithelial Lining Fluid. Poster #1844. ASN100 was tested in a rabbit model of the prevention of lethal S. aureus pneumonia. ASN100 at an intravenous dose of 5 or 20 mg/kg afforded 100% survival in rabbits across all four S. aureus strains tested. The ASN100 mAbs rapidly penetrated the lung ELF in uninfected and S. aureus infected animals, reaching peak levels at 48 hours post dose. Importantly, free ASN-1 and ASN-2 serum and ELF levels were not depleted in the lungs of S. aureus infected rabbits despite the presence of bacteria for up to three days post challenge. About ASN100 ASN100 is a combination of two co-administered fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), ASN-1 and ASN-2 that together neutralize the six cytotoxins critical to S. aureus pneumonia pathogenesis. ASN-1 neutralizes alpha-hemolysin (Hla), a cytotoxin that damages lung epithelial cells, and four leukocidins, cytotoxins that destroy human immune cells: gamma-hemolysin AB (HlgAB), gamma-hemolysin CB (HlgCB), Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), and leukocidin ED (LukED). ASN-2 neutralizes the fifth leukocidin, LukGH, a particularly potent human cytotoxin also responsible for the destruction of human immune cells. ASN100 is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for the prevention of S. aureus pneumonia in high-risk, mechanically ventilated patients, and has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). About Arsanis, Inc. Arsanis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on applying monoclonal antibody (mAb) immunotherapies to address serious infectious diseases. A deep understanding of the pathogenesis of infection, paired with access to some of the most advanced mAb discovery techniques and platforms available today, has positioned Arsanis to build and advance a pipeline of novel mAbs with multiple mechanisms of action and high potency against their intended targets. The company's lead clinical program, ASN100, is aimed at serious Staphylococcus aureus infections and is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial for the prevention of S. aureus pneumonia in high-risk, mechanically ventilated patients. In addition to ASN100, its preclinical pipeline is comprised of mAbs targeting multiple serious bacterial and viral pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Arsanis is a U.S. company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with European research and preclinical development operations headquartered in Vienna, Austria (Arsanis Biosciences GmbH). For more information, please visit the Arsanis website at www.arsanis.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171009005257/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Ten Bridge Communications Krystle Gibbs, 508-479-6358 krystle@tenbridgecommunications.com or Investor Contact: Michael Gray, 781-819-5201 Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer mike.gray@arsanis.com KENILWORTH (NJ) (dpa-AFX) - Merck (MRK) announced Thursday new and updated data from six abstracts investigating KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), the company's anti-PD-1 therapy, as both monotherapy and combination therapy, across a range of difficult-to-treat breast cancers. The company will present these data at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium or SABCS from December 5 - 9. Further, updated data on LYNPARZA (olaparib), the first-in-class poly ADP-ribose polymerase or PARP inhibitor being co-developed and co-commercialized with AstraZeneca, will also be presented. KEYTRUDA presentations include a Spotlight Session with findings from the phase 2 KEYNOTE-086 trial, Cohort B, investigating KEYTRUDA as a monotherapy in previously untreated patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors express PD-L1. Roy Baynes of Merck Research Laboratories said, 'We have seen significant therapeutic advances over the years in the field of breast cancer; however, there remains significant unmet medical need, particularly in certain categories of the disease. Through our comprehensive clinical program studying KEYTRUDA, as well as LYNPARZA, we hope to bring additional therapeutic benefit to breast cancer patients.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 2017 / Texas South Energy, Inc. (OTC PINK: TXSO) and GulfSlope Energy, Inc. (OTCQB: GSPE) (collectively, the "Farmors") announced today that, pursuant to the exclusive letter of intent ("LOI") previously signed by the Farmors and a large international oil and gas company (the "Partner") to jointly drill and develop the Farmors oil and gas prospects located offshore Gulf of Mexico, that all parties have agreed to extend the term of the LOI to December 15, 2017, or such later time as they mutually agree. The purpose of the LOI is to facilitate further discussions between the parties on an exclusive basis with respect to the negotiation of the contemplated transaction and is a statement of the present intent of the parties to pursue the contemplated transaction in good faith. The LOI is subject to a number of conditions including completion of additional due diligence, preparation and execution of definitive agreements, and board approvals. The LOI is not binding and there is no certainty that the above mentioned negotiations will mature into any binding agreement between the parties. The final commercial terms in a binding agreement, if ultimately executed, may not be as set forth in the LOI. About GulfSlope Energy GulfSlope Energy is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on exploring offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico. To learn more, visit the GulfSlope website at www.GulfSlope.com. About Texas South Energy Texas South Energy is engaged in the oil and gas business, generating or acquiring onshore and offshore oil and gas projects, drilling for, operating, and producing oil and gas reserves. To learn more, visit the Texas South Energy website at www.texasouth.com. Investor Contacts GulfSlope Energy John H. Malanga, CFO Phone: 281-918-4103 Email: john.malanga@gulfslope.com Texas South Energy Michael J. Mayell, President and CEO Phone: 713-820-6300 Email: mmayell@texasouth.com SOURCE: Texas South Energy, Inc. 6 Novemeber 2017 Doriemus Plc ("Doriemus" or the "Company") Lidsey-X2 Production Well - Operations Update Doriemus plc (Listed in Australia ASX:DOR and listed in London NEX:DOR) ("Doriemus" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide an update from Angus Energy Plc (the "Operator") on the drilling of its new Lidsey-X2 production well at the Lidsey Oil Field, located at the southern edge of the UK's onshore Weald Basin, south of London. The Operator of the Lidsey Oil Field, Angus Energy Plc, has advised that: "As per the Company's guidance and news release dated 13 October 2017, geochemical analysis of the Kimmeridge and Oxford layers at the Lidsey Oil Field were undertaken to determine their commercial viability. The Company is pleased to advise that the initial results conducted on the drill cutting samples from the 66.2 metres of Kimmeridge and 105.0 metres of Oxford layers indicate a strong similarity to the maturity of the Kimmeridge layers at Brockham Field. In terms of temperatures at the time of maximum burial, which is an important factor in the generation of oil, the historical temperatures were encouragingly higher than anticipated given the location of the Lidsey Field in the Weald Basin. Indeed, analysis of Tmax (maximum historical temperature seen by the rock) gave a range which overlapped with those seen in Brockham and an average temperature within 3 degrees (0.7 %) of those seen in Brockham. In addition, the TOC (total organic content) was virtually the samewithin experimental error. The geochemical evaluations were performed by the same third party organization that provided the same analysis on the drill cuttings at Horse Hill and Brockham. Further to the Company's RNS of 13 October 2017, the BDF-28 drilling rig has now been fully demobilised. The Lidsey-X2 well has been prepared for production after completing the installation of the flowlines from the well head to the storage tanks, pump and other necessary equipment. The Company's guidance for actual production has been adjusted by seven days. After the trial operation of the pump mechanism carried out last Friday, the pump experienced a minor technical difficulty requiring repair and is currently being repaired prior to the well going in to full service. Angus Energy still expects to put Lidsey-X2 into full production this week. The Company will perform testing to optimize production rates and provide an update in due course." David Lenigas, Doriemus Plc's Executive Chairman, commented; "The Operator is ready to bring the Lidsey Oil Field in to production this week, a very significant milestone for Doriemus. The revelation that the initial geochemical test results from the Kimmeridge and Oxford are considered by Doriemus as providing additional upside for Lidsey's ultimate production potential, especially considering that we have all the approvals in place for a a re-work of the Lidsey-1 well and the drilling of a new Lidsey-3 well. The similarities of the Lidsey-X2 geochemical results to our Brockham Oil Field BR-X4Z well in the north of the Weald Basin shows that Lidsey has the potential to increase the footprint of the oil bearing Kimmeridge layers in the Weald." About the Lidsey Production Oil Field and Doriemius Plc's Interest: The Lidsey Oil Field is 5.3km2 in size and located in the southern portion of the onshore UK Weald Basin in West Sussex south of London and next to Bognor Regis on the south coast of England. Doriemus Plc owns a 30% direct participating working interest in the Lidsey-X2 production well, which is located within the onshore Lidsey Oil Field (PL 241)(Production Licence) under the rights it has under the 21 November 2013 Farm-Out Agreement. The Lidsey Oil Field is operated by Angus Energy Plc. In respect of all other wells on the Lidsey Oil Field, Doriemius has a 20% participating interest and contribution to capital costs will be 20%. COMPETENT PERSONS STATEMENT: Pursuant to the requirements of the ASX Listing Rules Chapter 5 in Australia, the technical information and resource reporting contained in this announcement was prepared by, or under the supervision of, Mr Gregory Lee, who is the Technical Director of the Company. Mr Lee has more than 30 years' diversified experience in the petroleum industry. Mr Lee is a chartered professional Engineer (CPEng) and a member of the society of petroleum engineers (MSPE) and has been an independent consultant Petroleum Engineer since 1992 and has sufficient experience in exploration for, appraisal and development, operations of oil and gas resources. The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014. CONTACTS: For further information on this update or the Company generally, please visit our website at www.doriemus.co.uk or contact: Doriemus Plc UK Contacts: David Lenigas (Executive Chairman) +44 (0) 20 7440 0640 Greg Lee (Technical Director) Australia Contacts: Julia Beckett (Joint Company Secretary) +61 (08) 6141 3500 Email: julia.beckett@wolfstargroup.com.au UK Advisors: Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited +44 (0) 20 7469 0930 Guy Miller Fungai Ndoro FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND IMPORTANT NOTICE: This document may contain forward looking statements that are subject to risk factors associated with the oil and gas industry. It is believed that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable, but they may be affected by many variables which could cause actual results or trends to differ materially. Investors should make and rely upon their own enquiries before deciding to acquire or deal in the Company's securities. This report contains forecasts, projections and forward looking information. Although the Company believes that its expectations, estimates and forecast outcomes are based on reasonable assumptions it can give no assurance that these will be achieved. Expectations, estimates and projections and information provided by the Company are not a guarantee of future performance and involve unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are out of the Company's control. Actual results and developments will almost certainly differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Company has not audited or investigated the accuracy or completeness of the information, statements and opinions contained in this report. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable laws, the Company makes no representation and can give no assurance, guarantee or warranty, express or implied, as to, and takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for (1) the authenticity, validity, accuracy, suitability or completeness of, or any errors in or omission from, any information, statement or opinion contained in this report and (2) without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the achievement or accuracy of any forecasts, projections or other forward looking information contained or referred to in this report. ARLINGTON, Va. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos declared on Thursday that the era of rule by letter is over as she announced plans to change the way colleges and universities handle allegations of sexual assault on campus. DeVos vowed to replace a set of rules enacted by the Obama administration in a 2011 memo known as the Dear Colleague Letter, which she said created a system that failed students. Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students, she said in a speech at George Mason University. DeVos repeatedly spoke about protecting the rights of both victims and students who are accused of sexual assault, saying the conversation has wrongly been framed as a contest between men and women. She didnt detail how the rules will change but said her office will seek feedback from the public and universities to develop new rules. The announcement was applauded by critics who say the rules are unfairly stacked against students accused of sexual assault, while advocacy groups for victims denounced DeVoss message as a step backward. Andrew Miltenberg, a New York lawyer who represents students accused of sexual assault, said he was encouraged by the recognition that accused students have been mistreated. Up until now, everyones been terrified of saying what she said because the fear is it would be seen as being against victims rights, he said. Activists from Know Your IX, an advocacy group for sexual-assault survivors, said the speech sent the message that colleges wont be held accountable for protecting students. I really fear that DeVos will take us back to the days when schools routinely violated survivors rights and pushed sexual assault under the rug, said Sejal Singh, a policy coordinator for the group. Debate has flared in recent years over the 2011 guidance from the Obama administration, which requires schools to investigate all complaints of sexual assault and details how they must conduct disciplinary proceedings. Critics say the rules call on campus officials with little legal experience to act as judges, and many say the standard of evidence required by the rules is too low. Unlike in criminal courts, where guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, colleges were told to judge students based on whether its more likely than not they committed the offense. Schools that violate the rules can lose federal funding entirely, although that penalty has never been dealt. DeVos echoed critics during parts of her speech, blasting the rules for creating increasingly elaborate and confusing guidelines and relying on the lowest standard of proof. Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined, she said. These are non-negotiable principles. At the same time, she made clear that acts of sexual misconduct are reprehensible, disgusting and unacceptable and must be addressed head-on. Never again will these acts only be whispered about in closed-off counseling rooms or swept under the rug, she pledged. The speech drew about two dozen protesters who gathered outside the auditorium, including some women who said they were assaulted on their campuses. Among them was Meghan Downey, 22, a recent graduate from the College of William & Mary, who said she doesnt want the Trump administration to attribute more validity to the voices of the accused. Some education leaders from the Obama administration disputed the characterizations made in DeVoss speech. Catherine Lhamon, who led the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights under President Barack Obama, defended the guidelines and said they have repeatedly been upheld by courts. She said her office frequently ruled on behalf of students accused of sexual assault, and rebuked DeVos for opening the rules to what she called essentially a popular vote. I thought she used her voice for ill today in a way that was damaging and distressing, but I believe our colleges will continue to fulfill their obligations, Lhamon said in an interview. Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement that the Trump administration is once again choosing politics over students, and students will pay the price. Leaders of some colleges issued swift statements saying theyll continue to follow the guidelines established under Obama, including at Bentley University, a private school of about 5,500 students west of Boston. Our commitment to these protections for all of our students, faculty and staff remains as strong today as ever, Bentley President Gloria Larson said. Others said its too soon to know how a shift in federal policy would play out on campuses. Dickinson College remains deeply committed to addressing the issue of sexual violence on its campus, said Christine Baksi, Dickinson College director of media relations, in a statement. We are hopeful that the notice and comment period announced by Secretary of Education Betsy Devos will better inform the departments actions on this issue by gathering input from a variety of perspectives. We await further information from the secretary about the departments plan for moving forward during this period. There have been many improvements on campuses over the last six years as a result of increased focus on this societal-wide problem. At Dickinson, we will continue to work tirelessly to address the needs of all of our community members impacted by this serious issue. Terry Hartle, senior vice president of American Council on Education, said its unclear how long the existing rules will remain in effect, but that colleges will follow them until told otherwise. Hartle, whose group represents 1,800 college and university presidents, said he didnt think DeVoss speech indicates shes backing away from the issue. The Obama administration took a very important step and raised the importance of the issue, Hartle said. But they missed the target, and we need to go back and ask whether or not weve got the policies and procedures in place that we should. MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 09/12/17 -- Aurvista Gold Corporation ("Aurvista" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AVA)(OTCQB: ARVSF)(FRANKFURT: AV2) is pleased to provide an update on current and planned exploration work at the Douay Gold Project ("Douay" or the "Project"). The Company's Technical Advisory Committee (the "Committee") has spent significant time reviewing Project data, visiting site and working with the Company's geologic consultants to develop a refined go-forward program and strategy. Brownfields and Greenfields Potential at Douay Aurvista controls a large 40+ km long segment along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone (the "CBDZ") (see press release September 5, 2017), one of several regionally productive structural "breaks" within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, and host to multiple gold and base metal deposits (see Figure 1 below). A central, approx. 7km long portion of this segment on the CBDZ North Break hosts defined Inferred Mineral Resources (the "Douay Resources") totalling 2.8 million ounces of gold (83.33 Mt @ 1.05 g/t Au, using a 0.5 g/t cut-off; Micon, 2017(1)). This brownfields area contains two distinct styles of gold mineralization, as well as copper-zinc associated with volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") mineralization. Gold mineralization hosted by altered mafic volcanics is generally of higher grade, occurring in zones such as Douay West (4.47 Mt @ 2.36 g/t Au; Micon, 2017), whereas gold hosted by altered porphyritic rocks forms large lower-grade zones such as the Porphyry Zone (72.16 Mt @ 0.96 g/t Au; Micon, 2017). The Douay Resources are open along strike and plunge, such that brownfields exploration potential for resource expansion is considered excellent. The remaining majority portion of the Project remains relatively unexplored, despite its location along a major regional structure. This greenfields area is considered to have potential not only for VMS and mafic- and porphyry-hosted gold mineralization, but also for other styles of mineralization such as occurs deposits elsewhere along the CBDZ and in the region (i.e. Casa Berardi, Estrades, Eagle - Telbel, Vezza, and Sleeping Giant; Figure 1). The Company has revised its exploration plans to capture both the brownfields and greenfields potential of the project. A thorough review and analysis of all existing geological, geochemical and geophysical data is in progress, which combined with generation of new data from re-logging and sampling programs, will be used to produce a comprehensive exploration strategy and diamond drilling plan during Q4 2017. (1) The independent Technical Report was completed by Micon International Limited ("Micon"), titled "NI 43-101 F1 Technical Report, Updated Resources Estimate for the Douay Gold Project, Douay Township, Quebec, Canada" dated April 10, 2017, filed April 11, 2017, with an effective date of February 15, 2017: http://www.aurvistagold.com/images/pdf/2017/Aurvista-Douay-Project-FinalA.PDF Aurvista's President and CEO, Matthew Hornor, stated: "We believe the potential for defining additional resources and making new high-grade gold discoveries are very favourable based on the existing resource, large property package and prospective geology. Our technical team has developed a strategy and program that will establish high-quality drill-targets beyond the known resource areas, and we will commence our diamond drilling campaign in the coming months once we've refined our resource extension and greenfields discovery targets." To view Figure 1: Regional Map Highlighting Aurvista Gold's Property Package, please visit: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1102103_figure_1.jpg. Historical Drill-Core Re-logging & Assaying Program The Company is very fortunate to have more than 220,000 metres of drill core archived onsite, covering all the drill programs back to the initial discovery by Inco Gold in 1976. The Company's exploration team has re-logged much of this historical core over the past 18 months, significantly simplifying the geological model and improving understanding of controls on gold and base metal mineralization. Completing this exercise by re-logging the remaining approx. 27,000 metres is a critical step that will provide valuable targeting information for future exploration and drilling campaigns (see Figure 2). In addition to the improved geological and exploration models that will result from the re-logging, a significant amount of the historical drill-core was not assayed for gold. An initial 8,000 samples have already been collected, and during the final phase of re-logging another approx. 10,000 samples will be collected in the coming weeks. These new assays will help identify mineralization vectors and substantively improve geostatistical modelling of the Douay Mineral Resources. Sample assays will be completed by ALS Laboratory Group. To view Figure 2: Highlighted Drill-Hole Locations (black) for Completion of Historical Core Re-logging Project, please visit: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1102103f2.jpg. Geophysical Program The Douay Project is covered by both airborne magnetic and airborne EM surveys that provide a solid basis for interpretation of stratigraphic and structural trends, coupled with the potential for direct detection of gold and base metal mineralization associated with conductive and magnetic features. The Company has decided that further expenditure on airborne geophysical data is not warranted at this time, although detailed ground surveys focused on specific targets will be considered for target definition. Top-of-Bedrock RC Drill Program Much of Aurvista's prospective ground over the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone is covered by post-mineral glacial deposits, such that conventional soil sampling is ineffective at targeting bedrock anomalies. Aurvista's technical committee has recommended a property-scale reverse circulation drilling (RC) or similar top-of-bedrock sampling program to provide critically important geochemical data, including characterization of lithologies, alteration and mineralization, for exploration vectoring and targeting. The geochemical results paired with the Company's existing geophysical data sets, historical diamond drill-core re-logging and assaying work and top-of-bedrock sampling data, and updated exploration models will form the basis of a revised exploration diamond drilling plan. Diamond Drill Program The majority of the Company's recently raised exploration funds (see press release July 14, 2017) will be budgeted for diamond drilling. This drilling is best conducted during the winter season to avoid costly helicopter-supported drilling on unfrozen ground. Following review and analysis of the extensive geological, geochemical and geophysical datasets available to the geological team, the Company anticipates commencing a revised and refocused diamond drilling campaign to test greenfields and brownfields targets once the Q3-Q4 exploration and interpretation work is completed. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Jean Lafleur, M. Sc, P. Geo., Technical Advisory Committee member, a non-independent Qualified Person to Aurvista Gold Corp., who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this presentation is accurate and acts as a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Quality Assurance ("QA") and Quality Control ("QC") Aurvista follows strict Quality Assurance ("QA") and Quality Control ("QC") protocols at Douay covering core sampling and assaying; bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to the analytical laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the Company's QA/QC page on the website at www.aurvistagold.com. Douay Gold Project and Company Profile: Aurvista Gold Corporation is a well-funded gold exploration and development company focused on advancing one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Quebec. The Company's district-scale Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec. The Project hosts an inferred gold resource that remains open in several directions, with excellent infrastructure and several large scale operating mines within 150km. The Douay Gold Project's high-grade lenses have never been mined and the Company has property-wide exploration and drilling plans, with the aim of establishing high-quality ounces in one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. ON BEHALF OF AURVISTA GOLD CORPORATION, B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Aurvista Gold Corporation's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Contacts: Mr. Joness Lang VP, Corporate Development Office: +1 416.682.2674 Email: jlang@aurvistagold.com ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 2, 2017, "FOTON DAY" activity themed "Connected with you by the Belt, be with you along the Road" was held in China Pavilion of Expo 2017 Astana. Over 160 guests attended in, including China's Charge D'affaires to Kazakhstan, Deputy Director of China Pavilion, Economy Ministry of Kazakhstan and local dealers and customers. As the "Gold Sponsor" of the sole designated vehicles to China Pavilion, Foton showed its one-stop solution of the three segments: infrastructure construction, efficient logistics and green city operation and commuting. Besides, "FOTON MOTOR BIG SHOW & EXPERIENCE" was held on September 1 to display technological connotation of "Expo Standard" products to authoritative media of Kazakhstan and customers from various industries. SAUVANA and TOANO, powered by Cummins ISF, ensure perfect power output with efficient combustion via Modularized design and precise fuel control system. Apart from zero-pollution emission, FOTON AUV new energy bus features silent and smooth traveling, long driving distance and efficient energy performance. These make AUV one of the industrialized and commercialized buses powered by hydrogen cell. In addition, there are also FOTON SUPER TRUCK series, which benchmark European and USA standards, including AUMAN EST medium & heavy-duty truck and AUMARK S light-duty truck. Manufactured by Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd(BFDA), AUMAN EST-A is powered by Cummins ISG, equipped with ZF intelligent TraXon transmission and integrated with assistant driving technologies. The 10 million km road test has demonstrated technological breakthrough in intelligent control, safety, fuel saving and pleasant driving experience. AUMARK S is built by the joint efforts of global leading automobile supply chain including Cummins, ZF, Bosch, which ensures reliable quality in safety, multi-purpose, dynamics and efficiency for medium and high-end logistics market. FOTON SUPER TRUCK series are built with core technologies of China Intelligent Connected Super Truck Alliance (CICSA) including Cummins, ZF, WABCO and Continental AG, etc. It is initiated by Foton aiming at creating super trucks that are efficient, intelligent and interconnected. It is also a blueprint of intelligent driving, energy-saving and green traveling drawn by Foton. Expo 2017 Astana enlightens us on the implementation path of future energy. It appeals for reducing carbon emission and improving energy efficiency so as to generate green life. What Foton shows to the world is its green technology and global quality via intelligent, environment-friendly, efficient safe products. For more news or information, please contact: Edward Wang +86-10-59912971 Wangchao10@foton.com.cn Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553585/VP_Speech.jpg Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553586/Super_Truck.jpg Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553587/Super_Truck_Show.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Moderate Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, R-Penn., announced Thursday evening he will not run for re-election to an eighth term next year. 'Today, I am announcing that I will not seek re-election in 2018 for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives,' Dent said in a statement. He added, 'It has been a high honor and great responsibility to serve the people of the 15th District, and I am proud of my time in Congress.' Dent indicated he decided not to seek another term in mid-summer after discussions with a small group of immediate family, friends and senior staff. The seven-term congressman, co-chair of the centrist Tuesday Group, noted that he had never planned on serving more than five or six terms. Dent's statement suggests his decision was partly based on dissatisfaction with the gridlock that has gripped Washington in recent years. 'As a member of the governing wing of the Republican Party, I've worked to instill stability, certainty and predictability in Washington,' Dent said. 'I've fought to fulfill the basic functions of Government, like keeping the lights on and preventing default.' He added, 'Regrettably, that has not been easy given the disruptive outside influences that profit from increased polarization and ideological rigidity that leads to dysfunction, disorder and chaos.' The announcement also comes a day after Pennsylvania state Representative Justin Simmons launched a primary challenge against Dent. Dent's retirement is likely to create another target for Democrats after fellow moderate Republican Congressman Dave Reichert, R-Wash., announced his retirement on Wednesday. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Evan Lukaske noted former President Barack Obama won Dent's district in 2008 and narrowly lost in 2012. President Donald Trump won the district last year. 'Democrats are confident that a strong candidate will step up to run and represent the people of the 15th Congressional District in November,' Lukaske said. However, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, expressed confidence the seat will remain in Republican hands. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Limited ("the Company") RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 8 SEPTEMBER 2017 At the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the Company held today all Ordinary Resolutions as set out in the AGM Notice dated 23 May 2017 (the "Notice") and sent to shareholders of the Company, were duly passed. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read alongside the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion Against Abstain 1 173,962,216 16,218 65,213 0 2 171,989,349 16,218 2,004,093 33,987 3 172,096,101 16,218 1,931,328 0 4 172,043,613 16,218 1,983,816 0 5 173,855,658 16,218 171,771 0 6 171,983,350 10,318 2,049,979 0 7 173,854,849 16,218 172,580 0 8 172,067,636 16,218 1,959,793 0 9 173,981,526 16,218 11,916 33,987 10 174,027,429 16,218 0 0 Note - A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. At the same AGM noted above, the following Special Resolutions were also passed as detailed below: SPECIAL RESOLUTION 1: That the Company be authorised, in accordance with section 315 of The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, as amended (the "Companies Law"), to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the Companies Law) of ordinary shares in the capital of the Company ("ordinary shares"), provided that: (a) the maximum number of ordinary shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 14.99% of the issued ordinary shares on the date on which this resolution is passed; (b) the minimum price which may be paid for an ordinary share shall be 0.01p; (c) the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for an ordinary share shall be 105% of the average of the middle market quotations on the relevant market where the repurchase is carried out for the ordinary shares for the five business days immediately preceding the date of a purchase; (d) such authority shall expire at the Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2018 unless such authority is varied, revoked or renewed prior to such date by ordinary resolution of the Company in general meeting; and (e) the Company may make a contract to purchase ordinary shares under such authority prior to its expiry which will or may be executed wholly or partly after its expiration and the Company may make a purchase of ordinary shares pursuant to any such contract. SPECIAL RESOLUTION 2: That the Directors of the Company be and are hereby empowered to allot ordinary shares of the Company for cash as if the pre-emption provisions contained under Article 13 of the Articles of Incorporation did not apply to any such allotments and to sell ordinary shares which are held by the Company in treasury for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment and sales of ordinary shares: (a) up to such number of ordinary shares as is equal to 10% of the ordinary shares in issue on the date on which this resolution is passed; (b) at a price of not less than the net asset value per share as close as practicable to the allotment or sale; provided that such power shall expire on the earlier of the Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2018 or on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this Special Resolution, except that the Company may before such expiry make offers or agreements which would or might require ordinary shares to be allotted or sold after such expiry and notwithstanding such expiry the Directors may allot or sell ordinary shares in pursuance of such offers or agreements as if the power conferred hereby had not expired. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read alongside the Notice are noted below: Special Resolution For Discretion Against Abstain 1 173,923,364 16,218 104,065 0 2 170,203,263 16,218 89,166 3,735,000 Note - A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. Enquiries: Company website: www.srei.co.uk Franczeska Hanford Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Tel: +44 (0) 1481 745 918 Email: fk26@ntrs.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Credit reporting giant Equifax Inc. has reported a hacking incident in which the personal information of approximately 143 million U.S. consumers were potentially compromised. The hackers exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files, which included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, mailing addresses, and driver's license numbers, Equifax said in a statement Thursday. Also, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information of 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed. Equifax says that the data breach, one of the largest in history, occurred from mid-May through July 2017. As part of its investigation, Equifax also identified unauthorized access to limited personal information of certain British and Canadian residents. The company said it discovered the unauthorized access on July 29 and acted immediately to stop the intrusion. Equifax Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard F. Smith said the company is conducting a thorough review of its overall security operations, and is focused on consumer protection and have developed a comprehensive portfolio of services to support all U.S. consumer A dedicated website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, has been established to help consumers determine if their information has been potentially impacted and to sign up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection. Equifax said it has engaged a leading, independent cybersecurity firm to conduct an assessment and provide recommendations on steps that can be taken to help prevent this type of incident from happening again. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DUBLIN, September 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zorin Group today announced the release of Zorin OS 12.2, its Linux-based operating system for beginners and advanced users. This version brings new innovations from the Open Source community together with a familiar user interface, requiring nearly no learning curve for PC users. "After 9 years of development, Zorin OS has made enormous progress in opening the world to a better computing experience, with over 17 million downloads to date," said Artyom Zorin, CEO of Zorin Group. "We believe this new release will prepare Zorin OS for countless new users in more homes, businesses, and governments around the world." The development team has focused on refining the desktop environment and core technologies, readying the system for new classes of users seeking a faster, more powerful, and secure computing experience. Desktop Performance and Usability Enhancements. The Zorin Desktop environment has been upgraded with speed & stability optimizations to the software and more responsive user interaction. When using the default desktop layout, you can now hover over window previews in the panel to get a full-size peek, making it quicker to find what you're looking for. These improvements help make the Zorin OS desktop easier and more intuitive for newcomers. The Zorin Desktop environment has been upgraded with speed & stability optimizations to the software and more responsive user interaction. When using the default desktop layout, you can now hover over window previews in the panel to get a full-size peek, making it quicker to find what you're looking for. These improvements help make the Zorin OS desktop easier and more intuitive for newcomers. Bet ter Windows App Support with Wine 2.0. The newest version of the Wine compatibility layer for Windows apps has been built into Zorin OS 12.2. This means more Windows apps run faster and with greater reliability than ever before. This is the first release of Zorin OS to support Microsoft Office 2013, further optimizing the operating system for use in business environments. The newest version of the Wine compatibility layer for Windows apps has been built into Zorin OS 12.2. This means more Windows apps run faster and with greater reliability than ever before. This is the first release of Zorin OS to support Microsoft Office 2013, further optimizing the operating system for use in business environments. Zorin OS Lite is Even Better for Old PCs. The Lite editions of Zorin OS 12.2 now include the Disk Usage Analyzer app out of the box. It gives detailed information about which files and folders are taking up space on your computer at a glance. This makes Zorin OS Lite work better for low-spec computers with limited storage, making it the ideal lightweight operating system to revive old PCs. The Lite editions of Zorin OS 12.2 now include the Disk Usage Analyzer app out of the box. It gives detailed information about which files and folders are taking up space on your computer at a glance. This makes Zorin OS Lite work better for low-spec computers with limited storage, making it the ideal lightweight operating system to revive old PCs. Improved Core Technologies and Hardware Compatibility. Zorin OS 12.2 introduces the updated Linux kernel 4.10 with new hardware drivers and strengthened security out of the box. These updated core technologies make the operating system even more resistant to viruses and ransomware attacks, while also adding compatibility for newer hardware including PCs with the new AMD Ryzen processor series. These enhancements make Zorin OS work even better on the computers of today, and ready for the machines of tomorrow. Zorin OS 12.2 is available to download immediately at www.zorinos.com/download About Zorin OS Zorin OS was started in 2008 to bring the power of Linux to the general public, through a focus on designing a simple user experience with a familiar yet adaptable desktop interface. The desktop operating system is designed to make computers faster, more powerful, and safe from viruses, and can be installed as a replacement to or alongside Windows and macOS. To date, Zorin OS has been downloaded over 17 million times with users in homes, schools, and organizations around the world, including the City of Vicenza, Italy. Zorin OS is available to download as pay what you want (for the "Core", "Lite", and "Education" editions) in addition to the set-price Premium editions ("Ultimate" and "Business") which include more applications, features, and support. Learn more about Zorin OS at www.zorinos.com More Information Email os@zoringroup.com Press Kit www.zorinos.com/press All products mentioned in this press release as well as their respective logos, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of these companies or organizations are their respective property. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has claimed the Republican establishment is trying to nullify President Donald Trump's victory in last year's election. In an interview with CBS's '60 Minutes' that will air on Sunday, Bannon singled out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. 'They do not want Donald Trump's populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented,' Bannon said. 'It's very obvious. It's obvious as night follows day.' Bannon claimed McConnell asked Trump in one of their first meetings to back off his 'drain the swamp' talk about corruption in Washington. 'The 'Drain the Swamp' thing was -- is Mitch McConnell was day one did not wanna go there. Wanted us to back off,' Bannon said. CBS anchor Charlie Rose noted Bannon was attacking people Trump needs help from to accomplish his agenda, but the executive chairman of Breitbart News was undeterred. 'They're not gonna help you unless they're put on notice,' Bannon said. 'They're gonna be held accountable if they do not support the President of the United States.' 'Right now there's no accountability,' he added. 'They do not support the president's program. It's an open secret on Capitol Hill. Everybody in this city knows it.' (Photo: Michael Vadon) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Belgian film-maker Agnes Varda, one of the key figures in the French New Wave in the 1960s, is to become the first female director to be awarded an honorary Oscar. She, along with actor Donald Sutherland, writer-director Charles Burnett, and cinematographer Owen Roizman will receive the 2017 Governors Awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on November 12, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. All the previous sixteen directors who have received honorary Oscars were men. Interestingly, in the competitive Oscar section too, only one woman has ever won the Best Director award - Kathryn Bigelow for 'The Hurt Locker' in 2010. 'This year's Governors Awards reflect the breadth of international, independent and mainstream filmmaking, and are tributes to four great artists whose work embodies the diversity of our shared humanity,' said Academy President John Bailey. 89 year-old Varda has been called the mother of the French New Wave. Her first feature 'La Pointe Courte' is considered to be the film that inspired the movement. Varda has experimented with all forms of film making during her more than 60-year career, including the New Wave classic 'Cleo from 5 to 7,' 'Le Bonheur,' 'One Sings, the Other Doesn't,' and 'Vagabond.' 'The Beaches of Agnes,' is her autobiographical documentary. U.S. cinematographer Roizman, 80, earned five Oscar nominations for his work on 'The French Connection,' 'The Exorcist,' 'Network,' 'Tootsie' and 'Wyatt Earp.' Canadian-born Donald Sutherland has more than 140 films spanning six decades in his credit. American independent filmmaker Burnett's work has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market ended Friday's session with a very small gain. Trading activity was rather quiet and directionless at the end of the week. Investors were reluctant to make any big moves heading into the weekend. Hurricane Irma, a category 4 storm, is expected to make landfall in Florida early Sunday. Meanwhile, North Korea is celebrating a holiday on Saturday, which could be a key date for another intercontinental ballistic missile launch. The Swiss Market Index increased by 0.06 percent Friday and finished at 8,912.05. The SMI ended the trading week with an overall loss of 0.3 percent. The Swiss Leader Index climbed 0.18 percent Friday and the Swiss Performance Index added 0.09 percent. Bakery group Aryzta climbed 1.8 percent Friday, regaining some of the ground it lost yesterday. The company appointed Frederic Pflanz as its new Chief Financial Officer on Thursday. Vifor rose 1.7 percent, adding to its gains from the past few sessions. LafargeHolcim also advanced 0.7 percent. Credit Suisse gained 0.5 percent and Julius Baer increased 0.3 percent, while UBS dipped 0.1 percent. Baloise climbed 1.0 percent, while Swiss Re increased by 0.5 percent. Zurich Insurance slid 0.1 percent. Citigroup upgraded its rating on the stock to 'Buy' from 'Neutral.' The index heavyweights finished with mixed results. Novartis rose 0.1 percent and Roche gained 0.3 percent. Nestle finished lower by 0.3 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Regulatory News: SoLocal Group (Paris:LOCAL) announces that Mrs Virginie Cayatte, CFO of the Group, will step down by the end of this year, this decision being taken by joined agreement. The Board of Directors of SoLocal Group appointed a consulting firm to hire a new CFO rapidly. Pierre Danon, Chairman of the Board of Directors, quoted: "Virginie Cayatte has been substantially engaged in the financial restructuring of the group, in a particularly tough period for the company. This restructuring was one of the key condition to allow the rebound towards profitable growth and the group is particularly thankful to her. We wish her lot of success for her next professional step." About SoLocal Group SoLocal Group, European leader in local online communication, reveals local know-how, and boosts local revenues of businesses. The Internet activities of the Group are structured around two business lines: Local Search and Digital Marketing. With Local Search, the Group offers digital services and solutions to clients which enable them to enhance their visibility and develop their local contacts. Thanks to its expertise, SoLocal Group earned the trust of some 490,000 clients of those services and over 2.4 billions of visits via its 4 flagship brands (PagesJaunes, Mappy, Ooreka and A Vendre A Louer) but also through its partnerships. With Digital Marketing, SoLocal Group creates and provides the best local and customised content about professionals. With over 4,400 employees, including a new orders force of 1,900 local communication advisors specialised in five verticals (Home, Services, Retail, Health Public, BtoB) and Internationally (France, Spain, Austria, United Kingdom), the Group generated in 2016 revenues of 812 millions euros, of which 80% on Internet and ranks amongst the first European players in terms of Internet advertising revenues. SoLocal Group is listed on Euronext Paris (LOCAL). More information may be obtained at www.solocalgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170908005729/en/ Contacts: SoLocal Group Press Delphine Penalva, +33 (0)1 46 23 35 31 dpenalva@solocal.com or Edwige Druon, +33 (0)1 46 23 37 56 edruon@solocal.com or Alexandra Kunysz, +33 (0)1 46 23 47 45 akunysz@solocal.com or Investors Emmanuelle Vinel, +33 (0)1 46 99 41 80 evinel@solocal.com or Sebastien Nony, +33 (0) 1 46 23 49 03 snony@solocal.com This Monday marks the 16th observance of Patriot Day as the National Day of Service and Remembrance following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. On that day, nearly 3,000 people were killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The victims were not only those in the planes and buildings targeted for attack; they included first-responders from police and fire departments. Crisis response and emergency medical teams also answered the call of service to others in that time of chaos. The diverse groups of first-responders did not care about the nationality, ethnic background, race, or religion of those in need. In fact, 372 non-Americans from more than 90 countries perished in those 9-11 attacks. The Oxford Dictionary defines a patriot as A person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors. To be a patriot requires the understanding that our country The United States of America has its founding principles clearly presented in the preambles of two documents. From the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. From the U.S. Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. A true American patriot embraces the values of our nation, which are based on unalienable Rights of individuals, irrespective of their origins. A patriot seeks Justice in accord with the rule of law and strives for the general Welfare of those who pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness in our society. As I contemplated the events of this summer, and especially August, I have seen and heard of many who claim to be patriots. With the devastation and still-unfolding consequences of Hurricane Harvey, we are witness to true patriotism displayed by first-responders as well as members of the U.S. military (active and reserve components with about 200 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard) as they provide defense support to civilian authorities. The more compelling examples are the patriots, who without official titles or credentials, were integral to search and rescue operations and continue to be essential to recovery operations. Whether they are Texans, American citizens or not, they are vigorously supporting those in need and prepared to defend our countrys values through their actions. Across the nation, we will pause for moments of silence this Sept. 11. In remembering the victims of that horrific day, consider how you will be a patriot and, through your service to others, enact the values upon which our nation was founded. NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- (Marketwired) -- 09/08/17 -- Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: INF) and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: RA) (each, a "Fund," and collectively, the "Funds") today announced that their Boards of Directors declared their monthly distributions. Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.0817 per share, payable on September 28, 2017 to stockholders of record on September 20, 2017. The ex-distribution date is September 19, 2017. Based on the NYSE closing price of $13.87 on September 7, 2017, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 7.07%. Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.1990 per share, payable on September 28, 2017 to stockholders of record on September 20, 2017. The ex-distribution date is September 19, 2017. Based on the NYSE closing price of $23.85 on September 7, 2017, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 10.01%. Shares purchased on or after the ex-distribution date will not receive the distribution discussed above. Please contact your financial advisor with any questions. Distributions may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The distribution rate referenced above is calculated as the annualized amount of the most recent monthly distribution declared divided by the stated stock price. Any portion of the Fund's distributions that is a return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The tax status of distributions will be determined at the end of the taxable year. Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (the "Firm") is an SEC-registered investment adviser and represents the Public Securities platform of Brookfield Asset Management. The Firm provides global listed real assets strategies including real estate equities, infrastructure equities, real asset debt and diversified real assets. With more than $15 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2017, the Firm manages separate accounts, registered funds and opportunistic strategies for institutional and individual clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors. The Firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2017. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. are managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The Funds use their website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Funds are routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfield.com. Contacts: Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. Brookfield Place 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10281-1023 (855) 777-8001 funds@brookfield.com Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has identified the second batch of large accounts which have defaulted in repayment of loans and has advised banks to resolve them, a senior official said on Thursday. The information was revealed by RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya, while delivering the 8th R.K. Talwar Memorial Lecture here. The development assumes significance as the RBI in June had come out with a list of 12 large accounts which totaled to about 25 per cent of the current grossnon-performing assets (NPAs) of the banking system for reference under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code). "The Reserve Bank has now advised banks to resolve some of the other accounts by December 2017; if banks fail to put in place a viable resolution plan within the timelines, these cases also will be referred for resolution under the IBC," Acharya said. "The Reserve Bank has also advised banks to make higher provisions for these accounts to be referred under the IBC. This is intended to improve bank provision coverage ratios and to ensure that banks are fully protected against likely losses in the resolution process." Acharya said that going forward, the RBI hopes that banks utilise the IBC extensively and file for insolvency proceedings on "their own without waiting for regulatory directions". "Ideally, in line with international best practice, out-of-court restructuring may be the right medicine at 'pre-default' stage, as soon as the first signs of incipient stress are evident or when covenants in bank loans are tripped by the borrowers," he said. On the framework side, once a default happens, the IBC allows for filing for insolvency proceedings, time-bound restructuring, and failing that, liquidation. The promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, and the subsequent actions taken there under, have made the IBC "a lynchpin" of the new resolution framework. Mumbai: Maharashtra is on the top position among other states in the country when it comes to migration of existing traders and fresh registrations under the Goods and Service Tax (GST) network. "Out of 9.16 lakh existing taxpaying traders in Maharashtra who had registered themselves under central excise, service tax and value added tax (VAT), around 8 lakh have migrated to the GST network as on August-end," Subhash Varshney, principal chief commissioner, GST and central excise, Mumbai zone told PTI. "So far, 2.86 lakh traders have already gone for fresh registrations in Maharashtra," he said. Thus, Maharashtra is on top among other states in terms of migration of existing traders and fresh registrations under GST Network, Varshney said. Uttar Pradesh (5.93 lakh) has secured second position whereas Tamil Nadu (5.23 lakh) is on the third position in terms of migration of traders through GST network so far, he added. At the national level, he said, 58.53 lakh traders out of a total of 72.4 lakh traders have got migrated to GST network so far. When it comes to fresh registration of traders under GST network, Uttar Pradesh (2.54 lakh) and Gujarat (1.16 lakh) have secured second and third positions respectively. Thus, a significant increase in taxpayers base is expected in the Maharashtra, he said. The date of filing of the first regular return GSTR-1 under the new GST law was recently extended to September 10 from September 5, to facilitate taxpayers who could not file the returns in time. To educate and assist taxpayers in filing their returns, the central GST authorities had launched a program of live demo at multiple locations across the city a fortnight ago. Now, with the extended date of September 10 approaching, the central tax authorities have extended the reach of this program across Maharashtra in co-ordination with state GST authorities. New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beat up an Air India staffer with his slippers earlier this year. This lead to all domestic airlines promptly barring him from flying, in a month when he had to frequently travel to Delhi to attend Parliament. He was allowed back aboard only after a weak apology to the Minister of Civil Aviation. So will the aam aadmi, who may misbehave in a similar fashion while on board, be allowed back after a mere apology? Gaikwad's actions, which were subsequently emulated by another honourable MP on a private airline, have pushed the government to now come out with a national no-fly list. What could get you on this list of shame? Verbal and or physical abuse, inappropriate touching while on board besides, of course, damage to the aircraft or other acts of violence. Will a mere apology set the record straight? No, not at all. The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday unveiled the no-fly list norms, applicable immediately. Anyone who indulges in inappropriate behaviour while on board an aircraft even if the aircraft is still on ground could find himself/ herself foul of the new law. Unruly behavior has been categorised in three levels: Level 1: Unruly behavior (verbal) Level 2: Physical behaviour Level 3: Life-threatening behavior The airline on whose aircraft the offence has been committed and whose pilot-in-command has reported the transgression can bar such a passenger for three months for Level 1 behaviour, up to 6 months for Level 2 but the ban on flying could extend to a minimum 2 years for a Level 3 offence. There is no upper limit for this level of misbehaviour, which means technically, a person indulging in such conduct could be barred for life. Not only from the airline where he may have committed the offence but also perhaps all other airlines since airlines will henceforth be sharing data on unruly flyers. But this depends on each individual airline it is possible that a passenger deemed unruly by one is allowed on board by another since airlines are not mandated to follow the no-fly list suggested by each other. The process for identifying an unruly flyer for further action begins with the concerned airline setting up an internal committee comprising a retired district and sessions judge as chairman. This panel will have representatives from other airlines as members, besides representatives from passengers associations etc. Any complaint of unruly behavior will be examined by this committee, for a decision within 30 days. Until such time, the passenger may remain barred from flying that particular airline. But if the committee fails to take a decision in 30 days, passenger will be free to fly again. Remember, there is already a separate no-fly list of people who have been marked out by India's security agencies as possible security threats and such persons are already barred for life from boarding a domestic flight. The new no-fly list provisions will apply to all domestic airlines as well as foreign airlines operating to and from India, but in the latter case will be guided by the Tokyo Convention. The no-fly list will be provided by each airline and maintained by the safety regulator DGCA. As we said earlier, airlines will have option to ban persons contained in no-fly list from domestic flight. The no-fly list has two components unruly passengers banned by airlines and a separate list provided by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for persons perceived to be national security risk. Both will be applicable. The regulations also provide for doubling the ban period in case of subsequent offence. There is also a provision for appeal by an aggrieved passenger (other than persons identified as security threat by MHA) within 60 days from the date of issue of order to an Appellate Committee constituted by the ministry of civil aviation. This committee will comprise a retired judge of a High Court as Chairma and representatives from a passengers associations as members besides representatives from airlines. This is the older Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) which defines an unruly flyer and what all can be done to deal with such passengers but it does not mention any penalties. It merely says passengers who are likely to be unruly and disruptive must be carefully monitored, and if necessary, refused embarkation or off-loaded, if deemed to pose a threat to the safety and security of the flight, fellow passengers or staff while on board aircraft. This will be replaced with the new CAR Friday itself. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Viral Acharya didnt mince words on Thursday speaking at the 8th RK Talwar Memorial Lecture in Mumbai (read here and here) on the precarious situation of Indian public sector banks (PSB) and the cluelessness of the Narendra Modi government while dealing with the situation. Acharya, the most articulate face in RBI Governor Urjit Patels team, pointed out the lack of a clear and concrete plan for restoring public sector bank health, and asked if the government is capable of offering substantial additional capital infusion that is almost surely required to salvage the state-run banks that carry over 90 percent of the bank NPAs in the sector (close to Rs 8 lakh crore). The deputy governor seemed to suggest that if the government is not equipped to do this, it should think of divesting stakes in these banks to the minimum level. Can the government divest its stakes in public sector banks right away, to 52 percent? And, for banks whose losses are so large that divestment to 52 percent wont suffice. How do we tackle the issue? Acharya asked. The deputy governor has raised pertinent points that the government shouldnt ignore. The Modi government has so far undermined the problem of capital shortage in state-run banks or hasnt understood the crucial nature of the problem well. Indeed, the government and RBI have acted on early recognition and resolution process of NPAs. This was done through a host of measures such as empowering the central bank to have a greater say in the bad loan resolution process, creation of bankruptcy code and insisting that banks need to state their bad assets upfront rather than evergreening it for several years through technical adjustments or through various loan restructuring schemes. The RBI finalised a list of 12 companies that should be pushed for insolvency and is compiling another list, according to bank officials. But, the problem remains as to how these banks will find adequate money to fill the gaps their balance sheets as the NPA clean-up process progresses. In many cases, banks will have to take the haircut. The government has, so far, failed to offer a concrete plan to solve the capital woes of public sector banks. The Indradhanush plan introduced in the recent past envisaged the government infusing Rs 70,000 crore in PSBs over a period of four years. The government asked banks to raise the rest of the money from market. But, this plan didnt work well since there were hardly any takers in the market to invest in these weak banks. Though the government has so far fulfilled its annual capital infusion promise, this has come too little compared with what the bad loan ridden banks actually want. Acharya called for a stronger plan which he termed Sudarshan Chakra to salvage state-run banks. On its part, the government has shown some willingness to initiate the process of consolidation among state-run banks. But, that alone wouldnt suffice. Merging weak banks with relatively strong, well-run banks can be nothing short of a gamble since it could even risk the health of the acquiring bank. If one looks at the history of bank mergers in India, most of them were forced mergers on account of the ill-health of target entity. There arent many examples of two strong, well-run banks merging for the sake of size. The right way ahead, as several banking industry expert have pointed out, is to cut down government stake in the state-run banks and let private participation ensure competition and professionalism in the running of government banks. These lenders need to urgently do away with their public sector character and should be made vulnerable to competition in a free market. When the NDA government came to power in 2014, the prime minister had said the government has no business to be in business. This meant his government is open to privatization. While there have been some efforts in other sectors, banking has been largely left untouched when it comes to privatisation. Even now, the government owns more than 70 percent in at least 11 banks. There is no reason why it should continue that way, particularly at a time the banking industry is facing a severe capital crisis. Recently, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan too had highlighted the urgent need to recapitalise the banking sector as a necessary condition to reboot the sagging economy. These cautions should serve as an eye opener to Modi-government and prompt it to begin the process of exiting the control of large public sector banks. As Modi said, the government has no business to be in business. Data inputs from Kishor Kadam The Deols return to the big screen this Friday but not in another one of their Yamla Pagla Deewana films. They share the screen space with Shreyas Talpade in Poster Boys, his directorial debut and a remake of his Marathi film Poshter Boyz. The film revolves around three men who inadvertently become the poster boys of a vasectomy campaign. The film starts straight into the drama, when a reporter establishes that the three actors are in the midst of a battle against injustice. But then we jump straight into Bollywood cliches - flashback and objectification of women. A sexy Eli Avram lures you into the world of the village the three actors inhabit through her song 'Gaon Ki Kudiyan'. Then Sunny, Bobby and Shreyas get three individual introduction scenes. Sunny is a retired soldier and a family man, obsessed with selfies and gearing up for the engagement of his sister. Bobby is an upright schoolteacher who gets involved in regular quarrels with his wife. Shreyas Talpade is a vasooli guy or a recovery agent who is a typical gali ka gunda, a colourful one at that. Soon, their respective lives take an unexpected turn when Sunny's sister's wedding gets called off, Bobby's wife threatens to divorce him and Shreyas' girlfriend breaks up with him. All of them trace the reasons behind the turn of events to a government poster depicting them as the endorsers of a vasectomy operation. The poster claims that they have volunteered to get operated in order to support awareness. However, the villages perceive it as a foolish attempt to do away with their 'masculinity'. The film, to its credit, does not get icky owing to good writing around the issue. The writers, just like the recently released Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, use humour to address this gents' phenomenon. But the humour otherwise, particularly a few quirks of Sunny and Bobby Deol, are forced and stretch the narrative unnecessarily. This comes as a major let down because Talpade decides to dive straight into the narrative without taking too long to establish the context and plot of the film. Sunny Deol looks unbelievably good at 60 and complements it with his versatile acting. He, along with an expressive, yest wasted Sonali Kulkarni (his wife), provide the warm, emotional respite from an otherwise endless laugh riot that the film projects itself to be. Sunny Deol is especially good as the retired soldier trying to control his outbursts through deep breathing and soft spoken-ness. But alas, he is Sunny Deol at the end of the day and is bound to give in to the maar-dhaad. Bobby Deol looks convincing, mostly because of his styling. His act of a simpleton school teacher is not something we have not seen before. But we certainly have not seen Bobby in such a role which is why he deserves credit to pull it off. He does increase the pitch, which is unfortunate as one does not need to be loud to be funny, a fact that Bollywood chooses to distance itself from time and again. The same case with Shreyas Talpade, who amplifies his pitch in order to appear convincing as the comic element of the film. His act is eclipsed by that of his sidekicks who have the best lines in the film and deliver them with just the right amount of punch. The background music detracts from the film's humour. The issue of vasectomy, though addressed without any inhibitions, is not given the seriousness it deserves. It is merely reduced to a situation that the three characters find themselves embroiled in. Poster Boys is the perfect example of a victim of second half curse. While it jumps straight into the story line in the first half, the second half is just a quagmire of every random plot point possible. It bites much more than it could chew. From a legal and media battle against the state, forced comic situations and random references to past Sunny and Bobby Deol films, the narrative goes for a toss. Poster Boys ends up neutralising the grave subject that its premises aim to bring forth. Though the narrative regains shape in the climax and also entails effective cameos from the Golmaal Again team and Sachin Khedekar, it is too late by that time. The audience gives up on the film by the point it starts making sense again, which is just a sign of weak filmmaking by a debutante director who lacks the technical acumen to shoulder a film with a promising premise. Watch the trailer here: So don't let me, don't let me, don't let me, down. And that, is the promise that The Chainsmokers kept last night at the Road to Ultra concert that took place in Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai, where the renowned musical duo of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall took to the stage to give the audience a night to remember. Dressed in ensembles by Indian designer Neeta Lulla, the Grammy winning DJ's kicked off their headlining act for the night with a rendition of their popular song 'The One' and fans were immediately left hooked from the get go. Colourful confetti and bursts of theatrical smoke accompanied the performance, increasing excitement levels by tenfold. Playing a set of approximately one and a half hours, The Chainsmokers performed most of their hits, leaving the crowd enthralled. From 'Paris', to their chart topping Coldplay collaboration 'Something Just Like This', covering 'Young', 'All We Know' and 'Let You Go' in between, Pall and Taggart managed to successfully cover the trajectory of their careers during last night's gig. They even threw in songs like 'Last Resort' by Papa Roach, 'Yellow' by Coldplay and 'We Will Rock You' by Queen which caught the audience by surprise but only added to the already soaring energy levels of the night. Some of the highlights of the night for me were when everyone took out their cell phones as (what can be considered The Chainsmokers most popular track) 'Closer' played, leaving the entire arena lit up. Another goosebump inducing moment was during the Chainsmokers' reprisal of Coldplay's 'Yellow', with the stage set up taking on a yellow sheen, along with yellow beams of light reflecting off multiple surfaces giving the stadium an ethereal glow. Papa Roach's 'Last Resort' also caught me unaware and left me screaming at the top of my lungs as I danced along to what had to be, according to me, one of the best interactive performances by an artist in India yet. 'Honest' from their latest album Memories...Do Not Open was the penultimate song for the night by the musical duo finishing off with their chart buster 'Don't Let Me Down' which was the last straw before the crowd (and me) went bat sh*t crazy, dancing to their beats. Pall took to the stage during 'Don't Let Me Down' (a change from Taggart's attractive bouncing frame that was seen on top of the DJ console for most of the night), and we saw the DJ wave an Indian flag as the straining chords of the songs could be heard and an eventful gig came to its end. The Chainsmokers ended the night with a traditional Namaste, and that sealed the deal for me (after having heard of how the Justin Bieber gig was a huge let down for the Mumbai crowds). What came as a really big surprise to me though, was how strong the supporting acts of the show were in comparison to what we usually see. Having been to my fair share of concerts in India I've come to expect lukewarm acts by artists before the headliner usually takes the stage, almost always giving the feel that these artists are just filling in so that there is no silence in the arena. With the exception of a few musicians that started off as supporting acts and eventually made their mark in the world of music (Dualist Enquiry, Nucleya to name a few), most opening sequences by artists other than the main acts of the night usually feel like background music at a lively lounge. In this case, The Chainsmokers were preceded by renowned international artists such as Slushii, Getter, Sam Feldt, Lost Stories and Rezz amongst others, and to me it seemed like each and every one of these musicians brought their A-game to the stage. Playing hits from across the world, these artistes knew exactly which songs to tap into in order to drive the crowds wild and take the concert-going atmosphere to an all time high. The supporting acts were also given a generous amount of stage theatrics, with bursts of stage fog in abundance, along with fireworks and a heady lights display which was a welcome change from the usual (barring a few exceptions) lacklustre performances that I have become used to seeing by supporting acts. Mumbai was the first destination that kicked off the Asian leg of the Chainsmokers' Road to Ultra festival, and it was definitely a night that left the fans feeling 'Closer' to the dynamic duo. Naga Chaitanyas latest action thriller Yuddham Sharanam is a tale about an youngster who takes on a gangster against all odds. Sounds like a cliche? Not really. Yet, it doesnt quite hold your attention till the end to justify the arduous journey undertaken by its characters. Directed by Krishna, Yuddham Sharanam is the kind of film where the characters race against time, but the story doesnt. Theres also an overwhelming sense of deja vu while watching the film; however, what really weighs down the film is that it reveals all its secrets way too soon. The story revolves around Arjun, played by Naga Chaitanya, whos in search of his parents. The have gone missing after their 30th wedding anniversary and Arjun cant trace their whereabouts even after searching every nook and corner of the city. Meanwhile, a special team from NIA is trying to find the culprits behind a series of bomb blasts. The rest of the story is about how Arjun learns the truth about his parents and what happens to them in their last few days. The non-linear screenplay of the film keeps us guessing about what could have possibly gone wrong with Arjuns seemingly perfect life. We are told that he has quit his job to make drones and in one particularly well-choreographed action sequence, where he rescues a womans life, we understand that hes adept at his job. His mother (Revathi) is a doctor, and his father (Rao Ramesh) is a pillar of strength in his life. And when Arjun falls in love with a medical intern (Lavanya Tripathi), you know that the familys portrait will be picture perfect. Cut to present : Arjun is shattered when he learns the whereabouts of his parents. Its a classic case of what happens when a normal guy is pushed to the brink by circumstances. He flips out. The first half, especially when director Krishna focuses on the relationships in Arjuns family, is heart-warming. Naga Chaitanya and Lavanya make a wonderful on-screen couple and their romantic sub-plot is a delight to watch. He helps her to set up the house and moments later, he confesses his love for her. Had this been a two minutes video, the two would have shared a cup of Nescafe and lived happily ever after. Revathi, in particular, holds your attention in every single scene and theres something so immensely likeable about her that you smile when she smiles, you cry when she cries. On the other hand, Arjuns father tries to drive home the point that therell always be people who oppose you when you want to do something good for the society. Moments later, his belief in humanity is vindicated. Its in moments like these that the film stores its emotional gravitas, and Krishna captures all this beautifully. For a film that pretty much nails its family drama and romance, its a pity that the revenge angle turns out to be quite bland. Yes, we know that the good will triumph over evil, but thats not the point here. The biggest issue with Yuddham Sharanam is that it doesnt give the chance to the audience to discover anything. The suspense of the film is its premise, which is revealed in the opening scene, and from there onwards, it becomes a question of time and how long will Arjun take to face off with his nemesis. We begin to see the proceedings unfold from Arjuns perspective, but his journey to reach the goal feels too laborious, even though most part of the story unfolds in 24 hours. This is a tale of corrupt politicians, a dreaded gangster and his network, of cops trying to decipher clues although they seem to be way off the track. Quite frankly, you cant engage the audience when theres no puzzle to decipher when the story itself reveals everything in its opening act. Naga Chaitanya finds himself in a familiar turf and his characterisation in Yuddham Sharanam has quite a few similarities with those in Gautham Menons Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo. The premise might be different, but the emotion driving the character is pretty much the same. The actor is extremely earnest and delivers a good performance, but like everyone else, he too deserved a better film. Srikanth looks terrific as a menacing villain, but his characterisation and dialogues are so cliched that the makeover loses its prominence. To give credit where credit is due, the film has introduced a promising cinematographer Niketh Bommireddy to Telugu film industry. His sense of lighting and the realistic tone to the visuals makes you stand upright and take notice of his immense talent, and I cant wait to see what he does next. Vivek Sagar is impressive with his music. At a runtime of 140 minutes, Yuddham Sharanam tries to weave a convincing tale of revenge and love. Theres a lot to like about it, but then, at the same time, the film doesnt let you immerse yourself in its world. And this distance just keeps growing as we flip through its pages. - : AIMIM , Mumbai: The mammoth trial of the accused of the 1993 bomb blasts had concluded in February 2007 but Karimullah Khan, who was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment, remained elusive for over 14 years before being nabbed by police. A police official recalling Khan's arrest said in August 2008, the crime branch of the Mumbai Police got a tip off about him. The crime branch, then headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria, was informed that Khan was living at Nalasopara since the last 2-3 years with his family members and working as a real estate agent by assuming a fake identity. Khan had changed his looks to avoid identification. The official said Khan had left the country immediately after the 1993 blasts. He had allegedly stayed with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Clifton area of Pakistan's Karachi till 2006, an official said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Khan. After getting the tip-off, for the first few days, a crime branch team kept an eye on the activities of Khan, who had changed his name to Osan Khan, and found that he is in the business of selling and purchasing of property and letting flats on rent, the official said. Inspector Pandharinath Vavhal, who was then attached to Chembur unit of the Crime branch, and Sub-Inspector Rutuja Nemlekar, posing as a couple approached Khan for a flat, he said. The couple went to Khan's office on 20 August, 2008 at Nalasopara and told him that they wanted to meet the owner and pay a token amount for booking the flat. As Khan got into their car, the team of the crime branch began following them in their vehicle. When the car crossed some distance, he was told that he was arrested by the crime branch. "Initially, he was not accepting that he is Karimullah Khan. He was misleading police with his fake identity. He was consistently saying that he is Osan Khan," the official said. "As I remember, he was not cooperating with the police in the beginning. But, after few tough questions, in the middle of the journey he accepted that he is Karimullah," he said. He had managed to procure a ration card, a PAN card and a driving licence by using his new identity, he added. In crime branch custody, he then joined all the dots of the bomb blast case, an official said. During the interrogation, he had said he thought that 15 years after the blast, no one would recognise him and he also wanted to see his children, who have grown up since he fled the country, the official said. Khan, who was actually a close aide of Ejaz Pathan and landing agent of explosives like RDX and weapons, spent long period with Dawood Ibrahim after fleeing the country, the official said. In December 2006, he left Pakistan and went to Nepal from where he entered Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, he resided in Cotton Green but after the blasts his family moved to Mira Road and then to Nalasopara. Khan was today sentenced to life imprisonment by the special TADA court in Mumbai for his role in the 1993 blasts case. Washington: The US Senate has passed a $15.25 billion relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in an effort to fully fund federal emergency operations as another potentially catastrophic storm bears down on Florida. The package passed 80 to 17 on Tuesday, one day after President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders announced a shock deal that includes the hurricane relief, as well as temporary lifting of the US debt ceiling and funding of the federal government into December. The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which approved a $ 7.9 billion, stand-alone emergency relief package Wednesday with no debt ceiling or government funding language. The two versions would need to be reconciled before a final bill is sent to the president for his signature. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, the state which bore the brunt of devastation from Hurricane Harvey, said it was "unfortunate" that leaders tied the relief bill to funding and debt ceiling extensions. But he voted for the measure anyway, saying it was vital to have "immediate" funding for hurricane relief, even if it was only a first step in a much larger need for aid. Leaders of a group of far-right House conservatives, the Republican Study Committee, have come out against the package because it ties relief funding to the debt ceiling, which they see as a tool for negotiating over spending. The head of another conservative group, the House Freedom Caucus, also opposes the three-pronged package. "We want to see a longer term debt-ceiling bill that has real conservative structural reforms and obviously we didn't see that yesterday" with the Trump deal, Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows told Fox Business Network. With most if not all Democrats expected to support the package along with Republican moderates, the House could still pass the legislation and send it to Trump for his signature. House Speaker Paul Ryan, noting that monster Hurricane Irma was now tracking toward Florida, said there was "a sense of urgency to get this relief package done." Under the Senate plan, $7.4 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Administration's disaster relief fund. FEMA has burned through much of its disaster funding, due to the scope of Harvey and technical advancements that allow the agency to distribute money more quickly than in previous disasters. Another $7.4 billion would fund community development block grants, used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, while $450 million was headed to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell defended tying hurricane resources to the debt ceiling and government funding. It will provide "certainty and stability" for first responders and state officials as they grapple with the massive relief efforts for Harvey in Texas, and as they brace for Hurricane Irma. The bill will provide "critically needed emergency resources that will not be interrupted by the prospect of a shutdown or default," he added. But Republican senator John McCain, who opposed the measure, said it was "irresponsible" to roll hurricane relief into such fiscal issues, essentially forcing Congress into another short-term federal spending fix. "We are shirking our responsibilities and kicking the can down the road" instead of debating federal expenditures and voting on a new budget before the 2018 fiscal year begins 1 October, he said. Even though Nitin Gadkari, the water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation minister, has claimed that his ministry would begin work on three river-linking projects within three months, experts believe that the exercise is unlikely to begin anytime soon. And even if it does, claim experts, it would run into legal challenges. While reviewing a meeting on Tuesday, Gadkari told senior officials in the water resource ministry that the Ken-Betwa, Par-Tapi-Narmada and Damanganga-Pinjal river-linking projects would start soon, reported Livemint. He also said that he would hold meetings with chief ministers of various states to resolve various issues and challenges faced by the scheme. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People told Firstpost that none of the projects mentioned by the minister has all the required clearances till now to start work. Also, a case is still being heard in the Supreme Court over the Ken-Betwa river-linking project. Thakkar added that even water sharing agreements between the riparian states were not acquired to get work started. "These processes are unlikely to be completed within three months. Even if the government somehow manages to steer through them in such a short span of time, they are likely to be challenged in court," he said. The plan is aimed at linking 60 rivers across India, to drain surplus water from rivers in the flood-affected areas to the drought-prone ones. Ken-Betwa would be the first rivers to be inter-linked under this scheme. Both the rivers flow through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Ken and Betwa would be linked by a 220-kilometre long canal to provide irrigation to 6,000 square kilometres of water-short areas like Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh. Another expert, Professor Brij Mohan, said that though the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments had signed an agreement to share water, in July this year, the plan reached the Prime Minister's Office after the Madhya Pradesh government demanded a change in it. Following the differences between the two states over water-sharing, Uma Bharati, the former water resource minister, said in the Parliament that the project can proceed only after an agreement is signed between the two states. "In July, the Central Empowered Committee visited the site and will submit its report after hearing. Later, it would submit its report to the Supreme Court, which will provide its judgement," Thakkar said. Though the National Board for Wildlife has cleared the project, it has recommended that the hydropower dams proposed by the be established outside the Panna Tiger Reserve, so that the operations have minimal disturbance on the tiger reserve. Significantly, Thakkar said that if the government attains the required clearances they are likely to face legal challenges. It is often argued by environmental activists that the Ken-Betwa project would result in the felling of close to 18 lakh trees and submergence of 6,017 hectares of forest land a majority of which falls in the Panna Tiger Reserve. Experts say that Par-Tapi-Narmada and Damanganga and Pinjal projects are also likely to face similar hindrances as there is no water sharing agreement between Gujarat and Maharashtra either. The Par-Tapi-Narmada project will benefit mainly Gujarat. It envisages transfer of surplus waters from the west-flowing rivers north of Damanganga up to Tapi in north Gujarat. The Damanganga-Pinjal link envisages transfer, to the Pinjal reservoir, of surplus water from the Damanganga basin in Gujarat, that would be available at the Bhugad and Khargihill dams. This transfer will augment the supply of water to greater Mumbai. In 2010, the two states signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for water sharing in the presence of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But, in 2015, BN Navalawala, advisor to Gujarat chief minister on water resources development and former secretary, water resources, central government, said that Gujarat is ready to share water from Damanganga and allow the development of Pinjal link, as per a Times of India report. "But this can be possible only if Maharashtra agrees to share equal quantity of water from the Tapi basin that falls in Maharashtra. There will be no compromise on this issue. It will be pure barter agreement," Navalawala had reportedly said. The Gujarat government's reaction was in wake of a series of events in Maharashtra, where the Assembly had to be adjourned over a debate on the agreement. Gopal Krishna, an ecologist told Firstpost that the Par river is polluted by heavy metals and that river-linking it would pollute the other two rivers. "It is an absurd idea to link non-polluted rivers with the polluted ones. It will only damage the ecology of the rivers," he said Another activist, Manoj Misra, also maintained that the people who will be affected by the projects are likely to challenge the clearances in the court. The Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project is likely to submerge 7,559 hectares of land covering 75 tribal villages in Gujarat and Maharashtra, with populations of more than 14,000, as per a report published by the National Water Development Agency. The project also considers rehabilitation expenses. "But when rehabilitation of people displaced by the earlier projects, such as the Bhakra-Nangal dam, has not been done, why would anyone trust such promises?" he asked. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that the Doka La border dispute had "damaged and affected" India-China ties but not derailed it. He added that both nations should ensure "differences do not go out of control". Wang's statement is the first from a senior Chinese official on the border row following Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. "Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi have held successful bilateral talks in Xiamen and both sides should conscientiously implement the consensus of the leaders and ensure healthy and stable development, Wang was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Speaking at a press conference, Wang said that relations were not derailed and the Sino-Indian development "represented the future of the world". The Chinese minister called harmonious relations and win-win cooperation as the natural choice for both countries. He said, Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in border areas. Stressing on the need to build strategic mutual trust, Wang said that there should be no confrontation. "The two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he added, according to India Today. After engaging engaging in a standoff at Doka La in the Sikkim section for three months, the two sides decided to 'disengage' their troops at Doka La just a week before Modi and Xi held talks. The leaders, who met in Xiamen, put behind the standoff when Chinese premiere conveyed to Modi that he wanted to put the relations on the "right track". However, on Thursday, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat warned that the neighbouring country was encroaching upon the Indian territory and that the possibility of a two-front war could not be ruled out. Rawat had said that China has "started salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold" According to The Hindu, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Rawats remarks as shocking. We have taken note of the position of the Indian military official concerned I do not know whether his statements have been authorised, were his personal impromptu comments or were on behalf of the Indian government, MFAs Geng Shuang was quoted as saying. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has held that judicial officers should ensure that the accused are not sent to police custody beyond 15 days from the day of his production before a trial court. Justice Vinod Goel said this while setting aside a special judge's order and allowing the plea of two directors of firm, who have challenged the trial court's 28 August order extending their ED custody by 10 days which is beyond the stipulated 15-day period of remand. "Additional Sessions Judge could not have given the ED remand for more than 15 days after the petitioners were produced on 22 August. "Therefore, the order of the special judge of 28 August being per se illegal, perverse and whimsical, is set aside to the extent of remanding the accused persons beyond period of fifteen days as mandated by Section 167(2) of the CrPC," the court observed. The directors of the Surya Vinayak Industries Limited, Sanjay Jain and Rajiv Jain were arrested in a money-laundering case related to alleged cheating of several banks to the tune of Rs 2,240 crore, and produced before a special judge on 22 August. The judge had remanded them to ED custody for three days. On 25 August, they were remanded to judicial custody for another three days. On 28 August, the special judge again remanded them for ten days which was beyond 15 days of their custody," their counsel said. Allowing their plea, the court observed that the judicial officers while dealing with requests for remand should be "very precise, meticulous and cautious". The court observed that judicial officers shall ensure that from the first day of production, the accused cannot be sent to police custody after completion of 15 days. "After the expiry of first period of 15 days, the accused can only be kept in judicial custody but certainly not in police custody. "The judicial officer is not a post office or mouthpiece of the prosecution and should act in a judicial manner and ensure compliance of Section 167(2) CrPC and law laid down by the Supreme Court of India in...in its letter and spirit," it added. The court further said that purity of justice must be maintained at all cost. "It is not out of place to mention that public prosecutor is the officer of the court and not the persecutor. He is supposed to assist the court in proper perspective," it said. and directed that the copy of the order shall be circulated to all the judicial officers for their guidance. "District and Sessions Judges are requested to sensitise the judicial officers posted under their jurisdictions," it added. A massive search and sanitation exercise at the sprawling 700-acre Dera Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Haryana's Sirsa town on Friday yielded a few computers, an unregistered luxury SUV, over 1500 pair of luxury shoes and pile of designer clothes. Some cash, both in old and new currency was also seized. Officials said that five boys were found inside the Dera premises, of which two were minors. They added that search operations which will continue on Saturday. "The minor boys hail from Kaithal (in Haryana) and Uttar Pradesh. Both have been handed over to the District Child Protection Officer," Mehra said. When asked what they were doing inside the campus, he said the District Child Protection officer will quiz them about this. "Regarding other three we are asking them about their whereabouts and will later send them home," he said. The authorities seized a few computers and hard discs, one Toyota Lexus luxury SUV and some currency notes (both old and new) amounting to a few thousand rupees during the search, said Haryana government deputy director Satish Mehra. Officials involved in the search remained tight-lipped about the recoveries made inside. Sources said that a couple of rooms in one of the buildings had been sealed and that the search operation could take a long time. The search operation began amid tight security and curfew in the area on Friday morning. The media was stopped at some distance from the Dera premises to avoid any controversy. JCB machines, locksmiths, forensic experts and dog squads were called in to assist a comprehensive search operation launched by security agencies and district authorities at the Dera premises. A team of forensic experts from IIT Roorkee was also roped in to search the premises amid allegations that human remains were also buried in the premises. A number of Dera followers who had parted ways with Ram Rahim have told the media earlier that except for the Dera chief and his close aides, nobody was allowed to enter the 'gufa' or private area of his residence. The woman, who had dared to complain against Ram Rahim, had alleged that she had been sexually exploited by the Dera chief after being called there. She had said that prior to her exploitation, she would see some of the girls coming out of the 'gufa' weeping. Girls were deployed as security persons at the entrance of a 'gufa', the victim had said. Internet services in Sirsa district were suspended by local authorities on Friday. The search was being conducted under the supervision of court commissioner AKS Pawar appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Senior district administration and police officers, along with para-military forces and Haryana Police, were involved in the videographed operation around the sprawling 700-acre campus. Duty magistrates were appointed for various zones of the Dera. Officials from police, Revenue, Health, Education, Tourism and other departments also participated. Bomb disposal squads and commandos were also deployed inside as a preventive measure. All roads leading to the headquarters from Sirsa and nearby places were sealed. The Dera is spread over two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres respectively, about eight km from Sirsa and 260 km from Chandigarh. It houses a stadium, a hospital, educational institutions, luxury resort, bungalows and markets. Hundreds of people and sect followers permanently live and work in the mini-township. The premises, where the sect chief lived, known as the "gufa" (cave), is itself spread over an area of nearly 100 acres. It is said to have ultra-luxury facilities. The campus has palatial bungalows of his other family members, none of whom are on the premises since 25 August, when the sect chief was convicted of rape and sent to jail. Security was tightened around the Dera headquarters since Wednesday following the approval granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the state government to "search and sanitise" the premises. Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, had issued an appeal to sect followers urging them to cooperate in the search operation. Hours before the search operation began, the sect's mouthpiece Sach Kahoon on Thursday admitted that human remains were buried inside the premises. The Dera newspaper, while defending the action of the Dera management in burying the human remains, said this was done as the sect chief encouraged followers to donate the remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers, causing pollution. Ram Rahim was convicted on two counts of rape of two female disciples in 1999 by a CBI special court in Panchkula on 25 August. He was later sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and is lodged in the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak. His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab. With inputs from agencies Auto refresh feeds The entire sanitisation process will be videographed and overseen by retired district and sessions judge, AKS Pawar, who was appointed as court commissioner by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday. Deputy director, Meida, Satish Kumar Mehra said that JCB machines and other heavy machinery are part of their team, as it can be used at a place where need arises. He said that all things are there as per orders of appointment juridical office. While the sanitisation process will be overseen by the court commissioner, Haryana police personnel, paramilitary forces, duty magistrates, executive magistrates and revenue officials will also be part of the exercise. Curfew continued to be imposed in the areas near the Dera premises, but relaxations were being given during morning and evening hours, officials said. As many as 16 nakas (check points) have been set up near the Dera. According to The Indian Express , with the imprisonment of the Dera chief, there is a threat that his influence over a large section of the electorate in Punjab and Haryana may wane. A known political expert told the publication, "Given the state of affairs and the way people are motivated to go towards such religious spaces, they are not going to easily believe that the Dera head was wrong. It is not a question of him being convicted, the question is if the faith in him has been tarnished. Deputy director (Information) Satish Mehra said that the authorities have seized some cash from the premises. He added that the forensic team has also been called from Roorkee. Mehra said that some computers, hard disks were also seized from the dera. A few rooms have also been sealed, the media officer said. Deputy director (information), Satish Mehra told Firstpost that the operation is going peacefully and that the amount recovered is yet to be ascertained. The next course of action would be decided after meeting with officials with judicial officer AKS Pawar in the evening, he added. Next course of action to be known in evening A police officer on duty told Firstpost that the police search team had divided the entire area of Dera in ten zones and they have sanitised four of them by now. They have recovered 10 hard disks, some computers, while some rooms have also been sealed. The forensic teams from Roorkee, Kurukshetra and Madhuban and Karnal have reached the spot to investigate further. The forensic team from Roorkee would investigate whether people's doubts about a lot of skeletons being buried inside the dera holds any truth or not. The FSL Roorkee team would only investigate on this part of the story. No one is permitted to come out of Dera campus now. Only officers on duty can come and go. Some of the parents whose sons and daughters study at Dera schools/colleges are also stuck inside the premises. According to police sources, some 700-800 people still inside Dera campus. No one permited to come out of Dera campus The students of government school at Shah Satnam chowk were asked to go at home after search operation started in Dera. He would even walk on air and tear tree trunks in half with his bare hands, while routinely singing his favourite song Love Charger. A Bollywood filmmaker who was once called at the Dera was told by Singhs followers that he writes songs in 15 seconds, and completes a shot in less than a minute. It is because he is God. Singh maintained a dual personality. During sermons, he wore a spotless white dress, common with all self-styled Godmen across India. But when he was before the camera for interviews or shooting, he would wear fluorescent colours on his bejewelled costume and fight off villains and toss flaming motorbikes into the air. "But Singh kept on telling me that I should stay back if I wish to meet the God and attain total nirvana. I left." "He had a great following of doctors, many from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and I wondered why he had called me. I was told he keeps shuffling his doctors. I found his pulse a bit erratic but nothing that would cause concern. I told him not to check blood pressure every 30 minutes and he should remain calm," said the doctor, speaking on conditions of anonymity. A heart specialist who now lives in Delhi said he was once called to check Singh by the Dera officials and was shocked to find him "hyperactive". A CNN News18 report noted that the locals surrounding the dera ashram revere Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as a living god. According to the report, the poor villagers in the surrounding areas have availed of several social welfare schemes run by the ashram. According to News18 , Sach Kahoon had admitted on Thursday that human remains were indeed buried in the premises. However, the Dera newspaper defended the action of the management in burying the human remains, and said this was done as sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh encouraged followers to donate the remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers, which causes pollution. Dera Sacha Sauda mouthpiece admits to skeletons at premises, says they were donated "We are investigating this. We are trying to nab two Dera functionaries, Chamkaur Singh and Nain, who are said to be involved in this," he said. Haryana Director General of Police BS Sandhu said that the matter was under investigation. The Haryana Police is investigating claims that top Dera Sacha Sauda functionaries paid a 'supari' (contract) of Rs 5 crore to criminal elements to instigate violence in Panchkula and other places after sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction for rape. KK Khandelwal, additional chief secretary, School Education Department (Haryana) told Firstpost that the educational institutions run by the Dera Sacha Sauda are controversial and the decision about them would be taken by the Punjab and Haryana High court. About the students studying here, Khandelwal said that they would be given an option to enroll in other educational institutes to save their academic year. Dera Sacha Sauda runs six educational institute including an international school, where over 5000 students study. The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet services (2G, 3G, 4G) GPRS, all SMS services and dongle services in the Sirsa district in view of the critical situation to curb the spread of rumours in Sirsa district in view of the ongoing sanitisation drive. The suspension will continue till 10 September. Second, the entrepreneur-gurus were granted the benefit of tax-exemptions. Like political parties, their funds could not be taxed. And while the mainstream temple trusts donations were accounted for each day, the money collected by these entrepreneurs were not audited, supervised, or even tabulated. They became sinkholes of cash collection, which could then be used to display naked power, win over affection, and command allegiance through forced sex, castrations or murders. If they needed politicians initially, now the politicians needed them for their vote banks, for fixing deals and for an assortment of jobs that could not be done by the government-appointed machinery. The emasculation of the spiritual leaders took three stages. First, they were denied (through curbs on admissible expenditure) to become national voices. But, more importantly, the entrepreneur-gurus were provided two other big benefits without which they could not have become as large as they did. These benefits included large tracts of land. Without that land, they could not have had the place to assemble their audiences. They could not impress the common folk. With land came buildings, and facilities that the buildings offered by way of jobs, services (such as medicare, dispute resolution and financial help) and shelter. However, when no clue about Honeypreets departure for Nepal could be gathered, the Haryana Police returned, the ASP said. The ASP told PTI that the Haryana Police had shared some information with the Gaurifanta Police and inquired about her suspected movement towards the neighbouring country through the porous India-Nepal border. Additional Superintendent of Police Ghanshyam Chaurasiya confirmed the arrival of two Haryana police personnel at Gaurifanta border in Kheri. The Haryana Police came looking for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims close aide Honeypreet Insaan in Kheri as she was suspected to have left for Nepal through the porous border. The alternate currency carries actual value within the Dera premises and can be exchanged for real money. The 'money' however cannot be used anywhere outside the Dera headquarters. Plastic coins, bearing little semblance to Indian currency were recovered inside Dera premises as the search operations were underway. The plastic currency had the words Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera hi Asara, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa inscribed on them. In addition to to the old currency, police have also seized one OB van and some unlabelled medicine from the Dera premises. But in the case of the DSS, which allegedly abetted rape, castration and even murder, there is ample ground for the government to take over its assets and banish the current administration. Is the government not doing this because the DSS is a vote bank? Today, this political patronage extends to Hindu organisations (and Hindu-adjacent organisations) as well. As Lord Meghnad Desai pointed out in one of his columns, had the DSS been Christian missionaries, they would have to register, be subject to audit and FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) rules. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction for rape is ground for take over of Dera; why is Haryana govt pussyfooting? In addition to the above, some endangered animals were also found, reported India Today . In the ongoing search operation at Dera Sacha Sauda, five people including two minors have been found, said Satish Mishra, deputy director of Haryana public relations department. A walkie talkie was also recovered as well. "Some rooms have been sealed, computer hard disk drives, unregistered Lexus car, an OB van, Rs 7,000 of demonetised currency, Rs 12,000 cash and some pharma medicines without labels or a brand name are among other items which have been seized," he said. - PTI In a mammoth search operation being carried out by security forces and district authorities, some rooms were also sealed and hard disk drives and unlabelled medicines recovered, Haryana's information and public relations deputy director, Satish Mehra, who has been authorised by the administration to speak to the media, said. "If this was done, the formalities should have been completed. The reason for sending the bodies must be ascertained. Orders have been issued to examine the matter and find out facts in this case," Vij said. News24 reported that the no rules were followed and proper paperwork was not done. The dead bodies were taken between January 2017 and August 2017. The news channel also claimed death certificates were not issued. Following media reports such as those by News24 , which said at least 14 dead bodies were sent from the Dera headquarters to a private medical college in Lucknow, Haryana health minister Anil Vij ordered an inquiry into the same on Friday. He has asked the Director General of Health Services to conduct the investigation at the earliest. The Dera, spread over nearly 800 acres, has been divided into ten zones for the purpose of sanitisation and searches, with each zone under the control of a senior officer. - PTI He also said the forensic team has begun its investigation in Gurmeet Ram Rahim's cave inside the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana. "The search operation began at 9 am and peacefully concluded at 6.30 pm inside the Dera headquarter premises. It will resume again on Saturday," said district deputy commissioner Prabhjot Singh. Search operation peacefully ends for the day at 6.30 pm, will continue again tomorrow The two minor children are among the five found near the Dera headquarters in Upkaar Colony. They have now been handed over to the DCPO. Sources said that forensic teams will start digging the earth near Ram Rahim's cave, suspecting skeletons buried inside. Deputy director Satish Mehra informed the media that empty boxes, which are used to store AK-47 magazines, have also been found. In a disturbing development, dearch teams have found a window-dhaped tunnel connecting Ram Rahim's house, the cave, to the sadhvis' residence. The mock drill is being conducted to shift Ram Rahim who is lodged in Sunaria jail to the hospital for treatment if the need arises. Deputy director Satish Mehra informed the media that empty boxes, which are used to store AK-47 magazines, have also been found. In a disturbing development, dearch teams have found a window-dhaped tunnel connecting Ram Rahim's house, the cave, to the sadhvis' residence. We found a window-like path leading from Dera Awas to Sadhvi Niwas. Team is investigating the same: Dy Dir of Haryana PR Dept Satish Mehra pic.twitter.com/EGfBXGzgSH "The moot problem is not the lack of legislation but its implementation. If existing laws are implemented in their full spirit, such incidents will definitely be fewer to witness. However, the implementation needs a genuine political will and an effective administration. Haryana government and particularly, Manohar Lal Khattar, have proven thrice, they lack both miserably," Tulsi said in the article. In this News18 article by KTS Tulsi, it has been opined that some Haryana ministers should face trial because according to some media reports, two or three of these ministers were heard telling Dera followers that Section 144 was not for them. Some of the crackers seized by the police from Dera Some of the goods seized from the Dera Sirsa civil surgeon Gobind Gupta and a team of doctors from the district are presently in a multi-specialty hospital of the Dera to conduct the probe, as police and security forces continue conducting search operations in Dera premises. The health department in Sirsa has begun an inquiry into the donation of 14 dead bodies by Dera Sacha Sauda to a private medical college in Uttar Pradesh between January and August 2017. The fibre tunnel is filled with mud, he said. State Information and Public Relations Department deputy director, Satish Mehra, who has been authorised by the administration to speak to the media, said, "A fibre tunnel too has been located during the search of the dera." Security agencies and district authorities began a search operation at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Haryana's Sirsa town on Friday amid tight security and curfew in the area. The search was being conducted under the supervision of court commissioner AKS Pawar appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Courts. Senior district administration and police officers, along with para-military forces and Haryana Police, were involved in the videographed operation around the sprawling 700-acre campus. Duty magistrates have been appointed for various zones of the Dera. Officials from police, revenue, health, education, tourism and other departments have also participated. Bomb disposal squads, commandos, dog squads and locksmiths were deployed. All roads leading to the headquarters from Sirsa and nearby places were sealed. Even media was not allowed near the Dera campus. District officials said that the "mystery" over the "dirty secrets" of the Dera and its now jailed chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a CBI special court on two counts of rape of his female disciples, could be revealed in the search operation. But people opposed to the sect's activities said that the operation had been delayed and alleged that the Dera management could have hidden or taken out weapons and other incriminating things out of the campus in the past few days since Ram Rahim was convicted on 25 August. The Dera is spread over two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres, about eight kilometres from Sirsa and 260 kilometres from Chandigarh. It houses a stadium, a hospital, educational institutions, luxury resort, bungalows and markets. Hundreds of people and sect followers permanently live and work in the mini-township. The premises, where the sect chief lived, known as the "gufa" (cave), is itself spread in an area of nearly 100 acres. It is said to have ultra-luxury facilities. Security was tightened around the Dera headquarters since Wednesday following the approval granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the state government to "search and sanitise" the premises. Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, said: "We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individuals inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide." In a fresh appeal to sect followers, Vipassana on Friday urged them to cooperate in the search operation. Hours before the search operation began, the sect's mouthpiece "Sach Kahoon" on Thursday admitted that human remains were buried inside the premises. The Dera newspaper, while defending the action of the Dera management in burying the human remains, said this was done as the sect chief encouraged followers to donate the remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers, causing pollution. In a tragic incident, eight patients of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Bihar died in the last two weeks allegedly after expired blood was administered to them. Alert junior doctors of the hospital made this revelation on Friday accusing the hospitals blood bank department of tampering with the expiry date and batch numbers printed on the blood bags. DMCH medical superintendent Santosh Mishra and deputy superintendent Baleshwar Sagar initially tried to defend allegations made by junior doctors, but after realising the seriousness of the issue they ordered to form a six member investigation committee. All departmental heads have been included in the committee which will submit its report within a week. Om Prakash, who is in charge of the blood bank, refuted allegations of tampering with blood bags and asserted that all bags are fully tested. State health minister Mangal Pandey told News18 that he had sought a detailed report from the hospital and assured strict action would be taken if allegations found true. Junior doctor Surya Prakash narrated the whole incidence, Angry people were clashing with us when some of the patients died just after blood transfusion. However we soon realised something was wrong when a patient, comparatively in a good shape, started signs of restlessness once we started transfusing blood to him. We immediately stopped the process and he was saved. Another doctor Neeraj Singh demanded a thorough probe into the matter, saying, The juniors are made responsible for any lapses. Even angry relatives of patients also target us. Singh showed a blood bag on which printed details were visibly tampered with and the number three on the bag denoting the month of expiry was made to seem like an eight with the help of a pen. Sumana Nandy, previously employed with Arnab Goswami's Republic TV, has criticised the news channel for its coverage of Gauri Lankesh's murder case. Nandy, who quit the channel a few months ago, said in a Facebook post that she was ashamed at how the channel was openly "batting for a rogue government." "A journalist is murdered in cold blood days after receiving death threats from the BJP-RSS cadres. And instead of questioning these murderers, you question the Opposition? Where is the integrity (sic)?" Nandy asked. Nandy told Firstpost that instead of reaching out to her after she put up the Facebook post, people simple made assumptions and wrongly claimed that she had quit due to Republic TV's coverage of the Gauri Lankesh murder. She said that she had quit a long time back due to personal reasons. About her Facebook post on the channel's coverage of the Gauri Lankesh murder, she said that she had only spoken her heart out. An anti-establishment voice, Lankesh, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her Bengaluru home on 5 September. Her killing stirred up much debate about the status of freedom of expression in the country. Emphasising how Saudi Arabia and North Korea were known for the kind of reportage the news channel followed, Nandy claimed that India was just "a few more deaths away" from catching up with the two nations. "If the fourth pillar sells its soul, where will the society go?" she asked. Nandy attacked the channel's poor reportage, and said that she had decided to not mention Republic TV on her resume and on social media. "I regret my association with this rogue organisation," she added. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday said he did not expect anything at all to come out of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Kashmir Valley. "I have no expectation at all. He will come, he will meet as he had done before. He led a delegation of MPs (earlier). What happened to that delegation and their recommendations? Nothing happened and I expect nothing to happen now," said Abdullah, the president of the opposition National Conference. He was talking to reporters after a visit to Naseembagh mausoleum of his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 35th death anniversary. During his four-day visit beginning on Saturday, Singh will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others, a move seen as a follow-up to the prime minister's Independence Day speech in which he had reached out to the people of the valley. In response to a question on the arrest of separatist leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as part of its probe into terror funding, Abdullah said, "That is the tragedy. If you have come to talk to anybody, then those people (separatists) should be released so that they can tell the home minister what they have to tell." "It is important that they should be released and they can tell him what is in their minds and hearts," he said. Abdullah said he would accept the NIA raids on separatists as "genuine" only if these actions throw up something against them. "If it is only to harass them (separatists) so that they bow before them (government), I want to tell the NIA and the Government of India that no one here is ready to sell their beliefs," he added. On the steps taken by his National Conference for defending Article 35A of the Constitution which has been challenged by an NGO before the Supreme Court, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar said his party had already prepared a team of lawyers for this purpose. "I have also spoken to the lawyer. We will have a good representation of lawyers who will defend Article 35A," he said. Article 35A provides special rights to permanent citizens of the state. On the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru, Abdullah said it was the most tragic event "for us all who want to defend democracy, who want to defend against the communal tendencies that are emerging in the country." On the Rohingya issue, Abdullah said, "It is the most tragic event of the century where innocent people are being eliminated because of their religion. I want to raise this question to the United Nations Human Rights Commission What are they doing? Do not they see the murder of democracy and humanity?" "I would request Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that she must work very hard to save these (Rohingya) people who are part of her country," he added. Even as journalists and celebrities thronged the streets on Thursday to demand justice in the brutal killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, the political blame game in Karnataka has already begun. After the ruling Congress party accused the BJP of silencing dissent, the saffron party hit back by saying that it is a move to shift onus from chief minister Siddaramaiah. Social activist Teesta Setalvad and actress Shabana Azmi joined the protests in Mumbai to demand justice for the murdered journalist. The Special Investigation Team formed to probe the murder seems to be making headway and has established the facial features of the murderer through CCTV footage. However, the probe team seems to be at the receiving end of criticism for slow progress. ST Ramesh, director general of Police (retired), Karnataka told Livemint that "sky high" expectations from activists, citizens, politicians and the media, adds to the pressure on the investigating officer. The Karnataka government on Friday announced Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone who provides clues about the killing of Lankesh. SIT seeks help from public The SIT has asked people to share any information they might have to help solve the crime. The Bengaluru police has also circulated a phone number and email id for people to share any information they might have on the case. General public is requested , any information on #GauriLankesh killers. Public can call or email @ 09480800202, sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in pic.twitter.com/O7HLcGgzgp BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 7, 2017 The team began its probe on Thursday, saying that it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible." Karnataka government had announced the formation of a 21-member SIT team headed by IGP (Intelligence) BK Singh with DCP (West) MN Anucheth as the investigating officer to probe the killing of Lankesh. While screening the footage of a seized CCTV, the police started pursuing a lead which suggests that the assailant operated alone. Public TV reported that the SIT has also made a headway in establishing the facial features of Lankesh's assailant. The footage was captured by a CCTV camera near a park, which the assailant had passed by after firing at Lankesh. According to Public TV, the assailant took off his helmet near the park and turned in the direction of the CCTV camera. The line of inquiry that the SIT is following is that the murderer rode up to Lankesh's car, got off his bike and fired at her. Investigators are however, yet to get a clear image of bike's number plate. 'Add ideological colour to murder' Lankesh's family said on Thursday that they would wait for the SIT to find culprits and approach the court if it fails. "The CCTV footage has found the image of the killer. The police can find some clues through her phone as well," her brother Indrajit said. Her siblings, according to an India Today report, are divided over who could have killed Lankesh. Lankesh's brother Indrajit Lankesh had insinuated that the Naxals may be behind his sister's killing. He also quoted some sources who had informed him of a threat to her life because she was working with the state government to bring Naxalites into mainstream. However, her sister Kavita denied that the Naxals were involved in any way. She claimed that the journalist was working with the Naxalites and against right-wing forces. However, the family remained united when making a plea against giving political colour to the murder. "I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice to a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Indrajit said. Refusing to comment on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP, Indrajit said, "What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies." The political hue After speaking with Siddaramaiah, Rahul tweeted that anybody who speaks against the RSS/BJP will be attacked and killed. "They want to impose only one ideology which is against the nature of India." Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday rejected his allegations as "baseless" and said that the groups affiliated with BJP have nothing to do with the murder, NDTV reported. He further said that Rahul's comments were unfortunate and it is the responsibility of the Congress government in Karnataka to ensure law and justice. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed Rahul for "politicising the murder" and demanded to know why the state government failed to provide adequate security. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena also launched a veiled attack on the BJP on Thursday sought to know whether a "covert system" is in place for "silencing" people who oppose a certain school of thought. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party termed the incident as a "blot on humanity and on the country's reputation". Sanatan Sanstha calls Lankesh 'extortionist' Describing the outrage around the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh as full of "prejudices" and "targeted", spokesperson of Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha, Chetan Rajhans, on Thursday accused Lankesh of being an "extortionist" who had "links with Naxals". In an interview with News18, he condemned the killing of the journalist but said that since she adhered to Left ideology, people are jumping the gun by accusing Hindu outfits. He added that people are overlooking the fact that she had disputes with her brother and was involved in extortions. Lankesh's murder is constantly being paralleled with rationalists Narendra Dhabolkar and Govind Pansare. The Sanstha was mentioned in the Dabholkar murder case by the CBI in September last year. Case against troll registered The Delhi Police have registered a case on a complaint by journalist Sagarika Ghose after a Facebook post called her "anti-national" and said she should be assassinated like Gauri Lankesh. The police have sought details of the IP address from which the post was written. It was posted by a user, Vikramaditya Rana, and the details of his profile are being probed. The post read, "Let d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists & activists." #BlockNarendraModi starts trending After it was found out that Modi following some Twitter handles of trolls posting abusive content, #BlockNarendraModi started trending. BJP issued a statement saying, Modi following someone on Twitter is not a character certificate to that person and termed as "mischievous and contorted" the controversy over this. "The controversy over prime minister following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted. Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms," said BJP's head of Information and Technology Amit Malviya. With inputs from agencies A senior BJP legislator in Karnataka has sparked off a controversy by saying that Gauri Lankesh, senior journalist and activist who was shot dead two days ago in Bengaluru, would not have died if she had not indulged in anti-Hindutva writings. DN Jeevaraj, a former minister in the BJP government that ruled the state between 2008 and 2013, told a party rally in Chikmagalur districts Koppa taluk: If she had not written on the celebration of the death of chaddiwalas (reference to RSS), wouldnt she have been alive today? His entire statement reads thus: During the Congress government, we have seen how RSS workers have lost their lives. If Gauri Lankesh had not written the celebration of the death of chaddiwalas, wouldnt she have been alive today. Gauri is like a sister to me but the way she has written against us is unacceptable. Jeevaraj was addressing party workers when the police banned a bike rally to the coastal city of Mangaluru, the heartland of the BJPs support base, from different parts of the state. The BJP has been demanding a ban on Muslim organisations like the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the Popular Front of India (PFI), among others, for allegedly supporting the killing of RSS workers. The BJP also wants the resignation of environment minister Ramanath Rai for supporting the Muslim organisations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised questions over Jeevarajs comments. What is the meaning of it? What inference can you draw from his statement? Does it not mean that they are behind this? I made that speech under tremendous pressure from the police who did not want me to address the party workers. We were all arrested later. I had said that 11 of my party workers were killed during the Congress regime. Since she (Gauri Lankesh) was close to the chief minister, she should have asked him to get all those responsible for the murder of my party workers also arrested," Jeevaraj told Firstpost. This is why I asked for a CBI inquiry that will cover the deaths of Gauri and litterateur Dr MM Kalburgi as well as the murders of 11 workers of the Sangh parivar, he said. My mistake was that I should have added one more sentence that would have given a different meaning. Why should I have anything against a senior journalist like Gauri Lankesh?" asked Jeevaraj. His statement assumes significance because the Special Investigation Team or SIT set up to probe the killing of Gauri Lankesh is also examining her articles in her newspaper and her social media posts to find the motive in her murder. The SIT began its assignment with a visit to the scene of crime on Thursday. RSS denies involvement As condemnation of Lankeshs murder continue to pour in, the RSS too has been quick to react. On Tuesday night itself, the same night Gauri Lankesh was murdered, RSS Kshetriya Sangha Chalak V Nagaraj not only condoled the dastardly act of the cowards but also urged the government to identify and arrest the miscreants who killed both Gauri Lankesh and MM Kalburgi in August 2015. Despite allegations by media of the murder having been perpetrated by fringe outfits close to the RSS, the Sanghs leaders termed this as frivolous and ridiculous. Lakshminarayan, RSS spokesman based at Bengaluru, initially refused to say anything on the issue. We dont want to clarify ourselves when our actions and deeds are human-oriented, he said. When asked why a section has begun pointing fingers of suspicion towards the RSS, blaming Hindu radicals for the murder, Lakshminarayan said everybody knows the RSS philosophy and that it was humane in its activities. It has become a fashion for some people to come out with statements against RSS and this happened even when scholar Kalburgi was murdered, he said. Who prevented the government from identifying the killers? On Tuesday also, immediately after the news of Gauri Lankeshs death, our Kshetriya Sangha Chalak came out with a statement asking the government to nab the culprits immediately and take all measures to protect people, added Lakshminarayan. Another RSS leader Raghu Akmanchi said that in a democratic set up, every one has the right to dissent or accept another viewpoint. But this does not mean that anybody has a right to kill. If the state government has taken Kalburgis murder seriously and nabbed the culprits, this would have not happened, he said, adding that RSS stood for highest democratic values and struggled for it. However, many rationalist groups are pointing fingers at Hindutva forces and have been tweeting against them. Politician Devanoor Shivamallu and friend of Gauris father P Lankesh appeared realistic on the issue. Without breaking the cases of Dabholkar, Pansare and MM Kalburgi and now Gauri Lankesh, it is speculative to suspect the role of any right radical groups involvement in this murder, he said, adding that in a democracy, nobody has right to kill another. Former minister H Vishwanath, also a writer himself, blamed the state government for the death of Gauri Lankesh. Who held down the hands of state government in unearthing the killers behind Kalburgi murder? Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs callousness towards sensitive issues led to the collapse of law and order situation in Karnataka, he alleged, suggesting the government hand over the case to the CBI. Many angles to Gauris death With the fading away of progressive movements launched by Dalit Sangarsh Samiti, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and other similar Left-oriented progressive organisations, Gauri Lankesh picked up the gauntlet and individually started challenging vested elements. While Leftist organisations and intellectuals welcomed and praised all her ventures, intellectuals who were right of Centre questioned her allegedly biased view towards them. The allegation against her was that in the process of supporting various peoples causes, she forgot the wrongdoings and misdeeds of the people and organisations which she supported. It was an open secret that in recent days that she had vociferously supported all the decisions of the present Congress government in Karnataka, especially its chief minister Siddaramaiah who describes himself as a Lohiaite. Gauri shot into the limelight when she not only protested the alleged fake encounter of Naxal leader Saketh Rajan but also got possession of his body for performing the last rites in Bengaluru when his family members refused to take it. Since then, she was viewed as a front runner in issues where there was violation of human rights or atrocities on Left wing activists by right wing groups. She even headed Karnataka Komu Souardha Samiti (Karnataka Communal Amity Committee) and led protests in the districts of Karnataka, particularly in coastal districts, whenever fascist elements took law into their hands. When moral policing incidents rocked the coastal districts of Karnataka, Gauri was in the forefront, challenging them. She acted as a mediator between the government and Naxals active in the Malnad region of the state and succeeded in bringing a couple of them to the negotiating table and surrender before the government. Gauri was also embroiled in a family feud with her brother Indrajit Lankesh, a film producer and an artist. When Indrajit took control of their fathers famous Lankesh Patrike tabloid, Gauri decided to start one of her own termed Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly tabloid. Washington: The US believes that Indian institutions have the ability to meet challenges posed by cases of infringement of human rights like the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh, a top American diplomat has said. Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday. Addressing a Congressional subcommittee during a hearing on South Asia, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said India provides the "highest constitutional protections" for religious minorities, and the goal of the US is to work with India to encourage it to meet the goals set in its constitution and laws. "You know, there are cases, obviously, of religious as we detail in both the Human Rights Report and the International Religious Freedom Report of infringements, and there was a tragic murder of a journalist just this week who was often the subject of nationalist criticism," she said, in an apparent reference to the brutal killing of Lankesh. She said these are the challenges for any democracy, but India is a democracy, and it is a "vibrant democracy". "And we have respect for Indian institutions and ability to raise and meet these challenges. And we certainly, in all of our engagements, at senior levels, encourage the Indian government to do so," Wells said in response to a question from Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. In a statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it "is deeply shocked" by leading Indian journalist and media freedom defender Lankesh's murder in Bangalore. It called on the authorities to do everything possible to quickly find and punish her killers. "We firmly condemn this terrible murder, which has deprived the media of a tough and determined champion and has deprived India of a voice that was fundamental for the country's democratic life," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk. The Indian National Overseas Congress in the US said Lankesh's death appears to be a "meticulously planned" and executed to silence a powerful voice. "The opposing forces could not match her rationale pointing up the dangers of right-wing politics and its possibly disastrous effect on the secular fabric of the nation. Her harsh criticism of prevailing casteism in the society was often directed at institutions that still harbour those sentiments and made her more of a passionate activist who had little patience for the status-quo," George Abraham of INOC-USA said in a statement. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova also urged Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. "Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished," Bokova said. BJP general secretary and central party in-charge of Karnataka Affairs Murlidhar Rao took serious objection to silencing of dissent narrative built by Congress, left parties and so called liberals around the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost, Rao said that his party was as forceful in condemning the killing of Lankesh as any other group, party or leader. Whatever her ideological position may be, she has been against BJP but that is her fundamental right. Nobody can be killed because he or she had a particular ideological tilt. In no way we can condone and in no way acts of violence can be encouraged, Rao said. He then went ballistic against the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaih government in Karnataka over the scribe's murder. Tell me who is in-charge of law and order in Bengaluru, in Karnataka. The state is ruled by Congress government, which has the responsibility of law and order. That explains Rahul Gandhis frustration and his irresponsible statements. Kalburgi killers have not been arrested yet, 18 of our BJP workers have been killed but yet they speak against BJP. Whose responsibility it is to nab the killers, why is the state government not acting, why is it not arresting them and producing them before a court of law? Does this not reflect on the incompetence of the state government. I wonder how BJP comes into picture. The investigation is to be done by the police and the police reports to the state government. All agencies are with them but you see the state agencies have not attributed to anything over this murder, Rao said. He argued that dragging the prime ministers name into this incident is a part of a well thought out strategy. Rahul Gandhi controls Karanataka government but instead of taking the state's chief minister to task he is pointing fingers in other direction. Who is he trying to protect. In Kerala our workers are being killed but again the Left government there is silent on that.. They are indulging in vote bank politics and thus they are soft on terror and separatism, Rao claims. Rao also came out strongly against former Vice-President Hamid Ansaris remark (before he relinquished office) that Muslims were living with a sense of unease and fear in the country. It was patently wrong on part of Hamid Ansari to say what he said about Muslims. He enjoyed power for 10 years, he was sitting right at the centre of power and was in lead position in the government but just before leaving the top office he gave a politically motivated statement on something which is not an issue. To a query that why statement of the then vice-presidents remark about his own community should not be taken seriously, the BJP general secretary said, why should we give credence to his statement. He is a citizen of this country and I am also a citizen of the countryPeople of the country understand the situation and there is no confusion among peoples mind. Outrage is like a bullet. When it is finally spent, only the casing remains. Similarly, the tidal wave of shock and anger following the cold-blooded killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh will dissipate. The horror of it all has been global in its reach and spanned every emotion from outright anger to hurt to compassion to condemnation to her ex-husband Chidanand Rasjagatta writing a bittersweet eulogy that was gut wrenching. In all the many hues of writing, we see one major factor has been largely ignored because it is extremely uncomfortable to grasp. The question on every journalist's mind is this: Is there a big fat bullseye painted on the fourth estate? And the question is answered in the affirmative. Till now, India's position as number three in the world for murders of media representatives was largely a problem limited to small publications usually derided by mainstream Anglo-Saxon big brothers as mofussil and one of those that things that happen. Lankesh's case is different. This is too close to home and the fact that it is accompanied by the shooting of another journalist in Bihar a day later makes it nerve-wracking. Never in the seventy years since Independence barring Indira Gandhi's clamp down on media up during Emergency, when top echelons were ordered to write for the Gandhi magazine Surya have journalists been so bewildered and vulnerable. We can intellectualise as much as we like and damn all those we want for turning journalism into a circus or worse, a crusade and we can score brownie points by flinging resignations at rogue TV channels but all this is extraneous and utterly pointless. The fact is we are no longer a united entity. Which is why it is not only the fresh contempt in the public for journalists (Haryana's havoc was a perfect example of deep seated hatred for media) and while we might blame raucous TV anchors and those ghastly noise pollution debates in every language for the deterioration and trivialisation of the profession, much of the sentiment is fed by self-loathing. We have lost our mojo and our togetherness. This is why it is so easy to kill journalists. And why this shooting is a watershed for the fourth estate. If they do not find the killer and the motive and the money behind it and follow that lead to the main brain, the message will go out from this time and place that media is fair game, you can murder them and walk away for there will be protection. The good, the bad and the ugly inhabit the once honourable profession. But the good far outweighs the bad and the ugly can only survive if the media is fettered. This is an imperative and the pressure on the authorities should be relentless until the nation knows how and why Lankesh was killed, and by whom. For that reason and that reason alone, the mystery of this killing has to solved regardless of where the trail takes our country and who is indicted be it an industrial house, a political party or a hired gun. We need to know not just for the sake of justice and closure but for the future of the free press which has, this week, been put to the sword. If this turns into a cold case and the frailty of the public memory manifests itself then it is a safe bet it will happen again. Letting it be and moving on is a luxury India cannot afford. It is here that journalists must speak with one voice or cower in cowardice for all their tomorrows. After senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was murdered, parallels between her death and of rationalists' Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi started cropping up. Historian Ramachandra Guha felt that Lankesh's murder was "part of a pattern that links the deaths of Dabholkar, Kalburgi and (Govind) Pansare". The link was further confirmed by a senior police official who said the modus operandi in the Lankesh murder seems very close to what had been witnessed earlier. Hindutva group Sanatan Sanstha has allegedly been associated with the killing of Dabholkar and Pansare. According to a News18 report, the special investigation team constituted to probe Pansares killing charged the Sanstha members with the murder. Lankesh's killing has brought back the spotlight on the murder of other rationalists because she had also taken on Hindutva elements and the right wing in her work. The Konkan coast seems intricately connected with Hindutva fringe organisations like Sri Ram Sene, Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Jagaran Vedike. In a bid to gain power in Karnataka, RSS functionary Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka was recently elevated from a behind-the-scenes strongman to the forefront to win the Dakshin Kannada region for BJP. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has also said that there would be peace in the coastal region if the BJP and the other Sangh Parivar outfits did not create trouble, The Hindu reported. It is only under Kalladka's tutelage that fringe outfits like Sri Rama Sene and the Hindu Jagaran Vedike are thriving. The Sanstha, which claims of being able to "scientifically tabulate spiritual levels" has managed to build a large base of influential donors, followers and supporters, Scroll quoted Ramesh Gauns, a member of the Goa Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, as saying. "Every political party sees the number of people behind them and leaves them alone," he added. The Sanstha began work in the 1990s mainly in the regions bordering Maharashtra and Goa and hence, it now has a good network of followers in Konkan and Goa besides parts of South Maharashtra, according to The Wire. As followers increased, the Sanstha began organising weekly satsangs in temples or conducting moral science classes in schools. It presents itself as a spiritual organisation that works for social uplift and national security, and to rekindle dharma. According to a report in The Indian Express, after Dabholkar's murder, Sanstha mouthpiece Sanatan Prabhat said in an editorial that "it was better that he (Dabholkar) died this way, rather than dying of some disease." The Sanstha workers have allegedly been involved in several bomb blast cases. Santan Sanstha workers Vikram Bhave and Ramesh Gadkari were convicted and awarded 10 years life imprisonment for planting a bomb in the parking area of Gadkari Rangaytan Auditorium in Thane. They have also been found to be involved in a bomb blast in Madgaon. The Maharashtra government has even sent a proposal to the Centre seeking a ban on the organisation. Other fringe organisations like the Hindu Jagarana Vedike and Sri Ram Sene are also doing their part in terrorising the people. Hindustan Times reported that many trace the origins of vigilantism in Karnataka to the 1998 communal riots in Surathkal near Mangalore. Eight people were killed in those riots that started when the Hindu Jagarana Vedike attacked a Muslim man for dating a Hindu girl. When an RSS activist was killed in the Dakshina Kannada region earlier this year, some members of the Vedike were also arrested. Sri Rama Sene's chief Pramod Muthalik and his supporters staged a protest, attacking Pejawar Mutt seer for hosting an iftar party at a temple complex, The News Minute reported. The chief reportedly said that there will be bloodshed if iftar parties are held in temples. The Bengaluru police registered a suo motu case against him. In a sting operation organised by Republic TV on Sri Ram Sene, Muthalik claimed that he has informers in all schools and colleges in the city and has all dating information from educational institutions, as The International Business Times report said. The entire Konkan coast along with Southern Maharashtra seems to be under constant threat from these fringe Hindu groups, which are thriving regardless of which party holds the reins in the state. Panaji: Goa Congress President Shantaram Naik on Friday alleged that right-wing forces could be behind the murder of Bengaluru journalist Gauri Lankesh. "I strongly feel that right-wing forces are involved, considering that murders of similar nature took place in Karnataka in the past. She was a strong writer on various issues, about which she felt strongly about. Those affected by her writings must have committed the crime," Naik told the media in Panaji. Lankesh was shot dead outside her home on Tuesday by unidentified assailants. Naik, a former Congress Secretary in charge of its affairs in Karnataka, also condemned Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons for allegedly asking foreigners to eat beef in their own countries before visiting India. He said the Minister should apologise for his controversial statement made earlier on Friday in Odisha. "These people fail to understand that you cannot impose eating habits on people. They will eat what they think is proper. Who is this Minister to decide what people should eat?" Asked by reporters on the sidelines of a tour operators' meet in Bhubaneswar if beef ban in several states would deter tourists from visiting India, Alphons reportedly said: "They (foreign tourists) can consume beef in their respective countries and then come here." New Delhi: The Congress Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, and accused law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad of giving "political and communal colours" to it. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was "unfortunate" that Prasad sought to link the slain journalist to the outlawed Naxals. "Barely 72 hours after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, the law minister has embarrassed the entire country with his controversial remarks linking the investigative journalist to Naxals. "It is the country's misfortune that the BJP and the law minister are seeing a murder through political and communal colours," he told reporters. It is "shameful and condemnable", he said, adding that "a killing and the killer have no colour and they have to be dealt with as per the law and the Constitution". A breakthrough eluded investigators three days after the journalist's murder outside her residence in Bengaluru. The Congress governs the state. Surjewala said, "There is a conspiracy to suppress the voice of the writers, journalists and activists." In the three years of the BJP government, 10 journalists have been killed and 142 attacked across the country," he said, without giving further details. He said that the BJP government at the Centre either disclose any evidence it has on Gauri's alleged links with Naxals or stop spreading misinformation. "Why don't they share if they have any such information with the Congress government of Karnataka, and we will be happy to look at it. And if they do not have any such information, then they should stop this entire game of misinformation and maligning an independent journalist, who took on BJP and RSS leaders," he said. When asked about the delay in the investigation into the 2015 killing of scholar MM Kalburgi in Karnataka, the Congress leader sought to deflect the question, and raised question about the delay in probe into the murder of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra, ruled by the BJP. "The threads of both these murders are allegedly linked to a certain institution in Maharashtra against which no action has been taken so far," he said. Many people have drawn parallels between the gunning down of Gauri and rationalists Dabholkar and Kalburgi. Surjewala said the killing of Lankesh was "celebrated" on social media by several people who are followed by the prime minister on Twitter. He said this was sought to be justified by the BJP's social media chief, who described it as a part of the freedom of expression of these people. The Congress leader also criticised Karnataka BJP MLA DN Jeevaraj for his statement that Gauri would have been alive if she hadn't written against RSS and BJP. Prasad earlier showed copies of news reports of Gauri's brother, Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, and asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. "Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites ... so was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government ... and if so why was she not provided adequate security?" Prasad asked at a press conference in New Delhi. It had also been said that Naxalites were unhappy with this. "Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?" he added. On the attack on a journalist in Bihar, the Congress leader demanded a probe by either the CBI or a court-monitored SIT. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday launched a veiled attack on the BJP-led Centre in connection with the killing of Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh and sought to know whether a "covert system" is in place for "silencing" people who oppose a certain school of thought. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party termed the incident as a "blot on humanity and on the country's reputation". "Is a secret system active behind an iron curtain for silencing those people who oppose a certain school of thought?" an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana said. Sena said gunning down of the scribe was an "inhuman act". "The attack on Gauri Lankesh is inhuman. Though some people may not have liked her editorials or reportage, but the attack is a blot on humanity and on the country's reputation as well. While some were cheering for a woman becoming defence minister, another woman is getting killed... what does this signify," it said, referring to Nirmala Sitharaman's appointment as defence minister. Taking a swipe at the BJP, the editorial slammed a Jain monk for "appealing to people to vote for the BJP" in a civic poll. The reference of the monk was made in connection with the recently-held election to Meera Bhayander municipal corporation neighbouring Mumbai. The Jain seer had allegedly appealed to people to vote for the BJP. Sena lost the election badly while the BJP captured the power at the civic body. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had expressed concerns over cow vigilantes and on the other hand a Jain priest is campaigning against Sena because we had supported consumption of non-vegetarian food. Isn't it a kind of the justification of violence? Surprisingly, the leaders of the ruling party bow their heads before such priests," it said. Against the backdrop of isolated incidents in Mumbai in the past wherein some housing societies refused to sell flats to non-vegetarians, the edit said, "One should explain what is to be done with those people who oppose someone from purchasing a flat in a building over eating habits". "Recently inducted Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam supported consumption of beef. However, neither any monk nor gau rakshaks spoke against this, but Gauri Lankesh was gunned down". Sena admitted that the party didn't agree with the slain scribe's way of thinking. "Even underworld dons never killed a woman. However, in the case of Lankesh, all limits were crossed by the attackers," the editorial said. Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung on Thursday said he has sent a delegation to Delhi for a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the Darjeeling issue, and threatened to boycott the September 12 meeting called by the West Bengal government if Gorkhaland was not on the agenda. Gurung said the delegation comprises Sarita Rai, Rohit Sharma, Swaraj Thapa, Kalyan Dewan and Dawa Pakhrin, besides some other members of the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee which has been floated to carry on a joint agitation for a separate state. In an audio message, Gurung said the central government should immediately begin tripartite talks on Gorkhaland. "Only then we will think about lifting the ongoing indefinite shutdown", he was heard saying on the audio tape. Normal life has been crippled in the Darjeeling hills due to the the indefinite shutdown called by the GJM to press for the separate state of Gorkhaland. Schools, colleges, offices and shops barring pharmacies are closed, with the shutdown now 84 day olds. "If the talks on 12 September are not on Gorkhaland, then GJM will not attend the meeting," he said. Gurung also accused expelled GJM leaders Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa of "betraying" the Gorkhaland demand "by conspiring with the state government". PARK HILLS Mineral Area Colleges student movie club, MACFlix, is once again offering free movies this fall on the outdoor big-screen on the Park Hills campus quadrangle (the waterfall area). MACFlix continues its 6th annual "Drive-In Nights" this Saturday evening with a free, widescreen presentation of the 1977 sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, (rated PG) at 7:45 p.m. and admission is free to everyone. MACFlix presents all films in their original, large, widescreen format in Blu-ray quality visuals along with an outstanding sound system. Dr. Kevin White, sponsor of MACFlix, said the movie was chosen because the film has received numerous awards and nominations. In 2007 the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an everyday blue-collar worker in Indiana, whose life changes after an encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO). The title of the movie is derived from scientist, J. Allen Hyneks classifications of encountering an UFO. Encounters of the First Kind are experiencing an UFO sighting; the Second Kind means that there is physical evidence involved and Close Encounters of the Third Kind stands for actual contact with aliens. Close Encounters was made on a budget of 20 million dollars and went on to make 337 million worldwide (pre-VHS). It will be 40 years old November 16th of this year. White said the movies are digitally re-mastered and presented with an extremely, high-quality projector/sound system in a theater environment. The films shimmer beautifully on our specially-built widescreen, so the effect is like walking through a time machine and watching the movies in their very first weekend of release, White said. They're amazing to watch! Please bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to view film within the quad. Some concessions will be available for purchase including soda, candy and chips. In a fresh breakthrough in the seven-year-old child's murder case in Gurugram, the police has arrested Ryan International School's bus conductor and detained 9 other people, including a gardener and drivers. Pradhuman Thakur, a Class II student of Ryan International School in Sohna, was found dead at his school. The child's throat was slit and the bloodied up body was found inside a toilet designated for staff members at the school on Friday. The 10 detained include members of the school's staff and interrogation remains underway. Media reports also claimed that the police are close to nabbing the murderer of the child. Police has registered a case of murder. School bus driver and school staff being questioned by the Police: Sources #Gurugram ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 Following the death, the child's parents sat on a dharna outside the city police commissioner's residence. Several protesters also vandalised the school property even as police tried to control the situation. "There are two deep injuries in the victim's body. We are probing the matter," a police officer told CNN-News18. The officer also said that the police are viewing the incident as murder. Pradhuman was found lying in a pool of blood in a toilet in the school building by some students. "The students alerted the teachers and the school management then informed police, who rushed him to Artemis Hospital. He was declared brought dead by doctors," Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police, said. The student was immediately rushed to Artemis Hospital but was pronounced dead by doctors. #Visuals Body of a class II student found inside a toilet in Ryan International School, Bhondsi. Police investigation underway. #Gurugram pic.twitter.com/0xX0DprGZW ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 A knife was recovered from the crime scene. The police are at the school premises and the investigation is underway. The seven-year-old's his father was informed about his death by the school authorities at 8.45 am, The Indian Express reported. The child's father, Varun Thakur, who works as a quality manager with Orient Craft in Gurgaon, accused the school administration of negligence. He said the school administration did not inform him about his son's death initially. "They told me his health deteriorated suddenly. They did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time," he said. "I dropped him today at around 7:30 a.m. He was happy," the grieving father said. A police team, including forensic experts, is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises. The police are currently questioning staff members and classmates of the victim. The body has been sent for postmortem. Following the student's death on Friday, several parents of the student gathered outside and within the school premises to protest the incident. This is the second time since last year that a student was found dead under mysterious circumstances in one of the schools under Ryan International School. In February 2016, a six-year-old student had drowned in a water tank at the school's Vasant Kunj branch. His body found floating inside the pit, used as a storage tank, under the ampitheatre in the school's playground. "The students alerted the teachers and the school management then informed police, who rushed him to Artemis Hospital. He was declared brought dead by doctors," Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police, said. A police team, including forensic experts, is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot, he said. "We are investigating the case from all angles ... of homicide, enmity and others. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises," the officer said. Staff members and classmates of Thakur, who hailed from the Bhondsi area, are being questioned, he said. The body has been sent for postmortem, police said. Hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management. Senior officials of the Gurgaon police intervened to maintain calm. With inputs from PTI Ranchi: Thirteen Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) personnel have been suspended for their involvement in selling illicit liquor that caused death of several persons, officials said on Friday. In Ranchi, 16 persons including two JAP personnel have died this week after consuming spurious liquor. Police have conducted many raids and destroyed several shops selling liquor illegally and seized hundreds of liquor bottles. An internal enquiry was also conducted by the JAP officials. "During enquiry, it was found some JAP personnel were selling liquor illegally by claiming to have brought from the canteens. They have been identified and 13 suspended. Some of the suspended JAP personnel will be terminated from the service for their activities," a senior official of JAP told IANS. The seized liquor bottles had sticker that read "sale for paramilitary forces for Jharkhand only". One senior JAP constable Gautam Thapa has been arrested and sent to jail for selling liquor. He was arrested with 240 bottles of liquor. The Jharkhand government on Friday has come out with an advertisement in local newspapers. "Liquor is harmful for health. A reward of Rs 1 lakh reward will be given to village which will be free from liquor use," reads the advertisement. The government has also issued toll free number on which anyone can inform regarding the illegal sale of liquor. The Jharkhand Congress has called Ranchi shutdown on Saturday to protest the death of 16 persons. "The government has come with advertisement appealing people not to take liquor. See the paradox, Jharkhand government is selling liquor itself by opening outlets but asking people not to buy it," Kishore Sahdeo, Jharkhand Congress General Secretary, told IANS. "The government is all set to celebrate 1,000 days of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Raghubar Das over of death 1,000 children in different hospital this year and 16 deaths due to liquor," the Congress leader said. A scientist from Pune, Maharashtra, filed a police complaint against her cook for "impersonating" as a Brahmin since May 2016 while allegedly lying about her caste, according to media reports. The government scientist, Dr Medha Vinayak Khole, who is deputy director general for weather forecasting at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), alleged that a woman named Nirmala Kulkarni, a resident of Dhayari, had approached her for the job and said she was a Brahmin and married. Khole claimed she had specified she needed a female married Brahmin cook for religious events such as "Sowala", death anniversary of her parents and the Gauri Ganpati festival, reported Hindustan Times. It was later that Khole discovered from a local priest that the cook was not a Brahmin. She went to check for herself and visited Kulkarni's house in Dhayari to confront her and found that her real name was Nirmala Yadav and that she was unmarried. Khole also alleged that Nirmala abused and manhandled her. The police tried to dissuade Khole from filing an impersonation case against the cook, reported The Indian Express, but to no avail. The police registered a complaint under Sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise on grave provocation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). When contacted by The Indian Express, assistant police inspector Jyoti Gadkari, who is heading the investigation, said, An FIR has been lodged on the basis of allegations made by the complainant. Further action will be taken as per the outcome of the investigation. As the plight of the Rohingyas goes from bad to worse, opinions in India are divided over how it should treat the refugees who are fleeing human rights violations in Rakhine state in Myanmar. The government's stance seems quite clear on the issue. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said that people illegally staying in India will have to go, including the Rohingyas. The government is preparing to deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar. "What I said in Parliament is based on the position of law. It is wrong to demonise India. India has accepted the largest number of refugees in the world. So whether it is UNHCR or any other organisation, they have no right to criticise our government," Rijiju said after the government drew flak from human rights advocacy groups and others for its proposed move. "What I said in Parliament is based on the position of law. It is wrong to demonise India. India has accepted the largest number of refugees in the world. So whether it is UNHCR or any other organisation, they have no right to criticise our government," Rijiju said after the government drew flak from human rights advocacy groups and others for its proposed move. Rijiju also slammed human rights groups for criticising the Centre's move and told them not to "lecture". He called India the most humane nation in the world and said that it would not "throw" the Rohingyas into the "ocean" or "shoot" them but will follow due process of law before their identification and deportation. The BBC believes that the reason for government's stand could be to cultivate a good relationship with Myanmar's army officials. It then hopes to enlist their help in acting against militants in India's northeast, many of whom are based in Myanmar's Sagaing jungles. Myanmar is also important to India for other reasons which have been detailed by Firstpost earlier. Many in India support deportation The State thus seems fairly satisfied with its approach in sending back people to a place where they clearly fear for their lives. But where the government is at least looking to follow due process, there are others who are not quite so civil. Hindutva firebrand leader Sadhvi Prachi for one believes that the Rohingyas are "worse than Islamic State" and the "most fanatical group of people that no country wants", reported The Times of India. She went on to question that why they should be given shelter in India when they could go to She went on to question why they should be given shelter in India when they could go to any one of dozens of Muslim-majority countries. She advocated strict action against them and opined that they must be "picked up with tongs and thrown out of the country". On the international stage too, India has been wary of condemning the violence against the Rohingyas. On Thursday, it refused to be a part of a declaration which was adopted at the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development as it had a reference to the violence, said an NDTV report. An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the Bali Declaration adopted at the forum as it felt that the reference to the violence in Rakhine state was inappropriate. Rohingyas find support in some pockets The Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (JUH) has urged world powers to take immediate steps to stop the violence, according to The Times of India. In a statement, it urged the United Nations to convene a Security Council meeting to set a deadline for Myanmar to change its attitude. It also urged the Indian government to treat humanely the Rohingyas who have been forced to take asylum in India. The CPM too has expressed a non-deportation stance towards the Rohingyas as it said that they should be treated as refugees and not be pushed back or deported. The party also said that the government should work with Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the issue. "The expectations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Myanmar would take up the issue of Rohingyas was belied. Unfortunately, the issue... did not find place in the talks between the Indian prime minister and the Myanmar leaders," it said in a statement. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for its part has issued a notice to the Centre over the deportation plan. The NHRC said that the country has evolved a practical balance between human and humanitarian obligations on the one hand and security and national interest on the other. Stating that "India has been home to refugees, for centuries", the Commission held that from the human rights angle, its "intervention is appropriate" in the matter. The Supreme Court has already agreed to hear a plea challenging the decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants back to Myanmar, on various grounds including that it violated international human rights conventions. The plea was filed by two Rohingya immigrants who that they were facing persecution in Myanmar and that the decision to send them back was in violation of various international conventions. The court has asked the government's stand on the petition who is expected to reiterate its stand favouring eviction of Rohingya settlers. Deportation could mean violation of both international and domestic law Firstpost had earlier pointed out that India has always welcomed immigrants and refugees. The Syrian Christians who fled persecution found a safe home here. As did the Malabar Jews. A few years later, the Baghdadi Jews followed and so did the Parsis of Iran. Deporting the Rohingyas would be a departure from this humane tradition that the Indian State has followed. Further, there are logistical hurdles too as India will have to figure out where it will deport them. These refugees face a very real risk of violence if they return to Myanmar. India could then risk infringing the principle of non-refoulement which says that States cannot expel, deport, or return refugees to the territories in which a refugee has a well-founded fear of being persecuted; faces a real risk of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; or faces other threats to life, physical integrity or liberty. Governing a country is an exercise in balancing the interests of various people. While some of these interests are high on the government's priority list, others can fall by the wayside. In the case of the Rohingyas, the Indian government seems keen to wash its hands of them. In doing so it could very well violate international law as well as potentially the rights given by the Indian Constitution. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: The army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, seen as a major move towards breaking gender barriers in the force. Adjutant General of the army Lt General Ashwani Kumar said on Friday that it planned to induct about 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel. Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women. The adjutant general said the decision to induct women in the Corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the "increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime". The announcement also being seen as a step towards the eventual opening up of doors to women in combat roles came a day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the country's first full-time woman defence minister. The decision was conveyed to former army chiefs on Friday by incumbent General Bipin Rawat at the biennial chiefs' conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan. "We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police," Kumar told reporters. In an interview to PTI in June, General Rawat had said the army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into the military police corps. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as the medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. The process of induction is likely to start next year. About their proposed deployment in Kashmir, the senior official said women military personnel would assist in tasks such as frisking women, currently being carried out by women constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. "At present, whenever we have to frisk women, we take the help of local women police personnel," Kumar said. However, it will be done is a phased manner and will be started with their deployment in peace stations, and then in conflict-prone areas. The Indian Army is yet to open doors for combat role for women. Very few countries have allowed women in combat roles. The exceptions include Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel. Kumar also informed the Chiefs Conclave about approval given to a cadre review proposal, which is expected to benefit approximately 1.45 lakh Junior Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks (JCO/OR). The upgradation is to take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progressions of JCO/OR. The last cadre review was done in 1984, benefiting 22,000 JCOs/OR. Kumar also told the Chiefs Conclave that the defence ministry had agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2,000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of army personnel of all ranks. As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) manages 137 schools and 11 professional colleges across the country. New Delhi: The army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, a senior officer said on Friday. The plan being seen as a major step towards breaking gender barriers in the force is to induct approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year, adjutant General of the army Liutetant General Ashwani Kumar told reporters. The Adjutant General said the decision to induct women in the Corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the "increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime". "We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police," Kumar told reporters. The announcement also being seen as a step towards the eventual opening up of doors to women in combat roles came a day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the country's first full-time woman defence minister. The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs Friday by incumbent General Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs' Conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan. Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women. In an interview to PTI in June, army chief General Bipin Rawat had said the army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into military police corps. Liutetant General Kumar said the decision to induct women in corps of military police would help in investigating allegations of gender specific crimes. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. The process of induction is likely to start in 2018. About their proposed deployment in Kashmir, the senior official said women military personnel would assist in tasks such as frisking women, currently being carried out by women constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. "At present, whenever we have to frisk women, we take the help of local women police personnel," Kumar said. However, it will be done is a phased manner and will be started with their deployment in peace stations, and then in conflict-prone areas. The Indian Army is yet to open doors for combat roles for women. Very few countries have allowed women in combat roles. The exceptions include Germany, Australia, Canada, USA, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel. Kumar also informed the Chiefs Conclave about approval given to a cadre review proposal, which is expected to benefit approximately 1.45 lakh junior commissioned officers/other ranks (JCO/OR). The upgradation is to take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progressions of JCO/OR. The last cadre review was done in 1984, benefiting 22,000 JCOs/OR. Furthermore, Kumar told the Chiefs Conclave that the defence ministry had agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of army personnel of all ranks. As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) manages 137 schools and 11 professional colleges across the country. Indian women domestic workers in Kuwait will lose crucial protection following the removal of $25,00 bank guarantee recruitment norm by the Indian government, migrant rights activists said. The bank guarantee was a sort of protection for the worker. We are sure that removal of the same will leave the domestic workers in peril, Sister Josephine Valarmathi, a migrant rights activist from National Domestic Workers Movement in Chennai, told Firstpost. When the employer failed to pay the salary, the bank guarantee came to help. Now, we wont have that, Valarmathi added. The bank guarantee norm implemented in 2014 as a welfare move, had to be provided by the foreign employer if he wanted to recruit Indian women as domestic help. It acted as a shield for women domestic workers if the employer failed to pay wages, or the domestic worker was subjected to abuse and required compensation and financial aid to return home. The bank guarantee had to be submitted in original to the Embassy of India in the destination country. Currently, such bank guarantee provisions are present in Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. In February, the Bahrain authorities had held talks with the Indian authorities to scrap the bank guarantee norm, however, so far a decision has not been taken. Rafeek Ravuther, director of Kochi-based Centre for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS), questioned the Indian governments move and asked how the government will compensate if the worker is exploited. We are surprised to learn this. It is sure that removal of bank guarantee will worsen the situation, Rafeek said. I read that the Indian embassy in Kuwait is welcoming the move stating that removal will open more job opportunities for Indian domestic workers. I also read that the annual job numbers will rise to 30,000. Why are they not understanding that job opportunities without protection is a risk? Rafeek added. Anyway, scores of Indian workers are working without amble employment protection as only those people who migrate through government's eMigrate scheme were entitled to bank guarantee protection. Rafeek said that many, who are lured by fake agents and migrate through unofficial channels, are prone to risks. Those who migrate through unofficial channels dont get any kind of protection even if they are abused, Rafeek added. According to statistics available, there are 6 lakh maids working in Kuwait. Even though Kuwait is the first country in the Gulf region to have a labour law for domestic workers, activists claim that the law fails many a time to protect the workers rights. Kuwait has also set $200 as minimum salary for migrant domestic workers but many dont get the minimum wages in practice, activists claim. Achama Varghese, a Keralite home nurse who returned empty handed in February 2017 from Kuwait, told Firstpost that removal of bank guarantee will worsen the situation.I went through an unofficial agent. So, I had no such rights. I was abused and denied medical assistance. I had to flee. The sponsor didnt pay me my salary properly. As I had gone through an agent, I had no bank guarantee net. I couldnt claim my nine months pending salary, Achama said. Achama migrated to Kuwait in 2015 January. In the past, many countries have urged Gulf country employers to provide a bank guarantee for their citizens so that the migrant workers have a financial security net. However, the requests were objected by the Gulf governments. When India had enforced bank guarantee in 2014, the Gulf country officials had even threatened to halt visas for Indian workers. According to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait's data, there are 9.2 lakh Indians in Kuwait as of October 2016, out of which, there are approximately 2.7 lakh employed in domestic sector, whereas about 3.6 lakh have jobs in private sector. Following an increase in exploitation cases, the Indian government had put in place certain measures to regulate emigration of Indian women workers holding Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) passports, for overseas employment in Gulf countries. According to the welfare measures, 30 years has been made mandatory age in respect of all women emigrants (except nurses) emigrating on ECR passports to ECR countries irrespective of nature/category of employment. Since August 2016, emigration clearance of all female workers having ECR passports, for overseas employment in 18 ECR countries has been made mandatory through six state-run recruiting agencies only. Human Rights Watch has documented widespread abuses, including non-payment or delay of wages, long working hours with no rest days, physical and sexual assault, and lack of a clear channels for complaint redressal. In April, a video of an Ethiopian domestic worker falling from what media reports say is the seventh floor of an apartment building in Kuwait went viral online. The woman lost her grip and fell down. According to media reports, the housemaid was hospitalized and the employer was arrested. However, in its 2016 Trafficking in Persons report, the US State Department upgraded Kuwait from tier 3, the worst level, to tier 2 while keeping it on watch list, citing an improvement in its treatment of migrant workers, including maids. New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the government will undertake a programme from next year to enrol "70-80 lakh" students in the country who are out of schools. "There are about 70-80 lakh children who are not going to schools. We have thought of a plan to address the problem... it will be known as 'school chalo abhiyan'," Javadekar said while addressing a seminar in New Delhi on International Literacy Day. "Many states have started it already. From next year onwards we will launch it in the entire country with more planning." He said that a lot of progress has happened in the country since 1947 in that "we have achieved 81 per cent literacy" which was 18 percent at the time of Independence. Stressing that literacy, as we know it, is not enough, he emphasised on getting digital literacy to the masses. "This is not only the time for literacy in terms of reading and writing, but of digital literacy as well. And people have moved in that direction already. Rural India alone has 70 crore mobile phones," said the Minister. "When all these challenges are met, we will be able to fulfil Prime Minister's dream of 100 percent literacy, digital and otherwise, by 2022, " he added. Minister of State (HRD) Satya Pal Singh, who also addressed the event, advised people to read a bit of India's history, which he said, led the world in education during as recent as 19th century. "The problem is that we do not read... Thomas Monroe (a British administrator) had written an account in the year 1810, in which he mentioned that India had 100 percent literacy...," he said. "We have a lot to do now. I am new to the ministry but we will plan on what can be done to bring complete literacy." Jammu: Pakistani troops on Thursday violated the ceasefire by firing from small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, injuring two porters working with the Indian Army, officials said. "Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatic weapons from 1145 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior army officer said. Two people were injured in the firing and have been evacuated to the nearest hospital, the officer said, adding that their condition was stable. Indian Army personnel guarding the border retaliated strongly and effectively. "The firing stopped at 1155 hours," he said. On 4 September, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice by firing at forward posts along the LoC in Degwar and Maldalyan areas in Poonch and along the International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu, Indian security forces to retaliate. On 3 September, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch along the LoC. On 1 September, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Kamaljit Singh of the Border Security Force sustained bullet injuries due to enemy fire initiated from across the Line of Control while he was deployed at a forward post in Krishna Ghati Sector in Poonch. Singh later succumbed to injuries. On 30 August, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling from across the border in Nowshera sector, targeting forward posts and civilian areas. On 27 August, five civilians, including a woman and two minor boys, were injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in the Shahpur belt of Poonch district. Pakistani troops had on 26 August violated the ceasefire in Pargwal area of Jammu district. A day before, Border Security Force (BSF) jawan KK Appa Rao was seriously injured in sniper fire when Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire along the IB in Jammu district. On 23 August, senior Army commanders of India and Pakistan held a flag meeting on the LoC in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir, and agreed to institute mechanisms for durable peace and tranquillity on the border. 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. Incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan have increased sharply in 2017. 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. Srinagar: Restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar city on Friday to prevent protests against the killings of the Rohingyas Muslims in Myanmar, police said. The restrictions were imposed in the areas of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M R Gunj and Safa Kadal. Authorities also decided not to allow Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area. Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had called for the protests. Mirwaiz has been placed under house arrest to prevent his participation. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was arrested on Thursday, has been lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. Life in the Valley was partially affected due to the protest shutdown call. Shops, public transport and other businesses remained closed in the five areas. A roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: NOT REAL: Computer Models Show IRMA Destroying New York City On Sept. 10 THE FACTS: The government's Global Forecast System produced a computer model on Sept. 1 that projected Irma would hit the New York City area on Sept. 10. The model was adjusted within a few days to show Irma's target as south Florida, but that didn't stop several sites from posting stories based on the old model. A YouTube video included in some of the stories used model images taken from weather site Tropical Tidbits. Levi Cowan, who runs the site, tells the AP the forecast is "obviously nothing like what is portrayed." NOT REAL: Trump's Border Wall Gets Full $1.6B Funding In 'Big Win' THE FACTS: President Donald Trump's planned wall along the Mexican border hasn't been funded by Congress despite this headline from Daily Wire. Trump has asked Congress for an initial $1.6 billion in funding, but Congress has yet to approve that request. A measure that cleared the House to give the White House the funds to start construction hasn't been taken up by the Senate. NOT REAL: CORONER'S REPORT: Woman Found On Clinton Estate Was Dead 15 Years, Suffered Torture And Malnutrition THE FACTS: This story from The Last Line of Defense continues an ongoing hoax about bodies being found on Bill and Hillary Clinton's property in Chappaqua, New York. Police have dismissed the hoax and say they have investigated no such thing. The Last Line of Defense includes a disclaimer on the website that notes it presents "fiction as fact and our sources don't actually exist." NOT REAL: New "Child Support Card" CONTROLS What Mothers Can Buy With Child Support Money THE FACTS: This hoax story claims that a Delaware debit card linked to an account funded with child support payments prevents parents from using it to buy alcohol or cigarettes or to make car payments. The debit card does exist, but its terms and conditions list no such restrictions. NOT REAL: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dies at 45 After a Terrible Stunt with Double Failed THE FACTS: The actor and pro wrestler is alive even though a slew of viral headlines are claiming he died. The stories offer no information aside from the headline and include a video featuring Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto. Cavuto announces "some very sad news" before the video cuts off and the viewer is prompted to share the story. ___ This weekly fixture is part of The Associated Press' ongoing efforts to fact-check claims in suspected false news stories. Kolkata: After the BJP on Thursday alleged that a state-owned indoor stadium where its President Amit Shah was scheduled to attend a programme next week had cancelled their booking, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the party, accusing it of deliberately trying to stir up a controversy. Contending that even the state government did not get access to the Netaji Indoor Stadium for their own meeting on Thursday which was held at Nazrul Mancha instead, she, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said: "Some people are doing a drama. they love to spread canards and indulge in mudslinging on every single point." "They are deliberately booking on the day it's already been taken. They are cribbing about it and saying 'I did not get the hall'. Then let me also cry that 'I did not get Netaji Indoor (Stadium)'. Does this behaviour suit anyone? It doesn't." Shah will be in the city on a three day visit from 11 to 13 September. State BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu had said on Wednesday: "Netaji Indoor stadium authorities had accepted our booking. We had event sent a letter to them and it was taken then. But on 30 August when we sent our people to check on the booking, we were told that the stadium was booked for the entire month, except for the Durga Puja days between 26 to 30 September." The development comes close on the heels after authorities at state-run auditorium Mahajati Sadan cancelled the booking for 3 October programme which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was scheduled to attend. Stressing on adherence to ethics, Banerjee said even she, despite her position and the privileges that come with it, adjusted her events, depending on availability of particular venues. "I was told this venue is not spacious enough to accommodate so many people. We had wanted to organise the meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium but since it was already booked for the day by others. I maintain some ethics," she said while addressing state government employees' federation meeting. "How can I cancel a booking for a programme on day at the venue which has been booked in advance by others? If the programme is continuous one which runs for days, and if I cancel booking for a day. the how will they do the event? I myself did not get Netaji Indoor Stadium. Why should I violate the law," she asked. "I have shifted my programme to a smaller venue instead. Many people had to sit on the floor. we couldn't invite many. This inconvenience had to be faced because we could not get the booking at Netaji Indoor Stadium. "Due to obligation and timing we had to adjust. if we can adjust our programme (others can also do the same). Some people are crying foul about it and are saying the state government is scared. why would I be scared," she added. At the meeting, Banerjee announced an enhancement of 15 per cent in dearness allowance for state government employees from next January and assured that the arrears would be cleared by 2019. She said the increased allowance would cost the exchequer about Rs 4,500 crore A mere two days after the Supreme Court allowed a 13-year-old rape survivor to terminate her 31-week pregnancy on medical grounds, she delivered her baby. According to Indian Express, she underwent a cesarean operation at JJ Hospital in Mumbai and delivered a boy. The report adds that the baby will be kept in the neonatal intensive care unit. It weighed 1.8 kg at birth. According to Hindustan Times, an average 'full-term' baby weighs about 2.5kg. The report adds that JJ hospital put together a team of five doctors for the delivery. The minor will remain in the hospital for another week. "The life of the girl would have been at risk had an abortion been carried out at this stage. The Supreme Court ordered us to do the operation on 8 September. Therefore, to keep the girl safe a cesarean section was done. Since it's a premature delivery the baby is kept in the NICU. The foetus was 31-week old. Although it is an underage delivery there is no risk to the mother and child in the future," JJ Hospital gynaecologist Ashok Anand told Firstpost. Anand said that the decision to allow her to give birth to the baby was taken after the parents gave the go ahead when informed about the risks involved in abortion. He also said that the apex court was also informed earlier about the risks involved as the foetus was in an advanced stage. The infant is expected to be kept at a state-run orphanage and could likely get adopted. The Supreme Court on Wednesday had allowed the 13-year-old rape victim to terminate her 32-week-old pregnancy. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Amitava Roy and Justice AM Khanwilkar passed the direction for termination of pregnancy of the girl after taking note of a medical report filed by a board of doctors of Mumbai's JJ Hospital, set up by the court. The bench asked the hospital authorities to conduct the termination of pregnancy preferably on this day itself. The girl, a class 7 student, had sought permission to abort the foetus as section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The teenager was first taken to the Supreme Court by gynaecologist Nikhil Datar so that a plea seeking medical termination of pregnancy could be filed. Datar has helped nine women so far seeking abortion for various reasons when the age of the foetus has crossed the deadline of 20 weeks after which abortion is not allowed as per law. The parents of the girl, who was allegedly raped by her father's associate about six months ago, had filed the petition in the Supreme Court seeking permission for medical termination of pregnancy after they realised she was pregnant just four weeks ago. On 9 August, the parents took her to a doctor to check whether her sudden "obesity" was caused by a thyroid condition. A sonography then showed that she was 27 weeks pregnant. Until that moment, she had not informed her parents about the sexual assault, police have said. Her father is a street vendor while the mother is a homemaker. With inputs from IANS and Sanjay Sawant New Delhi: BJP's head of information and technology Amit Malviya on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi following someone on Twitter is not a character certificate to that person and termed as "mischievous and contorted" the controversy over this. "The controversy over Prime Minister following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted. PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms," Malviya said in a statement. "He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues. He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter," he added. Replying to the statement, Congress party's social and digital media head Divya Spandana said: "Malviya's rabid and sinister response justifying Narendra Modi following trolls celebrating the murder of Gauri Lankesh has exposed the fanatical and dangerous agenda of the BJP government and the party." Malviya said: "We have multiple examples of leaders curbing free speech on social media including the previous PMO handle." "PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in any way a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself. However, PM also follows Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice-president), who is an accused in loot and fraud. PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister), who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'settle kar lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her." "PM still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and abused PM in the worst possible language," Malviya added. He also said: "Rahul is never questioned for the abuse by Tehseen Poonawala, who also happens to be his relative. Kejriwal is never questioned for the abuse and rape threats his supporters shower on others. Thus this debate is not only farcical and fake, but also an exhibit of selective right to freedom of expression." Divya Spandana further said: "May we remind PM Modi and BJP that it is this very thought that led to assassination of Mahatama Gandhi by Godse with RSS distributing sweets and celebrating the murder of 'father of the Nation'? " "And don't forget that it is for this very reason that Sardar Patel, India's Home Minister, banned the RSS," she added. She said: "Same culture of hate, abuse, division and murder is being propagated today. On behalf of all our countrymen, we assure the hate-mongers that they failed yesterday and they will fail today. We will determinedly continue this fight despite PM Modi's conspiratorial silence." New Delhi: Ahead of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that he is going there with an "open mind" and is ready to meet anyone who wishes to interact with him as the government wants a resolution of all the problems. During his four-day visit beginning Saturday, Rajnath will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others, a move seen as a follow-up to the prime minister's Independence Day speech in which he had reached out to the people of the Valley. "I am going with an open mind and I am willing to meet all those who come to meet me. We want a resolution to the problems," Rajnath told reporters on the sidelines of a function on Friday. A home ministry statement said during his visit, the home minister will meet Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He will also review the works related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development package of Rs 80,000 crore announced in 2015 and security situation in the state, it said. Rajnath will interact with the personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the CRPF and the BSF, who have been at the forefront of the anti-militancy operations in the state, in Anantnag. On Sunday, Rajnath is expected to attend a comprehensive security review meeting with the chief minister and the top brass of the army, CRPF and J&K police. Rajnath is also likely to interact with college students in Srinagar to get their views on the Kashmir situation. The home minister will address a press conference in Srinagar on Monday before leaving for Jammu. He will also visit a camp of the BSF in Rajouri. In Jammu, the home minister will meet stakeholders including traders, migrants, Kashmiri Pandits and representatives of communities including Gujjars and Bakarwals. In his 15 August speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached out to strife-hit Kashmiris, asserting that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved either by bullets or by abuses and that a solution can only be found by embracing all Kashmiris. The home minister himself had said on 19 August that a solution to the Kashmir problem, besides terrorism, Naxalism, and the northeast insurgency will be found before 2022. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the Congress policy planning group on Kashmir, will also lead a team of party leaders to Jammu and Kashmir next week for discussions on the current situation in the state with party workers and "like-minded" groups. A group of citizens, led by former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, had visited Jammu and Kashmir on 17-19 August and prepared a report which said the sense of "dismay and despondency" had grown among the people and the situation was "much worse" than their previous visits. In September 2016, the home minister had visited the state leading an all-party delegation when he met about 200 members of 30 delegations from various sections of society and listened to their point of view to arrive at a common solution to the Kashmir issue. However, the Kashmiri separatists had rebuffed attempts by five Opposition MPs to talk to them. Mumbai: The special TADA court on Thursday disallowed the marriage application of gangster Abu Salem, terming it infructuous and disposed off the issue. "The application is disposed off as its infructuous," the special court said. In 2015, a photograph of Salem with a girl had surfaced after which the TADA court had asked Thane police to conduct an inquiry when a tabloid reported that Salem married the woman "over the phone" during a train journey when he was being taken by the police to Lucknow for a court hearing. In June 2015, the girl had moved the court saying that the police showed her photograph with Salem and asked many people about the marriage. "The police probe sullied her character and she could not marry anybody else, so she decided to marry Salem," the girl had said. Later, Salem too moved the court giving his consent to marry the woman. The special TADA court on Thursday sentenced Salem to life imprisonment for his role in 1993 blasts. Newly appointed Union minister for tourism, KJ Alphons, has told foreign tourists to eat beef in their countries and then come to India, media reports have stated. NDTV quoted Alphons as saying, "They (tourists) can eat beef in their own country and come here yaar." He was replying to questions on whether the restriction on beef in several states would impact tourism. Alphons was speaking on the sidelines of the 33rd annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar. Alphons' words directly contradict his earlier statement which he had made on Monday, which was his first day as tourism minister. He had said then that the BJP had never said that beef cannot be eaten. "As Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar has said that beef will be consumed in the state. Similarly, it will be consumed in Kerala," he had said. "The BJP does not mandate that beef cannot be eaten. We don't dictate food habits in any place. It is for the people to decide," he had said. He had then even gone on to say that his act could be a bridge between the Christian community and the BJP. Alphons is the the only Christian to be part of the NDA government. On Thursday, when he was asked about his earlier comments, Alphons said, "It's a cock-and-bull story. I am not the food minister to decide on it", reported The Times of India. With inputs from PTI The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will be holding exams for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) (II) on 19 November, 2017, as per a notification on its official website. The exams are held in order to gain admission to the Indian Military Academy; Indian Naval Academy for courses starting in July 2018; Air Force Academy for the course starting in August 2018; and Officers Training Academy, Chennai for courses (Men and Women) commencing in October 2018. Hindustan Times reported that roughly "414 posts will be filled through this exam: 100 for the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, 45 for Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, 32 posts for Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, 225 posts for Officers Training Academy, Chennai, 108th SSC Course (NT) (For Men) and 12 posts for Officers Training Academy, Chennai22nd SSC Women (Non-Technical) Course." The article further mentioned that candidates should check conditions of eligibility, and also go through all instructions on www.upsconline.nic.in An e-admission certificate will be issued to applicants three weeks before the exam begins. The certificate will also be made available on the official website. According to Hindustan Times, "Admission to these courses will be made on the basis of results of the written examination followed by intelligence and personality test by the Services Selection Board." Kolkata: With the Centre turning down the West Bengal government's last proposal on changing the state's name, its cabinet on decided to send another proposal. "After the central government turned down our request to change the name of West Bengal, in the Cabinet meeting on Friday it was decided to send them another proposal of changing the name to Bangla in all three languages Bengali, Hindi and English," state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said. The Centre had earlier turned down the state government's proposal to change the name of West Bengal to 'Bengal' in English and 'Bangla' in Bengali. Incidentally, the state government had decided to rename the state as 'Bengal' after its earlier proposal of rechristening it as 'Paschim Bango', made in 2011 when the Trinamool Congress took office, failed to get the Centre's approval. The primary reason for changing the name of West Bengal is that whenever there is a meeting of all states, West Bengal figures at the bottom of the list which is prepared in alphabetical order. Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday said BJP president Amit Shah's ongoing visit to the state will have no impact on the ruling BJD's prospects in the 2019 state Assembly polls. "I dont see any impact," Patnaik, president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), told reporters in reply to a question. Responding to Shah's remark that those who had turned old were finding it difficult to come to terms with the BJP's claim of winning more than 120 seats in the next polls, Patnaik, 70, said, "I didn't know that Shah is doubting my age." The BJP president who is on a three-day visit to the state had yesterday pitched for a younger leadership to run the state. Shah had told a press conference on Thrusday, "Some think it is impossible to get 120 seats. But we have a young leadership and therefore optimistic to win 120 seats in the next assembly elections in the state." Shah, during this visit, has been highlighting BJP's 'Mission 120+' (to win over 120 seats in the Assembly polls). The BJD, however, expressed its "doubt" over the possibility of the BJP achieving the 120+ target in the Assembly polls. "I doubt whether they will get so many seats in the next elections," Patnaik had said just before Shah's arrival to the state on Wednesday. The political crisis in Tamil Nadu shows no signs of abating any time soon. Pressure has been mounting on Chief Minister E Palaniswamy with AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief TTV Dhinakaran, DMK and the Congress demanding a floor test to prove the majority of the government. On Friday, the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker sent a notice to 19 MLAs of the TTV Dhinakaran camp, asking them to appear on 14 September. Tamil Nadu assembly speaker sends notice to the 19 MLAs who support TTV Dinakaran, asks them to appear on 14 September. ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 On Thursday, Dhinakaran had sought the removal of Palaniswamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam during his meeting with Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. He has also accused the government of exerting pressure on the 19 MLAs loyal to him. The MLAs were earlier served a notice on 25 August and 1 September and asked to explain their position by 5 September, ANI reported. The Speaker asked why they should not be disqualified under the anti-defection law. Dhinakaran told reporters on Thursday that he had sought "action" on the 22 August demand of his camp MLAs, who had earlier told the governor that they had lost confidence in the chief minister and that he should be removed. "Our intention is to change the chief minister and (deputy chief minister) O Panneerselvam," he added. On 22 August, the 19 pro-Dhinakaran MLAs had met Rao and told him they had lost confidence in Palaniswamy and wanted him to be removed as chief minister. The Dhinakaran faction got a boost after three MLAs, who had won on AIADMK tickets and kept neutrality so far, joined him in the delegation when it called on the governor. An AIADMK MLA owning allegiance to Dhinarakan initially defected to Palaniswamys side on Thursday. STK Jakkaiyan, MLA from Cumbum, deserted the Dhinakaran faction and met Speaker Dhanapal and conveyed to him that he was backing Palaniswamy since he did not want the DMK to exploit the "internal problems" of the AIADMK and bring harm to the government. Meanwhile, the chief minister has claimed the backing of 124 MLAs, including nine of the Dhinakaran camp. Senior minister and key supporter of the Palaniswamy camp, D Jayakumar told reporters that 111 MLAs attended a meeting with the chief minister expressing their support and also signed the party register. Nine MLAs from "that camp" (Dhinakaran faction) also extended support to the chief minister over the phone, he claimed. With inputs from agencies Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah on Friday exhorted the party workers in Odisha to throw out the BJD government for failing to take up developmental works in the last 17 years of its governance. "Naveen Patnaik is a burnt transformer while (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is a powerhouse. If the transformer could not provide electricity from the grid to people, don't just replace the transformer, uproot and throw it out," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president said while addressing the party workers. He said that in the 17 years of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rule, Patnaik has failed miserably on several fronts and not been able to usher in development in Odisha. "None of Modi government is involved in corruption unlike members of Naveen government. So far there has been only corruption. They will be sent to jail after BJP comes to power in 2019," Shah said. Shah said Naveen Patnaik is seeing 'lotus' in his dream after BJP's spectacular performance in the last Panchayat polls in the state. He also mocked Naveen Patnaik for failing to speak Odia even after ruling the state since last 17 years. Accusing the state government of not cooperating with the Modi government to carry out development works in the state, he demanded that Patnaik give account of the Central funds provided to Odisha. On the other hand, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Amit Shah's visit would not have any impact on the BJD's prospects in the 2019 Assembly polls. "I don't see any impact," Patnaik told reporters. Responding to Shah's remark that those who had grown old were finding it difficult to accept the BJP's claim of winning more than 120 seats of the 147 seats in the next polls, Patnaik said, "I don't know what he (Shah) is doubting of my age." He also reiterated his 'doubt' over the chances of BJP achieving the '120+' target in the general elections in Odisha. "I doubt whether they will get so many seats in the next elections," Patnaik said. Shah is on a three-day visit to Odisha to strengthen the party's base and strategise to achieve 120+ seats in the state assembly in the 2019 polls. The BJP on Friday lashed out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a strongly-worded attack on his comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sangh parivar in the wake of the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh. "Mala fide comments are being made on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh," said Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at a press conference at BJP central office in New Delhi. "Violence does not have any place in a democracy. We condemn the killing of Gauri Lankesh," he said. "On this unfortunate, dastardly killing, even before any investigation could start, the great Rahul Gandhi who always speaks without doing any homework already gave a certificate that the Sangh and right-wing organisations were responsible for the murder," he said, "The Karntaka chief minister should tell us about what kind of investigation the SIT will do if Rahul Gandhi has already given a verdict of 'guilty'." Prasad also criticised the Karnataka government for failing to provide adequate security to Lankesh and asked whether it was aware that the deceased journalist was earlier working for the surrender of Naxals. "The brother of the late Gauri Lankesh is on record saying that his sister was working for the surrender of Naxals. Was she doing it with the consent and approval of the state government? And if so, why was she not provided security?" Prasad asked. "Why was there such a security failure by the government of Karnataka?" he said. BJP also questioned the silence of some people on the killings of BJP and RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala. "The so-called liberal people are giving such big opinions on social media on the unfortunate murder of Gauri Lankesh. Why are they silent on the murder of RSS and BJP workers in Karnataka? In Kerala, Sangh leaders are murdered. Does an RSS worker in Kerala have the right to follow his ideology or not?" he said. "For the people who are trying to teach us liberal values, don't the murders of these RSS and BJP workers deserve attention? And these are the people who will talk about the human rights of Naxals?" the minister added. "All my so-called liberal friends maintained a silence. This hypocrisy needs to be exposed," he said. "Why haven't (MM) Kalburgi's killers been caught? Who runs the government in Karnataka? Why doesn't Rahul Gandhi ever ask the chief minister any questions?" Prasad said. "There should be no politics on this issue. We hope that the Karnataka government carries on with the probe in an honest way," he said. Prasad's scathing words came after Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked Modi over Lankesh's murder. "People say that the prime minister is quiet. The point is the entire ideology is to silence voices," the Congress vice-president had said. "The prime minister is a skilled Hindutva politician. Whatever he says has two meanings," he had said. "No one can suppress the truth. The RSS and BJP ideology is trying to suppress the truth but this cannot happen in India," he had also said. The Congress vice-president had also tweeted on the issue. Anybody who speaks against the RSS/BJP is attacked &even killed. They want to impose only one ideology which is against the nature of India Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 6, 2017 Sometimes the PM speaks under pressure but the entire idea is to crush dissent and this is resulting in a very serious problem in India Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 6, 2017 The RSS has also "strongly condemned" Lankesh's murder. "The RSS deeply regrets the brutal killing of Gauri Lankesh. We pray to God to give strength to the family to bear the loss," The Indian Express quoted V Nagaraj, RSS sanghachalak of Dakshina Madhya Kshetra, as saying. He had also urged the Karnataka government to conduct an "impartial" probe in the matter. Unlike the BJP press conference on Friday, however, the RSS statement was more focused on condeming the crime than attacking the allegations made by an Opposition leader. Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam taking oath as deputy chief minister. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar dismissed the quo warranto petition filed by advocate V Elangovan. The bench while doing so referred to a Supreme Court judgement, in which late Devi Lal's appointment as deputy prime minister was challenged and a Bombay High Court judgement in which Gopinath Munde's appointment as Deputy Chief Minister was challenged. Elangovan, in his 29 August PIL, had contended that there was "no provision in the Constitution for the appointment of a deputy chief minister". Pannerselvam took oath as deputy chief minister contrary to the Constitution, he claimed. He should have taken oath only as a minister and not as deputy chief minister and hence his appointment was not valid, Elangovan claimed. According to the Constitution, there can be only a chief minister and ministers, he had said. The petitioner had prayed for a court direction asking Pannerselvam to show cause under what authority of law he took oath as deputy chief minister and holding that position. Panneerselvam was sworn in as deputy chief minister on 21 August marking the unification of AIADMK factions led by him and Chief Minister K Palaniswamy. The Narendra Modi government's latest Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday has dominated the news cycle this week and is being hailed as a performance-based exercise. Reshuffles are the prerogative of every prime minister and I believe that they're important to share cultures across ministries. It is essentially the ministers that infuse culture and ethics, which then permeates through the ministry. But I don't believe that this particular reshuffle rewarded performance or punished deficiency. Firstly, while it was imperative to appoint a full-time defence minister, and it is symbolically progressive and empowering for a woman to hold this crucial charge, political decisions cannot be based on optics. The pertinent questions we must ask are whether Nirmala Sitharaman was a performer in the commerce ministry and whether exports flourished under her leadership, and then decide if her appointment is justified. Secondly, non-performance was clearly not penalised, which is evident from the fact that the individuals in-charge of ministries with poor indicators such as health and agriculture were not reshuffled. We have nothing short of a health crisis on our hands, and the country has witnessed unprecedented agricultural distress yet, those ministers continue to retain their positions. Thirdly, the fact that retired bureaucrats had to be roped in speaks volumes about the lack of talent and competence within the existing pool of ministers and members of parliament. Nine new ministers have been inducted into Modi's Cabinet, out of which four are former bureaucrats and two need to be elected to Parliament in the next six months. I had the pleasure of first meeting Hardeep Puri in 2006, and while we need men of his calibre and acumen in positions of power, his allotted charge urban development and housing is outside the purview of his previous career and area of expertise. The overwhelming Modi wave that swept the country in 2014 effectuated in its wake the election of representatives that had little to do with it and were simply riding on the wave. The consequences of this have been dire: the quality of legislators in the country has deteriorated, it has become difficult to find talent within the pool of elected representatives, the nature of their election has left them with very little incentive to focus their energies on local issues, and this has disrupted and weakened the political system considerably. As a result, citizens' voices fall on deaf ears, and they're unable to access their local representatives to address their concerns. Particularly in cities like Mumbai, we need legislators who are embedded in the cultural and social fabric of the city, and who are astute enough to appreciate and understand the diversity that these cities house. Ideally, we must reward our representatives based on merit and their ability to cater to the needs and interests of these diverse populations, but the lack of this trend is a matter of grave concern for the country. It is ultimately the voter who suffers from mediocre governance and substandard representation. But they must also assume the responsibility to vote strictly based on merit and performance. Elected representatives are indispensable conduits between the citizen, the local community, and the three tiers of the government. Individuals, however, tend to vote not only along linguistic and religious lines, as I have mentioned in a previous article, but also based on who they wish to elect as the prime minister. In the process, they have ignored this crucial conduit, effectively burning the bridge to Modi and destroying the means to the end. It is therefore imperative, I believe, for both citizen and government, to make electoral and political decisions based on empirical evidence of performance and good governance, and discard the arbitrary and symbolic considerations that are currently in vogue. The author is a former member of Parliament and has served as minister for communication and IT, and shipping and ports. Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday flayed former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and the SAD for allegedly unleashing a negative, anti-people agenda with their misleading statements and baseless charges against the Congress government. Categorically rejecting the charges levelled by Akalis that the Congress government backtracked from its promises, the chief minister blamed the party squarely for the fiscal mess in the state. "The financial crisis prevailing in the state was a result of the ill-conceived and corrupt policies of the erstwhile SAD-BJP government," said the chief minister, adding that this, coupled with the delay in GST contribution from Centre, had led to the delay in salary disbursement of government employees this month. "The Badals and their associates were engaged in brazen loot during the decade of their rule, leaving the government exchequer reeling under an unprecedented debt and had the audacity now to blame the Congress government for the crisis prevailing in the state," Singh said, hitting out at Sukhbir for earlier alleging non-performance on the part of the government over the past six months. In a statement, the chief minister said not only had his government implemented most of the promises made by the Congress in its manifesto but had done so in the face of severe financial problems. Notwithstanding the economic crisis in the state, his (Congress) government had fulfilled all its major promises, from social welfare schemes to drugs elimination to industrial development and waiver of farm loans, he said. The chief minister lambasted Sukhbir for allegedly continuously misguiding the farmers over the issues of debt waiver and 'kurki' abolition, accusing him of playing with their lives to further his own political agenda. "By negating the hard facts and figures on employment, the SAD president was also trying to undermine the confidence of the youth, who were suffering the consequences of the Badal government's total failure to protect them from the menace of drugs and unemployment," he said. Bereft of any serious issue to criticise the Congress government, the Akalis had adopted a destructive approach and were resorting to unfounded allegations in a desperate bid to malign his government and its excellent performance since taking over in March this year, said the chief minister. "Sukhbir Singh Badal and the SAD have unleashed a negative, anti-people agenda with their misleading statements and baseless charges against the Congress government," he said. The Badals were trying to rake up non-issues to create a platform to take their political ambitions forward, Singh alleged, adding that their entire focus was on misleading the people of Punjab and on diverting public attention from their own misdeeds of the past 10 years. That, he said, was the reason for the Akalis to resort to street politics instead of playing the role of a constructive opposition in the interest of the people of Punjab. Despite firing a fresh salvo on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar every day, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has a favour to ask of his arch rival. Tejashwi has written a letter requesting the chief minister to allow him to retain his official bungalow, which was allotted to him in the capacity of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. However, the personal relations between the erstwhile allies have been on a road downhill, ever since Nitish-led Janata Dal-United ditched the Mahagathbandhan an joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Tejashwi and his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have been targetting not just the chief minister but also his ally and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Sushil was supposed to swap bungalows with Tejashwi after NDA ministers took charge. Sushil was allotted the 5, Desh Ratna Marg bungalow, earmarked for the deputy chief minister, which is currently occupied by Tejashwi. The RJD leader, was, in turn, allotted 1, Polo Road, which Modi would vacate, according to a Hindustan Times report. Faced with the prospect of losing the bungalow, Tejashwi has written a polite note to the chief minister to let him retain it. He received the notice to vacate the Bungalow last week and sources told NDTV that Tejashwi had made major renovations to the bungalow. The house is also situated at a good location and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav lives right across the road. NDTV also quoted sources as saying that the chief minister is unlikely to entertain this request because "if he is allowed to stay in the house, then every former minister will claim waiver too". Sushil was quick to respond to Tejashwi's request. He said that it is strange that despite having amassed huge wealth in the last two-and-a-half years, he is still keen to retain the government property. As Tejashwi fights for the bungalow, his father is busy fighting another war. As the fodder scam case is far from over, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too has summoned both Lalu and Tejashwi to appear before it next week for questioning in IRCTC scam case. The Times of India quoted some sources as saying that Lalu has been asked to appear on 11 September and Tejashwi has also been summoned on 12 September. Meanwhile, RJD's troubles are set to compound further as the Opposition in Bihar seems to be in an ever-increasing trouble with the Congress under mounting pressure from its legislators to break away from the RJD. The Mahagathbandhan has already fallen and the remaining two parties are also faced with distrust for each other. Congress workers are reportedly worried over the controversies the RJD leadership is mired in. They have asked for a termination of the alliance with the party, according to The Quint. However, soon after the reports of an imminent split in Bihar Congress surfaced, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi swooped in to control the damage. He met with a group of party's legislators in Bihar in Delhi on Wednesday. The lawmakers reportedly warned Rahul that the Congress must abandon Lalu or risk further disinterest among voters, according to NDTV. Ashok Chuadhary, president of Congress' Bihar unit, on Thursday accused some party leaders of fueling a rebellion against him with "false propaganda". He refused to go to Delhi to meet Rahul saying, "I have already apprised the party high command and explained my position when I met Sonia ji. Why should I go again?" About a week ago, Bihar Congress representatives had met Rahul and party chief Sonia Gandhi. The party president had reportedly told the legislators that it was imperative for Congress to remain fastened to leaders like Lalu to fight BJP's right wing ideology. There are also speculations that Chaudhary has the support of 14 Congress MLAs and four MLCs in Bihar and if they get four more MLAs, they can escape the anti-defection law to cross over to JD(U). Political observers told The Times of India that Nitish has kept eight posts vacant in the Cabinet to lure dissenters. With inputs from PTI tech2 News Staff Tech giant Google is expected to buy the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC. According to a PhoneArena report HTC is not in a good financial condition as August 2017 was one of the worst months for the company. Revenue has reportedly fallen by 51.5 percent compared to last month, and by as much as 54.3 percent compared to August last year. The company's only flagship device, the HTC U11 is only a few months old, but it's already too late to save the company's revenue. As PhoneArena notes, those who wanted the phone have bought it, everyone else is either happy with what they have or are waiting for the next wave of flagships. According to the report, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer is in the "final stage of negotiation" for the sale of its business to tech giant Google. The report, which cites Commercial Times, a Chinese publication, mentions two options that Google is considering. Google will either become a strategic partner of HTC or it will buy the entire smartphone unit. The HTC Vive VR unit is not part of the negotiations. HTC manufactured the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, but the new Pixel devices are expected to be manufactured by HTC and LG, with LG making the larger device. In our opinion, a sale of this nature certainly makes sense for both parties. HTC is a capable device manufacturer and simply lacks brand value and the appeal of rivals like Samsung. Google is just getting into the premium devices business and HTC's expertise in this regard will be invaluable. The value of the deal, if it happens, will be interesting to note considering that Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12.3 billion in 2011 and then sold it to Lenovo for $12.4 billion in 2014. Following the Commercial Times' report, HTC's shares apparently fell by eight percent in just one day. HTC declined to comment on "rumors and speculations" in the market. tech2 News Staff For decades, Pluto was merely a blip on telescopes and a familiar name when discussing the Solar System. A while after that, Pluto got demoted from planetary status and joined several Kuiper Belt objects as a dwarf planet. As sad as it was, the ninth planet (Hey, were not going to disown the little fella just cause hes a dwarf.) in the solar system still remained a mystery. We knew that it existed, but little else; even its mass was being debated well into 2006. Hubbles observations in 2002 through to 2003 didnt reveal much more than a brightness map of the surface. It wasnt till the New Horizons flyby in 2015 that we received our first, high-resolution images of the planets surface. The images captured by New Horizons revealed stunning details and features on Plutos surface, including what appeared to be an atmosphere of sorts. Pluto was no longer a faceless dwarf. In fact, New Horizons found that it even had a heart. Now, more than two years since New Horizons beamed back revelatory images of the planet, The Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGSPN) has officially named some of the more prominent surface features on the planet. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) the WGSPN is a part of the IAU reveals that some of the names were suggested by members of the public and that others were informally used by the New Horizons science team to describe some regions. Were very excited to approve names recognising people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld. These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery, said Rita Schulz, chair of IAUs WGSPN, in a press release. The approved surface feature names are as follows: IANS The Telecom Commission on Friday sought clarification and more details on the recommendations of the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on deferred spectrum payment liability as well as shifting from pending lending rate (PLR) to marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) regime for calculation of interest on delayed payment of licence fees and spectrum usage changes, according to official sources. The task of the IMG was to examine systemic issues affecting viability and repayment capacity in the telecom sector and furnish recommendations for resolution of stressed assets. According to a source, the Telecom Commission would meet in another fortnight and the clarifications would be tabled during that meeting. Broadly, the panel has given in-principle approval for all the recommendations given by the IMG. Apart from the IMG report, the commission on Friday took up four oher items implementation of Bharat Net Phase II, mobile services in the north-east India, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations on free data, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Award. "Six states Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh would take up a state-led model of Bharat Net. They had submitted detailed project reports earlier, which were approved," the source said. The total cost of Bharat Net Phase II is Rs 18,792 crore. The cost of implementing it in six states would be around Rs 7,000 crore. For mobile towers' coverage of uncovered areas under the Universal Service Obligation Fund, around 4,177 towers will be installed for covering 4,502 villages at a cost of Rs 3,100 crore. After this project, only two states will remain uncovered under this project Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Regarding the TRAI's recommendations regarding data usage made in December 2016, the Telecom Commission has decided to refer it back to the TRAI, according to the source. tech2 News Staff Online cab aggregator Uber on Friday opened Greenlight Centre a 15,000 sq.ft. facility to provide customer support to Uber drivers in the city. The facility will have a team of company experts to help new drivers sign up, address queries of existing drivers and offer them subsidised services. "Through the Greenlight Centre, we are offering in-person assistance to more than 4,000 driver-partners a week," said Christian Freese, General Manager, Uber, South India, in a statement. The facility offers drivers benefits on new vehicles, vehicle maintenance, health benefits, financial planning and many more services. The facility will include training areas for drivers to learn about the app, provide soft skills training and highlight the importance of road safety. The company has previously taken several initiatives to address drivers' needs including insurance programme to provide drivers free coverage in case of an accident while online on the Uber app. This comes a week after Uber launched several driver and rider-focused safety initiatives Share Trip feature for drivers and driver de-duplication for riders under its UberSAFE campaign. The Share Trip feature allows drivers to share details of the trip, including route and estimated time of arrival in real time, with family or friends. It was rolled out on Thursday in Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Lucknow. The Share Trip feature will be fully available across India by the end of this month. With inputs from IANS Reuters U.S. legislation may be needed to require social media companies to disclose more about how their platforms are used for political advertising, a senior Democratic lawmaker said on Thursday, after new signs of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. Facebook Inc said on Wednesday that an operation likely based in Russia had placed thousands of U.S. ads with polarizing views on topics such as immigration, race and gay rights on the site during a two-year period through May 2017. The worlds largest social network was already under fire for how little transparency it provides about digital political ads. Voters, researchers, and journalists cannot see many of the ads politicians and interest groups run on Facebook to target certain groups, nor can they discover who paid for them. Senator Mark Warner said Congress may need to update laws in order to make them consistent with rules governing television advertising. An American can still figure out what the content is being used in TV advertising. You can go look at the ad, Warner, of Virginia, said at a security conference. But in social media there is no such requirement. So, you know, we may need a legislative solution, he said. A second Democratic senator, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, said on Thursday that he supported regulating social media ads like TV ads. U.S. intelligence agencies say there was an extensive Russian cyber-influence operation during the 2016 election campaign aimed at helping Donald Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations. Watchdog group Common Cause on Thursday filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission alleging that unknown foreign nationals made expenditures during the election in violation of American election law. Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he believed what Facebook disclosed was the tip of the iceberg and that Twitter Inc and other tech companies should also examine the issue. Twitter declined to comment. Google, the search engine which also owns video-sharing website YouTube, said on Thursday it had seen no evidence of an ad campaign like the one Facebook disclosed. Warners committee is among those investigating alleged Russian meddling and whether members of Trumps campaign colluded with Moscow. Facebooks disclosure about Russian advertising created more questions than it answered, such as which candidates the ads supported and how savvy the targeting was, said David Lazer, a Northeastern University political scientist. Does it reflect sophistication and coordination, or did they throw $100,000 at this just to try a bunch of stuff? he said. U.S. election law bars foreign nationals and foreign entities from spending money to advocate the election or defeat of a candidate, although non-citizens may advertise on issues. Other ads fall into a legal gray area. Narrow targetting Television has been the backbone of political advertising for decades, and local U.S. broadcasters are required to disclose a wealth of details about the cost and schedules of commercials. The ads can be seen by anyone with a television provided they are aired in their markets. Online advertising offered by Facebook and other platforms such as Twitter and Alphabet Incs Google, though, often targets narrow, carefully constructed audiences based on factors such as age, political preference or interests. Facebook is especially valued by advertisers due to its targeting capabilities. Facebook and Google have, so far, declined to make political ads more transparent. They said on Thursday they were both open to reviewing specific congressional proposals. Facebook also said it was continuing its investigation into possible nefarious activity. Early Facebook denial Facebook briefed U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday and turned over information about the ads to Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading his own investigation into alleged Russian interference, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said after the November election that it was a pretty crazy idea to think false news stories on the network tilted the election. Since then, though, the company and other tech firms have taken a series of steps to address deliberately false stories or manipulation of traffic by bots. Facebook in April released a report on information operations on the site, including some aimed at influencing the French election this past spring. The report on Wednesday expands on that and, for the first time, shows how paid advertising may have played a role in Russian influence efforts in the United States. Much of the advertising on Facebook and Google is self-serve and can be easily ordered up through their websites. You can, from anywhere in the world, advertise to the entire world through the platform, said Nathan Persily, a Stanford University law professor. Its incredibly empowering, but it doesnt have all the regulatory trappings that a medium like television has. Its 2017, and after drilling in the point that the tablet market is dying out gradually, analysts cannot figure how Apple somehow still manages to sell them. Apple even has two categories of iPads now. The standard ones for casual daily use and a Pro series thats built for professionals, ones that even comes with accessories like a Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil. So Apple indeed seems to have figured the tablet out. It knows that there is a market that wants something light and powerful these days. A market that is still giving in to the iPad because of its app ecosystem available on the App Store. Apples even worked iOS 11 out for the iPad to make it more PC-like. iOS 11 is due to be out in September. For a long time, Android has never really gotten the chance to move out of the smartphone ecosystem. Blame it on Google and its long list of Android manufacturers who seem confused at best. This is because you have smartphones that have now settled at 5.5-inch displays with some even offering 6.4-inch ones. Then you have a few tablets, which start from 6.8-inches and go up to 10-inches. In short, the difference is not much. More importantly, the app selection for Android tablets simply consists of scaled up apps that are available on smartphones. With smartphones doing as much as tablets can, the only reason to own a tablet today is for multimedia consumption and creation. It offers users a larger canvas to work with and a bigger screen to consume media. After last years Tab S2, Samsung, the only premium Android tablet manufacturer is back this year. Samsung with its Tab S3 is back with a new offering, which aims to look at the media consumption part and a little bit more. Does Samsungs new tablet excel in these areas? How does it stand up against Apples iPad range? Lets find out! Build and Design: 8/10 After a designing and building a device like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Galaxy Tab S3 somehow looks practical at best. While it feels premium and light (for a tablet) its does not look like it arrived with the same generation as the S8 smartphones. Theres a sturdy metal chassis sandwiched between two sheets of glass, with rounded corners. And thats about it. One really cannot get creative with tablet design. Firstly, theres the cost with the materials involved, and then there are the limitations when it comes to usage. These are to do with the fact that a tablet needs to have bezels because you need something to hold them with. It cannot be all display on the front like a smartphone because you need an edge with an inch of bezel to hold it. After using it for almost a month, the Tab S3s practical design grew on me. I began to appreciate the fact that its quite light at 429 grams (in comparison to Apples iPad Pro models) and that it felt sturdy and rock solid as well. Quality is top notch and it did not get any scratches despite having a glass back. The construction is polished and comes with no gaps between the glass and the frame and even at the metal cut-outs on the frame. Theres a home button on the front accompanied by two capacitive navigation keys. On the back is the camera that protrudes ever so lightly. Since the focus is on multimedia consumption, Samsung has also included not one or two but four speakers this time. These are located on either end of the top and bottom edge (when held vertically). Unlike the Tab S2, there is a Keyboard Cover accessory that sticks to the left side of the tablet (when held vertically). The soft keyboard doubles up as a cover and sticks to the connectors on the left side of the tablet. Unfortunately, Samsung could not provide us with the keyboard. This was a missed opportunity indeed as it would have let us check out the Tab S3s productivity features when compared to a laptop. Coming to the cons, theres really just one. The glass finish means that both the rear and front catch fingerprints very easily. As opposed to an iPad where you have just one surface to clean, the Tabs S3 gives you two. The oleophobic coating on the front glass does make it easier to wipe those smudges off. But it is going to be a mess, just like it was on the glass and metal S8 smartphone. In short Samsungs Tab S3 may look simple, but its practical in every area that it is supposed to be. Features: 7.5/10 The Samsung Tab S3 features a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display that features a resolution of 1,536 x 2,048 pixels (QXGA). Inside, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset that is clocked at 2.15 GHz and is paired with 4 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. A detail to note here is that the storage is expandable up to 256 GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. And you will need one because the system resources itself take up 9 GB of that storage, which is downright ridiculous. Moving on to the camera, theres two of them. Theres a 5 MP f/2.2 video conferencing camera on the front and a 13 MP f/1.9 AF camera on the rear accompanied by an LED flash. As for connectivity, it does fall short, cutting down on NFC, an infrared port and the lack of MHL support. You do get 2G/3G/4G LTE network support on a single SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, USB 3.1 with a reversible Type-C port, GPS and a 3.5mm headphone jack thats literally squeezed between the two layers of glass on the metal frame. Powering all of the above is a 6,000 mAh battery which is an upgrade over the previous Tab S2 by a small margin (5,870 mAh). The tablet runs Android 7.0 with the usual Grace UX customisations. Display: 6.5/10 With a Samsung Super AMOLED display on board, I expected the colours to be saturated. And they did turn out to be exactly this way. Sadly, the software is not optimised to take advantage of the display leaving the 264 PPI pixel density as raw as possible, meaning the text did not look as sharp as I would have liked it to be. It clearly, cannot be compared to any other iPad model, let alone the Pro models in terms of sharpness. The saturated colours are a pleasure to look at but are by no means natural looking. Head into the software settings (Screen mode) to tweak it and you will realise that the AMOLED Cinema mode makes them too darn boring with the lack of any vibrancy whatsoever. In short, you are left with some over saturated colours, meaning you will really not know what the movie was intended to look like. One detail I really like about the display was the high contrast ratios. The blacks were really pitch black and added plenty of depth, making for a rather immersive experience when watched in the dark. Software: 7/10 As mentioned in the features section, there is indeed a lot of software onboard the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. The system resources take up 9 GB of the paltry 32 GB of space (considering that the device costs Rs 47,990) and apart from taking up permanent residence also seems to hamper the performance of the device. Coming from an iPad Pro, a OnePlus 5, an iPhone 6s and even a Samsung Galaxy S8, I can tell that the software onboard the Samsung Tab S3 has issues. The system showcases no lag, but it seems to have a problem when swiping in both native and third-party apps. You will not come across a single buttery smooth interaction out here and the reason is not the hardware but the software. It's loaded with bloat. And while it is not visible in the form of unnecessary Samsung-branded apps, it becomes visible when you scroll, swipe and interact with the user interface. The Google Play Store is the clearest example of this. No matter where you swipe, the UI stalls, making something as simple as the Play Store quite frustrating to use or a transition menu animation stuttery. While I would have passed this off on a budget device, at Rs 47,990 owners will not be expecting this. The software has more similarities with Samsungs mid-range smartphones than it does with the high-end Galaxy S8 series. Add to this the lack of optimisations for the larger tablet displays and you end up with icons that tear along the edges and text that is nowhere close to the definition of the word sharp. However, the software is good for getting things done, thanks to the S Pen functionality. The S Pen comes with bundled native apps that let you write down reminders, events and more using Samsung Notes. Using the same app you can also create your own artworks or even compose your own tunes using Soundcamp. Moving to the S Pen, its quite responsive. It lets you scribble, write notes naturally, and I found the S Pen more practical to use on the Tab S3 than on any Note series smartphone. You can rest your palm on the display and write away like its paper. The stylus can detect up to 4,096 levels of pressure with a pen tip of 0.7 mm, which makes it great for both writing and drawing. As with every other Android tablet in the past, app support is still lacking. There are barely any great apps to play around with, like you get on an iPad. Most third-party essentials are simply scaled up versions of their smartphone apps with no added functionality. So in short, the app story still remains the same. Performance: 7/10 Being the only tablet with a premium flagship chipset inside, the Tab S3 does come with its positives. For beginners, the performance figures on the Tab S3 are a little less than two times that of the older Tab S2. However, in some benchmarks, it faired as good as any other Snapdragon 820-powered smartphone (from last year) did. While the software issues mentioned above are problematic, they can be solved with a big software update. As for the performance when it comes to gaming, the frame rates were steady with the Snapdragon 820 chipset onboard. However, if compared to the iPad Pro, it does not stand a chance, whether it's gaming, audio or even a smooth user experience. Gaming was not really an issue and the Tab S3 could take on any game on the highest settings possible. However, Modern Combat seemed to have some hiccups with a few dropped frames on optimal settings. The tablet did not heat up while gaming, but would occasionally warm up when many apps were being updated or downloaded simultaneously. Coming to audio, the performance was pretty good with balanced highs and lows using the headphones. As for the AKG-tuned quad speaker setup, it is indeed the best you can get on an Android device, but lacks bass and depth in comparison to an iPad Pro. Watching YouTube or downloaded movies was not a problem as the audio quality was loud enough, but I needed to plug in my headphones for a better experience at times. Camera: 7/10 Moving on to the camera, theres two of them. Theres a 5 MP f/2.2 video conferencing camera on the front and a 13 MP f/1.9 AF camera on the rear accompanied by an LED flash A tablet with a good camera has always been a rarity. This is for two reasons. Firstly, it's difficult to hold one upright at eye level and focus on your shot at the same time. Secondly, unlike a smartphone, tablets are heavy and not ergonomically designed for one-handed usage, making it difficult to hold it steady, while trying to reach out to the software shutter button. So if not for photography, the focus on tablets, just like 2-in-1s or laptops, is on the front-facing camera, used for video calls. Still then, the Tab S3s 13 MP f/1.9 AF camera does a decent job when compared to a smartphone and even when compared to an Apple iPad. The images shot in broad daylight are a over saturated and showcase a purple tinge. The images are sharp nonetheless, but often lack texture details upon zooming in. They appear a bit over sharpened as well, but the overall results will not disappoint those who actually attempt to shoot images with a tablet (any tablet) in the first place. The autofocus mechanism seemed a bit undecided even in broad daylight. It kept hunting to lock focus in low light scenarios. In dimly lit situation, it would not be able to lock focus at all. There is also a bit of lens barrel distortion present in all the images towards the corners. Coming to the camera that you will end up using, the 5 MP f/2.2 front-facing unit. The imaging is pretty good, for a tablet and most laptops out in the market these days. You cannot obviously use it for photography or in low light, but it does a good job at clicking selfies and the usual video conferencing apps. At f/2.2 it is bright enough and can record decent videos at Full HD resolution. Battery: 7.5/10 I managed to get a decent 7 hours using our standard PC Mark Work 2.0 Battery Life test. In day-to-day usage, the battery life was good enough to last a work day. The good bit here is that the 6,000 mAh battery comes equipped with a Quick Charge facility, that takes about 3 hours to charge. Still then, the timings are a bit disappointing as the Tabs S3 would quickly drop charge when streaming video or running data intensive applications. The Tab S3 was better off when it came to just watching downloaded movies. So it is a good choice if all you are going to do with it is watch flicks. Just dont expect to watch one, on your way back home after a tiring work day. Verdict and Price in India The Tab S2 really impressed us the last time around. We thought of it as a worthy competitor the the Apples iPad arsenal. With the Tab S3, things have been toned down a bit. The unpolished software makes the display look bad. There are performance issues (again coming from the software) and even the battery does not last forever like it does on an iPad. But it does come with a few positives. The S Pen is a great new addition and the quad-speaker setup tuned by AKG and Harman is pretty good compared to any Android offering out there. The problem here is that Rs 47,990 price tag. If you are pro-Android and are looking for a bigger screen to watch movies on, the Tab S3 is not exactly a great choice, considering that all you are going to do with it is watch movies. Looking to get some work done? Well, you will have to wait a bit as the keyboard case has yet to be officially sold in India. After that, you will have to deal with those performance issues, but you will end up with an Android tablet that can do a lot more than your regular iPad (USB OTG, microSD card support, a full-fledged browser and more). If you are looking for great apps and games, the latest Apple iPad is a better choice at Rs 46,300 (Wi-Fi + Cellular). It gets you more space (128 GB instead of 32 GB) a much better display and an A9 chip. Looking for something a tad bit better? The Apple 10.5-inch iPad Pro is leagues better on all fronts (audio, display, input and camera) at Rs 61,400 (64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular). Indeed, a little bit of spit and polish (with software) could have made the Samsung Tab S3 a much better offering, that would be worthy of taking on the iPad. Sadly, at the time of writing this piece, the S-Pen and its PMP capabilities are the only things that are going for it. Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison. Washington: US President Donald Trump has offered to be a mediator in resolving the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours, saying the dispute could be solved "fairly easily". "I think there is a chance that there could be peace. But again, I say that a little bit reluctantly. We're going to give it our best," Trump told reporters at a joint White House news conference with Kuwait's Emir Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Thursday. He said that the dispute is something that's going to get solved "fairly easily". "We have tremendous talent working on that particular transaction. As you know, David Friedman, the ambassador, is very much involved. We have a great group of people. We'll see what happens", he said in response to a question. He said Israel and Palestinian are discussing to resolve the dispute along with the US. "They say it is the world's most complex and difficult deal. You know that. But it is something that could happen. I believe that the relationships that we have with both can help. It's an event that's just never taken place," he added. Responding to a question, Trump said he is willing to mediate between the disputing countries. "I would be willing to be the mediator. I was telling the Emir before that if I can help between UAE and Saudi Arabia, where I have a very great relationship, I spoke with the King yesterday, King Salman, who is a friend of mine, and we spoke on unrelated subjects, but we had a long conversation," he said. "If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so. And I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," he added. The US president said the crisis began because of the fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries and he wants to stop that. "What I want is I want to stop the funding of terrorism, and we're going to stop the funding of terrorism. And if they don't stop the funding of terrorism, I don't want them to come together. But I think they will," Trump said. The Emir of Kuwait said the Gulf Countries have received a letter from Qatar stating that it is willing to sit down at the table and discuss all the demands, which the other parties have put down. "We're talking about 13 demands, and I'm certain that all these certain demands, a great part of them will be resolved and the other and perhaps, we might not accept them because anything that effects sovereignty we would not accept. But we are very hopeful. We have great hope in our friends in the US that they will assist them to restore things to where they used to be," he said. Tehran: Iran on Friday urged Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingyas and allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions. The international community and Islamic countries expect the government of Myanmar to put an immediate end to the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslim community, said Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif. Besides, Iran expects Myanmar to allow unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-hit regions, Zarif said in his letter written to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Xinhua news agency reported. The powers responsible for the atrocities in Myanmar should be brought to justice, he said, urging the government of Myanmar to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of violence in the future. "It is disappointing that such minimum global demands are yet to receive a proper response," Zarif said. The Rohingya, one of the world's largest stateless communities, are fleeing in droves towards Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge of violence in Rakhine state between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's Army. The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days. On Thursday, the Iranian foreign minister criticised the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. "The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Zarif as saying. Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "we must act now before it is too late". Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Thursday it had set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani. Hamid Jamaloddini, the Society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items were ready to be dispatched to Myanmar. He also expressed readiness to help relocate those in urgent need. Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims. Paris: Kate Millett, the activist, artist and educator whose best-selling work "Sexual Politics" was a landmark of cultural criticism and a manifesto for the modern feminist movement, has died at 82. Millett's book was among the most talked-about works of its time and remains a founding text for cultural and gender studies programs. Her impact reached across generations and across borders and condolences filled social networks in multiple languages Thursday. Millett died of a heart attack Wednesday while on a visit to Paris, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the family. The publishing house that carried her books in French also confirmed her death. "Sexual Politics" was published in 1970 in the midst of feminism's so-called "second wave," when Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Millett and others built upon the achievements of the suffragettes from a half-century earlier. Together they challenged assumptions about women in virtually every aspect of society. Among Millett's 21st-century fans was TV star and writer Lena Dunham, who tweeted, "So sad to hear about Kate Millett's passing. She pioneered feminist thought, de-stigmatized mental illness, wore massive fashion glasses." So sad to hear about Kate Millett's passing. She pioneered feminist thought, de-stigmatized mental illness, wore massive fashion glasses. Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 7, 2017 Steinem posted a tribute on Facebook, "As Andrea Dworkin said, 'The world was asleep, but Kate Millett woke it up.' Sexual Politics and all Kate's work will keep us woke." "Sexual Politics" chronicled centuries of legal, political and cultural exclusion and diminishment of women, from the "penis envy" theory of Sigmund Freud to the portrayals of women as disrupters of paradise in the Bible and Greek mythology. She labeled traditional marriage an artifact of patriarchy and concluded with chapters condemning the misogyny of authors Henry Miller, DH Lawrence and Norman Mailer, but also expressing faith in the redemptive power of women's liberation. "It may be that a second wave of the sexual revolution might at last accomplish its aim of freeing half the race from its immemorial subordination and in the process bring us all a great deal closer to humanity," she wrote. While countless women were radicalized by her book, Millett would grow to have bittersweet feelings about "Sexual Politics," which later fell out of print and remained so for years. She was unhappy with its "mandarin mid-Atlantic" prose and overwhelmed by her sudden transformation from graduate student and artist to a feminist celebrity whose image appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. Amused at first by her fame, Millett said she was worn down by a "ruin of interviews, articles, attacks." "Soon it grew tedious, an indignity," she wrote in the memoir "Flying," published in 1974. She was dubbed by TIME to be "the Mao Tse-tung of Women's Liberation," and rebutted by Mailer in his book "The Prisoner of Sex," in which he mocked her as "the Battling Annie of some new prudery." Meanwhile, she faced taunts from some feminists for saying she was bisexual while she was married but not saying she was gay. During an appearance by Millett at Columbia University, an activist stood up and yelled, "Are you a lesbian? Say it. Are you?" "Five hundred people looking at me. Are you a lesbian?" Millett wrote. "Everything pauses, faces look up in terrible silence. I hear them not breathe. That word in public, the word I waited half a lifetime to hear. Finally I am accused. 'Say it. Say you are a lesbian!' "Yes, I said. Yes. Because I know what she means. The line goes, inflexible as a fascist edict, that bisexuality is a cop-out. Yes, I said, yes I am a lesbian. It was the last strength I had." Millett's books after "Sexual Politics" were far more personal and self-consciously literary, whether "Flying" or "Sita," a memoir about her sexuality in which she wrote of a lesbian lover who committed suicide. "The Loony Bin Trip" chronicled her struggles with manic depression and time spent in psychiatric wards. "There is no denying the misery and stress of life," she wrote. "The swarms of fears, the blocks to confidence, the crises of decision and choice." The daughter of Irish Catholics, Millett was born in 1934 in St Paul, Minnesota, and was long haunted by her father, an alcoholic who beat his children and left his family when Millett was 14. She attended parochial schools as a child and studied English literature at the University of Minnesota and St Hilda's College, Oxford, from which she graduated with honors. Millett lived briefly in Japan, where she met her future husband and fellow sculptor Fumio Yoshimura. They moved to Manhattan in 1963 and divorced in 1985. She joined the National Organization for Women and began attracting a following for her sculptures, which appeared in Life magazine and has been exhibited worldwide. Through her own Women's Liberation Cinema production company, she directed the acclaimed feminist documentary "Three Lives." She also founded the Women's Art Colony Farm in Poughkeepsie, New York. Millett taught at several schools, including the University of North Carolina and New York University. In 1968, she was fired from her job as an English lecturer at Barnard College, a decision that stemmed at least in part from her support of student protests against the Vietnam War. The extra free time allowed her to complete "Sexual Politics," which began as her doctoral thesis at Columbia. Employees of the French publishing house Editions des Femmes held an impromptu gathering Thursday when they learned of her death, sharing memories of a woman who came regularly to Paris for more than 40 years to share ideas and plan out activism. "She was a pioneer, a pillar of global feminism ... a true creator," said longtime friend Catherine Guyot at the publishing house. "We were not always in agreement. We talked about going beyond feminism ... but she always discussed with pleasure." Millett was honored several times late in life. In 2012, she was given the Pioneer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation and the same year was presented a Courage Award for the Arts prize by her longtime friend Yoko Ono. Millett was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2013 and, in her acceptance speech, reflected on her years as an activist. "The happiness of those times, the joy of participation, the excitement of being part of my own time, of living on the edge, of being so close to events you can almost intuit them. To raise one's voice in protest, just as the protest is expressed in life, in the streets, in relationships and friendships," she said. "Then, in a moment of public recognition, the face of the individual becomes a woman's face." Steinem said Millett's ashes would be brought home but information about memorial arrangements was not immediately available. Mexico City: The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Mexico has risen to 32, the governor of the southern state of Oaxaca said Friday. Alejandro Murat told local television that 17 of the deaths were recorded in the southeastern town of Juchitan. In Juchitan "there are collapsed houses with people inside," Luis Felipe, the federal civil protection coordinator, told Televisa TV. The neighboring state of Chiapas reported seven people dead. Authorities have warned that the death toll could rise in the southern area of Tabasco, where two children were killed. The quake hit offshore in the Pacific at 11:49 pm (0449 GMT) about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the coastal town of Tonala in far southern Chiapas state, Mexico's seismologic service said. "It was a major earthquake in scale and magnitude, the strongest in the past 100 years," said President Enrique Pena Nieto in an address from the National Disaster Prevention Center's headquarters, where he was supervising the emergency response. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude slightly lower, at 8.1. That is the same as a devastating 1985 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people in Mexico City, the country's most destructive ever. In the capital, people ran out of buildings, many in their pajamas, after hearing warning sirens go off just before midnight (0500 GMT Friday). "Not another one. God, please no," said one woman, falling to her knees to pray. "I was driving when the ground started to shake. The car was wobbling," said Cristian Rodriguez, a 28-year-old Uber driver in Mexico City. The quake shook a large swath of the country and was felt as far north as Mexico City, some 800 kilometers from the epicenter, where people ran from their homes as buildings trembled and swayed. Authorities initially declared a tsunami alert stretching all the way south to Ecuador, but lifted it several hours later. Officials said four people were killed in Chiapas, near the epicenter. In neighboring Tabasco state, two children were killed, the governor said. One was crushed by a collapsing wall. The other, an infant on a respirator, died after the quake triggered a power outage. The worst destruction appeared to be in Juchitan, in the state of Oaxaca, where 10 people were killed, according to the head of the emergency response agency, Ricardo de la Cruz. Officials said the death toll there could rise. "There are houses that collapsed with people inside," Luis Felipe Puente, the agency's director general, told TV news channel Milenio. A hotel also collapsed in Juchitan, the town hall partly caved in and many houses were badly damaged. Tsunami alert lifted Pena Nieto said 50 million of Mexico's 120 million people felt the quake. It was also felt in much of Guatemala, which borders Chiapas. Mexican officials ordered schools to remain closed Friday in 11 states, including Mexico City, so they could inspect for structural damage. The quake struck at a depth of 69.7 kilometers, according to the USGS. Initially, authorities issued a tsunami alert for a huge stretch of coastline starting in central Mexico and spanning Central America all the way down to Ecuador. It was later lifted, but Mexico remained on alert for aftershocks. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had originally said a tsunami of more than three meters (10 feet) was possible. In the end, the quake caused rough seas but no tsunami, officials said. Since the 1985 earthquake, Mexican authorities have instituted a stricter building code and developed an alert system using sensors placed on the coasts. Mexico sits atop five tectonic plates, whose movement makes it one of the most seismically active countries in the world. United Nations: The United States is determined to have a vote at the UN Security Council on Monday on imposing tough new sanctions against North Korea despite resistance from China and Russia, UN diplomats have said. Washington has presented a draft UN resolution calling for an oil embargo on North Korea, an assets freeze on Kim Jong-Un, a ban on textiles and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. UN diplomats did not rule out the possibility that China or Russia could veto the measure, but stressed that the US administration had launched a major push to win approval. "The US intent is so strong on this issue and clearly they are throwing a lot at this," said a Security Council diplomat. "I would expect the central scenario to be that they throw anything they have to throw at it to have it voted on Monday," he said. The council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he expected negotiations on the draft resolution to lead to some changes that could address Russian and Chinese concerns. China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi cut short a visit with other council envoys to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa to return to New York and take part in negotiations on the draft text. Russia's Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia this week said a vote on Monday would be "a little premature." The United States wants tough sanctions to be imposed to maximise pressure on Pyongyang to come to the table and negotiate an end to its nuclear and missile tests. The proposed raft of sanctions would be the toughest-ever imposed on North Korea and seek to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test. Britain backed the measures, saying the sanctions resolution was "a proportionate response to North Korea's illegal and reckless behavior." "To give a chance for diplomacy to end this crisis, we need DPRK to change course now. That means the maximum possible pressure," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. UN diplomats said that a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on North Korea could be held during the high-level debate of the General Assembly starting on 19 September. Riyadh: A Saudi-led bloc of Arab states hostile to Qatar took aim Friday at Kuwaiti mediation and maintained a tough line even after US president Donald Trump offered to help resolve the crisis. Saudi Arabia led the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain in cutting ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of bankrolling Islamist extremist groups and of being too close to Iran. They also shut down air, maritime and land links and imposed economic sanctions on Qatar. The gas-rich emirate denies the claims and accuses the four countries of attacking its sovereignty. In Washington on Thursday, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a key figure involved in mediation attempts, met Trump and gave an upbeat assessment of his efforts so far. At a joint news conference with the emir, Trump offered his own mediation in the three-month crisis, the worst to have gripped the Gulf region in decades. "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters. "I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," he said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." But in a statement early Friday, the Saudi-led bloc showed no signs of backing down as it questioned the Kuwaiti emir's statement that Qatar would be willing to accept their 13 demands. "Dialogue on the implementation of the demands should not be preceded by any conditions," they said in the joint statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The demands include shutting Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera, closing a Turkish military base in the emirate and downgrading Qatari diplomatic ties with Iran. 'Lack of seriousness' The bloc also voiced "regret" about the Kuwaiti ruler's statement "on the success of mediation in stopping military intervention". Instead, the four Arab states stressed that "the military option has not been and will not be considered" under any circumstances. "Setting preconditions for dialogue confirms Qatar's lack of seriousness in dialogue, combating and financing terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of countries," they said. In remarks aired on the Al-Jazeera network, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani rejected the Saudi-led bloc's 13 demands. Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator in the crisis, while the United States has given mixed signals on its policy. Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Trump, who chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May, two weeks before the crisis erupted, immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia. Some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have adopted a more measured tone. Tillerson and Sheikh Mohammed announced in July they had signed an agreement to fight terrorism, built on decisions made at a Riyadh summit in May to "wipe terrorism from the face of the Earth". The White House said Trump had spoken Thursday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, emphasising the need for all sides to honour commitments made at the Riyadh summit on "defeating terrorism, cutting off funding for terrorist groups, and combating extremist ideology". Qatar hosts a huge US air base, home to the headquarters of Centcom the regional command which leads operations against the Islamic State jihadist group. Last month Qatari and US paratroopers held a joint training exercise which American officials said reinforced "the enduring military-to-military" partnership between the two countries. Sheikh Tamim is set to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks on 15 September, in what will be his first trip to a western capital since the crisis began. Johannesburg: South Africa's outspoken Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday castigated Aung San Suu Kyi over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims and urged her to intervene in the crisis. The United Nations on Thursday said that nearly 164,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh over the past two weeks in the wake of a massive security sweep and alleged atrocities by the country's security forces and Buddhist mobs against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi, feted for her years of peaceful opposition to Myanmar's junta rulers, has been urged to speak up for the Rohingya, with Muslim nations and the UN leading condemnation of her government. Tutu, who helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa and became the moral voice of the nation, joined in the condemnation. "If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep," Tutu said in a statement. "It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain," he said noting that "the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread." "As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again... For you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people," said Tutu. Witnesses in Myanmar's Rakhine state say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Dhaka: The surge in the exodus of Rohingyas will affect Myanmar's dignity, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said and asked the international community to mount pressure on the neighbouring country to deescalate the violence. Hasina's remarks came a day after Bangladesh asked the United Nations to intervene to send back Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. "It affects a country's dignity when tens of thousands of its own national are fleeing home to take refuge outside," Hasina said during a meeting of her ruling Awami Leagues policy making central working committee. Hasina on Thursday told visiting Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan and foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that Bangladesh sheltered the Rohingyas "completely on humanitarian ground". "International community must take the responsibility," she said. New York/Karachi: In another jolt to Pakistan, the US has shut down the country's largest lender Habib Bank's operations in New York and slapped a fine of $225 million for its failure to comply with laws aimed to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other illicit financial transactions. The action against the Karachi-based Habib Bank comes days after US president Donald Trump said Pakistan provided safe havens to terrorists attacking US and Afghan troops. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had also warned Pakistan that it could lose its status as a 'major US ally' and military aid suspended if it continued to back terror groups. The US Department of Financial Services (DFS), a regulator of foreign banks in the country, said the decision follows a 2016 examination that found weaknesses in the bank's risk management and compliance and the bank's failure to undertake extensive remedial actions required by a 2015 consent order. "The DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this State and the financial system as a whole," said Financial Services Superintendent Maria T Vullo. "The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so," Vullo said. She said the DFS will not let Habib Bank "sneak out" of the United States without holding it accountable for putting the integrity of the financial services industry and the safety of the country at risk. According to a statement issued by the DFS, the New York branch of Habib Bank has continued to fail to comply with a 2006 agreement that arose out of "significant deficiencies" identified within the bank's compliance with economic sanctions laws and with its anti-money laundering compliance, including the Bank Secrecy Act. "Violations of the 2006 agreement and New York Banking law have occurred almost every year since 2006. DFS's actions today ensure that this misconduct will not continue anymore," the release said. Habib Bank is Pakistan's largest bank, with $1 billion in total revenues in 2016, and $24 billion in total assets. The New York branch of Habib Bank has been licensed by DFS since 1978, the DFS release said. The Habib Bank had already agreed to surrender its licence to operate a branch in New York and unwind its operations there, Dawn newspaper reported. The fine of $225 million, which is the largest ever imposed upon a Pakistani bank by regulatory authorities, has to be paid within 14 days. The amount is large, but still far smaller than the $630 million that the regulator had earlier assessed, it said. Meanwhile, the Habib Bank's senior management remained confident that the episode will soon be a passing affair. "All charges have been dropped following this consent order," a senior bank officer who did not wish to be identified said. "Obviously we will have to take this on our books this year. Our capital is strong enough. The underlying business remains strong. HBL agreed to the settlement as protracted litigation was not in the interest of the bank or the country. The charges were not proven, and they have been dismissed," the official said. Washington: President Donald Trump has reiterated that military action is "certainly" an option against North Korea, as his administration tentatively concurred with the pariah nation's claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb. A senior administration official said the US was still assessing last weekend's underground explosion but so far noted nothing inconsistent with Pyongyang's claim. If confirmed, that would mark a major advance in its demonstrated ability to build high-yield nuclear weapons. Hydrogen bombs have the potential to be far stronger than simpler fission bombs like those used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States at the end of World War II. The nuclear test, North Korea's sixth since 2006, came on the heels of its groundbreaking launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles in July that pushed it closer to proving an ability to achieve a long-cherished goal: to have a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike America. "Military action would certainly be an option," Trump told a White House news conference when he was asked about the possibility after meeting the leader of Kuwait. "I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen." Pressed on whether he could accept a scenario in which the isolated nation had nukes but was "contained and deterred," Trump demurred. "I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations. I don't talk about them. But I can tell you North Korea is behaving badly and it's got to stop," he said. The long-standing objective of the US and its allies, as well as China and Russia, has been to seek the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula although the chances of realising that goal have diminished as the North has advanced its nuclear program. Pyongyang likely views its arsenal as a guarantee against its overthrow. The administration official played down the significance of Trump not ruling out the possibility of a nuclear North Korea, saying it runs counter to his past views on the issue. The official said the comments reflected the president's desire to keep his cards close to his chest on issues of national security. The official, who was briefing reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the administration, said the United States remains focused on building international pressure on North Korea rather than seeking talks. The United States is currently urging new and tougher UN sanctions, including a ban on all oil and natural gas exports to North Korea, in response to the nuclear test. US officials say such restrictions could have a major impact on North Korea's military and industrial economy as it lacks its own oil resources. However, the main provider of the North's oil, China, is likely to oppose such a restriction in the UN Security Council, where it wields a veto as it fears a regime collapse on its border. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. (Reuters) - A former Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) financial analyst pleaded guilty on Thursday to insider trading for tipping a former college fraternity brother about the retailer's quarterly results before they were made public. Authorities said Brett Kennedy gave fellow University of Washington alumnus Maziar Rezakhani nonpublic information from Amazon's database, showing that the retailer would lose less money and report higher revenue for the first quarter of 2015 than Wall Street expected, in exchange for $10,000 cash. In a related civil case, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Rezakhani made $115,997 trading Amazon shares based on the April 2015 tip, after posting the results on Internet message boards and boasting that the "numbers are so obvious" that a "5 year old can guess what they will do." Rezakhani was sentenced in March to five years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges in a separate case. U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes in Seattle said Kennedy pleaded guilty to securities fraud in the federal court in that city. Kennedy, 26, of Blaine, Washington, faces up to 20 years in prison at his Dec. 8 sentencing, but prosecutors will recommend that he serve no more than a year and a day. He agreed to pay $10,875 to settle with the SEC. "Mr. Kennedy was little more than a kid (24) at the time of the incident," his lawyer Chris Black said in an statement. "He exercised very poor judgment in this case but it was a one-time incident. ... He has taken responsibility for his actions and looks forward to putting this chapter in his life behind him." The SEC also charged Rezakhani and his former investment adviser Sam Sadeghi, who the regulator said discussed the tip with Kennedy and Rezakhani, and hoped to eventually start a New York hedge fund with Rezakhani. Sadeghi, 28, agreed to pay $24,215 to settle with the SEC, without admitting wrongdoing. Contact information for his lawyer was not immediately available. Rezakhani, also 28, pleaded guilty in July 2016 to mail fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return after being accused of defrauding Apple Inc AAPL.O, a small bank and various shippers in connection with his iPhone resale business. A lawyer for Rezakhani did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) A data breach exposed the personal information of 143 million U.S. consumers, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses, the credit bureau Equifax disclosed Thursday. The breach, which the company discovered in late July, also exposed the credit card numbers of 209,000 consumers and personal information from credit dispute documents of approximately 182,000 people. The companys consumer credit reporting databases were not impacted. This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do, Chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith said in a statement. I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes. Equifax says it will offer free credit monitoring to all U.S. consumers for one year and will notify consumers through the mail whose credit card numbers or dispute documents were exposed. This data breach almost certainly will rank among the largest in U.S. history, leaving millions of Americans at risk for identity theft. How it happened Hackers exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to personal information between mid-May and July, the credit bureau said. After discovering the breach, Equifax commissioned an independent cybersecurity firm to stop the attack, determine the specific data that was stolen and provide direction to prevent future attacks. The company did not say why it waited until September to disclose the attack to the public. What you should do Equifax has set up a website where you can check to see if your personal information was potentially impacted. Users are prompted to enter their last name and the last six digits of their Social Security number. Equifax says providing that information is enough for the company to alert you whether your personal data may have been exposed. Regardless, the credit bureau says it will provide everyone the option to enroll for free in its TrustedID Premier service, which includes credit monitoring at all three major credit bureaus, copies of Equifax credit reports, the ability to lock and unlock Equifax credit reports, identity theft insurance and internet scanning for Social Security numbers. Consider a credit freeze Even so, what Equifax is offering may not go far enough to protect you from identity theft. The best way to protect yourself is to enact a credit freeze, also called a security freeze, on your credit reports at all three major reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. A credit freeze blocks consumers credit reports from being shared with potential new creditors. Without a credit report, most lenders wont open a new line of credit. Enacting a credit freeze is a more proactive approach to securing your information than using credit monitoring services, which simply detect fraud but dont necessarily prevent it. Everyone should assume their information has been compromised, says Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com. With so many breaches in the past, you cant be sure your personal data is safe. The best action you can take is a credit freeze. Consumers can temporarily remove the freeze when they want to buy a house or take out an auto loan and then enable it again once they have been approved. Additional measures Along with preventing future theft, its important to make sure your information hasnt already been used to hack into existing accounts or to create new ones. You should: Scrutinize all credit card and bank statements. Take note of small, but suspicious, charges. Thieves may charge small amounts to see if account holders notice and, if not, will continue using the card. Check your credit report from all three credit bureaus. This will help you determine if unauthorized accounts have been opened in your name. Some retailers and companies, such as cell phone carriers, might not require a credit report to open a new account, thus bypassing the protection of the credit freeze. This is where your credit report comes in handy. Bankrate offers a complimentary TransUnion credit report you can access at any time. Refrain from giving out personal information over the phone or through email. In the wake of an event like this, criminals might take advantage of peoples fear and vulnerability. Also, be wary of clicking on links within emails. Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said that its sales in China fell 1% in August from a year ago, as its mainstream models continued to struggle against newer competition from both domestic Chinese and global automakers. A quick note: How Ford is organized in China Ford's operation in China can be confusing to those who haven't followed it closely. In a nutshell, the vehicles Ford sells in China fall into four categories: Vehicles built by Ford's joint venture with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile (called Changan Ford or CAF). These are Ford-brand cars and SUVs, most (but not all) of which would be familiar to Americans. Vehicles built by a joint venture called JMC, owned by Ford and Chinese truck maker Jiangling Motors. JMC builds the Ford Transit van line, the Ford Everest SUV, and a line of light trucks sold under the Yusheng and JMC brand names. Ford-brand vehicles imported into China from elsewhere (including the United States). These include the Mustang, the Explorer, the F-150 Raptor, and the ST and RS performance versions of the Focus. Lincoln-brand vehicles, all of which are currently imported into China from North America. What's hurting Ford: Sales of mainstream models are slowing Ford has had an up and down year in China. Through August, its sales in China are down 6%. But the big drop has come with the products produced by CAF, which are down 16% year to date as a group. Those products include many of Ford's familiar passenger vehicles: the Focus, Fusion (called the Mondeo in China), EcoSport, Escape (called the Kuga in China), and Edge. In addition, there are two Fords in the CAF lineup that are unique to China: the Escort, an affordable compact sedan based on the last-generation Focus; and the Taurus, a new full-size sedan (different from the U.S.-market Taurus) that is mechanically related to the Fusion and the new Lincoln Continental. Sales of the group fell 8% last month. The Focus offers a good example of what has been happening. Small cars are big sellers in China, and the current Focus was very popular when it was first launched in China as a premium alternative to mass-market models. But more recently, its sales have faded: Sales fell 19% to 13,393 in August. Year to date, Focus sales are down 20%. What's going on? Simply put, China's market moves very quickly, and the Focus is now old news. To Chinese eyes, it's starting to look dated next to new models like Honda's (NYSE: HMC) recently revamped Civic. Honda sold 14,315 Civics in China in August, up 67% from a year ago -- outselling the Focus. That's happening across the line. Note that while Ford struggled again in August, rival General Motors' (NYSE: GM) sales in China rose 12% on strong sales of several recently launched crossover SUVs. Ford is doing better with commercial vehicles and Lincolns Sales of Ford's Transit vans have flagged this year, but JMC as a whole is doing quite well, thanks in part to an affordable pickup model marketed under the JMC brand. The venture's sales were up 10% last month; they're up 16% to date. Lincoln is also doing well: Ford sold 5,240 Lincolns in China last month, more than double its year-ago total. Sales of the midsize MKZ sedan, compact MKC crossover, and midsize MKX crossover were all up strongly from a year ago, while the new Navigator SUV is proving popular. And in a surprise, Lincoln sold more Continentals in China in August (996) than it did in the U.S. (816). Ford sold 1,586 imported Ford-brand vehicles in China in August. That's a small number, but it was up 25% from a year ago -- and these are high-profit products. Of note: Sales of the big Ford Explorer crossover SUV rose 4%, to 1,098. The upshot: Ford has work to do, here It's not clear what Ford can do to boost its sales in China in the near term, aside from cutting prices (at the expense of profits -- and its pricing power down the road). Ford's equity income from CAF and JMC was down 34% last quarter, and it may be down again when Ford reports third-quarter results next month. Fresh products are what Ford most needs to get back on a growth track in China. Those will come, but -- aside from a revamped EcoBoost, set to launch shortly -- it may take a while. Until they arrive, sales growth may be scarce for Ford in China. 10 stocks we like better than FordWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Ford wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017 John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. In the wake of a massive cyber-attack on consumer credit reporting agency Equifax, 143 million Americans personal information has been compromised and that could be problematic for Richard Smith, the companys CEO of 12 years. It does go to the top, it goes to the CEO, crisis expert Brian Tierney, CEO of Brian Communications, told FOX Business. Youre looking at the CEO and saying, how did this happen, what are the standards they have in place? Data breaches havent necessarily led to management shifts at other large companies, notably Yahoo and Target. However, there are a couple of complicating factors for Smith and Equifax. Just days after the company said it detected the breach on July 29, three executives from the company including the chief financial officer sold a combined $1.8 million in stock. In a statement, the company said the executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." However, some believe the timing is suspicious. We are deeply concerned Equifax executives were apparently selling stock after they were aware of breach, but before it was reported publicly, Ben Meiselas, attorney with Geragos & Geragos one of the law firms that filed a proposed class-action suit on Thursday told FOX Business on Friday. Additionally, the company faced another public relations nightmare as it attempted to aid hack victims. The service it offered to help customers determine whether they had been impacted required them to implicitly agree to a clause stipulating that they would not join a class-action lawsuit in the event that they had been victimized. Equifax has placed a stealth arbitration clause, which waives the victims right to sue, Meiselas said. By checking the Equifax site if you are a victim and entering your information binds a consumer to a complex arbitration scheme. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) also chimed in on the issue, saying it was shameful that Equifax would take advantage of victims by forcing people to sign over their rights in order to get credit monitoring services they wouldnt even need if Equifax hadnt put them at risk in the first place. House Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) announced on Friday that his committee would be holding a hearing to investigate the hack, though a date has not yet been set. Tierney said all of these factors turned what could have essentially been a one day news story into a larger problem for Equifax. But the best way Smith can avoid personal career fallout and more negative media attention is to take control of the conversation, said personal brand expert Seth Price. Rick Smith needs to bang the drum about the severity of this breach and the vulnerability of our government and financial institutions. That conversation cannot be driven by third parties, he needs to own it, Price told FOX Business. The Atlanta-based credit reporting firm announced on Thursday hackers accessed customer accounts between May and July, including Social Security and drivers license numbers, as well as other sensitive information. The company said it knew about the breach on July 29. Equifax did not return FOX Business multiple requests for comment Friday. Equifax (NYSE:EFX) says that three company executives who sold stock just days after the company discovered a major security breach were not aware of the hack at the time. On Thursday, the company disclosed a cyberattack that ran from mid-May to July. The attack exposed the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information of about 143 million Americans. Equifax said it detected the hack on July 29. On Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, Equifax Chief Financial Officer John Gamble and two other executives, Rodolfo Ploder and Joseph Loughran, sold a combined $1.8 million in stock. In a statement, the company said the executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." Production is slowly growing at GE Aviation's jet engine factory in western Indiana, though much of the $110 million plant is quiet two years after it opened. The Lafayette plant has 87 employees and produces about six engines a week for passenger airliners, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported . The plant produces the Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion engine, which has a backlog of more than 14,000 orders. The new engine for single-aisle commercial aircraft is designed to be more fuel-efficient. The company initially planned to have 200 workers by 2018, but it now aims to have 230 workers by 2019 and produce five engines a day by 2020. Company officials said the plant faces hurdles in finding qualified workers. Most employees are aircraft mechanics credentialed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Credentialing can take about two years of schooling or equivalent military experience, said Lafayette site leader Eric Matteson. The company has gone to local schools such as Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University for new hires. It also is now recruiting at other schools and military bases. "Our first few waves of technicians came straight from the local market, but after that we needed to start branching out," Matteson said. The plant likely won't expand larger than 400 employees, Matteson said. "The days of the big campuses, at least for General Electric, are gone," he said. Matteson said the plant currently focuses on engine assembly but will shift to providing more maintenance and repair services in 2020, in order to keep the facility relevant in the decades to come. ___ Information from: Indianapolis Business Journal, http://www.ibj.com When they first boarded the Norwegian Escape a week ago, passengers knew exactly where they were going. Now they have no idea. The cruise ship, with about 4,000 guests on board, departed from Miami on Saturday, Sept. 2, and was scheduled to return a week later, after making stops in Honduras, Belize and Mexico. The boat made it to the Honduran island of Roatan on Monday and Belize the following day. But on Tuesday, passengers were told that their ports of call at Mexico's Cozumel island and the Costa Maya had been canceled. The dangerous and powerful Hurricane Irma, which had carved a path of death and destruction across a string of Caribbean islands, was headed straight for Florida, home to a fair number of passengers on the ship. Many of those passengers had already switched from relaxation to disaster-preparation mode, and were eager to get home to secure their belongings and ensure the safety of their pets. Michael Davis, who lives near the water in St. Augustine, Florida, was one of them. "Once they said, 'We're heading back,' then the mood shifted from vacation time to, 'Alright, let's get home and get it taken care of,'" said Davis, 42. But there was only a short window of time to drop them off before it would be too dangerous to dock in Miami. So the ship arrived in port Thursday afternoon, two days early, allowing hundreds of passengers to disembark. Hundreds more had no reason to get off, however, and knew that competing with Florida residents evacuating the state ahead of the storm for rental cars and flights was a losing proposition. So they chose a second option: a "cruise to nowhere." The Escape headed back out to sea Thursday evening, with a new manifest of about 4,000 that included both some of the original passengers as well as some fellow travelers who disembarked early from a separate ship called the Norwegian Sky. They, too, had decided to prolong their seagoing adventures. The cruisers have no idea where they are headed or when they will return. A lot of it, they were told, would be up to Irma: which path she decides to take and how long she will linger. "We said to guests that we cannot confirm when or where you'll be coming back, but obviously we'll make every effort to return the ship to port as soon as it's safe to do so," said Norwegian Cruise Line spokeswoman Vanessa Picariello. Picariello said the ship "is heading west," but she did not have a more precise route. She said the ship will try to make a port of call if it's safe to do so "but if not, guests will enjoy a cruise to nowhere and be able to be safe and out of the storm." Picariello added that the ship plans to return to Miami, but that cruise officials will look into alternate ports if the one in Miami is damaged by the hurricane. Margaret Cunningham of Battle Ground, Washington, said she decided to stay on board with her husband, Mike, after the captain assured them the ship could avoid Irma and even outrun a hurricane. "They've been very clear that they're not going to run out of food. They're not going to run out of water. They're not going to run out of booze very important and so we're just going to stay on and enjoy the ride," said Cunningham, 65, who is recently retired. Barbara Engel, who could not get a flight home to Dallas, said she believed staying on the ship was her best option. "I've got everything here and more than I would want, and we can run" from the storm if necessary, Engel, 49, said shortly before the ship pulled into port in Miami on Thursday. "So really, all told, I think I'm in the best place I can be at this time." Debbie Kendrick, of Courtland, Ohio, said she has enjoyed the cruise, even if she hasn't slept quite as well because she doesn't know when or where it will end. "I appreciate that the cruise line wants to keep us safe," she said. "They're not just dropping us off." ___ Associated Press Airlines Writer David Koenig contributed to this report. The Latest on a federal audit over a massive California water project (all times local): 1:30 p.m. An influential California water district is defending a multimillion-dollar financial arrangement that a new U.S. audit criticizes. The review by the U.S. Interior Department inspector general says the Bureau of Reclamation improperly gave $84 million in federal taxpayer funding to help pay for planning for two giant tunnels that would carry California water from north to south. The audit says state law and the existing agreement on the project requires water districts to bear the costs. Westlands Water District general manager Thomas Birmingham said Friday that he knew of nothing about the arrangement that was inconsistent with state or federal law. Birmingham says that under federal law, water districts that would benefit from the tunnels have to repay the taxpayer money only if the project is built. ___ 9:45 a.m. A new federal audit says the U.S. government improperly spent $84 million to help plan for California's massive proposed water project. The audit by the inspector general's office of the U.S. Interior Department obtained by The Associated Press Friday says federal officials contributed the taxpayer money to Gov. Jerry Brown's plans to build two giant water tunnels. The audit says that California water districts and not federal taxpayers were supposed to bear the costs of the $16 billion water project. The inspector general says federal authorities also did not fully disclose to Congress or others that it was covering much of the cost of the project's planning. The project would ship Northern California water to Southern California Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, drove toward Florida on Friday after lashing the Caribbean with devastating winds and torrential rain, killing 19 people and leaving a swathe of catastrophic destruction. In Palm Beach, the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate owned by U.S. President Donald Trump was ordered evacuated, media reported. Trump also owns property on the French side of St. Martin, an island devastated by the storm. In Miami, hundreds lined up for bottled water and cars looped around city blocks to buy gas on Thursday. Shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. Irma hit the Bahamas on Friday, where it was forecast to bring 20-foot (six-meter) storm surges before moving to Cuba and then slamming into southern Florida on Sunday. The "extremely dangerous" hurricane was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 early Friday but still packed winds as strong as 150 miles per hour (240 km per hour), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory at 8 a.m EDT (noon GMT). Irma was about 450 miles (724 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, early Friday after saturating the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and pummeling the Turks and Caicos Islands. A mandatory evacuation on Georgia's Atlantic coast was due to begin on Saturday, Governor Nathan Deal said. The storm comes two weeks after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, claiming around 60 lives and causing property damage estimated at as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Irma ravaged a series of small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, flattening homes and hospitals and ripping down trees. A Reuters witness described the roof and walls of a solidly built house shaking hard as the storm rocked the island of Providenciales and caused a drop in pressure that could be felt in people's chests. Throughout the islands in Irma's wake, stunned locals tried to comprehend the devastation as they were getting ready for another major hurricane, Jose, a Category 3 due to reach the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday. DEATHS RISE The death toll from the storm has risen as emergency services got access to remote areas pummeled by heavy winds and rain. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on Friday that nine people were killed and at least seven were missing after the hurricane crashed into France's Caribbean islands of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy. "One hundred and twelve people were injured," Collomb said, adding there could be more victims. Four people died in the U.S. Virgin islands, a government spokesman said, and a major hospital was badly damaged by the wind. A U.S. amphibious assault ship arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday and sent helicopters for medical evacuations from the destroyed hospital. A man was reported missing after trying to cross a river in Cerca La Source in Haiti's Central Plateau region. On Barbuda one person died and the eastern Caribbean island was reduced "to rubble," Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla, another person was killed and the hospital and airport were damaged, emergency service officials said. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and around two-thirds of the population had lost electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm rolled by the U.S. territory's northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. The storm passed just to the north of the island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing damage to roofs, flooding and power outages as it approached the impoverished Haitian side, but did not make landfall there. . Cuba evacuated some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the northern coast. In Caibarien, a coastal town in the hurricane's predicted path, residents headed farther inland. Irma is the strongest hurricane recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. (Reporting by Makini Brice in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Bate Felix and Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Dan Flynn; Editing by Larry King and Jeffrey Benkoe) The worlds largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger NV (NYSE:SLB), is spending billions of dollars buying stakes in its customers oil and gas projects - investing in the same ventures it supplies with equipment and expertise. The new business model gives Schlumberger a say in drilling decisions, oilfield management and even on hiring other Schlumberger units for service contracts, the company has told investors. The expanded operational authority saves Schlumberger from bidding for each of the many jobs that typically require separate contracts on a large drilling project - effectively locking out the firms competitors. Schlumbergers gamble could upend the service business model throughout the industry, as rivals including General Electric Cos (NYSE:GE) unit Baker Hughes say they are considering whether to adopt similar strategies. The model can supercharge profits on a given job but also ramps up risk, giving the firm more exposure to global oil price swings and potentially big losses if individual projects fail. The downsides have some analysts questioning whether the traditionally conservative firm is taking on too many speculative projects too quickly. Schlumberger already has taken hundreds of millions in write-downs or impairments on some of these joint ventures, according to its financial filings. Traditionally, oil producers manage the risk and make the financial and operational decisions on projects; they pay service providers a fee to carry out individual jobs. Firms such as Schlumberger typically supply a wide variety of services, such as well design, along with technology and staff to run rigs. Schlumberger declined to make executives available for interviews and did not respond to written questions about its production business. Despite early setbacks, Schlumberger has committed cash to growing the division, called Schlumberger Production Management, since its launch in 2011. Last year, it generated $1.4 billion in revenue. It had investment of $2.6 billion as of June 30, Schlumberger Executive Vice President Patrick Schorn told investors earlier this summer. The companys investments have the firm co-managing about 230,000 barrels a day of oil and gas output at the end of 2016 - about as much as one of the largest U.S. independent producers, Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD). This year, the company stepped up the financing role, opening a standalone investment fund to provide financing for the ventures. The company has not disclosed the size of the fund. Such ventures require a breadth of skills and a tolerance for risk generally found at large integrated oil companies such as Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) and Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM). Two of Schlumbergers newest partnerships - a deepwater liquefied natural gas project off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and an Argentina shale development with YPF SA - involve decision-making and operational authority similar to that typically held by multinational oil producers. In June, Schlumberger agreed to invest $700 million in an oil exploration project with Nigerian National Petroleum Corp and First Exploration & Production that would require global oil prices of between $50 to $60 a barrel to achieve a 20 percent profit, research house Bernstein estimated in a report published in July. Current prices are struggling to break out of the bottom of that range. Competing with customers As Schlumbergers production business has grown, it has negotiated deals that include equity in oil and gas fields and as well as deals that give the firm payment based on oil and gas output, according to interviews with customers, partners, investors and former Schlumberger executives. Schlumberger this year agreed to contribute $390 million for a 49 percent stake in a venture with YPF in Argentinas Vaca Muerta shale field, which has attracted international oil firms including Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDSA). Schlumberger Chief Executive Paal Kibsgaard has downplayed the potential for its production business to compete with its own oil company customers. He described the enterprise as a new avenue for project investments alongside our customers in remarks to investors in April. Schorn also insisted this spring that the business is not significantly changing the risk profile ... the biggest risk remains the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry. 'Capability and cash' Investors say Schlumberger, which held $6.22 billion in cash and short-term investments at June 30, is strong enough to handle any increased risks and the price volatility of its investments in long-term projects. As both project manager and service provider, Schlumberger also has an enviable level of control over operations, said Mike Breard of Dallas-based wealth management firm Hodges Capital, which invests in oilfield service companies. I like the long-term aspect of it the fact that they are telling frack crews where to work, and using their own equipment more efficiently than might be used by some other operator, he said. British-based natural gas explorer Sound Energy PLC was happy to give Schlumberger full rights to the service contracts on drilling projects in Morocco in exchange for a Schlumberger investment amounting to 27 percent of total costs, said the chief of British-based natural gas explorer. Schlumberger will get 27.5 percent of revenue from the oil produced. Were smaller and entrepreneurial. Schlumberger has the technical capability and cash. Thats the nature of the partnership, Sound CEO James Parsons said in an interview. The duo has completed three wells in Morocco and plans to drill three more by year end. Its a $50 [million] or $60 million bet for them so far, Parsons said. Schlumbergers appetite for these ventures is spurring rivals to consider similar financing and services deals. Baker Hughes recently agreed to provide about $10 million in financing to Twinza Oils first offshore gas field in Papua New Guinea, supplying the cash to prove the merits of the field. It allows Twinza to have success in going out to raise financing, Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said. Baker Hughes will not take a stake in the oilfield, unlike some of Schlumbergers joint investments with producers. Risk and loss In 2014 and 2015, Schlumberger took nearly $400 million in combined write-offs on oil production investments, including an Eagle Ford shale field in south Texas that struggled after oil prices crashed. It also is owed about $900 million by Ecuador. In July, the South American country said it had negotiated a payment plan that includes an expanded contract that has Schlumberger agreeing to invest another $1 billion in the venture. Schlumberger hasnt commented on the South American nations disclosure. It previously acknowledged taking Ecuadorian bonds in lieu of cash for $150 million in bills. It also previously estimated its investment in the projects at up to $4.9 billion over 20 years. The write downs have stirred some on Wall Street to question whether Schlumberger should take more conservative path with its oil production partnerships. The firms production division used to focus on production management of well understood low-risk oil fields, said Colin Davies, a Bernstein oilfield services analyst. Now it has expanded into frankly somewhat more speculative ventures. Oil prices slid on Friday, with U.S. crude down more than 3 percent on worries that commerce and energy demand in Florida and the Southeast would be hit hard as Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms in a century, drove toward the region. Irma, the second major hurricane to approach the United States in two weeks, has already killed 14 and destroyed islands in the Caribbean. Its predecessor, Harvey, shut a quarter of U.S. refineries and 8 percent of U.S. oil production, with crude prices slumping as widespread refinery outages sharply reduced demand for crude. It will take weeks for the U.S. petroleum industry to return to full capacity, analysts said. In the case of Irma, analysts are more worried that devastation wrought by the storm could sharply reduce demand for energy. U.S. light crude oil was down $1.53 or 3.12 percent at $47.56 a barrel by 1:47 p.m. EDT (1747 GMT). Brent crude was down 67 cents or 1.2 percent to $53.82 a barrel after reaching its highest level since April at $54.80. Both benchmarks remained on track for slight weekly gains. "Hurricanes can have a lasting effect on refinery and industry demand," said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. U.S. oil output fell almost 8 percent because of Harvey, from 9.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to 8.8 million bpd, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). But Irma is headed away from the heart of U.S. oil production. "Irma looks like it will miss the key Gulf areas, and we're more worried about shale," said Mark Watkins, regional investment manager at U.S. Bank. Port and refinery closures along the Gulf coast and harsh sea conditions in the Caribbean have hit shipping. "Imports (of oil) to the U.S. Gulf Coast fell to levels not seen since the 1990s," ANZ bank said. Hurricane Irma hit the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Friday, heading for Cuba and the Bahamas. It was predicted to reach Florida by Sunday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Irma was a Category 5 hurricane, with wind speeds of 160-185 miles per hours. Hurricane Jose is heading for the Caribbean Leeward islands, which have just been devastated by Irma. U.S. energy firms cut oil rigs for a third time in the past four weeks as a 14-month drilling recovery stalled, with energy firms reducing spending plans in response to falling crude prices. Drillers cut three oil rigs in the week to Sept. 8, bringing the total count down to 756 energy services firm Baker Hughes energy services firm said in its Friday report. (Reporting by Julia Simon in New York, Additional reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Christopher Johnson in London, and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Greg Mahlich and David Gregorio) Cindy Sanchez began to feel ill while barbecuing just before Harvey's torrents started pelting this city just east of Houston, along a corridor with the nation's highest concentration of petrochemical plants. "I started getting really, really bad headaches," said Sanchez, a 32-year-old housewife. "I never get headaches." "My husband's eyes were burning," she said. "He actually had a napkin that was wet over his eyes." The sewage-like stench chased the couple indoors and Sanchez, sick to her stomach, lay down. People complained of headaches, nausea, itchy skin and throats classic symptoms of industrial chemical exposure as plants and refineries raced to burn off compounds that could combust in extreme weather or power loss. Petrochemical corridor residents say air that is bad enough on normal days got worse as Harvey crashed into the nation's fourth-largest city and then yielded the highest ozone pollution so far this year anywhere in Texas. The Houston metro area was ranked 12th in the nation for worst ozone pollution by The American Lung Association this year, although its air was better than the Los Angeles and New York regions. Plants owned by Shell, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and other industry giants reported more than 1.5 million pounds (680 metric tons) of extraordinary emissions over eight days beginning Aug. 23 to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality in Harris County, which encompasses Houston. That amounted to 61 percent of this year's largely unpermitted emissions for the county and five times the amount released in the same period in 2016. Of the known carcinogens released during Harvey, more than 13 tons were benzene. Inhaling it can cause dizziness and even unconsciousness and long-term exposure can trigger leukemia. Asked about the health effects of the dramatic emissions spike, state environmental commission spokeswoman Andrea Morrow said "all measured concentrations were well below levels of health concern" and "local residents should not be concerned about air quality issues related to the effects of the storm." The federal Environmental Protection Agency issued a similar statement. Yet most air monitors were knocked out or offline during Harvey's wrath, making measurement difficult. Texas sets fines low for industrial polluters at $25,000 per day for federal clean air violations. Big plants tend to delay shutdowns for as long as possible when a hurricane is coming then restart quickly afterward triggering another spike in unhealthy emissions, said Daniel Cohan, a Rice University environmental scientist. "These (plants) are three and four decades old, beasts that are meant to operate all the time." Asked if emissions could have been reduced by winding down plant operations sooner, American Petroleum Institute spokesman Reid Porter said: "We are still gathering information and making assessments." Some emissions were triggered by the sheer volume of Harvey's deluge. At an Arkema Inc. plant about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of downtown Houston, organic peroxides rendered unstable by lost refrigeration exploded in flames and cast an acrid plume. At least 18 tons burned after people within a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) radius were evacuated. On Thursday, seven sheriff's deputies and emergency medical responders sued Arkema in state court for gross negligence, claiming fumes from the incident made them vomit and gasp for air. Benzene and other toxins spilled into the air outside the Valero Partners refinery on Houston's east side, as heavy rains damaged a tank's floating roof and invaded a dike. A city health department air monitor downwind of the refinery on Friday registered an alarming level of up to 14,000 parts per billion of volatile organic compounds, some carcinogenic, said department chief scientist Loren Raun, and aerial monitoring continued to detect benzene on Monday. On Sept. 1, Houston registered Texas' worst ozone pollution this year an average of 95 parts per billion (ppb) over eight hours. It was Harris County's first of four straight days of unhealthy ozone levels, exceeding the EPA standard of 70 ppb. By volume, most of Harris County's emissions were sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which break down to fine particles and ozone that all can cause respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma and emphysema, said Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, a health scientist for environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council. Of the dozen plants in Harris County reporting storm-related emissions, Exxon Mobil, Chevron Phillips and Shell Oil have been fined or ordered to pay settlements totaling $27.8 million since 2010 for violating federal environmental laws after suits by The Sierra Club and Environment Texas. A federal judge ordered Exxon Mobil in May to pay most of it $19.9 million for illegal emissions from its Baytown refinery. Exxon Mobil is appealing. The other two companies paid, said Philip Hilder, attorney for the environmental groups. In heavily Latino lower middle-income communities like Pasadena and Galena Park, which sit along the plant and refinery corridor near Houston's seaport, some residents complained of feeling sick during Harvey. Ruben Basurto, who lives two blocks from a petrochemical shipping terminal and refinery, described major flaring as Harvey hit the burning off of volatile byproducts of petrochemical manufacture that sends flames soaring from plant stacks. The air reeked of natural gas, he said, driving him and his friends inside. "It still smelled at midweek, more during the night," said the 33-year-old construction worker. As the storm closed in, Gov. Greg Abbott decreed the temporary suspension of emissions regulations. The state environmental agency's director said Texas law could exempt refineries and chemical plants from state fines and liability for extraordinary releases resulting from "an act of God, war, strike, riot, or other catastrophe. " In Galena Park, mothers in a private Facebook group described sickening odors like "sweet gasoline," raw sewage and thick air. Some in the city of 11,000 with a median household income of $43,000 called 911 but police were too busy to respond, said local environmental activist Juan Flores. "A lot of people are afraid to talk because their husbands work in the plants," said Flores. People in the petrochemical corridor should be provided health screening as a next step in Harvey recovery, said Rotkin-Ellman of the environmental group NRDC. A Harris County pollution control services toxicologist, Latrice Babin, said she was not aware of any special screening. Sanchez's headaches still hadn't gone away on Wednesday. Nor had the sickening smell, she said. She wants to see a doctor, but like many in her neighborhood, she said, Sanchez currently has no health insurance. "I don't even know where I would start." ___ Associated Press data journalist Michelle Minkoff reported from Washington. ___ For complete Harvey coverage, visit https://apnews.com/tag/HurricaneHarvey ___ Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb American Outdoor Brands (NASDAQ:AOBC), the owner of Smith & Wesson, recorded weaker results than expected in its first quarter amid slower sales of its firearms. After a disappointing first quarter, American Outdoor Brands also cut its financial outlook for the current period. Shares plunged 14.3% to $14.51 in recent trading Friday. Gun makers have seen a decline in consumer demand following President Donald Trumps election victory in November 2016. Historically, gun sales go through peaks and valleys driven by gun-control efforts, terrorist attacks and other factors. The FBI has processed fewer background checks in each month since March, an indication of slower sales activity. Sturm Ruger (NYSE:RGR) said demand had cooled off after getting a boost from the election campaigns a year earlier, adding that a pre-election sales boom likely pulled some potential sales from 2017. Hunting and outdoors retailer Cabelas (NYSE:CAB) also disclosed weaker sales of guns and accessories. Like Ruger, American Outdoor Brands noted that a strong 2016 may have stolen sales from 2017. CEO James Debney said a promotion for Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistols led to strong sales in the previous quarter. Overall, the first quarter faced a tough comparison because concerns for personal safety and the potential for increased firearm legislation fueled sales a year ago, according to the company. American Outdoor Brands reported a loss of $2.2 million in the quarter ending July 31, compared to a $35.2 million profit a year earlier. Adjusted earnings, which exclude one-time costs, were 2 cents per share. Analysts were looking for an adjusted profit of 11 cents per share. Revenue dropped 37% to $129 million, which missed an estimate of $147 million. During a conference call with analysts, Debney said recent adjusted background-check dataa measure that excludes non-sales activity like permit applicationsshows that the shopper is starting to return, as one would expect at this time of year. American Outdoor Brands, which also owns brands such as Crimson Trace and Caldwell, now expects to turn in second-quarter earnings of 7 cents to 12 cents per share. Wall Street had forecasted per-share earnings of 30 cents. The Springfield, Massachusetts-based company is looking for sales of $140 million to $150 million. American Outdoor Brands projected full-year earnings of $1.04 to $1.24 per share and revenue of $700 million to $740 million. The state is asking a court to approve a settlement it reached with a company over contamination of some private water wells with a suspected carcinogen. Under the agreement announced in July, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will pay $20 million to extend municipal water lines to about 200 homes in the Bennington area. As part of the deal, Vermont's lawsuit was dropped. About six people opposed the proposal during a 30-day comment period, Department of Environmental Conservation attorney Matt Chapman told Vermont Public Radio . "The state responded to each individual person who commented, and we take each comment very seriously," he said. "I think that in this particular case the state reached the conclusion that after a year and a half of negotiation it represents the best interests of both the state of Vermont and the community." PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, has been linked to certain kinds of cancer and other illnesses. It was used in coatings, such as Teflon, and in a range of consumer products over several decades. It was used at the now-closed Chemfab Corp. factory in North Bennington that is now owned by Saint-Gobain. About 270 private wells are contaminated with the chemical. No contamination has been found in the public water systems in the area. Saint-Gobain had previously provided bottled drinking water to affected homes and filters for home water systems. It has said its focus is on providing communities with clean water. Saint-Gobain president Tom Kinisky said the company's willingness to fund the water line extension shows its commitment to resolving the issue. "Providing potable drinking water to citizens of Bennington and North Bennington has always been our shared goal," Kinisky said over the summer. The settlement agreement covers only part of the contaminated area. A class action lawsuit has been filed by some residents, seeking damages for possible property value losses and the creation of a medical monitoring fund. ___ Information from: WVPS-FM, http://www.vpr.net What happened Shares of EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG), extending their 8% decline through the first seven months of the year, fell 10% in August, according to S&P Market Intelligence. Although there were several highlights from the company's second-quarter earnings report, the company, overall, disappointed investors. So what Booking revenue of $2.6 billion in the second quarter -- a 47% increase year over year -- EOG Resources beat analysts' expectations of $2.4 billion. Unimpressed with the top-line improvement, investors emphasized the company's inability to meet analysts' earnings estimate of $0.10 per share for Q2. EOG Resources reported earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, of $0.08. Besides missing analysts' estimates, investors were disheartened by the company's rising costs. EOG Resources reported operating expenses of $2.49 billion in Q2, which, compared with the $2.06 billion it reported in Q2 2016, represented a 20% increase year over year. According to the company's 10-Q, the increase was driven by a $37 million year-over-year-increase in lease and well expenses related to increased operating and maintenance costs in both the United States and United Kingdom. But the blemishes in the company's earnings report weren't the only reason the stock fell in August. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude reversed course from its 11% rise throughout July, falling nearly 4% in August. Now what The dog days of summer may have taken a bite out of EOG's stock, but investors should recognize this as an overreaction -- not as a red flag. They should focus, instead, on the causes for celebration in the company's earnings report. EOG, for example, reported total crude oil volumes of 334,700 barrels of oil per day. In addition to a company oil production record, this also represented a 25% increase year over year. According to the company's press release, the future looks bright as well. Because of strong well productivity improvements, management increased its full-year 2017 U.S. crude oil growth target from 18% to 20%. Further contributing to an auspicious outlook, management expects the depreciation, depletion, and amortization rate will drop 9% in 2017 from where it was in 2016. There are other signs that suggest an auspicious future. The company, for example, reported that it signed a new multi-year contract to supply future natural gas volumes to the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited beginning in 2019. In the press release, management noted, "The new contract opens opportunities for additional investments that can deliver rates of return competitive with EOG's premier on-shore oil plays." And looking further into the future, management, on the conference call, noted, "In addition to strong growth this year, we continue to execute our robust exploration program to capture low-cost acreage in plays that we believe could contain premium quality rock that would add to our growing 10-year inventory of premium drilling locations." 10 stocks we like better than EOG ResourcesWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and EOG Resources wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017 Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. As Equifax consumers attempt to check whether they are among the 143 million individuals whose information has been compromised in a massive cyber-attack, the consumer credit reporting agency has included a clause on its TrustedID portal that could disqualify victims from joining a class-action suit. In response to the hack, Equifax has established a website allowing individuals to check whether their personal information has been impacted. However, by using the portal and joining TrustedID, it appears from the terms of service that people are implicitly agreeing to a clause that bars them from taking part in any class action against the company: Please read this entire section carefully because it affects your legal rights by requiring arbitration of disputes (except as set forth below) and a waiver of the ability to bring or participate in a class action, class arbitration, or other representative action. Arbitration provides a quick and cost effective mechanism for resolving disputes, but you should be aware that it also limits your rights to discovery and appeal. The caveat was first reported by TechCrunch. On Friday, Equifax updated its terms of service allowing consumers to opt out of this arbitration clause, but that requires them to notify Equifax in writing within 30 days of the date that you first accept this agreement on the site, according to The Washington Post. One of the attorneys involved with a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on Thursday evening warned customers about using the portal. Equifax has placed a stealth arbitration clause, which waives the victims right to sue, Ben Meiselas, attorney with Geragos & Geragos, told FOX Business on Friday. By checking the Equifax site if you are a victim and entering your information binds a consumer to a complex arbitration scheme. Another problem with using the TrustedID program is that it is operated by Equifax, so consumers are once again giving sensitive information to the company. Equifax did not return FOX Business request for comment at the time of publication. Geragos & Geragos along with OlsenDaines filed a proposed class-action suit Thursday evening on behalf of two plaintiffs whose information was stored by Equifax and hacked by an unauthorized third party. The complaint alleges Equifax was negligent in failing to provide adequate technological safeguards to protect consumer information and that it should have spent more to prevent cyber-attacks, but chose not to. Meiselas said the class-action suit against Equifax could be one of the largest in U.S. history. The firm is seeking up to $70 billion in damages as a result of two years worth of identity theft for victims, Meiselas told FOX Business. He also voiced concerns about the three executives who sold stock after the company became aware of the breach on July 29, but before it was disclosed publicly on Thursday. The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on the Equifax data breach in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of the massive breach that exposed the personal information of 143 million Americans. This is obviously a very serious and very troubling situation and our committee has already begun preparations for a hearing, the committees chair Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) said in a statement on Friday. Large-scale security breaches are becoming all too common. Every breach leaves consumers exposed and vulnerable to identity theft, fraud and a host of other crimes, and they deserve answers. The date of the hearing will be announced at a later time. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Rep. Hensarling wasnt the only lawmaker who chimed in on the Equifax breach on Friday. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) called on the company to immediately remove a forced arbitration clause included on its monitoring services. Its shameful that Equifax would take advantage of victims by forcing people to sign over their rights in order to get credit monitoring services they wouldnt even need if Equifax hadnt put them at risk in the first place, Sen. Brown said. One of the attorneys involved with a proposed class-action lawsuit filed on Thursday evening warned customers about using the portal. Equifax has placed a stealth arbitration clause, which waives the victims right to sue, Ben Meiselas, attorney with Geragos & Geragos, told FOX Business on Friday. By checking the Equifax site if you are a victim and entering your information binds a consumer to a complex arbitration scheme. The Atlanta-based credit reporting firm announced on Thursday hackers accessed customer accounts between May and July, including Social Security and drivers license numbers, as well as other sensitive information. The company said it knew about the breach on July 29. Three Equifax executives sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock between Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, but a spokesman for the company said the executives were not aware of the hack at the time. A Las Vegas man is suing Whole Foods after breaking his teeth on rocks inside a rotisserie chicken. TMZ reports that Dr. Albert Liu broke two teeth on stones found in a ready-to-eat Organic Naked Rotisserie Chicken purchased from the Texas-based grocer. Liu claims that he contacted Whole Foods to file a report and that the manager said they should never have sold him the chicken. But apparently, its quite normal for fowl to eat rocks. In multiple forums across the web, concerned poultry parents inquire about the safety of their pebble-eating birds. Bagus Adiwiluhung, a doctoral student at Aalto University in Finland, says its necessary to help them digest food, considering their mouths bear no teeth. He quotes author John Hudson Tiner, who wrote, A bird swallows small bits of gravel that act as 'teeth' in the gizzard, breaking down hard food such as seeds and thus helping digestion." Most state laws say that if someone finds a foreign object in their food, they can sue. But if its something considered reasonably expected upon consumption like fish bones or cherry pits then you probably wont win. Glass, metal, and plastic are obviously lawsuit-worthy, but since its common practice for chickens to eat pebbles, its unclear whether or not Lius teeth-breaking rocks will be considered foreign. The Daily Meal has reached out to Whole Foods for comment. A vision-impaired veteran claims he was wronged by a California restaurant after they refused to let his dog join him for dinner. Readen Clavier, an Iraq War veteran who suffered head injuries when his vehicle was hit by an IUD in Balad, told KTVU that he was denied a meal at Inchins Bamboo in San Mateo because the employees didnt want his comfort dog, Cole, sitting under the table. [They said] you cant have a pet in here, Clavier told KTVU. Im like, hes not a pet, hes a service animal. 5 VETERAN-OWNED BARBECUE JOINTS THAT CELEBRATE THE USA According to Clavier, the restaurant offered to seat him outside in a covered patio instead, but he simply opted to dine elsewhere. KTVU reached out to the manager of the restaurant, who confirmed that Clavier and his dog were indeed offered a seat outside. He also says that he personally spoke with Clavier at the time of the incident, but suggested that Clavier didnt actually need the dog for service reasons. He was speaking to me and to another lady, said the Inchins manager. And nobody was blind and everything [was recorded] on the camera." However, whether Clavier needed the dog or not, California state law concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that restaurants admit patrons with service animals. BLIND WOMAN CLAIMS SHE WAS KICKED OFF AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT WITH SERVICE DOG Cole, however, is not technically a service dog, but a comfort dog. And according to Steve Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County district attorney, comfort dogs are not subject to the same laws. [The ADA law] doesnt apply to every single help dog, Wagstaffe told KTVU. There are many counties that have comfort dogs to assist with victims and all that it would not apply to that. In any case, Clavier still feels slighted by the incident. "Here I am, over there, fighting for these people, and theyre making me feel like Im not worth it, he said. A 37-year-old woman who has been in a coma since July, gave birth to a baby girl via emergency cesarean section on Wednesday, at just 24 weeks gestation. The baby, named Life Lynn, is the youngest of Carrie Deklyens six children, and weighs 1 lbs., 4 ounces. Dekylen, of Wyoming, Michigan, discovered she was pregnant in April, just two weeks after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. She underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and, along with her husband, Nick, chose to forego a clinical trial in order to protect the baby. WIDOWER SHARES PHOTO OF LATE WIFE IN WEDDING DRESS SHE NEVER WORE I asked her what she wanted to do. She said, We are keeping it, Nick told ABC News on Aug. 15. That was always my choice too, but I wanted her to decide because it was her life we were talking about. The family started the Cure 4 Carrie Facebook page and a GoFundMe page to keep supporters updated on Dekylen and Life. A September 2 post indicated that Dekylen, who has been on life support at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor since suffering a stroke five weeks ago, is completely unresponsive. I just spoke with Nick and he wanted me to update, Sonya Nelson, Deklyens sister-in-law, posted on the Facebook page. We have tried to share Carries story without being negative, but the bottom line is we need to share the reality of the situation. Carrie is not doing well. For the past few days she has been completely unresponsive, she is not even responding to pain. Nelson said that Life was measuring in the 3 percentile for her gestational age at the time, and that the family was asking for prayers. On Thursday, Nelson said that doctors were pleased with Lifes status. POLICE OFFICER DELIVERS BABY ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY Previous posts had stated that Dekylens tumor was showing rapid growth, and doctors were forced to drain fluid from her brain several times. Doctors had hoped to delay delivery until 28 weeks gestation, but a decline in both Life and Dekylens health had forced them to act earlier. A post on July 30 said doctors had planned to turn off life support once the baby had been delivered. In addition to Life, the couples children range in ages from 18 to 2, and Nick said that while the older ones understand the circumstances, the younger ones are relatively unaware. The older ones obviously understand everything so it is very hard on them, he told ABC News. They love their mother and know what they are losing. We talk about good times and laugh and then sometimes we just cry because we just so much. The younger two do not really understand what is happening. He said Nelson has been helping to watch the children, and that we tell them that Mommy is really sick. Health officials are warning Houston area residents about standing pools of water that could become breeding grounds for mosquitos that carry disease, including the West Nile Virus. The waters could be from heavy rains or flooding left behind by Hurricane Harvey. To prevent mosquitos from breeding, mosquito control managers in Harris County are asking residents to clear standing pools of water in tires, buckets, flower pots, childrens pools sand boxes, gutters and even the water from outdoor dog bowls. A lot of pockets of water will be formed. As the water recedes from the floods there will be a lot of formation of pockets and pools of water where mosquitos will find to breed, Mustapha Debboun, Director of Mosquito Control Division for Harris County Health Department, told Fox News. More habitats will be available for them. HARVEY FIRST RESPONDER CONTRACTS FLESH-EATING BACTERIA INFECTION A week to two weeks after the hurricane is when Debboun said he expects to see mosquito populations increase. Debboun said many areas that can hold still water that may have been empty before the storm will likely be full now. He also said the Houston area already had West Nile Virus before the flooding. To prevent bites, Debboun suggests wearing long sleeves and pants. He also suggests applying mosquito donuts to standing water, which kill larvae but dont harm anything else. However, residents should only apply the repellents to their private property. To apply any insecticide in a public waterway you have to be licensed. A certified pest management person, Debboun said. Debboun said its too early to be sure how much the mosquito population has grown since Harvey, but the department is constantly counting to get a check. He said they check both by allowing people in his department to be bit and then counting the bites, they also set traps and count mosquitos that get caught. We have a lot of water, a lot of areas that have plenty of mosquitos breeding. We will go and do some spraying until the populations go down, Debboun said. The Department of Defense is also planning to perform aerial sprays through FEMA. That will take place both around Houston and other areas of Texas. Debboun said no one should be deterred from having fun outside because of the extra mosquitos, but they should be taking precautions like covering skin and wearing repellent. A third grader was recognized by his school on Thursday for his heroic actions that helped to save his mothers life. Dimitri Meram, of San Carlos, California, quickly administered CPR recently after his mother, who was not identified, hit her head on a car door and fell unconscious, Fox 5 San Diego reported. She awoke five days later in the hospital to discover that her son had performed life-saving measures after she collapsed. Dimitri said he had learned CPR during a lesson at Green Elementary School, and he knew that he had to act quickly, Fox 5 San Diego reported. HARVEY FIRST RESPONDER CONTRACTS FLESH-EATING BACTERIA INFECTION I just gotta do CPR, he told the news outlet. I mean, I learned it. Dimitris teacher said his actions were instrumental in saving his mothers life. Im incredibly proud of him, Dimitris mother told the news outlet. He truly is my special angel. The second he was born, he got his little finger out of the incubator and grabbed my hand. Just a very special connection. Editor's note: The following article originally appeared on the Media Research Center's NewsBusters blog. Liberal journalists were out in force on Tuesday in the wake of President Trumps decision to rescind Obama-era executive action on immigration known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In fact, after decrying Trumps decision to put Congress in charge of codifying Obamas order during their morning broadcasts, the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) spent 99 percent of their evening broadcasts railing against it with scant coverage of those who supported the move. In all, the networks spent 17 minutes and 44 seconds of airtime lambasting Trump and his decision while only giving 11 seconds to those who supported him or thought he didnt go far enough. The time totals dont include commercials or network teasers for the stories. "CBS Evening News" spent the most airtime reporting on DACAs rescindment with nine minutes and nine seconds dedicated to the pro-DACA side. That time was spread over four stories and none of their coverage shared the opinion of Trumps supporters or any other opponents to DACA. They led the evening off with it and pushed back their coverage of Hurricane Irma, which was approaching Florida. When teasing the story, CBS anchor Anthony Mason described the situation as shattered dreams, playing off the term Dreamers the phrase used to describe those who receive DACA protections. A promise kept by President Trump is a dream lost for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, he bemoaned. CBS reporter John Blackstone touted the nationwide protests by citing those which occurred in large cities. He also hyped an interview with a rather defiant Dreamer who told him that I know I'm vulnerable. That's valid. I know I can be deported tomorrow. But I'm not going to go down and give Trump, or Sessions, the luxury of seeing me defeated. ABCs "World News Tonight" came in second with four minutes and 48 seconds of pro-DACA bias and only two seconds for those who opposed it. In leading off the bias, White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega seemed to relish the intense backlash against the President. Tonight protests from the White House to Trump Tower to Denver, Colorado. Students marching out of class, she began her report. As with all the networks, Vega and Anchor David Muir championed the condemnation of Trump from former President Barack Obama. David, he said he would only weigh in on this administration when he felt like our core values are as a country are at stake, she praised. Well today, he said the move to rescind DACA is cruel, wrong, and self-defeating. David. He said ultimately this is about basic decency. ABCs Mary Bruce was the only one reporter for the network to find any time to mention those who opposed DACA. But all she could muster was a literal two-seconds-long blurb, nothing that but many conservatives disagree. "NBC Nightly News" dedicated three minutes and 47 seconds to pro-DACA coverage while giving the DACA opposition a staggering nine seconds. Tonight the President is taking heat from the left and right. Immigration advocates say his move to end DACA is cold hearted but his base is accusing Mr. Trump of punting on a core campaign promise, reported Kristen Welker. The President's own party is deeply divided. Members of his base say DACA should end now but more moderate Republicans believe Dreamers should be protected, she added. Its only natural that the liberal networks would defend DACA, especially considering they pushed for it to begin with. Thirty years ago a brash developer named Donald J. Trump exploded onto the national scene with his No. 1 bestseller, Trump: The Art of the Deal. Now that he is in the White House making successful deals on behalf of the American people, he is proving to be a far more effective leader than establishment politicians like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel, who should write his own tome and title it The Art of Failure, has shown himself to be an abysmal dealmaker and leader. So to divert attention for his many failures, he is attacking President Trump. Over and over again. Im a proud Chicagoan. I love the city: its architecture, its culture and my Chicago Bears. But the harsh reality is that Chicago faces a systemic crisis beset by failing schools and rampant crime all while careening toward a fiscal cliff of insolvency. And dont take my word for it. People are voting with their feet as Chicago is the only major American metropolitan area to lose population in both 2015 and 2016. But of course, Emanuel paints a very different picture. Instead of coming clean about his own failings or figuring out how to do his job, hed rather spend his time attacking President Trump. Addressing illegal immigrant students protected under an executive order issued in 2012 by President Obama, which President Trump is phasing out over six months, Emanuel sermonized recently: Chicago, our schools, our neighborhoods, our city as it relates to what President Trump said will be a Trump-free zone. You have nothing to worry about. While President Trump is ending the 2012 executive order because it is unconstitutional, he is asking Congress to pass legislation reforming our immigration laws in the next six months. Thats how to solve a problem. Emanuel has been attacking the president for months, particularly when it comes to Chicagos failing public schools. Responding the presidents justified criticism of the poor job Chicago schools are doing for students, Emanuel said back in April: Now, the president of the United States is allowed to have fake news, but the facts are the facts about the city of Chicago, and bragged about progress the schools have made since he became mayor. Emanuel demanded that the president stop running down schools in Chicago. Calling Chicago schools a giant failure is fake news? Hardly. Not only are Chicagos schools Trump-free, they are also learning-free for most students. According to the baseline PARCC test used by the Illinois State Board of Education, only 25 percent of Chicago students score at ready for the next level to advance to the next grade. Think about that 75 percent of students are not getting the education they deserve! But of course, the school district promotes students to the next grade whether they are ready or not, largely to hide the fact that it has failed to properly educate them. If you dont like the score, just move the goalposts. No wonder, then, that among those students who do graduate from high school still under 70 percent only 30 percent are deemed college ready according to ACT scores. Among Chicago community college enrollees, fully 70 percent require remedial classes to address their academic deficiencies. And sadly and unsurprisingly, only 14 percent of Chicago Public School 9th graders will eventually graduate from college. While Emanuel focuses on shielding Chicago students from Trump, his school system excels at shielding them from success. The ramifications, naturally, flow into adulthood. A University of Illinois study found that 47 percent of black men in the city ages 20 to 24 are neither in school nor employed. What a tragedy and waste of their potential. And that tragedy, of course, is not merely confined to the these young people, but to the city at large as violent crime spirals out of control in Chicago, now very likely the most dangerous city in the entire developed world. While our mayor purports that you have nothing to worry about, the sobering truth is that children in large swaths of the city cannot even play safely in the park. Over 2,600 people have been shot so far in 2017 in Chicago, including 447 who were killed. If this carnage represents nothing to worry about, then I cannot imagine the mayhem once the violence becomes worrisome! Mayor Emanuel should forgo the grandstanding and the politics of diversion. He should stop scapegoating our president and start healing and repairing his once-great American city. You cant make it up. After seven years of promising conservative voters they would repeal and replace, and raising tens of millions off the issue, Republicans are now doubling down in support of ObamaCare. In fact, they are actually going to make ObamaCare worse. How so? As impossible as it may seem to believe, Republicans in Washington and the states are working to bail out ObamaCare and simultaneously bring back ObamaCare tax increases that Barack Obama himself suspended because they were driving up health care costs. Let that sink in. In the wake of their faux attempt to repeal ObamaCare, many Establishment Republicans have embraced ObamaCares so-called cost-sharing subsidies. Commonly known as CRSs, these subsidies are payments the federal government makes to insurers to help offset the high costs of ObamaCare customers. Its clear Republicans were never serious about ObamaCare repeal and now they are in fact actively working to support some of the very worst parts of ObamaCare. Just a few years ago, House Republicans actually sued the Obama administration over CSRs, arguing, correctly, that the payments were unconstitutional because they had never been authorized by Congress. Permanent authorization of CSRs is now the top health care priority for Congressional Democrats. Lets be honest about what these CSRs are. These are taxpayer-funded payments that go directly from the federal government to insurance companies that sell ObamaCare policies. You can call them whatever you like; corporate welfare, crony capitalism, but these are unconstitutional bailouts specifically designed to prop up ObamaCare and mask its true cost. But wait: it gets worse. Much worse. Not only are Establishment Republicans poised to bail out ObamaCare, they are simultaneously going to allow the return of two suspended ObamaCare taxes. In other words, they are going to let taxes go up on their watch. Congress suspended the ObamaCare taxes on health insurance and medical devices for 2017 because they were raising health care costs and killing jobs. Even Democrats, Obama included, supported the suspension. The medical device tax crushes jobs, discourages innovation and makes the U.S. less competitive in the global marketplace for medical technology. These are the jobs every economist agrees that we want: high-paying, manufacturing jobs in a growth sector. Moreover, every dollar medical device makers spend on this tax is a dollar that isnt spent developing the next medical innovation. Then there is the ObamaCare excise tax on your health insurance. This part of ObamaCare is particularly insidious. Like all excise taxes, it gets paid by consumers, not companies. So not only are we the taxpayers subsidizing insurance companies, those same insurers have made very clear that they will pass every red cent of this tax squarely on to their policyholders. But wait yet again: it does actually get worse. In this scenario, Big Business and Big Labor are off the hook. Why? Because they cut a backroom deal to help pass ObamaCare, they are exempt from the tax on health insurance. So this tax is mostly paid by small businesses and seniors. According to a number of studies from actuaries and conservative economists, this tax will raise premiums by about $500 in 2018. To make matters worse, a group of Establishment Governors from both parties has hatched a plan to suspend the tax on health insurancebut only for certain people on ObamaCare, while letting it return to raise premiums on the vast majority of Americans. This bipartisan ObamaCare rescue plan was widely praised by the mainstream media. Establishment Republican Governors are proposing to cut health care taxes for ObamaCare but raise them for small business and seniorsthe very people who put Republicans in office. Both of these ObamaCare taxes are set to go back into effect January 1, 2018. Congressional Republicans could use their majorities to repeal or even just further suspend these taxes. Instead, they are willingly, some might say cheerfully, working with Democrats to bailout ObamaCare. Dont be fooled by all the spin coming out of Capitol Hill and all the false promises about repeal and lower taxes. To add even more insult to Mitch McConnells infamous excessive expectations remarks, its clear Republicans were never serious about ObamaCare repeal and now they are in fact actively working to support some of the very worst parts of ObamaCare. At a time when Republicans control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, their real health care agendathe one that they will actually passis all about helping their insurance buddies with bailouts and tax increases. All five living former U.S. presidents came together Thursday to ask their fellow Americans to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. One American Appeal, a fundraiser designed to help victims of Harvey recover, is supported by all five former living U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the cause Thursday night, saying, "We will confront ANY challenge, no matter how strong the winds or high the water. I'm proud to stand with Presidents for #OneAmericaAppeal." As the nation carefully watches the advance of Hurricane Irma, the presidents stand ready to expand their appeal to help those affected by that storm, a news release said. The appeal to Americans, and those who can help worldwide, came after the former presidents were inspired to come together to lend their support to the people and communities affected and to the first responders, organizations, volunteers and neighbors who have been providing assistance to victims. ALL FIVE LIVING PRESIDENTS SHARE STAGE TO HONOR PRESIDENT BUSH, DEDICATE HIS LIBRARY All five presidents spoke in a PSA to coincide with the announcement of One America Appeal. Hurricane Harvey brought terrible destruction, said President Clinton. But it also brought out the best in humanity. As former presidents, we wanted to help our fellow Americans begin to recover, President Obama said. Our friends in Texas, including Presidents Bush 41 and 41, are doing just that, added President Carter. People are hurting down here. But as one Texan put it, Weve got more love in Texas than water, George W. Bush said, before his father added: We love you, Texas. The George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation has created an account for funds to go directly to those affected by Harvey to ensure 100 cents out of every dollar goes to assist hurricane victims. While One America Appeal was created to help Harvey victims, efforts are underway to evaluate how this appeal can help those affected by Hurricane Irma, too. To donate, visit OneAmericaAppeal.org. House Speaker Paul Ryan told Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" in an exclusive interview Thursday that he would oppose any deal to eliminate the U.S. debt ceiling despite a reported agreement between President Trump and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to pursue that goal. "As imperfect as this tool is, I always see this as a good tool for fiscal discipline," Ryan told host Martha MacCallum. "I like the fact that Congress controls the power of the purse and that gives us opportunities for fiscal discipline." The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump and Schumer, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., discussed the idea of scrapping the debt ceiling at a White House meeting Wednesday and agreed to pursue the matter over the next several months. Ryan added that he "wasn't furious" with Trump for cutting a deal with Pelosi and Schumer raise the nation's debt ceiling and keep the government operating for another three months. In doing so, Trump overruled Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Ryan himself to agree to the short-term debt ceiling increase, a position the Speaker had slammed as "ridiculous and disgraceful." "I completely understand why [Trump] was doing what he was doing," Ryan told Martha MacCallum Thursday night. "I think you expect the president to talk to the other party. Isnt it natural that a president should be speaking with members of leadership of the other party?" "I think what hes trying to do is clear the decks so we can get focused on our big things like tax reform," Ryan added. "Second point is, were getting hit with two hurricanes ... and he wanted to make this a bipartisan moment. He wanted to make this a bipartisan moment where we werent fighting each other up in Washington about hurricane aid. He just wanted to get it done." Ryan also reacted to anotherWashington Post report that former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had held informal discussions with Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, about possible replacements for Ryan as Speaker. "When I took this job at the request of our members [in October 2015], I knew it would come with lots of slings and arrows," Ryan said when asked about his position. "This is not something Im worried about or focused on. Im worried about getting our agenda passed." Ryan declined to comment on his future if tax reform did not pass Congress, saying "Im not going to get into any of that stuff ... Mark and I have had great conversations and I think theres a lot in the press that isnt accurate. But Im not going to worry about any of that stuff." Late Thursday, Ryan dined with Trump in what a White House official described as a "productive working dinner to review the fall legislative agenda," including "tax reform, the FY-18 budget, funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, raising the debt ceiling and the continuing resolution to keep the government funded. "The President looks forward to working together with Congress on bipartisan solutions to improve the lives of all Americans," the official added. Fox News' Ed Henry contributed to this report. A federal appeals court handed the Trump administration another defeat over its revised travel ban Thursday, ruling that grandparents, cousins and similarly close relations of people already in the U.S. should not be prevented from coming to the country. The unanimous decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier ruling by a federal judge in Hawaii who found the administrations view too strict. Stated simply, the government does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship, in the Supreme Courts prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin is not, the ruling said. The appeals panel wrote that under typical court rules, its ruling would not take effect for at least 52 days. But in this instance, the judges said, many refugees would be "gravely imperiled" by such a delay, so the decision will take effect in five days. "Refugees' lives remain in vulnerable limbo during the pendency of the Supreme Court's stay," they wrote. "Refugees have only a narrow window of time to complete their travel, as certain security and medical checks expire and must then be reinitiated." The Justice Department said it would appeal. "The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch's duty to protect the nation," the agency said in a statement. The Supreme Court said in June that President Donald Trumps 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen can be enforced pending arguments scheduled for October. But the justices said it should not apply to visitors who have a bona fide relationship with people or organizations in the U.S., such as close family ties or a job offer. The government interpreted such family relations to include immediate family members and in-laws, but not grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. The judge in Hawaii overruled that interpretation, expanding the definition of who can enter the country to the other categories of relatives. The appeals court also upheld the Hawaii judge's ruling that refugees from those countries who had been accepted by a resettlement agency should not be subject to the ban. Lawyers for the government and the state of Hawaii, which challenged the revised travel ban, argued the case in Seattle last week. Deputy assistant attorney general Hashim Mooppan ran into tough questions as soon as he began arguing the governments case, with Judge Ronald Gould asking him from what universe the administration took its position that grandparents dont constitute a close family relationship. Judge Richard Paez similarly questioned why an in-law would be allowed in, but not a grandparent. Could you explain to me whats significantly different between a grandparent and a mother-in-law, father-in-law? Paez asked. What is so different about those two categories? One is in and one is out. Mooppan conceded that people can have a profound connection to their grandparents and other extended relatives, but from a legal perspective, the administration had to draw the line somewhere to have a workable ban based largely on definitions used in other aspects of immigration law, he said. Hawaii is also one of 15 states that sued the Trump administration Wednesday over its plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects young immigrants from deportation. "Today's decision by the 9th Circuit keeps families together. It gives vetted refugees a second chance," state Attorney General Douglas Chin said in a statement. "The Trump administration keeps taking actions with no legal basis. We will keep fighting back." Fox News' Mike Lundin and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Steve Bannon, President Trumps former chief strategist, said in an interview with 60 Minutes that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was taken out of consideration for a Cabinet spot for not standing by the Republican nominee after the damaging Access Hollywood tape surfaced last October. Bannon described the fallout from that infamous 2005 tape, in which Trump could be heard making lewd comments about women to host Billy Bush, as a pivotal moment a litmus test to check who was with Trump and who was not. In the 60 Minutes clip, Bannon acknowledged he took names that weekend. You know, I'm Irish. I gotta get my black book and I got 'em. Christie, because of Billy Bush weekend was not looked at for a Cabinet position, he said. I told him, The plane leaves at 11 o'clock in the morning. If you're on the plane, you're on the team. Didn't make the plane. Christie did not attend a debate that weekend to show his support for Trump, and later criticized Trump over both the lewd comments and his response to the tapes release. He did not abandon or rescind his endorsement of the Republican nominee, but never was nominated to any top positions with the Trump administration such as attorney general. It's a litmus test, Bannon said of the tape fallout. Billy Bush Saturday showed me who really had Donald Trump's back to play to his better angels. All you had to do, and what he did, was go out and continue to talk to the American people. People didn't care. They knew Donald Trump was just doing locker room talk with a guy. And they dismissed it. It had no lasting impact on the campaign. Yet, if you see the mainstream media that day, it was, literally, he was falling into Dante's Inferno. Bannon said then-Republican Party boss Reince Priebus also suggested Trump drop out. Trump went around the room and asked people the percentages he thought of still winning, he said. And Reince started off and Reince said ... You have two choices. You either drop out right now, or you lose by the biggest landslide in American political history. Bannon claimed he was the last person to speak and told Trump, to the contrary: You have 100 percent probability of winning." Priebus would go on to be Trumps first chief of staff, but was be replaced in July by former Homeland Security secretary John Kelly. Bannon, who is back at the helm of Breitbart News after leaving the White House, also took more shots in the interview at what he called the Republican establishment. He said they are trying to nullify the 2016 election, pointing the finger at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and to a degree, [House Speaker] Paul Ryan. They do not want Donald Trump's populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented. It's very obvious, he said. New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan fired back Thursday at President Trumps former chief strategist, who accused the Roman Catholic Church of opposing Trumps recent DACA move because they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. Steve Bannon made the comments in an excerpt from CBS's 60 Minutes, which will air Sunday. Bannon accuses the church of opposing Trumps move to do away with the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program for economic reasons. He said bishops have been terrible about this. By the way, you know why? You know why? Because unable to really, to, to, to come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. Thats, its obvious on the face of it, Bannon said, according to the New York Post. Thats what, the entire Catholic bishops condemn him. They have, they have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration. Dolan told the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM radio that he was befuddled after seeing the transcript. I dont care to go into what I think is a preposterous and rather insulting statement that the only reason we bishops care for immigrants is for the economic and because we want to fill our churches and get more money, Dolan said.Thats just so insulting and ridiculous that it doesnt merit a comment. Most voters think a terrorist attack is imminent and likely to kill many Americans, according to the latest Fox News Poll. At the same time, more voters than not feel the United States is safer than before 9/11. By a 6-point margin, more voters feel the country is safer today (47 percent safer vs. 41 percent less safe). Thats a significant improvement from last August when a record 54 percent felt the country was less safe. Not since March 2014 have more felt safer than before the September 11 attacks (49-39 percent). CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POLL RESULTS Terrorists exacted a bloody toll on the West this year. The most recent major attack, in Barcelona and Cambrils, left 14 people dead, including one American. The deadliest was in Manchester at an Ariana Grande concert in May, where 22 people were killed and over 100 injured. And June 2016 saw the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 when a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49. ISIS claimed responsibility for all three attacks. While voters overall feel safer, partisanship appears to be the biggest factor driving opinions: Republicans (65 percent) and independents (48 percent) are more likely than Democrats (29 percent) to feel safer. The exact opposite was true last August when more Democrats (52 percent) than Republicans (25 percent) and independents (41 percent) felt the U.S. was safer. Veterans (52 percent) are more likely to feel the country is safer than those who havent served in the military (46 percent). Meanwhile, 71 percent think it is very or somewhat likely that a major terrorist attack will happen soon. Thats down from 80 percent who felt that way last year, and the record high 87 percent who said the same in January 2003 -- when the question was first asked on a Fox News Poll. On this question, theres rare partisan agreement: about 7-in-10 Democrats (72 percent), Republicans (71 percent) and independents (69 percent) think a major attack is likely soon. Voters are divided over how President Donald Trump is handling terrorism: 47 percent approve vs. 45 percent disapprove. Thats a net positive rating -- and better than his job ratings on foreign hot spots like Afghanistan (43 percent approve vs. 43 percent disapprove), North Korea (43-50 percent), and Russia (35-56 percent). The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,006 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from August 27-29, 2017. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters. GOP mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis mocked Mayor de Blasio on Thursday, saying he should go back to using his given German name after his refusal to defend statues of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. She made her point while standing under the explorers statue in Columbus Circle, which has become the focal point of a cultural battle after Hizzoner said hed appoint a commission to recommend hateful city monuments for removal. I really think Bill de Blasio should go back to using his birth name of Warren Wilhelm, because he obviously doesnt have the heart and soul of an Italian, Malliotakis said of de Blasio, who is half-Italian. Malliotakis, who is half-Greek and half-Cuban, has said Columbus statues should stay. De Blasio has strongly embraced his Italian heritage after adopting his mothers maiden name as a young adult even visiting his ancestors homes in Italy during his first year as mayor. He has said Columbus is a complex historical figure. Click for more from The New York Post Many Republicans are shocked that President Trump did a budget deal with the Democrats, opting for Chuck and Nancy in an Oval Office meeting over Paul and Mitch. They shouldnt be. Whether the three-month debt ceiling agreement is a fleeting political maneuver or a presidential hammer against his own party, its not terribly surprising. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with McConnell and Ryan for failing to pass much of anything since he took office. So he struck a deal with Schumer and Pelosi. The move underscores what Ive always maintained about Donald Trump, that hes basically an independent president. Hes a onetime Democrat who vanquished the Republican establishment, but has never been wedded to GOP orthodoxy. Some on the right are criticizing the president for barely negotiating. The Republican leaders pushed an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then a six-month deal, but Trump just took the Democrats three-month proposal, tied to immediate aid for Hurricane Harvey. On substance, Trump didnt give up much. Conservatives always demand spending cuts when the debt ceiling comes up but rarely win, since the alternative is a government default. And Congress is going to provide tens of billions in aid related to the monster hurricane that hit Texas and the one thats about to hit Florida. On tactics, though, the president may have handed the Dems an advantage. They can push for a massive bill at Christmas time that not only raises the debt limit but legalizes the Dreamers program. After having Jeff Sessions announce that theyre ending the program in six months, Trump has said that he loves the dreamers (who were brought here illegally by their parents), that they have nothing to worry about, and that hell revisit the issue if the Hill doesnt act. Whats been fascinating about the coverage is that rather than crediting Trump for a bipartisan approach, much of the media has reveled in him sticking it to the Republicans. And many pundits are just puzzled whether the president is switching gears or this is a one-off compromise. Trump, as a New Yorker, knows Schumer pretty well, but until now hes tried to govern along party lines, especially on ObamaCare. But McConnells failure to deliver on a health care billhe had only two votes to lose in a 52-48 Senatefueled what has become a tense relationship with the majority leader. If Trump wanted to win Democratic votes on tax reform and infrastructure and even immigration, he would hold onto enough Republicans to push through major legislation, even while losing the Freedom Caucus types. Ronald Reagan had a working majority on the Hill because he peeled off Democratic votes. But such an approach would deeply divide the GOP and cost Trump in the conservative media. Steve Bannons Breitbart covered the budget deal yesterday with a Meet the Swamp headline. This may turn out to be a footnote, but the future of Donald Trumps relationship with the Republican Party seems to be in play. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking to interview a range of current and former White House staffers including top former aides Sean Spicer and Reince Priebus as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Fox News has learned. The investigators want to speak with aides connected to Donald Trump Jr.s controversial meeting at Trump Tower last year with a Russian lawyer, among other incidents. The Washington Post first reported that Mueller is specifically looking to interview a half-dozen Trump associates connected to those episodes. The list includes press aide Hope Hicks and White House Counsel Don McGahn, as well as Spicer and Priebus who until recently served as White House press secretary and chief of staff, respectively. Mueller has not requested to speak with the president himself, Fox News is told. According to the Post, investigators also are interested in perspective the advisers might have on discussions about President Trumps decision to fire FBI Director James Comey and the response to warnings that former national security adviser Michael Flynn withheld information about his discussions with the Russian ambassador. Democrats have particularly pointed to the Trump Tower meeting to argue collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election. The Trump campaign has denied the accusations. Trump Jr.s meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was revealed in July. TRUMP JR. SAYS HE WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLINTON'S 'FITNESS' FOR OFFICE IN RUSSIAN LAWYER MEETING On Thursday, Trump Jr. appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and told congressional investigators that he agreed to last years meeting with the Russian attorney promising dirt on Hillary Clinton because he was interested in any information on the Democratic candidates fitness, character or qualifications. In a prepared opening statement, the presidents son again denied any Russia collusion claims and sought to explain the nature of contacts he has had over the years with Russian individuals. "I did not collude with any foreign government and do not know of anyone who did," he said. Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report. New data suggest that more than 5,000 people who cast ballots in New Hampshire in the 2016 U.S. presidential election might not have been residents of the state. These voters likely used out-of-state drivers licenses and have not since obtained an in-state license or registered a vehicle. New Hampshire House Speaker Shawn Jasper, a Republican, released the data Thursday following his inquiries to the states Department of State and the Department of Safety, which supervise elections. The new figures could potentially call into question the validity of the New Hampshire results for Nov. 8, when Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton outpolled Republican nominee Donald Trump by a mere 2,736 votes. Conservatives have long criticized certain practices of voter registration, such as same-day registration, claiming lax rules invite fraud and abuse of the electoral system, the Washington Times reported. In February, White House adviser Stephen Miller came under fire for suggesting that nonresident Democratic Party voters arrived in droves to New Hampshire to vote for Clinton. Miller told ABC in February: Having worked before on a campaign in New Hampshire, I can tell you that this issue of busing voters into New Hampshire is widely known by anyone whos worked in New Hampshire politics. Its very real. Its very serious. This morning, on this show, is not the venue for me to lay out all the evidence. The Washington Post described Millers claim as the same bogus talking points that have been repeatedly shown to be false. The figures obtained by Jasper, however, reveal the potential abuse of the voting procedure. According to the data, 6,540 people registered to vote, and voted in the New Hampshire election, provided just out-of-state license. Only 15 percent, roughly about 1,014 of the voters, have since obtained the in-state license, while 200 other people had since registered a vehicle in the state. Despite New Hampshire law mandating that drivers acquire a state driving license within 60 days of becoming a resident in the state, more than 80 percent of people who registered to vote with out-of-state licenses still had not received their in-state license or registered a new vehicle nearly 10 months after the election. In addition, 196 people were under investigation for voting in two states. Recently, three elections in New Hampshire were won by fewer than 5,000 votes, the Concord Patch reported. Clinton won against Trump by 2,736 votes, Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan beat U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte by 1,017 votes and U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter won against incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta by 4,900 votes. Democrats have fired back at the new data, calling it an attempt to use selective data and misinformation to justify claims made by the White House about the voter fraud. State Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley claimed Jasper selectively requested information about voters who registered with out-of-state licenses, an entirely legal and normal practice. They can easily be accounted for by college students and other new Granite Staters who deferred acquiring an in-state license or don't intend to drive in the state, WMUR9 reported. State Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Woodburn seconded: Using cherry-picked data in order to support a false claim is dangerous and irresponsible. Todays release of information by Speaker Jaspers office fans the flames of misinformation in order to further suppress our citizens right to vote. Jasper addressed the criticism that the figures can be accounted with just college students, claiming there were multiple people who did not comply with the law. College students are eligible to vote if they declare domicile here, but anybody who does that then has to comply with the laws of the state, he said, according to WMUR9. If someone is domiciled in New Hampshire (and has a vehicle), then within 60 days, they need to obtain a drivers license. I think we will find that within that 5,000, there will be many who did not comply with the law. The two state agencies that issued the data to Jaspers also released an explanation of why certain people could have voted without having an in-state driving license or have registered the vehicle even 10 months later after the election. It is likely that some unknown number of these individuals moved out of New Hampshire, it is possible that a few may have never driven in New Hampshire or have ceased driving, however, it is expected that an unknown number of the remainder continue to live and drive in New Hampshire. If they have established their residence in New Hampshire, they may have failed to obtain a New Hampshire drivers license, wrote Safety Commissioner John Barthelmes and Secretary of State Bill Gardner. The letter does not suggest all people who voted with out-of-state driving licenses voted illegally. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Its unclear if Democrats will ever win enough seats to again propel House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to the speakership. But at this moment, Pelosi may as well clasp the speakers gavel, for all intents and purposes. Republicans hold a 240-194 seat majority in the House of Representatives. Yet the GOPs historically struggled to tackle nettlesome issues like funding disaster relief, lifting the debt ceiling and avoiding government shutdowns often turning to Democrats on those vexing topics. So its no surprise that on Wednesday morning, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declared theyd provide the necessary votes for the Harvey aid package and a short-term debt limit increase of three months. Minutes later, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., characterized the Democrats offer as unworkable and argued it would put in jeopardy the hurricane response. But when Ryan, Pelosi, Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., trotted to the White House for a tete-a-tete with President Trump, the president sided with the Democrats. Never in recent memory has the president of one party so politically humiliated the House speaker of the same party. Pelosi and Schumer exited the White House with everything they wanted. The routinely embattled Pelosi was suddenly emboldened. And she followed up the win with another display of influence, in a sense. It concerned Trumps Twitter account, which McConnell and those in Trumps inner circle have been eager to tone down and adjust for months. When new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly arrived to impose discipline and order, there was speculation he could temper the Tweeter in Chief. No dice. But at 9:42 a.m. ET Thursday, the president published this Twitter gem: For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action! And at whose behest did Trump dispatch that tweet? Nancy DAlesandro Pelosi. Boom, boom, boom, the tweet appeared, Pelosi bragged after petitioning the president. So that was good. Tweeting on request of the Democratic leader? It was a bizarre, but important, moment. Pelosi faced an insurrection from some factions of her caucus earlier this year after Democrats stumbled in House races in November. Those same forces rose against Pelosi again after Democrats failed to capture a single seat in a string of special elections. Pelosi sunk to her lowest ebb after each of those episodes, while still declaring herself a "master legislator" as she vowed to stay on. But for the time being, Pelosi is close once again to power. Trump, of course, has always been volatile and could turn on the Dem deal-makers in an instant. After Wednesday, predicting his impulses is harder than forecasting hurricane spaghetti models. Meanwhile, the pushback from conservatives is strong. Rep. Mark Walker, who chairs the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest bloc of conservatives in the House, declared Monday that the debt ceiling should be paired with significant fiscal and structural reforms. He said that if the GOP failed to tackle the debt, it only shows that Republicans do not take the problem of our $20 trillion debt seriously. By Thursday morning, Walker dashed off a letter to Ryan. Walker informed the speaker the RSC opposed the plan to couple Harvey aid with an interim spending bill and a debt ceiling hike. That meant Ryan would turn to Pelosi and Democrats to carry the day. Multiple House Republicans suggested the speaker may have been asleep at the switch. They noted hes been barnstorming the country on tax reform yet never developed a plan to address the debt limit or slash spending. One senior House Republican who asked not to be identified suggested that Ryan would have been in a stronger negotiating position with Trump had he cobbled together a debt ceiling/offset blueprint even if it were just for show. Absent that, the president sided with Pelosi. To be fair, Hurricane Harvey and now Irma force the government to burn emergency cash at an Olympic rate. These storms will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Such unexpected, staggering spending meant the government had an imminent rendezvous with the debt ceiling rather than Sept. 29 as suggested by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The storm scenario demanded Congress act now. Otherwise, hurricane victims would be left without assistance. A debt limit collision could spark a market shock. The debt ceiling suspension and government funding plan expire Dec. 8. Think Republicans will provide the votes to sidestep either crisis then? Or who has the leverage? How about Pelosi & Co. offering Democratic votes in exchange for a legislative fix for DACA? By the way, wheres the money for the border wall? You thought this month was going to be rough on Capitol Hill? December is the new September. I think the second debt limit could be harder now, predicted House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas. Better deals are made in January than trying to jam things through a few days before Christmas, said House Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. Like Walker, Meadows lamented the lack of deficit reduction or opportunities to offset the hurricane aid. Hes dubious Congress will ever adopt tax reform considering theres much chatter yet no specifics. Most of the things we campaigned on were a mirage off in the distance, said Meadows. Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there. President Trump tore into congressional Republicans Friday for their failure to pass big legislation, effectively firing back at critics griping about his dealings this week with Democratic leaders. Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen! Even worse, the Senate Filibuster Rule will never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish! he tweeted. At the same time, Trump tried to light a fire under GOP lawmakers to get to work on his next big agenda time: Tax reform. Republicans must start the Tax Reform/Tax Cut legislation ASAP. Don't wait until the end of September. Needed now more than ever. Hurry! he tweeted. The president stunned GOP leadership on Wednesday by agreeing to demands by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to attach a short-term debt-ceiling and spending measure to Hurricane Harvey relief funds. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and others had wanted a longer-term debt deal, but were overruled by the president. The president followed that up by reportedly discussing the prospect with Schumer and Pelosi of scrapping the debt ceiling entirely to boot, he tweeted assurances to so-called dreamers on Thursday at Pelosis request. RYAN WON'T BACK SCRAPPING DEBT CEILING Ryan, who dined Thursday with Trump, later dismissed reports that he was furious at the president. But, speaking with Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum, he said he would oppose any deal to eliminate the debt ceiling. "As imperfect as this tool is, I always see this as a good tool for fiscal discipline," Ryan said. "I like the fact that Congress controls the power of the purse and that gives us opportunities for fiscal discipline." Yet Trumps discussions with Democrats reflect a growing frustration with Capitol Hill Republicans, who repeatedly have been unable to pass legislation to roll back the Affordable Care Act as referenced in Fridays tweet. Further, Trump for months has prodded Republicans to lower the 60-vote standard needed to pass controversial legislation to a simple 51-vote majority. This is the Filibuster Rule he mentioned on Friday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., though, has long been resistant to changing those rules perhaps concerned it could come back to hurt the party whenever the GOP is in the minority. Further, the last ObamaCare overhaul bill was not subject to the 60-vote standard and failed anyway. But Trump has been struggling to pass elements of his agenda through the GOP-controlled Congress. A source told Fox News that in striking the short-term debt-ceiling deal, Trump wanted to clear the decks so he could get Congress to focus on tax reform his big legislative agenda item this fall, which he touted during a speech late Wednesday in North Dakota. Trump also tweeted a warning Friday to residents in the path of Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way,if possible. Federal G is ready! he wrote. Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report. Credit monitoring company Equifax is now in the running for the worst handling of a data breach ever. Not only did it potentially give up ready-made identity theft packages for more than half of all adult Americans, its response has been heartless verging on evil. The company should be prosecuted and severely financially damaged, but it's acting like it's above the law. The Equifax breach involves "full names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and, in some cases, driver license numbers." This is far worse than your usual name-and-email breach, or even name-email-and-password, because it gives thieves everything they need to open bank accounts, credit cards, and get loans in your name. The data was accessed via a "US website application vulnerability." Let that sink in. A company with power over the financial destiny of most Americansyou cannot opt out of data collection if you want to participate easily in the modern American economylet everyone's data be exposed through its public-facing website. Equifax responded to the breach with supreme arrogance. After hiding it from the public for more than a month (giving the CFO a chance to sell stock), it directs people to a website where they have to enter the last six digits of their Social Security number to see if they've been pwned. Because, of course, right now you want to trust Equifax with your Social Security number. It then responds with a confusing message about signing you up for credit monitoring. But oh, it only gets more sinister from there. Twitterer Zack Whittaker points out that even by checking to see if your info was stolen, you waive your rights to sue Equifax for their malfeasance, which has since caught the eye of regulators. Equifax Must Be Punished The government needs to come down on Equifax hard. The problem is that Equifax offers a privatized, quasi-government function. If you want to participate in the modern US economy, you're subject to the company's rating and arbitration. If you want to rent or buy a home, get a car loan or a cell phone plan, Equifax and its two interchangeable quasi-competitors get to decide your financial fate. ("Not so!" says one commenter, looking up from sewing his handmade clothes in his solar-paneled cabin which he paid for with cash. Okay, Mr. Unabomber, moving on.) The Washington Post says analysts are "puzzled" by why Equifax is acting with such a tin ear. I'm not puzzled; the answer is impunity. When you feel like you have nothing to lose, like you're not under threat, you're going to do the absolute minimum in situations like this. That's what Equifax is doing. We've seen these data breaches before, and we're going to see them again and again until companies are held accountable for their cyber-security practices. So far, no company has been prosecuted or fined for a data breach in any way that would actually hurt it. When Target settled for $18.7 million for a 2013 breach, well, that's about one hour of revenue for the company, given a 10-hour store day over a 365-day year. Adobe paid just $1 million for exposing 38 million people's records. The four-year gap between Target's breach and its settlement shows another problem: justice must be swift here. We don't want four more years of identity theft before companies get around to taking data security seriously. The Equifax breach is the worst ever, because it's a company we can't really choose not to use, and it's a company whose whole job is to hold our personal data for the financial system. If the government cracks down here, it'll send a message that corporations need to take cyber-security more seriously. If not, well, we just all better get used to having our identities regularly stolen. This article originally appeared on PCMag.com. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Cloudy with rain developing later in the day. High 47F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Cloudy. Periods of rain early. Thunder possible. Low 37F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Hurricane season is taking its toll on the southern U.S. and the commercial drone industry is becoming a major player in disaster relief efforts. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and now Hurricane Irma, the FAA issued permits to commercial drone operators to assist in a number of different functions that expedited the recovery process. One of the crucial ways drones are helpful is in getting the electrical grid up and running again in areas crews cannot access, either because the surrounding spaces are flooded or power lines are down. HURRICANE IRMA: STUNNING VIDEO SHOWS INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PASS OVER THE STORM We were down there [Houston] doing energy restoration work for about eight days and what we were doing is we were going out to areas that folks couldnt get to where we could easily fly a drone. We had worked with the FAA for permissions, we were flying on emergency certificates of authorization. Wed fly out over areas working with folks in the energy industry to make assessments and then help primarily concentrating on safety, said James Fleitz, co-founder of drone services company Avisight. Hurricane Harvey is projected to become the costliest natural disaster in the U.S. Financial analysts have estimated $160 billion dollars in damages, exceeding that of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Drones are being used to assess a lot of that damage, especially by insurance companies. Allstate and Farmers Insurance are using their own company drones to make damage assessments. It speeds up the process so insurance companies can pay claims to customers much faster than they normally would with multiple person crews scoping out the extent of losses. HURRICANE IRMA: AIRCRAFT CAPTURE STUNNING SHOTS OF MOON SHINING IN THE EYE OF THE STORM Is it a two billion dollar catastrophe or a ten billion dollar catastrophe, a lot of times thats not known very quickly, this is a technology that can help to make that process go a lot faster and also help to respond to their main customers quickly too and get them their money," said Peter Fuchs, co-founder of drone manufacturer Ascent Aerosystems. While helpful in certain aspects, drones cant assist in traditional helicopter efforts. Drone operators are cautious not to interfere with normal search and rescue operations, but experts say integration is key to being successful, which means that everyone on the ground has to be on the same page. "Its not just about capturing a lot of data, its about capturing the critical data and getting it to the right people at the right time,said Ed Hine, vice president of business development at Hazon Solutions, which oversaw a fleet of drones assisting in Houston. Hine added drones can survey areas as far as three miles wide in a matter of 15 minutes, a process that would take hours on foot. HURRICANE ESSENTIALS: 12 MUST-HAVE ITEMS TO HELP YOU SURVIVE THE STORM But critics are still skeptical on the efficiency of drone flights in disaster areas. Drones are limited in what they can do to help people during a storm. Drones cannot carry people to safety, obviously, but other smaller capabilities are possible like delivering supplies in impassable areas or spotting stranded victims that need rescuing. Fleitz thinks drones will become a major player in future weather events. He says, Itll take its spot in the normal phase of aerial support. Do you have assets that fly out into the eye of the hurricane today that are manned? Absolutely. Will that be done someday with larger drones and those kind of things? Absolutely. Widespread devastation. Barely habitable. The powerful storm heading towards Americans is a threat. Like those in Hurricane Harveys path, many more Americans could soon be without power and other basic support services - and may be so for several days. Harvey was a Category 4 with mean winds up to 156 mph that caused severe damage to well-built homes and uprooted trees. Irma, which was downgraded to a Category 4 Friday morning, is expected to hit Florida Sunday. Are you ready for a hurricane to strike? What if you need to suddenly leave your home for a few days? Is your go bag prepared with the right essential items in case you need to evacuate to safety? This isnt a comprehensive list, but a few key essentials to help cope when a hurricane strikes. Build your hurricane go bag and duffel in advance with the very best stuff used by tactical professionals- but available to civilians too. Gear up and get ready! Select a Go Bag Lets start with the go bag. This is where you carry all your key survival essentials. With hurricanes this dangerous you may need to be ready to leave your home and head to a safe area. About 100,000 homes were hit by Harvey, for example. Florida has already begun evacuations. Any sturdy backpack you use regularly and are comfortable with can work well. 10 BEST IN CLASS - TOP TACTICOOL GEAR FOR BACK TO SCHOOL If you want to invest in something a tactical professional would use, then Vertx EDC Gamut is a top choice. Military quality, but with a smart civilian look. The pack is designed to withstand elite team missions so it will effortlessly take a beating. It can be fully loaded out and has heaps of engineering to make it comfortable to carry for the longest trudges through hurricane floods. Priced at $199.95. The Blue Force Gear Jedburgh pack is very versatile and the incredibly smart Dapper organization system provides a huge advantage especially in a crisis because it makes everything easily and rapidly accessible. Definitely another top option. It comes in different colors and is available for $140. Patagonias Black Hole 25L with durable water-repellent finish is another great option and will keep your contents dry in hurricane rains. Black Hole comes in different sizes and retails for about $100. Stay Connected to Help A hurricane can mean no Wi-Fi, no electricity, no television, no computers, no power to charge your phone so it is very important to have a radio. The water resistant, simple-to-use Eton FR600 endorsed by the American Red Cross has AM, FM, seven NOAA weather channels and S.A.M.E. Technology so that you can track the hurricanes progress and find out about available support anytime, anywhere. Use the smart Alert mode that automatically alerts you when the national weather service posts vital data so you dont have to listen to the weather nonstop. Features like the speakers you can use to plug in your own music and the morning alarm allow you to bring some home conveniences with you. Theres also an SOS siren to use if you need help. This radio can be charged a few ways. Cranking only takes about 90 seconds to charge. The solar panel powers a built-in battery. And you can also use regular batteries. Power Through a Crisis Bring your own power to the crisis. Hurricane Sandy caused about 8.1 million homes to lose power with outages affecting 17 states. Expect that there will be no electricity available. AMAZING EXPERIMENTAL ATTACK PLANES ON SHOW Put a device like the Voltaic Fuse 6W Solar Charger on your go bag. Lightweight and about magazine sized, it is one of the very best options that will give you a four-to-one ratio of reliable smartphone charge for the time you expose it to sunlight. Retails for $129. Looks like a briefcase, acts like a reliable solar power generator that is easy to carry. For more power on the go, Renogy KIT-FIREFLY 20W All-in-One Generator Kit weighs only 12 pounds but delivers 20W so will definitely help keep phones and radios charged. Always Have a Solar Powered Flashlight Ready Its extremely important that every family member has a flashlight. The GoalZero Black Flash Flashlights ($40) are excellent. Theyre lightweight and small, and charged by the sun so you will not have to worry about running out of batteries. Access to Clean Water in a Flood We take access to clean water for granted in the U.S., but natural disasters like a hurricane can potentially disrupt clean water supply. FEMA recommends at least one gallon per person per day for emergency preparedness. Important to keep in mind that humans can survive a lot longer without food than they can water. But where do you get water when theres no water coming out of the faucet or it comes out looking dirty? You need to make sure you have a way to clean water. With the right device, you can take water from a puddle or a swimming pool and safely hydrate. And this is important look at the flooding in Texas. Tests have revealed sewage, fecal bacteria, E. Coli and more that can make humans extremely ill have contaminated the flood water at very high levels. Images of Americans trapped in cars that have been flooded or stuck on the roof of their homes in Harveys aftermath are a stark reminder that it is important to always have access to clean water during flooding. Pop the lightweight tube on a lanyard called LifeStraw in your go bag and you will immediately be able to remove more than 99 percent of bacteria and protozoa and will process up to 264 gallons from any water you come across. This is also something you can put around a childs neck so it is always available and at hand. Another great option is the LifeStraw Go Water Bottle available at $29.16. First Aid Kit Designed by a Special Forces veteran with 28 years of combat experience, one of the very best first aid kits that is the highest military standard but available to help you and your family is the ReadyMan Ultimate Kit. If you are going to invest in one thing, then it should be having to hand things that can save your life and others. The ReadyMan TNT First Aid Trauma Pack is available for $277.95. At a lower price point, ReadyMan also makes a very popular Medical Card. Simply jam packed with essential medical tools in the size of a credit card, you can slip in your wallet or pocket. Put this into your current first aid kit to ramp it up. Available for $13. Duffel Hurricane Defeater You have a go bag, but how do you prepare for being on the go for more than a few days? Get smart and proactive. Choose a waterproof duffel and stock it up. There are a lot of great options on the market, but the two true standouts are Yetis newly debuted Panga and Grundens Gage Shackleton Waterproof. Both will give you the comfort of knowing that no matter how much water a hurricane unleashes, day after day your sleeping bag and clothes will be utterly dry. Those both will last a lifetime of adventures and have smart features. USS GERALD R. FORD IN PICTURES Panga has super smart pocket design ideal for emergency circumstances. The Shackleton Duffel easily converts to a backpack when you deploy the hidden straps. With the Panga, you get YETIs engineering that made tumblers and coolers basically indestructible. That level of excellence applied to keeping your belongings dry no matter what. Available starting at about $300. At a lower price point of $115, the Shackleton is an incredible deal. Grundens are masterful at defeating water and rain. Founded by a fishermans son to better protect fishermen, Grundens has been innovating to defeat the most extreme ocean conditions and stormy waters for more than 100 years. Professional fishermen rely on the companys products in scary extreme weather at sea and you can too when facing a hurricane. Rations Do not expect to be able to pop down to your local grocery and pick up food. With flooding, access to food could take days. It is important to stock your go bag with lightweight nutrition like protein bars. For your vehicle or duffel, you need to stock up for at least several days of food. Bear in mind that after you evacuate, you might not have access to electricity or a kitchen to make food. One outstanding option is Mountain House. They have kits containing from two to 14-day supplies. Their emergency buckets will provide tasty, freeze dried, loaded with nutrition meals that only need hot water to prepare. Options range from lasagna to scrambled eggs. Mountain House makes Long Range Patrol rations or LRPS (now called Meal, Cold Weather) for the United States military. Designed to help U.S. Special Forces to be at their very best while operating in every extreme climate and terrain, LRPs are now available to civilians too with options like chicken and rice and breakfast skillet. Kits for 72 Hours, for 2 people start at $147. Bring the Heat A warm meal or hot drink can be a real boost to morale in a crisis. Without electricity, that will be tough unless youve planned in advance and made sure you have a stove. The BioLite Wood Burning CampStove is definitely one of the best options and it is available for $130. Defend Electronics Make sure to pop your electronics in something waterproof. Freegrace Waterproof Lightweight Dry Sack/Dry Bags is another great option and comes with double zip lock seals to extra protect your things if they get submerged underwater. Another standout, it comes with a waterproof phone case so you can still text and talk while out in hurricane rain. Fantastic value for max protection. Protect Medicine, Important Documents, and Precious Possessions With emergencies, it is extremely important to prepare critical things you might need in advance. Things like birth certificates, passports, irreplaceable photos, medicine for medical conditions, a paper map in the event you cant use your phone to navigate these things need to be kept safe and dry. SOFIC: WHERE THE MILITARY BUYS ITS COOL GEAR Magpul is renowned for its revolutionary, smart designs. With the PMAG, for example, theyve transformed magazines, in a way that will save warfighter lives. In fact, the Marine Corps and now the Air Force has adopted them. The Magpul DAKA Pouch comes in different sizes and will keep your precious things safe from hurricane rains, flooding, mud and more. $22.95 lots of colors. Last Line of Defense Ziplocs are also great to use as a final line of defense. If you dont have a laminated map, then you can keep a map safe in a Ziploc. Garbage bags are very useful too in case clothing gets wet, then you can separate it and keep things dry. Forewarned is Forearmed You can find already prepared packs at reliable sources like the Red Cross. The Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit starts at $49.45 and the Deluxe 3-Day Emergency Preparedness Kit is $99.95. Make sure to think about things tailored to your family. For example, if you have children then cards, lightweight travel-sized board games may be a good idea to pass the time. And do your research. Watch instructional videos by elite military professionals who are experts in survival, like ReadyMan, for detailed advice. A deluded Alabama man who married his MacBook computer is suing state officials for refusing to recognize the nuptials. Chris Sevier, who married an object in New Mexico with female-like features, said Blount County Probate Judge Chris Green arbitrarily denied his request for a new marriage license because Green found his relationship to be morally repugnant, according to his federal lawsuit. The self-described machinist has filed multiple lawsuits involving his blushing computer bride, including one that sought to force a baker to make a wedding cake for the odd couple. The cyber nut, a former attorney who lives Oneonta, filed his latest suit on behalf of a trio of polygamists who also want their marriage to each other recognized by the state of Alabama. The governor is overseeing laws that give benefits to homosexuals who are married but not machinists, zoophiles, and polygamists in violation of both the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the suit said. Sevier also accuses the Attorney Generals Office, which is named as a defendant, of giving special treatment to gays in the rambling, 46-page complaint first reported by AL.com. Green told AL.com that he denied the plaintiffs marriage requests because they made them over the phone and not in person. I just said I wouldnt do that in Blount County, he said. No way, no how. He also said state law doesnt permit him to issue marriage licenses to polygamists or people seeking to marry an inanimate object. In 2014, Sevier said he married a pornography-laden machine after he began preferring sex with my computer over sex with real women. This story originally appeared in the New York Post. France has long been a country known for its sexual permissiveness, with some U.S. visitors in particular ruffling at the sight of its many nude beaches. But now, the trend of being naked outdoors will now be extended to part of the Bois de Vincennes park in Paris, with a clothing optional area for naturists to explore. "It's a true joy, it's one more freedom for naturists, Claude Pennegry, a member of the Paris Naturists Association, told Agence-France Presse. "It shows the city's broad-mindedness and will help change people's attitudes toward nudity, toward our values and our respect for nature," he said. The secluded nude spot opened last week and will remain on a trial basis until October 15. Neither voyeurs nor exhibitionists will be permitted, according to the same AFP report. The nude zone is 7,300 square meters in area (approximately 1.8 acres) and will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day. At nearly 2,500 acres, the Bois de Vincennes is the second largest park in the city behind Bois de Boulogne, and it is located in the 12th arrondissement. Signs are posted leading up to the nude area, so nude sunbathers will not take passersby by surprise. Deputy Mayor Bruno Julliard pioneered the idea, and Penelope Komites, a deputy mayor in charge of the citys parks, has been a vocal supporter of the proposal. The creation of an area in the Bois de Vincennes where naturism will be authorized is part of our open-minded vision for the use of Parisian public spaces, she said. Nudists even have a public pool at their disposal in Paris where they can swim naked three times a week, BBC reported. The number of international travelers to the U.S. has dramatically declined in the wake of Donald Trumps presidency, according to a revised report by the U.S. Travel Association. The Travel Trends Index, released Tuesday, shows a sharper decrease in international visitation than was originally estimated after evaluating newly available data. To compile its data, the report tracks flight and hotel bookings, plane boardings and other data. The previous report from early July claimed there had been 13 straight months of year-over-year growth. However, upon revised analysis, the new report shows a dip in four of the seven months evaluated thus far, with the steepest decline in February (down 6.8 percent) and March (down 8.2 percent). HURRICANE IRMA: HOW DISNEY WORLD AND OTHER FLORIDA THEME PARKS ARE PREPARING FOR THE STORM We kept projecting drops in international visitation, and they kept not materializing, David Huether, U.S. Travel Association Senior Vice President for Research, said in a statement. However, we recently were able to access new data inputs for the TTI to give us an even more comprehensive picture, and sure enough, the international travel segment has been far weaker than what was initially shown. This decline comes as no surprise for many who were predicting a Trump slump. After his inauguration, Trump immediately tried to ban visitors from Muslim-majority countries as well as pledge to finally build the wall along the Mexican border hed promised during the campaign. According to The Economist, within months of Trump's election, several online travel firms, including Kayak and Hopper, reported that fewer people were searching for flights to America. The U.S. also dropped two slots in its international ranking of desirable tourist destinations according to the World Economic Forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report in April, USA Today reports. Japan and the United Kingdom both climbed ahead of the U.S., which ranked sixth on that list. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS We are going to be left behind without changes, said Patricia Rojas-Ungar, vice president for government affairs at the U.S. Travel Association, to USA Today. This pie continues to grow. Our slice is getting smaller if we dont go after it. The U.S. Travel Association says there are still things Trump can do to attract foreigners, like backing Brand USA, the countrys tourism marketing organization, as well as supporting open-skies agreements and the Visa Waiver Program, which allows certain nationalities to enter the country without first obtaining a visa, The Economist reports. For an entire generation in South Florida, Hurricane Andrew was the monster storm that reshaped a region. Irma is likely to blow that out of the water. Bigger and with a 90-degree different path of potential destruction, Irma is forecast to hit lots more people and buildings than 1992's Andrew, said experts, including veterans of Andrew. At the time Andrew was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history with damages of $26.5 billion in 1992 dollars (about $50 billion in current dollars), according to the National Weather Service. "The effect of Irma on the state of Florida is going to be much greater than Andrew's effect," said Weather Channel senior hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross, who was a local television meteorologist hailed as a hero during Andrew. "We're dealing with an entirely different level of phenomenon. There is no storm to compare with this. Unless you go way back to 1926." Kate Hale, Miami-Dade's emergency management chief who grabbed national attention during Andrew by beseeching "where the hell is the cavalry on this one?" said by nearly every measure Irma looks far worse. "Nobody can make this up. This storm. This track at this point," Hale told The Associated Press on Thursday. Between Hurricane Harvey's record weeklong flooding, devastating Western wildfires and Irma, which was nearing record-levels for the longest time at Category 5 strength, she called the effects on the national economy "potentially staggering." Both Andrew and Irma started as wisps of unstable weather off Africa and chugged across the Atlantic as ever-intensifying Cape Verde storms. And while they may both end up in the same general area, meteorologists said that's where the similarities disappear. Andrew a quarter century ago was an unusually compact major storm that roared east-to-west almost in a straight line and hit just south of the core of Miami. Months after its August 23, 1992, landfall, meteorologists upgraded it to a Category 5 hurricane with 167 mph (268 kph) winds at one point and 17-foot (5-meter) storm surge in another. The storm killed 65 people, according to the National Hurricane Center's report. Andrew's hurricane force winds were only about 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide and so was its swath of utter destruction. It was like "an incredible buzz saw giant tornado of a hurricane that hit metropolitan Southeast Florida," Norcross said. Yet outside that area damage was minimal, more like a Category 1 storm. And the place it hit with its massive winds was on the southern tip of Dade County and any place else would have caused far more damage, Norcross and Hale said. "As bad as it was, it was as good as it could have been," Norcross said. Andrew's path also took it straight out of South Florida at relatively high speeds of about 18 mph (29 kph). The National Hurricane Center's forecast path for Irma is from the south, hitting Miami and perhaps its highly developed and expensive central region, then up through affluent Broward and Palm Beach counties and further north, threatening the entire peninsula instead of just its tip. For disaster officials trying to rescue people and clean up, that's a big difference. "Everything north of us was functioning and safe," said Hale, now an emergency manager in Virginia. "This time everything north of them is going to be in bad shape as well." Andrew intensified to a Category 5 hurricane just before hitting land, while Irma has been a Category 5 storm for days and is forecast to fluctuate in intensity in the next couple days and could hit as a strong Category 4. But forecasts of a weakening storm are somewhat iffy, meteorologists said. Another huge factor is Andrew was so small, while Irma is already a normal size storm and likely to grow bigger with up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) wide of Category 5 hurricane force winds, triple Andrew's girth, according to Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the private Weather Underground. Irma "is going over a much bigger population," Masters said. "Andrew missed like four-fifths of the Miami-Dade population centers." About 1.9 million people lived in Miami-Dade County when Andrew hit. Now about 6 million people live in South Florida's three counties and another 4 million people live in threatened Orlando and Jacksonville. Irma's forecast track keeps shifting, Thursday afternoon's track puts Irma's power the northeast quadrant over Miami and later Jacksonville with the storm directly over Orlando. However the margin of error is still so big it encompasses the entire Florida peninsula. ___ Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears . His work can be found here . ___ HURRICANE NEWSLETTER - Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb As Tropical Storm Barry makes landfall on the Lousiana coast, many pet owners should consider the needs of their four-legged friends and how to keep them safe. Here are some safety tips from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Safety measures In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act in 2006, which requires plans for the evacuation of pets, in addition to people. Under the act, FEMAs director is required to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a major disaster or emergency. To get ready for a disaster, people should find out where they can bring their pets, which can be done by contacting hotels or shelters to see what their policies are, FEMA explained. Pet owners also may wish to reach out to people they know. Ask friends, relatives, or others outside the affected area whether they could shelter your animals, the agency says. If you have more than one pet, they may be more comfortable if kept together, but be prepared to house them separately. Pets need their own emergency necessities, too, including food, water, bowls, leashes, carriers, cat litter, medicine and medical records. Keep items in an accessible place and store them in sturdy containers that can be carried easily (duffle bags, covered trash containers, etc.), it advises. On the road If youre evacuating with your pets, dogs should be leashed and carriers should be used for cats, the agency advised. Dont leave animals unattended anywhere they can run off, it says. The most trustworthy pets may panic, hide, try to escape, or even bite or scratch. The agency suggests that pet owners allow their companions time to settle back into their routines upon returning home. Irma will continue to pummel the northern Caribbean islands through late week as the massive hurricane leaves a trail of damage in its path. The Turks and Caicos Islands will experience the worst of the powerful hurricane through Thursday night as the eye of Irma tracks within miles of the islands. "Farther to the west, residents and interests in the Bahamas and eastern Cuba should closely monitor the progression of Major Hurricane Irma, AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. The storm made a direct hit on Barbuda early Wednesday morning as a Category 5 hurricane before later making a direct hit on the islands of St. Martin, Anguilla, St. Barts and the British Virgin Islands. The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda described Barbuda as "barely habitable" on Wednesday afternoon due to the catastrophic damage left behind by Irma. Hurricane Jose to threaten rain, wind across Leeward Islands following devastation from Irma Major Hurricane Irma likely to deliver destructive blow to Florida this weekend 25 years later: Hurricane Iniki still one of Hawaii's most devastating storms For previous reports of Irma's impacts in the Caribbean, click here. 8:40 p.m. AST Thursday: The Turks and Caicos are currently being hit with some of the strongest winds that they will experience from Irma as it passes by. Irma remains a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 175 mph and even stronger gusts. The strong winds will help to produce feet of storm surge that will inundate many of the coastal areas of the Turks and Caicos for several hours. 7:00 p.m. AST Thursday: Turks and Caicos are about to experience the worst of Hurricane Irma over the next several hours with the eye passing within miles of the islands. The eye may even pass directly over some of the southern-most islands. 5:30 p.m. AST Thursday: Three more fatalities have been reported in the U.S. Virgin Islands where catastrophic damage was reported. The worst of the hurricane is approaching the Turks and Caicos Islands with conditions expected to deteriorate throughout the evening. 4:25 p.m. AST Thursday: Irma remains a powerful Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. The eye of the storm is located about 65 miles north of the Dominican Republic and will gradually track northwest away from the island into Thursday night. Residents on the island will continue to experience heavy rain and gusty winds as the storm tracks closer to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flooding rain and storm surge has caused some roads to turn to rivers while strong winds have caused some structures to collapse. Two people were injured in a shooting at a Missouri mall Thursday night before a suspect was taken into custody, authorities say. The condition of the injured was not immediately known. The shooting took place at the Battlefield Mall, located at the southern edge of downtown. It was not immediately clear whether the shots were fired inside or outside the mall. KLOR, citing customers inside the mall, reported that the building had been put on lockdown. Click for more from OzarksFirst.com. President Donald Trump has reiterated that military action is "certainly" an option against North Korea, as his administration tentatively concurs with the pariah nation's claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb. A senior administration official says the U.S. is still assessing last weekend's underground explosion but so far notes nothing inconsistent with Pyongyang's claim. If confirmed, that would mark a major advance in its demonstrated ability to build high-yield nuclear weapons. Hydrogen bombs have the potential to be far stronger than simpler fission bombs like those used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States at the end of World War II. Trump told a news conference Thursday that "military action would certainly be an option," with North Korea, although he says he'd prefer not to take the military route. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 69F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Clear skies with a few passing clouds. Low 33F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Prosecutors have asked the FBI to join an investigation into the rough arrest of a Utah nurse after video of her being dragged screaming from a hospital drew widespread condemnation, authorities said Thursday. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill is overseeing a criminal investigation into officers involved in the handcuffing of nurse Alex Wubbels. He is asking for FBI help in part because his office can't prosecute possible civil rights violations like wrongful arrest, Gill said. "This is a very important issue, and it's of great concern in our community," he said. A federal probe could also look for any larger systematic problems that contributed to the arrest, Gill said. The FBI opened its own civil rights review after the video surfaced last week and has agreed to assist the county investigation, FBI spokeswoman Sandra Yi Barker said. Wubbels was following hospital protocol when she calmly refused to allow a blood draw on an unconscious patient without consent or a warrant on July 26. The patient had been injured when he was hit by a truck fleeing from police. Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Payne insisted on drawing the blood, maintaining in his report that he wanted the sample to protect the man rather than prosecute him. He was supported by his supervisor, Lt. James Tracy, who said the nurse could be arrested if she didn't agree. The dispute ended with Payne handcuffing Wubbels and dragging her outside while she screamed that she'd done nothing wrong. She was later released without charge. Payne, who has worked for the department for over 20 years, was put on paid leave by Salt Lake City police after the video emerged. A second officer also put on leave has not been identified, but police have said Tracy's actions are also under review. Neither Payne nor Tracy could be reached for comment Thursday. The Salt Lake police union didn't return messages seeking comment. Payne has also been fired from his part-time job as a paramedic following comments he made on the video about taking transient patients to the hospital as retaliation. A window washer was shot and wounded while working outside the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel building in downtown Milwaukee. An Associated Press reporter heard several gunshots around 1:30 p.m. Thursday on the State Street side of the building, where a large window was shattered near the news cooperative's office. The 30-year-old man, who was shot in the chest, ran inside the building where employees gave first aid and called 911. The man was conscious as paramedics loaded him into the ambulance. Police said their initial investigation suggested a vehicle not connected to the window washer or the newspaper building was the intended target. They said the window washer's injury was serious but didn't elaborate. On Sept. 8, a Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the U.S. killing thousands of people and leaving behind lasting devastation. The hurricane, which became known as the Great Storm, ravaged Galveston, Texas, in 1900 exactly 117 years before Hurricane Irma, the Atlantic Oceans most potent storm that is expected to continue its trek across the Caribbean and slam into Florida. Between 6,000 and 12,000 people died in 1900 after the massive storm hit the southern Texas island, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report. More than 3,500 buildings were destroyed. The storm brought with it darkness, winds up to 140 mph and a 15-foot surge of water, according to the Houston Chronicle. It destroyed the commercial city that sat less than 9 feet above sea level, at the time home to 35 churches, 30 hotels, 484 saloons and the biggest opera house in Texas. Several people drowned and many others were killed by flying debris as they tried to escape, according to accounts. The storm was able to wreak so much havoc, in part, because of the nations unpreparedness at the time. Sophisticated weather forecasting technology didnt exist at the time, but the U.S. Weather Bureau issued warnings telling people to move to higher ground. However, these advisories were ignored by many vacationers and residents alike, said History.com. HURRICANE IRMA'S STORM PATH: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Isaac Cline, the Galveston chief U.S. Bureau Meteorologist at the time, thought the Texas town would be able to withstand a hurricane because of the shallow waters along the beach, according to the Chronicle. Clines pregnant wife perished during the storm. We drifted for three hours, landing 300 yards from where we started. There were two hours that we did not see a house nor any person, and from the swell we inferred that we were drifting to sea, which, in view of the northeast wind then blowing, was more than probable, Cline recounted in a Sept. 1900 report. The storm caused a new focus on studying hurricane prevention, according to NOAA. A large seawall was eventually built to protect Galveston from future storms and flooding and it did its job during hurricanes in 1961 and 1983, according to History.com. GALVESTON WAS REFUGE FOR NATION'S ORPHANS, BEFORE AND AFTER DEADLY 1900 HURRICANE I believe that a sea wall, which would have broken the swells, would have saved much loss of both life and property, Cline said in his report. Hurricane Irma, which has already destroyed many island towns in the Caribbean, is about 450 miles southeast of Miami, Fla., as of Friday morning. Its traveling west-northwest at approximately 16 mph. Irma was downgraded to a powerful Category 4 storm Friday morning. President Donald Trump has declared an emergency in Florida as the storm is on a path straight for the Sunshine state over the weekend. "It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of (Hurricane) Harvey." Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather A weakened but still dangerous Irma pushed inland Monday as it hammered Florida with winds and floodwaters. Irma was downgraded Monday morning to a tropical storm. On Sunday, it made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm hurricane after leaving a deadly path of destruction in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm has already knocked out power to more than 6.5 million homes and businesses across Florida. More than 100,000 customers in Georgia and more than 80,000 in South Carolina were without power. The storm killed at least 35 people in the Caribbean. Nearly 7 million people in the Southeast were warned to leave in one of the largest U.S. evacuations, including 6.4 million in Florida alone. Officials estimated that about 25 percent of Key Wests residents stayed through the storm despite evacuation orders. More than 120 homes were being evacuated early Monday in Orange County, the region where the city of Orlando is located, as floodwaters started to rise. Firefighters and the National Guard were going door-to-door and using boats to ferry families to safety. Heres what you should know about Tropical Storm Irma and its trajectory. Where is Tropical Storm Irma now? By Monday evening, the tropical storm was continuing to push its way into Georgia. FLORIDA KEYS AND HURRICANES, A LONG HISTORY The tropical storm was about 55 miles southeast of Columbus, Ga., as of the National Hurricane Center's 8 p.m. ET advisory. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and is moving in a north-northwest direction at 16 mph. Over the next two days, Irma is expected to move into Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. What else should I know about the storm? "This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of (Hurricane) Harvey," Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement. AS IRMA ARRIVES, ANIMALS ARE HAULED OFF TO JAIL FOR PROTECTION Georgia officials declared a state of emergency in all 159 counties on Sunday in preparation for Tropical Storm Irma after the National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning in Atlanta for the first time in the citys history. South Carolina and North Carolina also declared states of emergency ahead of the storm. Fox News' Jake Ingrassia, Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Zoe Szathmary, Nicole Darrah and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Floridians clogged highways in a desperate scramble to get out of Hurricane Irma's crosshairs, as the deadly Category 4 storm took direct aim at the southern United States, shifting westward Friday as the worst case scenario became the most-likely situation. Irma, downgraded from Category 5, was still regarded as the most powerful in the Atlantic in recorded history, bringing sustained winds of 150 mph not as strong as the 185 mph of previous days, but forceful enough to cause severe damage to homes and other structures. "This is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential," President Trump said in a videotaped statement. He urged all those in the storm's path to "heed all recommendations" from officials. "Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the southeastern states,'' FEMA Administrator Brock Long said at a news briefing on Friday. He warned that parts of Florida would be out of electricity for days if not longer and that more than 100,000 people may need shelter. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said during a Friday news conference the Florida Keys would begin to feel Irma's effects by Saturday morning. He said Irma, on its current path, was more deadly than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that killed 65 in August 1992. "All Floridians should be prepared to evacuate," Scott said, though he acknowledged the evacuations were causing a logjam on the state's roads. Scott said as of 6 p.m. Thursday 8.4 million gallons of fuel had been shipped into Port Everglades and more than five million gallons of fuel was shipped into Port Tampa Bay. But Scott emphasized the seriousness of getting to a safe location. A federal judge is allowing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. government's terrorist watch list to go forward. Government lawyers had asked U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga in Alexandria to dismiss the lawsuit, filed in 2016. The plaintiffs, who are Muslim, alleged they were wrongly added to the watch list. That list is used to develop the government's no-fly list, which bars people from flying, and the "selectee list," which subjects travelers to enhanced screening. Trenga ruled this week that the plaintiffs have a plausible argument that their due process rights are being violated and said the government's defense of its procedures amounts to a "'trust us' approach." The plaintiffs' lawyer, Gadeir Abbas with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the lawsuit is the first challenge to the selectee list that has advanced this far. Christmas trees are popping up in a small Kansas town as residents prepare to celebrate the holiday early for a 3-year-old boy with terminal cancer. Lebo residents will celebrate Christmas on Sunday as a tribute to Christian Risner, who was placed in hospice care last month, the Wichita Eagle reported . Christian, who graduated from preschool on Thursday, has Rhabdoid kidney cancer, which has created tumors in his kidneys and lungs. Doctors say he has less than three months to live. His hometown in southern Kansas has rallied around him. Santa will make an appearance during Sunday's events, brining toys to a community potluck hosted by the Lebo Baptist Church. A horse-drawn sleigh will take Christian to look at the array of trees and holiday lights residents and businesses put up around town. "He loves Christmas and we have told him Christmas comes on Sunday," said his mother, Sarah Risner. Lebo resident Kelly Freund said she saw Christian's struggles in fighting cancer and wanted to help. She said the idea of ensuring he sees one more Christmas "has taken off like wildfire." "I have gotten so many messages from people from so many different states. It's pictures of people putting Christmas trees up in support of Christian," she said. A silent auction will take place at the church Sunday, with proceeds going to help with the family's medical expenses. Richard Odum, pastor at the church, said was moved watching Christian's fight over the last year and half with an incurable cancer, adding: "It is a hard deal to know he is hurting." Christian went into hospice after undergoing a procedure that drained 16 ounces of fluid from his lungs. "Some days are good, some aren't," Risner said. "I don't know why God has chosen my child. I accept he needs him more than I need him, and I don't like it. But I am grateful I get to be his mom." ___ Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com A knife-wielding man was shot at Miami International airport late Thursday after he gained access to a secured room and confronted a police officer, The Miami Herald reported. The paper, citing police sources, said that the man somehow breached a restricted area and made it onto the tarmac. Airport officials said in a tweet that the situation involved a single suspect and is under control. Concourse J was temporarily closed, airport spokesman Greg Chin said. At least one shot was fired. The paper reported that the man was listed in stable condition. The shooting comes as many travelers are trying to get out of the path of the Category 5 hurricane, which devastated a string of Caribbean islands and is on its way to Florida. Shawn Woodford and his wife were about to board a flight home for Canada when fire trucks and police cars came "flying across the tarmac" and "surrounded a plane at the gate next to us," he told The Associated Press. The plane the gate Woodford identified was a Latam Airlines flight to Santiago, Chile, according to Miami's departures board. Latam officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP. A short time later, police came into the terminal where Woodford and his wife were and "said `everybody out of here' and evacuated the entire concourse," he said. Woodford said the majority of the flights in the terminal were international flights. It was not immediately clear how the closure was affecting flights. Miami's airport departures notifications showed several delays for flights at J gates. But Woodford was able to board his flight for Toronto -- at a different concourse and nearly 4 hours after his original departure time. The Latam flight to Santiago was listed as delayed nearly two hours, but still leaving at midnight. We do not suspect that theres other individuals in the airport who are here to cause any harm and right now the situation has been neutralized so there is no danger to the patrons of the airport, authorities told the paper. The Associated Press contributed to this report A lecturer at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln is no longer working in a teaching role after receiving threats stemming from a video posted online that shows her confronting a student recruiting for a conservative group. Graduate teaching assistant Courtney Lawton was among several faculty members last month who protested recruiting efforts for Turning Point USA. The group advocates for conservative causes and maintains a "professor watch list" of faculty it deems radically liberal. Video circulating on social media shows Lawton flipping off the student recruiter and referring to her as a "neo-fascist." The footage also shows Lawton saying, among other things, that the student "wants to destroy public schools, public universities." University spokesman Steve Smith said Thursday that the school doesn't condone Lawton's behavior, but that the decision to take her out of the classroom "was made with the lecturer's safety concerns in mind." "Our expectations for civility were not met by the lecturer in her behavior ... and not representative of a university where the robust free exchange of ideas takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Smith said. Lawton said she has been reassigned to nonteaching duties because of emails and online messages that the school deemed threatening. She said an administrator told her the reassignment wasn't disciplinary and that she was "being removed from the classroom due to a security threat to me and my students." The student recruiter, sophomore Kaitlyn Mullen, said neither she nor the conservative nonprofit was responsible for the threatening emails. She also questioned the university's approach in not disciplining Lawton's conduct. "I would like to make it clear that I believe that professor should not be allowed to harass students," Mullen said. "I hope UNL will set an example by removing her from campus so she can't do this to any other students." As Floridians brace for a potentially deadly Hurricane Irma, thousands of complaints accusing stores of price gouging ahead of the storm were filed Friday with the Florida Attorney Generals Office. Consumers have called the attorney general to report price surges in water, ice, fuel, lumber and other supplies since the office activated a Gouging Hotline on Sunday, according to multiple local media reports. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday blasted price-gouging businesses for "taking advantage of Floridians in a time of need." Bondi told Fox News her office has fielded thousands of complaints against businesses for increasing prices in advance of the strongest hurricane in Atlantic basin history. "You cannot inflate prices during the time of a hurricane for essential commodities -- food, water, fuel, ecetera," Bondi said, adding that 45 complaints came in overnight Thursday against Chevron gas stations in the region. In Tallahassee and Tampa, Chevron's prices were average, she said. But in Miami-Dade and Monroe County, customers were reporting inflated prices per-gallon. Bondi demanded that representatives from Chevron contact her office to explain why they allegedly inflated their prices, while she commended commmercial airlines for offering reasonable rates for residents trying to leave the area. America Airlines, she said, "stepped up to the plate" by offering $99 one-way flights anywhere out of five South Florida cities, one way. "They're waving change fees and they're flying pets for free. I asked them to do that," she said. "My immediate concern is to get people out of Florida," she said. "If you're a bad business we are coming after you." Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Floridas 67 counties. Under state law, it is illegal for businesses to inflate prices for basic commodities during an emergency to rates far exceeding the average price during the previous 30 days. Such items include gas, food and water as well as hotel rooms. Martin Green, a call center operater with the price-gouging hotline, told the Orlando Sentinel of an especially egregious complaint. "The worst call I got today, and this was the worst of the worst, was a 24 pack of six-ounce bottles of water, for $72 $72," Green told the newspaper. "That was in Jupiter today." A college student exhausted from her long journey from Florida to New Jersey to flee Hurricane Irma passed out on a train and woke up stranded in a rail yard. Claire Connelly, who attends Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, was on the New Jersey Transits Raritan Valley Line Wednesday evening headed towards Highland where her parents live when she fell asleep. When she woke up, the train was parked in the deserted yard. Connelly used her phone to shoot a video of herself as she wandered terrified through the train. I literally just fell asleep on my train. Im on a train. There is no one on, Connelly said on video as she was walking through the empty cars. She later posted the video on Twitter. CLICK TO READ MORE FROM THE NEW YORK POST. New details have emerged about the hellish ordeal a British backpacker endured while visiting Australia last year. The then-23-year-old woman, who remains unidentified, was living in the Chippendale house of 15 young backpackers when she had to fight for her life after surviving a rape and a bloody attack from one of the Mexican tourists in the home, according to court records. Desperate for assistance, the woman resorted to writing a Facebook message for help in fending off the man, identified as Francisco Quibrera Villaescusa. Court documents released this week shed new light on the violent episode. Raped me...Been stabbed...Guys..call an ambulance..idk number...Plz...Need police...Hurry. Been stabbed in hand, the woman, who couldnt remember the Australian emergency phone number, had written in the message to her roommates, according to news.com.au. The woman said she had only spoken to Villaescusa a few times before he entered her room and demanded sex. I have to have sex with you, you must have sex with me, the man said, according to the victim. "I was screaming as he did this and was trying to sit up," she continued, according to Sunshine Coast Daily. Villaescusa, the woman said, unveiled a knife and cut my left hand between my thumb and first finger. It felt like he'd sliced me, the blood was pouring out." The blood, she said, was pouring out of my hand. She was then dragged to Villaescusas room before eventually being let go. She proceeded to lock herself in another room before sending the message. A separate housemate soon joined her to help while another replied to the Facebook message. But soon, Villaescusa was back, slicing at cardboard that had replaced broken glass as he tried to get into the bedroom. He eventually made his way into the room where he brawled with the other man. The woman, meantime, was stabbed three other times in the neck, the armpit and the neck. "I just remember feeling the knife coming through the left side of my neck," she said. "At this point, I really thought he was going to kill me." Eventually, she escaped, but not before stabbing her attacker in return. I pushed the knife into his stomach, she said. I am pretty sure that I left it in him. Villaescusa later denied charges of sexual assault, reckless wounding, indecent assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and attempted murder, claiming to be mentally impaired at the time of the incident. He was found not guilty due to mental illness following a two-day trial and was sent to a mental health facility. Authorities in Portugal say divers are searching a river for a tourist who jumped off a bridge and disappeared beneath the water. Officials say the 34-year-old American leapt into the River Douro in Portugal's second-largest city, Porto, after seeing local youngsters diving from the bridge on Thursday evening. Porto harbormaster Carlos Campos says the man was with his girlfriend, who is also from the United States. Campos told The Associated Press on Friday that authorities have little hope of finding the man alive. His girlfriend is receiving counselling. Campos said he was not authorized to release the man's name and did not know where he was from in the U.S. At least 58 people died in a historically massive earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico early Friday, toppling hotels and houses and prompting tsunami waves and power outages. The United States Geological Survey said that a magnitude 8.1 quake hit about 73 miles off Tres Picos, Mexico, along Mexico's southern coast. Its epicenter was 102 miles west of Tapachula in southern Chiapas state and had a depth of about 21 miles. The quake was so powerful, it sent people fleeing from buildings 650 miles away in Mexico City. President Enrique Pena Nieto said the earthquake is the biggest the country has seen in a century. He said that 62 aftershocks followed the quake and it's possible one as strong as 7.2 could hit in the next 24 hours. Chiapas' Gov. Manuel Velasco told Milenio TV that at least three people have been killed in the region and 10 died in Oazaca, close to the quake's epicenter. He said the quake damaged hospitals and schools. Two children also died in Tabasco state. One of them was killed when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children's hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the infant's ventilator. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center early Friday confirmed tsunami waves in Mexico, with the largest wave so far measuring 2.3 feet. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places. The center's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of a meter or less. Civil protection officials in Mexico were checking for damage in Chiapas, but the quake was so powerful that frightened residents in Mexico City fled apartment buildings, often in their pajamas, and gathered in groups in the street. Around midnight buildings swayed strongly for more than minute, loosening light fixtures from ceilings. Helicopters crisscrossed the sky above Mexico City with spotlights. Zhaira Franco, 35, who was in Mexico City, told The New York Times that she heard an alarm for about 30 seconds before feeling the quake. She said her building swayed so much that it hit the building next door. "The house moved like chewing gum and the light and internet went out momentarily," said Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, a poor largely indigenous state popular with tourists. Civil Defense in Chiapas said on its Twitter account that its personnel were in the streets aiding people and warned residents to prepare for aftershocks. But it made no immediate comment about damage The USGS reported a magnitude 5.7 aftershock about 12 minutes later. There have been up to 13 aftershocks. In neighboring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage. Local radio in the Central American country reported one death, but it could not be confirmed. "We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don't have exact details," Morales said. He said the possible death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico. Lucy Jones, a seismologist in California who works with the U.S. Geological Survey, said such a quake was to be expected. "Off the west coast of Mexico is what's called the subduction zone, the Pacific Plate is moving under the Mexican peninsula," she said. "It's a very flat fault, so it's a place that has big earthquakes relatively often because of that." "There's likely to be a small tsunami going to the southwest. It's not going to be coming up and affecting California or Hawaii," she said. "For tsunami generation, an 8 is relatively small." The Associated Press contributed to this report An international animal charity says a month-old lion cub whose mother had been rescued from a defunct zoo in war-stricken Syria has died. The Four Paws charity says Hajar, born a day after its mother Dana arrived at a wildlife refuge in Jordan, died Friday. The group says that at some point Dana had stopped taking care of the cub. A veterinary team took the cub from its mother for medical care, but Hajar's condition worsened in recent days. Charity spokesman Martin Bauer says tests are being conducted to determine the cause of death. Dana and 12 other animals, including bears and tigers, had barely survived under harsh conditions in the Syrian city of Aleppo, until a few months ago a major battleground in the country's civil war. North Korea on Friday called U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley a "political prostitute" and derided her as "crazily swishing her skirt" after she said the rogue regime was "begging for war." The state-run Korean Central News Agency described Haleys comments to the UN Sunday as a hysteric fit. Nikki should be careful with her tongue though she might be a blind fool, KCNA said. The U.S. administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing." KCNA mocked Haleys call for more sanctions in response to North Koreas most powerful nuclear test on Sunday that was said to involve a hydrogen bomb. "She is crazily swishing her skirt, playing the flagship role in Trump administration's hideous sanctions and pressure racket, KCNA said. The KCNA commentary comes as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan left its home port near Tokyo Friday for a patrol mission in the Western Pacific. The Ronald Reagan was previously scheduled for training this week after routine maintenance in port, U.S. officials told Fox News. RRN gets underway for 17-2 Patrol to ensure safety and security of the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region, the carriers commanders wrote on Twitter. South Korea is closely watching North Korea over the possibility Pyongyang may test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile as soon as Saturday, when the Hermit Kingdom celebrates its founding anniversary. On Thursday, President Trump said it would be a very sad day for North Korea if the United States is forced to use its military to respond to Kim Jong Uns nuclear threats. I would prefer not going the route of the military, but its something, certainly, that could happen, the president said during a press conference at the White House. In June the Ronald Reagan and the USS Carl Vinson conducted joint drills in the Sea of Japan with Japans Self Defense Forces and the South Korean military. The Ronald Reagan returned to Japan in early August. The USS Fitzgerald, USS John S. McCain and USS Antietam were all were part of the Reagan strike group but can't return to sea. The destroyers Fitzgerald and McCain, both ballistic missile defense ships capable of shooting down North Korean missiles, were involved in recent deadly collisions that killed 17 American sailors. The Antietam, a guided-missile cruiser, ran aground in Tokyo Bay in late January spilling over 1,000 gallons of oil. All three warships are also capable of carrying dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles as well, the same kind of missiles fired into Syria in April. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Mikhail Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia and a former governor in Ukraine, says he's not afraid to try and return to Ukraine even though his citizenship there has been withdrawn, making him stateless. Saakashvili said he will be at Poland's border with Ukraine on Sunday aiming to return home. However, he has no valid document, since his Ukrainian passport expired when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko withdrew his citizenship in July for what Saakashvili says were political reasons. Saakashvili said Friday he's a "stateless person" facing hostility from the leaders of Ukraine and Georgia but his choice is to "be brave" under the circumstances. The president of Georgia from 2004-13, he was stripped of his Georgian citizenship in 2015 after he moved to Ukraine's Odessa region as Poroshenko's pick for its governor. An official says a Tanzanian opposition figure who was seriously wounded in a shooting has been transferred to a hospital in neighboring Kenya. Lawmaker Joseph Selasin of the opposition Chadema party says Tundu Lissu was airlifted to Nairobi early Friday. Health officials in Tanzania's capital, Dodoma, say Lissu was shot in the stomach, leg and arm on Thursday. Police are looking for multiple gunmen. The attack has been condemned by both the opposition and the government. Lissu, who heads the lawyers' association in Tanzania, is one of the most vocal critics of President John Magufuli. He recently was charged with using abusive language after he called Magufuli a dictator over alleged attacks on the opposition and the media. The U.S. military on Friday pulled back surveillance aircraft that had been watching an 11-bus ISIS convoy filled with hundreds of militants and their family members -- at the request of the Russian government. The ISIS convoy was given safe passage over 10 days ago to travel from the Lebanon-Syria border across the Syrian desert to the Iraqi border in a deal struck between Syria and Hezbollah, which angered the U.S. military. Since the convoy departed, U.S. drones have picked off ISIS fighters when they left the convoy to relieve themselves, according to U.S. officials. We were able to exploit it and take advantage, said Army Col. Ryan Dillon, a U.S. coalition spokesman Thursday during a press conference from Baghdad. The Russian military requested U.S. drones depart the area through the de-confliction line, as Russian-backed Syrian forces battle to recapture the ISIS-held city of Deir ez-Zor, located in eastern Syria. The U.S. official was confident the U.S. military would pick up surveillance of the ISIS fighters in the future and said they would not threaten U.S. military forces located in other parts of Syria. A U.S. Army general said he would hold the Assad regime in Syria responsible for dealing with the convoy. "The regime's advance past the convoy underlines continued Syrian responsibility for the buses and terrorists. As always, we will do our utmost to ensure that the ISIS terrorists do not move toward the border of our Iraqi partners," said Brig. Gen. Jon Braga, director of operations for the coalition. A week ago the outgoing top U.S. commander in Iraq suggested he had no intention of letting this convoy make it across the desert. When ISIS came out to link up with them, we started striking ISIS," said Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend. We have struck every ISIS fighter and/or vehicle that has tried to approach that convoy, and that -- will continue to do that. Townsend said the U.S. coalition did not target any civilians in the convoy, but now that there is no surveillance on the convoy there is no stopping the convoy from moving again. STARBUCKS 570 words (c) 2017, BUSINESS, US-GLOBAL-MARKETS Sep 08, 2017 - 2:12 PM Starbucks has tried it all: First came cake pops, then truffle mac and cheese, and earlier this year, avocado toast. Now the coffee giant is banking on another food fad to drum up lunch and dinner business: The sushi burrito. The chicken maki roll - which the company says, is "a classic California burrito with a twist" - comes with cooked chicken, pickled cabbage and avocado, and is rolled in sushi rice and wrapped with seaweed. It is currently part of the Mercato lunch menu at a handful of stores in Chicago and Seattle, where Starbucks is based. But first it has to overcome a substantial hurdle: Convincing customers its food is worth eating. Despite repeated - and often novel - efforts, analysts say Starbucks has yet to find much success hawking meals alongside its coffee. The challenges are logistical - Starbucks stores don't have kitchens, for example - as well as behavioral. Over the past four decades, Starbucks has trained its customers to run in, grab coffee and run out. Getting them to think beyond beverages, or linger for a meal, has proven more difficult, particularly as modern customers demand locally sourced, freshly made food. "It's been decades, but Starbucks is still trying to figure out food," said Stephen Dutton, an analyst for market research firm Euromonitor International. "The short answer is, Starbucks food is never going to be better than the hot, made-to-order meals you're going to get at a place like McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts." The company's new Mercato menu includes grilled cheese sandwiches with burrata, and chicken and quinoa soup. "It's all about providing higher-quality, fresh food at lunch," Scott Maw, the company's chief financial officer, told CNBC in June. But analysts say the offerings raise a number of questions: Selling croissants with coffee is one thing, but how do you premade customers to pair their afternoon lattes with pre-made sushi? And how willing are customers to shell out $10 for lunch when they could just as easily go elsewhere? "Nobody goes to Starbucks to buy food," Dutton said. "When they do buy something, it's usually because they're like, 'I'm starving and I have to get to work, so I'm going to pick up this yogurt.'" But that's not to say customers aren't shelling out, especially for breakfast. Roughly 20 percent of Starbucks's revenue - which last year was $21.32 billion - comes from food sales, up from 16 percent five years ago. In recent years, the company has been successful in beefing up sales of breakfast foods, thanks in part to its purchase of La Boulange bakery for $100 million in 2012. But analysts say growth has plateaued as the company struggles to break into fiercely competitive lunch and dinner markets. "There is a perception that Starbucks is selling an inferior product," said Nick Seytan, an analyst for Wedbush Securities. "Customers are saying, 'How good can that salad or sandwich be if you're not making it in front of me?'" Earlier this year, the company said it would stop selling beer and wine, as well as small plates like truffle mac and cheese and bacon-wrapped figs at its stores. Those additions, rolled out with much fanfare a few years ago, had failed to resonate with customers. Will sushi burritos help change that? Dutton says he remains unconvinced. "This is one more way of outsourcing the problem instead of solving it," he said. Virginia students scored better than the national average on the ACT for the fourth straight year, but participation in the commonwealth fell compared with last year. Members of the Class of 2017 in Virginia earned an average composite score of 23.8, about three points higher than the national average of 21, according to data released Thursday by ACT. The ACT is a college readiness test taken voluntarily by high school students and is often used by colleges along with the SAT to help determine admission. Virginia also beat the national average each of the previous three school years. Last year, Virginia students scored an average of 23.3. The highest possible score on the test is a 36 and the composite score is the average of the four sections of the exam English, math, reading and science. While the results were strong in the commonwealth, participation was not. A mere 29 percent of graduating seniors took the test less than half of the national participation average of 60 percent, or about 2 million students. In 2016, 31 percent of Virginia seniors took the test. About 16 states require that all students take the ACT in some form. Virginia does not. Nearly twice as many Virginia students take the ACT today than 10 years ago, making it an increasingly important indicator of how well the commonwealths public schools are preparing young people for the future, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven Staples said in a statement. The latest results continue a long-term trend of higher achievement and increasingly well-prepared graduates. The ACT released its annual report on college and career readiness Thursday. The report showed that underserved students meaning those who would be the first generation in their family to attend college, come from low-income families or are a minority lag behind when it comes to college and career readiness. Underserved students readiness ranged from 9 percent to 26 percent depending on how many of the three classifications the students identified with. While its no surprise that underserved students fall behind their peers due to the inequities that exist, it is extremely alarming and concerning to see how large this achievement gap really is, said ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda in a news release. This gap presents a major risk to our nations goals for postsecondary completion and economic competitiveness. We must work harder to ensure these students have access to quality coursework and information to assist them in planning for the future. Virginia-specific data for underserved students was not available. The College Board, which oversees the SAT, is expected to release its results later this month. The Middle Peninsula AfricanAmerican Genealogical and Historical Society of Virginia will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. at Essex County Public Library, 117 North Church Lane, Tappahannock. All people who are interested in AfricanAmerican genealogy and history are invited to attend. Experienced researchers and novices alike are welcome. Attendees are asked to bring photographs, programs and other mementos, and are encouraged to share details of recent genealogical successes and discoveries, as well as roadblocks that they may have encountered during research. For more information, call 804/758-5163. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Virginia's award-winning transportation planning process, known as Smart (System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation) Scale, was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2014. The first of its kind in the U.S., Smart Scale is about investing limited tax dollars in the right projects that meet the most critical transportation needs in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Smart Scale represented a major improvement over the previous process because it uses objective data, not political considerations, to prioritize proposed transportation projects based on their cost and potential benefits. Proposals for Smart Scales High Priority Program must fall under categories of need established by VTrans, the commonwealths long-range transportation plan, and focus on regional networks that facilitate interregional travel between urban areas and corridors of statewide significance. Interstate 95the main arterial on the East Coast that connects many major metropolitan areas, including Richmond and the nations capitalclearly fits that description. Keeping traffic on the I-95 corridor flowing is not only critical to Virginias economy, but to the nations economy and homeland security as well. Last year, Virginias Commonwealth Transportation Board approved 163 projects totaling $1.7 billion that were selected for full funding under Round 1 of Smart Scale, including the $125 million Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing project submitted by the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, also known as FAMPO. This fully-funded project will add three new southbound lanes running parallel to I-95 between U.S. 17 and State Route 3. Construction is scheduled to start next year and be completed by 2022. In June, 147 more Smart Scale projects, totaling $1.02 billion, were approved for Round 2. Unfortunately, the other half of the I-95 Rappahannock River project was not among them. The $132 million Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing did not make the cut, even though FAMPO points out that the Fredericksburg region is growing and I-95 is currently unable to handle the current volume. FAMPO administrator Paul Agnello explained that the northbound crossing project did not come close to being selected for funding in part because Smart Scale is very sensitive to funding leverage. Local governments raised $9.5 million for the southbound project, but have only $2 million on hand for the northbound part. In addition, Smart Scale metrics used to score projects only measure average weekday commuter traffic between Tuesday and Thursday, when the southbound span has more congestion relative to the northbound span. They do not take into account the fact that the worst traffic congestion northbound occurs between Friday and Sunday. This heavy weekend traffic is not just comprised of drivers from the Fredericksburg region, Agnello told the Free Lance-Star. If you took all the residents and commuters from Fredericksburg off 95, youd still have a problem, he pointed out. But there are no current plans to increase capacity on the northbound span. Even under the best case scenarioif Smart Scale approves the northbound crossing project in Round 3 next Marchit would take at least 10 years to complete. And that would be five years too late, Fredericksburg City Council member Matt Kelly (At Large), who represents the city on FAMPO and other regional transportation bodies, told the Free Lance-Star. Northbound I-95 will turn into a parking lot within the next five years, just when state money for new highway projects starts drying up as VDOT shifts its emphasis from construction to maintenance, he said. The CTB is currently holding public meetings across Virginia on proposed changes to Smart Scale before it votes to finalize them in October. But FAMPOthe only Metropolitan Planning Organization in the commonwealth that has already recommended modifications to Smart Scalesuggests that its High Priority Program should be used to rank projects according to their statewide and national significance, while funding smaller projects under Smart Scale's District Grant Program. However, Kelly pointed out that under the current metrics, pedestrian and bicycle trails and local intersection improvements that have nothing to do with statewide significance score higher than a project like the northbound crossing, which would help relieve congestion on a section of the nation's most heavily traveled interstate, running from Maine to Florida. Another billion dollars will be available statewide for Round 3 of Smart Scale early next year. But public officials in the Fredericksburg region are now in a quandary. Do they add the northbound river crossing project to their Round 3 requests, which are limited, knowing that it is unlikely to be approved under the current system? Although the region was encouraged to split its application into two sections, traffic mitigation on the southbound side will now be held against it because it will lower the northbound crossings score even though the need for additional capacity on that stretch of I-95 is obvious given the growing demographics of the Fredericksburg area. Nobodys talking about it, but were about to run into a brick wall head-on, Kelly warned. And thats not very smart. I think this case shows that this type of vaccine could work, said Pollack, whose case study on OKeefes data was published today in the Journal of Immunotherapy. It definitely can make immune responses that are relevant and clinically meaningful and can make a difference for patients. An unexpected ordeal When OKeefe was first diagnosed with a tumor, she was so young and otherwise healthy that the idea she might be entering into a yearslong ordeal didnt occur to her. Her local doctors didnt seem particularly concerned, she said. Shed just get the mass in her lung taken out, and that would be that. I was nervous, but I wasnt in a panic, OKeefe said. But soon, everything changed. OKeefe remembers her surgeon walking into the hospital room where she was recovering from the procedure to remove the tumor theyd thought was benign. There was a doctor with the surgeon shed never seen before an oncologist, it turned out. Theyd been wrong, they explained. Her tumor had turned out to be a type of aggressive cancer, synovial sarcoma, so rare that the oncologist had never personally seen a case before. I was like, wait a minute, no one knows what theyre doing now, OKeefe said recently by phone from Washingtons Olympic Peninsula, where the 45-year-old lives with her family and teaches the second grade. Thats when it became real. Sarcomas are a diverse group of cancers that affect connective tissues, including bone, muscle, cartilage, nerves and fat tissue. According to the online medical resource Medscape, only about 800 Americans, mostly younger adults and adolescents, are diagnosed every year with synovial sarcoma, a subtype that affects certain soft-tissue cells found throughout the body. Diagnosis with synovial sarcoma threw OKeefe into a punishing regimen of inpatient chemotherapy that she squeezed in during the weekends her ex-husband had custody of the children, then ages 2, 4 and 6. (The couples divorce was finalized the month OKeefes tumor was discovered.) She was also juggling a masters degree program on the side as she dealt with the horrible side effects of her regimen, including painful sores and low blood counts that frequently landed her back in the hospital for blood transfusions. It was a really long six months of not knowing what was going to happen, and being scared, and trying to raise my kids and keep them calm and feeling secure, OKeefe recalled. She got through it. She finished her degree and went to work at a local school. But cancer wasnt done with her. The list of treatments OKeefe went through as her cancer recurred throughout her lung and chest is so long and complex she now has trouble keeping them all straight. First recurrence, in 2007: more surgery. Second recurrence, in 2009: chemo, surgery and radiation. Third recurrence, in 2012: more chemotherapy and the complete removal of her left lung. Fourth recurrence, in 2013: a chemo pill that stabilized her disease but caused her blood-clotting platelets to plummet, forcing her to go off it by the end of that year. Her cancer started growing again. Surgery was no longer an option, and chemotherapy had proved so toxic for her that she couldnt bear the thought of doing any more. Becoming participant No. 1 Her doctors at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Fred Hutchs clinical care partner, thought more chemo likely wouldnt have helped much anyway. At that point they were worried that she would not survive another year, said immunotherapy researcher Pollack. Pollack was not OKeefes primary oncologist for most of her courses of treatment but had been discussing potential trial options with her and her care team at SCCA. Initially, OKeefe was skeptical in great part, she recognizes now, because she was scared of facing the idea that her disease was quickly becoming terminal. I was like, No way, I dont want to be your guinea pig, see you later, nope, sorry, Dr. Pollack, I dont want to talk to you, OKeefe said. I always liked him but I just didnt want to deal with him. But when Pollack told OKeefe about the new vaccine trial, she was curious. The study would involve no more chemo, she learned. Side effects were expected to be much milder than what OKeefe had already been through. And theyd already tested her tumor tissue in the lab and found that its molecular profile was just right to be targeted by the experimental vaccine. Having known they had a response in the lab, I was way more willing to go for it, OKeefe said. She remembers thinking, If its good, its good. But if it isnt, at least we can learn something from it that will help other people. She got her first injection of the experimental vaccine in May 2014, as participant No. 1 on the trial. A new strategy plays out The cancer vaccine that OKeefe received, dubbed LV305 and produced by the Seattle-based Immune Design, works in a totally different way from the infection-preventing vaccines people are most familiar with, like the flu shot. Not only is it designed to treat disease rather than prevent it, it employs that age-old threat to human well-being viruses as a tool for health. The vaccine contains a specially designed virus that was created for a single purpose: activating a cancer-specific immune response. The virus targets immune cells called dendritic cells that act as mini Paul Reveres, rousing your natural disease-fighting army and pointing it toward an enemy. In this case, the enemy was cancer cells bearing a telltale molecular flag. After three sets of vaccine injections over six weeks during the summer of 2014, a scan showed that OKeefes cancer had stopped growing. At her next scan, two months later, her cancer had shrunk a bit. A couple months later, her cancer was only three-quarters its original size. By 2016, two years after her first injection, only 15 percent of her original tumor mass remained. It has stayed there ever since, without additional treatment. Extensive studies of OKeefes blood and tumor-tissue samples in Pollacks lab have shown that her immune system greatly stepped up its response to her cancer after vaccination and has remained on alert ever since. Theyve also found some clues as to why OKeefes response might have been more dramatic than that of any other patients on the trial. For example, before she was even vaccinated, her immune systems killer cells already recognized the telltale cancer flag programmed into the vaccine. When everything fits together with clinical response and immune monitoring, all in the same patients where their disease regresses, that shows you for sure that the vaccine has the potential to do these effects, said Pollack, who is now involved in trials testing new formulations of the vaccine in new treatment combinations. And then you can go out and try to figure out how to make the vaccine work best. Today, no particular side effects from the experimental therapy stick in OKeefes mind a night-and-day contrast from her experience on chemo. She is a bit short of breath she has only one lung, after all but, otherwise, the fact that she has cancer doesnt circumscribe her life today. I can do most anything, she said. OKeefe knows she has had one of the best responses to the vaccine of any of the patients on the trial and feels very fortunate, she said. For now, she prefers her doctors not to tell her where her remaining cancer is at her checkups. She knows herself well enough: Every little ache or pain near the tumor site, wherever it is, would plunge her into a morass of anxiety about whether her cancer was growing again. And, for now, she knows theres nothing more she could do to keep it from coming back if it wanted to. I just dont want it to be what my life is about, she said. A look at a recent family photo, OKeefes arms around her kids, makes it clear: Its not. Immune Design, whose scientific co-founders include Fred Hutchs Dr. Larry Corey, sponsored the trial. MD Andersons Dr. Neeta Somaiah led the trial, but Pollack played a large role in designing it, carrying out lab studies and treating patients. Via Fred Hutch, the company funds some studies in Pollacks lab on this and other products, but Pollack has no personal financial interest in the company. What do you think about Tiffany's story? Tell us on Facebook. Story Highlights Mainline Protestants more accepting of gay relations and abortion Episcopalians are particularly more liberal than others regarding gay relations Pentecostals tend to be the most conservative on all issues measured WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Protestants' views on moral issues such as abortion, gay and lesbian relations, and premarital sex differ sharply, depending on their denominational affiliation. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans -- the "mainline" denominations -- are distinctly more liberal on a number of moral issues than are Baptists, Pentecostals and those identifying with nondenominational Protestant groups. These findings are based on an analysis of aggregated data from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs surveys, conducted each May since 2001. The 2001-2017 aggregate provides large enough samples for individual analysis of the major Protestant denominations. The Values and Beliefs surveys include a wide variety of questions about moral issues; those included in the analysis here are the ones most prominently involved in recent public discussion. The differences across Protestant denominations on three of the four issues reviewed for this analysis are substantial. Mainline Protestants -- who make up about 11% of the U.S. adult population -- are significantly more accepting of abortion, premarital sexual relations, and gay and lesbian relations than the other groups. For example, between 60% and 71% of the mainline Protestant groups say premarital sex is morally acceptable, while less than half in the other denominations agree. No less than 56% of those in mainline denominations say gay or lesbian relations are OK, but no more than 36% of those in other denominations share that view. Views on the death penalty show greater similarity across denominations, with Baptists and nondenominational Protestants joining mainline Protestants in strong majority acceptance of the practice. Pentecostals stand alone with a significantly lower acceptance of the death penalty than any other denominational group. Gallup Analytics Subscribe to our online platform and access nearly a century of primary data. Learn more As with U.S. adults more generally, mainline Protestants are less likely to find abortion morally acceptable than premarital sex or gay/lesbian relations. But mainline Protestants are still roughly twice as likely as other Protestants to say abortion is morally acceptable. Although those who identify with one of the mainline denominations hold more liberal positions than those who identify with the other denominations in this analysis, Episcopalians are somewhat more liberal on the issue of gay and lesbian relations than are Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans. Differences among these four mainline groups are less significant on other issues. Protestants who identify as Southern Baptists -- about 3% of the overall population during the years when these data were collected -- tend to be slightly more conservative on these issues than the 9% of American adults who identify as Baptists, but not Southern Baptists. Pentecostals are the most conservative of these eight denominational groups: 13% of Pentecostals say abortion is morally acceptable, 15% say gay/lesbian relations are OK, and 30% say the same about premarital sex. Because of the large time span involved in this aggregation, the absolute percentages of those who find behaviors acceptable are not necessarily the same as where the attitudes stand today. For example, Americans as a whole, and Protestants as a group, have become more accepting of gay and lesbian relations and of sex outside of marriage since 2001. The aggregated figures in this analysis are useful in terms of identifying differences across the denominations -- differences that have generally held steady over time, even as acceptance on certain issues has shifted. Implications Protestants regardless of denomination are often combined into a single group for survey analysis purposes. For example, the 2016 presidential election exit polls divided voters broadly into Protestants and Catholics. But the current analysis documents major differences within the broad group of Protestants on a set of important policy issues relating to moral values, underscoring the need for caution among those attempting to characterize Americans by their religion. The broad swath of the population identifying as Protestant contains disparate groups of denominations with substantially different views on specific issues. There are a number of reasons for these distinctions, based on the historical traditions of the denominations, the ways in which they interpret and teach the Bible, and -- importantly -- the types of people who identify with each. Episcopalians, for example, have one of the highest levels of educational attainment of any religious group, do not assume the Bible is literally true, and generally tend to identify as more socially liberal than other Protestant groups. Southern Baptists, by contrast, have lower educational attainment on average, are more likely to be biblical literalists, tend to be socially conservative and live in more conservative areas of the country. Understanding Protestants remains an important research objective because they constitute the largest category of religious identification in the U.S. today, about twice the size of those identifying as Catholics, the second-largest religious group. And more broadly, religion continues to be an important component of understanding the nation's contemporary political scene. A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now? Nov. 28, 1930 May 2, 2017 Patty Joyce (Kennelly) McClintock died peacefully on May 2, 2017, at her apartment near Portland, after a brief illness. She was 86. Patty was a loving sister, wife, mother and grandmother; a teacher, librarian, and lifelong lover of books; and a dedicated community volunteer who enriched the lives of many in Corvallis and the Oregon State University community. Patty was born to John and Clara (Weber) Kennelly in Delta, Utah, on November 28, 1930, joining older brother Jack and older sister Jean. After the family lost their farm in the Great Depression, they moved to Oregon and started an egg farm that Clara and John ran until they retired. Patty graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1949 and began her college career at what was then Oregon State College, joining the Alpha Phi sorority. After two years in Corvallis, she transferred to the University of Washington, where she could major in her chosen field of elementary education. In an English literature course at UW, she met Tom McClintock, a fellow Oregonian who was auditing the class as a graduate student in American history. Tom and Patty married in 1954 and shared more than 60 happy years together, until Toms death in February 2016. Patty graduated from UW in 1953 and began teaching in the Seattle Public Schools, supporting Tom while he worked on his PhD. After the births of Mary Louise in 1956 and Megan in 1958, the young family moved to Corvallis, where Tom joined the history department at OSU. Another daughter, Anne, was born in 1960. Family life revolved around the OSU campus, Corvallis schools, and the First Methodist Church. Patty was active at home and in the community, cooking, canning, making most of her girls clothes and teaching them to sew. She was also a tireless and enthusiastic volunteer in the schools, as a Girl Scout troop leader, with the Methodist Church, where she helped out in the office, organized potlucks and was a co-founder of the Congregational Care Committee, with FISH and the Vina Moses Center, and many other Corvallis area organizations. She was particularly fond of her volunteer activity at the Corvallis Public Library, of which she and Tom were constant supporters. Patty and Tom were ardent Democrats, active in local politics, and Patty was a stalwart supporter and committee member of the League of Women Voters. She was a passionate member of the OSU Folk Club book group for many years. She swam for exercise and took water aerobics classes until age 85 at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis. Even during the last months of her life, she was able, with a caregiver, to swim at the pool in her retirement complex. Each of her six grandchildren swam with her when they visited. Patty and Tom nurtured in their children an interest in learning, music, and theater, travel, and engagement in politics and the community. The family spent the 1970-71 academic year in Britain, where Tom taught at universities in Manchester, England and Stirling, Scotland. While living abroad they took two months to travel across Europe by car. In 1974-75, a high school foreign exchange student from Turkey, Oktay Cini, joined the family for a year and forever after thought of Patty as Mom, occasionally bringing his wife and son to vacation with the extended McClintock family. As her girls grew Patty took classes that were necessary to obtain an Oregon teaching license and returned to work, first as a substitute teacher and then as a librarian in the English resource center at Corvallis High School. During these years, the McClintock home was a favorite gathering place for the girls and their friends. Later, Tom and Patty spent several semesters in London where Tom was a visiting scholar at University College. They loved the cosmopolitan bustle of the city, the museums and music, the history and tradition. In retirement, they traveled widely, including visits to China, Egypt, Turkey, Ireland, Scandinavia and Kenya. They often journeyed to France to visit Anne, her husband, Vincent Corbiere, and their children. Patty and Tom continued to visit Ashland twice each season, where they particularly enjoyed Shakespeare performed in period costumes. The death of their daughter, Megan, from colon cancer, in 2000 was very difficult, but they took solace in their close relationship with Megan's partner, Julie Shapiro, Megan and Julie's children and, later, Julie's wife, Shelly Cohen. Patty was warm, lively, and interested in everyone. She loved Jane Austen, conversation, and hosting friends and family at her home for meals and overnight stays. Tom and Patty's annual Christmas cookie open house was a favorite event for their Corvallis friends and work colleagues. She was a favorite of many of her nieces and nephews and their spouses, friends, and significant others. For decades, Patty and Tom welcomed foreign students into their home through the American Field Service and OSU's Crossroads program, easing the homesickness of many and developing lifelong friendships. Patty is survived by her sister, Jean; daughter, Mary Louise (Tom Balmer) and their children, Rebecca and Paul; daughter Anne Corbiere (Vincent) and their children, Thomas and Julien; and Megan's partner Julie Shapiro (Shelly Cohen) and their children, Eli and Leah. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Corvallis-Benton County Library Foundation, the Thomas and Patty McClintock Symphony Scholarship Fund at the OSU Foundation or the First United Methodist Church of Corvallis. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on September 16, 2017, at the First United Methodist Church of Corvallis. Peace activist Paul Chappell will discuss a new approach to eliminating nuclear weapons in a lecture at Oregon State University this weekend. Chappell, director of the peace leadership program at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, will present Radical Empathy and Realistic Hope at 7 p.m. Sunday in the LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St. in Corvallis. Chappell is an advocate for what he calls peace literacy, a pragmatic approach that treats peace as a skill set. His talk is the keystone event in a series of lectures and workshops at OSU titled A Year in Peace Literacy. The lecture is sponsored by the School of History, Philosophy and Religion. A $5 donation is suggested, with proceeds to benefit the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. As I write, the sun and its light are orange; thankfully the sky is white, not brown or gray. Many fires are affecting our health. Even without a perceptible breeze, dinner time brings the sickening smell of tar until after bedtime, even though we live about 5 air miles from the paving mixing area for the repaving of Highway 20 to the coast. Air moves easily from varying directions, and the reverse. We can do nothing to stop the flow of air from near and far. Now is the time to talk about air quality in Oregon. We have a chance to lessen industrial and possibly background air emissions. I have followed meetings on Oregons proposed new statewide air quality rules since June 2016. People tired of breathing dirty Oregon air were overjoyed to hear Gov. Browns promise to enact new air regulations based on health. The new initiative is called Cleaner Air Oregon. I suspect few of you have heard about it, since we lost our Portland TV channel connection, and downstate papers didnt pick up stories about the progress. The Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Health Authority are facilitating the overhaul of regulations. At legislative hearings, I learned about the dangers of particulate matter (PM), especially the dangers of diesel particulates. These are dangerous because they are smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, and easily inhaled deep into the lungs. A human hair is 50-70 microns. Even though Oregon has lots of diesel pollution along major road corridors, the Oregon Legislature failed to enact controls on it. I learned that multiple new studies show a high correlation between breathing any source of PM 2.5 or smaller and a host of ailments, none of which you want to have. At Cleaner Air Oregon technical and regulatory advisory committee hearings I learned more about air quality regulation. Now I find that health-based Cleaner Air Oregon proposed regulations were extremely watered down at final meetings in June, July and August. Some examples: For an existing facility, cancer risk (new terminology for the risk is risk action level) was raised from 10 in 1 million people to 100 in 1 million (100/million). Now the director of the Department of Environmental Quality alone can make a directors decision about whether an existing source can emit more than 100/million. There are many other proposed changes outlined in a visuals document found on the Cleaner Air Oregon website under Meeting Materials. One file is titled, CAO-RAC-all-presentation-6-20-2017.pdf. The Cleaner Air Oregon draft rules will be finalized in early October. If you want to learn more about what is proposed in the new air quality rules that will affect your health, be on the lookout for possible Corvallis informational meetings. You can comment in person and in writing directly to the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Health Authority during the public comment period from Oct. 13 through Dec. 15. Please Google the Cleaner Air Oregon website for a host of informative material. Learn the facts To the Editor: Last Thursday I attended the third Town Hall meeting presented by the Mayors Committee for St. Pauls. The subject was different types of demolition. This series of... Penny wise; pound foolish To the Editor: All must exercise patience until the Board is satisfied that the candidate Westerman Co. is the right choice to be cost estimator, or another company is chosen,... Honoring our veterans To the Editor: I was raised on 4th Street by a war hero. My father would reject that label and laugh at the sentence. But, whenever we had... Support local restaurants To the Editor: In these difficult economic times, it is especially important to patronize your local neighborhood restaurant not only during Long Island Restaurant Week November 6th to 13th, but... By Joanne Pillsbury, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas explores the development of luxury arts from 1200 BC to the beginnings of European colonization in the sixteenth century. Made of precious metals and other substances esteemed for their color and luminescence, these works were imbued with sacred power by the people who created and used them. In the ancient Americas, metals were employed primarily to create objects for ritual and regalia rather than for tools, weapons, or currency. The use of gold, transformed into objects for gods and rulers, provides the central narrative and trajectory of the exhibition, from Peru in the south to Mexico in the north. However, other materials were often deemed far more valuable. Jade, rather than gold, was the most precious substance to the Olmecs and the Maya; and the Incas and their predecessors prized feathers and textiles above all. These works were often transported across great distances and handed down over generations, making them a primary means by which ideas were exchanged between regions and across time. Crucial bearers of meaning, luxury arts were especially susceptible to destruction and transformation; thus the works in the exhibition are rare testaments to the brilliance of ancient American artists. Download Spanish language gallery texts Descargue los textos de la galeria en espanol > bayonel3 at 8-09-2017 02:30 PM (5 years ago) (m) Prophet Brighton Chikomo, the leader of the Bright Light Prophetic Deliverance Ministries in Zimbabwe, last Friday ordered congregants to drink anointed methylated spirit at a crusade dubbed wash away misfortunes in Gokwe. Prophet Chikomo, who is better known as Commander 1, claimed that anointed methylated spirit washes away all misfortunes. Prophet Brighton Chikomo, the leader of the Bright Light Prophetic Deliverance Ministries in Zimbabwe, last Friday ordered congregants to drink anointed methylated spirit at a crusade dubbed wash away misfortunes in Gokwe. Prophet Chikomo, who is better known as Commander 1, claimed that anointed methylated spirit washes away all misfortunes. When it vapors, it takes all problems and misfortunes with it. I want people who have faith, its no longer methylated spirit but its now a medium which I am using to deliver people from different bondage. You must not hesitate to take it because it will not cause any harm and its not even hazardous, he told congregants who complied with the orders from the man of cloth. He added: This anointed methylated spirit restores luck and washes away all evil." During the crusade congregants could be seen queuing in a bid to acquire anointed methylated spirit.He has done a lot to many in different parts of the country so why not believe him? We have heard about Prophet Chikomo on local radio stations and newspapers. Even when people say he is going too far we still believe in him because he is delivering what he was sent to do by God. We thought he has a big body nezvataisingonzwa muradio achitaura, said a female congregant. He is visiting different parts of the country delivering people. Prophet Chikomo began his 60 days mega crusades last week with Gokwe and is heading for Mt Darwin and Bindura this weekend. he told congregants who complied with the orders from the man of cloth.He added: This anointed methylated spirit restores luck and washes away all evil." During the crusade congregants could be seen queuing in a bid to acquire anointed methylated spirit. said a female congregant. He is visiting different parts of the country delivering people. Prophet Chikomo began his 60 days mega crusades last week with Gokwe and is heading for Mt Darwin and Bindura this weekend. Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. [email protected] Posted: at 8-09-2017 02:30 PM (5 years ago) | Hero The U.S. Air Force "sniffer plane" was collecting air samples off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Sept. 3, 1949, when it gathered evidence of radioactivity, confirming that the war-shattered Soviet Union had tested a nuclear device. The Soviets' Aug. 29, 1949, test had come faster than expected. Dating from the detonation at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, the basic science of nuclear explosions is more than 72 years old three years older than the North Korean nation. Ballistic missile technology is more than 60 years old. The problems of miniaturizing warheads for mounting on missiles, and of ensuring the warheads' survival en route to targets, are not sufficient to stymie a nation consider Pakistan, whose annual per capita income is less than $2,000 that is determined to have a nuclear arsenal. North Korea has one and is developing ICBMs faster than expected and with ostentatious indifference to U.S. proclamations. On Jan. 2, President-elect Donald Trump scampered up the rhetorical escalation ladder, unlimbering his heavy artillery an exclamation point to tweet about North Korea's promised ICBM test: "It won't happen!" It did. North Korea's most audacious act, firing a missile over Japan, came seven days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised North Korea's "restraint." Pyongyang's "signaling" does not involve abstruse semiotics: It wants a nuclear arsenal, and as The Economist magazine says, the world's unpalatable options are the improbable (productive negotiations), the feeble (more sanctions) and the terrifying (military pre-emption). Concerning the latter, there is no bright line, but there is a distinction to be drawn, however imprecisely, between pre-emptive war and preventive war. The former constitutes self-defense in response to a clear and present danger repelling an act of aggression presumed with reasonable certainty to be imminent. The latter is an act of anticipation and, to be candid, of aggression to forestall the emergence of a clear and present danger. When Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen," was he threatening to cross the nuclear weapons threshold? This has been contemplated before regarding North Korea. Former Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had been fired by President Harry Truman for insubordination, handed President-elect Dwight Eisenhower a memorandum on how "to clear North Korea of enemy forces:" "This could be accomplished through the atomic bombing of enemy military concentrations and installations in North Korea and the sowing of fields of suitable radio-active materials, the by-product of atomic manufacture, to close major lines of enemy supply and communication. ... " MacArthur badly misjudged Eisenhower, whose biographer Jean Edward Smith says that during the Potsdam Conference (July 17-Aug. 2, 1945), when Eisenhower was told of the Alamogordo test his first knowledge of the new weapon "he was appalled" and "was the only one at Potsdam who opposed using the bomb." Smith says: "As president, Eisenhower would twice be presented with recommendations from his National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the bomb be used; first, in Vietnam to protect the French at Dien Bien Phu, then against China at the time of the Formosa Strait crisis. Both times Eisenhower rejected the recommendations. As a former supreme commander, Eisenhower had the confidence to do so, where other presidents might not have. And by rejecting the use of the bomb, there is no question that Eisenhower raised the threshold at which atomic weaponry could be employed a legacy we continue to enjoy." But for how long? The nonproliferation regime has been remarkably successful. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John Kennedy cited "indications" that by 1964 there would be "10, 15 or 20" nuclear powers. As president, he said that by 1975 there might be 20. Now, however, North Korea, the ninth, might be joined by Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, among others, unless U.S. leadership produces, regarding North Korea, conspicuously credible deterrence. The reservoir of presidential credibility is not brimful. On Aug. 1, Sen. Lindsey Graham said that Trump had told him that "there will be a war with North Korea" if it continues to develop ICBMs capable of reaching the United States. "We'll see," said Trump on Sunday, responding to this shouted question: "Will you attack North Korea?" You? Are Congress' constitutional powers regarding war so atrophied that it supinely hopes for mere post facto notification? Ten months after Nov. 8, that day's costs, until now largely aesthetic, are suddenly, although not altogether unpredictably, more serious than were perhaps contemplated by his 62,984,825 voters. MARTINSVILLE Hooker Furniture is growing and not in a small way. Company officials announced on Thursday they had reached an agreement to purchase Shenandoah Furniture for $40 million. Shenandoah, which is based on Valdese, North Carolina, has a local plant here in Martinsville, as well as plants in Valdese and Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The 36-year-old company specializes in private label furniture such as sectionals, sofas, chairs, ottomans, beds and dining chairs. According to Hooker officials, the agreement includes Hooker taking over all of the assets and some of the liabilities of Shenandoah. That $40 million purchase price consists of $32 million in case, of which an estimated $12 million is expected to be in the form of additional bank debt and $8 million in newly issued Hooker Furniture common shares, Hooker officials said. Looking at the financial records, Shenandoah earned $8 million in pretax income for the year ending Dec. 31, 2016. Shenandoah is a successful, growing, profitable company, focused in a channel of distribution that is winning at retail, in which we are currently under-represented, said Paul B. Toms Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Hooker. He explained that currently, Shenandoah supplies furniture to what people in the industry refer to as the lifestyle specialty distribution channel. That means they provide furniture and decor in the upper to medium price markets, both in physical stores and also through online shopping. "Lifestyle specialty furniture stores are gaining market share and doing well with multiple demographic groups, Toms said. For that channel, domestically-produced, customizable upholstery is extremely viable and preferred by the end consumer who shops there. Toms said that local employees and customers overall wont see much of a change. Hooker plans to operate Shenandoah as an autonomous, stand-alone business. Shenandoahs current president Candace Payne and current executive vice president Phil Payne, will continue to run the company on a day to day basis, Toms said, along with their current management team. No changes to Shenandoah's operations are anticipated," Toms said. "Our goal is that the acquisition be seamless to customers, employees and suppliers. As for the Shenandoah team, officials said they looked forward to being a part of Hooker Furniture. "We have known the Hooker family and management team for years, since both of our businesses were founded by our families in Martinsville," Candace Payne said. "We're excited about partnering with a company with the integrity level of Hooker Furniture. We will continue to operate as a family-run business, just as we are today, knowing we have the full support of the Hooker Furniture team." Toms said he expects the acquisition to close in the companys third fiscal quarter, which ends on Oct. 31. The transaction does not require approval by Hookers shareholders. This marks the second acquisition in the last 12 months by the 93-year-old company. In 2016, Hooker acquired Home Meridian International. Hundreds of people were already lined up at 7 a.m. waiting for the new Lidl grocery store to open at 8 a.m. Thursday and some had already been patiently waiting for three hours. It was 4 a.m. when Almer Hughes and Wanda Motley braved the brisk, moonlit air Thursday to be the first in line for the grand opening of Danvilles newest grocery-shopping experience known as Lidl. By 7 a.m. there would be a line filled with hundreds of people snaking its way from the front door. And the store wouldnt open for another hour. Not only were there some grand opening giveaways ranging from shopping bags to chances to win gift cards there were also some impressively low prices people marveled over. Whole chicken leg quarters for 69 cents a pound; 89-cent pineapples; 39-cents-a-pound bananas; gallons of milk ranging in price from $1.77 to $2.13, depending on grade; eggs for 44 cents a dozen these were just a few of the bargains spotted in the store right after the ribbon-cutting. I love it, Pansy Yellock said. Its got great prices and its organized real nice. Yellocks son, Melvin Barksdale agreed. I love the way theyve got it set up, Barksdale said. The wide aisles, which can easily fit three shopping carts across them, are set up to help people navigate through the store quickly, Ashley Peace, Lidls director of real estate, said. Anyone in a hurry to just pick up a few necessities like coffee and bread (including fresh bakery items that greet shoppers at the door) is all in the first of six aisles, with dairy across the back, so they can pick up a few things and head to the cash registers. You can get most of your food shopping done in the first aisle, Peace said. You can get in and out quickly. But there are certainly edibles in the rest of the store, including Italian pastas, imported chocolates, about 70 kinds of beer kept in coolers, and about 120 wines, many of them award-winners. We have a master of wine who tasted 10,000 wines to curate the selection, said Chandler Ebeier, of Arlington, Virginia-based Lidl US. Adam LaPierre, the director of wine at Lidl U.S., is one of about 50 masters of wine in America and 250 worldwide his Twitter page notes that he is searching for the best wine at the right price. Many wines in Lidls selection have won awards in the Indy International Wine Competition or the Los Angles Wine Competition including a sweet red wine priced at $2.89 a bottle and a best-in-class Prosecco for $8.99 a bottle. The Danville store is the 28th store Lidl has opened in the country; it also has about 10,000 stores in 27 European counties. Each US store employs between 50-60 workers, Peace said. Thank you for choosing Danville as a store location, for the investment you have made in this community, for the jobs you are providing and for the shopping experience that we all will enjoy, Mayor John Gilstrap told the crowd moments before the store opened. We take pride in our city serving as a regional destination for shopping. The ribbon was cut, employees danced literally back into the store, and the doors opened. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - September 08, 2017) - TriMetals Mining Inc. (TSX: TMI) (OTCQX: TMIAF), ("TMI" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce the first 2017 drill results from the Gold Springs project located in Nevada and Utah. All the reported drilling is located on the Utah side of the project and includes the first 2017 hole from the Central Jumbo area located 1,000 metres south of the Jumbo resource and 600 metres northeast of the South Jumbo resource (Etna). Results from the first hole (SS-17-001) drilled in this area includes 21.3 metres @ 1.53 g/t Au and 2.5 g/t Ag. In addition, TMI reports results received to date from the South Jumbo target in the historic Etna Mine area. Highlights from this drilling include 80.8 metres at 0.74 g/t Au and 7.2 g/t Ag in hole E-17-005 and 83.8 metres at 0.64 g/t Au and 6.5 g/t Ag in hole E-17-003. Hole From (m) To (m) Thickness (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) AuEq (g/t) SS-17-001 135.6 157.0 21.3 1.53 2.5 1.57 E-17-003 94.5 178.3 83.8 0.64 6.5 0.75 Inc. 140.2 161.5 21.3 1.09 6.5 1.20 E-17-005 4.6 85.3 80.8 0.74 7.2 0.86 Inc. 4.6 56.4 51.8 0. 97 10.0 1.13 and 41.1 56.4 15.2 2.77 26.7 3.20 * Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") calculated using a 61.9 gold to silver ratio and assumes 100% metallurgical recoveries. True width is approximately 80-90% of Thickness. Ralph Fitch, President and CEO of the Company stated, "The results from the first holes of the 2017 drill program continue to expand the footprint of the mineralization within the Jumbo Trend confirming the expansion potential. The first 2017 hole in Central Jumbo (SS 17-001) starts to join our two Jumbo resource blocks, one in the north and one in the south together. Drilling is clearly both outlining and filling in the potential of this 5.5 km long structural trend. With less than 20% of this target drilled and less than 15% of project wide targets drilled we continue to believe in the substantial potential of the Gold Springs Project." Follow this link for maps and sections showing the location of these results: http://www.trimetalsmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/GS-PressRelease-PlansSectionsV5.pdf TMI has received results for a total of nine holes in the South Jumbo target, in the area of the historic Etna Mine, and one hole in the Central Jumbo area. These holes were designed to test the character of the gold mineralization in the Central Jumbo area and continue to expand the recently reported resource at South Jumbo (PR 17-05, March 29, 2017). Drilling also tested an area 200 metres to the east of the South Jumbo resource which is obscured by post-mineral cover. Holes E-17-001 and E-17-006 tested the area east of the South Jumbo resource, while holes E-17-002, E-17-003, E-17-004 and E-17-005 were designed to expand the South Jumbo resource and better understand the mineralization. Holes E-17-007, E-17-008 and E-17-009 were drilled near the southern end of the Jumbo trend south of the South Jumbo resource. Results from the first 9 holes at South Jumbo and the first hole in Central Jumbo include: Hole From (m) To (m) Thickness (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) AuEq (g/t) SS-17-001 135.6 157.0 21.3 1.53 2.5 1.57 Inc. 135.6 147.8 12.2 2.22 3.9 2.28 E-17-002 24.4 32.04 7.6 1.01 11.7 1.20 and 89.9 97.5 7.6 1.14 15.6 1.39 and 109.7 132.6 22.9 0.33 3.60 0.39 E-17-003 94.5 178.3 83.8 0.64 6.40 0.74 Inc. 94.5 106.7 12.2 1.31 12.8 1.52 and 140.2 161.5 21.3 1.09 6.5 1.20 E-17-004 9.1 21.3 12.2 0.39 3.6 0.45 and 64.0 121.9 57.9 0.35 3.7 0.40 E-17-005 4.6 85.3 80.8 0.74 7.2 0.86 Inc. 4.6 56.4 51.8 0.97 10.0 1.13 E-17-007 3.0 10.7 7.7 0.70 22.0 1.06 Void Old Workings 10.7 13.7 3.0 Mined Out 13.7 21.3 7.6 0.56 11.5 0.74 and 13.7 97.5 83.8 0.26 5.3 0.35 * Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") calculated using a 61.9 gold to silver ratio and assumes 100% metallurgical recoveries. True width is approximately 80-90% of Thickness. Hole E-17-001 was drilled toward the east of the current resource and stayed in post mineral material until a depth of 143.3 metres before it intersected altered and mineralized rocks which included 3 metres of 0.67 g/t Au and 3.2 g/t Ag near the bottom of the hole. This altered and mineralized zone suggests there may be a parallel system 200 metres east of the current South Jumbo resource. Hole E-17-006 was also drilled toward the east of the resource block and contained weakly altered material but no significant gold mineralization. Hole E-17-007, drilled south of the South Jumbo resource, intersected a 3 metre void created by an old mine working. Seven and a half metres on either side of the void carried plus half gram gold, so total intercept would have been approximately 18 metres. Holes E-17-008 and E-17-009 were drilled in the very southern end of the Jumbo trend and entered weakly mineralized fault blocks with no significant gold values. The following table lists the location and directions of the holes: Hole ID Easting UTM NAD 27 Northing UTM NAD 27 Elevation Meters Azimuth Inclination TD (m) E-17-001 760636 4196801 1972 90 -50 203.0 E-17-002 760561 4196600 1997 90 -50 262.0 E-17-003 760476 4196799 1995 90 -50 225.5 E-17-004 760638 4196552 2001 110 -65 207.3 E-17-005 760667 4196507 1993 110 -50 243.8 E-17-006 760724 4196594 1968 90 -55 214.9 E-17-007 760801 4195976 2016 320 -55 153.9 E-17-008 760848 4195856 1942 310 -45 152.4 E-17-009 760736 4196146 1986 110 -55 141.7 SS-17-001 761134 4197344 2012 270 -50 182.8 Qualified Person The Qualified Person on the Gold Springs property is Randall Moore, Executive Vice President of Exploration -- North America of TriMetals Mining Inc. and he has reviewed and approved the content of this press release. The Qualified Person verified the data for its geological reasonableness, checked all the inputs and verified the analytical data through an analysis of the blanks and standards submitted with the drill-chip samples. Gold Equivalent Gold Equivalent (AuEq) in this press release was calculated using a 61.9 gold to silver ratio and assumes 100% metallurgical recoveries. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Approximately 10 kg of RC chips were sent to the laboratory for each 1.52 metre drill interval. Fifteen percent of the samples submitted by the Company are blanks and standards for QA/QC purposes. In addition, the laboratory also includes duplicates of samples, standards and blanks. The results of these check assays are reviewed prior to the release of data. All RC chip sample assays are also reviewed for their geological context and checked against the drill logs. Assay Method TMI Assays were performed in Sparks, Nevada by Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories, an ISO 9001:2000 Certified laboratory. Gold was analyzed by fire assay of a 30-gram sample with an AAS finish with samples assaying greater than 10 g/t re-assayed using a 30-gram sample and a gravity finish. All other elements were analyzed by a four acid leach ICP method coded MA300. About TriMetals Mining Inc. TriMetals Mining Inc. is a growth focused mineral exploration company creating value through the exploration and development of the near surface, Gold Springs gold-silver project in mining friendly Nevada and Utah in the U.S.A. and by demonstrating the exploration potential at the very large Escalones copper-gold porphyry deposit in Chile. The Company's approach to business combines the team's track record of discovery and advancement of large projects, key operational and process expertise, and a focus on community relations and sustainable development. Management has extensive experience in the global exploration and mining industry. The Company's common shares and Class B shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "TMI" and "TMI.B" and the common shares and Class B shares also trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol "TMIAF" and "TMIBF". Note that the Class B shares have no interest in the properties or assets of the Company other than a collective entitlement to 85% of the net cash, if any, (after deducting all costs, taxes and expenses and the third-party funder's portion thereof) received by TMI from award or settlement in relation to the Company's subsidiary South American Silver Limited's arbitration proceeding against Bolivia for the expropriation of the Malku Khota project in 2012. Additional information related to TriMetals Mining Inc. is available at www.trimetalsmining.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward looking statements look into the future and provide an opinion as to the effect of certain events and trends on the business. Forward-looking statements may include words such as "continue", "target", "potential", "starts to join", "suggests", "would", "will" and similar expressions. Interpretations of exploration results, including the strength of mineralization, are also forward-looking statements. These forward- looking statements are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties. Actual results may materially differ from expectations if known and unknown risks or uncertainties affect our business or if our estimates or assumptions prove inaccurate. Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, risks of the mineral exploration industry which may affect the advancement of the Gold Springs project, including possible variations in mineral resources, grade, recovery rates, metal prices, capital and operating costs, and the application of taxes; availability of sufficient financing to fund planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; availability of equipment and qualified personnel, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, changes in project parameters, including water requirements for operations, as plans continue to be refined; regulatory, environmental and other risks of the mining industry more fully described in the Company's Annual Information Form and continuous disclosure documents, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The assumptions made in developing the forward-looking statements include: the accuracy of current resource estimates and the interpretation of drill, metallurgical testing and other exploration results; the continuing support for mining by local governments in Nevada and Utah; the availability of equipment and qualified personnel to advance the Gold Springs project; execution of the Company's existing plans and further exploration and development programs for Gold Springs, which may change due to changes in the views of the Company or if new information arises which makes it prudent to change such plans or programs. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Except as required by law, TMI assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements in this press release describe the Company's expectations as of September 8, 2017. Although we still have some summer ahead of us, the start of school signals the end of the camping season, so it's a good time to take stock of Linn County's continuing investment in its parks system. It's an investment that is paying off for the county, its residents and those folks from outside the county who are making a point of traveling here for vacations and are bringing along cash to spend here. We like the sound of all of that. We use the word "investment" because that's exactly what the county has done over the last two decades or so. Linn County officials have made a point of prudently spending money to develop their parks, and the investment is paying off handsomely. Brian Carroll, the director of Linn County parks, made his annual report to the commissioners this week, and if he was crowing a bit, who could blame him? Income from the parks in the 2016-17 fiscal year totaled $1.87 million, beating an aggressive budget target by some $4,000. To provide a point of contrast, 20 years ago, when Carroll started working for the county, the parks generated some $235,000 in income. Even better, the county has been smart about those investments: It has spent money on this work only if it has the money in hand. and it's worked hard to get money from other sources grants, for example to help lighten the load on county taxpayers. And it has sought partnerships when appropriate; for example, the county manages some campgrounds for the Forest Service, an arrangement that appears to be working well for both parties. Carroll told the commissioners this week that the summer months continue to be very busy at the county's facilities, although the recent smoke from area wildfires depressed those numbers a bit. In an encouraging sign, he said that the parks are seeing increased use during what tourism experts call the "shoulder seasons" in other words, spring and fall. That's important because as facilities fill to capacity during the summer, the big opportunity to increase usage comes during the off-season and mid-valley residents know that spring and fall can be extremely nice times for outdoor activities like camping (assuming you're prepared for a little rain). In the meantime, the Parks Department is still working through a long list of projects to improve its facilities. Work still remains, for example, on the second phase of an expansion at the Whitcomb Creek campground that will more than double the number of available camping slips. County officials are kicking around ideas for a major expansion of Edgewater Marina on Foster Reservoir. At Clear Lake, one of the county's jewels, work continues to replace older wooden boats with newer aluminum models. A grant from the Oregon State Marine Board will help cover the costs of work at Peoria County Park. In a county the size of Linn, it would have been easy to let these park holdings fall into a general state of disrepair. It's a credit to the county's leadership and its Parks Department that they have instead become true assets to the county and its residents not to mention the growing number of people from outside the county who are coming to love these properties as well. (mm) A touch of rain In a few months, of course, we'll all be complaining again about the rain it's one of the ways we spend our winters in the mid-valley. However, we bet that you were excited to see even the relatively small amount of rain that fell in the mid-valley on Thursday afternoon. We'll need a lot more rain, of course, to put much of a dent in the state's wildfires and we're hoping that the lightning strikes that have gone along with the rain won't blossom into big new fires. But Thursday's rain was a welcome sight indeed. (mm) /NOT FOR DISSEMINATION INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES/ All figures presented in Canadian Dollars, unless specified otherwise VANCOUVER, Sept. 8, 2017 /CNW/ - Atlantic Gold Corp. (TSX-V: AGB) ("Atlantic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the syndicate of underwriters for the Company's previously announced bought deal private placement of 8,751,000 common shares of the Company for total proceeds of C$15 million (the "Brokered Offering") have elected to exercise their over-allotment options in full at closing to purchase an additional 1,544,500 common shares. This will raise additional gross proceeds of C$2.5 million, resulting in the total gross proceeds to be raised under the Brokered Offering increasing to C$17.5 million. The Brokered Offering is co-led by Canaccord Genuity Corp., BMO Capital Markets and Raymond James Ltd. (together, the "Underwriters"). Increase to Non-Brokered Offering The Company also announces an additional tranche (the "Tranche Five Offering") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement. The Tranche Five Offering will consist of 194,500 common shares of the Company that qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the "FT Shares") at a price of C$1.80 per FT Share for additional gross proceeds of C$350,100. The gross proceeds of the sale of the Tranche Five Offering will be used to fund "Canadian exploration expenses" (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) on or prior to December 31, 2018 for renunciation to subscribers of FT Shares effective December 31, 2017. The Tranche Five Offering is expected to close on or about September 20, 2017 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. The Tranche Five Offering is being made by way of private placement in Canada. The securities sold in the Tranche Five Offering will not be offered or sold in the United States, and will each be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from their issuance. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Steven Dean Chairman and Chief Executive Officer About Atlantic Gold Corporation Atlantic Gold Corp. is Canada's next open pit gold mine slated for first production in October 2017. Phase one life of mine will produce 87,000 oz. gold / year over a minimum 8.5 year mine life at All-in Sustaining Costs of C$690/oz. Additional satellite deposits containing 850,000 oz's measured & indicated within pit shells and 309,000 oz's inferred are currently under feasibility study and have potential to add significantly to life of mine production. 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. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans", "potential" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, the proceeds and use of proceeds from the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, the size of the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, the closing of the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, first production and life of mine production, timing for production, All-in Sustaining Costs, feasibility and other studies, statements related to proposed exploration and development programs, grade and tonnage of material and resource estimates, discussions of future plans, guidance, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, the activities contemplated in this news release and the timing and receipt of requisite approvals in respect thereof. These forward looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results may vary. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary include without limitation, risks related to the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, risks related to the ability of the Company to settle documentation and close the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering, risks related to the Company's ability to use the proceeds of the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering as anticipated, the timing and receipt of certain approvals, changes in commodity and power prices, changes in interest and currency exchange rates, risks inherent in exploration estimates and results, timing and success, inaccurate geological and metallurgical assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral reserves and resources), changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications, cost escalation, unavailability of materials, equipment and third party contractors, delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), political risk, social unrest, and changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the assumptions that: (1) market fundamentals will result in sustained gold demand and prices; (2) the receipt of any necessary approvals and consents in connection with the development of any properties; (3) the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of any mineral properties; (4) sustained commodity prices such that any properties put into operation remain economically viable; and (5) that the Company will be able to close the Brokered Offering and Tranche Five Offering on the terms set out in this news release. Information concerning mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates also may be considered forward-looking statements, as such information constitutes a prediction of what mineralization might be found to be present if and when a project is actually developed. Certain of the risks and assumptions are described in more detail in the Company's audited financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2016 and for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The actual results or performance by the Company could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements relating to those matters. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Except as required by law, the Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. SOURCE Atlantic Gold Corp. I was surprised to find my name in the Editors Mailbag today, since I havent written for some time. I'm even more alarmed to discover that Ive apparently made it onto Mitch Scheeles list of people to kill because, back in February, I dared to present a well-researched, historical correction to his use of the word fascism. The irony is that today's letter was in response to a Sept. 3 letter themed on the dangers of free speech. Oddly, this letter clearly describes what the left-leaning press is doing right nowyet tries to pin that behavior on the so-called alt-right. Mr. Scheele takes it a step further in suggesting such apologists as myself are the bogeyman local readers need to take action against. More disturbing, however, is what the press is doing to support such persecution. Last weekend, America watched as political activists, disguised as journalists, became the guy in the chair for a mob of masked terrorists, helping them to hunt down and beat individuals whom they decided were Nazis." In classic vigilante fashion, these reporters acted as judge and jury, leaving only the execution to the mob. I would like to remind the editors of the Albany Democrat-Herald that, pending further investigation, such behavior may not be protected by the First Amendment under the clear and present danger clause. That being said, it would do you well to not abuse your freedom of the press by helping the local bullies beat up on those you don't like. "Law and order." It is one of our president's favorite phrases, an all-too-predictable dog whistle used to rally support for the failed criminal-justice strategies of the past. In just seven months in office, President Donald Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, have advanced a dizzying assortment of backward-looking policies that would, among other things, lead to a surge in incarceration in a nation that already houses more than 22 percent of the world's prisoners.We believe there is a better way. Together with Cities United , a growing network of more than 100 mayors across the country, we are calling for a new approach to creating safer, healthier communities for all. The focus of our work together: reducing violence against young black men and boys.The high rates of violence and incarceration facing young African-American men sets them apart from nearly every other demographic group in the nation. Homicide is the leading cause of death for black boys and men between the ages of 10 and 24. If current trends continue, one in three young African-American men will serve time in prison at some point in their lives. It's hard to believe, but the United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid.Once and for all, we must acknowledge that we can't reduce violence simply by putting more people behind bars. To achieve real progress, we need to address a broader range of problems that give rise to violence, from poverty and limited opportunity to a lack of investment in the communities where so many young black people live.In cities across the country, mayors are working with local partners to reduce violence in innovative, forward-looking ways. In Buffalo, N.Y., for example, the city is supporting a group called Buffalo Peacemakers, which works in neighborhoods and schools to interrupt youth violence. In Minneapolis, the city launched an initiative that directs $500,000 to community and youth-led projects in two neighborhoods most harmed by violence. And, in Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer recently announced a new six-point plan to reduce violent crime. The plan includes targeted support for grassroots solutions that get residents, faith-based organizations and businesses involved in reducing overdose, suicide and homicide rates.The partners in Cities United are committed to sharing success stories like these and highlighting other evidence-based approaches for reducing violence. Earlier this year, the organization produced a new resource for mayors on how to prevent police-involved shootings and deaths in custody. And last month we hosted a three-day meeting of mayors, young people and city leaders from across the country to share strategies for keeping young black men and boys safe, healthy and hopeful. The convening also provided an opportunity to honor cities, young leaders and others who are providing unwavering commitment and innovative solutions to address this urgent crisis.In the face of a presidential administration focused on get-tough strategies that don't work, the mission of Cities United -- to mobilize the leadership of the nation's mayors to achieve real reductions in violence -- remains as urgent as ever. Mayors see firsthand the horrific repercussions of violence in their communities, and they are able to work closely with local residents, businesses, community leaders and young people to shape solutions.The loss of so many of our young people is a national tragedy that won't end until we recognize once and for all that every life is worth saving. It's time for a 21st-century approach to public safety that prioritizes prevention and community engagement and that provides young people with a path to hope, opportunity and healing. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced a formal review Thursday of Obama-era guidelines that spurred universities to more aggressively investigate campus sexual assaults -- a policy she criticized as unfair and coercive.During a strongly-worded speech at George Mason University in Virginia, DeVos stopped short of relaxing or rescinding the guidelines, as some expected she might. She said the agency would begin a formal notice and comment period to gather information and evidence before making revisions.Women's groups fear that if the guidelines are changed, victims of sexual assault will lose protections or face pressure to remain silent. Others say a revised policy could lead to a process that better considers the rights of those accused.DeVos announced early in her tenure that she would reevaluate the 2011 guidelines that President Obama put in place. Her review came amid complaints that students who were accused of sexual assault were not granted due process and were battling a system designed to presuppose they were guilty."There are men and women, boys and girls, who are survivors, and there are men and women, boys and girls, who are wrongfully accused," DeVos said. "The failed policy has pushed schools to overreach."The rules in question govern Title IX, a 1972 law best known for the provision requiring schools to allow boys and girls to equally participate in sports. The law had long been used to ban sexual harassment and assault in schools.Under Obama, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights substantially beefed up enforcement of that policy, advising colleges how they should investigate incidents and warning of possible penalties should they fail. Among other things, the Obama guidelines set a timetable for investigating cases and called for school administrators to use a lower standard of evidence than usually required in criminal assault complaints.According to Kathleen Salvaty, the University of California's systemwide Title IX coordinator, the rules elevated the issue of campus sexual assault, which led to a mushrooming of complaints and federal investigations.But DeVos said the guidelines -- described in two "Dear Colleague" letters to administrators -- effectively "weaponized" the Education Department's civil rights arm "to work against schools and against students."The review process will put an end to the "era of rule by letter," DeVos said.One of Trump's most divisive Cabinet members, DeVos has already rescinded Obama-era protections for transgender students and relaxed some requirements regarding how her department investigates complaints about schools' handling of sexual assault cases.DeVos did not specify exactly which part of the Obama guidelines would be up for revision.She did, however, propose one specific option for improving the current system: creating regional centers, which would largely take adjudication out of the hands of universities, who have often complained they are ill-equipped for the task.DeVos cited two Philadelphia-based attorneys, Gina Smith and Leslie Gomez, who have helped colleges handle assault cases and devised such an approach. In a 2016 article in Dispute Resolution Magazine, they described the centers as a network of offices that combine the resources of government, law enforcement and schools to resolve sexual assault complaints.While schools would still make interim accommodations and policy changes as a result of assault cases, such as dormitory changes for those involved in the complaints, the regional centers would carry out the full investigations and oversee the implementation of their results."This insures that students are not charged by school-based tribunals on the basis of hearsay or incomplete evidence," DeVos said.As DeVos delivered her speech, a group of about 30 protesters outside the building chanted "Shame on you" and "Stop supporting rapists.""I have concerns that she's even talking about rescinding [the guidance].... It makes rapists and assaulters feel safer," said Amy Crummie, a sophomore at George Mason.Women's groups were quick to condemn the speech."It will discourage schools from taking steps to comply with the law -- just at the moment when they are finally working to get it right," Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women's Law Center, said in a statement. "And it sends a frightening message to all students: your government does not have your back if your rights are violated."Annie Clark, an advocate with the End Rape on Campus national organization, denounced the DeVos speech and said sexual assault survivor groups were not invited to attend. She added that it was even more troubling because it came from the administration of President Trump, who was accused by several women of sexual misconduct before he was elected and was caught on a hot mic in 2005 bragging about groping women."We are extremely concerned that we're going back to the dark days," she said."The current process is unfair and flawed," said Matthew Haberkorn, an attorney who represented a UC San Diego student accused of sexual misconduct. "Universities now feel compelled to find the accused responsible or victims will sue them, [the Education Department] will investigate the school to see what they did and they'll get fined or lose their federal financial aid."Haberkorn was one of the nation's first attorneys to win a court ruling that his client had been denied due process rights by a university. That 2015 ruling, however, was overturned on appeal.Cindy Garrett, co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, which helps students who have been accused of sexual assault and their families, said their group's message board was filled with hopeful remarks during DeVos' speech. She read comments like "progress is being made," "my heart smiles" and "this brought me to tears."Garrett, a California attorney, said she was confident DeVos could both "protect victims and provide a fair process."For those who have been accused of sexual assault, the current guidelines frame due process as an "obstacle rather than an asset," according to Robert Shibley, executive director of Foundation for Individual Rights in Education."It ended up ... pushing forward a culture where due process was seen as though it were in conflict with serving the needs of victims," he said.Shibley said colleges probably wouldn't use revised guidelines as an "excuse to stop protecting victims."But Russlynn Ali, who helped write the Obama administration's letter as the department's former assistant secretary for civil rights, doesn't see it that way."The fact that this administration seems intent on dismantling commonsense protections and creating an environment that is hostile to student survivors of sexual violence is not only irresponsible, but an affront to justice for all," she said in a statement. Irma Leaves Puerto Rico With Double Disasters Could Ending DACA Cost States and Localities? In Kentucky, Pension Reform Fuels Retirement Surge Hurricane Irma swept across the Caribbean this week, unleashing damaging winds and rain on Puerto Rico at a time when it's already facing a financial disaster and likely least prepared to deal with the fallout.Puerto Rico is bankrupt -- facing more than $70 billion in debt -- and under the control of a fiscal oversight board. While grappling with its own financial disaster, it must now address an environmental one.Damages caused by the Category 5 hurricane in Puerto Rico are still being tallied, but photos show devastated buildings, palm trees broken in half and major flooding. The capital city of San Juan reported storm surge of up to 30 feet in some places. As of Thursday, more than 1 million residents -- roughly 70 percent of the island -- were without power. So far, two storm-related deaths have been reported there.Rain continues to pummel the island, and Gov. Ricardo Rossello has warned residents that landslides may now be imminent.Puerto Rico did everything it could to brace for the storm. Rossello, along with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, declared a state of emergency earlier this week, clearing the way to receive federal disaster relief assistance. The government has made hundreds of shelters available, which are now nearing capacity at more than 60,000 people.When it comes to cleaning up the wreckage, the island is horrifically underprepared.With its credit rating deep into junk territory, it doesnt have access to capital markets to borrow money for jumpstarting its recovery. And according to Rossellos administration, it has just $15 million in its emergency fund and another $20 million more in its general fund.It will likely need much more than that before federal reimbursements are available -- a process that may become muddled as the Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned it could run out of money this weekend.President Trump announced this week that he is phasing out DACA , the Obama-era program that offered two-year deportation protection to some young immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally before turning 16. Some state and local officials -- all Democrats -- are renouncing the decision as bad economics.California Comptroller Betty Yee said that immigrants -- as workers, as students and as consumers -- are powerful contributors to her state, which is the worlds sixth-largest economy.Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo called the decision cruel and claimed that rescinding DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) has the potential to be a $61.1 million hit to the states economy.Theres evidence to support their claims. survey conducted earlier this month by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, found that seven in 10 DACA respondents got a raise after receiving DACA protection. If they're deported, governments will lose all the income tax revenue that they provided.Separate research by the Urban Institute and the National Academies of Science suggests that ending DACA might mean that state and local governments wont get to recoup their investment in educating DACA kids. That research, on legal immigrants, found that while immigrants cost state and local governments more in the short term because they tend to have more kids in public schools, those kids grow up to ultimately pay more in taxes than native-born Americans.As Kentucky lawmakers yet again try to address the states pension debt, state workers are getting out while the gettins good.September retirements were up dramatically -- by nearly 40 percent -- compared with the average number of retirements for that month, reports the. August retirements also reportedly saw an uptick from the average.The surge comes as the state legislature prepares for a special session to tackle pension reform . Its the third time in a decade that lawmakers have taken up the issue, each reform posing more drastic solutions than the last.This time, retirees could face pension cuts while current employees would have to wait longer to retire.These surges seem to be just another part of pension reform to factor in -- other governments have had similar experiences.When Illinois was debating pension reform in 2012, it saw nearly 4,750 state employees retire over a 12-month period. That was almost as many as the prior two years combined.As Houston worked out pension reform over this past year, more than 400 police officers submitted their resignations -- a number more than double the annual average.These retirement surges dont necessarily increase the government's unfunded pension liability, but they could cut into how much a government hopes to save in the long run. That's because potential savings like raising the retirement age or increasing worker pension contributions will apply to fewer active employees.But the biggest damage, it seems, is in losing massive amounts of institutional knowledge. As the number of split-power statehouses has increased in recent years, so too have late state budgets.A whopping 11 states started their current fiscal years without a signed budget, and another 10 missed their initial deadline and had to call a special session to approve a spending plan. Its the highest number of stalled budgets in recent memory and the product of increasingly tense political and economic factors.I have never seen it this widespread, says Donald Boyd, director of fiscal studies with the Rockefeller Institute of Government.Over the past five legislative sessions, the number of stalled or late state budgets has steadily increased, according to aanalysis of National Conference of State Legislatures data. In 2013, just five states were forced to call a special session to pass their fiscal 2014 budget, but all were signed before the start of the fiscal year. But ever since, special sessions and late budgets have been a regular occurrence.GoverningBoyd notes that despite having recovered from the Great Recession in most ways, many states are still experiencing some kind of fiscal stress. States such as Alaska, Connecticut and Illinois are all facing multibillion-dollar deficits. Meanwhile, an increasing number of states are dealing with budget shortfalls even after they approve a spending plan.A big reason for states' continued money problems is that the growth of their fixed costs is outpacing their annual revenue growth. Pensions and Medicaid dollars are growing quickly, Boyd says, and not leaving much money to spend on the things you want to do.Politics are also to blame. The 2014 elections resulted in an increase in split-power states where the executive and legislative branches are controlled by different parties. Starting in 2015, at least half of the late or stalled budgets were in split-power states or where the legislature was split between two parties.Case in point: Illinois notorious two-year budget gridlock started when its Republican governor took office and began clashing with the Democratic-controlled legislature over spending.Some of the other reasons behind stalled and late state budgets have been more topical. Wisconsin, one of two states still without a signed budget this year, is stalled over transportation funding. Otherwise, it has relatively healthy finances. In fact, Moodys Investors Service just upgraded the states credit rating, citing its manageable fixed costs, conservative budgeting and steady economic growth. Late budgets in Maine, New Jersey and Rhode Island were also over similarly singular issues.Still, some caution against calling the increasingly stalled budgets a new trend.Moodys analyst Nicholas Samuels notes that of the 11 states that started their 2018 fiscal year without a budget, most adopted one in a matter of weeks. In addition, most states have plenty of policies and procedures in place to run smoothly in spite of a late budget. In other words, simply having a late budget isnt necessarily a concerning factor, Samuels says. But the underlying causes could be.For example, Samuels says, some states are struggling under the weight of a systemic financial imbalance that prior budgets have papered over with one-time fixes. Its becoming harder and harder each year to ignore the underlying problems as slow revenue growth and spending pressures mount.Samuels points to Connecticut, which has struggled with annual budget deficits in the face of shrinking revenues and increasing costs. It is the other state that has yet to pass a fiscal 2018 budget as lawmakers try to solve a $3.5 billion budget gap over the next two years. The states late budget, though, doesnt come as much of a surprise: It has been downgraded by ratings agencies several times over the past few years, mainly because it has solved its chronic budget shortfalls with one-time solutions.Connecticuts not alone in papering over budget shortfalls until it hits a wall. Illinois and Pennsylvania have routinely passed late budgets in recent years and have also faced downgrades for their chronic deficits. The Barakzai family did what many Houstonians did when Hurricane Harvey set its sights on the nations fourth-largest city in late August. The family of five -- two brothers, one sister, their mother and grandmother -- stayed home and rode out the worst of the massive hurricane, which dumped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of greater Houston and flooded the Barakzais' apartment.We went to the second floor to my friends house, says Mariam Barakzai, a 23-year-old Walmart cashier, about how the family was forced to move in the middle of the storm.We were scared because this was a lot of water, says Muhammad Barakzai, 19, one of Mariams two younger brothers.The family survived, but their only car was damaged, their apartment is now unlivable and Mariam, the familys sole breadwinner, is temporarily without work. The Walmart location where she's employed has been closed since the storm.The damages suffered by the Barakzais were common to families all over the Houston area. But the Barakzais face an additional hurdle: They're political refugees.The Barakzai family arrived from Afghanistan two years ago, fleeing a country where their father was murdered and the family was marked for the same fate. In Houston, the Barakzai family found a city accustomed to welcoming thousands of refugees each year.For more than four decades, Houston has been a hub for new refugees and residents who have been granted political asylum. In the 1970s, Vietnamese refugees fled war and made Houston their new home. More recently Somali, Afghani, Iraqi and Syrian refugees have escaped conflicts in their home countries to seek a new life in the city. In the past 40 years, more than 70,000 refugees have come to Houston, according to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Between 2010 and 2015, Texas led the nation in the number of refugees accepted, with more than 41,000. In 2016, Texas was second only to California in the number of refugees accepted.As Houston works to rebuild, the citys refugee and asylee population will face a unique set of challenges that make it harder for them to access aid and resume their normal lives.Refugees literally arrive without any resources, and they build everything from scratch, says Basel Mousslly, resettlement supervisor at Refugee Services of Texas Now, they must do it all over again.Houston is transit-poor, car-dependent and sprawling. Greater Houston is spread out over more than 10,000 square miles -- larger than the state of New Jersey. Mariam Barakzais car was one of more than 1 million automobiles that were damaged by Hurricane Harvey, according to the automotive data firm Black Book. For any Houstonian, getting around the city carless is a challenge. But it can be an especially daunting task for refugees.They often work in places where transportation doesnt go, or they might work a night shift after public transportation shuts down, says Mousslly.Meanwhile, much of the city's road network has been damaged or flooded, and many roads remain closed. Many businesses are also either closed or operating on truncated schedules. Those closures impact residents across the city but especially lower-wage workers, a group that disproportionately includes refugees.You lost wages for a week, you lost power for the week and you now have to replace the refrigerator because it was damaged in the storm, says Dan Stoecker, CEO of the Alliance for Multicultural Community Services, which helps refugees, asylees and new immigrants resettle in Houston.On Thursday, Congress approved $15 billion in aid for the area impacted by Harvey. Nearly half the money will replenish FEMA accounts that had been drawn down since the disaster struck Aug. 25.Refugees who have just arrived in the past few months will still be able to draw on federal aid targeted to their resettlement in Houston. For the rest, they must apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and FEMA funds to replace lost wages. TANF funds are capped at $408 per month, according to the Texas state Department of Health and Human Services Texas has a very low level of public assistance, says Randy Capps, director of research for the Migration Policy Institute. [As for] public housing, there is not enough of it, and refugees often cant get it.The funds from FEMA will take months to distribute and include a complicated application process that many refugees don't make it through. FEMA applications are routinely denied, according to Stoecker, but the denial letters state that applicants can and should reapply. Still, Stoecker says, many refugees take the initial denial as a final decision.Caseworkers can help refugees navigate the process. But in the wake of a disaster on the scale of Harvey, client needs may far exceed the capacity of the organizations assigned to serving refugees and asylees.Because so many people are still learning how to navigate the system and so many have language-access issues, they are not accessing information, Stoecker says. We are going to need capacity to help. We are going to need help with case management.Like many refugee families and other residents impacted by Harvey, the Barakzais are now debating whether to relocate elsewhere or stay and rebuild. Mariams two brothers want to leave Houston and head north for Dallas.Im worried this is going to happen again, Muhammad says.But Muhammad is still in high school. Mariam is the only person working in her family, and jobs are not easy to come by. As bad as the damage has been in Houston, many of the refugees wont leave the city, according to Stoecker.This is where they are learning to put down roots. This is where their family is, and this is the community they know, he says. The majority of people will usually stay like they did after Hurricane Ike in 2008.For the refugees who do decide to move, it will likely be to places such as Dallas or Minneapolis -- cities that have taken in large populations of refugees and already have thriving immigrant communities.Its not unusual for refugees to move if they find someone they know in another city, says Capps. This is an issue of resilience. They have had to start over a few times. In the 37 years that Dr. Ernest Marshall has been performing abortions in Kentucky, he has seen more than a dozen clinics close in the state. He is now facing off against the governor in a legal fight that will decide whether Kentucky becomes the first state in the nation without an abortion clinic.State regulators tried to shut down EMW Women's Surgical Center in March over allegations that the facility, which Marshall founded in downtown Louisville in 1981, does not have adequate agreements in place with a local hospital and an ambulance service in case a patient needs to be transferred.Gov. Matt Bevin, a conservative Republican who describes himself as "unapologetically pro-life," defends the licensing requirements as important safeguards to protect women in the event of a medical emergency.The clinic has countered with a federal lawsuit arguing that the requirements lack any medical justification and place an unconstitutional barrier before women seeking abortions.The case, which went to trial Wednesday before a U.S. district judge in Louisville, is being closely watched by both sides in the abortion debate.Conservative statehouses across the nation have over the years enacted a slew of laws and regulations that have made it increasingly difficult for abortion providers to continue operating. Kentucky is one of seven states -- including North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Wyoming and West Virginia -- with just one abortion clinic left."The very right to access legal abortion in the state of Kentucky is on the line," Marshall said in a statement.The clinic's defenders see the Bevin administration's actions as part of a concerted effort by abortion opponents to curtail women's access to the procedure, which has been legal nationwide since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court."We have a new sheriff in town who's vowed to get rid of abortion," Don Cox, one of the attorneys representing the clinic, was quoted as saying by Kentucky's Courier-Journal newspaper as the trial began.Since Bevin was elected governor in 2015, state regulators have shuttered another facility operated by Marshall in Lexington and blocked a new Planned Parenthood healthcare center in Louisville from performing abortions.Republican lawmakers, who took control of the state Legislature in November, have also imposed new restrictions on abortion providers and their patients. The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging one of these measures, a requirement that doctors perform an ultrasound and narrate the results for women seeking abortions, regardless of whether the patients wish to hear them."It's emblematic of what is happening across the country in states where politicians have passed law after law that has chipped away at the right to access abortion," said Brigitte Amiri, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project who is also representing EMW.She said the clinic has had agreements with a local hospital and an ambulance company on file with state regulators for years and that the officials are now raising "nitpicky issues" about the documents as an excuse to revoke the clinic's license.Among the state's complaints was that the agreement with the University of Louisville Hospital was signed by the head of the obstetrics, gynecology and women's health department rather than the owner of the hospital. The university declined to consider the clinic's request for another signature until after the trial is over, Amiri said.Regulators also complained that the agreement with the Mercy Ambulance Service did not specify to which hospital patients would be transferred -- a problem that has since been rectified.Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, which joined EMW's lawsuit in June, said in court documents that it had obtained evidence through the discovery process suggesting that Bevin's administration used the threat of funding cuts to pressure the hospital into backing out of its transfer agreement -- an allegation denied by the governor's office."The Bevin administration is working diligently to protect the health, welfare and lives of women in Kentucky," said Amanda Stamper, a spokeswoman for the governor.She said in an email that the requirement for transfer agreements applies to other healthcare facilities in Kentucky and has been in effect for 19 years. "It is telling that the abortion industry believes that it alone should be exempt from these important safety measures," Stamper said.The lawsuit contends that such agreements do nothing to improve patient care."Complications from abortion in general are rare," EMW's lawyers said in the complaint. "In the exceedingly rare event that a complication requiring hospitalization does occur while a patient is at an abortion facility, ambulance companies will readily pick up patients, and hospitals are required by law to accept patients in an emergency."Lawyers for the state countered in court filings that such "self-serving statements about the rarity of complications from abortion gloss over the fact that complications do occur, and transport agreements are important safeguards for women's health in the event of such complications."The state says the effects of closing the clinic would not be as drastic as the plaintiffs contend."Kentucky law permits licensed hospitals to perform abortions without being separately licensed as an abortion facility," its attorneys said. "Kentucky women would also have access to abortions at nearby facilities in contiguous states."Marshall said many of his patients already travel long distances to get their abortions, adding to the expense and taking away more time from work and children."After overcoming so much to come to our clinic, our patients are forced to face a final obstacle: the incessant bullying and harassment of protesters outside the clinic," he told reporters during a telephone conference call.The clinic has obtained a court order allowing it to remain open pending a decision in the case. The hearings are expected to last three days. Terminally ill people do not have a state constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide, New York's highest court ruled Thursday.The New York Court of Appeals ruled that state law is clear in prohibiting anyone, including doctors, from assisting in a suicide.The issue pitted some dying people and portions of the medical community against religious groups and some disabled people who worried that opening the door to aid-in-dying laws in New York could coerce especially vulnerable individuals to commit suicide.The case was brought by three terminally ill people from New York City, three of whom have since died, along with several physicians and a group called End of Life Choices.The plaintiffs appealed to the New York courts for a constitutional right that would permit doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to a mentally competent and terminally ill patient.The high court, in a 5-0 decision, sided with lower court rulings that blocked the effort."Plaintiffs initially assert that we should interpret the assisted suicide statutes to exclude physicians who provide aid-in-dying. Such a reading would run counter to our fundamental tenets of statutory construction, and would require that we read into the statute words and meaning wholly absent from their text,'' Judge Jenny Rivera wrote in the lead decision. Two of the five judges also wrote concurring decisions and two judges on the seven-member panel did not take participate in the case."Aid-in-dying falls squarely within the ordinary meaning of the statutory prohibition on assisting a suicide,'' the decision stated. "The assisted suicide statutes apply to anyone who assists an attempted or completed suicide. There are no exceptions,'' the court added.After being blocked in their attempt to get the Legislature to address their concerns, the plaintiffs went to the courts and said New York's position violates patients' rights to due process and equal protection. They argued that some patients are permitted to "hasten death" by refusing life-saving treatments.The court said that while such decisions are allowed in New York, the law is also clear that it is illegal to assist in someone's suicide.The plaintiffs, in bringing the case against state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, also sought an injunction banning the prosecution of physicians who prescribe life-ending drugs to patients. The court said there is no "fundamental constitutional right to aid-in-dying" and that the state Legislature has a "rational basis for criminalizing assisted suicide."The decision was immediately hailed by the New York State Catholic Conference and New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, two religious organizations."The decision is a significant victory for those who would be most at risk of abuse and most susceptible to pressure to take their own lives, including the isolated elderly, persons with disabilities and those who are depressed and overcome with hopelessness,'' said Kathleen M. Gallagher of the Catholic Conference, which represents the church's bishops in the state.At the time of oral arguments before the top court's judges this past spring, End of Life Choices New York, which counsels terminally ill people and gets some of its funding from George Soros' Open Society Foundations, argued that medically competent, terminally ill people who choose the route of taking prescribed lethal drugs are not committing suicide because they are going to die anyway. "We feel it's very important that people have the right to a peaceful death,'' the group's director, Laurie Leonard, said at the time.A mid-level appeals court, however, rejected the plaintiffs' request, in part, because the issue already was settled in the 1997 case of Vacco v. Quill, which was brought by then-Attorney General Dennis Vacco. The U.S. Supreme Court in that case upheld New York's right to outlaw physician-assisted suicide.Supporters of the plaintiffs, which included the New York Civil Liberties Union, had argued that six other states and the District of Columbia allow some level of physician help for terminally ill people who want to commit suicide. New York could build in protections, like other jurisdictions, such as mandatory waiting times and requiring two physicians to determine that a patient's illness is terminal and the person is mentally competent. Letters are being sent to more than 17,000 former Missouri state employees asking if they want to cash in early on their pensions.For former workers, the move could mean exchanging a monthly pension check from the state for a lump sum payment worth about 60 percent of their normal retirement annuity.For the state, it could clear the books of an estimated $7 million in annual costs and help shore up a pension system that is operating at about 69 percent of full funding.The voluntary program is part of an initiative outlined in legislation approved earlier this year aimed at helping the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System.The savings would come because MOSERS would pay out a percentage of what a regular pension would be worth over time and would no longer have to pay the administrative fees associated with tracking all 17,500 beneficiaries.According to a calculation provided in the letters that began being sent out last week, a former worker who was expecting to receive $586 per month once they reach retirement age of 62 could instead receive a lump sum payment of $36,283 that could be rolled into a private retirement account or used for other expenses.MOSERs said the average person affected by the program worked for the state for nine years. The average lump sum, one-time payment would be $18,450.The application period runs through Nov. 30.In the letter, MOSERS suggests that former state workers consult with a financial expert or a tax advisor to understand the implications of taking the money.For example, MOSERS says it is required to withhold 20 percent of the taxable portion of a cash distribution for federal income tax.And, the letter notes, "If you are younger than age 59 1/2 , an additional 10 percent early distribution federal tax penalty may apply."The pension system also said potential applicants should be patient."We anticipate heavy call volume and additional email during this time," the letter reads.The program is available only to state workers who left the payroll before June 30.The first wave of letters was mailed to 3,500 former workers who live out of state or have complicated work service history.The second wave of letters will be sent to about 7,000 former state workers in mid-Missouri in the week of Sept. 18.Former workers who reside in St. Louis and Kansas City will receive letters sometime after Sept. 25. In the wake of a big election, people are often fed up with the two major parties, and talk easily turns to the prospects for a third party. Nothing much usually comes of that, but following the 2016 presidential races, a third party seems much more promising in an unlikely place: the one-party state of Utah.Outside a few urban and college enclaves, Democrats are largely irrelevant in the state. The lack of competition has allowed Republicans to shift too far to the right to suit some voters. Donald Trump won Utah easily last year, but 28 percent of voters signaled their disdain for him and the GOP by supporting minor-party candidates. And now, some of these voters have created United Utah, a new party organized by former Democrats and Republicans. The way to reach out to voters is a moderate approach, and Democrats are rejecting that, says Richard Davis, a former Democratic Party official now involved with United Utah. Democrats have become extreme because Bernie Sanders supporters are taking over the party.Whats true in Utah is true to some extent all over the country. The major parties have created a big opening in the center. And millennials, who are shown in polls not to be strongly tied to either party, want an alternative. The rise of Sanders and Trump, says Bernard Tamas, a political scientist at Valdosta State University and author of a forthcoming book about minor parties, are signs of openness to people who are outsiders and completely separate from the system.If the timing seems like it might be right for a third party, Utah could offer unusually fertile ground. The state may be Republican, but its unique religious history and discomfort with Trump mean many votes could be up for grabs. Since Democrats arent much of a factor, theres less concern that a vote for a third-party candidate would be thrown away. A lot of third parties are really hoping to replace the second party and become the other competitive party in the area, says Matthew Dean Hindman, a political scientist at the University of Tulsa. Utah seems riper than just about anywhere for a third party to emerge.That doesnt mean it will be easy. Historically, most prominent third parties emerged pushing an issue the major parties were ignoring, Hindman notes. Trying to peel off dissatisfied voters in the center may be more difficult than using wedge issues from the right or left. And in Utah, as everywhere, the major parties have enormous advantages, not only in terms of money but also in setting the rules of engagement.History has shown its harder to dislodge incumbent parties than incumbent politicians. Utah is a special case in a lot of ways, says Jeremy Pope, a political scientist at Brigham Young University, but I think the bar is so high that even with Utah being a best-case scenario, its still going to be pretty tough. Ben Levine is the executive director of MetroLab Network. Previously he was a policy adviser at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he was responsible for policy development pertaining to state and local government finance, with a focus on infrastructure policy. He worked closely with the White Houses Office of Science and Technology Policy on the organization and launch of MetroLab Network. Prior to that Ben worked at Morgan Stanley. He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Four of the countrys most prominent city tech leaders visited Washington, D.C., this week to discuss concern over the federal governments handling of a trio of issues: Internet privacy, local authority of public assets, and, most notably, a potential rollback of net neutrality, which the group uniformly opposes. #NetNeutrality is key to an equitable, open internet. With @MiguelGamino @austintexasgov @sfgov @DoITBoston helping explain to Congress,@FCC pic.twitter.com/xg7UBm5WGo CTO of Seattle, WA (@SeattleCTO) September 8, 2017 The trip took place Thursday, Sept. 7, and included a coalition made up of New York City CTO Miguel Gamino, San Francisco CIO Linda Gerull, Seattle CTO Michael Mattmiller, and Austin CIO Stephen Elkins. Tech leaders from Boston and Washington D.C. itself did not attend the meetings, but organizers noted that they participated in coalition efforts in advance of the day. In Washington, D.C., those present met with congressional leadership to express concern over the three issues on behalf of themselves and the communities they represent. In a forthcoming Medium blog post that Gamino shared exclusively withhe detailed the trip as well as its importance. The coalition met with staff from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY; and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, who are the minority leaders of the U.S. Senate and the House, respectively. They also met with staff from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation chair and ranking member. The issue the tech leaders took the strongest stand for was preserving Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulations on net neutrality that bar Internet service providers from slowing down access speeds or forcing consumers and companies to pay more for faster connections or certain types of content. A major concern among cities and other groups is that rolling these rules back would allow corporate service providers to create a tiered Internet that favors large customers with more money, thereby reducing the egalitarian nature of the Web. Net neutrality was seemingly settled in 2015, when the FCC codified it with the support of President Obama. As with several of Obamas policies, however, President Trump seems determined to undo that, and he has appointed Ajit Pai as chairman of the FCC. Pai voted against the rules when they were first passed and has called for scaling them back now, arguing that net neutrality constitutes governmental overreach. Gamino has previously voiced strong opposition to changing net neutrality , arguing that it is vital for an open Internet, which is itself vital for cities to provide residents with better services and equitable access opportunities. With the support of his counterparts from across the country, Gamino reiterated this opposition in Washington. At each meeting, we presented the staff with a letter in support of FCC net neutrality rules signed by 65 bipartisan mayors representing over 26 million residents, Gamino wrote in his forthcoming blog post. In addition, we highlighted the importance of net neutrality to free speech, democracy, access to information and the growth of small business. He also noted that during the week of Internet Day of Action, more than 33,000 New Yorkers weighed in ater the city encouraged them to write to the FCC, and that the total number of citizens who reached out during the open comments period was higher than that. In meetings with the FCC, the group also expressed concern about the FCC usurping local control of broadband infrastructure siting, which has to do with physically building out capacity for high-speed Internet. Pai has established a working group aimed at a federal streamlining of such work. This working group is to collaborate with the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee Pai formed in January, all with the goal of encouraging wider broadband deployment across the country. The city leaders shared a list of concerns with the FCC about federally driven broadband siting during their trip. These concerns included worrying that a one-size-fits-all approach is ill advised because cities are unique and complex, and that the advisory groups need more municipal representation. On privacy the third and final issue the group tackled they expressed concern over a Congressional Review Act resolution that repealed protections for the data of customers of Internet service providers. Trump has supported this legislation, which allows ISPs to sell the personal data of customers. This spurred several states to move ahead with legislation to protect the privacy of constituents While the coalition prefers a national approach, cities have had to act independently, Gamino notes in his blog post. Seattle referenced its recent action to leverage its franchise authority to enact privacy protections for Internet consumers on the local level. NYC cited its current review of its legal authority to implement privacy protections as well as its widespread efforts to educate consumers on how to protect themselves online. This trip and the reasons it happened are significant. The cities represented in this coalition New York, San Francisco, Austin and Seattle are easily four of the leading municipalities in government technology, and their shared opposition to the FCCs early moves paints a picture of discord between tech at the city level and a federal government that supports deregulation and issues favored by private Internet service providers. In all likelihood, this is a disagreement that will not soon go away. Gamino also noted that the group was representing a larger faction of gov tech leaders, and he called for more to join the cause. Im proud of the work we accomplished as representatives of a larger coalition of CTOs and CIOs, Gamino wrote. We will continue this work because we are not finished. So much more is to come, which is why we need additional cities to join in this effort, to be a part of the collective voice of cities standing up to the federal government on issues that impact the lives of everyday Americans. The next steps in Illinois many blockchain pilots are beginning to take shape, as the state has announced it will partner with Utah-based Evernym, a leader in individually controlled digital identity solutions, in its birth registration pilot.The endeavor, one of six distinct blockchain explorations Illinois began last summer with a working group, is expected to utilize the Sovrin Foundations publicly available distributed identity ledger and expand upon accomplishments of the W3C Verifiable Claims Task Force, the state said Aug. 31 Recognizing that identity and, now, digital identity begin at birth, the state will explore using these technologies to create a secure self-sovereign identity for Illinois citizens during the birth registration process, it said in the announcement.This has been an ascendant year for blockchain, the encrypted digital recording of a transaction or an event through a shared incorruptible ledger.It isnt in wide use among state, county or local governments. But states including Illinois, Delaware and New Jersey are deeply interested and in May , the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) added blockchain to a list of the next big, transformational technologies.Illinois has six pilots now underway, up from five in May, and is planning to deliver proofs of concept by the end of 2017, CIO Hardik Bhatt has said.In an effort to effectively manage resources, the state has reclassified its six pilots by urgency as either Priority 1 or Priority 2.Not surprisingly, the birth registry pilot is one of three Priority 1 pilots, along with a blockchain exploration with the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (DFPR) that could let residents verify doctors licenses and insurance through an app; and an examination of tracking continuing education credentials underway with DFPR and the University of Illinois.Self-sovereign identity, a Sovrin specialty, is a digital identity thats entirely controlled by the person to whom it belongs but can also be quickly and securely validated by agencies and private-sector businesses without turning to a centralized repository, the state said in its statement.To structurally address the many issues surrounding digital identity, we felt it was important to develop a framework that examines identity from its inception at child birth, Jennifer ORourke, business liaison for the Illinois Blockchain Initiative (IBI), said in the statement.Identity, ORourke noted, is foundational to nearly every government service, as well as being the basis for public sector trust and legitimacy.In the framework that Illinois and Evernym are partnering on, government agencies are expected to verify birth registration information and then cryptographically sign attributes such as legal name, date of birth, sex or blood type.This would then create whats known as verifiable claims or attributes. Permission to view or share these government-verified claims would be stored on a tamper-proof distributed ledger protocol as a decentralized identifier, the state has said.It would guarantee each attribute is cryptographically sealed and can only be accessed with the permission of the person or his or her legal guardian.Returning primary control to an individual would naturally lessen the need for agencies and private sector businesses to keep their own databases of identity information.The state's other three Priority 2 pilots are a property title transfer conducted with Cook County, the states largest county; a use case on the recording of academic credentialing; and a tracking of Renewable Energy Credits, which are generated by creating electricity through wind turbines or solar panels and subsequently traded.In an August interview with, Bhatt, the states outgoing CIO, said he thought government would be more a player than a driver of the full adoption of blockchain.It has made its place on the hype cycle, its moving up and well see how does the adoption (go)? You know this is a foundational technology, so its going to take time really for adoption, Bhatt toldThe CIO confirmed toon Thursday, Sept. 7 that he will be leaving the state for a role at Amazon. Government TechnologyIn this post, we spotlight projects from NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP). In particular, the Urban Science Intensive Capstones, a program led by Professor Constantine Kontokosta, has become a mechanism to connect student teams to local government needs. MetroLab Executive Director Ben Levine sat down with Professor Kontokosta and this years two Capstone finalists to talk about the program and the finalists projects.What is CUSP and what is the goal of these capstone projects? What are the benefits of having students engage with city agencies?New York University's Center for Urban Science & Progress is a universitywide center whose research and education programs are focused on urban informatics. Using NYC as its lab, and building from its home in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, it integrates and applies NYU strengths in the natural, data, and social sciences to understand and improve cities throughout the world.The Urban Science Intensive Capstones are projects which consist of team-based work on real-world urban issues. Teams work with a project sponsor often a government agency or non-profit to define the problem, collect and analyze data, visualize the results, and finally, formulate and deliver a possible solution. Student teams are challenged to utilize urban informatics within the constraints of city operations and planning, while considering political, social, and financial issues and balancing privacy and confidentiality with transparency. The goal of each project is to create impactful, replicable and actionable results that inform data-driven urban operations or continued research.Out of the 17 participating capstone projects, two projects were selected as finalists by a review panel at the end of the semester. The winning teams projects are highlighted below. busstat.nyc , an interactive dashboard for MTA bus reliability metrics.Ian Wright, Nurvita Monarizqa, Shay Lehmann, Hongting Chen and Francis KoCongratulations on your selection as one of the two finalists. Can you describe what your project focused on and what motivated you to address this particular challenge?Thank you! It turns out that New York City buses have been gradually losing ridership to an increasing overcapacity in the subway system for several years now. One reason for this shift may be declining service reliability throughout parts of the MTA bus system. So, we partnered with the public transit reform advocacy group, TransitCenter, to drill into this issue from a data-driven perspective. Our project is an interactive dashboard that uses open data to build and display useful reliability metrics, right down to the bus stop level, for about 200 of the citys most popular bus lines. The idea was to generate public interest in bus service reliability, in addition to building a robust tool that may be useful for government advocacy campaigns. We believe that analytical tools like ours should help surface particular parts of the bus system that require deeper investment from the MTA, and ultimately begin to rebuild the public trust that is necessary for an effective transit system.What did you learn about government and innovation from the process? What was the most surprising thing you learned during your research?A government must first be able to identify problems before figuring out where and how to innovate. We were surprised to learn that the MTA currently evaluates bus system performance using only the percentage of completed trips and wait assessment a metric that quantifies bus arrivals that deviate from their schedule above a certain threshold. We sought to improve this by introducing metrics that weigh the magnitude of deviation, and consider in-bus travel time, to evaluate a more complete user experience. One of the big takeaways from our project is the importance of tailoring data collection for the task at hand. Because we adapted data for busstat that was originally collected for other purposes, we were forced to make several accuracy-hindering assumptions throughout development. Building quality reliability metrics was harder than we expected, as it requires both high-quality data and well-defined criteria against which to evaluate.Where will this project go from here?Because our team has now graduated from CUSP, weve been working closely with TransitCenter to hand off ownership of the application. TransitCenter is excited to roll the tool into some upcoming transit advocacy campaigns around New York City. The website is still in beta today, so we think there is massive potential to expand and improve the service. Theres only so much you can accomplish in one school term! Wed also love to see the tool being applied to more cities someday soon.Piercing the Veil of the Corporate LandlordShalmali Kulkarni, Xinge Zhong, Nathan Weber, Sebastian Bana (Project Team); Prof. Debra Laefer, Prof. Huy T. Vo (Project advisors); Lacey R. Keller (Project Sponsor)Congratulations on being selected as one of the two finalists. Can you describe what your project focused on and what motivated you to address this particular challenge?Our projects goal was to develop a tool to support the NYS Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) efforts in combatting harmful landlord practices. In particular, the tool integrates data from a number of sources to create a more complete picture of ownership details, ownership changes and financial relationships of properties in New York City. A more holisitc view of the available data supports OAG in their effort to combat harmful landlord practices, such as tenant harassment. In a broader sense, the project focused on one of the big topics of Urban Informatics and one that CUSP puts particular emphasis on making cities more equitable. Adequate housing is not just a desirable attribute of a city, but a basic human right. The OAGs work is key to protecting some of these basic principles, including security of tenure, affordability and habitability. We were excited about both the importance of the topic and the potential impact of our tool. Additionally, as a team, we found the previous work by the OAGs research department very inspiring, and we were keen to have them as our sponsor.What did you learn about government and innovation from the process? What was the most surprising thing you learned during your research?We learned that there is innovation happening at different levels of government and activities at the state level affect local priorities. OAG has its own Research Department and its work directly supports not only the OAG's initiatives and investigations but also policy development. One of the most surprising things that we learned on this project was how certain innovations that are often celebrated, like online services to lease or rent short-term housing, can have a widespread, negative impact on entire neighborhoods when not properly regulated.Where will this project go from here?We are currently working with the OAG on transitioning the application to their team. Ultimately, the tool will become fully operational under the OAGs Information Communications Technology team and they have sufficient technical documentation not only to maintain the tool, but to enhance it. During the initial phase of the project, we identified three additional use cases that will be interesting to explore and eventually develop: (1) use of graph modeling techniques and the development of a graph exploration tool (we ended up developing a proof-of-concept for this); (2) development of advanced analytics and machine learning to generate insights; and (3) integration with the OAG case management system. Finally, one of the ideas that we always considered with the project sponsor was to go fully open source and publicly deploy a version of the tool so that it could be used by the general public.For more information or to get in contact with the project leads, please contact MetroLab (TNS) - Jacksonville residents who saw Hurricane Matthew rough up the First Coast last year are facing Hurricane Irma with more experience and awareness but not more insurance.Although thousands of federal flood insurance claims were filed locally over Matthews damage, about 900 fewer policies were in force this summer in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, data from the federal National Flood Insurance Program show.Enrollment in the program rose in St. Johns County and in Atlantic Beach and in Camden County, Ga., but generally fell or held flat over a string of other communities.The drop, a little less than 1 percent since last year, adds another wrinkle to managing flooding from natural disasters. It also reflects a longer-term national drop in use of the federal program, by far the countrys largest source of flood insurance.People tend not to keep their flood policies over time because when the water doesnt rise, they forget why they bought it, Lynne McChristian, a Florida State University academic who works with the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute, said by email. Our biggest threat to storm preparedness and recovery may be forgetfulness. Research at the University of Pennsylvania found that most of the flood insurance policies bought in 2006 werent in force just three years later.But others who really need the insurance have decided they just cant afford it.Leaders of the 200-member Calvary Baptist Church in Brunswick, Ga., sought multiple bids after Matthew and were told theyd have to pay $39,000 yearly to insure their 81-year-old property near the marsh on the towns eastern edge.There was no way this little church could pay $39,000 on flood insurance, said the Rev. Don Spires, who has spent the past year raising money and working on plans to repair damage from Matthews floodwaters.Whether anyone else would face similar financial hurdles is hard to know. Buildings in low-risk areas have premiums of just a few hundred dollars yearly that are easy to calculate based on the value of the building and contents. But high-risk properties get special pricing that can quickly reach the thousands and wont be known until the building is closely examined.Spires said the fact that his church asked about insurance after it had been flooded once might have also driven up the price.Water that stood as much as two feet deep in parts of the church caused damage thats expected to cost about $375,000 to repair. The church has raised about $185,000 of that so far and is trying to sell some donated land for another $75,000.But with a string of repairs still not done, Spires said, the church had to seek cheaper protection fast when Irma showed up in forecasts. A carpenter started work Wednesday on a system to seal the churchs seven double doors behind protective plywood covered with waterproof sealer and add new rubber barriers beneath the bottoms of all the doors.Weak spots where water worked through the walls are being sealed, too, including a long crack in the churchs west wall. A huge crack in the sanctuary floor was also supposed to be worked on to keep moisture at bay.And then, like the rest of the region around Jacksonville, people at the church will hope for the best.Steve Patterson: (904) 359-42632017 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.)Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at www.jacksonville.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. I remember watching a 60 Minutes segment on the problems individual home owners where having with the FEMA disaster recovery process. For some, it was a real mess. Lost paperwork, changing claim guidance, improperly applied rulings, etc.I got the following just today, "If you're covering what's next for victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, you should talk to homeowners who were tortured by FEMA's flood program for 4 to 5 years after Hurricane Sandy. See a few of their stories here: Hurricane Sandy Stories. Weisbrod Matteis & Copley represents 1,200 Sandy victims who will tell Harvey/Irma victims they are in for a terrible time with FEMA."As I noted in an earlier blog post, FEMA has done a bang up job in Texas on disaster response, but with the one, two (maybe three?) punch of major hurricane disasters, they will not have enough "trained" staff to administer all the individual assistance (people) and public assistance (government) claims from these multiple disasters. They are actively recruiting people to fill the gap, but they will come with no experience and thrust into a complicated and very bureaucratic world of disaster recovery. The results are predictable... (TNS) -- Amazon.com launched a nationwide search Thursday for a place to plant a second headquarters, and its ideal spot sounds a lot like the Bay Area: a metropolitan region with plenty of public transit, an international airport, good universities and strong allure for technical talent.But the Seattle company is looking far beyond Silicon Valley, where it already has a handful of outposts, and soliciting bids from across North America. The announcement set off a scramble among cities to score the massive development which could be as big as 8 million square feet, cost as much as $5 billion to develop, and employ up to 50,000 people making an average salary of $100,000 a year.Among them is San Jose, which plans to make a bid, city officials said.This is going to be a feeding frenzy of epic proportions, said Aaron Renn, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a think tank focused on urban affairs. This will be interesting to see: Do they locate in a traditional high-cost coastal market? Or are they looking to go more into the interior of the country?Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the company plans to make the second headquarters dubbed HQ2 a full equal to its Seattle home base, which employs more than 40,000 people. Amazon said its investments in Seattle added $38 billion to that citys economy from 2010 to 2016.The company will accept project proposals until Oct. 19, giving cities relatively little time to pull together complex plans.Besides San Jose, several cities around the continent have expressed interest in bidding for the project, including Chicago, Nashville, Washington, Toronto and Vancouver.Every city is like Me! Me! Me! But they should be careful what they ask for, said James Thomson, a former Amazon executive turned e-commerce consultant. If Amazon shows up with that many people ... what is that going to do to the cost of real estate?San Jose Deputy City Manager Kim Walesh said winning the development would be a pretty exciting opportunity for San Jose, which is already home to tech companies including Cisco and Adobe, and is planning for a new Google complex downtown near the Caltrain station.On the face of it, some of their requirements are a direct hit with what San Jose has to offer, in terms of technical talent and major roadways, Walesh said.Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said in separate statements that their cities will explore bids for the project, but also address the impact that a project like this could have on housing affordability.The technical specs for HQ2 include a city that is 45 minutes or less from a large international airport; has access to mass transit; and is near a population center. It will give preference to cities that can attract and retain technical talent, and that have a stable and business-friendly environment.But Thomson said Amazon is unlikely to move into a city like the Bay Area where it will have to compete for talent: They want to be the only game in town, he said.The Bay Area has 328,070 tech workers, the biggest such pool of talent in North America, according to a report from CBRE, a commercial real estate brokerage. The next largest is New York with 246,000 workers. Others in the top 10 are Washington, Toronto, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Seattle, Amazons current home.Being a magnet for highly skilled software programmers has brought with it high housing prices, traffic and widening inequality. Given those problems, some experts are skeptical Amazon will choose a site in Northern California.On top of the strain on resources such as housing and transport, simply making room for Amazon may be the biggest hurdle for cities.The company, a major tech employer in the Bay Area, already has 3 million square feet of commercial space here, the majority in Sunnyvale. In San Francisco, it has 500,000 square feet, including multiple offices and a distribution hub for its Prime Now same-day delivery service. Local employees work on Kindle tablets, the Alexa voice-recognition service, and Twitch, a video-game streaming site, among other projects. The company is hiring for almost 1,000 positions in the region.San Francisco is an unlikely choice for expansion, because of the lack of land suitable for development, coupled with high housing costs, taxes and restrictions on building. There are no sites in the city where 10 million square feet could be built unless the company strung a campus along the waterfront with 3 million to 5 million square feet of buildings at Hunters Point, 2 million square feet at Pier 70, and another million square feet at Mission Rock, the Giants planned development across Mission Creek from AT&T Park.Matt Regan, senior vice president of public policy for the Bay Area Council, said that several former military bases in Northern California such as the Concord Naval Weapons Station, which has a nearby BART station could work as an Amazon headquarters.Another barrier to a Bay Area bid may be Amazons need to build political goodwill by adding jobs in more parts of the country. The e-commerce giant, which has faced criticism for taking jobs away from booksellers and other retailers across the country, has touted its hiring for warehouses and fulfillment centers coast to coast. But others are skeptical that such a move will attract the talent it needs.This whole rise of the rest is bunk its wishful thinking, said Richard Florida, an American urban studies theorist and author of The New Urban Crisis said. To make this work, youve got to go to a place where people like you want to go to. Talented people want to be in great cities. (TNS) -- WASHINGTON The discovery that a Russian company bought election-related Facebook ads in last years presidential race opens new avenues for Justice Department and congressional investigators and likely will lead to subpoenas for confidential records of social media advertisers, former prosecutors say.Facebooks disclosure, which a key Senate Democrat called the tip of the iceberg, appears to show that Russians searching for ways to harm Democrat Hillary Clintons presidential prospects broke criminal laws barring foreigners from attempting to influence U.S. elections.The findings could ease investigators efforts to win Facebooks voluntary release of records showing whether Russian intelligence agencies went even further to boost Donald Trumps chances by buying far more ads with much stealthier methods than the easily traceable $150,000 in purchases that the company divulged on Wednesday.If Facebook, Twitter and other social media firms dont cooperate, subpoenas could be in the offing.The evidence of Russian ad buys on Facebook is likely to be of great interest to all of the entities investigating Russian interference with last years election, said Jennifer Rodgers, a former assistant U.S. attorney who now heads the Columbia University law schools Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity.To the extent that Facebook and other social media companies dont voluntarily cooperate, I would expect subpoenas to be issued and other legal avenues to be pursued, she added though its uncertain whether the Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees would oblige Democrats push to compel cooperation.Russias use of social media is a focus of investigations into the Kremlins massive, multipronged cyberattack by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller and the congressional intelligence committees.Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Thursday that he has believed since the beginning of his panels investigation that Russians were using the very social media sites that we rely on for virtually everything the Facebooks, Googles and Twitters to intervene in our elections.Addressing a major intelligence conference in Washington, Warner called the tip of the iceberg Facebooks revelation that it had tracked thousands of the ads to a Russian company linked to a so-called, Kremlin-directed troll farm that spread Russian propaganda.The sponsored Facebook ads pop up near the top of Facebook users private news feeds. Ads that are targeted to a certain subset of people are known as dark posts, because only the recipients see them. Many such ads are designed to automatically disappear once theyve been viewed by Facebook customers.U.S. intelligence agencies also say Russian operatives unleashed automated attacks using computer commands known as bots to circulate fake news about Clinton, often via phony Twitter accounts.Warner said he wants Facebook representatives to come back in for further questioning by Senate investigators.I want to see Twitter back in as well, he said. I want to see others come back in.No evidence has surfaced that Facebook officials knew about the Russian ads until the recent completion of an internal inquiry. A company official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told McClatchy it considers that inquiry to be a starting point for further review. So far Facebook has searched mainly for the most easily found accounts traceable to Russia, but not those that may have been created using LLCs and other entities whose origins are more difficult to track.Facebook usually puts up a legal fight over demands for client information, but the companys published policies make exceptions in the case of subpoenas in criminal investigations and, presumably, in counterintelligence investigations like the ones into Russias cyberattacks.Company spokesman Andy Stone said the firm is cooperating with authorities and we are investigating, as well.If investigators serve the company with a subpoena, he said, we will process it in accordance with our policies.A spokesman for Muellers office declined to comment on whether it has sought or will seek subpoenas from the grand jury it is working with to obtain Facebooks records.But Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor who is a senior adviser for the new watchdog group American Oversight, said she is sure that Mueller is taking a hard look at this and will ask a grand jury to subpoena the company if it doesnt voluntarily provide access to the purchasers of all sponsored ads.She said the latest revelations regarding the Facebook ad buys suggest numerous crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the United States.If Russia were found to have used front companies or loosely regulated U.S. nonprofit groups to conceal the source of funding while spreading fake or harshly critical news about Clinton over Facebook, then investigators would want to know whether any were targeted to swing states or districts crucial to Trumps upset victory.Former New York federal prosecutor Jaimie Nawaday, now a partner in the law firm of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, said even without collusion, such activity would rise to a new level of illegality.If Russian agents were using front companies to purchase advertising in the United States in order to promote federal criminal activity surrounding an election, she said, that would be classic money laundering. The American Red Cross and UPS are teaming up to launch a week-long test of a new disaster relief program beginning next week. They will use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to assess the damage in Houston from Hurricane Harvey to determine which areas need more immediate assistance. This will allow the Red Cross to more efficiently deploy its response teams.The program will use a UAV created by Massachusetts-based company Cyphy Works . Connected to a generator, the Cyphy UAV can operate for much longer than the average drone, and can provide extended visibility from 400 feet up in the air thanks to its 30x zoom camera. Success of this pilot program could lead to more use of UAVs in future disaster response initiatives, including response to the impact of Hurricane Irma, expected to make landfall in Florida this weekend.The measure of success for the American Red Cross on this pilot will be to prove that drones can help support, complement and accelerate the work already being done by our tremendous volunteers, Red Cross Disaster Services VP Brad Kieserman said in a statement The signs are growing by the day that McLaren and Honda are poised to split. As he waits for the saga to unfold, out-of-contract team driver Fernando Alonso has reportedly removed all reference to McLaren and its hapless Japanese engine supplier from his official Twitter profile. Former F1 team owner and boss Gian Carlo Minardi thinks the die is cast on a McLaren-Renault deal for 2018. "During the delayed qualifying session at Monza, Zak Brown apparently signed an agreement with Cyril Abiteboul," said the Italian. Minardi said he thinks the deal will be announced this week, with Honda staying in F1 by switching to the junior Red Bull team Toro Rosso. "As I say this, Honda's Yusuke Hawegawa is apparently flying to Japan to draw up the new programme," he added. The Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure reports that the saga could end over the course of the coming weekend. Hasegawa is quoted as sounding pessimistic that the McLaren-Honda relationship can be rescued. "We want to stay with McLaren, but our next big change (upgrade) is not planned until Suzuka," said the Japanese. "We're going to run out of time to convince them." (GMM) ELKO The Community Foundation of Elko County, established in 2015, has a clear mission: to connect people who care with causes that matter. The Community Foundation of Elko County is a permanent endowment, continually growing through present-day and planned gifts so that Elko County has an ongoing source of funding to address the Countys unknown and unmet needs, both now and in the distant future. After just one year the endowment fund generated $1,000 in available grant monies. In this inaugural year of funding, the Community Foundation of Elko County awarded $500 to North East Nevada NAMI, the local affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness; and $500 to LASSO, the Local Animal Shelter Support Organization, to help both organizations meet needs in the community. North East Nevada NAMI funds will be used to train volunteers to lead a free six-session education program in Elko County developed specifically for parent and other caregivers of children and adolescents who have either been diagnosed with a serious mental illness or are experiencing symptoms. The local program will also expand to deliver a free 12-session course for family members and partners of individuals with serious mental illnesses taught by trained NAMI family members and caregivers of individuals living with mental illness. LASSO will apply its grant funds to continue their efforts to eliminate pet overpopulation in Elko communities through their spay/neuter program for all animals adopted from the Elko Animal Shelter. This grant will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the City of Elko, so we will actually have $1,000 available to enhance the welfare of our shelter animals through the spay/neuter program, said Elko Animal Shelter Manager Karen Walther. Anyone who would like to support the Community Foundation of Elko County with a gift today or through an estate plan may contact Chris Askin, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Western Nevada. To learn more about the Community Foundation of Western Nevada, visit http://nevadafund.org/. The 31st retail hydrogen station in California has opened in Fremont; the station is operated by FirstElement Fuel. Dear Doctor: My boyfriend wants to take me to his favorite Thai restaurant, but Im a little worried; Thai cuisine uses a lot of peanuts and Im allergic. For people with food allergies, how dangerous is it to eat meals made with equipment also used to cook allergen-containing foods? Dear Reader: Food allergies in the United States appear to be on the rise, which makes your question increasingly relevant. For individuals with allergies, even a tiny amount of the allergen can set off a reaction. This includes consuming food that doesnt actually contain the problem ingredient, but has been produced on equipment where the allergen is present in some form. This is known as cross-contact, and it can cause serious problems. If you accidentally consume a food that your immune system has identified as dangerous, youre in for a physical reaction. This can be as mild and manageable as itchy skin, a headache or an upset stomach, or as severe as anaphylaxis, which can lead to death. Although the steady uptick in allergies is worrisome, the newest research, which analyzed data from the medical records of 2.7 million patients, actually dials back the previous estimate of people with food allergies in the U.S. Instead of the widely quoted 5 percent, this study pegs the number at an average of 3.6 percent. More women (4.2 percent) than men (2.9 percent) have food allergies. Asians had the highest incidence at 4.3 percent. Latinos had the lowest rates at 2.8 percent. Still, identifying and diagnosing a food allergy can be difficult, so all estimates are just that a researchers best guess. Your peanut allergy is in the top five of food reactions. Shellfish is first, followed by fruits or vegetables, dairy, then peanuts. Needless to say, the range of foods that can cause an allergic reaction is far more diverse. To help people with allergies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires food labels to clearly identify the presence of any of the major food allergens. Also, if a product uses nuts, the specific nut must be named. But and this is important the this product may contain language on a food label, which warns of possible cross-contact, is voluntary. That means the absence of that warning doesnt necessarily eliminate the chance of cross-contact. When it comes to dining out, where the preparation of your food is out of your control, your best defense is to be your own advocate. Call ahead to the restaurant and ask to speak to the chef or manager about your concerns. Ask for details about the precautions the restaurant takes to prevent any trace of an allergen from finding its way to your plate. (Youll get the most relaxed response when you call during off-peak hours.) During spur-of-the-moment restaurant visits, enlist the aid of your server. Clearly explain what youre allergic to and how it may affect you, and ask him or her to let the kitchen know as well. Find out how the kitchen handles potential cross-contact. And, because we live in an imperfect world, please remember to always carry an EpiPen. The internet has turned into a wonderful tool for anglers and besides the plethora of fishing websites, there are also non-fishing websites that may be just as if not more helpful to anglers. Many of them have versions that can be loaded as an app to your phone. First on the list are weather websites. Since this is the only business where TV weathercasters can make a lot of money for being right only 20 percent of the time, it is recommended that you hit several and maybe take an average or see if one is right more often than the others. Some websites that I like are: The Weather Channel, https://weather.com/, Weather Underground- https://www.wunderground.com/ NOAAhttp://www.weather.gov. All three of the sites provide good information and each offers something a little different. Associated with weather are the stream flows and a great site for our area is the USGS site http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nv/nwis/current/?type=flow/. While this is a long address, it gets you right to the stream flow site for northern Nevada. All of the solunar tables are pretty much the same and I like http://www.solunarforecast.com because of the options and the relative simplicity. The solunar table for next week is calling for just average conditions. For seeing an aerial view of the water you are going to fish, GoogleEarth, www.googleearth.com is a great site to go to for information on what the terrain is like. The downside to this site is that you need to download software to your computer. But it does have great features and is well worth the time to load it on your computer. Finally, www.ndow.org is a great site with lots of Nevada specific information for both hunting and fishing, including fishing reports, stocking reports and informational sheets on many waters. Expect to see little change in this weeks fishing report. WILDHORSE Surface water temperatures are in the mid 70s and the next few days highs will keep it from coming down much but the 10 day forecast is actually calling for some lows in the 40s with highs in the 70s which should bring the surface water temperatures down. The lake has lots of algae. While fishing has been better for boaters, it is just fair for boaters and slow to fair for shore anglers. Fish are hanging just above the thermocline which is about 18 feet deep at Wildhorse. SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR Very little change here as the surface water temperatures are in the mid to high 70s and trout fishing is slow. Even boaters dont seem to be having a lot of luck for trout. For the most part the algae here isnt as thick as most years due to an algaecide that the State Park has been using with a grant that they received. As the water temperatures start to decline with the longer, cooler nights, expect trout fishing to slowly start picking up. The trout being caught are averaging between 13 and 17 inches with an occasional 20 inch fish. If fishing from a boat, use a deep diving presentation to get your terminal tackle to between 15 and 20 feet deep for trout. JIGGS/ZUNINO RESERVOIR Shore fishermen dont appear to be faring as well as boaters or float tube anglers as the edges are getting weedy and the fish are hanging in the deeper cooler water in the middle of the reservoir. Remember this is a wakeless water so go slow if you are in a boat with a motor. It is difficult to launch much more than a small rowboat or car topper due to water and shore conditions. WILSON RESERVOIR Wilson has the best water quality of the larger reservoirs in eastern Nevada with little algae growth though the water temperatures are hitting the mid 70s in the afternoon. Fishing has been good in the mornings, but with the high surface water temperatures, catch and release anglers should quit fishing by about 10 am. RUBY LAKE NWR We are at the peak time for bass fishing at the Refuge and bass fishing for keeper sized bass is good. Dark plastic four to six inch grubs with sparkles in them seem to be the presentation of choice. Colors include blue, dark red, dark green, purple and motor oil. Fishing in the ditch for trout is fair to good for trout depending upon the day, weather and angler. Fly rodders should try the usual assortment of nymphs under an indicator as well as wooly, seal and crystal buggers. JAKES CREEK/BOIES RESERVOIR The shoreline is very weedy and shore anglers are finding it difficult to catch fish from shore. Trout fishing has been fair, while bass fishing has been good. However, right at dusk, the trout bite seems to turn on. Bass fishing is also good, especially in the evenings with anglers reporting a large number of 6 to 8 inch fish with keeper bass being caught about every fifth fish. Dark soft plastics in blue or black with sparkles were working for bass. Worms and PowerBait are popular here as are black or olive woolly buggers, prince nymphs, PTs and hares ears. COLD CREEK RESERVOIR Fishing is slow to fair for trout and fair to good for bass. BWOs, PMDs, hares ears, Adams and Griffiths gnats are all worth a try for fly fishermen. The water level is still good with some of the willows in the water providing cover for bass, so fish for bass near the willows. CAVE LAKE No change here. Fishing has been good for 10 to 12 inch fish using worms or cheese baits under a bobber. NDOW did put some surplus brood stock in the lake, so occasionally anglers get the surprise of a 15 to 20 inch fish! Small spinners in black and gold or green and gold have been effective. For fly rodders: hares ears, pheasant tail nymphs, prince nymphs, small crystal buggers and Cave Lake specials are all good flies. Mayflies and damselflies are also hatching, so fish these imitations. COMINS LAKE Water quality at Comins is in good shape and anglers are catching fish from both shore and boats, though boat and float tube anglers are having better luck. The usual PowerBait and worms should work, while small spinners and minnow imitations can be productive. Fly fishermen should be switching to damselfly and mayfly patterns in addition to the usual assortment of chironomid patterns and buggers. Please return any black bass back to the lake while the bass fishery rebuilds. ILLIPAH While the water level is low, the lake isnt losing any more water and the inflow appears to be keeping up with evaporation. Just like the rest of the eastern Nevada reservoirs, the trout fishing has slowed as they move into the deeper cooler water. WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR Crappie fishing is starting to slow down. The road is rough so care should be taken driving here. Anglers report catching crappie in the rocks and have been successful fishing a small white plastic grub underneath a bobber. Crappie like structure, so look for submerged brush, willows and rocks. ANGEL LAKE Good shore access here, though a float tube gives anglers better mobility and access to some of the better fishing spots. Bait anglers have seen fishing slow as trout are keying on aquatic insects. Fly rodders have had success using small elk hair caddis, hopper or yellow stimulator with an olive or peacock soft hackle dropper below, though any dropper fly with green or peacock herl will work. Small spinners and rooster tails should also be effective, just give them enough time to sink to the level the fish are at. Spin anglers can put a fly behind a bobber for casting and have better luck that way. ALPINE LAKES Fishing is good to excellent at the higher elevations as trout take advantage of the short growing season. The same presentations and techniques that work at Angel all work well up here. STREAMS Area streams are at or near normal flows which is fairly low for this time of year. Lamoille Creek is flowing a bit below normal at 6 cfs as of this past Thursday. Streams in northern Elko County are flowing close to normal with the Bruneau at 12 cfs and the West Fork of the Jarbidge at 6 cfs and they are fishing well. The East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 72 cfs near Mountain City. Creeks in central Nevada are flowing at normal or slightly below normal flows for this time of year and many such as Steptoe, Cleve and Ward Creeks are fishable. Fishing in Steptoe Creek has been fair to good. Earlier this week, one fly fishermen reported good fishing in Cleve Creek which is flowing about 6 cfs. No report on Ward Creek. Gov. Brian Sandoval appointed Nigel Bain and Mary Korpi to the Commission on Mineral Resources June 19. Bain replaces John Mudge as one of two large-scale mining commissioners. He is the executive director of Barrick Gold USA and previous Nevada Mining Association chairman. Korpi replaces Fred Gibson as the public at-large member. Both will serve four-year terms on the commission. She is a community leader and retired Newmont employee with almost 40 years of industry experience in fields including metallurgy, loss control and external relations. The Nevada Division of Minerals is responsible for permitting, inspecting and monitoring oil, gas and geothermal drilling activities on the states public and private lands. Longtime University of Nevada, Reno, associate professor Danny Taylor retired in spring 2017. A professional engineer with three degrees, including a doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines, Taylor has taught at the Mackay School of Earth Sciences & Engineerings mining department since 1979. He twice served as chair of the mining engineering department, for a combined total of 13 years, and was the assistant dean of Mackay for five years. Taylor plans to continue activities as a mining industry consultant and is expected to serve as UNR emeritus faculty. Newmont Mining Corp. elected Sheri Hickok and Molly P. Zhang to its board of directors July 19. Hickok is the general manager of global project development with Onshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy and has served in leadership roles with GM over her 22-year tenure. She holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, a masters degree in engineering from Purdue University and a masters degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. Retired, Zhangs career in multinational mining services and the chemical and industrial sectors included senior executive roles with Orica, which provides products and blasting services to the mining industry. She holds a Master of Science degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Clausthal University of Technology in Germany. National Mining Hall of Fame honoree Lew Eklund died July 19 at the age of 85. He devoted more than 45 years to the mining industry and contributed his talents to northeastern Nevada. Eklund founded Eklund Drilling in 1960, landed a contract with Newmonts Carlin Trend Property, then went on to make innovations that increased mine productivity and decreased environmental impact. The Trump administrations latest affront to human decency has been described as cruel, heartless, mean-spirited, bigoted, monstrous. The action to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is all of those things. Unfortunately, when it comes to the immigration debate, appeals to humanity have left leaders of the Republican Party unmoved for decades. But it wasnt always that way. George H.W. Bush and even Republican icon Ronald Reagan not only expressed compassion for undocumented immigrants but reflected it in their policies. Asked in a 1980 presidential debate about whether the children of undocumented immigrants should be allowed to attend Texas schools, then-candidate Bush gave a passionate response.(tncms-asset)51d8aae6-94a8-11e7-a8f0-00163ec2aa770 (/tncms-asset) Id like to see something be done about the illegal alien problem that would be so sensitive to labor needs and human needs that this wouldnt even come up, Bush said. Policymakers, he said, had failed to deal with the fundamental problem. As we have made illegal the labor that sometimes I would like to see legal, we are doing two things, Bush said. First, we have created a whole society of really honorable, decent, family-loving people who are in violation of the law; and second, we are exacerbating relations with Mexico ... I dont want to see 6-and 8-year-old kids ... made to feel they are living outside the law. Reagan expressed similar sentiments. Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why dont we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while theyre working and earning here, they pay taxes here, Reagan said in the same debate. And when they want to go back, they can go back. And open the border both ways. Reagan won that election and the next, saying in a 1984 presidential debate, I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally. Reagan was as good as his word, signing an immigration bill in 1986 that offered amnesty to undocumented residents with clean records who could show that they entered the United States before 1982. Nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants gained legal citizenship. The law also called for tighter border security and strict sanctions on employers for hiring undocumented workers, but those parts of the law were never fully supported. Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyoming), the chief sponsor of the 1986 bill in the Senate, called it the humane approach to immigration reform. Because family values were the hallmark of Republican orthodoxy, Reagan later would use executive action to extend amnesty to minor children if both parents qualified. As president, Bush expanded the program further in 1990 through executive action that deferred deportation of all spouses and children of those who qualified under Reagans bill about 40 percent of the undocumented population at that time. Congress made that policy law a few months later with the Immigration Act of 1990. This Act, Bush said, recognizes the fundamental importance and historic contributions of immigrants to our country. This would be the last major legislation to use a humane approach to immigration reform for nearly 30 years, as the Republicans platform became increasingly anti-immigrant. Attempts to craft comprehensive immigration reform have been stymied by the issue of amnesty, which Republicans now abhor. With congressional efforts to pass broad immigration reform at an impasse, President Barack Obama created DACA through executive action in 2012. It should be noted that the use of executive action to accomplish immigration reform only became unconstitutional in the eyes of Republicans when used by a Democrat. So lets dispense with Attorney General Jeff Sessions rule-of-law argument. Its nonsense, and especially hypocritical for a president whose first pardon went to a lawless law officer who defied a federal court order. Sessions tried to justify the suspension of DACA with stereotypes, conservative talking points, half-truths and outright falsehoods. DACA is not a free pass, its not amnesty, its not legal status and its not citizenship. It simply allows undocumented children who were brought to the country before age 16 to live within the law. It provides a temporary deferment of deportation and gives these young people the ability to legally work, go to school and get a drivers license. You must have and maintain a clean record to remain eligible. DACA recipients are the honorable, decent, family-loving people that Bush spoke of, not the rapists and criminals Trump invoked in his campaign kickoff speech. A humane approach to immigration reform was integral to Reagans vision of America as the shining city on the hill, which he described as teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace. If that city had to have walls, Reagan said, The walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. Sounds a lot like Dreamers, who have demonstrated the will and heart to embrace the American Dream. All they need is an open door. SAN FRANCISCO Equifax says that three company executives who sold stock just days after the company discovered a major security breach were not aware of the hack at the time. On Thursday, the company disclosed a cyberattack that ran from mid-May to July. The attack exposed the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information of about 143 million Americans. Equifax said it detected the hack on July 29. On Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, Equifax Chief Financial Officer John Gamble and two other executives, Rodolfo Ploder and Joseph Loughran, sold a combined $1.8 million in stock. In a statement, the company said the executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." Equifax's stock dropped 13 percent in extended trading after the announcement of the breach Thursday. The Atlanta-based company said hackers obtained consumers' names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver's license numbers. Credit card numbers for about 209,000 U.S. consumers were also accessed. The company said hackers also accessed some "limited personal information" from British and Canadian residents. Equifax said it doesn't believe that any consumers from other countries were affected. The company established a website, https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/, where people can check to see if their personal information may have been stolen. Consumers can also call 866-447-7559 for more information. Experian is also offering free credit monitoring to all U.S. consumers for a year. GREENSBORO Attorneys for a former state employee, who said she was fired for reporting the alleged criminal scheme of two district attorneys, dropped several more defendants from a whistleblowers lawsuit. This latest change in a case that now spans more than 14 months came, attorneys said, in order to pursue the lawsuit more aggressively. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation spent more than a year investigating allegations that former Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer and former Person/Caswell County District Attorney Wallace Bradsher schemed to hire their wives and allow Cindy Blitzer to collect $48,000 in unearned salary. On Feb. 21, attorneys for Poyner Spruill in Raleigh filed a whistleblower lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court stating that Caswell County Victim-Witness Legal Assistant Debra Halbrook had been fired by Bradsher when he learned she reported the scheme to the SBI. In late August, Craig Blitzer said in a sworn affidavit that Bradsher told him that is why Halbrook was fired. The lawsuit named the state of North Carolina, Bradsher, Blitzer, their wives, and Halbrooks supervisors: former Caswell County Chief Assistant District Attorney and current District Court Judge John J. Stultz, Senior Assistant District Attorney LuAnn Martin and Administrative Assistant Gayle Peed as defendants. On Friday, the Bradshers, Stultz, Martin and Peed were dismissed in their individual capacities from the lawsuit. Wallace Bradsher, Stultz, Martin and Peed remain defendants in their official capacities, which means, if Halbrook wins the lawsuit, the state would pay her damages. The attorney generals office will defend those claims. Both Craig and Cindy Blitzer were dismissed as defendants late last month. Ms. Halbrook has streamlined her lawsuit to pursue the whistleblower claim against the state and its officials more aggressively, attorney Drew Erteschik said. Only the state and its officials have the authority and the resources to make Ms. Halbrook whole again. Halbrook spent 19 years working as a legal assistant for the Caswell County District Attorneys office. She was fired months before reaching her 20th anniversary, which would have entitled her to a retirement pension and lifetime health care. Erteschik said Halbrook has not been contacted, received an apology or offered back her job since she was fired. Blitzer and Bradsher, both of whom have resigned their positions, were charged on June 27 with failure to discharge the duties of their offices. SBI agents determined the men allowed Cindy Blitzer to collect $48,000 in pay as an investigator in Wallace Bradshers office, despite her taking classes full-time at South University in High Point. In an affidavit filed last month, Cindy Blitzer admitted she did not work the hours for which she was paid. On July 17, Craig Blitzer pleaded guilty to his charge and paid back the stolen money. He also agreed to help with further investigations and court proceedings involving the alleged scheme. Wallace Bradsher recently parted ways with his attorneys and decided to represent himself in both the whistleblower lawsuit and the pending criminal matter. The North Carolina General Assembly formally submitted its much-disputed redistricting plan Thursday with an assertion that any racial distinctions it might contain are naturally occurring, not the result of any intentional black or white head counting. A lawyer for the Republican-led state House and Senate filed the maps in the U.S. Middle District Court for North Carolina to comply with an order by a three-judge panel that had found the states current legislative maps unconstitutional because they were drawn six years ago with race as a predominant factor in 28 of the two chambers combined 170 seats. Data regarding race was not used in the drawing of districts for the 2017 House and Senate redistricting plans, Raleigh lawyer Phillip Strach asserted in a notice to the court accompanying the new legislative maps and nearly 2,000 pages of supporting data and testimony. No information regarding legally sufficient racially polarized voting was provided to the redistricting committees to justify the use of race in drawing districts, Strach said in the notice. To the extent that any district in the 2017 House and Senate redistricting plans exceed 50 percent BVAP (black voting age population), such a result was naturally occurring and the General Assembly did not conclude that the Voting Rights Act obligated it to draw any such district. The trio of judges had given the General Assembly until Sept. 1 to approve new maps that undid racial disparities in the initial plan, which was enacted in 2011 and has been used in state legislative races since 2012. Democrats and other critics of the new districts say that the new electoral maps are no better than the original ones, arguing that they not only fail to fix all of the original problems but make some of the initial flaws worse. Guilford County figures prominently in the case because the judges found that three of its House seats and one of its Senate seats were among those where state legislators improperly used race in determining district boundaries. Republicans ran afoul of the federal Voting Rights Act in 2011 when they adopted a race-based strategy aimed at solidifying their hold on the Legislature. They populated the 28 districts with excessive majorities of Democratic-leaning black voters, which then allowed the GOP to contain large numbers of Democratic votes in those districts so that Republican candidates fared much better in the other legislative districts. The 31 aggrieved North Carolina voters and activist groups behind the federal lawsuit argued successfully that under the federal Voting Rights Act, that was an unlawful use of racial criteria to dilute the statewide impact of the black vote and to give the GOP an unfair advantage at the ballot box. The court panel that includes U.S. District Judges Catherine Eagles and Thomas Schroeder, and U.S. Circuit Judge James Wynn Jr., had given the General Assembly one week after the two chambers approved their new plan to formally submit it for court review. Both chambers approved the new maps Aug. 30 in votes largely along party lines after heated debate in which the Republican-controlled bodies rejected a number of amendments Democratic legislators proposed. Republicans contend the new district plans were created by using such racially neutral guidelines as making each district as compact as possible and trying to avoid splitting voting precincts into more than one district. Strach submitted 1,980 pages of proposed maps, data, hearing transcripts and other legislative documents for the judges to review. The U.S. Supreme Court triggered the current round of redistricting in June when it upheld the Middle District panels decision last year that Republican lawmakers had relied too heavily on race in drawing current legislative lines six years ago. Lawyers for the voters who filed the lawsuit more than two years ago now have until Sept. 15 to file their objections to the new GOP plans and to submit any alternative proposals. GREENSBORO Bennett College has postponed its Founder's Day event scheduled for Sunday. Bennett was set to honor former President Johnnetta Cole, who led the private woman's college from 2002 to 2007. Cole was to be the keynote speaker at the Founder's Day Convocation, and the college was to formally rename the college's honors dorm for Cole. But the college late Friday announced that it had decided to postpone the event because of the uncertain track of Hurricane Irma. The Category 4 storm is expected to affect southern Florida starting tonight and much of the Southeast by Sunday. The college said Founders Day events will be held Nov. 5. Convocation will start at 2 p.m. in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel on campus Cole is still scheduled to speak and be followed by a renaming ceremony for the residence hall, a silent auction and a reception. SMD general manager stresses importance of setting examples Keith Jones has been the general manager of Small Mine Development since 2010. The Idaho-based mining contractor formed in 1982, and now has about 400 employees and works five active mine sites in Nevada plus one in Colorado. Jones is the first SMD general manager to win the Nevada Mining Associations general manager award. What does it mean to you to win the Nevada Mining Associations general manager award? It is an honor. The competition is very stiff. There is a lot of good people out there doing good things, so its a real honor. How does the safety culture for a contractor compare to those at other mining companies? Its similar. All of us have the same goal of everybody going home at the end of a shift safe and uninjured. How we go about doing that may be a little bit different in execution maybe thats not a good word to use. I think we all have a little bit different way in how we actually try to meet that goal, but its the same focus basically. How would you describe your companys safety culture? We embarked with Newmont on what they call the Safety Journey back in 2011. I really believe that the safety culture is a journey. That journey, as they describe it, is anything from an awareness situation to where safety is more of an afterthought and not core to your business to fully integrated where everything you do is viewed through the lens of safety and trying to do things the right way and the safe way. I believe as individuals and as companies and as sites and as crews, I think that journey is a continual process, and I think that at any given moment in time, depending on what is going on around us, we are at any one of those five stages in this journey as its described in the Safety Journey model. By that I mean that we can feel that we are at the top of our game, that we are fully integrated and are the safest person in the world, but at the moment that we are driving and look at our phone to check a text message or are distracted turning the radio, or any number of things, weve slid right back to an awareness level. I think that process is going on continually. I think overall we do improve and that our culture improves and our employees fundamentally understand where we are trying to go. But all of us go back and forth in where were at on this journey. If youre honest with yourself and you really think about what you do in your life (by you, I mean each one of us), I think you can come to that realization that you go to change a light bulb at home and the step stool is not handy so you stand on a chair, if youre truly honest and you evaluate what all of us do at any point in time, I think you can really understand that that is a constant battle and it is always in a state of flux. Unfortunately, it takes that one split second that you make that wrong choice; thats when it happens. How does a manager influence a companys safety culture? Leading by example. We can talk until we are blue in the face, and we can preach and scream and yell or any number of things, but the moment that we say we want everybody to obey the speed limit on the highway, and then we pass someone ignoring that speed limit ourselves, weve lost the battle. Who was most influential in shaping your career and why? I used to work for Echo Bay Minerals out of McCoy Cove operation [in Lander County], and I used to work for a general manager, his name was John van de Bueken, and he always challenged us to do our best and really believed in safety and he walked the talk, led by example. I remember at one point in time, I was thinking about, he moved on to a different company, and I was thinking about moving on to a different company and the company I was looking at had a really poor safety record and I had mentioned that to him, and I viewed that as a concern and maybe a reason not to go, and he says, Well, you can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution. If you go in with the attitude that youre going to try to make it better, then you can actually make a difference and improve the safety record. Thats always stuck with me. What made you decide to get into mining? I had family ties. Way back, my grandfather was a gold miner up in Idaho, and my dad was involved in various aspects so it was something that was an interest to me. How and when did you become the general manager of SMD? Ron Guill, the former owner, was trying to slow down a little bit and groom his successors, if you will, so he moved me into general manager in 2010. [Before that], I was one of the projects managers for SMD. If you could spend a day with one person, who would it be and why? It would probably be my wife because we dont get too many days that we stick together. Its busyness, family, and so on and so forth. Time with family is precious. What advice would you give a new manager regarding safety? It would be back to leading by example. You have to show the folks that youre waking the talk and doing the best you can to live up to the standard that you want. Newmont safety manager says success is a journey Tim Burns, health and safety manager for Newmont Mining Corp.s Carlin Surface Mine, has worked for Newmont for more than 22 years. He has experience as a mine engineer and took lessons on safety from a survivor of Idahos 1972 Sunshine Mine fire, which led to the creation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Burns credits his family, particularly his father, for influencing his career choice in mining. What does it mean to you to win the Nevada Mining Associations safety manager award? This award is a little difficult for me just because its been given to me, but I feel like there are so many people that are driving me to improve the performance that weve had. It takes that village to be successful, not any one individual. When we started down the Safety Journey process, it was about improving safety culture and what would it take for us to get there. We had a lot of ideas, but to see those ideas actually start happening with management team taking ownership of safety and taking responsibility for both the good and the bad, then allowing the hourly folks to get involved to the extent they have that part is more rewarding than the actual award part of it for me: to see that transition actually taking place through the hard work of the management team and the employees. You mentioned the Safety Journey program. When did you implement that? We started the process probably 10 years ago, when we were looking at benchmarking other companies that were successful to see what kind of things they did. One of the big things was just measuring, having a tool to measure that culture. We put a lot of time and work into developing that. That wasnt me. This was the entire corporate and inside health and safety teams that helped put this together. We started to roll that out originally to the management teams at a high level with the idea that those management teams would train their folks at the sites and then eventually take that message down to the hourly group. Thats when the program really started to take hold, and we started to see the improvements building. How would you describe your companys safety culture? For us, it really is a journey; there isnt an expectation that we are necessarily ever going to get there. Our feeling is that about the time you are getting comfortable, things are going well, thats when you go on the wrong direction. We track our reportable injuries quite closely, and weve seen a steady decline. The other thing is, if we have any injury, its really thought of as one too many. Over the years and through this process, its that recognition of, you can let these things happen and do nothing about them until it gets out of control, or you can try to get in front of them and start to put programs in place. We are at the point now with our performance its quite difficult. The better you get, the harder it is to get better. What we are looking for is perfection, and thats a pretty tough ruler to measure yourself against. But if you dont measure it, you dont tend to improve. Who was most influential in shaping your career and why? Thats probably a lot of people, as well. My dad shaped a big part of who I am. When I first made the transition into health and safety, an individual that I worked for Bob Launhardt he was the safety engineer when they had the disaster at the Sunshine Mine. When I started to work for him, he had me review all the depositions from that disaster. At the time, I didnt understand why I was doing that. Having been in safety a long time now, I think what he was trying to drive in me was the importance of the decisions we make and what a huge impact it can actually have if you dont make the right calls. He was the first individual that introduced me to the health and safety side of things. It changed [Launhardts] life, and his whole method was to try and shape mine without having to go through a disaster like that. If you could spend a day with one person, who would it be and why? It would be my dad. He passed on a number of years ago, but like I said, he shaped me into the person I am, and he was quite a man. He didnt have a degree as a geologist, but he was a draftsman, and thats how he picked it up, drawing the stope maps, and at some point, they decided that he had what it took. He eventually became the head geologist in Butte until he retired. That was quite an accomplishment. What made you decide to get into mining? I grew up in Butte, Montana, which is a mining town not different than Elko. My dad was in the industry, as well as his brother, for a long time. I have an older brother that is also in mining and a younger sister. You might say it was in the family to start with. Thats how we got into it. The college of course in Butte is a mining school, so that is what drove the choices. With what I grew up with, it was an easy choice to decide where to go to school because I already lived there It goes beyond that. My dad went into it. It was a big employer in Butte. He had family ties, as well: His dad worked at the mine, and uncles who worked in mining, as well. How does safety in the mining industry compare with safety in other industries? My career has been entirely in mining, so I dont have a great exposure to other places, but what I can tell you is that as weve progressed on the safety journey here at this site, we have had an impact on the community, as well. We have had employees that have stopped at construction sites and pointed out some of their deficiencies that maybe somebody ought to take a look at. I remember a story, someone said, What is it with you Elko people? From that perspective, I think we have a heightened sense around the safety issues, and we do believe that speaking up and watching others is important. The mining industry used to be thought of as one of the most dangerous activities, and there are definitely hazards and risks, but I think we have done a lot as an industry overall focusing on that. I dont believe that most people look at it as the most dangerous thing to do. There are an awful lot of jobs out there that are more risky than the mining industry. Im pretty proud of the fact that the mining industry has turned things around. What advice do you have for employees of any level just entering the mining profession? Youll get out of the mining industry what youre willing to put into it, and that goes for both the production and the safety side. You need both of those things to happen, but they dont have to happen right now. Our culture right now is: We put thought into the risks associated with what were about to do; and we put plans in place to mitigate those risks; and we stop when we need to stop because something changes. That deliberate approachalthough it doesnt feel right taking the time to check yourself and your co-workers to make sure that youre making the right movesis how we produce the improvement that we have. Its hard to do that all the time, but if you have the right people thinking about that stuff, somebody will be the one to say, Hey, time out here for a minute. Lets think about this here for a minute. CHAPEL HILL The civil rights center at UNC-Chapel Hill that helps the poor and disenfranchised can no longer litigate cases a move that supporters say jeopardizes the center's future. The policy-making board of the UNC system voted overwhelmingly Friday to ban litigation by the UNC Center for Civil Rights, which handles issues such as school desegregation and environmental justice. Board members maintained that the vote didn't show a lack of support for civil rights, saying legal clinics can handle similar cases. "This is not a vote one way or the other on the UNC School of Law or the civil rights center. It's about a particular aspect of the civil rights center work," board Chairman Lou Bissette said. Center supporters disagreed, and protesters outside chanted phrases such as "If we don't get no justice, then you don't get no peace." Their chants could be heard through parts of the meeting. And as he left the meeting, the center's managing attorney, Mark Dorosin, yelled at the board members that they weren't being honest about their support for civil rights. When one complained that Dorosin was out of order, he yelled, "You're out of order. To say you support civil rights is out of order." Dorosin and Ted Shaw, the center's executive director, said they didn't know what form the center would take in the future. While it could continue to exist, its attorneys wouldn't be able to continue the work they do now. They said they would begin working immediately on where to take that work, whether to another, a new law firm or some other entity. Supporters of the ban said they opposed the center's lawsuits against other government entities and that academic centers should concentrate on academics. Board member Steve Long, who first proposed the ban, said the university represents poor people and minorities through law school clinics. "Our commitment to civil rights is strong, including mine," he said. Anna Spangler Nelson, a board member who opposed the ban while chairing the committee that recommended it, said she feared the ban and the publicity surrounding it would harm UNC's reputation. "For some, this is trespassing on sacred ground," she said. The center was founded in 2001 by famed civil rights attorney Julius Chambers, whose car, home and office were bombed as he pursued school desegregation cases in the 1960s and 1970s. While the ban applies to all academic centers on UNC campuses, it only stops the work of the civil rights center, which was the only one that handled litigation. The vote came at a time of turmoil on the Chapel Hill campus, where the center is located. Students have pushed for the removal of a Confederate statue on campus known as Silent Sam and held a sit-in that grew out of the violent rally in August in Charlottesville, Virginia. A law passed two years ago gives legislators final say over removing Confederate monuments from public property. "For them to let Silent Sam reign over that spot on campus and at the same time prevent the civil rights center from doing civil rights litigation is not only a supreme irony but a supreme shame," Shaw said after the meeting. About 30 percent of North Carolinas 6.8 million registered voters are Republicans. So how in the world do Republicans ever win election in the Tar Heel State? Be careful how you answer that question. Republican candidates have done quite well in recent election cycles. Yes, Republican margins in the N.C. House and Senate are padded by favorable district maps. But theyve still won a majority of the statewide vote for legislature in every election since 2010. By contrast, during the previous decades, Democrats often won seat majorities despite losing the popular vote for the legislature statewide. Republicans also hold a majority on the Council of State, composed of executives elected statewide, as well as on the state Court of Appeals. Obviously, GOP candidates cant win with the support of registered Republicans alone. They have to get other voters to cross over. So do state Democrats, who make up 39 percent of the electorate. Almost all the remaining voters are registered as unaffiliated, with about half a percentage point consisting of registered Libertarians. To say that 30 percent of North Carolina voters are unaffiliated is not, however, to say that 30 percent of North Carolina voters begin each election as truly undecided and then swing to one or the other major party. Careful studies of voting behavior identify only about 10 percent to 15 percent of the electorate as true swing voters in todays polarized politics. A new survey commissioned by the Civitas Institute of unaffiliated voters in North Carolina offers additional support for this model of the electorate. Of its random sample of 400 unaffiliated voters, about a third said they identified more with the Republican Party than the Democrats, a comparable percentage opted for Democrat over Republican, and the remaining third were truly independent of party preference. Those fully up-for-grabs independents, then, constitute about a 10th of the North Carolina electorate. Add a few points of registered Democrats and Republicans who arent strongly committed to their parties anymore, and you have a reasonable estimate of the swing-voter population in an average election. Democratic registration has been falling for many years, with Republican registration roughly flat and unaffiliated registration way up. Nevertheless, Democrats still outnumber Republicans. The latter have to win a sizable majority of unaffiliated and mildly Democratic voters in order to be competitive. We know its quite possible to do that, since Republicans have won many (although not all) statewide contests in recent cycles. One reason is that unaffiliated voters, on the whole, are somewhat more amenable to Republican messages than they are to Democratic ones. Again citing the Civitas poll, unaffiliated voters are more likely to identify as conservative than as liberal, are much more likely to identify as fiscally conservative rather than as fiscally liberal, live mostly in suburban and rural areas, favor capital punishment, overwhelmingly favor either outright or partial repeal of Obamacare, and overwhelmingly favor a photo-ID requirement to vote. On the other hand, unaffiliated voters are more split when it comes to social issues such as abortion. And at present, they are souring on the Republican Party as a brand. They disapprove of President Donald Trumps job performance by a 53-43 percent margin, while approving of Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers job performance by 56 percent to 27 percent. Their favorability ratings of the Democratic Party are mixed. Their ratings of the Republican Party are not, at 28 percent favorable to 50 percent unfavorable. This is probably a Trump phenomenon, not a larger, lasting realignment. The 2018 midterms also remain quite a ways off. In 2013, for example, a comparable Civitas poll of unaffiliated voters had Democrats up 10 percentage points over Republicans in the generic ballot for legislature. As we know, that edge didnt stick through 2014. On the other hand, that cycle occurred under a somewhat-unpopular Democratic president. The 2018 cycle may well occur under a more-unpopular Republican one. Id describe the surveys findings as good news for Democrats with the usual admonition against counting unhatched chickens. GREENWICH Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticuts new location in western Greenwich is better suited to the agencys mission than its previous location on Benedict Place was, President and CEO Eliot Brenner said Friday. It puts us closer to most of the people, children and families, we serve, Brenner said. Its easier to get here. Theres more parking. Theres more space so we can meet the demand more effectively. Its a more convenient location for everyone. Brenner joined First Selectman Peter Tesei and other agency and town officials for a ribbon cutting at the new Holly Hill Lane offices Friday morning. Child Guidance Center offers counseling and therapy for kids up to the age of 18 in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan. Since 2013, we have increased the number of children served by more than 200 percent, Brenner said. As childrens mental health concerns have increased in the community, we have been there to help by providing a safety net for children and families in need. The need for childrens mental health services has gone up around the country, he said, including in Greenwich, where 10 percent of the children are on Medicaid, a population heavily served by the agency. The mission of Child Guidance Center is to improve the mental and behavioral health of children and teens through treatment, education and community support. In addition to its offices, it helps young clients through in-home services and a mobile crisis program. Before its move to Holly Hill Lane, the agency had been located on Benedict Place for the last 13 years. Close to 30 people attended the ribbon cutting, including Tesei, state Rep. Michael Bocchino, R-150th, and town Commissioner of Human Services Alan Barry. We are very fortunate that we have these services here in town to provide to children and families, Tesei said to Brenner and the agencys staff and board members before cutting the ribbon. When mental health issues are left untreated serious consequences can happen. Clearly we need this service and youve done a tremendous job. Barrys department frequently partners with the agency and has provided funding to it. These are essential mental health services, Barry said. Theres a dearth of child mental health services in general. Were very fortunate to have the presence of the Child Guidance Center in town. In this age of social media theres a lot more pressure on children and families so I think having a human service agency like this in town is a tremendous benefit. More information about the Child Guidance Center and its services is online at www.childguidancect.org. Alan Gunzburg, a member of the towns Board of Human Services and the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, also offered high praise, calling it the new facility a perfect, safe place for children. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com ELKO A kidnapping suspect was arrested Thursday at an Idaho Street motel after driving here from Colorado. John Baerthlein, 75, of Stateline was arrested in Elko after allegedly taking a senior citizen woman from her assisted living facility in Boulder. Law enforcement agencies informed Nevada Highway Patrol that Baerthlein was headed west on Interstate 80 toward Nevada, and was possibly at the Best Western. NHP and police officers arrived at the motel later that afternoon where he was found in one of the hotel rooms with the victim. Baerthlein was arrested without incident and the victim was not injured, an NHP representative said. According to a report in the Denver Post, the woman was Baerthleins former girlfriend. She has been taken into protective care. Baerthlein was arrested on an extraditable warrant. His bail was not listed. Online court records indicate Baerthlein has a warrant for second-degree kidnapping pending against him. This three-meat Ultimate Smokehouse Combo probably isnt going anywhere. Photo: Chilis Believe it or not, turns out a 125-item menu might be overkill. Chilis today has announced that its menu a Poor Richards Almanack of Tex-Mex stretching 18 sections long will be pared down by nearly half, to a more respectable 75 items. People heading to their local Chilis for Mango Chile Tilapia or Crispy Asparagus will be SOL starting September 18. Quinoa, kale all those trends come and go, Chilis chief marketing officer tells Bloomberg News. But what Americans want to eat doesnt change that much. Its the expectations that have changed. In her own statement, president Kelli Valade says the decision comes after realizing that today no restaurant can be everything to everyone. And so, Chilis will now attempt to get back to its roots. This means investing millions in improving core menu items like burgers, baby back ribs, and fajitas. Our guests have made their feedback clear, parent company Brinkers CEO Wyman Roberts told investors back in April, adding theyd identified three specific things: Their dining experience needs to be faster. The food needs to be hotter. And they still want high quality product at a great value. Time to cue up that ribs ad: Busy on a Jesus-approved cake. Photo: Brennan Linsley/AP Trump-administration lawyers want Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips to know theyve got his back. Few plain civilians will remember Phillips, who has run a small bakery in Denvers suburbs for nearly 25 years, but theres an excellent chance they remember the drama caused by his refusal to bake a wedding cake back in 2012: David Mullins and Charlie Craig wanted a cake for their reception, Phillips said their request conflicted with his Christian beliefs, they went elsewhere, and the state of Colorado eventually ruled that hed broken its anti-discrimination laws. Phillips appealed, taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which declined 11 times to hear it, but then reversed course in June. The Justice Department, now under an administration with different ideas about gay rights, yesterday filed a brief on Phillipss behalf, agreeing that his pro fondant skills are free speech. Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights, the DOJs acting solicitor general wrote. Various critics at the ACLU and elsewhere called it nothing short of shocking to openly side with Phillips, although not necessarily surprising given the administrations record on other LGBTQ matters lately. So far, the courts have mostly disagreed that pastries are a form of self-expression, just like theyve generally failed to recognize establishments rights to refuse business to customers simply for being gay. In Phillipss case, the court said that merely abiding by the law doesnt mean he supports same-sex marriage. Especially since he was making money selling wedding cakes, which made it about commerce, too, not just his First Amendment rights. When the Supreme Court agreed to hear his case, Phillips put out a statement again defending his position: Ive always had to operate my cake shop in a manner that honors God. I gladly welcome and serve everyone who comes into my shop, and would sell anyone any pre-made baked goods. Im closed on Sundays. I dont take orders for cakes with messages or designs commemorating events or ideas in conflict with my beliefs, including messages that are anti-American, celebrate atheism, racism, or indecency. Hes long maintained that publicity has been devastating for his business he says Masterpieces sales have fallen about 40 percent since the controversy began, and his website no longer even takes custom wedding-cake orders. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Samsung has officially confirmed the Galaxy Note8 India launch date. In a press release, the South Korean company revealed the device will debut in India on September 12. The event is set to begin 12:30 PM (IST), and those interested can watch the launch live by heading to Samsung's Newsroom website links (see Source at the bottom). Pre-registrations for the device are already live in the country, and it's reasonable to expect that pre-orders will begin around September 12. The device is said to go on sale in India starting September 25. Meanwhile, Note8 pre-orders have kicked off in the company's home country. The 64GB variant is priced at around $960. Those who pre-order are expected to get their unit starting September 15, while general availability is set for September 21. Source 1 2 | Via 1 2 Sept. 7 John H. Baerthlein, 75, of Stateline was arrested at 1930 Idaho St. for fugitive felon from other state. No bail listed. Terri A. Calvert, 56, of Elko was arrested on a warrant for two counts of failure to appear after a traffic citation. Bail: $1,435 Travess W. Cortez, 24, of Elko was arrested at 3004 Bohabi St. on four tribal charges. Bail: $2,000 Ryan G. Dell, 33, of Las Vegas was arrested at the Elko County Jail for failure to appear on a traffic citation. Bail: $814 Ricky Fazzary, 60, of Spring Creek was arrested at 691 Buckhorn Drive for DUI, driver fail to report damage to unattended vehicle or property, failure to drive on right half of road, and reckless driving with disregard for safety. Bail: $2,865 Lela M. Rainwater, 37, of Elko was arrested on Argent and Cottonwood streets for DUI. Bail: $1,140 Eugene F. Stutz Jr., 63, of Henderson was arrested at the Elko County Jail for failure to appear on a traffic citation. Bail: $524 Ana V. Taufu, 27, of West Wendover was arrested at 1225 W. Wendover Blvd. for grand larceny of a gun and trespassing not amounting to burglary. Bail: $20,355 Jason E. Weston, 33, of Spring Creek was arrested at the Elko County Jail for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor. No bail listed. - Miguel Zamudio-Koponen, 34, of Elko was arrested at 780 West Silver St. for driving with suspended license or registration, driving with suspended license and proof of insurance required. Bail: $1,450 Haiti - IRMA : Establishment of an Agricultural Sector Emergency Unit On Thursday, Carmel Andre Beliard, the Minister of Agriculture and the General Director of the Ministry Branly Eugene presented the Emergency Cell for the Agricultural Sector (CUSA-IRMA). Established specifically for the passage of Hurricane IRMA of Category 5, CUSA in composed mainly of Agronomists, Statisticians and Managers. It will perform the functions of coordination, evaluation and planning of the survey plan and monitoring the action plan. In addition, it will have the following main tasks : - Prepare an Action Plan and, in the event that IRMA affects the national territory, ensure that there are not several assessments for the agricultural sector; - Coordinate all efforts to assess losses and damage and implement the responses of the agricultural sector to possible damage caused by cyclone IRMA; - Develop a consultation and exchange mechanism with the Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs) at the various stages of the technical evaluation of losses and damages; - Revise, if necessary, the rapid damage assessment form and ensure that the collection of information that must assist in the assessment of the situation; - Supervise, if necessary, the various technical teams delegated in the field, to accompany and approve, if necessary, the Departmental Emergency Cell - IRMA instituted by the Departmental Agricultural Departments (DDA); - Supervise, if necessary, the various technical teams delegated in the field to accompany and support, if necessary, the Departmental Emergency Cell (CUSA-IRMA) set up the Departmental Agricultural Departments (DDA). Minister Beliard reiterated his commitment to accompany the agricultural sector during and after the passage of Hurricane IRMA on Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Government deplores damage The Government of Haiti deplores the damage caused to the country following the passage of the Hurricane IRMA. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22047-haiti-flash-first-partial-balance-of-irma-passage.html While reiterating its determination to do everything in its power to help the population adequately to deal with this natural disaster, it takes the opportunity to announce that public administration, private enterprises, trade and industry are functioning normally this Friday, September 8, 2017. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22047-haiti-flash-first-partial-balance-of-irma-passage.html HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2017/09/07 | Source A message of gratitude for the late actress Kim Young-ae was read at the 2017 Seoul International Drama Awards. It was held in Seoul on the 7th and it was hosted by Shin Dong-yup and Kim Jung-eun. Advertisement "W" won the Best Hallyu Drama and the crew made a speech thanking everyone that made it possible. The "Doctors" crew mentioned the late actress Kim Young-ae and said she took good care of everyone on site and said they would never forget her. The Seoul International Drama Awards began in 2006 and introduces TV dramas worldwide. Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help ELKO Statements read by family members and the defendant moved a courtroom to tears Thursday before the sentencing of a man convicted in the hit-and-run death of the president of the Elko Federal Credit Union last year. Daniel Vasu, 28, was sentenced to 8 to 20 years and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine on one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death, a category B felony, in Elko District Court. Vasu pleaded guilty to the charge in May, almost a year after he was suspected of hitting Elko Federal Credit Union President Doug Schwartz with his Jeep on the evening of June 22, 2016, on Commercial Street in front of Machis Grill and Saloon. A photo of Vasus vehicle was posted on social media sites and news outlets in an effort to locate the driver. Vasu was arrested the next morning. Schwartz died of his injuries at Northern Nevada Regional Hospital several hours later. In handing down the sentence, Judge Nancy Porter told the court she received letters from people on Vasus behalf saying that he made a mistake. But leaving the scene was more than a mistake, it was bad judgment, Porter continued. District Attorney Chad Thompson called lead investigator Dennis Price to exemplify the motive in leaving the scene after hitting Mr. Schwartz. Price explained investigators learned through surveillance video, phone records, interviews and collaboration from Vasu, that Vasu consumed alcohol at the Blind Onion, the Tiki Hut, Goldies Bar, the Stray Dog Pub & Cafe, and returned to the Tiki Hut. He knew he was drunk, it says so on his own text messages, Thompson said, and still got behind the wheel. In asking for the maximum of 8 to 20 years, were not asking for the death sentence or even his entire life, Thompson said. Were asking a statement be sent to the community, Thompson continued. We cant prosecute alcohol, but we have to send a message that you dont get behind the wheel after doing this, Thompson said. Defense attorney Sherburne Macfarlan said Vasus sentence has to consider a number of factors. The impact of this offense on Mr. Schwartzs family and friends and will continue to have on [them]. But you also have to consider the impact it will have on the defendants family and friends. Macfarlan asked for a fair sentence of 24 to 72 months, explaining that Vasu did not have any prior criminal history and in all likelihood, he is probably going to do more than the 24 months. Macfarlan referred to letters from Vasus mother, family and friends describing Vasus character. Those people are obviously not condoning what Mr. Vasu did and the harm that he has caused, but they are pointing out that Mr. Vasu does in fact have some very fine characteristics, Macfarlan said. I am in no way trying to diminish the impact of Mr. Vasus conduct on the Schwarts family and friends, Macfarlan continued. Nothing can be done to repair the damage. Offered by Porter to speak, Vasu read a letter to the court and members of Schwartzs family. I express my sincere remorse for my irresponsibility and dangerous actions. There is no excuse for it. I wish I could take it all back, all of it, Vasu said. But I want to own up and deal with my consequences. Im sorry I didnt that day, Vasu said. I want to show people they need to know whats right. They need to do whats right in any case, in any circumstance. Victim impact statements read by Schwartzs wife Diane and son DJ offered forgiveness to the defendant and described Schwartzs contributions to his family and the community. Diane Schwartz said while her husband was in the hospital, he wouldnt allow others to assume a drunk driver hit him. He forgave you as he lay in the hospital, she said tearfully. Doug still continued to say that we shouldnt be accusing because we simply didnt know. I thought it was important for you to know that he gave you the benefit of the doubt, Diane Schwartz said. I also want you to know I forgive you. Halewood secures distribution deal for French wine brand Bonfils By Lisa Riley Halewood Wines & Spirits has secured a deal to distribute French wine brand Bonfils in the UK. Available now to the on-trade and independent specialist retailers via Halewood, the Bonfils portfolio comprises a selection of varieties from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The deal with the family-owned winery would further bolster Halewoods wine portfolio, which has grown to cover wines from around Europe and across the New World, said director of wine, Andrew Turner. Bonfils wines represent the renowned appellations of the south of France that are popular with customers, as well as championing lesser known wines that the trade will now have the opportunity to discover and enjoy, he said. The distribution gain meant the number of wines offered by Halewood and its agencies had more than doubled in 2017, he added. Founded in 1870, the Bonfils estate has 17 winemaking properties, a constellation of Chateaux and Domaines, totalling more than 1,600 hectares of vines. ELKO Community colleges are one of the keys in developing Nevadas workforce, according higher education leaders. The importance of community colleges in Nevada was emphasized by newly appointed Chancellor Thom Reilly, Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Page and Vice Chancellor of Community Colleges Nate Mackinnon, who were in Elko this week for a Board of Regents meeting held at Great Basin College. Appointed to their positions this summer, Reilly, Mackinnon and Page discussed plans to bolster community colleges in Nevada and gain insight from employers to develop an educated workforce. To meet these goals, one of the benefits is having community colleges and universities under a single system, Reilly said. This spring, Assembly Bill 331 proposed to remove the community colleges from NSHE and form the Nevada System of Community Colleges. Although the legislation did not make it through the lower chamber, it highlighted the benefits of a centralized system among education officials. The strength in having one system is promoting seamless transfers from two-year colleges to four-year colleges. Students [who transfer] are more likely to complete college and do it quicker and better, Reilly said. That is a pipeline we should be exploiting. Mackinnon recently came from a decentralized system in Massachusetts where getting things done was very difficult, he said, but Nevadas system can help keep a focus on community colleges. To meet that goal, the board of regents added a community college section on their meeting agendas, created a community college committee with advisory boards to gain input, and hired Mackinnon as vice chancellor of community colleges. Were trying to give additional resources over to the community college side, Page said. It will help us with the Legislature if we give it that focus. Part of that focus includes increased funding, said Page, who added that a recent funding formula paid for bodies but did not account for students completing certificates and degrees. Funding formulas are developed every 10 years, which is a huge help overall, Page said, but improvements would be focused on in upcoming legislative committees and the next legislative session. The formula is continuing to evolve theres progress, said Reilly. Its clearly a better formula than in the past. Nevada Promise Encouraging high school students to enter college is another goal the officials are supporting through the Nevada Promise scholarship, which helps cover the cost of earning a certificate or associate degree. Referred to as a last dollar scholarship, NV Promise is intended to pay for fees and tuition beyond what is covered by the Guinn Millennium Scholarship, Silver Opportunity Grant and federal grants. Students have up to three years of college costs covered to complete their associate degrees, and the scholarship amount will vary upon amounts left unmet by each student. Modeled after the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, Nevada is sticking its baby toe into experimenting with that and seeing how it takes off, Mackinnon said. Our hope is it really does. Funded by the Legislature for one year, $3.5 million is available to high school seniors who apply by Oct. 31 and are planning to take a minimum of 12 credits. Page explained that focusing on success instead of students is part of their strategic goals that measure graduation rates and overall satisfaction, tying it back to meeting the needs to the workforce. The need for retaining students in Nevada is important, said Mackinnon, explaining that employees are being lured outside Nevada. We need to figure out how to change the narrative to say, The answer is right here. Hawaii ranks among top 20 states for percentage of graduates taking ACT college prep test (And 4th-Lowest Composite Score) This was the fourth year that HIDOE 11th graders were required to take the ACT, which landed Hawaii in the top 20 states for the percentage of graduates taking the college prep test according to the ACT's Condition of College & Career Readiness 2017 report. (Why fixate on this relatively unimportant statistic? Because all the others are so lousy.) News Release from Hawaii DoE, 06-Sep-2017 The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2017 report released today by the ACT, a research-based non-profit organization, shows that Hawaii's public school students have continued to see steady growth in meeting college readiness benchmarks in Reading and Science. This was the fourth year that Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) 11th graders were required to take the ACT, which landed Hawaii in the top 20 states for the percentage of graduates taking the college prep test. (But they don't mention that Hawaii ACT Composite score beats only Nevada, Mississippi, and South Carolina coming in 4th-worst in the USA. See the numbers for yourself. LINK) "The growth that Hawaii graduates have shown in college readiness since the state began administering the ACT to all students in 2013 has been remarkable. Steady gains in states are not unusual, but we rarely see this type of improvement over such a short period of time," said Paul Weeks, ACT senior vice president for client relations. Hawaii's public school students continue to show improvements in performance since the test became part of the curriculum four years ago. The 0.7 point composite score increase (36 point scale) outpaced the national average, which remained flat during the same time period. The results for The ACT's college readiness benchmarks for HIDOE's Class of 2017 resulted in these year-over-year changes for the state: A 2 percentage point improvement in Science and Reading A 3 percentage point decrease in Mathematics Unchanged English scores In each of the four subjects, ACT sets a college-readiness benchmark the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college course. The benchmarks are set based on national-level data. Similar to the composite scores, Hawaii's percentage increases in meeting college readiness benchmarks outpaced the national increases. "The results from the ACT provides valuable insight and highlights areas we should focus our efforts and resources in order to help our students compete with their peers on a national level," added Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. "We will continue to work towards improving our testing portfolio to align with our ESSA and Strategic plans, and will rely on our students to continue to tell us what we can do to help them achieve their college and career goals." HIDOE supports high schools that administer the ACT by providing funding and support. The department views it as part of the college and career readiness process. The ACT results provide students information about their readiness or postsecondary education, a score they can use for college admissions and placement, and information about how to better prepare for postsecondary education during their senior years. It is one of only two readiness examinations used for U.S. college and university admissions and was taken by approximately 2 million 2017 graduates nationwide, and 10,051 Hawai'i public high school students. Click here to view The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2017 report. ---30--- SA: Of the 12,232 public and private test-taking students, only 17 percent of them met all the four benchmarks scores in English, reading, math and science. Gas explosion and fire kills seven, injures dozens at Ethiopia stadium construction site Witnesses have confirmed that seven workers died and dozens more were injured in a gas explosion at Ethiopia's national stadium construction site on August 8. The explosion was not reported until a local newspaper published interviews with survivors on September 5. The main contractor, Chinese State Engineering Corporation Ltd (CSCEC), has refused to comment on the incident. Artists impression of completed Adey Abaya stadium - Image: Ethiosports The Addis Standard confirmed the incident by visiting survivors in hospital in Addis Ababa and talking to other victims who have now been discharged. They said 20 construction workers were in an on-site dormitory when a gas cylinder exploded followed by a fire. Local press has criticised both the government and CSCEC for not disclosing the incident, and the latter has come under scrutiny for its lack of health and safety policies. According to the victims Addis Standard talked to, currently there are around 800 Ethiopians and close to 200 Chinese construction workers at the site. Among the Ethiopians, around half were living in the compound in 19 dormitories built from corrugated iron and housing around 20 people on average. The workers said that there were no fire extinguishers in and around the dormitories and parts of the dormitories were covered with plastic canvas, which had likely exacerbated the fire. http://addisstandard.com/news-fire-biggest-stadium-construction-site-ethiopia-kills-seven-severely-injures-dozen-news-kept-secret/ More information... stated to one female employee: My mission tonight is to find out what colour your knickers you have on; stated to another employee: I used to think you were a stuck up bitch, but Ryan says you are alright. If Ryan likes you then you must be ok; and kissed another employee on the lips without warning, and then stated to the employee: Im going to go home and dream about you tonight. Whilst the Vice President found all of the behaviour to be inappropriate and unacceptable, and considered the behaviour would constitute sexual harassment if it took place at work, the Vice President ultimately concluded that the behaviour did not occur at work or have a sufficient connection to the workplace. This is because: the behaviour related to an after party following a work Christmas party; and the relevant victims of the employees conduct did not experience any continuing effect from the conduct in the workplace after the social event. The decision in Keenan v Boral received significant criticism from employer groups and was subject to an appeal before being settled. However, regardless of the correctness of the outcome in Keenan v Boral, the message from the decision is clear: ensure that there is a clear connection with the workplace of some description before proceeding to implement serious disciplinary sanction on employees for out of hours conduct. For all employers, we generally recommend a very firm approach is taken to responding to any harassment engaged by employees. This helps to ensure a positive, productive and safe workplace culture. However, in cases of dismissal, it will often be critical to obtain advice to ensure that a sufficient connection can be established between the conduct and the workplace. Luis Izzo is a director at Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors (ABLA). Serving business and only business, this legal and advisory firm is trusted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is the leading voice for industry in the Fair Work Commission. Contact Luis on 1300 565 846 or [email protected] if you have any questions about workplace investigations. The proposal that has been on the table is in our opinion unfair to Finland, he stated in the Finnish Parliament on Thursday. The Finnish government is doing its utmost to ensure the fairness of the new accounting rules for land use, land-use change and forestry proposed by the European Commission, promises Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre). Sweden, for example, would be able to continue to harvest around 80 per cent of annual forest growth, whereas Finland would suffer if [the harvest volume] was raised even slightly from the current 65 per cent, highlighted Sipila. The European Commission has proposed that the use of forest resources be capped at the levels of 20002012, prompting fierce criticism from policy makers in Finland. The proposal would define any use of forest resources exceeding the cap as emissions and, thereby, force member states to either cut emissions from other sectors or buy emissions rights from the market. For Finland, the rules are problematic particularly because the proposed reference period coincided with a severe economic downturn that affected its already struggling forest industries. The issue was brought up in the Finnish Parliament on Thursday by Hannu Hoskonen (Centre). He demanded that the government specify what it intends to do to ensure Finlands ability to use its forest resources is not limited. I can assure you that the government has done whatever it can, Sipila replied, drawing attention to the efforts of Kimmo Tiilikainen (Centre), the Minister of Agriculture and the Environment. Sipila revealed that he has personally discussed the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. Finland and Estonia, he added, are also working together to find a compromise on the accounting rules. The demands for revising the proposal are justified, underscored Sipila. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Markku Ulander Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi As if the Vietnam War were not bad enough, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy made it feel as if Americas democratic institutions might not survive. Eager for revolution, hothouse warriors in the SDS and Weather Underground did everything possible to promote anarchy from rioting to setting off bombs. During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, pitched battles between street fighters and Chicago police brought chaos and a massive voter backlash. The most immediate result, brilliantly chronicled in historian Rick Perlsteins book Nixonland, was the criminal presidency of Richard M. Nixon. So I found it heartening to see Perlstein take to Facebook to scold the latter-day anarchists of Antifa. There was nothing subtle or scholarly about it. Stop destroying the left, you infantile (bleeps), Perlstein wrote. Can I get an amen? In a subsequent post, the historian quoted an eyewitness account of Antifa goons assaulting KKK-style marchers at a white power demonstration in Berkeley, California, of all places. Yesterday, at the anti-Alt-Right rally in Berkeley, Leighton Woodhouse wrote, I watched groups of masked Antifa members in Black Bloc formation swarm individuals who were apparently antagonizing them, and pummel them with their fists, feet and flagpoles. When the victims tried to escape, they were run down, and in at least one case, cut off by the Antifa mob and beaten down some more. A similarly vivid account of Antifa bullying by photojournalist Mike Kessler appeared in The New Republic. The irony was that until the masked, black-clad social justice warriors appeared, the Berkeley crowd had decisively outnumbered, ridiculed and shamed alt-right marchers as the pathetic goobers that they are. Much as thousands of peaceful citizens on Boston Common had so outnumbered white supremacists a week earlier that they took off their little bedsheets and went home without even trying to harangue the crowd. Thats all that ever needs to happen. But I dont even need to turn on Fox News to know that Sean Hannity and the rest of the merry band of Trump apologists on right-wing media are playing up Antifa as the moral equivalent of Bolshevik revolutionaries. Well-meaning journalists such as the Washington Posts Margaret Sullivan and The Atlantics Peter Beinart are certainly correct to argue that theres no real comparison between left- and right-wing political violence in the United States. The alt-left Trump described scarcely exists, and had almost no role in the Charlottesville tragedy. Beinart cites Anti-Defamation League statistics showing that 74 percent of politically motivated murders in the U.S. since 2007 were committed by right-wing extremists, versus 2 percent by leftists. The news medias tendency to soft-pedal the far-right motives of killers from Timothy McVeigh to Dylan Roof has long been an instance of willful blindness. Journalists on the left correctly fear that wont be the case with Antifa. Also on Facebook, journalist Lindsay Beyerstein explains that shes covered many protests halfway sabotaged by Antifa antics: I always thought of them as self-indulgent parasites because theyd show up at demonstrations organized by other people and capture the news cycle with petty property destruction. But when masked intruders quit breaking windows and start carrying weapons, things can change fast. Paramilitaries facing off in the streets is gods gift to fascism, Beyerstein adds. Not everyone likes racism and militarism, but everyone likes safety and order. If weve already got safety and order, fascists have nothing to offer casual supporters. But she predicts that if real violence comes, the backlash is going to come down as hard against the entire left as it did against the alt-right after Charlottesville. Thats certainly what happened during the Sixties. My late father taught me an oft-repeated expression I always took as the essence of Americanism. Youre no better than anybody else, hed growl, and NOBODYS BETTER THAN YOU. There was more than a little Irish nationalism in what he said, but he definitely meant it. So do I. Most Americans do, too. Even under Donald Trump, the great majority remains deeply attached to the fundamental premises of democratic citizenship. They want to believe that were all in it together America, that is and they react against anybody threatening that belief. So that when Alabama segregationists attacked peaceful civil rights demonstrators with clubs, tear gas and dogs, the majority sympathized with the victims and brought about the end of Jim Crow. But after rioting tore Chicago apart in 1968, they went the other way. Hard. Nobody needs the help of Antifa militants and the idiot professors making excuses for them to reject the KKK. But let them start real trouble, and well all end up wishing wed never heard of them. Food foragers have been warned of the dangers of harvesting wild mushrooms that they can't safely identify. The alert came as interest in foraged wild foods has reached an all-time high in Ireland, thanks to new cooking trends. The warm, wet weather has delivered a substantial crop of wild mushrooms this year. However, one of Ireland's top fungi experts, Bill O'Dea, urged people not to take chances with varieties they may be uncertain about. On average, three people get sick in Ireland every year after mistaking toxic wild mushroom species with varieties that are safe to eat. Two serious incidents have been recorded. In one case, a young man suffered organ damage after unwittingly eating a mushroom containing some of the most potent known toxins. Unlike in the past, when we restricted ourselves to ordinary field mushrooms, the soaring interest in wild food foraging has led people into forests and woodland, where a bewildering range of mushroom species grow. Ireland has more than 120 readily-picked species, a significant number of which can cause serious illnesses. Consequences "People need to understand that some of these mushroom species are highly toxic. Several species are so toxic that, if they're eaten, there can be very serious consequences," said Mr O'Dea. These species include the aptly named angel of death and panther, both of which can cause fatal liver and kidney failure. Angel of death, or Amanita ocreata, is particularly dangerous because it closely resembles other mushrooms that are perfectly safe to eat. "The reality is that Ireland has for generations been a fungus-phobic country. A lot of people have the rule that you don't eat anything if it's picked wild," said Mr O'Dea. However, under expert direc- tion, people can enjoy wild mushrooms and their contribution to modern cuisine. Mr O'Dea stressed that the rule is to eat only wild spec-ies that have been definitively identified by an expert or mushrooms you are absolutely certain are edible. "It may sound impractical, but people really do have to exercise caution with wild mushrooms," he said. "If you're not absolutely sure about the mushroom species involved, don't even bring it into your kitchen." Mr O'Dea studied fungi at UCD and has been leading mushroom hunts in Ireland and the US since 1996. He will be running mushroom events at Kilruddery House in Bray, Co Wicklow on October 1 and 8; the Park Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry, on October 21; and the Kilkenny Mushroom Hunt at Castlecomer on October 29. Such is the interest in foraging that groups of Irish foodies even travel to eastern Europe, where wild mushrooms are a traditional delicacy. "There's an incredible interest in wild foods, but with mushrooms, people have to be careful," said Mr O'Dea. boats lie piled up on Tortola, the British Virgin Islands, after Hurricane Irma passed Hurricane Irma barrelled towards vulnerable Haiti last night after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 10 people, as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida. With winds of about 290kmh, the storm has smashed through several small islands in the north-east Caribbean, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands, ripping down trees and flattening homes and hospitals. Winds dipped slightly yesterday as the storm lashed the Dominican Republic's north coast, according to the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC). Irma is expected to hit Florida as a very powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding beginning before then. Disaster "The amount of wind that's coming in, we don't think we've seen anything quite like this," US president Donald Trump said after declaring a major disaster in the US Virgin Islands. "To the people of Florida, we just want you to protect yourselves, be very, very vigilant and careful," added the president, who owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Across the Caribbean, authorities rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of people in the path of the storm, while on islands in its wake, shocked locals tried to comprehend the extent of the devastation. In the US Virgin islands, a major hospital was obliterated by the wind and Barbuda, where one person died, was reduced "to rubble", according to prime minister Gaston Browne. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla, another person was killed, and the hospital and airport, power and phone service were damaged, emergency service officials said. French prime minister Edouard Philippe said four bodies were recovered on the French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, which was hit hard. "It is an enormous disaster, 95pc of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. French president Emmanuel Macron spoke with British prime minister Theresa May to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and about two-thirds of the population lost their electricity, governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm passed by the US territory's northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. The storm passed just to the north of the Hispaniola island shared by the Dominican Rep- ublic and Haiti, causing some damage to roofs and flooding. The first bands of rain and wind began to lash Haiti's normally bustling northern port city of Cap-Haitien last night. "We're asking all those living in areas at risk to leave their homes. If you don't, you'll be evacuated by force," said president Jovenel Moise. "When you go to shelters you'll find food, you'll have something to sleep on." Irma's eye was forecast to pass over the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory, and the Bahamas before moving towards Cuba's sandy keys. Amid criticism from many residents that the British government could have done more to help its territories, Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan said a Royal Navy ship would reach the affected islands last night with tents, vehicles and other relief equipment. Thomas Gleeson (22) is alleged to have narrowly missed the female officer during a struggle at Adamstown station A young man who was naked from the waist down jumped out of a parked BMW in a train station car park and "lunged" at a female garda with a stun gun, it has been alleged. A court was told that Thomas Gleeson (22) emerged from the car after gardai knocked on its steamed up windows when they came across it at night. He was arrested after a struggle during which he allegedly "narrowly missed" the garda. His case was adjourned when he appeared at Blanchardstown District Court. Mr Gleeson, of Rockingham Avenue, Leixlip, Kildare, is charged with unlawful possession of a stun gun and producing it while committing or appearing to be about to commit the offence of assaulting a garda. Flashlights The offences are alleged to have happened at Adamstown Railway Station on October 16, 2016. He has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges. Garda Sergeant Geraldine McManigan said the DPP had directed summary disposal of the case at district court level subject to the judge considering whether to accept jurisdiction. Outlining the prosecution's case, she said gardai were on patrol when they went to the car park and saw a black BMW parked there. It was the only vehicle in the car park and the gardai activated the blue lights on their patrol car. They got out of the car and noticed that the BMW's windows were steamed up. The officers repeatedly called out "garda" and shone flashlights into the car with no success, Sgt McManigan added. When they knocked on the window, the accused jumped out naked from the waist down, it was alleged. Sgt McManigan said Mr Gleeson had in his possession what gardai described as a stun gun. Lunged It was alleged he lunged at Garda Goretti Lynch, "narrowly missing her" as she jumped back. The officer raised her baton and said: "Garda - drop your weapon; garda - drop your weapon." Another garda assisted her and the accused was arrested, the court heard. Judge McHugh accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case, meaning that it can be dealt with at district court level instead of being sent for trial to a higher court. Applying for free legal aid, defence solicitor Terence Hanahoe said the accused was in receipt of disability allowance and was living at home with his parents. A statement of his financial means was handed into court. Judge McHugh granted legal aid and adjourned the case to October 5, for the defendant to decide how he intends to plead to the charges. Mr Gleeson did not address the court during the hearing. Europe has called for a "unique" Border solution in the wake of Brexit. In a four-page document, negotiators in Brussels have warned that it is more than just a customs problem. Michel Barnier's team said they were not offering solutions on how cross-Border trade and travel will be protected. They said the onus was on the UK to come up with ideas to avoid a hard Border. The long-awaited paper said: "It is the responsibility of the United Kingdom to ensure that its approach to the challenges of the Irish Border... takes into account and protects the very specific and interwoven political, economic, security, societal and agricultural context and frameworks on the island of Ireland. Influence "These challenges will require a unique solution, which cannot serve to preconfigure solutions in the context of the wider discussions on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom." Reports here suggested the document was drawn up with deep influence from Dublin. The Brussels document warned that a thorough understanding of the issues beyond customs rules is needed to move negotiations forward. The paper called for the negotiations to secure a political commitment to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the peace process. "Flexible and imaginative solutions will be required to avoid a hard Border, including any physical border infrastructure," the paper states. "This must be achieved in a way which ensures that Ireland's place within the internal market and Customs Union is unaffected." The Government said: "Our priorities remain protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, including by avoiding a hard Border, and maintaining the Common Travel Area." It called on the UK to make "substantive commitments and workable solutions". "The principles reflected in this paper must underpin any arrangements and solutions to be proposed, developed and agreed in future negotiations," the Government said. The Brussels paper warned that the UK and Europe will have to assess how cross-Border cooperation could be impacted if and when EU law ceases to apply in the North. Mr Barnier's team also said Irish citizens living in the North must keep their rights as EU citizens. George walks across the school yard with his father and head Helen Haslem. Prince William has said Prince George's first day at prep school went smoothly after he was forced to carry out parenting duties alone. William's wife Kate had hoped to join him on the school run, but was suffering from severe morning sickness with her third pregnancy and was too ill to attend. William drove four-year-old George to Thomas' Battersea, a fee-paying independent school in south London, at 8.45am. The youngster, who will be known as George Cambridge to his classmates, was helped out of the car by his father after being driven inside the school gates. Tentative "There was one parent who had more of an issue with their children - so I was quite pleased I wasn't the one," said William. George - who was wearing a light-blue shirt, a navy V-neck pullover, shorts and black shoes - looked tentative and clutched his father's hand as he was led towards the school entrance. He shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school. Then, with William holding one hand and Ms Haslem the other, he walked inside. Ben Thomas, who is principal of Thomas's London Day Schools and was headmaster of Thomas' Battersea for 18 years, said he hoped the future king would learn to "be himself". "The whole aim of these precious early years of education is to give children that confidence in who they are," he said. "So we are not going to try to mould him into any kind of particular person." The school, where fees cost from 19,000 a year, has been described by the Good Schools Guide as "a big, busy, slightly chaotic school for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy". It is understood William and Kate will try to do the school run as often as possible. I just got new glasses without going to an optometrist. Its another innovation made possible by the internet. Going to an optometrist can be a pain. You have to leave work, get to an optometrists office, sit in a waiting room and then pay an average of $95 (in my town). But I got a prescription for just $50 without leaving my computer. This is possible thanks to a company called Opternative (optometry alternative). The company claims its online test is just as good as an in-person eye exam. I was skeptical. Its over the internet! How can a computer replicate what optometrists do in their offices with impressive-looking machines? This is the beauty of technology, answered Dick Carpenter, director of strategic research for the libertarian law firm the Institute for Justice. Carpenter researched Opternatives test and concludes that it is just as good as an in-person exam. Sometimes better, some research has indicated. Heres how it works: First, you answer some medical questions. Then, while holding your cellphone, you follow prompts on the phone while looking at your computer screen, selecting which lines look sharper, or which numbers you see. One day later, they send you a prescription. Mine exactly matched the prescription I got from my ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who charges much more. Fast, cheap, and easy. So naturally, optometrists want this alternative banned. This is really foolhardy and really dangerous, said former American Optometric Association president Andrea Thau on Good Morning America. She wouldnt do an interview with me. Nor would anyone else from her Association despite our sending them emails for a month. I assume they knew Id mock them for trying to ban the competition. Which they are trying to do. They wrote the FDA that the at-home test should be taken off the market. What theyre really saying is that patients should not have the right to make any choices in their own vision care. The optometrists are bottleneckers. Bottleneckers: Gaming the Government for Power and Private Profit is the title of Dick Carpenters new book. He studies how established professionals use government to limit competition. Cosmetologists get laws passed that force hair-braiders to spend $5,000 on useless courses and tests. Restaurants limit food trucks. Established florists ban newcomers. Optometrists want to ban Opternatives test. Bottleneckers like them have clout in legislatures because their lobbyists give politicians money. They persuaded 13 states to draft bills that would ban at-home tests. In South Carolina, then-Governor Nikki Haley vetoed the ban, correctly calling it anti-competitive. But the legislators were beholden to the optometrists lobby; they overrode her veto. The optometrists say that a home test is too risky because no doctor is there to look for diseases. I confronted Opternatives spokesman about that. He said the tests questionnaire filters out sick people by asking questions like: Any health conditions? ... pregnancy, nursing, diabetes ... Any medication that affects your vision? ... Sertraline, Amitriptyline...? Obviously, a questionnaire is not as good as a doctor. But it does screen out some people. Opternative rejected me the first time I tried. I then lied about my age to test their service. I dont recommend lying on medical forms. But a cheap internet prescription is not much of a threat to public health. Barbers claim an unlicensed barber might give you a bad haircut or cut you.Florists say an unlicensed flower arranger might spoil your wedding. The optometrists at least have a better argument: The at-home eye test might miss a disease. But I say we consumers should get to choose what risks we take. I choose to go to an ophthalmologist because I can afford it, and at my age, I want a glaucoma test. But many young people dont want to spend that money. And many people just dont have time. Thats probably why lots of Americans never go to any eye doctor, ever. Opternative at least gives them an alternative a way to get a prescription without going to a doctor. Its good to have a choice. Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General Google Ad I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments The United States to continue funding for de-mining in Artsakh (video) Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Representative David Valadao (R-CA) spearheaded a bipartisan amendment along with Co-Chairs Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Armenian Caucus Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) to ensure continued funding for de-mining projects in Artsakh. This amendment was adopted as part of consideration of H.R. 3354, which consolidated numerous Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18) appropriations bills. Speaking on his amendment, Rep. Valadao stated: "It is a grave reality that families in Nagorno Karabakh live under the very real threat of landmine accidents each and every day." He went on, "However, with the funding secured in my amendment, I am optimistic significant strides will be made to ensure the region is landmine free by 2020, restoring these communities so they may live without fear of mine-related accidents." Rep. Speier added: "I want to thank my colleagues in Congress for providing critically needed funding for the ongoing effort to remove deadly landmines from Artsakh. Given the danger posed to the people of this Republic - an area that suffers the highest per capita incidence of landmine accidents in the world, with a third of these casualties involving children - this modest $1.5 million amendment is destined to have a major impact on the physical and mental health of the people of Artsakh. It also shows our government's strong and abiding commitment to securing peace and prosperity for Artsakh, which has achieved great progress and has an even brighter future on its horizon." The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomed the adoption of the bipartisan amendment. Earlier this year, Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny outlined key priorities in the Assembly's congressional testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, which called for robust funding to Artsakh, including for de-mining purposes. The Assembly's testimony to Congress stated: "For a relatively small investment, America has the opportunity to make a significant difference in the everyday lives of the people of Artsakh." The Assembly has a long track record of advocating for Artsakh, including the historic and first allocation of $12.5 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) "forthwith" some twenty years ago in the FY 1998 appropriations measure. In the Assembly's testimony before the House Appropriations Committee during that time, the Assembly cited a report conducted in association with the Armenian Red Cross highlighting serious humanitarian needs, including the fact that "approximately 100,000 land mines have been laid in the interior of Nagorno Karabagh, directly threatening the lives of the population as well as an indirect threat to food production, development and the public's health." The Assembly concurred with the report's findings "that there must not be further delay in providing humanitarian aid to the people of Nagorno Karabagh..." During the run-up to the FY 1999 appropriations bill, Assembly Board Member Annie Totah reiterated the Assembly's strong support for funding to Artsakh in her testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, and urged the Committee to "broaden the scope of assistance to Nagorno Karabagh to include rebuilding and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in the war." "I commend Congressman Valadao for spearheading this effort along with his colleagues, Representatives Schiff, Royce, Pallone, and Speier, for their steadfast support in buttressing the safety and well-being of the citizens of Artsakh," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Funding for de-mining projects helps saves countless lives, and we very much appreciate the dedicated work of The Halo Trust in helping the people of Artsakh," he continued. The HALO Trust has been clearing landmines and cluster munitions in Artsakh since 2000. HALO has cleared 88 percent of the territory's minefields, with the goal to clear all landmines in Artsakh by 2020. According to The Halo Trust, Artsakh has "the highest per capita incidence of landmine accidents in the world -- a third of the victims are children," the Armenian Assembly of America reports. Turkish citizen seeking asylum in Armenia flown to another country 17.20 Turkish citizen Robin Salmi left Armenia this morning after staying in the country for eight days. The Turkish opposition figure left Armenia by plane. It is still unknown which country he was taken from Armenia. 12.25 This night, human rights activist Artur Sakunts posted a statement on his Facebook page adressing the Armenian Police. At present, you are keeping under your control Robin Salmi, a citizen of Turkey who fled to Georgia and then came to Armenia. He was in the hands of the National Security for seven days. Currently, he is in the transit zone of Zvartnots airport. He speaks Turkish and English. Robin Salmi is a political activist and fled Turkey because of political persecution. If you return him to Turkey, he can face numerous dangers, including imprisonment, violence, etc. According to the Armenian Constitution, individuals subject to political persecution in other countries have the right to ask for political asylum when they are frightened to live in their own country and Robin Salmi should be granted such asylum. I informed the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) and the NSS about the problem, Mr. Sakunts wrote. The human rights activist also addressed the authorities and law enforcement bodies of Armenia. Robin Salmi is a representative of the political opposition and was released from prison this year. His return to Turkey would endanger his life. His return or handover to Turkey will be a gross violation of human rights, he said. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Watching Levi Miller run around his house, playing with toys and his siblings, youd never know he was born withdrawing from drugs. For the first six months of his life, Levi was lethargic, suffered through tremors and experienced muscle tightness. He was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome because his mother used methamphetamine, marijuana and several other drugs while she was pregnant. She tested positive for a little bit of everything when she gave birth, according to Levis adoptive mother, Sabrina Miller. The infant tested positive for meth and marijuana. Sabrina and her husband, Chris, who are Johnson City residents, began the process of adopting the 2-year-old while his mother was pregnant. The Millers were there when Levi was born. Children are so resilient, Sabrina Miller said. If you just give them the environment where youre supporting them and giving [them] the opportunity to succeed, then they do overcome. Levi was in physical therapy for a year and is still in behavioral, occupational and speech therapy. At the hospital in Nevada where he was born, he was kept in a neonatal intensive care unit for nearly 10 days because he had trouble eating. The boy is an overcomer, Chris Miller said. The first thing you notice about the toddler is his heartwarming smile and high-pitched squeals of excitement. He is tall for his age and looks more like a 4-year-old. He has broad shoulders and a strong build like his mother, according to Chris Miller. He cant sit still for long because he loves to work the room, or ham it up, his father said. Levi is a happy, energetic child, but hes still dealing with the effects of the drugs his mother used. There have been developmental delays. In his first year, he dealt with delays in physical milestones, while so far his second year has brought delays in speech and fine motor skills development. None of that is having any permanency, Sabrina Miller said. By simply having him in an environment where hes able to grow and were able to support him, hes been able to overcome all that. ... We dont know in terms of what sort of learning disabilities he may or may not have. Our hope is that he doesnt, and well continue to support him to help him continue to thrive in the best way possible. Preparing for Levis arrival was a lot for the couple to handle in a short amount of time. Finding information about NAS brought the greatest struggle. A lot of it was just education and reaching out to other adoptive families that did have some experience with it [NAS], his mother said. We did find a lot of difficulty in finding good solid information. Sabrina Miller, who is a physician, said she wasnt taught about NAS in medical school because its a newer issue. But both mom and dad said they wouldnt change a thing about their incredible journey and would tell anyone who is thinking about adopting to be more open to any baby regardless of any health issues like NAS. I would tell them to do it because its been the most joyful experience of our entire life, she said. I think the joy in seeing that child grow and overcome totally outweighs any fear. They still send pictures of Levi to his birth mother by way of an adoption agency every so often. They know that Levi has at least four, possibly five, biological siblings. The Millers said they dont blame Levis mother for her choices and would like to see the stigma that plagues pregnant women who are addicted to drugs broken. She was a sweet lady, Chris Miller said. I think when people picture these kinds of things, they think of these very kind of drug-addicted, gutter types [of people]. ... I just dont believe in any stage that those mothers actively decide to use anything that they use because they want to harm their child. Theyre just not making that conscious decision. Its an addiction. ... They just need help. They have socioeconomic challenges. He added that theres no point in being bitter or angry toward Levis mom because whats important is that she made the right decision. She chose life, he said. She didnt have to choose that. ... Shes gone through things that Im sure Ill never understand. Hes one of the biggest blessings to our life that I could possibly imagine. The Miller familys experiences with NAS go even further because of Chris Millers job as an associate administrator with Mountain States Health Alliance. He works on a daily basis with Niswonger Childrens Hospital in Johnson City, and the family regularly donates money to the hospital during fundraisers. Niswongers new Special Care Unit for babies with NAS, which opened in May, holds a special place for them because of Levi. Chris Miller answered phones during a radiothon held to raise money to build the unit, around the time the Millers adopted Levi. The boy was welcomed into the family with nothing but love and overwhelming joy by his new siblings, Shelby, Kayleigh and Braden, the couples biological children. Their father said they tried to sneak in at 2 a.m. when they brought Levi home from the hospital, but their kids couldnt contain their excitement. They got up, and it was hoopla, Chris Miller said. We got pictures of them just loving on him. I dont think it changed from that moment. Since Levi was adopted, the Millers have welcomed another baby into their family 1-year-old Addison. They began the process of adopting her just a couple of days after she was born. Addison wasnt born with NAS. For us, its a faith thing, Chris Miller said. We wanted to adopt. We just felt like we were really called to do that. BRISTOL, Tn. Bristol Motor Speedways campgrounds are now opened to evacuees of Hurricane Irma, officials announced on Friday. With severe weather forecasted to directly affect numerous states throughout the Southeast in the coming days, Bristol Motor Speedway's campgrounds are open to evacuees of Hurricane Irma, according to a news release. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those in the path of the hurricane. BMS joins sister tracks in Charlotte, North Carolina, Talladega, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia in welcoming evacuees into the speedway grounds. Its open now, said communications manager Chris Lawyer. Its our normal course of action. In November, BMS opened its campgrounds to those affected by the Gatlinburg and Sevier County wildfires. Evacuees can call the ticket office to receive more information as to where they can go and what services BMS will provide, according to Lawyer. We welcome any evacuees that are of need, Lawyer said. A 4,100-acre site in Tazewell County and an abandoned mine in Wise County have been identified as possible Southwest Virginia sites for a Dominion Energy pumped hydroelectric storage facility. The Richmond, Virginia-based utility company is moving forward with its plan to study the feasibility of a pumped hydroelectric storage facility in the coalfield region by conducting in-depth studies of the two potential sites. Dominion Energy filed a preliminary permit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Tazewell location on Wednesday. The company also contracted with Virginia Tech to conduct a study of the former Bullitt Mine, an abandoned site near Appalachia. We are on parallel paths with performing studies on these two sites, said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energys vice president-generation construction. The FERC application for the Tazewell site will allow the company to proceed with environmental, geological, archeological and technical studies. In addition, the study on the mine site allows the company to explore the feasibility of abandoned mine cavities for pumped hydroelectric storage. Dominion expects to make a decision on which site to advance by mid-2018, Mitchell said. The company estimates that a single facility would cost $2 billion and provide millions in tax revenue to area counties. It would also create hundreds of jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent jobs when complete, the company said in a news release. Hydroelectric storage, also known as pumped storage, works by storing water in an upper reservoir. When electricity is needed, water is released to a lower body of water, spinning turbines to produce electricity. When power demand is low, the water is pumped back to the upper reservoir. Dominion currently operates a hydroelectric storage facility in Bath County, Virginia. Its described as a large-scale rechargeable battery where power is stored and then released when needed. The possibility of establishing a site in the coalfields was increased with recent legislation led by the Southwest Virginia delegation, as well as federal efforts. Dominion said it owns about 2,600 acres of the Tazewell County site near East River Mountain, which it purchased in 2009 when the company was pursuing another project. The site is traditional and would not involve an abandoned mine. The Tazewell site could support multiple configurations, including different-sized pumped-storage facilities, Dominion said in the news release. Coal expert Michael Karmis will lead the Virginia Tech study of the Bullitt Mine, Dominion said. The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy conducted earlier research on the feasibility of using abandoned mines for pumped storage and looked at a number of sites in the coalfields region. The study pinpointed the former Bullitt Mine as one of its top candidates. The Bullitt Mine closed in 1998 and is currently flooded. Dominion said a pumped storage facility could use the mine cavity as a lower reservoir. Dominion said it has delayed filing a preliminary FERC application pending the results of the Virginia Tech study. Dominion will make a decision on whether to move forward with construction in 2018, the company said. If the company decides to proceed, the next step would be to file for a FERC license. The project would likely be completed in 2028, the company added. I firmly believe that pumped storage hydropower holds great promise for the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-9th, said in a written statement. The coalfields already have much of the infrastructure for this technology. The region would benefit from the jobs the facility or facilities would bring and the energy they would provide, Griffith added. By conducting in-depth studies of Wise and Tazewell County sites, Dominion brings the opportunities offered by pumped storage hydropower closer to reality, Griffith said. I believe studying these sites is just the start and that other projects involving this technology in our area will be considered in the future. Tazewell County officials applauded Dominion Energys efforts on Thursday. This is exciting news for Tazewell County and we hope that this site will be suitable for the pumped hydroelectric facility, Tazewell County Administrator Patricia Green said in a statement. The project would mean hundreds of jobs for Tazewell County, Green added. More importantly, when completed, the tax revenue from the facility would significantly improve our government finances and ease the tax burden on our residents, Green said. Earlier this year, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors endorsed a regional revenue-sharing agreement for the eight coalfield jurisdictions, allowing local governments to support the project and share revenues. Our board is excited about this prospect, said Tazewell County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Absher. The local Virginia legislative delegation also weighed in on Dominions announcement. We are very pleased with the work we have been able to accomplish this year on hydro pump storage, said. Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Lebanon. The potential for new jobs and millions of new dollars in revenue for our hurting localities is exciting news for us in the region. State Delegate Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, said, It is great news that the process is moving forward and Dominion Energy is continuing to commit to the area. Delegate Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City said: We envisioned a new power generation facility in the Virginia coalfield region to provide a new tax base for the localities, new jobs for the citizens of the region, and an effort to diversify the coalfield economy. With the revenue being shared between the localities, the entire region will benefit from this project. Catalonia sets independence vote for Oct. 1: Spain resists (video) Parliament in Spain's prosperous Catalonia region has approved an independence vote for October 1, which Madrid has vowed to stop, Voice of Ameica says. Separatist parties, which hold a slim majority, backed the referendum legislation and legal framework needed to set up an independent state. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy ordered government lawyers to file a complaint with the country's constitutional court in hopes of annulling the referendum. Polls in the northeastern region show support for self-rule waning as Spain's economy improves. But the majority of Catalans say they do want the opportunity to vote on whether to split from Spain. The vote will come about three weeks after Barcelona and a nearby town were struck by Islamist attacks that killed 15 people. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria condemned the Catalan leadership for carrying out "an act of force" and for acting more like "dictatorial regimes than a democracy." "What is happening in the Catalan parliament is embarrassing. It's shameful," she told reporters. But Catalan leaders have pledged to proclaim a new republic within 48 hours if the "yes'' side wins, regardless of turnout. Former Catalan President Artur Mas said pushing ahead with the referendum was justified because a pro-independence coalition won the 2015 regional election. "The referendum is what we have to do because we have the mandate of the peoples of Catalonia,'' Mas said. Why was it important to form the ad hoc House of Representatives Task Force on Opioid Abuse? Traveling the state quite a bit, like I do, it consistently came up everywhere I went we have a problem. Therefore, it needed to be addressed. I think were well on our way to figuring out what could be best practices to handle this problem. One of the most devastating effects of the opioid epidemic is babies born addicted. It is absolutely tragic. Is Northeast Tennessee one of the worst areas in the state for NAS? It is. I commend East Tennessee State University because they are trying to address it and trying to help us come up with solutions because they care deeply about their community. We just have to deliver some educational tools to women of childbearing age who are prescribed an opioid; we need to educate our doctors better not to give it to childbearing ages. Were trying. Were working on it. Has birth control come into the conversation? We have discussed that. Certainly, women of a certain age bracket that are on TennCare, we want to encourage them [to practice] abstinence, No. 1, but No. 2, if they are participating [in sexual relationships], they need to use birth control, especially if theyre susceptible to opioid abuse or [are] on opioids. Why do you think opioid abuse and NAS have become such a big problem in Tennessee? I guess were all a little bit to blame. I think people want just a quick fix for pain. ... I think perhaps the drug industry was either misled or misinformed of how potentially dangerous and addictive opioids are. Because its given out as a prescription, people somehow got it in their mind that it might be safe, unlike marijuana or something thats illegal. But it is highly addictive, and I think its a very different drug to get off of. What have you learned about NAS so far? Best practices have not completely been determined. Theres two lines of thought if a woman is addicted and is pregnant, some physicians think its best to just quit cold turkey; others are recommending other forms of drugs to wean them off. Were trying to figure out which is the best practice. Thats why were visiting a number of places and getting the experts in to learn more. Youve requested that a lawsuit be filed by the state attorney general against pharmaceutical companies for the increase in opioid abuse. What are your thoughts on the district attorneys in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Districts filing a lawsuit like that against the companies? I can certainly understand why they would. Hopefully, if we do it at the state level, well join other states and have a lot of clout. Im not trying to harm the pharmaceutical industry. What Im trying to get is for them to step forward and help pay for some of the rehabilitation programs that were going to need at local and state levels. Rachel Carson's expose shocked the world. And we're better for it columns Gurgen Yeghiazaryan: If Karen Karapetyan gets tired of you and leaves, will you feel good? (video) What you have done to this people, no one would do to others. Anyone will replace you, you are not irreplaceable, former deputy head of the National Security Service Gurgen Yeghiazaryan said addressing Serzh Sargsyan and Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). You entered with the face of Karen Karapetyan, saying he is the prime minister. Today you say, Republicans will decide, we shall still see, there is no life without the boss. If Karen Karapetyan gets tired of you and leaves, will it be good for you? the publicist continued. You take oaths and serve liturgies before the constitutional amendments, now the spine is already straightened. The 800 hectares of land [Armenia lost to Azerbaijan] was reported to be of no tactical or strategic importance. Innocent children were killed on that unnecessary land. You were to resign on that very day. Zhirayr Sefilyan said right things You have ruined our security, and now you are already feeding on other things. Yes, the parliament is yours if we remove 25 people from it. But you are not irreplaceable, Mr. Yeghiazaryan said. Serzh Sargsyan entered the EEU not to return the seven regions -Aram Sargsyan (video) "Today, Serzh Sargsyan is the most experienced politician in Armenia, says opposition lawmaker Aram Sargsyan. He has passed a long way from 1988. He has always been in power, held various positions and been aware of any issue connected with the Karabakh conflict. He has not missed a single session of the Security Council, continues the member of the opposition Yelk (Way Out) faction. However, Serzh Sargsyan has a problem of keeping his personal life when it comes to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. He will not surrender the seven regions to Azerbaijan even for the sake of power. No one in Armenia can surrender lands and stay in power. There are other things that are more valuable than power. One of them is called life. In this sense, they [authorities in Armenia] see a serious threat because they are not legitimate, because when they participated in the campaign they did not say that they were going to resolve the conflict in Karabakh and hand over seven regions in the result. Aram Sargsyan says Serzh Sargsyan was forced to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in order not to comply with the demands of the international community and return those seven regions. And under the Madrid Principles, Armenia says yes to the handover of these seven regions simply for the rest of the world, knowing that Azerbaijan will not agree to it. To our observation that the West obliged Serzh Sargsyan to solve the Karabakh issue because he is not an elected president. They will not force an elected president to do the same thing. They understand that if they force a non-democratic president to do something, the problem will not be solved because people will not accept him anyway. But he himself will not ask public opinion. When asked who Serzh Sargsyans opponents are and who he can be afraid of in order not to sign the document demanding the return of the seven regions, Aram Sargsyan said he knew those people. Those people took to the street much earlier than the Georgians and Ukrainians By agreeing to the return of the seven regions, the authorities always make reservations, because the negotiation process is such: one should always try to take more. This document also contains a provision which says that authorities in Karabakh should have a temporary status. Azerbaijan is against this temporary status. Aram Sargsyan says the West is for the settlement of the Karabakh issue because it wants to make investments in our region. The West needs to see someone in power who can explain to his people the essence of compromises. Only if we have a democratic Armenia and a democratic country can this issue be solved. Otherwise, non-democratic authorities will always use the Karabakh issue to raise nationalist and other moods, thereby extending their rule." OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) addressed several pressing issues in meetings today with leaders of Azerbaijan, including President Ilham Aliyev, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Ogtay Asadov, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Conflict resolution, elections, human rights, and Azerbaijans active involvement in the OSCE PA were high on the agenda of the bilateral discussions. Given the regular violations of the ceasefire resulting in casualties on the Line of Contact, President Muttonen emphasized the urgency of advancing the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. She noted that a failure to do so would continue to take an unacceptable human toll as well as undermine peace, stability and economic development in the region as a whole. Resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be a priority for both the international community and local leaders, she said, noting that she would deliver the same message in Yerevan in the coming months. There is no alternative to a peaceful political settlement of this conflict. Muttonen, who is also expected to meet with civil society representatives in Azerbaijan tomorrow, stressed the value of intercultural and interreligious exchanges as complementary confidence-building measures in conflict resolution. Increased contacts between civil society in Azerbaijan and Armenia could be a powerful way to reduce tensions and promote co-operation, she said. President Muttonen further emphasized the OSCE PAs support for the mediation efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group as well as the activities of the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office, emphasizing that greater political will and commitment will be required from all parties. In todays meetings, President Muttonen also discussed the importance of effective observation of elections by the OSCE and expressed disappointment that this could not occur in recent years. She noted that the OSCE PA stands ready to monitor future elections when possible and expressed the Assemblys support for efforts at democratic reform. The President expressed her regret that the OSCE no longer had a full-time presence in the country, but reiterated the Organizations interest in continued close co-operation. Meeting today with members of Azerbaijans Delegation to the OSCE PA, including Head of Delegation Bahar Muradova and OSCE PA Vice-President Azay Guliyev, the President welcomed the active contribution of Azerbaijani parliamentarians in the Assembly. Muttonens visit to Azerbaijan is her first to the country as OSCE PA President and she noted her hope that the trip signals the Assemblys strong ongoing commitment to the South Caucasus. Her visit is expected to be followed up with a trip to Armenia in the coming months. The PAs Special Representative on the South Caucasus, Bulgarian parliamentarian Kristian Vigenin, is also planning a visit to the region later this month. (JTA)-Ahead of the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress that Theodor Herzl organized in Switzerland, 120 men and women named for him gathered in Herzliya to celebrate his legacy. On Aug. 29, 1897, Herzl, a journalist who was born in what today is Hungary, convened in the city of Basel some 200 participants from 17 countries, including 69 delegates from various Zionist societies. The gathering, the first of its kind in terms of scale, is widely regarded as a watershed in the effort to create a Jewish state. To honor his contribution to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a group photo was organized for 120 men and women named after Herzl at the Israel Air Force House in the coastal city of Herzliya, whose name also is a tribute to Herzl. Among those photographed was Herzl Bodinger, a former commander of the Israel Air Force. On Friday, he told Army Radio that while his parents named him in honor of the Zionist activist, it was also the name of his paternal grandfather, who "disappeared in Romania during the war" and is presumed to have been murdered in the Holocaust. Bodinger's father immigrated to prestate Israel in 1933, where he married a Jewish woman from India. Bodinger's uncle, Sammy, stayed in Romania and also named his firstborn son Herzl. Both the uncle and his son immigrated to Israel in the 1960s. Bodinger said his cousin also was at the photo shoot in Herzliya. "They say no one is irreplaceable, but I don't know if someone else could have started the great process that Herzl put in motion, with all the arguments, even on whether to establish a Jewish home in Uganda," Bodinger told Army Radio. "It turned all right in the end, despite the arguments. Jews will always argue." Theodor Herzl Summing up the event he organized, Herzl wrote in his diary: "At Basel I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today l would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it." The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a campaign earlier this month on social media to celebrate the 120th anniversary. It set up an account on Twitter called @HerzlTweets, which features quotes by the visionary journalist. BuzzFeed earlier this month published its own nod to Herzl, ranking him as the owner of the best beard of all the participants of the First Zionist Congress in an article titled "The Best Beards From The First Zionist Congress-Ranked." Herzl has no direct descendants left today. His only grandson killed himself in 1946. Something to think about... I read this on Facebook. It was posted by our own ALAN ROCK: This was a line from the mouth of Thomas Jefferson: "When the speech condemns a free press, you are hearing the words of a tyrant." (Nuff said!) From Ben-Gurion University of the Negev... "Sometimes it's easy to forget what a miracle today's Israel is. Everywhere you look, you see a modern, vibrant, thriving nation with more promise than imagination could have conceived a few decades ago. And Israel's future? From where it stands at Ben-Gurion University (BGU), it looks even more miraculous. Today we are witnessing unprecedented advances in science and technology taking place at an almost unimaginable pace. BGU researcher Dr. ROI GAZIT is working to unlock the secrets of stem cells that reside in the bone marrow, developing potential therapies for blood diseases currently deemed untreatable, and new treatments for blood cancer. As a world-renowned expert in this very specialized field who had his choice of places to conduct his research, Dr. Gazit chose BGU. (How did this happen, you may ask?) A team of BGU scientists were aware of his groundbreaking work while he was on staff at the Harvard Medical School. They considered his expertise so valuable that he was specifically 'targeted' for recruitment. So while he was in Israel visiting family, the BGU team invited Dr. Gazit for a tour of the campus and facilities. And the rest, as they say, is history. (Not only is Israel leading in Cancer research, there is hope for ALS treatment, Autism research, heart failure prevention and Alzheimer's, to name a few.) And speaking of our beloved Israel... I received this letter from DAVID HARRIS, CEO of the American Jewish Committee: "Today, nearly 70 years after Israel declared independence, her right to exist is still under assault at the United Nations, by the boycott Israel movement, on college campuses, and among many in the diplomatic community. Each year, the UN General Assembly hits Israel with 20 or more hostile resolutions. Supporters of the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) campaign continue their insidious efforts to isolate, demonize, and delegitimize the Jewish state. And Israel's harshest critics use every means available to poison mainstream public opinion against her. This unjust treatment has to stop!" (To find out more and how to support Israel, go online to ) A new magazine... Coming to our mailboxes soon will be a new quarterly lifestyle magazine for and about Orlando's vibrant Jewish community. If you know individuals in the Jewish community who aren't members of the JCC and would also be interested in a free subscription you should inform them of it and tell them they can claim a free subscription at http://www.JLifeOrlando.com. And speaking of magazines... I will have the honor of being on the cover of the magazine for seniors, titled 50+PLUS FYI, Central Florida Lifestyle & Resource Guide. LINDA CAVANAUGH is executive director. She arranged doing the feature on me at the suggestion of JOHN and THERESA SEGERS. (John was head of a prominent radio station and he and his wife work often with Linda.) My interviewer was a brilliant and lovely young lady, ADELINE DAVIS. She is an English major in her junior year at the University of Tampa and can be reached at 407-416-8417. My photographer, was also brilliant, JIM PETERS, whose website is http://www.jameshpeters.com I say brilliant because he made me look terrific with NO WRINKLES!!!! And he didn't even use photo shop. His phone number is 407-810-8197. For any questions about the magazine you can go online to http://www.50plusFYI.org (I am truly honored to be in the magazine! Lunch and Learn... On Wednesday, Sept. 13th from 12:30-1:30 pm, the Roth Family Jewish Community Center in Maitland will present, "Lunch and Learn: Pillars of the Past." Enjoy lunch while participating in an in-depth look at our earliest leaders from the patriarchs and matriarchs. We will discuss their experiences and breakthroughs, and their contributions to the tapestry of Jewish wisdom. Each of these Torah-based classes will stand alone. Led by Rabbi Michoel Rennert of Orlando Torah Academy. RSVPs requested to register@orlandojcc.org. Shout-Out... Dr. Roi Gazil Let's give a "shout-out" to waitress DEBBIE VARNO at Anthony's Italian Restaurant in Casselberry Commons on Semoran Blvd. She is very proficient and pleasant. A joy to be served by! One for the road... Howard and his wife Becky are soon going on vacation and are doing some shopping for clothes. As they pass the ladies swimwear department, Becky says to Howard, "Darling, what do you think I should do? It's been at least 10 years since I last bought any swimwear. I know I've put on some weight since then but I do need to buy something new for our holiday. So do you think I should go for a bikini or an all-in-one?" "I think you should get a bikini," replies Howard, "because I don't think you would get it all in one." NOTE: Howard is hoping his black eye will heal before they go on vacation! Taylor Swifts newest, record-breaking single Look What You Made Me Do is eliciting both shock and questions from her fans and her critics. What do the dark lyrics mean? What is she trying to say? Many critics of Swifts vengeful-laced song are surprised by her rage and hatred of others, but Taylors deepest hatred is directed at herself. In one of the saddest lines of the song she writes: Im sorry, the old Taylor cant come to the phone right now. Why? Oh cause shes dead. In some ways her new release is oddly timely. With a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah when we begin the process of asking for forgiveness from both God and people that we have wronged, Taylors vengeful lyrics can help us explore some of the main obstacles we all face in attaining forgiveness. We frequently overlook a crucial step in our journey toward forgiveness: forgiving ourselves. When we look back at the past we often get stuck in a bottomless pit of regret: If I only I had stayed home that day. Why did I waste all that time? Why wasnt I stronger, smarter, better? Why did I willfully ignore the damage I was causing? Here are four obstacles in Taylor Swifts lyrics that can teach us a powerful lesson in how we can forgive and be forgiven. 1. Ive got a list of names and yours is in red underlined. So often we keep this tally in our minds of everyone and everything that has hurt us, without even knowing that we are doing it. All the times someone ignored us. Or insulted us. Or let us down. We may think this tally somehow protects us from being hurt again, but all it really does is keep our own hearts and minds mired in negativity. Let go of the list. Stop keeping score for your own sake. We are all imperfect and the sooner we can forgive others imperfections, the sooner we will have the strength to forgive our own. 2. ...all I think about is karma. And then the world moves on, but one things for sure. Maybe I got mine, but youll all gets yours. Hoping others will be punished and wishing bad things for them may bring a sense of relief in the moment, but it inevitably will drag us down. We want God to forgive us despite our mistakes, but we cant forgive others despite theirs? Part of forgiveness means wishing the same goodness for others that you want in your own life. Forgive as you want to be forgiven. It takes more courage to wish your enemies well that it does to hope they will be given their due. 3. I dont trust nobody and nobody trusts me. Ill be the actress, starring in your bad dreams. When we get hurt, it is tempting to build walls around our hearts and trust no one. If we dont trust others then they cant hurt us again. But if we cant find a way to trust again, we will never find a way to love again. When we dont trust others, we are really not trusting ourselves to be strong enough to love and be loved. Healing means building new bridges of connection, not new walls to separate us from others. 4. Look what you made me do. The title of the song displays the biggest obstacle to forgiveness: blame. Blaming others for what goes wrong in our lives abdicates responsibility for our actions. At its core, it is a statement to ourselves that we are helpless and weak, that we are victims of our lives instead of creators, that we are accepting someone elses script instead of writing our own. No one can make us destroy ourselves. While we may not always be able to choose our circumstances, we always choose who we become. We can forgive and be forgiven. We can use our pasts, both the good and the challenging, as building blocks for the future. And we can choose to be the writers of our own stories instead of the victims in someone elses script. As Taylor Swifts song spreads across the world, lets use it as reminder of how to let go of blame, revenge and mistrust so that we can attain true forgiveness. Sara Debbie Gutfreund received her BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Family Therapy from the University of North Texas. College years go by fast. Once it's all said and done, the only thing we leave campus with is a degree in hand and the memories we made. With Chabad, it can be more than that. You will be able to leave college with a feeling of impact and fulfillment that you won't find anywhere else. Here are 10 reasons to want to go to Chabad on Campus: 1) Fantastic people-Some of the greatest people you'll meet and friendships you'll make in college will happen at Chabad. From the second you walk in for the first time, you will instantly be embraced by the warm, welcoming environment where you will make new friends for life. 2) Shabbat-If you are looking for a delicious home-cooked Shabbat dinner along with some inspiration, Chabad on Campus is perfect for you. Every Friday night, there are dozens, or hundreds, of students that come to Chabad for an amazing Shabbat dinner with the rabbi and rebbetzin's adorable children. By the first week, you will feel like part of the family. 3) Awesome national events-Every fall semester, thousands of students from all over the country meet in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the national Shabbaton. The weekend retreat goes from Friday to Sunday and includes tours of NYC, an unforgettable Friday night dinner with a hasidc family, workshops, concerts and more. This was the highlight of my entire semester and something I'll never forget. Whether meeting new people, experiencing Brooklyn, or even finding your future spouse, this is an event that only Chabad on Campus can put on. 4) Diversity and inclusion-One of the best things about Chabad is mixing with Jewish students from all Jewish denominations and social backgrounds. You may be surprised to discover that few students at Chabad are Chabad themselves, they are every kind of Jew, all united in one incredible community! Chabad is a home away from home where students can be themselves and feel welcomed no matter where they come from. 5) Israel opportunities-Some of my greatest memories in college are from the two school breaks I spent in Israel. (In fact, I recently made Aliyah and will be joining the IDF in December) Chabad offers all kinds of Israel opportunities like Birthright, a follow-up trip called IsraeLinks, as well as other internship and learning programs in Israel. Chabad also provides resources back home to combat BDS and stand proudly for Israel. 6) Learning-College is one of the most important times in your life. For the first time, you live on your own without anyone telling you what to do or who to be. Chabad allows students to study about their heritage and grow spiritually with programs like weekly Torah study, Sinai Scholars, and one-on-one studying. 7) Leadership opportunities-The Chabad exec board is a great opportunity for those who are looking for leadership roles and resume boosters. The work that students do on the board is so important and it can be a very fulfilling experience for students. 8) Holidays-Chabad goes big for Jewish holidays! Chanukah means a huge menorah in the center of campus with plenty of latkes and dancing. On Sukkot you can see the rabbi peddling his sukkah bicycle around campus (no joke). For the High Holidays and Pesach you can expect a large and meaningful service at Chabad. Chabad's Jewish pride is infectious and you'll be proud to celebrate our special days in the biggest way possible. Students attending the National Shabbaton in Brooklyn, N.Y. 9) Roadside assistance-When I was a student, one of my first experiences with Chabad was the time I got into a car accident just outside of campus. I was new to the school and away from home for the first time. After I got off the phone with my father, I got a call from the campus Chabad rabbi. Within 10 minutes, he was on the scene with hot food and stayed with me for about five hours until the entire process was over. These are the kind of people that Chabad on campus rabbis and rebbetzins are. No matter the time, or the need, they will always be there to support and assistance you. 10) To walk away from college with something more, as I stated at the beginning! Jason Frances is a recent graduate of University of Central Florida with a degree in marketing. While on campus, he was active with Chabad on Campus and Jewish life at UCF as a whole. Upon graduation, Jason made Aliyah and will be joining the Israeli Defense Forces in December. (JTA)-The Nazi punching debate (is it OK to punch a Nazi?) went viral in January after a liberal protester slugged white supremacist Richard Spencer in the face during President Donald Trump's inauguration. But whether it's OK to confront hatred with violence is not a new topic of conversation. The question was debated in the 1930s among American Jews, who were faced with both the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Nazi sympathizers at home. One hotbed for the debate was Newark, New Jersey, home to a large German-American population and a fair share of supporters of the Nazi cause. Though only around 5 percent of the city's German-American population of some 45,000 sympathized with the Nazis, they made it known, said Warren Grover, a historian and the author of the 2003 book "Nazis in Newark." Following Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Jews in Newark saw Nazi-sympathizers marching down their city's streets. "The threats they faced were physical because the Nazis were marching in uniform. Many of them were armed. They broke windows, and they attacked merchants, but never with fatal consequences," Grover said of residents of the city's Third Ward neighborhood, where many Jews and Nazi supporters lived side by side. Nazis also screened movies with anti-Semitic messages and hung anti-Jewish posters in the city, Grover told JTA. At a local election in bordering Irvington, they plastered posters across the city urging residents not to vote for Jewish candidates. In response, Jews started organizing to defend themselves. Across the country, Jews would fight Nazis on an ad hoc basis. But in Newark, a more organized group emerged: the Minutemen Jewish mobster Meyer Lansky had started the group in New York, but the Minutemen were shut down there by the authorities after some Jews reported them, fearing the use of violence would lead to an increase in anti-Semitism. In Newark, however, the Minutemen took hold, aided by another Jewish gangster, Abner "Longy" Zwillman, and led by former professional boxer Nat Arno. On Oct. 18, 1933, JTA reported on a typical clash, outside a Nazi meeting at a German auditorium: "The meeting, at the Schwabenhalle, under the auspices of the Friends of the New Germany ... was the target for stones and stench bombs thrown by the anti-Nazis in the crowd of about one thousand who waited outside the hall." The following May, JTA reported on a melee in Irvington: A "Nazi meeting terminated in fisticuffs, a miniature riot, arrests and injury to many persons." Though the Minutemen were "cheered and accepted by the majority of the Newark Jewish population," Grover said, not everyone was enthusiastic. Some Jews, especially those affiliated with Reform synagogues, "felt it gave Jews a bad name to be engaged in brawling, and they felt the government would take care of it," he said. Those who opposed the group tended not to live in the Third Ward. Yet the mostly Jewish group, which also had a few Irish and Italian members, became a powerful tool to fight Hitler sympathizers.. "The Minutemen were ready for them. The Minutemen had clubs and stink bombs, and they attacked the participants of the event," Grover said of one Nazi mass demonstration in 1933. "Police came, and there were some arrests, and people said later that the Jews, the Minutemen, had no right to attack a peaceful gathering in a Newark hall" The Minutemen boosted Jewish morale. "Physical prowess as exhibited against the Newark Nazis, Irvington Nazis, was a matter of pride for the Eastern European Jews who came because of the pogroms in Russia in the 1880s," Grover said. "They took pride in it because they saw the newsreels coming from Germany [showing] how the Jews in Germany were being treated and all the different anti-Jewish legislation." Ultimately, Grover said, the group served its purpose: deterring Nazis from organizing in Newark. "Just the thought of having Minutemen present at any of their meetings discouraged a lot of the Nazis from holding public meetings," he said. "They were successful because a lot less propaganda was brought out by the Nazis because of fear of the Minutemen." A leading Palestinian newspaper published an account on Monday of a tense encounter between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Ramallah last week. Al-Quds, a Jerusalem-based newspaper that is close to the PA, reported that Kushner had raised the issue of the so-called "martyr payments" made to convicted terrorists and their families-a policy dubbed "pay to slay" that costs the PA more than $300 million annually. The Taylor Force Act, which is likely to be voted on during the upcoming session of the US Congress, would make American aid to the PA contingent on a wholesale abandonment of the "martyr payments." Gal Berger, a leading Israeli journalist who covers Palestinian affairs, was quoted in theAl-Quds piece as saying that "Abbas informed Kushner that he would never stop paying these salaries until his dying day, even if this cost him the presidency." Added Berger-in a translation of the Al Quds article made available by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)-"Abbas's statements reflect a measure of the Palestinian anger over the focus of the US delegation on this topic and its disregard of core issues such as the two-state solution and the halting of the settlements." During the same meeting, Abbas was reportedly infuriated by Kushner's refusal "to define the borders on the Palestinian state as the 1967 borders, but said that this would be a matter to be agreed upon by the Israeli and Palestinian sides." On the two-state solution specifically, Kushner was said to have shown "some openness" on the matter. According to Berger, Abbas reiterated his desire for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative-which calls for a Palestinian state with its capital in eastern Jerusalem - to be used as the basis for any future negotiations with the Israeli government. If attempts to restart talks fail, Berger continued, Abbas was likely to lobby the UN Security Council for increased pressure upon Israel, as well as seeking the admission of an independent State of Palestine as a full UN member. Following his meeting with Kushner, Abbas issued a statement through the PA's Facebook page underlining his unwavering support for the payments to terrorists. "I will never stop [paying] the allowances to the families of the prisoners and released prisoners, even if this costs me my position and my presidency," the PA president said. "I will pay them until my dying day." NEW YORK (JTA)The mayors of Americas largest cities are launching a partnership with the Anti-Defamation League to combat hate and bigotry. Nearly 200 mayors have joined the agreement, which was announced Friday, since it was first circulated Tuesday night among the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The mayors are agreeing to explicitly condemn racism, white supremacy and bigotry, and to implement educational and public safety programs to safeguard vulnerable populations and discourage discrimination. Signers include the mayors of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C, and Phoenix. For decades, Americas mayors have taken a strong position in support of civil rights and in opposition to racism and discrimination of all kinds, the Mayors Compact reads. We are now seeing efforts in our states and at the highest levels of our government to weaken existing civil rights policies and reduce their enforcement. We have seen an increase in hate violence, xenophobic rhetoric, and discriminatory actions that target Muslims, Jews, and other minorities. The compact sets out a 10-point program that includes publicly condemning bigotry; ensuring public safety while protecting free speech; training and funding law enforcement to enforce hate crime laws; working with community leaders to combat bigotry; and strengthening anti-bias education programs in schools. Many of the points echo a plan of action that the ADL called on the White House to adopt earlier this week. The group proposed the plan following the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and President Donald Trumps response, which the ADL and many others have slammed. The events in Charlottesville once again showed us we have much work to do to bring Americans together, said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADLs national director on a conference call with reporters. We know that hate is on the rise. ADL cant wait any longer for the president to act. ADL is ready to work with communities across the country to combat hate. The announcement of the compact comes during a high-profile week for the ADL, which combats anti-Semitism and bigotry. The group received $1 million donations from Apple and 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, and announced a partnership with Bumble, a dating app, to block bigoted profiles. Other mayors also portrayed the compact as a response in part to the presidents equivocation of white supremacists and those who oppose them. Steve Adler, the Jewish mayor of Austin, Texas, who has volunteered for the ADL in the past, said during the call that mayors dont need a teleprompter to say Nazis are bad. Theres a clear lack of a moral compass, Mayor Shane Bemis of Gresham, Oregon, a city of 100,000 east of Portland, said on the call. This shouldnt be a surprise to anyone, how he has continued to divide us since the election. It is clearly, in my view, an absence of any sort of moral leadership from the president. But mayors were divided on a couple of contentious issues, including the removal of Confederate monuments from cities and how to strike a balance between protecting civil liberties while guarding against incitement and threats to public safety. Tom Cochran, CEO of the mayors conference, said policy on how to deal with Confederate memorials should be left up to individual cities. This discussion is not about monuments, he said in the call. This conversation is about coming together to denigrate all acts of hate wherever they occur, and making sure we protect public safety while making sure that the right to free speech will always be protected. NEW YORK (JTA)-Bryn Mawr College in suburban Philadelphia said it will place a yearlong "moratorium" on the use of the name of a founder and past president who was a known anti-Semite. The name of the library and great hall are named for M. Carey Thomas, who served as the private college's president from 1894 to 1922. According to biographer Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Thomas prevented the hiring of Jewish teachers at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, and later made sure she was not dealing with Jewish candidates for faculty positions at the college. Horowitz also noted that Thomas lobbied against the admission of a Jewish student, Sadie Szold, to the Bryn Mawr School in 1886. Thomas "had a profound impact on opportunities for women in higher education, on the academic development and identity of Bryn Mawr, and on the physical plan of the campus," College President Kim Cassidy wrote in a letter to the Bryn Mawr community last week. "She also openly and vigorously advanced racism and anti-Semitism as part of her vision of the College." Cassidy said a working group of faculty, students, staff, trustees and alumni was formed in the spring "to educate us and to lead reflection on our institutional histories of exclusion, as well as resistance, and to organize our thinking and actions as a community," she wrote. According to the Forward College Guide, Bryn Mawr has 1,346 undergraduate students and 200, or 15 percent, are Jewish. Houston residents and rescuers make their way out of a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain following Hurricane Harvey, Aug. 29, 2017. (JTA)-The Jewish community in Houston has seen "devastating" damage from Hurricane Harvey and could take years to recover, a federation official said. "Recovery like this-it is a disaster larger than Katrina in terms of the amount of water that fell-we're going to have short- and long-term recovery plans, but this is probably going to take us years to get back to where we were," said Taryn Baranowski, the chief marketing officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Seventy-one percent of the city's Jewish population of 63,700 lives in areas that have experienced high flooding, Baranowski told JTA on Wednesday. That includes 12,000 Jewish seniors. Hurricane Harvey first made landfall on Friday evening near Corpus Christi, about 200 miles southwest of Houston. Local officials said at least 31 people are believed or suspected to have died due to Harvey, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Over 30,000 people are in shelters across the state, and rain was expected to continue in Texas until Friday, according to the Times. Three of the city's five major synagogues have experienced major flooding, Baranowski said. The federation is communicating with the rest of Houston's synagogues-the area is home to 42 congregations and communities-but is focusing on helping people impacted by Harvey. "We still have folks who don't have electricity, we still have folks who don't have plumbing," she said. "It's a pretty dire situation, so while we're working to get those numbers, our top priority is getting people safe and to shelter." On Wednesday, the local Jewish Family Service said that dozens of Jewish families were either evacuated or moved to the second floors of their homes due to the flooding caused by Harvey. Community members have seen up to eight feet of water in their houses, with some houses remaining flooded, Baranowski said. "The majority of people have had to go to the second floor, and then be rescued from their second floor," she said. The Evelyn Rubinstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, the city's only JCC, was flooded with 10 feet of water, and Jewish schools remain closed, with some experiencing major flooding. "I'll be completely transparent, it's devastating," Baranowski said. "This is a flood that no one could have anticipated it getting as bad as it did; it was a worst-case scenario. We live in a community that is densely populated in an area that got severely impacted by the weather." Kosher food is another issue. "We were having an issue getting kosher food into the community for grocery stores. We're working with some volunteer groups to get that into the community," she said. Chabad in Houston has been providing kosher food to some community members, although supplies were running short as of Tuesday, according to Chabad.org. The Hasidic movement is organizing food shipments, including through Amazon, for the community. The Orthodox Union has also started a Help for Houston website. The federation is collecting donations and will start distributing them on Thursday. It is working in conjunction with the Jewish Family Service and the JCC in the relief efforts. Baranowski said the priority in donations is cleaning supplies for those returning to houses that were flooded Local Jewish camps are housing refugees forced to evacuate their homes, and the Israeli humanitarian group IsrAID is coordinating an aid campaign, including sending volunteers to Houston. In the face of disaster, the Jewish community remains unified, Baranowski said. "We are a resilient community," she said. "People are already beginning a process, they're banding together, they're working with each other to help recovery. "But we do know that recovery is going to be long, it's going to be difficult. We can do it, but it's going to be a process for the entire community and the entire city to get through." JFS Orlando has been in contact with its colleagues at Jewish Family Services in Houston. Despite difficult conditions, emergency officials are working to assess the damage that has already left hundreds of thousands of people without power or access to food and water and shut down municipal services, highways, schools and community institutions. JFS Houston is the lead organization providing relief services to the Jewish community. The unprecedented hurricane and subsequent flooding of Houston and the surrounding areas have been severe and is expected to be felt by all in that area for quite some time, said Eric Geboff, executive director of JFS Orlando. The Talmud teaches us kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, meaning all Jews are responsible for each other. It implies and has led to the obligation on all Jews to ensure that other Jews have their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter taken care of. Simply by virtue of being a Jew, we are responsible for the well-being of other Jews, and vice versa. As members of the worldwide Jewish community, we have always responded to the needs of our family in times of crises. Now is the time to act. The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston has established an online form to collect donations for immediate needs in the community including food, water and shelter. Getting as many individuals as possible to safety and out of harms way is the first goal, and funds will immediately be used in this way. Please consider doing what we Jews have done for centuries, responded to the needs of other Jews in times of crises. To help, go to https://jewishfederations.org/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund. Despite 1,300 years of Muslim Arab rule, Jerusalem was never the capital of an Arab entity, nor was it ever mentioned in the Palestine Liberation Organizations covenant until Israel regained control of East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. Overall, the role of Jerusalem in Islam is best understood as the outcome of political exigencies impacting on religious belief. Mohammed, who founded Islam in 622 CE, was born and raised in present-day Saudi Arabia; he never set foot in Jerusalem. His connection to the city came years after his death when the Dome of the Rock shrine and the al-Aqsa mosque were built in 688 and 691, respectively, their construction spurred by political and religious rivalries. In 638 CE, the Caliph (or successor to Mohammed) Omar and his invading armies captured Jerusalem from the Byzantine Empire. One reason they wanted to erect a holy structure in Jerusalem was to proclaim Islams supremacy over Christianity and its most important shrine, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. More important was the power struggle within Islam itself. The Damascus-based Umayyad Caliphs who controlled Jerusalem wanted to establish an alternative holy site if their rivals blocked access to Mecca. That was important because the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca was (and remains today) one of the Five Pillars of Islam. As a result, they built what became known as the Dome of the Rock shrine and the adjacent mosque. To enhance the prestige of the substitute Mecca, the Jerusalem mosque was named al-Aqsa. It means the furthest mosque in Arabic, but has far broader implications, since it is the same phrase used in a key passage of the Quran called The Night Journey. In that passage, Mohammed arrives at al-Aqsa on a winged steed accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel; from there they ascend into heaven for a divine meeting with Allah, after which Mohammed returns to Mecca. Naming the Jerusalem mosque al-Aqsa was an attempt to say the Dome of the Rock was the very spot from which Mohammed ascended to heaven, thus tying Jerusalem to divine revelation in Islamic belief. Jerusalem never replaced the importance of Mecca in the Islamic world. When the Umayyad dynasty fell in 750, Jerusalem also fell into near obscurity for 350 years, until the Crusades. During those centuries, many Islamic sites in Jerusalem fell into disrepair and in 1016 the Dome of the Rock collapsed. Still, for 1,300 years, various Islamic dynasties (Syrian, Egyptian, and Turkish) continued to govern Jerusalem as part of their overall control of the Land of Israel, disrupted only by the Crusaders. What is amazing is that over that period, not one Islamic dynasty ever made Jerusalem its capital. By the 19th century, Jerusalem had been so neglected by Islamic rulers that several prominent Western writers who visited Jerusalem were moved to write about it. French writer Gustav Flaubert, for example, found ruins everywhere during his visit in 1850 when it was part of the Turkish Empire (1516-1917). Seventeen years later Mark Twain wrote that Jerusalem had become a pauper village. Indeed, Jerusalems importance in the Islamic world only appears evident when non-Muslims (including the Crusaders, the British, and the Jews) control or capture the city. Only at those points in history did Islamic leaders claim Jerusalem as their third most holy city after Mecca and Medina. That was again the case in 1967, when Israel captured Jordanian-controlled East Jerusalem (and the Old City) during the 1967 Six-Day War. Oddly, the PLOs National Covenant, written in 1964, never mentioned Jerusalem. Only after Israel regained control of the entire city did the PLO updated its Covenant to include Jerusalem. Two teams of Israeli aid experts are on their way to Texas to provide vital relief and psychosocial support to the thousands of people who have lost everything in the catastrophic Tropical Storm Harvey. The storm, which first hit Texas on Sunday and continues to plague the beleaguered state with pounding rain, has left nine dead, and tens of thousands of people homeless as flood waters have poured through city streets in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States. The storm is thought to have affected 6.8 million people in 18 countries, a quarter of the Texas population. Humanitarian aid organization IsraAID aims to provide a two-stage response to the disaster, focusing on helping remove debris and clean homes in the wake of the catastrophic flooding, and offering psychosocial trauma support to shocked residents. "In crises with large-scale destruction, national and international aid efforts typically focus on practical, physical support, with limited resources allocated to the mental and emotional rehabilitation of affected populations," said Yotam Polizer, co-CEO of IsraAID. "For the most vulnerable groups, notably children and the elderly, time is of critical importance; the longer these groups are forced to remain in shelters, the higher the chance of long-term mental health problems such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a disorder that can have a debilitating and long-term impact." iAID, an international aid organization based in Israel, is also sending a team of 9-10 Israeli relief professionals to offer support to the national guard and other non-governmental American aid groups, to help families and communities affected by the storm. IsraAID, which is working closely with Jewish communities, the local government in Texas, and the Israeli Consul General, plans to deploy 5-7 experts from both Israel and the US, to offer psychological support to vulnerable population groups evacuated to shelters in Austin and Dallas. They will create and facilitate child-friendly spaces within the shelters to help support homeless children, and offer psychological and emotional support and tools for both individuals and for community resilience-building. The organization will also send a relief team to help local communities remove debris, clean out destroyed homes and help residents sift through the wreckage of former homes to salvage belongings. "This cleaning stage is crucial to avoid major health and hygiene issues from contaminated water and open sewage," said Polizer. "From a psychological perspective, home-owners are often so overwhelmed by the devastation and the loss of their belongings that they cannot consider the thought of filtering through their possessions to try and save anything. Part of IsraAID's work is to separate what can be preserved. "The loss of people's homes can easily put them into a downward spiral of despair and depression. Cleaning up the mess helps create a positive momentum towards rehabilitation and recovery," Polizer added. IsraAID announced it will prioritize those who do not have insurance or the financial means to clear the debris, and those who are unable to clean up their homes for other reasons. This is not the first time that IsraAID has offered aid to Texas or the US. The organization, which has provided aid to 41 countries over the last decade, flew a seven-man relief team to Wimberley, Texas, in May 2015, when the area was ravaged by floods. IsraAID has also sent disaster relief to the US following floods in Louisiana, the Carolinas, Denver and Detroit, hurricanes in Oklahoma, New York and New Orleans, and wildfires in Washington. Simcha and Leah Goldin, parents of the late Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, attending a ceremony marking three years since Operation Protective Edge at the National Memorial Hall at the entrance to the military cemetery on Mount Herzl, July 13, 2017. JERUSALEM (JTA)-Israel's defense minister reignited the emotional national debate over what price the country should be willing to pay for the return of kidnapped soldiers, particularly the bodies of those who have been killed. Avigdor Liberman said Sunday that Israel must not repeat the "mistake" of the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal, in which it released more than 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the return of its soldier from Hamas. The argument, which never really ends here, was on. Some Israelis responded that the government should simply be forcing concessions from the terrorist group, which governs the Gaza Strip. Others said Liberman's suggestion that limitations be placed on prisoner exchanges amounted to abandoning captured soldiers. The defense minister's comments came in a statement responding to two recent developments. Earlier Sunday, Simha Goldin, the father of missing soldier Hadar Goldin, held a news conference in which he called Liberman "weak" and "cowardly" for failing to bring home the remains of soldiers, including his son, whose body was never returned by Hamas after Israel's 2014 Gaza war. Last week, Lior Lotan resigned from his position overseeing Israel's efforts to retrieve from Hamas the remains of Goldin and another soldier, Oron Shaul, as well as three citizens still believed to be alive. Liberman said he understands and accepts Goldin's criticism and that the return of the soldiers' remains is still a top priority. "I consider this to be of the utmost moral and ethical import, first and foremost to the families and to the IDF and the State of Israel," he said. However, he argued that Israel could not afford another Shalit deal, which he said saw the release of 1,027 "murderers and their agents," including Mahmoud Kawasme and Yahya Sinwar. Kawasme helped fund the 2014 kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers. Sinwar was recently elected to head Hamas in Gaza. Liberman said 202 of the released prisoners have since been rearrested for alleged involvement in terror, resulting in the deaths of seven Israelis. He said 111 of those rearrested are still in prison. Hamas has been holding the remains of Goldin and Shaul since the two were killed in the Gaza Strip during Israel's Operation Protective Edge. The three living Israelis being held are said to have freely entered Gaza. Israel reportedly has been conducting indirect talks with Hamas about a possible prisoner exchange. As opposed to the Shalit family, which demanded the government comply with Hamas demands, the Goldin and Shaul families have urged Israel to punish Hamas in the belief it could help win the release of the remains. They have urged Israel to stop returning the bodies of Hamas attackers, downgrade the conditions of Hamas prisoners held in Israel and intensify the siege on Gaza. But many Israelis, including political and military leaders, have argued that such tactics would likely bring Israel another war with Hamas and increased international opprobrium. They are among those who criticize Liberman for taking too hardline a position on captured soldiers and say mass prisoner swaps, like the Shalit deal, are the only realistic way to rescue captured soldiers. On Monday, Housing Minister Yoav Galant criticized Liberman for supporting the Shamgar Commission, which in 2012 recommended severely limiting the concessions that Israel can make to free a captured soldier. Among other things, the report opposed releasing security prisoners in exchange for the bodies of Israeli soldiers. "The adoption of the Shamgar report would sentence a captured soldier to death," Galant told Israel Radio. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed the commission but never brought its findings to a government vote that would make them binding. He has yet to weigh in on the recent debate. Attorney Liron Libman, a former director of the Israeli army's international law department, came out Tuesday with specific recommendations for the kind of restrictions Israel could place on prisoner releases. Now a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, he said the government should consider freeing only prisoners who have not violated the law of war, for instance by killing civilians as opposed to soldiers. "Firstly, it will help to create a combat environment of combatants fighting one another," Libman said in a statement. "Secondly, it is meant to lower the motivation of terrorists to carry out terrorist attacks against civilians. And lastly, it will bring us international legitimacy and also bring international pressure on terrorist organizations to engage in negotiations, and will aid Israel's international image." Most Israelis do not make such distinctions. But many can relate both to Liberman's desire to prevent the release of terrorists and the Goldins' need for closure. On Monday, veteran journalist Yoav Limor gave voice to a mainstream view in a column for the Israel Hayom newspaper. "The unwritten golden rule in Israel says that you don't argue with bereaved parents since they paid the ultimate price, but that doesn't mean you have to agree with them or do everything they demand," he said. "[O]n the other hand, the idea that Israel will 'do everything' needs to be valid, certainly worth something, for those sent to fight, and no less so for those who will sent to fight in the future." Jewish National Fund is set to host this years National Conference in South Florida at The Diplomat Resort and Spa from Nov. 10-13. JNFs annual Conference brings together over a thousand committed leaders, philanthropists, young professionals, college students, and high school students from across the country and Israel for an impactful three-day experience to learn about the key issues of the day facing Israel and the world Jewish community. This is a fabulous opportunity to hear directly from those on the ground making a difference for, and in, Israel, said JNFs 2017 National Conference Co-Chair Vivian Grossman. South Florida is so excited to host this years National Conference and I know participants will come away more educated, motivated, engaged, and ready to roll up their sleeves to support the land and people of Israel. This year, JNF is honoring Jose Maria Aznar, former president of the Government of Spain, with the esteemed Shalom Peace Award for his dedication to peace, humanity, and efforts on behalf of the State of Israel. We are thrilled to honor Jose Maria Aznar with the Shalom Peace Award, said 2017 National Conference Co-Chair Benjamin Gutmann. He is truly supportive of Israel and works to ensure that Spain and the entire European Union, recognize Israel as the bulwark of democracy in the Middle East. His support for Israel has been unwavering and we look forward to hearing his remarks in November. Throughout his two terms as president of the Government, from 1996 through 2004, Aznar led an important process of economic and social reform. He continues to advocate for a firm policy against terrorism, one that is against any kind of political concession, combined with close international cooperation between democratic countries. Under Aznars leadership, a high level group met in Paris in the middle of 2010 to launch a new project in defense of Israels right to exist. The Friends of Israel Initiative was created to counter the growing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders. Notable founding members of the Initiative include, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Lord William David Trimble, Former Prime Minister to Canada Stephen Harper, Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, British historian Andrew Roberts, and others. I feel deeply honored to receive this award and to be recognized with all of its meaning, said Aznar. I do believe in Israel as a dynamic, vibrant and promising country. Israel is an indispensable and vital part of the Western world and of our civilization, and Im grateful for the positive effect of having a strong Israel at our side and for the many benefits the rest of the West. Past recipients of the Shalom Peace Award, one of JNFs highest honors, include: former Vice President Al Gore; Colin Powell, a former secretary of state and retired four-star general; Jehan Sadat, the widow of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat; former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel (zl); and most recently Ambassador Michael Oren at JNFs 2015 National Conference in Chicago. JNFs National Conference also showcases the organizations vision for the future of the land and people of Israel and the great successes it is enjoying. The annual event provides an opportunity for all participants to strengthen their connection to Israel and to one another over what is sure to be an incredible three days. In 2016, JNFs National Conference in New York City hosted over 1,200 participants, including 300 high school and college students and 150 members of JNFs young professionals division, JNFuture. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in dozens of panels, discussions, and plenary sessions, which included inspiring speeches by Alan Dershowitz, Wall Street Journals Deputy Page Editor Bret Stephens, Israels Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, Consul General of Israel in New York Dani Dayan, JNF Chairman of the Board Ronald S. Lauder, as well as many more distinguished leaders, visionaries, and personalities. Jewish National Funds 2017 National Conference is being held November 10-13 in South Florida at The Diplomat Resort and Spa (3555 S. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33019). To register for the event, please visit jnf.org/nc. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Roni Raab at rraab@jnf.org or 561-447-9733, etc. 883. For more information about event programming for JNFs 2017 National Conference, contact Amy Penchansky at apenchansky@jnf.org or 212-879-9305, etc. 804. An upcoming blacklist of major international companies with business ties to Israeli communities in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and eastern Jerusalem represents yet another attempt by anti-Israel actors in the United Nations to single out and demonize the worlds only Jewish state, experts say. The U.N. Human Rights Council had voted to approve the database of businesses last year, defying objections from the U.S. and Israel. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Raad Zeid al-Hussein submitted a draft of the blacklist to the countries where the businesses are based. He is expected to receive a response from those nations by Sept. 1, and the UNHRC will publish the database by the end of this year. American firms on the list include Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline and Airbnb, The Washington Post reported. [The blacklist] is the latest incarnation of the decades-long Arab boycott and yet another singling out of Israel by the U.N. Because Israel, the Jewish state, alone is singled out, the intent and impact is anti-Semitic, Anne Herzberg, a U.N. expert and the legal advisor for the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor watchdog group, told JNS.org. Similarly, Israels Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon described the list as an expression of modern anti-Semitism reminiscent of dark periods in history. While the list will have no legal consequences for Israel or the companies involved, its opponents say it could put pressure on the U.N. Security Council to take action. Supporters of the list draw inspiration from efforts to target international businesses that were involved in apartheid-era South Africa as well as Arab-led boycotts of Israel as a means to pressure the Jewish state to change its policies regarding the Palestinians and the disputed territories. But Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky, a research fellow for Israels Institute for National Security Studies, said the list will likely do the opposite and undermine any chances for a two-state solution. First and foremost, this is because such a blacklist serves to strengthen the common Israeli perception of a hostile international community which is united against the Jewish state, Hatuel-Radoshitzky told JNS.org. She said, This paradigm strengthens the hardliners and works against the moderate camp that perc eives the two-state solutionwhich ultimately necessitates compromises from Israelas the desired alternative. UNs credibility The blacklist also serves to undermine the credibility of the UNHRC in specific and to further taint the U.N. in general, Hatuel-Radoshitzky said. Since taking over as U.N. secretary-general in January, Portugals Antonio Guterres has attempted to take a more evenhanded approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after years of disproportionate criticism of Israel by the world body. As secretary-general of the United Nations, I consider that the state of Israel needs to be treated as any other state, Guterres said in an address to the World Jewish Congress in April. I have already had the opportunity to show that Im ready to abide by that principle even when that forces me to take some decisions that create some uncomfortable situations, he added, referencing a move he made to squash a report by former U.N. official Rima Khalaf that called Israel an apartheid state. Herzberg said that while it does not appear Guterres is in favor of the of the blacklist, it might be impossible for him to stop its release. Due to the U.N. bureaucracy and the dominance of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, it would be difficult if not impossible for the secretary-general to halt the process, she said. According to Herzberg, such reports are often compiled by a narrow sector of political activists and NGOs, many who are linked to terror groups and the BDS movement. Many U.N. officials were formerly employed by these partisan organizations and harbor extreme anti-Israel views, she said. US response The Trump administration recently urged the human rights commissioner, Hussein, not to publish the blacklist. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called the list shameful and counterproductive to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It is an attempt to provide an international stamp of approval to the anti-Semitic BDS movement. It must be rejected, Haley said. In June, the U.S. indicated that it may replace its membership in the UNHRC with other means for addressing human rights issues, unless the U.N. body significantly reforms its conduct and anti-Israel bias. At the same time, more than 20 U.S. states have passed legislation in recent years opposing the BDS movement, by requiring state institutions to cease any business with companies that boycott the Jewish state. Both federal and state measures against BDS will be effective in blunting the impact of the blacklist, Herzberg said, adding she believes U.S. leadership will be essential in curbing the effectiveness of the U.N. blacklist. Countries and companies will have to decidedo they want to do business in the U.S. or side with the bigots of the U.N., the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, she said. NEW YORK (JTA)French historian Pierre Nora spent his life describing and explaining places of memory, sites commemorating significant moments in the history of a community that continue to resonate and transform from generation to generation. For the French Republic, the Arc de Triomphe is one such place of memory. Begun by Napoleon and completed in 1836, the Arc is a place of French pride and memory, where war dead from the Revolution to the present are recalled and military triumph exalted. Part of the power of this central place of memory resides in the architecture itself. The Arc de Triomphe is a larger version of another triumphal arch, the Arch of Titus. This arch, located on the Sacred Way in the ancient center of Imperial Rome, commemorates the victory of the Roman general Titus in the Jewish War of 66-74 C.E. Built circa 82 C.E., its deeply carved reliefs show the general, soon emperor, parading through Rome in a triumphal procession. The spoils of the Jerusalem Temple, including its menorah, are borne aloft by Roman soldiers. Napoleon and those who came after him borrowed the design of this Roman triumphal arch, transferring the glory of Rome to the French nation. Subsequent events have complicated the meaning of the arch, which was intended to commemorate French military prowess. French victory in World War II, for example, was hardly unequivocal. Hitler did, after all, celebrate his own victory there, and France did not exactly emerge victorious by its own power. One of the more enduring photographs of the liberation shows American troops marching under the arch. The Arch of Titus, too, is a complex monument whose meaning shifted over time. Titus had not defeated a foreign power but put down a pesky rebellion by a small province. For Christians, the Arch became a place to celebrate Christian triumph over Judaism and the imperial power of the Catholic Church. For Jews, the arch was a symbol for their own defeat and exile, even as some took solace by claiming that its magnificence was proof that Israel had once been a powerful nation and formidable foe. In modern times, the Arch of Titus became a symbol both of newfound Jewish rootedness in Europe and a place of pilgrimage where Jews, religious and not, could proclaim, Titus you are gone, but were still here. Am Yisrael Chai. Or as Freud put it, The Jew survives it! Where once Mussolini had celebrated the Arch as part of the heritage of fascism, Jews after the war assembled there to demand a Jewish state. Others imagined exploding the Arch and thus taking final retribution against Titus for his destruction of Jerusalem. Instead, the State of Israel took the Arch back unto itself, basing the design for its state symbol on the menorah carved into its surface. I tell these stories of Paris, Rome and Jerusalem as parallels to debate that has been intensified following the horrible events in Charlottesville. The sculptural tributes to the Civil War, North and South, are still living places of memory. Whether in the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Brooklyn, also modeled on the Arch of Titus, or in the thousands of statues across America, the Civil War is very much with us. Each place and time since then has thought about and reimagined the warThe War of the Rebellion, to many Northerners, The War of Northern Aggression to some in the Southin complex and differing ways. The meanings of these places of memory are not stable They shift and transform as essential elements of our social fabric and civil religion from generation to generation. Conflicting visions often inhere in the same sculpture, much as Jews and Classicists often see very different messages in the Arch of Titus. In a pre-civil rights era, a statue of a Confederate general was seen by many as a tribute to military bravery and regional loyalty. Today the tide has shifted, and a consensus regards them as reminders of a racist past and an ignoble cause. Tearing down a place of memory is a serious matter. The act of iconoclasm, of tearing down or transforming a place of memory, is never neutral. The list of such events is long and includes the Maccabees destruction of idols in the second century BCE; the midrashic account of Abraham breaking the idols; late antique Christians and Muslims smashing Roman religious images (and burning synagogues); Orthodox Christian iconophobes destroying sacred icons during the eighth century; Protestants ravaging Church art during the Reformation; Nazis torching synagogues during Kristallnacht; the Taliban destroying giant sculptures of the Buddha; or Eastern Europeans tearing down sculptures of Lenin and Stalin after the fall of communism. Such transformations of our visual cultures mark major transitions and often culture wars. They are attempts to change our memory by obliterating or shifting what we see and expect on our social landscapes, to change how we relate to our places of memory. The ceremonialthe liminalmoment of removing a place of memory is always laden and significant. It is a shorthand, a summary statement and dramatic enactment of the ways that those present understand the place and encode its memory. The march of the neo-Nazis, the texts they recited, the torches and flags they carried, and the violence they instigated are essential to understanding who these people are and what values they see in the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville. Reading this event, one can tease out their entire worldviewand it is horrifying. In the meantime, each community and locale will act and respond as we play out this distressing drama and rehearse the repercussions of this tragedy in our lives. Some Confederate statues will come downas in Baltimore and at the University of Texas, Austin. Some will be contextualized or moved. Others, alas, will be left undisturbed and continue looking down on us contemptuously. These once mostly forgotten monuments are again potent and complex places of memory. Faced with similar provocations, Talmudic rabbis would avert their eyes from Roman imperial sculpture, placed in the cities of ancient Israel as tools of control. Some would spit in their imperial faces. When they could, others would tear down the statues of the hated emperors and their colonial regime. In modern times, Jews avoided walking beneath the Arch of the Evil Titus. Charlottesville is now a place of bloodshed. Perhaps it will begin to heal once the statue of Lee comes down. Nevertheless, the statue will continue to cast a shadow for decades, perhaps centuries, to come. Steven Fine is the Churgin professor of Jewish history and director of the Center for Israel Studies at Yeshiva University. He is director of the Arch of Titus Project. The U.S. governments reluctance to demand the immediate creation of a Palestinian state has sent J Street into a panic. With its candidates having been defeated in elections on both sides of the ocean, and its proposals crumbling in the face of reality, J Street is trying one last desperate strategy: rewriting history so that it appears Palestinian statehood has been supported by everybody, everywhere, for as long as anyone can remember. Asked by reporters Aug. 24 about the Palestinian state issue, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, We are not going to state what the outcome has to be. It has to be workable to both sides. Thats the best view as to not really bias one side over the other, to make sure that they can work through it. Nauerts statement was simple, logical, and reasonable. But her failure to pledge a full-throated endorsement of the Palestinian agenda sent J Street into a tizzy. The J Street leaders fired off an overheated press release that declared, For more than two decades, responsible Israeli and Palestinian leaders, U.S. presidents of both parties and virtually the entire international community have understood that a two-state solution is the only viable way to end the conflict. Literally, everything in J Streets declaration is erroneous. American presidents have not supported Palestinian statehood for more than two decades. George W. Bush was the first president to publicly support a Palestinian state while in office. That was in 2002, i.e. 15 years ago, not more than two decades. Cant anybody at J Street do basic math? Not only that, but Bushs support was conditional. In his June 25, 2002 speech about a Palestinian state, Bush said that such a state could come about only if the Palestinian people elected new leaders not compromised by terror. The Palestinians, of course, did exactly the opposite. The only president who has unconditionally and publicly supported Palestinian statehood while in office was Barack Obama. Suddenly J Streets tally of more than two decades is down to eight years. And anyway, since when is there a rule that every future president is obligated to take the same position as President Obama? J Street is equally mistaken in its absurd claim that virtually the entire international community supports creating a Palestinian state. How could J Street possibly know what virtually the entire international community thinks? There are 7.44 billion people in the world. Did J Street ask them all? How many farmers in Thailand or truck drivers in Nebraska care whether the Palestinian Arabs have a state or not? Or does J Street really believe that the whole world consists of pro-Palestinian elitists in Potomac and Scarsdale? There have been two major arguments in favor of Palestinian statehood. Neither of those arguments have stood the test of time. The first was that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Arabs had given up their goal of destroying Israel and had forsaken terrorism. Presumably if they changed their ways, they could be trusted with their own state in Israels backyard. That was the basis for the Oslo Accords in 1993. But that argument fell apart when Arafat tried to smuggle 50 tons of weapons into Gaza on the motor vessel Karine A in 2002. It turned out the old terrorist had never changed his ways, after all. The second argument for a Palestinian state was fear of the demographic time bombthat because of the high Arab birthrate, Israel has to agree to a Palestinian state or it will become an apartheid-like ruler over the Palestinians. But then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin resolved that problem in 1995, when he withdrew Israels forces from the cities where 98 percent of the Palestinians reside. For the past 22 years, they have been residents of the Palestinian Authority, and they vote in Palestinian elections. They will never be Israeli citizens, will never vote in Israeli elections, and will never threaten Israels Jewish demographic majority. The old arguments for Palestinian statehood lie in tatters. The U.S. governments position simply reflects that reality. J Street, unable to face reality, is trying to change history to suit its agenda. Friends of Israel need to act swiftly to counter such dangerous revisionism. Stephen M. Flatow, a vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, is an attorney in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. MADISON, Wis. (JTA)In March, the Israeli Knesset passed a law that denies entry to foreigners who support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS. At the time, the law felt so insidious because it introduced a political litmus test designed to exclude those who object to Israels policies. It served to stifle legitimate political debate. But it was all so theoretical. Until last month, that is, when Rabbi Alissa Shira Wise, who was part of an interfaith delegation that had planned to meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, was banned at Washingtons Dulles Airport. I was stunned. After speaking with a few colleagues who shared my alarm, we decided to craft a rabbinic letter that would oppose Israels travel ban. We were concerned, however, that we would not be able to convince even 50 rabbis to sign it. We thought that too many rabbis would not publicly stand with Rabbi Wise, the deputy director of Jewish Voice for Peace, because of her support for the BDS movement. We thought it was a professional risk that too many rabbis, even if they did agree with the letter, would choose not to take. Our colleagues proved us wrong: Over 230 rabbis, cantors and rabbinical students have now signed on, and the list continues to grow. The signers are diverse in their perspectives: Some are adamantly opposed to the BDS movement, others advocate boycotting and divesting from the settlements only, and some support BDS in full. We are united, however, in our belief that banning Rabbi Wise from entering Israel desecrates our vision of a diverse Jewish community that holds multiple perspectives. For me, the issue is not about Rabbi Wise herself, nor is it about the BDS movement. While the image of a rabbi being prevented from boarding an airplane to Israel is disturbing, and the Jewish communitys hysteria about the BDS movement is frustrating, the incident reflects something even more distressing: the suppression of dissent in our community. For a community that prides itself on a tradition that honors varied and opposing ideas and upholds a strong commitment to debate, I am disgusted by its refusal to tolerate divergent voices. From Hillel Internationals Standards of Partnership that prohibit students in any local Hillel from inviting speakers who are sympathetic to the BDS movement, to the refusal of Jewish community centers to host speakers, musicians or actors who advocate BDS, to the organizations that condone or even fund right-wing organizations like the AMCHA Initiative, which maintains a blacklist of professors who support boycotting Israel, our community is shunning a growing percentage of Jews who are increasingly questioning the Israeli governments policies, along with its official version of history. This goes beyond supporting BDS, as became apparent when the Jewish National Fund of Canada pulled out of a Yom Haatzmaut event that featured left-wing Israeli musician Achinoam Nini, who opposes BDS but supports the human rights organization BTselem. Or when J Street U, which advocates a two-state solution and opposes BDS, is denied space at the Center for Jewish Life in Princeton for an exhibit by an Israeli NGO critical of Israel. Those who express criticism of Israel in any way are increasingly being targeted as anti-Israel and pushed away from our communal institutions. We need not support the BDS movement to recognize that these institutions are succumbing to leaders and donors who uphold and promote a very narrow version of acceptable discourse in our community. Israels travel ban is just one component of this curtailing of debate in our community. Rabbis from across the movements have declared forcefully that even if they disagree with the goals of the BDS movement, they still see boycott as a legitimate tactic with a long history of creating justice for marginalized communities. As I watch a generational shift occurring in our communities, with increasing numbers of young Jews appalled by Israels harsh policies toward the Palestinian people, I have noted how many of them are baffled by the larger communitys unwillingness even to discuss nonviolent approaches to create social change. They read about Palestinian suffering in Gaza, with extreme water and electricity shortages, malnutrition and starvation, and preventable illnesses killing residents because they cannot get adequate medical care due to Israels blockade of Gaza, and are horrified. But they wont be silenced. They are speaking up, and older Jews are beginning to listen. Our rabbinic letter opened with a quote from Pirkei Avot: A controversy for the sake of Heaven will have lasting value, but a controversy not for the sake of Heaven will not endure. Whether we support boycott is a controversy for the sake of heaven. It is a controversy that could lead to vigorous discussion and deep self-reflection about the obligation of American Jews to speak out against Israels policy toward the Palestinian people. Over 230 rabbis have spoken out in favor of this debate. Its time for the rest of our community to follow. Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim in Madison, Wisconsin, is the author of Reframing Israel: Teaching Kids to Think Critically About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. As a member of Houstons Jewish community writing about a devastating flood for the third time since May 2015, Im at a loss for words. Sitting in the comforts of my third-floor apartment, where Im fortunate enough to view the unprecedented waters of Hurricane Harvey as a spectator, it feels trite to be putting on my journalists hat while countless others are either suffering or contributing to relief efforts. Yet as Ive concluded in these situations before, the written word is a crucial part of the healing process when a natural disaster strikes. If they didnt get the message before, the national and international Jewish communities should understand the crisis for Jews in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, but also within the context of other major floods in recent years. Just a 10-minute walk from where I live, dozens of families in my synagogues community live in flood-damaged homes. This is at least the third time that many of these residences have taken in water since the Memorial Day flood of 2015. For homeowners in the flood-stricken, Jewish-heavy neighborhoods of Meyerland and Willow Meadows, Hurricane Harveys wrath has undone all the hard work of two previous rebuilding processes. The congregation itself, United Orthodox Synagogues (UOS), which suffered more than $1 million in damage in the 2015 deluge and was flooded again the following year, has been dealt its most crushing blow yet. The 2015 flood damaged about 500 Jewish homes (among more than 2,500 homes overall) and three synagogues in the Houston area. The 2016 Tax Day flood brought similar devastation, but the community was better prepared for the event. Despite all the preparations for Hurricane Harvey, damage has far exceeded previous disastersthe statistics arent immediately available, but that is immaterial. The point is that Houstons Jews, many of whom live in areas prone to flooding, have suffered their third catastrophic weather event in as many years. Unlike previous years, when floodwaters receded on the same day as the storms, Hurricane Harveys waters stayed put for days as the rain persisted. The road to recovery cannot immediately begin and is too daunting to even think about. As has been the case for other floods in recent years, my synagogue community at UOS immediately sprang into action for Harvey, conducting boat rescues for threatened individuals and families. Local volunteer leaderswhose depth of dedication is difficult to describehave begun intense coordination for food, laundry and housing needs, in a process that has become all too familiar for them. The Jewish communitys relief effort was inspiring in 2015 and 2016, and its heartwarming again. But as I asked after the 2016 flood, and need to ask again with even greater intensity: What now? What will homeowners do after suffering three major floods? How many Jews who have laid down roots here find themselves with no suitable options remaining? I wrote last year, The Jewish future in a major city is at stake. Since then, Houstons Jews have battled to bring things back to where they were before the Memorial Day and Tax Day floods. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey brings far more questions than answers. We typicallyand justifiablythink of Jews in far-flung, crisis-prone places like the former Soviet Union as endangered. Jewish organizations, in turn, devote significant manpower and funds to addressing overseas crises. You wouldnt typically think of Houston as a similar disaster zone. But I would ask anyone to assess the facts of the flooding from 2015-2017 in Americas fourth-largest city, and at the very least, ask the same questions that local Jews are asking about their future. Jacob Kamaras is a journalist and marketing professional living in Houston. He writes for JNS.org and other national publications. CONOVER The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall Memorial is at Conover Station from Friday through Monday, and the wall will offer an opportunity for residents to heal, remember and honor the sacrifices of servicemen and servicewomen. Conover Mayor Lee Moritz, a veteran himself, will make opening remarks Friday morning at the official opening of the memorial site. It is my sincere hope that during our time with the Vietnam Wall that my fellow veterans reconnect and for some, I hope you take an opportunity to visit and find closure or assistance, Moritz said. I hope parents find teaching moments with their children and our students get a chance to hear stories and learn from the heroes that served honorably with the men and women honored on this wall. This will be a time for healing, a time to remember and a time to honor. Planning Although the planning has been a community and city effort, Conover Public Works Fleet Manager Keith Lynch and Conover Police Department Lt. Robert Clark have been at the head of the project. This wall has never been through this part of the state, Clark said. There is a long waiting list for this memorial, and we have been planning for well over a year and a half. Lynch added that Mayor Moritz has been diligently working to get the memorial in Conover for almost two and a half years. From my understanding, there are three traveling wall memorials that go around the country, and he was able to secure it coming in this time frame, which is a pretty significant thing, Lynch said. The memorial stands six feet tall at the center, drops down to one foot at the ends and measures 300 feet long only one-fifth of the size of the actual memorial located in Washington, D.C. All 58,272 names are on the wall, and they are listed just as they would on the wall at Washington, D.C., Lynch said. We have been in preparation for this thing for about four or five months. The preparation has included building a temporary path for visitors to walk along. We will try to have a flow of traffic, but it will be what it will be. We have tried to make (the path) as ADA capable as we possibly could, short of laying down concrete or asphalt, Lynch said. We have done everything we can do, and I think it will be just fine. Lynch reassured that all preparations have been completed, including setting up multiple flag poles, lighting and decorative planters. It is a memorial, and we want to make sure that it is presented in the most honorable and respectful way possible, Lynch said. As soon as the memorial was set up Thursday evening, it became open 24 hours a day. We have what we call sentries, basically guards and tour guides wrapped into one, so there is someone there at all times, Lynch said. One reason behind having the memorial open 24 hours a day is to give ample opportunity for folks to visit, pay their respects or have closure Lynch explained the other reason. Not everybody pays respect the way you or I may pay respects, Lynch said. I was in the military for 25 years I have seen a lot of stuff. I can tell you from me, the last thing I want to do is go look at something like that, with people I knew, and have a bunch of people standing around me. There will be sentries available on site 24 hours to help people navigate the memorial to find names. As a veteran myself, I can tell you this will get emotional for people, Lynch said. We will have VA counseling van just in case. There will be some chaplains around also. Weather With the threat of Hurricane Irma steadily rising, Lynch and Clark are preparing for bad weather. Right now, we are like everyone else. We are watching everything extremely close to see how everything will transpire, Clark said. Although the memorial is built for outdoor use, Lynch is concerned about winds. This thing is built to be outside, but I dont think it was built to be able to withstand 40 mph winds, Lynch said. The weather is going to be a huge factor (for attendance). Originally, the city planned for around 10,000 visitors over the four-day span. I would revise that with the way things are going down to 8,000-6,000 but that is still a tremendous amount of people, Lynch said. If all the kids come from all the schools we have heard from, we will probably see about 1,100-1,200 students alone. In the event of bad weather, there will be tents set up for visitors to shelter themselves from rain. With the possibility of Hurricane Irma coming up, we are probably looking at an earlier take down on Monday, Lynch said. If things holds up, we will ride this thing to the very end. If Conover sees bad weather, Lynch said the take-down will take place right after the 9/11 ceremony Monday morning. The company responsible for bringing the wall is located in Florida. They are about to get their world rocked, Lynch said. We dont want them to be in a bad spot, and we dont want anything to happen to the (memorial). Events Clark said the website, www.conovernc.gov/vetwall, recently was updated with times, dates and agendas for various ceremonies. The official opening is Friday at 9 a.m. The area JROTC groups are putting together the opening ceremony, Lynch said. From what I have so far as to what they are doing, I think that is just going to be an awesome experience. They plan on having a 10-man honor guard coming in, and they have a young man who has a Vietnam experience through his family that will be doing a reading for that and some opening comments from the mayor. Lynch said there are seven different events from local organizations, like the Daughters of the Revolution Society. They all want to come and have a ceremony and pay their homage, Lynch said. For most, the wall is there for anyone who wants to come see it for whatever reason healing, paying respects or just to say they have seen it. The ultimate goal of the memorial is to give people a chance to heal. The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be on display at Conover Station on Sept. 8-11. Many are too young to remember anything about the Vietnam War and have a limited understanding of the purpose of the traveling wall. The Vietnam War is the only military action the United States has been involved in that we lost without accomplishing one objective. Those of us who participated thought we were as well trained, as strong and as courageous as any troops ever placed on a battlefield. To us, the objective was clearly defined and mirrored the objectives in Korea (to stop the communists of North Vietnam and China from overtaking the freely-elected government of South Vietnam). Politicians and celebrities began using the Vietnam War as a platform for their individual beliefs and so convoluted our reason for helping the South Vietnamese that most American support was lost. Celebrities from the U.S. were visiting and supporting North Vietnam, condemning the baby killing American troops in South Vietnam while our friends and allies were being killed in jungles and rice patties of South Vietnam. Our government did nothing to try to stop this treason, and even worse, the American people appeared to more strongly embrace these celebrities. This makes healing much more difficult because I have not found a Vietnam combat veteran willing to forgive certain celebrities for their actions. We returned from Vietnam to a country in chaos with a general attitude of hatred for anybody or anything associated with the military The result of our failure in Vietnam resulted in the killing fields of Cambodia where millions of anticommunist from Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam were slaughtered and buried in mass field graves while an embarrassed U.S. and a complacent world looked elsewhere. The traveling Vietnam wall is not only a memorial to those lost but a heeling wall for veterans and all Americans involved in a major failure. The wall has also become a miracle wall where veterans have chance meetings with families of friends killed in Vietnam. Often, there are children who never met or got to know their father and can hear about their loved one from a veteran who served with him during his final days. We must preserve our history, the good, bad and ugly as accurately as possible; otherwise, we are bound to repeat our mistakes. The traveling Vietnam wall helps facilitate a long overdue healing process for Vietnam veterans and hopefully serves to remind us that regardless of circumstances, if we commit our young soldiers to an action they deserve our full support. Powell Sigmon U.S. Army helicopter pilot South Vietnam, 1964-1965 Newton Hurricanes highlight governing differences Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and Hurricane Harvey in Texas have shown a stark difference in the ability to govern. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Lead by example. My favorite, some people couldn't lead a pack of hungry wolves to a meat market. Talk the talk and walk the walk. Mumble, stumble, and fumble. Hurricane Sandy hit Oct. 12. Obama finally shows up around Oct. 30. Hurricane Harvey hits, the rain hasn't even stopped, waters still rising, people still being rescued and Trump is already there with staff members and department heads. He publicly says they are to be organized for action, cut through red tape, and get the job done. And asking state and local officials what the federal government needs to do to provide anything and everything they need right now, will need in the immediate future, and long term needs. Also, he already plans to come back in three days to see what else can be done. Leadership? I rest my case. Any questions? Ted Smith Hickory Reaction to Trumps 'dreamers' decision announcement President Trump promised to show "great heart" when dealing with "dreamers," young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children who have been vetted and granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection. Instead, according to news reports, the DACA program is on the chopping block. That would be terrible, not just for DACA recipients and their families, but for American businesses and communities. American citizens working at dreamer-started businesses would lose their jobs, and Social Security and Medicare would lose billions in potential contributions. I'm calling on Congress, specifically Rep. Robert Pittenger and Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, to move legislation forward that will protect dreamers and make our country stronger. And in the meantime, President Trump, don't shoot yourself and our country in the foot by ending the DACA program. We'd all lose. Tanya M. Powers Charlotte A weight-lifting auditorium in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) is an unlikely place to stage a spectacular musical based on K Asifs immortal 1960 film Mughal-e-Azam. But when film and theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan was scouting for venues in Delhi, he drew a blank. There was just nothing that could host a stage play of such unprecedented scale and complexity. When Khan finally settled on JLN, he had to refurbish it to the extent that it is literally a new place now: cleaning up, painting the walls, carpeting the floor, the works. But everyone has been so helpful, they have been magnificent. However, our costs are colossal, he says, waving at the smooth new walls as he gives me a guided tour of the premises. I joked with my partners that it would be cheaper to charter three planeloads of people from Delhi to Mumbai, give them rooms in a five-star hotel and get them to see the play. Even if we have full houses here for every show, we will run at a huge loss. Still from the stage musical Mughal-e-Azam. After Mumbai and Delhi, it will travel to London and New York. But thats only fitting for a stage show based on a film known for its extravagance and magnificence. When Khan decided to take Mughal-e-Azam to the stage he first approached Mumbais National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), known for its state-of-the-art facilities that allow complex productions to be staged. NCPA chairman Khushroo Suntook immediately came on board as a partner. Next Khan went to Shapoorji Pallonji, the business conglomerate that had produced the film in 1960, to get the stage rights. Deepesh Salgia, director at Shapoorji Pallonji, who has been handling the brand as a passion project for 20 years, not only agreed but came on as a co-producer, because, as he says, If we were going to do a play, it had to be grand, it had to be something never seen before on the Indian stage, it had to keep up the parampara of the film. Read more | Why the movie Mughal-E-Azam continues to fascinate us Film and theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan on the set of the play Mughal-e-Azam in Delhi. (Ravi Chaudhary/HT Photo) And thats exactly how Mughal-e-Azam the stage musical turned out, with its cast and crew of over 350 people, with more than 200 lights illuminating the stage, 550 costumes designed by Manish Malhotra, not to mention the live singing on stage (original songs from the film, including the show-stopper Pyar kiya toh darna kya) along with dazzling Kathak sequences performed by 30 classically trained dancers. The play has already had 57 housefull shows in Mumbai (you could never get tickets in current booking, says Khan). Despite the cost and the challenges of finding a suitable venue in Delhi, the director and producers felt it had to be staged here. How can you not show a play like Mughal-e-Azam in Delhi with its great Mughal history? asks Khan. For him, the show is a departure or more accurately a return to big productions (he began his theatre career with a big Gujarati musical). For the last several years Khan has been associated with minimal, successful plays such as Tumhari Amrita (which has now run for over 20 years). But I thought if I keep making minimal productions, my style will become my own cliche, says Khan. As I became more and more successful, I realised it was time to go on a path where there was a serious possibility of monumental failure. That failure loomed large three days before October 21 last year, the opening night of Mughal-e-Azam in NCPA. I was emotionally exhausted, recalls Khan. I thought everything was going wrong. I felt I needed 15 more days for the production to settle itself because it had become technically so complicated. But we were committed to opening on that day. So Khan says he did a few things and magically it all fell into place. The show opened to a rapturous response. Honestly, I felt more relieved than anything else, says Khan. I was just happy I hadnt let down Shapoorji Pallonji and K Asif. Watch: The making of stage musical Mughal-e-Azam As is the case with almost every Hindi film fan, Khan grew up watching Mughal-e-Azam, particularly around Eid when the film would invariably see a re-release. It has filtered into our subconscious, our everyday life. If you delay in accomplishing some task, people will ask you, Kya Mughal-e-Azam bana rahe ho? says Khan. But what stayed with him was the injustice meted out to Anarkali. She was the one who haunted him. Also, the bigness of love, he says. Love stories are bigger when sacrifices are big. Anarkali knew the consequences of loving Salim. She was ready to die for love. But a personal passion for a beloved, legendary film is one thing; adapting it to stage is another. Khan was fully aware that he was stepping into dangerous territory. Where would he get another Dilip Kumar? Another Madhubala? Prithviraj Kapoor? There should be some memories that should be left intact, he says ruefully. People have been burnt trying to tamper with classics. But I approached the stage show with a deep respect for the film. What writing! Because of its success in popular culture, we forget that its actually a piece of literature. It is art, every single word, every single line. I dont know how this magic happened. But it did. Mughal-e-Azam is perfect. WHAT: Stage musical based on the film Muhgal-e-Azam. WHEN: September 9, 10; 3pm and 7pm September 14,15; 7pm September 16, 17; 3pm and 7pm WHERE: Jawaharlal Nehru auditorium. Tickets Rs 500 to 10,000 available at bookmyshow.com Nearest metro station: JNU stadium SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Over a dozen children were allegedly caned and made to squat as murga under the scorching sun in a private school in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh for failing to come to school on Teachers Day with Rs 20. After the incident came to the fore the authorities assured action would be taken against the erring teachers and school management. District education officer Aditya Narayan Mishra termed the act inhumane. He said: Action will be taken against school authorities after an inquiry is conducted over the incident. Based on the findings of the inquiry an FIR will be lodged against the school owner for the corporal punishment given to the children and affiliation of the school may also be cancelled. Ashok Nagar superintendent of police Santosh Singh Gaur said, Police are investigating in the matter. The schools owner Jagdish Barya could not be contacted for his comment despite repeated attempts. Narrating the incident, a class 5 student Misha Sahu (name changed) said, We had not gone to the school on Tuesday. When we reached the school on Wednesday, the teacher first scolded us and then took us to the terrace and made us squat in the Murga posture (Holding ones ear with the hands passing between the legs). The teacher also caned us. Such punishments were meted out in the past also, a local resident who lives in the neighbourhood said. Though corporal punishment is strictly no-no in schools, the menace continues unabated in the state. According to a media report the Madhya Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MPCPCR) received some 40 complaints of such incidents in past one year from both private and government-run schools. The rules framed under the Right to Education (RTE) Act defines corporal punishment as physical or mental harassment. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights also issued a set of guidelines on corporal punishment and measures to end the practice. The commissions guidelines states that the responsibility of safeguarding children from punishment lies with teachers and management of the education institutions. The Supreme Court too has banned corporal punishment in educational institutions. The Union ministry for women and child development too has issued a set of guidelines to ban corporal punishment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The special task force (STF) of Madhya Pradeshs forest department (wildlife wing) has arrested a person from Morena in Gwalior-Chambal region for poaching of critically endangered red-crowned roofed turtle, found in Chambal river. Chambal river is known as one of the last viable habitats for this rare species, according to experts. The operation was conducted under the leadership of RP Singh, additional principal chief conservator for forests (wildlife) and state STF (wildlife crime) in charge Ritesh Sirothia. Sirothia told HT that three red-crowned roofed turtles, also called Lal Tilakdhari, had been recovered from the possession of the poacher Kailash, who hails from Morena and works there as a fish contractor. Sirothia said Kailash had been working as a fish contractor, supplying fish to the forest departments Gharial breeding eco-centre at Deori in Morena district for the last eight years. Deori eco centre is the only gharial breeding centre in the state which also houses crocodiles and turtles. After a few years, they are released into the Chambal river. This poacher Kailash somehow managed to smuggle out three crowned red roofed turtles from this centre. But we caught him and investigation is on who else is involved in this poaching network, he said,. He said Kamlesh was being questioned to find out where he was taking these turtles and other possible links- middlemen, carriers and traders- involved in illegal turtle trade. Protected under schedule I of Indian Wildlife Act 1972, which accords it the highest protection, this rare freshwater turtle is in much demand as the males of this species exhibit bright red, yellow and blue colouring during breeding season. This turtle species, scientifically called Batagur kachuga, is staring at extinction due to various factors like poaching, hunting for its meat and shell, accidental drowning in fishing nets, water pollution, water development projects, habitat loss, egg predation by wild animals and human interference. India has 34 species of fresh water turtles and tortoises, out of which 10 species of turtles and one species of tortoise have been reported from MP so far. STF is suspecting a bigger turtle poacher network at play in Chambal area. In March this year 23 red crowned roofed turtles were recovered from a wildlife smuggler Ajay Singh, who was arrested in a joint operation of UP STF and forest department. The turtles, caught from Chambal and Yamuna, were being taken to Chennai. In July this year, MP police also recovered 35 baby tortoises from a busy market in Indore. Chambal river is known as one of the last viable habitats for this rare species, according to experts. You might think that being a celebrity is all hunky-dory, with the world at your feet but it has a flip side too. Actor Eijaz Khan, who has been a part of television shows such as Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaage and Kkavyanjali and the Tanu Weds Manu film franchise, is finding it hard to find a house in Mumbai. Asked about the reason, he says, There have been issues with actors in the past, since our shooting schedules are such that we come back [home] at odd hours. Also, where bachelors like me are involved, families look down thinking there will be parties thrown regularly too. Thus I tell people, who are hesitant to rent out their houses, that I am an educated person and have everything planned down to the T. So, hopefully they shouldnt have a problem. But they dont agree, and I have no idea why. The actors house hunt is accompanied by his family that includes his pets. I live alone with my two dogs and none of us party. I dont even play loud music. The last time I spoke about me not finding an accommodation, everyone on my social media account came to my rescue. I am going through the right channels this time, so I dont have to face rejections, says the 42-year old actor, who despite owning two flats in Powai, Mumbai, is looking for a rented accommodation, since he doesnt want to live in a huge house, all alone. Follow @htshowbiz for more Bollywood star Ranveer Singh says he takes about two dozen selfies a day, and considers himself an authority on it. Ranveer, who has been busy with his shooting commitments, appeared at a media platform here on Thursday after a while for the launch of the Vivo V7+ mobile phone, which is powered by a 24MP selfie camera. I am so excited... I am coming in public after a really long time, as I was busy shooting for the film, said the Dil Dhadakne Do actor. Impressed with the phones features, Ranveer said: Nowadays people cant wrap their head around how big social media has become, but it is the way the world is. In this sort of day and age with Instagram and Snapchat and other social media sites, the selfie has really become a big thing. Ranveer Singh during the launch of Vivo V7+ Smartphone in Mumbai on Sept 7. (IANS) Ranveer Singh is simply himself! (IANS) I take, on an average, about two dozen selfies a day. Sometimes it goes to 50 to 100 and on days like this, I take hundreds or more. I am an authority on selfies, I can say that safely. Ranveer Singh gestures at the event. (IANS) The Bajirao Mastani actor became ambassador of the phone brand in 2016. On the film front, Ranveer will next star in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis historical drama Padmavati. Follow @htshowbiz for more Every visit to Delhi refreshes actor Manisha Koiralas fond memories of growing up in the Capital. I do have a long association with Delhi, said Manisha, who was in the city to lend her support to Hausla 2017-Fight against Cancer by the Grameen Sneh Foundation. I studied at Army Public School in Dhaula Kuan, and before that I was in Nursery and KG at Apeejay School. In between I was in Benaras. We lived in Bengali market (in Delhi), [and would spend time] eating Bengali sweets (smiles). Whenever I live around that area, I go [there]. Sometimes I stay at hotel Taj Palace because it overlooks my school in Dhaula Kuan, added the 47-year-old. Manishas childhood was spent engaging in cultural activities. My mom was learning Kathak from Pt Birju Maharaj, and I had the privilege of meeting many artists at the time. I also did a (Alexander) Pushkins play at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture. Shifting to Delhi from the small town of Benaras didnt make it difficult for her to adjust, barring one initial hiccup. I studied in a Hindi medium school in Benaras, and then I came here in an English medium school, said the actor, who will be seen next in a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt. Delhi celebs who moved elsewhere due to work often say that the city has changed a lot. But Manisha doesnt think so. I dont feel so much of a difference. I have become older... It feels great to be back and connect, as I have many friends and family here. She is a celeb involved in philanthropic activities, and wants to give back to the society. Cancer awareness has been my priority, because of my own first-hand experience, said Manisha, who has been cancer-free since her treatment after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Well, if you want, even the most boring thing can be made interesting. Richa Chadha recently did exactly that and how. While waiting for her luggage at the Mumbai airport, the Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) actor decided to spend the time and describe her wait in a funny way. On Twitter, Richa started off by tagging the airline, she travelled with, and shared a link of the famous Asha Bhosle song, Mera Kuch Samaan, from the film Ijaazat (1987), starring Anuradha Patel and Naseeruddin Shah, to express her feeling while waiting for her luggage. And Twitterati had a hearty laugh at Richas humour. While one Karishma wrote ahahahahahahaha. Nicely done, another follower, Prashant commented, Hahahahahahaha.. Superb Bholi.. Thank u for making me smile..and starting my day in a superb smile (sic). Richa didnt stop here. After an hour, when she got her luggage, Richa tagged the airline and shared another song. This time, it was Lata Mangeshkars popular track, Jiska Mujhe Tha Intazaar from the Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman starrer-Don (1978). Richa wrote, .@jetairways https://youtu.be/BWaWPtFvqUw . GOT IT THANKS! When one of her followers asked whether she has got her luggage, Richa wrote, Just arrived. And, this time around the airline also decided to react Richas tweet and replied, Thanks for acknowledging, Richa. Glad you are reunited with your baggage. Now this is how you have fun on the go. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, is set to release his first book. In an announcement on LinkedIn, Nadella mentioned that his new book, Hit Refresh, tells the inside story of the companys continuing transformation. It traces his personal journey and concludes with his vision for the coming wave of intelligent technologies. In the post, Nadella also elaborates on his experience of writing his first book and the thought that went behind the process. The book goes on sale globally on September 26, 2017, and is available for pre-order. Nadella will donate all the proceeds from Hit Refresh to Microsoft Philanthropies. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more The New York State Department of Financial Services on Thursday said Pakistans Habib Bank had agreed to pay $225 million to settle an enforcement action brought against it for infringing laws designed to combat illicit money transfers. The DFS said in a legal filing last month it was seeking to fine the bank, Pakistans biggest lender, up to $630 million for grave compliance failures over anti-money laundering and sanctions rules at its only U.S. branch. The regulator said the bank, known as HBL, agreed to pay just over a third of that sum as part of a broader settlement in which it will shutter its New York branch, subject to conditions. These include submitting to a DFS investigation of transactions processed by the branch from October 2013 to the end of September 2014, and from April 2015 through the end of July 2017. In a statement HBL said it remains committed to strengthening its compliance processes, operations and controls across its 1,700 branches. Shares of HBL surged 5 percent, to 160.58 rupees per share, amid investor relief that the fine was not larger than $225 million. Thursdays announced settlement does not preclude further future enforcement action if the DFS investigation reveals further problems. The enforcement action followed a 2016 review in which the regulator said it found weaknesses in the banks risk management and compliance that management had failed to tackle. The review showed HBL had failed to properly screen thousands of transactions and had processed payments for known criminals and sanctioned entities, among other failings. The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so, Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo said in the statement. DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States without holding it accountable for putting the integrity of the financial services industry and the safety of our nation at risk. HBL disclosed it was in negotiations with the DFS last month and said the potential fine and closure of its New York branch would have no material impact on its business outside the United States. HBL is pleased to have this matter behind it and has begun the orderly wind-down of its New York operations, Matthew Biben, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and the banks U.S. lawyer, said in a statement. HBL believes that the opportunity to resolve this matter consensually at this time is in the best interests of its investors, shareholders and customers. HBL remains committed to strengthening its operations and controls. The DFS said a court hearing set for later this month had been canceled as part of the settlement. Pakistani brokerage firm Intermarket Securities said the hefty fine would hurt profits and could force HBL to issue foreign-currency subordinated debt to pay the regulator. But the sum was manageable and the medium-term outlook for the bank should not be affected, it said in a research note. Under the circumstances, we believe it makes sense for the bank to take this one-off hit, rather than approaching courts which would have put the share price under a cloud for longer. A 40-year-old womans throat was slit, her feet chopped off and silver anklets stolen when she went to relive herself in a forest in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, police said. The murder of Geeta Ruhela, a resident of Mahabal village in Rajgarh district, highlights the challenges open defecation continues to pose to the security of women and the governments Clean Indian plan. Around 564 million Indians, the highest in the world, defecate in the open. More than half of rural India 52.1% -- relieves itself in fields, forests or other open spaces. The Swachh Bharat mission aims to put an end to the practice, which is a health risk, by October 2019 by building individual, community and cluster toilets. The Ruhelas didnt have one at home and walked half a kilometre to the nearest jungle. Geeta left her home at around 7.30pm on Thursday. She was pulled away to a nearby corn field and the assailants first slit her throat and then chopped off her feet to remove the anklets, leaving her to die, police said. Some villagers heard her cries for help and rushed to the field but found Geeta dead. Ruhela, a milkman, returned home after his evening rounds and found his wife missing. On seeing people in the field on the outskirts of the village, he went their and saw his wife lying dead. At least two persons were involved in the crime and could have been following Geeta when she left home, Rajgarh sub-divisional officer police DK Naik said. A village of 800 people, Mahabal has 160 houses, 110 of them do not have toilets. Madhya Pradesh was among the worst performing states in the 2016 Swachh survey, .43,392 villages of the 52,000 still practice open defecation. The state aims to build toilets in 12.2 million houses by 2019. Under the Swachh campaign, the government is giving subsidy for constructing toilets. Mahabal residents complain those who got toilets made where yet to receive the money. The problem goes beyond building toilets, which in many are being used as store rooms or even shops. People consider toilets at home unhygienic and for Clean India to succeed, the mindset has to change, social activists say. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Earlier this year, I was on a panel discussion moderated by David Remnick, the brilliant editor of New Yorker, to discuss whether globally journalists are under siege. Partly mindful of how quick western audiences are to caricature India (while being more blase about, lets say, Saudi Arabia) and partly because I genuinely believed so, I objected to India being clubbed with Russia and Turkey. I argued that there were indeed many grave issues with media freedom in India - smear and intimidation on social media, flawed revenue models and an absence of institutionally guaranteed access to information --- but our journalists, I said, were not quite being thrown into prison or killed, like in other parts of the world. The assassination of veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh this week made me pause and reconsider my confidence. It also made me revisit my initial assumption. Seventy journalists were killed in India between 1992 and 2016, according to a report by IndiaSpend; 142 were attacked over a two-year time period up until 2015. These statistics brought home my own cocooned class privilege as a journalist who lives and works in the capital. Though I receive a rape and a murder threat on a weekly basis online --- and sometimes offline too, and outspoken women are way more vulnerable than their male colleagues, I honestly cannot compare my situation or that of my colleagues in the big metros, with the real foot soldiers of our professions - stringers in small towns and villages, reporters who work fearlessly and often unsung, braving threats without rewards or protection. Ram Chander Chhatrapati, the journalist who first exposed the rape complaints against Ram Rahim, for instance, was shot dead, and not one of us marched for him. These are admittedly our failings and if theres one tribute we can offer Gauri - who spoke and wrote for the underdog and the marginalised - its that we learn to respect the lives of those who exist in social circles we do not move in with as much fierce passion as we keep for those we know and love. Gauris murder is a wake-up call for press freedom; its also a reminder to us to honour those who went before her, and those who may, god forbid, follow. What depresses me this week, almost as much as her murder, is the unbearable polarisation and ugliness that has followed it. Yes, Gauri was a trenchant critic of Hindutva and yes, her assassination took place on the watch of a Congress-led government. We should be pushing the Karnataka government and the Union home ministry for justice. We should promise ourselves that we wont let her murder become as forgotten headline, like that of rationalist thinker MM Kalburgi, did. Instead we have reduced grief to a contestation of ideologies, drawing lines in the sand between the Left and the Right and the BJP and the Congress and reducing the memory of Gauri Lankesh to a utilitarian plaything between warring, self-serving camps. And a moment that should have united as journalists has become another sad occasion for petty spats and instant judgments and lazy determinations of good and evil. Who are we becoming? At the Delhi Press Club protest against Gauris murder, I spoke to say, silence is complicity. I meant it. This was a targeted killing; this was a chilling message to media. But the opposite of silence is not squabbling among ourselves and sullying the memory of a brave and feisty woman with innuendo and dirt. I dont agree with many things Gauri Lankesh wrote and said and I am sure she didnt always like me or my work. But thats the whole point of freedom isnt it? That we speak for the rights of the individual? That every citizen is entitled to her views, within the generous width provided by Indias stellar Constitution? The real danger to Indian journalism today is the pressure to be popular. I have seen younger colleagues, not as thick-skinned as some of us are able to be, modulate their views and opinions to what they think the majority wants to hear. They worry about being called presstitutes or anti-nationals, they want the comfort of fitting in and of being accepted. It may be a natural human instinct, but a reporters job is to stand alone when needed and to be disliked when necessary. It is also our job to speak - not just for those we agree with, but especially for those we disagree with. Gauris death warns each one of us to not to take online threats of violence and abuse lightly. I received a tweet soon after her murder telling me it should have been me instead of her, a blase death wish that got many likes. But I will not allow the toxicity of Twitter and the poison of slander to become an instrument of censorship. That, if anything, is what we owe Gauri and the other journalists, who died in the line of duty. Barkha Dutt is an award-winning journalist and author The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Before she left her village to catch a flight to Delhi, Sunita Kambles grandmother had some advice for her: Dont talk to strangers, follow instructions and, above all, dont wave your hand out of the window. Nobody in Kambles family had ever seen the inside of an airplane. But Kamble was flying, to Delhi to be recognised as one of 12 women transforming India, an award given jointly by Niti Aayog, MyGov and the United Nations. As Indias first woman goat doctor in drought-prone Mhasvad, Maharashtra, Kamble artificially inseminates goats to create a hybrid breed that can be an alternative source of livelihood. Among the 12, some are already recognised for their remarkable work Laxmi, survived a horrific acid attack, took her fight to the Supreme Court and won. Safeena Husains Educate Girls has put 2 lakh girls in school in rural, remote and tribal areas. Arunima Sinha lost a leg and became the first female amputee to scale Mount Everest. Subasini Mistry, a tiny woman with a mighty heart, swore shed build a hospital after her husband died because he couldnt afford treatment. For 20 years she sold vegetables, did manual labour and domestic work, saving enough to buy some land in her husbands village. Additional funds came from the community, three doctors agreed to volunteer and what began as a one-room clinic is now a 45-bed hospital where major procedures cost Rs 5,000. Why should we know these stories? Its not just to recognise individual triumph, but also to learn and be inspired. These women tell us that heroism is not dead. They were wonderful role models to a new generation of young women. They provide an alternative narrative to the cynicism and sensational news stories that weve come to expect. Is it possible to break out of poverty, escape an abusive marriage and create a micro-enterprise network that provides livelihoods to 3,000 women? Kamal Kumbhar of Maharashtra did it. Is it possible to stand up to the forest mafia and save forest land? Jamuna Tudu aka Lady Tarzan of East Singhbhum, Jharkhand did it. Her sons epilepsy motivated Rajlakshmi Borthakur to devise a smart glove that can predict seizures before they happen. Cancer survivor Kanika Tekriwal set up Indias first marketplace for chartered jets. Kiran Kanojia is Indias first female blade runner. And when kids couldnt make it to school in her village in Meghalaya, Shima Modak took education to their doorstep. These stories open a path to possibility. When youre the first woman to do something, there is a lot of pressure to do it well, said Harshini Kanhekar, Indias first woman fire-fighter said. But nothing is impossible. These women are proof that nothing is. Namita Bhandare writes on social issues and gender The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its a photo op none wants to miss. The competition is fierce. The prize: To get BJP president Amit Shah dine with a handpicked Dalit family. Ahead of Shahs two-day visit beginning September 19, the BJP leaders are jostling among themselves to get their Dalit household grab the honour. BJP insiders say the party legislators and the district office bearers are approaching party state president Ajay Bhatt with a request that Shah dine in their area. During his two-day stay, Shah will attend meetings with legislators, state office bearers and other senior leaders. For the last four months, the BJP president is travelling through various states. Bhatt said though Shah was earlier scheduled to spend three days, the tour was cut short. As part of the Dalit outreach programme, Shah is expected to have a meal with a Dalit family. He had done this in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and other states where he visited in the last few months. In the assembly polls earlier this year, the BJP won 57 out of the total 70 assembly seats. Political experts say a section among the Dalits - who traditionally voted for the Congress - shifted to the saffron party, and this gives the party the hope to consolidate its position among the Dalits. Khajan Das, BJP dalit legislator from Rajpur constituency, told Hindustan Times that several Dalit families from his constituency want Shah to dine with them. Personally, Das feels he has genuine Dalit families in his constituency. Having a meal with a Dalit family is not just a formality but it also sends a strong message that the BJP believes in equality. As a legislator, I will be very happy if the BJP president spends some time with a schedule caste family from my constituency, he admits. Several slums are located in the Rajpur constituency and the BJP legislator says he has a stronger case as only downtrodden families live at such places. Bhatt accepts that the party leaders are coming to him with the requests but adds either the lucky Dalit family was picked nor Shahs office has passed any communication on whether he is interested in having meal with a Dalit. The visit has a broader purpose, he asserts. Besides having a word with the party leaders, Shah will assess the progress of the Prime Ministers pet programmes. Beti Bachao, Beti Padao is one such message which has to pass on till the grass-root. We have been doing our bit, Bhatt says. Shah will also have a word on the coordination between the government and the party organisation, he adds. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dehradun mayor and MLA Vinod Chamolis public spat with the district magistrate over a liquor shop has put the spotlight on alleged strained relations between public representatives and bureaucracy in the state. On Wednesday, Chamoli sat on a protest at the district collectorate to seek closure of a liquor shop in his constituency, but lost his cool when district magistrate SA Murugesan met him after about two hours. Though the district magistrate insisted that he was caught up with some important meetings which led to the delay, an enraged Chamoli immediately sought chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawats intervention to seek an apology from Murugesan. A video of an aggressive Chamoli speaking to Rawat on phone has since gone viral on social media and has been evoking criticism for the mayors use of harsh language against the DM. This is not the first incident of BJP ministers or MLAs protesting against bureaucrats in the state. Prior to this, ministers Satpal Mahraj, Rekha Arya and other party MLAs have openly spoken against alleged high-handedness of bureaucracy. It suggests not all is well within the (BJP) government...neither the system is working efficiently nor public representatives are being heard in the triple engine government, said Dehradun-based political observer Jay Singh Rawat. The controversy also seems to have played into the hands of the Congress, which has accused the BJP leaders of behaving indecently with and pressurising public servants. The behaviour of the mayor has put the BJP government in the dock... when a ruling party leader has to resort to such actions, it raises a question on the entire system, said Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana. While the BJP appears to have distanced itself from the controversy in which the mayor is seen targeting the functioning of his own government, the clash has also left the ruling party on a sticky wicket. It was just last month when a violent scuffle between supporters of minister Mahraj and Haridwar mayor Manoj Garg (who is a protege of minister Madan Kaushik) had left the saffron party red-faced. And now, this incident involving the Dehradun mayor has caused another embarrassment for the ruling party, just ahead of BJPs national president Amit Shahs visit to the state. When contacted, BJP state unit president Ajay Bhatt claimed that the states bureaucracy was very much under control. They are working as per instructions given by the state government. He, however, added that the mayor should not have got himself into an unnecessary dispute. He is not just a mayor but also a ruling party legislator and I dont think he should have gone (to DMs office) at all to protest...anyway, the problem arose because of lack of communication (between mayor and DM). He (Chamoli) was under a lot of pressure as an MLA but the DM, too was busy in important meetings, Bhatt told HT. Bhatt, however, asserted that there was a lakshman rekha for both officials and public representatives to follow. Officers should respect public representatives, but they (leaders), too, should remain within their limits, he said. HT tried contacting the mayor and the DM, but calls to both went unanswered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON DEHRADUN: The Uttarkhand governments housing policy that recently got the Cabinet nod will provide houses to some one lakh economically weaker section (EWS) families by 2022 besides giving boost to real estate and keeping urban areas free of slums, an official said. Through the new housing policy, we primarily aim to provide one lakh EWS category houses to the homeless at heavily subsidised rates in urban areas by 2022 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, secretary, housing, Amit Negi told Hindustan Times. Besides, the strategy will also help beautify all urban areas as those living in slums will be shifted to EWS category houses. The scheme would also provide a much-needed boost to the real estate business which was facing slump for the past some time. The real estate sector will get a boost because as per the housing policy, real estate developers will be entitled to a number of incentives. He said it was now mandatory for real estate developers to build 15% flats for the EWS if they would build a housing complex in more than 5,000 sq metre area. At the same time, those in the realty sector would be entitled to incentives under the policy if they would offer to set aside 35% flats for the EWS families and sell them to the state government for Rs 6 lakh each. In that case, land use conversion charges will be waived off. Besides, they will have to pay less stamp duty in comparison, Negi said. All such incentives will encourage real estate developers to build more residential complexes, which will give boost to the realty sector. It will also lead to more consumption of steel, cement giving boost to the manufacturing sector. Negi asserted the housing policy would be implemented in keeping with the Pradhan Mantri Housing Scheme for All. That will help us provide the EWS houses to the poor at highly subsidised rates, he said, adding that of Rs 6 lakh of the total cost of an EWS flat, a subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh would be provided by the Centre. So, in all, an EWS flat would not cost more than Rs 3.5 lakh to a poor family. Similarly, a host of incentives proposed under the housing policy would motivate real estate developers to build more residential complexes for the poor in urban areas. Under the policy, if real estate developers meet some of the conditions, they will be permitted to build flats for the middle and the higher income groups and also sell them, Negi said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi governments plan to set up more mohalla clinics could hit a hurdle as the civic agencies are likely turn down the formers request to transfer 121 sites under their jurisdiction. Though the three agencies are yet to submit their formal replies, the administrative and deliberative wings have said most of the sites suggested by Delhi Government are not feasible to establish the facilities. Out of 121 sites, 48 were demanded from the North corporation. Most of these sites are located in the premises of the corporations primary schools, community centres, parks or child welfare centres. Preety Agarwal, mayor, North DMC said, We are already running short of space for our own projects so how can we provide land to another agency? Moreover, the Delhi government should first make the existing mohalla clinics successful after which they should think of setting up other such facility. On August 23, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had called a meeting with municipal corporation officials to inform them about the requirement for land/sites for mohalla clinics. The three corporations had to submit the feasibility report to the department of health and family welfare. But none of three civic bodies have submitted their replies so far. Sharing the reason for the delay, a senior North DMC official said, The sites belong to multiple departments and collecting replies from them will take time. In two-three cases we have received feedback but the departments have refused to transfer land. According to a South Corporation official, land within the education institutions or schools cant be used for other purposes as per the high courts directions. Allotment of land in community centres could lead to chaos on days the facilities are booked for social events. Neema Bhagat, Mayor, East DMC, said the transfer of land for mohalla clinics is a policy decision and needs approval from the house and the standing committee. The process will take lot of time and I dont think it will receive approval in the house. Though we are in favour of establishing the primary health facilities for citizens, we also need to ensure that it should not lead to chaos or parking issues, she said. Apart from that, there are certain locations where multiplicity of agencies exists. For example, the land used to run night shelters by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board originally belongs to the municipal corporation. In these cases, it is not easy to transfer the land without changing land use, said a senior South Corporation official. Of the total, 56 sites fall in the jurisdiction of the South Corporation. Despite repeated attempts, the Delhi Government spokesperson was not available for comment. Delhi Police has arrested a 34-year-old man who lured women using fake profiles on matrimonial websites and extorted money from them. Police said the arrest of Yogesh Garg alias Sameer has also led to the rescue of a 42-year-old school teacher, a divorcee, and her 12-year-old son, who were in his alleged custody. Nupur Prasad, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), said Garg has cheated over 15 women and extorted more than Rs 50 lakh from them, mainly by threatening to post their objectionable photos and videos on the social media. Garg used to upload fake profiles on matrimonial sites, identifying himself as an IAF officer or a high-profile investment banker who is the son of a retired IAS officer, to lure match seekers. Once he would win the confidence of a woman, he would shoot objectionable photos and videos to use them for extortion. Interestingly, nobody duped by Garg ever came forward to register a police complaint against him. The DCP said he was arrested following investigation into a complaint by a resident of east Delhis Vivek Vihar about a school teacher and her son going missing. The man told the police that his sister and nephew were missing since Sunday. He said his sister had recently uploaded her profile on a popular matrimonial website and she had come in contact with one Sameer Garg. The complainant suspected that Garg lured his sister and took her away with her son. Later, he told the police that he had convinced his sister to meet him, feigning his fathers ill health. He called her to meet him at AIIMS. We laid a trap at the hospital but the suspect managed to escape with the woman and her child. It was learnt that they were going to board a train to Mumbai from New Delhi Railway station. We reached there and caught the conman and rescued the victims while they were boarding the train, said Prasad. The woman told the police that Garg promised he would marry her and took her to Vaishno Devi and Goa on the excuse of meeting his parents. She alleged that Garg has taken about Rs 3 lakh from her. A case of rape and cheating has been registered, the DCP said. A 56-year-old Delhi Police sub-inspector (SI) shot himself dead using his service pistol in his personal car at the premises of Delhi Armed Police (DAP) in northwest Delhis Model Town on Friday afternoon. Police said the car was locked from inside. A suicide note was recovered in which the SI has written that he was disturbed and under stress because of family issues. Milind Dumbre, deputy commissioner of police (northwest), said the incident took place around 3.30 pm at DAPs second battalion office. The deceased was identified as SI Bale Singh. Police said Singh was posted in the second battalion for the last two years. On Friday afternoon, a police officer said, the sub-inspector reached second battalion office in his Renault Kwid car. He parked his car in the office compound and remained seated on the drivers seat. Police said SI Singh was in police uniform. At about 3.20 pm, staff members in the second battalion office heard a gunshot sound in the campus. They rushed towards the area where the firing had taken place and found a Kwid car. The SI was seated on the drivers seat. A bullets entry and exit wounds were found in his temple. After exiting from Singhs head the bullet had pierced the car as well, said the officer. Dumbre said that the car was unlocked and the sub-inspector was rushed to Babu Jag Jivan Ram hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. His family members were informed about his extreme step. The body was later shifted to the hospitals mortuary where the autopsy will be conducted on Saturday. In the one and a half page note, the officer said, Singh has written about mental stress due to problems in his family. Singhs wife and son live in Jhajjar, Haryana. His other son is posted in the police control room (PCR) department of the Delhi Police while his brother, who is also in the force, is posted in southeast district police. ENDS The Not In My Name protests were back at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, this time against the killing of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. This is a reminder of how dangerous India has become if you stand against the politics of hatred. As citizens, we are shocked at the impunity with which murders and assassinations are being deployed to settle ideological scores. The murder of Gauri Lankesh is part of the cycle that witnessed the recent killing of Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Narendra Dabholkar, said filmmaker Saba Dewan, whose Facebook post in June condemning the lynching of a 16-year-old Muslim boy in Ballabgarh triggered protests in 26 Indian cities and abroad under the banner of Not In My Name. The two-hour protest gathering, which started at 4pm, saw many journalists, activists and students participating. Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub also attended the agitation. There were poems and speeches by veteran journalists, academics and individuals associated with Lankesh. Under the banner of Not in My Name, the gathering at Jantar Mantar here also resolved not to be buckled under threats of violence by fascist elements . (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) JNU student leader Umar Khalid, who described the Bengaluru-based journalist as a friend and a mother figure, said these are tough times but people should walk with heads held high. There is a list. My name is also there. Shehla Rashid, Kanhaiya Kumar, Kavita Krishnan, Arundhuti Roy, all these names are on that hit list. We are not afraid. We will continue fighting. We will have to remember how she lived, he said. JNU student Umar Khalid at the protest on Thursday. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) Amid the crowd of seasoned protesters at Jantar Mantar, few newbies had also turned up. Kamla Nehru College final year economics students Vibhuti Upadhyaya, Shruti Gupta and Naina Arora came to Jantar Mantar before the protest began. It is time students speak up and participate. A journalist and activist is gunned down and the government is answerable, Upadhyaya said. Bollywood actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub addresses the gathering at the protest. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) Their friend from the journalism department, Shruti Mishra, 20, said it was an experience to cherish. This is the first protest I have ever attended. I have seen the agitations on TV, have had class discussions but never been to one. Now, it is high time to get involved, she said. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also attended the protest at Jantar Mantar. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) The Not In My Name campaign now will organise 100-odd small events on September 10 (Sunday) across residential areas, on streets and important intersections, everywhere where people want to join in and say Nafrat Ke Khilaf Dilli Ki Awaaz. Filmmaker Sanjay Kak, one of the organisers of the platform, said these kind of events give a voice to dissent. Silence is not an option. Gauri also said that. Not In My Name says the same thing. It is a plea to normal people to come out and hit the streets. Sunday we have organised small 100-odd events. But slowly we have to widen our focus. Gone are the days when a small group just speaks out. Hopefully after this Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 1,000 events will be organised, Kak said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With slogans, songs, cheers and jeers, the Jawaharlal Nehru University was nothing short of a festival ground on Friday, when students cast their votes to elect their next representatives. Voters said they have chosen their candidate based on party affiliations, gender and identity politics, and agenda for the university and students. Though the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) polls had a lukewarm start with not many turning up for the morning polling sessions, by the end of the polling at 5.30pm, over half of the 7,904 voters had cast their ballot. The turnout came to over 58.69 per cent with 4,639 students casting votes. A security guard checks IDs during JNU student union election. (Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO) There are six candidates in the fray for the seat of president, four for vice-president, four for general secretary, and six for joint secretary. While there are five major student unions in the fray, most believe that the competition might boil down to the united left an alliance of the All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students Front (DSF) and the RSS backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). A supporter shouts slogans during the election. (Vipin KUmar /HT PHOTO) Other unions include Congress National Students Union of India (NSUI), Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA) and the Communist Party of Indias All India Students Federation (AISF). An independent candidate MD Farooque Alam is also running for the post of president. The incumbent left, which was an alliance between AISA and SFI last year, is positive about retaining the central panel. They had swept all four central seats and all except one councillor seat, last year. We will win again this year. There is no doubt about it, said Mohit Pandey, the outgoing president of the JNUSU, who had won the seat as an AISA-SFI alliance candidate last year. Pandey added that their top contenders would be ABVP. They will come in second, he said. AISF candidate Aparajitha Raja with supporters during JNU polls. (Vipin KUmar /HT PHOTO) However, the ABVP which had won a single seat in 2015, hopes to break the stronghold of the left on campus and come to power. We are the biggest single student outfit on campus. We have not had to make any alliances. We are confident that this time students will vote for ABVP as they are fed up with the zero achievement regime of the left, said Saket Bahuguna, the spokesperson of ABVP. The common voters, however, said the presidential debate was the deciding factor for them. We are more concerned with our rights. I hear there is an independent candidate who has been talking about the issue of people with disabilities, said Shweta Mandal, a provisional PhD candidate at JNU. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The parties are the same.The polling dates are around the same time a gap of four days to be exact. JNU goes to polls on Friday and DU on September 12. But ahead of the much-watched student union elections in Delhi University and JNU, most parties have been talking in different tones on the two campuses. Sample this. When it raises the issue of womens safety, the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) talks little differently at both campuses. At Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys presidential debate on Wednesday night, ABVP candidate Nidhi Tripathi asked her opponents how they could talk about womens safety when they were silent on the contentious issue of triple talaq. But triple talaq found no mention in the ABVPs manifesto for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election. At DU, the Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) talked about the violence at Ramjas College and the alleged misappropriation of funds but in JNU, the presidential candidate Vrishnika Singh spoke about rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs alleged association with BJP leaders. Issues such as demonetisation and One Rank One Pension scheme did not even find a mention in the NSUIs DU manifesto but on Thursday at JNU, Singh targeted the Centre for failing to implement OROP. She spoke about ex-army man Ram Kishen Grewal, who had committed suicide over non-implementation of the pension scheme. The All India Students Association (AISA) is another major player in both universities. In its DU manifesto, the student outfit focused mostly on issues such as infrastructure, new colleges and the violence at Ramjas. In contrast, in JNU, Geetika Kumar, the presidential candidate from United Left, which includes the AISA, spoke about Rohingya Muslims. Geetika started her speech with the alleged genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and how the government was allegedly refusing shelter to the refugees who had escaped to India. She also spoke about the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Assam, another issue that found no mention in the partys DU manifesto. While the AISAs DU manifesto did not mention anything about intolerance, love Jihad or branding of Muslims as terrorists, its JNU candidate spoke at length on these subjects in her presidential debate. The ABVP raised the importance of Hindi language in its DU manifesto. We would try to make post-graduate classes available in Hindi medium and provision for Hindi medium exam writing mode as well, reads its manifesto. On Wednesday night, in JNU, the party took a dig at Left parties for allegedly stopping multinational companies -- where English is the unofficial lingua franca from coming to campus for placements. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 50-year-old owner of a departmental store was murdered by unidentified persons at his three-storey retail establishment in south Delhis Gautam Nagar on Thursday night. Businessman Sudhir Gupta was attacked multiple times on his head apparently with an iron rod that was found lying near his body on the ground floor, police said. The crime took place around 11pm when the store was closed for the day. The main iron shutter was down and Gupta had entered the store from the back gate to count the days collection and update account books. Police said there was no sign of forced entry suggesting Gupta knew the attackers. The role of an insider is being probed since only the family and staff members knew that Gupta used to return to the store to update the account after closing down the store and reaching home late in the night. Initial investigations have ruled out robbery since everything in the shop was found intact. Police suspect the motive could be personal enmity or a property dispute. The store has 16 CCTV cameras but all of them were lying defunct for almost a year, said the police. No cash or valuable was missing from the store. Around Rs 6 lakh was kept in the cash counter but the attackers did not touch it. We have registered a case of murder at the Hauz Khas police station and are probing it from all possible angles, said Chinmoy Biswal, additional deputy commissioner of police (south). Biswal said that at 11.15pm, Guptas son Shivam reached the store and found his father lying unconscious on the floor with head injuries. Shivam alerted his family members and the police control room was informed at 1.40pm. By the time a police team reached, the family members had rushed Gupta to a nearby hospital from where he was shifted to AIIMS trauma centre. Doctors at the trauma centre declared Gupta dead on admission, said Biswal. Gupta is survived by his wife Suman, daughter Chandni and two sons, Shivam and Krishna. He ran the departmental store for more than 30 years. Chandni and Shivam used to assist their fathers in the business. The family lives in Gulmohar Park area that is some 400 meters away from the store, where more than 30 staff are employed. Guptas employee Dheeraj told Hindustan Times that his employer used to close the shop by 10 pm every night. On Thursday, Dheeraj said, Chandni and Shivam were at the store when Gupta asked him to drop him home on his motorcycle. I dropped bhaiya (Gupta) outside his home and reached my Faridabad home around 11.30 pm. At about 12.30, my colleague Kamlesh telephonically informed me that bhaiya (Gupta) was attacked by unidentified assailants, said Dheeraj, who along with other staff were called at the police station for questioning. The family members said that Gupta used to go for a stroll every night after coming home from the shop. He used to visit the store as well during the stroll. On Thursday night, he left home on his bicycle and went to the store. Around 10.40 pm, he called Shivam on his mobile and asked him to come pick him up. Shivam reached there at 11.15 pm and found his father on the floor in a pool of blood. We dont know what happened between that 35 minutes, said Guptas cousin Chintu. India has been on the boil over cow vigilantism for some time now. Taking note of the disturbing climate in the country, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked state governments to appoint in every district a senior police officer whose job will be to stop violence in the name of cow protection. Proposing measures to stem what it called growing violence by so-called cow protection groups, the SC said the nodal officers would have to ensure that vigilantes did not become a law unto themselves. States have a week to comply with the courts order. The focus on cow protection, especially by vigilante groups, has risen since the BJP-led government took power in 2014, and several states ruled by the party made laws to punish cow slaughter. Emboldened by the States lack of will to tackle them, these vigilantes have targeted cattle and meat traders, transporters and even farmers walking with their cattle. Along with deaths and injuries, such attacks have played havoc with the rural economy. The violence has led to absence of a secure resale value/market for non-productive cattle, leading to problems for those who have to maintain them. Farmers are now being forced to opt for buffaloes since they have a slaughter value. Buffalo slaughter is legal in India. A story published in June, IndiaSpend, a data portal, said Muslims were the target of 51% of violence centred on bovine issues over eight years (2010 to 2017) and comprised 86% of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents. The attacks include mob lynching, attacks by vigilantes, murder and attempt to murder, harassment, assault and gang-rape. In two attacks, the victims/survivors were chained, stripped and beaten, while in two others, the victims were hanged. That the Supreme Court has taken note of the rampaging cow vigilantes and drawn up an action plan for tackling them is shameful for the states that have allowed things to go out of hand. Many would also term the SC order as excessive interference in matters that fall within the jurisdiction of the executive. But when the executive fails to deliver, the courts have to step in. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked technical institutes that denied admission to students from Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) across the country to ensure they accept eligible candidates or be ready to face action. Under the scheme, the Central government offers the scholarship to 5,000 Kashmiri students to enable them to pursue higher education in professional, general, and medical streams outside their state. The regulatory body for higher education has been given the task of implementing the award of scholarships to candidates from the restive state. Unfortunately, a number of instances have been brought to our notice not only by the candidates themselves but also from other quarters, including government departments, that quite a number of the colleges have refused admission on flimsy grounds such as non-awareness of the scheme, seats not being available in the college, outright refusal for unknown reasons, etc, AICTE vice-chairperson MP Punia said in a letter to the technical institutes on August 23. To say the least, this attitude of such colleges smacks of callous attitude towards the government of India sponsored scheme but also towards a matter of national importance, he wrote. The Union human resource development ministry and AICTE have asked all the principal secretaries of states and directors of technical education to issue clear advisories to institutes and colleges falling under the purview of AICTE, University Grants Commission, and Indian Nursing Council to grant admission to eligible Kashmiri students. The process of allotment of seats in various institutions, shortlisted from across the country to provide admission to Kashmiri candidates, for this academic year has been completed. The multi-crore scheme has also been in the news for benefitting far fewer students than the specified number of students. There have been instances of students being allotted bogus colleges, and all-women institutions being earmarked for male students. On other occasions, the allotted colleges did not take the provisional admission letter seriously instead of asking the students to deposit the fee in advance. Last years, students of Jaipur-based Suresh Gyan Vihar University complained that the scholarship money meant for was not released despite an assurance from Union home minister Rajnath Singh. Launched in 2011 following the previous years unrest in the state, the annual monetary support comes up to Rs 90,000 for hostel fees, Rs 10,000 for incidentals and stationery, and anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 3 lakh for the tuition fee. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the responses from the AAP government and the Centre on a plea alleging an alarmingly uneven distribution of science and commerce streams in the government schools in New Delhi. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also issued notice to the CBSE on a plea alleging issues of non-uniformity and cherry-picking practice of Delhi government in offering science and commerce streams to students at the intermediate level in the government schools. The bench asked the city government, the Centre and the CBSE to file affidavits on the matter and posted it for further hearing on November 28. The plea, filed by Yusuf Naqi through his counsel GM Akhtar, said the allocation of science and commerce streams have been done in an uneven manner which cannot be justified, thus causing grave injustice and prejudice to the pupils here. There are a total of 41 government schools in central Delhi, wherein only 2 schools offer science stream throughout the entire district, whereas in north east district of Delhi, there are as many as 18 schools out of total 38 which offer science stream at intermediate level, the plea said. The plea also alleged that since only two government schools in central Delhi have the science stream in their curriculum, the willing students of this area are required to travel to other districts of the National Capital Territory. Though there are government educational institutions offering science and commerce streams at intermediate level, however the distribution of such schools offering science and commerce streams is alarmingly uneven and it is evident from the government records that there are shadow pockets in different regions of Delhi that do not offer science and commerce streams at all, in their academic curriculum, it said. Regulation in education has been introduced since governments in developing countries presume higher education also to be a public good that requires financial support from the government. But no government has been able to fund higher education. Many believe higher education to be largely a private good whose benefits accrue more to the individuals as they become able to earn their livelihood, although society too benefits from a literate and educated population. Perhaps the recognition of this viewpoint led to moderation of strict regulations in the education sector in most western and developed countries. Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, where higher and professional education has flourished, are also following the liberalised regime in comparison to countries such as Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, where education has remained traditional because of strict government policies. Since Independence, various commissions, committees and learned scholars have advocated for the academic freedom of choice for higher educational institutions to achieve excellence. The Education Commission (1964-66) highlighted that only academic freedom to the teachers can help develop an intellectual climate in our country that can further go a long way in achieving educational excellence. The National Policy on Education 1986 stated, There is a widespread feeling that the present stage of higher education is largely the result of the overt and covert interference by external agencies. Universities, it is argued, should be truly autonomous and accountable. Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (2005) also favoured functional autonomy of universities to enable them to generate human capital for the knowledge era. Despite the viewpoints of noted academicians, our higher educational institutions are controlled and monitored by a number of professional bodies. These include the Bar Council of India (BCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Medical Council of India (MCI), Council of Architecture (COA), and others. Besides, some state governments have also set up their own bodies that obstruct the autonomy of the institutions. All these regulators exercise their authority apart from the University Grants Commission (UGC) which is the supreme regulating body for universities. What Centre is doing In light of multiplicity of regulations, the Union government is contemplating to do away with many regulations and create a single one, the Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA). We have the examples of some of the best universities of the world such as Harvard and Stanford that could reach and sustain at the top of the pyramid because of the absolute autonomy vested in them by their governments and society. Imagine, if these universities were also bounded by the shackles of regulatory mechanisms, could they have reached the epitome of success? State governments in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh timely (from late 1990s and early 2000s) sensed the importance of doing away with rigid laws and policies, and offered a liberal regime for higher educational institutions to thrive. Thus, by 2010, these states were successful in establishing majority of the private medical, engineering, management and nursing colleges of the country. States in the north have realised the same much later and therefore Punjab too is a late starter. But fortunately Punjab is in a growth and expansion mode, looking forward to competing with universities in other states and countries. Universities are meant to create excellence which should reflect in quality of education, transparency, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, employability, industrial collaborations, and international competitiveness. All these endeavors need autonomy because all these, especially industrial and foreign collaborations, which are most crucial for experiential learning and joint quality research, can be dampened by over-regulation. Universities should also be encouraged to become sustainable by creating their own corpus fund for research innovation and entrepreneurship. Let students, parents judge In this age of information and technology, complete information is available on social and digital media. Students and their parents spend a considerable time in comparing and contrasting institutions in terms of numerous parameters such as infrastructure, curriculum, learning outcomes and placements. Naturally, universities or institutions which fail to satisfy these requirements are increasingly being rejected and facing closure. In the last five years, the AICTE permitted closure of 507 institutions. This year, in the engineering stream alone, 275 institutions of higher learning have applied for closure. In light of the above, there is a strong need to back up the efforts of performing institutions, may it be in the public sector or the private sector. Government should not infringe upon the fundamental right of students to select an institution of their choice to pursue their professional dreams. It is ironical that, on the one hand government is planning to come out with a single regulatory authority, and on the other hand some state governments have set up additional regulatory bodies, which, experience shows, have not helped the cause of excellence. Time has come to shun this approach and give way to excellence in higher education wherein students, parents and industry act as the judges. Putting it simply, too many regulations negatively affect the teaching and learning process, making achieving excellence that much more difficult because regulation does not involve any quality benchmarks, whereas accreditation does. Self-regulation is the most effective and productive regulation. Autonomy with accountability and accreditation should be the norm. (The writer is vice-chancellor of Chandigarh University, Mohali. Views expressed are personal.) New Delhi The Supreme Court will today hear a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by lawyer GS Mani, in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) aspirant S. Anithas death case. Anitha, 17-year-old Dalit girl who was the face of the fight against NEET, took her life on September 1. NEET is an all-India entrance exam for admissions to dental and medical colleges. The teenager from Ariyalur had petitioned the Supreme Court against the implementation of NEET 2017 in Tamil Nadu. The plea also wants the Tamil Nadu Government to maintain law and order and ensure that protests over Anithas death dont disrupt normal life. The PIL has demanded a judicial inquiry by retired High Court judge. A day after the suicide protests were held across Chennai on September 2 by many groups, including the Left parties and PMK. The protestors blamed both the state and the Central Government for Anithas death. The Tamil Nadu government had approached the SC against making NEET compulsory for the state and sought exemption for its students, arguing that it would put the rural and poor students of the state at a disadvantage when compared to others in the country. S Anitha, daughter of a daily wage labourer from Ariyalur district, had petitioned the Supreme Court against the NEET seeking its abolition on behalf of rural Tamil Nadu state board students. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged students of colleges and universities to not miss Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on September 11, terming it a life-changing programme. A similar note has been sent by the All India Council of Technical education (AICTE) to the directors of technical colleges. The Prime Minister will address them to mark Pandit Deendayal Upadhyayas Centenary Celebrations and the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas address at Chicago Worlds Parliament of Religions. The theme of the programme is Young lndia, New lndia - A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Sidhhi. The UGC has issued a circular to all universities across the country, urging them to propagate the event effectively. Institutions have been asked to install proper TV/ projection facility for wide viewing. The students and teachers may be encouraged to participate in the event. The programme/ venue may be prominently displayed on the campus notice board, states the circular issued by UGC. The AICTE note too asks the institutes to provide an opportunity & facility to teachers and students to view the PMs address by identifying a common place, audio-visual room or auditorium in the campus and installing of proper TV or projection facilities. It is requested that the above event is propagated effectively and interested students obtain the facility to view such a significantprogramme that could be life-changing, stated the AICTE. The Prime Minister will address the nation to remind one and all about the relevance and significance of Swami Vivekanandas teachings in the backdrop of todays social milieu. It would be of particular importance for the youth of today to understand and absorb the content of Swami Vivekanandas messages to the world, in order to ensure their right educational, career and spiritual growth, reads the UGC circular. The UGC has asked vice-chancellors to ensure students and teachers are encouraged to participate in the event. The programme/ venue may be prominently displayed on the campus notice board, it said. Swami Vivekananda was a philosopher saint who, through his teachings, strove to infuse knowledge amongst people that addressed their spiritual as well as socio-economic needs, in order to enhance the quality of their lives. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One candidate, from ward 28, filed nomination for the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) elections on Friday, the first day of filing nominations. Most of those who visited the designated electoral offices confined themselves to collecting nomination forms. Prospective candidates could file their nominations at the Mini Secretariat, Kadipur community centre, Vikas Sadan, Haryana roadways office at the bus stand, Zila Parishad office and sub-tehsil office in Sector 56. During a visit by the Hindustan Times correspondent to some of the offices where prospective candidates could file their nominations, the offices wore a deserted look; officials present stated that they did not receive a single nomination and said that they only distributed nomination forms to them, whose count they said were in single digits. I am in no rush to submit my form. I want to examine the form closely and ensure that all the details are filled correctly. Ill submit the form in the next three days, Dharamveer Bharti, a prospective candidate from ward 10 said. Dharamveer said he will participate in the elections as an independent candidate. Some candidates who collected the nomination forms are waiting for a nod from the political party they are affiliated to file their nomination. I have been involved with my party in Gurgaon since 2004 and have also undertaken several development projects within my locality. However, the decision of selecting me as a candidate rests on my party. I would only contest the MCG elections with the party symbol, Amit Goyal, a prospective candidate from ward 19 said. Amit is also a member of the Sector 15 part 2 RWA. Some candidates did not file their nominations on Friday as the period from September 8-13 is coinciding with the Shradh period, which is considered to be inauspicious for new ventures as per Hindu beliefs. Most said they plan on submitting their nomination on September 12, which is the festival of Mahalakhsmi Vrat, considered a day of good fortune. The nominations will close on September 13 and the subsequent day, documents of prospective candidates will be scrutinized. The final list of candidates will then be released on September 15. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The district administration is leaving no stone unturned in encouraging the electorate to participate in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) polls for 35 Wards on September 24. In a meeting held under election observer Dr Abhilaksh Likhi on Thursday, the district administration officials said that social networking websites and such as WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook are being used to reach out to every voter to urge them to exercise their franchise. On the occasion, observer Likhi, principal secretary to the government of Haryana, agriculture and farmers welfare department, launched four special publicity vans. With the aim to conduct MCG elections in a fair and peaceful manner, the Haryana state election commission has appointed three observers. Besides Likhi, who has been appointed as observer election, the deputy excise and taxation commissioner (inspection) Ashok Yadav has been appointed as the observer (expenditure) and the inspector general of police, Indian Reserve Battalion, Bhondsi, KK Rao has been appointed observer (police). The results of MCG election will be declared the same day. Deputy commissioner (DC) of Gurgaon, Vinay Pratap Singh, said, Four such publicity vans will roam the city to encourage voters to participate in the elections and exercise their democratic right. We have been trying to communicate with every voter through Twitter, WhatsApp and other media to ensure they turn up in large number at polling booths and turn up to elect the candidate of their choice. The administration also informed the observers that the administration will conduct shows in this regard at cinema halls also. The administration also launched a voter helpline application, which one can use to procure details of his or her polling booth. The administration officials also said that in case one finds irregularities in the code of conduct, a complaint can be lodged with Dr Likhi on phone number 9811156107 and Rao on number 9811134209. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The death of a Class 2 student of Ryan International School at Bhondsi, Gurgaon, on Friday has put the spotlight back on safety in various schools of the city. Fridays incident once again pointed out that though parents end up paying hefty fees to such schools, they can hardly be sure about the well-being of their children. Over the last few years, Gurgaon schools have found themselves in the news for all the wrong reasons molestation, firing, lewd comments and death of students. All these incidents have made parents concerned about the safety of their kids. Smriti Chhabra, a resident of DLF Phase-2 and a parent, said, This is shocking and we have no idea how safe our children are at school. The schools should take action to ensure safety of our children. Another parent, Tripti Singh, a resident of Sector 61, said, Our children are not safe and it is sad to see no action beig taken against schools. All the facilities that the school in the city promises are just an eye wash. On 5 July, a class 9 student of CD International School allegedly jumped off the third floor of the school building, located in Sector 48. The victim allegedly had an argument with his parents a few days before the incident over buying a new bike. In a separate incident, the parents of a nine-year-old girl were left horrified on May 23 after the childs hand allegedly caught between a door at Intellitots Daycare Centre in Gurgaon and her ring finger was severed. Earlier, in the first week of May, a 13 year-old girl student of a school in South City-1 was forced to change her school after she found that a file containing lewd comments about her was shared by some students on the local school network. Not just injuries and mental harassment, but unexplainable deaths of their kids at schools also have left parents in the city concerned about the safety of their children. Most parents said that schools put in place a proper mechanism to check the background of their support staff. We have no clue about the drivers, cleaning staff, teachers and other people involved in taking care of our children at schools. Proper verification should be done by schools, said Sangeet Kumar, a sector 30 resident. In May last year, a Class 3 student of Ryan International School in Sector 40 was killed after being hit by a car. The incident happended after the school bus had dropped the victim on the wrong side of the road. Earlier, a six-year-old student of Ryan school in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi was found dead inside a water storage tank on the school campus on January 30, 2016. In December 12, 2007, a 14-year old was killed inside the premises of Euro International school, Sector 45, Gurgaon after two students opened fired at him. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Veteran English actor Judi Dench loved the company of her co-actor Ali Fazal while shooting for their upcoming international film, Victoria & Abdul. The two attended the Venice Film Festival for the world premier of their film, and couldnt stop gushing about each other. Fazal plays the character of Abdul Karim, a man from Agra, who was appointed as an attendant to Queen Victoria (played by Dench) and went on to become one of her closest confidantes. Dench says that she shares a special bond with Fazal the two got along well while shooting for the film. If today, in fact, Ali walked in where I was, you wouldnt recognise me. I would be a spring chicken, all over the place. So beautiful, she beams. Dench also draws similarities between their on screen and off screen relationship. She shares, Abdul was someone, [with whom] she [The Queen] could actually relax, all formal protocols cancelled. A real proper relationship, being able to speak her mind with somebody, I think thats what it was. Its exactly what I have with Ali. Fazal, who admits that he was intimidated by the James Bond star, has now grown comfortable around the actor. While shooting, the duo got along very well and bonded on sets on various things they like, including Bollywood and world cinema. Now, Fazal, too cannot stop gushing about Dench and the aura around her. We both share a [similar] sense of humour that is the key to a friendship, and a certain comfort. My dame makes me look good I am honoured to have been a part of her troupe and this film. And her reaction makes me ecstatic, adds Fazal. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Seven years ago, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar rejected Rs 5 crore in flood relief extended by the Gujarat government then headed by chief minister Narendra Modi. The picture has changed now. The Janata Dal (United) leader was photographed on Thursday accepting a Rs 5-crore cheque from Gujarat revenue minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama for flood relief in Bihar, hit by heavy monsoon rains that have killed more than 150 people this year. About six million people are affected by floods across the state, according to a state official. Handed over a cheque of 5 Cr. to the CM @NitishKumar ji & Dy. CM @SushilModi ji for the flood's relief fund offered by Gujarat Govt. pic.twitter.com/4qJfXH2lpv (@BhupendraSinh1) September 7, 2017 In 2010, Kumar had refused the Gujarat governments financial help, apparently miffed over an advertisement featuring him and then Gujarat CM Modi that highlighted assistance to Bihar after the 2008 Kosi floods. He had also cancelled a dinner for BJP leaders after the full-page advertisement appeared in vernacular dailies. Kumar said the Gujarat governments claim was uncivilised and against the Indian culture. Nobody claims of bestowing favours on those who face tragedy caused by natural calamities, he said. Speaking about the episode five years later, Modi said he was hurt when the arrogant Kumar rejected Gujarats aid. At the time of the Kosi tragedy, an arrogant leader was not worried about the pain and sufferings of the flood victims, the Prime Minister had said in a veiled reference to Kumar. Chudasama tweeted a second photo with Bihar officials, saying: Due to floods, visited Bihar to patronize in relief fund as per the decree taken by GoG. Due to floods, Visited Bihar to patronize in relief fund as per the decree taken by GoG. On arrival officials welcomed me at patna airport. pic.twitter.com/riZlND9uRG (@BhupendraSinh1) September 7, 2017 Kumar recently returned to the NDA fold after quitting the Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress over corruption allegations against Lalu Prasads son, Tejashwi Yadav. He broke up with the BJP before the 2014 general election, days after Modi was appointed the poll campaign chief for his party. (With inputs from agencies) Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the government will undertake a programme from next year to enrol 70-80 lakh students in the country who are out of schools. There are about 70-80 lakh children who are not going to schools. We have thought of a plan to address the problem... it will be known as school chalo abhiyan, Javadekar said while addressing a seminar here on International Literacy Day. Many states have started it already. From next year onwards we will launch it in the entire country with more planning. He said that a lot of progress has happened in the country since 1947 in that we have achieved 81 per cent literacy which was 18 per cent at the time of Independence. Stressing that literacy, as we know it, is not enough, he emphasised on getting digital literacy to the masses. This is not only the time for literacy in terms of reading and writing, but of digital literacy as well. And people have moved in that direction already. Rural India alone has 70 crore mobile phones, said the Minister. When all these challenges are met, we will be able to fulfil Prime Ministers dream of 100 per cent literacy, digital and otherwise, by 2022, he added. Minister of State (HRD) Satya Pal Singh, who also addressed the event, advised people to read a bit of Indias history, which he said, led the world in education during as recent as 19th century. The problem is that we do not read... Thomas Monroe (a British administrator) had written an account in the year 1810, in which he mentioned that India had 100 per cent literacy..., he said. We have a lot to do now. I am new to the Ministry but we will plan on what can be done to bring complete literacy. A call for help from a 34-year-old man from Tripura to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter worked and he was back home within days after he complained about being ill treated by his employer in Saudi Arabia. Gopal Das, who went to Saudi Arabia nearly two years ago for a job, landed at Agartala Airport on Thursday. The resident of Barpathari village in South Tripura District claimed he had not received his salary for the last six months and was tortured by his employer when he asked to be paid. Das said he had to take shelter in a garage after he was kicked out of the house last week, after which he called his wife and told her about his situation. His wife brought the matter to local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ranjit Sarkar, who in turn sought the partys media cell coordinator Russell Sinhas help. Sinha suggested Das forward him a video talking about his plight and requesting the Prime Ministers help to rescue him. Sinha tweeted Das video crying for help on August 31 tagging Swaraj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others. The Indian embassy in Riyadh responded to Sinhas tweet and asked him for Das phone number. After verifying the contents of the video, the embassy contacted Das and rescued him. Urgent: @SushmaSwaraj mam this person in Saudi needs your help, Gopal Das a low wage worker from Tripura.@narendramodi ji @Sunil_Deodhar ji pic.twitter.com/oUwMHXltaM Russell Sinha (@russellsinha) August 31, 2017 Name Gopal Das, Mob- +966536327044, he is from Tripura India , dint got wages for past 6 months, his owner beat him badly if he ask for it Russell Sinha (@russellsinha) September 1, 2017 not audible. Please quickly share his mobile number, we will send him home India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) September 1, 2017 we will help.have spoken n counselled him. he is in abha. requesting our @CGIJeddah to talk to sponsor 0508781033 n help him return home India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) September 1, 2017 Talked to Mr. Gopal.He has got ticket for Wednesday.Issue if his pending salary taken up with sponsor. @NoorRahman_IFS India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) September 3, 2017 Swaraj, who is followed by over nine million people, has earned praise in the past for helping Indians abroad, who reach out to her through Twitter. Swarajs external affairs ministry has launched a Twitter Seva to ensure timely, transparent and large-scale response to citizens tweets in real time. The service is being supported by 198 Twitter accounts of Indian missions abroad and 29 regional passport offices. Swaraj was named in the Global Thinkers of 2016 list compiled by the Foreign Policy magazine. The magazine recalled how, when around 10,000 Indian workers in Saudi Arabia faced a food crisis earlier this year due to job losses, Swaraj tweeted about the issue to her followers on the social media website. A day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the countrys first full-time female defence minister, the army on Friday announced that it is giving finishing touches to a proposal for inducting women into the military police. The proposal is very significant as women will be inducted in the militarys non-officer cadre for the first time, although they will be in a non-combat role. In a presentation made at the army chiefs conclave, adjutant general Lieutenant General Ashwani Kumar said, The proposal is being finalised for induction of 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52. The three-day conclave, hosted by army chief General Bipin Rawat, is being attended by eight former army chiefs. The platform provides an opportunity to the force to draw on the collective experience of its former leaders and seek their inputs on key issues. The force expects the plan to move fast under Sitharaman. The proposal is being pushed by General Rawat himself. Lieutenant General Kumar said women were required in the Corps of Military Police (CMP) to investigate gender-specific allegations and crime. The women will be inducted as junior commissioned officers and jawans. The armed forces account for around 3,500 women officers, all of whom are in non-combat roles. Women were allowed to join the military as officers outside the medical stream for the first time in 1992. The move to induct women in the CMP comes at a time when Indias first female pilots are preparing to fly warplanes after they complete the last leg of their training later this month. The IAF had to crush internal resistance to grant women equal opportunity in the service. In the navy, women are still not permitted to serve in submarines and warships, while the army bars them from front-line ground combat positions and tank units. An idyllic village, TV Puram in Keralas Kottayam district has turned into a fortress, with a heavy posse of policemen guarding a modest three-room house of Akhila Ashokan, now Hadiya Jahan. The 24-year-old homeopathy doctor has been confined to her house for the past three months after Kerala high court annulled her marriage to a Muslim youth, Shefin Jahan (26). Her father, Ashokan, an ex-serviceman, had alleged there was forced conversion and raised fears of her being sent to war-hit Syria to join the militant outfit Islamic State (IS), in the light of 21 missing Muslims, five of them converts, believed to have done the same last year. Hadiya rubbished allegations of forced conversion, and questioned her confinement. My mother gets angry when I do namaz. I dont know why they are confining me like this, she said in a recent video shot by Hindu activist and author Rahul Easwar. However, she was not available for comment on whether she wished to go to Syria. WHAT HIGH COURT SAID "This is not a case of a girl falling in love with a boy of a different religion and wanting to get married to him. In such cases, the court has been consistent in accepting the choice of the girl. This case is different." "The decision to get married, the most important in her life, can only be taken with the active involvement of her parents. The marriage which is alleged to have been performed is a sham and is of no consequence in the eye of the law" "The nature provides numerous examples of even animals taking care of and protecting their progeny sacrificing their very lives for the purpose. The Homo Sapien is no exception. The forces operating from behind the curtains have succeeded in creating hostility in the mind of Ms. Akhila towards her parents. During our interactions, we have seen the anguish and sorrow of the father, who was pleading with his daughter to return home".... "The court is concerned with welfare of a girl of her age. The duty cast on the court is to ensure safety of at least the girls who are brought before it can be discharged only by ensuring that Akhila is in safe hands" "This is not a case of a girl falling in love with a boy of a different religion and wanting to get married to him. In such cases, the court has been consistent in accepting the choice of the girl. This case is different.""The nature provides numerous examples of even animals taking care of and protecting their progeny sacrificing their very lives for the purpose. The Homo Sapien is no exception. The forces operating from behind the curtains have succeeded in creating hostility in the mind of Ms. Akhila towards her parents. During our interactions, we have seen the anguish and sorrow of the father, who was pleading with his daughter to return home".... Ashokan said she does. She told me told me several times that she wants to go to Syria and treat the injured there. He also pointed to her husbands Middle East connections. Shefin works in Muscat, and his parents are settled there. He had initially planned to take her there, but the court ruled against his favour. Ashokan stressed that he wanted to take her to the Middle East and then push her to trouble-torn areas. Shefin denies all these. He rues that he has not been allowed to stay with his wife for more than two days. The claims and counter-claims went to court. While the HC annulled the marriage, the Supreme Court, further, directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the circumstances of the marriage. The move raised eyebrows, with activists questioning the judicial intervention in personal choices. They say being a pluralistic society, inter-faith marriages are common and a terror agency probe will leave a question mark on such marriages. TIMELINE Dec 19, 2016: Akhila Ashokan alias Hadiya and Sefin Jehan get married. Dec 22, 2016 : Haduyas father moves Kerala high court. Dec 23, 2016 : Hadiya appears before HC, says she converted to Islam in August. Father says she was indoctrinated while pursuing her studies. High court sends Hadyia to a girls hostel, asks police to probe alleged love jihad. May 24, 2017: After hearing police, HC annulls marriage, sends Hadiya to parents custody. Aug 16, 2017: SC orders NIA to probe the case. Last week, in north Keralas Kannur district, a local court ordered police to give protection to the family of K Rajan, who feared for their lives after his 23-year-old daughter was brought back home following her marriage to a Muslim youth. In another case, a farmer sniffed trouble when his daughter, Athira Nambiar (21), who had cut off ties with him, applied for a passport to Yemen on the advise of her handlers in a Muslim outfits hostel. The strife-torn country, they said, was the ideal destination for true believers. Following court intervention, he got her back. Now in Arsha Vidya Samajam, a Hindu religious school which houses two-dozen girls who returned to Hinduism, Athira hates to call herself a victim of love jihad, a term coined by Hindu outfits but claims that certain circumstances led her to Islam. There was a big spiritual vacuum for me. All my friends were from Islam and three things attracted me to Islam promise of heaven, it gives maximum protection to women and a single god. Now I am convinced my religion also ensures these traits, she said. Athira and Hadiya were sent to the same Muslim school, Sathyasarani in Malappuram districts Manjeri, for indoctrination. Their teacher was also the same, AS Zainaba, the president of the National Womens Front, the womens wing of Popular Front of India (PFI), a fundamentalist outfit which came into shape after the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and whose activists were involved in chopping the palm of a professor who prepared a question paper allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammed. A state police investigation, initiated in connection with the conversion of Nimisha alias Fathima, one of the missing 21, found similarities in many other cases. A report submitted to the police chief identified two recognised religious centres in Kozhikkode and Malappuram Tharbiyathul Islam Sabha and Monunsthil Islam Sabha behind the conversion of 5,793 people between 2011 and 2105. Of these 4,719 were Hindus and 1,074 Christians earlier. In most cases the modus operandi and the people involved were same. There is an organised group behind this. Workers of the fundamentalist group like Popular Front of India came under radar on several occasions. But political leadership were not ready to take it up properly fearing communal tension, a senior police officer said. During hearing in Hadiyas case, NIA also pointed out the similarities to the SC. Hadiyas husband, Shefin, a PFI activist and former administrator of radical sites, however, accused the police of being partial to Muslims. In Kerala, RSS and CPI(M) workers kill many political opponents. Can you ban them citing these incidents? he asked. With the investigations still on, religious groups on both sides are trying to cash in on the controversy. Hindu activist Easwar, against whom Hadiyas father had registered a complaint for shooting a video without his consent, said they were not against interfaith marriages. Our country always celebrated pluralism. But forced conversions are against the spirit of pluralism. Let us respect all religions and we need a law to check forced conversions, he said. But Muslim leaders say the SC order gives much credence to a misnomer called love jihad. Love jihad is the creation of the Sangh Parivar. There is no forced conversion. We cant help if some people are attracted to our religion, said Hameed Vanniambalam, president of the Welfare Party, political wing of the Jamat-e-Islami. Other Muslim leaders believe the case of 21 missing Muslims was an aberration and the whole community had disowned them. They say it is wrong to paint a larger canvass citing an isolated incident and blame the missing incident for the knee-jerk reactions from judiciary. Relatives of the missing, however, welcome the state and judician intervention, saying such a stand earlier would have saved their kin. More than a year passed since my daughters disappearance. Many agencies probed it but I am yet to get some concrete information. Nobody heard us properly, said Bindhu, mother of Nimisha, adding that she was not against any religion or belief but sending innocents to war-torn areas after indoctrination was a cruel game. For Hadiya, her parents fear and the judicial overreach has taken a toll on her personal freedom. In the video shot by Easwar, her question is: Is this what you all want? Is this how my life will be? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The pressure built by the Congress forced the BJP government to grant loan waiver to farmers in Maharashtra and UP, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi said in Nanded in Maharashtras Marathwada on Friday. Gandhi said Maharashtra farmers may get only Rs 5,000 crore of the Rs 34,000-crore loan waiver announced by the government two months ago. The Congress rallies for loan waiver forced the Maharashtra government to write off the loan. We held rallies in UP, met lakhs of farmers and filled up two crore forms demanding waiver. This put tremendous pressure on the UP and Central government, he said. Gandhi said while Ratan Tata was easily given land worth Rs 65,000 crore for his Nano plant in Gujarat during PM Modis tenure as CM, farmers were being made to fill forms with their caste and other details for loan waiver. Key Congress leaders from the state, including state chief Ashok Chavan, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and leader of opposition in the assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil were present at the rally held ahead of elections in Nanded next month. The Narendra Modi-led government has destroyed farmers, farm labourers and small traders with his policies. Demonetisation hit farmers, women and poor citizens the most. The PMs first said it will help unearth black money and curb terrorism. The recent count of the old currency has exposed his false claims. Modiji has failed to keep his promise of two crore jobs a year as his government could generate only one lakh jobs in three years. His government has failed to address the problem of unemployment, he said. Gandhi said the government was not bothered about the country and its unity, but only interested in widening base of BJP and RSS. A 48-year-old Chinese national arrested for alleged theft of diamonds died in the Thane central jail, a prison official said. The Vanrai police in adjoining Mumbai had arrested Jiang Changquing and another Chinese national Deng Xiaobo (45) on August 1 for allegedly stealing two diamonds worth Rs 36.5 lakh from an exhibition centre in suburban Goregaon. Both of them were subsequently remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Thane central jail. On August 29, while having lunch with Xiaobo in the prison, Changquing collapsed all of a sudden, Thane jail superintendent Nitin Waychal told reporters on Thursday. He was rushed to the jail hospital and then taken to Thane civil hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he said. The jail authorities and the district police later informed the Chinese Embassy about the death, Waychal said. The deceased had no previous medical history, he said. The autopsy was done at Mumbais J J Hospital where the body was handed over to Changquings family members on Wednesday, the official said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel had nabbed Changquing and Xiaobo at the Mumbai international airport minutes before they were about to board a flight to Osaka in Japan on July 31, police earlier said. The duo, who had arrived in the city on July 30, visited an international jewellery exhibition at NESCO ground in Mumbais Goregaon area on July 31 afternoon. They engaged the sales executive at one of the stalls in conversation, asking several questions, and managed to steal diamonds on display by replacing it with fake ones. The stall owner noticed the theft after the duo had left. The police then alerted CISF officials at the airport. The duo had cleared immigration checks when the CISF personnel apprehended them, police had said. The police interrogated the accused for about seven hours with the help of an interpreter, and recovered the stolen diamonds, they said. Subsequently, both were arrested on August 1 under relevant IPC sections for cheating and theft. The blame game between the Congress and the BJP over the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh continued on Friday. While the main opposition party questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the murder, the ruling side accused the Karnataka government of failure in providing adequate security to Lankesh. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also demanded proof from the BJP for the allegations that the journalist was a supporter of Maoists. He also asked why the Prime Minister was still following on Twitter those who had justified and celebrated the killing of Lankesh. For his part, senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the malafide comments on the regrettable and unfortunate killing of the journalist-activist. Displaying copies of news reports of Lankeshs brother Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Maoists, Prasad asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her adequate security. Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...so was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government... and if so, why was she not provided adequate security? he asked at a press conference. Taking on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Prasad said he had already blamed RSS wing groups for killing the journalist. How then can a fair probe be expected from the Congress government in Karnataka? he asked. The Delhi high court on Friday refrained from passing any interim order restraining TV journalist Arnab Goswami and his news channel Republic TV from airing any news or debate in connection with Shashi Tharoors wife Sunanda Pushkars death case. Justice Manmohan issued notice to Goswami and the channel and sought their responses on Tharoors plea to restrain them from allegedly misreporting the contents of court proceedings related to Pushkars death. The court said the matter required detailed hearing and only after that, a detailed order could be passed on it. It also observed that the Congress leader has not shown any law by which investigation cannot be done by the journalist. Show me that after the first date of hearing (May 29), he (Goswami) has called you a murderer, the judge said, adding I cannot dictate what should be the editorial policy of a news channel. Not (any interim order) at this point, the court said and directed Goswami, Republic TV to file their responses with regard to Tharoors application seeking direction not to make any defamatory publication against him in any manner. The Congress leader has alleged that after the last date of hearing on August 16, the journalist and his channel continued to indulge in misreporting and had broadcast an 8- hour programme on September 4 related to his wifes death. Tharoor moved a fresh application through advocate Gaurav Gupta in the pending Rs 2 crore civil defamation suit filed against Goswami and the Republic TV for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him while airing news on the death of Pushkar. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Goswami and the channel, opposed Tharoors fresh application saying we have not made any accusations while airing the news. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. The matter is still under investigation. In their affidavit filed before the high court, the journalist and the channel said they have neither condemned Tharoor, nor suggested that he was involved in the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. They have have also denied that Tharoor was called the killer of his wife by him or the channel, as alleged by the Congress MP. The politician has alleged that despite assurances given in the court on May 29 by the counsel for Goswami and Republic TV, they were engaged in defaming and maligning him. The Congress leader had also sought direction to them that they should not mention the expression murder of Sunanda Pushkar anywhere, since it is yet to be established by a competent court whether her death was murder. The court had on May 29 said the journalist and his news channel could put out stories stating the facts related to the investigation of Pushkars death, but could not call the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram a criminal. It had also told their counsel to reduce the rhetoric. Taking cognisance of a media report, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Friday ordered an inquiry to ascertain if the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda had sent 14 bodies to a medical college in Lucknow earlier this year in violation of rules. He has asked the Director General of Health Services to complete the inquiry at the earliest. There have been reports in the media that about 14 bodies being sent from the Dera to a medical college in Lucknow. If this was done, all formalities should have been completed. The reason for sending the bodies must also be ascertained, Vij said. The head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is in jail after being convicted for rape. On a controversy surrounding government grants being given to the Dera, the minister said he had gone to attend a sporting event organised by the Dera a year ago and had announced a grant for the promotion of sports. This grant was not given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. It was given to encourage sportspersons of the Dera, he said. Whenever any grant is given to any society or institute, it has to submit utilisation certificate which is examined by the government from time to time, he added. Asked whether he would reach out to the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda in future to seek votes, he said, We seek votes from all. It is the Deras head who has been convicted by the court and the Dera has not been declared illegal, he said. During the last Assembly polls in Haryana, the Dera head had announced support to the BJP. Protests have erupted across the country in wake of the gruesome murder of senior journalist and publisher Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. In Delhi, journalists and activists took out a protest march on Wednesday, highlighting that press freedom was being muzzled and scribes are being targeted. They also demanded that the perpetrators be brought to book at the earliest. However, a video of student activist Shehla Rashid lashing out at a journalist and asking him to leave has gone viral on social media. In the 2.20-minute long clip, the former JNUSU vice-president is heard berating a Republic TV journalist who was pointing a microphone to her. Stopping her speech midway, Rashid vented her ire on the journalist to loud applause from the audience which had gathered outside the Press Club of India. I am sorry, I do not want Republic TV here, Shehla said, accusing the channel of covering up the murder of Gauri Lankesh and asking them to get out of the event. These people- they work on the orders of the BJP MP- who funds the channel and that is why they have been covering up the assassination, she alleged. People on social media, including senior journalists reacted strongly to Rashids shaming of the journalist, who was doing his job and pointed out that freedom of speech is not unilateral. Heres how people reacted on Twitter Humiliating reporters a shame, that too on pretext of protecting liberal ideas. PCI musn't let activists throw out reporters doing their job https://t.co/rLet4pfQjH Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) September 7, 2017 what Nonsense!! The place didn't belong to @Shehla_Rashid . Press Club of India belongs to the press. How can she ask reporters to get out?! https://t.co/XnA1gewxsi richa anirudh (@richaanirudh) September 7, 2017 @Shehla_Rashid On one side you are protesting against the killing of a senior journalist, On other side you are killing freedom of press. https://t.co/NcVH19PbEO Sajid (@Ibne_Sena) September 7, 2017 Really? This is spine? Humiliating a journalist for doing his job? Wah! Good on @sneheshphilip for being dignified about it https://t.co/2rMFM1YNQx Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) September 7, 2017 Freedom of expression is only accorded to those who agree with you? @Shehla_Rashid https://t.co/PsfVpyscfG Rohit Agarwal (@ragarwal) September 6, 2017 Shehla Rashid didn't expect the Republic TV reporter to find support from journalists of other channels. Ruined her plan. Nupur (@UnSubtleDesi) September 7, 2017 You are so double faced that you want to boot out Republic Tv from a protest meeting summoned for Lankesh. Expected a some decency. Sanbeer S. Ranhotra (@SSanbeer) September 7, 2017 When @Shehla_Rashid act her true self- immature & arrogant! Insulting Professionals doing their jobs for a few hoots & claps! Shame on you! https://t.co/vw9h3Qp9XU Pradeep Joseph (@mpofficejoseph) September 8, 2017 2nd opportunity @jomalhotra @abaruah64 . Repeat after me: its shameful for ANY activist to throw out ANY journo doing his job on ANY street https://t.co/DJU4DrGmRo Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) September 7, 2017 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to book people protesting against a common medical entrance test if they disrupted normal life, cracking down on a campaign that was triggered by the death of an aspiring doctor who was one of the petitioners against NEET at the top court. The order was passed on a petition filed by advocate GS Mani, who complained of a breakdown in the law and order in the state due to the protests. The protests flared after Anitha, who was among petitioners seeking a stay on the implementation of NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) in Tamil Nadu, committed suicide last week. She had scored top marks in her Class 12 exams, but did not make the cut in NEET, which was a deviation from the previous process of medical admissions that banked heavily on boards results. Mani said the agitation has snowballed since last week with the participation of political parties and medical aspirants who have taken to the streets in protest. A bench led by the chief justice of India Dipak Misra ordered Tamil Nadu government to maintain law and order. It said the state has to comply with the directions of the five-judge bench and asked the state to book in accordance with law those indulging in any form of agitation against NEET. The court, however, said it was not averse to peaceful protest and demonstration that did not result in violence Formal notices were issued to the state and its principal home secretary. States top law officer, advocate general, was asked to be present before the court on September 18. Court made the two bureaucrats accountable to implement the order. It said leaders can also be booked if they try to jeopardise normal life. DMK working president MK Stalin defied a ban on protests by the SC and the police, and began holding a rally in Tiruchirapalli. His rally was scheduled before the SC order, and he decided to stick with it after a meeting with other opposition leaders, including those from Congress, Left parties and VCK. They agreed that the NEET protest should go on. TTV Dinakaran, who was to address an anti-NEET gathering, however, cancelled his programme after the SC order. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJP alleged on Friday that the Congress government in Karnataka didnt provide security to murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh and questioned the apparent lack of outrage over the killing of several RSS workers in Kerala. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the murder of the 55-year-old editor and activist, and pointed out that Lankesh was working with Maoists to ensure their surrender. Was she doing it with the approval of the state government? Why was she not provided adequate security? Why such a security failure by Karnataka? he asked. Lankesh was gunned down by unidentified assailants at her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday night, her murder triggering a wave of protests across India. But Prasad also questioned what he called the hypocrisy and double standards of liberals. Why are they silent when RSS workers are killed in Kerala? Dont they have human rights? He also criticised Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who had indicated that the RSS and BJP were behind the killing of Lankesh -- a lifelong critic of Hindu right-wing elements. I want to ask, if Rahul Gandhi has already declared people guilty, can we expect a fair probe? He also hit out at the Karnataka government for the sluggish investigation into the murder of rationalist MM Kalburgi, who was gunned down two years ago. Investigators probing journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder will look into a BJP legislators statement that the 55-year-old editor would be alive if not for her writings against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy told Hindustan Times on Friday that he had instructed the special investigation team (SIT) to look into MLA DN Jeevarajs controversial comment. But Jeevaraj, the BJP MLA from Sringeri, said his intention was not to justify the killing and instead focus on an apparent breakdown of law and order in the state. The BJP, too, asked the legislator to explain his stand, sources said. Lankesh, a known opponent of the Hindu right-wing, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. Her death triggered waves of protest across India. Hours after her death, Jeevaraj told a rally in Koppa town in Chikkamagaluru district on Wednesday, If Gauri Lankesh had not called the murders of RSS workers as sacrifice, would she have been murdered? Jeevarajs statement caused quite a stir, with some citizens from Koppa filing a complaint against him on Thursday. Addressing a bike rally that flouted prohibitory orders, the MLA not only justified the murder but also spoke in a manner that aimed to stoke communal polarisation, the police complaint read. Chief minister Siddarmaiah, too, took exception to the comment. What does this statement mean? Does this not make it clear who is behind the murder? he tweeted on Thursday. But speaking to Hindustan Times, Jeevaraj denied the charges. I had said that if Gauri Lankesh, who was close to the chief minister, had condemned the killing of Sangh workers, the government would have taken action and cracked down on anti-social elements, which would have also stopped her killing. In this state, people across the ideological spectrum have been killed since the Congress came to power. So I said that she should have been critical of the government and that maybe that would have helped them curb these murders, he said. I had even called her my sister in the speech, he added. Nearly a month after Union home minister Rajnath Singh appealed to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders of Darjeeling, an eight-member team of representatives of the hill parties met him again with the plea to start tripartite talks for the creation of a separate state. Raising the one point agenda of Gorkhaland, the delegation members requested the Union home minister to initiate the process of tripartite talks on statehood issue... Since the (Bengal) chief minister has already stated that the matter of statehood is not within ambit of the state government, the GJM members urged the Union home minister to initiate the process of tripartite talks, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) said in a press release. The hills of north Bengal have been reeling under an indefinite shutdown that entered its 86th day on Friday. Ten people have died so far in the current phase of agitations for a separate state that started on June 8. Although the home ministry did not issue any statement, members of the delegation claimed success. The Union home minister told us that he had earlier spoken to Mamata Banerjee on this issue and would speak to her again and request her to call a tripartite meeting, Arun Ghatani who represented the Communist Party Revolutionary Marxist in the meeting, said on phone from Delhi. The meeting was a success. Every meeting is a step ahead, said Swaraj Thapa, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) central committee member. On August 13, Rajnath Singh had told a team of agitators from the hills that they would have to hold talks with Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has vowed not to allow a separate state to be carved out. Read more: Gorkhaland stir: Rajnath appeals to Mamata to talk to stakeholders, agitators not convinced The GJM representatives to meet Singh on Friday were Rohit Sharma (MLA Kurseong), Sarita Rai (MLA Kalimpong), Swaraj Thapa (central committee member), Roshan Giri (general secretary) and Ashok Lama (leader of Dooars). The other three were Arun Ghatani (Communist Party Revolutionary Marxist), Biplov Rai (Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League) and Dawa Pakhrin (Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha). In a meeting between the representatives of GJM, Gorkha National Liberation Front and Jan Andolan Party at the state secretariat on August 29, Mamata Banerjee clearly said her government has no jurisdiction to discuss a separate state, and that she was opposed to it. The GJM members urged the Union home minister to speak to honourable chief minister of West Bengal and bring to a stop the continuous raids on GJM leaders and workers. Even today police disrupted a legitimate street corner public meeting in Darjeelings Chowk Bazar area and rained lathis on the crowd who had gathered. Tear gas shells were also fired... read the GJM statement. Referring to the earlier meeting with Rajnath Singh, the statement said, The GJM had also called off indefinite hunger strike by Yuwa Morcha members on August 13, 2017 honouring the appeal of the Union home minister. Incidentally, senior GJM leaders including Bimal Gurung, facing charges under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act slapped by the state government, are believed to be in hiding somewhere in Sikkim. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Being unruly on a flight can earn passengers a three-month ban, which can stretch up to a lifetime if someone jeopardises the safety of an aircraft, according to new aviation rules that came into force on Friday. The rules are part of the governments rollout of a national no-fly list to crack down on people who misbehave during air travel, an issue that gained attention earlier this year after a member of parliament beat up an elderly Air India staffer. We can never compromise on safety and security. The No-Fly ban will be in addition to any statutory legal action that can be taken against the offender under existing laws. Goes without saying, but since many have asked, the No-fly list provisions are applicable to every passenger. No exemptions, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said. The rules are technically called the Civil Aviation Requirement. Offences have been graded into three levels, with the ban period increasing with the severity of the infraction: Level 1: Unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation: Ban up to three months. Level 2: Physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, inappropriate touching): Ban up to six months. Level 3: Life threatening behaviour -- assaults, damage to aircraft systems etc: Ban is minimum of two years and can stretch indefinitely. A special Internal Committee will be set up to rule on complaints. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the committee will be chaired by a retired district judge, and its members will include those who represent the airlines and flyers. Representatives for the passengers can be someone from a flyers associations, a consumer rights groups, or a retired officer of the Consumer Forum. One it receives a complaint against a flyer which will need to be issued by the pilot in command the committee will have 30 days to decide. During this period, the passenger will not be able to fly with the airline. In case the committee fails to take a decision in 30 days, the passenger will be free to fly. Should a person repeat an offense, the airline will have the right to double the period of ban. Appeals against a ban will be heard by an Appellate Committee that will be formed by the civil aviation ministry. This panel will include a retired high court judge as its chairperson. People from backgrounds similar to the passengers representatives in the internal committee will be its members. From the industry side, the representative will be an airline officer no junior than a vice-president level airline official. Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said it will not be mandatory for other airlines to ban the same passenger. Action can only be taken if passengers unruly behaviour has taken place inside the plane otherwise the agency has to approach the police for action. The no-fly list will be available on the DGCA website. It was in late March this year when Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beat up an elderly Air India employee over seat allocation. A video of the assault went viral on social media, triggering nationwide outrage and forcing the politician to apologise in Parliament. Shortly after, the government announced it will bring rules to tackle such behaviour and put in force a national no-fly list. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Newly-appointed minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Friday said the government is working hard to double farmers income by 2022. The government over the last three years has been working to minimise the cost incurred by farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Shekhawat was in town to meet Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and other state leaders after being inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Interacting with reporters here, Shekhawat asserted that borders of the country have become secure and the world sees India as a strong nation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power at the Centre. He saw India taking its rightful place in future. The minister discussed the issues affecting farmers and agriculture schemes in Rajasthan. Shekhawat promised that he will raise the same in Parliament, along with other members of the Cabinet from the state. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday said he did not expect anything at all to come out of Union home minister Rajnath Singhs visit to Kashmir Valley. I have no expectation at all. He will come, he will meet as he had done before. He led a delegation of MPs (earlier). What happened to that delegation and their recommendations? Nothing happened and I expect nothing to happen now, said Abdullah, the president of the opposition National Conference. He was talking to reporters after a visit to Naseembagh mausoleum of his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 35th death anniversary. During his four-day visit beginning on Saturday, Singh will travel to Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Rajouri and meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others, a move seen as a follow-up to the prime ministers Independence Day speech in which he had reached out to the people of the valley. In response to a question on the arrest of separatist leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as part of its probe into terror funding, Abdullah said, That is the tragedy. If you have come to talk to anybody, then those people (separatists) should be released so that they can tell the home minister what they have to tell. It is important that they should be released and they can tell him what is in their minds and hearts, he said. Abdullah said he would accept the NIA raids on separatists as genuine only if these actions throw up something against them. If it is only to harass them (separatists) so that they bow before them (government), I want to tell the NIA and the Government of India that no one here is ready to sell their beliefs, he added. On the steps taken by his National Conference for defending Article 35A of the Constitution which has been challenged by an NGO before the Supreme Court, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar said his party had already prepared a team of lawyers for this purpose. I have also spoken to the lawyer. We will have a good representation of lawyers who will defend Article 35A, he said. Article 35A provides special rights to permanent citizens of the state. On the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru, Abdullah said it was the most tragic event for us all who want to defend democracy, who want to defend against the communal tendencies that are emerging in the country. On the Rohingya issue, Abdullah said, It is the most tragic event of the century where innocent people are being eliminated because of their religion. I want to raise this question to the United Nations Human Rights Commission -- What are they doing? Do not they see the murder of democracy and humanity? I would request Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that she must work very hard to save these (Rohingya) people who are part of her country, he added. Like many other married woman in Rajasthans Barmer district, Laxmi Singh religiously dabs vermillion on her head every morning and prays for her husbands safety. But theres one crucial difference: Her husband Bhagu Singh has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for three decades. Laxmi was 28 when her husband strayed across the frontier and was captured in 1985. He was a cattle grazer in Gohad Ka Tala, a village close to the India-Pakistan border, and the frontier wasnt fenced then. Hes been in jail in the neighbouring country ever since, a victim of mounting hostilities between the two countries. The issue came to light during the border fencing in 1991 when activist Bhuvensh Jain conducted a survey and found that 10 people from Barmer and Jaisalmer were lodged in Pakistani jails. In this time, Laxmi has raised three children, and has knocked the doors of many politicians, government officials and social activists and written numerous letters all to no avail. But for the first time in years, she has a ray of hope, thanks to a local journalist who tweeted to junior external affairs minister VK Singh. Singh responded to journalist Premdan Dethas tweet and sought details for the Indian high commission to take up the case. Detha told Hindustan Times he has already sent all the details to the minister. Everybody giving assurances that someday my husband will return to meI spent my life with these hopes, Laxmi told HT. She is cautious in her optimism because her hopes have been belied in the past. In 2010, the release of some prisoners from Pakistani jails buoyed the family but Bhagus name never made the list. The next year, the family received a letter from him informing them that he was lodged in the Central Jail in Pakistans Hyderabad. There has been no communication since. When we heard from him again in 2011, we were relieved to know that he was fine, she said. Laxmi says for decades, she dealt with the tensions of bringing up her children and providing for her family but now they are all adults her children are 41, 38 and 36 years old and earn for themselves. Hope of my husbands return helped me live for 30 years. Now again, Im daring to hope. If such a big leader has said so, he will definitely trythe rest is in gods hands. The ministry of external affairs has taken up with Hong Kong the issue of an additional layer of security measure in the form of a pre-arrival registration for granting visas to Indian travelers which has caught many visitors unawares. Hong Kong is a major destination for Indians with over 4 lakh people travelling of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) last year. Many of them are tourists and businessmen. Until recently, the immigration regulation of HKSAR required Indian nationals who wanted to stay in Hong Kong for a period exceeding 14 days to obtain visa. It also allowed Indian nationals who wanted to visit Hong Kong for less than 14 days for tourism and such purposes free visa on arrival facility. But from January 23, 2017, Hong Kong authorities introduced an additional layer of scrutiny for such Indian nationals who wish to avail the visa free entry for less than 14 days stay. This additional layer of scrutiny is mandatory pre-arrival registration. Indian nationals who successfully complete on-line pre-arrival registration can enter Hong Kong and obtain visa on arrival now. Others require to obtain prior visas before arriving in Hong Kong. Indian passport holders with minimum validity of six months can pre-register online for the security clearance. And this pre-arrival registration is valid for six months. However, those who hold valid diplomatic or official passport, those who have enrolled for frequent visitors, are exempted from this pre-registration. India has already conveyed to Hong Kong authorities that in view of expanding people-to-people and business ties, it is important that visa and immigration system help such exchanges and not create additional hurdles. Through diplomatic channels, India has also pointed out that India has liberalized visa system for HKSAR passport holders through on-line visa facility. The additional hurdle has been creating issues for Indian travelers, which has been properly conveyed to the authorities, explained an official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Karnataka government on Friday announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information helping crack the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru three days ago. The government, however, was non-committal on handing over the probe into the killing, which sparked outrage and nationwide protests, to the Central Bureau of Investigation, as demanded by Lankeshs brother. I have known the family since the days of P Lankesh, I will speak to them and come to a decision, chief minister Siddaramaiah said to a question if the case would be handed over to the CBI. P Lankesh was the father of Gauri and a well-known Kannada writer, poet and journalist. A special investigation team (SIT) of police, which was set up a day after the murder, opened its probe on Thursday. Let three-four days pass. Investigations cannot be given a timeline of two weeks, Siddaramaiah told mediapersons in Mandya, 100km from the state capital Bengaluru. Before he left for Mandya, the chief minister, whose government is under pressure to crack the case, met inspector general of police (intelligence) BK Singh, who is heading the SIT. Other senior police officers also attended the meeting. We want to get as much information as possible, which is why we have announced this reward, home minister Ramalinga Reddy told Hindustan Times. An officer who is part of the SIT said cell phone activity and the footage from a CCTV camera at Lankeshs home had not yet yielded much. It is still just over a day since we took charge of the investigation. We are following some leads that we hope will help nab the perpetrator, the officer said on condition of anonymity. The citys cyber crime police arrested a person for posting offensive messages against Lankesh on Facebook. Mallanagouda Biradar, 22, was brought in for questioning on Wednesday and was arrested after it was found that he posted those messages through his phone. The murder of the Left-leaning editor and publisher of the Kannada-language Gauri Lankesh Patrike newspaper triggered a social media war. Several users pointed fingers at the right-wing Hindu groups for the murder. There were others who virtually celebrated the killing and went on to the extent of saying the 55-year-old Lankesh, who opposed hardline Hindu groups, favoured reconciliation with Maoist rebels and was a fierce critic of caste system, got what she deserved. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday hit back at Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for alleging that the Congress government in the state had failed to provide security to journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her house here. He said Prasad was not acquainted with the facts about the slain journalist and that she never asked for security. Whenever she met the chief minister or senior police officials, including the DGP, she never asked for security, he told PTI here. At a press conference in New Delhi, Prasad showed copies of news reports of Lankeshs brother, Indrajit, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites and asked as to why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites...so was she doing it with the consent and approval of the state government...and if so why was she not provided adequate security? Prasad had said. Reddy said that if Gauri Lankesh had sought security, the state government would have given it. No government will deny protection to anyone if asked for it. Wed have certainly given her protection, he said. In this light, therefore, the government has decided to give protection to intellectuals even if they havent asked for it, the state home minister said. On Prasad lashing out at the so-called liberals for their double standards and remaining silent on the killings of RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala, Reddy said, I would not like to comment on it, but would do so later. At the presser, Prasad had said, Why is that all my liberal friends who speak so eloquently and strongly against the killing of a journalist...maintain conspicuous silence when so many RSS and BJP workers were killed in Karnataka and Kerala. The 55-year-old Left-leaning journalist, a fierce critic of Hindutva politics, was shot dead at the doorstep of her house while she was returning from her office earlier this week. Her killing sparked outrage across the country and the state government has formed an SIT to probe it. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for not giving compensation to over 190 families displaced after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots even four years after the communal flare-up. Communal riot survivors (190 families) are yet to receive compensation and continue to stay in squalid conditions in resettlement camps, Amnesty Internationals Indian arm said in a 19-page report released on Friday. Official records show that 1,800 families have been compensated. The Amnesty report alleged that inconsistent definition of a family was laid down by the authorities in an attempt to deny people compensation. According to the report, many families were denied compensation because authorities claimed they were part of a larger joint family which had already received money. The state government defined family as a group of people who live together and use a common kitchen. This constitutes one household. Many families still live in temporary camps, with little access to water and electricity. (Photo: Amnesty International) But even in cases where families were able to prove that they lived in separate households, the report claims that they did not receive any financial aid. This was in the form of separate kitchens or government identification documents such as ration cards that stated different addresses from their joint family members. Despite this evidence, the report says that they have been denied compensation from the state. Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of UP witnessed one of the worst Hindu-Muslim clashes in 2013. The violence was sparked by the killing of three men who had objected to the harassment of a young woman. Over 60 people were killed and more than 50,000 others were displaced in the mayhem that engulfed more than 250 villages. Hundreds of families were forced to flee their homes and live in relief camps. Amnesty Internationals Indian arm released a 19-page report on Friday on the situation in Muzaffarnagar. (Graphic courtesy: Amnesty International) Four years later, many of these families still continue to live in temporary camps, with little access to water and electricity. In October 2013, the state government declared that it will provide one-time compensation of five lakh to families from nine surrounding villages that were identified as the worst affected. Between August 2016 and April 2017, the rights group visited 12 resettlements and found that over 190 displaced families from the nine villages were yet to receive compensation. Among them were Imrana and Tahir Zahid, their children. Amnesty report said they were threatened, attacked and forced to leave their home in Kakra village, and abandon every single possession they ever owned. Even if you cant give us Rs 500,000, we urge the government to give us at least two or three lakhs, the report cites Imrana as pleading. At least we can then build a house for us to live in. Its very difficult to run a family of seven, Tahir is always outside trying to find work so that we can survive. My children are hungry most of the time, she laments. According to Amnesty International India and AFKAR India Foundation, a Shamli-based NGO, there are 200 families in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli who share the same fate. These families live in re-settlement colonies where many have no access to electricity, drinking water and sanitation facilities. For four years, these families have been struggling to rebuild their lives, Amnesty said. Amnesty said the UP chief minister should ensure aid to families in resettlement colonies for their immediate needs, including housing, water, sanitation and health care. It has started an online petition on its official website. In a similar report on rape survivors released in February this year, ahead of UP assembly elections, Amnesty had indicted the state government in the seven gang-rape cases. The report said there were no convictions and slammed the state government for delays in registration of FIR, inquiry and court proceedings. In all the seven gang-rape, cases the police took six to 14 months to file charges, and even after they did so, trials proceeded extremely slowly, according to the report. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A bitch died a dogs death and now all the puppies are wailing in the same tune, said the tweet in Hindi, adding to the nationwide revulsion in the aftermath of senior journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder. But Nikhil Dadhich, the man behind the controversial tweet who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the micro-blogging site, is unfazed by the uproar he has triggered. A doggie had died in my street that day, so I wrote the tweet in reference to that, the 38-year-old Surat-based textile trader told HT. A screenshot of Nikhil Dadhichs tweet against Lankesh. A torrent of hate tweets that seemed to condone Lankeshs killing in Bengaluru by unknown assailants on Tuesday night is now a matter of intense debate. The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi follows Dadhich and three others spewing hatred on Twitter has fuelled the row further. Modi, incidentally, follows 1,779 people on Twitter. But like Dadhich who came to Gujarat from his native Rajasthan some 15 years ago to set up a business, Ashish Mishra is unrepentant. Also followed by Modi, Pune-based Mishra had tweeted shortly after Lankeshs killing : Jaisai Karni, Vaisi Bharni (as you sow, so shall you reap). I didnt say anything wrong. She (Lankesh) was with the anti-nationals of JNU, with the azadi gang of Kashmir, the computer science graduate from IIT Bombay insisted. Stung by the uproar the tweets sparked, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) has said the prime minister followed a cross-section of people on Twitter and that his following handles did not mean a character certificate for those being followed. A screenshot of Ashish Mishra's tweet against Gauri Lankesh. But Dadhich and Mishra are thrilled to be followed by the prime minister. Both are also die-hard Modi fans. I was inspired by Modi who was very active on social media. I wanted to tell people about how he was working for the development of Gujarat, said Dadhich who was followed by the prime minister in 2015. He said the prime minister did nothing wrong in following him. He cant check everyones background before following them. Is Modiji responsible for everything bad that happens in this country? Mishra has 17,000 Twitter followers and reiterated his faith in the prime minister. I had a lot of angst against parties like the Congress and Samajwadi Party that only appeased the minorities. I used to feel that no one cares about the Hindus, he said. Incidentally, there is speculation that Lankesh could have been killed by a right-wing outfit because of her strident anti-Hindutva views. Rita Gupta, whose Twitter handle is @RitaG74, is a former All India Radio presenter living in Delhi. She is followed by 12,000 people, including the prime minister. After Lankesh was dead, her tweet said: For those who dont know Gauri Lankesh a brief introduction Leftist, naxal sympathiser, anti-establishment, anti-Hindu. For Gupta though, her tweet was only to change the current narrative that conservatives are bad and liberals are good. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Janata Dal (United), headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Friday staked its claim on the partys arrow symbol and requested the Election Commission (EC) to reject the petition of Sharad Yadav-led faction on the matter. A delegation of Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) met the full bench of EC in New Delhi to position itself as the rightful claimant of the arrow symbol. The delegation comprised Bihar minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP RCP Singh, party general secretary Sanjay Jha and national principal spokesperson KC Tyagi. The Yadav faction had petitioned the EC in this regard on August 25. Maintaining that they had the support of the majority of national executive and national council members, Jha said We have presented affidavits of all 71 MLAs and 30 MLCs from Bihar as well as two Lok Sabha and seven Rajya Sabha members before the EC to justify our claim. He said the Yadav camp had not furnished any documentary proof to justify its claim over the symbol which signifies that the party is relentlessly moving towards its pursuit of its aims and objectives--to fight for the creation of a secular, sovereign, socialist, democratic republic of India. Instead, they have pleaded for time to substantiate their claim, Jha said. The Nitish camp also presented proofs of Yadavs anti-party activities, like attending a rally organised by the RJD in Patna and a yatra with the help of RJD in Bihar. On Tuesday, the Nitish camp had formally petitioned Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to suspend the membership of Yadav, a co-founder of the party, and Ali Anwar after they violated the partys diktat against attending the RJDs Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao rally in Patna on August 27. The constitutional provisions under which the JD(U) is seeking the suspension states that 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. Sources said Yadav is learnt to have taken the plea with the Rajya Sabha chairman that the matter related to party was pending before the EC so no action can be initiated against him. Yadav was removed as the JD(U) leader in the Rajya Sabha on August 11 after he refused to fall in line with Kumars decision to leave the grand alliance in Bihar and form a new government in coalition with the BJP. The Yadav group has decided to convene its own national executive meeting in Delhi on September 17 as part of its efforts to isolate Nitish Kumar and ratify its claim of being the real JD(U). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The government announced rules for a national no-fly list on Friday to deal with unruly air travellers. The aviation ministrys rules say unruly behaviour would invite suspension from flying for at least three months, while physically abusive behavior will invite a six-month penalty. If a passenger behaves in a life-threatening manner, the ban will be two years or more. The no-fly list rules came months after public outrage over Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beating up an elderly Air India employee during an argument. Along with Gaikwads misbehaviour that made national headlines, here are five incidents where politicians demonstrated their sense of entitlement at airports or misbehaved with airline crew: 1) On March 23, 2017, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beat up a 60-year-old Air India duty manager with his sandals on a Pune-New Delhi flight, after he was forced to travel by economy class instead of business. He was blacklisted by Air India and five private airlines following his refusal to apologise for the incident. Gaikwad defended his behaviour in the Parliament, but expressed regret for the incident after which Air India lifted the ban. 2) In June this year, six airlines, including Indigo Airlines, Spicejet and Air India, barred TDPs Anantapur MP JC Diwakar Reddy from taking their flights after for his violent outburst at the Visakhapatnam airport. Reddy arrived late for his June 15 Indigo flight to Hyderabad and was denied a boarding pass. Security footage showed the enraged MP damaging property and allegedly abusing staff. The ban was later lifted. This was not the first time Reddy threw a temper tantrum a year ago, he had allegedly barged into the Air India office at Vijaywadas Gannavaram airport, damaging furniture after being denied entry to a flight upon late arrival. 3) In 2015, a YRS Congress party member and Andhra Pradesh MP slapped an Air India station master at Tirupati airport. The MP and his family arrived after boarding was closed for their flight to New Delhi, but asked the station manager to accommodate them on board. When the employee refused, the politician allegedly slapped him. 4) In 2008, Rajya Sabha MP PV Abdul Wahab ws asked to get off an Air India aircraft at Kozhikode by its pilot Captain Rajat Rana after he was allegedly late for the flight.This sparked a row , in which Wahab allegedly called the pilots glorified drivers after barging into the cockpit. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) threatened to file a defamation suit against the lawmaker. The ICPA had also stated that global pilot organisations would be requested to blacklist Wahab from flying for endangering flight security if the government doesnt take action. 5)In another 2005 incident, an air hostess with Jet Airways alleged that Bihar leader Pappu Yadav misbehaved and threatened to beat her with slippers after she asked him not to throw leftovers in the aisle. The commotion began when Yadav dropped dessert on his bag kept near his seat and asked the air hostess to clean it up. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to hit her with his slippers. Yadav denied the allegations, calling them a plot to malign him. The Centre will soon set a cut off date for the states to grant tribals and other traditional forest dwellers legal title of the land they have traditionally used. The sluggish pace at which land titles are being granted to tribals in some states, including the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, has prompted the Prime Ministers office to nudge the tribal affairs ministry to set the deadline. The ministry that monitors the grant of land titles under the Scheduled Tribes and the Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or the Forest Rights Act (FRA), will set the deadline after the issue was discussed at a review meeting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August, government sources said. More than a decade old, FRA was intended to undo the historic injustice towards tribal groups by giving them legal titles to forest land and resources. But several states are sluggish in transferring the rights to the tribals, bringing also under scrutiny the Centres role in monitoring and giving policy direction that would improve the efficacy of state authorities in granting land rights. To improve the scenario, the PMO has also instructed the ministry to ensure that local authorities to act fast on complaints by tribals, whose land has been grabbed. There have been complaints from several states, including Odisha where the land title rests with the tribals, of local strongmen and land sharks taking forcible possession of land belonging to tribals. The ministry has been asked to ensure speedy land title transfers in the 10 left wing extremism affected states, including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. According to sources in the government, states such as Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh have not transferred any land titles to individuals or communities despite claims being made. Until May, in Tamil Nadu land rights were not given to any of 18,420 individuals and 3,361 communities who applied for the legal title. In Himachal Pradesh only 53 of the 591 individual applications have been approved, while just 7 of the 659 communities have benefited from the Act. On the other hand, states such as the poll-bound Odisha and Gujarat, have a comparatively better record of conferring land rights on the marginalised tribes. In Gujarat titles for over 12 lakh acres of forest land have been given while in Odisha the number is over eight lakh acre. In Tamil Nadu the land titles were withheld after the Madras High Court in 2008 passed an interim order prohibiting their issue to the tribal communities, after a PIL challenging the Constitutional validity of the Act was filed. But the Supreme Court in February 2015 set aside the interim order. Yet, there has been a holdup, said an official. Goa, where none of the 9,372 individual who applied have been given the title, has informed the union government that claims made on land in the coastal regulation zone are yet to be processed on account of objections from the other backward class (OBC) population. Uttarakhand, which also has not processed any of the 182 individual applications, has said the work was stalled on account of the model code of conduct for elections that were held earlier this year. Till May 31, over 41 lakh claims have been filed and over 17 lakh titles distributed across the country. A total of 36,41,540 (87.31%) claims have been disposed of. Soon a deadline will be announced for the states to complete the process within the stipulated time frame, the official said. In 2016, HT reported that eight out of 10 claims for land title by forest dwellers under the Act were rejected and the states rejected, on average, 54% of the 3.8 million claims adjudicated since the process began in 2008. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Visakhapatnam Port Trust on Friday constituted a high-level official committee to look into the lapses in loading steel billets of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) into the Vietnamese merchant vessel Hai Duong 09, which resulted in the tilting of ship towards the deck side on Wednesday. PL Haranath, deputy chairman of Port Trust, clarified to HT that stevedore of cargo, which loaded the iron billets, was Srivalli Shipping and not JM Baxi and Co., as reported earlier. The mistake could be due to miscommunication. Haranath said the inquiry committee would probe into the causes whether it was due to improper loading, mistake by crew, or technical errors. We shall take appropriate action based on the inquiry report, he said. Haranath said the cargo ship had been restored to more or less the normal position. Restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar city on Friday to prevent protests against the killings of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, police said. The restrictions were imposed in the areas of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M R Gunj and Safa Kadal. Authorities also decided not to allow Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area. Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had called for the protests. Mirwaiz has been placed under house arrest to prevent his participation. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was arrested on Thursday, has been lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. Life in the Kashmir valley was partially affected due to the protest shutdown call. Shops, public transport and other businesses remained closed in the five areas. India is home to approximately 40,000 Rohingyas, according to the ministry of home affairs. About 16,500 Rohingya living in India are registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), but their actual numbers are much higher. Last month, the minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju, told that the government has issued detailed instructions for deportation of illegal foreign nationals including Rohingyas. A special SIT court here on Friday granted four more days to former BJP minister Maya Kodnani to find the address of BJP president Amit Shah, as she wants him to depose before the court in her defence in the Naroda Gam massacre case. Though the court had on September 4 granted time till Friday to find out Shahs address, Kodnanis lawyers sought more time following which special SIT judge PB Desai gave four more days and posted the matter for hearing on September 12. Kodnani had pleaded that she was not able to find his address to which courts summons could be delivered. The court had in April allowed Kodnanis plea to have summonses issued summons to Shah and some others as witnesses in her defence. At the subsequent hearings, the court had asked Kodnani to tell it whether Shah will depose as her witness. Two weeks back, the Supreme Court had asked the SIT court to conclude the trial within four months. A bench headed by the then Chief Justice J S Khehar was informed that the trial was in progress and evidence of defence witnesses was being recorded by a special court. The top court had asked the lower court to complete recording of evidence of the remaining defence witnesses in two months. Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major 2002 communal riots cases which were investigated by the Special Investigation Team. Eleven persons belonging to the minority community were killed in Naroda Gam in 2002 riots during a bandh called to protest the Godhra train burning incident. A total of 82 persons are facing trial in the case. Kodnani, who was then a state minister in the Narendra Modi government, has already been convicted and sentenced to 28 years in jail in the Naroda Patiya case in which 97 people were massacred. In what appears to be a case of police excess, a woman reportedly lost her dignity after being allegedly beaten up by a cop, leaving her sari in tatters waist below, at a police station in Bihar recently. The womans only fault was that she complained to a senior police officer against a station house officer (SHO), who refused to entertain her complaint in a case of land dispute. The police have, however, steadfastly denied it, even as the deputy inspector general of police (DIG), eastern range, Bhagalpur, has sought a report from the Kahalgaon inspector. Not satisfied by the police action, the victim petitioned the lower court on Thursday. In the eye of the storm is the Rasalpur police station SHO, Nilesh Kumar. He is accused of beating up Phool Kumari Devi, a resident of Chhoti Kurma village in Kahalgaon sub-division of Bhagalpur district, 235 kms east of Patna, for complaining against him to the DIG. Devi met the DIG on August 31 after the SHO refused to entertain her complaint against three persons, who were allegedly demanding Rs 2 lakh to vacate her land. The DIG reportedly instructed the SHO concerned to register her complaint and guided the woman back to the Rasalpur police station. It was when she returned to the police station on September 3 that the SHO allegedly thrashed her to the extent of the woman losing her dignity. SHO Kumar was quick to deny it. There are at least 15 cases against the woman for encroaching government property. The circle officer has issued notice to her in one such case, he said. Investigations have revealed that the woman recently bought 10 kathas of land, which is disputed. One Rajendra Mandal claims he had bought the land some 30 years back by paying Rs 44,000 to its original owner Arun Singh. The woman wants me to get her possession of the said land. I told her that I could not and guided her to the circle officer who deals with land issues. DIG Vikas Vaibhav said, The woman met me with a complaint that the police were not registering her FIR. Having directed the SHO concerned, I asked her to go back to the police station. After a few days she came back to me with a complaint that she was ill-treated at the police station. The SHO concerned and the Kahalgaon inspector have denied ill-treating the woman. However, I have instructed the Kahalgaon inspector to probe her complaint and submit a report. A row erupted over beef consumption on Friday after Union tourism minister KJ Alphons advised foreign tourists to eat beef in their country and not in India. When asked by reporters at a convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar on whether a crackdown on beef consumption was adversely affecting tourism in the country, Alphons said: They can eat beef in their country and come to India. The new minister after taking over had defended beef-eating in states like Kerala and Goa. In Goa, ruled by BJP, people continue to eat beef. Kerala will also continue to eat beef, BJP doesnt really have a problem with that, he said. But when reminded on Thursday about his earlier statements, he appeared to be dismissive. That is a cock and bull story...I am not the food minister...I am the minister for Tourism. Earlier, the minister told the convention that India is the oldest civilisation and the whole world should come and see us. We have to love our history and our country. We have to tell them...look here, this is a beautiful country, he said in his introductory remarks. The crackdown on the beef industry became a raging debate in the last few years, with a wave of attacks on Muslims and Dalits suspected of either transporting cattle or storing meat. About 30 people have been killed in cow-related violence since 2010, according to reports. The controversy has continued to dog the government with minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju in May this year taking exception to his colleague and union minister for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvis remarks that those who eat beef should go to Pakistan. I eat beef, Im from Arunachal Pradesh, can somebody stop me? So let us not be touchy about somebodys practices, Rijiju had said. Despite a Mumbai court handing life sentence to extradited gangster Abu Salem for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, he may actually not spend more than 25 years behind bars because of a sovereign undertaking by India to Portugal while extraditing him in 2005. On Thursday, the designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court pronounced sentences against five of the six convicts in the case. The sixth convict, Mustafa Dossa, died after the special public prosecutor began his arguments on the quantum of sentence and sought capital punishment for him earlier this year. Tahir Merchant and Firoz Khan were sentenced to death, while life imprisonment was pronounced for Karimullah Khan. Riyaz Siddique got 10 years in jail. Advocate Rishi Malhotra, who has represented Salem in the SC, said, Salem was extradited from Portugal after giving an undertaking to Portugal that Salem will not be given a death penalty or sentenced to a jail term exceeding 25 years. Normally, a life term means the convict stays behind bars till the end of his life. But in this case, the TADA court has given him a life term which violates the undertaking given by the government of India. Though extradition terms specify conditions, such a clause cannot prohibit an Indian court from giving such a sentence. To make up for this, the government included a commitment that they would, if such a sentence were imposed, resort to legal measures to restrict it. So the question is if the court was right in giving Salem a life term in spite of a sovereign undertaking. The answer to this was given by the Supreme Court in 2012 while dealing with Salems petition, where he argued that he cannot be tried for the offences which entailed death penalty as the same was the pre-condition agreed by the Indian government at the time of his extradition. The apex court in its judgment said Portugal cannot impose any pre-condition on Indian courts. Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, who defended Abu Salem in the 1993 blasts case, said, It is now for the government to see that undertaking given to Portugal government is not violated and it can easily be taken care of. The government has powers of remission and pardon and to honour its undertaking, it can exercise powers and pardon Salems remainder of the sentence given by the trial court. Pasbola also believes that this life sentence can go on to be one of the important grounds for challenging the verdict in the SC. This is not the first time that Salem has been sentenced to life. Earlier in 2015, a special TADA court sentenced Abu Salem to life imprisonment and slapped a Rs8 lakh fine, for the murder of builder Pradeep Jain in 1995. Salem has been the only case of successful extradition by India of an accused from a European country. Hence, his case has always raised a discussion on the allegation of violations and its consequences if there are any. Former Maharashtra advocate-general (AG) Shrihari Aney said the reasons for which Salem has alleged violation of extradition conditions comes into the picture only if the Indian government deliberately suppressed facts and cases known to them before. If the government found new evidence against the accused after the extradition, the accused would be tried under fresh material under the Indian law and procedure of Indian judiciary. This cannot be a violation, Aney said. Senior counsel Ashok Mundargi said imprisonment for life is not a violation as such, because according to the treaty, Salem was not given capital punishment as Portugal had abolished death penalty in their country. Under the criminal procedure code, though the imprisonment for life is for the entire life of the convict, the jail manual provides for various categories for imprisonment for life. The categories start from imprisonment for 14 years and goes above, but not till death, Mundargi said. It is the jail authorities that decide which category the convict falls under and it is for the state, or in case of the 1993 blasts, the Centre to take a decision. Mundargi said in case of a breach, the only consequence would be that Portugal would consider the aspects before honouring any further requests. A tribal girl was allegedly raped by at least six men when she was taking a stroll with her boyfriend near a university campus in Jharkhands Dumka and 16 persons have been arrested in this connection, a police officer said on Friday. According to the police, the men first demanded Rs 5,100 and a mobile phone from her as a penalty because her friend was a non-tribal and then allegedly forced the girl and her boyfriend to strip and have sex in front of them, before taking turns to rape her. Dumka Superintendent of Police Mayur Patel said 16 people have been arrested on the basis of inputs given by the girl and her friend. The girl and her boyfriend were returning after taking a stroll near the Sidhu Kanhu Murmu University campus at Dighi eight km from here when a group of men intercepted them at the crossing of Ring Road and Dighi Road on Wednesday evening. The men demanded Rs 4,000 and a mobile phone from her as a penalty for roaming with a non-tribal. Her boyfriend refused to hand over the mobile and assured them of giving them the money if he was permitted to call his friend. But the culprits snatched her mobile phone and instead asked their friends to come to the spot, the police said. The accused then allegedly forced the girl and her boyfriend to have sex in front of them at knifepoint by the side of the road. They then allegedly took turns to rape the girl, the police said. After the crime, the accused forced the girl to wash herself in a nearby pond and handed her over to her boyfriend without her clothes, the police said. The girl and her friend contacted their friends and relatives and reached Muffassil police station at around 11.30 pm that night and lodged a gangrape case, the police said. The girl was sent to Sadar Hospital, where her condition was stated to be out of danger, the police said. Her statement was recorded in camera in the presence of a lady magistrate under section 164 Crpc on the directive of Dumka SDO Jai Prakash Jha. While the girl is a native of Dumka, her friend is employed in Kolkata. Search is on for one more accused, the SP, said adding a named FIR has been filed against against eight persons and several unknown persons. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to enter into a pre-poll alliance with a tribal-based political party in a bid to unseat Manik Sarkar-led Left Front government in Tripura, which will go to polls early next year. The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) announced on Thursday its decision to tie up with the saffron party to take on the ruling CPI(M) in the assembly elections. The development comes close on the heels of BJP president Amit Shah urging regional parties of the Northeast to join hands with the BJP in the recently concluded North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)s meeting in New Delhi. Our party has decided to forge a pre-poll alliance with the BJP to fight the CPM. We have been asked to attend the next NEDA meeting to be held in Guwahati in Assam later this month, INPT general secretary Jagadish Debbarma said. In the meeting, we will place our demands for financial empowerment of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and inclusion of Kokborok (the native language of the indigenous Tripuri people) in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution among others, Debbarma said. Incidentally, the INPT had contested the 2013 assembly elections in alliance with the Congress. But this time it junked a Congress offer to be a part of an alliance led by the countrys grand old party, which has recently lost its main opposition tag to the BJP. After installing BJP governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the party is now eyeing Tripura where CPI(M)-led Left Front is in power since 1993. After the NEDA meeting, BJP state president Biplab Deb held telephonic conversation with INPT chief BK Hrankhawl for the alliance. The BJP claimed that the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), another tribal-based party, will also form an alliance with it. It also expects to get on board the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT). The IPFT led by NC Debbarma, however, denied any such prospect saying it will stick to its demand for a separate Tipraland, while the other faction of the party is yet to take a call on the alliance. To woo the tribal parties and indigenous communities, the BJP has promised to form Autonomous State Council and to introduce development schemes for the tribals. It also pledged to place a proposal to confer countrys highest civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously on the states last Manikya ruler Bir Bikram. Seventh Pay Commission for government employees and employment generation through skill development are other election promises the BJP is making in the poll-bound state. The party has deployed around 8,000 workers for a booth management drive with a task to contact each and every voter to spread Prime Minister Narendra Modis development agenda. Modi is expected to address two booth-level party meetings at the end of October and Amit Shah is likely to visit the state in November, Deb added. The BJP got a major boost last month when it marked its maiden presence in the state assembly after six Trinamool Congress legislators joined the party. The MLAs have been asked to monitor the booth-management drive in their respective constituencies. The party will formulate its poll strategy based on the feedback it will get from the drive, Dev said. A Twitter user has claimed he had warned the railway ministry about a potential mishap at Delhis Shivaji Bridge, five days before the Ranchi Rajdhani express derailed near the station on Thursday. Rakesk Kumar Kaushik tweeted a photograph to @RailMinIndia on September 2, drawing its attention to a damaged portion of a railway track near the station. Kaushik tweeted at 10.47am and got @RailMinIndias response in 25 minutes. The ministrys tweet asked Delhi Division of the Northern Railway to look into the matter. @RailMinIndia condition of rail line at shivaji bridge near platform pic.twitter.com/M34kbRyMYp Rakesk Kumar Kaushik (@rakesk10061974) September 2, 2017 DRM Delhi then forwarded the complaint to @srden-cdli for necessary action. However, there was no reply to the tweet. Besides the derailment of Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express barely 200 metres away from New Delhi station, two more train mishaps took place on Thursday. Those involved in rescue operation said that a crack on the rail could have triggered the accident. The Railways, however, has brushed aside the allegations and claim that only a proper investigation will ascertain the cause. Twitter users who spotted the tweet have criticized the Railways for the criminal negligence and called for action against the officials. Dear @PiyushGoyal, heads should roll for this. This is criminal negligence. Thank God no causalities, could've been huge disaster. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/PDLi2CQlfA Raju Das | (@rajudasonline) September 7, 2017 Damaged, worn out tracks at Shivaji Bridge pointed out by a passenger five days ago. Ministry responded on Twitter. Today, a derailment. https://t.co/fjasnEYVi4 Manish (@jimanish) September 7, 2017 Red tapism on Twitter and today Ranchi Rajdhani Express got detailed at Shivaji Bridge. This accident could have averted @PiyushGoyal! pic.twitter.com/CzIx1Shs5R Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) September 7, 2017 Anyone can help through the information but at ground level it's duty of department not civilian, here DRM guilty bcoz he only retweeted .. pic.twitter.com/uW7P0eVG6W Arvind Vishwakarma (@arvindxj) September 7, 2017 did u fail to address this problem ? today accident was because of this and at same place in delhi ??@RailMinIndia kindly check Navin Tyagi (@NavinKTyagi) September 7, 2017 Dis hero @rakesk10061974 complaind rgrdng broken-rails at shivaji brdge, Delhi 5 days ago. Wish govt ws an iota serious!#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/3w9isVd5PU Haider Talat (@haider_talat) September 7, 2017 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Haryana administration and security agencies rescued two minor boys from the Sirsa-based headquarters of convicted godman Ram Rahims Dera Sacha Sauda sect during a search operation on Friday. One of the rescued boys hailed from states Kaithal while the other was from Uttar Pradesh. The minors have been handed over to the child protection wing of the state government, an official said. The two boys rescue came a week after officials moved out 45 orphan minors from the Dera base. During the sanitisation drive, the search team recovered laptops, hard-disks, computers, currency, plastic token type currency and sealed some rooms for further investigation, said deputy director (information) Satish Mehra. The authorities pressed in sniffer dogs, bomb squad and even choppers during Fridays raid and cordoned off the roads leading to the Dera headquarters to ensure that the search operation was not hampered. A team of forensic experts was also roped in from Roorkee for decoding the recovered hard disks and laptops. Punjab and Haryana high courts commissioner AKS Pawar, a retired sessions judged from the Haryana judicial services, supervised the entire nine-hour operation. Paramilitary forces again imposed curfew in all the five villages adjoining the sects campus and even stopped the farmers within the 15 kms of the Dera base from entering their fields throughout the day. Inspector general (IG)- Hisar Range, Amitabh Dhillon led the force along with the commandants of different paramilitary forces like the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the CRPF, inside the Dera HQ after holding talks with the sects administration. An hour before the search operation began, Dera adminstration chairperson Vipasanas video appeal to sects followers asking for harmony and peace went viral on the social media. While there was no media briefing from the security forces, sources stated that the raid came to an end at 6.30pm and are scheduled to resume on Saturday morning. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Unidentified criminals shot dead an undertrial prisoner and injured two others on the court premises in rural Patna on Friday afternoon. The incident took place at 2.15 pm outside the court of additional district judge (ADJ)-2 at Barh, 70 km east of Patna. Police said undertrial Guddu Singh was being taken to the lockup after his production in the court in a case of kidnapping and murder when a group of criminals reached there and started firing indiscriminately. Guddu, a resident of Jalalpur village in Maranchi police station area in Patna district, sustained bullet injuries in stomach and chest, the police said, adding that he died on the spot. Two other prisoners, who were seriously injured in the attack, had been referred to Patna Medical College Hospital. READ| Bihar: 2 killed, 15 injured in Ara court blast, 2 prisoners escape Eyewitnesses said the attackers escaped on a motorcycle and another vehicle after firing nearly 15 rounds. The incident triggered panic among lawyers and litigants, who scampered for safety, the eyewitnesses said and added that securitymen present there neither chased the criminals nor fired at them. READ|Bomb blast at Chapra court in Bihar, six injured The incident is seen as fallout of rivalry between two gangs of Maranchi in Barh sub-division. Tension prevails at Barh and adjoining areas and additional forces have been deployed at various spots to avoid any untoward incident. PAST INCIDENTS OF ATTACK ON COURT PREMISES IN BIHAR January 23, 2015: A woman and a police constable killed and 15 injured in a crude bomb explosion on Ara civil court premises in Bihars Bhojpur district, 55 km west of Patna April 18, 2016: Six persons, including two women and an undertrial prisoner, injured in a blast at Chapra civil court, 80 km northwest of Patna. July 13, 2016: One person killed and three injured in a bomb blast outside Sasaram civil court premises in Rohtas district, 153 km southwest of Patna May 17, 2017: Notorious gangster Mithilesh Dubey alias Babloo Dubey gunned down on the court premises at Bettiah in West Champaran district, 197 km north of Patna. Central range (Patna) deputy inspector general (DIG) Rajesh Kumar said Guddu was a habitual offender and had several cases pending against him. A manhunt was on to nab the men involved in killing Guddu, he said.Additional director general of police (headquarters) SK Singhal said all the 31 police officers and constables, including six jawans of special auxiliary police, deployed on the court premises had been suspended for lapses. The incident has once again raised questions over security arrangements on court premises in Bihar. No CCTV camera was installed on the campus despite a state government directive to put all court premises under electronic surveillance following a blast at Ara court in Bihars Bhojpur district, 55 km west of Patna, on January 23, 2015. Meanwhile, lawyers at Barh have announced a phase-wise agitation for better safety arrangements on the court premises. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The killing of activist- journalist Gauri Lankesh was a tragic murder, the US has said, days after the slain scribe who was regarded as a symbol of free speech and dissent was shot dead outside her home. Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday, triggering nationwide condemnation. Addressing a Congressional subcommittee during a hearing on South Asia, US acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said India provides the highest constitutional protections for religious minorities, and the goal of the US is to work with India to encourage it to meet the goals set in its constitution and laws. There are cases, obviously, of religious -- as we detail in both the Human Rights Report and the International Religious Freedom Report -- of infringements, and there was a tragic murder of a journalist just this week who was often the subject of nationalist criticism, she said, in a reference to the killing of Lankesh. She said these are the challenges for any democracy, but India is a democracy, and it is a vibrant democracy. And we have respect for Indian institutions and ability to raise and meet these challenges. And we certainly, in all of our engagements, at senior levels, encourage the Indian government to do so, Wells said in response to a question from Congressman Ted Yoho, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. In a statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it is deeply shocked by leading Indian journalist and media freedom defender Lankeshs murder in Bangalore. It called on the authorities to do everything possible to quickly find and punish her killers. We firmly condemn this terrible murder, which has deprived the media of a tough and determined champion and has deprived India of a voice that was fundamental for the countrys democratic life, said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk. The Indian National Overseas Congress in the US said Lankeshs death appears to be a meticulously planned and executed to silence a powerful voice. The opposing forces could not match her rationale pointing up the dangers of right-wing politics and its possibly disastrous effect on the secular fabric of the nation. Her harsh criticism of prevailing casteism in the society was often directed at institutions that still harbour those sentiments and made her more of a passionate activist who had little patience for the status-quo, George Abraham of INOC-USA said in a statement. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova also urged Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished, Bokova said. Within days of the death of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the narrative about who is behind her murder is showing signs of mutating. Most observers, commentators, and even the Karnataka home minister have made statements drawing parallels between Lankeshs murder and that of rationalist MM Kalburgis, allegedly by rightwing Hindutva groups in 2015. But, suspicions are now being deflected towards Maoists quite unexpectedly and by an unexpected source. On September 6, Gauri Lankeshs brother, Indrajit Lankesh (filmmaker and editor of Lankesh Patrike) told NDTV that she was receiving hate mails and hate letters from Naxalites because she succeeded in bringing a couple of them from Naxalism to the mainstream. His sister Kavitha Lankesh, however, disagrees. I dont approve of my brothers airing [of] this opinion, that of suspecting Naxal links. Akka [older sister] was more in contact with us on a regular basis. We were close and we knew that someone was watching her as per what she told our mother on Sunday. That apart, I dont think we know much right now. It is for the investigating agencies to work on this and get her justice, she told Hindustan Times. In one way, the divergence of opinion only reflects the long-standing political split in the Lankesh family. Middle sibling Kavitha, film producer and director, had always been close to her sister and they shared a roughly similar political ethos, one that was quite different from their brothers. Indrajit Lankesh, 40, is the youngest of the Lankesh siblings and, in July 2017, had talked of joining the BJP formally. He had said back then that he was inspired by PM Narendra Modi and compared BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa to the 12th century reformer Basavanna. It was over a decade ago when the disagreements between the oldest and youngest siblings flared up dramatically. Gauri had come to Bangalore from Delhi in 2000 when her father P Lankesh died without a succession plan for the massively influential firebrand weekly Lankesh Patrike that he had started in 1980. Persuaded by the publisher Mani, Gauri plunged into work as the editor of the tabloid and Indrajit became the proprietor. After a period of teething troubles, Gauri warmed to the job. She began working proactively on communal issues that were splitting Karnataka then, such as the dispute over Datta Peetha Abhiyana in Baba Budangiri. In 2005, she also went into the forests to interview charismatic Naxal leader and intellectual Saket Rajan who was killed in an encounter later that year. This story triggered the first of the siblings major disagreements. When Gauri returned from her story on Rajan, Indrajit objected to what he felt was an overly compassionate portrayal of Naxals. Gauri didnt budge and Indrajit pulled the article from that edition. Their arguments then escalated wildly. In 2005, both lodged police complaints against each other. Indrajit claimed that Gauri had stolen scanners, computers and printers from the premises of Lankesh Patrike. While Gauri made a counter-complaint that Indrajit had threatened her with a gun. With the intervention of well wishers, the siblings parted ways and the complaints were closed. In the same year, Gauri founded her own tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike and Indrajit retained the original title, though he ran it from a new office. Gauri and sister Kavitha stayed in the original premises in the Basavanagudi neighbourhood where Lankesh Patrike was originally present. They bought Indrajits share of the building by pooling in resources. By now, Gauri was ready to eat, breathe and live her new publication through activism, political participation and strong involvement in local issues such as caste discrimination, Dalit politics, communalism and the Naxal movement in Karnataka. Jahnavi, a Kannada writer who associated with Gauri both through journalism and political causes, remembers, Gauri was convent-educated and not a Kannada speaker. Shed initially think and speak only in English, but soon she metamorphosed into a total Kannada journalist and even got involved in many social issues that had to be addressed. Gauri and Kavitha continued to have differences of opinion with Indrajit on several issues including, according to friends of the family, his decision to sell the land where their father had been buried. P Lankesh was first buried in one of their farms in Bangalore without rituals. That piece of property came to Indrajit when they divided the assets and he eventually sold that property without informing them, when the family had assumed he was going to keep the property, said the family friend. After many discussions that went nowhere, the sisters bought a place near Nelamangala and shifted the soil, under which their father was buried, to the new farm and made it his new resting place. Over the years with the entry of the next generation, the feuding siblings met with each others families occasionally. Gauri had no children, while Kavitha chose to be a single parent to her daughter Esha. Gauri and Indrajits son Samarjit had a close relationship. Though the siblings continued to have an unsteady relationship, their children would often unite them. In some matters, they agreed. Gauri reserved her passion for politics while her siblings had an equally powerful engagement with Kannada cinema. With Gauris tragic murder, the family has been split once more. Except in urging the government to find out who killed their sister. (Published in arrangement with GRIST Media) A 35-year-old mother of two was beaten to death by her husband and few fellow villagers in Assam over suspicion that she was having an extra-marital affair, police have said. The incident took place in Paschim Hartala, a remote village close to the India-Bhutan border in Baksa district, earlier this week. But the police came to know about it only on Wednesday. The victim Sona Murmu, who belongs to the backward Adivasi community, was allegedly found by her husband Debilal Hasda in a compromising position with another villager Rinku Hasda on Monday night. While Rinku escaped from the scene, Debilal started beating his wife with a bamboo stick in order to teach her a lesson. Soon, some other neighbours also joined in the assault, Nayanmoni Das, in-charge of Darangamukh police outpost, told the Hindustan Times. Sona sustained several injuries, but instead of taking her to a hospital the family members and other villagers kept her inside the house. She succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday. Police came to know about the incident after a village elder informed them on Wednesday while the villagers were planning to conduct Sonas final rites in a hushed manner. They took possession of the body and sent it for a post-mortem, which concluded that the victim died due to bleeding from internal injuries as a result of severe beating. Sonas husband, a fellow villager, a distant relative and Rinku were arrested by the police on Thursday. The first three have been booked for murder and Rinku was named as an abettor. All the four were produced before a court on Thursday and have been sent to judicial custody for two weeks. Such cases happen in remote areas due to acute poverty, illiteracy and absence of development. People are unwilling to reach out to the police and settle cases through illegal means, said Das. There was an unsubstantiated report of the village council imposing a fine of Rs 200 on the victims husband and Rs 100 on Rinku, who happens to be the headmans son, to make them atone for their crime. But the police denied any such thing had happened. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON How far can one go to get away from his wife? An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in Jaipur learnt it the hard way with sore lips and bloodied nose to be precise. The person responsible for his sore lips and bloodied nose is now cooling his heels in jail, happy at being away from his wife. It all began when a 30-year-old man walked into the Shipra Path police station Thursday morning and asked the officials to put him in jail. I want to go to jailI beat my wife. Please lock me up, Yogesh Golya urged the men-in-khaki leaving them stumped. His wife too had reached the police station and wanted to lodge a case against him. Understanding that it was a case of marital discord, Mansarovar ACP Deshraj Yadav tried to mediate between the two and, in a friendly gesture, put an arm on Golyas shoulders to calm him down. What happened next was something that Yadav didnt foresee coming his way. Golya suddenly punched the ACP on his face. As a result, the officer was injured. Blood started gushing out of his lips, Mukesh Choudhary, station house officer, Shipra Path police station, told HT. The police said that Golya, who owns a shop in the Walled City, had come to the police station following a marital discord with his wife. His wife too had come and both wanted to lodge cases against each other. The man kept on saying that he wanted to go to jail. He looked very troubled and also confessed to have had beaten his wife, said Choudhary. Yadav, who has dealt with many dreaded criminals, was left shocked after the sudden attack inside a police station by an unassuming businessman. After assaulting the ACP, Golya looked calm and said that now, finally he would go to jail. He kept on saying that he is very much troubled because of his wife, said the police. The injured police official was taken to a hospital while Golya got what he had been asking for from the very beginning, to be put in jail. He was sent to jail as a case against him was registered, charging him for stopping a government official from doing his duty, a police official said. The Murlipura police have arrested a man for allegedly molesting a four-year-old girl. This is the second such incident in three days. According to the police, the incident took place on Thursday afternoon when the victim was alone in her house. The girl and the accused live in the same building. The accused has been identified as Deepak Shukla (23) who lives in Murlipura area and works at a nearby factory. After returning home, the victims mother couldnt find her daughter, said Naveen Khandelwal, station house officer, Murlipura police station. The police said that after the woman started searching for the girl, she found the childs slippers outside the room of the accused. The woman got suspicious and after entering the room she saw Shukla molesting her daughter. She raised an alarm and people from nearby houses rushed to the spot, said Khandelwal. Officials said that the man was roughed up by the public before being handed over to the police. Preliminary investigation suggests that the man had taken the child inside the room on some pretext before molesting her. The accused is a native of Motihari in Bihar, said the SHO. The police said that a case has been registered against Shukla under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of the IPC. This incident comes two days after a minor boy was booked for allegedly molesting an eight-year-old girl in Jhotwara area on Tuesday. The girls mother allegedly saw the 17-year-old accused inappropriately touching her daughter in a public park, officials had said. With the common people of Darjeeling hills crushed under a blanket shutdown that entered it 86th day on Friday, the sudden appearance of posters in Mirik has triggered questions on whether the agitation for Gorkhaland is about to take a militant turn. The posters in the name of Gorkhaland Liberation Army (GLA), a hitherto unknown entity, has stated they are ready to go to any extent for the sake of a separate state. They appeared on Wednesday morning in Mirik. Read: Darjeeling unrest: IED explosion rocks Mirik as shutdown enters 85th day We will not spare traitors, be it GNLF, JAP, TMC or GJM. We will bomb the house of any politician who attempts to compromise on Gorkhaland, the posters that were written by hand in Nepalese read. GJM chief Bimal Gurung has denied any knowledge of or connection with GLA. (Samir Jana) GLA also took responsibility for the IED explosions that rocked Darjeeling hills in the past one month. A few days ago a crude bomb was found in the balcony of the house of a TMC councillor of Mirik Municipality. Recently a civic police volunteer was killed in an IED blast at Kalimpong Police Station. Before the attack on the police station, a powerful bomb exploded at Darjeeling motor stand at midnight. On Wednesday night, a crude bomb exploded at PWDs tourist shed in Mirik. The explosions raised questions and many wondered who could have triggered an explosion in the hills at midnight when the roads were completely empty. Ironically, Mirik happens to be the town where Trinamool Congress posted a historic victory in the civic polls defeating Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in May. The TMC victory was the first by any party from the plains in the past few decades. Read: Expelled GJM leader claims he told Bimal Gurung about bomb makers Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has publicly alleged that the agitators had links with insurgent groups of the North East and even groups in foreign countries. Though government properties worth crores of rupees have been set on fire and vandalised since June 8, and 10 people have lost their lives -- most of them fell to bullets of the security forces -- overall the movement has been democratic so far. During the first phase of unrest between 1986 and 1988, about 1,200 lives were lost. Some splinter groups of GNLF took to arms. Chattrey Subba formed the Gorkhaland Liberation Organisation (GLO) after he disassociated with Subash Ghising, the former GNLF president after the latter signed the tripartite accord that paved the way for the formation of semi autonomous development body, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in August 1988. Its members took up weapons. Read: Darjeeling unrest: Sharp shooters hired to kill him, alleges Binay Tamang Later United Gorkha Revolutionary Army (UGRA) tried to spearhead the militant movement for Gorkhaland but failed soon. We are verifying if the poster is the handiwork of new outfit, or of those who are already making mischief in the hills, said Siddhinath Gupta, additional director general of police. After the Darjeeling and Kalimpong blasts police booked Bimal Gurung and a few GJM leaders under UA(P)A and they went underground. Bimal Gurung the GJM president said The GJM does not believe in violence and those involved in bomb blasts should be punished, said GJM president Bimal Gurung, who is facing UA(P)A charges and is believed to be hiding somewhere in Sikkim. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata, are celebrating the Vaticans announcement of the Mother as a patron saint of Calcutta, but are restricting the celebrations to prayers only. Moreover, the prayer sessions include representatives of all faiths to make them as inclusive as possible. We are naturally delighted, said Sunita Kumar, spokesperson of Missionaries of Charity. Read: Photos from HT archives: A glimpse into the life of Saint Mother Teresa We are celebrating but the celebrations are limited to prayers and thanks giving, she told HT. File picture of people offering flowers at a function before the canonisation of Mother Teresa in September 2016. (Samir Jana) On Wednesday the Vatican declared Mother Teresa (1910-1997) a patron saint of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. She was beatified on October 19, 2003 and canonised on September 4, 2016. On September 4 evening an all-faith prayer session was conducted which was attended by representatives from temples, mosques and gurudwaras. They assembled, talked about Mother and prayed together. This was important, since whenever Mother prayed, she prayed for all and not just for Christians, Kumar emphasised. After the announcement, Mother Teresas name will be mentioned whenever people under the archdiocese pray or a Mass is held. Read: Book excerpt: How Raghu Rai convinced Mother Teresa to let him photograph her The Vaticans ambassador to India, Giambattista Diquattro, led the Mass and inaugurated a bronze statue in the church of Mother Teresa carrying a child. About 500 people attended the Mass at a cathedral on Wednesday. Vicar General Dominique Gomes read the decree instituting her as the second patron saint of the archdiocese. Incidentally, the Roman Catholic Church declared St. Francis Xavier the first patron saint of Calcutta in 1986. The archbishop of Calcutta, Thomas DSouza, said every diocese in the world has a patron saint and since Mother Teresa belonged to the city, we decided to declare mother our patron. We are very happy that Archdiocese of Calcutta has declared her as its patron, acknowledging her great work for the people, said Sister Prema, the head of Missionaries of Charity, the order of nuns started by Mother Teresa in 1950. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College was set up in 1966 to cater to the healthcare needs of the people of western Uttar Pradesh. Since Uttarakhand was carved out only in 1988, many of its districts were also a part of the region at that time. Despite serving patients from far and wide, the hospital, with limited facilities on hand, soon found a place among the top 10 colleges of the country. In fact, such was the credibility of the hospital and its founder principal Dr KG Tyagi that hordes of VIPs came come here for treatment. A private ward was specially set up to cater to such VIP patients, . Getting admission in LLRM Medical College was a great honour and many of its alumni had made great contribution in nurturing country`s health and medical education, claimed Dr Harivansh Chopra, a 1975 batch student and presently a professor in community medicine (SPM) department of the college. Rise of private sector in health Chopra, who joined the college as faculty in 1985, recalled that there were no private hospitals and nursing homes at that time, making the LLRM hospital the only refuge for the patients of the region. Private ward set up here was much sought after , he said while recalling that one Heeralal Nursing Home in the city was the only private hospital till the end of 80s. Thereafter, a boom was witnessed in health sector and many private nursing homes and hospitals were set up in the next two decades. These hospitals procured latest machines and equipment and offered attractive health services at reasonable price and soon became the first choice for those who could afford them. Interestingly, while private sector flourished like anything, the policy makers for government sector made no plan to meet future challenges. The facilities and budget allotted to hospital has never been increased in proportion to the increased load of patients in past five decades. The hospital still caters to patients from districts such as Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad and even from Uttarakhand but various departments are still running on services of contractual faculties and employees. In fact, even the nursing staff is outsourced, said Dr Sachin Kumar, medical superintendent of the hospital. Vacant posts worsen things While the staff keeps retiring, regular appointments are seldom held to fill the vacant post. There were 140 faculties in the college in 1985 which plummeted to mere 40 faculties in 2002 but the government woke up to fill the vacancies four years later in 2006. Currently, the college has 22 departments in which 45 faculties are giving services on contractual basis. Forty posts of class three employees which include X-Ray technician, OT and dialysis handlers are lying vacant since years. Shortage of nursing staff and class 4 staff have been temporarily resolved by hiring 183 nurses and 195 employees respectively through outsourcing. Senior faculties blame it on failure on the part of planning for the present condition. They say that privatization of medical colleges has aggravated the problem further because after spending hefty amount on their education in private colleges, nobody likes to join a government medical college and hospital at a much lower salary. Interestingly, the government has banned private practice for regular faculties but faculties on contract have been exempted. In its bid to improve the quality of faculties of medical colleges, government had passed an order allowing them to attend two national conferences in a year and one international conference but the budget for it was never allotted. Even if some one dares to attend them at his own expense, he has to apply six months in advance to seek permission which is seldom given in time. It takes months to clear bills Like in the case of Gorakhpurs BRD College, the bills of suppliers here are not cleared on time. The delays are always there but suppliers understand and do not threaten to stop the supplies of medicine, equipment, oxygen and other items, said a doctor. Getting government approval is a lengthy process and we have a clear understanding with suppliers that payment will be cleared only when the budget is released, said Dr Sachin. However, many believe that the so called understanding eventually only leads to corruption. Suppliers are businessmen who will give favour only for benefits. Such practices must stop as they can lead to Gorakhpur like disasters in future, warned a retired employee. Paucity of budget For a hospital with a capacity of 1060 beds, the annual budget for medicine is Rs 3.5 crore, which the medical college administration says is too little in view of the heavy inflow of patients around 2,500 to 3,000 every day. Allocation of budget per bed is even less than the budget of district hospitals despite the fact that we cater to a much larger area in comparison to them, said Dr Sachin, medical superintendent. He claimed that while Rs 3.5 crore is the allocated budget, the hospital has been spending Rs 5.32 crore on medicines for last two years. Even an annual budget of Rs 20 crore would be insufficient for providing hassle-free good health services and medical education here, said Dr Keerti Dubey, principal, LLRM Medical College, while urging the government to consider its long pending demand. Read more| Farrukhabad hospital deaths: Health department, district officials lock horns over oxygen crisis New trauma centre A 20-bed new trauma centre has come up on college premises recently. It has an ultra sound machine, an operation theatre (OT), a trauma ward and a trauma ICU with 16 ventilators with 6 bed post operation care ward. Besides, CT and MRI machines were installed in June last year and 4 lecture theatres, library and 10 OTs are also under construction. Also, an 80-bed super specialty block under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Yojna is being constructed which is expected to be completed by next year. More than new building, the hospital needs quality faculties, doctors, nursing staff and effective execution of right policies, said Dr Chopra. The 1857 memorial museum in the Residency in Lucknow, a reminder of the first war of independence, is set to reopen after restoration work. Its custodian the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is busy giving final touches to the old structure after which it will be thrown open to the public. ASI officials said the agencies and the experts of IIT-K were done with the job. The museum building has been strengthened. We are now busy handling the problem of damp and trying our best to remove moisture from the basement, where the 1857 museum was housed, a senior ASI official told HT. The Residencys museum was established in 2002. Housed in the basement of the main building (model room) of the Residency (the place that once served as a refuge for 3,000 British inhabitants during the 1857 Uprising) the museum was closed six months back, when dampness was spotted in the basement walls, leading to corrosion in the preserved artifacts. Museum visitors often complained of humidity in the basement. But the losses the damp caused to the museum and the shelved artifacts became visible only six months back, said a caretaker of the museum. Closure orders were issued immediately and public entry into the museum was banned. The other part of the museum on the ground floor remained open. ASI cited water seepage from the surrounding lawns as the main reason behind the dampness.. In 2016, ASI approached IIT-K professors and the experts suggested soil testing. Officials said soil testing was done to ascertain the soil holding capacity and the strength of museum walls in the basement of the Residency. It was concluded that the soil around the basement area (where the museum exists) was extremely porous. Then the experts gave detailed guidelines to ASI on restoration of the museum building. The guidelines suggested insertion of a water proof sheet at least 2 metres deep inside the ground to cut the walls contact with the surrounding soil and preventing the chances of water seepage. Besides, it was also suggested to avoid any activity in the area around the museum building. Officials said the basement area was now ready after the plinth protection work and other preventive measures to check water seepage and moisture. Agencies at work are now trying to remove the leftover moisture and dampness from the basement area after which the basement area would be re-used as a museum, said Indu Prakash, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Lucknow. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) is a service provider and can be sued in consumer courts for technical failures, say lawyers. Gaurav Tripathi, a passenger who missed his flight due to the Metro train being stranded at Mawaiyya crossing for two hours on Wednesday, said, I work for a multinational company and was scheduled to take a flight to attend an important meeting in Delhi. I started three hours before the scheduled time and boarded the Metro. But I was stranded in the train for two hours and missed the flight. This affected my reputation in front of bosses and clients. When I spoke to LMRC MD Kumar Keshav he was indifferent to my problems and said what if I had got stuck in a traffic jam, said Tripathi. Instead of consoling me, he told me to forget about any compensation and think that it was the first day of Lucknow Metro, so nothing could be done, he added. Consumer lawyer Sarvesh Sharma said, Even airlines have been sued by passengers for flight delays due to which they incurred business losses or missed connecting flights. Even Railways had to pay penalty for passengers missing connecting trains. In April 2015, the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ordered two Indian Railways officials to pay Rs 8,000 to a consumer who missed his connecting train to Chandigarh from New Delhi. Nazim Ahmed, a resident of Sector 25, Chandigarh was travelling by the Bhagalpur-New Delhi (Anand Vihar) Garib Rath Express on May 13, 2014 and the train reached the station eight hours late. Because of the delay, Ahmed missed his train (Kerala-Sampark Kranti Express). Read more: It works like a govt office: Twitter has hilarious responses to Lucknow Metro snag Ahmed pleaded to the stationmaster of New Delhi station to connect that ticket with other train as it was not his fault. And it was important for him to reach the destination. However, Ahmeds plea was turned down by the station master who stated that it was not permissible under law, and he had to purchase a new ticket. Following this, he filed a case with the consumer court and won a compensation of Rs 8,000. Another lawyer Prashant Kumar said, The passenger is fit to get compensation, if he proves the quantum of loss he has suffered. Metro is a service provider and it can be sued under consumer law. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has asked he Central Water Commission (CWC) to look into charges of gross violation of environmental norms and irregularities in the Gomti River Front Development project, a much-publicised initiative of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has already recommended a CBI probe into the multi-crore project. But with the PMO referring the matter to CWC, chances of a parallel investigation by any other agency are dim. Government officials, however, chose to remain mum on the status of CBI inquiry into the project. We have not received any official communication from the CBI so far? was the evasive reply of a senior home department official requesting anonymity. The PMOs decision comes in the wake of a 48-page dossier submitted on the Gomti River Front project by a group of professional researchers and scientists from India and the US, who claim domain expertise in technology, environmental management, economics, social science and their practical implications. We have received a communication from the PMO informing us that secretary, CWC, Ashis Banerjee has been appointed the points persons in the matter and we will soon touch base with him, said Rakesh Prasad, a member of the team. The report expresses concern over major loss to the river ecology along with an imminent danger to a vast population living and dependent on this river system. The damage is irreversible in some instances, and we have a strong feeling that no environment clearance or impact study was undertaken before starting work on the project, said a river expert on the team adding that the authorities refused to provide them relevant information through their RTI query. The project came into government scanner on April 5, when soon after coming to power Adityanath had set up a three-member judicial panel to probe financial irregularities in the Rs 1503 crore River Front project. The committee headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge justice Alok Kumar Singh had indicted former chief secretary Alok Ranjan, the then principal secretary (irrigation) Deepak Singhal and senior engineers associated with the project for irregularities. Subsequently, on the findings of the judicial panel a committee headed by UP urban development minister Suresh Khanna had submitted an 11-page report to the UP CM recommending that the state government should lodge FIRs against the accused and hand over the case to CBI. On June 19, FIRs were registered only against 8 engineers of the Irrigation Department. Those named in the FIR include, chief engineer Gulesh Yadav, the then chief engineer SN Sharma, chief engineer Kazim Ali, superintendent engineer Shiv Mangal Yadav, retired superintendent engineer Akhil Raman, the then superintendent engineer Kamleshwar Singh, executive engineers Roop Singh Yadav and Surendra Yadav. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh government will soon set up the third office of its official recruitment agency for foreign employers, the UPFC Overseas Manpower Recruitment Agency (UPFCOMRA), in Gorakhpur, the Lok Sabha constituency of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. A team of the union governments Protector General of Emigrants has already visited Gorakhpur and the licence for the office is likely to be issued soon. Yes, we hope the formalities for getting licence for Gorakhpur office of UPFCOMRA will be completed soon. Besides being associated with the chief minister, Gorakhpur is an important town of east UP from where a number of skilled/unskilled workers seek jobs abroad. A team of Protector General of Immigrants has already conducted inspection of the site of the proposed office, said an officer. The UPFCOMRA is the official recruitment agency set up at the behest of state government to help, guide and recruit skilled/unskilled workers for employers abroad. The state government had asked the Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) to set up the UPFCOMRA as 30 percent of skilled/unskilled workers going for skilled/unskilled workers jobs abroad are from Uttar Pradesh. A government agency was set up keeping in view that 90 percent of these workers get recruited through unauthorized agents/ sub-agents that often exploit them, said the officer. The UPFCOMRA with its offices in Ghazaibad and Meerut is registered with the ministry for foreign affairs to work as authorized recruitment agent from February 10, 2016 to February 2, 2021. It charges a registration fee of Rs 20,000 per worker. Principal secretary, NRI department, Alok Sinha had recently presided over a high level meeting to know about progress made for setting up of third office of the agency. After being set up in 2016 the UPFCOMRA has recruited 93 nurses and recruitment for about 126 more nurses and 50 cleaning staff is under progress, said sources. The state government has proposed that the agency should study models worked out in Punjab, Kerala and Telangana etc. The state government in cooperation with the Centre has already set up a Migrant Resource Centre at Lucknow to guide workers about the employment avenues in different countries. The NRI cells are working in regional offices of UPFC in Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Meerut, NOIDA and Varanasi since 2015. The NRI cells take up and try to get resolved with district authorities the complaints received from the NRIs. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It Director - Andy Muschietti Cast - Jaeden Leiberher, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer, Bill Skarsgard Rating - 4/5 Its a funny time to be Stephen King but some would say it always is. The cadaver of the Dark Tower it was butchered upon release by both fans and critics is still warm. Mr Mercedes, another adaptation of one of his books this one for TV has begun promisingly. Geralds Game, yet another adaptation, is coming soon this month, in fact. Donald Trump has, with predictable childishness, blocked him on Twitter. But were not here to talk about any of that. What were here to talk about is and this is remarkable, considering the sheer number of legitimately great films Kings writing has inspired a movie that could perhaps be among the best adaptations of his work. Certainly, there is a scene that comes maybe halfway through It that plunges you so gleefully into unexpected gore that its almost impossible to not be jolted by memories of The Shining or Carrie still, even after four decades, the best King adaptations. It, the novel, is a brick of a book that at 1,300 pages long would be just as useful a murder weapon as it is a source of thrills. Its a story, like most King stories, about the innocence of childhood, and the painful loss of it; about the memories of the past, and the trauma of growing up. It begins with a paper boat, floating along one of those dirty streams that collect on the sides of streets during heavy rain. A young boy Georgie chases after it, always three steps too far behind. The boat gives Georgie the slip -- picking up speed just when he expects it to slow down, and gets sucked into the sewer, a subterranean labyrinth where among the rubbish and the sewage, there lives a murderous entity. Having been gone for 27 years, the entity has chosen this day to return, and young Georgie, whos reaching into the sewers in a flailing attempt to find his boat, doesnt realise hes staring death in the face. And what a face it is. There are tufts of bright orange hair standing at attention at odd spots on Its head; a head that appears to be cracked and peeling, almost like a forgotten boiled egg. There are streaks of red running down either side of Its face like bloody gashes, uniting in a grotesque smile that splits open to reveal disgusting yellow buck-teeth. And Its eyes Oh, Its eyes; bright, hypnotic, even when the rest of Its face is obscured in shadows. It calls itself Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and with an ear-splitting growl, It pulls young Georgie into the sewer. We all float down here, It says, delivering the books and now, films classic line. Youll float too. Six months later, fate brings seven kids together. They call themselves the Losers, owing to their less-than-impressive reputation at school, and with the almost foolish bravery only idealistic kids in movies can have, they decide that only they can get to the bottom of the strange events that have been happening in their hometown Derry since Georgies murder. Other kids have disappeared, dozens of them and a terrifying clown has been spotted. The two, they conclude, must be connected. And so begins our tale. Kings writing is propulsive. It always has been. Theres a blue-collar simplicity to it, which is perhaps what makes it so roguishly attractive. But the movie is different, despite being as devoted to the source material as a King fan at one of his live readings. Theres a glossy, Spielbergian sheen to the visuals of Chung-hoon Chung DP of choice for genius South Korean director, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker). Like its close cousins, JJ Abrams Super 8, Netflixs Stranger Things, and any number of Steven Spielberg films mind you, It is the real deal, having essentially created the genre that we now associate with an entire decade this film is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a horror movie. Perhaps even more. Its at its best ironically, for a scary movie not when it is tormenting the kids with fresh evil every 15 minutes, but when its laying in the fields with them, gazing lazily at the endlessness of the summer holidays; when its splashing around in the river, wondering if the only girl in the group can notice them staring; and when it is irresponsibly riding on bikes, standing on the pedals to appear taller. Despite how truly frightening Pennywise is every time he appeared on screen, and its just the right amount of time, the audience at my screening grew visibly uncomfortable It, the movie, lives and dies with the Losers; their carefully fleshed out stories, the bullying they endure, and the firm friendship that helps them survive. Unlike most horror films, It is a drama first. And boy, thats refreshing. Most remarkably, all this is the doing of Andy Muschietti, a director with only one feature credit to his name prior to this the supernatural horror, Mama, in which Jessica Chastain played an edgelord and that too, not a particularly good one. With It, Muschietti has made one of the best horror movies of the year. Its funny and warm and touching and frightening and profane and profound. Its a terrific set-up to what is going to be a restlessly-anticipated Chapter 2. It floats. Youll float too. Watch the It trailer here Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Sameer Director: Dakxin Chhara Cast: Mohhamad Zeeshan Ayyub, Seema Biswas, Subrat Dutta, Anjali Patil, Shubham Bajrange Rating: 3.5/5 Politics is what happens when India is hit by yet another riot. Amid the broken homes, dead parents, bawling children and dreams going up in smoke is another plot that may lead those behind it to a cushy seat in Delhi. But are the films today ready to call it out? Give the political climate in the country today, the answer is largely no. Sameer, a small film that you may not even have heard of, is that exception. Directed by documentary filmmaker Dakxin Chhara, Sameer is the story of what happens behind the scenes before and after a terror attack. It may not break new ground in terms of treatment but it definitely says what needs to be said. Touted as a suspense, Sameer keeps up the promise of a thrilling experience, even as it touches upon some very sensitive issues of our times and makes extremely bold statements. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub (Raanjhana, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Raees and Tubelight) makes his debut as the solo hero with Sameer. Seema Biswas and Zeeshan in a still from Sameer. The film goes straight to the nub when it mentions the 2002 Gujarat riots, chief minister from a state in Indias west who maybe the architect of the violence that grips it and the CMs single-minded focus on economy and development. But welfare of all in his state? Not so much. Talking about an innocent person getting arrested simply because he was the roommate of a terror blast accused, the chief minister candidly tells his Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief, Musalman hai na? Humara kaam to ho jaega! There is a Naxal sympathiser press reporter who seems to know when and where the terror attacks will happen and helps the ATS. There is a discussion about how the Indian politicians learnt to divide and rule from British and now propagate it to gain political currency. Seema Biswas even delivers a monologue on how the common people dont hate each other but are ready to kill when instigated by politicians. The story shows us serial bomb blasts in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. The backstories of terrorists are established via the ghastly riots of 2002, but only in passing. Interestingly, there are clear statements claiming that the motive behind the riots was political. The movie is a brave and giant step for political cinema in Bollywood. Dakxin, who belongs to Gujarat, has made sure that his film does not shy away from questioning the authorities. Towards the end of the movie, there is a scene where a candid conversation exposes the nexus between communal divide, terror attacks and political agenda. Almost all the actors cast in main roles in the film come from National School of Drama (NSD) and even the way it is shot takes a lot from theatre. Right in the beginning, we see a basti where kids are trying to chase a chicken. In a bid to hit the bird, they throw a stone which lands on the other side of the basti. The two sides are divided by religion the moment the stone falls on the other side, people panic and react violently, shouting dhamaal ho gaya (another riot has begun). It takes another kid and an outsider to establish that it was actually childrens game and they should just calm down. Dakxins son, Shubham Bajrange, also plays an important role in the film. He plays a specially-abled child and the filmmaker uses his lack of practical knowledge to underline things about humanity. So this kid, fondly called Rocket in the film, is an orphan who considers Mahatma Gandhi his granddad and sits in his lap to cry when things turn sour. He is also interested in street theatre so we get to see him narrate Paashs poem, Sapno Ka Mar Jaana, enact a play on how silence of the masses is powering corrupt politicians. While all the actors seemlessly fit their characters, Zeeshan once again proves his mettle as he goes from a vulnerable man to a becoming a puppet and later a master negotiator. The frames often remind us that the director is actually a documentary filmmaker - there are raw images, real locations and, at times alarmingly authentic, but common faces. It is the well-knit screenplay and crisp editing that maintains the pace and makes Sameer an edge-of-the-seat thriller with a few melodramatic dialogues thrown in. Interact with the author @swetakaushal Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 13-year-old rape survivor from Mumbai, who got a nod from the Supreme Court on September 6 to abort her 32-week foetus, delivered a boy after a Caesarean-section surgery at Sir JJ Hospital, Byculla. The hospital had put together a team of five doctors to conduct the surgery. The baby, which weighs 1.7kg, is in the neonatal intensive care unit. An average full-term baby weighs around 2.5kg. The rape survivor was brought to the hospital for medical tests on Thursday evening, after which she was admitted for the procedure. The teens pregnancy came to light on August 9, when her mother took her to a local doctor to understand the cause of her sudden weight gain. Lawyers said if the family refuses to take up the childs guardianship, the statutory legal process will be observed to hand over the child to state government. The child is most likely to be kept at a state-run orphanage and could get adopted. Dr Nikhil Datar, a city based gynaecologist, who helped her family file the petition for medical termination of pregnancy in the Apex Court, said, It is a path-breaking, historic judgment as it relieves the girl of emotional and physical trauma. Our judicial activism started in 2008, but will be complete only when the law is amended to extend the abortion deadline to 24 weeks from the present 20 weeks. . Despite a Mumbai court handing a life sentence to extradited gangster Abu Salem for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, he may actually not spend more than 25 years behind bars. All this is because of a sovereign undertaking by India to Portugal, while extraditing him in 2005. On Thursday, the designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court pronounced sentences against five of the six convicts in the case. The sixth convict, Mustafa Dossa, died after the special public prosecutor began his arguments on quantum of sentence and sought capital punishment for him. Tahir Merchant and Firoz Khan were sentenced to death, while life imprisonment was pronounced for Karimullah Khan. Riyaz Siddique got 10 years in jail. Advocate Rishi Malhotra, who has represented Salem in the Supreme Court, said, Salem was extradited from Portugal after giving an undertaking to Portugal that Salem will not be given a death penalty or sentenced to a jail term exceeding 25 years. Normally, a life term means the convict stays behind bars till the end of his life. But in this case, the TADA court has given him a life term which violates the undertaking given by government of India. Though extradition terms included a condition that Salem couldnt be given the death penalty or jail term exceeding 25 years, such a condition cannot prohibit an Indian court from giving such a sentence. To make up for this, the Indian government included a commitment in the agreement that they would, if such a sentence were imposed, resort to all legal measures to restrict it. So, the question is, if the court was right in giving Salem a life term in spite of a sovereign undertaking. The answer to the question was given by the Supreme Court in 2012 while dealing with Salems petition, where he argued that he cannot be tried for the offences which entailed death penalty as the same was the pre-condition agreed by the Indian government at the time of his extradition from Portugal. The apex court in its judgment said the Portugal government cannot impose any pre-condition on Indian courts. Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, who defended Abu Salem in the 1993 blasts case said, it is now for the government to see that undertaking given to Portugal government is not violated and it can easily be taken care of. The government has powers of remission and pardon and to honour its undertaking to Portugal government, it can exercise powers and pardon Salems remainder of the sentence given by the trial court. Pasbola also believes that this life sentence can go on to be one of the important grounds for challenging the verdict in the Supreme Court of India. This is not the first time that Salem has been sentenced to life term in jail for a crime. Earlier in 2015, a special TADA court sentenced Abu Salem to life imprisonment and slapped a Rs8 lakh fine, for the murder of builder Pradeep Jain in 1995. Salem has been the only case of successful extradition by India of an accused from a European country. Hence, his case has always raised a discussion on the allegation of violations and its consequences if there is any. Former Maharashtra advocate-general (AG) Shrihari Aney said the reasons for which Salem has alleged violation of extradition conditions comes into the picture only if the Indian government deliberately suppressed facts and cases known to them before. If the government found new evidence against the accused after the extradition, the accused would be tried under the fresh material under the Indian law and procedure of Indian judiciary. This cannot be a violation, Aney said. Senior counsel Ashok Mundargi said that imprisonment for life is not a violation as such, because as per the treaty, Salem was not given capital punishment as Portugal had abolished death penalty in their country. Under the criminal procedure code, though the imprisonment for life is for the entire life of the convict, the jail manual provides for various categories for imprisonment for life. The categories starts from imprisonment for 14 years and goes above, but not till death, Mundargi said. It is the jail authorities that decide which category the convict falls under and it is for the state or in case of the 1993 blasts, the central government to take a decision. Mundargi further said that in case there is a breach. the only consequence would be that the Portugal would consider all these aspects before honouring any such further requests. With the special TADA court convicting underworld gangster Abu Salem to life imprisonment for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, the extradited gangster is all set to push his battle for early release with the European Court of Human Rights. The gangster had earlier this year approached the ECHR against the Government of India, claiming the extradition treaty with Portugal was violated. While the court of ECHR has already asked both Indian government and Portugal government to file their replies on allegations made by Salem for violation of extradition, Salem would be sending another application with Thursdays order. Salem claimed the TADA court convicted him under charges of TADA Act and criminal conspiracy under Indian Penal Code, which were not mentioned in the extradition order. The Indian government had promised that the charges not mentioned in the treaty order would be dropped. Salem also claimed the treaty was violated when he was convicted and sentenced in 2015, in connection with 1995 Pradeep Jain murder case. The defence claimed Salem cannot be awarded a sentence for more than 25 years as per the extradition agreement and his sentence to imprisonment for life is one of the violations. Sudeep Pasbola, lawyer for Salem on extradition, said, The Indian government has breached several conditions of the extradition orders passed by the government of Portugal while allowing Indias request to extradite Abu Salem. The most important is that he has been convicted and tried for several new cases, new charges and also on the basis of new evidence that was not mentioned in the extradition order. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Arth Rating: 2.5 / 5 Where: 604, PD Hinduja Junction, Khar Pali Road, Khar When: 12 -3 pm; 7 pm - 1 am. Mon closed Cost: Rs 4,000 for two with one cocktail each Call: 95940-60038 for reservations Arth has been designed to impress. A tall, thick door heaves open to the hostesss desk and expansive lounge. Shiny black-and-white flooring calls to mind a gentlemans club, though the gold-rimmed black pillows on chaise lounges, bronze side tables, faux trophy animals and chandeliers betray a more Trumpian aesthetic. Its lunchtime and the temple of gaudy ostentatious-ness is empty. In the night, Id imagine its filled with a congregation dressed in designer shirts, carrying designer bags, wearing designer shoes and trading tales of the Croatian coast. A spiral wooden staircase leads up to the dining area, full, with noisy children running around. Even though natural light floods in, the space seems dull. You get the feeling it too would be more elegant at night, in the yellow glow from the many chandeliers and bright display kitchen. Arth in Khar gets a lot of natural light but you get the feeling it would be more elegant at night, in the yellow glow from the many chandeliers and bright display kitchen. (Aalok Soni / Hindustan Times) Chef Amninder Sandhus decision to opt for a gas-free kitchen is laudable, as is the research that has gone into working ingredients like tengamora (roselle) from Assam into the menu. Both would have been more meaningful if they had found expression in the food. Topped with ruby-red pomegranates, the rhododendron seekhs on a wooden stave make a pretty picture. However, they taste more like a light, beetroot-rich version of a hara bhara kebab. The rhododenderon tag remains something of a mystery. Arths rhododendron seekhs taste like light, beetroot-rich hara bhara kebabs. What prompted the rhododendron tag, we still dont know. (Aalok Soni/ Hindustan Times) Arth does an unusual version of pathar ka ghosht, in which thin slices of meat are replaced with soft, chunky pieces. Clearly too much tenderiser has gone into the marinade, for the mutton comes apart too easily. Our charcoal bharta is closer to tasty masaledar than smoky baingan. Unmoulded into a deep soup bowl with two thickish phulkas resting on the side, its not impressive plating. The Oriya deomali mutton is pulled out of a smoked, hollowed-out piece of bamboo and arranged on a bed of jasmine rice, the curry from the bamboo then poured over it. The presentation was memorable; sadly, the flavours were not. (Aalok Soni / HT Photo) The meats, though, are presented with flair. The skull cracker arrives in a soup bowl, where a cloud of meringue is cracked open and a perfectly cooked lamb brain lifted out and placed on two chochors, a sort of Kashmiri bagel. From a glass beaker, the thin gravy is then delicately poured over. The combination of chewy bread, creamy brains and mildly spiced gravy is divine. Arths skull cracker is a brain preparation that arrives under a cloud of meringue and is served on Kashmiri bread. From a glass beaker, the thin gravy is then delicately poured on top. (Aalok Soni/ Hindustan Times) Theres a touch of drama to the Oriya deomali mutton curry as well. A skewer of tender mutton pieces is pulled out of a smoked, hollowed-out piece of bamboo and arranged on a bed of jasmine rice, the curry from the bamboo poured over it. However, the curry was too lightly spiced and not particularly memorable. The Telugu paper sweet, with its fine layers and powdered-nut filling, is a great idea. But take one spoon and you realise its a messy dessert best eaten over the kitchen sink, where the delicate rice flakes can fly where they want. Arths Telugu paper sweet, with its fine layers and powdered nut filling is a messy dessert best eaten over the kitchen sink, where the delicate rice flakes can fly where they want. (Aalok Soni/ Hindustan Times) Our plate of jalebis with rabdi is left mostly untouched as we find the jalebis taste over-fermented. This does not go unnoticed and we arent charged for either dessert. Two years ago, Arth might have been considered cutting-edge. Today, its just another new-age Indian restaurant with fancy plates, but for the rich and fabulous. HT reviews anonymously and pays for all meals A Dombivli resident recently approached the Bombay high court, seeking an inquiry into the inaction of civic officials and the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, which is developing Bhendi Bazar, in getting Hussaini building in the area vacated. The 117-year-old building collapsed at 8.30am on August 31, leaving 33 dead. Kishore Sohoni, the petitioner, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had declared the structure dangerous and issued three notices since 2011. In the PIL filed through advocate Sadhna Kumar, Sohoni said the Bombay high court has laid down guidelines for getting dilapidated and dangerous buildings vacated. The Dombivli resident attributed the loss of life to the lackadaisical approach of the government officials concerned. The petitioner sought a direction to the government to collect money from erring government officials and give it to the families of the deceased . The pressure built by the Congress forced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to grant loan waiver to farmers in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi said in Nanded in Maharashtras Marathwada on Friday. Gandhi said Maharashtra farmers may get only Rs5,000 crore of the Rs34,000-crore loan waiver announced by the government two months ago. The Congress rallies for loan waiver forced the Maharashtra government announced to write off the loan. We held rallies in Uttar Pradesh, met lakhs of farmers and filled up 2 crore forms demanding waiver. This put tremendous pressure on the Uttar Pradesh and Central government, said Gandhi. He said while Ratan Tata was easily given land worth Rs65,000 crore for his Nano plant at Gujarat during PM Modis tenure as the CM, farmers were being made to fill forms with their caste and other details for loan waiver Gandhi will address a public rally in Parbhani around 3pm. Key Congress leaders from the state, including state chief Ashok Chavan, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, leader of opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, were present at the rally held ahead of the municipal elections in Nanded next month. The Narendra Modi-led central government has destroyed farmers, farm labourers and small traders with his policies. Demonetisation hit farmers, women and poor citizens the most. The PM first said it will help unearth the black money and curb terrorism. The recent count of the old currency has exposed his false claims. Modiji has failed to keep his promise of 2 crore jobs a year as his government could generate only 1 lakh jobs in three years. His government has failed to address the most serious problem of unemployment, he said. Gandhi said the Modi government was not bothered about the country and its unity, but was only interested in widening the base of BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The global financial consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) recently submitted a report to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on commercial exploitation of its bus depots, stations and staff quarters. It suggested that transit-oriented development (TOD) be done at 23 plots of the undertaking, including the Deonar bus depot in eastern suburbs. The firm suggested that 30%-50% commercially use of its plots could earn BEST a revenue of Rs1,800 crore- Rs2,200 crore or Rs2,770 crore to Rs3,360 crore. In both the cases, the construction cost of BEST facilities would be around Rs1,600 crore to Rs1,800 crore, but with waiver of FSI/TDR, sale of FSI is estimated to enhance the revenue to Rs5,170 crore to Rs6,160 crore. The BESTs losses are in the range of Rs2,000 crore. Facing the worst ever financial crisis, BEST had appointed PWC and Aakar Architects and Consultants (AAC) for commercial exploitation of its properties last year asking them to submit a report within eight months. The BEST had also asked PWC to advice if it should adopt public-private partnership (PPP) or self-financed development (SFD) while monetising the assets. Last month, HTs #BESTBachao campaign also highlighted the depreciating financial situation of the undertaking. The campaign had the same suggestions as the PWC report. The report suggested to opt for combination of PPP and SFD initially, though SFD is financially attractive but capacity building will take some time. Built internal capability in parallel, while financial strengthening enables debt-rising capability, states the report, which also suggests that PPP projects can be structured as annual lease or revenue share or space share for better value capture. In the report, PWC has suggested TOD, integrated transit system, which will enable multimodal transport integration, increase public/semi-public transport users, besides development of local area and decongestion as well. The TOD sites would be at three levels city, area and local. According to sources, under TOD, 23 locations will be connected with other modes of public transport like suburban trains, Metro, Monorail and buses. PWC also suggested the city level TOD to cater to inter-city and intra-city transport integration. The area-level TOD, where new public transport infrastructure will be created for emerging urban localities, are planned at Parel and Kandivli staff quarters. The local-level TOD, which will be multi-modal transport integration hubs, have been suggested at nine locations including Malad depot, Bandra depot and Oshiwara bus stations. Ravi Raja, a senior BEST panel member and opposition leader in the BMC, welcomed the report saying that commercial development will give Rs10,000 core in the next five year. If the state and BMC are not able to help BEST, commercially using assets is the best option, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday announced central assistance of nearly Rs55,000 crore to complete 140 ongoing irrigation projects besides the ambitious river-linking scheme Damanganga-Pinjal and Nar-Tapi-Narmada, which will link five rivers in the state and benefit both Maharashtra and Gujarat. The river-linking project will be the first in the country to be finalised, the minister said. The project, part of an ambitious, but controversial plan seen as former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees dream for the country, will be inked this month, Gadkari said. Under this project, the plan is to interlink five rivers in the state to transfer water that flows into the Arabian Sea into basins with lower water surplus. It can yield us water of up to 80 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), roughly the size of 8 Vaitarna dams, said Iqbal Chahal, principal secretary of the state, water resources department. Environmentalists cautioned the project could turn into a costly pipe dream given Maharashtras track record with completing such works, with the costs outweighting the benefits promised. Gadkari said if all these projects were fast-tracked and completed in the next three years, the area under irrigation in the state, currently at only 18.8% would increase to up to 40% and stem farmer suicides that had plagued Maharashtra for more than two decades. After, I took over the water resources portfolio, I realised Maharashtras irrigation capacity created so far is only better than Jharkhand. Other states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have created irrigation capacity of 32-34%, which is why MPs agriculture growth rate is in double digits. In the next two years, the chief minister and I plan to fast track and complete all these irrigation projects to up our capacity to 40%. This can arrest the spate of suicides that has been troubling us, Gadkari said. The minister, who was given the additional responsibility of the water resources portfolio in the recent cabinet reshuffle, spoke to the media after taking a review of the irrigation sector in Maharashtra at the CMs official residence, Varsha at Malabar Hill. Gadkari also promised greater transparency in the irrigation projects saying his government would continue to have zero tolerance for corruption. The BJP government in the state took over in 2014 close on the heels of the massive irrigation scam in Maharashtra. While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a probe into the alleged Rs70,000-crore scam, the progress of the investigation by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in the tainted Vidarbha and Konkan projects has been slow. I have asked the state government to look at using new technology and ensure full transparency in awarding of contracts by removing unnecessary layers of authority. A system should be adopted so as to enable direct payments to the contractor online within 24 hours to remove room for negotiations and bargain, Gadkari said. State government officials, who crunched the numbers, told HT that central assistance of around Rs38,886 crore will be given to the state via three major components (this does not include assistance for Gujarats share of works and cost escalation for the river linking project). This includes completing 114 ongoing projects that are in the last mile of completion largely in the drought-prone talukas and the districts worse affected by agrarian distress in Vidarbha and Marathwada. The final clearance from the Centres finance ministry for getting Rs11,000 crore include a long-term loan from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), which is still pending even though Gadkari gave his clearance on Friday. The assistance also includes Rs17,000 crore yet to come from the Centre for 22 mega projects like Gosikhurd in Vidarbha cleared under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). The state has already completed four of the 26 projects cleared under PMKSY in 2015 and received Rs 36000 crore in assistance and loans. The third component includes Rs15,000 crore (taking into account cost escalation) for the Damanganga-Pinjal and Nar-Tapi-Narmada project. The initial agreement signed in 2010 for this river-linking project will be scrapped and a new agreement will be finalised in its place, most likely on September 12, said officials. The project is divided into five segments including Nar-Par-Girna, Par-Godavari, Damanganga-Pinjal, Damanganga-Godavari, Damanganga-Vaitarna and it is estimated to get completed in five to seven years. Its cost is worked out as Rs10,886 crore for the Maharashtra portion and Rs10,211 crore for the Gujarat portion. The documents prepared by the department show that the Damanganga-Pinjal segment can bring 895 Million Cubic Meters of water to Mumbai via tunnels and can fulfil the citys water requirement until 2070. The state government was so far not keen on signing the agreement, specifically the Nar-Par-Girna as the project had envisaged giving waters from its western rivers to Gujarat. The changed agreement, officials said would divert 434 MCM water going into the sea to Gujarat and getting as much water back from the Ukai dam in Gujarat. The cost benefit ratio for transfer of waters from one river basin to another over large distances through series of dams, channels does not work. Besides the ecological and displacement costs, one needs to factor in climate change which is intrinsically changing our river basins, said Pradeep Purandare, a state water expert and retired associate professor with water and land management institute at Aurangabad. Read more: Gadkari aims to focus on Indias public transport Switch to clean vehicles or get bulldozed: Nitin Gadkari tells automakers SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Sahar police investigating the alleged international kidney racket said one of the two men they had arrested has confessed to have sent 15 men to Egypt and Sri Lanka for illegal kidney transplants. The probe is on to find out where these people are now. According to the police, Vruchantala Nizammudin alias Nizam, 36, was detained by immigration officials on suspicion on September 2 at the international airport. On being interrogated, he said she was working as an agent for the second arrested accused Suresh Prajapati, 36. With Nizams help Prajapati was traced to Ahmedabad and arrested. They are in Sahar polices custody till September 15. Prajapati was arrested last year in Hyderabad in a kidney racket case and was out on bail. Nizam said when he contacted Prajapati in 2014 wanting to sell his kidney, the latter offered him a job. Prajapati asked Nizam to get him kidney donors for a hefty commission in return. Nizam then got in touch with people in desperate need of money and with the help of Prajapati sent them either to Sri Lanka or Egypt. They were given Rs5 lakh for the kidney and they took hefty amounts ranging in several lakhs from the recipients. All the requirements like air tickets, visa, passport were provided by Prajapati. They were sent from Mumbai and Delhi. Nizam gave the police addresses of three men, who were sent to Cairo in Egypt. While one of them is from Jammu, two are from Kerela. On September 2, Nizam managed to send one more person to Cairo. When arrested, he had three passports on him. While two belonged to him including an expired one, the third belonged to one more person who was to be sent abroad. He is nowhere to be found. Nizam was given Rs 40, 000 by Prajapati for each donor.The police are investigating to find out if, like Nizam, Prajapati had more agents working for him. The Maharashtra government on Thursday decided to grant additional incentives to families affected by the proposed Rs16,000-crore Navi Mumbai International Airport, clearing one of the final stumbling blocks for the project to move forward. The state cabinet decided to relax the cut-off date of September 2013 for the project-affected families to be eligible for rehabilitation and include 223 structures that were not detected in the 2013 satellite survey, but were found to exist on the actual ground survey conducted later. It also decided to consider more than one structure owned by the same family as eligible for the state governments entire rehabilitation package. A senior official from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) said, Moreover, the government has now decided to consider even those structures where the owner is currently not living as part of the rehabilitation package. There were several such cases. The state cabinet has also designated the principal secretary of the urban development department to take decisions at the departments level in case of any additional demands for the rehabilitation of the project affected for the airport project. The Navi Mumbai airport is proposed to be built on 1,160 hectares of land across ten villages on which about 3,500 families live. The state government has already rolled out an extensive relief and rehabilitation package to bring the families on board in a total package of Rs 350 crore. A state government official said the recent decisions are likely to add about Rs 30 crore to the cost. CIDCO, which has started pre-development works at the proposed site, will start shifting the project-affected families to an alternate accommodation in October. The pre-development work involves flattening a hillock, reclaiming marsh land and diverting a river to make way for the construction of the airport. It is expected to take about a year and a half to complete. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The public works department of the Maharashtra government would float tenders and issue work orders to build 10,000 km of roads worth 30,000 crore by the end of this year, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday. Tenders would be issued in October and work orders in the following month, he said. In a first, the state is also looking to hand over road contracts for a minimum length of 100 km instead of the earlier practice of giving small road contracts for 2 km. This is done to woo bigger companies and bring in transparency in these projects. These road contracts will be given out on the hybrid annuity model, based on the guidelines of the Centre, said Fadnavis. The hybrid annuity model is a balance between a public-private partnership contract and an engineering procurement contract. The government puts in 40%, while the contractor contributes the rest. The private company recovers its investment over the next 15-20 years through installments from the government. The Centre conceived the hybrid annuity model largely to bring back private participation that had dried up in road projects over the last few years The state cabinet gave an in-principal approval for the plan last year. The chief minister added that over the next three years, the plan was to cover a majority of the state highways spread across nearly 92,000 km, rebuilding them on the lines of national highways. There is a nexus in the public works department with vested interests hijacking the road building contracts. Earlier, road work was distributed in small parcels sometimes even as small as 100 meters to 2 km. The quality of the work done was often substandard. We have now laid down conditions that will make the contractor liable for repairs and maintenance of these works for next 15 years so as to weed out such operators, said a senior official. He added that even the road maintenance contracts would now be given for a minimal of 10 km. Union minister Nitin Gadkari also offered to help BMC in improving the condition of roads in the city. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A man is not expected to give up his job to join his wife for complying with a court direction ordering restitution of conjugal rights, while his estranged wife stays put at a separate residence. The Bombay high court has held that the wife, in such a situation, is required to join her husband at their home where she lived with him before leaving him. The husband, in this case, lived in Indianapolis in the United States even before his marriage in August 1996 with an Andheri resident. After the marriage, the couple began living in the US. Later, differences cropped up between the two and the wife, 45, returned to Mumbai. The 52-year-old US resident in 2006 filed for divorce. His plea was opposed by the wife who filed a plea for restitution of conjugal rights. In September 2009, a family court dismissed the husbands plea and ordered him to resume living together as pleaded by his estranged wife. In 2012, the husband again approached the family court at Bandra, seeking divorce on the ground that cohabitation had not been resumed even after the September 2009 order. He claimed though he made sincere efforts to bring his wife back to the US, she did not respond and resultantly cohabitation could not be resumed. The wife, on the other hand, blamed her husband for non-compliance of the September 2009 order and urged the court not to allow him to take advantage of his own wrong. She said the husband should have left his job in US and joined her company in Mumbai, as she was not expected to leave her practice in Mumbai and join him in US. The family court held that since the beginning she knew that her husband was residing in US and she will have to join him if, if she wished to resume cohabitation. A division bench of justice VK Tahilramani and justice Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi upheld the view taken by the family court and rejected wifes appeal. It said the husband has been residing in USA since prior to the marriage and after marriage the wife has cohabited with him there. Even at the time of filing of the claim for restitution of conjugal rights she knew that he was still residing in the US. Therefore, there was absolutely no question of the respondent (husband) coming to India and resuming cohabitation with her at Mumbai, said the bench. It is not a case, as rightly observed by the family court, that the respondent has intentionally left India after passing of the decree of restitution of conjugal rights and settled in USA in order to avoid the execution of such decree, the high court said while rejecting the wifes appeal. The city recorded its first arrest for mangrove destruction this year. On Friday, a 52-year-old trustee of Glorius English School in Cheeta Camp, Trombay, was arrested by the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit (MMCU). She is also the school principal. According to MMCU officials, several notices were issued and demolitions had been carried out at the 1,000 sq metre plot located less than 50-metre away from mangroves but the school refused to vacate the plot. Taking cognisance of the matter, the MMCU, along with personnel from Trombay police station, arrested Sugandha Ratnam George under various sections of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and was produced in the Kurla Magistrate Court on Friday evening. She was released on bail and has been fined Rs15,000 for mangrove destruction. The court ordered the school to be shut immediately and the land to be vacated within a week, said Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forests, MMCU, who issued the arrest order. The destruction of mangrove forests across the state and construction within 50-metres of mangroves was banned by the Bombay high court in 2005. The ordered was issued after its heard a public interest litigation (PIL) by Bombay Environment Action Group, highlighting rampant destruction of mangroves in the city. The school was constructed illegally and it was observed that more than 100 mangrove trees were destroyed. The violation was first observed in October 2015 following which the MMCU issued a notice to the school. After we failed to get a response, the MMCU held a hearing and orders were issued to raze illegal extensions of the school, said Ghodke. In May 2016, the school constructed a few toilets inside the mangrove patch, said officials. A month later, we demolished them as well and issued final orders under sections of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, said PR Chaudhari, range forest officer, Navi Mumbai. Ignoring the orders, the school constructed a few more toilets on June 14. These were demolished on June 24. The school might have been operational for the past 15 years, but the number of violations forced us to take the necessary step and arrest the trustee, said Ghodke. We will work with the school authorities to ensure the students get admission into other schools in the area. Despite repeated attempts, school officials remained unavailable for comment. Officials from the state said there is need for more awareness among citizens to protect the citys mangrove cover, as it prevents inundation during monsoon. The case indicates a clear defiance of environmental laws and negligence towards protecting these trees for personal gain. This action will act as deterrence for all those trying to encroach on mangrove land, the impact of which is felt throughout the city during the monsoon, said a senior official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One more person succumbed to the injuries he suffered in Wednesday night's cylinder explosions and fire in Prarthana building in Juhu. While this took the total death toll to seven, 11 others are still in RN Cooper Hospital receiving treatment, three of whom are in critical condition. Billian Tappa, 40, who was brought to the hospital with 60% burn injuries, died on Thursday night, said hospital authorities. Since Wednesdays fire was caused by explosions of two illegally stored LPG cylinders, K-west ward officials started inspecting other under-construction buildings in Juhu for irregularities. Four teams of civic officials completed inspection of five buildings on Juhu Tara Road on Friday. The entire operation is expected to take one week. An official from the K-west ward said, The teams are inspecting under-construction buildings and are also checking if the building has requisite permissions because labourers are not allowed to live in the premises of under-construction buildings." This is the first time the BMC is inspecting under-construction buildings for irregularities. Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of the ward, said, I have instructed my staff to scan every street and confiscate cylinders from eateries, restaurants and inspect buildings undergoing construction." Contractor, supervisor & engineer held The supervisor, site engineer and contractor of the under-construction building in Juhu were arrested for allegedly causing the death of seven people owing to negligence. A massive fire engulfed the ground floor of the building killing seven people and injuring another 11 people. The accused were produced before a magistrate court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody. The accused identified as Kiran alias Tinubhai Mannabhai Patel, contractor, Shiju Kunjpe Jhon, 34, site engineer and Prashant Dagdoji More, 38, site supervisor. The police said more accused are wanted in the case. The FIR was registered on Thursday under IPC sections 304 A, 337 and 338 for causing grievous injury and death due to negligence. The fire broke out on Wednesday night in 13-storey Prarthana Building near Kaifi Azmi Park in Juhu. Amidst the chaos surrounding the assessment and announcement of results from the previous semester, the University of Mumbai (MU) on Friday announced timetable for the upcoming exams. Teachers and students expressed displeasure, as the exams for first-year students will be held during Diwali vacation, which ends on November 6. Teachers have worked during the summer holidays followed by managing assessment and lectures. Now the university wants to eat into their Diwali vacations as well. This is extremely unfair to the teachers, said Anju Kapoor, principal of UPG College, Vile Parle. She added that several teachers and students, who had planned their holidays in advance, will now be forced to alter their plans. Whats the use of sharing the academic calendar with people at the beginning of the year if the university cannot stick to it, Kappor said. To make matters worse, exams of first-year students will be held before the second-year students, starting October 30. This is happening despite the fact that first-year students had a shorter academic semester this year owing to delay in admissions. We started lectures for first-year in mid-July and then we lost time owing to Ganpati holidays and rains. How is the university expecting teachers to finish the syllabus of an entire semester in two months? said another principal of a suburban college. The institute plans to conduct extra lectures over the next couple of weeks to make up for lost time. Second-year students said they too were unhappy as their exams have been scheduled right after the Diwali break second week of November. It was obvious that exams will be delayed because the university faced a lot of trouble while announcing results. But the portion for second-year (third semester) students is almost over. Why do we wait for another two months for our exams? said a second-year BMS student. Deadline extended With more than 10 results still pending to be announced by the university, and thousands of students results still held in reserve, the university has requested all affiliated colleges to extend admission deadline for post graduate courses until September 15. The original deadline for PG admissions was August 21, after which the date has been extended twice. Colleges are worried about completing the PG syllabus as the academic session is already delayed by a month. The Thane Police have booked two police officials for allegedly abetting suicide of a 24-year-old woman constable, who ended her life on Wednesday afternoon in Thane. While ACP Shamrao Nipungey is deployed at the Thane police headquarters, Amol Devram Fapale is a police constable in Mumbai. Both have been booked under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. As per the complaint, Subhadra Vasant Pawar, 24, was in relationship with Fapale and the two were supposed to marry this year. However, Fapale doubted Pawar of having an affair with Nipungey. On the day Pawar committed suicide, she allegedly got call from Nipungey after which Fapale argued with her. A police source says that, As per her phone records, Pawar was calling Nipungey for reasons related to work. We also found that Nipungey had assured her for place where the workload would be less so that she gets some time for herself. However, Pawars brother, who is also a police constable, alleged that both the accused used to harass her. He alleged that Nipungey called her every day and promised her stress-free posting. The officer said Pawar allegedly committed suicide after an argument with Fapale. She hanged herself from the ceiling fan with a saree at her house in Manisha Nagar, Kalwa. It was Fapale who spotted the body and informed the neighbours and the police. She was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. It was her brother who filed a complaint against Nipungey and Fapale, the officer said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Wadala Truck Terminal (TT) Police registered a case of molestation against the man who allegedly molested a woman sub-inspector in the early hours of Wednesday. Cops said the incident occurred at 1.30 am when the officer, dressed in plain clothes, was returning home after completing her bandobast duty. While minutes away from her residence, a man started following her. Taking advantage of the dark, he pounced on her and pinned her to the ground. When the officer tried to shout for help, he gagged her. While he groped her, the officer punched him hard. She then pushed and kicked. The officer then ran towards the main road and sought help from the policemen patrolling the area. By the time they reached the spot, the accused had fled the area. N Ambika, deputy commissioner of police (zone IV), said, Our efforts are on We are making attempts to nab the accused. A case was registered under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) of the IPC. More than 100 people blocked the busy Mumbai-Goa highway near Panvel on Friday, after a road accident killed a 25-year-old woman. While the traffic was affected for some time, the local police, intervened and cleared the road in 60 minutes. The police said as the woman, who was riding a bike, stopped midway owing to the potholes near Panvel, a trailer crashed into the vehicle. Her upper part of her body was totally smashed in the accident. She died on the spot, said a police officer from Panvel Taluka police station. The situation was brought under control in an hour, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The urban development department of the Maharashtra government on Thursday issued a notification to change the reservation of the mayors bungalow in Dadar in the Development Plan (DP) 1991. The notification will enable the conversion of the sea-facing building at Shivaji Park into a memorial for late Balasaheb Thackeray. Citizens can send their suggestions and objections to the deputy director of the town planning department within a month. The bungalow and area around it was marked as a green zone in the DPs of 1967 and 1991. Construction is banned in green zones. The notification, therefore, stated that the bungalow needed to be categorised as a residential zone. The decision comes after the BMC asked the state government to change the reservation of the land in April. According to a senior civic official from the DP department, any change in the sanctioned plan for the city would require public scrutiny. DP 1991 is being followed as the Maharashtra government is yet to approve DP 2034. The BMC passed the resolution to convert the bungalow, which has been home to Mumbais mayors for the past five decades, into a memorial in February. Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar is living there. Although he was supposed to be moved to a bungalow on the Byculla zoo premises, he has demanded a bungalow in Malabar Hill, which is occupied by two additional municipal commissioners. According to the corporation resolution, the mayors bungalow will be given on a lease to a trust constituted by the state government to undertake the task at a nominal annual rate of Re1 for 30 years. The grade-II heritage structure was used by the royal family of Bikaner in the late 1920s and was taken over by the civic body a decade later. It was initially used as a municipal office before it became the mayors official residence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A second floor flat in D-Block of Elite Homz high-rise residential society in Sector 77 was gutted on Thursday evening, causing triggered panic among the residents in the society. Alleging that the fire safety equipment did not function, they said the builder was responsible for the accident. The house owner, Arvind Kumar Jaiswal, said his family was out of station and he had gone out for dinner on Thursday evening when the incident took place. He returned to the residential society at around 9 pm after he was informed about the fire accident by his neighbours. Some residents tried to put out the fire with fire extinguisher but failed in their attempts, perhaps it was jammed. I along with some residents threw water using buckets to douse the flames, said Jaiswal, who works in a multinational company in Noida. Kapil Sharma, the site administrator of Elite Homz, said, As soon as the fire broke out, a siren was blown and immediately residents were asked to evacuate the building. But the panic-stricken residents were not allowing the buildings maintenance and security staff to discharge their duties. The maintenance staff deployed fire extinguishers and water hydrants to put out the fire, Sharma said. The builder also refuted the residents charges. Ajai Tayal, CEO of Elite Homz ,said, The heat-sensing water sprinklers installed in the building are working absolutely fine. The sprinklers burst in the particular flat as well, but wooden furniture; mattress and cushions were burnt down. The fire was only confined to the study room in the flat, but smoke spread in other rooms as well, he added. The owner said the police and fire brigade teams were informed within 10 minutes of the incident but they also reached late after the fire was doused. A complaint has been moved against the developer in Sector 49 police station alleging poor fire safety equipment and infrastructures in the building. Prashuram, station house officer of Sector 49 police station, said,Prima facie it seems the fire was caused due to short circuit. We have received a complaint and investigating the matter, he said. A class 8 student, aged 15, and her parents have refused to take home a baby boy she gave birth to at the womens hospital in Ghaziabad. The minor was allegedly abducted in December 2016. The day after she went missing, her parents had filed an FIR at Sahibabad police station, alleging abduction. However, denying her parents claim that she is a minor, the police said she is an adult. The girl delivered the baby on September 6. The infant is now admitted in neo-natal care unit. Her parents said that their daughter has declined to either feed the child or even see his face and is not ready to accept the newborn. She tied Rakhi to the man who abducted her and is responsible for her situation. He used to visit our home and was my sons friend. She used to treat him as a brother. Our faith in relationships is shattered now. We wanted to educate her and she wanted to be become a teacher. Now, she is a mother at 15 and her dreams are broken, said her mother. I have no liking for the child. We will not keep the child with us at any cost. We have been moving houses since my daughter was abducted and the place that we are living in is the fourth. The police harass us and reach everywhere we shift, she said. According to the girls family, the school certificate shows her as aged 15, with date of birth mentioned as July 8, 2002. She used to teach 10-12 children from the nearby locality and had dreams of becoming a teacher. When we came to know of her pregnancy, we tried to have her undergo abortion. But, the police threatened to get us booked for foeticide. Since that day, we did not send her to school. On the afternoon of September 6, she was in pain and was bleeding when we brought her to hospital. Nearly an hour later, she delivered the child, her father said. We are not going to take the child and will have our daughter married at our native place once she attains the age of 18. We want the man who did this to her punished at any cost. The police turned a deaf ear to our complaints about the accused, he added. The family said that the girl was rescued only after the intervention of then senior superintendent of police (SSP) and later an inquiry was also ordered after they met SSP again. They said that prime accused, Mithun Yadav, had political connections and was let off by the police. After her rescue, she was taken for a medical examination and her statement was recorded at a court. We only came to know of it a couple of hours later. She had been threatened and pressurised to give statements in favour of the accused who raped her and made her pregnant. He is roaming free, her father said. Read I Police recover body of 12-year-old abducted from Ghaziabad, accused claims boys father hatched plan On Friday, a team from District Child Welfare Committee (DCWC) also arrived to record the statement of the girl and advised her parents to write to the district administration if they do not wish to take the child along. We spoke to her and she did not seem to be an adult. If her parents so want, they can forward police complaint and we will help them register a case of rape against the accused, said Shalini Singh, member, DCWC. She does not want to see the child. She has not even fed him. She told us that she is not willing to keep the child or take him home. We are considering filing a report and sending it to officials so that they can initiate the procedure for adoption, she added. However, the police denied any laxity in the probe saying they have filed a final report in the case. According to the statement that the girl gave in court, she is an adult and gone out (with the accused) of her own free will. We also filed a final report in the case, HN Singh, senior superintendent of police, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Burglars decamped with 525 units of brand new laptops worth Rs 2.5 crore from a warehouse in Noidas Sector 44 on Thursday morning. The police has obtained CCTV footage of Galaxy Tower, from where four masked men stole the laptops. The thieves severed connections of most of the CCTV cameras fitted in the warehouse and damaged cameras installed outside the building before performing the heist. But one of the cameras installed on the first floor of the Galaxy Tower captured the visuals in which four masked men were seen driving out the stolen laptops in three white vehicles. According to police, the thieves broke into the warehouse in the wee hours on Thursday morning. The station house officer of Sector 39 police station, Ajay Kumar Singh, said, The thieves damaged most of the CCTV cameras installed in the premises, however one camera installed in the first floor of the building managed to capture their entry and exit. The heist took place between 3.30 am to 4.40 am. The owner of the warehouse, SK Singh, who has a retail store in Great India Place mall, told Hindustan Times, We are associated with many online retailers, and thus we keep a number of laptops in stock. About 1,000 laptops were stored in the warehouse in Galaxy Tower in Sector 44. On Thursday morning our staff informed about the theft. The thieves had snapped CCTV cables and damaged them before performing the heist. They decamped with 525 brand new HP laptops worth Rs 2.5 crore, Singh said. There were four men who covered their faces with scarves. They came in one SUV and two sedan cars to perform the theft, Singh said. The incident was reported to police on Thursday morning, after which they started scanning the premises for any possible clues. Based on the CCTV visuals obtained from the building, we are investigating the matter further, the police official said. There was very little in Army chiefs remarks at the inaugural of a seminar that should have occasioned the kind of response it has from China. For one, they were not new. For another, they ranged on a variety of issues relating to warfare, the current threats India confronts, the primacy of the Army in the tri-services situation and so on. But what seems to have got the goat of the official spokesman Geng Shuang in Beijing is his reference to India having to remain prepared for a two-front war situation relating to Pakistan and China, and on Chinese hybrid war tactics involving information, psychological, media and legal warfare tactics, along with salami-slicing tactics in occupying Indian territory. But Geng linked this to the recent summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in Xiamen and said that Rawats remarks went against the grain of the meeting where the two sides had agreed on a positive agenda and endorsed a view that differences should not become disputes. They had also spoken of the need for even more dense military-to-military relations to prevent a recurrence of the Doklam incident. The Chinese spokesman wondered whether the Indian Army chief had spoken without authorisation or spontaneously, and whether his words represented the position of the Indian government. The answer to this is complex. This is the kind of stuff military people are likely to speak about when they are discussing issues in a seminar where issues are thrown up and scenarios discussed. This is something that the Chinese side probably does not understand because their military leaders usually speak to the public in tightly scripted environments. As for the Army, it has been speaking about a two-front war scenario for some time now. Indeed, it actually flows out of what is called an operational directive by the defence minister in 2008 which enjoins the military to be prepared to deal with a two front threat from China and Pakistan. This directive led to the Army revising its doctrine to cater for a possible two-front war. Salami slicing tactics and psy-ops are something that the Indian Army has seen first hand in its dealings with its Chinese counterparts. For example, the Chinese claim line of 1956, reaffirmed by Premier Zhou Enlai in 1959 saw the Chip Chap and Galwan river valleys in the Indian side of the LAC. However, in 1960 China claimed both the areas and subsequently occupied them. The same happened in Pangong Tso where the 1959 line was at Khurnak Fort, but the 1960 line moved westward to Siri Jap. Even today, the Chinese continue their efforts to salami-slice. The incident in Depsang Plains in 2013 was an instance where the Chinese sought to establish shift the border westward, albeit by a few kilometres. And of course, the latest was in Doklam, though not in territory, but the Chinese did seek to harden their presence in an area which they used to regularly patrol since 2008 or so. Some blame for this most recent contretemps probably lies with the media. None of the reports of the Army chiefs remarks mention the fact that he was speaking at a seminar on the future contours and trends of warfare. In delivering a lecture on the subject, General Rawat naturally spoke about the Armys doctrinal views on China, its expectations, and on issues like the possibility of war between two nuclear armed neighbours and so on. As for the media, it was invited and it reported the Generals remarks. Whether or not he should speak on such issues is a matter between him and the government, but presumably as of now, he seems to have the authority to speak on professional issues that relate to his job. Manoj Joshi is distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation The views expressed are personal The press briefing by foreign secretary S Jaishankar, on the Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping meeting at Xiamen after the BRICS summit, did not reveal anything substantial. What it did, however, underscore is that India and China are ready to work together to enhance mutual trust and strengthen bilateral relations. While the countries seemed focused on constructive and forward-looking approach with the Astana consensus on not letting differences turn into disputes duly plugged in, the two Asian giants made sure that not too many details of the meeting the first such apex level interaction following the 73-day standoff at Doklam were divulged. To be sure, the meeting did reinforce the larger vision of Brics and recent summit deliberations that impact both India and China. The meeting took place in the backdrop of a long and rough patch of major differences and accompanying tensions within the prevalent power asymmetry that clearly favours China. These include Chinas ambitious One Belt One Road project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Indias longstanding bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the Doklam crisis. At Doklam, India not only displayed resolute political stamina but exhibited classical attributes of a great power in so dexterously conflating military gumption with strategic restraint. This alone served to compel China to vacate its illegal intrusion there a development that was unambiguously perceived as a strategic setback for China. While resisting the temptation to gloat, Indias standing as a power of consequence and security re-assurer to its immediate and strategic neighbourhood has gathered immense traction. Viewed in the context of Chinas belligerent island-making and occupation policy in South China Sea having remained uncontested all these months and years by regional powers, including the United States, Indias message to the region and the world has been driven home. The hour-long Modi-Xi meeting needs to be analysed not only against the background of the Brics summit but also global geopolitical mega trends which the two leaders would have doubtless addressed. The US, under President Donald Trump, is today a very uncertain nation given to too many yo-yos. Its penchant for protectionism can only be countered by India and China acting together through emphasis on globalisation. A US exit from the Paris agreement on climate change where India, China, France and Germany are embracing new impulses is another big-ticket dimension of congruence. An economically and strategically weakened Russia is piggy-backing on a rising China bent upon projecting its power globally. The two together could cut deals with adverse consequential impact on India. Japan continues to be on a deflationary path and its objective to play a stronger defence role in Asia-Pacific isnt translating into tangibles. The EU is also raising more questions than it can answer. These developments point to the need for India to play its strategic and foreign policy cards dexterously because a tri-polar Asia of the 2020s-2050s (with China and US as other key players) would demand far greater strategic heavy-lifting by it. The Xiamen Modi-Xi conversations provided a key opportunity for them to follow-up on the Brics joint declaration expressing concerns about the violent activities of Pakistan-based terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Haqqani network among others. Xi came on board here not out of a change of heart or look-good-globally impulse, but to put a perceptional stamp of statesmanship on his leadership just prior to the upcoming party congress. And not least due to the pressures of business-centric apex communist party leadership which perceive Indias huge market as far more important than Pakistan and North Korea, seen as diplomatic liabilities. Indias security and foreign policy wonks also weighed in during months-long negotiations with their Chinese counterparts. Press reports suggest negotiations for the Doklam stand down and likely Brics joint declaration went in tandem. Vladimir Putin (Russia), Michel Temer (Brazil) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa) also played a critical role: During restricted talks, they condemned unequivocally terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and strongly reiterated that all Brics countries are victims of terrorism. This left China with no option but to go along with the joint declaration marking a departure from its stance at the Brics summit in Goa, even as it went along with naming JeM and LeT at the Heart of Asia ministerial meeting at Amritsar in December 2016. The impact of the transformed Chinese stance on terrorism on the China-Pakistan bilateral remains to be seen. It may be too early for India to pop the bubbly given the depth of the China-Pakistan strategic partnership. Pakistan now faces a triple whammy of pressures on its decades-long pursuit of terrorism as a security policy tool. Not surprisingly, Pakistan has condemned the US, China and India in the same breath. There is also no clarity on whether the naming of India- and Afghanistan-centric terrorist groups by Brics marks a change in Beijings position of stonewalling the UN Security Council initiatives to name Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. It is more than likely that this issue was discussed during the Modi-Xi meeting. Pyongyangs testing of a hydrogen bomb its sixth and most powerful till date provided a nuclear weapon gun salute to the Brics summit, deeply embarrassing China. Modi and Xi would have exchanged perspectives on this key issue as well In sum, the Xi-Modi meeting underscored importance of the Brics vision of the two leaders, Astana consensus on not letting differences become disputes, their respective roles in Asian security in which peace and tranquillity constitute the pre-requisite. How the two sides would manage simultaneity of cooperation and competition and yet enhance mutual trust and strengthen bilateral relations on a forward looking and constructive pathway to the future are issues on which the jury is out. Kapil Kak is a retired air vice marshal and a strategic policy analyst The views expressed are personal All human beings are endowed with reason and conscience. These are the words in the opening lines of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the most widely recognised statement of the rights that every person on our planet has. There are some days however, that can truly test the core belief that we all have the gift of conscience the ability to see the difference between right and wrong. Wednesday was such a day, when Aung San Suu Kyi broke her silence on the disaster unfolding in Myanmar, the country of which the Nobel laureate is the de facto leader. In her first comments on the militarys onslaught, Suu Kyis office claimed that the government is defending all the people in Rakhine state in the best possible way. Her words are an unconscionable response to the unfolding human rights and humanitarian catastrophe. The reality on the ground is that ethnic minorities in the Rakhine state are suffering appalling abuses from an unlawful and disproportionate military campaign. Many of those on the receiving end are the Rohingya people, the countrys long-persecuted mainly Muslim ethnic group. These are the facts. In the early morning of Friday 25 August, a Rohingya armed group launched a series of coordinated attacks on security forces in the north of Myanmars Rakhine state. Since then, clashes have continued, but with Myanmars military taking a totally unjustified and hugely disproportionate scorched earth approach in responding to the violence. Amnesty International researchers are receiving numerous reports of widespread abuses, including of security forces opening fire on civilians. Satellite images suggest evidence of villages being razed to the ground. More than 150,000 Rohingya people have poured into Bangladesh in that time. The vast majority of them are women and children. The scenes at the border of Bangladesh are of biblical proportions. Young children, the elderly, men and women have walked for days on end through mud and torrential downpours, just to reach camps or villages where there is little food, water or medical provisions to sustain them. The death toll is already estimated to be in the high hundreds. But with UN investigators, aid groups, human rights monitors and journalists denied entry, it is clear Myanmar is happy to blindfold the rest of the world to stop us seeing what is happening in northern Rakhine. We would not at all be surprised if, once independent investigators are able to do their work, they will conclude that crimes against humanity are taking place. The Rohingya population of about a million people are living in fear right now, but this is far from a new experience for them. The violence we are seeing in northern Rakhine occurs in a wider context of long-standing, blatant and systematic discrimination against the Rohingya in Myanmar. They are a people who have lived through decades of crushing persecution at the hands of a vindictive military, which is now led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Rohingyas in northern Rakhine State are denied the right to a nationality and to participate in public life. They face severe restrictions on their rights to freedom of movement, access to education, healthcare and livelihoods. They are also unable to build or maintain mosques or gather for prayers. The problem however is not just the fact that Myanmar does not recognise the basic human rights of Rohingya people. It is that they are barely treated as human at all. When an aid ship arrived in Myanmar earlier this year with food and emergency supplies bound for the troubled state of Rakhine, it was met with a small group of protesters bearing the sign No Rohingya. The resistance to even providing aid is a telling sign of how the Rohingya are treated in Myanmar. Unless the Myanmar authorities make every effort to end the long-standing and systematic discrimination in Rakhine State, people will be left trapped in a cycle of violence and destitution. But Myanmar is not alone in its vilification of this friendless group. Across the region, the Rohingya stand out as a persecuted people. In the midst of this crisis, India is pursuing a cruel plan to deport the 40,000 Rohingya who have taken refuge there. At a protest in New Delhi on Tuesday, a Rohingya refugee, Mohamed Irshad, summed up the situation with a desperate plea: We are also human beings. Please see us as a human. It is against this backdrop that Aung San Suu Kyi is blaming terrorists and claiming that her government is defending all the people of Rakhine in the best way possible. With her words, Suu Kyi has taken a leaf out of the very same playbook used by hard-line authoritarian leaders. She may not be pulling the strings of the military, but by acting as the public mouthpiece and apologist for the unconscionable actions of the military, she is enabling the continued vilification and dehumanisation of Rohingya. Aung San Suu Kyi may be in government but she is not in power the military is principally responsible for these abuses and only they can stop it. She does however have a moral duty to speak out against injustice. After all, it was she herself who said You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what you know is right. She like the rest of us, is endowed with reason and conscience, and therefore the ability to do what is right and treat others with humanity. That is the bare minimum that the Rohingya people are asking for. Salil Shetty is secretary general of Amnesty International The views expressed are personal A nursing student of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room on Thursday night. Police said the body of Sirat Faruqi, a second year student, was found hanging by a plastic rope tied to the window grille in her nursing school hostel room on NMCH campus in Alamganj police station area on Friday morning. The reason for her taking the extreme step could not be immediately known as no suicide note was found in the room, Alamganj police station SHO Om Prakash said, adding that her parents had been informed and the body sent for post-mortem examination. The station house officer (SHO) quoted hostel inmates as saying that Sirat, daughter of Farooq Ayub, was upset after she returned from her village in Begusarai district , 125 km east of Patna, recently. Om Prakash said the incident came to light when NMCH security guards broke open the doors of the room after the hostel inmates informed the college authorities something was wrong. He said the hostel girls grew suspicious when Sirat, an early riser, did not answer the knocks at the door even after 7.30 am. A senior government scientist, a Brahmin, has filed a case of impersonation against her cook for allegedly lying about her caste when she she sought a job at her home in Pune. Dr Medha Vinayak Khole, deputy director general for weather forecasting at the India Meteorological Department, has alleged in her police complaint the cook abused her when she questioned about her caste. Khole told the police that she wanted a married Brahmin woman to cook for her at family events like the death anniversary of her parents and the Gauri Ganpti Festival. A woman named Nirmala Kulkarni, a resident of Dhayari, approached Khole in 2016 for the job, but a year later a priest informed the scientist that the woman cooking for her was not a Brahmin. Khole has said she visited Kulkarnis home in Dhayari to investigate and found that the her name is Nirmala Yadav and not Kulkarni and that she was unmarried. Khole says she decided to file a police complaint because Yadav abused her. A case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 419 for impersonation, Section 352 for assault or use of criminal force and Section 504 for insulting a person with an intent to provoke breach of peace was registered at Sinhagad road police station. When we asked the reason to the woman for concealing her cast, she said that her financial condition is not good and to get money, she required the job. However, since Khole wanted a cook from Brahmin community only, the woman concealed her real caste to get the job, Assistant Police Inspector Jyoti Gadkari told DNA newspaper. . The Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKG-PTU), Kapurthala, will get a regular vice-chancellor after more than two-and-a- half years with the Punjab government shortlisting eight candidates for the final interview scheduled on Saturday. The shortlisted candidates will appear before the selection panel formed by the government under the chairmanship of former V-C of IKG-PTU Dr SK Salwan, who has remained the V-C of the university during the previous Congress regime. Dr Arun Kumar Grover, V-C, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Dr Sarit Kumar Dass, Director, IIT-Ropar, are other members of the panel. The panel will recommend top three names for the post to the government after the interview. Interestingly, the list of shortlisted persons includes big names like renowned educationalist MP Punia, former director of National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Chandigarh, who is now vice-chairman of the prestigious All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Prof Lalit Awasthi, director, National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, is another prominent name in the list. Notably, Punia and Awasthi have not applied for the post in the fresh applications invited by the Congress government even as they were serious contenders for the post during the selection process adopted during the previous SAD-BJP regime. Sources said both are now hesitant to appear for the interview, keeping in view their present prestigious postings. Under the SAD-BJP regime, a selection panel, headed by then chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, had shortlisted Punia as top contender among a list of three candidates. But since the then technical education minister Madan Mohan Mittal was strongly opposed to Kaushals decision-making, Punias name was not given the go-ahead by the government. Punia was director, NITTTR, at that time. Both Punia and Awasthi are on postings which are no less than V-C of any university, so its highly unlikely that they would appear in the interview, a senior official of the technical education department said. From the IKG-PTU campus, the only name selected for the final interview is Prof AP Singh, dean, research and development. The candidature of another senior dean, NP Singh, who was also trying hard for the post, has been rejected. The name of Sanjay Marwaha of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) Longowal, is also missing in the final list. Other prominent names include Prof BK Ratan, former chairman of the chemical engineering department of Panjab University, Chandigarh. Ratan was also part of the panel of top three contenders chosen for the post under the previous regime. If Punia and Awasthi fail to appear before the interview panel, Ratans strong academic record can give him an edge over other contenders, expert feel. Dr Rajnish Arora was the last regular vice-chancellor of the university. His term had ended in December 2014, following which the charge of the V-C was given to the secretary, technical education. on January 14, 2015. The tussle between the technical education minister and the chief secretary was the main reason as to why the appointment of V-C kept hanging fire under the SAD-BJP government. BLURB Varsity to get regular vice-chancellor after more than two-and-a-half years LIST OF CANDIDATES 1. MP Punia, vice-chairman, AICTE 2. Lalit Awasthi, director, NIT, Jalandhar 3. Ajay Sharma, director, NIT, Delhi 4. BK Ratan, former head of the chemical engineering department of Panjab University, Chandigarh 5. Rakesh Sehgal, director, NIT, Hamirpur 6. Yogender Yadav, former director, Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewal Energy, Kapurthala 7. KK Raina, former deputy director, Thapar University, Patiala 8. AP Singh, dean research and development, SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two weeks after the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Haryana government sought the cancellation of FIRs against comedian Kiku Sharda for hurting religious sentiments by mimicking him. The pleas to cancel the first information reports against Raghvendra Amarnath Sharda, alias Kiku Sharda, have been filed in courts in Fatehabad and Kaithal districts. The FIRs were registered on the complaints of dera followers on December 31, 2015, and January 1, 2016, when Sharda mimicked the dera head in a programme, Jashan-e-Umeed, which was aired on a private TV channel on December 27, 2015. We probed the allegations but found no offence made. Hence, FIR cancellation applications have been filed in the trial courts, Haryana additional advocate general Amar Vivek told the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday. The matter reached the high court in January after Sharda moved an anticipatory bail plea and sought the quashing of the FIRs. On January 21, 2016, the high court granted him anticipatory bail and stayed proceedings in the trial courts. Sharda alleged that FIRs were registered by dera followers in an orchestrated manner to harass, humiliate and terrorise him. It is an attack on the fundamental rights as enshrined under Articles 19 (1) (a) and 21 of the Constitution, Sharda said. From the FIR, its clear that the ingredients of religion as required under Section 295A of the IPC (hurting religious sentiments) were not fulfilled. The programme was a work of art and a dramatic presentation on the electronic media, Kiku argued. Section 295A of the IPC is a cognizable offence, which means the accused can be arrested without a judicial warrant. A 39-year-old woman from a village in Jalandhar has allegedly been sold and being made to work against her wishes in Hail city of Saudi Arabia, her family said here on Friday. Paramjit Kaur of Gorsiya Nihal, 46 km from the district headquarters, had gone to Saudi Arabia for a job as house help on July 13, and contacted the family about her incarceration by an employer on August 21. A social worker has helped the family, who are economically weak, approach the minister of external affairs (MEA), but nothing concrete has come of it yet. The social worker, Rajvinder Sharma (45), a retired captain from merchant navy, and the family contacted HT on Friday. In an FIR lodged after she contacted her family, her husband Malkeet Ram (45) alleged that travel agent named Resham Bhatti of their village had promised a job to her in Saudi Arabia by saying that his wife too worked there and that the family would get Rs 40,000 once she is settled there. Once she was given a job, her passport was kept in the custody of her employer, and she is not allowed to move out of the house, said a relative, Naresh Kumar (50). Bhatti has been booked under sections 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and is absconding. Sharma also told HT that as sought by the ministrys officials, the passport number was provided but they are unable to trace the victim there so far. I also shared Kaurs information on the ministers Twitter page, he said. My mother is facing hardships and wants to come back home. We request external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for immediate help, Rajni (17), Kaurs daughter, said. Rajni said her mother is a heart patient and told them on the phone that he health is deteriorating. When contacted, Nakodar deputy superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar said the accused agent will be nabbed soon. The station house officer of Bilga (under which the village walls) too had talked to Kaur who narrated the same story to him. Earlier, in January, Sukhwant, 55, a resident of Ajtani village of Nurmahal, was taken to Saudi Arabia on a three-month visa by a Delhi-based agent but later it was found that she was sold as a slave. After HT reported the matter, Sushma Swaraj helped Sukhwant return safely on May 31. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ironical as it may seem, a war has erupted over the first state-level event to mark Battle of Saragarhi at a time chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has left for the UK to promote his book on the battle The 36th Sikhs in the Tirah Campaign 1897-98 Saragarhi and the defence of the Samana forts. Amarinder had on August 14 announced a holiday on September 12 to mark the occasion and a state function is being held at the Saragarhi gurdwara in Ferozepur. But Ferozepur city MLA Parminder Singh Pinki on Thursday opened a front against CMs special principal secretary Gurkirat Singh, who looks after the defence services department in the CM office. A group of MLAs led by Pinki met Gurkirat on Wednesday with request to accord the status of state guest to a 14-member military contingent from the UK that includes officials of the rank of major general, general to colonels and lance corporal. But Pinki says Gurkirat refused to oblige. This government is our party, but is being run by bureaucrats. They announce anyone as a state guest but refused to accord the status to the visiting UK delegation. The CM had told his officials before leaving for the UK to make all arrangements for the state function and September 12 has also been declared as a state holiday. But MLAs are not getting the respect of elected representatives and we will not take this humiliation any longer and want Gurkirat to be suspended, Pinky told HT. Gurkirat, when contacted, refused to comment saying that he does want to enter into a public debate on the issue and he would convey the matter to the higher officials in the hierarchy. However, sources in the government said the protocol rules between nations are bilateral and reciprocal. If we accord their officers of a particular rank the status of state guest, officers of our army of the same status too would have to be present there. Since Ferozepur is a military station, the army too would have its own clearances owing to security reasons. Also, we are not aware if our officers too are accorded the same status in the UK during visits, a senior government official said. The Battle of Saragarhi was fought on 12 September 1897 between Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army and Pashtun tribesmen at the North-West Frontier Province, now in Pakistan. The CM has deputed finance minister Manpreet Badal to represent him at the event, which was organised as a private function so far. Security agencies and district authorities began a search of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa on Friday amid tight security and curfew, two weeks after its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was jailed for raping two disciples. (Live Updates) The search operation is being conducted under the supervision of court commissioner AKS Pawar appointed by the Punjab and Haryana high court. Chopper, bomb squads, sniffer dogs Bomb disposal squads, commandos, sniffer dog and locksmiths were part of the operation that was being videographed, sources said. A chopper with SWAT teams would monitor the ground situation with 5,000 security men drawn from 20 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 12 of the Sashastra Seema Bal, five of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, two of Rapid Action Force, four of the army and two of the Border Security Force keep an eye on the law and order situation. The high court had on September 5 ordered the search of the dera, whose followers ran riot on August 25 after the flamboyant sect chief was convicted of two counts of rape by a CBI court in Panchkula, which bore the brunt of the violence that rocked Haryana and neighbouring states. Thirty-eight people were killed, most of them in Panchkula, and 264 injured in clashes with security forces in Haryana. Six people were killed in Sirsa. Singh has been jailed for 20 years. Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, said: We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individuals inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide. In a fresh appeal to sect followers on Friday, Vipassana urged them to cooperate in the search operation. The dera sprawl All roads leading to the dera, which is spread over 600 acres, have been sealed by paramilitary personnel and media, too, is being kept away from the premises. Duty magistrates have been appointed for various zones of the dera, which houses a cinema hall, shopping complexes, a hospital, a stadium, a posh hotel and sprawling bungalows. We have formed a strategy and are hopeful that the sanitisation process will be conducted in a smooth manner, Haryana director general of police (DGP) BS Sandhu had told a news agency on Thursday. Skeletons on the premises Hours before the search, the sects mouthpiece, Sach Kahoon, said human remains were buried in the premises. The newspaper said on Thursday the sect leader encouraged followers to donate the remains for burial to prevent them from being immersed in rivers that caused pollution. Trees were planted on the graves, it said. The dera chief got many people who opposed him killed and the bodies were buried on the campus, some of the people who got disillusioned and quit the sect alleged. The 50-year-old Singh is also being tried for planning murders of a follower and a journalist who was one of the first people to write about the sexual abuse at the dera. The trials are in finals stages and a verdict is expected by year-end. Vikas Barala, the main accused in the Chandigarh stalking case, on Thursday filed a fresh bail plea in the court of additional district and sessions judge. The court has issued notice to the UT police for Friday. A lower court on August 29 dismissed the bail petition of Vikas and his friend Ashish Verma on the grounds of humanity and lack of respect for womanhood shown by them. Vikas has also sought the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the Sector-26 police station where the first information report (FIR) was registered. Defence counsel Surya Parkash stated in the plea that the entire case was fabricated. The plea alleges that the FIR was registered with foolproof planning and the complaint was well drafted after taking legal advice. While seeking the CCTV footage to make the whole truth come out, the plea states that along with complainant Varnika Kundu, a local DJ, and her father, VS Kundu, an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, two advocates were also present at the police station. The plea states the CCTV footage will also help establish if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders put pressure on the police. Vikas is the son of Haryana BJP chief. Raising questions on the police working, the plea also accuses cops of changing their statements before the media. After claiming that the two had been booked for kidnap bid, cops told some mediapersons that the relevant sections had not been added in the FIR, alleges the plea. The plea also accuses police of violating rules by arresting Vikas and Ashish when they appeared in the police station on being served a notice. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Rana Daggubati, who plays the lead in upcoming web series Social which was launched in Hyderabad on Thursday, believes the digital medium allows a creator to tell his story the way he desires. Social, produced by video-on-demand platform Viu, is a Hindi-Telugu bilingual thriller that will shine the spotlight on the impact of social media in peoples lives. Directed by Shashi Sudigala, the show goes on air on Friday. It also stars Naveen Kasturia, Priya Banerjee, Aradhana Uppal, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan and Preeti Asrani. On signing the project, Rana said: Every story has a place where it deserves to be told. Not all stories are meant for the big screen. Working on this show has helped me understand the medium better. It made me realise that it gives one the freedom to say a story the way he wants and write without restrictions, he said. Asked why he chose to venture into the digital space, Rana said it caters to different audiences. When I started acting, there were around 2,500 theatres in Andhra Pradesh (before bifurcation) but today the number has come down. Audiences have become busier and they want to invest their time and money on different mediums. I want to engage those people who want content on their phones, he said. Rana, who plays a powerful businessman in the show, is interested in exploring more opportunities in this medium. Talking about the show, Rana said: Its about the darker side of social media. Its a different world altogether. He clarified that the show doesnt set out to prove social media is bad. Social media is just a platform. What some people decide to do with it results in something good or bad. The show is embedded with a message which Im sure audiences will understand when they watch, Rana added. This is Ranas second outing with Viu, with which he has already worked on the chat show No 1 Yaari. Follow @htshowbiz for more Authorities in Kazakhstan have ordered the expulsion of 61 Indian workers from the country following a mass brawl at a construction site in the capital of the Central Asian republic. The Indians were being expelled for disciplinary violations and the first group of 23 workers will leave Kazakhstan by September 9, said a statement from the Astana mayors office. The mayors office announced the expulsions on Friday, six days after the brawl between Indian workers and Kazakh colleagues at the construction site of the Abu Dhabi Plaza high-rise tower project, Radio Free Europe reported. Authorities said the fight, which involved dozens of men and resulted in the deployment of riot police to control the situation, erupted after Indian workers allegedly attacked a Kazakh security guard who refused to let one of them, who was apparently drunk, out of the construction site. Authorities said there were no major injuries but the brawl was a rare example of mass public disorder in the capital of oil-rich Kazakhstan, where authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbaev has ruled for more than 25 years, Radio Free Europe reported. The statement from the mayors office said the city administration had warned that such a situation will not be repeated, and that foreigners have to comply with the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan, respect moral and ethical norms, and the traditions of the people of Kazakhstan. The Astana mayors office said the decision on the expulsions followed talks with the envoy of the United Arab Emirates and leaders of Arabtec Holding Company, which employs the Indians. Construction of the 75-storey Abu Dhabi Plaza, which will be Central Asias tallest tower, began in 2010 and is slated for completion by the end of this year. The construction site has already been hit by several fires. It was the fast-flowing river that doomed the inhabitants of Tula Toli. Snaking around the remote village on three sides, the treacherous waters allowed Burmese soldiers to corner and hold people on the rivers sandy banks. Some were shot on the spot. Others drowned in the current as they tried to escape. Zahir Ahmed made a panicked dash for the opposite bank, where he hid in thick jungle and watched his familys last moments. I was right next to the water, he recalled in an interview a week later at a refugee camp in neighbouring Bangladesh, his eyes bloodshot and his shirt stained with sweat and dirt. Ahmed said teenagers and adults were shot with rifles, while babies and toddlers, including his youngest daughter, six-month old Hasina, were thrown into the water. The soldiers used rocket-propelled grenades, and they set fire to the houses with matches. Once they had gone past, I went back. All the houses were burned. In the road, I saw a dead man I recognised called Abu Shama. He had been shot in the chest. He was 85, recalled a Rohingya man who managed to flee to Bangladesh. He cried as he described seeing his wife and children die, meticulously naming and counting them on both hands until he ran out of fingers. More than 160,000 of Myanmars 1.1 million ethnic Rohingya minority have fled to Bangladesh, bringing with them stories that they say describe ethnic cleansing. During interviews with more than a dozen Rohingya from Tula Toli, the Guardian was told of what appeared to be devastating carnage as Myanmars armed forces swept through the village on 30 August and allegedly murdered scores of people. Those who escaped fled to the hills in the west to make the three-day trek to Myanmars border with Bangladesh. The rest were buried in a mass grave, villagers said. Myanmar, where the majority of people are Buddhist, has blocked access to the area, meaning the Guardian cannot independently corroborate the villagers accounts. Updated map of northern Rakhine state in Myanmar showing areas affected in deadly coordinated attacks on police posts on August 25. Includes death toll and number of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh. (AFP) Many of the interviews were conducted separately over two days, however, and the villagers confirmed details of each others statements without prompting. The story of Tula Toli, while horrific, is not unique. The army, in retribution for guerrilla-style ambushes on 25 August by an emergent Rohingya militant group, has led a huge counteroffensive across northern Rakhine state. Many Rohingya had already escaped. Communal clashes with Buddhists in Rakhine prompted 140,000 Rohingya to leave their homes in 2012. Thousands have since died either at sea or in brutal jungle camps run by people smugglers. A United Nations report released this year detailed what happened to those that stayed. The report described mass killings and gang rapes by the armed forces in actions that very likely amounted to crimes against humanity. The current wave of violence is the worst so far, and rights groups have said it could constitute a final campaign to rid Myanmar of the Rohingya. Satellites have recorded images of whole villages burnt to the ground. All UN aid work in the conflict area has been blocked . Aung San Suu Kyis administration, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has said it is fighting extremist terrorists who are burning their own villages. Accounts of cruel sectarian attacks by Rohingya militants on Hindus and Buddhists in Rakhine have also surfaced. Around 26,000 non-Muslims have been displaced in the violence. The subsistence farmers of Tula Toli, who spent their lives growing rice and chillies, said there were no militants in their village when the army attacked. Rohingya refugees walk through water after crossing border by boat through the Naf River in Teknaf, Bangladesh on September 7. (REUTERS) Here are their stories: Three days before the massacre, Hossein said about 90 soldiers ordered the villages several hundred residents to an area east of the settlement, a place locals call the sands for its infertile ground. Their leader had two stars on his shoulder. He told us: Rumours are being spread around by people in the village that soldiers have been killing people in Rakhine. But you should all keep farming and fishing. The one thing we ask is that if you see soldiers, you dont run away. If you run, we will shoot. I had a bag filled with oil, sugar, flour, 10,000 kyat, rice things I had taken from the house when we left. When we got to the Naf river [the Bangladesh border], the Myanmar army started shooting, said a survivor. After the speech, the soldiers went from house to house. They were with [local Rakhine Buddhists] and took everything they could find that was valuable: gold, cash, clothes, potatoes and rice. They smashed up houses of three or four people they said had been spreading rumours. They were looking for fighters. The Buddhists had told them about fighters, but there were none there. A day before the attack, people from a village across the river called Dual Toli swam over to escape the army. More than 10 died in the river, according to Petam Ali, who sheltered some of the displaced in his family home. They watched their village burn from across the river. At 3.30am the next day, Ali heard shooting but was not sure of the direction. I live on the north side of the village and the army had crossed the river further north and were marching down. I left my family to run out to the jungle to try and spot the soldiers. We waited until 8am and then they moved in, wearing dark green clothes. All of them were on foot. I ran back to get my family, but we were too rushed and my grandmother was too old to run. From the forest, we watched them burn our house. It was the first in Tula Toli to be burned. A Rohingya refugee woman with her child walks on the muddy path after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh on September 7. (REUTERS) Alis home, an eight-bedroom wooden structure that he built with his three brothers for 16 members of their extended family, went up in flames fast. Its roof was covered in straw and leaves. The soldiers used rocket-propelled grenades, and they set fire to the houses with matches. Once they had gone past, I went back. All the houses were burned. In the road, I saw a dead man I recognised called Abu Shama. He had been shot in the chest. He was 85. In the ruins of his house, Ali saw the singed and decapitated corpse of his grandmother. Her name was Rukeya Banu. She was 75. When I returned to the jungle, I described the whole incident to the rest. They burst into tears. We walked for three days. When I heard the army attacking to the north, I jumped into the river, said Kabir Ahmed. My two sons came with me. They are 10 and 12. Eight members of his family died, he said, and two of his other sons who are unaccounted for. They threw the children into the river. My three-year-old granddaughter, Makarra, and Abul Fayez, my one-year-old grandson. I was hiding on the south side of the river. They gathered everyone together and told them to walk away. Then they shot them. We were on hills, hiding behind trees. In the evening, they collected all the bodies on the river bank, dug into the sands and burned them. It happened 40 metres away from me, on the other side of the river. They are buried two to three metres from the riverside. Fire engulfs homes in the Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar on September 7. (AP Photo) When the army arrived, Kabir Ahmeds brother, Zahir, was also down by the river but in another spot. His son ran out of their home out in a panic. Leave us! he shouted. I jumped into the river and swam to the other side. I waited in the jungle, listening to the military firing. I was right next to the water. My son had gone to save other members of the family. But he says all were killed. He starts to count on his fingers those who died: My wife, Rabia Begum, 50; my first son, Hamid Hassan, 35; his daughter, Nyema, two to three, and his son, Rashid, six to seven months; my second son, Nour Kamel, 12; my third son, Fayzul Kamel, 10; my fourth son, Ismail, seven; my eldest daughter, Safura 25; her husband, Azhir Hassan, 35; my second daughter, Sanzida, 14; my third daughter, Estafa, six; my fourth daughter, Shahina Begum, five; my sixth daughter, Nour Shomi, two to three; my seventh daughter, Hasina, six months old. I waited for five hours and then left. In Bangladesh, the refugees from Tula Toli have made camp on hills that were empty just a few days before. Several thousand Rohingya have felled the trees, levelled out the beige mud and erected tents using sliced bamboo frames and black tarpaulin bought in the market. All are hungry, and hundreds mob the rickety open-back trucks that local mosques have deployed to hand out donated clothes and food. For fear of being overwhelmed, volunteers throw shirts and trousers into the heaving crowd as they slowly drive along. Children sleep on the mud in tents, their parents looking on anxiously, worried about flu or diarrhoea. At a clearing nearby, liquid excrement soaks the ground. When heavy rains arrive, Tula Tolis displaced shower in the open. Women and children hold dented metal pots at the side of the tent to collect fresh water. Thousands have come to these hills, but the area is almost entirely absent of any belongings. Many fled in terror and few made it out of Myanmar with anything. Mohammed Idriss lived on the western side of Tula Toli, which borders an area thick with trees and he was able to collect some things before leaving. He holds up a white sack that has two large holes in it. I had a bag filled with oil, sugar, flour, 10,000 kyat, rice things I had taken from the house when we left. When we got to the Naf river [the Bangladesh border], the Myanmar army started shooting. I jumped into the river and then hid behind a sandbank. The soldier came and shot at the bag, opened it and took everything. Once we got to the Bangladesh border, the guards told us to head here. He says he carried the bag for three days during the 10-mile trek through the trees and hills from Tula Toli. At camp, Idriss gets a phone call to a dusty mobile, being charged by a cheap solar panel someone found in the market. On the line was another Rohingya refugee near the border. They had found a woman with a gunshot wound to her arm who matched the description of his missing sister. They thought she might have been Rabia, but she wasnt, he said. Were not sure if she was killed or not. We are hoping. Bangladesh has proposed creating safe zones run by aid groups for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmars Rakhine state to stop hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing into its territory following a military crackdown. The plan, the latest in a string of ideas floated by Dhaka, is unlikely to get much traction in Myanmar, where many consider the Rohingya community of 1.1 million as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. That will leave Bangladesh, one of the poorest nations in the world, with little choice but to open new camps for refugees. Dhaka sent the proposal to the Myanmar government through the International Committee of the Red Cross to secure three areas in Rakhine, home to the Rohingya community, suggesting that people displaced by the violence be relocated there under the supervision of an international organisation such as the United Nations. The logic of the creation of such zones is that no Rohingya can come inside Bangladesh, said Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque. The Red Cross confirmed it had passed on the request to Myanmar but said it was a political decision for the two countries to make. A Myanmar government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, a mostly Muslim nation of 160 million, from Buddhist-majority Myanmar in recent years. The decades-old conflict in Rakhine flared most recently on August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base. Since then, an estimated 270,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, joining more than 400,000 others already living there in cramped makeshift camps since the early 1990s. There are widespread fears that tens of thousands more could try to cross if the violence doesnt abate. Recent pictures from the border between the two countries show hundreds of Rohingya men, women and children trying to cross over into Bangladesh on foot and by boat. The humanitarian crisis next door has left Bangladesh scrambling to deal with people that it does not welcome either. In recent days, Bangladesh officials have said they plan to go ahead with a controversial plan to develop an isolated, flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house tens of thousands of refugees, drawing fresh criticism from the international community. Rohingya refugees seen on a boat as they cross the border through Naf river in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on September 7, 2017. (Reuters) Temporary shelter Bangladesh bowed to pressure on Thursday, with government officials saying Dhaka would now make another 1,500 acres (607 hectares) of land available for camps to house refugees near Coxs Bazar, where many refugees already live as it is near the border with Myanmar. They will be given temporary shelter, said Kazi Abdur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of Coxs Bazar. But Rahman added the refugees would be fingerprinted and confined to the camp so that they did not mix with the local community. These measures, however, do not offer a long-term solution to the crisis, and Dhaka says it is getting little support from its neighbour, which has been accused of trying to engineer ethnic cleansing within its borders. Bangladesh officials said they had proposed joint patrolling along the border but did not receive a response from Myanmar. Earlier this week, Bangladesh lodged a protest after it said Myanmar had laid landmines near the border between the two countries. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Laureate, has come under pressure to halt violence against Rohingya. She has said her government is doing its best to protect everyone in Rakhine but did not refer specifically to the Rohingya exodus. The solution lies in Myanmar. The UN hopes that Myanmar can address the root causes of the problem, said Shinji Kubo, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangladesh. Kubo said the Bangladesh government was doing its best by accepting the refugees instead of sending them back. Bangladesh officials are turning to the international community for help, claiming support from countries such as Turkey, which has promised aid. On Friday, a Malaysian coast guard official said the country will not turn away Rohingya Muslims and is willing to provide them temporary shelter. But any such voyage would be hazardous for the next few months, because of the annual monsoon. Rohingya refugees wait for a boat to cross a canal after trekking across the border through Naf river in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on September 7, 2017. (Reuters) The world community must come forward to help them, not by putting pressure on Bangladesh but by putting pressure on Myanmar not to resort to these atrocities and violence, said HT Imam, a senior aide to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The only solution is to force Myanmar to take back their citizens through international pressure. And we are working with our partners on that, Imam said. Besides the creation of internationally controlled safe zones in Rakhine state, Bangladesh has mooted creating a buffer zone along the border, where the international community could set up camps and provide for the refugees, the officials said. Further details of the plan could not be learned. We will give aid agencies access. But we are not interested to give them shelter here. We are already overburdened, said Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Bangladeshs home secretary. Boko Haram jihadists killed eight people in a series of raids on farming communities in northeast Nigeria, civilian militia members and local residents said today. The attacks were carried out by gunmen travelling in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on Wednesday and Thursday. Homes were razed, and food and livestock seized in an apparent reprisal attack against young men joining the civilian militia, which helps the military with security. They killed eight farmers in the raids and burnt three villages which forced farmers to abandon their farms, said one militia leader, Ibrahim Liman. Some 17 Islamist fighters stormed Mallan village at about 8am ion Friday, killing two farmers. Three people were shot dead in the same village on Wednesday night, said resident Jidda Kori, who fled to Maiduguri. They mainly targeted young men in the attacks because they believe every young man is a member of the civilian vigilante he added. They burnt down the entire village and took away our food, livestock and 13 bicycles. Kesa Kura village, which is near Mallan, was also attacked on Wednesday night, killing three people, said resident Mohammed Ahmed. Another village, Manjita, was razed but residents managed to flee after they were alerted by people fleeing Mallan, he added. The eight-year Boko Haram conflict has forced farmers and their families to flee their homes and fields, leading to a shortage of food and exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. Many were living in camps for the displaced in and around Maiduguri but had moved back to their homes because of apparent successes in the counter-insurgency. A cash funding shortfall for feeding programmes has also forced people to leave the camps to try to resume farming in liberated areas after three missed seasons. At least 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless by the violence, which began in 2009. The latest attacks come despite the repeated insistence of Nigerias government and military that Boko Haram is a spent force. On Monday, four people were killed in a drive-by shooting on a group of farmers working on their fields in Ngawo Fato Bulabulin village outside Maiduguri. Last week a farmer was shot dead and four others were abducted by the jihadists as they worked on their farms near the town of Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from Maiduguri. (AFP) AMS The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday that two Indo-Canadians could be extradited to India for their alleged role in what has been described as an honour killing more than 17 years ago. The ruling from the top court, delivered in Ottawa, was unanimous and based on assurances from the Canadian government that the two would not be tortured while in India for their trial. According to reports in the Canadian media, 25-year-old Jaswinder Jassi Sidhu, a resident of Maple Ridge in the province of British Columbia, had eloped with a man from a lower caste and was later killed in June 2000 by a group of men, who slit her throat and also severely injured her husband Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu. In May 2014, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered Sidhus mother Malkiat Kaur Sidhu and uncle Surjit Singh Badesha to be extradited to India to face charges relating to the case. Later, however, the British Columbia court of appeal had blocked their extradition. According to the Globe & Mail daily, the apex court, in its ruling, noted that diplomatic assurances need not eliminate any possibility of torture or mistreatment; they must simply form a reasonable basis for the ministers finding that there is no substantial risk of torture or mistreatment. The Vancouver Sun reported that Indian authorities have charged the elderly pair with conspiracy to commit murder. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistan has made great sacrifices in fighting terror and has a clear conscience, China said on Friday, barely five days after Beijing joined other Brics members in condemning terror groups operating from that country. Chinas message of support for its iron brother came during a joint news conference by foreign minister Wang Yi and his visiting Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif. The government and people of Pakistan made huge efforts and sacrifice on the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifice are there for everyone to see. The international community should recognise that, Wang said. Some countries need to give Pakistan the full credit it deserves in this regard, Wang said. Terrorism is a global issue. It requires concerted efforts. Instead of blaming each other, countries need to work with each other, he added in remarks apparently aimed at India, which has highlighted its concerns over cross-border terrorism. When it comes to the issue of counter-terrorism, we believe Pakistan has done its best with a clear conscience, Wang said, virtually going back on the Brics statement which stated that those committing or supporting acts of terror must be held accountable. In what was seen as a diplomatic win for India, leaders of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), who met for a summit in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen on September 5, listed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among groups causing violence and posing a threat to regional security. The statement was seen as a big concession by China, which has blocked Indias repeated efforts to get JeM chief Masood Azhar sanctioned by the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Xiamen summit that came a week after India and China ended a border standoff, their longest ever, on Doklam plateau close to Sikkim. Rejecting the Brics statement, Pakistan had said it was not providing safe havens to terror groups, even as Chinese experts said Beijing had made a mistake by including Pakistan and Afghanistan-based group in the Xiamen declaration. Two days after the summit, China invited Pakistans foreign minister for talks even as Asif acknowledged the need to restrict the activities of the LeT and JeM. Pakistan is also crucial to Chinas ambitious new Silk Route plan. The centrepiece of the One Belt, One Road initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Wangs remarks on Friday, made in response to a question at the news conference, could also be aimed at the US, which has pressured Pakistan for not doing enough to tackle terror. For years Pakistan has been a victim of terror and more importantly Pakistan is an important participant in international cooperation against terrorism, Wang said. He added: Pakistan is a good brother and iron friend of China. No one knows Pakistan and understands Pakistan better than China. Asif said Pakistan shares Chinas concerns on extremism, terrorism and separatism. He added that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), blamed by China for fomenting terrorism in Xinjiang, was a threat to the region. Earlier reports had said ETIM leaders could be operating from Pakistans restive tribal region. Grateful to China for its unflinching support to Pakistan on its support to the fight against terrorism, Asif said. Describing CPEC as a new dimension of cooperation between the two sides, Asif said: We will respond to any threat to CPEC. A cluster of road, rail and energy projects, CPEC will connect Pakistans southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea and Kashgar in Chinas west. India has reservations about the project as it passes through PoK, which New Delhi says challenges its sovereignty by lending legitimacy to Islamabads claim over the territory. China on Friday said it will play a constructive role to bring Pakistan and Afghanistan on the same page as part of fresh efforts to resolve the 16-year conflict with the Taliban by hosting a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries. The move by Beijing and Islamabad is seen as an apparent attempt to counter US President Donald Trumps tough policy against the Taliban and Pakistan which was announced last month as part of Americas new Afghanistan and South Asia policy. Unveiling the new China-driven Afghanistan policy, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Beijing will play a constructive role to bring Islamabad and Kabul together. The participation of China in bringing together and finding a political solution to Afghan problem is very vital. To support the initiative, Pakistan has already undertaken many steps, and will pursue those steps of improving relationship with Kabul, Asif said while addressing a joint press conference with Wang. He said that before his visit to Beijing, he had held talks with his Afghanistan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and they have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly which will be the first such meeting after Trumps Afghanistan and South Asia policy speech wherein he announced deploying more troops in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, specially the Haqqani network based in Pakistan. To keep Pakistan and Afghanistan engagement substantive and robust, Asif said Pakistan will take up confidence building measures and keep engaged with Kabul at all levels including political, military and intelligence. We have had a very compressive discussion a while ago. China and Pakistan have agreed that the solution to Afghan problem is fundamentally a political solution and not a military solution. We three are neighbours. We have stakes in Afghanistans peace and we are already involved in a substantive way, creating atmosphere and culture of peace in the region. With Chinas intervention and its role in bringing together Islamabad and Kabul, we will go a long way and will definitely pursue a policy of engagement with Kabul in bringing peace to our region, Asif said. Meanwhile, Wang, who has been trying to play a mediatory role between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last few months following persistent criticism by Kabul accusing Islamabad of fostering terrorism by aiding and abetting the Haqqani network, said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are important neighbours of China. A good relationship will serve both the countries otherwise it will hurt both the countries. So, we sincerely hope that both the countries will work in the same direction and work together for the well-being of Pakistan and Afghanistan and contribute peace in the region, he said. The Chinese side welcomes Pakistans attitude of improving relations with Afghanistan, Wang said. As a close neighbour of Pakistan and Afghanistan, China values its relations with both the countries and will work to narrow the differences between them and help them build mutual trust, he said. In addition, we are exploring trilateral cooperation between the three countries. I want to let you know that with the communication between the three parties, there is initial progress in trilateral cooperation, he said. It is planned that before the end of this year, there will be the first China, Pakistan, Afghanistan foreign ministers meeting in China, Wang said without directly referring to Trumps more pro-active engagement in Afghanistan wherein the US president also spoke of Indias active role in rebuilding the war-ravaged country. We have identified three priority areas which are strategic communication, security dialogue and practical cooperation. On that basis, we will work to advance on trilateral basis starting from easier matters with goal of establishing a new platform for regional cooperation. I am confident that with the consorted efforts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and with the active support from China and relations between the two countries and cooperation among the three countries will embrace a brighter future, Wang said. Observers say that Wangs remarks indicate that China will re-activate its efforts to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan which till now were proved unsuccessful due to Islamabads unwillingness to withdraw its backing to the Taliban, blamed for creating havoc in Afghanistan. China in the past also tried to engage the Taliban by inviting its representatives to Beijing. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani started his presidency in 2014 with a visit to China soon after his election hoping for a pro-active role by China to rein in Pakistan to control the Talban and bring it to the negotiating table in the backdrop of then US president Barack Obamas plans to withdraw US troops. With unabated violence, Ghanis government turned to India and the US, leading to the recent policy rejig by Trump to announce the new Afghan policy under which Washington will pursue more aggressive policy against the Taliban and Pakistan. US President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed efforts by the leader of Kuwait, a staunch American ally, to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbours that could have implications for the US military presence in the region. However, the quartet of Arab nations now boycotting Doha issued a strongly worded statement early on Friday morning dismissing some of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabahs comments, signalling the diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf is far from over. At a White House news conference with Sheikh Sabah, Trump said he appreciated the emirs thus-far unsuccessful bid to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. He applauded Kuwaits critical contributions to regional stability but also repeated an offer to mediate himself, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He suggested a deal would be worked out very quickly if he became personally involved. Trump said all the countries involved members of the Gulf Cooperation Council are essential partners with the United States in efforts to crack down on extremism, including the fight against Islamic State group. We will be most successful with a united GCC, he said. We will send a strong message to both terrorist organizations and regional aggressors that they cannot win. His comments came after he sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed secretary of state Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort. Still, the dispute has dragged on for more than three months, even after Tillerson shuttled between the parties in July and dispatched two other US envoys to bolster the 88-year-old Kuwaiti emirs initiative. The crisis erupted June 5 when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all cut ties to Doha over allegations Qatar funds extremists and has ties that are too warm with Iran. Qatar, which hosts a US military base critical to the effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that makes its citizens among the worlds wealthiest. In his comments, Trump offered a pointed reminder that terrorism financing is at the heart of the crisis. At one point he said the dispute began because of that fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries. He did not identify those countries, but in June he had made reference to Saudi and other Arab complaints about Qatar. For his part, Sheikh Sabah said he remained hopeful that a resolution to the crisis could be reached. He noted that Qatar had been presented with a list of 13 demands by the other countries and was willing to discuss them. Although Qatar has rejected some of them out of hand, Sheikh Sabah said he believed negotiations were possible. I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future, he said. The hope has not ended yet. That hope appeared in jeopardy early Friday with a statement by the boycotting countries saying any dialogue on meeting their demands should not be preceded by any prior conditions. The statement, which said the countries regret several of the comments by Sheikh Sabah, represents an unusual rebuke in the clubby world of Gulf Arab nations. The nations also said a military intervention has not been and will not be considered to end the crisis, something mentioned by Sheikh Sabah in his remarks as once a possibility. However, Qatari exiles whom analysts believe are backed by the boycotting countries have repeatedly called for a coup in Qatar, while Saudi columnists at state-backed newspapers have repeatedly suggested an invasion to overthrow Qatars ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. In response to a reporters question, Trump briefly spoke about his administrations efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Trump plans to meet both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month. I think we have a chance of doing it, he said. I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen, I think the Israelis would like to see it happen. In Kuwait, media reports on Thursday focused on the emirs visit to Washington as a sign of the strong relationship the two countries have, including when a US-led coalition expelled occupying Iraqi forces from the small nation during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan south of Kuwait City, which also is home to the forward command of US Army Central. The eye of Hurricane Irma grazed the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday shaking buildings after it smashed a string of Caribbean islands as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, killing 14 people on its way to Florida. With winds of around 185 miles per hour (290 km per hour), the storm the size of France has ravaged small islands in the northeast Caribbean in recent days, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands, ripping down trees and flattening homes and hospitals. The extremely dangerous hurricane was downgraded from a category 5 to a category 4 early on Friday, but it still packed winds as strong as 155 miles per hour (250 km per hour), the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Winds dipped on Thursday to 175 mph as the Irma soaked the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and brought hurricane-force wind to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Irma was about 40 miles (65 km) south of Turks and Caicos and is expected to bring 20-foot (6-meter) storm surges to the Bahamas later on Thursday, before moving to Cuba and plowing into southern Florida as a very powerful Category 4 on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding due to begin within the next 48 hours. Across the Caribbean, authorities rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of residents and tourists in the path of the storm. On islands in its wake, shocked locals tried to comprehend the extent of the devastation while simultaneously preparing for another major hurricane, Jose, currently a Category 3 and due to hit the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday. It was the first time the Turks and Caicos islands had experienced a Category 5 storm, said Virginia Clerveaux, director of disaster management and emergencies. We are expecting inundation from both rainfall as well as storm surge. And we may not be able to come rescue them in a timely manner, she said in comments broadcast on Facebook. People look at what is left of their home in Nagua. (Reuters) The few tourists who remained on the Turks and Caicos islands were in hotels, as were some locals. A Reuters witness described the roof and walls of a well-built house shaking hard as the screaming storm rocked the island of Providenciales and caused a drop in pressure that could be felt in peoples chests. In Miami, hundreds lined up for bottled water and cars looped around city blocks to get gas on Thursday in panicked preparations. Gas shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. To the people of Florida, we just want you to protect yourselves, be very very vigilant and careful, said US President Donald Trump, who owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida as well as a property on the French side of Saint Martin, an island devastated by the storm. A mandatory evacuation on Georgias Atlantic coast was due to begin on Saturday, governor Nathan Deal said. Death toll rises In the US Virgin islands, four people died, a government spokesman said, and a major hospital was badly damaged by the wind. A US amphibious assault ship arrived in the US Virgin Islands on Thursday and sent helicopters for medical evacuations from the destroyed hospital. Barbuda, where one person died, was reduced to rubble, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla another person was killed, while the hospital and airport, power and phone services were damaged, emergency service officials said. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four bodies were recovered on the tiny French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, which was hit hard. It is an enormous disaster. 95% of the island is destroyed. I am in shock, Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and around two-thirds of the population lost their electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm rolled by the U.S. territorys northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean. (Reuters) Cuba evacuating tourists The storm passed just to the north of the Hispaniola island shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing some damage to roofs, flooding and power outages as it approached the impoverished Haitian side of the island, which is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and rain, although it did not make landfall. Cuba started evacuating some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the picturesque northern coast. That included all Canadian tourists, who Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero estimated made up 60% of foreign visitors in the countrys keys. In Caibarien, a coastal town in the hurricanes predicted path, residents piled mattresses and a television in a car to get farther inland. The roof here is rotten so it will just fly away. Everything will get ruined if we leave it here, said Miriam Faife, 69. Im scared. Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated to be as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Business leaders and others reacted with concern and worse over the Theresa May governments immigration plans for European Union citizens after Brexit, which are almost similar to curbs applicable for Indian citizens and could adversely affect business. The plans, leaked to the media this week, are not final but provide an indication of the thinking of the government on an issue that was central to the vote to leave the EU. The plans set out in Whitehall in August are subject to more changes. The planned curbs led to more concern and confusion among EU citizens currently in Britain over their future. Official figures released this month suggested a large number of EU citizens were leaving the UK. The plans, yet to be finalised and agreed with Brussels, cover skilled and unskilled EU migrants and students, including their needing to prove knowledge of English. Current free movement of labour that allows EU citizens to move, work and settle in any member state is sought to be ended immediately after Brexit, expected in March 2019. The leaked Home Office document states: Put plainly, this means that, to be considered valuable to the country as a whole, immigration should benefit not just the migrants themselves but also make existing residents better off. It proposes measures to cut the number of lower-skilled EU migrants and describes a phased introduction to a new system that ends the right to settle for most European migrants, and places tough new restrictions on their rights to bring family members. The plans were promptly criticised by pro-EU sections. Business leaders said cutting lower-skilled EU labour will hit agriculture and other sectors that depend on EU migrants. Preference to British workers for British jobs is also one of the government's post-Brexit objectives. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, who was business secretary in the David Cameron government (2010-2015) when May was home secretary, wrote to the prime minister, calling for publication of evidence on the impact of EU migration that he claims the Home Office suppressed. In the letter sent to May on Thursday, Cable wrote: As you will recall, there were reviews, studies and reports into whether the assumption that immigration suppressed UK wages was supported by the evidence. These were shared with the Home Office. They largely showed that this assumption was misplaced, and that EU migration was beneficial to the UK economy and labour market, but the information was never published. Parliament will soon consider a fundamental reshaping of the immigration system. In that light, I hope you will agree that it is in the national interest now to release these reports in full. However, speaking at Prime Ministers Question Time in the House of Commons on Wednesday, May stood by her overall approach on immigration: We continue to believe as a government that its important to have net migration at sustainable levels we believe that to be the tens of thousands because of the impact particularly it has on people at the lower end of the income scale in depressing their wages. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Malaysias coast guard will not turn away Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar and is willing to provide temporary shelter for them, the maritime agencys chief said on Friday. Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on August 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive has killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of more than 160,000 people to neighbouring Bangladesh. Malaysia, hundreds of kilometers to the south on the Andaman Sea, is likely to see more boat people from Myanmar in coming weeks and months because of the renewed violence, said Zulkifli Abu Bakar, the director general of Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency. Malaysia is already home to over 100,000 Rohingya refugees. We are supposed to provide basic necessities for them to continue their journey and push them away. But at the end of the day, because of humanitarian reasons, we will not be able to do that, Zulkifli told Reuters, adding that no fresh refugees had been seen yet. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, will likely house the Rohingya refugees in immigration detention centres, where foreigners without documents are typically held, he said. Malaysia, which has not signed the UN Refugee Convention, treats refugees as illegal migrants. Thailand has also said it is preparing to receive people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar There are about 59,000 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia although unofficial numbers are almost double that. In 2015, mass graves were exhumed at jungle camps on the border between Thailand and Malaysia that were thought to be mainly Rohingya victims of human traffickers. More Canadians prefer that their government direct its efforts towards strengthening economic ties with India than with China, albeit by a narrow margin, when asked to choose directly between the two Asian giants, according to a new survey released by a Canadian public interest research organisation. The report by the , Angus Reid Institute pointed out: Responses to this question have shifted in Indias favour since April 2015, a fact that may be attributable to media and government scrutiny of Chinese investment in Canadian real estate and business ventures in the intervening years. Two years ago, those numbers were tilted sharply in Chinas favour at 58% against 42% for India. The latest survey indicates Canadian public opinion may have altered, with 51% opting for India and the remainder for China. Asked which of Asias two largest countries Canada should build stronger ties with, 51% of Canadians opted for India. (Angus Reid Institute) These findings were part of a larger poll that was conducted in the shadow of the Donald Trump administration undertaking a review of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and attempted to gauge which countries Canadians are looking at in terms of partnerships going ahead. The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey during August 22 25 among a representative, randomised sample of 1,505 Canadian adults. While the head-to-head numbers may be heartening for India boosters, overall when asked the nations Canada ought to develop closer trade ties with, China had 24% support, nearly double the number for India. On the whole, Washingtons recent rhetoric may have pulled it down in Canadian public perception, as more citizens of the US northern neighbour prefer the European Union, at 44%, three per cent higher than America, when it comes to Ottawa pursuing closer trade ties. Next on the list are the United Kingdom, followed by China, India, South and Central America, Southeast Asia and others. US President Trumps combative words over first renegotiating and then threatening to terminate NAFTA have had their impact on Canadians. As recently as February, 49% of Canadians still sought the main focus to be on the US, 16% higher than the European Union, but the new numbers show an increasing tilt towards the EU and away from the US. These findings will still be welcome for those seeking a stronger bilateral framework between Canada and India, as it shows India is gaining traction among regular Canadians. Kasi Rao, president and CEO of the Canada-India Business Council, said, India is in the midst of an economic transformation. There is a window of opportunity that can position Canada more strategically both within the business community as well as the wider publics. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nepal has said it is committed to undertake several big ticket infrastructure projects under Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) though details of the ventures are yet to be discussed with Beijing. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, gave an assurance in this regard to Chinas top leadership during his ongoing visit to Beijing. Mahara strongly backed the BRI during talks with Premier Li Keqiang, foreign minister Wang Yi and state councillor Yang Jeichi. During his meeting with Li on Thursday evening, Mahara said that he had come up with a common consensus among major political leaders in the government and in the opposition to carry forward railway connectivity as a national priority project. While expressing caution over the possibility of trans-Himalayan rail connectivity, Li told Mahara it is not political will but the difficult terrain that will decide railway projects between the two countries. Li said a feasibility study will take a long time because of the terrain. Nepal signed a framework agreement on the BRI in May. India has been keeping a wary eye on Chinas efforts to rope in countries in the neighbourhood for the BRI. China plans to expand a high-speed railway line up to the Nepal border by 2020. It has also urged Nepal to further expand the line to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha located close to the India border. Chinese firms have conducted a pre-feasibility study for railway projects but Nepal is yet to give approval for a detailed project report on the expansion of the railway line this is expected to cost more than $4 billion. During his meetings with the Chinese leaders, Mahara said Nepal and China have been working closely to capitalise on the opportunities provided by the BRI. The initiative will enhance cooperation in cross-border connectivity, infrastructure, trade, tourism, investments and people-to-people relations. Mahara also told state councillor Yang that Nepal has accorded high importance to implementing a memorandum of understanding on the BRI signed by the two said. He expressed the conviction that Nepals development needs and aspirations will be prioritised and given their due place under the BRI. Yang said the two sides should elevate their ties to new heights with a long-term vision and implement projects under the BRI for mutual benefit. A memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation was initialled during the visit. It will pave the way for more cooperation in developing power projects and joint investments in power grid, including a feasibility study on cross-border grid interconnections, according to a statement from Nepals embassy in Beijing. Another MoU was signed for activities to promote Nepals tourism sector in China, including Buddhist tourism. Up to eight villages were burned down on Friday in a part of northwest Myanmar where large numbers of Muslim Rohingya had been sheltering from a wave of violence engulfing the area, a witness and three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The fires were blazing in the ethnically mixed Rathedaung township, where populations of Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists live side by side. Today around 4 p.m., I saw the smoke coming from where the villages were burning ...I saw it from the Chin village where I am staying now, said a villager from the area contacted by Reuters by phone. It was unclear who set fire to the villages. Independent journalists are not allowed into the area, where Myanmar says its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against extremist terrorists. Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and Rakhine vigilantes have unleashed a campaign of arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population. The burning of more villages is likely to fuel an exodus of Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh. Nearly 270,000 have fled in less than two weeks, creating a humanitarian crisis. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday her government was doing its best to protect everyone, but she has drawn criticism from around the world for failing to speak out about the violence and the Muslim minority, including calls to revoke her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. HIDING IN WOODS Rathedaung, the site of the latest fires, is the furthest Rohingya-inhabited area from the border with Bangladesh. Humanitarian workers had been concerned that a large number of the Muslims had been trapped there. The blazes were confirmed by sources including two monitors with a network of informants on the ground, and a local journalist based in the nearby town of Buthidaung. They said that among the torched villages were the hamlets of Ah Htet Nan Yar and Auk Nan Yar, some 65 km (40 miles) north of Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state. One source said a camp for internally displaced people in the area also went up in flames. One of the sources said 300 to 400 Rohingya who had escaped other burnings had been sheltering at Ah Htet Nan Yar until the day before the fire broke out. They had escaped before it started, the source said, quoting an eyewitness. The villagers were now hiding in the forest or attempting a perilous, days-long journey by foot in the monsoon rain towards the Maungdaw region and further west to the River Naf separating Myanmar and Bangladesh. The latest flight of Rohingya from their homes in Myanmar began two weeks ago after Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts in Rakhine. That triggered an army counter-offensive in which at least 400 people were killed. The New York branch of Pakistans largest bank, which has been slapped with a $225 million fine and ordered out of the US, allowed transactions by 154 entities and individuals on American terror watch lists, including a leader of a terror group and an international arms dealer. The New York state department of financial services had wanted to fine Habib Bank (HBL) up to $630 million for grave failures to in complying with anti-money laundering rules. The regulator said on Thursday HBL agreed to pay a third of the sum as part of a settlement whereby it will shut down the New York branch. The findings of the departments investigation into HBLs operations, posted on its website, state the bank had apparently misused its good guy list a list of customers who purportedly were screened and identified as very low risk. The probe revealed that a substantial number of parties were improperly included on the list and that at least $250 million in transactions have flowed through the New York Branch without any screening due to the apparent improper inclusion on the so-called good guy list. At least 154 entries on HBLs good guy list corresponded to entries on the US Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (or the SDN List), which contains parties prohibited from transactions by the US treasury department. Among the individuals and entities on HBLs good-guy list who conducted transactions through the bank were the leader of a Pakistani terrorist group, a known international arms dealer, an individual on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, and the former deputy prime minister of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The department did not identify the Pakistani terrorist leader or the other individuals or provide other details about them or their transactions. The action against HBL comes at a time when Pakistan is facing growing pressure from the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crack down on the financing of terror groups, especially the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its various front organisations. It is believed that this pressure was one of the key reasons for Pakistans decision to put LeT founder Hafiz Saeed under house arrest in January. The investigation also found multiple instances of multiple SWIFT payment messages being improperly aggregated into a single message for processing, thereby preventing HBL from effectively screening these messages for suspicious or prohibited activity. The investigation uncovered instances where alerts generated by the HBL branchs transaction monitoring system were improperly cleared even though suspicious characteristics warranted escalation for further review by compliance staff, including instructions to withhold the name of a transactions beneficiary or other pertinent information. One such instance, the report said, involved a payment to a Chinese weapons manufacturer that was subject to US non-proliferation sanctions. The investigation determined that the originals of certain trade finance documents had been altered to conceal that the goods shipped were explosives. The HBL branch also facilitated transactions worth billions of dollars with a Saudi private bank, the Al Rajhi Bank, with reported links to al-Qaeda, without adequate anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls. HBL, which has its headquarters in Karachi, is Pakistans largest bank with total revenues of $1 billion in 2016 and $24 billion in total assets. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmars Rakhine state, mostly members of the Muslim Rohingya minority, a senior United Nations representative told AFP on Friday -- twice the governments figure. Perhaps about a thousand or more are already dead, said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. This might be from both sides but it would be heavily concentrated on the Rohingya population. Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on August 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive has killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of more than 160,000 people to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to official figures. Myanmar says its forces are in a fight against terrorists. State media has accused Rohingya militants of burning villages and killing civilians of all religions. Myanmar does not recognise the 1.1 million Rohingya as citizens, labelling them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Ian Paisley, an MP from the Northern Ireland-based Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on whose support the Theresa May government depends for survival, was at the centre of a row on Friday over his alleged undeclared family holidays in Sri Lanka that were paid for by Colombo. The House of Commons code of conduct states MPs must declare any visit to a destination outside the UK which relates in any way to their membership of the house or to their parliamentary or political activities, and which costs more than 300. MPs do not have to register family holidays if they are wholly unconnected with membership of the house or with the members parliamentary or political activities. Paisleys holidays, reportedly worth 100,000 in hospitality from the Sri Lanka government, was the subject of the main story in The Daily Telegraph, but he promptly denied it and referred himself to the parliamentary standards commissioner. He later reportedly met Sri Lankan representatives to discuss trade deals after Brexit. Paisley said the report was "devoid of fact or logic" and "defamatory", while a DUP spokesman said: "Ian Paisley MP will rightly refer himself to the (Parliamentary) Commissioner for Standards. We await the outcome of that investigation." The newspaper reported the Paisley family flew business class to Sri Lanka and stayed in luxurious hotels, and claimed the costs and expenses were paid for by the Sri Lankan government. There was no word on the issue from the Sri Lankan embassy in London. The DUP extended support to May after the Conservative Party failed to win a majority in the June 8 general election. The agreement with the DUP includes allocating additional funds for Northern Ireland over the next two years. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russias ministry of defense said it has killed four Islamic State group leaders in an airstrike outside the eastern Syria city of Deir el-Zour. Russian news agencies on Friday quoted a defense ministry statement saying that its intelligence showed the airstrike killed 40 militants. Among them, according to the reports, were militant leaders Abu Muhammad al-Shimali and Gulmurod Khalimov. Al-Shimaali reportedly headed the movement of foreign fighters into Syria and processed the groups new recruits. Heavy clashes are taking place between Syrian government forces and the Islamic State group around the city as militants fight back to reinstate a years-long siege of the city. President Bashar Assads troops on Tuesday broke the nearly three-year militant blockade of parts of the city, marking a significant advance against the extremists. South Africas outspoken Archbishop Desmond Tutu joined the growing chorus of influential voices condemning Aung San Suu Kyi over the Myanmar governments treatment of its Rohingya Muslims and urging her to intervene in the crisis. The United Nations on Thursday said that nearly 164,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh over the past two weeks in the wake of a massive security sweep and alleged atrocities by the countrys security forces and Buddhist mobs against the Rohingya. I am now elderly, decrepit and formally retired, but breaking my vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness, he writes in an open letter to his beloved younger sister Suu Kyi that was posted on social media. If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep, Tutu said in his statement. Suu Kyi, feted for her years of peaceful opposition to Myanmars junta rulers, has been urged to speak up for the Rohingya, with Muslim nations and the UN leading condemnation of her government. Tutu, who helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa and became the moral voice of the nation, joined in the condemnation on Thursday. It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain, he said noting that the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread. As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again... for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people, said Tutu. Witnesses in Myanmars Rakhine state say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. Earlier this week, fellow nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai had also called upon Suu Kyi to break her silence. Over the last several years, I have repeatedly condemned this tragic and shameful treatment, Malala said in a statement on Twitter. I am still waiting for my fellow Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same. US President Donald Trump intends to nominate an Indian-American woman to a key administration position in the state department that would make her in charge of economic diplomacy, the White House said. Currently chief counsel and senior policy adviser to senator Dan Sullivan, Manisha Singh, if confirmed by the Senate, would replace Charles Rivkin as the assistant secretary of state for economic affairs. The position has been vacant since January after Rivkin put in his papers following Trumps swearing-in as the 45th president of the United States. A resident of Florida, Singh, 45, has served as the deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, and as an aide to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Her private sector experience includes practising law at multinational firms and working in-house at an investment bank. She holds an LL M degree in International Legal Studies from the American University Washington College of Law, a J.D from the University of Florida College of Law and completed her a BA from the University of Miami at the age of 19. Singh is licensed to practice law in Florida, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. A native of Uttar Pradesh, she moved to Florida along with her parents as a child. In an interview to Washington Examiner early this year, Singh said she worked on broader foreign policy component in the office of senator Sullivan. An estimated 270,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar in the past two weeks and sought refuge in Bangladesh, where two existing refugee camps are bursting at the seams, the UN refugee agency said on Friday. The limited shelter capacity is already exhausted. Refugees are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land in the Ukhiya and Teknaf areas, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) said in a briefing note for reporters in Geneva. The vast majority are women, including mothers with newborn babies, families with children. They arrive in poor condition, exhausted, hungry and desperate for shelter. A house burns in Gawdu Tharya village near Maungdaw in Rakhine state in northern Myanmar. (AFP) The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which denies them citizenship and regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations. In updated figures released by the authorities on Thursday, Myanmar said 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25. They added some 30 civilians had been killed -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists -- in the fighting. A woman arrested on suspicion of shoplifting slipped out of her handcuffs, stole a police car and led police officers on a high speed chase in Texas. Toscha Fay Sponsler, 33, was detained in the back of the police cruiser as the cops searched her bag in Angelina, The Independent reported on Thursday. The video--posted by Lufkin Police Department on their Facebook page on Wednesday--showed Sponsler unbuckling her seat belt and then wriggling her hands out of the handcuffs. She then climbed on to the drivers seat before escaping. A police officer could be heard shouting God damn as Sponsler sped away. She then led officers on a 23-minute, 100-mph (160 kph) chase that began at Ulta and ended in Zavalla after a DPS Trooper used a PIT maneuver to make her lose control of the vehicle, the police department wrote on Facebook, adding that Sponsler tried to get her hands on the gun but it was locked. The footage was captured by the cameras in the SUV. She was held in custody at the Angelina County Jail with a $18,000 bail. The five felony charges pressed against her included include the threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, unauthorised use of a vehicle, possession of controlled substance and evading arrest. The police department said after the incident, they had installed a screw in squad cars that prevents the window partition from opening more than four inches. . In one of Americas worst Broken Arrow incidents, a B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs crashed on the ice off Greenland. Major Alfred DAmario thought the worst was over after his violent ejection from the dark and smoky cockpit of his Boeing B-52G Stratofortress. The bomber he had abandoned was diving in flames toward the nearby ice-covered Bylot Sound off Thule Air Force Base in northwestern Greenland. DAmario knew that the one-point safe bombs would not go nuclear in a crash. As he descended, the major sighted an orange fireball eight miles to the west. Suddenly, an intensely bright white light outshone the orange jet fuel blaze as the high explosives in four hydrogen bombs in the bomb bay detonated from the shock of impact. A supersonic blast wave tore outward in all directions into the subfreezing arctic air. In several seconds, DAmarios easy downward drift was interrupted. As he recounted in his book Hangar Flying: I watched it [the bright light] for a few seconds and, suddenly, all Hell broke loose. My parachute and the life raft both took off to my right leaving me what looked like ten or fifteen feet to the left of them. Then, I started swinging back and forth between them. DAmario and five of his fellow crewmen made it safely to the ground. One crew member did not. Thus began one of the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Commands worst Broken Arrow nuclear incidents of the Cold War. As the Cold War evolved, SAC developed technologies to detect and counter a Soviet surprise nuclear attack. When SAC deployed the first intercontinental ballistic missiles in 1959, its primary detection and strike force consisted of the Defense Early Warning line of radars, several Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems (BMEWS) and dozens of B-52 bombers armed with thermonuclear weapons. General Thomas S. Power, commander of SAC, initiated several alert programs to reduce the response time for bombers to take off and make their runs into the Soviet Union. In 1958 SAC B-52s began flying Chrome Dome missions, which took the crews through an arctic route close to the Soviet border. In the fall of 1960, the $500 million BMEWS facility at Thule AFB began operations, its data sent by undersea cables, and later wirelessly, to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Concerned that Thule blackouts could indicate that the facility either had been hit by the Soviets or had experienced a benign technical failure, in August 1961 SAC began secret Hard Head Thule monitoring missions to maintain constant visual surveillance. These 24-hour missions had crews flying in a butter knife holding pattern, similar to a figure 8, at 35,000 feet near the air base. The bombers were fully armed, and the crew had all the mission planning documents they required to strike the Soviet Union. By 1968 SAC had assigned its 380th Strategic Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh AFB to the Hard Head missions. Near the Canadian border and encompassing the 528th Bombardment Squadron, the wing fielded the latest B-52G models. January 21 was a bright and clear Sunday morning in northern New York as a refreshed crew of the 380th prepared to take their craft aloft to Thule on a mission coded Junky 14, call sign Hobo 28. Captain John Haug, the pilot and commander, took his crew of six out to the flight line to begin preflight checks and loading. Captain Leonard Svitenko, copilot, was his right-seater. Also on the top deck of the cockpit, facing backward, were the electronic weapons officer (EWO), Captain Richard Marx, and aerial gunner Staff Sgt. Calvin Waldrep Snapp. (Unlike on earlier B-52s, the G model repositioned the tail gunner in the cockpit.) Manning the Black Hole on the lower deck were radar-navigator/bombardier Major Frank Hopkins and Captain Curtis R. Criss, who was assigned that day to substitute for the normally scheduled navigator. The mission to Thule and back would exceed 24 hours, and regulations thus required a third pilot onboard. That role fell to Major DAmario, the safety officer from the wings headquarters. On the flight line, Haugs initially assigned B-52 had instrumentation problems, so the crew moved on to tail number 58-0188, which was fully fueled and armed. Hard Head missions were long and cold, requiring extra supplies. Along with the crews A-3 personal flight bags, the ground crew quickly loaded the aircraft with food lockers, a sleeping bunk and an electric oven. Since these long flights also tested the crews derrieres, DAmario loaded three polyurethane cushions under the fold-away jump seat on the lower deck, located adjacent to the rear bulkhead door to the electric power supply deck and the wheel wells of the massive front landing gear. When not in use, this seat could be flipped upward against the bulkhead. On this flight, DAmario later added a fourth cushion to the pile and moved a metal food locker against it to prop up his feet. Arctic weather stressed the B-52 heating system. As DAmario pointed out, At maximum endurance throttle settings, the heating and air conditioning system cannot deliver enough heat to keep the cockpit warm. Flight crews had a method for handling this. Early on, the copilot applied the normal heating and air conditioning system. As the cockpit became colder, he reached down to a control panel adjacent to his right calf and gradually turned the heat up to maximum. When this normal system could not maintain sufficient cockpit heat, the copilot moved to the center console to switch on the engine air bleed system. The final compressor stages of all eight jet engines forced 750-degree air into 4-inch pipes at 250 pounds per square inch. Some of this hot air was routed into manifolds designed to cool it down for heating the cockpit. At optimum cockpit heat, the copilot would pull back on the air bleed until switching back to the normal system. The whole cycle would then start over again. This superheated air also drove the electrical alternators, maintained cabin pressure and powered other vital equipment. Boeing detailed little in its B-52 flight manual regarding the heating potential of the air bleed system. One crew later reported that a flight jacket had almost caught fire while resting against a heating vent. Another account described the stink of burned dust in vent pipes after a bomber had sat idle in a maintenance depot. In other cases, superheated air released from damaged air bleed pipes had destroyed onboard equipment and almost cooked off the weapons in the bomb bay. Prior to takeoff, Haugs crew checked the condition of their primary payload, four B28FI thermonuclear weapons, the only model that SAC bombers carried in 1968. The FI, or Full Fuzing Internal model, allowed the radar-navigator to set the weapon for either an air burst, retarded air burst, ground burst or a parachute-retarded laydown. The 12-foot-long, 22-inch-diameter, 2,300-pound Mod 5 H-bombs on board had yields of up to 1.45 megatons, enough to obliterate a city and its suburbs. The ground crew clipped four of these weapons as a quad onto a cradle in the forward part of the B-52s cavernous bomb bay. Hobo 28s takeoff and five-hour flight to the Thule area were relatively uneventful. Prior to entering its 100-mile-long butter knife flight pattern, the crew rendezvoused with a KC-135 to top off their fuel tanks. After refueling, DAmario gave copilot Svitenko a break for a snack and a nap on the bunk. As Hobo 28 settled into its flight pattern, Haug and DAmario reduced the throttles for maximum endurance and leveled off at an altitude just above 30,000 feet. The minus-55-degree outside air penetrated the thinly insulated crew cabin, causing the interior temperature to drop precipitously. From the lower deck, Svitenko requested more heat, and DAmario began the cabin heating process, quickly maximizing the normal heating system. He then brought in hot air from the air bleed manifolds. Several minutes into that cycle were all that was necessary to create the flights subsequent emergency. The B-52 heating distribution system consisted of a series of pipes with round holes punched through them in regular intervals. One of these pipes ran into a vent box positioned directly beneath the jump seat. Superheated air pushed upward against the four stowed polyurethane cushions. Considered solid gasoline by fire marshals, heated polyurethane will first begin to smolder, generating characteristic white smoke and toxic combustible gases, before further breaking down and igniting at somewhere above 600 degrees. The pilots on the upper deck didnt understand why they were sweltering while the lower deck remained cold. Accounts vary on who did what, but clearly Svitenko was on break and available to respond to the emergency. Some report Criss as searching for and finding the fire, but this interpretation may be a result of his staying in his seat initially and updating the pilot via intercom. Hopkins most likely stayed focused on the instruments monitoring the nuclear weapons. At 4:22 p.m. local time, 90 miles south of Thule AFB, Marx smelled burning rubber, and some of the crew began a scramble to find the source. Spotting smoke coming from under the jump seat, Marx first expended the lower-deck A-20 fire extinguisher around the seat, to no effect. He then retrieved the second and last extinguisher from between the EWO and gunner positions on the upper deck, and emptied it onto the rear bulkhead. As the polyurethane smoldered, burned and disintegrated, pieces of it most likely fell down into the vent box below the cushions, making it impossible for the crew to reach the fire itself. Even then, burning polyurethane is best extinguished with water, carbon dioxide or dry powdered chemicals, none of which were available to the crew. As the smoke continued to pour, Svitenko pulled the metal food box away from the seat, and flames erupted from the stowed cushions. Both levels of the cabin soon filled with dense white smoke. Criss called into the pilot that they couldnt control the fire and the lower deck was becoming engulfed. With fire temperatures probably exceeding 1,400 degrees, Criss made a last desperate, futile attempt to smother the fire with a flight bag. Marx climbed to the upper deck and opened the sextant port on the ceiling directly above the ladder to clear the cockpit of smoke. Haug ordered everyone on oxygen, turned the bomber northward toward Thule and began descending rapidly while DAmario called in the emergency. Minutes later, at 19,000 feet, the aircraft lost all power, and its instruments went dark. DAmario worked feverishly to bring the alternators back online as the fire continued to ravage these systems on the lower deck. In the arctic darkness and dense smoke of the cockpit, only the lights of Thule AFB ahead guided the pilots. Haug continued to reduce altitude to prepare for a potential bailout. As they approached the base, Criss reported that the fire down below was now intolerable, and Haug ordered the bailout at 4:37 p.m. With everyone at their stations ready to eject and DAmario in the copilot seat, its likely Svitenko down below strapped on his parachute while trying to smother the fire with what little resources he had left. His manual bailout route would have been through the navigators open floor hatch left by the ejecting crewman. Thule radar later reported that the men left the bomber at 8,000 feet while traveling 690 mph. From the blazing Black Hole, Criss ejected first, and then Hopkins. Marx and Snapp followed. Haug and DAmario gave Svitenko as much time as possible before they left the plane in their Weber seats. Manually bailing out of a B-52 is considered unsafe above 316 mph. Svitenko had to endure flames and smoke to jump through the hatch. He did not survive. At some point during his exit into the slipstream, he struck his head on the hatch edge or the electronic countermeasures antennas on the bottom of the fuselage. When the rescue teams found him far north of the air base, part of the nylon of his unopened parachute pack was melted and fused. The fire also appeared to have melted parts of his boot soles. Most accounts report he was not conscious during the fall. No one escaped injury. Between the bombers speed at ejection and their impacts onto the ice, most of the crew suffered cuts, bruises, and strained ligaments and tendons. Hopkins immediate injuries were the worst, with fractures to his left arm and shoulder. Danish and Air Force personnel retrieved the crew from the south side of Thule, though Criss and Svitenko were missing. Criss had landed on the opposite side of a small mountain, which blocked his view of the base. With no identifiable exit route in the pitch dark, he rolled up in his parachute inside his inflatable raft and waited in the subfreezing arctic cold. Rescue teams found him 21 hours later, severely frostbitten but alive, to the utter disbelief of the local Inuits, who assumed he must have succumbed to the cold. Criss later lost both feet to frostbite. During its final two unpiloted minutes, Hobo 28 flew another 18 to 23 miles. The burning bomber continued north over the base and made a 180-degree left turn over Wholstenholme Fjord, while quickly losing altitude. As it headed southwest for Bylot Sound at 700 mph, buffeting turbulence caused the aircraft to shed a bomb bay door. Around 4:40 p.m., in a steep 50- to 60-degree bank, the left wing struck the ice about eight miles west of the air base, carved a trench and began to disintegrate and separate from the fuselage, its engines cartwheeling south. The nose and front fuselage impacted hard with a shallow 15- to 20-degree belly flop and shattered a 160-foot-diameter swath of thick sea ice. While 100-plus tons of JP-4 fuel spewed and exploded forward of the point of impact, ice and fuselage debris crushed the four nuclear weapons in the bomb bay. The high explosives surrounding the plutonium/highly enriched uranium cores immediately detonated with a bright white light, further shredding the bomber and blowing plutonium and uranium dust, tritium gas and secondary components downrange. The one-point safe H-bombs produced no nuclear yield. For the next five to six hours, the flames from the jet fuel rose to almost a half-mile, and the smoke column extended thousands of feet higher. Much of the aircraft debris sank in the 600-foot-deep water before the shattered blocks of ice at the point of impact refroze. The conflagration created a blackened scar of ice about a tenth of a mile wide and almost a half-mile long, with debris scattered in a 1-by-3-mile area. Back at base operations, the major in charge had difficulty determining the B-52s payload because DAmario would neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons. Finally, when asked whether rescue teams could approach the crash site safely, DAmario responded, Major, I wouldnt go within 3,000 feet of that SOB. The next day, still in the arctic winter darkness, volunteer Inuit mushers drove dogsleds across the sea ice carrying a seven-man survey team. They returned to report the presence at the crash site of only small pieces of the airplane on the ice, though recovery crews later found six of the engines downrange. To their dismay, their radiation detectors had quickly become inoperative in the bitter cold. Nonetheless, the black-stained area extending south from the broken and refrozen point of impact was notably radioactive. SAC immediately activated the Broken Arrow Control Group, and assigned Major General Richard O. Hunziker to Project Crested Ice. Construction of Camp Hunziker on the ice began the next day. To prevent breaking through the ice, cleanup crews dispersed their temporary buildings, storage piles and heavy earthmovers. Stormy weather on the 24th and 28th blew plutonium and uranium dust at least four miles northwest to Saunders Island. Within days, the Air Force, Atomic Energy Commission and two national laboratories were assisting with the crash site cleanup. On any given day, between storms, from one to three dozen U.S. personnel and up to a dozen Inuits worked on the ice, while another 25 to 250 personnel at the base transported, monitored, identified and containerized plane parts and contaminated snow and ice. Project Crested Ice ultimately drew in about 565 Americans and 85 Danish citizens, who searched some 30 square miles of sea ice for debris and radioactivity. By April 10, Danish and Air Force crews had completed the cleanup operations on the sea ice. Afterward, Thule AFB personnel spread carbonized sand over 6.2 acres of slightly contaminated sea ice to accelerate springtime melting and to bind the remaining fuel and radionuclides so they would sink rather than wash onto the beach. Denmark required the U.S. government to remove all of the radioactive debris and contaminated snow and ice from Greenland. Thule AFB ultimately amassed an incredible collection of waste, including 71 25,000-gallon tanks filled with cleanup debris and contaminated snow and ice. Alongside were 14 large engine containers, 192 drums of aircraft debris and 268 1,800-gallon tanks filled with contaminated liquid. The largest piece of aircraft recovered was only desk-sized, though larger forged pieces, such as landing gear struts, remained at the bottom of Bylot Sound. The Air Force flew the recovered hydrogen bomb fragments to three facilities in the U.S. Spring ice melt allowed U.S. Navy cargo ships to remove the melted ice and snow to the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina. In August the research submersible STAR III arrived at Bylot Sound, ostensibly to document the debris that had fallen through the sea ice, but more important to search for and, if possible, retrieve the still-missing uranium-filled fourth secondary. While the three Air Force submariners did identify during their 11 dives several small pieces that had been parts of one or more of the H-bombs, along with thousands of plane fragments, they did not find the missing secondary. They concluded that it had settled into an 800-foot-deep unsurveyed portion of the sound. Of the four H-bombs, cleanup crews recovered most of the uranium from three secondaries, but none from the fourth. Crews could not recover any of the plutonium, uranium and tritium that burned and blew away in the initial fire, nor a considerable amount of radioactive material that either sank or refroze in the ice at the impact site. In the final accounting, about 35 percent of the total plutonium (4.8 of 13 pounds) and at least one-third of the total uranium (roughly 19 of 53 pounds) was lost, mostly from the weapon in the lower left of the bomb bay, which likely detonated first. As a consequence of this Broken Arrow event, SAC discontinued Chrome Dome and instead kept its bombers on high alert, with engines cold on the pad. The Air Force continued to send B-52s up to Thule on Hard Head missions, but with empty bomb bays. DAmario rejoined those crews on at least one mission, though presumably with no extra seat cushions. Boeing provided alerts to crews to warn of the high heat from the air bleed system. The national laboratories also began to design nuclear weapons with insensitive high explosives to prevent reoccurrence of this kind of catastrophe. To this day deep in Bylot Sound, classified and mostly unrecognizable fragments of hydrogen bombs remain buried in the soft sediment. Timothy Karpin and James Maroncelli are the authors of The Travelers Guide to Nuclear Weapons: A Journey Through Americas Cold War Battlefields, available at atomictraveler.com. Further reading: Hangar Flying, by Alfred J. DAmario; and Thule: Nuclear Weapon Accident Near Thule Greenland, by John Taschner and James Oskins. This feature appeared in the November 2017 issue of Aviation History Magazine. Subscribe today! H ead to Peter Jones in Sloane Square, Chelsea, on September 13 for 'An evening with Eames' - your chance to discover the secrets behind Charles & Ray Eames' iconic designs. There will be a talk and Q&A session with Eames Demetrios, grandson of famous American modernist designer Charles Eames (19071978). Plus, you'll get the chance to see exclusive zingy new colours on a collection of special edition chairs which will be launched on the evening of the event, and will be displayed in Peter Jones windows until the end of October. Book your (free) place at the event here or phone 020 7881 6388. Peter Jones with Vitra present 'An evening with Eames' September 13, from 6pm until 8pm Spaces are limited to 100; call 020 7881 6388 or register online News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits. Tuesday, October 25, 4:30 7 p.m. Orr Area EMS Open House Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798. Orr Fire Hall 4540 Lake St., Orr Tuesday, October 25, 12 6 p.m. Essentia Health Job Fair Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org. 901 9th St. N., Virginia The sparking indie-pop of The Go-Betweens gave us some of the finest songs of the 80s. Yet despite several masterful albums (including the legendary 16 Lovers Lane), the band with the brilliant songwriting duo of Robert Forster and grant McLennan at its core never quite achieved the mainstream success they deserved. But perhaps that is part of why we love them so. Having split in 1989, they reunited in 2000 and released some of their most successful material. When Oceans Apart won the ARIA Award for Best Contemporary Album in their native Australia in 2005, it seemed the second era of The Go-Betweens might finally win them the renown that so long eluded them. But this hope evaporated with the untimely death of McLennan in 2006. Now over ten years since his death comes Grant & I, by Robert Forster; an affectionate and insightful account of The Go-Betweens, which also serves as his memoir and a biography of his friend and co-writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - When floodwaters come up, seeping into industrial areas that turn out fuel or chemicals, public health officials look to a federal database known simply as IRIS. Short for Integrated Risk Information System, the Environmental Protection Agency maintains the program to assess the health risks of various chemical compounds and as a go-to encyclopedia for state agencies on their impacts on human populations. "These are the folks that are there when Corpus Christi, Texas, has a question about an inadvertent contamination of their water supply," Thomas Burke, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, testified Wednesday to Congress. "IRIS is an importation database that doesn't just look at cancer and rats." Now in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey's flooding of the Texas Gulf Coast, the future of that program is falling into question as Congress looks to cut the EPA's budget. Under President Donald Trump's original budget released earlier this year, the agency would have seen its budget slashed more than 30 percent and IRIS eliminated altogether. But under a House appropriations bill released this summer, the EPA's budget saw a far smaller cut of $528 million - about 6 percent of its 2017 budget - leaving IRIS intact but financially weakened. The program has long been controversial within the chemical industry, which has criticized the EPA's scientific methods and questioned IRIS's priorities. "Everybody has a difference of opinion of what degree it needs to change," said Ed Krenik, a lobbyist for the chemical industry. At a hearing before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Republicans echoed those concerns, calling for an overhaul in how IRIS goes about assessing the risk of chemicals that support an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year. "IRIS assessments are not based on sound science," said Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill. "There are multiple instances of the IRIS program relying on outdated or flawed studies." Republicans pointed to a series of reports by both the Government Accountability Office and the National Academy of Sciences that recommended changes in IRIS's scientific method, following a controversial 2010 assessment that the chemical formaldehyde caused cancer when inhaled. Advocates for the program, like Burke, maintain that IRIS is addressing those areas of concern and improving its methods. But James Bus, a toxicologist with the consulting firm Exponent, whose work is supported by the American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing the industry, testified the EPA had a history of reliance on health findings that could not be reproduced and rushing peer reviews of its scientific work. "IRIS might be going down the right road, but they still have a lot of work ahead of them," Bus said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it wants to accelerate buyouts of repeatedly flooded properties in Houston - swamped yet again, this time by Tropical Storm Harvey - and keep the federal government from paying to rebuild homes time and time again. It's not yet clear how many in Houston might be offered such buyouts. Roy Wright, the FEMA official who runs the National Flood Insurance Program, said in an interview on Thursday that he was working on a plan but declined to provide details. "I've got to make sure I can make the program work," Wright said. Buyout programs are typically used by state and local governments to acquire properties in neighborhoods that are prone to flooding and other natural disasters as a way to provide relief to homeowners, who may not otherwise be able to sell, and the government, which pays the costs of responding to the disasters. Homeowners volunteer for the program, and the local governments apply to FEMA for funding. If granted, buyouts pay homeowners market value of their homes. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, New York said it would spend $400 million in federal and state money on buyouts on the coasts of Long Island and Staten Island, according to research by the Pew Charitable Trusts. New Jersey aimed to spend $300 million and clear 1,300 homes from flood-prone river and coastal neighborhoods. Houston has participated in the program, too. The Harris County Flood Control District, for example, spent $11 million after the Tax Day Floods last year to buy out about 60 homes along Greens Bayou and other hard-hit areas. But it can take months or even years for local governments to apply for and get the FEMA grants, meaning that some homeowners might rebuild - usually with federal assistance - before taking the buyouts. Wright said he wants Houston homeowners to be able to consider buyouts instead of rebuilding. "On these multiple-loss properties, I'm working with my team and lawyers on ways I can move that to the front," he said. "The point is, I'm not going to pay someone redo their house, then re-buy it." Wright said the effort to accelerate the buyouts was spurred, at least in part, by a Houston homeowner who called his office late one evening last week. The homeowner, whom he did not identify, had returned to her house after the Harvey flood and called to ask for the federal government to buy her property. Houston homeowners and advocates are hoping FEMA will roll out a program unlike any yet seen in the U.S., one that buys more houses, spends more money and does it faster. Floods have inundated so many Houston neighborhoods again and again, some three or more times since Tropical Storm Allison hit in 2001, Rice University professor and environmental attorney Jim Blackburn said. Blackburn estimated Harvey flooded some 150,000 homes and as many as 50,000 might need buyouts. "We need to identify these areas and remove these homes from harm's way," Blackburn wrote this week in a white paper on the topic. "In order to do this, there will need to be a massive buyout program." James Wade, the property acquisition manager at the Harris County Flood Control District, said the district was in conversations with FEMA about how to get money for buyouts faster. After Hurricane Ike in 2008, it took about six months for the buyout grants to move through the system. "What we're trying to find out is if there's any way to avoid that process," Wade said, "and go straight to 'Can we just have an allocation for funding', because we know we have the need." FEMA is receiving thousands of Harvey claims and paying out millions of dollars every day. By the end of Wednesday, more than 80,000 Texans had filed claims, and the flood insurance program had issued about $76 million in advance payments. "And we're not done yet," Wright said. The Harris County Flood Control District is putting together a $20 million proposal for 100 buyouts in the county, just a fraction of the 3,300 properties the district says are at risk. Target neighborhoods include several near the San Jacinto River and Humble; past buyout programs have picked homes along White Oak Bayou, Hunting Bayou and Greens Bayou. Purchasing all of the property on its priority list would cost $600 million. The city of Houston, which has historically shied away from buyouts, is now discussing them with FEMA, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. But if the city buys out flood-prone apartment buildings, the problem then becomes finding affordable housing for the residents, many of them low-income, Turner said. Mike Morris contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dinah Weil rode in on an airboat, desperate to see the red heads and humps of her Brahman cattle. Three days had passed since she had evacuated the flooded HK Cattle ranch and left 250 of the purebred bovines standing in ankle-deep water. Before Hurricane Harvey fully made its way into the area, Weil had loaded the youngest calves, their mothers and a bull into trucks and driven them to safety away from the 300-acre ranch, about 45 miles south of Houston. The others were stranded when rising floodwater became too deep for trucks to get through. HK Cattle, like a significant number of Texas' ranchers, was set to lose a significant amount of money if the herds drowned. State officials fear thousands of cattle may have died in the flooding or its aftermath. With more than 1.2 million head, the counties affected by Hurricane Harvey are home to one-in-four of all beef cows in Texas, the nation's largest producer. Officials are still tallying the damages, but one report stated that 250 cows were found in a pile after being washed down the Colorado River. Others found alive are often hungry, thirsty and worn out. "We're finding cattle in waist-deep water," said Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture commissioner. "But when we try to drive them to dry ground, many of them just collapse they're so exhausted." Weil was lucky. As the airboat entered the front gates, she saw the glorious red humps. The resilient Brahmans had survived, moving to higher but still-soggy ground. She only lost a single calf. "I would sigh, a huge sigh of relief, that their heads were above water," Weil said. Few insure herds Between 2011 and 2014, sales of beef cattle and calves in the state averaged $10.7 billion annually, according to the Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension Service and Agri-Life Research. Cattle account for half of Texas' agricultural cash value. But while crops damaged by Harvey's torrents will likely be insured, most ranchers don't insure their herds, often citing costs, with the possible exception of a prized breeding bull here or there. Thus, cattle raisers could be out hundreds of thousands of dollars if an entire herd were to drown. An average beef cow sold for $1,500 in May at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, branded as the world's largest stocker and feeder cattle market. The Livestock Indemnity Program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture could provide some aid to ranchers, but Miller said it likely won't be enough. "It's a pittance," he said. "We'll have to appeal to Congress to put some more money in that fund, I'm sure." After Hurricane Ike in 2008, economists at Texas A&M estimated more than $430 million in direct agricultural losses. Of that, cattle losses totaled $13.3 million and damages to fences, hay and the like were $23.3 million. Harvey could be more costly because it affected a larger area, said David Anderson, an A&M professor and agriculture economist. "I think the fears of our losses are oftentimes bigger than what the actual number of dead animals turn out to be, but this was a big storm," Anderson said. "I think it's just going to take us some more time to find out." Either way, he doesn't expect it to affect meat prices in grocery stores. Ranchers along the coastal regions of Texas mostly have beef cows used for breeding. Their calves are sent to Panhandle feedlots, where they grow to their full weight before going to meat packers. Short-term meat prices may be affected if a major storm hits the Texas Panhandle. If ranchers lost cattle being prepped for meat packers, that could affect supply more immediately. Ultimately, Anderson said, the number of cattle lost in Harvey won't be large enough to affect the nation's beef production, which is on track to yield a record amount next year. "The long-term trend in the U.S. over the past couple of years is increasing beef production," he said. Blessed with a strong breed Weil knows HK Cattle was fortunate. "The Brahman cattle are a very strong breed," she said. "And if they can survive, they will and they did." But survival isn't the only issue, since standing in water for nine days can cause stress or illness. Weil said she will give the cattle plenty of time to heal before inviting buyers over. She said the younger calves generally lose hair on their legs after flooding, but the hair will grow back. "Good feed, good hay, sunshine and just let them rest," she said. Dr. Dan Posey, a veterinarian and clinical professor with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said cattle standing in water will have weakened skin and hooves that are susceptible to infection. And the stresses of prolonged standing, lack of food and no drinkable water could make the cattle susceptible to respiratory disease. "Not all of them will recover even though they were rescued," Posey said. Some cattle were still waiting to be rescued Thursday, and various entities are providing food to the stranded livestock. The Texas Army National Guard, for instance, has used CH-47 Chinook helicopters to deliver more than 75 tons of hay. The Texas Department of Agriculture and the A&M Extension Service are collecting donations of animal hay and feed, which will be needed to feed cattle as pastures recover. The Agriculture Department has also received more than $42,000 for its State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund to help farmers and ranchers rebuild fences, restore operations and pay for other agricultural disaster relief. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has likewise established the Cattle Raisers Relief Fund for monetary donations. As of Thursday, the association was receiving more reports of stranded cattle needing aid rather than dead cattle. Its special rangers are working with other officials to assist in cases where cattle are stranded. "We've weathered a lot of storms here in Texas from other hurricanes to droughts to wildfires to other floods," said Jeremy Fuchs, director of public affairs for the Cattle Raisers Association. "Each have their challenges, but in each case the industry has come together to help get those folks back on their feet and back up and running. So we're extremely confident in the long run there's not going to be a large impact on the health of the Texas industry." Herds mix in floods As the waters recede and ranchers begin collecting cattle, many will find their livestock mixed in with that of other ranchers. It will be easy to return the branded cattle once floodwaters subside. But more time, and detective work, will be needed for cattle that aren't branded. Officials will have to match the breed, color, age and other identifying characteristics to ranchers' records and missing-cattle reports. At the J.D. Hudgins ranch in Hungerford, the roughly 600 cattle belonging to five different divisions of the Hudgins family got mixed up in the floodwaters. Coleman Locke, president of J.D. Hudgins, had moved his cattle to higher grounds before the storm. When the rains subsided, he said, the cattle weren't where he left them - they had found even higher ground two pastures over. "I really don't know how they got there," Locke said. "That's a mystery to us." The fences were intact, so maybe they swam. J.D. Hudgins lost only a handful of cattle. But the ranch doesn't expect any financial fallout from Harvey. Agricultural communities may be less fortunate. If there aren't calves to sell at the local auction market, the auction business and its employees as well as the truck drivers who haul the calves away could also be hurt. "When we have a disaster like this, the effects go beyond just the farm or ranch," said Anderson, the A&M economist. It's simply too soon to tell what the aftermath of Harvey will bring. For Weil, she plans to help others in her community since HK Cattle has received so much help. On Thursday, for instance, a group from Pennsylvania came with hay and feed for the cattle. "We've been helped by friends, family and strangers," she said, "and we have to pay it forward." Starbucks has tried it all: First came cake pops, then truffle mac and cheese, and earlier this year, avocado toast. Now the coffee giant is banking on another food fad to drum up lunch and dinner business: The sushi burrito. The chicken maki roll - which the company says, is "a classic California burrito with a twist" - comes with cooked chicken, pickled cabbage and avocado, and is rolled in sushi rice and wrapped with seaweed. It is currently part of the Mercato lunch menu at a handful of stores in Chicago and Seattle, where Starbucks is based. But first it has to overcome a substantial hurdle: Convincing customers its food is worth eating. Despite repeated - and often novel - efforts, analysts say Starbucks has yet to find much success hawking meals alongside its coffee. The challenges are logistical - Starbucks stores don't have kitchens, for example - as well as behavioral. Over the past four decades, Starbucks has trained its customers to run in, grab coffee and run out. Getting them to think beyond beverages, or linger for a meal, has proven more difficult, particularly as modern customers demand locally sourced, freshly made food. "It's been decades, but Starbucks is still trying to figure out food," said Stephen Dutton, an analyst for market research firm Euromonitor International. "The short answer is, Starbucks food is never going to be better than the hot, made-to-order meals you're going to get at a place like McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts." The company's new Mercato menu includes grilled cheese sandwiches with burrata, and chicken and quinoa soup. "It's all about providing higher-quality, fresh food at lunch," Scott Maw, the company's chief financial officer, told CNBC in June. But analysts say the offerings raise a number of questions: Selling croissants with coffee is one thing, but how do you premade customers to pair their afternoon lattes with pre-made sushi? And how willing are customers to shell out $10 for lunch when they could just as easily go elsewhere? "Nobody goes to Starbucks to buy food," Dutton said. "When they do buy something, it's usually because they're like, 'I'm starving and I have to get to work, so I'm going to pick up this yogurt.'" But that's not to say customers aren't shelling out, especially for breakfast. Roughly 20 percent of Starbucks's revenue - which last year was $21.32 billion - comes from food sales, up from 16 percent five years ago. In recent years, the company has been successful in beefing up sales of breakfast foods, thanks in part to its purchase of La Boulange bakery for $100 million in 2012. But analysts say growth has plateaued as the company struggles to break into fiercely competitive lunch and dinner markets. "There is a perception that Starbucks is selling an inferior product," said Nick Seytan, an analyst for Wedbush Securities. "Customers are saying, 'How good can that salad or sandwich be if you're not making it in front of me?'" Earlier this year, the company said it would stop selling beer and wine, as well as small plates like truffle mac and cheese and bacon-wrapped figs at its stores. Those additions, rolled out with much fanfare a few years ago, had failed to resonate with customers. Will sushi burritos help change that? Dutton says he remains unconvinced. "This is one more way of outsourcing the problem instead of solving it," he said. Bill Montgomery The Federal Aviation Administration will give more than $26 million to two Houston airports, part of $318.1 million in infrastructure grants awarded to 78 airports, officials said Friday. Bush Intercontinental Airport is receiving $21.3 million to repair and widen one of the main taxiways at the airport so it can accommodate larger aircraft. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - As Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a storm surge. In just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data. Florida's property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state - 1.7 million policies, covering about $42 billion in assets - but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed. With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the lower 48 states, Florida has 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, FEMA estimates. And yet, across Florida's 38 coastal counties, just 42 percent of these homes are covered. Florida's overall flood insurance rate for hazard-zone homes is 41 percent. Fannie Mae ostensibly requires mortgage lenders to make sure property owners buy this insurance to qualify for federally backed loans, and yet in 59 percent of the cases, that insurance isn't being paid for. Average annual premiums range from about $4,200 in Horseshoe Beach, a town of 169 residents on the Gulf Coast where 78 percent of policies have been dropped since 2012, down to $200 in several cities. In most, it's between $300 and $500. The declines in coverage started after Congress approved a price hike in 2012. Maps of some high-risk areas were redrawn, removing a requirement that these homeowners get the insurance. Seven of 10 homeowners have federally backed mortgages, and if they live in a high-risk area, they still are required to have flood insurance. But many let their policies slip without the lender noticing; loans also get sold and repackaged, paperwork gets lost and new lenders don't follow up. FEMA, which is ultimately responsible for enforcing flood insurance requirements, did not respond to an email seeking comment. The private flood insurance market is small - only about 20,000 policies in Florida. Many Floridians could find themselves with no money for flood repairs, just like people in Houston, where flood coverage dropped by 9 percent since 2012. At 8 a.m. on Labor Day, less than a week after Hurricane Harvey paralyzed Houston, a Spanish-speaking construction crew occupies all the tables and most of the counter space in the tiny dining area of Snowflake Donuts on Winkler, just off Interstate 45. More customers stand in line at the cash register. In the aftermath of the storm, the doughnut business is booming. With many businesses shuttered, Houston's Cambodian-immigrant-owned doughnut shops offer first responders, flood victims and other hungry souls shelter from the rain, hot coffee and a multicultural menu of breakfast favorites. There are selections in six languages on Snowflake's short menu, including all kinds of doughnuts, sausage kolaches, bacon and egg croissants, boudin biscuits, cappuccino and breakfast tacos. The Wendy's and the Dairy Queen across the street aren't open at this hour. Two taco trucks in the parking lot out front provide some breakfast-taco competition, but the trucks don't offer any indoor seating. When it's raining, customers line up in their vehicles at the Snowflake Donuts drive-through window. On the high ground of a gritty commercial area alongside the highway near Hobby Airport, this Snowflake Donuts at 8361 Winkler (there are several other locations) didn't flood during the storm. But owner Mony Hang's house in the Beamer neighborhood did; he also lost his 2002 Toyota Tundra to the floodwaters. "Not too bad. We got about 4 inches in the house, but the water went down by the next morning, and we cleaned up right away," says Hang, 41, who was born in the Takeo province of Cambodia. As the storm ended, he walked several miles through the flooded streets from his home to the highway where a friend met him and gave him a lift. He typically opens the shop at 4 a.m. every day. Houston's Cambodian doughnut-shop owners are a tight-knit community. Earlier this week, Hang and a dozen other owners and their wives met at a North Houston Vietnamese restaurant to take stock after the storm over dinner and drinks. Hang stuck with Heineken, but the rest of the group polished off a large bottle of Johnny Walker Black, passing the bottle back and forth between two tables. A six-course feast, including fish maw soup, steak salad, shrimp rolls, fried rice and two styles of lobster, was piled on the lazy susans at the center of each table. The gathering was hosted by Samoeun Phan, one of the leaders of Houston's Cambodian doughnut-shop community. Phan, 50, helped Mony open his first shop a decade ago. Phan explained that Cambodian immigrants arrive with no employment experience and limited prospects. Many of them escaped horrific conditions in Cambodia. Phan recounts his own story: After his father was executed, a 12-year-old Phan and his mother evaded Khmer Rouge patrols and made their way through the jungle to Thailand. They were relocated to Atlanta with the help of sponsors. Thanks to years of schooling in Atlanta, Phan reads and writes English. He speaks English with an Asian cadence and a Southern accent. "They nicknamed me the 'Khmer redneck' in Atlanta," he jokes. He moved to Houston in 2000 and began working in Cambodian doughnut shops. Then he began building his own shops and selling them to new immigrants. "I am a survivor," Phan says. "The doughnut-shop owners are survivors, too. They are doing a lot of business now because they get up at 3 in the morning and open the doughnut shop, no matter what." Phan estimates that more than 90 percent of Houston's hundreds of doughnut shops are owned by Cambodian immigrants. A doughnut shop requires little investment, the ingredients and overhead are relatively cheap, and with labor supplied entirely by family members, a minimal profit supplies a modest living. A few highway exits south of Mony Hang's Snowflake Donuts, Donald's Donuts at 435 El Dorado in Webster is also busy. "I opened on Monday, while it was still raining," owner Roth Ouch says. "This is the best business we've ever had. There were people waiting outside when I opened at 4 a.m. I've never seen so many people." No one is faulting him for his increased post-storm business. The customers lining up are just happy to find a doughnut shop that's open. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With record-breaking rains at an end and life in East Montgomery County returning to normal, a flood of support now is being showered upon law enforcement officers who kept peace and order during the worst of Hurricane Harvey. On Sept. 7, a tractor-trailer rolled into the parking lot of Forestwood Church in Roman Forest loaded with household goods, all to be distributed to East County's police officers. The items were collected during a two-day drive by Baton Rouge-based organizations Behind the Line and Back the Blue and then driven to Roman Forest, accompanied by active and retired peace officers, and their families. Roman Forest was selected as the distribution point because the event was arranged, in part, by Roman Forest Police Chief Stephen Carlisle. "I attended all of the funerals of the Baton Rouge police officers killed last year and I made a lot of friends there," he said. Behind the Line, formed just one week before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, was mentored by the Dallas Police Wives Association, whose members also are acquainted with Carlisle. Because the outpouring of donations from Baton Rouge far exceeded his small department's needs, Carlisle decided to share the wealth with all the other law enforcement agencies in East County. In addition to Roman Forest PD, the distribution was opened up to officers with the cities of Splendora, Patton Village and Woodbranch, Pct. 4 Constable's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety - New Caney office, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office District 3 and police departments from Splendora, Cleveland and New Caney ISDs. Carlisle said it meant a lot that his agency was selected to be adopted. "In disasters, sometimes all of the focus is put on the large police departments and the smaller ones are forgotten. The Houston news media seems to just have Houston on its mind right now and they forget about the suburbs and the little cities that surround Houston," Carlisle said. Among the Louisiana contingent were Tonja Garafola, widow of East Baton Rouge Deputy Brad Garafola, who was gunned down on July 17, 2016, in a brutal attack that killed three and injured three others; Baton Rouge Police Officer Chad Montgomery, one of the three surviving officers from the incident; Mary Katherine Metternich Moore, whose brother, Chris Metternich, was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver in 2006; and retiring Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dababie. Dabadie said the 2016 storms that flooded much of Louisiana were a reminder that during disasters police officers and their families are victims, too. "In the 2016 storms, I had 125 employees who lost everything but they still came to work. While everyone else was trying to gut their homes and get their houses cleaned up, my folks were showing up for work," Dabadie said. "They washed their clothes in the sink between shifts and then went back to work. It really taught us that, yeah, we are the police but we are impacted, too." The donation of goods to the East County officers is a way of paying it forward, the chief said. "We knew they needed a lift and probably wouldn't take it if we asked, so we forced it on them," Dabadie said. "Police officers are proud and they aren't used to being on the receiving end. To get them to accept help is hard." While Dabadie oversaw the preparation of a vat of hot Cajun jambalaya for the East County officers Sept. 7, other Baton Rouge officers unloaded the truck of pallets of water, Gatorade, Powerade, paper towels, toilet paper, detergent, cots, pillows, feminine hygiene products, diapers, baby wipes, baby formula, Clorox wipes, mops, brooms and buckets. After sitting together for a meal, the East County officers were given large totes to fill. Before long, several male police officers were calling home to ask their wives, perhaps more familiar with their family's shopping habits, for advice on what to select. As the East County officers filled their totes, the Baton Rouge group took a well-deserved break and watched the fun. Wayne Marable, a former peace officer for Bernaillo County, N.M., who donated pallets of water and cots, explained how he was prompted to help after being rescued by the Cajun Navy in the 2016 floods in Louisiana. "I vowed then and there that once my house was put back in order, I would reciprocate for others, and that is what I did," he said. For Tonja Garafalo, assisting other officers enables her to heal from her husband's loss. "It's helping my son, Brad Jr., and I both with the grief process," she said. "These types of events are very rewarding." Though life will go on, she knows she will always have ties with law enforcement, particularly since Brad Jr. plans to follow in his father's footsteps and be a police officer. "I can't change that, so why worry about it," she said. "I was always told it was a calling and I believe that." They also discussed the impending devastation in Florida from Hurricane Irma. "We're already talking about how we can help the officers in Florida," Dabadie said. To help the organizations in these efforts, go online to Facebook and search for Back the Blue of Baton Route, La. On the Facebook page is a link to donate. Houston Councilman Dave Martin has been organizing debris pick up with the City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department. On Sunday, Sept. 3, San Antonio fleet arrived in the Kingwood area to assist with storm and flood debris clean up. The City of San Antonio has brought in 30 18-wheeler dumpster trucks and 15 grapplers. They have only been in the area working for four days and have already completed 204 loads and picked up 2,332 tons of debris from Royal Shores, Kings Point and Fosters Mill. Martin is working with community management associations and homeowners associations to provide 24-hour notice to communities that will receive service next. The communities that are being inspected for service Friday include Kingwood Greens and The Enclave. Should more communities be put in queue, that management association and HOA/POA president will be notified so the community has time to move cars and equipment off of the roadway. District E staff has canvassed the Kingwood and Huffman areas over the last few days and has all affected blocks on a master list that has been provided to the San Antonio crews. The crews are assessing the streets for mobility in advance of servicing areas because streets full of cars create inefficiencies in the process. The inspection trucks are white Ford F-250 trucks with a maroon City of San Antonio emblem on them. There have been several inquiries for a storm debris pickup schedule. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide this information as debris piles vary in size from house to house. One neighborhood may be serviced quicker than others due to wider streets, and another neighborhood may take longer because their debris piles are larger. In some cases, a single home has filled one dumpster. After each dump truck is filled, then it heads to the landfill. It takes each dump truck about two hours to get to the landfill and back in service in the Kingwood area. "District E is grateful to the City of San Antonio for making these resources available to the Kingwood area for the month of September," states a news release from Martin's office. "We are still in the initial pick-up phase and other pickups will occur later in the month once all neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Harvey have had their first pile addressed. We appreciate your continued patience as we work to make the most of our limited resources." The District E office continues to work from remote locations, and the best way to reach the office is districte@houstontx.gov. AUSTIN - Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp was appointed Thursday to head a new blue-ribbon state commission that will oversee the rebuilding of Houston and Texas' coastal areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Sharp, 67, a former Democratic officeholder known in recent years for his special appointments from Republican governors, will lead the Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas that will focus on restoring destroyed and damaged public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and government buildings - and to "future-proof" the Texas coast from similar storm damage in coming years. "I have a simple charge for Commissioner Sharp, and that is to rebuild Texas ahead of schedule, under budget and with a friendly smile of constant consumer service," Abbott in announcing the new commission with Sharp at the governor's office. "Although the storm is over, the recovery process is just beginning, and it will require a Texas-size response. This new commission will ensure victims get everything they need, and seamlessly provide resources to these devastated communities." As Abbott's recovery czar, Sharp will coordinate with mayors and county officials in the 350-mile stretch of the coast hammered by Harvey. And he'll have the authority to tap the resources of all state agencies to ensure fast action. "The road to recovery will be long, but Texans are a tough breed," Sharp said. "We will rebuild Texas, even better than before." 'One-stop shop' The huge challenge facing Sharp and his new commission was evident Thursday in new public-sector damage totals compiled by state officials: 135 jurisdictions reported a total of more than $432.9 million in damage to public facilities, including $101.6 million in Harris County - with the tallies expected to increase by the day as inspections continue. Sharp, 67, who has served as the A&M chancellor since 2011, said his commission will serve as "a one-stop shop for access to state and federal resources," with personnel located in each of the 58 counties covered by disaster declarations. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will oversee the repair and replacement of private homes and buildings, as well as housing and business-recovery programs. Sharp will work from his College Station headquarters, using his government, academic and private-sector expertise to speed Texas' recovery efforts. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the job: Exploring limiting development in Houston and other areas to mitigate the damage from future storms. Abbott has said he expects the damage tally from Harvey to exceed $150 billion, more than from Hurricane Katrina that struck New Orleans in 2005, or Hurricane Sandy that devastated New Jersey and New York in 2014. The U.S. House on Friday is expected to give final approval to a $15.25 billion down payment on restoration. Harvey has been labeled the most damaging storm in U.S. history, even as Hurricane Irma - at Category 5, a stronger storm that Category 4 Harvey - was headed on Thursday to Florida. Federal officials said the damage from Irma could exceed Harvey's destruction. Abbott said one of Sharp's goals will be to "cut red tape and speed the rebuilding process" - a process that state officials have said will take years. Sharp's new job is unpaid, and he will keep his job as chancellor, which pays $900,000 annually. Both Abbott and Sharp said the new task force will coordinate state, federal and local rebuilding initiatives to ensure there is no duplication or delay. "We're going to treat this (recovery) money as if it were our own money," Sharp said. Housing plan readied Sharp, a highly regarded former Democratic state legislator who served on the Texas Railroad Commission, as state comptroller and was a twice-unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in an era when Republicans cinched their hold on all statewide elective offices, has been a go-to helper in recent years for Republican governors in Texas. Rick Perry named him to head a tax-reform task force that recommended improved education funding, and again in 2007 to help gain voter approval of a cutting-edge cancer research program. As state comptroller from 1991-1999, the affable Sharp oversaw the successful startup of the Texas lottery. He became known for his scrubbing reviews of state spending that resulted in new efficiencies. Sharp, who was born in Placedo, a coastal community not far from Victoria, starting work immediately after Thursday's announcement. He joined Abbott and other top state officials in a tour of at least five hard-hit communities along the coast, including Richmond and Corpus Christi. The entourage is to meet with Houston officials on Friday. In announcing the Rebuild Texas initiative, Abbott also said that a transition housing plan for the Houston area is being put together to allow evacuees whose homes were destroyed to soon transition from shelters and into more stable living accommodations - including hotels and apartments. Jeremy Wallace in Austin and Mike Morris in Houston contributed to this report. After nearly two weeks of growing fears about the demise of Jill Renick, the Omni Hotel's spa manager who disappeared as Harvey-induced floodwaters ravaged Houston, relatives reported Thursday that her body had been found. The 48-year-old was last heard from just before 6 a.m. on Aug. 27. She called the front desk for help while, her family believes, she was trapped in one of the hotel's elevators. Her remains were found inside the Omni building off South Post Oak, according to a statement from her family. "We are heartbroken," Renick's sister, Pam Eslinger, 62, in the statement. "To know Jill is to have loved her. She could light up a room just by walking in and adored life. She was loved by so many people, and we will feel the impact of her absence in our hearts forever." Renick stayed the night of Aug. 26 to help guests through the expected weather, Eslinger said. Neither the Houston Police Department nor the Omni confirmed Renick's identity, though HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva said a body was found at the hotel Thursday morning. Kristen Cadenhead, a spokeswoman at the Omni Hotels corporate headquarters in Dallas, confirmed a body was found in a ceiling above the lower level of the Houston hotel. She said staff searched every area of the hotel they could access. She noted that HPD previously concluded that Renick was not in the hotel or parking garage after "thoroughly searching" the building. HPD officials confirmed searching at least one hotel elevator without finding Renick but have declined to say whether police searched other parts of the property. Name not yet on list On Thursday night, Harris County's official death toll from the storm remained at 30 and officials have not added Renick to the list. At least 70 people have died or are feared dead from Hurricane Harvey in the Houston region and beyond. The storm's flooding claimed the life of a Houston man who spent 20 years in and out of prison and was facing a life sentence last year for drug possession. Grace by a judge granted him five years of probation and he began his life anew through a re-entry program. Joseph Dowell headed to work in a downpour on Aug. 27. The 43-year-old did not want to disappoint the people who helped him land a job in the city's Public Works Department. On the way, he hit high water on Wayside Drive and called his supervisor. "Man, OK, be careful," Jesse Eleby said he advised. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed Thursday that his body was found in a wooded area in the 3500 block of North Wayside Drive. His name had not been added, however, to the official count of storm-related fatalities. Nurse caught in current Loved ones of Keisha Williams are mourning the Houston nurse who planned to ride out the storm by taking care of her beloved nursing home patients while clocking hours to provide for her two daughters. The night of Aug. 26, the 32-year-old took her girls to a relative's home, then headed to work. When flooded roads blocked her way to the Jacinto City Healthcare Center, she ended up at a friend's house. By Aug. 28, Greens Bayou near her home had receded and the path to the Woodforest Chase complex was puddle-ridden but passable. "She went back to her apartment to get the school clothes she'd just bought the girls and to get their dogs," said Jolie Tillman, the paternal aunt of Williams' daughters. The nurse lost her life when floodwaters rose quickly and she got caught in a strong current in the parking lot. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences recovered her body, which was flung across a fence, on Aug. 30 in the 12400 block of Woodforest Blvd. "It's really hit me pretty hard," said her grandmother, Marie Williams. She lost Keisha's mother to illness in 2012 and enjoyed spending time with her granddaughter. "She'd come and visit all the time," the 74-year-old said. "We'd go to dinner after church. I'm going to miss her." The Furr High School graduate first became a certified nursing assistant, then a licensed vocational nurse and team leader at work. Her next goal was to become a registered nurse. "She just worked so hard," Tillman said. "It was important for her to do that to show her girls how important it is to work and have a strong work ethic." Her daughters - Kiaja Elkins, 13, and 10-year-old Kinaya Elkins - learned that their dogs, Tiger and Doughboy, survived the storm. A funeral for Williams, who would have turned 33 on Sept. 2, is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church, 10912 Wallisville Road. Found in Ship Channel The Harris County morgue on Thursday asked for the public's help in locating relatives of a man discovered Aug. 31 in the Houston Ship Channel. Gary Wayne Sanchez, 58, is about six feet, one inch tall. He has dark salt-and-pepper hair with a beard of dark hair with gray flecks. He is not among the institute's confirmed storm-related fatalities because his cause and manner of death are pending, agency spokeswoman Tricia Bentley said. Anyone related to Sanchez or with information about his family is asked to called the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5001. In the days before Harvey hit Port Aransas, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin's Marine Science Institute prepared the campus for a heavy storm. They moved chemicals onto high ground and secured some turtles in a sturdy metal building. It came time to euthanize thousands of pigfish, silver slivers an inch or smaller. These pigfish without food would die in the lab during Harvey, said Lee Fuiman, the director of the institute's fisheries and mariculture lab studying how to commercialize them as bait. And there was no time to release them into nearby waters during the urgent lab preparations Thursday. His team placed them in a container of chemical anesthesia, sedating them. Attention in the days after Harvey ravaged the coast and flooded the region has rightfully focused on the devastating death toll, the thousands of damaged houses and other pressing needs around the state. But the toll on scientific research, like the estimated $60 million in damage at UT-Austin's institute, is also far-reaching and long-lasting. The institute is the first marine research facility on the Gulf Coast, and officials expect work to be delayed by weeks or months. A drilling rig broke free days after the storm, slamming into a long concrete pier and destroying instruments that reported environmental data back to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Parts of the campus's roofing system failed, inundating new facilities with water. And beyond the euthanized pigfish, other research potentially was lost as well. Some researchers will be able to remain on the Port Aransas campus, but their work will be delayed by at least several weeks, officials say. Others will move to other labs, including the nearby Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. The delay comes when marine scientists say their work is especially crucial to the scientific understanding of Harvey's effects. "We have enormous amounts of work to do to bring back a semblance of normalcy," said Robert Dickey, the Marine Science Institute's director. The Marine Science Institute is part of UT-Austin that studies fish physiology, ecology, ecosystems and bio-geochemistry. The campus, on 72 acres of beachfront land, is located in Port Aransas, a Mustang Island town with a population of around 4,000. Scientists near and far quickly rallied to help the institute and other scientists displaced by Harvey. About 300 signed up to host affected scientists in their labs, from a sensory biology lab at Stanford University in California to a mouse behavior lab in Binghamton, N.Y. The UT System has raised about $20,000 online for recovery, money it says will support displaced students, staff and faculty as well as clean and rebuild facilities. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi's Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies mere miles away saw minimal damage and soon began assessing how much it could help UT's Marine Science Institute - how much lab space it had and what technology it could share, Harte Research Institute spokeswoman Nikki Buskey said. The A&M institute now will take more than two dozen UT students, research technicians, post docs and faculty. The university's Center for Coastal Studies is taking seven people, and its College of Science and Engineering is taking in another two. Technology administrators are also helping UT offer online courses, Buskey said. "It's personal and professional for us," said Buskey, who added that her father works at UT's institute. "We respect these people, and we want them to keep working, but they're also our friends and our families." Officials from both institutions and systems came out with a joint statement last week, pledging to work together in recovery, without any semblance of rivalry between the UT and A&M systems. "That's all set aside," Dickey said, noting that the institutes have collaborated for years. "There was not even a hint of that, and I'm thankful for it." Like for too many affected by Harvey, damage to the Marine Science Institute wasn't for lack of preparation. The institute meets every year to discuss a severe weather action plan that is nearly 20 pages long, Dickey said. In the week before Harvey touched down, they secured data, took down student evacuation plans and moved birds to North Padre and the Texas State Aquarium to wait out the winds. Researchers released healthy sea turtles into the Gulf of Mexico and secured ones still in recovery in a sturdy metal building on campus, where they stayed safe from the fast-approaching Hurricane Harvey. A sophisticated plankton imaging system was pulled from nearby waters before Harvey hit. Christina Bonsell, a fourth-year doctoral student studying arctic kelp, said she packed a go-bag Wednesday before the storm touched down, including plastic vials of algae tissue with her personal items, lab notebooks and computer backups. She decided to leave on Thursday morning after seeing the 4 a.m. forecast. As a Category 4 Hurricane, Harvey threw power lines and poles into Port Aransas's streets and leaked gas into the town, Mayor Charles Bujan wrote in a Facebook post. Bonsell said she began to see photos of the damage trickle in the following weekend - first, of the city, which had been under a mandatory evacuation. Then on Sunday, she saw the first photos of the institute. Years of research were potentially lost in the damage, she said. Two weeks later, as scholars are packing up filtering equipment and water quality monitoring instruments to move to an A&M lab, she said she is mentally torn. "The large majority of us can't live in our homes anymore and have lost a lot of our possessions, but at the same time, we know we have important work to do," she said. "It's been a bit of a struggle to have both of those things in your brain." Much of the $60 million that the institute estimates will be necessary to fully recover will go to rebuilding the pier and repairing the Estuarine Research Center. Rain penetrated into seven of that center's principal labs on the second and third floors. An institute spokeswoman said clean-up, temporary service costs and equipment also are included in the $60 million estimate but not lost revenue and business interruption. Also wiped away with the storm were instruments at the end of the pier that reported data including the water's temperature and acidity levels to NOAA every 15 minutes. The federal agency used that information to monitor the coastal environment, Dickey said. "I've been through seven or eight hurricanes, I've brought facilities back before," Dickey said. "This is probably the worst damage I've seen institutionally in all my years." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An east Texas sheriff is making round trips to the gulf coast this week to help farmers hurt by Hurricane Harvey. Earlier this week, Harrison County Sheriff Tom McCool organized with several law enforcement agencies and volunteers to kick-start a hay donation drive. On Thursday, a fleet of big rigs delivered its first load to Winnie, Texas, a small town southwest of Beaumont. HARVEY: How massive trucks from all over the U.S. came to rescue Houstonians While shipping dried grass may seem like an odd form of relief, ranchers know that as floodwaters recede, it leaves a muddy tint on the grass that cows dislike. Even more problematic, hay and grazing areas seeped in salty floodwaters are ruined. McCool, a part-time farmer, spoke to KLTV about the drive: "They need it right now, we just couldn't put it off," McCool said. "This is just Texans helping Texans, that's all it's about." Although the devastation caused by Harvey is still being measured, more than 1.2 million cows inhabit the 54 counties that were declared disaster zones during the storm, government statistics show. LOOKING AHEAD: The life lessons we've learned so far from Hurricane Harvey in Houston If Texas' last major hurricane is any indication of the hard times ahead for ranchers and farmers, Southeast Texas is going to need all the hay it can get. Before Hurricane Ike made landfall in 2008, Southeast Texas had more than 30,000 head of cattle. Of those, a FEMA report estimated at least 4,000 died during the storm. When a cattle headcount occurred a few years later, the number of cows in the region had plummeted to 7,000 due to a loss of fencing and an increase in salty soil, according to a Texas A&M study. In total, Ike caused $433 million in agriculture damages. See a by the numbers look at how Harvey has impacted Texas above. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston's Theater District remains shut down, with properties owned by Houston First -- Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center and the Theater District Underground Parking Garages -- in various stages of recovery. The underground parking garages are devastated. More than 270 million gallons of water flooded the garages during Hurricane Harvey, submerging the three parking complexes that hold 3369 parking spaces for visitors and workers of the Theater District. As of Wednesday, around 85 percent of that water has been pumped out. But water removal will be far from the only part of the garage's recovery process. With mold removal, rebuilding, salvaging and cleanup work ahead, Houston First does not yet know when the garages will be reopened, but it will not be open for at least several weeks, said Director of Communications Carolyn Campbell. Parking will be an issue for organizations that were luckier during the storm. The Houston Symphony, whose home of Jones Hall is slated to reopen by the end of the week, will have to determine if an alternative parking plan exists to accommodate its performances. To accommodate daytime parking needs, Houston First is finding other parking spots for Houston District employees, using shuttle services to transport people to and from the temporary parking sites. The Wortham Theater Center, home to the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, suffers from soggy carpet and drywall among other issues as a result of the Buffalo Bayou breaching its flood gates. The entire basement level was flooded during the storm, as was the stage floor of the Brown Theater. The stage door of the floor is being removed and replaced. The building still has no power. Events and performances at the Wortham are cancelled through Oct. 15, forcing the Houston Ballet to relocate its season opening to the Hobby Center. The Houston Grand Opera's planned season opener is "La Traviata" on Oct. 20. Officials are also worried about the air quality inside the Wortham, and are allowing only vital personnel into the building. Houston First released never-before-seen photographs of the interiors of its properties, painting a grim image even after days of pumping out water. But the images are in stark contrast to the state of the garage last week, when water made of sludge and mud rose up to street level. "This was an unprecedented storm that caused serious damage to one of our city's treasures," Dawn Ullrick, President and CEo of Houston First, said in a statement. Overview of the meeting (Photo: daidoanket.vn) Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Thanh expressed her pleasure to meet with OV in France. The OV Association in France is a large, traditional association, which was previously the Union of Colonial Nations founded by Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc in 1919, with a history of nearly 100 years. During the course of Vietnams revolutionary history, the association has made great contributions to the struggle against foreign invaders, gaining the national independence and reunification of the nation and the process of innovation and protection of the country. The OV community in France is mainly employees, civil servants, small traders and students. Many of them have university and post-graduate degrees in various fields, including prestigious experts and scientists in the international arena. Following the tradition of the previous generations, the Association now has many useful activities such as supporting newcomers to integrate into the community; organizing activities, donations, support, to help internal and external people in trouble; organizing summer camps for children, opening classes of dance, singing, art, sports, Vietnamese language and holding activities to preserve Vietnams cultural identity in the community, especially among young people. At the meeting, the delegates expressed sincere and warm affection with the delegation and towards the homeland. The delegation was very touched by memories and emotions when watching clips of overseas Vietnamese, through publications published in France by the patriotic overseas Vietnamese association in early 1960s. Ms. Thanh was happy to know that the general trend of the community is toward better integrating into the local society. So far over 80% of them have French nationality. At the meeting, she also reported prominent developments of the country over the past time to the overseas Vietnamese. Previously, the delegation had a working session with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of France./. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump announced Thursday five nominees to begin filling a swath of vacancies in the Texas federal courts. Right now 13 of the state's federal judges ships are vacant - a quarter of the total role - including two seats on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the Southern District of Texas, which includes Houston, Trump has nominated Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. to serve as a district judge. A former partner at Baker Botts in Dallas, Rodriguez currently works in the Dominican Republic, leading efforts to fight sex trafficking criminals targeting children for the non-profit International Justice Mission. Outside of the southern district, Trump nominated: Walter David Counts, III, a U.S. magistrate judge in West Texas, to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Texas. Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, deputy general counsel to the non-profit First Liberty Institute, to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas. Jeff Mateer, first assistant attorney general of Texas, to serve as U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Texas. Karen Gren Scholer, co-managing partner in the Dallas law firm of Carter Scholer, to serve as a U.S. district judge in the Northern District of Texas. RELATED STORY: Texas at center of courts overhaul As the Chronicle reported last month, the openings present "a historic opportunity for Trump." Whatever his problems in Congress, he has a chance to remake the federal bench with judges serving lifetime appointments. And with the abolition of the Senate filibuster for district and appeals court judges, Trump only needs the votes of Republicans to confirm his picks. From immigration to voting rights and social legislation, court watchers see a sea change coming in the federal courts, even if Trump doesn't make it to a second term. "The contrast between the types of judges President Obama advanced and those President Trump is advancing couldn't be more stark," said Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director for the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative legal organization. On Thursday Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the nominees as "accomplished" attorneys with "fidelity to the U.S. Constitution." "The last few years have demonstrated that our country desperately needs a new generation of jurists who are willing and able to defend the rule of law, and I believe that these five Texas nominees bring us one step closer to that goal," he said in a statement. Even before Harvey, the state of Texas, especially in areas along the Gulf Coast, had a unique vulnerability to infectious and tropical diseases. Extreme poverty, warm climates and climate change, urbanization, and large movements of human populations are the new drivers of 21st century diseases. Texas has all those things and more. We rank among the largest number of people living in poverty compared to any other state, and from Al Gore we learned that Texas and the Gulf Coast is a hotspot for North American climate change. Our cities are the fastest growing in the United States and it seems everyone is moving here - "Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right," according to Erica Grieder from Texas Monthly. The forces now promoting disease in Texas and on the Gulf Coast were a major reason we set up a tropical medicine school with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. Over the last six years we've been busy. West Nile Virus hit us in 2012, Ebola in 2014 and then Zika in 2016. Texas also leads nationally in other mosquito-transmitted viruses, in addition to Chagas disease and typhus transmission. Now with Harvey we're waiting for the mosquitoes to return to flooded areas, and potentially a rise in West Nile and other viruses. Due to contaminated flood waters we'll watch for potential outbreaks of diarrheal diseases and infections due to the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus that makes its home in Gulf Coast waters. Regardless of whether or not you have been exposed to flood waters, make sure you are up to date on your tetanus vaccinations. If you have lived in Houston for any length of time, you have flood stories. Hurricane Harvey has spawned enough new stories to fill a library, but the most amazing tale continues to be the indomitable spirit of Houstonians helping their neighbors in times of trouble. The reaction to Harvey is another testament to the incredible place we call home. As floodwaters recede, and our area embarks on a massive cleanup and recovery effort, speculation is circulating about what kind of city we will be in the future. How will the increasing frequency of major floods impact our desirability as a place to live? It is a question on the minds of current Houstonians as well as those considering moving here. We cannot afford to take a business-as-usual approach. This is the time - and our opportunity - to fundamentally reassess how we handle flooding in our region. Before discussing what we should do in the future, it is important to place the current flood in context. The Houston region received more rain from Hurricane Harvey than any other American city has received from any storm in recorded history. Think about that. Some areas experienced what we call a 1,000year flood, meaning there is a 0.1 percent chance of such a flood happening in any given year. For the past 40 years, our design standards have been calibrated for 100-year events. Even if all of our drainage systems were built to this standard (they aren't), Harvey would have caused massive flooding across the entire area. Public agencies have been trying to improve drainage for decades. The city of Houston collects a drainage fee that yields about $100 million per year, and last year Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed a flood czar to focus on drainage issues. The city estimates that getting all storm facilities up to standard would cost in the billions of dollars. Meanwhile, the drainage fee itself is being challenged in court by Houston residents who don't want to pay it. Harris County, through the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), provides $60 million annually for capital projects, which have brought thousands of homes out of the 100-year floodplain. But HCFCD estimates that bringing all bayous and streams up to design standards will cost billions of dollars more. With a $60 million budget, it would take the flood control district a lifetime to complete the task. Other cities and districts in Southeast Texas have also tried to reduce flooding through infrastructure improvements, but these efforts are clearly inadequate. If we keep doing things the same way, we will continue to regularly experience disastrous floods. Even bringing bayous up to standard will only mitigate the flooding, not stop it. Maybe it is time to try something different. I offer these ideas simply as a way to begin discussion, and in hopes of eliciting more ideas from others. Together, we can forge a new path forward. Design standards We should consider moving away from one-size-fits-all standards. We could set higher protection standards for critical facilities like fire stations and hospitals, mandating they be built outside the 500-year floodplain. We could design the most critical roadways to ensure they remain drivable at all times. We could set required detention volumes for each stream to reduce runoff and control how runoff affects stream timing. We could mandate sustainable infrastructure wherever possible. We could significantly increase the use of buyouts to remove frequently flooded properties from the equation. We could perform a risk analysis for each new piece of infrastructure based on 500- and 1,000-year flood maps. Funding Unfortunately, we do not have enough money to make rapid progress. Much more federal and state funding is needed to produce significant change. Our Houston congressional delegation must come together to secure designated funding through federal Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) authorizations. They must also unite behind national flood mitigation legislation. Our state legislative delegation needs to take a similar approach. Houston represents about 30 percent of the state economy; we need to secure proportionate flood improvement funding from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), just as we do with water supply funding. And we can't ask others to chip in unless we're willing to do the same. Local elected officials must be honest with the public about the cost of protecting our city. We should set up a designated fund for flood reduction with a predictable annual budget. If we need to create this through a public referendum, let's put it on the ballot. If we are unwilling to pay what it costs to protect Houston, we might as well all buy houseboats. Regulations Drainage problems occur regionally, yet much of our flood control policy is set by local jurisdictions. We should consider placing a single agency in charge of all Houston-area drainage planning. Instead of asking local agencies to coordinate and hoping for the best, this agency would make the plans and the local officials would carry them out. Special legislation might be required, and some local entities would likely resist being stripped of autonomy, but that is the price of keeping Houston safe. Our regulatory process is not working. We must also rethink our current laissez-faire development style. Responsible planning for future development should include the consideration of how such development will affect downstream communities. Harvey has been a great test for all of us. As we recover, I think we can agree Houston is a great city and that that we must ensure its future. We will never eliminate flooding in this region, but we cannot accept the status quo. As we rebuild, let's build back better, stronger, and with an eye toward our future. D. Wayne Klotz is a water resources engineer and senior principal at RPS Klotz Associates, a former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the president of the Coastal Water Authority AUSTIN -- Just when Texans were getting past their hurricane fears from the destructive Harvey, a stronger Irma was bearing down on Florida late Thursday -- and Jose and Katia were churning away in tropical waters with no threat to the Texas Gulf Coast. As the cleanup in devastated Houston and a 350-mile stretch of the Texas coast got underway, Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp was named the state's recovery czar by Gov. Greg Abbott to oversee the restoration of public infrastructure that sustained at least $432.9 million in damage -- $101.6 million in Houston alone, with the tab growing by the day. Abbott says he expects the final damage figure from Harvey to top $150 billion -- with a 'b' -- and continues to be confident that Washington will make good on its promises to fully fund Texas' full recovery, after the most expensive hurricane in history. The most expensive, probably, until the more powerful Irma hits the Sunshine State. With Abbott pushing hard to get the Lone Star recovery underway, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is praising the can-do spirit of storm-damaged Texans to get clean up their homes and businesses, and get back to work and normal lives. But lines at the gas pumps, traffic gridlock in Houston from still-flooded expressways and mountains of storm debris may delay that normalcy for some time in the hardest-hit areas, even as the the recovery seems to be moving ahead with bipartisan support -- and absolutely none of the political rancor evident on a number of other issues before Harvey blew in. Still, politicians are fighting over the Trump Administration decision to repeal an immigration sidestep known as DACA, and over court decisions regarding Texas' ban on sanctuary cities, redistricting, voter ID and voter rights, among other things. Add to that some nasty Republican primary challenges for Senate and House seats, including one where Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, has announced she is running for a state Senate seat against a fellow tea party conservative Republican named Phillip Huffines. While Huffines -- the twin brother of state Sen. Don Huffines -- has announced support from a Who's Who of conservative Republican luminaries. But Angela Paxton, with strong supporters of her own, also has her song. In 2015, about the time her husband was indicted for alleged securities violations, she was a hit with a song she wrote and played at GOP functions: "I'm a pistol packin' mama and my husband sues Obama." This is Texas. You can't make up stuff this good. We've got the lowdown on all the political action under the Pink Dome in this week's Texas Take, a weekly insiders look at Texas politics -- in what it means to average Texans. From Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, comes Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio. Stoffel Vandoorne believes McLaren could bag some good points next week in Singapore and perform as the best of the rest at the Marina Bay venue. The Belgian failed to see the checkered flag at Monza last weekend after he was sidelined by a power unit issue after 33 laps. Vandoorne cast a positive view however on his Italian trials and tribulation which included an engine change and a start from the rear end of the field. "In terms of the performance of our package on track, and from my personal side too, I think it was a very strong weekend considering the layout of Monza, and the straight line speed deficit we know we have," he wrote in his post-race column for Motorsport.com. "To be able to run in the top ten in practice, and to make it through to Q3, was a great result. "Coming from the back of the grid, my start was very good. I gained three or four places in the first lap and then gained a few other places on the opening laps. "We were actually going quite strong, and following the Toro Rosso, the Red Bull and the Haas on track. I felt we were quicker than them, but it was just very difficult to overtake." Vandoorne's engine failure in Italy apparently mimicked the issue he encountered in qualifying, but won't theoretically warrant another engine change - and penalty - for Singapore. "It appears that the failure does not mean a penalty for the next race in Singapore, because I think we can change the parts. "So everything should be fine with the engine, and that is positive for Singapore because we want to have a trouble-free weekend. "I think Singapore will be a good opportunity for us to score some good points, but we need to remember there are two Mercedes, two Ferrari and two Red Bulls that will still be in front of us. "So we just need to work hard and then I think we can emerge as the fourth team in Singapore." Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. employee with poor personal hygiene can cause serious disruption in the workplace and can even impact business results but is it really something you can discipline or dismiss over? Carl Blake is a senior associate with Simpson Grierson he says employers are well within their rights to set guidelines on personal hygiene, particularly for employees in customer-facing roles.Certainly a dress code could say that you need to dress neatly and smartly and you could also require employees to maintain good personal hygiene at all times, he tells HRD.Youre far more likely to see that in a job description or employment agreement for customer-facing roles where the employer wants to portray a certain image of the company.However, Blake says the issue may become trickier if the employee isnt in a customer-facing role and is able to perform their job to an acceptable standard.It would have to impact on their ability to perform their job safety or effectively thats a far harder argument for the employer to run if the employee is in a back office and never has customer-facing duties, he says.Its likely theyd be able to perform their tasks without any consequence whatsoever and as the employer, youd be on far shakier ground to take action against an employee.If thats the case, Blake says employers may just have to face up to an uncomfortable conversation.If its just an inconvenience or an awkward social dynamic that its creating, then dare I say it but the employer just needs to manage that, he tells HRD.Now I dont know what the answer is to how thats managed but a quiet and tactful discussion to try and remedy the situation is probably best practice.Blake also warns that employers could face significant risk if the employees poor personal hygiene is actually a result of a medical condition or disability.There is a potential for the employee to make a discrimination claim if they can prove their personal hygiene issue is actually a medical condition, he says.A number of medical conditions can cause a person to smell bad despite having good personal hygiene its situations such as this that employers must be wary of.Just like people have argued that their weight is a health issue and not simply personal choice, people could argue that their hygiene issue is a medical problem but they would need medical evidence to prove that, he explains.If an employee can prove theyre suffering from a medical condition, Blake says employers would then have to reasonably accommodate the workers needs as it could be classed a disability.Reasonable accommodation might mean taking certain steps to ensure other employees arent being unkind or ensuring staff are being more understanding of the situation, he says. Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation An unforgettable seven-hour road trip north of Toronto, or a quick one hour flight, will bring you to Sault Ste. Marie, affectionately called "The Soo." It's a stunning region that has the perfect balance of vibrant city life and tranquil nature. The city rests on the banks of the St. Marys River and for those seeking adventure, there's no better place to cast a line, hop on a paddleboard or chase one of the area's waterfalls. If adventure seeking isn't quite your thing, feed your hunger for knowledge by visiting the museums, art galleries and heritage sites built on the city's rich history. Or you can just hunker down and enjoy an ice cold beverage at one of three local craft breweries. No matter how you choose to explore Sault Ste. Marie, you'll find yourself taken by all it has to offer. All hyped up for a visit? Let us enlighten you with some of the best ways to explore this great city at the heart of Northern Ontario, presented in partnership with Ontario Tourism and Tourism Sault Ste. Marie. Advertisement A post shared by Ayaz Abdullah (@xaqoot) on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:10pm PDT Agawa Canyon Tour Train No one will argue with the fact that the Agawa Canyon Tour Train is the best way to explore the Sault Ste. Marie area. The one-day tour takes you 183 km north of the city and is a true multi-sensory experience. Bring your camera or art supplies to document the journey that brings you deep into the Canadian Shield. Here, you'll have the opportunity to experience the same spectacular views that inspired The Group of Seven. The pinnacle of the tour is stopping to walk the floor of the canyon. Capture breathtaking waterfalls and climb 300 steps to an elevated lookout for an unparalleled view. Advertisement Hike Or Cycle The Hub Trail Those who prefer to get a workout in while exploring all that Sault Ste. Marie has to offer may opt to walk or bike along the Hub Trail -- 20 kilometers that take you through the city's mix of natural wonders and urban attractions. Make sure to stop at Bellevue Park, the waterfront and Fort Creek Conservation Area. Just off the Hub Trail, you'll find Mill Market, a former fish hatchery turned farmers market where you can enjoy the work of local artisans and savour farm-to-table goodness. A post shared by Matt Jones (@mj63) on Aug 3, 2016 at 8:13pm PDT Kayak Along The St. Marys River And Lake Superior The St. Marys River is eternally connected to the city of Sault Ste. Marie. Residents and tourists will vouch for this historical site being one of the best ways to see the city from a different perspective. Hop into a kayak and paddle alongside 1,000-foot freighters and barges as you navigate your way through the downtown core. Adventure seekers looking for more of a challenge can venture into Lake Superior to the waters of Batchawana Bay. Guided tours are encouraged to enrich your experience. Advertisement Drive Along The Trans Canada Highway And Lake Superior As you cruise along the Trans Canada Highway, you'll see some of the most beautiful scenic trails and sandy beaches in Canada. Driving is the best way to cover as much ground as possible while allowing you to stop at key scenic spots like Chippewa Falls and Pancake Bay. Southwest Ontario Tourism Commission Sipping and nibbling through Ontario's Southwest has ample rewards. With its abundance of farms, maple syrup producers, craft brewers, restaurants, wineries and cheesemakers, your exploration of the region will satisfy your appetite and the ultimate quest for Insta-worthy dining experiences. This piece is presented in partnership with Ontario's Southwest and Ontario Tourism. Easy And Cheesy Oxford County has long been the dairy capital of Canada, and that tradition continues today with a number of cheese producers creating fantastic varieties. One favourite stop along the cheese trail is the award-winning Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, where visitors can book a tour through the aging rooms with rows and rows of cheese, which makes for an interesting insta-snap. Advertisement A post shared by Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese (@gunnshillartisancheese) on Jun 2, 2016 at 8:53am PDT Cider House Rules Twin Pines Orchards, Cider House and Estate Winery in Thedford, Ont., wins the award for deliciousness and beauty. Try the award-winning Hammberbent Red, an easy-drinking ice cider made from three varieties of apples. There's also non-alcoholic cider available for non-drinkers and youngsters. In September and October, plan an apple-picking day where you can select from 10 types of fruit and take selfies in the orchard. A post shared by TheCuriousCreature (@thecuriouscreature) on Jul 5, 2016 at 9:30am PDT Sweet Surrender It's always a good time for maple syrup and Ontario's Southwest produces lots of it. At Richardson's Farm in Dunnville, there are always photo ops to be had. In spring, it's the boiling of the sap and in other months you can take an overhead shot of a bottle or two, alongside whatever fresh produce might be in season, from corn to strawberries. Advertisement A post shared by Jeff Hildrop (@july192013) on Mar 11, 2017 at 4:01pm PST Purple Haze Come summertime, the fields at Steed & Co Lavender in Elgin County are a sea of purple when the rows of plants are in full bloom. It's a gorgeous sight that just begs to be photographed. Inside the retail shop, visitors can buy a culinary variety of lavender, good for adding flavour to things like lemonade and shortbread. A post shared by Chic Darling (@chicdarling) on Jul 11, 2016 at 1:53pm PDT Retro Bites Port Dover has been a draw for beach lovers for decades. Located on the shores of Lake Erie, it also attracts those who love old-school eats, from foot-long hotdogs from The Arbor to fried perch and celery bread (grilled and sprinkled with celery salt) from the Erie Beach Hotel. For those who long for a taste of nostalgia, this is the place to be. A post shared by Khahy (@khahy) on Jun 30, 2015 at 10:38am PDT Advertisement Passion For Pizza Here's a news flash: Some of the best pizza around comes from Windsor. Its pizzerias are frequent winners at international competitions, cited for their robust tasting sauce and perfect crust. And yes, there really are distinct differences for the local 'za. One thing you might notice is that the pepperoni is shredded. Enthusiasts far and wide hit local joints like Capri Pizzeria to grab a slice or six. A post shared by Moe Tousignant (@bigdudelikesfood) on Dec 1, 2016 at 4:02pm PST Something Is Brewing Ontario is one thirsty place. Its craft beer scene has taken off in a big way, especially in the southwest part of the province. Craft breweries are raising the bar when it comes to artisan creations. Railway City Brewing Co. in St. Thomas has won over many thirsty sippers for its handcrafted creations, including its very popular Dead Elephant Ale. Tours and tastings make desirable fodder on social media. A post shared by Robert Arsenault (@drunkpolkaroo) on Mar 18, 2017 at 12:59pm PDT At Book Aid International, our staff has the great privilege of regularly visiting the libraries, schools, hospitals and refugee camps where the books we provide are helping literacy thrive. Meeting the people who are using these books to improve their lives is always inspiring and is one of the best parts of my job. Of course, we could not send a single book without our wonderful supporters. I often wish that I could bring those supporters with me during my visits and show them the impact of their gifts, so I was delighted when People's Postcode Lottery contacted us to arrange a staff visit to one of our projects in Zanzibar. Advertisement Photo caption: Receiving one of our awards from players of People's Postcode Lottery. Players make much of our work possible. (Photo credit: Author's Own) We were joined by People's Postcode Lottery Managing Director Jo Bucci, Customer Experience Operations Manager Louise Donkin and Network Solutions Architect Amjad Ali Shaikh. While Jo had visited one of our projects in Malawi previously, Amajad and Louise had never had the opportunity to see how the books players help to send are changing lives. I remember how affected I was by my first visit, and prior to the visit, I hoped that Amjad and Louise would find the experience as powerful as I did. We first took Jo, Amajad and Louise to see one of the schools where our School Library in a Box project is providing access to books in the classrooms of some of Zanzibar's most remote and isolated schools. Advertisement Photo Caption: Children in Regeza Mwendo Primary School reading outside to avoid the heat of their classrooms. (Photo credit: Author's Own) Seeing the staff reading with the children who have received books through players' support was truly inspiring, and the pupils got such a thrill from reading alongside Jo, Amajad and Louise. Picture caption: People's Postcode Managing Director Jo Bucci reading with a Regeza Mwendo Primary School pupil. (Photo credit: Author's Own) Players of People's Postcode Lottery are also funding reading promotion activities to celebrate International Literacy Day on 8 September in 11 African countries and territories, including Zanzibar. These events will allow libraries to celebrate literacy and invite more people into the library. It was wonderful to welcome People's Postcode Lottery staff into one of the libraries that will be a part of these events. Advertisement Picture caption: People's Postcode Lottery Staff Arriving at Unguja Library. (Photo credit: Author's Own) Jo, Amajad and Louise also joined us for the opening of a new Children's Corner at Unguja Library, where reading activities created an atmosphere of joy and learning for both staff and children. Photo Caption: Enjoying reading and learning in Unguja Library during the opening of Unguja Library's Children's Corner. (Photo credit: Author's Own) Advertisement Most important of all, the staff who visited the project have shared with us that they now see their own work in a new light: Working in IT, it's easy to forget how important funds provided by players of People's Postcode Lottery are. On a daily basis, I'm usually preoccupied with fixing servers and software issues. The trip was wonderful and really made me appreciate my life in Edinburgh but also the fantastic organisation that I work for. It was so inspiring to see the difference made by the books players help to send. -Amjad, IT Department of People's Postcode Lottery We are delighted that Amjad's first visit to one of the places where literacy is thriving has given him a new understanding of his own work and how the funds provided by players of People's Postcode Lottery are changing lives. I would also like to extend a personal thanks to players for their funding, particularly for funding Zanzibar Library Service's International Literacy Day Celebrations on 8 September. Players of People's Postcode Lottery have so far provided an outstanding 900,000 to help Book Aid International send books to those who need them most. In addition to the activities mentioned in this article, Players have funded the charity's award-winning Inspiring Readers programme in Kenya, Children's Corners across Sierra Leone and provided unrestricted funding to help the charity develop its services. Ken Jack - Corbis via Getty Images Next week marks the 20th anniversary of Labour's referendum on devolution, when voters overwhelmingly agreed 'there should be a Scottish Parliament'. Labour is the party of devolution, and we will always be proud of the transformational change we brought about - free personal care, the ban on smoking in public places, free bus travel for pensioners. Advertisement But devolution has stalled under the SNP. We have a government obsessed with the constitution, seeking a fresh grievance at every turn and refusing to use Holyrood's powers to improve lives. Nicola Sturgeon's programme for government this week may have had some headline-grabbing proposals, but it failed to address the crisis in our health service or the problems in our classrooms. Under the SNP, our health service has been left on life support. Nursing, midwifery and consultant vacancies are all up, while operations are being cancelled because our staff and the NHS are not being supported by this government. In schools, we have 4,000 fewer teachers and Scotland is falling behind other countries in attainment levels. Advertisement These are the consequences of a government that cares more about flags and borders than schools and hospitals. We need a government that uses its powers to actually deliver on a progressive tax system, that will scrap the unfair council tax, and address child poverty head on by increasing the level of child benefit. A government prepared to use the powers to tackle Tory austerity, not just multiply it and pass it down to local government. I want us to focus on creating a country that fights inequality and fights injustice wherever we see it. That is only possible with a Labour government in Holyrood. And that is why I am standing to be the next Scottish Labour leader and our party's nominee for the next First Minister of Scotland. Advertisement It is no secret that our party has been through tough times in recent years, but June's General Election revitalised us. Jeremy Corbyn's radical manifesto, For The Many, struck a chord with hundreds of thousands of Scots who are fed up with Tory austerity and SNP incompetence. I was asked to stand by my friends and colleagues across the party who believe I can unite us as a movement in Scotland and ensure we work together to elect Jeremy as Prime Minister: putting Labour's vision for a fairer society into action across the UK. But we must also be in power in Holyrood. Labour must never aspire to be a pressure group - it must always fight to be in power, transforming lives for the many. That requires leadership, experience and energy. As First Minister I would prioritise our cherished NHS, fixing the workforce crisis the SNP has created, invest in education to ensure all children have the same opportunities in life, and refocus our economy so that it equips workers for the world of tomorrow. I would put Labour values at the heart of Scotland's future. I'm looking forward to the thousands of conversations I will have with party members and trade unionists across Scotland during this leadership election. I know they are desperate to see our party put its principles into practice. That's why in the weeks ahead I'll build a team, listen to views from across our movement, and set out a radical and realistic policy platform, and a vision for Scotland which will return Labour to power. Advertisement And I will address the hundreds of thousands of Scots who may not be Labour members, yet share our values and vision for a fairer Scotland. Because Scotland needs a united Labour Party, ready to form the next Labour government. Clemmie Telford Cancer affects everyone. One in two of us will get diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives. Whenever I need to process something tricky or seemingly insurmountable I write a list. It helps me order my thoughts. So here goes... If you are lucky enough to be one of the people to avoid getting cancer, someone you know will almost certainly be diagnosed with some form of the disease. Advertisement It'd be easier to bury your head in the sand about it. But one way or the other, that choice of blissful ignorance is taken out of your hands. We lost my father-in-law to cancer six years ago. And it's impossible to articulate the ramifications. That fateful phone call. Watching your husband receiving the news that his father has cancer. The immediate mix of emotions: fearing the worst, but hoping for the best. From there the cancer happened slowly. Even in a relatively aggressive form. You go to bed that night as you always did. But wake up with that unconscious innate knowledge that something isn't as it was. And then you remember. But still life carries on. The first time you see the person that's been diagnosed they seem, well, the same. They don't look like they have cancer. They look like the same person. There's always a reason to stay positive. A milestone to look forward to. A person with a positive story you can to cling on to. And of course the potential of a breakthrough thanks to the wonderful research and work that campaigns like Cancer Research UK's Stand Up To Cancer funds. Advertisement And so cancer seems OK. The effects are more a sum of lots of small parts than anything sudden, big or frightening. A loss of appetite here. A persistent cough there. A secret wince. A frailer hug. But then before you know it, it's taken hold. The brave faces are harder to maintain. Each moment more pertinent. Those last days of someone's life aren't something you can't easily describe. Sacred. Precious. Scary. Beautiful. Unforgettable. And then the unthinkable, 'the worst case scenario' is upon you. Bizarrely there is a peace in the reality of death rather than the dread of it. And the cliches of being glad the battle is over are very true. But you know the awful thing about cancer? Its impact is felt for long after death. Birthdays. Christmas and most of all the arrival of grandchildren that person never got to meet. You feel sad for you, because you miss them. You feel heartbroken for your husband for not having a father. But, most of all, you feel devastated for the person who was robbed of life. All the 'should have, would have, could haves'. The same old jokes they never got to tell. The moments they would have relished and enhanced. So why have I got involved with this campaign? Because I'd like to translate that sadness into a positive. Take the anger I feel on behalf of my kids, my father-in-law and my husband and turn it into a rebellion against cancer. Having spoken to professors, clever folks in research labs and the people working tirelessly at Cancer Research UK, I feel optimistic for the future rather than scared about the odds of diagnosis. They are making progress all the time, every day. All they need to continue to do it is funds from people like me and you. Advertisement Together we have got this. Cancer. You can't escape it. Doesn't mean we will let it defeat us. Clemmie Telford is founder of 'Mother Of All Lists', a collection of lists about parenting and more. Clemmie is supporting Stand Up To Cancer, a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 to accelerate ground-breaking cancer research and save more lives, more quickly. Travelling out of the city of Duhok, Iraq, the empty shells of half built tower blocks soon gave way to dusty rolling hillsides dotted with ground hugging villages. As our eyes adjusted, our attention was caught by strange structures on the top of a distant hill: large white cone-shaped buildings standing away from any settlement. These, we were told, were the temples of the Yazidi people. I was visiting the Kurdish region of Iraq with a colleague from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, to carry out research for Christian relief and development agency Tearfund, which has been supporting displaced people in the region. Advertisement The Yazidis were targeted with particular brutality as the conflict swept through Iraq in 2014, many escaping into the Kurdish region. Their hurried flight from home meant leaving land, crops, jobs, friends and communities behind. Over three years later they are still in makeshift settlements of huts and tents on wasteland around the edges of existing villages. At Queen Margaret University we designed a research tool to map the social connections of communities and individuals. This enabled us to find out how people themselves identify sources of help in their own particular situation, and measure how much they actually trust and connect with the people and organisations who might give them help. Organisations like Tearfund can use this research to support existing community resilience, for example by working with faith leaders who are trusted members of the community, rather than setting up parallel structures which tend to prolong dependency. People we met told us how they had helped each other to cope within extended families and across the neighbourhood, when paid employment or income from small scale trading was scarce. For example, neighbour collections enabled one woman to have a life-saving operation, and another family got help to pay a ransom to ISIS to rescue their daughter. This solidarity, deeply embedded in the Yazidi culture, has been an effective short term remedy, redistributing money to help people cope. Advertisement But we saw that borrowing and collections were not adequate for managing the ongoing poverty of displacement. As one man explained, 'If I have money and you need money, you can come to my home and claim some money.... Whatever I have for you, I can give you help.... But now I can't do that.' The men agreed that there is too much shame in asking for help when you know that you cannot reciprocate. Eventually, the solidarity breaks down under the strain. Strain showed in other ways too: men and women talked of how tensions led to stress and even violence in the home. We thought the men, especially, would not be willing to talk about violence in their homes, but in fact they spoke readily - it seemed a relief to admit the huge burden of responsibility to resolve disputes within their families. The culture of honour and shame puts pressure to keep everything private. Men would consult religious leaders, and ultimately the overall Yazidi religious leader, Baba Sheikh, whose judgement is final, but there was very little trust in civic structures such as the police or courts. These were seen as a source of public humiliation to be avoided - even the cost of ongoing danger to your daughter. Advertisement Women, who often felt to blame for their husband's violence, were also desperate to avoid shame and said they would just 'keep silent'. Mothers were a great source of comfort, and could be trusted to keep things private, but they had very little power to influence change. Fathers, and other male relatives were needed to actually intervene. Our connections mapping showed how little access women have to trusted relationships outside the family. A displaced woman, separated from her own male relatives is especially vulnerable. For most women, the stigma of seeking help from the police or women's rights organisations was too high a price to pay. Yazidis are clearly exercising huge resilience. Their private faith and their religious leader are a great source of strength during this time of crisis. They form strong bonds within their community, but remain disconnected and untrusting of local people and organisations. Maggie Sandilands, who leads Tearfund's work on gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts, said August - the political silly season - always produces more heat than light and, over the past few months, universities have attracted a considerable amount of half-baked comment. Evidence-less claims about 'cartels' have been made and, with a phrase he may well regret, Nick Timothy described the tuition fees system as a 'Ponzi scheme'. This should be juxtaposed against Martin Lewis's view that the fees system is better described as a 'graduate contribution' scheme rather than a student loan system. People must decide who they trust more on this: the creator of Money Saving Expert or the recently defenestrated author of the much-derided 2017 Conservative Party manifesto. Set against a background of borderline hysteria, it was pleasing to hear a thoughtful and considered speech by Jo Johnson at the Universities UK conference. Advertisement The speech contained several challenges for universities, in particular on issues around high pay. But the principle that high pay must be justified is correct - and universities can have no rational fear about proper transparency and accountability. Jo Johnson also alluded to one of the fundamental problems around debates about university. Some people just have a bizarrely narrow idea of what a university is or does and on that basis they judge that just 'too many' young people are going. They think there should be a cap on student numbers. To make their concern explicit, some young people should be prevented from going to university even - perhaps especially - if they want to. As long, of course, as it is other people's children! But universities in the 21st century offer a significantly broader experience than esoteric discussions over sherry in the common room. At the University of Portsmouth each year we graduate nurses, teachers, dental therapists, engineers, architects and pharmacists. We run under-graduate courses in data science and analytics as well as in forensic computing. Advertisement In a 21st century economy people with these skills are essential. In a post-Brexit world the UK will only maintain our standard of living by being internationally competitive. This will require an adequate supply of degree-level skills with significant added value in all that we do. As for student numbers, perhaps 'too many' people from privileged backgrounds do go to university. Barnaby Lenon, head of the Independent Schools Council, seems to think so. But Jo Johnson is right: a numbers cap would hit the most disadvantaged first and hardest. Let me put it this way: while 65% of 18 year olds in Richmond Park, and Chelsea and Fulham applied to university by January 2017's UCAS deadline, in Portsmouth South the figure was 25%, in Portsmouth North 21% and Havant 17%. If the economy is to prosper, and if those from disadvantaged backgrounds are to have sufficient stake in society, this gap must be closed. If there is to be a numbers cap and we are to improve social mobility then some 18 years old from Richmond Park must be stopped from going to university. Or perhaps the view is that only the 'Gold' children from the leafy suburbs and shires are entitled to university while the 'Bronze' children of Havant and Portsmouth should find other things to do. Jo Johnson labels those who hold this kind of view 'pessimists'. He is wrong. They are snobs. Advertisement If you believe in opening opportunity to all you don't believe in an artificial cap on the number of young people who can go to university. Equally, if you think that anyone who can benefit from university should be allowed to go, you are committed to a funding system that mixes public subsidy and graduate repayment. But there remain features of the current scheme that require significant change and we can hope that government is prepared to listen here. With bank base rates at 0.25% charging students 6.1% on their loans simply reinforces the sense of injustice young people feel. It is also wrong that the threshold at which graduates repay their student loans has been frozen at 21000pa. The cost of living increases so the graduate repayment threshold should increase at the same rate. The replacement of maintenance grants with loans was also a significant injustice. The introduction of loans means that nearly half of the amount owed by the very poorest students has nothing to do with the costs of their education. The rationale for the current funding system is that, as graduates benefit from university, it is fair that they repay some of the costs. Maintenance loans, rather than grants, increase the amount graduates owe because of their past and because of something over which they have no control - the wealth of their parents. If we want less-advantaged people in our society to have the same university choices as everyone else it is imperative that maintenance grants are re-introduced. Universities have a role here. Every year the University of Portsmouth spends about 6 million on bursaries and through our hardship fund. But any government that wants to give opportunity to all should not impose the highest debts on graduates from the poorest backgrounds. Advertisement sturti via Getty Images Now I'm sure as you sit at the Cabinet table and look around at some of your colleagues, that might seem hard to believe. But bear with me. If The Wizard of Oz (no, not you Lynton) were set in modern times it's very unlikely the Tin Man would have ever found a heart. Certainly if he were on the organ donor register he would have found himself on a waiting list longer than the yellow brick road. Advertisement In Britain three people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. And more than 6,000 patients are waiting for an organ which could transform their life. And that is why the Mirror has been campaigning for the past two years for a change in the organ transplant laws in England which would mean people are deemed to have consented to their organs being donated after death, unless they have said otherwise. We believe if our Change the Law for Life campaign is successful, the number of donors will increase by 25% and hundreds of lives will be saved every year. Wales has already changed the law and Scotland has announced it too will do the same. It's a tragedy when someone dies unexpectedly, but it's an even bigger tragedy when two people die and one could have been saved by the other. Advertisement A poll commissioned by the BMA earlier this year found while two out of three people (66%) want to donate some or all of their organs after death, only a third (39%) are signed up to the organ donor register. NHS Blood and Transplant have said an average of three families a week in the UK decide not to allow organ donation because they're unsure, or did not know, if their relatives would have wanted to donate an organ or not. But is it right to expect families going through the most traumatic experience of their lives to make an on-the-spot rational decision about this? It's time to take the burden out of their hands during a time of unimaginable stress and grief. This week is Organ Donation Week, and the NHS is encouraging people to talk about their wishes with their families. That is hugely important. But we also believe it is the responsibility of politicians as they return to Parliament to make the changes to law which would save lives. Some progress is being made, but we're a long way from the finishing line. And it's thanks to a handful of MPs such as Labour's Geoffrey Robinson and Dan Jarvis, who have kept the issue alive. Advertisement Meanwhile, Mrs May and her health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, have been dragging their feet. Perhaps the Maybot would move a little a faster if personality transplants were on the agenda. Geoffrey Robinson has introduced a private members bill, dubbed "Max's Law" after nine-year-old Max Johnson whose wait for a heart transplant was been followed by the Mirror for several months. Thankfully Max received a new heart last month. But for dozens of other families there is no happy ending. As Max says: "I hope they do bring the law change in. I don't think people will say no. It is going to help save lives. Why would MPs say no?" That's a question we'd like answered too. And soon. The much-awaited 'back to school' week is upon us - the school bags are packed, the lunchboxes are made, and the obligatory photos of children looking cute in their uniforms have been uploaded to social media. While there is a lot for parents to think about, such as whether their child will make friends or like their new teacher, what they won't be wondering here in the UK is whether they will get any water to drink at school or where they will go when they need the toilet. Sadly, this is a daily concern for many around the world as one in three schools have no clean water or decent toilets, having a detrimental impact on the students' education. On top of this, around 263 million children aged between six and 17 will not be going to school at all this week, or any other, with a lack of access to water and decent sanitation being a major obstacle. Without these basic necessities, millions of children are exposed to deadly diseases as well as being denied a happy, dignified childhood. Advertisement With no toilets in schools, pupils often have to go to the bush to relieve themselves, go back home, or just hold it in for the whole day. Zakir is only 10 and as his school in Pakistan has no water source or toilets so he has to walk into the jungle to relieve himself. Zakir in class, Pakistan. Credit: WaterAid/Sibtain Haider Zakir said: "When we need the toilet, we go to the jungle. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk there. Our clothes and shoes get dirty, so we sometimes have to go home to change our clothes. It's not right; we should have proper toilets in our school." Advertisement For girls, the lack of toilets can be even more disruptive for their education, with many skipping school when they start their period, or dropping out altogether, if there are no decent sanitation facilities or space to wash themselves. A UNESCO report estimates that one in ten girls in Sub-Saharan Africa miss school during their menstrual cycle. Eleven-year-old Shaneela is no longer allowed to go to school because of the lack of toilets there, although her male relatives can still go. Shaneela at home, Pakistan. Credit: WaterAid/Malin Fezehai And it's not just the pupils who suffer; keeping teachers in schools is also an issue when there are no water or sanitation facilities. Tryness Msowoya, 26, a teacher at Kambira Primary School in Malawi, considered leaving her school because there was no water supply or toilets until WaterAid intervened: Advertisement "To collect water, we used to wake up around 3am. This impacted on our ability to teach well as we were tired. Also, we used to have a lot of diarrhoea cases, especially amongst our young pupils. Teachers left for another school but I told myself to stay a little longer. The first time I got a bucket of clean water from the new borehole, my life changed for the better." Drinking dirty water causes sickness, which can be deadly, with 289,000 children under five dying each year due to diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation; that's 800 a day. Even if children recover, they still miss valuable school-time. An estimated 443 million school days a year are lost due to water-related illnesses (Human Development Report, 2006). One in ten children have no clean water at home, and girls in particular spend hours walking to collect water, leaving little time for school, keeping them trapped in poverty and stopping them reaching their potential. Maritha, 15, from Zambia, misses a lot of school because she has to collect water and help her family with chores: "I go to school as often as I can, but sometimes I miss it for two weeks continuously as I spend a lot of time collecting water and harvesting crops. With education one stands a better chance of finding a job and living well in the future. If I don't stay in school, I am likely to be married off." Advertisement Maritha often misses school as she has to collect water and help harvest crops, Zambia. Credit: WaterAid/Chileshe Chanda Children all over the world have dreams about what they'll be when they grow up; but not every child has the opportunity to make it happen. To enable children everywhere to have the chance of a good education, we must ensure all schools have access to clean water, decent sanitation and hygiene. These form the foundations to a healthy, prosperous life. September is here and once again that back-to-school feeling seems to seep into my consciousness. As my mind wanders, I find myself reminiscing about those first few days when the books smell new and the shoes still shine. We spend over a decade leaping from one classroom to the next, at an institution many look back on with fondness, others with unease. As time passes, however, school becomes an intrinsic part of our collective memory. Imagining a world where those memories did not exist is almost impossible. And yet, as this September rolls over, this is the stark reality for many. The recent demolition of schools in Palestine and the ongoing attacks against those in Syria are reminders of how precious education is. It is the foundation that enables us to go on to build a life we choose. It is a human right. Tragically, millions are still denied this. Protecting education during war is not easy, the challenge is multifaceted and yet it is essential. Education is a crucial tool for helping to create peaceful resilient societies that are less likely to fall back into war, creating stability and ultimately sustainability. But, education itself is a double-edged sword. It can either ease social tensions, or create barriers between people, depending on its nature and quality. Those with an agenda to push can take advantage of education if they are allowed to do so, and this can be dangerous. To break the cycle of violence that prevents education in conflict zones, or education of the wrong kind, world leaders must take a holistic view which takes into consideration the 5Ps: prevention, prosecution, protection, post-conflict recovery and partnership. Advertisement When there is conflict, we must take action against those who commit atrocities against education, through the legal system. We need to ensure laws change to offer maximum protection to education. Just as hospitals and prisoners of war are rightly protected during conflict, attacks on schools must be enshrined or enforced as unacceptable acts. We must educate those who are involved in war and armed conflict on the importance of stopping all attacks on education. We must monitor such attacks, through the use of early warning systems, which we then act on. To achieve this we need to strengthen the ability of both the International Criminal Court and domestic courts to deter attacks on schools and education through prosecution. Take the case of Syria. Over the last six years of conflict, we have seen deliberate attacks on educational institutions. The same way we collectively insist that hospitals and health workers are 'not a target' during conflict, schools, educational facilities, teachers and students should also be protected in conflict zones. To children in a war zone, education is a life-line to a better future. Strengthening governance to protect education in conflict areas is innovative and vital work. However, whilst prosecution is essential, prevention must remain at the heart of what we do and education is a fundamental part of that. Curriculums need to cover topics such as peace, tolerance, acceptance and global citizenship, especially in fragile and at-risk parts of the world. By educating children and young people on these issues, we can create resilience to violent extremism and mitigate its motives. Through these measures, we aim to give nations a roadmap to a better future. Quality education can be a virtuous circle, reinforcing good. Advertisement If together, in partnership, we work to protect the sanctity of schools in conflict zones while using all means possible to prosecute the perpetrators of attacks; if we can help societies recover from conflict, use education to prevent conflict and, perhaps most importantly of all, provide quality primary education to all out-of-school children around the world, then we will make a very big and very real difference. The current refugee crisis and the on-going attacks to education across the world have all played out on our television screens this summer. And yet it is perhaps only in this week in which children return to school and we remember our own time that we realize what it is that these children are missing. It is in this moment that we should call on world leaders to do more to protect education. Mubarak Al-Thani is a Global Advocacy Specialist for Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC) undertakes advocacy for the right to education, based on international law. It operates under the umbrella of the Education Above All Foundation, which was founded in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar. Universities have had a rough time of late, with several (often-dodgy) headlines attacking them on a wide range of issues, from tuition fees to international student places. The motives for such irregular hostility towards our universities - for so long a treasured jewel in the nation's crown - are hard to pin down. Perhaps it is their overwhelmingly pro-EU stance that is drawing the ire of the Brexiteer press. Or perhaps it's just the silly-season. Either way, it is time to pause and consider the roles universities play in the UK today, and why we should appreciate them. It's easy to see why universities make soft targets. In an age of austerity, there is a perception among many that Higher Education is in a bubble. Universities are often perceived as being among the so-called 'elite' that populist movements around the world are currently railing against. To many, they are simply irrelevant to their daily lives. This is a tragedy. Advertisement Universities need to be better at telling the world about the impact they make in society. For example, policing was back in the public spotlight recently, with the announcement that the Metropolitan Police's armed officers are to wear cameras while on patrol, and Big Brother Watch's questioning of how effective such technology can be in lowering crime rates. These are important developments which everyone in society should have an interest in. My university, London Metropolitan, contributed to this public discourse. A study that made the news offered a different angle on the policing debate, with London Met researchers commissioned by the City of London Police to explore officers' views on body cameras, as well as the technology's impact on criminal justice outcomes. Speaking to the Evening Standard, my colleague and Senior Criminology Lecturer, Dr James Morgan, highlighted how the research contradicts common misconceptions about the police. Advertisement "Contrary to many assumptions regarding 'cop culture,' the officers surveyed and interviewed for this study were very progressive in their approaches to this new technology. They wanted greater accountability and oversight, and believed in their own policing practice and wanted this recorded," Dr Morgan said. The study also highlighted a need for improvement within the police regarding the process of getting camera evidence to the Crime Prosecution Service. If this leads to positive change, the research will have made a valuable impact on policing in London. This is just one example, but one which highlights the role universities like London Met play in meeting the needs of our time. There is a risk, of course, that in putting our head above the parapet on sensitive issues such as policing we are opening ourselves up to criticism from one side or another. However, as universities we should not shy away from tackling difficult questions. We should, instead, look at how our research can help to shape the communities that we call home. In these challenging times, we need as much input as possible to identify solutions to those challenges, no matter the risk of criticism. Advertisement This is one of the reasons why universities are so valuable. We have the academic freedom to tackle the difficult issues without fear of political backlash or public ire. Or, at least, we used to. If such hostility endures, there is a risk that this could change. This builds on a point I have made before, that any Industrial Strategy must have Higher Education at its heart. Universities sit at the very centre of our communities and the economic benefits, although often overlooked, are evident for all to see. For every 100 jobs created in Higher Education, a further 117 are created in the wider economy. We often talk about graduate jobs, or how the graduate jobs market is over-subscribed. But this fails to appreciate the fact that many graduates go on to create jobs. Our impact, however, goes further. Much of the research carried out at Higher Education institutes around the country goes on to add a further boost to the economy. The key point is that there should be no reason for anyone to believe universities are 'irrelevant' to their lives. The latest Industrial Strategy consultation called on the UK to translate 'our leadership in global research into commercial outcomes', and correctly so. A strong economy is important, but only if it supports a society that acts in the best interests of its citizens. Universities are in a unique position to carry out such research, but while we are international institutions, we are just as much part of our local communities. Pieces of local research, like our body camera study, often come to have a national and sometimes global impact. It is therefore vital that community focused research is not forgotten and overlooked for potentially more profitable exercises. Moussa81 via Getty Images Since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, the clock has been ticking for American 'Dreamers'. During the election campaign, Trump promised to scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and has since given mixed messages on what would happen to the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers currently protected by DACA. The Asian American community has been quick to rally to the support of the Dreamers. Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Judy Chu, has reminded people to Advertisement "Look at how much these young people have contributed to society...It just would be a tragedy beyond compare if these young people were deported. They are the ones who can be the leaders of tomorrow and can shape America to be a better place." The Japanese American Citizens League have also drawn many parallels between the treatment of the Dreamers and the treatment of Japanese and Japanese Americans during the Second World War. At that time, the children of Japanese immigrants were punished for the status of their parents, despite building homes, businesses and farms and contributing to both the American economy and society in general. Despite this, and the fact several Japanese had actually fought for America in the First World War, 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were interned and their "American dreams were crushed". As the JACL have correctly pointed out "We always say we need to learn from history. If so, why are we on the path today towards crushing the dreams of our DACA recipients? The immigrant story and their success is one that is so fundamental to the values of our country." DACA was designed to protect undocumented immigrants who were brought into the United States as children. To be eligible under DACA, applicants had to have arrived in the US under the age of 16, have lived there since June 15, 2007, and to be under 31 when the policy started in 2012. Many of the Dreamers, having arrived in the US as children, have no knowledge of any other country, and to lose their documented status would be catastrophic. Advertisement Under DACA, applicants undergo extensive vetting to ensure they do not have criminal histories and do not pose a threat to national security. Furthermore, they have to be students or have completed military service. They have, therefore, demonstrated their desire to serve their adopted country. There have been conflicting messages concerning the Dreamers by President Trump. Earlier this year Trump said "To me, it's one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids, in many cases, not in all cases. And some of the cases, having DACA and they're gang members and they're drug dealers, too. But you have some absolutely, incredible kids, I would say mostly. They were brought here in such a way -- it's a very -- it's a very, very tough subject." Trump's decision to delay action on rescinding DACA for 6 months has shifted the burden onto Congress to make a decision. If no decision is made, all Dreamers will lose their protected status by March 2020, and technically this could leave them open to deportation to countries in which they have never lived. This is again similar to the case of thousands of Japanese Americans who were expatriated to Japan, despite many of them never having even visited the country of their parents' birth before. The majority of Dreamers are law-abiding residents whose only crime was to be smuggled into the country as children - a circumstance beyond their control, much in the same way that Japanese Americans had no control over the birth country of their parents. Trump maintains that ending DACA will be resolved with "heart and compassion", but without forgetting "that young Americans have dreams too". So far as many of the Dreamers are concerned, they are Americans in that they pledge allegiance to the flag and had no idea of their undocumented status until they applied for a job, college, or a driver's licence. Advertisement Many Republicans have come out in support of DACA recipients, including Paul Ryan, speaker of the House of Representatives, and the attorney general of Tennessee, Herbert Slattery. Slattery has reviewed the cases of many Dreamers, which has led him to conclude that many of them have "outstanding accomplishments and laudable ambitions, which if achieved, will be of great benefit and service to our country". But if no agreement is reached, lives will be all but destroyed. No one is saying immigrants who travel to the US to cause harm should be protected. However, if immigration enforcement agencies have limited resources, it makes sense to focus these resources on illegal immigrants who are against America. Former President Barack Obama believes that revoking DACA is "self-defeating - because [Dreamers] want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel." The latest addition to the Royal Navy, HMS Queen Elizabeth, a 280 metre long aircraft carrier with 700 crew, arrived in Portsmouth recently, berthing just outside the Mary Rose Museum. The Mary Rose, though built for 500 crew, is dwarfed beside HMS QE: her exact length is unknown, but based on the existing keel we believe she was just over 40 metres. For 1511 the Mary Rose was a fairly large ship. The view of HMS Queen Elizabeth from the balcony at the Mary Rose Museum Tudor ships, the Mary Rose included, were highly decorated: covered in brightly coloured flags and streamers (although little has remained after 437 years of submersion in mud and seawater). In contrast, HMS Queen Elizabeth has a muted, grey colour scheme, signalling modern warfare's move away from pageantry and outward displays of aggression towards stealth and intelligence. Advertisement The Mary Rose depicted on the Anthony Roll. Image courtesy of the Pepys Library, Magdelene College, Cambridge However, this stark difference of scale and aesthetic hides a fascinating link between these two monarch's warships. Both ships display that most British and historic of emblems: the Tudor Rose. The Tudor Rose represents the white and red roses of the York and Lancaster families, two branches of the the royal house whose rivalry resulted in a series of wars which became known as the Wars of the Roses. The result of the war saw the Tudor dynasty take the throne and the distinctive Tudor Rose, a mix of red and white petals, emerged as a symbol of the unification of the houses. This rose would later be displayed on the emblem, or figurehead, of the Mary Rose, a ship built by Henry VIII upon his accession to the throne in 1509. Centuries later, the emblem was discovered on the seabed, recovered in 2005, and reunited with the rest of her vessel when the Mary Rose Museum was fully revealed in 2016. Advertisement Courtesy of The Mary Rose Trust Between 1545 and 2016 the Tudor Rose remained linked with ships called 'Mary Rose'. In fact, nine ships have held the name over the years; from the Mary Rose that fought the Spanish Armada in 1588, to the vessel that took on six Algerine frigates singlehandedly at the Battle of Cadiz in 1669. Another notable Mary Rose fought at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 before being lost defending a convoy off the coast of Lerwick in 1917. The name Mary Rose is currently used for the headquarters of the Basingstoke Sea Cadets and it still uses the Tudor Rose as its badge. So, what would Henry VIII make of the HMS Queen Elizabeth? For the infamously opulent king who built many magnificent palaces during his reign (and whose tent at the Field of Cloth of Gold which would have been larger than most houses in Tudor England) a giant warship that could fit his entire navy on the flight deck would probably have delighted him. Also, for a man for whom gunshields and hailshot pieces were advanced weaponry, something that can carry several jet aircraft would have blown his mind. If you've been involved in the marriage equality campaign in Northern Ireland, or anywhere else for that matter, you're bound to have heard "Why don't you put it to a public vote?" as a means to resolve the issue. Whilst public support in Northern Ireland for equal marriage is incredibly high, perhaps even higher than in the Republic of Ireland in the run up to the 2015 referendum, but that doesn't mean that a referendum would work here. The Australian Government, in an effort to fudge the issue and possibly kick the possibility of marriage equality becoming a reality into the long grass for another decade, has announced a voluntary postal plebiscite to gauge people's views on marriage equality. The current Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull, has publicly backed the idea of equal marriage in Australia but has a significant number of backbench MPs that are vehemently against the idea and any relaxing of the Liberal Party whip to allow supportive MPs to back a change in the law could see him ousted as Prime Minister. This is all conjecture of course, but the idea of a referendum on marriage equality is dangerous and divisive, whether in Australia, Northern Ireland or elsewhere. Unlike the Republic of Ireland, where the institution of marriage is defined by their Constitution, referenda in nations like Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom) or Australia have no legally binding effect and are nothing more than expensive, drawn out and glorified opinion polls. Even if the result of the Australian postal vote is a resounding Yes to changing the law to afford same-sex couples the same dignity, respect and legal protection as opposite sex couples within the concept of marriage, there is no obligation on MPs that are opposed to the change to actually vote in favour of it. The result could be an overwhelming majority in favour of marriage equality from the public followed by a defeat of any proposed legislation in the Australian Parliament. Not exactly a repeat of the euphoric moment in the Republic of Ireland where the Government is obligated to legislate for any change in the Constitution if approved by a public referendum. Let's also have a look at previous referenda on the issue of marriage equality. Advertisement In 2009 the US State of Maine legalised same-sex marriage by way of legislation, which was signed into law by the then Governor, John Baldacci, before a citizen's initiative forced the issue to the ballot box. On November 3rd 2009 the voters of Maine rejected the change in the law to allow same-sex couples to marry by 53% to 47% voting in favour of the law. Cut to 2011 and the LGB&T group EqualityMaine managed to get the issue back on the November 2012 ballot whereby voters reversed the earlier decision and backed marriage equality by 52% to 48%. Despite this being an incredible achievement, it shows just how fickle and cruel the idea of a referendum on LGB&T rights can be. I have no doubt in my mind that those couples were always mindful that their human rights, despite being inalienable, were subject to change depending on the mood of the public and could again have had to fight another ballot initiative or referendum between 2012 and 2015 had opposition groups gathered enough signatures. Is that really a precedent we want to set in Northern Ireland? Couples that had been elated at the news that they would be allowed to marry in May 2009 had to face the reality in the November of the same year that they would again be unable to marry followed by the change in the law in November 2012, nearly three years before the US Supreme Court decision which legalised equal marriage across the country. Similarly, the Slovenian Government in 2015 passed a Bill that gave same-sex couples all of the same rights, recognition and protections of opposite-sex couples including adoption, marriage and pension protections. After a protracted legal battle in which opposition groups attempted to have the Parliament vote again on the Bill failed, the Parliament blocked a referendum on the matter, a decision which was later reversed by the Supreme Court and allowed to go ahead in December of that year. Advertisement Ferocious campaigning by opposition groups claiming that the new law harmed children and would somehow lead to the erosion of morality and family life in Slovenia led to the Bill being rejected by 63% of voters. Just a few months after the Republic of Ireland had legalised equal marriage by way of a referendum the small, former Eastern Bloc nation of Slovenia dashed hopes that marriage would be extended to same sex couples by an almost mirror image of the result in Ireland. What was later legalised in February of 2017 was a watered down version of marriage that barred same-sex couples from IVF treatment or jointly adoption but gave them limited recognition of their relationships by way of Civil Unions. Given that referenda here are not legally binding, any public vote on an issue such as same-sex marriage could be easily vetoed in the NI Assembly unless the Secretary of State gave assurances that any outcome would obligate the Government to enshrine it into law. During the Brexit referendum, we saw first hand just how much misinformation and spin were deployed by both sides in an effort to win the day, an untold amount of financial, organisational and human resources were thrown at the campaigns. The LGB&T sector in The Republic Of Ireland was stretched incredibly thinly over a short period of time with the entire focus being on one single issue, that of marriage equality. As a sector and as a community we simply do not have the resource to fight that kind of campaign whilst maintaining our delivery of sexual health promotion, hate crime advocacy, mental health work, policy work etc. A referendum, as has happened in the Republic of Ireland and is now playing out in Australia, would likely not be subject to the same rules and regulations of a normal election. Opposition groups such as the Iona Institute were heavily involved in the promotion and distribution of bare faced lies and misinformation regarding the LGB&T community. Young LGB&T people had to walk past posters that belittled their ability to be loving and responsible parents, posters that told them that they were lesser than their heterosexual peers and thus were undeserving of the same respect and equal treatment under the law. Advertisement The Coalition for Marriage in Australia has claimed rather dubiously that "the removal of gender from marriage and the removal of gender from society more broadly are inextricably linked" and that "Concerns about the impacts of the redefinition of marriage go far beyond the wedding ceremony, or even the freedoms of wedding service providers like florists, bakers and photographers (although their freedoms are just as important as anyone else's.)". This is a clever way of painting those who believe that gay people are somehow exempt from the same protections and respect that their Government affords them are the victims here or would be if the law was changed to open up marriage to everyone. Those statements are the same lines that were wheeled out whenever Governments across the world were considering legalising limited recognition of same-sex relationships by the way of Civil Partnerships or Domestic Unions. The reality is that those people who have always been vehemently opposed to equal treatment for LGB&T people in society will use whatever means necessary to demonise, vilify and criminalise us and a referendum on marriage equality will be another platform to do just that. The amount of government domestic loan bonds in ownership of nonresidents from September 6 to September 7, 2017 grew by UAH 1.148 billion, to UAH 1.734 billion, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) said on its website on Thursday. The Finance Ministry of Ukraine at an auction on September 5, 2017 raised UAH 1.2 billion to the national budget. The ministry sold two-year hryvnia-pegged bonds for UAH 673.785 million and three-year bonds for UAH 540.48 million at 14.4% and 14.5% per annum respectively. On August 17, 2017, government domestic loan bonds in ownership of nonresidents expanded by UAH 460 million, to UAH 471.1 million. A well-informed source on the market told Interfax-Ukraine that the increase is linked to the purchase of hryvnia-pegged government domestic loan bonds at an auction held on August 15. The Finance Ministry then sold one-year and three-year bonds for UAH 1.298 billion at 14.4% and 14.46% per annum. Later Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. (the United States) issued credit-linked notes (CLN) for $18.664 million. The securities were issued under Reg S rule (for non-U.S. investors) to secure hryvnia-pegged government domestic loan bonds for UAH 460 million due on June 10, 2020. CLN will be due on June 12, 2020. The six-month coupon is UAH 31.372 million. It will be paid in June and December in the U.S. dollars at the exchange rate effective at the moment of payment. On August 23, 2017, the volume government domestic loan bonds in ownership of nonresidents grew by UAH 115 million, to UAH 586 million. Citigroup later issued CLN for UAH 115 million due on June 6, 2020. Other details of the securities are not specified. Spotify Decides That Streaming Does Not Equal Reproduction, Distribution [Op-ed] In what is turning into a defining battle with rightsholders, Spotify is now arguing that streaming is not the same as either reproduction or distribution and therefore not subject to the same licenses, rules and payments. Techdirt's Mike Masnick take a look and songwriters might not like or agree with what he sees. ____________________________ Op-ed by Mike Masnick of Techdirt Hold on tight: we're going to get down into the weeds a bit on a copyright issue. In early 2016, we wrote about the "insanity of music licensing" as it related to streaming music, and Spotify in particular. This was in response to a series of class action lawsuits filed against Spotify by songwriters, claiming a failure to properly license so-called "mechanical rights." As I noted at the time, I talked the case over with a large number of copyright lawyers and many were left scratching their heads regarding what the lawsuit was actually about. Spotify, of course, is famous because it's a licensed music streaming service. That's it's whole thing. But, as we discussed, part of the problem is that there are a ridiculous number of different possible licenses out there many of which were designed for different types of technologies, and, when it comes to internet services, some people seem to assume that the services need to license roughly "all of them." So, it was always known that a company like Spotify needed to secure negotiated license to use the sound recordings (that's from whoever holds the copyright on the actual recording not the composition). And they had to get public performance licenses from Performance Rights Organizations (PROs). But the question in these lawsuits was about an entirely different license the "mechanical" license. As you may have guessed from the name, a "mechanical" license comes from way back in the day, when the companies manufacturing records needed to get a license from the composer for the sake of reproducing and distributing the songs which those songwriters wrote. And here's where we do some copyright 101. Section 106 of the Copyright Act includes a definitive list of six rights that copyright may grant the holder an exclusive right to (absent something such as fair use). These then are the specific exclusive rights under copyright law: to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords; to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work; to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending; in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly; in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission. So, when Spotify is licensing sound recordings from copyright holders, it's licensing #6. And when it's getting PRO licenses, it's covering #4. So, here's where things get trickier. The mechanical license usually granted by the composers to whoever is manufacturing, say, a record or a CD, and done via someone like the Harry Fox Agency (HFA), covers the rights for #1 and #3 to "reproduce" and to "distribute." That makes sense in an age of vinyl records, tapes or CDs. As we noted back when these lawsuits first came out, some of the copyright lawyers we spoke to couldn't figure out why Spotify would even need a mechanical license in the first place. After all, it's just "streaming" music. It's not "reproducing" the work, nor is it "distributing" the work. Or is it? That question gets pretty murky, pretty fast. You can argue that the process of streaming involves bits being "reproduced" and "distributed" but a counter to that is that that's happening in such an ephemeral way, in which the "recipient" ends up with nothing, that it's not at all the same thing. Indeed, this issue came up in an important case a few years ago, concerning the "transitory copies" that were made by Cablevision with its remote DVR. In that case, it was determined by the appeals court that transitory copies are not "copies" under #1 above. That is, they are not "reproductions." Here's from the ruling: "Copies," as defined in the Copyright Act, "are material objects in which a work is fixed by any method and from which the work can be reproduced." The Act also provides that a work is "`fixed' in a tangible medium of expression when its embodiment is sufficiently permanent or stable to permit it to be reproduced for a period of more than transitory duration." We believe that this language plainly imposes two distinct but related requirements: the work must be embodied in a medium, i.e., placed in a medium such that it can be perceived, reproduced, etc., from that medium (the "embodiment requirement"), and it must remain thus embodied "for a period of more than transitory duration" (the "duration requirement"). Unless both requirements are met, the work is not "fixed" in the buffer, and, as a result, the buffer data is not a "copy" of the original work whose data is buffered. That said, it did appear that Spotify had made (via HFA) at least a half-hearted effort to secure mechanical licenses anyway, often using the "Notice of Intent" process, which allows for compulsory mechanical licenses if certain rules are followed. Of course, the half-hearted nature of this appeared to have some significant gaps (gaps that HFA later started scrambling to fill). Either way, earlier this year, we wrote about Spotify settling the big class action lawsuits it was facing, and agreeing to pay out a bunch of money. As we pointed out when that happened, it appeared that no one seemed to really want to fight out the issue in court of whether or not Spotify even needed to pay mechanicals, noting that such a fight would, undoubtedly, get messy. Well, things are getting messy. After that settlement, not all composers were happy. Some of them, including Bob Gaudio, from the Four Seasons, sued Spotify over the same issue and argued that the settlement of the previous lawsuits was an "empty gesture" given just how massive the copyright infringement was on Spotify. In other words, these new cases seemed a lot less willing to settle. And that means, the issue we never thought was going to get tested in court is looking like it's going to get tested in court. As first covered by Eriq Gardner at the Hollywood Reporter, Spotify has now directly argued that its service does not reproduce or distribute the songs it streams. From the filing:\ Plaintiffs allege that Spotify reproduce[s] and distribute[s] Plaintiffs works, thereby facilely checking the boxes to plead an infringement of the reproduction and distribution rights. But Plaintiffs leave Spotify guessing as to what activity Plaintiffs actually believe entails reproduction or distribution. The only activity of Spotifys that Plaintiffs identify as infringing is its streaming of sound recordings embodying Plaintiffs copyrighted musical compositions. But streaming by its very definition cannot infringe upon either the reproduction right under 17 U.S.C. 106(1) or the distribution right under 17 U.S.C. 106(3). As a consequence, Plaintiffs allegations simply do not inform Spotify how Spotify is alleged to have violated the law. As Spotify's lawyers admit (as we described above), it's clear that streaming implicates #4 and #6 of copyright's exclusive rights and it has licenses to cover both of those areas but not #1 and #3: In short, the act of streaming does not reproduce copies of sound recordings or musical compositions, and equally does not distribute copies of either sound recordings or compositions. This is not to say that streaming has no copyright consequence. Streaming does result in a public performance of both sound recordings and musical compositions. See 17 U.S.C. 106(4) (granting copyright owner the exclusive right to perform the copyrighted work publicly in the case of musical works) and 106(6) (granting copyright owner the exclusive right to perform the copyrighted work publicly in the case of sound recordings). But Plaintiffs do not allege that Spotify has violated their public performance rights, and such an allegation would be futile. Spotify has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to license the public performances of the musical compositions it streams, including those allegedly owned by Plaintiffs, through negotiated licenses administered via ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR a group of licensing agents known collectively as performance rights organizations or PROs. In sum, Plaintiffs Complaint, which rests upon Spotifys streaming, leaves Spotify guessing about what it has done that, in Plaintiffs view, constitutes a violation of Plaintiffs reproduction and distribution rights. If Plaintiffs are indeed alleging an instance of copying (as opposed to streaming) that allegedly violates Plaintiffs reproduction and/or distribution rights, they can amend their Complaint to say so. Depending on what that allegation is, Spotify will advance a number of defenses. If Plaintiffs real complaint is with, for example, a particular instance of alleged temporary copying, then, among other things, Spotify may assert a defense of fair use. Spotify may also assert defenses of compulsory license, implied license, negotiated license with copyright owner or co-owner, statute of limitations, and others, depending on the nature of the specific allegations. But Spotify should not be forced to guess and aim its defenses at an unknown claim. Spotify believes that every element of its service is either fully licensed or otherwise permitted by law, and Plaintiffs Complaint offers no notice as to what Spotify conduct it thinks violates its copyrights or what conduct would require additional licenses. Spotify also argues that the point of this lawsuit is really to try to convince composers to opt-out of the settlement from earlier this year, and to join in this action, which may explain why Spotify is taking an aggressive stance here. But this case, should it move forward, could become quite important. Because if a court somehow goes against earlier precedents and argues that streaming actually impacts four out of the six different exclusive rights granted under copyright law, that would be quite amazing. As we've noted many times in the past, one of the problems with copyright law is that each time a new technology comes along that threatens "the old way" of doing things, rather than rethinking copyright itself, Congress tends to just duct tape on a new right that requires licensing. And that works fine until the next innovation comes along. Now, in the internet age, where things look a little like their analog predecessors, but also with other features, it's no surprise that some copyright holders are trying to argue that ALL THE LICENSES must apply. But if you actually look closely at what Spotify does, what copyright law covers in terms of those six exclusive rights, and what previous cases have held, it does seem likely that streaming should really only implicate two of the exclusive rights. Share on: BMC Files Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Nursing Union PITTSFIELD, Mass. The hospital has fired back at the MNA with its own complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. Berkshire Health Systems is alleging that the nurses' union is not bargaining in good faith and is "surface bargaining" a term used to describe negotiating without trying to actually reach a settlement. The local chapter of the Massachusetts Nursing Association and Berkshire Medical Center's administration has been hit a gridlock in negotiations after nearly a year of sessions. "We have met with the union nearly 30 times over the past 12 months," said Berkshire Health Systems Vice President for Human Resources Arthur Milano. "It has become increasingly clear in recent weeks that the MNA is now only going through the motions of negotiations to create the appearance that it is bargaining in good faith." The hospital accuses the nurses of essentially rewording and resubmitting the same demands, giving the appearance of moving toward an agreement but not addressing the hospital's concerns. "We went seven months and saw almost no changes," Milano said, but rather three months of submitting the same exact proposal. The primary issue between the sides is staffing. The union had pushed for specific staffing ratios in the contract, a move that it believed would guarantee greater staffing levels by creating a grievance process if those ratios were broken. The hospital rejected that proposal, saying it would restrict the administration's flexibility in making determinations. The hospital says it uses a team approach to providing care, meaning the staffing decisions include practitioners of other disciplines outside of registered nurses. Milano said the next step from the MNA was a staffing grievance process through an arbitrator, which isn't much different from the specific ratios. And now, the most recent, is proposing that charge nurses not be assigned patients and can manage floors -- a move the hospital says still locks the administration into certain staffing parameters that aren't feasible administratively. Hospital officials say neither of the three proposals address the need to have flexibility in its staffing. Instead, the hospital had put forth a plan to create a staffing committee consisting of nurses, the union, and the administration to review data and make recommendations on changes to staffing plans. That proposal wasn't on the table when contract negotiations began but were added into the hospital's "best and final" offer in May. "The hospital has made numerous changes in the proposal. We haven't seen similar movement on the MNA front," Milano said. The nurses rejected the best and final offer and shortly after authorized the bargaining committee to call a strike if it deems one is needed. The hospital believes the MNA is using a "strike-oriented bargaining strategy to advance its political goals rather than to reach a fair and reasonable nurse's contract." The timing of the Berkshire Health System's complaint comes a day after the attorney general's office certified a ballot question for the November 2018 election that would make certain staffing levels law. Berkshire Health Systems has repeatedly accused the union of pushing the staffing language as part of that statewide push and not in response to local concerns. Union spokesman Joe Markman, however, completely rejects the hospital's claims and expects the National Labor Relations Board to do the same. "This charge is completely unfounded. Unlike the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, which is clearly providing Berkshire Medical Center with industry talking points, MNA nurses approach bargaining as a local issue. BMC nurses have proposed local solutions to patient-care concerns they are experiencing at their hospital," Markman said. "Nurses have bargained in good faith the entire time and have made numerous revisions to their proposals. BMC nurses have patient-care proposals currently on the table that do not include patient limits and that are unique to BMC. To say otherwise is dishonest. We expect that when this charge is dismissed, BMC will settle with MNA BMC nurses. BMC should return to the table, bargain in good faith and address the very real concerns of nurses and the community." The MNA agrees that staffing levels are a concern among many nursing staffs across the state, leading to the ballot question, but each individual bargaining unit negotiates in response to local conditions. The nurses recently released some 437 "unsafe staffing" forms gathered over the last 22 months. The nurses have documented occasions, in their professional opinion, when the floors and units were understaffed and jeopardized patient safety. The nurses say the hospital is chronically understaffed and the staffing committee proposal from the hospital won't address the needs. There is already a staffing committee that hasn't been effective, the union says. "We are concerned by our administration's continued disregard for the negotiating process, and more importantly, for our documented patient safety incidents by their continued refusal to work with us to improve staffing to ensure the highest quality care," Alex Neary, a registered nurse and co-chair of MNA's bargaining committee, said last week. The staffing issues were raised by nurses even before negotiations began. Back in 2014, the nurses held an information picket regarding staffing outside of the hospital in response to growing patient numbers from the closure of the former North Adams Regional Hospital. The nurses have filed two unfair labor practice complaints already against the hospital. The first accused Milano and the administration of interfering with the strike vote when it sent a letter to the membership outlining the hospital's response to a strike. The second accuses the hospital of withholding information on health insurance. The MNA says the hospital is not bargaining in good faith. For the last three months, both sides have said the negotiation sessions have been fairly fruitless. The hospital said they made many concessions in the first year while the MNA hadn't and now the MNA says they have been moving toward finding a compromise but the hospital isn't seriously considering them -- only sticking to the best and final. Milano believes in the hospital's offer and wants the nurses to reconsider it. That offer came after incorporating numerous asks from the union, he said. The nurses say they've already rejected it and are still pushing for additional staffing language. The complaint made on Thursday is an effort from BMC to show the union that it is serious about reaching a settlement. "We are hoping the MNA will understand we are serious about this. They need to come to the table and really talk to us about it," Milano said. And the union is hoping to get the hospital to see that they are serious about the staffing issues as well. On Sept. 20, local activist groups are putting on a "community town hall" at the Berkshire Athenaeum to discuss patient concerns and an online petition has been circulating through the MNA's website backing the union and calling on hospital leaders to settle the dispute. Ongoing Coverage Stephanie Bosley, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for state representative, lays out her campaign at a kickoff at the Richmond Grille on Thursday night. PreviousNext Bosley Kicks Off Campaign With Promise of Fresh Perspective Bosley gets a hug from her father, Daniel Bosley, who held the 1st Berkshire seat for 24 years. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Candidate for state representative Stephanie Bosley kicked off her campaign with promises of a fresh perspective and positive change. "I am running for this seat because I have witnessed firsthand how a state representative can create positive change throughout a community and be there for people when the rest of the world isn't," Bosley said Thursday evening to a gathering of around 40 or so at her campaign kickoff party at the Richmond Grill. Bosley is vying against three other candidates John Barrett III, Lisa Blackmer and Kevin Towle for the Democratic nomination to fill the remaining term of the late Rep. Gailanne Cariddi. The winner of the Oct. 10 primary will face the Republican candidate, Christine Canning-Wilson, in the special election on Nov. 7. The 1st Berkshire District includes Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams and Williamstown. Bosley's father, Daniel Bosley, who held the 1st Berkshire seat his daughter is aspiring to for 24 years, introduced her and sang her accolades. "She is filled with compassion for those in her district and she is filled with the knowledge and experience from past jobs," he said. "I would tell you even if it wasn't true that she is the best candidate for the job but I can tell you unequivocally she is the best candidate for the job. She will work for you, she will never forget where she came from and she will never forget who sent her there." Stephanie Bosley thanked her campaign team and all those who attended her kickoff event, including state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, City Councilor Keith Bona and Planning Board members Brian Miksic and Paul Hopkins, who were there as she briefly outlined her platform. According to her campaign, 80 people signed in and more than 100 attended throughout the evening. She acknowledged that she hasn't held any office before but neither, she pointed, had other local representatives before being elected such as Jane Swift or Adam Hinds, past and present state senators. Bosley said she not only wants to strengthen education in the Northern Berkshire County district but also to work to change the state Chapter 70 education aid formula by advocating for a three-tiered funding system: a different funding formula for urban areas, suburban areas and rural areas. As for the economy, Bosley said the district needs more than just a tourist-based economy. She said she wants to work with local educational institutions and help train people for higher-paying tech jobs. "We must stop training people for the minimum-wage jobs and we must start training people for the jobs we want in the area," she said. "If we have the trained workforce, the jobs will follow." Bosley said on the environmental front, she wants to link the economy to the environment while supporting farms and protecting the ecology. "We need to make sure as we improve the economy we don't destroy what makes the Berkshires a special place," she said. "It is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful places on Earth." Bosley said she also wants to keep championing clean energy in the Berkshires while making sure alternative energy generation facilities are placed in sensible areas that do not affect the region's natural beauty. Cariddi, a longtime city councilor before her election to the State House in 2010, was a mentor, said Bosley, and showed her that a woman can enter politics and use her voice to help the community. Her father agreed. "There is no higher calling I think than political office and there is no higher calling than helping your fellow man and that is what Gail did," Daniel Bosley said. "She did it right up to the day she died so we owe her a great deal of thanks, our hearts, our memories and we want to make sure we keep her with all of us." Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito presents Town Manager Kenneth Walto with a technical grant to aid the town in identifying more energy savings. Town officials, Green Committee members and aides from Sen. Adam Hinds and Rep. Paul Mark's office join Polito and DOER Commissioner Judith Judson, third from left, at the Dalton Senior Center. Checking out the mechanicals at the senior center. Electric vehicles and charging station purchased through grant funding. Polito applauded the town's work on becoming greener and cutting global greenhouse gas emissions. PreviousNext Dalton Shows Lt. Gov. Polito Progress With Green Grants Polito also informed town officials about the opportunities available through the Community Compact Program. DALTON, Mass. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito delivered a $12,500 grant to Dalton on Thursday to help it continue to build on its Green Communities work. "I want to thank you for not only reducing your carbon footprint here but for contributing to the commonwealth goals for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions," Polito said in handing the ceremonial check to Town Manager Kenneth Walto. "You are contributing not only for your community but for the larger good and we appreciate you doing your part. ... "I know you will use every penny wisely." The Municipal Energy Technical Assistance funds for Dalton were part of $661,000 in grants awarded to 56 cities and towns designated or in the process of becoming Green Communities. Also receiving grants were North Adams, Peru and Pittsfield; Polito delivered grants to Middlefield and Williamsburg on Thursday after attending the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley Legislative Breakfast in Holyoke that morning. "I spend a lot of time with all of our municipal leaders because you're all on the front line," said Polito before touring the Dalton Senior Center, which has benefited from state energy efficiency grants. "You're the ones hearing the concerns and the ideas and forming the vision for your community, and if our administration can partner with you, support you, to make that vision become a reality, then we'll knit together a stronger commonwealth of Massachusetts through the cities and towns of the commonwealth." Walto said the grant will "help us make wise decisions" in applying for the next round of grants and in wrapping up the current grant. He said it was the members of the Dalton Green Committee who had done a lot of the work on moving the town forward. "It literally takes the work of the community to make it happen," said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. "Thanks for the terrific work that's happening here in Dalton. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of your studies and continued opportunities for grant funding for clean energy projects." Dalton was designated a Green Community in 2014, receiving $142,725 toward energy efficient projects. The lead was taken by the Green Dalton Committee, which has researched and developed initiatives to recommend to the Select Board. "It took us the better part of the year to fill out and just do the requirements in order to get the certification," committee Chairman David Wasielewski said. "Spending the money has been a little more of a challenge than we had anticipated. ... We're getting there." The committee has already seen results in the swapping out of older lighting in Town Hall for more efficient LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting. That's caused a 22 percent drop in energy use. Polito was shown the new hot water on demand heater installed in the Senior Center and that energy control upgrades were being installed. The Senior Center wasn't that old, and was built to the new stretch code, the mechanicals were out of date and the building needed more insulation in areas. Walto estimated the savings at anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000. "One of the first projects we did is an audit of our town buildings, so the next on deck is Town Hall," Walto said. "It's 125 years old, it's in serious need of insulation in the upper stories. The town appropriated out of its capital budget enough money to do the architectural studies, the architectural design. We got a complementary grant to do some energy studies about what the best way to go was ... that's next." The town is also looking to replace the old heating system with fuel-efficient boilers, installing LEDs in the town garage and the library. A more ambitious plan is swapping out the 740 streetlights that cost the town an estimated $150,000 a year. The process has been more difficult because the streetlights are owned by Eversource. Judson said there was a grant program for muncipal-owned lighting to switch to LEDs and the state is now working on a utility-owned initiative. "There is a proceeding in front of the [Department of Public Utilities] with Eversource ... for ways to make it more economical for towns that have utility-owned streetlights to convert," she said. "Once we see that proceeding through, we can make additional funds available." The town's pride, however, is the two electric cars purchased through the Green Communities grant and a charging station at the Senior Center funded through a Department of Environmental Protection Grant. One is used by the inspector and the other is the police chief's unmarked car. Joking that she loved "all my children equally" (the 351 cities and towns), Polito encouraged local leaders to take advantage of the opportunities provided through the state's programs, including the Baker-Polito's signature Community Compact Program that offers funding for technical assistance on a variety of initiatives. Some 299 municipalities have signed compacts, but not Dalton yet. But Polito had an application on hand to explain to the town's leaders how to enter the program. Ukraine's state concern Ukroboronprom expects to participate in a program with Poland's armed forces to modernize T-72 tanks according to NATO standards. Ukrobornprom's press service on Thursday said one of the versions for modernizing Polish T-72 tanks, the PT-17, modernized by Ukroboronprom together with the Polish Zaklady Mechaniczne "Bumar-Labedy" S.A., has been presented to a potential buyer during the MPSO 2017 arms exhibition held in Kielce, Poland, from September 5 to September 8. According to the announcement, the modernization was conducted pursuant to an agreement by the sides in April and includes the replacement of the main gun of the tank with a NATO 120mm caliber gun, as well as refurbishment of the tank's defensive armor. The main systems of the retrofitted T-72 tank were developed and prepared by the Ukrainian side, the press release says. Ukroboronprom says should the Ministry of National Defense of Poland decide on the purchase of the PT-17, the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex will be able to join in a large-scale program worth several hundred million U.S. dollars for retrofitting of Poland's T-72 tanks. Ukroboronprom in January 2016 revealed plans to participate in a program to modernize the Polish OBT PT-91, which is a licensed version of the Soviet T-72M1 tank. Open-source information about Polish weapons reveal the country has more than 700 T-72 tanks, of which more than 200 are PT-91s. Ukraine's T-72 tank fleet is estimated at 400. The MPSO arms show is one of the largest in Europe and is held annually in Poland. Ukraine and Poland have accelerated cooperation in the military sphere and are currently devising cooperation plans, which include joint production of high-precision weapons, anti-air weapons systems, drones and the joint modernization of aviation and armored vehicles. The State Automobile Roads Agency, also known as Ukravtodor, on September 7, 2017 signed contracts to implement overhaul of road sections on the Ukrainian-Polish border with two companies from Poland - Drog-Bud Sp.z.o.o. and Unibep S.A. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the Polish loan will be sent to this project. The governments of Ukraine and Poland signed an agreement on financing projects for development of road infrastructure in border regions and other projects in September 2015 in Poland. The agreement took effect in April 2016. The document provides for the development of transport infrastructure on the Ukrainian-Polish border, the improvement of the transport and operational state of 144 km of roads approaching the border with Poland and bringing traffic safety requirements on the Ukrainian roads to European standards. In May 2017, tenders to design and repair sections of roads in Lviv and Volyn regions were announced. Drog-Bud Sp.z.o.o. and Unibep S.A won the tenders. The cost of works in Lviv region totaled EUR 53.4 million. The cost of design works and overhaul of the Ustyluh-Lutsk-Rivne road is EUR 4.8 million. "This is the first unprecedented agreement between the governments of Poland and Ukraine on improving the state of infrastructure and roads. It is important for me, just as it is important for cooperation of the European Union countries and Ukraine. It is a good example of how cooperation should develop. I hope this will be a good example of quality work. I personally ask contractors to implement these projects as an example of how to make roads in Ukraine," Head of Ukravtodor Slawomir Nowak, who attended the signing ceremony, said. First pilot concession projects in Ukraine to be three port projects First pilot projects of public private partnership in the form of concession in Ukraine will be projects in infrastructure, in particular port projects. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv gave the information at the presentation of a new bill on concession in Kyiv on Friday. He said that the first projects will be concession of state-owned stevedoring company Olvia, Kherson Maritime Merchandise Port and the Chornomorsk railway and ferry complex. Kubiv said that it will require around $35 billion to modernize the out-of-date Ukrainian infrastructure. These funds can be raised only via public private partnership tools. The best of the tools is concession. Commenting on the three projects, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Nadia Kaznacheyeva said that the preliminary feasibility study has been drawn up. In September, the work with the feasibility study will start and concession tenders could be held in 2018-2019. "We hope that the new bill will be tested in the infrastructure sphere and then it will be successfully applied in other sphere," she said. A pressing issue in Japan is the ageing population combined with the diminishing birth rate. The Japanese government has been in the dark on how to handle these two elements. At first glance, these two concerns appear to present conflicting demands, namely (i) expanding health and medical services for the elderly, while at the same time; and (ii) minimising the use of public funds for those health and medical services, as a means of tackling the issue. Therefore, in order to deal with this problem, the Japanese government has drawn attention to the use of private resources, such as private funds, including Japanese real estate investment trusts (J-Reits), to provide sufficient monetary resources to the health and medical care industries through the acquisition of their assets. In June 2013, the Prime Minister of Japan and his cabinet unveiled the Japan Revitalisation Strategy, under which the Japanese government would develop, disseminate and also provide education on, guidelines for the acquisition and operation of housing, and so on, for people including the elderly by private funds such as healthcare J-Reits. Subsequently, in January 2014, the cabinet of Japan approved its Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Action Plan. The plan outlined how the Japanese government would improve services for disease prevention to enhance people's life expectancy by curbing expenditure connected with health and medical costs in Japan and providing health and medical care of a higher quality. As part of their efforts to put these plans into action, in June 2014, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) released the Guidelines on Acquisition by J-Reits of Housing for the Elderly, and in June 2015, the Guidelines for Acquisition by J-Reits of Real Estate for Use as Hospitals, which clarify in detail the measures and matters to be noted in the acquisition by J-Reits of such assets. In addition, in April 2017, amendments to the Medical Care Act of Japan came into force. In the main, these amendments are as follows: (i) the creation of a community-based healthcare promotion corporation system; (ii) improved transparency and a strengthened governance system of medical corporations; and (iii) the introduction of provisions pertaining to the splitting up of medical corporations. Due to limitations of space, a detailed discussion of these amendments is not possible here. However, improving the transparency and strengthening the governance system of medical corporations is of paramount importance, through both the management of medical corporations and the provision of funds by private entities such as J-Reits to medical corporations via the acquisition of their assets. Hiroshi Hasegawa Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu JP Tower, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-7036, Japan T: +81-3-6889-7000 F: +81-3-6889-8000 E: hiroshi_hasegawa@noandt.com W: www.noandt.com The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: National energy company Ukrenergo and KfW (Germany) have signed an agreement on providing grants to finance consulting service in joint projects, the company's press service has reported. The press service said that the grants are provided from the special fund of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) via KfW to finance advisors to be selected and contracted by Ukrenergo. In particular, one of the agreements provides for financing of monitoring services for the implementation of the current project entitled "Reconstruction of Substations in Eastern Ukraine." The second agreement provides for the preparation and monitoring of the implementation of a new project entitled "Improving Energy Efficiency in Power Transmission (Reconstruction of Transformer Substations) II." The agreements signed on September 6 provide for the selection one of the best European companies that will manage the implementation of projects on behalf of Ukrenergo at an open tender, in accordance with the criteria of KfW. "The implementation of these projects is aimed at upgrading substation equipment, increasing energy efficiency by reducing technological losses in networks, ensuring the reliability of the operation of the main electricity grids and the power supply to consumers," Ukrenergo said. According to Director for Investments and Strategy of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky, the project to increase the energy efficiency of power transmission will become a pilot project for the full automation of nine substations of the southwestern region at the expense of Germany. "This level of complex modernization of substations will be one of the real steps of Ukrenergo to implement the catalog of measures for the possibility of integrating Ukraine's united power grid into the European ENTSO-E network of systemic operators," he said. Ukrenergo operates trunk and interstate power transmission lines and provides centralized oversight of the integrated power grids. It is a state company run by the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry. Imperial Valley News Center Three FTC actions of interest to influencers Washington, DC - If you have any influence over influencers, alert them to three developments, including the FTCs first law enforcement action against individual online influencers for their role in misleading practices. According to the FTC, Trevor Martin and Thomas Cassell known on their YouTube channels as TmarTn and Syndicate deceptively endorsed the online gambling site CSGO Lotto without disclosing that they owned the company. Law enforcement Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (also known as CS: GO) is an online, multiplayer, first-person shooter game. Skins are game collectibles that can be bought, sold, or traded for real money. Skins have another use: They can be used as virtual currency on certain gambling sites, including CSGOLotto.com. On that site, players could challenge others to a one-on-one coin flip, wagering their pooled skins. In 2015, respondent Martin posted a video touting CSGO Lotto: We found this new site called CSGO Lotto, so Ill link it down in the description if you guys want to check it out. But we were betting on it today and I won a pot of like $69 or something like that so it was a pretty small pot but it was like the coolest feeling ever. And I ended up like following them on Twitter and stuff and they hit me up. And theyre like talking to me about potentially doing like a skins sponsorship like theyll give me skins to be able to bet on the site and stuff. And Ive been like considering doing it. Martin followed up with more videos on his YouTube channel showing him gambling on the CSGO Lotto site. In addition, he tweeted things like Made $13k in about 5 minutes on CSGO betting. Absolutely insane and posted on Instagram Unreal!! Won two back to back CSGOLotto games today on stream $13,000 in total winnings. Cassell promoted CSGO Lotto in a similar way, posting videos that were viewed more than five million times. In addition, he tweeted a screen shot of himself winning a betting pool worth over $2,100 with the caption Not a bad way to start the day! According to another tweet, I lied . . . I didnt turn $200 into $4,000 on @CSGOLotto. . . I turned it into $6,000!!!! Then theres this one: Bruh.. ive won like $8,000 worth of CS:GO Skins today on @CSGOLotto. I cannot even believe it! Well, Bruhs, while were on the subject of things we cannot even believe, did either of you like consider clearly disclosing that you like owned the company a material connection required under FTC law? The complaint also challenges how the respondents ran their own influencer program for CSGO Lotto. They paid other gamers between $2,500 and $55,000 in cash or skins to post in their social media circles about their experiences in using the gambling site. However, the contract made clear that those influencers couldnt make statements, claims, or representations . . . that would impair the name, reputation and goodwill of CSGO Lotto. And post they did on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook in many instances, touting winnings worth thousands of dollars. According to the FTC, Cassell, Martin, and CSGOLotto, Inc. falsely claimed that their videos and social media posts and the videos and posts of the influencers they hired reflected the independent opinions of impartial users. The complaint also charges that the respondents failed to disclose the material connection they had to the company and the connection their paid influencers had. The proposed settlement requires Cassell, Martin, and the company to make those disclosures clearly and conspicuously in the future. The FTC is accepting public comments about the settlement until October 10, 2017. An interesting aside: This isnt the first time Cassells name has appeared in an FTC complaint. In a 2015 settlement with Machinima, the FTC alleged that Cassell pocketed $30,000 for two video reviews of Xbox One that he uploaded to his YouTube channel. Although the FTC didnt sue him, the complaint in that case alleged, Nowhere in the videos or in the videos descriptions did Cassell disclose that Respondent paid him to create and upload them. Warning letters The next development of interest to influencers relates to more than 90 educational letters the FTC sent to influencers and brands in April 2017, reminding them that, if influencers are endorsing a brand and have a material connection to the marketer, that relationship must be clearly disclosed, unless the connection is already clear from the context of the endorsement. 21 of the influencers who got the April letter just received a follow-up warning letter, citing specific social media posts the FTC staff is concerned might not be in compliance with the FTCs Endorsement Guides. But the letters are different this time. The latest round asks the recipients to let us know if they have material connections to the brands in the identified social media posts. If they do, weve asked them to spell out the steps they will be taking to make sure they clearly disclose their material connections to brands and businesses. Updated guidance for influencers and marketers Weve also just released an updated version of The FTCs Endorsement Guides: What People are Asking, a staff publication that answers questions about the use of endorsements, including in social media. The principles remain the same, but weve answered more than 20 new questions relevant to influencers and marketers on topics like tags in pictures, disclosures in Snapchat and Instagram, the use of hashtags, and disclosure tools built into some platforms. Youll want to read the updated brochure for details, but here are four heads up points for influencers: Brazil's Independence Day Washington, DC - On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of Brazil as you celebrate the 195th anniversary of Brazils independence. Brazil and the United States are longstanding partners. The United States was the first country to recognize Brazils independence, and today we continue to work together to achieve the fullest potential of our relationship. We are building an economic relationship for the 21st century, ensuring our citizens security, deepening institutional engagement, and helping our people-to-people ties flourish. We remain committed to working with Brazil on shared priorities, such as trade and investment, security, and human rights. I wish you a happy Independence Day celebration and peace and prosperity in the year to come. As you celebrate, know that the United States values our enduring friendship and cooperation. This Isnt Our Last Love Letter Dear Don Don, Way back in 92 I walked into the room and knew Never felt this way before I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes And the feeling grew As I took a seat I knew A love that would have my heart Forever I knew Way back in 92 They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true We were the exception to that rule Our love had no where to hide A spark set fire As if this is how the universe started I never doubted our love or what we could do Together we grew Forming a bond everlasting That became our glue My euphoria was YOU Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared For how fortunate we were : to have and to hold through sickness and in health Til death do us part Until we are together again This isnt our last love letter I love you with all my heart and soul Yours forever, Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow) Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus. A True American Hero I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus. I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years. I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years. But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us. In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about. Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle. I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life. I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life. No one will ever do what he did. I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO David Jurist IMUS IN THE MORNING FIRST DAY BACK! Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Vanity Fair announced its annual International Best Dressed List this week, but people have noticed that one name in particular is missing from the line-up. Despite owning an enviable wardrobe of designer pieces, First Lady Melania Trump didnt make the cut. However, her predecessor Michelle Obama did and not for the first time either. While no Trump family members are on the list, it has been noted that a host of other politicians have been named including former President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with his wife, Brigitte. Even Herve Pierre, Trumps go-to stylist who dressed her for her husbands inaugural ball made the list while she did not. Featuring in the couples category, the Obamas most notable look of the year, according to the list, was a white Club Monaco top and custom BCBG olive-green pants paired with a gold Elizabeth and James Connolly cuff worn by Michelle and a blue shirt, navy trousers, and desert boots worn by the former president in Siena, Italy. Trudeaus most memorable look was mismatched R2-D2 and C-3PO socks worn during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ireland while the Macrons was a navy suit for President Macron and powder-blue dress and jacket by Louis Vuitton for his wife. US First Lady Melania Trump arrives at Chierici Palace in Catania, Italy wearing Dolce & Gabbana (Domenico Stinellis/AP) Since the presidential election, there has been much discussion about First Lady Melania Trumps fashion sense, in particular who has said they will or wont dress her. But, despite being snubbed by designers like Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, she has successfully stepped out in high-fashion pieces by Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana. Michelle Obama at the State of the Union Address wearing Narciso Rodriguez (Rex Features) For this reason, fans of the First Lady have spoken out over the Trump familys exclusion from the list, with some accusing Vanity Fair of overlooking her because of its political position. Vanity Fair made a big mistake by purposely neglecting to give credit to @FLOTUS Melania in the 2017 Best Dressed List-She's a Fashion Icon! one person wrote. Another added, Not having Melania Trump on best dressed list is pure spite. You know as well as I do she is best dressed PERIOD! Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Most people know that raw chicken carries serious health risks, which is why we all wash our hands and any utensils after touching it. So the internet is aghast at the discovery that chicken sashimi exists. Its popular in Japan, where raw chicken - often referred to as chicken tartare or chicken sashimi - is found on many menus. Recommended Mars recalls some Galaxy bars on fears they contain Salmonella But its not as if the country doesnt know the risks associated with consuming raw chicken. In July, Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued a warning about eating it and stressed that restaurants must cook chicken to a 75-degree internal temperature before being served. Many restaurants, however, simply boil or sear chicken for as little as ten seconds, which isnt enough to kill any potentially harmful bacteria - raw poultry can contain dangerous microbes such as campylobacter and salmonella. Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert advises people eat chicken sashimi at their own peril. Some claim that raw foods are more nutritious than cooked foods because enzymes, along with some nutrients, are destroyed in the cooking process, Lambert explained to The Independent. Yet, some foods contain unsafe bacteria and microorganisms that are only eliminated by cooking. Eating a completely raw diet that includes fish and meat comes with a risk of developing a foodborne illness. Depending on where youre eating, there may be better or worse food safety standards. Recommended How to make the perfect fried chicken In the UK, the NHS suggests campylobacter bacteria are the most common cause of food poisoning. This bacteria along with salmonella and e.coli are usually found on raw or undercooked meat, especially chicken. Another concern is cross-contamination which can happen if you prepare raw chicken on a chopping board and don't wash the board before preparing food that won't be cooked such as salad. And raw chicken should definitely be avoided if youre very young, old, pregnant or have a weak immune system. Needless to say, many people are horrified by the prospect of eating raw chicken. After Food & Wine tweeted asking, Is chicken sashimi safe? they were met with a barrage of negativity, mainly in gif form. So it appears most of us wouldnt dream of eating raw chicken, even if there werent health risks. Consume at your own peril. Railways of Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan sign memo on setting up JV for ferry operation PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, Georgian Railway and CJSC Azerbaijan Railways have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the joint operation of a permanent rail-ferry service for the development of freight traffic along the EU-Ukraine-Black Sea-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Caspian Sea-Asian region states route using ferries of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia. According to the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia, the memorandum was signed during the second International High-Level Transport Conference "Integrated Europe-Asia Transport Corridors" by Ukrzaliznytsia Head Yevhen Kravtsov, Azerbaijan Railways CEO Javid Gurbanov and Georgian Railway CEO Mamuka Bakhtadze. The memorandum provides for the creation of a joint venture for operating Ukrzaliznytsia ferries for the development of the Baltic Sea-Black Sea-Caspian Sea route. "Partnership with our colleagues from Georgia opens new prospects for the implementation of this project. To ensure competitive transportation it is necessary to create not only a modern system of rail freight transportation but also organize complex work with the use of ferry service and establish close cooperation between the railways. The creation of a joint venture will facilitate ferry operation," Kravtsov said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Most people are entirely unprepared for a zombie outbreak, according to new research. Only 11 per cent of people have a plan for what they'd do in the case of an outbreak of undead flesh eaters sweeping the country, YouGov has found. And it is only really the young who are planning, with only 3 per cent of people over 55 having decided what they'd do. For the most part, those plans are the same: 45 per cent of people say they would hole up somewhere to wait it out, for instance. And the plans are not especially proactive, with only 15 per cent of people saying they would look to rescue their friends, and 13 per cent saying they'd kill zombies. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Among the people who had a plan, 9 per cent of people said they wouldn't tell the pollsters, suggesting there may be secret plans that are as yet undisclosed. Those people might hope that the government would take the lead instead, and 6 per cent of people say the state needs to do more to plan for an outbreak. But in fact the government doesn't have a great deal of contingencies ready for the apocalypse, a previous Freedom of Information request confirmed. "In the event of an apocalyptic incident (eg zombies), any plans to rebuild and return England to its pre-attack glory would be led by the Cabinet Office, and thus any pre-planning activity would also taken place there," the Ministry of Defence said when asked about its response by a member of the public. "The Ministry of Defence's role in any such event would be to provide military support to the civil authorities, not take the lead. Consequently, the Ministry of Defence holds no information on this matter." In the US, plans are much more clear. Both the Pentagon and FEMA have plans to deal with zombies, though that might be because fictional monsters tend to emerge there more. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} People totally think my husband is giving me money for a hobby to keep me quiet at home, Chika Russell laughs down the phone from her office opposite the Innocent building in West London. When she talks about throwing private art shows at her Notting Hill home, where guests would rave about her homemade Nigerian snacks, you can almost see why. But Chikas Snacks is a business built on more than a bit of pocket money. In the two years since Russell turned down 30,000 from Peter Jones on Dragons Den, she has secured 800,000 in funding from eight investors, and Chikas Snacks have been snapped up by stockists including Waitrose, Whole Foods and, starting in October, Sainsburys. Next, Russell wants to use some of the profits from her luxury nuts to sponsor children through school in Nigeria. The fundamental reason is to give back to the communities where the inspiration for the snacks comes from, Russell says. She devised a plan to sell to individuals the same way that she sells to hotels and businesses: in large quantities. From October, customers can buy a Snacks 4 Change caddy and 500g of nuts to fill it for 5.99, of which 20 per cent will go towards sponsoring a child in West Africa. Originally Russell thought she would partner with a charity on Snacks 4 Change. But as she looked into it more, she realised she could do the programme with fewer overheads by working with her own connections in Nigeria. You believe her when she says it. If Russell has proved anything since she started mass producing snacks in February 2014, its that shes a force to be reckoned with. A lot of people thought the task of launching Chikas was impossible but Ive made it work, she says. People have ideas, but execution is the main thing. My skill is not ideas, its execution. Russell was the youngest of seven siblings. She was born in London, because her Nigerian father wanted her to get an English education, but she identifies as Nigerian. Each summer, the siblings would return to Nigeria where they would spend all the time outside: I feel like the traditions, the food, the culture, are instilled in me and my children. She took her English education seriously, studying accounting and economics at university and going to work as a management accountant at Royal Bank of Scotland and ICAP. My hours were unbelievable, she says now. I worked my ass off! Russell would start the day at 7am and finish around 8 or 9pm that evening. During that time, Russell was still living at the family home. She had invested in two London properties by the time she left home at 24 to get married. I got married and fell pregnant and I knew I wanted to be a present mum as much as possible. My husband is in banking, and a nanny would have raised our kids, so I decided not to go back to work, she says. Parenthood was fulfilling, but there came a moment in early 2013 when she realised that it was time to get back to work. I was thinking about my older son, who is amazing, but I knew I wanted to go back to work for a couple of hours, she remembers. She decided to get in touch with someone in recruitment. She thought it would only take a couple of weeks to find something. But she became pregnant again and thats when she realised she wouldnt be going back to work in the City. Instead, she started thinking about the West African snacks she made when people came over for those art exhibitions, like hand-toasted peanuts and plantain chips. People were always so kind about these snacks, and I would think, thats because theyre free! When she asked her husband if he thought there was a market for West African snacks in the UK, he wasnt so sure. Russell started researching the idea anyway: He knows Im like a dog with a bone! Russell started making samples of snacks at home and taking them to hotels and bars to give tastings. Less than a year later she settled on a product and looked into manufacturing, importing peanuts from Nigeria and making the plantain from scratch in the UK, using techniques she learned from West Africa. At first the money came from some savings she put aside when she was still living at home. I knew it wasnt really enough to change my life so I decided to gamble that money, she says. As the business grew, she refinanced the two properties she bought in her twenties. Her husband eventually contributed to the manufacturing costs. Then in 2017 she brought in 800,000 from eight investors including Jeff van der Eems, the chief executive of United Biscuits, Marco Corradini, the CEO of lastminute.com, and Robert Devereux of Virgin Money and Soho House. She speaks highly of her relationship with investors and other mentors, such as Sahar Hashemi OBE, the founder of Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy, who called her up out the blue. She took us under her wing, she said she loved the products and loved the team and the office but the packets had no soul. A redesign, inspired in part by Hashemi, is part of the next phase of Chikas Snacks. The rebrand will be on the shelves in the second week of October, when Russell launches Snacks 4 Change. The support of big investors proved Russells instinct to turn down the Dragons Den money two years ago. Its easy to say now, because it worked, she says. But Dragons Den taught me to have conviction. Its hard to believe there was ever a time when she didnt. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK business of disgraced London public relations firm Bell Pottinger could reportedly go into administration as early as next week. The company, which was this week stripped of its membership of the industrys trade association after an investigation into its conduct in South Africa, said that all options are still being considered when contacted by The Independent, declining to comment further. Several newspapers reported that an announcement had been made to UK staff on Thursday night, saying the firm could go into administration next week. The BBC reported that Bell Pottingers Asian unit would soon start trading under the name Klareco Communications. Recommended Bell Pottinger understood to be losing major clients It is understood that the company had been haemorrhaging clients and a major shareholder last month wrote off its stake in the group. The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) on Tuesday said that Bell Pottinger had brought the PR and communications industry into disrepute with a campaign in South Africa that was accused of stirring up racial tensions. Bell Pottingers clients had ranged from multinational businesses to governments, public sector organisations, entrepreneurs and some of the worlds richest individuals. The accusations relate to Bell Pottingers relationship with Oakbay, a company controlled by the wealthy Gupta family of Indian-born businessmen, which has widely been accused of exerting undue influence over South African President Jacob Zuma. The PRCA launched an investigation into Bell Pottinger following a complaint from South Africas main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). The DA blamed the PR company of working to divide and conquer the South African public by exploiting racial tensions in a bid to keep Jacob Zuma and the ANC in power. The allegations reportedly stemmed from leaked emails that suggested Bell Pottinger had worked with Oakbay to create a narrative that grabs the attention of the grassroots population. Bell Pottinger left the Oakbay account in April, and in July the group said that it had fired one partner and suspended another, as well as two other employees, as a result of the campaign. Bell Pottingers chief executive James Henderson, who at the time said that he was deeply sorry that this happened, resigned earlier this month. Earlier this week, the PRCA said that it had imposed its most serious sanctions on Bell Pottinger. It stripped the firm of membership and said that the group would not be eligible to reapply for corporate membership for a minimum period of five years. In response to the decision, Bell Pottinger said it accepts that there are lessons to be learned but disputes the basis on which the ruling was made and said that it would refocus on delivering outstanding work for our clients and looking after our people. Earlier this week, co-founder Timothy Bell, who left the firm last year, told BBCs Newsnight programme that he thought the agency is unlikely to survive. Its probably nearing the end, Lord Bell said. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Bob Diamond, the architect of Barclays investment bank over more than a decade in London, said the capital will be hurt more than people expect from Brexit, with lawyers likely to join bankers in moving away. People are beginning to understand Brexit is going to be far more profound and long-lasting than they thought, Mr Diamond said in a phone interview from New York on Thursday. Id be very surprised if support services and legal services dont move. Mr Diamond, who now chairs African bank investor Atlas Mara, said he expects New York will benefit at Londons expense. Recommended Goldman Sachs says it may triple or quadruple its Frankfurt presence Britains decision to leave the European Union has global banks establishing new bases within the trading bloc, to ensure continued access to clients in the region. Some observers have said that given fragmentation between European trading centres, certain activities are more likely to gravitate to the bigger bulk of the US financial capital. Mr Diamonds comments contrast with a more upbeat take on Brexit from one of his successors as chief executive of Barclays. Jes Staley, an American who has run the bank since the end of 2015, has been adamant that London will remain a financial hub, and has championed the citys financial-technology scene as a source of jobs that will offset those leaving town. Still, he has picked Dublin for Barclayss post-Brexit expanded EU base. Goldman Sachs said on Thursday that it could increase its Frankfurt staffing as much as four-fold after Brexit, while Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and UBS are also all relocating jobs to Germanys financial capital. As for Atlas Mara, which trades in London, Mr Diamond said his firm will benefit as global banks lower their exposure to emerging markets because of capital controls and regulation. Atlas Maras opportunities to boost market share have never been better, he said, and it plans to have a presence in 10 or more African countries in the next three to five years, up from the current seven. It also has a treasury and markets unit based in Dubai. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Earlier, Atlas Mara reported that first-half net income to June rose to a record $11.5m (8.7m) from $1.2m a year earlier. Its share price has rebounded 36 per cent in 2017 after sliding 82 per cent between its initial public offering in 2013 and the end of last year, as commodity prices and local currencies slumped. Its biggest investment is a stake in Union Bank of Nigeria. Weve delivered what we promised, Mr Diamond said, adding that Atlas Mara is on track to more than double 2016s full-year profit. Bloomberg For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Lord Christopher Smith, the outgoing chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, has said the UK would benefit from a body to independently verify the claims made by politicians after the misleading EU referendum campaign that resulted in the decision to leave the EU. Lord Smith, who describes himself as a proud and passionate Remainer, also said that the British public should have the chance to vote in a second referendum once the terms of the exit deal are clear. The referendum was a snapshot in time, he told The Independent during an interview marking his 10 years as chairman and his decision to step down at the end of September. I think people would welcome the chance to have another look at the issue once we know what the provisions of departure are going to be. Recommended Labour pledge to ban betting firms from advertising on football shirts The Advertising Standards Authority, which addresses complaints from the public about misleading or inappropriate advertising, checked some claims made by politicians in broadcast advertising until 1999. The process was abandoned because, unlike the advertising industry, which funds the watchdog through a levy and upholds its judgements, politicians do not support a similar process. None of the political parties will buy in to a regulatory system, Lord Smith said. At the ASA, we fundamentally depend on buy-in from the industry. Lord Smith served as MP for Islington South and Finsbury for 22 years until 2005. He worked closely with Jeremy Corbyn, who is MP for neighbouring constituency Islington North, throughout this time. I like Jeremy a lot, said Lord Smith, who served as Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport during Tony Blairs first term. I have a lot of respect for [him]. He did a brilliant campaign in the election. It completely astonished me. Clearly he is unassailable as the leader and will lead Labour into the next election. He called on Mr Corbyn to bring Labour politicians that had previously opposed his leadership back to the frontbenches. I wish he would now bring into his Shadow Cabinet the array of talents that are available in the party, including those who have opposed him in the past, Lord Smith said. I believe that Labour needs to show its strongest face to the public. Lord Smith will step down from his post as chairman of the ASA at the end of September. He will be succeeded by Lord David Currie. Read Lord Smith's interview next Friday For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Oil markets were mixed on Friday, with Brent crude supported by expectations that Saudi Arabia could cut its October supplies, while US crude was weighed down by refinery outages due to damage from Hurricane Harvey, which dented demand. Focus was shifting to three other hurricanes that are currently tearing through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Brent crude futures were up 8 cents at $54.57 a barrel at 7:30AM GMT, with the benchmark for international oil prices earlier marking its highest since April at $54.79 a barrel. Saudi Arabia will cut crude oil allocations to its customers worldwide in October by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd), an industry source familiar with Saudi oil policy told Reuters on Thursday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $48.98 barrel, 11 cents below their last settlement. Traders said that the dip was a result of low refining activity following Hurricane Harvey, which hit the US Gulf coast two weeks ago and knocked out almost a quarter of the countrys huge refinery industry, cutting demand for crude oil, refinings lifeblood. But as the refinery sector gradually recovers, so is its crude processing. Most refineries are restarting and we expect a near-full recovery by month-end, US investment bank Jefferies said. Harveys impact was also felt in oil production. US oil output fell by almost 8 per cent, from 9.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to 8.8 million bpd, according to the Energy Information Administration. Port and refinery closures along the Gulf coast and harsh sea conditions in the Caribbean have also impacted shipping. Imports (of oil) to the US Gulf Coast fell to levels not seen since the 1990s, ANZ bank said. Traders said it would take weeks for the US petroleum industry to return to full capacity, and that under the current conditions it was difficult to identify fundamental market trends. The data for this week and next will be taken with a grain of salt as the underlying trend will be obscured by the effects of the hurricane, said William OLoughlin, investment analyst at Rivkin Securities. Even as the oil industry continues to grapple with the fallout from Harvey, a much bigger Hurricane was lashing the Caribbean islands and heading for the United States. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Hurricane Irma, which has become one of the biggest storms ever measured - picking up the Twitter hashtag #irmageddon - on Friday hit the Dominican Republic and Haiti, heading for Cuba and the Bahamas. It is predicted to hit Florida by Saturday. The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Irma was still a Category 5 hurricane, with wind speeds of 160-185 miles per hours (260-295 km/h). On Irmas heels, Hurricane Jose is heading for the Caribbean Leeward islands, which have just been devastated by Irma, with wind speeds of 120 mph (195 km/h). With storm Katia about to hit the Mexican Gulf coast, there are three major hurricanes currently active in the region. Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Despite only launching in London this week, Estonian on-demand ride-sharing service Taxify halted operations in response to an urgent investigation launched by the citys transport authority. The Uber challenger said the suspension was temporary and it wants to clarify its legal position with Transport for London, it said in an emailed statement. On Friday, the app informed London users that no drivers were available. TfL has instructed Taxify to stop accepting bookings and it has done so, said a statement from the authority. The law requires private-hire bookings to be taken by licensed private-hire operators at a licensed premises, with appropriate record keeping. Taxify is not a licensed private hire operator and is not licensed to accept private-hire bookings in London. Taxify launched in London on Tuesday and operates in 26 cities in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. It charges an average 15 per cent commission for drivers, according to its website. Our pricing system is the same as our competitors, one help note for drivers says. Didi Chuxing announced in August that it is backing Taxify with a financial investment and support on technology developments. Bloomberg For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The FBI has reportedly launched a probe into whether ride-hailing giant Uber used software to illegally interfere with its competitors, potentially dealing a sharp blow to the group already grappling with legal troubles. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that an investigation was looking at a programme used by Uber that tracks drivers working for rival service Lyft. The paper said that the programme, which was internally dubbed Hell, was discontinued last year. Recommended Uber pledges to stop using diesel cars in London by the end of 2019 It reported that Uber had used it to create fake Lyft accounts, tricking the rival companys system into thinking that prospective customers were seeking rides in different locations. By doing this, Uber was reportedly able to see which Lyft drivers were nearby and what prices they were offering for specific routes. The programme, the Journal reported, was also used to obtain data on drivers who worked for both Uber and Lyft, and whom Uber might be able to target with cash incentives to leave Lyft. The Journal said that the focus of the investigation was to find out whether the programme included unauthorised access of a computer. It said that the investigation was being led by the FBIs New York office and the Manhattan US attorneys office. Uber was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Independent. The report could deal a blow to company that is struggling to recover from a series of scandals and legal disputes while simultaneously trying to defend its dominance of the highly competitive ride-sharing market. Uber late last month named Dara Khosrowshahi as new chief executive, replacing Travis Kalanick who co-founded Uber in 2009 and led it as CEO until his messy exit in June. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A child who was repeatedly raped by a sex attacker over several years ended up believing that the man was her boyfriend, a court heard. Robin Matthews abused the girl for his own perverted sexual purposes, when she was aged between nine and 16, prosecutors said. The girl was one of two children who Matthews had molested. His second victim, a boy, was just four when the abuse started, Cambridge Crown Court heard. Recommended How to find out if a sex attacker is living in your neighbourhood After sexually assaulting or raping each of the children, Matthews would threaten to kill them if they spoke out, telling them he would bury them alive. The 63-year-old was jailed for 27 years for the reign of abuse that went on for more than two decades. Judge David Farrell told Matthews he was a "vile bully, prepared to use a younger child for perverted sexual purposes". He pointed out that one of his victims, the girl, even believed Matthews was her boyfriend because the abuse had lasted for seven years by the time it stopped when she was 16. He added that one victim tried to speak out over the abuse, which lasted between 1970 and 1992, but was "let down by the authorities at the time" who did not believe the child. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters In a victim impact statement, one of the children said felt that had their "childhood stolen away" because of the repeated rapes and sexual assaults, according to a victim . Speaking after the verdict Detective Con Helen Tebbit told the court "I would like to thank the victims for giving evidence against Matthews," according to a BBC report. "I know this would not have been easy, but I do hope they both find some closure knowing their abuser is now behind bars and they can move on with their lives." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A 13-year-old girl who died of a brain aneurysm has saved a record number of lives through organ donation. Jemima Layzell, who died in 2012, helped eight different people from across the country by donating her organs. NHS Blood and Transplant said no other donor had managed to save as many people. While a typical donor enables between two and three transplants, she gave her heart, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, small bowel and liver, and managed to benefit five children in the process. Her family has decided to share her incredible story with the world in the hope of encouraging others to sign up to the organ donor register during Organ Donation Week, which runs from 4 September to 10 September. The teenage girl, who was from Horton in Somerset, collapsed while preparing for her mothers 38th birthday and passed away four days later at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Her mother, Sophy Layzell, a drama teacher, and her father, Harvey Layzell, who is managing director of a building firm, described their daughter as clever, compassionate and creative and said she would have been deeply proud of her legacy. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA 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 They said Jemima told them she wanted to use her body to help others if she were to die. The conversation arose after someone they knew died in a crash. Ms Layzell told the BBC: They were on the register but their organs couldnt be donated because of the circumstances of their death. Jemima had never heard of organ donation before and found it a little bit unsettling but totally understood the importance of it. Nevertheless, the parents admitted they did find donating their daughters organs difficult but agreed it was the right thing to do. Everyone wants their child to be special and unique and this among other things makes us very proud, Ms Layzell said. Shortly after Jemima died, we watched a programme about children awaiting heart transplants and being fitted with Berlin Hearts in Great Ormond Street Hospital. It affirmed for us that saying no would have been denying eight other people the chance for life, especially over Jemimas heart, which Harvey had felt uncomfortable about donating at the time. She added: Every parents instinct is to say no, as we are programmed to protect our child. Its only with prior knowledge of Jemimas agreement that we were able to say yes. According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 457 people died while awaiting a transplant last year, including 14 children. There are currently 6,414 people on the transplant waiting list, including 176 children. Arbitration court in Moscow has once more rejected a Siemens request to impound the turbines that were diverted to Crimea, according to the case file in the arbitration suit. The plaintiff, Siemens, requested that the court impound the four turbines, because Tekhnopromexport is working to install them. In its filing, Siemens argued that the turbines are complex industrial power equipment. "De-installation the gas turbines would entail significant expenditure of time and money and return of the turbines would be difficult if not impossible. Moreover, installation of the disputed turbine complexes and their subsequent operation by the defendant would entail significant decrease in the value of the turbines, since in that case the equipment would be exposed to wear and tear and would be considered second-hand equipment. This circumstance would entail significant losses for the plaintiff," Siemens said. Siemens filed suit against Tekhnopromexport, which is installing the Siemens equipment in Crimea, despite a prohibition and EU sanctions. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has rejected allegations that she is trying to rig Parliament to grab sweeping powers ahead of Brexit describing the move as common sense. Downing Street defended its hugely controversial attempt to guarantee a majority on all Commons committees revealed by The Independent amid a fierce backlash against the plan. No 10 also insisted it had a majority in the Commons itself, despite falling short at the general election, prompting allegations that the Prime Minister is trying to rewrite the June result. The bid to seize control of all committees can only succeed with the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), under the much-criticised cash-for-votes deal that props up Ms May in power. It will be decided at a showdown Commons vote late on Tuesday evening, when Tory MPs who normally obsess about constitutional propriety will be under huge pressure to rebel. A motion will seek to change Commons rules so that where a committee has an odd number of members, the Government shall have a majority. Without the fix, it would be impossible to force through up to 1,000 corrections to EU law in preparation for Brexit, which has triggered accusations of a power grab. Some changes will be made using Henry VIII powers, so-called because they date back to a 1539 law allowing the Tudor monarch to govern by proclamation, without consulting MPs. Jeremy Corbyn described the motion as an unprecedented attempt to rig Parliament and grab power by a Conservative government with no majority and no mandate. Asked how it could be justified in defiance of advice from parliamentary officials the Prime Ministers spokeswoman said: We believe these are common sense proposals. The spokeswoman declined to say whether the DUP had guaranteed its support, or whether that support fell under the confidence-and-supply agreement signed in June. She said: The Government has a majority on the floor of the House, therefore its perfectly legitimate that it puts to the House, and therefore MPs, that it should also have a majority in committees. Without power over committees, the full Commons would be tied up in many hours of passing detailed, technical legislation, creating a logjam, she claimed. The effect of this would be unacceptable delays, when the public has an expectation for the Government to deliver business through the House in a timely fashion, she added. The claim that the Government has a majority on the floor of the House will be disputed fiercely, given the limited nature of the DUP deal. The Northern Ireland party has promised to help the Tories to pass the Budget and other key legislation, but not in the absence of a formal coalition the Governments entire programme. Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat chief whip, said: With every day that passes, this Government gets further from the basic principles of democracy. In the EU (Withdrawal) Bill they want to grab power and to marginalise Parliament. Next they want to pretend that the election never happened in order to try to ram through a destructive hard Brexit. It is an affront to democracy. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson has been urged by 157 MPs and peers to suspend Britain's training of the Burmese armed forces given the military offensive against Rohingya Muslim civilians in the south-east Asian nation. The Foreign Secretary has already warned Burma's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi that the treatment of the ethnic minority group is "besmirching" the country's reputation. The parliamentarians welcomed his statement but urged the Government to suspend British training of the Burmese military, which cost the UK around 305,000 last year, given reports of beheadings, rape and children being deliberately shot. Answers to written parliamentary questions show that the UK does not provide combat training but instead seeks to educate soldiers in democracy, leadership and the English language. In November last year, then-defence minister Mike Penning said the Government does not know if any of the soldiers trained by the UK are involved in operations against Rohingya Muslims, and said officials have not evaluated how the training has led to improvements in human rights. The letter came after the United Nations said 270,000 Rohingya Muslims had crossed into neighbouring Bangladesh in the past two weeks. The exodus began after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Burma, prompting the military to respond with "clearance operations" to root out fighters hiding in villages in Rakhine state, prompting accusations of ethnic cleansing. In a letter to Mr Johnson, the parliamentarians, led by Labour MP Rushanara Ali, who co-chairs the all party parliamentary group for democracy in Burma, said: "Based on reports from the United Nations, human rights organisations and Rohingya organisations, we are witnessing human rights violations on a scale extreme even by the standards of Myanmar's (Burma's) history. "Estimates of people killed range from official figures of hundreds dead, to estimates by reliable Rohingya organisations of between 2,000 to 3,000 killed. "Eye witnesses describe civilians being shot indiscriminately, people forced to lie down in rows and then shot in the back of the head, beheadings, rape, rounding people up into buildings which are then set fire to, and deliberate shooting of children. "At the same time (militant group) ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) appears to have been targeting ethnic Rakhine, the Mro community and people of other races and religions, exacerbating communal tensions and 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 The group urged Mr Johnson to also put pressure on military commander in chief Min Aun Hlaing and said the Government "must review its current approach towards the Burmese military". Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Conservative Party members are overwhelmingly old and male, according to new research analysing the characteristics of the Tory faithful. The survey by Queen Mary University and YouGov of 1,000 Conservative members found that men account for nearly three-quarters of the membership compared with around 50 per cent of those who voted for the party at the general election in June. It also reveals that just six per cent of members are aged between 18 and 25 while over-65s account for 44 per cent of the total membership, highlighting the uphill struggle for the Party in attracting younger voters to its ranks. In the make-up of other parties, the research claims, over-65s typically account for less than 30 per cent of membership figures and just 23 per cent of those who actually voted for the Conservatives at the snap election. In recent weeks, the party has attempted to address this issue by launching Activate the Conservative attempt to emulate the success of Labours grassroots Momentum group that has mobilised thousands of young people since Jeremy Corbyns victory in the partys leadership contest. In a further move, Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, told Conservative MPs earlier this week to submit ideas to address the financial plight of young people ahead of his autumn Budget. But the survey, which appeared in the Huffington Post, added that when respondents were asked whether young people did not respect traditional British values nearly eight in 10 agreed with the statement. In regards to Brexit, the research added that just 13 per cent of members surveyed believed in considering the option of a second referendum on Britains membership of the EU when the terms of the Brexit deal are known. Last month a separate study found that 49 per cent of Labour members thought there should definitely be a vote on the final Brexit deal while just 8 per cent opposed the idea outright. According to recent data published by the House of Commons Library, Labour has over half a million members 552,000 while the Conservatives had 149,800 in December 2013 the last available estimate published by CCHQ. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Downing Street has defended its response to Hurricane Irma amid criticism it did not do enough to prepare for the disaster. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister called the UK's response "swift", after it was suggested it had lagged behind France and the Netherlands in taking care of its territories. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Government "should have acted much faster" given the "well-known" news about the storm. British tourists stranded in the affected regions have also hit out at the "disgusting" way they have been treated by tour operators. Downing Street's comments came as Theresa May held another meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Friday to co-ordinate relief efforts for victims. The spokeswoman told a Westminster briefing: "We believe our response was swift. We had a ship pre-positioned. We are getting lifesaving aid now to those who need it." She said the Government was waiting for "a full picture of intelligence to come through", adding: "Three flights departed this morning carrying marines and engineers as part of the MoD task force. "Tomorrow, another C17 will leave carrying two Puma helicopters. And the RFA Mounts Bay ship is due to arrive in the British Virgin Islands ... bringing aid and helicopters to help deliver supplies." Downing Street said that the Department for International Development's disaster response centre was sending out supplies of aid to be loaded on to HMS Ocean, which has been diverted from the Mediterranean to head for the Caribbean. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA Labour MP Virendra Sharma said Hurricane Irma was not adequately prepared for, despite indications that it would wreak devastation. Mr Sharma, who sits on the International Development Committee, welcomed the decision to send further resources, but said: "If we had that planned well in advance, then when it actually happened we could have immediately taken steps, like France." The chairs of the Commons Foreign Affairs and International Development committees, Tom Tugendhat and Stephen Twigg, said Britain's response has been found wanting. In a letter to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and International Development Secretary Priti Patel, they wrote: While we welcome the increase in funding for disaster relief in the British Overseas Territories to 32 million and the fact that personnel, equipment and the RFA Mounts Bay were dispatched to the area before the hurricane struck, arriving in Anguilla the day after its devastation, we are concerned that many in the UK's overseas territories in the Caribbean are still in grave need. In Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Turks and Caicos, our response still requires improvement and the arrival of HMS Ocean in two weeks' time will be later than any of us would wish. We do recognise that information and analysis is required to tailor a proportion of the relief sent to meet conditions on the ground but there are also predictable needs and demands in such circumstances. They said they expect the Government to take a role in the long-term reconstruction of communities devastated by the storm and urged the ministers to set out what they are doing to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Jose, which could affect already-hit areas But Ms Patel said Britain has a naval and military presence in the area, adding: "I do think it's not right to basically say that we've been caught out." She told Adam Boulton on Sky News: "We've had the vessel out there, Adam, and that vessel has been equipped with the right people and the right skills and the right equipment and the reality is of course, it's been a difficult environment to get into because of the scale of the hurricane and the extent to which the devastation has hit the countries as well. "We are helping on the ground now and in terms of preparedness, we have the right people on the ground, in country and actually I think this is about making sure that we channel our resources." Tourists stranded in affected regions have also complained about a lack of information and assistance from holiday companies. Paul Phipps, from Essex, who is on his honeymoon in the Bahamas, said he felt "let down" after being unable to get an earlier flight home to avoid the hurricane. The 39-year-old, who is due to fly back on Monday, said: "We are still here after being let down by Sandals UK and British Airways. Both kept advising only the other could assist with earlier flights home. "There were seats available on a BA flight last night when searching the internet but I was advised by Sandals that BA wouldn't assist as our flight on Monday night hasn't been cancelled. "It's disgusting how Brits in the Bahamas have been treated." In a tweet to Thomas Cook, Gaz Pritchard said: "The Canadians are being evacuated from our hotel in Cuba. British guests are left stranded with no information. Disgusting." Thomas Cook said it is often safer for customers to stay in their hotels during extreme weather, as they "are built to withstand hurricane-strength winds and rain". PA Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} America is a country of violence violence that has, for too long, been the dominion of the right. So says a burgeoning group of left-wing American activists who are ready to pick up arms in the fight for peace. Violence is everywhere in this society, Michael Novick, a member of Anti-Racist Action Los Angeles, told The Independent. Poverty is violence. Evictions are violent. Police brutality and racist murders are violent ... the US is more violent than ever. Mr Novick is an Antifa activist part of a loosely organised group of people who aim to stamp out any remnants of fascism in the United States, even if it means resorting to force. Antifascists generally, and Antifa in particular, recognise that the battles including physical ones to defend human rights and human lives are taking place right now, not in some science fiction future when the revolution comes, Mr Novick said. Antifa hurtled into headlines this summer, as they engaged in increasingly high-profile battles with far-right groups in Oregon, California, and Boston. In August, after Antifa turned up to protest a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, they even caught the attention of the President. "They show up in the helmets and the black masks and they have clubs and everything Antifa! Donald Trump exclaimed at a rally. President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters at the Phoenix Convention Center during a rally (Getty/Ralph Freso) That being said, the Antifa arent an entirely new phenomenon. The movement emerged in Europe in the 1920s, in response to the growing power of fascist leaders like Mussolini and Hitler. According to historian Mark Bray, their tactics inspired much of the Chinese resistance to Japanese imperialism, and the Latin American resistance to various dictators. Antifa popped up in the US in the 1980s, in response to the growing prominence of neo-Nazi groups. They frequented punk shows and alternative rock concerts where skinheads were known to congregate and combated the groups racist messages with literature of their own. In the 1990s and early 2000s, they showed up at protests against globalisation and unchecked capitalism. Now, Antifa activists say, they are responding to a new wave of racist, sexist, far-right violence one that is increasingly receiving protection from the government. Their view, as Mr Novick put it, is that a new, more naked white and male supremacy is becoming the order of the day. Antifa members and counter protesters gather during a right-wing No-To-Marxism rally (AFP/Getty) (AMY OSBORNE/AFP/Getty Images) Statistics do show an increase in far-right violence of late. The Anti Defamation League, a Jewish charity, reported an 86 per cent spike in antisemitic incidents in the first three months of 2017. The Council on American Islamic relations reported a 91 per cent increase in anti-Muslim incidents this summer. According to the Southern Poverty Law Centre, almost 900 incidents of anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-woman, or anti-LGBTQ violence occurred in the week after Donald Trumps election. In March, a white army veteran fatally stabbed a black stranger on the streets of New York, allegedly telling police that he hated black men. Two months later, in Portland, Oregon, a man began screaming insults at two black women on his commuter train. When three other passengers tried to intervene, the man stabbed them all, killing two and injuring one. 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche was fatally stabbed after standing up for two black women Amid this rising tide of violence, Antifa say they have no official outlet to turn to for defence. Antifa have learned, and call attention to the fact, that oppressed and exploited communities and popular resistance movements cannot rely on the cops or the courts to defend us from Nazis, because the cops and the legal system are often guilty of or complicit in racist and sexist violence themselves, Mr Novick said. The election of Mr Trump, meanwhile, convinced many activists they could take no solace in their government, either. We have people in the Trump administration that are one circle removed from [white nationalist] Richard Spencer, said James Anderson, a contributor to anarchist web site Its Going Down. The Trump administration has definitely given a cover to white nationalists, the alt-right, and neo-Nazis. Police officers extricate a man who was beaten by people aligned with Antifa after he was suspected of being a right-wing Trump supporter (Getty) (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) That sentiment hurtled into the national consciousness on one hot, August weekend in Charlottesville, when hundreds of white supremacist protesters gathered for the Unite the Right rally. Protesters turned out in militia gear, carting guns, while counter-protesters toted pepper spray and water bottles filled with urine. As fighting broke out, police largely stood by. Dozens of people were injured in clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. One woman, 34-year-old Heather Heyer, was killed when an alleged neo-Nazi rammed his car through a crowd of counter-protesters. Photos from the rally immediately dominated news coverage. Past presidents condemned the blatant bigotry on display. Mr Trump eventually took to his presidential podium to denounce the violence and hatred at the rally on both sides. Suddenly, white supremacists were in the spotlight, alongside their Antifa counterparts. And while many Americans were stunned by what took place, Mr Anderson says they should have seen it coming. These [previous murders] should have all been warning signs, just like Heather Heyers murder was, he said. But for some reason an African American man killed by a guy in New York somehow his death was not the same warning signal as Heather Heyers death. He added: I think that if people had taken these earlier murders more seriously as they should have that we could have prevented what happened in Charlottesville. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists chant hatred in Charlottesville (Getty) A similar feeling may be what lead more and more Americans to pledge themselves to the Antifa cause. Mr Andersons web site, which used to receive about 300 views per day, now receives between 10,000 and 20,000. According to NYC Antifa, the groups Twitter following nearly quadrupled in the first three weeks of the year. These days, they boast more than 21,000 followers. And the re-energised Antifa arent shy about their tactics. In Berkeley, California, weeks after the rally in Charlottesville, some 100 black-clad Antifa activists turned up for a protest against racism. Videos from the rally show Antifa activists smacking Trump supporters to the ground, throwing water bottles, blasting pepper spray and even ganging up on a single victim. Asked about such displays of violence, a member of the Atlanta Antifascists told The Independent: Extreme-right and fascist organising inevitably leads to massive violence, displacement and murder when allowed to grow unchecked Self-defence by communities and marginalised people against threats and attacks from the far-right is 100 per cent justified. The Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia group, march in Ferguson, Missouri on the anniversary of Michael Browns death (Getty) (Scott Olson/Getty Images) That isnt the view of many in the mainstream, however including many self-described liberals. Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic representative from California and the minority leader of the House, issued a statement after the Berkeley incident calling for the arrest and prosecution of those involved. Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts, Ms Pelosi said. A former Obama administration official, Andy Slavitt, called the Antifa activists idiots and animals. Berkeleys mayor, Andy Slavitt, said they should be classified as a gang. The anarchist flag flies over Antifa activists and counter protesters in Berkeley (AFP/Getty) (AMY OSBORNE/AFP/Getty Images) To Mr Anderson, and many Antifa activists, such comments are the inevitable backlash against effective demonstrations of working-class power. So much of the media is just terrified of anything that reeks of everyday, working class people self-organising, Mr Anderson said. The idea of antifascists actively engaging with the far right is very scary to them, because if they can do that in this arena, whats to stop people from doing the same thing when it comes to evictions, or ICE raids, or mass layoffs, or stuff like that? He added: I think theres a desire to really put the boot heel down as far as saying, you know, Youre not supposed to really do this. Youre supposed to be passive and hold signs and talk to people in power. For the meantime, however, it seems the Antifa wont be taking this advice. For some, violence feels like the only means of self-defence in an increasingly militant world. For others, the stakes of this fight just seem too high. I recently became a great-grandfather, said Mr Novick, whose own father fled the Holocaust to take refugee in the US. I dont want to see my children, grandchildren or great-grandson have to live in the kind of world my grandparents and parents generation faced. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Six black Philadelphia police officers have filed complaints with a state anti-discrimination agency claiming their white supervisors are racist, corrupt and should be removed from their jobs. A group that represents black Philadelphia police officers says the complaints against two narcotics bureau inspectors include allowing a worker to park his Confederate flag-decorated truck on city property, referring to black civilians as scum and calling black civilian killings thinning the herd. No evidence was offered at the Guardian Civic Leagues news conference earlier this week. Group President Rochelle Bilal says the supervisors also encouraged falsification of documents and evidence related to arrests. Attorney Brian Mildenberg says the officers are exploring whether to sue. A police department spokesman declined to comment, citing the possible litigation. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Politicians in the hurricane-hit city of Houston are warning against donating to the American Red Cross. Houston City councillor Dave Martin told a district meeting: I beg you not to send them a penny and repeatedly branded the Congress-endorsed charity the red loss. Speaking two weeks after the devastating hurricane which left at least 70 people dead, Mr Martin claimed that local government had done most of the difficult work in the aftermath of the disaster as well as providing the majority of resources. Yet every time I turn on the TV, I see (the Red Cross) taking in millions of dollars in donations, he said, branding the charity the most inept, unorganised organisation Ive ever experienced. Dont waste your money. Give it to another cause, added Mr Martin, an independent member of the council who has a background working in private sector management. Other members of the council told local media after the meeting that they were grateful for the work of thousands of Red Cross volunteers across the region who have helped set up shelters for those forced to leave their homes after the hurricane caused severe flooding. Other public officials have expressed concern about the organisation, including Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, who reportedly asked a local charity to set up a shelter for those displaced by the hurricane because he did not trust the Red Cross to do so. The Red Cross could not have done this. They wouldn't have had the wherewithal to do it, Mr Emmett reportedly said. Don't get me wrong, they're out there on the front lines, but I had already seen the difficulty and we needed to get this set up quickly. The charity has been criticised for failing to ensure supplies reached shelters quickly enough after one of Houstons two Red Cross shelters could not accept evacuees at all because of high water levels and the other had just 200 beds for what turned out to be more than 2,000 people. The shortages of beds continued for days while much of the city remained submerged. A Red Cross spokeswoman defended the work of the organisation in Houston. We had all of our shelters on standby the night before Hurricane Harvey blew in, we had all our supplies ready and waiting to go, MaryJane Mudd said in a statement. In some cases the floodwaters made it a little hard to get those supplies from where they were stationed into the shelters for a short while. We've had 1,500 people on the ground, we've served over 700,000 meals and snacks, we've sheltered 40,000 people. I know the plan was there. The process has worked very well. The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Show all 19 1 /19 The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A tattered U.S. flag damaged in Hurricane Harvey, flies in Conroe, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Lisa Rehr holds her four-year old son Maximus, after they lost their home to Hurricane Harvey, as they await to be evacuated with their belongings from Rockport, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center AP Photo/LM Otero The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard help the residents of Cyprus Creek Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents wade through floodwater Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents walk along the flooded roadway of Texas 249 as they evacuate their adjacent neighborhoods EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A man floats past a truck submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey James Archiable carries his bike through the flooded intersection at Taylor and Usenet near downtown Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A massive sinkhole opened up on a motorway in Rosenburg, a city 25 miles southwest of Houston, Texas Rosenberg Police The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in an armored police mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey on a boat in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees are airlifted in a US Coast Guard helicopter after flooding due to Hurricane Harvey inundated neighborhoods in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees leave a US Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents look on at a submerged motorway during a break in the rain in Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People photograph the submerged motorway interchange EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Debris lies on the ground after a building was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Aransas Pass, Texas AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Dominic Dominguez searches for his boat in a boat storage facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Rockport, Texas EPA The American Red Cross, founded in 1881, has been hit by a series of controversies in recent years, including stinging criticism for the way in which it responded to the 2010 hurricane in Haiti and over Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005. Although not a government organisation, it is authorised to provide disaster relief since being granted a congressional charter in 1905. It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is believed to have around 100 million volunteers globally. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm in recorded history has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, killing at least 14 people and leaving thousands homeless. Hurricane Irma, initially a Category Five storm, tore past Puerto Rico on Wednesday with winds speeds of 185mph, churning a path through Anguilla, St Barts, St Martin and the British Virgin Islands. Before-and-after photos from some of the worst-affected areas show the extent of the damage. Everything on the tiny island of Barbuda, which has a population of around 1,600, was razed to the ground. Barbuda is literally rubble. The entire housing stock was damaged. It is just a total devastation, Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told local news station ABS. The hurricane is making its way towards Florida, which is on high alert and has ordered mandatory evacuations. The Eden Rock Hotel on the Caribbean island of St Barthelemy, otherwise known as St Barts, was devastated by the storm. The hotel, owned by Pippa Middleton's in-laws, was one of the first resorts built on the island in the 1950s. The Eden Rock Hotel before the storm struck (Google Street View) Eden Rock Hotel in St Barts (Facebook) Saint Martin, which has a population of roughly 77,000 people, was left in ruins after the hurricane. Marigot, a town in Saint Martin, before Irma (Wiki Commons) The town of Marigot after the storm (AFP/Getty Images) A state of emergency was declared in the British Virgin Islands,a collection of 40 islands and inlets. Tortola is the largest island, home to 24,000 people. An aerial view of Paraquita Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands (Google) Boats lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed Tortola (Reuters) Irma ripped through St Barthelemy, destroying homes and hotels. Gustavia in St Barts before the storm hit (Wiki Commons) A picture released by Facebook user Kevin Barralon a damaged street in Gustavia (Facebook) Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The appearance of three strong hurricanes in the Atlantic basin which all threaten land is unparalleled in modern times, a tropical storms expert has said. Hurricane Irma has already caused major damage in the Caribbean and is expected to hit southern Florida, while Hurricane Katia is menacing eastern Mexico, and Hurricane Jose could hit Antigua and Barbuda, which suffered major damage just days ago under Irma. The last time there were three hurricanes in the Atlantic basin simultaneously was 2010, meteorologists said. Including this year, there are only six examples of simultaneous hurricanes on record, according to the Met Office. But it is the first time all three have threatened land, according to Eric Blake, a scientist at the National Hurricane Centre. Government buildings left abandoned after Hurricane Irma destruction Never seen anything like this in the modern record, he said on Twitter. Three separate hurricane watches at once for the Atlantic? Unparalleled here and totally ridiculous given Irma. Compared to the 2010 storms, Karl, Igor and Julia, Mr Blake said: Julia was nowhere near land. Never a threat. Irma likely to do 100 times more damage than Igor/Karl. Images shared comparing the hurricanes were inaccurate, Mr Blake said, because the tracks of the storms were different, meaning Irma, Katia and Jose are much more threatening to humans. Recommended UK military to provide emergency support to hurricane Irma victims We are in peak hurricane season, said Met Office spokesman Graham Madge. The appearance of several hurricanes at the same times isnt unknown, and there is a meteorological term, fujiwhara, for them dancing around and interacting with each other. Prior to 2010, there were three or more simultaneous Atlantic hurricanes in 1967, 1980, 1995 and 1998. Hurricane Irma, which caused severe damage to parts of the Caribbean, has weakened to a Category Four storm, but is still described as very dangerous, with winds of up to 155mph. It is expected to maintain its strength as it approaches the Turks and Caicos and Bahamas, then Florida. State governor Rick Scott said: This storm has the potential to catastrophically devastate our state and you have to take this seriously. Half a million Floridians have been evacuated. Meanwhile, it is feared Hurricane Jose, a Category Three storm, could bring further devastation to areas already battered by Irma. We are very worried about Hurricane Jose, Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told The Washington Post. He said around 60 per cent of Barbudas 2,000 inhabitants were homeless because of the damage wrought by Irma. Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV Residents are attempting to evacuate the island but there are few boats to help move them. And the category one Hurricane Katia is in the Gulf of Mexico and menacing the countrys eastern seaboard. It is expected to hit the state of Veracruz on Saturday. Experts are concerned the hurricane, currently generating 80mph winds, could gain strength by the time it makes landfall. Katia has worrying characteristics because it is very slow-moving and could dump a lot of rain on areas that have been saturated in recent weeks, according to Luis Felipe Puente, head of Mexicos national emergency services. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Four people have been killed by Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands, officials have said. Hurricane Irma roared through the 40 small islands of the British Virgin Islands late on Wednesday, causing major damage to the largest and most populated island of Tortola. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency confirmed the deaths in a statement on Friday but gave no further details. The British government has been coordinating relief efforts to the cluster of islands near Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The Caribbean disaster agency says the Tortola airport is operational but the tower has been "compromised". At least 20 people are believed to have been killed in the region as the storm ravaged the Caribbean, with a further three people dead on the British island of Antigua, Barbuda and the Dutch side of St Martin, four dead in the US Virgin Islands and nine on the French side of St Martin and St Barts. Officials say they expect the death toll on the island to rise once they are able to begin recovery operations. It comes as the UK announced it was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands to help with the relief effort. In a statement, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "The UK government is responding to the catastrophic damage that has been caused by Hurricane Irma to the Caribbean and in particular obviously to the overseas territories, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands. "Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected, to those families who have lost loved ones, and as you can expect we are doing everything we can with humanitarian relief and assistance. Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV "We have the fleet auxiliary boat RFS Mounts Bay is in the vicinity, we have people on the ground. "But what we will be doing now is making an urgent assessment of the further needs of communities in the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla to see what more can be done in terms of financial and humanitarian assistance." In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. "It is just really a horrendous situation," he added. The storm has continued to batter the Caribbean archipelago. The hurricane rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti before smashing into the Turks and Caicos Islands another British Overseas Territory early on Friday morning with waves as high as 20 feet. Communications have gone down as the storm slammed into the islands and the extent of the devastation is currently unclear. Additional reporting by AP Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the independent specialized anti-corruption judicial institution should be created as soon as possible. "The issue of creating a specialized anti-corruption judicial institution is urgent. It must depend only on the Law, but free from any outside influence: my influence and your [parliamentarians'] influence, political parties and progressive people," he said delivering his annual message to parliament on Thursday. Poroshenko said that this anti-corruption institution must meet standards of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission. "The main thing, it must be effective, not created for the sake of appearance," the head of state said. Close NASA satellite imagery shows Hurricane Irma making landfall in Cuba Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Florida, after having wrought destruction in the Caribbean, killing at least 24 people. Winds of up to 160mph smashed into Cuba's northern coast on Saturday hours after it was classified as a Category 5 storm. Irma has now been downgraded to a Category 3, but is forecast to restrengthen once it moves away from Cuba, according to the US National Hurricane Centre. Concerns are also mounting over Hurricane Jose, which is growing in strength and heading towards islands already devastated by Irma. Florida is bracing for Irma to hit on Sunday morning. It is expected to bring massive wind and flooding damage to the fourth most populous US state. Governor Rick Scott warned that Irma, the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history, is wider than the "entire state". More than six million people - a quarter of the Florida's population - have been ordered to evacuate. The Carolinas, Alabama and Georgia have also declared emergencies. The storm, of "nuclear" ferocity, has already churned along a path through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. Irma's eye passed directly over the island of Barbuda, meaning its inhabitants were twice subjected to the fastest winds. Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Meteo Express Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP Heavy rain and howling winds raked the neighbouring island of Antigua, sending debris flying as people huddled in their homes or government shelters. Officials had warned people to seek protection from Irma's "onslaught" in a statement that closed with: "May God protect us all." Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK was "taking swift action to respond" to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit. Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane. A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 32 people have been killed after a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck Mexico, causing a tsunami and warnings for countries across Central America. The Governor of the Mexican state of Chiapas announced the first fatalities following the most powerful quake to hit the country since 1985, striking 119km south-southwest of Tres Picos. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said a tsunami had been triggered by the quake, with warnings issued for people in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras and Ecuador. The centre warned waves could reach over ten feet along the Mexican shore near the epicentre of the quake. Waves between 0.3 and one metre have been predicted for the Cook Islands, Ecuador, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guatemala and Kiritabi. The centre forecast waves of 0.3 metres could reach Australia, Vietnam and Japan. In the Philippines, the national disaster agency put the country's eastern seaboard on alert for a possible tsunami, Reuters reported. Recommended Huge earthquake hits southern Mexico The earthquake struck shortly after midnight off the coast of Mexico, leaving some buildings severely damaged in the south of the country. The US Geological Survey estimates the earthquake, felt in Belize and Guatemala, occurred at a depth of 43 miles. Mexico's civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands. Manuel Velasco, the governor of Chiapas state, said the quake had destroyed homes and buildings and left some hospitals without power. He has called for the evacuation of coastal areas in the southern state due to the tsunami alert. The current Foreign Office travel advice says: Most of Mexico is occasionally subject to earthquakes. Tremors occur regularly, particularly in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One of the most powerful earthquakes ever to strike Mexico has killed at least 32 people, toppling houses and businesses and sending panicked people into the streets more than 650 miles away. Oaxaca state governor Alejandro Murat told local media that at least 23 people in his state died, and civil defence officials said at least seven died in the state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, while two died in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake hit off southern Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude as 8.1 - equal in force to a 1985 quake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of Mexico City. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools in at least 11 states for safety checks. The US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within about five hours, and the president warned that a major aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur. The USGS said the quake struck at 11.49pm on Thursday and its epicentre was 102 miles west of Tapachula in Chiapas. It had a depth of 43.3 miles. The quake caused buildings to sway violently in Mexico's capital more than 650 miles away, and people still wearing nightclothes fled into the streets, gathering in frightened groups. Chiapas governor Manuel Velasco said three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed. He called on people living near the coast to leave their houses as a protective measure. "There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy," he said. "Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged." Tabasco governor Arturo Nunez said two children died in his Gulf coast state. One of them was killed when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children's hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the infant's ventilator. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves more than 3ft above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places. The centre's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of 3ft. No threat was posed to Hawaii and the western and South Pacific. Mexican authorities were evacuating some residents of coastal Tonala and Puerto Madero because of the warning. The quake hit as emergency agencies were bracing for another crisis on the other side of the country. The US National Hurricane Centre said Hurricane Katia is likely to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz early on Saturday as a category two storm that could bring life-threatening floods. In neighboring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage. "We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don't have details," Mr Morales said. He said the unconfirmed death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico. The quake occurred in a seismically active region near the point of collision between three tectonic plates, the Cocos, the Caribbean and the North American. Mexico's National Seismological Service said the area has seen at least six other quakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900 - though three of those occurred within a nerve-wracking nine-month span in 1902/03. AP Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A farmer in rural Minnesota was stepping into his truck Tuesday when something caught his eye in the grassy fields behind his property. Hundreds of yards away, he spotted what he thought was a deer. It was actually a teenage girl, walking toward him wearing no shoes or pants, he told WCCO. She was sopping wet. He immediately recognised her face. "Oh my gosh, you got to be kidding me," the farmer said. The 15-year-old's face had been plastered on missing posters in the area for nearly a month. He asked if she was the girl missing from the nearby town Alexandria, and she said yes. The girl asked him to call 911. "I've been kidnapped," the girl told him, she later recounted to television station WCCO. Police said that for 29 days, the girl had been held captive in a mobile home by three men who restrained her with zip ties, threatened her with guns and repeatedly raped her. They treated her "like an animal," prosecutors said in charging documents, according to Fox 9, holding her against her will in a closet and trying to kill her on multiple occasions. When the men finally left her alone for the first time, she managed to escape, running door-to-door to nearby properties seeking help, Alexandria Police Chief Richard Wyffels said in a news conference Wednesday. Then, she swam across a portion of a 150-acre lake, shedding her shoes and pants in the water. She sprinted through a field until she reached a residential area and came across the farmer, who was not identified by local news outlets. Although some news sources have identified the 15-year-old girl, The Washington Post is withholding her name because she is a victim of sexual assault. The teen waited with the farmer in his pickup truck until deputies arrived. "I was getting her out of the pickup to put her in the deputy's car, and she says 'There's the car, there's the car'," the farmer told WCCO. She had spotted a vehicle belonging to one of the captors driving right past the home. The man, identified by police as Steven Powers, 20, of Mankato, was immediately stopped and arrested. Soon after, officials arrested Thomas Barker, 32, and Joshua Holby, 31, both from Carlos, Minnesota. All three are charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment. Barker and Powers also face charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and Barker faces an additional charge of second-degree assault. The three men made their first court appearances Thursday. The case remains under investigation, Wyffels 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. 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 After a gruelling search for the teenage girl, and "29 harrowing days," she has now been reunited with her mother, Wyffels, the police chief, said. "We are all proud of her," Wyffels said, calling the girl an "unbelievable young woman" who exhibited great strength and bravery. It was about 10:30 pm on 8 August when Barker, an acquaintance of the family, lured the girl away from her home, police said. He was her friend's dad, the Associated Press reported. And the girl trusted Barker - she even recognised the sound of his vehicle, Wyffels said. Barker asked the girl to help talk to his son, who was not behaving, according to a criminal complaint cited by the Star Tribune. She agreed to go with him, and followed him into his car, leaving her cell phone behind. "He approached her house in a friendly way," Wyffels said. "He tricked her." Within three hours, the girl's mother reported her missing. Barker took her to a mobile home in the neighboring town of Carlos, where he lived with Holby. "Once inside," Wyffels said, the girl's "nightmare just began." Barker tied her up with zip ties, threatened her with a handgun, and raped her, police alleged. He kept her in a bedroom closet for most of the 29 days, occasionally feeding her fast food and water, Wyffels said. "I was usually in a closet and I usually stayed quiet because I was scared they might hit me or do something," the girl later told Fox 9. In two different instances, Baker allegedly attempted to drown the girl in a bathtub. On another occasion, the girl was forced to stand on a bucket with a rope around her neck, according to court documents cited by Fox 9. Holby then allegedly forced her off the bucket, making it impossible for her to breathe for a period of time, the girl told police. Powers, a friend of Barker's, showed up at the home about a week after the girl's kidnapping. Barker told him not to enter his bedroom while he staying at the house, Fox 9 reported. But one day, he decided to take a peek, and found the girl in the closet. He never freed her or contacted police. Recommended Meet the voters who deplore Trump but will vote for him anyway The girl told police Powers forced her to snort a line of "white powder," the AP reported, citing a criminal complaint. The girl also told investigators Barker forced her to have sex with him four times, and perform oral sex on him about 10 times, WCCO reported. On 30 August, a deputy arrived at the trailer to investigate a stolen property report, the Star Tribune reported. No one answered when authorities knocked on the door. The men then chose to leave the house with the girl, putting her into a duffel bag and shoving it into the back of a truck. They took the girl to a cornfield and then broke into an abandoned property about 30 miles away. They left her there to get food, telling her they would be back in an hour. It was from there that she fled the scene, eventually jumping into a nearby lake and swimming to a residential area. "I'm not a good swimmer," the girl told WCCO. Her mother added: "It was the longest 29 days of my life." "I think she's a warrior," the teen's mother told Fox 9. "She's probably the strongest person I have ever known." Barker, who has cerebral palsy and is physically-impaired, told police he did not know the girl, and denied picking her up, according to the AP. But he admitted using methamphetamine and alcohol. Barker's sister, identified only as "Brittany" by Fox 9, told the station that she had helped with the search for the missing teen. "I donated T-shirts to her mom," she said. "I'm not going to not believe it. . . . I'm sorry to her family." The day of the girl's escape was supposed to be her first day of freshman year in high school, Fox 9 reported. She plans to start classes next week. She feels good, "sometimes," the girl told Fox 9. But other times, she has nightmares, and is scared to sleep. "Sometimes," she said, "I close my eyes and I see their faces." The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} North Korea has responded to criticism from a US ambassador by calling her a prostitute who is swishing her skirt". "She is crazily swishing her skirt, playing the flagship role in Trump administration's hideous sanctions and pressure racket, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said of Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. The agency added: Nikki should be careful with her tongue though she might be a blind fool. The US administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing. The tirade appears to be a response to Ms Haleys remarks at a UN Security Council meeting, in which she accused the North Korean regime of begging for war in the wake of their sixth-ever nuclear test. Ms Haley pressed the Security Council to impose even stricter sanctions, on top of the estimated $1bn in sanctions they imposed against the country last month. "Enough is enough," Ms Haley said at the meeting. "We have taken an incremental approach, and despite the best of intentions, it has not worked." Ms Haley is pushing for an oil embargo on North Korea, as well as a ban on its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean workers, according to a draft resolution obtained by Reuters. Even China, the Norths largest ally, has agreed that the UN must take more action. Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has threatened a military solution to the conflict. At one point, he promised to send fire and fury to North Korea if the country continued to escalate its threats. The US recently deployed the USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered carrier, to waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula. Mr Trump, however, has toned down his rhetoric in recent days, telling reporters that war with North Korea is not inevitable. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also advocated for dialogue and diplomacy. North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on 3 September, just days after test-flying a missile over the north of Japan. The countrys increasing displays of military might, coupled with its bombastic rhetoric, have set the international community on edge. Experts now believe the regime is close to developing a powerful nuclear weapon. Many expect North to launch even larger nuclear test on 9 September. The day marks its founding anniversary, and is usually filled with military displays.The country conducted its last nuclear test on 9 September of last year. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Pope Francis has urged young Colombians to take the lead in promoting forgiveness to help their country heal from a half-century of conflict, saying they should look to the future without the burden of hatred that their elders often carry. From the halls of the presidential palace to the green hills of Bogota's Simon Bolivar park, Pope Francis brought his message of reconciliation to a country still bitterly divided over the peace deal with leftist rebels that is seeking to end Latin America's longest-running armed rebellion. And he demanded that its leaders now address the gross inequalities that sparked the conflict to begin with. Let us not forget that inequality is the root of social ills, he told a crowd at Bogota's presidential palace that included disabled children and soldiers with amputated limbs. Recommended Pope Francis urges political leaders to accept climate change reality While his appeal for forgiveness may be hard for some to swallow, Pope Francis was nevertheless given a rock star's welcome on his first full day in Colombia. Young choir members abandoned their positions in the palace courtyard and threw their arms around him as he arrived. In Bogota's main Plaza Bolivar, thousands of young people interrupted him repeatedly with cheers. And officials estimated 1.3 million people flocked to Bogota's main Simon Bolivar park for his open-air Mass, far more than the 700,000 expected. History's first Latin American pope took the crowds, interruptions, protocol hiccups and security breaches in stride, seemingly relishing in the adoration of one of the continent's most staunchly Roman Catholic countries. His message though was stern, urging the country's elite and ordinary to resist the temptation for vengeance, the corrupting darkness of self-interest, and instead build bridges to help the nation heal. Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images The solitude of always being at loggerheads has been familiar for decades, and its smell has lingered for a hundred years, he said, alluding to the most famous work of Colombia's Nobel laureate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. We do not want any type of violence whatsoever to restrict or destroy one more life. One year after the government signed a peace accord with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known by its Spanish acronym FARC, the guns have fallen silent and 7,000 rebels are transitioning back to civilian life. But Colombians remain badly divided over the accord, with conservative opponents seeing it as too generous for the guerrillas who were behind scores of atrocities during the conflict. In all, the fighting left more than 250,000 people dead, 60,000 missing and millions more displaced. Pope Francis is expected to press his call for forgiveness further on Friday when he travels to Villavincencio, south of Bogota, where he is to preside over a meeting of reconciliation between victims of the conflict and those who victimised them. It's a great message for all of the country, especially because of the moment we are living in, said Maria Juliana Higuera, one of more than 20,000 people who packed Bogota's central Plaza Bolivar for a papal blessing. It's very important to us as Catholics. The pontiff appealed to Colombia's youth to take the lead in promoting forgiveness, saying young people more than adults are able to leave behind what has hurt us and look to the future without the burden of hatred. You make us see the wider world which stands before us, the whole of Colombia that wishes to grow and continue its development, he said. Pope Francis makes surprise appearance at TED Talk Looking ahead, Pope Francis insisted that Colombia now needed to enact just laws to resolve the structural causes of poverty and inequality to overcome the conflicts that have torn apart this nation for decades. The FARC formed as a Marxist army in the mid-1960s to overthrow Colombia's economic and social system and open the way to redistributing land. While the first year of the accord's implementation has seen the FARC disarm, it also has been marked by the state's failures to bring services to hard-to-reach communities where the government has historically had little presence and where rebels are beginning a new chapter as civilians. Former guerrillas arriving at many of the 26 demobilisation zones found little more than fields of mud, and months later many remain living in tents rather than the buildings with running water and electricity that the government promised. Colombia is the most unequal country in terms of land distribution in Latin America, itself the worst region in the world. Large agricultural holdings of more than 500 hectares represent around 0.4 per cent of all farms in Colombia but control more than 67 per cent of the productive land, according to an Oxfam report last year. The peace deal and an earlier land reform are supposed to redistribute the land and compensate victims driven from their homesteads by illegal armed groups. But authorities overseeing the process have been slow to hand out titles, and peasanto farmers in far-flung regions face numerous threats asserting their rights. Last year, 59 human rights defenders many of them land rights activists were killed yet only a handful of their murders ever solved, according to the United Nations. President Juan Manuel Santos, who won last year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the conflict, urged Colombians to let go of lingering resentments. Silencing the guns is worthless if we remain armed in our hearts, he told the crowd. Ending the war is worthless if we still see each other as enemies. In between his main events, Pope Francis met with bishops from around the region, including his first encounter with clergy from neighbouring Venezuela who are looking for the pope to demand accountability from their country's socialist government and deliver a message of hope to that nation torn by political and economic turmoil. Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, said the situation was truly desperate, with people eating rubbish and dying for lack of medicine. So we want to remind the pope of this again and especially the serious political situation because the government is doing everything possible to establish a state system, totalitarian and Marxist, he said. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rush Limbaugh has evacuated South Florida only days after he claimed Hurricane Irma would not hit the US and accused scientists and the media of lying. The conservative radio host suggested the reason for the deception was an attempt to push a climate change agenda and create panic. Despite his reservations, which were announced on his radio show, Mr Limbaugh confirmed he was leaving the area and could not host his show for a few days as it would be legally impossible to do so outside of South Florida. May as well announce this. Im not going to get into details because of the security nature of things, but it turns out that we will not be able to do the program here tomorrow, Mr Limbaugh said. Well be on the air next week, folks, from parts unknown. Moments before the announcement, he defended his previous remarks claiming the hurricane would not reach Florida. Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV The views expressed by the host of this program [are] documented to be almost always right 99.8 per cent of the time. There is a reason for that because we engage in a relentless and unstoppable pursuit of the truth and we find and proclaim it and that happens to drive people crazy, he said, according to Think Progress. Mr Limbaugh had previously said media coverage on Hurricane Irma was simply an attempt to create fear and panic. So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere, Mr Limbaugh said on his show. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced. He also claimed to have read the paths of the hurricane and was certain it would curve into the Atlantic and not hit the US. If it ends up not hitting where you are, hits somewhere else, you might temporarily breathe a sigh of relief, but youre still going to think, Man, there might be something to this climate change, Mr Limbaugh said. Do not doubt me, with everything being politicised, of course it is an objective of some, not everybody, of course, but some of the people involved here. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group who said he would ride out Hurricane Irma from his 74-acre private island in the Caribbean, has emerged from his fortified wine cellar unscathed. "All of the team who stayed on Necker and Moskito during the hurricane are safe and well," Branson said in a blog post, which he explained was transcribed with a satellite phone after the storm brought down all lines of communication. "We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the disaster elsewhere in the [British Virgin Islands], Caribbean and beyond," he said. Apocalyptic scenes of flattened buildings and ruined airports emerged from once-lush Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as the deadly storm began to lash vulnerable Haiti and another powerful storm, Hurricane Jose, followed fast in its wake. About 95 per cent of the tiny island of Barbuda, southeast from Necker Island, sustained damage, according to Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Ghastly photos and videos from St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, also known as St. Barts, showed buildings in ruin and cars and trucks almost submerged in the storm surge. Branson had said earlier his compound was built with reinforced hurricane blinds designed to withstand high winds. But that wasn't the case for the surrounding area or the rest of Necker Island, his property for over 40 years. "I have never seen anything like this hurricane. Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated. We are still assessing the damage, but whole houses and trees have disappeared," he said. "Outside of the bunker, bathroom and bedroom doors and windows have flown 40 feet away." True to form, Branson used his platform to call for donations and support. "Virgin Unite has made a donation to the British Red Cross to support the hurricane relief efforts, and we are awaiting more information about how else we can best support. I would urge everyone to donate to the British Red Cross through Virgin Money Giving (who are waiving their fees in support of the appeal) to help local communities," he said, with a message readers in the British Virgin Islands to check in on Facebook to alert family members about their safety. Branson is the 324th wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of about $5 billion, according to Forbes, which notes that he bought Necker Island for $180,000. Hurricane Irma: PM makes 32m aid available On Wednesday night, before Irma hit, Branson said he and his team experienced "howling wind and rain." He posted pictures of people smiling and bedded down in a room filled with furniture, backpacks and makeshift beds. "All of us slept together in two rooms," Branson wrote. "I haven't had a sleepover quite like it since I was a kid. Strangely, it's a privilege to experience what is turning into possibly the strongest storm ever with such a great group of young people. "We were listening to the parrots in their boxes in the next room chattering away. Watching the tortoises congregating together, as if they sense what is coming our way." A few hours before Irma's impact, Branson wrote that he planned to retreat with his team to his concrete wine cellar below "the Great House." As one does. "Knowing our wonderful team as I do, I suspect there will be little wine left in the cellar when we all emerge," he wrote on his blog. And then, for hours: Silence. No tweets, no Instagrams, no updates on Branson's blog - nothing. Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV The news from other islands in Irma's path was grim, with reports of widespread devastation and destruction, with at least 10 deaths recorded. Barbuda, where Irma first made landfall, was left "barely habitable," according to government officials there. On Instagram, the billionaire's son, Sam, noted the catastrophic strength of the storm - and pleaded with others in its path: "Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way." The elder Branson echoed the sentiment Thursday evening for people without access to fortified wine cellars. "For those who are still in the path of Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Jose to come, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to put safety first and prepare as strongly as possible," he wrote. "Having seen first-hand the power of this storm, please ensure you stay inside, ideally in organised shelters or other solid concrete structures with water, supplies and emergency contact plans." Washington Post Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has said a US military strike against North Korea would be a very sad day for Kim Jong-uns regime, but said that such action was not inevitable. Tensions and the strength of the rhetoric between the two countries have flared over the past few months, with North Korea continuing to ramp up its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme despite international condemnation. The isolated country conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test last weekend, demonstrating the regime is closer to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the US mainland. Recommended Trump and Xi say they want to avoid North Korean military strike Washington continues to seek a way to rein in North Korea, but there is concern that the regime might not be able to be deterred. Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable, Mr Trump said during a news conference with the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, where he also said he would be willing to step in to mediate the dispute between US-allied Gulf Arab states and Qatar. On North Korea Mr Trump said: I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen... Our military has never been stronger, boasting of the US's increase in military spending since he took office in January. Each day, new equipment is delivered, new and beautiful equipment, the best in the world, the best anywhere in the world by far, he told reporters. Hopefully, we're not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea. When asked if he would tolerate a nuclear armed but contained and deterred North Korea, the President refused to give a definitive answer. I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations, Mr Trump said. I don't talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea's behaving badly, and it's got to stop. A senior Trump administration official said that there was a grave risk that North Korea might miscalculate the US response to its behaviour and warned Pyongyang not to underestimate American will to protect ourselves and our allies. Before a meeting with the Moroccan Foreign Minister earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was asked if he had any response to North Koreas latest nuclear test. Oh, well have one, Mr Tillerson responded, but offered little clarification. Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images While Mr Trump talked tough on North Korea, China agreed on Thursday that the United Nations should take more action against Pyongyang as the US has been urging but also kept pushing for dialogue to help resolve the standoff. Any new actions taken by the international community against the DPRK should serve the purpose of curbing the DPRK's nuclear and missile programmes, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea said it would respond to any new UN sanctions and US pressure with powerful counter measures, accusing the US of aiming for war. The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and to subject Mr Kim Jong-Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution leaked ahead of a possible vote next Monday. At his press conference with the Kuwaiti Emit, Mr Trump also offered to personally mediate a dispute between Qatar and other Arab countries. In June, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies launched a coordinated diplomatic and economic campaign to isolate Qatar, which they accuse of backing extremist groups. Mr Trump later seemed to escalate the row, also claiming that Qatar supported terrorism and said the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding and its extremist ideology in terms of funding. Mr Trump had met Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia in May, during his first trip abroad as president, when they urged him to challenge Qatar. While I do appreciate and respect the mediation, I would be willing to be the mediator, Mr Trump said alongside Sheikh Sabah. I was telling the emir before that if I can help between UAE and Saudi Arabia if I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so. Mr Trump noted that he spoke to King Salman of Saudi Arabia by phone on Wednesday, describing their relationship as very great and calling him a friend of mine. I think youd have a deal worked out very quickly. I think its something thats going to get solved fairly easily, Mr Trump said. Kuwait has been really the leader of getting it solved, and we appreciate that very much. But I do believe that well solve it. If we dont solve it, I will be a mediator right here in the White House. Well come together very quickly. I think well have something solved. The Qatari government has denied it supports terrorist groups, and Saudi Arabia itself has been accused of underwriting extremists. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump appeared to enjoy his recent visit with Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, calling him a good partner and a very special person. But afterwards, sources say, he had one complaint: The emirs plane was bigger than his. Mr Trump griped to a group of New York and New Jersey politicians after his press conference with the Kuwaiti Emir, sources present told Politico. The President reportedly complained that the Emir's plane was longer than his maybe even by 100 feet. Mr Trumps own plane, a Boeing 757-200, contains a dining room, big screen TVs, a master and a guest bedroom, and a shower, according to CNN. It also features a giant, golden Trump logo along the side. During his press conference with the Emir, Mr Trump claimed the relationship between the US and Kuwait has never been stronger never, ever. "The Emir of Kuwait is a very special person who I've gotten to know over the, actually over the years, Mr Trump told reporters. Mr Trump boasted about increased counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing operations between the two countries, and praised the tremendous investments he said Kuwait had made in the US. (Many of these investments, notably, were planes: The US recently sold 10 Boeing 777 airliners and $5bn worth of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighting jets to Kuwait.) Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images Kuwait is currently attempting to mediate a tense dispute in the Gulf Region one which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried and failed to help resolve. Mr Trump first appeared to support Saudi Arabia in the crisis, but later came around to supporting Mr Tillersons diplomatic efforts. Mr Trump praised the Emirs mediation efforts at the press conference, and urged the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to work together toward a solution. We have great relationships with all of them right now; maybe better than we've ever had, Mr Trump said. We will be most successful with a united GCC. Former Ukrainian Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych has been served a suspicion notice, a document stating that he is accused of seizing state power, when he visited the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, Lavrynovych said. "That was an investigatory action, a handover of the suspicion [notice]. They don't ask any questions," Lavrynovych told reporters following his visit to the Prosecutor General's Office on Thursday. "All in all, what has been claimed is the seizure of state power. Seizure rather than a constitutional coup... It turns out it was me who seized [power]," he added. However, Lavrynovych noted that the suspicion notice he was given contained no word combinations like "forcible seizure". "What I have read I understand is a text that purports to present [a summary of] an applied scientific research in the field of constitutional law. And I say it without irony," Lavrynovych went on. "Some links to primary source materials there do not correlate with one another and there is a certain substitution of notions," he said. "In this regard, I can say that the main reason why I am here today is that I must read this suspicion notice. This interpretation states that any Constitutional Court decision may not be implemented by anybody but the person it concerns. This research paper determines the person who has violated the Constitution on amending it as the only person that may correct the mistake of their own. If a court establishes the illegality of an action, then it is the person who has committed the offence of law that must fix it," Lavrynovych explained. Investigative bodies are trying to issue an interpretation like "criminal authorities came [to power] and wanted to get their hands on everything - everything there is in Ukraine - and to that end, they brought back the Constitution of 1996," he said. A lawyer for Lavrynovych said, for his part, that the issue of selecting a measure of restraint against his client was never raised during his visit to the Prosecutor General's Office. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said on September 6 that former President Viktor Yanukovych and Lavrynovych had been notified of being suspected, along with other individuals, of seizing power in Ukraine through a constitutional coup in 2010. As is known, Ukraine's Constitutional Court then reinstated a parliamentary-presidential form of government in the country, giving some presidential powers back to the president. On adopting that decision, the Constitutional Court eventually enacted the Constitution of Ukraine dated 1996. On October 1, 2010, the text of the 'new' constitution was published in a special issue of the Official Gazette of Ukraine bulletin. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Republicans have again voted against forcing Donald Trump to release his tax returns. In a 21-14 vote, the tax committee of the House of Representatives rejected another Democratic resolution directing the Treasury Department to provide Congress with the Presidents tax returns and other financial information. Democratic congressman Bill Pascrell had introduced the resolution shortly before the House left for its month-long August recess. We know that the tangled web of the Presidents potential conflicts cannot be understood without a full picture of his business empire, Mr Pascrell said at the time. And with the Congress scheduled to consider tax reform, requesting the returns of the President and his business interests should be the first order of the day. Mr Trump was the first presidential candidate in decades to not disclose his tax returns much to the chagrin of Democrats, media outlets and other members of the public. In January, less than a month before Mr Trump would become President, the Pew Research Center released a poll showing that 60 per cent of 1,502 people surveyed said he had a responsibility to release his tax returns. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images Democrats latest attempt to get Mr Trump to do so came as the President started prioritising a US tax code overhaul. During an interview with the Economist in May, Mr Trump was asked whether he would release his tax returns in exchange for Democratic support for his tax plan. I doubt it, Mr Trump responded. Nobody cares about my tax return except for the reporters. Oh, at some point Ill release them. Maybe Ill release them after Im finished because Im very proud of them actually. I did a good job. During his campaign, Mr Trump said he would not disclose his tax returns because he was being audited by the IRS. But the IRS said he could release them, regardless of an audit. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Christian teenager has been beaten to death by his classmates in Pakistan. Sharoon Masih was the only Christian in his year and was attacked after he apparently drank from the same glass as a Muslim. The 17-year-old had only been at MC Model Boys Government School Burewala in Punjab for three days before the incident. The teacher who was present at the time of the attack, Nazir Mol, said he did not notice the incident as he was reading a newspaper, iNews reported. One student, Muhammad Ahmed Rana, has been arrested so far and he has apparently claimed that he lashed out at Mr Masih after he broke the screen on his phone. Mr Rana has refused to name any of the others who were involved in the attack. An autopsy revealed that Mr Rana died after repeated blows to his body and his head. His mother described the death as a huge loss. No proper investigation is being done, Mr Masihs mother, Razia Bibi, told iNews. We had great intimacy and were looking to him to support us and his sibling as we grow old, she added. He was sent to MC Model Boys Government School Burewala after performing well academically at his school in his local village. His family saved for years to afford the attendance fee and were not able to pay for his school uniform. Mr Masih attended the first day in his own clothes and was apparently slapped around the face twice and made to stand outside all day as punishment for doing so. He was also subjected to a range of insults and other students reportedly tried to force convert him to Islam. 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 Wilson Chowdhry, the chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said this was a reminder of the struggles faced by Christians in Pakistan. [This] serves only to remind us that hatred towards religious minorities is bred into the majority population at a young age, through cultural norms and a biased national curriculum, he said. The headteacher of the school, Saleem Tahir, was suspended after the attack, but is still attending the school. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Desmond Tutu has joined Malala Yousafzai in condemning fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi over the treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma. Mr Tutu called for Ms Suu Kyis intervention to help end the crisis. The South African, a veteran of the fight against apartheid, said Ms Suu Kyis silence was too steep a price to pay for her position and called on her to be courageous and resilient again. More than 160,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Burma, also known as Myanmar, into neighbouring Bangladesh since an army crackdown was launched on militants from the minority group on 25 August. There have been widespread allegations of atrocities against civilians, including the beheading of children and burning of villages. Video shows Rohingya flee burning villages in Myanmar Ms Suu Kyi, who is Burmas State Counsellor but spent years under house arrest for opposing the country's military junta, has refused to condemn the armys actions and blamed misinformation for fuelling tensions. Mr Tutu, who retired in 2010, said he was breaking a vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness for the plight of the Rohingya. Addressing his dearly beloved younger sister, Ms Suu Kyi, in an open letter, Mr Tutu spoke of her previous civil rights work. But he went on: The images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread. We know that you know that human beings may look and worship differently and some may have greater firepower than others but none are superior and none inferior; that when you scratch the surface we are all the same... discrimination doesn't come naturally; it is taught. My dear sister: If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep. A country that is not at peace with itself, that fails to acknowledge and protect the dignity and worth of all its people, is not a free country. It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain. As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again. We pray for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people. We pray for you to intervene in the escalating crisis and guide your people back towards the path of righteousness. Ms Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1991, which recognised her as Burmas modern symbol of freedom after her decades-long campaign for democracy in the military state. But despite her ascent in Burmese political life, she has remained largely silent on the Rohingya minority, who are not recognised as citizens of the country. Though they have been present in Buddhist-majority Burma since pre-colonial times, the Rohingya are often referred to as Bengalis, alluding to the myth they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Rohingya refugees in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA Earlier this week, Malala also called on Ms Suu Kyi to act to stop the violence against the minority group. Over the last several years, I have repeatedly condemned this tragic and shameful treatment, she said. I am still waiting for my fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same. The world is waiting and the Rohingya Muslims are waiting. She also called on the Rohingya to be given citizenship and for neighbouring countries to support the refugees. Leaders of Muslim-majority countries have also condemned the violence. President Erdogan of Turkey has branded it a genocide and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand have said they are prepared to receive Rohingya refugees. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man has died after falling off a bridge moments after proposing to his girlfriend. The incident took place on the Irabu Bridge in Okinawa, Japan, and the man, who has not been named, is believed to be a local 32-year-old care worker. The couple were driving along the picturesque 2.1-mile bridge, when the man asked his girlfriend, who was behind the wheel, to pull over. He then surprised her with a proposal and when the woman said yes, he apparently jumped for joy over the 1.2 metre railing. The man then lost his grip of the rails and fell from the 30-metre-high bridge, Malaysian Digest reported. The woman involved in the incident called the police immediately and a search and rescue operation was launched. The mans body was found seven hours later and he was pronounced dead. He is thought to have been drinking prior to the incident, according to a police statement. 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 It is the first death on the bridge, which opened in 2015 and it is the longest toll-free bridge in the country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rohingya villages are being burned to the ground in Burmas Rakhine state, eyewitnesses have said. BBC journalists reported seeing buildings ablaze in a village near the town of Mungdaw, including homes and a religious school. The fires had allegedly been lit by a group of Rakhine Buddhists. A group of men carrying weapons were spotted leaving the village, one of whom admitted he had lit the fires with help from the police, the BBC reported. The government claims members of the persecuted minority have been destroying their own homes, which has been disputed by Rohingya who have fled the country into neighbouring Bangladesh. Rohingya refugees say the Burmese military and Rakhine Buddhists are setting their villages alight to drive them out, after attacks by Rohingya Muslim militants on police posts. In August, Rohingya Muslim insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base, which led to a military crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people and forced tens of thousands to flee. Rohingya refugees in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA At least 164,000 Rohingya have crossed the border into Bangladesh over the past few weeks, the United Nations refugee agency has said, leaving displacement camps at full capacity. UN agencies believe the figure could rise to 300,000 in the coming days. The violence has led to criticism of Burmas leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for not speaking out for the minority, who are denied citizenship in the predominantly Buddhist country. Last week, Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 50 displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh, who said Burmese security forces had attacked villagers, shooting them and burning down their homes. Dozens of injured Rohingya Muslims have been admitted to the hospital in Chittagong, in southern Bangladesh, since violence flared in Rakhine state last month. One boy, 10-year-old Mohammed Idrees, was admitted to the medical centre with part of his ear blown off, Reuters reported. I dont remember what happened to me, but I want to go see my mother, he said, as his father described how Burmese security forces entered their village with gunfire on 25 August. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Police in Thailand are investigating the alleged gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in Thailand last year. The victim, from a village with a population of 100 people on the island of Koh Raed, Phang Nga province, said up to 40 men had sexually assaulted her between May and December 2016. The girl, now 15, first reported the sexual assaults in March, stating she was raped by an assailant at her home while her parents worked at night. She said she was then subsequently forced to go to huts in the area where she was drugged and assaulted by multiple attackers. Police official Boonthawee Torraksa told CNN the Phang Nga force were investigating the allegations. Phang Nga province deputy governor Eggarat Leesen told the broadcaster that not all the suspected perpetrators are thought to be from the island, which may make the case more difficult to investigate. The girls parents work at night as rubber tappers to collect latex from rubber trees, which meant the teenager was often left at home alone, according to local newspaper The Nation. Mr Leesen said the tight-knit community of Koh Raed had been shocked by the allegations. 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 Local residents are having stress from various degrees, depending on how the case affects them, he said. Many of the residents said they don't believe this could happen. Since the village is small, if something happened they should have known. The family, who have reportedly faced threats from some neighbours, has been moved from the village and placed under police protection. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has vowed to lead the rebuilding of the European Union. Speaking in Athens, Mr Macron warned that sovereignty, democracy and trust were all in danger as he called for greater cooperation and solidarity among EU members. The French President also reiterated his beliefs that Europe needed its own parliament, finance minister and budget to fight off any potential crises. Elected four months ago, the 39-year-old said it was important for the EU to become more democratic, or face the risk of subjugation to China and the US. "In order not to be ruled by bigger powers such as the Chinese and the Americans, I believe in a European sovereignty that allows us to defend ourselves and exist," Mr Macron said at the top of the hill of Pnyx, with the spectacular backdrop of the Parthenon temple in the background. "Are you afraid of this European ambition?" Mr Macron added that he plans to unveil a "road map" for the EU in the next few weeks, after Germany's election, and wanted European leaders to agree before the end of the year to launch public debates in the first half of 2018 during which citizens will be able to discuss their vision for the bloc. "I don't want a new European treaty discussed behind closed doors, in the corridors of Brussels, Berlin or Paris," Mr Macron 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. 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 These debates, so-called democratic conventions, which he proposed during his French presidential campaign, would help lay the foundations of Europe for the next 10 to 15 years, he said. Interestingly, Mr Macron noted that he supported the idea of giving Britain's 78 seats in the European Parliament to pan-EU representatives elected by all of the EU's citizens after Brexit. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Nigel Farage has received a standing ovation from supporters of the German far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, as he whipped up anti-EU sentiment and urged voters to be bold in challenging their countrys status quo. The former Ukip leader injected debate about Brexit into the German election after receiving a personal invitation by the MEP Beatrix von Storch, a leading figure of the anti-immigration party and the granddaughter of Hitlers finance minister, Lutz von Krosigk. Speaking at the Spandau Citadel in the west of Berlin a fortnight before German voters go to the polls on 24 September, Mr Farage, the MEP for South East England, was greeted with huge applause by the crowd of a few hundred people gathered for the occasion. He urged AfD supporters to take note of the enthusiasm that made Brexit possible and stand up to their countrys establishment. Founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party, the AfD has seen its popularity grow after it monopolised the anti-refugee sentiment following Ms Merkels open-door refugee policy, which has allowed more than a million refugees and migrants to come to Germany in the last two years. Yet the event showed Ms Von Storch was keen to return the debate to the partys Eurosceptic roots. The AfD is expected to win its first parliamentary seats in the Bundestag (the German parliament) in the upcoming election, and could possibly become the third biggest political force in Germany. Once you have the opportunity, once you have the space to challenge the establishment, to challenge the status quo, you have the opportunity to make the country think and that is an opportunity but also a responsibility, Mr Farage told Ms Von Storch and her AfD supporters. Once you are able to speak the unspeakable, people will begin to think the unthinkable and that is how you beat the establishment. Speaking to reporters, Ms Von Storch, hailed Mr Farage as a role model and the man who made the impossible possible in reference to Brexit the vote. Elected as an MEP in 2014, Ms Von Storch joined the right-wing group Europe for Freedom and Democracy (chaired by Mr Farage) in April last year, after being expelled from the more mainstream European Conservatives and Reformists Group for saying border guards should shoot at women and children trying to cross the border illegally. She later tried to amend her comments saying the use of firearms against children was rightly, not allowed. Mr Farage praised Germany as being the strongest and most powerful country in the EU, before adding it also had generous taxpayers making the biggest contribution to the EU budget. Capitalising on his audiences Eurosceptic sentiments, Mr Farage said he was amazed Brexit had not been an issue in the German election debate. It doesnt matter if you think Brexit is a good thing or a bad thing; it is the biggest challenge the EU has ever faced, he said. Mr Farage warned far-right voters that if a tariff-free trade deal was not agreed between the EU and the UK, it would be pretty serious for Germany too, adding that Germany has sold at least 30bn worth of goods to the UK per year. Trade is a two way street. If it [Brussels] denies a good deal to the UK, it is denying a deal to the German workers. It is in our common interest if Brexit is being negotiated successfully. Nigel Farage says May can't be trusted over Brexit negotiations Mr Farage said the motion behind Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the US is still rolling, and he urged the German voters to be bold in challenging the status quo in their own country. Mr Farage also slammed conservative candidate Angela Merkel and her centre-left rival Martin Schulz for refusing to discuss Brexit, because it was a huge embarrassment to the European political dream. He described Mr Schulz, leader of the centre-left SPD, as a fanatic for his belief in a strong EU, and added Ms Merkel would be more likely to be receptive to the business case for a tariff-free trade deal between the UK and the EU. With two weeks to go, I would urge Beatrix [von Storch] and others to challenge these people and make of Brexit a debate that matters. You have an opportunity to do well out of this, and you also have an opportunity to do something better and greater for the people of Germany, he said. The AfD has been a strong critic of the eurozone and the bailouts which were paid out to Greece. It wants a referendum on leaving the eurozone, and a separate referendum on leaving the European Union unless the bloc returns to the loose federation it was when West Germany helped found it in 1957. Outside the citadel, dozens of anti-AfD protesters had gathered to oppose Mr Farages visit. Morag Grant, a British citizen originally from Glasgow, was holding a placard saying British Berliner against Brexit. The 44-year-old, who has been living in Berlin for 20 years, was unable to vote in last years Brexit referendum because she had been an expat in Europe for more than the 15 years threshold. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA Ms Grant told The Independent Mr Farage was simply seeking attention. It shows that his whole agenda about a claim to British sovereignty is actually about promoting far-right movements and fascist ideology across Europe. Farage is very good at hiding his own agenda, but he is coming at the heart of Berlin to fuel divisions. Jenny Hackney, 40, who left Manchester for Berlin 16 years ago, said Mr Farage aimed to create a right-wing avalanche across Europe. The AfDs popularity has taken a hit in recent months after reaching the mid-teens in opinion polls last year. Yet polls have shown the AfD fluctuating between eight and 11 per cent of voting intentions, and the party is expected to enter the Bundestag for the first time in September, after missing out on reaching the national five per cent threshold in the last election. In a poll on Thursday, pollster Infratest dimap found voting intentions for the AfD reached 11 per cent, with many German voters who had not yet made up their minds. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Ukrainian President has warned that Russias latest military drill shows it is preparing its forces for war in Eastern Europe. Petro Poroshenko said that Moscows latest military exercise, which is due to be held in Belarus next week with up to 100,000 troops expected to mobilise on the EUs eastern borders, demonstrated its increasing ambitions in the region. Mr Poroshenko, a former oligarch who came to power following mass protests in 2013, said these latest war games show that Russia has no intention of handing back Crimea and or withdrawing from the separatist eastern regions, local news website Ukrainska Pravada. In an address to the Ukrainian parliament he said: There are no signs at the moment that Moscow would be ready to pull back from Donbass or leave Crimea. In fact, there is more and more evidence for its preparations for an offensive war of continental proportions. "Under the guise of strategic command exercises, we are not ruling out the creation of a new assault group of Russian troops to strike Ukrainian territory, he said. Some 2,000 transporters with soldiers and equipment have approached and are approaching our borders. There is no guarantee that after the end of these manoeuvres all this will return to Russia. Other former Soviet states such as Georgia and Lithuania have also raised concerns about the drill. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said the drill could be used as a front to station Russian troops in Belarus as a precursor to annexation, Newsweek reported. 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 Kremlin has always denied it is arming pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine as part of their conflict with the Ukrainian state. It comes as Jens Stoltenberg, Natos secretary general, accused the Kremlin of falling in its obligations under international rules to allow in foreign observers. Russian Air Force jet flies over Capitol building So far Russia and Belarus have said only three Nato experts have been invited to watch some of the drills which are supposed to test military preparedness in the face of an attack. Western observers have rubbished the Kremlins claims that only 13,000 troops are expected to take part in their Zapad (west) exercises. Under the international rules of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Vienna Document, any country planning on carrying out a military exercise with more than 13,000 troops taking part must notify other countries in advance and invite them to observe it. Speaking to British troops at a military base in Estonia where they have been based since March, Mr Stoltenberg said: Briefings on the exercise scenario and progress; opportunities to talk to individual soldiers; and overflights over the exercise. Video released of Vladimir Putin's macho fishing holiday This is something that is part of the Vienna document, an agreement regulating transparency and predictability relating to military exercises. So we call on Russia to observe the letter and the spirit of the Vienna document. Transparency and predictability are even more important when tensions are high to reduce the risks of misunderstandings and incidents," he added. Nato remains calm and vigilant and we are going to keep Estonia and our allies safe. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least five senior Isis leaders have been killed in air strikes in Syria, US Central Command and the Russian Ministry of Defence have reported. US-led coalition bombing dispatched two weapons experts in the east of Deir Ezzor on Thursday, a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force said. Abu Anas al-Shami, who spearheaded Isis attempts to procure explosives used in terror attacks both inside and outside Syria, was killed near the city of Mayadin, coalition spokesperson Colonel Ryan Dillon told reporters at the Pentagon. Footage shows Isis schoolgirl Linda Wenzel being captured in Iraq He also oversaw the building of improvised explosives to rig corpses, vehicles and buildings to try and help Isis cling to strongholds they are losing in Iraq and Syria, he added. Junaid ur Rehman, a drone pilot who was skilled at modifying drones into weapons, was killed in the village of al-Ashara, just south of Mayadin. Also in Deir Ezzor province where with the help of Russian air power the Syrian army has managed to break an Isis siege on the town of the same name for the first time since the militants surrounded it three years ago Russian jets reportedly killed more than 40 combatants in recent strikes, including four senior commanders who were meeting at an important underground command-and-control centre. Isis war minister Gulmurod Khalimov originally from Tajikistan and the Emir of Deir Ezzor Abu Muhammad Al-Shmali, the organisations finance minister, were among the dead, the Russian defence ministry said on Friday. Khalimov, the US-trained commander of Tajikistans elite police force, defected to Isis in April 2015 and later posted a video in which he vowed to return home to establish sharia law in his home country and take the holy jihad to Russia and the US. Al-Shmalis death has also previously been claimed by US forces. In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Isis' weapons factories In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A mortar round fin manufactured by Isis in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis rocket components discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, Iraq in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortars discovered near Karamlais, Iraq, in November 2016 CAR In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis rocket launch frame in Qaraqosh, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A memo from Isis' COSQC on quality control at a manufacturing facility in Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Electrically-operated initiators manufactured by Isis in forces Gogjali, Mosul, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Isis mortar tubes at a manufacturing facility in Karamlais, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis mortar production facility discovered in Gogjali, Mosul, in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories An Isis weapons manufacturing facilities near Mosul in November 2016 Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories Stocks of French-manufactured Sorbitol, Latvian potassium nitrate and Lebanese sugar at an Isis weapons factory in Iraq Conflict Armament Research In pictures: Isis' weapons factories A destroyed Isis weapons facility in Qaraqosh, Iraq, November 2016 Conflict Armament Research Effective actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces made it possible to speed up the unblocking of the city of Deir Ezzor and allow the Syrian troops to start its immediate liberation, Moscow said in a statement. The Syrian army and militias loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led by General Suheil al-Hassan, known as the Tiger managed to break through Isis defences for the first time on Tuesday. On Thursday, comprehensive shipments reached the citys besieged 70,000 civilians, who have been reliant for years on erratic UN airdrops of food and medicine. Ousting Isis from Deir Ezzor will be the latest victory for Mr Assad, who has slowly gained the upper hand against Islamist and other rebel groups in Syrias six-year-old war since Russia intervened in the conflict in 2015. The militants are also under significant pressure in their de facto capital of Raqqa, south of Deir Ezzor, where the US-backed Arab and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has now retaken 6 per cent of the city in a battle which has seen significant civilian casualties. The SDF is now preparing to take the jihadists on in the most well-defended neighbourhoods of the town. Isis lost control of its largest city, Mosul in neighbouring Iraq, in July. While Isis so-called caliphate across Syria and Iraq is crumbling, the organisation is expected to mount a fierce insurgency across both countries and step up its terror attacks around the world. The European Commission and European Union member states have not discovered any financial assets or economic resources belonging to disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych which were frozen as a result of EU sanctions, lawyers from Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP (JHA LLP, UK) have said. "Under Article 8 of Council Regulation (EU) No 208/2014, which imposed the European Union's sanctions on President Yanukovych, EU Member States and others were required to inform the European Commission immediately of all and any information that they had regarding funds and economic resources owned or controlled by President Yanukovych which were frozen in accordance with the Regulation," said a press release by JHA made public by Yuriy Kirasir, the press secretary of Viktor Yanukovych's son Oleksandr Yanukovych. The press release says that notwithstanding the fact that 3.5 years have passed since the sanctions were imposed and despite the abovementioned demand to provide information, "the European Commission has now formally confirmed that it has not received under that Article any information on funds or economic resources owned or controlled by President Yanukovych which were frozen as a result of the EU sanctions." Yanukovych's lawyers in March 2017 said Swiss officials confirmed that there were no bank accounts or other assets registered in the name of Viktor Yanukovych. JHA LLP is a law firm based in London that represents the interests of Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr Yanukovych. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been sentenced to almost four years in prison for attacking a nurse on a public bus for wearing shorts. Security guard Abdullah Cakiroglu was captured on CCTV kicking and verbally abusing 23-year-old Aysegul Terzi. According to local media, Mr Cakiroglu was heard shouting: Those who wear shorts must die. The incident took place in the Maslak neighbourhood of Istanbul, on the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday in September 2016. Ms Terzi had previously told the court her attacker shouted she had no right to live before kicking her in the face. Three men stepped in stop the assault, but Ms Terzi was left with severe facial bruising. Mr Cakiroglu was ordered to serve three years and ten months in prison for preventing the practice of freedom of faith, thought and opinion and deliberately causing injury, Turkeys Anadolu news agency reported. 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 According to the Hurriyet Daily News, Mr Cakiroglu told investigators last year: She wore shorts and was sitting in an obscene way with her legs sideways. She was staring at me with an obtrusive look. I lost myself in an instant. I thought she disregarded the values of our country and society and she did not show respect for herself and the people around her with her clothing style. My spiritual side took over and I kicked her in the face. The incident sparked protests on social media, with women in Turkey posting images of themselves wearing shorts in solidarity. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Mobile phones to reach out to separated relatives. Bags of spices that remind them of home. Solar panels to bring a little light to their ragged tents. These are some of the things that group upon group of terrified, starving, exhausted Rohingya Muslims carry with them as they escape the violence that they've endured in Burma Rakhine state over the last two weeks. The exodus began on 25 August, after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Rakhine state. The Burmese government says nearly 400 people have been killed in fighting it blames on insurgents, though Rohingya say they Burmese troops and Buddhist mobs attacked them and destroyed their villages. They packed a few precious items into used sacks and bamboo baskets, then fled on foot through forests, or on precarious boats on rain-swollen rivers. Solar Panels Small solar panels are everywhere in the makeshift refugee camp that has sprouted up to accommodate many of the more than 160,000 people the United Nations says have entered Bangladesh since the violence started. A little girl carried a panel on her back as she crossed into Teknaf after braving a risky crossing on the Naf River that runs between Burma and Bangladesh. The dark-blue-and-white panels are also perched on the plastic roofs of their shelters. "We got it so that in the dark we can have some light," said one man. Others use the solar panel to charge the other possession almost everyone brings: A mobile phone is charged by a solar panel (Associated Press) Mobile Phones Tied in plastic pouches and hung around their necks, ortucked into the waistbands of their wraparounds, cellphones allow Rohingya to reach relatives who arrived in Bangladesh during earlier waves of fear-fueled migrations from Burma. They also allow them to reconnect with relatives they became separated from along the tricky journeys that bring them to safety. Memory Cards Those who don't carry phones still often bring memory cards from their abandoned phones. Some Rohingya said they erased personal photos and videos because they were afraid that Burma soldiers would use them to find and persecute their families left behind. A woman holds a photograph of her family members (Associated Press) Spices Food in the camps is scarce. Most people eat only when the aid agencies or local volunteers bring bags of food, most often rice and watery curry. But even in these dire circumstances, many Rohingya have brought with them spices from their homeland: pungent red chilies drying on plastic sheets; fiery chutneys in battered boxes; dried beef in bamboo cases. "Even if all we get to eat is a plate of rice, we can burn a red chili and mix it and it will taste nice," says a woman in the Kutupalong refugee camp. Birds Rohingya had to leave behind the vast majority of their livestock. Cattle now wander among the blackened remains of their incinerated homes. Some weary travelers, however, managed to tuck a chicken, duck or goose into their bags. Associated Press For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Indian politician has put Winston Churchill in the same category as some of the worst genocidal dictators of the 20th century because of his complicity in the Bengal Famine. Dr Shashi Tharoor, whose new book Inglorious Empire chronicles the atrocities of the British Empire, argued the former British Prime Ministers reputation as a great wartime leader and protector of freedom was wholly miscast given his role in the Bengal famine which saw four million Bengalis starve to death. In 1943, up to four million Bengalis starved to death when Churchill diverted food to British soldiers and countries such as Greece while a deadly famine swept through Bengal. During an appearance at the Melbourne writers festival broadcast by ABC, the Indian MP noted Churchills orders related to Australian ships carrying wheat at Indian docks. This is a man the British would have us hail as an apostle of freedom and democracy, when he has as much blood on his hands as some of the worst genocidal dictators of the 20th century, he said to applause. He added: People started dying and Churchill said well its all their fault anyway for breeding like rabbits. He said I hate the Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion. Dr Tharoor, a former Under-Secretary of the UN, also gave an extensive description of British colonial exploitation and annihilation of traditional Indian industries such as textiles which reduced it to a poster child of third world poverty by the time the British left in 1947. The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire Show all 5 1 /5 The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire 1. Boer concentration camps During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the British rounded up around a sixth of the Boer population - mainly women and children - and detained them in camps, which were overcrowded and prone to outbreaks of disease, with scant food rations. Of the 107,000 people interned in the camps, 27,927 Boers died, along with an unknown number of black Africans Hulton Archive/Getty Images The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire 2. Amritsar massacre When peaceful protesters defied a government order and demonstrated against British colonial rule in Amritsar, India, on 13 April 1919, they were blocked inside the walled Jallianwala Gardens and fired upon by Gurkha soldiers. The soldiers, under the orders of Brigadier Reginald Dyer, kept firing until they ran out of ammunition, killing between 379 and 1,000 protesters and injuring another 1,100 within 10 minutes. Brigadier Dyer was later lauded a hero by the British public, who raised 26,000 for him as a thank you The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire 3. Partitioning of India In 1947, Cyril Radcliffe was tasked with drawing the border between India and the newly created state of Pakistan over the course of a single lunch. After Cyril Radcliffe split the subcontinent along religious lines, uprooting over 10 million people, Hindus in Pakistan and Muslims in India were forced to escape their homes as the situation quickly descended into violence. Some estimates suggest up to one million people lost their lives in sectarian killings The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire 4. Mau Mau Uprising Thousands of elderly Kenyans, who claim British colonial forces mistreated, raped and tortured them during the Mau Mau Uprising (1951-1960), have launched a 200m damages claim against the UK Government. Members of the Kikuyu tribe were detained in camps, since described as "Britain's gulags" or concentration camps, where they allege they were systematically tortured and suffered serious sexual assault. Estimates of the deaths vary widely: historian David Anderson estimates there were 20,000, whereas Caroline Elkins believes up to 100,000 could have died The 5 of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire 5. Famines in India Between 12 and 29 million Indians died of starvation while it was under the control of the British Empire, as millions of tons of wheat were exported to Britain as famine raged in India. In 1943, up to four million Bengalis starved to death when Winston Churchill diverted food to British soldiers and countries such as Greece while a deadly famine swept through Bengal. Talking about the Bengal famine in 1943, Churchill said: I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion. The famine was their own fault for breeding like rabbits He said the excuse that apologists [of British empire] like to make is, its not our fault, you just missed the bus for the industrial revolution. Well, we missed the bus because you threw us under its wheels. This is not the first time Dr Tharoor has voiced his frustrations about the way Churchill is remembered by the history books. In March, he argued the former PM who led Britain to victory in World War Two should be remembered alongside the most prominent dictators of the twentieth century. This [Churchill] is the man who the British insist on hailing as some apostle of freedom and democracy," the author told UK Asian at a launch for his book. "When to my mind he is really one of the more evil rulers of the 20th century only fit to stand in the company of the likes of Hitler, Mao and Stalin". He added: Churchill has as much blood on his hands as Hitler does. Particularly the decisions that he personally signed off during the Bengal Famine when 4.3 million people died because of the decisions he took or endorsed." "Not only did the British pursue its own policy of not helping the victims of this famine which was created by their policies. Churchill persisted in exporting grain to Europe, not to feed actual Sturdy Tommies, to use his phrase, but add to the buffer stocks that were being piled up in the event of a future invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia. Ships laden with wheat were coming in from Australia docking in Calcutta and were instructed by Churchill not to disembark their cargo but sail on to Europe, he added. And when conscience-stricken British officials wrote to the Prime Minister in London pointing out that his policies were causing needless loss of life all he could do was write peevishly in the margin of the report, Why hasnt Gandhi died yet?'" Dr Tharoor first rose to prominence after his heartfelt speech at Oxford Union, discussing the economic toll British rule took on India, in July 2015 went viral. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Magical realism springs to life in Cartagena de Indias, the Caribbean jewel in Colombias crown. Akin to an open-air museum, the walled Unesco World Heritage Site hides a wealth of colonial architecture and monuments, but you can also escape to one of the nearby beaches, a boat ride away, for a tropical experience. Lose yourself in the Walled Town Colonial pastel facades, lofty wooden entrances, incredible door knockers, cobbled streets and an abundance of churches are enveloped within 16th-century walls. Thats right, Cartagena de Indias is an architecture Instagrammers wet dream. Wandering the old town is enchanting but if youre keen to know the meanings behind curiously-named roads and that dolphin knocker, take a guided tour with super-knowledgeable Australian transplant Kristy Ellis from Cartagena Connections (cartagenaconnections.com). Conquer las murallas On them, alongside them, sitting in the middle, even drinking atop them; almost seven miles of fortified walls have seen more than a few pirates come a-sailing over the last 400 years. Construction began in 1596, finishing two centuries later, and the beefy murallas, comprising ramparts and bastions, are the sombre gateway to the old city. Catch a gorgeous sunset from the embrasures next to Teatro Adolfo Mejia the perfect setting for stealing a kiss. Dance your socks off If you thought the streets of Cartagena were humid all day and all night, prepare for the ultimate sweaty workout on the salsa dancefloor. First, take a class at Crazy Salsa (crazysalsa.net) to discover whether your salsa style is Cali, Puerto Rico or Casino; a one-hour group class costs 30,000 Colombian pesos (7.60). Then put those moves into practice at Cafe Havana (cafehavanacartagena.com), a classic corner bar featuring live bands in the Getsemani neighbourhood. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 8.30pm-4am. You can eat atop las murallas (fortified walls) (Cartagena de Indias) Go bird spotting The worlds second most biodiverse country, Colombia is home to an incredible array of flora and fauna as colourful as Cartagenas old town itself. The well-kempt National Aviary (aviarionacional.co), which opened in nearby Baru in 2016, is the perfect place to catch a glimpse of 138 bird species. Bird spotters can get close to the harpy eagle, Caribbean toucan and pink flamingo all going about their daily business. Admission is 35,000 Colombian pesos (9). Cast yourself away While Cartagena is a metrotropicalis (tropical city), its urban beaches dont quite make the white-sand, turquoise-waters Caribbean cut. Instead, head off for a day trip or longer for snorkelling and scuba diving in coral reefs off the 30-island archipelago of Islas del Rosario. Its 90 minutes by lancha (speedboat), costing 50,000 Colombian pesos (13) one-way. Alternatively, play Robinson Crusoe and sleep over in a hammock at Playa Blanca on Isla Baru; 90 minutes by lancha, 30,000 Colombian pesos (7.70) one-way. Lanchas depart from Muelle de la Bodeguita in the walled town and Mercado de Bazurto. Proyecto Caribe does a weekly pop-up (Proyecto Caribe) Eat Caribbean food While deep-fried fish served with coconut rice or egg-filled arepas bought from a street cart are staples and totally delicious make the most of Caribbean cuisines new wave. Anthony Bourdain might have put La Cevicherias eponymous lime-marinated fish dish on the map in 2008, but look to weekly pop-up Proyecto Caribe, whose two-chef team experiments with regional products from a unique private home overlooking Plaza de los Coches, or Carmen (carmencartagena.com), which offers a delectable seven-step tasting menu. Paddle through mangroves Find some natural peace and quiet in nearby La Boquilla on a mangroves ecotour (ecotoursboquilla.com). Canoe across lagoons and through natural tunnels in this rich ecosystem, stumbling across lone fishermen going about their daily tasks in colourful wooden chalupa boats. Cartagena de Indias has plenty of religious buildings (Cartagena de Indias) Cool off with cocktails A surging cocktail scene in Cartagena means you can go beyond a mojito in the Caribbean. An outdoor table at El Baron (elbaron.co) on Plaza San Pedro is the ideal spot for people-watching while sipping an exhilarating Gin Basil Smash made by award-winning mixologists; also try a smoked rum at ultra-cool Alquimico (alquimico.com), whose bartenders specialise in contemporary alchemy. Hang out in the new town Colombias answer to Miami, Bocagrande is the total opposite to the old town. The peninsula houses high-rise apartment blocks and hotels; small beach clubs line the sandy coastline, with tents pitched to combat the strong sun. Its a decent alternative to trekking out to an island to catch some rays. Have a religious experience Cartagena is home to an array of churches, monasteries and religious buildings dating back to the 16th century, the cool marble walls offering welcome respite from the humidity. San Pedro Claver was built by Jesuits in the 17th century, while the Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandria with its stunning yellow cupula was a labour of love that took 84 years to complete. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Passengers might soon be able to travel from London to Tokyo on the Trans-Siberian railway via an 8,400 mile route, in an ambitious proposal by the Russian government. The project would involve constructing a 28-mile bridge that would allow trains to cross the East Sea. Beginning in London, the train would take travellers through the heart of Russia before concluding in Wakkanai, Japan. Recommended A train that runs on a virtual railway track has been unveiled The proposal is being described as a bridge across history due to Moscow and Tokyo failing to ever reach a treaty agreement, ending the antagonisms following World War II. The trip is one of great topographic value, with trains passing through Germany and Poland before entering Eastern Europe. Passengers would also pass through the Siberian Mountains before reaching the proposed bridge, a blueprint for the route shows. Reportedly keen to boost investment in the eastern parts of Russia, Putin is in serious talks with Japanese officials to kickstart plans. The Russian presidents environmental aid, Sergei Ivanov, has said that a link between Japan and Sakhalin Russias largest island which was half controlled by Tokyo before WWII was a long held dream and would hugely benefit oil and gas production in the country. "We are seriously offering Japanese partners to consider the construction of a mixed road and railway passage from Hokkaido to southern part of Sakhalin," explained Russia's first vice-premier Igor Shuvalov, the Siberian Times reports. The plans were revealed at Russias Eastern Economic Forum, hosted by Putin in Vladivostok. Currently, travellers can take the Trans-Siberian railway from Beijing through Mongolia and onto Moscow, arriving in the Russian capital in as little as 15 days. Its a route thats proven hugely popular amongst eager wanderlusts and gap year students. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As Hurricane Irma continues its barrelling progress across the Caribbean, America is bracing itself to be next in line for a battering just two weeks after residents of Texas were pummelled by Hurricane Harvey. Half a million Floridians have been told to leave their homes in advance of Irma making landfall. The destruction already caused by Irmas intense winds has been significant, with the confirmed number of fatalities at 19 and the death toll expected to rise. Officials have reported that 60 per cent of the homes on the island of St Martin are uninhabitable. Meanwhile the Prime Minister of Barbuda, Gaston Browne, says nearly every building there has suffered damage to one degree or another and he estimates the reconstruction bill will be 80m. Several British Overseas Territories have been badly affected, including Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The UK Government has pledged aid, quite rightly, although it seems probable that the figure of 32m is optimistically low. British troops will travel to the region as a matter of urgency to assist the relief operation. Naturally the immediate focus of attention must be on rebuilding ruined communities, accounting for the missing and preventing looters from bringing additional distress by pilfering from shops and private residences. With more hurricanes loitering further out in the Atlantic, reconstructive work must begin swiftly. However, it is not inappropriate in the face of this destruction to discuss the issue which Alan Duncan, the Foreign Office minister, seemed so outraged to be confronted with in the House of Commons on Thursday: climate change. When Green Party MP Caroline Lucas suggested that the Government was failing to show leadership on the subject, she was told imperiously by Mr Duncan that she had misjudged the tone of the House. What utter, arrogant nonsense. Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Meteo Express Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP As Ms Lucas noted, while the Government was warning against a debate on the broader issues, Mr Browne had been telling reporters that he and his people in Barbuda are living with the consequences of climate change. As he put it: The science is clear ... It is unfortunate that there are some who see it differently. Certainly the broad consensus among scientists is that, while hurricanes are not caused by climate change, we will see those with the intensity of Irma more frequently as a consequence of global warming essentially because higher sea-surface temperatures enable storms to pick up more water and more power. It is far better to consider this in the full face of the reality wrought in the Caribbean in recent days than to do so when the world is no longer interested, and the issues appear, however temporarily, less urgent. Not so long ago, the UK was at the forefront of international efforts to combat climate change, promoting the use of green energy and encouraging other nations to help reduce global carbon emissions. David Cameron promised the greenest government ever when he came to office in 2010 and the coalition made a bright start. Yet for the past five years, matters have regressed. Support for solar energy has been cut and the development of new onshore wind farms has been made more or less impossible. The requirement for new homes to be carbon neutral was ditched. There is little obvious sign that Theresa May intends to place greater emphasis on green issues which seems particularly short-sighted in the context of Britains withdrawal from the EU. There is surely no better time for the UK to make itself a world leader in the development and deployment of green technology. On the other side of the swirling, heaving Atlantic, America finds itself with a President who has repeatedly dismissed the full reality of climate change. He has made much of his desire to re-energise the United States coal-mining industry; he has rescinded numerous of his predecessors climate-related executive orders; and of course he has withdrawn America from the Paris Agreement on climate change. He may still believe that the very notion of global warming is a Chinese invention designed to make US manufacturing uncompetitive. Whether recent extreme weather events will make President Trump think again remains to be seen. But intense hurricanes such as Harvey and Irma, not to mention Fridays earthquake in Mexico, must be considered within the wider context of our changing climate. To do that is not to underplay the immediate needs of people affected by such natural phenomena; rather it is to accept that if we are to reduce the number and suffering of future victims, we must recognise the signs of global warming for what they really are in the here and now. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Irma is battering its way towards South Florida, where it will be the first category 5 hurricane to strike the state since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Aid for victims of Andrew was infamously slow to arrive and chaotically distributed when it finally turned up. Federal and state authorities waiting for Irma say that they learned their lesson from mistakes made then, and that nothing like that could happen again. I doubt that: 10 days after Andrew, I was in Homestead, a devastated town 20 miles south of Miami, where I was warmly greeted by local people who initially thought I was an insurance adjuster or a government official come to help them. They were only a little less welcoming when I explained that I was a British journalist, since their expectations of speedy government assistance were realistically low. Where aid had arrived, it was almost comically out of keeping with local needs. US army officers were frustrated because they had erected 125 tents, each capable of sheltering 30 people whose houses were uninhabitable, but the survivors were resolutely refusing to live in them. Instead, they were camping in the wreckage of their houses, explaining that if they moved out then their furniture and anything else they owned would be stolen by looters. The army was only allowing people to bring three suitcases each into their camp, which consequently remained entirely empty. Another reason why people could not be shifted from the ruins of their homes was that they were waiting impatiently for the insurance adjusters to turn up, and were desperate not to miss them. On outside walls that were still standing, homeowners had painted in large letters the names of their insurance companies: All State, Prudential, Utah Fire and Flood. Their disappointment that I did not come from one of these was entirely understandable. Hurricane Irma: Helicopeter footage shows British Virgin Islands devastation Not everybody hit by Andrew carried insurance: near Homestead was a camp of migrant labourers, who in better times picked limes and avocados, but had seen their plywood and hardboard shacks ripped apart by the wind. They were hoping for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) whose officials were said to be in the area. I found two volunteers working for the agency sitting at a desk helping Mexican farm labourers to fill in a five-page yellow form requesting aid. These were people in need before the storm and now their wants were even greater. They no longer had jobs picking fruit, and therefore no way to make money, which was their greatest lack. A Fema volunteer, who was normally in charge of railway safety in Washington, told me that what we really need here is an armoured car full of money to give people. But cash is exactly what private charities and state agencies least wanted to dispense, though they would provide anything else however unnecessary. The fields around Homestead were dotted with bundles of brightly coloured clothes, children's cardigans and woolly dresses, sent by donors elsewhere in the US who obviously did not know about the muggy heat of a Florida summer. Supposedly everything has changed since Andrew: a storm so destructive that its very name was struck from the list of those used to denote hurricanes by the World Meteorological Organisation. It destroyed 63,000 buildings and, in its wake, construction regulations were made stricter so structures could better withstand hurricane-force winds. Fema supposedly learned from its experience in 1992, though there was little sign of this when Katrina hit New Orleans in 2006 and Sandy inundated New York in 2012. Tory minister chides Caroline Lucas for bringing up climate change in relation to Hurricane Irma Federal and state politicians and officials are terrified of being accused of not doing enough in the face of natural calamities. They all remember that President George W Bush suffered lasting political wounds from his supposedly dismissive response to Katrina, famously caught on camera as he looked down on the flooded city through the window of his plane. In his defence, it could be argued that the media, and perhaps the public, tends to take such symbolic gestures or the lack of them during disasters much too seriously, as if the presence of Bush in New Orleans would have done much good to those flooded out of their houses. At times of natural calamity, local and central governments feel it is essential to show frantic activity, pretty much regardless of its effectiveness. Bringing in the army and the National Guard shows resolution and Florida State has 113 helicopters and 30,000 troops on standby for Irma but it is dubious if they are the best people to deal with this type of disaster. In the case of Andrew, a former US Marine in charge of relief told me that they should have put the Red Cross or somebody who knew what they were doing in charge from the start, so you wouldnt have the National Guard, city officials and the army passing the buck to each other. The media shares in responsibility for what goes wrong because of the way it traditionally reports hurricanes and other natural disasters. There is nothing new in this: storms and wars have been the meat and drink of the press ever since the first newspaper was published at the start of the seventeenth century, and the same is true of television and digital media today. Reporting is and has always been biased towards melodrama, and no journalist ever lost their job because they exaggerated the destructiveness of a bomb or a hurricane. The 24/7 reporting of Irma and other hurricanes should produce a clear picture of what is happening, but in practice it is difficult to know where destruction is moderate, serious or total. The decibel level of the media is invariably high, whatever is really happening. Satellite footage shows Hurricane Katia lining up behind Jose and Irma In Antigua, officials say that destruction on the island is light, in contrast to near obliteration on nearby Barbuda. But one supposed eyewitness on Antigua was quoted in a press report as telling ABS TV: What we have experienced is like something you see in a horror movie. People were running from house to house and we had cars flying over our heads. We had containers 40ft containers flying left and right. Perhaps this did happen somewhere in Antigua, but it was certainly not typical. In wars and storms, it is often genuinely difficult to know the true extent of the damage: this street is wrecked, but what about the next one? Andrew struck only just outside a major media hub in Miami, but even so it took days for the media there to realise that a historic disaster had happened on their doorstep. Hurricanes like Andrew and Irma hit the poor hardest because they live in flimsy housing that cant withstand high winds, and because the storm is only the latest trouble to hit them. In Haiti, the storm has disrupted water supply and waste disposal in a country that has just been through a cholera epidemic started by UN troops. In Puerto Rico, the bankrupt electricity company is using the storm, which only brushed the island, to justify closing down electric supply for up to four months. Disaster relief fails so often because it is geared towards immediate calamity and relieving long-term social degradation. If Irma does strike Florida with its full power, it could be just as destructive as Andrew a quarter of a century ago. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Kim Jong-uns recent escalation of North Koreas twin missile and nuclear programmes has prompted even more hysteria than usual. Donald Trump has been weighing in with his usual measured tone on Twitter, and is best ignored by anyone looking for sensible cues for American policy intentions; from Secretary of Defence James Mattis on, the more sensible administration figures have been downplaying their presidents bellicose stance. Whatever the likely outcomes which range from the merely awful to the downright apocalyptic intervention is still very much on the table, with Mattis saying on Sunday: Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. What would a massive military response look like? Any speculation on what renewed conflict on the Korean peninsula would entail tends to focus on the tens of millions of South Koreans and tens of thousands of US troops within easy artillery range of the border, and how they are effectively hostages, only minutes away from fiery death in response to any strike against the Northern regime. What gets talked about less are the 25 million people of North Korea, a decent proportion of whom, if things go wrong, would be slaughtered in a war they never chose and whose causes would remain shadowy to them. They are the regimes hostages just as much as anybody else within missile range, and their interests have been totally ignored in the debate about how to handle their portly leader. The common caricature of Northerners is based on the images we see in the DPRKs propaganda jackbooted and marching through Kim Il-Sung Square, or overcome with emotion at the latest triumph of their god-emperor. The regime presents them to the outside world as drones, mindlessly rejoicing in the glory of their leaders and unquestioningly obedient to their diktats. This portrait is, like all propaganda, nonsense. North Koreans react to latest nuclear test I visited North Korea for 10 days last year, and unlike almost all visitors to the country, I was able to move around more or less as I pleased, free from a regime minder or itinerary determined by a regime-approved tour group. The first gap between image and reality is in the built environment: those spectacular new skyscrapers you see in images of Pyongyang are often crumbling up close, with no glass in the windows and no lights at night. The poverty the tourists and their cameras arent allowed to see is staggering, with endless shanty towns making up the suburbs of Pyongyang a city that is, in theory, the playground of the elite. Once out of the capital, travelling via potholed and empty roads, youll find lifeless, dilapidated villages where the only signs of activity are brand new, gleaming statues of Kim Jong-uns father and grandfather. Many of the people, if theyre to be seen at all, have been bussed out to the fields for ad hoc agricultural work, squatting down in work groups of a few dozen with no tools bigger than trowels. The regime tries to project modernity, but even the likely exaggerated economic figures it releases mask a reality where the government, even now, can barely feed its own people. The people are visibly stunted, and everybody is skinny. Talking to them, youre quickly disabused of the notion that these are legions of brainwashed fanatics chomping at the bit to give the imperialist puppets to the South a drubbing. In 90 seconds: North Korea and Kim Jong-Un The North Koreans I spoke to were necessarily a self-selecting group, as only those judged to be sufficiently loyal are allowed to learn English (I dont speak Korean). Youd get boilerplate rhetoric of course one waitress told me a recent missile test was a sword of vengeance against the Americans but that was largely rote stuff, spouted because people dumb enough to complain about the regime to a foreigner wouldnt last long. They were surprisingly aware of the outside world, talking in detail about Barack Obama and which Western movies they enjoyed (Disney was popular). Its hard to know how successful various campaigning groups have been in infiltrating contraband information into the country, but its safe to assume anybody with two brain cells knows their government is a questionable one. They just cant express it, unless they want a trip to the mountains. The existence of any dissident movement is possible, but theres been next to no evidence for it. Change is coming very slowly, with the long-term effects of the governments recent recognition of the grey market that arose after the famine of the Nineties potentially leading to China-style market reforms but not any time soon, and not without the regime loosening much, much more. North Korea state broadcast: US faces 'thousands-fold' revenge following new UN sanctions Otherwise, North Koreans just have to go through the motions, unable to do anything about their freezing homes or empty bellies. Theres a sub-genre of journalism that involves going on a state-sponsored trip to Pyongyang and sticking a microphone in someones usually a students face and yelling questions about the nuclear programme. All this really results in is a clip flattering the journalists vanity and likely a lengthy self-criticism session for the student, who would be clueless about the scheme anyway. The truth is that the people of North Korea will go through the motions of paying fealty to the Kim dynasty, but this bulls***ter wasnt taken in by half of their bulls**t. Its easy to passionlessly express support for a regime that will shoot you if you dont. Now these unfortunate people are caught in the crossfire between a dynastic criminal family and some of the most powerful militaries in the world. And not one of them has chosen to place their heads on the block for one mans strategic calculations. North Korea Prison Camps Show all 7 1 /7 North Korea Prison Camps North Korea Prison Camps An overview of Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The administration area of Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A water treatment system in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps Crop fields and, inset, prisoners in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps The reported crematorium in Camp 25 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A possible mine Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe North Korea Prison Camps A walled compound in Camp 15 Amnesty International/DigitalGlobe The war, if it comes, will be a massacre. The North Korean military is vast on paper, but most of its troops are more state odd-job men than warriors every building site in Pyongyang is manned by soldier builders. Im not a big man, but I towered over even the supposedly elite troops at the DMZ. Short of fuel and resources, with a military based around old Soviet gear, the army wouldnt last long. Which means the regime, in desperation, would resort to its only chip left its own people. Its hard to know what would happen, but be under no doubt: the people of North Korea are the regimes primary victims. Illegal armed formations attacked Ukrainian troops in Donbas 25 times in the past day as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was killed in action, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters has said. "The past day in the ATO zone did not see drastic changes in the situation. As was the case in the daytime, the Russian-occupation forces continued shelling the positions of the ATO forces in the Donetsk and Mariupol sectors. Last night, the enemy mainly used grenade launchers and small arms against the Ukrainian forces. In total, the illegal armed formations attacked Ukrainian army positions 25 times since the beginning of the day [Thursday]. In some instances, when there was a direct threat to the life of our military, the ATO forces fired back," the ATO HQ said on Facebook on Friday morning. Militants started shelling ATO positions near the villages of Pavlopil and Lebedynske in the Mariupol sector after 18:00 local time on Thursday. They used grenade launchers. What is more, Ukrainian troops stationed near the village of Starohnativka were attacked by an infantry fighting vehicle. The Ukrainian-controlled village of Shyrokyne survived three attacks in the past day. In the Donetsk sector, militants fired heavy machine guns and small arms on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka and Butovka coal mine. Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said all material on the Kingsmill killings had been handed over The Kingsmill families are being played a record of false assurances by the southern authorities, their barrister claimed. Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said all material on the killings had been handed over. He said he had met relatives of the dead last month in Armagh. The main suspects in the IRA's shooting dead of 10 Protestant workmen in an ambush in South Armagh in January 1976 were living in the Republic, an officer told a previous inquest sitting. Alan Kane QC likened the Republic's statements to: "A long-playing record that it would appear is constantly played for the benefit of the relations of the people who were murdered. "The families certainly are of the view that this long-playing record of false assurances is being played because to date no product really has been forthcoming." A van used by the gunmen was found abandoned across the border and a palm print was recovered from it, but a prosecution could not be mounted. Mr Coveney said it was his understanding that the Dublin government had handed over all the documents in connection with the case to the coroner's office. He was keen to assure families "no games were being played". Coroner Brian Sherrard's representatives are due to meet the Garda and Irish legal authorities later this month as lawyers plan resumed hearings in November. Mr Kane, barrister for some of the relatives, claimed nothing has been done of a substantial nature to advance "vain assurances" around disclosure of material. Relatives have insisted much of what they have been given so far is newspaper clippings. Their lawyer said legislation needed to be introduced allowing a Garda witness to contribute evidence to the inquest. Mr Kane said: "It is time that the Irish Republic dealt with this matter in a serious fashion by actually coming up with the goods instead of constant assurances, having meetings and fudge." The coroner has promised he will not close the inquest without receiving answers. He suggested participants paused and took stock of progress so far. "Matters are moving forward and I am satisfied on the basis of what I have heard that progress is being made. "The one outstanding issue for me is with regard to making sure that the material that emanates from the Republic of Ireland is properly made available to the court and it seems to me that some progress is being made with regard to that." Alan Black, the sole survivor of the Kingsmill massacre, outside Belfast Coroner's Court A document which could contain "fundamental" information about the Kingsmill massacre may have gone missing, a lawyer has told an inquest. The 42-year-old document provides details about a cross-border panel set up by the RUC and Garda the previous year to share security information between the two forces, the barrister said. Sean Doran QC said: "One of the chief questions was whether there was joint protocol between the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Garda. "A technical panel was established in and around 1974. This panel produced a report in 1975. "The correspondence suggests that report has not been located by the Garda despite extensive searches both at national level and in the national archives. "It may well be the PSNI are able to locate those reports". He said he had been notified of the existence of the document through correspondence from the Republic's chief solicitor's office about the cross-border police panel. Coroner Brian Sherrard said: "These matters are of importance to our community as a whole, as well as to the interested parties. "It would be useful if we can redouble our efforts to locate (the documents). "They seem to answer many fundamental questions about the nature of co-operation (between RUC and Garda officers)." Alan Kane QC criticised the Republic's involvement in the inquest. He said: "We don't know where these documents are and really there is no effective co-operation being supplied by the Garda." The barrister for the bereaved added: "It's time that the Republic of Ireland actually dealt with this matter seriously." The Kingsmill massacre occurred in 1976 when workmen in a minibus were stopped by gunmen in rural south Armagh. The workers were lined up at the side of the road and the only Catholic among them was ordered to flee. Ten of the men were then shot dead. An 11th man, Alan Black, survived despite being seriously injured. Witnesses have said the attackers then crossed the border into Monaghan before crossing again to Armagh. No-one has ever been held to account for the murders. Last year, an inquest into the killings was opened but was halted after just one month in June 2016 when PSNI arrested a man in connection with the case. However, the decision was made not to prosecute the man due to insufficient evidence. Cork vet Bill Cashman has been singing from the rooftops about many of the biosecurity risks that have come to pass over the last few decades, and Johne's is one of them. There is a body of scientific studies pointing to a link between Johne's and a similar disease that affects humans called Crohn's. He has strong views on the dairy industry's approach to Johne's disease, which is estimated to be present in one in five dairy and beef herds in the country. I like to think of Bill as the canary in the mine that is the dairy sector. Some people find canaries very irritating. I beg to differ. Despite the news in recent weeks that a new national programme has been launched to tackle Johne's, Mr Cashman believes the effort is delivering an assurance scheme that gives marketeers something to present on global markets when they are selling Irish products. That's strong stuff from a man who has spent the best part of a decade being part of the technical working group that was tasked to come up with a way to tackle Johne's. In other words, this man has tried hard to be part of the solution. "There is only room for 1,800 dairy herds in this programme, which is barely 10pc of the total in the dairy industry," he told me. "There's no way you can claim that it's a national programme. The hope is to get up to 4,000 herds involved over the next five years, but in the meantime, Johne's disease is working away and spreading 24 hours a day." There are two main stumbling blocks to making this scheme more ambitious. The first is money. The umbrella group representing Irish dairy co-ops, ICOS, is providing 600,000 towards the annual cost. The Department of Agriculture is coughing up another 500,000. Teagasc's economic unit estimates that it would cost somewhere between 13-15m a year to roll out a scheme that catered for all dairy herds. In other words, the amount of money on the table is ridiculously insufficient. The second blockage is the political. Farm organisations have traditionally been very negative towards the implementation of disease control programmes. The BVD scheme was a case in point, where the IFA, ICMSA and ICSA all took pot-shots at the scheme over what they perceived to be the hardship it caused farmers. To me this is akin to Trump-tactic politics where you appeal to the lowest common denominator regardless of the big picture. It is a sure-fire way of maximising votes while at the same time jettisoning real leadership. This kind of populist politics has disastrous long-term consequences for those that are being led. The facts are that the elimination of diseases like BVD or Johne's puts more money in a farmer's pocket. Sure, if you don't plan to be part of the industry in 10 years' time, there's no big incentive to take the short-term pain for the long-term gains. But the eradication of BVD will leave dairy farmers at least 100m a year better off through better thrive in their stock. Over 90pc of farmers that have participated in Johne's pilot programmes have seen similar benefits in terms of improvements in calf health and a significant reduction in antibiotic use on farm. Why don't we have real farming leaders stepping up to champion this approach? Better still, why don't we have any of the highly paid executives in charge of our many dairy processors driving this national issue? The notion that they could only justify 600k to safeguard the future of the multi-billion euro business that they are charged with managing is, in my opinion, unforgivable. What are they waiting for? We all remember the impact of the BSE-scare that rocked the agriculture sector for years. In the meantime, the stigma surrounding Johne's in herds continues. Thousands of farmers are knowingly or unknowingly struggling to cope, with animal performance below par. This isn't confined to the poorest performers. Some dairy herds have struggled to contain the disease for over 20 years. But we don't hear much about it. Nobody wants to admit that their cows are infected. Better just to muddle our way through it. Maybe one way to sidestep all this nonsense is to reward farmers that take the initiative to prove that their herds are Johne's-free. We are forever castigating the processing industry for not paying premium prices for a premium product. Instead, the dairy industry finds itself in a race to the bottom where bottom-feeders churn massive volumes of undifferentiated powders and fats for bargain basement prices. Even with large chunks of our milk pool being targeted directly at the highest value products in the entire dairy portfolio - the infant milk formula sector - Irish farmers are still getting a price that is lower than their European colleagues and often similar to what Kiwi farmers pocket. Surely a litre of guaranteed Johne's-free milk is worth a premium in any market, but especially in the risk-phobic infant milk sector? That premium could be used to subsidise the costs that farmers would incur to implement a Johne's control programme. This would be the basis of a real national control programme, not some kind of marketing wishful thinking. Imagine if Ireland got the head-start on the rest of the global competition by establishing a world first of Johne's-free milk. Now that would be something for our dairy marketeers to shout about. Nobody is saying that it will be easy - Johne's has proved to be a tricky one to nail. And farmers won't be able to do it alone, but it can be done. However, it will take real leadership, which will have to come from farmers themselves. It's time for the silent majority to step up... before it's too late. The European Investment Bank (EIB) launched a fresh lending initiative for Irish businesses yesterday as it ramps up its involvement in the economy ahead of Brexit. The new 300m financing scheme is aimed at medium-sized firms and represents the first time the EIB has extended funds directly to this segment of the market. At the venture's launch in Dublin with Ibec CEO Danny McCoy, Andrew McDowell, EIB vice president and a former economic adviser to the previous Taoiseach Enda Kenny, said this latest cash injection should be seen in the context "of the expectation on us to step up our level of engagement with Ireland" ahead of Brexit. Mr McDowell said the UK's decision to exit the EU was "bad for everybody" but stressed there was a view in Brussels and Frankfurt that it would hit Ireland particularly hard. "As an EU institution, we recognise the unique exposure of Ireland to the downside consequences of Brexit," Mr McDowell said. He claimed there was an "expectation... [the EIB] will step up our activity in Ireland and mitigate the blow". The EIB is injecting 150m in cash into the fund, in common with its 50-50 investment policy. Mr McDowell said "our 150m is intended to leverage 300m of new investments by mid-size companies". The EIB has also committed 20m to ACT Venture Capital's latest fund in Ireland. This will see the fund finance around 30 high potential early and expansion stage companies in the information and communication technology sector over the next 10 years. The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, described the EIB's latest funding round as a "ground-breaking initiative". Low and middle income earners will receive a tax boost in Budget 2018 which will be delivered through tax band changes rather than rate cuts, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed. He also revealed that the Universal Social Charge (USC) will be amalgamated with PRSI to deliver enhanced social services. The Dublin TD said Budget 2018 next month will focus on tackling the unfairness of how some Irish workers earning just above the average industrial wage pay almost 50pc in overall taxation - and with addressing the twin housing and homelessness problems in Ireland. Mr Donohoe, speaking in Wexford at the Kennedy Summer School, warned that he will attempt to achieve steady, careful progress with the budget rather than "shock and awe." "There are real lives, real people, real hope and real certainty - and real suffering and real anxiety," he said. "We want to find a real way to deal with the suffering and the anxiety that people in our society are struggling to deal with." Mr Donohoe said Ireland will, for the first time in more than a decade, boast a balanced budget whereby income will cover planned expenditure. "Our system, due to choices that have been made, has delivered a tax code that is hugely progressive. Our tax and welfare systems delivers one of the greatest redistribution of income in any country in the OECD," he said. "The top 10pc of income earners pay 24pc of total income tax and USC, the top 6pc pay 49pc of total income tax and USC - and the top 26pc pay 83pc of all income tax and USC collected in our country." "It is absolutely right that those who earn more pay more and those who earn less pay less." "But a taxation system that takes more than 50pc of the income of someone just above the average industrial wage is not fair, it is not efficient and it is not sustainable." Mr Donohoe said the next budget will attempt to tackle this issue while protecting Ireland's future economic development. "What I will not do something today that has to be undone tomorrow." "We had policies of economic shock and awe - the awe of a significant tax cut followed by the shock of a penal tax hike a few years later." "The ebb and flow of the economic tide cannot be completely stopped. Steady progress is the best and safest course." "Changes will be incremental, sustainable but also ambitious in terms of the journey we want to take our country on." Mr Donohoe said he will opt for tax band changes rather that simple rate cuts. "I want to gradually increase the standard rate cut-off point (for income tax.) We will prioritise band widening over rate reductions." The Dublin TD said this will primarily benefit low and middle-income groups. "We will (also) continue to recognise the contribution of the self-employed. Over time we will also amalgamate the USC and PRSI codes." "This will support the improvement of our social support system." "Let me be crystal clear - this is a journey, it will take time. What we cannot do is take one step forward and then many step backwards in future years." "This is why I will very carefully be improving spending in areas that are improvement such as health and housing." "But any issues facing Ireland will not be solved in a single budget." Mr Donohoe said Ireland will also roll out a ten year capital spending blueprint - and will prioritise tackling housing shortages and homelessness. "These are pressing examples of what we have to respond to." "But Ireland must balance our books to keep our country and our people secure in a risky world." "It means paying our way and eliminating the need for our country to borrow." "The stronger our budgetary foundations the better we will be able to respond to those risks." "Ireland will achieve a broadly balanced budget - this means that the money we take in will be equal to the money we pay out." "I will have to make choices - there are many things I want to do but I have to make choices about what we can actually do in this budget." "We need to use our recovery obtained at great cost by our citizens to invest in the supports and opportunities for all." "This means investing your money carefully and with continued reform and care - to make sure we deliver the right projects and to continue to improve our services." "It means delivering and making more progress on the vital infrastructure and in healthcare, housing policy and tackling homelessness." Mr Donohoe warned he will not tolerate any repeat of past mistakes where there were "unsustainable and unaffordable tax give aways." "I can make no taxation decision independent of what is already happening in our economy - it has to be affordable not only now but in the future." A customer uses an ATM, operated by Bank of Ireland, outside a post office in London Postal unions in Britain want the government there to scrap Bank of Ireland's deal to provide banking services through the UK Post Office. A report by Cass Business School for the UK Communications Workers Union (CWU) argues the UK government should set up its own Postbank service to replace Bank of Ireland. The union said a state-run Post Bank could be set up with the aim of boosting financial services to SMEs and rural communities. Owen Callan of Investec said the report suggests it would cost as much as 2bn (2.2bn) to buy out Bank of Ireland's stake in the Post Office partnership. It would be bad news for Bank of Ireland, he said. "We would view Bank of Ireland's UK business as a key long term strategic asset, particularly given the experience of incoming CEO Francesca McDonagh who may seek to expand it further. The partnership with the PO is a very important element of their overall UK business, in terms of access to customer deposits without the need for a stand-alone bank network in the UK, and any suggestions that this may be under threat would obviously be a concern," Mr Callan said. He said he was sceptical the current Conservative government would back a nationalisation plan in the near term. The market shrugged off the risk, with shares in Bank of Ireland up slightly to 6.80. However, in the longer term however, a potential Labour government in Britain, especially one led by left-winger Jeremy Corbyn, could be more likely to back greater state involvement in banking - including potentially through the Post Office. In the report for the CWU, Prof Barbara Casu Lukac of Cass said that buying the banking business would help the Post Office to remain self-funding. The UK is an important long-term business for Bank of Ireland, generating up to a fifth of all profits. It is likely to be a key focus for incoming Bank of Ireland CEO Francesca McDonagh, whose background is in UK retail banking. The Post Office banking tie-up alone provided 15bn of Bank of Ireland's total deposits, and the business there ranges from mortgages to foreign exchange. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has received a copy of a request from respective Georgian agencies for the extradition of ex-President of Georgia, former Odesa governor Mikheil Saakashvili, PGO spokeswoman Larysa Sarhan has said. "I want to confirm that this week the PGO has received a copy of the request by the Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP) of Georgia under the Justice Ministry of Georgia to extradite Saakashvili," Sarhan said on her Facebook page on Thursday evening. She added that since the criminal cases serving as the basis for the extradition request are under the jurisdiction of the Tbilisi city court, "the extradition of Georgian competent agencies will be reviewed by Ukraine's Justice Ministry, in compliance with Article 574 of Ukraine's Criminal Procedure Code. As earlier reported, Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine for European Integration Serhiy Petukhov on September 5 said Ukraine's Justice Ministry had received a request from Georgia's PGO to detain Saakashvili and extradite him to Georgia. "Ukraine received a request to search for, arrest and extradite Saakashvili. The request from Georgia's OCP was addressed to Ukraine's Justice Ministry and Ukraine's PGO," he said. Petukhov said that according to the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia, Saakashvili is the defendant in four criminal proceedings opened under the following articles of the Georgian Criminal Code: Article 182, providing liability for misappropriation, embezzlement, or seizure of other people's property by abusing power by an official, committed by prior agreement with a large group of persons; Article 333 and Article 117 abuse of power by an official committed by violence or with the use of weapons; Part 2 of Article 332 abuse of position by an official. The deputy minister of justice said the decision of the judge for criminal cases of the Tbilisi City Court, dated August 2, 2014, chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for Saakashvili. As the suspect failed to show up at investigator's office, and his place of residence could not be established, Saakashvili was put on the wanted list on August 4, 2014. Petukhov said that the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia gave a guarantee to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine that this request does not aim to persecute the person for political reasons and that Saakashvili will not be held liable for committing crimes not provided for by the request, and also will not be extradited to a third country, and his rights will not be violated. "Pursuant to the criminal procedural legislation, the Justice Ministry sends a request, received from Georgia, along with supporting materials, 94 pages, addressed to Ukraine's PGO," Petukhov said. On July 26, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree that deprived Saakashvili of his Ukrainian citizenship. Saakashvili at the time was in the U.S. He later travelled to Poland on his Ukrainian passport, and then to Lithuania. Saakashvili announced on August 16 that he would return to Ukraine on September 10 via border crossing Krakovets in Lviv region. The Border Service of Ukraine said it had not received any instructions from law-enforcement agencies to prohibit Saakashvili from entering into Ukraine. Cartel-busters from the European Union have been credited with sending motor insurance costs into a sharp reverse. New figures demonstrate a huge plunge of 14pc in the cost of cover - the biggest annual drop since the insurance crisis hit. The cost of cover has been falling for a number of months now, but the latest drop is the most dramatic since the insurance crisis began three years ago. The latest Central Statistics Office figures are for August, just a month after European Commission competition enforcers carried out dawn raids on insurers, brokers and Insurance Ireland. Officials from the EU's Competitive Directorate are investigating the possibility that an insurance cartel is operating within the Irish motor insurance industry. The data shows premiums were flat in August, but down 14.2pc for motor cover compared with the same time last year. The latest fall in premiums means that someone paying 500 for cover last year is likely to renew at around 430. However, motor insurance experts warned that motorists were still paying elevated premiums, and it will take a number of months before the easing off in premium-price pressures is reflected in renewal quotes. Read More Premiums have risen by 70pc on average over the last three years - while a number of insurers in this market have returned to profitability. President of the Law Society Stuart Gilhooly, a persistent critic of insurance firms, said: "That 14pc is a dramatic fall. "I would not be surprised if it was not at all coincidental that premiums have fallen so fast just after the EU Competition Directorate's dawn raids here." Insurers blame the high costs of injury claims and lawyers' costs for the three-year surge in premiums up to now. But Mr Gilhooly said: "Such a dramatic fall in premiums in such a short period of time means the reasons given by insurance companies for previous increases don't stand up. The fall in premiums exposes a lot of what insurance companies are saying for the spin that it is." Michael Kilcoyne of the Consumers' Association said the EU raids had frightened insurers into submission. "Clearly the EU guys are doing their jobs and the raids are having an impact. Insurers can no longer get away with the hikes. The people from Europe should continue to keep an eye on them," he said. Consumer groups have been calling for a major reduction in the cost of cover after insurers started reporting bumper profits this year. AA Ireland's Conor Faughnan said many motorist are still not seeing their costs of premiums fall. "The battle is not won yet. Motorists are still paying too much for insurance. We need to push through reforms that the AAI and others have identified." The industry is benefiting from a Government task force that is introducing reforms that are set to cut their costs. Insurance Ireland said it believes there is an urgent need to implement fundamental and sustainable reform of the cost of claims. When Joe Forsythe returned to the West Texas oilfields last year after a stint in a drug rehab facility, he thought he had beaten his addiction to methamphetamine. The 32-year-old rig worker and equipment handler lasted about a year before relapsing. "It's easy to get back into that mentality," said Forsythe, of Midland, Texas, who said he no longer uses drugs after stints in rehab since 2015. "I'd work 24 hours ... I was just plagued with fatigue and needed something to improve my work ethic." While drug use is a problem among industrial workers across the US, there are particular concerns in the oil sector, already one of the most dangerous sectors - with a fatality rate about three times other industries. Drug use is a significant factor in workplace injuries and crimes involving oilfield workers, according to drug counsellors, hospital and police officials and court records in West Texas, the epicenter of US shale. As the shale revolution has spawned waves of hiring since 2010, law enforcement authorities have tracked a boom in drug trafficking and related crime. In Midland and Ector counties, home to many Permian Basin oil workers, state and local police in 2016 seized more than 95 lbs of methamphetamine - up from less than four lbs in 2010. Meth and cocaine are stimulants of choice in the oil patch to get through long oilfield shifts, but alcohol and pain killers such as opioids are also widely abused - often to soften the crash after taking stimulants, drug addicts and counsellors said. Drug charges in the industry town of Midland more than doubled between 2012 and 2016, to 942 from 491, according to police data. In neighbouring Odessa, total drug arrests doubled between 2010 and 2016, to 1291 from 756. The increase in drug crime stretched through two boom periods in the West Texas oil patch, before and after a crude price crash that hit in 2014. Oil companies typically drug test job applicants and often conduct additional random tests on employees. Several oil firms with major operations in the Permian Basin declined to discuss how they handle drugs in the oil patch or did not respond to inquiries. Despite efforts to curb drug abuse, many oilfield workers regularly use stimulants on long shifts of gruelling work for relatively high pay, said drug counsellors, law enforcement officials and oil field workers recovering from addictions. More than a third of clients at Midland's Springboard drug rehabilitation centre are involved in the oil and gas industry, said executive director Steve Thomason. Rising oil prices have brought more admissions for methamphetamine abuse, Thomason said. "People say they can work on it for 24 hours straight," he said. Corporal Steve LeSueur, a spokesman for the Odessa police, said the influx of drugs in the oil patch is stretching police resources. "The jail has been full," he said. "A lot of crimes are drug-related - simple property crimes, forgeries to feed their drug habits." When jobs are plentiful, companies desperate for labour sometimes will disregard signs of substance abuse, said three recovering drug addicts who worked in the oilfield. "These oilfield bosses - they party, too," Forsythe said. "As long as you're getting the job done and not making a scene, they won't drug test you." One recovering addict, who declined to use his name because he still works in the industry, said he was often high during long-haul trips driving trucks transporting oil. "I could do a little coke and speed and it would give me the extra stretch," he said. "It ended up running me to the ground." (Reuters) Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned that it is not in Ireland's national interests to get involved in "a dog fight" between the UK and the EU over the Brexit negotiations. Mr Ahern also admitted that he saw "very little light in the tunnel" over the manner in which the Brexit talks have deteriorated between London and Brussels. He said Ireland needed to show unity with its EU colleagues while protecting vital national interests by not getting dragged into a bitter row with the UK over the precise terms of its exit from the EU. "I think the Irish position has been very well set out," he said. "We are all in for a long haul. "It looks to me as if the British position is quite simple. "They do not want to follow the agreement that they made when they got into negotiations." Mr Ahern said it was clear that London wanted to ensure a trade deal is intrinsically linked to all the other Brexit issues identified by the EU. Despite the fact that two major Brexit meetings are scheduled over the next six weeks, Mr Ahern said he does not anticipate much progress being made given the current mood surrounding the negotiations. "The British position is to try and roll in the trade issues with the rest of the negotiations," he said. "I don't believe their thinking is any more complicated - it is not Machiavellian. "(But) what they risk doing and what I don't want to see happening is that they will get the backs up of the other 27 (EU member states)." In those circumstances, he warned it was vital for Ireland to distance itself from all Brexit-related feuds. "There is nothing for us to get involved in a dogfight," he said. "I think we should stay out of that." Mr Ahern said what took him by surprise was how bad the atmosphere had been surrounding the Brexit talks. "The abuse this week - it has been as bad as what it was before Article 50 was triggered. "I said it back then and I will say it again - I think they should all take a walk in the park and try and calm it down." Meanwhile, Mr Ahern also said Sinn Fein's suitability and capability to be involved in a future Coalition Government in the Dail, particularly with Fianna Fail, will be judged by how the party handles the proposed restoration of the Stormont power-sharing executive. "They (Sinn Fein) are developing - let's be fair about it," he said. "It is a totally different speech you hear than when I retired in 2008/2009. "They have far more sensible economic policies. They are moving on." But he said he believes Sinn Fein's potential involvement in a Leinster House coalition will be determined by a single issue. "I would really put it down to the one issue," he said. "I think how they manage the Northern talks and how they get back into the executive - it is a crying shame what is happening. "Gerry Adams has been through it all - he has a lot of experience and I would have confidence that he will do the right thing." He said he believed that how Sinn Fein handle the proposed restoration of the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland will have a major bearing on how other political parties in the Republic view them as potential Coalition partners. The junction has been described as "one of the most dangerous in Munster, if not the whole country" A local councillor has described a junction in north Cork as "one of the most dangerous in Munster, if not the whole country". Fianna Fail councillor Bernard Moynihan this week described the Ballymacquirke cross junction with the N72 main road near Kanturk as one of the most dangerous in the country and appealed for urgent action. He suggested a roundabout as a possible solution. Speaking to the Corkman, Cllr Moynihan said that local drivers are in fear every time they use it. The junction is listed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) as one of Cork's top 15 most accident-prone sites. However, nothing has yet been done to make the junction safer for drivers. "I do not know if a roundabout is feasible there... but, what I do know is that there is some kind of safety plan needed at that junction," Cllr Moynihan said. "There must be something that can be done because this is a serious accident waiting to happen." Cllr Timmy Collins (Ind) agreed that the junction was "one of the most dangerous in Munster, if not the whole country" and said the idea of putting a roundabout there had been previously mooted by the council, but was deemed unfeasible by the former National Roads Authority. "I know many people who are in fear every time they use the junction because of the speed of the vehicles travelling on the N72. A car can be down on top of you before you know it," he added. Cllr John Paul O'Shea (Ind) said the council had previously surveyed the site, but the NRA did not accept their recommendation for a roundabout. He said he hoped the TII's designation of the junction as a high accident location would pave the way for some action. Do you know of a dangerous junction that needs attention? Be sure to let us know in the comments below A then 12-year-old Dublin boy is awaiting sentence after admitting he took part in a car jacking during which he beat a man to the head and body with a metal pole. The boy, now aged 13, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is charged with unlawfully seizing and taking control of a 04reg Ford Fiesta by force and being armed with a large metal pole during the incident in a residential area in Tallaght, in Dublin in August last year. He had been remanded in custody by the Dublin Childrens Court in July after he repeatedly broke bail terms which included a curfew condition. Educational and welfare assessments of the teenager were also sought. The case was before the court again on Friday to see if he has agreed to be part of a special bail supervision scheme with support from care workers. Judge John OConnor had noted that a guilty plea was being entered and that the teenager would be included in the scheme. The boy, who was accompanied to court by a family member and his lawyer, was released on bail and and ordered to appear again in three weeks. The judge has asked for a pre-sentence probation report to prepared. Earlier, Garda David Morris said the hi-jacking happened at about 8.15pm after a 22-year-old man drove into a residential estate. A male friend of the same age and two 17-year-old girls were also travelling in the car. The Ford Fiesta was stopped and confronted by a large group of youths including the accused. One of the boys friends punched the driver and his car keys were taken, the court heard. The driver attempted to retrieve his keys at which point the boy approached with a very large metal bar and began hitting him a number of times. The court heard the man was beaten on the head, chest, back and neck by the boy. The man and his passengers fled as the group of youths surrounded the car and then drove it away at speed, it is alleged. The boy was a passenger in the Ford Fiesta when it was driven away, Gda Morris had said. It was recovered at 11pm that night after being smashed up and badly damaged, Judge OConnor was told. The boy was arrested on a later date and interviewed by gardai. A coastguard crew winching two scouts from the sea simultaneously had never performed the operation before, an inquest heard. Aoife Winterlich (14), from Walkinstown, Dublin 12, was on a weekend scout trip on December 6, 2015, when she and fellow scout Philip Byrne were swept out to sea from rocks at Hook Head Lighthouse shortly after 2pm. Aoife was knockd unconscious almost immediately, Dublin Coroner's Court heard. The Waterford Coast Guard helicopter arrived at 2.15pm. The crew winched both casualties to safety, but unconscious Aoife slipped from her harness and fell 40ft into the sea. Pathologist Professor Maureen O'Sullivan said there was no evidence of trauma from the fall. "It is unlikely the fall contributed to her demise. The damage was done in her initial immersion," she said. There were no significant injuries to the body besides bruises and scrapes. The cause of death was brain damage due to a near drowning. Aoife was winched back to the helicopter within 75 seconds and transferred to Waterford General Hospital and later to Crumlin Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead five days later. Scouting Ireland CEO John Lawlor described the trip as a "low-risk activity" because it wasn't intended that the scouts would go outside the compound walls. Leaders Stuart Garland and Leanne Bradley said the group was told to stay within the walls. But in his evidence, Philip said he didn't recall being told by the leaders not to go down to the rocks. He and Aoife saw others going over the wall. "We'd seen the boys there previously and it looked cool so we went down. I knew there were rocks and waves but it didn't look dangerous," he said. A series of waves knocked them off their feet and Aoife was swept out, the court heard. "It knocked me and Aoife off our feet. We fell but we didn't think anything was serious. Then another wave came and she got pulled out," he said. "She was submerged in the water and then managed to get to a rock. She was sort of semi-conscious, rubbing her head. Another wave came and she was submerged again. I got hold of her. I swam out further because I was afraid of us getting smashed on the rocks." Winch operator Neville Murphy said he had never been in this situation before. "This is unprecedented. Two people in the water, that generally doesn't happen. We can only train to certain limits," he said. Winch man Sean Jennings was holding onto both casualties when Aoife slipped and fell. "We were going into a spin and I had to stop either casualty coming into contact with the aircraft. The mechanics of how she came out of the strop I don't know," he said. There is no instruction or training for such a situation, the court heard. The inquest was adjourned until next month. Four men have appeared before the Special Criminal Court today in connection to the murder of Peter Butterly, who was shot dead in March 2013 outside the Huntsman Inn in Gormanston, Co Meath. Frank Murphy (58) of McDonagh Caravan Park, Triton Road, Bettystown, Co Meath was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na HEireann, otherwise the IRA. He was also charged with possession of a 9mm Beretta semi automatic pistol with the intent to commit murder, the possession of seven rounds of 9mm ammunition, and the murder of Peter Butterly. The court heard that when charged at his address with membership, as well as gun and ammunition possession, Mr Murphy replied I am not a member of the IRA. The court was also told that when the charges were read to him in the confines of the court, after the murder charge was put to him, Mr Murphy had replied All rubbish. All lies. When the charge sheet was read to Mr Murphy in the court before the three judge panel he said All bulls***. All lies. Laurence Murphy (60), a brother of Frank, and also of McDonagh Caravan Park in Bettystown, Co Meath, was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na HEireann, otherwise the IRA. The court heard that when charged at his address Mr Murphy had replied this is rubbish. When the charges were read to him in court he said Not Guilty. Deny everything. Michael McDermott (58) of Riversdale House, Garrymore, Ballinagh Co Cavan, was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na HEireann, otherwise the IRA; possession of a 9mm Beretta semi automatic pistol with the intent to commit murder; possession of seven rounds of 9mm ammunition; and the murder of Peter Butterly. He made no reply when charged. Ray Kennedy (37) of Whitestown Drive in Blanchardstown, Dublin, was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na HEireann, otherwise the IRA. He made no reply when charged, and did not stand up or identify himself in court when requested. All four were remanded in custody to appear at the Special Criminal Court next Thursday. Counsel for each of the accused asked arresting gardai if warrants had been issued prior to detention, and were told there were no warrants. Mr Butterly (35) was shot dead on March 6th, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn. Two men are already serving life sentences for the murder, after being found guilty in March this year. Edward McGrath (35), of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Sharif Kelly (47), of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan had both denied the murder. Four men were originally charged with the murder. One of the men, David Cullen, subsequently turned State witness, and his murder charge was dropped. The fourth man, Dean Evans (24), of Grange Park Rise, Raheny, Dublin, failed to turn up for the trial, and has still not been located. Gardai have charged four men as part of their investigation into the murder of a dissident republican. Peter Butterly (35) was shot dead on March 6, 2013 outside The Huntsman Inn, Gormanston, Co Meath. Gardai confirmed that the four men were arrested at locations in Co Meath, Co Cavan and Blanchardstown in West Dublin. Members of the Ashbourne detective unit and the Special Detective Unit (SDU) carried out the arrests early this morning. The men were detained at Ashbourne and Finglas Stations They are scheduled to appear before the Special Criminal Court this morning. Two men are already serving life sentences over the murder. Edward McGrath (35), of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght and Sharif Kelly (47), of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan were both found guilty of the murder earlier this year. Representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group for the settlement of the Donbas crisis and the second president (1994-2005) of independent Ukraine Leonid Kuchma doubts that peacekeeping troops will be introduced in Ukrainian territory. "It's absolutely unacceptable" the way Russia suggests, he said at a briefing in Dnipro on Friday before handing over scholarships of Kuchma's Ukraina presidential foundation. "Russia wants to drive this situation into such a corner that we will not know how to get out," he said. Kuchma expressed hope that if the peacekeeping forces are doomed to be introduced to Ukraine, they should be located throughout the country: "Peacekeeping forces must be stationed throughout the territory of Ukraine." He did not rule out that peacekeepers can be located on the contact line, "but necessarily on the Ukrainian-Russian border, the border is the holy of holies." The representative of Ukraine in the TCG also expressed bewilderment at the idea of involving peacekeepers in the protection of the observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM). "What do peacekeeping troops mean for the protection of the OSCE Special Mission? This is just a mockery: peacekeepers must protect peacekeepers. Peacekeeping troops are introduced in order to protect the population and help end the conflict of the conflicting parties," he said. According to Kuchma, for today 400 km of unprotected border of Ukraine is "purely Russian border." Kuchma arrived in Dnipro on Friday to award the scholarships of the presidential fund 'Ukraine', an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. At the enlarged meeting of the Academic Council of Dnipro National University named after Oles Honchar, he handed scholarships to the best students of the Faculty of Physics and Technology. In addition, scholarships were awarded to students of the Alfred Nobel University. Scene of shots fired at junction of Kylemore Way and Jamestown Rd. Inchicore. A man has appeared in court charged with possession of a handgun and silencer after a confrontation with armed gardai in which detectives opened fire on a van. Andrew OKeeffe (28) was charged with the weapons offences following an incident in west Dublin on Wednesday. He was remanded in custody for a week after no bail application was made on his behalf. Mr OKeeffe, with an address at Drumcliffe Road in Cabra, is charged with unlawful possession of a 9mm beretta handgun, nine rounds of ammunition and a silencer. He is also charged with possession of the weapons in suspicious circumstances. The offences, which are under the Firearms Act, are alleged to have happened at Kylemore Way, Inchicore on September 6. Detective Garda Fiona Connaughton from the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told Dublin District Court she arrested the accused for the purpose of charge at Ballyfermot Garda Station after 2pm this afternoon. He was charged in her presence at 3.41pm and had nothing to say to the charge after caution. He was handed copies of the charge sheets. Judge Anthony Halpin asked Det Gda Connaughton if there was an objection to the accused being granted bail. She replied that there would be an objection and defence solicitor Geraldine Wycherley said she was not making a bail application today. Judge Halpin remanded Mr OKeeffe in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on September 13. The accused will appear via video link at 10am that day. Judge Halpin granted free legal aid to the accused after Ms Wycherley made an application and handed a statement of Mr O'Keeffe's financial means in to court. Mr OKeeffe, who has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges was dressed in a navy t-shirt, light grey tracksuit bottoms and dark runners. He remained silent during the brief hearing. Mr OKeeffe was arrested following an incident in Inchicore on Wednesday in which a van failed to stop for armed gardai who fired a number of shots. The van crashed into a patrol car before it came to a halt. A gun and silencer were subsequently retrieved. Nobody was injured and according to gardai, a second vehicle thought to be involved in the incident fled from the scene. Special Crime Task Force gardai attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were involved. A violent Scottish criminal has lost his fight against being extradited to Ireland after he claimed that the IRA "would kill him". Gary Brodie is wanted for a number of violent offences in Donegal. He appeared in an Edinburgh court on Wednesday and pleaded not to be sent back to an Irish jail. According to the Daily Record, he claimed he fled Ireland in 2009 after he was warned by an IRA "money man" that he had 24 hours to leave or he would be killed. The 33-year-old feared that he would end up like his father William, who is thought to have been murdered by the IRA after disappearing in 1994. The newspaper reports that Edinburgh sheriff Alistair Noble told Mr Brodie that he couldn't find any proof that this threat was made. "There was nothing in the evidence that I heard that showed you would be in significant danger if you were extradited," Mr Noble said. He argued that the "UK should not become a safe haven for fugitives from justice". At a preliminary hearing last month, it's reported that Mr Brodie spat at court sheriff officials and branded them, "Fenian ba****ds." Mr Brodie will be sent to Castlerea Prison in Roscommon. Revenue officers, with the assistance of detector dog, Meg, seized 40 litres of wine and 3,380 cigarettes when they stopped and searched a bus which had arrived into Dublin Port from Romania, via Holyhead. In separate operations yesterday, Revenue officers in Louth seized 60 litres of counterfeit spirits, 5kg of counterfeit tobacco and the car in which the contraband was transported; officers at Dublin Airport seized 14,440 cigarettes, branded Vogue, Winston, Marlboro and L&M, from a 31-year-old man who had arrived into Dublin on a flight from Chisinau. The combined retail value of the seized goods is approximately 14,800, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of almost 11,600. Investigations in these cases are ongoing. These seizures are part of Revenue's ongoing work to target the illegal importation, supply and sale of cigarettes and alcohol in the shadow economy. Most people pay the right amount of tax and duty. If you know someone is evading tax or involved in smuggling, report it. Contact Revenue's Confidential Freephone 1800 295 295. Anti-social behaviour on certain bus routes in Dublin has become a nightmare for passengers and drivers alike A Dublin Bus driver has revealed that there has been an "upsurge in anti-social behaviour this summer" on public transport. The experienced driver, who asked not to be identified, told Independent.ie that 35 incidents were reported on the 27, 77a and 65b routes during in an eight-week period between July and August. These routes service the Tallaght area of south Dublin. "The biggest problem we have is people throwing rocks at buses and smashing the windows," he said. "The Gardai put a presence out for a while but it eventually had to be withdrawn. "We've had community meetings about it, we've advertised on social media that the services would be cancelled if this behaviour continues but it doesn't stop." He also confirmed that there have been reports of distressing verbal threats from passengers to drivers. "There have been some incidents where drivers have been told that they're going to be shot. In 2017, when Dublin has a serious issue with firearms, those threats take on a new meaning. "Thankfully, those incidents are few and far between but they shouldn't be happening at all." Drivers also have to deal with a dangerous new trend known as "scutting", in which people cling to the back of vehicles to hitch a ride. It has become a particular problem on the Finglas and Tallaght routes since the redesign of the SG Dublin Bus model in 2014, facilitating access to the back of the bus. The new bus models also feature a visible button which could cut the engine at any time while the vehicle is in motion. "It's completely dangerous behaviour and it could get people killed," the driver said. For drivers of routes in West Tallaght, their job has become a nightmare. "Anti-social behaviour, alcohol consumption, people smoking cannabis... it doesn't make for a pleasant working environment at all. The drivers are just trying to do their jobs. "At some stage the Government needs to step up and address this issue." The driver believes that transit police and extra security on buses after 6pm on the routes affected could be one solution to the problem. Stephen Byrne, from Tallaght, said he has witnessed some "frightening" anti-social behaviour while commuting by bus. "I've been on a bus that's been hit by stones a few times and we've all had to get off and wait for the next one. "It can be very frightening for the person sitting next to the window that gets hit. I'll never understand the thrill people get from throwing stones at windows. They don't get chased or anything like that. They just waste everyone's time." As a result of the rise in anti-social behaviour, drivers will withdraw services after 6pm on the 27, 77a and 65b routes from Monday. In a letter to Dublin Bus, the National Bus and Rail Union said: "It is the intention of this trade union to protect its members at all costs and we have been more than accommodating over the last few months. "There had been a huge upsurge in anti-social behaviour in the Tallaght area in the last two months which is causing serious stress and harm to ordinary members. "No frontline worker should have to endure such treatment, yet Dublin Bus management expects drivers just to put up with these horrid working conditions. "Every worker is entitled to a safe workspace but this is currently not the case for the bus drivers in west Tallaght. "The reality on the ground for bus drivers is that these incidents are continuing to rise in number despite the best efforts of An Garda Siochana and some in the community." A group of patients with severe lung disease say they are devastated after a drug company which was providing them with life-changing therapy has ended its compassionate access programme. The programme, which provides them with the drug Respreeza free of charge, is to end for 21 patients with severe Alpha-1, or genetic emphysema. They have called on Health Minister Simon Harris to intervene as the access programme will stop at the end of the month. The therapy has been provided up until now as part of a compassionate-use programme by the drug company, CSL Behring. However, patients were today informed at a meeting with clinicians from Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, that the company has advised that it will no longer provide access to the therapy free of charge from September 30. A spokesman said: The hugely upsetting and disappointing decision was communicated by the company to medical staff at Beaumont Hospital who have had ongoing responsibility for the treatment and care of the patients concerned. The development follows the decision of the Health Service Executive on August 10 not to fund the therapy. Many of the patients involved have been on the therapy for more than ten years and have no other therapy option." Clinical trial results published in The Lancet in 2015, and in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in 2016 showed a slowing down in the progression of emphysema by 34pc in patients with severe Alpha-1. An Alpha One Foundation patient survey has also shown a decrease in the frequency and severity of chest infections and associated hospital admissions. Alpha One Foundation chief executive Geraldine Kelly said: "For months now, we have been campaigning for the approval of the life-changing therapy Respreeza in Ireland. It is the only approved therapy to slow progression of emphysema in these patients and, if approved, would we believe benefit up to 60 people with severe Alpha-1 in Ireland. Of that group of patients, 21 have been fortunate to have already been able to access the therapy some for over ten years and it has been a life-changer for them. Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the Donbas settlement, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005) has said 43 persons who do not have any relation to the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) but whose inclusion in the release list representatives of the self-proclaimed republics insist on have been removed. "Some 43 persons who have no relation to the ATO zone have been 'kicked off' the list. They are persons who fired weapons on Independence Square [on the Maidan in Kyiv early in 2014] as well as those who were involved in events which took place on May 2 [tragic fire in Odesa on May 2, 2014] and other nefarious affairs on Ukrainian territory," Kuchma said during a briefing in Dnipro before a ceremony to award presidential scholarships from his Ukraina Foundation. Kuchma said Ukraine's negotiating team is experienced. "We have a serious group of negotiators headed by Iryna Gerashchenko [First Deputy Chairperson of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and TCG representative in the humanitarian subgroup]. She is thorough and able to represent Ukraine's interests. The president picked the right person. And [special representative from Ukraine on humanitarian issues Viktor] Medvedchuk who has direct access both to Russia and the leaders of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Kuchma said. Kuchma added that representatives of the self-proclaimed republics use the relatives of people with no ties with the ATO to exert pressure on Ukraine. "They simply use them to put pressure on Ukraine. We cannot agree to this, of course, because it would be giving in to them," Kuchma said, adding that he hopes this problem can be solved. According to him, there will be a search for new ways to solve the problem. An Eridanous product featuring the dome of the Anastasis Church without its crosses. Supermarket chain Lidl has apologised for airbrushing Christian crosses from the packaging of its range of Greek food products. The German retail giant came under criticism on social media after shoppers noticed that the crosses had been deliberately removed from the famous Anastasis Church in Santorini, Greece on its Eridanous food range packaging. Customers took to Lidl's Facebook page to vent their anger. Daisy Matthews wrote: "Why are you erasing the reality from a photo? "If there were products from Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, or Muslim countires with their symbols depicted on there I wouldn't have a problem buying them. "As a Christian I feel really hurt, discriminated against, upset and disappointed that you have done this, if it is the case I won't be shopping at your store anymore." Steve West added: "Why have you taken the crosses off the top of Greek churches in your advertising? "Is there somebody you will think takes offence? There is. Me, Greeks and many others. I definitely won't be using you again if you don't reverse this policy." A spokesperson for Lidl Ireland told Independent.ie said the store did not intend to take any ideological standpoint. "We are sincerely sorry for any offence caused by the artwork on our Eridanous product range and can confirm that we will be revising the packaging design as soon as possible. "It has never been our intention and will never be to express any ideological or political standpoints with our products or product designs." The spokesperson added: "We have been selling our highly popular Eridanous own-label range in Lidl stores across Europe for several years now and, in that time, the packaging has featured a number of different designs. It is clear that an error was made during the latest redesign of the artwork and we are addressing this as a priority." The Eridanous range is only available at certain times throughout the year and includes Greek products such as feta cheese, calamari fillets, olives and dips. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has criticised controversial social media posts on Islam and refugees by a Fine Gael councillor, saying they don't represent the views or values of the party. Dublin-based councillor Brian Murphy has landed himself in hot water with party chiefs after a string of incendiary remarks on Twitter in recent days. He claimed that Sharia law was operating in Ireland, criticised the Irish Navy's mission in the Mediterranean and argued that European politicians were "too weak" to protect the EU's borders. Mr Murphy's party colleagues have distanced themselves from his posts. Dublin-Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan rejected Mr Murphy's comments, saying Fine Gael was a "party of opportunity for all, regardless of race, gender or religion". Senator Neale Richmond said on Twitter: "I wholly disagree with repeated comments made by Cllr Brian Murphy." Mr Varadkar didn't say whether Mr Murphy would be expelled from the party, but he indicated that Fine Gael's national executive would take action. "I want to disassociate myself and the party from those messages. They do not represent the policies, views or values of the Fine Gael party. "The party at executive council level will take any necessary action that needs to be taken and he [Mr Murphy] will be informed of that in due course," Mr Varadkar added. Mr Murphy's Twitter posts have come under close scrutiny in recent days. "The Irish military should not be being forced to act as a ferry service for smugglers and illegal economic migrants in the Mediterranean," he wrote on September 1. Another post as part of a series of tweets on September 5 read: "Sharia Law is operating in Ireland and most of the political class either do not know or do not care. It is a subversion of our legal system." Fine Gael was quick to criticise the posts. A spokesperson said they were "unacceptable". But Mr Murphy was defiant after his party's initial rebuke. On Wednesday night, he said: "Everything I have said is true." He added: "Fine Gael is the political party I love and it is the greatest political party, but we are a broad church and I do not want this country creating parallel societies within our society, as has happened in Europe." He argued that "Islam does not integrate", adding that "billions" was being spent "monitoring an ever-increasing number of jihadis in every European country". Mr Murphy did not respond to attempts to contact him last night for comment on Mr Varadkar's remarks and other criticisms. Dublin-based Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chair of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, dismissed Mr Murphy's claims that Sharia law was operating in parts of Ireland. He said: "I am very vocal against radicalisation and extremism in society, so if there was any such Sharia law, I would be the first to speak out against it and raise the alarm." He was "shocked" that the remarks were made by a Fine Gael councillor. Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke speaking to independent.ie after he and supporters chained themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke and supporters Christy Brennan, left, from Gardiner Street, and Gerard O'Neill, centre, from Sean McDermott street, chain themselves to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Cllr. Christy Burke chains himself to the railings of The Customs House, Dublin, to highlight the inaction of Government over the housing crisis. Picture: Caroline Quinn Former Lord Mayor Christy Burke and two of his supporters chained themselves to the railings of the Custom House in Dublin this morning in protest over the deepening homeless crisis. Swapping chains of office for chains of protest, the three men shackled themselves to the black railings of the iconic and historic building that is home to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is due to meet with the heads of local authorities from all over the country today to discuss the homeless crisis. This follows the deaths of three homeless people in Dublin, Kildare and Cork last week and the release of new figures that show more and more families and children are falling homeless each month. The figures for July reveal that 8,160 people, including 1,429 families, have nowhere to live. The number of children without a roof over their heads has shot up by almost 300pc in three years, to a record of 2,973. A further 78 children have become homeless since the last figures were released in June. As he tightened the chains around his waist this morning, Cllr Burke said it was time for actions from the authorities, and not talk. We are highlighting the crisis in homelessness, housing and rough sleepers here this morning. There are men and women in sleeping bags, and men and women and children in hotels and B&Bs, he added. Mr Burke said five successive Ministers of the Environment, and the State, have failed to bring up a strategy to end the misery. As we all know there have been a number of deaths in the last week and those deaths will continue unless the Minister comes out with a radical plan today, and we will continue to protest at random at each ministerial department over the next number of weeks if we are not satisfied with the outcome today, he said. We want houses, we want homes. We want the misery to end. There needs to be political will from the Taoiseachs office, stood over by the Secretary General, and the fast track the procurement and the planning laws in relation to development, Mr Burke explained. Homes. Not talk. Actions. Not walking, not talking. Dont tell us any more Minister. You need to show us, because we are not going away, he added. Ian Paisley Jnr faces questions over holidays worth more than 100,000 he accepted from a country he is now helping to secure a post-Brexit trade deal. The prominent Democratic Unionist Party MP accepted two all-expenses-paid trips from the Sri Lankan government, according to documents seen by the Daily Telegraph. Mr Paisley took his wife and four children to the country, according to the reports. They flew business class, stayed in fine hotels and were provided with a chauffeur-driven Mercedes. However, the trips were never disclosed in the House of Commons register of interests. Mr Paisley is one of 10 DUP members relied on by Prime Minister Theresa May to prop up her government. Shortly after the holidays Mr Paisley spoke in Parliament and suggested Queen Elizabeth could visit Sri Lanka to aid the peace process there. This week, Mr Paisley posted a picture of himself with Amari Wijewardene, the Sri Lankan high commissioner, outside the Houses of Parliament captioned: With Sri Lanka high commissioner to discuss NI-Sri Lanka trade deal after Brexit. Two days after the meeting in Parliament, Mr Paisley posted a picture of himself alongside Liam Fox, Britains International Trade Secretary. It was captioned: With Liam Fox discussing our trade agreements post Brexit. 1/2 The Daily Telegraph article is defamatory. It is devoid of fact or logic. Referred to my lawyer. Ian Paisley MP (@ianpaisleymp) September 7, 2017 2/2. I will refer myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Ian Paisley MP (@ianpaisleymp) September 7, 2017 The Sri Lankan high commission in London said yesterday that Mr Paisley was considered to be in a good position to help enhance trade relations between Sri Lanka and UK given the DUPs role supporting Mrs Mays government. The trips, which took place in 2013, have also raised questions given Sri Lankas questionable human rights record. Later that year, Conservative MPs were banned from accepting trips funded by the Sri Lankan government due to concern about the regimes lobbying tactics. The two trips took place in March and July 2013. On the first, he stayed for 10 days and took his entire family. On the second, he stayed for seven days and took his wife, Fiona, and two of their children. The Sri Lankan ministry of external affairs is understood to have paid for business-class flights for the couple and their children, costing about 17,000, and arranged six hotels across the two trips, picking up the bill for their meals at the hotels. The government also paid for helicopters to shuttle Mr Paisley and his family around, at a cost of 12,500 for one of the trips, with its defence ministry clearing space for them to land. During their stays, they were taken to attractions including an elephant sanctuary, a national park and a Buddhist temple, with the costs of the excursions covered by the government. By failing to declare his trips, Mr Paisley appears to be in breach of parliamentary rules as funded trips that cost more than 300 (320) must be declared. Mr Paisley has been a vocal supporter of the Sri Lankan government in recent years, calling for positive trading opportunities between Britain and the island, as well as highlighting how human rights abuses may have been committed by Tamils as well as the government. Mr Paisley declined to answer questions from The Telegraph about his trips to Sri Lanka, and his subsequent discussions with the high commissioner on a post-Brexit trade deal. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Government Ministers are scrambling to distance themselves from the row over almost 1.5 million fake breath tests recorded by gardai amid sustained calls for heads to roll over the scandal. Senior ministers were accused of a "hands-off" approach as they highlighted the role of the Policing Authority in overseeing the Garda, and pointed to an ongoing independent review of the issues raised in two internal Garda reports. But there remains mounting pressure for the Government to act over the latest in a long procession of scandals to hit the force. Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall accused the Government of "kicking the problem down the road". "The Government needs to take action. It has to end this hands-off approach, hoping that somebody else will take charge," she said. She argued that the problems in the Garda "go way beyond the Commissioner" and said the Government should remove Noirin O'Sullivan and the whole Garda senior management team. The renewed controversy over the Garda comes after the publication of the two reports, one on the bogus breath tests and the other on 14,700 wrongful traffic convictions due to issues with the fixed charge penalty notices system. The Policing Authority has enlisted accountancy company Crowe Howarth to carry out a separate independent review of both matters, to be delivered at a later date. Read More During an interview with RTE Radio, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was challenged on demands for the Government to act to make changes at the top of the Garda. He replied: "That's why we have an independent Policing Authority which is the very kind of change that was recognised to be needed in Ireland that we have brought in." He denied this response amounted to "passing the buck", and said the authority's oversight of appointments at the Garda ensured they "are not dealt with in a political manner". Junior Minister John Halligan, meanwhile, said there was "no doubt" that public confidence in gardai was "eroding". However, he said that "right now" he had confidence in Ms O'Sullivan and added: "There's no reason why I shouldn't until we've seen all the reports." He said the incidents in the latest revelations happened before Ms O'Sullivan became Commissioner and "to be fair I am a great believer in giving everybody a say, and not to name somebody as being guilty until we've gone through everything." He also pointed to the work of the Commission on the Future of Policing saying: "Let's see the results, let's see what happens over the next couple of months and I think that this Government will do what's right for the people of Ireland." Ms O'Sullivan faces the prospect of being grilled by the Dail's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) now that the breath test and fixed penalty notice reports are complete. Members expressed frustration during her appearance in July when the reports had not been finished as expected. Labour's Alan Kelly said: "The Commissioner will have to come before the PAC regarding these reports in the opening weeks of the new Dail session." He added: "The reports on breath tests and penalty points were not available when she was last in front of us, so this is an absolute priority now." Committee chairman Sean Fleming of Fianna Fail said he wanted to see a full Dail debate. A Sinn Fein councillor has revealed that he considered taking his own life due to bullying within the party. Tipperary councillor Seamus 'Seamie' Morris is the second party member this week to publicly raise concerns about bullying within Sinn Fein. In a statement to the 'Tipperary Star', Mr Morris said he had been a "victim of an intense, nine-month hate campaign of harassment and slander". He said the ordeal had taken him to a "very dark place" where he even "considered ending it all". "It can be a very lonely place indeed," he added. Mr Morris confirmed details of the statement to the Irish Independent and said he had "endured nine months of hell", which resulted in Sinn Fein seeking to remove him from its local branch. The councillor claimed to have been subjected to a "whispering campaign" after he had clashed with Sinn Fein officials over a local dispute. He said Sinn Fein wanted only "party disciples" in the organisation and did not appreciate "free-speaking" members. A spokesperson for the party said: "We are not aware of any whispering campaign against Seamie. We are currently dealing with the issues that he has raised with us and Seamie has participated in that process. "Seamie remains a Sinn Fein member and councillor." Mr Morris said he was speaking out in support of Limerick Sinn Fein councillor Lisa Marie Sheehy, who quit the party earlier this week amid bullying claims. He praised Ms Sheehy and said he did not want to see her isolated for speaking out about her treatment within the party. "The loss of Councillor Lisa Marie Sheehy is, in my opinion, unforgivable and makes me wonder has the party the skills to conduct these reviews/investigations, particularly ones that have claims of bullying," he said. On Tuesday, Ms Sheehy said she had been forced to leave the party after she was "undermined, bullied and humiliated". Mr Morris and Ms Sheehy are among a growing number of Sinn Fein councillors quitting the party over bullying allegations. There have also been allegations of bullying by councillors in counties Kildare, Tipperary, Cavan, Cork and Wicklow. However, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has insisted his party does not have an issue with internal bullying. Children's Minister Katherine Zappone warned that Ireland can only become a true "Republic of equals" when the Eighth Amendment is repealed and the State stops treating an unborn foetus as equal to a woman. The Dublin TD warned that her Leinster House colleagues could no longer hide behind the availability of abortion in the UK to avoid dealing with the difficult and divisive issue. Ms Zappone last night delivered a keynote speech in Wexford which has been viewed as effectively launching the campaign for next year's referendum. In doing so, the independent TD staunchly backed the campaign for the amendment to be repealed, warning that women must be given full rights over their own bodies. But Ms Zappone acknowledged that the looming debate over abortion "will trouble many". "As long as the Constitution treats a foetus as equal to a woman, her autonomy can be nothing more than a myth," she warned. The remarks sparked a storm of criticism from Pro-Life campaigners. Multiple objections to the speech were made via social media, while some Pro-Life campaigners threatened to mount protests at events attended by the minister. However, Ms Zappone warned that Ireland needed to tackle the issue. "As a woman, a progressive, a campaigner and a Government minister, I firmly believe we need a system of reproductive justice - which must include a referendum on reproductive rights." She said tens of thousands of women had already paid the price for Ireland's stance on equal rights. "Every year thousands travel, unknown numbers import and take the abortion pill, and more still self-harm to end their pregnancies," she said. "We do not know how many thousands of women have continued with pregnancies against their will since 1983." Ms Zappone was at the opening of the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, and said she was inspired throughout her political life by the legacy of John F Kennedy. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he does not believe women in Ireland are equal. This inequality is not just in relation to the constitution but in "many fields" he said. The Taoiseach welcomed Minister for Children Katherine Zappone's remarks, who warned that Ireland can only become a true "Republic of Equals" when the Eighth Constitutional amendment is repealed and the State stops treating an unborn foetus as equal to a woman. Read More Mr Varadkar said he welcomed her contribution to the debate and said that he is aware that it is an issue that "divides families" and also divides his own party which is a "broad church." However, it is a matter that can only be settled by the Irish people in a referendum which will take place early next year, he said. Asked if he agreed with Minister Zappone that women were not yet equal in this country, the Taoiseach said: "I don't believe women in Ireland are fully equal but I think that's about many things, not just the Constitution. We see it in lots of different fields." Meanwhile the Taoiseach would not be drawn further on the position he has taken in expressing confidence in the Garda Commissioner Noirin O Sullivan. The Taoiseach made the remarks after turned the sod on the new Centre Parcs Longford Forest resort which is expected to bring 1,000 permanent jobs to the local area. The 233m development on a 400 acre site is due to open in the summer of 2019 and will have capacity for up to 2,500 visitors. It will be open year round and is expected to largely cater for the domestic market, with about a third of visitors coming from north of the border. The Taoiseach said Longford has faced economic challenges but that the "tide is turning." 'Any other symptoms," the nurse casually asked as the joyous reality that I was in fact pregnant with my first child sank in. "Well I have been feeling a bit nauseous the past week," I answered. With an incredulous eyebrow raised, she informed me this was highly unusual at five weeks but a great sign - a healthy sign. I left on a high, secretly revelling in the fact that my hormones were already indicating I was on my way to a healthy pregnancy. A bit smug if I'm being honest. The smugness didn't last long. Expand Close Royal bump: Kate Middleton suffers from acute morning sickness during pregnancies / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Royal bump: Kate Middleton suffers from acute morning sickness during pregnancies The following nine months were the toughest - both physically and mentally - that I have ever experienced in my life. Morning sickness it is not. Because morning sickness could not even begin to describe the overwhelming sense of nausea and the almost constant need to vomit that followed day after day, week after week, month after month with absolutely no let up for the entire pregnancy. The only way I can describe it to other people is it is like having severe food poisoning or a gastric bug that goes on for months on end. Hearing that Kate Middleton is again suffering from acute morning sickness, otherwise known as hyperemesis gravidarum, brings back some terrible memories of that time. I can only imagine what it must be like for her to face into that for the third time - knowing the months she has stretching ahead of her. I did it twice and I had to think long and hard about risking getting pregnant the second time. I don't think I would have been able for a third. On my first pregnancy, I initially thought this was what normal morning sickness was like. A few months in, I realised it was not normal. As soon as I opened my eyes every morning, I had to run to the bathroom. Over the nine months, I was vomiting an average of 10 times a day. And those bouts of vomiting could last for up to half an hour each. I started getting out of bed two hours before I needed to leave the house. It took me that long to complete two simple tasks - having a shower and getting dressed. There was no need for breakfast any more. Nothing was staying down. The Dart journey to work was hell. Arriving at Pearse Street every morning, I was lucky if I made it to the station toilets in time. I started to bring sick bags with me everywhere and had to make at least two stops on the walk to work on Harcourt Street. Once there, I had to frequently excuse myself from meetings and abruptly finish conversations as I made a dash down the office. I also must admit to throwing up in a colleague's waste paper bin one early morning. (Sorry Dee, I just couldn't make it on time!) Arriving home every evening, I walked straight into the bedroom where I immediately went to bed. The exhaustion was overbearing and I couldn't face one more minute of movement, let alone the smell or the thought of dinner cooking. I couldn't eat. I was losing weight - two stone during my first pregnancy - my toe and finger nails went white from the lack of vitamins I was ingesting. I couldn't drink water - even a sip came back up. I was dizzy and fatigued all the time. Dioralyte barely passed my lips. Sipping Lucozade was all I could stomach so the doctor said to keep drinking that, despite the smart comments from others about it not being great for the baby. The mental trauma was probably worse than the physical. There were evenings when I cried for hours. I felt miserable. I felt like it was never going to end. I was often in a daze and my mind was totally obsessed with when I was going to get sick next. I felt like I was living in a fog and I just wanted the whole experience to be over - not quite the pregnancy glow you read about. I did feel cheated out of that experience. I tried sucking crystallised ginger, wearing sickness bands, acupuncture, reflexology, dry toast. Nothing worked. In hindsight, I can see that the only thing I could have and should have done was rest. I was never hospitalised or had to be hooked up to a drip like other women, so I can only imagine what was experienced by those who had it worse than me. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The only time the sickness gave some light relief was in the delivery room. Yes, it continued right up to then. My husband was on one side of me and a midwife on the other, both holding containers for me to alternate getting sick into. The ridiculousness of it all made me laugh. But as soon as my baby daughter was born, the fog lifted. As well as the joy of the new arrival, the tea and toast the midwife brought me never tasted so good as the sickness immediately disappeared - until the next time. Martha Kearns is a former Irish Independent journalist and co-owner of StoryLab, a content and PR company www.storylab.ie. Pat Doherty of Harcourt Developments with Kerrie Sweeney of Titanic Foundation in Drawing Room 2. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Afternoon tea in the old drawing offices... After two years of construction and restoration, Belfast's Titanic Hotel will officially open to the public this Sunday, September 10. The 119-room luxury hotel incorporates the former Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and Headquarters in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Built and restored at a cost of 28/32 million, it is situated next to Titanic Belfast, the city's now-iconic attraction, and offers views of the Harland & Wolff cranes. B&B rates start at 140/153 per room, while a package bundling B&B with tickets for Titanic Belfast costs from 180/196 per room. All "authentic spaces" have been retained in the build, the hotel says, including the Telephone Exchange, which received the first communication of RMS Titanic hitting the iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912. The Drawing Offices are located at the front of the hotel - one housing its Harland Bar, the other the hotels ballroom and heritage experience. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A bedroom in the Titanic Hotel Belfast Suite, Titanic Hotel Belfast Titanic Hotel, main staircase. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Main Staircase (Ground floor) before restoration Titanic Hotel Belfast. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Titanic model in Harland Bar. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd The Harland Bar at Titanic Hotel. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd The Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices (archive) Titanic Hotel Belfast: Elevation from Queen's Road / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A bedroom in the Titanic Hotel Belfast Drawing Office One will host a six-week exhibition from Sunday - after that, daily public tours will be offered to showcase the heritage features. Other preserved spaces include Harland & Wolff's board room, its former directors entrance and lobby, and the offices of former former directors including Thomas Andrews, Lord Pirrie and Charles Payne. Titanic Hotel Belfast is operated by Harcourt Developments, with a 5m investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund aiding restoration of the Drawing Offices. Kerrie Sweeney from Titanic Foundation said: Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices (archive) Titanic Hotel Belfast: Elevation from Queen's Road The Harland Bar at Titanic Hotel. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Titanic model in Harland Bar. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Titanic Hotel Belfast. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Main Staircase (Ground floor) before restoration Titanic Hotel, main staircase. Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd Suite, Titanic Hotel Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices (archive) Where one of Northern Irelands biggest commercial ventures once stood over 100 years ago, now stands a fitting tribute and another fantastic venture to shine a light on what was the largest shipyard in the world." Belfast's hotel offering has gone up a gear in recent years, with a new Bullitt Hotel and 6 million extension to the five-star Fitzwilliam already open for business. Titanic Hotel officially opens at 12 noon this Sunday, September 10. See titanichotelbelfast.com for more. Read more: A young Millstreet man who was reported missing on Tuesday sparking a heartfelt plea from his mother for his return has been found safe and well. Millstreet man David McKay was the subject of a frantic search by his family after he went missing at lunchtime on Tuesday while returning into the country at Dublin Port from the UK. His mother Olivia issued an urgent plea for his return early on Tuesday, but as of yesterday had posted on her Facebook page that David had been found safe and well. "My son is found and he is well and safe thanks to each and everything for ye're help xxx," Ms McKay wrote on her page to a flurry of messages from friends communicating their deep relief at the news. Fears were sparked on Tuesday when Mr McKay suddenly disappeared from the truck in which he had been travelling with his uncle after a stint the pair spent working in the UK. He disappeared without a working phone while in Dublin Port, leaving his wallet in the vehicle. Mom Olivia said she was about to embark on a frantic search for her son, planning at that point to drive to Dublin while keeping an eye out in the towns en route for any sign of her beloved boy. "I hope he's safe, we're very concerned. I'm travelling to Dublin now, and going to drive up through all the towns. David and my brother were working in England and came into Dublin, into the port. He disappeared. This is very strange and we're concerned," Olivia told media. Relief was widespread as news of David's safe return was communicated. 'Prayers answered' wrote one friend on Ms McKay's Facebook page, with another simply stating: 'Oh thank God, I've a tear in my eye x'. Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) Cindy Crawford's model daughter Kaia Gerber made her New York Fashion Week debut on the catwalk for Calvin Klein on Thursday The stunning 16-year-old was part of Raf Simons Calvin Klein show and became an instant hit among the fashion elite. The Belgian designer showed off both mens and womens clothes on the runway, though the first few looks crossed over to both sexes. Models opened the runway in silky shirt and trouser combos, before clothes covered in Andy Warhol prints made an appearance. Expand Close Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) Dubbing the collection American horror, American dreams, Simons was inspired by his love of film and TV, which was reflected in the Carrie-style metal buckets that hung over the catwalk, and the gauzy nightgowns which was also reminiscent of the Sissy Spacek horror movie. Rubber gowns and jackets also had a horror movie feel to them, but then the collection gave way to softer, more feminine offerings, like tassled dresses and billowing material. Simons commanded an A-list front row, with Calvin Klein campaign stars Mahershala Ali and Millie Bobby Brown both in attendance. Following Kaias first New York Fashion Week appearance, the teen tweeted: "CALVIN KLEIN! there are no words to describe how I feel... I love you endlessly Raf!" Expand Close Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Model Kaia Gerber walks the runway for the Calvin Klein Collection fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2017 in New York City. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) Kaias 18-year-old brother Presley, who is also an in-demand model, cheered for his sister from the front row. Before her big NYFW debut, Kaia shared a photo of herself with a model pal backstage. Both appeared to be getting ready for their big night. Video of the Day "another bathrobe @calvinklein," she captioned the photo. The teenage model posted a similar photo of herself with top fashion star Karlie Kloss on Wednesday. Off the runway, Kaia is the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty and recently appeared in a Chrome Hearts campaign. New York Fashion Week continues on Friday with presentations from Brandon Maxwell and Jeremy Scott. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyis global image is in tatters over her stubborn refusal to protect the Rohingya. Photo: Getty Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's peace prize over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims. But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work that led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account. The Change.Org petition had gathered more than 365,000 signatures as of yesterday, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants. "The de facto ruler of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition says. Ms Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991 while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country's first credible elections since its independence. But her government has faced international condemnation for the army's response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers. The United Nations said yesterday that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees had escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a 250,000 have fled since fighting broke out in October. Ms Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called "a huge iceberg of misinformation" over the crisis, "with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists". In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed. "Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize - whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace - can be revoked," he told AFP. "Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee," he said, and would not be affected by any subsequent actions. At least 58 people have been killed after one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the country's southern coast. The quake, which hit minutes before midnight on Thursday, toppled hundreds of buildings, triggered tsunami evacuations and sent panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. It was strong enough to cause buildings to sway violently in the capital city more than 650 miles (1,000 kilometres) away. People still wearing pyjamas ran out of their homes and gathered in frightened groups. Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicentre, said his house "moved like chewing gum". The furious shaking created a second national emergency for Mexican agencies already bracing for Hurricane Katia on the other side of the country. The system was expected to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz early on Saturday as a category two storm that could bring life-threatening floods. The head of Mexico's civil defence agency confirmed the deaths of 45 people in the southern state of Oaxaca. Another 10 people died in Chiapas and three more in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. The worst-hit city appeared to be Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus. About half of the city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble, and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses. Mexico's capital escaped major damage, but the quake terrified sleeping residents, many of whom still remember the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of the city. Families were jerked awake by the grating howl of the capital's seismic alarm. Some shouted as they dashed out of rocking apartment buildings. Even the famous Angel of Independence Monument swayed as the quake's waves rolled through the city's soft soil. Elsewhere, the extent of destruction was still emerging. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut at least briefly to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools on Friday in at least 11 states to check them for safety. The earthquake's impact was blunted somewhat by the fact that it was centred 100 miles (160 kilometres) offshore. It hit off Chiapas' Pacific coast, near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude of 8.1 - equal to Mexico's strongest quake of the past century. It was slightly stronger than the 1985 quake, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicentre was in a seismic hotspot in the Pacific where one tectonic plate dives under another. These subduction zones are responsible for producing some of the biggest quakes in history, including the 2011 Fukushima disaster and the 2004 Sumatra quake that spawned a deadly tsunami. The quake struck at 11.49pm on Thursday (4.49am GMT on Friday), and its epicentre was 102 miles (165 kilometres) west of Tapachula in Chiapas. It had a depth of 43.3 miles (69.7 kilometres), the USGS said. Dozens of strong aftershocks rattled the region in the following hours. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves of 3.3 feet (1 metre) above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges elsewhere. The centre's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of a meter or less. Authorities briefly evacuated a few residents of coastal Tonala and Puerto Madero because of the warning. In neighbouring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales appeared on national television to call for calm while emergency crews surveyed damage. Officials later said only four people had been injured and several dozen homes damaged. AP A schoolboy who decided to transition into a female has changed his mind two years later. At just 12-years-old, Patrick Mitchell, begged with his mother to begin taking oestrogen hormones after doctors diagnosed him with gender dysphoria a condition where a person experiences distress because there is a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. You wish you could just change everything about you, you just see any girl and you say I'd kill to be like that, Patrick told 60 Minutes in Australia. After heeding advice from professionals who suggested that it was the right choice, his mother was fully supportive and Patrick began to transition. He grew out his hair and started to take the hormones, which caused his body to grow breasts. But two years on, Patrick had a change of heart. In the beginning of 2017, teachers at school began to refer to him as a girl which triggered the youngster to question if he had made the right decision. I began to realise I was actually comfortable in my body. Every day I just felt better, he told Woman's Day. As a result, Patrick spoke to his mother and explained that he wanted to transition back into a boy. He looked me in the eye and said I'm just not sure that I am a girl, his mother explained. Now, in a bid to revert back to his original body, he has stopped taking his medication and is about to have an operation to remove excess breast tissue in what will be the final stage of his transition. While gender dysphoria is rare, the number of people being diagnosed with the condition is increasing, due to growing public awareness. A survey of 10,000 people undertaken in 2012 by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that 1pc of the population surveyed was gender variant, to some extent. If you think you or your child may have gender dysphoria, the NHS suggests seeing your GP who, if necessary, can then refer you to a specialist Gender Identity Clinic (GIC). Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas hit by Hurricane Irma Relief efforts are under way on islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as a second "extremely dangerous" storm threatens the Caribbean. Some already-ravaged areas are preparing for further possible damage as Hurricane Jose, which has been upgraded to category four, travels through the Atlantic. Medical supplies and other aid are being flown from the UK to the areas worst affected by Irma, following a 32 million pledge from the British Government. The government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were "pummelled" overnight, declared a national shutdown as the hurricane continued its destructive path towards America. The death toll from Irma has risen to 20 with four more people believed to have died on the British Virgin Islands, it is reported. US President Donald Trump warned Americans in Irma's path to "get out of its way". He tweeted: " Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible." The National Hurricane Centre said the storm is likely to move near the north coast of Cuba and central Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, and approach Florida by Sunday. Life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands into Saturday. Forecasters said Hurricane Jose could affect already-hit areas with the British Virgin Islands on tropical storm watch, and the Commonwealth islands of Barbuda and Antigua and British territory of Anguilla on hurricane watch. The British Virgin Islands, which saw houses reduced to their foundations and many roads impassable in the wake of Irma, has already declared a state of emergency. Images posted on social media showed entire structures razed to the ground, with debris scattered across the streets. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said aircraft carrying around 230 personnel, made up of engineers, marines and medical specialists, will take rations and medical supplies to places affected including Barbados and the British Virgin Islands. Officials said it has been difficult to gauge the extent of the damage due to communication lines coming down, but the Department for International Development (Dfid), which is co-ordinating aid, has sent advisers to Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica to assess the wreckage. A spokeswoman for the department said people are being evacuated from Barbuda to Antigua in advance of Hurricane Jose hitting. There has been criticism of the Government's response to Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Atlantic, with some saying more should have been done to prepare for the devastation. Labour MP Virendra Sharma, who sits on the International Development Committee, said there had been a "lack of vision and lack of proper response", despite indications the hurricane was coming. Theresa May's spokeswoman dismissed criticism that the UK lagged behind France and the Netherlands in taking care of its territories in the path of the hurricane. The spokeswoman told a Westminster briefing: "We believe our response was swift. We had a ship pre-positioned. We are getting lifesaving aid now to those who need it." The spokeswoman, who said the Government was waiting for "a full picture of intelligence to come through", added: "Three flights departed this morning carrying marines and engineers as part of the MoD task force." RFA Mounts Bay has helped to restore power and communications as well as clear the airport runway in Anguilla, and will next provide relief in the British Virgin Islands, Dfid said. Other aid being sent includes 10,000 buckets and 5,000 solar lanterns. Buckingham Palace said the Queen will be making a significant personal donation to the Hurricane Irma appeal organised by the British Red Cross. Irma was first classified as a tropical storm on August 30 and rapidly intensified over the following days. Winds reached a peak of 130mph but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph. Thousands of British tourists believed to be in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms. Holiday firms said they are monitoring the situation and some have cancelled flights or offered to amend bookings for those due to travel to affected areas in the coming days. In Fort Lauderdale, Erik Petersen, 40, described the atmosphere as "pretty tense" - adding that there was much more worry than last year, when the Sunshine State braced itself for Hurricane Matthew. The dual American-British citizen told the Press Association: "People aren't just talking about this as a hurricane, they're talking about it as the hurricane. "I've had a few people ask if I'm considering going somewhere else in Florida, but this thing's the size of Texas. Roads are clogged, hotels are full, gas is running low. "I'd rather face this thing in a house in Fort Lauderdale than in a car in a traffic jam somewhere outside Orlando." Mr Petersen, who lived in the UK for 11 years and most recently called Nottingham his home city, is riding out the storm with his wife Jo, 36, and their six-year-old daughter Anya. The Foreign Office has set up a hotline for people affected by the disaster and for people whose loved ones may be affected, on 020 7008 0000. Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Mrs May said she had spoken to governors from British territories overseas. She said: "Our military personnel, our troops, have been working round the clock there and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. "Troops from RFA Mounts Bay are now assisting the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, who has declared a state of emergency there and they are also working to ensure the airfield there is serviceable so military aircraft can be flown in with further supplies. "Every effort is being made to ensure that what can be done, as much as possible, can be done in advance of Hurricane Jose, which is the next hurricane to reach that area." She added that the Cobra meeting had also heard from the consul general in Miami to be updated on the support being given to British nationals and tourists in the Sunshine State. The Government is working with the US authorities to ensure "everything can be done" before the storm arrives, she said. British military support will also be provided to the French relief efforts following a request from their government. The Prime Minister also sought to give assurances to the British territories that the Government's support would include a focus on long-term rebuilding. She said: "I give them this commitment - I recognise that our immediate concern is ensuring the support is there and every effort is there as this hurricane is devastating these islands, but at the Cobra today I also ensured that a piece of work was being put in place, already started, on long-term planning." Dfid said 20 tonnes of emergency supplies were currently being transported to the Caribbean. This includes 2.2 tonnes of shelter kits on board an RAF plane bound for Barbados, which took off from RAF Brize Norton on Friday. A further 10,000 aid buckets, containing kit to help wash clothes, and 5,000 solar lanterns were loaded onto three trucks at Kemble Airfield in Gloucestershire. They will take the 19-tonne cargo to either HMS Ocean or aircraft for the final journey to the Atlantic. the Spanish prime minister, has promised to "stop at nothing" to prevent Catalonia's independence referendum, as he asked Spain's top court to block the vote and his attorney-general prepared to prosecute Catalan leaders. In a blistering address yesterday, Mariano Rajoy accused Catalonia's parliament of an "intolerable act of disobedience" in passing its referendum law, insisting it violated the Spanish constitution. "The consultation is not going to happen in any case," he said. "We are defending national sovereignty, the principle of legality and the institutions. We are defending the rights of all citizens, above all of the Catalans." The warning came after Catalonia's president, Carles Puigdemont, officially called the independence referendum for October 1, an act he declared to be "for liberty and democracy". After a day of tense debate, the Catalan parliament passed the referendum law late on Wednesday, despite furious complaints from opponents in the chamber that it was engaged in a criminal act. A major legal fight looms, with Spain's constitutional court almost certain to strike down the referendum law in the coming days. Jose Manuel Maza, the attorney-general, said he was opening criminal complaints against the entire Catalan government and the members of the parliamentary leadership who had enabled Wednesday's vote. But the Catalan government insists it will press ahead, and this morning officially launches the referendum campaign with a new website and advert. Jordi Turull, a spokesman, said Madrid's moves changed nothing. "Calling a referendum is not a crime," he said, insisting Catalonia would defend democratic freedoms in the face of "this state of siege". The Catalan government has also begun taking applications for volunteers to work on the vote, who will have to brave the threat of prosecution from the Spanish authorities. Local councils have been given 48 hours to confirm whether they will open their facilities for the poll. A key question is whether the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, will co-operate. She said on Twitter yesterday that she was considering the request, and was willing to facilitate democratic participation "without putting the [local] institution and officials at risk". The independence issue has divided Catalans, with the latest poll this week indicating that just over 50pc support secession from Spain. Those tensions are likely to be on full display on Monday when Catalonia celebrates its national day, the Diada, which commemorates the fall of Barcelona in the Spanish War of Succession. Barcelona residents yesterday had mixed feelings about the possibility of a referendum. "It will never be legal if it's not agreed with the government," said interior designer Laurent Legard (53). "This is not the right path." Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Netflix will take on one of the most controversial cases to hit UK headlines in recent years. In 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from her hotel room while on holiday in Portugal's Praia de Luz with her parents and two siblings. It sparked one of the most heavily reported missing-person cases in modern history, becoming a national obsession and still regularly hitting headlines when any new developments come to light. Despite several potential suspects and sightings over the years, McCann's whereabouts are still unknown. The case will now form the centre of a new as-yet-untitled, eight episode true crime series, featuring interviews with both investigators and key figures from the case. This isn't the first time Netflix has dabbled in controversial criminal cases, releasing last year a one-part documentary on Amanda Knox, the American student who served almost four years in an Italian prison for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, before being definitively acquitted. True crime's surge in popularity was certainly aided by Netflix's own Making a Murderer, based on Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey's conviction of Teresa Halbach. A release date for the Madeleine McCann documentary has yet to be announced. Several shots were fired and a number of arrests were made during a large police operation in the French city of Lyon this morning. According to LeProgress officers from the RAID national police service attended the scene on Montesquieu Street in the 7th Arrondisement of Lyon. Shots were fire during the incident which reportedly happened at a metro station. The suspects were said to have taken refuge in a local community. At 9:10 am (local time) police announced that the operation had ended. However, a security cordon remained in place and people are advised to avoid the area. A ruling by the European Union's top court upholding the relocation of asylum-seekers opens the way to a "mixed culture and population" on the continent, Hungary's prime minister has warned. Viktor Orban said he "took note" of Wednesday's ruling by the European Court of Justice rejecting legal arguments by Hungary and Slovakia against the EU decision to relocate 160,000 asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy within the bloc, but he would continue to oppose the plan. "Now, instead of a legal fight, we have to fight a political fight," Mr Orban said during an interview on state radio. "We have to get the different EU organisations to say that the decision they made, even if it was legal, was a bad decision ... which the member states can't and won't carry out." Despite frequent urging by EU officials, only around 27,700 people have been relocated since September 2015. "We are not an immigrant country and Hungary does not want to be an immigrant country," said Mr Orban. The EU "is trying to transform Europe's traditional population and culture into a continent with a mixed population and a mixed culture". Hungary built razor-wire fences on its southern borders in late 2015, when 400,000 migrants from the Middle East and Asia passed through the country on their way to western Europe. Mr Orban says the fences, which have practically stopped the migrant flow, also protect Austria, Germany and the rest of Europe and has asked the EU to contribute about 440 million euros (400 millon) to cost and maintenance. The EU said it would not fund the fences but urged Hungary to apply for money available for "border management". In a written response, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reminded the Hungarian leader his country was the largest recipient of EU developments funds in terms of gross domestic product, with the 25 billion euros (23 billion) allocated in 2014-20 totalling over 3% of Hungary's GDP. EU mentions of the development funds have drawn strong responses from the Hungarian government, and Mr Orban on Friday again made his position clear. "There is no possibility to set the question of immigration as a precondition for the allocation or distribution of EU funds. Such a correlation is illegal." Hungary has benefited greatly from EU membership, supported by a large majority of Hungarians, but Mr Orban has compared EU bureaucrats in Brussels to Soviet-era apparatchiks and sees "unelected EU officials" as trying to stealthily increase their power over member states. The Hungarian government has also conducted several anti-EU campaigns, charging Brussels with trying to "colonise" Hungary and of disregarding Hungarian support for Mr Orban, who returned to power in 2010. In parliamentary elections expected in April next year, he hopes to regain the two-thirds majority that allowed him in 2012 to introduce a new constitution. He has set countries like Russia and Turkey as models for his efforts to turn Hungary into an "illiberal state", a concept that includes an increasingly dominant role for the state and little regard for the democratic system of checks and balances. AP Fighters prepare to move to the front line to battle Islamic State militants in north-east Syria (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) Russian forces have killed four Islamic State group leaders in an air strike outside the eastern Syria city of Deir el-Zour, officials said. Russia has been providing air cover for Syrian President Bashar Assad's offensive against IS militants since 2015. Its defence ministry said the air strike killed 40 militants, including four prominent warlords who had gathered for a meeting of IS commanders in an underground bunker outside Deir el-Zour. Heavy clashes are taking place between Syrian government forces and IS around Deir el-Zour as militants fight to reinstate a years-long siege of the city. On Tuesday, President Assad's troops broke the nearly three-year militant blockade of parts of the city, marking a significant advance against the extremists. The Russian military named Abu Muhammad al-Shimali and Gulmurod Khalimov as two of the four IS leaders killed in the air strike. The other two were not named in the statement. Al-Shimali reportedly headed the movement of foreign fighters into Syria and processed the group's new recruits. Khalimov, a colonel who received US training while heading the riot police force in his native Tajikistan, has often been described as IS's minister of war. The United States last year placed a 3 US dollar million (2.3 million) bounty on his head. The Russian defence ministry said the air strike, which was carried out on an unspecified date, was ordered after Moscow received intelligence earlier this week about a meeting of senior IS commanders in the area. AP A local stands next to a damaged house as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A woman takes cover from the rain as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Angie Rodriguez (C) sits with her grandson at their home during a blackout after Hurricane Irma rolled by the U.S. territory's northern coast, in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez Locals rest in a shelter as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A man walks among debris as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Locals stand next to a damaged road as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 6, 2017. Picture taken September 6, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters A British territory has been "pummelled" overnight by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic. The Turks and Caicos Islands government declared a national shutdown as the category five storm continued to tear across the Caribbean, with life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge expected into tomorrow. Expand Close A woman stands next to a damaged house as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A woman stands next to a damaged house as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Irma, which continues to be a "potentially catastrophic" hurricane, has killed at least 14 people according to reports, with islands across the region told to prepare for storm surges. The hurricane's ruinous touch, which has already reduced the island of Barbuda to wreckage, will also be felt in nearby Haiti as the storm sweeps north west. Meanwhile, the British Virgin Islands said they were confident of being able to rebuild after houses were reduced to foundations following the "devastating" storm. Images posted on social media showed entire structures razed to the ground, with debris scattered across the streets. Sharon Flax-Brutus, director of tourism for the group of more than 60 islands, said: "The destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands has been devastating. "The destination has lost entire structures and many homes are without roofs, or have been diminished to merely foundations." Expand Close A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters She added communication between the islands has been difficult as mobile phone towers had come down - meaning it was tricky to gauge the full extent of the damage. Irma was first classified as a tropical storm on August 30 and rapidly intensified over the following days, becoming a category four hurricane on September 4. Then, winds reached a peak of 130mph, but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph. Saint Martin, which has already been victim to Irma, is now facing a new threat in the form of Jose, while the British territories of Anguilla and Montserrat are on alert for a tropical storm. Irish tourists believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms. State of Emergency in Florida Expand Close A damaged house is pictured as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A damaged house is pictured as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas States of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida, where the storm is due to make landfall this weekend. In Fort Lauderdale, 40-year-old Erik Petersen described the atmosphere as "pretty tense" - adding there was much more worry than last year, when the Sunshine State braced for Hurricane Matthew. The dual American-British citizen told the Press Association: "People aren't just talking about this as a hurricane, they're taking about it as the hurricane. "I've had a few people ask if I'm considering going somewhere else in Florida, but this thing's the size of Texas. Roads are clogged, hotels are full, gas is running low. "I'd rather face this thing in a house in Fort Lauderdale than in a car in a traffic jam somewhere outside Orlando." Mr Petersen, who lived in the UK for 11 years and most recently called Nottingham his home city, is riding out the storm with his 36-year-old wife Jo and their six-year-old daughter Anya. He said he was expecting lots of damage and said power could be out for weeks. "With no electricity or air conditioning, you get used to stinking. Some people have generators. Unfortunately, we don't," he said. "Luckily we do have a gas oven, so we can cook without electricity. "Anya largely sees this as a big camp-out or adventure, which I suppose is good. "Jo hasn't been through a hurricane before, but she's been through hurricane prep, so she's in full-on Spirit of Dunkirk/Getting Stuff Done mode. "My parents have lived here for many years and seen a lot of stuff. They're not panicking, but they're taking this all very seriously." In response to the unfolding crisis, Theresa May announced that 32 million had been released to assist the relief effort. Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister said: "We must not forget that there is a further storm on the way. "But that won't stop us from providing the assistance that is needed, and doing everything we can to help." The British military has dispatched a task group of experts into the affected areas of the Atlantic to provide support and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay vessel is transporting supplies. Addressing concerns about the speed of Britain's response, Mrs May said both humanitarian workers and RFA Mounts Bay had been "prepositioned". Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon added the military vessel is "already at work" clearing roads and helping to restore power. View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 6, 2017. Picture taken September 6, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas hit by Hurricane Irma Locals stand next to a damaged road as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A damaged house is pictured as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A man walks among debris as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Locals rest in a shelter as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A local stands next to a damaged house as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A woman takes cover from the rain as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A woman stands next to a damaged house as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters Newborn Maebh Ryan, born to her Irish mum and dad just hours before storm hit Turks and Caicos (Photo: Twitter/MorningIreland) AN Irishman in Turks and Caicos has spoken of his family's relief after their newborn Maebh was born just hours before Hurricane Irma hit. Joe Ryan, his wife Claire and their two children Oisin and Maebh are now staying in a hotel as they wait for the storm surge to pass. The Turks and Caicos Islands government have declared a national shutdown as the category five storm continued to tear across the Caribbean, with life-threatening wind, rain and a storm surge expected into tomorrow. The islands were "pummelled" overnight by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic, according to weather reports. BORN BEFORE THE HURRICANE: Story of new born Maebh Ryan born to her Irish mum and dad in Turks and Caicos. Coming up on @morningireland pic.twitter.com/JHiBJLX7Po cian mccormack (@cian_mccormack) September 8, 2017 Speaking to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Joe Ryan said they moved out of their home because it is located on low-lying land. "The main reason we moved is because where we are is low lying," Joe told the programme. "We were set up, we had a generator and we had our windows boarded up but we knew if water came in we couldn't stay there." Joe and Claire welcomed their second child yesterday, and said they grew anxious as the due date passed. Expand Expand Previous Next Close A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A storm batters as Hurricane Irma descends on Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this still image taken from September 7, 2017 social media video. Photo: Aneesa Khan/via Reuters "The baby was due to come on Saturday, then things happened and it went over its due date. "We were getting anxious as the storm got closer. Expand Close Locals rest in a shelter as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Locals rest in a shelter as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas "Claire went into labour yesterday and delivered the baby, we're so lucky that she didn't have to stay in hospital. "Maebh came in just the nick of time. We're all together now in the hotel" Expand Close A man walks among debris as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man walks among debris as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Read More He continued; "It was one of those situations where we were just hoping and praying the child would come on her due date, that didn't happen, and we got more and more anxious as day after day passed. "It would have been horrendous for Claire to have to go to hospital on her own, because I would have had to mind Oisin, we were very grateful that the baby came and she's fit and healthy. "We're all in the hotel together and we're very grateful." Joe said the couple are now dreading to see the aftermath of the storm. "We feel safe where we are in the hotel, we've no chance of being hit. "For now we feel good, but this is all new to us. "This is a storm nobody has witnessed before so we're hunkered down and we'll see what happens. "I'm more concerned about waking up and seeing where we'll go from here." Former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Royston Brady, said Miami is in a state of "pure panic" as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma to make landfall. "There was a palpable sense of fear when stores started selling out. You couldnt get water, you couldnt get gas...pure panic has set in," he told Today with Sean O'Rourke. "I have seen people fighting over water and food...the highways are jammed...it's gone from living on the set of the Truman Show to living in the Day After Tomorrow." Hurricane Irma, which continues to be a "potentially catastrophic" hurricane, has killed at least 14 people according to reports, with islands across the region told to prepare for storm surges. The hurricane's ruinous touch, which has already reduced the island of Barbuda to wreckage, will also be felt in nearby Haiti as the storm sweeps north west. Meanwhile, the British Virgin Islands said they were confident of being able to rebuild after houses were reduced to foundations following the "devastating" storm. Images posted on social media showed entire structures razed to the ground, with debris scattered across the streets. Sharon Flax-Brutus, director of tourism for the group of more than 60 islands, said: "The destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in the British Virgin Islands has been devastating. "The destination has lost entire structures and many homes are without roofs, or have been diminished to merely foundations." She added communication between the islands has been difficult as mobile phone towers had come down - meaning it was tricky to gauge the full extent of the damage. Irma was first classified as a tropical storm on August 30 and rapidly intensified over the following days, becoming a category four hurricane on September 4. Then, winds reached a peak of 130mph, but soon became the strongest for more than a decade when sustained winds peaked at 185mph. Saint Martin, which has already been victim to Irma, is now facing a new threat in the form of Jose, while the British territories of Anguilla and Montserrat are on alert for a tropical storm. Irish tourists believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders while some have been advised to stay in their hotel rooms. State of Emergency in Florida States of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida, where the storm is due to make landfall this weekend. In Fort Lauderdale, 40-year-old Erik Petersen described the atmosphere as "pretty tense" - adding there was much more worry than last year, when the Sunshine State braced for Hurricane Matthew. The dual American-British citizen told the Press Association: "People aren't just talking about this as a hurricane, they're taking about it as the hurricane. "I've had a few people ask if I'm considering going somewhere else in Florida, but this thing's the size of Texas. Roads are clogged, hotels are full, gas is running low. "I'd rather face this thing in a house in Fort Lauderdale than in a car in a traffic jam somewhere outside Orlando." Mr Petersen, who lived in the UK for 11 years and most recently called Nottingham his home city, is riding out the storm with his 36-year-old wife Jo and their six-year-old daughter Anya. He said he was expecting lots of damage and said power could be out for weeks. "With no electricity or air conditioning, you get used to stinking. Some people have generators. Unfortunately, we don't," he said. "Luckily we do have a gas oven, so we can cook without electricity. "Anya largely sees this as a big camp-out or adventure, which I suppose is good. "Jo hasn't been through a hurricane before, but she's been through hurricane prep, so she's in full-on Spirit of Dunkirk/Getting Stuff Done mode. "My parents have lived here for many years and seen a lot of stuff. They're not panicking, but they're taking this all very seriously." In response to the unfolding crisis, Theresa May announced that 32 million had been released to assist the relief effort. Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister said: "We must not forget that there is a further storm on the way. "But that won't stop us from providing the assistance that is needed, and doing everything we can to help." The British military has dispatched a task group of experts into the affected areas of the Atlantic to provide support and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay vessel is transporting supplies. Addressing concerns about the speed of Britain's response, Mrs May said both humanitarian workers and RFA Mounts Bay had been "prepositioned". Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon added the military vessel is "already at work" clearing roads and helping to restore power. A shopper in Sedano's Supermarket looks at nearly empty water shelves in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami, Florida, September 5, 2017. Residents are preparing for the approach of Hurricane Irma. REUTERS/Joe Skipper A woman takes cover from the rain as Hurricane Irma moves off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua, Dominican Republic, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas Costco ran out of water as people shop to prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017 in North Miami. Miami is in a state of "pure panic" as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma to make landfall, according to former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Royston Brady. Irma, the strongest hurricane to ever hit the Atlantic, has killed at least 14 people, according to reports. It was downgraded to a Category 4 storm earlier today after wreaking havoc in the Caribbean and now has Miami in its sights. Brady, who served as Lord Mayor between 2003-2004, said Irma is bringing out "the best and worst in people". "There was a palpable sense of fear when stores started selling out. You couldnt get water, you couldnt get gas...pure panic has set in," he told Today with Sean O'Rourke. Expand Close Businessman Royston Brady / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Businessman Royston Brady "I have seen people fighting over water and food...the highways are jammed...it's gone from living on the set of the Truman Show to living in the Day After Tomorrow." The hurricane has already reduced the island of Barbuda to wreckage and left millions of people in Puerto Rico in the dark. Brady says emergency services in Miami are on "top of things" but they fear it could take up to a month to recover. "People have gone as far as Atlanta and Tennessee to be safe...they are predicting parts of Miami wont be inhabitable for a month," he said. Meanwhile, an Irishman in Turks and Caicos told of his family's relief after their newborn Maebh was born just hours before Hurricane Irma hit. The islands were "pummelled" overnight by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic, according to weather reports. Speaking to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Joe Ryan said "We were getting anxious as the storm got closer. Claire went into labour yesterday and delivered the baby, we're so lucky that she didn't have to stay in hospital. "Maebh came in just the nick of time. We're all together now in the hotel". Irma is the second catastrophic hurricane to hit the US within the space of two weeks. Hurricane Harvey caused devastation in Texas and Louisiana, with flood damage continuing to affect millions of people. Pope Francis is heading into a former war-ravaged city to pray with victims of Colombia's long conflict and urge them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. The highlight of his visit to the central city of Villavicencio, described by the Vatican as a "great prayer meeting for national reconciliation", is bound to be a deeply emotional gathering for Francis, who has made reconciliation the central theme of his five-day visit to Colombia. The Pope promised to visit the country upon the signing of last year's peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The event will be attended by thousands of victims from all walks of life - soldiers who lost limbs clearing landmines, mothers whose children were forcibly recruited by the rebels, never to be seen again and farmers driven off their land by right-wing paramilitary groups. Former rebels are also expected to attend but the Vatican and Colombian organisers have given no indication that the FARC leadership will come, or even meet Francis during his visit, reflecting the freshness of the conflict's wounds and sensitivities stirred by any public appearance of still-despised former guerrillas. Among those attending is Lucrecia Valencia, 40, who lost her husband and son, as well has her right arm and left leg, when they were going out to collect firewood near their home. Her town was for years engulfed by violence and she says she wants the world to know that the country's peace is fragile. She said the landmine that upended her life in 2009 was probably planted by another rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, which remains active in many parts of the country. "We're sick of all this," she said. "I'm a woman of a good heart. "I have nothing to ask for. But I want people to know we don't want any more war." Presiding over the event will be a mutilated Christ statue rescued from a bombed-out church 15 years ago - perhaps the most powerful reminder of the senseless political violence that left more than 250,000 people dead and millions displaced. Several Afro-Colombian residents of the impoverished town of Bojaya travelled for days by boat, plane and bus to bring the modest plaster statue to Villavicencio to be blessed by the Pope. Francis will also beatify two priests intimately identified with Colombia's conflict, at a Mass in Villavicencio. The Pope said the Rev Pedro Ramirez and Bishop Jesus Jaramillo were killed out of hatred for their faith. Villavicencio is also a choice location to reflect another of the Pope's concerns on his visit to Colombia - the environment. Lying on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, the one-time backwater was transformed by an economic boom as the winding down of the conflict and a spike in commodity prices drew oil companies and multinational agricultural interests to areas that were previously off limits. With peace, the land grab is expected to intensify, straining even further Colombia's delicate environment, one of the world's most biodiverse, with more bird species than any other country. Before leaving Francis, who has warned that today's "structurally perverse" economic system risks turning Earth into an "immense pile of filth", will plant a tree at the cross of reconciliation as a sign of new life. AP The number of Rohingya Muslims to have crossed into Bangladesh from Burma has surged, according to the UN, with an estimated 270,000 arriving in the past two weeks. The new number, confirmed by UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan, marks a major increase from the 164,000 estimated on Thursday to have arrived since August 25. The exodus began after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Burma, prompting the military to respond with "clearance operations" to root out any fighters hiding in villages in Rakhine state. Journalists have reported seeing village homes burning as recently as Thursday in the region of Buddhist-majority Burma. Ms Tan said the number rose quickly in a single day mainly because aid agencies had spotted new settlements in the area. She said many areas where the refugees are located are difficult to access. "This is an alarming number," she added. "The existing camps are full to the capacity. There is a lot of pressure on relief agencies to accommodate the rising numbers." Her agency said Rohingya "are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land". International agencies have released 8 million US dollars (6 billion) in emergency aid to help the migrants. The International Organisation for Migration said an increasing number of Rohingya were arriving by boat, with 300 vessels reaching the Bangladesh town of Cox's Bazar from Burma on Wednesday alone. "Sea routes are particularly dangerous this time of year, when boats are known to frequently capsize in rough seas," the IOM said in a statement. It is not known how many Rohingya remain in Rakhine state. Previously the population had been thought to be about a million. AP South Korea is closely watching North Korea over the possibility it may launch another intercontinental ballistic missile as soon as Saturday, as it celebrates its founding anniversary. Seoul's Unification Ministry said Pyongyang could potentially conduct its next ICBM tests this weekend, or around October 10, another North Korean holiday marking the founding of its ruling party. North Korea has previously marked key dates with displays of military power, but now its tests appear to be driven by the need to improve missile capabilities. The North carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date on Sunday in what it claimed was a detonation of a thermonuclear weapon built for its ICBMs. The country tested its developmental Hwasong-14 ICBMs twice in July and analysts said the flight data from the launches indicate the missiles could cover a broad area of the continental United States, including major cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, when perfected. North Korea fired the ICBMs at highly lofted angles in July to reduce ranges and avoid other countries, but South Korean officials said the next launches could be conducted at angles close to operational as the North would test whether the warheads survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry and detonate properly. President Donald Trump reiterated on Thursday that US military action is "certainly" an option against North Korea, as his administration tentatively concurred with the pariah nation's claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb. A senior administration official said the US was still assessing last weekend's underground explosion. "Military action would certainly be an option," Mr Trump told a White House news conference. "I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen." He added: "I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations. I don't talk about them. But I can tell you North Korea is behaving badly and it's got to stop." North Korea broke from its pattern of lofted launches last month when it fired a powerful new intermediate range missile, the Hwasong-12, over northern Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un then called the launch a "meaningful prelude" to containing the US Pacific island territory of Guam and called for his military to conduct more ballistic missile launches targeting the Pacific Ocean. Kim, a third-generation dictator in his 30s, has conducted four of North Korea's six nuclear tests since taking power in 2011. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have been pushing for stronger sanctions to punish Pyongyang over its nuclear activities, such as denying the country oil supplies. China and Russia have been calling for talks, saying sanctions are not working. AP To say Mary Ann Cooper eats, sleeps and breathes the fair is an understatement. Her passion for the Cabarrus County tradition seems to fill every fiber of her being, almost exploding out of her in quick flashbacks to days gone by and ardent adulation for the one and only Kate Sharpe, who has since taken over as fair manager. I was just so excited to have her because, you know, when youve worked as hard as the people before us worked, when all these people have worked, then we get her, and shes young, shes beautiful, shes talented, shes kind, shes considerate of everybodys feelings, and the fair now is in her heart like it was in our hearts, Cooper said, over-bright eyes taking in the dark-haired young woman sitting across the desk from her. Cooper pointed to the shelves on shelves of binders, each clearly dated and labeled. And to see that transition, thats what makes it great, she said. Im so excited. Shes got that passion now, and thats what Im so happy about. In the beginning Cabarrus County has had fairs stretching back years, but Cooper said the official county fair began in 1953 as the brainchild of the Chamber of Commerces Agricultural Committee. Back then, people from all over the community helped out, from lawyers to teachers, from bank presidents to government officials. That 20-member board ran the fair, and everybody worked with the entries, Cooper said. We had a lot of farmers, had an ag teacher from one of the high schools on the bard, and thats the way it started. And they for two years operated in tents, two huge tents out at the old fairground beside of Ben Mynatt where the new county buildings are now. Cabarrus County deeded the fair association 12 acres of land to pitch their tents, and vendors also used a few old barns and other old county buildings. In 1955, the board decided to raise funds to build their own buildinga cement 14,000-square-foot structure. There were no piers, pillars or posts in the entire building, and it had a roof shaped like [an arc], Cooper said. You had all of your exhibit space, it was totally open with nothing, no columns anywhere. And this was 1955. It was kind of unheard of. Fairs for life Of course, fairs had played an important part of her life as a child, too. Cooper said her grandfather would take the cousins to the Stanley County Fair before one existed in Cabarrus County. Wed pick cotton to raise money to gowe had to pay Grandpas way in to get him to take us, she said. But the rides and all of the lights to a 10-year old kid, and my brother was 8 and the baby was 6, and my cousins were about my age. Wed just go do that and it was just so exciting. Though she had visited the Cabarrus County fair since its beginnings, Cooper said she first got officially involved in 1956 through the home economics class at her high school. Her teacher selected her and one of her friends to set up a booth on decorating. We had to do some drapery and covered a chair, Cooper said. I was out there in the fair building, and it was hustle and bustle. We had to be there right after school; we had to get out of school early, which was a good thing. And Im looking around at all of this excitement and everybody busy and booths going up, and Im thinking oh my goodness. The next year, Cooper went to work as a secretary for an attorney who happened to be fair manager, it was like a dream come true. So right away in 57 I started working, and then we got ready for the first fair, and he gave me a season pass to go to the fair, and also one for my friend to go with me, she said. I didnt have to pick cotton. I just thought Id died and gone to heaven it was so exciting. Growing up For years, Cooper stayed involved with the event as a volunteer, watching things grow and change around her. The fair ran that way all these years until it just kept growing and growing and needed a new home, she said. The infrastructure out there was getting worse and worse, and the fair was outgrowing the property. Conversations to move the fair to a different location first began in 1984 when county commissioners floated the idea. But the community backlash was so strong, with residents sending in opposition letters by the stack, the county board backed down. In the late 1990s the thought came up again. A few commissioners joined with a few members of the fair board to start exploring the possibility of finding a new location for the event. The original plan was to build a new venue somewhere in the county but still have the board of directors run the fair. As the process continued, however, members of both boards agreed that the county should take control. Everybody worked together, and thats what they do in this community, Cooper said. Everybody tries to work together for the good of the community. Thats important. The two boards signed a contract in December 2000 after the current property had already been purchased. The 2001 fair was the last at the old grounds, and Cabarrus County set up a booth outlining plans at the new facility. Since the fair manager at that time decided to retire, the county asked Cooper if she would take over the lead position for the first fair at the current site in 2002. To the modern day That first year, the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center was still under construction, and Cooper just had just one building and an office trailer to work out of. She worked as fair manager until 2007, when she officially retired. Cooper helped the county hire one then two fair managers before finally settling on Kate Sharpe in 2010. And since then, Cooper said, the fair has really taken off. Under Sharpes leadership, the fair has continued to grow, improving the aesthetics of the animal building, offering more activities for younger children and creating a level of organization that Cooper said has the planning at least six weeks ahead of where she would have been a decade ago. Its just changed for the better, Cooper said. Its just magnificent now. Shes taken a vision that these people had in 1953. Shes got the passion now that all the rest of us had years ago, but in addition that passion shes got all this organization. Kates got the passion, the heart, the visionI dont have enough words in my vocabulary, but shes got all of it right in one woman. She is really great. And I just want everyone in the county to know. But Cooper hasnt left entirely. She has stayed on as the competitive exhibit director, still keeping tabs on an event that not even surgery or childbirth could keep her away from in her younger days. You just get a warm fuzzy feeling out here at the fair, she said. Its family-oriented, and [Kates] done everything. Shes adding stuff this year to make it even more safe and more friendly. Market forecast - What to expect this week? Indian equity markets may see a range-bound week. Data on inflation in October will have some impact on market movement. RBI Governor has said that he expects inflation in October to come down.... November 14, 2022 | 11:05 am Marico acquires additional stake of 3.48% in Apcos Naturals; Stock rises Marico Limited has informed to the exchanges regarding the strategic investment by the Company in Apcos Naturals Private Limited, an entity that owns the brand Just Herbs. Earlier, t... November 14, 2022 | 11:03 am Kaynes Technology India Ltd IPO opened for subscription on Thruday, 10th November and will be closing today, 14th November, 2022. The investors can apply in a minimum lot size of 25 s... November 14, 2022 | 10:28 am Alembic Pharma gets USFDA final approval for Cyclophosphamide Capsules Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited on Monday has announced that it has received final approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (AND... November 14, 2022 | 10:20 am Tilaknagar Industries revenue rises 36.5% to Rs274.5 crore in Q2FY23 Tilaknagar Industries Limited has reported a 22.8% increase in net profit at Rs13.88 crore in the quarter ended September 2022, up from Rs11.30 crore in the same period a year ago. ... November 14, 2022 | 9:51 am Tourism grants available The application period for the states Destination Development Grant program is open. Cities, towns, counties and nonprofit entities in Indiana that are involved with tourism promotion and development are eligible to apply. Projects should target the development of tourism amenities, attractions and facilities that enhance the visitor experience and foster connectivity within the specific destination or geographic area. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2017, and finalists will be announced on Feb. 1, 2018. For more information, go to visitindianatourism.com. Hire Live job fair On Sept. 13, Hire Live will hold a job fair at the Sheraton Hotel at Keystone Crossing, 8787 Keystone Crossing, from 9 a.m.12:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to dress professionally and bring 10-15 copies of their resume. Job opportunities include: inside sales reps, outside sales reps, account executives, retail managers, account managers, insurance sales, customer service, technical sales, sales managers, pharmaceutical sales, telesales, sales trainer, merchandiser, mortgage brokers, financial planner, route sales, retail sales, retail management, human resources and more. Women in business meeting Pass the Torch for Women Foundation, the Propylaeum Historic Foundation and NAWBO-Indianapolis have partnered to propel women leaders professionally. Learn how you can get involved at the upcoming Fall Open House. Event speakers are: Carol Curran, president/CEO of Phoenix Data Corporation; Patty Prosser, manager/partner of OI Global Partners; and Mary Beth Oakes, founder/CEO of Choreo Group. The event is Sept. 18 at the Propylaeum Historic Foundation, 1410 N. Delaware St. #2, from 5:30-7 p.m. Reserve your spot by emailing info@passthetorchforwomen.org. Supplier diversity conference On Sept. 29, The State of Indiana Division of Supplier Diversity will present their 9th Annual Division of Supplier Diversity Indiana Business Conference from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Indiana Government Center South in the first floor conference center. The day will include educational workshops, resources and plenary sessions that will provide tools for minority-, and women-owned business owners. Expert presenters will discuss strategies for accessing capital, leveraging your certification, doing business across the state and more. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. More information is available on eventbrite.com Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that afflicts millions of Americans, haunts families and frustrates doctors and researchers, is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer, costing Americans more than $32 billion a year. For those living with or affected by the disease, there is new hope, thanks to a recently unveiled COPD National Action Plan. Developed by patients, agencies and organizations under the stewardship of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the Action Plan shines a spotlight on the devastating physical and emotional toll the disease causes. Not being able to catch your breath and fearing your next breath may not come is just like drowning, said Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, president of the COPD Foundation and a longtime COPD patient. It is frightening beyond words and feels very, very lonely. Yet many with these symptoms tend to attribute them to something else: the common cold, old age, being out of shape. This lack of awareness delays diagnosis and treatment, worsening the condition and quality of life. Even mundane tasks housework, bathing, dressing, walking can feel onerous. Thats why the first goal of the plan is to empower patients and families to recognize COPD and get treated quickly. I was diagnosed in 2001 and was told COPD is incurable, said Dorney Koppel. But that does not mean (it is) untreatable. Doctors need to teach patients the difference. I was given three to five years to live 16 years ago. Compounded with this misinformation is the idea that its exclusively a smokers disease mainly affecting men. While it most often affects people over 40 with a history of smoking, as many as one in four with COPD have never smoked. Long-term exposure to substances that irritate the lungs or a genetic predisposition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency also present as risk factors. Whats more, 56 percent of those diagnosed are women, and they die of COPD more than men. Unlike heart disease and cancer, COPD prevalence and deaths arent decreasing. One in five people over age 45 has it. You know someone who has it. You may even have it and not know it, said James P. Kiley, director of NHLBIs Division of Lung Diseases. So how to reverse this trend? One key is improving the level of diagnosis. Spirometry is a simple and inexpensive breathing test that can identify COPD, said Dorney Koppel. MeiLan Han, M.D., medical director of the Womens Respiratory Health Program at the University of Michigan, agreed, noting another goal of the Action Plan: to equip health care professionals with tools to diagnose and care for COPD patients. We need to develop easy-to-follow guidelines and get them into the hands of providers on the frontlines. Developing an educational curriculum and tools for clinical decision-making, in sync with detection and management guidelines, will significantly improve diagnosis and care, said Han. So will improving patient access to spirometry, pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation programs and affordable medications all of which are called for in the plan. This plan represents a new understanding of what it takes to minimize the burden of COPD, said Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director of NHLBI. Now, its just a matter of getting to work. To learn more about the Action Plan and find out how to get involved, visit COPD.nih.gov. Wow! What a week! What a month! With so much going on in the community, the country, the world, there is much to digest and discuss. However, with all the craziness of the world, I know that I must focus and discuss the task before me as a member of the City-County Council, the fiscal agent, the group that is responsible for spending your hard-earned tax dollars. By now you may have heard the citys 2018 budget categorized as a budget lacking details and clear direction that depends on raising fees. Well, Im here to tell you this is far from the truth. There are no games being played with this budget. The budget includes spending that is important to you and me. The proposed 2018 budget includes funding for critical infrastructure improvements. In fact, it builds upon last years infrastructure plan and includes plans for our transportation infrastructure, with spending through 2021 now projected at $378,825,000. And, if this doesnt convince you that this budget is serious, take note of the storm water investment strategy that is also included. This addition will bring the infrastructure investment total across the city to half a billion dollars over the next five years and allow the city to make much-needed improvements to neighborhoods. But these investments are not down the road and years away from happening. There is $120 million worth of infrastructure improvements that are scheduled for 2018 alone. These are not penny investments they are real, they are happening and we all will benefit. The mayor and many members of the Council continue to stress the importance of investing in keeping our neighborhoods safe. The 2018 budget will fund a new class of 86 police officers a projected net gain of 31 officers and a new class of 40 firefighters. The budget also increases the funding for community-based public safety initiatives, setting aside an additional $250,000 for the Community Crime Prevention Grant Program, administered by the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). This puts the total funding to $2,500,000 to help support organizations doing the most work in our neighborhoods. Finally, the submitted budget also supports policy priorities including establishing permanent housing solutions for an additional 400 individuals in our community who are currently experiencing homelessness and the revitalization of 2,000 homes within the next two years through demolition, construction and reinvestment. The budget also provides funding to retrofit streetlights to energy-efficient LED technology, paving the way for new lights to be installed across the city. As you know, the proof is in the details. Over the remaining five weeks, do not be surprised if you catch councilors engaged in a heated debate or two. I even invite you to attend the public hearings and let your voice be heard. Make sure to visit my website maggiealewis.com for budget hearing dates, and you can also download a copy of the presentations. The budgeting process is long and daunting, but at the end of the day, Im convinced that the 2018 budget will be the best fiscally sound budget since property tax caps. Follow us during the process and when we are finished, I am confident you will agree. Maggie A. Lewis is president of the Indianapolis City-County Council. Khizir Khan visits Indy On Sept. 9, St. Lukes United Methodist Church will host Talking Through Unity and Civility: A Community Conversation with Khizr Khan and John Krull. Khan, a Gold-star father and lawyer, and Kraul, host of WFYIs No Limits, will discuss national topics of interest, civility and unity. This event is presented in collaboration with the Desmond Tutu Center for Peace Reconciliation and Global Justice, Women4Change Indiana, Islamic Society of North America, St. Lukes United Methodist Church, Muslim Alliance of Indiana and ACLU of Indiana. St. Lukes is located at 100 W. 86th St., and the event will go from 7:30-9 p.m. Keeping Earth Join the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for the upcoming workshop Keeping Earth: Religious and Scientific Perspectives on the Environment. The workshop will take place at 1 Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Sept. 16, in the Providence Hall Community Room. Facilitators Sister Ann Sullivan and Lorrie Heber will discuss the words of scientists and popes while examining the reality of the degradation of the planet and the moral imperative to take action. The cost of the session is $45, which includes lunch, and the registration deadline is Sept. 11. Register online at events.sistersofprovidence.org or by calling (812) 535-2952 or emailing jfrost@spsmw.org. Eastern Star hosts benefit concert Celebrate the Joyful Sound Productions 25th annual Gospel Explosion on Sept. 21 from 7-9 p.m., featuring Bishop Hezekiah Walker and Israel Houghton. The concert will take place at Eastern Star Churchs main campus, 5750 E. 30th St. Doors open at 6 p.m., and tickets are only $25 for general admission. VIP tickets start at $50. This benefit concert is presented in partnership with AM1310 The Light, WTLC-FM 106.7 and Circle City Classic to support Eastern Star Churchs The ROCK initiative. Purchase tickets at ticketor.com. Ethnicity Forum Join the parishioners of College Park Church for an all-congregation forum to discuss a biblical view of ethnicity and try to understand cultural and historical causes of racial tension. The evening will include several College Parkers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds in a round-table discussion, as well as testimonies from people in the church. The event will occur on Sept. 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. at 2606 W. 96th St. CTS awards grants to area organizations Projects to help Hoosier families and individuals escape poverty have received a $125,000 boost in the form of the inaugural round of Faith & Action Project grants. Organizers had intended to award $100,000 but increased the grant pool after reviewing proposals. Six area programs will receive grants aimed at helping them expand their reach and impact. The grant recipients are: Edna Martin Christian Center, American Baptist Churches of Greater Indianapolis and Eastern Star Church: $25,000 to assist families in the 46218 ZIP code by increasing the number of stable households. Program activities include working to bring more families into homes that are being built or refurbished in the neighborhood, providing education support and mentoring, assisting in employment readiness and acquisition, and ensuring basic needs are met. Goodwills New Beginnings: $25,000 to fund a six-month transitional jobs program for formerly incarcerated persons. Participants work four days a week at Goodwill Commercial Services or Retail Outlet locations and spend one day a week in a six-hour class focused on life-skill development and stabilization activities. Purposeful Design: $25,000 for its program to teach woodworking and job-readiness to men emerging from addiction or homelessness. The grant will help expand and improve its production facility in order to employ more men, as well as launch a new School of Woodworking and Discipleship to train men and youth in woodworking, employment readiness and Godly living. Broadway United Methodist Church: $20,000 for a program aimed at improving families economic mobility. Modeled after a program created by Families Independence Initiative, the program will build small groups around families, provide families with stipends in return for completing certain activities and require families to set and pursue three goals to improve their economic mobility. Trinity Episcopal Church: $20,000 for Trinity House, which will offer a safe environment for 16 to 21-year-old people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In addition to getting shelter, the youths staying at Trinity House will have access to legal services, life-skills training, assistance with education and job training, and facilitated connections to other community service agencies. School on Wheels: $10,000 for a program that helps families recover from the impact of recent homelessness by providing post-shelter education services. Funds will help provide educational assessments after a family moves out of a homeless shelter, school enrollment assistance, school supplies and uniform assistance, transportation stipends, and parent workshops to help parents engage in their childs education. Launched in 2016, the Faith & Action Project at CTS is supported by the Mike and Sue Smith Family Fund as a multiyear effort to help reduce poverty in Indianapolis. The Faith & Action Project has held community-wide events and attracted national poverty experts to central Indiana. TV comedian Kapil Sharma has not been attending his own shows since a very long time. Infact, during the promotions of Badhshaaho, Ajay Devgn was left waiting for hours in Kapil's studio and they were reports he walked off all furious. This was further aggravated when he couldn't host Arjun Rampal as well during the Daddy promotions. Now the show is temporarily going off air, since channel claims Kapil needs time to recoup on his health. Speaking to a leading daily, Kapil Sharma has finally come out in the open to talk about the controversial issue. Watch tkss tonight with my favorites #abbasmustan @kiaraaliaadvani n @themustafab #machineontkss 9pm @sonytvofficial A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) on Mar 10, 2017 at 7:24pm PST He started from scratch, way back when he fought with Sunil Grover mid air during their flight to India from Melbourne. I admit there was a problem. And Ive paid a heavy price for it. But what was reported was grossly exaggerated and almost entirely fabricated. It was said that I asked that food be served to me first on the flight and that I got angry and I threw a shoe at Sunil. Youve known me for some years. Do you think I am capable of such behaviour?" I love my fans A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) on Feb 24, 2017 at 9:38pm PST He added, It affected me deeply. I started drinking heavily. It was so unnecessary. And so painful to me. Sunil Grover, Chandan (Prabhakar), Ali Asgar are all my friends. How could this happen? He even spoke about why his shows are being stalled so frequently. The most beautiful n romantic couple on n off screen I hv ever seen. #RishiKapoor Sir n Neetu Kapoor ji. A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) on Feb 11, 2017 at 4:34pm PST Do you think I am so stupid as to turn away big stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn? They all knew what my problem was. They all saw how I was suffering. They were all very caring. None of them minded. Only a section of the media made me sound like this arrogant monster who was using his health as an excuse to turn away stars just to satisfy my ego. Well, we hope we can see more of Kapil Sharma in the near future and wish him the best of health. (Update: Shilpa Shetty Kundra took to her social media accounts to issue a statement. She wrote: Landed in Amritsar and was at the Golden Temple.. This is my Statement.. Really saddened by last nights incident #solidarity #fraternity #standbyyou A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Sep 8, 2017 at 2:39am PDT Two photographers were assaulted last night by bouncers outside a restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai. Reports claim that the photographers were clicking Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra when they were stepping out from a high-end restaurant, and as soon as they boarded their car, media personnel was attacked by the restaurant's bouncers. According to ANI reports, the two restaurant bouncers have been arrested in the case, The news agency also shared a video of the scuffle between the bouncers and the photographers and neither Shilpa nor Raj are seen in the video. However, due to major injuries, the two photographers had to be hospitalized. Scuffle b/w bouncers of a restaurant& 2 photographers for taking pics of Shilpa Shetty&Raj Kundra while leaving,y'day.FIR registered #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/lO8ASrU8RV ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 The photographers have been identified as Sonu and Himanshu Shinde. Our photographers Sonu Chawla and HImanshu Shinde were bashed up by the bouncers of Bastian restaurant in Bandra. All the Photogrpaher did to the bouncer was a request to be on side so he could take pictures of #shilpashetty but this is what happened A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) on Sep 7, 2017 at 11:28pm PDT Photographer Sonu Chawla speaks to the hotel authorities and the locals and the rickshaw guys who saw the incident too protest the entire episode and the rude bouncers. A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) on Sep 7, 2017 at 11:32pm PDT The restaurant owners have issued a public apology on behalf of their hospitality team stating, Were saddened and shocked by the incident that took place outside Bastian last night. We have celebrities and well-known guests visiting us frequently, and every experience has so far been smooth. During last nights incident, the people involved were personnel of Tough Security who are hired for Bastian via external vendors as is the practice, the security agency assigns their personnel to us and other establishments based on who is available that day. All the Bastian staff, as well as the management, was inside in the restaurant on the second floor at the time of the incident we were made aware of the same a while after it began. This was a highly unfortunate situation that escalated beyond anything we could have imagined. As soon as the Bastian team found out, we took remedial measures to get things under control. We are changing security agencies today as we do not want to take the risk of this happening again, as well as personally apologising to the media involved. We are also collecting all information so that we are able to offer to take care of any and all medical bills that may have resulted due to this incident. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra are yet to speak on the matter. Are you someone whos been searching for the formulae for immortality? Even, if youre someone who has questioned the possibility of its existence in the past or its relevance in the future this new research will definitely pique your interest. iflscience.com The latest research by Dutch statisticians backs up a previous claim that a recent that the maximum lifespan of an individual has a ceiling of 115 years. yamram.co.il The conclusions were based on data collected from 75,000 Dutch people who died over the past 30 years. The ceiling for men seems to be around 114.1 years, while around 115.7 years for women. Professor John Einmahl of the Department of Econometrics at Tilburg University told AFP "On average, people live longer, but the very oldest among us have not gotten older over the last thirty years," "Nevertheless, the maximum ceiling itself hasn't changed." theguardian.com These numbers seem to tally with a study that was published in the journal Nature recently suggesting that 115 is as high as it gets as far as your lifespan is concerned. The author of that study told BBC that it's highly unlikely that youd find someone older than this old. "It's almost impossible you'll get beyond [115 years]. You need 10,000 worlds like ours to end up with one individual in a given year who will live until 125so a very small chance." theguardian.com Jeanne Calment, a French woman holds the longest known lifespan of 122 years old, but very few, of course, cross a 100 and become supercentenarians. So this claim has inevitably received a lot of criticism from the scientific community. Professor Jim Vaupel, a specialist in ageing at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany stated, Its the worst piece of research Ive ever read in Nature magazine. I was outraged that a journal I highly respect would publish such a travesty. ploumistos.com The evidence points towards no looming limit. At present, the balance of the evidence suggests that if there is a limit it is above 120, perhaps much aboveand perhaps there is not a limit at all. Jan Vijg, co-author of the research published in the journal Nature, however, states The chances are very high that we [have] really reached our maximum allotted lifespan for the first time. azilprivat.ro Either way regardless of how this debate pans out one thing is for sure: good nutrition, better lifestyles, access to medication and better living conditions have increased the average lifespan of human beings. The body of a class II student of Gurgaon's Rayan International was found in the school's toilet with his throat slit. People are protesting against the school accusing the authorities of not taking care of the kid. The body of Seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur was found lying in a pool of blood by the school supervisor on Friday morning. Read more Government Issues Three-Level No-Fly List For Unruly Passengers With A Minimum 2-Year Ban The Centre has devised three offence categories to put unruly passengers on a 'No-Fly List', with the most severe one, 'life threatening behaviour including assault', carrying a minimum ban on flying for two years. The most severe punishment is in the 'Level 3' category, which includes 'damage to aircraft systems, in addition to 'life threatening behaviour and assault' Read more US To Close Branch Of Pakistani Bank After It Was Found Financing Terror Activities Pakistan's largest private bank, Habib Bank has been ordered to shut its New York office after it repeatedly failed to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering The US banking regulators ordered the closure of its office for 40 years on Thursday. The bank neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends, New York banking officials said. Read more BJP IT Cell Says PM Following Someone Is Not A Character Certificate After coming under heavy criticism the BJP has defended the Prime Minister. In a statement Amit Malviya, the head of the party's IT cell said the controversy is mischievous and contorted. "PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms. He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues," the statement said. Read more Newly Sworn-In Minister Tells Tourists, 'Eat Beef In Your Country Then Visit India' Newly sworn-in Union tourism minister K J Alphons has an advice for foreigners visiting the country: Eat beef in your own countries and then come to India. Asked whether cow vigilantism and restrictions on beef consumption in several states had affected India's hospitality sector, the minister said on Thursday: "They [foreigner tourists] can eat beef in their country and come to India." Read more India Refuses To Join Declaration Against Myanmar On Rohingya Issue, Calls It Inappropriate As the international criticism and condemnation against Myanmar grows in the wake of the latest exodus of thousands of Rohingya Muslims for Rakhine state, India has refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference here as it carried "inappropriate". An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adopted at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held here in Indonesia. Read more Fourteen-month-old Somnath Shah is dead, but his heart lives on, giving life to a three-year-old girl, while his kidneys will be transplanted in a 15-year-old boy. Somnath is now the youngest cadaver donor in western India, doctors said. Somnath's heart was flown to Mumbai and transplanted in Aaradhya Yogesh Mule, a three-year-old girl from Navi Mumbai. Facebook "Aaradhya had been suffering from a rare heart disease known as dilated cardiomyopathy for the last one and a half years. Finding a small heart for transplant was very difficult. But thanks to the youngest cadaver donor from Surat, Somnath, Aaradhya's life has been saved," said Dr Anvay Mule, chief cardiac surgeon at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai, who carried out the heart transplant. Dr Mule said, "A social media campaign, 'Save Aaradhya', had been running for the last six months in Mumbai to get the right-sized heart for her. The transplant was successful and Aaradhya can now live a healthy life." Somnath had suffered serious head injuries when he slipped from a ladder while playing in his house in Surat on September 2. He was rushed to a private hospital from where he was referred to New Civil Hospital (NCH). Twitter A CT scan revealed a brain haemorrhage and fractured skull. Somnath was declared brain dead on September 4. The hospital authorities contacted the city-based NGO Donate Life which convinced the boy's parents to donate his son's organs. Somnath's father, Sunil Shah, told TOI: "My wife and I prayed a lot for a son after getting our first daughter four years ago. God was gracious to bless us with a son last year. But we never thought he would leave us so early. So what if we have lost him? He still lives in Aaradhya. After his last rites, we will go to Mumbai to meet the girl." Somnath's kidneys will be transplanted in a 15-year-old boy from Deesa in Banaskantha district, who has been battling renal failure for 10 years. Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, whose infamy following the slipper assault on an Air India staffer and the subsequent flying ban is attracting hordes of selfie-seekers, has created a doppelganger to deal with the situation. mumbai mirror Gaikwad is now accompanied at all times by his Man Friday Ratnakant Sagar, with whom he bears a striking resemblance. Going a step further to ensure nobody can tell the difference between the real Gaikwad and his body double, the Osmanabad leader has instructed Sagar to dress in his kurta pyjamas, while he roams around in a casual T-shirt and baggy pants when not in the Parliament. ALSO READ: Air India In No Mood To Forgive Banned Shiv Sena MP, Cancels His Tickets Even After He Regrets Mumbai Mirror caught up with Gaikwad on Thursday night at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), where he and Sagar were waiting to board a train to Latur.A few people who stopped by to inquire whether it was the same Ravindra Gaikwad, were politely directed towards Sagar. "That's my boss Ravisaheb Gaikwad," the real one said, introducing himself as "saheb's secretary". The doppelganger obliged all selfie-seekers with folded hands. ap "After the Air India incident and the media trial that I was subjected to, many people have started recognising me, and they request for selfies. I don't like to turn them away but at the same time it gets time-consuming, so I chose my party worker Ratnakant Sagar, who has been working with me for a long time, to pose as me. As you can see, there is a resemblance, and I gave him my kurta pyjamas to make it appear that he is indeed Gaikwad the MP," Gaikwad said. When asked whether they have ever been found out, he said, "The way I am dressed, even the people from my town will not be able to recognise me. Nobody associates such casual clothes with me." He recounted that during one of his train journeys a few weeks ago, the ticket-checkers wanted a selfie, and it was Sagar "who got the job done". Also Read: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad Slaps Air India Crew Member Because He Didn't Get A Business Class Seat "Ratnakant posed with the TCs and they went away happy. Despite with us in the same compartment for over 12 hours, they were not able to tell the difference. I was enjoying every bit of it," Gaikwad said. ap No stranger to controversies, - he once forced a Muslim caterer during the fasting month of Ramzan over the quality of chapatis served at the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi - Gaikwad insisted he will continue to travel by train even though the flying ban on him has been revoked."My last two journeys on the Rajdhani Express, from Mumbai to Delhi, were very comfortable.I'm in no hurry to catch a flight," he said. Talking about the March 23 Air India incident for the first time in detail, Gaikwad told Mumbai Mirror that it was the mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that got his goat. Also Read: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad Slaps Air India Crew Member Because He Didn't Get A Business Class Seat "I demanded that a complaint register be handed over to me, and kept waiting for the same to arrive. After some time, a gentleman walked towards me and in a high-pitched tone inquired what the problem was. I introduced myself as a Member of Parliament, to which he retorted, `MP hain toh kya? Teri complaint Modi se karunga'. That's when I got really angry," he said. Does he not regret hitting an elderly person? bccl "Not at all. I removed my footwear and hit him about 20 to 25 times, even when everybody tried to hold me back and calm me down." Also Read: Shiv Sena MP Who Was Banned By Airlines After Slapping Air India Staff, Returns Home In A Train Regarding Shiv Sena's vociferous support to him in the wake of the flying ban, Gaikwad said he was not a criminal. "The ban was decided in a couple of minutes. Am I a hardened criminal? Why didn't the Air India form a committee and hear my side before effecting the ban? Why was there no ban on Vijay Mallya, who used these aircraft to fly out of the country permanently?" He also sounded extremely bitter about the "media trial" he claimed to have faced. "If journalists feel they reflect the sentiments of the society, let them contest an election. We will all see how many votes they get." Whether Gaikwad continues to travel by train, or decides to finally take a flight, if you spot him and want a selfie, make sure you approach the man in the T-shirt and not the kurta pyjamas. The Centre has devised three offence categories to put unruly passengers on a 'No-Fly List', with the most severe one, 'life threatening behaviour including assault', carrying a minimum ban on flying for two years. bccl/representational image The most severe punishment is in the 'Level 3' category, which includes 'damage to aircraft systems, in addition to 'life threatening behaviour and assault'. '. No-Fly offence categories: Level 3- Life threatening behaviour - assaults, damage to aircraft systems etc. Ban - min. 2 years Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 After that is 'Level 2', for 'physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, and inappropriate touching)'. The ban on flying for this category is up to six months. And a 'Level 1' offence, for 'unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation' carries a ban on flying for up to three months. No-Fly offence categories: Level 2 - physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, inappropriate touching); Ban - upto 6 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 No-Fly offence categories: Level 1 - unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation. Ban - upto 3 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 An independent committee under a retired district judge will decide on whether a passenger has committed an offence that outs him or her on the 'No-Fly List'. A decision will be made within a within a period of 30 days from the alleged offence. Decision will be taken by an independent committee under a retired District Judge within a period of 30 days of alleged offence. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 "The No-Fly ban will be in addition to any statutory legal action that can be taken against the offender under existing laws," tweeted aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The No-Fly ban will be in addition to any statutory legal action that can be taken against the offender under existing laws. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 In addition, "if the Ministry of Home Affairs informs us about a certain individual then that person will also be added to the No-Fly List," said the civil aviation regulator. Goes without saying, but since many have asked, let me reply - the No-fly list provisions are applicable to EVERY passenger. No exemptions. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 It wasn't clear whether these guidelines will be enforced retroactively, or only going forward. afp/representational image If it's the former, it would appear a 'Level 3' offence can be applied to Shiv Sena Parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad, who in March assaulted an Air India staffer aboard a plane. The same would apply to TDP Parliamentarian JC Duwakar Reddy who allegedly damaged property of Indigo Air in June this year. (Photo/CGTN) Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed bilateral ties and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. The cooperation between the two countries plays an increasingly significant role in safeguarding world peace, stability and promoting joint development, Xi told Merkel. China is willing to work together with Germany in multilateral frameworks, he added. Merkel also said that Germany is willing to keep communicating and coordinating with China on major international and regional issues. On DPRK issue In the phone call, the two leaders exchanged views about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Xi stressed that China is committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Facts have repeatedly shown that the nuclear issue can only be settled through peaceful means, including dialogue and consultation, Xi said. He further added that concerted efforts by the international community are needed to solve the Korean Peninsula issue. Germany supports resolving the issue through political means and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in order to find a solution as soon as possible, Merkel said. Survey Park cops are counselling a Class-XII student from south suburban Kolkata after he tried to use the Blue Whale scare to stop his girlfriend from ending their relationship. Facebook The cops picked up the 17-year-old boy on Wednesday from an area close to Santoshpur after he uploaded a photograph of his injured hand on social media. "I have carved a specific phrase, a F-32 along with a Blue Whale, on my arm. First task successfully completed," the boy wrote on his Facebook wall. "The boy's girlfriend informed the cyber cell about his uploaded picture. The cyber cell informed us and we brought the boy in for counselling at the police station," said a Survey Park officer. ALSO READ: Don't Try Blue Whale Challenge, It's Not A Game But A Death Trap, Says 'Rescued' Puducherry Man Twitter/Representational Image Sources in south suburban police division said: "A student of a Jadavpur school, he had failed to clear his Higher Secondary exams this year. This led to a fallout and his girlfriend decided to dump him. He then had the idea of the Blue Whale and tried to scare her." The boy reportedly told cops later: "I was wrong in using the Blue Whale scare to my advantage. I had wanted to scare my girlfriend so that she does not leave me." ALSO READ: Madras HC To Act 'Suo Motu' Against Deadly Online Games Like Blue Whale Facebook/Representational Image The cops said: "We have told him this was a serious issue. The counselling that began around 6.30am continued for more than four hours." "Parents should search for hashtags like #BlueWhaleChallenge or photos of a blue whale on their kids' social media accounts. Even if the whole thing turns out to be a hoax, it's worth having the discussion, just in case," said a police officer. ALSO READ: 17-Year-Old Girl Saved Once From Blue Whale Challenge, Attempts Suicide Again A complaint was registered by the Pune police on Thursday against a cook who worked for a scientist. The reason being that the cook, Nirmala Yadav, claimed to be Nirmala Kulkarni and a Brahmin by caste. The police claimed that Medha Khole, a senior IMD scientist today registered a cheating complaint against her cook, claiming she hurt her "religious sentiments" by posing as a Brahmin, the police said. Khole holds a senior position at the India Meteorological Department, said in her complaint that she required a Brahmin to cook food at her house during religious and other occasions. Yadav, who approached Khole last year for the said job, had then introduced herself as Nirmala Kulkarni, a senior police official said. representational image : reuters "The complainant had even gone to her house to cross check her claim in 2016. Thereafter, Yadav started going to Khole's house on such occasions to prepare food," she added. The officer said Khole came to know yesterday that the cook was not a Brahmin, reported PTI. According to the officer, Khole stated that upon knowing about the cook's "lie", her "religious sentiments" got hurt. After this, Khole went to the cook's house to seek an explanation and found out her real name. Khole also claimed that the cook abused and intimidated her, police said. A case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force) and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Sinhgad Police station, the official said. Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. An Abu Dhabi-based lady,identified as Rita Ani has been brought by the before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons. Ms. Ani, 25, was arraigned alongside her elder sister, Ngozi (also known as Princess), Ozigi Abdulkarim, and Princewill James on a ten-count charge bordering on conspiracy and human trafficking. The offences, according to NAPTIP, are contrary to Sections 13, 14, 18 and 26(b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The counsel to Ms. Ani and her sister did not file a formal application for their bail and, as a result, they were remanded in prison. The judge had earlier turned down their lawyers oral request that the sisters be remanded in NAPTIP custody. Messrs. Abdulkarim and James were, however, granted bail following their lawyers application on the conditions that they must provide two Sureties each who must not be below the rank of a Director in the Public Service in Abuja and who must own a house each in Abuja. They must also show proof of being in service by presenting their letters of first appointment and last promotion. The case was subsequently adjourned to September 13 for hearing. The suspects were arrested last month for alleged trafficking of girls from Nigeria to the United Arab Emirates to engage in forced prostitution. Ms. Ani, who hails from Enugu State, allegedly belongs to a network of Nigerian traffickers based in Abu Dhabi who engage Nigerian girls in international prostitution in the UAE, NAPTIP said. The defendants were recently arrested by operatives of NAPTIP in two operations in Gwarimpa, Abuja and Ibadan, Oyo State. Ms. Ani returned home from Abu Dhabi to perform her traditional marriage rites preparatory to moving to the United Kingdom with her fiance and was arrested in Ibadan by the newly established NAPTIP- Rapid Response Squad (NAPTIP-RRS), the agency said. The lid on the suspects was blown when one of their alleged victims returned from Abu Dhabi after four months of forced prostitution under very excruciating conditions including flogging and the insertion of hot boiling ring into her vagina when she does not make enough money a day and forceful collection of the proceeds of the prostitution from her by Ms. Ani, said NAPTIP. The victim (name withheld) who is 19 years old was allegedly recruited from Gwarimpa, Abuja by her ex-boyfriend Mr. Abdulkarim, the elder Ms. Ani, and Mr. James for onward transfer to Ms. Ani in Abu Dhabi. According to NAPTIP, they prepared her travel documents, took her to Ogbomoso, Oyo State, where a fetish oath was administered on her before the journey. Source: ( Premium Times ) At least , I5 persons were attacked in Ancha, a village in Maingo, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday night. According to an eye-witness report identified as, Benjamin Aruku, told PREMIUM TIMES about the attack in a telephone interview on Friday morning. According to Mr. Aruku, the attackers are suspected to be Fulani Herdsmen. We are suspecting Fulanis to have carried out the attack on our village (Ancha) because about a month ago, Fulanis living within this location accused our village (Ancha) of killing and beheading a Fulani boy. They invited police, some persons were arrested in connection with the killing of the said Fulani boy. We thought the issue was over but we were taken by surprise last night with this attack, he said. The police spokesperson in Plateau, Teryina Tyopev, could not confirm the incident at press time. He, however, said he would contact the divisional police officer in charge of the area for information. Source: ( Premium Times ) Sen. Stella Oduah, has debunked allegation that she bought a 1.2 million dollars house in England while she was Minister of Aviation. She said at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Thursday that the allegation made in an online publication was a total falsehood, without any foundation. The online mediums report alleged that the senator purchased the property under another name and that the ownership of the property was uncovered when she attempted to rent it out in March, 2017. Oduah described as unfortunate, the mediums penchant for continual publication of falsehood about politicians and people in government. Of course, the allegation is not true, it cannot be true. It is unfortunate that we have a country where journalists will copy a story without verifying the authenticity of that story. When you read my statement on it later, then it will be for you to make up your mind. But, categorically it is untrue and it is unfair, she said. The lawmaker recalled that the same online medium had reported that she purchased two BMW cars when she was minister. She said that the medium only published lies, adding that the vehicles were property of the Federal Government, which she never bought for herself or took away when she left the minister. According to her, that was the same way they carried a story about bullet proof cars; bullet proof cars were never bought by me, not even by the agency they alleged. In fact, bullet proof cars were never a transaction that was not approved. They were two vehicles that were on higher purchase by the agency and the ministry directed that because of the need as proposed by the agency, they should go ahead and do the higher purchase. Suddenly, for the online medium, higher purchase turned into procurement; I dont know if there is a similarity between higher purchase and procurement. So, I now realise and symphatise with anybody that works or tries to work for government, because you will have the likes of Sahara Reporters thrive on making your life difficult. I rise above that at all times because I know that what they say is never the truth, particularly on my case, it is not true. It cannot be true; why will I purchase vehicles on higher purchase and then it is on the ministrys and agencys name, why? That same vehicle, I never drove it for one day and when I was leaving the ministry, I didnt take it along with me? The question should be `where are those bullet proof cars today? she said. Oduah blamed the negative reports on persons who were unhappy with her efforts to revive the nations aviation industry when she served as the minister. Source: ( PM News ) Former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the party for the current economic crisis facing the country. Mr. Oni, who cross carpet in 2014 from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, said the PDP-led administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan caused what he called horrendous damage to the Nigerian economy. He told journalists on Thursday at the Makurdi airport that the damage was worse than one can imagine. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday that Nigeria has exited its worst economic recession in more than two decades, notching up growth of 0.55 per cent in the second quarter of 2017. Mr. Oni, a former Ekiti State governor on the platform of PDP, said the looting of the countrys treasury was also responsible for the inability of many states to pay salaries in spite of the bail-out funds and other interventions from President Muhammadu Buhari to address the issue. According to him, the good intentions of the president is to ensure that all workers at the three tiers of government are paid regularly. This people (PDP) actually did a horrendous damage to the economy of this country, worse than you can imagine. As they were stealing the town dry, first there will be money available to throw down so that people can succumb, he said. Although, I was a former PDP member, I was not part of the looting. Source: ( Premium Times ) Kaduna state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has reacted to Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassans recent interview in which she pledged to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, if he should contest against her boss, President Buhari in the 2019 presidential election. El-Rufai who was at the state house earlier today to see president Buhari, told state house correspondents after his meeting, that the women affairs minister never believed in President Buhari nor voted for him in the 2015 Presidential elections. According to the governor, President Buhari only appointed her as a minister as he considered every Nigerian as his son or daughter. I just came to see the President and wish him very happy Sallah arrears, I wasnt able to go to Daura. Hours of works and interactions, today being Friday I happen to be in town and thought I should come see him, pray with him and wish him well. The Minister of Women Affairs, Jummai Alhassan, has been in the Students Union. In the APC she was never in the Buhari camp, she did not support our candidates during the National Convention, she didnt vote for Buhari during the Primaries. But out of largeness of the Presidents heart and to encourage womenEven though she was never a supporter of his politics or what he believes in, his ideology. He still believed that to encourage women in politics , what she has tried to do in Taraba earned her being nominated as a Minister. Many in Buhari camp did not support it but he overode everybody. He tries to consider every Nigerian his own son or daughter and he nominated here. Her comments are not surprising. She has never been a supporter, she has never believed in Buhari ideology. So, I am not surprised. As a Nigerian, as an individual she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants. What I am saying is Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked. This has always been her position because from time she has never supported Buharism or what Buhari stands for. Being part of Buhari government is a different thing because government sets policies and if you are a minister you execute the policies. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics. The governor said it is solely President Buharis decision if she would remain a Minister in his cabinet or not. It is the Presidents prerogative. Look, you can retain a person in the cabinet even if he doesnt support you if he adds value to the country. Because this is a government, it is not a political group fighting for some political progress. If Jummai Alhassan is coming as Minister of Women Affairs and adding value to the government and the people of Nigeria is the Presidents prerogative to retain her in spite of her political views. But if she is not adding value in spite of her political views she can be dispensed with people shouldnt get worried about it. I have worked closely with the President, I know him and I know how he thinks. He doesnt take this things personally. What is primary to him is Nigerias progress that is what matters ultimately he said According to multiple reports, another Catholic priest, Rev.Fr Daniel Onukwubeuka Nwankwo has been shot and left in his own pool of blood inside his Parish, St. Thomas Catholic Church, Onilekere, Cement in Lagos State. Just days after another priest was kidnapped and killed in Imo.. Full details soon At least 1.4 million people currently in the Internal Displaced Persons Camp are under serious pressure of getting infected by Cholera after the outbreak of the deadly disease, the United Nations said on Thursday. According to the UNICEF, an estimation of 28 people have died from cholera in the conflict-hit region, while about 837 are suspected to have been infected with the disease, including at least 145 children under the age of five. The outbreak was first identified last week in the Muna Garage camp in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, which is the heart of jihadist group Boko Harams brutal eight-year campaign to carve out an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria. About 1.8 million people have abandoned their homes because of violence or food shortages, U.N. agencies say, and many live in camps for the displaced throughout northeast Nigeria. Several aid agencies last month told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that Nigerias rainy season could spread disease in already unsanitary displacement camps, and 350,000 uprooted children aged under five are at risk of cholera, UNICEF said. Cholera is difficult for young children to withstand at any time, but becomes a crisis for survival when their resilience is already weakened by malnutrition, malaria and other waterborne diseases, UNICEFs Pernille Ironside said in a statement. Cholera is one more threat amongst many that children in northeast Nigeria are battling today in order to survive, added Ironside, UNICEFs deputy representative in Nigeria. UNICEF said aid agencies have set up a cholera treatment centre at the Muna Garage camp, chlorinated water in camps and host communities to curb the outbreak, and mobilised volunteers and local leaders to refer suspected cases to health facilities. The disease, which spreads through contaminated food and drinking water, causes diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. It can kill within hours if left untreated, but most patients recover if treated promptly with oral rehydration salts. The latest figures represent a 3.3 percent fatality rate well above the 1 percent rate that the World Health Organization rates as an emergency. The short incubation period of two hours to five days means the disease can spread with explosive speed. More than 20,000 people have been killed in the conflict with Boko Haram, at least 2.2 million have been displaced, and 5.2 million in the northeast are short of food, with tens of thousands living in famine-like conditions, U.N. figures show. (Writing By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Source: ( PM News ) According to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, ( EFCC )Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday, said only about 15 per cent of funds allegedly misappropriated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had been recovered. Magu, who spoke during a courtesy visit of the principal officers of the commission to The PUNCH Place, Magboro, on Thursday, vowed never to give up until all the money stolen from the country was recovered. He said, We are working on the process of Diezanis extradition. But we have to allow them (the UK government) because we are collaborating. There is the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service in London, and our colleagues, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in America. We had cause to meet in London. I was there myself for about a week. We are working not only on the Diezani case; but the Diezani case has become a test case. It is even more notorious than the so-called Abacha loot because we have not seen anything yet. Im sure what we have seen is not more than may be 15 per cent. I think it is going to be a long time. That is why sometimes I think we should appeal to the looters to return the loot. Come and tell the government, This is what I have stolen. Since you have voluntarily complied with the instruction to bring back the loot, then the government will take a decision. I think it is the best way to go about it, otherwise, the monies would be wasted. Diezani has a lot of people who are well connected, like (Jide) Omokore who are international businessmen. They have private aircraft and you cant see any of them in Nigeria. They went and kept them in Ghana, some of them. But we are working with almost all law enforcement agencies in the world. They are all willing to work with us because what I told them is, As long as you have any (claim) of criminality in Nigeria, call us. We will go after the criminals because we dont wait for protocol. Delay is dangerous; when you delay you will not see it. So, we are ready to cooperate with everybody and people have shown willingness. Last time I went to the international convention, they said Nigeria should show it experience. So, the whole world at the United Nations level wants to hear our asset recovery experience. Magu noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had been informed of the needs of the anti-corruption agency, saying there would soon be an upgrade of facilities. He said the agency was also giving attention to the welfare of its workers to avoid undue influence or temptation in the course of their assignments. The EFCC boss explained that the EFCC was making efforts to involve experienced lawyers in order to reduce the rate of loss of court cases. Magu, who expressed resolve to kill corruption in the country, called for support and collaboration from Nigerians, saying corruption was the greatest problem of the country. He said, I sometimes tell people, this rubbish called corruption was caused by my generation. It is our duty to remove it before the next generation, so that the next generation will have a better life. We are going into massive campaign against corruption. We have seen some good results. People are beginning to change. We want to beg you, let us sustain the momentum. We all have the responsibility to do that. It is about our people and the future of this country. We should do the right thing and give away our today for the better life of the next generation. The EFCC boss commended The PUNCH for its role in the anti-graft war and advised the media organisation to stay committed to responsible journalism. The Director of Public Affairs, EFCC, Osita Nwajah, noted that the commission had put in place measures to ease the burden associated with public complaints. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A screenshot shows the documentary of Sharp Sword of Inspection.[Photo/IC] A five-episode political documentary focusing on an effective anti-graft measure taken by the Communist Party of China began airing on Thursday, with many details of corrupt officials revealed for the first time. The documentary, named Sharp Sword of Inspection, highlighted President Xi Jinping's strategy of using inspections as tools to boost clean governance amid the country's unprecedented campaign of fighting corruption. It was jointly filmed by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog, and China Central Television. It is being aired by CCTV with one episode each day. According to the documentary, Yu Haiyan, former vice-governor of Gansu province, cut up all his photos taken with bosses who bribed him and flushed the pieces down the toilet to destroy evidence for graft charges. It said he also dipped his cellphone in vinegar and then threw it into the Yellow River to erase his phone records with the bosses. Nearly 20 corrupt senior officials, including Wu Changshun, former police chief of Tianjin, and Wang Min, former Party chief of Liaoning province, were interviewed in the TV series. They expressed their regrets and confessions over their misdeeds. All of the corrupt officials who appeared in the documentary were investigated after they were inspected. "I was afraid of the inspection team, and I drained my brains to learn the activities of the inspection team," Wang said in the documentary. He was sentenced to life imprisonment last month for receiving 146 million yuan ($22.5 million) in bribes. Inspection, or xunshi, proves to be an effective tool for fighting corruption. Among the corruption cases probed by the top anti-graft watchdog, about 60 percent of the indicators of corruption were collected by the inspection teams. The discipline inspection commission has launched 12 rounds of inspections at 277 Party and government departments, State-owned enterprises, institutes and universities since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. On Aug 30, 17 organizations inspected in the 12th round, including the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Peking University and the Cyberspace Administration of China, publicized their measures for correcting problems found by the inspection team. The inspection team found that the promotion of some officials at Peking University had violated rules. The university said in its rectification report that it had removed the posts of those officials as a measure to implement the inspection report. Xi has highlighted the importance of inspections numerous times in the five years since he initiated the anti-graft campaign. In May, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, during which senior officials were asked to set themselves as examples by exercising self-restraint in the use of their power, accepting supervision and acting in line with rules. The inspection work should focus on sticking to the Party's leadership, strengthening the Party's buildup and comprehensively enhancing Party discipline, according to a statement released after the meeting. Yang Xiaodu, minister of supervision and deputy head of the discipline inspection commission, said last month that 256,000 graft cases were filed for probe from January to June, compared with 193,000 during the same period a year earlier. Though evidence shows that the storm and flooding in Texas was caused mainly by climate change and the weather, a handful of evangelical leaders are suggesting it was because of the LGBT community. A number of Christian leaders have blamed LGBT people for allegedly causing Hurricane Harvey. Despite overwhelming evidence that supports climate change as a factor in the devastating storm and subsequent flooding, a handful of evangelical leaders have ludicrously suggested the LGBT community are to blame. Minister Kevin Swanson, who is a pastor at the Reformation Church of Elizabeth, Colorado, said on his radio show Generations with Kevin Swanson on Friday that Houston had sinned by having a very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor. Jesus sends the message home, unless Americans repent, unless Houston repents, unless New Orleans repents, they will all likewise perish, he told his radio show. That is the message that the Lord Jesus Christ is sending home right now to America. Swanson then listed examples of why Houston would receive such judgment and why it should repent. He mentioned Annise Parker, the citys former and openly gay mayor, who Swanson describes as a very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor. He also cited how Texas state legislature failed to pass a bathroom bill that would have prevented cross-dressing men from using the womens restrooms because they wanted to encourage the abomination of men attempting to dress like women and women attempting to dress like men. He continued: I think that the entire state of Texas and the entire United States of America needs to take note of this, Swanson warned. And realize that there is a God in heaven, He brings His judgments and He calls nations to repentance, as He is doing right now. Swanson also noted that the remnants of Hurricane Harvey are now heading towards New Orleans, as the city prepares for its annual LGBTQ festival Southern Decadence this weekend. Timing seems to be perfect, Swanson said. He then argued that God is giving the city a heads up before it hosts the largest s*xual perversion event in the country. His comments come just days after Christian radio personality, Rick Wiles linked Houstons progressive attitudes with the storm. Heres a city that has boasted of its LGBT devotion, its affinity for the sexual perversion movement in America. Theyre underwater, he said. Ann Coulter, right wing media pundit and climate change sceptic, also weighed in to the debate. I dont believe Hurricane Harvey is Gods punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than climate change, she wrote on Twitter. Uniport student, Ifeanyi Dike who murdered his 8-yr-old neighbor and harvested her private parts has been captured in Jos. Remember, he escaped from prison sometime last month during interrogation, an incident that saw a policeman dismissed and an inspector arrested. Heres what popular Port Harcourt journalist, Blessing Olomu tweeted; The leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Comrade Kingsley Madu, has declared that Lagos, Abuja, and other cities where Igbos reside and own major investments are all part of Biafra. The Punch Newspaper quoted him as making the declaration on Thursday in Enugu State during a rally organised to welcome Innocent Oji, leader of the Biafra National Guard, a pro-Biafra group, recently released from prison. He further said that the declaration is part of a new ideology adopted by Biafran agitators as they dont want to confine themselves to a particular place. Madu statement came on the back of the alleged sacking of Igbo traders from a portion of land at Trade Fair and FESTAC in Lagos. He said that the affected traders were evicted by Lagos State Government after they had invested billions of naira in developing the area. He further vowed that Igbos would not be forced out of any part of Nigeria, where they invested lots of resources to develop. His words: Pro-Biafra groups have adopted a new ideology which stated that any part of the country where a large population of Igbos is found, and where Igbos contributed towards human and material development, is part of Biafra. Lagos is also Biafra, Abuja is also Biafra. Anywhere our people are that place is Biafra. So what we are saying now is that that part of Lagos that our people developed with their money is also part of Biafra and we cannot leave. The MASSOB leader, however, advised Igbos to locate their investments in the Biafra mainland, South-East and South-South, where they are guaranteed safety and protection. The Lagos State Police Command have announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with the shooting of a Rev. Father, Daniel Nwankwo, at St. Thomas Catholic Church, Onilekekere, Cement. The spokesperson of the command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, in a statement said the suspects are being interrogated for vital information to aid Police investigation. He said; During early morning mass at St Thomas Catholic church Onilekere, Cement B/Stop Ikeja, some hoodlums posing as worshipers at about 8:30 a.m., requested to have a dialogue with Rev. Father Daniel Nwankwo who heads the parish. The Rev Father who unsuspectingly granted the hoodlums an audience outside the church auditorium for a yet-to-be determined reason was shot by one of the hoodlums who spoke fluently in Igbo language with a locally made pistol. The Rev. Father raised alarm, while the hoodlums jumped the fence and escaped toward an adjoining canal. Famous-Cole said the Rev Father was immediately taken to LASUTH for medical attention where he was being treated, and that is in stable condition. Famous-Cole said; A Facebook user identified as Sensor Chiemerie has taken to the social networking platform to share some photos while alleging that a Madonna University staff, allegedly chained men who did aluminum roofing for him, after they demanded for their pay. He posted the photos and wrote; Look at what (father edeh) did to us in elele after working for him wicked priest u will never go unpunished because we ask u to pay us for the work we have done for u thats the only crime we committed u ordered ur security to lock us up for three days now what a wicked priest. See more photos below; Madonna University staff, Father Edeh, has allegedly chained some labourers who did aluminum roofing for him, after they demanded for their payment. A heartless Nigerian man who impregnated his wifes sister before strangling the baby after birth has been caught. A 47-year-old man, Moses Otimba, has been arrested by policemen from Bayelsa state for impregnating his wifes younger sister, Joy Mathew, and killing the male child five days after birth. According to The Nations, Otimba was said to have asphyxiated the child to death and buried him in a shallow grave at a river bank. The suspect, an indigene of Ogbogoro community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, reportedly executed the devilish act in connivance with the 19-year-old girl. The two suspects were paraded on Thursday by the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asuquo Amba, at the commands headquarters in Yenagoa, the state capital. Amba said policemen from Yenagoa Police Division arrested the suspects, who confessed to the murder. The commissioner said: Mr. Moses Otimba, male, 47, impregnated one Joy Matthew, 18, a younger sister to his wife, Glory. The pregnant Joy was delivered of the baby by a traditional birth attendant at Amarata, Yenagoa on May 8, 2017. On May 13, 2017, Moses, Joy and the baby left the birth attendant and went across Swali bridge where Moses took the baby from her mother (Joy), went down the river shore, sniffed the baby to death and buried him in a shallow grave. Amba said Joy, who claimed to be under the influence of some spirits, disclosed the incident to her mother three months after the act. He said angered by the development, Joys mother reported the matter to the police, which swung into action and arrested the suspects. Amba said: The police visited the scene of the incident. By the time they got to the scene, the current of the river had washed off the childs body. The suspect, Moses Otimba, has confessed to the crime and Joy Matthew has also confessed on her alleged involvement in the murder of the baby. Investigation is ongoing. Otimba, in his confessional statement said he killed the baby boy because he was ashamed to tell his wife (Glory) and his mother-in-law. He admitted killing the baby with the consent of Joy, after discussing his predicament with her. Otimba said: I killed the baby boy because I was afraid and scared. I did not really know how to face my wife and my mother-in-law that was why I killed the baby. I am really sorry. I took the baby to the bush in my community and closed his nose until he died. When I was carrying out the act, I was weeping and crying but I had no choice. When I got to the site, he was five days old then, I closed his nose and within some seconds, he stopped breathing. After that, I started regretting. The mother of the baby agreed that we should kill the baby. I told Joy that the situation was precarious for me and that I did not know how to tell my wife about the development. On that day, she was carrying the baby. She gladly gave me the baby to do whatever I wanted to do. My wife was not aware of all of this. But somehow, I did not know what happened. I learnt the babys mother told her mother who alerted the police and we were arrested. A mentally-challenged woman in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria has given birth to a baby beside the road with people coming to her aid. A mentally unstable woman welcomed a bouncing baby in Sapele area of Delta State. According to one Sapele Oghenek, a woman who sells Bole (roasted plantain) noticed that the mentally deranged woman was in labour by the roadside. She tried to assist her but noticed that the womans placenta refused to come out. The woman called for help and a doctor simply identified as Ugochuckwu arrived the scene. The doctor reportedly injected the woman to aid her push and deliver the baby smoothly. The baby who was safely delivered was taken by the doctor to the hospital as the womans family were located. See more photos: Stephen Akpata, a Nigerian who used to live in Australia, has been arrested by the police for allegedly strangling his new wife, Onyinye Eze, Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Asuquo Amba, has said. The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the 33-year-old victim was an employee of Globacom Nigeria Limited. The Delta State born Mr. Akpata, popularly called Bishop, who claimed in a statement that he was 40 years old, allegedly on August 16, 2017 killed the woman in her Yenagoa residence. Police doubted Mr. Akpatas age as he also claimed that he had spent 27 years in Australia, meaning that he went there when he was 13 years-old. The Police Commissioner said Mr. Akpata murdered his wife by strangling her with the cable of an electric iron. He then also stabbed her with a knife. The police chief said the incident became known when one of Onyinyes colleagues, Moses Awo, reported at Ekeki Police Division in Yenagoa that Onyinye did not report for work as expected. According to Mr. Amba, Mr. Awo had reportedly told the police that when he and another colleague went to Onyinyes residence in Kpansia area of Yenagoa, they discovered that the apartment was locked. They also found that the television set in her room was working. Some police officers from Ekeki Police Division in Yenagoa went to the deceaseds apartment and forced her door open. They found Onyinye dead in a pool of her blood. According to Bayelsa Police Commissioner, Mr. Akpata was the prime suspect in the murder, he was arrested by police in Badagry, Lagos State, after about two weeks on his trail. Parading the suspect on Thursday at the state commands headquarters, Mr. Amba said that his operatives discovered that the deceased room was scattered. Mr. Amba said the exhibits recovered at the scene of crime were a knicker; a pair of canvas shoes, one damaged electric iron, one jean jacket, one pen knife, one pink singlet, a Nokia mobile phone and a damaged wristwatch. He said the exhibits were stained with blood. The police chief said the body of the victim was removed and deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, for autopsy. Narrating how the suspect was arrested, Mr. Amba said that discreet investigations revealed that the suspect absconded to Ghana after allegedly committing the murder in Yenagoa. The commissioner, who said the suspect returned to Badagry, Lagos a few days after, added that Mr. Akpata was tracked and arrested in Badagry on September 1 and brought to Bayelsa the same day. When our operatives went into the apartment of the deceased, we meticulously searched the environment and we saw a three-quarter knicker that was well hidden, tucked somewhere in the room that one would not suspect that something was hidden there. We discovered there was a blood stain on the knicker. By this time, we tried to find out who was with the lady because we knew that they had just contracted a registry marriage. We got in touch with Akpata who is the purported husband. He gave us the impression that he was out of town, implying that he travelled out of town before the incident. So, we were still communicating with him, at least to break the news to him that his purported wife was dead. He told us he was on his way back and this took us some days. As we were communicating with him, he was just giving us the impression that he was coming back, not knowing that he was plotting his own escape. We found out that prior to that time of her murder, the suspect had spent so much money on the lady and they were moving from one hotel to another. Still, we were playing along with him to enable him to come to us. But since he said he was in Lagos, we suspected that Ghana or Republic of Benin would be a likely point of escape. We got in touch with the embassies there and the Ghanaian Embassy was on the alert. From our radar, we found out that he slept in Ghana. He escaped back to Badagry in Lagos. He did not know we were still following him up. We got in touch with the police in Badagry. Eventually he was arrested at the Badagry border. So, we brought him back. Mr. Amba said. Mr. Amba added that the police command got vital information on him, particularly on his Facebook page where they saw many pictures of him with his murdered wife during their court marriage. He assured that the suspect would be charged to court while the case would be diligently prosecuted as soon as investigations were concluded. Source: (NAN) The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been reportedly honoured with the highest title in Igbo land, south-eastern Nigeria. Kanu was decorated with the title of the greatest Biafran Warrior by the Odumeze of Ohafia, Abia state, and other elders, according to Somto Okonkwo, who posted the photographs on social media. Kanu, according to Okonkwo, is now the Otu Onye Nakpu Ogwe 1 of Biafra Land. However, the controversy that seems to have emerged from the award of the title is the place of the late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu. Ojukwu, who was an officer of the Nigerian Army before the war, is often described as a warrior and even had a title to that effect. Aniebo Nwamu, a Nigerian analyst, recently said: One of the prominent titles conferred on Ojukwu on his return from exile in 1982 was Dike Di Ora Mma (The warrior loved by all). He described the title as an apt description of the visionary from the east who was born in the north and grew up in the west. Until months ago, Nnamdi Kanu had been in detention on the order of the federal government over alleged treasonable offences. The government is also reportedly asking the court to withdraw the bail condition it granted Kanu with the argument that he had abused some of the conditions he was given. Naijaloaded had earlier reported that Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, September 6, received some IPOB supporters who were released from alleged military detention. It was gathered that the unarmed youths were detained on Monday night, September 4, at the popular Isi Gate area, after they clashed with the army. See photos below:- A Nigerian pastor has left many people in shock after he reportedly rose from the dead while being kept at the mortuary. A Port-Harcourt based Pastor, Wokoma David has allegedly resurrected after he died and was taken to the mortuary. Wokoma, who is a pastor at the Salvation Ministries Igwuruta, satellite church was alleged to have died on Monday before he came back to life. Sarah Temitope who shared the story on Facebook wrote: I cant keep shutY God is at work again #teztimonytime #irepsmho #davidibiyeomie. Im humbled to say Thank you Jesus DEAD MAN JARKED BACK TO LIFEWOKOMA DAVID is the pastor of salvation ministries igwuruta satellite churchhe was pronounced dead on Monday nd was push to de mortuary & embalmed..when the wife & other anointed men of God went to pray & praise God in UPTH the mortuary attendants made a silly comment abeg make una do quick bring the dead body and the wife said to them ma husband is not dead Bt sleeping..brothers and sisters as am talking to u now he has rose on the 3rd daysJesus is Lord & he inhabits in salvation ministries. However, Nigerians have doubted the story with many alleging that it was cooked up to make the man popular. A prophet has been caught pants down having an immoral affair with a married woman during a cleansing ceremony. A Zimbabwean prophet from Sikente Village in Tsholotsho was beaten after he was caught pants down with a married woman during a cleansing ceremony. According to B-Metro, the self-styled Prophet Kandani lied to a Moyo family that their homestead needed a cleansing ceremony which the husband was not to attend because there was a goblin baying for his blood. However, it later turned out that it was just a plan to get time with the mans wife. As fate would have it, during the alleged cleansing ceremony they were caught pants down. Albert Moyo and his wife Sitshengisiwe Sibanda have been married for six years, but do not have children. They then consulted Prophet Kandani who told them that their homestead needed a cleansing ceremony as there was a goblin sleeping with the woman. On the day of the ceremony, he ordered Moyo to go to his brothers homestead because the goblin was going to attack him, a reliable source close to the family said. Fearing for his life, Moyo followed the instructions not knowing that he was offering his wife to another man and giving them a chance to be intimate. Unfortunately, after a few hours Moyo reportedly sent his brothers wife to check if everything was going well at his homestead. She (messenger) was shocked not to see anyone outside the homestead despite calling out at Sibanda. Suspecting the worst, she then rushed back to her homestead and called other family members saying they should come and check whether the two were still alive or had been attacked by the goblin. Upon arrival at the homestead they caught the prophet and Moyos wife having s*x in one of the bedroom huts, said the source. Prophet Kandani was thoroughly beaten, but managed to escape stark n*ked. My wife is the one who had introduced me to this prophet and I never suspected anything because we wanted help since we do not have children. After catching her sleeping with the prophet, my family returned her to her parents home and we are yet to discuss the issue with elders. The prophet ran away and we do not even know where he stays, but my wife will have to lead us to his homestead so he pays for disrespecting me, Moyo said. Efforts to get a comment from Sibanda were fruitless as her mobile number was unreachable. Tension is rocking the nation of Panama as two ex ministers are arrested. Prosecutors revealed that the two ex-ministers were arrested and were being detained on Thursday in Panama as part of a probe into bribes paid by Brazilian construction group Odebrecht in exchange for public work contracts. According to Agence France Presse, AFP, Demetrio Papadimitriu, former minister of the presidency, and Jaime Ford, former public works minister, were apprehended on Wednesday. They served under former president Ricardo Martinelli, who was in power 2009-2014 and who is appealing an extradition order from the United States to face corruption and other charges in Panama. The charges against Papadimitriu and Ford were not disclosed. Fords lawyer, Miguel Batista, said that from our point of view the preventative detention is illegal and violated his clients rights. At the time of his arrest, Ford had been out on $500,000 bail granted in August after spending a month and a half in detention under separate accusations of pocketing millions of dollars in relation to the construction of a freeway. That case was unrelated to Odebrecht. Papadimitriu had turned himself to prosecutors for his arrest, saying his mother had been cited in one of the cases and he was trying to prevent his family members being dragged into the matter. He denied having anything illegal to do with Oderbrecht. Papadimitriu managed the electoral campaign that brought Martinelli to power and participated too in the 2014 campaign of Panamas current president, Juan Carlos Varela. Odebrecht agreed in December to pay a record $3.5 billion fine after admitting to paying $788 million in bribes across 12 countries to secure juicy public contracts. In Panama, it agreed to pay a $220 million fine and work with prosecutors after disclosing it had paid $59 million in bribes between 2010 and 2014. A dozen Martinelli-era ministers have been arrested or put on bail for suspected corruption. The former president, a 65-year-old supermarket tycoon, is alleged to have been involved in embezzlement, extortion, bribe-taking and ordering the illegal spying on communications of more than 150 prominent opponents. As well as his fight to avoid extradition, he has applied for political asylum in the United States. Men of the Nigeria police have finally re-arrested a dreaded killer and money ritualist who killed an 8-year-old girl in Rivers state. The suspected ritual killer, Ifeanyi Dike, who murdered an eight-year-old girl, Victory Chikamso Nmezuwuba, has been rearrested in the early hours of this morning and is currently under secure arrest. The suspect was rearrested in Jos, Plateau State capital, by security operatives on Thursday, according to Punch. Dike had invited Chikamso into his room, killed and collected the parts he needed, while the girls parents were looking for her. He was caught while trying to dump the body at a refuse dump in Rivers state. Soybean (ZS) Weekly MACD Positively Crossing Tradable Patterns - 1 hour ago Soybean (ZSF23) is consolidating to start the week, hesitating for roughly 2 weeks now just below triangle resistance (on the weekly chart) and near the 50% Fib retrace of the slide from the June high... ZSF23 : 1442-2 (-0.53%) SOYB : 27.39 (+2.16%) Asian benchmarks mixed as markets eye COVID, inflation risks AP - Sun Nov 13, 9:26PM CST Asian shares are mixed as momentum fades from last weeks rally on Wall Street amid varied sentiments about coronavirus restrictions easing in China and global interest rate increases $SPX : 3,992.93 (+0.92%) $DOWI : 33,747.86 (+0.10%) $IUXX : 11,817.01 (+1.82%) Sam Bankman-Fried's downfall sends shockwaves through crypto AP - Sun Nov 13, 7:18PM CST Sam Bankman-Fried received numerous plaudits as he rapidly achieved superstar status as the head of cryptocurrency exchange FTX: the savior of crypto, the newest force in Democratic politics and potentially... $SPX : 3,992.93 (+0.92%) $DOWI : 33,747.86 (+0.10%) $IUXX : 11,817.01 (+1.82%) Grains Overview and Livestock update ONE44 Analytics - Sun Nov 13, 5:17PM CST Our goal is to not only give you actionable information, but to help you understand why we think this is happening based on pure price analysis with Fibonacci retracements, that we believe are the underlying... HEZ22 : 84.350s (-0.62%) HEG23 : 88.400s (-0.48%) LEZ22 : 151.525s (-1.01%) LEG23 : 153.250s (-1.14%) For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Update 10/26/17 Stor-Age has closed its funding round, raising R1.275 billion of equity to use in its acquisition of Storage King. Shares sold at R11.50 each, with the capitalization reaching the maximum allowed, according to a press release. The deal is expected to close on Oct. 31. The strong demand for our stock resulted in us increasing the size of the capital raise from the initially indicated R900 million, up to the maximum allowable value of R1.275 billion, Lucas said. At these levels, there was significant excess demand for our stock, indicating a strong vote of confidence in our performance since listing and our current growth strategy. 9/7/17 Stor-Age Property REIT, which operates the Stor-Age Self Storage brand in South Africa, has agreed to acquire U.K.-based Storage King for approximately 77.13 million. The deal, expected to close next month, is part of the real estate investment trusts initiative to pursue international expansion opportunities. The Storage King portfolio includes 13 owned facilities and 12 properties under licensing and management agreements, primarily in Southeast England. It comprises about 577,000 gross leasable square feet, according to a Store-Age press release. As part of the transaction, Stor-Age is expected to refinance 25 million in Storage King debt, which will effectively lower the purchase price to 53 million for 97.3 percent of issued shares, with the remainder allocated for purchase by Storage King management, the release stated. Specialist and experienced members of the Storage King management team will remain in place with a 2.7 percent co-investment stake. "Storage King offers established critical mass through a high-quality portfolio, proven local expertise and a track record in self-storage with consistent earnings growth, especially over the past three years, said Stor-Age CEO Gavin Lucas. This provides us with a strong and scalable platform, with in-place management, for future growth and expansion." Stor-Age began to position itself for the acquisition as far back as 2014 and used the intended exit last month of Storage Kings private-equity shareholder, Cabot Square Capital Advisors Ltd., as its opportunity to move forward, Lucas said. The Storage King properties mark the REITs first assets outside of South Africa. Self-storage is a growth sector globally, not only in emerging markets, but also in the first world. The U.K. self-storage market is a significant growth opportunity. It offers a more robust macro environment but with a relative undersupply of self-storage compared to the [United States] and Australia, and a language, culture and regulatory system familiar to us in South Africa, Gavin said. Even approaching Brexit, self-storage remains an attractive investment in the U.K. due to the proven resilience of the sector. In addition to its U.K. operation, Storage King owns its brand-name rights throughout Europe and has a pipeline in place for third-party acquisition opportunities, the release stated. Its 13 owned locations had an average occupancy of 78 percent at the time of the purchase agreement. Lucas emphasized Stor-Age remains committed to the South Africa market and will continue to focus primarily on local business opportunities. In terms of value, two-thirds of the companys portfolio will remain South African, but with added growth potential for group earnings and a rand hedge for a significant portion thereof, he said. Because Stor-Age is publicly traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, adding a sizable portion of business trading in British pounds could potentially be viewed favorably by investors as a move toward stabilization and protection against depreciation of the South African rand. Headquartered in Cape Town and established in 2006 by the Lucas family, Stor-Age operates a 44-property portfolio, primarily in four South African metropolitan areas, that comprises approximately 300,000 square meters. Its the operator appointed by Stor-Age Property Fund Managers Pty. Ltd. to manage and market the property portfolio owned by Stor-Age Property Holdings Pty. Ltd., and was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in November 2015. The Storage Group (TSG), an Internet-marketing company serving the self-storage industry, has released an updated version of its move-in platform. ClickandStor 3.0 offers a new interface designed to operate as an e-commerce shopping cart. In addition to allowing storage customers to securely complete the storage move-in process via computer or smartphone, the update allows tenants to purchase moving and packing supplies, tenant insurance, truck rentals and other items, including food for moving day, according to a press release. Customers can also read and write reviews through the platform. Participating self-storage operators dont need to purchase extra inventory to account for product sales and receive a percentage of sales from the items sold through their facilities each month, the release stated. TSG has opened the ClickandStor platform to affiliate vendors to offer products to self-storage tenants in Asia, Canada and the United States, according to the release. Tenants, facilities and vendors will all be able to win with this platform, said Steve Lucas, chief operating officer. Based in Maitland, Fla., TSG provides online tools and marketing solutions to the self-storage industry. The company's services include local-listing management, mobile websites, online rentals, pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, social media marketing and website development. Andrew Bailey, head of the U.K.s Financial Conduct Authority, is facing questions from two parliamentary committee leaders over his decision to consult about a new listing category that critics say will relax governance standards. The leaders of two U.K. parliamentary committees have written to the Financial Conduct Authority to ask if it has been pressured to write new rules to accommodate a stock market listing for Saudi Aramco. The move comes after the U.K.s market regulator published a consultation paper in July focused on making the listing regime work better for companies controlled by a shareholder that is a sovereign country and proposing to change the current rules to accommodate a new category where reporting standards may not be as stringent as with the existing categories. Institutional investors and business leaders have decried such proposals, which they say could hamper corporate governance standards. A U.K. listing of Saudi Aramco would be a coup for the London Stock Exchange, as it would inflate trading volumes overnight and could set the path for other listings from sovereign-owned entities from the Middle East. Hong Kong and New York also have been reported by media outlets as potential exchanges where Aramco could list. [II Deep Dive: Inside the Fight Over Saudi Aramco] Despite the competition, Nicky Morgan, chair of the parliamentary Treasury Select Committee, and Rachel Reeves, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, expressed concerns in a letter to Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the FCA, according to a joint media release. Mrs. Reeves said in the release that the consultation raised questions about the U.K.s reputation for sound corporate governance, adding that while it is important for the U.K. to identify new business opportunities when it leaves the European Union, it should not be at the expense of diminished corporate governance standards, adding, Getting this balance right will be vital to the U.K.s long-term future as a key financial centre and an attractive market-place place for investors. The legislators pressed Bailey for answers on several questions, including whether the FCA knew Saudi Aramco was interested in obtaining a listing and if so, how far that interest influenced the consultation. Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, said that the issues raised in the FCA consultation document would likely be examined by the Treasury Committee. The U.K. has a world-class reputation for upholding strong corporate governance, she stated in the release. The FCA must protect this reputation, especially as the City looks to remain competitive and thrive post-Brexit. Any changes mustnt dilute the protection afforded by the premium listing brand. The remarks follow strenuous objections from the U.K. investor community, which remains widely opposed to the new changes. Last month, the Institute of Directors one of the largest trade groups in the U.K. said any changes could lead to weaker standards and governance problems.Other firms to have publicly criticized the proposed changes include Aviva Investors, Hermes Investment Management, Royal London Asset Management, and Schroders. A spokesman for the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed to Institutional Investor that the regulator had received the letter, adding, We will respond in due course. Saudi Aramco did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. understanding your values so you can consistently walk your talk, identifying your strengths so you can share them owning your weaknesses so you can seek help on them and being yourself so you can be authentic and true. Promoter your personal champion and inspiration your personal champion and inspiration Pit Crew who keep you on track and nurture you who keep you on track and nurture you Teacher who expand your knowledge and wisdom and push you to know more every day who expand your knowledge and wisdom and push you to know more every day Butt-kicker who hold you accountable for your actions and decisions. Networking is essential for business growth and personal success. Yet the adage its not what you know its who you know seems to have significantly more weight in this 21st century world of busyness, where jobs are filled before they are advertised and previously unthought-of collaborations appear out of nowhere to create new and competitive markets and steal market share.Individual talent, previous performance successes, educational achievement or even good old self reliance is no longer enough to survive in the fast-moving business landscape in which continued relevance, agility and innovative thinking are key.The Harvard Business Review article Managing Yourself, A Smarter Way To Network found that, The executives who consistently rank in the top 20% of their companies in both performance and well-being have diverse but select networks made up of high-quality relationships with people who come from several different spheres and from up and down the corporate hierarchy.Here are five key ways to master the art of building a network that works.First of all take ownership and get clear on your goals and dreams so you can make the right decisions and meet the right people to take you there. Its about:When you get clear on You and network with conviction, opportunities are created, value is exchanged, influence is increased and connections become transformational.British anthropologist Robin Dunbar said there was a limit to the number of relationships humans could comfortably maintain 150, to be precise. He suggested this was the amount with which we could maintain stable relationships, remember each others names, keep in contact and do each other favours. Anything larger than this, he said, results in the creation of other sub-groups and tribes.Momentum, however, starts with a significantly smaller circle of influence. Its about engaging your personal network on a deeper level putting you right in the middle of a network that connects you to people and information that matters for your growth and personal success. Its about being small, strategic and smart and ensuring you have these key people to support you:The importance of making a first impression cannot be overestimated, because first impressions influence later impressions. James Uleman, a professor of psychology at New York University explains, You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. In spite of the congeniality of many professional gatherings, judgements are being made and impressions are being formed all the time. Whether we like it or not, appearance is our first filter whether in person or on-line. Everything on the outside contributes to others impression of you. So make it a good one and take control.If you say you are going to do something, follow through and do it this is a non-negotiable when it comes to networking mastery. When you have spent time with someone, engaging in conversation and exchanging value, then you must make sure your words align with your actions. Your ability to nurture your network, to leverage conversations, to constantly give back and deliver will build the relationship over time.Value exchange requires trust, faith and the ability to truly engage in conversation, to be switched in to the needs of others and to be curious about how you can help. The cross-fertilisation of intelligence and sharing of skills and knowledge means each party involved gains knowledge, information and eventually perhaps even financial reward for their involvement, but the priority is the sharing of information, the connection that is made and the network that is built. When you learn to share openly with others with no expectation of anything in return, then everyone benefits. Its the two-way street of powerful networking.It was Richard Branson that said, Nobody can be successful alone and in our fast-moving business world a network that works is critical to fast-track personal and business success. Choose to network wisely, building a circle of influence that allows transformational connections to be nurtured and business growth opportunities to be fostered. It is a criminal offence if directors do not apply for their director ID on time The personal data of 5,400 AXA Insurance customers was compromised when the insurer suffered a cybersecurity breach.The breach affected Singapore customers who used AXAs health portal, data protection officer Eric Lelyon said in an email to affected customers.Lelyon said that the breach exposed customers email addresses, birth dates, and mobile numbers, which were used to transmit one-time passwords when users accessed the health portal, according to a report by ZDNet.com. The one-time passwords were required in order for users to log in to the site.Lelyon told customers that no other personal data was compromised, and that the breach was not likely to, on its own expose you to identity theft. He did urge customers to be on the lookout for phishing scams attempting to extract the rest of their personal information.In the unlikely event you feel that you may have inadvertently disclosed personal data as a result of a phishing attempt in the last few months, it is possible this could be connected to this hacking incident, and if so, we urge you to file a police report, he told customers.Ironically enough, AXA introduced an online risk insurance service to Singapore in 2014, ZDNet.com reported. And earlier this year, AXA Research Fund pledged a $1.2-million grant to support a research program aimed at developing new strategies to protect data and privacy. The Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee is to focus on the professionalism of the industry as breach reporting rises in the industry.Julia Davis, consumer representative on the Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee, said that while professionalism isnt defined within the code, it is an area of focus for the coming year and something brokers need to address before the Government can take action.Professionalism is a really big issue; it is something we are focusing on now, Davis told Insurance Business. Brokers want to be seen as professionals, they dont want to get lumped in with the financial scandals that have happened. However, at the same time there is no formal, compulsory education for insurance brokers like a university degree.A lot of other financial services are getting pushed into needing to have certain qualifications. If you cant really show that you are a really professional industry then the Government is going to do what it has done to these other industries and force you to have certain qualifications.The Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee will launch an investigation into professionalism in the broking community this year as it looks to further understand the issues facing brokers both large and small, Davis said. With the financial services industry in Australia increasingly under the microscope, Davis said that now is the time for brokers to get on top of compliance and professionalism to ensure that the industry is seen as reputable, professional, and trustworthy.In terms of the most common breaches to the Insurance Brokers Code of Practice, Davis highlighted that the committee saw an uptick in failing to contact clients within 14 days of renewal or policy expiration which was concerning.That is a breach of the code but also a breach of the law which could affect brokers licenses, and it has a real impact on clients, Davis said. If you are not giving them notice, or enough time, that their insurance is about to expire then you can imagine what sort of consequences that might have.The Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee annual review noted that self-reported breaches from brokers doubled over the past year which is a positive step for the industry, Davis said.I think there is still a culture against whistleblowing and a culture where they see breaches as a black mark, Davis continued. I think that has got to come from the top down, especially the big brokerage firms where reporting breaches is seen as a positive thing you are seen as getting on top of it and now we can think about what changes need to happen so it doesnt happen again. estimates the rebuild cost for Australian houses (units and townhouses under strata management are usually covered by strata insurance); provides a quick and painless way for determining homeowners' sum insured; and provides potential homebuyers with the capability to predict potential insurance costs and determine the insurance requirements ahead of their purchase. The Insurance Council of Australia has teamed up with property info and analytics provider CoreLogic to address underinsurance, a growing area of concern that affects four out of five Australian homeowners.The tie-up will see to the installation of CoreLogic's Cordell Sum Sure calculator on ICA's Understand Insurance website, http://understandinsurance.com.au , to help homeowners tackle the challenge of estimating the rebuild cost of their home for insurance purposes.Insurance protection for your property no longer needs to be a guessing game for consumers with the first implementation in Australia of Cordell Sum Sure via ICAs Understand Insurance website, said CoreLogic spokeswoman Sonya Fisher. Although insurance is designed to give us peace of mind, historically it hasnt been the easiest process to navigate as the average consumer does not have a clear view on the cost to rebuild their home, which is what the sum insured is meant to represent.Users need only type an address into Cordell Sum Sure to access available data on the property to help them estimate rebuild costs.The online calculator offers users the following benefits:While underinsuring is certainly something for homeowners to watch out for, so is overinsuring and for insurance providers, the ability to provide more accurate quotes can help them remain competitive and possibly deliver premium savings for their customers, Fisher said.The CoreLogic spokeswoman said that determining the right sum insured values and insurance premiums for Australians' most valuable asset helps homeowners protect themselves financially should the worst happen. Incoming Manulife CEO Roy Gori has stressed that the insurance industry is still in the dark ages and should adapt to changing consumer behavior by embracing new technologies.Gori revealed to summit participants that most of Manulifes technology budget is spent on maintaining existing systems instead of investing in innovations.We need to transform our business to be much more of a technology-driven company, Gori said. We need to become a much more customer-orientated organization and quite frankly the entire industry does. In many ways, if Im absolutely honest, our industry is still in the dark ages.Gori was present at the Scotiabank Financials Summit, Reuters reported, where he shared his industry concerns with those present. He mentioned that customers would rather purchase insurance products instantly over being bogged down by paperwork.If you apply for an insurance product youll get a 16-page application form with 120 questions more often that not. Its still very paper-based, very manual and, as a result, our industry net promoter scores are really very poor, he explained.Adopting new technology is key to changing processes, Gori stated.Customers engage today on their phones with other organizations in a seamless, transparent and very efficient way, he said. Thats not how they work with the insurance industry, so we need to transform our technology footprint. U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Maurice As Hurricane Irma approaches Florida, concerns have grown as to whether the states insurance market can handle a potentially powerful storm especially now when only small firms and a state insurer of last resort are writing policies in the region.The states insurance market almost collapsed in 2006 after facing a gauntlet of storms some of which were considered the costliest weather events in US history. While Hurricane Katrina is the most widely remembered for the sheer amount of damage it caused, other storms battered Florida between 2004 and 2005: Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Rita and Wilma. As a result, many major national home insurers shed policies in the state after regulators and lawmakers criticized them for raising rates following the storms.After the large insurers dropped home policies, state leaders turned to Citizens Property Insurance to provide coverage. The state insurer became the largest in the state with almost 1.5 million policies in 2011.Some 50 small to midsize insurers also came into the picture to help fill in the gaps left behind by the major insurance companies. These insurers are so popular, that Floridas top 20 market share list for homeowners insurance is dominated by relatively unknown carriers.Experts are concerned that the current insurance system has never had a real-life test of its resilience, especially since it has been 12 years since a severe hurricane event hit Florida.The truth of the matter is a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in a heavily populated area is a major stress test of everything [because] the destruction is almost unimaginable, Joseph Petrelli, president of ratings firm Demotech, told The Wall Street Journal.Citizens and its sister organization Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund have built up their claims paying ability to $9.9 billion and $17 billion, respectively. Also, many of the other small carriers have a surplus of $3.9 billion (as of March), and are required by state law to purchase reinsurance.Some are confident that Floridas insurers are more than capable of handling the damages Hurricane Irma could cause.There will be losses, there will be a lot of heartache, said Paresh Patel , founder and CEO of HCI Group, one of the many small insurance firms serving Florida. [But the storm] is happening in as good an environment as any can reasonably expect. This year, the beginning of September marked a critical implementation deadline for some of the toughest new cybersecurity regulations in the country the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) 23NYCRR 500. This set of regulations mandates that businesses supervised by the NYDFS including banks, trusts, budget planners, check cashers, credit unions, money transmitters, licensed lenders, mortgage brokers or bankers, and insurance companies protect consumers and trading partners from cyber attacks and data breaches. This is because New York, arguably the pre- and post-Brexit financial center of the world, is implementing these regulations as a direct response to the increasing number of cyber attacks on insurers and financial institutions, observes the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation. Cyber attack examples include the 2015 attack on Anthem Inc., in which 78 million unencrypted records containing personal information were stolen, and the 2016 cyber attack on the central bank of Bangladesh, in which stolen SWIFT banking credentials and malware were used to illegally transfer $81 million of funds held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The value of personal records, such as a name paired with a social security number and a birth date, is nearly limitless on the dark web. Regulations like this are a response to the growing problem of identity theft and online fraud schemes. In practical terms, as of this fall, the regulated businesses in New York are required to: Run a cybersecurity program aimed at protecting consumers Name a designated chief information security officer (CISO) Utilize multifactor authentication Implement and maintain an approved written policy Report hacking attempts to the state within 72 hours Many states could expect similar legislation in the near future, and this mandate represents a meaningful shift in the way that businesses must not only protect their own technical infrastructure but also that of third-party trading partners. Businesses must assume responsibility for IT security around shared customer information, even if they dont manage that information themselves. Whats more strict reporting requirements will become the norm, and businesses should expect to provide reports on penetration testing, secure development, risk assessment, multifactor authentication and encryption. The challenges of 23NYCRR and other regulations can certainly be daunting, especially for smaller businesses that may be impacted, but tackling the seemingly insurmountable task of compliance can be achieved if businesses establish and execute against a solid cybersecurity plan. The first steps include designating a CISO and other parties within the organization who are responsible for the security plan and its implementation. Typically, the CISO will work with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and report to the CEO and board. Once a chain of command is established, the process typically begins with an audit designed to reveal gaps in the security infrastructure and areas that require attention for compliance. This can be as simple as documenting existing security processes and controls that are already in place or implementing new procedures and/or hardware and software solutions for physical, network and endpoint security. Organizations that have a solid security posture only need to validate, document and fine tune many of their existing policies and procedures for regulatory compliance. Some companies and their IT teams have worked with consulting firms to achieve compliance, and leveraging consulting firms and outsourcers has helped many companies avoid going it alone and reinventing the wheel when it comes to implementation deadlines. The same can be said for fixes that may need to be made to physical, device and network security. An ample number of turnkey, cloud-based solutions can be used for point-to-point network security, as well as device and laptop encryption. These solutions enable rapid compliance with the regulations and allow IT departments to outsource the hard and often tedious work associated with securing every machine and network connection in the organization. Having a reliable outsourced security partner is particularly useful when it comes to third parties, which represent a big security challenge because, while they are critical business partners, there is often very little visibility into their security practices and how they handle personal and financial data. An example is insurance brokers, which usually represent multiple companies. An outside security vendor can prevent internal IT teams from getting overtaxed by chasing down issues created by those third parties. At AlertSec, we call this the trust but verify policy; it serves a critical role in the overall security posture for many financial and insurance firms, because we specialize in owning the problem to ensure that third-party systems and data are secure and compliant. It is clear that the price of implementing a sound IT security chain is insignificant when compared to the cost of a data breach, and we see security as much more than just an IT department issue. We view it as a board-level concern that has gone from a cost of doing business to a cost of staying in business. After all, data breaches can be much more than the hard dollar cost of any losses incurred. Not only is there damage to a companys reputation, but security breaches take away a companys focus on its core business, resulting in revenue loss and diluted shareholder value over time. This is why companies whether facing a deadline or not must make IT security a top priority, not only to ensure compliance, but to also ensure long-term business continuity. Related: Topics Legislation Cyber New York Talent Human Resources Global reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter & Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, has appointed Andre Eisele to the role of CEO of the Pacific Region. In addition, Heinrich Eder will join the Guy Carpenter Advisory Board for the Pacific Region. Eisele will join Guy Carpenter from Swiss Re, where in the past three years he served as head of Client Markets Property and Casualty for Australia and New Zealand. He will be based in Sydney and report to Tony Gallagher, Asia Pacific CEO. Heinrichs last position was managing director of Munich Holdings of Australasia in charge of life and non-life operations from 2005 to 2016. Topics Swiss Re Any proposal to automatically cut premiums for Michigan drivers would be dead on arrival in the Republican-led Senate, Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof said, bringing into question lawmakers long-sought aim to enact major auto insurance changes. Meekhof, on the Legislatures first day of session after a summer recess, said he met last week with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who wants a mandated rate reduction of up to 30 percent in a state with the most expensive premiums in the country. Premiums are especially high in his city. Thats price fixing, said Meekhof, who declared the idea dead three times. When do Republicans get in between a private transaction and set what prices are? The market should dictate what they are based on risk and other factors that (insurers) account for. Meekhofs pronouncement may lead to a confrontation with GOP House Speaker Tom Leonard, who is pushing unspecified changes to an auto insurance system that is expensive for drivers but also provides them with unlimited lifetime care if they are catastrophically injured. Everything is on the table for him to get reform done, said Leonard spokesman Gideon DAssandro. Rate relief for Michigan families is his top priority in no-fault reform. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013 proposed a mandatory $125 per-vehicle reduction in premiums in concert with capping personal injury protection at $1 million, but that legislation never gained traction. Neither did Duggans 2015 proposal to let Detroit drivers buy cheaper health coverage and have their medical insurers pick up costs exceeding $275,000. State law allows health care providers to charge much more for treatment of auto injuries than other ones. The insurance industry supports a fee schedule set in law similar to what exists for workers compensation injuries. But Meekhof, who opposes set fees for hospitals, said he would prefer to focus on a deal between hospitals and insurers that emerged in last years lame-duck session but ultimately was not enacted creating a statewide fraud authority, limiting reimbursement for family attendant care and capping medical benefits for people injured in crashes who have no auto insurance. The assigned claims plan largely covered pedestrians and bicyclists initially, but the benefits have increasingly aided passengers hurt while riding in uninsured vehicles. Duggan, in a statement, said he is working very hard to build a coalition for a bipartisan package on car insurance with major guaranteed rate rollbacks. I expect us to try for passage in the House of Representatives first, and then to the Senate, the mayors statement read. Senator Meekhof has been a longtime champion of cutting car insurance rates and its my hope that by the time we get to the Senate, we can reach agreement on a plan that has his support. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Michigan Leadership Politics Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Nebraska-based Lincoln Financial Management LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1993 by Stephen Letts and later acquired by Cyrus Kiani, Lincoln Financial Management is an employee benefits consultant and brokerage firm offering a full range of health and welfare products and services to businesses and individuals throughout the United States. Angela Kiani and her associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Jerry Roberts, head of Gallaghers Heartland Region employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has operations in 34 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher Nebraska The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency will run out of disaster assistance funding on Friday unless Congress approves more money, two Florida senators warned on Thursday. As Hurricane Irma barrels through the Caribbean on its way to an expected landfall on Florida on Sunday, the Senate approved a measure 80 votes to 17 to more than double funding to $15.25 billion to FEMA and local block grants to handle natural disasters. The House is expected to approve the measure later this week. It already approved $7.85 billion on Wednesday. FEMA is stretched, and, of all things, FEMA runs out of money unless we act by tomorrow, Democrat Senator Bill Nelson said in a speech on Thursday, following a letter he wrote with Republican Senator Marco Rubio to congressional leaders warning that more funds were needed. The bill also extends the National Flood Insurance Program through Dec. 8 that was set to expire on Sept. 30. The government-subsidized insurance program helps homeowners in flood-prone areas receive coverage. It is nearly $25 billion in debt and members of both parties want to reform it. FEMA declined on Thursday to say how much remained in its Disaster Relief Fund, which had just over $1 billion on hand as of Tuesday, less than half the $2.1 billion it had last week. The agency has received a record number of disaster assistance requests from victims of Hurricane Harvey. Were not going to let money get in the way of saving lives, FEMA director Brock Long told broadcaster CBS on Wednesday. Congress knows what they need to do. David Lapan, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, also declined to say on Thursday when the fund would be depleted, but said it would not be long without congressional action. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which makes residents eligible for FEMA and other government grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs. In response to Irma, FEMA said staff had been deployed to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and more than 1,000 personnel were ready to respond in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Provisions include millions of liters of water, meals, medical equipment and generators. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba OBrien) Topics USA Florida Flood Traveling from Louisiana, four 18-wheelers and more than a dozen workers rolled into the heart of Houston last Tuesday morning. The Cajun crew was there to unfurl and install a unique form of flood protection: three-foot high, seven-foot wide, 250-foot long flexible dams, an invention called the AquaDam. They will allow emergency vehicles to safely travel on Interstate 10 without fear of being washed away in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The AquaDam was first invented in 1988, though the company of the same name wasnt incorporated until 2009. The product was initially inspired by a water balloon, the companys officers said, and aside from protecting against flood water, can be used as a recreational platform in a large pool or river. But these days, its primary use has been anything but frivolous. AquaDam is sold through four distributors in the U.S., as well as in Canada, the U.K., and Australia. Made of irrigation grade tubing on the inside and a thick, woven geo-textile on the outside, the product is designed to keep flood waters three-quarters of its height at bay. That means a four foot tall dam will protect from 36 inches of water. Installing the barrier requires pumping it full of the very thing its protecting against. First, its laid out in its desired shape around or next to property such as a house or business, or a street or highway, and then a pump or hose is hooked up. The company recommends keeping the barrier at least ten feet out, creating an island of sorts (and of course requiring more AquaDam). Depending how much water is being pumped into it, the tubing can be fully inflated between an hour and a full day. To help catch seepage from beneath, AquaDam Vice President Matthew Wennerholm recommends installing a sump pump, as well as redirecting gutters, plugging sewers and storm drains, and turning off sprinkler systems. AquaDam runs $20 per foot for the shortest option, 30 inches, and $50 per foot for the tallest, 4 feet, plus shipping fees and taxes. Government entities pay the same price as individuals, Wennerholm said. The Texas Department of Transportation spent about $1.2 million on the seven miles worth they purchased, according to DOT spokeswoman Veronica Beyer. The average home needs 300 to 400 feet of AquaDam, while a business might need more, depending on its size. A homeowner can expect to spend much less: $8,000 to $12,000, on average. AquaDams have been purchased by Louisianas Department of Transportation, according to Larry Campisi, president of Gulf Coast AquaDams, a local distributor, as well an individual parish. The company said its also worked with the California DOT and sold dams in New York, as well as 60,000 feet of dam to authorities in Manitoba. Most of our sales for flood control are reactionary, not proactive, said Wennerholm. No one knows when the flood is going to be, how bad itll be. The reactionary days may be coming to an end, especially with the fallout from Harvey. Campisi said hes received more than a hundred orders from regional businesses and residents. After past flood events, almost a hundred homeowners in North Dakota purchased the product, and another five dozen sold in Idaho, Wennerholm said. Ever since the 2009 flood in North Dakota, weve seen a tremendous uptick in looking ahead and realizing this climate is become more energetic, Wennerholm said. The weather events are becoming more extreme. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Flood Homeowners Before flames and smoke leaped into the sky over the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, last week, Jolyn Masters was hunkered down at home on a Hurricane Harvey-flooded street a mile away. Then came a knock. A National Guard evacuation boat was waiting because of what was expected at Arkema. For the next three days, Masters called a company hot line for information about the nine trailers containing volatile chemicals on Arkemas property. I was on a first-name basis with one of the ladies, Masters said. By the time she returned home on Labor Day, the trailers had burned. Nobody had died. But Masters couldnt offer comfort to people living near chemical plants as Hurricane Irma bears down. This wasnt anything foreseeable, she said. So I wouldnt even know what to tell those people. What happened in Crosby could happen in Florida, with more disastrous results. It could happen in Homestead, near a pair of nuclear generators; or at plants near Tallahassee that produce potentially explosive ammonia; or rural communities with an expanse of phosphate mines not far from the Gulf Coast. While Crosby appears to have avoided serious tragedy, Arkema executives admitted they were unprepared. The potential dangers stored within chemical plants remain unclear because regulators have acquiesced to industry demands that such information be kept secret for fear of terrorism. And Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt delayed for two years Obama-era rules requiring companies to be more transparent about whats in plants and their plans to keep them safe. One of the best ways to better prepare for these emergencies is to know what youre dealing with, said Bill Hoyle, a former senior investigator with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, an independent agency. What are the chemicals? How much of the chemical is there and whats the potential impact? I am sure the people evacuated in Crosby had no idea they were in a vulnerability zone. The incident at the 43-year-old plant owned by Arkema SA of Paris, France, provided some of Harveys most dramatic pictures and a fortunate anticlimax. But an analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Arizona, showed that the Houston areas hundreds of refineries and petrochemical operations released almost 1 million pounds of air pollutants in Harvey-related spills and flares, including benzene, sulfur dioxide, toluene, and xylene. The effects might not be known for months. Before Harvey, the American Chemistry Council industry group issued a statement saying, Chemical companies know well to avoid the dangers of being unprepared. This week, spokeswoman Anne Kolton said in an email that the groups members are taking Hurricane Irma extremely seriously. Mishandling Hazards The Arkema plant generates about $30 million in annual revenue, less than 1 percent of its parents total. It was among 55 Houston-area facilities named as potentially harmful in a 2015 Houston Chronicle investigation done with Texas A&M University. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration this year fined the plant $91,274 for 10 safety violations, including some that involved mishandling of hazardous materials. As with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Fukushima, Japan, nuclear disaster in 2011, water defied Arkemas efforts to protect the facility in the town of 2,300 about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston. When reporters asked how the company prepared, Arkema president Richard Rennard said, Certainly we didnt anticipate having six feet of water in our plant. The big problem was 19.5 tons of organic peroxides, used as catalysts in plastics manufacturing, which must be kept cool or they will ignite. When Harvey cut power, Arkema turned to generators that flooded; as at Fukushima, they were below the level of the rising waters. Arkema had shut down the plant as Harvey barreled into Texas. It moved the peroxides away from chemicals like sulfur dioxide to the nine trailers with their own cooling systems. When those failed, Arkema told the world that explosions would ensue. The first blast came early Aug. 31. Emergency workers were overcome by fumes, with police officers vomiting and gasping for air, according to a lawsuit filed against Arkema on Thursday by seven first responders. After a second explosion the next day, Masters received a call from Arkema saying yet another was coming. A few minutes later: boom! Rennard said, Im not sure what more we could have done to provide additional layers of security to provide power to the site. He said no dangerous chemicals had been released. This is a fire, he told reporters. We are watching physics at work. Safety Cuts The Chemical Safety Board which was slated for elimination in a Trump administration budget proposal said it would investigate. Masters and her neighbors returned to the evacuation zone. Residents were cautioned to drink bottled water and wear surgical masks. The EPA said aerial monitoring detected no high levels of toxins in the air. Florida should be so fortunate. Its petrochemical footprint isnt nearly as large as Houstons, but a map prepared by the nonprofit group Environment Florida shows scores of plants, storage depots, refineries, wastewater treatment facilities and EPA Superfund sites that could release hazardous materials. Port Tampa Bay alone handles ammonia, unleaded gasoline, sulfuric acid and ethanol. The port was operating Thursday, but will halt shipping if the Coast Guard forecasts gale-force winds of at least 39 miles per hour hitting within the 24 hours to come. Jennifer Rubiello, state director for Environment Florida, said in an email that industrial sites are poorly regulated and even well-regulated sites can and do fail. She said she couldnt pinpoint Floridas riskiest because operators arent required to disclose emergency plans. Florida Power & Light Co. operates two nuclear-power generators 25 miles south of Miami at the mainlands southernmost tip. They were built in the early 1970s, when engineers couldnt imagine how rising seas could increase storm surges, said Bill Newton, deputy director of the Florida Consumer Action Network. Fukushimas nuclear plants melted down after tsunamis surge cut power to cooling pumps, and Irma could do the same at Florida Powers Turkey Point plants, Newton said. You lose the cooling, you lose the whole thing, he said. Peter Robbins, a spokesman for the utility, said that comparing Turkey Point to Fukushima is irresponsible. The Florida plant was built to withstand Category 5 storms, and absorbed a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew 25 years ago, Robbins said. Equipment to mitigate flooding was added after Fukushima, and the plant and backup generators are 20 feet above sea level. Operations will stop before any storm impact, he said. Then, there are the mines. Central Florida contains the nations largest deposits of phosphate, a key fertilizer ingredient. Mosaic Co. of Plymouth, Minnesota, digs the ore from 200,000 acres and breaks it down with sulfuric acid, creating a byproduct called phosphogypsum that contains small amounts of radioactive uranium and radium. Because the phosphogypsum market is tiny, about 1 billion tons is piled in more than 20 stacks around the mines, according to Florida Polytechnic University researchers. Drinking-Water Threat Runoff can contaminate drinking and fishing waters from stacks that are inadequately contained, said Jaclyn Lopez, director for the Center for Biological Diversitys Florida office. Spills precipitated by Hurricane Francis in 2004 killed marine animals. Last year, millions of gallons of contaminated water sluiced into an aquifer after a sinkhole opened beneath a Mosaic stack. Its hard to say what the implications of 15 to 20 inches of rain would be, Lopez said. It opens new pathways into the environment. Ben Pratt, a spokesman for Mosaic, said the company has begun hurricane preparations at the phosphate facilities and has not yet decided whether to shut down. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in an interview that staff are being dispatched to monitor Irmas impacts, and hes not stinting on manpower. If someone needs 10 people, send them 20, he said. If they need 20, send them 40. Workers are evaluating about 80 Superfund sites from Miami to North Carolina, and the agency is working with owners to secure them, he said. Back in Crosby, Masters said Arkema handled its problem as well as could be expected. Other locals arent as positive, she said, but, even the people that disagree are still both out there helping the neighbor pull carpet out of their house. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Texas Hurricane Pollution Chemicals Federal prosecutors will lead a new Houston-based group created to help law enforcement agencies respond to an inevitable wave of fraud and other criminal activity set off by Harveys punishing rains. Authorities are warning residents, volunteers and officials in flood zones in Texas and Louisiana they could be targeted by storm-related scams, contract corruption, document fraud, identify theft and other crimes. They emphasize that the easy availability of personal information and documents on the internet has widened criminal activities and potential victims to anywhere in the U.S. The new working group was intended to combine Justice Department prosecutors, FBI and other federal law enforcement agents with Texas and Louisiana state officials in a team aimed at quickly identifying criminal trends and deploying resources for investigations and prosecutions. Houston-based acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, one of the top officials in the new working group, said storm victims had already suffered devastation and the last thing that victims of the damage need is to be victimized again. The working group will be supported by the National Center for Disaster Fraud, a Baton Rouge-based federal task force that has specialized in disaster-related fraud and crimes since its creation in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The National Centers team of operators will answer an expected crush of complaints in the coming months, while its core of federal prosecutors and agents will help the Houston-based group to identify criminal activities that span areas far from the flood zones. We recognize that much of the fraud may occur in areas far removed from the disaster, said Corey R. Amundson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana and the executive director of the National Center. The task force played a role in many of the prosecutions of 1,463 defendants for disaster-related crimes associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Those cases targeted defendants in 49 federal districts across the country a clear indication that criminal activities spawned by Harvey could originate anywhere. After Katrina, many of the task forces criminal prosecutions targeted those accused of fraudulently obtaining emergency assistance funds intended to help storm and flood victims. The units scrutiny broadened to people and companies that filed fraudulent home repair and disaster loan applications and also to contract and kickback schemes involving corrupt public officials. Depending on what the new working group tells us about what kinds of crimes theyre dealing with and where crimes are occurring, we can help identify what they need to look out for, Amundson said. Among officials investigated by the task force after Hurricane Katrina were Benjamin L. Edwards Sr., a former New Orleans city sewerage director who pleaded guilty in 2010 to wire fraud and tax evasion for soliciting more than $750,000 in payoffs from hurricane cleanup contractors. Another was Gregory Brent Warr, the former mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi, who admitted guilt in 2009 for improperly receiving federal disaster funds. As high water continued to spread, Texas law enforcement officials were already warning residents about flood-related crimes. Protect yourself and your wallet from unscrupulous operators, urged a new flyer posted by the Texas attorney general, whose office had received nearly 700 complaints by late on Aug. 30. Most of the calls reported price gouging but a few alleged cases of fraud, said Kayleigh Lovvorn, a spokeswoman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and other relief agencies were accused of loose oversight after Katrina, but they have tightened controls since then, said Walt Green, a Baton Rouge lawyer and former U.S. attorney in Baton Rouge. But even in recent disasters, federal agencies were still targeted by scores of applications using fraudulent addresses, personal information and other spurious documentation. Identity fraud is the newest angle, said Green. You can find long lists of social security numbers of the dark web and people are purchasing them to use after disasters. Green, who led the federal disaster task force between 2013 and last March, said some criminal activity likely spiked even before Harveys landfall. He said hurricane-related internet addresses often with wording stressing storm charity and relief are quickly purchased in the hours before a hurricanes landfall. Some web addresses later surface in charity scams that bilk unsuspecting donors or lure viewers to virus-infected sites. On Wednesday, the government-funded Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center reported more than 500 domain names associated with Harvey had been registered over the preceding week. The majority of those names, the center reported, used words associated with philanthropy and aid, including help, relief, donate and victims. Four domain names referencing Harvey and the words relief, fund and recovery were listed for auction on eBay.com earlier this week, starting at $5,000 each. James Streigel, a northern California man who acknowledged offering them for sale, said he had no malicious intent and intended to sell them to the highest bidder. Streigel said his listings also carried notices saying he would donate 20 percent of his earnings to the American Red Cross. He acknowledged to The Associated Press that he had no way of preventing prospective buyers from using the domain names for criminal activity. We cant be sure of anything these days, Streigel said. Hours later, an eBay spokesman, Ryan Moore, said the listings had been removed from eBays site. Weve issued a warning to this seller that these listings violate eBay policy, Moore said. The sites offensive material policy prohibits listings that attempt to profit from human tragedy or suffering, or that are insensitive to victims of such events. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Agencies Texas Louisiana Fraud Flood Hurricane Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong(4th R), commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy meets with Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Ade Supandi(3rd L) in Beijing, Sept 6, 2017. (CCTV/81.cn) BEIJING, Sept. 7 (ChinaMil) -- Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy, met with the visiting Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Ade Supandi in Beijing on the afternoon of September 6. Shen said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership has been continuously deepened with fruitful achievements in friendly exchange and pragmatic cooperation. The navies of the two countries have conducted multi-level close cooperation in various areas, which has not only helped enhance the friendship between the two navies but also played an important role in maintaining stability in the South China Sea, Shen said. Shen hopes that both sides can continue to maintain high-level interactions, strengthen communication in bilateral and multilateral occasions, and give full play to the cooperative dialogue mechanism between the two navies. The PLA Navy is also willing to conduct pragmatic cooperation with the Indonesian Navy in the areas of anti-piracy, humanitarian rescue and disaster relief, joint drills and training, exchange between naval colleges and young officers as well as nautical and hydrographic survey, Shen told his Indonesian counterpart. Supandi said that the Indonesian Navy attaches great importance to the friendly relations with the Chinese Navy, and will be committed to continuously deepen the pragmatic cooperation between the two navies at different levels and in various areas to push forward the development of bilateral relations. Before their meeting, Shen Jinlong held a welcoming ceremony for Ade Supandi and accompanied him to review the guards of honor of the PLA Navy. Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong(L), commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy, holds a welcome ceremony for the visiting Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Ade Supandi(R) and accompanies him to review the guard of honor of the PLA Navy in Beijing, September 6, 2017. (CCTV/81.cn) Hurricane Irma continued on a collision course with Miami after devastating a chain of Caribbean islands, triggering the largest evacuation in Miami-Dade County history and threatening to become the most expensive storm in U.S. history. The life-threatening storm is heading for a direct hit on Florida Sunday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. That prospect has roiled markets for everything from orange juice to insurance and natural gas. Barclays Plc has estimated insured losses in a worst-case scenario from the storm at $130 billion. Irma may reenter the Atlantic and make a second landfall Monday somewhere near Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. The Southeast Coast of Florida, including Miami, would be expecting potentially catastrophic storm surges Saturday night and Sunday morning, said Todd Crawford, lead meteorologist at The Weather Company in Andover, Massachusetts. The timing of Irmas turn on Saturday will make the difference between a multi-billion dollar storm for Miami and the Gold Coast, and a major, but less devastating, weather event. In the U.S., mandatory evacuations were issued for the Florida Keys and other areas. Around 650,000 people were told to leave Miami-Dade, the largest evacuation ever attempted in the county. Irma is one of three hurricanes churning in the Atlantic Basin. Jose, which was following Irmas path in the Atlantic, became the third major hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season. In the Gulf of Mexico, Katia was about 195 miles (315 kilometers) northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, and is forecast to come ashore overnight Friday. Insurers extended their declines Thursday, with XL Group Ltd. dropping 5.1 percent and Everest Re Group Ltd. losing 6.8 percent in New York. Smaller companies that focus on the Florida market had steeper declines. Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. and Federated National Holding Co. fell more than 10 percent. Irma may knock out power to almost 2 million people, curb natural gas demand in one of the largest U.S. markets and threaten $1.2 billion worth of crops in Florida the top U.S. grower of fresh tomatoes, oranges, green beans, cucumbers, squash and sugarcane. The storm has already damaged or destroyed about 95 percent of homes on the small island of Barbuda, crippled its airport runway and broke a cellular tower in two, complicating relief efforts, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on national television. It is absolutely heart-wrenching. There was massive damage on two French West Indies islands where eight people were killed, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said at a press conference in Paris Thursday. Power Outages Irma comes less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey smashed ashore in Texas, knocking offline almost a quarter of U.S. oil refining capacity and causing widespread power outages and flooding. Current models show Irma veering away from gas and oil platforms off the coast of Texas and Louisiana, sparing Houston more devastation. Irmas top winds held at 175 miles an hour, meaning its still at Category 5 strength, the highest measure on the five-step Saffir Simpson scale. It was about 40 miles south of Grand Turk Island as of about 5 p.m. New York time, according to the hurricane center. Irmas eye is passing between Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos islands before entering the Bahamas late Thursday and passing through the chain Friday, where it could bring as much as 25 inches of rain and a storm surge of as much as 20 feet. Hurricane-strength winds now reach out 70 miles from the eye, up from 60 miles earlier. A strike on Miami at Category 4 strength could lead to insured losses of $125 billion to $130 billion, Jay Gelb, an analyst at Barclays, wrote in a note Tuesday. Uninsured losses would add to that. Total losses from Katrina reached $160 billion in 2017 dollars after it slammed into New Orleans in 2005. In other storm news: Orange juice futures traded near their highest level since May. American Airlines Group Inc. said its canceled more than 2,400 flights due to Irma, though its adding 16 extra flights, or more than 3,600 seats, to move people out of Miami. Limetree Bay Terminals St. Croix oil facility in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been shut since Tuesday evening, according to person familiar with operations. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Florida Hurricane Aviation Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, drove toward Florida on Friday after lashing the Caribbean with devastating winds and torrential rain, killing 19 people and leaving a swathe of catastrophic destruction. Irma was about 450 miles (724 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, early Friday after saturating the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and pummeling the Turks and Caicos Islands. The extremely dangerous hurricane was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 early Friday but still packed winds as strong as 150 miles per hour (240 km per hour), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory at 8 a.m EDT (noon GMT). Irma hit the Bahamas on Friday, where it was forecast to bring 20-foot (six-meter) storm surges before moving to Cuba and then slamming into southern Florida on Sunday. In Miami, hundreds lined up for bottled water and cars looped around city blocks to buy gas on Thursday. Shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. In Palm Beach, the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate owned by U.S. President Donald Trump was ordered evacuated, media reported. Trump also owns property on the French side of St. Martin, an island devastated by the storm. A mandatory evacuation on Georgias Atlantic coast was due to begin on Saturday, Governor Nathan Deal said. The storm comes two weeks after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, claiming around 60 lives and causing property damage estimated at as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Irma ravaged a series of small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, flattening homes and hospitals and ripping down trees. A Reuters witness described the roof and walls of a solidly built house shaking hard as the storm rocked the island of Providenciales and caused a drop in pressure that could be felt in peoples chests. Throughout the islands in Irmas wake, stunned locals tried to comprehend the devastation as they were getting ready for another major hurricane, Jose, a Category 3 due to reach the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday. DEATHS RISE The death toll from the storm has risen as emergency services got access to remote areas pummeled by heavy winds and rain. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on Friday that nine people were killed and at least seven were missing after the hurricane crashed into Frances Caribbean islands of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy. One hundred and twelve people were injured, Collomb said, adding there could be more victims. Four people died in the U.S. Virgin islands, a government spokesman said, and a major hospital was badly damaged by the wind. A U.S. amphibious assault ship arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday and sent helicopters for medical evacuations from the destroyed hospital. A man was reported missing after trying to cross a river in Cerca La Source in Haitis Central Plateau region. On Barbuda one person died and the eastern Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla, another person was killed and the hospital and airport were damaged, emergency service officials said. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and around two-thirds of the population had lost electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm rolled by the U.S. territorys northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. The storm passed just to the north of the island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing damage to roofs, flooding and power outages as it approached the impoverished Haitian side, but did not make landfall there. . Cuba evacuated some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the northern coast. In Caibarien, a coastal town in the hurricanes predicted path, residents headed farther inland. Irma is the strongest hurricane recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. (Reporting by Makini Brice in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Bate Felix and Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Brendan OBrien in Milwaukee; Writing by Dan Flynn; Editing by Larry King and Jeffrey Benkoe) Topics Catastrophe USA Florida Hurricane Georgia The California Legislature backed a measure this week that could require Wells Fargo to go to court with consumers who say they were harmed by the banks fake account scandal. The legislation would prohibit the San Francisco-based bank in some cases from relying on contract provisions that require customers to settle disputes through arbitration rather than the courts. Wells Fargo customers agreed to mandatory arbitration when they signed up for legitimate accounts, said Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat who wrote the bill. But those agreements should not affect fraudulent accounts that were brought forth by stealing their customers personal information, he said. The Senates 25-13 vote sends SB33 to Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill would not help customers who have already taken their claims to arbitration. Its unclear how many consumers have claims that havent been arbitrated and could end up in court if Brown signs the measure. A Wells Fargo spokeswoman, Erika Reynoso, declined to comment. Business groups opposed the legislation, warning that the wording is confusing, likely pre-empted by federal law and could subject employers to costly and unnecessary lawsuits. Ambiguity, inconsistency and confusion only serves to benefit trial attorneys and their ability to pursue more costly litigation with higher attorney fee recoveries, not consumers, the California Chamber of Commerce wrote in a letter to lawmakers urging them to vote against the measure. Consumer advocates oppose the growing use of mandatory arbitration in the fine print of contracts. They say arbitrators are often friendly to the corporations that hire them in hopes of getting more business settling disputes with the company. Wells Fargo says 3.5 million accounts were potentially opened without permission from customers between 2009 and 2016. The company acknowledged a year ago that employees under pressure to meet aggressive sales targets had opened accounts that customers might not have even been aware existed. The company has paid $185 million to regulators and settled a class-action suit for $142 million. Former chief executive John Stumpf lost his job. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Legislation Panoramica privacy Questo sito web utilizza i cookies per fornire all'utente la miglior esperienza di navigazione possibile. L'informazione dei cookie e memorizzata nel browser dell' utente, svolge funzioni di riconoscimento quando l' utente ritorna nel sito e permette di sapere quali sezioni del sito sono ritenute piu interessanti e utili. BEIJING: China on Friday pledged its support for Pakistan's efforts against terrorism as foreign affairs ministers of both the countries discussed regional and international situation. Addressing a press conference along with his Pakistani counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Pakistan's people, government and the armed forces rendered unprecedented sacrifices against terrorism. He said Pakistan and China stand together amid changing regional and international situation. He also welcomed Pakistans efforts for peace in Afghanistan and expressed Beijings desire for better relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said China attaches great respect to Pakistans interest and said relations between the two countries are stable. Wang Yi said peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of both China and Pakistan. He said that China also wants good relationships between Pakistan and Afghanistan. "We wish to pursue security dialogue and strategic cooperation between China, Paksitan and Afghanistan", Yi said. He said that China is observing closely US policy on Afghansitan. Speaking at the press conference, Pakistans Foreign Affairs Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan and China support each other on regional and international affairs. Asif said the China and Pakistan agreed that solution of the Afghan problem has to be fundamentally political solution and that there is no military solution to the conflict. Referring to the US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, Khawaja Asif said peace and stability in Afghanistan remains critical for peace and security of the region. He said it is our firm view that focus should be on politically-negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict. He said China is playing a constructive role in this regard and together Pakistan and China can contribute to a political solution of Afghan problem. The Minister said Pakistan and China have close counter terrorism cooperation and Pakistan shares Beijing's strong position on three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism. He said Pakistan's comprehensive and all out law-enforcement actions against all terrorist groups have yielded positive results. He expressed Pakistan's gratitude to China for unflinching support in counter-terrorist efforts. The meeting between the foreign ministers took place at the State Guest House in Beijing where they discussed whole range of regional and international issues. Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif arrived Beijing in early hours of Friday. He has been invited by his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, at a time when Beijing stressed that it saw this visit as an important event between the two friendly countries which would further help implement the cooperation consensus reached between the two leaders. Earlier, the Pakistani Foreign Office had released a brief statement saying that this will be a one-day visit, where the two sides will review the bilateral relations and regional developments, including the situation in Afghanistan. On August 20, 2017, Wu Den-yih was inaugurated as the new chairman of Taiwans opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which has a history of more than 100 years.1 Taiwans Sunflower Student Movement, which took place from March 18 to April 10, 2014, can be regarded as a political tidal wave for the KMT. Student protesters and activists physically occupied the Legislative Yuan and the Executive Yuan.2 Then-president Ma Ying-jeou did not expect the onslaught of the Sunflower tidal wave. In January 2016, the KMT lost its ruling power status. It could not even maintain its majority-seat status in the Legislative Yuan. Two important elections are coming up in 2018 and 2020. 2020 will be the year Taiwan has to elect a new president. According to Taiwans Constitution, so long as the candidate can get more than half of the total ballot, he/she can become the next president. Can Wu succeed in helping a KMT member to become the next president? Many observers say that Wu himself may compete for the presidency. Here are a few observations regarding the kind of problems that Wu has to solve within the party. First, in the last few years, the KMT is having problem paying its employees on time. Before the end of each month, it needs approximately USD 120 million for paying the salaries of its full-time workers. Backed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, the Ill-Gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee has been trying to get the KMT to pay back its unfairly acquired assets. Second, there is rampant infighting within the party. Many members want to (tactically) change the name of the party to read KMT of Taiwan (as opposed to of China) so as to enable themselves to grab a seat in the 113-member Legislative Yuan. In this context, how is it possible to bring about a grand coalition or even alliance among the pan-blue camp (besides the KMT, there are also the New Party and the People First Party)? Third, the economy is not good. President Tsai Ing-wens New Southbound Policy will not work well because it is not tied to mainland Chinas Belt and Road strategy. While many companies, corporations and stores are seeing less profits as a result of the new Yi Li Yi Xiu (one fixed day off and one flexible rest day) policy for laborers, it would become more difficult for KMT to seek donations from them, because the bosses or owners will simply shorten the working hours each week, implying that they may already be making less money. Regarding external challenges, a few observations can be highlighted. First, the pro-Taiwan de jure independence activists are not interested in giving the Republic of China (ROC) a new lease of life. They are more interested in creating a Republic of Taiwan. The activists perceived that by giving up all Mainland claims and pretensions, the people of Taiwan can be better off, for example, by being able to choose their own president. If the KMT further abandons its various ties and linkages with mainland China, it may well literally mean the end of the ROC at an earlier date. They may justify their wishful thinking by referring to this incident. After the October 1971 withdrawal of the ROC from the United Nations, vice foreign minister Yang Hsi-kun proposed to Chiang Kai-shek that the ROC should be designated as Zhong Hua Tai Wan Gong He Guo (Chinese Republic of Taiwan) and, henceforth, the government would have nothing to do with the Mainland, or the Taiwan area will not be an integral part of China. Yang, after the ROCs withdrawal from the United Nations, spoke to the American ambassador to the ROC, hoping to generate a new image needed to be created with the government freed of the outworn trappings, encumbrances and shibboleths of the party and the establishment. On November 30, 1971, the US ambassador sent a telegram to the American Secretary of State about the matter. At the end, the United States did not want to continue the discussion of this eyes only bombshell. Second, Wu tries to toe the Ma line toward Beijing leaders. This is because Wu is fully aware that Chinese President Xi Jinping, armed with the March 2005 Anti-Secession Law, can definitely and swiftly settle the Taiwan issue at an earlier date. After that, would Taiwan still be able to earn USD 70 billion plus annually from mainland China? And, what would happen to those Taiwanese whose spouses are from the Chinese mainland and are living in Taiwan? Third, the KMT is definitely on the defensive vis-a-vis mainland China. In recent years, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been able to conduct discourse at home and abroad related to the Taiwan Strait to its advantage. For example, starting from spring 2017, the number of years for fighting against Imperial Japan, as mentioned in Chinese mainland primary and secondary textbooks, has been increased from eight to 14, starting from September 18, 1931.3 In another example, the CPC held a grand ceremony in Beijing in November 2016 to honor Dr. Sun Yat-sens 150th birthday, while Taiwan President Tsai downplayed the importance of paying tribute to the founding father of the ROC. Soon, the majority of the younger generations of overseas Chinese will eventually side with Beijing in interpreting the modern Chinese history. In sum, since May 2016, the power struggle between China and Taiwan has a simple and straightforward reason in that Tsai has so far refused to acknowledge the November 1992 consensus or a version of it. Supporters of the KMT feel increasingly helpless at home and abroad. If the KMT further abandons its various ties and linkages with mainland China, it may well literally mean the end of the ROC at an earlier date. Such a bleak geopolitical landscape is developing. Can Wu reverse the unfavorable trend? The 2020 presidential election would be definitely decisive. Notes 1. In January 1912, the Republic of China was established. As early as November 1894, Dr. Sun Yat-sen founded the predecessor of Kuomintang, xinzhongnui (Society for Regenerating China). However, it was not until October 10, 1919 that the official full name of Kuomintang of China was used. 2. In a March 2017 Taipei District Court decision, Lin Feifan, Chen Weiting, and Huang Guochang were acquitted of incitement charges. 3. Some people in Taiwan posed the following question: Can we trace it back to May-October 1895, when Imperial Japan invaded Taiwan for the first time? An Irishman living in Houston, Texas said his family was trapped in their home following floods caused by Hurricane Harvey. Pat Concannon, from Connemara, Co Galway said his home was ruined in the storm. "I'd seen rain in Galway, but nothing like this. Six inches of water fell in about 20 minutes, it's hard to imagine the amount of rain. I heard the rain coming in and I thought to myself 'wow this is very strong'," he told RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta. He said the water quickly rose to eight feet deep. "We couldn't leave the house then, we were stuck there for the day," he added. "There was almost three foot of water in the house, and were five foot above the road, so it was eight foot of water in the middle of the road. People were going up and down in boats. The water came up to the dashboard of our cars outside," Pat said. When they eventually left their home it took over three hours to travel less than half a kilometre to his wife's friend's house. "The water was very deep and fast-flowing, you couldnt even lift your leg while you were walking or the water would sweep you away, and if it did you were finished," he added. Pat, who works in cancer research, has been living in Houston for 12 years and is now staying with his father-in-law. "Our house was flooded two years ago and it took 10 months to repair the damage. All the furniture is destroyed. Were staying with my father-in-law at the moment, he has a two-storey house. There were 10 people staying there the night of the flood," he said. Pat, originally Cor na Ron in the Cois Fharraige area of Connemara, said this is the third time his home had been flooded but this time he is not going back. "We won't go back this time. We've had enough," he said. He also expressed doubts that insurance agencies will be able to cover the full cost of the damage. "Theres too much damage done, so it will be hard to get compensation for it all. I heard that one million cars were flooded, but theyll only compensate you for the sale price of the car. "And as well as that the dealerships were flooded, so its very difficult to get a car," he added. Pat, who left Ireland for the US in 1982, added that some people are in an even worse situation. "It could have been a lot worse. There are 9,000 people still up in the stadium. There is a big area of the city, five miles or so, where people have been told that they cant go back to their homes for 10 or 15 days because theyre releasing water from the reservoirs," he said. Four men have appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged in connection with the murder of a man outside a pub in Co Meath. Peter Butterly was shot dead on March 6, 2013. The men were arrested in the early hours of this morning in Dublin, Cavan and Meath. On the afternoon of March 6, 2013, 35-year-old Peter Butterly was shot a number of times outside the Huntsman Inn in Gormanstown in Co Meath and died from his injuries. Peter Butterly This morning, the court heard 58-year-old Frank Murphy of McDonough Caravan Park in Bettystown was charged with the murder of Peter Butterly, membership of the IRA, possession of a gun and ammunition to commit murder on March 6, 2013. When the charges were read out to him in court he replied: "All bullshit, all lies." His older brother 60-year-old Laurence Murphy, who also lives at the caravan park, was charged with membership of the IRA and said "not guilty, deny everything," when the charge was put to him in court. A third man, 60-year-old Michael McDermott of Riverdale House, Garrymore, Ballinagh in Co Cavan, was charged with the murder of Peter Butterly, membership of the IRA, possession of a gun and ammunition to commit murder. The fourth man, 37-year-old Ray Kennedy of Whitestown Drive in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, was charged with membership of the IRA. All four men were remanded in custody to appear before the Special Criminal Court again next Thursday. Donald Trump has tweeted reassurances to the immigrants who benefit from a programme his administration is ending - after being prompted by senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi. In the latest instance of the Republican president doing the bidding of leaders of the opposition, he tweeted: "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!" He was referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), which Barack Obama created through administrative action in 2012. Mr Trump's administration said on Tuesday it is rescinding the programme but is giving Congress six months to take action on it. Despite his tweet, nearly 800,000 immigrants who obtained temporary work permits and deportation protections through Daca cannot rest entirely easy. Any of them whose protections expire within the next six months have until early October to reapply, and others must look ahead to an uncertain future. It is not clear whether Congress will be able to solve their problem in six months - or what Mr Trump will do if legislators do not act. Shortly after his tweet appeared on Thursday morning, House of Representatives minority leader Mr Pelosi told fellow Democrats at a closed-door meeting that she had spoken with the president and asked him to send it, to make clear to the so-called "Dreamers" that they would not be subject to deportation during the six-month window. Ms Pelosi's comments were confirmed by a Democratic aide. The development came a day after Mr Trump ignored the recommendations of Republican House and Senate leaders and sided with Ms Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer in favour of a three-month extension of the government's borrowing limit. Republicans had wanted a much longer extension to protect conservative legislators from having to cast the politically toxic vote again ahead of next year's mid-term elections. On immigration, Mr Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters want a hard line on illegal immigration, but others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children who were brought to the country illegally by their parents. AP As many as 1.9 million Peugeot and Citroen cars may have engines designed to trick diesel emissions tests, according to a report. Le Monde newspaper said PSA Group could face fines of up to 5bn for allegedly using special devices that programmed engines to vary emissions levels when they were being tested. The report prompted a decline in the company's share price in Paris. PSA denied wrongdoing and threatened to file a complaint over the report, citing extensively from a document from French consumer fraud agency DGCCRF, which has been investigating several car brands sold in France since Volkswagen was found in 2015 to have cheated on US emissions tests. PSA said in a statement that it complies with all regulations and "its vehicles have never been equipped with software or systems" allowing it to deceive tests. According to Le Monde, PSA developed a strategy to equip its engines with so-called defeat devices that would reduce the level of nitrogen oxide emissions during testing, and allow them to rise when cars are on the road. The report said 1.9 million Peugeot and Citroen cars made between 2009 and 2015 were affected - and that the company sought to continue the strategy in cars made after 2015 but with the defeat devices less noticeable. PSA said it had not been contacted by judicial authorities and it was "outraged" to see information about the investigation leaked to outsiders while the company has not seen the document in question. It is now up to investigating judges with the public health arm of the Paris prosecutor's office to determine whether to send the company to trial, along with other car makers being scrutinised. The prosecutor's office and DGCCRF refused to comment on the news report, citing the rules on secrecy of ongoing investigations. A disabled teenager has been left covered with rat bites after they attacked her in her sleep in northern France. The 14-year-old paraplegic- who can't move her legs - suffered more than 200 wounds last week near Lille. Update 9.45pm:At least 58 people have been killed after one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the country's southern coast. The quake, which hit minutes before midnight on Thursday, toppled hundreds of buildings, triggered tsunami evacuations and sent panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. It was strong enough to cause buildings to sway violently in the capital city more than 650 miles away. People still wearing pyjamas ran out of their homes and gathered in frightened groups. Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicentre, said his house "moved like chewing gum". The furious shaking created a second national emergency for Mexican agencies already bracing for Hurricane Katia on the other side of the country. The system was expected to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz early on Saturday as a category two storm that could bring life-threatening floods. The head of Mexico's civil defence agency confirmed the deaths of 45 people in the southern state of Oaxaca. Another 10 people died in Chiapas and three more in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. The worst-hit city appeared to be Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus. About half of the city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble, and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses. Mexico's capital escaped major damage, but the quake terrified sleeping residents, many of whom still remember the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of the city. M8.0 #earthquake (#sismo) strikes 200 km SW of Tuxtla Gutierrez (#Mexico) 25 min ago. Updated map of its effects: pic.twitter.com/hKkngae5Yd EMSC (@LastQuake) September 8, 2017 Earlier: One of the most powerful earthquakes ever to strike Mexico has killed at least 32 people, toppling houses and businesses and sending panicked people into the streets more than 650 miles away. Oaxaca state governor Alejandro Murat told local media that at least 23 people in his state died, and civil defence officials said at least seven died in the state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, while two died in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake hit off southern Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude as 8.1 - equal in force to a 1985 quake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of Mexico City. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools in at least 11 states for safety checks. The US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within about five hours, and the president warned that a major aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur. The USGS said the quake struck at 11.49pm on Thursday and its epicentre was 102 miles west of Tapachula in Chiapas. It had a depth of 43.3 miles. The quake caused buildings to sway violently in Mexico's capital more than 650 miles away, and people still wearing nightclothes fled into the streets, gathering in frightened groups. Chiapas governor Manuel Velasco said three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed. He called on people living near the coast to leave their houses as a protective measure. "There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy," he said. "Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged." Tabasco governor Arturo Nunez said two children died in his Gulf coast state. One of them was killed when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children's hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the infant's ventilator. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves more than 3ft above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places. The centre's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of 3ft. No threat was posed to Hawaii and the western and South Pacific. Mexican authorities were evacuating some residents of coastal Tonala and Puerto Madero because of the warning. The quake hit as emergency agencies were bracing for another crisis on the other side of the country. The US National Hurricane Centre said Hurricane Katia is likely to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz early on Saturday as a category two storm that could bring life-threatening floods. In neighboring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage. "We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don't have details," Mr Morales said. He said the unconfirmed death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico. The quake occurred in a seismically active region near the point of collision between three tectonic plates, the Cocos, the Caribbean and the North American. Mexico's National Seismological Service said the area has seen at least six other quakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900 - though three of those occurred within a nerve-wracking nine-month span in 1902/03. AP The company employs more than 1,000 people in Ireland in manufacturing and sales, including more than 500 in Kinsale. However, it did not rule out job losses in Ireland. Lilly announced it was to cut 8% of its workforce and close a number of sites in a bid to lower costs and invest in developing new medicines. In May, it announced it was proceeding with a 200m expansion at its Kinsale site after putting the decision on hold in the wake of Donald Trumps election as US president. A spokesman for Lilly said: We do not expect the news to impact the recently commenced investment at the Lilly biopharma manufacturing campus in Dunderrow, Kinsale. Lilly, which has had setbacks over the past year in the development of two potential blockbuster drugs, will cut about 3,500 positions around the world, resulting in yearly savings of about $500m (416m), beginning in 2018. Shares rose almost 2% after the announcement. The company expects most of the cuts to come from a voluntary early-retirement programme it is offering in the US. It is also closing a plant in Iowa and research and development offices in New Jersey and China. The spokesman added: This work will free up resources to invest in our most promising medicines both new products, new indications and line extension to benefit millions more patients around the world. Lilly outlined in July a likely multi-year delay for its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve the drug, calling for an additional clinical study. That delay followed the failure of a trial in November of Lillys experimental Alzheimers treatment solanezumab, which the company had hoped would be the first medicine approved to slow progression of the disease. The company said it has the potential to launch two new medicines by the end of 2018 a breast cancer drug and a treatment for migraines. The FDA is currently reviewing abemaciclib to treat advanced breast cancer. Lillys chairman and chief executive David A Ricks said: We have an abundance of opportunities eight medicines launched in the past four years and the potential for two more by the end of next year. To fully realise these opportunities and invest in the next generation of new medicines, we are taking action to streamline our organisation and reduce our fixed costs around the world. Additional reporting Reuters While out of the country, I noticed that the Irish housing crisis noise went up a number of decibels, with some tragic homeless deaths and the dysfunctional rental market as students return to college feeding the justifiable frenzy. It defies logic that a relatively tiny country of 4.7m people is incapable of providing sufficient housing to satisfy the requirements of those who want to buy, those who want to rent, and those who cannot afford to rent or buy. It is a pretty sad indictment of our policy making system that we are in the mess that we are in. The same things could be said about health. If it is any consolation, the housing and health problems that we are trying to grapple with in Ireland are not unique. Health and housing are also in crisis in the US. The health system is under severe pressure and the reversal of Obamacare by President Donald Trump seems to be proving a major handful. The lack of continuity in policy making is a universal problem, but one which creates tremendous displacement and uncertainty. For example, I believed from the get go that the Help to Buy scheme here in Ireland was a barmy initiative, but the dangers and difficulties involved in reversing it are reasonably obvious. The same can be said of reversing Obamacare. In relation to housing, the US clearly has very similar difficulties to Ireland. A headline in a San Francisco newspaper last week read: Bay Area housing shortage worsens. There is a distinct lack of houses for sale in the area and finding a starter home is described as a tall order. An affordability index in the region shows only 21% of households in the area could afford a median-priced home. The affordability index is based on the minimum income needed to buy a median-priced single-family home with a 20% down payment at prevailing mortgage rates. In San Francisco itself, the index suggests that just 12% of households could afford the median-priced house in the city. In early 2012, this stood at 29%. The explanation for this difficult housing market environment is that prices are being propelled ever higher due to the fact that the regions supply of new housing is not keeping up with demand, which in turn is being driven by strong jobs growth, especially in high-paying technology jobs. Ironically, many of those with the high-paying technology jobs are struggling to afford houses in the region. Finding a starter home in San Francisco is now being described as nearly impossible. In general, house price inflation is outpacing income growth, which sounds like a very familiar problem. Furthermore, many house buyers are depending on financial assistance from their parents to get on the housing ladder and accumulate the deposit, and many are being forced into hugely time-consuming commutes. This is an even more familiar problem. Policy makers in the state capital, Sacramento, are under huge pressure to come up with workable solutions. Those solutions include dismantling the barriers to development at a local level, such as utility and impact fees. Property tax increases are limited by the so-called Proposition 13, so local authorities are being forced to place the financial burden of providing services on the shoulders of developers, which in turn discourages the delivery of new housing. This sounds vaguely familiar. The housing debate and the issues being discussed in the Bay Area are uncannily similar to those in Ireland. Here, the strength of the economy and the labour market, and natural demographic forces are driving demand in the market. The market is either unwilling or unable to deliver sufficient housing. Just as the tech boom in Silicon Valley is fuelling the market in the Bay Area, Dublin is likely to experience similar pressures from Brexit-related opportunities. Just as housing poses a significant challenge to the competitiveness of the Bay Area, Dublin, in particular, is now facing similar risks and challenges. Bus driver Li Shuo decorates her bus with all kinds of soft toys in Changchun City, the capital of Northeast Chinas Jilin Province, Sept. 7, 2017. Li Shuo, 26, says from a young age her father bought her more than 30 soft toys as reward for good deeds. Li now uses the toys to decorate her bus as well as giving some to those in need. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Yao) This follows Tesco lodging an appeal against Cork County Councils decision to give Lidl the go-ahead for the store. The move by the UK retailer at least delays Lidls plans for Douglas by four months. In its objection against the plan proposed for Barrys Field on the Carrigaline Road, consultants for Tesco argued that the proposal is an under-utilisation of lands at in the Cork suburb and a more efficient development could be delivered. Tesco also stated that the proposals design and layout does not comply with the local area plan or best practice in relation to commercial development. The retailer also claimed that the proposed development is not consistent with the form and scale of development that is proposed as part of the local area plan. Tesco has opposed a number of new store proposals by Lidl and Aldi across the country. It recorded success in one case last week where it successfully appealed a decision to the board concerning a new Aldi store planned for Malahide, Co Dublin. The UK retailers opposition to the further expansion of the two operators comes against the background of continuing sales growth by the discounters. At 22%, Tesco still has a large share of the market and in the most recent Kantar Worldpanel survey, Lidl outperformed the market in sales growth that gave it a market share of just over 12%. Aldi also expanded its share and posted a market share of the Republics grocery market of 11.5%. Five other parties have also appealed the Douglas decision including Lidl itself, which is appealing against a condition of the planning permission. A decision is due on the appeal on January 4. Lidl has 152 stores in the Republic and about 50 stores in the North. The decision was made after Garda bosses told the CSO they had ongoing doubts over the quality of their homicide data and wanted to carry out a deeper examination. It comes as Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan was expected back in Ireland after attending a conference in Europe, amid ongoing calls for her to step down over the breath test and penalty point reports. Skills Minister John Halligan said confidence is eroding in gardai, but Taoiseach Leo Varadkar avoided answering questions on the commissioners future at two events yesterday. The CSO initially suspended publication of Garda crime figures last June after it identified quality concerns regarding Garda homicide figures specifically. Last April, Ms OSullivan told the Policing Authority the force was conducting a review based on classification issues regarding 41 homicides recorded between 2013 and 2015. This review expanded in June when the commissioner told the authority a further 89 homicides between 2003 and 2017 had not been reported to the CSO because they had been recorded incorrectly on the Garda Pulse system. The CSO had planned to publish two sets of quarterly crime figures on September 20 but was informed by gardai that they wanted to conduct further work on the homicide data. In a statement, the CSO said: Following discussions with An Garda Siochana, the Central Statistics Office has further deferred the publication of Recorded Crime statistics. This follows on from An Garda Siochanas recent decision to extend their review of homicide data. Olive Loughnane of the CSO Crime Section told the Irish Examiner the gardai had said they should be able to be in a position to give a timeframe for delivery of the data next week. However, she said she did not expect the data anytime soon. She said the gardai had supplied the CSO with data for publication, but said they wanted to carry out further work on homicide figures. This is their data set, said Ms Loughnane. They were telling us they needed to extend and do more work. They said look, theres something here we want to look at at a deeper level and, because of that, we took the decision that we will wait. At the public meeting with the Policing Authority last June, Ms OSullivan said an in-depth review was taking place on homicide statistics and to ensure that there were no consequences in the investigations concerned. Authority chair Josephine Feehily expressed concern at the impact on community confidence and potentially on victims, while then authority member, Vicky Conway, described the revelations as alarming. Ms Feehily noted that they still had not received a report on 41 homicide cases, revealed to the authority last April. In a statement at the end of July, the authority said the absence of a timeline for a completed report on homicide data was increasingly difficult to understand. Mr Halligan, said: I think the Irish public deserve an explanation as to what has happened over the last number of years. The confidence in the gardai, theres no question about it, it is eroding, and I think we need to steady it. There are a number of commissions at present taking place and when they review what has happened well see where we go from there. The Independent Alliance TD made the comment at an event attended by Mr Varadkar and Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Frances Fitzgerald, a former justice minister, both of whom declined to take questions. Mr Varadkar did not respond to a question on the commissioners future at a later press launch at Government Buildings. The consultant endocrinologist and physician, whose long-standing passion has been about childhood obesity and prevention, admitted that he canvassed for his new job. I approached people I thought would be competitors for the job and asked them to be referees in the hope it would put them off, said Prof OShea. However, he insisted on RTE radio yesterday that he was not changing sides, as a lot of people had suggested. He will be part of the management structure two days a week but would not be leaving his clinical work in Dublin. My long-standing passion has been about the childhood issue and prevention, he said. 12% of our three-year-olds in socially deprived areas are obese; 4% of our three-year-olds in the better-off areas are obese. Thats a massive disparity by the age of three. And dont tell me that any parent wants an obese kid. So dont blame the parent thats not acceptable when you have got that socioeconomic separation. Prof OShea said a big issue would be deciding how to use healthcare resources and in the battle against obesity, he had always emphasised the need for prevention. In healthcare, we spend way too much on the last three months of life and we spend way too little on the first three years of life, he said. He says that if available resources were tweaked, with more money spent on prevention and education in the early years, the future health of the country would be transformed. He clarified he was not saying less money should be spent on nursing and community care for the elderly but rather that there would be more people living longer and healthier if obesity was tackled at an early age. Pressed on what services he would cut at the end of life in order to prevent obesity, Prof OShea said there had to be a debate on healthcare rationing. What I am saying is that if you live a healthy life and you die in your late 80s, you dont spend three months in intensive care being resuscitated and being given a whole lot of treatments, he said. You die a quiet peaceful death, hopefully at home with your family. Prof OShea said he had been asking for a sugar tax on soft drinks for 10 years. The tax will be introduced next April to coincide with the introduction of a similar tax in Britain. Prof OShea wants the money raised from the tax to be spent on obesity prevention but the Department of Finance is against ring-fencing revenue for that purpose. Meanwhile, the Society of Chartered Physiotherapists has found that 18-24-year-olds are the least physically active of all adults. The survey found that those aged 55 are outperforming the younger age groups in their daily physical activity levels and that children are spending far too much on screen time. Worryingly, children are spending almost three hours a day watching television and using their tablets and mobile phones. The time spent is well above the two-hour limit recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics. It emerged that the 18-24 age group spend the least amount of time being physically active at just 2.5 hours per day, compared to over-55s who spend more than four hours a day active. In a four-page document, negotiators in Brussels warn it is more than just a customs problem. EU negotiator Michel Barniers team said they were not offering solutions on how cross-border trade and travel will be protected on the island of Ireland. They said the onus was on the UK to come up with ideas to avoid a hard border, including checkpoints. The long-awaited paper states: It is the responsibility of the United Kingdom to ensure that its approach to the challenges of the Irish border in the context of its withdrawal from the European Union takes into account and protects the very specific and interwoven political, economic, security, societal, and agricultural context and frameworks on the island of Ireland. These challenges will require a unique solution which cannot serve to preconfigure solutions in the context of the wider discussions on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The document warns that a thorough understanding of the issues beyond customs rules is needed to move negotiations forward. The paper calls for the negotiations to secure a political commitment to protect the Good Friday agreement and the gains of the peace process. It says these gains need to be strengthened, including the societal benefits and the normalisation of community relations in Northern Ireland and north-south. Flexible and imaginative solutions will be required to avoid a hard border, including any physical border infrastructure, it states. This must be achieved in a way which ensures that Irelands place within the internal market and customs union is unaffected. The Brussels paper warns that the UK and Europe will have to assess how north-south co-operation could be impacted if and when EU law ceases to apply in Northern Ireland and whether specific provisions need to be made for this. Mr Barniers team called on London to make sure peoples rights under the Good Friday agreement are not affected, including by protecting against discrimination. They said Irish citizens living in the North must keep their rights as EU citizens. They called for both London and Brussels to commit to paying what is due under peace dividend funding programmes. The Brussels paper also described the Common Travel Area, which dates back to the 1920s, as a fundamental right which should be maintained. It said it underpins the peace process. Mr Barnier also accused UK Brexit secretary David Davis and his negotiating team of trying to use the border as a test case. This will not happen, he said. Mr Barnier said he was worried by the positions set out by the UK in its paper on the border. He accused the UK of attempting to suspend EU law on the border, including the customs union and the single market. This would not be fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union, said Mr Barnier. The latest figures show 8,160 homeless people in the State in July, including 2,973 children. A total of 1,429 families were homeless. The figures show a 26% increase in the number of homeless families in a year, a rise of 27% in homeless children in the same period and a 296% increase in the number of homeless children in just three years. Reacting to the figures, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said resources are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required, while admitting that the record homeless figures indicated the scale of the challenge. He met with some of the housing and homeless NGOs yesterday and this morning will hold a Housing Summit in Dublins Custom House attended by the chiefs executive of the 31 local authorities, alongside minister of state Damien English. Former Dublin lord mayor Christy Burke said there will be a protest at the event over some groups being excluded from the discussions. The Local Government Management Association (LGMA), formed by the chief executives of the county and city councils, said the issue of vacant properties would be on the agenda today. LGMA assistant chief executive Fearghal Reidy said: We are doing everything we can to meet the targets. He said the next local government performance indicators, due to be published in the next month, would likely show a reduction in the turnaround times for refurbishing void properties. However, homeless support groups and opposition parties said urgent action was needed to tackle the crisis. Simon Communities spokeswoman Niamh Randall said the private rental market is not working and there needed to be immediate solutions, including full rent certainty, linking rents to the Consumer Price Index, greater security of tenure, closing loopholes in relation to evictions, and increasing, monitoring and adjusting rent supplement/HAP payments regularly. Focus Ireland advocacy director Mike Allen said the figures needed to mark a line in the sand and added: Were never going to tackle this problem if we dont reduce the flow of people coming into homelessness. Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O Broin said the Government hasnt a clue how to tackle this crisis, and urged the minister to consider a Focus Ireland suggestion to amend the Residential Tenancies Act that would limit the circumstances in which a landlord could seek vacant possession of a property they intend to sell. June Tinsley, Barnardos head of advocacy, warned of the longer-term effects of the crisis. We see first-hand the devastating and long-term impact that being homeless has on a childs health and development, not to mention their ability to learn, she said. Hiqa inspectors were so concerned about ongoing failure to test water for legionella bacteria that they referred the matter to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). They also wrote twice to Gerry ODwyer, CEO of the South/Southwest Hospital group (SSWHG), warning of serious risk to the health or welfare of patients. Among the high-level risks identified in an unannounced inspection in June were: Poor practice in relation to the cleaning of reusable equipment, particularly reusable bedpans, urinals and measuring jugs; Insufficient isolation facilities for patients with transmissible infection, and absence of isolation facilities with specialised ventilation for patients with airborne infection; Unsafe practice in relation to the preparation and storage of medication for injection in the intensive care unit; Incomplete screening of patients for multi-drug resistant organisms, thereby increasing the risk of transmission to other patients. Other serious deficits included inability of the microbiology lab to perform rapid testings of specimens for influenza virus because of a lack of resources instead they had to be sent to Dublin. A review of outbreak reports showed staff had limited advice from a consultant microbiologist during an outbreak of a resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus among newborns in 2016 a bacteria that can prove fatal if it spreads to the bloodstream, and during a measles outbreak, where lack of isolation facilities contributed to the outbreak. Hiqa wrote to Mr ODwyer on June 19 on foot of its findings, which included concerns that the hospital was without a consistent consultant microbiologist contractual arrangement over the course of several years, which had hindered the progression of an effective infection prevention and control programme. Hospital management said ongoing financial deficits had impeded improvements such as legionella water testing and additional cleaning resources. While Mr ODwyer provided a number of assurances to Hiqa in terms of mitigating identified risks, Hiqa sought further assurances and informed Mr ODwyer that the failure to test for legionella had been referred to the HSA. In a statement yesterday, the SSWHG said it acknowledged the issues raised in the Hiqa report and are currently putting in place key actions to mitigate risks identified, including that legionella testing and environmental monitoring commenced at the UHK site in August 2017. To date, pathogenic strains have not been detected. Staff training and re-training in patient equipment de-contamination is already underway, the SSWHG statement said, and plans are in place to undertake minor capital works including the procurement of additional bedpan washers. George Reynolds, with an address at Shalom, the Rock, Kinsale, Co Cork, had pleaded guilty to possession of a quantity of cannabis and 0.444g of N-Dimethyltryptamine. Insp Pat Meaney, prosecuting, told Bandon District Court that on December 10, 2015 at about 5.10pm gardai conducted a search at the property at the Rock in Kinsale under a warrant. Insp Meaney said there were a number of people in the property at the time and that controlled drugs were found on everyone present. He told Judge David Waters that Mr Reynolds took ownership of cannabis worth 350 and the .444g grams of the drug, also known as N, which was in capsule form. Judge Waters said, It is a rare drug. Ive never heard of it, to which Mr Reynolds said: Its mostly used in the Amazon jungle. Its mostly used for spiritual and religious practices. Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring molecule in some plants and is a component in the Amazonian ayahuasca brew. It is a powerful hallucinogenic which has gained popularity in Europe, while some Westerners have travelled to parts of the Amazon to undergo ayahuasca ceremonies. Some people have claimed that these ceremonies have therapeutic effects but there have also been a number of warnings that it can have hugely harmful effects. Mr Reynolds solicitor, Eamon Fleming, told the court that his client was now 27 and had a lifestyle that had been fairly chaotic in the last number of years, but he had now enrolled in a local college in a two-year outdoor adventure course. The judge convicted Reynolds and fined him 250 for possession of the N-Dimethyltryptamine capsules and 200 for the cannabis. More than 24,000 has been crowd-sourced to make a documentary about Micheline as she follows part of Hanna Sheehy-Skeffingtons journey a century ago. Hanna sailed to the US at the end of 1916, less than a year after her fellow feminist and pacifist husband Francis was shot illegally by a firing squad at a Dublin military barracks. She made more than 250 speeches about the case and about British actions in Ireland during her tour between January and June 1917. She also put the case for Irish independence to US president Woodrow Wilson, before being imprisoned briefly on her return for her anti-British sentiments. Sticking as much as possible to a similar itinerary, Micheline sailed from Southampton and arrived yesterday in New York to find her grandmothers and father Owens assumed names in the register at Ellis Island. Her father was only seven when the pair left Glasgow aboard the Cameronia using false identities of Mary and Eugene Gribbin from Scotland. During her journey this week, Micheline wrote: What a contrast with what Hanna and little Owen must have endured in their 10-day journey from Glasgow in December 1916. Owen, recovering from diphtheria, was sea-sick and Hanna kept a low profile. Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, originally from Kanturk. Her first engagement was a speech last night to the American Irish Historical Society, and she will be filmed at hotels and venues where her grandmother visited over the coming week before travelling by train to other US cities. While much of her focus is to be on the work of her grandparents, and Irish and womens history, the plant ecologist will also be highlighting continuing gender inequality in Irish academia. She has offered her 70,000 award in a gender discrimination case against NUI Galway to support five other women who, like her, were not promoted in 2009. It is hoped to have a documentary ready to be screened in 2018, which will be the centenary of some women in Ireland getting the right to vote as a result of the work of campaigners such as Hanna and Francis Sheehy-Skeffington. Her 1917 tour of the US feature in historian Margaret Wards book, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Suffragette and Sinn Feiner: Her Political Writings, out this month from UCD Press. She was to have been a member of the provisional government in the event that the Rising had been a success, and she remained an active republican. Hanna returned to the US in 1922 promoting the anti-Treaty cause and raising funds for Civil War prisoners families. She campaigned against Eamon de Valeras 1937 constitution because of its clauses about women. A 31-year-old young mother with acute myocarditis was saved by a Nanjing-based hospital in eastern China after her heart stopped beating for 10 days, Yangtse Evening Post reported on Sept. 7. The local hospital in Yancheng, a city near Nanjing, immediately asked for help from Zhongda Hospital in Nanjing, a major hospital that is affiliated with Southeast University, after a young mother surnamed Zhang was diagnosed with acute virus triggered myocarditis. A moving ICU was rapidly sent to Yancheng, including two physicians specializing in critical care, a head nurse, and key medical equipment. Zhangs heart stopped beating upon arrival at midnight, so the medical team placed her on a life support system to try to save her. Without a heartbeat, the patient received surgery at Zhongda Hospital and her heart started beating again on the 10th day. Now, under good care of the staff, Zhang is getting better, and her heart started beating on its own on the 15th day. This rare case proves that artificial hearts can save lives. The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) centres, which will be focused on the areas of smart manufacturing, neurotherapeutics, bioeconomy, and 3D printing, will receive 74m in government funding and 40m from their respective industries over the next six years. In total, the four centres will directly support some 650 highly skilled researchers. The investment will support cutting-edge basic and applied research, with strong industry engagement, driving economic benefits and positive societal impact. The four research centres will focus on the following: CONFIRM aims to transform Irelands manufacturing industry to become a world-leader in smart manufacturing; BEACON will develop alternative technologies based on renewable biological resources; FutureNeuro is looking for treatments for chronic and rare neurological diseases; and I- FORM will enhance processing efficiency for Irish manufacturing, allowing the production of highly customised 3D printed components. The four SFI research centres will engage in more than 80 collaborations with industry partners both at home and abroad. Announcing the new centres, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the investment would help create jobs and drive economic growth Investing in leading-edge scientific and technological research is good for our economy and helps us to discover new innovations which can improve our quality of life, he said. Our SFI research centres represent a virtuous triangle between government, industry and higher education, and show just what can be achieved when there is a shared vision about reaching your ambitions. These four new SFI research centres will be centres of activity where Irish and international researchers are trained, and collaboration with private companies is facilitated to deliver new ideas and innovation. This, in turn, helps to create high-value jobs and drives economic growth and regional development. Director general of SFI and the Governments chief scientific adviser, Prof Mark Ferguson, said last year Ireland was ranked 10th for the overall quality of scientific research carried out here and that research centres had been central to this success. Research and innovation matter for our future they make the difference in enhancing productivity and boosting competitiveness and to tackling the societal challenges of our time: building a digitally-smart, low carbon, energy efficient, circular economy that offers well-paid, rewarding work and brings a good quality of life for all, he said. After publishing the EUs first position paper, Europes chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said he was worried by the UK paper on Ireland and the North. The UK wants to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future EU/UK customs relations. This will not happen, he said. Mr Varadkar welcomed both the report and Mr Barniers comments, but said he would not be giving a running commentary on negotiations as they change on a daily basis. Were very happy with the paper produced by the European Commission today, the Government had a big hand and big part in writing that paper, and that paper very much shows the EU27, the other member states, are very much behind us when it comes to our national interests, he said. In seeking to preserve the common travel area between Britain and Ireland and the effective common citizenship that exists between the two countries, the gains from the peace process and also avoiding any barriers to trade on this island. Negotiations will continue and of course political contacts will continue as well across the European Union and well make a decision in October as to whether we can move on to the next stage of talks. Fianna Fail Brexit spokesman Stephen Donnelly said the EU document was encouraging as it shows the commission clearly recognises the scale of the challenge facing Ireland and Northern Ireland post-Brexit. Much of the commentary to date has specifically focused on the customs challenge, but the EU Commission has clearly set out that the negotiations must also take into account the specific political, economic, security, societal, and agricultural issues facing Ireland and Northern Ireland, he said. A spokesman for the British government said it welcomed the position paper, in particular, the commitment to avoid any physical infrastructure at the border. We were clear on our position paper that the nature of the border means that an agreed, reciprocal solution must be found. Unilateral UK flexibility will not be sufficient to meet our shared objectives, which is why we welcome the commissions continued recognition of the need for flexible and imaginative solutions. The spokesman said both the UK and EU position papers provide a good basis on which to continue with negotiations. At heart a greatly frustrated flaneur, The Menu was taking a rare opportunity to enjoy a delightfully aimless constitutional around and about the town with no more motive than to see what he could see, see, see when his meanderings took him into the always wonderful English market. By the time you read this, the Startup Stall an outlet for young businesses to roadtest their food ideas on the general public will have been vacated by Legumerie, a plant-based food outfit owned and operated by Donegal siblings, Claire and John Duffy but, having have fallen in love with Cork, they are seeking a suitable site to place a cafe and production facility housed in upcycled shipping containers. (Replies to www.legumerie.ie). Near the Princes St entrance, are two new permanent stalls: James Scannell of Mealaguala Orchards, Ovens, operates the Apple Shop, selling superb local Irish apples along with juices and local honeys; and My Goodness Food, a farmers market staple, offers exquisite vegan food. Scannells arrival is particularly welcome for while The Menu adores the market, he acknowledges its offering of genuinely local quality Irish fruit and veg is distinctly underwhelming and Scannells produce (sometimes supplemented by apples from other similarly superb Irish growers) are a fine example of an infinitely superior alternative. COMMUNITY SPIRIT Regular readers will be well aware of The Menus great gra for Cloughjordan EcoVillage and, in particular, its Community Farm, so he was greatly distressed to learn that their barn and all its contents, including farming equipment, hay and over a ton of spuds, have all been incinerated. The community farm, which supplies members of the EcoVillage and other Cloughjordan residents, is a splendid example of community supported agriculture, a local short supply chain initiative that, if replicated around the country, could go someway to repairing the damage to the sustainability of Irish agriculture wreaked by industrialised farming. Anyone interested in supporting the Community Farm, to once more find its feet can check out a new crowd-funding initiative at: www.gogetfunding.com/cloughjordanfarm/ PIGTOWN The very excellent Pigtown series of food events in Limerick, a series of food events celebrating Limericks former history as one of the worlds most renowned producers of ham, continues with a Food Industry Networking Seminar with LEO & Innovate Limerick (Sept 11) to enable local food businesses to network and hear a number of key industry speakers followed by a chaired Q&A. (Light lunch included; Registration: www.localenterprise.ie/limerick). The Milk Market Kitchen presents a black/white pudding demo (Sept 16) from the inimitable Caroline Rigney, producer of perhaps The Menus most favourite of all breakfast (dinner and tea!) puddings. www.pigtown.ie TODAYS SPECIAL While perusing the wares of the new My Goodness outlet in the English Market, mentioned above, The Menu took a notion to slake his thirst with a draught of one of several kefirs; his choice, Ginger, Chilli and Tamarind, the latter ingredient, an utterly essential element in multiple splendid dishes from any number of wonderful Indian regional cuisines. It is a fruit of such exquisite sweet-sourness in its natural state, that a casual nibble can trigger the class of wincing, pursing and puckering not seen since the bulldog last swallowed a wasp and is always best used with a judicious hand to add lift and elevation to an umami-heavy dish. In the My Goodness kefir, it absolutely shines, adding a bright and truly refreshing acidity that rises above the low rumbling heat of ginger and chilli, a delicious, thirst-quenching drink that also acts as a powerful autumnal elixir to ward off all those newly-introduced germs and infections that mark the arrival of yet another return to school. (www.mygoodnessfood.com) Email details of Irish food news/events/produce to themenu@examiner.ie Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who was convicted of contempt of court for defying a federal judges order to stop racially profiling and arbitrarily detaining Latinos in the name of catching illegal immigrants, is no stranger to controversy. But it is US president Donald Trumps recent pardon of Arpaio that is spurring heated debate, as it raises fundamental questions about the presidential pardon power that has been a part of US policymaking from the countrys birth. In a monarchy, a king may have the power to forgive citizens crimes virtually without limit. In the US Constitution Article II, Section 2 Americas founders gave a similar power to the president, but with two key limitations. One is rooted in separation of powers: It could not be used in cases of impeachment, an issue that is handled by Congress. The other is rooted in federalism: It could be used only for crimes against the United States, or federal crimes, not crimes prosecuted by one of the 50 US states. The granting of the pardon power reflected concerns among the constitutions framers the criminal code would be applied in a draconian manner, producing a surfeit of punishment. As Alexander Hamilton put it in Federalist 74: The criminal code of every country partakes so much of necessary severity, that without an easy access to exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt, justice would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel. The power to pardon, Hamilton said, ought to be exercised by one person, because a single person would be most ready to attend to the force of those motives which might plead for the mitigation of the rigor of the law. What the founders do not address is what happens when that one person has something other than justice on his mind. During Arpaios 24 years as the sheriff of a jurisdiction that includes the rapidly growing city of Phoenix, he built his reputation on his departments aggressive efforts to track down undocumented immigrants and on the brutal conditions he established in the facilities where they were held. Arpaio was directly responsible for detaining thousands of people without any reasonable suspicion that they had violated immigration law. It was enough that they looked Latino. That behaviour made Arpaio the subject of lawsuits that, from 1993 to 2015, cost $142m (118m) to settle. Trump and Arpaio are longtime allies. During Barack Obamas presidency, both were prominent figures in the racist birther movement that insisted Obama was born outside the US, and therefore was not entitled to be president. During Trumps presidential campaign, Arpaio was a poster child of the divisive immigration debate and a vocal supporter of the candidates extreme promises, including the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico. Against this background, Trumps pardon of Arpaio looks like sheer political opportunism. It certainly was not a moral act of clemency. After all, Arpaios conduct hardly qualifies as unfortunate guilt. He reveled in his law-breaking, has shown no remorse for it, and has never signalled an understanding of the grace of mercy. And, given that he was not to be sentenced until October, one cannot argue that he faced draconian punishment (a key concern for Americas founders). The US Constitutions framers envisioned another key purpose for the pardon power: To help end conflicts and reconcile with political foes. In Hamiltons words, there are often critical moments when a well-timed offer of pardon to the insurgents or rebels may restore the tranquility of the commonwealth. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued full pardons for Confederates with the exception of their leaders and subject to conditions he may deem expedient for the public welfare in order to help reunite the country after the Civil War. Even Gerald Fords 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon, who resigned as president over the Watergate scandal, was couched in terms of national healing. Recalling the ways in which the pardon power has been used in the past highlights the perversity of the Arpaio affair and its singular reactionary purpose: to denigrate and, where possible, reverse Obamas achievements and, indeed, his values. In Trumps hands, a constitutional power intended to mitigate the necessary severity of criminal justice was deployed to sanction cruelty by a sworn officer of the law. Unsurprisingly, given its purely ideological basis, Arpaios pardon was not reviewed in advance by the US Department of Justice, as has become customary over the years. Indeed, the department rushed to distance itself from the decision, highlighting how easily Trump can use (or not use) the pardon power to settle his many scores: It is virtually the only power within the criminal justice system that the president can exercise unilaterally. To be sure, Trumps pardon of Arpaio has not created a legal basis for impunity; the pardon powers constitutional limitations prevent that. But a serious problem will arise if Trump attempts to use it to protect his family not a farfetched scenario, given pending FBI investigations into his inner circles dealings with Russia. Such a move would be met with a potential legal challenge, based on the impeachment clause or other constitutional limits. The pardon power is like a loaded gun. In the hands of a leader who possesses wisdom and good character, it can strengthen the rule of law. But, in the hands of an unstable, vengeful narcissist, it can cause profound damage. Ruti Teitel is professor of comparative law at New York Law School and the author of a forthcoming book about Barack Obamas legacy for global transitional justice. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. If I procure an abortion to end the pregnancy from said rape I will serve 14 years. My rapist will be released before me. Japans local governments and tourism industry are currently preparing for the coming Chinese Golden Week, a 7-day-long vacation that starts on Oct. 1, in a bid to attract more tourists from the worlds second largest economy. Chinese travel agencies predict that Japan is likely to become one of the hottest destinations for Chinese tourists during the Golden Week. According to Ctrip, a major travel service provider in China, Japan will be a top-3 destination for Chinese tourists during the vacation. A total of 506,000 Chinese tourists visited Japan during the Golden Week last year, and Japan is expecting a new high this year. Japans tourism industry is busy preparing for the rush days to attract more Chinese tourists. Recently, a number of the countrys local governments have carried out promotion activities in China. On Sept. 6, a government delegation from Fukuoka came to Shanghai to promote a shopping festival of the city. It is noteworthy that Fukuoka government has taken Oct. 1 as the first day of the month-long festival, with an obvious intention to attract Chinese tourists. Japanese merchants have also racked their brains to find ways to attract Chinese tourists. Some cosmetic shops have started recruiting Chinese students as part-time employees and more local merchants are using Chinese e-payment systems for convenience. A photo taken on Sept. 7 shows an 83-year-old Hao Yulan walking her pet giant turtle, which weighs over 50 kilograms, in Changchun, capital of northeast Chinas Jilin province. According to Hao, she has been walking the turtle ever since she bought it 10 years ago. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy. (Xinhua) 21:00, September 08, 2017 BEIJING, Sept. 8 -- Mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Japanese people could help improve ties, China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng said Friday. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks when meeting with a visiting Japanese delegation for a reception on the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations. Delegates including Yohei Kono, former speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives and current president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, attended the reception, the first of its kind in 10 years. Yu called on both sides to boost cooperation while "taking history as mirror and looking into the future." Complex factors still remain in ameliorating bilateral relations, Yu said, stressing that Japan should abide by the four political documents and the four-point principled consensus between the two countries. Yu said China hoped Japan would adopt a more positive policy towards China, properly handle sensitive issues and improve bilateral ties with responsible attitude and actions. Kono called on people of Japan and China to continue the political wisdom and courage of the two countries' leaders who strove to normalize ties 45 years ago. Kono was a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He is most well-known for an official statement he made as chief cabinet secretary in 1993 when he admitted to Japan's historical use of "comfort women," women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II, and offered an apology to the victims. HOUSTON Police officers sickened by fumes from explosions at an Arkema SA chemical plant near Houston accused the company in a lawsuit of not warning them about toxic chemicals that left them vomiting and unable to catch their breath. Officers patrolling an evacuation area near the plant began to fall ill in the middle of the road after being exposed to the fumes, according to the suit filed Thursday in Harris County Civil Court. The plant, which manufactured peroxides, lost power after Hurricane Harvey hit and the highly flammable chemicals couldnt stay cooled. Police officers were doubled over vomiting, unable to breathe, according to the suit, which seeks at least $1 million in relief. Medical personnel, in their attempts to provide assistance to the officers, became overwhelmed and they too began to vomit and gasp for air. Most of the plaintiffs, which include six officers with the Harris County Sheriffs Office and an emergency medical services worker, remain under a doctors care, Misty Cone, a lawyer representing them, said by email. A spokesman for Arkema did not immediately respond to a phone message and email seeking comment. The plant, located about 25 miles east of downtown Houston, flooded, lost power and then had a series of fires or explosions, the first on the morning of Aug. 31. Arkema allowed 500,000 pounds of peroxides used to make plastic resins, polystyrene and acrylic resins to burn off, including through deliberately-set blazes. Authorities had evacuated residents in a 1.5-mile radius around the plant. The company didnt adequately prepare for flooding from the storm, including lacking adequate backup power, and company officials said publicly that the fumes werent toxic, according to the suit. The officers relied upon these representations and suffered serious bodily injuries as a result, according to the suit. The Environmental Protection Agency also issued a statement saying that the smoke from the explosion didnt contain dangerous levels of pollutants. The France-based company, which has a number of production facilities in Texas, joined others in the chemical and oil and gas industry to fight an Obama-era rule prompted after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, killed 15 people in 2013. That rule, which was halted by EPA after President Donald Trump took office, would have required companies to disclose to first responders the risks of the chemicals on their plant site. The company wrote in comments to the EPA in 2016 that the requirements would likely add significant new costs and burdens and that requiring it to provide information to the community was itself a security risk. We have significant concerns with providing security-sensitive information where disclosure of such information could create a risk to our sites and to the communities surround them, the company wrote. (Natter reported from Washington, Calkins from Houston.) 2017 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. _____ Topics: t000002488,t000002458,t000190288,t000166643,t000037798,t000002537,t000002676,t000396078,t000003817,t000040348,t000037113,t000040421,t000139548 RALEIGH The federal government has resumed paying a settlement to a North Carolina county over a never-completed road designed to replace one flooded decades ago for a dam near the Tennessee border. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Sen. Thom Tillis and others met Thursday in Washington to announce Swain County is getting $4 million earmarked in a 2012 law but never released due to legal concerns. The government promised in the 1940s to build the 30-mile North Shore Road after flooding communities to build Fontana Dam. The road wasn't finished due to costs and environmental issues. Swain County reached a $52 million settlement with the department in 2010 but had received only one-quarter of the funds. Tillis and Sen. Richard Burr praised the release and said they'd keep working for remaining funds. MONTEREY, Calif. - I was told I could speak with Ron during his lunch break, but to keep it brief and avoid highly personal questions. He was wearing a jumpsuit and sitting on a tree stump, eating a government-issued baloney sandwich. This was a relatively easy day: no flames, just a thickly overgrown gorge that had to be cleared to avoid possible flooding during rainy season. On other days, Ron and his mates face far more grueling - and dangerous - work, battling wildfires across California as part of the nation's largest prison inmate firefighting force. This year's fire season has arrived early, with large wildfires erupting in Los Angeles County and near Sacramento. The reporter in me wanted to know: How much does the firefighting gear weigh? About 40 pounds. Do the inmates get paid? Yes, about $2 a day, plus $2 an hour when fighting an actual wildfire. Was there a lunch option besides baloney? No. But the opinion writer in me struggled with the ethics of the matter. Is offering some 4,000 California inmates a chance to reduce their prison time (two days cut for each day worked), plus a bit more money than is offered for labor inside prison walls and, as Ron emphasized, a sense of purpose, a reasonable trade for risking one's life? Three California inmates died fighting fires in the last year. Others were injured doing what the inmate crews specialize in: hiking many miles into fire zones that professional firefighters can't reach with vehicles. Rather than fight the fire directly, they try to cut breaks to keep the flames from spreading. The thought of inmates doing such dangerous work conjures images from the movies, such as Paul Newman on an inmate road gang in "Cool Hand Luke" or Charles Bronson as part of an inmate strike force in "The Dirty Dozen." These were scenes of chilling government abuse. An inmate fire crew is different. The program is voluntary and the risk-reward consideration is reasonable. Participants like Ron say that, despite the danger on fire lines, they feel safer than they would inside a gang-plagued prison. They gain a sense of self-worth. But as with many ethical questions, inmate firefighting programs are a muddle of competing considerations. For California, there is an estimated annual savings of $100 million by using inmates rather than fully-paid professionals. Should the money go to inmate rehabilitation efforts? Meanwhile, as the wildfire danger has increased dramatically in recent years the supply of inmate firefighters is dropping. Court-ordered early release programs, prompted by overcrowding in prisons, means the pool of nonviolent offenders is shrinking. California's lawyers argued against early releases. The state also considered using more violent inmates on fire lines, but dropped the plan when public and political opposition became too great. This month, California called up 350 National Guard troops to assist firefighters. Ron took a swig from his water bottle. He explained that he was serving time for a drug offense and believed that working outside prison walls helped him stay clean - away from prison drug rings, and closer to nature's inspirational forces. Taking control of his life, contributing to society rather than being part of its burden, is important. California's use of inmates operates close to ethical boundaries, but a program that allows people like Ron to rebuild their lives is one flame worth keeping alive. Peter Funt can be reached at www.CandidCamera.com Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif in a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Sep.8,2017. (Photo/Embassy of Pakistan) Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Sep.8. The two leaders discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations and the prevailing regional situation. Appreciating the all weather friendship between Pakistan and China, Foreign Minister said these relations were founded in the principles of mutual-trust, equality, non-interference, harmonious co-existence and win-win cooperation based on common agenda of socio-economic development. He expressed great satisfaction in the spirit of mutual support to each other on the issues of their vital national interest. Emphasizing that CPEC offered a unique opportunity for the two countries to integrate with regional trading routes, the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed mutual commitment of both governments to continue effective implementation of the projects under this initiative. Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated China's consistent support to Pakistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability and development. Lauding Pakistan's remarkable achievements in counter-terrorism, he stated that Pakistan has been at the forefront of international efforts to combat terrorism for a long time, which the international community should recognize and appreciate. The two Foreign Ministers also exchanged views on issues of peace and stability in the region, particularly in the context of President Trump's South Asia review focusing on its policy in Afghanistan. They agreed that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and there was need for continued efforts for a politically negotiated settlement under an Afghan-led Afghan-owned peace process. They also agreed to continue to work together bilaterally as well as through trilateral forum for promoting peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and the region. In this regard, Pakistan reiterated support for China's offer to host the first trilateral meeting of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan later this year. This was the first visit of Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif to China after assuming his office last month. During the visit, he also called on the head of commission for political and legal affairs of CPC central committee Mr. Meng Jianzhu and State Counsellor Yang Jiechi. Those currently in freak-out mode who say it is cruel for President Trump to phase out DACA should take a deep breath. Otherwise, it will be impossible for them to separate logic from emotions long enough to understand that all the Trump administration is doing is returning America to the rule of law rather than allowing the law to be ruled by emotions. This six-month phase out of Obama's illegal executive branch overreach program, Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals, rightly returns immigration laws to the Congress. Trump made his intentions clear September 5 when he said, "I have a great heart for the folks we are talking about, a great love for them...hopefully now Congress will help them and do it properly." As Townhall.com editor Guy Benson aptly points out, "The Trump administration clearly stated yesterday that they will not be 'targeting' these young people or reshuffling their enforcement priorities." Obama, who regularly referred to himself as a "constitutional law professor," knew better. Now he opines on social media to much oohing and aahing, that rescinding his temporary DACA is "wrong," "self-defeating" and "cruel." Seems to me, it was "wrong" for Democrats, who could've done something about immigration, didn't when they owned Washington during Obama's first term. According to NBC News, 2010 was "the one REAL moment of the Obama first term when immigration was possible, it was Senate Democratic leaders who weren't ready to give up the politics of the issue. And the White House didn't fight." Wasn't it "cruel" that Obama waited until reelection time to create a temporary program like DACA to garner the Hispanic vote as Sen. Marco Rubio hinted in 2012? Likewise, it seems nauseously "self-defeating" that Obama blamed his action on Congress' inaction. Might it be immoral to offer false hope to DREAMers and potentially the thousands of undocumented kids from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala who flooded our borders reportedly to escape violence after DACA was publicized? The last I checked, presidents aren't allowed to bulldoze over the U.S. Constitution and rewrite laws simply because they disagree with them. Obama said he was against that sort of thing before he was for it. Remarkably, Speaker.gov documents 22 times Obama said he "couldn't ignore or create his own immigration law," including in 2010 when he said this:"[T]here are those in the immigrants' rights community who have argued passionately that we should simply provide those who are [here] illegally with legal status, or at least ignore the laws on the books and put an end to deportation until we have better laws...I believe such an indiscriminate approach would be both unwise and unfair. It would suggest to those thinking about coming here illegally that there will be no repercussions for such a decision. And this could lead to a surge in more illegal immigration. And it would also ignore the millions of people around the world who are waiting in line to come here legally. Ultimately, our nation, like all nations, has the right and obligation to control its borders and set laws for residency and citizenship. And no matter how decent they are, no matter their reasons, the 11 million who broke these laws should be held accountable." That changed in 2012 when Obama forsook his oath to ensure that "laws be faithfully executed" -- and crowned himself as proverbial king. Obama justified DACA on the authority of "prosecutorial discretion," but, as Fox News' Gregg Jarrett recently expressed, it is more accurate that Obama was "distorting" prosecutorial discretion. Legal experts agree DACA won't stand up in court when challenged because, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "Such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch." Though Obama's words are easy on the ears to the point they lull the naive to sleep, those who are "woke" understand that even in his retirement, Obama's words continue to fan the flame of ignorance while his policies continue to divide and damage America. Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 49F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Rain. High 41F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Watches are not rocket science. Or are they? Watches are not rocket... Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well, thats a shame, because with some watches, youll need one to understand how to tell the time. Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well,... JURIST Guest Columnist Sedef Asli Topal of the University of Szeged discusses the EUs institutional framework using two popular approaches The transformation of the European Union into an ever closer union in terms of political space is a topic of which has been widely discussed for the last three or four decades in the discipline of International Relations, but there are two distinguished approaches that are usually focused on: (i) the federalist approach and (ii) the intergovernmentalist approach. These are opposing each other as enemies in terms of whether the EU should transform into a federation. According to the contemporary federalists, the EU has already fulfilled the most important conditions of having a federal government. The EU legislation has an irreversible direct effect on domestic legal systems of Member States (MSs) as long as they remain a part of the union. The founding treaties (primary law) and regulations (secondary law) do not need to be transposed to the national legislations to be valid. Furthermore, according to the final decision of the European Court of Justice in Costa-Enel case (1964), EU law is superior to the national law (principle of supremacy) where a contradiction occurs between these two legislations unless the opposite is decided or determined in an exceptional situation by the MSs or the EU. Correspondingly, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) now termed Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU, post-Lisbon) as the sole coercive power enforcing EU law, protects the personal freedoms and rights of European citizens at the union level (on the initiative of the Commission). EU law also enables the citizens to file an action against the MSs in case their individual rights are violated by arbitrary actions of a member state. Thus, the decisions taken by the CJEU bind the national courts as an outcome of infringement procedures and of referrals to the preliminary ruling (by national courts). Obviously, the EUs judicial system is highly similar to the judicial system that works in federal states. Furthermore, another important factor in strengthening the EUs federal character is undoubtedly the principle of subsidiarity embedded in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Subsidiarity refers to the EUs application of a particular policy where it does not have the exclusive competence or, in other words, it shares this competence with the individual member states. More clearly, the EU may engage in a specific action if the action cannot effectively be taken by the local or regional governments of a member state (closest to the issue), or when it will be more effective if the EU takes the action in their place, although it is not exclusively authorized to act freely in this policy area. This shows that the environment of solidarity in federations between the state and the federal government is likely to exist between the EU and its MSs when necessary. In contrast to a federalist, an intergovernmentalist claims that the EU is more similar to a confederacy because the nation states are still major drivers in decision-making. Confederacy is a legally formed entity that has a central government which is competent to enforce laws binding all of its MSs. It is not only the unity of one people or nations but also unity established by states. In a federation, the central government far more meets the purposes of the government of a single people, while in a confederacy it is strictly speaking only for a government of governments. All EU institutions, except the Parliament, consist of elected or appointed government officials of the MSs. Also, it is worth repeating that the union itself is constituted on the confederate basis thanks to its multi-level governance (decentralization of power between the different levels of territorial governments). The TEU and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU, 2007) have decentralized the power within the EU. They make clear distinctions regarding the distribution of powers between the EU and MSs by classifying their competencies to carry out support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the MSs. Moreover, the TFEU has strengthened the role of Parliament so as to create a balance between it and the Council in terms of legislative power. Nevertheless, the Parliament has still a relatively limited authority in comparison to the Council despite all the achievements gained via the TFEU, even though it is directly elected by the EU citizens through democratic elections renewed every five years. As distinct from the Parliament, the Council is entitled to apply the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in cooperation with the European Council and to sign the international treaties with third parties. Whereas the European Commission, which is the only politically independent organ of the union, serves as an executive branch; it also initiates the legislative process by proposing new acts. However, these acts cannot be adopted unless the Parliament and the Council compromise on their enforcement. Under the circumstances, the EU accommodates both federal and confederate components, but it is neither completely one nor the other. Today, what is disputable is whether the EU will become a political unity in the near future. With its present form, it could be assumed that the EU is somewhere between a confederacy and federation, and if it can become a political unity in the near future, it will most probably be too far away from the US model of federal systems. It may have to find another alternative form of a political integration due to the unwillingness of its MSs for a far less limited sovereignty transfer. Most of the MSs intend to prioritize their national interests at the supranational level. The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) deployed in the Council of European Union is one of the most significant state intentions in this tendency. It is obvious that if the EU cannot be able to deal with this rigidity over the long term, it may not even take one step further in its integration process and will continue to be wide of the mark of a proper political unity. Sedef Asli Topal graduated from the University of Szeged in Hungary with a Masters in International Relations with Legal and Business Aspects. She finished the program ranked first in her class and is currently seeking her PhD. Suggested citation: Sedef Asli Topal, Federalists vs. Intergovernmentalists View of the EU, JURIST Student Commentary, Sep. 7, 2017, http://jurist.org/forum/2017/01/topal-federalist-intergovernmentalist-EU.php JURIST Guest Columnist Professor Pacifique Manirakiza of the University of Ottawa discusses the complexities behind investigations into the atrocities in Burundi and the need for a special tribunal to prosecute the crimes In April 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary examination focusing on the third term related atrocities in Burundi following President Pierre Nkurunzizas decision to run for a third term. On October 27, 2016, Burundi notified the UN Secretary General of its intention to withdraw from the ICC. On October 27, 2017, Burundi will be the first Member State to effectively withdraw from the Rome treaty. As the deadline draws nearer, tension is rising among Burundians, including within the human rights community. On the Burundian government side, fingers are crossed hoping that the deadline arrives quickly so that they wont be bound by any consented obligations towards the ICC. Within the human rights community, the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) issued, on July 28th 2017, a statement deploring the ICC undue interference and calling the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) to halt the preliminary examination in favor of Burundian courts which, it suggested, are competent and capable to deal with the alleged crimes. Alternatively, the INHRC calls upon the UN Security Council to request a deferral of the situation in accordance with Article 16 of the ICC Statute in order for the East African Community-led peace process to conclude easily and also to give a chance to Governments efforts towards peace consolidation and reconciliation. The INHRC statement was fiercely criticized by the mainstream civil society organizations (CSOs), most of them now deregistered in Burundi. In a common statement signed by 10 organizations, it is stated that the INHRCs move aims at simply shielding perpetrators of the worst crimes from prosecution. Denouncing partisanship and lack of credibility of the INHRC, they instead call on the OTP to speed up the process and formally request a criminal investigation into the alleged crimes committed in Burundi beginning in April 2015. Additionally, they call upon the Security Council not to be distracted by the INHRC and simply ignore its deferral request. This frontal collision is deplorable because CSOs and the INHRC are supposed to be partners and to share a collective responsibility to promote and protect human rights. This in itself is indicative of the malaise and the complexity of the Burundian crisis. On the other hand, it is worth recalling that the same CSOs began, on 17 July 2017, a 100 days campaign under the hashtag #Justice4Burundi. The campaign aims at drawing the attention of the OTP on the serious nature of the third term related atrocities. On top of this, additional actions are planned, such as upcoming demonstrations at the seat of the Court in The Hague. What emerges from this background is that the INHRC and CSOs diverge on how the alleged third term related crimes should be dealt with. For the INHRC, domestic courts are competent and capable of investigating and prosecuting the alleged crimes. In theory, I agree that Burundian courts are competent and capable to investigate and prosecute human rights violations, including those amounting to international crimes, especially given the fact that they retain the primary jurisdiction on them. I doubt, however, that they can do it without a declared and sustained level of political will in this regard, along with some technical assistance. For the time being, the Governments preferred accountability mechanism is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) at work today. Unfortunately, the alleged crimes under examination by the OTP fall out of the temporal jurisdiction of the TRC, unless its commissioners constructively interpret their mandate broad enough to include them. CSOs on the other hand only swear by the ICC, viewed as the only way to prevent further human rights violations and the ensuing impunity. While I do not disagree with them that ICC can contribute towards ending impunity of the worst crimes committed in Burundi, I posit that the ICCs narrow focus on third term related crimes will seriously limit its deterrent impact and possibly undermine the legitimacy of its selective intervention in a country marred with endemic impunity for past atrocities. For this reason, in her move to take a decision on the fate of the preliminary examination, the OTP needs to factor in some constraints and challenges in relation to the context of her intervention (1), evidence-gathering (2), her independence (3) and the possible lack of cooperation from Burundian Government (4). 1. Context Matters: Impunity of Past Massive Atrocities In the Arusha Peace Agreement [PDF], Burundian politicians agreed that worst crimes of international law have been committed in Burundi. For instance, every April 29 of each year, victims and survivors of the 1972 Hutu genocide and other mass atrocities organize commemorative and other remembrance events and activities all over the world, including in Burundi. Each time, they call upon the international community to set up a tribunal to prosecute and try alleged perpetrators. Similarly, on October 21 of each year, Tutsi organizations of survivors and victims of the 1993 massacres meet regularly in Kibimba where a remembrance monument has been erected. They also make the same call for justice. Curiously, both calls have remained unanswered up until today. Third term related crimes are intimately connected to past atrocities such as the mass and state-sponsored killings and other massive human rights abuses committed since the independence of the country. In fact, they are a continuation of unpunished past mass criminality. Addressing the present atrocities is a laudable initiative. At the preliminary examinations stage, the situation can satisfy the jurisdiction and admissibility criteria but, the thorny question would be whether or not context matters in the determination of the interest of justice test. The answer being affirmative, then the next question would be how to assess the context. Will the interest of justice be appreciated only in relation to the current situation of alleged crimes or, will it be determined in consideration of the overall context of impunity as described above along with the historical and political situation? For sure, ICC partial justice focusing only on third term related crimes will come as shock to survivors, victims and families of victims of past atrocities, many of whom are now controlling the reigns of political power in Burundi or otherwise related to the ruling party and who are still longing for justice. Of course, legally speaking, no one can blame the ICC for not addressing all the crimes committed in Burundi. The Court simply has no jurisdiction on crimes committed in 1965, 1969, 1972, 1988, 1993 and beyond. However, the contextual element is an important aspect for the OTP to consider. 2. Evidence-Gathering Constraints Since the withdrawal notification date, the OTP was left with only 12 months to gather evidence to support a request for a criminal investigation. Given the complexity of Burundian situation and that of ICC cases, this time period is neither adequate nor reasonable for such task. Moreover, the OTP has to work in untenable conditions because the Government became uncooperative despite its legal obligations. Burundian CSOs stepped in to feed the OTP with information and documents. For the OTP to receive information and documents from different sources, including from CSOs is not problematic as such. This is in fact a standard practice and it is provided for in Article 15 of the ICC Statute. However, caution is necessary when the information and documents mainly come from an activist party, rather than a neutral party. In fact, some organizations have been caught manipulating information, especially images and videos from other contexts and countries, just for the sake of building a strong ICC case. The information and documents provided are certainly not conclusive; they must be evaluated against all other information and materials available before the OTP. But problems lie ahead at a later stage if the authorization to investigate is granted and subsequent prosecutions carried out. If second hand information and documents referred to above can satisfy the lower evidentiary test for opening an investigation, they may not be sufficient to convince the Court of the suspects culpability beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, more time would be needed for OTP officers to collect substantial, credible and reliable evidence to build and support the case. It is well-known that preliminary examinations take years to conclude. Unfortunately, the OTP does not have that option as her time for action is constrained by the withdrawal deadline. 3. Securing and Protecting OTPs Independence According to Article 42(1) of the Statute, the OTP shall act independently and shall not seek or act on instructions from any external source. The Policy on Preliminary Examinations [PDF] explains that independence goes beyond not seeking or acting on instructions: it means that decisions shall not be influenced or altered by the presumed or known wishes of any party, or in connection with efforts to secure cooperation. The independence of the OTP will stem from her capacity to decide on the course of a situation or a case without interference or undue pressure from not only States but also other partners from the international community and civil society as well. For instance, in the Burundian situation, international efforts and actions, including sanctions, have proved inadequate or inefficient to improve the human rights situation. People are now eyeing the OTP. This organ should however avoid to be perceived as the last bullet the international community is using to achieve its political goals. Moreover, I am not sure whether CSOs actions and initiatives I alluded to earlier (sharing information and documents, regular visits to the OTP, upcoming demonstrations in The Hague, the 100 day campaign, etc) are simply legitimate lobbying initiatives or constitute a disguised pressure on ICC Prosecutor to launch the criminal investigation process before the withdrawal decision becomes legally effective on October 27th. In any event, given a general perception, mainly in Hutu milieu, that those CSOs are politically and ethnically motivated, caution is advised. The OTP must shield itself from the criticism that she has acted upon or ceded to the demands of the CSOs. The latter are also under a duty to refrain from any action that can be perceived as an undue pressure on the OTP; this can even have unintended consequences. Securing the OTP independence, both from political but also from special interests groups is critical in a politically and ethnically polarized situation. A perception of lack of independence may damage its reputation and its credibility. 4. The Challenge to Secure State cooperation As mentioned earlier, soon after the announcement of the launching of the preliminary examination in Burundi, the OTP, Burundian people and the entire ICC community were caught by surprise by the Governments decision to withdraw from the ICC. In accordance with Article 127(1) of the Statute, Burundis obligations will still be valid until October 27, 2017 when the withdrawal becomes effective. In this withdrawal mood, along with the Government entrenched resentment against the international community, it would be naive for the OTP to expect cooperation once an investigation is formally launched. Given the anticipated lack of cooperation of Burundi, collecting credible and reliable evidence may prove tedious. It will be impossible for OTP officers to conduct on-site visits, access victims and other potential sources in Burundi. Even if a decision to prosecute some alleged perpetrators is made, cooperation in the arrest and transfer of potential suspects may prove difficult. Moreover, in a climate of anti-ICC position at the African Union level, it is unlikely the The Hague based court will receive necessary assistance from African States. Also, given the political context of the alleged crimes, some countries may not be convinced that Burundi meets the threshold of a typical ICC case. They would fear a precedent-setting as many governments like in Cameroon, Togo, DRC, Nigeria, etc. are facing resistance movements claiming their rights either through the streets or the bush. Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether the AU will remain silent and tolerate another African Head of State or Government to be transferred to The Hague for his trial. 5. Conclusion: Revisiting the Idea of a Special Court for Burundi While the jurisdiction and admissibility criteria may be met in this case, the interest of justice test requires a holistic approach to tackle impunity of mass atrocities committed in Burundi, regardless of the time period. The third term related criminality cannot be addressed alone if the international community is serious about justice for the worst atrocity crimes. Since the ICC is not competent to investigate and prosecute the most part of the mass criminality that occurred in Burundi, the international community and Burundians should revisit the idea of a Special Court for Burundi put forward in the 2005 Kalomoh UN Report [PDF]. Only this Court can ensure justice for all victims of all atrocious episodes. Its temporal and material jurisdiction can be extended to cover past, present and future atrocity crimes, what the ICC cannot do. The international community, the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi in particular, the Arusha II peace process and the Burundian TRC should come up with such a recommendation couched in the strongest terms and ensure its actual implementation. In this way, justice would then be seen as a reconciliatory and not divisive tool. It will not be a problem for the ICC to cohabit with the Special Court, and both institutions will complement one another. Professor Pacifique Manirakiza is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section), University of Ottawa. Professor Manirakiza is also a Member of the Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan as well as a former Member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. In Burundi, he served as an Assistant Professor at University of Burundi as well as a Deputy Prosecutor in Ngozi and Rutana Provinces. Dr. Manirakiza also participated, as a legal adviser and negotiator, in Burundi peace negotiations held in Arusha (Tanzania) from 1998 to 2000. Suggested citation: Pacifique Manirakiza, Investigating the Third Term Related Crimes in Burundi, JURIST Academic Commentary, September 6, 2017, http://jurist.org/academic/2017/09/pacifique-manirakiza-burundi-icc.php. The Australia High Court [official website] on Thursday unanimously dismissed [transcript, PDF] a legal challenge to a same-sex marriage postal survey, thereby allowing the general public to vote directly on whether same-sex marriage should be legalized. The focus of the legal challenge to the survey was more on a financial level than on a social level. The challenge to the postal survey was brought forth by proponents of marriage equality and concerned the $122 million appropriated for the purpose of the mail-in ballot. These plaintiffs argued that the government is attempting to fund the survey illegitimately by using a special reserve of the budget which is only to be used for urgent or unforeseen matters. In setting the stage, the court first refused to answer any questions in relation to the plaintiffs legal standing to challenge the survey. However, the court unanimously concluded [The Australian report] that Section 10 of the Appropriation Act of 2017-18 [text] authorizes the Finance Minister to make provision for expenditure that is outside the ordinary annual services of the Government and that the plaintiffs are not entitled to any relief in this challenge. Furthermore, the court ordered that the plaintiffs must pay the costs of the entire case. Essentially this means that the Australian Bureau of Statistics [official website] can now conduct the survey and the $122 million can be used for funding the survey costs. The marriage equality proponents brought forth this challenge because they believed such a public vote would be very divisive [SMH report], but are now confident that enough voters will vote yes on legalizing same-sex marriage. The postal survey will be mailed out starting Tuesday with a due date of November 7 for returning the completed surveys. The verdict is to be announced November 15. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull [official website] promised to initiate a private members legislation to legalize same-sex marriage if a majority of the public vote yes on the ballot. Same-sex marriage has become one of the most controversial issues in the recent past with the marriage equality movement making significant waves in the past two years. Last month, Chile President Michelle Bachelet [official profile, PDF] introduced a bill [JURIST report] that would legalize same-sex marriage. Bachelet said, We believe that it is not ethical or just to place artificial limits on love or deny essential rights based solely on the sex of the partners. In July, Malta legalized [JURIST report] same-sex marriage. That same month, the UK Supreme Court awarded [JURIST report] equal pension rights to same-sex spouses. In June, the lower house of the German Parliament voted [JURIST report] 393-226 to legalize same-sex marriage. In April, Nigerian prosecutors in Kaduna charged [JURIST report] 53 men for celebrating an LGBTQ wedding in violation of the states law against unlawful assembly and the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] filed [docket list] an amicus curiae brief [text] with the US Supreme Court [official website] Thursday in support of the Masterpiece Cakeshop, which was charged with discrimination for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, citing their religious beliefs against gay marriage. The DOJ stated that a custom wedding cake is a form of expression and forcing [the baker] to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights. The brief states that the law should be subject to heightened scrutiny because it compels both creation of expression and participation in an expressive event. The brief also notes that at the time of the refusal to make the cake (July 2012), gay marriage was not legal in Colorado, thus showing that Colorados law did not advance a sufficient state interest to override petitioners weighty First Amendment interest in declining to create the expression. The brief calls for the Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals of Colorados decision that stated the petitioners acts were discriminatory and the Colorado law was not barred by the First Amendment. LGBT protections are still highly disputed in the US and many rights groups have raised concerns about the future of LGBT rights within the US since the November elections. In June the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit lifted [JURIST report] an injunction on a Mississippi law that critics stated allowed those with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction to discriminate against LGBT individuals. In May the US Supreme Court declined to hear [JURIST report] an appeal challenging Californias 2012 ban on gay conversion therapy. In April the DOJ dropped [JURIST report] a federal lawsuit against the state of North Carolina over a bill requiring transgender people to use the public bathroom associated with their birth gender. Also in April the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled [JURIST report] that LGBT employees were protected from workplace discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. [JURIST] A federal appeals court ruled [opinion, PDF] Wednesday that elected public board commissioners in a county in Michigan did not violate the US Constitution by opening their sessions with Christian prayer and asking attendees to join in. In a 9-6 decision, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [official website] acknowledged that legislative prayer is part of traditions of the country and stated that plaintiff has not met his burden of proof to succeed in a First Amendment [text] claim. Judge Griffin, writing the majority opinion for the court, largely rejected plaintiff Bormuths arguments and stated that Bormuth has show he was offended by the Christian nature of the Boards prayers. But [o]ffensedoes not equate to coercion.' Dissenting Judge Karen Moore wrote that the court overextends constitutional protection to excluding non-Christians from the prayer opportunity and expresses disgust at people who voice a different opinion. The opinion comes in conflict with a recent decision made in July by an appeals court in Virginia which ruled a similar fact-pattern unconstitutional. This case had originally been appealed [JURIST report] to the Sixth Circuit court for ruling on a summary judgment then remanded down for further proceedings. The Sixth Circuit court reclaimed the case to hear en banc [LII backgrounder]. The US Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that the practice of opening town meetings with a prayer does not violate [JURIST report] the First Amendment. [JURIST] Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas [official website] issued a temporary restraining order [text] on Wednesday prohibiting Dallas, Texas, officials from removing a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee. The restraining order came after the Dallas City Council [official website] voted [City Council press release] 13 to 1 on Wednesday to remove the statue immediately. The Sons of Confederate Veterans [advocacy site] filed a complaint the same day, alleging [Dallas News report] that the voting was done improperly. The restraining order is in effect until a hearing on Thursday afternoon. Debate has intensified in the past years over the acceptability of confederate symbols in everyday life. Last March a federal appeals court ruled [JURIST report] that New Orleans can remove Confederate statues. Last year a federal lawsuit was filed [JURIST report] against the governor of Mississippi challenging the state flag, the last one in the country that bears the Confederate battle emblem. In August 2015 a judge in Texas denied [JURIST report] a request for a temporary restraining order to halt the University of Texas at Austin from relocating a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. That July South Carolina removed [JURIST report] the Confederate flag from the state house. An administrative court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA court) [text] in Mumbai on Thursday sentenced [Reuters report] Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan and Taher Merchant to death and Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment for their involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts [BBC backgrounder] that killed 300 individuals and injured hundreds more. A fifth accused individual, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to 10 years in jail. This development follows the conviction of six individuals [JURIST report] involved in the case in June, one of whom, Mustafa Dossa, died later the same month. Abu Salem had fled to Portugal sometime after the blasts, but was extradited in 2005 after a protracted legal battle between the India and Portugal governments [Indian Express archive]. The prime accused conspirator in the blast, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, but Pakistan has rejected such claims. Another key conspirator, Yakub Memon, was sentenced to death by the TADA court in 2007, and hanged in July 2015. Tiger Memon and 33 other individuals believed to be involved in the blasts are still missing. TADA court prosecutor Ujwal Nikam called [LiveMint report] the verdict historic adding: the evidence we placed before the court in the 1993 blasts case can now be used in the cases against the main accused Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon who are absconding. In Abu Salems case, we could not ask for death penalty to respect the undertaking we had given to the Portugal government at the time of his extradition saying he would not be executed. Mumbai has been dealing with the aftermath of the 1993 bombings and the subsequent attacks in 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2011 for almost a quarter of a century. Earlier this year Pakistan authorities placed militant leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed under house arrest [JURIST report] for his connection to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Saeed has been accused of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks [CNN backgrounder]. In 2009 three individuals who were convicted of the 2003 bombings were sentenced to death [JURIST report]. Later that year the trial of the only gunmen to have survived the 2008 mass shooting at a hotel continued even though the man confessed his guilt [JURIST report] in the midst of trial proceedings. The government responded to the slew of terrorist bombings by reconsidering [JURIST report] an anti-terror law that had been previously repealed and by creating special courts like the one involved with TADA to speed up the judicial process [JURIST report]. New Mexico filed a lawsuit [press release and complaint, PDF] Thursday against big opioid producing pharmaceutical companies, alleging the corporations are responsible for the Opioid Epidemic flooding the state and specifically small rural communities. Filed in the First Judicial District Court for Santa Fe County [official website], the lawsuit claims that major opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, Johnson and Johnson, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Actavis [corporate websites], falsely represented and downplayed the highly addictive nature of the pain killers to Doctors. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas [official website] described the nature of the lawsuit: The manufacturing companies pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids, falsely representing to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addiction, while the distributors breached their legal duties to monitor, detect, investigate, refuse and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids. Balderas initiated the lawsuit in an attempt to further New Mexicos effort to combat the opioid crisis through Project OPEN (Opioid Prevention & Education Network). The 132-page complaint calls out the relationship between prescription pain-killers and heroin overdoses, stating: The CDC has identified addiction to prescription pain medication as the strongest risk factor for heroin addiction. People who are addicted to prescription opioid painkillers are forty times more likely to be addicted to heroin. This lawsuit makes New Mexico the eighth state to sue these major pharmaceutical manufacturers for the opioid crisis facing America. New Mexicos Mora County and Bernalillo County are currently in litigation [AP report] against opioid manufacturers, seeking changes in marketing and prescription practices as well as cash to help cover costs. This lawsuit is one of many efforts among state and federal government entities to fight the opioid crisis throughout the country. In July President Donald Trumps White House Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis issued [JURIST op-ed] its interim report calling for the President to immediately declare a national state of emergency in response to an epidemic that is devastating individuals and communities across the country. In June Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] against opioid manufacturers accusing [JURIST report] them of violating consumer protection laws by deliberately and carefully crafting a campaign of deception. Also in June Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed [JURIST report] suit [complaint, PDF] against five major drug manufacturers for misleading marketing practices that led to a painkiller epidemic in the state. [JURIST] New Yorks highest state court, the Court of Appeals [judicial website] ruled [opinion PDF] on Thursday that the state constitution does not guarantee a right to physician assisted suicide. The claim was brought by three terminally ill patients against the New York Attorney General. Physician assisted suicide was defined as the right of a mentally competent and terminally ill person to obtain a prescription for a lethal dosage of drugs from a physician, to be taken at some point to cause death. On appeal, the plaintiffs argued that New Yorkers have a constitutional right to physician assisted suicide. The court found that there is no fundamental right to suicide, although there is a right to deny life-sustaining medical treatment. Applying the rational basis standard of review, the court decided that the state had a legitimate interest in criminalizing physician assisted suicide, namely protecting patients from abuse and preventing suicide. The right to die has been a contentious issue in the US. In 2016 the District of Columbia Council approved [JURIST report] a Death with Dignity bill that would allow terminally ill patients to end their own lives with a physicians help. The bill was blocked [JURIST report] by the House in February. Also in February Montana introduced [JURIST report] a bill that would allow homicide charges to be brought against doctors engaged in physician-assisted suicide and would run against the current policy that allows life-ending options. In May the Nevada Senate approved [JURIST report] a physician aid-in-dying bill. [JURIST] The Spanish Constitutional Court [official website] on Thursday suspended [judgment, PDF, in Spanish] the Catalan independence referendum. The Catalan Parliament [official website], the regions ruling coalition, passed the referendum law [Guardian report] on Wednesday despite recent tensions between the coalition and the Spanish government. The rapid action taken by the court forbids the Catalan Parliament from ignoring or avoiding the courts suspension, appointing election officials, creating any record-keeping system for the referendum vote or taking any action geared towards promoting the referendum. The court also warned the Catalan Parliament of the potential criminal ramifications for failing to follow the courts order. Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy [official profile] said [Reuters report] that he asked the court to suspend the referendum, arguing that the Spanish Constitution states that the nation is indivisible. The Catalan government has stated [Telegraph report] that they will press on despite the courts suspension. The court will now move to hear arguments concerning whether or not the referendum itself is unconstitutional. The Catalonia independence movement has gathered momentum in recent years following the economic crisis in the country that began in 2008. In 2015 the Constitutional Court of Spain declared unconstitutional [JURIST report] a resolution by the Parliament of Catalonia that proposed a plan for the regions independence from Spain by the end of this year. In September of 2015 the High Court of Justice of Catalonia summoned [JURIST report] Catalonia President Artur Mas over his involvement in the 2014 independence referendum. In 2014 Mas signed a decree [JURIST report] calling for a referendum on secession and independence from Spain, inciting confrontation from Spains central government in Madrid. In February 2014 Spains parliament rejected [JURIST report] Catalonias proposed referendum, which asked voters if they wanted Catalonia to become a state, and, in the case of an affirmative response, if they wanted this state to be independent. When Catalonia proceeded with the referendum, the Constitutional Court held the independence vote to be unconstitutional [JURIST report]. ADS ADS Swiss watch exports made further gains in July 2017, growing 3.6% to CHF1.7 billion as compared to the same month in 2016. This was the third consecutive month of growth for Swiss watch exports, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Swiss watch exports had been on a long and steep decline for some 21 months before achieving a recovery in March 2017 with the 7.5% growth to CHF1.59 billion as compared to the same month in 2016. Watch shipments to Hong Kong in March 2017 recorded a positive growth of 18% after 25 months of consecutive declines. Swiss watch shipments to Hong Kong were still down by a quarter or 25.4% from January to July 2017 as compared to the same period in 2015. However, between January 2017 to July 2017 vis-a-vis the same period in 2016, Swiss watch exports to Hong Kong rose 2.9% to CHF1.4 billion. For the month of July 2017 alone, watch shipments to Hong Kong rose 16.8% to CHF204.8 million as compared to the same period in 2016. Analysts have cautioned that such data may not be entirely accurate due to seasonal effects and that inventory that has been bought back are not taken into account. Nonetheless, such a positive economic backdrop for Swiss watch exports may bode well for the eighth World Brand Piazza hosted by Prince Jewellery & Watch Company at the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair 2017. World Brand Piazza entrance Timmy Tan Held from 5th to 9th September 2017, the World Brand Piazza has been organised by Prince Jewellery & Watch Company since 2010. It showcases important timepieces from major international brands. For the 2017 edition, the eighth show for Prince Jewellery & Watch Company, thirteen watch brands are participating: Blancpain, Breguet, Chopard, Corum, DeWitt, Franck Muller, Glashutte Original, Jacob & Co., Jaquet Droz, Juvenia, Montblanc, Piaget and Zenith. With Swiss watch exports back into positive territory, thirteen may not be such an unlucky number after all. The key highlights for the World Brand Piazza are unique timepieces, namely the Billionaire Tourbillon Watch that is being retailed at HKD160 million (around USD20.4 million) and the Astronomia Solar Tourbillon priced at HKD2.8 million (around USD357,800), both of which are from Jacob & Co. Jacob & Co.s Billionaire Tourbillon Watch features 239 emerald-cut diamonds, including one single three-carat stone, with the total weight amounting to a whopping 260 carats. The Astronomia Solar Tourbillon Watch has a 3D model simulating the Moons revolution around planet Earth. Billionaire Tourbillon Watch by Jacob & Co. Timmy Tan Founded in 1984 by Dr Jimmy Tang, Prince Jewellery & Watch Companys first retail shop was located at Hankow Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. In 2016, in the midst of all the doom and gloom facing the watch industry, especially in Hong Kong, Prince Jewellery & Watch Company had in July 2016 officially opened two new branches in the shopping hub of Yuen Long. The shops are located in Yuen Long Plaza and Yuen Long Castle Peak Road in the New Territories. Prince Jewellery & Watch Company currently has 16 branches across Hong Kong, Mainland China and Macau. Eric Dreiband, a partner at Jones Day [professional profile] and former top attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [official website], appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee [materials] on Wednesday to answer questions as he seeks confirmation as the head of the Department of Justices civil rights division. Dreiband was nominated [materials] for the post by President Donald Trump on June 29. Critics of the nomination point to Dreibands record defending large corporations in civil rights violation cases, including his representation of Abercrombie and Fitch in a suit brought by a Muslim woman [NPR report] who claimed she was not hired because she wore a headscarf, and representing RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company in an age discrimination case [opinion]. During the hearing, Dreiband chose not to directly answer a hypothetical question from Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse [official website] of Rhode Island on whether a gay employee should enjoy the same protections as a deaf employee. Dreiband cited ongoing lawsuits related to the issue as the reason he could not answer the question. If Dreiband is confirmed, he will join a Department of Justice (DOJ) that has faced increased scrutiny related to its position on various civil rights issues. On Tuesday US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administrations plans to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [JURST report], or DACA, program, which gives undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, known as Dreamers, protection from deportation. Last month the DOJ reversed its position [JURIST report] in a key voting rights case that will be before the Supreme Court later this year by filing an amicus brief in support of an Ohio maintenance tactic used to remove people from the voting rolls. In July the DOJ filed an amicus brief urging the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [official website] to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a man who claims he was fired for his sexual orientation [JURIST report]. Conversely, some civil rights activist praised [NYT report] Attorney General Sessions, the top lawyer within the DOJ, for his response to the violent clash between white supremecists and protesters that left one woman dead in Charlottesville, Virginia last month. Sessions announced [JURIST report] a federal investigation into the violence days after the incident, and condemned the actions as racial bigotry and hatred. [JURIST] A Turkish court released a Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) [party website] parliamentarian Thursday, according to a HDP statement [press release]. Parliamentarian Ayhan Bilgen is the former speaker of the HDP and has been jailed over allegations of terrorism. This release follows a Conscience and Justice Watch at the Constitutional Court to protest and demand action [press release] for those they believed were unjustly and unlawfully imprisoned. The current Turkish government has removed and arrested [Reuters report] more than 150,000 people after a failed coup last year. Turkey has faced significant political upheaval in recent months as many worry over human rights in the country. In July a Turkish court ordered [JURIST report] that six human rights activists, including Amnesty Internationals Turkey Director, remain in custody pending trial for allegedly aiding an armed terrorist group. In May a trial began [JURIST report]involving more than 200 defendants over the July 2016 coup. In April Turkish authorities removed [JURIST report] more than 3900 people from their positions in the civil service and military pursuant to a new national security law published. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused opposition leader Julio Borges of treason for embarking on a European tour to rally international powers against Caracas. Borges, who leads the National Assembly that Maduro effectively shut down by creating a new Constituent Assembly in July, has held meetings this week with the leaders of France, Spain, Germany and Britain, with Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday pledging her "unwavering support" for the opposition. "It makes no difference to me what Merkel says or the queen of England, in Venezuela we have justice. We don't take orders from London, or Madrid, or Washington," he told the new legislative body. The leftwing leader, who weathered a wave of protests from April to July that left 125 people dead but is facing a growing economic crisis, added that Borges must be tried for "treason to the fatherland," a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Legal actions have intensified against members of the opposition since the Constituent Assembly was sworn in on August 4. The body has created a "truth commission" to investigate several leaders for treason. Maduro accused Borges of conspiring with US President Donald Trump, who recently imposed tough new sanctions on Caracas. "Trump and Borges have united for a worldwide crusade against the economy of Venezuela," said Maduro, who has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to foment a coup to capture the country's vast oil reserves. The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Thursday that the US is still discussing whether it will be introducing cuts to its financial aid package to Cairo for the fiscal year 2018. "The United States Congress is still in internal deliberations between the House of Representatives and the Senate on an external appropriations bill for the 2018 budget," Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement. Abu Zeid said a House of Representatives' subcommittee on foreign operations passed the bill without reducing aid to Cairo, though a Senate committee demanded that cuts be introduced to the assistance programme. "No final decisions have been taken in this regard," Abu Zeid added. Egypt receives approximately $1.3 billion in US military aid yearly, as well as an annual economic assistance package, which amounted to $150 million in 2016. The US said last month it would withhold part of its aid to Cairo, saying $195 million would be held in reserve until the US "can see progress on democracy" in Egypt. In response, Cairo said the move is not in line with the strategic relations between Egypt and the US, and that cuts could have negative repercussions in achieving the common interests of the two countries. Search Keywords: Short link: The death toll among Egyptians taking part in the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has risen to 73, the Egyptian health ministry announced on Friday. State-owned MENA news agency quoted the head of Egypt's hajj medical commission, Ahmed El-Ansary, as saying that in the three most recent cases, an 86-year-old woman from Aswan governorate had died in Mecca,and a 63-year-old man from Gharbiya and a 62-year-old man from Beheira had died in Medina. The three recent deaths suffered from cardiac arrest along with respiratory problems. El-Ansary added that the Egyptian authorities were coordinating with their Saudi counterparts to issue a death certificate. Earlier on Friday a 81-year-old man from Beheira governorate had died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Mecca. Saudi authorities say more than two million Muslims participated in this year's hajj season. The five-day pilgrimage started on Wednesday and concluded on Monday. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, where he discussed developing bilateral relations with his counterpart President Tran Dai Quang and other Vietnamese officials, the Egyptian presidency announced in a statement on Friday. The two presidents agree to increase mutual visits by officials from the two countries. They also agreed to celebrate to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2018. In his visit, which the presidency said is the first to Vietnam by an Egyptian president, El-Sisi met with the general-secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. According to the statement about the visit which started on Wednesday, El-Sisi discussed common interest issues as well international and regional issues with Vietnamese officials. The president also attended the meeting of the Egyptian-Vietnamese business forum During his visit, El-Sisi was accompanied by a delegation including the foreign minister, the presidents chief of staff, and the ministers of electricity, investment, international cooperation and transportation. A delegation made up of representatives of 20 Egyptian companies accompanied the president. The Egyptian and Vietnamese presidents also witnessed the signing of nine memorandums of understanding in the fields of industry, trade, agriculture, investments, transportation and tourism. Search Keywords: Short link: The Egyptian military arrested two "extremely dangerous" militants in central Sinai and seized two cars carrying a large amount of drugs, the military's spokesman said in a statement on Friday. Security forces have been battling an Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai. Militants have killed hundreds of security personnel while Egyptian troops have killed hundreds of militants during operations in the border region. Search Keywords: Short link: KEARNEY The Kearney Area Parkinsons Support Group will meet from 2-3 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church at 4500 Linden Drive in Kearney. Upcoming events and topics for October and November will be presented. If they choose, attendees may share experiences about meeting the challenges of chronic illness and how they work to maintain a meaningful life. The support group meetings provide an opportunity to meet with those who have Parkinsons or a related condition and people who serve in a support role. For more information, call Rod Behrhorst at 308-830-0170. In August, I enjoyed visiting with Nebraskans in many communities. A vital part of my job as your U.S. senator is listening to your concerns and suggestions about solving the problems facing our country. Families, community leaders, ag producers, businesses owners and more all shared input with me. Now, I bring this feedback back to the U.S. Senate as we begin the fall legislative period. I traveled more than 2,600 miles in our state during August making stops from Nebraska City to Chadron, Ainsworth to Red Cloud, and many towns in between. So far this year, Ive had 16 listening sessions in metropolitan and rural communities from Lincoln and Omaha to Kimball, Ord, and Geneva. These events give Nebraskans the opportunity to share their concerns with me directly and in person. Nebraskans are engaged on a number of issues, including the growing North Korean missile threat; our over-complicated, outdated tax code; and burdensome regulations from the federal government. They care deeply about our country, and they want to help make America a better place for our children and grandchildren. In addition to my listening sessions, I had several roundtable discussions with Nebraskans. At these meetings, local business representatives and community leaders told me about the different projects they are working on. I spoke to service clubs in different communities, toured businesses, shared meals, and heard from Nebraskans all across our state. All of these were productive discussions about how we can work together at the federal, state and local levels to pursue smart economic policies that will build and grow a stronger Nebraska. Another highlight of the month was celebrating our states cherished past and its bright future. I toured the new National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud. It is such a treasure for our state to have national recognition for this brilliant 20th century Nebraska author and her impressive works. I also had the great opportunity to celebrate the dedication of the Heartland Expressway in Alliance. This expressway will provide a new path for our states producers to bring their excellent products to market. On the topic of transportation, I welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to Omaha on Aug. 22. We met with Nebraskans to discuss ways to turn infrastructure plans into reality. Chao and I spoke about the barriers standing in the way of transportation improvements with representatives from the Nebraska Department of Transportation, leaders from the trucking, rail and aviation industries, city and regional transportation entities, and a number of construction companies that will build these projects. I joined other members of Nebraskas congressional delegation at the State Fair for an agriculture listening session sponsored by the Nebraska Farm Bureau. Every day, our farm and ranch families roll up their sleeves and work hard to produce the food and energy that fuel our state, our nation, and people around the world. This session was a good opportunity to hear from these folks about what they are looking for as Congress develops the next farm bill. After the session, I enjoyed walking around the fair and stopped by the Beef Pit for a delicious beef sandwich. Thank you to all who shared their feedback. I return to the Senate inspired by new ideas and full of energy to take on the challenges ahead. Deb Fischer is Nebraskas senior representative in the U.S. Senate. KEARNEY Some employers participating in the Central Nebraska Job Fair set for Sept. 28 at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds say theyre encountering big challenges filling existing vacancies. Other businesses, according to human resources directors who will be at the job fair, are struggling to expand their businesses because of south-central Nebraskas tight labor market. One of the participants at the Central Nebraska Job Fair will offer referral bonuses of up to $250. "Every single manufacturer in Kearney is signed up," job fair organizer Scott Casper of the Kearney Hub said about the lineup of more than 25 employers participating in the job fair. In addition to manufacturers, businesses at the job fair will include health care providers, retailers, food service companies, warehouse operators, and businesses looking to fill clerical, trades and social work vacancies. Casper, who is the Hubs director of marketing and audience growth, said interest in the job fair has been intense because Kearney area employers are contending with one of the United States tightest labor markets. The latest Nebraska Works labor statistics show the unemployment rate is 2.7 percent in Buffalo County. Many counties in the Kearney region also have labor shortages. Custer Countys 2.2 percent unemployment rate is lowest in Nebraska. "There are a lot of businesses looking to grow their existing operations and even some trying to move into the area, and I think thats a contributing factor to the struggle a lot of employers are seeing," said Megan Thies, human resources manager for Royal Engineered Composites of Minden, one of the businesses that will be at the job fair. "If you look at employers in the area trying to hire, its pretty obvious that, across the board, there is a need for talent," Thies said. "A few years back I started a job board on Facebook for the Kearney area, and I continually see posts indicating a need for qualified people from employers in all industries: manufacturing, retail, food service, hospitality, medical, day care." Kearney business leaders support the job fair because of the hiring challenges they are facing, Casper said. "We spoke to the Buffalo County Economic Development Council. They contacted a number of area HR directors and found theres a great demand for this kind of an event. The recruiting climate in our area is very tough with some of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation," Casper said. Ryan Dennhardt, operations manager for Associated Staffing in Kearney, said a key to building an applicant pool is pairing applicants with jobs that are attractive to them. "Its about asking better questions, digging deeper and being more compassionate to life scenarios," Dennhardt said. "There are good candidates out there. We have to aggressively and relentlessly pursue them to fill our positions." Associated Staffing will offer $60 to $250 referral bonuses depending on the position. Prospective employees want to feel challenged, but maintain some personal leeway in their jobs, said Aaron Lorraine, branch manager for Essential Personnel. "Employees today are looking for a unique combination of higher wages, flexible schedules, job responsibilities, and balance between oversight and autonomy. An organizations ability to navigate these employee desires is crucial to attracting and keeping top talent." Essential Personnel is offering a $50 referral bonus to everyone who refers an employee, and $100 for assembly and paint positions in Holdrege, Lorraine said. Casper, the job fair organizer, said the Hub is promoting the Central Nebraska Job Fair across south-central Nebraska with ads in regional newspapers as well as TV and radio commercials. The aim is to get as many prospective job seekers as possible to attend the job fair. "Our goal is to match job seekers with employers who have vacancies to fill," Casper said. "Its a public service for employers and job seekers." This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Al-Azhar says that if the victims of alleged genocide in Myanmar were Jewish, Christian or Buddhist, the international community would have acted faster Al-Azhar has condemned the violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar and called on international organisations and Arab and Muslim countries to intervene to end it. In a statement signed by Grand Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb and published on Al-Azhars Facebook page, Al-Azhar called on the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, the United Nations, and decision-makers in Arab and Muslim countries to take all political and economic pressures to force the government in Myanmar to stop religious and racial discrimination. Al-Azhar also called on all international and human rights organisations to "take the required procedures to investigate in these shameful crimes, trace those who committed them, and deliver them to International Court of Justice as war criminals." "The world has witnessed over the past few days reports circulating in the media of terrifying and horrifying photos for acts of murdering, displacement, burning, genocide, and brutal massacres that have led to the killing of hundreds of women, children, youth, and the elderly, who have been besieged in Rakhine State in Myanmar," the statement reads. In the last two weeks alone 270,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams, the UN told AFP. Others have died trying to flee the fighting in Rakhine State, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. More than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmar, mostly minority Rohingya Muslims, a senior United Nations representative told AFP on Friday. This barbarian and inhumane scene would not have happened if the global conscience was not dead, according to Al-Azhars statement. The statement stressed that the denouncements from international organisations are not enough. Adding that if the victims were "Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or any other religion but Muslim" these organisations would have reacted more quickly and firmly. The statement referred to Al-Azhars efforts in solving the conflict in Rakhine by bringing the different parties to peace talks in Cairo earlier this year. However the efforts that were made during the talks have been neglected, according to the statement, adding that these kind of crimes are the strongest reasons behind terrorism. The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which denies them citizenship and regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations, according to AFP. Bangladesh has struggled to cope with the latest influx, which takes the number of Rohingya refugees in the squalid refugee camps on its border with Myanmar to around 670,000. Myanmar's Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest when Myanmar was a military dictatorship, is now the country's de facto leader with the title of State Counsellor. But she has so far failed to speak out on the violence, leaving her global reputation in tatters. Rights groups, activists -- including many who campaigned for her in the past -- and her fellow Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have condemned her. Search Keywords: Short link: We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women, makes an announcement regarding funding for seven projects that will help advance gender equality in B.C during a press conference in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday September, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ben Nelms Several areas of Togo's capital, Lome, remained blocked off on Friday after security forces fired tear gas against anti-government protesters. Shops were shut on main roads and in working-class districts of the coastal city, while there was a heavy police presence at main intersections, AFP journalists on the scene said. In the Be area, where there were clashes with police throughout the night according to local residents, youths built barricades with rocks and burning tyres to block traffic. "We want him to leave. We'll stay here until he goes. We're tired," said one of them, referring to President Faure Gnassingbe. Residents in some parts of Lome said they were afraid to leave their homes. One man in his 40s refused to be filmed or give his name, fearing reprisals from the authorities. Columns of smoke from tear gas fired by the security forces could be seen in the sky in several areas of the capital. On Wednesday and Thursday, opposition supporters took to the streets in huge numbers to call for political reform, including a limit on the number of terms the president can serve. Faure Gnassingbe has been president since his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, died in 2005 after nearly 40 years in power. That led to violent protests in which hundreds were killed. Faure Gnassingbe's election wins in 2010 and 2015 were disputed by the opposition. Search Keywords: Short link: In this photo taken on Thursday, July 27, 2017, a U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighter looks through a window as he takes his position inside a destroyed apartment on the front line, in Raqqa, northeast Syria. Kurds and Arabs are fighting side by side in the assault against the Islamic State group in Raqqa, but they have vastly different visions of what happens next. (AP Photo/Sarah El Deeb) FILE - In this May 15, 2017 file photo, protesters wave signs and chant during a demonstration against President Donald Trump's revised travel ban outside a federal courthouse in Seattle. 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, rejected the Trump administration's limited view of who is allowed into the United States under the president's travel ban, saying grandparents, cousins and similarly close relations of people in the U.S. should not be prevented from coming to the country. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) FILE - This May 14, 2012 file photo shows conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh speaking during a ceremony inducting him into the Hall of Famous Missourians in the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Limbaugh has created a storm of his own by suggesting that the "panic" caused by Hurricane Irma benefits retailers, the media and politicians who are seeking action on climate change. Al Roker, the "Today" show weatherman, said on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, that Limbaugh was putting people's lives at risk. (AP Photo/Julie Smith, File) Debris lies inside the earthquake damaged 17th century Templo del Senor del Calvario church in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Community members who were onsite removing and protecting the church's religious icons and objects said the structure had been repaired after an earthquake one year ago, but that damage from Thursday's tremor might be too much to repair.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Volunteers working through Bradford and Tremper high schools challenged Kenosha residents to fill the semi with donations for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. They overshot the mark. Individuals and businesses from around the community donated to the effort, which was spearheaded by Dulcie Dismore Schoff, treasurer of the Bradford High School Alumni Association, and students from Tremper High Schools National Honor Society, which organized donation drives over the last two weeks. The donations from pallets of bottled water to diapers to dog food and handmade quilts ended up filling 11 (also donated) storage lockers. Its just been incredible, said Schoff, saying she was surprised and gratified by the response from the community. I think people were just waiting for something to do. They had seen all this devastation and wanted to help but they didnt know what to do. Initial transport donated Schoff, who works with grocery vendors, convinced Monarch Refrigerated Transport of Niles, Ill. a company she deals with on the job to donate the time and the truck for the transportation to Texas. And she worked with a local volunteer to find a link to a place with need in the flooded area. The Kenosha donations are going directly to a church in Port Arthur, Texas, a city of about 55,000 people 90 miles east of Houston that was particularly hard-hit by flooding. The way this all fit together is a miracle, Schoff said. Nearly three semi loads On Friday when Monarchs truck arrived to pick up donations and with donations still arriving Schoff found that not only had they met the challenge of filling the semi, they had collected enough to fill two, possibly three, semis. The truck that Monarch donated will head to Port Arthur with all it can carry. Schoff immediately began looking for another trucking company to donate shipping, and by Friday afternoon, she said, Kutzler Express in Kenosha had committed to help. 19 pallets of bottled water Meanwhile, at Lou Perrines Gas and Groceries a crew was loading another semi this one donated by Mainfreight of New Berlin with Lous Spring Water, the stores private label water. The convenience store donated 19 pallets of bottled water 38,304 bottles to the Red Cross, which is taking it to hurricane victims. Anthony Perrine, the stores owner, said his family has ties to both Texas and Florida, and they wanted to help those in need. You saw the huge demand, and it pulls on your heartstrings, Perrine said. Because they have the water available, we figured instead of just sending money we would make a donation. He said he worked with their business association to link with the Red Cross and with the local Red Cross to get access to donated trucking. The truck is leaving today, and should get there Monday, said Perrine, who will be going directly to a Red Cross distribution center. Hurricane Harveys storm status was reduced just after reaching the coast of Texas, but damage was severe. There was destruction in and around Houston and elsewhere before the storm faded further north over Ohio. Today, we expect the White House and federal agencies to provide effective leadership in mitigating national disasters, which people until the 20th century fatalistically viewed as unavoidable acts of God. President Donald Trump and Melania Trump were quick to visit the area. Over the past century, American society has steadily expanded disaster relief efforts. Over the same period, the mass media have played a steadily more important role in reporting terrible events in graphic human terms. Severe storm reporting shows the complex contemporary interplay between media and people. Haiti earthquake relief early in 2010 followed a similar pattern. Photography transformed newspapers by adding graphic, sometimes shocking, visual images to text. Radio and television greatly expanded the capacity of the news to communicate the emotional, human aspects of events. The internet and increasingly visual as well as audio cellphones carry the process further. Simultaneously, Americans have steadily raised the bar regarding expectations of government. President George W. Bush suffered serious political damage from public perception that he seemed both ineffective and uncaring in reaction to the Hurricane Katrina devastation. One very widely distributed photo showed Bush in Air Force One, gazing down at the floodwaters far, far below. Combined with news that an unqualified socialite friend was in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the image of Bush far above the fray proved costly. By contrast, one century earlier in 1906 another Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, established the precedent of immediate direct White House involvement after the San Francisco earthquake. His initiatives included a quick congressional appropriation of $2.5 million, a radical move as well as substantial sum for that time. Teddy Roosevelt also involved the military in humanitarian relief. The USS Chicago rescued 20,000 people, still one of the largest amphibious evacuations in history. Soldiers distributed food, water and medical supplies. Military methods also restored order. Soldiers and police shot an estimated 500 looters, including 34 men who attempted to rob U.S. Mint and Treasury buildings that contained $239 million in bullion and cash. There was no FEMA, created during the Carter administration. Roosevelt instead stressed the role of the Red Cross. During Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, the Obama White House website had a link to the Red Cross. Future President Herbert Hoover developed a further great expansion of the U.S. approach to disaster relief, including overseas humanitarian assistance. During and after the First World War, he led the enormous U.S. Food Administration and American Relief Administration, credited with preventing devastating mass starvation in Europe. In 1927, Commerce Secretary Hoover spearheaded an enormous humanitarian effort after huge Mississippi River flooding. The people confirmed Hoover temporarily as Great American Hero, securing him in the 1928 Republican presidential nomination and election to the White House. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy became the first Gulf Coast storm to create more than $1 billion in damage. President Lyndon Johnson immediately flew to New Orleans and spent many hours visiting storm victims, slogging through water to isolated shacks, anxious Secret Service agents and local politicians in tow. Follow-up federal relief was comprehensive. U.S. presidents for more than a century have developed this tradition as a leadership test. Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of After the Cold War. Contact Cyr at acyr@carthage.edu. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. A former Ramsgate church warden and school governor who said he found children to be "beautiful" has been jailed for importing child sex dolls and downloading around 34,000 indecent images of children. 72-year-old David Turner was sentenced today at Canterbury Crown Court to 16 months imprisonment and was given a sexual harm prevention order. Turner, of Hollicondane Road, Ramsgate, had previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to his importation of a child sex doll from China for the purposes of sexual gratification, as well as multiple counts of possession of indecent images of children ranging from the most serious category to the least serious. He had resigned as a volunteer and school governor of St Ethelbert's Church Primary School and from his role as warden of St Ethelbert's and Gertrude Church in Ramsgate following his arrest. The court heard today how Turner had been sad when his grandchildren had grown up and had started buying the sex dolls around 8 years ago when they moved away, though it was said he had never been known to have made any advances on them. As he delivered his sentence, Judge Simon James, described how Turner's "unnatural" and "repugnant" interests had led him to go so far as to obtain "a number of disturbingly lifelike and anatomically correct dolls of young children, so as to be in a position to recreate the sort of abuse you had viewed being perpetrated by others". Turner had been caught after a doll he had ordered from China was investigated by customs, and upon his arrest and investigation of his home address he was found to have three more dolls in his house. Judge James continued to add that Turner posed "a direct risk to children" and suggested that he had become "dissatisfied with watching two-dimensional imagery" and had "moved on to seek to act out (his) grotesque fantasies". Mitigating factors included Turner's age, ill health, previous good character, and early admissions of guilt. Turner was given 16 months in prison to be made up of consecutive eight month counts for the importation of the dolls and the most serious images in his possession, with concurrent sentences for the less serious images of three months. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. In a landmark case heard in the UK, former Ramsgate school governor David Turner was jailed today (September 9) after importing a "lifelike" child sex doll. At the sentencing hearing at Canterbury Crown Court this morning, the court heard disturbing evidence about the former church warden's hoard of lifelike sex dolls and stash of 36,000 indecent images of children. The court heard no evidence that Turner, 73, of Hollicondane Road, Ramsgate, had carried out any abuse himself, but the judge said he posed a direct risk to children. When police had investigated his home in Hollicondane Road, Ramsgate, they found three sex dolls, one left in the bedroom, one in his wife's dressing room, and one in the loft. Dreams of abusing children He had purchased children's clothes for the dolls, and claimed that the most realistic one was for sex while the other two were "for companionship". As well as the sick dolls and images found in his possession, 29 fictional stories were also found which described forms of child sex abuse. (Image: John Stillwell/PA Wire) One of them he had written himself, after "having a dream" in which he had sex with a young girl, he wrote a story to record the dream "the next day". The 72-year-old grandfather had volunteered as a school governor at St Ethelbert's Church Primary School and was a church warden at St Ethelbert's and Gertrude Church in Ramsgate, but resigned from both roles after his arrest last November. 'Deeply religious man' But what is it that drove a "deeply religious man" such as David Turner, described as having previously been of good character, to purchase four realistic child sex dolls and download tens of thousands of indecent images? The court heard today how the father of four daughters had always found children "beautiful" from a young age, but had been able to "suppress his urges" throughout most of his life. (Image: John Stillwell/PA Wire) However Turner told police his habit had developed after his retirement, and over time it became "easy to lower his standards". In police interviews he had stated that he was attracted only to young girls, from as young as the age of four or five up to around ten years old, though he claimed he had no interest in having sex with them. 'Hiding behind religion' However Judge Simon James today told Turner he had been "voluntarily involving yourself with children of a similar age as a school governor and at your church". He also stated how Turner seemed to be "hiding behind concepts of religion to explain (his) behaviour rather than accepting full responsibility for it." The court heard how the 72-year-old had first purchased a sex doll from China after his grandchildren had "grown up too fast", though there is no evidence to suggest he had ever committed any indecent acts involving family members. It was also stated that Turner had been found with images of children from the school he had been a governor at on one of his computers, though it was confirmed they were not in any way indecent but had been either taken by him in the classroom, or downloaded from the school website. While none of the content of the photos was illegal, child safeguarding procedures would have required him to delete the photos after a certain period of time. His activities at the school included assisting with staff training, administrative work, and helping the children with their reading in the library. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. A 46-year-old man from Tonbridge has been arrested after police found a room of a house in the town had been converted to grow cannabis. On Thursday (September 6), officers executed a warrant in Bridge Close and discovered a rear bedroom was being used to grow the Class B drug. A total of five plants were seized, along with equipment used to cultivate them, including a tent, lighting equipment and containers - the drugs and equipment will now all be destroyed. Tonbridge and Malling Sgt Ash Boxall said: "We remain committed to disrupting any activity regarding the misuse of drugs, to ensure positive action is taken to identify and robustly deal with offenders. "Our work doesn't always come to end once an arrest has been made and following the warrant in Bridge Close we will now also be working with our partner agencies concerning any tenancy breaches." In a separate incident two men from London have been arrested after quantities of cannabis and cash were seized by officers from a vehicle in Westerham. At around 12am yesterday (September 7) police stopped a car which had been traveling along the A25, following reports of suspicious activity. Money and drugs were recovered following a search of the vehicle and two men, aged 33 and 30 from Woolwich, were arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. Russia claimed Friday to have killed several top commanders of the Islamic State group in an airstrike in Syria, including the "Minister of War" and the so-called Emir of Deir Ezzor. "As a result of a precision airstrike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 ISIS fighters have been killed," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir Ezzor emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali," the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as the IS group's Minister of War and the highest-ranking defector from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, suffered a "fatal injury," it added. Russia's SU warplanes dropped "bunker buster" bombs on the fighters as they were meeting near Deir Ezzor to discuss how to respond to the advance of the Syrian army, Moscow said. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops on Tuesday broke through a years-long siege imposed by IS militants on tens of thousands of civilians in Deir Ezzor. Reports of Khalimov's death have surfaced before. The Times said in April that Khalimov, described as the highest-ranking IS commander in Mosul, had been killed in an airstrike. A former colonel, he headed the Tajik interior ministry's special forces unit and received American training before joining IS in 2015. Khalimov pledged allegiance to the militants group in a video released in May 2015 in a high-profile defection that rocked Tajikistan, a mainly Muslim country. In the footage he warned that he and other IS recruits based in the Middle East were "coming" for top officials in the country, including long-ruling President Emomali Rakhmon. In 2016, the United States offered a $3 million bounty for information leading to his location or arrest. In July, police in Tajikistan killed four relatives of the former special forces colonel in a gun battle, an interior ministry source has said, and three other relatives were detained. The source claimed that all of those killed or detained were IS "supporters" and said that they were intending to flee to neighbouring Afghanistan, but did not offer any proof to back up the claims. Search Keywords: Short link: Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. A top art critic has slammed one of Folkestone's biggest events in The Telegraph, calling it a 'supposedly important event' and 'underwhelming'. The Triennial launched last weekend, seeing 19 randomly dotted pieces of art around the town for nine weeks (September 2 to November 5) - with some works remaining as permanent installations. Under the title Double Edge , this fourth edition of the Triennial refers to the two main axes around which Folkestone's development as a town has taken place historically and geographically: the seashore and the Pent Stream, an ancient watercourse flowing from the North Downs into the sea, dividing East and West Folkestone. From multi-coloured houses to a solitary man looking out to sea, the 2017 Triennial - organised by the Creative Foundation - has set tongues wagging in the town and beyond. Many in the town have been intrigued and bemused by Richard Woods' Holiday Home , which has seen vibrant houses pop up along the coast, commenting on the housing crisis and the booming market of second homes. But the event has come under fire from critic Mark Hudson this week, who describes it as 'contemptuous'. Although Hudson admits that the event is one of 'Britain's premier art events' that doesn't stop him from picking off 2017's installations one by one, dismissing them as 'tired non-event of... piece[s]'. He opens his tirade with the lines: "The Folkestone Triennial might sound an almost comic proposition: a British seaside riposte to the mighty Venice Biennale, offering not pavilions and palaces as a backdrop, but boat terminals and hard-to-let terraced housing." Hudson's main complaint is the artworks' 'polite references' to the events 'liberal agenda' in the wake of Brexit. It's just not punchy enough for him. Despite his dislike for the Triennial - or at least the 2017 edition - Hudson does defend the locals. Discussing David Shrigley's Lamp Post (As Remembered) on the Leas, he says: "Like many of this triennial's artworks, this tired non-event of a piece seems to embody a contempt for the intellectual level of the general viewer. "As though Shrigley assumes the people of Folkestone have never encountered conceptual art before." Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Stay up to date with all the Dover news with our weekly email, as well as getting all the latest breaking news delivered directly to your inbox A pair of urban explorers clambered around the 200-year-old Western Heights in Dover before spraying graffiti on one of the forts damp walls, as captured in this creepy footage. The video shows two men tour the Drop Redoubt armed with flashlights and a GoPro in a 6-minute video uploaded by user iamwoodlouse last summer. The pair clumsily explore the historic fortress - which was built over 200 years ago to protect Britain from a French invasion - examining words carved into some derelict looking steps as well as shining their torches on the seemingly never-ending windows which encase the Grand Shaft's 140ft deep triple staircase. The Drop Redoubt is the most impressive and immediately noticeable feature on Dover's Western Heights and did well to keep the 21st century visitors at bay, as the video shows them awkwardly scrambling into the fortress's narrows entrance. It is one of the two forts on the Heights, and is linked to the other, the Citadel, by a series of dry moats. And the explorers bravely pose inside and outside the structures, after daubing foulmouthed graffiti on the historic fortress, adding their names to the countless signatures of soldiers that occupied the fortress in World War I. Although most people think the Heights are mainly Napoleonic, the earliest works date back to 1779 and were built to stop a Franco-Spanish army seizing the hill and laying siege to Dover Castle. The guns of the Heights actually never saw action against the French, but throughout the late Victorian period they were regularly fired for practice during mock-battles involving thousands of men every few years at Easter. And during the First World War the Heights became a massive training camp for men to be sent to the front. They would have also defended Dover should the Germans have invaded. On January 21, 1944, a Junkers 88 bomber was shot down over Dover and crashed onto the Citadel, demolishing the gymnasium and exploding. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. These are the evil faces of three takeaway workers who horrifically gang-raped a drunk 16-year-old girl in a "grubby room" above a pizza shop. Restaurant owner Tamin Rahmani, 38, of Northwood Road in Ramsgate, takeaway workers Shershah Muslimyar, 21, of Hovenden Close in Canterbury, Raffiullah Hamidy, 24, of no fixed abode and a boy from Ashford, who we cannot name for legal reasons, have all been jailed for a total of 49 years in prison. All three takeaway workers and the unnamed youth denied three counts of rape, resulting in a gruelling four-week long trial at Canterbury Crown Court. The three men were each sentenced to 14 years and the 17-year-old boy was sentenced to seven years - half of which they will serve in custody. Kent Live attempted to challenge the reporting restrictions that forbid the press from identifying the boy, but the judge ruled that the minor should remain anonymous due to his vulnerability and age. Walking the streets alone The jury was told sordid details of a night in Ramsgate in September last year, where a lost girl walking the streets alone had asked for directions. But rather than helping the victim, the men took her to a "grubby" room above 555 Pizza on Northwood Road and raped her multiple times. Throughout the trial, prosecutor Simon Taylor told grim details of how "every single orifice had been penetrated by the group of men, while others watched, laughed and joined in themselves". Physically restrained Mr Taylor added that the girl was pushed onto a mattress whilst men physically restrained her and stood by the door "so she knew there was no escape". The victim was then escorted out the premises, where she was found "sobbing", "hysterical" and "pacing up the road crying" by a woman who found her on the street. In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "I'm not sure how many were in the room, I think there was about four or five of them. They were all like pushing me, like, to each other. One of the men pushed me onto the bed and was just laughing. "He pushed me onto a mattress, I think it had a duvet. I think there was one or two by the door and a few in the middle of the room. One was on top of me and one was beside me holding my shoulders. I don't remember much after that but one of them was having sex with me." She said they were all "swapping round" and she told them to stop "but they carried on anyway". Tamin Rahmani Restaurant owner Rahmani, who is married with children and moved to the UK from Afghanistan in 2003, had his DNA found on a duvet cover at the scene of where the girl was raped. The disgraced former businessmen told jurors how he had previously made love to his wife on the duvet, and lied about being in bed with her on the night of the attack. When CCTV images showed him in his car on the night in question, he told police he thought "it was in Afghan time". Rafiullah Hamidy Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, was an employee of Tamin Rahmani's alongside 20-year-old Shershah Muslimyar at 555 takeaway. After the attack, Hamidy fled to Italy before he was extradited back to the UK in connection with the rape. Hamidy initially denied having sex with the girl, but changed his statement when his DNA was found on the victim trying to claim the sex was consensual. Shershah Muslimyar Like Hamidy, Shershah Muslimyar denied having sex with the girl until his DNA was found on her. He then changed his statement, and said he lied because he was "scared of his girlfriend finding out" - later claiming her had "consensual" sex with the girl on the street. Muslimyar's barrister Glenn Harris says he still maintains his innocence and arrived in the UK after he fled Afghanistan to escape the Taliban. Unnamed youth The teenager who took part in the horrific attack, now aged 17, arrived in the UK as a young unaccompanied asylum seeker from Afghanistan in 2015. The boy told his foster carer he was staying in Canterbury with a friend on the right of the rape, but was later seen escorting the girl from 555 takeaway - along with his DNA found in the room where the young girl was raped. The 17-year-old is also shown on CCTV holding the teenager as she is taken into the takeaway, and threw her clothes at her at the end of the attack. 'Opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires' Sentencing, Judge Heather Norton said: "In her drunken state, the victim thought that you were going to help her, but instead, you took her up to a bedroom, pushed her onto a mattress and repeatedly raped her". Senior investigating officer Det Insp Richard Vickery said: "The victim in this case was a vulnerable teenage girl who was taken advantage of and subjected to some of the most horrendous crimes imaginable. "It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way. "Rape is an abhorrent crime and the victim has suffered a great deal of emotional harm from the ordeal she was forced to endure. She has displayed tremendous courage in reliving what happened to her, and I would like to personally thank her for having the strength to help bring her offenders to justice. "They clearly pose a significant danger to women and children and are fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentences they have received." The license of 555 pizza, later re-branded into YSY Pizza, has since been revoked Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. A mattress on the floor surrounded by empty cans of drink is where a 16-year-old girl was brutally attacked by three men and a boy. Shershah Muslimyar, 21, formerly of Hovenden Close, Canterbury, Tamin Rahmani, 38, formerly of Northwood Road, Ramsgate, Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, formerly of High Street, Herne Bay and a 17-year-old who cannot be named, attacked the 16-year-old at Rahmani's home in the early hours of September 18 last year. Hamidy fled to Italy following the incident but was returned to the UK in March 2017 after a European Arrest Warrant was issued. All four denied rape following an investigation by officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate but were found guilty following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court and sentenced today to 14 years each, and seven years for the boy. The police have since released mugshots of the three men and a picture of the sordid scene where the attack happened. It shows a floral duvet cover slung over the mattress along with two pillows and the floor littered with cans, bottles and a pair of headphones. The jury heard how the victim had been out with a group of friends in Ramsgate but left them in the early hours with the intention of walking to another girl's home in Cliftonville. On the way she was approached by a group of men, whom she asked for directions. Instead they led her to Rahmani's flat, where she was raped before being escorted back out of the building Two members of the public returning from a night out invited the victim into their home after they found her crying in the street and it was reported to police shortly afterwards. Forensic evidence Officers carried out extensive enquiries into the incident and were able to link the defendants through forensic evidence and CCTV of their movements beforehand. Rahmani was the first to be arrested on Sunday, September 18 followed by Muslimyar three days later. The 17-year-old was arrested on Monday, December 5. Hamidy could not be traced so a photograph of him was placed on the Most Wanted page of the Kent Police website and circulated via social media. It was later established he had fled to Taranto in the Apulia region of southern Italy, where he was detained by officers from the local police force under a European Arrest Warrant. Hamidy was returned to the UK following an extradition hearing and taken into custody after arriving at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, March 28. 'Fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentences' Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Richard Vickery said: "The victim in this case was a vulnerable teenage girl who was taken advantage of and subjected to some of the most horrendous crimes imaginable. "It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way. "Rape is an abhorrent crime and the victim has suffered a great deal of emotional harm from the ordeal she was forced to endure. "She has displayed tremendous courage in reliving what happened to her, and I would like to personally thank her for having the strength to help bring her offenders to justice. "They clearly pose a significant danger to women and children and are fully deserving of the lengthy prison sentences they have received.' Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Four men found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl above a takeaway in Ramsgate will be sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court today (September 8). A gang of three co-workers and another man sexually assaulted a defenceless young victim above 555 Pizza and Kebab now renamed YSY in Northwood Road in the early hours of September 18, 2016. Owner of the takeaway Tamin Rahmani, 37, who lived above his restaurant, and workers Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury and Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, of no fixed abode, were found guilty of three counts of rape. The youngest offender, Hamid Mohamadi was also found guilty of the same offence. He had originally not been identified and his age was not released but as the trial went on, Kent Police and Canterbury Crown Court agreed to reveal his name and that he was 18 years old. However, since this decision, officers have said the young rapist had lied about his age and it has been determined he is actually 17 years old. As a result, the force have confirmed they will not be releasing his custody picture. What sentence could they each be facing? We take a look at the guidelines set out by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and a similar case to see the extent of the punishment that could be dished out. How does a judge decide on a sentence? According to the CPS, the sentencing for rape and sexual offences depends on the nature of the incident. A judge must take into account a number of different elements including how dangerous the offender is and if there were aggravating factors throughout the incident. These include whether the victim was subjected to an abduction or retention and if there has been an abuse of trust, an offence motivated by prejudice or a sustained attack. Mitigating factors also have to be taken into consideration. For example, where the victim is aged 16 or over, the judge will have to note whether the victim engaged in consensual sexual activity with the offender on the same occasion or immediately before the offence. How long can a rape sentence be? Rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The general guidelines listed by the CPS when a judge is considering a sentence for rape of a victim aged 16 or over are as follows: Single offence of rape by single offender: 5 years custody Rape accompanied by aggravating factor: 8 years custody Repeated rape of same victim by single offender or rape involving multiple victims: 15 years custody These guidelines would suggest the Ramsgate gang rapists could be facing a sentence of around 15 years. However, the judge is likely to decide upon the sentence of each individual offender based on how severe they consider their offences after taking into account all factors as previously mentioned. It means the sentences for each defendant could vary. Similar case When a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped in Tottenham, north London in January 2008, three men were convicted for offences relating to the attack. Angolan immigrant Hector Muaimba, who was 20 at the time, was given an eight-year sentence for rape and robbery. Jamaican-born Rogel McMorris, aged 18 at the time, was initially locked up for nine years after being found guilty of rape and grievous bodily harm, while Jason Brew, who was 19, was sentenced to six years for rape. However McMorris and Brew later had their jail sentences increased by the Court of Appeal. McMorris was consequently handed a 14-year sentence and Brew nine years. Hurricane Irma barreled toward vulnerable Haiti on Thursday after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 10 people as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida. With winds of around 185 miles per hour (290 km per hour), the storm has smashed through several small islands in the northeast Caribbean in recent days, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, ripping down trees and flattening homes and hospitals. Winds dipped slightly on Thursday to 175 mph as the storm lashed the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Irma is expected to hit Florida as a very powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding beginning within the next 48 hours. "The amount of wind that's coming in, we don't think we've seen anything quite like this," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday after declaring a major disaster in the U.S. Virgin Islands. "To the people of Florida, we just want you to protect yourselves, be very very vigilant and careful," said the president, who owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Florida emergency management officials began evacuations, ordering tourists to leave the Keys. Gas shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. A mandatory evacuation on Georgia's Atlantic coast was due to begin on Saturday, Governor Nathan Deal said. Across the Caribbean authorities rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of residents and tourists in the path of the storm, while on islands in its wake, shocked locals tried to comprehend the extent of the devastation. In the U.S. Virgin islands, a major hospital was obliterated by the wind and Barbuda, where one person died, was reduced "to rubble", according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In the British overseas territory of Anguilla another person was killed, while the hospital and airport, power and phone service were damaged, emergency service officials said. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four bodies were recovered on the tiny French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, which was hit hard. Earlier, in the confusion surrounding Irma, France's interior minister had said eight people were killed and nearly two dozen injured. "It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response. Three people were killed in Puerto Rico and around two-thirds of the population lost their electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said after the storm passed by the U.S. territory's northern coast. A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados. The storm passed just to the north of the Hispaniola island shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing some damage to roofs and flooding as it approached the impoverished Haitian side of the island, which is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and rain. The first bands of rain and wind began to lash Haiti's normally bustling northern port city of Cap-Haitien on Thursday. We're asking all those living in areas at risk to leave their homes. If you dont, youll be evacuated by force," President Jovenel Moise said. "When you go to shelters youll find food, youll have something to sleep on." Children At Risk The United Nations Children's Fund warned millions of children could be at risk in those two countries. Irma's eye was forecast to pass over the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory, and the Bahamas before moving towards Cuba's sandy keys. Cuba started evacuating some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the picturesque northern coast, most of them Canadians. Canada decided ... to evacuate all the Canadian tourists in the country, said Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero, estimating they made up 60 percent of tourists in the countrys keys. Authorities in the Dominican Republic also ordered evacuations in towns along the northern Atlantic coast such as Cabarete, a thriving tourist spot where trees were brought down by high winds but no severe damage was reported. Amid criticism from many residents that the British government could have done more to help its territories, Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said a Royal Navy ship would reach the affected islands on Thursday with tents, vehicles and other relief equipment. Britain released 32 million pounds ($42 million) for aid. "Anguilla received the hurricane's full blast. The initial assessment is that the damage has been severe and in places critical," Duncan told parliament. Britain's Queen Elizabeth said she was "shocked and saddened" by the reports of Caribbean devastation. In Puerto Rico, Rossello said it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage. The streets of the capital San Juan were littered with downed tree limbs and signs. Juan Pablo Aleman, a restaurant owner, said he had ridden out the storm in his 11th-floor apartment. "The building moved, shook a few times. A lot of shingles came off and some windows broke," he told Reuters. "If it had gone a little more to the south, it would have been catastrophic." Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday. Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to U.S. forecasters. Hurricane Jose was about 815 miles (1,310 km) east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles islands, and could eventually threaten the U.S. mainland. The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated to be as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. 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Berikut beberapa permainan slot tergacor yang mudah dimenangkan yang bisa Anda mainkan melalui situs judi slot terpercaya di Indonesia. jackpot manis Gerbang Olympus gerbang ikan mas Akses Aztek beruntung neko Spain's top courts on Friday heaped fresh threats on Catalan separatists who have pushed on with their independence bid, passing a law outlining a transition to a possible independent republic. After sparking Spain's deepest political crisis in 40 years by voting this week to move ahead with a referendum, Catalonia's separatist-controlled regional parliament upped the ante by passing a bill in the early hours which would take effect if they won the popular vote on October 1. The separatists say the law would serve as a temporary "basic law" in the wealthy northeastern region of 7.5 million people in the event of a "yes" vote, until a new constitution was in place. Spain's Constitutional Court has since 2014 declared any bid for an independence referendum to be unconstitutional, and on Thursday night it moved again to suspend the bills passed by Catalan lawmakers to organise the vote. The court was set Friday to suspend the law outlining a possible transition, too. But the separatists have ignored the actions of the judges -- most of them named by the ruling conservatives -- branding them illegitimate. "It is worrying that the state is seeking to scare people and make threats, faced with a desire for a vote," Lluis Corominas, vice president of the Catalan parliament, told national radio Friday. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed Thursday to block the referendum, branding it an "intolerable act of disobedience", and the Supreme Court warned senior Catalan officials to desist from promoting "any accord or action which permits the preparation and/or holding of a referendum". The warning went out to all members of the regional government, as well as mayors, the directors of regional public broadcasters, and Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero, a popular figure after winning plaudits for his handling of last month's terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. The region's 948 mayors now find themselves in a delicate position. The court on Friday ordered them to respect its suspension of the referendum bid, "warning them of their potential liabilities, which include criminal liabilities", just a day after regional authorities asked them to provide lists of possible polling stations. Neus Lloveras, mayor of the town of Vilanova outside Barcelona who heads an association of pro-independence municipalities, said "more than 600 town halls have already informed the regional government of the total availability" of their polling stations. Others have said they will refuse to organise a banned referendum, such as Angel Ros, mayor of the town of Lerida. "We would be leaving the legal framework," he told TV3 television. "Is it worth trying to build a state in order to divide the country? I'm among those who think not." On Thursday the national prosecutor announced that investigations into the planning of the referendum would be carried out with the help of the Civil Guard and Catalan police, and that voting material would be seized. Corominas retorted that "there will not be enough paper to send all these summons and scare practically half of Catalan society". With its own language and customs, Catalonia accounts for about one-fifth of Spain's economic output, and already has significant powers over matters such as education and healthcare. But Spain's economic worries, coupled with a perception that the region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid, have helped push the independence question to centre stage. The region remains divided, however. In a survey by the Catalan Centre of Opinion Studies in June, 41.1 percent backed independence while 49.9 rejected it. Some 70 percent wanted a referendum, however, to settle the question once and for all. Search Keywords: Short link: Pope Francis traveled Friday to an area once besieged by leftist rebels to pray with victims of Colombias long conflict, urging them to overcome their grief by forgiving their former assailants. At an open-air Mass in the central city of Villavincencio, Francis praised those who had resisted the understandable temptation for vengeance and instead sought out peace. He said their choice in no way legitimized the injustices they suffered, but rather showed a willingness to build a peaceful future together. Every effort at peace without sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail, he warned. The highlight of his daylong visit was to be the Vatican has termed a great prayer meeting for national reconciliation, bringing victims and victimizers together before a poignant symbol of the conflict: a mutilated statue of Christ rescued from a church destroyed in a rebel mortar attack. It was bound to be a deeply emotional gathering for Francis, who has made reconciliation the central theme of his five-day trip Colombia after promising to visit the country upon the signing of last years peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The event was drawing thousands of victims from all walks of life: soldiers who lost limbs clearing land mines, mothers whose children were forcibly recruited by the rebels never to be seen again and farmers driven off their land by right-wing paramilitary groups. While still grieving, many said they had already worked through their sorrow to forgive. When you forgive, you still have the scar of the wound, but yes, I have definitely forgiven from my heart, said Paulina Mahecha, whose daughter disappeared in 2004 while studying to be a nurse. Mahecha arrived at the event bearing photos of her daughter, Marina Christina Cobo Mahecha, around her neck and a banner accusing the army, police and paramilitary groups in her disappearance. She said she had moved beyond her grief with the help of a priest: Otherwise I would be dead. Forgiveness was not for them, but for me, she said. Ahead of the event, the former commander of the FARC published a public letter in which he asked Francis for forgiveness. Your frequent reminders about the infinite mercy of God move me to beg for your forgiveness for any tear or pain weve caused Colombian society or any of its individuals, wrote Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. The longtime rebel commander, who is undergoing medical treatment in Cuba following a stroke, said he regretted that he was unable to be present for Francis visit. Declaring himself a devout admirer of the first Latin American pope, he praised Francis insistence on the dignity of every human being and outspoken criticism of an economic system in which rich nations loot the riches of poorer ones. In another sign that the popes message of reconciliation may be getting through to the deeply polarized nation, the mayor of Medellin confirmed that President Juan Manuel Santos will pray together Saturday at a Mass in Colombias second-largest city with his predecessor and arch-rival, President Alvaro Uribe. Previously the two had refused to appear together at any papal events. The two former allies split over Santos signing of a peace deal with the FARC and their feud has hampered the chances of successful implementation of the accord. Francis has tried to bring the two together, sponsoring a face-to-face meeting at the Vatican last December after Uribe led the opposition that narrowly rejected the original accord in a nationwide referendum. Among those attending the reconciliation event in Villavicencio was Lucrecia Valencia, who lost her husband and son, as well has her own right arm and left leg, when they were going out for firewood near their home. Her town was for years engulfed by violence and she said she wants the world to know that the countrys peace is fragile. She said the land mine that upended her life in 2009 was likely planted by another rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, which remains active in many parts of the country. Were sick of all this, the 40-year-old said. Im a woman of a good heart. I have nothing to ask for. But I want people to know we dont want any more war. Also on hand was Juan Enrique Montiel, a former paramilitary member, who said that he realized he couldnt start a new life until he faced his victims and apologized. We made a lot of victims, so for us to get where we are, being able to walk without fear as a civilian (it is necessary to confront your victims), he said. Presiding over the event will be a mutilated Christ statue rescued from a bombed-out church 15 years ago perhaps the most powerful reminder of the senseless political violence that left more than 250,000 people dead and millions displaced. Several Afro-Colombian residents of the impoverished town of Bojaya traveled days by boat, plane and bus to bring the modest plaster statue to Villavicencio so it could be blessed by the pope. The town church was hit and destroyed by a FARC mortar when 300 residents had taken shelter there during a three-way firefight between the rebels, army and the paramilitaries. At least 79 people died and 100 were injured in the 2002 attack. Today the remote town is a model for reconciliation, having overwhelmingly backed President Juan Manuel Santos peace plan and even taken the unusual step of welcoming back the FARC, whose leaders have twice visited the town to seek forgiveness and develop projects to benefit the community. At the start of Fridays Mass, Francis beatified two priests intimately identified with Colombias conflict. The pope declared them martyrs who shed their blood for the love of the flock to whom they were entrusted. The Rev. Pedro Ramirez was murdered in the turbulent days following the 1948 assassination of a leftist firebrand Jorge Eliecer Gaitan a slaying that marked the start of Colombias descent into political violence and the eventual arming of poor farmers excluded by the elite-driven political system. Priests in the town of Armero, in central Colombia, said Ramirez was pulled from the church, stripped naked and attacked with machetes by an angry mob of Gaitans followers who accused him of protecting their conservative, landholding enemies. Bishop Jesus Jaramillo was gunned down in 1989 in the eastern city of Arauca by rebels with of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, with whom he clashed on theological grounds. The ELN was founded by priests and seminary students inspired by liberation theology, which sought to identify the church with the poor and excluded, and saw in the conservative but charismatic Jaramillo a potential rival for influence among the regions peasants and workers. Some 70 of Ramirezs relatives came from around the world to attend his beatification Mass, which Colombian authorities said drew some 400,000 people. It is a very happy and exciting day, said Julia Eugenia Ramirez, a great niece of the slain priest. I feel honored to follow the steps of our great uncle. Search Keywords: Short link: 415 Shares Share Being a health care provider has always come with personal risk. We care for all patients, which includes patients agitated due to psychiatric issues, dementia, acute medical illness, alcohol or drug intoxication or just anger. Patients can be extremely volatile and lash out unexpectedly causing physical injury to their doctor, nurse or another provider. Besides the physical risk, patients can be emotionally and verbally abusive as well- and both types of violence take their toll. Workplace violence is on the rise, and OSHA reports indicate that only 70 percent of violent encounters are ever reported upwards to a supervisor. The NEJM published a review article last year on workplace violence calling it a problem that had been tolerated and largely ignored. Health care in America now has the highest incidence of workplace violence outside of law enforcement. Recently the dangers of patients unhappy and dissatisfied with their care, particularly as it pertains to obtaining controlled substances, have been making the news. This danger has been increasingly apparent since we, as providers, have been scaling back on prescriptions of controlled substances, but reports of abusive opioid seeking patients were readily available years ago. A most extreme example recently occurred in Indiana where a patients husband shot and killed her doctor for not giving her an opiate prescription. This was the first time the patient had seen this physician, and this single patient encounter led to his death. Several years ago, another irate patient in Kentucky murdered his doctor for not prescribing him opiates- he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Both of these physicians were killed for practicing good medicine, and this is a heartbreaking, frightening reality. As we as a medical community continue to grapple with the risk of workplace violence, is there anything that we as individual providers can help to prevent protect ourselves? I would offer the following: 1. Be clear immediately and up front with the patient what his or her expectations should be. Many PCP offices have instituted policies where they never prescribe controlled substances, or at least never on the first visit. Knowing this information as soon as possible, ideally before the appointment, can help to diffuse the tension or lead the patient to seek care elsewhere. 2. In the hospital setting, there are on-call police and security teams and special codes to raise the alert for violent patients and trigger a response team know what your policies are! In the outpatient world where this response team is usually not possible, have a clear safety plan in place with your staff and a pre-planned method to alert them to a dangerous patient. 3. Be alert to the risk of violence before you enter the room. Has the patient been violent in the past? Past violence is the single greatest predictor of future violence. Do they have mental health, addiction or chronic pain issues that place them at a higher risk for violent behavior? Consider flagging patients medical records to alert the staff of the risk for violence. If you know that risk is present, do not go into the patients room unattended. 4. Either in the hospital or office setting, when a patient starts to become agitated and violent, do the following: a. speak softly and do not raise your voice b. listen actively and maintain positive nonverbal communication with eye contact and nodding c. acknowledge that you can see the patient is frustrated and upset d. reassure the patient you are listening to his or her concerns e. let the patient talk without interrupting them f. ask what you can do to help resolve the issue. 5. If you sense the situation is going to escalate, and cannot be resolved, move slowly toward the exit. Keep as much physical distance between yourself and the patient as possible. Alert the surrounding staff and call the police as soon as is feasible. 6. Report any violent encounter according to your hospital or clinic protocol. Always report any incidence of violence, we cannot allow it to become an expected part of our workday. 7. Talk to your administrators about workplace violence policies that are in place or under development at your hospital or practice. Advocate for policy improvements where necessary to improve staff safety. Let your voice be heard. Violence in our workplace is an ongoing issue. We can each help by reporting all violent incidents as they occur, and having firm policies and procedures in place. Always trust your intuition, if you are fearful of a patient take precautions before you enter the room to protect yourself. Jenny Hartsock is a hospitalist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The ministry has hinted that the tomb is 'important' Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany will announce the discovery of a new tomb at a gala ceremony in Luxor on Saturday morning. Although the ministry has not released any information shedding light on the identity of the tombs owner, its design, date or any funerary objects unearthed within it, archaeologists describe it as important. The tomb is rich in its funerary collection and it reveals the job and health condition of people who are buried within it, a member of the excavation team told Ahram Online on condition of anonymity. Many different types of tombs belonging to kings, queens, nobles and officials from pharaonic Egypt have been excavated in Luxor. Search Keywords: Short link: Conventional wisdom recommends diversifying investment holdings so that when one sector or asset class dips, another can make up the difference. And, for the average individual, diversification has always focused on equities, and equities alone. Thats a problem. Holistically, diversification is a broader process designed to mitigate risk in a variety of areas. Its true that investors never want to own too much of one company or one sector. But its also true that investors dont want to own too many assets that are taxed the same way or at the same time. This accentuates the significance of tax diversification. In my experience, its one of the most underrated financial planning concepts. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Most financial accounts fall into three basic categories: Taxed Always: Holdings for which youre required to pay income taxes annually, such as investment brokerage accounts (or even checking accounts), which may produce interest, dividends, realized capital gains and/or capital gains distributions. Holdings for which youre required to pay income taxes annually, such as investment brokerage accounts (or even checking accounts), which may produce interest, dividends, realized capital gains and/or capital gains distributions. Taxed Later (Deferred): Holdings for which youre only required to pay taxes upon withdrawal/distribution like a 401(k) or 403(b) or when any capital gain is realized, like many forms of real estate or other hard assets. (Deferred): Holdings for which youre only required to pay taxes upon withdrawal/distribution like a 401(k) or 403(b) or when any capital gain is realized, like many forms of real estate or other hard assets. Taxed Rarely*: Holdings for which youre rarely, if ever, required to pay income taxes, like a Roth IRA, interest from municipal bonds and certain types of specially designed life insurance. Most Americans accumulate the lions share of their wealth leading up to retirement in the first two categories. According to recent Census data (opens in new tab), nearly half of an individuals net worth comes from the equity in their home which falls into the Taxed Later category, because they would only be taxed after they sell the home and a 401(k) account. In the same Census study, less than 3% of an individuals net worth was associated with accounts that would rarely be taxed. Americans are largely uninformed or under-informed about the principles of the Taxed Rarely category, even though it plays a critical role in effective tax diversification. Those looking to keep more of the money they make now, and in the future, need to strike a balance between these three categories of financial holdings. Below are the three main reasons why you should pay attention to tax diversification: 1. Most Retirement Income Is Still Ordinary Income Experts frequently tout how easy and valuable it is to save if your employer offers any kind of defined-contribution plan that allows you to directly deduct from your paycheck. To a large extent, thats true. By contributing to a pre-tax 401(k), for example, individuals can save for the future in a way that even reduces their taxable income this year. What they dont seem to fully understand along the way is the impact that those contributions have on retirement. Overall, many individuals think or expect that, regardless of their saving behavior, theyll be in a lower tax bracket during retirement. However, every dollar withdrawn from a 401(k) or similar plan during retirement is considered ordinary income the same as if it were coming from your monthly paycheck while you were still working. As a result, its subject to ordinary income tax. Individuals who contribute the maximum to their 401(k) may receive some present tax benefit by saving pre-tax income, but they may also unintentionally push themselves into a higher tax bracket than they were expecting during retirement.** To be clear, individuals shouldnt avoid Taxed Later (Deferred) accounts, like a 401(k), altogether. These accounts are incredibly valuable retirement savings tools. In any plan where the employer matches contributions up to a certain point, individuals should save up to that point at least. However, investing over that maximum match level isnt necessarily the best strategy, because it can create an even bigger pool of taxable money during retirement. 2. When Youre Retired, Every Day is a Saturday Think about it: What do you do on an average Saturday? Are you more likely to be saving money or spending it? Most individuals are more likely to spend money on a Saturday. The same holds true throughout retirement, which is why its surprising that many soon-to-be retirees believe that they will spend significantly less during retirement. Its entirely possible that an individuals standard and cost of living will actually increase during retirement, when they are likely to travel more. With that in mind, very few people can accurately forecast that they have all the money they will need for retirement. Tax diversification is one way to save more money in the long-term, so individuals can move closer to achieving their goals without drastically changing their investing strategy. Plans that are taxed later create tax savings in the current year, the year in which an investor actually contributes to the plan. Diversified tax strategies spread those tax savings throughout a persons lifetime, allowing for more total savings over a longer period of time. 3. Your Taxes Arent Static Like the stock market, tax-planning considerations change over time. Tax code and tax policies can and do change. For example, based on historical data over the last decade, the top marginal tax rate changes on average every three years (opens in new tab) even though it hasnt moved much recently. Additionally, an individuals financial situation will undoubtedly change over time as their careers and personal lives evolve. Both the current tax landscape and an individuals current financial situation largely inform how to approach tax diversification. Which means, like any equities portfolio, individuals need to adjust their tax diversification strategy over time. Tax diversification isnt a set and forget plan; it requires careful and consistent analysis to determine whether any new circumstances warrant a change in tax diversification. There is No Silver Bullet One of the questions we get most often when discussing how to fold tax diversification into your overall financial plan is: What is the ideal mix of Taxed Always, Taxed Later (Deferred) and Taxed Rarely? Like so many things, there is no right answer for everyone. The ideal mix relates to your goals and milestones. It requires a personalized, tailored plan using sophisticated projections. All three categories accomplish slightly different things when it comes to tax diversification, and all can be utilized in different tax environments. Whatever the final mix, individuals who havent had the time or dont have the information required to consider tax diversification should consult a qualified financial adviser as well as a tax adviser right away. Tax diversification often flies under the radar, but in todays investment landscape its a critical process to help people further unlock the value of their financial plans. This newsletter is an informational piece only and not a solicitation of any product or vehicle nor should this be viewed as advice in any way. McAdam is not a tax advisory firm, please consult your tax advisor for more information. * Taxed Rarely refers exclusively to federal income taxes. Tax laws vary from state to state and you should consult a tax adviser on your individual state treatment of these instruments. Some life insurance contracts can be federally taxed if not structured (Modified Endowment Contracts) or surrendered correctly. Structuring the right exit strategy is imperative to ensuring the tax preferential treatment of these contracts. Proceeds from a life insurance policy are generally tax free as per section 7702 of the U.S. tax code. Roth IRA accounts have provisions that require the account to be in Roth status for five years in order to be maintain the tax preferential treatment. Some other circumstances not listed may cause these holdings to be taxed. **In the event the tax code and brackets remain the same, any change in the tax code could have impact on future marginal brackets. This does not constitute a forward- looking statement on the future of tax brackets. The worlds lowest meteorological station located at 429 m below sea level continuously measures evaporation of water of the Dead Sea. (Photo: U. Corsmeier, KIT) The water level of the Dead Sea drops by more than one meter per year. Thousands of sinkholes, sudden strong rainfall events and flash floods are among others, the challenges facing the population and the environment in the region. The underlying processes were studied by scientists from Germany, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine at the DESERVE Helmholtz Virtual Institute; the work was coordinated by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Their findings contribute to prediction models, risk assessments, and adaptation strategies. Environmental Research on the Edge of Extremes will be presented by the DESERVE scientists at the closing event in Halle (Saale) on September 12, 2017. The interested public and representatives of the media are cordially invited to attend. The Dead Sea extends over 90 km in the north-south direction in an unique scenery of desert, semi-desert and oases more than 400 m below the sea level at the lowest land site on earth. The region constitutes an open-air laboratory for climatologists and environmental scientists as well as geoscientists. Besides the lake level decline there are environmental risks such as desertification, pollution of drinking water by brine, flash floods, sinkholes and earthquakes. Impressive pictures of work performed under these conditions can be found in an online picture gallery: www.kit.edu/fotos/deserve/index.php Salt crystals floating on the water surface of a sinkhole by the Dead Sea. (Photo: Eoghan Holohan, GFZ) The meteorological, hydrological, and geophysical processes and their interactions underlying these phenomena were studied for five years by scientists of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the GFZ Deutsches GeoForschungs-Zentrum Potsdam, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Umweltforschung (UFZ) in Leipzig within the DESERVE Helmholtz Virtual Institute together with local partners (DESERVE stands for DEad SEa Research VEnue). Reliable data are a precondition to understanding these environmental processes and thus to the development of prediction models allowing, for instance, forecasts of evaporation and water availability, but also risk assessments and warning systems, explains Professor Christoph Kottmeier, KIT meteorologist and spokesman of DESERVE. The three major challenges water availability, climate change, and environmental risks were in the focus of our work. We were only able to address them in an interdisciplinary approach together with partners from the countries bordering on the Dead Sea. The objective was to document the scientific state of the art as a basis for future decisions and environmental policy. For this purpose, the scientists conducted long-term monitoring and intensive measurement campaigns at more than 150 locations around the Dead Sea. This included the lowest meteorological monitoring station in the world at 429 m below sea level. Part of this network of monitoring stations will be available also to future projects. The scientists at KIT studied in particular evaporation. Since many years, the water level has been dropping by more than one meter per year. One reason is that about 90 percent of the water volume of the Jordan River is extracted by the riparian states for drinking water and agricultural purposes before the river reaches the Dead Sea. However, our data also show that evaporation greatly contributes to the decrease of the water level, says KIT meteorologist Dr. Ulrich Corsmeier. Strong winds periodically arising in the evening right after sunset and intensify in particular evaporation. Along with the lake level decline, groundwater levels decrease. The consecutive fresh water flow dissolves underground strata of salt. This produces cavities in the underground which finally collapse. These sinkholes, also referred to as dolines, endanger buildings, roads, and agricultural areas. Scientists from the GFZ and their colleagues in DESERVE work to learn more about the development of these sinkholes and, ideally, even predict their occurrence. In addition, powerful flash floods constitute a problem. After strong rainfall, which may occur in a very limited area only, flash floods can occur in the narrow valleys far from the rainfall and constitute a major hazard to people. Octocopters produce aerial and thermal photographs of excellent three-dimensional resolution. Scientists use them for digital terrain models to identify underground feeders of groundwater. (Photo: Andre Kuenzelmann, UFZ) Research work of the UFZ focused on studying and modeling the changes in the available water resources due to climate and land use change. The result is a groundwater flow model for the entire Dead Sea catchment, an area of several thousand square kilometers covering Jordan, the West Bank and large parts of Israel and Syria. In this context, the scientists also investigated the origin of flash floods occurring in usually dry rivers draining to the Dead Sea. After all, the massive destructive water masses during flash floods cause enormous damage to the existing infrastructure, but also help to refill the Dead Sea. Interdisciplinary Training of Young Scientists One major purpose of DESERVE was the training of young scientists, in two interdisciplinary winter schools for postgraduates and post-doctoral students from Germany, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. Thanks to their interdisciplinary education and the networks established in DESERVE, it is especially the young scientists on the spot who can achieve a lot in the future, says project coordinator Dr. Manuela Nied of KIT. For further information about the DESERVE Helmholtz Virtual Institute: https://www.deserve-vi.net/ Online picture gallery of research at the Dead Sea: www.kit.edu/fotos/deserve/index.php Closing event: The Dead Sea: Environmental Research on the Edge of Extremes. Tuesday, September 12, 2017, from 4 p.m., Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften, Jagerberg 1 (formerly Moritzburgring 10), 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany Program 16:00 Welcome Prof. Georg Teutsch Scientific Director, UFZ Prof. Christoph Kottmeier DESERVE Spokesperson, Head of the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, KIT 16:20 In a nutshell: My research at the Dead Sea Science Slam featuring scientists from the region and Germany 17:00 Poster Session Scientists from the region and Germany answer your questions 17:45 Visions of research in the Middle East - the Helmholtz perspective Talk by Prof. Reinhard Huttl, Chairman of the Board and Scientific Executive Director, GFZ, Research Field Coordi- nator Earth and Environment Visions of research in the Middle East - the Israeli perspective Talk by Prof. Pinhas Alpert, Tel Aviv University 18:45 Reception During the event, a photo exhibition provides unique insights into scientific work at the Dead Sea. About DESERVE Partners in the DESERVE project, besides KIT, GFZ and UFZ, are universities from Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. Further associated institutions from the four partner countries, including e.g. GRACE, the Graduate School of the KIT Climate and Environment Center contribute to DESERVE. The Helmholtz Association funds the DESERVE project launched in 2012, over a five year period with EUR 3 million from the Initiative and Networking Fund. In addition, approximately EUR 1.5 million were contributed by the partners. More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.kit.edu/english Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. Earlier this year, in mid-February, I drew to your attention the on-going mining resurgence of the White Gold District in the Yukon, the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three federal territories. The article, which you can find linked here, discussed the rise of global major miner investment in the district and the on-going lobbying by the industry for more infrastructure spending from both the Federal and Territorial Governments. For the first time in four years, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Whitehorse during this past Labour Day weekend. After 668 days as Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has finally decided to travel north to Yukon the only jurisdiction in the country he has yet to visit, the Yukon party said in a statement on August 30th. Trudeau was Canadas Liberal leader when he last visited the Yukon capitol in July, 2013. This long over-due visit ended with a formal press conference in Whitehorse on September 2nd, Prime Minister Trudeau, and the Premier of Yukon, Sandy Silver, announced over $360 million in combined federal and territorial funding to improve road access in two mineral-rich areas: the Dawson Range in central Yukon and the Nahanni Range Road in southeastern Yukon. Trudeau was quoted at the conference and stated, Modern infrastructure is key to developing and properly managing the incredible natural resources we have at our fingertips. By providing easier access to important resources across Yukon, the Yukon Resource Gateway Project will help create good, middle class jobs, promote long-term economic prosperity, and support a strong, sustainable North. In regards to investors, the resource potential has not been an issue in this highly prospective district, it has been the lack of infrastructure so that the extraction of its resources can be done economically. This funding approval not only provides necessary funds for upgrading the infrastructure in these areas, Government has just sent a clear message to the market that the Yukon is open for business, and will assist in the process of building the needed infrastructure in order to do so. There are two mining companies which will benefit significantly from this funding announcement. White Gold Corp. (WGO.V) is the largest landholder in the White Gold District, Dawson Range, owning 19,438 quartz claims covering 390,000 hectares which represents approximately 40% of the district. The properties range from early stage to more advanced exploration projects, including approximately one million ounces of gold grading between 2.7 and 3.19 grams per tonne (g/t) gold based on historic estimates of measured and indicated resources on its White Gold property. Assays are pending from the firms first drill program since shares began trading on the Venture Exchange last year. The company is fully funded for a 3-year drill program and global major miners Kinross Gold and Agnico-Eagle each own 19.9% of the company. Western Copper and Gold (WRN.TO) is developing the 100% owned world-class Casino project, which is currently in the permitting phase. The project boasts a reserve of 4.5 billion lbs of copper and 8.9 million ounces of gold with 5.4 billion lbs of copper and 9.0 million ounces of gold inferred. This government approval will complete funding for upgrading the initial 82 km of the existing access road to standards required for the Casino Project and 30% funding for the additional 126 km of new access road to the Casino site. Westerns CEO Paul West-Sells attended the Whitehorse press conference and was quoted as saying, "Construction of this road will provide jobs and business opportunities to the communities and First Nations in the short term, and will provide much needed infrastructure to the Casino Project that will provide significant benefit to these communities, First Nations, and the Yukon in general for the long term. While the people of Yukon are the true beneficiaries from this Funding Approval, shifting the roadwork commitments to the Government will also reduce the capital expenditure for Casino." Full disclosure: I own shares of both WGO.V & WRN .TO which were both mentioned in this article and purchased them in the open market. I have also recommended both of these companies to my subscribers. Please do your own due diligence before purchasing shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected the Trump administrations effort to temporarily bar most refugees from entering the country, ruling that those who have relationships with a resettlement agency should be exempt from an executive order banning refugees. A three-judge 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel also ruled that grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins of legal U.S. residents should be exempted from President Donald Trumps order, which banned travelers from six Muslim-majority countries. The ruling is the latest legal blow to the Presidents sweeping executive order barring travelers from Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, which the Republican president said was necessary for national security. The Justices said that the government did not persuasively explain why the travel ban should be enforced against close relatives of people from the six countries or refugees with guarantees from resettlement agencies. The 3-0 ruling takes effect in five days. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Trumps ban could be implemented on a limited basis, but should not be applied to people with bona fide relationships to people or entities in the United States. The government took a narrow view of that interpretation, which the state of Hawaii challenged in court. A lower court judge sided with Hawaii, and the 9th Circuit judges upheld that view. It is hard to see how a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sibling-in-law, or cousin can be considered to have no bona fide relationship with their relative in the United States, the court said. The court also rejected the administrations argument that the written assurances provided by resettlement agencies obligating them to provide services for specific refugees is not a bona fide relationship. The agencies advance preparation and expenditure of resources for each refugee supports the district courts determination that a bona fide relationship with the refugee exists, the decision said. A Department of Justice spokeswoman said: The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the Executive Branchs duty to protect the Nation. Neal Katyal, one of the attorneys who is representing the state of Hawaii, tweeted: Rule of law is affirmed. Trumps first version of the executive order, signed in January, sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world before it was blocked by courts. The administration replaced that version of the ban with a new order in March in response to the legal challenges. The broader question of whether the revised travel ban discriminates against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution will be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in October. * Discounts widen in India amid high local rates * Singapore premiums increase * Spot gold prices hit one-year high By Rajendra Jadhav and Arpan Varghese MUMBAI/BENGALURU, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Demand for physical gold in Asia could pick up in the coming weeks as India's festival season drives interest in the metal, after high prices kept buyers at bay again this week. Gold's 'safe haven' appeal has prevented a steep drop in buying across Asia amid tensions over North Korea, but dealers in India, the second biggest consumer of gold, were offering discounts of up to $8 an ounce this week, $2 wider than last. "Supplies are sufficient but demand is very weak. Prices need to come down to attract buyers," said Ashok Jain, proprietor of Mumbai-based wholesaler Chenaji Narsinghji. Local prices jumped to 30,474 per 10 grams on Friday, the highest level in 10 months. The domestic price includes a 10 percent import tax. "In the last few weeks, demand has been weak, but still, trading houses aggressively imported gold. As prices have moved up, importers can sell at (a) discount," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a private bank. India's gold imports in August nearly tripled from a year ago as a recent tax change that allowed importers to ship it from South Korea without paying customs duty saw some traders purchasing heavily from the country. The observance of 'Shradh', considered an inauspicious period when Indians pay homage to their ancestors, was also weighing on demand, said another Mumbai-based dealer. Demand will get a boost from the upcoming festival season, with Dusshera in late September and buying is likely to peak during Diwali and Dhanteras next month, the dealer added. In top consumer China, premiums were being offered in the $3-$5 range, the same as last week. "Demand has been fairly steady in China this week, but it would probably start to pick up starting next week ahead of a national holiday," a Hong Kong-based dealer said. In Hong Kong, premiums were between 30 and 60 cents over benchmark rates, little changed from the 30 to 70 cents range in the previous week. Benchmark spot gold hit an over one-year high at $1357.54 an ounce on Friday on geopolitical tensions. In Singapore, unlike elsewhere in Asia, premiums increased to about 80 cents this week, up from a 30-60 cents range last week. "People are buying and so are businesses. There's also safe haven buying," said Brian Lan, managing director at dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore. "If gold pulls back, we'll see more buying because people are worried about what's going to happen in terms of political tensions from North Korea." Gold in Japan was being sold with discounts of up to $1 over the benchmark rates, unchanged from the previous week, a Tokyo-based trader said. (Additional reporting by Apeksha Nair and Koustav Samanta in Bengaluru; editing by Alexander Smith) * Romania may make pension funds optional from 2018 * Romanian stocks fall, underperforming region * Currency markets calm, getting no clues from ECB * Bonds firm as ECB keeps asset-buying programme By Sandor Peto and Luiza Ilie BUDAPEST, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Stocks fell in Bucharest on Friday, underperforming Central European shares, after the Romanian government said it may make a mandatory pension scheme optional starting next year . Making them optional would probably reduce investments by the funds, whose assets totalled 36.06 billion lei ($9.46 billion) at the end of June. Bucharest's main equities index fell 2.5 percent by 1019 GMT. Shares of investment fund Fondul Proprietatea , fell 2.3 percent after it said on Thursday that it might sell its 20 percent stake in hydro-power company Hidroelectrica . The Bucharest exchange has risen 10 percent since the end of 2016, underperforming Warsaw and Budapest this year, partly due to worry about the future of the pension system. The leu ignored the possible pension reform and traded little changed at l4.6 to the euro - like most Central European currencies, around its typical level of recent weeks. The forint was trading around 306 to the euro, the Czech crown at 26.1 and the zloty at 4.25. Bonds gained after the European Central Bank gave no sign it was ready to wind down asset-buying programme. Polish and Hungarian government debt extended the week's gains, and thee yield on Hungarian 10-year bonds dropped 6 basis points to 2.86 percent. "We are firming ... The Fed will be unwilling to do anything because due to the storms there, and the ECB due to the euro's strength," one Budapest-based fixed income trader said. CEE MARKETS SNAPSH AT 1119 CET OT CURRENCIES Latest Previo Daily Change us bid close change in 2017 Czech crown 26.097 26.158 +0.23 3.49% 0 0 % Hungary 306.30 305.42 -0.29% 0.82% forint 00 00 Polish zloty 4.2510 4.2503 -0.02% 3.60% Romanian leu 4.5990 4.5990 +0.00 -1.39% % Croatian 7.4300 7.4325 +0.03 1.68% kuna % Serbian 119.50 119.55 +0.04 3.22% dinar 00 00 % Note: daily calculated previo close 1800 change from us at CET STOCKS Latest Previo Daily Change us close change in 2017 Prague 1020.3 1019.1 +0.11 +10.7 2 5 % 1% Budapest 37608. 37783. -0.46% +17.5 98 51 2% Warsaw 2487.2 2491.7 -0.18% +27.6 4 9 9% Bucharest 7781.4 7978.6 -2.47% +9.83 9 2 % Ljubljana 811.35 813.87 -0.31% +13.0 7% Zagreb 1882.7 1883.6 -0.05% -5.62% 1 7 Belgrade 727.50 729.28 -0.24% +1.41 % Sofia 701.72 705.87 -0.59% +19.6 6% BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs change Bund in Czech spread Republic 2-year 0 0.022 +075b +1bps ps 5-year -0.045 0 +032b -2bps ps 10-year 0.924 0.027 +060b +0bps ps Poland 2-year 1.662 -0.02 +241b -4bps ps 5-year 2.508 0.016 +288b -1bps ps 10-year 3.144 -0.005 +282b -3bps ps FORWARD RATE AGREEMENT 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interb ank Czech Rep Hungary Poland Note: FRA are for ask quotes prices ********************************************************* ***** ($1 = 3.8111 lei) (Additional reporting by Radu Marinas in Bucharest) LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Government bond yields in the euro area fell to multi-month lows early on Friday, extending the previous day's decline after the European Central Bank signalled a slow exit from its monetary stimulus scheme . Germany's benchmark 10-year bond yield fell to 0.286 percent , its lowest since late June. Two-year bond yields fell to 4 1/2-month lows at minus 0.796 pct . In southern Europe, Portuguese bond yields fell to their lowest in more than a year at 2.702 percent . They slid 13 bps on Thursday, their biggest one-day fall since April . (Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe, editing by Larry King) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. SHANGHAI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks rose on Friday, helped by expectations China's economic growth will remain solid, but they were still down for the week as investors who worried about North Korea tread warily. For the day, The Hang Seng index rose 0.5 percent, to 27,668.47 points. The China Enterprises Index also gained 0.5 percent, to 11,149.64 points. For the week, HSI lost 1 percent, while HSCE was down 1.2 percent. Financial firms lost 1.9 percent in the week, being the biggest drag on the market following weakness on Wall Street. Among the biggest gainers, material shares advanced 3.8 percent in the week, thanks to a weaker dollar and solid China economic data. Developers also rallied strongly, with an index tracking major real estate firms gaining 1.9 percent this week to its highest since early 2008. Top developer China Vanke jumped 11.7 percent in its best week since December 2015, hovering near a record high, after the firm posted solid sales growth in August. Reflecting relative strength recently in the mainland market, as well as the impact of a resurgent yuan, an index tracking Chinese shares' premium over their Hong Kong peers stood at 134.11, around a 14-month high. (Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Richard Borsuk) NEW DELHI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - India has issued new norms barring unruly passengers from flying for a minimum of three months to more than two years depending on the nature of the misdemeanour, the government said on Friday. The federal government has issued a no-fly list of unruly passengers after a lawmaker admitted assaulting an official from state-owned carrier Air India. The new rules will be applicable to foreign carriers as well, the government said in a statement, adding that unruly behaviour has been categorised in three levels - verbal, physical and life threatening. "The concept of no-fly is based on safety of other passengers, crew and the aircraft, and not just on the security threat," the government said. (Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) ATHENS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged French businesses on Friday to invest in Greece, as it emerges from crisis, and assured them that they would not regret it. "Greece is an opportunity... a real opportunity," Tsipras told French business leaders accompanying French President Emmanual Macron on a two-day trip to Athens. "You won't regret your choice," he said. Tsipras added that attracting investment was a top priority for his government, which aims to reduce the jobless rate and make Greece financially independent in 2018, when the country's third international bailout expires. After seven years of crisis, Greece's economy could grow by more than 2 percent, Tsipras said. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Gareth Jones) * FRONT: STRATEGY * Bank chooses banking union certainty over Swedish tax bill By Steve Slater LONDON, Sept 8 (IFR) - Nordea, Europe's ninth biggest bank, is moving its headquarters to Finland from Sweden, the first change of domicile by a major bank in reaction to new regulations introduced since the financial crisis. Nordea, the Nordic region's biggest bank, has been considering a move for six months due to a dispute over what it regarded as costly and unpredictable regulation in Sweden. It will move to Helsinki from Stockholm. Finland is part of the eurozone's banking union, so it will be regulated by the European Central Bank. It plans to compete the move by October 1 2018. Nordea said the move will improve its net present value by 1bn-1.1bn and level the playing field with EU rivals. "We see the move as an important strategic step in positioning Nordea on a par with its European peers," Finnish CEO Casper von Koskull said in a statement. "The level playing field and predictable regulatory environment offered by the banking union are ... in the best interests of Nordea's customers, shareholders and employees." It said only a limited number of employees will be affected and the cost of the move should be about 50m or less. NO BLUFF Nordea said it has been considering its domicile for a decade. The spark came when Sweden hiked fees to cover the cost of winding up banks that fail. Nordea said it expects its resolution and deposit guarantee fees to rise by up to 200m in 2018 and by up by 150m in 2019 from this year's level of 250m, but the rise would have been higher had it stayed in Sweden. By moving, Nordea will benefit from favourable tax treatment of subordinated bank debt, which Sweden stopped in January. That could be worth 40m-60m a year, analysts estimate. There remains uncertainty about the impact on capital, and whether the move will leave Nordea with significant excess cash that can be returned to shareholders, as many investors hope. The bank will need to hold less capital in future, because Swedish banks must hold capital ratios far above EU rivals. Nordea's common equity Tier 1 ratio was 19.2% at the end of March, above the 13% it is expected to need under the ECB's Single Supervisory Mechanism. But that will be offset by an increase in its risk-weighted assets under ECB regulations, which will reduce or could even wipe out the capital buffer it has. "We expect limited capital relief for Nordea relocating to Helsinki, with ECB as the lead regulator, as the lower capital requirement is almost fully offset by higher risk weights. It would be a surprise if the ECB SSM would permit regulatory arbitrage via HQ redomicile," said Ronit Ghose, analyst at Citigroup. Nordea said it was too early to know the capital implications and it will maintain its dividend policy. Rodney Alfven, the bank's head of investor relations, told analysts on Thursday: "It's very fair to assume that our CET1 ratio requirements will go down ... but the RWA density will probably go up. And the net effect of that, we don't know anything about." The bank said its decision was practical and unemotional. It said the new resolution fee was impossible for it to live with. It said feedback from investors had been positive on a potential move. Many might regard it as a move home anyway: Finnish institutions and public hold 32% of the bank, more than the 24% owned by Swedish investors - and there are 204,700 Finnish shareholders, almost double the 114,400 in Sweden. (see chart) Nordea says it regards itself as a Nordic bank and could be based in any of its four home countries. The bank, whose origins date back to the 1820s, was formed at the end of 2001 by the merger of four banks - one each from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. (This story will appear in the September 9 issue of IFR Magazine; Reporting by Steve Slater) CHICAGO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The North Texas Tollway Authority plans to sell about $2.6 billion of revenue bonds next month subject to market conditions, the authority said on Friday. In a notice posted on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's disclosure website, the authority said it was considering refunding outstanding bonds related to its special projects system issued in 2011, along with other tollway bonds issued in 2005, 2008 and 2010. A prospectus for the deal, which is tentatively scheduled to price on Oct. 12 following an Oct. 11 order period for retail investors, is expected to be released around Sept. 22, according to the authority. The issue will consist of about $1.8 billion of first tier bonds and about $800 million of second tier bonds. "The size, timing, and structure of the anticipated transaction remain subject to market conditions and (the tollway authority) reserves the right to change or modify its plans as it deems appropriate," the notice said. (Reporting By Karen Pierog; Editing by Phil Berlowitz) Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that could affect Poland's financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours): POLITICS Poland's president Andrzej Duda is likely to meet the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) on Friday to discuss planned changes in the judiciary system, public television TVP Info said. ENEA Polish state-run utility Enea said late on Thursday that second-quarter net profit attributable to shareholders increased by 68 percent year on year to 286 million zlotys ($81.33 million). PGE , EDF The Polish antimonopoly office will announce that it has reservations about power company PGE's proposed purchase of French group EDF's polish power and heating assets, the Parkiet and Rzeczpospolita newspapers reported. ENERGA Polish state-run utility Energa plans acquisitions in the heating business, but not yet this year, Rzeczpospolita quoted the company's CEO as saying. The CEO also said irregularities had been identified in the takeover of wind farms by Energa and PGE for about 2 billion zlotys in 2013, before he was CEO. The company had significantly overpaid, he said. ****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.**** For other related news, double click on: Polish equities E.Europe equities Polish money Polish debt Eastern Europe All emerging markets Hot stocks Stock markets Market debt news Forex news For real-time index quotes, double click on: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ($1 = 3.5484 zlotys) (Reporting by Warsaw Bureau; Editing by David Goodman) LISBON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Portugal will offer up to 1 billion euros ($1.21 billion) total of 10-year government bonds in a regular auction next Wednesday, the state debt agency IGCP said on Friday, as the country's benchmark bond yields traded near one-year lows. The indicated offer range in the auction of the 4.125 percent April 2027 bond starts at 750 million euros. The country last sold bonds in a regular auction in July, when it placed 1 billion euros total of 2027 and 2045 debt - the longest maturity auctioned since before the country's 2011-14 debt crisis. ($1 = 0.8290 euros) (Reporting By Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge) MOSCOW, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Igor Sechin, the moist influential Russian energy official, said that oil prices are on the rise due to the depreciation of the U.S. dollar rather the global deal with OPEC on curbing oil production, TASS news agency reported on Friday. "The Americans support their shale oil producers through dollar depreciation," TASS cited Sechin, the chief executive of Russia's largest oil company Rosneft , as saying. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. HANOI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0455 GMT. September 8 USD/VND mid-point 22,432 USD/VND interbank 22,725/22,726 USD/VND unofficial 22,720/22,735 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 37.08/37.32 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.5-1.1 1 week 0.7-1.2 1 month 1.4-1.9 3 months 3.0-3.6 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The British government should stop dreaming about having its own way in Brexit negotiations and start to get more realistic about the likely outcome of divorce talks with the European Union, said Jim O'Neill, a former Goldman Sachs economist. Prime Minister Theresa May, who quietly opposed Brexit ahead of the referendum, has formally notified the bloc of Britain's intention to leave and divorce talks are under way. A botched gamble on a snap election in June undermined May's authority inside her own Conservative Party and some EU diplomats say the British negotiating stance remains both unrealistic and unclear. O'Neill, who coined the term 'BRIC' in 2001 to describe how the economic clout of Brazil, Russia, India and China would challenge the West's dominance, told BBC radio that divisions inside the Conservatives were driving Brexit policy. "The divisions between our political parties, particularly inside the ruling Conservative one, continue to dominate the policy discussion and it is very unfortunate and I wish it would change," said O'Neill. In the June 23, 2016 referendum, voters in the United Kingdom backed leaving the EU by a margin of 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent. O'Neill, who resigned from his job as a Treasury minister in May's government a year ago, said that the British negotiators' attempt to cherry pick an exit deal was unrealistic. "The last thing the EU wants for a big country to leave and for there to be no consequences because at some point there would be others that might think: 'Well if it's that easy and you can get away from the worst bits but keep the good bits, then I'll have some of that too'," he said. "It frequently seems our negotiators don't seem to appreciate that," O'Neill said. May says she will make Brexit a success and that she hopes the EU will agree to a deal that allows both sides to continue to trade as freely as possible. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Michael Holden) ZURICH, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening little changed at 8,910 points on Friday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer . The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks. BKW AG Swiss utility BKW bought a small German nuclear services company on Thursday, joining firms including GE that are banking on rising revenue from the decommissioning of European nuclear plants. ROCHE A new blood test from Roche and Foundation Medicine has shown it can accurately measure the number of mutations within a tumour, potentially helping doctors predict which patients may respond best to some immunotherapies. COMPANY STATEMENTS * Leonteq appointed Chief Financial & Risk Officer Marco Amato its deputy CEO, widening Amato's responsibilities. * Credit Suisse : Harris Associates Investment Trust's stake in the Swiss bank rose to 5.03 precent from a previous 4.97 percent according to Swiss bourse SIX. * 5EL said the Swiss Takeover Board granted Highlight Finance Corp. an exemption from needing to make a public offer for the group after HFC for a short time between the group's capital restructuring and subsequent capital increase in July controlled more than 80 percent of 5EL shares. * PSP Swiss Property said it obtained a building permit for the "Orion" project in the west of Zurich, in which it expects to invest around 120 million Swiss francs ($127.06 million). ECONOMY * The Swiss unemployment rate remained steady at a non-seasonally adjusted 3.0 percent in August, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said. ($1 = 0.9444 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Zurich newsroom) Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: )) Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/ By Richa Naidu and Gayathree Ganesan Sept 8 (Reuters) - Target Corp said on Friday that it lowered prices on thousands of items, from cereal to baby formula, further hurting retail stocks already pressured by Kroger Co's disappointing quarterly results spurred by price cuts. Target, which vowed earlier in the year to aggressively clamp down on prices to compete with rivals Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.com , said it had spent months reassessing the prices of everyday items such as milk, eggs, razors and bath tissue. The retailer, which said it would continue to offer discounts on some products in addition to the price-cuts, added that it had also eliminated more than two-thirds of its price and offer call-outs. The retailer's shares were down as much as 4.7 percent in midday trading on Friday, in-line with a slump among retail stocks after Kroger reported price cuts hurting its bottom line. Target wants to make it easier for customers to spot lower prices by removing the guesswork that comes with temporary deals, Mark Tritton, Target's chief merchandising officer, said in a blog post. A-Line Partners analyst Gabriella Santaniello said the move might initially cost Target in margins, but that lower prices and fewer temporary price cuts may also drive sales volumes that could eventually offset eroding margins. "At the end of the day people just want everyday lower prices and that is what Target is aiming to do." When Target first announced in February that it would cut prices and miss full-year profit estimates, its shares plunged to a 2-1/2-year low. Like Target, Kroger, the biggest U.S. supermarket company, has slashed prices on staples such as milk and eggs to fend off competition from Wal-Mart, discounters Lidl and Aldi, and the newly merged Amazon and Whole Foods Market. Amazon.com's $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods has the grocery industry on edge, worried that the online retail giant could upend the fresh food business in the way it did with books and electronics. Amazon last month lowered prices on some Whole Foods groceries including avocados and beef. "I don't think this came out of nowhere. (Target) were clearly picking up on the signals and the consumer's response to Amazon and it is clear to me Amazon encroaching on their space," A-Line Partners analyst Gabriella Santaniello said. Shares in Amazon were down 0.7 percent, while Wal-Mart was down about 2 percent and Kroger's stock tumbled nearly 10 percent, hitting a 3-1/2 year low. (Reporting by Richa Naidu in Chicago and Gayathree Ganesan in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft) ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday the country's sovereign wealth fund would be reorganised once he returns from a trip abroad and that its chairman had been dismissed as it had not achieved its targets. "The desired goals and progress were not achieved in the wealth fund," Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. We need to reorganise the wealth fund and we will take that step after the Kazakhstan visit." A senior official earlier told Reuters Mehmet Bostan was removed as chairman of the fund on Thursday, with the head of the Borsa Istanbul stock exchange, Himmet Karadag, named as acting chairman. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Dirimcan Barut; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans) * Copper imports stand at 390,000 T for fourth month in a row * That comes despite climb in benchmark global copper prices * Aluminium exports flat year-on-year (Adds detail) BEIJING, Sept 8 (Reuters) - China's imports of copper and copper products held steady for a fourth month in August, indicating demand remains robust in the world's largest consumer of the metal despite surging prices. Arrivals of unwrought copper totaled 390,000 tonnes last month, according to official customs data released on Friday. Monthly imports, which include anode, refined, alloy and semi-finished copper products, have stood around that level since May. The August figure was up 11.4 percent from 350,000 tonnes a year ago. Total unwrought copper imports for the first eight months of 2017 stood at 3.01 million tonnes, down 12.8 percent from a year earlier, customs said. Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange hit a three-year high at $6,970 per tonne on Tuesday. China's copper concentrate imports stood at 1.44 million tonnes in August, easing from 1.45 million tonnes a year earlier and up from 1.4 million tonnes in July. Year-to-date concentrate imports came in at 11.1 million tonnes, up from 10.79 million tonnes a year earlier, customs said. Meanwhile, China exported 410,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products, including primary, alloy and semi-finished aluminium products in August, flat year-on-year but down 6.8 percent from 440,000 tonnes in July. Year-to-date exports were up 5.5 percent from the same period in 2016 at 3.25 million tonnes, according to customs. The United States has accused China of flooding international markets with cheap aluminum and steel, stoking trade tensions between the two countries. China has long-denied that it has been offloading metals abroad at the expense of foreign producers. For more details, click on (Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Joseph Radford) (Adds Macron quotes, details, background) ATHENS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged French businesses on Friday to invest in Greece, as it emerges from its debt crisis, and assured them that they would not regret it. Tsipras said attracting investment was a priority for his leftist-led government, which aims to reduce the jobless rate and make Greece financially independent in 2018, when the country's third international bailout expires. "Greece is an opportunity... a real opportunity," Tsipras told French business leaders accompanying French President Emmanual Macron on a two-day trip to Athens. "You won't regret your choice," he said. After seven years of crisis, Greece's economy could grow by more than 2 percent, Tsipras said. Macron echoed the call, urging Europeans to invest in Greece, returning to his theme from Thursday that Europe needs to protects its strategic investments to protect itself. Greece has boosted investment ties with China in recent years after China's COSCO Shipping bought a 51 percent stake in Piraeus Port OLPr.AT, Greece's biggest, for 280.5 million euros. "Greece was sometimes forced to choose non-European investments because European investors weren't there any more. I'm not happy with this situation," Macron said during his two-day visit to Athens with about 40 French executives. "I want Europeans, as much as the whole world, to come and invest in Greece," he said. "We were here, we are here, we will be here." France, which has a strong investment presence in Greece, supported Athens in 2015 during its talks with European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders in 2015 that almost forced the country out of the euro zone. (Reporting by Michel Rose and Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alison Williams) (Adds announcement from stock exchange, backgrounds) TOKYO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Japan Exchange Group, the operator of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, said on Friday it had approved the listing of three socially responsible exchange-traded funds - the first of their kind in Japan - created by Daiwa Asset Management. The exchange approved the listing of Daiwa ETF FTSE Blossom Japan Index, Daiwa ETF MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index, and Daiwa ETF MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index. The funds will track the socially responsible indexes - also known as ESG, or environmental, social, governance - that Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) adopted in July. The exchange said Daiwa's three ETFs would start trading on Sept. 26. The approval comes at a time when ESG investment is expected to rapidly expand, after the world's largest pension fund with $1.3 trillion under management raised its allocation to ESG investments to 10 percent of its stock holdings from 3 percent. GPIF selected FTSE Blossom Japan index, a new index compiled by FTSE Russell for the Japanese pension fund, as well as MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders index and MSCI Japan Empowering Women index. (Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Stephen Coates) * Oil exports to U.S. expected to fall below 600,000bpd in Oct * Cuts mainly in light crude supplies (Adds cuts in light grades, bullets) By Rania El Gamal DUBAI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will cut crude oil allocations to its customers worldwide in October by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd), an industry source familiar with Saudi oil policy told Reuters on Thursday. The cuts in allocations are in line with Saudi Arabia's commitments to the OPEC-led supply reduction pact, under which the top oil exporter is required to cut 486,000 bpd. "Despite refiners' request for more crude, the decision was made to maintain cuts," the source said. Despite "healthy and robust" demand and refining margins in Asia, state oil giant Saudi Aramco will cut supplies to the world's biggest oil consuming region by 1.8 million barrels in October, with the reductions affecting mostly customers in Japan, the source said. The deepest cuts in October were made to major oil companies where supplies were reduced by 225,000 bpd, while allocations to customers in Europe were lower by 70,000 bpd, the source added. Initial indications show that exports to the United States in October will be lower than 600,000 bpd, the source added. Saudi Arabia has been slashing its shipments to the U.S. in an attempt to drain global oil stocks. Oil inventories in the United States are declining and getting close to their five-year average, the source said. Bringing global oil inventories down to their five-year average is a key marker for OPEC in measuring the success of the supply reduction initiative. OPEC along with Russia and other non-OPEC nations agreed to cut production by around 1.8 million bpd from Jan. 1 until March 2018. The deal to curb output propelled crude prices above $58 a barrel in January but they have since slipped back to a $50 to $54 range as the effort to drain global inventories has taken longer than expected. Rising output from U.S. shale producers has offset the impact of the output curbs, as has a climb in production from Libya and Nigeria. Saudi Arabia cut crude oil allocations in September by at least 520,000 bpd, an industry source said last month. The lower cuts in October compared with the month before could be due to less domestic crude demand which frees up more oil for export. The top oil exporter will use less crude to burn in October, but will remain committed to its OPEC production target, the source said. Saudi Arabia burns on average 700,000 bpd during the hot summer months in its power plants when the weather reaches 50 degrees Celsius. Most of the Saudi crude cuts were in light grades such as Arab Light and Arab Extra Light, the source said. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Richard Pullin) HANOI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Vietnam had a trade surplus of $1.59 billion in August, much higher than the government's forecast of $400 million, the customs department said on Friday. In July, there was a deficit of $266 million. Exports in August rose 11.9 percent from a month earlier to $19.77 billion, while imports edged up 4.5 percent from July to $18.18 billion, Vietnam Customs said on its website. Vietnam exported $135.03 billion of goods in the first eight months of 2017, up 19.3 percent from a year earlier, while imports increased 22.5 percent in the same period to $135.87 billion, leaving a deficit of around $840 million. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen) By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - High dividend yield stocks such as telecoms and utilities are looking more tempting as investors become increasingly nervous about the outlook for equities and as U.S. Treasury yields hover near a 10-month low. The wide spread between the 10-year Treasury note and high-dividend payers, coupled with these stocks' reputation as a safer play, could tempt investors to move away from high growth names. A nuclear test from North Korea on Sunday rattled investors when markets opened on Tuesday after the extended holiday weekend, pushing the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes to a 10-month low. "If rates can stay down here you will see people begin to return to those days of owning high dividend stocks," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey. Investors typically prize high dividend players in a low rate, low growth environment, as they search for high yielding and stable instruments. Fund managers already seem to be picking up some of these stocks. On a sector basis, weekly inflows for utilities were among the strongest, relative to assets under management, at 1.9 percent according to data from Credit Suisse through Sept. 1. Stocks in the telecom and utilities sector have some of the highest dividend yields in the S&P 500. Telecom CenturyLink has a dividend yield of 11.4 percent, top in the index. Utilities FirstEnergy and Southern Co both have dividend yields above 4.5 percent. Meckler said investors are now more confident these sectors can compete with the yield on the 10-year at such a low level. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein issued a note of caution about the disparity between bond yields and equities at a conference in Germany on Wednesday, saying "When yields on corporate bonds are lower than dividends on stocks, that unnerves me." Stubbornly low bond yields can be of concern to equity players because they are forced to take bigger risks as they search for higher returns. They also raise red flags about the health of the economy. Yields fell even further on Friday, to 2.016 percent, after New York Fed President William Dudley struck a less hawkish tone about rate hikes, while still defending them, in a Thursday night speech. FORK IN THE ROAD The dividend yield on the telecom sector is 5.2 percent while the utilities sector holds a 3.4 percent yield compared with a 2.4 percent yield for the broad S&P 500 index. Those sectors have had divergent fortunes this year, however, with utilities up more than 12 percent while telecoms have dropped more than 14 percent, the worst among the major S&P sectors. Telecoms also show a forward price to earnings ratio (PE) of 12.9, well below the 17.6 of the S&P 500. Utilities, however, are slightly more expensive with an 18.4 ratio, which could make them less attractive to investors even with the dividend premium. In a recent note to clients, analyst Craig Moffett at MoffettNathansan said valuations for Verizon and AT&T were "enticingly low" with dividend yields "particularly attractive relative to the 10-year Treasury." The utilities sector has a strong 50-day negative correlation to the 10-year yield of 0.87, indicating the opposite directions they have traveled in. Telecoms, while still a negative 0.24, have a looser bond. STOCK HEADWINDS As investors weigh increasing risks for equities, including stretched valuations in what is typically a difficult period for stocks, the high dividend payers may be a safer play in a market that could be primed for a pullback. Tension with North Korea, economic disruption from major hurricanes and political wrangling in Washington are also among the issues investors have to contend with. "September and October are historically trying months for equities and add on to that geopolitical risk, it is somewhat prudent to be taking a little bit off the table here," said Anthony Conroy, president at Abel Noser in New York. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bond Proxy Dividend Yields Bond Proxy Sectors PE vs S&P 500 20yr Telecoms & Util performance vs 10-yr ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Megan Davies and Chizu Nomiyama) LUSAKA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Zambia has awarded a Chinese firm a $1.2 billion contract to expand part of a key road linking Zambia to the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern African neighbors, President Edgar Lungu said on Friday. China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation (CJIC) will build the 321 km (200 mile) Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway over four years, Lungu said during the launch. Zambia is Africa's second biggest copper producer and Ndola is the capital of the nation's copperbelt region. Chinese investment in Zambia already includes roads, agriculture, mining and energy projects such as a 750 megawatt-hydro-power station in the south of the country. "The Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway will improve the flow of traffic, thereby drastically reducing road traffic accidents on our roads," Lungu said, without stating how it will be financed. "Increased traffic on our roads due to the booming economic activities in various sectors, especially in the mining sector, require an appropriate response such as this one," he said. The project, one of the biggest in Zambia's history, is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs during the construction phase, Lungu said. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in 2015 the country would plough $60 billion into African development projects to boost agriculture, build roads, ports and railways and cancel some debt. (Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Matthew Mpoke Bigg) By Kim Jae-kyoung U.S. President Donald Trump's rhetoric on withdrawing from the free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea is a strategy calibrated to gain concessions in renegotiations, according to global analysts, Tuesday. They said that Trump wants to show his commitment to delivering on his campaign promise to fix "unfair trade" and South Korea has become a target. These views came after Trump ordered his economic advisers to prepare for the U.S. to withdraw from the FTA because the allies had only reaffirmed their differences on the trade deal at a recent meeting in Seoul. "His ultimate objective is to narrow the trade deficit with Korea. I do not think he really wants to cancel the KORUS (Korea-U.S.) FTA)," Sohn Sung-won, a professor of economics at California State University, told The Korea Times. "I assume the Trump administration wants some concessions from Korea, but does not want a total collapse of the agreement," he added. Sohn, a former member of the President's Council of Economic Advisors in the U.S., pointed out that aside from economic issues, national security measures are now a part of the deliberations. "Korea needs the U.S. both economically and from a security point of view. Some flexibility is needed from the Korean side so that Trump can feel that he has accomplished one of his campaign objectives," he said. Andy Xie, an independent economist formerly with Morgan Stanley, echoed the view, saying, "Trump wants to demonstrate to his voters that he is delivering on his promise to limit unfair trade." "Doing something to China has too many consequences. Japan is on the U.S.'s good side in so many ways. Korea is kind of an easy target," he added. Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Asia-Pacific chief economist at Natixis, also considers Trump's remarks as a negotiating tactic. Increlabs CEO David Kim By Kim Bo-eun David Kim, who spent his childhood in Saudi Arabia where his father worked for an airline company, had an unusually diverse experience of traveling. "Every weekend, my family would go traveling to countries around the world _ such as Italy, Kenya, Cyprus or Sri Lanka," Kim, 32, recalled. Kim traveled to at least 60 countries, but the idea of casual, traveler-created audio guides occurred to him later when he was with his wife in Milan, Italy. "We were standing in front of the Milan Cathedral, but I realized I was standing there staring into my smartphone for 30 to 40 minutes looking for text guides, unable to appreciate what was in front of me," Kim said. "I thought an audio guide would offer the best on-site experience." Audio guides already exist, but most come with a fee. "You would have to pay around 30,000 won for an audio guide that you will never listen to afterward," Kim said. This is how Kim got the idea to launch his startup Increlabs. As the first of his business' projects, Kim created Sound Journey _ a smartphone application that provides users with audio guides made by travelers. The app is still in its early stages because he started it in April. It now offers over 300 guides, mostly based in Seoul, with some for Jeju Island. They range from guides to the traditional culture zone of Insa-dong and a famous Kalguksu (chopped noodles) restaurant in the shopping district of Myeong-dong to a club in the glitzy foreigner enclave of Itaewon. While one may question the expertise of those who upload guides, this is not so much of a concern for Kim. "You don't have to be a certified tour guide to upload a guide," he said. "I don't want to place a limit _ I want Sound Journey to be a platform where anyone can upload guides as a traveler." He said this also is the case with platforms such as YouTube, as anyone can upload content such as tutorials. "Any inappropriate content or advertorials can be screened by reports from users." Kim said because the places the audio guides introduce are marked on a map, this can also serve as a travel guide for users who are looking to explore the area they are in. The guides now are offered only in English, but Kim plans to add other languages soon. "We want to have more languages on the platform by the PyeongChang Olympics in February 2018 _ we want to have it ready for the thousands of visitors who are coming," he said. By Kim Se-jeong Agusti Colom Cabau Barcelona is a major tourist city. With 1.6 million inhabitants, the city annually gets an average of 17 million tourists. Residents have long complained about the excessive number of visitors, but this year the complaints were stronger than ever. People staged protests in public places, calling for tourists to stop coming. Agusti Colom Cabau, a member of the city council, said the previous city government had failed to manage tourists. "They only focused on getting more tourists," he said. Barcelona has had a new government since 2015. "The new government was elected with proposals to address this issue." Almost two years into the work, he said, the new government is slowly making progress to address frustrations of local residents, who suffer from excessive noise and traffic on the streets, more pollution from in and out of cruise ships and skyrocketing rent. Colom Cabau said among many things the new government did, three things stand out. One was cracking down on illegal accommodation rental businesses he was part of it. "This campaign was successful because I have an agreement with all platforms. For example, Airbnb changed its position and works with the city not to publicize illegal flats in the city," Colom Cabau said. That came with toughened building permits, which slowed down rent increases for residents. He also stressed measures to "share the benefits with locals." Every traveler who sleeps in the city of Barcelona is subject to tourist tax 2.5 euro per person for a five-star hotel guests and 1 euro for others. Unlike the previous government which used the proceeds for tourism promotion only, "this government spends half of that money on communities affected by the excessive number of tourists." Lastly, the city government adopted a strategic plan for 2020, a symbolic move that will document the rights of residents and the city's rules. The councilor said he believes in tourism, but cities and people should not be bogged down by the side effects. "Tourism is a positive idea. People want to travel, but it generates benefits and conflicts in the city. It needs to be balanced to reduce the negative impacts." Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Korea, Vitaliy Fen, contributed the below article on the occasion of his country's 26th Indenpendence Day. ED. Vitaliy Fen, Uzbek Ambassador The Republic of Korea is one of the most reliable and time-tested strategic partners of Uzbekistan. Cooperation between our states is consistently developing in all directions due to the regular nature of the dialogue at the highest level and common aspirations. I especially want to note that this year our countries are widely celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, after the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, have become strategic partners and continue to strengthen close cooperation in all spheres. Partnership between our countries covers such spheres as trade, investment, exports and imports, fuel and energy complexes, the chemical industry, transport and logistics, the automotive industry, mining, light and the food industry, agriculture, information technologies and telecommunications, medicine, tourism, science and culture. The most-favored-nation treatment operates in the sphere of trade between our countries. The Republic of Korea has traditionally been a leading investment and technological partner in implementation of priority programs on diversifying and modernizing industry and infrastructure in Uzbekistan. Dozens of major projects have been implemented in various sectors of the economy, attracting investments of leading South Korean companies and banks of more than 7 billion dollars. The number of enterprises with South Korean capital in Uzbekistan is 461, including 75 with 100 percent Korean capital. These enterprises are operating mainly in the sphere of trade, oil and gas, the petrochemical and chemical industries, mining, engineering, the electrical and textile industries, information and communication technologies, transport and logistics, and tourism among others. Further strengthening of cooperation between the two countries is facilitated by consistently developing cultural and humanitarian ties. Higher education institutions of Uzbekistan are cooperating with more than 30 universities of South Korea. Departments of the Uzbek language have been established in the South Korean universities of foreign languages Daegu and Busan; the Korean language is being taught in the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages, the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies and the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. The successful activity of Inha University in Tashkent is a vivid example of the prospects for partnership in the sphere of education. Close ties have been established at the municipal level, within the framework of which there are arrangements on cooperation between Tashkent and Seoul, Fergana and Yongin, Namangan and Seongnam, Samarkand and Gyeongju, and the Tashkent region and North Gyeongsang Province. The Republic of Korea is one of the leaders in the field of the introduction of e-government, as ranked every two years by the U.N. About 50 years ago, having begun to implement relevant projects, South Korea simultaneously carried out administrative reforms and the modernization of public administration, which was the guarantor of the effectiveness of the e-government system. This "smart government" strategy is currently being implemented in the Republic of Korea. We are interested in developing cooperation in this sphere. Taking this opportunity, I would like to sincerely congratulate the peoples of Uzbekistan and South Korea on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Our countries can be proud of the development dynamics of bilateral relations. I hope for their further strengthening and expansion in the future. The United States is reportedly pushing for the toughest ever sanctions against North Korea in the wake of its latest nuclear test, which experts say could have a crippling effect on the Kim Jong-un regime as it tries to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is still unclear how much cooperation Washington could draw from China and Russia -- veto-wielding permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) -- in eventually passing its draft resolution currently under discussion in the wake of the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test Sunday. According to media reports, the U.S. is circulating a draft resolution through the UNSC that includes cutting off oil supplies to the North, banning it from exporting textiles and sending its workers abroad, and placing an asset freeze on leader Kim Jong-un. Washington wants to hold a vote on it Monday (U.S. time). If passed, it would put in place the toughest resolutions against the North since 2006, when it carried out its first nuclear test. It would also be the first time for the North's leader to be placed on a UNSC blacklist. The move comes after North Korea on Sunday detonated what it claimed to be a hydrogen bomb that can be fitted onto an intercontinental ballistic missile. The explosion was around five to six times more powerful than the previous one, which was carried out in September last year. The international community led by the U.S. was quick to condemn the North's latest provocation, calling for tougher sanctions and more pressure to make it eventually give up its decades-long nuclear ambitions. At an emergency UNSC meeting held earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley urged the UNSC to adopt the "strongest possible" sanctions against North Korea. "Enough is enough," she said. "The time has come to exhaust all of our diplomatic means before it's too late. We must now adopt the strongest possible measures." Joining the chorus of condemnation, South Korea, which, under the Moon Jae-in government, has been placing as much emphasis on talks as on sanctions and pressure in resolving the North's nuclear issue, is also supporting measures that could inflict "pain" on the North. By Shin Na-ra Shin Na-ra Antigone, a mythical figure from Athens, and Shin Saimdang of the Joseon Kingdom were women who maintained their identities regardless of social status. Shin was a writer, Confucian scholar, painter, author and poet in the midst of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). She was the mother of Yi I, the neo-Confucian scholar and statesman also known as Yulgok, and artist Yi Mae-chang. Her son Yi I is renowned as a great scholar and statesman, and her daughter Yi Mae-chang and other son Yi Woo were famous as artists. The focus of the tragedy "Antigone" is derived from the Theory of Justice regarding natural law and positive law. Hegel said tragedy cannot help taking place when the terms of a story are such that followers of the two types of law feel themselves to be righteous. In particular, the fourth century B.C. was a time when women could not insist on their human rights or opinions; however, through Antigone, who insisted on obeying natural law, I will compare natural law and positive law at the moment when she struggled against the male-centered latter. Looking at how Antigone struggled against and overcame the male-centered positive law, I will assert the supremacy of natural law over positive law. Natural Law In Antigone's case, King Creon represents positive law; he thought Antigone's brother Polynices didn't respect him and had betrayed his country. Antigone represents natural law; she believed the laws declared by the ruler himself should not violate moral laws. On the basis of this conviction, she stood against Creon's decree and did not overlook that her brother's body was deserted and decaying in the field, without any funeral. She considered a funeral for her brother to be a sacred obligation charged by God and held the funeral with sand scattered on his body. She placed God's law _ that is, natural law over Creon's law, a kind of human law. In Shin's case, she conducted the first prenatal education in the history of the world. She was very strict in her norms and armed herself with the principles women should keep. Second, Shin did not discriminate between her sons and her daughter. Human law In Antigone's case, King Creon, because of his decree, left Polynices as food for the birds. Creon, the uncle of Antigone and her brothers, held a magnificent funeral for Eteocles to be buried, but did not permit one for Polynices, who was considered a traitor because he had attacked his country with foreign forces. In Shin's case, her husband Lee Won-su was going to get remarried. His affair was an unexpected event like a bolt from the blue to her. In the end, he brought his concubine home. However, his concubine, Kwon, was often in a drunken frenzy and exhibited severe violence. Lee made another living with Kwon, a woman of a public house, and accepted her as his wife after Shin's death. He did not take any national examinations, and gained a government position without recourse to the examination system. New image of women Antigone showed her absolute rejection of any human laws that are not righteous. Unlike her younger sister, Ismene, she gallantly rejected Creon's order and held her brother's funeral, which can be seen as her showing the image of a progressive woman, breaking the image of an obedient woman who has to yield to a man without conditions. Although she was a woman, Shin developed her talents well and broke the wall of gender, becoming a progressive woman. She disciplined her children well and raised them to be successes. She persuaded her husband to pass the state examination. She is well-known as a woman who conducted prenatal education, and taught her children without discriminating between sons and daughter, even though she lived in the Joseon Kingdom, when there was severe discrimination between men and women. Shin Na-ra is a second-year student at Daewon Foreign Language High School. By Jane Han President Donald Trump's decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative is worrying tens of thousands of young Korean "dreamers" in the United States. AFP-Yonhap SAN FRANCISCO Tens of thousands of Koreans in the U.S. are in fear and uncertainty as they face an impending shutdown of a controversial immigration program that protected young people illegally brought to America by their parents from deportation. U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that his administration will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a policy shielding undocumented immigrants that was instituted via an executive order by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2012. This dramatic shift in federal policy, which is set to take effect six months from now, is expected to impact an estimated 800,000 DACA beneficiaries, also known as dreamers, of which close to 20,000 are Koreans, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is dreadful news for many Korean families and communities throughout the country. ''No one knows what kind of life I've lived, what kind of life my parents lived,'' said Kim, 32, who didn't want to disclose her full name, while attending a protest against Trump's DACA decision in San Francisco on Tuesday. Thousands turned out at the rally, which was held on the fifth anniversary of the Obama-era program. By Yi Whan-woo The South Korean military is considering introducing ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors to make up for shortcomings of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery that was fully deployed here, Thursday. SM-3 is capable of shooting down ballistic missiles at altitudes of 150 to 500 kilometers, while THAAD was designed to counter incoming ballistic missiles at altitudes ranging from 40 to 150 kilometers. Therefore, SM-3, if introduced, can cover the "blind zones" that cannot be reached by THAAD and help more in defending Seoul and the surrounding areas. THAAD may not be able to intercept North Korea's long-range ballistic missiles if they were fired deliberately at a lofted trajectory to strike the South Korean capital without being tracked by THAAD. "We're thinking of building a multi-layered missile defense system and introducing SM-3 can be a part of the plan," Defense Minister Song Young-moo said during a joint briefing with the interior and environment ministries in Seoul, Thursday. The briefing was held to answer questions remaining about THAAD, such as its reliability and whether an additional THAAD battery will be needed to better defend Seoul. By Jhoo Dong-chan Hyundai Motor said the carmaker's joint venture with BAIC Group will remain intact, refuting recent allegations in the media that the Chinese state-owned vehicle and machine corporation is considering winding up its joint venture partnership with Hyundai Motor. The Global Times, an English newspaper affiliate of the Chinese People's Daily, reported Wednesday that BAIC Motor Group is "fed up with its Korean partner's greed and arrogance over a supplier issue" and is now considering possible dissolution of their partnership, but Hyundai Motor flatly dismissed the allegation. "It's a completely false report," said a Hyundai Motor official. "It is just impossible to unilaterally breach a joint venture partnership between Hyundai Motor and BAIC. Our relationship with BAIC is solid and strong. Such allegations are not coming from BAIC but from groundless sources with malicious intentions." Another industry insider also claimed the Global Times ran the speculative story about the partnership to mislead public opinion. "Hyundai Motor and its affiliates have suffered a great deal since January because of the Chinese government's economic retaliation against Korean companies and products over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here," a Hyundai Mobis official said. "Hyundai Mobis reported a loss in the second quarter this year because of its government's retaliation. The Chinese media is now glossing over such reality with unconfirmed facts from unidentified sources." According to the Global Times, Wednesday, Beijing Hyundai has become a burden for BAIC since Hyundai Motor still wants to stick to current parts suppliers, mostly Korean firms, even after suffering a sharp sales decline whereas BAIC wants to switch suppliers to local Chinese companies. However, local suppliers who refused to provide products to Beijing Hyundai Motor weren't Korean companies but Chinese and foreign companies, including Beijing Yingruijie Car System. The Global Times even quoted an unidentified source, "Like every fight between companies, the core issue is protecting their own interests. Hyundai is too greedy. Frankly, I think BAIC is fed up with Hyundai's greed and arrogance. Hyundai has basically traded the JV for its interest in suppliers." The nation's largest carmaker and its sister brand Kia Motors have seen their sales nearly halved in China due to the Chinese government's economic retaliation over deployment of the U.S. missile defense system. Last week, Hyundai Motor said its four factories in China stopped operations after a local supplier refused to provide products because of delayed payments. The four plants then restarted production on Wednesday, but concerns are mounting as the company's profits plunging this year are due to the political row linked to diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Beijing. High schools and technical colleges may be vital to help ease the demand for industrial jobs. Ann Bolman, President of Western Dakota Tech, agrees with a recent study from the company EMSI, which says: skilled trades now show some of the highest potential among job categories. I think that the demand for a skilled workforce really has to do with the fact that technology, there is such a mixture of skills needed for the jobs. Said Bolman. Some of the reasons to go to a technical school may surprise you. Students Melissa Horvath and Kelsey Pence talk about the differences between trade and tradition four-year schooling. Theres not as much pressure here. It doesnt feel intense, as it does if youre going for a four year degree somewhere. Said Horvath. You actually get hands on training here and with the other schools you dont get hands on training. Mostly, you just sit in a classroom. Said Pence. According to the U.S. Department of Education, people with career and technical educations are more likely to be employed than their counterparts with a four-year degree. Trade jobs will never go away because the people that are in the trade are people that keep our communities running. They are the people who keep the infrastructure running, the healthcare running. Said Bolman. Finn Sacrison a first-year at Western Dakota Tech feels that since he has been involved in other events in his life, he felt he needed a change. A change that had him deciding to go into trans-tech heavy. The opportunities coming out of trade school verses the debt required for a four-year education are better. The weight of the debt is much different in most fields Said Sacrison. There are many reasons as to why trade jobs are in high demand, here is one example. Because, a lot of, people that are in the trades are looking to retire. The numbers of jobs in the trades are expected to continue to expand twenty years down the road. Said Bolman. One of the jobs that are needed most is in the healthcare profession. There are seventeen schools that offer tech programs in South Dakota. Members of a team of local volunteers that headed to the coast to help rescue residents stranded by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey experienced moments of joy, fear and perseverance. Waco police Commander Scott Holt and Officer Garen Bynum were just two of 18 volunteers who headed to the Texas coast with 11 trucks, two trailers, six boats and a four-wheeler to help however they could after Hurricane Harvey swept ashore. The first couple the volunteers came into contact with near New Caney, had been waiting to be rescued for more than 24 hours. A crew was able to get them and their dogs out of the water safely. In Kingwood, a Houston suburb, they found an assisted living center full of residents and water. Once we found it everything changed at that point it was all hands on deck for that, Bynum said. It took hours to get residents down three flights of stairs, out the door and into boats. The members of the group werent sure where they would end up staying, but a family in Conroe opened their home to the volunteers, and neighbors stepped up, too. The fact that (the) whole neighborhood jumped in and helped out cooking for us. To have a fresh meal and hot shower that night after Kingwood that was refreshing," said Bynum. The next day the crew took on several high water rescues in the Beaumont area, which received 54 inches of rain. "We had such a diverse group with us that had such experience and different things that we were also able to help the emergency management folks in Jefferson County because they had never experienced something like that, Bynum said. Neither had anyone in the crew, which is why it left such an impact. Chonna Colburt, owns Infamous Ink in Waco with her husband Zac. Their shop started donating the proceeds of special Texas Strong tattoos to a Harvey relief fund, but even after raising $5,000 they still wanted to do more. They drove to Beaumont to join the rescue effort. So did the owners of Cornerstone Plumbing who brought us 300 gallons of gas for the teams trucks and boats. The experience so deeply affected the volunteers that Holt later called Chonna to set a date to get his own Texas Strong tattoo. When asked what he will think about when he looks at it, he responded, Joy, fear, heartache, difficult times struggles, and perseverance. To rake or not to rake? That is the question. La Jolla Parks & Beaches (LJP&B) board chair Ann Dynes kicked a hornets nest when she introduced the notion of cleaning up wrack (seaweed that has washed ashore) on La Jollas beaches. The idea was brought up between monthly meetings via a chain of e-mails, and debated at the LJP&B meeting Aug. 28. Discussion included the pros and cons of removing the wrack, and disagreements between the City and LJP&B board members when it comes to historical practices and policies. To investigate the situation and possible courses of action, a working group was formed to report findings at a future LJP&B meeting. Lets rake! The argument for the wrack removal is that some consider it unsightly, pungent and overly abundant. Further, there are surrounding San Diego beaches that are (reportedly) regularly wrack raked, and others that are not. La Jolla Shores has its wrack removed, but areas such as WindanSea and Childrens Pool do not. I like the idea of raking the beaches that people use ... the (wrack) leads to awful flies and the smell is terrible. If people are using the beaches, I think it should be picked up, opined trustee Melinda Merryweather. Lets not rake! Those opposed to the wrack removal, including LJP&B trustee Jane Reldan, cite the biological significance of the beach seaweed for area insects and birds. To state her point, Reldan read a Beach Wrack Biological Significance document posted at a Santa Barbara beach: Beaches change shape constantly because of changing swell and tide conditions. Plants cannot grow on the unstable surfaces of the intertidal beaches. The most important food source for animals of the upper beach comes from kelp forests offshore. Kelp washed onto the beach is called wrack. Many kinds of invertebrate animals eat wrack and provide an important food source for dozens of shore birds species that inhabit Santa Barbara beaches. Beach wrack is important to animals and plants that live on beaches. Rules & Regulations Based on its biological significance, it is against California Coastal Commission regulations for volunteer groups to remove beach wrack. As such, the City will not permit organized groups to clear the wrack away. In an e-mail to LJP&B members, City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department assistant director Andy Field said, While we can help to organize volunteer beach cleanups through our volunteer office, we can only authorize removal of trash and litter, not naturally occurring protected features such as the kelp wrack. Throughout the year, I Love a Clean San Diego and other nonprofits conduct beach cleanups from time to time, and we can certainly facilitate a volunteer cleanup at WindanSea if desired. Dissatisfied, LJP&B member Ken Hunrichs said there is a disagreement between longtime La Jollans and the City in terms of whether the City has raked the wrack. We run into a problem because places like Childrens Pool were historically cleaned, but the City has repeatedly claimed that it wasnt, he said at the meeting. In an e-mail response to Fields comments, Hunrichs wrote, I would like to see La Jolla Parks & Beaches work to reshape City and California Coastal Commission policies to allow for beach cleaning of all our recreational beaches. Leave the piles of rotting seaweed for the flies on the unused, inaccessible beaches. The working group could report as soon as the next meeting, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. In other LJP&B news: Challenged Athletes Triathlon: The 24th annual Challenged Athletes triathlon challenge, which brings together hundreds of challenged and able-bodied athletes for a 10-mile run, 44-mile bike ride and one-mile swim, got unanimous LJP&B support. The event will be Oct. 22 at Scripps Park. Last year, the swim portion had to be moved to La Jolla Shores due to water quality concerns at The Cove. Representing the event, Kristine Entwistle said the fundraiser would like to return to The Cove bacteria levels permitting. We are watching water quality diligently, she said. Our plan is to have the swim at The Cove because its an important part of our event and makes it come together. The Cove makes the day what it needs to be. She said if bacteria levels at The Cove are above healthy standards, the organization would either cancel the swim part or move it to The Shores. Learn more at challengedathletes.org New picnic tables: As part of the Whale View Point Shoreline Enhancement Project, new picnic tables/benches could be installed by mid-October. Project organizer Dynes reported, The tables have been ordered, and the current ones are beyond ugly, so this is a minor victory for us. I didnt get input as to what they are going to be (such as rebar and concrete, which is what the current, cracked benches are made of) or how much they cost, the City just put in the order and will have staff install them. Plans for the Whale View Point project would improve the safety and aesthetic of the third-mile stretch between 200 Coast Blvd. and the cobblestone wall known as the Peoples Wall and Climbing Wall. The most recent achievement was the installation of an ADA-compliant and contiguous sidewalk along Coast Boulevard. Princess Street: LJP&B also voted to support the Environmental Center of San Diego (ECSD) in its efforts to re-open beach access at Princess Street, which has been closed for more than 40 years. ECSD board member Pam Heatherington made a presentation at the June meeting, and returned for a vote of endorsement and a funding jumpstart. Having met with the land surveyor who can assess the conditions for a beach-access route, Heartherington said, Once we have the funds, were ready to schedule the survey and start the design. She previously told the Light the design would be something simple and in synch with nature, and could include stairs, rails, ropes or other safety features. Once the survey is complete, the ECSD would decide on a firm to design the trail. The survey costs between $1,000 and $2,000, so LJP&B voted to contribute $1,000 to the effort (which would be reimbursed by Friends of WindanSea, a supporter of the opening). LJP&B next meets 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollaparksandbeaches.org Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of... An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at... This article is in the September 8, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. China Plans $4.7 Billion Renovation of Haitian Capital by Cynthia R. Rush [Print version of this article] Sept. 5 (EIRNS)On Aug. 25, Ralph Youri Chevy, mayor of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, formally accepted a $4.7 billion proposal from Chinas Southwest Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute (SMEDRIC), to renovate and rebuild that city, including its port, over the next three years, providing all the infrastructure required to modernize the capital and uplift its impoverished population. This nation of ten million, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, has never recovered from the effects of the January 2010 earthquake that killed 250,000 people, injured tens of thousands more, and wiped out what little infrastructure existed. Although financing for the renovation is not yet pinned down, journalist Georgeanne Nienaber noted in an Aug. 27 article in The Huffington Post that China has made good on similar projects in its estimated trillion-dollar Silk Road initiative, not to mention 30 futuristic infrastructure projects in its own country. Perhaps the future has finally arrived for Haiti, and as a result, the Caribbean corridor will be transformed. Telesur news agency reported Sept. 1 that the initial idea for the project was conceived of at the May 14-15 summit of the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing. Obama the Killer The Chinese proposal stands in stark contrast to the criminal actions of the Obama Administration and allied Western donors, who rejected the proposals made by American statesman Lyndon LaRouche in February 2010, by which the U.S. would sign a 25-year bilateral treaty with the Haitian government to rebuild the nation, based on an emergency deployment of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other military and civilian agencies with expertise in responding to natural disasters. The immediate priority at that time was to relocate to higher ground, the almost two million homeless earthquake victims stranded in Port-au-Prince, with the necessary medical and other services, before the arrival of the rainy season brought another wave of mass deaths. During a Jan. 30, 2010 international webcast, LaRouche warned that you cannot apply a band-aid to Haiti, because the objective is, if the country is going to be viable . . . you have to have a sovereign Haiti. Haitians, he added, have been subjected to all kinds of terrible history; . . . promised this, and betrayed, and promised that, and betrayed, and promised and betrayed. . . . So, its a model approach: we make a contract with the government, as a treaty agreement between the United States and Haiti, to assure the rebuilding of their country, in a form in which it will actually be a functioning country which can survive. Barack Obama took the path of betrayal. Reliable sources told EIR in late February 2010 that a group of American old hands on Haiti agreed with LaRouches proposals and presented them to Obama, who rejected them out of hand. After allowing a very short term deployment of the USACE and medical facilities such as the U.S.S. Comfort, he handed the relief effort over to an army of competing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), whose activities and corruption ensured there would be no recovery in Haiti. For years afterward, homeless citizens remained housed in precarious tents in the center of the capital, or sent back to live in unsafe structures damaged by the earthquake. Given conditions on the ground, the cholera outbreak that occurred in October of that year was entirely predictable. To date, this water-borne disease has infected 800,000 Haitians, killing close to 10,000. The necessary sanitation infrastructuresewage treatment and guarantee of safe drinking waterwas never built, and every new hurricane or tropical storm hitting the island brings disease and destruction in its wake. As National Public Radio reported July 17, Port-au-Prince is one of the largest cities in the world without a central sewage system. The majority of the capitals three million residents use outhouses, and much of the waste ends up in canals, ditches, and other unsanitary dumping grounds where it can contaminate drinking water and spread disease. There is only one open-air sewage treatment plant in the entire country, located in Morne Cabrit, about an hour from downtown Port-au-Prince. A New Capital The renovation proposed by Chinas Southwestern Municipal Engineering and Design Institute, which is part of a $30 billion package offered by China to develop all of Haiti, will address these problems. It is divided into six sub-projects, involving water and drainage works, road improvements, environmental protections, drainage and sanitation, a communications network, transportation, and reconstruction of the historic old city of Port-au-Prince. According to Georgeanne Nienaber, drainage engineering will be primary, with flood interception trenches and rainwater runoff collection systems routed to rivers and the ocean. A water purification plant capable of handling 225,000 cubic meters per day will be built, to ensure a supply of safe drinking water. A new sewage plant will treat 18,000 cubic meters per day to required standards and be discharged along the rivers and sea, according to project engineers. A new gas-fired power station has a planned 2,000 MW output. The renovation plan includes installing 450 public toilets, and implementing a public garbage collection system and waste landfills, which will accept 1,500 tons per day for domestic waste. Nienaber reports that work is expected to begin in December on a variety of sanitation, power, communications, and other projects in the capital, for which 20,000 workers will have to be hired. A beautiful, optimistic video of the renovation project was released by the Haitian firm Bati Aiyti, which will be partnering with Chinese firms to complete the project, to create a brilliant future for the city, as the video states. Many other Caribbean nations are also looking forward to a brilliant future with Chinas help. Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, and Cuba are among the governments that have signed major agreements with the Chinese government, or Chinese state-sector companies or private entities, to build needed infrastructure. This article is in the September 8, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. HARVEY DISASTER MADE BY WALL STREET LaRouche Issues Emergency Plan of Action [Print version of this article] Aug. 31The catastrophe in Texas is a man-made disaster accomplished by the criminal negligence of this nations elected officials who have continued to support Wall Streets speculative economy and imperial ambitions, while arguing that the nation cannot afford to rebuild and replace its ancient and broken-down economic infrastructure. For the third time since 2005, major American cities have been flooded and their people devastated, because the plans for new infrastructure to protect the people, requiring tens of billions in investments, have been ignored and turned down. Hurricane Harvey now looms as the worst national disaster in our nations history, and it is a disaster which did not have to happen. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina killed nearly 2,000 people and wreaked $130 billion in economic losses. Only then, slowly, new flood-control and seagate infrastructure was builtat lastfor New Orleans, at a fraction of the human and monetary costs of the damage inflicted by the storm. How many unnecessary deaths and how much suffering could this project have averted? Four years later, the American Society of Civil Engineers met in Manhattan to discuss several storm surge barrier options for the New York City region. The estimate for the largest of these was $9 billion. The government decided to do nothing. Then, in 2012 Superstorm Sandy killed more than 100 people and caused $65 billion in economic losses. New York area residents are now going through a Summer of Hell, as the 100-year-old regional transportation system, flooded and damaged five years ago, also was not repaired or replaced at the necessary pace. The staggering economic and human suffering caused by Hurricane Harvey in the Texas and Louisiana Gulf region are not yet known, and will grow in magnitude as the water recedes; but, what has been known for many years, is that Texas Gulf cities are flood-prone, and have been repeatedly flooded. Yet, no flood control or storm protection infrastructure has been built since the end of World War II. Plans for a new system for the Houston area had been drafted, but their $25 billion cost was deemed too high a price tag for our Wall Streetdominated agencies and elected officials. Now, hundreds of billions of dollars, and priceless human lives, are lost. All of these disasters, and others in the recent period, could have been averted for a fraction of their eventual cost in lost wealth, let alone in lost lives. The media insist to Americans that each citys disaster is caused by its particular economic habits, its choice of location, its squabbling jurisdictions, its ignoring of climate change, or its being close to water! This is nonsense. Wall Street, which has been bailed out repeatedly to the tune of trillions of dollars, with nothing but increased impoverishment of the American people to show for it, must no longer be allowed to dictate the economic policy of the United States of America. The nation calls for action, and action now! in President Franklin Roosevelts words. During his presidency, and through the 1940s, the new infrastructure to prevent such natural disasters such as the Tennessee Valley Authoritywas funded by national credit, as through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Works Progress Administration. Hurricane Harveys drowning of cities in East Texas should be the national alarm which ends 70 years in which the country has been without any such national credit institutions. A Sea-Change Is Required On August 30, Lyndon LaRouche called for a sea change in policy right now. He called for the immediate creation of a national credit institution for new, high-technology infrastructure, like that employed by Roosevelt when the vast majority of our current infrastructure was built. There is no alternative to creating a national credit institution, like that employed by Alexander Hamilton in accord with our Constitution, to fund the necessary trillions in new infrastructure investment. There must also be action to reinstate Glass-Steagall banking separation right now, as a new financial crisis looms and Wall Street speculation continues to prevent actual productive investment. Allowing Wall Street to eliminate the Glass-Steagall Act in the 1990s, led to a crash that caused $10 trillion in lost wealth, mass unemployment, and untold loss and shortening of human lives. LaRouche insists that his Four Economic Laws to Save the Nation must be implemented right now if this country is to recover from Hurricane Harvey and prevent similar disasters stemming from our rotting physical economy now ticking like a time bomb: Re-institute Glass-Steagall: break up Wall Street and its power; Create national credit institutions based on FDR's Reconstruction Finance Corporation and Alexander Hamilton's national banks; Invest the credit in new infrastructure using frontier technologies, including high-speed rail, fourth-generation fission and fusion power technologies, and modern storm protection and water management systems; Adopt a fusion-driver crash program: let a great expansion of NASA space exploration provide a driver for productivity and productive employment. A New Paradigm Takes Hold Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, an international program of new rail land-bridges and great projects of infrastructural development, offers immediate cooperation for the credit and the building of a new infrastructure in the United States. This initiative is now moving on great projects long identified as absolutely essential, such as the Kra Canal in Southeast Asia and the revival of Lake Chad in sub-Saharan Africa, projects long championed by Lyndon LaRouche and his wife, Helga Zepp-LaRouche. Helga and Lyndon LaRouche are leading a national mobilization focused on moving President Trump to immediately bring America into the China-initiated Belt and Road Initiative of worldwide building of new infrastructure. That win-win initiative, and the United States joining in its worldwide projects and also building its own new infrastructure, means the revival of the United States as an industrial power. On August 26, Helga Zepp-LaRouche addressed a Manhattan conference on the infrastructure emergency in the United States, making the following proposal: Just think what enormous potential will open up if the United States would cooperate with th e Belt and Road Initiative, Zepp-LaRouche told the conference. I think it is really important to imagine a completely different system. If the United States would now do what Franklin D. Roosevelt dida New Deal, Glass-Steagall, cooperate with Chinathe United States could experience an industrial revolution bigger than any time in its own history. People just have to grasp that we are right now at the end of a system, a system which cannot be saved. We need to replace it with a completely new system, and most people have just a hard time to imagine that, but there are examples of such changes. The Marshall Plan in Europe was such an example, and the Meiji Restoration in Japan was such an exampleand what Roosevelt did with the New Deal; so people have to just understand that such a dramatic change is absolutely possible today. LaRouche PAC has taken the responsibility to drive President Trump and the Congress into this action. But this is also the responsibility of all Americans that think of themselves as citizens: those who have been actively supporting the President, or supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders; those who supported no one, out of disgust at the manipulation, and continued manipulation of the election, but who have wanted a drastic change in the deindustrialization and Wall Street speculation policy ruling the country; those who know people killed, or made homeless and impoverished by Wall Streets induced natural disasters. All must now act and make their voices heard. Because, watching what is happening, again, to great American cities, leads anyone sane to the same conclusion: There is no alternative. This article is in the September 8, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Korea: Sabotage of LaRouche Plan Brought Slide to Nuclear War [Print version of this article] Sept. 4As the world fearfully watches the powerful North Korean nuclear weapon test, and threats of war from the United States, Lyndon LaRouche reminded the world that it was the sabotage of his peace through development policy, first by George Bush and Dick Cheney, and then by Obama, which caused the current crisis. The Agreed Framework of 1994 under Bill Clinton was working to end North Koreas nuclear weapons program, with IAEA inspectors on the ground, in exchange for economic cooperationwhen Bush and Cheney scrapped it in favor of military threats and confrontation. Again in 2002, when South Korean President Kim Dae-jung proceeded, with backing for his Sunshine Policy from Russia and China, to reopen economic cooperation with the North, Bush and then Obama rejected cooperation, while blaming North Korea for cheating. The fact is, the British and their neocon cohorts in the United States do not want a solution, since the crisis in Korea justifies their effort to target China, economically and militarily. Indeed, that is made clear today by the response from Washington to the perceived threat from Pyongyang. The incompetent U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, told todays emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is begging for war, saying that the United States is preparing a draft resolution to be voted on next week, in which The United States will look at every country that does business with North Korea, as a country that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentionsi.e., the target is China, as well as Russia. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Wall Street asset within the Trump Administration, told Fox News on Sunday that he was working on sanctions such that Anybody that wants to do trade or business with [North Korea] would be prevented from doing trade or business with us. Presumably hes talking about locking certain Chinese banks and companies out of the U.S. financial systemwhich is crazy. This makes it clear that the target is also Trump himself; namely, his efforts to build a working friendship between the United States and both China and Russia, which is the cause of the ongoing color-revolution against him by traitors in both parties. Trump himself tweeted that China is trying to help but with little success, and accused South Korea of appeasement for wanting to engage the North in any way. Gen. Mattis issued a statement saying: Any threat to the United States, or its territoriesincluding Guam or our allieswill be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. On the other hand, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins office issued a statement saying: Korea is a country that experienced a fratricidal war. The destruction of war should not be repeated in this land. Moon has stated clearly that President Trump has assured him that there will be no military action against the North without Seouls approval. Nonetheless, the Moon government is speeding up the deployment of THAAD missiles in his country (despite strong opposition from China and Russia) and is discussing with Washington the deployment of U.S. strategic military assets in South Korea, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and strategic bombers. Both China and Russia strongly condemned the North Korean nuclear test, but made clear that Washingtons refusal to talk to Pyongyang, or to curtail their military exercises threatening the North, are equally responsible for the crisis. My personal opinion is that there would have been no conflict at all if the United States stopped maintaining the conflict, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy for the Far East Yury Trutnev told Tass. Every time North and South Korea seem about to come to terms, and tensions start to ease, some naval drills immediately begin, even stipulating a training plan aimed at seizing Pyongyang, which is a direct provocation, Trutnev said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters Monday that North Korea must be very clear that U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibit such activities. But Geng also took exception to the threats against China. He said that China regarded as unacceptable a situation in which on the one hand we work to resolve this issue peacefully, but on the other hand our own interests are subject to sanctions and jeopardized. This is neither objective nor fair. China Daily editorialized: There is no doubt that DPRKs action . . . is a gross violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and has raised serious concerns in the region and worldwide. But Trump is not helping the situation with tweets blasting the DPRK and criticizing South Korea and China. The editorial goes on to argue that : the fundamental failure of Trumps strategy is that it pins too much hope on tightening sanctions, a strategy that has proved a failure for decades. The editorial further argues that If Trump is right in saying China is trying to help but with little success, it is because the United States has not heeded Chinas advice, such as resuming the Six-Party Talks, direct contacts between the United States and the DPRK, and accepting dual suspension, in which the United States and South Korea halt their military drills and the DPRK suspends its nuclear tests. Putin, Xi Jinping, Abe, Moon, and others will be meeting each other this week, some at the ongoing BRICS meeting in Xiamen, and then at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, where Korea will be high on the agenda. PRESS RELEASE ISIS on Its Last Legs in Both Iraq and Syria Sept. 7, 2017 (EIRNS)The reality in Iraq and Syria today, is that ISIS is now on its last legs. In Iraq, ISIS has been driven out of the city of Mosul and, more recently Tal Afar. It remains mainly in western Iraq along the border with Syria. On the other side of that border, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), with intense support from Russian warplanes based in Latakia, has broken the three-year siege of Deir Ezzor after a slow but inexorable advance up the highway from Palmyra. Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, the chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, reported yesterday that during the course of that campaign the SAA liberated "4,800 square kilometers of territory, and militants have been forced out of 59 settlements." ISIS is still holding out in part of Raqqa, but its defeat there by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces is all but inevitable. For all practical purposes, ISIS control has been reduced to a handful of villages along the Euphrates River, from just southeast of Deir Ezzor down to Al Qaim in Iraq. The military losses that ISIS has suffered in the course of the past several months of defeats from Mosul to central Syria, mean that it no longer has the military coherence to hold out much longer. ISIS is now no more than a shell of the Islamic State that ISIS leader Abubakr al Baghdadi proclaimed from the Al Nouri Mosque in Mosul as recently as July 2014. PRESS RELEASE Russia, South Korea, North Korea Support Trilateral Development Projects Sept. 7, 2017 (EIRNS)Russian Far East Development Minister Aleksandr Galushka told TASS today that at a meeting yesterday, a delegation from North Korea, led by its Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Kom Young-jae, came with their own proposals of possible areas of cooperation with Russia. These will be studied by Russia, Galushka said. He said the cooperative projects would have to be within the framework of the restrictions imposed by the UN. President Putin said yesterday, after having met with South Korean President Moon, that Russia was ready to develop trilateral ties with both Koreas, which might include "piping Russian gas to Korea, and integration of the electric grids and railway systems, of Russia, South and North Korea." South Korean President Moon Jae-in, following his meeting with President Putin in Vladivostok yesterday, said although previous projects between Russia and South Korea had not been developed, "we decided to develop the projects that may be implemented in the near future, primarily the projects in the Far East." These "will not only contribute to the prosperity of the two states but also to changes in North Korea, which will became a basis for trilateral relations," he said. Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum yesterday, President Moon was specific: "I propose to build nine bridges between Korea and Russia for simultaneous and multilateral cooperation," TASS reported. "Nine bridges mean the bridge of gas, railway, the Northern Sea Route, shipbuilding, the creation of working groups, agriculture, and other types of cooperation". Moon also said he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish a forum for inter-regional cooperation. And that "South Korea is interested in the early signing of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union." PRESS RELEASE Vladivostok Plenary: Japans Abe on New Era of Relations with Russia Sept. 7, 2017 (EIRNS)Speaking before the plenary of the Eastern Economic Forum, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to Japan last December ushered in a new era in relations. "President Putin visited my hometown of Nagato last December. The history of the Japanese-Russian relations entered a new era at that time. Russia and Japan have made considerable progress over the past year, which we had been unable to make over the past 70 years," he said, reported TASS. "We should put an end to the abnormal situation when we still dont have a peace treaty," he said and also said that it should be done in order to make full use of the potential that bilateral relations have. Nathan Englander is a fabulist: Thats the first thing to keep in mind. Even when hes trafficking in the naturalistic in his story The Wig from For the Relief of Unbearable Urges or in the magnificent collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank he aspires to the lesson of the parable. Wouldnt I hide you? he writes in the latter, channeling Raymond Carver and the Holocaust. Even if it was life and death if it would spare you, and theyd kill me alone for doing it? Wouldnt I? That such questions are being asked in the pantry of a suburban house in Florida is the point entirely; we never know where our fables will come from or what form the allegory might take. A similar sensibility marks Dinner at the Center of the Earth, Englanders second novel (his first, The Ministry of Special Cases, came out in 2007): a kaleidoscopic fairy tale of Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation or its inverse. Shifting fluidly among characters and settings, the book divides its action between 2002 and 2014. Advertisement The central character, if we can call him that, is Prisoner Z, a young American Jew-turned-Israeli operative who betrays his mission (or does he?) for a larger cause. That we do not understand, until late in the novel, what this means suggests the complex dance that Z must undergo. Im going to protect my side by trying to fix an imbalance that cannot and should not be maintained, he informs a Palestinian agent named Farid, whom he has tricked into providing information to facilitate an airstrike on Gaza, but if he believes that this might offer absolution, there is little mercy to be found. After, Farid announces in response. Talk to me then. If youre going to murder our children, you must be prepared to drink from the same cup of poison. One of the exhilarating aspects of Dinner at the Center of the Earth is its expansive sense of space and time. As it turns out, Z will drink from a very different cup of poison; he will be allowed to live. Imprisoned at a black site in the Negev desert, he is erased, held with neither charge nor hearing, his only contact the Israeli guard with whom he forges an amorphous bond. From captivity, he recollects, or (more accurately) the book does: One of the exhilarating aspects of Dinner at the Center of the Earth is its expansive sense of space and time. The novel is constructed as a series of fragments involving Z, yes, but also his Palestinian counterpart, as well as a former general and prime minister of Israel who lies dying in a coma (think Ariel Sharon). [Y]ou, you raise up the price, the general recalls, or imagines, being told by David Ben-Gurion. Dont stop. Dont stop until our neighbors get the message. Dont stop until killing a Jew becomes too expensive for even the rich and profligate man. That is your whole purpose on this earth. The decision to base a character on such a specific historical personality is a challenging one, particularly for those who remember Sharon as [a] murderer, a butcher, the architect of massacres in Qibya and Beirut. Englander, however, sidesteps history or blurs its boundaries by never referring to the character as anything but the General, rendering him instead as an archetype. The same is true of Prisoner Z, who also goes unnamed throughout the novel, as well as a double agent known mostly as the Waitress, although she is more fully identified toward the end of the book. The effect is to heighten events, to transcend history in favor of a more allegorical realm. Before his arrest, hiding out in Paris, Z passes what is known to be the oldest tree in the city, then moves on to a bookstore that is clearly Shakespeare and Co. before pausing at a fountain there. We read the scene from something of a middle distance, recognizing the location while also kept apart from it, much like the incidents that emerge in the Generals coma reverie. Englander has built a complex structure, by which his narrative reveals itself in pieces, and the less we know in advance, the more vividly we feel its turns. As for why this works, its in the nature of the fable, in which recognizable figures traverse elusive but also recognizable worlds. More to the point, it is a mechanism of empathy, allowing us to sympathize, or even identify, with the General, a man from whom we might otherwise turn away. When he recalls, for instance, the shooting death of his young son (based on a tragedy from Sharons life), we overlook for a moment, anyway his brutal politics and see him as the grieving father he must have been. He knows, right then, Englander writes, for a father to survive this is unthinkable. For him to live even one second after gathering up what cannot be, something is not right. The General holds the boys bloody body close and he looks, carefully, around. Yes. Something in his universe has gone awry. Awry, indeed and yet Dinner at the Center of the Earth is a fable of a time in which the incomprehensible has become commonplace and we live bound by our degradations rather than our dreams. Just look at Z, who implores the General in a letter: To lose this war with Palestinians, to cede ground, to raise the white flag of surrender it is the only way for us to win. For this, the sin of renunciation, he is condemned to a living death not unlike that of his correspondent, removed from, and with no hope of returning to, the world. He had understood, Englander tells us, that what hed imagined as some sort of finish was only the beginning, the unfading start. At the same time, the fabulist insists, there must be a gesture, a way to recast or rethink. Here is where the reconciliation asserts itself through a variety of scenes and situations. In one, the General meets, informally and in secret, with Yasser Arafat. My favorite enemy, he tells his aide, Ruthi, has stopped by for a chat. Other such moments involve Prisoner Z, as well as the Waitress, but I dont want to spoil the secrets of the novel; Englander has built a complex structure, by which his narrative reveals itself in pieces, and the less we know in advance, the more vividly we feel its turns. I am reminded of his story The Tumblers, in which a community of Jews deported by the Nazis board the wrong train and pose as acrobats until they are (as they must be) revealed. Something of the same sort of movement takes place here, involving the tunnels between Israel and Gaza (the center of the earth of the books title), and the primacy of personal, as opposed to patriotic, love. If this feels a little forced in places, well, that too is in the nature of the fable, which is a story in the service of a moral, after all. This has been Englanders intent from the beginning, and with this novel he articulates and expands on such a sensibility, framing history as both an act and a failure of the imagination, which is to say, in inherently, and inescapably, human terms. Ulin is the author of Sidewalking: Coming to Terms With Los Angeles. A 2015 Guggenheim fellow, he is a former book editor and book critic of the Los Angeles Times. Dinner at the Center of the Earth Nathan Englander Knopf: 272 pp., $26.95 In the Colorado ZR2, Chevrolet has fielded a purpose-built pickup truck that boasts a number of exclusives. Its the only midsize truck available with a diesel engine, the only one to come standard with true off-road suspension and the only one with locking front and rear differentials. So, who cares? Chevrolet engineers made a splash at last years L.A. Auto Show by bringing a number of pre-production ZR2s to a gritty industrial space theyd rented near the Convention Center. Advertisement For the duration of the show, Chevy hosted wannabe terrain-tacklers eager to show off their off-road skills on a bumpy, rocky course fabricated at the former factory site. But even then the questions that formed in my mind were: Who is this truck for? And, how many of those people are there? The ZR2 is a midsize pickup truck. Despite its massive 17-inch wheels and overblown 31-inch tires, it can be mounted without a stepladder and drives surprisingly like a sedan. Around town, its sporty and responsive, easy to maneuver through traffic. It can even be parked in a normal-sized parking spot. For a truck with fat tires, its quiet on the freeway, which makes it possible to enjoy the adequate sound system. The trucks infotainment system, which features an 8-inch color touch screen, connects easily to a telephone. (A Wi-Fi hot spot is standard too.) The HVAC system functions well. The seats are comfortable, even on longer drives, and though the extended cab rear seating area is really more like an extended storage area, theres plenty of legroom and headroom up front. (Rear passengers will need to be rather small if they are to experience reasonable legroom.) Chevy engineers have taken pains to make the cabin comfy. Standard are heated, leather-trimmed bucket seats, with power lumbar adjustments and a telescoping, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The ZR2 is delivered standard with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, which produces 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. But the preferred option a $3,500 upgrade is the 2.8-liter, four-cylinder, turbo diesel engine. It makes an acceptable 186 horsepower and a phenomenal 369 pound-feet of torque. Corner to corner, the turbo diesel is quite zippy, for a truck. In the rough, it makes the ZR2 a wall crawler. Off road is where the ZR2 really performs. Its so capable, in fact, that I wasnt able to find anything to challenge it. The grunty diesel engine, combined with the ZR2s four-wheel drive, long suspension travel and Multimatic DSSV shock dampers, made short work of deep sand, slushy mud, rocky roads and desert washboard. Indeed, the truck was almost as smooth on rough surfaces as it was on the freeway. Since the ZR2 was twice delayed getting to me because previous drivers had damaged it during their test periods, I was perhaps too reluctant to throw the ZR2 up or down a steep cliff, or hit sand berms at the high speeds a Baja 1000 run would require. And I didnt even engage the locking differentials, which would have made near-vertical assaults possible, even on uneven ground. The trucks plastic-like interior raised concerns about durability and longevity. Would the dash and door panels survive the sun-baking and dust-brushing theyd get from repeated exposures to harsh weather? Only time would tell. I also wondered about the spare tire placement, which on the model I borrowed was attached to a rack bolted square in the center of the truck bed. That would have complicated plans to haul anything substantial on an overland adventure, such as motorcycles, mountain bikes, kayaks or camping equipment. A Chevy executive explained that this is an option, desired by dedicated rock crawlers, because it allows for even more ground clearance under the truck, where the spare is typically stored. Chevys marketing people say their ZR2 appeals to truckers in search of their next adventure and determined to stray off the beaten path. They want a truck tough enough for overland travel, rock crawling, traversing two-track trails and bombing through the desert, while also gentle enough for daily driving. Those customers, who Chevy said are cross-shopping Toyota Tacoma TRD midsize and Ford Raptor full-size trucks both of them more expensive vehicles have added to the Colorado bottom line. The ZR2 now accounts for about 10% of Colorado sales, the company said. Although the trucks sales are still dwarfed by the Tacomas roughly 130,000 trucks sold this year, according to Kelley Blue Book, the Colorados 72,000 moved by dealers is a strong number. That puts the Colorado far in front of the competing Nissan Frontier, GMC Canyon and Honda Ridgeline. (Full-size work trucks from Ford and Chevy sell better, of course, with Ford turning over about 575,000 of its F-150s this year, and Chevy about 365,000 Silverados.) Despite the mathematics, Im still left wondering whos buying the ZR2s. I havent seen any among the German and Swedish sport utility vehicles crowding the streets of Silver Lake. I havent seen any in the company parking garage. I guess Id better call the Chevy guys and ask them to extend the loan. I need to go canyon crawling in Moab. 2017 Colorado 4WD ZR2 Times take: Chevy delivers a purpose-built truck toy Highs: Mighty motor, massive suspension, handsome lines Lows: Cheap-feeling interior raises longevity concerns Vehicle type: Two-door, four-passenger pickup truck Base price: $40,995 Price as tested: $45,435 Powertrain: 2.8-liter, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine Transmission: 8-speed automatic Horsepower: 186 Torque: 369 pound-feet EPA fuel economy rating: 19 miles per gallon city / 22 highway / 20 combined charles.fleming@latimes.com @misterfleming President Trump appears to have signed on to a very good idea: scrapping the debt ceiling. It may be unwise or premature to make too much of this, such as by heralding it as a dramatic change in approach at the White House, but numerous reports out of Washington say that during his meeting with Democratic leaders on Wednesday, Trump agreed to work toward a plan to permanently end the need for repeated votes to raise the ceiling. The century-old rule requires congressional approval to increase the governments right to borrow money. For most of that time the votes were routine, but in recent decades the rule has become entangled in ideological battles. On these occasions economic calamity beckons, because a failure to increase the limit when government obligations fall due threatens default, something the U.S. government has never done. Advertisement For many years people have been talking about getting rid of the debt ceiling altogether .... There are lots of good reasons to do that. President Trump At the Wednesday meeting, it will be recalled, Trump pulled the carpet out from under his Republican colleagues by agreeing with Democrats to rise the debt ceiling enough to fund government borrowing through mid-December while providing an initial tranche of emergency aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey. The move exasperated congressional Republicans no end. They had been hoping for a longer-term increase in the debt ceiling, with the goal of deferring another vote until after next years elections, while extracting more concessions from Democrats on government spending reductions. But it appeared to please Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, who had been pressing for a clean debt ceiling increase that is, one without politically contentious spending riders by the end of this month. Trumps agreement with the Democrats only intensifies pressure on the GOP. Theyll have to deal with another debt ceiling vote at the end of the year, with the threat of a government shutdown looming if Republican leaders cant get their extreme right wing on board to kick the can down the road again. The longer the contretemps lasts, the worse the GOP will look to voters at a time when the nation is beginning to turn its attention to the 2018 election. This is how playing politics with economic stability can bite you where it can really hurt. At the Wednesday meeting and again in a session with his Cabinet on Thursday, Trump went further than his agreement with the Democrats. For many years people have been talking about getting rid of the debt ceiling altogether, he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. There are lots of good reasons to do that. Indeed there are, and weve reported on them for many years, including in 2011, in 2015, and again earlier this summer. First and foremost, its unnecessary. The debt ceiling was crafted in 1917 to give the Treasury more authority to issue debt, not less. Before then, Congress had to vote on every proposed bond issue, which was a pain. So it gave the Treasury blanket authority, up to a point. The idea that the limit imposes fiscal discipline on Congress is just silly. Raising the debt limit merely authorizes borrowing for debts Congress implicitly has incurred by voting to spend more than it provides for via taxes. Theres no reason for the debt ceiling to exist as a concept, USC tax and budget expert Ed Kleinbard told me last month. The need to borrow follows inexorably from the spending and taxing path Congress puts us on. Nevertheless, the notion that the debt ceiling acts as a brake on congressional spending lives on. Just this week, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) rejected the idea of eliminating the debt ceiling. Theres a legitimate rule for the power of the purse in Article 1 powers, he said, and thats something we defend here in Congress. No one is talking about taking away the power of the purse vested in the House just taking access to dynamite away from lawmakers who shouldnt be trusted with a pop gun. That brings us to Point 2: The consequences of breaching the limit would be economically dire. Its fashionable among ostensibly fiscal conservatives that this would be no big deal; theyre wrong. As listed by then-Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in 2013, the consequences of wrecking the governments unblemished record of paying its debts would include an immediate increase in the governments borrowing costs and a plunge in the value of government securities held by individuals, pension funds and other countries. Issuance of Social Security checks, Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals, paychecks to military families and vendors would be halted or cut. Even the steps needed to defer a breach can be costly. When the nation scraped up against the debt limit for three months in 2003, the government staved off default through the early redemption of bonds owned by a civil service retirement fund. That cost the fund and its beneficiaries more than $1 billion in lost interest, the Government Accountability Office determined. Then theres the cost of the half-baked fiscal maneuvers often undertaken to satisfy debt-ceiling hard-liners. These include the egregious sequester, which was enacted to resolve a 2011 debt-limit standoff. The sequester was supposed to be so draconian that Congress would negotiate a budget to keep it from happening; congressional ineptitude got in the way, the sequester went into effect, and the result was the systematic impoverishment of a host of government programs, with the damage largely visited on moderate- and low-income Americans. With the dysfunction meter on Capitol Hill and at the White House pegging out at the maximum this year, economists and fiscal experts were really sweating out the nearing of the brink. Republican conservatives seemed to be more cavalier than ever about defaulting on government debt, and the ability of adults in the White House and the halls of Congress to rein them in more doubtful than ever. Some advocates of breaching the limit were known to haunt the White House corridors, such as Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who as a congressman from South Carolina had taken a hard line against raising the debt ceiling. And then Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) pulled a rabbit out of the hat or more precisely, pulled it out of a boiling cauldron. Whether Trump will follow through on his interest in ending the debt ceiling charade is impossible to gauge. But it would be churlish under the circumstances to reflect that his attention span isnt long and that his explicit commitments arent always reflected by his actionswitness his expressions of respect for the so-called Dreamers, whose lives and futures he has upended by revoking DACA, the program that allows those brought illegally to this country as children and infants to stay in the U.S. But lets accept victory where we find it. Trump has got ahold of an indisputably good idea. Lets praise him for it, and hope he sticks to it. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Another day, another massive data breach. Except this one involves Equifax, one of the credit-monitoring companies you might expect to be ultrasensitive to the importance of safeguarding your personal information from hackers. Instead, the company revealed on Thursday, the personal data of 143 million U.S. consumers in its care nearly half the country was potentially compromised. The data now at large includes names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses and drivers license numbers, all of which can be used fraudulently to validate the identity of someone trying to open a bank or credit account in another persons name. In some cases, Equifax says, the security questions and answers used on some websites to verify users identity may also have been exposed. Having that information in hand would allow hackers to change their targets passwords and other account settings. Advertisement The fact that the breached entity (Equifax) is offering to sign consumers up for its own identity protection services strikes me as pretty rich. Security expert Brian Krebs This isnt the largest data breach ever that crown belongs to Yahoo, which allowed account information for 500 million people to be hacked. But it has several elements that make it much worse than the usual. The breadth of the hacked information is one. Another is the signal it sends that firms like Equifax are much more concerned about collecting personal information than protecting it. Here are three others: Equifax waited six weeks to disclose the breach. The firm says it discovered the breach, which it reports began in mid-May, on July 29. Thats six weeks that consumers could have been victimized without their knowledge and therefore left without the ability to take countermeasures. Equifax hasnt explained the delay. Three Equifax executives sold shares after the discovery of the breach and before its public disclosure, according to Bloomberg. They collected $1.8 million from the sales, which werent part of any prearranged option-execise programs. The sales were made on Aug. 1 and 2, the third and fourth days after the breach was discovered. An Equifax spokeswoman says the executives were unaware of the breach at the time of their sales, but thats hardly comforting: One was John Gamble, the firms chief financial officer. If the firms No. 2 executive wasnt immediately informed about a catastrophic security breach, why not? In any case, the executives timing was exquisite. Gamble sold 6,500 shares for $145.60, or about $946,400. As of midday Friday, following the firms disclosure, the shares are trading at a bit over $123, down about 13% on the day. Equifax already is trying to take advantage of the victims of its own breach. The firm set up a website allowing individuals to check if their information was potentially compromised, but it requires users to plug in their last name and last six digits of their Social Security numbers. That raises the question of why anyone would trust Equifax with even a partial Social Security number at this stage. The site also invites users to sign up for Equifaxs TrustedID Premier credit monitoring service. As a recompense to the victims, the firm is offering this service free for a year. But be warned: Not only is that woefully inadequate, since hackers can exploit stolen personal data for many years, but it gives Equifax a lucrative database of possible customers to be sold continuing subscriptions for the service after the year is expired at a price currently set at $19.95 a month. In fact, enrollment in the service typically requires customers to provide Equifax with a credit card number, which the firm uses to automatically bill them after the free trial is over. The fact that the breached entity (Equifax) is offering to sign consumers up for its own identity protection services strikes me as pretty rich, security expert Brian Krebs observed on his website. Even worse, the TrustedID terms of service state that enrollees give up their right to sue Equifax and prevents them from filing or joining a class action in the case of any dispute theyll have to go to arbitration as individuals, which almost always places consumers at a disadvantage. It isnt clear how those restrictions apply to preexisting data breaches, but judges have held in other cases that arbitration clauses may have retroactive effect. People should be very, very cautious about signing up with Equifaxs service. The most important lesson in the Equifax breach is an old one: Consumers whose information is held by Equifax are not its customers or clients theyre the product, and their personal information merely raw material to be exploited by the firm for its own profit. Equifax and its two major competitors in the credit-monitoring game, Experian and TransUnion, make their money by compiling detailed files on individuals and selling them to credit card firms, banks and marketers. In short, they dont care about you, except so far as youre an entry in their databases. Equifax Chief Executive Rick Smith tried hard to demonstrate that he does care, with little success. In a video on the firms website, he called the breach a disappointing event for our company, sounding a bit like Mr. Spock after hes told that a catastrophic attack on the Enterprise is underway. Smith further stated, We pride ourselves on being a leader in managing and protecting data. But the evidence contradicts that claim. Just last May, Krebs reported that thieves were able to access W-2 tax data of employees at client companies of Equifaxs payroll service subsidiary TALX, thanks to lax security. That breach lasted almost a year, starting in April 2016. The firm has suffered a string of other breaches, too. The credit bureaus have shown themselves to be terrible stewards of very sensitive data, and are long overdue for more oversight from regulators and lawmakers, Krebs wrote. But lawmakers at the state and federal level have been inexcusably lax about regulating these data firms and any others holding sensitive consumer information. Only eight states Connecticut, Florida, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Vermont impose a firm deadline on how quickly companies must inform consumers of a breach, usually 30 to 90 days after its discovery. (California requires timely notification, whatever that means, except for medical information, which carries a 15-day notification deadline.) In Europe, starting next May, the deadline will be 72 hours after a breach is discovered. That seems adequate. In the meantime, what can consumers do? Krebs and other security experts recommend going beyond signing up for account monitoring services, and placing a security freeze on your credit lines. This can be done through Equifax and the other agencies, though there may be a fee. The freeze prevents anyone from opening a new credit or loan account in your name. That includes you, however, which means you have to lift the freeze when you wish to open a new account yourself, and reimpose it (possibly incurring another fee) afterward. Thats an inconvenience, but a worthwhile one to protect your credit, the experts say. The real action needs to take place in Congress. If there were harsh federal penalties for the kind of sloppiness that seems to be demonstrated by Equifax life-threatening penalties for the companies it would be a good bet that theyd get their act together. After every major breach, lawmakers talk about taking action, but seldom go further than holding a hearing or two. If that happens this time, it wont be long until the next monster breach. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. ALSO Credit giant Equifax says Social Security numbers, birth dates of 143 million consumers may have been exposed David Lazarus: The guy who stole my identity 15 years ago just resurfaced in my life Sexual harassment investigations at Fox News had on-air hosts coming and going on Friday. The network has cut loose Eric Bolling, who was suspended on Aug. 5, and has also canceled his daily program Fox News Specialists. The law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, investigated allegations that Bolling used his cellphone to send unsolicited photos of male genitalia to current and former female colleagues at the network. The firm has been handling harassment claims at the 21st Century Fox unit. Advertisement Fox News Channel is canceling the Specialists, and Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably, a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement. We thank Eric for his 10 years of service to our loyal viewers and wish him the best of luck. Earlier Friday, Fox News confirmed that Fox Business host Charles Payne is returning to his job at the network after he was cleared in an internal investigation of sexual harassment claims lodged by a female political analyst who was a frequent guest on his program. A Fox News representative confirmed that the companys review of the allegations against Payne has been completed and that he would return to his nightly program Making Money on Friday night. Bollings program, Fox News Specialists was to have its final airing Friday. His co-hosts, Kat Timpf and Eboni Williams, will remain with Fox News as contributors. An hourlong newscast will fill the 5 p.m. Eastern hour starting Monday. The allegations against Bolling were among the many to hit 21st Century Fox, which has been plagued by sexual harassment allegations since former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed suit last year against the networks former chief executive, Roger Ailes. Since then, other women have come forward with allegations against Ailes, who died in May, and other significant figures at the company. The networks star anchor, Bill OReilly, was pushed out in April after reports that he and Fox had paid out millions of dollars to settle harassment claims going back to 2004. Payne has been off the air since July 6 when he was suspended hours after the Los Angeles Times first reported that he was being investigated over allegations of sexual misconduct. No other details about the results of either investigation were available, but Paynes return seems to indicate he was cleared, while Bolling was not. No comment has been given by the attorneys for the hosts. Bolling, 54 was a rising star at Fox News. After a career as a commodities trader, he became a commentator at CNBC. He joined Fox Business Network in 2007 and eventually became part of the late afternoon roundtable show The Five on Fox News Channel. After OReillys departure, The Five moved to prime time, but Bolling stayed in the late afternoon slot to head up Fox News Specialists. He signed a new multi-year contract earlier this year. Bolling was suspended after a report from the web site HuffPost said the host was sending lewd photos from his cellphone to former and current female colleagues at the network. Bollings lawyer issued a denial and the host threatened to sue the reporter who broke the story, but no suit has been filed. Payne was investigated on charges from a female political commentator who said she was allegedly coerced into a sexual relationship with him in return for guest appearances on the network. Payne acknowledged that he was in a three-year romantic relationship with the woman. But he has called the claims of harassment an ugly lie. The woman was never an employee of Fox News but appeared as a guest on numerous Fox News and Fox Business Network programs with the hope of becoming a paid contributor. She has told her lawyer, who prepared a legal complaint against Fox News and Payne, that she stayed in the relationship with the host because she believed he would help her chances of landing a paying position at the network. She alleged that her opportunities diminished after the relationship ended in 2015 when Paynes wife learned of their involvement. Payne, who joined Fox Business in 2006 as a contributor, signed a new multiyear contract in June. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio ALSO A new generation of young home buyers is tiptoeing into the market Equifax execs sold shares before the hack was announced but was it insider trading? Irvine Co. will make a pitch to put Amazons second headquarters in Orange County UPDATES: 1:40 p.m.:This article was updated with additional details about Bollings termination. This article was originally published at 9:45 a.m. Some of Californias big shareholder-owned utilities are working to thwart the expansion of government-owned electricity programs, including Los Angeles Countys proposed end run on traditional power providers. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. are seeking amendments to state legislation or even a separate bill before the session ends Sept. 15 that will impose a moratorium on the so-called community choice aggregation programs operated by local governments as alternatives to existing power companies. Southern California Edison so far has taken a wait-and-see stance. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that the county intends to phase in the program over three years. The pahse-in will occur in 2018. The legislative effort has been dubbed the Freeze Bill for proposing to put the choice program expansion on hold, at least until the state develops what the utilities believe are appropriate fees to be paid by customers who leave for government-run providers. Some discussions have included language applying the moratorium to any community choice program not delivering electricity as of Sept. 1. Advertisement The community choice aggregation movement, which now includes Los Angeles County, is the latest potential blow to the shareholder-owned utilities, which have endured a dramatic shift in their industry with the proliferation of rooftop solar, improved energy efficiency, use of smart technology and the advent of battery storage that enables consumers to store electricity in their garages. The technological advances have led to declining or flat usage in recent years of electricity produced by the utility companies. An industry report referred to these advances as disruptive technologies. Although the shareholder-owned utilities say they support consumer choice, they insist that the current regulatory framework creates inequities for those who want to stay with their existing power provider. A diverse range of organizations, including seniors, small business, labor and consumer groups believes the current [system], which is supposed to ensure equity, is broken, said Helen Gao, an SDG&E spokeswoman. SDG&E agrees with these organizations, and believes we are headed for a major problem if regulators dont fix the issue soon. Southern California Edison said there is concern about how costs are managed and has communicated with lawmakers about the issue. SCE is not actively supporting a specific bill at this time on CCA-related matters, but continues to monitor bills and proposed legislation with a focus on protecting its customers, Edison said in a statement. At issue are obligations the utilities already have that need payment -- in particular, contracts for energy that the power providers secured years ago at prices that are higher than what the government-run programs are able to secure today. If customers fleeing the shareholder utilities for the government-run providers dont help cover the costs, those who remain with Edison, SDG&E or PG&E could face higher bills, the utilities argue. Proponents of the government-run choice programs say they believe some reasonable compensation for the utilities to cover their costs is fine. But the utilities already receive adequate compensation, said Shalini Swaroop, deputy general counsel for the states oldest choice program in Marin County, called MCE. Traditionally, MCE has argued that the fee is too high and it affects our customers disproportionately, Swaroop said. MCE does not believe a freeze is needed. The Public Utilities Commission is currently examining the power charge indifference adjustment fee. MCE customers currently pay about $160 a year to PG&E in compensation after having left the utility. Swaroop said MCE has been raising the issue of the exit fees for the last five years with no resolution, so the move for a moratorium now doesnt make much sense. A moratorium would affect MCE, as it is planning to add as many as nine cities, which have some 1 million people. Perhaps the biggest concern for the utilities is the decision by Los Angeles County to create a community choice aggregation program. It has the potential to be the states largest. Right now, four areas have signed up for the county program West Hollywood, Calabasas, South Pasadena and Rolling Hills Estates, representing 1.2 million residents, or more than 250,000 residential and commercial accounts. The county intends to phase in the program in 2018. The change in provider isnt overwhelmingly apparent to consumers, other than the size of the bill. In the case of Los Angeles County customers, electricity will still be delivered by Edison over its existing power lines. Edison will also continue to read the meters and send the bills. But the county utility will buy the electricity from the market or under contract. The county can choose as much green energy as it wants and even build solar projects in the future. Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who helped lead the effort to establish a choice program in the county, said the shareholder-owned utilities are simply freaked out at the idea of competition. When youre used to having a monopoly, competition is a very scary thing, Kuehl said. She said the effort to seek the moratorium in the waning days of the legislative session was troubling. They decided to take what I think is a fairly sneaky tack, Kuehl said. ivan.penn@latimes.com For more energy news, follow Ivan Penn on Twitter: @ivanlpenn ALSO Patients pay the price when hospital giants buy up independent doctor practices Credit giant Equifax says Social Security numbers, birth dates of 143 million consumers may have been exposed Amazon is searching for new headquarters, and L.A. wants to be in the running Visitors to the Shanghai Disney Resort in China will soon get to use a smartphone app to reserve a time to visit their favorite attraction without waiting in a long line at no additional cost. But some Disney fans are irked because the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim launched a similar app in July at a cost of $10 a day. The difference between the two is that the Disneyland app called Maxpass comes with free downloads of photos taken by park staff. The Shanghai app does not. Some Disney fans are complaining online, saying the photo downloads arent worth the extra fee. They also say cellphone and Wi-Fi service in the Anaheim parks is often weak, which hinders app use. Advertisement Its just the latest money grab, wrote a Disney fan who goes by @RobertofDisney on Twitter. Theres no reason it shouldnt be free. Both the Disneyland resort in Anaheim and the park in Shanghai have Fastpass kiosks throughout the parks where visitors can get a paper ticket that reserves a time later in the day to visit a ride without waiting in a long line. With the digital systems, visitors can reserve a time to visit the ride using the Disney app without having to visit the kiosks. In Anaheim, visitors can make reservations through the app to 16 rides at Disneyland and California Adventure Park. At the Disney resort in Shanghai, the app makes reservations for seven rides. It is expected to be offered starting this fall. In both parks, guests can continue to get paper tickets from the Fastpass kiosks. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. ALSO Dont waste your time at Disneyland. Heres how to avoid the lines Disneyland raised prices to shorten waits. Here are the results This is your brain on Disneyland: A Disney addicts quest to discover why he loves the parks so much When Dr. Sarah Azad followed her mother into the field of obstetrics eight years ago, she thought shed be in private practice for the rest of her career. At the time, independent practices abounded in Silicon Valley. From the time we were young, my moms patients loved her. She was a part of their lives. Thats just always how Ive seen medical care, she said. But over the last decade, shes watched as doctor after doctor sold their practices and went to work for one of the large hospital systems in town. Today, Azad runs one of the last remaining independent OB-GYN practices in Mountain View, Calif. Advertisement The number of physician practices employed by hospitals increased 86% from 2012 to 2015, according to a study conducted by Avalere Health for the nonprofit Physicians Advocacy Institute. A study published this week in Health Affairs found that large doctor practices, many owned by hospitals, exceed federal guidelines for market concentration in more than a fifth of the areas studied. But the mergers are typically far too small for federal antitrust authorities to notice. Perhaps nowhere has the trend been more pronounced than in Northern California. As large hospital systems such as Sutter Health, Stanford Medicine and UCSF Medical Center gobble up doctor practices, they gain market muscle that pushes costs upward. Its a key reason Northern California is now the most expensive place in the country to have a baby. When you have less competition, prices go up, said Martin Gaynor, a healthcare economist at Carnegie Mellon University. If youre an insurance company and you dont reach an agreement with Sutter, then you have a hard time offering an attractive insurance product because its so big and pervasive. So you dont have the same negotiating power, and Sutter can extract higher prices. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the reimbursement rate for a vaginal delivery is two to four times higher for physicians who work for large hospital systems than for those who are independent, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of claims data and medical cost calculator results provided by employers to workers. The extra money for physician services goes to the hospital system, and doctors, now on salary, might take home no more than before. In Northern California, Sutter, Stanford and UCSF all mentioned quality as a reason their physician prices are higher. Sutter Health-affiliated doctor groups consistently rank among Californias highest performers, Dr. Jeffrey Burnich, senior vice president at Sutter Health Medical and Market Networks, wrote in an email. In the long run, by improving care quality and efficiency, we reduce costs. But in general, research suggests bigger is not necessarily better. Fewer patients of small physician-owned practices, for example, are admitted to the hospital for preventable conditions than those of large hospital-owned practices, according to a 2014 study published in Health Affairs. A report from the National Academy of Social Insurance showed that the integrated delivery networks of large hospital systems have raised physician costs without evidence of higher quality. And a recent paper, also published in Health Affairs, found that high-price physician practices, which cost at least 36% above average, had no better quality than low-cost practices. All of the evidence that we see shows that the quality in these larger systems is the same or worse, said Kristof Stremikis, associate director for policy at the Pacific Business Group on Health, which represents employers that provide health insurance. On a sunny day this spring, Azad walked into her patients room wearing a colorful headscarf. Just weeks from her due date, Ruby Lin sat on the exam table holding her belly. The two women greeted each other like old friends. This was Lins second baby with Azad as her doctor. I get very nervous about seeing doctors and especially OB-GYNs, and Dr. Azad is the only one Im comfortable with, said Lin. This sort of well-established, personal relationship is Azads favorite part of being a doctor, and she considers it a hallmark of independent practice. At the larger hospital-owned practices, patients may be more likely to have the doctor on call deliver their baby rather than their regular obstetrician. But Azad says running a practice in one of the most expensive parts of the country is getting harder. Rent goes up 3% per year, she said. Water and utilities went up 18% last year alone. But seven years later, [the insurers] are still paying me the same amount, despite any efforts to negotiate. When Azad and a consultant she hired tried reaching out to the insurance companies to ask for higher rates, she said, One responded saying, You dont even have 2% of market share. Basically drop our contract or not it doesnt affect us. Another insurer told her it couldnt raise her rates because it had to pay too much to the larger health systems in town, she added. The median reimbursement for independent doctors in the Bay Area, on average, is $2,408.45 for a routine vaginal delivery, which includes prenatal and postnatal visits, according to the Kaiser Health News analysis of claims data provided by Amino, a health cost transparency company. That compares with $5,238.13 for the same bundle of services for Stanford physicians and $8,049.84 for doctors employed by UC San Francisco. The Amino database did not contain many claims from doctors employed by Sutter, so a reporter also reviewed OB-GYN charges on several insurers online cost estimators. The review found that Sutter Health obstetricians are reimbursed about three times more for the same service than independent doctors, or about $6,452 for a vaginal delivery. After nearly a quarter-century in independent practice, OB-GYN Dr. Ken Weber sold his practice to Stanford, where he now works. His office is in the same place, across the street from Azad. Both physicians admit patients to the same local hospital. But insurers now pay about twice as much for his services as before. He still makes the same amount of money, he said. The rest goes to Stanford. It doesnt make sense to me from the insurance companys standpoint, because theyre losing all these doctors to the bigger groups and having to pay more, he said. But there have been some real benefits, he said: He no longer has to worry about dealing with billing or maintaining compliance with the new electronic health record regulations. For their part, the big Bay Area hospital systems caution against oversimplifying the many factors that go into paying for obstetrical care. A Stanford spokeswoman, Samantha Dorman, said the health system incurred significant costs when it integrated new provider groups. For instance, many were not yet on electronic health records and needed updated equipment. Dorman added that Stanford reduced physician charges a few years ago to be more in line with other practices. A UCSF spokeswoman said that although the system charges more for physician services, it charges less for other hospital services. Overall, she said, its costs are competitive. Sutter suggested it was not accurate or fair to judge physician price discrepancies on online cost calculators, which Burnich of Sutter said are inconsistent and often out of date. The agreements between hospitals and insurers have gag clauses barring either party from divulging rates. That means its almost impossible for patients to determine either the cost or the value of the various healthcare providers available to them. Meanwhile, the type of consolidation that Azad has witnessed in Northern California is spreading quickly throughout the country. The most consolidated place, such as Northern California, Pittsburgh and Boston, have become a poster child of what not to do, said economist Gaynor of Carnegie Mellon. We should look at places that have consolidated and think about how to avoid that. Gold is a senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser correspondent Sydney Lupkin contributed to this report. ALSO A year after accounts scandal broke, problems are still surfacing at Wells Fargo Credit giant Equifax says Social Security numbers, birth dates of 143 million consumers may have been exposed Amazon is searching for new headquarters, and L.A. wants to be in the running Forty-eight years after they first took to the skies, the wide-bodied Boeing 747s are being retired as passenger planes and assigned for use primarily for carrying cargo. The last domestic flight of the Boeing 747 was expected to depart from Los Angeles International Airport earlier this week, an event marked by a celebration at the Delta Air Lines passenger lounge. But with Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, Delta added 24 new flights to help evacuate people in the path of the monster storm. Among those flights was a 747 that was dispatched from the Detroit hub Friday to fill up with evacuating passengers in Orlando. Advertisement The 747, once known as the queen of the skies, is being replaced by more efficient twin-engine planes. Boeing Co., which now produces only six 747s a year, says it is targeting the cargo market for new customers for the plane. Delta is expected to be the last U.S. airline to retire its entire Boeing 747 fleet by the end of 2017. Delta said it will use the 747 for a few more weeks on international flights. At LAX, the last scheduled domestic 747 flight was celebrated with cake and cocktails at Deltas Sky Club lounge. About 50 elite status Delta fliers booked up the first class and parts of the business class section of the plane for the flight to Detroit, said Delta spokeswoman Liz Savadelis. The passengers were given special 747 ear buds as souvenirs of the flight. As the plane rolled away from the gate at LAX, Delta employees waved orange wands at the departing jet. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. After his role as a lead physicist in the Manhattan Project, the World War II research group tasked with producing the first atomic bomb, the late Robert Christy valued privacy and safety. He scouted out a secluded piece of land surrounded by mountains in the Lockwood Valley and built a home there designed to sustain any natural disaster or attack. Now, that home is on the market for $19.5 million. Set on a 240-acre plot next to Los Padres National Forest, the bucolic home, known as Spring Valley Ranch, offers a sense of pastoral luxury. Advertisement The equestrian ranch has 5,900 square feet and six bedrooms. Groves of pine trees shroud the timber-beamed exterior, which has a wraparound patio and sleeping porch connected to the master bedroom. Inside, the two-story great room features a hand-built fireplace and French doors that bring in light. Hardwood floors line the living areas, while the kitchen and bathroom feature marble and tile. Imported marble from Greece, Argentina and China decorate the four bathrooms, three of which have Jacuzzis. With water supplied by spring-fed meadows, the property also comes with four horse barns and three pastures of five, seven and 10 acres. Staff accommodations include a separate one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment. Terri Harkins of Sothebys International Realty and Elizabeth Potter of Vista Sothebys International Realty hold the listing. Christy joined the Manhattan Project in 1943, working in the theoretical division to develop a trigger mechanism for the bomb. Afterward, he became a theoretical physics professor at Caltech in 1946, spending 40 years at the university. Christy died in 2012 at the age of 96. jack.flemming@latimes.com Twitter: @jflem94 MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY: Moving pros help pro athletes tackle those unexpected moves Scott Disick opens up his Hidden Hills bachelor pad for lease Former Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero lists O.C. estate for $2.2 million Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota makes a play for oceanside cottage in Hawaii No discussion of the history of West Adams can be complete without drawing a distinction between the district of mansions that make up the heart of Historic West Adams, and the relatively newly designated neighborhood to its west that shares its name. Whereas Historic West Adams is a close-in suburb dating from the 1880s, the bulk of the new West Adams neighborhood was developed in the 1920s, on a wide swath of land between two major east-west streetcar routes: the Los Angeles Railway West Adams Boulevard line and the Pacific Electric Santa Monica Air Line (the Expo Lines predecessor). The lines traversed an agricultural no mans land. It wasnt a destination, just a series of farms and marshes on the way to Culver City or the beach resorts of Santa Monica and Venice of America. Advertisement But as the city expanded westward in the 1920s, the lima bean fields were plowed under and the swampland drained to make room for homes. The new arrivals were drawn to the city by plentiful work in the regions booming manufacturing, petroleum and construction industries. The dream of homeownership for Angelenos of more modest means was born here in West Adams and the other neighborhoods built across the city in the 1920s. The old model of homeownership one that depended on enormous wealth, as typified by Historic West Adams and its baroque palaces was swept away. Affordable land and the cheaper, more easily replicated design of tract homes made it possible for almost anyone to buy a home and still have enough left over to purchase a car to go in its driveway. The boom of the 1920s became the template for all succeeding booms, save the current explosion in high-rise residential developments. That template and the dream it represented forever changed L.A. The streetcar lines were ripped up, and entire neighborhoods were bulldozed to make way for freeways as the city expanded further and further out in the pursuit of more cheap land to build more subdivisions. The housing bust put an end to that era, as the development of the far-flung suburbs of Riverside County was swamped by a wave of foreclosures. Close-in homes are again in demand, and West Adams seems poised to be the next L.A. neighborhood to watch as those horizontal flipper fences go up, and prices follow. Neighborhood highlights Culver City-adjacent: West Adams offers relatively reasonable prices right next door to this booming tech hub, and the Expo Line makes commuting a breeze. Parks and rec: With easy access to Kenneth Hahn Park, the Ballona Creek Bike Path and the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, West Adams is a great choice for outdoors enthusiasts. Culinary delights: Whether you crave soul food, down-home barbecue, pupusas or tacos, there is a place in West Adams for you. Neighborhood challenge A boom for some, a bust for others: The neighborhood seems certain to change as commercial development at its margins increases, making it more attractive to new buyers. Expert insight David Raposa of City Living Realty has been working in West Adams for 32 years and said the beautiful architecture brings people in, and the small-town neighborly vibe makes them stay. The homes and streets here have context; theyre more than just a box of square footage, Raposa said. But at the same time, the people here know each others names. During the last half decade, new restaurants have been slowly popping up alongside historic neighborhood staples, but Raposa said theres enough room for all to coexist. He said desirable properties usually net multiple offers, so prospective buyers need to be in a strong financial position to land a home. Sometimes, even writing a letter to the seller can be a good idea, Raposa said. Prove your dedication to the house and the neighborhood. Market snapshot In the 90016 ZIP Code, based on 21 sales, the median sales price in July for single-family homes was $645,000, according to CoreLogic. That was a 2.4% increase in median sales price year over year. Report card Schools inside the West Adams boundary include Marvin Elementary and Cienega Elementary, which scored 794 and 792, respectively, in the 2013 Academic Performance Index. Bright spots in the area include Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, which scored 897, and Baldwin Hills Elementary, which scored 864. Alta Loma Elementary scored 763. Times staff writer Jack Flemming contributed to this report. hotproperty@latimes.com MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY Moving pros help pro athletes tackle those unexpected moves Former Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero lists O.C. estate for $2.2 million Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota makes a play for oceanside cottage in Hawaii The Times theater team is back with its new weekly shortlist of offerings at L.A.s 99-seat theaters and other smaller venues. Some of these shows weve seen; others might have caught our attention because of the timely themes or track record of the playwright, director or cast. These picks appear every Friday, a bookend to our comprehensive theater listings posted every Monday at latimes.com/arts. This week on the 99-Seat Beat: 1. WET: A DACAmented Journey at EST/LA The essentials: This personal history is written and performed by L.A.-based actor, teacher and social worker Alex Alpharaoh, who has lived in the U.S. since he was 3 months old. It chronicles a Dreamers lifelong efforts to navigate the absurdities and Catch-22s of our broken immigration system. Why this?: Here is a compelling story whose next chapter is being written in todays headlines. The show offers a humanizing alternative to the rhetoric surrounding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and looks at the precarious status of thousands of young people for whom the United States is the only home theyve known. Alpharaoh offers a sympathetic presence in the middle of a controversial issue. Details: An Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA and True Story production at the Atwater Village Theatre Complex, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (ends Sunday). $19.95 online or $26 at the door. (818) 839-1197, dacajourney.brownpapertickets.com 2. Rhinoceros at Pacific Resident The essentials: Considered one of the foundational works of the existential theater of the absurd, Eugene Ionescos classic farce questions the nature and responsibilities of an individual when civilized, upstanding citizens begin spontaneously transforming into rampaging beasts. The play was written as an allegorical critique of the mid-20th century rise of totalitarian regimes Nazi, fascist, communist, nationalist but applies to any doctrine invoked as a pretext for tyranny. Why this?: Ionescos parable offers a warning about the ease with which entire populations can willingly surrender their human values to the baser impulses of herd mentality. Its an inventively staged and superbly acted production, a stellar example of smaller professional theater at its best. Details: Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice. 8 p.m. Thursdays- Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 15. $25-$34. (310) 822-8392 or pacificresidenttheatre.com/rhinoceros. Rhinoceros with Keith Stevenson, left, Carole Weyers and Jeff Lorch. (Vitor Martins) SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 3. I Am Not a Comedian Im Lenny Bruce at Theatre 68 The essentials: Actor Ronnie Marmos long-running solo performance traces the troubled life and career of Lenny Bruce, whose jazz-inspired, stream-of-consciousness satirical monologues fearlessly defied censorship standards and helped to pave the way for the protest sensibilities of the 1960s. Why this?: Political satirists from George Carlin to Samantha Bee owe a huge debt to Bruce, and with 60s-style resistance making a comeback, his importance is all the more deserving of recognition. In a recent Times interview, director Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) called Bruce one of the rare performers who pushed the envelope for not just show business, but for society. We should never hesitate to continue to push that envelope. Details: A Theatre 68 production at 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays; ends Oct. 29. $35. (323) 960-5068 or www.theatre68.com. Ronnie Marmo stars in I Am Not a Comedian ... Im Lenny Bruce. (Doren Sorell Photography) (Doren Sorell /) 4. Incognito at Rubicon Theatre The essentials: The mystery of human consciousness fuels the West Coast premiere of fast-rising British playwright Nick Paynes eloquent, insightful puzzle box of a drama. Four actors play 21 roles in three interlocking stories centered on the way memory and internal states of mind shape and challenge our elusive sense of identity. Why this?: At 33, Payne is already among the top tier of widely produced contemporary playwrights. The recent Geffen Playhouse production of his Constellations showcased Paynes ability to apply scientific and philosophical concepts to the challenges of being human. Critically acclaimed in its Broadway debut last year, Incognito promises similar depth and complexity. Details: A Rubicon Theatre production at 1006 E. Main St., Ventura. 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, from Sept. 16 to Oct. 1. $50-$55 ($125 opening night gala). (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org. Incognito stars Betsy Zajko and Joseph Fuqua. (Josh Slavin) Support coverage of the theater. Share this article. MORE NEWS AND REVIEWS: Review: Dreamer Examines His Pillow at the Lounge 2 Review: Arsenic and Old Lace at the Odyssey Review: Honky Tonk Laundry at Hudson Mainstage Meet Zeus the rat: 'Curious Incident' star, Method actor, scene stealer I happen to believe in simplicity, Los Angeles architect Gin Wong once told an interviewer. In aesthetic terms its easy to see what he meant. As a lead designer for William Pereiras firm and later as the head of his own office, Wong, who died Sept. 1 at 94, often pared down the buildings he worked on to a single memorable gesture. Theres the swooping roofline of the Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills, among postwar L.A.s singular landmarks. The peaked silhouette of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. The glowing cube at the heart of CBS Television City. Advertisement Those forms were memorable in part because they matched the spirit of the age in California. They were a visual shorthand for the future. The roof of the gas station (originally designed for a site at LAX before being built at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica) is part wing, part wave perfect for a region boosted by both aerospace and surf culture, by technology and climate. The Transamerica tower rises like a pencil sharpened for the first day of school. CBS TV City, as Wong and others called it, was positioned along Beverly Boulevard like a television set newly and proudly installed in an American living room. The complex was built in 1952, just before color TV sets began to be mass produced. In other ways in almost every other way Wongs career was a study in complexity. Political and ethnic complexity, mostly. And the complicated question of credit in architecture: Who gets it, who doesnt and who has the authority to hand it out. Wong was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1922, came to the U.S. as a child and went to high school in the San Fernando Valley. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he decided to study architecture, first at the University of Illinois and then at USC, where his professors included Pereira. After graduation, he went to work for Pereira & Luckman and later stuck with his mentor to help run Pereira & Associates, where he became director of design and then the firms president. He was a star of those firms. He led the large design team that modernized LAX in the 1950s, readying the airport for the age of jet travel. But it was Pereira, the name partner, who landed on the cover of Time, his confident expression and impressive head of hair under a banner reading Vistas for the Future. When that issue hit newsstands in September 1963, very few Angelenos would have recognized Wongs name. He was a Chinese American architect in a firm led by a master of architectural marketing and business development. For all the daring of Wongs work, he was destined to remain one of the associates. That changed when he founded his own firm a decade later. It was called Gin Wong Associates. Now it was his name on the door, his own flock of associates within. The firms projects included another LAX upgrade this time in advance of the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1989 Arco Tower, a sleek skyscraper that helped extend downtown L.A.s high-rise district west of the Harbor Freeway. Still, it was I.M. Pei, another son of Guangzhou, who became a media darling in those years in part because hed founded his own firm much earlier than Wong, in his 30s instead of his 50s. Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980), a 2012 exhibition at the Chinese American Museum, was part of the first batch of Getty-funded Pacific Standard Time shows. It operated under the reasonable assumption that most viewers would arrive knowing little about the architects it spotlighted, a group that along with Wong included Eugene Kinn Choy, Gilbert Leong and Helen Liu Fong. I had no idea that the supervising architect on the design of LAX was Chinese American, wrote Sharon Mizota, who reviewed the show for The Times, referring to Wong. This broadening of Los Angeles architectural history is really what the exhibition is about. Part of that broadening involves acknowledging the brutal ironies that attached themselves to the work of non-white L.A. architects in the postwar decades. Chinese Americans, like African Americans, were often barred by restrictive covenants from living in the houses they designed. It also involves upending outdated conventions about who gets credit for designing buildings. The question of authorship is tricky in many creative fields, including famously filmmaking. But our understanding of how movies are made has at least evolved over the years, thanks in significant part to the battles over auteur theory that consumed Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael and other film critics in the 1960s and 70s. In architecture, that conversation has remained stunted. Who designed the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, Welton Becket or Louis Naidorf? Just how much was the architecture of L.A. firm Morphosis affected when co-founder Michael Rotondi departed in 1991, leaving Thom Mayne without the humanizing balance his partner tended to provide? Did Renzo Pianos designs lose some elegance when the brilliant structural engineer Peter Rice, a longtime collaborator, died in 1992? Did Frank Gehrys work change appreciably when Edwin Chan left Gehrys office in 2011? Ive tried to bring these questions into the open over the years. So have other critics. But for the most part they remain the stuff of cocktail-party chatter and architectural gossip. There are headline writers and readers (and architects and critics as well, to be perfectly honest) who prefer the tidier narrative offered by a Norman Foster building or Zaha Hadid icon. If not for the persistence of that narrative, Gin Wongs contribution to postwar L.A. would be far better understood. Its that simple. SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter christopher.hawthorne@latimes.com Twitter: @HawthorneLAT This weekend, the former Santa Monica Museum of Art will reopen to the public in the downtown L.A. Arts District as the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The inaugural exhibition spotlights the trippy drawings of the late Mexican outsider artist Martin Ramirez, but two other site-specific installations are worth a look. Sarah Cain: Now Im Going to Tell You Everything will greet visitors in the museums courtyard. Cains three-dimensional wall painting is a colorful, abstract work on brick. It features sculptural aspects such as canvases that the artist ripped and painted on as well as sparkly backpacks she hung from its surface the ultimate selfie spot for the arts district, museum director Elsa Longhauser said. The museums more intimate project room will feature Abigail DeVilles sculptural installation. Its a tree-like metal armature that mushrooms across the ceiling. The artist hung objects from it that she found around the neighborhood old windows, door frames, fences, car parts, beds and tables. The immersive environment addresses questions of displacement for marginalized people. The work is very site-specific, she does a lot of research, curator Jamillah James said. For L.A., shes thinking about where we are as an institution, and downtown Los Angeles, and our proximity to skid row, a national tragedy. James, who was an assistant curator at the Hammer Museum in L.A. and a curatorial fellow at the Studio Museum in Harlem before that, curated both installations. In February, ICA LA will present an exhibition about Swiss curator Harold Szeemann in collaboration with the Getty, which owns Szeemanns archives. The show, curated by Glenn Phillips and Philipp Kaiser, will re-create Szeemanns Bern, Switzerland, apartment and an exhibition he staged there in the 1970s, Grandfather: A Pioneer Like Us. The show is about his grandfather, a hairdresser and the inventor of the permanent wave machine. In late May, the museum will present an exhibition about sign painter Norm Laich, This Brush for Hire, curated by L.A. artists John Baldessari and Meg Cranston, both of whom worked with Laich. Meg and I decided Norm is an important artist and needs a show, his own show. It was time, Baldessari said. Hes done work for various artists over the years, he makes them come forward, but its time for him to show his own work. ICA LA, which has free admission, is the newest addition to Los Angeles rapidly expanding museum landscape. deborah.vankin@latimes.com Twitter: @debvankin ALSO: ICA LA: A sneak peek inside downtown's new art museum In wake of Trump's DACA decision, L.A.'s Self-Help Graphics sets up poster pop-up for tips for immigrants How Mexico's super rudas 'Radical Women' are rewriting the history of Latin American art The straightforward production of Iphigenia in Aulis that opened Wednesday at the Getty Villas outdoor Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater might be retitled Clytemnestra, so enlivening is Sandra Marquezs performance as the mother of the young woman whose life must be sacrificed so that the Greek ships can depart for Troy. Marquezs Clytemnestra arrives in a cart with her infant son, Orestes, bundled in her arms and her virgin daughter Iphigenia by her side. The wife of King Agamemnon, whos leading the military expedition against the Trojans to retrieve Helen (the unfaithful wife of his brother, Menelaus), Clytemnestra barks orders at strangers while flashing a maternal smile that never lets anyone doubt whos really in charge. She has been summoned by Agamemnon to Aulis, where the Greek sailors are waiting for the winds to pick up so that they can set sail for war. She believes Iphigenia is to be wedded to Achilles, and haughty woman that she is, shes thrilled that her girl will marry the son of a sea nymph. What an advantageous match! Advertisement The truth is that the prophet Calchas has determined that Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter to the goddess Artemis for the winds to change. When the play begins Agamemnon is agonizing over what to do. He countermands his initial order, sending an old family retainer to prevent Clytemnestra from arriving at the camp with their daughter, fearing that once the restless Greek soldiers learn of Calchas directive, he will have no choice but to follow through. A weak man occupying a powerful office, Agamemnon fools himself into thinking that maybe his problem can be made to disappear. Menelaus, however, nips this idea in the bud, demanding that Agamemnon live up to his duty as a Greek general. He wants his adulterous wife back, no matter if it costs Agamemnon his stainless daughter. Euripides, the most irreverent of the Greek tragedians, cuts these Homeric figures down to size. The characters are treated with odd touches of realism and their sophistic arguments are stingingly psychologized. Ruinous imperialist campaigns sharpened Euripides demythologizing mockery. Heroes are in short supply, and the women are invariably more courageous than the men in fighting for Greek ideals. When brothers battle in these decadent times, they go right for the soft underbelly, and when husband and wife go at it, a marriage is turned into a union of flaws. This Getty Villa offering, a collaboration with Chicagos Court Theater, where the production began, doesnt have the directorial imagination to capitalize on the playwrights lacerating modernity, which reveals as much about our own inept political leaders as those who brought the Golden Age of Athens to a crashing end. Euripides fearlessness ought to inspire more radical artistic and political fervor. But this middle-of-the-road staging by Charles Newell of Nicholas Rudalls new translation compensates to a degree with its lucidity. The play is at least clearly delivered if not vividly conjured into theatrical life. The design scheme clothes of a contemporary style indicating no definitive milieu, a menacing mound of black electrical cords suggesting the stalled war machine promises a 21st century grappling with this lesser Euripidean drama. But the theatrical aesthetic is too tentative to bridge the chasm between ancient and modern performance traditions. Mark Montgomerys Agamemnon resembles a young, lightweight Charlton Heston on a Malibu sojourn while Michael Huftiles Menelaus evokes Bluto, Popeyes brawny, brainless nemesis reborn as an In-N-Out Burger addict. These suggested characterizations would be more enthralling if the actors were rooted more deeply in the dilemmas of their characters. But the superficial directorial liberties breeze past nitty-gritty textual realities. Stephanie Andrea Barron lends Iphigenia a benevolent pertness, but she doesnt connect the romantic, sappy, impressionable daddys girl with the resolved martyr who refuses to let Acquah Kwame Dansohs geek-jock Achilles die for her. Even the dignity of her request to her mother not to mourn her death seems like a girlish pose. Aristotle faulted the play for the inconsistency of Iphigenias behavior, but Euripides intentionally emphasizes the changeable nature of all the characters, who see themselves at the mercy of shifting circumstances. The play is generous with its double perspective: Agamemnon is vacillating and cornered; Menelaus is selfish yet not heartless; and everyone would choose the easy way out if it were a viable option. The play is worth dusting off only if these contradictory dimensions can be fully drawn out in the harsh ironic light of the playwrights vision. With the exceptions of Marquez, who plays Clytemnestra like a gathering storm, and Jim Ortlieb, who turns the old servant into an alarmed busybody, the company isnt up to the challenge. Gestures flap emptily. Too often the words of Rudalls translation go in one direction while the characters minds seem to go off in another. Greek drama in performance lives or dies by the handling of the chorus. Newells staging bungles this challenge. The chorus women, who have come to the camp to ogle the glamorous military men and to moralize the unfolding tale, are dressed like bridesmaids at a suburban wedding. They intone their lines as if part of a church choir that every now and again tosses in some rhythm-and-blues groove to a starchy hymnal program. Revivals of classics dont have the obligation to press contemporary parallels, but theres a missed opportunity here. Iphigenia in Aulis contrasts a spoiled incompetent leader who rails self-pityingly against his fate with a young woman who surrenders to a will greater than her own for the benefit of the state. Agamemnon, who rose to top commander by pandering to mob sentiment, is now at the mercy of the forces that backed him. Iphigenia repeats patriotic slogans that the play as a whole renders meaningless. A society that finds acceptable the trade-off of a daughter for a whore, as Clytemnestra bitterly phrases it, isnt worth dying for, even if theres no denying the purity of Iphigenias sacrifice. The play exposes the hollowness not only of our politicians but of the myths that maintain the losing status quo. Iphigenia in Aulis was produced posthumously along with Euripides Bacchae but seems to have been unfinished before the playwrights death. The surviving text is controversial, and scholars have long suspected that the ending is spurious. With its mix of genres and its nagging authorship questions, the play provokes as much academic head-scratching as Shakespeares Pericles. This version of Iphigenia in Aulis revises the final scene in a way that seems more beholden to the tradition of the story followed by Aeschylus and Sophocles. Euripides, who sometimes hewed to that narrative line, is comfortable reinventing myths to suit his own dramatic purposes. The play, which is more melodramatic heroic comedy, as one handbook puts it, than tragedy, takes a bloodier turn here but the impact is more puzzling than powerful. The tonal tensions of this new version cancel each other out. Euripides is more our contemporary than either Aeschylus or Sophocles, but we still have little clue how to meet the demands of his ancient postmodernism. If the Getty Villa is going to start shopping around for work to bring to its annual outdoor theater event, it shouldnt settle for modest theatrical ambition. Whats needed are productions that fuse music, dance and drama into theatrical thought the hallmark, and contemporary stumbling block, of this timeless dramatic literature. ***************** Iphigenia in Aulis Where: Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Outdoor Classical Theater at the Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; ends Sept. 30 Tickets: $40-$48 Info: (310) 440-7300 or www.getty.edu Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter charles.mcnulty@latimes.com Follow me @charlesmcnulty Hugh Hefner spoke with the L.A. Times often and always had something memorable to say (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times) Understanding Playboy-in-Chief Hugh Hefners revered and reviled lifestyle was often just a question or two away. The iconoclastic publishing mogul, who died Wednesday at 91, was an open book when it came to his views on swinging ways and sexuality, particularly how his puritanical upbringing shaped his career and gave rise to the revolutionary Playboy empire. Over the years, the perennially pajama-clad Hef was interviewed often by the Los Angeles Times. Heres a sampling of some of his memorable quotes. On sexualitys problematic origins in America: Our society is fragmented, he asserted in 1994. Messages regarding human sexuality have always been mixed in America. We are a schizophrenic nation. We were founded initially by Puritans, who escaped repression only to establish their own. Then the founding fathers gave us the Constitution to separate church and state. But the one thing that got left out of all those laws was human sexuality. On the life he made for himself: Much of my life has been like an adolescent dream of an adult life, he told The Times in 1992. If you were still a boy, in almost a Peter Pan kind of way, and could have just the perfect life that you wanted to have, thats the life I invented for myself. OBITUARY: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who shook up American morality with an ideal of swinging singlehood, dies at 91 On why he was so happy: You will find in my bedroom images from long ago, little photographs and things from when I was a kid. Im a very happy guy, and part of that has to do with my connection to my childhood, he said in 2009. On how he became Hef: Through a lifetime, you reinvent who you are, he explained in 2009. I actually reinvented myself the first time when I was 16, when a girl rejected me. I started referring to myself as Hef, started changing my wardrobe the same thing I did in 1959-1960 with the magazine, when I came out from behind the desk and started living the life and got the first Playboy mansion, started to drive a Mercedes 300SL. On how the 1942 film Casablanca led to the Playboy Club: I think I opened the first Playboy Club because of Casablanca. I wanted to have a place where people came to hang out as they did at Ricks, he said in 2010. It has everything not only Bogies charismatic character, but lost love, redemption, patriotism, humor it had a great musical score. On traditional attitudes toward marriage and sex: If you dont commit, he told The Times in 1994, you dont get hurt. I was always unwilling to commit to marriage because I was afraid to lose the romance. On the Playboy brands global status: It has been said that the two most famous trademarks in the world are Coca-Cola and the Playboy bunny rabbit, he said in 1994. There is certainly no one else in our area that represents the American dream in this particular kind of way. That rabbit means economic freedom, personal freedom and political freedom. That potential is unlimited. On the Playboy Jazz Festival: Ive never found anything that Ive cared more about than the music from my youth. I loved the Beatles, sure, but I never became except for dancing purposes a hard rocker. To me, there is something incredibly celebratory, and so wonderful about really good big-band swing and Dixieland, he said in 2002. When I started, I just wanted to put out a mens magazine. But by the end of the 50s, it was so successful that I seized it as a vehicle for changing the direction of my life, he added. And that crucial change in my life was also associated with jazz, because it all began within a space of about six months after the first Playboy Jazz Festival in August of 1959. Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy empire, relaxes during a visit to England in 1966. (John Downing / Getty Images) On his personal legacy: One of the reasons that I have such tremendous satisfaction at this point in my life is because I know Ive made a difference, he said in 1994. Ive made a difference in a way that really matters to me. On publishings shift to digital: I dont sit around thinking about, Gee, what happened to the new generation and they dont read enough and why is the internet replacing books? he said in 2009. On his fame and sex appeal: I think that just as [Henry] Kissinger said, power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Celebrity is the ultimate aphrodisiac in todays world. And Im lucky enough to have fallen into a unique kind of celebrity, he said in 2009. So against all logic, nothing else matters age doesnt matter. When [my last long-term] relationship ended, last year, they were climbing over the gate. ... young women. Endless numbers of young women. ALSO Hugh Hefners life pushing boundaries started with comics Hugh Hefners Playboy Mansion was hedonistic headquarters for his brand Your legacy lives on: Hugh Hefner is remembered as an innovator, friend and supporter of civil rights Timing is a funny thing. If noted psychologist William Moulton Marston and his wife Elizabeth Marston had not both fallen in love with the woman Olive Byrne, would he have gone on to create the character of Wonder Woman? And if writer-director Angela Robinson had not worked for years researching their story so that her film arrived a few months after the Wonder Woman characters blockbuster solo big-screen debut, would audience interest be as high? For the record: An earlier version of this article reported that Professor Marston and the Wonder Women would premiere on Saturday night at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie will be screened on Tuesday night. These are questions that cannot be answered, of course. But when Robinsons Professor Marston and the Wonder Women premieres Tuesday night as part of the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in October, what will be revealed are details of the three lives that would become intertwined around each other and a fictional creation. Advertisement A lot of people Ive talked to have commented on the crazy timing that my film and the Wonder Woman film are coming out in the same year and did I plan it that way? And the answer is not really, said Robinson. Like many independent films, Ive been trying to make it for a number of years and it kind of all came together. I feel like theres a harmonic convergence of Wonder Woman-ness. I feel like theres a harmonic convergence of Wonder Woman-ness. Angela Robinson on the timing of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Actor Rebecca Hall, left, and director Angela Robinson on the set of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. (Claire Folger / Annapurna Pictures) The three central actors Luke Evans as William, Rebecca Hall as Elizabeth and Bella Heathcote as Olive evince a mix of screwball savvy, deeply felt emotions and a playful seductiveness. Even the origin of Wonder Womans famous rope lasso turns out to have a more complicated, slightly kinky story behind it, and the performances bolster the movies unusual tone and the way in which Robinson subtly shifts the perspective of the storytelling from one character to another. Its a great love story, Robinson said. They all love each other and then they created the only superhero whose mission is not in a corny way to have people realize that hate is within themselves and that submitting to love instead of hate is the only way were going to survive. I wanted the audience to be on the ride of what it would be like to fall in love with these people, she said. I didnt want to other-ize their experience, I wanted to make it as romantic and accessible as possible. I didnt want anyone to say, look at these freaky people into this sex thing and this bondage thing. I wanted it to be, I want them to be together, I could see how that could happen and in a different set of circumstances it could happen to me. I think the actors felt the same, and they dove in with passion and commitment and emotional honesty, and were just having fun with the love story. And thats what shines through. After following up her 2004 debut feature D.E.B.S. with Herbie: Fully Loaded, Robinson has worked extensively in television. As an executive producer she wrote and directed on the series The L Word, Hung and True Blood, and was recently a consulting producer on How to Get Away With Murder. (Professor Marston is produced by Amy Redford and Terry Leonard and executive produced by Andrea Sperling and Jill Soloway.) Robinson has been researching and writing the story for nearly a decade, long before the Wonder Woman character appeared on-screen in the recent blockbusters Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and the summer smash Wonder Woman. Though there has been an explosion of books on the subject of William Marston and the origins of the Wonder Woman character over the past few years, most notably Jill Lepores 2014 The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Robinson began with only one chapter in Les Daniels 2000 coffee-table book Wonder Woman: The Complete History to go by. Robinsons exhaustive research project brought her to not only the original run of Wonder Woman comics created by Marston, but also his extensive work as a psychologist and his DISC theory on behavioral traits. (DISC stand for dominance, inducement, submission and compliance. Read into that what you will.) For me it made writing the script and making the movie a process of exploring his ideas, Robinson said. The characters are a lot of the time wrestling with what I was wrestling with in my own head. His ideas are so contemporary. So I was immersed in trying to understand how Marston, Elizabeth and Olive came together to make Wonder Woman. At first Robinson thought she was exploring the story of Marston, his wife Elizabeth and his mistress Olive. But upon discovering that Elizabeth and Olive stayed together for 38 years after his death, as well as other details of their lives together, she began to reexamine the dynamics between the three of them. The film never explicitly labels any of the characters or their relationships. I really feel like they would not have labeled themselves. And a lot of the movie deals with the secrecy that they surrounded their life with in a very active way. I just dont think they would speak of themselves in any of the contemporary ways we would now, where they could be poly or bi or queer. Personally, queer is the most all-encompassing word that I use in my head to describe them. I think they existed outside of any of these modern identities. Part of me just wanted to tell a love story. Wonder Woman became politicized after the fact, but I really wanted to try in the most straightforward way to tell the simplest of love stories between these three people. They have issues with the world over what theyre feeling, but their love for each other was very pure and honest. As for her three lead actors, Robinson cast them without ever seeing them interact. She was nervous when they first met for a table read of the script, and then knocked out by the electric chemistry they shared. Its rare that you meet three people who come together who are all as committed, Robinson said. Its just the three of them in so many scenes together. I wanted the drama to come from every little look or touch or thought or how they were reacting to each other. Following the success earlier this year of Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot in the title role, Robinsons film lands in a very different environment than the one in which it was made. Though the two films share no deliberate connection, it will be impossible for audiences not to want to draw that link or look for ways in which they are in conversation. I came at this story as a straight-up Wonder Woman fan. I think shes incredible. I thought Patty Jenkins movie got it 100% right, Robinson said. Some people have issues with Wonder Woman, which are just kind of baked in, but I dont. When I was a kid, she was the only one. Wonder Woman is the only superhero whose ideas are founded on love, everyone else is for something else. Batman is there for vengeance, Superman is there for the sense of right and wrong, and Marston thought that the path to peace was love and that women were just inherently more loving and they werent inherently violent and anarchic in the way that men were in his psychological studies. So he created her to literally spread the message of love, which is what Wonder Woman does. And I think that is so valuable and poignant and necessary. And thats why I think shes hit such a chord. Literally her message is powerful. SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter Mark.Olsen@latimes.com Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus ALSO From The Big Sick to Brigsby Bear, what does box office mean for indie movies these days? Ben Stiller draws from his experiences as both a father and a son in two new character-driven films Aubrey Plaza takes charge by losing control in Ingrid Goes West As they say of Southern California, television seems to have become a place without seasons. Autumn used to bring in the TV harvest; now, new fruit drops on-screen the year round. What does it mean to be a fall series anymore? Are they the best of the best? Not necessarily! (Indeed, networks seem to hold some better ones back for when their first line of new offerings is shot down.) But traditions die hard. Fall, in its profusion, still feels important. Here's some of what's coming, whether to ripen into maturity or to rot on the ground. (As always times and dates subject to change.) The universe has a crew loose. From Seth MacFarlane and director Jon Favreau come the all-new Fox series "The Orville." The Orville Seth MacFarlane, who gave you "Family Guy" and "Ted" to your delight and dismay, commands a starship and crew of high-concept characters in this space comedy. The first joke is about alien ejaculation; in a later scene, in the background, a dog licks itself. (Fox, 8 p.m.; regular time begins Sept. 21, 9 p.m.). "The Deuce." MORE: How HBO's 'The Deuce' brings the female perspective to 1970s porn and prostitution The Deuce David Simon and George Pelecanos re-team for a colorful early-1970s epic of Times Square prostitution and porn, set back when liberation and exploitation got in bed together. James Franco stars as twin brothers (one worse, one better). As a sex worker in and out of a blond wig, Maggie Gyllenhaal also may be said to play two people. Good dialogue keeps even the scum relatable. (HBO, 9 p.m.). "Top of the Lake: China Girl." Top of the Lake: China Girl Second season of the Elisabeth Moss-starring, Jane Campion-directed Antipodean crime drama. Nicole Kidman's in this one, on her home turf. The series plays out over three consecutive nights. (Sundance, 9 p.m.). Newton's Law Sassy Australian legal drama from the creators of "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries." (Acorn TV). Riviera Julia Stiles stars in Neil Jordan 's upper-crust Mediterranean thriller. Irish novelist John Banville ("The Sea") wrote some of it. (Sundance Now). American Vandal True crime satire, in the investigative mode of "Serial," gets the look and Ira Glass-derived tone just right. ("So here's what we know.") Did Dylan Maxwell paint those 27 penises on 27 cars in his high school school parking lot? Eight episodes tell the tale. (Netflix). Sept. 17 "Vietnam War." The Vietnam War Ken Burns, America's maker of prestige documentaries, orchestrates an 18-hour trip through the Vietnam War. Anyone paying attention should come out the other side a more thoughtful person. (PBS, 8 p.m.). MORE: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick untangle the complexities of the Vietnam War Johnny Paycheck in Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus, which chronicles the tales of some of country musics most legendary artists. The series begins its eight-episode season Sept. 22 (Cinemax) (Cinemax) Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus Discursive documentary series from Mike Judge (hosting in cartoon form) is a sort of semi-animated, group-narrated "Drunk History" in which bandmates, crew members and family remember country music troublemakers like Johnny Paycheck and Jerry Lee Lewis. Inspirational dialogue: "I was the thinking adult in that relationship," recalls Myra Gale Brown, Jerry Lee's infamous child bride. (Cinemax, 10:30 p.m.). "Star Trek: Discovery." Star Trek: Discovery Boldly going to some extent where someone has gone before. (Space, it's still the final frontier.) Jason Isaacs is your captain. The first episode will be broadcast to get you to subscribe to the premium service CBS All Access, where the remaining ones will stream, should you wish to boldly go there. (CBS, 8:30 p.m.). "Young Sheldon." Young Sheldon A portrait of the nerd as a very young man, this single-camera "Big Bang Theory" prequel is a more naturalistic take on the material, with Sheldon (Iain Armitage, charmingly oddball) as a 9-year-old East Texas high school freshman and square peg. "Go play," he is told. "Go play," he replies. "If only life were that simple." (Note proper use of the subjunctive.) (CBS, 8:30 p.m.; "special series debut"; regular time begins Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m.). "Me, MYSELF & I" first look Me, Myself & I Sweetly optimistic sitcom wherein Bobby Moynihan, Jack Dylan Grazer and John Larroquette play the same character, an inventor, at three ages, from 1991 to 2042, not in that order. The message is that things will go wrong, and be all right, and that though you may get heavy around 40, you can take off the weight by 65. (CBS, 9:30 p.m.). MORE: 'Me, Myself, and I' finds Bobby Moynihan in a new place Mike Vogel and Shereen Martin on The Brave. (Simon Mein / NBC) (Simon Mein / NBC) The Brave Of the fall's new special-ops dramas, this is the one with Mike Vogel supervising things in the field and Anne Heche running intel at home. (NBC 10 p.m.) "The Good Doctor." The Good Doctor Freddie Highmore plays a surgeon with autism who has an encyclopedic mind. "He's not Rain Man," says sponsor Richard Schiff. Other, buffer doctors are around to have the human intercourse sexual and otherwise, but definitely sexual Highmore won't. David Shore (House) created with Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) from a South Korean model. ( ABC , 10 p.m.) Edie Falco as Leslie Abramson on Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. (Justin Lubin / NBC) (Justin Lubin / NBC) Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders The success of last year's O.J. Simpson miniseries made an adaptation about another Los Angeles family murder case-turned-national obsession all but inevitable. Dick Wolf takes the challenge. With Edie Falco as the brothers defense lawyer, Leslie Abramson. (NBC, 10 p.m.). "SEAL Team." SEAL Team Of the fall's new special-ops military dramas, this is the one with David Boreanaz running things in the field and Jessica Pare supervising intel at home. (CBS, 9 p.m.). "Will & Grace - The Reunion" trailer. Will and Grace Groundbreaking situation comedy returns, cast intact, to survey what's grown on the broken ground. (NBC, 9 p.m.). "Marvel's Inhumans." Marvel's Inhumans Super-beings from the dark side of the moon, some of whom share names with figures from classical mythology, bring their palace intrigues (and a really big dog) to Earth and Hawaii. Some of it was shot with an IMAX camera, which won't matter much to your television. (ABC, 8 p.m.). "Tin Star." Tin Star Tim Roth is the new, British sheriff of a Canadian small town and Christina Hendricks is the public face of the oil refinery whose workers are disturbing the social fabric in a thriller penned by Rowan Joffe ("28 Weeks Later"). (Amazon). Big Mouth Animated puberty comedy from Nick Kroll and friends includes a Hormone Monster, talking sperm and the Ghost of Duke Ellington. Sample dialogue: "Those girls are going to eat him alive, and then barf him out because they're bulimic." (Netflix). "Wisdom of the Crowd" first look. Wisdom of the Crowd Jeremy Piven is a billionaire techie who invents a crowdsourcing crime-solving app to plug that "Person of Interest"-shaped hole in the CBS schedule. Of course, it works. (CBS, 8:30 pm). "Ten Days in the Valley." Ten Days in the Valley Hollywood types collide in a well-proportioned and persuasive thriller about a driven TV producer ( Kyra Sedgwick ) whose daughter goes missing; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is the cop who knows his business. Nothing to do with the movie "2 Days in the Valley, or the Valley particularly. (ABC, 10 p.m.) "Ghosted." Ghosted Craig Robinson and Adam Scott (a little bit Scully and Mulder, a little bit Abbott and Costello) are men in reduced circumstances who find themselves investigating a world worlds of strangeness in this charming science-fiction buddy comedy. (Fox, 8:30 p.m.). "9JKL" first look. 9JKL Mark Feuerstein is a divorced, jobless actor living in an apartment between his interfering parents (Linda Lavin, Elliott Gould) and surgeon brother (David Walton). Feuerstein's own life reportedly provided the sitcom-ready premise, have mercy on his soul. Jokes about the effect of cold on male genitalia, not drinking the breast milk left in that jar in the refrigerator and a son having been inside his mother. Comical doorman, sassy kid lurk inevitably in the lobby. (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) "The Gifted." The Gifted More Marvel mutants, in the shape of a family drama. Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker are the straights whose kids (Percy Hynes White, Natalie Alyn Lind) come out to them as inconveniently, illegally special. Dark and moody. Key line: "Mom, accept it, Andy's a mutant. (Fox, 9 p.m.) "The Halcyon." The Halcyon High-class hotel high jinks in World War II London, from the producers of "Downton Abbey" and "The Crown," who know what you like. (Ovation, 10 p.m.) From Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs comes a fresh new comedy on ABC about a rapper-turned-mayor (Brandon Michael Hall) ready to clean up his town. The Mayor Brandon Micheal Hall is the outsider in this political wish-fulfillment comedy, a rapper accidentally elected the mayor of his town. Mom Yvette Nicole Brown and political consultant Lea Michele give guidance: "You are a lot of things, Courtney Rose, says the latter, but you're not hopeless." Daveed Diggs (from "Hamilton") is an executive producer. Echoes of current events possibly not unintentional. (ABC, 9:30 pm). Jason Ritter in Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. (Ryan Green / Associated Press) (Ryan Green / Associated Press) Kevin (Probably) Saves the World Cheerful inspirational comedy-drama features Jason Ritter as a Wall Street failure, living with sister JoAnna Garcia Swisher and sullen niece Chloe East, who is charged by God, maybe, to find 35 righteous souls to restore balance to the world. (There are only ever 36, and they have gotten down to one, him.) Pretty sure that's not how it works, even in the Bible, but seekers after family fare should be pleased. (ABC, 10 pm.) Ghost Wars Alaska town beset by supernatural activity. Created by Simon Barry ("Van Helsing"). (Syfy, 10 p.m.). Superstition Georgia town beset by supernatural activity. Mario Van Peebles produces, will sometimes write, direct and appear. (Syfy, 10 pm). Suburra Rome-set crime epic, imported from Italy, in Italian. Not to be confused with Sbarro, which is a pizza joint. (Netflix). "Valor" first look. Valor The CW's entry in the fall season's military sweepstakes is naturally the most sexed-up and soapy of the lot. Christina Ochoa and Matt Barr are special-ops helicopter pilots weaponizing their hotness as they uncover a long-arc mystery. (CW, 9 p.m.). "Dynasty" first look trailer MORE: The do's and don'ts of reboots: 'Dynasty' edition Dynasty Trump Age revival of a Reagan-era favorite seasons the original with a dash of self-awareness, while leaving all the character dynamics in place. "When the revolution happens, it'll be your head they come for first," Carrington son Steven (James Mackay) affectionately tells ambitious sister Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies), back home for the wedding of billionaire father Blake (Grant Show) and soon-to-be stepmother Cristal (Nathalie Kelly). Alan Dale (The O.C.) is the butler who knows all, sees all. There will be catfights. (CW, 9 p.m.). Cameron Britton and Jonathan Groff in Mindhunter. (Merrick Morton / Netflix) (Merrick Morton / Netflix) Mindhunter Fact-based David Fincher-produced (and sometimes directed) period piece, set in 1979, about new horizons in profiling. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany are the feds who depose serial killers, controversially: "You want truffles, you got to get in the dirt with the pigs." Anna Torv plays a psychologist. (Netflix). Jay Pharoah in White Famous. (Michael Desmond / Showtime) (Michael Desmond / Showtime) White Famous Jay Pharoah plays a comic primed for success; Jamie Foxx (also an executive producer) wears a dress. From the creator of "Californication." (Showtime, 10 p.m.). Loudermilk Ron "Office Space" Livingston as a recovering alcoholic and drug counselor in a downbeat comedy from Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort. "You're not warm and fuzzy," someone tells him. "You're hard and angular and uncomfortable. You're like an IKEA chair who leads sobriety meetings." (Audience Network/DirecTV/AT&T, 8:30 p.m.). The Last O.G. Tracy Morgan stars as a mug lately out of the jug, after 15 years in stir, confronting the modern world, his old girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish of Girls Trip) and the twins he didn't know they had. Cedric the Entertainer runs his halfway house. Jordan Peele is a co-creator. (TBS, 10 p.m.; moves to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 31). "At Home With Amy Sedaris." At Home With Amy Sedaris Fanciful, farcical adventures in home economics in Sedaris first starring series since Strangers With Candy. (truTV, 10:30 p.m.). Back "Peep Show's" Mitchell and Webb reunite in a comedy about a pub landlord and the foster brother who returns to trouble him. (Sundance Now). Alias Grace Canadian power trio! Netflix gets its own Margaret Atwood adaptation, a 19th-century true-crime tale, written by Sarah Polley and directed by Mary Harron ("I Shot Andy Warhol"). (Netflix) Frankie Shaw in Smilf. (Mark Schafer / Showtime) (Mark Schafer / Showtime) SMILF Frankie Shaw turns her Sundance-certified short about a South Boston single mother attempting to reconcile wildness and responsibility. Rosie O'Donnell, as you've never seen her, plays her mother. Title is an acronym, I guess. You could look it up. (Showtime, 10 p.m.). Derek Wilson, left, Josh Hutcherson and Eliza Coupe star in Future Man. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) Future Man Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg direct this action comedy about a time-traveling janitor (Josh Hutcherson) with superior gaming skills, enlisted to save the past from the future, or however that works. ( Hulu ). Marvel's Runaways More mutants, but teenagers this time, versus their less-than-heroic parents. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage ("Gossip Girl") run the show, appropriately. (Hulu). Godless Steven Soderbergh western features Jeff Daniels as an outlaw out to settle a score, and Michelle Dockery a tough widder woman in the New Mexico town he's headed for. There'll be a reckoning, I reckon. (Netflix). "She's Gotta Have It" sneak peak. She's Gotta Have It Spike Lee turns his first feature, about a woman with three beaus, into his first television series. (Netflix). Happy! Christopher Meloni as a drunk hit man and Patton Oswalt as an imaginary little blue-winged horse that enters his life why would you not watch this? (Syfy, 10 p.m.) robert.lloyd@latimes.com Before Maggie Gyllenhaal agreed to play Candy, a Times Square prostitute in the 1970s-set HBO series The Deuce, she had one condition: She needed to be a producer on the series too. While Gyllenhaal was excited to work with co-creators David Simon and George Pelecanos, shed only seen scripts for three of the eight episodes and felt she had to have some formalized creative input particularly given the provocative subject matter and inherent potential for exploitation. Her agents, managers and friends told her it would never happen. But HBO said yes. Advertisement It was for insurance, and I never had to use my insurance, says the actress, 39, relaxing at a Brooklyn cafe after a long photo shoot. The process ended up being intensely collaborative, with Simon writing, at Gyllenhaals suggestion, a memorable scene of Candy masturbating. FULL COVERAGE: Fall 2017 TV preview I knew that my body would be required, and I wanted to make sure that they also wanted my mind. And they did. When Simon and Pelecanos set out to make a series exploring the commodification of womens bodies, they knew it had to have a strong female perspective. Gyllenhaal is one of a team of women who played vital roles in shaping the direction of the series, which premieres Sunday on HBO, including director and executive producer Michelle MacLaren, writers Lisa Lutz and Megan Abbott, and executive producer Nina K. Noble. Half of the eight-episode first season was directed by women. This could not be the boys version of sex work or pornography, says Simon, the reporter turned television auteur known for crafting previously for HBO such novelistic tales of urban life as The Wire and Treme. That would have been not only disastrous strategically, but wrong ethically. This could not be the boys version of sex work or pornography. That would have been not only disastrous strategically, but wrong ethically. David Simon Opening in 1971, as the once-illicit adult film industry began to thrive in the open, The Deuce follows a loosely connected ensemble of pimps, prostitutes, cops and mobsters with ties to the flesh trade along 42nd Street. (The shows title was a nickname for the thoroughfare). James Franco does double duty as twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino, both drawn into the local industry. Simon saw two potential dangers in depicting sex work. One is the imagery starts being pornographic or titillating in ways that youre trying to resist. You dont want the camera to linger for the sake of exciting people, he says. And, you dont want the camera to avert its gaze of what the product actually is. Then it becomes Pretty Woman. To have the visual template created by women felt paramount, Simon explains. Game of Thrones veteran MacLaren agreed to come on board once she was assured that this was a critique of misogyny and exploitation, she says. She helmed two episodes of The Deuce, including the pilot. A prolific director with a knack for intense and often graphic material Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan nicknamed her Samantha Peckinpah MacLaren drew inspiration from seminal films of the era such asMean Streets, The Panic in Needle Park, Shaft and Saturday Night Fever. MacLaren comes off as a consummate filmmaker, speaking with giddy excitement about pulling off a three-shot sequence inspired by Breakfast at Tiffanys early one morning in midtown Manhattan. A collection of photos taken at Terminal Bar, a notorious dive that used to stand across from the Port Authority, was also a key visual reference, though finding suitable locations in post-Bloomberg New York was a challenge. The Deuce is the third series in the past two years to take a crack at 1970s New York City, when the city was blighted by abandoned buildings, piles of garbage and rampant crime, but was also a hotbed of creativity. Previous efforts, HBOs Vinyl and Netflixs The Get Down, were expensive disappointments, both canceled after one season. The Deuce is so far the most convincing, at least in terms of squalor and its blunt depiction of the once-bustling sex trade in Times Square plays a large part in its seedy verisimilitude. Visually, MacLaren drew a clear line between transactional sex, filmed with a raw simplicity, and the more voluntary kind, shot in a sexier way. To me its always about serving the story, she says. It was MacLarens idea to cast Gyllenhaal as a streetwalker whose independence she refuses to work for a pimp and ambition marks her as an outsider on 42nd Street. The two had struck up a friendship while in talks on another series that neither ultimately pursued. They shared an interest in the question of, as Gyllenhaal puts it, How do you explore sex on film really from a feminine perspective? Pelecanos and Simon leaned even more than usual on longtime producer Nina Noble, who became a sounding board for the actresses. I think it made the work a lot easier for the women who were doing the show to express their concerns to Nina, Simon says. The showrunners also recruited crime novelists Lisa Lutz and Megan Abbott for their writers room. They focused on fleshing out the series large female ensemble, especially the women selling their bodies on 42nd Street, who include Darlene (Dominique Fishback), with a baby face and love of literature; Lori (Emily Meade), a not-so-naive newbie from Minnesota; and Ashley (Jamie Neumann) a weary veteran with an abusive pimp. Our main objective was for there to be a range and for them to be as distinct as possible, says Abbott. One early note: Give the character known only as Thunder Thighs in the pilot script an actual name. Another concern for Abbott and Lutz was making sure the prostitutes were every bit as interesting as their flamboyantly styled pimps, played by Method Man of the Wu Tang Clan and Tariq Trotter of the Roots, among others. Even in real life pimps are a little cartoonish, and its hard to avoid the fun element of them on some level. But you have to figure out how to match that with the women, Abbott says. Research was also key for Gyllenhaal, who spoke to a number of former sex workers, including performance artist Annie Sprinkle, read Porno Star, a memoir by the late adult film star Tina Russell, and delved into the Rialto Report, a podcast about the so-called golden age of porn. It seems like sex work, especially street prostitution, is so difficult that it requires a lot of disassociation, she says, noting that someone like Candy would have slept with eight to 10 men a night. And there are some people who cant handle that, and who do lose their mind. Gyllenhaal, who had to film numerous transactional scenes with actors playing unnamed johns, says bluntly that she didnt like having pretend sex scenes with people I dont know. I dont mind sex scenes with people who you have a relationship with, where theres a really clear conversation thats happening between two characters inside of scene. That was not what was happening in all those scenes. She recalls an overwhelming sense of relief after filming her last sex scene: Thank God! Theres no more. Even filming the masturbation scene she had originally proposed was intimidating. After having seen her [have sex with] how many people? What does it look like when she actually is satisfied? Gyllenhaal had wondered. To perform an orgasm that was just wholly private thats pretty vulnerable, she says, but it helped that a woman, Uta Briesewitz, directed the episode. There are so few representations of women and also of our female experience that feel like reality when we watch them, says Gyllenhaal. I want to do it honestly. See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour This story is part of The Times 2017 Fall television preview. Check out the complete coverage here. meredith.blake@latimes.com Follow me @MeredithBlake ALSO: All the new television shows to check out this fall Me, Myself, and I finds Bobby Moynihan in a new place Ken Burns and Lynn Novick untangle the complexities of the Vietnam War Jane Campion knows as well as anyone the desperate longing to become a mother as she puts it, the battlefield of dashed hopes and dreams presented by infertility. As her career was flying high in the early 1990s, the filmmaker suffered a series of miscarriages. Her haunting period piece The Piano, about a deaf-mute woman in 19th century New Zealand, won the Palme dOr at Cannes in 1993, becoming the first film directed by a woman to do so. Shortly afterward, she gave birth to a son, Jasper, who died 11 days later. I thought it was going to kill me, Campion, 63, recalled recently, a tremble in her voice. But it also made me know who I really was in terms of what pain is. Advertisement Campion has channeled some of that trauma into Top of the Lake: China Girl, co-written with Gerard Lee and directed by Campion and Ariel Kleiman. The New Zealand native describes the series, premiering Sunday on Sundance, as an exploration of the secret world of motherhood. As a woman, sometimes you think that everything to do with your reproductive life is boring and not interesting to anybody because nobody ever talks about it, says the filmmaker, her distinctive silver mane in a low ponytail. But the lives of squirrels are actually really interesting. So maybe ours are too? A followup to 2013s acclaimed Top of the Lake, the series picks up four years later in Sydney, Australia, where police detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss) has relocated following a broken engagement. When the mutilated body of a young Asian woman washes ashore in a suitcase, Robins investigation leads into both Sydneys legal brothels and its illegal market for surrogate mothers. Along the way, she also reunites with Mary (Alice Englert), the daughter she gave up for adoption many years earlier, now a petulant 17-year-old constantly at odds with her adoptive mother, Julia (Nicole Kidman). Just as the first season of Top of the Lake used the disappearance of a young girl in a remote New Zealand town to explore themes of rape culture and toxic masculinity, Top of the Lake: China Girl is about the desperate lengths people will go to in order to have children, and the sometimes equally tormented reality of being a parent. Adding a layer of resonance to the series is the fact that Englert, 23, who previously starred in Sally Potters film Ginger & Rosa, also happens to be Campions daughter, born the year after her sons death. I was also very scared it wouldnt work out, remembers Campion of her birth. However, when she did arrive I held her up and she gave a big Leo scream and I thought, Oh, my god, shes here to stay. Though she offered the role to her daughter because she believed in her abilities as an actress, Campion also calls it a bit of a gift or you hope its a gift, anyway. Despite her trailblazing resume shes one of only four women nominated for a best director Oscar and fearless filmmaking style, Campion is endearingly open about her insecurities. Later when we finished it, I suddenly went, Oh, my god, what if she had not been good? It would have been awful! Thats the challenge of filmmaking, youre so often on that precipice, just risking your life to get to that top rock. Englerts character, Mary, is involved in an unhealthy relationship with a much older man. Most of her more difficult scenes were directed by Kleiman. That was strategic, because Mum knew that she didnt want to feel concerned that she might be holding back or making it feel safer or less visceral because of her being my mother, explains Englert, in a separate interview. Funnily enough, though, she would turn up on set. (Says Campion: I just went there to be supportive, but she was, like, Shut up! ) Campion is a director who appears to inspire loyalty in her actors even the ones shes not related to. In an email, Moss describes her as a true actors director. Working with Jane I liken to either to a warm bath when you are cold or a cold one when you are hot ... she adapts to be there for you in that specific moment and knowing exactly what you will need, she writes. Its not work with Jane. The thing she says most often to me is this is your floor baby or this is your stage, just do your thing and that trust is so invaluable. (Their work together on Top of the Lake may not be over; Campion says she sees the story as a triptych.) The series also reunites Campion with Kidman, who starred in her 1996 adaptation of The Portrait of a Lady. Campion, who says she was keen to see Kidman take on a pricklier, more absurd character, wooed the actress by beefing up the part and giving her an eccentric look freckles, prosthetic teeth and a wild gray wig inspired by the artist Kiki Smith. Weve seen her be extremely vulnerable and hurt, but we never see her being, like out there, thinking shes amazing, flinging her sword all over the joint and doing a lot of damage, Campion says. (She also notes that Kidman has given birth, adopted and used a surrogate and calls her brave for taking on the material.) Campion believes that her interest in portraying such challenging, unconventional women has been an obstacle in the past. She says her erotic thriller In the Cut was panned by a wall of male critics because it was about women talking rudely about men. She contrasts its reception with the accolades for Sofia Coppolas Lost in Translation (a story about a gorgeous young woman hanging out with an old guy) and her own 2009 film Bright Star (about a girl whos completely devoted to her man). As a sympathetic look at sex workers, surrogates and women traumatized by infertility, China Girl is yet another provocation. Campion and her team spent time with employees at a Sydney brothel, paying them for their time and input. She also drew inspiration from real-life controversies involving Australian families whod hired Thai surrogates. In contrast to the United States, where surrogacy is increasingly commonplace and accepted, the practice is generally illegal in Australia. Thats why they get so desperate, Campion says. We all know what criminals we become for our children. See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour meredith.blake@latimes.com Follow me @MeredithBlake Expectations were high heading into the second Calvin Klein runway collection with Raf Simons as chief creative officer, and by all accounts, the Thursday night presentation of the brands spring and summer 2018 collection met and exceeded them. Simons and the labels creative director, Pieter Mulier, built on their debut fall and winter 2017 Americana-themed Parade collection by pulling inspiration from American films good old-fashioned horror movies to be precise. An abstraction, of horrors and dreams, read the show notes, [taking] its inspiration from cinema, from the dream-factory of Hollywood and its depictions of both an American nightmare, and the all-powerful American dream. The result was a sophomore collection, which was presented in a total-room art installation titled Sophomore (by artist Sterling Ruby, who also did the honors at last seasons show) that included firefighters axes and blood-red pompoms hanging from the ceiling. Advertisement It started out looking very much like the collection we saw last season (think western-inspired shirts, dark denim and floral lace dresses under slip-cover-like plastic). Then it veered abruptly off into a very dark place filled with blood-like paint splatters and screen-printed imagery of crossed kitchen knives, overturned ambulances and tainted cans of tuna from Andy Warhols Death and Disaster series on a range of tops, jackets and nightgown-like dresses. (This was a collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts that also included the artists prints of art collector Sandra Brant and actor Dennis Hopper.) This, of course, is how all good horror movies (think Poltergeist or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) work. One minute its an ordinary and oh-so-familiar day in middle-class America, and the next minute youre being splattered with blood by a chainsaw-wielding madman. Through this lens, crinkly plastic gowns could just as easily be body bags, molded-rubber dresses and arm-length gloves take on a sinister cast, and an otherwise unremarkable shade of orange one of the standout colors of the collection suddenly becomes safety orange, the universal harbinger of all things dangerous. Taken all together, the parade of voluminous hand-painted leather overcoats, paint-splattered boots, knife-print lumberjack-check mens suits, diaphanous run-from-danger nightgowns and road-cone colors could have come across as schlocky at worst and scary at best. But in Simons hands the result was scary good. To paraphrase a line from the 1979 horror film When a Stranger Calls, the talent is coming from inside the fashion house! Also in the house? A constellation of celebrities that included Brooke Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Kyle MacLachlan, Kate Bosworth, Paris Jackson, Lupita Nyongo, Christina Ricci and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, who, it turns out, was sitting front row at his first-ever fashion show. I thought I was going to be out of my depth, Noah told us as he was headed backstage after the show, but I think I actually understood it. When asked if anything in particular caught his eye, he singled out the Andy Warhol screen-print pieces. I think I could wear some of that, he said confidently. Noah wasnt alone as a fashion-show neophyte. Mahershala Ali told reporters that Simons second runway show for the house was his first, and before the show he could be seen chatting with his Moonlight costars (and fellow Calvin Klein underwear models) Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes. Another first-timer? That would be 16-year-old model Kaia Gerber, the genetically blessed offspring of Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford, whose catwalk turn at Thursday nights show marked her runway modeling debut. adam.tschorn@latimes.com For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn. ALSO: Tom Ford leads off NYFW with strong shoulders, bright colors and lots of leg Raf Simons debut collection for Calvin Klein offers up an outsiders view of America Menswear forecast for SS18: Striped and relaxed, with stormy weather on the way USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought after a meeting with federal officials in Washington that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again, said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style, she said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Global California 2030 aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups unrestricted by contribution limits a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education. What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions longtime stalwarts of the party and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans saying repeatedly, stay tuned but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist who has agreed to modify the artwork to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event his first speech and news conference with a photogenic background of students. His message that he would put those students first seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman who also was black that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged and pressured the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members enough to control the outcome were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people 12 students and one teacher killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends a 16-year-old boy made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus which the president said is less than 55% white that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces an arch and a garden after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies better known as CAVA had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results out Monday night were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Kentucky teachers rally at Capitol over state budget By Associated Press Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy L Last spring, Katie Riveras daughter came home from the St. Francis Parish School in Bakersfield with some unusual paperwork. The school was pushing parents to sign their children up for a unique pilot program taught entirely online and run by a public school district in Los Angeles County. Each student who enrolled in the Lennox Virtual Academy would get a free Chromebook computer to use at school, with access to online classes. All parents had to do was fill out the forms, authorizing St. Francis to share information about their finances and their childrens health with the Lennox School District a hundred miles away. Advertisement This partnership is expected to bring many benefits for St. Francis students, Principal Kelli Gruszka wrote to parents. ...it is IMPERATIVE that every family with students in grades 5th-8th, return the paperwork being sent home today... What the letter did not explain was the arrangements financial benefits. By enrolling these students, Lennox stood to earn millions in additional state funding. St. Francis would profit, too. As part of the deal, the school would be paid a fee for each participating student. The proposal was part of an unorthodox expansion plan by a small public school district headquartered three miles from Los Angeles International Airport. That Lennox had created a virtual school was not so remarkable. Online public schools operate across California in almost every form imaginable. Some cater to home-schoolers; others focus on students who have fallen far behind. Many are charter schools that are supposed to be held accountable by the school boards that authorize them, but a handful are run by public school districts that answer mainly to themselves. The Lennox Virtual Academy operated in what legal experts have called a murky regulatory environment. Even so, it stood out both for enrolling students already attending school elsewhere and for its willingness, in partnering with Catholic schools, to test the limits of Californias particularly strict interpretation of the separation of church and state. The description of the pilot program alarmed Rivera, who is an attorney and could tell she was not being asked to sign an ordinary permission slip. It had red flags all over it, she said of the paperwork, particularly one section that stated, ...all of our students in 5th-8th grade will need to be co-enrolled at both schools. She grew even more concerned after she asked a St. Francis administrator how it could possibly be legal for a Catholic school to get such expensive technology for free from a public school district, and was told the school was taking advantage of a legal loophole. St. Francis officials declined to comment for this story, but the Diocese of Fresno and the Lennox School District defended the arrangement as legal. Rivera refused to sign the forms. There cant be a loophole in the law that other private schools arent using, she said. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Lennox Supt. Kent Taylor, shown here in 2012 when he was state administrator of the Inglewood Unified School District, said the Lennox Virtual Academy was one of several new cutting edge district initiatives. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times) Enrollment had been declining in the Lennox School District for over a decade by the time the district decided to open the virtual academy in 2016 as part of a concerted effort to attract more students. By then, the student population had fallen to 5,055, nearly 25% below what it had been in 2006. Lennox employees were being encouraged to recruit children of friends and family, said Supt. Kent Taylor, and officials were eager to welcome students from elsewhere who might want to transfer in. Lennox Virtual Academy enrolled about 400 students last year, Taylor said. Were trying to be on the cutting edge so we can make sure students lives get changed and their trajectory in the future can be great, he said of the online school. Whats really important here is what the student gets out of this. What Lennox got out of it was more kids, and more kids meant more money. That year, according to state education data, the districts state funding increased by at least $3 million as overall enrollment rose, largely through students signed up for the virtual academy. Catholic schools nationwide have been struggling with enrollment too, and some have been forced to close. Lennoxs offer of free classroom technology came at an opportune moment. Like St. Francis, at least three Catholic schools in Southern California enrolled students in the virtual academy, according to interviews. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles said St. Joseph School in Hawthorne and St. John Chrysostom Catholic School in Inglewood signed contracts with Lennox last school year. Resurrection Academy in Fontana began participating this year, according to the Diocese of San Bernardino. The partnership with Lennox is a real positive thing for Resurrection Academy, said John Andrews, a spokesman for the Diocese of San Bernardino. I know maintaining enrollment is a struggle there and that having the means to do a technology initiative where you have one device per student is a real challenge. Chromebooks for every student, he said, does create a sense of excitement and definitely makes the school more marketable for families in the Fontana and Rialto area. Resurrection Academy students are expected to be online at least two hours a day, and Lennox has expanded the course options. As for the nature of the partnership with Lennox, the diocese vetted it, he said. St. John Chrysostom Catholic School in Inglewood was one of four Catholic schools in Southern California that signed partnership agreements with the Lennox School District. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Archdiocese looked hard at the proposal too, said Superintendent of Catholic Schools Kevin Baxter. There was plenty to like about what Lennox had to offer. Baxter said the school district paid the Catholic schools a monthly fee of $165 for each child enrolled. The district also upgraded the Wi-Fi network at St. John Chrysostom. Rocio Mendoza, whose two sons attend St. Joseph, said she liked the improvements. Her children seemed to enjoy using the Chromebooks and online classes, and St. Joseph administrators had assured parents that nothing about the schools emphasis on religious education would change. They were still Catholic school students. The only thing was that form they made us sign to get the Chromebooks, Mendoza said. We were all sold on it. But as the year went on, the archdiocese grew concerned by its interactions with Lennox. Archdiocese lawyers wanted assurance that state and county education officials had approved of the virtual academy and its unusual co-enrollment arrangement. They had questions about the legality of enrolling Catholic school students in a public school program. And they wanted a face-to-face meeting with Lennox officials. We had a difficult time kind of getting answers and getting meetings scheduled, Baxter said. We thought it was probably in the best interest of our schools to discontinue the partnership. At the end of the school year, St. Joseph and St. John Chrysostom exited the program and returned the Chromebooks to Lennox. Lennox Supt. Taylor described the districts relationship with the archdiocese as respectful, with both sides working in the best interests of students. We hope to work with them in the future, he said. In Bakersfield, where St. Francis was the only Catholic school that agreed to try out the program, the Diocese of Fresno reviewed Lennoxs proposal and declared it sound, said Diocese Supt. Mona Faulkner. The Chromebooks came with one requirement, Faulkner said: The Catholic students had to log on to Acellus Academy, the virtual schools coursework program, for a set amount of time each day. This allowed Lennox to claim to the state that the students, while going to Catholic school, were enrolled full time in the Lennox Virtual Academy. Several St. Francis teachers and parents said in interviews that the school barely used the Acellus lessons. Although it was receiving money from Lennox, St. Francis proceeded as it always had, charging tuition and teaching its own religion-imbued curriculum. Its unclear how much the other schools used the online classes, and Lennox officials declined to say what the districts contracts required. On Aug. 4, the St. Francis principal emailed parents to say the school would extend the partnership for another year. But two weeks later a few days after The Times contacted St. Francis with questions the school abruptly reversed itself. On Aug. 18, Faulkner emailed Times reporters to say St. Francis had ended its relationship with Lennox. She acknowledged that Lennox had paid St. Francis and said that the money had gone into a financial aid fund for students, but she declined to say how much the school received. Asked why the Catholic school had cut ties with Lennox, Faulkner said that the online curriculum offered by the district didnt meet St. Francis standards. My only concern as superintendent was whether the curriculum was rigorous enough and had enough depth for our students and the school decided it did not, she said. There were certain chapters we were not going to teach at all because they may have differences with our faith. This program is not a Catholic school program. This is about the parent having the right to enroll their kids in a public school... Lennox Supt. Kent Taylor As it turns out, Lennox did not pioneer recruitment of students attending private schools. In the late 1990s, the Cato School of Reason, a Victorville-based charter school for home-schooled children, began to count tuition-paying private school students as its own, often without parents knowledge. The participating schools were promised books, computers and a split of Catos state funding. Catos enrollment rose to 3,500 students, bringing in millions of dollars in state funding, before its host school district shut it down in 1998 over alleged improprieties. Taylor, in an interview, said the idea of opening the Lennox Virtual Academy came from a consultant. From his perspective, the participating Catholic schools were centers where his virtual school students met to do their online coursework. Taylor described those participating as public school students even though their parents were paying thousands of dollars a year in Catholic school tuition. The virtual school also enrolled home-schooled students who arent affiliated with religious organizations, he said. This program is not a Catholic school program, Taylor said. This is about the parent having the right to enroll their kids in a public school, and this is any student regardless of ethnicity, gender, LGBT, home-school kids. As long as the students who participated were not enrolled in another public school district, there were no legal barriers to their involvement, Taylor claimed. Lennox district officials declined to answer specific questions about the academys revenue and expenses, including the services and equipment provided to the Catholic schools. Asked if the district had sought legal guidance before launching the program, officials said that they had, but declined to provide it. In an email to state regulators, a Lennox consultant suggested that the district knew it was testing the wall between church and state. He described the Catholic schools as vendors that leased property to the Lennox Virtual Academy. Lennox required them, in its contracts, he said, to refrain from offering religious instruction while the Virtual Academy students were working on their lab sessions. Its questionable whether such sessions were more than perfunctory. At St. Francis, Acellus was used infrequently in some classrooms, and in April the principal emailed teachers urging them to use it more. I would like to suggest that each of you try and build 10-15 minutes into your lesson plans daily, if possible, Gruszka wrote. We just received our second check from the lennox school district [sic] and we will be at risk to return it if progress is not made. By couching the arrangement as one in which Catholic schools were being paid to house and help the students of the Lennox Virtual Academy, the district was operating at the edges of state law, experts said. Californias constitution places a high wall between church and state, explicitly barring spending public money for the support of any sectarian or denominational school, or any school not under the exclusive control of the officers of the public schools. And while partnerships between religious and public schools are fairly common, The Times could find no other examples of students simultaneously enrolled full time in public and private schools. The more troubling aspect of the arrangement, legal experts said, was that Lennox had included the Catholic school students in its enrollment to draw more state funding. If the students were receiving a full day of secular schooling, the arrangement might comply with state law, said Berkeley Law professor Stephen Sugarman. But wheres the day of substantial non-religious education? he said. Without meeting that standard, Sugarman said, its not a bona fide distance learning school. School districts only qualify for state funding for students who are genuinely enrolled, Sugarman said. Parents werent the only ones to raise questions about the partnership. In a May email, a Lennox consultant asked state regulators, ...Would you have any concerns over those students who are dual-enrolled in a private school? He did not receive a reply. Asked repeatedly to clarify for this story whether Lennoxs partnerships were legal, California Department of Education officials did not respond. The U.S. Department of Education, when asked about the legality of this type of dual enrollment, called it a local issue, and said that questions should be directed to local or state officials. For some St. Francis parents, the partnership with Lennox also raised ethical concerns. Jenny Mancilla, who taught at St. Francis until two years ago, pulled her two children out of the school last month in protest. Its kind of sickening when the people who encouraged this are supposedly of this faith where they should want to instill values and transparency and all that, Mancilla said. Its been a bit sad actually. anna.phillips@latimes.com | Twitter: @annamphillips howard.blume@latimes.com | Twitter: @howardblume ALSO California colleges vow to press on against sexual assault despite any federal rollback in protections DACA brought Dreamers out of the shadows. Now, some plan to only get louder Jahi McMath, girl declared brain dead three years ago, might still be technically alive, judge says A Northern California man came home early this week to find a woman sleeping naked in his bed after she had broken into his house, the Anderson Police Department said. Michelle Watkins, 33, of Junction City was arrested and booked Tuesday on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and petty theft. According to Anderson police, the homeowner returned home from work and found a package on his porch had been opened. After walking in, the man saw a sandwich with a bite taken out of it on the kitchen counter. He later noticed womens clothing scattered on the floor of the bathroom and signs that someone had taken a shower. Advertisement The man then made his way to his bedroom and found Watkins in his bed, police said. He woke her up and called the police. Anderson police officers took Watkins into custody. They said she had a pack of cigarettes with her that belonged to the man. ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. With Alzheimers slowly taking his mind, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca should spend his best remaining days in prison and not be allowed to remain free while he appeals his conviction, a federal judge has ruled. In issuing an order for Baca to surrender to prison officials by Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson rejected for a second time arguments by Bacas attorney for why he should be granted bail until an appeals court can decide if he received a fair trial. But despite Thursdays ruling, Baca is not facing imminent incarceration. Advertisement Nathan Hochman, Bacas lawyer, said he will ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule Anderson on the bail issue. Under court rules, Baca is permitted to stay out of prison while the appeals court considers the request. It is expected to be several weeks or perhaps a few months before a decision is made. Baca was convicted earlier this year of obstruction of justice and lying to federal investigators for his role in a 2011 scheme by sheriffs officials to interfere with an FBI investigation into alleged inmate abuse and corruption by sheriffs deputies working in county jails. The guilty verdict capped a string of prosecutions in which 10 sheriffs deputies and supervisors were convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from the obstruction plan. Hochman promptly appealed the verdict to the 9th Circuit, arguing that rulings by Anderson in the lead up and during the trial had unfairly disadvantaged Baca. And in July, when Anderson rejected Bacas first request for bail pending the appeal, Hochman looked to the 9th Circuit to overturn the judge. A panel of judges from the appeals court declined to reverse Andersons decision, agreeing with him that Hochman had failed to address the question of whether Bacas appeal was simply a ploy to delay his prison sentence. The panel invited Hochman to return to Anderson and try again. Hochman did so, but Anderson was unconvinced. In a sternly worded eight-page ruling, the judge found Hochman had used circular reasoning and again skirted the question of whether Baca was stalling. The question of delay tactics is particularly thorny in light of Bacas diagnosis with Alzheimers disease, which doctors have said in court records is expected to progress significantly in coming years. In his ruling, Anderson reiterated concerns he and prosecutors raised previously that if the disease worsens as Baca fights to overturn his conviction or to win a new trial, Bacas diminished lucidity could complicate or prevent resentencing or further proceedings. Moreover, given the progressive nature of Alzheimers disease, Anderson wrote, the delays in this action, and any additional delay before defendant begins serving his sentence should defendant be granted bail pending appeal, would continue to allow defendant to spend his best remaining days on bail rather than incarcerated. In the face of these concerns, defendant has offered no evidence and precious little argument of a non-dilatory purpose for his appeal despite repeated opportunities to do so. joel.rubin@latimes.com For more news on federal courts in Southern California, follow me on Twitter: @joelrubin California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in three Northern California counties where wildfires have burned thousands of acres, destroyed structures, threatened groves of giant sequoias and limited access to Yosemite National Park. The declaration will boost support for Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties by making state services, personnel and equipment available in firefighting and recovery efforts. There are more than 20 active wildfires in the state, including the Railroad, Pier, Mission and Peak fires. Those four fires triggered the emergency declaration. Advertisement This is the second time this week the governor has taken such action. On Sunday, he declared a state of emergency for the La Tuna fire that has burned more than 7,000 acres in Los Angeles County and is 90% contained. The fire, which forced the evacuations of parts of several surrounding communities, including Glendale and Burbank, is one of the largest fires in recent history in the city of Los Angeles. Railroad Fire September 4, 2017 from highway 41 above Cedar Valley. #Railroadfire Video Credit: Josh Orcutt, Sierra NF pic.twitter.com/hAeJOrkMJ8 Sierra Ntl. Forest (@Sierra_NF) September 5, 2017 The first two fires to break out in Northern California were the Railroad and Pier fires on Aug. 29 in Madera and Tulare counties, respectively, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The Railroad fire ignited near the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, just north of Oakhurst. It destroyed 17 structures, including five homes, five historic buildings and several outbuildings such as sheds and barns. It also restricted access to Yosemite National Park, according to Raj Singh, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman. The fire forced several campgrounds, lodges and mountain communities to be evacuated, but cooler temperatures and higher levels of humidity in the last two days have helped firefighters increase containment of the wildfire. The blaze has threatened groves of more than 100 mature giant sequoias in Nelder Grove. On Thursday night, humidity was at 80%, which slowed the fire, Singh said. Previously, the humidity was at 30%, and that made the fire as active at night as it was during the day, Singh said. At 12,141 acres, the blaze is 50% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. As the fire continues to burn eastward, fire officials say they will begin to let residents back into their homes, beginning with Fish Camp and Tenaya Lodge on Friday afternoon. Sky Ranch residents will be allowed in at 5 p.m. the same day. Sugar Pine residents will be allowed back at 3 p.m. Saturday. Additionally, Highway 41, which provides access into Yosemite National Park, will reopen at 5 p.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, the Pier fire in Tulare County, which broke out in the Tule River Canyon, just north of Springville, has burned about 25,000 acres and is 35% contained. #PierFire [update] off Hwy 190 at Wishon, east of Springville (Tulare County) is now 24,949 acres & 35% contained. https://t.co/X0fMHjH547 pic.twitter.com/q7G9LZbVYV CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 8, 2017 The Pier fire had forced officials to issue mandatory evacuations for several areas, including Sequoia Crest, Mountain Aire and Rogers Camp. The fire also forced the closure of Highway 190, east of Springville at Upper Rio Vista Road, and north of Ponderosa at Forest Road. Fire officials say a small hunting cabin was destroyed. The Mission fire broke out Sunday in Mariposa County. The fire has burned more than 1,000 acres and is 50% contained. At least four structures were destroyed in that blaze. Mandatory evacuations that had been placed on some communities were lifted Friday morning, but access to non-residents will be restricted. #PeakFire [update] at Indian Peak Rd & Usona Rd, southeast of Mariposa (Mariposa County) remains at 680 acres & 95% contained. pic.twitter.com/692FCmKYvI CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 8, 2017 The Peak fire, which also broke out in Mariposa County on Sunday, has burned 680 acres and is 95% contained. At least two structures were destroyed in the fire, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials. The cause of all four fires remains under investigation. ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. California educational leaders vowed Thursday to press on with aggressive action against campus sexual assault despite any future rollback of the federal guidelines that have prompted universities to crack down on the problem. In a speech Thursday, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos lambasted Obama-era guidelines as unfair and coercive and announced plans to review them. Later, in an interview with CBS News, she said she intended to rescind the 2011 guidelines, which laid out how campuses should investigate sexual assault cases and lowered the standard of proof needed to find the accused responsible. University of California President Janet Napolitano said she was extremely troubled by indications that the federal government aimed to undo six years of work intended to strengthen protections against sexual violence. Advertisement Todays move will prompt fears of reduced support for survivors of sexual violence, and raise questions about how schools prevent and respond to reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment, Napolitano said in a statement. Even in the midst of unwelcome change and uncertainty, the universitys commitment to a learning environment free of sexual violence and sexual harassment will not waver. Last year, the UC system implemented a sweeping plan to strengthen protections against sexual misconduct, adding mandatory education and training for students, staff and faculty; confidential advocates for victims; and more staff to handle Title IX cases. The UC Office of the President has increased funding for the efforts from $67,000 in 2013 to $1.6 million budgeted for 2016-17. Individual campuses spend additional money on sexual misconduct prevention efforts. Stanford University Provost Persis Drell also reaffirmed her universitys commitment to fighting sexual misconduct. The university has been criticized for tilting its process toward the accused last year, for instance, it began requiring a unanimous finding of responsibility by a three-person panel but also provides support not required by law. Stanford pays for nine hours of attorney time for each side, for instance. Stanford has no intention of retreating, in any way, on the subjects of sexual assault and harassment, Drell said in a statement. We continue our commitment to move forward. Read more: Education Secretary DeVos launches formal review of federal guidelines for handling campus sexual assaults Cal State beefed up its efforts against sexual violence on its 23 campuses in November 2014, when it appointed the nations first systemwide Title IX compliance officer. The issue of sexual assault and ensuring that our campuses are safe and free from sexual violence is a priority for CSU leadership, Cal State spokeswoman Toni Molle said. We have upcoming meetings scheduled with Secretary DeVos to discuss Title IX with a hope that we have a seat at the table as these policy discussions continue. In her speech, DeVos criticized universities for staging kangaroo courts, joining those who say universities fail to extend due process protections for those accused of sexual misconduct. She said some campuses do not inform the accused of the allegations before a decision is rendered, and also dont allow in such campus proceedings legal representation, access to evidence, the right to cross-examine witnesses or the ability to appeal findings. She also criticized the Obama administrations guidelines lowering the standard of proof required in sexual misconduct cases. Mark Hathaway, a Los Angeles-area attorney who has represented accused college students in about 60 cases, said he was gratified by DeVos move to review federal guidelines. He said he particularly hoped that accused students would have access to evidence and the ability to challenge statements by the accusers and witnesses before a finding was made. Hathaway also said that allowing one person to act as both investigator and judge, a model used by UC and many other universities, was unfair to the accused. He added that there was a wide variance in policies across California campuses. He praised UCLA, for instance, for fair handling of cases including providing support for the accused. But he said other campuses allow secret witnesses and deny meaningful access to evidence before a decision is made. A system that isnt fair doesnt help the victims or the accused, Hathaway said. DeVos said much the same in her remarks Thursday. Campus officials for the UC system, Cal State, Stanford and Occidental College said their processes already provide the safeguards raised by DeVos. Pamela Thomason, Cal States systemwide Title IX officer, said the university uses a fair and impartial process to which all participants have equal access and in which all are treated with dignity and respect. Danica Myers, Occidentals interim Title IX coordinator, noted that federal officials last year found the college had sufficiently revamped its procedures in sexual misconduct cases to comply with federal law. The college stands by its current policies and procedures, Myers said in a message to the campus community. They are fair, aligned with our mission and values, and consistent with federal and state law. No matter what happens, we remain committed to our goal of eliminating sexual misconduct on campus, and to the idea that the best way to address sexual assault is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Kathleen Salvaty, UCs systemwide Title IX coordinator, said the 10-campus system moved to use a single investigator to question the accused and accuser separately rather than a hearing at which both sides appeared, in part to avoid direct confrontation and minimize trauma. But any finding may be appealed at a hearing, with both sides allowed to submit questions indirectly to witnesses and each other, she said. Attorneys are not allowed to cross-examine, she said, because the hearings are not criminal proceedings. Salvaty also noted that any potential changes proposed by DeVos could be constrained by current state and federal law. Under a 2014 California law, for example, campuses are required to use the lower standard of proof preponderance of evidence rather than clear and convincing evidence that DeVos criticized. Federal law already guarantees an equal right to appeal, access to information gathered in the case and the ability to bring an attorney or other adviser to hearings. Asked whether UC officials intended to weigh in during the public comment period that DeVos plans, Salvaty said, We just want a strong and fair process. teresa.watanabe@latimes.com Twitter: @teresawatanabe rosanna.xia@latimes.com Twitter: @RosannaXia Alcohol or drugs may have been a factor in a fatal traffic collision that took the life of a pedestrian Thursday morning outside of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, police said. The incident happened shortly after 9 a.m. when a woman, later identified as 54-year-old Michelle Landes of Los Angeles, was struck by a vehicle while using a marked crosswalk at Alameda Avenue and Lincoln Street. Landes, an executive assistant in Disneys legal department, was on her way to work at the time of the collision. Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman with the Burbank Police Department, said Landes was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Advertisement In the wake of the incident Disney CEO Bob Iger sent out an email to local employees informing them of what happened. We lost a valued Cast Member this morning in a tragic accident outside the Alameda Gate of the Disney lot, Iger said in the email obtained by the Burbank Leader. A number of other Cast Members witnessed the tragedy, and are understandably very shaken by the experience. He said the company has since reached out to Landes family to offer its support. I know Michelles friends and colleagues are stunned by this awful news, and were all heartbroken by the loss, Iger said. After striking Landes, the car went on to crash into three vehicles on the street, Green said. Responding officers detained two men who were in the vehicle. Its suspected the two may have been under the influence at the time of the collision, according to Green. Green said the driver, 37-year-old Stergios Economos of Burbank, was booked into the citys jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. His bail was initially set at $100,000 but was increased in part because of his criminal history, Green said. The person riding with Economos was eventually released. ALSO Bay Area freeways rank as Californias worst when it comes to animal vs. vehicle collisions Man with swastika tattoo charged with hate crime after punching man and yelling racial slur Man accused of hurling his pit bull off East L.A. hillside twice gets 5-year prison sentence Gin D. Wong, a visionary architect whose iconic works have helped shaped the look of Los Angeles for more than half a century, has died at 94. Wong died Sept. 1 at his Beverly Hills home, according to a statement from USC, where he had served on the board of trustees for more than 30 years. Wongs most notable projects include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles International Airport and the often-photographed Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills. Advertisement The latter, with its sweeping canopy, more resembles an alien spaceship than a refueling stop. The Los Angeles Conservancy described it as a true icon of Mid-Century Modernism, recognized everywhere as one of the highest examples of Googie architecture in the world. It was one of the first major projects Wong took on upon earning his degree in architecture from USC in 1950. He had originally planned to put it at Los Angeles International Airport, for which he was design director when it was converted to use by jets in the 1950s. Years later, he designed the airports two-level roadway as part of a major expansion that included upgrades to all terminals. His other projects included the CBS Television City complex and such high-rises as the USC Tower at South Park Center, formerly the AT&T Center, and the 33-story downtown building formerly known as the Arco Tower. Wong helped found William L. Pereira & Associates, the architectural firm responsible for the 1961 master plan for USCs University Park Campus and the universitys Olin Hall of Engineering and Stauffer Hall of Science. He was president of the firm during the design of San Franciscos iconic Transamerica Pyramid. Gin Wong was a visionary architect who left an indelible mark on our beloved alma mater and our vibrant Southern California landscape, USC President C.L. Max Nikias said in a statement. The landmark Theme Building at Los Angeles international Airport, designed by Gin Wong. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Born in Guangzhou, China, Wong moved to Los Angeles with his family as a child. Upon graduating from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, participating in major air battles over Japan in 1945 as a lead crew navigator and radar bombardier. After the war, he enrolled at USC, where one of his professors was the prolific architect William L. Pereira, who would later become his colleague. Wong founded his own company, Gin Wong Associates, in 1973. Its recent projects have included Korean Airs Hyatt Hotel in Seoul and a state-of-the-art university research library for Inha University in Incheon, South Korea. Once asked which of his many works he was partial to, Wong replied, The most interesting project would be my next one. He is survived by his wife, Louise, and children, Terrina, Janna and Kimberlee. news.obits@latimes.com A pilot was found dead Friday within the wreckage of a small plane that had vanished and later was discovered crashed on a rugged hillside in Point Reyes National Seashore, in Marin County, officials said. The pilot of the Cessna 172 was flying Thursday afternoon from Santa Ynez to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport but never arrived at the intended destination, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft. The U.S. Coast Guard later received a ping from the aircraft indicating that its location was two miles offshore and not far from Bolinas, a coastal community about 30 miles northwest of San Francisco, said John DellOsso, the parks chief of interpretation and resource education. Advertisement When the Coast Guard searched the area, he said, they found nothing. Authorities later received a second ping, placing the aircraft in the southernmost area of the park near Bolinas. Thick fog hampered air operations, so authorities relied on ground search teams to locate the aircraft. The teams scoured the area until 3 a.m. Friday, but did not find the plane. They returned just before 8 a.m. and spotted the wreckage hours later. veronica.rocha@latimes.com Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA Los Angeles city leaders will push Friday to declare the city a sanctuary for immigrants, a move that comes after some lawmakers resisted formally using the term despite pressure from local immigration groups. City Council members Herb Wesson and Gil Cedillo plan to unveil a resolution Friday that would formally label Los Angeles either a city of sanctuary or a sanctuary city. Wesson and Cedillo say they want stronger protections for immigrants after President Trumps decision this week to scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA, put in place by President Obama, shields young people who were brought into the country illegally as minors from deportation. Advertisement A study by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute found that 1 in 4 DACA participants lives in California. A discussion on which phrase to use will take place at Fridays meeting, Wesson said. Well find out which term is preferable, Wesson said Thursday. Is it city of sanctuary, which is what I personally like? But I dont know. I havent had a conversation with the other members. Peter Schey, the citys pro bono advocate and legal advisor on immigration issues, released a report Thursday that recommends making the city a Dreamer Arrest-Free Zone. The report suggests Los Angeles could help reduce deportation of immigrants who benefit from the Obama-era protections, often called Dreamers, by ensuring that they have representation letters written by attorneys that spell out their legal rights. A person with DACA status would present the letter during any contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the report says. The report also recommends that the city provide funding and resources so those individuals detained by ICE are assured legal representation. It also suggests creating a local Human Rights Ordinance to ensure that immigrants legal rights are protected. The report does not estimate a cost to the city for such services. Tessie Borden, a member of progressive group Indivisible Highland Park, said she wants the city to provide more protections for immigrants, and is less concerned about the sanctuary label. Special Order 40, which bars LAPD officers from contacting someone solely to determine their immigration status, doesnt go far enough in protecting immigrants, Borden said. We want no cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE over immigration, Borden said. We want no sharing of information. Mayor Eric Garcetti, a forceful immigrant rights advocate in Los Angeles, has resisted using the phrase sanctuary city because he says it doesnt accurately describe the citys policies. Wesson said he hasnt talked to the mayor about the term. Asked for Garcettis reaction to the council members resolution, mayoral spokesman Alex Comisar said, L.A. is a national leader in protecting our immigrant communities, but he did not address the proposed sanctuary label. There is no neat definition of a sanctuary city, but in general, cities that use the name seek to offer political support or practical protections to people who are in the country illegally. For some cities, the sanctuary movement consists simply of encouraging people without legal status to get more involved in government. Other places, including San Francisco, adopt far-reaching policies, such as taking steps to cut ties with federal immigration officials and refusing to fully cooperate with them. San Francisco declared itself a sanctuary city in 1989, and city officials strengthened the stance in 2013 with its Due Process for All ordinance. The law declared local authorities could not hold immigrants for immigration officials if they had no violent felonies on their records and did not currently face charges. The Republican Party of Los Angeles County said in a statement that it is disappointed that the council is considering the sanctuary label. While we have compassion for all hard working residents in our community, as a party we believe in following the law, the statement said, and thus cannot support the idea of sanctuary cities especially when some major crimes against our citizens are committed by those who are in our country illegally. California officials last month sued the Trump administration, alleging federal threats to withhold funding from sanctuary cities are unconstitutional and violate the rights of residents. In his report, Schey writes that Trumps threat to penalize sanctuary cities has no basis in law and is primarily intended to dazzle his base and intimidate local officials. dakota.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @dakotacdsmith UPDATES: 6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction and background. This article was originally published at 4:25 p.m. A Monterey Park man pleaded guilty Thursday to animal smuggling after customs officers discovered three deadly king cobra snakes hidden in potato chip cans in a package shipped to his home, officials said. Rodrigo Franco, 34, admitted to smuggling more than 20 cobras which sell on the black market for about $2,000 each in at least three shipments, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court. In exchange for one shipment, Franco sent a package to Hong Kong with six protected turtles. He faces 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is due to be sentenced in December. Advertisement For months, prosecutors said, Franco used WhatsApp, a smartphone messaging platform, to negotiate shipments of snakes and turtles to and from Hong Kong. King cobras can be brought into the U.S. only with an export or re-export certificate from the country of origin and a declaration filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But neither Franco nor the seller filed any of the required documents. Instead, prosecutors said, Franco tried to smuggle the cobras into the country using a phony name on the shipments to avoid getting caught. In March, authorities intercepted the package with the three deadly snakes along with three albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles. That same day, Franco had attempted to mail six other protected turtles wrapped in socks to Hong Kong. That package also was intercepted. The next day, a postal worker with federal agents close behind delivered the package with the turtles shipped from Hong Kong to Francos Monterey Park home. Authorities had removed the cobras from the package because delivering them posed a safety risk. After the package was accepted, federal agents approached with a warrant to search the home. Inside a childrens bedroom in the home, according to federal court records, they found a glass tank with a young crocodile, diamondback terrapins, mud turtles and alligator snapping turtles all of which are protected species. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek Its been two days since a California Highway Patrol officer fatally shot a man who appeared to threaten bystanders with a weapon inside the Ronald Reagan State Building, and the mans family say they are still struggling to understand the mans actions. CHP investigators say that for reasons that still remain unclear, Timothy Elam, 42, followed an employee into the building just after 6 a.m. Wednesday and kept his hands concealed in a bag. Elam shouted at employees at a security checkpoint to drop to the floor, then took an aggressive shooting stance, at which point a CHP officer confronted Elam and shot him, said CHP Sgt. Saul Gomez. Advertisement The bag contained an aluminum can. Elam was pronounced dead at the scene and no one else was injured. He did not work in the building, and officials said its not clear why he walked in Wednesday morning. Back in Mount Sterling, Ky., where Elam grew up, relatives were also puzzled. Elam was fatally shot a day before his 43rd birthday and just days after he had spoken to his 9-year-old son, Landyn, on the phone. The two talked on the phone every week even if Elam and his mother didnt always get along, said Alisha Lynam, the boys mother. I sat my son down and I said, Did dad sound different? Tell you he loved you more than usual? Sound drunk? Lynam, 46, recalled. He said, No mama. It was a normal conversation. Elam grew up in Kentucky and spent some time in Kansas and Ohio before returning back to Mount Sterling as an adult, she said. Public records show Elam had some brushes with the law, and Lynam acknowledged he had some bouts of drug and alcohol abuse, but it never reached a point where hed commit crimes to support a habit, she said. Despite Lynam and Elams relationship souring about six years ago, he continued to be a reliable father to their son, as well as Lynams older son from another relationship and to his three older children in Ohio. He made sure they had a good Christmas, good birthdays, and they had what they needed, said Mary Johnson, Lynams sister. He was a good father to them. Elam uprooted from Kentucky in 2015 after both his parents died from cancer in two months, Lynam said. He briefly moved to Ohio, where he spent time with his children before following construction work to Louisville and Lexington back in Kentucky, then to Arizona and ultimately, Southern California. He had been here for the last seven to 10 months, Lynam said. He was staying in a motel before he finally got a small apartment. As he established himself in Southern California, he continued to wire money via Western Union to Lynam and Landyn every week and chat with his son, usually on Sundays. The morning of the shooting, Lynam said, she believes Elam boarded a bus to get to work. She doesnt know how he ended up downtown or in the Reagan State Building. She hopes authorities find out exactly where he lived and find some kind of explanation there, even if its a suicide note. Its just hard for me to believe what he done, Lynam said. He didnt have any kind of grudge against anybody. He didnt have any kind of mental instability. On Thursday, Lynam took their son to a small park in Mount Sterling. Elam and Landyn used to fish there regularly, she said. They had a small cake with 43 on it and a handful of balloons that they released in Elams memory. Landyn sang happy birthday. For now, all the boy knows is that his father was shot, Lynam said. The family is waiting for the body to be shipped back from California either to Ohio or Kentucky, theyre not sure and more details from the CHP before they tell Landyn exactly what happened. In the meantime, Lynam is left wondering. I didnt talk to him when my son called him, Lynam said. Im wishing now that I had. Maybe I wouldve sensed something. joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. Six people died from heat-related illnesses amid a record-breaking hot spell that roasted the Bay Area over the Labor Day weekend, officials say. Those who died were seniors, mostly in their late 70s, 80s and 90s, and nearly all were found in their Bay Area homes, according to coroners officials in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. Advanced age groups living independently within the city are the most vulnerable, Christopher Wirowek, a spokesman for San Franciscos medical examiners office, said in a statement. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recommends well-being checks and frequent contact to ensure friends, family, and neighbors are healthy and not in need of further assistance. Advertisement Robert Foucrault, the coroner for San Mateo County, said three of the victims died from shock because of heat stroke. They were identified as Patrick Henry, 90, of Pacifica; Ernesto Demesa, 79, of Daly City; and Loraine Christiansen, 95, of Millbrae. That weekend, the National Weather Service had issued an excessive heat warning for much of California, including the Bay Area. In downtown San Francisco, temperatures reached a staggering 106 degrees on Sept. 1, setting a record for the area. The sweltering heat also put a strain on the states power grid, intermittently knocking out electricity to thousands. The heat wave was part of the states hottest summer on record, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said. veronica.rocha@latimes.com Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA ALSO Bay Area freeways rank as Californias worst when it comes to animal vs. vehicle collisions La Tuna blaze is 90% contained, fire officials say Oakland fire captain accused of possessing child pornography Jeffrey Tuchman, a prolific filmmaker who helped introduce Bill Clinton to America and won awards for exploring topics such as civil rights and the evolution of modern medicine, has died. Tuchman died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 62 and was being treated for pancreatic cancer. As a filmmaker and writer, Tuchman seemed to bounce freely from the hard-boiled politics of the D.C. Beltway to the margins of America. Advertisement He helped develop the narrative of Clinton as a humble man with small-town values and big city vision in The Man From Hope, a 17-minute film that introduced the future president at the 1992 Democratic convention. And in Way Out, he told the story of a gay, middle-aged father of two in rural Georgia, struggling to find the way and the will to come out to his family. Jeffrey had a fierce sense of justice, a fundamental decency and an extraordinary talent for storytelling, said Mandy Grunwald, a noted political consultant who worked with Tuchman over the decades. In all, Tuchman made more than 30 documentaries, some short explorations and others ambitious projects, such as Voices of Civil Rights, which premiered at the Smithsonian, aired on the History Channel and won both Emmy and Peabody awards. He also produced political advertising, most notably for Clinton when he ran for president, and for Hillary Clinton when she ran for the U.S. Senate and, most recently, president. Born on July 17, 1955, in New York City to a pair of Holocaust survivors his father in Poland, his mother in Hungary Tuchman attended Hampshire College, but left to pursue filmmaking, working with Ken and Rick Burns, among others. It had all the things that interested me, Tuchman said in a 2003 interview. It had pictures, and I was a photographer. It had words, and I was a writer. It had music, and I was a musician. All these things seemed to come together in this one form. Tuchman initially worked as a filmmaker for Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization launched by former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and public opinion analyst Daniel Yankelovich. In 1992, Grunwald introduced Tuchman to Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, the Hollywood writer and producer and close Clinton friend, and asked them to work together on a film for the approaching Democratic convention. Turning on a dime actually, three weeks Tuchman and Bloodworth-Thomason created a documentary that humanized Clinton to a nation as yet unfamiliar with the future president. In the film, the candidate came across as refreshingly honest as he spoke about growing up with an alcoholic stepfather, marital infidelity and the deep well of inspiration that he drew from his hometown of Hope, Ark. The Man From Hope is still the best candidate film ever made, Grunwald said. In 2003, Tuchman directed the documentary Mavericks, Miracles and Medicine, a four-part examination of the roots of medical breakthroughs, sometimes by physicians who used themselves as guinea pigs or medical researchers who suffered career setbacks for advancing theories that seemed foolhardy or far-fetched. One was a 19th century Hungarian doctor who deduced his colleagues were spreading disease and death by failing to wash their hands as they moved from conducting autopsies to delivering babies. The doctor was derided, though a general understanding of germs and basic hygiene was not far off. At the time of his death, Tuchman was working on Testimony, which was to document his fathers return to Germany to testify in a war crimes trial. He also was at work on a six-part documentary for public television on health and poverty in California. Tuchman, who never married, is survived by his 95-year-old father, Marcel, and a brother, Peter. steve.marble@latimes.com Twitter: @stephenmarble The United States is pushing for a vote as early as Monday on new sanctions that would impose an energy stranglehold on North Korea by banning sales of oil and natural gas to the reclusive country. Negotiations were expected to take place this weekend, with China and Russia expressing objections. According to a draft version of a U.S.-written United Nations resolution, Pyongyang would be prohibited from importing crude oil, condensate, refined petroleum product and natural gas liquids. Advertisement The draft resolution, which is being circulated at the U.N. Security Council, would also ban Pyongyang from exporting textiles nipping in the bud one of the fastest growing sectors of the North Korean economy. And it would increase the ability of U.N. member states to interdict ships on the high seas by allowing nonconsensual inspections of those designated as violating sanctions. If approved and enforced, the bans would be crippling for North Korea, as the Trump administration and other governments seek ways to curb the isolated nations robust nuclear program. Its not a complete quarantine, but it is getting close, said Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations. But already the draft has run into opposition from China, which is North Koreas chief trading partner and largest supplier of fuel, and from Russia. Chinas ambassador to the U.N., Liu Jieyi, reportedly cut short a trip to Africa to negotiate over the weekend on the resolution. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at an economic forum with several Asian leaders in eastern Russia, expressed some sympathy for North Korean President Kim Jong Uns desire to have nuclear weapons but also said he was confident common sense would prevail. We can solve this problem through diplomatic means, Putin said Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country agreed on the need for additional Security Council action but at the same time urged dialogue and consultation. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has spent the last several days on the telephone trying to muster support for the U.S.-proposed resolution, his spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said Thursday. Nauert insisted that North Koreas nuclear test last weekend, its most powerful to date, did not show that diplomacy was failing. Numerous countries are all coming together to condemn North Korea, she said. Changing Kims behavior will take time. The draft resolution also bars U.N. countries from employing North Korean guest workers, who typically send almost all their earnings home to support the Pyongyang government, strengthening a clause of last months unanimously approved U.N. resolution that merely capped the number of North Korean workers abroad. China and Russia will likely object to these measures and insist on loopholes reducing their effectiveness, said Anthony Ruggiero, a senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert in sanctions. North Korea is entirely dependent on imported fuel oil, most of it from China. In the past, Beijing has cut off Pyongyangs supply, but only briefly, in order to signal displeasure. North Korea has already made its thoughts known: We will respond to the barbaric plotting around sanctions and pressure by the United States with powerful countermeasures of our own, the North Koreans said in a statement Thursday attributed to an economic delegation attending the economic forum in Vladivostok, Russia. North Korean defectors have reported rising gas prices, leading to speculation that China has already reduced its sales to North Korea or, alternately, that the North Korean military has been stockpiling fuel in anticipation of new sanctions. Demick reported from New York and Wilkinson from Washington tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter As more than 100 wildfires burned across the West, a blaze exploded this week in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area that has left Oregons outdoorsy residents in a state of public mourning. The Eagle Creek fire burned through their beloved backyard wilderness, blowing smoke into downtown Portland and raining a powder of white ash across the region. The blaze threatened the citys primary water supply at Bull Run Reservoir, and its rapid march toward a metropolitan area turned it into the nations top-priority wildfire. But across Oregon, where educators boast about putting 1 million children through wilderness training known as Outdoor School, citizens focused their bereavement on the fate of a vast network of timberline trails and magnificent waterfalls. The Eagle Creek conflagration has chewed through 33,382 acres of scenic treasure. Advertisement I think its appropriate to mourn, said Tom Cramblett, the 66-year-old mayor of Cascade Locks, a town of 1,200 largely displaced by the fire. You mourn for things, but you gotta move on. Cramblett, whose family put down roots in Oregon in the 1800s, operates tour-boat excursions on the Columbia River. Hes looking forward to seeing what comes from patches of forest stripped of the states signature Douglas firs. He thinks the fire will reveal towers of basalt and other visually arresting geological features. Its gonna be a different kind of beauty, Cramblett said, a whole new thing for a whole new generation. But the top elected official representing the wildlands on fire sounded a less enthusiastic note. Its been a very sad, sad situation, said Multnomah County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury. The Columbia River Gorge is the nations scenic area, she said. You can talk to people from all over the country whove been there even just once, swimming in a waterfall or hiking through the trails. The love and the awe and the majestic value of that area are immeasurable. And now it will be different. It wont be the same. Heartbroken. One of my favorite places on earththe majestic Columbia River Gorgewill look very different by morning. #EagleCreekFire pic.twitter.com/sjWdOHGh8k Nick Baker (@NickGBaker) September 5, 2017 Oregon State Police suspect that a 15-year-old boy from Vancouver, Wash., accidentally ignited the wildfire Saturday after he tossed fireworks in Eagle Creek. The blaze soon joined with another fire in the scenic area, burning since July 4, and jumped the Columbia River, sparking new fires in Washington. Social media lighted up with scorn for the unnamed teen suspected of causing the blaze. Not to be dramatic or anything but the kids who threw those fireworks at eagle creek are the worst human beings on earth, declared one Twitter user. Another tweeted: Punishment should include meeting with everybody in hospital due to smoke, who lost work due [to] evacuation, with lost or damaged homes ... and then be required to work helping people rebuild. And THEN go to prison for arson. Oh, and send the bill to their parents. Many observers, including some of the firefighters trying to corral the Eagle Creek fire, thought the shaming went too far. Im not in favor of lynch-mob mentality, said Cramblett, pointing out that wildfires have devastated the gorge every few generations for as long as anyone can remember. This was going to happen by lightning or whatever. You cannot have that much forest out there without something eventually happening, he said. The Eagle Creek fire burns along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge near Cascade Locks, Ore. (Genna Martin / Associated Press) Portland author Peter Ames Carlin and his wife took their three kids and dog, Ralph, to the Eagle Creek trail on Saturday for a day hike up to Punch Bowl Falls, a waterfall and swimming hole 2 miles into the forest. The spot teemed with sorority girls in bikinis and families enjoying the crystal-clear water, he said. When they began to hike back, they discovered the trail had been overrun by wildfire. They were among 150 people cut off by the fast-paced blaze, forcing them to hike farther into the woods, where they were flanked by patches of fire. The group, which Carlin said was organized by a retired Air Force sergeant, bedded down in the forest about midnight and pressed on toward safety about 5 a.m. Sunday. Sheriffs deputies, firefighters and U.S. Forest Service rangers had monitored their movements and were waiting for the group when it reached Wahtum Lake on Sunday. They had hiked more than 20 miles out of their way to reach safety and were ferried out of the woods in school buses. It was only after Carlin and his family reached Portland that it dawned on him that they were among the last group of people who would ever hike the Eagle Creek trail before the wildfire rearranged the terrain. Carlin was back in Portland on Thursday, where he lamented the inferno and its impact on the city. The city is just choked with smoke, he said. Ash is falling. Were just grateful that our ashes werent among them. Low clouds and increased humidity on Thursday turned the Eagle Creek fire docile. Along Interstate 84, which remains closed to public traffic from Troutdale to Hood River, the hillsides smoldered. People check out the smoky view of the Eagle Creek fire from North Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge. (Mark Graves / Associated Press) But the 911 firefighters now battling the blaze have come to expect the worst. They worry that an influx of dry air, with winds picking up in the typically gusty gorge, could spell disaster. So far, theyve been able to contain only 7% of the fire, and then only by building earthen barriers and removing underbrush around more than 100 homes on the northern edge of the ladle-shaped burn area. Crews are prepared for the long haul, said Rich Tyler, a veteran firefighter and spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshals Office. The reality is, were firefighters, Tyler said, pointing out that all 74 agencies doing battle with the stubborn wildfire are from Oregon. This is an important fire for us because this is our recreational playground. Its our backyard. If were gonna be anywhere, we want to be here fighting this fire. Denson is a special correspondent Hurricane Irma continued its deadly sweep through the Caribbean on Friday, escalating once again to a Category 5 storm as it made landfall in Cuba during the night with sustained winds of 160 mph. Residents of Florida waited with frazzled nerves and growing fears as the powerful storm, with a footprint as big as Texas, roared toward the mainland United States. Obviously Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States, said Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Anybody from Alabama to North Carolina should be watching this storm very closely. Advertisement Update: Hurricane Irma closes in on Florida as the state prepares for the worst The center of the storm was expected to reach the Florida Keys by Sunday morning and aim its full force on southern Florida whether Miami or Naples would bear the initial brunt was still unclear through Monday. Tornadoes were possible as soon as midday Saturday across central and southern Florida, continuing through Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm had briefly been downgraded Friday morning to a Category 4 status, with slightly slower winds, but that proved to be temporary. A total of 6.5 million people in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, according to the state Department of Emergency Management. Mandatory evacuations were in place for most of Floridas coastal communities, affecting 650,000 people in the Miami-Dade area. Already, supplies of water, batteries, flashlights and plywood had disappeared from most stores throughout South Florida. Streams of fleeing evacuees, from the Florida Keys to Miami and farther north, were creeping north on the states two major north-south arterials, Interstates 75 and 95. Traffic tie-ups were reported as far north as Ocala, 80 miles northwest of Orlando. All Floridians should be prepared to evacuate soon, Gov. Rick Scott said. Remember Hurricane Andrew [in 1992] was one of the worst storms in the history of Florida. Irma is more devastating on its current path. This is a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen. Full coverage of Hurricane Irma Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine called it a nuclear storm. The National Weather Service in Key West tweeted in capital letters: This is as real as it gets. Nowhere in the Florida Keys will be safe. You still have time to evacuate. At dusk Friday, downtown Miami was all but empty except for police. Everything was closed. Plywood covered store windows and sandbags were stacked in front of some buildings. City buses were bound for the garage where the fleet parks. Compared to Hurricane Harvey, which hit southeast Texas, Irma will be faster, making it unlikely that Florida will see the kind of severe inland flooding that crippled Houston. However, for coastal cities such as Miami and Miami Beach, an anticipated storm surge of up to 10 feet could be catastrophic. Its unknown exactly where the storm is going to make landfall, although its now more likely it will be on the Gulf of Mexico side of the state rather than the Atlantic. On Friday, the projected path kept edging west, making the risk in the Fort Myers/Naples area greater than the Miami area. Regardless of where it enters the state, the storm is expected to turn very slightly to the east. The storm is expected to drop between 8 to 10 inches of rain a fifth of what Harvey dumped in parts of Texas and up to 20 inches in isolated spots. Florida Power and Light, which serves about half the state, said it expected more than 4 million homes to lose power. Everyone in Florida will be impacted in some way by this storm, said Eric Silagy, a spokesman for FPL. Florida has been under a state of emergency most of the week, with official hurricane warnings in effect as of 11 p.m. Thursday for southern and central Florida. The outer bands of Irma were expected to creep over the state by Saturday morning, intensifying through the day. Scott ordered all schools closed Friday. Many will serve as shelters. Some in the Miami area had already reached capacity by midday Friday. Miamis homeless population of slightly more than 1,000 was being given the choice of going to a shelter or being taken involuntarily for a mental health evaluation, according to the Associated Press. Florida, Florida State, Central Florida and South Florida universities all canceled their football games. Scott also ordered the evacuation of seven cities near Lake Okeechobee. But not everyone has had the ability to leave. At a mobile home park in northwest Miami, just blocks from the Little River Canal, many of the mainly Haitian and Latin American immigrant residents said they would be forced to remain. Ernius Nonord, a 71-year-old Haitian, waved his hand defiantly and insisted he wasnt worried. I believe that God will keep me safe, he said. But if I had big money, I would go stay in [a] big house. His neighbors, Leon and Muryada Noel, who have a 4-year-old daughter, also are staying. Its going to be OK, Leon Noel said, cradling his daughter in his lap. The water only come to here, he said, gesturing to a spot around his ankle. Nothings going to happen. Federal Emergency Management Agency resources have been put into place to aid victims of the coming storm, and other resources were also on the way: The Navy has ordered the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and the amphibious transport dock ship New York to join other Navy resources to deliver humanitarian relief if requested. The ships can provide medical support, medium- and heavy-lift air support and other services, including security, route clearance and water purification. As Florida prepared for the worst, many islands in the Caribbean already have experienced it. The death toll is at least 20 and is expected to rise, with Category 4 Hurricane Jose advancing right behind Irma. The Turks and Caicos Islands were dealing with Irma on Friday. The island of Barbuda was almost destroyed by the storm but remarkably had only one fatality. Many Americans were left stranded on some of the islands that populate that area of the Caribbean. It may be days before damage in some of the smaller islands is known. Puerto Rico was spared the brunt of the storm but still has more than 1 million people without power. Another hurricane is also in the wings: Katia, which is expected to soon have winds topping 110 mph, could bring serious misery to Mexico when it makes landfall on Saturday. It is slowly moving to the area between Tampico and Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico. The area has been hard hit by rains recently and there is concern that flooding and landslides could be inevitable. In the path of Jose, which is churning in the Atlantic with winds of 150 mph, a hurricane watch was in effect for the storm-ravaged islands of Antigua, Barbuda and Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barts. There is no danger that Jose will follow Irma to the United States, forecasters say, as it is expected to take a strong northerly turn after passing the islands and be a danger only to Bermuda and Atlantic shipping lanes. Times staff writer Cherwa reported from Orlando and special correspondent Neuhaus from Miami. Times staff writers Evan Halper in Miami and W.J. Hennigan in Washington contributed to this report. john.cherwa@latimes.com @jcherwa ALSO Thousands of cruise ship passengers dropped off in Miami ahead of Hurricane Irma Once there was an island known as Barbuda. After Hurricane Irma, much of it is gone How Hurricane Irma became the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record UPDATES: 11:05 p.m.: This article was updated with the number of Florida residents ordered to evacuate. 10 p.m.: The article was updated with the storms return to Category 5 status and reports that it has made landfall in Cuba. 6:55 p.m.: The article was updated with information from the National Weather Service and details about preparation for the storm. 3:45 p.m.: The article was updated with the latest forecast and other details. 2:25 p.m.: The article was updated with comments from Miami residents awaiting the storm and details of Irmas rampage through the Caribbean. 10 a.m.: The article was updated throughout with Times staff reporting. The article was originally published at 3:35 a.m. Four years ago, a top Department of Homeland Security scientist reported a potential breakthrough in the governments race to detect deadly pathogens spread by bioterrorists or nature germs that could cause calamitous infections. A Silicon Valley company called NVS Technologies appeared on track to build a portable device that would swiftly and accurately analyze air samples from sensors deployed nationwide, and determine whether they contained anthrax spores or other lethal germs. NVS has done a tremendous job in fulfilling our requirements, Segaran Pillai, Homeland Securitys chief medical and science advisor, wrote in a seven-page internal report dated June 13, 2013. He recommended continued funding for NVS to ensure a successful outcome for the Nation. Advertisement But the promising project was abruptly halted in February 2014 six months before NVS engineers were due to deliver prototypes. A new acting division director at Homeland Security terminated the NVS contract for convenience, a legal term that gives the government broad leeway in oversight of its contracts. More than three years later, Homeland Security has yet to find a reliable way to quickly detect biowarfare agents and the cause of unusual disease outbreaks, a key vulnerability in the defenses hastily erected after the terrorist attacks of 2001. The contract dispute with NVS now is headed to court. A three-day trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 12 in Washington before an administrative law judge of the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. A decision may not be issued for weeks. A company typically faces a heavy legal burden to prove a federal contract termination was made in bad faith. But the case highlights a far larger problem: how the governments costly campaign to block the threat of bioterrorism has yet to produce a dependable solution. And although the path to innovation is lined with unmet promises, the NVS case remains a puzzle. A review by the Los Angeles Times of government documents and sworn testimony, and interviews with senior scientists and present and former government officials, show the proposed NVS technology a 10-pound, touch-screen device costing about $15,000 apiece had won uncommon praise from scientific experts at federal agencies in line to use it. I couldnt believe that they would terminate this contract, considering how far along the technology was, said Stephen A. Morse, a microbiologist who monitored the NVS project for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC, Morse said in an interview, hoped to use the NVS device to detect bioterrorism and causative agents of respiratory tract infections. I think it had tremendous potential, he said. Shutting down the project betrayed the nation, said the NVS chief executive, Hans Fuernkranz, a molecular biologist who has developed widely used tools for analyzing genetic materials. Im absolutely flabbergasted at what happened. A lawyer for NVS Technologies, James S. DelSordo, argued in a pretrial brief that the government owes NVS $286 million for lost sales and related costs. The company, he wrote, was victimized by government mismanagement and a campaign to harm its business which culminated in the inappropriate termination of the contract. A government lawyer, Christopher M. Kovach, countered that there exists no evidence that Homeland Security possessed an intent to injure NVS. The official who terminated the contract decided to prioritize other research and development efforts, Kovach wrote. Homeland Security also lodged a counterclaim, seeking $606,771 that it says it overpaid NVS. The case stems back to the widespread fear that erupted after several anthrax-laced letters sent through the U.S. mail killed five Americans shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks. In response, President George W. Bush authorized ambitious efforts to prevent biological attacks that could cause mass casualties. The CDC began to stockpile therapeutics for rapid deployment against likely bioagents. And in his 2003 State of the Union address, Bush announced deployment of the nations first early-warning network of sensors to detect biological attack. All told, the various federal efforts have cost about $21 billion so far but with mixed results. By early 2010, for instance, it was clear to government scientists that the nationwide system for swiftly and reliably detecting a bioterrorism attack called BioWatch was not working as promised. BioWatch, which had cost nearly $1 billion to install and operate by then, took up to 36 hours to gather and analyze potential pathogens. Worse, its sensors had falsely warned of dozens of germ attacks in major cities including at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008. So Homeland Security looked for ways to improve BioWatch. In April 2010, it awarded a contract, initially worth up to $18.3 million, to NVS Technologies, based in Menlo Park, Calif. The NVS device was designed for public health labs that used the BioWatch data, as well as for hospitals and doctors offices. Instead of 36 hours, the device was supposed to identify a germ in less than an hour. According to the company, material from a BioWatch air filter or a patients throat swab would be injected into a sample port in the NVS device. It then would purify the sample and analyze its genetic material for dozens of potential pathogens. Pillai and his colleagues at Homeland Security, who were overseeing the NVS contract, teamed with scientists from other agencies seeking biodetection technology including the Secret Service, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC. In June 2013, the director of Pillais division expanded the contract to $23.4 million. Prototypes were supposed to be ready the following summer for advanced testing at three government laboratories. Sally A. Hojvat, the FDA division director who could ultimately decide whether to grant regulatory clearance for the NVS device, was enthusiastic. We strongly believe the government must take the initiative to make this happen if we plan to have a highly robust diagnostics and surveillance program to capture a potential biological attack early and also to support the clinical intervention/mitigation and save lives, she wrote in a Dec. 4, 2013, e-mail to Pillai. But Donald Woodbury, who had been put in charge of Pillais division in September 2013, was unpersuaded. Woodbury had spent much of his career at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which developed stealth technology and other sophisticated tools for the Pentagon. He voiced doubt about the NVS technology and canceled the contract. The termination drew scrutiny from House Energy and Commerce Committee staff and from Homeland Securitys inspector general. In meetings with them, Woodbury defended his decision, saying the government could find suitable commercial technology. In a February 2015 report, Inspector General John Roth rejected Woodburys arguments. We did not identify evidence to substantiate any of the concerns, he wrote. A month later, an assistant inspector general, Mark Bell, requested in a two-page memo that colleagues conduct a deeper investigation. Woodburys actions were questionable because numerous federal experts believed the NVS device was meeting its milestones to provide a very promising piece of equipment, he wrote. Woodbury defended his actions as proper. He said in a pretrial affidavit that he had opposed the public health aspect of the NVS project and that it did not represent the best use of taxpayer money. Woodbury conceded in separate deposition testimony that Pillai, a microbiologist, had the greatest expertise, but said they disagreed about the merits of the technology. The contract was awarded before he took charge and all I could do was fix it, he said. Woodbury retired from Homeland Security at the end of 2016. I think that I acted appropriately as a steward of government resources, he told The Times this week regarding the NVS project. Without the federal contract, NVS abandoned work on the technology and laid off all 35 of its employees in 2014, Fuernkranz said in an interview. He now works as a consultant to venture capital firms. And BioWatch, the nations dubious sentry for bioterrorism, remains unchanged slow and unreliable at a cost of about $80 million a year. david.willman@latimes.com ALSO Rental car workers at Seattle airport win nearly $2 million in lawsuit over $15 minimum wage Kentucky could become first state with no abortion clinics Trump lawyers urge Supreme Court to rule for Colorado cake maker who turned away gay couple As the strongest hurricane on record headed toward South Florida, it first had to get past several small Caribbean nations. By Thursday, some had already been hit and badly damaged. Many of these nations were expected to need relief and assistance from the international community. Here is a briefing on some of the island nations in Irmas path: Antigua and Barbuda They are sister islands separated by about 28 miles. Antigua has around 80,000 people, while Barbuda has just under 2,000. The nation is part of the former British Empire and gained its independence in 1981. The islands thrive on tourism and are known for their resorts, pristine beaches and rain forests. Irma struck Barbuda on Wednesday, damaging at least 95% of structures. One person, a 2-year-old, was confirmed dead. This photo, taken from the Twitter account of RCI.fm, shows a flooded street on St. Martin. (AFP/Getty Images) (RINSY XIENG / AFP/Getty Images) St. Maarten/St. Martin Located around 150 miles southeast of Puerto Rico, the island was originally settled by Arawak natives and later passed among Holland, England, France and Spain. In 1648, it was peacefully divided between Holland and France to become two sovereign nations, the Dutch St. Maarten and the French St. Martin. English is widely spoken on the island, but the official language is Dutch in St. Maarten and French in St. Martin. French Creole, Spanish and Papiamento are also spoken. About 41,000 people live on the Dutch side and 36,000 on the French side. Irma has wrought devastation on the island nations, where there were reports of at least eight deaths. A photo posted Thursday on the Facebook account of Kevin Barrallon shows flooded houses in Gustavia on St. Barthelemy. (Kevin Barrallon / AFP/Getty Images) (KEVIN BARRALLON / AFP/Getty Images) St. Barthelemy Commonly known as St. Barts or St. Barths, the island is a legal French province. Its official website says the island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and controlled by the French in 1648 until 1784, when it was sold to Sweden. In 1877, France purchased the island back. In 1946, it was placed under the administration of Guadeloupe. Residents voted to secede from Guadeloupe in 2003, and in 2007 the island became a so-called French overseas collectivity. Unlike neighboring islands, African slaves were not brought to St. Barts, and today the population of around 9,000 is predominately white. Irma ripped off rooftops, shut down the electrical grid and sent rivers of debris flowing through streets. A satellite image of Hurricane Irma approaching Anguilla. (NOAA) (CIRA/NOAA / TNS) Anguilla Anguilla is part of the British West Indies. It was colonized by English settlers in 1650 and administered by Britain until the early 19th century, according to the CIA World Fact Book. The territory was incorporated into a single British dependency along with the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. The inhabitants launched several separation attempts until Anguilla was finally allowed to secede in 1971, and nine years later the nation was recognized as separate British dependency. The island of 17,000 people was reported to have sustained significant structural damage with at least one death when Irma swept through on Wednesday. Turks and Caicos Some 575 miles southeast of Miami, this British territory is comprised of seven main islands and about 40 small islands and uninhabited cays, with most of the countrys population of 52,570 living on Providenciales and Grand Turk. Control of the territory changed hands among the Spanish, French and British during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Residents on the low-lying islands, which rely on tourism, fishing and offshore financial services, braced for Irmas arrival Thursday as the National Hurricane Center forecast that storm surge could reach up to 20 feet. A home in Nagua, Dominican Republic, is surrounded by debris. (Tatiana Fernandez / Associated Press) (Tatiana Fernandez / AP) Dominican Republic The nation sits next to Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, which was controlled by France, Spain and for a brief period the United States. In 1697, Spain recognized French rule over the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought independence in 1821 but was conquered and ruled by Haiti for 22 years. The Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic gained its independence in 1844. By Thursday evening, residents of the island of 10.7 million people were huddled in shelters as Irma churned overhead. A beach in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. (Hector Retamal / AFP/Getty Images) (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP/Getty Images) Haiti A slave revolt that erupted in the territory in 1791 led to independence from France 13 years later, with Haiti becoming the world's first black republic. The densely populated, cash-strapped nation is very familiar with deadly storms. Most recently, Hurricane Matthew slammed into the island of 10.6 million people in October 2016, damaging up to 80% of homes and leaving at least 350,000 people in need of immediate aid. The death toll hit at least 1,000, according to tallies by humanitarian workers and local government officials. ann.simmons@latimes.com Twitter: @AMSimmons1 Workers here in the first U.S. city to establish a $15-an-hour minimum wage have won another multimillion-dollar settlement in a four-year battle to force employers to abide by the new law. The $2-million settlement announced this week by the state Department of Labor and Industries involves back pay and interest for more than 150 employees of Hertz and Thrifty car rental agencies at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Now that this agreement is in place, said department Director Joel Sacks, were moving ahead to get this money into the hands of the people who worked hard for it. The funds will make a real difference for these workers and their families. Advertisement Some will receive checks for as much as $30,000 in lost income, the result of employers paying lower hourly wages as they disputed the law and pursued drawn-out legal challenges. The Department of Labor and Industries said the nearly $2-million agreement is one of its largest settlements over back pay in recent history. From our perspective, said Sage Wilson of Working Washington, a workers advocacy group that backed the SeaTac effort, theres a story here with regard to the years of increasingly absurd tactics many SeaTac employers have used to try and avoid following the law court case on court case on court case. And then, after losing and losing and losing, just sort of trying to ignore back pay. Voters in SeaTac, a city of 29,000 that surrounds the airport and adopted its nickname, passed the minimum wage law in 2013. The proposition won narrow approval a margin of 77 votes out of 6,003 cast. A recount didnt change the outcome. When the law took effect in 2014, some businesses, including those within the airport boundary, refused to pay the new minimum. In 2015, however, the state Supreme Court upheld the law and also ruled it applied to businesses at the airport, which is operated by the Port of Seattle. The ruling allowed workers to file claims with the state to recover lost wages from the employers. Others joined class-action lawsuits to recoup the unpaid differences. The Department of Labor and Industries said Wednesday that Hertz and DTG Operations Inc., which operates Thrifty, formally signed the settlement Aug. 18, agreeing to pay back wages totaling $1.51 million plus $458,651 in interest. Under the agreement, the state waived any penalties and did not require an admission of wrongdoing by the companies. Last September, settlements in two dozen cases brought by airport transportation and hospitality services workers resulted in more than $12 million in back payments for current and former workers. The largest payment, $8.2 million, was made by Menzies Aviation, which furnishes baggage handlers and ramp workers for Alaska Airlines. The recipients were 738 past and current workers who had been paid just $12 an hour. Each received an average of $10,000 after attorneys fees, according to court records. Prospect International Airport Services Corp. agreed to pay 291 workers nearly $2 million to settle its claim, and PrimeFlight Aviation Services paid more than $1.8 million to 152 workers. James Kiboneka, a 61-year-old former PrimeFlight worker, told the Associated Press that this money should have been paid when he earned it. Its coming late, Koboneka said, but of course this is a victory. He said he planned to use his $8,488 payout to cover bills and other expenses. Seattle was also a minimum-wage trailblazer after its City Council approved a $15-an-hour measure in 2014, becoming the first big municipality to do so. But the increase is being phased in over seven years. Seattles plan has since been adopted, with variations, by other cities and states across the U.S. as the $15-an-hour movement grew. California, for one, will raise its minimum wage to $15 hourly by 2023, while New York recently passed an increase to $15 that will rise incrementally, with some counties on a faster track than others. Critics of the SeaTac law predicted the forced wage increase would stifle the citys growth and result in fewer jobs. An ongoing University of Washington study of minimum wage laws found that some worker hours were in fact reduced as a result of the change costing each of them $125 in monthly earnings. But it did not affect the number of low-wage positions available. SeaTac also recently announced it has nine hotels under development. Anderson is a special correspondent. ALSO Credit giant Equifax says Social Security numbers, birth dates of 143 million consumers may have been exposed Amazon is searching for new headquarters, and L.A. wants to be in the running Leave. Get out if ordered, Florida governor says as monster storm bears down Gordon Ip, 22, is just months away from a bachelors degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a DACA student, a Dreamer, with seven months protection from deportation left on his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals permit. The Trump administration rescinded the program Tuesday, throwing Ips future and that of more than 800,000 DACA-eligible young people into question. Ip arrived in the U.S. from Hong Kong legally, with his parents and an older brother, on a tourist visa when he was 4. His father works in construction, his mother at a nail salon. They didnt tell Ip about the familys status until he was 17. Advertisement Since Trumps election, Ip has been praying that his parents, who are in Southern California, wont get deported. Now, he cant stop thinking about what might await him in Hong Kong. Daniela Gerson spoke with Ip by phone hours after he learned of Trumps decision. My dad Facebook messaged me first: Did you hear the news? Are you OK? The articles Im reading are calling us aliens. They make us seem foreign and unintelligible, so nobody will understand were human beings. They say Im a criminal. All day I have been sitting in class trying to pay attention. Im in the United States for the education that my parents save every penny to pay for. We pay our taxes. I saved up $10,000 myself, and I spent it all on tuition and school and classes in the first half year of school. I get no federal aid, obviously, as a DACA recipient. They make us seem foreign and unintelligible, so nobody will understand were human beings. I just need three more months to finish my degree. Im in the last stretch, and theyre going to cut my legs from under me? I am writing notes for a class about theater, history and literature, something I am incredibly interested in. But I cant focus for 10 seconds. All I can think is, do classes like this exist back in Hong Kong? And if they do exist, will I be able to understand the professor lecturing with my bad Cantonese? Will I be able to write notes, not knowing the characters? Will I be an outcast because I have to Google Translate the whole thing? Im not a very emotional person, but Im just so scared. My family lived in hiding for so long, and I didnt even know I was hidden. Then, after DACA, I was proud to be able to thrive in this country. Now, I cant do anything that will make me stand out in a crowd. I feel like I have to go back into hiding. When the news came out, I considered staying in my room, taking a mental health day. But then I thought, That is how they win, and I cant do that. The strange thing is, on campus, its pretty much a normal day. When Trump was elected, the entire school was in mourning. The end of DACA is mostly invisible. The coordinator for Dreamers on my campus emails me. She says they will support me. But I dont want to confront this problem right now. I dont want to believe it. I just want it to go away. Around friends who know about my situation, its been kind of awkward, like when people come up to you at a funeral. Its not their fault, but they just dont understand. They have a place here. I belong nowhere. Most other Dreamers wont recognize me as a Dreamer because I am Asian, not Latino. Culturally, Chinese people suffer quietly and silently. Thats Confucianism: To respect your elders and to respect people who have power. Eventually, you will get your turn. But in America, we dont know if were going to get our turn. We suffer silently for nothing. Gordon Ip is majoring in communication studies at the University of Nebraska. Daniela Gerson is an assistant professor of journalism at Cal State Northridge and a senior fellow at the Democracy Fund. She is co-founder of the immigration newsletter Migratory Notes. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook It might seem an insignificant dispute, a tiny ship in a small bottle floating on a far-off sea. Who cares if a UCLA history professor keeps his job as president of the Center for Jewish History in New York City? But the fight over David N. Myers, who was tapped to head the Center in June, and whom right-wing adversaries are now trying to get fired, is about America, and Jews, and intellectual freedom. And its about the intrusion of politics and money into the world of scholarship. For the record: This article originally stated that Myers was a former UCLA professor. He remains a member of the faculty. The Center for Jewish History houses five scholarly organizations, including the American Jewish Historical Society. Among scholars, the appointment of the UCLA historian was the opposite of controversial. Brandeis University historian Jonathan D. Sarna called Myers the very embodiment of what the center should be. But this week, an opinion piece appeared in three politically conservative Jewish publications, assailing Myers as an extremist who, according to one of the headlines, must be fired for radical viewpoints. Advertisement The short piece appearing on the websites of the Jewish Press, the Algemeiner and the Israeli network Arutz Sheva carries three bylines: Ronn Torossian, Hank Sheinkopf and George Birnbaum. It attacks Myers for serving on the board of the liberal New Israel Fund; for having helped raise money online for If Not Now, which opposes the occupation of the West Bank; and for advising J Street, a lobby that supports a two-state solution. The Zionist hope was for a country where Jews could be free of loyalty oaths, free to flourish as whoever we wanted to be. The op-ed also links to several essays and reviews written by Myers, including one from the New Republic magazine, in 2008, in which he writes that the deep wound of the Nakba catastrophe, how Palestinians refer to the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 must finally be exposed to the light of day, and in some way be healed. Torossian, Sheinkopf and Birnbaum are not scholars. A man Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg once called the most disreputable flack in New York, Torossian has done public relations for rapper Lil Kim and the late televangelist Paul Crouch. Hes the PR man of choice for (in Goldbergs words) the lunatic fringe of Israeli politics (but also, Torossian pointed out, for mayors of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv). Sheinkopf does PR for companies including Home Depot and runs political campaigns, mostly for Democrats, mostly in New York. Birnbaum, a former chief of staff for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, advised the presidential campaign of Ben Carson. Torossian et al. have company. In the divided world of Israel politics, many on the right see even center-left groups such as J Street as hostile to the Jewish state. They see Myers vague openness to a possible partial boycott of Israel one that targets companies that make arms used in the occupation of the West Bank as equivalent to wishing for Israels demise. They see the use of the Arab word nakba as a provocation. In this reading, a liberal scholar like Myers becomes an enemy of his people. To defend Myers against charges of anti-Zionism misses the point. What if Myers were an anti-Zionist somebody who, while loving Jews and Judaism and Jewish history, thought that Israels founding was a mistake, or thought that its privileging of Jews in law and immigration policy was wrong? To be clear, there is no evidence that he holds those views. (Reached by email Thursday, Myers declined to comment.) But if he did, would that disqualify him from running a scholarly center? Not, I should think, if his scholarship were sound, and his management competent. By imposing litmus tests from the right, Torossian and his co-writers repeat a mistake of the far left, which has become inhospitable to supporters of Israel. The campaign against Myers reflects a growing inability to respond appropriately to divergent ideas, said Aaron Lerner, the Hillel rabbi at UCLA who is Orthodox and a Zionist. If you disagree with someone debate him! Win the war of ideas. But lets stop trying to get people fired because we disagree with their politics. Torossian doesnt see it that way. PETA would probably not appoint somebody who is a great hunter to a position there, he said. But the Center for Jewish History is a scholarly center, not a pro-Israel group. The Zionist hope was for a country where Jews could be free of loyalty oaths, free to flourish as whomever we wanted to be. In saying which Jews deserve to work in the community, Torossian and the others are constricting possibilities for Jewish life by using threats to try to get a man fired. We are absolutely persuading donors, speaking actively to donors, and if this man remains there, I am confident they will see a rapid decline in donations, Torossian said. (When I asked if he was a donor to the center, he said, Im not going to answer that.) Nearly 500 Jewish scholars, rabbis and writers, including Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt and, I should add, me signed a petition defending Myers; it was posted online Thursday. So far, the Center for Jewish History has stood by its man, saying in a statement that the board has full confidence in his ability to lead the Center in the fulfillment of its mission. Is this enough to defeat the man who represented Lil Kim? For the sake of good scholarship, I hope so. Mark Oppenheimer, a contributing writer to Opinion, is the host of the podcast Unorthodox, the podcast of Tablet magazine. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook MORE FROM THE OPINION SECTION Why wont the U.S. use its full sanction power against North Korea? This just in from the West Side: Who knew a nightmare election would wind up being such a gas? If teenagers get more sleep, California could gain billions Is Sen. Dianne Feinstein an anti-Catholic bigot? Did she violate the spirit if not the letter of the Constitutions ban on a religious test for public office when she worried this week that a Catholic nominee for a federal appeals court might be unduly influenced by her religious beliefs because, as she told the nominee, the dogma lives loudly within you. Feinsteins comments at a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Judiciary Committee were directed to Notre Dame law professor Amy Coney Barrett, President Trumps nominee to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (and, as some noted, a mother of seven). The response on Twitter was immediate and righteously indignant. Bigotry pure and simple tweeted USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers. Out of bounds declared Sohrab Ahmari, a writer for Commentary who asked: Would she say so to a Muslim judicial nominee? Dianne Feinstein stepped in it today, tweeted Christopher Hale, a prominent Catholic Democrat. Advertisement I dont think Feinstein is a bigot or a descendant of the 19th Century Know-Nothings who muttered about rum, Romanism and rebellion. But she went too far in raising doubts about whether Barrett would allow her religious views to affect her rulings as a judge (particularly about abortion rights, Feinsteins priority when it comes to judicial nominations). Unfortunately, Feinstein wasnt alone. At the same hearing, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) himself a Catholic engaged in a cringeworthy interrogation of Barrett, at one point asking her if she considered herself an orthodox Catholic. (Durbin also said that he had never encountered that term before, a sad commentary on the quality of his 19 years of Catholic education.) You can imagine circumstances in which it might be legitimate for senators to press a judicial nominee aggressively about whether he or she might allow her religious beliefs to override her obligation to apply the law and the Constitution. (If Trump nominated former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore to the federal bench, Id insist on that line of questioning.) But Barrett didnt deserve such treatment, despite a claim by a liberal interest group, the Alliance for Justice, that Barrett has said that judges should be free to put their personal views ahead of their judicial oath to faithfully follow the law. Nowhere in its screed against Barrett did the group substantiate this extraordinary accusation. It cited a 1998 article Barrett co-wrote as a law student that argued that a Catholic trial judge with religious objections to capital punishment should recuse herself from deciding whether to impose a death sentence. That, of course, is the opposite of suggesting that a judge should issue a ruling based on her religion. Feinstein wasnt as crass as the Alliance for Justice in raising doubts about Barretts ability to keep her religious beliefs out of future rulings. But heres what she did say late in the hearing: Whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different. And I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and thats of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for for years in this country. But I havent see any quotations from Barretts speeches or writings that support the notion that her rulings would be warped by religious dogma. Yes, she once told graduates at Notre Dame law school (a Catholic institution) that their legal career was but a means to an end, and ... that end is building the kingdom of God. She also wrote in a Notre Dame alumni publication that life is about more than the sum of our own experiences, sorrows, and successes. Its about the role we play in Gods ever-unfolding plan to redeem the world. These conventional pieties dont raise ethical flags. Finally, in the two-decade-old law review article about judges and capital punishment, Barrett and her coauthor did write that judges should conform their own behavior to the churchs standard. But, again, this was in the context of suggesting that a judge who had religious objections to capital punishment should withdraw from a decision about imposing the death penalty not a suggestion that the judge should refuse to impose the sentence in deference to church teachings. In fact, earlier in the same paragraph the article says: Judges cannot nor should they try to align our legal system with the churchs moral teaching whenever the two diverge. Of course, Feinsteins concerns about ulterior religious motives involve not capital punishment but abortion. As a spokeswoman for the senator explained: Professor Barrett has argued that a judges faith should affect how they approach certain cases. Based on this, Sen. Feinstein questioned her about whether she could separate her personal views from the law, particularly regarding womens reproductive rights. That general question can be fairly put to any judicial nominee, but Feinsteins oddly phrased observation that the dogma lives loudly within you assumed facts not in evidence, even if it doesnt qualify as Catholic-bashing. Feinstein is free not to vote for Barrett, but she owes the professor an apology. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook MORE FROM THE OPINION SECTION: Trumps three-for-one deal to avert a shutdown and a default is welcome, if imperfect The bizarre debate over whether Dreamers are kids or adults Want to keep the A/C on during the heat wave? Then, for heavens sake, turn something else off California farmworkers will have to undergo sexual assault prevention training By Jazmine Ulloa Gov. Jerry Brown/ (Monica Davey/ EPA) Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation to ensure farm labor contractors train employees on how to prevent and report sexual assault, a response to a 2013 PBS Frontline investigation that found sexual violence against women was a pervasive problem in California fields. Senate Bill 295 by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) makes sexual harassment training mandatory at all businesses that supervise farm employees or provide them with lodging, transportation or other services. The training has to be conducted or interpreted in a language that employees can understand, the law stipulates, and farm labor contractors will have to provide proof of all of their materials and resources to the Farm Labor Commission as part of the license renewal process. Under the new law, the state labor commission also will be able to charge a $100 civil fine for any violation of the new requirements. The PBS Frontline investigative documenatory, Rape in the Fields, The Hidden Story of Rape on the Job in America found more than half a million women work in U.S. fields. Most do not have legal residency in the country, and sexual harassment and violence often go unreported. A 2012 Human Rights Watch survey found 80% of 150 women in Californias Central Valley had experienced some form of the abuse. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles voters can cast ballots in Assembly race on Tuesday By Chris Megerian Wendy Carrillo is one of 13 people running for a state Assembly seat. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The political dominoes from U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxers retirement are almost done falling. Her decision two years ago to forgo reelection led to a reshuffling that eventually left vacant a state Assembly seat in Los Angeles. There are 13 candidates running in the special election, and the primary is Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Brown signs major housing legislation By Liam Dillon At a signing ceremony in San Francisco on Friday morning, Gov. Jerry Brown signed 15 bills aimed at addressing the states mounting housing problems. It is a big challenge, Brown said. We have risen to it this year. The bills could add nearly $1 billion in new funding for low-income housing developments in the near term as well as lessen regulations that slow growth. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Gov. Jerry Brown signs bills to tackle Californias housing crisis Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers are gathered in San Francisco for the signing into law of a package of proposals designed to tackle some of the most pressing parts of Californias housing crisis. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Businesses in California will be required to tell customers exactly how much their automatic renewal will cost By Mina Corpuz California will require online businesses that offer free trials to tell customers exactly how much an automatic renewal will cost under a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. The laws author, Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), thinks the bill, known as SB 313, will make it easier for customers to cancel service. Consumers need to know what they are signing up for and that they can just as easily cancel any service or subscription online as when they started it online, Hertzberg said in a statement. Streaming services like Hulu and Spotify and the file-sharing site Dropbox have elicited lawsuits and consumer complaints about their automatic service renewals, according to Hertzbergs statement. The law goes into effect in July. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres why Californias early primary in 2020 is destined to pick the next president. (Nah, not really) By Mark Z. Barabak (Harry Chase / Los Angeles Times) Today we answer questions. Woo-hoo! Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the bill, it looks like California is moving up its 2020 presidential primary. Finally! Uh. No more watching from the sidelines as small-fry states like Iowa and New Hampshire throw their weight around. Um. Im already fluffing pillows and prepping the guestroom for all the 2020 hopefuls wholl be camped out. Er. What? You dont seem too excited. Look, it would be great if California voted in a truly meaningful presidential primary. Its been about 50 years since that happened. But its about as likely in 2020 as President Trump dumping Vice President Pence and running for reelection on a unity ticket with Hillary Clinton. How can that be? Lots of reasons, both political and practical. Do tell. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Poll: Californians like Obamacare more than ever but are divided on single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Members of the California Nurses Assn. and other supporters rally at the state Capitol for a single-payer health plan June 28. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) As the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act fizzles, the law has reached its highest popularity in California in four years, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Nearly 60% of the Californians hold a generally favorable view of the healthcare law, and just over a third of Californians see it unfavorably the highest approval rating since PPIC began tracking the laws popularity in 2013. But while Democrats and independents back the law, known as Obamacare, with strong majorities, three-quarters of Republicans have negative views of it. Only 18% of Californians believe congressional Republicans should try again to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and 58% of adults want to see bipartisan efforts to improve the law. Underscoring the GOPs challenge in dramatically reducing governments role in healthcare, two-thirds of the states adults believe it is the federal governments responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health coverage. But Californians are divided on whether to substantially increase government involvement through a single-payer system, such as the Medicare for All proposal recently introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont). A national single-payer insurance program such as Medicare for All gets support from 35% of Californians, according to the poll. Support is higher among Democrats 44% and independents 34% than among Republicans. Only 6% of Republicans back such a system. But the current system, a patchwork of government and private insurance options, isnt particularly adored by Californians. Just under 30% of adults support continuing with a mix of private and public insurance options, while 36% of Democrats, 21% of Republicans and 31% of independents see that mixed system as the best way to provide health coverage. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Half of Californias likely voters think Sen. Dianne Feinstein should retire, poll finds By Phil Willon (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein contemplates a 2018 bid for reelection, a new poll has found that 50% of Californias likely voters think she shouldnt run again. Just 43% of likely voters support Feinstein running for a sixth term, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday. The results are similar among all California adults, not just likely voters, with 46% saying she should not run for another term and 41% saying she should run. Feinstein, 84, has come under increased pressure from members of Californias left, many of whom were infuriated when earlier this month she called for patience with President Trump and refused to back demands for his impeachment. Still, the poll found that Feinstein remains popular. More than half of likely voters 54% approve of the job shes doing, compared with 38% who disapprove. Thats on par with Gov. Jerry Browns approval rating, and it bests the marks for Californias other Democratic senator, Kamala Harris. When likely voters were asked about Harris, the former state attorney general elected to the Senate in November, 47% approved of the job she was doing in Washington and 30% disapproved. Almost a quarter of voters didnt offer an opinion about Harris. The contrasting results on Feinstein are difficult to decipher but at the very least indicate voters remain restless. Partly, this is a holdover from last years election in which you saw many Democrats wanting a more liberal alternative at the presidential level and you saw many independents wanting an outsider, said Mark Baldassare, president of Public Policy Institute of California. As people are looking to next year, theres a desire for something new. Speculation continues that Feinstein may face a Democratic challenger. Among those who have been mentioned is state Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), who is weighing his next political move after he terms out of office in 2018. De Leon lashed out at Feinstein after her comments about Trump in early September. In her last election, Feinstein trounced her Republican opponent, Elizabeth Emken, by a 25-percentage-point margin in 2012. She won by almost an identical margin in 2006 when challenged by former Republican state Sen. Richard Mountjoy. However, California has since switched to a top-two primary system. The two candidates who receive the most voters in the June primary election will advance to the 2018 general election, regardless of their party. Two Democrats faced off in the finale of Californias 2016 U.S. Senate election, with Harris besting then-Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Barbara Boxer says if Sen. Dianne Feinstein runs for another term, she should expect a tough race By Mina Corpuz Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (Mina Corpuz / Los Angeles Times ) Its one of the hottest political parlor games in California right now: Will she run again? Everyone is waiting for Sen. Dianne Feinstein to announce if shell seek a sixth term. And even though they served as colleagues in Washington for more than two decades, former Sen. Barbara Boxer said she has no inside intel on what Feinstein will do in 2018. I believe she is running until I see any other indication, Boxer said Wednesday at a Sacramento Press Club lunch. Every single race is hard.... Anyone who runs against her will give her a tough race. Feinstein, 84, has made clear she is taking her time, even as ambitious politicians eye the seat she has held since 1992. One long-shot Democrat already is raising money for the race, and Feinstein recently drew criticism from California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, who has not ruled out a primary challenge against her. Boxer said Wednesday her own priority for next years midterm election is flipping several Republican-held House seats in Southern California. Theres no such thing as an off election year, she said. Its an on year. Much of this work will be done through the political action committee Boxer founded, PAC for a Change. The organization also supports electing more Democrats to the Senate and standing up to President Trumps policies, she said. Since leaving the Senate in January, Boxer has also given speeches and promoted her book, The Art of Tough. She doesnt like to consider herself a retiree. Boxer also skirted a question about her pick for governor in a race that already is crowded with several Democrats. All of the candidates, she joked, are like my sons and daughters. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias top elections officer now says his agencys website wasnt the one scanned by Russian hackers By John Myers Secretary of State Alex Padilla (John Myers / Los Angeles Times) Five days after saying he had been told Russian hackers scanned the states main elections website for weaknesses in 2016, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Wednesday that it turns out it didnt actually happen that way. Padilla said that his office was given incorrect information by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and that the Russian operation was instead focused on scanning the network of the state Department of Technology. Our notification from DHS last Friday was not only a year late, it also turned out to be bad information, Padilla said in a statement. Bryce Brown, a spokesman for the states information technology agency, said officials had long known about suspect activity that occurred on our network last summer but didnt know anything else until the notification from federal officials. Although we did not have knowledge of the source until now, we have confirmed our security systems worked as planned and the activity was blocked as it happened in 2016, he said. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that federal officials also reversed course in a notification they had made to Wisconsin elections officials about Russian activity. In June, federal officials told Congress that 21 states elections systems were targeted by Russian activity. Padilla insisted last week that the scanning incident found no vulnerabilities or access to any California voter information, and he criticized DHS officials for the delay in sharing information about 2016 activities. On Wednesday, he said hopes that federal officials will continue to work with the states in preventing cyberattacks. I remain committed to a partnership with DHS and other intelligence agencies; however, elections officials and the American public expect and deserve timely and accurate information, Padilla said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Hollywood tour buses could get more rules slapped on them under the law Gov. Jerry Brown just signed By Patrick McGreevy A tour bus passes the late Carrie Fishers gated home in Beverly Hills. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at reining in the proliferation of tour buses offering to take fans to the homes and gathering spots of celebrities in Hollywood and other trendy neighborhoods. The measure allows cities and counties to adopt rules that restrict the routes or streets used by the tour buses, and prohibit the use of loudspeakers on open-topped buses and vans. Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Sherman Oaks) introduced the proposal in response to a report by NBC Los Angeles that found some tour buses were operating unsafely without proper permits. He also cited complaints about topless buses on narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills, Malibu and Bel-Air. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Latino state lawmakers back Antonio Villaraigosa for California governor By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa gives a pep talk in Los Angeles at Cathedral High School, where he once was also a student. ((Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Legislatures California Latino Caucus on Wednesday endorsed former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for governor. While expected, the nod from the politically influential caucus is a boon for Villaraigosa, a former Democratic Assembly speaker and the only major Latino candidate running for governor. Villaraigosa has lagged behind Lt. Gov. Gavin Newson in early polls and fundraising. As Assembly speaker and Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa worked to strengthen our economy, expand our healthcare, improve our schools and invest in strategic infrastructure projects that create middle-class jobs, Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), chair of the caucus, said in a statement Wednesday morning. An intriguing aspect of the endorsement is that one of the most prominent members of the California Latino Caucus is Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). In Sacramento, speculation abounds over whether De Leon may run for governor, and the Villaraigosa endorsement could indicate De Leon has other plans for his political future. Villaraigosa joins a slate of other Latino statewide candidates endorsed by the caucus: Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa) for lieutenant governor; current appointee Xavier Becerra for attorney general; incumbent Alex Padilla for secretary of state; Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) for insurance commissioner; and Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) for superintendent of public instruction. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California is trying to educate people about marijuana before recreational sales start By Patrick McGreevy Months before California allows the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the state has launched an education campaign about the drug, including highlighting the potential harms of cannabis for minors and pregnant women. The state is scheduled to issue licenses starting Jan. 2 for growing and selling marijuana for recreational use, expanding a program that currently allows cannabis use for medical purposes. In response, the California Department of Public Health has created a website to educate Californians about the drug and its impacts, including how to purchase and safely store cannabis. We are committed to providing Californians with science-based information to ensure safe and informed choices, said State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. The website, Lets Talk Cannabis, notes it is illegal for people under 21 to buy marijuana for non-medical use and warns that using cannabis regularly in your teens and early 20s may lead to physical changes in your brain. The site also warns that marijuana edibles may have higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. If you eat too much, too fast you are at higher risk for poisoning, the website warns. The state urges parents and guardians to talk to their teenagers about legal and health issues surrounding marijuana use. The state officials also say consuming cannabis is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who plan to become pregnant soon, noting that it can affect the health of your baby. The website got good marks from legalization activist Ellen Komp, deputy director of Californias chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The website is fairly accurate, she said, but added, The risks with pregnancy are somewhat overstated, telling women they should not use cannabis for nausea or even if they are thinking of getting pregnant. Some 43% of Californians have used marijuana for recreational purposes and 54% said they have not, according to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll last November. Among those who have not used it, just 2% said they are much more likely to use it if Proposition 64 passed, which it did, while 5% said they are somewhat more likely to use it, and 89% said they are no more likely to smoke pot if it was legalized. Other advice from the states site: driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and increases the chance of a car accident, and cannabis should be stored in a locked area to avoid poisoning children and pets. Updated at 11:30 am to include data from poll on marijuana use. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Todays newsletter: Republicans fail again to repeal Obamacare By John Myers Todays Essential Politics newsletter details the last gasp of the Republican efforts in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, efforts that President Trump insisted on Tuesday arent over. We also take a look at the win by Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, in a Senate runoff that saw the president back the losing candidate. And weve got the details of what happens if Gov. Jerry Brown, as expected, signs the sanctuary state bill into law. The newsletter comes out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Are you a subscriber? Sign up below. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement After meeting with Trump, California Democrats say they want a seat at the tax reform table By Sarah D. Wire Ahead of Republicans plans to unveil a more detailed overview of their tax reform plan Wednesday, President Trump sat down with a bipartisan group of members that included California Democratic Reps. Linda Sanchez and Mike Thompson. Sanchez, of Whittier, who serves on the House committee that has authority over tax legislation, said members didnt learn much about the details of the plan Tuesday. There were kind of generalities but no specificity, which is why were interested to see what they put out tomorrow, because clearly its not something thats had Democratic input, Sanchez said. According to a White House transcript of part of the meeting, Trump said the plan is focused on making the tax code simple and fair, increasing the deduction most families can take, lowering the business tax rate and bringing wealth stored overseas back to the United States. Thompson, of St. Helena, said the president listened to what Democrats had to say, but he didnt get the impression that the policy plan would change before it becomes public Wednesday. I dont think it was that kind of meeting. We all agreed we wanted a fair, easy-to-work-with tax code that generates more jobs, said Thompson, who is also on the committee. He said repeatedly he wants to be successful. Republicans are set to unveil a consensus document Wednesday they say will be a much more detailed overview than previous tax policy papers theyve released. But it is not expected to be an actual plan or bill. Republicans will huddle with Vice President Mike Pence for half of Wednesday to discuss tax reform. Democrats are holding their own tax reform forum too. Its been 30 years since Congress has passed a major tax overhaul, and Republican leaders have set an ambitious timeline for passing a tax-reform measure, indicating they want to get it to Trumps desk by the end of the year. Sanchez said she tried to stress in the meeting that Democrats should play a role in writing the final bill. There wasnt discussion about the group sitting down with Trump again, she said. The president was very pleased that it was a bipartisan effort, which sort of confused me because that was the first meeting where there were members of the Democratic side of the Ways and Means Committee there, Sanchez said. I dont know if theyve been telling him that the process is bipartisan or if he knew it wasnt bipartisan but didnt care, but I thought that was kind of odd. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Judge rewrites summary of proposed gas tax repeal initiative, saying it was fundamentally flawed By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices in February. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) A judge on Monday rewrote the title and summary for a proposed initiative that would repeal recent gas tax increases in California. He rejected a title and summary written by the state attorney generals office as fundamentally flawed. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley criticized the attorney generals office for not mentioning in the title that the ballot measure would repeal newly approved taxes or fees. This is not a situation where reasonable minds may differ, Frawley wrote in his ruling. The Attorney Generals title and summary ... must be changed to avoid misleading the voters and creating prejudice against the measure. The initiative proposed by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) would repeal a bill approved in April by the Legislature and governor that would raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and increase vehicle fees in order to generate $5.2 billion for road repairs and to improve mass transit. The title and summary will be placed on petitions to be circulated by those trying to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot. The title and summary are also placed on the ballot if enough signatures are collected. The original title written by Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerras office was: Eliminates recently enacted road repair and transportation funding by repealing revenues dedicated for those purposes. Allens attorneys argued the voter could read that to mean that the Legislature identified existing funds for transportation and the initiative would take those funds away. The judges title says: Repeals recently enacted gas and diesel taxes and vehicle registration fees. Eliminates road repair and transportation programs funded by these taxes and fees. The judge also made it clear in the summary that an Independent Office of Audits and Investigations that would be eliminated by the initiative is newly established. Representatives of the attorney generals office were not immediately available to comment on whether the ruling would be appealed. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrats to try to force vote on Dream Act with rarely successful procedural move By Sarah D. Wire House Democrats are trying to force a vote on Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allards version of the Dream Act, they announced in a news conference Monday. The House and Senate have less than six months to address the legal status of people brought into the country illegally as children before the program protecting them from deportation ends in March. In the weeks since President Trump announced he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Democrats have pushed for a quick vote on Roybal-Allards bill, which is backed by every House Democrat and four Republicans. There are also a handful of other Republican-sponsored bills that could be considered. To force a vote, Democrats would need a majority of the House 218 members to sign whats called a discharge petition to pull the bill from the House Judiciary Committee and bring it to the House floor. Roybal-Allard, a Democrat from Downey, said she believes there is enough support to pass the bill if Democrats can get it to the House floor. Democratic leaders said they expect all House Democrats will sign the petition. The American people overwhelmingly oppose deporting our Dreamers, Roybal-Allard said. But the Republican leadership is ignoring the wishes of a majority of the American people. Democrats hold only 194 seats, and would have to convince 24 Republicans to buck their party leaders and sign the petition. House leaders control which bills come to the floor for a vote and when. Although discharge petitions have been used in the past to shame congressional leadership into letting a bill move forward, the procedural move is rarely successful. This month, Republican Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado filed a discharge petition for the Bridge Act, a Republican- sponsored bill to address the legal status of people brought to the country illegally as children. Five members of Congress had signed on as of Monday. FOR THE RECORD Sept 26, 12:38 p.m.: An earlier version of this post identified the member of Congress who filed a discharge petition for the Bridge Act as Rep. Mike Thompson. It was Rep. Mike Coffman. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers grant some megaprojects relief from environmental law, but not others By Liam Dillon Developers plan to build two skyscrapers near the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press) When professional sports team owners, Facebook and big developers have asked California lawmakers for some relief from the states main environmental law over growth, the answer usually has been yes. The law, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires developers to disclose and reduce a projects effects on the environment a process that often can get tied up in lengthy litigation. This year, legislators passed a measure aiming to shorten any potential environmental lawsuit against Facebooks expansion of its headquarters, two skyscrapers planned in Hollywood and other megaprojects to less than nine months. Doing so has led many to question why only big projects get such relief. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print The fate of Californias biggest campaign donor disclosure bill may hinge on some small details By John Myers Members of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) You wouldnt expect to see the leader of Californias campaign watchdog agency rooting for Gov. Jerry Brown to veto sweeping new disclosure rules for political donors. And yet, thats where things stand in a seven-year debate over helping voters follow the money. I think we can do better than this bill, said Jodi Remke, chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Remke and her staff have raised a red flag about the fine print tucked inside Assembly Bill 249, the California Disclose Act, that rewrites rules for campaign contributions that are earmarked. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Oceanside lifeguard receives Californias highest public safety honor By Mina Corpuz Medal of Valor recipient David Wilson stands with his parents, a family friend, Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. (Mina Corpuz / Los Angeles Times ) An Oceanside Fire Department officer who risked his life to save a boater received the states highest award for public safety officers on Monday. Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra presented David Wilson with the Public Safety Medal of Valor at a ceremony at the state Capitol. In July 2016, Wilson rescued a man whose boat crashed into a jetty in Oceanside Harbor. The victim was barely conscious and jammed between two rocks. With only a short window between each set of waves, Wilson dove underneath the water and swam into the boulders to free the victims legs. You earned it, Brown said at the ceremony. You were assaulted by the waves and the rocks, and you went ahead anyways. Thats why you are the only one getting a medal of honor. A review board made up of law enforcement officers reviewed 21 nominations for the Medal of Valor. The award is given out once a year. There can be more than one recipient, but this year Brown chose one. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 7.5 million Californians could lose coverage under latest Obamacare repeal effort, state health insurance exchange says By Melanie Mason Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, the states health insurance exchange, in 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) Californians who get their health coverage on the individual market could face dire consequences under the current Republican effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, warned a new analysis released Monday by Covered California, the states health insurance exchange. Under the latest plan, which is being led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), 7.5 million Californians could lose their health insurance by 2027, the analysis said. It also said the repeal could trigger a collapse of the states individual insurance market. The Graham-Cassidy plan takes resources away from California and from the majority of states, which means that far fewer Americans would have insurance or the existing protections from insurers, said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, in a statement. The effect on California would be devastating, and lead not only to there being more uninsured people than there were before the Affordable Care Act, but would also cause huge negative impacts on the health care delivery system, the economy and on those with employer-based coverage, Lee said. The report comes on the heels of another grim analysis by Gov. Jerry Browns administration, which estimated that the Senate proposal would strip California of nearly $139 billion in federal funds from 2020 to 2027. The Covered California report looked at two different scenarios for how state officials could respond to such a slash in federal dollars. If the state chose to prioritize protecting Medi-Cal, which provides coverage for low-income Californians, the analysis projects the collapse of the individual insurance market by 2021. If officials chose to direct attention to the individual market by stepping in to cover subsidies now paid for by the federal government, that could lead to large reductions in the Medi-Cal program. In both scenarios, the result would be up to 7.5 million fewer Californians with health insurance, according to the report. Proponents claim Graham-Cassidy gives states flexibility and choice, but in reality it puts states into a lose-lose situation, Lee said. Under this plan, California and states across the nation would be forced to either turn their backs on their most needy residents, or let the individual market be destroyed. Either way, millions lose coverage. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Todays newsletter: Sports spat starts with California teams By Christina Bellantoni Todays Essential Politics newsletter details President Trumps sports spat, which originated with California teams before becoming national political drama on football fields across America. It also notes last falls USC/Los Angeles Times poll, which found huge partisan divisions in how California voters viewed Colin Kaepernick at the time. Democrats liked him more, while he had just 6% favorability among tea party Republicans here. The state was evenly divided on whether to support his protest during the national anthem. The newsletter comes out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Are you a subscriber? Sign up below. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Attorney running against Sen. Dianne Feinstein is hosting Hollywood fundraiser By Christine Mai-Duc Pat Harris may be a long-shot candidate for U.S. Senate, but hes not fundraising like one. On Monday Harris, a Democrat challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is set to tread territory familiar to many prominent statewide candidates looking for cash: the Hollywood fundraiser. The event is to be held at the Catalina Jazz Club on Sunset Boulevard and is being billed as a CD release party for Carol Welman, a jazz musician and Harris wife. Tickets range from $150 for a single ticket to $2,700 for a VIP dinner for two. (An email to Welmans subscriber list earlier this week advertised tickets for as little as $30). Harris announced that he was running last month on a platform that includes support for single-payer healthcare and a pledge that he will only take campaign donations from individuals. Facing pressure from progressive activists, Feinstein has been coy so far about whether shell retire or run again in 2018. Either way, shes stockpiled $3.5 million in her campaign war chest. As of June 30, Harris had raised no money except for $104,685 he loaned his own campaign. Three other candidates have also filed to run against Feinstein: Democrats Steve Stokes and David Hildebrand, and independent Jerry Carroll. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Keith Ellison headlines dinner for Orange County Democrats, who declare orange is the new blue By Christine Mai-Duc The focus was on 2018 as Orange County Democrats gathered Saturday night in Costa Mesa to bask in their high hopes here. Headliner and deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, urged unity as dozens of Democrats navigate crowded primaries throughout the state. Ellison getting star treatment tonight, speaking to VIP attendees & meeting congressional candidates & gubernatorial hopeful @DelaineEastin pic.twitter.com/2Bh8K5H1Qu Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 Much of focus tonight on flipping 4 GOP congressional seats in OC. Ellison: "We need 24 more seats...I figure 4 of em we can get right here" pic.twitter.com/CDDbGWpNnT Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 The theme of the annual awards dinner was Orange is the New Blue, a twist on the title of a popular Netflix show and the latest indication of Democrats rosy outlook as they try to flip the countys four GOP-held House seats next year. Ellison told the crowd it was not the proper role of the DNC to choose among the many primary contenders. But you will sort it out running spirited campaigns, you will sort it out over ideas, and when it is over we need you to hold hands and support the Democrat. Ellison pushed for a return to grass-roots organizing and outreach to voters of all stripes and not just during election years. We cannot come a month before the election, tell them ... Come vote for us, Ellison said. Weve got to be in their lives in a physical, palpable way. Then we do have to have the right words, we do have to stand up for them. Ellison on more permanent solution for DACA: no wall, no increase in detention beds "but there might be some other things" Dems can agree to pic.twitter.com/yrmOGfXYan Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 In an interview, Ellison also stressed the need to pass legislation for young people brought to the country illegally who were allowed to stay and work under the Obama Administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Ellison said Democrats are open to negotiating certain immigration enforcement provisions in order pass a replacement for DACA, which President Trump announced he will end in March. But he said Democrats wont acquiesce to Trumps demand for a border wall or allow additional capacity for immigration detentions. There are certain things that are simply not on the table the wall or more detention beds, were just not doing that, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Russians tried to find weaknesses in Californias election website last year, say state officials By John Myers Secretary of State Alex Padilla (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Californias chief elections officer said U.S. government officials believe Russian hackers tried to find weaknesses in the states election website during the 2016 campaign, but that theres no evidence their effort was successful. Secretary of State Alex Padilla said the Department of Homeland Security only told him on Friday of last years attempt. He described the attack as a scanning of the states website in hopes of finding weaknesses in its computer network. Our office actively monitors scanning activity as part of our routine cybersecurity protocols, Padilla said in a statement. We have no information or evidence that our systems have been breached in any way or that any voter information was compromised. Those involved were Russian cyber actors according to Padillas description of information he received from federal officials. In June, a top federal official told the Senate Intelligence Committee that systems in 21 states were believed to have been scoured by cyberattackers. The election website, www.sos.ca.gov, contains public information about voting procedures as well as data on past election results and current issues. More sensitive data, including the electronic files of some 17 million registered voters, are not included on the website. A leaked National Security Agency document earlier this year outlined a Russian effort to hack into devices made by a Florida-based voting software company. One California county, Humboldt, used the companys software, but did not find any evidence of tampering. Padilla, a frequent critic of President Trumps special panel investigating the potential of voter fraud, said federal officials should have notified him much earlier of the attempted breach. The practice of withholding critical information from elections officials is a detriment to the security of our elections and our democracy, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Antonio Villaraigosa jabs at Gavin Newsom over his apparent embrace of single-payer healthcare bill By Melanie Mason Supporters of a measure to establish single-payer healthcare in California were thrilled by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsoms embrace of their bill on Friday, but a rival gubernatorial campaign was less impressed with his position. A spokesman for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accused the lieutenant governor of flip-flopping because after Newsom was asked if he explicitly endorsed the legislation Senate Bill 562 he responded that he endorsed getting this debate going again. This is an outrageous parsing of words when millions of people are at risk of losing their healthcare, Villaraigosa spokesman Luis Vizcaino said in a statement. It is a yes or no question, lieutenant governor. Are you for SB 562 or not? The nurses and California voters deserve the truth, Vizcaino added. The question of backing SB 562 is thorny since it was shelved earlier this year after Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) called it woefully incomplete. Backers have said theyd be willing to make changes to the measure, but the contours of those proposed changes have not been made public. Vizcaino said Villaraigosa has always supported universal healthcare and the concept of single payer, but agreed with Speaker Rendon that the bill couldnt be sent to the governor without a funding plan. Speaking to reporters, Newsom said he saw a single-payer system in which the government covers healthcare costs as the best way to achieve universal coverage and said he would be actively engaged in designing and developing it if SB 562 does not pass next year. RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Assn./National Nurses United, said she saw Newsoms remarks as a clear endorsement of their measure and a stance she said was not surprising. We always knew Gavin would support our bill, DeMoro said. She lambasted Villaraigosa who does not support SB 562 for criticizing Newsom, whom her group endorsed nearly two years ago. I want Villaraigosa to explain to the Latino community why he doesnt think they should have ... comprehensive healthcare, she said. Villaraigosas being disingenuous. He knows better. Hes just politically posturing trying to find a wedge issue and he knows better. UPDATE 4:32 p.m.: This post was updated with an additional statement from Villaraigosas spokesperson on the former L.A. mayors support for universal healthcare. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In San Francisco, Bernie Sanders plays two roles: Obamacare defender and single-payer advocate By Melanie Mason View Twitter post Sen. Bernie Sanders headed west to drum up support for his recently unveiled Medicare for All proposal Friday, but first trained his sights on the Obamacare repeal bill currently gripping Congress. Sanders (I-Vt.), whose speech was the cornerstone of a California Nurses Assn. gathering in San Francisco, blasted the Republican plan led by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina as horrific legislation. How cruel, how immoral it is, to say to those millions of Americans, we are going to take away that health insurance that keeps you alive, Sanders said. Sen. John McCain announced on Friday he could not support the measure, dealing the GOP plan a blow. Sanders thanked McCain for his stance, prompting the liberal crowd to cheer the Arizona Republican. Some Democrats had worried that Sanders push for his single-payer plan could distract from efforts to oppose the repeal bill. But the senator was explicit in his appeal to the approximately 2,000 supporters in attendance to focus their energy on defeating the repeal measure. Our job is to continue to make sure the Republicans do not get the 50 votes they need ... I beg of you, please, do everything you can to stop the bill, he said. Still, the crux of Sanders speech focused on his single-payer bill, which he sold as an improvement over the status quo. The Affordable Care Act, as we all know, made significant improvements to our healthcare system, Sanders said, citing the expansion of the number of Americans with health insurance and the ban on insurance companies ability to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions. But we must be honest and acknowledge that with all the gains of the Affordable Care Act, it does not go far enough, he added. The bill expands the Medicare program to cover the healthcare costs of all Americans with no out-of-pocket payments for patients. The measure does not include a plan to finance such a system, but Sanders has released a report laying out various ways to cover the costs, including a progressive income tax. During his pitch, Sanders said the implications extended beyond health policy. It is a struggle about what this great nation stands for, Sanders said. It is a struggle about whether or not every working person in this country has healthcare as a right or whether we allow insurance companies and drug companies to continue to rip us off. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gas tax foes win victory as they try to get a repeal on November 2018 ballot By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices in February. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) In a rare court rebuke of the state Attorney Generals Office, a judge said Friday that the title and summary written for a proposed initiative is misleading and that hed do a rewrite himself to make it clear the measure would repeal recently approved increases to gas taxes and vehicle fees. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley said he would draft a new title and summary to be placed on petitions for the initiative after attorneys for the state and proponents of the ballot measure could not agree on compromise language. In this circumstance, I honestly believe that the circulated title and summary that has been prepared is misleading, Frawley told attorneys during a court hearing Friday. He hopes to release the new title and summary by Monday. The initiative proposed by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) would repeal a bill approved in April by the Legislature and governor that would raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and increase vehicle fees to generate $5.2 billion annually to fix the states roads and bridges and improve mass transit. Allen and his attorneys said the state attorney general sought to confuse voters with a title that does not use the words taxes or fees. The title was proposed to say: Eliminates recently enacted road repair and transportation funding by repealing revenues dedicated for those purposes. Allen, who is running for governor in 2018, said the court decision showed the attorney general was trying to sway voters against the initiative. Justice is being served for the voters of California, Allen said after the court hearing. I think that he [the judge] has properly seen that the attorney general has tried to intentionally mislead the voters of California because he has tried to prejudice their vote and tried to keep increased taxes for Californians. A coalition of business, labor and government officials called Fix Our Roads, which supports the gas tax legislation, had representatives in the courtroom who later criticized Allen for seeking political gain at the expense of California motorists. This is more about Travis Allens gubernatorial race than anything else, said coalition spokeswoman Kathy Fairbanks. Hes condemning voters to driving on potholed roads and being stuck in traffic. Allen said the initiative and his campaign for governor are both aimed at giving voters power to fight higher taxes. Finally ordinary Californians are understanding that they actually can hold Sacramento accountable, Allen said. This is why Im running to be the next governor of California, because for too long Sacramento has been run by out-of-touch elitists that are coming from Sacramento and the Bay Area of San Francisco. A second initiative to repeal the gas tax has been proposed by a different group of Republican activists. Allen said he supports the second initiative but noted it has to collect many more signatures because it seeks to change the state constitution. It has a long way to go, Allen said. If the judge issues a new title and summary Monday, Allen said the petitions will hit the streets immediately and he is confident they will get the 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We will have universal healthcare in the state of California, Gavin Newsom promises single-payer advocates By Melanie Mason View Twitter post Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made his most explicit endorsement yet of a controversial single-payer healthcare proposal that has roiled Democratic politics in California. Newsom appeared Friday before the California Nurses Assn., the most ardent backers of SB 562, a stalled bill to establish a system in which the state would cover all residents healthcare costs. Theres no reason to wait around on universal healthcare and single-payer in California, Newsom said. Its time to move 562. Its time to get it out of committee. The line prompted cheers and a standing ovation from the audience of about 1,500 members of the nurses union. He capped off his remarks with a promise: If we cant get it done next year, you have my firm and absolute commitment as your next governor that I will lead the effort to get it done. We will have universal healthcare in the state of California. Enthusiastic nurses in the room heard an unequivocal backing of their effort to push forward with the bill. When he says hes going to get this done, he means, seriously, that he will pass SB 562 and make sure that there is healthcare for all Californians, said Catherine Kennedy, a neonatal nurse from Roseville. But speaking to reporters after his address, Newsom was less clear in embracing the specifics of the proposal. I 100% support moving this process along, getting this debate going again and addressing the concerns, the open-ended issues that the nurses themselves have acknowledged as it relates to the need of going through the legislative process and to fill in the blanks on the financing plan, among other issues, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Obama appears in an Assembly race mailer in California but read it closely By Christina Bellantoni The race to replace Jimmy Gomez, who was elected to Congress earlier this year, has so far been waged by mail and door-knocking in northeast Los Angeles. Most of the mailers feature local leaders and endorsements from groups including Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club. But one mailer that arrived in my mailbox Thursday has a much more familiar face former President Barack Obama. While it might seem like one to the casual voter sorting through junk mail, this isnt an endorsement. Want to know what kind of job Gabriel Sandoval will do in the Assembly? Listen to the people hes worked with in the past, the mailer reads, above Obamas official White House portrait. In small type, it notes that Sandoval served as a Senior Civil Rights Attorney and Senior Advisor for a White House initiative within the Department of Education. It features a glowing quote over an image of a July 12, 2013, letter from the president to Sandoval written on White House letterhead. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Healthcare a hot issue in race for California governor By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Gavin Newsom (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images; Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) With the hyperpartisan politics surrounding healthcare stirred up by efforts to repeal Obamacare and calls for a single-payer system, both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa are claiming the mantle of healthcare visionary. On the campaign trail the two Democratic candidates for governor are touting their signature healthcare accomplishments from earlier in their political careers as their bona fides. For Newsom, its about Healthy San Francisco, the nations first municipal universal healthcare program, approved while he was mayor; and for Villaraigosa, its Healthy Families, which provided healthcare coverage to the children of Californias working poor, legislation he authored as a California assemblyman. But do they deserve all the credit? It sure doesnt look that way. Healthy San Francisco is one of the many topics Newsom is expected to highlight when he speaks to the California Nurses Assn. convention in the Bay Area on Friday morning. On Thursday night, Newsom took a shot at the latest Republican effort in Washington to roll back the Affordable Care Act a bill written by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) The numbers on this make my skin crawl. Under Graham-Cassidy, an individual with metastatic cancer could see their premiums increase by $142,650. Diabetes? $5,600. Want to tackle the opioid crisis? Gets a lot tougher if an individual suffering from drug dependence sees their premiums go up by $20,450, Newsom said in an email sent out by his campaign. This is not a game. Lives are at stake. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Duncan Hunter calls for preemptive strike against North Korea By Joshua Stewart, San Diego Union-Tribune Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) introduces U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions at a news conference. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) Rep. Duncan Hunter said that the United States needs to launch a preemptive strike against North Korea in order to prevent the rogue nation from harming the U.S. first. You could assume, right now, that we have a nuclear missile aimed at the United States, and here in San Diego. Why would they not aim here, at Hawaii, Guam, our major naval bases? Hunter, an Alpine Republican, said Thursday during an appearance on San Diego television station KUSI. The question is, do you wait for one of those? Or two? Do you preemptively strike them? And thats what the president has to wrestle with. I would preemptively strike them. You could call it declaring war, call it whatever you want, Hunter continued. Hunter, a member of a House Armed Services Committee and the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States nuclear arsenal, did not say whether the military should strike North Korea with conventional or nuclear weapons. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Will Bernie Sanders push for Medicare for All help or hinder the California effort for single-payer? By Melanie Mason When Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders visited Beverly Hills last May, he made a full-throated appeal for California to lead the country and pass a pending state proposal to establish single-payer healthcare. On Friday, hell return to California for a San Francisco speech trumpeting his own higher-stakes plan a bill to drastically overhaul the nations healthcare system by covering everyone through Medicare. The push for single-payer, in which the government pays for residents medical care, has already rattled Californias political landscape. Now, the Sanders measure brings an additional jolt, elevating the issue to a national debate that has implications for the future direction of the Democratic Party and early jockeying in the 2020 presidential race. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement What will Kevin de Leon do when his term in the California Senate expires next year? By Patrick McGreevy State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, speaks during the last regular Senate floor session of the year. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)) As he gaveled down what may be his last full year as leader of the California Senate on Saturday, Kevin de Leon had still not said what he planned to do next. Will he run for governor or U.S. Senate? Does he want to be mayor of Los Angeles some day? De Leon told reporters they will have to wait to find out. His advisors, supporters and political observers have their own ideas what De Leon could do next. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Skelton: The presidential election bills on Gov. Browns desk may be satisfying politics, but theyre risky ideas By George Skelton Two presidential election bills are on Gov. Jerry Browns desk, sent to him by the Democratic Legislature. Both should be tossed in the trash. No doubt Im in the minority on this. These bills do offer some fun, even if theyre flawed. One has strong pluses that are outweighed by unacceptable minuses. The second is a mean-spirited gotcha bill aimed at the Democrats No. 1 enemy: President Trump. It may be satisfying politics, but it sets a risky precedent. The first bill moves up Californias presidential primary from June to March. Great idea. But it also moves up the state primary along with it. A horrible idea. The second measure would require all presidential candidates to release their tax returns for the last five years. Anyone who refused wouldnt be allowed on the California ballot. Thats a sharp poke at Trump, who in 2016 was the first presidential candidate in 40 years not to release his taxes. Yes, watching Trump squirm would be entertaining. And maybe the tax information would be useful for some voters. But even if the disclosure requirement were constitutional and theres substantial doubt about that its a crummy precedent. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Senate leader preparing for legal fight over sanctuary state legislation By Sarah D. Wire California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown hasnt yet signed legislation making California a so-called sanctuary state, but state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon is preparing to defend it in court. In between several immigration events in Washington on Wednesday, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said he met with former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. who has served as outside counsel to the Legislature for much of the year to continue to further discuss inoculating California from [U.S. Atty. Gen.] Jeff Sessions Department of Justice. Passed early Saturday by the Legislature, the sanctuary state bill would limit state and local law enforcement communication with federal immigration authorities and prevent officers from questioning and holding people on immigration violations. Sessions has threatened to withhold some federal grant funds from cities and counties that refuse to assist federal immigration agents. Holder and other former Justice Department lawyers believe the bill is defendable, and if the Trump administration tries to compel California cities to act by withholding funds, it will find itself in court, De Leon said. Defenders of so-called sanctuary cities often rely on a 1996 Supreme Court ruling that cited the 10th Amendment and found the federal government cant compel local governments to cooperate with enforcing federal laws. It is immoral, and quite frankly un-American, that Americas top law enforcement official would withhold dollars that our local police officers need precious dollars we need desperately to counter terrorism, to deal with the issue of human trafficking as well as international drug cartels, De Leon said. On Tuesday, Sessions urged Brown not to sign the bill, calling it unconscionable and a threat to public safety. Brown responded to Sessions comment on CNN by calling the legislation well-balanced. It protects public safety, but it also protects hardworking people who contribute a lot to California, Brown said. He has until Oct. 15 to sign the bill. De Leon also shot back against Sessions statement that the federal money isnt an entitlement, saying Californians pay more in federal taxes than they receive in federal funding. Thats not a gift or a grant from the Department of Justice to California. Those are our dollars; they belong to the people of California, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California, with alliance of states, pledges to keep pushing climate policies despite lack of federal progress By Chris Megerian (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California and a growing alliance of states committed to fighting global warming said Wednesday that theyre slashing greenhouse gas emissions at the rate required by the Paris climate agreement. However, the rest of the country would need to join their effort for the United States to actually hit the target of cutting emissions by at least 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. President Trump has pledged to pull the country out of the Paris deal, but the states reiterated their pledge to keep pressing forward during a news conference in New York. Were all in, California Gov. Jerry Brown said. Eventually, Washington will join with us. You cant deny science forever. Californias climate goal is even more ambitious than the Paris target. A law signed by Brown last year requires the state to cut emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. California became a founding member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, along with New York and Washington state, months ago. Either we end this problem, or this problem will end us, said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Wednesday, North Carolina became the 15th member of the U.S. Climate Alliance. Other members include Massachusetts, Oregon and Puerto Rico. Clean air and a healthy environment are vital for a strong economy and a healthier future, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a newly elected Democrat, said in a statement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bay Area cities sue major oil companies over climate change By Chris Megerian (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) San Francisco and Oakland are suing to get five oil companies, including San Ramon-based Chevron, to pay for the cost of protecting the Bay Area from rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. These fossil fuel companies profited handsomely for decades while knowing they were putting the fate of our cities at risk, San Francisco City Atty. Dennis Herrera said in a statement. The lawsuits, which were filed Tuesday in state court in San Francisco and Alameda counties and announced Wednesday, dont ask for a specific dollar amount. But the cities could try to put oil companies on the hook for billions. Long-term improvements in San Franciscos seawall are projected to cost $5 billion, according to one of the lawsuits. The law is clear that the defendants are responsible for the consequences of their reckless and disastrous actions, Oakland City Atty. Barbara J. Parker said in a statement. A spokesman for Chevron, Melissa Ritchie, said the lawsuits would not help address climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue that requires global engagement and action, she said in a statement. Should this litigation proceed, it will only serve special interests at the expense of broader policy, regulatory, and economic priorities. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California sues to stop Trumps border wall: No one gets to ignore the laws. Not even the president By Patrick McGreevy California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announces lawsuit against Trump Administration. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that President Trumps proposal to expedite construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border violates laws aimed at protecting the environment. Becerra announced the legal challenge standing in front of the existing border fencing at Border Field State Park near San Diego, saying the federal government failed to comply with federal environmental laws and relied on federal statutes that dont authorize border wall projects in San Diego and Imperial counties. No one gets to ignore the laws. Not even the president of the United States, Becerra said. The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans some 2,000 miles. The list of laws violated by the presidents administration in order to build his campaign wall is almost as long. He said the project involves the improper waiver of 37 federal statutes, many aimed at protecting the environment. Filed in federal court in San Diego and including the California Coastal Commission as a plaintiff, the lawsuit states its purpose is to protect the State of Californias residents, natural resources, economic interests, procedural rights, and sovereignty from violations of the United States Constitution and federal law. Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra at the U.S.- Mexico border where he announced lawsuit to stop a proposal for a border wall. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The lawsuit also alleges that federal officials have not shown any data suggesting new border barriers in the San Diego area will reduce illegal entry into the U.S., nor that there is a significant problem in that area. It adds that the wall would have a chilling effect on tourism to the United States from Mexico. In August, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a notice that it was waiving federal and state laws on the environment to expedite the construction of prototypes of the wall along the San Diego border with Mexico. The California lawsuit claims the federal government violated the U.S. Constitutions separation-of-powers doctrine by vesting in the Executive Branch the power to waive state and local laws. The lawsuit also says the Department of Homeland Security decided to build the walls without complying with the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act. As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the federal government lacks proper environmental analysis of the impact of the 400-foot prototypes of the wall currently planned, as well as the 2,000-mile-long final wall. A federal official declined comment. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on pending litigation, said Tyler Q. Houlton, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) stood with Becerra at the event, saying the wall is unnecessary and will put a barrier between relations involving the two countries. Maybe to people in Iowa, it sounds like a really good idea, she said. We dont need more structure. We need a good relationship [with Mexico]. Times staff writers McGreevy reported from Sacramento and Ulloa from San Diego. AG @XavierBecerra takes some shots at Trump: He hasn't made the transition from candidate to president. #borderwall pic.twitter.com/liSJdrAK2v Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 20, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California to sue Trump administration over plan for U.S.-Mexico border wall By Patrick McGreevy California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra plans to announce a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the state that will challenge President Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, a project Becerra has called medieval. Becerra is scheduled to travel to Border Field State Park near San Diego to announce that a lawsuit is being filed in federal court over construction of border wall projects in San Diego and Imperial counties. The lawsuit, which includes the California Coastal Commission as a plaintiff, states its purpose is to protect the State of Californias residents, natural resources, economic interests, procedural rights, and sovereignty from violations of the United States Constitution and federal law. It adds that the wall would have a chilling effect on tourism to the United States from Mexico. The states lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal and state environmental laws and relied on federal statutes that dont authorize the proposed projects. The brief alleges the federal government violated the U.S. Constitutions separation-of-powers doctrine by vesting in the Executive Branch the power to waive state and local laws, including state criminal law.. The lawsuit also says the Department of Homeland Security decided to build the walls without complying with the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the federal government lacks proper environmental analysis of the impact of 400-foot prototypes of the wall currently planned, as well as the 2,000-mile-long final wall. The Democratic attorney general has been critical of the wall for months, including in April during an appearance on ABCs This Week. Im still trying to figure out who believes that a medieval situation to fix our broken immigration system is what we need, Becerra said. He also accused Trump at the time of reneging on his promise to have Mexico pay for the wall. I think American taxpayers probably are very much aligned with Mexico. None of them, whether its Mexico or our taxpayers, wants to pay for a medieval wall, he said. This is the latest of more than two dozen lawsuits and legal briefs filed against the Trump administration by Becerra, who was appointed attorney general in January and is running for election to the post next year. He previously sued to challenge Trumps plans to end a program that protects young immigrants from deportation, ban immigration from some countries and roll back environmental laws. Last week, three advocacy groups sued the federal government to block construction of a border wall, alleging that the Trump administration overstepped its authority by waiving environmental reviews and other laws. The action by the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and Animal Legal Defense Fund seeks to prevent construction of wall prototypes in San Diego. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said last month that prototypes for a border wall may be completed by the end of October. Becerras lawsuit is the latest attempt by California Democrats to fight the wall proposal. A bill that would have banned state government contracts for any company that helps build the wall passed the state Senate, but stalled recently in an Assembly committee. Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) authored the bill, testifying at a committee hearing that the wall is another attempt to separate and divide us. It sends a message that we are better off in a homogenous society. Todd Bloomstine, a lobbyist representing the Southern California Contractors Assn., opposed the bill, asking the panel, What next unpopular project would be [on the] blacklist? Read the lawsuit >> UPDATE 8:30 a.m. This article was updated to provide additional details of the lawsuit. This article was originally published at 6 a.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Judge rules state used misleading language in summary of ballot measure to repeal California gas tax By Patrick McGreevy GOP Assemblyman Travis Allen, in red tie, with Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, left, and Charles Munger Jr., far right, in 2014. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A judge tentatively ruled Tuesday that the state-written title and summary of an initiative to repeal the recent gas-tax increases were misleading and should be rewritten by the state attorney generals office. The ruling by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley, scheduled to be finalized at a court hearing on Friday, was welcomed by the initiatives lead proponent, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach). This preliminary ruling is a major victory for Californians, Allen, a candidate for governor, said in a statement. This brings us one step closer to repealing Jerry Browns hugely unpopular gas tax. I look forward to the final ruling on Friday, and ensuring that the Repeal the Gas Tax Initiative receives the straightforward ballot title and summary that it deserves. Judge Frawley agreed with Allens legal claims that the title and summary drafted by Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerras office is confusing, misleading, and likely to create prejudice against the proposed measure. The judge said the initiative would repeal taxes and fees approved by the Legislature this year, but the title and summary issued by the state makes it sound like it would eliminate transportation funding without using the words taxes and fees in the title. He ordered state officials to come to Fridays hearing prepared to discuss alternate language for the ballot measure. To avoid misleading the voters and creating prejudice against the measure, the Attorney General must prepare a true and impartial statement that reasonably informs voters of the character and real purpose of the proposed initiative in clear and understandable language, the ruling says. The existing circulating title and summary fails this test. If the judge finalizes the order after hearing arguments Friday, Allen can use the new title and summary to circulate a petition. Allen needs to collect 365,000 signatures from registered voters in 150 days to put the measure on the November 2018 ballot. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown: Trumps rhetoric about North Korea adds to non-rational bluster By Mina Corpuz (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Gov. Jerry Brown said President Trumps name calling and threats at the United Nations can get in the way of diplomacy and statesmanship. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a Rocket Man on a suicide mission and said the United States may have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. It just raises the temperature and the exchange of non-rational bluster back and forth, Brown said in a interview with CNNs Jake Tapper. I dont think thats positive. Brown is in New York for some climate meetings related to the United Nations General Assembly. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Yes, dahlink: Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of Zsa Zsa Gabor, is running for California governor By Phil Willon Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, outside of the couples Bel-Air mansion in 2011. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of the whimsical celebrity and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, is back. Von Anhalt has filed to run for governor of California his second attempt after a short-lived campaign in 2010 saying hes fed up with seeing roads falling apart, people struggling to afford rent and an explosion of homelessness in the state. Ive lived in this city for 36 years. Ive never seen so many people eating out of a trash can in the Western world, Von Anhalt said Tuesday. We talk about Hollywood, and this being the entertainment center of the world. How is this possible? Von Anhalt, Garbors ninth and last husband, is running as an independent. He filed an official Candidate Intention Statement with the California Secretary of States office Monday, the first step in launching an official campaign. The 74-year-old Bel-Air resident, a German immigrant, said he has enough money to help support his own campaign. He said he dropped out of the 2010 governors race only because his wife became seriously ill. She died in December. She was the one who wanted me run, Von Anhalt said. Von Anhalt also flirted briefly with a run for Los Angeles mayor in 2013, a race eventually won by Eric Garcetti. FOR THE RECORD 5:33 p.m.: An earlier of this post said Von Anhalt was age 71. He is 74. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Assemblyman urges other legislatures to join California in censuring President Trump By Mina Corpuz Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) speaks with Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A California lawmaker who authored a resolution to support a censure of President Trump sent letters to 49 other state legislatures Tuesday to urge them to join the effort. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, a Richmond Democrat, sent the letters days after the Assembly became the first state legislative body to support a congressional censure of the president. California has spoken and we look to the rest of the nation to join us, Thurmond said in a statement. Its important that all our states unite and show that the United States of America stands against hate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After cap-and-trade vote, Assemblyman Chad Mayes faces a second Republican challenger for reelection By Patrick McGreevy Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley leaves the Assembly floor before resigning as Assembly Republican leader on Aug. 24. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) Former Palm Springs Police Chief Gary Jeandron on Tuesday became the second Republican to announce plans to challenge Assemblyman Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) in the 2018 election. Jeandron, a La Quinta resident, said he was angered over Mayes vote as Assembly Republican leader to support an extension of the states controversial cap-and-trade program, which requires businesses to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions. Jeandron saw the action as continuing a wrongful tax increase and said he is signing a no-tax pledge. I just dont believe [Mayes] has held Republican values, Jeandron told The Times. He has been blinded by ambition. He has been seduced by the governor. Mayes vote led to an outcry by Republican leaders, and he eventually succumbed to pressure to step down as leader of the Assembly Republicans. Mayes defended his position, telling colleagues during the floor debate, many of us believe that climate change is real and we have to work to address it. Jeandron, who lost to Mayes in the 2014 election, joins San Jacinto City Councilman Andrew Kotyuk in planning to challenge Mayes for the 42nd Assembly District seat. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Republican John Cox tasted political defeat many times before launching his bid for California governor By Phil Willon Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox speaks to the Lincoln Club of Riverside County in June. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) Candidate for California governor John Cox is relatively new to the states politics, but Cox has run for office multiple times, and even tangled with Barack Obama on the debate stage when the pair ran in the 2004 Illinois U.S. Senate race. Neither candidate was considered their partys favorite. But things began looking up for Obama, of course, who won the Senate race and then the presidency. Cox dropped out before the GOP primary election. It was his third try for elected office in Illinois and his third defeat. Now hes back, this time in his new home of California, running for governor against a trio of Democratic heavyweights. Once again, Cox is a practical unknown. Once again, the Republican is in a left-leaning state reaching for a coveted political office. Once again, Coxs campaign is being fed by cash from his own bank account. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After she was confronted by protesters, Pelosi says Democrats want a clean Dream Act with no border wall By Jazmine Ulloa House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday said she understood the fear in young protesters who shouted her down at a San Francisco news conference, asking for a legal path to citizenship for themselves and their parents. Speaking at Sacramento State hours after the disruption, Pelosi said she agreed with the protesters, pointing to the Dream Act as only the first step to broader immigration reform. We are all disrupters ourselves, she said, standing next to fellow congressional Democrats. So we recognize it and respect it in others. At Sac State, @NancyPelosi on SF protests today: We are all disruptors ourselves. So we recognize it and respect it in others. #dacadeal pic.twitter.com/W1WKQikmsc Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 19, 2017 Both press events were scheduled by Pelosi to discuss a legislative fix to help thousands of young people affected by President Trumps decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Obama-era policy provided temporary status for 800,000 people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Trump last week after the termination of DACA was announced. In Sacramento, Pelosi said they had come to an agreement to a clean Dream Act, which would provide a path to permanent status for citizens who work, study or serve in the military, without tougher border enforcement or increased deportations. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting with the president over the construction of a wall along the U.S-Mexico border. And House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has made it clear he wants some kind of border security, Pelosi said. That is not under discussion, she said. We can discuss other issues, but we are not going to discuss how we protect the Dreamers. At Sac State, @NancyPelosi arrives to talk #DACAdeal and help for Dreamers. Elected officials from every level of government also present. pic.twitter.com/yoESsRC1Ok Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 18, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Feinstein, who called for patience with Trump, lashes out over his attacks on Clinton By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said it was appalling and disgusting to see President Trump retweet a video edited to look like he hit former rival Hillary Clinton in the head with a golf ball. He continues to obsessively lash out at her at his rallies, with his words and now through social media in a manner that is utterly unbecoming of the president of the United States, Feinstein said in a statement Monday. Every one of us should be offended by the vindictive and candidly dangerous messages the president sends that demean not only Secretary Clinton, but all women. Grow up and do your job. Clinton is out with a new book about the campaign, and Trump has repeatedly used Twitter to deride her as a sore loser. He retweeted the animated GIF Sunday which shows him hitting a golf ball that then knocks down Clinton. Feinstein, who has yet to say whether shell run again in 2018, has walked a fine line with Trump in recent months. Shes criticized him at times, but drew ire from some progressive Californians last month when she called for patience in dealing with the president, saying that Trump could be a good president if he learned and changed. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmakers are building a wall against President Trumps policies By George Skelton California state legislators ended their annual session the way they began it building a wall to protect undocumented immigrants from President Trump. Not an iron wall, as Trump promised to erect along the U.S.-Mexico border, but a legal barrier to prevent local police and sheriffs from teaming with the presidents agents to enforce federal immigration law. The legislators did a lot of other things, too, before adjourning early Saturday until January. They sent Gov. Jerry Brown bills to address Californias dearth of affordable housing, to borrow $4 billion for parks and waterworks, to spend $1.5 billion in greenhouse-gas pollution fees, to provide tuition-free community college for first-year students and to lift some secrecy from prescription drug pricing. Earlier in the session, the heavily Democratic Legislature passed its boldest, most controversial bill of the year: A $5.2-billion annual increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees to finance transportation infrastructure, especially to repair crumbling highways. Republicans will attempt to repeal the bill at the ballot box in 2018. Brown says that borders on insanity. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump is riding a very dead horse on climate change, Gov. Brown says at New York conference By Ann Simmons (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday touted steps California has taken toward a healthier climate, but warned that powerful forces he called climate deniers are resisting technologies and policies designed to improve conditions. I like all the optimism around here, but I dont want to minimize the steep hill that we have to climb, Brown said at the start of a gathering of international leaders called Climate Week NYC. Decarbonizing the economy when the economy depends so totally on carbon is not childs play. Its quite daunting. Hosted by the Climate Group, an international nonprofit organization that works with business and government to promote clean technologies and policies, the event was scheduled to bring together high-profile governors, executives of Fortune 500 companies and leaders of multinational businesses for a week to share their strategies in tackling climate change. The discussions come amid concerns about global warming and after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused devastation in Houston, Florida and across parts of the Caribbean. Some scientists believe that warmer ocean waters caused by climate change are creating stronger storms. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Nancy Pelosi shouted down at DACA news conference for working with Trump By Sarah D. Wire Dreamer protesters have disrupted a Pelosi presser in CA, asking for protections for Dreamer & their parents: https://t.co/o3zGNJvblL Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 18, 2017 More than four dozen immigration activists upset with Democrats for negotiating with President Trump shouted down House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at a San Francisco news conference Monday. We are not your bargaining chip, the crowd chanted at one point, according to KCBS News political reporter Doug Sovern. VIDEO: Chaos at @NancyPelosi #DACA event as 40+ undocumented hijack her news conf in SF: "We are not your bargaining chip! Let us speak!" pic.twitter.com/KC2WyrjqSy Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) September 18, 2017 'All of us or none of us' Crowd takes over DREAM Act event. Pelosi getting blasted by about 100 young 'undocumented youth' pic.twitter.com/RgwnZ4dB3O Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) September 18, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle reporter Evan Sernoffsky said on Twitter that some in the group were yelling, All of us or none of us. Other reporters said the group chanted, Shut down ICE. Pelosi held the news conference to advocate for speedy passage of a legislative fix to the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York met with Trump last week after he announced an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Obama-era program deferred deportation for some people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Schumer said their discussion with the president included the possibility of adding more immigration enforcement which some immigration advocates are against to legislation to address DACA. At the news conference, Pelosi first made remarks and introduced an immigrant in the country illegally, at which point the shouting began, according to a Pelosi aide. The group surrounded Pelosi, with some gesturing close to her face. She attempted to calm the crowd for about half an hour before leaving the news conference. The aide said the group was made up of local DACA beneficiaries. We need to have a conversation, but that was completely one-sided; they dont want any answers, Pelosi told reporters afterward, according to a transcript. Pelosi said the activists should be focused on Republican members of Congress, not Democrats. I understand their frustration, Im excited by it as a matter of fact, but the fact is theyre completely wrong. The Democrats are the ones who stopped their assault on sanctuary cities, stopped the wall, the increased deportations in our last bill that was at the end of April, and we are determined to get Republicans votes to pass the clean Dream Act. Is it possible to pass a bill without some border security? Well well have to see. We didnt agree to anything in that regard, except to listen, Pelosi said. UPDATES 1:06 p.m. This post was updated with more details throughout and quotes from Pelosi. This post was originally published at 12:12 p.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrats hopes of flipping seats in California are soaring, but it wont be as easy at it seems By Christine Mai-Duc (Associated Press / AFP/Getty Images) Democrats know they have to win at least a few seats in California if they want to regain control of the House in 2018. But though the energy and hopes of many Democratic activists here are soaring, flipping Republican-held seats here could be harder than it appears. There are a few bits of conventional wisdom that suggest Democrats have a long road ahead. For one, Republicans often turn out in greater numbers than their Democratic counterparts in midterm-election years. And even though Hillary Clinton won seven of the Republican-held districts Democrats are now targeting, past election data show voters there still lean much more conservative than other parts of the state. If past is prologue, says Rob Pyers, research director for the nonpartisan election guide California Target Book, Democrats will have a hard time picking up more than a couple of seats in California. With most voters unlikely to tune in until at least next spring, there are many factors that could affect the political calculus, including whether the California Republican Party will be able to field a competitive candidate for governor, or whether ballot initiatives such as a potential repeal of the newest gas tax hike will propel GOP voters to the polls. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California will be the keeper of the nations future in the era of Trump, state Democratic lawmakers promise By Melanie Mason State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, from left, Gov. Jerry Brown and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Within a day of President Trumps election last November, Californias top Democratic lawmakers responded with a joint statement that contained an audacious promise. It was their state, not Washington, D.C., that would be the keeper of the nations future. An artistic rendering of that vow, with looping calligraphy and a roaring grizzly, is now on display in the offices of Senate leader Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. In the wake of Trumps win, the words seemed to be a sort of foundational document Californias declaration of resistance. That pugilistic posture is often conveyed in shorthand: California versus Trump. But the ensuing legislative year, which ended Friday, revealed the messy reality of squaring up against the federal government. Its been challenging, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said, bleary-eyed as he took a break during the final days of the session. You have to debate, you have to negotiate, you have to make your case, and I think at the end of the day, well still have the most far-reaching policy in the nation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: Lawmakers leave Sacramento after a busy year By John Myers From immigration issues to housing, some of the biggest debates of the Legislatures nine-month session happened at the very end. In governing, as in life, deadlines often make things happen. On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we take an early look at some of the most important decisions lawmakers made in the final few days of the 2017 session in Sacramento. That includes a landmark decision to intervene in the issue of illegal immigration, and to pass a long discussed package of bills to begin addressing Californias housing crisis. We also look at some of the broader political themes of the entire legislative year -- most notably, the effort by Democrats in the Legislature to provide a resistance to actions taken by President Trump. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Passage of sanctuary state bill draws rebukes from Trump administration officials, praise in California By Jazmine Ulloa Supporters of state sanctuary bill SB 54 rally outside the Hall of Justice. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers on Saturday passed a sanctuary state bill to protect immigrants without legal residency in the U.S., part of a broader push by Democrats to counter expanded deportation orders under the Trump administration. The landmark legislation by Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) would limit state and local law enforcement communication with federal immigration authorities, and prevent officers from questioning and holding people on immigration violations. But the bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown drastically scaled back the version first introduced, the result of tough negotiations between Brown and De Leon in the final weeks of the legislative session. Its passage already is reverberating across the country. Trump administration officials have sounded off in opposition. And immigrant rights groups and some California law enforcement officials have come out in support of what they call a hard compromise. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Supporters unable to resurrect California clean-energy proposal on final day of legislative session By Chris Megerian Environmentalists rally in front of Assemblyman Chris Holdens office in Pasadena on Thursday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Despite a last-minute push from environmentalists and actors from The Avengers, legislation that eventually would require all of Californias electricity to come from clean sources failed to advance this year. Facing opposition from unions and utilities, Assembly leadership refused to put the measure, SB 100, up for a vote on Friday, the final day of the legislative session. The decision to not move the bill this year is disappointing, said Kathryn Phillips, director of the Sierra Clubs California chapter. But we are committed to moving this policy next year. Theres no time to waste. The measure, written by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon ( President Trump is often, inaccurately, called unpredictable. Most of what hes done since taking office should have come as no surprise to anyone who closely watched his campaign. Wednesday, however, he really did do something no one had predicted, and in doing so, he produced what may prove to have been a milestone in his presidency. Trump cut a deal on a federal spending bill with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco Chuck and Nancy, he called them. That did more than just upend the politics of Capitol Hill. Whether he meant it as a fundamental change in his approach or just the expression of a passing whim, it set in motion a chain of events that will be difficult to reverse. Advertisement Good afternoon, Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in Washington and elsewhere in national politics and highlight some particularly insightful stories. DONALD, CHUCK AND NANCY The deal with Schumer and Pelosi might have seemed a small matter: Trump agreed with the Democrats that a measure to provide funds for federal agencies and extend the governments ability to borrow money should run until early December, not longer, as Republican leaders wanted. But as Noah Bierman, Brian Bennett and Lisa Mascaro wrote, the implications go far beyond the deadlines. Since they gained control of Congress, Republicans have had huge trouble passing legislation to pay the governments bills. Thats because the partys large conservative bloc opposes the current level of government spending but has never been able to get support in Congress or in the wider population to significantly reduce it. Conservatives have responded by refusing to vote for must-pass spending measures, making the Republican leadership rely on Democratic votes to keep the government functioning. So every time theres a spending vote, Republicans split, and Democrats have leverage to extract concessions. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky wanted to minimize that leverage by extending current spending deadlines as long as possible. Their initial offer in a White House meeting Wednesday was 18 months, which would have taken spending issues off the agenda until after the midterm elections. Schumer and Pelosi rejected that idea. They rejected a subsequent offer of a six-month extension. They offered a three-month deal. Republicans objected. So did Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. Trump cut him off in mid-sentence, according to participants in the meeting and sided with the Democrats. The agreement for a three-month extension, which then passed the Senate with 17 Republicans voting no, guarantees repeated spending votes between now and the midterm, each of which will force Republican lawmakers to cast uncomfortable votes, and each of which will require Republican concessions to the Democratic minority. All of those concessions inevitably will anger many Republican voters. On Friday, the measure passed the House, with 90 Republicans in opposition. In both chambers, more Democrats voted for the measure than Republicans, an indication of the intra-party divisions ahead. Earlier Friday morning, Trump took another step likely to upset conservatives, sending out three tweets that implied but stopped just short of saying outright that the time had come to give up on repealing Obamacare. The news of the deal between Trump and the Democratic leaders stunned Republican lawmakers. I will tell you that I gasped when I heard it, Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a Trump ally, said to reporters on Air Force One after Wednesdays announcement as Trump visited his state to pitch his tax reform ideas. Sam Nunberg, a former Trump strategist, told our reporters that the Democratic leaders had played the president. Pelosi and Schumer will work hand in hand with the president on one action item: impeaching him, he said. That is it. Whyd he do it? Was this a matter of temporary pique or a larger breach with Republicans, as Cathy Decker, Bierman and Bennett put it? Any answer needs to take into account Trumps bias toward action over ideology. He likes signing bills into law, and hes made it clear that he doesnt much care whats in them. Hes repeatedly been frustrated by the inability of Ryan and McConnell to deliver results. Schumer and Pelosi, while in the minority, have the power to deliver. THE PRICE: AN IMMIGRATION BILL? What will Schumer and Pelosi get in return? On Thursday, Schumer signaled one priority: joining other members of the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations to meet with Trump to talk about an enormous, expensive regional infrastructure project a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. Thats been a top issue for Schumer for years. Pelosi signaled another top priority, asking Trump to send a message on Twitter reassuring young illegal immigrants who currently benefit from the DACA program that they wont be subject to deportation over the next six months. Trump, who notably has ignored suggestions from Republican leaders about his social media habits, quickly agreed. Immigration hard-liners in the administration, led by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, maneuvered for months to get Trump to live up to his campaign pledge to abolish Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program set up by President Obama that shields from deportation the so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children, and allows them to work here legally. Trump repeatedly expressed sympathy with the Dreamers and made clear his reluctance to end DACA. On Tuesday, the hard-liners thought they had finally won, as Sessions announced that the administration would phase out DACA, giving Congress six months to resolve the fate of the Dreamers. Sessions and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke critically of the nearly 800,000 young immigrants, saying they were taking jobs away from other young Americans a statement that most economists consider to be largely nonsensical and suggesting that Congress would have to pass a major immigration overhaul with significant conservative policies to win Trumps signature. The Times closely tracked the reaction and highlighted the personal stories of Dreamers feeling left in limbo. The next day, Trump undercut them completely, telling reporters that although he agreed DACA could not continue as a unilateral executive action, he wanted Congress to pass a bill to permanently legalize the status of DACA recipients. All he needed in return was something more for border security, he said. His agreement to send the tweet Pelosi asked for highlighted his position. Even before those latest moves, Trumps decision to phase out DACA guaranteed that Republicans would face a divisive fight over immigrants, as Decker wrote. Now, theres a significant chance that Trump will end up signing into law a bill to legalize the status of some 800,000 Dreamers. A revised DREAM Act still faces many hurdles in Congress, but in one of the great ironies of the Trump era, theres a significant chance that the president elected on the most anti-immigration platform since Calvin Coolidge could end up signing into law the most far-reaching amnesty measure since Ronald Reagan in 1986. In the meantime, the phaseout of DACA is facing legal challenges, as David Savage wrote. And Dreamers face a tight deadline to renew their DACA permits, as Joe Tanfani wrote in a Q&A about what happens next with the DACA program. SPECIAL BENEFIT FOR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS: DACAs IMPACT ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS The decision to phase out DACA could have a major effect on who controls the House in 2018, especially in California and other states with large Latino populations. Well have more on the vulnerable California Republicans next week. Subscribers to this newsletter will get to see our new project on the midterm elections before anyone else. All the more reason that if you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up. OTHER NOTABLE STORIES Bierman and Bennett talked with Steve Bannon, Trumps recently dismissed strategist. Bannon was among the architects of Trumps declaration that he would turn the GOP into the party of the American worker. Hows that going? Donald Trump Jr. has sharply changed his story about why he met with a Russian lawyer last summer, David Cloud wrote. Originally, the presidents eldest son put out a statement, drafted in part by the president, which said the meeting was mostly about Russian adoptions. Now, in testimony to the Senate, he admits that he wanted to see derogatory information the Russians said they had about Hillary Clinton. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has launched a formal review of federal guidelines for handling campus sexual assaults, as Lauren Rosenblatt wrote. The effort by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the leaders of the Senate Health Committee, to write bipartisan healthcare legislation is well underway. The committee held its first hearings this week, in which state insurance regulators urged Congress to act quickly, Noam Levey wrote. As Levey also wrote, several states offer a more bipartisan model for healthcare reforms, which many in Congress are looking at. Trumps lawyers urged the Supreme Court to rule for a Colorado cake-maker who turned away a gay couple, taking sides with religious conservatives and against gay rights activists in what may be the high courts biggest case of the term, which begins next month, David Savage wrote. In a federal appeals court, the administration lost another case involving its travel ban, as Maura Dolan and Jaweed Kaleem wrote. Bribes or just gifts between pals? Thats the question as the trial of Sen. Robert Menendez begins, Joe Tanfani wrote. Its the first trial of a sitting senator in a decade and will provide a key test of the federal bribery law, which the Supreme Court narrowed last year. BIO-TERROR WATCH Did the Homeland Security Department ignore a potential breakthrough in efforts to block bioterrorism? Thats the allegation at the heart of a case that will go to trial this month. David Willman explored the issue. ALL THE PRESIDENTS TWEETS Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of Trumps tweets. Its a great resource. Take a look. LOGISTICS That wraps up this week. My colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics. Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com. David.lauter@latimes.com @davidlauter 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Sept. 8, 2017, 2:51 p.m. Reporting from Washington U.S. military isnt evacuating service members, terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay as Hurricane Irma bears down Lightning flashes over the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay as Hurricane Irma approaches. (Specialist 1st Class John Philip Wagner Jr. / U.S. Navy) The Pentagon decided not to evacuate more than 5,000 people, including U.S. service members and their families, from the naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as Hurricane Irma closed in Friday. A special prison at the base also holds 41 detainees captured overseas and held on suspicion of terrorism, including the ringleaders of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The base has initiated its severe weather plans and is preparing to shelter in place, Navy Cmdr. John Robinson, a prison spokesman, said in a statement. It has plans and procedures in place to ensure the safety of detainees in its custody during severe tropical weather conditions, he said. Due to force protection and operational considerations, we do not discuss details about those plans and procedures. Irma was on a path to narrowly miss hitting Cuba head-on by moving northward, which factored into the militarys decision. The Gitmo base is on the Cubas southeastern shore. It still is likely to face heavy winds and driving rain. When the first effects of Irma blew into the base Friday afternoon, personnel were instructed to remain off the roads unless necessary and told to secure all outdoor furniture and equipment. Service members were instructed to watch social media, emails and public radio for further information. Heather Babb, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the military would ensure the safety and security of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Tropical weather is an expected part of life in the Caribbean and for our personnel charged with securing the detainee facilities, she said. Likewise, they routinely prepare for any contingencies required to safeguard all individuals at the installation in the event that extreme weather impacts the region. There is no intent for the safety of the detainees to come into question during Hurricane Irma. Orange County is well on its way to being home to 40 breweries, but the place that was once considered mere overflow from San Diegos historic beer scene is showing no signs of oversaturation. The year so far has brought a whirlwind of new beer-makers, including some that replaced a few of the countys oldest brands and even more that are starting from scratch to bring their unique perspectives on beer to the region. From Anaheim (aka Ale-heim) to San Clemente, IPAs to sours, the geographic and flavor range of O.C. beer is impressive and has the brewing talent to match. Here are five new brewery tasting rooms to check it all out at this fall: Green Cheek Beer Co. Former Noble Ale Works brewmaster Evan Price left his post last year after winning the title of Best Brewery in the World. He was mum about his next move until Valiant Brewing in Orange closed and it was revealed that he and former Noble CEO Brian Rauso would be turning the brewhouse into Green Cheek Beer Co., a place where Price can spread his wings (har-har) and make more of the hoppy, tart and experimental beers for which he is known. On tap this summer were a flurry of IPAs (hazy, West Coast, double) and a few Berliner weisses and hoppy lagers too all designed to be sipped for hours at the tasting room or from to-go crowlers at home. Green Cheek Beer Co. is at 2294 N. Batavia, C, Orange. More information: (714) 998-8172 or greencheekbeer.com. Docent Brewing Its about time that San Juan Capistrano gets a brewery and taproom to call its own. Thankfully, the citys first brewery is Docent, a well-designed brand with even better beers that takes its theme of guidance and education (get it, Docent?) very seriously. Field guides to the current draft selection sit on every table, gently explaining to you the nuances between the half dozen very different drinkable saisons, pale ales and IPAs on draft, which include a beach-blanket-ready session IPA called Tiny Umbrellas and the bone-dry West Coast hop bomb, Headliner. Docent Brewing is at 33049 Calle Aviador, Suite C, San Juan Capistrano. More information: docentbrewing.com All-American Ale Works One of the newest breweries in a city of 13 (and counting!), All-American Ale Works in Anaheim opened during a year when words like patriot and liberty could be coded political statements. But fortunately, beer is the last bipartisan thing around, and the homebrewing trio that started All-American earlier this year merely wants to pay homage to the time-honored American tradition of making quality beer and using it to bring people together. Two of the three founders are also veterans, meaning that fellow vets and first responders get discounts on pints of beers like the Storm the Beach red ale, Mermaid Bubbles pineapple cream ale and Bearded Eagle milk stout. All-American Ale Works is at 5120 E. La Palma Av. No. 103, Anaheim. More information: (657) 549-2140 or all-americanaleworks.com. Lost Winds Brewing With four breweries and the countys second distillery since Prohibition (Drift!), San Clemente is most definitely becoming the Anaheim of South O.C. Around the corner from both Left Coast Brewing and Artifex in the citys inland light industrial neighborhood, Lost Winds Brewing was founded by three locals (including one award-winning homebrewer) with a passion for Belgian-style beers. Named after the surf break off Calle Lasuen (pronounce it with the tongue in the back of your mouth for full effect), Lost Winds brews Belgian-style blondes, strongs and traditional dubbels, plus more elusive styles like a toasty black IPA. Lost Winds Brewing is at 924 Calle Negocio, Ste. C, San Clemente. More information: (949) 361-5922 or lostwindsbrewing.com. Evans Public House This one technically isnt a tasting room but its the first and only place where you can try the Irvine-based brewerys expansive new lineup of hoppy, house-made beers. Until last year, Evans Brew Co. was a contract brewery with only two beer releases under its brand one light and one dark. Then, it bought the oldest brewery in O.C., Bayhawk Ales, and made it their own. With a full bar, a huge rotating taplist of Evans now-diverse beers and a slender kitchen anchored by a stone pizza oven, Evans Public House opened in the spot where famous O.C. jazz club Steamers once lived, making it doubly on hallowed ground. Evans Public House is at 138 W Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. More information: (714) 870-0039 or evansbrewco.com. SARAH BENNETT is a freelance journalist covering food, drink, music, culture and more. She is the former food editor at L.A. Weekly and a founding editor of Beer Paper L.A. Follow her on Twitter @thesarahbennett. This year presented a series of firsts for married couple Kevin and Lisa Long and the people of Orange County. For the Longs, it marked their first time opening a business that sells Cariloha bamboo products. For the county, it signaled the first time having a Cariloha shop. The Longs 1,139 square-foot store on the first floor of the Pacific City shopping mall along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach sells bedding, mattresses, clothing and other products made of bamboo. In order to be made into fabric, the bamboo is taken out of the stalk, mixed into a solution and then spun into yarn, the Longs said. The materials feel cool to the touch because of bamboos natural properties. The fabric is able to wick away moisture, meaning it grabs moisture from the body and moves it to the outside of the fabric where it can easily evaporate. Some products, such as the bed sheets, are made entirely out of bamboo. Other items like towels and various apparel are a blend of bamboo and other materials, including cotton. Cariloha carries bamboo clothing including robes and shirts at the Pacific City mall in Huntington Beach. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer) The Cariloha company chain has more than 50 locations in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Besides the Longs Cariloha location in Huntington Beach, there are three others in California San Francisco, San Diego and Solvang. The Mission Viejo couple first learned of Cariloha during a trip to Las Vegas where Lisa bought a shirt from Carilohas Mandalay Bay location. As she checked out her item at the cash register, she saw a set of brochures on how to open a Cariloha. At the time, Kevin had finished working in the human resources industry for 30 years after the most recent company he had worked for was sold. He had an offer to return to the corporate world, but he said his wife told him, You dont seem happy to be going back. So the couple started researching how to open their own business in September of last year. We thought we probably didnt want to open a brick and mortar location with all the online presence already out there, Kevin said. But this is the type of product you really have to touch and feel. If you love the product then its easier to run the business and we can look people in the eye and say that we love these sheets. Socks made from bamboo spun into yarn are part of the clothing and other fabric items at Cariloha in Huntington Beach. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer) In the process of getting their shop off the ground, the company provided different types of support, such as designing the store, picking the products and having a customer service manager train them. The two opened the Orange County location in May. The Longs said the shift in careers has been gratifying for them in a multitude of ways, including giving a high school student her first job and getting to know regular customers. Weve seen the same customers come back three or four times, Lisa said. Like, they first got a mattress and now they need pillows and sheets. Then their son needs sheets. Then their daughter needs sheets. Shirts and other clothing made from bamboo at Cariloha in the Pacific City mall in Huntington Beach. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer) Whether they face days filled with plenty of hustle or others that are slow, the Longs are prepared to take on either one. If we dont sell anything, we can just look at the ocean, Kevin said with a laugh. But having only been open for a few months, theres still a list of things the two are ready to face together. We havent been through a whole year of seasons and we dont know what the holidays will bring just yet, said Lisa, whom Kevin calls the face of the store. Its scary and thrilling at the same time, and those are the sort of things that make you feel alive. Alexandra.Chan@latimes.com Twitter: @AlexandraChan10 When husband-and-wife chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau took over Tamarinds former location in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center, the couple knew they were in for a design challenge. For the Marneaus, who together opened the acclaimed Marche Moderne 10 years ago, the answer was simply to relocate their French restaurants Provencal charm from Costa Mesa to their new location in Newport Coast. Known for their high concepts, the project marked a significant new beginning for the Marneaus as they switched on the lights of their new address for a private preview on the last day of August. We go back to what we do best, and people are craving the flavors, said Florent Marneau, as he stood in the open kitchen that features a glass wall looking out to the dining room so guests can watch the action. After nearly a decade in the penthouse of South Coast Plaza, the Marneaus moved their French bistro into a 4,200-square-foot space with views of the Pacific Ocean and announced the restaurant would open to the public in early September. Marche Moderne a regular on Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Golds 101 Best Restaurants list had well-heeled foodies aflutter. Loyal patrons, tourists and food critics inundated the Marneaus voicemail and email inbox, prompting management to respond to nearly 100 daily messages of anticipation and inquiry. The result: an intimate dining experience in a more-polished and modern setting with a menu highlighting a mix of old and new signature favorites. Classic dishes like roasted wild Spanish octopus with chorizo and Lamb Couscous Royale are offered along with new entrees like Scottish cod, braised veal and crayfish. The pastry menu features wheel-shaped choux with caramelized almonds and hazelnut mousse and a strawberry tart with lemon gelato. The team focused on renovating the structure with exposed walnut-beamed ceilings and stone walls. A separate, 11-seat bar spotlights a selection of French and California wines. Elevated banquettes and tables are lined with white cloth and set with Rosenthal porcelain chargers. The patio is considered an ideal space to dine in good weather but Table 21 is for guests wishing for more private seating. The corner table seats four and is situated near an inconspicuous outdoor exit. We want guests not to feel rushed and to have the best dining experience, Amelia Marneau said on the outdoor patio. Thats what its all about. Just look at that sunset. The Marneaus, who met working at Aubergines in Newport Beach and later worked at Costa Mesas Pinot Provence (both now closed), opened Marche Moderne in April 2007 with entrees inspired by the places to which they often travel, such as Paris, New York and San Francisco. During construction, they returned to Paris Florent grew up in the Fontainebleau district and dined in establishments that gave them fresh inspiration. They returned to Orange County with new ideas on how to better French dishes by changing a few details. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. Reservations are encouraged in the 130-seat restaurant. The Marneaus will launch a dinner spontanee menu this fall, offering three courses for $38 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Brunch is planned to start later in the year. Marche Moderne is at 7862 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. For more information, call (714) 434-7900. kathleen.luppi@latimes.com Twitter: @KathleenLuppi Political activists intend to deploy a 10-foot inflatable chicken that parodies President Trump on Saturday near Rep. Dana Rohrabachers district office in Huntington Beach. A 30-foot version of the air-filled fowl made national headlines in early August when it popped up near the White House to mock Trumps foreign policy agenda and other positions. The owner of the props, Taran Singh Brar, 31, said now hes bringing Chicken Don to Huntington Beach to use humor in protest of Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa). Brar, who lives in Orange County but declined to state his city of residence, plans to work with Indivisble 48, a liberal group, to display the smaller bird from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in a grassy plaza near Rohrabachers office at 101 Main St., Suite 380. Indivisible began regular protests outside of Rohrabachers office after Trumps election. Indivisible 48s chairman, Aaron Craddolph, 27, of Costa Mesa said the chicken symbolizes Rohrabachers avoidance of attending town hall meetings with constituents, neglecting the interests of his district and his affinities for Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. We just hope they clean up after themselves, said Ken Grubbs, a spokesman for Rohrabacher. We wouldnt want their usual droppings to spill onto the beach. Indivisible sought a city permit for the demonstration on Tuesday but didnt get one, Brar said, adding that activists dont actually need a permit to express their First Amendment rights but wanted to work with the city in a respectful manner. Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Angela Bennett said the department is aware of the demonstration, which can legally move forward as long as the chicken isnt blocking any sidewalks or walkways. benjamin.brazil@latimes.com Twitter:@benbrazilpilot One of the city of Laguna Beachs goals in revising its historic preservation ordinance has been bringing rules more in line with state and federal standards. The Planning Commission on Wednesday moved a step closer in that direction by suggesting Lagunas letter-rating system of E, K and C that applies to houses be replaced with California Historical Resource Status Codes. Commissioners reached this decision after more than three hours of public testimony and going section-by-section through the draft ordinance in recommending edits. Commissioners want to see the draft ordinance once more scheduled for Oct. 18 before it heads to the City Council. Commissioners said the citys letter-rating system, while familiar to some, has caused confusion among other property owners, creating an overlay of local rules that may or may not jibe with state guidelines. I support the Secretary of the Interiors Standards, commission chairwoman Susan Whitin said. Its cleaner and simpler. The city has spent four years revising the ordinance, hiring consultant Jan Ostashay to re-survey 852 pre-1940s properties deemed historic for a variety of factors such as association with important historical events or significant people and architectural style. The original inventory was created in 1981 and adopted a year later by the council. Ostashay developed a revised inventory that included 213 structures with a K-rating, 68 with an E-rating and 138 with a C-rating, the Daily Pilot previously reported. Property owners have repeatedly said they have been prevented from making changes to their houses, such as room additions or remodels, because of a houses historic status. Some were not aware of their houses historic rating until they sought permits from the city to do work on their homes. A handful of speakers Wednesday referenced council decisions in the 1980s as proof that inclusion on the inventory would not place restrictions on homeowners. On Dec. 21, 1982, the council adopted a resolution that recognized the historic inventory as a list of the best representative examples of historically significant architecture within the city, according to minutes from that meeting. Inclusion in the inventory will not, in itself, impose any special obligations or requirements upon the property owner, nor will the city be required to extend any special privileges to the property owner, the minutes said. Supporters of keeping the inventory said downgrading the list would violate Lagunas general plan, and force amendments to the historic resources element of the plan, according to a Sept. 3 letter from Village Laguna, a nonprofit established in 1971 to oppose high-rise development along Lagunas coast. One of the elements policies is expanding the Mills Act program to include K- and C-rated buildings as qualified structures, according to a copy of the resources element on the citys website. The Mills Act is a state law that grants authority for cities and counties to enter into contracts with property owners who agree to restore and maintain their properties. Even if a house is not on the inventory, state law still requires the city to evaluate possible impacts to historic resources with a development proposal under the California Environmental Quality Act, Community Development director Greg Pfost told the commission. Whitin said incentives, such as waived building and permit fees, and greater setback flexibility for projects, should be promoted as much as possible. Commissioners affirmed their July suggestion that houses be at least 70 years old to fall under preservation rules, instead of a stagnant date. The draft ordinance includes a process for property owners to request a re-evaluation of their homes rating. Under the ordinance, property owners could also request the city assess their property for a rating, even if they are not proposing a development project. No fee for an assessment is mentioned in the current draft ordinance, Pfost said in a phone interview Thursday, adding that the city would hold on to the inventories for background information. bryce.alderton@latimes.com Twitter: @AldertonBryce A former Orange Coast College student suspected of vandalism, disturbing the peace and repeatedly violating a protective order that barred him from the Costa Mesa campus is again in custody after he failed to appear in court for an arraignment Thursday. Prosecutors on Sept. 1 filed additional charges against Robert Bouton McDougal, 21, of Costa Mesa, including a felony count of vandalism with damage of $400 or more and three misdemeanor counts of violating a protective order. The most recent charges stem from allegations that McDougal returned to the campus Aug. 30 and threw a water bottle at a security vehicle, causing a dent, authorities said. McDougal was expected to appear Thursday in Orange County Superior Court to be arraigned on the new charges, but he failed to attend the hearing, so a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to court records. McDougal was arrested in San Diego and was to be transferred to Orange County Jail on Friday, according to jail records and his attorney John Christl. In June, prosecutors filed a felony count of vandalism with damage of $400 or more, as well as various misdemeanor counts, including five counts of violating a protective order, two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer, one count of disturbing public school and one count of remaining on campus without consent. McDougal has pleaded not guilty to the June charges. He has not entered a plea on the most recent charges, according to Superior Court records. According to Orange Coast College officials, McDougals issues at the campus began in February when he started incessantly emailing his chemistry instructor asking to retake an exam with the help of a calculator. He had received a B on the exam without a calculator, a lower grade than he had expected. The instructor, Amy Hellman, declined his request to retake the test, according to transcripts of emails filed in Superior Court in March. A week after the test, school officials say, McDougal who had dropped the course barged into the classroom while other students were present. Security officers escorted McDougal out of the building, but when they werent looking, he ran back inside and sprinted in circles around the classroom, according to a Costa Mesa police report. Prosecutors allege McDougal yelled a racial slur at a campus safety officer, and security officers eventually used pepper spray to subdue him after he kicked them, according to police, who arrested him. Christl has contended the college should have handled the situation differently. He said McDougal suffers from disabilities, though he declined to elaborate. College administrators and Hellman were aware of McDougals disabilities and failed to provide him adequate resources to take the exam, Christl alleged. Christl has said McDougal was too embarrassed to ask for a calculator during the test and that when he received his score, he became fixated on improving it. According to Christl, Hellman eventually agreed to allow him to retake the exam after class. However, when McDougal arrived, campus security was waiting for him, Christl said. A restraining order barring McDougal from entering the campus or contacting Hellman was granted by Superior Court Judge Michael McCartin in March at the behest of college officials. Christl has said his client is unable to comprehend the significance of a restraining order. On March 7, McDougal was suspended from all Coast Community College District facilities until March 2019, according to college officials. He was arrested again March 13 on suspicion of carving a swastika and the N-word into the hoods of two OCC security vehicles and slashing the tires. He was booked into Orange County Jail and later posted bail. Prosecutors allege McDougal returned to the campus several times between April 21 and May 25 in violation of the protective order. Christl said Friday that he has been working with McDougals family to get him help for his disabilities, but its been a challenge. Theres a huge hole in the medical and legal system that doesnt provide help for these individuals, Christl said. Hes not violent and he doesnt need jail. He needs assistance. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN A Huntington Beach man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a string of bank robberies, police said. Authorities allege the man robbed or tried to rob three banks in Irvine, Anaheim and Hacienda Heights a total of five times beginning in June. The most recent incident occurred Wednesday in Irvine when police responded to the East West Bank inside the 99 Ranch Market at 5402 Walnut Ave. at 12:02 p.m. after receiving a report of a robbery. Witnesses told authorities that a man entered the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding cash, police said. After receiving money, he left the store and got into a dark-colored Dodge Ram at the Park and Ride at Jeffrey Road and Walnut Avenue, police said. A bank loss-prevention officer was able to get the vehicles license plate number before the robber drove off, police said. Police allege the man robbed the same bank in June and tried unsuccessfully to rob it again in August. Officers identified a suspect based on the license plate number and began watching his apartment in Huntington Beach. An off-duty officer familiar with the case saw the vehicle abandoned in the Trabuco Canyon area. Detectives arrested Ryan Alan Niedringhaus, 38, at a restaurant in the Trabuco Canyon area on suspicion of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. Police allege that Niedringhaus also tried to rob a Chase Bank in Hacienda Heights in June and robbed a Chase branch in Anaheim. The total loss from the robberies is about $11,000, police said. The money has not been recovered. Niedringhaus, who is listed in jail records as unemployed, was booked into the Theo Lacy jail in Orange with bail set at $50,000. Police are continuing to investigate the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Irvine police Det. Jason Renshaw at (949) 724-7244. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Costa Mesa city crews were working Friday to remove a large aleppo pine after part of the tree broke off and smashed a parked car on Avocado Street on Thursday. Costa Mesa police received a call at about 4:30 p.m. that a portion of the tree at 333 Avocado St. had fallen on a car. As it fell, it damaged a Southern California Edison pole and downed a power line, according to police Sgt. Bang Le. Le said the utility company repaired the line and city crews began the process of removing the tree. The cost of the damage was not immediately known. Its not clear what caused the city-owned tree to break apart. Costa Mesa Public Works Director Raja Sethuraman said the city arborist will review photos and try to determine what happened. Sethuraman said he suspects a lack of moisture in the tree related to the states recently ended five-year drought could be to blame. On Friday morning, a large portion of the tree was still standing and branches were piled on the lawn of a nearby apartment building. The area, extending partially onto Avocado Street, was roped off with caution tape and orange cones. Crews were expected to finish removing the tree Friday. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN UC Irvines Henry Samueli School of Engineering hosted an Aerospace Symposium and Expo on Thursday afternoon at the campus. The event featured a keynote address from George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin Galactic and a former chief of staff for NASA. There also was an exposition of aerospace industry displays. The Base 11 Innovation Center, a newly opened lab with advanced manufacturing and prototyping equipment near the UCI campus, and Dassault Systemes helped put on the event, which coincided with the 20th annual International Mars Society Convention, which continues through Sunday at UCI. The four-day convention brings together scientists, engineers, aerospace industry representatives, government policymakers and journalists to talk about the latest scientific discoveries, technological advances and political and economic developments that could help pave the way for a human mission to Mars. I live in Dover Shores in Newport Beach, and Im concerned about the increasing noise and pollution created by the current John Wayne Airport flight path, which apparently abandons all prior noise abatement plans such as having planes accelerate to a higher level when ascending over residential neighborhoods and fanning the flight paths to avoid concentrating all noise/pollution in one area. When a plane roars over our homes, it interrupts all outdoor activities, halts conversations, requires one to raise the volume on TVs, etc. Our homes seem to literally shake when a plane flies overhead. In addition to the poor air quality this air traffic causes in our area, airplane goo drops onto our homes and patio furniture, and is ingested into our bodies, every day. As air travel increases, which is JWAs long term plan, Dover Shores will become a less desirable place to live, resulting in less property taxes for the city. The Balboa Bay, Newport Back Bay and the Dunes will be less attractive places for tourists to visit, resulting in less tourist revenue. And our waterways and Back Bay nature preserve sites will be a far less inviting habitat for the indigenous wildlife that the environmentalist are trying to save. Can you please tell me what is being done to alleviate, or at the very least, address these flight path issues affecting the Dover Shores area? Robin P. Wright Newport Beach Scott Peotter is long on rhetoric, short on results Public pressure forced Newport Beach Councilman Scott Peotter to abandon his foolish political protest of refusing $480,000 in gas tax (SB-1) funds for local streets in order to send a message to Sacramento. This would have cost Newport Beach $1.9 million next year if it had continued, according to the the Orange County Transportation Authority. The gas tax debacle is only the latest example of Poetters fiscal recklessness and irresponsibility. In 2015, he proposed refunding the Civic Center debt, even in light of a financial advisors report that showed his idea would cost $20 million more in debt service. At the same time, he criticized the call features of the civic center debt, even when the same financial advisor showed in the report that changing the provision as Peotter would have wanted would have increased debt service by $719,000 annually for a minimum period of 10 years or $7,190,000. In 2015, out of the blue, he proposed reducing the business license fees by $3.5 million, creating an immediate deficit in the city budget. Even the business community did not support this imprudent action. He proposed arbitrarily adding $5 million to the 2015-16 budget for sea walls. This was around $4 million more than staff said could be reasonably spent and more than $2 million over the ultimate budget for these improvements. Here again, he would have created a budget deficit. Peotter voted to abandon litigation and award more than $300,000 to the owners of Woodys Wharf, major Peotter campaign donors. While Peotter has been long on partisan rhetoric, he has been short on real results. The citys pension liabilities have grown about $70 million since he took office and the operating budget has grown each year he has been on the council. The near loss of our street improvement funds to political posturing and game playing show us how important it is to have thoughtful, responsible leaders on the City Council, not political ideologues. We simply cannot afford more of Scott Peotter. Go to recallscottpeotter.com for more information. Becky Hill Corona del Mar How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length. Although I was not selected, I was one of the finalists seeking appointment for the board position at Mesa Water District. However, during the last month, I researched, studied and learned a lot about Costa Mesa water issues. What I learned: a very key decision was made that must have vital public input and attention. Water rates are going up by 5% and are set to increase again by 5% for the next five years. Also I noticed, while attending several water board meetings, that citizens were absent. Here is my message to everyone who is served by the district: Unless a majority of citizens protest, rates will be raised every year for the next five years, beginning soon, even if you use less water. Here are the typical governmental rationals for such rate increase: The board at Mesa Water says it needs the rate hike to support investments in infrastructure, encourage conservation and meet regulatory mandates. In addition, you will hear about rate studies by expert accountants, but you never hear about cost-cutting studies by such experts. In my opinion, there also should be studies for both find ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness and reduce costs. This would be a good time to hold public hearings on all the mandates that are causing water rates to rise. We, the citizens, should review those operating costs and make sure theyre truly necessary and effective. Mesa Water is a government entity which serves the public. I do understand a reasonable pay rate charge for such service. However, I also believe the rate charges should be cost-neutral. Closing your water service account is not an option. We cannot live without water, and such services are monopolistic, as there is only one provider. Who looks out for the ratepayer when the rates are established by five elected board members? What can you do if the water district is raising the rates? Your only recourse is to convince the governing board members not to raise rates, or elect new board members at the next public election. While residents have been conserving water and controlling their water usage, city staff has been recommending new development, substantially increasing the citys water demand. No amount of water conservation can make up for this upcoming increase in water rates. The water district usually does not challenge any real estate development. This is unfair a moratorium on development should be evaluated by the water district. You can show up at the next Mesa Water board meeting public meeting and express your concerns; also pass the word to your neighbors! Al Morelli Costa Mesa Students should still learn how to solve for X Re. Column: Just because algebra is hard doesnt mean we should give up on it, (Patrice Apodaca, Aug. 21): Girls should not be able to get secondary and higher education, the thinking went a century ago, because it would just be wasted they will only get married and have babies. This reasoning was akin to that of the chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, the nations largest, who recently suggested that students who are not math or science majors shouldnt have to learn intermediate algebra in order to earn an associates degree. Now, if were going in that direction, why restrict to algebra any relaxation of standards? How about the many other disciplines that many students might not be good at? For example, how about physical education classes that computer geeks must take, when all they are really wired to do, according to the stereotype, is eat pizza, drink Coke and write computer code? And how about poetry, music and visual arts, whose wonders STEM students (science, technology, engineering, and math) are supposed to absorb? Is poetry going to help them get a job designing a satellite or finding a new planet? Seriously, isnt it about time for a civilized society such as ours to take its generational responsibilities, well, seriously? Its not good to continue drifting down the aimless river and, in effect, telling children that getting a job is the most important thing in life, so they neednt worry about learning anything thats not job-related. Since youth is for opening minds, not closing them, wed be better off investing in educating all kids in their first five, never-get-them-back, highly formative years so that they could finish pre-kindergarten on an even footing, ready to learn whatever comes their way. Theyd be able to keep up in the subsequent grades and learn what they need in order to thrive in our modern society. What a concept: High school graduates prepared to go anywhere and do anything, including learning intermediate algebra. And to have full and rewarding lives, including, if they choose, to get married and have babies. Businesses and colleges and parents will applaud. Tom Egan Costa Mesa The writer is a former Newport-Mesa trustee. How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length. Glendale High School hosted its first on-campus college fair Wednesday, where 33 university representatives from throughout the country, such as UC Irvine and the University of Michigan, met with students. The two-hour event was open to all grade levels, and nearly half of Glendale Highs students attended. Joining the hundreds of students were the schools faculty and school board member Shant Sahakian, who all congregated inside the schools north and south gyms to hear what college representatives had to offer. Linda Guzik, director of communication for the schools parent teacher student association, began planning the fair in June with help from the Regional Admission Counselors of California, a group of college admission professionals that represents out-of-state colleges and universities. Guzik, a Glendale High parent, underscored the importance of providing information about various colleges and universities to all high-school grade levels early in the academic year. First ever day time college fair was a huge success today. Big thanks to PTSA for making this happen! pic.twitter.com/tjs7N3vM1M Dr. Benjamin Wolf (@NitroPrincipal) September 6, 2017 Though the district holds its annual College and Career Fair at the Glendale Civic Auditorium in October, Guzik noted how some universities have earlier application deadlines to qualify for scholarships. For underclassmen students, she said, the event will help them have a better understanding of what it takes to be admitted into prestigious schools such as USC. Its all about timing, she said. Since Ben Wolf took the helm as Glendale Highs principal in 2016, he said one of his goals was to encourage more students to head directly into four-year universities. He said he supports students who choose to attend community colleges, but he added that a lot of students place barriers on themselves, with high tuition costs cited as a main obstacle. We want them to see all their options, he added. Glendale High School's first-ever on-campus #CollegeFair with 33 colleges represented! Thank you to our #GHS #PTSA for making it happen! pic.twitter.com/qg3U5eYS27 Shant Sahakian (@ShantSahakian) September 6, 2017 As students roamed through both gyms, students, such as 15-year-old sophomore Alani Trujillo, filled out a College Quest worksheet that required her to gather information from three colleges. Senior Matthew Clingerman, 17, walked away with an information pamphlet from the University of Michigan, saying it was the college that interested him most. As for 15-year-old sophomore Ashley Rosas, she said the event helped her envision her goal of one day working in the White House as an environmental scientist or politician in Congress. Though she has already set her sights on USC, she said the University of Maryland would be ideal because its located a few miles away from the White House. Its really making me think of my future, she said. priscella.vega@latimes.com Twitter: @vegapriscella The new Hello from Japan exhibit promises plenty of Hello Kitty-style cuteness when it comes to the Discovery Childrens Museum in Las Vegas. The touring show, scheduled to begin Sept. 16, will transport visitors to Tokyos Harajuku district, where they will be immersed in ancient and contemporary Japanese cultures. Upon entering, youll walk down a bustling, modern street full of the friendly atmosphere known as kawaii. (Americans will probably recognize kawaii through its cartoon-style visuals, popularized by the likes of Hello Kitty and Pokemon.) Advertisement As families travel down the colorful avenue, children can test their karaoke skills and pose for pictures in a photo booth. At the end of the street, visitors cross a bridge leading to a tranquil, park-like setting that includes a traditional Shinto shrine. Shinto is an indigenous religion practiced in Japan. Kids also are encouraged to crawl through a bamboo forest to meet ancient spirits and make wishes at a wishing tree that is the centerpiece of the exhibit. Along the way, visitors learn about an ancient culture that remains the foundation for modern-day life in Japan. The museum is located downtown in the same complex as the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The exhibit, originally created for the Childrens Museum of Manhattan, continues through Jan. 31. Museum admission costs $14.50 per person, regardless of age. During fall and winter months, the museum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum opened in 2013. It spans 26,000 square feet on three floors and is adjacent to a large parking structure. Info: Discovery Childrens Museum, 360 Promenade Place; (702) 382-5437 ALSO 6 great Las Vegas football bars and restaurants where fans can watch, drink and eat Splashy WOW will be Las Vegas newest water-themed fantasy show Taco crawl in Mexico City and other culinary adventures on this tour for singles Cost of a sleeper bus ticket to San Francisco: $115. Not having to fly to LAX and deal with the airport: Priceless travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Actress Sally Long had been arrested for a speeding 30 mph on Santa Monica Boulevard. Her punishment: traffic school taught by Judge Louis P. Russill. A story in the Oct. 21, 1926, Los Angeles Times reported: Sallys going to be a good girl now. She, meaning Sally Long, motion-picture actress, promised that to Municipal Judge Russill yesterday after Paul Brunette, court bailiff, brought her before the jurist on a warrant because she had failed to appear recently to answer to a traffic violation. Advertisement Sally was arrested as she was leaving the Hall of Justice yesterday after she had spent the afternoon visiting the courts of Municipal Judges Georgia Bullock and Samuel Blake. Yes, she admitted laughingly, I was listening to them try Mrs. (Aimee Semple) McPherson, but I certainly would never have come had I known they were going to arrest me. But Sallys coming back again now. Judge Russill ordered her to report for traffic school instruction under him next Monday afternoon. Meantime she must memorize all the sections of the California Motor Vehicle Act. Miss Long was arrested on Santa Monica Boulevard September 27, last while traveling at an asserted speed of thirty miles an hour A short article in the Oct. 26, 1926, Los Angeles Times reported on Longs day in traffic school: Sally Long got an A for her recitation in Municipal Judge Russills traffic school yesterday and the judge himself admitted that she was just about the best student he had ever had. Though he asked her questions about every section in the California Motor Vehicle Act, she answered them all, and perfectly Judge Russill believes in the fair play, so he told Sally, along with twenty-five other students in his traffic class, that by next Monday she must submit to him a 500-word essay setting forth her impressions of his traffic school and its teacher who is none other than Municipal Judge Russill himself. She can flatter or criticize, condemn or condone, just as she wishes and the judge wont get mad and send her to jail: he promised that Her case will be disposed on the receipt of her essay, Judge Russill said yesterday. Long, according to the IMDb website, has 16 film credits, most of which screened in the 1920s. Her last film was in 1930. She died in 1987 at age 85 in Newport Beach. The above photo was not published in 1926. The print was archived by the Los Angeles Times library under womens fashion-1926. This article was originally published on April 24, 2014. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here She was once synonymous with the struggle against oppression. In accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, she called for a world free from the displaced, the homeless and the hopeless. But Aung San Suu Kyi has missed perhaps her greatest opportunity to make good on those words as the leader of Myanmars first civilian government after a half-century of military rule. Suu Kyi has watched as 270,000 minority Rohingya Muslims one-quarter of their population have fled Myanmar over the past two weeks, escaping a bloody military crackdown in which soldiers set fire to homes and shot civilians as they tried to escape, according to accounts published by human rights groups. Advertisement Many have crammed into muddy, overcrowded camps in next-door Bangladesh, whose authorities this week raised concerns that Myanmars military was planting land mines along the border while civilians fled. Dozens have drowned in river crossings. In displacement camps inside Myanmar, Rohingya activists say the government has blocked delivery of food and humanitarian supplies. She really is in a very awkward position on this. An advisor to Suu Kyis government As condemnations pour in from across the world, Suu Kyi has defended not the displaced Rohingya but the army, saying critics of the crackdown were being deceived by a huge iceberg of misinformation. The army calls its actions clearance operations aimed at Rohingya insurgents who attacked police on Aug. 25, killing 12 officers. Reconciling an activists ideals with the hard realities of governing is never easy, but rarely has an international icon fallen so fast as Suu Kyi. Her tepid response to the Rohingya crisis has tarnished a reputation built during the 15 years she spent under house arrest opposing military dictators in the country formerly known as Burma. In this June 16, 2012, file photo, Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during the Nobel Peace Prize lecture at the city hall in Oslo. (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press) The United Nations chief has warned that ethnic cleansing could be taking place. Two other Nobel Peace Prize winners, South Africas Desmond Tutu and 20-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, have implored Suu Kyi, 72, to speak up. Other commentators have urged the Nobel Committee to revoke her prize. She has a responsibility to give protection to civilians, said a prominent Rohingya activist in Myanmar, who requested anonymity because authorities have warned people against criticizing the military campaign. And yet she is actively engaging with the army in terms of its operations to expel an entire population. She is a part of it. After leading her National League of Democracy party to an overwhelming win in 2015 parliamentary elections and then devising the powerful post of state counselor to bypass a law that prevented her from becoming president Suu Kyi faced tremendous expectations in turning around one of Asias poorest countries, one still wracked by several long-running insurgencies. The Obama administration lifted economic sanctions in 2016, rewarding Myanmars democratic transition, although by that point there were serious questions about Suu Kyis commitment to the ideas expressed in her Nobel speech. She has consistently declined to condemn abuses against the Rohingya, an ethnic and religious minority of more than 1 million people in a country that is 90% Buddhist, often saying that Buddhists have suffered too. Her government has echoed the militarys view that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many trace their roots in Myanmar back several generations, and has continued a policy of denying them citizenship and other basic rights. Read more: What Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar expected from Aung San Suu Kyi After a 2012 outbreak of communal violence in the western state of Rakhine in which scores of Buddhists and Rohingya died, 120,000 Rohingya lost their homes and were corralled into displacement camps. Many others live in what are essentially open-air prisons, their villages watched over by security forces. The rise of a well-armed Rohingya insurgency has generated public support for military operations in Rakhine. A rising Buddhist nationalism has fanned the flames, led by hard-line monks who claim that Muslims want to overtake the country. All but cut off from the world during the years of her house arrest, Suu Kyi was a steely, enigmatic symbol whose political inclinations beyond ending the armys kleptocratic rule were not well known. Since the democratic transition began, Western journalists increasingly challenged her on the Rohingya issue, and Suu Kyi began to flash annoyance in interviews. Her allies say she is trapped between international expectations and domestic political realities. She is known for a regal bearing that borders on haughty, but her powers are sharply limited. The army controls the key security-related ministries and one-quarter of seats in Parliament, and enjoys no civilian oversight. She really is in a very awkward position on this, said an advisor to the Myanmar government who requested anonymity to speak freely. If she were to speak out more vociferously in defense of the Rohingya, she would lose a lot of her domestic support. In a country thats been in relative isolation for a long period of time, with low levels of education, people can have fairly bigoted views, and the Buddhist majority are fairly unsympathetic to the plight of the Rohingya. Some say she may also worry for her safety. This year, U Ko Ni, an advisor to Suu Kyi who was drafting a new constitution that would roll back the militarys powers, was assassinated at the international airport in Yangon. The brazen killing appeared to stun Suu Kyi, who waited several weeks before issuing a public statement about it. Myanmar nationalists have called for tougher action against Bengali terrorists since the Aug. 25 attacks, which followed the report of a commission led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The commission called on the government to end the enforced segregation of Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine state, ensure access for humanitarian groups, revise citizenship laws that exclude the Rohingya and end restrictions on freedom of movement. Thet Thet Khine, a lawmaker from Suu Kyis party, said the government was committed to implementing the recommendations. But she said the international community was wrong to view Rakhine state as purely a human rights issue. It is also an issue of security and economic development, Thet Thet Khine said. In the short term we have to work with the military. This is a terrorism issue superimposed on a communal crisis. The local people dont trust the Bengali Muslim people. Suu Kyi has to reconcile between the international community and the local community, and they are not in line, she said. She is trying her best. Others gave up on her long ago. I think she cares about power, the Rohingya activist said. Shes saying, Im not a human rights activist. Im a politician. Any leader who cares about human rights would distance herself from mass atrocities. She is failing to do so. shashank.bengali@latimes.com Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia ALSO Alarming number of 270,000 Rohingya flee violence in Myanmar, U.N. says From Malala to the Taliban, anger across Asia at Myanmars violence against Rohingya Muslims Torched villages, dead civilians, squalid refugee camps: Myanmars Rakhine state is caught in a cycle of horrific violence. Heres why U.S. intelligence analysts have gained valuable insights into Islamic States planning and personnel from a vast cache of digital data and other material recovered from bombed-out offices, abandoned laptops and the cellphones of dead fighters in recently liberated areas of Iraq and Syria. In the most dramatic gain, U.S. officials over the last two months have added thousands of names of known or suspected Islamic State operatives to an international watch list used at airports and other border crossings. The Interpol database now contains about 19,000 names. The intelligence haul the largest since U.S. forces entered the war in mid-2014 threatens to overwhelm already stretched counter-terrorism and law enforcement agencies in Europe, where Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris, London and Stockholm this year. Advertisement With the extremist groups army and self-declared caliphate fast shrinking, U.S. officials are concerned that foreign-born militants who once flocked to Iraq and Syria will try to escape before the U.S.-led coalition or other military forces can kill them. In recent weeks, U.S.-backed ground forces have sent an estimated 30 terabytes of data equal to nearly two years of nonstop video footage to the National Media Exploitation Center in Bethesda, Md., a little-known arm of the Pentagons Defense Intelligence Agency, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence. Analysts there are scrutinizing handwritten ledgers, computer spreadsheets, thumb drives, mobile phone memory cards and other materials for clues to terrorist cells or plots in Europe or elsewhere. The reason electronic exploitation is so critical is that enemy forces doesnt fake those records, an intelligence official said. When you interrogate someone they can hide facts, but logs of phone calls and video clips dont lie. That stuff isnt made-up. The material came from Mosul, the militants self-declared capital in Iraq, which was recaptured July 9 after an eight-month battle. Other intelligence was found in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, which was retaken on Aug. 31, and from Raqqah, the groups self-declared capital in Syria, where fighting is still underway. Weve gotten significant amounts of intelligence as a result of the fall of these places much is still being analyzed, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis told The Times during a visit to Amman, Jordan, last month. It has helped us to identify at least some of their aspirations. U.S. officials said they have gleaned planning ideas and outlines of potential operations rather than ongoing terrorist plots. But they also have gathered details into the groups leadership and the hierarchy of fighters under command. The biggest windfall came from what officials said were meticulous Islamic State records about the foreign fighters who arrived since convoys of black-flagged militants first stormed out of northern Syria and into Iraq in 2014, capturing large parts of both countries and the worlds attention. The records include their names, aliases, home countries and other personal information. The data has been shared with a 19-nation task force in Jordan, code-named Operation Gallant Phoenix, that tries to track foreign fighters in an effort to disrupt terrorist cells and networks. The task force is led by the U.S. militarys clandestine Joint Special Operations Command. If we find information about foreign fighters from a certain country, we go through proper procedures to make sure its shared, said Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State. President Obama appointed McGurk in 2015 and President Trump has kept him on. So it is a very comprehensive campaign, militarily, on the ground, taking territory back; collecting information; processing it; and then building the database and the system so it can be shared and acted upon, McGurk said in Amman. With few U.S. troops on the ground, most of the intelligence is gathered by Iraqi security forces and U.S.-backed Syrian militias who have been trained to gather, bag and tag material to be analyzed back in the states. A phone from the pocket of a dead fighter often includes phone numbers that can assist counter-terrorism investigations far afield. Indeed, intelligence recovered from the battlefield since 2015 has led to arrests or broken up plots in at least 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and Canada, officials said. Matthew Levitt, a former counter-terrorism official at the FBI and Treasury Department now with the nonpartisan Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said obtaining an alias, drivers license, passport number or biometric data can be crucial to blocking a terrorist plot. Time and again, weve found that even the smallest bit of information can prove critical, he said. It could help us discover a person we never knew about or provide new leads on an underground cell. U.S. officials say Islamic State has lost 60% of the territory it captured in 2014, and its force has been halved to about 15,000 fighters. The recent intelligence indicates that they are concentrating forces and shifting their operations base to the Middle Euphrates River Valley, which lies between Iraq and Syria. An estimated 8,000 fighters have moved to the valley, which stretches more than 150 miles from Deir el Zour in eastern Syria down to Rawa in western Iraq. They include most of the groups leaders and their families, as well as key aides for administrative functions. A U.S. special operations task force tracked and killed three leaders, who allegedly oversaw weapons research and drone operations, in the valley this week, officials said. In all, more than 35 military commanders, weapons production experts, financial facilitators and external attacks plotters have been killed there in the past year. Islamic State founder Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi is believed to be hiding in the area, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who completed his tour this month as top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. He predicted the militants would make their last stand in the valley. Thats where they believe their last sanctuary is, he told reporters on Aug. 31. Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst at the nonpartisan Institute for the Study of War in Washington, warned that the battle is far from over. Islamic States leadership ranks have proven resilient and its harsh Islamist message continues to find an audience among disaffected youth. The noose is tightening, so to speak, but these guys dont quit, she said. The remaining terrain wont be taken quickly or easily. And even when it is taken, theres no guarantee that accomplishment will mark the end. william.hennigan@latimes.com Twitter: @wjhenn ALSO: U.S. special operations forces face growing demands and increased risks The U.S. is launching danger-close drone strikes so risky they require Syrian militia approval The U.S. military is targeting Islamic States virtual caliphate by hunting & killing its online operatives one-by-one Mexico on Thursday ordered North Koreas ambassador to leave the country as punishment for Pyongyangs recent nuclear tests. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto declared Ambassador Kim Hyong Gil persona non grata, granting him 72 hours to leave the country. A statement from Mexicos Foreign Ministry said the action was meant to express the Latin nations absolute rejection of North Koreas recent nuclear tests, which include Sundays underground detonation of what Pyongyang described as a hydrogen bomb. North Koreas nuclear activity is a grave risk to international peace and security and represents a growing threat to the nations of the region, including key allies of Mexico such as Japan and South Korea, the statement said. It said Pena Nieto ordered Kims expulsion because of United Nations Security Council resolutions sanctioning people and entities associated with North Koreas efforts to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Advertisement Along with the nuclear test, North Korea has also test-launched at least four ballistic missiles in recent weeks including one that flew over Japan and has boasted about creating a warhead that could be used against the United States. Mexico has repeatedly called on North Korea to comply with U.N. efforts to thwart the countrys development of ballistic weapons and in recent days has expressed solidarity with allies including South Korea, whose densely populated capital is within striking range of conventional weapons. The expulsion of the North Korean ambassador could also help Mexico win points with the United States, which has threatened military action against North Korea in recent months. Mexico, which is locked in tense talks with the U.S. and Canada over updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement, has repeatedly sought to leverage its cooperation with U.S. security efforts during the negotiations. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc. Nearly four out of 10 heirs of big business conglomerates studied abroad, according to a study. The trend is more pronounced among younger children of the owners of the so-called chaebol. Portal site Chaebul.com said Monday research on 146 children of chaebol owners showed that 59 went to university overseas. Forty-two attended high school in Korea first, and 17 also went to high school abroad. Among 31 heirs in their 40s that were included in the study, only 10 went to university abroad, as did 5 out of 25 in their 50s. For those in their 60s the number was 9 out of 38. But more than half of heirs in their 30s -- 15 out of 29 -- had a bachelor degree from foreign universities, and among young heirs in their 20s, the number was 20 out of 23, or 87 percent. This is in line with the nationwide trend where huge numbers of young Koreans have been leaving the country to study overseas since 2000. Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee favors education abroad for his children, but Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group chairman Chung Mong-koo sent his kids to school at home, perhaps reflecting differing management philosophies. Any revisions to the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement will be minimal face-saving tweaks, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The top trade officials of Korea and the U.S. held a special session on Tuesday, with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer demanding revisions by pointing to a "significant trade imbalance" with Korea, which he claimed doubled since 2011. But the paper said U.S. businesses' opinions vary and revisions are expected only in some areas like cars and steel, where the U.S. is suffering huge deficits. The American livestock industry, which is benefiting from the bilateral trade pact, opposes revisions. Cattle farmers sent a letter to the U.S. government on July 27 stating their position that the Korea-U.S. FTA "created an ideal environment" in expanding exports of their products. The overall sentiment among U.S. businesses is positive about the pact, except for steel companies and automakers. U.S. car exports to Korea totaled US$1.7 billion last year, which was only one-ninth of the amount of Korean cars that were shipped to the U.S. And U.S. steel companies are claiming that a supply glut created by Korean steelmakers triggered a global price decline. The special session on Tuesday ended without any agreement whether revisions should be made. Maurice Butch Adams' attorney called him a quiet, hard-working man and a good father. His wife's family said he exhibits uncontrollable anger and called him a manipulator with no morals. Everyone agrees he didn't mean for his wife, Catrina Adams, to die on March 8, but that's exactly what happened. The 43-year-old Georgia truck driver was sentenced Friday to a year and a half to five years in state prison for involuntary manslaughter. He and his wife were arguing at the View Inn in Bethlehem Township when she grabbed onto the side of his truck, lost her grip and he drove over her. "I think everyone here can agree the defendant made an extremely poor decision that day when he continued to operate the truck as his wife was hanging off the side of the vehicle," said Assistant District Attorney Erika Farkas. A surveillance video shows Adams jerking the truck back and forth to try to dislodge her during their dispute, Farkas said. "He pulled out at a rapid pace from what I saw in the video," said Judge Anthony Beltrami. "It doesn't appear to be accidental. I think the appropriate charge is involuntary manslaughter." His daughter, who was 11 or 12 at the time, was in the hotel when her mother was run over. Already without a mother, she's now losing her father for at least a year and a half, Farkas acknowledged. Adams administered CPR to his wife and dialed 911, but he lied to paramedics telling them his wife passed out in the parking lot, Farkas said. At the hospital he said his wife was on the side of the truck but got dizzy and fell off, an account that doesn't square with the video. A letter from Catrina Adams' family to the judge says Maurice Adams suffers from "uncontrollable anger" and a lack of self control. Farkas told the judge Adams put his own interests ahead of his wife's when he lied. She said family members call him "selfish, a liar, manipulative and with little or no moral character." Family members asked for the maximum sentence allowed by law -- two and a half to five years in state prison. Defense attorney John Waldron was taken aback by Catrina Adams' family's accusations. He said he corresponded with them and thought they stood behind Maurice Adams. He called Adams a non-confrontational and quiet man. "He's one of the most mellow people I've ever met," Waldron said. His goal that day was to go to work and get away from his argumentative wife, although Waldron acknowledges Adams should have turned off the truck until Catrina Adams cooled down. Beltrami called it a tragic case, one where Adams should have known better even though he didn't intend to kill his wife. "It's a tough situation because you're also suffering in your own prison of guilt and shame," Beltrami said. "I've taken that into consideration." Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. The Easton Public Market is proving that technology can be pretty sweet. On Thursday, Chocodiem, the market's resident high-end chocolatier, introduced a new 3D chocolate printer that creates customized goodies in minutes. The roughly $3,700 device spits out melted milk, dark, white or vegan chocolate onto parchment paper in any design, guided by modeling software. A simple, flat creation might take just a few seconds to print, while complex 3D models can take up to 45 minutes. Chocodiem, named last year one of North America's 10 best chocolatiers, collaborated with the Easton-based scanning and printing shop 3DReactions on the project. Check out the printer in action: The partnership began when Chocodiem owner (and Belgian native) JP Hepp sought someone to help him make chocolate models of the Centre Square bugler for Heritage Day. The two companies linked up and together purchased the machine, which will spend time at both the Easton Public Market and Chocodiem's original location in Clinton, New Jersey. 3DReactions owner John Majersky programs the software and handles the technical side, while Hepp provides the chocolate. The team has printed inch-high flower-like designs, along with 2D creations like the outline of the bugler, company logos and a variety of simple messages. If you want your own printed chocolate, a 2D phrase like "Thank You" or "I Love You" start at $10. 3D prints will start at $20, and vary based on the size, customization and complexity. For added customization, Chocodiem is already well-versed in chocolate painting. Hepp is planning to host public demonstrations for anyone who wants to see the 3D printer in action. To make an appointment or place an order, call 610-829-2722 or chocodiem.com. Precise temperature and humidity are required to keep the 3D-printed chocolates stable. Ideally, Majersky said, the room will be 66 to 70 degrees with 40 percent humidity as the chocolate is printed. Any hotter than that, and the result will melt in the process. (The appropriate temperature varies a bit based on the type of chocolate.) Megan McBride, the district director for the Easton Public Market, said she was excited to see a vendor collaborating with an Easton business outside of the market. She sees the 3D printer as further evidence of Hepp's reputation as an innovator. "He never disappoints," she said. "He's always on to the next thing." Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook. The Lehigh Valley wants to be on Amazon's shortlist for hosting its second headquarters and the up to 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars it may bring. On Thursday, Amazon.com Inc announced that its bursting out of its current Seattle headquarters and on the hunt for a second home. The giant internet retailer's must haves for the $5 billion project: a prime location, close to transit, with plenty of space to grow. It plans to also stay in its sprawling Seattle headquarters, with the new space "a full equal" to that, said founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. While it remains to be seem if the region can meet Amazon's top requirements for its new headquarters, Lehigh Valley leaders plan to make the case for the region's strategic location, revitalizing cities and higher ed institutions. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. is in the process of developing a response to Amazon's request-for-proposal and reviewing possible sites, spokesman Colin McEvoy said. "I can't discuss specific sites right now, but we're definitely on this and taking it very seriously," he said Thursday evening. Amazon's announcement highlights how fast the e-commerce giant is expanding, and its need to find fresh talent to fuel that growth The Interstate 78 corridor is already one of the hottest warehouse markets in the country thanks to its highway system, proximity to Lehigh Valley International Airport and lower taxes. It offers companies a chance to reach up to 80 percent of the U.S. population within 24 hours. And Amazon's taken notice. It already operates two massive Lehigh Valley warehouses, one in Palmer Township and one in Breinigsville. With the lure of so many new jobs, city and state leaders were already lining up Thursday to say they planned to apply. Among them: Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto. They have a little more than a month to do so through a special website , and Amazon said it will make a decision next year. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey wrote Bezos on Thursday urging the internet giant to seriously consider his home state. "Pennsylvania is also home to three major ports and access markets, several highly traveled interstate corridors, a robust railroad network, and commercially important inland waterways," the Democratic senator wrote. Amazon's requirements could rule out some places, possibly even the Lehigh Valley: it wants to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade. That's about the same size as its current home in Seattle, which has 33 buildings, 23 restaurants and houses 40,000 employees Casey remains confident one of Pennsylvania's cities is an ideal location for Amazon's HQ2. "Not only does Pennsylvania have incredible academic institutions and a world-renowned workforce, it is home to key interstate commerce thoroughfares, critical supply chain infrastructure, a stable business-friendly environment, and most importantly an existing relationship and significant Amazon presence," Casey wrote. Amazon said it will hire up to 50,000 new full-time employees at the second headquarters over the next 15 years, and they would make an average pay of more than $100,000 a year. "They're so big in Seattle, they're running out of room," said Kevin Sharer, a corporate strategy professor at Harvard Business School. The company is hoping for something else from its second hometown: tax breaks, grants and other incentives. A section of the proposal that outlines those says "the initial cost and the ongoing cost of doing business are critical decision drivers." Brad Badertscher, an accounting professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the public search appeared to be a way to start a bidding war among cities. "This was like an open letter to city leaders saying, 'Who wants Amazon and all our jobs?'" Badertscher said. "This is Jeff Bezos doing what he does best: adding shareholder value and getting the most bang for the buck." Amazon gets tax breaks when cities compete for its massive warehouses, where it packs and ships orders. The company received at least $241 million in subsidies from local and state government after opening facilities in 29 different U.S. cities in 2015 and 2016, according to an analysis by Good Jobs First, a group that tracks economic development deals. In explaining why it was holding a public process, Amazon said on its site that it wanted "to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit." Bezos has crowdsourced major decisions before - in June, just before Amazon announced its plan to buy organic grocer Whole Foods, the billionaire took to Twitter seeking ideas for a philanthropic strategy to give away some of his fortune. And tech companies have been known to set places in competition with each other: In vying to land Google's ultra-fast broadband network, many cities used stunts and gimmickry to get the company's attention. Topeka even informally renamed itself "Google, Kansas." Amazon.com Inc. said its search is open to any metropolitan area in North America, but declined to say how open it was to going outside the United States. Jed Kolko, the chief economist at job site Indeed, noted that the company's request for proposals mentions "provinces" several times -- a clear sign it would consider a Canadian metro area. Kolko also said an East Coast locale could bring it closer to the company's offices in Europe. Amazon's arrival might transform an area: Until 10 years ago, the neighborhood near Seattle's campus just north of downtown was dotted with auto parts stores and low-rent apartments. Now it's a booming pocket of high-rise office complexes, sleek apartment buildings and tony restaurants. And the company keeps growing. Amazon has said it will hire 100,000 people by the middle of next year, adding to its current worldwide staff of more than 380,000. It announced plans to build three new warehouses that pack and ship packages in New York, Ohio and Oregon. And it recently paid close to $14 billion for Whole Foods and its more than 465 stores. The Whole Foods headquarters in Austin is far smaller than what Amazon said it's looking for -- the flagship hub is also a full-service grocery store with shoppers who compete for parking spaces. Even its larger corporate campus that stretches down the surrounding blocks may be too small for the space Amazon would want for a second headquarters. In Seattle, its rise has not been without critics, who say the influx of mostly well-heeled tech workers has caused housing prices to skyrocket, clogged the streets with traffic and changed the city for the worse. The Seattle Times reported Thursday that the median price for a house in August in Seattle was $730,000, up almost 17 percent in a year. That itself may be a factor. Amazon may be looking for a spot where it's not as expensive for its employees to live, said Rita McGrath, a professor at the Columbia Business School in New York. "It's hard to attract people if they can't afford the housing available locally," she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the International Monetary Fund should step back from its role in European bailouts - breaking with a widely accepted policy adopted when Greece sought international help seven years ago. On a two-day visit to Athens, Macron said the eurozone rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, should play the lead role in financial rescue within the currency zone. France, Europe's No. 2 economy, had previously backed Germany's insistence in involving the IMF to enforce austerity measures that came with bailout programs in Greece and other rescued economies including Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus. But on Thursday, Macron told reporters: "I don't think it was the right method for the IMF to supervise European programs and intervene in the way it did... Let's work within Europe and not turn to outside agencies." Macron made the remarks after meeting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and before delivering a speech on Europe's future on a hill facing the ancient Acropolis in Athens. "The presence of the IMF was a symptom of a lack of confidence between European countries and sometimes even between the European countries and the European institutions," Macron said after the meeting. Peter Hussey, the artist director, driving force and founder of Kildare Youth Theatre and Crooked House Theatre has added a further string to his bow with his appointment as Artist in Residence in Initial Education in Maynooth University. The residency is supported by the Arts Council. Speaking to the Leinster Leader Mr Hussey explained that in his role he will be working with trainee teachers at both primary and secondary level to use drama and storytelling in education to maybe help the teachers to reflect on their training, through theatre. And will will be doing this for students and staff and maybe even the wider university. Its great - I love it. Its all about bringing the idea of role of the artist in education. Its very exciting - I love working with these groups. Youre working with people who are kinda shaping people of the future, and to enable them to find a bit of space for themselves, he said. They dont really get a whole lot of chance to stop and reflect. He has worked extensively with young people whose experiences of being in school very often shape the hugely innovative theatrical performances he directs. Over the past 25 years Peter has run many theatre programmes for children and young adults. His workshops focus on developing the persons innate skills in theatre-making to build and enhance a range of life-skills, and to celebrate what they bring naturally to the art form of theatre making. Peter is a strong advocate for the inclusion of theatre-making in schools, having recently addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills about this and having also contributed to policy on this at European level. Read more: Kildare Youth Theatre's King Lear at the Riverbank, Newbridge Read more: Kildare Youth Theatre tackles death and sporting rivalry Read more: Huge surge in students applying to Kildare's Maynooth University Read more: Kildare man's car searched as Maynooth University tried to prevent students bringing in alcohol, court hears Childhood Cancer Foundation launches its 5th annual Light It Up Gold campaign as significant buildings and landmarks get ready to light up gold in September to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. As part of the international campaign pioneered in the USA, buildings across the world will light up in gold lighting in September to highlight the issues affecting children with cancer and their families. In Ireland, buildings from An Grianan Theatre in Donegal to St Colmans Cathedral in Cobh and many in between, namely, the Mansion House, Dublin Convention Centre, Dunbrody Famine Ship, Trim Castle, Shannon Airport and many more, will Light Up Gold during September. They will join Sydney Opera House, Times Square New York, Prudential Tower in Boston and many other iconic buildings and famous landmarks that will light up gold as part of this global awareness campaign. Laura Cullinan of Childhood Cancer Foundation states. September is International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. While we work to raise awareness all year round, during September we join with other charities to focus on raising public awareness of childhood cancer as part of a global campaign. "We are grateful to the owners and managers of so many buildings across Ireland who have generously joined our Light It Up Gold campaign to raise awareness of childhood cancer, assisting us to highlight the issues that a diagnosis brings. Raising awareness will improve early detection rates resulting in less harsh treatment protocols and fewer long term side effects. Raising awareness will encourage increased funding for desperately needed services and supports for children with cancer, their siblings, parents and families. Raising awareness will promote the demand for increased funding for the development of drugs specifically for childrens cancers and research into improved treatments and ultimately cures for all childhood cancers. Over 200 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in Ireland. Thats 4 families each week who hear the devastating news that their child, brother, sister or grandchild has cancer. Childhood cancer is the biggest cause of death by disease in children in this country. Childhood Cancer Foundation is committed to raising public awareness of the issues surrounding childhood cancer, developing early diagnosis programmes amongst health care professionals, advocating for improved services for children affected by cancer and assisting to fund supports for children and families affected by childhood cancer. Laura Cullinan concludes Raising awareness of childhood cancer shines a light on the bravery of children with cancer, their families and those living with long term side effects from chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Everyone can show their support for these children and their families by wearing a gold ribbon pin or encouraging a building to light up in gold light during September. After just over three and half years of service, the Chief Executive of Leitrim County Council, Frank Curran, attended his final council meeting last Monday. Speaking to the Leitrim Observer after the meeting, Mr Curran, who took up the role in February 2014, said that he is looking forward to his new position in Wicklow but would be sad to leave Co Leitrim. He praised the staff and county councillors for their hard work and commitment noting when the chips are down everyone works together. Looking back on his time in Co Leitrim he said he had been overwhelmed by how friendly and welcoming the people of the area had been. Everyone has been so welcoming and we are lucky to have such exceptional staff here (at Leitrim County Council). They have been very easy to work with and I want to say, I will be back. He noted developments such as the opening of the Hive Enterprise Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manor Hub in Manorhamilton and the Carrick Business Park as well as the benefits they brought to the area. But it's not just about jobs, it's about the quality of life here, he acknowledged, adding Co Leitrim had so much to offer those who lived and worked there. He referred to the strong creative tradition in Co Leitrim where we have more creative people per captia than any other county and also a strong framework of supports. The growth of sporting facilities in the county is also something we should be proud of, he said, pointing out the refurbishment of the Aura Leitrim Leisure gym and resurfacing of astro turf grounds in recent months as welcome developments. We are lucky enough in Co Leitrim to have a very ambitious housing programme, he added, with investment in the construction of new social housing projects planned in Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton, to name just a few. I am also delighted that we are going ahead with the extension to the existing Council offices, he said. This investment will mean that we have a state-of-the-art office in Carrick-on-Shannon with all services currently based in Park Lane and the Town Hall, moving under one roof. This also opens up the possibility of finding other uses for these buildings including the possibility of building a new library or enterprise units for Carrick-on-Shannon, he pointed out. For a small county Leitrim certainly always punches above its weight and that is down to the determination and persistence of people here, he said. While he acknowledged there are funding challenges with the massive drop in funding from central government and our low rates base, Mr Curran said that the staff, councillors and community groups of the county are very proactive in securing funding from a variety of schemes. He stated he is especially proud of the major investment in the county's Blueway and the recent extension, in particular at Drumshanbo's Acres Lake, which was officially opened yesterday (Tuesday). He is also enthusiastic about the potential of Greenways currently under development in the county and said he is hopeful these projects will be well placed to secure funding in the near future. But so much has been achieved in the last few years. We have the investment in Sean MacDiarmada's homestead, the Kiltyclogher Heritage Centre, the work at Glencar Waterfall and Eagle's Rock, I am very proud of what has been achieved during my time here, he told our reporter. In 2014 there were 35,000 overseas visitors a year coming to Co Leitrim, last year that figure had reached 56,000, he proudly notes. But asked what he will miss most about the county? I have enjoyed my time here and I will miss the people of Co Leitrim and I know my family will too, he said. We've got good news and we've got bad news. The good news is there's a very strong chance the Northern Lights will be visible from Ireland tonight. The bad news is Met Eireann have promised cloud cover for tonight, but let's hope for a few clear moments... Astronomy Ireland, this week, revealed that there has been a huge explosion from the sun, which has sent chunks of matter towards earth. This means that all of this weekend, there is a strong chance of spectacular displays of light over Ireland. And, according to Astronomy Ireland's Facebook page, tonight is predicted to be one of the biggest displays in over a decade. "Big aurora expected Friday night arrived early and was blazing over all of Ireland from midnight Thursday night," they stated. "It should continue until we get to see it again from sunset Friday on. Be ready and let us know what you see [...] This could be the big one that we have been waiting for for over a decade! Watch on Saturday and Sunday nights also, as the sun is popping with flares every day recently!" The last big display of the Northern Lights over Ireland was Halloween 2003, but Astronomy Ireland has said that this would outshine that spectacle by a long shot. And, they add, you shouldn't have to travel north to see the lights tonight. "If the aurora is as big as predictions, you don't have to go to Donegal. You should be able to see it from a dark location, preferably northwest of any urban lights. Let your eyes adjust and don't forget camera captures more light than your eyes on a longer exposure so will look even better." The Space Weather Predication Centre backs this up too. Just take a look at the image below, with Ireland circled in red on the right. The best time tonight will be between 9pm and midnight UTC time, which translates to 10pm onwards for us, so find yourself a dark spot and look up. Planning on taking photographs? Send them in to news@leitrimobserver.ie and we'll put the best ones up online. Prince William's wife Kate was too ill with morning sickness Thursday to take young Prince George to his first day of school. The 4-year-old prince arrived at school holding the hand of his father, William. Kate had planned to accompany them but canceled. "Unfortunately the Duchess of Cambridge remains unwell," a Kensington Palace statement said. George arrived on time for his first day at Thomas's Battersea school in south London. He was met by a teacher who will introduce him to the other students. Alex Cole-Hamilton was one of the MSPs calling for the rollout of Universal Credit to be halted during a debate in the Scottish Parliament today. Only the Conservatives defended the continued rollout. We know that people are having to wait up to 6 weeks for any money at all. MSPs had some real horror stories to report which you can see in the full record of the debate here. Alexs speech was very well crafted and it was candid, too. He both acknowledged and distanced himself from the Liberal Democrat role in the coalition governments welfare reform. However, he was able to show that without us there, the Tories have done a great deal worse. Heres his speech in full. I often speak with hyperbole in this place about the various responsibilities that we as decision makers discharge both in this Parliament and at Westminster, but the safety net that we provide for those who, for whatever reason, cannot provide for themselves should be the measure of any civilised society. My party has a proud history in the genesis and introduction of the welfare state in the early days of the 20th century, with the first state pension introduced under Lloyd George. In the 1940s, that great Liberal William Beveridge was the catalyst for the advent of social security when he identified the original giant evils, as he described them, of ignorance, idleness, squalor, want and disease. It is a failure of progress that, if we strip out the antiquated language, many of those evils still hold sway in our society today. We should remember that, until this decade, the systems of welfare in this country had not undergone significant reform since their introduction, despite generations of incremental modification. For decades, welfare reform was sought by poverty campaigners, third sector organisations and academics so that we could dispense with unneeded red tape and inject much-needed social mobility into the system. It fell to my party, in its period of coalition government, to co-preside over that much-needed redesign. I would, however, that we had had different bedfellows in that task. There are elements of the system that underpins the process that I take no pride in at all, and there are aspects of the new system that I still find shameful. Nevertheless, I am glad that we were there, for I dread to think of the welfare system that our Conservative partners would have designed unencumbered. We all saw the measure of the ideological compass behind Conservative social policy in the ill-fated manifesto that Theresa May published in the spring. Today, we are debating the flagship aspect of the welfare reform agendathe roll-out of universal credit. I support the motion, which does not suggest that we tear up welfare reform or even junk universal credit but which speaks to the human cost of the inadequacies of the roll-out. A large undertaking such as that might well have been expected to have teething problems, but the difficulties in the areas of Scotland where it has started go far beyond that. People who are switching to universal credit have had to endure a six-week waitand morebefore receiving their first payment. That is intolerable in 2017, and it presents a material risk to the wellbeing of those people and their families. Put simply, it is pushing families into crisis. As we have heard, Citizens Advice Scotland has received reports of many clients resorting to emergency stopgaps such as food banks, crisis grants and food parcels, while others are going into significant rent arrears. I support the call of my Labour colleagues for the Parliament to support a total halt to any further roll-out of the new system of universal credit until the issues that have been highlighted in the debate have been properly addressed. It makes no sense to plough on regardless and ignore the huge impact on vulnerable families that has resulted from crucial payment delays. With 25 different stakeholders backing the call, we, as a Parliament, must surely listen. The accelerated roll-out that is due in October must be delayed to prevent any more people from being pushed into financial crisis unnecessarily. Hurricane Irma is unleashing powerful winds and heavy rains on Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands as it continues to pound the Dominican Republic and parts of Haiti. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds, storm surge and rainfall are life-threatening, and those same conditions are expected late Thursday in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas. The NHC says Irma is considered "extremely dangerous" as it maintains its Category 5 strength and packs maximum sustained winds of 280 kilometers per hour (170 mph). The NHC projects Irma will remain a Category 4 or 5 storm for the next few days. Destruction lies in the wake of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin on Sept. 6, 2017. /AP Death Toll Irma killed at least one person in Barbuda and eight people in St. Martin after rolling over those islands Wednesday. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll on St. Martin is likely to rise. The island is divided between French and Dutch sides. Dutch officials said they did not yet have information about casualties, but there is "huge damage," including to the airport and harbor. Irma passed Puerto Rico, knocking out power to more than 1 million people. The head of the power company on the U.S. island territory said it could be four to six months before service is totally restored. U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, which has been struggling to maintain its infrastructure in the midst of a financial crisis. The declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts on the island. "Hurricane Irma is raging, but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help. Be careful, be safe! #FEMA," Trump posted Thursday on Twitter. The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved more than $15 billion in disaster aid. The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday had approved $8 billion for aid for areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. The Senate bill will now go back to the House, which is expected to pass the measure by the end of the week. Stranded travelers at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, airport look for ways to get out of the state in anticipation of Hurricane Irma's arrival on Sept. 7, 2017. Barbuda Devastated Late Wednesday, Barbuda took a direct hit from Irma, which left behind what Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called a "really horrendous situation." He said nearly every building was damaged. Later this week, Barbuda faces the potential of being hit by Hurricane Jose, one of three hurricanes in the region. Jose was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Thursday, and is forecast to pass near the northern Leeward Islands on Saturday before curving north of the path that Irma has followed. ABS-TV news director Garfield Burford told VOA that in his conversation with Barbuda's prime minister, Browne said he was "heartbroken" by the damage he saw on the island nation and that it might be necessary to evacuate the people there to Antigua. "The prime minister has indicated that if Jose were to be seen to be posing some impact on Antigua and Barbuda, as did Irma, then it would be absolutely essential that the residents on Barbuda evacuate and come to Antigua," Burford said. About 1.2 million people have already been victimized by Irma and that number could exceed 26 million, the Red Cross said Thursday. The relief organization said that in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba alone, "an estimated 26 million people could be exposed to destructive winds and torrential rain." Children Endangered The United Nations Children's Fund said Thursday some 10.5 million children live in Caribbean countries that are likely to be impacted by Irma. The organization said children in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the islands of the Eastern Caribbean and Haiti are at risk, including 3 million under the age of 5. In addition to Irma and Jose, Katia is the third hurricane in the area. Katia is located in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It could strengthen into a major storm before making landfall in eastern Mexico. Irma is expected to affect the southeastern U.S. state of Florida on Saturday, still as a major hurricane. The NHC has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for much of the Florida peninsula, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay. It is increasingly likely Irma will travel across Florida's crowded east coast in the next three or four days, potentially impacting millions of residents. South Florida officials have already ordered people to evacuate coastal areas. Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday repeated the evacuation orders. "Every Floridian, every family should take this seriously and be aggressive. You've got to protect your family," Scott said. Gas stations and grocery stores saw long lines Thursday as people either fled to safer areas or stocked up on supplies to ride out the storm. 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. CLOTHING retailer Gap is set to open an outlet store in Limerick. The American chain had a unit in the Crescent Shopping Centre, which closed a number of years ago. But now the firm is back in Limerick, with recruiters seeking staff for its new store here. Although the company was not available for comment, the Leader understands one possibility its bosses are looking at is moving back into the Crescent Shopping Centre. Gap has placed adverts for new staff on the LinkedIn network, as well as a number of other recruitment web sites. Helen O'Donnell, of the City Business Association, has welcomed the move. It's good news, it's positive for the city. We are aware of a number of companies looking at Limerick, and they are finding it a challenge to get units that suit. I know that from Retail Excellence Ireland. But this is positive, and we are delighted. A couple of new places have opened recently. They're all very good quality - we'd welcome it." Founded in 1969 in San Francisco where its headquarters remain, Gap is the largest speciality clothing retailer in the USA, and the third largest worldwide. It operates five primary divisions: the namesake banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Intermix, and Athleta. NIAMH de Brun is Miss Kilkenny, lives in the Marble County and is dating TJ Reid, who has seven All-Ireland medals in the black and amber colours, but there is no question mark over who she is supporting on Saturday. Oh, Limerick, of course! I'm a proud Limerick lady. Its so funny, when I did the last piece and they were asking who I was supporting? There were people saying, Miss Kilkenny should be supporting Kilkenny. I turned around and said to them, Look, if you were a Kilkenny person and you moved down to Limerick would you turn around and change teams? And they were like, 'Oh, God no! said Niamh, who is from the Ennis Road. She will travel down to Semple Stadium with TJ to watch the All-Ireland U-21 final between Limerick and Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon. I'll get my hands on some kind of a jersey. I'm really looking forward to it, I love Thurles, there's always such a good buzz in Thurles. Get your 20 page @LimerickCLG v @KilkennyCLG U-21 hurling final preview supplement in 2morrows @Limerick_Leader Huge credit 2 @JeromeSport pic.twitter.com/hbKoNuUW35 Donn O Sullivan (@DonnOSullivan) September 6, 2017 I'm hoping and praying Limerick win, I think they will as well but Kilkenny can just pull it out of the bag... Please God now they'll get it over the line! said Niamh, who hopes to have the bragging rights on the car journey home. She wont be celebrating a victory late into the night or drowning her sorrows as she is opening a Breast Cancer Ireland run in Kilkenny on Sunday morning with Sonia OSullivan and ex-rugby international Shane Byrne. Another cause close to the HR specialists heart is combating cyber-bullying and the pressures social media puts on young people today. Some people can get very focused on numbers on social media, and I really don't think that's something that people should get caught up on. It's really about who you actually have in your life, how many close friends, your family, things that you have as opposed to a number of people that follow you. Its just a number on your phone to be honest. Young kids, teenagers shouldn't get hung up on that at all. People only put up the highlights of their life on social media. Everyone could look on social media and think this person has the perfect life, but as I said, they are only putting up highlights of their life. A lot of the time it might not be real life, said Niamh, who has had young girls writing to her about their concerns. They might be feeling down or be worried about things at school. They'd ask for advice. I reply to every single person because I know how important it is to have a role model. If you can help at least one person then you're after doing something right that day. A YOUNG Limerick boy with Cystic Fibrosis was left without a life-saving drug for days, after the HSE cancelled his medical card in a technical blip. Last Friday, the concerned mother received a phone call from the family chemist, informing her that her sons medical card had been cancelled. As a result, the chemist was unable to dispense a packet of Kalydeco, which costs in the region of 19,000 a month. Her son (10) was without Kalydeco for four days and, as a result, suffered from weight loss, irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue. Before this incident, the longest he was without this drug was two days. He has been on Kalydeco for six years, she told the Leader. After the alarming phone call, the mother who did not wish to be named spent hours contacting HSE officials and Minister for Health Simon Harris office. She said that the local HSE office was unable to explain why the medical card was cancelled and she was then referred onto an office in Dublin. She said that an official in Dublin then told her that the cancellation was due to a technical blip and that they didnt offer any apology. She argued she wasnt warned, in advance, that her sons card was going to be cancelled. She said Minister Harris office later said that her sons card was active. I told them: It is active now, because they reactivated it. But that was not the issue; the issue was that they had cancelled it. So my pharmacist couldnt order the medication. She said they reactivated the card after she informed them that he was in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance. On Wednesday morning, after a torturous waiting game, she was able to receive the packet of Kalydeco. She said on Tuesday that he has been forced to stay at home from school and sports, and that she had to stay by his side at night time. I havent had a proper nights sleep since last Friday. At the end of the day, he has a life-threatening illness, and needs a life-saving drug. And the reverse effects of not having this for a number of days, I dont know, my doctor doesnt know, because he has never been off it for this long, she said. Condemning the situation, Fianna Fail Deputy Niall Collins said that he will raise the matter with Minister Harris to ensure it never happens again and that the HSE owes the family an apology. The Limerick Leader has contacted the HSE for a comment. THERE was strong reaction and a flurry of social media comment in Newcastle West this week following the Limerick Leader report that Supermacs had been refused planning permission for a petrol station, shop and food court on the outskirts of town. Limerick City and County Council refused planning permission to Atlantic Enterprises Ltd, whose directors are Pat and Una McDonagh, who are also the directors of Supermacs Ireland Ltd The online debate involved dozens of people on the Newcastle West Solutions page and raged on for four days. Opinions were strong and strongly vented, with the majority of posts giving out because there had been objections lodged to the Supermacs proposal. Supermacs is an Irish firm and Newcastle West should have one, declared one post. Others were angry that the jobs potential of Supermacs would be lost. It was self-preservation, declared one contributor. People only care about their own back-pockets, wrote another. The town is a disgrace when it comes to bringing employment opportunities, declared yet another, while yet another post read: So sad, as companies wont even bother with Newcastle West if everything is objected to. Just two posts declared against the Supermac proposal. Dont bring Supermacs to town. The businesses we have need to stay in business, declared one while another said there were enough chippers already in the town. The Newcastle West Business Association came in for particular criticism in the online discussion. It is not the first time they have objected to bringing business and jobs to Newcastle West, one of the more direct posts declared. But another writer pointed out that the Association were not the only ones to object. This Wednesday,, Florence Flannigan, the acting chair of the Business Association put a lengthy response up on their website. It is a fact, she said, that out of town Barack Obama Plaza style developments detract from the financial viability of town centres' and create a doughnut effect. We have seen this time and time again, she said, stressing the Association welcomes all businesses to the town centre to ensure continued growth and employment. There are more than enough vacant commercial units within the town centre for these companies to open their business ventures in. She urged people to read the reasons given by Limerick City and County Council for refusing planning permission. One reason was that it would be "detrimental to the vitality and viability of the Town Centre" and contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The council also said the application was premature, as it included a proposal for a roundabout on the N21 when no decision has been made on where the distributor or by-pass road would begin. There should be a proper traffic management plan in place for the town centre, Ms Flannigan argued. Instead of trying to take traffic away from entering the town centre we should be coming up with a constructive plan to bring these en route drivers into the town centre to enjoy and experience what we have to offer. Independent, town centre businesses are the back bone of our community, she said. They drive the local economy and their survival will determine whether Newcastle West thrives or dives. They are the commerce that drives the local economy. We are job creators and our survival and the continued employment of our employees, determine whether Newcastle West and you, our community, thrives or dives, economically. Sep 8, 2017, 9 AM Four nondenominated (49) forever stamps will be issued Oct. 4 by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the popular picture book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Each stamp depicts Peter, the boy in the red snowsuit, who enjoys a day exploring In an illustration from the 1962 picture book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, Peter looks back at tracks he made in the snow. The stamp is one of four from a new set that will be issued Oct. 4 in a double-sided pane of 20. By Denise McCarty The United States Postal Service will issue four forever stamps Oct. 4 reproducing scenes from Ezra Jack Keats classic childrens book, The Snowy Day. The story of Peter, the boy in the red snowsuit, is summed up in the publishers blurb on the books dust-jacket flap: The quiet fun and sweetness of this small boys small adventures in the deep, deep snow have the true quality of all childhoods delight in contented solitude. Beautiful spacious pictures and just the right number of the right words tell a story to love and remember. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Published in 1962, The Snowy Day won the Randolph Caldecott Medal the following year for the most distinguished picture book for children. The public library of Keats hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., will host the first-day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4. The Brooklyn Public Librarys central library is located at 10 Grand Army Plaza. The event is free and open to the public, but with limited seating: individuals wishing to attend must request a reservation online. A confirmation will be sent via email from USPS National Events before Sept. 29 to confirm admission, according to the Postal Service. Participating in the ceremony will be Linda E. Johnson, the Brooklyn Public Library president and CEO; childrens author Andrea Davis Pinkney, who wrote A Poem for Peter, The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day; Deborah Pope, executive director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation; and Roderick N. Sallay, USPS government relations and public policy acting director. In A Poem for Peter, Pinkney said, As an African American child growing up in the 1960s, at a time when I didnt see others like me in childrens books, I was profoundly affected by the expressiveness of Keatss illustrations. The stamps are being issued in a double-sided pane of 20, with five of each design. The first design shows Peter forming a snowball to put in his pocket to keep for the next day. In the second design, he is sliding down a heaping mountain of snow. The third stamp depicts Peter making a snow angel, and the fourth shows the tracks he made while crunching through the snow with his toes pointing in. Keats (1916-83), the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, grew up in Brooklyn, excelling at art at a young age. Although he received scholarships to attend art school, he worked to support his family instead (his father had died a day before Keats high school graduation in 1935). His jobs during the Depression included working as a mural artist for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and as an illustrator of backgrounds for the Captain Marvel comics. Also, according to Keats biography on the website of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, he designed camouflage patterns while serving in the Army during World War II. After the war, he studied art in Paris and then returned to New York to work as a commercial artist. He began illustrating childrens books in the 1950s, and co-wrote and illustrated My Dog is Lost in 1960. The Snowy Day came two years later, but the inspiration for the character of Peter originated two decades earlier when Keats saw a series of black-and-white photographs in Life magazine of an African-American boy in Georgia reacting to a blood test. Keats said in his acceptance speech for the Caldecott award: Years ago, long before I ever thought of doing childrens books, while looking through a magazine I came upon four candid photos of a little boy about three or four years old. His expressive face, his body attitudes, the very way he wore his clothes, totally captivated me. I clipped the strip of photos and stuck it on my studio wall, where it stayed for quite a while, and then it was put away. Keats continued: In more recent years, while illustrating childrens books, the desire to do my own story about this little boy began to germinate. Up he went again this time above my drawing table. He was my model and inspiration. Keats also tried new artistic techniques in the book. The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation said that a collage with cutouts of patterned paper, fabric and oilcloth; homemade snowflake stamps; spatterings of India ink with a toothbrush were methods Ezra had never used before. In addition to other awards and recognition, The Snowy Day was listed on the Library of Congress online exhibit Books That Shaped America. This listing honors The Snowy Day as the first full-color picture book with an African-American as the main character. Among the more than 20 other books that Keats would write for children, six of them featured Peter. One of these, A Letter to Amy, even has a postal theme, showing Peter writing a party invitation and then venturing out in a storm to mail it. After he finished his invitation, Peter said, Now Ill mail it, and his mother reminded him, Put on a stamp. United States Postal Service art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamps using Keats illustrations from The Snowy Day. The stamps were offset-printed by Ashton Potter. Along with the new double-sided panes of 20, the Postal Service is offering a press sheet with die cuts for $78.40. The sheet contains 160 stamps (eight panes). The pictorial black first-day cancel depicts Peter in his snowsuit surrounded by snowflakes of different shapes and sizes. The full-color first-day cancel reproduces the illustration from the books cover showing Peter by a stoplight looking back at his footprints in the snow. Technical details and first-day cancel ordering information for The Snowy Day stamps are provided below: Nondenominated (49) The Snowy Day stamps double-sided pane of 20 FIRST DAY Oct. 4, 2017; city Brooklyn, N.Y., and nationwide. DESIGN: artist Ezra Jack Keats; designer, typographer, and art director Antonio Alcala, Alexandria, Va.; modeler Joseph Sheeran. PRINTING: process offset; printer and processor Ashton Potter USA Ltd., Williamsville, N.Y.; press Muller Martini A76; inks cyan, magenta, yellow, black; paper nonphosphored Type III, overall tagging; gum self-adhesive; issue quantity 400 million stamps; format double-sided pane of 20 from 880-subject cylinder; size 0.77 inches by 1.05 inches (image); 0.91 inches by 1.19 inches (overall), 5.76 inches by 2.38 inches (pane); 23.165 inches by 4.76 inches (press sheet); plate numbers P followed by four single digits; marginal markings 2016 USPS, plate numbers, THE SNOWY DAY, 20 First-class Forever Stamps, barcode; USPS item No. 676104. First-day cancel ordering information Standard ordering instructions apply. Collectors requesting first-day cancels are encouraged to purchase their own stamps and affix them to envelopes. The first-day cover envelopes should be addressed for return (a removable label may be used), and mailed in a larger envelope addressed to The Snowy Day Stamps, USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services, 8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64144-9900. Requests for first-day cancels must be postmarked by Dec. 4. The Postal Services set of four uncacheted The Snowy Day first-day covers is item 676116 at $3.72. USPS item numbers for stamps and FDCs also appear in Linns 2017 U.S. Stamp Program. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. China on Thursday lodged a formal protest over the full deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. in Korea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned Korea's Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo and "demanded South Korea and the United States stop relevant deployment procedures immediately," a ministry spokesman told reporters. Chinese state media led with coverage of local protests against the deployment of four additional THAAD launchers in Seongju, South Gyeongsang Province in the early morning hours. After months of bluster, the Trump administration told Congress that it has "put on the back burner discussion of terminating a free-trade agreement with South Korea," according to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. "White House officials told some senior members of Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday that a plan to end the five-year-old bilateral pact... was no longer an immediate priority, after holding internal discussions on the matter late last week," the paper said quoting a source. Inside U.S. Trade said the White House assured key lawmakers including House Speaker Paul Ryan "that its threat to begin withdrawing from the [FTA] has -- for now -- been taken off the table." Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, still said the previous day, "We have a negotiation where we would like some amendments to the [FTA] agreement." And last Saturday, asked if he would scrap the FTA he had denounced on the stump, President Donald Trump said, "It is very much on my mind." At the time, the Wall Street Journal reported Trump would discuss scrapping the pact at the White House on Tuesday. But the issue has dipped out of view since North Korea's nuclear test on Sunday. Defense Secretary James Mattis and other U.S. foreign and defense officials reportedly opposed terminating the pact on grounds that it could hamper the alliance. But the controversy has not died down completely. "They reaffirmed that they're considering withdrawing from the South Korean trade agreement," said U.S. Rep. Adam Smith said after meeting with senior administration officials on Wednesday. Senior Republicans and U.S. businesses have pleaded with Trump to keep the FTA, which they described as a "win-win" deal for America, but Trump blew a gasket when South Korean trade officials declined to discuss revisions. A confluence of Ikat Japanese, Gautemalan, Uzbek and our very own Patan Patolaover 100 Ikat pieces from more than 20 countries at a travelling exhibition /news/talking-point/a-confluence-of-ikat-111646980240930.html 111646980240930 story A profusion of colour greets the eye as soon as one enters the exhibition space at Delhis Bikaner House. One of the most stunning textiles on display is the intricate double Ikat Telia Rumal weave by master weaver Gajam Govardhana, which features 100 non-repetitive motifs. In contrast, the black and white Spanish Ikat from Majorca uses the weave to create a dreamlike blurry effect. One can see a similar design aesthetic in Abraham & Thakores creations, displayed in the foyer, alongside contemporary Ikat works by designers such as Gunjan Jain and Neeru Kumar. Also striking are the large motifs used by Rasul Mirzaahmedov in a special Ikat weave in velvet called bakmal. The generations-old workshop of Mirzaahmedov in Margilan, Uzbekistan, is acknowledged as that countrys living cultural heritage, much like the establishment of the Patan Patola Heritage Museum, managed by master weavers Rohit and Rahul Salvi, in Gujarat. Included in the exhibition are age-old techniques such as the Japanese kasuri, Guatemalan jaspe and Malaysian pua kumbu, which have been interpreted by master weavers and contemporary designers from different regions, giving rise to new design vocabularies. The exhibition World Ikat TextilesTies That Bind, organized by the World Crafts Council, World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR), Delhi Crafts Council and Bikaner House, helps one connect the dots between the different Ikat legacies. Curated by Malaysian architect-designer Edric Ong and Manjari Nirula, vice-president, World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Region, the show features over 100 Ikat items from more than 20 countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Mexico, France, Chile, Tajikistan and India. It took two years to put together the exhibition, which was first shown at the Brunei Gallery, in SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), London, last year. The process itself involved a series of discoveries and revelations for the curators. What took me by surprise was that in the 18th century, weavers were working in Nimes, France. Around the same time, denim was also invented there," says Ong. It was also novel to see the variations in India, where weavers use mixed media, such as Ikat embellished with brocade." South-East Asian form of Ikat, at the World Ikat TextilesTies That Bind, Bikaner House in New Delhi. The India leg of the exhibition features a series of firsts. For instance, the double Ikat, the work of two young artists, Amanda Speer and Dain Dallar, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, is being showcased for the first time. To see master craftsmen at work, bespoke cultural journeys are being organized to Ikat centres of Gujarat and Hyderabad by Shilpa Sharma, co-founder of the premium online store Jaypore, who also helms the experiential tour organizer Breakaway. On the itinerary are the Patan Patola Museum, and interactions with people like Suraiya Hasan, one of the few remaining weavers of the Telia Rumal, and Archana Shah, who has been documenting the crafts of Gujarat. It is very important to create context for a particular craft, and interaction is key to that," says Sharma. At the exhibition, one can see glimpses of rich documentation. For instance, Ong has showcased the intricate warp Ikat textiles known as pua kumbu, indigenous to Borneoan island shared by Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. These are ritual cloths which are inspired by dreams conveyed by the weaving goddess, and are known as woven dreams. The status of women is dependent on how well they weave. This is different from the Patan Patola, in which the weavers are all men," he says. The revival of weaves such as Ikat is not just about reliving memories or taking forward age-old motifs, it is about reinterpreting them in a modern vocabularysomething that Indian fashion designers have been doing successfully over the past couple of years. Bibhu Mohapatra, who was exposed to Pipli and Ikat work from Odisha while growing up, integrates a lot of these experiences into his designs. My heritage gives me that edge in making my clothes more modern," he had said in an earlier interview. Craft revivalist Madhu Jain has been interpreting the Ikat traditions of Indonesia, Uzbekistan and India, while taking innovation to another level with bamboo silk Ikat. Designer Suket Dhir too has been working with Ikat weavers in Telangana to incorporate Merino wool into weaves which would otherwise feature cotton or silk. Care is taken to look beyond the traditional. We use the technique in a language which is relevant and speaks to our customers everywhere. Years ago, we interpreted the houndstooth pattern in double Ikat. And right now, we are working on a collection in which we are interpreting the Ottoman florals in double Ikat, block print and Jamdani," says David Abraham of Abraham & Thakore. Gunjan Jain, who started Vriksh, a handwoven textiles studio, in Odisha in 2008, ensures that the cultural significance of the motifs is kept intact while introducing a contemporary touch. Especially striking are her calligraphic works, using the typical Odia curvilinear Ikat. The calligraphic Ikat, inspired by the Gita Govinda, has been made only in Odisha since the 12th century. Called phetas, these are offered within the Jagannath temple," says Jain. It was a challenge to balance urban sensibilities with the weavers devotional zeal. She gave them a choice to weave in any other verse, apart from the Gita Govinda, and one of the weavers chose the Hanuman Chalisaa masterpiece featuring the 40 verses in Ikat using natural dyes can be seen at the exhibition. Jain is now working on a collection based on the exchange of design vocabularies between India and South-East Asia over the past 500 years. I am working on a collection which is derived from Indonesian and south-eastern textiles and shows glimpses of Odia design," says Jain. World Ikat TextilesTies That Bind will be on display till 16 September at Bikaner House. It travels to Malaysia next. Jitendra Arya: Keep calm and carry a camera The late Jitendra Arya, master of celebrity portraiture and a leading glamour photographer, is the subject of a much-deserved retrospective /news/talking-point/jitendra-arya-keep-calm-and-carry-a-camera-111646982647980.html 111646982647980 story Jitendra Arya didnt just photograph celebrities, he was a celebrity himself. In Arwa Mamajis Key-Fill-Cut, a short documentary on his life, author Shobhaa De recalls a portrait of actor Zeenat Aman with her that Arya had taken: I was 17-18 at the time, and quite awestruck. For a lot of young models, being photographed by Jitendra Arya was a ticket to something much bigger." Over the phone, Aryas son Kavi, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, says something similar. People today dont realize that he had star status. When he would return from a trip, the customs officers would invariably be fans." Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in 1953. Photographs courtesy Jitendra Arya Foundation Arya, who died in 2011, isnt as well-known today, but a new retrospective might remedy that. Curated by photo historian, professor and film-maker Sabeena Gadihoke, the exhibition Light Works, running at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, covers the sweep of Aryas career, from his work in England in the 1950s to his long stint with The Times Group, photographing everyone from Indias first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to actor Shammi Kapoor. With assistance from Aryas wife, Chhaya, and Kavi, Gadihoke selected 300 photographs from over 7,000. Raj Kapoor and Nargis outside Stratford Court Hotel on Oxford Street (now the Edwardian Berkshire Hotel), London, 1956. Growing up in Nairobi, Arya developed an early interest in photography, receiving his first camera when he was 10. At 16, he left for London, where he apprenticed with Hungarian-British photojournalist Michael Peto. Eventually, he opened a studio of his own. His skill as a portraitist can be seen in his photographs of the time: playwright Harold Pinter, looking like a matinee idol; actor Anju Mahendru, smiling, with a flower in her mouth; jurist and diplomat M.C. Chagla, whose poised pen gives the impression that Arya caught him mid-sentence. Maqbool Fida Husain for a photo feature titled Artist At Work in The Illustrated Weekly Of India, 1963. Over email, Gadihoke says Petos candid portraits of celebrities and his essays on street life were a likely influence on Arya, and that he was familiar with the work of Yousuf Karsh, the Armenian-Canadian portraitist who took the classic 1941 photograph of a scowling Winston Churchill, then British premier. I would also like to draw attention to a self-taught Arya who was a connoisseur of classical art, music and dance from his days in London," she writes. I believe that an exposure to some of this also influenced his work. For instance, in interviews, he has spoken about learning about the effect of light from classical masters like Rembrandt." In October 1960, the Aryas moved back to India when Chhaya was offered the lead role of Chhoti Bahu in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (a part eventually played by Meena Kumari). Arya became chief photo editor with The Times Group. He used his own stature to push for more respectability for his profession; after joining The Times Of India, he insisted that the paper carry photographer bylines. Through his photographs for Femina and Filmfare, Arya also ushered in another kind of revolution. He paved the way for a form of glamour photography at a time when the primary lens of looking at Indian photography was through photojournalism," Gadihoke writes. Ava Gardner on the sets of Mogambo. Aryas knack for candid photographs is particularly evident in Light Works. He forged a long-standing association with the Nehru-Gandhi familyhis photograph of an unguarded Nehru and Indira in Dehradun is revelatory, as are the ones (pictured above) with Dev Anand and his baby son, and a relaxed-looking Raj Kapoor and Nargis in London. He seemed to have a knack for putting his subjects at ease. Clearly there was a synergy between photographer and subjects, and some would often tell him how they felt about their own portraits," Gadihoke writes. Edwina Mountbatten once sent him back a picture of herself with a note at the back that said, Nose too broad. Please rectify!" Satyajit Ray with the vintage 1930 Chrysler used in Abhijan, Kolkata. Photoshoot for Filmfare, 25 January 1965. Over the phone, Kavi recalls how Arya would be amused when other photographers spent hours trying to capture a single photograph. He likens his fathers ability to quickly and evocatively capture what was required to a master samurai felling his enemy with the fewest possible cuts. The advice he once gave his sons about photography was to the point: Keep it simple; find the right angle and distance from the subject; appreciate the play of light, and avoid using flash. Edwina Mountbatten once sent him back a picture of herself with a note at the back that said, Nose too broad. Please rectify!- Sabeena Gadihoke In Truth, Love And A Little Malice, the late Khushwant Singh writes about taking Arya to the trial of serial killer Raman Raghav. Raman was a dark, stocky and powerfully built man in his mid-forties. As soon as he saw the photographer, he began to scream and jump about, hurling obscenities at everyone. Take him now, I shouted at Arya. Let him calm down, replied Arya. I realized that Arya would never make a crime photographer." Gadihoke says that even though its couched in a humorous manner, the point about Arya making his subjects calm down" is revealing. There is, indeed, a sense of calm that informs much of his workwork that had fallen out of public view, and has deservedly been revived. Light Works is on till 8 October (Mondays closed), 11am-6pm, at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Fort, Mumbai. The Orhan Pamuk formula Fathers and sons, East and West, the metropole and the province: Orhan Pamuk compresses his favourite conflicts into the narrative of his new novel, 'The Red-Haired Woman' /news/talking-point/the-orhan-pamuk-formula-111646980446473.html 111646980446473 story Why do we read Orhan Pamuk? The closest thing to a general answer, gleaned through translations of his works over the last 15 years, must be melancholy Turkish ambiguity". Pamuks article of faithas his dreamy, bookish protagonists often take pains to remind usis that the world is without a centre; but that in life, and especially in literature, the only way we seem to be able to experience meaning is to search for one. In Pamuks novels, that search is often literal. No other writer has made quite as much of Turkeys betwixt-and-between standing in the world, from where Asia is always too far behind, and Europe too far ahead, to bequeath Turks any special sense of owning the historical moment. It may be just one reason why many of Pamuks compatriots, who watch lush soap operas about Suleiman the Magnificent and vote in droves for the authoritarian nationalist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have little time for his work. Of course, in a millennium characterized by the acts of Asian societies convinced that they are central to the world, we might be tempted to look to Pamuk for antidotes to brash certainties and ugly, one-dimensional articulations of who we are, or want to be. Loss, absence, marginalitythese are the materials of the artificial intelligence of the novel, as he has been at pains to teach us. In leading us to search for meaning in these shadow qualities, the novel shapes not only its own character, but also that of its reader. All his novels walk this talk, and no one who reads his latest production, the tightly wound, seemingly straightforward The Red-Haired Woman, will fault his consistency. Cem Celik, a middle-aged man from Istanbul who wanted to be a writer but ended up becoming a minor real estate tycoonwould this fate befell more of our bank balances!is trapped, as is usual for Pamuks protagonists, by his past as well as his future, and sets out to tell us why. The Red-Haired Woman: By Orhan Pamuk, Pengin Random House, 264 pages, 599. The teenaged son of an urbane but largely absent leftist activist, Cem finds himself apprenticed, one summer, to a salt-of-the-earth well-digger, looking for water on the sleepy outskirts of Istanbul. Cems sense of having found a father in Mahmut the well-digger shapes the rest of his life. So does the beauteous red-haired woman", whose real name he will not divulge (in this novel, women get to have either names or faces, but not both). She consumes Cem even as he tells Mahmut the distressing story of Oedipus, the slave of fate who kills his father and marries his mother. Years after he loses them both, the adult Cem becomes obsessed with the Persian story of Rustomwhich were told is virtually unknown in Turkeythe father who neither recognized by, nor recognizing, his son Sohrab on the battlefield, kills the boy. Neither the rebellious Western son nor the authoritarian Eastern father can escape fate. The childless Cem and his clever, capable wife Ayse derive some of their most profound experiences from the art and literature inspired by these two myths. Inevitably, life begins to take the paths set down by these old stories, and it will not be hard for the reader to guess what lies in store for our haunted hero. Theres something oddly deflated about The Red-Haired Woman, cobbled together by a narrator striving hard to be a man of letters, and an author who is, perhaps, a little too conscious of his status as one- Fathers and sons, East and West, the metropole and the province; each pushes and pulls the other back and forth in time, and Pamuk compresses these favourite conflicts into a narrative that makes up in brevity what it appears to lack in tension. Readers who know nothing of his work will find The Red-Haired Woman a quick introduction to the Pamuk oeuvre; his fans may well revel in the chance to revisit his preoccupations; literary critics and academics will find it one of those novels that practically teaches itself. That programmatic quality is perhaps its major failing, however, and it may mean that The Red-Haired Woman will displease readers who have already become wary of Pamuk. Those impatient with his professorial stateliness will find the book droning in parts; those who dislike the solipsism of his narrators will find Cem a bore; those eager to move past Pamuks world view and see Istanbul and Turkey as something other than a weak allegory might as well avoid it altogether. Theres something oddly deflated about The Red-Haired Woman, cobbled together by a narrator striving hard to be a man of letters, and an author who is, perhaps, a little too conscious of his status as one. There are times when the novel succeeds in captivating us with the sly, graceful charm that characterizes Pamuk at his very best. A hoary leftist father imperiously claims that the myths are all explained in Wittfogels Oriental Despotism, a standard work of Marxist Orientology that he has plainly never read. Standing in a tent theatre watching a potboiler unfold, the teenaged Cem realizes that the great draw of stories like Rustom and Oedipus is remorse, and though Pamuk never says it, we, too, understand that this is the constant sorrow of being both a parent and a child: of being from a different time and a different place from those who shape us. Yet if any of the father figures in this book wish to create true sorrow and uncertainty in us, their author is not willing to allow them breathing room. The killing blow is not the tragedy in the case of either Oedipus or Rustom. Its that the scales never fall from their eyesor oursuntil it is too late. Neither the Greeks nor the Persians knew of a way to surmount that problem. Pamuk, with his stubborn belief in the super-humanity of the novel, may have hoped to convince us otherwise. Perhaps he will in another book. Sex and the novel From gender identity to issues of sexual repression, these graphic novelists focus on sex to raise pertinent questions about relationships /news/talking-point/sex-and-the-novel-111646980400111.html 111646980400111 story Writing about sex is a lot like filming it; things can get tawdry very quickly in the hands of an amateur. One would assume graphic novelists have an edge here, because images can say so much more than words do, without the clumsiness that tends to creep into a sentence when one is describing intercourse. This isnt always the case though, because the line between erotica and pornography is a delicate one. Luckily, the form does empower novelists who focus on sex to make another point, one that takes them away from the simpler realm of erotica and into the more abstract form that has long been occupied by the novel of ideas. Sex for Canadian artist Chester Brown, for instance, is a clinical act, one that reveals itself in simple thrusts and depictions of genitalia that are almost primitive. His book, Paying For It, documents a period of his life where he paid for sexual encounters to figure out if he could continue doing so without the need for a relationship that went any deeper. It comes across as naive, of course, when one reads it in the developing world or any part of the world where human trafficking is a clear and present evil, but Brown does manage to raise a few pertinent questionswith attempts at answers in his lengthy footnotes and appendicesabout why we look at prostitution the way we do, whether or not we label its victims incorrectly, and why a few amendments to the law, at least in his country, may not be such a bad thing at all. Julie Maroh deploys graphic depictions of sex in a more traditional manner for Blue Is the Warmest Colour, her book that spawned the Cannes winning film (which was, ironically, attacked by the author for gratuitous sex scenes that she referred to as pornography). Maroh does show a fair amount of sex between Clementine and her older lover Emma, but these take a back seat to the heart of the story, which is one of heartache and coming to terms with ones sexuality. Its a powerful work and, for many, far more poignant than the movie was. Sections from Lost Girls. Some of the finest work in the format comes when a great writer finds an equally innovative illustrator to work with. And no list of great writers across genres can be complete without the imposing presence of Alan Moore who, with his partner Melinda Gebbie (now his wife), turned the idea of sex on its head by marrying erotica with iconic characters drawn from childrens literature. The three-volume Lost Girls focuses on Alice from Wonderland, Dorothy from Oz and Wendy from Neverland, but not in the way one would expect. Moore and Gebbie give us grown-up versions of these girls by documenting their respective sexual exploits at a hotel. What it encapsulates, in the process, is a concise history of British modernism, while commenting upon the Wests history of sexual repression. To give you a taste of what to expect, the grown-up Alice is now a lesbian, Dorothy is a peasant, while Wendy is a frustrated wife. And yes, there is also a menage a trois. Another unusual partnership that yields riches, in the form of the series Sex Criminals, is between writer Matt Fraction and illustrator Chip Zdarsky. It isnt just about sex either, but does focus on the moment of orgasm because its protagonists, Jonathan and Suzie, realize that their specific climaxes have the ability to stop time, allowing them to then roam this still world for a few minutes. Naturally, their specific talent allows them to get away with all kinds of things, like, for instance, a few bank robberies. The writing is extremely witty, with jokes about sex strewn quite liberally across its pages, and Zdarsky uses colour like few people in his line of work do. The nicest thing about Sex Criminals is that it treats the topic of sex the way more of us ought towith honesty, affection and a distinct lack of the prudishness that usually accompanies any reference to it in our country. It really ought to be made compulsory reading for young adults across India. Beats, violins and the couplets of Kabir An Indian indie band combines an eclectic five-piece musical ensemble with the couplets of 15th century poet Kabir /news/talking-point/beats-violins-and-the-couplets-of-kabir-111646980339980.html 111646980339980 story Zara halke gaadi haakon, mere Ram gaadi vale, Zara dheere dheere gaadi haakon, mere Ram gaadi vale As founder and vocalist Neeraj Arya belts out one of Kabir Cafes most popular numbers, the bands upbeat energy seems to travel from the stage and into the crowd. People start clapping and singing along, intermittently at first, but soon almost everyone is grooving to the beat. Its August and we are at an auditorium in Mumbai for the Godrej Culture Labs Museum Of Memories: Remembering Partition series of events. Kabir Cafes faster numbers are even more infectious. As soon as one audience member begins dancing, others are quick to join in. The electric energy of the bands live performances is one of the reasons why it has such a committed following. Yet an equally important reason is the great 15th century saint-poet Kabir, who serves not only as the spiritual centre of the group, but also as its unwitting lyricist. The band weaves Kabirs poetry into their uplifting, entertaining songs, creating a sound that is reminiscent of the best compositions of Pakistans Coke Studio. Kabir Cafe is a five-member outfit (if you dont count Kabir). It is an unusual grouping, with each member coming from a different background. There is Raman Iyer, a former advertising man who is trained in both classical Hindustani and classical Western music. Viren Solanki is a self-taught tabla player and percussionist with a family that follows Kabirs teachings. A third member, Mukund Ramaswamy, is a mechanical engineer who has been obsessed with the violin since he was four years old, and is trained in Carnatic music. Pounuanpou Britto K.C., the bands guitarist and a native of Shillong, comes from a respected musical family from Manipur. Leading the band, of course, is Arya, who handles vocals and writes lyrics. He studies Kabirs works and draws upon these to create the bands unique sound. Fittingly, it is the former ad man who has the best one-liners. The first member of our band is Kabir," Iyer says earnestly. Kabir didnt believe in boundaries, so why should we?" Iyer articulates one of the guiding principles of the band: Look past the notions of godliness, he urges, and consider the message Kabir was trying to promote. Kabir was just a human being who had the guts to speak his mind," he says. So they use his words in the Malwi dialect (from Madhya Pradesh), accompanied by the bands music, which blends Hamsadhwani and reggae, to create a vibe that makes the philosopher-poets medieval-era verse immediately accessible to diverse audiences, from business executives to schoolchildren. It seems sometimes that Kabirs influence extends beyond providing a theme for the bands music, as if, to them, he has become a way of life. Six centuries later, his message continues to resonate. A couple of years ago, the band was riding a wave of popularity thanks to their performances on MTVs The Dewarists and at the NH7 Weekender festival. But they understand the music world is fickle, and remember well a time when they barely had enough money to ride auto-rickshaws to practice. The bands most endearing aspect might be that they refuse to take themselves too seriously. When we were invited to perform for 3 minutes on Indias Got Talent (2016), we went, though we wondered who really paid attention to music on a show that also has razor-blade eaters and mimicry artists performing to wild applause," Iyer says. But the show brought a great deal of exposure, and invitations to perform outside India followed. Today, the band has taken Kabirs poetry to audiences in Singapore, Thailand and Britain, and will soon be performing in Zimbabwe. Its important to them that their audiences understand the verses being performed, especially because most of them are written in a nearly forgotten dialect. So Arya, who spearheads the choice of poems the band performs, explains the meaning and significance of each verse before they actually perform it. The poets simple philosophy of equality, the impermanence of the physical body, the house of the divine sparkare running themes in their music. Their live performances, therefore, exude a mystic power, immersing the audience into a spiritual experience. Britto, who understood little of the poets words, imbibed the spirit of the message to be able to sing. When he sings the words in his powerful voice, the conviction is undeniable. While the band already has an album titled Panchrang, so titled because it represented their diverse cultural colours, the members have decided to launch singles. And Britto, responding instinctively to Ghat Ghat Mein Panchi Bolta, one of the bands earliest numbers, has chosen to launch it as his single, and the bands next offering. President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday agreed to try and persuade Russia to take part in international sanctions against North Korea. Meeting on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, the two leaders decided to set aside conflict over historical issues for the time being to address the North Korean nuclear and missile threat. "The two leaders agreed now is not the time to seek dialogue but to impose ultimate pressure and sanctions on the North," presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said. "They decided to pursue a new UN Security Council resolution with the strongest-ever sanctions including an oil embargo." Moon said, "We need to put maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea with the international community so it gives up its nuclear and missile programs, and ultimately resolve these issues through peaceful means." Abe vowed to try and persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to impose an oil embargo on North Korea. The Russian leader on Wednesday rejected Moon's calls to do so. Huawei overtook Apple with global market share reaching 11.5 percent in June, market researcher Counterpoint Research said Thursday. Apple's market share was only 8.7 percent, but Huawei still has a long way to go to catch up with market leader Samsung's 21 percent. China's Huawei has become world's No. 2 smartphone maker for the first time on the strength of its massive home turf. In July Huawei was still just ahead of Apple with 11.7 percent to 11.3 percent, and is estimated to have kept the edge in August as well. According to Strategic Analytics, Huawei sold 12.7 million smartphones compared to its Apple's 12.6 million in July, while Samsung sold 24.6 million. But the impending release of the iPhone 8 could put the advantage back in Apple's court for the rest of the year. Industry insiders said the Chinese company outperformed innovation leader Apple thanks to investment in R&D, aggressive marketing, and lower prices. "Huawei and other Chinese smartphone makers recently put a great deal of money into raising brand awareness as well as building more sales network both online and offline," a researcher at Counterpoint said. "Apple will retake second place with the new iPhone in late September, but Chinese manufacturers' market share will only rise in the long run." Perfect time to reel in a cheaper fish course From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-09-07 09:17 Fresher and cheaper seafood is the order of the day as the annual summer fishing ban in the East China Sea is over. About 50 registered fishing boats have set out from Luchao and Sanjia ports in the Pudong New Area every day since the ban ended three weeks ago. They have been bringing back large amounts of fresh fish, shrimps and crabs for local gourmets, the Pudong government said yesterday. Popular local varieties include the hair-tail, yellow croaker, cuttlefish, sea eel, strip shrimp, swimming crab and mussels. Some fishing boats can capture a ton of such sea products each every day, according to the districts agricultural commission. This years fishing ban, the longest and strictest ever, began on May 1 in the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Bohai Sea and the South China Sea. Law enforcement officers with the commission have stopped 14 illegal fishing cases during the fishing-ban period this year, an official with the agency said. More seafood will be supplied to local market with lower prices this year due to an increase on production, said Zhou Qiuping, an official with the China Fishery Association. The price of the popular Suozi swimming crab, or shuttle-shape crab, for instance, has dropped to 80 yuan (US$12.30) per kilogram from 120 yuan in previous years, said Tang Xinjian, a seafood restaurant boss at Luchao port. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Big Sur will be largely cut off from the south for at least another year because of a monster slide that has blocked state Highway 1 for nearly four months, Caltrans said Friday. The Mud Creek slide buried the road under 5 million cubic yards of dirt about 30 miles south of Big Sur on May 20. Building a new stretch of road over the slide area using culverts, berms, embankments and netting will cost about $40 million and take until at least the end of summer 2018, Caltrans officials said. The job could take even longer if this winter is a wet one, Caltrans said. The landslide at Mud Creek is one of the largest in Californias history, Tim Gubbins, Caltrans District 5 director, said in a statement. We are working to safely rebuild the road in this complex and unpredictable area. The southern part of Big Sur is accessible from the south only via a long, winding detour on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road across the Santa Lucia Mountains. Even then, drivers who reach Highway 1 cant travel to the main Big Sur settlement and on to Carmel because of the demolition of the storm-damaged Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge. The only way through the canyon is via a footpath. The main Big Sur settlement is reachable from Carmel on Highway 1, but with the bridge still out, drivers can go no farther south. Travel to the area is down sharply, and Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties are looking at a $554 million reduction in visitor-related revenue, said Visit California, a state agency that promotes tourism. If Caltrans says thats what its going to take, thats what it is going to take, said Rick Aldinger, general manager of the Big Sur River Inn. We certainly wish the road could open sooner. We wish it could open tomorrow. But its part of living here and doing business here. These things happen. Theres no estimated opening date for the new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, said Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers. Its location in a protected state park and proximity to electric lines have slowed progress. The new bridges steel girders have not yet been secured, Shivers said. Upon completion of that huge task, it will give us a clearer indication of the timetable for completion, he said. We hope to have more of that next week. The next step is to install the steel rebar and then pour the concrete. Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The University of California sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in federal court Friday to stop the Trump administration from rescinding a program that lets immigrants who entered this country illegally as children live and work without threat of deportation. UC President Janet Napolitano served as secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013 and created the immigrant-protection program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, in 2012. At UC we see the exceptional contributions that young dreamers make every day, Napolitano said Friday, using the popular term for college students in this country illegally. Many are the first in their family to go to college. Some are pursuing a Ph.D. or ambitious humanitarian goals. They represent the spirit of the American Dream. The administration has dashed those dreams. We hope by this lawsuit to restore those dreams. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the Trump administration will no longer accept new DACA applications. Participants can apply for renewal one last time, by Oct. 5. Ultimately, thousands of DACA recipients could be deported when their permits expire. Sessions called the programs creation an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch. He said nine states that had threatened lawsuits to halt DACA would have won their cases. On Friday, Napolitano said: No court has ever held that DACA was illegal. The suit she and the UC Board of Regents filed against Homeland Security and its acting secretary, Elaine Duke, is the first by a university. On Wednesday, 15 states and the District of Columbia also sued over the programs termination, accusing the administration of discriminating against Mexicans. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who did not participate, told The Chronicle hell file a separate lawsuit within the state next week because a quarter of the 800,000 DACA participants live here. UCs suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks to void the federal action. It asks the court to declare it unconstitional, as well as arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion. Joanne Talbot, spokeswoman for Homeland Security, declined to respond to the lawsuit. UCs suit argues that the university directly benefits from DACA, not only by employing staff who participate in the program, but by enrolling a substantial number of tuition-paying DACA participants among the estimated 4,000 UC students living in the country illegally. UCs lawsuit rests on three arguments: Terminating the program violates the students and universitys constitutional right to due process because neither UC nor the DACA recipients enrolled there had a chance to comment on the action. The Trump administration failed to follow procedures for terminating a program under the Administrative Procedure Act, in part because the law is applied to immigrants on a case-by-case basis, while rescinding it would affect all DACA recipients. The administration offered no reasoned decision-making, as required by law, instead making a specious claim that DACA is illegal because a federal court ruled that a different program was illegal. That program would have shielded from deportation people in the country illegally if their children were citizens or legal residents. President Trump has arbitrarily and unlawfully manufactured a crisis in the lives of fellow Californians, said UC Regent Gavin Newsom, who is also the states lieutenant governor. He said students and staff who participate in the program are integral to the academic and intellectual fabric of our campuses. Californias Senate President Pro Tem Kevin DeLeon, D-Los Angeles, said he was grateful that the UC is taking aggressive steps to defend the DACA students and staff members who now find themselves on uncertain terrain. Acknowledging Napolitanos connection to DACA, he said, no one understands this policy better than President Napolitano. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Alex Brandon/STF The U.S. rig count rose by one drilling rig as oil companies idled three oil-hunting units and propped up four gas rigs, Baker Hughes said Friday. That brought the nation's rig fleet to 944, up from a record low of 404 in May 2016. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The city and county are offering $8.8 million in tax and other incentives to Credit Human, a local credit union, to move its headquarters from the Northwest Side to an office tower at the Pearl, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans. The name of the company wasnt previously disclosed. City and county officials referred to it in agenda material under a code name: Project Hominum. Local officials have signed a non-disclosure agreement with the company to allow it to notify its employees before its relocation plans are publicly released, said Rene Dominguez, director of the citys Economic Development Department. As part of the deal, the company would retain 435 jobs and create another 50, according to the agenda of todays meeting of the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. The TIRZ approved the deal on Friday, and City Council will likely consider it Sept. 21, Dominguez said. Its a great company. Its bringing a large number of good-paying jobs to the area, he said, while declining to name the company. The retention of those jobs in the city is of key importance, and they were looking at other markets. Several sources with knowledge of the project, who asked to remain anonymous, said the company was Credit Human, which is the third-largest credit union in the local area and was known as the San Antonio Federal Credit Union until earlier this year. The new headquarters would be at 1803 Broadway, where Silver Ventures, the development firm owned by billionaire Christopher Kit Goldsbury that developed the Pearl, has won approval from the citys Historic and Design Review Commission for a 10-story tower and a six-story tower with office and retail space. The development has a $113 million price tag and will include 310,000 square feet of space and 958 parking spaces, according to the Midtown TIRZ agenda. Its unclear whether Silver Ventures or the company would build the structure. Chris Armstrong, a Credit Human spokesman, said he couldnt confirm whether credit union will be moving its operations to 1803 Broadway. Its no secret that weve been looking for more space, he said. Weve been outgrowing our space for quite some time now, and so weve been looking for more. But were not really at a point yet where were ready to comment or confirm any specific locations. The credit union has been based in a building at 6061 I-10 West with more than 100,000-square feet of space, according to the Bexar Appraisal District. Some corporate employees work in a building at the northeast corner of U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 with just over 42,000 square feet of space. The company has been looking for new headquarters space for years to accommodate its growth and bring corporate employees together in one building, Armstrong said. He declined to say where else it might have been looking for new digs. The city has proposed offering up to $5.2 million in tax abatements and a $1.5 million tax rebate for the project, but the total value of both incentives would be capped at about $5.8 million, according to the TIRZ agenda. The county is proposing a ten-year tax abatement worth a total of just under $3 million, the agenda states. There are folks that are always trying to lure companies away, just like were always trying to bring in companies, said District 1 City Councilman Roberto Trevino. These are the realities of business today. Dominguez said the company had been looking at possible relocation sites. Its not inconceivable that Credit Human would look at sites outside San Antonio, Armstrong said, but he wouldnt confirm whether the company has done so. Under the incentive deal, the company would be required to pay its employees more than $11.83 an hour, or about $24,600 a year for an employee working 40 hours a week, Dominguez said. After a year, 70 percent of the employees would have to make at least $15.68 an hour, or about $32,600 a year, he said. The company will easily meet those threshholds and most of the jobs will be high-wage, he said. More detailed information about the jobs will be released later, he said. Another benefit of the incentive deal is that it would bring jobs to an underdeveloped part of San Antonio, Dominguez said. Neighborhoods north of downtown are growing fast but remain blighted in many areas. On top of the $8.8 million in city and county incentives, the project will also be eligible for city and SAWS fee waivers through the citys Inner City Reinvestment and Infill Policy, he said. Credit Human has been growing as it makes more loans for vehicles and manufactured homes, Armstrong said. Between 550 and 600 employees work for the company, including about 440 who work outside of its 16 branches. Some employees in its lending business work in such far-flung places as Seattle; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Vermont, he said. The credit union has about 240,000 members, with roughly 40 percent of them living outside of Texas, Armstrong said. It operates coast-to-coast, and outside of San Antonio, it has concentrations of members in Houston, California, Oregon, Washington state and Florida. Borrowers automatically become Credit Human members. As of June 30, Credit Human had $2.93 billion in assets. It reported $2.75 billion in loans and $2.27 billion in total shares and deposits. It generated $1.7 million in income in the first half of the year, down from $3.3 million in the same period last year. Credit Human is the third-largest local credit union, after Security Service Federal Credit Union and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, according to CUData.com, a website that tracks credit unions. rwebner@express-news.net @rwebner On Sept 7, Premier Li Keqiang met with Nepals Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in Beijing. The Premier said China is willing to promote high-level exchange and cooperation with Nepal, in order to benefit common development, along with the people of the two countries, and promote regional peace and stability. He said China would like to take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to expand trade and investment with Nepal. Efforts will also be made to promote the feasibility research of the China-Nepal free trade pact and the construction of cross-border economic cooperation area, and enhance the cooperation on energy, infrastructure, post-disaster reconstruction and tourism. China is willing to help Nepal for its social-economic development, the Premier added. Mahara said Nepal will be persistent with the one-China policy, maintain high-level exchange with China and promote pragmatic cooperation, in order to achieve a win-win partnership. A San Francisco prosecutor improperly withheld evidence that could have aided the defense in at least three criminal cases, city Public Defender Jeff Adachi said Thursday. Adachi, who filed a complaint with the State Bar of California in June, is now taking the unusual step of calling for a state criminal investigation into what he called the serious and recurring instances of unethical behavior by Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Mains. Mains did not respond to requests for comment. Alex Bastian, a district attorneys office spokesman, said, We are unable to comment on personnel matters, but do take such allegations seriously. The public defenders office accused Mains of withholding evidence in three cases and abusing his power in two other cases in order to keep defendants in custody. In two instances, Adachi said, Mains withheld DNA-test evidence that the public defenders office did not receive until a year had passed and a new prosecutor had taken over the cases. He intentionally hid evidence that would have exonerated these accused individuals, Adachi said. We cant have a system where prosecutors are hiding evidence. Adachi said he made District Attorney George Gascon aware of the matter, but received no response on whether Mains had been disciplined. Mains remains a prosecutor. According to court documents, DNA testing was done in April 2016 on a pair of gloves left behind during a residential burglary in which a man named Roderick Bass was charged with stealing a laptop computer. Bass was arrested shortly after the January 2014 burglary and had the laptop, police said. But Deputy Public Defender Sangeeta Sinha contended that though Bass was in possession of stolen property, he did not commit the burglary. The DNA test excluded Bass as the contributor of genetic material found on the inside of the gloves, which matched another man who was in a nationwide DNA database for a theft-related crime, Adachi said. He said Sinha did not receive the evidence until April 2017, when a new prosecutor was assigned to the case. During the time that the DNA discovery had been withheld by Mains, negotiations to settle the case were ongoing, Adachi wrote in a letter to the State Bar and to the state attorney generals office. Had Bass accepted a plea deal, the exculpatory DNA reports would never have come to light. Bass was convicted of receiving stolen property and sentenced to treatment in a special court for military veterans. In another case, DNA testing was conducted in April 2016 on clothing worn by a man named Charles Walker on the day he allegedly stabbed a woman. Walker told investigators he had acted in self-defense, and that the woman had wounded him. The test concluded that blood on the clothing came from both a woman and a man, which Deputy Public Defender Matthew Sotorosen said supported Walkers claim that he sustained injuries as well. But Sotorosen said he did not learn of the DNA report until April 2017, when the case was being presented to a judge in a preliminary hearing. The public defenders office said it later obtained an email showing that San Francisco police had forwarded the report to Mains in May 2016. The case is still pending. In another ongoing case, a Superior Court judge ordered Mains to disclose all notes from witness interviews and all copies of electronic communications with witnesses in a case in which a homeless man was charged with stalking and threatening the female residents of a home he slept in front of. Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young said she learned in her own investigation but not from evidence handed over by Mains that none of the complaining witnesses wanted to press charges, and that the woman who had been allegedly stalked said the man had never threatened her. Adachi said he felt Mains actions were serious enough to warrant criminal charges. Gov. Jerry Brown last year signed into law an amendment to the state penal code that made it a felony for prosecutors to intentionally and in bad faith alter, modify or withhold evidence. Adachi requested that the attorney generals office lead the investigation, to avoid a conflict of interest. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers: A Kidney Doctor's Search for the Perfect Match By Vanessa Grubbs Amistad. 261 pp. $25.99 --- Midway through her thoughtful and endearing memoir, Vanessa Grubbs shifts gears. The first half of "Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers" is largely a love story - an account of how the author, an attending physician and faculty member at a hospital in Oakland, Calif., fell for Robert Phillips, a former hospital trustee and aspiring politician with end-stage kidney disease. Within months, she was smitten enough to help him get off dialysis - and leapfrog the complex inequities of the organ-donation system - by giving him one of her kidneys. Their courtship and marriage, told alongside their kidney surgeries and their aftermath, are related in a style both medically detailed and girlishly romantic. Waiting in pre-op, in a gown "with too few ties in the back to make my booty feel securely hidden," Grubbs seems as breathlessly excited as a bride; and later, when she and Phillips fear that his body is rejecting her kidney, she sounds more like a lover than a doctor. "I (BEGIN ITAL)had(END ITAL) to believe" the transplant would eventually take, she writes. "He had my kidney and my heart." The book's second half, in contrast, is dominated by medical histories, and the social and ethical issues that surround kidney disease. Inspired by her husband (who has survived with her kidney for more than a decade), Grubbs changed her career goals and embarked on a fellowship in nephrology. But her writing remains warm, conversational and thoroughly female. When she gets her first electron micrographed view of a healthy kidney, she's "mesmerized" by the beauty of its blood-filtering apparatus, with key podocyte cells reminding her of "a mama octopus trying to hold all her babies at once, each tentacle with a set of fingers and each finger with another set of fingers." And the kidney as a whole is gorgeous: "Intricate. Curved. Complex. Multitasking. Like a woman, I thought. ... (BEGIN ITAL)She(END ITAL) is a thing of beauty." Partly because of Grubbs' unpretentious tone, the book's lengthy explanatory passages are eminently readable - whether she's describing the 400 years of scientific inquiry that led to the "miracle" of dialysis, or how a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which can lead to chronic kidney disease, relates to a gene that evolved to resist the sub-Saharan African parasite that causes sleeping sickness. That gene, naturally, is more common in people of African ancestry - and that's just one of many ways Grubbs explores the issues of kidney disease and treatment that confront people of color. She, like Phillips, is black; before she met him, she was head of her hospital's Office of Diversity Affairs, trying to recruit more nonwhite doctors to better mirror the Oakland population. As a nephrology fellow, she ran into problems funding research of racial and ethnic disparities in treatment. (Although blacks and whites each made up about a third of the kidney transplant waiting list at the time, whites received every other kidney and blacks every fifth one.) When Phillips had counseling before his transplant, it seemed that medical staff members were trying to discourage him: "African- Americans reject kidney transplants more often," the transplant nephrologist warned, then apparently tried to cast it as a compliment. "Their immune systems are just so strong." One of the book's more troubling passages reflects Grubbs' awareness of the unquantifiable attitudes that underlie health care. It describes how scar tissue from Phillips' previous hernia surgeries made it difficult to connect Grubbs' ureter to his bladder; rather than burrow through the tissue, the surgeon took a simpler route, linking the couple's ureters to each other. But the connection kinked, urine leaked, and the transplant appeared likely to fail until another surgeon corrected the situation. It was only later, after a white mentor of Grubbs' brought up the subject of race, that she wondered if the original surgeon would have tried harder, done the difficult burrowing the first time around, if the patient on the table had been someone he "more closely identified with" - someone of the same color. The question is raised not with resentment but with concern, reflecting the general good humor that permeates this earnest, satisfying book - which, it should be noted, ends with a typically practical and readable appendix: Twelve pages of frequently asked questions for people who have, or fear they have, kidney disease. For the price of a mansion in Texas, you could own an entire Texas town. The city of Mustang in Navarro County is for sale for $4 million. The 76 acres is about a 45 minute drive from Dallas, off I-45 at FM 739. The 2010 Census lists the population of the town as 10. Outside of alcohol, parts of Mustang had a rough reputation. ABANDONED: Texas photographer captures photos of abandoned Aquarena Springs in San Marcos "There was a strip club there called Wispers that has since permanently closed. There was a killing there, the business had quite a tale," Turner said. These days, Mustang is a ghost town with a waste water treatment facility, a volunteer fire department and access to fresh water. But it may not be a ghost town for much longer. "We've had a very good response about the town. Some of my clients are calling me and asking about it," Turner said. For someone who has a vision, the barren town can be transformed into nearly anything. "It has endless possibilities, one just has to use his imagination," said Michael Turner, president of J Elmer Turner Realtors, Inc. "Right now, anything goes in Mustang so long as it conforms to the laws of Texas." TEXAS TRAVEL: The 21 awesomely weird town names across Texas For Turner, some of those possibilities include holding music festivals or medical marijuana after Texas has issued its first license. Without a local government in place, zoning laws won't stop the owner from doing what he or she likes in the town. Turner said Mustang incorporated in the early 1970s and sold alcohol when most of Navarro County was dry. "It was a boomtown in the alcohol business. There was a long line of cars from Corsicana and all around Navarro County here," Turner said. For more information about the town, visit Own Mustang or call 214-502-8020. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, dozens of government and community organizations have stepped up to help residents affected by the floods. For those who have lost homes, cars, pets and loved ones, these resources provide a guide for getting back on your feet after the destruction wrought by one of the most destructive storms in decades. This list is by no means exhaustive, but is a good start to begin the process of rebuilding. Government assistance Go to DisasterAssistance.gov to fill out a questionnaire to begin the process of applying for federal aid from FEMA. Apply for federal aid for recovery of storm-caused damages and loss at FEMA.gov, or call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-462-7585. To register for recovery you will need: Your Social Security number. If you don't have one you still may be eligible for aid if there is someone in your household with one. For businesses, you will need the Social Security number of the responsible party for the business. Insurance information. Financial information. Your family's gross total household income at the time of the disaster. Contact information and the address and phone number where the damages occurred. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or direct deposit information (optional). Banking information - bank name, type of account, routing and account number - if you are approved for assistance. HoustonRecovers.org is the central hub for information on Harvey recovery. It will be updated once emergency operations are completed. Call the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management for information at 311 or 713-837-0311. The City of Houston Helpline offers information on food assistance, water safety concerns, referrals to shelters and other information. Call 311 or 713-837-0311 For information on tax relief available for those living in the disaster areas go to IRS.gov or call IRS customer service representatives at 800-829-1040, available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Housing assistance The Salvation Army of Greater Houston, 1500 Austin, has three emergency shelters open to assist evacuees and those who have lost their homes: Harbor Light Center, 2407 N Main; Sally's House, 1717 Congress; and Family Residence, 1603 McGowen; as well as 30 mobile kitchens providing hot meals, snacks and water to over a dozen neighborhoods in and around the Houston area. Call 713-752-0677. Those eligible for FEMA's Transitional Shelter Assistance program may be able to stay at a participating hotel free of charge temporarily if they are unable to return home. For a list of participating hotels, go to femaevachotels.com, or contact FEMA to apply or with questions at 800-462-7585. Harris County Housing and Community Resource Center helps with locating emergency shelters, rental properties and financial assistance. Call 713-696-1998. Rebuildinghouston.org helps senior, disabled and veteran homeowners in Harris County with home rebuilding efforts. Call 713-659-2511. Airbnb is helping find temporary housing for those displaced by the floods. Call 855-424-7262. Legal assistance The State Bar of Texas's Disaster Hotline is answered in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and connects low-income people affected by a disaster with legal aid providers in their area who can help with issues such as replacing lost documents, answering insurance questions, helping with landlord/tenant problems, and handling consumer protection concerns such as price-gouging and contractor scams during the rebuilding process. Callers can leave a message at any time at 800-504-7030. The Houston Bar Association has expanded its LegalLine program. Volunteer attorneys will assist affected residents with legal advice on landlord/tenant matters, insurance, FEMA assistance, property, lost documents and other storm-related issues. Lines are open 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday through Sept. 20. Call 713-759-1133 or 866-959-1133. Food assistance For a list of food pantries and other food assistance, contact the Houston Food Bank at 832-369-9390. For disaster food stamp benefits, call the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) at 877-541-7905. The Houston Health Department opened four Women, Infants and Children (WIC) sites dedicated to help people affected by Harvey's unprecedented flooding. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the sites will begin registering pregnant women, women who recently had a child, infants and children under the age 5 for WIC benefits. Sites are at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Walmart stores at 111 Yale Street, 11210 W. Airport and 9460 W. Sam Houston Parkway. Call 832-393-5427. Property assistance The National Flood Insurance Program answers questions for policyholders about the claims process at 800-621-3362. To find an abandoned car, go to findmytowedcar.com or call 832-394-4869. The Texas Department of Insurance has advice on what to do if your home or auto was damaged by Harvey, the insurance claims process and contractor fraud prevention and have extended its call center hours to 8 p.m. Call 800-252-3439 or go to tdi.texas.gov. Harris County homeowners who have any type of property damage from Hurricane Harvey can now report it on the Harris County Appraisal District's phone app, where they will be given options to identify whether the damage was to the home or garage. The app also provides an event damage report that lists options for the amount of water, an estimate of damage caused by a tornado or roof leaks and a section for fire damage. When the homeowner is ready to submit the report, they take a photo of the front and back of their driver's license to verify the property owner's identity. Call 713-821-5805 or email help@hcad.org. Medical assistance The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's Disaster Distress helpline is available 24/7, 365 days a year, for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Call 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Nonprofit assistance United Way of Greater Houston offers a 24-hour helpline to assist disaster victims get the resources they need. Call 211. Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston provides help for those in need, focusing on homebound seniors, refugee families and other vulnerable populations who will need extra resources after the storm. Call 713-533-4900. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has a Flood Relief Hotline. Call 713-874-6664. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston is providing food, shelter and other emergency assistance. Call 832-941-0766. Business assistance The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans to small businesses, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster-damaged property. Apply at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or call 800-659-2955. The Texas Association of Business is offering assistance to business owners via a hotline during normal business hours. Call 512-637-7714 or email hurricane@txbiz.org. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers food, emergency housing, as well as farmer and rancher assistance to individuals and small businesses affected by severe storms and flooding. Call the Hurricane Harvey Information Line for Texas Producers at 866-680-6069. The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Texas Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center Network opened a business recovery center where business owners can access a variety of specialized services free of charge. The Harris County center is located at 2302 Fannin and is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday- Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Cleanup resources CrisisCleanup.org helps connect volunteers with those in need of help cleaning up. Call 844-965-1386. Magpies Gifts Bellaire is picking up dirty laundry from flood victims in Belliare and Meyerland, having it cleaned and returning it to the owners as they go through the cleaning process. Message them on their Facebook page to arrange a pick up. Locate missing loved ones or report fatalities To report or locate a missing child, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 866-908-9570. To find family or friends or to register yourself as safe, go to safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/. To report the location of a body, call 911. Please do not attempt to move or disturb the body in any way. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Local veterans are heading to the nation's capital as part of the Honor Flight initiative. The nationwide program provides veterans with a trip to Washington, D.C., where they have the opportunity to visit monuments erected in their honor. Tonie Gamboa, Honor Flight director of Laredo, said the trip also gives veterans the opportunity to visit with fellow comrades from around the country. On Thursday, a ceremony was held to honor both the 2017 and the 2018 Laredo Honor Flight recipients. World War II veteran John Valls departs for D.C. this weekend as the 2017 honoree. During his trip, Valls will visit the military memorial monuments and Arlington National Cemetery and attend a host of events by local veteran's organizations. READ MORE: N.L. stepfather beat 1-year-old to death because she looked like her biological father, authorities say Korean War veteran Ernesto Sanchez, 89, is among the 2018 Laredo Honor Flight recipients who are set to travel to D.C. in April. Sanchez was a 24-year-old student in college when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served as a platoon leader and was involved in the battle of No Name Hill, the Iron Triangle and Heartbreak Ridge. "It is quite an honor what people do for us," Sanchez said. "They are very thankful. They do a lot of things for us. It's unbelievable and the people really take care of you. They're beautiful people." The trip, Gamboa said, is a small token of appreciation compared to everything veterans have done. Sanchez has previously visited D.C., but it was before the Korean War Memorial was built. "They tell me that it's beautiful," he said. MORE FROM LMTonline: Prominent Laredo businessman dies at 79 Sanchez will be joined by fellow Korean War veterans Nicolas Nanez, Lem Railsback, Andres Dimas, Paulino Lucio, Manuel Ramirez and Vietnam military veterans Juan Alfonso Rodriguez and Manuel Cerda. The annual all-expense paid trip is made possible through partnerships with the city, various organizations and with San Antonio De Valero Honor Flight. Applications are available to local veterans. For more information, contact 956-333-5096. On this date in ... 1917: Accompanied by veterans of the Civil War and recent wars, as well as city, county and state officials, the first of Albany County's quota of draft men marched to the New York Central Station before 10,000 cheering spectators en route to Ayers, Mass. There they would go through basic training before being shipped to Europe to fight in the war effort. 1967: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy called for immediate reforms in the nation's tax system, which he said allowed the wealthy to avoid paying "their fair share of the tax load." In an address to the special delegates meeting of the Civil Service Employees Association in New York City, the senator proposed the reforms be started by Congress before it approved President Johnson's 10 percent surcharge on tax. He said this could be accomplished by exempting from surcharge families of four with annual income of less that $7,000. The president had proposed the tax apply to families of four making $5,000 or more. 1992: The newly minted Willard Consort made its Troy Savings Bank Hall debut with a brief but lusty program of 19th-century works. Performing in the "Music at Noon" series for a lunchtime crowd, the Troy-based Consort Japanese violinist Sayuri Yoshizawa, Polish violist Alexandra Glinkowski, Chinese cellist Ling Cao and Ukrainian pianist Adalena Krivocheina displayed both energy and enterprise on a smattering of pieces by Brahms and Faure. The resulting concert confirmed the new group as a felicitous addition to the Capital Region chamber scene. Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/ A 1-month-old girl was allegedly beaten to death by her stepfather in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico because she looked like her biological father, according to Tamaulipas authorities. State police officers have arrested her stepfather and mother in connection with the case. Elias Gaytan Arreola, 33, was charged with murder and Laila Berenice Ramos Rosales, 25, was charged with failure to report the abuse. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate City Council ultimately took no action Tuesday regarding the future of the Hachar Road, a project formerly under contract with Dannenbaum Engineering and now stalled since that contract expired April 18. A little over a week after that on April 26, City Hall, along with several other City of Laredo and Webb County government buildings, were closed and searched by the FBI on a public corruption probe. Dannenbaum Engineering's offices across Texas were raided that same day. City of Laredo Utilities Director Riazul Mia said City Council did not take any action to extend their contract with Dannenbaum on the Hachar Road project, which is why it expired April 18. They had previously voted to extend it a year on April 18, 2016 in order to secure more funding from the Texas Department of Transportation. During City Council's first meeting after the FBI raids, they voted to cease all future business with Dannenbaum. READ MORE: N.L. stepfather beat 1-month-old to death because she looked like her biological father, authorities say The proposed Hachar Road will run eastward for a little over 5 miles, jutting out of Mines Road north of Loop 20. Then it rounds northward onto the Reuthinger property, and becomes Reuthinger Road for about 3 miles, where it eventually connects to I-35. The city has agreed to cover the Hachar portion, and Webb County the Reuthinger portion. The city has already spent $726,000 on the project so far, Mia said. Judd Gilpin, an engineer representing the Reuthinger Trust on this project, reminded City Council on Tuesday that what they have paid for represents a small amount of work associated with the waterline alignment, environmental clearance and procurement of the property. This work falls under Phase I of the project. Phase II involves more expensive and substantive work the planning, design, specifications and estimates for the road. The city has yet to award this portion of the work to any firm, Gilpin pointed out. About $289,000 in funds are intact to complete Phase I, Mia said. The problem is that if the city contracts with a new engineering firm to complete Phase I, they will likely want to re-do the work that has been completed by Dannenbaum, and the city would be out the $726,000 in equity, City Manager Horacio De Leon said. A few members of City Council suggested that whichever new firm the city hires will just have to start where Dannenbaum left off. "The concept was a new company could come in, take this information, verify if it's reliable, absorb it into their calculous and start getting some of these plans sealed," Councilman George Altgelt said. RELATED: City of Laredo's business with Dannenbaum on hold after FBI raids Nicholas Van Steenburg, president of the Falcon International Bank Trust Department who is overseeing the Hachar Trust, said if City Council voted to reinstate Dannenbaum to the contract, they could then reassign it to another firm and avoid the loss in equity. But De Leon said reinstating and reassigning could mean the city would need to pay more to Dannenbaum. If the city were to terminate the Dannenbaum contract and then request qualifications from other firms to take on the project, Dannenbaum would not get paid, he said. Another issue is that ideally the county and city would continue to work with the same engineering firm, since the Hachar and Reuthinger tracts connect. The county, which had also contracted with Dannenbaum, had to re-solicit bids for the Reuthinger Road project after TxDOT altered its procurement rules. Webb County Commissioners Court voted to rescind Dannenbaum's $300,000 work authorization contract on May 22, but there is nothing stopping the county from re-awarding them the contract after rebidding. Dannenbaum was the only firm that bid for this project for both the city and county. In the end, De Leon asked that City Council take no action on this issue so that he and the city's legal staff can regroup and come back with a recommendation at the next meeting. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Grandparents, grandchildren and other close relatives who hail from six mostly Muslim nations can enter the United States to join their family members during a legal challenge of President Trumps ban on travel from those countries, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court ruled Thursday. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also opened the door to U.S. admission of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and hardship in their homelands. The three-judge panel rejected Trump administration rules that would have barred those admissions while the legality of the presidents executive order is before the U.S. Supreme Court. Thursdays decision was a defeat for the administration which had appealed a ruling by a federal judge in Hawaii allowing the relatives and refugees to enter while the high court considers a challenge by Hawaii and other states to the presidents order. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the travel ban on Oct. 10 and is expected to rule before the end of the year. For now, Thursdays ruling keeps families together, said Hawaiis attorney general, Douglas Chin. It gives vetted refugees a second chance. Now Playing: President Trump tweeted Thursday that DACA recipients have "nothing to worry about" for the next six months. Video: GeoBeats ALSO Schumer runs victory lap after cutting deal with Trump Another lawyer in the case, Omar Jadwat of the American Civil Liberties Union, said, Its obvious that prejudice and anti-immigrant cruelty are among this administrations highest priorities, and that it is willing to trample on the law and the Constitution to achieve them. Trumps March 6 order would impose a 90-day ban on U.S. entry of anyone from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen, nations with populations that are from 90 to 99 percent Muslim. It also would impose a 120-day prohibition on all U.S. admissions of refugees. The president said he was targeting sources of terrorism and was acting within his broad authority over immigration and national security issues. But opponents, including the state of California, contend the order was a thinly disguised act of religious discrimination, citing Trumps promises as a presidential candidate to ban all immigration by Muslims. They also contend the order violates immigration laws that forbid discrimination based on national origin. The travel ban would not apply to holders of U.S. visas, and would allow consular officers to grant additional exceptions in cases of individual hardship. The presidents order, a narrower version of an earlier executive order that federal courts struck down, was ruled invalid this spring by the Ninth Circuit and another appeals court in suits by states and refugee advocates. But the Supreme Court agreed in June to hear the Trump administrations appeal and to allow partial enforcement of the order while the case was pending. During that time, the court said, refugees and citizens of the six targeted countries could enter the U.S. only if they had a bona fide relationship with a legal U.S. resident or organization. The court did not define bona fide relationships. Administration officials have taken a restrictive view, including only parents, children, spouses, siblings, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and fiancees, and excluding virtually all refugees. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii rejected that definition, expanding it to include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law of people in the U.S., as well as refugees whose resettlement was arranged by U.S. agencies. The Supreme Court has allowed relatives covered by Watsons order to enter the U.S., but put his refugee order on hold. In Thursdays ruling, however, the appeals court said nearly 24,000 refugees approved for resettlement by U.S. agencies could start to enter the country in five days unless the high court intervenes. Refugees lives remain in vulnerable limbo while the case is pending, the court said. It noted that U.S. agencies take 18 to 24 months to approve refugees for admission and that they must undergo time-sensitive security and medical checks before entering. After that review, the court said, government-approved resettlement agencies conduct their own screening before agreeing to sponsor refugees, decide where to locate them and advance funds for food, housing and other costs all evidence of an individual, bona fide relationship. The agencies would lose millions of dollars in federal reimbursements if the entries were prohibited, the court said. The panel also said the Trump administrations definition of close family members was unduly narrow and selective and would cause emotional hardships to their relatives in the United States. In a 1977 ruling, the appellate court noted, the Supreme Court referred to the tradition of close relatives ... uncles, aunts, cousins, and especially grandparents ... sharing a household along with parents and children. And in the current case, the panel said, the Supreme Court had referred to a plaintiffs mother-in-law as clearly a close family member. The government does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship but grandparents, grandchildren and other equally close relatives are not, the court said. The unanimous decision was issued by Judges Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez, all appointees of President Bill Clinton. The Trump administration could appeal to the Supreme Court. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko The ruling can be viewed here: http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/general/2017/09/07/17-16426%20Opinion%20Filed.pdf From the Thai media comes the story of a sultry young woman who, over the course of about two years, convinced at least 11 different men to marry her. Following Thai tradition, each man gave her a generous sum of money - a dowry - at which point she disappeared, the men told police. From each husband, she collected between $6,000 and $30,000 before vanishing, using various excuses such as she had to return to her family's home to deal with their fruit business or her horoscope advised her that it just wasn't a good time to be married. So prolific and convincing was this woman that she married four times in the month of August alone, police told local media. Initially, police reported that there were 12 complaining husbands, but later reduced the number to 11. Not until a warning about her was posted on Facebook did any of the men go to authorities. How the warning got to Facebook has not been revealed. Perhaps it was posted by one of the grooms, of whom there may be more, according to reports. Indeed, upon seeing the Facebook post, they descended on police, according to The Bangkok Post and other Thai media, and told the stories of how they had allegedly been duped. According to the English language paper The Nation, quoting a lawyer for the men, the method was pretty much the same in each case. She would friend the man on Facebook, meet him, have sex with him, marry him and then take the money and run. She is being called "the runaway bride." Prasarn Tiamyam, 32, described his experience in a report to the police. He got to know the woman after she friended him on Facebook in February of 2015. She used the name Jariyaporn "Nammon" Buayai. There was a seductive photo of her as identified in the media. After nine months, she told him she was pregnant (it's not clear by whom) and he agreed to marry her. They went to a seaside resort in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, the man told police, according to The Nation, where she extracted a dowry of $6,000. The end came quickly for Prasarn. As The Nation reported: "During their relationship, Prasarn said that Nammon refused to let him meet her parents. Only four days after their wedding, Nammon told him that she had to deal with their fruit business in Nong Khai province and left. "Soon after, Prasarn could no longer contact her. Instead, he received a call from a woman who claimed to be Nammon's niece. She told him that Nammon lost the baby and Prasarn should not contact her again." Pirat Puengsuk, 28, claims to have lost some $30,000, the dowry plus a Toyota pickup truck. He told police he quit his job as a transport driver and married her after a two-month whirlwind Facebook courtship, thinking he would join her and her parents in the fruit business. "She demanded that I marry her before investing in the business together because it was her family's tradition. If we weren't married, we couldn't do business together," said Pirat, as quoted in The Nation. She then vanished in his pickup. As it turned out, a warrant for fraud was already out on the woman stemming from an apparently unrelated incident. After the men went to police as a group, The Bangkok Post reported, police caught up with her in Thailand's Nakhon Pathom Province, known for its fruit orchards. There, police on Thursday night arrested Jariyaporn Buayai, 32, and a man police described as her real husband. Lt. Thitirat Nonghanpitak, commissioner of the police Central Investigation Bureau, told reporters Friday that he believed there were other victims. He said she netted more than $90,000. The woman has not been charged and the investigation is ongoing. The woman, according to the Post, said she did not intend to cheat the men, of whom, she claimed, there were only 7 rather than 11 or more. She reportedly said the men had voluntarily invested money in the family's fruit business. Police want to interrogate her parents, The Bangkok Post reported, to determine whether they might have had a role in it. They based their theory on the fact that her parents showed up for each of the weddings. Thitirat said Friday the parents were in hiding. The deceived gentlemen, who went to police for justice, are also hoping to protect others. "I'm so hurt by what happened," said Pirat Puengsuk as quoted in The Nation. "I want her to redeem herself and not do this to other people." According to Mary Lee Coxs History of Hale County, Texas, published in 1937, the original Plainview townsite was surveyed by Col. R.P. Smyth in fall 1887, with 80 acres each being contributed by community founders Z.T. Maxwell and E.L. Lowe the section line running east and west through the center of the Courthouse Square. On July 3, 1888, a deed of dedication to the land composing the streets, alleys and public square in the town of Plainview for the benefit of the public was executed and subsequently placed in the record July 26, 1888, in the office of the County Clerk of Crosby County. With Plainview selected as county seat, the Hale County Commissioners Court, at its first session Aug. 20, 1888, ordered that a courthouse be erected on the corner of the public square in Plainview, with plans to construct a more substantial structure at some future date. Some 129 years later, the center of county government continues to occupy Plainviews public square in a building erected in 1909-1910. However county officials arent quite sure where the deed for that property as well as most of county-owned tracts have been filed away. At Fridays work session, County Judge Bill Coleman admitted that officials would be hard pressed if required to produce evidence of ownership for most of countys property. County Auditor Maretta Smithson recalls a file for deeds and such. It likely has the deed to the Porches (Furniture) Building, but thats about all. County Clerk Latrice Kemp said deeds and related property transactions are recorded in her office, but a search to find records on a specific tract would be difficult without knowing the date the transaction was recorded. The discussion on property titles was sparked by Colemans request for County Attorney Jim Tirey to assist in clarifying the ownership of a piece of property in Petersburg adjacent to the Precinct 2 Barn. Coleman explained that Precinct 2 Commissioner Mario Martinez was approached by the person who purchased a building in Petersburg with plans to open a grocery store. That individual was to acquire an adjacent tract for a fuel island. That tract is now used as overflow parking for Precinct 2. After discussing the matter, it was the consensus among commissioners that the Precinct 2 Barn and other County Precinct Barns were erected during the Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the property might have been acquired at that time. The Quonset-style metal buildings went up sometime after World War I, Precinct 3 Commissioner Kenny Kernell suggested. To establish ownership of that specific tract, Coleman suggested that Martinez have one of the local title companies do the necessary research. If the countys ownership can be established and the property eventually sold, Coleman said expenses related to the title search could be included in the purchase price. Before we can think about selling it, we need to make sure we own it in the first place, he said. Other items discussed Friday with anticipated action Monday include: --Current accounts payable of $144,616.46. --The appointment of County Treasurer Ida Tyler, County Attorney Jim Tirey, Precinct 2 Commissioner Mario Martinez, County Judge Bill Coleman, Chief Sheriffs Deputy David Cochran and Michele Arseneau from the Texas Association of Counties to a committee to review the countys personnel policies manual. --Consider an interlocal agreement with Lubbock County to provide forensic autopsy services through the Lubbock County Medical Examiners Office. --Consider bids on tax foreclosed trust properties in Hale Center and Seth Ward. The offices include $1,200 for 2801 Gladney, and $550 for 607 E. 13th and $500 for 325 Stevenson Ave. in Hale Center. --Approve the Hale Center EMS activity report for July. That department had 24 emergency calls 18 within the city and six in the county. Nineteen were billable runs. --Review and approve an engineering contract with Carthel Engineering Solutions as well as an engineering resolution for a Halfway Water Supply grant. --Consider the purchase of patrol vehicles for the sheriffs department to replace hail-damaged units. --Consider a jail contract to house inmates on an as-needed basis for Tom Green and Taylor counties. The commissioners will hold a public hearing at 1 p.m. Monday to review the 2018 proposed budget and tax rate. Mondays regular session begins at 9 a.m. Both will be held in the courthouse at 500 Broadway and are open to the public. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The extraordinarily large and intense Hurricane Irma is drawing ever closer to South Florida. A hurricane catastrophe has become nearly unavoidable; it's only a matter of what areas are hardest hit and how severely. The storm is comparable in strength to Hurricane Andrew, which devastated parts of South Florida in 1992, but much larger in size. Based on the latest computer model projections, it's almost impossible the storm will miss, but it's still uncertain whether the southwest or southeast coast will catch the storm's most destructive brunt, or somewhere in between. Irrespective of the storm's exact track, hurricane-force winds could blast most if not all of the Florida peninsula. "Irma is likely to make landfall in Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, and will bring life-threatening wind impacts to much of the state regardless of the exact track of the center," the National Hurricane Center said late Friday morning. The Hurricane Center had hoisted hurricane warnings for much of South Florida on both coasts. Landfall from the storm is most likely to occur sometime Sunday morning, when Irma's destructive winds will move ashore. A storm-surge warning was also issued for much of the South Florida coastline because of the potential for water to rise up to 6 to 12 feet above normally dry land at the coast. The Hurricane Center said this would bring the risk of "dangerous" and "life-threatening" inundation. "Few people alive have experienced a storm like this," wrote Bryan Norcross, a hurricane specialist at Weather Channel. "It is reminiscent of the great hurricanes that unleashed their fury on Florida in the first seven decades of the 20th Century." By early next week, Georgia and the Carolinas could also be in the storm's crosshairs. In its 5 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said hurricane conditions were spreading west over Cuba and the Central Bahamas. The storm had 155-mph maximum sustained winds - and even stronger gusts - which makes it a Category 4. The storm could yet regain Category 5 intensity as it has still to pass over some of the warmest ocean water in the world (nearly 90 degrees). On Friday night, the eye will pass very close to the north coast of Cuba. In the event the center makes landfall there, its circulation would be disrupted by the land mass which could lead to some weakening. The Hurricane Center said to expect fluctuations in the storm's intensity through Sunday but that, in most scenarios, "Irma is expected to remain at least a Category 4 hurricane until landfall in Florida." It urged residents of Florida to rush preparations to completion. "This hurricane is as serious as any I have seen," tweeted Eric Blake, a forecaster at the Hurricane Center. "No hype, just the hard facts. Take every life saving precaution you can." Meanwhile, two other hurricanes were intensifying in the eastern Atlantic and southwestern Gulf of Mexico - Jose and Katia. On Saturday, Jose could hit some of the same small islands in the northern Lesser Antilles ravaged by Irma, including Antigua and Barbuda. - - - Potential effects on Florida Several storm scenarios are possible in Florida, depending on the exact track Irma takes, but they are all disastrous due to Irma's size and strength. Hurricane-force winds expand 70 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds expand 185 miles from the center. This implies that the entire peninsula, which is about 150 miles across, will be exposed to tropical-storm-force winds and most or all of it to hurricane-force winds. Norcross, the meteorologist who became a hero in South Florida for guiding the region through Hurricane Andrew, called the threat "EXTREME." Tropical-storm-force winds are expected to reach South Florida by Saturday morning as Irma approaches from the southeast. Then, the all-important northward turn is still expected to take place early Sunday, when the storm would make landfall and unleash its worst effects. The most destructive winds and largest storm surge usually focus immediately to the northeast of where the center comes ashore. So exactly where the northward turn occurs is a critical question for Florida. As of Friday morning, the most likely scenario based on computer-model guidance was that the storm will track right up the spine of Florida. Models, however, can shift. The difference between a track just off the east coast and just off the west coast is only 150 miles, and the average error in hurricane forecasts two days before landfall is about 60 to 75 miles (or half the width of the peninsula). Irma could still reasonably track up either the west or east coast. If the storm tracks up Florida's east coast, then Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville will take devastating hits. If it runs up the spine of the peninsula, the storm will be quicker to decay, but hurricane-force winds would reach both coasts. If it buzz-saws up the west coast, then Key West, Naples, Fort Myers, Tampa and Tallahassee would face severe effects. When Irma makes its closest approach to Florida - most likely early Sunday - the Hurricane Center predicts that it will produce Category 4 winds. Here is its description of the kind of damage Category 4 winds would inflict: "Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months." Note that such extreme winds are typically confined to the eye wall, which is only about 10 to 15 miles wide. That is why the exact track is important in terms of where the most severe wind damage concentrates. It's important to note that wind speeds will increase with altitude, so high-rise buildings will be exposed to even stronger winds, up to a hurricane category stronger on the upper floors. Due to the likelihood of widespread damaging winds, one model run by researchers at several universities projects that more than 2.5 million customers in Florida and the Southeastern United States will lose power. Regardless of exactly where Irma tracks, many coastal population centers in Florida will experience a devastating storm surge of 5 to 10 feet above normally dry land, inundating roads, homes and businesses. The most severe storm surge will focus immediately northeast of where the storm center crosses land. Over the Florida peninsula, 8 to 20 inches of rain is forecast, with the heaviest amounts most likely in the southeast. - - - Potential effects on Georgia and the Carolinas Beyond Florida, there is a risk for destructive winds and a serious storm surge up to Georgia and the Carolinas, but the details greatly depend on the track over Florida. "There is a chance of direct impacts in portions of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, but it is too early to specify the magnitude and location of these impacts," the Hurricane Center said early Friday. If Irma rides up the spine of Florida, even though it will lose some strength, its circulation is enormous so it would still likely push a significant storm surge toward the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Tropical-storm and even hurricane-force winds would also likely affect much of Georgia and perhaps sections of South Carolina (especially the south and southwest). Even a track up the west coast of Florida would likely bring strong winds and surge to the Georgia and Carolina coasts. The worst case for these states would be if Irma narrowly misses the east coast of Florida, stays over warm water and then hits them while maintaining its strength. A potential landfall along the Southeast coast would be Monday - and would bring a devastating storm surge and destructive winds to coastal locations. In any of the scenarios, there is the likelihood of very heavy rain over much of Georgia and into the Carolinas, and areas of flash flooding. - - - Irma's path so far Thursday evening, the center of the storm passed very close to the Turks and Caicos, producing potentially catastrophic Category 5 winds. The storm surge was of particular concern, as the water had the potential to rise 16 to 20 feet above normally dry land in coastal sections north of the storm center, causing extreme inundation. A devastating storm surge and destructive winds had also likely battered the southeastern Bahamas, near Great Inagua Island. Through early Thursday, the storm had battered islands from Puerto Rico to the northern Lesser Antilles. While the center of Irma passed just north of Puerto Rico late Wednesday, a wind gust of 63 mph was clocked in San Juan early Wednesday evening, and more than 900,000 people were reported to be without power. In Culebra, Puerto Rico, a small island 17 miles east of the mainland, a wind gust registered 111 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday afternoon, the storm's eye had moved over Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, and its southern eye wall (the region of most powerful winds) raked St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Early Wednesday afternoon, a wind gust to 131 mph was clocked on Buck Island and 87 mph on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the hurricane passed directly over Barbuda and St. Martin in the northern Leeward Islands, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in that region and tied with the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane as the strongest Atlantic storm to strike land. As Barbuda took a direct hit, the weather station there clocked a wind gust to 155 mph before it went offline. The storm also passed directly over Anguilla and St. Martin early Wednesday, causing severe damage. - - - Irma's place in history Irma's peak intensity (185 mph) ranks among the strongest in recorded history, exceeding the likes of Katrina, Andrew and Camille - whose winds peaked at 175 mph. Among the most intense storms on record, it trails only Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had winds of 190 mph. It is tied for second-most intense with Hurricane Wilma in 2005, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane. The storm maintained maximum wind speeds of at least 180 mph for 37 hours, longer than any storm on Earth on record, passing Super Typhoon Haiyan, the previous record-holder (24 hours). Late Tuesday, its pressure dropped to 914 millibars (the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm), ranking as the lowest of any storm on record outside the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic basin. The storm has generated the most "accumulated cyclone energy," a measure of a storm's duration and intensity, of any hurricane on record. Without a doubt, the World Meteorological Organization will retire the names Harvey and Irma after this season. While there have been several instances of consecutive storm names getting retired (Rita and Stan 2005, Ivan and Jeanne 2004, Isabel and Juan 2003, Luis and Marilyn 1995), the United States has been hit by more than one Category 4+ hurricane in a season only one time: 1915. Two Category 4 hurricanes hit in Texas and Louisiana six weeks apart that year. - - -- Capital Weather Gang hurricane expert Brian McNoldy contributed to this report. Credit to tropical-weather expert and occasional Capital Weather Gang contributor Phil Klotzbach for some of the statistics in this section. - - - Video: Jason Samenow of The Post's Capital Weather Gang explains the three different directions Irma could take and what areas would be impacted. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) URL: http://wapo.st/2vL3paQ Embed code: Saudi Arabia may be the latest country to give up on regime change in Syria and fall in line with Russia's successful campaign to shore up President Bashar Assad. There are signs that the nations, long at odds over Syria, are now cooperating over a settlement that would leave Assad in place for the time being. The Saudis hosted a meeting of Syrian opposition factions last month, pushing for an accord between hardline anti-Assad groups and others less insistent on his immediate departure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is headed to Riyadh Saturday for more talks, before an expected visit to Moscow by King Salman. A Saudi shift would mark a fresh blow for Syrian rebels who have seen Assad regain control of much of the country in the past two years, backed by Russian air power. Earlier this year, the Trump administration ended a military aid program for the rebels, saying the chief U.S. goal in Syria is defeating Islamic State. Turkey, another key backer of the opposition, has also come round to working with the Russians. "The Saudis now realize that the Russians could be the only party that can settle the Syria conflict," said Mustafa Alani, head of the defense and security department at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. "They don't have a problem with the idea that the regime can stay." The Saudi Foreign Ministry said last month that the longer-term goal remains "a new future for Syria without Bashar Assad." But the Aug. 22 talks in Riyadh saw a push for a united front between the main opposition group that the Saudis have traditionally backed, the High Negotiations Committee, and two other blocs closer to Moscow. Another round is scheduled in the Saudi capital next month, aimed at merging the three branches into a unified opposition delegation that would take part in United Nations-led peace talks in Geneva. Participants in that process say there's been a change. "I see a shift in Riyadh's position," Qadri Jamil, a former Syrian deputy prime minister who heads the Russian-backed opposition bloc, said an interview. The chances of a deal are "very big." Meanwhile Yahya al-Aridi, a senior figure in the main anti-Assad group, said his faction is "worried" that its erstwhile Saudi backers will reach an accommodation with Russia. "There's a vicious campaign to rehabilitate the Assad regime," he said. Military realities increasingly favor Assad and the Russians. This week, Syrian government forces broke an Islamic State blockade of the strategic eastern city of Deir Ezzor that had lasted for almost three years. Elsewhere in the country, other factions fighting Assad -- both jihadist and moderate -- have been pegged back into ever-smaller enclaves. Ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia have improved on other fronts too. The two biggest oil producers put aside differences to agree on output cuts under an OPEC deal aimed at bolstering prices. One motivation for rapprochement with Russia is the Saudi desire to counter the rise of Assad's other main backer, Iran. Iranian-backed fighters, including the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, have played a major role in the Syrian president's comeback. As the prospect of removing Assad recedes, his enemies are switching focus. For the Saudis, "the regime is no longer an issue, even the president is no longer an issue," Alani said. "The problem is the question of the Iranians on the ground." The U.S. and Israel are also now arguing that "the Russians should work to end the presence of Iran in Syria," Alani said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Aug. 28 that Iran is producing precision missiles at factories in Syria and Lebanon. Thursday, Assad's government blamed Israel for an airstrike on a military position in northwest Syria. Russia sees Iran as a strategic ally in the Middle East, whereas for the Saudis it's a mortal foe. Still, their interests could overlap, according to Yury Barmin, a Middle East expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, a Moscow-based research group set up by the Kremlin. "The hard power on the ground in Syria is Russia and it's calling the shots," he said. "But the Russians are working to contain Iran's influence, and this issue is something they could talk about" with the Saudis. Russia is seeking to gain international legitimacy for its Syrian campaign and avoid an open-ended military conflict by encouraging Assad to strike a deal with his opponents in Geneva. Those negotiations have been effectively stalled for years. Lavrov was in the Gulf last week for a tour that included a stop in Qatar, another major backer of the Syrian rebels. He said that while differences remain, there's overall interest in ending the war. The U.S. and its European allies, as well as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have had to shift their stance on Assad. They now largely accept that he'll remain during a transitional phase, said two Western diplomats familiar with the matter. The envoys spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are confidential. Unity among the rival opposition groups is "inevitable," Lavrov said in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 29. And that "will enable us to start substantive talks on the future of Syria." An aspiring hacker who harassed former CIA director John Brennan and former National Intelligence Director James R. Clapper, among others, will spend five years in federal prison. Justin Liverman, 23, was part of a collective dubbed "Crackas With Attitude" that exposed the private online accounts of several top law enforcement officials. It was a British teenager, known as "Cracka," who actually broke into those accounts by impersonating either the officials themselves or employees of their service providers. Liverman and Andrew Otto Boggs, also 23, encouraged Cracka's exploits and used the exposed information to bedevil the victims. "These are no pranks," Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said in sentencing Liverman Friday in Alexandria, Virginia, federal court. "This computer hacking, Crackas With Attitude, caused chaos. Your intent was clear, and that was to wreak havoc." It was particularly "despicable," Lee added, that Liverman harassed the spouses and threatened the children of several targets. Liverman, of North Carolina, chose some of the victims and drove the harassment campaigns against them. He paid for an hourly, month-long "phonebombing" campaign leaving threatening and explicit messages for former FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano. Liverman also texted Giuliano's phone, asking about his "slut wife" and warning that he would "keep a close eye on your family, especially your son!" Giuliano and other victims are not named in court papers, but their identities have been confirmed by officials familiar with the details of the case. Through Giuliano's credentials, Cracka got into the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal, a computer system that gives agencies around the world access to unclassified but sensitive law enforcement information. Liverman requested personal details on Miami, Florida, police officers, which he then posted online. "Liverman leveraged Cracka's superior social engineering skills to his own ends - namely, to cause disruption/fear through harassment and to continue to perpetrate his online fraud of being an administrator of a hacking group and a successful hacker himself," Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Longobardo wrote in his sentencing memorandum. According to Liverman's attorneys, Boggs was directly involved in breaking into the law enforcement databases and exposing the personal information of 20,000 people. Liverman also encouraged Cracka to call in a bomb threat to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, saying, "hopefully they will have a shootout and kill each other." Other victims include Amy Hess, at the time the FBI executive assistant director for science and technology; Gregory Mecher, who is married to then-White House communications director Jen Psaki; and Harold Rosenbaum, chief executive of CIA contractor Centra Technology. In January of 2016, Liverman claimed to have compromised NASA computer systems and gotten access to sensitive flight and employee details. The space agency spent $41,300 to figure out that all of the data exposed on Liverman's Twitter account was fake or already publicly available. Liverman said he thought at the time he was helping expose weaknesses in the private security of figures who guard the nation's secrets, according to the court filings, as well as taking a stand against government overreach. "I thought what I was doing was right in terms of political justice," he said in court Friday. "But two years later, I realize I was completely wrong." Both Boggs and Liverman pleaded guilty earlier this year. Boggs was sentenced to two years in prison in June. "Cracka" is being prosecuted in the United Kingdom. Attorneys for Liverman argued that their client showed a conscience by redacting some personal information before sending stolen emails to Wikileaks. He was taking too much of the steroid Prednisone, attorney Jay Leiderman said in court, and lacked social skills or many real-life friends. Referencing the HBO show "Westworld," Liederman suggested Liverman was on a journey to maturity. "He is traveling that maze," Liederman said. "He's coming towards the center of the maze, he's coming towards self-actualization." Liverman has already served three months in jail after overdosing on cocaine while on supervised release, an incident Liederman tied to anxiety issues. "I never truly knew what freedom was until I came to jail," Liverman said in court Friday. A computer science student, he said he hopes after his release to become a security auditor who will protect against "black hats like myself." The five-year sentence is the statutory maximum for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States. Liederman and fellow defense attorney Marina Medvin called the sentence "extraordinarily excessive." As part of his plea agreement, Liverman has agreed to pay about $145,000 in restitution. Boggs has agreed to pay a little over $100,000. Prosecutors say the total cost to victims of responding to the various intrusions was $1.5 million. --- Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. The House on Friday overwhelmingly approved a $15.25 billion disaster aid package that also extended government funding and the federal borrowing limit until Dec. 8, moments after Republicans booed two top White House officials over the deal struck this week by President Donald Trump. The measure passed 316-90; every member opposed was a Republican. Yet even the House Republicans who supported the bill were frustrated Trump on Wednesday bargained with Democrats for a short-limit debt increase, undercutting GOP congressional leaders and setting up a messy end-of-year negotiation. That frustration was taken out Friday morning on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, who came to Capitol Hill to urge skeptical Republican lawmakers to back the measure. To many GOP members, the administration's messengers were poorly chosen: Mnuchin is a New York financier known for his past as a Democratic fundraiser. Mulvaney is a former House conservative who spent much of his legislative career browbeating GOP leaders over the national debt and budget deficits. "There were probably a lot of members in there in disbelief," Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., said. "I do know that there is a lot of frustration with the deal that was cut by the president, and I think it's a very difficult pill for many in there to swallow." At several points, according to several members and aides, comments from Mnuchin and Mulvaney were met with groans, boos and hisses. Mnuchin, in particular, drew jeers after asking Republicans to support the measure for him personally rather than for the policy, then leaving the meeting early by explaining he had other pressing matters to attend to. "His last words, and I quote, was, 'Vote for the debt ceiling for me,' " said Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., who leads a group of conservative members. "That did not go over well in the room at all . . . His performance was incredibly poor." Mnuchin's closing went so poorly, Walker said, that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., had to remind members afterward hundreds of thousands of hurricane victims were counting on their votes. At another point, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Tex., pressed Mulvaney on whether the Trump administration would commit to seeking reductions in the federal budget deficit as a part of negotiations with Democrats ahead of the new Dec. 8 deadline. Mulvaney said he could not make that commitment, and members booed. "The debt ceiling is supposed to be at least a stop sign that gives us pause and gives us a chance to change the way we're doing our spending, and it's not even a yield sign," Barton said afterward. "In fact, it's an increase speed sign right now." Democrats were expected to deliver a majority of the votes to approve the deal, making it easier for Republicans to vote against the package without the threat of failing to provide critical disaster funding as Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida's southern coast. Republican leaders avoided an embarrassing benchmark by persuading a solid majority of GOP members to support the deal. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the scale of the Republican revolt was still "remarkable" Friday. "If I ever as leader or as speaker had 90 members vote against one of the easiest bills to vote for, which is disaster assistance, you know they have a philosophical problem with governance," she said. The legislation easily passed the Senate by a vote of 80-17 on Thursday, despite similar concerns from Senate conservatives. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was among those Republicans who initially opposed the idea of a three-month extension of the federal borrowing limit, but he said Thursday that he supports the legislation. Ryan said he worries about the impact of continued reliance on short-term debt limit fixes on credit markets but the package Trump agreed to is intended to create certainty while the United States responds to a number of natural disasters. "We need to make sure that the government responds to people," Ryan told reporters at a weekly news conference. "So the president wanted to make sure that we are - are going together as Republicans and Democrats to respond to this." While the passage of the bill Friday defuses the most explosive items on the September calendar, Congress has not cleared all of the obstacles ahead. It still must reauthorize several programs and agencies before the end of the month, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Democrats have indicated they might use those deadlines to press for action to protect those at risk of deportation due to Trump's cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, as well as payments to health insurers mandated under the Affordable Care Act. Those fights, however, would not result in a government shutdown or federal default. That risk now shifts to December, setting up months of high-stakes bargaining that will determine whether Trump will be able to fulfill promises of increasing military spending and building at least a portion of a Mexican border wall. Also likely to become part of the negotiation is another chunk of federal funding for disaster victims - a tally that could increase dramatically with Hurricane Irma. Among those most frustrated by Trump's deal with Democrats were Texas conservatives who represent the area affected by Hurricane Harvey. Texas lawmakers met Thursday for a bipartisan lunch during which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called in and urged them to support the federal aid bill. Many conservatives left the lunch saying that they expected to take their first-ever vote in favor of a debt-ceiling hike in order to advance Harvey aid. Most of the state's delegation supported the bill, but four Texas Republicans voted against it: Barton, as well as Reps. Sam Johnson, Jeb Hensarling and Mac Thornberry. The latter two men both chair major committees. "I love President Trump, and I'm with him probably 90 or 95 percent of the time, but I don't think it's appropriate to raise the debt ceiling with $19 trillion public debt and not have any effort to change the way we spend money here in Washington," Barton said Thursday. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Tex., who represents a West Texas district largely spared by Harvey, said he was undecided on the bill and wondered about its consequences. "I just hope the president isn't hurt by the long-term impact of this deal," he said. "You think about a Dec. 8 debt-ceiling deadline: The Democrats are going to play that for all its worth in terms of a government shutdown and trying to cut a deal that may have all of their pet projects in it, and that may be something the president doesn't find to be beneficial." But others saw Trump's deal as a wake-up call to Republicans. "I think he sent a crystal-clear message that if we don't get things accomplished, he's going to find other ways to move the ball," Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., said. "That should ratchet up pressure on the House and the Senate." On Friday morning, it was Mulvaney - a firebrand co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that has railed against increasing the debt limit - who absorbed much of the House GOP's frustration. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., rose to ask Mulvaney if he had 42 openings for deputy directors at the Office of Management and Budget. A bewildered Mulvaney replied he had only one vacancy. Issa replied that was unfortunate, because he could hire his former Freedom Caucus colleagues so they could reverse their positions on raising the debt limit just like Mulvaney had - a response that prompted a roar in the room and caused Mulvaney, in several members' telling, to turn red. Afterward, Mulvaney's former colleagues defended him - to a point. "It's ironic, but it's not hypocritical, because he works for somebody now," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said. "But it's ironic - it's really, really, really ironic." Writing in a paid column for far-right political media website Breitbart.com, Kris Kobach, the vice chair of President Donald Trump's commission on so-called voter fraud, asserted that he now has "proof" that "out-of-staters take advantage of New Hampshire's same-day registration and head to the Granite State to cast fraudulent votes." According to Kobach, that proof comes in the form of 6,450 voters in New Hampshire who registered to vote on the day of the 2016 election using an out-of-state drivers license. Data from the New Hampshire secretary of state (who is also a member of Trump's voter fraud commission) shows that 5,526 of those voters had not subsequently obtained a New Hampshire driver's license by Aug. 30. A North Carolina man who told a 911 operator that he took cold medicine and woke up to find his wife fatally stabbed appeared in court Tuesday. Matthew Phelps, 28, was arrested last week and has been charged with one count of murder in the death of his 29-year-old wife, Lauren Phelps. He did not enter a plea and is being held without bond at the Wake County jail, according to court records. Phelps' attorney Joseph Cheshire did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he spoke with local media after the Tuesday hearing. He asked that people reserve their judgment until more about the case becomes clear. "We're just at the beginning of understanding what is happening here," Cheshire said. "It's a very tragic situation, sad and tragic," he added. "There's a lot to this story I believe that will be told in the future." If convicted, Phelps could face the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole, according to the judge. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 25. In a disturbing 6-minute call, made just after 1 a.m. Friday, Phelps appears to confess to killing his wife, Raleigh police said. "I think I killed my [wife] . . ." a man's low voice says on the phone. The 911 operator asks him to elaborate: "What - what do you mean by that? What happened?" "I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she's dead on the floor," the man says. "Um, I have blood all over me and there's a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it." Phelps also said he took cough medicine before he went to bed, according to the call audio published by the Raleigh News & Observer. "I took more medicine than I should have," Phelps says. "I took Coricidin . . . because I know it can make you feel good. So a lot of times I can't sleep at night, so I took some. . . . She's not moving. Oh, my God." The dispatcher repeatedly asks Phelps to check to see if his wife is breathing. Phelps tells him she is not, and that he's scared to get too close to her. "There's all this blood," he says. "She didn't deserve this." When police arrived at the home in northeast Raleigh, they discovered his wife with multiple stab wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, a police spokeswoman told the News & Observer. The couple's Facebook pages indicated that they shared a love for Star Wars and had just gotten married in November. Online albums for both of the Phelpses were filled with photos of the two of them together: at their fall wedding, posing with light sabers, holding a dog and goofing off for the camera. Matthew Phelps worked at a lawn service company and had studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, Ky., according to the News & Observer. He was studying to be a pastor while Lauren Phelps was a Sunday school teacher, ABC News reported. Coricidin is marketed as a line of cold and cough medicine for people with high blood pressure. Bayer, the pharmaceuticals company that makes Coricidin, told ABC News in a statement that it extended its "deepest sympathies" to the family. "Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products," Bayer told the network. "There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior." Cheshire offered condolences to the victim's family while also saying that Phelps is grappling with the death. "I know this is difficult for people to understand, but he is going through a terrible trauma," Cheshire said. "You know there are all kinds of stages to these things and he's at the beginning of those stages. So there's a lot of trauma to go around in all of this, in all of these cases, always." Meanwhile, a YouCaring fundraising page and a Facebook memorial page were set up for Lauren Phelps. "My heart sank yesterday when I heard the passing of Lauren. I am in disbelief," one friend wrote Saturday on her Facebook remembrance page. "She was one of the purest souls one could ever meet. Her kind heart and sweet nature are an extremely rare find. She was a great friend to anyone lucky enough to call her one." A memorial service for Lauren Phelps was held Monday in Wake Forest, North Carolina, according to a post on her Facebook page. On Thursday, Joshua Taylor had his first day off since signing into his shift for the Port Arthur Fire Department back on Aug. 24. Unfortunately, while Taylor was rescuing flood victims, his own neighborhood was being swamped. Now his street is littered with sheetrock from flood-damaged homes. Taylor said his house received 6 to 10 inches of floodwater - not as bad as some of his compatriots on the Bridge City Volunteer Fire Department, where he volunteers, but bad enough that he has to replace about two feet of sheetrock and insulation throughout his house. The International Association of Fire Fighters has been checking on first-responders' homes while they have been involved in rescue operations and is helping during recovery. "People from all over the country are donating their time to help us," said Joshua Ray, president of IAFF Local 397. Taylor said the 110 members of the Port Arthur Fire Department typically work two 12-hour days, one 24-hour shift, then two 12-hour nights before getting four days off to rest. But since Harvey swept in from the Gulf of Mexico, he has worked mostly non-stop, squeezing in sleep where he can. "During the storm, we were a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week operation, basically," he said. "I've lost track of days from being at work so many days straight." Station No. 1 fire captain Michael Adaway said first responders who haven't had as much damage as Taylor have been volunteering on their days off to help others clean out their homes. He said he spent six hours on Sunday with two other men from the PAFD helping Daniel Tompkins rip out four feet of sheetrock. "I had been working six days straight and finally got two days off for the weekend, completely to myself," Adaway said. "I told several guys that I knew, 'Give me a call. If you need help emptying your house out, gutting it, tearing your sheetrock out, whatever you need, let me know.'" Taylor said he noticed the sense of community the first day of the flooding, when he and other first responders received civilian help to rescue flood victims. "The morning after, when it got day-bright, there were boats lined up of people coming from all over," he said. "It was the same in Bridge City during Ike. People would put their boats in and everybody was doing the same thing." Taylor said his main loss is his pickup truck, which was parked in a Port Arthur lot during the flooding. "It got water up to the floorboards," Taylor said. "I'm waiting to hear from the insurance to see if it's totaled or not, because I use it to respond to emergencies here in Bridge City. It's got a siren, lights and everything. If they total it, then I've got to start over." All in all, Taylor said he was lucky. Not all of his colleagues had as little damage as he did. He said he knows first responders who live in Orangefield who are still flooded. Taylor said the Port Arthur Fire Department will return to regular shifts next week. TCollins@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/tadamcollins WASHINGTON - A couple weeks after leaving Houston just before Hurricane Harvey made landfall, the Nationals departed Miami on Wednesday night as the region braced for Hurricane Irma. They arrived in dry Washington early Thursday morning with a second consecutive division title in sight to play the final four of their 21 games in 20 days, Monday's off-day providing a light at the end of a grueling stretch. By then, Washington could, mathematically, have clinched the National League East title. The magic number was six entering Thursday, meaning any combination of six Nationals wins and Miami Marlins losses would secure Washington the division crown. The celebration will almost definitely take place sometime during Washington's 10-game homestand, and could happen as early as Saturday night after the Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, at Nationals Park and the Marlins lost minutes later to shrink the magic number to four. "It was a good one for us to win," Nationals Manager Dusty Baker said. "We just got to keep rolling." The Nationals (86-54) took the first of four games against the Phillies, owners of the worst record in baseball, behind another solid outing from Tanner Roark, some timely hitting late, and more shutdown performances from their midseason bullpen acquisitions. Roark's curveball, a pitch he has relied on more than ever this season, betrayed him in his six innings. The Phillies (53-87) recorded two of their three runs against Roark off that pitch. In the second inning, Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro smacked a hanger for a 104.5-mph line-drive home run to left-center field - the third home run Roark has allowed off his curveball this season but second in two starts. In the fifth, shortstop Cesar Hernandez, distinguished Nationals nuisance, smacked a curveball for an RBI single. In between those, Tommy Joseph launched a moonshot that landed just over the left field wall for a solo home run. It came on a four-seam fastball. But that was all Roark gave up on seven hits. He walked off the mound in the sixth inning with six strikeouts to one walk at 100 pitches. "I felt like I was just barely missing with a couple curveballs and changeups early and then settled in," Roark said. "One of those games where you just got to battle with all your stuff and we came out on top." Roark, however, departed on the hook for the loss with the Nationals trailing, 3-1, though that soon changed when the Nationals finally broke through against right-hander Aaron Nola. Adam Lind initiated the charge with a single. Two batters later, after Lind took second base on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball, Matt Wieters crushed a 3-0 fastball from Nola to left-center field for an RBI double. Left-hander Adam Morgan entered to face Alejandro De Aza, a left-handed hitter, before Howie Kendrick, a right-handed hitter, was inserted to pinch-hit for him. Kendrick walked and Rafael Bautista followed with a single to load the bases. That brought up Trea Turner, who entered the at-bat against Morgan with a .192 batting average and .504 OPS in 78 plate appearances against left-handers - puzzling production for a right-hander hitter. The shortstop delivered anyway, slashing a two-run single up the middle to give Washington a 4-3 lead. "The first couple at-bats I feel like I had some pitches to hit and didn't capitalize," said Turner, who played in his 10th game since returning from a broken right wrist. "He threw two tough pitches in the first two and then got the third one in the middle of the zone and put a good swing on it.' The outburst set the stage for Washington's three-pronged relief machine. It was unleashed in order, starting with Brandon Kintzler in the seventh inning. The right-hander logged a perfect frame with the help from a leaping catch at the wall in center field by Michael A. Taylor to rob Andres Blanco of extra bases for the first out. "Michael Taylor saved the game on that home run he took way," Baker said. "That was a tremendous play. You're used to seeing Michael do things like that in center field. He's becoming one of the best in the business." Ryan Madson emerged next. He worked around a single to tally another scoreless inning - the 12th straight to begin his Nationals career. Sean Doolittle was summoned for the ninth to make quick work of the Phillies. He discarded the side in order, punctuated by a strikeout of Blanco, to notch his 16th save in a Nationals uniform and pull Washington closer to another division title. Hurricane Harvey has taken a heavy toll on Houston and the Lone Star College community. Many students, faculty and staff had damage to their homes, cars and belongings and this loss has spurred Lone Star College-Conroe Center to open its on-campus Food Pantry early. "We had planned to have our Food Pantry's grand opening next week; however, Hurricane Harvey has given us a reason to change plans," said Jennifer Dodd, LSC-Conroe Center Testing Center Coordinator and Food Pantry Organizer. "We are asking for specific donations so we can help those in crisis at this time." Those looking to donate can drop off items at 777 Conroe Park North Drive, Conroe, TX 77303, Room 107. Items needed are: Cleaning supplies - brooms, mops, paper towels, cleaners, gloves for indoor and outdoor work, and trash bags Baby supplies - diapers, food, baby wash, toys, clothes, wipes, and formula Hygiene items - shampoo, body wash, deodorant, toilet paper, feminine needs Canned or dry food - Canned vegetables, powdered milk, pastas and sauces, bread, peanut butter and jelly, breakfast items, canned meats, juice and bottled water. Monetary donations are also appreciated. Donate to the Montgomery County Food Bank by phone at 936-539-6686 and request the funds be credited to LSC-Conroe Center or donate online at mcfoodbank.org/how-to-help and be sure to write Lone Star College-Conroe Center in the "Description" on the second page of the form. This type of donation is extremely helpful now and in the immediate future for restocking the pantry. The LSC-Conroe Center Food Pantry's permanent home is CC100D in the Academic Advising area. It is the second Food Pantry in the LSC System. LSC-Montgomery opened an on campus Food Pantry in 2015. Like the Montgomery model Conroe Center will work with the LSC Foundation as a nonprofit corporation and as a member agency associated with the Montgomery County Food Bank. The LSC-Conroe Center Food Pantry is open to assist LSC faculty, staff and students Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. "Even before Hurricane Harvey, we noticed the need for an on campus Food Pantry," Dodd said. "Our students have fixed expenses like rent that do not get any lower, but one of the only things that is flexible is food and that is not a place to cut back." A recent study by the Urban Institute found that approximately 13 percent of students at community colleges experienced food insecurity in 2015. "We are excited about helping those who need it," Dodd said. "The LSC-Conroe Center Food Pantry is accessible to students since it is right on campus. We hope those who need help feel they can also bring friends to the service. We look forward to donations from the community and the hard work of volunteers to keep the Food Pantry running year-round." For more information about the LSC-Conroe Center Food Pantry, or to volunteer, contact Jennifer Dodd at Jennifer.O.Dodd@lonestar.edu or call 936-521-4549. Rush Limbaugh recently claimed that the media is manufacturing unwarranted panic about Hurricane Irma as part of a plot to hype climate change, boost ratings and increase advertising revenue from businesses that stand to make money off purchases of batteries and bottled water. Limbaugh then accused The Washington Post and other news outlets of twisting his words while simultaneously doubling down on his conspiracy theory on Thursday. "I explained how severe weather events are opportunities for big ratings boosts in the media and explained how it happens," he said. "I explained how severe weather events impact retailers and how some retailers are smart enough to coordinate advertising with television stations. It happens!" Limbaugh said something else on Thursday: He indicated he is evacuating his Palm Beach mansion, from which he broadcasts daily, for "parts unknown." "May as well go ahead and announce this," he said. "I'm not going to get into details because of the security nature of things, but it turns out that we will not be able to do the program here tomorrow. ... We'll be on the air next week, folks, from parts unknown. So we'll be back on Monday. It's just that tomorrow is going to be problematic. Tomorrow it would be, I think, legally impossible for us to originate the program out of here." Limbaugh presented the departure as more of an inconvenience than a proper response to imminent danger. "You know, I had to cancel a bunch of stuff," he said. "I was going to go to a private movie screening this afternoon, and I had a bunch of stuff to do tonight, and now that's all blown to smithereens." For The Intelligencer COLLINSVILLE, Ill. On break from session in Springfield, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, has been taking the time to visit local businesses in the community, recently touring Donco Electrical Construction LLC in Edwardsville. I think one of the best things about Donco is that it is a woman-owned company in a field that is typically male dominated, which allows them to really appreciate the hard work it takes to overcome the stereotypical gender roles that are still so present in our society, Stuart said. Donco is the perfect example of showing that women are able to do the same kind of work that a man can; they employ women engineers and electricians, and try to contract with other businesses that are women or minority-owned while providing high-quality services to the Metro East community. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A sex offender accused in the 1975 disappearance and murders of sisters Katherine and Sheila Lyon from a Wheaton shopping mall - one of Maryland's most notorious crimes - is poised to enter a guilty plea, according to officials familiar with the negotiations. Lloyd Lee Welch, 60, charged two years ago, would become the first person convicted in the girls' deaths, in a case that many feared would never be solved. Based on their recent work, detectives believe the sisters, ages 10 and 12, were sexually assaulted and killed before the remains of at least one of them were taken to rural Bedford County, Virginia, and burned. Welch, a former carnival worker, had been set to go to trial next week in Bedford, but online court records show the trial has been "withdrawn." Welch instead has agreed to a plea agreement that calls for him to admit guilt in the Lyon sisters' disappearance and face decades in prison, according to multiple people with knowledge of the case. The terms, which have been under negotiation for several weeks, also would resolve unrelated sexual assault cases in Prince William County, according to people familiar with the agreement. Any plea deal would not be final until Welch appeared before a judge and admitted guilt, and the judge signed off on it. He is set to appear in court in Bedford on Tuesday, and Welch could change his mind before the agreement is finalized. If Welch is convicted, it will bring a measure of justice for a family that has lived with the tragedy for 42 years. The sisters vanished during a March 25, 1975, outing to the Wheaton Plaza shopping center, where they had walked to see friends, look at Easter decorations and have lunch. Massive searches turned up no sign of Katherine and Sheila, and residents throughout the Washington region suddenly questioned the safety of their neighborhoods. The crime went unsolved for decades before cold-case detectives homed in on Welch in 2013. He was indicted two years later. The plea agreement would spare the Lyon family a long and difficult trial that could have included gruesome admissions about what happened to the girls. And a plea means prosecutors would not have to piece together a case made difficult because the girls' bodies were never found, key witnesses have died and there was little to no forensic evidence to bring forward. Police and prosecutors continue to believe others were involved in the killings, but those potential suspects have died or officials felt they did not have strong-enough cases against them. If the plea goes through, given Welch's age and parole practices in Virginia, it is difficult to see him ever getting out of prison. Welch is serving a long prison sentence in Delaware, where he pleaded guilty in 1998 to sexually molesting a 10-year-old girl. He is scheduled to be released in that case in April 2026. Welch is not eligible for parole in Delaware. He could continue to earn good-behavior credits and quicken his release date to sometime around 2024, when he is 67. If he is convicted in Virginia under the plea, he would then be moved to a prison in the state to begin serving time for the Lyon sisters' deaths. Virginia abolished parole years go, but it remains in place for crimes committed before 1995 under a provision that grandfathered in those cases. Under those rules, according to Virginia's Parole Board Policy Manual, many convicts become eligible for parole consideration after a quarter of their sentence. But someone with Welch's criminal past who pleaded guilty to his current charges in Bedford would have a very difficult time getting released, said Adrianne Bennett, chair of the Virginia Parole Board. After the initial investigation into the Lyon sisters' disappearance slowed, it seemed the case might never be solved. Montgomery County investigators developed suspects over the years, but not with the certainty they needed to file charges. The dynamic began to shift in 2013, when investigators took a closer look at Welch, whose name they noticed in an old case file. In 1975, when he was 18, he lived in Maryland and claimed to have seen the girls at the mall. As detectives looked deeper, their suspicions grew. Welch had picked up an extensive criminal record since the mid-1970s - in Maryland, Florida, Iowa, South Carolina and Delaware. The most serious cases were convictions for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in South Carolina and another 10-year-old girl in Delaware. The detectives noted that he was serving time in Delaware and began to travel there. Welch spoke to them, and his words became a big part of the case against him. In subsequent court documents and court hearings, police and prosecutors laid out in broad terms what they think happened to the Lyon sisters: Welch began to follow the pair that March day, according to the accounts. Sometime after 2 p.m., he and others managed to get the sisters out of the mall and into a car - through deception, coercion or threats. The girls were then held in Maryland for a brief period, sexually assaulted and murdered, according to the accounts of police. They believe Welch carried some of the remains to wooded land in Bedford County that had been owned by his family. He was spotted throwing at least one large bag onto a fire, according to court records. In 2015, Bedford County prosecutors secured indictments against Welch for two counts of murder during "the commission of abduction with the intent to defile." Among law enforcement officials, the hope was always that Welch would give them specific and credible information that could lead to charges against others. But that never happened. The plea agreement, according to people familiar with the case, also would resolve two other, unrelated cases against Welch for conduct in the 1990s - cases that arose recently during the Lyon investigation. Last year, Welch was indicted in Prince William County, Virginia, accused of raping a 6-year-old girl on a houseboat in 1996. This year, also in Prince William County, he was indicted on charges of aggravated sexual battery, allegedly for abusing another girl around the same time, according to court records. Exhausted from his ideological battles with the House Freedom Caucus and clashes with Donald Trump's White House, Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., has decided to retire. "As a member of the governing wing of the Republican Party, I've worked to instill stability, certainty and predictability in Washington," Dent said in a statement Thursday night announcing that he will not seek an eighth term. "I've fought to fulfill the basic functions of government, like keeping the lights on and preventing default. Regrettably, that has not been easy given the disruptive outside influences that profit from increased polarization and ideological rigidity that leads to dysfunction, disorder and chaos." Dent is the co-chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, which has about 50 center-right members. That's more than the three dozen or so guys in the Freedom Caucus, but the tea partiers punch above their weight because they mostly vote as a bloc. -- The retirement gives Democrats a prime pick-up opportunity, and some veteran GOP strategists are increasingly nervous that a stream of others will follow - especially if the House fails to put more legislative points on the board (e.g. overhauling the tax code) and the political winds continue to suggest major Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms. -- Dent has increasingly drawn the wrath of the Trumpist movement for his willingness to publicly express concerns about Trump that many of his House GOP colleagues are still only willing to say on background. The congressman called for Trump to drop out when the "Access Hollywood" tape emerged last October and then voted for independent Evan McMullin. Since January, he's spoken out against the president's travel ban, his firing of James Comey as FBI director and his false moral equivalency after Charlottesville. Breitbart, again under Steve Bannon's leadership, played up a story last Friday about an anti-Dent rally in Allentown that drew more than 100 conservative activists. Pennsylvania state Rep. Justin Simmons announced on Wednesday that he would challenge Dent in a primary next year, emphasizing the incumbent's lack of support for Trump. "Like many Republicans, I used to support Charlie Dent," Simmons said in the press release kicking off his campaign. "But in the past year, Charlie Dent has completely gone off the rails." Dismissing the challenger as an opportunistic "phony," Dent released embarrassing text messages that he received from him last year. One asked him to host a fundraiser to help in a contested primary. Another asked, "Do you think there's any chance the party can replace Trump on the top of the ticket?" Instead of facing off with Simmons, though, Dent is now stepping aside. -- That surprise news came just one day after another seven-term moderate announced he will retire. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., who represents a suburban Seattle district that Hillary Clinton carried, is chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade. Breaking with the protectionist president, Reichert's goodbye statement emphasized the importance of free trade to the Pacific Northwest. "From serving on President Obama's Export Council to battling to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank to leading the fight to pass the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement, I have always fought to give our exporters the chance to sell their goods and services around the world," he wrote. -- A third moderate, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., also expressed concern about the direction of the party when she revealed her plan to step down this spring. The first Cuban American elected to Congress expressed confidence she'd get reelected, even though Clinton won her Miami district by 20 points, but she said the prospect of two more years in the current environment just didn't appeal to her. "It was just a realization that I could keep getting elected - but it's not about getting elected," she told the Miami Herald in April. Ros-Lehtinen, the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has spoken out loudly against Trump since then, on issues like deportations (including DACA this week), transgender rights (her son is transgender) and budget cuts. "I'm not one of those name-callers that think the Democrats don't have a single good idea," she said. "Too many people think that way, and I think that's to the detriment to civility and of good government." -- Even as relations continue to fray between Republican congressional leaders and Trump, Democrats say these retirements are just the latest proof points that the Trumpists have completed their hostile takeover of the GOP. "With Trump in charge of the GOP, they might as well have a sign on the door that says 'moderates need not apply,'" said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson, who previously ran the independent expenditure arm of the DCCC. "The last cell-block has fallen and now Trump's rabble of inmates are running the asylum. Dare to stand up to Trumpism by thinking people should be able to keep their healthcare or by opposing white supremacists, and you'll find there is no home for you in the Republican Party any more. That's dangerous for the next two years and for the next 20. Whether it's in Seattle, Miami, or now Allentown, the GOP is pushing out the only leaders who could convince suburban voters there was a way to get a home in the Republican Party that wasn't Trump-owned." -- A close ally of GOP leadership, Dent also serves as chairman of the House Ethics Committee and is a powerful "cardinal," which in congressional parlance means that he chairs an Appropriations subcommittee. (He controls tens of billions in annual spending related to veterans' affairs and military construction.) -- While acknowledging that Trump is a factor, Dent says that the trends driving him to give up this immense power predate the current president. The ideological makeup of the House Republican conference has changed markedly since Newt Gingrich seized the majority in 1994. When the party won back the lower chamber in the 2010 midterms, after four years in the wilderness, the success of the tea party movement meant that there were relatively fewer moderates than before. Republicans dominated the decennial redistricting process and drew lots of safely red districts. This meant that many House members became more vulnerable to a primary challenge from their right than a general election challenge from a Democrat. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor went down in a 2014 primary, and the Freedom Caucus formed the next year. This created additional incentives for members to become part of the unofficial "vote no, hope yes" caucus. This is a group of Republicans who want spending bills and debt-ceiling increases to pass but won't support them because they fear retaliation from outside conservative groups. The departure of Barack Obama from the Oval Office has lessened some of the reflexive, knee-jerk partisanship (it's harder to tell Trump no), but "vote no, hope yes" remains a powerful force that House Speaker Paul Ryan must contend with every day. Perversely, these "no" votes force Republican leaders to turn to Democrats for the necessary votes to pass key bills. That has given Nancy Pelosi more leverage than she would have otherwise had. The result is that final deals are often less conservative than they might be otherwise. People like Dent, who considers himself a conservative, constantly bang their heads against the wall because of this dynamic. He explained Thursday night that solving problems requires "negotiation, cooperation and, inevitably, compromise." The 57-year-old said he has been having "periodic discussions" with his wife and three kids about whether to stay in Congress ever "since the government shutdown in 2013." He said discussions about retiring "increased in frequency" earlier this year, and that he made the decision to step down "in midsummer" - before he drew the primary challenger. "Accomplishing the most basic fundamental tasks of governance is becoming far too difficult," Dent explained to The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis in an interview Thursday night. "It shouldn't be, but that's reality." -- The nonpartisan Cook Political Report plans to move Pennsylvania's 15th District - which covers Allentown, Bethlehem and much of the Lehigh Valley - from "Solid Republican" to "Lean Republican" in ratings that will publish later Friday. Trump carried the district by eight points last November, while Dent won reelection by 20 points. Obama won the 15th in 2008 and narrowly lost it in 2012. Democrats see a great pickup opportunity. "After nine months of utter failure to get even the most basic things done for hardworking families, it's no surprise that Dent is as sick and tired of the Republican Party as the American people," said DCCC spokesman Evan Lukaske. The NRCC chairman, Rep. Steve Stivers, expressed confidence Republicans will hold the seat. "From reforming the broken VA to ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education, Congressman Dent has championed conservative values since taking office in 2005," said Stivers, R-Ohio. "While his leadership in Congress will be sorely missed, I wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life." -- Dent is the 13th Republican to leave the House since the start of 2017. Four accepted jobs in the Trump administration, and three more are running for governor. Dent is the sixth to retire without another position in mind. As a point of comparison, seven Democrats have announced plans to leave the House. All but one (Rep. Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts) did so to run for higher office. Only one represents a district Trump won: Tim Walz, who is now a front-runner to become the next governor of Minnesota. -- To be fair, though, the current number of House members who are retiring remains far below the historical norm. Going back to 1976, an average of 22 House members have retired in each cycle without seeking a higher office. With Dent, we're at just seven for this term. Contrary to some of the liberal commentary on places like Twitter and cable news, Trump has not opened the floodgates. At least not yet. Wall Street's affection for the GOP has always come with an asterisk. Although most financiers share the party's zeal for cutting taxes and deregulating, they also live and work in liberal strongholds, and their allegiances are frequently divided: Their hearts tug them left, and their wallets pull them right. (For reference, see President Trump's administration: Mnuchin, Steven and Cohn, Gary.) The rise of the tea party challenged Republicans' tenuous toehold in the industry. It empowered a conservative breed that no longer takes it for granted that policies benefiting the sector justify themselves. Now, those hard-right ideologues are attempting to assert themselves amid the chaos engulfing the party - a move threatening the party's Wall Street ties anew. Arguably nothing outranks tax cuts on the industry's Washington wish list. The promise of lowered rates helped turbocharge the market rally that President Trump's election victory unleashed, and it has remained a fixation even as hopes dim for a big deal. Yet the House Freedom Caucus has emerged as a major stumbling block. The group is hatching its own tax plan (with a 16 percent corporate tax rate, according to HFC Chair Mark Meadows) to contrast with the proposal the "Big Six" negotiators from the administration and GOP leadership are forging behind closed doors. "The Freedom Caucus plan is far more ambitious than anything the 'Big Six' can realistically achieve," Jonathan Swan of Axios wrote this week, quoting a Republican close to leadership who summed it up this way: "It appears that the whole plan is another example of the Freedom Caucus setting unachievable goals that they know leadership can't deliver rather than trying to make law." For a tax bill to stand any chance of advancing, congressional Republicans first need to iron out a new budget agreement. That spending blueprint will include the instructions allowing the party to pass a package without Democratic support, a cornerstone of their strategy. There again, though, the Freedom Caucus has thrown a wrench in the works, demanding as the price of their support that the Big Six give them assurances that the tax measure will meet certain marks. "Hope is not a plan," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a co-founder of the group, said Thursday morning at a breakfast hosted by Bloomberg News. "What the plan is for tax reform? What the corporate rate's gonna be? What the repatriation rate's gonna be, what the personal rates are gonna be... Tell me what that plan is." GOP leaders are loathe to meet conservatives' demands -- in part because the Big Six doesn't want to tip their hands as to what exactly their tax proposal contains. Donors, meanwhile, are losing patience. At a retreat for top Republican benefactors that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., hosted in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, last week, several discussed giving the party until the end of the month to deliver major progress toward a tax package or reconsidering future support, one attendee said. And this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched what it billed as a multimillion-dollar, multi-state ad campaign to drum up support for the project, starting with New York Republicans. The New York Post reported the group plans to focus next on some Freedom Caucus members, though one source close to the chamber tells me it will be targeting lawmakers from a wider range of profiles. It isn't just on taxes that the hard-right is taking on the financial industry. They also object to the debt-ceiling deal Trump cut with Democrats - a breakthrough that cheered investors by removing the immediate specter of a calamitous default - because it comes with new spending for Harvey emergency aid. The Republican Study Committee, a coalition of more than 150 conservatives, released a "menu of options" on Thursday for Ryan to consider adding to the debt-limit hike in order to secure more support from their ranks. But the RSC wish list is an instructive one for future battles. It includes repeal of the "Dodd Frank bailout authority," otherwise known as orderly liquidation authority, a post-financial crisis provision enabling the FDIC to assume control of a failing financial institution. The measure aims to wall off the rest of the industry from the threat of a domino effect in the event of another market crash - and big banks support preserving it. Those firms withheld endorsements from the Dodd-Frank overhaul that House Financial Services Committee Chair Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, guided through his chamber in June, in part because it would have repealed the provision. Typically, of course, financiers favor the Republican inclination to rip up regulations. And the industry applauded Hensarling a month later when he moved to block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from easing consumer lawsuits against big banks. That measure now awaits action in the Senate, where it faces a narrow margin. But some outside conservative groups, surprisingly, are rallying in defense of the CFPB rule. An outfit called the American Future Fund, founded by former Mitt Romney aides, released polling Thursday showing that voters in four states represented by swing-vote GOP senators strongly favor keeping the CFPB rule on the books. Over the last decade, big banks contributed roughly $106 million to Republican candidates, nearly twice what they contributed to Democratic candidates, according to figures from the Center for Responsive Politics. The industry almost certainly will keep giving Republicans the benefit of the doubt - but maybe less of it. -- Uncertainty on the Hill: Aftershocks from Trump's stunning new outreach to Democrats continued to reverberate Thursday, with Republicans wondering what it will mean for their governing agenda. Recapping, via The Post's Bob Costa, Sean Sullivan and Mike DeBonis: "In the span of 48 hours, Trump cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government funded and raise the nation's borrowing authority, advanced talks with the senior Senate Democrat on a permanent debt ceiling solution and followed the advice of the top House Democrat, who urged him to use Twitter to ease the fears of young undocumented immigrants. The developments confounded congressional Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol, where some long-standing political norms seemed to many to be shattered. The upheaval also raised new questions about how Trump plans to approach the looming debates over tax reform, immigration, government funding and the nation's debt - and where congressional Republicans fit in." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.: "Haven't seen anything like it before. I have no way of divining his motives. I'm a pretty intelligent guy, but I don't understand this." - Trump: Ditch the debt ceiling for good. The Post's Damian Paletta: "On Wednesday, Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., reached what one senior White House official called a 'gentlemen's agreement' to develop a plan that would no longer require Congress to routinely raise the limit on government borrowing. Details have not been worked out, and any plan would require approval from congressional Republicans, but the shift signifies a remarkable political evolution for Trump, who has long cheered weaponizing the debt ceiling, no matter the cost." In the days ahead of Hurricane Harvey, hundreds of Texas prison inmates were made to fill sandbags the state would use to brace against coming flood waters. In Texas, inmates aren't paid for their labor-they filled the bags for free. When they were done, they prepared to get out of harm's way. But as the massive system took up station over Texas, they stayed put. It took three days of flooding after Harvey made landfall for the state's criminal justice department to decide that almost 6,000 inmates across five facilities needed to be evacuated. Now, it's Florida's turn. The Sunshine State is preparing for the arrival of the more powerful Hurricane Irma this weekend. Initially, the Florida Department of Corrections said it didn't have immediate plans to evacuate inmates. Asked what would prompt such a move, a department spokesperson cited the "best interest of inmates" and "public safety" as factors that would govern whether prisoners would be shifted away from the storm. On Thursday, Florida officials announced one prison, two work release centers, two work camps, and three community release centers would be evacuated "in an abundance of caution." The evacuation impacted about 7,000 inmates. Florida had just under 100,000 inmates across 151 facilities. Some dozen correctional facilities are in an area that Irma could impact, though some tracks of the storm show it potentially affecting most of the state. Irma, a Category 4 storm, has already devastated islands in the Caribbean and is one of the strongest storms to form in the Atlantic. Leaving inmates at the mercy of a hurricane has caused disasters in the past. In Hurricane Ike, Galveston County Jail inmates weren't evacuated. "This decision caused immense human suffering in the jail," a 2009 report by the Texas Civil Rights Project stated. "The physical structure of the jail survived the storm, but Galveston's decimated infrastructure was unable to provide basic human necessities like water and sanitation to the prisoners in the weeks following Ike's landfall." During Hurricane Katrina, some inmates stood in chest-high flooding and were left without sufficient food and water after correctional officers abandoned the prison, according to Human Rights Watch. When an evacuation finally occurred, more than 500 inmates were missing from the list of those meant to be relocated. "They left us to die there," Dan Bright, an inmate at Orleans Prison Prisons, told HRW at the time. A 2006 report by the American Civil Liberties Union's National Prison Project on how prisoners fared during Katrina found conflicting stories on inmates deaths. While the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff said inmates weren't killed during the storm, both inmates and deputies reported such deaths. "There are dead inmates in there still," Deputy Luis Reyes said at the time, according to the report. "When the guards were doing their last sweeps, there were one or two here and there. We were not giving them any food or water." Prisoners experienced harsh conditions during the hurricane because they're viewed as "second-class citizens," Eric Balaban, an attorney for the National Prison Project, alleged in 2006 when the ACLU report was released. As Irma approached this week, Florida's Polk County Sheriff stirred a national furor after his office tweeted that anyone seeking shelter who had an outstanding warrant or was a convicted sex offender would be sent to prison rather than a shelter. "I actually don't think you should have to die in a hurricane just because you have a warrant," one Twitter user replied. Another posted darkly that the policy "definitely won't cause anyone to try to ride out the storm because they have too many unpaid parking tickets or whatever. Good job." States like Florida and Texas plan for hurricane evacuations as a matter of course. The Texas Corrections Department, which oversees 147,000 inmates statewide, said it reviews contingencies every year, determining how to evacuate and relocate prisoners. In addition to moving the inmates, the department has to send in additional staff to maintain an inmate-to-officer ratio at locations inland and transport extra food and water to those facilities, according to spokesman Jason Clark. "We were able to move 6,000 offenders and do so safely, efficiently," Clark said of Hurricane Harvey. In addition to higher security prisons, five Texas jails were also evacuated, according to Brandon Wood, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. "We've learned from previous natural disasters," he said. Despite the statements by Texas officials, there were reports of prisoners left in extreme conditions. According to the wife of one inmate who spoke with the Texas Chronicle, a first floor prison cell flooded up knee high as Harvey arrived. (Clark, who said he visited the facility, denied the water was that high.) Other relatives told the local paper that medical staff at the Texas facilities were few and far between. "That is a large logistical task, to move people from a prison facility out," Clark said. The Texas inmates were loaded on buses to other facilities, which had been determined to be safely outside Harvey's penumbra. The department experienced no issues, as all the inmates safely made it from their original facility to their destination. The same could not be said of Katrina, where hundreds of inmates were reportedly unaccounted for after evacuation. In Texas, officials say that county jails built in the last 20 years are constructed to withstand Category 5 storms, which means authorities have to weigh the options between sheltering in place and evacuating. "Trying to predict which counties would be impacted-we don't know for sure," Wood explained. "We take the best estimate." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A crumbling, half-empty apartment complex in southwest Houston is a mere speck in the vast sweep of Hurricane Harvey's path of destruction. If we zoom in for a closer look, though, the tenants of the Rockport Apartments can tell us a story. It's not a pleasant one. "My brother is a little bit sick," said 11-year-old Stephanie Plancarte, who sat on a stairway in a courtyard on Thursday with 5-month-old Alexander curled in her lap. She explained that the baby had trouble breathing after spending a night in a flood-damaged bedroom where mold was creeping up the wall. "Now," Stephanie said, "we're sleeping in the living room." Why would a family choose to stay in a wet, mold-infested apartment? Many of the tenants of the Rockport Apartments, like those in other aging, poorly maintained developments across the Houston area, have limited options even under normal circumstances. Harvey's floods narrowed those choices even further. Poor people assemble their limited resources - one functioning car in a family with three working adults, a school within walking distance for the kids, a nearby relative who can baby-sit the youngest - into a system that sort of works most of the time. Any disruption, though, can topple the whole structure. That's why one family I met at the Rockport Apartments, the Segovias, stayed in their apartment despite the mold on the walls. Available shelters are too far from their jobs, and they can't afford to miss work because management provided only a brief grace period - Thursday was the deadline - before late fees would be added to their monthly rent of $820. The first day late, $55. Each day after that, $35. The six family members share a two-bedroom apartment. One child sleeps in a hammock in the living room. Erlin Segovia, standing in the kitchen with a child balanced on one hip, acknowledged she was worried about the effects of the mold on her family's health: "It's very bad," she said. But all the other choices seemed worse. Herminia Patino faced a similar dilemma. At the height of Harvey's rainfall, water in her apartment was hip-high. She and her daughter Jolene, 9, stayed in the apartment for one night, then moved in with a friend in another unit at the Rockport, located near U.S. 59 and Bissonnet. On Thursday, Patino unlocked her apartment door so that Chronicle photographer Elizabeth Conley, community organizer Alain Cisneros of FIEL Houston and I could see the damage. Cisneros is trying to help the tenants at the Rockport. The place was a ruin. A powerful stench met us as soon as we stepped in. A rug and the walls were still wet to the touch. The walls and furniture were coated with black mold. Patino, too, is reluctant to relocate because Jolene just enrolled in a nearby elementary school. Patino has no car. Because her apartment was so devastated, she said, the manager agreed to forgo this month's rent. She's not sure what she'll do; she can't stay with her friend indefinitely. It's unclear when, or if, the flooded units at the Rockport will be repaired. Some 250 units, about half of those in the development, were destroyed by a 2015 tornado; most or all of them still sit vacant and boarded-up. I was unable to reach the development's managers or owners Thursday. A man in the leasing office, who identified himself only as David, wouldn't answer questions. An email I sent to an address provided didn't yield a response. Many tenants at the Rockport are immigrants living in the United States illegally, a circumstance that further limits their choices. As Chronicle reporter Lomi Kriel reported recently, tougher immigration measures at the state and federal level have made these immigrants reluctant to seek government assistance. Fear of deportation also makes them less likely to complain about heavy-handed practices by their landlords. "These are the most vulnerable, the most exploited people after any natural disaster," said John Henneberger, co-director of the Texas Low-Income Housing Information Service. Stronger city enforcement of housing codes - a perennial problem in Houston - would benefit residents of rundown developments like the Rockport, said Henneberger. And tenants themselves, he said, need to organize to protect their interests. "It is incredible to me that the fourth-largest city in the country has no tenants' movement," Henneberger said. "The Austin Tenants' Council would be all over this." In the short term, the government and nonprofit agencies working so diligently to help the region recover from Harvey might give some thought to the plight of a few people in moldy apartments in southwest Houston. Right now, all of their choices are bad. The audience sat in rapt attention as Delvin Atchison, director of the Great Commission Team for Texas Baptists, addressed students, faculty and staff during the Willson Lecture series held at Wayland Baptist University on Wednesday. He used the platform to build on Waylands #BeTheSolution emphasis that seeks to answer the questions of how education and faith can affect social issues. Atchison told a story about a college friend of his who worked with the grounds crew. One day while raking leaves, the wind picked up and started to blow. As he stood leaning on the rake he was challenged by the dean who said the secret to life was learning to rake leaves in the wind. Turning to Ecclesiastes 11:4 Atchison summarized by saying that if someone waits for perfect timing, he or she will never get anything done. How can I make a difference? he asked. Learn to rake leaves in windy weather. Atchison said the first step in learning to rake in the wind was to understand that there are no perfect people. God uses broken people to minister to other broken people, he said. We need to celebrate the common humanity of all mankind. In dealing with peoples difference Atchison said he prefers to take the salad approach in which everyones differences add to the overall flavor. The blood of Jesus, he said, is the dressing that ties it all together. Once people understand how each part adds to the whole, then people will begin to appreciate the differences in others. Part of being the solution is to understand that you are made in the image of God, Atchison said. When you understand that, then you will start helping others. The second step in learning to rake leaves in the wind is to understand that there are no perfect perceptions and no one knows everything. While some people think they know everything, Atchison said it is understanding the no individual is as great or knowledgeable as the collective group. He said it is important to understand that people may need to risk something in order to learn from others. Atchisons third key to learning to rake leaves in the wind is learning that there are no perfect predicaments. The timing is never right, he said. Dont get trapped into not making changes. He said if people wait for the perfect timing, they will accomplish nothing. He used the Biblical examples of the three men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), Daniel in the lions den (Daniel 6), the Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15), and the death of Jesus to show that in the worst of times, the power of God shines through. Dont wait for everybody to love everybody, Atchison said. But in the face of a broken world, learn to rake leaves in the wind. Atchison also addressed a gathering of faculty and staff over lunch, and participated in an afternoon panel discussion where panel participants spoke about dealing with social issues such as racism and marginalization. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Texas Education Agency has removed Amanda Gonzalez from the board of managers it appointed to oversee Edgewood ISD a year ago, notifying her by email Thursday after word of it had already spread before its regular mailed notification could arrive. The agency also notified the rest of the board and Superintendent Emilio Castro on Thursday afternoon. Gonzalez said she was informally warned of the development last week by local elected officials who had been told by the TEA. Im very surprised, Gonzalez said. I wanted to provide the community with a desperately needed sense of transparency and accountability. But I strongly feel that TEA did not like the fact that I am vocal and I question things, as a young Latina. Timothy Payne, a consultant who is on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity, has been selected to replace her. He did not respond to a request for comment after the TEA publicly announced his appointment Thursday afternoon. Payne ran for Edgewood school board in 2021 and again in 2014, but lost by over 1,000 votes to incumbent Mary Lou Mendoza. The message from the agency thanked Gonzalez for her service but gave no reason for her removal. I wouldve really appreciated the professional courtesy of notifying me if I was going to be removed or replaced, and the reasons why, Gonzalez, who works for the nonprofit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, said. State Sen. Jose Menendez, who represents an area that includes Edgewood ISD, sent a letter to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath questioning the decision to remove Gonzalez and requesting a meeting with Edgewood and TEA officials. He said to appoint and then remove a board manager with no explanation was unfair. Your actions must be an acknowledgment that your selection process and training was inadequate and ineffective, the letter said, adding that it now casts a shadow over your entire role with Edgewood ISD. The community perception is that your action is about avoiding scrutiny and transparency, the letter said. TEA officials declined to provide a reason for Gonzalezs removal or say whether the agency normally notifies elected officials of such a removal days before telling the affected board members. I believe, yes, (state representatives) should have been notified but I wouldve really appreciated the professional courtesy of notifying me if I was going to be removed or replaced and the reasons why, Gonzalez said. Board President Roy Richard Soto said he was somewhat surprised by the TEA action but noted that Gonzalez has gained a reputation as a voice of dissent on the board, having disagreed with a change in the districts law firm this year and voting against the hiring of Castro, who the board hired at the end of last year. Soto said there had been a disconnect between Gonzalez and the other board members. Shes very bright a very, very impressive young lady. And shes very aggressive, Soto said. And shes very knowledgeable. So she has her opinions and she doesnt hold back. Youre always going to know how she feels about everything. He said that while he respects her and admires her as a person, she clashed with other board members and didnt place enough faith and trust in Castro to manage the district. But Menendez and Gonzalez both said they found the lack of explanation from the TEA as to why she was removed troubling. Was this person removed just because they wouldnt completely follow the actions of the rest of the board members? Menendez said in an interview. Is there something much worse going on that people dont want us to know? sfosterfrau@express-news.net Police say a 55-year-old woman suspected of being under the influence of heroin drove into a crowd of pedestrians in Aransas Pass, near Corpus Christi. The Aransas Pass Police Department said Ruby Elizabeth Gray struck three people in a parking lot Wednesday evening. WASHINGTON The U.S. House this morning gave final approval to legislation providing $15.25 billion in storm aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, double the relief funds that had been planned just two days earlier. Four Texas Republicans voted against the bill. With little debate, the usually fractious House came together in a spirit of bipartisanship to agree to what will be a down payment to help Houston cope with the worst storm that the city has seen. The House agreed by a vote of 316-90 to the Senate boost to the relief package, which included provisions of a deal between President Donald Trump and Democrats to increase the country's borrowing authority and fund the government into December. Trump said he will sign the legislation. "Folks, the need is great," U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood, said on the House floor. Weber described to colleagues the devastation of 53 inches of rain over several days: 100,000 homes and tens of thousands of cars flooded; over 6 million people affected; and damage that he said that could surpass $150 billion. "To whom much is given, much is required. Never has there been a people in history given so much. This is one of those cases when much is required," Weber said. The House went about its business swiftly and sobered with Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, a massive storm likely to require billions more in federal. Money added in the Senate will provide funds for the Housing and Urban to jump-start rebuilding efforts with community block grants. The 90 no votes came from Republicans, reflecting frustration at Trump's willingness to work with Democrats on the debt ceiling deal. Among them were four Texas GOPers: Rep. Joe Barton of Arlington, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Dallas, Rep. Sam Johnson of Plano and Rep. Mac Thornberry of Clarendon. Barton had voted in favor of a smaller House relief package earlier in the week, but voted no on the final package. "I am not against voting for relief programs to help hurricane victims, but I am against raising the public debt ceiling without a plan to reduce deficits in the short term, and eliminate them in the long term," Barton said in a statement. "The money we vote to spend today will have to be paid back by our children and grandchildren. We have yet again missed an opportunity for substantial reforms and reduced spending." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller stood at the foot of the altar at St. Matthew Catholic Church on Thursday evening, bowed his head and prayed, silently and alone. Behind him, about 100 other people sat, silently and in prayer, too; some on their knees, others with rosaries clutched in their hands during the Holy Hour of Prayer. The shepherd of the archdioceses 750,000 Catholics, Garcia-Siller joined the states bishops last week in calling for all parishes to observe an hour of prayer for victims and evacuees of Harvey, which surged through portions of Texas and Louisiana, claiming at least 70 lives and destroying billions in property. When bishops made that announcement, however, Hurricane Irma had not yet showed herself, so Garcia-Siller asked those gathered not to forget those already hit by or bracing for the second hurricane to threaten the U.S. coast in the last few weeks. Dear People of God, the archbishop said. Tonight is a night of prayer, and I wanted to come here to your parish, because your parish is so compelled to pray before the Holy Eucharist. He asked them to be in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters affected by Harvey. Tonight we are also mindful, all of us, that another hurricane is coming, he added. It has already affected many people on very poor islands. Let us not forget the people of God there. St. Matthew, a large parish on the citys Northwest Side, is among those churches with a dedicated eucharistic chapel in which the Blessed Sacrament, or consecrated host, is exposed, and where it remains all day for those seeking silent prayer, said Father Dennis Arechiga of the Catholic devotion. Arechiga said the Holy Hour tradition is often traced to a passage from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament in which Jesus asked his Apostles to wait for him for an hour as he went to Gethsemane to pray. The congregation sang O Salutaris Hostia in Latin as the monstrance, an ornate vessel containing the consecrated host, was carried in a procession by Father Abel Ruiz, who led the hour of prayer. A Chapelet of the Divine Mercy was sung; a line saying, For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world, was oft-repeated. The Holy Hour was described as a healing rite at Thursdays gathering and was spent also in silent reflection and adoration. Intercessions, or prayers asked for others, were followed by the congregations reply, Lord, save your people. Pray that Gods mercy and compassion will be upon everyone who is suffering, Garcia-Siller said, asking that Catholics pray for those in the womb, for babies, children, young adults, adults, the elderly, the sick and the infirm, and trust that God, God, God is with us always. Katherine Acosta, who moved to San Antonio from Costa Rica seven months ago, came to St. Matthew looking for a parish that celebrates a Mass after work and found the Holy Hour of Prayer. In Costa Rica, she attended similar prayerful gatherings, she said, and was glad she could join in prayers for the victims of Harvey. Acosta said the devastating images of Harvey have stayed with her, as have some individual stories of loss. She mentioned the man who survived but watched his parents along with four children disappear into the floodwaters, trapped in a van. This is a healing moment for everyone to show empathy for them, Acosta said. We were lucky this time. It can be us next time. eayala@express-news.net Twitter: @ElaineAyala As the people in and near Houston recover from the horrors of massive flooding and go about the disgusting, back-breaking work of reclaiming their stinking, muck-filled homes, they should take heart from the wisdom of San Antonio Congressman Lamar Smith. Simply put, they should look at the bright side. Congressman Smith has long been a skeptic, some say a denier, of climate change. From his perch as the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, he has long expressed doubts about climate change and the human role in accelerating it. He has even accused government scientists of colluding to cook the data showing the Earths atmosphere and oceans to be heating up. But after taking a little-noticed trip to the Arctic with committee members earlier this year, Smith seems to have modified his tune. He appears to agree that the earth is, indeed, warming. That will be of considerable interest to Houstonians. After all, in just the past three years they have been hit by two 500-year floods and a thousand-year flood. Scientists say global warming doesnt cause those weather events, but does make them fiercer. Its not a controversial theory. Warmer oceans and the Gulf of Mexico add power to storms, and warmer air holds increasing amounts of moisture for storms to dump. The number of severe storms has been increasing steadily decade by decade since 1950. Scientists say it is because of ever increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping emissions humans cast into the air. So it is notable that in a recent issue of The Daily Signal, published by the conservative Heritage Foundation, Congressman Smith agreed that it is indisputable that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is gradually increasing. So what should we do about it? Well, thats where Lamar Smith still disagrees with the scientists. His prescription: Why not look at the sunny side of climate change? The benefits of a changing climate are often ignored and under-researched, Smith wrote. Our climate is too complex and the consequences of misguided policies too harsh to discount the positive effects of carbon enrichment. So what are the positive effects of what he charmingly calls carbon enrichment? A major one is a very substantial increase of the number of plants on the earth covering areas totaling twice the size of the United States according to at least one important study. These plants grow by grabbing the huge amounts of carbon out of the air and, with the help of water and the sun, turning it into plant food. This has the side benefit of slowing the growth of carbon in the air, and thereby global warming. Actually, Smith is on to something. But even scientists who conducted the study said the growth in greenery wasnt enough to make up for the negative aspects of climate change, including rising sea levels and more severe storms. Whats more, they said, it would only slow the growth of heat trapping gases, not stop it. Hopefully, the world will follow the Paris agreement objectives and limit warming below 2 degrees centigrade, one of the authors told BBC News. Smith also argued that warmer temperatures in the farm belt would produce more and heartier foods, and a long-sought Northwest Passage through the Arctic will cut shipping costs. Those are things you can think about, Houston, as you cart your earthly possessions to the curb. Theres a sunny side to your floods. For example, Congressman Smith points out that fossil fuels have lifted many, many people out of poverty. And a lot of the greatest beneficiaries are in Houston, with its petroleum-based economy. Houstonians have long described the noxious fumes that float from the massive petrochemical complex along the Ship Channel as the smell of money. Of course, the people who live close to those plants arent the ones who have been lifted out of poverty. Still, Congressman Smith would appreciate that spirit. This column first appeared as the Last Word on KLRNs Texas Week with Rick Casey. The last edition of the program will be Thursday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. President Donald Trump has rescinded the DACA program that former President Barack Obama established in 2012. The decision includes a wind-down period of six month that will allow Congress an opportunity to develop a policy that would give some permanency to Dreamers. Trumps decision is not surprising given that he campaigned on the promise of ending the DACA program. Nonetheless, he provided equivocating remarks on the status of Dreamers and how he felt about them. Earlier this year, as he unleashed his deportation machinery, Trump assured Dreamers that they were safe. Even a few days ago he mentioned in passing that we love the dreamers, quickly adding we love everyone. In announcing Trumps decision, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended the termination of the program. He berated Obama for making a unilateral decision that gave Dreamers unearned privileges that harmed Americans. He blamed the DACA program for the flows of unaccompanied minors from Central America arriving in the Texas-Mexico border. Sessions blamed Dreamers for taking away jobs from American citizens. He further warned that the failure to enforce immigration laws in the past has made us vulnerable to crime, violence and even terrorism. Shame on these Dreamers for wanting to better their lives and work in a country that many know as their only home. Sessions called attention to the need to respect laws. He warned us that societies where the rule of law is subject to political whims and personal biases tend to become societies afflicted by corruption, poverty and human suffering. Sessions loftiness is admirable. Yet, let us not forget the lack of respect that Trump showed for the judicial process less than two weeks ago when he pardoned former sheriff of Maricopa County Joe Arpaio. Over nearly a quarter century, Arpaio, our modern-day Bull Connor, racially profiled, harassed and humiliated Latinos in the Phoenix area with impunity. Certainly Trumps decision cannot be characterized as the kind of political whim and personal bias associated with corruption in Sessions law playbook. Trumps heart and brain moved him to coddle a racist sheriff who represents the white supremacy that many Americans find disgusting. His emotional and logical organs swayed him away from supporting young people who had gained a right to better themselves and contribute to our society. The racist Arpaio not 800,000 Dreamers pulled Trumps heartstrings and pushed his brain neurons. What will happen now? There is the six-month window that Trump has allowed for Congress to develop policy on Dreamers. We have been on this path in the recent past without success. In addition, even if he had an inkling for helping Dreamers, Trump has proven to be ineffective in pushing along policy in Congress. While there is some support for Dreamers among Democrats and some moderate Republicans, tea-party conservatives are rabidly opposed to giving any concessions to Dreamers. It will be tough to pass legislation that provides some form of protection for Dreamers. The business community, which has expressed strong support for Dreamers and urged Trump to continue the DACA program, will certainly need to be involved in pushing Congress to come up with political solutions for Dreamers. The failure to develop a policy to authorize the presence of Dreamers in this country will make them extremely vulnerable to deportation. DACA holders, in particular, are in a precarious situation, as the federal government has very detailed and personal information on them and their family that they provided as part of the DACA application. The throwing overboard of Dreamers with the small possibility of a congressional life raft coming to the rescue represents an ugly stain on our reputation as a caring and humanitarian nation. The blemish is more hideous when Trump had no qualms pardoning racist Joe Arpaio as he awaited sentencing but could not muster any compassion for 800,000 Dreamers who are not criminals. Rogelio Saenz is dean of the College of Public Policy and Mark G. Yudof Endowed Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Srijita Chattopadhyay /San Antonio Express-News By now, it should be clear to all Texans there is little oversight at the Texas Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has been an exemplar of poor governance. The latest example being the millions of fees he has extracted from industry for no reason. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Remember Anupama, the young mother and a former SFI activist who fought a bold and relentless battle last year against the CPM to get her child back? After breaking the Islamic States siege on the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, Lebanese Hezbollah and its allies have paraded inside the city. Forces belonging to Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Liwa al Quds could be seen parading and celebrating near the entrance to Deir Ezzor city in a video uploaded yesterday. In another video produced by Hezbollahs Al Manar, the commander of regime forces in the city, Issam Zahreddine, were Liwa al Quds fighters while wearing Hezbollahs flag. The commander also sent his thanks to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for the groups efforts. Other fighters in the video above also express thanks to Nasrallah. Liwa al Quds is a pro-regime militia comprised of Palestinian diaspora from Aleppo province. The militia has fought alongside Syrian, Hezbollah, and Russian troops since its inception in 2013. Since the Russian intervention in Syria began in 2015, the militia has also been awarded many Russian military medals. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Russian influence evident in Palestinian militia in Syria.] Earlier this week, the Assad regime claimed its forces broke the jihadist siege which had been ongoing since 2014. However, the regime has been backed by Hezbollah, Iranian and Russian troops, and many Iranian-backed militiamen in recent weeks. Videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defense also showed Russian ships targeting Islamic State forces in Deir Ezzor with Kalibr missiles. This has allowed the regime to make new advances in the area. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Islamic State loses more ground in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor.] Issam Zahreddine (center) with Liwa al Quds fighters and Hezbollah flag: Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa. 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. The US military killed four Shabaab fighters in two separate airstrikes in central and southern Somalia between Sept. 5 and 7. The US military has stepped up its attacks on al Qaedas branch in East Africa after the jihadist outfit has regained ground over the past two years. In the first strike, on Sept. 5 in the Bay Region of central Somalia, three Shabaab fighters were killed, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) noted in a press release on its website. AFRICOM launched the attack in support of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali National Army (SNA) forces that were operating in the area. In the second operation, on Sept. 7 in the town of Barawe in southern Somalia, US aircraft killed one Shabaab operative. Barawe is a contested area in southern Somalia, and Shabaab leaders have been headquartered in the town in the past. Shabaab recently killed several Ugandan troops along the Barawe-Mogadishu corridor. Both AFRICOM press releases noted that Shabaab has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda and is dedicated to providing safe haven for terrorist attacks throughout the world. AFRICOM noted in the press release associated with the Sept. 7 operation in Barawe that it was within the parameters of the authorities granted by the President in March 2017, which allows U.S. forces to conduct lethal action against al-Shabaab within a geographically-defined area in support of partner forces in Somalia. At the end of March, the Trump administration loosened the restrictions on the US military to use force against Shabaab after the Department of Defense noted that Shabaab has become more lethal and dangerous. The group has killed hundreds of African Union and Somali forces while overrunning bases in southern Somalia, and has maintained its safe havens while expanding areas under its control during 2016. The US State Department, in its Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, said that al Qaedas branch in East Africa has prospered over the past year due largely to lapses in offensive counterterrorism operations during 2016. Additionally, State noted that Somali security forces remained incapable of securing and retaking towns from al-Shabaab independently, and while not explicitly stated, hinted that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is failing. AFRICOM has stepped up operations against Shabaab. Since the beginning of June, the US military has announced ten strikes against Shabaab. The targets have varied. A June 11 operation hit a Shabaab command center and logistics node. A July 4 attack targeted Shabaab fighters as they massed for an attack in the south. A July 29 airstrike killed Ali Muhammad Hussein, a senior Shabaab leader, in a strike on the Mogadishu Attack Network. AFRICOM has loosely described raids against targets such as IED facilities and training camps as counterterrorism operations, when in reality these are military operations, since they are often launched against well-defended and well-defined targets in areas under direct Shabaab control. Like other al Qaeda branches, Shabaab controls a significant amount of territory and operates a military, intelligence and services, and governs areas it controls. US operations targeting Shabaab and its predecessor, the Islamic Courts Union, since 2007: Sept. 7, 2017 AFRICOM killed one Shabaab fighter in a strike in the town of Barawe. Sept. 5, 2017 AFRICOM killed three Shabaab fighters in a strike in the Bay Region. Aug. 16-17, 2017 AFRICOM launched three strikes in Jilib and killed seven Shabaab fighters. Aug. 11, 2017 AFRICOM targeted Shabaab twice the Banadir area; the number of Shabaab casualties was not disclosed. July 29, 2017 AFRICOM killed Ali Muhammad Hussein, a senior Shabaab leader, in a strike on the Mogadishu Attack Network near the town of Tortoroow in southern Somalia. July 4, 2017 AFRICOM strikes Shabaab forces as they amassed 300 miles south of Mogadishu. June 11, 2017 US forces killed eight Shabaab fighters in an attack that targeted a command and logistic node in southern Somalia. May 5, 2017 A US soldier was killed near Barii while conducting an advise and assist mission with local forces against Shabaab. Jan. 7, 2017 US forces launched a self-defense strike near Gaduud during a counterterrorism operation to disrupt Shabaab. No Shabaab fighters were killed. Sept. 28, 2016 US forces kill nine Shabaab fighters during a raid on a Shabaab IED factory near Galcayo. Sept. 26, 2016 US forces kill four Shabaab fighters during raids on training camps near Kismayo. Sept. 5, 2016 The US launched two self-defense strikes near Tortoroow after a large Shabaab force attacked a a Somali-led counterterrorism operation. Four Shabaab fighters were killed. Aug. 30, 2016 US forces killed two Shabaab fighters after they attacked a Somali counterterrorism force near Gobanale. June 21, 2016 US troops conducted a self-defense strike against Shabaab, killing three. The operation was conducted after it was assessed the terrorists were planning and preparing to conduct an imminent attack against US forces. May 31, 2016 Somali troops, backed by US forces, killed Shabaab member Mohammed Dulyadeen, a.k.a. Mohammed Kuno and Kuno Gamadere, during an operation near Gaduud. May 27, 2016 The US killed Abdullahi Haji Daud, a senior military commander for Shabaab, in south-central Somalia. May 13, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 12, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 12, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 9, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. March 31, 2016 The US killed Hassan Ali Dhoore, a dual hatted al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who also served in the Amniyat, in an airstrike. March 10, 2016 US Special Operations Forces targeted a Shabaab training camp in Awdigle raid. March 5, 2016 The US military announced that it launched an airstrike which targeted a Shabaabs Raso Camp north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The US justified the strike on al Qaedas official East African branch by saying that fighters there posed an imminent threat. More than 150 Shabaab fighters are said to have been killed. Dec. 2, 2015 US killed Abdirahman Sandhere, a.k.a. Ukash, a senior Shabaab leader, and two other associates in an airstrike. March 12, 2015 The US military confirmed that it killed Adan Garaar, a senior official in the Amniyat and a key operative responsible for coordinating al-Shabaabs external operations in a drone strike. Feb. 3, 2015 US troops targeted and killed Yusuf Dheeq, the head of the Amniyat. Dec. 29, 2014 US forces killed Tahlil Abdishakur, the leader of the Amniyat, in an airstrike in Somalia. Sept. 1, 2014 The US military killed Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of and emir of Shabaab, also known as Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubayr, in an airstrike south of Mogadishu. Jan. 25, 2014 A US airstrike killed Sahal Iskudhuq, a senior Shabaab commander who served as a high-ranking member of the Amniyat. Oct. 23, 2013 A US drone strike killed Anta Anta the mastermind of al Shababs suicide missions. Oct. 5, 2013 US Special Operations Forces targeted Shabaabs external operations chief Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima), but fails to capture or kill him. A Swedish and a Sudanese Shabaab fighter were killed. Jan. 2012 A US airstrike killed Bilal al Berjawi, a British national of Lebanese descent. Sept. 2009 US Special Operations Forces killed Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings. May 2008 A US airstrike killed senior Shabaab and al Qaeda leader Aden Hashi Ayro. March 2008 A US airstrike targeted a safe house in Somalia. Spring 2008 The US killed Aden Hashi Ayro and Sheikh Muhyadin Omar in an airstrike in the spring of 2008. Before his death, Ayro was the leader of Shabaab. June 2007 US targeted Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings. Jan. 2007 The US military targeted Abu Taha al-Sudani (or Tariq Abdullah), Qaedas leader in East Africa, and either Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan. Fazul is al Qaedas operations chief for East Africa, while Sudani is the chief strategist and ideologue. Sudani is thought to have been killed in that airstrike (Shabaab said he was killed in an airstrike in 2007.) 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. An Islamic State operative teaches a Cubs of the Caliphate class in Mayadin, Syria. The US-led coalition announced today that two more senior Islamic State leaders have been killed near Mayadin, a city on the Euphrates River in eastern Syria that has become a hub for the so-called caliphates leadership. The US has conducted a targeted campaign against the groups leadership in the area since earlier this year. Both men were allegedly tied to the Islamic States external operations, meaning plots outside of Iraq and Syria. And they both perished in airstrikes on Sept. 4, according to Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). Abu Anas al-Shami is described as an ISIS weapons research leader who oversaw the organizations attempts to procure explosives and devised plans to use bombs for external terror attacks. Al-Shami was apparently an expert in concealing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including in human corpses. In addition to implanting IEDs in dead bodies, a grim task, he supervised the jihadists rigging of vehicles and buildings with explosives. The jihadists hide their bombs in order to surprise local forces and civilians and inflict terror, death and destruction, CJTF-OIR noted. The other newly departed Islamic State operative is Junaid ur Rehman. According to the US military, Rehman was a senior ISIS drone pilot trainer and engineer, who was working to increase ISISs ability to weaponize drones and to conduct aerial surveillance on the battlefield and plot attacks throughout the world. Although the US military didnt provide many details in its announcement, it appears that Rehman was using his extensive engineering experience to help export the groups modified drone technology. The Islamic State has become proficient at outfitting small drones with bombs. The jihadists have frequently employed this technology on the battlefield, including during their defenses of Mosul and Raqqa. It is possible that Abu Bakr al Baghdadis organization is seeking to export its expertise with small drones, as well as other improvised weapons of war. Rehman was killed south of Mayadin, in the village of al-Ashara, according to CJTF-OIR. Mayadin is located in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor. Bashar al Assads regime, backed by Iran and Russia, claims to have made significant gains in the city of Deir Ezzor in recent days. Namely, they broke the Islamic States siege of regime-controlled positions. The siege was first imposed in 2014, with the Assad regime and the Sunni jihadists frequently clashing in Deir Ezzor since then. As Assads loyalists and allied forces press into Deir Ezzor, the US-led coalition has continued its campaign of targeted airstrikes against the Islamic States key leaders, many of whom are stationed a short distance from the city. Timeline of senior Islamic State personnel killed in or near Mayadin, Syria The US military has now identified at least fourteen Islamic State figures killed in Mayadin or the surrounding area since April of this year. In addition to Abu Anas al-Shami and Junaid ur Rehman, the US previously announced the deaths of twelve other noteworthy jihadists in the vicinity. The deceased jihadists include one of Baghdadis most senior lieutenants and a key ideologue, as well as Islamic State propagandists and external operations planners. As the brief biographies for these men show, senior personnel often play more than one role in the organization. On Apr. 6, a close associate of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi known as Abdurakhmon Uzbeki (seen on the right) was killed in a special operations raid near Mayadin. The US said Uzbeki played a key role in the groups external terror attack plotting and linked him to the New Years massacre at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey. Then, on Apr. 16, the US-led coalition killed Abu Ali al-Janubi in an airstrike inside Mayadin. US Central Command (CENTCOM) described al-Janubi as a senior media director for the so-called caliphate. Mustafa Gunes and Abu Asim al-Jazaeri, both of whom were allegedly part of the Islamic States external operations, were struck down near Mayadin on Apr. 27 and May 11, respectively. The US described Gunes as a Syria-based ISIS external operations facilitator from Turkey, who was identified as an ISIS recruiter in the central Turkish city of Konya. Gunes was linked to facilitating financial support for planning attacks outside Syria and Iraq against the West. Al-Jazaeri, a French-Algerian, was an ISIS external operations planner who was involved in training a new generation of ISIS youths, called the Cubs of the Caliphate, a high priority training program sanctioned by ISIS leadership. In June, the Islamic State released a set of photos documenting its Cubs of the Caliphate program in Mayadin. (One of the photos can be seen at the top of this article.) On May 21, a coalition airstrike near Mayadin killed Orhan Ramadani, whom CENTOM said was actively planning external terror attacks from Syria. Sometime between May 25 and 27, Rayaan Meshaal, the founder of the Islamic States Amaq News Agency (seen on the right), met his fate near Mayadin. CENTCOM said he was killed an airstrike. Amaq has been one of the groups most important propaganda arms, collecting and disseminating news from jihadi hotspots around the globe. Meshaals media outfit packages videos, images and statements with a common branding, thereby emphasizing the idea that Abu Bakr al Baghdadis loyalists are fighting for the same cause everywhere from West Africa to Southeast Asia. Amaq has also played a central role in claiming responsibility for attacks carried out by Islamic State members and supporters in the West. On May 31, the Islamic States Grand Mufti, Turki al-Binali (pictured on the right), was killed in an airstrike inside Mayadin. Al-Binali, who was tied to al Qaedas network at the beginning of his career, became an early defender of Abu Bakr al Baghdadis caliphate-building project. The US military described al-Binali as a close confidant of Baghdadis, adding that he served as the Islamic States chief cleric and played a central role in recruiting foreign terrorist fighters and provoking terrorist attacks around the world. On June 7, the US-led coalition killed two senior jihadists near Mayadin. The first was Lavdrim Muhaxheri, an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo, and a self-proclaimed leader of ISIS foreign fighters from Kosovo. CENTCOM explained that Muhaxheri was known as the most prominent and radical ethnic Albanian fighter in Syria and was directly responsible for inciting jihadist ideology within European communities and encouraging foreign fighters to travel to ISIS-controlled territory. Muhaxheri was a prolific user of social media, but his accounts were frequently suspended. He also appeared in Islamic State propaganda, extolling the supposed virtues of Baghdadis caliphate. Muhaxheri (seen on the right) was designated as a terrorist by the US State Department in Sept. 2014. Foggy Bottom noted at the time that Muhaxheri made international headlines in July 2014 after uploading to Facebook graphic photos of himself beheading a young man. Some of Muhaxheris plots abroad proved to be busts. He was responsible for planning numerous terrorist attacks, including the failed plot to bomb the 2016 Israel-Albania soccer match in Albania, the US military said when announcing his death. Muhaxheris fellow operatives were located throughout Syria. One of his deputies, Irfan Hafiqi, perished in a June 7 airstrike near Qayira. Like Muhaxheri, Hafiqi was an ethnic Albanian and involved in plotting terror attacks abroad. The US confirmed the deaths of several other of Muhaxheris senior ISIS associates, including Jetmir Ismaili, an ISIS external terror attack planner who had key connections with ISIS external terror attack planners in Europe and Syria, and personally planned and coordinated external ISIS terror attacks. Ismaili was killed in an airstrike in Raqqa in late June. The second jihadist killed near Mayadin on June 7 was Samir Idris, a key ISIS financial facilitator for external terror attacks and an international money launderer. According to CENTCOM, Idris was trusted by senior ISIS leadership to move funds across borders to pay for external terror attacks. Another ISIS external terror attack coordinator, Razim Kastrati, was killed along with five other ISIS fighters in an airstrike near Mayadin on June 16. Kastrati moved and trained foreign fighters from southeast Europe to Syria and was involved in plotting external attacks, the US military said. On July 13, according to CENTCOM, a jihadist known as Abu Futtum was killed along with one associate in an airstrike near Mayadin. Abu Futtum was an ISIS explosives specialist and bomb maker. He was also part of ISIS network that instructs and incites others to take the same destructive actions, encouraging lone wolf attacks across the globe using homemade explosives. Then, on July 18, a jihadi money man known as Bassam al-Jayfus was struck down in Mayadin. The US military said that al-Jayfus handled ISIS funds for terror attacks and his death would disrupt ISISs multi-national money laundering network, which is used to pay for foreign terrorist fighters as well as terror plotting and attacks throughout the world. Mayadin is not the only remaining hotspot for the Islamic States leadership. The US-led air campaign has targeted personnel in other locations along the border of Iraq and Syria in recent months, including in Al-Qaim, Abu Kamal and elsewhere in Deir Ezzor province. But it is clear that Mayadin has emerged as one of the most important locales in the self-declared caliphates shrinking territory. In addition to senior personnel, the US has repeatedly targeted the Islamic States oil trucks and wells near the city. Note: This article was updated since its original publication. Information regarding four additional Islamic State operatives killed in or near Mayadin was added. The names of the Islamic State figures were formatted in bold and one sentence was added to the end of the article. For more on the airstrikes targeting the Islamic States senior leadership in or near Mayadin, Syria, see the reports below: US: Abu Bakr al Baghdadis close associate killed in special operations raid CENTCOM confirms Islamic States Grand Mufti killed in airstrike Key Islamic State finance emir killed in eastern Syria, US says US identifies Islamic State propagandists killed in airstrikes Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Lycoming College welcomes twelve new faculty members for the 2017-2018 academic year. From left to right, seated: Jennifer Irwin, Michael Heyes, Carolyn Fornoff and Daniel Hall. Standing: Carrie Winship, Lauri Rintelman, Stephen St. Francis Decky, Jeffrey Moore, Andreas Rentsch, Marshall Welch, Jennifer Kuzio and Abby Templar Rodrigues. Download Image: Web Twelve new faculty members have joined the Lycoming College community, bringing with them a broad diversity of expertise from Mexican and Central American literature, to the setting of Emily Dickinson poetry to music. Lycoming is proud to welcome such a talented and committed group of new professors to campus who will add to our culture of student learning, said Philip Sprunger, provost and dean of the College. These faculty will advance our goal of offering a liberal arts education modernized for the 21st century. Stephen St. Francis Deckey is a visiting assistant professor of film and video arts. He received a Master of Fine Arts from Tufts University. Carolyn Fornoff, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Spanish. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University, and a Master of Arts and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Daniel Hall, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of music and the choir director. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Weber State University, a Master of Music from Bringham Young University and a doctorate from the University of Miami. Michael Heyes, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of religion. He received a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, a Master of Arts from the University of Washington and a doctorate from Rice University. Jennifer Irwin, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of business administration. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Western Michigan University, a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington and a doctorate from the University of Oregon. Jennifer Kuzio is a student teacher supervisor. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Wells College, and an elementary teaching certificate from Lycoming College. Jeffrey Moore is a student teacher supervisor. He received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Clarion University. Andreas Rentsch is an assistant professor of art. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ecole dArts Appliques in Vevey, Switzerland, and a Master of Fine Arts from Stony Brook University. Lauri Rintelman is a lecturer of Spanish. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Lycoming College, and is in the finishing stages of completing her Master of Arts from Wilkes University. Abby Templar Rodrigues is a visiting instructor of sociology. She received a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University, a Master of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is in the finishing stages of completing her doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Marshall Welch III is the Stanley 80 and Jolene (Hall) 80 Sloter endowed chair in entrepreneurship and senior lecturer. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College, a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Carrie Winship is a visiting instructor of theatre. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory & Henry College, a Master of Arts from Indiana University, and is in the finishing stages of completing her doctorate at the University of Missouri. Kochi : The Kerala High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of actor-cum director Nadirsha's bail plea in the actress assault case till Wednesday, 13 of September. Last day the police team probing the sensational actress assault case requested the director to co-operate with them for question. However Nadirsha skipped the interrogation procedures by citing health reason. Another accused and Nadirsha's friend, actor Dileep was arrested on July 10, under the charges of various IPC sections including criminal conspiracy. Which headlines make stocks move? Photo by scanrail/iStock by Getty Images. Have you ever wondered what news stocks care about?[i] Some seem obvious, like announcements on an earnings call or new legislation aimed at a certain sector (e.g., banking regulations). But a lot of important stuff seems lost on stocks. Like climate change. Income inequality. The opioid crisis. These issues affect many lives and garner significant real estate in the papers-why don't they seem to affect stocks? Because these issues fall in the realm of "sociology," and sociology doesn't fundamentally alter stocks' price drivers: supply and demand. First, a definition[ii]: When I say sociology, I'm referring to issues that impact our social, political, environmental and other societal relationships. They relate to the economy in some ways, but they aren't expressly economic matters or drivers-though many public figures argue otherwise. (A fancy term for this is socioeconomics, but that's jargon-y.) Though important, sociology doesn't meaningfully affect stock supply or demand. Or, more specifically, it doesn't affect corporate earnings-a key demand driver-in the next 3 - 30 months, which is the timeframe most relevant to markets. Beyond that, too many variables are unknown. Let's break down why a hot-button sociological issue like climate change doesn't faze stocks. One side believes climate change is the seminal issue of our time. Some extreme projections forecast my hometown of San Francisco joining Atlantis under the sea[iii] if nothing is done. More moderate views encourage action to combat climate change, from cutting personal energy consumption to getting involved politically. The other side isn't convinced by the evidence. On the extreme side, some believe the science is an outright hoax. Others happily admit pollution stinks (pun intended) but have hesitations about straight-line math projections or the infallibility of thousand-year-old temperature "data." Still others agree temperatures are rising but aren't convinced of human culpability or the effectiveness of plans like carbon taxes. The debate is heated, to say the least, and elicits strong emotional responses. As an investor, though, ask: How will climate change alter the economic, political and sentiment forces that influence investor demand over the next 3-30 months? Economically, some forecast massive problems, and outfits including the BoE have researched whether "stranded assets" (i.e., leaving fossil fuels in the ground to cap rising temperatures) could inadvertently lead to a financial crisis. Yet even these dire predictions don't project the potential doom overnight-it's over years or decades, which is far beyond markets' outlook. Politically, the issue generates talking points, and some states have tried battling it with legislation (e.g., carbon cap-and-trade in California, renewable energy subsidies, fracking bans in New York). Those things can create winners and losers with a potential market impact. However, with the Beltway gridlocked, the likelihood of sweeping national change appears low for the foreseeable future. Moreover, most climate-related efforts and agreements have largely been symbolic (see the Paris Agreement for more). Sentiment-wise, a scary report could always spook folks in the short term, but people move on quickly. However you feel about climate change, it is very unlikely to ding stock price drivers. Same for other sociological issues. Income inequality? As Ken Fisher wrote in Beat the Crowd, "Stocks don't really care who has wealth as long as whoever has it keeps bidding prices higher." Questions about fairness don't stop bull (or bear) markets. This also applies to the minimum wage debate, which spurs protests and strongly worded op-eds. Businesses' primary objective is to make money, so if labor costs rise, they'll adjust accordingly (or fail). Stocks don't weigh whether workers are better or worse off-or being replaced by robots-they care if the business remains profitable and what its future profitability appears to be. What about polarized politics? Hot blooded, contentious public discourse-exacerbated by the media-must worry stocks, right? Not exactly: Words aren't action, and political screaming matches don't undermine the US's strong rule of law and lasting institutions. It doesn't mean those institutions or rule of law are invincible, but more polarization hasn't upended the current system, which markets have liked just fine. Heck, it seems most like a symptom of bullish gridlock. Even more immediate, tragic problems like the opioid epidemic don't roil stocks because the economic impact is limited. I know this sounds heartless: The crisis is maiming communities, destroying families and killing people. But stocks are callous, and unless the issue mushrooms into an unseen, multi-trillion (with a tr) dollar problem with a near-term impact, markets can march on in an imperfect world. Society debates all these issues, which vary in severity, of course. But overall and on average, they become economic problems only if politicians attempt to solve them in a way that carries big economic consequences downstream. For investors, the key thing to watch is how politicians react and what policies they prioritize. As you sift through the news with your investing cap on, ask questions focused on equity supply and demand. Some examples: How will this story fundamentally alter stock supply? Will it materially affect the global economy's current cycle? Does it impact corporate profits within the next 3-30 months? And, crucially, what does the general investing public think of these things? Here is a handy dandy table for reference: Exhibit 1: The Three Stock Market Drivers Source: Fisher Investments Research. This table isn't exhaustive, but it highlights some areas we watch. And when it comes to forecasting stocks, the more noise you can filter out, the better off your portfolio will likely be. Well, we just love spending money around here, dont we? I read through Mr. Powells story on the new training center and I was a bit bewildered. So let me see if I understand this. We have PHCC and we have NCI. Im old enough to remember when each of those were in their infancy and each time, we were told, oh, this will be what gets us over the top. In PHCCs case, I believe if we ever supported it properly, it could be huge. NCI, when it came in, there was a big to do over it and now, after sinking more than $20 million of our money in it, what were being told is that its not enough or just not the right fit for this case. Its funny, because I seem to recall not even six months ago talking about job training being NCIs reason to exist. Now theyre looking to spend our money and build a training center on an empty piece of land and tell companies, well hey, if you move here, you can use this to train your people. So, were gonna spend money on something thatll sit there empty, unless a big company comes in. Thats what it said, right? Only companies that are looking to bring 400 jobs or more? Now lets see, weve already spent about $30 million on this Commonwealth Crossing bit, with nothing to show for it. But this, this is gonna be the shiny new thing that finally gets someone through that door. Or will it just be more money spent on an empty building that we look at as we drive by and shake our heads? The Annual Marxist School of the Nigerian section of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) was held over the weekend of 26th27th August 2017. Comrades travelled from Ibadan, from Ife and from Kano in the North of Nigeria to be part of this highly educational and inspiring school which was hosted by the Lagos branch of the organisation. A total of 18 comrades eventually participated in the school, despite the harsh economic conditions. The enormous enthusiasm displayed by the comrades and the quality of the discussions made the school one of the most successful in recent times. It marks the beginning of a big step forward for the Nigerian Marxists. Permanent Revolution The first session began on Saturday, 26th August, with the discussion on The Theory of the Permanent Revolution introduced by comrade Rashy. She gave a well-researched lead-off on the topic. She began by stating that the theory of permanent revolution was developed in 1904 by Leon Trotsky who, taking his starting point from Marx, developed the idea into a worked-out theory applicable to present day conditions. She stated that Trotsky, while accepting that the objective tasks facing the Russian workers were those of the bourgeois democratic revolution, nevertheless explained how in a backward country in the epoch of imperialism the national bourgeoisie was incapable of playing a progressive role. She further stated that the Permanent revolution was confirmed in the positive sense by the October revolution in Russia in 1917, when the proletariat, in alliance with the poor peasants, first solved the basic problems of the bourgeois democratic revolution, and then went on, uninterruptedly, to carry out socialist measures and, while recognizing the fact that socialist revolution cannot succeed in one country not even in a backward country like Russia, Lenin and Trotsky made a personate appeal to the workers of the world to follow their example. Thus the revolution is permanent in two senses, it began from the bourgeois tasks and moved directly to the socialist tasks, and it started in one country and continued on an international level. She also emphasized how the Menshevik-Stalinist theory of two stages, which advocated the subordination of the Communist Party to the progressive national bourgeois, led to one defeat after another, especially in the colonial and ex-colonial countries. She cited the examples of the Chinese Revolution of 1925, the Iraqi Communist Party in the 1960s and also the massacre of Indonesian Communist Party members in 1965. She concluded by stating that the theory of permanent revolution provides all the answers to the Nigerian situation, that the immediate tasks facing the Nigerian masses are simply bourgeois tasks; that is, building a genuinely modern national industry, solving the agrarian question and providing constant electricity, good roads and potable water.Unfortunately, the Nigerian bourgeois are born completely subordinated to their former colonial masters and are highly dependent on foreign capital. Therefore, they are completely counter-revolutionary and cannot play any progressive role in society. The tasks of the bourgeois democratic revolution will only be solved, as stated by Trotsky in 1904, by the Nigerian working class in alliance with the poor masses which will then proceed uninterruptedly to the socialist tasks. The Nigerian revolution will thus be the beginning of a revolution in Africa and the world. The three component sources of Marxism The second session was on the The three component sources of Marxism. The introduction was given by Comrade Musa who gave a concise and informed lead-off on the three topics combined, that is, Historical Materialism, Dialectical Materialism and Marxist Economics. He stated that Historical Materialism is the application of Marxism to historical development. He pointed out that contrary to the assertions of the bourgeois apologists that private property has always been and will continue to be, humanity did not begin with capitalism or private ownership. He said that the idea of private ownership was a recent development in human history. He traced the social and economic developments that existed before capitalism, from primitive communism where there was no private ownership and no classes, to the slave owning societies, the first class society in history, to feudalism, to the present socio-economic system of capitalism. He described Dialectical Materialism as the Philosophy of Marxism and stated that Philosophy is simply the way we look at the world. He distinguished extensively between materialism and idealism and also stated the Laws of Dialectics. On Marxist Economics, he spoke extensively on how capitalism works. He stated that capitalist profit is the unpaid labour of the working class and also spoke extensively on the Labour Theory of Value. He concluded by saying that capitalism has entered an impasse but will not just collapse of its own accord. We need to consciously organise to overthrow it. Lessons of the October Revolution The first session on Sunday 27th August, began with the discussion on the Lessons of the October Revolution. This was the most engaging of all the sessions. The introduction was given by Comrade Kazy. He gave a thorough and extensive leadoff on the topic. He traced the history of how the Bolshevik Party, which led the successful socialist revolution in Russia in 1917, began from a group of just five people. He made extensive distinctions between the policy of the Menshevik and the Bolshevik parties. He elaborated on the exceptional qualities of Lenin and Trotsky, the two great revolutionaries that made the October revolution in 1917 a success. He answered convincingly many questions posed, especially by the student comrades, on the false assertion of the bourgeois apologists about the October revolution being a coup carried out by the Bolshevik party without the participation of the masses and also on the difference between genuine democratic socialism as advocated by Marx, Lenin and Trotsky and the bureaucratic caricature of socialism that collapsed in Russia. He concluded by stating that it is possible to have a revolution without a revolutionary party, as revolutions occur at the point when people can no longer tolerate what they have accepted before and begin to take their destiny in their hands, but that a successful revolution is not possible without a revolutionary party. He also emphasized that the revolutionary party must be prepared before the movement begins as it cannot be improvised when the movement has started. He stated that the party must also be led by a revolutionary leadership who understand the tasks of the revolution, like Lenin and Trotsky during the October revolution. The National Question The Second session began with a discussion on the National Question. The lead-off was given by comrade GOK. He stated that the National Question is a very sensitive issue and emphasized the need to have a correct approach to it. He stressed the fact that if not for the correct approach of Lenin to the National Question, the October revolution in Russia in 1917 would not have been successful. He spoke extensively on how the renewed agitation for a Republic of Biafra by some people from the Eastern Region of the country cannot be in the best interests of the oppressed majority of Nigerians. He buttressed this point by reminding the gathering of how the declaration of Biafra in the first republic led to the civil war in 1967-70 which led to the killings of thousands of people in Eastern Nigeria. He concluded by stating that the genuine solution to the Nigerian crisis can only be achieved by the Unity of Nigerians from below against their oppressors that cut across all the regions, the Northern, Western and Eastern regions, and emphasized the need for the oppressed to be united against their common oppressors. Perspective for the Nigerian Student Movement The last session of the school began with the discussion on the Perspective for the Nigerian Student Movement. The introduction was given by comrade Revo. The lead-off was very educational, most especially to the student comrades who responded enthusiastically. He started by tracing the history of the student movement to the first student organization which was the West African Student Union(WASU). He spoke extensively on how radical and influential the Nigerian student movement was in the time past. He pointed to how the Nigerian students unilaterally stopped the policy of Anglo Defence Pact, which was an agreement between the Nigerian government and the British government which would allow the British to have a military base in Nigeria. He stated how the Nigerian students vehemently resisted an attempt by the Nigerian government to remove the subsidy on education in 1978, a movement popularly known as Ali must go. Colonel Ali was the then Minister for Education. He emphasized the fact that although the student movement then was powerful, the Student organization was not run democratically. The organization was led by student leaders that subscribed to the ideas of Stalinism and looked to the Soviet Union as a pole of attraction. When the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, these leaders became seriously disillusioned. This resulted in serious ideological collapse of the organization and the beginning of right-wing leaders taking over the organization which has now degenerated to a situation whereby most of the people leading the National students organization called NANS are non-students and agents of the government. He concluded by stating that the key to reclaiming the National student body lies in the need to build a strong student union on the various campuses and stated that the question of either taking over NANS or forming another National student organization should be left to be democratically decided by the students. The national school came to an end around 4:30pm on the Sunday. Comrades left with high hopes and very good spirits with the promise to redouble their efforts towards building the organization. SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will host another in its periodic public meetings concerning the ongoing $183.3 million project to repair and resurface 2.5 miles of elevated Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield. The meeting will be Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the MassLive Building, 1350 Main St., in the third-floor conference room. Besides housing MassLive, the office tower formerly known as One Financial Plaza is also the location of a number of state offices. MassDOT officials and contractors will be on hand to give an update. There will be a question-and-answer session. The highway is expected to reopen to motorists in the spring. The stretch of I-91 is the busiest highway in the region, carrying an average daily traffic volume of 75,000 vehicles, with 90,000 vehicles using the I-91 and I-291 connection each day. More Massachusetts residents are pulling in annual income of at least $1 million. The state was home to 16,100 residents with an adjusted gross income of $1 million or more in 2015, according to Internal Revenue Service data published late last week. That's a 6 percent increase from the previous year, when 15,160 Bay Staters made $1 million. The number of millionaires in Massachusetts is more than just a matter of prestige. The so-called millionaire's tax set to go before the state's voters in November 2018 would add a 4 percentage point surtax on every dollar that a Massachusetts resident makes above $1 million. The money is supposed to be reserved for transportation and education. The state Department of Revenue has projected that the tax could raise between $1.6 billion and $2.2 billion in new revenue each year. However, the state still needs to generate more millionaires to hit those numbers by 2019, the first year the surtax would go into effect. The projection is based on Massachusetts having 18,000 residents and 1,500 non-residents making at least $1 million annually that is subject to state taxes. Opponents of the proposal have argued that the surtax is a bad idea because the number of people with income of at least $1 million can change quickly. For instance, the number of millionaire earners dropped by 8 percent in 2013, the same year that the federal government allowed tax cuts made under President George W. Bush to expire. The surtax will cause wealthy people to move out of Massachusetts, opponents contend. They also point out that an economic downturn could cause a steep drop in income for millionaires, who make a large slice of their money from selling investments. Such changes would make it difficult for lawmakers to plan budgets, they say. Advocates of the millionaires' tax argue that in other states that have raised taxes on the wealthy, a minimal amount of people have moved as a result. As important to the debate as the number of million-dollar earners in the state is the amount of income they collect. The adjusted gross income for the group increased by 4.8 percent in 2015, to $56.2 billion. Weeks before his arrest in Texas on charges he threatened to commit a mass shooting in Adams, Troy Goodermote-Klein reported a false hostage and bomb threat situation at his father's home in Kentucky, police say. On Aug. 18 around 10 p.m., the 20-year-old Massachusetts native allegedly called a woman in Kentucky claiming he was a man being held against his will in the closet of a home in Fulton. The address he gave turned out to be the home of Goodermote-Klein's father. Police responded to the home, performed a protective sweep, consulted with Goodermote-Klein's confused father and searched the house, finding no one, according to a report on the incident by Fulton Police Officer Travis Brogue. The reporting caller, a women, then emerged from a nearby address and began speaking with the police, according to Brogue's narrative. Claiming to still be on the phone with the captive party, the woman said he was telling her he was still inside the home and to be careful because "there was a bomb attached to the door." The father himself soon solved the mystery by pulling up Facebook to find a message from an alias account allegedly belonging to his son, under the name "Troy Lit." The message said, "I bet (you're) mad now." Authorities then "pinged" Goodermote-Klein's cell phone, which returned an address in Stafford, Texas. The father told police his son had recently left for Stafford to stay with his sister. "It was apparent that Troy falsely reported the incident to get revenge on his parents and use their address for the occurrence," Brogue's report concludes. Weeks later, Goodermote-Klein's alleged postings on the "Troy Lit" Facebook page resulted in his arrest at the hands of authorities in Texas. Police in the Berkshire County town of Adams -- where Goodermote-Klein formerly lived -- say on Aug. 27 the young man threatened to commit a mass shooting at his old high school, Hoosac Valley, or a then-upcoming annual town street fair, Hijinx Night. "I can't wait for that day when I'm drunk shooting up all your asses and seeing blood (splashing) everywhere," the message, which police believe Klein posted to the website, read. "Be prepared to have the Hoosac Valley (massacre) or the Hijinx (massacre)." The post concluded, "It will be the (funniest) day of my life because I don't have to deal with anymore after the police shoot me dead." Klein faces extradition to Massachusetts on charges of two counts of threatening to commit a crime and one count making a terroristic threat causing serious public alarm. He remains in the custody of Texas authorities. A call placed by MassLive to the sheriff's bonding office Friday morning revealed Klein is ineligible for bail. Family of the 11-year-old Methuen girl killed in a hit-and-run accident Thursday night are pleading for the capture of the driver responsible. "They are really a monster," Efrain Candelario, the step-father of Jaydee Soto, told The Boston Herald. "It was not right, the way they were speeding. (We want) justice for the person who did this." The suspect vehicle, a dark-colored sedan, struck the girl on Broadway Street between Kirk and Annis Streets around 9:45 p.m. Police continue to hunt for the person responsible. Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon said several people witnessed the crash and numerous businesses caught footage of the incident on surveillance cameras. The sedan in question was "traveling at a very high rate of speed" and "made no attempt to stop" before striking the victim, police say, citing preliminary investigative efforts. The girl was thrown into the air and struck by another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. The car "came flying," Candelario told The Herald. "They didn't stop," he said. "They just kept going." Police say the driver sped off down Broadway into Lawrence. "This was a cowardly and horrendous act that occurred on our streets tonight, and we will stop at nothing to identify and locate the driver," said Solomon. A blurry still showing the dark sedan was released by police on Facebook and the department website. The car likely has front-end damage, police say. Anyone with information about the events is asked to call Methuen police at 617-993-0003. SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield and Massachusetts State police grabbed a would-be jumper and dragged him over the railing mid-way across the Memorial Bride just after 6 p.m. Thursday. Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek said the 53-year-old man was standing outside the railing along the sidewalk on the south side of the bridge threatening to jump into the Connecticut River. Strzempek said an off-duty Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent noticed the man climbing over the railing and called 911. The agent stopped and talked to the distraught man as police slowly moved closer, and a group of police were able to grab the man and pull him over the railing before he could hurt himself. In the river below, Springfield and West Springfield fire rescue personnel launched boats and were standing by in case the man made good on his threat to jump. Numerous Springfield and state police cruisers blocked the south lanes of the bridge, slowing rush-hour traffic. Strzempek said the man apparently called his girlfriend just before he walked onto the bridge. He was transported to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance. CHELSEA - A 37-year-old Revere man is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail after he was arraigned on a charge of manslaughter after an early morning knife fight left one man dead, and two others, one of them accused himself, wounded. Nabeeb Gonzales of Revere entered a plea of not guilty to the manslaughter charge and to a charge of armed assault with the intent to murder the Boston Globe reported. According to court documents, Gonzales is accused of stabbing two men during a knife fight outside a 24-hours store at the intersection of Broadway and Stockton streets in Chelsea shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday. Gonzales himself suffered injuries in the fight. One of the victims, a 23-year-old Everett man, was rushed to CHA Everett Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Gonzales and the second victim were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatments of stab wounds. Police are looking for a witness who stopped at the scene and helped one of the injured men, then disappeared. Prosecutors said they are only looking to interview the Good Samaritan, and he is not suspected of a crime. Authorities described the man as a middle-aged Hispanic male with salt and pepper hair. Gonzales is expected back in court Oct. 10. SPRINGFIELD - A Hampden Superior Court judge on Friday found two brothers not guilty of unarmed burglary and assault in a case where one of the brothers was shot by a homeowner. Judge Tina S. Page found Jordan Eady, 27 - who was shot in the torso and arm by homeowner Sean McCarthy, and his brother - Jovan Eady, 24, not guilty of that crime after a jury waived trial. The brothers are from East Longmeadow. Page found Jordan Eady guilty of wanton destruction of property over $250, the only charge with a guilty finding. That charge referred to the door on McCarthy's home. She acquitted him of malicious damage of property and threat to commit a crime. Page found Jovan Eady not guilty of wanton destruction of property over $250. She sentenced Jordan Eady to two years probation. Conditions of probation are to stay away from Sean McCarthy and his Webber Street home in Springfield, remain drug and alcohol free, and attend three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week for the first six months of probation. He must pay $500 in restitution immediately. Assistant District Attorney Robert Schmidt asked Page to sentence Jordan Eady to two and one half years in jail with 18 months to be served and the rest suspended with probation. Schmidt had said in closing arguments McCarthy was "absolutely within his rights as a homeowner" when he shot and injured Jordan Eady on Feb. 7, 2015. He said Jordan Eady broke into McCarthy's house and assaulted him. McCarthy was not charged with any crime, as police said the shooting was justified. McCarthy is a licensed gun owner. Lawyers for the Eady brothers said McCarthy was panicked and shot Jordan Eady through a glass storm door. They contend no one was trying to break into McCarthy's home. Both Anthony C. Bonavita, lawyer for Jordan Eady, and Joe A. Smith III, lawyer for Jovan Eady, argued McCarthy staged the scene to make it look like Jordan Eady broke down the Forest Park home's door and got inside. They said the Eady brothers' car was stuck in the snow and they were looking for help. McCarthy, in a victim impact statement to Page, said he and his family are still coping with the after effects of the incident. He said he was home with his 3-year-old daughter at the time and she is still coping with the fear she experienced. "Having to pull that trigger that night was the last thing I wanted to do," he said. "We did nothing, your honor," McCarthy said. "We were home sleeping." Page said, "I had to struggle with this case." She said she had to follow the law and what the evidence supported. Page told McCarthy her findings aren't meant to diminish his fears during the "awful, awful incident." She said the defendants created the situation which never should have happened. Bonavita said Jordan Eady is sorry it happened. He said Jordan Eady's record contains an operating under the influence conviction in 2011 and misuse of a credit card which was continued without a finding. Page said to Jordan Eady she was going to use a word she doesn't like to use - stupid. She said it appears when he gets into trouble he is high or drunk. She said while he is on probation she prefers he does community service - which she said he needs - in lieu of paying the $65 monthly probation fee. SPRINGFIELD -- City officials today announced the police department has hired Ryan Walsh, a longtime broadcast journalist with WWLP-22News, as its new media specialist. The hire comes about six weeks after the department advertised to hire a civilian spokesperson to replace Sgt. John Delaney, who has served in that capacity for nearly a decade. "Great to have Ryan Walsh on board and again, my thanks to Sgt. John Delaney in his brave and dedicated role of 'wearing many hats' for our SPD," Mayor Domenic Sarno said in a press release Friday. "I am very pleased to have Ryan Walsh as part of our Springfield police team. His media expertise will be utilized for community engagement to encourage collaboration on quality of life and crime issues," Commissioner John Barbieri said in the same press release. Walsh will start on Sept. 18, the release states. Walsh, according to his LinkedIn page, is a resident of West Springfield. Marian Sullivan, Sarno's Communication Director, responding to an inquiry by The Republican, said Sarno did not waive the city's employee residency requirement for Walsh. She said he has one year to move to the city, and that Walsh has indicated that he and his wife are excited to move to Springfield. A troubled, 20-year-old Massachusetts native has been apprehended by authorities in Texas after threatening on Facebook to return home to commit a mass shooting. Troy Goodermote-Klein grew up in the Berkshire County town of Adams. Police say the targets of his threats were his former high school, Hoosac Valley, and Hijinx Night, a once-annual street fair held in the town. "I can't wait for that day when I'm drunk shooting up all your asses and seeing blood (splashing) everywhere," the message, which police believe Klein posted on the website, read. "Be prepared to have the Hoosac Valley (massacre) or the Hijinx (massacre)." The post concluded, "It will be the (funniest) day of my life because I don't have to deal with anymore after the police shoot me dead." Klein further claimed in the post he could obtain an AK-47 in Texas for $699 "to adios all of your asses and give my life." A 45-year-old Adams woman reported the post to town police on Aug. 27 -- a day before Hijinx Night and four days before the first day of classes at Hoosac. "There was an immediate cause for concern as a result of the threat of a mass casualty shooting, as the street fair is scheduled for Monday," Adams Police Officer Michael D. Wandrei wrote in a probable cause arrest report dated Aug. 27. Klein is autistic, sources tell MassLive, a condition for which he formerly received treatment at a hospital in the Berkshires. Adams police already knew of and had investigated Klein due to earlier postings online which were cryptic, but not so specific, sources say. Wandrei, in his report, noted Klein's last known address as Fulton, Kentucky. Following up with police in that city, Wandrei learned Klein was under investigation there as well, for an incident weeks earlier when he allegedly falsely reported a hostage situation, prompting a significant police response. The officer investigating the Kentucky swatting incident informed Wandrei he had been unable to apprehend Klein. He told Wandrei his investigation revealed that Klein had left Kentucky to live with his sister in Stafford, Texas. Wandrei and police in Kentucky confirmed Klein's whereabouts in Texas in conversation with family in the Berkshires, learning of "recent Facebook posts" he had made "of himself in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey." "Stafford, Texas is located approximately 50 miles northwest of Galveston and is directly in the path of Hurricane Harvey," notes Wandrei. An aunt of Klein's in the Berkshire County hilltown of Savoy "also reported receiving images from Troy of him wading in the floodwaters," he adds. Meanwhile, Hoosac Valley Middle & High School opened its doors for the first day of classes on Aug. 31 with a heavy police presence, sources say. The school's Superintendent Robert Putnam later sent out notes home informing parents of the existence of an online threat against the school. "A threat was made on Facebook that could have potentially impacted Hoosac Valley High School," Putnam's letter read. "We have been working closely with Adams Police Department, the Cheshire Police Department, and the state police since Monday to craft and implement a plan that strengthens our ongoing efforts to ensure a safe school environment. Together with our law enforcement partners we are confident that we are ready to address all safety concerns at arrival, departure, and throughout the day." A day later, on Sept. 1, members of the Texas Ranger Division arrested one Troy Klein on a Massachusetts warrant, according to Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. Notice of the arrest, charges and a mugshot of Klein were posted on the office website. According to a filing in Northern Berkshire District Court obtained by MassLive, Klein now faces extradition to Massachusetts on charges of two counts of threatening to commit a crime and one count making a terroristic threat causing serious public alarm. Klein remains in the custody of Texas authorities. A call placed by MassLive to the sheriff's bonding office Friday morning revealed Klein is ineligable for bail. An office employee could not say when Klein will be extradited, but confirmed he will not be released before then. The threatening Facebook post was made under the alias "Troy Lit," but Wandrei said it contained references to people and events in Klein's life and was written in a style consistent to Klein's other writings. Putnam said school staff met with police before the start of school to discuss the threat. A rigorous safety plan was implemented despite it already having been determined Klein was out of state and could not have returned to the area, Putnam said. "The plan included all of the routine precautions regularly followed by the school including alerting all staff, asking them to be vigilant for anything out of the ordinary, making sure that all doors were closed and locked, and the process of screening all visitors to the building prior to allowing access," Putnam wrote in response to MassLive. "The Adams, Cheshire, and state police also assigned officers to the building and conducted regular patrols of the parking lots." He added, "The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is deeply grateful for the guidance and support provided by the police. Their knowledge, professionalism, and commitment to public safety was evident in their every action. They devoted considerable time to the development and implementation of the safety plan and their continued presence throughout the week ensured calm and confidence that all precautions had been taken to ensure the safety of our community." SPRINGFIELD -- City resident Ellen Tatashnick is among a number of Western Massachusetts residents, all trained volunteers with the American Red Cross, preparing to deploy to south Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Irma, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in south Florida early Sunday morning. Tatashnick is planning to fly to Florida later that day. Other volunteers are likely to head out on Monday, said Mary Nathan, disaster program manager for the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross. Tatashnick said the devastation that the 2011 tornado brought Western Massachusetts -- and the volunteers who helped impacted residents rebuild their lives -- drove home for her the importance of being there for those in need. "It's a bit of pay it forward," said Tatashick, who retired five years ago as director of the Springfield office of the state Department of Social Services. It's been a hectic few weeks for the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross. Nine of its trained volunteers are now in Texas aiding victims of Hurricane Harvey, and others stand prepared to deploy to the Lone Star State as the need arises. The chapter, meanwhile, has been training others who are willing to commit to two weeks or more providing disaster relief in storm-ravaged areas. A recent call for additional volunteers willing to deploy brought 47 Western Massachusetts residents to the chapter's headquarters on Brookdale Drive last Saturday to begin the necessary training, Nathan said. "We were delightfully surprised," Nathan said of the response, which drew residents from all four Western Massachusetts counties. That group completes the last of its five training sessions on Saturday. A fresh round of training for a new group of volunteers begins this Monday, Nathan said. Those interested in taking the training needed to deploy to Texas or south Florida are asked to sign up at redcross.org. Volunteers must also undergo a background check before they can deploy, Nathan said. The chapter, Nathan said, is in frequent contact with the national organization, which stresses the urgent need for volunteers. "They have pretty much said all hands on deck," Nathan said. The chapter, however, also needs to keep a number of its trained volunteers on hand in Western Massachusetts for local emergency relief, Nathan said. All five living former U.S. presidents have joined together in an appeal for donations to relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey and the forthcoming Hurricane Irma on Thursday. The online campaign, called the One America Appeal, brought together former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Hurricane Harvey unleashed flooding of historic proportions onto Texas and Louisiana in late August. Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms in recent history, is set to strike Florida over the weekend. "People are hurting down here, but as one Texan put it, we've got more love in Texas than water," said former President George W. Bush, the former governor of Texas, the state most impacted by Harvey. Clinton noted, "Hurricane Harvey brought out terrible destruction, but it also brought out the best in humanity." "As former presidents, we want to help our fellow Americans begin to recover," Obama added. AMHERST - Interim School Superintendent Michael Morris said time, reflection, a new leadership team and distance from past controversy led him to change his mind about applying for the permanent position. Morris previously said he would complete this academic year while the regional and Union 26 school committees, which are jointly responsible for finding a new school leader, searched for a permanent replacement. But in recent weeks he told school committee members he now hopes to return next year. The school committees want to ensure people in the community have the chance to express their opinions about Morris taking the post and the committee not launching a new search. Chairman Eric Nakajima said the regional committee plans to have an extended public comment segment at its meeting Tuesday night and again Sept. 26, when Morris will essentially give "a job talk," he said. Morris was appointed acting superintendent in the fall of 2016 to replace Maria Geryk. He was later named interim superintendent. An initial search for a permanent superintendent was halted in March after committee members learned that the online application posted by Ray and Associates, an Iowa educational executive search agency hired by the committees, included questions about applicants' criminal records, which violates state law. The committees were about to launch a new search this fall when Morris told them he would seek the position. He was concerned initially about community perception. While he and Geryk "are very different people, I wasn't sure the community could view my candidacy separate from past controversy," he said. Morris was the assistant superintendent when Geryk threatened to sue the district. A divided School Committee agreed to a separation agreement that paid her nearly $310,000. When he told the committee he wouldn't apply, Morris said, "I wasn't quite sure it was in the rear-view mirror last year. I was highly concerned about this." But he feels now "we're in a different place." He said he and the School Committee are working well together "setting new norms," and he cited a new leadership team including Doreen Cunningham, assistant superintendent for diversity, equity and human resources. "Its invigorating to come to work every day," Morris said. "It's a sustainable model of district leadership and that's really exciting to me." He said he's also had time to reflect on the job and talk to his family about taking the permanent position. He said he is called to the post because of the momentum he feels within all three districts in his purview -- the Amherst and Pelham elementary districts and the Amherst regional district. In this summer of brutal heat, smoke and ash, in the midst of what Gov. Steve Bullock has called an "unprecedented fire season," Gary Fergusons new book couldnt be more timely. In "Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in the West," Ferguson deftly summarizes the grim situation we are all confronting. He explains the science of fires, the complicated mechanics of fighting them and what happens to the land in their wake. By: Ed Kemmick http://lastbestnews.com/site/2017/09/red-lodge-writer-sees-more-fires-in-our-future/ Take all of the economic damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, and thats roughly how much the student debt burden is GROWING EVERY YEAR. By working together, state attorneys general could force changes. By Felix Salmon https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/09/08/how-states-could-end-the-student-debt-collections-trap/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-posteverything%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.550d289d85d0 You cant just show up for work at NorthWestern Energy and head out to repair power lines or natural gas pipes on the first day on the job. It takes years of experience, and thats why the utility has a five-year apprenticeship program. However, as baby boomers within the company begin to retire, the company is facing a shortage of veteran workers. "Where we are challenged and going to be over the next several years is we are losing a huge number of folks to retirement," said Steve Clawson, community relations manager for the company. "We have a lot of expertise walking out the door. How do you replace 40 years of experience with somebody brand-new? And safety is a big part of that." DAVID ERICKSON [email protected] http://missoulian.com/news/local/business-leaders-discuss-challenges-legislative-successes-at-missoula-roundtable/article_c288dc4a-11b5-5f44-ab12-558790773122.html Good riddance "lunch shaming" the practice of holding children accountable for school lunch bills. Starting this school year in New York City, all 1.1 million students who attend public schools will receive their lunches for free. The move has been long sought after by food policy advocates, as 75 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunches. Now an additional 200,000 kids will benefit, saving their families approximately $300 per year. http://inhabitat.com/new-york-city-is-now-offering-free-lunch-at-all-public-schools/ Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note que le Jewellery Act sera amende, de la prmulgatuoin du the Copyright (Fees) Regulations 2020, de limplementatuin de la Phase I du Wastewater Project a Route Bassin, Quatre Bornes entre autres. Cabinet has agreed to amendments being made to the Jewellery Act with a view to empowering the Assay Office to become a regulatory and supervisory body for Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism in the Jewellery Sector. The Assay Office ensures that dealers in precious metals, jewellery and precious stones are complying with the Jewellery Act, which regulates: (a) the import and sale of precious metals, namely gold, silver, platinum and palladium; (b) the import, sale and manufacture of jewellery made of the above mentioned precious metals and their alloys; (c) the import and sale of precious and semi-precious stones; and (d) the registration of dealers in jewellery, precious stones or precious metals. 2. Cabinet has taken note of actions being undertaken by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change for the review of the Environment Protection Act. The consolidation of the existing legal framework to provide for better environmental management is among one of the key recommendations following the Assises de lEnvironnement organised by the Ministry in December 2019 and from national consultations made thereafter. It is proposed that amendments be made to the current Environment Protection Act to, inter alia, include the following: (a) introducing provisions relating to sustainable development in various sectors to promote circular economy, nature-based solutions, sustainable production and consumption and resource efficiency, amongst others; (b) strengthening enforcement and compliance mechanisms as well as empowering enforcing agencies to prosecute environmental offences under the Environment Protection Act; (c) strengthening existing development control mechanisms through improved and more stringent provisions within Environmental Impact Assessments and consideration for development of a Strategic Environmental Assessment framework; (d) improving transparency amongst stakeholders through the setting up of an Observatoire de lEnvironnement; and (e) the setting up of a Youth Environment Council which would act as a platform for the youth to engage with policy makers on environment-related policies, strategies and action plans. The UNDP Country Office would assist in the review of the environmental legal framework by enlisting the services of experts. 3. Cabinet has agreed to Regulations being made under the Consumer Protection (Price and Supplies Control) Act to provide for the introduction of a Packers Licence for wheat flour and rice imported by the State Trading Corporation so as to avoid abuse by traders. 4. Cabinet has agreed to the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage promulgating the Copyright (Fees) Regulations 2020 under the Copyright Act. The aim of these regulations is to review the copyright fees charged by the Mauritius Society of Authors (MASA). Copyright fees have not been reviewed since 2008. The new structure of fees would be applicable as from 01 July 2021. Small businesses exempted from the payment of trade fees, would be exempted from payment of copyright fees. 5. Cabinet has taken note of the status of the projects being undertaken by the National Development Unit, the local authorities and the Road Development Authority to mitigate floods in regions that have been determined and certified as high risk and flood-prone by the Land Drainage Authority as at 11 September 2020. As at date, the Land Drainage Authority has certified and determined 39 regions as being high risk and flood-prone. A total of 70 drain projects have been identified for implementation across the island and Rodrigues. 6. Cabinet has taken note of the status of the coastal protection, landscaping and infrastructural works being undertaken at various sites by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change. As at date, works have been completed at Case Noyale public beach, Grand Baie Sunset Boulevard, Residence La Chaux and Baie du Tombeau. Works are ongoing at St Martin and Pointe aux Feuilles and are expected to be completed by December 2020 and July 2021, respectively. The bidding process is at different stages for works to be undertaken at other sites. 7. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the preliminary technical feasibility study on the setting up, on a pilot basis, of a compost plant to treat green market wastes, as announced in Budget Speech 2020/2021. A Technical Committee had been set up to come up with a comprehensive report with relevant recommendations for the implementation of the project at four preselected sites. The main findings and recommendations of the Technical Committee are as follows: (a) the market fairs managed by the Local Authorities generate yearly around 8,750 tons of vegetable wastes which mostly end up at the waste disposal site at Mare Chicose Landfill; (b) setting up of a composting plant using the Aerated Windrow Composting technique would be most appropriate; (c) three or four Local Authorities would have to cluster themselves to utilise the facilities of the composting plant for operational efficiency and effectiveness in terms of supply of sufficient quantities of green wastes; and (d) the pilot project for the setting of the first composting plant would be implemented at Henrietta and markets wastes collected from the Municipal Councils of Vacoas/Phoenix, Quatre Bornes, Curepipe and Beau Bassin/Rose Hill would thus be sent thereto. 8. Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of Phase I of the Wastewater Project at Route Bassin, Quatre Bornes and to its inclusion in the Public Sector Investment Programme. The Wastewater Management Authority conducted, in July 2019, a fresh survey in the region of La Louise/Route Bassin and Western Boundary to detect where sewers were live and it was found that the following needed to be undertaken for the project of Route Bassin, Quatre Bornes (Phase I): (a) excavation works to extend the sewer line by some 1.5km; (b) around 150 house connections; (c) construction of manholes/inspection chambers; (d) CWA water pipe replacement; and (e) asphalt reinstatement. The project would directly contribute to adding flows to the existing network and protect the groundwater. In view of the population density of the region, it is considered that with time, there would be saturation of cesspits, if not connected to a sewerage network, hence leading to odour and overflow problems which represent health hazards. 9. Cabinet has agreed to the submission of the Combined Second and Third Periodic Report of the State of Mauritius on the implementation of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the United Nations Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The views of all relevant Ministries, Departments and stakeholders were sought during the preparation of the Report. 10. Cabinet has taken note of the signature and ratification of the Protocol Amending the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (CETS no.223), also called the Modernised Convention 108, on 04 September 2020 at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg by the Mauritian Ambassador in France. Convention 108 is the only international legally binding instrument that deals with data protection and it aims at protecting the rights to privacy of individuals whilst providing a framework for the increasing flow of personal data across frontiers. This Convention, which came into force in October 2016, was further modernised. The aim of the Modernised Convention 108 is to ensure consistency and compatibility with other data protection legal frameworks, in particular the European Union General Data Protection Regulations. 11. Cabinet has taken note of training being provided to Entrepreneurs by SME Mauritius Ltd, in line with the recommendations made in the 10-Year Master Plan for the SME sector. SME Mauritius Ltd has recently launched 10 free (9 minutes) tutorial videos in creole targeting existing and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn at their own pace based on their personal timetable. This series of videos known as Anou Aprann Roul Nou Biznes can be partly accessed by logging on to the SMEMU portal and cover subjects such as Entrepreneurial Spirit, 4 Ps of Marketing, Basic Accounting and Strategic Management. At the level of SME Mauritius Ltd, trainees who graduate are taken over in incubation and accompanied all throughout until they reach the market with their products or services. Since April 2020, weekly online courses on topics relating to marketing, human resource, leadership, taxation and other related management functions have been dispensed to entrepreneurs. Some 300 SMEs have benefitted from such online training. Webinars were also organised by SME Mauritius Ltd. 12. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing worldwide and in the region. As at 18 September 2020, 367 cases of COVID-19 had been registered in Mauritius. The last local case was registered on 26 April 2020. As at 18 September 2020, there were 19 imported active cases of COVID-19 in Mauritius. The public should continue to observe strict sanitary precautions in order to avoid any importation or resurgence of COVID-19 in the country. 13. Cabinet has taken note that, in the context of World Heart Day, observed on 29 September, the Ministry of Health and Wellness would organise, among others, the following activities: (a) an official launching ceremony on 29 September 2020 at the Cardiac Centre, SSRN Hospital, Pamplemousses, that would include screening exercises, talks, counselling, sensitisation as well as exhibitions; (b) sensitisation programmes on TV and Radio and talks on cardiovascular diseases, their risk factors and the importance of diet and exercise in Community Centres, Social Welfare Centres and Government Schools; (c) empowerment sessions for Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) patients on cardiovascular diseases and healthy lifestyle at regional level; (d) NCD screening at worksites and in the community for persons aged 18 years and above, and in Secondary Schools for students of Grade 7, 9 and 12; and (e) Continuous Medical Education for medical and para-medical staff. The theme chosen for this year is Use Heart to beat cardiovascular disease. 14. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to mark World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October, namely: (a) an official function at Brown Sequard Mental Health Care Centre on 08 October 2020 to launch the activities followed by a cultural programme with the participation of patients and staff of the Centre; (b) an exhibition of the products made by patients of the Centre to highlight the creative talents of patients of Occupational Therapy and Welfare Department; and (c) Radio/TV programmes to sensitise the population at large on the theme chosen and related psychological issues. The theme chosen this year by the World Health Organization is Mental Health for All: Greater Investment Greater Access. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Walking pneumonia is a lung infection that is often linked to a low-grade fever and a cough. It tends to affect children 5 years old and above. Pneumonia causes the tiny air sacs in the lungs to become inflamed and to fill with fluid. This often causes breathing difficulties. Walking pneumonia is also known as atypical pneumonia. It is a mild form of pneumonia and can be caused by bacteria or a virus. In this article, we look at the symptoms of walking pneumonia in children. We also examine the treatment options for children, and what caregivers can do to help prevent the illness from spreading. Symptoms Share on Pinterest The symptoms of walking penumonia may not appear severe at first, so the child may feel like continuing with their usual activities. People with walking pneumonia often think that they have a cold. Despite feeling tired or run-down, children usually think they are well enough to continue with daily activities, including going to school. This is why the condition is called walking pneumonia. The symptoms of pneumonia can be very similar to those of other chest infections, such as bronchiolitis, although bronchiolitis usually affects younger children. Symptoms can also resemble a flare-up of an existing lung condition that is marked by breathlessness, such as asthma. Common symptoms of walking pneumonia include a cough and a low-grade fever, usually no higher than 101F, coupled with general feelings of tiredness and a headache. Children with walking pneumonia may also have some of the following symptoms: chills ear or sinus pain sore throat rapid or difficult breathing and wheezing loss of appetite nausea or vomiting These symptoms may appear anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks after exposure to a virus or bacteria. Walking pneumonia symptoms can take between a week and a month to clear up but may last for as long as 6 weeks. Complications Walking pneumonia is usually a mild illness, but it can develop into something else. Complications may include a more serious bout of pneumonia that requires bed rest or hospitalization. Encephalitis, which causes swelling in the brain, can develop on rare occasions. When to see a doctor Share on Pinterest A high temperature may be an indication of an infection such as walking pneumonia. Medical attention should be sought in this case. It is important to see a doctor if the symptoms in a child with walking pneumonia become worse over time. Caregivers should take the childs temperature if they are fussing, uncomfortable, or feel warm. They should speak to a doctor if the childs temperature goes above: 100.4F in an infant under 6 months of age 102F in an older baby or child Other symptoms that need immediate medical attention include shortness of breath and chest pain. Diagnosis A doctor will often be able to diagnose pneumonia from a childs symptoms, taking a medical history, and doing a physical examination. A chest X-ray may be required to rule out other chest infections with similar symptoms. A blood test and sputum culture test will sometimes be done. Sputum is the substance that is coughed up from the lungs. Often, the mild symptoms caused by walking pneumonia do not warrant X-rays or laboratory tests. These tests are more likely to be required if the symptoms get worse. Treatment A bacterial infection will respond to antibiotics, although they are not always needed. A viral infection will need time to run its course. Other treatment options for children with walking pneumonia may include: Rest : This will help fight the illness. It is often helpful for the child to stay at home until symptoms start improving. : This will help fight the illness. It is often helpful for the child to stay at home until symptoms start improving. Drinking more fluid : This includes water, herbal tea, and soup, especially if a fever is present. Extra fluids help prevent dehydration. : This includes water, herbal tea, and soup, especially if a fever is present. Extra fluids help prevent dehydration. Medication for fevers and discomfort : Cough medicine can be unhelpful because it stops the bodys own way of clearing the chest. People should only use cough medicine if told to do so by a doctor. : Cough medicine can be unhelpful because it stops the bodys own way of clearing the chest. People should only use cough medicine if told to do so by a doctor. Heating pad or warm compress: This should be placed on the chest if the child is comfortable with it. The warmth will help relieve any chest pain and discomfort that walking pneumonia may cause. This should be placed on the chest if the child is comfortable with it. The warmth will help relieve any chest pain and discomfort that walking pneumonia may cause. Using a humidifier in the bedroom: This can help ease breathing difficulties by making sure there is moisture in the air. Most cases of walking pneumonia caused by bacteria resolve within 1-2 weeks of the child developing symptoms while some cases may take up to 6 weeks to run their course. Causes Share on Pinterest Walking pneumonia is an infection that may be spread via tiny water droplets in the air. It is most commonly spread in crowded places, such as schools. Walking pneumonia in children is mostly caused by bacteria. The most common among school-aged children is Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This bacterium also causes chest colds and bronchitis in adults. The infection is spread from person to person when tiny water droplets, containing bacteria, become airborne. This happens when a person who is infected coughs, sneezes, or talks. Others, who are nearby, then breathe in the bacteria and may become ill. Children tend to spend a lot of time close to one another in crowded places, such as at schools and camps. This is one reason why they are more easily affected than other age groups. Not everyone who is exposed to the bacteria will develop walking pneumonia. Colds that last longer than a week, or common cold-like respiratory illnesses, such as the respiratory syncytial virus, can develop into walking pneumonia. Risk factors A childs risk of developing walking pneumonia can increase if their immune system is weakened by another infection. This weakness makes it easier for bacteria to get past the bodys defenses. Children with other lung or immune system conditions may be more likely to develop walking pneumonia than those without another illness they have to fight. These illnesses may include cystic fibrosis, asthma, and cancer. Chemotherapy, when used to treat cancer, may be another risk factor, as it weakens a persons immune system. Prevention There are vaccines available for some of the bacteria that cause pneumonia but not for M. pneumoniae. Caregivers can reduce the risk of a child developing walking pneumonia by making sure that the childs immunizations, including the flu shot, are up to date. Good hygiene practices can go a long way toward preventing walking pneumonia in children. These habits includes frequent hand-washing and covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Once a child shows symptoms of walking pneumonia, it is important that they remember these hygiene practices to prevent spreading the infection to other people around them. A child who has the infection should not share towels, cups, cutlery, toothbrushes, or tissues, even after treatment has started. Even if a child feels well enough, they should not return to school until the fever has resolved and any treatment has started. If they go to school while still carrying the germs that caused their walking pneumonia, they may spread them to other children. Caregivers should ask their doctor how many days of treatment are needed before their child can return to school. A better understanding of how a key chemical messenger acts in the brain could lead to a radical shift in psychiatric care, according to a new research paper. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which helps brain cells communicate with one another, playing important roles in stabilising mood and regulating stress. Despite its importance, current models to explain serotonin's function in the brain remain incomplete. Now, in a review paper published this month in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers from Imperial College London suggest that serotonin pathways are more nuanced than previously thought. They argue that the existing view should be updated to incorporate a 'two-pronged' model of how serotonin acts. The researchers believe their updated model could have implications for treating recalcitrant mental health conditions, including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and addiction, and could exploit the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. In the brain, serotonin acts via a number of sites called 'receptors' and serotonin has at least 14 of these. Brain drugs such antidepressants, antipsychotics and psychedelics are known to interact with serotonin receptors and two of these are thought to be particularly important - the so-called serotonin 1A and 2A receptors. For patients with depression, commonly prescribed drugs called SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) can help to relieve symptoms by boosting levels of serotonin in the brain. Evidence suggests an important part of how they work is to increase activity at the serotonin 1A receptor, which reduces brain activity in important stress circuitry, thereby helping a person cope better. In contrast, psychedelic compounds such as LSD and psilocybin (the psychoactive component of magic mushrooms), are thought to act primarily on the serotonin 2A receptor. Accumulating evidence suggests that psychedelics with psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for certain mental illnesses and, with a focus on the 2A receptor, the authors' paper attempts to explain why. Writing in the review paper, the researchers say that while the traditional view of developing psychiatric treatments has been focused on promoting 1A activity and often blocking the 2A, the therapeutic importance of activating the 2A pathway ??" the mechanism by which psychedelics have their effect ??" has been largely overlooked. "We may have got it wrong in the past," said Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, Head of Psychedelic Research at Imperial and lead author on the paper. "Activating serotonin 2A receptors may be a good thing, as it makes individuals very sensitive to context and to their environment. Crucially, if that is made therapeutic, then the combination can be very effective. This is how psychedelics work ??" they make people sensitive to context and 'open' to change via activating the 2A receptor." According to the researchers, the 1A and 2A pathways form part of a two-pronged approach which may have evolved to help us adapt to adversity. By triggering the 1A pathway, serotonin can make situations less stressful, helping us to become more resilient. However, they argue that this approach may not always be enough, and that in extreme crises, the 2A pathway may kick in to rapidly open a window of plasticity in which fundamental changes in outlook and behaviour can occur. Growing evidence shows that in conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and addiction, certain brain circuitry may become 'stamped in' and resistant to change. The researchers suggest that in such cases, activating the 2A pathway ??" such as through psychedelics ??" could potentially offer a way to break the cycle, helping patients to change negative behaviours and thought patterns which have become entrenched. By enabling the brain to enter into a more adaptive or 'plastic' state and providing patients with a suitably enriched clinical environment when they receive a drug treatment, clinicians could create a window for therapy, effectively making patients more receptive to psychotherapy. According to the authors, their updated model of how serotonin acts in the brain could lead to a shift in psychiatric care, with the potential to move patients from enduring a condition using current pharmacological treatments, to actively addressing their condition by fundamentally modifying behaviours and thinking. Professor David Nutt, Director of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial's Division of Brain Sciences, explained: "This is an exciting and novel insight into the role of serotonin and its receptors in recovery from depression that I hope may inspire more research into develop 5-HT2A receptor drugs as new treatments." Dr Carhart-Harris added: "I think our model suggests that you cannot just administer a drug in isolation, at least certainly not psychedelics, and the same may also true for SSRIs. We need to pay more attention to the context in which medications are given. We have to acknowledge the evidence which shows that environment is a critical component of how our biology is expressed." He added: "In psychiatry, as in science, things are rarely black and white, and part of the approach we're promoting is to have a more sophisticated model of mental healthcare that isn't just a drug or psychotherapy, it's both. I believe this is the future." Article: Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors, Carhart-Harris, R.L., & Nutt, D. J., Journal of Psychopharmacology, doi: 10.1177/0269881117725915, published 31 August 2017. Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Advertisement Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes shaking, muscle rigidity and difficulty with walking. One way to contribute to the diagnosis of Parkinson's involves getting patients to use a pen. Certain symptoms that appear early in the disease, such as rigidity, can interfere with a patient's ability to write or sketch.Handwriting can be influenced by a person's level of education and language proficiency, so a better alternative involves sketching a shape, such as a spiral.One drawback to this approach is that only an expert can interpret the sketches, meaning that routine check-ups at a doctor's surgery aren't possible. However, even for an expert, it can be difficult to tell how severe the disease is from the sketches alone, especially at the early stages of the disease.Previous research has found that Parkinson's patients tend to move their pen more slowly when sketching, and they also use less pressure on the page. While these factors are useful for telling if someone has Parkinson's or not, so far researchers have not been able to reliably gauge how severe someone's disease is, using pen speed or pressure.In a new study, recently published in Frontiers in Neurology, a team of researchers in Australia set out to develop an automatic system to contribute to the diagnosis of Parkinson's, and to assess its severity, from the comfort of a community doctor's office."Our aim was to develop an affordable and automated electronic system for early-stage diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which could be used easily by a community doctor or nursing staff," explains Poonam Zham, a researcher involved in the study.The researchers developed specialized software and combined it with a tablet computer that can measure writing speed, and a pen that can measure pressure on a page. They used the system to measure pen speed and pressure during a simple spiral sketching task in a sample of healthy volunteers and Parkinson's patients with different levels of disease severity.In a world-first, the system also mathematically combines pen speed and pressure into one measurement, which the team calls the Composite Index of Speed and Pen-pressure (CISP) score.The system measured slower pen speeds, pen pressures and CISP scores in the Parkinson's patients, compared with the healthy volunteers, and all three measurements clearly indicated whether a participant had Parkinson's or not.On their own, pen speed and pressure were not sufficiently different between patients with different levels of Parkinson's severity, for the system to distinguish between them.However, using the new CISP score, the system could tell whether the patients had level 1 or level 3 Parkinson's, using a particular disease severity scale."The system can automatically provide accurate Parkinson's diagnosis and could also be used by community doctors to monitor the effect of treatment on the disease," says Zham. "This simple device can be used by community doctors for routine screening of their patients every few years after the patients are above middle-age."Source: Eurekalert Dharma Production's favourite actor, funny guy and one-time flag bearer of nepotism Varun Dhawan is definitely the king of well-done casual fashion in Bollywood. What we mean to say is that Varun's 'going out' looks, are always put together...really, really well, all thanks to a revolving portfolio of stylists (including Akshay Tyagi) he trusts. What we have to also consider here is that there seems to be literally nobody in Bollywood who can wear a sweatshirt, an oversized denim jacket or a pair of joggers better than Mr. Dhawan. Even if we ignore the savage body he has the spunk you need to pull off a 21st-century Fu*kboi look, without actually being one. Because he is apparently in a steady relationship? Ok, moving on from real-life love affairs to love affairs with fashion. Which is what happened when we saw Varun walk the pavements of Mumbai airport in a bright orange H&M sweatshirt with ratchet motifs on the sleeves. The sweatshirt paired with mesh shorts from indie designer Abhishek Patni, a reverse cap, a pair of dark sunnies and his go-to black trainers made us skip a micro heartbeat. Viral Bhayani Reason? 1) Indian actors would rather die than experiment with fashion. Fashion for them often equates to a button-down layered over a basic T-shirt. 2) Black, white, grey and maybe navy are the only colours they will ever wear. Unless you are Ranveer Singh. 3) Oversized/slouchy fashion is a strict no! So, thank you Varun, for pulling off a look that would otherwise be considered a stoner's go-to uniformchill, authentic and slightly disheveled. Brownie points for the contoured beard and for making us mere mortals believe that we can wear mesh city shorts in public. Viral Bhayani No points for the rapper-inspired silver chain. It's fugly, throw it away! A crewless aircraft blasts off from the Kennedy space center, Florida on Thursday. It was supposed to be a secret, but the cat is out of the bag now! And, we've some juicy info about this secret mission for you. It was SpaceX that launched the US Air Force's super-secret space shuttle as schools and businesses boarded up for Hurricane Irma, which is probably going to hit Florida by this weekend. It was a good day for Elon Musk and his team as it was SpaceX's 16th successful return of a first-stage booster. Though booster rockets are normally discarded at sea but as per SpaceX's normal practice, it landed its leftover booster back at Cape Canaveral for eventual reuse. So to be precise, a crewless aircraft, a technology testing mini-shuttle capable of spending years in orbit, rode an unmanned Falcon rocket on Thursday. Air & Space Magazine As far as we know, there are two X-37B orbital test vehicles in existence and officials haven't revealed anything about what the spacecraft is doing up there. FYI between the two X-37B's they have already logged five and a half years in orbit. The first mission was launched in 2010 and the last one lasted almost two years and ended making the headline US military's secret space plane lands with sonic boom in Florida' on 7th of May 2010. Earlier, the missions relied on United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rockets. But as SpaceX earned a reputation in the market the company provided a lift for the experimental mini-shuttle. Also, Air force officials said they wanted to use a variety of rockets for the X-37B program. Their objective? To be able to launch as quickly as possible, if warranted. If we talk about the size of the the mini-shuttle, they are 29ft long, with a 14ft wingspan. Now, this is way smaller if compared to Nasa's retired space shuttles which were 122ft long, with a 78ft wingspan. We all know Elon doesn't keep too many secrets from the public when it comes to revealing his company's plans for the future. You can check his Instagram account or Twitter account to stay up to date. It is indeed regularly updated. But this time it was meant to be a secret. So at the Air Force's request, the company stopped providing details about the X-37B's shuttle a few minutes after the lift off. The booster's return to SpaceX's landing zone at Cape Canaveral Air Force station was broadcasted live. No secrets here. When a SpaceX launch controller announced, The Falcon has safely landed, cheers erupted at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. A day well spent! You can watch the launch below: Guess who just went ahead and banned President Donald Trump while dismissing his decision to discontinue the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, making the city a "Trump Free Zone"? Meet Rahm Emmanuel, Mayor to Chicago, who emerged as a local superhero after blatantly ignoring Trump's move and took a bold step by welcoming immigrant children and encouraging them to follow their dreams. Twitter Nearly 800,000 foreign immigrants benefitted from the DACA programme, which was former president Barack Obama's initiative, to keep those who came as children to the U.S. from being deported. Trump had threatened to put an end to this programme stating that he didn't "favour punishing children", however, making it clear that unlawful immigration carried out by their parents shouldn't be ignored. He acted on this statement earlier this week and took the decision to shut the programme down. Reuters But a clearly unfazed Emmanuel delivered a passionate speech at a high school in Chicago, and addressed students as "dreamers" (a referential extension of the DREAM act that allows illegal immigrants a chance to serve in the army or study at college to earn legal resident status), reassuring them that they are "welcome to the city of Chicago" and that they have "nothing to worry about" because it is their home. He further added that students "will always be Dreamers in the eyes of the city of Chicago, because (they) have big dreams and (Chicago) want(s) to be a part of those dreams". Twitter The one statement by Emmanuel that is bound to severely rankle the President is, "Our schools, our neighbourhoods, our city - as it relates to what President Trump said - will be a Trump-Free Zone". The entire development gives one a sense of an impending rebellion, the seeds of which have already been sown by Emmanuel's bold move. He's the second time reigning Mayor of Chicago (first elected in 2011), and clearly, he is living up to his promises of protecting his people. At the age of 14, most of us tried to keep up with homework and worried about how to juggle between tuitions and playing with friends. But since technology has taken over the world, most teenagers now have to take extremely important' decisions like deciding which iPhone model they should buy or whether or not their Instagram feed is on point. But fortunately, there still are some kids who are pushing themselves to do their best in order to become what they've always wanted to. In fact, some are even breaking world records. Meet Mansour Anis, a 14-year-old Indian-origin boy, who just received his certificate for his first solo flight from an aviation academy in Canada. Facebook/AAA Aviation Flight Acdemy Mansour, who is currently a resident of the UAE is a Grade 9 student at Delhi Private School, has also managed to set a record of being the youngest pilot to fly solo with the least number of training hours. 25 hours is all it took for him, which is shocking, to say the least. Facebook/AAA Aviation Flight Acdemy In an interview, Anis' father Ali Asgar told that, "He broke the previous record of a 15-year-old German pilot and a 14-year-old US pilot who took 34 hours of training. Mansour flew solo just after 25 hours of training." Since every country has different rules when it comes to minimum age requirements to become a pilot and fly solo, Mansour had to go to Canada for his training. In the UAE and India, the pilot has to be at least 18-years-old, whereas in Canada, if you are 14 and meet the other requirements, you can join the course. He flew a Cessna 152 aircraft during his solo flight and now has a student pilot permit. His solo flight went on for 10-minutes during which he taxied the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, took off for a flight for about five minutes and then landed back. It all began when his New Delhi-based maternal uncle who is a professional pilot with an India-based private airline introduced him to flying with the help of a computer flight simulator. And by the time he turned 13, Mansoor decided that he wanted to become a pilot. In an interview, he told how he developed interest in flying, With the simulation software, my uncle began training me how to fly a plane. Since then I've had an interest in it.He further added, What I had learned from my uncle helped me a lot. For example, there were some theoretical things, like with the instruments, that he had taught me to use beforehand. This achievement has just marked the beginning of his career as this young lad wants to become a professional pilot with his dream companies; namely Emirates and Etihad. A new report suggests that Google is all set to buy HTC's smartphone division which would be the search engine giant's second tech company acquisition. Previously, Google acquired Motorola in the past and sold the business to Lenovo for $2.9 billion. The report came out of Taiwan's Commercial Times and it suggests the two companies are in the final stages of negotiation. Youtube Google is planning to only buy the smartphone business and is not interested in investing in HTC's VR department. HTC does not plan to sell the entire company and it seems like the acquisition is a strategic investment. The report further adds that the deal will be completed by the end of 2017. The Taiwanese company has been looking to sell part of their business earlier in the year and given that HTC and Google already work closely for the Pixel devices, it seems like a smart move. This would enable Google to compete directly with Samsung and Apple as they would now have their own premium smartphone manufacturing division. HTC has been responsible for manufacturing the Pixel devices and also the original Nexus phone. Reuters HTC has been struggling to maintain revenues as the smartphone is no longer one of the world's top smartphone manufacturers and suffered their lowest revenue in 13 years. The company has not been able to compete with other Chinese companies like Vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi and OnePlus and are now looking to sell their smartphone business. Commercial Times said HTC's poor financial position and Google's desire to "perfect [the] integration of software, content, hardware, network, cloud, [and] AI," is the driving force behind Google's interest. The news outlet said Google may make a "strategic investment" or "buy HTC's smartphone R&D team" which suggests that the VR team would exist as its own. Source: CNBC Innovation Humans, animals and the environment our health is all connected Why the One Health approach is important now more than ever N. KOTZIAS: Following my official visit to Latvia, I participated in two days of creative and productive discussions at the Informal Council of Foreign Ministers. We talked about the need to contribute to peace in the Middle East and the two-state solution. I made the point that the changes that have come about in Syria should be taken into account. Moreover, that the European Union should formulate a more comprehensive opinion on the wider region, on issues such as the integrity of Syria, Iraq, the protection of the Kurds, and so on. We discussed North Korea and its nuclear and missile programme. We underscored the necessity to condemn not just North Korea, but also these countries that provide it with knowhow, technology and materials. I named these countries and the Commission promised to consider this issue. Today we talked more extensively on the working methods of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. I underscored that the working methods should be subordinate to political oversight and that various bureaucrats in the Commission should not have the first saying. In other words, that issues agreed upon at the Ministerial level should not be re-tabled by some EU officials. I also stressed that issues of human rights should not be touched upon selectively and I presented a number of past cases manifesting abuse. Finally, we held discussions with the countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood, with the four Western Balkan countries that are candidates for EU membership, as well as with Turkey, and we exchanged views on how this issue can be promoted. I also discussed with a number of Ministers and Commissioners and I made it very clear under which terms and conditions the negotiations with some of these candidate countries could be launched. JOURNALIST: Minister, there are many voices who now call for a stop to Turkey's accession process. N. KOTZIAS: There are indeed voices calling for a discontinuation, there are voices calling for postponement, but I think there is agreement that we should look seriously at the issue of the Customs Union. JOURNALIST: Thank you very much. UPPER THUMB Two counties received a minor win in the ongoing battle over how wind turbines are taxed. For several years, the five counties with wind farms have been at odds over the states abrupt change in the taxing method and depreciation schedule of wind turbines. Because of that, the counties with wind farms Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, Gratiot and Mason formed the Michigan Renewable Energy Collaborative (MREC) to challenge the changes. We were scheduled to go to court Sept. 18 with NextEra Energy Resources, when we received notice NextEra asked the Michigan Tax Tribunal to dismiss their tax appeal on their Tuscola Bay 1 wind park, said Huron County Economic Development Corp. Director Carl Osentoski, who is the spokesperson for MREC. NextEra Energy Resources LLC's stance has been that the amount the federal government provided for each turbine should be deducted from the cost before it is taxed rather than the true cash value of the turbine. The Tuscola Bay I wind farm, which became operational in 2012, consists of 68 Turbines located in Tuscola Countys Gilford Township and seven turbines in Blumfield Township in Saginaw County. While we are pleased with this outcome, it only covers that one NextEra wind farm and not their second wind farm in our county, said Tuscola County Controller Mike Hoagland. The energy companys decision to have the Michigan Tax Tribunal dismiss the case only covers that one wind farm in Tuscola and Saginaw counties. It has no impact on the wind farms in Huron County and in Sanilac County. The issue of taxes and depreciation on the wind farms in those counties are still before the tribunal, said Osentoski. The appeal that was dismissed on Tuscola Wind 1 was for tax years 2014 through 2017. However, the dismissal is not a financial windfall for Tuscola County. Ever since the state changed the tax and depreciation method of wind turbines, Tuscola officials have escrowed a portion of the tax money collected to be on the safe side in case the tribunal found in favor of the energy company. Hoagland estimates the county escrowed about $970,000 for the general fund, and about $576,000 from the eight special millages the county levies. I caution that all of that approximate $1,546,000 is not free and clear to use. That includes escrowed money from NextEras second wind project that is still before the tribunal, Hoagland cautioned. And, we do not have all of the details from the tribunal of what the dismissal actually means. That money is in the bank, but we are not banking on being able to use all of it until everything is worked out. That will still take some time. In addition, NextEra also has the Tuscola Wind II that is located in the townships of Gilford, Akron, Fairgrove, and Juniata. The dismissal has no impact on the second wind farm that became operational in 2013, said Hoagland. The heart of the issue is that in 2011 the State Tax Commission (STC) changed the depreciation schedule for wind turbines. That change resulted in lower taxable values for wind projects, which in turn meant less tax revenue. Officials from the five counties with wind farms protested the abrupt change, which had no input from local municipalities. Since the tax change was implemented, MERC has been trying to get the state to institute a fair tax process that reflects the taxable value and life of a turbine. Under the tax commissions 2011 ruling, wind turbines went from a 100 percent assessment in year one, with a scheduled depreciation to 30 percent value in 15 years, to an 80 percent initial assessment, with a depreciation to 30 percent value in six years. The change meant reduced revenue to the counties and the other taxing agencies within them. Because of that, and the STC's refusal to answer questions on why they made the changes, the five counties formed MREC with the common goal of correcting this taxation dispute. Those in MREC hired the law firm of Clark Hill to handle legal matters and make the argument for the original or another fair and reasonable method of wind energy taxation. At NextEra Energy Resources, we want the communities where we do business to benefit from our projects. We also want them to know what they can expect to collect in tax revenue and have certainty in their budgeting processes, said Steven Stengel with NextEra Energy. While there are many issues we would like the state to clarify with regard to assessing the taxable value of wind farms, our case with the Michigan Tax Tribunal has simply dragged on too long. In the interest of maintaining strong relationships with the communities we serve, we have chosen to withdraw our case with the tribunal (on that one issue). Had NextEras appeal been successful, it would have lowered the overall value of the 75 turbines in Tuscola and Saginaw counties. We would like to acknowledge the professional nature in which the attorneys and management at NextEra handled their part of the appeal process, said Osentoski. NextEra indicated to us that their request to dismiss was in the interest in maintaining a strong positive relationship with communities it serves. Osentoski also thanked MREC members, the law firm of Clark Hill, Appraisal Economics, local township assessors, supervisors and trustees who have led the local responses to the hundreds of tax appeals that have challenged MRECs positions on taxes and property valuations. BAD AXE DTE Energy presented a root-cause analysis of needed wind turbine upgrades to the Huron County Planning Commission on Wednesday. Gearboxes, pitch motors and blade bearings have been switched out in recent months on various turbines in DTEs Thumb Wind Parks, said Dennis Buda, operations manager. He called it a proactive approach to prevent malfunctions in the future at the wind parks. Buda said turbine blades run the gearboxes, which are located in a turbines nacelle. The nacelle houses generating components of a turbine, and is located at the top of the tower. The gearbox runs the generator. Gearboxes had to be replaced because they were made of not the best metal from overseas, Buda said. Specifically, the metal came from China. The gearboxes were designed by General Electric, with some produced in the United States, and some produced in China, said Austin Osentoski, wind technician for DTE, who was also at the meeting. There are three pitch motors per turbine, one for each blade. The pitch motor turns the blade and holds it in place, Buda said. Key way failures and bearing failures were determined to be the cause of the pitch motor issues, Buda added. Eighty-one percent of the motors have been switched out. Finally, failing blade bearings were addressed. In 2016, 27 were replaced, and nine have been replaced this year, Buda said. Osentoski added that each blade bearing weighs 60,000 pounds. Planner Charles Bumhoffer asked Buda who is paying for all of these repairs. Buda declined to comment, saying that he does not comment on money issues, and that he is not able to comment on contractual matters. DTE owns and operates 213 turbines in its Thumb wind parks. Planner Robert Oakes asked Buda whether wind turbines in the future will be smaller and more powerful. Buda responded that he wasnt sure, adding, Im not a crystal ball guy. Planners also questioned when the life of the turbine would end, and what would happen upon decommissioning. The turbines will last 20 years, Buda said. But he added that specifics of decommissioning have not been determined, although there is a decommissioning bond in place, per the county's wind ordinance. When that end of life occurs, DTE will be here to accommodate that, he said. Also during the meeting, planning commission Chair Bernie Creguer made it clear that insults are not acceptable from either planners or members of the public. He scolded both Planner Terry Heck and Bloomfield Township resident Robert Gaffke, both of whom made remarks about DTE at different points during the meeting. Heck objected to information from DTE being projected onto the overhead screen at the meeting before Buddas presentation. DTE does not run this planning commission, Heck said, repeatedly, later adding: Theyd probably like to. Creguer then urged Heck to avoid making insults. During final public comment, Gaffke commented on Budas final slide, which showed children from Sigel Township School, who participate in DTE-sponsored educational programs. While commending DTE for its marketing strategy, Gaffke called it a good reason to homeschool your kids. This board does not have to listen to insults, Creguer countered. In other action, a county commissioner and a former county commissioner each chastised the board during public comment for its stance on solar energy, which was discussed at a planning commission master plan meeting last week. No final policy decisions were made, but officials discussed restricting solar development. The consensus of the board was in support of the following statement: "The installation of commercial solar energy facilities is an existential threat to the county's agricultural economy as it removes productive agricultural land, and therefore, this type of development is not supported," the draft states. Commissioner Steve Vaughan said Wednesday that he objected to an all-out ban, noting that Huron County currently has three commercial solar sites, and there have been no complaints. Vaughan also powers his home with solar energy. He also said that theres not a lot of money in farming, and that, If we keep kicking these farmers in the nuts, they would become disenfranchised. Vaughan added a Dec. 15 law relicensing marijuana dispensaries should be of more concern to the board. Former county commissioner Rich Swartzendruber, who was at last weeks meeting, emphasized a master plan survey that showed 73 percent of those surveyed support solar development. Swartzendruber encouraged the planners to take into account the publics input, and make some allowance for solar development, while preserving prime farmland. The survey, however, did not specify that development would be commercial. Jeff Smith, county building and zoning director, later added that most survey respondents were from self-zoned municipalities, and not subject to county zoning. ELKTON -- Trinity Lutheran Church will celebrate its 125th anniversary this Sunday. There will be a festival service at 4 p.m. Trinity has served the community of Elkton since its first service on Sept. 23, 1892, led by Rev. Schumacher of Kilmanagh. An anniversary booklet with a history of the congregation has been produced. The guest speaker for the festival service is Rev. John Seifert, a pastor in Midland and president of the Michigan District of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 130 High St. Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go. Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune... The military, the Coast Guard and civilian responders have prepared as best they could but the forecasts for Category 5 Hurricane Irma "are not looking particularly good for Florida," President Donald Trump said Thursday. "We are very well covered from the standpoint of bravery and talent. We have tremendous people there representing us from the Coast Guard to FEMA to everyone else," Trump said. However, "We don't think we've seen anything quite like this. Some of the winds have gotten up to close to 200 miles an hour," he said at the White House. By Friday, 8,000 members of the Florida National Guard were expected to be mobilized ahead of Irma's predicted landfall on a path to take it northward up the Florida Keys for a potential direct hit on Miami this weekend. Related content: The storm was then expected to trace the Florida Atlantic coast before making landfall again somewhere between Savannah, Georgia, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Army Maj. Gen. Michael A. Calhoun, Florida's Adjutant General, backed up the warnings of Gov. Rick Scott, R-Florida, to state residents to evacuate or be well prepared for the storm. Florida officials have said it could be days before first responders reach those needing help after the storm passes. Calhoun's message to Floridians in a Defense Department release was that "The men and women of your Florida National Guard are ready and prepared to respond -- are you? Irma is a very serious threat and you need to make sure your family is prepared with enough food, water and essential supplies for at least three days." "Have an evacuation plan -- Where will you go? What is your route? Who will you keep updated? Your preparedness ensures that your Guard personnel and equipment can respond where the need is the greatest," Calhoun said. The eye of Irma passed north of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Thursday, leaving behind a string of Caribbean islands with flattened homes, flooding and widespread devastation. Early estimates of the death toll ranged from five to more than 10. More than a million of Puerto Rico's 3.5 million U.S. citizens were estimated to be without power. "I want our airmen, their families and our community to know the Puerto Rico Air National Guard stands ready and prepared. We are trained to deal with natural disasters," said Air Force Col. Raymond Figueroa, commander of the 156th Airlift Wing. The hurricane downed power lines, flooded two shelters and caused "catastrophic failures" at the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital in the U.S. Virgin Islands, officials said in a statement. The islands of St. Thomas and St. John "bore the brunt" of Irma's impact, officials said. As Irma passed the Virgin Islands, the amphibious assault ship Wasp arrived there to assist in the response, U.S. Northern Command said. "Wasp's helicopters are conducting medical evacuations for critical care patients from St. Thomas to St. Croix and conducting damage assessment in support of the local government," NorthCom said in a statement announcing that NorthCom had begun operations in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Irma response. The amphibious assault ship Kearsarge, with about 700 Marines aboard from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the dock landing ship Oak Hill were also enroute to the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands area for disaster response, NorthCom said. The two ships had been deploying to the Texas Gulf Coast for Hurricane Relief but were called back as Irma began churning through the Caribbean island chains. The combined aircraft on the Wasp, the Kearsarge and the Oak Hill included three UH-1Y Marine Utility Helicopters, three CH-53E Marine Heavy Lift Helicopters, five MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and nine MH-60S Navy Medium Lift Helicopters, NorthCom said. In addition, the Air Force said that the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California, had deployed an eight-person joint assessment team to St. Thomas to evaluate the airfield and determine what will be required to prepare it to receive aircraft supporting relief missions. The power and size of the storm has stunned even the "Hurricane Hunters" of the Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, who fly reconnaissance and data-gathering missions into hurricanes aboard WC-130J aircraft. "This storm -- it's still game on," Maj. Jonathan Brady, an aerial reconnaissance weather officer with the squadron, told Military.com. "The record [Irma] has set is the strongest hurricane to have ever formed in that part of the Atlantic, and also another record for this strong of a [weather] system being this strong for this many days," Brady said. In addition to prepositioning assets for the response to Irma, the military was also getting many of them out of way. Fifty F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and more than 100 personnel will evacuate to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, The Air Force said. Eleven KC-135 Stratotankers from the 6th Air Mobility Wing and 927th Air Refueling Wing will evacuate from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and 13 F-15 Eagles will evacuate from Jacksonville International Airport, Florida. The Air Force did not immediately give a destination for those aircraft. Military families and personnel who have been ordered to evacuate from Key West will be reimbursed for mileage, lodging, meals and incidentals based on rates for the 300-mile area around Atlanta. Tricare officials declared a state of emergency for all users in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Beneficiaries from those areas can get emergency prescription refills at any in-network retail pharmacy until Sept. 15, officials said. Those from Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in Florida also will be able to receive in-network specialty care without a referral until Sept. 30. VA clinics in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and portions of Florida planned early closures, shuttered some clinics and rescheduled elective procedures and outpatient procedures through Sept. 11 in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The pharmacy disaster relief plan, which allows qualifying veterans to receive emergency refills from any retail pharmacy, was also put in effect for affected areas. VA officials advised veterans to visit the administration's Hurricane Irma page for updates as the storm's impact unfolds. -- Oriana Pawlyk and Amy Bushatz contributed to this report. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. In a sign of the dire threat posed by Hurricane Irma to Florida, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was ordered to get underway Friday and be in position off the Florida Atlantic coast for disaster relief. Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, ordered the Lincoln, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York to leave Norfolk, Virginia, and be in position to provide humanitarian relief in support of federal, state and local authorities if requested, the Navy said in a statement. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Farragut, already underway and conducting local operations off the Florida coast, has been ordered to join the three-ship group, the service said. Iwo Jima and New York departed Mayport, Florida, on Sept. 5 and took on supplies at Norfolk and more than 300 Marines and sailors with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and II Marine Expeditionary Force. "These ships are capable of providing medical support, maritime civil affairs, maritime security, expeditionary logistic support, medium and heavy lift air support, and bring a diverse capability including assessment and security," the Navy said. Related content: Earlier Friday, all available 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard were mobilized for the weekend onslaught of Hurricane Irma and Gov. Rick Scott, R-Florida, told state residents who could to "get out -- get out now!" "This storm is wider than our entire state and is expected to cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast," Scott said. In addition to the Florida Guard, Scott has asked the National Guard Bureau identify another 30,000 Guard members nationwide who could be called upon for disaster response once the storm passes. Irma's eye was expected to move just north of Cuba and the central Bahamas for the rest of Friday and Saturday. The storm was then expected to make a right turn from its westward path and proceed up the entire Florida peninsula beginning Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Irma has been downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of about 155 mph but could gather strength again before hitting Florida. "It's not a question of if Florida's going to be impacted," said Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It's a question of how bad Florida's going to be impacted." Florida officials have repeatedly warned residents who stay behind that first responders, the National Guard and the active-duty military will be unable to help until the storm passes, and possibly for days after that. During that time, "you're on your own," Mayor George Neugent of Monroe County told CNN. The military's response to Irma was already underway in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and other states in the potential path of Irma were mobilizing their National Guard members. About 120 National Guard troops were assisting in Puerto Rico. On Thursday, about 20 Kentucky National Guard members from the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade deployed to the Virgin Islands with two UH-60 Black Hawks equipped for medical evacuations, the Kentucky National Guard said. "Our main job is to focus on humanitarian efforts and provide medical evacuation and triage as well as patient transfer from hurricane-affected areas in the Caribbean, especially the Virgin Islands," said 1st Lt. John Kerr, a Blackhawk pilot with the deploying unit from Kentucky. "The mission will be to go where others cannot to rescue and aid any civilian personnel we can." The New York Air National Guard also sent about 120 airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing to the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in the Irma response. About 800 South Carolina National Guard troops were mobilized after Gov. Henry McMaster, R-South Carolina, declared a state of emergency Thursday. U.S. Northern Command said that the amphibious assault ship Wasp was on station off the Virgin Islands and was conducting medical evacuations for critical care patients from St. Thomas to St. Croix and performing damage assessments in support of the local government. The amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and the landing dock ship Oak Hill, with Marines aboard from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were approaching the disaster area and will be postured north of St. Croix and ready to provide assistance to FEMA, NorthCom said. In addition, Air Mobility Command C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying all-terrain vehicles, forklifts, Humvees, pallets of supplies and crew including contingency response and medical personnel are supporting ongoing relief efforts in St. Croix and St. Thomas, NorthCom said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has defended his actions in the case of his chief spokesman, who remained on his staff for several months following allegations that he sexually harassed women while dressed as Santa Claus at a Pentagon Christmas party. "I was advised by legal counsel throughout, and due process was strictly followed to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of the complainants; and the rights" of Cmdr. Chris Servello, Richardson said in a Facebook posting Thursday. "I followed the prosecutor's recommendations to the letter, imposing several adverse measures on Cdr. Servello, including dismissing him from my staff and re-assigning him to a non-supervisory position," Richardson said. However, USA Today reported that the reassignment in August occurred several months after a Navy investigator recommended it and only after the newspaper requested documents on the case. Related content: USA Today cited a December 2016 report from Capt. Peter Hudson, who conducted an initial inquiry of the alleged incidents: "I recommend that Cdr. Servello be immediately reassigned to a billet with no supervisory responsibilities and with dedicated oversight." The 41-year-old Servello was accused by fellow officers and a civilian of making unwanted sexual passes and slapping a woman on the buttocks while dressed as Santa at the December 2016 Christmas party for Navy public affairs officials, according to documents obtained by USA Today. In his Facebook posting, Richardson said that once he was aware of the allegations against Servello, "I immediately tasked the Director of the Navy Staff [DNS] to lead a preliminary inquiry. "At the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry, DNS referred the matter to NCIS [Naval Criminal Investigative Service] to conduct a criminal investigation," he said. "Throughout the duration of the investigation, appropriate and effective measures were put in place to ensure a safe environment for the complainants." In a statement to USA Today, Servello said that NCIS recommended against criminal charges but his career likely is over. "Ultimately, the allegations were unproven and charges were not filed," Servello said, but "I should have never put myself into a situation where my judgment or my military bearing could be called into question." Richardson said, "I consider this matter closed. I remain passionately committed to a policy of 'no bystanders' and a Navy where concerns can be raised with trust and confidence that those concerns will be investigated thoroughly, and be appropriately acted on in an environment free of reprisal or retaliation." The Servello case and Richardson's response drew fire from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has offered legislation to change the way the military handles sexual assault cases. "I do not believe that Adm. Richardson handled this case appropriately," Gillibrand said. "There should be an [Inspector General's] investigation to see how he actually made his decisions," she told USA Today. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. PAT to hold public meetings for Rohingya Muslims today PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has advised the PAT workers and local chapters to actively and fully participate in the protest rallies being held on September 8 in hundreds of cities across the country to express solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims of Burma. He said that the government of Burma is not letting the entry of the international media and the UN mission, which is proof of the fact that the Burmese Muslims are being subjected to the worst ever reign of terror. Dr Qadri said that it has been one month since the violent incidents have been taking place in Burma but no concrete action has been proposed by the UN, which is tragic. He said that both the UN and the Islamic world have utterly failed in checking violence and state terrorism and taking steps for protection of the Muslims of Burma, which is but barbarism at full display. The PAT Chairman urged the UN Security Council to take urgent steps to end violence and restore peace and the world body should immediately send the peacekeeping mission in Burma. He said that the international community should take strict notice of the state-sponsored terrorism. It is pertinent to mention here that the PAT is organizing public meetings in different big and small cities of the country today as a gesture of solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Cherry Growers Inc. will be able to continue operating under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition while it reorganizes its business operations, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Dales ruled on Friday, Sept. 8. The order came after the processor and its bankers assured Dales that it would not burn through cash that may be owed to growers under a federal law that prevents processors from defaulting on their debts to growers. Headquartered in Grawn near Traverse City, CGI is a 78-year-old cooperative in which ownership is shared by 53 Michigan cherry and apple growers. The company, which processes cherries and applies, employs about 75 workers. Nels Nyblad, a second-generation grower from Casnovia in northern Kent County, attended the hearing as one of the cooperative's members and largest creditors. Cherry Growers owes his farm more than $150,000, said Nyblad, who grows apples, cherries, peaches and plums. Nyblad said he and other growers want to see Cherry Growers continue to operate even if they can't pay off their $16.8 million in debt. In its Chapter 11 petition on Thursday, Aug. 31, Cherry Growers President and CEO Eric MacLeod said the company needed to reorganize "due to a failure to recognize in a timely manner that a change in its core business model was necessary." MacLeod said the Cherry Growers has leased space to Materne, a French company that makes Go-Go Squeez fruit snacks. The company also is exploring other co-manufacturing opportunities, he said. While the company's creditors were willing to allow the company to continue operations, Dales said he needed to be assured they were not cutting out any creditors who could make claims under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which protects growers. MacLeod assured Dales his company had not purchased fruit from growers in more than two years despite two claims made under the law. A lawyer for Huntington Bank, the cooperative's largest secured creditor, said the bank would take a back seat if any grower could successfully make a claim that went beyond the company's current assets. INGHAM COUNTY, MI - A Michigan farmer was recently busted for using poison to kill raccoons. According to an official Department of Natural Resources report, the incident occurred in late-August when Matthew Neterer, a conservation officer in DNR District 8, drove by a cornfield in Ingham County and noticed several live traps set on the field's edge. Upon further investigation, CO Neterer found two pie plates containing a blue gel. A short time later a farmer pulled up and admitted to placing fly bait in the pans as an attempt to reduce the raccoon population. According to the report, the suspect went on to say that he didn't have the heart to dispatch the animals himself and resorted to poison. CO Neterer explained how dangerous and reckless his actions were to both domestic animals and non-target wildlife, the report said. The man was issued a citation for attempting to take game with poison. DNR District 8 also includes Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw counties. ANN ARBOR, MI - Sylvia Nolasco-Rivers was 9 years old when she and her family fled El Salvador in the middle of a civil war in the early 1980s, escaping first to Mexico and then to the United States. The 44-year-old owner of Pilar's Tamales, a popular Ann Arbor restaurant, still has vivid memories of those times, and gratitude for the safe sanctuary she was provided by people of faith in the U.S. As local faith congregations in Washtenaw County team up as part of a new sanctuary movement to harbor undocumented immigrants facing deportation, Nolasco-Rivers is sharing her story of how the sanctuary movement in the 1980s changed the trajectory of her life and helped her escape violence and poverty. Nolasco-Rivers spoke this week at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Ann Arbor as part of the public kickoff for the Washtenaw Congregational Sanctuary campaign. She said the civil war in her country took the lives of many innocent people, including children, parents and grandparents. "And all because the people of El Salvador wanted justice, wanted to have rights like the rest of the people there," she said. "We fought against the regiment that tried to keep the Salvadorian people down and continued to harm all people." In the early 1980s, she said, her family organized to speak out against the Salvadorian government. "Unfortunately, back in those days in El Salvador, if you spoke against the regiment and what the Salvadorian government was doing, you were either disappeared, you were murdered, and that was the way they dealt with the situation," she said. "They didn't want people standing up against them and saying, 'This is not OK. This is not right. We have the right to live a good life, a life with dignity.' "So in '81, there was a massacre at my grandmother's house," she said. "They killed two of my uncles and wounded some of my family members, an aunt and a cousin. After that, that was the time where the rest of my family thought, 'What's there for us here in El Salvador? There's nothing.' So my aunt Pilar had migrated a couple of years before to Mexico, Mexico City, where she had lived for a couple of years. After my grandfather died, my mother said, 'Well, let's go to Mexico. Let's see what's there for us.' So my family came to Mexico to be with my aunt Pilar, not really knowing what our path would be." Nolasco-Rivers said they thought they were going to settle somewhere in Mexico, but while they were there for a few months, there was some talk about a Quaker house in Eugene, Oregon, that was doing some work as part of a sanctuary movement. "I was a small child, so I didn't really know and understand what all those things meant then, but I knew that my mother wanted something better for us, a better life. So, there was a Quaker house in Eugene, Oregon, that wanted to sponsor our family," she said, explaining a pastor from El Salvador knew of the movement. "So, about three or four months into being in Mexico, there were young activists, young people from the United States, from Mexico, from other parts of the world, that said, 'We want to be able to give this family a better life, and many families,' so they risked their lives to smuggle families like mine, many of them," she said, adding activists helped them cross the border into Arizona and some went to jail. "We were then, with open arms, welcomed in Phoenix, Arizona, by another Quaker house, and the community welcomed us with love, lots of hugs, lots of kisses, and glad that we were there," she said. She said they stayed there for about a week and then her family went to Eugene, Oregon, where another Quaker house opened its doors. "And we lived there for about nine months, being very open, publicly speaking against the regiment in El Salvador, and how the United States had something to do with that, really talking and speaking the truth of the injustice and the imbalance," she said. As refugees, she said, they didn't have legal papers, so they stayed in sanctuary. "The church, like this church, opened the doors to our family so that we could be safe, that we could be protected, while others in the community were mobilizing themselves and finding ways to keep our family here in this country legally," she said. "So, I am incredibly -- I have so much gratitude. I have a lot of joy in my heart, because what we're doing here together in this community is the right thing to do." Nolasco-Rivers, who is now a U.S. citizen, has lived in the Ann Arbor area on and off for the last 20-plus years. She's married with three children and several years ago started Pilar's Tamales, serving up flavorful cuisine from her native El Salvador. In addition to a sit-down restaurant at 2261 W. Liberty St., she does catering, and her food cart is a popular attraction at events such as the Homegrown Festival and visits to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. "I forever will always be grateful, because had it not been for people like you that care so deeply about others, like what's happening right now in this country, I don't know that I would be here," Nolasco-Rivers told those gathered at Church of the Good Shepherd on Wednesday, Sept. 6, for the sanctuary movement announcement. "I don't know that I would have had the opportunity to have met this incredible man and had beautiful children ... who are my life. I had the opportunity to have a better life," she said. "You know, I'll always have the pain. When you grow up in a war, when you grow up in poverty, there is always -- that will be with you, and that's OK. But I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here alive, well, and to be able to do what we're doing here, which is the right thing -- to save other families, to keep them here in our communities. "These families are just like mine and yours, working hard, doing the right thing, and this is the right thing. And so I am really grateful, I have lots of gratitude, and I thank God." Ann Arbor man facing deportation to Iraq fighting to stay with his family Mother's deportation means emotional goodbye for Ann Arbor family Ann Arbor man deported to Mexico as people rally to have his case heard The Church of the Good Shepherd, 2145 Independence Blvd., is the first place of worship in Washtenaw County to commit to opening its doors to provide sanctuary for immigrants as part of the campaign. There's no one being housed yet, but the church says it's ready to provide a safe space for those facing deportation. The Rev. Deborah Dean-Ware, pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd, spoke Wednesday against the Trump administration's efforts to increase the number of immigrants being sent back to countries they fled. She said God has a special and unique love for those fleeing violence, persecution, famine, poverty, war and economic hardship. "Yesterday's news of the Justice Department's plans to rescind DACA is just the latest exploit in a long list of unjust actions taken toward immigrants," she said. "It is inhumane and cruel. It is unjust and lacks basic compassion. But unfortunately it is not surprising. Scapegoating and vilifying undocumented immigrants was the original sin of the Trump campaign for two years, and now it is the original sin of the Trump administration. As a local church pastor, it is my faith that requires me to speak out against these injustices. "I am a Christian. I am a follower of Jesus. He is my mentor. He is my friend. He is my redeemer. It is my belief that if he was here today, he would be standing alongside us in solidarity with immigrants and refugees. You see, Jesus was the ultimate border crosser." Dean-Ware said the church providing sanctuary is a symbolic and theological protection. "Churches and synagogues and houses of worship have been offering sanctuary for centuries," she said, expressing hope that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration will honor that tradition and consider the church off limits. Khaalid Walls, a Detroit-based ICE spokesman, said current ICE policy directs agency personnel to avoid conducting immigration enforcement activities at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and places of worship unless they have prior approval from a supervisor or in the event of exigent circumstances. Syrian refugees start new lives in Ann Arbor after fleeing war-torn country Ann Arbor wants to be more welcoming to refugees and immigrants Ann Arbor community coming together to welcome hundreds more refugees ANN ARBOR, MI - The 15th annual Kerrytown BookFest will again celebrate all things literary, with author appearances and discussions spanning a wide range of interests set for Sunday, Sept. 10. BookFest will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Kerrytown Farmers Market, 315 Detroit Street in Ann Arbor. "BookFest is for those who love books and for those who just like to come to a festival to see what it is all about," said Lynn Riehl, president of the BookFest board, in an email to The Ann Arbor News. "Stroll leisurely through the market and enjoy the wide variety of book-related booths as well local artists and authors. Sit in on a panel and get an intimate view of authors and their craft." The day starts with a 10:30 a.m. presentation at the Main Tent where Robin and James Agnew, owners of Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore on South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor, will receive the "Community Book Award." The award honors someone who helps create and maintain a book culture. Aunt Agatha's opened in 1992. Below is a list of the other events scheduled: 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. - In addition to the presentations, vendors will have books and other items for sale in the Farmers Market and authors will do book signings. Book arts demonstrations will take place at some of the booths, and food will be for sale at the event. "When we choose authors for each year we try to do a nice mix of Michigan/local authors and also bring in new authors from the Midwest or further out if we can, depending on funding," Riehl said. "We also try to mix up the panels from year to year." Visit www.kerrytownbookfest.org for more information. The corporate editions of the Polo and Vento are carrying consumer benefit offers of Rs 95,000 and Rs 80,000, respectively. The Polo GT however does not carry any discounts (Image: Volkswagen) Welcoming the festive season and also marking 10 years of Volkswagen in India, the German automaker introduced four new limited edition models for its most loved car lines: Vento ALLSTAR, Polo GT Sport, Ameo and Polo Anniversary Edition. During the period of the festival, customers are allowed to avail a range of attractive offers, exciting service benefits and assured gifts across dealerships in the country (Courtesy: Volkswagen India) Polo GT Sport Polo GT Sport limited edition has been based on the GT TSI and the GT TDI variants and is priced at Rs 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The hatchback gets a 16-inch Portago alloy wheels, seven speed DSG automatic transmissions, premium black upholstery, graphics on the lower door panel, black roof and GT spoiler. The anniversary edition also features a 15-inch dual razor alloy wheels and diamond black seat covers. Other additions include the glossy black roof wrap, side graphics and new spoiler which will be done at dealerships. Ameo The Volkswagen Ameo (Courtesy: Volkswagen India The Volkswagen Ameos Anniversary Edition has a 15-inch Tosa alloy wheels, aluminium pedals, suave black grey interiors, black OVRMs and graphics on lower door panels, bonnet and boot lid and honeycomb seat covers. The limited edition has been priced at Rs 5.79 lakhs (ex-showroom). Vento AllStar The Volkswagen Vento AllStar comes equipped with Linas alloy wheels, aluminium pedal clusters and suave black and grey, front centre arm-rest with rear AC vents and an ALL STAR badge. The customer benefits include assured gifts on a test drive and booking with value-added benefits on select accessories. Volkswagen eyes sale of assets accounting for 20% of revenues: Report The celebrations will also include complimentary service offers on parts and other attractive customer benefits across services at the Volkswagen dealerships. Mechanically, both models are unchanged, with the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines mated to the same transmission options. The Polo rivals the likes of the Hyundai i20, the Maruti Baleno and the Honda Jazz, while the Ameo competes in the compact sedan segment against the Maruti Dzire, the Hyundai Xcent, the Ford Aspire and the Honda Amaze. Volkswagen India is also offering exchange benefits up to Rs 20,000, a loyalty bonus of Rs 20,000 and various gifts on test drives, bookings and service visits in celebration of the Volksfest 2017 sales event. Software giant Adobe Systems has introduced a gender pay parity policy in order to achieve 100 percent pay parity between male and female employees across levels, according to a report by The Economic Times. The company is trying to achieve closing of the gender wage gap at least in the United States, by the end of this fiscal year. According to the new policy, female employees will be paid USD 1 for every USD 1 paid to male employees. The company said that it is working to close the gap in India by the first half of the next fiscal year. In India, female employees are currently earning 99 percent of what the male employees are earning. The company has been able to close the gap from 96 percent to 99 percent in the last three quarters in India. Employees from US and India make up 80 percent of Adobes global workforce. The company had earlier conducted a gender pay audit globally through an external party to understand the existing pay gap. The audit conducted compared similar job roles and reviewed the pay levels between male and female employees with criteria such as experience and performance being equal, to correct the wage gap. "Gender pay parity is a project we have been pursuing over the past one year," Abdul Jaleel, vice president-people resources at Adobe India told the newspaper. American software giant Adobe Systems Incorporated said it expects to close the gender wage gap in the US and India by the end of this year, in a bid to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce. At its annual Adobe & Women and Leadership Summit held in San Jose, the company announced pay parity across the US and India. "Adobe Systems Incorporated announced it expects to close the gender wage gap in the US by the end of its fiscal year, with women paid USD 1.00 for every USD 1.00 earned by male employees," a company release said adding that "there will remain no wage gap between white and non-white employees, as previously announced last year". In India, Adobe said female employees are currently earning 99 per cent of what male employees earn and is working to close the remaining gap. "Fair pay and equal treatment aren't just the right thing to do; they also have a significant, positive impact on the business bottom line. We will continue to push for full pay parity globally," said Donna Morris, Executive Vice President, Customer & Employee Experience, Adobe. Adobe's US and India employee populations combined comprise 80 per cent of the company's global workforce. "We are excited to announce pay parity at Adobe India, which is aimed at abolishing the gender pay disparity in the technology industry. This is in line with our commitment towards building Adobe India as a diverse and inclusive workplace for all," said Abdul Jaleel, Vice President, People Resources, Adobe India. business Aiming for Rs 900cr turnover by FY20: Plastiblends India Satyanarayan Kabra, VC & MD, Plastiblends India in an interview to CNBC-TV18 shared the latest happenings in the company and the outlook going forward. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Apropos the captioned subject we enclose herewith the proceedings of the 26th Annual General Meeting of the company held on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 12.05 p.m. at M.C. Ghia Hall, Bhogilal Hargovindas Building, 4th Floor, 18/20, Kaikhushru Dubash Marg, (Behind Prince of Wales Museum) Mumbai: 400 001.This is for your information and records pursuant to Regulation 30, Para A of Part A of Schedule III of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements ) Regulations, 2015.Please find the same in order and acknowledge receipt.Source : BSE Read More A worker takes samples of lithium carbonate processed from the Rockwood Lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat, the largest lithium deposit currently in production, in Antofagasta, northern Chile January 14, 2013. Far from the soy and cattle that dominate its vast fertile pampas, Argentina harbors another valuable commodity that is rocketing in price and demand and luring newly welcomed foreign investors. Lithium, the so-called "white petroleum", drives much of the modern world. It forms a small but essentially irreplaceable component of rechargeable batteries, used in consumer devices like mobile phones and electric cars. It also has pharmaceutical and other applications. Picture taken January 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado - RTSAHGM Birla Carbon today said it has started operations at its 1.2 Lakh tonnes carbon black project in China. The Aditya Birla Group company aims to tap the automotive market of China. The Jining plant will produce traditional ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) grades and specific Birla Carbon grades for customers in China. Birla Carbon said the capacity of the plant will be expanded to 2.4 lakh tonnes in phase II. The greenfield project in Jining, the company's largest engagement in China, was inaugurated by Birla Carbon CEO Santrupt Misra in the presence of senior Chinese officials. "We are delighted to have taken the right step to invest in a meaningful way in this country. The Jining plant is ahead of its time, whether it be the manufacturing processes involved or the environmental standards, it follows," Aditya Birla Group Kumar Chairman Mangalam Birla said. The automotive market in China is a vibrant one with every global major working to succeed in this market. As a carbon black leader, Birla Carbon is committed to fulfil the needs of its customers in the country, Birla Carbon CEO Misra said. "China is an important market for Birla Carbon in Far East Asia. Many of our customers are based out of China with operations across the rest of Asia. With the Jining facility, we now have the opportunity to address the needs of our Chinese customers from within China," Sanjeev Sood, President, South-East and Far-East Asia region, Birla Carbon and Country Head, Aditya Birla Group Affairs, Thailand said. China is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for carbon black with a forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7 per cent by 2021, the company said. The new production plant will exclusively cater to the Chinese customer base and will accommodate the growing demands for superior quality, technical solutions and performance, it said. The ASTM grades will focus on the tyre industry while many of the Birla Carbon grades will support mechanical rubber goods and other customer requirements. Further, the company said its plant will be 'energy positive'. The plant has its own energy management system. The cogen facility will generate high pressure steam and electricity which will first cater to captive consumption and have surplus electricity exported to state grid. Birla Carbon has footprint across 12 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities. It provides a complete portfolio of products across ASTM grades to meet the specific end requirements across tyres, rubber, plastics, coatings, inks and other niche industries. The company also has two technology centers at Marietta (USA) and Taloja (India), besides laboratories across its manufacturing units providing for continuous R&D. Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "People should have Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv. If you are planning to buy them after they have gone up three times, they have gone up 10 percent over the last two days, that is not a way of buying anything whether it is outperforming or underperforming, you have to now wait for a bit of a decline before fresh entry happens but for people who have them." "They are the next HDFC twins now that HDFC twins have become old, this is the young blood, so maybe some money may move even from those stocks to these stocks. So now they are becoming mainstream adding to indices etc. So the best is still to happen but again buying right now may not be the best place to buy because you may go under water in any sort of correction," he said. "Central Bank of India, around Rs 80, has shown very strong movement and this is one of the banks which is doing extremely well. So this is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 98, look for target of Rs 110. Motilal Oswal is completing its correction and moving higher slowly. That is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,230 for target of Rs 1,300. Raymond is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 880 target of Rs 920," he added. Mitessh Thakkar of mitesshthakkar.com told CNBC-TV18, "Buy Colgate Palmolive, it is a 52-week fresh high for the stock. I would buy with a stop loss at Rs 1,123 for target of Rs 1,195. The Ramco Cements is a conditional buy. I would want to see the stock get past Rs 735-740 zones and then buy. Keep a stop loss at Rs 722, look for a first target of Rs 780. Bharat Forge was in news yesterday, there is some kind of big gap up opening and then a mild taper off but the gap reversal still holds. So, buy with a stop loss at Rs 1,139 for target of Rs 1,195." "Andhra Bank is a sell with a stop loss at Rs 53.10 for target of Rs 48 and Amara Raja Batteries appears to be resuming the downtrend. So, sell with a stop loss at Rs 802 for target of Rs 740," he said. "Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has opened gap up, I would want to see some strength beyond Rs 1,145-1,150 mark but I think that is showing early signs of a reversal and yesterdays high could be a good stop loss. The other one is Tata Chemicals. It had a big breakout towards the end of the session yesterday. That could be a good buying opportunity. Let it come down by about another 5-6 points and keeping a stop loss below Rs 600, I would want to buy that." "L&T with a stop loss at Rs 1,129, target of Rs 1,180 and Tata Chemicals is something which I think would see follow up in the next few days. So would recommend a buy with a stop loss of Rs 598 for target of Rs 660." business Viral Acharya calls for PSB recapitalisation Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya has called for a quick and massive recapitalisation of public sector undertaking (PSU) banks, arguing that undercapitalised banks are holding back economic growth. Rishab Malik, Co-Founder and VP - Business Development, Droom and Mr. Sandeep Aggarwal,Founder & CEO, Droom Online automobiles marketplace, Droom that has ventured into the new vehicle category, plans to grow this segment to six to eight percent of its overall business in about a year-and-a-half, according to a top executive of the company. The company which originally started as a platform selling second-hand vehicles launched the new vehicles category an year ago. "It was not a shift in strategy but an addition. New vehicles account for nearly one percent of our gross merchandise value (GMV) now but we think by the end of calendar year 2018, it can be 5-8 percent of the total," Droom founder and chief executive officer Sandeep Aggarwal told Moneycontrol in an interaction. The company is also betting big on the upcoming festival season during which Indians mostly like to indulge in buying big ticket items such as an automobile. "Diwali, Dhanteras, Bhaiyadooj and Navratras, these are the four festivals where people actually like to buy vehicles. We have been now experimenting with the new vehicles category," Aggarwal said, adding that this Diwali there will be special emphasis on pushing the category further. For the new vehicles, the company has tied up with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as large dealers. However, even as the Diwali festival season is approaching, Aggarwal says that the automobile category is not very deals-and-discounts centric. The company says that it plans to target the customers through the ancillary services it offers such as access to loans, insurance and road side assistance, among other things. Droom that sells four-wheelers and motorbikes claims to have an average ticket size of Rs 4 lakh. According to Aggarwal, the company crossed Rs 300 crore in monthly GMV in August, taking the annualised GMV figure to Rs 3600 crore. The company that raised USD 20 million in a round led by Integrated Asset Management, plans to become profitable latest by February 2018. As per a recent report published by the company, two-wheelers contribute around 44 percent of Drooms overall sales with cities such as Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai being the top cities for the purchase. Overall the company claims to have 65 percent of the total automobile market transactions which take place online in terms of GMV. It also claims to have 1,80,000 dealers on its platform. "India is a USD 160 billion automobile market and roughly half a percent or USD 800 million is online and out of that USD 600 million is flowing through our platform," said Aggarwal. The company not just competes with niche rivals such as CarDekho and CarTrade but also with online classifieds such as Quikr and Olx. Droom has earmarked Rs 225 crore for marketing from July 2017 to June 2018. Small booster for Biocon as they have received a certificate of good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliance from the European regulator for its insulin manufacturing facility in Malaysia. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Kiran Mazumder Shaw, CMD of Biocon spoke about the same and latest happenings in the company. Mazumder Shaw said Malaysian facility is one of Biocon's largest insulin units. GMP certificate from EU regulator is with regards to insulin Glargine application that was submitted to European Medicines Agency (EMA). On US FDA front, she expects the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) inspection for Malaysian plant in near future. She also expects Malaysian unit to contribute three-fourth of insulin business revenue going ahead. Biocon is focussing on advancing oral insulin programme, IN-105. Drug maker Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Friday said the German drug regulator has issued six major observations to its formulations manufacturing facility in Duvvada, Visakhapatnam. The Regulatory Authority of Germany (Regierun von Oberbayern), inspected the facility on behalf of European Union. Dr Reddy's said the observations were "zero critical". "Products manufacturing at the facility are not currently exported to the EU," the company said. The drug maker said it will be submitting a Corrective and Prevention Action plan (CAPA) to the authorities. The auditor has cautioned that the facility will receive EU-GMP certification for the regulator up to November 2018 only when the regulator approves CAPA. "The facility's compliance with the CAPA and other applicable regulations will be reviewed again by the regulator by November 2018 for continuation of the facility's EU-GMP certification." Dr Reddy's said. The Duvvada formulation facility is under the warning letter of US FDA. Shares of Dr Reddy's dropped 2.88 percent and were trading at Rs 2162.50 on BSE at 11.14 am, while the benchmark Sensex gained 0.12 percent and was trading at 31,702.27 points. Go green or get "bulldozed" - road transport minister Nitin Gadkari's warning to India's top auto makers was stern - "look for alternatives to petrol and diesel or get left behind" - these comments have left the industry confused and concerned. While automakers say that electric mobility is a bet they will make, they caution it has to be one that is calibrated keeping the market reality in mind. While there is merit in moving towards cleaner tech, the government's bluster is causing nervousness. CNBC-TV18's Ronojoy Banerjee caught up with RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki and Rajiv Bajaj Managing Director of Bajaj Auto to find whether India is ready to go all electric by 2030. Below is the transcript of the interview. Q: As Nitin Gadkari made it very clear at the SIAM Convention - shape up or ship out. The message was clear that by hook or crook the government will meet that 2030 target which is to go all electric. Government wants that all new vehicles post 2030 would be sold only in the electric power terrain. Is that even realistic going by the statistics that Shereen was telling us, less than one percent of our cars today are actually electric, how can we go all electric in the next 12-13 years? Bhargava: You must understand that what has happened in the past is not any kind of an indication of what will happen in the future. In the past electric cars was not something which anybody took seriously. It was just one of those things which was there, looked upon as a kind of toy kind of vehicle. Today there is an entire machinery of government which is pushing for electric cars which was never there before. So, it will be wrong to compare the past with the present or the future. The issue is that while government is very serious about this and I think industry understands this seriousness, industry understands the logic and the reasons why electric cars are important to India. There is no doubt about the strategic importance of electrifying Indian mobility. The issue is that the customer who is the user of the car, he should be comfortable buying and using an electric car. This whole business of looking at the electrification programme and the speed has to be related to the customers' requirements. Q: So, you are saying that the government should be fuel agnostic and perhaps should lay out the objectives which is to cut down on pollution and then let the market determine which fuel option they want to go for. Bhargava: I am not saying that. Government has a role to play in making electrification possible. It has a role to play for example in promoting indigenous manufacture of lithium ion batteries, it has a role to play in the infrastructure development for electric cars. It has a role to play in providing cheaper electricity for the charging of batteries. When it comes to infrastructure development I don't think even two lakh charging stations will be enough because charging a battery takes several hours. It is not like filling a petrol in a car. Therefore government is also looking at a very innovative idea of battery swapping. Companies are apparently willing to buy batteries, lease them out for you, that is something which has to be seen how it will play out. Q: I want to take it from where you left off, about the various ways in which the government is trying to address the central issue of cost of the vehicle because India is saying that we don't have money for subsidies, we are going to come out with India centric models. So, swappable batteries is one. Earlier today you had Professor Jhunjhunwala, who said that we have found a solution to the central conundrum which is the cost of vehicle. They have said that apart from swappable batteries, he is claiming that many manufacturers have come and told him that they are able to now cut down the size of the battery which will further bring down the overall cost of the vehicle. He says that as per his calculation cost of running an electric car, that is cost per kilometre is almost at par now with cost of owning a diesel vehicle. Are these reasons enough for the country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki to start investing in electric mobility? Bhargava: The concept of swapping batteries has still to be tried out. What would be the issues which come up when you try this, for example matching the requirements of batteries for the car manufacturer's production programme with the batteries which these companies who will be leasing out the batteries, to get the numbers exactly right at the place where the car is required is something which needs to be seen, how to bring about this match. As production goes along and numbers increase who will take care of ensuring that the charged batteries are available for the customers of a particular model exactly as the customer and when the customer wants it because if the customer doesn't get the battery and is not able to run the car, then he will blame the car manufacturer for it. He is not going to blame the company which is leasing out the batteries. So, the practical issues of swapping still need to be tried out, the glitches ironed out and then to see how this can actually work. May be car manufacturers themselves should have a leasing programme, that is one option which one can think of. Q: If the government were to introduce swappable batteries, even electric cars for instance, would that not mean that like pretty much all electric cars there will need to be a certain level of standardisation. So, Maruti car needs to be pretty much at least as far as the electric battery kit is concerned similar to let us say a Hyundai or Honda which many car makers may not be willing at this point. Bhargava: I don't know the technical difficulties in making that happen. In terms of the motors which people will have in their cars I think the battery requirements are also primarily determined by what the motor requires in terms of energy and voltage. If you have identical batteries then I am not sure if technically it will mean having identical motors and controllers. It means identical technology for electric cars, I am not sure what the situation is because all of this has happened very recently, very quickly and I don't think people have had time to go into all the nitigrities and the practical issues of electric cars. So, it is better if industry gets a little time to go into all these issues and see what the difficulties and problems could be and the way this swapping programme will work. Q: In your 36th annual general meeting, you said that Maruti will not be left behind as far as the electric mobility is concerned. So, how many years are we from seeing Maruti's first electric car? Hyundai has said they will be coming out with a product as early as 2019. Bhargava: Maybe somebody will come up with a product before we do but when we come out with a product we will come with a product which has a high local content. We will come up with a product where were are sure that we can give the customer the kind of service and performance which he wants. We do not want to do something in a hurry and find that we are not meeting customers' expectations because from Maruti customers have certain kinds of expectations of what the car should do. Maybe we have to start first just with cars which are bought by people who have their own charging facilities at home, they have a power point at home and that is maybe about 10-15 percent of the population would be able to charge their cars at their home. Then they don't need swapping, they don't need charging points and such things. Q: The general consensus within the car industry is that it is a big challenge to sort of transition to electric mobility in such a short span of time. However, curiously the two-wheeler industry has been absent from this debate so far. What about your own capability, your industrys capability to sort of make this big electric transformation so to speak? Bajaj: First I must point out that I was not there at the SIAM convention where Nitin Gadkari made his comment. So, I am reacting to what I have read in the media and what I have read is essentially this that he made two points. A) He said that he favoured public transportation over personal transportation. He made the point that why does a single person that is travelling need a car just for himself or herself, and I dont think you can argue with that. The second point is that he said he favours clean fuel over fossil fuels, and I dont think you can argue with that either. If you look at what some of the major cities of the world are saying, and I will give you the example, from 2019 to 2025 cities like London, Paris, Hamburg, Brussels, Athens, Oslo, Copenhagen, Madrid, New York City, Mexico City, they have all clearly explicitly expressed their intention to partially or completely ban cars for urban mobility and intra-city transportation. So, I dont think Nitin Gadkari is saying anything different. Q: The two principle reasons Nitin Gadkari flagged as far as this is concerned, he said one is to cut pollution which you talked about and the other reasoning he gave was also to cut Indias import bill. However, what manufacturers are saying is that currently we do not have the local capability. So if we were to make this sort of drastic transition to electric mobility, we will have to sort of rely a lot on imports, importing many of the electric kits. So, in a sense it defeats the purpose, that is what a lot of manufacturers are saying. How do you look up on this argument? Bajaj: I would react in two parts. A) I would say yes, there can be some concern about jobs being lost from India perhaps in initial transition phase. However, let me give you the other side of the story. First of all, demand creation always precedes supply capacity. Nobody is going to put in capacity to supply something when the demand for that thing does not very obviously exist. So, demand creation must happen first. Let me now illustrate to you with an example because I have witnessed this personally in my very early days at Bajaj when the country moved from two stroke scooters and motorcycles to four stroke. Let me tell you and you can ask this of Hero MotoCorp, TVS, all the other guys who went through same transition that when we went from outdated two stroke to global world class four stroke products whether it was the hi-tech carburetor, the cylinder head, rocker arm, valves, piston, crank pin, bearings, clutches, magnetos, where was the capacity for any of this? A company like Bajaj was importing it for the first 10 years and then comes the phased manufacturing. So, I dont really think that we should make it a chicken and egg story like this. This is what really gets the governments goat and this is why SIAM is then considered to be defensive. Q: You need to have demand first for companies to put in the kind of investments and build capacity because at this point the industry is in the middle of a transition - transitioning from BS IV and leapfrogging directly to BS VI. I was speaking to people in Hero MotoCorp earlier and they were telling me the challenges and the kind of cost escalation this is going to lead to. So, at a time when the entire focus is from moving from BS IV to BS VI, isn't this a bit of a distraction? Won't this sort of confuse the auto industry as well because on one hand government is saying move from BS IV to BS VI but on other hand Nitin Gadkari is making it very clear think of a future beyond petrol, diesel. Bajaj: I don't subscribe to the view of those who see it in that fashion. I see a global market place. I don't see Bajaj Auto as being a company that caters only to India. Secondly, is clean fuel, let us not bring it down to electric, is the move toward clean fuel something that you can afford to miss out on? This is a question one should ask ourselves. Thirdly, why would you say that that in anyway confuses the argument for transition to BS VI. Even the government itself is saying that 2030 is the kind of target they have in mind, then I would say that it is good that they have a target in mind. Government and the auto companies the world over, not only in India have been talking for the last 30 years without putting down any specific target in terms of dates and volumes and things like that. So, we should be happy. There has to be a target for these things to happen. One can always say it is a bit arbitrary or it is a bit impulsive, that will always be there but we should not take 2030 as a destination, we should take it as a direction. I personally don't see any issue because if you are going to put in BS VI vehicles from 2020, you have at least 10 years if not longer to recoup your investment. I would like to see the calculation - which component is there in an automotive product that does not payback in 10 years' time. Q: Bajaj's own capabilities - you had told us about a month and a half ago about the big electric vehicle foray that you will be making, do you have an update for us? Secondly today the government said that they will be coming out with an electric vehicle tender for e-three wheelers as early as November, the initial size would be about 50000. Is Bajaj electric three wheelers ready for that order? Bajaj: Yes the work continues and our first goal is to apply ourselves on the commercial side of our business, that is one the three wheelers. I had said we will be ready with electric three wheelers well before 2020. I am happy to say that I can reconfirm that. So, we will be ready in good time I believe. As far as the tender is concerned we have to actually see what kind of specifications there are in the tender. If the tender is going to be all about cheap Chinese based specifications calling for lead acid batteries and stuff, that is not the kind of company that we want to be. We will put in electric three wheeler that is truly world class, that is high tech and that is really reliable and durable and is a brand ambassador for electric vehicles. Therefore whether our product meets the specs or ends up being overpriced I don't know today but we will definitely be there with an option for the customer. Private general insurance player ICICI Lombard General Insurance, which will be the first non-life insurer to list on the stock exchanges, is not looking to get another joint venture partner after Fairfax sold a large portion of its stake in the firm. In an interview with Moneycontrol's M Saraswathy, Bhargav Dasgupta, MD & CEO, ICICI Lombard General Insurance talks about the listing and strategies going forward. Edited excerpts: You will be the first non-life insurer to list on the markets? Do you see it setting a benchmark for the industry? As a group we have always tried to set benchmarks. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance was the first to list on the life side. There was a shareholder requirement for listing. We are following the tradition of being the first in the group on the general insurance front. Do you see adequate investor appetite for the issue? We have been talking to investors in roadshows. The feedback we are getting is investors are beginning to understand value in general insurance. In the past, it was under-reported, under-analysed and hence not an adequately understood sector. But we are seeing that in our IPO and the forthcoming IPOs there is a greater level of understanding being created. However, general insurance is considered riskier especially since there have been concerns about irrational product pricing in the industry. How do you view that? General insurance business always has risks but there are ways to manage risks. But what we are doing is reducing the volatility of our numbers and have been able to achieve diversification in products and distribution channels and there has also been a thrust on underwriting. This and a higher level of our disclosures is what the investors appreciate. In July, the JV agreement between Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited and ICICI Bank has been terminated. Do you see a need to get another joint venture partners. Fairfax approach to investee companies has not been very hands-on. If they like a business, they support it. As a company, they have been very excited about India and general insurance is their core business. They wanted to have 49 percent stake, but since our stated objective was to list large subsidiaries, they had to dilute their stake. As per regulatory norms, they had to bring down their shareholding to below 10 percent. However, they have stated that they want to invest as much as they can and they currently hold just a notch below 10 percent. However, we do not see a need for another joint venture partner and believe that we have the skills, capacity and competence to be on our own. How will the funds raised for the IPO be used? It is an entirely offer for sale. Our solvency is significantly higher than what is needed as per regulatory norms and hence we dont see the need for any capital. The funds raised will be used by the shareholders (ICICI Bank). Do you see an increased competition from upcoming players who will be an online-only insurer? The way consumers want to experience corporates is changing. Technology and social media have a big opportunity. We have been technology through chat-bots and artificial intelligence to offer better products, services and assistance on claims. For us, digital is not just selling policies online. I believe that incumbents like us have a better advantage and we can invest more given our scale and size. Will your bank stay as an exclusive partner to you for selling insurance? While there is scope for open architecture as per the regulatory norms, our bank is still only tied up to us. Though we do not have any exclusivity arrangement, they are only partnered with us as of now. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Mahindra & Mahindra, the only manufacturer of electric three-wheelers in the country, has launched the e-Alfa, an electric passenger three-wheeler at Rs 1.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The e-Alfa has a 120Ah battery with a range of 85km (in standard conditions) on a full charge. Its top speed is 25km per hour. The three-wheeler has a four seating configuration (seats facing each other) for the passengers. The e-Alfa is based on the regular Mahindra Alfa which comes powered by a compact 436cc diesel engine. This is the fifth electric vehicle to be launched by M&M (after e2o, e-Verito, e-Supro and e-Supro cargo). Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra said, The launch of the eAlfa Mini is yet another step to provide an emission-free, green mode of safe intra city transportation in the country. Mahindra is offering 2 years vehicle warranty, low-down payment and attractive EMI and one free battery replacement, which is an industry first. All these benefits to the customer will be available with select finance options and will help customers to maximise their earnings. It will be launched in a phased manner in select cities NCR with immediate effect, followed by Kolkata and Lucknow and subsequently in several other parts of the country. Mahindra claims to have tested the e-Alfa for more than 1 lakh kms in real road conditions. It is an all-season vehicle with a water-proof canopy. In January last year Kinetic Green, a subsidiary of Pune-based Kinetic Group, launched the Safar, an e-three-wheeler priced at Rs 1.28 lakh. This vehicle which also has a four-seater configuration, clocks a top speed of 25 km per hour and has a range of 80-100 kms on a full charge powered by a 100Ah battery. e-rickshaws are common on Delhi streets where they are given a subsidy of Rs 30,000 by the Delhi government. Several of these e-rickshaws are of Chinese origin. The central government is keen to convert conventional diesel and petrol and three-wheelers to electric. With the world celebrating International Literacy Day on September 8, let's look back and remember how India's education has progressed over the years. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes this day for the world to remember and pace towards eradicating illiteracy. Over the years, India has seen an improvement in their education sector. But is it enough? India's Literacy Rate Literacy rate is the benchmark indicator used to track the development in the education sector. There are many sub-sections of the literacy rate - adult literacy rate, child literacy rate, female literacy rate, etc. Here, we will take a look at the adult literacy rate. The adult literacy rate captures the adults who are between 15 and 24 years. The literacy rate procedure is via a survey, where the person is asked if he or she is studying and how he or she has studied. With the information provided, the statisticians will derive the literacy rate. In the data below, India showed a major gap in the male to female education ratio in 1980s. Slowly, it progressed and in 2015, the female literacy rate stood at 62.98 percent from the earlier 25.68 percent. Earlier, and even today in most areas, the belief of women educating and fending for their families is discouraged. Many parts of the region also believed in female infanticide and/or female foeticide. Government initiatives such as the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign aim to protect and educate the girl child to bring an overall, not a lop-sided, growth in India's education. India vs World Taking a look at the overall education level in India, the literacy rate has risen from 40.76 percent in 1981 to 71.96 percent in 2015. However, this does not meet the world standards. According to the World Bank, India falls in the 66.54- 81.05 percent range. However, the countries with the highest literacy rate, above 80 percent, are more than the countries with low or average education growth. Overall development and government's expenditure on education India still has a lot of bucking up to do. In the 2016 Human Development Index, India ranked 131 out of 188 countries. India still comes under the "medium human development" category. The Human Development Index looks into three categories of the country's development - education, income and health, aiming to show the overall development of the country. The three categories use years of schooling (which can be derived from the literacy rate information), gross national income (GNI) per capita and life expectancy at birth as indicators. (Source: UNDP) The ranking shows India's lop-sided growth. The data shows that India shows a higher income growth rather than an overall growth. Also read: Income Inequality in India at highest level since 1922: Economists Piketty and Chancel Experts told Moneycontrol that in Budget 2017, the expenditure on education can fall short. The education sector in India is yet to cope with the world averages. Among the BRICS nations, India was the least to spend on education in 2012. According to World Bank, India's government expenditure on education has just risen from 13.7 percent in 1997 to 14.1 percent in 2013. According to 2014 UNESCO report, India was quoted having the highest adult illiteracy rate which stood at 37 percent. With initiatives driven to eradicate illiteracy, India can easily climb up in HDI rankings. RN Bhaskar The government wants to promote e-payments. The Prime Minister has constantly been reminding people that he wants to promote a cashless society. The theory is that with a more transparent transaction process, the country will grow stronger financially. In reality, there is growing evidence that there is potential for government-owned corporations to swindle both the government and consumers by using off-the-book transactions while using the e-payment route. The examples given here are only a minuscule tip of the proverbial iceberg. But the implications and consequences can be mind-boggling. First, lets consider the good news. E-payments are growing. The latest RBI annual report does confirm that e-payments have been swelling (see table). Between 2014-15 and 2016-17, the volumes of electronic transactions increased by an impressive 135 percent in terms of total retail payments. During the same year, volumes went up by 133 percent if one takes into account all electronic payments both retail and non-retail. Even in value terms, the growth was clearly evident. Over the same period (between 2014-15 and 2016-17) retail payments grew by 45 percent, while the growth was 36 percent if all electronic transactions were considered. Of course, the base was small, so the high rates of growth should be taken with a pinch of salt. India still has a long way to go before it becomes a cashless society. But the onward march of e-payments is evident, and the growth rates are strong. If that is the good part of the story, there is a worrisome part of the story as well. E-payments are likely to cost the citizens immensely though the costs will be paid in such minuscule amounts that most customers wont even notice it. It is like the proverbial Chanakya quote that taxes should be taken in much the same way as the honeybee sucks nectar from the flower. The flower enjoys it. And the bee gets its fill as well. Look at the chart alongside. Even if one assumes a 1 percent merchant discount rate or MDR (the charge merchants charge banks for enabling e-payment transactions), the costs are whopping. Our estimate is that if one takes 50 percent of the total transactions to be through the electronic mode eventually, the country could end up paying 20 percent of its GDP as margins to e-payment enablers. Since all costs are inevitably paid by consumers, they will end up paying this cost. No wonder then, the number of promoters opting to be e-payment enablers has been increasing. They have all sensed the moolah that is there to be taken. And this is where we come to the ugly part. There are indications that some government-owned corporations not all, mind you have begun a very clever method of off-the-book transactions using the e-payment route. Take the case of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). It has a huge budget larger than that of several small states (see chart). It sends out bills for water and property and also collects money for a variety of services. In all payments pertaining to the water department it could be happening in all departments the modus operandi is simple. If the bill is for Rs 100, and you pay the bill electronically, the receipt is for Rs 100. No problem with that. Then, you get the information from the bank that the amount debited to your account is higher than the amount billed. Earlier the bank used to inform clients that the payment had been made to payu.in. Payu.in is an enabler which is believed to be owned by a South African conglomerate. However, during the last six months, the debit instructions to the banks show that debit is being made in favour of timesofmoney. Enquiries show that this timesofmoney has no relationship to the publication with a similar name. It appears that this is a legacy name inherited from Times Bank and Times Guarantee, and the new owners have begun enabling e-payment transactions on behalf of the MCGM and many other clients as well. The problem is not whether the payments are enabled by payu.in or timesofmoney. The problem is that MCGMs receipts do not reflect the service charges. So the charges are paid to someone, who now cannot come under the purview of MCGMs auditors. They also, thus, move out of the purview of the state and central auditors who look into financial deals that MCGM has with other parties. When contacted, MCGMs water department blithely replied on June 16, 2017, that the convenience fees charged for online payment of water charges bills is charged by the vendor or agent through whom the payment has been made. This fee is not charged by MCGM, so it is not reflected on the receipt. But then wasnt the vendor selected by MCGM? Isnt this a cost being incurred on behalf of transactions that MCGM wanted enabled? MCGMs water department was informed by the author: Not including those charges could be interpreted as a collusive deal between you and the third party vendor to keep such earnings out of the purview of the auditors if MCGM and the state government. If this is not remedied, [the complainant] will be compelled to file a police complaint of wilful attempt to you defraud customers. Please be advised to change your practices with immediate effect. The practices were not changed. Consequently, a police complaint was filed last month, and the matter is now under investigation. Can any vendor make a customer pay something without showing it on his receipt? Why has the government not yet appointed a regulator for e-payments? These were the recommendations made by the government appointed Watal Committee as long ago as August 2016. The government promised to set up a regulator, but chose to transfer that responsibility to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity). MCGMs practices raise several disturbing questions. Surely, the government must realise that the telecom bandwidth is the responsibility of Meity. But financial transactions should come under the Finance Ministry or the RBI. Is the government creating a structure that will abet more such potential scams? 3. By keeping such transactions off-the-books, MCGMs potential for collusive deals with vendors could amount to as much as Rs 250 crore a year. And since such practices according to reliable reports are now being adopted by other quasi government agencies in other cities and even in other states, the potential for off-the-book collusive deals could be as high as a few thousand crores each year. 4. The fact that officers of the MCGM can do this with impunity not providing a receipt for the full amount is an offence suggests the involvement of bigger people as well. 5. The fact that the government at the Centre has not come out with a regulator for e-payments, and the fact that the Finance Ministry has been kept out of regulating e-payments makes the entire situation quite murky. It stinks. So, will the government move in quickly to prevent such devious and sharp accounting practices? Or will it wait for a scam to take place first, and then seek to put in measures that are aimed at cleaning up the system? Or will it be another public interest litigation that will make the courts step in once again to remind the government about how rules should be framed? There are so many questions. But, sadly, there are no answers forthcoming. (The author is Consulting Editor at Moneycontrol) The government may not immediately go for an additional hike in the recapitalisation of public-sector banks (PSBs) by a substantial amount, sources told CNBC-TV18. The discussions have been going on since the Rs 10,000-crore Budget allocation for the current fiscal. The funds are yet to be disbursed and allocated among PSBs. In order for the PSBs to avail the capital infusion, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government, PSBs management and employees of the PSBs had to be signed. This step has already been taken. It is most likely that the additional recapitalisation will not be more than Rs 4,000-5,000 crore, a government official said. Over the next month-and-a-half, the final figure is expected to come forth. The PSBs, in which the government has above 65-70 percent stake, could still divest government equity. Yesterday, contrary to the governments plans, the RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya attacked the under-capitalisation levels of PSBs. He referred to the glacial pace of the resolution of the capital-related problems of PSBs and finally rallied for privatisation. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said work was on to make digital Jharkhand and provide better facilities to the people. He also called for a time line to make villages digital, adding there are more than 3000 bank branches and every month 1000 villages should be made digital. Talking to senior bank officials here, Das said making new Jharkhand would assist in Prime Minister Narendra Modis dream of new India and the role of banks would become important. If banks desire then no work would be difficult, an official release said quoting the chief minister. There are small villages in Jharkhand and goal is not difficult, he added. Stating that the state is observing 'Garib Kalyan Varsh' this year, Das said the government is running several schemes for the welfare of the poor and called upon the bank to participate in it. The government is giving subsidy for purchase of bus services, he said and asked to speed up disposal of loan applications. He also asked them to dispose of applications under Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana. He also said to dispose off application for small industries, adding that those deserving be given loan. Besides this, the chief minister asked to take early decision on loans for women self-help groups, Mudra Loan. He said the government is with the bankers at every step. Moneycontrol News Although West Bengal's government has stepped up efforts to attract new businesses to the state, the businesses that are coming continue to be medium and small enterprises. Big businesses seem to simply exclude West Bengal from any of their expansion or investment plans. If one takes a look at the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation's website, it would say a lot about why this is happening. For starters, WBIDC has not published its annual report in at least two years. The last annual report available on its website is the one for FY13 and all the subsequent ones have either not been published or are not available in the public domain. Also, the graph for industrial development in the state has not been updated since 2010-2011 on its website. According to an investigation by the Economic Times, WBIDC had floated a tender for the publication of the 2015-2016 annual report on August 18 and had set the date for opening proposals on August 25. Non-submission of annual reports could be penalized by the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and the norms clearly state that WBIDC must submit its annual report to the state legislative assembly and publish it. Although the contents of the 2015-2016 annual report are available at the state legislature's library, none of it has been uploaded or updated in the WBIDC website. Senior officials at RoC said that some action against the WBIDC may be taken soon. "It is not a conscious decision not to upload it on the website, neither these are hidden documents. The WBIDC has all the documents and anybody can collect them from our office," said Vandana Yadav, the Managing Director of WBIDC. According to a senior auditor, WBIDC's last published annual report, the one for FY13, showed that the government had a financial stake of Rs 1,700 crore. Around Rs 182 crore had been borrowed from public sector banks and West Bengal Industrial Development Financial Corporation. The report also revealed that WBIDC had invested more than Rs 800 crore in some companies. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued new norms pertaining to the no-fly list, aiming to make air travel safer by getting hold of unruly passengers. To ensure safety and check unruly & disruptive behaviour on aircraft, we will put in place, mechanism for country's first No-Fly list today Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted about this development and said that it will be released on September 8, Friday. The no-fly list norms aim to tackle unruly passengers and will ban these passengers from travelling by air between 2 months to 2 years. The list defines 3 levels of unruly behaviour by passengers. The DGCA allows passengers on a no-fly list to approach the appellate authority to challenge the ban. The panel will consist of a retired judge and representatives of the consumer forum and airlines. It will have to decide on appeals in a time-bound manner within 30 days. The panel's decision can be challenged in High Courts. Under the norms, three behaviours will be considered unruly. The first is physically abusing somebody which can attract a three month ban from flying; the second is sexual harassment attracting a six month ban; the third is for 2 years when actions related to life for threatening behaviour, including damage to the aircraft and property. The no-fly list was first highlighted when Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted an Air India crew member. The ban was lifted after he apologised to the airline. Moneycontrol had reported in April about the government's plan to notify rules for instituting a no-fly list. (With inputs from News18 and CNBC TV-18) Having established itself as Indias number one premium two-wheeler brand with Royal Enfield (RE), Eicher Motors is now looking to strengthen its global presence as well as expand its portfolio. Media reports say Eicher is in the race to acquire globally recognized iconic brand Ducati. The goal is to enter the superbike (800cc -1200cc) segment by riding pillion on a strong global brand. Ducati - Brief Profile Ducati is an Italian iconic motorcycle brand which manufacturers superbikes in the 800cc to 1200cc segment. The company has built a strong brand over the years by emphasizing on reliability and at the same time, low maintenance costs. It is now a big name in high-end bikes and an iconic brand among bike enthusiasts. Given the low success ratio of M&As globally, it is natural for investors to wonder if Eicher should be pushing for the deal. Access to a well-established brand Royal Enfield has become a very strong brand among the youth in India. Volume sales have grown at an eye-popping 51 percent compounded annually between 2011 and 2017. Adding Ducati in the portfolio will give Eicher access to a powerful brand and its products, and an entry in several unexplored markets where Ducati has a strong presence. RE is a dominant player in the mid-sized (150cc-700cc) segment, but has no presence in the Superbike (800cc -1200cc) segment where Ducati is a dominant player. Adding Ducati to its portfolio would give Eicher access to superbikes and it would then be able to cater to a full range of premium bikes to its customers. Access to a powerful R&D center Innovation through constant research and development (R&D) is the key differentiator in the auto industry. Ducati, over the years, has spent significant time and money in building its R&D capabilities, the results of which are visible in its products. Eicher also continues to focus on R&D and keeps on launching new and innovative products from time to time. It has been spending in setting up new technical centers, one of which is in the UK. The deal with Ducati will help Eicher to use Ducatis R&D capabilities to bring in high quality products to cater to a dynamic market. Access to a strong distribution network Currently, the company has 26 exclusive stores and 600 multi brand stores in international markets. The deal with Ducati would help Eicher to use Ducatis well-established global distribution network. Additionally, Ducati would also be able to gain access to Eichers distribution network in India, an emerging market for premium bikes. Capacity Constraints Eicher has been facing capacity constraint now. It has been steadily adding capacity for Royal Enfield that has increased from 60,000 units in CY11 to 675,000 units in FY17. Despite aggressive capacity addition, the companys growth is still constrained by the same. The deal with Ducati, however, would not provide additional capacity to Eicher. However, it would give Eicher access to an established product range without worrying about adding capacity. Financials Ducati sold 55,451 bikes in CY2016, up 1.2 percent (YoY) and generated revenue close to Euro 730 million, up 4.1 percent (YoY). It recorded EBITDA margin of 14 percent in CY16, down 30 bps (YoY). RE, on the other hand, sold 666,490 bikes in FY17 and generated EBITDA margin of 31.3 percent on the back of operating leverage and cost optimization strategy. Though, Ducatis margin is much lesser than that of Eicher, we believe that Ducati would be able to optimize its cost with the help of Eicher that would lead to margin improvement. Deal valuation News reports say Eicher would have to shell out EUR 1.5 billion to EUR 1.7 billion to acquire Ducati, which values Ducati at an EBITDA (2017) multiple of 15 to 17 times. The closest listed player in the premium bike space, Harley-Davidson Motor company, currently trades at 12 times trailing EBITDA multiple, indicating that Eicher is not paying too much of a premium to Ducati. Our back-of-the-envelope suggests that Eicher can clinch the deal without much of an impact on its long-term financials. The likely funding scenarios Under scenario 1, 30 percent of the deal amount is assumed to be funded by debt and the remaining amount is through equity that would lead to equity dilution of 8.3 percent. The EPS for Eicher (the combined entity) would fall by 13 percent. Under scenario 2, total amount is estimated to be funded equally by debt and equity, leading to equity dilution of 6 percent. In this scenario, the EPS decline could be around 16 percent. Under scenario 3, total amount estimated to be funded by debt is 70 percent and the remaining 30 percent by equity, leading to equity dilution of 3.5 percent. The EPS then could witness a decline of 19 percent. The fall in EPS varies across these three scenarios because of the interest cost based on the capital structure used for funding. Note: Todays EURINR exchange rate of EUR1 = INR77.12 has been used in the analysis. Eicher might have to pay a premium to acquire Ducati. But over the long term, synergistic benefits would accrue thereby limiting the impact on financials. Follow @agrawant Mutual funds touched a historical landmark when assets under management (AUM) rose more than Rs20 lakh crore in the month of August for the first time ever. Retail investors which left Indian equity markets to post global financial crisis in 2008, are back on D-Street and this time it looks like they are in for long haul. The amount of money which MFs are receiving is largely backed by retail investors as well as high net worth individuals (HNIs). Most of the MFs in the last one year has been able to beat benchmark index returns by a wide margin. We have taken a stock portfolio of top 4 funds ranked as number 1 by Crisil in the largecap space. Most of the stocks where the big boys of the mutual fund industry are betting on are mostly bluechip stocks. Equity funds that invest over 75 percent in CRISIL-defined Large Cap Stocks for a minimum of six out of nine months in each period over the past 3 years. Top four funds ranked as number 1 by Crisil ranking have given a return of 13-20 percent compared to Sensex return of 9 percent in the last one year. We are carefully considering and evaluating which stocks must be bought, Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (AMC) told CNBC-TV18 in an interview. We are sticking to our core and definitely not going by what SMS-based recommendations are floating in the market, he added. There is a problem of plenty for such managers. On being asked about the approach in such cases, Shah explained it with a hypothesis of his own. He highlighted the profit percentage as part of GDP is around 3 percent, a fall from 7 percent in 2008. Top stocks which are part of their portfolio include well-known names like SBI, HDFC Bank, ITC, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, RIL, Hero MotoCorp, Maruti Suzuki, HDFC, IndusInd Bank, Infosys, UPL, Nestle, Tata Motors, Vedanta, Hindalco, HCL Technologies etc. data showed from Moneycontrols mutual fund section. The AUM of the MF industry had doubled in the last three years, rising from Rs10.1 lakh crore in August 2014 to the current Rs20.60 lakh crore. The last three years and especially the last year have been characterized by large inflows into Equity and Balanced Funds, with increasing participation from retail and HNI investors. Individual investors share of overall AuM has increased to 48% from 45% a year ago, Kaustubh Belapurkar, Director - Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Adviser India Pvt. Ltd said. Experts see more investors entering equity markets are with the long term outlook in mind, thanks to systematic investment plans (SIPs). According to AMFI, the mutual fund industry added about 6.2 lakh SIP accounts every month on an average during FY2017 with an average ticket size of over Rs3,000-5000 per account. Retail investors are increasingly investing in Mutual Funds through SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans), which helps them reduce market timing risk. Currently, the industry receives closes Rs5000 crore per month through SIPs, which is a very healthy number, said Belapurkar. Today, making payments through mobile apps has become easy through smartphones. These mobile devices, which have become omnipresent, offer easy access to connect to the world. There is free flowing data moving across multiple devices, which includes tablets, smart phones, and even smart watches to notify people multiple things. However, the major concern is whether the payment which you are making is routing through a safe data source. Many times, due technical glitches your payments can get stuck. However, if this happens, you should not worry because most often the problem will be sorted out. Transactions through apps are authenticated at several levels and even if an issues arise, you can easily get it rectified by your financial service provider. Admittedly, privacy and security are always a concern in finance. However, these concerns have always existed in some form or the other at all times and are not exclusive to the digital world. The only antidote is to have a robust and alert security infrastructure that can deal with threats in a timely and effective manner, said Adhil Shetty, CEO, BankBazaar.com. Mostly, these apps are using various security measures while one is making the transfer of payments through mobile devices. However, you need to adopt some caution while making financial transactions through your phone. Here are some measures that you should adopt: Do not install unauthorised app Do not download any money transfer app which is not recognised by authorities concerned. Jailbreaking let you do so, it authenticates that you should not download non-approved, non-supported apps, which can make devices more vulnerable to malware and attacks. One should not override the jailbreak for security concerns. Jailbreak restricts you to allow the installation of unauthorized applications. However, one can modify the changes and allow the application get it downloaded. Make sure that payment access is authenticated It is important to verify the identity of an individual who is attempting to make the transfer of payments. Do not process payment where authentication steps are not followed. With sensitive mobile data, not only traditional username and password authentication is enough but nowadays multifactor authentication has also become necessary which provides stronger protection for many forms of authentication like fingerprint scanners, pattern recognition, one-time password (OTP), virtual payment address (VPA), etc. Encrypted security measure is very beneficial The encrypted data adds another level of protection as the data transmitted through encryption cannot be transcribed by anyone else except the receiver only. It is one of the best ways to protect data transfer from one source to another over internet facility. It is good to make the transfer of payments through QR codes. These apps are vulnerable to cyber risks but at this stage when digitisation in India is maturing, it is imperative to understand that companies are making an effort to encrypt, tokenise and authenticate user credentials to make transactions more secure, Raj Menon, EVP & Head- Customer Experience Solutions, Aurionpro said. Make use of a secure network Through virtual private network protocols which use an SSL or IPsec encrypted transmission of data between the remote user and the corporate network, and most companies support VPN connections it helps in enabling secure transfer of data. Also, if transferring payment through website make sure that the URL of the site is having a secured hypertext transfer protocol that is it should start with https. Always use an updated version of app The Mobile Application Management (MAM) helps you to keep your mobile apps updated and configures correctly for best security, which makes the data they generate and store more secure. It also monitors device health, checks security status, track usage and controls access to data, and etc. Payment gateways try to ensure that the data you transfer is highly protected and the payment you making through this digital platform and your mobile phone operating system is highly secure. The only thing you need to check is that youre transferring your money to the right source while making payments. Apart from taking all these safety majors, these application creates a private workspace on the cloud for a user's personally owned device so that they get access to the specific data which they own specifically themselves, hence backed with many security measures. The country is undergoing a major metamorphosis, with multiple digitisation initiatives viz. mobile wallets & UPI, e-KYC & DBT, demonetisation & digital payments infrastructure etc. that there are transition issues around market adoption, cyber security etc, but as long as the economics of the stakeholders is kept in consideration, the economy will see a sustained, virtuous cycle, Ritesh Raj Saxena, Head of Savings and Digital, IndusInd Bank said. An all-India homebuyers group, in a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sought an amendment to the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code 2016 to ensure that homebuyers' interests are protected during insolvency proceedings, and has also brought to his notice that Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 (RERA) has not offered much relief to buyers as its provisions have been diluted by most states. It has, therefore, recommended that the real estate regulator should have the powers to attach all the assets of the promoters both personal and other companies to fund the completion of unfinished projects. This appeal follows the uncertainty faced by almost 40,000 homebuyers over their investments after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitting IDBI Banks plea for initiating insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech for defaulting on a Rs 526-crore loan earlier last month. Also Read : RERA effectHomebuyers can now exit the real estate project at any stage NCLT appointed insolvency professional Anuj Jain as the CEO of Jaypee Infratech. He was given six months to revive the company. This week the Supreme Court stayed the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech, ruling in favour of a petition filed by homebuyers. Flat-buyers had contended before the court that they will neither get a home nor a refund of their hard earned money on account of being "unsecured creditors". A day later IDBI Bank urged the Supreme Court to lift the stay order on insolvency proceedings against the real estate developer, saying the move would not benefit home buyers. The next hearing is set for September 11. This week, the NCLT also ordered the initiation of insolvency proceedings against another builder - Amrapali's Silicon City on a plea from Bank of Baroda and appointed Rajesh Samson of Deloitte as the Insolvency Resolution Professional to take control of the company. As many as 3,000 homebuyers who are against the move have decided to follow in the footsteps of Jaypee buyers and are planning to move Supreme Court. As many as 3,000 homebuyers who are against the move have decided to follow in the footsteps of Jaypee buyers and are planning to move Supreme Court. Also Read: RERA, GST a big challenge for builders; sales may pick up during festive season The big question here is to what extent can RERA help buyers in case insolvency proceedings are initiated against builders? Or does it cease to fulfill the very purpose for which it was created to protect the rights of homebuyers and ensure that they get their due their homes? Heres a look. RERA power RERA provides for additional rights to homebuyers for under construction units. Under its umbrella, they can claim possession, title and even ask for refund of money paid to the builder with interest. RERA has codified rights that entitles them to get possession of the flat, ensure that the project does not get transferred and that buyers are entitled to get their refund with interest. Earlier, merely booking a house did not give them more than the contractual right, says Sitesh Mukherjee, a partner at Trilegal, and part of the firm's dispute resolution practice group. The legal right emanating from RERA has to be recognised by the insolvency process. RERA gives buyers a right superior to that of a consumer court. It gives them the right to possession of property and title. Buyers need to pick the best strategy to make use of RERA. If they were to convert their right to a flat to that of a money claim, they are like any other creditors. They may then have to stand in a queue with other creditors, take a haircut with other creditors and their rights will be subservient to that of other creditors. Therefore, we have advised buyers to claim their right to ownership, the contractual right enforced by RERA. As long as they stake their claim for the flat, their rights are superior to that of secured creditors. That is one of the reasons that the IRPs business plan has to include delivery of the flats as its mission, he explains. If buyers were to simply make a money claim, they may get just about 10 percent to 20 percent. RERA is an important legislation that helps in the insolvency process and buyers must make use of RERA to put forward their right as that being superior to the other creditors, including secured creditors of the company. Watch | How RERA Is Going To Change Your Homebuying Experience RERA provides an important avenue for buyers to assert their rights in the insolvency process and those rights are superior to that of secured creditors. A flat specific right has been created in favour of homebuyers as they have lent money to the real estate company and whosoever takes over the assets following insolvency will do so subject to these rights of the homebuyers. What this means is that whosoever buys the company will have to fulfill the obligations towards homebuyers - which is to hand over the house as per the timelines, he says. Also, monies deposited by investors/allottees which are to be kept into a separate account under RERA, do not become the property of the developer (although the separate account is under the control of the developer) till the completion or proportionate completion of the project as the case may be, says Sudip Mullick, partner, Khaitan & Co. What RERA does not provide for Under RERA, the regulator does not have the power to take control of the management of the real estate company or the assets owned by the promoter both personal and other companies. It cannot stop builders from filing for insolvency. RERA does not provide any powers to real estate regulators for attachment of assets of either the company developing such projects or other companies under the same promoter or even the personal assets of defaulting promoters, says Abhay Upadhyay, Convener of Fight for RERA, in the letter to the prime minister. "In the event of insolvency proceedings initiated against builders, it is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code that will override all other legislations. The real estate regulatory authority cannot issue any direction to the insolvency resolution professional. He is only guided by the IBC regulations," says Sumant Batra, an insolvency lawyer of international repute who was representing IRP for Jaypee Infratech Anuj Jain. Also, the rights that accrue under RERA filing can be modified under a resolution plan approved by NCLT, he adds. The governments construction and engineering arm - National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) - has started evaluating the feasibility of completing the 27 unfinished Jaypee Group projects. NBCC sees enough potential to raise money from the unsold inventory in these projects and the vacant land parcels mortgaged by the embattled builder to banks, say sources. We have started unofficial discussions with banks who have lent to Jaypee Infratech, the government and the developer and are trying to arrive at a viable business model to take it up. There is potential. It is a huge business opportunity but the challenge is how to manage the project, sources said. Some homebuyers have paid almost 95 per cent of the cost of the units. Money to complete the project is, therefore, to be raised from the project. There is possibility of raising money to complete the project from unsold inventory available in the project and monetising the unused land banks along Noida Expressway and Yamuna Expressway, they said. Once all the unfinished projects with almost 40,000 units are completed and people actually move in and occupy their flats, once it becomes habitable, it will go a long way in improving valuations of unused land parcels in the area and in that respect it makes a lot of business sense to complete the project first. But all depends on what the developer, banks have to offer to us. Informal business parleys are on, they said, adding the cost of construction of unfinished projects is yet to be ascertained, the sources said. Experts say that this could be one way in which all stuck up real estate projects can get completed and buyers who have invested their life savings and waited for over eight years can get their homes. Banks too would be willing to put in money (last mile equity) if the governments arm decides to step in through its construction arm to complete the projects as there is a trust deficit in the market. Jaypee homebuyers had written to the authorities, seeking help of state-owned companies like Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) and NBCC Ltd, to step in and complete the pending projects. As many as 40,000 homebuyers, who have invested in Jaypee projects, have been waiting for over eight years to get their homes delivered and have been worried about their investments, especially after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted IDBI Banks plea for initiating insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech for defaulting on a Rs 526-crore loan earlier last month. NCLT appointed insolvency professional Anuj Jain as the CEO of Jaypee Infratech. He was given six months to revive the company. Also Read: Jaypee Infra insolvency: Can homebuyers get relief under RERA? Earlier this week, the Supreme Court stayed the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech, ruling in favour of a petition filed by homebuyers. Flat-buyers had contended before the court that they will neither get a home nor a refund of their hard earned money on account of being "unsecured creditors". A day later IDBI Bank urged the Supreme Court to lift the stay order on insolvency proceedings against the real estate developer, saying the move would not benefit home buyers. The next hearing is set for September 11. This week, the NCLT also ordered the initiation of insolvency proceedings against another builder - Amrapali's Silicon City on a plea from Bank of Baroda and appointed Rajesh Samson of Deloitte as the Insolvency Resolution Professional to take control of the company. As many as 3,000 homebuyers who are against the move have decided to follow in the footsteps of Jaypee buyers and are planning to move Supreme Court. Last month, Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), an apex body of private real estate developers, had offered its support to be part of the resolution process involving unfinished projects by Amrapali Group in which over 45,000 homebuyers have invested their hard-earned savings. This proposal was made by Credai members during a meeting with three ministers appointed by the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet, which was also attended by other real estate developers active in the Noida region. Uber booking Uber riders can soon opt to book a premier service, at UberX fares, with shorter a pick-up time and top-rated drivers, the company said on Friday. Uber India launched a 'Premier' service in Mumbai and Pune, where select riders will be offered to avail it as an in-app option in a pilot phase. While private car ownership remains an aspiration for many, riders are seeking a ride that matches the experience of travelling in their own car. PREMIER will provide that to a further degree, Shailesh Sawlani, General Manager for the West region, said. The premier service will only have the best-rated Uber drivers, who have completed at least 1,000 lifetime trips and have repeatedly been acknowledged by riders, the company said, adding that over 40 percent of these premier trips have shown a shorter pickup time than the predicted arrival time. Uber also launched its biggest on ground driver assistance center of India, in Bangalore today. The 15,000 sq. ft. facility in Bangalore will house Uber Experts who will address the issues of existing drivers, and also help in new signups. We are continuing to invest in our in-person assistance locations and have launched three other facilities in Bangalore. We understand how important it is to have local Uber staff available when drivers need help, Christian Freese, General Manager of the South region, said. Uber, along with its rival Ola, has faced flak from its driver partners in the recent past in the face of dwindling cash incentives. The drivers claim that their earnings have come down by as much as 40 percent as the companies gradually rolled back trip-based incentives. The company is now looking at offering several indirect benefits to its driver partners. The US-based company last month partnered with ICICI Lombard to provide accidental insurance for its drivers. The company has launched a 'UberBazaar' an online marketplace exclusively for Ubers drivers. The marketplace will sell offers on buying new vehicle, car maintenance, healthcare, and financial planning, among others. The company said it has tied up with startups to impart such benefits, such as Clinikk for healthcare, CoverFox for car insurance, Fixmygadget for mobile phone services, and Cab Dost for tax advisory. Integra Engineering India | The company's RoE for FY18: 33.00%, FY19: 63.33%, and FY20: 22.22%. On September 7, the share price closed at Rs 25.50 which is -45 percent below its 52-week high of Rs 46.70. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares price of Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company has locked at 5 percent upper circuit as the company has sold land parcel situated at Pune, Maharashtra. There were pending buy orders of 102,439 shares, with no sellers available. The company has sold 48.457 acres of freehold land situated at village Dhoksanghvi, Taluka Shirur, District Pune, Maharashtra for Rs 13.57 crore. In the month of January 2017, the company had entered into an agreement for sale of MIDC land & building and some specific utility machineries of Ranjangaon unit situated at Ranjangaon, Pune, Maharashtra, at an aggregate value of Rs 174.45 crore. At 10:02 hrs Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company was quoting at Rs 161.05, up Rs 7.65, or 4.99 percent on the BSE. It has touched a 52-week high of Rs 161.05. Posted by Rakesh Patil live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of CCL Products India rose 13.5 percent intraday Friday on withdrawal of FII/FPI investment limit by RBI "Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved to increase the FII/FPI investment limit under portfolio investment scheme from 24 percent to 40 percent, of the paid up capital of the company," company said. Recently, the Development Commissioner of Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone had given approval to the company for setting up of Freeze Dried Instant Coffee manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh. At 11:43 hrs CCL Products India was quoting at Rs 307.70, up Rs 23.05, or 8.10 percent on the BSE. Posted by Rakesh Patil Granules India Ltd. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Dr Reddy's Laboratories crashed 7 percent intraday Friday after its Duvvada facility received six major observations from German health regulator. The pharma company informed exchanges that the Regulatory Authority of Germany (Regierung von Oberbayern), concluded an audit of formulations manufacturing facility in Duvvada, Vishakapatnam, with zero critical and six major observations. Products manufactured at the facility are not currently exported to the European Union. "The auditor has cautioned that the facility will receive EU-GMP certification from the regulator up to November 2018 only when the regulator approves the CAPA," Dr Reddy's said. The company will be submitting a corrective and preventive action plan (CAPA) to the authorities. "The facility's compliance with the CAPA and other applicable regulations will be reviewed again by the regulator by November 2018 for continuation of EU-GMP certification," it said. At 11:09 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 2,143.05, down Rs 80.90, or 3.64 percent on the BSE. IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Punj Lloyd added 8.3 percent intraday Friday as it has received a letter of award of Rs 870 crore. The company has been issued the letter of award (LOA) in respect of construction and commissioning of balance/left out canal work including cross drainage structures & design for Gosikhurd National Project in Bhandara, Nagpur and Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra for VIDC, Phase - I / Pkg - I by NBCC India. On Thursday the share closed with a gain of more than 19 percent after its joint venture bagged Rs 1177-crore project from the National Highways Authority of India in Myanmar. At 09:27 hrs Punj Lloyd was quoting at Rs 24.20, up Rs 1.45, or 6.37 percent on the BSE. Posted by Rakesh Patil A woman walking on the street, as she passes the HBL bank in central Manchester. (Photo by Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) United States banking regulator has shut down operations of Pakistan's Habib Bank (HBL) in New York after almost 40 years, according to a report in The Times of India. According to media reports, the regulator has asked the bank to shut its office after it repeatedly failed to pay attention to concerns of possible terror financing and money laundering. HBL, which is Pakistan's largest private bank has been accused of not complying with regulations and not flagging transactions that potentially could have promoted money laundering and terrorism. The US Department of Financial Services, a regulator of foreign banks in the country, also slapped a USD 225 million fine on the bank. It had initially asked the bank to pay a fine of USD 629.6 million penalty. HBL has operated in the US since 1978, and was asked to tighten potentially illegal transactions in 2006, but failed to comply. New York regulators have accused HBL of facilitating billions of dollars of transactions with Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank, which reportedly has links to al Qaeda, and failed to ensure that the funds were not used for terrorism. HBL allowed at least 13,000 transactions which were not adequately reviewed to ensure they did not involve sanctioned countries. Afghanistan ranked 1st- with a score of 9.592 - on the index that measures the impact of terrorism. A powerful blast today ripped through a house in the Beemanagar locality here, killing two persons and injuring at least six others, the police said. The explosion occurred in the Banna Devi area on the city outskirts this morning. According to eyewitnesses, the blast was so powerful that it damaged buildings and vehicles in a radius of 40 meters. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandey told PTI that forensic experts were investigating the cause of the blast though eyewitnesses said it occurred due to an LPG cylinder leak. The injured were rushed to the AMU medical college hospital and the district hospital. The condition of two of them is serious. The police are trying to ascertain the identity of those killed. Saying that 20 per cent of the population in the country is illiterate even after seventy years of independence, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called upon every section of the society to come forward in eradicating illiteracy. Addressing a programme organised on International Literacy Day here, Naidu said that it was shameful for the country that even after 70 years of independence 30 crore people are illiterate. But he cautioned that it is not a subject of politics rather all the citizens must think over the issue and come forward to eradicating illiteracy. It is not only the responsibility of the government, but also the society. Naidu said that this is a big challenge for the country as literacy and education are must for the uplift of the poor, development of the state and the country, eradication of corruption and even for the fight against superstitions. Naidu said that it is not that the governments after independence did not try to eradicate illiteracy but even after their best efforts only 80 per cent of the countrys population is literate now. He said it is appreciable that the Raghubar Das government in its tenure of nearly three years has succeeded in making 32 lakh more people literate and it will be an important achievement of the state if they achieve complete literacy by the year 2019/20 as per their commitment. He expressed happiness at people coming from far off places to attend the programme. "Literacy is for self-respect, literacy if for total development," Naidu said while saying literacy campaign is not only done by the governments but everyone should come forward and participate in the programme. Expressing happiness at honouring women who have showed interest in the literacy campaign, learned and inspired others, he said honouring them would inspire others too. "...they are doing work of the community, work of the state and work of the country," he added. He said age is no bar for learning and one can learn at any age. Literacy is very much necessary for taking forwarding the society, industry, he said and added education for enlightenment, education for empowerment and education for employment. "Saab ka Saath Saab ka Vikas (Together with all, Development for all)" would happen when Jharkhand would become literate and the pledge of Saab ka Saath Saab ka Vikas would be fulfilled, he said. He also said that it was necessary to educate women as when they become educated sanskar would be developed in the family. He quoted the reference from Puranas and Mahabharat and said that India has a rich culture and the tradition of empowerment of women as "Saraswati was education minister, Parwati/Durga was defence minister and Laxmi was the finance minister during that period. Even rivers are named after names of women." After 70 years now India has got a women defence minister in the form of Nirmala Sitharaman . The vice president stressed upon the education and empowerment of women for the holistic development of the country. #first lady First lady meets with hospital officials to discuss treatment for Cambodian child First lady Kim Keon-hee revisited a hospital in Phnom Penh to discuss ways to provide treatment for a Cambodian child with a congenital heart disease, the presidential office said ... 'Eat beef in your own country and then come to India'. This is the advice newly appointed tourism minister KJ Alphons has for foreign visitors. They can eat beef in their own country and then come to India. This is a cock-and-bull story, the bureaucrat-turned-minister said when asked if beef ban had affected tourism in India. Alphons was speaking to reporters at the 33rd annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar. On September 5, his first day in office, Alphons had said beef would continue to be consumed in Kerala. Read More: http://www.news18.com/news/politics/eat-beef-in-your-own-country-then-visit-india-tourism-ministers-advice-1512595.html Agriculture Newly-appointed Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said the government is "working hard" to double farmers' income by 2022. The government over the last three years has been working to minimise the cost incurred by farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Shekhawat was in town to meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and other state leaders after being inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Interacting with reporters here, Shekhawat asserted that borders of the country have become secure and the world sees India as a strong nation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power at the Centre. He saw India taking its rightful place in future. The minister discussed the issues affecting farmers and agriculture schemes in Rajasthan. Shekhawat promised that he will raise the same in Parliament, along with other members of the Cabinet from the state. The National Green Tribunal has slapped fines on seven housing societies in the national capital for generating waste in large quantity and not complying with the solid waste management rules. A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, imposed environment compensation on these societies after their lawyers contended that their houses were constructed long ago and they were complying with all environmental measures subject to their limitations. They said, the societies would take all appropriate steps to comply with the environmental laws and install anti-pollution devices to treat the pollutants. "In light of the above, each of the societies shall pay environmental compensation of Rs 10,000 to Delhi Pollution Control Committee within two weeks and would carry out all the compliance in relation to environmental laws and install anti-pollution devices within six months. The directions issued by joint inspection team shall also be complied with. "All these societies shall take steps for collecting the wastes, in their area, in a segregated manner and ensure its carriage to the identified dumping site," the bench, also comprising Justice R S Rathore, said. The societies are Jawaharlal Nehru Cooperative Group Housing Society Ltd, Jhang Cooperative Group Housing Ltd, Delhi Citizen Society, Neelkanth Apartments, Bharat Apartments, Printers Apartment and the Police Colony. During the proceedings, the counsel appearing for Jawaharlal Nehru Society told the bench that they were paying Rs 66,000 to Delhi Jal Board for discharge of their sewage in the sewer line. He said these housing societies were financially weak and hence only a token amount of environmental compensation should be imposed on them for the deficiencies pointed out by the inspecting team. The NGT order came after it perused an interim report submitted by a committee set up by it which recommended action against defaulting bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste. The committee comprised representatives of the ministries of Environment and Urban Development, Director General of Health Services, Medical Council of India, DDA, municipal corporations, the Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board, railways and Delhi Pollution Control Committee. It also had four independent experts. It had directed the committee to inspect all five-star hotels, hospitals which have more than 200 beds, cooperative group housing societies with over 300 flats, markets, shopping malls with built up area of over 50,000 sq mts, colleges having hostel accommodating more than 500 students in Delhi. The green panel had earlier directed the Delhi government to provide a list of all mass generators of waste, while noting that the problem of waste generation was being faced by the entire country and urgent steps were needed to be taken without "demur and default". The green body had noted that Delhi generates nearly 14,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and said that the mass generators of waste cannot be equated to a simple households generating trash. Moneycontrol News In a bid to strengthen his electoral campaign ahead of the 2019 parliamentary polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who also happens to be the projected Prime Ministerial face of the party, is being rigorously schooled to be able to bring in new thought, says a report in India Today. The politicians schedule has been reworked to pack in many study tours to expose him to new ideas, in hope of bettering his political campaigns.Earlier this month, the Gandhi family scion went on a tour of Norway which included visits to popular tech institutes such as Polar Institute and Technology Center Mongstad, the latter being the worlds largest facility for combating climate change, and also met entrepreneurs and dignitaries- holding discussions on subjects ranging from civic issues to Norways oil wealth. Earlier this month, the Gandhi family scion went on a tour of Norway which included visits to popular tech institutes such as Polar Institute and Technology Center Mongstad which is the worlds largest facility for combating climate change. Gandhi met entrepreneurs and dignitaries - holding discussions on subjects ranging from civic issues to Norways oil wealth. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi says Modi likes to Google and peep into 'bathrooms' Rahul will also be visiting Silicon Valley on September 11 where he is scheduled to meet researchers on Artificial Intelligence, and will also address a conference at the University of California, Berkeley titled India at 70: Reflections on the Path Forward. A senior Congress leader said the idea was to bring back knowledge and implement it at the policy level in the Congress partys vision documents. Also Read: New research shows constituencies ruled by dynasts in India lag in both economic and social development "While some other leaders are obsessing over the past, here is a leader in the country who is thinking about the future. Rahul wants to get new thinking and ideas to this country. These study tours are set to benefit him, the Congress party as well as this nation at large. With exposure to new technology, he will be able to influence new policy," said CP Joshi, AICC general secretary, as per the report. The Congress Vice President is currently grappling with the party's sliding electoral graph after a series of defeats. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More On July 21 (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) CAG had pulled six telecom companies for understating their revenue. CAG, in its report, had stated that Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications, Aircel and Tata had understated their revenue by Rs 61,064.5 crore over the five-year period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. This leads to the government losing out Rs 12,229.24 crore as payment from spectrum usage charges and interest. These charges are computed by using telecom companies revenue as the base. On the basis of this report government has once again appointed special auditors to check irregularities in telecom companys accounts. A history of Abuse This is not the first time CAG has pointed out anomalies in telecom companies' books. In March 2016, CAG had also tabled its report on revenue loss due to wrong calculation of AGR. In its report, CAG had claimed that six major telecom companies Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance Communications, Tata, and Aircel -had understated gross revenue of over Rs 46,000 crore for a period between 2006-07 and 2009-10 and denied the government its share of income which was estimated at more than Rs 12,400 crore. See Table: On the basis of the CAG report, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had appointed a special auditor for reassessment of the telecom companies' accounts. After the assessment, DoT had issued demand-cum-show cause notices to six private telecom companies for a total amount of Rs. 29,474 crores on account of license fee. This demand also included interest and penalty for not paying license fees on time. Results of this interest and penalty exceeds actual license fees demand. *This figure is the revised license fees demand which includes Rs 3794 Crore of license fees demand already raised by DoT on account of Regular and Special Audit Demands. The License fees is calculated as a percentage of Adjusted Gross Revenue. Disputed Definition The definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue is under litigation since 2003. Fourteen years gone by and the matter is presently pending in the Supreme Court. Supreme Court has barred DoT from taking any coercive step to recover the outstanding dues from telcos. As per the CAG the telecom players suppressed revenues through different accounting adjustments for commissions or discounts paid to distributors, promotional schemes such as free talk-time, as well as discounts for users of roaming services. The CAG has also stated that exchequer was also shortened of revenue by telcos by excluding forex gains, interest income, sale of investment, profit on sale of fixed assets and dividend income from their reported aggregated gross revenue. The telecom operators share a percentage of their aggregated gross revenue with the government as annual license fees. Bumpy Road Ahead for Telecom Companies So far all the demands raised by DoT are pending in various courts. However CAG, Special Auditors appointed by government are confident that government demand is justified, and government will be able to win all these cases. Now, on the basis of assessment for a period between 2010-11 to 2014-15 government is ready with another set of notices. These notices will start hitting telecom companies from September. Finally, if government wakes from deep slumber and fights the AGR case in the Supreme Court pro-actively then telecom companies will have a tough time in future. A major American credit reporting agency entrusted to safeguard personal financial information has said hackers looted its system in a colossal breach that could affect nearly half the US population as well as people in Britain and Canada. Equifax yesterday said that a hack it learned about on July 29 had the potential to affect 143 million US customers, and involved some data for British and Canadian residents. The Atlanta-based company disclosed the breach in a release that did not explain why it waited more than a month to warn those affected about a risk of identity theft. Filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission showed that three high-ranking Equifax executives sold shares worth almost USD 1.8 million in the days after the hack was discovered. An Equifax spokesperson told AFP the executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares." Copies of SEC filings regarding the transactions were on an investor relations page at the company's website. Equifax collects information about people and businesses around the world and provides credit ratings used for decisions regarding loans and other financial matters. It also touts a service protecting against identity theft. "The fact that it is a credit company that people pay to be protected from breaches, and now they have been breached... it feels like a betrayal of trust to a point," said Aires Security chief executive Brian Markus, whose firm specializes in computer network defenses. He considered the breach "gigantic," made worse by the fact that Equifax stores extensive personal information about people and keeps it up to date. Markus wondered what level of responsibility Equifax is going to take if stolen information is used for fraud or identity theft, and advised people to enlist credit monitoring services to alert them to trouble. Equifax released a statement saying that it learned of the breach on July 29 and "acted immediately" with the assistance of an independent cybersecurity firm to assess the impact. "Criminals exploited a US website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files," the statement said. An internal investigation determined the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017, according to the company. Equifax said the hackers obtained names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver's license numbers from the database, potentially opening up victims to identity theft. The company said credit card numbers were compromised for some 209,000 US consumers, as were credit dispute documents for 182,000 people. Equifax vowed to work with British and Canadian regulators to determine appropriate next steps for customers affected in those countries, but added in the release that it "found no evidence that personal information of consumers in any other country has been impacted." "This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do," said company chairman and chief executive Richard Smith. "I apologise to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes." He added that Equifax is reviewing its overall security operations. Equifax said it had established a website to enable consumers to determine if they are affected and would be offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to customers. The company is the latest to announce a major breach. Yahoo last year disclosed two separate cyber attacks which affected as many as one billion accounts. More than 400 million accounts were affected by a breach disclosed last year at the hookup site Adult Friend Finder, and other firms affected in recent years included Heartland Payment Systems and retail giant Target. "Every company out there is potentially susceptible in today's cyber landscape," Markus said of hacking attacks, some even by nation states. "These incidents can put companies out of business." Equifax shares were down more than 13 percent to USD 124 in after-market trades that followed news of the hack. Amazon is looking to build a second headquarters which could create 50,000 more jobs for the e-commerce titan, according to a New York Times report. Amazon put the US city of Seattle on the map after the phenomenal growth of its first headquarters has it owning 19 percent of all existing office space in the city. Amazon will not go just about anywhere in the United States though. A city with a population of million residents and above, good schools, recreation facilities, a diverse demographic, excellent city infrastructure and good accessibility are a few of the conditions that it has set for potential bidders. The announcement, made on Thursday, saw the cities of Chicago, Dallas, and San Diego, and states like Michigan stating their interest by the end of the day. The report also mentions that Amazon is looking for a business-friendly environment, which could mean that a combination of tax breaks and other sweeteners will be the best way to grab Amazons attention. The Times report also observes that Seattle is facing steep housing prices, traffic mobility issues and its status as an important IT hub is making competition for talent in the sector more fierce. Amazon also insisted on access to mass transit, high connectivity to an international airport and easy access to a major highway or arterial road to no greater than two miles. This announcement comes on the heels of President Donald Trump accusing Amazon of hurting smaller retailers and wiping out jobs. Amazon currently employs 40,000 of its total 380,000 employees in Seattle. President Xi Jinping said today that emerging market economies and developing countries have become the "main engine" of world economic growth, as he announced that China will provide USD 500 million to help such nations. Xi made the announcement at a meeting in which leaders of the five BRICS countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and heads of Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand took part. It was held on the sidelines of the 9th BRICS Summit under China's BRICS Plus initiative. "I wish to announce that China will provide USD 500 million for assistance fund for South-South Cooperation," Xi said addressing the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries here. The money will be used to help fellow developing countries to tackle famine, refugees, climate change, public health and other challenges, he said. "The purpose of inviting some representatives of developing countries from different regions to this dialogue is to foster a broad network for developing partnerships and build a community of common development and a shared future," Xi said. The Chinese president called for stronger solidarity and cooperation among emerging market economies and developing countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said efforts should be made to enhance the representation and voice of emerging market economies and developing countries in the global economic governance. Xi said the emerging market economies and developing countries have become the "main engine" of world economic growth. In his address, Xi also spoke about his Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of which the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an integral part. India has protested to China about the CPEC as it passes through PoK. India had also boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) which was organised by China in May this year in support of the BRI. India, however, is part of the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, which is also part of the BRI. Speaking at length about the initiative, which is widely seen as an attempt by Beijing to firm up its influence with a vast network of roads, rails and port infrastructure, Xi said China will also provide "40,000 training opportunities" for the developing countries in China in the coming years. "Four years ago, I put forward the idea of Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The initiative received warm response from the international community," Xi said. "In May, this year China hosted a successful Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Together with the participating countries and international organisations we outlined vision under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and proposed concrete measures along the BRI in pursuing sustainable development," he said. It is widely agreed that the philosophy and vision of the BRI and its focus on policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people to people connectivity have much in common with 2030 agenda for the sustainable development and the two can complement very well each other, Xi said. "The BRI is much a part of cooperation as much as one of hope and mutual benefit. As a follow up to the BRF, China will develop cooperation with interested countries in infrastructure connectivity, production capacity and technological innovation and other fields," he said Emerging markets and developing countries represent the future of the world development, Xi asserted. "It is our duty to promote international cooperation on development and implement sustainable development agenda. Let us work together to blaze a new path of development that is fair, open, comprehensive and innovative," he said. The BRICS Plus arrangement floated by China was part of a tradition being followed by the five-member BRICS grouping in which the host country invites nations of their choice to take part in the dialogue with the BRICS leaders. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had told the media recently that the five countries that are taking part in the dialogue are not permanent invitees but only participating in the meeting for this Summit. He compared their presence to India's invitation to BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic) leaders for last year's Goa Summit. U.S. President Donald Trump reacts after signing an executive order on education during an event with Governors at the White House in Washington US President Donald Trump offered today to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors and said he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily." "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups. Doha denies the claims and accuses the other countries of an attack on its sovereignty. The United States has given mixed signals on its policy to the Gulf crisis while Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator. Trump immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia after the Arab states announced sanctions against Qatar, but some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adopted a more measured tone. Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May, two weeks before the Gulf crisis erupted. Qatar is meanwhile home to a huge US air base, where the headquarters of Centcom -- the regional command which leads operations against the Islamic State jihadist group -- is based. By CNBCTV18.COM The news follows a separate story from late August that suggested Taiwan-based HTC was interested in some sort of sale. A report from a Taiwanese news outlet called Commercial Times says Google is in the final stages of acquiring all or part of smartphone maker HTC. The news follows a separate story from late August that suggested Taiwan-based HTC was interested in some sort of sale. HTC, once one of the more popular smartphone makers in the United States, has fallen off of most carrier store shelves after several consecutive unsuccessful smartphone launches. It recently launched a separate division that sells virtual reality headsets. The report seems fishy, since Google has already been down this road, but there's a reason why Google might be interested in HTC. The Taiwanese company builds the Google Pixel, which means it could be a good fit for Google as it continues to cater to consumers with its "Pixel" smartphone brand. Here's where it sounds off base: Google acquired Motorola Mobility and then sold it off just a couple of years later. Why repeat that move? Commercial Times said HTC's poor financial position and Google's desire to "perfect UBS analyst Eric J. Sheridan explained in a note on Thursday why Google might want to push further into hardware. Sheridan said a Google acquisition of HTC would be "immaterial to Alphabet" given its $95 billion cash stash. Rating agency Standard & Poor's has said that the tensions in the Korean Peninsula are not high enough to downgrade South Korea's sovereign rating. "As long as there is no actual war outbreak, I think the impact is relatively limited, and that's why we don't change our outlook on the rating of South Korea," Kim Eng Tan, senior director of Asia-Pacific sovereign ratings at S&P, was quoted as saying by a Korean newspaper. September What happened when we were asleep? 14, 08.00 The US State Department issued a statement saying they haven't given up on diplomacy to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Deaprtment spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the department is "realistic" but also "optimistic" that diplomacy will resolve the issue, expressing satisfaction with the new UN Security Council resolution against the North. The Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC), a North Korean communist organisation, demanded that that the United States be "beaten to death" like a "rabid dog" for pushing fresh UN sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test and added that ally Japan should be "sunken into the sea". 19:37 North Korea is one of the worlds most secretive major exporters of small arms such as including Kalashnikovs, rockets and machine guns, according to a report of experts in Geneva. The Small Arms Survey Trade Update 2017 survey states that among 55 percent of nations who trade in small arms, the USD 6 billion market remains a murky industry in which weapons find their way into the hands of terrorists or are used by states to carry out human rights abuses. The survey singles out North Korea along with nations such as Saudi Arabia and Iran on transparency of small arms. "The five least transparent major small arms exporters are: Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE. These states do not provide information on their small arms exports to Comtrade or the UN Register, the survey states. "North Korea has received a score of 0 in every edition of the Transparency Barometer to date. It has never provided information on its small arms exports to Comtrade or the UN Register.30 In 2013, Comtrade recorded the highest value for North Korean small arms exports: USD 300,000," it says. 17:30 North Korea vowed today to accelerate its weapons programmes in response to "evil" sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council following its latest and most powerful nuclear test. The North says it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself from "hostile" US forces and analysts believe Pyongyang's weapons programme has made rapid progress under leader Kim Jong-Un, with previous sanctions having done little to deter it. Read the full story here. 16.17 US-based defence analysts have said that North Korea has resumed work at its underground nuclear weapon testing site. After studying recent satellite images, the analysts said they had detected new vehicles, mining carts and other signs of activity at the Punggye-ri underground nuclear test site in northeast North Korea. 15.21 In a well-rounded piece published today, Michelle Ye Hee Lee of the Washington Post talked about how South Korea now wants nuclear weapons of its own. Not too long ago, this was a fringe idea. But now that the threat from North Korea is escalating every passing day, the argument for South Korea to arm itself with nukes is gaining steam. Read the full story here. 15.15 Chinese expert on Korean Studies Lu Chao has said that he does not believe imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea will result in the rogue nation giving up its nuclear weapons program. "The US and its allies Japan and South Korea hope to suffocate North Korea and overturn its regime through economic and military pressure, but this will not work because China and Russia will not accept this, as it will affect their national interests and jeopardize the regional strategic balance," Lu said in an interview to Global Times. Read the full story by Global Times here. 15.06 In a statement yesterday, the Russian agriculture ministry said that Russia is ready to develop cooperation with the United States in the field of agriculture. The statement said Russia eyes promoting US investments in its agricultural sector. 15.05 The US State Department on Tuesday said that the current diplomatic row between Russia and the United States should not be escalated. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he believed that "no further escalatory action is necessary at his point" and that both countries should look ahead and try strengthening their ties. 14.53 #NEWSGRAPHIC The military balance in northeast Asia. North Korea vows to build up its weaponry in face of UN sanctions @AFP pic.twitter.com/wKPGs0t8Ao AFPgraphics (@AFPgraphics) September 13, 2017 14.51 "Of course, we take these proposals with interest. A creative look and approach to the situation are very much in demand," Ryabkov said when asked what Russia made of Merkel's statement. "But, saying this, I cannot but also say that complete and direct parallels between the two situations are probably already impossible, because the DPRK, unlike Iran, is a country that has already really mastered nuclear weapons technologies at least to a degree that allows Pyongyang to test nuclear explosive devices and move in the direction of constant improvement of delivery systems in the form of ballistic missiles." 14.50 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that Russia is considering German Chancellor Angela Merkel's proposal of an Iran-like negotiation with North Korea with interest, but direct parallels between the situations are almost impossible. 14.47 Even as some politicians have called for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, the Moon Jae-in-led South Korean government has repeatedly declared its opposition to the idea, noting that it remains committed to the principle of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. 14.43 North Korea may be facing a shortage of oil at the moment and it does not have any oil reserves of its own either. But the rogue nation may be sitting on minerals worth trillions of dollars, including rare earth minerals and precious metals like gold and silver. Estimates over the last decade by South Korean authorities have pegged North Korea's deposits of coal, iron ore, zinc, copper, graphite, gold, silver, magnesite, molybdenite, and many others, to be worth between USD 6 trillion and USD 10 trillion. Read the full story by RT here. 14.33 Business Korea has reported that the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have started discussing ways to hold a summit meeting in New York during the 72nd regular session of the UN General Assembly scheduled for next week. 14.31 Chinese traders along the North Korean border and some regular visitors to the hermit nation have said that scarcer and costlier fuel, as well as earlier UN sanctions banning the export of commodities such as seafood and coal, are now taking a toll. Several Chinese traders said the sanctions had stymied North Korean businesses ability to raise hard currency to trade. 13.04 A day after North Korea conducted its largest ever nuclear weapons test, South Korean defense minister, Song Young-moo, told lawmakers in Seoul that a special forces brigade that defense officials described as a decapitation unit would be established by the end of the year. Although it is not a commonly followed practice to announce plans to assassinate someone, South Korea wants to make sure this one is widely heard and prevents North Korea from initiating any conflict. Read the full New York Times story here. 12.26 An article by Financial Times has explained in detail how a network of shell companies and old ships is helping North Korea circumvent the sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations. The registered offices of a lot of these shell companies have been found to be at the same address in Hong Kong, and multiple companies in this web own or manage the same ships. Read the full story here. 12.14 The UN sanctions on North Korea's textile industry are expected to impact a lot of businesses and cause compliance issues to clothing retailers in US and other parts of the world. North Korea exports USD 752 million of textile a year, 80 percent of which goes to China. A lot of clothing retailers in the US too depend on imports from North Korea and even though big retail chains like Walmart can afford to keep North Korean products off its shelves, smaller businesses may not have the wherewithal necessary to do so. 11.58 Australian journalist and documentary filmmaker John Pilger has expressed fears that although everyone seems to be wanting to avoid a nuclear war, the US and NATO are on a path leading to war, not just with North Korea but potentially with Russia and China too. 11.55 Former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark has said that secret negotiations mediated by a neutral third party are key to resolving the North Korean crisis. 11.41 The New Yorker has published a very well-written piece titled 'To Do', in which the writer lists five things to do for the day, for each day of the week, arranged by priority. While the first five days seem like any other, the lists for the last two days are very interesting and sum up the prevalent American sentiment. Read it here. 11.25 Continuation of the KAPPC statement... 3. The south Korean authorities should not spout "strong military counteraction" for which they can not be responsible, a bluff unbecoming for their have-not position. The stooges moving at the beck and call of others, being subject to sycophancy and submission should not go unreasonable as to call for slapping "painful sanctions" and "pressure", and should stop provoking laughter of people with their such clumsy counteraction as "joint strike" reminiscent of children's playing at soldiers. 3. The south Korean authorities should not spout "strong military counteraction" for which they can not be responsible, a bluff unbecoming for their have-not position. The stooges moving at the beck and call of others, being subject to sycophancy and submission should not go unreasonable as to call for slapping "painful sanctions" and "pressure", and should stop provoking laughter of people with their such clumsy counteraction as "joint strike" reminiscent of children's playing at soldiers. 4. The world including the neighboring countries needs to have proper understanding of the nuclear issue of Korea. The nuclear blackmail and threat the U.S. has posed to the DPRK so far have been a wrong option against the rival of wrong choice. 11.24 In a report yesterday, North Korean state mouthpiece KCNA published the reactions of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC), a North Korean communist organisation. This was the KAPPC statement: 1. The U.S. should stop rash act and not run wild, with deep consideration of the position and weight of its rival Juche Korea that have undergone change after its access to H-bomb. If the U.S. adheres to sanctions and pressure, not properly judging the great significance and the stern warning given by the success in the H-bomb test of Juche Korea, it will face unprecedentedly resolute counteraction it can not hold control of. 1. The U.S. should stop rash act and not run wild, with deep consideration of the position and weight of its rival Juche Korea that have undergone change after its access to H-bomb. If the U.S. adheres to sanctions and pressure, not properly judging the great significance and the stern warning given by the success in the H-bomb test of Juche Korea, it will face unprecedentedly resolute counteraction it can not hold control of. 2. Japan should clearly understand its position and stop indecent deed of acting as the U.S. cat's paw. The army and people of the DPRK with pent-up wrath against the Japanese reactionaries are waiting for a moment to settle accounts with the present Japanese authorities who have taken the lead in tightening sanctions against the DPRK pursuant to the U.S. Japan should bear in mind that it is near the DPRK, world-level military power possessed of diversified A-bomb, H-bomb and rockets of deadly striking power and hit effect. 10.50 South Korea today said that it had found traces of radioactive xenon gas and confirmed them to be from the North Korean nuclear weapon test earlier this month. The country's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said its land-based xenon detector in the northeastern part of the country found traces of xenon-133 isotope on 9 occasions, while its mobile equipment off the country's east coast detected traces of the isotope 4 times. However, South Korea has still not been able to determine whether the test was for a conventional nuke or a hydrogen bomb. 10.43 According to a United Nations report released Saturday, Tanzania is one among 7 countries being investigated for violating the arms embargo imposed on North Korea by the UN. The other countries implicated in the report are Angola, Congo, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Uganda and Syria. 10.36 There's no doubt that over the past 25 yrs theres been extensive cooperation b/w #Iran & #NorthKorea on ballistic missiles & likely more. John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 12, 2017 10.33 A report by Asia Times today has talked about how, even at a time when North Korea's advancements in the field of nuclear weaponry is making other countries wary, the country's low-tech military equipment is something to worry about. The North Korean air force has 300 An-2 Biplanes that were designed way back in 1946 and are predominantly made of wood. These aircraft are known for their ability to fly low and slow and still be easy to maneuver, and are therefore used widely in other countries for crop dusting. However, North Korea could use these aircraft to disperse chemical or biological weapons, as it is known to have stockpiles of toxins like Sarin and VX. The wooden exterior of these aircraft make them very difficult to track by radar and they can carry as many as ten paratroops on board. Read the full story here. 10.16 With around 5 months to go for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, the organizers are finding it very difficult to sell tickets. Given the frequent weapons tests by North Korea and mounting tensions in the Korean Peninsula, spectators seem to want to stay away from the ski resort town, which is located a mere 80 km away from the heavily-armed North Korean border. 10.10 The North Korean representative to the UN Han Tae Song said yesterday that the US is definitely on a path of military confrontation with North Korea. The sanctions and pressure campaign by the Washington regime to completely obliterate DPRKs sovereignty and the right to existence is reaching an extremely reckless level, Song said while speaking at the UN Disarmament Conference. Instead of making the right choice with a rational analysis on (the) overall situation, the Washington regime finally opts for political, economic and military confrontation. 09.59 Reacting to North Korea's warning that it will inflict on US "the greatest pain" it has ever experienced, Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop said that the reaction was along expected lines. "On this scale of threats, intimidation and insults it's probably just par for the course from North Korea," Bishop said today. The foreign minister refused to acknowledge that the fresh sanctions would only stir the pot more and not result in a real solution. "The alternative would be to allow a rogue regime to continue down an illegal path that is in direct defiance of the UN security council. That is not acceptable," she said. 09.17 Coming under a lot of pressure because of its ties with North Korea, Egypt has reportedly severed military ties with the rogue nation. According to a report by AP, the announcement was made by the Egyptian defence minister during his visit to Seoul. 09.14 US-based monitoring website 38 North, which is associated with Johns Hopkins University, has estimated the nuclear weapon tested by North Korea on September 3 to have a yield of 250 kilotons, as opposed to earlier estimates of between 50 kt and 160 kt. 09.01 South Korea has said that it conducted its first live-fire drill for an advanced air-launched cruise missile that will strengthen its pre-emptive strike capability against North Korea in the event of crisis, the Washington Post reported. The South Korean military said today that the Taurus missile fired from an F-15 fighter jet travelled through obstacles at low altitudes before hitting a target off the countrys western coast. Read the full story here. 08.14 In its official response to the newly imposed sanctions, the North Korean foreign ministry said yesterday that UN resolution only reaffirmed the country's belief that its push for nuclear weapons "was absolutely right". It vowed to follow this road at a faster pace without the slightest diversion until this fight to the finish is over, and added that it will establish a 'practical equilibrium' with the United States. 08.01 Frustrated US lawmakers called for a high-powered response to North Koreas nuclear tests on Tuesday, saying Washington should act alone if necessary to stiffen sanctions on companies from China, Russia and any country doing business with Pyongyang. I believe the response from the United States and our allies should be supercharged, said Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. We need to use every ounce of leverage ... to put maximum pressure on this rogue regime. Time is running out, the Republican Congressman added. September 13, 07.57 What happened while we were asleep? US President Donald Trump said that the UN sanctions on North Korea agreed upon this week were a small step and nothing compared to what would have to happen to deal with the countrys nuclear program. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned China, North Koreas main ally and trading partner, that if it did not follow through on the new measures, Washington would put additional sanctions on them and prevent them from accessing the US and international dollar system. 19:30 North Korea is trying to steal Bitcoins and cryptocurrencies says report According to a report by cyber security firm FireEye, North Korean hackers targeted at least three South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges. The firm suspects that the aim was to steal the digital tokens, to avoid sanctions. The report further said that the hackers used the 'spear phishing' method of sending emails to make them look like they were sent by someone you know and sent malware to illicitly get the virtual cash. 18:47 Park Song Il, member of North Korea's Foreign Ministry has told The New Yorker, "Dont push us too hard, because youre going to start a war. And we should say, were not going to die alone." 17.08 DATA STORY: Can the US intercept a North Korean missile flying towards it? 17.03 United States Republican Senator Mark Miloscia has said that the threat of a nuclear strike on the US mainland is starting to become imminent. He warned the threat is growing with every weapons test, and urged lawmakers to back the bid for an emergency response plan. 16.19 North Korea today rejected the UN Security Council resolution imposing tougher sanctions on it and said the United States would soon face the greatest pain it had ever experienced. 14.41 A senior Japanese official has reportedly warned that the world faces its "last chance" to put an end to North Korea's nuclear program and said it is "very helpful" for countries like Australia to tighten the sanctions noose by targeting companies around the world that help North Korea dodge United Nations penalties. 13.03 On a lighter note, Italian senator Antonio Razzi, who is believed to be close to Kim Jong-un, revealed in an interview to The Sun that the North Korean dictator is a big fan of English football club Manchester United. Razzi also said Kim believes that North Korean footballers will take over the English football scene one day and dominate it. Read the full story here. 12.57 China's top four banks have reportedly stopped providing any financial service to North Korean clients amid concerns from the international community that China has not been hard enough on North Korea following the rogue nation's sixth, and most powerful yet, nuclear weapons test on September 3. 12.54 The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has said that it will petition the United Nations to investigate the cases of 6 South Korean detainees in North Korea, NK News reported. 12.50 The South Korean government has welcomed the United Nations Security Council's unanimous vote in favour imposing new sanctions on North Korea, calling it a "strict warning" to the rogue nation from the international community. "North Korea should accept the strict warning from the international community that continued provocations only deepen the diplomatic isolation and economic pressure," the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. 12.43 According to a report by security firm FireEye, North Korean hackers working for the Kim Jong-un regime have increased the number of attacks on South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges and related websites with a view of securing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies can then be used to circumvent trade restrictions, including the new sanctions approved by the United Nations Security Council on Monday. 11.36 Scientists have warned that the possibility of a radiation leak at North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is growing with every detonation and is inevitable. "Its just a matter of time to detect it, because there are cracks on mountains where radioactive substances will leak," said Chinese scientist Wei Shijie. This development comes a day after the Chinese government issued a statement saying the nuclear test by North Korea on September 3 did not affect the people or environment around China-North Korea border. China even stopped its emergency monitoring of the area, which was started right after the nuclear test and lasted for 8 days. 11.23 In an article published in the South China Morning Post, journalist Sylvia Yu has detailed the story of woman who was trafficked from North Korea to China for the purpose of being sold into marriage, escaped from China to Laos and from there to Thailand, and now intends to go to South Korea to find freedom. The woman, Mi-young, escaped from China with the help of volunteers from Helping Hands Korea. However, as Yu mentioned in her article, the passage out of China for North Koreans has become even more perilous now. China is currently witnessing its strictest crackdown on North Korean refugees in recent times. Moreover, because of an agreement signed in 1986 between China and North Korea, North Korean citizens don't get arrested by Chinese authorities, but get sent back to their home country. Read the full story here. 10.58 Jocko Willink, a former US Navy SEAL, made a very peculiar suggestion last week about how the North Korean crisis could be best resolved. Surprisingly, his suggestion wasn't about the use of military means at all. Instead of bombs, he said, the US should drop around 25 million iPhones in North Korea, put some satellites over the country and provide free wifi. North Korea's population is estimated to be around 25.2 million. The idea behind Willink suggestion is that if all the people of North Korea get their hands on iPhones and see for themselves what they are missing out on, Kim Jong-un's regime won't be sustainable any longer and it will be overthrown. 10.48 According to a report by South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo, Cho Tae Yong, the deputy chief of South Koreas National Security Council under the administration of former President Park Geun-hye, requested the United States to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons when he visited the country between October 4 and October 7 last year and met with Daniel Kritenbrink, the then senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council. 10.45 The head of the NATO military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has said that North Korea's "reckless behaviour" is a threat to countries across the globe and warrants a global response. "The reckless behavior of North Korea is a global threat and requires a global response and that of course also includes NATO. We are now totally focused on how can we contribute to a peaceful solution of the conflict," Stoltenberg said. 10.31 You can change the do... #trump #northkorea @smhletters pic.twitter.com/s7JPoO07aj john shakespeare (@johnshakespeare) September 12, 2017 09.53 In light of the growing threat from North Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support ratings have gone up by as much as 50 percent. Of course, the Opposition being in disarray did not hurt. 09.31 This is an interesting web application that allows the user to enter a location, a specific yield (for a nuclear bomb) and type of explosion, and get an estimate of the damage that could possibly be inflicted. According to its estimate, if North Korea dropped the bomb it test-fired on September 3 on Seoul, it would kill over 400,000 people and injure close to 2 million others. Users can enter the names of any one of the 20 cities on the list and see for themselves the fallout of a nuclear explosion over there. Check it out. 09.23 The International Olympic Committee on Monday said that the escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula had so far raised "no hint" of a security threat for next year's Pyeongchang 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea. "We are in contact with governments concerned. In all these conversations with the leading figures in the different governments we can see there is no doubt being raised about the winter Games of 2018," IOC President Thomas Bach said. 08.51 The new sanctions imposed on North Korea include a cap on oil exports to the country but do not block them completely. In addition to the cap on oil exports, the resolution passed by the Security Council bans the country from exporting any textile and importing any natural gas, apart from setting a cap of 2 million barrels a year on refined petroleum sales. Seafood exports to North Korea have been banned too and a cap has been set on coal imports by the rogue nation as well. 08.06 In an article published yesterday, The Washington Post has detailed how Russia is quietly helping North Korea undercut the sanctions imposed on it. An examination of some official documents by US officials and interviews of key people have revealed that Russian smugglers have been coming to North Korea's aid with shipments of petroleum and other vital supplies for the last few months. Tanker traffic between North Korean ports and Vladivostok this spring has seen a marked increase from last year. With the sanctions imposed by the UN getting tougher with time, some Russian entrepreneurs have recognised the opportunity to make a quick profit. They set up multiple front companies to hide their transactions and launder their money, US officials said. Read the full article. 07.55 China's ambassador to the UN, Liu Jieyi, has called on North Korea to "take seriously the expectations and will of the international community" to put an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile development. He also called on all other countries and parties involved to remain calm and not stoke tensions. September 12, 07.52 The United Nations Security Council voted in favour of imposing new sanctions on North Korea yesterday but the sanctions were well short of what the Trump administration had first proposed. The original demands of the United States, which were made by American ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley last week, were significantly toned down after multiple negotiations with Russia and China, both of who were against the idea of imposing very harsh sanctions. 22:29 New, softer US North Korea sanctions resolution no longer calls for ban on oil exports. Also, no asset freeze or travel ban for Kim Jong Un. Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) September 11, 2017 22:15 German Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that an agreement similar to the Iranian nuclear deal could be the solution. According to the Iran Nuclear deal, the country agreed to scale back its nuclear program in exchange for easing of sanctions. "I could imagine such a format being used to end the North Korea conflict. Europe and especially Germany should be prepared to play a very active part in that," Merkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Sunday. 18:19 "I could imagine such a format being used to end the North Korea conflict. Europe and especially Germany should be prepared to play a very active part in that," Merkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Sunday. NEW VIDEO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosts glitzy gala for nuclear scientists, shows first video of purported H-bomb test pic.twitter.com/2gZZrEawwg Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) September 10, 2017 17:30 Speaking to CNN, Senator John McCain on Sunday had called for the US to step up its presence around North Korea in order to make it clear to the Kim Jong-un regime that their acts would lead to the extinction of the country. 17:03 North Korea warns US ahead of sanctions vote According to a report by CNN, North Korean Foreign Ministry, in a statement has said that it would respond in kind if the US went ahead with the "illegal and unlawful 'resolution'". "The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the US the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history," it said. 16:53 The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote to impose sanctions on North Korea, later today. We'll bring you all the latest updates. 15.08 China has reportedly not detected any abnormal rise in radiation levels along the border it shares with North Korea after the latter conducted its largest ever nuclear weapons test last Sunday. The Chinese government had imposed an emergency monitoring following the nuclear test but has now decided to end it since nothing out of the ordinary was found. 14.36 A United Nations report has revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be colluding with Syria for the development of chemical and ballistic missiles, UK-based Daily Star reported. A United Nations team investigated secretive contact between the two countries and discovered reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms cooperation. 14.21 South Korean manufacturers of consumer goods are contemplating a scale-back or a complete pull out from the Chinese market because of heavy losses incurred over the last couple of months. The losses are because of the Chinese government boycotting South Korean goods after South Korea first deployed a US missile defence system. According to a report by Financial Times, Lotte Group, which is South Korea's fifth largest conglomerate, is planning to shut down its stores in China after incurring massive losses due the Chinese government boycott. Lotte estimated that the sales loss for this year would be to the tune of USD 900 million. 13.05 A CNBC report from earlier today has talked about how the THAAD anti-missile defence systems deployed in South Korea by the United States may not be enough to protect the country's capital. Seoul, which is only around 20 miles from the North Korean border, is out of the THAAD's range and therefore, any missiles fired at Seoul could not be shot down. Also, even if the THAAD systems are deployed in the Seoul metropolitan area, they may not be able to shoot down multiple missiles headed their way. Even if it is one missile but fired at a low height and high velocity, it would become nearly impossible for the THAAD to stop it. 12.47 According to a report by Singapore-based Straits Times, the Chinese government has instructed state-owned banks to suspend transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, thereby making trade between the two countries nearly impossible. 11.47 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today called for a boosting of the country's defence forces in light of the rising North Korean threat. In a speech to senior officers of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Abe said, "No one else will protect you if you don't have the mindset of protecting yourself. We have to take all appropriate measures against (incidents such as) North Korea's missile launch over Japan." The Prime Minister has asked Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera to to draw up a blueprint for Japan's medium-term defence strategy. 11.00 According to some diplomats, the United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on a watered-down US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test on Monday afternoon. However, it was unclear whether China and Russia would support it. 09.45 British Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Michael Oren has asked what the world intends to do about Iran aiding North Korea in its advances in nuclear weapon technolog. British officials recently compiled a list of countries that were suspected to be co-conspirators with North Korea and Iran was at the top of the list. The list also included Russia. The officials had said that it was implausible that North Korea could have developed all its weapons without outside help. "North Korean scientists are people of some ability, but clearly theyre not doing it entirely in a vacuum, a minister in the government was quoted as saying. 08.06 With the intention of gaining another ally in Asia to help curb North Korea's nuclear weapons program, US President Donald Trump will be hosting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the With the intention of gaining another ally in Asia to help curb North Korea's nuclear weapons program, US President Donald Trump will be hosting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Wall Street Journal reported. The meeting is scheduled to take place later this week, despite the US Department of Justice (DoJ) just starting a criminal probe into funds allegedly diverted from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). 08.00 According to some media reports, North Korea seems to be preparing for yet another nuclear weapons test. Workers have reportedly started repairing an underground missile launch pad in Samjiyon, Ryanggang Province. Sources told Radio Free Asia, who reported the story, that the regime is replacing an old Paektusan-1 or Taepodong-1 missile with a new Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile. 07.55 A Russian yacht has been seized in the Sea of Japan by a North Korean coast guard boat and is currently underway to North Korea. Another yacht has reportedly gone missing in the same area. Both yachts were headed to South Korea to participate in an international yacht racing event. 07.51 Meanwhile, top Chinese government officials believe that US holds the key to ending the North Korean crisis. Both China and US have agreed that they need to work toward ridding North Korea of its nuclear arsenal but have expressed different opinions about how it should be dealt with. While the US has repeatedly urged China to step in and end the crisis by using its leverage as North Korea's largest trading partner, China does not want to invite catastrophe by triggering an unwanted response from Kim Jong-un's regime. 07.44 "The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the US the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history," the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. "The world will witness how the DPRK tames the US gangsters by taking (a) series of action tougher than they have ever envisaged." September 11, 07.39 What happened overnight? North Korea has said that the United States would pay a due price for spearheading a United Nations Security Council resolution against its latest nuclear test. North Korea has said that the United States would pay a due price for spearheading a United Nations Security Council resolution against its latest nuclear test. The United States wants the Security Council to impose an oil embargo on the North, halt its key export of textiles and subject leader Kim Jong Un to financial and travel ban, according to a draft resolution. The Norths Foreign Ministry spokesman said the US was going frantic to manipulate the Security Council over Pyongyangs nuclear test, which it said was part of legitimate self-defensive measures. 12:30 pm: Suggesting Iran style nuclear talks with North Korea, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a newspaper she would be prepared to become involved in a diplomatic initiative to end the North Korean nuclear and missiles programme, according to Reuters. 12:10 pm: Japan has backed the US push for the United Nations Security Council to vote Monday on another round of sanction on North Korea. It said that Pyongyangs nuclear program poses the most serious threat since World War II. The US-presented draft resolution calls for an oil embargo on North Korea, an assets freeze on its leader Kim Jong-un, a ban on textiles and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. September 10, 11.55 am: Welcome to another day of live updates on the North Korean crisis. On Sunday, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted a "huge" celebration party in order to congratulate the scientists and engineers involved in its sixth and biggest nuclear test a week ago. 21.01 It has been confirmed that Japan will host the North Korean football team in Tokyo on December 9 for the opener of the East Asian championship. The tie is expected to be politically charged since Japan recently joined a host of other countries in condemning North Korea for conducting its sixth, and most powerful yet, nuclear weapon test on Sunday. 20.57 According to media reports, the Japanese Air Self Defence Force and US Air Force today conducted more exercises over the East China Sea, just south of the Korean Peninsula. The exercises were conducted amidst growing tension about another possible nuclear test by North Korea and involved 2 Japanese F-15 fighter jets and 2 US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers. The B-1B Lancer is an aircraft that has the capability to carry nuclear weapons and was earlier earmarked for nuclear strikes only. However, since 1995, this aircraft has only been used as a conventional heavy bomber and no longer carries nuclear weapons. 17.52 Two North Korea propaganda channels on YouTube have been shut down by the video streaming website for violating its community guidelines. Numerous US-based North Korea experts, who often relied on these channels for information on the goings-on in North Korea, have urged YouTube to revoke its decision keeping national security in mind. 16.05 The BBC has reportedly dragged itself into North Korea's crosshairs by announcing that it will shortly be launching a Korean language news service to be broadcast in North Korea, despite Kim Jong-un's regime asking it to back down. BBC officials admitted that they were expecting a reaction like this but said they wouldn't give in to Pyongyang's demands. 12:51 North Koreans on Saturday celebrated another public holiday with familiar routines, laying flowers and bowing in front of statues and portraits of past leaders while the outside world kept a close watch amid speculations that another missile test is near, reports ABC News. South Korea's government earlier said North Korea could potentially mark the 69th founding anniversary with its third test of a developmental intercontinental ballistic missile. 10:47 The state media in North Korea marks the nation's founding anniversary today with calls for a nuclear arms buildup, in defiance of mounting international sanctions. 9:17 The US will be seeking a vote Monday on a draft UN Security Council resolution on North Korea, as it pushes for fresh sanctions against the regime after its recent nuclear test, reports Bloomberg. 9:01 South Korea looks like it is prepared for any possible missile test by North Korea even as the dictatorship country will be marking its founding anniversary today --only days after its sixth and largest nuclear test, reports the Telegraph. 8:57 As we start another day bringing to you updates on the North Korean crisis, North Koreas ambassador to Mexico has said its tensions with the US were not Mexico Citys business after President Enrique Pena Nieto ordered that he leave the country in protest over Pyongyangs nuclear tests. Read in full. 22:20 North Korea's Day of the Foundation of the Republic, a public holiday, is on Saturday, September 9, and global investors will be watching closely for any bold move from the nation. Some prognosticators think the North Korean version of the United States' Independence Day this weekend will bring another missile test, reported TheStreet. The last nuclear test North Korea conducted was Sept. 9, 2016 Foundation Day last year. The country conducted a test on Foundation Day a year ago which yielded an explosion equivalent to 10 kilotons of TNT, according to a statement from South Korean officials at the time, and triggered a magnitude 5 artificial tremor. 21:30 North Korea on Friday called US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley a "political prostitute" and derided her as "crazily swishing her skirt" after Haley said the rogue regime was "begging for war", reported Fox News. The state-run Korean Central News Agency described Haleys comments to the UN Sunday as a hysteric fit. Nikki should be careful with her tongue though she might be a blind fool, KCNA said. The US administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing." 20:00 Mexico on Thursday ordered North Koreas ambassador to leave the country in 72 hours in response to the Asian nations latest nuclear tests, reports Bloomberg. Ambassador Kim Hyong Gil was declared persona non grata and will have to vacate the embassy in Mexico City, the Foreign Ministry said in an e-mailed statement. Mexico said it absolutely rejects North Koreas nuclear activity, calling it a serious risk to peace and international security and a growing threat to the region, including its "fundamental allies" of Japan and South Korea. The expulsion comes as US President Donald Trumps administration presses countries to cut diplomatic and economic ties with Kim Jong Uns regime over the nations missile and nuclear weapons program. The US wants the United Nations Security Council to tighten economic sanctions at a meeting on Sept. 11. The US is circulating a draft resolution at the UN that would bar crude oil shipments to North Korea, ban the nations exports of textiles and prohibit employment of its guest workers by other countries, according to a diplomat at the world body. 18:30 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un will escape to a vast complex of underground tunnels if a nuclear war breaks out with a huge supply of his favourite cheese, reports news.com.au. And a military expert says that if the brutal leader of the Stalinist regime does go underground he will be harder to take out than 9/11 terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. The luxury-loving tyrants passion for emmental is believed to have been sparked when he studied at a university in Switzerland. The luxury-loving tyrants passion for emmental is believed to have been sparked when he studied at a university in Switzerland. Now a North Korea expert says it is likely Kim has ordered staff to stockpile supplies of the cheese if he is forced to flee into North Koreas vast network of subterranean passages in the event of war. 16.13 Leaders of 18 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, today signed a declaration which officially termed North Korea as a threat to not only Guam, but also the entire wider region. The signatories vowed to strip away the registration of any North Korean fishing boats they may have on their books, while New Zealand and Australia will help the other Pacific states to sniff out North Korean ships moving under the radar and reduce the costs involved for everyone. 16.06 With tensions in the Korean Peninsula rising every day, the question of whether India has to worry about North Korea's nuclear advancements is being asked by a lot of people. To make things clear, North Korea and Pakistan have been allies for a long time now when it comes to nuclear weapon technology. Like North Korea, Pakistan too is making rapid advancements in the field of nuclear warfare and is believed to have more nuclear warheads than India does. So even if India may not have to worry about North Korea being direct threat, the possibility of Pakistan acquiring a Hydrogen bomb from the rogue nation is certainly worrisome for India. 15.29 French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the international community to increase pressure on North Korea in the hope that it would result in bringing the rogue nation back to the negotiating table. 15.00 Sweden has urged its citizens to refrain from unnecessary trips to North Korea following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date. The Scandinavian country is the latest of a number of countries to issue such warnings to their citizens over the last week. 14.11 Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President Emmanuel Macron today that he hoped France could play a "constructive role" in restarting talks on North Korea, days after the rogue nation conducted its sixth nuclear test. 13.48 In the latest in a series of controversial comments, US President reportedly called South Korean President Moon Jae-in "a beggar" because of his repeated calls for dialogue with North Korea. The comment was reportedly made during a phone conversation between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 13.42 According to reports in the New Zealand media, a New Zealand-led proposal to cut off North Korea's ability to operate in Pacific waters has just been accepted by leaders at the Pacific Island Forum. The move will see New Zealand help identify North Korean fishing and cargo vessels that fly under the radar using flags of small Pacific states - and get them deregistered. 13.40 According to reports in the South Korean media, the South Korean military is considering introducing ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors to make up for shortcomings of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery that was fully deployed here on Thursday. 13.07 The Japanese are reportedly very concerned following Pyongyang's announcement that it has developed an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon that could paralyze the country's electronics and power grids. And EMP weapon generates an electromagnetic pulse by detonating a bomb at a height of over 400 kilometres. This does not kill anyone directly but damanges electronics, telecom networks and other social infrastructure. 12.21 Amid rising tensions in the Korean Peninsula, safe haven assets like gold have seen increased buying. Gold hit a one year high of USD 1,353.12 per ounce on Friday. 12.01 Bloomberg has reported, citing a report by US-based North Korea analyst organisation NK Pro, that the possibility of North Korea deciding to test-fire yet another intercontinental ballistic missile or nuclear weapon on Saturday is remote. An analysis of provocations in the past has revealed that there is little correlation between North Korea's nuclear weapons tests and key holidays and anniversaries in the country. Read here. 11.35 According to media reports, a Chinese customs office in the border region has closed its gates to North Korea since September 4. Chinese businessmen and merchants staying in North Korea had been notified beforehand. The move is being perceived as a warning to North Korea after the rogue nation conducted its sixth, and most powerful, nuclear weapons test on Sunday. 11.30 A poll conducted by Reuters on Friday revealed that a majority of South Koreans do not believe that North Korea will start a war. According to the findings of the poll, 58 percent of South Koreans believed that there was no possibility of North Korea starting a war, while only 37 percent believed that it would. 10.53 10.14 India is now worried that given Pakistan and North Korea's secret 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine' understanding, under the benign guidance of China, Pakistan's own nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs are only going to benefit now that North Korea has successfully developed the technology by itself. 09.47 Evan Osnos of the New Yorker travelled to Pyongyang and has written a wonderful piece on the risk of nuclear war with North Korea. Read it here. 09.20 Diplomats from the United Nations have reportedly said that the United States is determined to have a vote at the United Nations Security Council on Monday on imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea. The diplomats, however, did not rule out the possibility of either China or Russia deciding to veto the decision. 08.59 China has detected higher level of radiation near the North Korean border, according to nuclear threat watchdog DEFCON Warning Systems. 08.52 Even as North Korea stepped up its nuclear weapons program and has so far managed to stay a step ahead of US intelligence with its fast-paced missile testing, top officials from the United States' armed forces have said that the US has never been more prepared to deal with the North Korean threat. However, they added that their leaders are keeping an eye on what kind of missile North Korea fires off next. 08.10 The US Army reportedly wants its troops deployed in South Korea to train for a potential attack with the use of hazardous materials, which could be either radioactive or chemical. It is expected to be a two-week training course, taught on-site at the US Camp Humphreys base in South Korea. The US has around 25,000 troops deployed in South Korea, at some 80 sites across the country. 07.52 What happened overnight? South Korea has maintained that it expects North Korea to test-fire yet another intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday. In a press briefing at the White House, US President Donald Trump said that the US military has never been stronger and is armed with the best equipment in the world. "Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea," Trump said. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping joined hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to call for tougher sanctions on North Korea. After speaking to each other over the phone, the two premiers concluded that the test conducted by North Korea on Sunday represented a significant danger to the security of the entire region and a serious violation of international law. "Both interlocutors called for a tightening of the sanctions against North Korea," Merkel's spokesperson Steffen Seibert said. 21:40 Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the two leaders decisively condemned North Korean weapons tests. We decisively condemned North Koreas launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japans territory on August 28, as well as the new nuclear tests conducted on September 3, Putin said in a statement. Putin reiterated that the crisis around North Korea should be resolved only by political means, and that it posed a threat to peace and stability in the region. He called for it to be resolved through a road map proposed by Moscow and Beijing. 20:55 Everyone is waiting for Kim Jong-un's next move, but in South Korea, some people are more worried about Donald Trump. 19:58 It is not even a week since North Korea fired its sixth nuclear test. Now, South Korea says that its neighbour may fire an intercontinental ballistic missile this weekend. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon suggested that Kim Jong Un could order a launch on Saturday, which is the 64th anniversary of the totalitarian regime's founding. Read it here. 18:59 So, what did North Koreans do after testing their hydrogen bomb? They celebrated by filling the streets of Pyongyang on Wednesday, reports Newsweek. 17:52 North Korea breaks its silence. It has vowed to take the fight to US if more sanctions are placed over its missile programme. It has called Washington a war-monger. Full read here. 17:20 Russian President Vladimir Putin has been vocal about the North Korean crisis. He predicted a 'global catastrophe' if North Korea didn't respond to diplomacy. Later, a more despairing Putin said it may be 'impossible' to solve the situation. And now, Putin has said that the US could be adding fuel to Pyongyang's fire, if it keeps its pressure on North Korea. Read it in full here. 16:49 An opinion piece in CNN.com written by Nic Robertson says that bringing North Korea to its knees will be harder with broken diplomacy. Read it in full here. 15.41 As both US and North Korea seem to be on collision course, many people have started asking what this means for them. Wall Street, however, has chosen to ignore the elephant in the room. MarketWatch has published an interesting read on how investors are living in denial about the risk of war with North Korea. Read it here. 15.30 The Russian President's comment comes after North Koreas Minister of External Economic Relations Kim Yong-jae said earlier today that his country will introduce strong countermeasures against the United States' attempts to exert pressure through sanctions. "Attempts to use unprecedented aggressive sanctions and pressure to intimidate us and make us reverse our course, are a huge mistake," Kim had said. "The United States should by all means keep in mind the nuclear status of our country, who owns nuclear and hydrogen bombs, and intercontinental ballistic missiles." 15.28 Russian President Vladimir Putin once again urged the US to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in the Korean Peninsula and said that by increasing pressure through sanctions, US could be playing right into North Korea's hands. "It's a provocation from North Korea, it's obvious. They count on a specific reaction from the partners and they get it. Why are you playing along with it? Have ever you thought about it?" Putin said. 14.54 North Koreas Minister of External Economic Relations and head of the delegation at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Kim Yong-jae, has said that the country will introduce strong countermeasures against the United States' attempts to exert pressure through strong sanctions. North Koreas Minister of External Economic Relations and head of the delegation at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Kim Yong-jae, has said that the country will introduce strong countermeasures against the United States' attempts to exert pressure through strong sanctions. 14.12 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that the unity among certain members of the UN Security Council was paramount for resolving the ongoing North Korea issue. Guterres said that unity between China, the United States and Russia was essential if North Korea's nuclear ambitions were to be put to an end. 14.05 "Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," Wang told reporters in Beijing. "We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation," he added. 14.04 China seems to have finally given in to the idea of imposing stronger sanctions on North Korea. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has said that China would support the United Nations taking further measures against North Korea. 13.31 European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has called for the European Union to impose additional sanctions on North Korea as a part of the international pressure being exerted at the moment on the rogue nation. 13.26 Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he hopes the situation in the Korean Peninsula does not descend to a conflict involving the use of weapons of mass destruction. 13.04 The price of automobile fuel has reportedly skyrocketed in North Korea, possibly because of developments related to the sanctions being imposed on the country. Last month, gasoline prices had risen to nearly USD 30 for 15 kilograms and they have risen substantially once again. Drivers in Pyongyang have had to visit multiple gas stations to get their tanks full as gas supply has been significantly reduced. Some stations are secretly charging extra too, according to some media reports. 12.54 This rare aerial footage of North Korean capital Pyongyang shows a city full of skyscrapers and other modern structures but devoid of pedestrians and cars. 12.53 12.32 "There are possibilities to achieve the settlement of Pyongyang's problem by diplomatic means. This is possible and must be done. We are telling them that we will not impose sanctions, which means you will live better, you will have more good and tasty food on the table, you will dress better. But the next step, they think, is an invitation to the cemetery. And they will never agree with this," Putin said in his address at Vladivostok. 12.31 Criticizing the United States' demand for stronger sanctions to be imposed on North Korea, Russia's Vladimir Putin said that if it happens, it would only push North Korea to start an armed conflict. 12.24 Speaking at the same forum in Vladivostok, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the issue surrounding North Korea needs quick action and that all major world powers must push Pyongyang to meet its obligations to the United Nations and put an end to its nuclear weapons and missile programs. 12.18 Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he believes that US President Donald Trump's administration is willing to defuse tensions in the Korean Peninsula, but reiterated Russia's opposition to imposing stronger sanctions on North Korea. Putin was speaking at an economic forum being held in Vladivostok. 12.09 In a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's commitment towards denuclearising North Korea, after Trump warned that any threat from the rogue nation will be met with an "overwhelming" response. 11.55 According to a report by The Times, UK, South Korean commandos will be working with the team of US Navy Seals who killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to create a special squad to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 11.52 According to media reports, dozens of South Korean protestors have been injured in clashes between them and the South Korean police as the US military added more launchers to their THAAD missile defence systems deployed across the country. The police officers also reportedly smashed windows of cars that were being used to block roads. 11.47 Suki Kim, a South Korean-born American writer who worked undercover in North Korea for over 6 months, has said that an uprising by the people of North Korea against the Kim Jong-un regime is the only way of dealing with the issue. "Literally the only way to approach it is a regime change, North Korea as a regime will not cooperate, you cannot actually come to any conclusion dealing with [their] great leader system," she said. 11.42 South Korean citizens took to the streets today, protesting the deployment of THAAD missile defence systems by the US military. South Koreans have been opposing the THAAD systems for quite some time as they believe the system's presence will impact the environment and health of people in an adverse way. Some maintain that deploying these systems is only going to result in an escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula, not help calm them down. 11.34 South Korea has said that it expects North Korea to launch yet another intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday, September 9. "The situation is very grave. It doesn't seem much time is left before North Korea achieves its complete nuclear armament," South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon was quoted as telling a meeting of defense ministers in Seoul today. 11.26 US-led military alliance NATO has urged all other countries to step up their efforts in imposing stronger sanctions on North Korea and stop its nuclear tests. The appeal was perceived to be aimed at North Korea's trading partners China and Russia, who seem to be holding back penalties. 11.12 Citizens of Pyongyang lined the streets to cheer buses carrying the specialists into the city, and tens of thousands of people gathered in Kim Il-Sung Square to praise their efforts. 11.10 North Korea on Wednesday held a mass celebration for the scientists involved in carrying out its largest nuclear blast to date, with fireworks and a mass rally in Pyongyang. 10.41 The rocket scientist behind North Korea's controversial nuclear weapons program was picked out of nowhere by Kim Jong-un after he spotted a mistake in 2012 missile test that went awry. After that, Kim Jong Sik, as he is known, was elevated to Kim Jong-un's inner military circle in 2012, after the successful launch of a Unha-3 rocket in December that year. 10.06 Reports have just come in that amid protests in the South Korean village where the THAAD systems have been deployed, US military personnel have added more launchers to the anti-missile systems. 09.59 Meanwhile, in the Chinese city of Dandong, which is on the Chinese-North Korean border, one could be excused for thinking there is nothing going on in the Korean Peninsula. Trucks are still seen plying to and from North Korea and people are seen walking calmly on the promenade in plain view of North Korean border guards. Even local businesses like hotels and restaurants said that the tourist season, which is drawing to a close, did not see much of an impact because of the war of words between US and North Korea. 09.50 Analysts have been quoted saying that if North Korea follows through on its threat of launching nuclear attacks, Asia's supply chain will be badly hurt. South Korea will be one of the worst-affected countries if war breaks out in the Korean Peninsula and it is one of the largest economies in the world. A lot of other countries depend on South Korea, particularly for electronics, and war-related devastation in the country could end up disrupting the entire manufacturing supply chain in Asia. 09.41 South Korea had already deployed two launchers of the US anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system couple of days ago. Amid rising tensions, it decided to install the four remaining launchers of the THAAD system on a former golf course earlier today. 09.38 South Korea has reportedly deployed anti-missile systems across the country. Protestors in a South Korean village clashed with thousands of policemen today as components of a controversial system to guard against North Korean missiles were deployed. 09.23 In a statement issued yesterday, President Trump said that the US would no longer tolerate North Korea's actions, but that using military force would not be his first choice. The President's comments were perceived to be in line with the classified briefings to Congress made by Trumps top national security advisors - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence. 09.01 In fact, in a conversation over the phone before meeting with him, Moon asked Putin to ban North Korean workers, who are one of the rogue nation's biggest sources of foreign currency. But Putin maintained that diplomacy, and not stronger sanctions, is what is necessary to solve the North Korean problem. 08.57 South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have repeated their calls for stronger sanctions on North Korea, including cutting the country's oil supply, after a meeting in Russia today. Both Moon and Abe are in Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the North Korean issue. After meeting with Moon yesterday, Putin refused to go through with stronger sanctions as he believed it was not the answer to the problem. Abe is scheduled to meet Putin later today. 08.20 US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin has said that he has an executive order prepared that will authorise him to stop trade with and impose sanctions on any country that trades with North Korea, adding that it was ready to go to the president. "The president will consider that at the appropriate time once he gives the UN time to act," Mnuchin told reporters. 08.12 "I feel like we still have two different polices on North Korea: one at the Department of State and Department of Defense, and another on the President's Twitter feed," Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said in a press briefing. 08.02 US President Donald Trump's top national security advisers detailed the Trump administration's strategy for dealing with North Korea in back-to-back classified briefings on Capitol Hill in Washington DC yesterday. Although everyone seemed to agree that the security team's plan was a sensible one, given there has never been a good solution for the problem and that the problem had been troubling the US for decades now, the Democrats in the House believed that this plan was at odds with whatever President Trump has been saying through his Twitter handle. 07.55 Former Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman, who is famous for his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has said that he wants to try patching things up between Kim and Us President Donald Trump. Referring to his friendship with the North Korean dictator, Rodman said that he hangs out with him all the time. "We laugh, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of cool things together. We ride horses, we hang out, we go skiing, we hardly ever talk politics and thats the good thing.I just want to try to straighten things out for everyone to get along together," he said. 07.44 What happened overnight? The US has proposed a series of new sanctions to be imposed on North Korea that includes an oil supply cut and freezing Kim Jong-un's assets. The draft proposal also includes banning textile imports from North Korea by other countries and banning Kim Jong-un from traveling internationally. It is still unclear whether this proposal has the backing of either China or Russia as both of them had expressed their concerns about imposing such sanctions on North Korea. Bohai China shot down incoming missiles on Tuesday early morning during a military exercise held over the waters that separate it from the Korean peninsula, reports South China Morning Post.The drill, which began at midnight and came just two days after Pyongyang conducted its latest nuclear test, challenged a ground unit, under Chinas air force, to shoot down simulated low flying missiles in the skies overBay, the report quoted the official military news website 81.cn.The missiles used in the sudden attack were shot down at the first attempt by the Peoples Liberation Armys missile force, the report said, without elaborating. The exercise was the third in the bay area the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea between China and North Korea since late July. 20:00 Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said Wednesday the US can't expect China to help with North Korea's nuclear weapons threat. Mitchell, a key mediator in the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, said the problem with the US and China teaming up is the latter's "long-term interests are the exact opposite of ours." "In the short-term, we both want stability. We wish this guy would calm down," Mitchell told CNBC US in an interview," referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "But in the long term, we want a unified Korea and a democratic regime. And that's the last thing that China wants." 18:30 Here's a look at the nations that would be in the range of North Korean missiles 17:30 US cooperation may be needed to evacuate Japanese nationals from South Korea in the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, Foreign Minister Taro Kono has said, reported The Japan Times. In principle, Japanese nationals should leave by commercial aircraft or by other means, but US help will become necessary if airports and seaports are closed, Kono told a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Upper House on Tuesday. Kono also said that the Japan-US defense guidelines stipulate cooperation in activities to evacuate noncombatants from a third country. The remarks were made in reply to questions from Upper House lawmaker Antonio Inoki. 17:00 The government on Wednesday upgraded its estimated size of North Koreas latest nuclear test to a yield of around 160 kilotons more than 10 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb as a leading member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said the country should debate the deploying of US atomic weapons on Japanese soil, reports The Japan Times. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera called Sundays nuclear test vastly greater than previous North Korean nuclear tests. (North Korea) is evolving not just their ballistic missiles but also their nuclear technology, he added. 16.08 North Korea's primary foe is the United States, which commands the largest naval fleet and airforce in the world, and the third largest ground army. The US naval fleet consists of 11 aircraft carriers, with a combined tonnage of over 1.2 million tonnes. These carriers are the largest in the world and act as mini-navies by themselves, carrying over 80 aircraft at a time and packing lots of firepower. In addition to this, the US also has enough number of military aircraft to almost equal the rest of the world's put together. 16.00 China, of course, commands the largest army in the region, with a ground force of over 1.6 million personnel. In addition to this, China has three naval fleets the North Sea Fleet, which has around 50 ships, the East Sea Fleet, which has around 60 ships, and the South Sea Fleet, which has around 82 ships, including the large aircraft carrier Liaoning, which carries 40 aircraft. The Chinese airforce is also one of the strongest in the world, consisting of over 1,300 fighter aircraft, and 11 airborne early warning planes. 15.43 Another major power in the region is Japan, which has an army of around 150,000 active personnel and a naval fleet of 124 ships, including 4 helicopter carriers, 26 destroyers, 10 frigates, and 18 attack submarines. In addition to this, the Japanese Airforce operates 373 fighter aircraft. 15.37 The South Korean army, which is also one of the largest in the world, has 625,000 active personnel serving in its armed forces, with around 425,000 of them being in the army. As of 2016, it also had around 70,000 active navy personnel and a fleet of around 170 commissioned ships, including 10 submarines and 10 amphibious warfare ships. 15.32 With all the talk about a possible outbreak of war in the Korean Peninsula, everyone has been wondering which countries will be involved in the war and how well are those countries armed. Well, as of 2012, the North Korean army had 1.1 million actively serving personnel, making it the fourth largest active army in the world. It has also worked hard over the last few years to increase its stockpile of weapons and according to a Pentagon estimate, currently has over 60 intercontinental ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear warheads. 15.23 Amid talks of a rapid escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula, China has now become the latest in a list of countries that have tested their own missile defence systems. A unit of the Chinese Airforce on Tuesday shot down missiles from a "surprise attack" in a drill conducted over the waters near North Korea. 15.01 When asked by South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to support the decision of cutting off oil supply to North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to so. "I am concerned cutting off oil supplies to North Korea may cause damage to people in hospitals or other ordinary citizens," Putin said. 14.07 Vladimir Putin also said that the North Korea situation may be "impossible" to resolve. It is too dangerous to assume that North Korea is bluffing about its missile being able to reach US mainland, as recent studies of the test conducted and the shots fired have revealed that the claims may be legit. 13.46 However, in the joint press conference with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, the Russian President did acknowledge that North Korea possessing nuclear weapons was simply not acceptable. This comes a day after Putin said that North Korea would rather "eat grass" than give up its nuclear weapons. 13.42 Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for talks with North Korea, saying sanctions are not a solution to North Korea developing their nuclear firepower. The President was speaking after the meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, who had earlier urged Putin to support stronger sanctions against North Korea. 13.36 Talking to The Washington Post, Narang, along with Joel Wit and John Delury, gave suggestions about how to best handle the conflict with North Korea in an effective manner. Interestingly, none of their suggestions involved use of military means. Read it here. 13.31 According to Vipin Narang, a nuclear strategy and nonproliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, bringing the North Korea situation under control does not really need US to fire even one shot. To get Kim Jong-un to do what US wants him to do will require two things Narang believes are now lacking: a coherent and unified message to Pyongyang from President Donald Trumps administration, and strong, believable reassurances to Americas regional allies. 12.46 Amid all the confusion about North Korea and the latest developments from the Korean Peninsula, perhaps the biggest question asked over the last three days is "What does Kim Jong-un want?". In an article published in July, The Washington Post talked about the North Korean dictator's agenda and how understanding it would give us some clues about his nuclear strategy. Read it here. 12.13 Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has said that Australia is prioritising diplomatic and economic solutions over military alternatives when it comes to North Korea. "Sanctions will bite, and bite hard," she said. 12.07 In the bilateral talks held in Vladivostok, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has reportedly asked Vladimir Putin's help to "tame" North Korea. "The global political situation has become very serious due to North Koreas repeated provocations," Moon told Putin. 12.01 According to studies conducted by Chinese experts, the mountain where North Korea likely conducted its five most recent nuclear bomb tests could be at risk of collapse, potentially releasing radiation into the atmosphere. They believe the most recent tests were carried out under a mountain at North Korea's Punggye-ri test site, with a margin of error of around 100 metres. 11.55 South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said that he is open to all forms of talk with Kim Jong-un to resolve the ongoing tensions in the region, but stressed that this is not the time for dialogue. 11.37 In an article published by Abu Dhabi-based think tank TRENDS Research & Advisory on August 31 titled "North Korea and a Return of 'Balance of Terror'", Scott Englund speaks about how after a long gap, there is now a new balance of terror where two adversaries are capable of attacking one anothers cities with the most powerful weapons ever built. Read it here. 11.31 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also planning to visit Vladivostok to talk to both Putin and Moon about North Korea. In an interaction with reporters in Tokyo, Abe said that North Korea must understand that it has "no bright future" if it continues doing what it is doing. 11.25 "If we fail to stop North Korea's provocations now, it could sink into an uncontrollable situation," Moon said in his opening remarks in Vladivostok. On his part, Putin said that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss North Korea with Moon. 11.23 South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has requested for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss how to prevent the North Korean situation from getting out of hand. Moon is currently in Vladivostok, Russia, for the Eastern Economic Forum that starts today. 11.06 US President Donald Trump has said that he will be speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the security challenges being posed by North Korea. This would be the first interaction between the two leaders since North Korea successfully test-fired its largest-ever nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday. 10.48 This piece, published by Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institue of International Studies on August 16, speaks about what could be done to deal with North Korea within the boundaries of diplomacy. Read it here. 10.42 Robert Kelly, Associate Professor of International Relations at Pusan National University in South Korea, has said that the possibility of the situation in the Korean Peninsula escalating to war is remote. "No Korea analyst of any stature has argued for war. I dont know one person in the Korea analyst community who thinks war is likely. Nor do I know anyone serious who has advocated air strikes or other kinetic options, Kelly wrote in his commentary on the issue on Wednesday. 10.35 There is also increased concern that although North Korea may or may not be able to reach the US mainland with its ICBMs, it would be able to reach mainland Europe. The French defence minister on Tuesday warned that North Korea may be able to develop missiles that could reach Europe sooner than expected, and acknowledged that the possibility of the situation escalating to full-fledged conflict cannot be ruled out. 10.29 After North Korea's comments on Tuesday in the UN about having "gift packages" ready for the United States, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that Russia would not be able to rush into the decision of imposing new sanctions on the rogue nation. As the situation is developing, there is more and more doubt that US would not be able to get the UN Security Council's go ahead for imposing new sanctions on North Korea, given that both China and Russia are also members of the Security Council. 09.59 Media reports from Tuesday said that the Pentagon estimated North korea to have upwards of 60 nuclear bombs that could be mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles. 09.54 The North Korean media has also warned that the country could kill millions of Americans without ever firing a nuke at them by simply hitting the US with an electromagnetic pulse onslaught. If the power grid of a large area in the US, particularly on or near the east coast, collapses, it could lead to scores of casualties in a short span of time. 09.48 The Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory asking Singaporeans to avoid all travel to North Korea that isn't absolutely necessary, as Singapore does not have diplomatic representation in the rogue nation. 09.33 The North Korean media has criticized South Korea's move to expand the South Korean-Japanese military intelligence protection agreement. "The said agreement, which the Park Geun Hye group of traitors concluded with Japan in November last year under the pressure and backstage manipulation of the U.S., aims at the bilateral exchange of information on surveillance and espionage on the northern half of the Republic under the pretext of coping with the "nuclear threat from the north" and contingency," North Korea's Consultative Council for National Reconciliation said in a statement. 07:36 Asian stocks are trading lower, tracking Wall Streets slide overnight. The dollar was on the defensive with tensions in the Korean Peninsula showing little signs of abating. Japan's Nikkei shed 0.55 percent while South Korea's KOSPI was down 0.2 percent, on track for its fifth straight day of losses. 07:30 Here's what happened overnight: A top North Korean diplomat has warned that his country is ready to send "more gift packages" to the United States, according to Reuters. "The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the US," Han told a disarmament conference, using the acronym for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the countrys formal name. On Tuesday (yesterday), South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) had said that North Korea is believed to be moving an ICBM. It also said that the missile's projectile and how it was being transported was unclear. 21:17 "I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States," tweets US President Donald Trump. 18:39 US stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Tuesday, as geopolitical concerns surrounding North Korea's relationship with the West amplified jitters in market trading. 17:51 Does the US have enough defence systems to take on a North Korean nuke? Yes, it does. This CNN story tells you about the arsenal at US' disposal. 17:09 The UN is considering tougher sanctions on North Koreabut that could actually help Pyongyang, reports CNBC. 17:01 The single mountain under which North Korea most likely conducted its five most recent nuclear bomb tests, including the latest and most powerful on Sunday, could be at risk of collapsing, a Chinese scientist said. 16:56 Angela Merkel has called for more sanctions over North Korea. In parliamentary address Tuesday, Merkel said she would meet with EU foreign ministers this weekend to discuss ramping up sanctions against the rogue state. 15:56 South Korea said on Tuesday an agreement with the US to scrap a weight limit on its warheads would help it respond to North Koreas nuclear and missile threat after it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test two days ago, reports Reuters. 15:33 South Korean Defense Ministry handout: South Korean Vessels taking part in a naval drill off the east coast on September 4, 2017. 15:27 South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has said that North Korea is believed to be moving an ICBM. It said that the missile's projectile and how it was being transported was unclear. 14:42 British Conservative politician William Hague said that Kim Jong-un is probably a prisoner of his own dictatorship. Born the third son of Kim Jong-il, he has always faced a choice of getting absolute power for himself or facing the dire consequences of not doing so, Hague wrote in the Telegraph, adding that were Kim to dismantle the brutal North Korean regime, or even relax his grip on power, he could easily be assassinated. 14:10 Russian President Putin also warned that the escalating North Korean crisis could cause a planetary catastrophe and huge loss of life. 13:53 Japan's parliamentary committee today condemned the nuclear test by North Korea and is demanding tougher UN sanctions on the rogue state. It also urged the Japanese government to take leadership in pushing for tougher punishment against Pyongyang. South Korean Navy releases new image of live-fire drills in direct response to North Korean provocations. Tensions continue to escalate. pic.twitter.com/fC5OFBvK6p Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) September 5, 2017 DPRK's "The world is stunned by news that theintermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 crossed the sky over islands of Japan along the preset flight track and accurately hit the preset target waters in northern Pacific. The U.S. and Japan, the sworn enemies of the Korean nation, are struck with horror in face of the mettle of the DPRK which took the toughest counteraction against the U.S. insensible war drills. In the meantime, the Korean people feel relieved, their towering grudge settled," KCNA had reported on Monday. 13:17 Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that new sanctions imposed on North Korea would be "useless" and "ineffective", adding that imposing tougher sanctions on the regime of Kim Jong Un over its nuclear missile programme would not change the leadership in Pyongyang, but could lead to large-scale human suffering. 13:12 In an article published in KCNA, the state-owned news agency in North Korea, Kim Myong Gil, an officer of the Korean People's Army, said: "Another thrilling nuclear thunder of Songun Korea is heavy punishment and sledgehammer blows to the US imperialists who are bringing the worst touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula while being carried away by ill-advised bravery. Neglecting the strategic position of our country as a Juche-oriented nuclear power and a military power, they are bent on brigandish sanctions and stifling manoeuvres and hysteric war exercises. Todays triumph deals another heavy blow to them, but fills us service personnel with the inexhaustible might and courage." 13:01 Children in North Korea's northern border region get a ride home from school. Nuke test site is the very next province. #InsideNorthKorea pic.twitter.com/Uu6gKPvYRy Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) September 5, 2017 12:58 pm The South Korean Defence Minister has said that he is "willing to review" the plan for redeployment of tactical US nuclear weapons to Korea for first time in 26 years. 12:53 pm Talking at the BRICS Summit being held in China, Russian President Vladimir Putin compared North Korea to Iraq under Saddam Hussein. "We must not forget and North Korean should not forget what happened in Iraq," Putin said. 12:20 pm The situation in the Korean Peninsula is very precarious at the moment. The United States is putting all its weight behind the sanctions imposed on North Korea, asking other member nations of the United Nations Security Council to stop supplying oil to the rogue state. Here's how the North Korean chessboard is currently placed. 10:39 am According to various media reports, North Korea may launch ICBM tonight or tomorrow. 10.35 am Dollar index trading close to 0.2 percent down at 92.48 amid a cautious mood prevailing among market participants due to tensions in the Korean Peninsula. 9.41 am Media reports said that North Korea has been spotted moving what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile towards its west coast. 9.01 am Speaking to the United Nations on Monday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that North Korea was begging for war. "Enough is enough," Haley said. "We have taken an incremental approach, and despite the best of intentions, it has not worked...War is never something the Unites States wants -- we don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory." 8.55 am The South Korean navy conducted major live fire drills today to warn North Korea against any provocation at sea. The drills were conducted in the Sea of Japan and involved the 2,500-tonne frigate Gangwon, a 1,000-tonne patrol ship and 400-tonne guided-missile vessels, among others, the navy said in a statement. 8.18 am From the United States' point of view, a military response would be the least preferable option for a lot of reasons. Firstly, given that US intelligence about the locations of Kim Jong-un's nuclear sites is limited and that mountains occupy 79.5 percent of North Korea's territory, it would be very difficult to carry out a pre-emptive attack. Secondly, going by analyst estimates, it would take the US weeks, if not months, to get enough troops, equipment and fighter aircraft in the region. 8.09 am In a phone call on Monday evening with South Koreas president Moon Jae-in, US President Donald Trump agreed to let the country build more non-nuclear ballistic missiles, something that South Korea has been seeking for many years. However, this might be too little too late as even if the South manages to build more missiles in time, it is unlikely to alter the strategic balance in the Korean Peninsula in a significant way. 7.59 am Also, China's trade with North Korea has steadily increased over the last one year or so and if it falls, South Korea is the one likely to take over. China will certainly not be overly comfortable with the idea of sharing a border with a US ally. 7.55 am It is unclear whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will go through with the decision to cut off oil supply to North Korea. China is North Korea's largest trading partner, accounting for around 90 percent of all trade carried out by the rogue state and all of the energy supply. 7.35 am In a last ditch effort to avoid using military means to resolve the ongoing tensions with North Korea, the US has urged other countries of the United Nations Security Council to cut off oil supply to the rogue state. 5.10 pm The problem with putting to use any one of the military options at the disposal of the US is that North Korea has, and always had, a lot of non-nuclear artillery within the range of the South Korean capital Seoul and its surrounding areas, which together house around 25 million people. Tens of thousands, if not more, would likely die if any military action is initiated. 5.07 pm Analysts have come out and expressed their doubts about whether the US really has any military options against North Korea that could actually be used. "We always have military options, but they're very ugly," said Mark Hertling, a retired US Army general, in an interactin with CNN. 4.57 pm Reports also quoted South Korea as saying that North Korea has completed preparations for a seventh nuclear test and is ready for launch. 4.18 pm Associated Press has reported that China has warned North Korea against proceeding with its reported plans to launch another ballistic missile, saying it should not worsen tensions. 4.15 pm According to media reports, Switzerland says it's prepared to mediate between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. 3.30 pm Ever since US Secretary of Defence James Mattis warned of a massive miltary response by the US, safe haven assets like bonds and gold have risen across the globe. 3.08 pm Amidst the growing tension in the Korean Peninsula, the dollar index has fallen by more than 0.3 percent today. It is currently trading at 92.52. 1.49 pm Media reports say that China has called President Donald Trump's trade threat over North Korea "unacceptable" and "unfair." 1.46 pm Associated Press has reported, quoting South Korean government officials, that the US military will soon install additional missile-defense launchers at the site in southeastern South Korea in order to counter North Koreas provocations. RAW VIDEO: South Korea simulates attack on Norths nuclear site. https://t.co/DeIVSp5LdB The Associated Press (@AP) September 4, 2017 1.39 pm Other media reports suggest that South Korea is in the process of deploying four Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems in response to the likely North Korean ICBM launch. 1.36 pm AFP has reported quoting Chinese foreign ministry officials that China has made a diplomatic protest to North Korea over its nuclear test. News has just broken that North Korea may be close to launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). South Korean agency Yonhap reported the country's officials as saying they have detected missile launch activity in North Korea, which could be linked to an ICBM launch. We're tracking live updates. A federal court in California dealt a new blow to the Trump administration's travel ban, ruling that some refugees must be allowed into the country. It is the latest twist of the legal wrangling touched off by President Donald Trump's ban, first announced in January with little notice and widely criticised as discriminatory against Muslims. Trump says it is needed to keep out terrorists. In the new ruling, the US Ninth Circuit of Appeals, based in San Francisco, yesterday upheld a ruling by a court in Hawaii, a decision against which the administration had appealed. The new decision states that the ban must exclude "refugees who have a formal assurance from an agency within the United States that the agency will provide or ensure the provision of reception and placement services to that refugee." It could pave the way for the entry of some 24,000 refugees whose asylum requests had already been approved. And as the US Supreme Court had ruled in July, the three-judge panel in San Francisco confirmed that the ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close family members living in six mainly Muslim countries and seeking to visit relatives in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled in late June that the 90-day travel ban, purportedly aimed at better screening out potential security risks, can be broadly enforced for travelers from the six mainly Muslim countries "who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." Days later, the Trump administration interpreted that to mean that only "close family" was exempted. It defined this as the parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings of people in the United States. The California court said Wednesday the administration "does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in- law is clearly a bona fide relationship in the Supreme Court's prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin is not." The San Francisco court was ruling on the issue because the Supreme Court had refused a Justice Department request that it define what it means by "bona fide relationship" and "close family." The Justice Department issued a statement saying "we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch duty to protect the nation." The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the travel ban and study its constitutionality in October. I have a guy who needs convincing. Him: No, no way, nope. Me: Oh, come on. Well get up at 4 a.m., sunrise already in some parts of the world. Well throw our coats over our pajamas and take a... Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity Ever find it hard to find the right kind of movie to watch? This could fix that New owners of Siam Thai Restaurant rely on the energy of youth Morgan Hill Since Sean Theravithayangkura and his wife took over House of Siam in Morgan Hill two months ago, the couple has worked hard to make the vigor of their youth apparent in their new restaurant. But a career as a restaurateur was the last thing on Theravithayangkuras mind while earning his Electrical Engineering degree from St. Gabriel college in Taiwan and later a masters in Engineering Management from San Jose State. It wasnt until his wife, Wanna, entered the restaurant industry that the couple, who met about 12 years ago in Thailand, realized something would have to change. I woke up at 5am and came home at 7pm, and she was gone from 10am to 11pm, he said. I didnt see her at all. Now the 34-year-old couple comprise the newest duo in downtown cuisine after purchasing the popular Thai restaurant next to the Morgan Hill Playhouse just before the new year. When it became available, I saw the potential, Thera said. And though the couple is relatively new to the industry, theyre learning the ropes quickly like changing their last name from Theravithayangkura to the more easily pronounced Thera. Though running the business was new, the Theras had some experience to draw upon. Sean worked at a Thai restaurant in Santa Clara as he finished his education and was hired as the manager at House of Siam about a year ago. When the restaurant went up for sale, he jumped at the chance to go into business for himself. It is real different, said Thera about engineering and running a restaurant in a small town. I love doing things with people. With engineering, you got to wait a while to get customer feedback. In the restaurant, you see it right away. You see people laughing, talking, smiling, licking the dish. I like seeing people happy. Once Thera took over the business, he changed the name to Siam Thai Restaurant. The couple wasted little time in getting settled. They are now the only Thai food restaurant since the King and I closed. We moved in Friday and were open on Saturday, he said. We didnt waste a day. Thera tries to keep customers coming back by offering friendly, personal service. Sometimes when you get older, you tend to sit in the office too much and not pay attention to the customers as much, Thera said. I like to get out and meet people. The restaurant has kept many of the old favorites as well as adding new items to the menu. Weve had to change the menus three times, Thera said. People love the new dishes, but they love the old dishes too. We cut some of the old menu items, and people keep asking for them. A big part of being able to add new items to the menu is having a flexible cook. He can cook anything any time, Thera said. He is happy to help create new menu items. With his wifes help, Thera has added many additional items such as pictures and decorations to give the restaurant a cozier oriental feel. Its pretty much the same, Thera said. We try to keep things cleaner and make it look nicer. Its been a very smooth transition. We are actually doing better than House of Siam did. The restaurant, located at 17120 Monterey Road, usually has four to six workers at a time. Thera uses mostly part-time employees and has a friend who helps him with the bookkeeping. Thera originally came to the United States about 10 years ago to get a better education and further his knowledge of the English language, which he was exposed to as a young child. But his wife, who was also born and raised in Thailand, didnt know hardly any English when she arrived in the United States. I relied on him for about a year and couldnt do anything myself, she said. I cried every day. She received a rude awakening when she saw snow for the first time on a trip to Reno with her husband. She also had to adjust to the dry weather as opposed to the tropical climate. With the help of his family in Thailand, Thera was able to come up with the necessary finances to buy the restaurant. They wanted me to succeed, Thera said. They were there to help their kids, even though I am not a kid now. That is kind of what Thai people do. Family has always been important to Thera. It was because of his older brothers example that he decided to come to the United States. And now it is because of their new restaurant the young couple has plenty of time to spend together. Now I get to spend more time with my wife, Thera said. She is here all the time. I couldnt do it without her. If I have to run errands she is here. Its a good system. This fund continues to be a strong choice for investors seeking mainstream gold and precious-metals equity exposure in a risk-controlled manner, says Morningstar analyst Fatima Khizou. The long-term record indicates that Evy Hambro has been successful in adding value by applying the outcome of the teams detailed commodity and company analysis in a risk- and liquidity-aware manner. At the company level, the valuation analysis is rigorous and aims to find companies offering the best exposure to commodity prices within an acceptable level of risk. This leads to an emphasis on large producers with the ability to grow their production in a relatively low-cost manner. Analyst Simon Dorricott believes CF Lindsell Train UK Equity benefits from the stewardship of a seasoned and talented UK equity manager who has demonstrated a consistent approach. Nick Train's process is differentiated and has proved successful over a number of market cycles. He looks for unique and high-quality companies that offer a high and sustainable return on equity and low capital intensity and are cash-generative. The result is a concentrated portfolio with clear biases relative to peers and the FTSE All-Share Index. Turnover is low, reflecting Train's long-term approach and his buy-and-hold style. He only sells out if he no longer considers a company to be of sufficient quality. First State Indian Subcontinent Morningstars Mark Laidlaw believes First State Indian Subcontinent deserves to be viewed as best in class. Preferred companies are those that have quality and trustworthy management, have sustainable earnings drivers and are not trading at inflated valuations. Its no surprise that that most of the investable universe fail to meet the exacting standards set down by the investment team. The portfolios holdings provides an insight into how the team thinks; the end portfolio bears little resemblance to either the wider peer group or the MSCI India Index. Fundsmith Equity This is one of the strongest options for investors seeking exposure to high quality global equities, says Morningstar analyst Pete Brunt. Terry Smith's investment philosophy is to buy and hold, ideally forever, high-quality businesses that will continually compound in value. High-quality companies are defined as having little need for leverage, an above-average cash return on operating capital employed, and an ability to sustainably grow at this rate of return. When considering these criteria, and a minimum $2 billion market cap to keep the strategy scalable, the investable universe is significantly reduced to a shortlist of around 65 names for deep-dive analysis. Schroder Tokyo Schroder Tokyo remains one of the strongest funds for Japanese equities, says Brunt. Andrew Rose has run Japanese-equity portfolios since the 1980s and is one of the most experienced equity managers in the peer group. Rose has adhered to the same process throughout his career. He has a forward-looking view and prefers companies that he believes have the potential to surprise on the upside over a two- to three-year period but where the market has taken a short-term negative view. Rose also displays a sensible awareness of macro trends and market behaviour, which, in our view, is a strong complement to his bottom-up stock-picking. Emma Wall: Hello, and welcome to Morningstar's 10th Annual Awards for excellence in investing. I'm Emma Wall and joining me in London today is John Clougherty of Fidelity, picking up the award for Outstanding Rising Talent for Nitin Bajaj. John, unfortunately, Nitin is unable to join us this evening, but congratulations to Fidelity on behalf of Nitin for winning Outstanding Rising Talent of the Year. John Clougherty: Well, I'm delighted at the age of 50 to be collecting a rising talent award. Typical of Nitin, now he is out for searching companies around the world for his portfolio. So, he is very rarely at one place very long and works incredibly hard. So, really well-deserved award and delighted to collect it for him. Wall: On behalf of Fidelity, perhaps you can tell from a top-down point of view, that is a company level, what identifies or makes Nitin stand out as a fund manager? Clougherty: Well, it's quite easy. If you've met Nitin, unbridled enthusiasm and passion for what he does. I think passion is an overused word. But if you see Nitin, and many of you will have done, whether you meet him in the flesh or you see him on video, he is incredibly dedicated. He really does travel a lot and he gets to understanding companies to a level of fanaticism as well, I'd say. He literally doesn't look at the index, picks his stocks and builds the portfolio. So, we leave him alone to do what he does there isnt house top-down style in what Nitin does. Nitin runs his own fund and he has done a brilliant job. Wall: I wouldn't ask you to speak on his behalf, but I know you are familiar with his funds and their portfolios. Where in particular is he excited about at the moment across that broad Asia remit? Clougherty: I think with Nitin, he is excited about everywhere, it's just the range that changes. I think his investment remit is Asian small cap. So, India and other emerging markets within Asia are where he finds the stocks. But he tends to fall in love with stocks not countries. So, Nitin will go wherever he thinks the industry is changing, wherever there is a dynamic that's moving very fast and he can exploit that through picking the winners through those sectors. So, he really is one of the managers that has the least constraint in terms of country and he picks companies he falls in love with and builds the portfolio. And it's genuinely my single biggest holding in my own portfolio. So, I'm delighted to collect the award for him. Wall: John, thank you very much. Clougherty: Thank you very much. Cheers. Wall: And picking up the award for Outstanding Talent is Man GLG's Stephen Harker. Stephen, congratulations on winning Outstanding Fund Manager of the Year here at the Morningstar Awards. The judges praised your stock picking abilities. So, I'd like to ask, for you what constitutes a good company, a good stock? Stephen Harker: Well, we've been doing the same thing. I've been doing Japan for 33-and-a-third years, so it's a good third of a century. And for the last 30 years I've been doing basically the same thing over and over again which is to buy stocks that everybody hates, that have underperformed a lot and are really cheap and build the holding until we are reaching the level of discomfort and just keep holding them until they go up and it sort of works. So, I just keep doing it and it's the same thing I'm playing the same shot every time. Wall: And at the moment, looking now, where do those good companies fall? What is looking undervalued for you now? Harker: Oh, the market is split in two. There are stocks that have won and stocks that have lost big time. And only probably the late '90s have we got to similar situation to the one we have now. And there are some really incredibly cheap pockets of value in the Japanese market, the financials, the steel companies, the glass companies, and the utilities as well. So, I mean, it's a very small restricted area, but the value is just standing out like a beacon. Wall: Stephen, thank you very much. Harker: Well, thank you. Wall: And the third and final award for Outstanding Investment House goes to Troy Asset Management. This is Emma Wall for Morningstar. Thank you for watching. Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Partly cloudy. High 61F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional showers late at night. Thunder possible. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Gary Cohn, an economic adviser to President Trump, is now unlikely to receive a nomination for the post of chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the presidents thinking. The sources said the development follows Cohns criticism of Trumps comments on the Charlottesville protests, according to the report. The Journal had earlier reported that Trump was considering Cohn as a replacement for Janet Yellen. Her term is set to end in January 2018. The news follows the resignation of Stanley Fischer as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. A recent survey of economists revealed that a majority believes Yellen will not be renominated as Fed chair, with only 17% of the respondents saying Yellen will be chosen for another term. Of those who think Yellen will not be renominated and gave an opinion, 49% believed Cohn is most likely to succeed as chairman. Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley previously said in an interview that he thinks Cohn is a reasonable candidate for the post. "[Cohn] knows a lot about financial markets. He knows lots about the financial system," he said. Despite his role as White House economic adviser, Cohn is seen as an unusual choice because he is not an academic economist unlike recent chairmen, according to a Washington Examiner report. On the campaign trail, President Trump had accused Yellen of manipulating monetary policy to support former President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. The president has relaxed his stance on Yellen since he took office, even entertaining the prospect of reappointing her, according to the report. Odessas loss looks to be Midlands gain as engineering and oilfield services giant Weir Oil and Gas is expected to ink a deal today to build a facility in the city. The Midland Development Corp. has worked with Weir to consolidate its Midland and Odessa operations into a new 92,000-square-foot customer support center slated to cost nearly $30 million on a portion of the MDCs to-be-developed David Mims Business Park, according to documents received by the Reporter-Telegram. Weir had worked with the Odessa Development Corp. and the city of Odessa this year on a new customer support facility, but Odessa City Council at its May 9 meeting ended pursuit of any incentive deal, according to an Odessa American report. Weir sought a five-year tax abatement that would decrease over time and a $1.4 million incentive grant to build a $25 million customer support center, the report said. Eighty-four jobs would have been created, as well. Council members who opposed the deal voiced concerns that incentivizing Weir but not other similar companies would be unfair, the report said. The company said it would consider building its facility in Oklahoma if a deal wasnt struck, taking 40 local jobs with it, according to the report. Council terminated ODC President Jimmy Breaux at the same meeting without explanation after a closed meeting, the report said. A separate report in June indicated the Odessa American is suing City Council on grounds that the council violated Texas Open Meetings Act at its May 9 meeting after failing to give proper notice of Odessa City Council closed sessions, holding closed sessions without announcing an applicable exemption, failing to release public information detailing the substance of improperly held closed sessions, and through other improper conduct. MDC officials told the Reporter-Telegram it has worked with Weir since its Odessa deal fell apart. The 73.26-acre David Mims Business Park is located along Interstate 20 west of the western terminus of Loop 250, near Schlumbergers Midland headquarters. Weir will purchase part of the property through its subsidiary SPM Flow Control, and the entire deal includes Weir subsidiary Seaboard International. Here are the details of the deal per the economic development agreement: Weir will buy 20 acres on the western portion of the property at a cost of $20,000 per acre. The property will be on the tax rolls at a valuation of $65,000 per acre. Weir must invest a minimum of $20 million in capital improvements and $9.65 million in personal property(building, fixtures and furnishings) investments by Dec. 31, 2018. These valuations must be confirmed by the Midland Central Appraisal District. Weir must have a starting payroll of at least $870,000 and maintain a payroll not less than $6 million for a period of five years through 2022. Weir must close its three current facilities: 2424 E. Interstate 20 and 11520 W. Highway 80 E. in Odessa, and 8714 W. County Road 127 in Midland County. The company cannot build another facility within a 60-mile radius of its new facility for five years. The MDC will reimburse Weir not more than $1,305,250 for the development of infrastructure such as water and sewer lines on the entire 70-acre business park site. It was explained to the Reporter-Telegram that the MDC was obligated to pay for the installation of this infrastructure but that it was more advantageous to have the company do it instead. The MDC will provide Weir an interest-free forgivable loan of $1.8 million to be paid in equal installments of $360,000 each year upon Weir meeting and maintaining its capital improvements and personal property obligations. The deal is not done, however. Weir is expected to finalize its commitment today, and the MDC board will vote on the deal at its meeting Monday. If Weir does not complete its paperwork today, the item will not be on the MDCs Monday agenda; however, MDC officials said this is highly unlikely. Midland City Council ultimately must approve the deal. The MDC is funded by the Type A quarter-cent sales tax and was created in January 2002 upon voter approval. Its mission is to diversify Midlands economy and encourage the expansion of existing businesses. Midland County Sheriffs Office A Midland man was arrested Monday after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a business, according to court documents. Albert James Herrera, 18, was being held Wednesday on a $35,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate After seeing the devastation Hurricane Harvey created for Houston families, one Missouri mom donated 1,040 ounces of extra breast milk in an effort provide for those moms who may have lost their own milk supply or pumps during Harvey. When Danielle Palmer, an Owensville mother of three, heard of Houstons catastrophic flooding, she wanted to do anything to help those who were being affected. I cant imagine what these families must be going through," Palmer told Chron.com Thursday. "All I could do was pray. I saw the devastation and it broke my heart." HARVEY AFTERMATH: Photos show how terrible traffic has been since Harvey Palmers youngest child, Truett, was born with a congenital heart defect that doesn't allow him to take her milk. Truett consumed his food from an IV so when Palmer began pumping, all of her milk had to be stored in a freezer. Over the course of six months, while Truett was going through eight different surgeries, Palmers milk supply quickly built up to more than 1,000 ounces. Palmer started donating some of the milk to a local mom. Her sons speech therapist, Nicole Edwin, knew about her excess supply and proposed Palmer send it to Harvey victims. RELATED: The life lessons we've learned from Hurricane Harvey Through the non-profit, Guiding Star Organization, Palmer and other local moms, donated stored breast milk to a breast milk bank. Together they came up with almost a 15-gallon supply, which is estimated to exceed well over 400 feedings. But even if this helps only one mom, my job has been done, Palmer said. The supply of milk was driven to Dallas in a trailer, in good condition, and is to be tested before its distributed out to families. I dont know what these families are going through but as a mom of a child with a heart condition, I can remember those that were there to encourage me," Palmer said. "Focus on the positive, because there is always a silver lining. Beauty can come from this." Amy Marflak has been fostering for more than 20 years. They mean the world. Like I said, theyre the ones that nobody else wants to give a chance to, she said. Poodle and Pooch Rescue took in 20 pets from South Florida Says many of these are strays, some sick, some puppies RELATED: How to prepare your pet for a storm Marflack fosters through Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida, especially now with the uncertainty of Hurricane Irma. We saw the effects of Hurricane Harvey that just hit. The dogs and the cats and the pets that were left behind, said Rebecca Lynch the President of Poodle and Pooch Rescue. And what were trying to do is be proactive and save the pets that are on the streets now. Poodle and Pooch Rescue is working with Chuluota Veterinary Hospital and volunteers from Redlands. Redlands is known to be a dumping ground for stray dogs in Miami. Doggies from south Florida are being rescued by a central Florida pet rescue in light of #HurricaneIrma. Story on @MyNews13. pic.twitter.com/HICWWYMHOl Stephanie Bechara (@BecharaReports) September 7, 2017 South Florida will be the first area in the state to feel the effects of the storm. Miami Dade Animal Services wants to call themselves a no kill shelter. They are officially a no-kill shelter, said Michele Wacker, the medical director with Poodle and Pooch Rescue. The way theyre doing that is they're playing with statistics. Theyve closed their doors to strays. The non-profit rescued about 20 new dogs, including a litter of five puppies that can go through $200 worth of formula in just a couple of weeks. Some of these animals have broken legs, among other serious injuries that can also rack up a vet bill. Marflak hopes residents can step up for these fur babies. Its overwhelming to think about all the dogs that wont make it, she added. Poodle and Pooch is asking the community to help with monetary donations, foster homes or pet food. If you would like to get involved, head to the rescue's website. You can also email the rescue at Info@poodleandpoochrescue.org. While the term Dog Days of Summer originally referred to the position of canine-related celestial bodies during mid-summer, through the ages the phrase has come to mean the hot and humid period from July into mid-August when dogs and their masters would rather find some shade and enjoy an occasion breeze then participate in any strenuous activity, particularly during the heat of the day. Area consumers apparently felt the same way as retail sales activity took a significant dip in July. According to sales tax numbers from retail sales in July, as reported to the state in August and rebated to local entities this week by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, retail activity for businesses within the Heralds six-county circulation area fell 4.29 percent from the same time in 2016. Thats after a strong showing the month before. For the year-to-date, tax payments are off 2.58 percent from a year earlier. Fifteen cities and counties without the Heralds coverage area collect local sales taxes above those assessed by the state. Those range from 0.5 percent charged by Castro, Hale and Swisher counties to 2 percent, charged by Olton. Kress and Edmonson charge 1 percent; Hart, Lockney, Abernathy, Hale Center, Petersburg, Plainview and Tulia charge 1.5 percent; and Silverton and Floydada charge 1.75 percent. According to the September 2017 report, payments are up for eight cities and counties while down for seven. Current overall allocations were $599,081.53 compared to $626,561.38 during the same time in 2016. For the year, four are up while 11 are down. Thats $5,616,511.89 for 2017 compared to $5,765,216.71 for 2017. The City of Plainview is due to receive $321,021 in September, down 6.44 percent from the $343,150.80 payment in September 2016. For the year, collections are $3,071,932.10, off 0.65 percent from the $3,092,286.01 received during the same period in 2016. Hale County is due to receive $117,790.01 this month, off 8.11 percent from the $128,186.07 payment in September 2016. To date, the county has been allocated $1,160,795.34. Thats off 1.2 percent from the $1,174,903.78 received during the same period in 2016. Percentagewise, the largest increase for the month was recorded at Kress which saw its allocation climb 51.96 percent, from $770.01 to $1,170.12. Olton did almost as well, receiving a 36.26 percent bump in payments, from $14,590.94 in September 2016 to $19,882.45 this payment cycle. Tulia saw a 24.54 percent increase while Silverton had its payment increase 23 percent. Others showing payment increases were Lockney, 8.46 percent; Floydada, 5.14 percent; and Abernathy, 1.91 percent. The biggest loser, percentagewise, was Castro County which saw its payment drop 37.35 percent, falling from $26,683.82 in September 2016 to September 2017. Edmonson dropped 30.07 percent, from $239.04 to $167.16; Hart, off 21.08 percent, from $3,399.94 to $2,683.06; and Hale Center, off 15.15 percent, from $9,213.24 to $7.817.31. Also posting a payment decline this month was Petersburg, 3.77 percent Current and year-to-date payments, and changes from 2016, for area taxing entities include: --Abernathy, $16,133.56, 1.91%; $149,865.44, -2.3% --Castro Co., $16,715.80, -37.35%; $151,687.12, -34.47% --Edmonson, $167.16, -30.07%; $2,263.16 -52.82% --Floydada, $26,467.62, 5.14%; $241,463.49, -20.72% --Hale Center, $7,817.31, -15.15%; $72,943.27, -0.64% --Hale Co., $117, 790.01, -8.11%; $1,160,795.34, -1.2% --Hart, $2,683.05, -21.08%; $29,983.55, 0.59% --Kress, $1,170.12, 51.96%; $8,927.53, -4.76% --Lockney, $11,534.79, 8.46%; $95,770.02, -2.28% --Olton, $19,882.45, 36.26%; $135,956.58, -1.46% --Petersburg, $3,893.62, -3.77%; $33,373.47, -9.51% --Plainview, $321,021.00, -6.44%; $3,071,932.10, -0.65% --Silverton, $6,919.26, 23%; $57,111.33, 18.63% --Swisher Co., $13,740.17, 10.74%; $133,035.22, 16.91% --Tulia, $33,145.61, 24.54%; $271,404.27, 5.86% Wayland Baptist Universitys Association of Former Students will honor longtime Tulsa dentist Dr. Glenda Lightfoot Payas with the Distinguished Benefactor Alumni Award for 2017 at the homecoming celebration Sept. 22-23. The award will be presented as part of the homecoming banquet at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. A native of Albuquerque, Dr. Payas earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1969 from Wayland in biology and education. She went on to earn masters degrees from New Mexico Highlands University in the natural sciences as well as guidance and counseling and education administration. Dr. Payas earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa and then served with the U.S. Public Health Corps with the Indian Health Service at the Claremore Indian Hospital. She recently retired after 28 years in private practice in Tulsa. She has served in leadership roles in the dental community on the state and national level and was voted one of the top women in dentistry in 2011 and one of the top dentists in Oklahoma in 2012 among many other career accolades. Dr. Payas has used her talents to give back, setting up a dental clinic in Benin City, Nigeria, and doing dental outreach in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Jamaica. She is active in her church, Victory Christian Center, and has been a regent for ORU. Since graduation from WBU, Dr. Payas has contributed financially to various projects at the university, including completion of two scholarships honoring some of her faculty mentors in science. She then endowed a scholarship honoring her parents and one for her grandparents. Shes a regular member of the Sally Society womens philanthropy group and the Presidents Circle. Payas and her husband Brad also manage rental property in Tulsa. Like many universities, Wayland depends on its alumni to pay forward their blessings and keep the programs and experiences possible for future generations, said Teresa Young, Director of Alumni Relations. Dr. Glenda Payas and her husband Brad have been some of our most generous donors and are truly delighted to be able to give back and bless current Wayland students. The true lifetime value of their gifts is difficult to measure but is so greatly appreciated. For information on other homecoming events, visit www.wbualumni.com or call the Office of Alumni Services at 806-291-3600. CAIBARIEN, Cuba (AP) Cuba evacuated tourists from beachside resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 16 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after Irma smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the worlds most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. On the island of St. Thomas, power lines and towers were toppled, leaves were stripped off plants and trees, a water and sewage treatment plant was heavily damaged and the harbor was in ruins, along with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses. Thousands of tourists were trapped on St. Martin, St. Barts, and the Virgin Islands in the path of Category 3 Hurricane Jose, which threatened to roll in from the Atlantic and strike as early as Saturday. Irma weakened from a Category 5 storm to Category 4 on Friday morning with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph (240 kph), but it remained a powerful hurricane. Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning that Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the states Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in with winds of 175 mph (280 kph). People rushed to board up their homes, take their boats out of the water and gas up their cars. With gasoline running out and tensions rising, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks sent to replenish gas stations. It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate, Gov. Rick Scott said. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in U.S. history. The hurricane rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti and battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday with waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters). Communications went down as the storm slammed into the islands, and the extent of the devastation was unclear. Irma also spun Friday morning along the northern coast of Cuba, where thousands of tourists were evacuated from low-lying keys off the coast dotted with all-inclusive resorts. All residents of the area were under mandatory evacuation orders from the Cuban government, which was moving tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastline. The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction. The storm had claimed at least 16 lives, including nine on the French Caribbean islands of St.-Martin and St. Barts, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and three on the British island of Anguilla, Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. Officials on St. Thomas said they expected to find more bodies on the island where authorities described the damage as catastrophic and said crews were struggling to reopen roads and restore power. The hospital on St. Thomas was destroyed and dozens of patients were being evacuated to St. Croix and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Coast Guard. Local officials said a U.S. Navy hospital ship was arriving as early as Friday to care for unknown numbers of injured and two Air Force C-130s transport planes were bringing in food and water. Gov. Kenneth Mapp imposed a 6 p.m. curfew. The primary focus for now is making sure people have meals, water and shelter, Mapp said. An event of this magnitude is very chilling. On St. Martin, an island split between the Dutch Sint Maarten and French St.-Martin, homes were splintered and road signs scattered by the fierce winds. The cafes and clothing shops of the picturesque French seaside village of Marigot were submerged in brown floodwaters and people surveyed the wreckage from whatever shelter they could find. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. Annick Girardin, minister for Frances overseas territories, said Friday that there had been scenes of pillaging of televisions as well as food and water on St. Martin. She said police were working to restore order and ensure urgent care for victims. The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao said it believes about 6,000 Americans were stranded on St. Martin. The consulate was collecting the names and locations of the stranded and said it was working with the U.S. and other governments to try to figure out how to get the Americans off the island either by air or boat. Irma also slammed the French island of St. Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity in the high-end tourist destination. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses. There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world, he said. Farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose strengthened into a Category 3 storm with 120 mph (195 kph) winds. Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. Britain was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricanes core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery will take months, if not years. It is just really a horrendous situation, Browne said. Dominican and Haitian authorities reported flooding and minor damage in Irmas wake but no immediate deaths or widespread destruction. The neighboring nations remained vulnerable Friday to the sort of flooding that has killed thousands in previous storms and hurricanes. About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island overnight, and nearly half the territorys hospitals were relying on generators. No injuries were reported. Fox reported from Miami. Associated Presss Ian Brown in St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands; Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Ezequiel Lopez Abiu in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Anika Kentish in St. Johns, Antigua; Seth Borenstein in Washington; Michael Weissenstein in Havana; and Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report. HURRICANE NEWSLETTER - Get the best of the APs all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb MERIDEN Wilcox Technical High School English teacher Michelle Amann-Wojenski and library media specialist Santina Scalia were one of 221 teachers selected to attend the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Musuems 2017 Belfer National Conference for Educators this summer in Washington D.C,. During the three-day workshop, they received in-depth training on educating students about the Holocaust. The pair recently sat down to answer questions about the experience. Q: The U.S. National Holocaust Museum defines the Holocaust as the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Why is it important for students to learn about this term and genocide in general? Amann-Wojenski: Its important for the students to understand genocides as a whole and that there have been many...(the Holocaust is) often mentioned because it was in the 20th century. In other classes they may have learned about other genocides... I know some of our social studies teachers talk about the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda. Scalia: Specifically, the holocaust is about the six million Jews, but other groups were targeted... homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses...because they refused to pledge to Hitler. There were also Slavic people and so forth. This is very important that the students know. Q: What led up to the Holocaust? Scalia: Germany lost World War I and some people felt all they had was taken away...tensions were brewing for several years. It did not happen overnight. Usually people think death camps right away, but it wasnt. It was a gradual thing. Amann-Wojenski: There are no simple answers, but of course the German people at the time were suffering greatly. They were struggling. They were also sanctioned heavily because of World War I and they felt they couldnt get out from under that and they were looking for a leader to lead them out of that crisis. Q: Is it enough to watch movies and read fictional accounts of the Holocaust? Amann-Wojenski: The stories that we have in movies and in books, a lot of them give us a sense of hope at the end and we realize there are incredible people who survived so many challenges, but at the same time we have to remember all those whose stories are not told. Those who did not survive, and unfortunately, these stories of survivors are the few. There are many millions more who suffered. There were very few Schindlers out there. At the museum theres a whole wall of people who assisted people just in that time period and its very powerful and the stories are ones of courage and helping each other, but there are so many stories that are totally the opposite. Q: Why is it important for high school students to hear the stories of survivors? Amann-Wojenski: ..When you have one person in front of you telling his or her own story it really makes it real. We have Ruth Tutti Lichtenstern Fishman coming in to the classroom later this year and her daughter wrote a novel about her experiences. She was a very young girl when she started to experience the discrimination against Jewish people, in fact her family moved to avoid this but unfortunately the Nazi rule took over that area as well, in the Netherlands. These are people sitting in front of them who have lived long lives after the Holocaust, they lived and survived those struggles and continued onward and they are inspirations. Scalia: It turns the statistics into people and into reality. A number is a number, but when you actually see the people it kind of brings it home. It makes it more real. Q: Why is it important to learn about the Holocaust today? Scalia: As much as you dont want history to repeat itself, it does. There are things you can do about it and individual choice. Whatever choice you make will have an impact. If you are a bystander, does it mean that you are innocent? Why didnt you act on it? Amann-Wojenski: We talk a lot about bullying in schools...I dont think that people understand that being mean really has dire consequences for the individual, for the long term, for the short term, and a whole bunch of people not honoring the humanity of others could cause this to happen. Its those small actions, those little things that people do every day that matters. To obtain more information about the Holocaust or learn about the Belter National Conference, visit the website for the United States Holocaust Museum at www.ushmm.org. ltauss@record-journal.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sections of the UC Berkeley campus are to be closed off and officials will request photo identification from attendees as part of safety measures being imposed for a speech next week by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, campus officials announced. Shapiro is scheduled to speak about 7 p.m. Thursday at Zellerbach Hall on the Berkeley campus. Our commitment to free speech, as well as to the law, mandates that the students who invited Shapiro be able to host their event for those who wish to hear him speak, Paul Alivisatos, the schools executive vice chancellor and provost, wrote in a letter released Thursday to the campus community. Our commitment to the principles of community mandates that all students, faculty and staff be able to be present on campus, engaging in their regular academic activities without fear. Shapiro, the former editor at large for the right-wing Breitbart News website, was invited to the school by Berkeley College Republicans and the Young Americas Foundation, an organization of conservative students. The historically liberal campus is bracing for possible protests of Shapiros appearance. Masked agitators among peaceful protesters caused $100,000 of damage on campus and burned police equipment in February, causing the cancellation of a speech by former Breitbart columnist Milo Yiannopoulos. A scheduled speech by conservative provocateur Ann Coulter was canceled in April over safety concerns. University police will establish a perimeter around the area where Shapiro will speak, starting about three hours before his appearance. Five buildings in the area will be closed, including Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union and Sproul Hall. The campus noted An increased and highly visible police presence will be on campus on Sept 14. Only those with tickets will be allowed inside the perimeter. Photo identification is required to pick up tickets, campus officials said. The school is offering students and school employees counseling services for those who may feel their sense of safety and belonging is affected by the event. Shapiro and event organizers have criticized school officials for offering only half of Zellerbach Halls 2,000 seats for the sold-out event. Tickets for my speech at Berkeley sold out in the first 45 minutes. Thats why @UCBerkeley should release the other 1,000 tickets now, Shapiro posted Friday morning on Twitter. But the Police Department advised the university to close access to the roughly 1,000 seats in the balcony because of increased risk posed by a full house if theres a disturbance and to eliminate the possibility of agitators throwing items from the balcony, said Dan Mogulof, a university spokesman. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno When the Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would end an Obama-era program that shielded young unauthorized immigrants from deportation, Sherwin Sheik quickly sized up the potential toll on his business. Sheik is the chief executive and founder of CareLinx, which matches home care workers with patients and their families. The company relies heavily on authorized immigrant labor, making the looming demise of the program which has transformed around 700,000 people brought to this country as children into authorized workers a decidedly unwelcome development. The move, Sheik said, would compound an already disastrous situation in terms of shortages of supply. He added, This is a big issue were focusing on. Recalling the revolt among business executives that followed President Donald Trumps refusal to single out white supremacists for causing violence last month in Charlottesville, Virginia, leaders of companies in the finance, manufacturing and technology industries, including Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase, have been quick to oppose the decision to end the program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Those executives may have empathy for the beneficiaries of the program, known as Dreamers, as well as a broader interest in more liberal immigration policies to satisfy their labor needs. But the practical effect on their businesses will typically be minimal. The number of workers who benefit from the program is tiny alongside a national labor force of more than 150 million, and the DACA workers are spread out relatively evenly across most industries. In health care, on the other hand, the economic impact could be significant, depriving patients of help they depend on and driving up costs for families and taxpayers. Surveys of DACA beneficiaries reveal that roughly one-fifth of them work in the health care and educational sector, suggesting a potential loss of tens of thousands of workers from in-demand job categories like home health aide and nursing assistant. At the same time, projections by the government and advocacy groups show that the economy will need to add hundreds of thousands of workers in these fields over the next five to 10 years simply to keep up with escalating demand, caused primarily by a rapidly aging population. Its going to have a real impact on consumers, Paul Osterman, a professor at the Sloan School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of a new book on long-term care workers, said of the DACA move. The DACA program benefits people who entered the country as children and were under age 31 as of June 2012. A 2016 survey by pro-immigration groups and a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, shows that roughly half are still in school, and more than two-thirds have earned less than a bachelors degree. That would make fields like home health care aide or nursing and health assistants, which dont require a college degree, potentially attractive. Josue De Luna Navarro, a DACA beneficiary, came to the United States from Mexico when he was 9. He became interested in a career in health care after his father nearly died from complications relating to heart disease. Now a 21-year-old senior at the University of New Mexico, Navarro works as a health assistant at a clinic in Albuquerque and plans to apply to medical school after he graduates. He worries that if DACA is revoked, he will not be able to work at all. Without that work permit, my career in medicine will be very, very difficult, he said. Under the Obama-era program, recipients had to apply to renew their status every two years. The Trump administration said Tuesday that some beneficiaries will be able to renew their status up until Oct. 5. Others could face deportation beginning in March, unless Congress intervenes beforehand. Experts say the effects of undoing the program could quickly ripple out from DACA beneficiaries to other workers. It destabilizes that workforce, said Robert Espinoza, vice president for policy at PHI, a group that advocates on behalf of personal care workers. If you are seeing family members, children, neighbors being deported, threatened, and so on, the ability to be present on the job is undermined. The health care fields reliance on immigrant labor makes it particularly vulnerable. According to census data Osterman analyzed, more than one-quarter of home health aides in 2015 were immigrants. The proportion in certain states is far higher, reaching nearly one-half in California and nearly two-thirds in New York. The undoing of DACA may also herald the undoing of other programs that provide a steady source of immigrant labor in the health care sector. For example, the government can grant people from certain countries that have endured hardship, like natural disasters or civil wars, what it calls temporary protected status. The overwhelming majority of workers granted that status hail from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, and many have flocked to low-paying health care professions as well. We know from surveys that TPS recipients are highly represented in the workforce in certain areas, said Tom Jawetz, a vice president of the Center for American Progress, a think tank that favors more liberal immigration policies. In particular, many especially Haitians work in home health care. The Trump administration has suggested it may not extend the program for Haitians when its most recent extension expires in January, raising questions about whether it will end the program for Hondurans and Salvadorans as well. As a basic matter of economics, removing tens of thousands of workers from occupations that already suffer from a serious labor shortage the Labor Department predicts that country will need more than 1.25 million home health aides by 2024, up from about 900,000 in 2014 generally has one unambiguous effect: driving up costs. This may be welcome on some level: The department estimates that the typical home health aide made less than $25,000 in 2016, for a job that can be physically and emotionally grueling. The economic problem is twofold, however. First, the government, through Medicaid, often pays the salaries of home health workers, meaning that escalating wages could blow a hole in the federal budget. (Medicaid, through the decisions of the state and federal governments, effectively caps compensation for home health workers, but the caps could rise more quickly in a world of plunging labor supply.) Second, an acute shortage of home health workers could force many older and disabled Americans out of their homes and into care facilities, where costs are roughly two-to-three times the cost of home care for a full year. The government typically picks up that tab as well. Still, it is the personal toll that may be greatest: A patients quality of life tends to be far higher when he or she can continue living at home. For patients and families who rely on immigrant workers, if that person is gone, cant get renewed, its not a cute thing, Osterman said. A home health aide is what lets you stay at home. Political cartoons, suffrage explored ALBANY History Professor Susan Goodier of SUNY Oneonta presents a lecture on political cartoons at 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Albany Institute of History and Art. This year is the centennial of women voting in New York. Goodier's program is based on suffrage and anti-suffrage cartoons drawn from a range of archives and published sources. At the lecture, visitors can analyze the cartoons and discover anti-suffrage responses to suffrage contentions, and vice versa. They can explore the value of the vote to the suffragists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries compared to the value of the vote of people today. The program, free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the Humanities New York Public Scholars program. Talk will focus on 19th century women COXSACKIE The Greene County Historical Society welcomes local Historian Carolyn Bennett Thursday as she presents "The Five Wives of Zadock Pratt," a look back at the times of 19th century women, with a focus on the limitations forced upon them by the social, commercial and political worlds. The program will begin at 7 p.m. at the Greene County Historical Society's Vedder Research Library on the grounds of the Bronck Museum, Route 9W. Donations will be accepted in support of the Beecher Scholarship, a $1,000 annual scholarship awarded to a Greene County senior high school student who writes a paper related to Greene County history. Staff reports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Area residents generosity over the past week may allow some of the donations collected for Hurricane Harvey victims to be rerouted south for those who will be impacted this weekend by Hurricane Irma. The collections brought in four times more donations for Harvey victims than expected. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, through four Danbury-area and three Staten Island drop-off sites, collected supplies beginning last Saturday with a plan to bring them to Texas in a single tractor trailer. But even before the final collection day ended Wednesday, the foundation had received so many items they needed to add a second tractor trailer to accommodate the haul. Chief Operating Officer John Hodge said Friday that after a final count of the donations, the foundation has nearly five tractor trailers worth of supplies. We had over 100 pallets, Hodge said. Two loads have gone down (to Texas) and were holding on to the other two loads. Well get them out early next week. Hodge said they may reroute some of the donations mostly water to Florida. If Irma really hits Florida hard, water will really be needed there, Hodge said. They probably will have resolved a lot of (Texas) water issues but Florida might be desperate for water. Since local residents donated the supplies thinking they would head only to Harvey victims, Hodge added that the foundation will replace any supplies that go to Irma by buying a matching amount in Texas. The foundation has also collected a monetary donations for storm victims through its website and are still open to donations, Hodge added. Tunnel to Towers also sent a group of New York firefighters down to Texas to start repairingflooded homes and cooking for those displaced by the storm. Another group of firefighters will fly out next week, Hodge said. aquinn@newstimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It was obvious the house on Woods Estates Drive in Kingwood had been exquisite. Someone had invested a considerable amount of time, effort and resources into making it so. Upon entering the front door into the spacious, high-ceiling foyer, guests were greeted by a grand staircase, which forked at the top. The living room had large windows, overlooking the vast backyard where palm trees surrounded a pool. From the mirror-lined hallway to nostalgic floral wallpaper, the house had taken on a personality that could only have been created by people who called this house their home. The devastating toll Harvey took on hundreds of Kingwood residences could be seen even by briefly glancing into the neighborhood streets branching off of Kingwood Drive. Near the entrance to Kings Forest, Leigh Ann Elkins stood outside the house on Wood Estates Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 6. The home was now a dampened distortion of its former self. The material running up the grand staircase was peeling back, the walls stained about four feet above the floor where flood water crested throughout the house, ruining any furniture and appliances in its way. Outside, the pool water was murky. A once-proud palm tree had been pushed over and was laying on its side. "This is my parents' house," Elkins said. "I lost both of them in the last 12 months. Since then, I haven't been able to stand coming over here." Around Elkins, a team of volunteers wearing disposable dust masks hustled in and out of the house, taking out damaged walls with sledge hammers, removing ruined flooring, carrying out possessions some irreparable, some salvageable and moving rubble to the end of the driveway for debris pick-up. "You wander around, and all the memories are here," Elkins said. "I already couldn't bring myself to come over here. Then to finally come over here and just everything is destroyed." Elkins moved into the house with her parents and siblings in ninth grade and started her first year at Kingwood High School. "My dad had the house built in 1980," Elkins said. "They took us to look at houses. They were showing us houses and the house next door was already finished. He saw this one and it was just sticks." To him, it was an opportunity to build a home the way he wanted. "He put everything he had into this house," Elkins said. "This was his pride and joy. He planned everything out. I'm glad he did not see the house this way because this was his baby. This was everything he knew. This house, he was proud of." She stood in the kitchen, watching volunteers work to remove the refrigerator, and remembering fond memories such as the weekly lunches, a tradition she shared with her family. "We had Sunday lunch over here every single Sunday," Elkins said. "If you didn't show upthat was something that you just didn't do. You were here for Sunday lunch." Her gaze shifted toward the living room area, "And this is the house I grew up in. We'd come over here and plop down on the couch. It was home." Outside, she looked at the flood water's toll on the backyard trees many of which she had helped her mother plant as saplings. "One of the palms fell over back there," Elkins said. "My mom would have died over that." Elkins is glad that her parents did not have to see the damage to the home they'd invested so much into. Although, she said that in a way, the situation could be seen as a God-send because it propelled her to finally visit her childhood home and confront the memories and emotions she was avoiding. "God has a plan I'll always believe that," Elkins said. "You may not like the plan, but you deal with the plan. It may hurt, but crying's not going to fix it. I may avoid a few things, but it is what it is. You do what's got to be done." Like many residences that flooded, Elkin's parents' house did not have flood insurance. She has already contacted FEMA, but hasn't heard back yet. Elkins works at Riverwood Middle School in the Child Nutrition Department. She also works as an assistant manager at Pizza Hut. She has three sons, and took care of her father after he developed Alzheimer's up until he passed away. She does not know exactly what the road ahead will look like for renovation on her parent's house, but as a person used to tackling multiple responsibilities, she intends to see it through until the end. Eventually, she wants to put the house on the market. She and her brother both live in the Kingwood area. Her house in Sherwood Trails did not take on water, but her brother's home at Riverchase did end up flooding as did an unprecedented number of Kingwood area homes. City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner conducted a news conference from Fosters Mill in Kingwood on Monday, Sept. 4. He described the debris lining the streets in Kingwood neighborhoods. "Kingwood was hard-hit," Turner said. "It was hit hard. You couldn't get in. Water was every place. And then on top of that, not just getting hit from the rainfall, but when water was released from Lake Conroe. That added to the water level and to the damage that has been done." He stressed to the residents of Kingwood that the city of Houston is paying attention to Kingwood residents, and intends to respond efficiently. "One of the top priorities for us is to move quickly with the greatest degree of urgency to get this debris up," Turner said. "The city of Houston's crew started a few days ago. We are now joined by a number of crews from San Antonio." He said the goal is to remove debris as efficiently as possible across the entire city of Houston. He said debris removal trucks will conduct multiple pass-throughs across Houston, so people throughout Houston may be seeing these trucks over the next several weeks. City of Houston District E Council Member Dave Martin's office has been coordinating with the city of San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department to pick up debris, and as of Thursday, Sept. 7, they have hauled 204 loads and collected 2,332 tons of debris. District E staff are coordinating with community associations to alert residents 24-hours in advance of a debris pick-up for each community. The District E office is compiling a list of neighborhoods that were impacted by Harvey. In the Kingwood area, their list includes: Barrington Crosby Deer Cove Deer Ridge Estates Dunnam Road Enclave Forest Cove Fosters Mill Huffman Kings Forest Kings Harbor Kings Point Kings River Kingwood Greens Kingwood Lakes Kingwood Villas Riverbend Riverchase Royal Shores Sand Creek Village Trailwood Village Woodspring Village Woodstream Village To inform the office of Kingwood-area District E neighborhoods that were impacted and are not listed, email districte@houstontx.gov. Houston 3-1-1, at 713-837-0311, can be contacted to report storm and flood damage and traffic signal problems. People can also report issues using the 3-1-1 smartphone app. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Harris County officials are urging patience in the aftermath of Harvey as clean up efforts continue. The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce hosted a town hall meeting on Thursday at the Northwoods Presbyterian Church with civic representatives that included county officials, state representatives and local business leaders. Patience with debris pick-up Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle thanked first responders and urged patience from residents to be patient while clean up efforts and flood debris are ongoing. At a table, county workers handed out flyers to inform residents and business owners how to separate their debris so that it could be picked up more efficiently. During the last flood in April 2016, the debris took about three weeks to pick up. "This storm is exponentially larger," he said. "It will be a while until we can get through the storm debris that is in our neighborhoods, so please be patient." He stressed that residents shouldn't stack their debris near their mailboxes and keep streets clear so that trucks can retrieve it more easily. Securing funds for relief State Rep. Kevin Roberts, R-Houston, said some of his priorities are to reimburse Harris County along with rebuilding schools, government buildings and improving transportation. "It's estimated that it will cost to rebuild between $120 to $200 billion," he said. Until the federal government determines how much aid it will provide, the state will not be able to know how many funds it will give to help the post-Harvey recovery, he said. President Donald Trump requested $7.8 billion for relief last week, while the U.S. Senate passed a $15 billion bill in funds today. Justice of the Peace court relocated The Justice of the Peace Court in Precinct 4 suffered flooding damage from about three and a half feet of water, said Judge Lincoln Goodwin. While the court has already had the damaged drywall removed and is undergoing repairs, finding a replacement in the meantime has been a priority, he said. "We are in the process of negotiating a lease with the county of where we can set up a temporary court house," Goodwin said. "We anticipate that it's probably going to be somewhere east of the Hardy (Road) near Old Town Spring." Goodwin said he knew many people were hurting form the floods and despite the inconvenience of possibly moving across the North Freeway, his court wanted to continue to serve constituents. The courts across Harris County have closed for about two weeks due to Harvey, which could impact many cases. First responders rescued during storm During Harvey, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said central dispatch was flooded and six dispatchers had to be rescued by the Harris County sheriff's deputies in 10 feet of water. "I've never seen nothing like this in my life," Herman said. After central dispatch was abandoned due to the flooding, Herman said the sheriff's deputies helped set up a temporary dispatch where they were able to field 12,000 calls from Precinct 4. During the storm, some law enforcement officials also damaged their weapons when jumping into the water while rescuing residents, Cagle said. NEW HAVEN >> A Southern Connecticut State University student found dead at his campus apartment last month died from a drug overdose involving a fentanyl analog, the states medical examiner confirmed. The out-of-state junior died Aug. 6 from the combined effects of para-Fluorobutyryl Fentanyl, according to Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill. The student was 21. The manner of death was ruled accidental. The university said the student had been found unresponsive at his North Campus apartment. The Register is not naming the student. Gill previously warned that fentanyl analogs had been identified more often in Connecticut overdoses. Para-Fluorobutyryl Fentanyl is a fentanyl analog, meaning it has a similar effects to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. It is an illicit fentanyl analogue, Gill said in an email. Action is like fentanyl but it has different chemical attachments so it is structurally different. Gill said the students death was certified Aug. 31, the same week Gills office released information revealing more than 500 people had died from drug overdoses. He projected at least 500 more people will die from overdoses this year. Fentanyl has surpassed heroin as the most common opioid found in fatal drug overdoses. Unlike heroin, which often requires the cultivation of poppy plants, fentanyl is synthetic, is more powerful than heroin and costs less to manufacture. Gills office reported from January through June 30, fentanyl was found in 322 overdose deaths. Heroin was found in 257 overdose deaths during the same period. SCSU spokesman Patrick Dilger said in a statement the Southern community was, deeply saddened by the circumstances of (the students) passing. He was a vibrant and popular student and we have extended our deepest sympathies to his family and friends on this tragic loss, Dilger said. Maintaining the health and safety of our students is always our highest priority. Southern is committed to educating its students about the risks associated with drug use, including opioids, and informing them about resources and treatment available on and off campus. The figures released by Gills office last month show para-Fluorobutyryl Fentanyl has been found in four other fatal overdoses, including one in New Haven and one in Wallingford. Last year, a UConn freshman was found unresponsive on a campus dormitory. His death was subsequently ruled accidental after it was determined he died from an overdose caused by a cocktail of drugs including fentanyl. Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901. BEIJING - President Donald Trump renewed a threat Thursday to use military force against North Korea and raised doubts about whether negotiations could succeed in resolving the brewing crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable," Trump said during a news conference. "It would be great if something else could be worked out. We would have to look at all of the details, all of the facts." U.S. officials said an offer to negotiate with North Korea remains on the table, but Trump has repeatedly discounted the value of beginning another effort to talk North Korea out of its arsenal. All previous efforts have failed, and North Korea now possesses both a stockpile of weapons and missiles capable of threatening U.S. shores. "We've had presidents for 25 years now, they've been talking, talking, talking, and the day after an agreement is reached, new work begins in North Korea" on its rogue nuclear weapons program, Trump said. "So I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen." The United States is seeking the toughest-yet U.N. sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest nuclear test, according to a draft resolution circulated Wednesday. The sanctions would stop all oil and natural gas exports and freeze the government's foreign financial assets. North Korea greeted the proposal with a threat. "We will respond to the barbaric plotting around sanctions and pressure by the United States with powerful counter measures of our own," read a statement delivered at an Asian economic summit in Russia on Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that Beijing would support further U.N.-imposed "measures" against North Korea following its latest nuclear test Sunday but stopped short of saying whether China would back crippling economic sanctions such as a halt to fuel shipments. Trump has put a priority on pressuring China to "do more" on North Korea. After Sunday's nuclear test, he tweeted that Pyongyang has become a "threat and embarrassment to China"- a critique of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China - the main economic lifeline for North Korea - has long been hesitant to completely cut off the crude oil supply to North Korea, worried that economic instability could bring a flood of refugees to the Chinese border and the potential fall of its ally North Korea to U.S. ally South Korea. "Given the new developments on the Korean Peninsula, China agrees that the U.N. Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," Wang, the foreign minister, told reporters. "We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation." Trump did not address sanctions as he spoke at the White House, where he appeared alongside Sheikh Sabah Ahmed al-Sabah, the visiting Kuwait ruler. Trump did not rule out an eventual U.S. strategy of containing North Korea's nuclear weapons instead of eradicating them, saying he will not bargain with North Korea in public. "I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations. I don't talk about them," he said. "But I can tell you that North Korea's behaving badly and it's got to stop, OK?" A U.S. official who briefed reporters later Thursday suggested that Trump is merely being careful and has not backed off the demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons. That demand has been a mainstay of U.S. policy for more than a decade and was the basis for extensive negotiations under former president George W. Bush, which ultimately failed. "The president likes to keep his cards close to his chest, especially on matters of national security," the senior administration official said. "I wouldn't read too much into the absence of an assertion" that North Korea must renounce its nuclear weapons, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss some aspects of the evolving U.S. policy toward North Korea. The kind of nuclear deterrence policy that the United States adopted toward the former Soviet Union would probably not work with North Korea, the official said. That policy relied on each nation's interest in self-preservation to prevent either from launching a first strike. "We are very concerned that North Korea might not be able to be deterred, that there are real differences between North Korea and the small, small group of nations that have these weapons," the official said. The official said the United States is worried about a rising threat of "miscalculation" by North Korea, which may think the warnings of U.S. force are hollow. That partly explains the recent emphasis by Trump, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and others on the overwhelming strength of U.S. military capabilities. "Our military has never been stronger," Trump said Thursday. "Each day, new equipment is delivered; new and beautiful equipment, the best in the world - the best anywhere in the world, by far." "Hopefully, we're not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also invited negotiations under the right circumstances. Last month, he sought to reassure North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the United States does not want to oust him or invade his country. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert insisted the strategy of applying diplomatic pressure on North Korea, while slow going, is effective. Several countries, including Spain, Peru and Kuwait, she said, have set numerical limits on guest workers and Pyongyang's diplomats. "It will take time to help remove that money that the DPRK is getting, and which we believe is going to illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs," she said, using the abbreviation for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The threat of force and the offer of negotiations can coexist, U.S. officials said. "We've left the door open to talks with the North Koreans from the earliest days of this administration," said an official, noting that Pyongyang has responded with ballistic missile tests, Sunday's test of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb and other provocations. "Their actions have spoken louder than words. It's just not the time to negotiate with North Korea. That's plainly clear to us." --- Rauhala reported from Beijing. Carol Morello in Washington and Luna Lin in Beijing contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States are exempt from President Donald Trump's travel ban, as are refugees with a formal assurance from a government agency, a federal appeals court panel ruled Thursday. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is a blow to the government, which after the most recent Supreme Court compromise had been allowed to block refugees with assurances, though not grandparents and other extended relatives. "Resettlement agencies will face concrete harms and burdens if refugees with formal assurances are not admitted," the judges wrote. "In the same way that the Court considered the harms of the U.S. citizen who wants to be reunited with his mother-in-law and the permanent resident who wants to be reunited with his wife, the employer that hired an employee, the university that admitted a student, and the American audience that invited a lecturer, the district court correctly considered the resettlement agency that has given a formal assurance for specific refugees." The judges also said their ruling would take effect in just five days - on Tuesday - a significant decrease from the normal 52 days, saying that refugees' lives "remain in vulnerable limbo" in their current uncertain state. The government has estimated there are about 24,000 refugees with a formal assurance. A Justice Department spokeswoman said in a statement: "The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the Executive Branch's duty to protect the Nation." The ruling does not get to the heart of whether the travel ban is lawful. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on that next month. And given that the measure was supposed to have been temporary - 90 days for citizens of the six countries affected by the ban and 120 days for refugees - it is also possible that the dispute will be moot by then. In the 9th Circuit, the parties had essentially been arguing over who could be excluded from entering the United States after the justices in June ruled that a limited version of the travel ban could take effect. The high court had said officials could not enforce the measure on those with "a credible claim of a bona fide relationship" with a person or entity in the United States, but offered only limited guidance on what type of relationship would qualify. "Close familial" relationships would count, the court said, as would ties such as a job offer or school acceptance letter that were "formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course." The same standard applied to citizens of the six countries affected by the ban - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - as well as all refugees. The government initially sought to block grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the country from entering, along with refugees with a formal assurance letter from a resettlement agency, but a U.S. district judge ultimately stopped them from doing so. The Supreme Court then put on hold the portion of that district judge's ruling on refugees, but not on grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States. That led to the legal wrangling before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The 9th Circuit judges wrote that the government had not offered persuasive evidence that grandparents and other extended relatives did not count as "close" family members, rejecting the government's argument that they had drawn their position from immigration law. They rejected similar arguments on refugees with assurances. The 9th Circuit opinion was written by Judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald M. Gould and Richard A. Paez, all appointed by President Bill Clinton. September has already been a rough month. Over the past week, catastrophic flooding hit Texas, an unprecedented tide of refugees entered Bangladesh, a nuclear test sent tremors across Asia and a monster hurricane ravaged the Caribbean. But amid all these crises, spare a thought for an emergency that has smoldered for years, let alone months, with no end in sight. The conflict in Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished nation, is a calamity by any measure. It has raged since 2014, when rebels known as the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa and sent the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi into flight. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition entered the fray on Hadi's behalf and embarked on a devastating blockade as well as a relentless campaign of airstrikes. While the Houthis have lost ground, they remain entrenched in parts of the country, including Sanaa. The lack of a political solution has exacted a hideous cost: More than 10,000 people have been killed, more than 2 million people remain displaced in temporary camps or shelters, and close to 20 million Yemenis - that is, more than two-thirds of the country's population - face food insecurity and need humanitarian aid. Around 7 million people are on the brink of famine, according to aid agencies. "A devastating reality: Today, over 7 million people in #Yemen don't know where their next meal will come from. - ICRC (@ICRC) September 7, 2017" On top of that, Yemen is suffering what's been dubbed "the world's worst cholera crisis," with more than 600,000 people affected by an epidemic that flared over the summer and expanded far beyond the predictions of international organizations. The disease has killed at least 2,000 Yemenis. My colleague Sudarsan Raghavan reported last month on the scale of the public health catastrophe: "The outbreak started to spread fast at the end of April, propelled by poor sanitation and limited access to clean water for millions of Yemenis. And although its spread has slowed in some areas, it is speeding up in other zones, infecting an estimated 5,000 people per day," Raghavan wrote. "All this as the health system has further crumbled. Airstrikes from a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels have destroyed or damaged more than half of Yemen's heath facilities. A lack of funds has forced others to close." Yemenis are confronted by a brutal war, conducted by a patchwork of opportunistic factions, and the simultaneous collapse of the country's long-fragile state. Myriad civil servants, teachers and trained professionals find themselves out of work and desperate to provide for their families. "I have a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a diploma in English, but certificates cannot provide me with food," said Mohammed Hasan, whom the Financial Times encountered hawking ice cream in Sanaa. "My family is luckier than many others as I can eke out a living for them. There are many families starving to death." Meanwhile, aid organizations are struggling to bring in supplies through ports blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition. This has led to anger among senior figures marshaling the relief operation. "Saudi Arabia should fund 100 percent [of the needs] of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen," David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme, told Reuters. "Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them." And then there's the foreign dimension of the conflict. The Saudi campaign is fueled by weapons it purchased from governments in the West, including those of Britain and the United States. "This is no accidental disaster - it is a man-made disaster driven by national and international politics," Katy Wright, the head of advocacy for Oxfam, said about the cholera crisis in a statement last month. "In backing this war with billions of dollars of arms sales and military support the U.S. and the U.K. are complicit in the suffering of millions of people in Yemen." The Saudis accuse their regional nemesis Iran of propping up the Houthis, but critics contend that the charge both overplays Tehran's hand in Yemen and obscures the role of other forces, including militias loyal to the ousted long-ruling President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The conflict, they say, has always been a turf war of competing fiefdoms. This week, a report from the United Nation's human rights office found that among the 5,144 civilian casualties suffered since March 2015 - when Saudi Arabia entered the war - at least 3,233 of the deaths, including those of more than 1,000 children, can be attributed to coalition forces. "The reticence of the international community in demanding justice for the victims of the conflict in Yemen is shameful, and in many ways is contributing to the continuing horror," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said earlier this week, urging all sides to allow an independent investigation into alleged violations and human rights abuses. Stung by the U.N. official's comments, Saudi authorities dismissed the report's claims. "We invited the United Nations to come and discuss it with us. We invited the United Nations to come and take a look at how we choose our targets and how we conduct operations. And none of them came," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Sky News. He added that his country's war effort was proving a success and the onus was on the Houthis to come to terms. "People look at this and say this has gone on too long. From our perspective every day is too long, but it's not up to us. It's up the Houthis," al-Jubeir said. But Houthi capitulation is hardly in the cards. "The sad irony of the conflict is that each of the warring parties appears to believe that time is on their side," wrote Michael Dempsey at the Council on Foreign Relations. "As far as the people of Yemen are concerned, though, time is running out." Stanley Fischer announced Wednesday he is leaving his position as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. The Fed and the international monetary system will be weaker for his departure from official responsibility. It is the end of an era. Stan's has been a singular career. As an MIT professor he co-wrote, with his close friend Rudi Dornbusch, the macro textbook that defined the basics of the field for a generation. With Olivier Blanchard, he wrote the treatise that defined the state of the art for graduate students. His lectures were models of lucid exposition and balanced judgment. My view of monetary economics was shaped by my experience auditing his class in the fall of 1978. Legions of central banking greats, starting with Ben Bernanke and Mario Draghi, were not just his students but his disciples. A new Illinois law will give Illinois law enforcement a powerful tool in combating the heroin epidemic. The law, called the Evan Rushing Law will make it possible for law enforcement officials to prosecute an out-of-state drug dealer for a death caused by drugs sold by that dealer. Evan Rushing, from Glen Carbon, was a veteran of the United States Army who suffered from PTSD. In 2016, Rushing purchased heroin in St. Louis, overdosed and died. After his death, the Glen Carbon Police Department identified the drug dealer but prosecutors could not charge him with drug-induced homicide simply because the heroin was purchased in Missouri. States Attorney Tom Gibbons said the Mississippi River was not only a physical barrier, but a legal barrier as well. I want to say to the drug dealers in Missouri the long arm of the law is coming for you when you sell drugs to Illinois residents. When you cause death we will be coming for you. No longer does the river stand in our way. We will come straight to you and bring you to justice for drug-induced homicide, Gibbons said. You are warned. Gibbons said law enforcement agencies throughout Madison County will work diligently to investigate all drug-related deaths to bring justice to the many families who have suffered under the opioid epidemic striking local communities. Id like to thank Sen. (Bill) Haine and Rep. (Katie) Stuart, Gibbons said. The legislature came together and saw the good in this bill and it is their hard work, and the uplifting energy of the entire Rushing Family that made this all possible. Stuart, who sponsored the bill in the House after being introduced in the Senate by Haine, said the measure passed the house with almost unanimous bipartisan support. Id like to commend Sen. Haine and the Rushing family for getting this going and all of the hard work they put into this effort. I just carried the ball across the goal line, Stuart said. This bill will ensure that no other family has to go through what the Rushings went through. It will ensure that when someone is suffering the loss of a loved one they will not have to live with the disappointment of not having the justice for a loved one. Stuart said there is currently a resolution calling on the Governor to declare a state of emergency in regards to the opioid epidemic in the state. If such declaration were made, the state would fully fund education, treatment and law enforcement efforts in the battle against the crisis. Haine said the Rushings' hard work made the bill a reality. I greatly appreciate the Rushings. They came up and testified in front of the Senate Criminal Law Committee and the bill is small in the context of what the family has gone through, but it is another step in the efforts of law enforcement that have the onerous burden of enforcing the laws and saving lives, Hayne said. People are dying right and left and that is why we passed this law so we could use it as a way to deter the act of someone giving someone else poison. Janice Rushing, Evans mother, said she had to thank everyone who helped her family and gave them strength to continue the fight in her sons name. This law will make it so (States Attorney) Tom Gibbons never has to say no to another family, she said. And while the law is on the books, Rushing said she and her family will not stop working to educate people about the dangers of heroin and opioids. Our son had an accidental overdose, she said. Our goal here is to educate. We want people to learn from Evans experience and going forward we have to teach people that it only takes one time one mistake and you can lose your life. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Houston-based law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against the San Jacinto River Authority claiming the release of water from Lake Conroe flooded homes after rainstorms from Hurricane Harvey moved through the area. Potts Law Firm filed the suit that now includes several homeowners Wednesday. According to the firm, as a result of the release, it is estimated that thousands of homeowners and business owners' properties were flooded that had previously escaped flooding from Hurricane Harvey itself. However, SJRA General Manager Jace Houston said SJRA, which manages Lake Conroe's water, did what it had to do to prevent more catastrophic flooding downstream. He added that he knew of the Potts suit but said the SJRA had not been served. The lawsuit, styled Thomas E. and Beth F. Ross, et.al. v. San Jacinto River Authority, et al., consists of two subclasses. They are all Texas residential property owners who experienced floodwaters at their property on or after Aug. 28 in the area downstream of Lake Conroe affected by the rising waters of the San Jacinto River as a result of San Jacinto River Authority's decision to release water from Lake Conroe; and all Texas commercial property owners who experienced floodwaters at their property on or after Aug. 28 in the area downstream of Lake Conroe affected by the rising waters of the San Jacinto River as a result of San Jacinto River Authority's decision to release water from Lake Conroe. "In the devastating aftermath of the flooding, Potts Law Firm stands ready to support our clients, our employees, and our community at this most challenging time," Derek H. Potts, national managing partner in Houston, stated in a press release. "This case is particularly important to us since it directly impacted so many friends, neighbors, and family members." Dam science Lake Conroe was built in 1973 as a water source for the city of Houston. Houston owns two-thirds of the lake, while SJRA owns the remaining third. "It's a water supply reservoir, so it is designed to stay full," said Jace Houston, adding that the lake is not a flood control reservoir. But while Lake Conroe is not designed to mitigate flooding, it does act as a buffer to slow water downstream. Normal pool for Lake Conroe is 201 feet. At that level, Houston said, there is only 18 inches between the lake and the top of the spillway gates. "You can't let water over the top of the gate," he said. "That is one of the safety standards we have to follow. The spillway gates are not designed to allow water to spill over the top." Letting water go over the spillway, Houston said, would damage the dam. Houston addressed the issue of pre-releasing water, explaining there was not enough time to safely release water. He added that while forecasts indicated the region would see a great deal of rain, there was no way to pinpoint where the heaviest rain would fall. "There is not enough time to make any meaningful difference in the lake level," he said. "You can't safely let enough out to make any difference." Additionally, if SJRA were to prerelease water and heavy rains fall downstream, the release would make the flooding even worse. He said there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding pre-releasing water. According to information from SJRA, Lake Conroe was receiving water at a rate of 130,000 cubic feet per second during the Harvey rainstorms, well above the record release rate of 79,000 cubic feet per second, which was achieved a few days into the storm. Houston said SJRA's efforts, and the Lake Conroe Dam, help slow down the amount of water flowing south, and even help prevent flooding in many areas. "One hundred thirty thousand is what would have come down the river if we had not reduced it to 79,000 cubic feet per second," Houston said. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also discourages the prerelease of water from Lake Conroe. While SJRA can control the flow of water out of Lake Conroe, it has no control over the other tributaries that connect with the West Fork of the San Jacinto, including Lake Creek, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek. Lake Creek, Houston said, was flowing at about 60,000 cubic feet per second during Harvey. Many people, Houston said, believe all the water coming down the West Fork is from Lake Conroe. He pointed out the Lake Conroe release has not affected The Woodlands or Woodforest communities. The SJRA previously won a lawsuit surrounding the same claims after the October 1994 storm that flooded the area when a then-record 33,000 cubic feet per second of water was released from the Lake Conroe Dam. The suit was dismissed. "While we understand the frustration and confusion many people are experiencing as a result of this natural disaster, we also know that allegations in lawsuits are not facts but simply what a lawyer chooses to claim. Despite the misinformation and speculation that has been circulated in the media, in the pending lawsuit, and elsewhere, the actual facts are that the Authority's operation of the Lake Conroe dam was in accordance with both the law and a carefully prepared engineering plan that, among other things actually has the effect of reducing downstream peak flow as water passes through the lake from the San Jacinto River," the SJRA stated in a release. Anyone interested in being a part of the lawsuit can contact the Potts Law Firm at 713-963-8881 or visit www.potts-law.com. For more information about SJRA, visit www.sjra.net. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Miami looks like a ghost town after hundreds of thousands of people evacuated the city to escape Hurricane Irma. Eerie photographs taken Thursday and Friday show empty beaches and streets around the city of a half-million people. On Friday morning, Twitter users shared images of freeways without any cars and areas of Miami International Airport without a single person. Irma weakened from a Category 5 storm to Category 4 on Friday morning with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph (240 kph), but it remained a powerful hurricane. Now Playing: Hurricanes Irma and Harvey have reignited discussions about the link between global warming and extreme weather, with climate scientists now saying they can show the connections between the two phenomena better than ever before. Video: Time Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning that Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave as Irma closed in. People rushed to board up their homes, take their boats out of the water and gas up their cars. With gasoline running out and tensions rising, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks sent to replenish gas stations. "(The hurricane) is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," Gov. Rick Scott said. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in U.S. history. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - Special counsel Robert Mueller has alerted the White House that his team will likely seek to interview six top current and former advisers to President Donald Trump who were witnesses to several episodes relevant to the investigation of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the request. Mueller's interest in the aides, including trusted adviser Hope Hicks, ex-press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus, reflects how the probe that has dogged Trump's presidency is starting to penetrate a closer circle of aides around the president. Each of the six advisers was privy to important internal discussions that have drawn the interest of Mueller's investigators, including his decision in May to fire FBI Director James Comey and the White House's initial inaction following warnings that then-national security adviser Michael Flynn had withheld information from the public about his private discussions in December with Russia's ambassador to the United States, according to people familiar with the probe. The advisers are also connected to a series of internal documents that Mueller's investigators have asked the White House to produce, according to people familiar with the special counsel's inquiry. Roughly four weeks ago, the special counsel's team provided the White House with the names of the first group of current and former Trump advisers and aides that investigators expect to question. In addition to Priebus, Spicer and Hicks, Mueller has notified the White House he will likely seek to question White House counsel Don McGahn, and one of his deputies, James Burnham. Mueller's office has also told the White House that investigators may want to interview Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. White House officials are expecting that Mueller will seek additional interviews, possibly with family members, including Kushner, who is a West Wing senior adviser, according to the people familiar with Mueller's inquiry. Spicer declined to comment, while Priebus did not respond to a request for comment. Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer focused on the probe, declined to comment on behalf of current White House aides McGahn, Burnham, Hicks and Raffel. Cobb also declined to discuss the details of Mueller's requests. "Out of respect for the special counsel and his process and so we don't interfere with that in any way, the White House doesn't comment on specific requests for documents and potential witnesses," Cobb said. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. No interviews have been scheduled, people familiar with the requests said. Mueller's team is waiting to first review the documents, which the White House has been working to turn over for the last three weeks. But people familiar with the probe said the documents Mueller has requested strongly suggest the topics that he and his investigators would broach with the aides. McGahn and Burnham were briefed by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on Jan. 26, days after Trump's inauguration, about the department and FBI's concerns that Flynn could be compromised by the Russians. She warned that the FBI knew he wasn't telling the whole truth - to Vice President Mike Pence and the public - about his December conversations about U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Courts have held that the president does not enjoy attorney-client privilege with lawyers in the White House Counsel's Office and their testimony about their Oval Office dealings can be sought in investigations. Spicer had been drawn into the White House's handling of the Flynn matter before the inauguration. After The Washington Post reported that Flynn had talked with Kislyak about sanctions, Spicer told reporters that Flynn had "reached out to" Kislyak on Christmas Day to extend holiday greetings - effectively rejecting claims that they had talked about U.S. sanctions against Moscow. A few days later, President Barack Obama had announced he was expelling Russian diplomats in response to the Kremlin's meddling in the U.S. election. After Obama's announcement, Spicer said Kislyak had sent a message requesting that Flynn call him. "Flynn took that call," Spicer said. But he stressed that the call "centered on the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and [Trump] after the election." As chief of staff, Priebus was involved in many of Trump's decisions, including the situations involving Flynn and Comey. Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June that Priebus was among a group of White House aides whom Trump instructed to leave the Oval Office before he asked the FBI director to drop the inquiry into Flynn. Hicks, who is now White House communications director, and Raffel were both involved in internal discussions in July over how to respond to questions about a Trump Tower meeting that Donald Trump Jr. organized with a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign in the summer of 2016. The two communications staffers advocated being transparent about the purpose of the meeting, which Trump Jr. had accepted after he was offered damaging information about Hillary Clinton that he was told was part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign. Ultimately, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to The New York Times, which was preparing a story about the meeting. The response omitted important details about the meeting and presented it as "primarily" devoted to a discussion of the adoption of Russian children. CNN first reported on Thursday that Mueller has sought interviews with White House staff related to the preparation of that statement but did not name them. - - - The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report. A couple of alert bank employees helped Glen Carbon police thwart an Aug. 19 skimming attempt at an ATM at US Bank in Glen Carbon. The incident unfolded just after 3 p.m. when the young male driver of a white 2003 Mazda, bearing temporary Missouri license plates, pulled up to the ATM and made several cash transactions, according to court records accompanying a warrant that sought permission to search the Mazda. The transactions and the driver - were captured on surveillance video, and a bank employee who reviewed the footage realized that the driver and the car matched the description of a driver and car wanted by Missouri police for planting skimming devices on ATMs at banks in Missouri. After the transactions, the bank employee followed the Mazda driver to the Conoco station. Glen Carbon police arrived and received permission from the driver to search the car. According to a sworn statement, police found a blue bank bag under the driver's seat with 10 to 15 stacks of cash inside, each with a credit/debit card laid across it. The driver was identified as the man who had made the ATM transactions. He was arrested. Glen Carbon police learned the Mazdas owner was suspected of being involved with a skimming ring in the Kansas City, Mo., area in which about $230,000 was taken. Thieves use skimming devices to steal personal information stored on a debit card. The device is actually a small card reader which is placed over an ATMs real card slot, according to an explanation on the How Stuff Works website. When you slide your card into the ATM, youre unwittingly sliding it through the counterfeit reader, which scans and stores all the information on the magnetic strip, according to the website. To gain full access to a cardholders bank account, though, thieves also need the PIN number. In some cases, those are obtained using a pinhole camera surreptitiously placed near the ATM, or a fake keypad. No one has been charged locally in the Aug. 19 incident in Glen Carbon. Glen Carbon Police Lt. Wayne White acknowledged that a skimming ring has been operating in the St. Louis area recently and stressed that skimming has been a problem nationwide as well. Its not rare these days, he said. Between 2014 and 2015, ATM skimming nation-wide increased by more than 500 percent, according to financial analytics company FICO. White declined to say whether Glen Carbon police will seek to have the money found inside the Mazda, or the Mazda itself, forfeited to the department. The investigation involves several factors that he was not at liberty to discuss. Its all being reviewed, he said. Its all very complicated." The ring in Missouri is being investigated by several Missouri police departments and the U.S. Secret Service. Several suspects have been using false names and providing false identification, according to court documents. No skimming incidents have been reported this year in Edwardsville, according to Edwardsville Police Sgt. Mike Lybarger. The only skimming incident recently appears to have been in June of 2016 when a local bank employee notified police that someone was attempting to use a card skimmer at a gas pump at an Edwardsville gas station. The suspect was arrested and found to be part of a larger skimming operation on the St. Louis side of the river, Lybarger said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When the air-conditioning unit clicked on at Houston's multi-service center on West Gray Street, Emily Foust shuddered. "Thunder," she whispered, remembering the sounds that greeted her when she was evacuated from her flooded West Houston home the week before. Her mother, Gay, said leaving their home after Hurricane Harvey proved especially hard for Emily, who has autism. Most days, the 21-year-old sat in a dark room in a neighbor's house, watching YouTube videos on Gay's phone, making it difficult for Gay to call insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But on Wednesday, Gay caught a break. A group of teachers from across the Houston area set up schools and day camps in shelters and community buildings, including one for special-education students like Emily. "I don't have to take care of Emily all day," Gay said. "I don't have to go up every hour and check up on her, to make sure she's okay. I don't have to lose my phone. I don't have to worry at 9 tonight that she'll get overloaded from watching YouTube videos and won't be able to go to sleep." Gay is among more than 600,000 Houston-area parents who have struggled to find child care as schools remained closed for a second straight week at hard-hit districts, such as the Houston ISD. On Thursday, some district parents learned their students may not be able to start the academic year until Sept. 18 or Sept. 25, while crews work to make repairs at damaged schools and officials iron out the logistics of sharing campuses. For those parents, the weeks-long migraine will continue. At the Jersey Mike's sub shop in Rice Village, store manager Danny Jew brought his 7-year-old son Eric with him to work on Thursday. Squirming at a corner table, Eric tapped on an iPad screen with another boy his age, who the store manager said also needed a place to go while his parents worked. Although Jew's home and car were spared by Harvey's floodwaters, he's had to work overtime to keep up with an increased demand for quick meals. "It's so hard with all the mess," Jew said. "There's so much to do just to make sure the store is stocked." He smiled and let out a long sigh. "I'm very excited for school to start again," he said. Others had better luck finding respite from around-the-clock kid care. The YMCA opened day camps at 10 of its Houston-area campuses Monday, offering them for about $80 for the entire week, or half price. At the University of Houston and Rice University, faculty members set up science and day camps for the children of staff members and others affected by the floods. Andrew Hamilton, an associate dean with UH's College of Natural Science and Mathematics, said the university's science-based day camp was spontaneously launched after he and others read on an online forum that there was an overwhelming need. It filled up in hours. "They really posted two kinds of items," Hamilton said. "One was we need a lot of help moving our stuff or taking out drywall. The other most frequent set of comments were, 'What are we going to do with our kids?'" It's not just parents who are eager for school to start again. For 12-year-old Samantha Beltran, boredom has become the defining feature of her past week. She's a seventh-grader at Queens Intermediate School in Pasadena ISD, where classes started on Aug. 21 but have been closed since Aug. 25. "We were learning a lot of new stuff, so I'm worried I'll fall behind," Samantha said. She's also eager to learn how her friends fared after her own home took on an inch of Harvey's floodwaters. Her family fled and was not able to return home for four days, said Josefina Beltran, Samantha's mother. "I'm ready to go back," Samantha said. "There's nothing to do, no friends to talk to." Few efforts to provide child care have reached the scale of one organized by a YES Prep teacher and two Houston ISD teachers. Simone Kern, the teacher in the YES prep charter system, was laid up after a recent surgery but wanted to be with her students. She asked HISD teachers Kristen McClintock and Sarah Gonzales what educators could do to help students who had lost everything. The handful of certified teachers to volunteer soon grew into a dozen, and then hundreds - and now more than 1,600. McClintock said she was speechless when she first saw 9,000 people, including some 2,000 children, sheltered at the George R. Brown Convention Center. She said kids would recognize her school badge and come up to her smiling, asking when they would return to class and if she was their new teacher. Their parents were happy to see her and her colleagues, too. Gonzales said the nerves of the displaced adults had begun to fray as they worked to get back on their feet while wrangling antsy children. "Most of the parents who have been impacted by the storm and the flooding don't have a lot of child-care options," Gonzales said. "They're overwhelmed, too, with filling out paperwork, insurance claims, finding clothing for their family if they lost everything. Many are finding temporary housing. Having the opportunity to place their kid with a group of certified teachers who have gone through background checks gives them piece of mind." On Wednesday, Emily sat at a table in the city multi-service center and stared at a bowlful of sand in front of her. While four other students at her table were mixing their sand with cornstarch, food coloring and dish soap and kneading it into a gooey, sandy slime-ball, Emily looked lost. In front of her was a giraffe-print fidget spinner and several emoji plush toys. She had lost all of her other toys and soothing playthings in the flood, McClintock said, and refused to let the new possessions out of her sight. McClintock bent down and asked Emily why she wasn't participating. "I can't," she said. "I need to wait for my mom." Her demeanor changed when it was time for her group to switch crafts and create water bottles filled with glitter that slowly flowed along the edges of the plastic. "I do want to make a bottle," she said, sitting down at another table. Gay, Emily's mother, said that without the welcome distractions and calming presence of McClintock and the other teachers, she does not know how she would recover from Harvey. "People talk about first responders - I would put her in the class of first responder," Gay said. "She's saving the lives of these children and saving lives of families with this class." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Drivers will endure at least another week without a key part of the Sam Houston Tollway, as the start of schools in the Houston area is likely to reshuffle traffic that already has brought some people to the breaking point. Repairs to the tollway where concrete buckled and a large sinkhole appeared along the frontage road will take at least a few days, officials said Thursday. They got a good look at what Tropical Storm Harvey left behind below the floodwaters, only after pumping out waters that spilled from Buffalo Bayou. CLASSES DELAYED: Some Houston ISD campuses won't be ready In the depressed section of the tollway near Boheme, south of Interstate 10, the concrete panels shifted along the southbound main lanes under the water, said John Tyler, deputy director of engineering for the Harris County Toll Road Authority. Crews began busting through the pavement to inspect the surface below. "We will have to replace several lanes of pavement," Tyler said. "We've got to get the pavement removed so we can see what's under it." That inspection ultimately will determine how significant the damage is, and how long it will take to rebuild the tollway and open it fully to traffic. The damage was limited to the southbound lanes. The northbound lanes were reopened about 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Traffic on Houston's west side has been slowed this week by a combination of changes in travel patterns, the loss of the tollway, inoperable traffic lights and other road closures around the area. RECOVERY CZAR: John Sharp issues new 'rules of the road' Tyler said the best-case scenario would be for the tollway to open sometime next week. "The worst-case scenario, I would not want to put a limit on it," he said. "We are waiting to see." Cost estimates for the repairs were not available Thursday. Meanwhile officials with the Texas Department of Transportation predict crews will fix a massive sinkhole in the same spot at Boheme along Beltway 8, which acts as the tollway's frontage road. Dirt behind the retaining wall for the tollway, below the frontage road, eroded in a spot about the size of a 15-passenger van. The soil likely washed away through the retaining wall, TxDOT spokeswoman Karen Othon said. Workers with Williams Brothers Construction will cut out the pavement, refill the hole and then rebuild the road atop it. The work is expected to cost about $150,000, Othon said. The repairs should take about a week, she added, though the favorable weather and forecast have officials optimistic they could beat the estimate. Commuters also are hoping for the best, as the progress promises to help return traffic to normal. "Work around the clock, whatever," said Tony Nguyen, as he filled his Lexus' gas tank at a nearby Shell station Thursday. "Just get it open as soon as you can." Officials blamed flooding in Buffalo Bayou for forcing water onto the depressed portion of the tollway. One of two pump stations for the section stayed operational the entire time, but was unable to handle the deluge. "It was just recirculating water," Tyler said, noting Buffalo Bayou was well outside its banks, so any water was just dropping back onto the tollway. Tyler said Harvey is the only storm he is aware of in which rains and flooding were severe enough to close the segment. TRAFFIC MEMES: Houston drivers have scathing comments after Harvey The Mission Bend neighborhood along the tollway remained a murky mess, with residents still hauling large piles of debris to the curbs. Roads in the area were flooded and only accessible to residents, many of whom had posted signs saying "STAY OUT" and "KEEP AWAY" in their yards. The tollway is the most significant roadway damaged because of the flooding and storms. In addition to the sinkhole, TxDOT on Thursday also was rebuilding FM 762 in Rosenberg where a culvert collapse washed the road away with it. Now Playing: The northbound lanes of the West Sam Houston Tollway reopened to traffic late Thursday afternoon while work continues on the southbound lanes and a sinkhole along Boheme Drive. Video: Houston Chronicle Officials still are assessing many local streets and roads for damages, but nothing significant has been noticed. A Houston Public Works spokeswoman said a culvert collapsed at Westheimer and Jeanetta, between Fondren and Gessner. As officials have scrambled to repair segments and assess damages, drivers in many parts of Houston have suffered through miserable traffic that in some cases has turned 30-minute commutes into two-hour slogs. The loss of Memorial Drive has severely impacted downtown access from the west within Loop 610. The segment of the loop in Uptown - already among the most congested roadways in the state - is handling more traffic as people detour around the tollway closing. That could be complicated further by the start of many area schools, scheduled for Monday. The Houston Independent School District, the region's largest, will open 202 of its 284 schools on Monday. Others will follow for the next two Mondays, with some students sent to other campuses because their regular schools were severely damaged by the storm. The return to busing and ferrying youngsters to school will have an effect on travel patterns already reeling from the changes resulting from some residents who are living elsewhere while they wait waters to recede or home repairs to be completed. With all the uncertainty, transportation officials said preparation is going to be critical for drivers. "They are going to have to leave early," Tony Voigt, a senior researcher based in Houston with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, said Tuesday. "Think about working from home or using transit." Metropolitan Transit Authority has added buses to some park and ride routes in anticipation of higher use, spokesman Jerome Gray said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man accused of sexually assaulting multiple women and robbing several others at knifepoint was indicted Thursday by a grand jury. Anton Jamail Harris, 18, was indicted on five charges of aggravated sexual assault and one charge of aggravated robbery, according to a news release from the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. Officials said he was still in jail Thursday with bail totaling $775,000. San Antonio Police Department investigators said Harris allegedly went on a two-year long crime spree beginning in June 2015 and targeted multiple women in the Medical Center area. In many cases, investigators said the women were followed to their doors by a man. Police said the suspect would then force his way in, threatening his victim with a knife or gun. The suspect would then sexually assault his victim and take property, police said. Detectives identified Harris as the suspect in June after matching his DNA with evidence from the sexual assaults. All six indictments are first-degree felonies, punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, according to the D.A.s office. Harris trial will take place in the 399th District Court, the release states. jbeltran@express-news.net Twitter: @JBfromSA A new report commissioned by the Sierra Club has raised doubts about the economic future of CPS Energys J.K. Spruce power plant. Challenged by low natural gas prices, the two Spruce units are estimated to have operated at a loss of $135 million in 2015 and 2016, according to a report by Massachusetts-based Synapse Energy Economics. SAN ANTONIO - A trio accused of trying to sell $15,000 in stolen goods, from perfume to clothing, was arrested Thursday afternoon on the West Side. San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Don Gatten said the trio, a mother, daughter and her boyfriend, each were working together to operate a fence, out of their home in the 2100 block of Wescott Ave. NEW YORK - From the Belt and Road Initiative, a grand project spanning dozens of countries, to "BRICS Plus", a mechanism aiming to expand South-South cooperation, China has made concrete efforts for boosting global economic growth amid rising protectionism in the West, US experts say. China being responsible stakeholder The just-concluded summit of the BRICS, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,in Xiamen, China, highlights China's new initiative for adding new impetus for an open economy, multilateral trade that benefit the world as a whole, Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSR), told Xinhua in an interview on Wednesday. China has put forward the "BRICS Plus" approach by inviting leaders of Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea for a dialogue on the sidelines of BRICKS' summit held in Xiamen on Sept 3-5. "All the initiatives I just talked about, are exactly what (former US Deputy Secretary of State) Robert Zoellick meant (in 2005).That is China being a 'responsible stakeholder' in the world," Orlins noted. There were "two big takeaways" out of the BRICS gathering in Xiamen, said Sourabh Gupta, a senior policy analyst at the Institute for China-America Studies, in an email interview with Xinhua. First, he said, the BRICS countries "proved in their unified approach yet again" that they are "indeed a supple entente of independent-minded rising powers" which are organized as "a mutual support network and committed to assisting each other's rise within the international system." Second, the BRICS countries showed that "they are not willing to rest on their laurels," that "they are optimistic of the future and their future potential as a group," and that "they are already devising new pathways -- such as the 'BRICS Plus' model -- to broaden and institutionalize their cooperation over the next decade," he added. To this end, the BRICS countries should ensure that they become "the premier developing country forum to discuss South-South cooperation and inclusive development" as well as "the premier emerging market forum to discuss the overhaul of the international monetary system" over the next decade, Gupta pointed out. Zhiqun Zhu, professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, agrees. The BRICS summit is "significant" since it has become "a symbol of close South-South cooperation," he noted. This is "particularly important when globalization has hit some hurdles in the developed West," he said. "These emerging economies have become a major force for globalization and an engine for global growth," Zhu said. "Without doubt BRICS and other developing countries are active players in today's global governance and are contributing positively to a new global political and economic order of the 21st century." "Gradually, they should also ramp up political cooperation on the great security challenges of the day so that they become an alternative voice for a more multilateralized, conciliatory, and less-violent approach to the myriad global security challenges during the first half of this 21st century," Gupta added. US benefits from china's initiatives "If you look at the Belt and Road Initiative, you look at the economic development initiatives (proposed by China) at APEC, BRICS and others. It's positive in that regard (boosting global economic growth), so I think America should welcome this," Orlins commented. However, the coverage of the BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative have remained very limited in the US media, he added. "Even though the term (of BRICS) was invented by an American (former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001), it's by and large not known (to Americans). I think if it were known, it will be portrayed positive," he said. "From a US perspective, all of these things are good for two major reasons," Orlins said. "One, as people's per capita income increases, it's actually good for America's economy because our ability to sell goods and services increase. So I think that benefits the United States," he said. "Second, it benefits the United States in terms of increasing economic growth in places that may become fertile ground for recruiting terrorists. When there is economic growth, when people have opportunities to improve their lives, they generally don't become terrorists," added the expert. "It (China) is not overthrowing the global institutions, as some Americans said. It's building global institutions that complement them (existing ones)," he said. "So AIIB (the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) does not overthrow the World Bank, or the Asian Development Bank. It increases what these institutions can do, and in some ways, because we've learned from those institutions, they may be even better institutions," explained the expert. John Manzella, President and CEO of World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara, hopes the United States to participate in China's initiatives to increase global cooperation. "The BRICS Summit is helping to increase international cooperation among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. I would like to see other countries, including the United States, participate in these efforts to increase global cooperation, " said Manzella. Global cooperation among all countries, from emerging markets to developed countries, is "key to solving many of our shared problems," including environmental degradation, terrorism and poverty, according to the expert. "And it's essential to boosting global economic growth," he said. For example, Manzella added, in the United States, trade increased US income by $2.1 trillion in 2016 and this translated into more $18,000 for each American household, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economic in Washington, DC. Two years ago I was in Dallas and after boarding the bus back to San Antonio, I discovered that I had lost my iPhone 5S. I panicked. What to do? Tell me your phone number and I can find it for you, a fellow passenger reassured me. I gave him my number and, using the Find My Phone feature, he located it in the bus terminal. Next he locked my phone so it could not be used by whomever might find it. Then we called the number and a man answered. I told him who I was and asked if he would please return my phone. He wanted a reward. Over the next 10 days we had several conversations negotiating the return of my phone. Again, using the location tracking feature, I was able to track him all the way to St. Louis, even to a specific street address there. When he finally realized that he could get little benefit from holding on to my phone and that I might notify the authorities, he decided to mail it back to me. Location tracking capability on our phones allows others our children, our spouse, our boss to know where we are and what were doing in real time. Sometimes, this may be helpful. If youre planning to meet someone somewhere, you can check to see how far away they are. If youre worried about a daughter or son who is late getting home from school, you can find out if they stopped off at a friends house. If your wife needs you to pick up a gallon of milk on your way home from the office, she can see if you have yet passed by the grocery store. If your boss wants to see how close you are to arriving at the customers address, he can see that without having to call or text you. Its handy. There are of course jealous spouses, overbearing parents and controlling bosses who may abuse these tools of digital monitoring and go beyond the bounds of reasonable vigilance. Most Americans dont like the idea of their government spying on their internet activities and a lot of us have serious misgivings about companies who can track our online purchasing habits. Yet when we are given the tools to play Big Brother with others, its tough to resist using them. Is there such a thing as responsible spying? The answer, of course, depends upon whom you ask. Those who believe strongly in privacy reject the idea outright. Others believe that it is possible, provided that consent, trust and respect are involved. Danah Boyd, the founder of Data and Society and a visiting professor at New York University, says sharing digital information, including location, is viewed as a sign of trust and respect between people with close relationships, but that it can be easily twisted into an abuse of power. Tracking one anothers locations can make some of the logistics of busy family life easier and safer. But if youre doing it primarily for verification purposes instead of safety and convenience, then maybe you need to rethink why youre using it. And thats how I see it. Larry P. Johnson is an author and motivational speaker. You can contact him via email at larjo1@prodigy.net or visit his website at www.mexicobytouch.com In his keynote speech, Xi also lays out principles that are crucial to successful cooperation between emerging nations The latest BRICS Summit has concluded in the picturesque, tranquil tourist town of Xiamen, the jewel of southeastern China's Fujian province, highlighted by President Xi Jinping's keynote speech and a strong message to the international business and investment community about openness, togetherness and fairness. Xi should be widely applauded for bringing into dialogues at the summit the fast-emerging but still nascent market economies of Egypt, Tajikistan, Kenya, Mexico and Thailand. They are part of the next wave of emerging market economies, and their closer economic and political involvement with the BRICS nations can only prove mutually beneficial. In his speech, Xi made it clear that the BRICS nations and, more important, their business and investment communities, are playing an ever important part in the world economy and that effective collaboration, cooperation and partnership with full market economies is essential for sustainable growth where emerging markets are concerned. Most telling of all were Xi's comments on the need for a business culture of innovation, cooperation and entrepreneurship. He singled out Xiamen Airlines, a perfect symbol of a more modern business culture sweeping across the Chinese mainland. Sticking to a business and trade theme, Xi also highlighted the significant number of summit participants this time from the international business and investment community. More than 1,200 business representatives attended the summit and engaged fully in debate and dialogue throughout. Furthermore, Xi said about 80 Fortune 500 companies had sent senior representatives to the summit, a far larger number than to any previous BRICS summit. He also referred briefly to the pivotal role now played by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the number of investment projects already underway and the multitude of countries and their companies participating in and benefiting from the projects. In his speech, President Xi also made good use of the host city, Xiamen, to further spotlight business modernization and innovation. Xi reminded all that the beautiful city of Xiamen was, and still is, at the forefront of China's miraculous economic emergence and path toward full market economy status. Xiamen was one of the original special economic zones, and in his speech, Xi rightly referred to the Fujian province city as a symbol of modernization that still displays traditional Chinese cultural elements and has also become a holiday destination high on the list of international tourists. Xi's speech also laid the foundation for more support for other emerging nations, not just the BRICS economies. Xi made it clear that other, often much smaller, emerging nations can benefit immensely from China's experience and follow a similar path, under China's guidance. The essence of his speech and the relevance to the international business community can be summed up by the three principles laid out as the basis for further BRICS cooperation and collaboration: First, Xi emphasized the importance of the values of equality and togetherness, in which no country assumes a superior position. This is also a key lesson for successful business partnerships, especially where cross-cultural alliances and joint ventures are concerned. Second, Xi put forward a results-oriented and innovative approach, something that also lies at the heart of any modern international business success. Third, and perhaps most important of all, Xi reiterated the values of helpfulness and generosity. It behooves the international business community to adopt these values, too, where ethical and environmental friendliness are increasingly part of any successful business venture. It is these three principles that should inspire the international business community, especially nascent industries in other emerging economies. President Xi not only highlighted China's approach with these three principles, which are all very close derivatives of traditional Chinese cultural values, but also sent a clear signal around the world. More generally, but just as important, the tone in which Xi delivered his keynote speech bore all of the hallmarks of the typical Chinese approach to the world - one of respect, deference and humility. It now behooves other emerging market economies, as well as the most advanced economies, to adopt similar values and to infuse their business and investment communities in a like manner. The author is a visiting professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and a senior lecturer at Southampton University. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. (China Daily European Weekly 09/08/2017 page9) Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on Tuesday clarified that that no rescission was made on the recent Cabinet decision which resolved that Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP), which expire on December 31, would not be renewed. Absolutely, that Cabinet decision stands. Absolutely, Motsoaledi said in an interview with Independent Media on Tuesday. Local and international media have fanned the confusion over the renewal of the permits for the approximately 200 000 Zimbabweans who hold the special permit. Numerous headlines on Tuesday incorrectly stated that the Cabinet decision had been revoked and that the permits would be renewed sparking frenzy on social media platforms, particularly Twitter. Motsoaledi said his department takes the blame for the confusion. It is true, the confusion erupted from the department, from officials in the department. They issued a circular purporting to clarify a Cabinet decision. The Cabinet decision is very clear: it does not need any circular to clarify it. What has been withdrawn, and I think what caused the confusion now, yesterday (Monday), I instructed that the circular be withdrawn because I dont see any purpose it is serving, Motsoaledi explained. That circular was not even supposed to be issued. It was serving no purpose but just causing confusion. The Cabinet decision was clear. It was outlined by the Minister in the Presidency (Mondli) Gungubele on what the decision was about. Matters should have rested there, and they indeed must rest there. In November, Cabinet resolved and announced that the ZEP would not be extended. At the same time, Gungubele said South Africa was giving the holders of the special permit 12 months to apply for other permits appropriate to their particular status or situation, in the mainstream South African permit regime. Those who are not successful will have to leave South Africa or face deportation, it was announced. Motsoaledi said the ZEP permits faced a plethora of limitations. That permit was special. It is not in any act in South Africa. It was under special circumstances and you cant live special forever. One of the conditions of that permit was that you are not to apply for any other status, meaning even people who qualify for a higher status could not apply for it, he said. By higher status, what do I mean? You are aware that in South Africa if you marry a South African, it doesnt matter from which part of the world you are from, once you marry a South African you have the right to apply for citizenship Now, in terms for the ZEP, even if you attain that status of marriage, you cannot apply for any other status which is unfair. He said the special permit for Zimbabweans had to come to an end. IOL Breaking News via Email Government has revealed that higher currency denominations including a $50 dollar note will be introduced in the next few months as it moves to address cash shortages. Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube revealed this during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland. Prof Ncube said Government was carefully injecting cash into the economy so as not to trigger inflation. First of all, we are doing two things, we are injecting cash into the economy, drip feeding the economy. But we want to do it in a non-inflationary way where we are changing electronic currency for physical cash, said Prof Ncube. Second thing, we are introducing higher denomination notes $10, $20 and $50 during the course of 2020. That is what we would be doing; introducing higher denominations notes to make sure that its easy for citizens to transact. That is going to happen in the next few months. He said Government has made several strides to stabilise the local currency with month on month inflation figures steadily dropping. Prof Ncube said the high inflation rate was however normal as the local currency was finding its footing among other currencies. But year on year remains high but that is expected when you liberalise a currency and its trying to find its equilibrium and its trying to find its footing. We however believe in the last few months it has been quite stable, actually. It has stopped the transmission of currency volatility into pricing so I believe we are on our way to dealing with inflation. It will take time but it is headed there, he said. Prof Ncube said Government will continue engaging civil servants to address their salary concerns. He said Government was aware that retailers and service providers were pricing their products and services against the US dollar. Wages have to catch up with adjustment to exchange rates because retailers are still pricing in US dollars in their heads and translating that to domestic currency. It has squashed the purchasing power of wages and we are closing that gap by allowing wages to rise. We know the issue and we are dealing with it, said Prof Ncube. He said Government was partially privatising some of its entities as it wants the private sector to lead the economic turn around. Prof Ncube bemoaned the severe effects of climate change which have affected the countrys economic performance. We decry the impact of climate change. For us it is real. We had a cyclone last year, followed by drought, it has impacted on food output. We are importing food and we have also been receiving support from the international community. We are shifting our budget to finance and climate-proof our agriculture. We are investing in irrigation we are investing in drought resistant crops. We are doing everything we can but also we appreciate the support from the international community, said Prof Ncube. Chronicle Breaking News via Email Wolf Warrior II is a fresh focus on China's role in world, while Dunkirk looks to an episode from Britain's past for inspiration War films dominated the summer film releases, and you could not find two more contrasting examples of the genre than Wolf Warrior II and Dunkirk. In one sense, the only thing that links them is the loose heading of "war" and the theme of evacuation, but both have strong political messages. Dunkirk is based on the escape of large parts of the British Army from continental Europe after the British and French armies were routed by the forces of Nazi Germany in 1940. Director Christopher Nolan conveys the sense of claustrophobia, doom and desperation felt by the encircled British as they are hemmed in by gray seas and gray skies around the northern French town of Dunkirk. The film is uncomfortable to watch, and even the soundtrack is unsettling, especially when punctuated by the screech of German dive bombers. The film only lightens at the end, when the scale of the evacuation is revealed and the possibility of a brighter future is suggested. The violence of the film is impersonal, with shots from nowhere and torpedoes from under the sea. Only in the air does the combat seem more personal. The evacuation of Dunkirk forms an important part of Britain's self-image, the victory clawed back from the defeat that preceded its solitary opposition to German domination in Europe and ultimately led to redemption in 1944 and 1945 with the liberation of Europe and the defeat of Germany and Italy - albeit with the help of the Soviet Union and the United States. This self-image is a major facet of English nationalism, which often seems to be stuck in World War II and resents Britain's involvement with the European Union. Nigel Farage, a prominent anti-European political leader, tweeted: "I urge every youngster to watch Dunkirk". But the romantic image of Britain's past is only possible with a great deal of cherry-picking. It is unlikely that we will see a film of Britain's greatest military disaster in Singapore in 1942, where it lost more solders than in Dunkirk, or a portrayal of its role in the 1948 partition of India, which led to the death or displacement of more than 10 million people. China's Wolf Warrior II avoids historical pitfalls by being a fictional action thriller that only occasionally strays into realism. But director and lead actor Wu Jing still tries to project messages via the medium of an unashamedly entertaining action film. The film is set in a fictional African country where China is playing an important role in providing healthcare, economic development and security. While other international players leave the region amid a civil war, the People's Liberation Army Navy stands by and eventually comes to the rescue of Chinese and Africans. The fictional world of Wu Jing is a mirror of China's Belt and Road Initiative development projects and the recent establishment of a Chinese base in Djibouti. Wu's message is that China is playing a major role in the world, and that provides the backdrop for his action movie. Britain's future would be a problematic subject for film makers at the moment, so the past continues to provide a focus. Dunkirk was just the first of three films to be released in 2017 that feature Britain's wartime prime minister Winston Churchill - the other two are Churchill and Darkest Hour. Maybe we will need to wait for the release of the 25th James Bond film in November 2019 to get some illumination about where Britain sees itself. The author is a senior editor at China Daily UK. Contact the writer at Conal@mail.chinadailyuk.com (China Daily European Weekly 09/08/2017 page11) If you have a question about disaster preparedness, relief and recovery, please contact: Chris Blasinsky Content Communications Strategist (703) 518-4296 cblasinsky@convenience.org If you have a question about disaster preparedness or waivers, contact: Paige Anderson Director, Government Relations (703) 518-4221 panderson@convenience.org Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. The Parish Secretary of Cashel & Rosegreen has been awarded one of the highest honours that can be accorded by the Catholic Church. Maisie Ryan, of Boherclough, Cashel, was presented with the Benemerenti Medal at Saturday Mass in Cashel - a rare honour awarded by the Pope to members of the clergy and laity for service to the Catholic Church. The Benemerenti Medal is only given to those who have given long and distinguished service, explained Parish Priest Fr Christy ODwyer. The last person to receive such an honour was nearly 10 years ago. Parish Secretary Maisie Ryan received the accolade at the end of the 6.30pm Mass in the presence of her friends and family, sons Noel and Frank, daughter Emma, sister Kathleen, and in-laws. The current version of the Benemerenti Medal was designed by Pope Paul VI. The medal is a gold Greek Cross depicting Christ with his hand raised in blessing. On the left arm of the cross is the tiara and crossed keys symbol of the papacy. On the right arm is the coat of arms of the current Pope. The medal is suspended from a yellow and white ribbon, the colors of the Papacy. The Benemerenti Medal comes with a specially decorated framed scroll parchment, and a little pin with a replica of the medal. It is rarely given, said Fr ODwyer. Its only given for extremely distinguished service. Maisie Ryan is the public and friendly face of the Parish of Cashel. We were delighted to give it to her. If anyone deserves a Benemerenti Medal, Maisie does. Cork native John Murray joined Cashel Community School as a music teacher when it opened its doors in 1994 and now he has been made deputy principal. Over his 22 years in Cashel he has taught music to countless numbers of students and inspired both a love of music and creativity in them. Johns commitment and dedication to his students and to Cashel Community School has been extraordinary and the countless hours of additional time that he has put in is recognised by students, parents, staff and management, a school spokesperson says. John is renowned for the annual musicals that he directed and produced, and his contribution to the musical life of Cashel Community School has been unquantifiable. His choirs have won many competitions and travelled to perform in New York at commemoration events for 1916 as well as singing for Queen Elizabeth on the Rock of Cashel, RTE Sunday Mass on two occasions, and in Dail Eireann. They have also performed at many community events and celebrations. His pride in his students is easy to see by all," the school spokesperson continues. John is widely respected in the community and was the popular recipient of the Lions Club Cashel Person of the Year 2017 award for his musical contribution to Cashel and surrounding areas, and for initiating a very fitting tribute showcase to the events of 1916. John is chairperson of the board of directors of Cashel Arts Festival and is involved in many other community organisations. John is married to music teacher Helen Colbert and his two daughters Johanna and Rose are former students in Cashel Community School, both of whom are talented musicians in their own right. We congratulate John on his appointment as deputy principal of Cashel Community School and wish him every success in his new role. We know that he will relish both the challenges and opportunities of his new role and will serve to enhance the quality of life in Cashel Community School, the school spokesperson adds. Mayors from California's biggest cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, are asking residents across the state to consider donating funds to help victims of Hurricane Harvey. On Wednesday morning, Mayors Sam Liccardo of San Jose, Ed Lee of San Francisco, Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Kevin Faulconer of San Diego, Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento and Robert Garcia of Long Beach, issued an appeal to the residents of their cities. In a statement Wednesday, the mayors said, "Today, we have launched a new relief fund - Californians Helping Texans - Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund - that will accept tax deductible flood relief donations for victims that have been affected by the recent floods." Donations can be made online at www.CA4TX.org and will be processed, without any fees, by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Funds will be directed to local relief efforts in Texas in collaboration with the Greater Houston Community Foundation. "We stand in solidarity with the people of Texas and encourage all Californians to support the relief effort in any way they can," the mayors said in a statement. Let's work together to strengthen cooperation to fight poverty and strive for common prosperity President Xi Jinping's book Up and Out of Poverty contains interesting chapters and has a lot of development lessons that Nigeria can learn from in transforming its own economy. China and Nigeria are united in their determination to eliminate poverty. China's success story in poverty reduction is substantially a good development lesson that Nigeria is keen to learn from. Xi's book is a significant window through which the Nigerian government can look into China's development model and learn from it. "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) languages," David Ferguson, a Scottish writer and translator, recently told China Daily. Ferguson, a foreign expert with China International Publishing Group, which runs Foreign Languages Press, the book's publisher, added, "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." Up and Out of Poverty showcases Xi's working period in Ningde, Fujian province, with his contributions, new strategic plans and how he implemented them, leading the people into a new phase of development. The thoughts, ideas and policies laid out in the book in terms of poverty alleviation require a change of attitude and the support of knowledge sharing (education). Xi addresses the poverty mentality among disadvantaged communities. Development work must begin by addressing the mindset in the communities and the leader's mindset as well. All players must believe that development is possible. Unless the mind is transformed, development will not happen. Impoverished regions cannot have impoverished ideas - finding contentment in poverty, wanting government aid, depending on financial grants, requiring poverty allowances and blaming everyone else. Xi states that "a weak hatching bird can be the first to fly, and the poorest can be the first to become rich, but we must first have the concept in mind." His book is a good tutorial for development and poverty reduction, especially for developing nations such as Nigeria. He says that "developing the economy is our political priority" and "equal importance to growing the economy and keeping the government clean" were not only the key to Ningde's success in poverty reduction and development, but were also the epitome of the whole nation's successful experience in reform and opening-up. At the moment, these thoughts continue to guide China in meeting its poverty eradication targets and are highly relevant for other developing nations like Nigeria in their own poverty alleviation efforts. The book shows that making headway is not possible without a sound and complete governing mechanism. China's development model offers an example to Nigeria if the latter intends to set out long-term development objectives, including promoting sustainable growth and welfare improvements for the Nigerian people, as well as a medium-term strategy for operationalizing the country's Vision 20: 2020 development goal. China has successfully lifted 800 million people out of poverty in the past 35 years and contributed 70 percent to the UN Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction, which is seen as a miracle in the world's development history. In 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, China's GDP was only $18.9 billion (15.6 billion euros; 14.6 billion), while per capita GDP was $35. China was labeled as one of world's poorest countries at that time. In 1978, when China embarked on its reform and opening-up, its GDP and per capita GDP reached $216.8 billion and $227, respectively, while in 2016 it jumped to more than $10 trillion and $8,000, respectively. Additionally, China's average life expectancy increased from merely 35 years in 1949 to 76.34 years in 2015. The Chinese government is determined to eradicate poverty regardless of the challenges ahead by setting an ambitious new target to lift at least 10 million people out of poverty each year from 2016, lifting a total of 43.35 million rural residents out of poverty by 2020. However, while combating poverty at home, China also actively assists other developing nations, such as African nations, to address their poverty problems. In his 10 deliverables at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in December 2015, Xi reaffirmed his country's support for poverty alleviation in Africa under the plan for 2016-19. Xi said that to eradicate poverty and boost development in eastern Fujian, he devised innovative ideas, mechanisms and methods that he thinks can also assist African nations, especially Nigeria, in lifting their people out of poverty, and he shares those in the book. Up and Out of Poverty shows his concern and cares for the people in Ningde and his confidence and determination to fight poverty. The book offers thoughts, ways and a vision to help the country and other developing countries such as Nigeria in fighting poverty. The idea and the summarization of his experience offers a theoretical and political foundation for poverty alleviation. There is an old Nigerian proverb that says "a man cannot sit down alone to plan for prosperity". Growing economic cooperation with China provides Nigeria with a reason to be optimistic about its plans. Xi has advocated realizing common development and prosperity and building a community of shared future for mankind, injecting fresh impetus into and opening up a new vista for China-Nigeria cooperation, which should be a top priority. Poverty remains a crucial issue in Nigeria. According to the country's National Bureau of Statistics, 115 million Nigerians live below the poverty level, compared with the more than 40 million Chinese who need to be lifted out of poverty to fulfill China's promise of eliminating poverty by 2020. The common daunting task will hold China and Nigeria together and open new prospects for the increasingly strengthened China-Nigeria strategic partnership. China will step up the sharing of governance experience with Nigeria without any reservation by maintaining a regular high-level exchange of visits and expanding links between governments, political parties and states or provinces, with a view to jointly exploring a pathway out of poverty and toward prosperity as needed by Nigeria. There is no one-size-fits-all method or panacea for erasing poverty. Facing poverty and its collateral challenges, Nigeria cannot mechanically copy, but can flexibly learn from, China's successful experience. However, Nigeria must not aim to be China but to surpass China. Development is the master key to solving all problems. China will further synergize development strategies sincerely and deepen practical cooperation with Nigeria enormously. Ultimately, whether it is Nigeria's Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017-20) or China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) and supply-side structural reform, all are designed to satisfy the peoples' wish for a better life. In this vein, China-Nigeria practical collaboration in such areas as agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, minerals and human resources and knowledge sharing has served and will always serve the primary task of the development of Nigeria. In order to realize a world in which no one is left behind, successful policies and know-how from developed nations and poverty reduction policies that have lifted 800 million Chinese out of poverty should be shared and made available to developing nations, especially African nations trying to lift their people out of poverty. That is the key to achieving the new continental and globally sustainable development goals: African Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. We should work together to strengthen coordination and cooperation to fight poverty, strive for common prosperity, and jointly embrace a brighter future. As Nigeria pursues its ambitious plan to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020, China looks forward to being a steady partner in accelerating efforts to end poverty and boost shared prosperity in Africa's largest, most populous country. This, in turn, will also benefit Nigeria's neighbors across West Africa. The author is a researcher with the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. (China Daily European Weekly 09/08/2017 page12) The Hello Kitty Cafe truck a bright pink Mercedes van adorned with flowers and the feline Sanrio mascot will be heading to Walnut Creek this weekend as part of its roving tour across the United States. According to the cafe's official Facebook page, the truck is scheduled to be at Broadway Plaza near Macy's from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. More than 700 people have RSVP'd to the event, and an additional 3,000 people have expressed interest in attending. The Hello Kitty truck tours different cities selling you guessed it Hello Kitty gear and sweet treats, including twee T-shirts, coffee mugs and undoubtedly cloying macarons and doughnuts. Wherever it goes, a bounty of Instagram posts are sure to follow. Since making its debut at the annual Hello Kitty Con, a surprisingly real convention devoted to all things Hello Kitty, the truck and its hard-to-get retail items have attracted a rabid following on social media. It last appeared in San Jose in 2015. After it bids farewell to Broadway Plaza, the truck will make its way to San Francisco on Sept. 16. San Francisco's Gay Men's Chorus is about to embark on a journey through some of the most conservative pockets of the United States. The group is a month out form a trip they say will take the "public conversation to a higher plane" than what we have seen. After what happened in Charlottesville, the chorus is ramping up their security and raising more money for the costly trip. The Lavender Pen Tour will feature performances from a San Francisco institution all over the southern United States, but the performance might be the least prominent part of what they are hoping to accomplish. "We'rre going to listen. I think so much about this trip that's going to beneficial for our membership is to go to these places to see how our community lives in these particular areas where they don't have supportive governments," said Tom Paulino, the co-chair for the Lavender Pen Tour. Tour organizers want to break from a Bay Area bubble and permeate areas of the country coping with discrimination. "When the chorus first started 40 years ago, we didn't have gay marriage," said Steve Huffines, the choir's board chair. "No one envisioned that it would ever be possible, much less legal nationwide." To preserve those rights the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is taking on risk. The group is calling on supporters to donate to double the security for their trip. "We're going to do everything we can do to keep everyone who's going on the tour as safe as possible," Huffines said. "And a significant change to that happened when we saw what happened in Charlottesville." The group's tour will also take them to Jackson, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama. Members will be able to meet people in person at churches, performance halls and auditoriums while on tour. University of San Francisco professor Kimberly Richman, who specializes in the sociology of law, said years of data supports this kind of outreach. "We've seen time and time again in research and in experience that the best way to win someone over to support your rights is by simply letting them get to know you as a person," Richman said. The trip will cost north of $1 million and is called the Lavender Pen Tour because of the pen Harvey Milk gave Mayor George Moscone to sign one of the first LGBT protection laws in the country. If interested in donating, visit SFGMC.org. Transportation Security Administration workers from Oakland International Airport and Mineta San Jose International Airport are being pre-positioned at airports in the Southeast to assist in reopening Florida airports after Hurricane Irma goes through the area. The federal agency is expecting hundreds of employees in Florida to be busy dealing with the storm's aftermath when airports in the region resume operations. That's why they're sending Transportation Security Support Teams, or small groups deployed for the purpose of providing additional support. There are roughly 250 TSA workers standing by. In addition to Oakland and San Jose, other teams are deploying from airports in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Detroit, Seattle and Salt Lake City. TSA is still dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Roughly 5,000 TSA workers live in the Texas area, and more then 200 saw their homes damaged or destroyed as a result of last week's hurricane, according to the agency. About 700 workers have deployed to the Houston area to assist in the recovery effort. Those personnel came from San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Roughly 500 of them are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The University of California, Berkeley is offering enhanced security and counseling services to students for former Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro's speech on campus next week. Berkeley has experienced violent protests at a slew of recent political and speaking events, prompting both city and university officials to take extra precaution. Shapiro, a conservative political commentator who has spoken at UC Berkeley without incident before, responded on Twitter to the university offering counselors for those who could be potentially impacted by his appearance or speech. "SNOWFLAKE ALERT: UC Berkeley Offers 'Support And Counseling' For Students Offended By Shapiro's Speech," the 33-year-old writer wrote, linking to an article by the Daily Wire, where he currently serves as editor-in-chief. He also described the move as "total insanity." "If there ever needed to be confirmation that Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiros characterization of Leftist students at American universities as 'snowflakes' hits the bulls-eye, the campus-wide announcement issued by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul Alivisatos of the University of California, Berkeley, regarding Shapiros September 14 speech at the university offered just that," the Daily Wire article said. In its message about logistics, Alivisatos detailed several security measures, including a police perimeter spanning six buildings, because of the potentially controversial nature of the event. Further down in the memo, Alivisatos says that campus officials "are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals sense of safety and belonging." "No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe," the memo continues. "For that reason, the following support services are being offered and encouraged: Student support services, Employee (faculty and staff) support services." UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof told Newsweek that "this sort of communication has not been needed previously." Mogulof went on to state that the offer for counseling services was not intended specifically for Shapiro's talk, but also for the university's "conservative students who have told us they are worried not about the speakers headed our way but, rather, by the possibility that members of the Antifa paramilitary group will return to the campus." Shapiro is expected to speak from 7 to 9 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall at the invitation of one of the university's registered student groups. The university plans to create a closed perimeter around Zellerbach as well as Cesar Chavez Student Center, the Alumni House, MLK Jr Student Union, Sproul Hall and Eshleman Hall. Only those with a ticket will be allowed inside the perimeter. According to Alivisatos, the campus hopes to learn from what happens at the Shapiro event. "We will also explore and what will be needed for future events, such as those proposed by another registered student group that involve Milo Yiannopolous and other possible guest speakers," he said. In an effort to avoid making Berkeley the center of violent protests, the city's mayor is urging UC Berkeley to cancel its upcoming "Free Speech Week" set to feature conservative public figures Milo Yiannopoulos, Anne Coulter and possibly Steven Bannon in September. Earlier this year, Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak at UC Berkeley but was canceled due to violent protesters, causing $100,000 worth of damage to the campus. Berkeley made headlines recently after a large group of protesters turned violent as they chased out a small number of right-wing demonstrators from downtown Berkeley. Yiannopoulos told TMZ last week he wants everybody to protest, but that "it should be done peacefully. You got to do it with speech not violence. As soon as you lay a hand on somebody else or start destroy somebody else's property, you become a problem." Shapiro has said that he welcomes anyone who wanted to protest his appearance. In a nine-post Twitter thread last week, he asked Berkeley police to "do their jobs and stop violence." Addressing the recent protests that took place in Berkeley, Shapiro also penned an article titled "Houston Is The Best Of America. Berkeley Is The Worst. Here's Why." A training exercise for the controversial Urban Shield program is expected to be met with opposition in the East Bay. The weekend's exposition at the Alameda County Sheriff's Office of Homeland Security is called "Training Together, Responding as One," but protesters, who will gather in Oakland at 4 p.m. Friday, say Urban Shield promotes militarized police forces, teaching officers to act more like soldiers in their communities. The people behind Urban Shield, however, say their goal is to test the training and coordination among regional first-responders. This year, the focus is on mass care and shelter. In 2016, an earthquake simulation tested how law enforcement agencies distribute necessary goods. In 2015, coordinated terrorist attacks examined their evacuation preparedness and in 2013, a passenger train crash simulation analyzed their response to mass fatalities. Berkeley city leaders in June voted in favor of extending the Police Departments participation in Urban Shield and their decision was an unwelcome one. Just last week, President Donald Trump made it easier for local law enforcement agencies to get their hands on surplus military equipment, adding fuel to the ongoing debate in the Bay Area. Check back for updates. Donations are pouring in from across the country to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, but one New Hampshire man had an idea to do more than just send aid. The Pelham community is coming together to give one Houston family a whole new start. At Pelham High School, theres a steady stream of donations for those hit hardest by Harvey. They have absolutely nothing, said senior Alyssa Janak. It started a few days ago, when Principal Gary Dempsey had an idea to send not only household items, but an actual house. I called Campers Inn in Merrimack, they called me back an hour later, and said, Were in, and donated a $29,000 camper, Mr. Dempsey explained. Enterprise gave me truck and JetBlue gave me two tickets to fly home. People have been great. The camper is like a one bedroom, full bath apartment with a kitchen, complete with a generator and now filled with necessities to help one family start over. Its inspiring, Dempsey said about the outpouring of support. The donations that came in were just incredible, people just want to give back, said Tracy Musto whose company Liberty Utilities dropped off a trailer full of donations on Thursday. It seems with each contribution comes a reality check. We take for granted everything we have, Musto said. I cant imagine what theyre going through, said the Pelham Elementary Principal Tom Adamakos as he carried a box into the camper. Im so lucky, I guess, said Janak. I wish I could do more. But theyre doing all they can, packing this home with a powerful message for Texas. There is faith and hope in everything, said Pelham junior Olivia Gagnon. With everyone coming together, anything is possible. Dempsey starts the 29-hour journey to Houston on Friday morning. By Sunday, one family will have a new home and all the extra donations will go to shelters in the area. The sheriff in Racine County, Wisconsin said its one of the most disturbing things hes seen in 20 years of law enforcement. Authorities were contacted Wednesday by an elementary school in Wind Lake for a child abuse allegation. During the course of the investigation that followed, authorities said, the countys Human Services Department learned a 9-year-old child was being locked in a dog cagesometimes for up to 12 hours at a timein a home in the town of Norway. The captivity had been going on for at least a week, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling told reporters Thursday. He said he was "sickened" by the case. It was one of the most disturbing things Ive witnessed in my career so far, he said. The cage, measuring 4 feet and 10 inches high, 4 feet in length and 8 feet wide, had cardboard on the floor, a couple of blankets and a padlock to keep the child from escaping, authorities said. I wouldnt treat my own dog that way, he said. The child was also kept in the cage during the weekends, Schmaling said, while the caregivers had other things to do. He said the child was fed and cared for with the exception of being abused and housed in a dog kennel like an animal. The child lived in the home with a 10-year-old sibling, their 47-year-old grandmother and the 48-year-old man who owned the property, Schmaling said. Gale D. Lalonde and Dale A. Deavers, both from Wind Lake, were taken into custody, police said, for causing mental harm to a child, false imprisonment and other felony charges, police said. The sibling was not kept in the cage, Schmaling said. Schmaling said Deavers, who was not cooperating with police, could have stopped the alleged abuse if he wanted to. Schmaling said Lalonde was cooperating with authorities. Our information so far is that the child was housed in this dog kennel for at least a week, about 12 hours a day, he said. Was put in there in the evening and then let out in the morning to get ready for school. The child is currently being interviewed by officials. The childs statements have [proved] to be credible at this point, Schmaling said. Weve executed a search warrant at that home and we have collected evidence thats consistent with what the child had told us. The sheriff told reporters, as a father of three, he couldnt fathom what motive there was for why a child was kept in such conditions. What goes through your mind? he asked. What would that child have to do to get you to go out and purchase a dog kennelput that child in that kennel? He said authorities were trying to find out more about the biological parents but Lalonde had sole custody of the children. At the end of the day, I find some comfort knowing that this 9-year-old and sibling are in a safe warm environment, in a warm bed this evening," Schmaling said. To the contrary, the caregivers are in custody, theyre locked in a jail cell where they ought to be. Asked about pets on the property that might need a cage like the one the child was allegedly locked in, he said he saw cats and chickens on the property but no dogs. An investigation was ongoing, he said. Several southeastern Connecticut police officers are jumping on their bikes to help the families of their brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the line of duty. The Tour de Force is a four-day bicycle ride from Boston to New York to remember those lost on Sept. 11 and to raise money for officers families who made the ultimate sacrifice. The team out of southeastern Connecticut, called Club East Colfax, has 27 members including Town of Groton Police Chief L.J. Fusaro. He said the team has officers from Waterford, Yale, Westport, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police, and current and retired state troopers. Also riding is Carol Bagshaw, the widow of Connecticut State Trooper Russell Bagshaw who was shot and killed on the job in 1991. "Get a good amount of money to sponsor some families that have sacrificed so much," Fusaro said. "That have given their spouse, or their father, or mother and sacrificed them for law enforcement." Club East Colfax will be riding through southeastern Connecticut on Sunday and spending the night, the Chief added. The team is still collecting donations through the end of the month. Information on the ride can be found here. Information on how to donate can be found here. A former Connecticut juvenile detention officer has been sentenced to three years of probation for his role in a drug distribution ring that involved several people who worked in law enforcement. Federal prosecutors say 35-year-old Jeffrey Gentile, of Ansonia, was sentenced Thursday in Hartford for using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of amphetamine. Gentile, who was a juvenile detention officer at the time of the offense, was among 10 men initially arrested in the sting of the steroid and prescription pill ring. Prosecutors said the investigation revealed that Steven Santucci, a former Newtown Police sergeant, and others received steroid ingredients from China and manufactured and distributed steroids. They said Gentile obtained steroids and paid with Adderall, an amphetamine. Santucci was sentenced to a year and four months in prison. Vice-Premier Wang Yang is greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday. Mikhail Metzel/ Photo Via Ap China and Russia should come up with new ideas and proposals for further practical cooperation, Vice-Premier Wang Yang said this week in Russia. Wang made the remark during his five-day visit to Russia, which began on Monday. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok during the third Eastern Economic Forum on Wednesday. Wang said the rapid rise of the Russian economy, the stability of Russian society and the development of Russia's Far Eastern Federal District provide energy for Russia's economic development. "The cooperation between China and Russia has become closer than ever in all aspects," he said. Putin gave Wang a warm welcome and congratulated him on the success of this week's BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province. Putin said he had a fruitful conversation at the summit with President Xi Jinping. Both governments have started to work together on the agreements reached by the two leaders, he said. Wang participated in the chairmen's meeting of the joint commission for regular meetings between the Chinese and Russian heads of government, held on Monday and Tuesday, and he met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. Wang said China remains Russia's largest trading partner and their cooperation in investment and infrastructure interconnectivity are expanding steadily. He said major programs of strategic importance are advancing, including the Yamal liquefied natural gas exploitation project, wide-body airliner production, and construction of a cross-border railway and highway bridges. renqi@chinadaily.com.cn The death of more than a dozen deer in Portland, Connecticut could be caused by hemorrhagic disease, which the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said is one of the most important infectious diseases affecting white-tailed deer. In early September, a hunter contacted the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division about several deer found dead along a small body of water near the Connecticut River in the area of Sand Hill Road in Portland. Several more deer were found less than a mile at another small body of water. Officials from the state DEEP said they could not definitively determine the cause of death because of the condition the deer were in, but DEEP biologists think hemorrhagic disease might be the cause. Biting midges, which are commonly referred to as sand gnats, sand flies or no-see-ums, transmit the disease, which was first documented in New Jersey in 1955. The disease has been documented in many southeastern states and recently reported throughout the mid-Atlantic region. In 2007, more than 20 deer were found dead due to hemorrhagic disease in New York, around 60 miles from the Connecticut border, according to DEEP. Another outbreak in New York in 2011 killed nearly 100 deer. Other species, such as mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and elk, have been documented with the disease in several other states, according to DEEP. Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease in deer include swollen head, neck, tongue, or eyelids with a bloody discharge from the nasal cavity; erosion of the dental pad or ulcers on the tongue; and hemorrhaging of the heart and lungs, causing respiratory distress. Additionally, the virus creates high feverish conditions, leading infected deer to sometimes be found near water sources. Not all symptoms are necessarily present in every infected deer. Hemorrhagic disease does not infect humans, and people are not at risk by handling infected deer, eating venison from infected deer, or being bitten by infected midges, according to DEEP. The disease rarely causes illness in domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, dogs, and cats. Hunters should observe normal precautions around any sick or strange-acting animals. Anyone who sees emaciated deer, deer behaving strangely or lying dead along the edge of bodies of water should call the DEEPs 24-hour emergency Dispatch Center at 860-424-3333 or the DEEP Wildlife Division at 860-418-5921. The department wants to test other dead deer to confirm the suspicion that hemorrhagic disease is the cause. A former drifter charged with killing six people in Connecticut in 2003 and disposing of the bodies behind a New Britain strip mall pleaded guilty Friday to killing five women and one man. William Devin Howell, a 47-year-old native of Hampton, Virginia, was already serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter in the killing of a seventh victim, 33-year-old Nilsa Arizmendi of Wethersfield. Howell will be sentenced on Nov. 17. He is expected to be sentenced to 360 years in prison, or six consecutive life sentences, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. Of that time, 150 years is mandatory for state law. Arizmendi and the six other victims were found buried behind a strip mall. The other victims were identified as: Joyvaline Martinez, 24, of East Hartford; Diane Cusack, 53, of New Britain; Mary Jane Menard, 40, of New Britain; Melanie Ruth Camilini, 29, of Seymour; Marilyn Gonzalez, 26, of Waterbury; and Danny Lee Whistnant, 44, of New Britain. Howell sexually assaulted three of the women and kept one of the bodies in his van for two weeks, sleeping next to the body and calling the victim his "baby," according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Howell also told a cellmate "there was a monster inside of him that just came out" and described himself as a "sick ripper," according to the warrant. Howell was working odd jobs and cuts grass at homes and businesses in Wethersfield, Hartford, New Britain and West Hartford at the time of the killings. "By pleading guilty today, William Howell wanted to spare the victims families further emotional pain through a lengthy and drawn out trial that would have taken several weeks, if not months. Avoiding a trial also saves the taxpayers of the state nearly $1,000,000," Howell's attorneys, Jeffrey C. Kestenband and William H. Paetzold, said in a statement on Friday. It's a rare day when you see eight state employees go before a judge within hours of one another. All stand accused of abusing a patient in Connecticut's maximum security psychiatric hospital. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters broke this story about the alleged abuse back in April. The eight Whiting Forensic Division staffers arraigned Thursday, and one on Wednesday, were all arrested this week by Connecticut State Police, who said more arrests may come. They include forensic nurse Mark Cusson, and mental health workers Willie Bethea, Lance Camby, Seth Quider, Bruce Holt, Clayton Davis, Robert Larned, Carl Benjamin, and Greg Giantonio. One of nine staffers charged ran off from the court in a full sprint. We tried talking with the suspects' attorneys after they faced a judge and few commented. Cusson attorney Brian Woolf cautions about a rush to judgement, We're just beginning the process. I'd like everyone to remember there's two sides to a story, and then there's the truth." The Whiting staffers are accused of taking part in the repeated abuse, some captured on video, of a 59-year-old patient. The patient's co-conservator Karen Kangas saw some of the month's worth of recordings, They put a diaper, a diaper that had been used, that had some stuff in it, and they put it over his head." There are 31 employees on administrative leave in connection with this case. The state agency overseeing Whiting calls the allegations against these employees reprehensible, and says it is working to improve patient care. The Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce will pitch North Texas to online retail giant Amazon, which recently announced plans to spend $5 billion and hire up to 50,000 employees in a second headquarters somewhere in North America. Mike Rosa, the chamber's senior vice president for economic development, said Thursday that sending a proposal to Amazon would be his top priority. "All those things I had on my to-do list yesterday evening, way on down the list now," Rosa said. "We are going to focus on this." The regional chamber will work with cities like Dallas and Fort Worth on possible locations. No single spot will be promoted, Rosa said. "We're promoting Fort Worth, and this is where we want them, but we also recognize that the tide will rise for all boats if they select another area in North Texas," said Brandom Gengelbach, executive vice president of the Fort Worth Chamber. Gengelbach said Fort Worth would push its 70,000 acres of undeveloped land. Amazon wants to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters up to 8 million square feet in the next decade. That's about the same size as its current home in Seattle. In just the last month, Amazon announced plans to build three new warehouses that pack and ship packages in New York, Ohio and Oregon. And it recently paid close to $14 billion for Whole Foods and the Austin-based grocer's more than 465 stores. The company plans to hire 100,000 people by the middle of next year, adding to its current worldwide staff of more than 380,000. Amazon started in Seattle in the 1990s selling books online but later branched out to sell virtually everything. Over the years, the company has pumped billions of dollars into the Seattle economy and now operates out of 33 different buildings in what was once an industrial area. A University of Texas System regent has donated $25 million to the Austin campus' social work program. The Austin-American Statesman reports that university officials announced Steve Hicks' donation Wednesday. Hicks says he donated to the social work school because social workers have helped him overcome alcoholism. He says he has been sober for 13 years. Under the plan, $10 million will be used to create a permanent endowment for student scholarships, and $5 million will be used as matching funds to attract additional donations. The remaining $10 million will be used to further research and teaching on addictions as well as to teach fundraising and philanthropy skills. The university has renamed the social work school after Hicks. Hicks graduate from the university with a degree in government in 1972. A Monterey Park man who accepted packages containing three highly venomous king cobras coiled up in potato chip canisters pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal wildlife smuggling charge. Rodrigo Franco, 34, admitted to smuggling another 20 or so cobras, as well as sending protected turtles to Hong Kong, according to his plea agreement. Prosecutors agreed to seek a sentence of no more than 18 months in exchange for the plea. A Dec. 7 sentencing hearing was set by U.S. District Judge George Wu in downtown Los Angeles. In early March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspected a package sent from Hong Kong and discovered three live black-and-yellow king cobra snakes -- protected and highly poisonous reptiles -- each 2 feet long. In addition to the three snakes, the parcel being sent through the mail contained three albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles. On the same date, Franco also mailed six protected turtles -- desert box turtles, three-toed box turtles and ornate box turtles -- from the United States to Hong Kong, but that shipment also was intercepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of the danger associated with the cobras, the snakes were seized from the package that had come from Hong Kong. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service made a controlled delivery of the soft-shelled turtles to Franco's home. Immediately after the package -- with turtles removed -- was delivered, federal agents executed a search warrant at the residence. While searching the home, agents found the package that originated in Hong Kong in a children's bedroom, in which they also discovered a tank containing a live baby crocodile and tanks containing alligator snapping turtles, a common snapping turtle, and five diamond back terrapins -- all of which are protected species, according to investigators. During a subsequent interview with authorities, Franco admitted that he had previously received 20 king cobras in two prior shipments -- but he said all of those snakes had died in transit, federal prosecutors said. During the ensuing investigation, authorities obtained evidence from Franco's phone, which contained messages in which he and someone in Asia allegedly discussed shipping turtles and snakes between the United States and Asia. The messages indicate that Franco had previously received live cobras from his contact in Asia and was going to give five of the snakes to a relative of his contact, according to prosecutors. The cobras and other reptiles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement designed to save threatened species from endangerment and illegal trade. Thousands of Irma victims across the Caribbean fought desperately to find shelter or escape their storm-blasted islands altogether Friday as another hurricane following close behind threatened to add to their misery. Irma regained Category 5 status late Friday, and with its 160 mph (260 kph) winds battering Cuba and taking aim at the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, the death toll in the storm's wake across the Caribbean climbed to 22. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the eastern part of Cuba reported no major casualties or damage by mid-afternoon after Irma rolled north of the Caribbean's biggest islands. But many residents and tourists farther east were left reeling after the storm ravaged some of the world's most exclusive tropical playgrounds, known for their turquoise waters and lush green vegetation. Among them: St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Thomas, Barbuda and Anguilla. Irma smashed homes, shops, roads and schools; knocked out power, water and telephone service; trapped thousands of tourists; and stripped trees of their leaves, leaving an eerie, blasted-looking landscape littered with sheet metal and splintered lumber. On Friday, looting and gunshots were reported on St. Martin, and a curfew was imposed in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many of Irma's victims fled their islands on ferries and fishing boats for fear of Hurricane Jose, a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds that could punish some places all over again this weekend. "I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to know that further damage is imminent," said Inspector Frankie Thomas of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. On Barbuda, a coral island rising a mere 125 feet (38 meters) above sea level, authorities ordered an evacuation of all 1,400 people to neighboring Antigua, where Stevet Jeremiah was reunited with one son and made plans to bury another. Jeremiah, who sells lobster and crab to tourists, was huddled in her wooden home on Barbuda early Wednesday with her partner and their 2- and 4-year-old boys as Irma ripped open their metal roof and sent the ocean surging into the house. Her younger son, Carl Junior Francis, was swept away. Neighbors found his body after sunrise. "Two years old. He just turned 2, the 17th, last month. Just turned 2," she repeated. Her first task, she said, would be to organize his funeral. "That's all I can do. There is nothing else I can do." The dead included 11 on St. Martin and St. Barts, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, four in the British Virgin Islands and one each on Anguilla and Barbuda. Also, a 16-year-old junior professional surfer drowned Tuesday in Barbados while surfing large swells generated by an approaching Irma. Many victims picked through the rubble of what had once been Caribbean dream getaway homes. On St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, power lines and towers were toppled, a water and sewage treatment plant was heavily damaged, and the harbor was in ruins, along with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses. Opera singer Laura Strickling and her husband, Taylor, moved to St. Thomas three years ago from Washington so he could take a job as a lawyer. They rented a top-floor apartment with a stunning view of the turquoise water of Megan's Bay, which is surrounded by low hills covered by trees. Strickling huddled with her husband and their year-old daughter in a basement apartment along with another family as the storm raged for 12 hours. "The noise was just deafening. It was so loud we thought the roof was gone. The windows were boarded up, so it was hot and we had no AC, no power," she said. She said she and the three other adults "were terrified but keeping it together for the babies." Strickling, who used to visit her husband in Afghanistan when he worked there, added: "I've had to sit through a Taliban gunfight, and this was scarier." When they emerged, they found their apartment was unscathed and the trees had no leaves. "We're obviously worried by the thought of having to do it all again with Hurricane Jose. It's a little, a little, well, it's not good," she said, her voice trailing off. Irma threatened to push its way northward from one end of Florida to the other beginning Sunday morning in what many fear could be the long-dreaded, catastrophic Big One. Across Florida and Georgia, more than 6 million people were warned to leave their homes, clogging interstates as far away as Atlanta. At the same time, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the east, authorities commandeered a ferry from Montserrat with room for 350 and began moving people from Barbuda to the larger island of Antigua. The owners of several fishing boats also volunteered to help. Thomas, the royal police inspector, said few structures were left standing in Barbuda, and even those that were not destroyed had some damage. On St. Martin, which is divided between Dutch and French control, cafes and shops were swamped, and the storm left gnarled black branches denuded of leaves. Battered cars, corrugated metal, plywood, wrought iron and other debris covered street after street. Roofs were torn off numerous houses. There was little left of St. Martin's Hotel Mercure but its sign, painted on a still-standing wall. The cleanup was already underway for some. One man chopped at the branches of a bare tree. Another heaved what appeared to be furniture stuffing onto a pile. People sat in chairs outside a hospital, waiting to be seen. William Marlin, prime minister of the Dutch side of St. Martin, said recovery was expected to take months even before Jose threatened to make things worse. "We've lost many, many homes. Schools have been destroyed," he said. "We foresee a loss of the tourist season because of the damage that was done to hotel properties, the negative publicity that one would have that it's better to go somewhere else because it's destroyed. So that will have a serious impact on our economy." On St. Thomas, Jodi Jabas and Matt Biwer were combing through the wreckage of the home they had been busy remodeling before the storm. They huddled in a studio apartment on the ground floor as Irma roared overhead. The storm took off the roof and a good section of the house with it. "We found it funny that the only thing left standing was this stupid closet that we hated," said Matt Biwer, a 36-year-old originally from North Dakota. Jalon Shortte said riding out Irma in his top-floor apartment on Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, was the scariest thing he has ever been through. The air pressure hurt his ears, trees fell on his roof, windows blew out and a door came off, he wrote on Facebook. The storm even took paint off the walls, he said. His Facebook page was filled with images he took from around Tortola of sunken yachts, crushed vehicles and mounds of debris. He said looting was rampant. Amid the devastation, Shortte worked to bring a water desalination plant online. "We have to stick together and rebuild," he said. Weissenstein reported from Havana. Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Miami, Ian Brown in St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report. The United States is seeking the toughest-ever U.N. sanctions on North Korea that would ban all oil and natural gas exports to the northeast Asian nation and freeze all foreign financial assets of the government and its leader, Kim Jong Un. The U.S.-drafted resolution, circulated to council members Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, would also prohibit North Korea from exporting textiles and ban all countries from hiring and paying workers from the northeast Asian nation two key sources of foreign currency. The proposed resolution identifies nine cargo vessels that have carried out activities for North Korea prohibited by previous U.N. sanctions resolutions and would subject them to inspection by government warships, vessels or aircraft. It would authorize the 192 other U.N. member states to stop these ships on the high seas to inspect their cargo without their consent and to use "all necessary measures" which in U.N. language includes force to carry out an inspection and direct the vessel to a port. This would also apply to any other vessels designated by the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at an emergency council meeting earlier this week after North Korea's sixth and largest nuclear test that the Trump administration wants to put the resolution to a vote Monday. The resolution is likely to face opposition from North Korea's neighbors and allies, China and Russia, who say previous sanctions aren't working. South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to back stronger sanctions on the North, including an oil cutoff. But Putin worried that such moves would hurt North Korea's people, said Yoon Young-chan, Moon's chief press secretary. Russia and China are calling for a resolution that focuses on a political solution and have proposed a suspension-for-suspension that would halt North Korean nuclear and missile tests in exchange for the U.S. and South Korea halting their joint military exercises. Putin said earlier Wednesday that "we should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner." The Trump administration has rejected the proposal by China and Russia, saying military exercises are essential in the face of escalating North Korean tests and threats to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile near the U.S. territory of Guam. President Donald Trump has said all options are on the table and told British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday that "now is not the time to talk to North Korea," according to a White House readout. The proposed resolution would condemn "in the strongest terms" the latest nuclear test, which Pyongyang said was of a hydrogen bomb, calling it a "flagrant" violation of previous council resolutions banning all nuclear tests. It would order all countries to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources outside North Korea "that are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly" by Kim Jong Un, the ruling Worker's Party of Korea, the government, or by individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction. The draft would freeze the assets of North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo, the Korean People's Army, and five other powerful military and party entities. It would also freeze the assets and impose a travel ban on Kim Jong Un and four other top party officials, Hwang Pyong So, Kim Ki Nam, Kim Yo Jong, and Pak Yong Sik. The proposed resolution would add 42 items to a list of equipment, goods and technology that countries are banned from exporting to North Korea. It would also prohibit North Korea from being part of any joint ventures or cooperative agreements. The draft calls for a resumption of long-stalled six-party talks between North Korea and the U.S., Russia, China, South Korea and Japan with the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. It reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability in northeast Asia and the council's commitment "to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation," and it welcomes efforts to resolve the situation through dialogue. The proposed resolution expresses the Security Council's "determination to take further significant measures" in the event of a new nuclear test or ballistic missile launch. Police shot a man who wielded a knife and tried to get into a Miami airport terminal from a runway on Thursday night, prompting the closure of a busy concourse as travelers tried to leave Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma, authorities said. Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said the unidentified suspect entered a restricted area on the tarmac "where the airplanes actually come in." "One of the sergeants that responded observed a gentleman on the tarmac. The gentleman fled into a room allegedly armed with a knife," Perez told reporters during a news conference. The man tried to leave the room and get back into the terminal through the ceiling, Perez said. That's when officers confronted the man and shot him, Perez said. Perez said the suspect was taken to a hospital in stable condition to be treated for his injuries. It's not clear how he was able to breach security and get onto the runway. Authorities tried to keep travelers at ease, stressing they believe the suspect acted alone. "We do not believe this is related to a terrorist incident at all but we are not ruling that out because it is early," Perez said. Many travelers are jamming flights to get out of the path of the Category 5 hurricane, which devastated a string of Caribbean islands and is on its way to Florida this weekend. A half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday. Shawn Woodford and his wife were about to board a flight home for Canada when fire trucks and police cars came "flying across the tarmac" and "surrounded a plane at the gate next to us," he told The Associated Press. The plane the gate Woodford identified was a Latam Airlines flight to Santiago, Chile, according to Miami's departures board. Latam officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP. A short time later, police came into the terminal where Woodford and his wife were and "said 'everybody out of here' and evacuated the entire concourse," he said. The closure led to some flights being delayed or moved to other gates. Woodford was able to board his flight for Toronto at a different concourse and nearly 4 hours after his original departure time. The Latam flight to Santiago was listed as delayed by more than hours, leaving at 1:30 a.m. Eastern. Jin Xu, the minister counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Britain, speaks at a forum in Cambridge, UK on Sept 6, 2017. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] China's southwest Sichuan province is seeking to develop closer ties with the United Kingdom through the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Around 300 entrepreneurs, officials and scholars met at a two-day forum held at the University of Cambridge this week. The gathering, organized by the UK-Sichuan Business Association under the theme of "Cooperation, Development and Win-Win", sought to promote partnerships for effective implementation of the initiative. A business delegation from Sichuan, headed by a Sichuan provincial government official, also extended its invitation to the British people to go to the province and explore new opportunities. Home of giant pandas, Sichuan is twice the size of the UK. Historically, it was at the heart of the Silk Road. It was in Sichuan that paper money was first invented. Today, the UK is Sichuan's second-largest trading partner in Europe. In 2016, trade volume between Sichuan and the UK was $860 million, an increase of 8 percent on the previous year. "Sichuan is really benefiting from the Belt and Road Initiative," said Yang Chunxuan, deputy chief of Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, when addressing the forum on Wednesday. "We were originally an inland province, but now we have become the frontline of China's opening-up to the West and to the South." Put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to promote cooperation among the countries along the ancient Silk Road trade routes and beyond. More than 150 enterprises and businesses from the UK have invested in Sichuan in sectors such as finance, technology, education, culture, health, logistics, research, development, innovation and transportation. Sichuan also has fast routes connecting to Europe. Chengdu-Europe express rail, which was launched four years ago, is set to make about 1,000 journeys this year. China's exports to the UK increased by 5 percent in the first half of this year, while imports from the UK grew by 20 percent, said Jin Xu, the minister counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Britain. He hoped British enterprises would be able to seize the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative to increase cooperation with their Chinese counterparts. "It's really an opportunity for Sichuan to participate so significantly in President Xi's policy of the 'One Belt, One Road'," said Barry Rider, professor at Cambridge University's Center for Development Studies. He added: "Now, of course, Britain is particularly interested- perhaps even more so with Brexit loomingin fostering a new generation of opportunities for trade and business, finance, technology, biotech, many of those new and important industries." One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the country's southern coast, toppling hundreds of buildings and sending panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. At least 61 people were reported dead. The quake that hit minutes before midnight Thursday was strong enough to cause buildings to sway violently in the capital city more than 650 miles (1,000 kilometers) away. As beds banged against walls, people still wearing pajamas ran out of their homes and gathered in frightened groups. Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicenter, said his house "moved like chewing gum." The furious shaking created a second national emergency for Mexican agencies already bracing for Hurricane Katia on the other side of the country. The system was expected to strike the Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 2 storm that could bring life-threatening floods. President Enrique Pena Nieto said Friday evening in a televised address that 61 people were killed 45 in Oaxaca state, 12 in Chiapas and 4 in Tabasco and he declared three days of national mourning. The worst-hit city was Juchitan, on the narrow waist of Oaxaca known as the Isthmus, where 36 quake victims died. About half of Juchitan's city hall collapsed in a pile of rubble and streets were littered with the debris of ruined houses. A hospital also collapsed, Pena Nieto said after touring the city and meeting with residents. The patients were relocated to other facilities. The president said authorities were working to re-establish the supply of water and food and provide medical attention to those who need it. He vowed the government would help people rebuild and called for people to come together. "The power of this earthquake was devastating, but we are certain that the power of unity, the power of solidarity and the power of shared responsibility will be greater," Pena Nieto said. Mexico City escaped major damage, but the quake terrified sleeping residents, many of whom still remember the catastrophic 1985 earthquake that killed thousands and devastated large parts of the city. Families were jerked awake by the grating howl of the capital's seismic alarm. Some shouted as they dashed out of rocking apartment buildings. Even the iconic Angel of Independence Monument swayed as the quake's waves rolled through the city's soft soil. Elsewhere, the extent of destruction was still emerging. Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut at least briefly to more than 1.8 million people and authorities closed schools Friday in at least 11 states to check them for safety. The Interior Department reported that 428 homes were destroyed and 1,700 were damaged in various cities and towns in Chiapas. "Homes made of clay tiles and wood collapsed," said Nataniel Hernandez, a human rights worker living in Tonala, Chiapas, who warned that inclement weather threatened to bring more down. "Right now it is raining very hard in Tonala, and with the rains it gets much more complicated because the homes were left very weak, with cracks," Hernandez said by phone. The earthquake's impact was blunted somewhat by the fact that it was centered 100 miles offshore. It hit off Chiapas' Pacific coast, near the Guatemalan border, with a magnitude of 8.1 equal to Mexico's strongest quake of the past century. It was slightly stronger than the 1985 quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter was in a seismic hotspot in the Pacific where one tectonic plate dives under another. These subduction zones are responsible for producing some of the biggest quakes in history, including the 2011 Fukushima disaster and the 2004 Sumatra quake that spawned a deadly tsunami. The quake struck at 11:49 p.m. Thursday (12:49 a.m. EDT; 4:49 a.m. GMT Friday). Its epicenter was 102 miles (165 kilometers) west of Tapachula in Chiapas, with a depth of 43.3 miles (69.7 kilometers), the USGS said. Dozens of strong aftershocks rattled the region in the following hours. Three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed, Chiapas Gov. Manuel Velasco said. "There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy," he said. "Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged." In Tabasco, one child died when a wall collapsed, and an infant died in a children's hospital when the facility lost electricity, cutting off the ventilator, Gov. Arturo Nunez said. The quake triggered tsunami warnings and some tall waves, but there was no major damage from the sea. Authorities briefly evacuated a few residents of coastal Tonala and Puerto Madero because of the warning. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported waves of 3.3 feet (1 meter) above the tide level off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges elsewhere. In neighboring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales appeared on national television to call for calm while emergency crews surveyed damage. Officials later said only four people had been injured and several dozen homes damaged. The quake occurred near the point of collision between three tectonic plates, the Cocos, the Caribbean and the North American. The area has seen at least six other quakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900. Three of those occurred within a nerve-wracking nine-month span in 1902-1903, according to Mexico's National Seismological Service. Scientists were still reviewing data, but a preliminary analysis indicated the quake was triggered by the sudden breaking or bending of the Cocos plate, which dives beneath Mexico. That type of process does not happen often in subduction zones. Usually, big quakes in subduction zones occur along the boundary between the sinking slab and the overriding crust. "It's unusual, but it's not unheard of," said seismologist Susan Hough of the USGS, describing how stresses on the seafloor can produce big earthquakes. The new quake matched the force of a magnitude 8.1 quake that hit the country June 3, 1932, roughly 300 miles (500 kilometers) west of Mexico City. A study by the seismological service concluded that that quake killed about 400 people and caused severe damage around the port of Manzanillo. A powerful aftershock that hit 19 days later caused a tsunami that devastated 15 miles (25 kilometers) of coastline, killing 75 people. In Veracruz, tourists abandoned coastal hotels as winds and rains picked up ahead of Hurricane Katia's expected landfall. Workers set up emergency shelters and cleared storm drains, and forecasters warned that the storm threatened to bring torrential rainfall, high winds and a dangerous storm surge off the Gulf of Mexico. Katia had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. "The arrival of #Katia may be particularly dangerous for slopes affected by the earthquake. Avoid these areas," Pena Nieto tweeted. What to Know 30-year-old home health aide Saddam "Adam" Mohamed Raishani was arrested at JFK Airport in June, federal prosecutors say He was trying to fly to Turkey, then get to Syria to join ISIS, according to authorities Raishani had been actively preparing for months to join the terrorist organization A New York City man charged with trying to aid the Islamic State group was indicted on new charges. Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim announced a superseding indictment Thursday charging Saddam Mohamed Raishani with helping a co-conspirator travel abroad to fight for the militant group in the fall of 2015. Raishani's lawyer, assistant federal defender Sabrina Shroff, declined to comment. The home health care aide from the Bronx was arrested in June as he tried to board a plane at Kennedy Airport to go to Syria. Authorities said Raishani wanted to join the militant group after helping another man get there. "Raishani allegedly acted on his own desire to wage violent jihad, planning to leave his family and life in New York City for the battlefields of the Middle East," Kim said at the time. Authorities said Raishani's plans were foiled because he unwittingly contacted a person who was a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement. That person, authorities said, introduced him to an undercover law enforcement officer who posed as someone who also wanted to fight for the Islamic State group. "Fortunately through the outstanding work of law enforcement, Raishani's travel plans were detected and thwarted before he was able to inflict any further harm," Kim said in a release. A Bronx home health aide was arrested at Kennedy Airport Wednesday night as he prepared to board a flight to Turkey in an apparent attempt to join ISIS, federal prosecutors say. Saddam "Adam" Mohamed Raishani, 30, was allegedly planning to leave his family and life in New York City to support the deadly terrorist organization in Syria, Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim alleges. He was planning to get into the country through Turkey. Raishani has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and was set to face a judge in federal court later Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. The FBI and NYPD began investigating Raishani in January when he contacted a confidential source working with law enforcement to tell him he wanted to join ISIS, authorities said. He told the source he'd already helped another person get from New York to the Middle East to join ISIS and regretted not having gone with him. Raishani told the source he wanted to wage jihad and that he believed that the Quran could be read to justify the violence, including beheadings, used by ISIS. That source introduced Raishani to an undercover officer who pretended he also wanted to travel abroad to fight for ISIS. Whenever the three of them met, Raishani would talk about being in touch with other ISIS supporters and show videos that appeared to depict ISIS terrorists killing civilians in Yemen, prosecutors alleged. Also during those meetings, Raishani advised the other two to avoid detection by law enforcement by covering their computer's cameras and turning off the microphones when watching pro-ISIS videos online, according to prosecutors. He told them he even put on gloves while watching such videos. He also said if the two went abroad, he could pose as a nurse and the undercover officer could pose as a refugee aid worker in order to cross international borders without being stopped and questioned by authorities, the criminal complaint stated. By April, Raishani was actively planning to travel abroad to join ISIS, and he contacted a second undercover officer, an FBI employee, to figure out how to travel overseas to join ISIS before the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month that runs from about May 26 through June 24 this year. He told the undercover FBI officer he'd contact the officer about travel arrangements and said he didn't care if he was arrested, "because Allah would know that he tried," according to prosecutors. Then in June, Raishani told the initial confidential source he was getting ready to leave, including paying off his remaining debts; the two men bought clothing they intended to wear for their training in ISIS, the criminal complaint alleges. Raishani then told the undercover FBI officer he was planning to meet an ISIS member in Turkey in the next few days, who would then help him join ISIS in Syria. Raishani bought a plane ticket for a flight scheduled to leave JFK Airport on June 21 for Istanbul, via Lisbon, Portugal, according to federal authorities. He was arrested by the FBI after he tried to board that flight to Lisbon. Raishani faces up to 20 years in prison if he's convicted. As many residents in Florida look to get out of Hurricane Irma's path, first responders and volunteers in New York are heading in to help. Task Force 1, comprised of FDNY, five highly trained police K-9s and NYPD's elite Emergency Services Unit, are heading south to help. Task Force 1 helped out in Texas during Harvey, making contact with hundreds of people. Now they're ready to help again. "They're trained in rappelling, they're trained in tactics -- they have more training than any other cop in NYC does," said NYPD Chief of Special Operations Harry Wedin. The mission will take the team to the Carribbean, and possibly a rescue mission to Florida in the next few days. The crew will be first be deployed from Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia to Puerto Rico via C17 military plane, according to Wedin. From there, they'll be using helicopters to go to St. John, St. Martin and St. Croix, and help conduct evacuations from the islands. "The morale is great," said Wedin. "They're really looking forward to helping people. They live to do this stuff." Wedin helped lead Task Force 1's rescue and recovery efforts after the earthquake in Haiti and after Hurricane Katrina. In New Jersey, the famed Army National Guard's 253rd Transportation Company is also on its way, loading up supplies onto high-wheeled trucks. More than 100 troops are making the 1,300-mile trek south. The American Red Cross is also mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and supplies from its West 49th Street location, planning to help shelter 120,000 people in Florida. "We are expecting that this is going to be one of our largest responses, possibly ever," said Desiree Ramos Reiner of the American Red Cross. Reiner says Red Cross is recruiting and training volunteers "in order to be able to have a constant flow of people being able to go down there and help local residents." The two major storms -- Harvey and Irma -- in such a short time is providing a challenge to coordinating relief efforts. The Red Cross says it has 3,500 relief workers in Houston responding to Hurricane Harvey. They will send an entirely new team to Florida for Hurricane Irma. A Philadelphia man who allegedly posted intimidating comments on social media pages about two local pastors, including some comments that supported white supremacy, has been charged after one of the pastors went to police. Joseph Baird, 41, of the Port Richmond section of the city, was issued a summons Wednesday by police for allegedly intimidating the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Audubon, New Jersey, according to the criminal complaint. Those alleged derogatory and threatening comments by Baird on photos shared from the Rev. Ryan Paetzold's Facebook page stem from another incident involving a Lutheran church in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, last month. Paetzold had shown his support on social media for the pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Ambler. That pastor, the Rev. Rachel Anderson, had written a blog post titled "Against White Supremacy" and had a sign up outside her church that read, "Resist White Supremacy." Under the Facebook name "ChetD Joe," Baird initially posted a photo of St. John's on his own Facebook page. He also allegedly confronted Anderson in person about the sign, church officials said. "Yooo.... Did you see the video of the church that hates white people ?" Baird posted August 23. Another man responded, "No but i have petrol and matches brother" Baird goes on to tell the man where the Ambler church is located and added, "Not too far from Valley Forge Valley Forge KKK territory" That same day, Baird shared a photo from Paetzold's Facebook page and tagged 40 people, with a message that read: "Don't worry if he deletes it... I have screenshots of him... This is the queer that does not like white people from that church" He also posted a screenshot of Paetzold's page. Paetzold told NBC10 in an interview that he believe Baird allegedly targeted him because he was among numerous Lutheran ministers who lent online support to Anderson. The photo Baird initially shared particularly worried Paetzold, he said. It was of him and his pregnant wife. "My wife is seventeen weeks pregnant and for him to use the pregnancy photo, he made it worse and worse and worse," Paetzold said. "Then I removed that photo and he did it again." He said he was moved to go to police not only for personal reasons, but because of his duty to his church. "As a pastor, I feel like I don't have a lot of choice. I wrote to someone recently that when we're baptized and when we're ordained, we make promises, and they include working for justice and peace for all the world," he said. "Whether I'm scared or not, it's what chose." Like Anderson in Ambler before him, Paetzold is not going it alone. The presiding bishop of the 3.7 million-congregant Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, called him to lend her moral support. "It shook them up pretty much, so I called both to see how they were doing," Eaton said in an interview Friday. "I'm very proud of them." Eaton reinforced an edict of the Lutheran church to confront prejudice and injustice. "We have to name this and we have to walk with our people, to say this is not what the kingdom of God looks like," she said. Baird was given an initial court date of Sept. 27 in Evesham Township Municipal Court. An attempt to reach him Friday by phone numbers associated with his Port Richmond address was unsuccessful. UPDATE: Cosmo DiNardo waived his preliminary hearing during a brief appearence. Two cousins charged with killing four young men on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in early July will be in court Thursday for separate preliminary hearings, previously postponed. Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz, both 20, each face multiple counts of criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide, according to court records. DiNardo is charged with all four of the slayings while Kratz is charged on three. Bucks County District Attorney's Office via AP DiNardo allegedly admitted to authorities that he was involved in killing all four men between July 5 and July 7. They were identified as Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County; Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township. DiNardo is set to appear via video at 11 a.m. Thursday while Kratz is expected to appear in person at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown at 1:30 p.m., the Bucks Cuonty District Attorney's Office said. Attorney Neils Eriksen, of Langhorne, declined to comment specifically on the proceedings. Both men are being held without bail. [PHOTOS]Timeline: Murder of Four Young Men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania DiNardo lawyer Michael Parlow previously said his client gave a "full confession" to police days after an investigation led to DiNardo's arrest after the grim discovery of four bodies at a farm in Solebury. Investigators believe the victims were killed at the 70-acre property owned by the DiNardo family. It is a few miles outside of the borough of New Hope on the Delaware River. Bucks County District Attorney's Office Newtown Township Police, Middletown Township Police Patrick was shot to death by DiNardo on July 5 as the two were alone on the farm, according to the affidavit. DiNardo told authorities that he and Patrick had arranged to meet on the farm for a marijuana drug deal, but once Patrick had arrived, DiNardo fatally shot him instead. He said he used a backhoe to dig the hole in which he buried Patrick's body. The other three victims were killed July 7 in two separate incidents at the farm, both of which were under the guise of a drug deal, according to the criminal affidavit. Kratz and DiNardo had planned to rob Finocchiaro after luring him to the farm, but instead Kratz shot him in the head, the affidavit said. Later in the day, Kratz and DiNardo met up with Sturgis and Meo and shot them to death in a similarly sudden manner, the charging document said. After killing Finocchiaro, Sturgis and Meo, DiNardo and Kratz put their bodies into a large container what DiNardo called a "pig roaster" and burned them using gasoline, according to the affidavit. All four men's remains, however, were found by law enforcement in a common grave on the property. French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed aid to a devastated string of Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least 11 people dead and thousands homeless as it spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend. Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations. Hundreds of miles to the west, Florida braced for the onslaught, with forecasters warning that Irma could slam headlong into the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, punish the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast and move into Georgia and South Carolina. Forecasters on Thursday night issued a warning for a sizeable segment of South Florida, including the Miami metro area, Lake Okeechobee and the Keys, as Category 5 Hurricane Irma tracks toward the state with 165 mph (270kph) winds. A storm surge was also issued for the same area. "Florida is as well prepared as you can be for something like this and we'll see what happens," President Donald Trump said. More than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County were ordered to leave. "Take it seriously, because this is the real deal," said Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer who flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet. Irma was 585 miles (940 kilometers) east-southeast of Miami late Thursday. The Hurricane Center predicts severe conditions to begin Saturday in Florida. The hurricane was still north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday evening, sweeping those Hispaniola nations with high winds and rain while also battering the Turks & Caico islands on its other side. Authorities on Hispaniola reported some flooding and building damage but no deaths. Big waves smashed a dozen homes into rubble in the Dominican fishing community of Nagua, but work crews said all the residents had left before the storm. About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island overnight, and nearly half the territory's hospitals were relying on generators. No injuries were reported. The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage. At least four people were killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and officials said they expected to find more bodies. Authorities described the damage as catastrophic and said crews were struggling to reopen roads and restore power. Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, independent Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin. Irma also slammed the French island of St. Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies. "It's a tragedy. We'll need to rebuild both islands," he said. "Most of the schools have been destroyed." Photos and video of St. Martin circulating on social media showed major damage to the Philipsburg airport and heavy flooding in the coastal village of Marigot. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm "caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses." "There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world," he said. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gov. Kenneth Mapp said the U.S. military was sending troops to aid relief efforts. The primary focus for now is "making sure people have meals, water and shelter," Mapp said. "An event of this magnitude is very chilling." The territory's two islands were battered by 150 mph (241 kph) winds for four hours. Two fire stations, two fire police stations and the hospital on St. Thomas were destroyed. A curfew was ordered for St. John and St. Thomas that also covered about 5,000 tourists who were unable to leave before the storm. Farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose strengthened into a Category 3 storm with 120 mph (195 kph) winds and posed a potential threat for Saturday to some of the same islands ravaged by Irma. Irma, the most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded, appeared increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida on Sunday afternoon after threatening parts of the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday and sweeping along Cuba's northern coast on Saturday. People in Florida rushed to board up their homes, take their boats out of the water and gas up their cars. With gasoline running out and tensions rising, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks sent to replenish gas stations. "It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," Gov. Rick Scott said. Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma could easily prove to be the costliest storm in U.S. history. French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was "grief-stricken," Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters. Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order. Britain was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable. On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery will take months, if not years. "It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said. Scientists assessing long-term efforts to eradicate invasive ants on the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast have enlisted a four-legged expert to make sure a project to kill off the destructive pests has succeeded. A yellow Labrador named Tobias has lived for three months with a handler on Santa Cruz Island. The specially trained dog keeps its snout to the ground, rooting through more than 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometers) of underbrush, searching for nests of Argentine ants that threatened the ecosystem after they were introduced decades ago. Christina Boser, an ecologist with the Nature Conservancy group, said Tuesday that Tobias has not yet discovered any new ant populations a sign that a project started in 2009 to wipe out the unwanted insects has probably worked. "The ants are very hard to find," said Boser, adding that researchers decided to try a detection dog after first using lures made with a synthetic ant pheromone. "He's good at his job, and he enjoys it a lot." Researchers speculate the ants arrived in the Channel Islands more than 30 years ago when boats used by contractors did work there. Boser researchers have not destroyed several old nests to make sure Tobias has something to sniff out so he can get his work reward: A favorite ball. Argentine ants found in the country and in other South American nations have crossed borders and bedeviled homeowners and farmers along the U.S. West Coast for decades. In a protected environment like Santa Cruz Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, the tiny pests aggressively compete with local ants for nectar, Boser said. Ultimately they can prevent bees from pollinating flowers stopping seed production and killing off plant species, she said. Starting seven years ago, teams began using helicopters to distribute beads containing a low dose of pesticide mixed with sugar water across infested areas of the islands northwest of Los Angeles. Seduced by the sweetness, foraging worker ants gobbled up the bait and headed back to their nests, where they poisoned ant queens. Without queens, the colonies eventually died off. "We're now at the point that we're going back in there to see if it worked," Boser said. The fact that Tobias' searches are coming up empty gives scientists hope, she said, but it will take further study of long-term data for them to declare the ants "functionally eradicated." Tobias, owned by the Working Dogs For Conservation group, previously sniffed out invasive quagga mussels at a lake in Montana. When the stint on Santa Cruz Island ends, the dog will eventually be dispatched for the same ant-sniffing job on San Clemente Island, the southernmost link in the Channel Islands chain. "We're happy to keep him working, and he's happy to do it," Boser said. Authorities in Northern California say a woman, her husband and her son are accused of killing her lover after the men discovered the affair. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports detectives suspect 25-year-old Antonio Botello-Arreola was shot to death over the weekend by the Lake County family. His body was found near an abandoned van. Officials say 40-year-old Maria Torres arranged to have her husband and son follow them as they drove to a pullout outside Santa Rosa. After Torres exited the car, her husband and her son pulled up in another vehicle and someone began to shoot at Botello-Arreola. Sonoma County deputies connected Torres to the shooting after finding evidence from a motel in the van and identifying her through check-in information and surveillance video. Torres, her 40-year-old husband and 20-year-old son are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on suspicion of murder and conspiracy charges. Twenty-two people were charged in a massive retail theft ring that robbed more than $20 million worth of high-end merchandise from shopping malls in San Diego and across the country. Federal authorities announced a multi-year investigation that led to the discovery of a well-organized and violent group of thieves, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. While searching the suspects' homes, agents uncovered about $30,000 in cash along with a dozen large trash bags stuffed with new clothing. The clothes carried merchandise tags and security devices still attached from brands such as Victoria's Secret, Hollister Co., Guess, Express and Abercrombie & Fitch, and brands such as Calvin Klein, Hurley, Armani, Adidas, Kenneth Cole and Puma. Agents also discovered piles of brand new Louis Vuitton shoes and boxes filled with security sensors that had been removed from clothing. "There has been a group of individuals that have been smuggling, basically sending people out across the country, to steal merchandise to send it back to San Diego to sell down in Mexico," said Special Agent David Shaw, who was in charge of the Homeland Security Investigation. More than 250 officials from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies arrested 12 suspects in connection with the theft ring, while searching three homes in Lemon Grove, Chula Vista and San Diego. Homeland Security Investigations, together with its law enforcement partners, has worked tirelessly to investigate and ultimately dismantle this theft ring, added Shaw. Agents still out in #SanDiego looking for 8 more suspects in massive theft ring of merchandise from area malls, shops across country. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/cb92xL64gd Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) September 6, 2017 Homeland Security executed federal warrants in Mountain View. Officers dressed in Border Patrol uniforms, armed with assault rifles, pulled up in front of a house near 39th Street and Logan Avenue. They appeared in SWAT vehicles and "Bearcats" with their weapons drawn. By 1 p.m., the authorities had taken one suspect into custody, and others in the home who are undocumented immigrants but not associated with the thefts. In addition to stealing high-end goods, the criminal ring intimidated witnesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. That included throwing a rock at a window to try to intimidate a witness, and knocking over a baby in a stroller. They also grabbed a security guard by the neck in National City's Plaza Bonita. Well-organized teams of thieves from San Diego would roam retail stores throughout the United States and transport the merchandise across state lines to sell in Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The theft ring operated consistently for more than a decade. The team leaders assigned each member a specific role. They would select stores to target and scoured their shops. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, they would use cell phones and hand signals while Mules covertly stole merchandise out of stores using "booster bags." Those are special shopping bags with metallic linings designed to sneak through anti-theft sensors. After that, the thieves would hand over the stolen merchandise to a female suspect in Tijuana, who is accused of selling the contraband in Mexico. Nine of the defendants in custody are scheduled to make their first appearance in court Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in federal court. Eight suspects connected to the ring remain outstanding. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for south central Imperial County in southeastern California through 5:15 p.m. Friday. Video showing a flash flood in the desert east of San Diego was shared Friday by a California park ranger who hopes the video will warn people about the dangers of flash flood warnings. Kent Miller works for California State Parks and he shared a video showing fast-moving muddy water in Ocotillo Wells on Thursday. Miller wants to remind drivers that rain anywhere in the Imperial County area could lead to a flood, even if it's not hitting them at that moment. Also, if you're in a car, Miller said to remember the phrase "turn around, don't drown." It takes only 6 inches of water to make conditions dangerous for a vehicle. The video was captured in the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area that spans Imperial and San Diego County. The San Diego Police Department is looking for Julia Jacobson of San Diego, a U.S. Army veteran who they say is missing at at risk. According to Jacobson's sister, her friends and family have not had any contact with her for five days as of Thursday. She also did not show up to work. A missing persons report has been filed. Police said they started actively looking for Jacobson Thursday morning. Jacobson's family says she drives a white Chevy Equinox. Police said on Tuesday her car was found abandoned at 2600 Monroe Avenue. Jacobson's sister said she works at 7-11. She was last seen Saturday around 6:30 a.m. at the 7-11 at 9609 Aero Drive in the Mission Valley area. She was wearing shorts and flipflop and had her dog, a wheaten terrier, with her. The family adds she may have been headed to Palm Springs or Big Bear. Police said the last time anyone heard from Jacobson was around 9:30 p.m. when she texted her friend telling her she was going to the Palm Springs area, but her actual location was unknown. Jacobson is a white female, approximately 57, 150 lbs. She has a tattoo of a crab holding a flower on her hip. Any information related to the whereabouts of Jacobson should be forwarded to San Diego Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 619-531-2277 or Communications Division at 619-531-2000 reference case #17 For more information, go to the Facebook page Jacobson's sister set up here. San Diego police are asking for the public's help in finding a missing 37-year-old retired Army captain who served two tours in Iraq. Julia Jacobson, 37, was last heard from on Sept. 2 at about 9:30 p.m. when she texted a friend saying she was in Palm Springs, SDPD officers said. Her actual location was unknown. On Thursday, authorities found her company car abandoned in the 2600 block of Monroe Avenue in University Heights, east of Texas Street and near Interstate 8 and 805. The location is about half a mile away from her home. Her family told NBC 7 the car was found with the windows rolled down and the keys still in the ignition. Her family is extremely concerned about her because she has never gone missing in the past, police said. Prior to going missing, she called her father every day to talk. When her father had not heard from her, he started searching for her. Jacobson was last seen alone at the corporate 7/11 offices in her company car on Aero Drive. When she texted a friend on Saturday night, Julia said she was in Palm Springs with a friend, her family said. She said they were going to Big Bear from palm Springs. Now, her family is wondering who that person is. Jacobson is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 150 pounds. She has a tattoo of a crab holding a flower on her hip. There is no information on what she was wearing when she went missing. Any information related to the whereabouts of Jacobson should be forwarded to San Diego Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 619-531-2277 or Communications Division at 619-531-2000 reference case #17-034427 Montgomery County police have recovered a missing pregnant teacher's SUV. The SUV was found Thursday night in a parking lot in Columbia, Maryland, blocks away from Wilde Lake High School, where Laura Elizabeth Wallen, 31, teaches history and law. Police are also looking for her car, a black 2011 Ford Escape with Maryland license plate M522473. Montgomery County police took the car, a black 2011 Ford Escape, for processing. They confirmed the car belongs to Warren on Saturday. Officers and investigators canvassed the area in an apartment complex parking lot on the 10600 block of Gramercy Place, near Wallen's work and the Columbia Mall. Police spent Friday morning searching Wallen's home. Neighbors believed police were searching for clues about her disappearance. Wallen was last seen at the Olney, Maryland, condo about 8:30 a.m. Monday. Her family said they received a "troubling" text message from her about an hour later but attempts to reach her have failed. Police have not released the contents of the text message she sent. Her father said he went to her condo but didn't find her. She also failed to show up for the first day of classes Tuesday. Her father, Mark Wallen, said that set off alarms for him. "You feel so helpless at that point, because you don't know where your child is," he said. He suspected someone is responsible for his daughter's disappearance. "Well, we're reaching out to, of course, family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and also other strategies I don't want to get into at this time," Montgomery County police Capt. Paul Starks said. "This is like an alternate universe," said Laura Wallen's sister, Jennifer Kadi. "It just doesn't seem real." Laura Wallen is four months pregnant, and her family said she was excited about it and posted her sonogram on her refrigerator. "That obviously puts an enormous amount of worry on us, because she is out there, somewhere, and she has a baby, so that's a really scary thing," Kadi said. "It's like a TV drama you wish you could shut off but you can't," Mark Wallen said. Laura Wallen is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information about Laura Wallen's location should call police at 301-279-8000. A pregnant woman's boyfriend set her on fire in Capitol Heights, Maryland, critically injuring her and forcing her to deliver her baby, police said. Prince George's County police officers and firefighters found Andrea Grinage with critical burns on a large part of her body while responding to a fire about 11:45 a.m. Friday at 1405 Elkwood Lane, police said. Grinage told police her boyfriend doused her with a flammable liquid inside her apartment and set her on fire. She also told police he may be on his way to D.C. to possibly harm one of her relatives, Prince George's County police spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan said at a news conference Friday afternoon. "She was very brave. We want her family to know how brave she was, suffering as badly as she was -- critically burned, worried about her unborn child, dealing with those injuries and was able to share that information with us so that we could get moving with our investigation and locate this person," Donelan said. Medics took Grinage to a hospital, where she delivered the baby. Police said she and the baby are alive. These are not the circumstances under which this baby was to be born, Donelan said. Grinage's father, Arthur Grinage, said the baby, a girl, was born seven weeks premature and is doing OK. "She's hanging in there. She's doing fine. She's beautiful," he said. Police said the suspect turned himself in to police in Washington, D.C., and is in custody. Charges are pending against the suspect. Relatives and neighbors said the suspect is the woman's boyfriend. Neighbors said they heard the two arguing Thursday night. "He's a coward. He's less than a man. Walk away if you don't want the responsibility. Walk away," the victim's father said. An elite group of first responders from Virginia has landed in Puerto Rico to assist victims of Hurricane Irma. Eighty members of Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue Team, also known as Virginia Task Force 1, went to Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday, where they staged until they were deployed to Puerto Rico, arriving early Saturday morning. The team, which was activated by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, includes swift-water rescue specialists, canine units and other search-and-rescue resources. A smaller team of 14 recently returned to Virginia after spending two weeks helping victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Ripple effects from Hurricane Irma are being felt all the way up the East Coast, in Vermont. "I cried when we flew out of town this morning," said Kathy Lewis, a resident of Orlando, Florida, who traveled to Vermont Friday as Irma was approaching her state. Lewis and her husband, Roger, said they were already looking forward to celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary in Vermont, and didn't cancel their plans when the storm approached. Their scheduled trip would also get them out of Florida in time to dodge Irma, they pointed out. "We're pretty confident we'll be all right," Roger Lewis said, noting that neighbors and relatives will be regularly checking on their property and giving them updates. "We're just praying for everyone that we come through this as good as we can," Kathy Lewis added. Larisa Moon, a resident of Savannah, Georgia, was also among the storm evacuees necn met at the Burlington International Airport. Moon is from Vermont originally, so came home to stay with family while Irma pounds the South. "My husband wanted our son and myself to be a little safer," Moon said, explaining she was concerned about taking care of a baby if there happens to be a lengthy power outage. "Hopefully nothing's wrong with the house that everything's finebut, better safe than sorry." Steve McQueen, the former police chief of Winooski, moved from Vermont to Florida for a job near Orlando with the Disney Vacation Club. He said he and his wife do not plan to evacuate their home in the city of Davenport, Florida. "We have enough water to get us through probably two weeks," McQueen told necn. "Enough food for at least a week, a camp stove, lanterns we're anticipating were going to be without power for a while more than anything else." National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Deal used to live in Florida, and has many friends and relatives there. From his Vermont forecast center, Deal is keeping one eye on Irma, and the other on text messages and social media posts from his loved ones. "This is a terrifying storm," he observed. "Most of my friends who are in the area have either made plans to evacuate so they're already gone or they work for the National Weather Service so they've already barricaded up their house and they're now going to be doing work just the same I would for any winter storm here." We checked in with several Vermont organizations that lent support to Texas following Hurricane Harvey. They said they're now watching Irma closely, to see if more aid is needed and if they will be able to help. As hurricane Irma heads toward Southern Florida, some evacuees say Hurricane Harvey was a wake-up call to take this storm seriously. Two evacuees from Maine told necn it was difficult to travel out of Florida, but they didnt want to take the risk to stay. Because of what happened in Houston, everyone doesnt want to sit around anymore, said Jenny Lunsted. She is from Biddeford, Maine, and recently moved into a new house in Key West, Florida. Lunsted made an early decision to evacuate because she is traveling with two young children, and didnt want to get stuck in the gridlock. She said the one road in and out of Key West is extremely congested. Once she made it to Jacksonville, she learned that area may have to evacuate too. Now she is heading to Georgia. I just told my kids were going on a little vacation, she said. University of Miami student Connor Whittum is back home in Cumberland, Maine this week. His school issued a campus-wide, mandatory evacuation for the first time. Ive never witnessed sheer panic like that, he said. It took three flights, and thirty-six sleepless hours to travel back to Maine yesterday, but he feels fortunate. Some of his classmates couldnt evacuate, and will be staying in a Red Cross shelter when Irma hits the coast. I think people are a little bit paranoid because of Harvey, but if you look at the same of this storm, you dont want to mess with it, said Whittum. The owner of a New Hampshire vape shop has been charged with sexually assaulting a customer in his store. Sixty-one-year-old Virender Yadav, of Salem, Massachusetts, is accused of assaulting a woman on Sunday as she shopped at his Concord store. Police say surveillance video shows that Yadav repeatedly tried to kiss and grope the woman while thrusting against her. Concord Police Lt. Sean Ford says the woman was able to leave the store and went to police. Yadav was released on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 9. He is charged with three counts of misdemeanor sexual assault and two counts of simple assault. It wasn't immediately known if he had a lawyer, and phone number couldn't be found for him. The investigation is ongoing. A woman walking on Boston City Hall plaza tripped on a dip in the bricks last year. She said in a complaint to the city that she bruised her hands and knees and got a black eye. The city rejected her complaint, citing a state law that grants immunity from personal injury liability from ordinary negligence to anyone who opens their property without charge to the public for recreational use. Another woman, who needed a relative to translate for her to fill out the complaint form, fell over a broken brick around Christmastime in 2015. She reported injuries to her jaw, lips and knee, along with a concussion. It was rejected for the same reason. The city of Boston relied on that defense on several claims of injury, including broken bones and head injuries. An NBC Boston review of municipal immunity from liability in Massachusetts and surrounding states found that, aside from Maine, the Bay State has the laws for immunity of municipalities in the region, including New York State, that are most restrictive for residents to sue for injuries caused by degraded public property. Other states allow municipalities and other public entities that own property to be sued for injury and negligence in most cases. New Hampshire, for instance, specifically holds public entities to the same standard of liability as the owners of private property. Why in this day and age, (when) owners of private property are held to a high standard of competence and safety, why shouldnt this apply to publicly owned properties? said Doug Sheff, a Boston personal injury attorney. And the answer is I dont think they should. I think it should all be equal. A public records request of the city revealed four claims of personal injury, sometimes serious, where the person alleged the injury was caused by falling on broken, uneven or missing bricks on City Hall Plaza between 2012 and 2017. The numbers are not enormous, but the city, when asked why it should be claiming immunity in injury complaints on its property, said in a brief statement that it does not comment on legal strategy. NBC Boston contacted several of the people who filed recent injury claims against the city. They declined interviews. In Maine, all governments in the state are immune from personal injury claims for damages. Massachusetts allows a narrow exemption from immunity. Municipalities and the state can be held liable if an employee can be named and found to be negligent within the scope of his or her job duties. But other avenues of immunity exist, including the so-called recreational use immunity statute. Other New England states and New York grant no immunity to municipalities for functions like owning and maintaining property, meaning people injured on public property can sue in court for damages, though most states cap the amount of damages that can be awarded. Sheff, a former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said he hoped the state ends personal injury immunity for public entities. Instead of trying to prevent folks from exercising their right to recover in lawsuits, we ought to think more about keeping those premises safe, he said. David Doddridge, a forensic construction expert with offices in Boston and New York, measured steps at City Hall Plaza and at South Station and Dewey Square for NBC Boston. The steps at South Station generally were within building code as far as consistency of step rises and whether the step treads are level. But some step rises were not uniform, off by a half inch or more. Inconsistent step rises, often caused by thaw-and-freeze cycles in New England, could make people to trip up or down the granite steps. If you are coming up the stairs you could easily catch your foot on this and fall forward, Doddridge said. He added, Ive had numerous stairway fatalities. At least three or four have died. The complaints people filed with the city did not include exact locations of bricks. Some included photos. In one spot, captured in a photo taken of an expanse of brick between City Halls northwest corner and the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in late 2015, the condition of the bricks had deteriorated considerably between the time of the photo and when NBC Boston checked on the spot Sept. 6. The mayors office said it has a masonry contract, and spent roughly $111,000 on inspections and repair for the bricks last year. Its budget for brick inspection and repair is $112,000 this year. And the city is nearing completion on a new master plan for redesigning and reconstructing City Hall Plaza. That plan will include making the plaza more accessible and reducing the amount of brick. Remaining brick expanses would be replaced with new wire-cut bricks, similar to the bricks installed around the new Government Center MBTA stop on the plaza. Those bricks, according to the city, require less maintenance and are more secure. Hurricane Irma is bringing destruction to all in its path, and thousands are being told to get out of its way. The hurricane made its presence known in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Wednesday night. A few families with New England ties were able to talk with NBC Boston over Skype about the damage it left behind, and the cleanup to come. Reggie Diaz and his brother-in-law, Herman Colberg, were skeptical Irma would even make its way to Puerto Rico. Colberg has ties to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Diaz has a home in Vermont, but both of them still decided to stay put on the island. "This is the scariest [hurricane] I have ever been in or seen on the island," said Diaz. Both men live three or four miles from San Juan. They said they haven't heard of anybody hurt in their immediate communities, but still, months of cleanup are next. "Everyone is helping each other to pick up trees to pick up all the debris from the hurricane," Diaz said. "A lot of people are without power, so we are seeing how we can help those people out." They said the damage from flooding and high winds is nothing compared to their neighbors on the east side of the island. "The eye came very close to that side of the island, so they suffered a lot," said Diaz. The eye passed most of the main island, and possibly spared the area from the worst of the 185 mph winds --winds that eventually wreaked havoc on other Caribbean islands. "I don't know how the people in Barbuda and St. Thomas are facing it," said Coldberg. "They got it really hard. I can't imagine the devastation." By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Auto majors have demanded more regulatory and policy intervention to help rejuvenate the sector, which is facing hurdles due to the goods and services tax (GST) and other regulatory issues. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) has urged the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old in the country to reduce pollution. The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country. Highlighting the need for stable policies and strong technical ecosystem at universities, Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor Company, said it will be critical to promote auto sector growth. He was speaking at Siams 57th annual convention held here on Thursday. Tata Motors highlighted the need to eradicate basic challenges deeply rooted in the overall ecosystem, which are accentuated by intermittent regulatory uncertainties if the government expects the auto sector to deliver according to its true potential. Regulatory uncertainties in the face of demonetisation, BS-III to BS-IV transition and GST have caused disruptions in the market, said Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director of Tata Motors. Siam also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability, which would aid the Make-in-India programme. Speaking at the event, Vinod K Dasari, president of Siam, pointed out that every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the countrys manufacturing GDP. We in the automotive industry must have an approach to move on from Make in India to Made in India. We have created excellent clusters in Chennai, Bengaluru and now Uttarakhand has become a very vibrant cluster. In next 10 years, there will be huge growth in passenger vehicle, two-wheelers and export volumes will also go up, said Srinivasan. JLR to go all-electric by 2020 Chennai:Tata Motors-owned British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is set to introduce electric versions of every single model in its portfolio by 2020. Chief executive officer Ralf Speth said Jaguar will start selling the I-PACE battery-powered performance SUV next year. It will also release a range of powertrain options over the coming years. Last year, the company had announced it would focus on greener solutions and more eco-friendly models would be available for half of its line-up by 2020. However, recent developments seem to have prodded the firm to make a stronger commitment, as demand for electric vehicles is rising fast. NEW DELHI: Auto majors have demanded more regulatory and policy intervention to help rejuvenate the sector, which is facing hurdles due to the goods and services tax (GST) and other regulatory issues. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) has urged the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old in the country to reduce pollution. The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country. Highlighting the need for stable policies and strong technical ecosystem at universities, Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor Company, said it will be critical to promote auto sector growth. He was speaking at Siams 57th annual convention held here on Thursday. Tata Motors highlighted the need to eradicate basic challenges deeply rooted in the overall ecosystem, which are accentuated by intermittent regulatory uncertainties if the government expects the auto sector to deliver according to its true potential. Regulatory uncertainties in the face of demonetisation, BS-III to BS-IV transition and GST have caused disruptions in the market, said Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director of Tata Motors. Siam also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability, which would aid the Make-in-India programme. Speaking at the event, Vinod K Dasari, president of Siam, pointed out that every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the countrys manufacturing GDP. We in the automotive industry must have an approach to move on from Make in India to Made in India. We have created excellent clusters in Chennai, Bengaluru and now Uttarakhand has become a very vibrant cluster. In next 10 years, there will be huge growth in passenger vehicle, two-wheelers and export volumes will also go up, said Srinivasan. JLR to go all-electric by 2020 Chennai:Tata Motors-owned British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is set to introduce electric versions of every single model in its portfolio by 2020. Chief executive officer Ralf Speth said Jaguar will start selling the I-PACE battery-powered performance SUV next year. It will also release a range of powertrain options over the coming years. Last year, the company had announced it would focus on greener solutions and more eco-friendly models would be available for half of its line-up by 2020. However, recent developments seem to have prodded the firm to make a stronger commitment, as demand for electric vehicles is rising fast. By PTI KOLKATA: The West Bengal government today decided to allow IT major Infosys to get land on freehold basis for its first IT development centre in the state. The company had purchased 50 acres from the government at Rajarhat for the project. Speaking about the outcome of the cabinet meeting, State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said that earlier the land was given IT major on lease for 99 years on a renewal basis. "Earlier we had decided to allow 75 per cent of the 50-acre land for IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS). Now today in the Cabinet we have decided to bring it down to 51 percent for IT and ITeS," he said after the cabinet meeting. "They (Infosys) had written us requesting that 51 per cent will be used for IT and ITeS besides, asking for freehold instead of leasehold which we have decided to allow," he said. According to another senior officer, Infosys needed to submit the DPR (detailed project report) within a month of registration of the land. The IT major would also be asked to be functional within 15 months after the registration, he said. Chatterjee said that Infosys will invest around Rs 100 crore in the first phase while 1000 persons were expected to be employed. A spokesman of the IT major had already said that it would submit the plan for the proposed Kolkata centre to the West Bengal government after completion of the land registration process. On August 29, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that IT major Infosys would invest in the state without the special economic zone (SEZ) status, which the company had sought. "The company (Infosys) has agreed to accept all other facilities offered by the state government," she had said. Infosys had earlier asked the Banerjee government for SEZ status for their project or return of the Rs 75 crore it had paid for land at Rajarhat. The Trinamool Congress government is against SEZ as a policy. KOLKATA: The West Bengal government today decided to allow IT major Infosys to get land on freehold basis for its first IT development centre in the state. The company had purchased 50 acres from the government at Rajarhat for the project. Speaking about the outcome of the cabinet meeting, State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said that earlier the land was given IT major on lease for 99 years on a renewal basis. "Earlier we had decided to allow 75 per cent of the 50-acre land for IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS). Now today in the Cabinet we have decided to bring it down to 51 percent for IT and ITeS," he said after the cabinet meeting. "They (Infosys) had written us requesting that 51 per cent will be used for IT and ITeS besides, asking for freehold instead of leasehold which we have decided to allow," he said. According to another senior officer, Infosys needed to submit the DPR (detailed project report) within a month of registration of the land. The IT major would also be asked to be functional within 15 months after the registration, he said. Chatterjee said that Infosys will invest around Rs 100 crore in the first phase while 1000 persons were expected to be employed. A spokesman of the IT major had already said that it would submit the plan for the proposed Kolkata centre to the West Bengal government after completion of the land registration process. On August 29, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that IT major Infosys would invest in the state without the special economic zone (SEZ) status, which the company had sought. "The company (Infosys) has agreed to accept all other facilities offered by the state government," she had said. Infosys had earlier asked the Banerjee government for SEZ status for their project or return of the Rs 75 crore it had paid for land at Rajarhat. The Trinamool Congress government is against SEZ as a policy. By Express News Service BENGALURU: It was a riot of pink as 15,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers in their trademark pink saree-uniforms marched from city railway station to Freedom Park here on Thursday demanding a minimum payment of `6,000 per month. The Health Department announced a performance-based incentive of `5,000, two-third of which will be met by the state and one-third by the National Health Mission. The government order to this effect was issued on Thursday itself but failed to convince ASHA workers to call off their strike. The workers also want ASHA Soft software to be scrapped. Principal Health Secretary Shalini Rajneesh told the protesting workers at Freedom Park, We understand that ASHA Soft has caused a lot of problem. ASHAs are entitled to get as much as `13,000 a month but due to technical and administrative difficulties many of you are not even getting `1,500. Therefore a data entry operator at the taluk level will be appointed. Every ASHA worker will get `5,000 per month which includes grants from both state and central government. I will send a proposal for a welfare fund scheme for ASHA workers to the finance ministry. D Nagalakshmi, state secretary, Karnataka State ASHA Workers Union, told Express, We want the government to give `6,000 from the state grant alone. Currently, we are required to do 25 activities with this money which is more work than what we did previously. Also, as a disincentive they have fixed `20 for not doing a particular activity. We werent consulted on this. Also, who will determine whether we deserve to pay this amount or not? She also pointed out that one data entry operator was not enough. As workers claimed that they had not received payment from the past three to six months, Shalini said that specific cases of non-payment can be brought to her notice as most district health officers claimed to have paid in full. The workers decided to stay put with their protest even as it rained on Thursday evening. Around 10,000 more workers are expected to join the protest on Friday. BENGALURU: It was a riot of pink as 15,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers in their trademark pink saree-uniforms marched from city railway station to Freedom Park here on Thursday demanding a minimum payment of `6,000 per month. The Health Department announced a performance-based incentive of `5,000, two-third of which will be met by the state and one-third by the National Health Mission. The government order to this effect was issued on Thursday itself but failed to convince ASHA workers to call off their strike. The workers also want ASHA Soft software to be scrapped. Principal Health Secretary Shalini Rajneesh told the protesting workers at Freedom Park, We understand that ASHA Soft has caused a lot of problem. ASHAs are entitled to get as much as `13,000 a month but due to technical and administrative difficulties many of you are not even getting `1,500. Therefore a data entry operator at the taluk level will be appointed. Every ASHA worker will get `5,000 per month which includes grants from both state and central government. I will send a proposal for a welfare fund scheme for ASHA workers to the finance ministry. D Nagalakshmi, state secretary, Karnataka State ASHA Workers Union, told Express, We want the government to give `6,000 from the state grant alone. Currently, we are required to do 25 activities with this money which is more work than what we did previously. Also, as a disincentive they have fixed `20 for not doing a particular activity. We werent consulted on this. Also, who will determine whether we deserve to pay this amount or not? She also pointed out that one data entry operator was not enough. As workers claimed that they had not received payment from the past three to six months, Shalini said that specific cases of non-payment can be brought to her notice as most district health officers claimed to have paid in full. The workers decided to stay put with their protest even as it rained on Thursday evening. Around 10,000 more workers are expected to join the protest on Friday. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Friday, announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone providing clues to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The announcement was made by home minister Ramalinga Reddy after holding a meeting with the Special Investigation Team probing the case. Gauri Lankesh was shot by unknown assailants on September 5 as she was opening the gates to her residence at Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru cyber crime police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old unemployed youth for posting an objectionable comment on the social media soon after Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. He was booked under the Information Technology Act on charges of publishing obscene material in an electronic form. A mobile phone and two SIM cards have been seized, and police are ascertaining whether he had any links with any organisation. The arrested man has been identified as Mallanagouda Biradhar alias Malli Arjun, a native of Narayanapura village in Yadgir district. A senior police officer said soon after Gauri's murder, he put up a derogatory post in Kannada, which translated to "one is gone..others will also meet the same fate." Further, he also commented that there was no need to sacrifice life for religion when you can kill those who are against religion. A suo motu case was registered after noticing his objectionable posts on Facebook and he was nabbed at Chandra Layout near Vijayanagar. He told police he had come to Bengaluru two months ago to search for a job after completing a diploma in civil engineering. He was residing at a friends house and his mobile phone and two SIM cards were seized. BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Friday, announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone providing clues to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The announcement was made by home minister Ramalinga Reddy after holding a meeting with the Special Investigation Team probing the case. Gauri Lankesh was shot by unknown assailants on September 5 as she was opening the gates to her residence at Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru cyber crime police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old unemployed youth for posting an objectionable comment on the social media soon after Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. He was booked under the Information Technology Act on charges of publishing obscene material in an electronic form. A mobile phone and two SIM cards have been seized, and police are ascertaining whether he had any links with any organisation. The arrested man has been identified as Mallanagouda Biradhar alias Malli Arjun, a native of Narayanapura village in Yadgir district. A senior police officer said soon after Gauri's murder, he put up a derogatory post in Kannada, which translated to "one is gone..others will also meet the same fate." Further, he also commented that there was no need to sacrifice life for religion when you can kill those who are against religion. A suo motu case was registered after noticing his objectionable posts on Facebook and he was nabbed at Chandra Layout near Vijayanagar. He told police he had come to Bengaluru two months ago to search for a job after completing a diploma in civil engineering. He was residing at a friends house and his mobile phone and two SIM cards were seized. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre will release regulations for the much-awaited no-fly list on Friday that would incorporate names of passengers declared unruly by any airline and names of persons identified as a threat. Post the implementation of the first-of-its-kind list, Indian domestic flyers will have to provide government identity proof to book flight tickets, sources in the civil aviation ministry said. Aadhaar, driving licence, passport or Pan card would be considered for booking of air tickets. The government is also considering making the voter ID card a valid identity proof for the purpose but a final call on this is yet to be taken. The no-fly list will empower domestic airlines to impose a ban on unruly passengers for their misconduct. Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs would be able to put individuals who are identified as national security threat on no-fly list. Indias list will be unique because the no-fly lists in other countries are based only on security grounds and do not consider safety reasons. Such lists in other countries ban people who are considered a threat to society but Indias list will have people recommended by not just security agencies but also people who misbehave in the air. The civil aviation ministry had released draft guidelines for the no-fly list in May this year and had sought opinion of stakeholders and public on the issue. The draft proposed that domestic airlines be allowed to impose a ban on unruly passengers in the range of three months to life time flying ban, depending on the degree of misconduct. According to the draft of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on Handling of unruly or disruptive passengers, unruly passengers could be categorised on three levels. Firstly, three months for disruptive behaviour such as physical gestures, secondly, six months for physically abusive behaviour such as pushing, kicking and sexual harassment and lastly, two years or more for life threatening behaviour, including damage to aircraft systems. For every subsequent offence, the passenger may be banned for twice the period of the previous ban, the guidelines stated. Though the no-fly list was in pipeline for a long time, the proposal gained momentum in the aftermath of several incidents where MPs were found misbehaving with the airline staff. In April, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beat up an Air India staffer with his slippers. After the incident, all domestic airlines had barred Gaikwad from flying. However, the ban was later revoked when he submitted an apology to the civil aviation minister. Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had earlier said, India will be the first country in the world to have a national no-fly list based on safety. NEW DELHI: The Centre will release regulations for the much-awaited no-fly list on Friday that would incorporate names of passengers declared unruly by any airline and names of persons identified as a threat. Post the implementation of the first-of-its-kind list, Indian domestic flyers will have to provide government identity proof to book flight tickets, sources in the civil aviation ministry said. Aadhaar, driving licence, passport or Pan card would be considered for booking of air tickets. The government is also considering making the voter ID card a valid identity proof for the purpose but a final call on this is yet to be taken. The no-fly list will empower domestic airlines to impose a ban on unruly passengers for their misconduct. Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs would be able to put individuals who are identified as national security threat on no-fly list. Indias list will be unique because the no-fly lists in other countries are based only on security grounds and do not consider safety reasons. Such lists in other countries ban people who are considered a threat to society but Indias list will have people recommended by not just security agencies but also people who misbehave in the air. The civil aviation ministry had released draft guidelines for the no-fly list in May this year and had sought opinion of stakeholders and public on the issue. The draft proposed that domestic airlines be allowed to impose a ban on unruly passengers in the range of three months to life time flying ban, depending on the degree of misconduct. According to the draft of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on Handling of unruly or disruptive passengers, unruly passengers could be categorised on three levels. Firstly, three months for disruptive behaviour such as physical gestures, secondly, six months for physically abusive behaviour such as pushing, kicking and sexual harassment and lastly, two years or more for life threatening behaviour, including damage to aircraft systems. For every subsequent offence, the passenger may be banned for twice the period of the previous ban, the guidelines stated. Though the no-fly list was in pipeline for a long time, the proposal gained momentum in the aftermath of several incidents where MPs were found misbehaving with the airline staff. In April, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beat up an Air India staffer with his slippers. After the incident, all domestic airlines had barred Gaikwad from flying. However, the ban was later revoked when he submitted an apology to the civil aviation minister. Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had earlier said, India will be the first country in the world to have a national no-fly list based on safety. Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, who has a knack for being involved in some controversy or the other, faced the flak on social media for using a foul language to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his posts on social media platform Twitter, Singh lifted a third persons comments to describe Modis followers as Bhakts in a condescending reference and alleged the PM had fooled the nation. And believe me there is no match for Modiji in the "Art of Fooling". Any objections Modi ji?, Singh tweeted. The tweeple did not like his comments and hit back at the Congress leader with strong comments and even trended GaaliWaaliCongress hashtag. Uncle I have no idea why you need to resort to abusive language. its sign of looser. Be dignified, put your facts, opinion why degrade, tweeted one handle in the name of MonicaNitin. You are simply making PM Modi more powerful and your such mudslinging is not helping you being responsible opposition #Reflect, tweeted Meera. Singh, who seemed to enjoy the online conversation further targeted the PM. Naturally Modi Bhakts are up in Arms against me but I enjoy their abuses because they are being fooled by Modi and Paid also, he said in another tweet. The Congress leader, who tweeted an alleged video of a well-known TV journalist, in which he criticised PM Modi, later apologised for doing so as angry tweeple bombarded him with reactions. Singh, the two-term former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, is not new to controversies and has often been in the forefront in targeting the BJP particularly the PM. Singh, who supervised key states for the Congress, found himself out of favour after the party failed to form a government in Goa despite winning more seats than the BJP. LocaL leaders alleged Singh had sabotaged the party from within, something he denied. However, soon the charge of poll-bound Karnataka and later of Telangana was taken away from Singh, who now supervises only Andhra Pradesh. Earlier he had alleged Telangana police was urging Muslim youth to join Pakistans ISI and even blamed that Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh was hand in glove with the Naxals. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao hit back at Singh. Digvijay attacking NaMo as Cong's voice. His party treats him like dirt. Sample, Rao tweeted a link to a news report stating the leader was not allowed to enter a party conference in his home state. NEW DELHI: Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, who has a knack for being involved in some controversy or the other, faced the flak on social media for using a foul language to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his posts on social media platform Twitter, Singh lifted a third persons comments to describe Modis followers as Bhakts in a condescending reference and alleged the PM had fooled the nation. And believe me there is no match for Modiji in the "Art of Fooling". Any objections Modi ji?, Singh tweeted. The tweeple did not like his comments and hit back at the Congress leader with strong comments and even trended GaaliWaaliCongress hashtag. Uncle I have no idea why you need to resort to abusive language. its sign of looser. Be dignified, put your facts, opinion why degrade, tweeted one handle in the name of MonicaNitin. You are simply making PM Modi more powerful and your such mudslinging is not helping you being responsible opposition #Reflect, tweeted Meera. Singh, who seemed to enjoy the online conversation further targeted the PM. Naturally Modi Bhakts are up in Arms against me but I enjoy their abuses because they are being fooled by Modi and Paid also, he said in another tweet. The Congress leader, who tweeted an alleged video of a well-known TV journalist, in which he criticised PM Modi, later apologised for doing so as angry tweeple bombarded him with reactions. Singh, the two-term former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, is not new to controversies and has often been in the forefront in targeting the BJP particularly the PM. Singh, who supervised key states for the Congress, found himself out of favour after the party failed to form a government in Goa despite winning more seats than the BJP. LocaL leaders alleged Singh had sabotaged the party from within, something he denied. However, soon the charge of poll-bound Karnataka and later of Telangana was taken away from Singh, who now supervises only Andhra Pradesh. Earlier he had alleged Telangana police was urging Muslim youth to join Pakistans ISI and even blamed that Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh was hand in glove with the Naxals. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao hit back at Singh. Digvijay attacking NaMo as Cong's voice. His party treats him like dirt. Sample, Rao tweeted a link to a news report stating the leader was not allowed to enter a party conference in his home state. Sana Shakil By Express News Service Unruly passengers would now be banned from flying for a period ranging from three months to forever, depending on the gravity of misdemeanour. The government made the announcement on Friday while unveiling rules for India's much awaited National no-fly list. Civil aviation minister Gajapathi Raju said the no-fly list would apply to any person who misbehaves on a flight, be it passengers or the airline crew. Though the plan for a no fly list had been in the pipeline for a long time, the proposal gained momentum after several incidents of unruly misbehaviour especially those involving politicians were reported. Asked if VVIPs like MPs will also face these provisions, Raju said, "any flying human being on an aircraft" will face these provisions. Raju, along with minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha, launched the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) to deal with unruly passengers on board of all Indian operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air services. The CAR defines three categories of unruly behaviour ----verbal, physical and life-threatening and accordingly prescribes three levels of flying ban. The names of unruly passengers will be provided by different airlines to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation and will be available on the DGCA website. Pertinently, one airline will not be bound by the no-fly list of another domestic airline but airlines can choose to ban people declared "unruly" by other airlines. For the no-fly list the MHA will also provide a list of persons who are perceived as security threats. Levels of Ban A person found guilty of unruly behaviour can be banned for flying for up to three months. For physical misbehaviour, unruly passengers can be banned from taking to the skies for up to six months. And lastly, if a passenger's behaviour is considered life threatening like affecting the safety of the aircraft then he or she can be banned from flying for a period that can vary from two years till lifetime. The ban will be doubled in case of repeat offences.Who will impose the ban? Decision to impose a flying ban on unruly passengers would be taken up by an independent three member commitee of the concerned airline in whose aircraft the alleged misbehaviour took place. The committee, under the chairmanship of a retired District and Sessions judge, has to conclude it's probe and decide the matter and prescribe appropriate ban--if found guilty-- within 30 days. Committee members must comprise officials from different scheduled airlines and passenger associations, consumer associations and retired officials of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum. Till the matter is decided by the committee, the concerned airline may impose a flying ban on that 'unruly' passenger. In case the committee fails to dispose of the matter within 30 days, the alleged unruly passenger will be free to fly. Appeal mechanism After the committee rules in the matter, both parties will have the liberty to file an appeal against the decision before an appellate commitee. According to the CAR, an aggreieved person may file an appeal within 60 days of the order to an appellate committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The appellate commitee will comprise a retired judge of a High court as its chairman, representative from a passengers association and a representative of the airlines of the rank not below the Vice-president. What about foreign carriers Foreign carriers can choose to apply rules of no-fly list in flights operating in and outside India. Unruly passengers would now be banned from flying for a period ranging from three months to forever, depending on the gravity of misdemeanour. The government made the announcement on Friday while unveiling rules for India's much awaited National no-fly list. Civil aviation minister Gajapathi Raju said the no-fly list would apply to any person who misbehaves on a flight, be it passengers or the airline crew. Though the plan for a no fly list had been in the pipeline for a long time, the proposal gained momentum after several incidents of unruly misbehaviour especially those involving politicians were reported. Asked if VVIPs like MPs will also face these provisions, Raju said, "any flying human being on an aircraft" will face these provisions. Raju, along with minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha, launched the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) to deal with unruly passengers on board of all Indian operators engaged in scheduled and non-scheduled air services. The CAR defines three categories of unruly behaviour ----verbal, physical and life-threatening and accordingly prescribes three levels of flying ban. The names of unruly passengers will be provided by different airlines to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation and will be available on the DGCA website. Pertinently, one airline will not be bound by the no-fly list of another domestic airline but airlines can choose to ban people declared "unruly" by other airlines. For the no-fly list the MHA will also provide a list of persons who are perceived as security threats. Levels of Ban A person found guilty of unruly behaviour can be banned for flying for up to three months. For physical misbehaviour, unruly passengers can be banned from taking to the skies for up to six months. And lastly, if a passenger's behaviour is considered life threatening like affecting the safety of the aircraft then he or she can be banned from flying for a period that can vary from two years till lifetime. The ban will be doubled in case of repeat offences.Who will impose the ban? Decision to impose a flying ban on unruly passengers would be taken up by an independent three member commitee of the concerned airline in whose aircraft the alleged misbehaviour took place. The committee, under the chairmanship of a retired District and Sessions judge, has to conclude it's probe and decide the matter and prescribe appropriate ban--if found guilty-- within 30 days. Committee members must comprise officials from different scheduled airlines and passenger associations, consumer associations and retired officials of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum. Till the matter is decided by the committee, the concerned airline may impose a flying ban on that 'unruly' passenger. In case the committee fails to dispose of the matter within 30 days, the alleged unruly passenger will be free to fly. Appeal mechanism After the committee rules in the matter, both parties will have the liberty to file an appeal against the decision before an appellate commitee. According to the CAR, an aggreieved person may file an appeal within 60 days of the order to an appellate committee constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The appellate commitee will comprise a retired judge of a High court as its chairman, representative from a passengers association and a representative of the airlines of the rank not below the Vice-president. What about foreign carriers Foreign carriers can choose to apply rules of no-fly list in flights operating in and outside India. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: He was seven years old. Dressed in light blue uniform, the Class-II student was dropped at school by his father Varun Thakur like on any other day. But just 15 minutes later, Thakur received a phone call from the Ryan International School in Gurgaon where his son studies. They said my son was found inside the toilet and was bleeding heavily, he said speaking to the media. They said they were rushing him to the hospital and asked us to come there. The boy died before reaching the hospital. His throat had been slit and a knife with blood stains was found in the toilet. According to the police, a bus staff named Ashok resident of Ghamroj village was arrested in the case. The police, who said they had detained ten people, told PTI they zeroed in on the accused after two students saw him walking down a corridor. Ashok Kumar confessed to the crime after being grilled by a team, the police said. Though the motive for murder is yet to be ascertained, they suspect an attempt to sexually assault the child could have taken place. With what belief do we send our children to school if they get murdered there, asked the crestfallen father, who works in a private company as quality manager. They (school authorities) did not take care of my son. Had they taken him to the hospital on time, his life could have been saved. As the news circulated on WhatsApp, hundreds of anxious parents assembled at the campus and were reported to have barged into the building, flung furniture around and shattered the glass award cases. Several parents later protested at a police station demanding action against the school. Varun Thakur I just saw my child 15 minutes ago, when I dropped him to school. If children are murdered in schools, then on what belief can we leave them here. They (school authorities) did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time," said the crestfallen father Varun Thakur, who works in private company as a quality manager. "We are investigating the case from all angles. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises. The child was declared brought dead by doctors. We are questioning the two suspects, further investigation is on" said Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police told Express. A police team constituting forensic experts is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot added Kumar further. A murder case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Bhondsi police station and the body has been sent for a post mortem examination, police said. Meanwhile, scores of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management till late evening demanding action against the school authorities over the negligence. We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at our school today, involving a class II student - Pradyuman Thakur. Despite all attempts, unfortunately his life couldn't be saved due to the extent of his injuries. The police are investigating this matter and we have assured our full support and co-operation towards the investigation of the same said spokesperson Ryan International schools Neti Srinivasan. Not the first such case Last year, Devansh Meena, a Class I student of Ryan International Schools Vasant Kunj campus was found dead inside a water tank in school. His father claimed he was sexually assaulted before the murder and the principal threatened his family to keep mum, according to media reports Last month, a 10-year-old boy, Arman Sehgal, died, allegedly after falling down, at G D Goenka Public School in Indirapuram In July, the body of a boy, who was sodomized and bludgeoned to death by a teenager, was dumped on the terrace of a government high school in Hyderabad In February, a 15-year-old boy, N Harsha Raj, was stabbed to death outside his school campus in Yelahanka, North Bengaluru (with inputs from PTI) NEW DELHI: He was seven years old. Dressed in light blue uniform, the Class-II student was dropped at school by his father Varun Thakur like on any other day. But just 15 minutes later, Thakur received a phone call from the Ryan International School in Gurgaon where his son studies. They said my son was found inside the toilet and was bleeding heavily, he said speaking to the media. They said they were rushing him to the hospital and asked us to come there. The boy died before reaching the hospital. His throat had been slit and a knife with blood stains was found in the toilet. According to the police, a bus staff named Ashok resident of Ghamroj village was arrested in the case. The police, who said they had detained ten people, told PTI they zeroed in on the accused after two students saw him walking down a corridor. Ashok Kumar confessed to the crime after being grilled by a team, the police said. Though the motive for murder is yet to be ascertained, they suspect an attempt to sexually assault the child could have taken place. With what belief do we send our children to school if they get murdered there, asked the crestfallen father, who works in a private company as quality manager. They (school authorities) did not take care of my son. Had they taken him to the hospital on time, his life could have been saved. As the news circulated on WhatsApp, hundreds of anxious parents assembled at the campus and were reported to have barged into the building, flung furniture around and shattered the glass award cases. Several parents later protested at a police station demanding action against the school. Varun ThakurI just saw my child 15 minutes ago, when I dropped him to school. If children are murdered in schools, then on what belief can we leave them here. They (school authorities) did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time," said the crestfallen father Varun Thakur, who works in private company as a quality manager. "We are investigating the case from all angles. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises. The child was declared brought dead by doctors. We are questioning the two suspects, further investigation is on" said Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police told Express. A police team constituting forensic experts is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot added Kumar further. A murder case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Bhondsi police station and the body has been sent for a post mortem examination, police said. Meanwhile, scores of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management till late evening demanding action against the school authorities over the negligence. We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at our school today, involving a class II student - Pradyuman Thakur. Despite all attempts, unfortunately his life couldn't be saved due to the extent of his injuries. The police are investigating this matter and we have assured our full support and co-operation towards the investigation of the same said spokesperson Ryan International schools Neti Srinivasan. Not the first such case Last year, Devansh Meena, a Class I student of Ryan International Schools Vasant Kunj campus was found dead inside a water tank in school. His father claimed he was sexually assaulted before the murder and the principal threatened his family to keep mum, according to media reports Last month, a 10-year-old boy, Arman Sehgal, died, allegedly after falling down, at G D Goenka Public School in Indirapuram In July, the body of a boy, who was sodomized and bludgeoned to death by a teenager, was dumped on the terrace of a government high school in Hyderabad In February, a 15-year-old boy, N Harsha Raj, was stabbed to death outside his school campus in Yelahanka, North Bengaluru (with inputs from PTI) By PTI NEW DELHI: With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done "chest-thumping" on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years. In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years. Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was "mentally not fully Indian". Refusing to comment on Swamy's remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context. "Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves. That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didn't have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted," he maintained. India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months. China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters. He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports. "There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the world -- cultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent," he advised. An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed. "We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy," he said. "We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent." Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but "we feel we are a big country." China is five times India's size. Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years. "Then, people will see us in a more serious light," said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016. NEW DELHI: With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done "chest-thumping" on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years. In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years. Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was "mentally not fully Indian". Refusing to comment on Swamy's remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context. "Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves. That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didn't have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted," he maintained. India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months. China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters. He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports. "There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the world -- cultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent," he advised. An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed. "We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy," he said. "We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent." Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but "we feel we are a big country." China is five times India's size. Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years. "Then, people will see us in a more serious light," said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a four-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir from Saturday and will hold confabulations with an open mind with a cross-section of the society to seek a solution to the vexed problem in the state. It would be the first four-day visit by any home minister to the state since 1947, said BJP spokesperson, Khalid Jehangir. I am going with an open mind and I am willing to meet all those who come to meet me. We want a resolution to the problems, Singh told media representatives on the sidelines of a function here. Sources said Singh would stay in Srinagar for two days and leave for Jammu, the winter capital of the state, on the morning of September 11. He would leave for New Delhi on the afternoon of September 12. During his visit being seen as the Centres outreach initiative, Singh will tour Srinagar, Anantnag, Rajouri and Jammu where he will meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others. Singh will be accompanied by newly appointed Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior officials of the ministry. The minister will also meet Governor N N Vohra and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and review the Prime Ministers development package for the state and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. On Sunday, Singh is expected to attend a comprehensive security review meeting with the chief minister and the top brass of the army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police. He is also likely to interact with college students in Srinagar to get their views on the Kashmir situation, officials said. Singh, however, is unlikely to meet separatist leaders during his four-day stay in the state. Jehangir said Singhs four-day visit to the state is a follow-up of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on August 15 that abuses and bullets would not resolve problems of the Kashmiri people but embracing them will. In south Kashmir, the home minister will meet youth, a cross section of people and security officials, the BJP spokesperson said. Jehangir said the focus would be that nobody should be allowed to exploit the youth of Kashmir and that death and bloodshed should stop so that youth can prosper and follow Modis vision. The home minister would also be visiting the border areas of Poonch and Rajouri, which have witnessed ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops. He would interact with troops and officials there to gain first hand information of the situation and review the security apparatus along the Line of Control and International Border. Another BJP leader said it is unlikely that the home minister would address a public rally in Jammu. South Kashmir was the epicenter of last years unrest following killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016. SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a four-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir from Saturday and will hold confabulations with an open mind with a cross-section of the society to seek a solution to the vexed problem in the state. It would be the first four-day visit by any home minister to the state since 1947, said BJP spokesperson, Khalid Jehangir. I am going with an open mind and I am willing to meet all those who come to meet me. We want a resolution to the problems, Singh told media representatives on the sidelines of a function here. Sources said Singh would stay in Srinagar for two days and leave for Jammu, the winter capital of the state, on the morning of September 11. He would leave for New Delhi on the afternoon of September 12. During his visit being seen as the Centres outreach initiative, Singh will tour Srinagar, Anantnag, Rajouri and Jammu where he will meet civil society members, leaders of political and social outfits, business leaders and others. Singh will be accompanied by newly appointed Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior officials of the ministry. The minister will also meet Governor N N Vohra and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and review the Prime Ministers development package for the state and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. On Sunday, Singh is expected to attend a comprehensive security review meeting with the chief minister and the top brass of the army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police. He is also likely to interact with college students in Srinagar to get their views on the Kashmir situation, officials said. Singh, however, is unlikely to meet separatist leaders during his four-day stay in the state. Jehangir said Singhs four-day visit to the state is a follow-up of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on August 15 that abuses and bullets would not resolve problems of the Kashmiri people but embracing them will. In south Kashmir, the home minister will meet youth, a cross section of people and security officials, the BJP spokesperson said. Jehangir said the focus would be that nobody should be allowed to exploit the youth of Kashmir and that death and bloodshed should stop so that youth can prosper and follow Modis vision. The home minister would also be visiting the border areas of Poonch and Rajouri, which have witnessed ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops. He would interact with troops and officials there to gain first hand information of the situation and review the security apparatus along the Line of Control and International Border. Another BJP leader said it is unlikely that the home minister would address a public rally in Jammu. South Kashmir was the epicenter of last years unrest following killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016. Issac James Manayath By Express News Service CHENNAI: The TADA court in Mumbai handed out sentences to five people convicted in the Mumbai 1993 blasts case on Thursday. Two of the guilty got death and two others were handed life in prison. Tahir Merchant, who made the travel arrangements for a co-accused, was one of those who got the death penalty. In contrast, Abu Salem, who transported the explosives from Bharuch to Mumbai, got a life term. Of the two, Abu Salem's role in the blasts was more crucial, but yet he got away a life sentence. That's because when he was deported to India from Portugal in 2005, the Central Bureau of Investigation agreed to Lisbon's condition that he not be handed the capital punishment or be imprisoned for more than 25 years. Was justice served? Was it necessary to agree to leniency for a man who conspired in a terror attack that killed 257 people and injured or maimed 717 others? But often that's the way the extradition process works. In the Abu Salem case, India's treaty with Portugal effectively tied the hands of the TADA court in Mumbai. Before being extradited to India, Salem and his girlfriend Monica Bedi had been imprisoned in Portugal for using forged documents to enter that country. In 2005, after much lobbying by India, the Portuguese government deported Salem to New Delhi on the condition that he would face the same punitive outcome as would be handed out were he to be tried in Portugal. Getting Abu Salem extradited was no easy job. Initially, the Portuguese authorities turned down Indias request for deportation of the Salem-Bedi duo. Instead, New Delhi was asked to file an extradition request. Extradition is a much longer process than deportation and involves much more legal process. The ensuing three-year-long legal battle in the Portuguese courts saw New Delhis request for extradition turned down repeatedly as the Portuguese courts expressed concerns that Abu Salem and Monica Bedi may be subjected to harassment if sent to India. Extradition is a complex process. It brings into play a whole lot of legal frameworks --, especially if the two or more countries involved in the process have not signed an extradition agreement. In 2005, as India had not yet signed a formal extradition treaty with Portugal, it had to agree to treat Abu Salem in accordance with Portuguese domestic laws. Being a member of the European Union, Portugal is a signatory to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which affirms that a persons right to life is a fundamental right, and therefore, makes the death penalty unavailable to the courts. In addition, the Portuguese Penal Code bans imprisonment of any criminal for more than 25 years. Thus, before handing over Abu Salem to India, the Portuguese government ensured that the punishment meted out to him by New Delhi would not violate the prevailing laws in Portugal. In effect, no death or jail term of more than 25 years for Abu Salem. How is it fair? Extradition is one of the most contentious issues in international relations. Put simply, it has the power to make or break bilateral relationships. Remember the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden? Moscows refusal to extradite him has been one of the sore points in US-Russia relations. A key issue in extradition is the question of sovereignty. Every individual within the territorial boundaries of a particular country at a given time is subject to that countrys laws. In other words, Portuguese law takes authority over all those who are within Portugal's borders. This includes tourists and illegal immigrants. Unless consented by Lisbon, New Delhi had no means to secure Abu Salems custody. Any use of coercion or blackmailing to secure his release would have been tantamount to a violation of Portugals sovereignty, and by extension, a violation of international law. How extradition works Extradition is a long drawn and complicated process. Consider Vijay Mallyas case. Mallya is wanted in India for defaulting on loans amounting Rs 9000 crore borrowed from Indian banks. Efforts are on to secure his extradition from the UK. Heres how the extradition process works. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) placed a request with the UK government for Mallya's extradition. As a next step, MEA is required to furnish details of the crimes committed by Mallya in India and the evidence it has against him (evidence should be acceptable to the host country). On the basis of these, and other provisions in the India-UK Extradition Treaty, the UK courts will decide whether or not to extradite Mallya. In June, a UK court refused to consider India's request for Mallya's extradition for want of evidence. Extradition: No easy deal To begin with, a host country is not obliged to consider every extradition request it receives. Further, extradition of a fugitive depends on the specifics of the extradition agreements the host country may have with other countries. Although individual countries may enter into separate extradition treaties, the United Nations Model Law on Extradition lays out the broad framework. According to it, a request for extradition may be granted only if the offence for which a persons extradition is sought is punishable under the domestic laws of the country to which the request is made. However, in some cases, countries have agreed on exceptions to certain kind of offences. These are usually specified in the extradition agreements that countries sign with each. Political offences are generally exempted from the purview of most extradition agreements. According to legal experts, political offences are those that jeopardise the security of a state. A person who leads a rebellion to overthrow a government is, in effect, committing a political crime. In India, this may invite sedition charges. However, most countries would refuse to extradite a person accused of conspiring to topple a government. Revealing state secrets is another political crime which is exempted from most extradition treaties and arrangements. Charles L. Cantrell, a former professor of law at Oklahoma City University offers a good explanation of the motives of a political offender and why an exemption is justified. He wrote in his comparative study of the extradition laws prevailing in the US and the UK that the political offender is committed to the principle of political change through his act, and does not consider his actions blameworthy. He attacks the status quo through his act and denies the legitimacy of the particular laws, claiming instead an allegiance to a superior legitimating principle. For him, this higher principle or political cause justifies the violation of penal law. Doesnt this remind us of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden who are currently fighting the US efforts to extradite them? Assange has been holed up in Ecuadors embassy in London to avoid being sent to Sweden (where he is wanted in connection with alleged sexual assault) and from there, onward to the US (where he would be tried for leaking state secrets). Although the US and Ecuador have an extradition treaty, since the crime committed by Assange is political in nature, it is subject to exception. Another example is Fethullah Gulen's case. An Islamic preacher, Gullen is accused of fomenting the July 2016 coup in Turkey. Gullen is currently living in the United States. Washington has repeatedly turned down Ankaras request for his extradition on the ground that he could face political persecution if sent to Turkey. Cantrell noted that The traditional justification for exemption has been the presumption that the delivery of political enemies to a requesting state would result in their trial being influenced by political considerations. However, not every political crime is eligible for exemption. Genocide or war crimes, although political in character, are not exempt. Further, extradition treaties, which India has signed with many countries, does not grant an exemption to politically motivated murders. The double jeopardy aspect of extradition Indias efforts to secure the extradition of David Coleman Headley offers an interesting case study. Headley is a US citizen and has been found guilty of aiding the Lashkar-e-Taiba in orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks. For years, India fought unsuccessfully to secure his extradition from the United States, despite both countries having an extradition treaty. Headley was tried and found guilty by a US court for aiding the murder of six US citizens during the 2008 attacks. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In this case, the US officials made it clear that Headley is currently serving a sentence in the United States for his role in the Mumbai attacks. As such, he cannot be sent to India nor could he be tried again for the same offense. CHENNAI: The TADA court in Mumbai handed out sentences to five people convicted in the Mumbai 1993 blasts case on Thursday. Two of the guilty got death and two others were handed life in prison. Tahir Merchant, who made the travel arrangements for a co-accused, was one of those who got the death penalty. In contrast, Abu Salem, who transported the explosives from Bharuch to Mumbai, got a life term. Of the two, Abu Salem's role in the blasts was more crucial, but yet he got away a life sentence. That's because when he was deported to India from Portugal in 2005, the Central Bureau of Investigation agreed to Lisbon's condition that he not be handed the capital punishment or be imprisoned for more than 25 years. Was justice served? Was it necessary to agree to leniency for a man who conspired in a terror attack that killed 257 people and injured or maimed 717 others? But often that's the way the extradition process works. In the Abu Salem case, India's treaty with Portugal effectively tied the hands of the TADA court in Mumbai. Before being extradited to India, Salem and his girlfriend Monica Bedi had been imprisoned in Portugal for using forged documents to enter that country. In 2005, after much lobbying by India, the Portuguese government deported Salem to New Delhi on the condition that he would face the same punitive outcome as would be handed out were he to be tried in Portugal. Getting Abu Salem extradited was no easy job. Initially, the Portuguese authorities turned down Indias request for deportation of the Salem-Bedi duo. Instead, New Delhi was asked to file an extradition request. Extradition is a much longer process than deportation and involves much more legal process. The ensuing three-year-long legal battle in the Portuguese courts saw New Delhis request for extradition turned down repeatedly as the Portuguese courts expressed concerns that Abu Salem and Monica Bedi may be subjected to harassment if sent to India. Extradition is a complex process. It brings into play a whole lot of legal frameworks --, especially if the two or more countries involved in the process have not signed an extradition agreement. In 2005, as India had not yet signed a formal extradition treaty with Portugal, it had to agree to treat Abu Salem in accordance with Portuguese domestic laws. Being a member of the European Union, Portugal is a signatory to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which affirms that a persons right to life is a fundamental right, and therefore, makes the death penalty unavailable to the courts. In addition, the Portuguese Penal Code bans imprisonment of any criminal for more than 25 years. Thus, before handing over Abu Salem to India, the Portuguese government ensured that the punishment meted out to him by New Delhi would not violate the prevailing laws in Portugal. In effect, no death or jail term of more than 25 years for Abu Salem. How is it fair? Extradition is one of the most contentious issues in international relations. Put simply, it has the power to make or break bilateral relationships. Remember the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden? Moscows refusal to extradite him has been one of the sore points in US-Russia relations. A key issue in extradition is the question of sovereignty. Every individual within the territorial boundaries of a particular country at a given time is subject to that countrys laws. In other words, Portuguese law takes authority over all those who are within Portugal's borders. This includes tourists and illegal immigrants. Unless consented by Lisbon, New Delhi had no means to secure Abu Salems custody. Any use of coercion or blackmailing to secure his release would have been tantamount to a violation of Portugals sovereignty, and by extension, a violation of international law. How extradition works Extradition is a long drawn and complicated process. Consider Vijay Mallyas case. Mallya is wanted in India for defaulting on loans amounting Rs 9000 crore borrowed from Indian banks. Efforts are on to secure his extradition from the UK. Heres how the extradition process works. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) placed a request with the UK government for Mallya's extradition. As a next step, MEA is required to furnish details of the crimes committed by Mallya in India and the evidence it has against him (evidence should be acceptable to the host country). On the basis of these, and other provisions in the India-UK Extradition Treaty, the UK courts will decide whether or not to extradite Mallya. In June, a UK court refused to consider India's request for Mallya's extradition for want of evidence. Extradition: No easy deal To begin with, a host country is not obliged to consider every extradition request it receives. Further, extradition of a fugitive depends on the specifics of the extradition agreements the host country may have with other countries. Although individual countries may enter into separate extradition treaties, the United Nations Model Law on Extradition lays out the broad framework. According to it, a request for extradition may be granted only if the offence for which a persons extradition is sought is punishable under the domestic laws of the country to which the request is made. However, in some cases, countries have agreed on exceptions to certain kind of offences. These are usually specified in the extradition agreements that countries sign with each. Political offences are generally exempted from the purview of most extradition agreements. According to legal experts, political offences are those that jeopardise the security of a state. A person who leads a rebellion to overthrow a government is, in effect, committing a political crime. In India, this may invite sedition charges. However, most countries would refuse to extradite a person accused of conspiring to topple a government. Revealing state secrets is another political crime which is exempted from most extradition treaties and arrangements. Charles L. Cantrell, a former professor of law at Oklahoma City University offers a good explanation of the motives of a political offender and why an exemption is justified. He wrote in his comparative study of the extradition laws prevailing in the US and the UK that the political offender is committed to the principle of political change through his act, and does not consider his actions blameworthy. He attacks the status quo through his act and denies the legitimacy of the particular laws, claiming instead an allegiance to a superior legitimating principle. For him, this higher principle or political cause justifies the violation of penal law. Doesnt this remind us of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden who are currently fighting the US efforts to extradite them? Assange has been holed up in Ecuadors embassy in London to avoid being sent to Sweden (where he is wanted in connection with alleged sexual assault) and from there, onward to the US (where he would be tried for leaking state secrets). Although the US and Ecuador have an extradition treaty, since the crime committed by Assange is political in nature, it is subject to exception. Another example is Fethullah Gulen's case. An Islamic preacher, Gullen is accused of fomenting the July 2016 coup in Turkey. Gullen is currently living in the United States. Washington has repeatedly turned down Ankaras request for his extradition on the ground that he could face political persecution if sent to Turkey. Cantrell noted that The traditional justification for exemption has been the presumption that the delivery of political enemies to a requesting state would result in their trial being influenced by political considerations. However, not every political crime is eligible for exemption. Genocide or war crimes, although political in character, are not exempt. Further, extradition treaties, which India has signed with many countries, does not grant an exemption to politically motivated murders. The double jeopardy aspect of extradition Indias efforts to secure the extradition of David Coleman Headley offers an interesting case study. Headley is a US citizen and has been found guilty of aiding the Lashkar-e-Taiba in orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks. For years, India fought unsuccessfully to secure his extradition from the United States, despite both countries having an extradition treaty. Headley was tried and found guilty by a US court for aiding the murder of six US citizens during the 2008 attacks. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In this case, the US officials made it clear that Headley is currently serving a sentence in the United States for his role in the Mumbai attacks. As such, he cannot be sent to India nor could he be tried again for the same offense. By Express News Service KOLKATA: Taking the Centre head-on once again, the West Bengal government has directed all the universities and colleges under its jurisdiction to ignore the directive of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to arrange for the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on September 11 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Speaking at a press conference here Friday, West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee hit out at the Centre for attempts to saffronise the education system. The Centre cannot do it without informing or without taking the concurrence of the state government concerned. It is not acceptable to us, since we feel that this is a clear attempt of saffronisation of education. The colleges and universities in the state got puzzled by the UGC circular and they approached us regarding it. I clearly tolf them that there is no necessity to adhere to the UGC directive, he said. The Centre had sent notices to more than 40,000 colleges and universities asking them to live telecast the speech of the Prime Minister. The West Bengal governments defiant response is in line with its earlier call to ignore the Centres directive to all schools in the country to build patriotic fervour before the Independence Day. The Centre had asked the schools to administer the Sankalp ke Siddhi pledge to students in order to make them aware of the New India Mission of the Prime Minister and celebrate patriotism with events organised between August 9 and 30 in the respective schools. The West Bengal government had then rejected the central governments directive stating that it does not need lessons on patriotism from the BJP. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government has resisted multiple central government directives that it said were bulldozed upon the states by ignoring the federal structure of the country, which the Trinamool Congress alleged the BJP government at the Centre was trying to decimate. KOLKATA: Taking the Centre head-on once again, the West Bengal government has directed all the universities and colleges under its jurisdiction to ignore the directive of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to arrange for the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on September 11 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Speaking at a press conference here Friday, West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee hit out at the Centre for attempts to saffronise the education system. The Centre cannot do it without informing or without taking the concurrence of the state government concerned. It is not acceptable to us, since we feel that this is a clear attempt of saffronisation of education. The colleges and universities in the state got puzzled by the UGC circular and they approached us regarding it. I clearly tolf them that there is no necessity to adhere to the UGC directive, he said. The Centre had sent notices to more than 40,000 colleges and universities asking them to live telecast the speech of the Prime Minister. The West Bengal governments defiant response is in line with its earlier call to ignore the Centres directive to all schools in the country to build patriotic fervour before the Independence Day. The Centre had asked the schools to administer the Sankalp ke Siddhi pledge to students in order to make them aware of the New India Mission of the Prime Minister and celebrate patriotism with events organised between August 9 and 30 in the respective schools. The West Bengal government had then rejected the central governments directive stating that it does not need lessons on patriotism from the BJP. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government has resisted multiple central government directives that it said were bulldozed upon the states by ignoring the federal structure of the country, which the Trinamool Congress alleged the BJP government at the Centre was trying to decimate. By Express News Service MANGALURU: Several BJP leaders, including state party president B S Yeddyurappa, and hundreds of workers were detained on Thursday as police foiled a bid by the partys youth wing to hold a bike rally. The rally was organised to protest the alleged killings of Hindu activists in the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi and seeking the resignation of district minister Ramanath Rai. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha also demanded a ban on Social Democratic Party of India, Popular Front of India and Karnataka Forum for Dignity, describing them as radical outfits responsible for the unrest in coastal region. A BJP worker shouts slogans after being detained | rajesh shetty ballalbagh As a precautionary measure, police had banned the bike rally or a procession in the city and had allowed BJP to only hold a public meeting at Nehru Maidan. Amid a tense stand-off, BJP workers started pouring in hordes at Jyoti Circle, starting 9.30am. Police had put up barricades at several places on the way to Hampanakatta to stop people from marching in groups and from organising the bike rally. However, hundreds of workers managed to slip through Jyoti Circle and started marching towards the Deputy Commissioners office which is about 3 km away. But they were detained before entering the DCs office. The workers entered into heated arguments with the police and even tried to push them away on being stopped leading to skirmishes. The party leaders who addressed a huge gathering at Jyothi Circle dared the police to touch their workers stating that they would come back to power after four months. But the police were not lenient and stopped the workers when they tried to carry out the bike rally. Many leaders and workers were bundled into the buses which took them away. Several bikes were seized. Apart from Yeddyurappa, other leaders, including Jagadish Shettar, R Ashoka and K S Eshwarappa, were detained and released later. Nalin Kumar yells at inspector Mangaluru: MP Nalin Kumar was caught on a video shouting at a police inspector for detaining BJP workers at Go Rakshana Hall in the city. On hearing that some workers who were detained for violating the ban orders during Mangaluru Chalo, he stormed into the hall and told Kadri police inspector Maruti Nayak to release them and not book any cases. He threatened to call Dakshina Kannada bandh if the workers are not released. Cong govt will create unrest till polls: BSY Mangaluru: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday charged the Congress government with trying to create unrest in the state until the next assembly elections which are five to six months away. Addressing a gathering of BJP workers, he said communal violence escalated in Karnataka after AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was made Congress in-charge of the state. The state is facing an undeclared emergency-like situation where agitations are suppressed, he said. We are not even allowed to protest the murders of our workers. The police department is being misused, he alleged. The former chief minister demanded the resignation of Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George in the wake of the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe into DySP M K Ganapathy suicide case. Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka sought to know whether Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and district minister Ramanath Rai have any blood relations with PFI, KFD and SDPI which, he said, were behind the murders of Hindu activists. Urging BJP workers to take out a procession to DC Office, Ashoka asked them to demand warrants if they were stopped. A survey has revealed that the BJP will come to power in the state in the next elections. So I tell the police to act as per law. Think before touching our workers, he dared. Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi said all the Hindu workers who have been murdered belong to OBCs and hence the chief minister should stop shedding his crocodiles tears for them. Former minister Shobha Karandlaje said the Congress is scared of just one bike rally and the BJP has many more weapons which it will use. Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said the BJP will protest until the government bans PFI, SDPI and KFD. MANGALURU: Several BJP leaders, including state party president B S Yeddyurappa, and hundreds of workers were detained on Thursday as police foiled a bid by the partys youth wing to hold a bike rally. The rally was organised to protest the alleged killings of Hindu activists in the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi and seeking the resignation of district minister Ramanath Rai. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha also demanded a ban on Social Democratic Party of India, Popular Front of India and Karnataka Forum for Dignity, describing them as radical outfits responsible for the unrest in coastal region. A BJP worker shouts slogans after being detained | rajesh shetty ballalbaghAs a precautionary measure, police had banned the bike rally or a procession in the city and had allowed BJP to only hold a public meeting at Nehru Maidan. Amid a tense stand-off, BJP workers started pouring in hordes at Jyoti Circle, starting 9.30am. Police had put up barricades at several places on the way to Hampanakatta to stop people from marching in groups and from organising the bike rally. However, hundreds of workers managed to slip through Jyoti Circle and started marching towards the Deputy Commissioners office which is about 3 km away. But they were detained before entering the DCs office. The workers entered into heated arguments with the police and even tried to push them away on being stopped leading to skirmishes. The party leaders who addressed a huge gathering at Jyothi Circle dared the police to touch their workers stating that they would come back to power after four months. But the police were not lenient and stopped the workers when they tried to carry out the bike rally. Many leaders and workers were bundled into the buses which took them away. Several bikes were seized. Apart from Yeddyurappa, other leaders, including Jagadish Shettar, R Ashoka and K S Eshwarappa, were detained and released later. Nalin Kumar yells at inspector Mangaluru: MP Nalin Kumar was caught on a video shouting at a police inspector for detaining BJP workers at Go Rakshana Hall in the city. On hearing that some workers who were detained for violating the ban orders during Mangaluru Chalo, he stormed into the hall and told Kadri police inspector Maruti Nayak to release them and not book any cases. He threatened to call Dakshina Kannada bandh if the workers are not released. Cong govt will create unrest till polls: BSY Mangaluru: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday charged the Congress government with trying to create unrest in the state until the next assembly elections which are five to six months away. Addressing a gathering of BJP workers, he said communal violence escalated in Karnataka after AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was made Congress in-charge of the state. The state is facing an undeclared emergency-like situation where agitations are suppressed, he said. We are not even allowed to protest the murders of our workers. The police department is being misused, he alleged. The former chief minister demanded the resignation of Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George in the wake of the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe into DySP M K Ganapathy suicide case. Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka sought to know whether Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and district minister Ramanath Rai have any blood relations with PFI, KFD and SDPI which, he said, were behind the murders of Hindu activists. Urging BJP workers to take out a procession to DC Office, Ashoka asked them to demand warrants if they were stopped. A survey has revealed that the BJP will come to power in the state in the next elections. So I tell the police to act as per law. Think before touching our workers, he dared. Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi said all the Hindu workers who have been murdered belong to OBCs and hence the chief minister should stop shedding his crocodiles tears for them. Former minister Shobha Karandlaje said the Congress is scared of just one bike rally and the BJP has many more weapons which it will use. Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said the BJP will protest until the government bans PFI, SDPI and KFD. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has received a report from the Karnataka government on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh Lankesh by unidentified persons in Bangalore, an official said. The state chief secretary in his factual report gave detailed account of the sensational killing and the follow up action by the police. The report also mentioned that the state government had set up a special investigation team to probe the case and find out those involved in the murder of the 55-year-old journalist, the home ministry official said. The report came after the ministry asked the Karnataka government to inform it about the details of the incident. The report was sought after Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to do so. NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has received a report from the Karnataka government on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh Lankesh by unidentified persons in Bangalore, an official said. The state chief secretary in his factual report gave detailed account of the sensational killing and the follow up action by the police. The report also mentioned that the state government had set up a special investigation team to probe the case and find out those involved in the murder of the 55-year-old journalist, the home ministry official said. The report came after the ministry asked the Karnataka government to inform it about the details of the incident. The report was sought after Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to do so. By Online Desk National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi has come under attack by Sangh Parivar members for eating beef during an Onam program.The talk show, 'Surabhiyude Onam, (Surabhi's Onam) featuring Surabhi along with her friends shows her eating beef and Kerala paratha from a hotel in Kozhikode. The talk show, which was telecast in the Malayalam News Channel Media One during Onam, invited misogynistic trolls and posts from supporters of right wing politics.The supporters of the Sangh Parivar used derogatory remarks against the actor on social media platforms. The anti-women brigade questioned the religious identity of the actor. Some of the posts even called for the boycott of her movies. Most of the posts stated that the actress insulted the 'Hindu community ' by eating beef during Onam. Along with the actor, the Sangh Parivar supporters accused the Malayalam channel by terming it anti-Hindu and partisan. Eating non-veg food during Onam and other festivals is an integral part of the food habits of Keralites living in Malabar regions. National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi has come under attack by Sangh Parivar members for eating beef during an Onam program.The talk show, 'Surabhiyude Onam, (Surabhi's Onam) featuring Surabhi along with her friends shows her eating beef and Kerala paratha from a hotel in Kozhikode. The talk show, which was telecast in the Malayalam News Channel Media One during Onam, invited misogynistic trolls and posts from supporters of right wing politics.The supporters of the Sangh Parivar used derogatory remarks against the actor on social media platforms. The anti-women brigade questioned the religious identity of the actor. Some of the posts even called for the boycott of her movies. Most of the posts stated that the actress insulted the 'Hindu community ' by eating beef during Onam. Along with the actor, the Sangh Parivar supporters accused the Malayalam channel by terming it anti-Hindu and partisan. Eating non-veg food during Onam and other festivals is an integral part of the food habits of Keralites living in Malabar regions. By PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran today claimed the Centre has denied him permission to attend a tourism meet in China without any valid reason, prompting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who dubbed the incident as "unfortunate", to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the tourism minister's office here, the communication regarding denial of permission for the visit to attend the United Nations World Tourism Organisation meet (UNWTO) in Chengdu between September 11-16 was received yesterday. Surendran, a minister in the CPI(M)-led LDF government, told PTI that the External Affairs Ministry denied permission to attend the high-profile tourism meet without citing "any valid reason". "We should know the reason behind denying permission for the China trip. The state government will take up the matter with the PMO. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will bring the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister," he said. Chief Minister Vijayan termed as "unfortunate and disappointing" the incident. In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Vijayan said, "It is unfortunate that a state delegation headed by the minister for tourism has been denied the opportunity to participate in an international forum." He also asked the prime minister to reconsider the decision of the Union Ministry of External Affairs. A similar letter was also written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The objective behind the visit was to learn from international experts about developing the tourism sector in Kerala, Vijayan said. The theme of the tourism meet -- 'Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals - Journey to 2030' -- was relevant and of significant importance as Kerala has been taking several initiatives in this area, he said. The minister was an invitee to the 22nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The invitation to the 22nd session of the meet was extended by the Secretary General, UNWTO. Earlier Surendran alleged that the "only reason could be the narrow politics played by the BJP that resulted in the denial of permission for the trip". "As of now, the possibility of attending the meet is nil," he added. According to the tourism minister's office here, the communication denying the permission to attend the meeting was received yesterday. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran today claimed the Centre has denied him permission to attend a tourism meet in China without any valid reason, prompting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who dubbed the incident as "unfortunate", to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the tourism minister's office here, the communication regarding denial of permission for the visit to attend the United Nations World Tourism Organisation meet (UNWTO) in Chengdu between September 11-16 was received yesterday. Surendran, a minister in the CPI(M)-led LDF government, told PTI that the External Affairs Ministry denied permission to attend the high-profile tourism meet without citing "any valid reason". "We should know the reason behind denying permission for the China trip. The state government will take up the matter with the PMO. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will bring the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister," he said. Chief Minister Vijayan termed as "unfortunate and disappointing" the incident. In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Vijayan said, "It is unfortunate that a state delegation headed by the minister for tourism has been denied the opportunity to participate in an international forum." He also asked the prime minister to reconsider the decision of the Union Ministry of External Affairs. A similar letter was also written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The objective behind the visit was to learn from international experts about developing the tourism sector in Kerala, Vijayan said. The theme of the tourism meet -- 'Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals - Journey to 2030' -- was relevant and of significant importance as Kerala has been taking several initiatives in this area, he said. The minister was an invitee to the 22nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The invitation to the 22nd session of the meet was extended by the Secretary General, UNWTO. Earlier Surendran alleged that the "only reason could be the narrow politics played by the BJP that resulted in the denial of permission for the trip". "As of now, the possibility of attending the meet is nil," he added. According to the tourism minister's office here, the communication denying the permission to attend the meeting was received yesterday. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: State-run buses claimed three lives in Telangana state on Friday. An Telangana State RTC bus overturned in Nirmal district this morning, killing one passenger and injuring 23 others, another rammed into a bike in Medak district in the afternoon, killing three persons. In the latter incident, the RTC bus knocked a two-wheeler from behind at high speed and the biker crashed into two other bikes in front of him. As the three bikes crashed, three motorists died instantly while two others suffered injuries. Police said the bus was proceeding to Hyderabad from Banswada in Nizamabad district when the accident took place at Narsapur in Medak district. The deceased have been identified as Mirza Salman Baig, Md Azmath and Md Yusuf, all natives of Nizamabad who are on their way to Hyderabad on two wheelers. HYDERABAD: State-run buses claimed three lives in Telangana state on Friday. An Telangana State RTC bus overturned in Nirmal district this morning, killing one passenger and injuring 23 others, another rammed into a bike in Medak district in the afternoon, killing three persons. In the latter incident, the RTC bus knocked a two-wheeler from behind at high speed and the biker crashed into two other bikes in front of him. As the three bikes crashed, three motorists died instantly while two others suffered injuries. Police said the bus was proceeding to Hyderabad from Banswada in Nizamabad district when the accident took place at Narsapur in Medak district. The deceased have been identified as Mirza Salman Baig, Md Azmath and Md Yusuf, all natives of Nizamabad who are on their way to Hyderabad on two wheelers. By AFP TAPA: Britain backed Friday moves to expel North Korean workers from the European Union as part of fresh sanctions to punish Pyongyang after its latest nuclear test. Foreign minister Boris Johnson told AFP there was a "wide measure of agreement" among his EU counterparts to forge ahead with new measures against Kim Jong-Un's regime after it carried out its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, its most powerful to date. Washington is pushing for a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for tough new measures on the North, including an oil embargo, an asset freeze on Kim and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. Johnson said talks with his EU counterparts in Tallinn on Thursday had produced a "very very wide measure of agreement" on the need to do more to pile pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. "In a lot of EU countries there are a lot of DPRK workers who are sending remittances back to North Korea," Johnson said. The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "There are sanctions you can impose, you can send them back and there's a wide measure of support for that," Johnson told AFP during a visit to British troops on a NATO base in northern Estonia. When asked, Johnson confirmed he supported sending North Korean workers home from the EU. Overseas workers, most of them posted in China and Russia, are a key source of revenue for Pyongyang. European diplomats say there are around 300 North Korean workers in the bloc, most of them in Poland While the number is not huge, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday said it was important to move against them "because the money which is earned there, has only the purpose to be channelled into the nuclear programme". Gabriel also said EU ministers had agreed to do more to track where the North is obtaining the technology it is using to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "If we know... where the material comes from to build missiles, to build nuclear weapons, I think that we have to put those counties under economic preassure in order to stop this," he said. Efforts to boost sanctions face resistance from Russia and Pyongyang's chief ally China, which has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border. TAPA: Britain backed Friday moves to expel North Korean workers from the European Union as part of fresh sanctions to punish Pyongyang after its latest nuclear test. Foreign minister Boris Johnson told AFP there was a "wide measure of agreement" among his EU counterparts to forge ahead with new measures against Kim Jong-Un's regime after it carried out its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, its most powerful to date. Washington is pushing for a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for tough new measures on the North, including an oil embargo, an asset freeze on Kim and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers. Johnson said talks with his EU counterparts in Tallinn on Thursday had produced a "very very wide measure of agreement" on the need to do more to pile pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. "In a lot of EU countries there are a lot of DPRK workers who are sending remittances back to North Korea," Johnson said. The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "There are sanctions you can impose, you can send them back and there's a wide measure of support for that," Johnson told AFP during a visit to British troops on a NATO base in northern Estonia. When asked, Johnson confirmed he supported sending North Korean workers home from the EU. Overseas workers, most of them posted in China and Russia, are a key source of revenue for Pyongyang. European diplomats say there are around 300 North Korean workers in the bloc, most of them in Poland While the number is not huge, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday said it was important to move against them "because the money which is earned there, has only the purpose to be channelled into the nuclear programme". Gabriel also said EU ministers had agreed to do more to track where the North is obtaining the technology it is using to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "If we know... where the material comes from to build missiles, to build nuclear weapons, I think that we have to put those counties under economic preassure in order to stop this," he said. Efforts to boost sanctions face resistance from Russia and Pyongyang's chief ally China, which has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border. By AFP TAPA: Britain and the EU will work "together" to solve the Irish border issue during Brexit talks, British foreign minister Boris Johnson insisted on Friday, after the bloc's negotiators said it was London's responsibility to find a solution. What becomes of the land border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland when Britain leaves the bloc in 2019 is one of the most sensitive issues in Brexit talks. The EU's negotiation team put the ball in London's court on Thursday with a combative paper saying the solution for the Irish border problem was strictly Britain's responsibility. But Johnson hit back on Friday, telling AFP during a visit to British troops at a NATO base in Estonia: "It's certainly a problem we can all solve together and that's what we're going to do." People and goods currently move freely across the Irish border, but there are concerns that this cannot be sustained after Brexit, though both sides say they want to avoid a "hard" border. "I think there is a solution and we're going to get on and do it," Johnson told AFP. "We've had a common travel area for 100 years, nothing must affect that, nothing must affect the ability of farmers to move their stock and for businesses to get on with their lives." The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday voiced concern at London's proposal for the Irish border, insisting Brussels would not let Britain use Ireland as a "test case for future EU-UK customs relations". In its position paper last month, London said the issue of how goods and people will move across the Irish frontier cannot be separated from discussion about wider customs arrangements between Britain and the European Union. The EU has refused to broach any aspect of the future trade relationship until Brexit talks had achieved sufficient progress on citizen's rights, the Irish border and Britain's financial bill to leave the EU. TAPA: Britain and the EU will work "together" to solve the Irish border issue during Brexit talks, British foreign minister Boris Johnson insisted on Friday, after the bloc's negotiators said it was London's responsibility to find a solution. What becomes of the land border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland when Britain leaves the bloc in 2019 is one of the most sensitive issues in Brexit talks. The EU's negotiation team put the ball in London's court on Thursday with a combative paper saying the solution for the Irish border problem was strictly Britain's responsibility. But Johnson hit back on Friday, telling AFP during a visit to British troops at a NATO base in Estonia: "It's certainly a problem we can all solve together and that's what we're going to do." People and goods currently move freely across the Irish border, but there are concerns that this cannot be sustained after Brexit, though both sides say they want to avoid a "hard" border. "I think there is a solution and we're going to get on and do it," Johnson told AFP. "We've had a common travel area for 100 years, nothing must affect that, nothing must affect the ability of farmers to move their stock and for businesses to get on with their lives." The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday voiced concern at London's proposal for the Irish border, insisting Brussels would not let Britain use Ireland as a "test case for future EU-UK customs relations". In its position paper last month, London said the issue of how goods and people will move across the Irish frontier cannot be separated from discussion about wider customs arrangements between Britain and the European Union. The EU has refused to broach any aspect of the future trade relationship until Brexit talks had achieved sufficient progress on citizen's rights, the Irish border and Britain's financial bill to leave the EU. By AFP BEIJING: China on Friday defended Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts, following President Donald Trump's accusation that Islamabad harbours militants attacking US and Afghan troops. "The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifices are there for everyone to see," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "The international community should recognise that... and give Pakistan the full credit it deserves," he added. The remarks were made at a press briefing in Beijing following a meeting between Wang and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. In a major speech outlining US policy on Afghanistan last month, Trump slammed Pakistan for offering safe havens to "agents of chaos" and suggested relations would be adjusted immediately. He offered few details. Following Trump's remarks, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also cautioned that Pakistan could lose its status as a major US ally and see its US military aid suspended. Asif on Friday said it is Pakistan's firm view that maintaining regional security is a "critical" priority and focus should remain on peaceful solutions. He also thanked Beijing for its role in hosting a trilateral Afghanistan-China-Pakistan foreign ministers' forum, which is expected to take place before the end of this year. Islamabad has repeatedly denied claims of being soft on militancy, accusing the United States of ignoring the thousands who have been killed in Pakistan and the billions spent fighting extremists. Analysts have long stated that Pakistan offers support to militant proxies, including the Afghan Taliban, as a bulwark against what it considers to be the existential threat of neighbouring India. Last year, the then-top foreign official Sartaj Aziz stated that the Taliban's leadership does enjoy safe haven inside Pakistan, which Islamabad uses as a "lever" to pressure the group into talks with Kabul. BEIJING: China on Friday defended Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts, following President Donald Trump's accusation that Islamabad harbours militants attacking US and Afghan troops. "The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifices are there for everyone to see," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "The international community should recognise that... and give Pakistan the full credit it deserves," he added. The remarks were made at a press briefing in Beijing following a meeting between Wang and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. In a major speech outlining US policy on Afghanistan last month, Trump slammed Pakistan for offering safe havens to "agents of chaos" and suggested relations would be adjusted immediately. He offered few details. Following Trump's remarks, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also cautioned that Pakistan could lose its status as a major US ally and see its US military aid suspended. Asif on Friday said it is Pakistan's firm view that maintaining regional security is a "critical" priority and focus should remain on peaceful solutions. He also thanked Beijing for its role in hosting a trilateral Afghanistan-China-Pakistan foreign ministers' forum, which is expected to take place before the end of this year. Islamabad has repeatedly denied claims of being soft on militancy, accusing the United States of ignoring the thousands who have been killed in Pakistan and the billions spent fighting extremists. Analysts have long stated that Pakistan offers support to militant proxies, including the Afghan Taliban, as a bulwark against what it considers to be the existential threat of neighbouring India. Last year, the then-top foreign official Sartaj Aziz stated that the Taliban's leadership does enjoy safe haven inside Pakistan, which Islamabad uses as a "lever" to pressure the group into talks with Kabul. By AFP SEOUL: More than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmar, mostly minority Rohingya Muslims -- more than twice the government's total -- a senior United Nations representative told AFP on Friday, urging Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out. In the last two weeks alone 270,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams, the UN said. Others have died trying to flee the fighting in Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. On the basis of witness testimonies and the pattern of previous outbreaks of violence, said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, "perhaps about a thousand or more are already dead". "This might be from both sides but it would be heavily concentrated on the Rohingya population." The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship even if they have lived in the country for generations. Bangladesh has struggled to cope with the latest influx, which takes the number of Rohingya refugees in camps on its border with Myanmar to around 670,000. Of these, nearly 357,000 -- a third of Myanmar's total Rohingya population -- have left since October when the latest upsurge in violence began. The UN said there was a sharp increase in arrivals on Wednesday, when at least 300 boats from Myanmar landed in Bangladesh. Scores of Rohingya have drowned trying to make the perilous sea journey in boats that the Bangladesh authorities say are woefully inadequate at this time of year, when the sea is rough. Many of the dead were children. Worst disaster in years Lee, a South Korean academic, told AFP she feared "it's going to be one of the worst disasters that the world and Myanmar has seen in recent years". The figures she gave are far higher than official tolls, which total 432, including 15 security personnel and 30 civilians -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists. In an interview at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, where she is a professor in the department of child psychology and education, Lee said it was "highly possible" the government had "underestimated numbers". "The unfortunate thing, the serious thing is that we can't verify that now with no access." Lee expressed scepticism about authorities' claims that the Rohingya were burning their own houses, pointing out that nearby Buddhist villages were untouched -- and it is the rainy season. "If you have got people with guns and you're running away and it's damp, how easily can you set your own house on fire?" she asked. Forget the icon Myanmar's Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest when Myanmar was a military dictatorship, is now the country's de facto leader with the title of State Counsellor. She has faced criticism for failing to condemn the violence, leaving her global reputation in tatters. Earlier this week Suu Kyi, 72, condemned a "huge iceberg of misinformation" on the crisis, without mentioning the Rohingya flocking to Bangladesh. On Thursday she told Indian news agency ANI the situation in Rakhine was "one of the biggest challenges that we've had to face". "I think it is a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months," she added. Rights groups, activists -- including many who campaigned for her in the past -- and her fellow Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have condemned her. In a letter Tutu told his "dearly beloved younger sister" that "the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread". "It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain," he added. Lee pointed out that around 86 percent of Myanmar's population is Buddhist. "What we forget is that she is a politician through and through. People expect her to have that big high moral voice but she's a politician, and what's the most important objective if you are a politician? Getting elected," she said. "I think we need to delete our memories of the imprisoned democratic icon." SEOUL: More than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmar, mostly minority Rohingya Muslims -- more than twice the government's total -- a senior United Nations representative told AFP on Friday, urging Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out. In the last two weeks alone 270,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams, the UN said. Others have died trying to flee the fighting in Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. On the basis of witness testimonies and the pattern of previous outbreaks of violence, said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, "perhaps about a thousand or more are already dead". "This might be from both sides but it would be heavily concentrated on the Rohingya population." The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which regards them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship even if they have lived in the country for generations. Bangladesh has struggled to cope with the latest influx, which takes the number of Rohingya refugees in camps on its border with Myanmar to around 670,000. Of these, nearly 357,000 -- a third of Myanmar's total Rohingya population -- have left since October when the latest upsurge in violence began. The UN said there was a sharp increase in arrivals on Wednesday, when at least 300 boats from Myanmar landed in Bangladesh. Scores of Rohingya have drowned trying to make the perilous sea journey in boats that the Bangladesh authorities say are woefully inadequate at this time of year, when the sea is rough. Many of the dead were children. Worst disaster in years Lee, a South Korean academic, told AFP she feared "it's going to be one of the worst disasters that the world and Myanmar has seen in recent years". The figures she gave are far higher than official tolls, which total 432, including 15 security personnel and 30 civilians -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists. In an interview at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, where she is a professor in the department of child psychology and education, Lee said it was "highly possible" the government had "underestimated numbers". "The unfortunate thing, the serious thing is that we can't verify that now with no access." Lee expressed scepticism about authorities' claims that the Rohingya were burning their own houses, pointing out that nearby Buddhist villages were untouched -- and it is the rainy season. "If you have got people with guns and you're running away and it's damp, how easily can you set your own house on fire?" she asked. Forget the icon Myanmar's Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest when Myanmar was a military dictatorship, is now the country's de facto leader with the title of State Counsellor. She has faced criticism for failing to condemn the violence, leaving her global reputation in tatters. Earlier this week Suu Kyi, 72, condemned a "huge iceberg of misinformation" on the crisis, without mentioning the Rohingya flocking to Bangladesh. On Thursday she told Indian news agency ANI the situation in Rakhine was "one of the biggest challenges that we've had to face". "I think it is a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months," she added. Rights groups, activists -- including many who campaigned for her in the past -- and her fellow Nobel laureates Malala Yousafzai and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have condemned her. In a letter Tutu told his "dearly beloved younger sister" that "the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread". "It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain," he added. Lee pointed out that around 86 percent of Myanmar's population is Buddhist. "What we forget is that she is a politician through and through. People expect her to have that big high moral voice but she's a politician, and what's the most important objective if you are a politician? Getting elected," she said. "I think we need to delete our memories of the imprisoned democratic icon." Portsmouth, Middletown headed to Super Bowls. How they did it. While Portsmouth and Middletown will play for championships, Rogers will be left out following semifinal loss. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Sunshine and some clouds. High 43F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low around 30F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snowfall around one inch. I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh. Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017 Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that. Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017 Okay Sir. But Are u aware about the tweets of Pro-Maoists! They r threatening Ma_Bharati Bhakts They r abusing our Best #PM@narendramodi ji pic.twitter.com/8cGKOUg29g VTD_EkantBhai (@SaundiD) September 6, 2017 Bowed down to media, secular and liberal bullies? We work for you tirelessly, selflessly. This is the reward? https://t.co/tlc03FBM5j Rita (@RitaG74) September 6, 2017 Minister Sir, pls also condemn selective outrage by Lootyens journos against killing of people? #GauriLankeshMurder Watch the chart? pic.twitter.com/aiWVDrnMiF Kailash Wagh (@kailashwg) September 6, 2017 Person who can't win a lokh sabha election, enjoying power coz of sacrifices of many RSS/BJP workers who laid their life. Chiranjeevi (@chiranjeevi497) September 6, 2017 Sir anything for these Poor RSS workers who were no Journalists but just humble people who lost life for serving their Cause@narendramodi pic.twitter.com/Z7ybpPdrgL /Truthseeker (@RituRathaur) September 6, 2017 Its none of your business Mr.Minister. 100's of RSS workers were killed while you are enjoying power gifted by modi. Shame on u Chiranjeevi (@chiranjeevi497) September 6, 2017 Did you tweet same when RSS workers are killed & please check the tweet of guys who are appreciating you now,this is called surrender shame Ramesh (@1967Babu) September 6, 2017 Did this chutia ever open his mouth when journalists threw party over killing of RSS workers? LolSanghis https://t.co/ivwJzJlcWi Eminent Intellectual (@padhalikha) September 6, 2017 Veteran Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday.Lankesh was a well-known critic of right-wing politics in the country, particularly Hindutva, and was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada tabloid.As soon as the news of Ms. Lankesh's murder broke, fellow journalists, activists, and friends took to Twitter to express their shock and anger.Meanwhile, there were some who celebrated Lankesh's death. While some went on to justify her murder. One user -- Nikhil Dadhich (@nikhildadhich) used an abusive reference to the journalist's death. Among other things, his Twitter bio (now removed) read, Honored To Be Followed By PM Sh @narendramodi Ji.He wrote: "Ek kuttiya kutte ki maut kya mari, saare pille ek sur mein bilbila rahe hain" (It took a bitch to die a dog's death, for all pups to howl in the same tune)There was such an outpour of abusive content on Twitter that the Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had to issue a statement against such abusive messages."I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh. Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that."Little did Prasad know that his condemning tweets could invite trolls who would question him for his silence over the attacks on the RSS. Nashik: After Gorkahpur and Farrukhabad, as many as 55 infants have died in the Special Newborn Care Unit of the Nashik Civil Hospital in the last one month, reportedly due to a lack of ventilators and oxygen cylinders. Hospital authorities, however, denied reports that the deaths were caused by medical negligence. Additional district civil surgeon Dr. G M Hole said the main reason for the deaths was lack of ventilators. Civil Surgeon Suresh Jagdale confirmed that 55 deaths were reported last month in the unit. He said 187 infants have died here since April. Most of these deaths occurred because the infants were brought from private hospitals in a stage in which there is less chance of recovery. The deaths were also due to reasons like premature birth and lung weakness," Jagdale told PTI. The civil surgeon said there was no medical negligence in any of the cases. There are 18 incubators and we have to keep two, sometimes three, children in one due to the paucity of space," he said. Health Minister Deepak Sawant backed the civil surgeon and said it is a fact that infants are brought to the government hospital at the last stage and this had led to the high number of deaths. The minister said that a protocol would be implemented soon in private and government hospitals to avoid such deaths. NCP MLA Jaywantrao Jadhav, who visited the civil hospital on Thursday, blamed the poor healthcare infrastructure in the state. He said the hospital has to treat more children than its actual capacity. Jadhav said not a single ventilator set was available in any state civil hospital, including the one at Nashik. Only one newborn should be kept in an incubator to avoid infection, maintain temperature and to treat jaundice. But, at present, the Nashik civil hospital authorities are keeping four infants in one incubator due to lack of adequate facility," he said. This comes just days after 49 children were reported dead at a hospital in Farrukhabad, allegedly due to a lack of oxygen. In Gorkhapur too, 63 kids had died in a span of five day leading to allegations of medical negligence. It was alleged that the hospital was running short of oxygen and neither the authorities nor the government did anything to prevent the deaths. Patna: In a tragic incident at Bihar's Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), 8 patients lost their lives in the last two weeks after the alleged transfusion of expired blood. Alert junior doctors of the hospital made this revelation on Friday accusing hospitals blood bank department of tampering with the expiry date and batch numbers printed on the blood bags. DMCH medical superintendent Santosh Mishra and deputy superintendent Baleshwar Sagar initially defended the hospital, but after realizing the seriousness of the issue, they ordered the formation of a six-member investigation committee. All departmental heads have been included in the committee, which would submit its report within a week. Om Prakash, in charge of the blood bank, refuted allegations of tampering with blood bags and asserted that all bags were fully tested. Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey told News18 that he had sought a detailed report from the Hospital, and assured strict action would be taken if allegations found true. Junior doctor Surya Prakash narrated the whole incident. Angry people were clashing with us when some of the patients died just after blood transfusion. However, soon, we realized something was wrong when a patient, comparatively in a good shape, started signs of restlessness once we started transfusing blood to him. We immediately stopped the process and he was saved. Another doctor Neeraj Singh demanded a thorough probe saying, We, the juniors, are made responsible for any lapses. Even angry relatives of patients also target us. He also showed a blood bag on which printed details were visibly tampered with, and 3 (denoting month) was made 8 with the help of a pen. New Delhi: A Class 2 student was found dead in a pool of blood in the washroom of Ryan International School in Gurugram on Friday morning. The deceased, a seven-year-old, was found around 8 am by another student who went to the use the washroom. The boys throat had been slit and a knife was found next to the body. Neeraj Batra, the schools caretaker, said he did not know how the knife was brought into school premises. The police have registered a murder case. The FIR was registered against unknown persons under Section 302 of the IPC and Section (25) (54) (59) Arms Act. Police sources said the school bus driver, conductor and eight other staff members are being questioned. SCHOOL COORDINATOR SPEAKS TO CNN-NEWS18 "The kid was alive when we saw him lying in the pool of blood. We took him to the hospital immediately. Police are here to investigate the matter and after investigation one can say from where the knife came inside the school premises," says Neeraja Bhatra, School Coordinator. "The students alerted the teachers and the school management then informed the police, who rushed him to Artemis Hospital. He was declared brought dead by doctors," PTI quoted Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police, as saying. A police team, including forensic experts, is probing the case and has collected blood sample and finger prints from the scene. A knife with blood stains was also recovered from the spot, he said. "We are investigating the case from all angles... of homicide, enmity, and others. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises," the officer said. PRINICIPAL NOT PRESENT IN THE SCHOOL Staff members and classmates of the student, who hailed from the Bhondsi area, are being questioned, he said. The body has been sent for postmortem, police said. "We received a call in the morning which said such an incident has happened at Ryan International School. After we reached the spot we were informed that the child has been shifted to a hospital where he died. The cause of his death will be clear only after post-Morton," says Simardeep Singh, DCP Gurugram. The boy's father, Varun Thakur, who works as a quality manager with Orient Craft in Gurgaon, accused the school administration of negligence. Varun said the school administration did not inform him about his son's death initially. "They told me his health deteriorated suddenly. They did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time," he said. "I dropped him today at around 7:30 a.m. He was happy," the grieving father said. PROTEST OUTSIDE SCHOOL Hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the school management. Senior officials of the Gurgaon police intervened to maintain calm. Some of the parents told CNN-News18 that bus drivers and conductors were allowed to use the washrooms meant for the students. The school authorities, however, denied the allegation. Meanwhile, the gardener who was the first one to see the body and inform the management was questioned in the matter. PARENTS DETAINED BY POLICE In February last year, a six-year-old student had drowned in a water tank at Ryan International School's Vasant Kunj branch. Pune: A senior IMD scientist registered a complaint against her cook, claiming she hurt her "religious sentiments" by posing as a Brahmin, the police said. The Pune Police registered a case of cheating after the complaint from Medha Khole against Nirmala Yadav, PTI reported. Khole, who holds a senior position at the India Meteorological Department, said in the complaint that she needed a Brahmin to cook food at her house during religious occasions. Yadav, who approached Khole in 2016 for the job, had then introduced herself as Nirmala Kulkarni, a senior police official said. "The complainant had even gone to her house to cross check her claim in 2016. Thereafter, Yadav started going to Khole's house on such occasions to prepare food," she added. The officer said Khole came to know this week that the cook was not a Brahmin. According to the officer, Khole stated that upon knowing about the cook's "lie", her "religious sentiments" got hurt. After this, Khole went to the cook's house to seek an explanation and found out her real name, the officer added. Khole also claimed that the cook abused and intimated her, police said. A case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force) and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Sinhgad Police station, the official said. (With agency inputs) Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Saudas mouthpiece Sach Kahoon admitted on Thursday that human remains were buried in the sects premises. The admission came hours before authorities and security agencies launched a search and sanitisation operation inside the sprawling Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters campus near Sirsa town in Haryana. The Dera newspaper, while defending the action of the Dera management in burying the human remains, said this was done as sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh encouraged followers to donate the remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers etc., causing pollution. The newspaper claimed that the human remains were buried within the campus and trees were planted on these. Some persons, who were earlier associated with the sect but left it later, have alleged that the sect chief got killed those who opposed his activities and got them buried inside the 70-acre campus of the sect, IANS reported. Security agencies and district authorities began search operations at the Dera headquarters on Friday amid tight security and curfew in the area. The search, which is being video-graphed, is being conducted under the supervision of court commissioner AKS Pawar appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Senior district administration and police officers, along with para-military forces and Haryana Police, were involved in the operation around the sprawling 700-acre campus. Duty magistrates have been appointed for various zones of the Dera. Officials from police, revenue, health, education, tourism and other departments have also participated. Bomb disposal squads, commandos, dog squads and locksmiths were deployed. All roads leading to the headquarters from Sirsa and nearby places were sealed. Ram Rahim was convicted on two counts of rape of disciples in 1999 by a CBI special court in Panchkula on August 25. He was later sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and is currently lodged in the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak. His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab. Security was tightened around the Dera headquarters near Sirsa town on Wednesday following the approval granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the state government to search and sanitise the premises. The search, to be supervised by a court commissioner, is likely to begin on Friday. Retired District and Sessions Judge AKS Pawar, who was appointed as the Court Commissioner by the High Court on Tuesday to oversee the search and sanitisation operation of the Dera premises, arrived in Sirsa on Thursday. The Dera is spread over two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres, about eight km from Sirsa town and 260 km from Chandigarh. Armed security personnel from central paramilitary forces and the Haryana Police were stationed outside the Dera premises. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads have also been stationed near the Dera premises. Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, said the Dera management was fully prepared for the conduct of the search and sanitising operation. "We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individuals inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide. The premises can be searched anytime," Vipassana said. The Haryana government had sought the High Court's permission to undertake sanitisation under judicial supervision. Authorities in Haryana have carried out sanitisation of 117 "Naam Charcha Ghars" associated with the Dera, where its followers assemble for prayers and discussions. "Some objectionable items were seized during searches at their premises following the arrest of convicted Dera chief," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday. The sprawling Dera headquarters houses a stadium, a hospital, educational institutions, a resort, houses, markets and other infrastructure. Huge bungalows of the sect chief (spread over nearly 100 acres) and his family members are also located inside. Hundreds of people and sect followers permanently live inside the mini-township and work there. New Delhi: The Delhi University Chief Election Officer (CEO) SH Babbar threw a spanner in the works at the last moments for the presidential candidates of both the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Congress student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) ahead of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections. While NSUI candidate Rocky Tushir was disqualified at the last moment owing to a disciplinary complaint dating back to 2014, forcing the Congress-backed outfit to pick another candidate just six days before polling, the ABVP candidate, Rajjat Chaudhary, was forced to change his ballot number on Thursday from 5 to 8. He (Tushir) was banned from entering the college in 2014. Lyngdoh Committee guidelines stipulate that no candidate should have a case of any disciplinary action against him, Babbar told the media. Meanwhile, NSUI has approached the Delhi High Court to seek a stay on the election. As a failsafe, it NSUI declared Alka, a second-year undergraduate student at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, as its official presidential candidate. Tushir, who was then a third-year student at Shivaji College, was censured by the college administration for indiscipline. He had allegedly broken furniture in 2014, for which he was punished. On these grounds, his candidature for the post of DUSU president was cancelled. Ruchi Gupta, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for NSUI, claimed this was political vendetta. The rules are clearly being bent for the benefit of one student outfit the ABVP. If this disciplinary action was, indeed, an issue, how did Rocky clear the initial screening process? The notion of disciplinary action is so arbitrary because it is whatever the college deems it to be. In the ABVP camp, Thursday was a day of confusion as the party got to know that the ballot number of their Presidential candidate Rajjat Chaudhary was being changed from number 5 to 8. Saket Bahuguna, National Media Coordinator of the ABVP, told News 18, On Thursday afternoon we learnt that the ballot number of our Presidential candidate had been changed. We tried to get it changed back to 5 but the Election Officer said since ballot numbers are decided according to alphabetical order, there is nothing that can be done. An ABVP student activists said, Many voters dont look beyond the first three names on the ballot. The higher your name on the ballot, the higher is your chance of winning. The NSUI candidate, Alka, is at number 1 on the ballot. As it is, our candidate was at number 5. Now he has slipped to 8. Another problem is that there is an independent candidate called Raja Chaudhary at number 7. His name is strikingly similar to our candidate, Rajjat Chaudhary. Our fear is that many of our supporters may vote for him out of confusion. New Delhi: The distance between Ramjas College in Delhi University's North Campus and the Faculty of Law is just 250 meters but there is scarcely an inch of Chhatra Marg that isn't covered with fliers, left behind by candidates and student outfits on the campaign trail. Delhi University is heading to polls on September 12 and it's currently campaign season on campus. There are posters as far as the eye can see, urging students to either join ABVP or vote for NSUI. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been calling for a Swachh Bharat (Clean India) since he got elected, student outfits in DU, including the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), rarely walk the talk. In a University spread all over the metropolis of Delhi, littering is seen as necessary evil by student unions. Over the past few years many, including the Left-leaning All India Students Association (AISA), have been calling for a paperless DUSU campaign. But for mainstream parties like the ABVP and National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, a paperless student election campaign would be impractical. Saket Bahuguna, national media convener of the ABVP, said, "We want a cleaner campus. If it were possible, we would not print paper at all. But it is not practical. We need to realise that the scale of the university is so big that it would be impossible to physically campaign in all colleges. There are 51 colleges that vote for DUSU elections. There are over 2 lakh students in the varsity. Even if we put in all the effort, we would be able to cover just around 30 colleges. In such a situation, posters become necessary. But beyond posters, which are plastered on the walls, is the problem of litter. To save time, student candidates drive past colleges and litter the road with fliers. One ABVP activist said littering is the best form of campaigning. He said, Printing small fliers is much cheaper than getting a large poster or a billboard. Another issue with posters is that pasting them on the walls is time consuming. With fliers, you can just strew them across the street. You dont even need to hand them out. Besides, there are restrictions with regard to where you can put posters but we can litter anywhere. An NSUI activist said "when a student walks from Kamala Nagar to college, he or she may not look anywhere else but he or she will certainly watch the road. The fliers are impossible to miss when you are literally walking on them." New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was at it again. This time he tweeted an image of Prime Narendra Modi along with an abusive meme. Singh claimed the original creator of the meme was someone else but he couldnt help posting it. Its not the first time he has embarrassed his party. On previous occasions, he had called terrorist Osama bin Laden Osama ji, and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed Hafiz Sahab, causing much discomfort. Once he even targeted his own fellow party leader Meenakshi Natarajan terming her a 100 per cent tunch maal. The said tweet on PM Narendra Modi has since been removed and an embarrassed Congress party has distanced itself from it. Later, talking to the media, Singh said he does not endorse the tweet and refuses to own it. But the damage had already been done. The incident is indication again of Congress leaders refusing to learn lessons despite a series of electoral defeats. They remain blissfully unaware of the fact that Modi in the past has smartly turned these personal attacks into an opportunity. These verbal bouts have helped the BJP polarise voters and expose the oppositions vulnerabilities. Take the example of infamous maut ka saudagar (merchant of death) comment made by Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the 2007 Gujarat Assembly election to target Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister. Congress leadership hoped the comment would help capitalize votes by bringing memories of 2002 riots to the fore. Instead, Sonia Gandhis comment backfired, ending up polarizing voters towards the Modi-led BJP. With just 59 seats, the Congress came a distant second in the state. Despite the Gujarat blunder, Congress leaders fail to learn lessons especially when polls are around the corner. It is well documented fact how senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars chaiwala jibe ended up badly wounding the party just prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. His comment that Gujarat CM Modi would never become Indias PM but he can sell tea at AICC meet was instantly lapped up by Modi and the BJP. Modi tactfully used the barb to his own advantage to highlight his humble origins and attack the Congress for not stomaching the rise of someone from not an elite background. BJPs Chai pe charcha owes itself to Aiyars jibe. Similarly, during campaigning for the all crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls last year, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of doing Khoon ki dalali with the blood of soldiers. The comment was made in the backdrop of surgical strike conducted by the Indian Army. The cross LoC action on terror camps by Indias elite forces received much public applause and appreciation. Gandhi clearly failed to read the public mood and the comment backfired badly. The Uttar Pradesh verdict is known to all. Digvijaya Singhs tweet (now deleted) comes at a time when Congress is gearing up for the critical Gujarat and Himachal polls. The party is buoyant after senior leader Ahmad Patel recently managed to save his Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat in a nail-biting finish. The Party expects to better its recent performance. But with comments like those made by the likes of Digvijaya Singh revival hopes are distant yet. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has questioned the Centre and state governments on steps being taken to keep witnesses out of harm's way, especially in sensitive and high-profile cases. A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, after hearing Attorney General KK Venugopal, decided to issue notices to all the states, seeking their responses on the issue. "Since in this petition the court is primarily dealing with the issue pertaining to witness protection programme, it would be appropriate to issue a notice to all other states as well," said the court in a recent order. The bench passed the order as the A-G, assisted by Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, agreed with the court that it was indispensable for an effective justice delivery system to keep witnesses safe so that trials are not vitiated by fear or by any other form of duress. The judges were hearing a petition relating to the safety of witnesses in rape cases involving self-styled godman Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. Notably, at least three prime witnesses in these rape cases have been killed while over a dozen have been attacked. The two rape cases are being tried at courts in Rajasthan and Gujarat. One of the petitioners before the apex court was a personal assistant to Asaram between 2001 and 2005. He was also shot at his house in May 2015 in Panipat but survived. Other three petitioners include the father of a rape victim, father of a murdered witness and a journalist, who also who allegedly escaped a murder attempt. When the matter had initially come up for hearing, the court had issued replies from state governments of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, where these witnesses lived and where the trials were proceeding. However, the bench has now decided to widen the ambit of the matter, as it roped in all states through formal notices. The state governments have been given four weeks to inform the court what have they done to protect witnesses in criminal cases. Despite being central to the criminal justice delivery system, there are not many safeguards in place to protect witnesses. More than a decade ago, the Supreme Court had emphasised the need for victim and witness protection in the context of the 2002 Gujarat riots and even ordered protection for many victims and witnesses. Later, in 2005 the Standing Committee on Home Affairs raised concerns about the lack of witness protection and recommended law reform. This was followed by a report of the Law Commission of India in 2006, which recommended procedural changes to protect witnesses inside and outside courtrooms. The Commission also proposed a draft law on witness protection and called for the government to fund the program. But the legislative reform remained elusive. As recently as in November last year, the apex court, in a judgment, called for a witness protection programme "at least in sensitive cases involving those in power, who have political patronage and could wield muscle and money power, to avert trial getting tainted and derailed and truth becoming a casualty." No-Fly offence categories: Level 1 - unruly physical gestures, verbal harassment and unruly inebriation. Ban - upto 3 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 No-Fly offence categories: Level 2 - physically abusive behaviour (pushing, kicking, hitting, inappropriate touching); Ban - upto 6 months Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 No-Fly offence categories: Level 3- Life threatening behaviour - assaults, damage to aircraft systems etc. Ban - min. 2 years Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 Decision will be taken by an independent committee under a retired District Judge within a period of 30 days of alleged offence. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 The No-Fly ban will be in addition to any statutory legal action that can be taken against the offender under existing laws. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 Goes without saying, but since many have asked, let me reply - the No-fly list provisions are applicable to EVERY passenger. No exemptions. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 Indias first no-fly list for air passengers proposes a minimum ban of three months and a maximum ban of unspecified time and is applicable to every flyer, without exception, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted. The list is an attempt to make flying safer for flyers and air crew from unruly passengers.A series of unruly incidents on domestic airlines, involving mainly Members of Parliament, have necessitated the no fly list. Earlier this year Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted an Air India staffer resulting in his ban by all domestic airlines. His party also raised the issue in Parliament, but the Civil Aviation minister held firm. The ban was rescinded after Gaikwad submitted an apology.No-fly lists in other countries are based mainly on security considerations in order to prevent terrorist incidents. Indias list will combine the security aspect along with people who misbehave with airline staff and cause problems aboard air planes. No exemptions will be made for anybody. To ensure safety and check unruly & disruptive behaviour on aircraft, we will put in place, mechanism for country's first No-Fly list today Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 More announcements on the No-Fly list at 1:30 pm today. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) September 8, 2017 Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has tweeted that Indias first no-fly list will be released on Friday in an effort to keep blacklisted people off airlines to ensure safety and check unruly behaviour.The no-fly list comes in the wake of several unruly incidents on airlines involving mainly Members of Parliament misbehaving with airline staff.Earlier this year Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted an Air India staffer. After the incident, all domestic airlines barred Gaikwad from flying, so much so that he had to travel by train. His party also raised the issue in Parliament, but the Civil Aviation minister held firm. The ban was rescinded after Gaikwad submitted an apology.Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had earlier said, India will be the first country in the world to have a national no-fly list based on safety. No-fly lists in other countries are based mainly on security considerations in order to prevent terrorist incidents.Indias list will combine the security aspect along with people who misbehave with airline staff and cause problems aboard air planes.The Ministry had released draft guidelines for the no-fly list in May which proposed that unruly passengers may be barred from flying from upto 3 months to forever, depending on the degree of misconduct.There are three categories of unruly flyers from the perspective of the no-fly list: The first are those who make abusive physical gestures which attracts a three month ban; the second category is for physical actions like striking and shoving and sexual harassment, which will attract a six month ban; the last category is for two years to life for threatening behaviour, including damage to the aircraft and property. New Delhi: Inspired by Ranveer Singh-starrer 'Ladies vs Ricky Bahl', a 34-year-old man duped several women over the last six years on the pretext of marrying them and would later blackmail them with intimate videos. Yogesh alias Sameer Garg conned close to 15 women of more than Rs 50 lakh in the last year alone, police said. He was arrested on September 5 from the New Delhi railway station while trying to flee. Police said he mostly targeted single women in their late 30s, who had registered themselves on matrimonial sites. On September 5, a woman's brother approached police with a complaint that his sister, a divorcee, was missing along with her 12-year-old son for the last two days. He told police that his sister had uploaded her profile on a matrimonial site and had come in contact with Garg through it. Police started tracking the mobile numbers of the accused. Meanwhile, the woman's brother managed to get in touch with his sister. He lied to her that their father is sick and admitted to AIIMS. She agreed to come to see him but told her brother that she is leaving for Mumbai, the police said. Garg came to AIIMS along with the victim's sister but he sensed something amiss and escaped from there taking her along. A police team started for the airport to nab the accused and rescue the woman and her son. However, the cell phone location of Garg s phone indicated that he was at the New Delhi railway station on September 5, the police said. The team proceeded there and it was found that the Mumbai-bound train was slated to leave from a different platform. A trap was laid and the accused was arrested. The woman and her son were also rescued. The victim said that the accused had lured her on the pretext of marriage and had taken her to Vaishno Devi. Later, he took her to Goa on the pretext of making her meet his parents, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara). The woman, who works as a teacher, told police that he had been extracting money from her and had taken Rs three lakh from her. He had made videos of her and had threatened to upload them on social media sites if she did not pay up, they added. Garg has also been charged with rape. During interrogation, Garg told police that he was inspired by the Bollywood film 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl'. He would project himself as the country head of a high-profile conglomerate firm and tell women that his father is a retired IAS officer, said the DCP. He also told police that he had completed his graduation from SRCC and had pursued his MBA from one of the Indian Institutes of Management. He also claimed to have studied in a prestigious institution in the United Kingdom. However, these claims have been found to be false, the police said. He had been conning women since 2011. So far, five women in their late 30s, have approached the police. One of the victims is from Ahmedabad and another is from Noida. They claimed that the accused also got intimate with them on the pretext of marriage and deserted them after taking money from them. They claimed that they swindled out of Rs eight lakh respectively, the police said. Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone who can help the police nab the killers of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The 21-member team formed under BK Singh, Inspector General of Police, has asked the public to share any information they feel would help in solving the murder case. The press note by the police states that the general public can call the number 09480800202 or send an email to sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in with relevant information. After the death of Gauri Lankesh and her funeral, the police had visited the crime scene and the inspection of the CCTV footage had revealed that the attackers wore helmets and dark colored jacket, making it difficult for the police to identify the killers. Bengaluru Police have also arrested one person for putting up derogatory posts on Facebook. Mallanagouda Basanagouda Biradar, whose name on Facebook is Malli Arjun, was arrested after he had put up a post stating that one beggars body has fallenOther beggars will face the same fate. This post was made close on the heels of Gauri Lankeshs death. Now the Bengaluru Police have arrested him for incitement and making provocative statements. On similar lines, the Delhi Police on September 7 registered a case on a complaint by journalist Sagarika Ghose after a Facebook post said she should be assassinated like Gauri Lankesh. The police have sought details of the IP address from which the post was written. It was posted by a user, Vikramaditya Rana, and the details of his profile are being probed. The post read, Let d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists & activists. I hope this is not d last...should be episode of serial assassinations of all anti-nationals. Shobha De; Arundhati Roy; Sagarika Ghose; Kavitha Krishnan; Shehla Rashid etc at d end of a list that should start with anti-national & treacherous politicians. A hit list be prepared & eliminate all those on d list. At last a ray of hope (sic)... it said. With regard to the case development, the area, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, where Lankesh resided has no neighbors coming forward as yet with any crucial information. Many neighbors have given statements stating that the firing initially looked like the bursting of firecrackers. The Karnataka Home Ministry has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the killers of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh who was gunned down outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5. The politics over the murder continues with the BJP hitting back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for blaming the RSS. Addressing a press conference, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned why the Congress government in Karnataka had failed to provide security to Lankesh and hinted that Naxal elements could be responsible for the Hindutva critics death. Stay tuned for live updates: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Friday cleared a proposal to rename the state Bangla and will now send a proposal to the Centre for the name change. The Mamata Banerjee government had earlier too sent a proposal for the change of name, but it was rejected by the central government. The earlier proposal had three different names for the state - Bangla in Bengali, Bangal in Hindi and Bengal in English. Earlier, the Centre has turned down our proposal to change the name to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali language. Therefore, now we have decided to send another proposal to change it to only Bangla in all three languages including Hindi, English and Bengali. The decision to send another proposal on changing the name of West Bengal was decided in todays (Friday) cabinet meeting. We are hopeful that the Parliament will clear our proposal, he said. TMC members said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to rename West Bengal because the state figures at the bottom of lists prepared in alphabetical order in any official circular of the central government. Also, it will help MPs from the state in the Parliament to raise issues in the first half of session. If the Parliament clears its, then West Bengals position will be raised to four from 28 currently. Last year, Mamata Banerjee during an Inter State Council meeting in New Delhi, had expressed annoyance because she was made to speak at the end due to the states 28th alphabetically. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said that there would be no more protests in Tamil Nadu over NEET. The order came just days after protests erupted across the state over the suicide of S Anitha, a Dalit medical aspirant. The state chief secretary and principal secretary have been made accountable to ensure that Tamil Nadu remains peaceful with the apex court asking the administration to book all those who disturb law and order. Additionally, the court has also said that political leaders can also be booked if they try to jeopardize normal life. The order came while the court was hearing a PIL filed by lawyer GS Mani demanding a judicial inquiry into the death of Anitha. The plea also asked for the Tamil Nadu government to maintain law and order and ensure that protests over Anitha's death don't disrupt normal life. 17-year-old Dalit girl Anitha, who was the face of the fight against NEET, took her life on September 1. The teenager from Ariyalur had petitioned the Supreme Court against the implementation of NEET in Tamil Nadu. A day after the Anitha's suicide, protests were held across Chennai by many groups, including the Left parties and PMK. The protestors blamed both the state and the central government for Anitha's death. Superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan had also expressed grief over the incident. "We must protest for Anitha's justice without considering caste, creed or even state borders. The girl had many dreams but now she has been killed and buried. Those who claimed that good news was coming soon have disappeared, so has the girl. Politicians should forget party rivalries and rise against this," said Kamal Haasan. Gauri Lankesh was gunned down in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Twitter, Facebook and TV erupted within minutes over the brutal, inhuman, murder. Lankeshs politics was well-known, no surprise then that it didnt take Lutyens Delhis news anchors and which caste-art-thou liberals much time to blame the BJP and RSS. Their presumptive conclusions and quick closure of Lankeshs murder was based on troll handles some of which might not even represent any citizen of this nation! For a moment, let us forget the glorious legacy of Lankesh the daughter of a revolutionary poet, a fierce advocate of her own brand of politics, an erstwhile Naxal sympathiser who had helped mainstream more than a dozen Maoists et al. Let us forget that she warned of infighting among her own ideologues. Let us forget her articles against her own ideological kin. Let us also forget that she was writing against the state government of Karnataka and was in the process of exposing industry-politics nexus in her state through her writings. Let us forget that she was being threatened. Let us forget the tweet she put out the day she was murdered. Let us forget all this because among other things she was also a hardline Hindutva critic. Let us hijack this last identity within her many identities and heat up our political bakery! Yes, of course, Gauri Lankesh and I stand at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. So do the Sangh functionaries in Karnataka. But are we rejoicing at her murder? No. Are we supporting trolls who have been rejoicing at her death? No. Soon after news broke of her murder, I called up an RSS functionary in Karnataka and this is what he told me: Gauriji was never supportive of the Sangh. But she helped society in her own way. We respected that. And we will continue to respect that. Despite her or anyones ideological affiliation, we are open to ideas that strengthen the nation, at large, and in the long run. So who are the vultures that are hovering around her corpse? Do they belong to just one colour of the ideological spectrum? Who are asking the right questions? And who are raising rhetorical flourish just to shield the real culprits? We need to name and shame one and all. There are shameless violent handles on Twitter who are justifying Gauris death as if it is all part of an ideological war. That she had met a Frankenstein-like fate. I cringe at the thoughts of some of these self-appointed contractors of Hindu faith! I cringe at the mention of the eye-begets-eye narrative. Why is it that we cannot stand up and say united: murders are unacceptable. Period. As a Hindu woman who believes in the ideology that Gauri detested, let me categorically say it: Extremism is extremism. Murder is murder. Whatever the shade. Whatever the intent. However, does this take away the merit of criticizing the selective outrage surrounding Gauris death? You may call it whataboutery, but I cant help ask. Did the what-caste-art-thou celeb anchors outrage even once on the death of Rajdeo Ranjan, who was killed by goons of Lalu Yadavs partyman Mohammed Shahabuddin? Or Jagendra Singh, who was doing a story on the then UP Minority Affairs minister, Rammoorti Verma? Or Rajesh Verma, who was covering the Muzaffarnagar riots? Or M.V.N. Shankar, who was trying to expose the oil mafia? Or Tarun Kumar, a stringer in Odisha? Or Sai Reddy, who was killed by unidentified armed men, possibly Naxals in Bijapur? Or Ramchandra Chhatrapati in Sirsa? Or more than 40 journalists in the Northeast? And why did they not? Can we ask these questions please now? Is it because none of these journalists wrote in English but in regional or Hindi language? Is it because none of them were as vocal against the Sangh Parivar as Gauri Lankesh was? Is it because they were less glamorous because they did not write for new propaganda foreign groups/citizens funded mushroom network of news-views websites? Why has there not been a swell of an uprising so far by the same select coterie? Why is some blood always a tad bit more darker for them? How did these journalists assume that Hindu Terror groups, as they are being referred to, killed Lankesh? What is the ulterior back channel arrangement or conversation that coaxes them to conceal that Lankesh was under threat from Naxals? Should we be hasty just as they have been and say that Gauris death is a carefully orchestrated mystery that surrounds the political reality of elections due in Karnataka in a few months from now? Should we say that the ruling dispensation in Karnataka and these journalists have a collusion that need expose as well? Let us address sane straight concerns. Law and order is a state subject. Why have signature petitions not been started yet demanding Karnataka CMs resignation? What stops them from collectively demanding accountability from the state government? Let us ask questions. Let us demand answers. But let us do that in a tone, which is, sharp yet civil, sarcastic, if you may like, but parliamentary. (The author is with India Foundation, views are personal) New Delhi: Hours before home minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, violent protests broke out in Anantnag and Pulwama, injuring 6 policemen, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police. Deputy SP Mohammad Yousuf was beaten up by a mob, and his bullet proof police vehicle was set afire when protesters and policemen clashed in Anantnag district. Police said that clashes broke out after the Friday prayers. Protests began on the issue of alleged persecution of Rohingya Muslims but soon turned violent when police asked the mob to disperse. "After Friday prayers 200-300 miscreants pelted stones at Police deployed at Lal Chowk at Sadder police station in Anantnag. They set ablaze the bullet proof Rakshak Vehicle of the Deputy SP Anantnag," the MHA spokesperson said. Deputy SP Mohamed Yousuf is undergoing treatment in Anantnag and is believed to be in a serious condition. "Shops in the area have been closed and traffic suspended but the situation is under control," the ministry said. In Pulwama, protestors took to street against NIA for the arrest of photojournalist Kamran Yousuf. The protest call was given on the issue of Rohingyas, but slogans were soon raised against NIA for Kamran's arrest. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Srinagar on Saturday and Anantnag on Sunday. He is likely to felicitate Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF personnel for their bravery in the anti-terror operations and for crowd control in the face of provocations. Mumbai: Music maestro AR Rahman condemned the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in strong words on Friday and said if such incidents continue to happen in the country, then its not his India. The Kannada journalist, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The 50-year-old Oscar winner said he was extremely pained by the incident. I am so so sad about that. I hope these things don't happen in India. If these things happen in India, then it is not my India. I want my India to be progressive and kind, he said. Rahman was speaking at the premiere of his upcoming film One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film. One Heart... is based on Rahman's concert tour across 14 North American cities. It also includes video interviews of Rahman and his band members and rehearsal sessions, giving a sneak peek into the lesser known world of Rahman as a person. "'One Heart...' is probably the first concert movie in India. We wanted to give an alternate kind of movie to the audience because people have seen action, romance comedy and everything but a musical movie which have great quality and sound is something to look out for," he said. "All the numbers have been tested and people are liking all the numbers a lot. One Heart...' as a film supports One Heart Foundation and profits from this film will go to foundation for elder musicians and educational cause," Rahman said. When asked if there is a possibility of a biopic being made on him, the ever-humble musician said he is still young. "May be somebody will make it after I am gone," said Rahman. His long-time associate Ranjit Barot, a music arranger for most of Rahman's concerts, said: "I can guarantee that people haven't seen a film like this. I am not saying this because I am featuring in it or A.R. is responsible for it. No matter how much you are prepared for it, you are going to be surprised with this film." The film will released on Friday in Hindi, English and Tamil. New Delhi: The National Students Union of India (NSUI), student wing of the Congress, has kicked up a storm over the University Grants Commissions (UGC) circular to telecast Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on September 11, the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. While the UGC has asked 40,000 institutions across the country to telecast the life-changing speech, the NSUI has specifically objected to the speech being streamed in Delhi University, which goes to polls the next day. Delhi University is headed to elections. On September 12, students will elect the new governing body of the Delhi University Students Union. The PMs address is a day before the election. On that day, moral code of conduct will be implemented on the campus. It is not only unethical for the PMs speech to be broadcast in DU, it would also be a violation of the poll-code. NSUI will protest this unfair decision, which seeks to benefit the RSS student wing ABVP in the DUSU polls. The speech can be streamed anywhere, but not in a poll-bound University. Modi has effectively jumped into the DUSU campaign to help ABVP, Neeraj Mishra, NSUI National Media coordinator, said. A letter from UGC Acting Chairman VS Chuahan, addressed to Vice Chancellors of Universities across India, reads, I would like to mention that on September 11, 2017, Honorable Prime Minister would be addressing a Student Leaders Convention on the occasion of Pandit Deendaya Upadhyayas Centenary celebration and 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas Address at the Chicago World Parliament of Religions. The Theme of the programme is Young lndia, New lndia A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Siddhi. Swami Vivekananda was a great philosopher-saint, who, through his teachings, strove to infuse a knowledge amongst people that addressed their spiritual as well socio-economic needs, so as to enhance the quality of their lives. The letter adds, In light of the above, it is requested that all Vice Chancellors of Universities, Heads of Higher Educational Institutions provide an opportunity and facility to the teachers & students to view Honorable Prime Ministers address on September 11, 2017 by i) Identifying for the above programme a common place, audio-visual room or auditorium in the campus ii) installing of proper TV/projection facility for wide viewing. The students and teachers may be encouraged to participate in the event. The programme/ venue may be prominently displayed on the campus notice board. Washington: The killing of activist- journalist Gauri Lankesh was a "tragic murder", the US has said, days after the slain scribe who was regarded as a symbol of free speech and dissent was shot dead outside her home. Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday, triggering nationwide condemnation. Addressing a Congressional subcommittee during a hearing on South Asia, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said India provides the "highest constitutional protections" for religious minorities, and the goal of the US is to work with India to encourage it to meet the goals set in its constitution and laws. "There are cases, obviously, of religious -- as we detail in both the Human Rights Report and the International Religious Freedom Report -- of infringements, and there was a tragic murder of a journalist just this week who was often the subject of nationalist criticism," she said, in a reference to the killing of Lankesh. She said these are the challenges for any democracy, but India is a democracy, and it is a "vibrant democracy". "And we have respect for Indian institutions and ability to raise and meet these challenges. And we certainly, in all of our engagements, at senior levels, encourage the Indian government to do so," Wells said in response to a question from Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. In a statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it "is deeply shocked" by leading Indian journalist and media freedom defender Lankesh's murder in Bangalore. It called on the authorities to do everything possible to quickly find and punish her killers. "We firmly condemn this terrible murder, which has deprived the media of a tough and determined champion and has deprived India of a voice that was fundamental for the country's democratic life," said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF s Asia-Pacific desk. The Indian National Overseas Congress in the US said Lankesh's death appears to be a "meticulously planned" and executed to silence a powerful voice. "The opposing forces could not match her rationale pointing up the dangers of right-wing politics and its possibly disastrous effect on the secular fabric of the nation. Her harsh criticism of prevailing casteism in the society was often directed at institutions that still harbour those sentiments and made her more of a passionate activist who had little patience for the status-quo," George Abraham of INOC-USA said in a statement. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova also urged Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. "Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished," Bokova said. Practising Hatha yoga -- a combination of asanas, pranayam and meditation -- along with mindfulness meditation daily for just 25 minutes can significantly improve brain function and energy levels, according to a new study. The findings showed that both Hatha yoga or mindfulness meditation everyday can boost the brain's executive functions, cognitive abilities linked to goal-directed behaviour and the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses, habitual thinking patterns and actions. "Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation both focus the brain's conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing and posing, and also reduce processing of nonessential information," said Peter Hall, associate rofessor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. "These two functions might have some positive carryover effect in the near-term following the session, such that people are able to focus more easily on what they choose to attend to in everyday life," Hall added. Hatha yoga -- one of the most common styles of yoga practiced in Western countries -- involves physical postures and breathing exercises combined with meditation. Mindfulness mediation, on the other hand, involves observing thoughts, emotions and body sensations with openness and acceptance. In the study, published in the journal Mindfulness, participants completed 25 minutes each of Hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation, and quiet reading (a control task) in randomised order. Mindfulness meditation and Hatha yoga were both found effective for improving energy levels, but Hatha yoga had significantly more powerful effects than meditation alone. Yoga improves energy levels and cognitive test performance, because it helps the release of endorphins, increase blood flow to the brain, and reduce focus on ruminative thoughts, explained Kimberley Luu from the varsity. Other European holiday spots may be getting fed up with tourists, but not Bulgaria, where the government is sending thank-you postcards to some of the record numbers of visitors to the country this year. The "Thank you for choosing Bulgaria!" cards, showing the Thracian tomb in Kazanlak or the Rila Monastery, will be sent to 400,000 tourists chosen randomly from the five million who visited as of July 31. Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova said on her ministry's website that the cards would be personally signed by her as a sign of her "gratitude". The addresses were obtained from hotels. Bulgaria is a cheap winter and summer holiday hotspot bordering Greece and the Black Sea, and tourism accounts for 13 percent of its economic output. The country, the European Union's poorest member, posted a 7.2 percent rise in visitors through July 31. Very early in Daddy, we see gangster-turned-politician Arun Gulab Gawlis on-screen daughter explaining to him the real reason for people referring to him as Robin Hood.Matlab jo chor hai par villain nahi she says and that in a way sends out the final message and sets the tone of the film.The story is of a Dagdi chawl boy Arun (Arjun Rampal), who at a very young age, indulges in illegal trade practices, extortion, and killings, owing it to circumstances and poverty. What makes him turn into a gangster and then to be known as Daddy, a politician worshipped by people and feared by opponents is what the film is about.Director Ashim Ahluwalia, known for his award-winning film Miss Lovely, takes the route barely taken in Bollywood. The nonlinear narrative oscillates back and forth in time to develop the story arc and it is only through the investigation of a cop (Nishikant Kamat), who is solely dedicated to bringing Gawli down, that you understand what the real stories behind his crimes are.Daddy finds its base on Gawlis goodness and establishes him as an innocent man with a bad past serving a lifetime imprisonment and not as a dreaded gangster who has a vital role to play in Indias crime history. As the characters share their stories, one learns about facets other than those coloured by gunshots, killings, fist fights personality. He is a god-fearing family man who cares about the well-being of his wife and the welfare of his constituency. He wants to ensure the safety of people regardless of their caste and religion. Hes ready to go extreme miles for his loved ones and while it might appear that he fears nothing, he does fear the loss of his life and worries what people might think of him.While the film aimed to delineate his rise and fall, on its course, the saga ends up poeticizing the man in him.Arjun Rampal is in top form throughout, delivering a controlled performance with his Marathi accent and looks right in place. He holds it back often and one doesnt mind because it seems fitting for the part. A particular scene where he breaks down behind the bars stands a testimony to his acting skills. Nishikant Kamat, as a no-nonsense cop Vijaykar Nitin, is another gem. The unrest in his mind when hes failing to devise a full-proof agenda to bring Gawli down is palpable. Aishwarya Rajesh as Gawlis wife, Asha, does a fine job and delivers what the character demands from her. Anand Ingale as Babu and Rajesh Shringarpure as Rama fit the bill perfectly.But one performance that goes haywire is that of Farhan Akhtar, who essays the role of Maqsood bhai. Now, the character is a significant one as it mirrors Dawood Ibrahim, and while Akhtar couldve made the most of it, he simply doesnt justify the part.On the outlines, theres a lot keep the viewers invested and intrigue them. Because no matter what youd like to believe, Gawlis tale was waiting to be told. It has all the elements a gangster-drama should entail, but all of it goes in vain, as the film fails to rise above its flaws. An underdeveloped writing and a faulty screenplay dilute the impact of the impressive performances in the film. In fact, at times one fails to connect the dots as one after the other character is being shot dead.Despite all the shortcomings, the makers do get a few things right. They recreate the retro vibe of 70-80s Bombay with precision. The scenes in which young boys are handed over guns for the first time and the entire landscape of Bombay when the gangs, like those of BRA (Babu, Rama and Arun), were on rise, are the highlights.Daddy might be a brave attempt and Ahluwalia should be credited for the unconventional storytelling, but in totality, the film feels like a wasted opportunity. Stephen King is indeed one of the most celebrated fiction-writers, whose work makes for a perfect screenplay for any movie, especially horror genre. While The Shining remains to be a cult in the genre, IT follows closely. So when the remake of Pennywise, the dancing clown's story, was announced, stakes were already high. The novel IT has always been a tough one to be adapted, owing to its long story and layers of characters. While the older version brought the fear of clown alive, along with the characters, the new one falls short in many ways.For the beginners, the remake focuses just on the childhood part of the story and has renamed it as chapter one. The story spans roughly nine months in the roughneck township of Derry, Maine, beginning with the brutal murder of six-year-old Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott), with the introduction of a sinister figure calling itself Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard), who sweet-talks him inch by inch toward his doom. The opening is effective because it has been recreated scene-by-scene from its predecessor. The rest of the film, however, struggles to craft another with similar impact.A few months later, Georgies older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) is the last one still holding futile hopes of finding him alive. Several other kids have since gone missing, and as school breaks for the summer, Bill enlists his clique of dorky buddies to help scout out the nearby streams for clues. His friends try their best to remain supportive, even though they're more interested in talking about girls and avoiding the torments of the towns bully, Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton). The clan includes Richie (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), Stanley (Wyatt Oleff). Their self-named the Losers Club, gradually grows to include Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), a shy new kid who spends his time in the library, and Mike (Chosen Jacobs), a home-schooled loner. The biggest disruption, however, comes with the addition of Beverly (Sophia Lillis), a supremely confident, tomboy eager to escape her abusive home life. Both Bill and Ben are quick to fall in love with her, and the film is sensitive to the tender awkwardness that ensues when between male-female friendships.Director Andy Muschietti has converted the film into a mixed bag of different themes. Focusing entirely on the childhood-set portions of Kings book, its a collection of alternately terrifying, hallucinatory, and ludicrous nightmare imagery; a certain vibe Netflix's Stranger Things and Nightmare of Elm Street could easily be spotted. The film is a series of well-crafted yet ineffective suspense which promises to possess everything a horror fan would enjoy but in reality turns out otherwise. There's a certain hollowness that haunts the film just as surely as the titular monster haunts this the small town of Derry.The film struggles to find a rhythm in the story, though already excruciatingly long, the film appears as a patchwork trying to sew the half narrative so that it appears whole while leaving a little gap for a supposed sequel. The character buildup is nice, and you get familiar with each and every one, a little too much. The strong cast keeps the spirit of the film high despite slow narrative which edges the line of boredom at times.This does not mean the film does not give you goose bumps. There are few well-executed scenes, where, even if you are not afraid of a clown, your inside will churn and you'd be forced to close your eyes. A lot of gore and certain psychological play has always been a forte of King, who doesn't believe in cliche chills. The story touches upon various social evil from a child's perspective- from bullying to abuse and overprotective parents who keep them away from finding themselves. Another interesting aspect of the film is the placement of adults in the film. The film sees them missing when the entire action is taking place, and only appearing as either drunk, abusive or as villains. "Adults are the real monsters", and the movie sticks to King's subtle ideology. Muschietti has plenty of ground left to cover when we see what kinds of adults these characters become if there comes a Chapter 2.IT appears to be a half-baked adaptation that had a lot of ground to cover effectively, and thus fell short on major aspects. The scares are less, the thrill is nil, just the strong characters and patent psychological 'monsters' keep this horror-thriller afloat. Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday warned party leaders of disciplinary action if they are found hobnobbing with the BJP and the Left. During Trinamools core committee meet at Mamatas Harish Chatterjee Street residence, she said that those who wanted to join other parties are free to move but no anti-party activities will be tolerated. There are rumours that ever since CBI and Enforcement Directorate started probe against TMC leaders in Narada and Saradha scam some party leaders are desperate to reach out to BJP to save themselves. Reports of rift within party leaders over area domination is very disturbing. I should not hear about any infighting. Panchayat elections are around the corner and you should be concentrate more in your respective areas, the TMC supremo said. She asked party leaders to concentrate more on Howrah, Hooghly, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Birbhum as the BJP may try to create communal disharmony in these districts. She also removed Tapan Dasgupta as in charge of Hooghly and replaced him with Prabir Ghosal. Tapan was removed for non-performance. Mamata also slammed few party leaders for speaking to media and warned that in future only the party spokesperson will only address the media. Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy was also present in the meeting. Recently, Mukul was removed from the post of chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture in Rajya Sabha for his alleged proximity with the BJP leaders. She also raised concern over Darjeeling issue and asked TMC leaders to be optimistic about the all-party meet on September 12 in Siliguri. Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee couldnt attend the meeting as he was at Nizam Palace for CBI examination in the Narada scam. Shovans wife Ratna was also summoned by the ED and told to appear before the probe agency on October 4. Mamata announced that the next core committee meeting will be held on October 22. New Delhi: Defending his statement that beef ban had no impact on Indias tourism industry, newly appointed Tourism Minister KJ Alphons on Friday said foreigners dont visit India to eat beef. People dont come to India to eat beef, do they? The answer is No. So whats the big deal? the bureaucrat-turned-politician said. Speaking to reporters earlier, Alphons had said that tourists should beef in their own country. They can eat beef in their own country and then come to India. This is a cock-and-bull story, he had said. Alphons was speaking to reporters at the 33rd annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneswar. The comment seemed to mark a U-turn from Alphonss statement on September 5, his first day in office, when he had said that beef would continue to be consumed in Kerala. The 1979 Kerala cadre officer had said that the BJP never dictated that beef cannot be eaten. "As Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar has said that beef will be consumed in the state. Similarly, it will be consumed in Kerala," Alphons had said. "The BJP does not mandate that beef cannot be eaten. We don't dictate food habits in any place. It is for the people to decide," he had said. Cow slaughter is banned in as many as 21 states. Consumption of beef has also been barred in some of these states, including Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. It is also banned in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. New Delhi: Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad Raavan, who has been lodged in the Saharanpur district jail for the last three months, has written a strongly-worded letter from the confines of prison in which he has slammed the UP government as Kaale Angrez (Black Englishmen) and vowed to fight for his sister Gauri Lankesh, the Bengaluru-based journalist, who was shot down on Tuesday. Azad even alleged that there was pressure on him from the state government to not apply for bail. Saharanpur district jail in Uttar Pradesh is currently my home. I have learnt that the dictatorial government of Black Englishmen and their puppet district administration do not want me to apply for bail. They say that if I apply for bail, they will book me under the National Security Act (NSA). Firstly, let me make it clear that this country is ours. The 85% Dalits, backward classes, Muslims and minorities will no longer be slaves in their own country, Chandrashekhar said in his open letter, written in Hindi. He expressed sadness over the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh and said, I am saddened by the murder of my Ambedkarite elder sister Gauri Lankesh, but I salute her spirit. Her martyrdom will not go in vain. I am happy that she never bowed in her life. I want to tell you all that even if I die tomorrow, you should not back down from our collective struggle. It is because of your struggle that our future generations will be the rulers of this country. Ravi Kumar Gautam, the Bhim Army Youth Wing chief, said, Bhai Chandrashekhar has referred to the Yogi Government as Kaale Angrez because of their dictatorial attitude. In many ways, they are worse than the British. This government does not see us as equal citizens and we will fight them. He added, Gauri Lankesh was and will always be our sister. This murder shows that not even journalists in the country are free. The reason she was murdered was because she spoke out against the ideology of the Sangh. Caste riots had broken out in Western UPs Saharanpur district in May this year. According to police, a total of 25 FIRs were registered in connection with the May 9 Saharanpur caste-based clashes and Chandrashekhar was named as one of the main accused. Chandrashekhar, who had been on the run for a month, had been hopping from one state to the next before finally being arrested in Himachal Pradesh. A source said, he had spent time in Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. : Expressing his disappointment over denial of clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran to attend a United Nations meet in China, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the decision.The CM said that they are concerned and disappointed at the denial of opportunity for promoting state tourism in an international forum.(Copy of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's letter to PM Modi.Surendran wanted the nod to attend the 22nd general assembly session of UNWTO (United Nations' World Toursim Organsiation) to be held from September 11-16. Surendrans office said the MEA gave no reason for denying the permission.Surendran was invited by the UNWTO as a full-time member and no other ministers from any other state were in the list. He said the denial by the central government is an insult to the Kerala government and alleged that it might be due to political reasons.The minister said that he applied in advance but the MEA kept on delaying the process.The theme for this year's meet is Tourism and Sustainable Goals Journey to 2030. Surendran said it was a great opportunity for the state to participate in such a meet. Kerala had received awards from UNWTO for their initiatives in "responsible tourism". Kolkata: The West Bengal government has refused to pay heed to a UGC circular asking teachers and students to not miss out on Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on September 11 to observe Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Centenary Celebrations and the 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's Address at Chicago Worlds Parliament of Religions. The UGC circular had asked around 40,000 higher education institutes across the country to make arrangement for the live telecast of the speech. The theme of the programme is Young lndia, New lndia - A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Sidhhi. But Bengals Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee, in a press conference at the state secretariat, said the state would not follow the order. We are not accepting and following the UGCs circular. I have already told all the universities and educational institutes. We feel that this is an attempt of saffronisation of education. Every time they just cannot send such circulars without consulting with the state governments in advance, he said. The UGC in a letter on Thursday had requested all vice chancellors of universities and heads of higher educational institutions to provide an opportunity and facility to the teachers and students to view PM Modis address. The Prime Minister will address the Nation to remind one and all about the relevance and significance of Swami Vivekananda's teachings in the backdrop of today's social milieu. lt would be of particular importance for the youth of today to understand and absorb the content of Swami Vivekananda's messages to the World, in order to ensure their right educational, career and spiritual growth, reads the circular issued by the UGC. Institutes in Bengal said they have not received any such order so far. Jadavpur University (JU) vice-chancellor, Suranjan Das, said he has not received the letter. I am not aware about any such circular issued by the UGC. I am hearing it from you for the first time, Das told News18. Nowadays, UGC uploads circulars on its website. Let the letter come, then we will decide. Normally, in such cases we have to consult with the state government and then only we can take the final decision, he added. Vice-chancellor of Calcutta University (CU), Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee, too claimed that she is unaware of any such circular. I have not received any such circular from the UGC so I cannot comment anything on this issue. Let it come then we will decide. Beside JU and CU, there higher educational institutes in Bengal are also unaware of any UGC circular seeking students be encouraged to participate in the event. This is not the first time that the Bengal government has ignored a directive from the Centre. Last month, Mamata Banerjee had taken a strong exception to Centres prescribed format to celebrate Independence Day. In April this year, she had also issued a circular to change names of all central government schemes, including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which is now re-christened Mission Nirmal Bangla in the state. A month later, Mamata came down heavily on a private girls' school in South Kolkata for playing PM Modis Mann Ki Baat video in classrooms. New Delhi: A day before Union Home Minister is to visit Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, the senior-most leader of National Conference, has made some provocative remarks about the ongoing NIA raids against separatists. Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a function to mark the death anniversary of his father - Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah said, I will acknowledge the NIA raids only if something comes out of them. If they are being conducted to harass them, then let me tell the Centre and the NIA nobody here will surrender themselves before them. When asked about the detained Hurriyat leaders, Abdullah said, That is the tragedy. If you have to come and talk to people then those people [Hurriyat leaders] should be released, so that they can talk to him [Rajnath]. He also said that he had no expectation at all from Rajnath Singhs visit. I have no expectation at all. What happened when he came the last time [referring to last Rajnath Singh led the delegation of 26 MPs from 20 parties to J&K]? What happened to the recommendation of the MPs? Nothing happened. I dont expect anything to now happen. Farooq Abdullahs support to the Hurriyat leaders, which has been his policy for a long time, is an attempt to put more pressure on the ruling PDP-BJP coalition in the state. The ruling coalition, which was voted to power in 2014, has just crossed the halfway mark of its tenure and is under a lot of pressure from various groups across the state. Mehbooba Mufti came under a lot of criticism not only for the pellet injuries and death of hundreds of civilians during the post-Burhan unrest, she has also been criticised for not having even begun implementing the agenda of alliance the policy framework which the two parties laid as a foundation of their alliance. Farooq Abdullahs attacks on the centre come at a time when the ruling coalition in the state is getting increasingly isolated, and its presence and influence has shrunk tremendously. The politicians and political workers are still, for the fear of being killed, hiding in Srinagar. Only last month a PDP worker was shot dead in Mehboobas own constituency in Anantnag. And now the biggest threat to the coalition has come in the form of article 35A. This is an issue on which even PDP has drawn clear lines against the BJP. In a conference held in the capital on July 28, Mehbooba said that if article 35A was abrogated, nobody will be left to shoulder the tricolour in Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah, who has batted for making Hurriyat a stakeholder and a partner in dialogue on Kashmir, is, therefore, trying to further corner the PDP-BJP coalition on the arrests of the separatists. In statements made before, hes implied that the NIA raids were just exercised to affect the public perception and nothing else. He has also hinted that the NIA raids will only reveal that the separatists were partly funded by the union government. I congratulate NIA for its probe on funding of Hurriyat leaders. From where the money has come and how it is been utilised we will get to know that soon. One fact should also be investigated if Indian Government funded Hurriyat or not, Abdullah had said in July. Most parties and the Hurriyat have come together on the subject of article 35A because they know that abrogation of the article would also put their political existence in threat. It is in this context that Farooq Abdullahs recent statements against NIA raids can be looked at. And as the date of hearing, which has been set to some time after Diwali, will come nearer, one can expect Abdullah and other leaders from NC to show greater solidarity with the separatists. European Union defence ministers tested their ability to respond to a potential attack by computer hackers in their first cyber war game on Thursday, based on a simulated attack on one of the bloc's military missions abroad. In the simulation, hackers sabotaged the EU's naval mission in the Mediterranean and launched a campaign on social media to discredit the EU operations and provoke protests.Each of the defence ministers tried to contain the crisis over the course of the 90-minute, closed-door exercise in Tallinn that officials sought to make real by creating mock news videos giving updates on an escalating situation. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the "extremely exciting" war game showed the need for EU governments to be more aware of the impact of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure in the EU."The adversary is very, very difficult to identify, the attack is silent, invisible," Von der Leyen told reporters. "The adversary does not need an army, but only a computer with internet connection". After a series of global cyber attacks disrupted multinational firms, ports and public services on an unprecedented scale this year, governments are seeking to stop hackers from shutting down more critical infrastructure or crippling corporate and government networks."We needed to raise awareness at the political level," Jorge Domecq, the chief executive of the European Defence Agency that helped organise the exercise with Estonia, told Reuters. Especially concerned about Russia since it seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Estonia has put cyber security at the forefront of its six-month EU presidency and proposed the exercise. Estonia was hit by cyber attacks on private and government Internet sites in 2007. One of the world's most Internet-savvy countries, with 95 percent of government services online, Estonia has a separate cyber command in its armed forces. But it is not without its vulnerabilities.International researchers have found a security risk with the chips embedded in Estonian identity cards that could allow hackers to steal people's identities, although officials said there was no evidence of a hack.INCIDENT, THREAT OR ATTACK?NATO last year recognised cyberspace as a domain of warfare and said it justified activating the alliance's collective defence clause. The European Union has broadened its information-sharing between governments and is expected to present a new cyber defence plan. The EU exercise made ministers consider how to work more closely with NATO, whose Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was there as an observer, diplomats present said."Over the last year, we saw a 60 percent increase in the number of cyber attacks against NATO networks," Stoltenberg told reporters. "A timely exchange of information (with the EU) is key to responding to any cyber attacks." EU cyber exercises are not new, but officials said the idea of Thursday's exercise was to put the onus on defence ministers to act by simulating a temporary loss of military operational command, even if they would have more support in a real-life situation.Using tablet computers, ministers answered multiple-choice questions as they reacted to the situation, including some on whether they would make public statements or keep the situation secret. "Do you announce to the whole country that you are under a cyber attack. Is it an incident, a threat or an attack? These are the questions that ministers were forced to consider, probably for the first time," Estonian Defence Minister Juri Luik told Reuters. Beijing: China on Friday said it will play a "constructive role" to bring Pakistan and Afghanistan on the same page as part of fresh efforts to resolve the 16-year conflict with the Taliban by hosting a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries. The move by Beijing and Islamabad is seen as an apparent attempt to counter US President Donald Trump's tough policy against the Taliban and Pakistan which was announced last month as part of America's new Afghanistan and South Asia policy. Unveiling the new China-driven Afghanistan policy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Beijing will play a "constructive role" to bring Islamabad and Kabul together. "The participation of China in bringing together and finding a political solution to Afghan problem is very vital. To support the initiative, Pakistan has already undertaken many steps, and will pursue those steps of improving relationship with Kabul," Asif said while addressing a joint press conference with Wang. He said that before his visit to Beijing, he had held talks with his Afghanistan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and they have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly which will be the first such meeting after Trump's Afghanistan and South Asia policy speech wherein he announced deploying more troops in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, specially the Haqqani network based in Pakistan. To keep Pakistan and Afghanistan engagement substantive and robust, Asif said Pakistan will take up confidence building measures and keep engaged with Kabul at all levels including political, military and intelligence. "We have had a very compressive discussion a while ago. China and Pakistan have agreed that the solution to Afghan problem is fundamentally a political solution and not a military solution. We three are neighbours. We have stakes in Afghanistan's peace and we are already involved in a substantive way, creating atmosphere and culture of peace in the region. "With China's intervention and its role in bringing together Islamabad and Kabul, we will go a long way and will definitely pursue a policy of engagement with Kabul in bringing peace to our region," Asif said. Meanwhile, Wang, who has been trying to play a mediatory role between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last few months following persistent criticism by Kabul accusing Islamabad of fostering terrorism by aiding and abetting the Haqqani network, said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are important neighbours of China. "A good relationship will serve both the countries otherwise it will hurt both the countries. So, we sincerely hope that both the countries will work in the same direction and work together for the well-being of Pakistan and Afghanistan and contribute peace in the region," he said. The Chinese side welcomes Pakistan's attitude of improving relations with Afghanistan, Wang said. As a close neighbour of Pakistan and Afghanistan, China values its relations with both the countries and will work to narrow the differences between them and help them build mutual trust, he said. "In addition, we are exploring trilateral cooperation between the three countries. I want to let you know that with the communication between the three parties, there is initial progress in trilateral cooperation," he said. It is planned that before the end of this year, there will be the first China, Pakistan, Afghanistan foreign ministers meeting in China, Wang said without directly referring to Trump's more pro-active engagement in Afghanistan wherein the US president also spoke of India's active role in rebuilding the war-ravaged country. "We have identified three priority areas which are strategic communication, security dialogue and practical cooperation. On that basis, we will work to advance on trilateral basis starting from easier matters with goal of establishing a new platform for regional cooperation. "I am confident that with the consorted efforts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and with the active support from China and relations between the two countries and cooperation among the three countries will embrace a brighter future," Wang said. Observers say that Wang's remarks indicate that China will re-activate its efforts to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan which till now were proved unsuccessful due to Islamabad's unwillingness to withdraw its backing to the Taliban, blamed for creating havoc in Afghanistan. China in the past also tried to engage the Taliban by inviting its representatives to Beijing. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani started his presidency in 2014 with a visit to China soon after his election hoping for a pro-active role by China to rein in Pakistan to control the Talban and bring it to the negotiating table in the backdrop of then US president Barack Obama's plans to withdraw US troops. With unabated violence, Ghani's government turned to India and the US, leading to the recent policy rejig by Trump to announce the new Afghan policy under which Washington will pursue more aggressive policy against the Taliban and Pakistan. Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Emmanuel Macron on Friday he hoped France could play a "constructive role" in restarting talks on North Korea, state TV said. The French presidency said the two leaders had agreed in a telephone call on the need to put more international pressure on Pyongyang to get it back to the negotiating table and avoid a dangerous escalation. Chinese TV quoted Xi as saying: "The Korean peninsula nuclear issue in the end can only be resolved through peaceful means, including through dialogue and consultations." North Korea has tested a string of missiles this year, including one flying over Japan, and conducting its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sunday. China hosted on-again, off-again six-party talks on North Korea, including Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas, that fizzled out in 2008. Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to prevent. Xi discussed North Korea in calls with Trump on Wednesday and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. Trump has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbour. Washington: President Donald Trump offered Wednesday to personally broker a resolution to the Persian Gulfs escalating diplomatic crisis, as both he and Qatar looked past his pointed suggestion only a day earlier that the tiny gas-rich nation enables terrorism. In a phone call with Qatars ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Trump said he wanted to help Qatar and its Arab neighbors resolve the row that has upended any sense of Gulf unity, suggesting a possible White House summit among leaders. Though Trump again said countries must eliminate funding streams for terror groups, the White House said he focused on the need for the regions various U.S. allies to stick together. Blockaded by its neighbors by land and sea, Qatar is eager for Trumps help. Qatars US ambassador, Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, said, his country is counting on Washington to persuade Saudi Arabia and others to back down. We have great confidence in the presidents ability to calm this crisis and to resolve it, Al Thani said in an interview. Trumps bid to fashion himself as a neutral arbiter among Arab governments departed from his stance only a day earlier, when he left little doubt about where he felt the fault rested. In a tweetstorm, Trump said Mideast leaders hed met with last month had all pointed to Qatar as the source of terrorist financing, waxing optimistically that the isolation of the kingdom might be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism. Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates joined the Saudis earlier this week in cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar, accusing it of backing groups from al-Qaida and Hamas to the Muslim Brotherhood that threaten the regions other governments. Qatar vehemently denies such support. Al Thani, the ambassador, insisted his country had no idea why Qatars neighbors were picking a fight. Qatar received no notice from the other Arab countries before ties were cut, he said, calling it a surprise and a shock to us, this act of aggression. He said normal life in Qatar is not affected by the blockage, insisting the tiny country maintains sufficient access to other air and sea routes to secure food for its people. Trump also called Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the U.A.E., Wednesday. On the call, he reiterated the importance of maintaining a united Gulf Cooperation Council to promote regional stability, but never at the expense of eliminating funding for radical extremism or defeating terrorism, the White House said in a statement. Trumps broadside on Tuesday against Qatar, which plays a major role in US military efforts in the Mideast, arrived as an early-morning shock to US officials. They then sought to clean up the presidents comments by stressing US-Qatari cooperation remained intact and crediting the country with working hard to stem funding and support for extremists. That was enough, it seemed, to persuade Qatar the U.S. wasnt abandoning its strategic partner. We dont see that hes pointing fingers at Qatar, Al Thani said. Our relationship with the U.S. speaks for itself. Countries across the globe are increasingly faced with the same conundrum: How much credence to give to the presidents Twitter musings when they deviate sharply from U.S. policy? Emirati officials said they perceived Trumps tweets as a sign Qatar shouldnt count on America taking its side despite U.S. having some 10,000 troops based in the countrys al-Udeid Air Base. But in Germany, Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer pointed out that Trumps words differed substantially from those of State Department and Pentagon officials. I can indeed see differences in some 140 character comments by the American president, Schaefer said. But what the position of the United States of America... is something I cant really say. Both Qatar and the U.S. sought to show the rift wasnt affecting military cooperation. They cited no change to the status of al-Udeid Air Base. And a State Department official said an approved but pending sale of F-15 fighter planes to Qatar hasnt been affected. The call with Qatars emir showed Trump trying to personally involve himself in resolving the conflict. A day earlier, Trump discussed the crisis with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, which is leading the anti-Qatar campaign. Other countries also are offering to intervene, and its not clear if Trump will end up as the primary mediator. Kuwaits emir flew to the UAE on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, while Qatari ally Turkey voiced willingness to play a role. A White House summit seemed an unlikely possibility. The potential for a coup makes it unlikely the Qatari emir would travel so far from home, especially as its adversaries hint that regime change would be welcome. In the interview, Al Thani confirmed the FBI is helping Qatar investigate a hack of its state-run news agency last month that may have been a catalyst for the crisis. The Saudis and others have cited an article in which a top Qatari official seemed to pay tribute to Iran as a major regional power; the Qataris say the comments were fabricated as part of the hack. Al Thani also denied any Qatari involvement in a separate hack of emails belonging to the UAEs Washington ambassador, which have surfaced at various news agencies this week. At least six people, including two children, have been killed after a powerful 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico. Seismologists have warned of a tsunami of more than 10 feet. The quake was also felt in Mexico City, where people ran out of buildings after hearing earthquake warning sirens go off. Stay tuned for live updates: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. California: A federal court in California dealt a new blow Thursday to the Trump administration's travel ban, ruling that some refugees must be allowed into the country. It is the latest twist of the legal wrangling touched off by President Donald Trump's ban, first announced in January with little notice and widely criticized as discriminatory against Muslims. Trump says it is needed to keep out terrorists. In the new ruling, the US Ninth Circuit of Appeals, based in San Francisco, upheld a ruling by a court in Hawaii, a decision against which the administration had appealed. The new decision states that the ban must exclude "refugees who have a formal assurance from an agency within the United States that the agency will provide or ensure the provision of reception and placement services to that refugee." It could pave the way for the entry of some 24,000 refugees whose asylum requests had already been approved. And as the US Supreme Court had ruled in July, the three-judge panel in San Francisco confirmed that the ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close family members living in six mainly Muslim countries and seeking to visit relatives in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled in late June that the 90-day travel ban, purportedly aimed at better screening out potential security risks, can be broadly enforced for travelers from the six mainly Muslim countries "who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." Days later, the Trump administration interpreted that to mean that only "close family" was exempted. It defined this as the parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings of people in the United States. The California court said Wednesday the administration "does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship in the Supreme Court's prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin is not." The San Francisco court was ruling on the issue because the Supreme Court had refused a Justice Department request that it define what it means by "bona fide relationship" and "close family." The Justice Department issued a statement saying "we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch duty to protect the nation." The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the travel ban and study its constitutionality in October. Washington: The United States has expressed concern about the crisis in Myanmar, urging authorities to allow humanitarian access to Rakhine state amid reports of violence against the Rohingya minority. But the State Department would not say whether Washington is considering sanctions against Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, nor whether US officials find the reports of state-sponsored massacres credible. "The United States is deeply concerned about the troubling situation in Burma's northern Rakhine state," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters yesterday. Rakhine is the country's poorest state. "There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians," she said. "We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further attacks on local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights." The United Nations says that more than 250,000 refugees, most of them Rohingya, have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh since violence erupted last October. Witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of attacks on August 25, prompting a forceful military-led crackdown. Refugees arriving in already packed camps in Bangladesh, many of them exhausted and desperately hungry, have brought harrowing tales of murder, rape and widespread arson. "We call on the authorities to facilitate immediate access to affected communities that are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," Nauert said, adding that US officials are working to help the United Nations cope with the exodus. But she would not comment on who is at fault in the latest violence. Myanmar's de facto leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has claimed that allegations of army-led massacres are part of a "huge iceberg of misinformation" designed to sow division. Nauert said US diplomats are in regular touch with Myanmar authorities but that Rakhine is "a difficult place to get information from, it's difficult to get access to." "Some of these areas are areas of open conflict, we can't necessarily get in there," she said. Nauert refused to address calls for international sanctions, saying, "We don't want to get ahead of the conversations that we're having. New York: US banking regulators ordered Pakistan's Habib Bank to shutter its New York office after nearly 40 years, for repeatedly failing to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering, officials said on Thursday. Habib, Pakistan's largest private bank, neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends, New York banking officials said. The state's Department of Financial Services, which regulates foreign banks, also slapped a $225 million fine on the bank, although that is much smaller than the $629.6 million penalty initially proposed. Habib has operated in the United States since 1978, and in 2006 was ordered to tighten its oversight of potentially illegal transactions but failed to comply. New York regulators said Habib facilitated billions of dollars of transactions with Saudi private bank, Al Rajhi Bank, which reportedly has links to al Qaeda, and failed to do enough to ensure that the funds were not laundered or used for terrorism. "DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this State and the financial system as a whole," DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo said in a news release. "The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so." Habib permitted at least 13,000 transactions that were not sufficiently screened to ensure they did not involve sanctioned countries, the agency said. And the bank improperly used a "good guy" list to rubber stamp at least $250 million in transactions, including those by an identified terrorist and an international arms dealer, regulators said. In an August letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Habib company secretary Nausheen Ahmad called the proposed fine of $629.6 million "outrageous" and "capricious" and said the bank had decided to close its New York operations "in an orderly manner." But DFS said Habib will have to surrender its license after it meets the agency's requirements. "DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States," Vullo said. Washington: The US Senate has passed a USD 15.25 billion relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey, in an effort to fully fund federal emergency operations as another potentially catastrophic storm bears down on Florida. The package passed 80 to 17 on Wednesday, one day after President Donald Trump and congressional leaders announced a shock deal that includes the hurricane relief, as well as temporary lifting of the US debt ceiling and funding of the federal government into December. The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which approved a USD 7.9 billion, stand-alone emergency relief package Wednesday with no debt ceiling or government funding language. The two versions would need to be reconciled before a final bill is sent to the president for his signature. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, the state which bore the brunt of devastation from Hurricane Harvey, said it was "unfortunate" that leaders tied the relief bill to funding and debt ceiling extensions. But he voted for the measure anyway, saying it was vital to have "immediate" funding for hurricane relief, even if it was only a first step in a much larger need for aid. Leaders of a group of far-right House conservatives, the Republican Study Committee, have come out against the package because it ties relief funding to the debt ceiling, which they see as a tool for negotiating over spending. The head of another conservative group, the House Freedom Caucus, also opposes the three-pronged package. "We want to see a longer term debt-ceiling bill that has real conservative structural reforms and obviously we didn't see that yesterday" with the Trump deal, Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows told Fox Business Network. With most if not all Democrats expected to support the package along with Republican moderates, the House could still pass the legislation and send it to Trump for his signature. House Speaker Paul Ryan, noting that monster Hurricane Irma was now tracking toward Florida, said there was "a sense of urgency to get this relief package done." Under the Senate plan, USD 7.4 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Administration's disaster relief fund. FEMA has burned through much of its disaster funding, due to the scope of Harvey and technical advancements that allow the agency to distribute money more quickly than in previous disasters. Another USD 7.4 billion would fund community development block grants, used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, while USD 450 million was headed to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended tying hurricane resources to the debt ceiling and government funding. It will provide "certainty and stability" for first responders and state officials as they grapple with the massive relief efforts for Harvey in Texas, and as they brace for Hurricane Irma. The bill will provide "critically needed emergency resources that will not be interrupted by the prospect of a shutdown or default," he added. But Republican Senator John McCain, who opposed the measure, said it was "irresponsible" to roll hurricane relief into such fiscal issues, essentially forcing Congress into another short-term federal spending fix. "We are shirking our responsibilities and kicking the can down the road" instead of debating federal expenditures and voting on a new budget before the 2018 fiscal year begins October 1, he said. World Literacy Day 2017 is being celebrated today i.e. 8th of September 2017. The 51st World Literacy Day focuses on Literacy in a Digital World, how digitisation has evolved literacy across the globe and whos done a commendable job to deserve the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes. World Literacy Day 2017s UNESCO International Literacy Prizes are going to be awarded to Laureates from five countries namely Canada, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan and South Africa. Each country will be represented by a Laureate who will be honored with a medal and the prize money. The focus of the meeting will be on spreading inclusive and unbiased quality education along with lifelong learning for all. As per Irina Bokova - Director-General, UNESCO, Digital technologies permeate all spheres of our lives, fundamentally shaping how we live, work, learn and socialise,. Irina Bokova stressed on the fact that the way digital transformation is happening it is going to create a huge advancement however the ones who do not possess the digital skills will be marginalised badly in the process. These new technologies are opening vast new opportunities to improve our lives and connect globallybut they can also marginalise those who lack the essential skills, like literacy, needed to navigate them. added Bokova. The prize distribution ceremony will commence at 5PM this evening and the following International Literacy Prizes will be awarded to countries as mentioned below: 1. UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize The King Sejong Literacy Prize is dedicated to mother-tongue literacy education and training. The prize is sponsored by the Republic of Korea. It will be awarded to Centre for the Study of Learning & Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University (Canada)for leveraging educational technology to develop essential educational Competencies in Sub-Saharan Africa project. The project develops and distributes its learning material internationally free of charge. The second country to win the King Sejong Literacy Prize is Jordan for program named We Love Reading. The programme offers online read-aloud trainings for parents brought together in a virtual community. We Love Reading project encourages volunteers to Read Aloud in public spaces to children and endows age-appropriate reading material through its digital library. 2. UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy rewards those who benefit rural populations and out-of-school youth, girls and women in particular. This award is funded by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China. It will be awarded to 3 countries, the first one being awarded to AdulTICoProgram of the Secretariat of Information and Communications Technologies from Armenia (Colombia). The institution has been selected for teaching digital competencies to seniors. The second one on the list is The Citizens Foundation from Pakistan. The foundation runs Aagahi Literacy Programme for women and out-of-school girls and conducts digital educational needs assessments and provides teaching services to support the education of younger girls and older women in the country. Last but not the least, the award will go to FunDza based out of South Africa for its readers and writers project that focuses to develop a culture of reading and writing for pleasure through an online platform that provides reading programs and writing competitions while bringing together readers and writers. New Delhi: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar present awards to teachers and volunteers at the celebration of 51st International Literacy Day-2017 (ILD) at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. (Image: PTI) Greater Lynchburg Transit Company is developing an update to its Transit Development Plan, a requirement of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for transit operators that receive state funding. According to a DRPT document, the purpose of the plan, which is conducted every six years, is to enhance services by identifying transit needs and the resources needed to meet those demands. Kimley-Horn, a planning and design firm with multiple locations across the country, was selected by the state to conduct GLTCs update to its Transit Development Plan. The work is paid for by DRPT. GLTC General Manager Brian Booth said he believes the amount of the contract for the consulting firm was about $75,000. The update to the plan is expected to be complete in April 2018. According to Peggy Whitaker, president of the GLTC Board of Directors, GLTC has an overriding goal: meeting the needs of its customers. Underneath that is how do you do that? she said. Thats what theyre trying to figure out. How do we make the resources that we have work better for the customer? How do we use the transfer center more efficiently? How do we make our routes work better, so you dont have to wait a whole hour for the buses? Is there another way to make our routes more efficient? An initial meeting between representatives of organizations that included GLTC, Kimley-Horn and DRPT was held Aug. 22 to discuss the plans development schedule and to provide stakeholders an understanding of the work the consultants will perform. As part of the development process, Kimley-Horn will review data including GLTCs finances, policies, capital improvement needs, ridership trends, service hours and miles. That information will be used to outline goals for the future and how to achieve them, Booth said. As part of the plans development, an online survey will be used to solicit feedback from the public. That survey is set to be launched by early October, Booth said. Input from stakeholders such as Liberty University and the Downtown Lynchburg Association also will be used in the plans development. Board Vice President Glenn McGrath acknowledged GLTC may not presently meet all demands for service. The people who work on Sunday would love to have bus service, the people who live further out [in Amherst County] would love to have service. Its a chance for people to have input on that. It would be horrible for GLTC to start a new transit plan and not get any input from citizens. Since the last update to the transit plan in 2010, there have been several changes to GLTC, McGrath said, such as the construction of a new transfer center on Kemper Street and the construction of a new operations and maintenance facility on Bradley Drive. Perhaps there are opportunities to improve service GLTC currently is overlooking, McGrath said. Wed make a valiant effort to obtain the goals, but ultimately, it comes down to can we afford to do it, Booth said. We have to make sure that were fiscally responsible in that area. After overlooking the citys skyline for the past two centuries, Point of Honor now is peering toward the future with the anticipated construction of a new education center. It will be a great opportunity to expand our programming at Point of Honor with the schoolchildren as well as the whole community, said Whitney Roberts, museum educator for the Lynchburg Museum System, which runs Point of Honor. Sitting on a bluff near the James River, Point of Honor was constructed in 1815 and was the residence of Dr. George Cabell, a man who served as a physician to Patrick Henry. During the time of the Cabell familys ownership, there were about 30 to 35 slaves at Point of Honor. The property was deeded to the city by a private owner in 1928. Point of Honor, which now covers about four acres, has been part of the Lynchburg Museum System since the 1970s. It currently consists of three structures: the historic house and a reproduction carriage house and kitchen, which were constructed in the 1990s. While the sites physical footprint has decreased through the centuries, the number of visitors to Point of Honor has more than doubled since 2006, from around 5,000 visitors annually to more than 13,300 visitors during the last fiscal year. Accommodating all these visitors has proven to be a challenge at times, museum officials said. The site has walkways that do not meet the standards of the American with Disabilities Act, and there are two small public restrooms in the Carriage House that are not large enough to efficiently accommodate large groups, particularly schoolchildren who visit during field trips. Point of Honor hosts numerous school groups throughout the year with programs that include guided house tours, costumed interpreters and cooking demonstrations, activities such as candle-making and tin-smithing and 19th Century-era games. The largest groups that visit Point of Honor can comprise more than 100 people. During field trips, school groups normally are split up, with students located within the home and the Carriage House as well as outside. When its raining, the outside group will have to be crammed into the Carriage House as well, Museum Director Doug Harvey said. According to Charlotte Fischer, chairwoman of the Lynchburg Museum System Advisory Board and Foundation, the foundation has been studying the need for an additional multiuse, ADA-accessible space at Point of Honor for at least four years. In 2015, Lynchburg-based Architectural Partners Inc. was selected to create plans for an education center that would be attached to the Carriage House. According to the firms plans, the center would provide an additional 1,700 square feet to the existing Carriage House, which is about 2,700 square feet. The addition would feature a 1,560-square-foot multi-purpose space, a kitchen and pantry. The construction project also will involve remodeling the second floor of the Carriage House to include new restrooms and storage. In addition, the Carriage House will be made handicapped-accessible through the installation of an elevator from the gift shop in the Carriage House to the new education center and an ADA-accessible sidewalk leading to the new education center. In total, there will be four bathrooms at the site after work is complete up from the current two and three water fountains. Currently, there is only a single water fountain. According to Harvey, the museum had two local construction firms prepare cost estimates based on the education centers plans; the estimates determined the approximate cost of the project is $750,000. The Lynchburg Museum Foundation seeks to raise at least $1 million to cover the cost of construction, while the remaining funds would be used to support Point of Honors continued operations. The last major construction project on the property occurred in the 1990s, when the kitchen and Carriage House were added to the property. Roberts said she hopes Point of Honor will be able to provide additional educational programs following the completion of the education center, such as additional indoor activities that would be especially helpful on rainy days. With the lack of handicapped accessibility and the meager restroom facilities, Point of Honor currently is not a suitable space for events such as weddings, Harvey said. Museum officials anticipate the education center, which will contain a catering kitchen and pantry, as a venue for private rental events such as wedding receptions and reunions. According to Harvey, the museums curator, Laura Wilson, is conducting a study, based on what similar venues are doing across Virginia, to establish guidelines and rental projections for use of the education center by private groups. In recognition of the historical significance of the site, an archaeological investigation of the grounds was conducted earlier this year by civil engineering and surveying firm, Hurt & Proffitt. While the museum system was not required to perform the dig, we did not want to disturb any ground without knowing that we [werent] destroying an archaeological site, Harvey said. Around 1900, a row of townhouses once stood adjacent to the Carriage House. The archaeological study determined artifacts that were recovered from the site in March 2017, such as glass fragments, were from fill material from around the time of the townhouses, and the artifacts did not contain cultural significance. Museum representatives say a start date for construction is going to be a function of how quickly funds can be raised. We cant start construction until we have the money on hand or guaranteed pledges, Fischer said. According to Fischer, the foundation has been quietly raising money for the education center project for the past several months, and so far, a little more than $100,000 has been raised. Fundraising for the construction project officially began Thursday, following a meeting during which museum representatives presented an overview of the project to city officials, foundation board members and museum volunteers. Among members of the community that attended Thursdays event was Tom Ledford, the founding director of the Lynchburg Museum System. The community should support Point of Honor because it is, and has been, a part of this community, Ledford said. Ledford said when he began working in Lynchburg in 1976, the city did not view tourism as a serious enterprise. Little by little, we have brought them around to an understanding that each of these sites, collectively, contribute to Lynchburg being a destination, Ledford said. A place you want to come. A place you want to visit, and maybe, maybe, a place you want to move. In terms of building a community, thats an essential ingredient, Ledford said. To go downtown today and see what is happening, is to me, the most gratifying thing about Lynchburg. Its finally happened. According to information provided by Harvey, the city is supportive of the education center project and will provide engineering assistance, but the city will not provide capital funds for the project. Last month, the museum hosted an ice cream social for the Daniels Hill neighborhood that provided an opportunity to inform residents of the upcoming project. We want to make sure the neighborhood is included in whatever we do, Fischer said. House museums, as beautiful as they are, they cant sustain themselves as just a beautiful house, Fischer said. Youve got to do more. The construction of the education center will continue to make Point of Honor a place of activity and give it a continued purpose, besides just being a beautiful building, Fischer said. Our emphasis is on education and teaching people of all ages. Update: BEDFORD A jury trial set for next week in Bedford for the suspect in the disappearance and murder case of two young sisters suddenly has been canceled, leading to speculation he likely will plead guilty in an 11th-hour deal with prosecutors. Lloyd Lee Welch Jr. is accused of abducting and killing Sheila and Katherine Lyon in the 1970s. Court records show his trial scheduled to start Tuesday has been withdrawn. A hearing on motions in the case has been set for the same time jury selection was to begin, but an official in the Bedford Circuit Court clerks office said Thursday afternoon the scheduled motions had not been filed. Bedford County Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance was out of the office late Thursday, and like all parties involved in the case, he is under a gag order by the court preventing him and others from publicly discussing Welchs prosecution. The clerks office said Nances office asked for the motions to be set on the calendar instead of the previously scheduled jury trial but said no further information was available. While the cancellation of an imminent jury trial with a motion in its place often means a legal agreement tentatively has been reached, nothing written was on file in the Welch case to confirm that Thursday. The Washington Post, citing multiple officials familiar with plea negotiations, reported Thursday that Welch plans to plead guilty. The Post didn't identify the officials. Welch, 60, could face the death penalty if convicted in the Lyon sisters killings, so any plea deal likely involves extensive prison time rather than execution. An agreement also would head off the possibility of lengthy appeals should Welch be convicted. Circuit Judge James Updike Jr., who is presiding over the case, would have to sign off on any plea deal between Welch and the prosecutor, a development that could occur next week. One of Welchs lawyers, Aaron Houchens, did not return a call Thursday. The defenses legal team also falls under the courts gag order. The commonwealths attorney won a key legal decision in January when Updike rejected a move by the defense to strike the death penalty, and that could have played into any subsequent plea negotiations. The suspects lawyers had contended Virginia did not legally have a death penalty in place when the crime was committed, so even if convicted, Welch could not be subject to execution. Updike ruled against the defenses stance. Welchs lawyers also tried without success to have the trial moved out of Bedford County, saying the cases publicity had rendered a fair trial impossible. The Lyon sisters disappeared from a Wheaton, Maryland, shopping plaza, where they went to see Easter exhibits in 1975. Authorities believe Welch took the sisters after their slayings to a secluded part of Bedford County, in the Thaxton area, and burned their remains. The bodies have not been found. According to investigators records as later presented in court, Welch gave authorities multiple accounts over the years regarding his alleged involvement in the girls disappearance. Welch was indicted in the case while serving time on a separate child molestation charge in Delaware. Separately, a grand jury in Prince William County indicted Welch in December 2016 on charges of indecent liberties, aggravated sexual battery, rape and object sexual penetration, all with an alleged offense date in May 1996. In April, a Prince William grand jury also handed down three new charges against Welch: two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of indecent liberties with a child in a custodial relationship, allegedly in June 1996. Welch had jury trial proceedings scheduled in mid-October on several indictments in Prince William County, and its not clear how any plea agreement in the murder case could affect those charges. Earlier: A jury trial set for next week in Bedford for the suspect in the murder case of two young sisters has been suddenly canceled, leading to speculation he likely will plead guilty in an 11th-hour deal with prosecutors. Lloyd Lee Welch Jr. Is accused of abducting and killing Sheila and Katherine Lyon in the 1970s. Court records show his trial scheduled to start Tuesday has been "withdrawn." A hearing on motions in the case has been set for the same time jury selection was to begin. This has been a breaking news alert. Greensboro, North Carolina-based BGF Industries now is operating a third location in Altavista, in the former Timken Company plant that closed last month. BGF, which has been present in the town since the 1950s, purchased the former Timken facility in the Dearing Ford Industrial Park for $4 million, said the firms president, Robby Dunnagan. The company already has locations on both 5th Street and Amherst Avenue. BGF produces industrial textiles, both woven and non-woven, Dunnagan said. Some of those products are used inautomotive and appliance insulation, he said. Dunnagan said the facility will be referred to now as the Blue Ridge plant, where the company will house its expanding engineered-component business. This part of our business, converting textiles into parts, is a growing part of our business, he said. It has been growing for the past several years. BGF, which currently employs about 600 workers in Altavista, plans to move equipment over the next few months into the facility as well as install new equipment in the plant. BGF has hired some additional employees and will continue to hire more as it migrates operations to the Blue Ridge plant, Dunnagan said, although he would not specify how many workers are being added. It will take about six months to reach full production there, he said. Altavista Mayor Mike Maddox said he was pleased with the news of theBGF expansion. It really shows the work ethic of our community, he said. Manufacturing-industrial sites dont stay empty too long, and were a great place to do business. Were extremely happy that BGF decided to expand their operations in Altavista. Timken opened in 1991 and manufactured ball bearings for sport utility vehicles and four-wheel drive trucks. The company employed 125 people when Timken announced in March 2016 it was relocating the Altavista manufacturing operation to Lincolnton, North Carolina. Employee layoffs began last December and concluded in August. NO WAY JOSE Jose has been churning in the Atlantic closely on the heels of Irma which remains a monster category five storm. Irma devastated Barbuda as she rampaged through the Lesser Antilles and northern Caribbean on Wednesday, killing ten people, among them a twoyear- old in Barbuda. Even as Prime Minister Gaston Browne pondered how to begin the reconstruction of the tiny island, came an updated forecast that Jose, which at 6 pm yesterday was still a strong category three hurricane, would strengthen to a destructive category four system placing Antigua and Barbuda under a hurricane watch once more. We are very worried about Hurricane Jose, Browne declared according to a report by The Washington Post. It was a change in tone for the prime minister, who, in an interview with Newsday yesterday morning, felt a measure of optimism that emergency authorities were prepared for a second hurricane. He said then, relief efforts were being carried out at a satisfactory pace. Antiguans were advised to remain indoors and the authorities were prepared to evacuate Barbuda if necessary. Initially, some left Barbuda voluntarily. But with the approach of Jose, the government last evening issued an order for mandatory evacuation of the nearly 2,000 residents to Antigua. The islands are under a state of emergency. We had a voluntary evacuation thats now been upgraded to a mandatory evacuation, according to the State of Emergency Act, Browne told Newsday late yesterday. By tomorrow afternoon (today) we would have evacuated Barbuda. Antiguans, he said, have been asked to once again practise diligence and vigilance as they did for Irma. Browne saw the rapid succession of three major hurricanes--- Harvey, Irma and now Jose---as evidence of the effects of climate change. Climate change is real. The Caribbean has had to suffer the consequences while they, polluters, deny that it isnt. So we are just hoping with the frequency of these storms and devastation those who are inclined will give reconsideration and there is a need for us to work together to face the real threats. An initial forecast predicted Jose would hit by Sunday, but a 6 pm bulletin by the TT Meteorological Service said the hurricane would surge into an even more powerful storm between today and tomorrow, packing winds of 200 km per hour. Irma had sustained winds of 290 km per hour when she hit the island. On Wednesday evening, Browne had described Barbuda as barely habitable with more than 90 per cent of its housing stock completely destroyed. The death of a child made the destruction even more devastating. Browne gave a preliminary estimate of US$100 billion to reconstruct Barbuda. The relief effort is going very well. We will have a challenge in the actual rebuilding because preliminary reports of damage is in the area of approximately US$100 billion. That is going to be our challenge going forward, Browne told Newsday earlier. Trinidad and Tobago will provide a helicopter and crew for a week to help provide relief and aid for Barbuda, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) announced yesterday, indicating Government had communicated with the Browne administration. The Government has carefully considered the current difficult economic circumstances and despite these difficulties, because it recognises the responsibility of helping our Caricom neighbour in this time of disaster and need, it has agreed to provide this specific assistance, the OPM said in release. Sources within the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management revealed that, up until press time, issues of logistics and navigation were still being discussed among coordinators and crew members. Jose is also expected to impact Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saba and St Eustatius which were placed on a tropical storm watch. Where do we go? Natalie Warren, 42, is now in search of a home. Since August 21, after the family broke down the house in St Marys Village, Moruga and packed their belongings, Warren said she and her children have been staying here and there and by anyone willing to take them in for a night or two. I never thought that today I would not have a home for my children and I will be begging people for a lodging, cried the unemployed woman who receives a monthly disability grant. The land changed ownership in 1997 and, although our family had been living on the land since 1933, we still lost the matter in court. Uprooting the family was not easy for her. Right now her two daughters Alyia, 17, a Form Five student of Barrackpore East Secondary School and Jewel, 13, a Form Two student of ASJA Girls College, Barrackpore are staying in Quarry Road, Morne Diablo and have to travel daily to school in Barrackpore. It is costing her $100 per day for each child to travel the distance. Her autistic sons Criston, seven, and Shakeem, six, students of Fifth Company Baptist School, cannot make the long journey. Warren explained the boys cannot cope with the long hours of travel. She said their studies have to be interrupted. At the school, she said, they are provided with a teaching aid and they were performing well given their challenges. Her eldest son Clishon, 20, is staying with relatives. Warren said six years ago she applied for an HDC house - she also applied for a grant to repair the house she occupied back then but got neither. She said her hopes for somewhere permanent to live were further dashed when she was recently informed by an official at the office of her Member of Parliament (Moruga) that she did not qualify for an HDC house as she received disability. So what am I to do? Where am I to go? My two sons are autistic, my daughter (Alyia) suffers with sickle cell, I suffer with epilepsy, I am diabetic and asthmatic. All I want is somewhere to live. If I cant get an HDC house, if I could get a piece of land I will get material to build a place for me and my children to live. Newsday contacted the HDC Communications Department and was told, contrary to what was said to Warren, people in her position are eligible for housing as they are the most vulnerable in society. Warren was advised to visit HDCs office. Kamla: Rowley runs away as TT in crisis Persad-Bissessar made this accusation as she commented on two separate polls which were published yesterday, each showing dissatisfication with the performance of Rowley and his administration over the last two years. In a statement, Persad- Bissessar said she warned the country that Rowley had no plan and no ideas to lead the country, when the Peoples National Movement (PNM) won the September 7, 2015 general election. Saying Rowley would have been aware of the questions he would face from the media, pollsters and the population as the PNM marked two years in office yesterday, Persad-Bissessar claimed, The Prime Minister has run away. Rowley left the country last Friday for a medical check-up and brief vacation in California. He is due to return home next Monday. Persad-Bissessar said as a former prime minister, I can tell the nation that the job does not allow you to just fly off without serious consideration as to what is happening in the country at any given time. She said 75 per cent of TT believes Government has failed to curb crime. She added 80 per cent of the population thinks Rowley has created unemployment instead of diversifying the economy. Persad-Bissessar also blamed Rowley for reduced access to education through changes to GATE, higher food prices, higher gas prices and higher taxes. She claimed it is clear to the United National Congress (UNC) and high-ranking PNM members that Rowley lacks, the compassion, the leadership skills and the vision to move the country forward. On Sunday, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said, The Government has managed to stabilise the economy despite these many challenges and this is often overlooked. In citing some of the PNMs achievements over the last two years, Young said, The Treasury was given a parting gift by the UNC of backpay to the tune of approximately $5 billion when revenue had crashed Young said, These and other inherited matters meant that the new PNM administration had to deal with a serious economic crisis immediately upon assuming office. Vet: 40 dogs dead This was revealed by veterinary surgeon and temporary senator Dr Kriyaan Singh who, yesterday, urged pet owners to ensure that their pets were vaccinated. The Canine Distemper Virus affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of the animal. The virus is fatal in many cases. Speaking to Newsday during an interview, Singh said that it was horrifying to see the number of dogs dying over the last month as a result of the virus. He said that some that were brought into his clinic were not able to survive though they were given the vaccine. He said the ones that survived had been previously vaccinated. He said, in South Trinidad, dogs across different villages had already been afflicted by the virus. The disease is debilitating or fatal even with treatment at times, Singh said. Please, please ensure your dogs are all vaccinated as puppies and are still given their annual vaccine. He added that it was the duty of pet owners to visit certified and registered veterinarians. Singh believes that the virus may have entered the country from Venezuela. He said that some hunters and buyers smuggled dogs from Venezuela to Trinidad where there was an outbreak of the virus. To hunters and buyers of Venezuelan smuggled dogs, Singh said. Please be reminded Canine distemper is also found in wild life and is prevalent in the mainland, especially Venezuela, where dog vaccines are now unavailable. Singh said testing for canine distemper from nasal and ocular discharges were also available at many clinics as studies were currently being conducted on its prevalence. He added, Please, if you notice any heavy discharges from your dogs eyes or nose, coughing, weakness or, in-coordination, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation please take your dog to a vet immediately. Singh said the disease affected certain species of wildlife as well as two raccoons were tested positive for the virus. The Canine Distemper Virus is spread through the air and by direct or indirect contact with an infected animal. Pet owners should look out for symptoms of high fever, loss of appetite, watery discharge, vomiting, and diarrhoea. When contacted president of the Hunters Association, Buddie Miller, said he was not aware of the outbreak but would now inform members of the association and take the necessary precautionary measures. He said the matter was of serious concern. Florida Trinis brace for Irma Evacuation orders took effect yesterday, principally in south Florida where Miami is expected to take a direct hit from the monster storm. Newsday found it difficult to contact Trinidadians in Miami where many calls went unanswered. However, a Trinidadian who lives in Orlando, a city in central Florida, told Newsday she and her family were hanging in there. Natasha Blackman, originally from Barataria, said she has gathered as many things as she could for her family ahead of Irmas approach. We have three cases of water, other non perishable items, flashlights, coolers. We have packed our suitcases just in case we have to evacuate but for now we are staying calm. We dont expect anything to happen until Saturday. She said other family members, who live in south Miami, have already evacuated and have gone north. Blackman said supermarkets have started running out of supplies. You are lucky if you can get bread and peanut butter and the stores have started putting up signs on their doors that they dont have water, batteries, canned goods, she said. She said a truck brought water for people yesterday afternoon but since she had already stocked up for her family she left it for those who were in need. We are just a family of three. There are people with families of five and above who need it more than us. Blackman, who has lived in Orlando for eight years, said while Irma was not her first hurricane, it was the first of this magnitude. We had Hurricane Matthew last year. Compared to what we are hearing and seeing going on with Irma, Matthew was very mild. We just had a lot of rain and wind but nothing to really cause any kind of damage. Automated voice messages came on when Newsday placed calls to the TT Consulate in Miami. Some nationals however were able to fly out of Florida ahead of the storms landfall. A Caribbean Airlines flight departed Ft Lauderdale and was due to arrive at Piarco at 11 pm yesterday. A relative of one passenger said he had to drive from Miami to Ft Lauderdale as there were many cancellations at that airport. In anticipation of Irmas landfall in Florida this weekend, CAL yesterday announced the cancellation of 12 flights on Sunday originating in or departing from Port-of-Spain; Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica; Nassau in The Bahamas; Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando in Florida. CAL said customers will be permitted to change or cancel their reservations without penalty once they have tickets issued before September 10, and must request refunds by September 17. Passengers who choose to change their reservations, must complete their travel by September 17. Father of one critical after being hit by falling steel beam Reports indicate fire fighters had to free Kern Bobb yesterday from the van he was driving. Bobb, 33, of St Joseph Village, San Fernando, was is employed with Dumore Enterprises Ltd, was driving his companys vehicle after reportedly conducting business at Petrotrin, one of his relatives said. The relative said, Bobb was driving behind the truck at about 11am. Apparently the beams were not properly secured and one came loose and crashed through the windscreen of the vehicle my cousin was driving and then struck him on the head. From what I am hearing he may have suffered brain injury. He is a young man with a daughter. I just hope he pulls through. Earlier reports indicate the accident happened inside the Petrotrin compound. However, Head of Corporate Communications at Petrotrin, Gillian Friday said from all indications the accident involved two private vehicles on the public road somewhere near the Pointea- Pierre operations. Friday said she understands Petrotrins fire services may have assisted in the rescue operations hence the reason their name was being called. It did not happen on our compound, she clarified. $22M for forestry workers He said the workers were employed by 65 contractors working across the country to replant forests on State lands. Rambharat said after some delays in payment in August, Cabinet had approved funding to the end of September that his ministry would access through the Ministry of Finance. He said the programmes structure had led to problems every other month for workers to get paid. In past years some reforestation workers had not been paid until October, that is, after the National Budget. We try to avoid that now, Rambharat said. Theyll be paid up to the end of September and then we go into a new Budget cycle. An Agriculture Ministry statement said recent delays every month in the payment of wages were due to a shortfall in the funding of the programme. It said the settlement of all outstanding wages would treated with urgency. The statement added, Senator Rambharat expresses sincere apologies for the delay in the payment of wages and he thanks them for their patience. On Tuesday, affected workers had protested for wages outside Rambharats office in St Clair. 2020 Deniers Wanting to Run Elections Hit a Snag election 2022 Possible 'Game Changer' in Male Contraception Is in the Works in case you missed it advertisement He Lost 30 Years of Memories. His Wife Came Up With a Plan in case you missed it Black Panther Sequel Posts Big Opening box office advertisement advertisement Diver Captures 'Mind-Blowing' Giant Octopus Encounter in case you missed it Democrats Will Keep Control of Senate election 2022 Nevada Count Nears Deadline election 2022 advertisement Routine Traffic Stop Over Taillight Takes an Unusual Turn IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement Putin Pal: We Interfered 'Surgically' in US Elections IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement Unusual Experiment Suggests Money Can Buy Happiness new study Fans Concerned About Jessica Simpson After Video IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement Kelly Win in Arizona Brings Dems Closer to Senate Control ELECTION 2022 In cheese-loving France, there's plenty of regional pride for which places first made, or exclusively produce, each fromage. So when Whole Foods displayed a French cheese map with glaring inaccuracies, an online melee ensued, reports Eater. It all started when French expat Mikael, who lives in DC, on Monday posted a picture on Twitter of the map at a Whole Foods store he shopped at while in Detroit, with the global refrain, "OMG!!!" He says he first thought it was simply a local snafu, but when he returned home to DC, the same poster was on display. It was so off people replied in droves, and a certain Philippe-Arnaud tweeted a picture of plastic-wrapped slices of American cheese overlaid on a US map, captioned, "How we see the map of American 'Cheeses'." To the dismay of many who weighed in, Camembert was identified as hailing from Montpellier in the south instead of Normandy in the north; the sheep's milk cheese Ossau-Iraty from the central Pays de la Loire instead of basque country in the southwest; and Fourme d'Ambert Terre des Volcans, a storied blue cheese, from the southeast instead of central Auvergne, reports the Telegraph. But while these and other inaccuracies caused a stink, the French foreign ministry attempted to restore order with its own tweet: "The geography may be a bit off, but it's great to see that @WholeFoods carries (and enjoys!) French cheeses!" The chain has since apologized and removed the posters. (Whole Foods once tried to sell asparagus water, too.) A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration's limited view of who is allowed into the US under the president's travel ban, saying grandparents, cousins, and similarly close relations of people in the US should not be prevented from coming to the country, the AP reports. The unanimous ruling from three judges on the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals also said refugees accepted by a resettlement agency should not be banned. The decision upheld a ruling by a federal judge in Hawaii who found the administration's view too strict. "Stated simply, the government does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship, in the Supreme Court's prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin is not," the ruling said. The Supreme Court said in June that President Trump's 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen can be enforced pending arguments scheduled for October. But the justices said it should not apply to visitors who have a "bona fide relationship" with people or organizations in the US, such as close family ties or a job offer. The government interpreted such family relations to include immediate family members and in-laws, but not grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. The judge in Hawaii overruled that interpretation, expanding the definition of who can enter the country to the other categories of relatives. The Hawaii judge also overruled the government's assertion that refugees from those countries should be banned even if a resettlement agency in the US had agreed to take them in. (Read more Trump travel ban stories.) The mysterious disappearance of a pregnant high school teacher has prompted a police search in Olney, Maryland. Montgomery County police say Laura Elizabeth Wallen, a 31-year-old history and law teacher, failed to show up for the first day of class Tuesday at Wilde Lake High School, NBC Washington reports. The day before, her family received what they say was a "troubling" text from Wallen about an hour after she was last seen, at 8:30am Monday at her condo complex. Police aren't sharing that text message, but Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti told CBS Baltimore the message was "alarming enough that the family said, 'We need to call police.'" Witnesses say Wallen, who is four months pregnant, spent several days before the new school year began preparing her classroom. She is five-foot-five inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Police are also searching for her car, a black 2011 Ford Escape with Maryland tag M522473. (Read more Maryland stories.) More than 40 years after the disappearance of two young girls shocked a suburban Maryland community, one of the men believed responsible is set to plead guilty. On Sept. 12, Lloyd Lee Welch, 60, is expected to enter a guilty plea in a court in rural Bedford County, Virginia, for the 1975 disappearance and murder of two sisters. Katherine and Sheila Lyon were 10 and 12, respectively, when they disappeared from a shopping mall in Wheaton, Maryland, the Washington Post reports. After a massive search and investigation, the case went cold; the sisters' bodies were never found. But in 2013, investigators started to focus their attention on Welch, a career criminal serving time in Delaware for the sexual assault of a minor. Welch was spotted "paying attention" to the girls, and according to police affidavits, said he left the mall with the girls but says that after he spotted his uncle sexually assaulting one, never saw them again. What police now believe happened: that Welch and several accomplices kidnapped the two girls and held them captive in Maryland, sexually assaulting them and then murdering them, after which they believe Welch burned some of their remains on his family property in Bedford County. In 2015 Welch was indicted on two counts of murder, but police have thus far been unable to get enough evidence to charge anyone else for the crime. If convicted, Welch would likely spend the rest of his life in prison. (Read more Maryland stories.) Scientists say it's a triple threat like nothing they've observed before: three hurricanes lined up in the Atlantic basin, all poised to make landfall on the same day. Irma, Jose, and Katia are all churning in the area, with Irma expected to hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm Saturdaythe same day Jose threatens to hit the northern Leeward Islands as a Category 3 storm and Katia is expected to make landfall in Mexico as a Category 2 or 3 storm, reports the National Post. The last time there were three active hurricanes was 2010, when there was another IJK trio, Igor, Julia, and Karl, on satellite images, though Julia never threatened land, reports Quartz. National Hurricane Center specialist Eric Blake tweeted Thursday: "3 hurricanes threatening land simultaneously in the W Atlantic Basin. Never seen anything like this in the modern record." Scientists say climate change is making hurricanes more powerful because warmer waters give hurricanes strengthand this year has turned out to have optimal hurricane conditions, including a lack of sudden wind shifts. CNN reports that if Jose does make landfall in the Leeward Islands, it will make things even tougher for people on Barbuda, the island devastated by Irma this week. The NHC issued a hurricane warning for Antigua and Barbuda Thursday morning, just 24 hours after the one for Irma expired. (Read more Hurricane Irma stories.) The Trump administration has picked a side in a controversial upcoming Supreme Court caseand it isn't the side of gay rights. The Department of Justice filed a brief Thursday supporting Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for gay couple Charlie Craig and David Mullins in 2012. Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, was found guilty of violating the state's anti-discrimination laws, and the administration's brief urges the Supreme Court to scale back the law so Phillips isn't forced to "create expression" that goes against his Christian beliefs, Bloomberg reports. Some 84 House and Senate Republicans have also signed a brief supporting the baker, reports the Hill. "Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights," Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall wrote in the administration's brief. Louise Melling of the ACLU, which is representing the couple, tells the Washington Post that she's shocked by the filingeven from an administration that has made its "hostility" to the gay community obvious. In the case, which could have implications for businesses nationwide, a Colorado court argued that Phillips would not "convey a message supporting same-sex marriages merely by abiding by the law." Lawyers noted that he rejected the couple without asking for details of the proposed cake. (Read more Jack Phillips stories.) Tsunami warnings were issued for Mexico and several Central American nations after a massive earthquake off Mexico's southern coast just before midnight Thursday. The US Geological Survey says the 8.1 magnitude quake had an epicenter 102 miles west of Tapachula in southern Chiapas state, the AP reports. A tsunami warning was issued for Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras, but not for the US West Coast, reports the BBC. The US Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves were possible within three hours. In Mexico's Chiapas state, the governor said the quake killed at least three people and destroyed buildings, including schools and hospitals. The quake was felt hundreds of miles away in Mexico City, where buildings swayed and people ran out into the streets. Authorities say it's the strongest quake to hit the city since a devastating quake killed thousands in 1985, though there were no immediate reports of major damage, reports Reuters. In Guatemala, which is much closer to the epicenter than the Mexican capital, authorities say the quake caused damage and at least one death. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales spoke on television to call for calm. (Read more earthquake stories.) Police say three employees of a Cleveland Taco Bell opened fire on two armed robbers, killing one. Two masked robbers reportedly entered the restaurant early Wednesday and ordered three workers to lie on the floor. Three other employees then pulled out handguns and opened fire, shooting one of the suspects six times, police say; the other suspect ran off. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office says the man killed was 24-year-old De'Carlo Jackson, the AP reports. Investigators say Jackson was found with a loaded gun in his hand. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. No one has been arrested. The employees who opened fire are said to be two 19-year-old men and a 23-year-old man. (Read more Taco Bell stories.) Mexico's president says that the magnitude of the earthquake that hit the country just before midnight Thursday is 8.2, the biggest the country has seen in a century. Enrique Pena Nieto confirmed that at least five people have died in the temblor. He also said that major damage has been caused and that 1 million initially had been without power following the quake, but that electricity had been restored to 800,000 of them. He said that there have been 62 aftershocks and it's possible one as strong as 7.2 could hit within 24 hours, the AP reports. The US Geological Survey has reported that the quake had a magnitude of 8.1. It hit off the coast of southern Mexico, toppling houses in Chiapas state, causing buildings to sway violently as far away as the country's distant capital, and setting off a tsunami warning. NBC News reports that while the president noted the quake was much more powerful than the 1985 one that killed upwards of 5,000 people in Mexico City, the fact that this quake's epicenter was 40 miles off the coast appears to have resulted in "far more limited ... damage." The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says waves of 3.3 feet above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz. The center's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala could see waves of that height or less. (Read more earthquake stories.) The idea that Facebook helped Donald Trump become presidentan idea once dismissed by Mark Zuckerberg as "pretty crazy"now looks anything but, writes media columnist Margaret Sullivan at the Washington Post. With the latest revelation that Facebook sold ads to a Russian "troll farm," it's becoming ever clearer that misinformation spread through the site was a large factor in turning voters against Hillary Clinton. Sullivan cites a Harvard study showing that propaganda factored large in the election and that Facebook was the "indispensable messenger" in spreading allegations about Clinton no matter how thin the evidence. "Would Donald Trump be president today if Facebook didnt exist?" asks Sullivan. "Although there is a long list of reasons for his win, theres increasing reason to believe the answer is no." Expect the site to continue downplaying its role, but it's time to stop taking the word of the "terribly opaque enterprise," writes Sullivan. What Facebook won't acknowledge is that it is essentially a media company, one that serves as the main source of information for many of its users. And while it makes countless editorial decisions, it "never owns them." At the New York Times, meanwhile, a story lays out how Russians created what amounts to an army of fake virtual Americans who posted false information during the 2016 election. The story calls out not only Facebook but Twitter. These two companies "essentially invented the tools of social media," but "did not stop them from being turned into engines of deception and propaganda," writes Scott Shane. (Click for the full Times story, and for Sullivan's column.) Reporter Evan Osnos of the New Yorker traveled to North Korea in August to gauge first-hand the mood of the nation amid the escalating rhetoric between Kim Jong Un and President Trump. The result is his "Letter From Pyongyang," a lengthy article filled with anecdotes of what he was allowed to see (including more cars on the streets of the capital, a scattered few people with smartphones, a billboard showing a bombed-out US Capitol) and lots of uncertainty. One of his government handlers, for instance, confessed that he is often at a loss when trying to interpret Trump's statements and actions. He might be irrationalor too smart. We dont know." The handler wonders whether Trump's "fire and fury" threat is part of a strategy akin to the Chinese Art of War. "If he's not driving toward a point, then what is he doing? That is our big question." But Osnos makes clear that the knowledge gap goes both ways. "Every country valorizes its war record, but North Koreas mythologythe improbable victory, the divine wisdom of the Kim family, and Americas enduring weakness and hostilityhas shaped its conception of the present to a degree that is hard for the rest of the world to understand." A prevailing mindset in the North is that its citizens have long endured hardship, not only in the Korean War but in the famine of the 1990s, and yet have persevered. War with America, even a nuclear one, would be the same, goes the thinking. "Iraq taught us the cost of going to war against an adversary that we do not fully understand," writes Osnos. "Before we take a radical step into Asia, we should be sure that were not making that mistake again." Click for the full story. (Read more Longform stories.) "Nobody ever learned everything about Tom Corbally," Eamon Javers writes at Buzzfeed. He should know. Despite a 10,000word feature on the man with many titlesprivate investigator, spy, con man, socialiteJavers notes Corbally will always remain somewhat of a mystery because he "bluffed and intrigued his way through decades." He led an eventful life even as a youth. In the late 1920s at age 6 or 7, he was kidnapped, a consequence of his father failing to repay a debt. His family, which operated a private investigative firm visited by mobsters and politicians, ensured he was returned home safe. Later, Corbally would be caught as a stowaway on cruise liners at least three times. It was the "perfect entry-level con for a lifelong con man," Javers writes. At age 22 he managed the "nearly impossible" feat of getting discharged from military service in the heart of World War II due to bad behavior. He next turned up as a US spy in postwar Germany. Returning stateside, Corballytall, well-dressed, and a hit with the ladiesput his spy skills to good use as an investigator. Rubbing elbows with movie stars and presidentsincluding future president Donald Trumphe gathered information on America's elite and sold it for huge fees. The FBI suspected he also made money through insurance fraud and channeling mob money to Swiss banks. But he was forever enigmatic. Case in point: His death in 2004 at age 83 led to "an unsolved mystery" in the shape of a packet of coffee creamer, a fake British passport, and a key, the only items in a safe deposit box he had in London, Javers writes. More on that here. (Read more Longform stories.) While Hurricane Irma's exact landfall and path is up in the air, one thing seems like a sure bet: Florida's Key West is going to get blasted. Key West happens to be the site of Ernest Hemingway's old home, which is why granddaughter Mariel Hemingway is making a public plea for the 72-year-old caretaker of the home-turned-museum to get out quickly. "Ultimately, it's just a house," the actress tells TMZ. It appears, however, that caretaker Jacqui Sands is staying put. "If I didn't have to, I wouldnt stay," Sands said earlier this week, per the Washington Post. "My kids told me to get the hell out. But I have an obligation to take care of the building and the cats." Yes, cats: The museum is famous for its dozens of cats, many of the six-toed variety, that roam freely. (The novelist had a six-toed cat.) It also appears that Sands and the cats will be joined by several staffers of the museum, who were attempting to secure the 1851 limestone building from Irma's wrath. "I think we are going to be fine," says Sands. A museum official suggested the felines would be fine, too, having weathered multiple Key West storms. "As soon as the barometric pressure drops, they come in," executive director Dave Gonzalez tells the Houston Chronicle. "They know before humans do when it's time to get in." (Read more Hurricane Irma stories.) Residents on Iceland's remote farm of Stapakot were jolted awake on March 14, 1828, when a maid from a neighboring property burst in to tell them that a fire was raging and two men were trapped inside. It was a lie. The men were already deadclubbed with a hammer and stabbed 12 times. Despite the years, it's a crime that Icelanders have never forgotten since the convicted killers were the last people executed on the island nation. On Saturday, the crime discussed in books, films, and a pop song is being analyzed by a mock court, operating under modern rules, that will for the first time address the motivation for the killings, specifically whether two maids were abused by Natan Ketilsson, the self-taught doctor they killed along with his guest, reports the AP. Agnes Magnusdottir and Sigridur Gudmundsdottir said the act was masterminded by Fridrik Sigurdsson, a 17-year-old who held a grudge against Ketilsson. Gudmundsdottir, 16, was sentenced to life in prison in Denmark. But Sigurdsson and Magnusdottir, 32, were decapitated with an ax, with the brother of one of the victims acting as executioner. Their heads were afterwards jammed on sticks for public viewing. The case highlights differing attitudes toward capital punishment. In modern Iceland, the usual prison sentence for murder is 16 years or less. An author who wrote about the crime tells the AP readers often ask what the outcome of the case would be if it were tried under today's rules. Now they'll get their answer. Seats for the retrial in Hvammstangi have long been sold out. (Read more Iceland stories.) We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Steve Bannon says he, unlike other advisers, didn't lose faith in President Trump after the release of the Access Hollywood tapeand it was a lack of similar faith that cost at least one adviser a gig in the White House, CBS News reports. Trump's former chief strategist gave his first major interview after leaving the administration to 60 Minutes. In a clip released ahead of its Sunday airing, Bannon says Trump held a meeting with his advisers following the release of the tape, which showed him bragging to Billy Bush about groping women. While others advised Trump to drop out of the race or face the biggest loss in history, Bannon says he told Trump, "You have 100% probability of winning." He says the American people "knew Donald Trump was just doing locker room talk" and didn't care about the tape. Bannon says not everyone was so confident and that "Billy Bush Saturday" was a "litmus test" that "showed me who really had Donald Trump's back." One of the people who failed the test, according to Bannon, was Chris Christie, and that's why the New Jersey governor was never given a position in the White House. But Christie's senior campaign strategist tells the Independent Journal Review that "is simply not true" and that Christie turned down "more than a half-dozen" offers from Trump in order to finish out his term as governor. Meanwhile, in another portion of the 60 Minutes interview, Bannon says Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and other Republican leaders are trying to "nullify" the 2016 election. "They do not want Donald Trump's populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented," he says. "It's very obvious." (Bannon also criticized the Catholic Church.) "I think the concept of 'ding dong ditch' has been around pretty much since the invention of the door and since teenagers have been in existence," KOMO quotes a spokesperson for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office as saying. "Obviously they don't normally end with this sort of violent incident." Authorities say two 14-year-old boys in Washington state were arrested late Thursday after a game of ding dong ditch went awry and ended with the stabbing of a 47-year-old man. A group of kids were playing the prank on Snohomish residents when one 14-year-old boy rang the victim's doorbell, the Seattle Times reports. The victim opened the door, a confrontation ensued, and the victim grabbed the teen. Authorities say the 14-year-old was holding a knife and stabbed the victim in the chest and leg. The other 14-year-old allegedly threw a bicycle at the victim to make him let go of his friend. The victim's wife called 911, and the boys fled. The teens, who allegedly also slashed the victim's tires, were found nearby by police dogs and arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault. The victim was hospitalized in unknown condition. Earlier this year, a Washington state father warned about the dangers of ding dong ditch after his security camera caught two kids playing the prank on him. "It's a kid being a kid, but in today's day and age, the amount of violence you see on the TV every day, you never know who's behind that door," he told KHQ. (Read more pranks stories.) After exposing the names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and more of 143 million Americans in a massive data breach, Equifax is now facing a potentially billion-dollar class-action lawsuit. USA Today reports a lawsuit was filed against the credit monitoring company Thursday in Oregon on behalf of customers Mary McHill and Brook Reinhard. The lawsuit accuses Equifax of choosing money over proper data security measures. "In an attempt to increase profits, Equifax negligently failed to maintain adequate technological safeguards to protect Ms. McHill and Mr. Reinhard's information from unauthorized access by hackers," attorney Michael Fuller wrote in the complaint. An attorney connected to the lawsuit tells Bloomberg it will seek up to $70 billion in damages. (Read more Equifax stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Snow showers early with a steadier snow developing late. Low around 20F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Snow showers early with a steadier snow developing late. Low around 20F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. About one inch of snow expected. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) After a landmark court ruling in May cleared the way for Taiwan to become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriages, a Taiwan museum is hosting what it considers to be the first ever LGBTQ art exhibition held at a public museum in Asia. New Delhi: With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done chest-thumping on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years. In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years. Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was mentally not fully Indian. Refusing to comment on Swamys remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context. Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves.That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didnt have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted, he maintained. Read | RBI has no info on black money curbed by demonetisation Indias GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months. China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters. He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports. There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the worldcultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent, he advised. An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed. Read | Rahul Gandhi terms demonetisation as total flop, accuses BJP and Modi govt of dividing society We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy, he said. We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent. Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but we feel we are a big country. China is five times Indias size. Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years. Then, people will see us in a more serious light, said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016. Read | Modi Govt may be planing to overhaul direct taxes next For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At a time, when we are talking about creating awareness amongst the people regarding HIV/AIDS, what if the doctors themselves refuse to attend HIV-positive patients? A hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh allegedly refused to attend an HIV positive pregnant woman. It is being reported that the negligence of the hospital has resulted in the death of the newly born twins. The 24-year-old woman is said to have given birth to the babies outside the maternity ward after being refused by the hospital. Her husband has claimed that she was refused treatment after the doctors came to know she is HIV positive. The hospital, on its part, has denied the allegations and said the babies didn't due to denial of admission but because of 'inadequate equipment and availability of medical expertise. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has slammed the incident by calling it the worst example of cruelty. The Commission has issued an order to the state government and asked for a report on the incident along with the action that will intitated against the hospital's doctors and other staff. The state government has to submit the report within four weeks. New Delhi: The Gurgaon Police has arrested a bus conductor who confessed to killing the Class 2 student of Ryan International School in Sohna on Friday. According to police, the bus conductor Ashok Kumar attempted sexual assault before killing the second grader. aKiller attempted to sexually abuse 7-year-old schoolboy,a news agency PTI quoted police as saying. The 7-year-old student was found dead with his throat slit in a toilet in the school building, police said. aThe students alerted the teachers and the school management then informed police, who rushed him to Artemis Hospital. He was declared brought dead by doctors,a Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurgaon Police, said. A team of police and forensic experts is investigating the case. Blood samples, finger prints from the crime scene have been collected and a knife with blood stains, probably the murder weapon was also recovered from the spot. Ashok, the main accused in the case of attempted sexual assault and murder of a 7-year-old boy at #Gurugram's Ryan International School pic.twitter.com/gg3ZoQhw5f a ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 aWe are investigating the case from all angles ... of homicide, enmity and others. The police team is examining the CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the school premises,a the officer said. The father of the victim, who works in Gurgaon based private company, alleged school of negligence and said his son was murdered either by a school staff or any senior student. aI dropped him today at around 7:30 a.m. He was happy,a the grieving father said. aThey told me his health deteriorated suddenly. They did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to hospital in time,a he said. After the incident, hundreds of parents and locals gathered outside the school and protested against the management. Agitated parents damaged the school property and two of them were arrested by police. This was not the first time such incidents of negligence towards studentsa security took place in Ryan International School. Last year, a class 1 student of Ryan International School in Vasant Kunj in south Delhi drowned in the water tank in the school premises. Earlier in 2014, a seven-year-old girl was allegedly hit by a van after being dropped on the wrong side of the road by Ryan school bus in Gurgaon. New Delhi: An agreement was signed between the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government and a UN body on Thursday to help five of the driest districts of the state to become drought resilient. The Rs 1,000 crore project is expected to improve the income of nearly 1.65 lakh households in Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Prakasam. It was signed in the North Block between the Centre, UN body International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Andhra Pradesh government's Drought Mitigation Project. According to the agreement, IFAD will provide 50 per cent of the required sum (USD 75 million) over five years, and rest will be raised by the state, NABARD (National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development) and government schemes like NREGA, said B Rajasekhar, principal secretary in the Agriculture and Civil supplies department in the Andhra Pradesh government. Read more: Bihar journalist shot by motorbike-borne criminals, one arrested "Funding will start from today. It is a comprehensive project that focuses on the usage of micro-irrigation and other technology. The emphasis will not just be on agriculture productivity but also on related livelihoods like sheep rearing. We are looking to help farmers build a better network for production and marketing of their produce," the official said. IFAD will monitor the project and, at the state level, a steering committee will oversee it. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. After the period of five years, the state government will be taking efforts to sustain the project, Rajasekhar said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Protests by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters intensify at Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling on Friday. To take control of the situation, police used lathicharge against GJP protesters. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse GJM supporters at Chowk Bazaar as protests intensified. The GJM recently put off its indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills till next round of talks with the state government. Normal life remained crippled in the Darjeeling hills due to the indefinite strike to press for separate Gorkhaland state. The medicine shops, business establishments, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed during the shutdown. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The 13-year-old rape survivor, who was allowed to abort her 32-week foetus, gave birth to a premature baby through C-section delivery in a Mumbai hospital on Friday. After SC order allowing the minor rape victim to terminate her 32- week old pregnancy, doctors tried to abort the foetus but it was too risky for her life and they had to perform a cesarean delivery. Earlier on Wednesday, the apex court had said, aConsidering the age of the petitioner (a rape survivor), the trauma she has suffered because of sexual abuse, the agony she is going through and the opinion of the medical board favouring termination of pregnancy, the termination of pregnancy should be allowed.a Also Read |A 10-year-old rape survivor becomes mother, delivers a girl child However, the doctors had suggested that the abortion should take place after two weeks as they wanted foetus to grow further but the court ordered an immediate termination as the girl was going through severe trauma. The victimas pregnancy came to light on August 9, when her parents took her to hospital for the treatment of obesity. She was allegedly raped by her fatheras colleague. Earlier last month, a 10-year-old rape survivor, whose abortion plea was rejected by the Supreme Court on health grounds, delivered a baby girl through C-section. The Supreme Court had turned down the abortion plea of the rape survivor citing that she was 32 weeks pregnant and that it was too late for her to abort now. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday hit out at Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for the murder of noted journalist Gauri Lankesh. He questioned why proper security was not provided to Gauri even when there was a threat to her. "We ask Karnataka CM, was Gauri Lankesh helping naxals surrender with government's consent and if so why was she not given security?" said RS Prasad. Prasad said, Condemning the murder is correct why my liberal friends maintained silence after killings of BJP-RSS workers in Kerala and Karnataka? "Even before the I of investigation could start, Rahul Gandhi publicly alleged that RSS & right wing ideology is responsible. Would like to ask Karnataka CM in light of the comment should we expect fair probe by SIT & does CM agree with comment?" said Prasad. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The HRD ministry has issued a direction to nearly 40,000 higher-education institutions to tune into PM Modi's speech, to be delivered on September 11 at 10: A.M., in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's famous address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. As per reports, the ministry has also said that students at the institutions, including IITs and IIMs, must be encouraged to watch what could be a life-changing speech. The event, titled Young lndia, New lndia A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Siddhi, has been organised by the Deendayal Research Institute with support from the culture ministry, as part of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya centenary celebrations, which will end on September 25. Further, the ministry has claimed that it is important for young leaders to understand Swami Vivekananda's message to the world.In New Delhi, student leaders from all states have been invited to participate at a one-day event which will be held at Vigyan Bhawan. These include student union office-bearers and academic toppers from universities which do not hold student union elections. A film on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Vivekananda will also be shown a the event. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Tourism minister Alphons Kannanthanam on Friday made a statement saying that tourists can eat beef in their own country and come to India. Alphons, on first day of office as atourism minister touched upon the controversial issue of beef, saying it would continue to be consumed in Kerala. Also, talking to PTI, the 1979 Kerala cadre officer said that the BJP had never said that beef cannot be eaten. "As Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar has said that beef will be consumed in the state. Similarly, it will be consumed in Kerala," he said. "The BJP does not mandate that beef cannot be eaten. We don't dictate food habits in any place. It is for the people to decide," he said. Kannanthanam said if a BJP-ruled state like Goa was eating beef, there should be no problem in Kerela. He later told a TV channel that he act could be a bridge between the Christian community and the BJP. Addressing some of the concerns that were raised by the Christian community about the BJP in the past, Kannanthanam said it was mere propaganda. "There was a lot of propaganda in 2014, that if Modi comes to power Christians will be burnt, churches will be demolished. The prime minister has made it clear that believe whatever you want, I will protect you. The PM has done a fantastic job in taking everyone along," he said. Parrikar, in July, had said in the Assembly that he would ensure that there was no shortage of beef in the state and, if required, it would be imported from neighbouring states. Cow slaughter is banned in as many as 21 states. Consumption of beef has also been barred in some of these states, including Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. It is also banned in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Kerala is among eight states where there are no restrictions on cow slaughter. However, widespread protests and "beef fests" were organised in Kerala in May following a central government notification banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has stayed the Centre's notification on cattle slaughter ban, while the Kerala High Court refused to order a stay on it. The Supreme Court later clarified that Madras High Court's stay on the notification is operational, implying that the stay on cattle slaughter ban is effective across the country. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After Senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru, Delhi Police's cyber cell on Thursday registered an FIR against a man who has openly threatened Sagarika Ghose on Facebook.A The post called Ghose and four other women activist aanti-nationala and said she should be assassinated like Gauri Lankesh.A "We registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from Sagarika Ghose under the IT Act. In her complaint, Sagarika said she saw an open threat post from a man who has two different accounts by the names of 'Vikram Aditya Rana' and 'Vikramjb Rana' on Facebook. He is a native of Shillong," said DCP Anyesh Roy. So @DelhiPolice registered a case on my complaint on death threat on Facebook & invstgn by cyber crime cell. Hope they track him down! a Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) September 7, 2017 The post read, aLet d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists & activists.aaI hope this is not d lastashould be episode of serial assassinations of all anti-nationals. Shobha De; Arundhati Roy; Sagarika Ghose; Kavitha Krishnan; Shiela Rashid etc at d end of a list that should start with anti-national & treacherous politicians. A hit list be prepared & eliminate all those on d list. At last a ray of hope (sic)aa it said. Here he is again : VikramAditya Rana on Facebook with a hit list. @DelhiPolice you need to check this pic.twitter.com/eJ8mnkLupu a Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) September 6, 2017 It was only after Ghose posted on Twitter about the post, the Delhi Police came into action and registered a case under the relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act, the police said.A Gauri, aged 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said. She died instantaneously. Four bullets hit the compound wall of her building in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, the officials said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Amid allegations of conflict of interest, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Rajkumar Badole's daughter, Shruti Badole, decided to give up her state government scholarship to study abroad. The son of the secretary of the social justice and special assistance department also got a chance to go for study abroad. The social justice and social assistance department, which is under Badole, provides the scholarship to a maximum of 50 students a year from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Dalit backgrounds for post-graduate and PhD degrees in any of the world's top 300 universities, according to the internationally accepted QC World University rankings. The state government has received 178 applications for the scholarship, among them 35 were chosen in between 2017-18. The chosen application included that of Badole's daughter, Shruti who wants to do a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Manchester, UK. The list also included social justice secretary Dinesh Waghmare'son, Antakarish Waghmare, and joint director, technical education, Dayanand Meshram's son, Sameer. Notably, the selection was at the discretion of the government. Amid all allegations, Shruti sent a letter to the state government saying she wants to give up her scholarship although she won it on merit. However, Antariksh and Sameer intend to go ahead with it. According to the government officials, the final list of beneficiaries was ultimately drawn up by the social justice department while Badole and the Waghmare maintain they had nothing to do nothing to do with the selection process and that a chief Secretary-led panel was in charge. A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said, The social justice department determines the various categories of courses for which scholarships have to be given and even fixes the number of seats for each category. The selection committee only had one meeting. The role of the members is to verify the courses the applicants are seeking the scholarship for and if the nomenclature of the courses qualifies for a scholarship, according to the state governments eligibility criteria. He said the committee members simply forward their remarks on the applications, after checking the nomenclature of courses, to the social welfare commissioner. It is the social welfare commissioners office that ultimately decides the eligibility of the candidates and makes recommendations for selection, the official said, adding the commissioner works as part of the social justice and special assistance department. The state government does not interview the candidates involved and makes decisions simply based on the applications. The selection committee includes the additional chief secretary of higher and technical education, the medical education secretary, directors of medical education and technical education and the social welfare commissioner. Even the scholarship does not mention any exclusion of government employees or ministers from applying. Earlier, the scheme required the less than Rs 6 lakh annual family of the applicant. However, the BJP-led state government, through a June 2015 government resolution, waived this criterion for students, who have secured admission in the top 100 universities, according to QC world rankings. Twenty-nine of the 35 students chosen for the scholarship this year have secured admission in the top 100 universities, which means the income criteria was applicable only for the other six. Chief secretary Sumeet Mullick said, There have to be clear rules. If anything, the rules have to be changed, but having said that we cannot deny students who can be chosen on merit. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Against the Sharad Yadav factions claim for Janata Dal (United) party symbol, Nitish Kumar faction will visit Election Commission to file a counter plea. JD(U) delegation includes KC Tyagi, RCP Singh, Sanjay Jha and Rajiv Ranjan Singh. The JD(U) will meet Election Commission at 12 noon. The Sharad Yadav faction had earlier claimed that it was real party and staked claim for the party symbol. Tyagi had earlier dismissed the claims of the Yadav faction, saying that a rebellion by two or three persons could not be described as a split. The party has removed Yadav as its parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha and also suspended Rajya Sabha member Ali Anwar from the parliamentary party. It has also sacked some office-bearers considered close to Yadav. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Large-scale protests erupted against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission into medical colleges after the suicide of the Dalit medical student cum activist, Anitha. As a result, the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to take care of the fact that no agitation occurs in the state over the NEET examination issue. The apex court directed that anybody involved in any kind of activity that stalls normal life of citizens in the state should be booked under the appropriate law. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra passed the direction observing that the NEET examination had already been upheld by the apex court. "As an interim measure, it is directed that it shall be the obligation of the chief secretary and principal secretary of Tamil Nadu to ensure that no agitation takes place in relation to the NEET examination that has been upheld by this court," the bench, also comprising A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. Supreme Court said those involved any kind of agitation or stall normal life, appropriate action would be taken against them #NEET #Anitha a ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 The top court issued notice to Tamil Nadu government on a plea seeking a direction to the state to maintain law and order situation and ensure that no agitation, strike or protest by political parties or individuals be allowed against the NEET examination. Supreme Court issued notice to Tamil Nadu govt for September 15 in the case of death of #Anitha who appealed against NEET in SC a ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 The petitioner had also submitted that normal life of citizens was gravely affected due to the ongoing protests on the issue in the state. The bench will now hear the matter on September 18. On the other hand, the opposition led by DMK is set to conduct a public meeting regarding NEET in Tirchy. However, the authorities have denied permission for the meeting. #Visuals from Tamil Nadu: Permission denied by authorities for public meeting to be held in Tirchy by Opposition parties led by DMK today pic.twitter.com/SZbu7wekdn a ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 Thirumavalavan VCK however, said that the protest will go on and the opposition doesn't care about the ban order. Will go ahead with rally,don't care about ban order: Thirumavalavan,VCK on permission denied for opposition rally in Trichy #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/55zbbMTxnE a ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 With PTI inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The swine flu toll in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 44 with five patients each dying in Bhopal and Indore districts due to the deadly virus. According to Madhya Pradesh's health services director Dr. K L Sahu, the number of positive cases reported from different districts is 226. Sahu said that the HINI virus has taken 44 lives in the state since July 1. Indore and Bhopal districts have reported the highest number of deaths thus far. Three swine flu patients each have died in Jabalpur and Sagar, while the remaining have succumbed to the disease in other districts of the state. The director added 45 positive cases of swine flu was found in Bhopal while 36 such cases were detected in Jabalpur. Indore reported 17 positive cases during the period. Swine Flu cases were also reported from Ujjain, Sagar, Gwalior, Damoh, Shahdol, Satna and some other districts of the state. The state government is running an awareness campaign because prevention can help keep a check on the spread of the disease, as per K L Sahu. Isolation wards have been developed in all the district hospitals of Madhya Pradesh in order to combat the situation. Rustum Singh, who is the State Public Health and Family Welfare Minister has issued orders to open swine flu testing laboratories in major cities of the state. The testing labs are located in Gwalior, Jabalpur and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal. New Delhi: SpaceX successfully has successfully launched a secret US Air Force space plane on Thursday ahead of the arrival in Florida of Hurricane Irma. Live images was broadcasted by the California aerospace company which showed a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the unmanned X-37B drone lifting off at 10:00 am (1400 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission is slated to last 270 days, but the Air Force warned in a statement that "the actual duration depends on test objectives, on-orbit vehicle performance and conditions at the landing facility." The recoverable first stage of the launch vehicle then landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station less than 10 minutes later. The X-37B is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is among two known craft of its type in the US Air Force's fleet and part of a classified program whose details are shrouded in secrecy. A resuable shuttle, Thursday's launch is its fifth mission since its maiden flight in April 2010. "The fifth OTV mission continues to advance the X-37B's performance and flexibility as a space technology demonstrator and host platform for experimental payloads," the Air Force said in a statement. "This mission carries small satellite ride shares and will demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies." The Pentagon said it was grateful to have two companies with the ability to launch, introducing competition, and lower prices. "The benefit we're seeing now is competition," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during a June Senate hearing. "There are some very exciting things happening in commercial space that bring the opportunity for assured access to space at a very competitive price. While the launch of the X-37B was not competed - ULA President Tory Bruno has said that his company was not given the option to bid - it marks SpaceX's first military mission after years of launching payloads for NASA and commercial satellites. All four of the X-37B's previous launches were aboard ULA's Atlas V rocket. The Pentagon said it was grateful to have two companies with the ability to launch, introducing competition, and lower prices. "The benefit we're seeing now is competition," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during a June Senate hearing. "There are some very exciting things happening in commercial space that bring the opportunity for assured access to space at a very competitive price." For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Within a week of signing historic Xiamen Declaration, wherein BRICS nations signed an agreement to denounce LeT and JeM, China on Friday patted Pakistans back for doing its best in combating terror. Even though Chinese Premier joined the global powers to condemn terrorist attacks on BRICS nation, including India by terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, China tried to placate its all-weather ally. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said that Pakistan has done its best to combat terrorism and some countries must give it full credit for that. Read | BRICS Leaders Xiamen Declaration condemns Pak-based terror groups for first time; read full text here Pakistan is a good brother and iron friend of China. No one knows Pakistan and understands Pakistan better than China, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Beijing. Asif is visiting China after China backed a tough resolution on terrorism at the just concluded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Xiamen. The resolution expressed concern over violence caused by terrorist groups, including the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Haqqani network. The BRICS indictment also followed a scathing criticism of Pakistan over terrorism-related issues by US President Donald Trump in his South Asia and Afghanistan policy. Read | Pak rejects Xiamen Declaration adopted at BRICS; says no 'safe haven' for terrorism on its soil Ahead of his visit, Asif for the first time admitted Pakistan needed to rein in terror outfits to avoid embarrassment on the global stage. Avoiding any direct references to BRICS declaration, Wang said terrorism was a global issue and requires concerted efforts from all countries. Instead of blaming each other, countries need to work with each other. For years Pakistan has been a victim of terror and more importantly Pakistan is an important participant in international cooperation against terrorism, he said. The government and people of Pakistan made huge efforts and sacrifice on the fight against terrorism and such efforts and sacrifice are there for everyone to see. The international community should recognise that. When it comes to the issue of counterterrorism, we believe Pakistan has done its best with a clear conscience, he said. In comparison, some countries need to give Pakistan the full credit it deserves, he said in a veiled reference to India and the US. Read | Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif accepts presence of LeT, JeM on its soil The declaration of BRICS, in which China is a prominent member had expressed concern over the security situation in the region and the violence caused by the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) active in Chinas Xinjiang and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, LeT, JeM, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Hizb ut-Tahrir. At the ninth BRICS Summit from September 3 to 5, the BRICS leaders also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever. They stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. The naming of the JeM in the declaration also sparked speculation whether China would continue to resist efforts by India to bring about a UN ban on its leader Masood Azhar. China has blocked the resolutions brought about by India and later the US, backed by the UK and France, in the UN by putting repeating technical holds. Meanwhile, Asif said that Pakistan strongly adhered to the one-China policy. We support China on its core issues of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and South China Sea, he was quoted as saying by Dawn news. He said Operations Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad against terrorist groups including ETIM [East Turkestan Islamic Movement], which China blames for carrying out attacks in its far western region of Xinjiang, have yielded positive results. ETIM is not only a threat to China but also to Pakistan, he said. (With Inputs from PTI) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Four top Islamic State group leaders including the group's minister of war and Deir ez-Zour emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali were killed in a Russian airstrike outside the eastern Syria city of Deir el-Zour, Russias ministry of defense said. "As a result of a precision airstrike of the Russian air forces in the vicinity of Deir ez-Zour city, a command post, communication centre and some 40 [IS] fighters have been killed," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement on Facebook. "According to confirmed data, among the killed fighters are four influential field commanders including Deir ez-Zour emir Abu Mohammed al-Shimali," the ministry said. Gulmurod Khalimov, who is known as minister of war suffered a fatal injury, the ministry added. Khalimov, a native of Tajikistan, was head of Tajik interior ministry's Special Forces unit before joining Islamic State in 2015. Heavy clashes continued between Russia backed Syrian forces and IS militants as the group fighting to reinstate a three-year-long siege in Deir ez-Zour. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hurricane Irma one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in a century smashed through a string of Caribbean islands killing at least 14 people en route to Florida. Late on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued the first hurricane warning for the Keys and parts of South Florida, including some of the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people. It added a storm surge warning and extended watch areas along the east and west coasts. According to reports, this is the first time that the Territory has withnessed the a Category 5 storm. Irma was about 55 miles (85 km) south of Great Inagua Island and is expected to bring 20-foot (6-m) storm surges to the Bahamas, before moving to Cuba and plowing into southern Florida as a very powerful Category 4 on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding due to begin within the next 48 hours. "We are expecting inundation from both rainfall as well as storm surge. And we may not be able to come rescue them in a timely manner," said Virginia Clerveaux, director of Disaster Management and Emergencies in comments broadcast on Facebook. The few tourists who remained on the Turks and Caicos islands were in hotels, as were some locals. "Right now I'm at the hotel with my family. There are a lot of people in the hotel. It's boarded up," said island resident Sofia Simmons, speaking from the Royal West Indies Hotel on Providenciales island. "Most of our shelters are packed to capacity. We had to open more shelters." The amount of wind thats coming in, we dont think weve seen anything quite like this, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday after declaring a major disaster in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Florida emergency management officials began evacuationsn have ordered tourists to leave the Keys. Gas shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm. It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock, Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Miffed by Army Chief General Bipin Rawats salami slicing comment, state-run Chinese media on Friday called COAS a big mouth and said there are two India; one is thriving like China and the other provoking the dragon. The state-run daily Global Times, in an editorial, said that Rawat has such a big mouth and with his statement - India should be ready for a two-front war against China and Pakistan could ignite a hostile atmosphere between Beijing and New Delhi. The article further asked, Where does the Indian Armys confidence come from? Can India bear the consequences when it has both China and Pakistan as its adversaries at the same time? Should the Indian Army simulate a military rivalry with its Chinese counterpart before letting Rawat speak? Also Read | Days after condemning JeM, LeT, China pats Pakistans back for doing its best to fight terrorism Undermining Indias military strength, the article read, Chinas military supporters rarely viewed India as a potential military rival of China. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat had said on Wednesday that possibility of a two-front war with China and Pakistan cant be ruled out and people of India should be ready for this. Rawat said that China is resorting to salami slicing (a series of many small actions, performed by clandestine means, to achieve bigger goals or results that would be difficult to perform at one go) and testing out limits of threshold which could gradually emerge into conflict. Suggested Read | Modi-Jinping dynamics: From 2014 to today, reasons of love lost between Asiatic giants For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mexico City: Mexico's most powerful earthquake in a century has led to the death of 66 people, officials after it struck the Pacific coast, wrecking buildings and sending families fleeing into the streets. Rescue workers rushed to the worst scenes of destruction, in the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, where officials warned there may be people trapped in the ruins. President Enrique Pena Nieto described the 8.2 magnitude quake as "the largest registered in our country in at least the past 100 years" -- stronger even than a devastating 1985 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people in Mexico City. The worst destruction appeared to be in Juchitan, Oaxaca, where 36 people have died due to the 8.2 magnitude quake. Officials said the death toll there could rise. "There are houses that collapsed with people inside", Luis Felipe Puente, director general of the emergency response agency, told TV news channel Milenio. A hotel also collapsed in Juchitan, the town hall partly caved in, and many homes were badly damaged. Read more: Four top Islamic State militants killed in Russia backed airstrikes Twelve people were killed in Chiapas and three people, including at least two children, were killed in neighboring Tabasco state, authorities said. In Tabasco, one child was crushed by a collapsing wall. Another, an infant on a respirator, died after the quake triggered a power outage. Pope Francis, at an open air mass on a visit to Colombia, said he was praying "for those who have lost their lives and their families" in the quake. More than 200 people were injured across Mexico, officials said. Four people were also injured in neighboring Guatemala. The quake epicenter was about 100 kilometers from the coastal town of Tonala, in far southern Chiapas state. It hit at 11:49 pm (0449 GMT today), Mexico's seismologic service said. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude slightly lower, at 8.1 -- the same as the 1985 quake, the country's most destructive ever. The quake shook a large swath of the country and was felt as far north as Mexico City -- some 800 kilometers from the epicenter -- where people fled their homes after hearing sirens go off as buildings trembled and swayed. Many of those fleeing were in their night clothes. Some clutched babies and pets as they stumbled onto the streets. "Not another one. God, please no", said one woman, falling to her knees to pray. "I was driving when the ground started to shake. The car was wobbling", said Cristian Rodriguez, a 28-year-old Uber driver in Mexico City. Onelia Guerra, an anxious Oaxaca local who was in the capital, was taking a plane back to home to check on her family. "My father and my 14-year-old son are alone there", she told AFP. The quake struck as Mexicans were also bracing for the impact of Hurricane Katia, which strengthened to a Category Two storm as it rumbled towards the state of Veracruz on the Gulf Coast. It is one of three active hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean alongside Irma and Jose. Speaking from the National Disaster Prevention Center's headquarters, where he was supervising the emergency response, Pena Nieto said that 50 million people out of Mexico's population of 120 million people felt the quake. The president, who was due to travel to Chiapas later on Friday, tweeted that the country's ports and airports had resumed normal operations. Mexican officials ordered schools to remain closed in 11 states, including Mexico City, so they could inspect for structural damage. The quake struck at a depth of 69.7 kilometers, according to the USGS. Initially, authorities issued a tsunami alert for a huge stretch of coastline starting in central Mexico and spanning Central America all the way down to Ecuador. It was later lifted, but Mexico remained on alert for aftershocks. There have been more than 260 so far, Pena Nieto said. Since the 1985 earthquake, Mexican authorities have instituted a stricter building code and developed an alert system using sensors placed on the coasts. Mexico sits atop five tectonic plates, whose movement makes it one of the most seismically active countries in the world. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After the latest nuclear tests by North Korea, a top diplomat has warned US that the country is ready to send more gift packages. The ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Han Tae Song, on Sunday confirmed that the North Korea has sucecssfully conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test. "The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the US. The US will receive more 'gift packages' ... as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK," Han said in a conference. Earlier on Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said that North Korea is "begging for war" with abusive use of missiles and nuclear threats. She pushed for the "strongest possible measures" against Pyongyang following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. On Sunday, North Korea said it detonated a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile and called it a perfect success, inviting worldwide condemnation and promises of tougher US sanctions. Haley said North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Uns action cannot be seen as defensive and he wants to be acknowledged as a nuclear power. But being a nuclear power is not about using those terrible weapons to threaten others. Nuclear powers understand their responsibilities. Kim Jong-Un shows no such understanding, Haley told members of the UN Security Council during a meeting on North Korea. With PTI inputs For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The tension between US and N Korea reached new levels after the latters most powerful nuclear tests conducted recently. Now, US President Donald Trump has said that though he prefers not to use military options but if that becomes a reality then it would be a very sad day for the leadership in Pyongyang. Trump pointedly declined to take military route but his administration sought to increase economic sanctions on N Korea. Trump emphatically said that Pyongyang was behaving badly and its got to stop. Donald Trump said that military action against a defiant North Korea after its recent powerful nuclear test was not inevitable. Speaking in a White House news conference along with the premier of Kuwait, the president said, Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothings inevitable. It would be great if something else could be worked out, he said, while adding that if it comes to military action, It will be a very sad day for North Korea. The N Korea has remained defiant after their hydrogen bomb tests. A top diplomat had warned US that the country is ready to send more gift packages. "The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the US. The US will receive more 'gift packages' ... as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK," the ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Han Tae Song said in a conference. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said that North Korea is "begging for war" with abusive use of missiles and nuclear threats. She pushed for the "strongest possible measures" against Pyongyang following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. On Sunday, North Korea said it detonated a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile and called it a perfect success, inviting worldwide condemnation and promises of tougher US sanctions. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) The Republic of China (Taiwan) could play an important role in resolving the South China Sea dispute as it was the ROC that first claimed sovereignty over the region and it still has many historic documents on the issue, a visiting UK expert said on Friday. White House to host its 19th wedding Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of President Joe Biden, and Peter Neal are getting married on the South Lawn on Saturday. Why the AP hasn't called the Arizona governor's race The Associated Press has not yet called the governors race in Arizona between Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Republican former TV broadcaster... Taylor Swift Wins Big at 2022 MTV EMAs: Full Winners List Taylor Swift was the big winner at the 2022 MTV EMAs, which were held at PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany on Sunday. The Anti-Hero singer took home... Tensions rise in Toronto's Persian community as activists try to expose regime links in Canada As the uprisings continue in Iran, tensions between supporters of the regime and those who aspire to revolution are being felt in the Iranian diaspora. In... Quebec nursing students cry foul after more than half fail licensing exam More than half of Quebec's aspiring nurses have failed their licensing exam this year. Quebec's professional order of nurses says the pandemic is partly to... Jewish groups denounce upcoming Montreal show by rapper accused of antisemitism A Jewish group is calling on a Montreal venue to cancel a performance by a French rapper whose music it describes as "openly antisemitic and hateful." Ukraine rules out ceasefire talks with Russia to end war Ukraine's prosecutor general told the BBC that collecting evidence of war crimes committed by Russia is crucial to holding it accountable. Rishi Sunak calls Russia a rogue state as he prepares for tense G20 Rishi Sunak has called Russia a rogue state as he heads into a tense G20 meeting in Bali during which Vladimir Putins seat will remain vacant. Mystery person spotted sitting on bench after Istanbul blast arrested The person who left the scene of a deadly bombing in Istanbul has been arrested. Jungle Matt says winning campsite leader vote 'more than makes up for' losing to Boris Matt Hancock has said being voted leader of the I'm A Celebrity campsite "more than makes up for" losing to Boris Johnson in the 2019 Tory Party leadership... 6 killed after vintage aircraft collide at Dallas air show Six people were killed after two historic military planes collided and crashed to the ground Saturday afternoon during a Dallas air show, officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Connecticut residents won't have to travel far to see colorful fall foliage this year. Washington, Connecticut will be a top spot for leaf-peeping, according to a recent list released by U.S. News & World Report. The report named "50 small towns across America with gorgeous fall foliage." Washington joins towns from Stowe, Vermont to Homer, Alaska on the list. "When the air becomes brisk, picturesque small towns draped in amber, yellow and orange tones tempt us to hit the trails, savor leisurely wine tastings and delight in leaf-peeping in classic and lesser-known destinations," the site writes. Click through the slideshow above for a look at some of the best small towns to catch foliage this fall, and here for the full list. This year's expected spectacular displays will be in stark contrast to last year, when dry conditions dulled the colors and duration of foliage across the state. "Connecticut's woodlands are poised to present a brilliant display of colors this fall given spring and summer rainfall amounts and moderate temperatures," Christopher Martin, Director/State Forester, Division of Forestry, Bureau of Natural Resources, DEEP told the Connecticut Office of Tourism. Washington offers leaf-peers striking sights without having to drive out of state. According to the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection fall foliage report, peak foliage is expected to arrive in the northern part of the Connecticut in mid-October. "One of the best ways to experience nature in its full glory is taking a 100-mile loop through Litchfield Hills from Torrington along state Route 8," U.S. News & World Report writes. "Another scenic 46-mile loop from New Milford to Mount Tom State Park winds past historic covered bridges and picturesque hiking trails." Washington First Selectman Mark Lyon said he was not surprised to learn that his town landed on the list. "We have a typical New England town, rolling hills ... and spectacular fall foliage," Lyon said. "We also have Lake Waramaug, which is a heritage lake, and you can drive around (it) and see the hillsides reflected down in the water." The town is visited by many leaf-peepers in the fall, he added. "We have a number of what I would call picturesque village centers with church steeples that are often photographed. They're typical New England fall foliage scenes," he said. New Fairfield native Chris Raimondi started preparing for Hurricane Irma nearly a week ago. All of our preparations are made and were just hanging out at the house waiting for the storm to come, he said. Raimondi, who now lives in Palm Bay, Fla., has boarded up every window, bought about 200 bottles of water and 150 pounds of ice, and has a generator just in case the electricity goes out. His home is about 12 miles from Floridas east coast. If you would have talked to me two days ago, I was in such a panic, said Raimondi, who has a wife and two daughters, 13 and 7. But since the track of storm has moved further west of here, Im feeling much better about it and I think were well prepared. I did think about evacuating initially when the track of the storm was more on the east coast, he said. On Friday, Irma was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. It is forecast to remain at that strength when it comes ashore someplace south of Miami on Sunday. The death toll stood at 21 after the storm ravaged a string of Caribbean resort islands, but it was expected to rise as rescuers reached some of the hardest-hit areas. Irma was at one point the most powerful recorded storm in the open Atlantic. It could be one of the most devastating storms ever to hit Florida. Florida Gov. Rick Scott urged residents of coastal and low-lying areas to heed evacuation orders. Across Florida and Georgia, 1.4 million people were ordered to leave their homes, clogging interstates as far away as Atlanta. Raimondi, who said he wasnt ordered to evacuate, stopped at gas station on Friday and he said people were frantic. You could just see it on their faces, he said. A lot of people were not only filling up their cars but cans and cans of gas. Raimondi moved to Florida in 1989 and has lived through several tropical storms and hurricanes. We went through the same preparations last year for Hurricane Matthew, he said. We got lucky last year that the eye of storm stayed off in the ocean. In Jacksonville, Gisselle Solis, who grew up in Danbury, was also preparing for the storm with her husband. They boarded up windows and had all the necessary supplies, including extra water, food and gas. Solis moved to Florida in 2011 from Danbury and now lives there with her husband and three children. She said the hardest part of hurricane season is not just the uncertainty, but also the hit on the familys budget. You have to make sure to put money aside for hurricane season, she said. That was one of the most surprising things about moving to Florida. Hundreds of miles from Florida, Eric Waite, 20, of Ridgefield, missed two classes at Western Connecticut State University on Thursday, so he could drive his father, Steven Waite, to JFK airport. Steven Waite flew to Georgia and then drove to his parents home west of Tallahassee, so hed be with them when the storm hit. I am keeping up with the radar, Eric Waite said on Friday. I was definitely nervous at first, but as it has developed, those fears were alleviated because its not expected to be as severe as other parts of the state. The Associated Press contributed to this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD Town Council member Scott Chamberlain had never made a secret of his deep involvement in Furry Fandom, a subculture of adults who dress in mascot-like animal costumes, attend role-playing conventions and interact regularly online. But an uproar ensued when a town resident posted on a community Facebook page several screenshots of Chamberlains profile from a private website catering to furries, many of whom participate in or write about unusual sexual practices. The profile includes a list of Chamberlains loves, likes and hates, some sexual in nature, but also said that he tolerates rape. In an interview at midday Thursday, Chamberlain explained his involvement in the furry community as a harmless hobby. Its nothing to do with sex; its an interest in cartoon animals," said the first-term Democrat, who was up for re-election. But Mayor David Gronbach, saying elected officials should be held to a higher standard, called for Chamberlains immediate resignation, and within two hours party officials said he would resign all his town and party positions by Monday morning. Town Democratic Chairman Peter Mullen said Chamberlain had told him previously that he had written what he called science fiction adult literature, but that the Facebook post showed him a side of those activities that shocked him. Literature is one thing, but this kind of stuff takes on a whole different level, Mullen said. Chamberlain did not respond to a follow-up call and email Thursday afternoon. In the midday interview, Chamberlain had said the private site, sofurry.com, requires users to sort topics into four categories loves, likes, tolerates and hates to manage the content sent to them. Its basically a search feature, he said. Chamberlain, whose avatar is a foxlike character named Gray Muzzle, said his participation in furry fandom is mostly about appreciating animal characters with human behaviors and features, such as Tony the Tiger and Mickey Mouse. But many of those commenting on the Facebook post which has since been removed said even suggesting that rape is tolerable was out of line. Anyone is free to pursue any hobby of choice, one commenter wrote, however that doesn't mean they can represent me as an elected official and endorse the things that are seemingly endorsed on that page. Chamberlain also writes what he calls a soap opera read by hundreds of users that includes furries in some sexual situations. He said these writings are posted to a site open only to adults, and that he writes under a pen name to keep his public and private lives separate. Chamberlain said someone must have created an account on that site with the sole purpose of getting private information on him. Im just saddened by this whole thing, he said. Ive always tried to be positive in my public life and work hard and donate my time for the people of New Milford. On Thursday night, as town Democrats held a previously scheduled opening ceremony of party headquarters on Bank Street, a small group of protesters gathered outside. Among them was Rick Agee, the resident who had made the original Facebook post. He carried a sign saying, No perverts running our town! I have kids and grandkids in this town, and I dont want him representing us, Agee said. Meanwhile, party officials removed a green sign saying, Scott Chamberlain New Milford Town Council from the headquarters front window and peeled a Chamberlain bumper sticker from the glass door. Gronbachs wife, Vanessa, ordered that a stack of Chamberlain bumper stickers be taken off the front table. CALGARY, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Enerplus Corporation ("Enerplus") (TSX: ERF) (NYSE: ERF) is pleased to advise that Ian C. Dundas, President & CEO, will be presenting at the Peters & Co. Limited 2017 Energy Conference on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 1:40 PM ET (11:40 AM MT). Investors are invited to listen to a live webcast of the presentation at: https://cc.talkpoint.com/pecl001/091217a_as/?entity=10_B2OEMQG To ensure timely participation in the webcast, please log in 15 minutes prior to the start time to register for the event. A copy of the presentation will be made available prior to the event on Enerplus' website at http://investors.enerplus.com/webcasts-and-podcasts. Further information on Enerplus Corporation is available on its website, www.enerplus.com, or by contacting [email protected]. About Us Enerplus Corporation is a responsible developer of high quality crude oil and natural gas assets in Canada and the United States committed to creating value for its shareholders through a disciplined capital investment strategy. Follow @EnerplusCorp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/EnerplusCorp. SOURCE Enerplus Corporation For further information: Ian C. Dundas, President & Chief Executive Officer, Enerplus Corporation, The Dome Tower, Suite 3000, 333 - 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2Z1, T. 403-298-2200, F. 403-298-2211, www.enerplus.com Related Links http://www.enerplus.com MONTREAL, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Transat is continuing its rescue operation and is evacuating its passengers that are in the trajectory of Hurricane Irma. The company announces that it is deploying a total of four flights to Florida to evacuate its clients: two flights to Fort Lauderdale and two to Orlando. The aircraft are expected to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, September 8 and in Orlando on Saturday, September 9, both before noon. This operation will allow more than 750 passengers to be repatriated. Transat continues to monitor the evolution of Hurricane Irma and regular updates will be posted on its websites. About Air Transat Air Transat is Canada's number one holiday travel airline in the Canadian and transatlantic markets. It also offers domestic and feeder flights out of five Canadian airports. Every year, it carries nearly 4.5 million passengers to approximately 60 destinations in 26 countries. Based in Montreal, the company employs 3,000 people and operates a fleet of Boeing narrow-body and Airbus wide-body jets. In 2017, Air Transat was named the second-best leisure airline in the world, and the best in North America in the same category for the sixth consecutive year, by Skytrax. In recent years, the carrier has earned multiple distinctions for its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. Since 2011, it has consistently been ranked number one in North America for energy efficiency, and in the Top 20 worldwide, by the Atmosfair Airline Index. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., a leading integrated international tourism company active in air transportation, accommodation, travel packaging and distribution. Transat was awarded Travelife Partner status in 2016 in recognition of its commitment to sustainable development. The vacation travel companion par excellence, Transat celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2017. SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc. For further information: Marie-Annick Lalande, Communications advisor, Transat Tours Canada, 514 987-1616, poste 4076 Related Links http://www.transat.com MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded, struck the Dominican Republic and Haiti today with sustained winds of up to 295 km/h coupled with torrential rainfall. While the extent of damage is still being assessed, World Vision is deeply concerned about the impact of this powerful hurricane on children. Haiti and Dominican Republic are among the poorest countries in Latin America with poor infrastructure, broken water systems and weak health care. Tens of thousands of children living in flimsy shacks are at risk of being damaged or destroyed by high winds, rains, flooding and mudslides. Potential hurricane-related damage to water and sanitation infrastructure also poses the additional threat of a larger cholera outbreak in affected areas, according to World Vision, Canada's largest international aid agency. World Vision is on the ground in Dominican Republic and Haiti positioned with food and hygiene kits ready for distribution to affected areas. Staff are also poised to help 122,000 people in Haiti with food, shelter, health and sanitation supplies. Relief efforts will focus on keeping tens of thousands of vulnerable children safe. HOW CANADIANS CAN HELP: Canadians can make donations to World Vision Canada to support Hurricane Irma relief efforts. Website donations: HERE Phone donations: 1-800-654-2650 QUOTES: "This is the first time that northern Haiti has faced a storm of this scale. The coast floods easily during the regular rainy season, making this area especially vulnerable to Hurricane Irma. With many homes on hills, landslides are also a concern. The velocity of these winds means we are preparing for the worst. We fear this storm could affect thousands and thousands of people. The impact this might have on food security is also worrying because the northern part of the country is home to farms that supply food to much of the Haitian population." "World Vision is concerned that Hurricane Irma will overstress limited resources to respond, and will put more lives at risk from floods, landslides and water-borne diseases. Our teams on the ground are working as quickly as possible to position life-saving supplies, like food and water, for distribution. Hurricanes of this magnitude are especially frightening and traumatic for children, and we're working to protect both their physical and psychosocial needs. Canadian support will be especially necessary for thousands of vulnerable children. Michael Messenger, President, World Vision Canada World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by our Christian values, World Vision is dedicated to working with the world's most vulnerable people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. SOURCE World Vision Canada For further information: For interviews contact: Brett Tarver - 647-825-2712 or [email protected] Related Links http://www.worldvision.ca OTTAWA, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - The Red Cross is providing emergency assistance for Hurricane Irma, a category five hurricane that has become one of the strongest storms recorded in the Caribbean. Canadians are encouraged to help support emergency response efforts by making a donation to the Canadian Red Cross. It is estimated that over 31 million people will be affected by Irma's trail through the Caribbean and United States. The Canadian Red Cross has a presence in the area and is coordinating with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and supporting the mobilization of regional Red Cross teams. QUOTE "The destruction from Hurricane Irma is expected to leave hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need of assistance, including shelter, water, food and healthcare. The Canadian Red Cross is working closely alongside regional Red Cross teams, preparing to respond to the needs of those impacted by the expected devastation." - Conrad Sauve, President and CEO, Canadian Red Cross HOW CANADIANS CAN HELP Canadians wishing to help people impacted by this disaster may make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Hurricane Irma Appeal online at www.redcross.ca, by calling 1-800-418-1111 or by contacting their local Canadian Red Cross office. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES @RedCrossCanada | facebook.com/CanadianRedCross | redcross.ca/blog About the Canadian Red Cross Here in Canada and overseas, the Red Cross stands ready to help people before, during and after a disaster. As a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement which is made up of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 190 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies the Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and throughout the world. SOURCE Canadian Red Cross For further information: English Media Line: 1-877-599-9602; French Media Line: 1-888-418-9111 Related Links http://www.redcross.ca MONTREAL, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Three months ended July 29, 2017 Sales for the three months ended July 29, 2017 were $251.1 million as compared with $254.4 million for the three months ended July 30, 2016, a decrease of 1.3%, with a net reduction of 55 stores. Same store sales1 increased 2.5%, with store sales decreasing 0.6% and e-commerce sales increasing 39.9%. This marks the thirteenth consecutive quarter of positive same store sales. Gross profit for the three months ended July 29, 2017 decreased by $4.5 million or 3.1% to $138.7 million as compared with $143.2 million for the three months ended July 30, 2016. Gross margin was 55.2% for the three months ended July 29, 2017 as compared to 56.3% for the three months ended July 30, 2016 driven primarily by the adverse foreign exchange impact of approximately $3.7 million on U.S. denominated purchases. The Company continues to drive cost efficiencies through its global sourcing activities thereby helping to mitigate the negative impact of foreign exchange. Results from operating activities for the three months ended July 29, 2017 were $10.8 million as compared to $12.5 million for the three months ended July 30, 2016, a decrease of $1.7 million. Net earnings for the three months ended July 29, 2017 was $9.7 million ($0.15 basic and diluted earnings per share) as compared with a $9.0 million net earnings ($0.14 basic and diluted earnings per share) for the three months ended July 30, 2016. The increased net earnings of $0.7 million is due to increased net finance income and a lower income tax expense offsetting reduced results from operating activities. Adjusted EBITDA1 for the three months ended July 29, 2017 was $19.9 million as compared with $23.1 million for the three months ended July 30, 2016. The decrease of $3.2 million in adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to lower results from operating activities and an unfavorable net foreign exchange impact of $1.2 million on U.S. denominated monetary assets and liabilities included in net finance income. Six months ended July 29, 2017 Sales for the six months ended July 29, 2017 were $458.2 million as compared with $457.9 million for the six months ended July 30, 2016, an increase of 0.1%, with a net reduction of 55 stores. Same store sales1 increased 3.8%, with store sales increasing 0.2% and e-commerce sales increasing 46.9%. Gross profit for the six months ended July 29, 2017 decreased by $4.7 million or 1.8% to $251.9 million as compared with $256.6 million for the six months ended July 30, 2016. Gross margin was 55.0% for the six months ended July 29, 2017 as compared to 56.0% for the six months ended July 30, 2016 driven primarily by the adverse foreign exchange impact of approximately $11.2 million on U.S. dollar denominated purchases. The Company continues to drive cost efficiencies through its global sourcing activities thereby helping to mitigate the negative impact of foreign exchange. Net earnings were $3.1 million for the six months ended July 29, 2017 ($0.05 basic and diluted earnings per share) as compared with a $3.0 million net earnings ($0.05 basic and diluted earnings per share) for the six months ended July 30, 2016. The increase in net earnings of $0.1 million is due to increased net finance income offsetting reduced results from operating activities. Adjusted EBITDA1 for the six months ended July 29, 2017 was $19.8 million as compared with $18.8 million for the six months ended July 30, 2016. The improvement of $1.0 million in adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to a favorable net foreign exchange impact of $1.9 million on U.S. denominated monetary assets and liabilities included in net finance income partially offset by reduced results from operating activities. Dividends At the Board of Directors meeting held on September 7, 2017, a quarterly cash dividend (constituting eligible dividends) of $0.05 per share on all outstanding Class A non-voting and Common shares of the Company was declared, payable October 26, 2017 to shareholders of record on October 12, 2017. Sales for the four weeks ended August 26, 2017 Sales for the month of August (the four weeks ended August 26, 2017) increased 0.2%. Same store sales1 increased 2.4% with stores increasing 1.1% and e-commerce sales increasing 16.3%. About Reitmans (Canada) Limited The Company is a leading ladieswear specialty apparel retailer with retail outlets throughout Canada. The Company operates 664 stores consisting of 280 Reitmans, 125 Penningtons, 95 Addition Elle, 85 RW & CO., 60 Thyme Maternity and 19 Hyba. 1 Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has identified several key operating performance measures and non-GAAP financial measures which management believes are useful in assessing the performance of the Company; however, readers are cautioned that some of these measures may not have standardized meanings under IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar terms used by other companies. In addition to discussing earnings in accordance with IFRS, this press announcement provides adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA") as a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings before income tax expense/recovery, dividend income, interest income, net change in fair value of marketable securities, interest expense, depreciation, amortization and net impairment losses. The following table reconciles the most comparable GAAP measure, net earnings or loss, to adjusted EBITDA. Management believes that adjusted EBITDA is an important indicator of the Company's ability to generate liquidity through operating cash flow to fund working capital needs and fund capital expenditures and uses the metric for this purpose. The exclusion of dividend income, interest income and expense and the net change in fair value of marketable securities eliminates the impact on earnings derived from non-operational activities. The exclusion of depreciation, amortization and impairment charges eliminates the non-cash impact. The intent of adjusted EBITDA is to provide additional useful information to investors and analysts. The measure does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Although depreciation, amortization and impairment charges are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, as such, adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for these replacements. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered either as discretionary cash available to invest in the growth of the business or as a measure of cash that will be available to meet the Company's obligations. Other companies may calculate adjusted EBITDA differently. From time to time, the Company may exclude additional items if it believes doing so would result in a more effective analysis of underlying operating performance. The exclusion of certain items does not imply that they are non-recurring. Adjusted EBITDA should not be used in substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS or as an alternative to net earnings, net cash provided by operating, investing or financing activities or any other financial statement data presented as indicators of financial performance or liquidity, each as presented in accordance with IFRS. Although adjusted EBITDA is frequently used by securities analysts, lenders and others in their evaluation of companies, it has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under IFRS. The Company uses a key performance indicator ("KPI"), same store sales, to assess store performance (including each banner's e-commerce store) and sales growth. Same store sales are defined as sales generated by stores that have been continuously open during both of the periods being compared and include e-commerce sales. Same store sales exclude sales from wholesale accounts. The same store sales metric compares the same calendar days for each period. Although this KPI is expressed as a ratio, it is a non-GAAP financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Management uses same store sales in evaluating the performance of stores and online sales and considers it useful in helping to determine what portion of new sales has come from sales growth and what portion can be attributed to the opening of new stores. Same store sales is a measure widely used amongst retailers and is considered useful information for both investors and analysts. Same store sales should not be considered in isolation or used in substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The following table reconciles net earnings to adjusted EBITDA: (in millions of Canadian dollars) (unaudited) For the three months ended For the six months ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Net earnings $ 9.7 $ 9.0 $ 3.1 $ 3.0 Depreciation, amortization and net impairment losses 10.4 10.7 21.7 21.1 Dividend income (0.6) (0.6) (1.2) (1.3) Interest income (0.2) (0.2) (0.4) (0.3) Net change in fair value of marketable securities (1.7) 0.5 (3.2) (3.6) Interest expense - - - 0.1 Income tax expense (recovery) 2.3 3.7 (0.2) (0.2) ADJUSTED EBITDA $ 19.9 $ 23.1 $ 19.8 $ 18.8 ADJUSTED EBITDA as % of Sales 7.9% 9.1% 4.3% 4.1% Forward-Looking Statements All of the statements contained herein, other than statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date hereof, are forward-looking statements. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management, inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Consequently, actual future results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's expectations only as of the date of this Press Announcement. Forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current estimates, beliefs and assumptions, which are based on management's perception of historical trends, current conditions and currently expected future developments, as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This Press Announcement contains forward-looking statements about the Company's objectives, plans, goals, aspirations, strategies, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, performance, prospects, opportunities and legal and regulatory matters. Specific forward-looking statements in this Press Announcement include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's anticipated future results and events, future liquidity, planned capital expenditures, amount of pension plan contributions, status and impact of systems implementation, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and cost reduction and productivity improvement initiatives as well as the impact of such initiatives. These specific forward-looking statements are contained throughout the Company's Management Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") including those listed in the "Operating and Financial Risk Management" section of the Company's MD&A. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "strive", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company and its management. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed, implied or projected in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the "Forward-Looking Statements" section of the Company's MD&A for the three and six months ended July 29, 2017. Other risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material could also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in its forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The reader should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included herein. These statements speak only as of the date made and the Company is under no obligation and disavows any intention to update or revise such statements as a result of any event, circumstances or otherwise, except to the extent required under applicable securities law. The Company's complete financial statements including notes and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three and six months ended July 29, 2017 are available online at www.sedar.com . Montreal, September 7, 2017 Jeremy H. Reitman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (514) 385-2630 Corporate Website: www.reitmanscanadalimited.com REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (Unaudited) (in thousands of Canadian dollars except per share amounts) For the three months ended For the six months ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Sales $ 251,121 $ 254,447 $ 458,228 $ 457,934 Cost of goods sold 112,447 111,297 206,332 201,290 Gross profit 138,674 143,150 251,896 256,644 Selling and distribution expenses 117,017 119,987 232,011 235,463 Administrative expenses 10,896 10,713 21,374 21,205 Results from operating activities 10,761 12,450 (1,489) (24) Finance income 2,540 824 4,796 5,163 Finance costs 1,319 612 438 2,362 Earnings before income taxes 11,982 12,662 2,869 2,777 Income tax expense (recovery) 2,305 3,691 (236) (212) Net earnings $ 9,677 $ 8,971 $ 3,105 $ 2,989 Earnings per share : Basic $ 0.15 $ 0.14 $ 0.05 $ 0.05 Diluted $ 0.15 $ 0.14 $ 0.05 $ 0.05 REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited) (in thousands of Canadian dollars) For the three months ended For the six months ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 Net earnings $ 9,677 $ 8,971 $ 3,105 $ 2,989 Other comprehensive (loss) income Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to net earnings: Cash flow hedges (net of tax of $5,420 for the three months and $3,260 for the six months ended July 29, 2017; net of tax of $2,777 for the three months ended and $4,939 for the six months ended July 30, 2016) (14,966) 7,617 (9,004) (13,500) Foreign currency translation differences 408 (220) 230 259 Total other comprehensive (loss) income (14,558) 7,397 (8,774) (13,241) Total comprehensive (loss) income $ (4,881) $ 16,368 $ (5,669) $ (10,252) REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands of Canadian dollars) July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 January 28, 2017 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 115,441 $ 114,538 $ 120,265 Marketable securities 57,951 48,772 54,764 Trade and other receivables 5,284 5,361 4,256 Derivative financial asset - 623 1,386 Income taxes recoverable 2,434 3,367 3,480 Inventories 147,273 147,159 146,059 Prepaid expenses 9,349 8,647 6,846 Total Current Assets 337,732 328,467 337,056 NON-CURRENT ASSETS Property and equipment 113,732 128,289 124,106 Intangible assets 19,828 23,741 23,110 Goodwill 38,183 38,183 38,183 Deferred income taxes 29,892 30,973 25,891 Total Non-Current Assets 201,635 221,186 211,290 TOTAL ASSETS $ 539,367 $ 549,653 $ 548,346 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables $ 111,426 $ 119,272 $ 114,254 Derivative financial liability 14,414 8,962 3,160 Deferred revenue 17,820 17,228 21,478 Current portion of long-term debt 661 1,957 1,655 Total Current Liabilities 144,321 147,419 140,547 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Other payables 7,101 7,468 7,186 Deferred lease credits 6,973 9,236 8,230 Long-term debt - 661 - Pension liability 19,182 19,897 18,869 Total Non-Current Liabilities 33,256 37,262 34,285 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Share capital 38,397 38,397 38,397 Contributed surplus 10,048 9,397 9,769 Retained earnings 323,446 324,025 326,675 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (10,101) (6,847) (1,327) Total Shareholders' Equity 361,790 364,972 373,514 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 539,367 $ 549,653 $ 548,346 REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Unaudited) (in thousands of Canadian dollars) Share Capital Contributed Surplus Retained Earnings Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Shareholders' Equity Balance as at January 29, 2017 $ 38,397 $ 9,769 $ 326,675 $ (1,327) $ 373,514 Net earnings - - 3,105 - 3,105 Total other comprehensive loss - - - (8,774) (8,774) Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period - - 3,105 (8,774) (5,669) Share-based compensation costs - 279 - - 279 Dividends - - (6,334) - (6,334) Total contributions by (distributions to) owners of the Company - 279 (6,334) - (6,055) Balance as at July 29, 2017 $ 38,397 $ 10,048 $ 323,446 $ (10,101) $ 361,790 Balance as at January 31, 2016 $ 38,397 $ 9,007 $ 327,370 $ 6,394 $ 381,168 Net earnings - - 2,989 - 2,989 Total other comprehensive loss - - - (13,241) (13,241) Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period - - 2,989 (13,241) (10,252) Share-based compensation costs - 390 - - 390 Dividends - - (6,334) - (6,334) Total contributions by (distributions to) owners of the Company - 390 (6,334) - (5,944) Balance as at July 30, 2016 $ 38,397 $ 9,397 $ 324,025 $ (6,847) $ 364,972 REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (in thousands of Canadian dollars) For the three months ended For the six months ended July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 July 29, 2017 July 30, 2016 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net earnings $ 9,677 $ 8,971 $ 3,105 $ 2,989 Adjustments for: Depreciation, amortization and net impairment losses 10,412 10,720 21,715 21,067 Share-based compensation costs 208 277 520 478 Net change in fair value of marketable securities (1,732) 487 (3,187) (3,583) Net change in transfer of realized loss (gain) on cash flow hedges to inventory 3,302 (814) 376 2,490 Foreign exchange loss (gain) 115 (146) (292) 184 Interest and dividend income, net (793) (778) (1,570) (1,480) Income tax expense (recovery) 2,305 3,691 (236) (212) 23,494 22,408 20,431 21,933 Changes in: Trade and other receivables 1,563 404 (1,058) (1,187) Inventories 7,455 (7,609) (1,214) (22,311) Prepaid expenses (267) 820 (2,503) 274 Trade and other payables 1,324 35,178 (2,433) 21,960 Pension liability 154 319 313 561 Deferred lease credits (575) (741) (1,256) (1,404) Deferred revenue (502) (1,248) (3,658) (2,097) Cash from operating activities 32,646 49,531 8,622 17,729 Interest paid (15) (46) (39) (100) Interest received 215 156 432 317 Dividends received 603 632 1,207 1,192 Income taxes received 548 370 548 370 Income taxes paid (4) (1) (7) (431) Net cash flows from operating activities 33,993 50,642 10,763 19,077 CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES Additions to property and equipment and intangible assets (5,651) (8,141) (8,780) (16,359) Proceeds on disposal of property and equipment and intangibles - - - 416 Cash flows used in investing activities (5,651) (8,141) (8,780) (15,943) CASH FLOWS USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES Dividends paid (3,167) (3,167) (6,334) (6,334) Repayment of long-term debt (501) (470) (994) (933) Cash flows used in financing activities (3,668) (3,637) (7,328) (7,267) FOREIGN EXCHANGE GAIN (LOSS) ON CASH HELD IN FOREIGN CURRENCY 292 (75) 521 76 NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 24,966 38,789 (4,824) (4,057) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD 90,475 75,749 120,265 118,595 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF THE PERIOD $ 115,441 $ 114,538 $ 115,441 $ 114,538 SOURCE Reitmans (Canada) Limited For further information: Jeremy H. Reitman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Telephone: (514) 385-2630; Corporate Website: www.reitmanscanadalimited.com Related Links www.reitmanscanadalimited.com Bess Wohls quiet chamber play Small Mouth Sounds is a rare exploration of interpersonal communication and ones craving to share ones personal story with others. The national touring production of the show, currently camped at Long Wharf Theatres Stage II through Sept. 24, is also funny and poignant. Whats most unusual about Small Mouth Sounds, unobtrusively and beautifully directed by Rachel Chavkin, is that its characters seldom speak. They all participate in a silent retreat designed to reconnect with themselves. And, indeed, their quest for spirituality brings them to the brink of self-awareness. What prevents the ones who ultimately choose not to accept the truth about themselves is the idea that its just too hard to swallow. Small Mouth Sounds (the title refers to the characters muted utterances rather than the size of their mouths) isnt entirely wordless. The Teacher (Orville Mendoza), an offstage shaman of sorts, pipes in mellifluous lines of instruction and wisdom intended to keep his pupils minds and hearts open and receptive. To the amusement of the audience, if not the participants, the Teacher resoundingly fails his retreaters when a cell phone shatters the proper mood his euphonious words have created. In the fullness of time, the audience has reason to genuinely empathize with this unseen Voice on High. It goes without saying that theatergoers will sooner come to identify with the struggling individuals, all of whom are broken to varying degrees. There is Jan (Connor Barrett), a physical large yet hardly imposing figure whose action is always precise and thoughtful, save the few occasions when his tactile impulses get the better of him. There is Rodney (Edward Chin-Lyn), a smiling, physically fit persona whose apparent sensibility leads one to believe that such a retreat is just his dish. Ned (Ben Beckley), a bit on the nervous side, wears his needs more openly than the others. Judy (Cherene Snow) and Joan (Socorro Santiago) noisily enter together and initially seem either dismissive of or ignorant to the house rules. If their boisterous first impression makes one question exactly why the pair signed on to the retreat, Wohl leaks a few traits that eventually shed light on their reasons. Alicia (Brenna Palughi), the heel of the hunt, enters with the grace of a folding card table crashing to the floor under the weight of too many sodas, snacks and general knickknacks. Alicias constant habit of feeding herself food, screen time on her cellphone, and the rest render her the exemplar of insatiable appetites, and comically so. It isnt telling tales out of school to disclose that one infers that Alicias paramour back home has just bounced her from the relationship, and that all of her excesses spring from this void. Yet each of these wounded souls aches for repose, resolution and reasons to some unquenchable yearning. The conceit that they mustnt verbally share these desires compounds their longings and frustrations. Beside the transparent challenge inherent in Wohls choice to vocally negate her characters, the device tests Chavkin and her actors ability to not overcompensate their lack of vocal expression with facial expression and gesture alike. Particularly since heartache and bereavement stokes everybodys dire need to verbally vent their feelings (a bit with Alicia alone with her cell phone is simultaneously funny and sad and very apt). Everyone superbly plays and, better still, underplays these moments. Another benefit to buttoning the characters lips is that the performance offers theatergoers a vivid opportunity to see in action the old saw that acting is primarily listening. This, of course, includes being sensitive and receptive to other actors on-verbal communication. The entire cast collectively strikes truth during these quiet moments. The design team-Laura Jellinek (set); Tilly Grimes (costume); Stowe Nelson (sound); Andrew Schneider (video); and Mike Inwood (lights) simply but completely represent Wohls imaginary world. Inwoods subtle lighting is especially helpful in leading the audiences focus, no easy task in the absence of verbal cues. The creators succeed in their intention of seducing their audience into feeling as if it, too, is a participant on the retreat. Part of that feeling, especially initially, is creating an empathic sense of awkwardness shared by he actors and theatergoers alike. The experience is well worth it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A onetime Amazon financial analyst has admitted to securities frauds stemming from a long friendship with an iPhone-exporting fraudster already serving a federal prison sentence. Brett Kennedy pleaded guilty Thursday morning to criminal charges related to insider trading. He also settled civil claims brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which, like the criminal case, were first made public Thursday. In doing so, Kennedy admitted to passing non-public quarterly financial results to Maziar Rezakhani, a Bellevue fraudster who made millions illegally shipping Apple products to the Middle East. Rezakhani, now 28, was sentenced in March to five years in prison following a prosecution that saw the government seize his Ferrari collection and bank accounts. FOR MORE ON MAZIAR REZAKHANIS MILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD: This young millionaires iPhone fraud broke a Seattle bank SEC investigators claim a third man, Sam Sadeghi, was also involved in the insider trading. According to a civil complaint that lists Kennedy, Rezakhani and Sadeghi as defendants, 28-year-old Sadeghi was Rezakhanis trading partner and investment adviser. According to the SECs attorneys, Sadeghi received a 10 percent cut of Rezakhanis profits. Rezakhani and Kennedy became acquainted in 2009, when both attended the same fraternity at the University of Washington. Rezakhani, a longtime Western Washington resident, began reselling Apple products at the age of 18 while studying at UW. He was a middleman, reselling iPhones to distributors in the United States and Middle East. From 2009 until his arrest in October 2015, he moved millions of dollars in Apple products. The operation was lucrative he leased luxury apartments, drove expensive cars and claimed to have a seven-figure annual income. Rezakhani wasnt paying taxes, however, and he wasnt exactly truthful about what he was exporting. Not only was Rezakhani failing to pay the IRS, he was dodging Washington state sales taxes by buying iPhones in Portland. MORE ON MAZIAR REZAKHANI: UW grad lied to Apple, IRS while making millions quietly shipping iPhones to Middle East Now it seems that he was also trading stock on stolen information provided by his frat brother. In early 2015, Rezakhani began trading aggressively on a brokerage account, SEC attorney Sallie Kim said in court papers. Rezakhani met nearly daily with Sadeghi, Kim said, to discuss the trades. The men hoped to open a hedge fund, the attorney continued, but needed to be able to show a record of successful trading. Kennedy, then two years into a position at Amazon, could provide them with insider information they needed to establish themselves. During his employment as a financial analyst at Amazon, Kennedy had access to Amazons database of internal financial information, Kim said. Although Kennedy was only authorized to review data that related to his own division, he also could access financial information through the database relating to other Amazon divisions and the company as a whole. Rezakhani recruited Kennedy in April 2015, and Kennedy agreed to provide him with financial results three days ahead of their public release in exchange for payment. On the evening of April 20, Rezakhani drove to Kennedys Seattle home and picked up a slip of paper on which Kennedy had jotted down Amazons revenue and earnings for the quarter. The company had outperformed Wall Streets expectations. Rezakhani posted his predictions online, Kim said in court papers, while directing Sadeghi to buy Amazon stock. Rezakhani boasted on social media that he could accurately predict Amazons financial performance," said Jina L. Choi, director of the SECs San Francisco office. "But he failed to predict that we would catch him and his accomplices in their illegal scheme. According to court filings, Rezakhani and Sadeghi met at Kennedys home on April 22 to get more information and deliver a $10,000 payment to Kennedy. The following morning, Rezakhani bought $1.7 million in Amazon shares. He also bragged online that the Amazon earnings numbers are so obvious that a 5-year-old can guess what they will do. Amazon shares jumped that afternoon, climbing 14 percent on news that the company was healthier than expected. Rezakhani sold his shares that day, making $116,000. Kennedy left Amazon in June 2015, shortly after the incident. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court at Seattle. Insider trading of any kind corrodes trust in one of the crown jewels of our country -- our financial markets, U. S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes said in a statement. As this case demonstrates, we work closely with our law enforcement partners including the FBI and the SEC to investigate and hold accountable those involved in this serious crime. Prosecutors have agreed to request no more than a one-year prison term for Kennedy. Sadeghi has agreed to pay $24,200 to settle the allegations, according to an SEC statement. He has not admitted wrongdoing. Kennedy agreed to pay a $10,900 penalty. Rezakhani does not appear to have responded to the SEC action. The insider trading investigation grew out of the investigation into Rezakhanis other frauds. The SEC is seeking to seize the profits from Rezakhanis trading. Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk. HAMDEN >> A man accused of shooting another person in the back multiple times was arrested Friday. Ryan Bryan, 27, of George Street, was charged with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. At approximately 4 a.m. Aug. 19, police responded to the area of Oregon and Manilla avenues on the report of shots fired. Moments later, officers found a 27-year-old New Haven resident lying in the street. The man was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious injuries, police said. Police conducted an investigation, which led to the application of an arrest warrant for Bryan. He was held in lieu of $500,000 bail and issued a court date of Sept. 21. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Keisha Williams planned to ride out the storm taking care of her beloved nursing home patients while clocking hours to provide for her two daughters. The night of Aug. 26, the 32-year-old nurse took her girls to a relative who lives on the second floor of an apartment complex off I-45. "She said she would be at work," said Jolie Tillman, the paternal aunt of those children. "That's the last time I talked to her." Williams was working her plan for Hurricane Harvey until flooded roads blocked her path to work at Jacinto City Healthcare Center in east Harris County. She ended up at a friend's house close to home. Her east Houston complex, the Woodforest Chase apartments, already had high water from Greens Bayou in its parking lot. By Aug. 28, the rain slacked up. The water receded and the path home was puddle-ridden but passable. "She went back to her apartment to get the school clothes she'd just bought the girls and to get their dogs," Tillman said. "She was a dog parent. She loved her pets." Williams lost her life when floodwaters rose quickly and she got caught in a strong current outside. Now Playing: A look at some of the lives claimed by Hurricane Harvey. Video: Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle Tillman had watched Facebook footage early last week of a drowning near tan-colored buildings and was certain the person had not survived. "I didn't think that it looked like Keisha's apartment because I knew where she was. I knew the kids were safe. I knew she was safe at work, or at least I thought," she said. Tillman was recovering from her own weekend evacuation fiasco that included wading through floodwater. She was admittedly grumpy when one of her sisters awoke her on the afternoon of Aug. 29 with a telephone call. "What?" she snapped. Her sister told her that Williams may have drowned. Tillman hung up and started dialing her former sister-in-law. Straight to voicemail. She sent several texts. No response. Then, Tillman called the niece who had the girls. She also said that there may have been a drowning and sent her the video. "It's the same video that I watched," she said, noting that Williams was particularly "mortified" about deep water. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences recovered Williams on the morning of Aug. 30 in the 12400 block of Woodforest Blvd. "When the water started to recede, her body was on the gate," Tillman said. "Imagine a gate that surrounds an apartment complex. That's how high the water was over there." Keisha Monique Williams was a lifelong Houstonian who graduated from Furr High School, according to her grandmother, Marie Williams. "It's really hit me pretty hard," the family matriarch said. She lost Keisha's mother, Ethel Williams, to illness in 2012 and will miss spending time with her granddaughter. "She'd come and visit all the time," the 74-year-old said. "We'd go to dinner after church. I'm going to miss her." Keisha Williams chose nursing because the vocation allowed her to help people. Over her career, she cared for the aged and developmentally disabled individuals. She worked her way up from a certified nursing assistant to a licensed vocational nurse and a team leader at work. Her next goal was to become a registered nurse. "While she worked a full-time job, probably 50 to 60 hours a week, she was a single parent who went to school and did other activities with her children," Tillman said. "She just worked so hard. It was important for her to do that to show her girls how important it is to work and have a strong work ethic." Relatives organized a balloon release honoring Williams to comfort her daughters Kiaja Elkins, 13, and 10-year-old Kinaya Elkins. The nurse and devoted mother would have turned 33 on Sept. 2. Williams talked about celebrating this year by splurging on dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Tillman plans to take Kiaja and Kinaya to eat there instead. A few days ago, the girls learned that their dogs, Tiger and Doughboy, survived the storm. A funeral for Williams is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church, 10912 Wallisville Road, in Houston. Former Russian Ambassador to U.S. Relieved to Rejoin 'World of Normal People Sergey KislyakRussias former ambassador to the United States is relieved to be back in the world of normal people after his nine-year diplomatic stint in Washington, he said in an interview with the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper published Thursday.What a pleasure, how nice it is to return from the climate in which I worked to a world of normal people with normal problems, successes, relationships, Sergei Kislyak said.Kislyak, who found himself embroiled in controversy over reported meetings with U.S. President Donald Trumps aides during the 2016 election campaign, returned to Moscow late last month.The former envoy told Izvestia he was often left speechless at widely publicized claims of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election last year. They were originally built on a lie and those who leaked them knew it full well.Despite what he described as U.S. media brainwashing, Kislyak said he discovered that Americans outside Washington D.C. view Russia in mostly a normal light. So, sometimes a trip to middle America even became a breath of fresh air psychologically.In response to suggestions that frayed bilateral relations could be improved through the Russian diaspora, the diplomat said that Russians in America are not very interested in participating in political life in the U.S.Kislyak, after being replaced by former deputy defense and foreign minister Anatoly Antonov, has been floated to represent Russias republic of Mordovia in the upper house of parliament. National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said President Buhari will disclose his decision on a second term in office at the appropriate time.Oyegun said this in a chat with newsmen in Benin on Thursday.He expressed delight at Nigerias exit from recession, assuring that more progress would be made before the 2019 election.His words: The decision, whether our President will run for a second term, is a decision only President Buhari can make, and he will make it at the proper time.For now, he still has nearly two years of painful, strenuous reconstruction of the Nigerian economy and all the other promises he made both in anti-corruption and on security is still serious work in progress.At the proper time, he will decide, and at the proper time, the APC will decide and the public will know.On Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, moves to reclaim power, the APC chairman replied: They are allowed to continue on their dreams, they are just coming out from intensive care unit. So they need a lot of nurturing, so this is good for their ego. Family and members of the Bellavista community south of Johannesburg on Wednesday held a memorial service for five-year-old boy Caleb Ouman who was beaten to death by his father. Ouman died after being severely beaten to death by his 35-year-old father Seisax Boesak last Thursday. ER24 spokesperson Annine Siddall said that a paramedic went to South Rand Hospital in her personal capacity after she heard that the boy had been transported there but the boy had already been declared dead by the hospital. "The paramedic said that the boy had been dead for two or three hours by the time she got to the hospital at around 7pm . She [the paramedic] said that the boy had severe injuries and his whole body was covered in bruises. she said. Siddall said that the paramedic suspected that the boy died of internal bleeding. Boesak abandoned his bail application on Monday when he appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court. The memorial service was held under a small stretch tent in front of the flat where the boy lived with his aunt Vivian Boesak. A photograph of the five-year-old lay next to a bouquet of white and blue flowers on a draped small table. Vivian lived with Ouman until his father took him to bond with him after he was released from prison in February for assaulting him. Boesak was released after assault charges were dropped against him. He had been arrested in December. Johannesburgs member of the mayoral committee for social development Dr Mpho Phalatse said the boys death was tragic and disturbing. We knew about the abuse. It was reported and there was an arrest made. But it was irresponsible for the father to be released. He was released before he could get the help he needed. This boy was robbed of an opportunity to express himself and be a gift to us Phalatse said. She said there needed to be an investigation into why Boesak was released from prison after he was arrested for assaulting Ouman on a previous occasion. We will drill down to what happened and find out who dropped the ball said Phalatse. "I called his name; he looked up at me and sighed his last breath" said Rashieda Landis a ward councillor at Chrisville South of Johannesburg. "He [the father] was very casual. So casual after he kicked that baby and smashed him against the wall. He had cigarette burns all over his body Landis said. "I was with him when he died. I saw his face and I immediately knew he had been beaten. Caleb did not deserve what he went through. I fought with Seisax. I put in rehab but his strike killed our Caleb. "This guy was arrested six months ago for beating his child. The fathers sister and I laid a case against him. Three months later his sister had dropped the charges against him. His sister went to [Westgate] Court and the judge actually allowed it" Oumans mother Merchia who lives in Welkom was not at the memorial service due to financial constraints. Anastacia Jacobs the chairperson of local drug action committee in Booysens said the boy would be buried in Welkom on Saturday . She said the community was shocked to hear that charges against Boesak had previously been dropped. We as the community are asking ourselves why the charges were dropped in the first place. Boesak is due back in court on October 4 . Landis said that the boys mother lived in Bloemfontein and had given custody of the child to his paternal grandmother but that the child ultimately ended up in the care of his father and the fathers girlfriend. According to Landis the boys father kept the abuse from his girlfriend. He wouldnt allow his girlfriend to feed and clothe the child. He did everything himself. It was only last night [ Thursday ] when the girlfriend saw his the boys beaten face that she called the neighbours. By the time the neighbours called me her voice broke in tears. "You must see his little body broken. The neighbours called me saying he was having a fit. In my many years of doing community work this is the first time I broke down. I helped him the first time but I couldnt help him this time. I am shattered angry and I feel let down by justice system. It is murder. Lundis said that she would need to get counselling herself. "The first time the baby was beaten I grabbed him and ran with him to the police. Afterwards he said to me: Auntie when everything is over can you come fetch me. I never got to see him again before last night." Kanu was decorated with the title of the greatest Biafran Warrior by the Odumeze of Ohafia, Abia state, and other elders, according to Somto Okonkwo, who posted the photographs on social media. Kanu, according to Okonkwo, is now the Otu Onye Nakpu Ogwe 1 of Biafra Land. However, the controversy that seems to have emerged from the award of the title is the place of the late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu. Ojukwu, who was an officer of the Nigerian Army before the war, is often described as a warrior and even had a title to that effect. Aniebo Nwamu, a Nigerian analyst, recently said: One of the prominent titles conferred on Ojukwu on his return from exile in 1982 was Dike Di Ora Mma (The warrior loved by all). He described the title as an apt description of the visionary from the east who was born in the north and grew up in the west. Until months ago, Nnamdi Kanu had been in detention on the order of the federal government over alleged treasonable offences. The government is also reportedly asking the court to withdraw the bail condition it granted Kanu with the argument that he had abused some of the conditions he was given. It had earlier reported that Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, September 6, received some IPOB supporters who were released from alleged military detention. It was gathered that the unarmed youths were detained on Monday night, September 4, at the popular Isi Gate area, after they clashed with the army. See more photos: The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been reportedly honoured with the highest title in Igbo land, south-eastern Nigeria.Kanu was decorated with the title of the greatest Biafran Warrior by the Odumeze of Ohafia, Abia state, and other elders, according to Somto Okonkwo, who posted the photographs on social media.Kanu, according to Okonkwo, is now the Otu Onye Nakpu Ogwe 1 of Biafra Land.However, the controversy that seems to have emerged from the award of the title is the place of the late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu. Ojukwu, who was an officer of the Nigerian Army before the war, is often described as a warrior and even had a title to that effect.Aniebo Nwamu, a Nigerian analyst, recently said: One of the prominent titles conferred on Ojukwu on his return from exile in 1982 was Dike Di Ora Mma (The warrior loved by all).He described the title as an apt description of the visionary from the east who was born in the north and grew up in the west.Until months ago, Nnamdi Kanu had been in detention on the order of the federal government over alleged treasonable offences.The government is also reportedly asking the court to withdraw the bail condition it granted Kanu with the argument that he had abused some of the conditions he was given.It had earlier reported that Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, September 6, received some IPOB supporters who were released from alleged military detention.It was gathered that the unarmed youths were detained on Monday night, September 4, at the popular Isi Gate area, after they clashed with the army.See more photos: National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said President Buhari will disclose his decision on a ... National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said President Buhari will disclose his decision on a second term in office at the appropriate time. Oyegun said this in a chat with newsmen in Benin on Thursday. He expressed delight at Nigerias exit from recession, assuring that more progress would be made before the 2019 election. His words: The decision, whether our President will run for a second term, is a decision only President Buhari can make, and he will make it at the proper time. For now, he still has nearly two years of painful, strenuous reconstruction of the Nigerian economy and all the other promises he made both in anti-corruption and on security is still serious work in progress. At the proper time, he will decide, and at the proper time, the APC will decide and the public will know. On Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, moves to reclaim power, the APC chairman replied: They are allowed to continue on their dreams, they are just coming out from intensive care unit. So they need a lot of nurturing, so this is good for their ego. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, is currently in Malaysia for the World Peace Summit. In his paper which he titled "Conscience Base... Former President Goodluck Jonathan, is currently in Malaysia for the World Peace Summit. In his paper which he titled "Conscience Based Leadership: The Secret to Global Peace and Security. Jonathan spoke of how he was inspired to lead Nigeria by using his conscience dispassionately. "Since you specifically invited me to share my experience as a political leader and President, with the forum, I will, therefore, like to mention some of the things I did in office, to build a peaceful society. I can confidently say that in all my public life, I was inspired to lead by conscience. This is in agreement with my personal philosophy which I first proclaimed while running for the office of the Governor of my home state Bayelsa in 2006, and re-echoed when I ran for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2011 and 2015. Then, I made it clear that my political ambition is not worth the blood of anybody. Ever since I said that in November of 2006 in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, I have always lived by it. This philosophy informed my 12 decision to concede the 2015 Presidential election, even while the results were still being collated" Speaking further, he said "Let me give an example of one way I was inspired to lead by my conscience. In Nigeria, there were 10.5 million (about 15% of the population) out of school children who were of school age, going by UNICEF figures, as at the time I became President. This was a disproportionate portion for my country which was quite alarming, considering that many other developing nations with much higher population had fewer numbers of out of school children. Over 80% of these children for which majority are known as Almajiri came from the northern part of Nigeria, where I recorded the least votes in the elections I contested. Knowing the value of education, I could see that the ugly situation was limiting the opportunities of these children and negatively affecting the development of my country. That was why my administration decided to build 165 Almajiri Integrated Model Schools which combined both western and Islamic education in its curricula. They were designed to have significant impact in reducing the number of out of school children, and opening the space for them to dream like other kids in other parts of the nation. Constitutionally, the Federal Government which I led was not obligated to build primary and secondary schools. It is the 13 responsibility of the states and local governments. But I believed that without providing education to these children, the country would be fated to spend more money in fighting insecurity. My administration took education seriously because I saw education as the weapon with which we could break the bond between illiteracy and crime levels. For instance, it was obvious that Boko Haram terrorists were exploiting these innocent children in the northern part of the country and using them as canon fodders to destabilize the country. The situation was so awful that security reports indicated that even parents were alleged to be giving out their innocent and illiterate children to terrorists for suicide bombing. I am a firm believer in education, and just as I had said elsewhere, any nation that does not spend its wealth in educating its youth will eventually spend that wealth to fight insecurity. With my one and half years stay as the governor of my State, Bayelsa, one of the remarkable things I tried to do then was to upgrade and improve infrastructure in our educational institutions in my determination to encourage more children to go to school, and stop them from taking to crimes. I also revived the award of post primary school scholarship to bright students from mainly the rural communities and sent them to the best 14 secondary schools in Nigeria. I introduced a concept of building two specialized post-primary institutions as centres of excellence for gifted and talented students. My aim was to build role models who will inspire others in all the nooks and crannies of the state. I believed that one of the most effective ways of discouraging restiveness and other crimes that are prevalent in the Niger Delta, Nigerias seat of oil exploration, was to build role models to give hope to other disenchanted youths. The whole idea was using education to solve social and security problems in my country. When I eventually became President, I thought it was time to mainstream this programme to the centre, by expanding the opportunities for qualitative education at all levels, to every hardworking Nigerian youth. Throughout the time I was in office, education enjoyed the highest sectoral allocation in the nation's budget. This was why we were able to scale up our education programmes, especially at the tertiary level, where there was an obvious need to address the challenge of insufficient spaces for our youths. We built 12 additional conventional universities and two more specialised institutions including one maritime university and a police university. With that, we expanded the opportunities to educate our youth in relevant fields, and produce the manpower needs of our economy. 15 For a nation to truly develop, it must cultivate a crop of manpower that could revolutionise its technological advancement. For this reason, we introduced the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID). With this programme, we offered scholarship to the best of our first-class graduates from the technical disciplines, to embark on further studies in the worlds leading universities. The idea was to send them to these institutions to acquire technical skills that are relevant to our development goals. To reduce tension and conflict in the Niger Delta, we equally implemented a programme for the training of the youths in different disciplines, skills and technical vocations relevant to our economy, in many local and foreign institutions". Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has denied setting up his businesses with looted money. Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has denied setting up his businesses with looted money. Atiku also denied that contrary to rumours making the rounds, he does not own generator manufacturing company, Mikano International Limited. He revealed this while engaging with some Twitter users on Thursday. One user @izz_korede had said: After I heard that Atiku is the owner of Mikano, it dawned on me that if he becomes president the whole Nigeria would be in pitch darkness. Atiku replied: Young friend, this is not true, but you tweet it all the same. I own bigger companies and theyre known publicly, why would I deny this one? When another user @adewoleade tweeted: The companies u own were set up by looted funds. From 1999-2007, Atiku responded with the names of the companies he owns and when they were founded. 1. NICOTES (now Intels) founded in 1989. 2. Prodeco, 1996 2. My farm, 1982. 3. ABTI schools, 1992, he wrote. Still on the thread, another user @ola2allwrote: Above listed companies was not viable until u bcome VP. Only gullible w fall for ur tricks and sweet talk. Atiku then said: Intels was already Nigerias biggest indigenous oil & gas logistics firm before 1994. This is why military government tried to seize it. Atiku has been rumoured to be preparing to run in the 2019 presidential race. He, however, has not made his intentions public. A suspected rapist, Bayonne Lekan, on Friday told a Tinubu Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lagos, that he has never had an erection in hi... A suspected rapist, Bayonne Lekan, on Friday told a Tinubu Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lagos, that he has never had an erection in his life. The 32-year-old engineer, made the declaration while dismissing the allegation that he raped a minor at a construction site in Lagos. Lekan, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of child defilement leveled against him by the police Testifying against him, police prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas told the court that the 32-year-old committed the offence in May at Maduko Street, Ikoyi area of the state. The Police inspector said the 32-year-old was working at a site close to the eight-year-old girls house, where he sighted her, lured her to the site and eventually raped her. The girl went to their neighbours house to play when the parents went out and that was where the accused saw her and lured her to project site to rape her, Nurudeen said. Nurudeen said the police has evidence to back up the allegation that the engineer violated the girl. The offence contravenes Section 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 (Revised). Reacting to the inspectors claim, the 32-year-old, however, denied the carrying out the act. Lekan, who pleaded not guilty, described the charge as laughable. The engineer informed the court that medical analysis had certified him impotent. I am innocent of the charge as I have never had an erection in my life, he said. Lekan also prayed the court to grant him bail. Opposing the bail, the prosecutor, said, Your Worship, I am against granting the accused bail because he can jump bail. It is also in the interest of justice and public safety for him to be kept in detention to prevent a repeat of such act while this case is still pending. The Chief Magistrate, Kikelomo Ayeye, in her ruling, granted Lekan bail in the sum N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. Ayeye also ordered that the case file should be duplicated and a copy sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for advice. She consequently adjourned the matter till October 11. Senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah has debunked report that she bought a $1.2m house in England while she was a Minister. Senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah has debunked report that she bought a $1.2m house in England while she was a Minister. Uduah is alleged to have procured the property using someone elses name. But speaking in Abuja, on Thursday, Oduah said, Of course, the allegation is not true, it cannot be true. She said, It is unfortunate that we have a country where journalists will copy a story without verifying the authenticity of that story. When you read my statement on it later, then it will be for you to make up your mind. But, categorically it is untrue and it is unfair. Oduah recalled how she was once accused of purchasing two BMW cars when she was a Minister. She said, In fact, bullet proof cars were never a transaction that was not approved. They were two vehicles that were on higher purchase by the agency and the ministry directed that because of the need as proposed by the agency, they should go ahead and do the higher purchase. Suddenly, for the online medium, higher purchase turned into procurement; I dont know if there is a similarity between higher purchase and procurement. So, I now realise and sympathise with anybody that works or tries to work for the government, because you will have the likes of Sahara Reporters thrive on making your life difficult. I rise above that at all times because I know that what they say is never the truth, particularly in my case, it is not true. It cannot be true; why will I purchase vehicles on higher purchase and then it is on the ministrys and agencys name, why? That same vehicle, I never drove it for one day and when I was leaving the ministry, I didnt take it along with me? The question should be `where are those bullet proof cars today? Unknown gunmen, on Friday, opened fire on Daniel Nwankwo, a parish priest of St Thomas Catholic Church, Onireke in Lagos. Unknown gunmen, on Friday, opened fire on Daniel Nwankwo, a parish priest of St Thomas Catholic Church, Onireke in Lagos. The gunmen disguised as parishioners and shot the parish priest at St Thomas Catholic church Onilekere cement B/S Ikeja. Some parishioners said that the assailants struck between 8.45 9am. They disclosed that the victim had just attended to a church member during confession before he was attacked. The gunmen were said to be three in number and had demanded for an undisclosed amount from the priest before he was shot. A statement released by the Lagos state police public relations officer, Olarinde Famous-Cole, says the hoodlums posing as parishioners, attended the early morning mass in the church that was conducted by the victim. Shortly after the service, they requested to have a dialogue with Rev Father Daniel Nwankwo who granted them audience outside the church auditorium and for reasons yet unknown, one of the hoodlums brought out a locally made pistol and shot at the Rev Father. The Rev Father raised an alarm while the hoodlums fled the area and scaled through the fence towards an adjoining canal. The Rev Father was immediately taken to LASUTH for medical attention where he is currently being treated and is under stable conditions. The state commissioner of police, Imohimi Edgal, has visited the scene and spoken with a witness who confirmed that Three (3) assailant of Igbo background who were not known to be members of the church, were seen having a conversation with the Rev Father before he was shot at. The Commissioner of Police has visited the Rev Father Daniel Nwankwo and spoke directly with him and confirmed that the Rev Father is been given adequate medical care and he is recuperating fast. A crack team of detectives and operational officers from the police command have been dispatched to the scene and area leading to the canal where an eye witness confirmed the hoodlums ran towards. Five (5) suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack. They will be diligently interrogated for vital information to aid police investigation. The Commissioner of police Lagos state is advising lagosians to be vigilant and security conscious at this time and must identify and report any strange faces & suspicious movement to the police. He has also ordered the deployment of static police guard on 24hrs bases in all churches and mosque across the state instead of only on Fridays & Sundays like it as been done in the past. Imohimi says the hoodlums that made an attempt on the Rev Father will be arrested and brought to book Guest speaker Pat Loontjer better known as "The Grassroots Grandma" of Nebraska. She has almost single-handedly kept gambling out of Nebraska for the past 22 years. Because she is a mother and grandmother, she seeks to preserve their future and the "Good Life" of all Nebraskans. The Nigerian Army on Friday told agitators in the Southeast to keep the peace. The Nigerian Army on Friday told agitators in the Southeast to keep the peace.It vowed to deal with any act capable of breaching the peace of the region.The army didnt mention any group by name but the Nnamdi kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been holding rallies to demand a Republic of Biafra.The IPOB has also threatened to stop the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State from taking place.But the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, while speaking on the forthcoming second phase of Exercise Egwu Eke II (Python Dance II) in the Southeast, said on no account would kidnapping, cultism, violent agitations, theft of weapons, armed banditry and other security challenges which have become a daily phenomenon in the area be condoned henceforth.The military operation is scheduled to commence on September 15, according to Buratai who spoke through the Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Major General David Ahmadu.It will run for a month and involve raids, cordon and search, anti-kidnapping drills, road blocks, check points and show of force, as well as humanitarian activities such as medical outreach.Buratai said Exercise Egwu Eke II has become expedient in view of the mindless assassinations (even in religious places), attack on security personnel, theft of weapons, armed banditry, kidnapping, cultism and violent agitations, as well as other security challenges that have recently become prevalent in the Southeast part of the country. Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, has revealed he would have tried to sign Lionel Messi as one of his Galacticos, if the Argentine was a star in the early 2000s. In his first stint at the helm of the La Liga giants, Perez helped Madrid sign the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Ronaldo and Luis Figo. The 70-year-old, who first took over as president in 2000, said Messi who arrived at Barcelona in 2001, may have been one of those signings, if he had been at his current level then. If there had been a Messi in my first stage [as president], I would have gone after him, Perez told Cadena SER. He is a type of player like Zidane. In my first stage, possibly. He is now a Barca player. He has been there since he was a kid. It would be very difficult. Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State says President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Aisha Alhassan as a minister despite complaints by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress.El-Rufai lambasted the Minister of Women Affairs for being disloyal to the President, adding that she was never a Buhari supporter but a loyalist of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.The governor said this while speaking with State House Correspondents at the Villa on Friday.El-Rufai said Alhassan did not also vote for Buhari during the APC presidential primary.He advised Nigerians not to be surprised or shocked at her outburst.He, however, said her retention or otherwise as a cabinet minister should be at the discretion of the President. The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday, said only about 15 per cent of funds allegedly misappropriated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had been recovered.Magu, who said the commission was working with the United Kingdom on her case, noted that efforts were being made to extradite her back to Nigeria.The anti-corruption boss vowed never to give up until all the money stolen from the country was recovered.He said, We are working on the process of Diezanis extradition. But we have to allow them (the UK government) because we are collaborating. There is the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service in London, and our colleagues, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in America. We had cause to meet in London. I was there myself for about a week. We are working not only on the Diezani case, but the Diezani case has become a test case.It is even more notorious than the so-called Abacha loot because we have not seen anything yet. Im sure what we have seen is not more than may be 15 per cent. I think it is going to be a long time. That is why sometimes I think we should appeal to the looters to return the loot. Come and tell the government, This is what I have stolen. Since you have voluntarily complied with the instruction to bring back the loot, then the government will take a decision. I think it is the best way to go about it, otherwise, the monies would be wasted.Diezani has a lot of people who are well connected, like (Jide) Omokore who are international businessmen. They have private aircraft and you cant see any of them in Nigeria. They went and kept them in Ghana, some of them. But we are working with almost all law enforcement agencies in the world. They are all willing to work with us because what I told them is, As long as you have any (claim) of criminality in Nigeria, call us.We will go after the criminals because we dont wait for protocol. Delay is dangerous; when you delay you will not see it. So, we are ready to cooperate with everybody and people have shown willingness. Last time I went to the international convention, they said Nigeria should show it experience. So, the whole world at the United Nations level wants to hear our asset recovery experience.Magu noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had been informed of the needs of the anti-corruption agency, saying there would soon be an upgrade of facilities.He said the agency was also giving attention to the welfare of its workers to avoid undue influence or temptation in the course of their assignments.The EFCC boss explained that the EFCC was making efforts to involve experienced lawyers in order to reduce the rate of loss of court cases.Magu, who expressed resolve to kill corruption in the country, called for support and collaboration from Nigerians, saying corruption was the greatest problem of the country.He said, I sometimes tell people, this rubbish called corruption was caused by my generation. It is our duty to remove it before the next generation, so that the next generation will have a better life.We are going into massive campaign against corruption. We have seen some good results. People are beginning to change. We want to beg you, let us sustain the momentum. We all have the responsibility to do that. It is about our people and the future of this country. We should do the right thing and give away our today for the better life of the next generation.The EFCC boss commended The PUNCH for its role in the anti-graft war and advised the media organisation to stay committed to responsible journalism.The Director of Public Affairs, EFCC, Osita Nwajah, noted that the commission had put in place measures to ease the burden associated with public complaints. ATLANTIC COUNTY -- Two men from Texas were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on Friday for trafficking large amounts of cocaine across South Jersey, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a statement. Esiquio Salgado, 34, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his accomplice, 31-year-old Cristano Ramirez, was sentenced 10 years in prison. The two men who pleaded guilty in late June to first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute were arrested in October 2016 when officers from the Atlantic City task force found them in possession of 11 pounds of cocaine in a duffel bag. The cocaine had a street value of as much as $230,000, according to a previous report. Authorities began investigating the men after a "operative" working with the task force provided information that the pair had been dealing cocaine across South Jersey, the report said. That operative arranged to buy 11 pounds from them in Camden County, and the men were arrested immediately after the exchange. "Over the past six years, the Atlantic City Task Force has made hundreds of arrests of drug dealers and violent felons, seizing guns and large quantities of narcotics," Porrino said in the statement. "This is another example of the excellent work they are doing to protect the people of Atlantic City and the surrounding communities." Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Troy Gentry, of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, was killed in the crash. MEDFORD -- Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed at the Flying W Airport Friday afternoon, officials said. The helicopter, a Schweizer 269, crashed into a wooded area off of Runway 1 at the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Medford Township Police Chief Richard Meder said police got a call about a "helicopter that was distressed" around 1 p.m. "Shortly after our arrival the helicopter did go down. It went into a field south of the airport," Meder said. The helicopter had taken off from Flying W Airport and was trying to land when it became distressed, he said. Meder said the occupants were adult males, but he did not release any other details about them. He did not know if they were affiliated with Helicopter Flight Services, a helicopter flying school located at the airport. #WATCH LIVE: Chopper 3 is over the scene of a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey. FULL DETAILS: http://cbsloc.al/2wfa0tc Posted by CBS Philly on Friday, September 8, 2017 The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash, which Meder said cause significant damage to the aircraft. He said emergency crews were able to free one of the occupants, but that man died from his injuries after being taken to Virtua Hospital Marlton. The driver was pronounced dead in the helicopter and emergency crews will work to extricate his body while the investigation continues, Meder said. Meder said police are also interviewing many witnesses who were at the airport and saw the lead-up to the crash. Fostertown Road was closed to traffic at 3:15 p.m. and Meder said the investigation would continue there for at least several more hours. While Meder was speaking with reporters in a parking lot off of Fostertown Road, several vehicles pulled up with obviously distraught drivers and passengers, hugging one another and speaking with police. It was not clear if they were family members or friends of those involved in the crash. A helicopter flying over the scene around 1:30 p.m. showed emergency personnel at the small airport with several fire trucks, police vehicles and ambulances. A helicopter resting in a grassy area was covered with a red tarp. A spokesperson at the airport declined to comment on the crash. A Montgomery Gentry concert scheduled to take place at the airport and resort was canceled Friday afternoon, the airport announced. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amahoover. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CAPE MAY COUNTY -- A 31-year-old North Wildwood man had 830 bags of heroin and other drugs in his house and car when he was arrested Wednesday, authorities said. Luis G. Hernandez was pulled over in Lower Township on Wednesday on a search warrant, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. The Cape May County SWAT team and North Wildwood police later searched Hernandez's house on the 500 block of JFK Boulevard. In addition to the heroin, investigators found three ounces of cocaine, "distribution amounts" of suspected marijuana and an AR-15 style assault rifle, the prosecutor's office said. Officials also seized $1,600 in cash and a 2000 Subaru. Hernandez is charged with multiple counts of drug distribution and possession as well as weapons offense. He was sent to Cape May County jail. He remains held without bail as of 7:45 a.m. Friday. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Miss Minnesota may have started her night off with a flub, but she emerged a winner alongside Miss Louisiana Thursday after the second installment of preliminary competition at the 2018 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. Brianna Drevlow, 23, from Thief River Falls, Minnesota, impressed judges at Boardwalk Hall with her piano performance of George Gerswhin's 1924 composition "Rhapsody in Blue" to win the award for talent, which comes with a $2,000 scholarship. She's been playing piano since she was 3 years old, and aspires to become a dean at the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University, where she's currently a graduate student of music composition. "It's all about self expression," she said after the pageant. She said devising her own arrangement of the jazzy classic proved to be "a good use of her master's degree." Earlier, during the contestant introductions, either through some teleprompter fluke or some other misstep -- Drevlow was one contestant behind telemetry nurse Miss Massachusetts, Jillian Zucco -- she had mistakenly greeted the audience by saying she was a nurse. "I'm Miss Minnesota," Drevlow said. "And I make mistakes." Miss Louisiana, Laryssa Bonacquisti, daughter of Lynette Falls Bonacquisti, Miss New Jersey 1990, triumphed in the swimsuit portion of competition, winning a $1,000 scholarship for her runway strut in a white bikini. "It came down to me realizing that I wanna be healthy for myself," the 22-year-old said after the pageant, talking about the lifestyle changes she had to make as a pageant contestant. "It's really looking at food as more of a nutritional aspect of your life," she added. "I felt better than I've ever felt in my entire life." On Friday, the final night of preliminary competition before the televised pageant on Sunday, Bonacquisti, who hails from Monroe, Louisiana, will take the stage again to perform her talent -- ventriloquism. While certainly not unheard of in the Miss America universe, she will be the only ventriloquist at the 2018 pageant. Monday's preliminary competition yielded a swimsuit win for Miss Texas and a talent win for Miss Utah, a violinist. The 2018 Miss America pageant will air live from Boardwalk Hall at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10 on ABC. Here's the cheering section for Miss DC, who is currently onstage in a chartreuse gown. #missamerica A post shared by AmyKup (@kupamy) on Sep 7, 2017 at 5:59pm PDT Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. NEW YORK -- If you've ever surrendered your love life to the mysterious minefield that is online dating, you've surely suffered moments of disappointment. At long last you meet your internet pen pal in person, only to realize he or she doesn't look nearly as ... um ... alluring as their profile pictures might have suggested. You've been duped and you're no longer interested, but hey, you ironed your shirt and you drove to a decent restaurant -- might as well grind out a meal. These cruel bait-and-switches now occur in the music world, too, where a new band can catch fire on a streaming service playlist and score hundreds of millions of listens sight unseen. Such has been the case for the band ARIZONA (frustratingly styled A R I Z O N A), a Glen Rock electro-pop trio that released its debut album "Gallery" back in May. Despite the band accruing no substantive radio play, chart success or touring cred, several songs have exploded on Spotify this summer. The dreamy single "Oceans Away" has totaled more than 100 million plays alone -- that's a number in line with Lorde's "Melodrama," Kesha's "Rainbow" and the biggest pop releases of the year. The Glen Rock-native electro-pop band ARIZONA plays The Bowery Ballroom in New York Sept. 7, 2017. (Mark Brown | For NJ.com) With all that hype ARIZONA, who signed to major label Atlantic Records in 2016, just embarked on its first full headlining tour, including a sold-out gig at The Bowery Ballroom in New York Thursday night. But here's the switch: while ARIZONA's debut record is wonderfully polished and loaded with pumping cuts that could have made waves for Justin Bieber or The Weeknd, the band's live show proved akin to the guy who lies about his height on Tinder, or the girl who uses too many Instagram filters -- once the tools of online image management are stripped away, all that's left is a list of uninspired tropes and that sinking feeling: is this almost over? It's clear the guys, Zach Hannah (lead vocals), Nate Esquite (guitar) and David Labuguen (keys), who honed their skills at Berklee College of Music in Boston, are still very new to the idea that an entire room of people is there to see them and only them. ARIZONA is no longer the opener or a festival afternoon slot-filler, but that's exactly how this hour-long performance felt. Sure, Hannah bopped around and tried to make small talk with the crowd -- "we are the band, not the state," he made a Taylor Ham joke -- but rarely was ARIZONA in total command of their crowd of 500 or so, who chatted through much of the show. The Bowery sound mix did the band no favors, either. Hannah was drowned out by heaps of bass much of the night, and when you could hear him, the vocals weren't particularly powerful. Unfortunately, the lushness of the "Gallery" studio recordings was never quite there. And while you can't exactly fault a new band for only toting a handful of songs, the show woefully lacked dynamics; every tune felt the same synthy pseudo-island texture and color. Midway through the set, the guys rolled out Drake's "Passionfruit," a cover they didn't seem especially thrilled to play, and it was a groan-worthy, fish-in-a-barrel move considering their nearly identical style. The crowd glazed over. It wasn't all bad, though. The audience was deeply engaged for the catchy banger "I Was Wrong," which could have been a surefire hit for Bieber, and the tune "Brave Enough" was a strong, bright pop jam. Before ARIZONA, the band members were producers and songwriters, which makes sense -- they are deft studio workers and can pen a good hook, but haven't found their place on stage just yet. We'll see if they learn some new tricks as the tour rolls on. Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Jeremy Willis is far more familiar than most when it comes to understanding the sensation of being shot with a Taser. How the mind is completely disconnected from the muscles as they simultaneously lock. On Thursday afternoon, Willis, who serves as the assistant chief of police for the Scribner Police Department, volunteered for the fourth time in his life to be a test dummy for a demonstration, only this time he wasnt being shot with a Taser. Instead, Willis was shot with a PhaZZer Enforcer, a less-lethal weapon intended to do the same job as a Taser with less adverse risks. Looking on were members of the Fremont Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Saunders County Sheriffs Office and the Hooper Police Department who were present for a PhaZZer instructional seminar held inside of a training room at the Fremont Police Department. Willis, who stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs approximately 310 pounds, was no match for the PhaZZer as he fell to the floor while being guided by two law enforcement members. Asked of its effectiveness, Willis said, Im glad that I normally wouldnt be on this end of it. PhaZZer Electronics is a privately-held corporation owned by Kirk French, a resident of Hooper and a military veteran. In 2006, research began to ensure that the PhaZZer product would not infringe upon the rights of TASER International, Inc. The PhaZZer Dragon was launched in the United States civilian market in 2008, and in 2010 the PhaZZer Enforcer was released to law enforcement agencies internationally as a cost-effective, superior less-lethal weapon to the Taser M26 and X26E, as well as the later X26P model. Approximately 300 law enforcement agencies in the United States now utilize the PhaZZer product, especially in the southeast region of the United States. This largely in part has to do with PhaZZer Electronics, Inc. now being ran out of the Orlando, Florida, area. The big benefit of the PhaZZer Enforcer largely focused upon during the 40-minute informational meeting is that the Enforcer requires officers to make a conscientious decision should they opt to use more than 15 seconds of charge the generally agreed maximum amount of time a body should be subject to current. To achieve the 15 seconds, the PhaZZer Enforcer which has approximately the same output as a Taser has to have its trigger pulled three times, with each burst lasting five seconds. Following the five second jolt, a half-second must go by before the PhaZZer can be activated again. After the third trigger pull it will flash on the back green and red, and you cant pull the trigger again, said Steve Abboud, a consultant for PhaZZer Electronics. That gives the officer a moment to pause when they are operating the weapon to decide, do I need to do it again? This is vital because it allows the officer the time necessary to assess the situation before overriding the safety to use the PhaZZer again. On a typical Taser, an officer can hold the trigger down as long as he or she deems necessary. While Abboud says he doesnt believe any good officer would intentionally use excessive force with a Taser, in the heat of the moment it can be difficult to keep tabs on how many seconds it was used for. In June, a 29-year-old Omaha man died after a police officer used a Taser far beyond the recommended time frame. Abboud says this acts as a reminder that even less-lethal weapons are still lethal if they arent used properly. Its like at the Omaha Police Department where 60 seconds was put into the body of that guy, Abboud said. I can almost be certain to say that if that officer would have had to recycle his safety four times he never would have put 60 seconds (of charge) into him. I think that thats a fundamental flaw in the design of the (Taser) weapon. Brandon Lorenson, a detective with the Fremont Police Department, said the program and demonstration were beneficial. I think its another great tool thats out on the market to safely complete an arrest in a dangerous situation, he said. Lorenson said after a presentation like the one he saw there are numerous things to consider. Lt. (Glen) Still and I will talk to the Chief (Jeff Elliott), and probably put a video together showing the differences between the two (Taser and PhaZZer) and go from there, he said. While educating people about the device is important, Abboud said its often times difficult to get law enforcement away from what they have grown accustomed to. Tasers have had a stronghold in the United States now for a long time, he said. On Sunday, a group of more than 225 local residents will be spending part of their day providing meals to those in need from Houston to Haiti, Hurricanes hitting the Southeast U.S. have typically caused extreme swings in commodity markets as they attempt to assess threats and damage to the natural resources that we depend on for our food, fuel, clothing, and shelter. Citrus Crops: The southern half of Florida is famous for serving as a center of citrus production. Consequently, OJ prices virtually exploded all week with frozen juice for November delivery running from $1.30 per pound just before Labor Day to a high of $1.55 on Friday. The severity of destruction to that crop may be reduced because most of the fruit is still in early stage of development where it is well attached to the trees and is not nearly as vulnerable as it will be a few weeks from now. Cattle: Florida is one of the nations largest producer of calves and feeder cattle, which are heavily threatened by Irma. Feeder cattle for October delivery jumped from $1.42 per pound around Labor Day to nearly $1.48 on Friday. Cotton: That crop is especially sensitive to rain as we approach harvest in the southern states hit heavily by Harvey. Cotton prices for December delivery rose from 71 cents per pound 75 cents during the last week on fears that further moisture could impede harvest. Sugar: Though Florida is our second largest producer of sugar cane (next to Hawaii), that crop tends to be relatively tough and can withstand even hurricane force winds without large declines in yield. Lumber: Though not produced in the Southeast, the destruction of housing will surely increase the consumption of commodities used in construction of housing and commercial building damaged by the storms. Lumber prices were sharply higher. Oil, gasoline, natural gas: since much of our energy is either produced near the Gulf of Mexico or shipped through the region, prices can explode or crash depending on the perceived threat to rig production or refinery operations. Typically, gasoline prices go up on fears that refineries will be shut down, but crude oil may decline as crude is backed up and cannot be used. Wildfires out West Ironically, just as nature deluges the Eastern U.S. with too much rain, massive wildfires are burning across the Western U.S. where an exceptional drought has forced evacuations of thousands of people and cattle as firefighters struggle with high winds and flammable conditions. Ranchers in Western states are facing the loss of hay, feed, grass, and fencing as wildfires ravage 1.5 million acres of land. Frederick Floyd, a New Orleans doctor, pleaded guilty Thursday (Sept. 7, 2017) to federal accusations that he ran a pair of New Orleans East clinics as "pill mills," illegally prescribing millions of dosages of oxycodone, fentanyl and other addictive drugs to patients--and to undercover government sources posing as patients, court records show.(File photo) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close CEDAR RAPIDS President Donald Trumps decision to give Congress six months to find a legislative solution to an Obama-era policy protecting young immigrants from deportation seems appropriate to Sen. Joni Ernst, who called for compassion for the so-called Dreamers. This is Congress job, she told reporters Thursday, adding that she supports Trumps decision not to continue the overreach of authority by the past administration. Former President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order established a program allowing nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. Dreamers immigrants who had entered the U.S. without authorization before age 16, and had no serious criminal records could apply for renewable two-year reprieves from deportation and work permits. Even President Obama had stated that it was a temporary order and he himself stated many times over that it is something that needs to be addressed by Congress, Ernst said. Although she doesnt support giving Dreamers citizenship, Ernst called for great compassion as Congress deals with the issue of the Dreamers who were brought to the United States by their parents through no fault of their own. Congress should identify and pursue a measured approach that addresses their unique situation, but also respects the importance of our immigration laws and discourages future illegal immigration. As Congress takes up DACA, Ernst would like to see the conversation broadened to include securing the border and modernizing the legal immigration system. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined colleagues in 14 states and the District of Columbia in challenging the presidents action. Ernst doubted that effort would be fruitful. 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. WINTHROP | An Iowa agricultural services company was assessed a $4,000 penalty in a May accident that killed a Winthrop worker. Iowa Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited Viafield for a serious violation after alleging that employees werent properly trained in safety procedures for clearing jammed spouts. The company paid the penalty and undertook corrective measures, according to Iowa OSHA officials. The finding came following a May 16 accident at Viafields Winthrop facility where 74-year-old James Jim Schweitzer was buried while moving soybeans. According to an OSHA report obtained by The Courier this week, Schweitzer was blending wet and dry soybeans and moving them between silos with the help of a gravity-fed wagon. No one witnessed the accident, but investigators concluded that Schweitzer became trapped when he attempted to clear a jam using a metal rod. Another worker had been looking for Schweitzer when he noticed beans were coming out of a loading chute into a wagon that was overflowing. He opened a side door on the wagon and noticed a foot, according to the report. The bean flow was stopped, and wagon was pulled forward and emptied so workers could pull Schweitzer out. He wasnt breathing and CPR was started, the report states. He was taken to Regional Medical Center in Manchester where he was pronounced dead. The incident was one of two fatal grain facility deaths in northeast Iowa in recent months. In August, an employee at the East Central Iowa Co-Op elevator on Broadway Street in Waterloo died after becoming trapped in soybeans in one of the towers. The Waterloo accident remains under investigation, according to OSHA officials. The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. 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. Disasters create a wide range of emergency needs. It takes a network of trained individuals to ensure that communities and families get all the help they need during and after a disaster event, like the recent hurricanes on the Southeast and Gulf Coasts. People who have always wanted to help during times of crisis now have an opportunity to become a trained disaster response volunteer. The American Red Cross is bringing this training to Omaha on Sunday for prospective volunteers wishing to respond to disasters in the local area or across the nation. The program, called Everyday Heroes Training, is a short course that will equip new volunteers with the training needed to respond. The one-day weekend course is an ideal option for people with busy schedules. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the American Red Cross, especially in times of hurricanes, tornados, floods or home fires, said Jill Orton, regional CEO for Nebraska, Kansas, and southwest Iowa. Volunteers comprise about 94 percent of the Red Cross workforce, and participants in this program will learn the skills they need to be able to deploy. This training class will include information on the following topics: Disaster cycle services overview Concept of operations Everyone is Welcome training An overview of recovery services Casework and recovery planning fundamentals Direct client assistance fundamentals CAS 2.0 training videos Deployment fundamentals Shelter fundamentals Those intending to deploy will also learn about self-study courses that will be required before deployment. Training will be held Sunday from noon until 6 p.m. at the American Red Cross, 2912 S. 80th Ave. in Omaha. Classes will be held in the Kiewit Room, and a lunch will be served. For questions, or to register, contact Ashley Frampton at Ashley.frampton@redcross.org or call 402-990-6774. CEDAR FALLS An Evansdale woman has been arrested for allegedly using another persons credit card information to pay herself tips at the Cedar Falls pizza place where she worked. Echo Dawn Marie Iehl, 33, of 1660 Michigan Drive, was arrested Tuesday for 10 counts of credit card fraud. She was later released from the Black Hawk County Jail. The victim had made a purchase at Papa Johns on West First Street in Cedar Falls in June, and a few days later suspicious purchases began appearing on his credit card statement. Police allege that Iehl, who worked at Papa Johns would purchase meals on the job using the card and then charge large tips for herself. Sometimes the tip was $10 on food purchases as small as $5.22. Once she allegedly charged a $40 tip on a $6.51 purchase. Papa Johns officials told police they had confronted Iehl about adding the tips, and she told them the card was in her name, according to court records. The card was also used to pay a $28 iWireless phone bill in a friends name and to buy a pizza from Marcos Pizza in Waterloo. LINN GROVE | Aaron Anderson set up a motion-sensor camera on his parents' farmstead east of Linn Grove late this summer, aiming to capture on film the movement of deer for upcoming youth and bow seasons. Instead, he recorded a mountain lion, the third sighting of one in the area, he said. "I've heard people have caught them on camera at Peterson and Cherokee recently," said Anderson, a truck driver. "This could be the same one. I don't know too much about them." An Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer in late June killed a female mountain lion that climbed into a tree on a farm near Galva, some 36 miles south of Linn Grove. That sighting proved significant as it was the first confirmed female found in Iowa in more than a century. A DNR officer shot that mountain lion as officials believed it had recently killed cattle in the area. Anderson said he's not sure the sex of the mountain lion that roamed his family's acreage. He's not sure of its weight, either. In truth, he'd rather not find out. "I had a camera set up for deer. I wasn't looking for kitty-cats," he said. "I hope it goes away. I don't want to see it again." Anderson's mother, Cheryl Anderson, recalled a time five decades ago when her family talked about mountain lion sightings in Buena Vista County. She wondered if they've been around periodically in years since. "We have a lot of timber along the (Little Sioux) river," Cheryl Anderson said, adding that her family does not raise livestock, though their neighbors do. "I suppose it is following the river." Both Cheryl and Aaron Anderson spoke of recent sightings of a big cat near Linn Grove this summer. One took place on a nearby gravel road, the other at Barnes Township Cemetery. DNR kills mountain lion in northwestern Iowa GALVA | An Iowa DNR officer on Tuesday killed a mountain lion that climbed into a tree on a "A woman was throwing flowers over the fence at the cemetery after Memorial Day and she jumped it, scared it and it ran away," Aaron Anderson said. "And, four to five weeks ago, a lady who lives out here was running on a gravel road one night and one jumped out at the end of a driveway and growled at her," he said. "She said it was a huge cat and it ran away." DNR officials have cautioned the public to give wild animals their space in cases like this, as mountain lions often try to keep to themselves. Aaron Anderson noted that his images of the mountain lion were recorded at 2:30 a.m. on the family farm one-half mile east of Linn Grove. The Ida County mountain lion, shot on June 27, was the fourth killed in Iowa in recent years, and the most recent since one was killed in 2013 in Sioux County. Since 1995, there have been 21 confirmed mountain lions in Iowa. The presence of a female could be a sign that others may be in the state and potentially reproducing here. Anderson's brush with the animal has him thinking much more cautiously about hunting deer as a pair of season-openers approach. The first, a season for youth and disabled hunters, takes place next weekend. The second, a bow season, commences Oct. 1. "I've never gone hunting when there's a critter out there that can hunt me," he said. "This year we'll have to be a little extra careful." KEARNEY Over three-quarters of a century, the late Ron and Carol Cope fitted shoes, molded hearts and nurtured the growth of their adopted hometown of Kearney through their examples of service, generosity and selfless love. Their story, which unfolds across much of Nebraskas history and stretches from the states southeast corner to its western gateway, is told in Ron & Carol Cope: A Nebraska Love Story, which will be released in Kearney on Wednesday. Written and researched by veteran Nebraska journalist Todd von Kampen of North Platte, the book will make its debut on the fifth anniversary of Carol Copes death on Sept. 13, 2012, which was also her 103rd birthday. Sponsored by the Ron and Carol Cope Foundation and printed by Morris Publishing of Kearney, Ron & Carol Cope will be available for $19.95 (including tax) beginning on the closing day of Kearneys annual Walk in the Copes Shoes celebration of community kindness and generosity. The event itself runs from Monday through Carols birthday on Wednesday. Books may also be purchased at the Kearney Area Community Foundation office, 412 W. 48th St., No. 12, Kearney, NE 68845, or online at kearneyfoundation.org. Plans call for offering the book for sale in North Platte and other Nebraska communities where the Copes lived or had business interests. Proceeds from the book will go to the Kearney Area Community Foundation, one of the dozens of Kearney, regional and statewide causes to which the Copes donated their time, talent and some $25 million in proceeds from their personal investments over their lifetime. Von Kampen, a freelance writer, began working for newspapers at the Keith County News in his hometown of Ogallala and has written for the Des Moines (Iowa) Register, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald, the North Platte Telegraph and the Omaha World-Herald. He is also the author of All-Night Theater: The Music and Life of J.E. Thayer (2013), a book-CD presentation on the late Dr. James E. Thayer of Sidney. For information, contact Judi Sickler, executive director of the Kearney Area Community Foundation, at 308-237-3114 or judi@kearneyfoundation.org. Jesse James was born in Kearney Kearney, Missouri, that is but he has a history in Nebraska as well. On Thursday, Jeff Barnes of Humanities Nebraska presented A Bad Man in a Better Place: Jesse James in Nebraska at the North Platte Public Library. Barnes walked through the known history and some tales of legend surrounding arguably the best known bank robber in American history. The lunchtime presentation brought a full house, including several youngsters who were interested in the famous outlaw. Jesse was born Sept. 5, 1847, and the first connection to Nebraska was when his mother moved to Decatur when Jesse was 15. His mother, Zerelda Cole James Samuel, was on her third husband with Dr. Reuben Samuel; they moved to Decatur, Nebraska, in 1862, Barnes said. Thats where she took up a substitute teaching position with the Decatur school. Frank and Jesse James did not move to Nebraska with their mother, but stayed in Missouri. She taught second grade there and was not too popular with the school kids, Barnes said. She was really into discipline, and where some teachers used a yardstick, she used a broomstick. While Zerelda was teaching in Nebraska, Frank and Jesse James got involved in guerrilla warfare in Missouri under the tutelage of Bloody Bill Anderson. He was one of the most ruthless participants of the Civil War, Barnes said of Anderson. He actually carried scalps of the people he killed across his saddle. Jesse was shot when he was 19 some believe it was while he was trying to steal a horse and he had to get out of Missouri. After he got injured, they got him out of the state and the closest place to do that was in the little town of Rulo, Nebraska, Barnes said. He was there for about two months and almost died a couple of times. Frank and Jesse James began a new lifestyle around 1866, when they began robbing banks. A robbery in Liberty, Missouri, was the first robbery attributed to the James/Younger gang, Barnes said. However, Jesse probably did not participate in it. After a bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri, in 1869, the gang headed out to the Devils Nest area of northeastern Nebraska to hide out. Another robbery took place on July 21, 1873, in Adair, Iowa, where the James/Younger gang attempted to rob a moving train, which Barnes said had never been pulled off before. They successfully ran the train off the tracks, Barnes said. What they were looking for was a big gold shipment that was coming through. What they didnt realize was that train had already passed through an hour earlier. In 1875, Frank James met Annie Ralston in Omaha and they eloped, using as an alias the last name of Reynolds. Then in 1876, the worst year for the James-Younger gang occurred when they tried to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota. A number of things went wrong with that robbery, Barnes said, and one of them was that the town had heard rumors the gang was coming to Minnesota. One tip-off was the gang was wearing long, white duster coats, Barnes said. So townspeople said they didnt look like Minnesotans. It was also hunting season in Minnesota, so everyone in town had their guns and three of the gang members were killed in the shootout. In 1882, Jesse took his final visit to Nebraska, Barnes said. He used the alias Thomas Howard. He was inquiring about property for sale in Franklin, near Red Cloud. On April 3, 1882, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Robert Bob Ford shot and killed Jesse James, who was 34. MASON CITY | A crowd of about 70 listened to five Mason City school board candidates express their views on various district subjects in Mason City High School's FEMA Room Thursday night. Current members, President Janna Arndt and Jodi Draper, are running for their second terms on the board. Richard Haas, Jacob Schweitzer and Alan Steckman are all seeking their first term. Three of the five will be elected. The candidates answered questions submitted from audience members concerning a range of topics, from the board's transparency to district funding to their past experience in Mason City classrooms. Katie Koehler, a fourth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary who has worked in the district for 32 years, fielded those questions and asked them to each candidate. One of the first questions asked concerned how "open the district is with its dealings." Last month, the state auditor found that the district had improperly disbursed $109,073 of its funds. Arndt, 37, said that while the board can always improve, transparency has greatly improved since she became a board member. "When I first started on the board, you weren't even to speak about wages," she told the audience. "You got slapped on the hand and told to be quiet." Mason City firefighter files for school board MASON CITY | Five candidates will compete for three open seats on the Mason City School Boar Schweitzer, 41, agreed with Arndt, saying that all school board meetings are public and videotaped. Draper, 46, said transparency is especially important with money, because people deserve to know how every penny is spent. Haas, 65, and Steckman, 70, added that the board works for the public, and thus should be as transparent as possible. Multiple questions revolved around wages, salaries and contracts, including what candidates feel should happen when current teacher contracts expire in two years. Schweitzer said the issue involves a 40-year history of collective bargaining in the state, and ultimately boils down to basics. "If I can be an advocate for the teachers, that we can maintain a respectable, livable wage, with good benefits, this is going to retain the teachers that we have," he said. "And possibly recruit teachers from other school districts who have decided to completely gut their contract." Haas expressed a similar view, stating that studies into other working contracts with teacher unions could be beneficial. Retired postmaster Steckman running for Mason City School Board MASON CITY | Retired postmaster Alan Steckman will run for a seat on the Mason City School Board. "Look at other surrounding states with equal-sized communities and make sure we're comparable to them," he said. "So our teachers feel comfortable with their wage, and know that we care and are open to communication." Arndt and Draper both said they have made the issue a priority during the past year, and are continuing to work on it. Steckman said one of the complex aspects of working with teacher unions is what must be determined outside of official negotiations, including when teachers can come in, leave and how many hours they must work. One of the last questions asked was what the future of the district should look like. Steckman said that despite his lack of experience, solving the district's problems shouldn't be too difficult. "I don't know, because I haven't been involved with a school board," he said. "But I'm intelligent enough to figure out from those that have been involved what we need to do. It's a common-sense approach." Draper said maintaining objectives and knowing how to use the district's resources is paramount. Mason City chiropractor running for Mason City School Board MASON CITY | Longtime chiropractor Richard Haas will run for a seat on the Mason City School "We have a set goal, it's not that we're just going to do better," she said about the district's future. "I believe the next step is the utilization of the classrooms for our children, that our teachers know where we want them to be, where the children need to be, and where they want to be." Haas advocated for streamlining the agenda at board meetings to make them more efficient. Arndt suggested that there be more internship and job education opportunities for students, and Schweitzer said the new board should have a planning session, especially considering there will be at least one new member. The election for the three four-year terms is next Tuesday. Superintendent Dave Versteeg, who started July 1, urged Mason City residents to vote next week. "I think it's the ultimate test of democracy," Versteeg told the Globe Gazette. "This is the most basic election that a group of citizens can have, is to elect a group of citizens for school board." Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said that its sales in China fell 1% in August from a year ago, as its mainstream models continued to struggle against newer competition from both domestic Chinese and global automakers. A quick note: How Ford is organized in China Ford's operation in China can be confusing to those who haven't followed it closely. In a nutshell, the vehicles Ford sells in China fall into four categories: Vehicles built by Ford's joint venture with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile (called Changan Ford or CAF). These are Ford-brand cars and SUVs, most (but not all) of which would be familiar to Americans. Vehicles built by a joint venture called JMC, owned by Ford and Chinese truck maker Jiangling Motors. JMC builds the Ford Transit van line, the Ford Everest SUV, and a line of light trucks sold under the Yusheng and JMC brand names. Ford-brand vehicles imported into China from elsewhere (including the United States). These include the Mustang, the Explorer, the F-150 Raptor, and the ST and RS performance versions of the Focus. Lincoln-brand vehicles, all of which are currently imported into China from North America. What's hurting Ford: Sales of mainstream models are slowing Ford has had an up and down year in China. Through August, its sales in China are down 6%. But the big drop has come with the products produced by CAF, which are down 16% year to date as a group. Those products include many of Ford's familiar passenger vehicles: the Focus, Fusion (called the Mondeo in China), EcoSport, Escape (called the Kuga in China), and Edge. In addition, there are two Fords in the CAF lineup that are unique to China: the Escort, an affordable compact sedan based on the last-generation Focus; and the Taurus, a new full-size sedan (different from the U.S.-market Taurus) that is mechanically related to the Fusion and the new Lincoln Continental. Sales of the group fell 8% last month. The Focus offers a good example of what has been happening. Small cars are big sellers in China, and the current Focus was very popular when it was first launched in China as a premium alternative to mass-market models. But more recently, its sales have faded: Sales fell 19% to 13,393 in August. Year to date, Focus sales are down 20%. What's going on? Simply put, China's market moves very quickly, and the Focus is now old news. To Chinese eyes, it's starting to look dated next to new models like Honda's (NYSE: HMC) recently revamped Civic. Honda sold 14,315 Civics in China in August, up 67% from a year ago -- outselling the Focus. That's happening across the line. Note that while Ford struggled again in August, rival General Motors' (NYSE: GM) sales in China rose 12% on strong sales of several recently launched crossover SUVs. Ford is doing better with commercial vehicles and Lincolns Sales of Ford's Transit vans have flagged this year, but JMC as a whole is doing quite well, thanks in part to an affordable pickup model marketed under the JMC brand. The venture's sales were up 10% last month; they're up 16% to date. Lincoln is also doing well: Ford sold 5,240 Lincolns in China last month, more than double its year-ago total. Sales of the midsize MKZ sedan, compact MKC crossover, and midsize MKX crossover were all up strongly from a year ago, while the new Navigator SUV is proving popular. And in a surprise, Lincoln sold more Continentals in China in August (996) than it did in the U.S. (816). Ford sold 1,586 imported Ford-brand vehicles in China in August. That's a small number, but it was up 25% from a year ago -- and these are high-profit products. Of note: Sales of the big Ford Explorer crossover SUV rose 4%, to 1,098. The upshot: Ford has work to do, here It's not clear what Ford can do to boost its sales in China in the near term, aside from cutting prices (at the expense of profits -- and its pricing power down the road). Ford's equity income from CAF and JMC was down 34% last quarter, and it may be down again when Ford reports third-quarter results next month. Fresh products are what Ford most needs to get back on a growth track in China. Those will come, but -- aside from a revamped EcoBoost, set to launch shortly -- it may take a while. Until they arrive, sales growth may be scarce for Ford in China. 10 stocks we like better than Ford When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Ford wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017 John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Strack & Van Til is starting to use its new wholesaler this week, which will result in more variety on the supermarket's shelves. The Highland-based grocery chain, which operates 20 stores in Northwest Indiana, has had less selection than usual recently as it transitions away from longtime supplier Central Grocers, which is winding down after filing bankruptcy. But Indiana Grocery Group Chief Executive Officer Jeff Strack said the new wholesaler, Kansas City-based Associated Wholesale Grocer, should fix that. "We temporarily lost variety in our stores," he said. "We lost new items. We're excited to get back to putting new items on our shelves. There's been a lot of work done to get us to this point, and there will be more work in the coming weeks." AWG is five times larger than Central Grocers was and offers the IGA, Best Choice, Clearly Organic, Always Save and Superior Selections generic brands. Strack & Van Til stores will carry all of those brands to replace Centrella, which Central Grocers had produced. Strack said AWG will supply more organic items, more lower cost items to compete with discounters like Aldi and Save-A-Lot and more variety. "They have 4,000 private label items, which is four times what Central Grocers did," he said. "We won't bring them in all at once, but we'll be restocking the shelves as we go." Strack & Van Til has started to stock AWG perishables and will continue to add its primary grocery lines. The management continues to work on bringing the chain back after Central Grocer's extended bankruptcy following a failed attempt at a sale that started late last year. "We're getting back to rebuilding what makes Strack & Van Til special," Strack said. "We're meeting with the people in our stores and putting together new strategies." VALPARAISO Indiana education leader Jennifer McCormick will talk to teachers and the community when she visits Valparaiso University Sept. 11. This is the first of several meetings being held across the state to discuss educational initiatives and provide updates. The meeting is part of the fall 2017 Teacher and Community Public Meeting, and it is hosted by the Valparaiso Universitys Professional Educators Partnership (PEP) and the Department of Education. The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Community Room, Christopher Center, Valparaiso University, 1410 Chapel Drive. Registration is required through the IDOE at valpo.edu/PEP. During the meeting, McCormick will discuss educational initiatives and provide updates. It also will provide the opportunity for McCormick to address Indianas approach in a variety of areas inlcuidng accountability and school improvement, long-term goals, partnerships and consultation, assessment, and more. There will be time for questions and answers. The Professional Educators Partnership provides teachers resources to help them stay in touch with current research and develop technology and best practices. PEPs next one-day workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Oct. 10, and will feature literacy experts and authors Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris. They will present best practices from their pulbished works "Whos Doing the Work? How to Say Less So Readers Can Do More" and "Reading Wellness." More information is available at valpo.edu/PEP. SOUTH HAVEN Saylor Elementary Schools 50th anniversary celebration includes time to share stories about the schools early days and there are a lot of stories to tell. Principal John Zack makes a point of greeting students as they start the school day, shaking hands and high-fiving the students as they arrive in the morning. Jim Cavan, a fifth-grade teacher, remembers when there wasnt even a school building for the students. His first year, the students were scattered while Portage Township Schools raced to complete new buildings for the influx of students. South Haven alone meant adding 1,500 families to the township. He and three other teachers met at Hope Lutheran Church, just a half block from the old Crisman School on Portage Avenue. I had to light the oil burner every morning, Cavan said. Cavan was a senior at Indiana University in Bloomington when he came home for Christmas break and decided hed better start looking for a teaching job. He wore his blue jeans and sweatshirt to the school districts administration office, hoping to set an appointment. He ended up meeting with Superintendent Wally Aylesworth, who handed him a contract and said, We need more men in elementary education. Aylesworth gave him several applications to give to his friends at IU, telling him they could easily get jobs in Portage. The district was on a hiring spree. Community support David Baker, Saylors first principal, retired in 1996 after 30 years at Saylor. He said school was the center of the communitys social life during its early years. Concerts, games and parent-teacher conferences were well attended. Movie night raised money but also brought families together. Once cable came out, they ruined our films, Cavan said. The school was within walking distance of all of South Haven and served as the large subdivisions hub, said retiree Pat Greer, the schools computer coordinator. Grandparents Day, we flooded that place out, Baker said. Anything that went on was total community organized. He remembers seeing a child eating an apple for lunch. The child didnt have anything else to eat. So Baker called home and asked the parents, who were out of work, to come to the school each day and insert straws in milk cartons to pay for their childs free lunch. That gave the parents dignity while helping the student, too. Other parents cleaned out papers from shrubs, painted the playground and did other odd jobs to pay for their childrens free lunches, Baker said. The school was collaborative, but it was also competitive. Baker remembers Mark Landgrebe, who took seriously the districts tug-of-war competition each spring. He started working on the tug-of-war team the first day of school, Baker said, pitting students against each other until he could determine the best students in the school for the team. Winning the tug-of-war competition with other schools each year became a Saylor tradition. Classroom fun Sharon Sherman, a kindergarten teacher for 40 years, still serves as a substitute teacher at the school. She brought out buckets of paint each year so children could paint with their toes. Parents were warned to not put their children in good clothes that day. It was messy. They sat in it, they put their heads in it, they threw it, Sherman said. That was one thing they probably remembered the rest of their lives. It wasnt the only hands-on experience in her classroom. I did a lot of cooking, she said. Baker had a stove installed in Shermans classroom. The children used to make applesauce, pumpkin pies, potato soup and other dishes. Carolyn McDonald her last name was Burton then taught first grade. Her students dressed as Pilgrims and Indians and ate a Thanksgiving dinner in the classroom every year. Overnight field trip Each year also saw a large fifth-grade overnight trip, originally to Dearborn, Michigan. Many of our kids had never stayed in a motel, Baker said. Many of the mothers hadnt spent a night in a motel, either. The Saturday movies helped parents raise money for themselves and their children to go. It was a lot of money for the working-class families who lived in South Haven. Every kid got to go whether they had money or not, Cavan said. It was a big adventure for the children, a way to learn more about the outside world and how to behave in settings outside the school and home. It wasnt all fun at the school, though. Working with parents Baker, who served as principal there for three decades before he retired, remembers having three different women come to him for help. They had no other people or community to go through, so they came to me, he said. Baker had to tell the husbands their wives were giving them until 5 p.m. that day to get their personal belongings out of the house because the women wanted to divorce them. Another time he helped a woman was a story for the ages. The distraught mom couldnt get her third-grader to go to school, so she called Baker to ask for advice. The next time the boy refuses to go, he said, leave the door unlocked and Ill come over. The next day, he went to the childs home, and the mother pointed upstairs to the boys bedroom. Baker got him dressed in clothes that didnt match, marched the child to the bathroom and made him brush his teeth, poured cereal in the boys hands and marched him off to school. I said, Young man, I have never had such a fun morning in my life. Any morning that you are not wanting to get out of bed, and that you are tardy to school, your mother will call me and I will be back to pick you up, Baker said. The child was never late again. It was a different era, Sherman said. We were all family then. CROWN POINT A former Lake County sheriff's police officer was sentenced Thursday to two years in Lake County Community Corrections for his guilty plea earlier this year to battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Jon O. Breitweiser, 41, of Highland, will serve an additional three years probation following his release from the community corrections program. The plea was entered in June as part of an agreement with prosecutors, who in exchange dismissed charges of rape, criminal confinement, strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery. The sentence was imposed by Judge Samuel L. Cappas. Breitweiser was accused of raping a woman Nov. 6, 2015, at his home in the 9100 block of O'Day Drive, according to a probable cause affidavit. The woman told police Breitweiser punched her in the face and beat her with a stun gun during the sexual assault, the affidavit states. The woman fled the home partially nude and was treated at an area hospital. Breitweiser registered a 0.30 blood-alcohol content on a breath test when he was arrested, the affidavit states. Breitweiser was a law enforcement officer for 10 years before he left the Lake County Sheriff's Department in August 2014. The defendant's attorneys, Paul Stracci and Michael Woods, said Friday Breitweiser was a decorated policeman who left the department after struggling with alcoholism and debilitating mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Breitweiser has been receiving treatment for those issues, the defense attorneys said. Nothing will change the injury to the victim, or the guilt and remorse Jon continues to carry with him, but hopefully this case will draw attention to the need for better mental health support for our law enforcement officers, Stracci said in a statement. Woods said evidence in the case showed that Breitweiser paid a terrible price for his service to the community, which was reflected in the judge's sentence. SIOUX CITY | A couple who committed fraud against the government were sentenced for fraud and theft of government funds. Kimberly Calles-Sheker, 43, and Oscar Calles, 44, both of Fort Dodge, received their prison terms after May 16 and July 6 guilty pleas, according to a news release. Calles-Sheker pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds and Calles pled guilty to three counts of fraud or misuse of documents to obtain employment. At the guilty plea hearings, Calles-Sheker admitted that from 1995 through April 2016, she improperly received benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Family Investment Program (FIP); and Medical Assistance (Medicaid Title XIX). Eligibility for these programs is based on an applicants income, household composition and resources. Between about August 2012 and March 2016 Calles-Sheker and Oscar Calles resided together. During this time, Calless income was being deposited into a joint bank account with Calles-Sheker. Even though Oscar Calles was residing with Calles-Sheker and was employed, Calles-Sheker did not report his income when completing the required documentation for eligibility for these assistance programs. In fact, the only household income reported was approximately $753 in Social Security and Social Security Disability income that Calles-Sheker received each month. It has been determined their household received $32,080.57 in overpaid public assistance between November 2012 and April 2016. Oscar Calles admitted that he was an immigrant from Mexico residing illegally in the U.S., but was employed by various employers and committed fraud by using the stolen identity of a deceased U.S. citizen, Francisco Aguilera to obtain and maintain employment in the United States. Specifically, Calles was employed at the following companies: D&H Poultry of Sibley, Osceola County, Sparboe Farms of Eagle Grove, Centrum Valley Farms of Clarion and Daybreak Foods, Inc. of Webster City. Both were sentenced in Sioux City by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Calles-Sheker was sentenced to five years of probation and was ordered to pay $32,080.57 in restitution to Iowa Department of Human Services. She must also pay a special assessment of $100. Calles was sentenced to time served of 191 days in prison. He must also pay a special assessment of $300. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Calles is being held in the U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. CROWN POINT Lake County police Sgt. Oscar Martinez has pulled his campaign up beside the others running for sheriff. Martinez, a 24-year veteran of the force, filed paperwork with the Democratic Party on Thursday to appear at a Sept. 16 caucus of precinct committee members and ask for their votes to fill the vacancy left by former Sheriff John Buncich. A U.S. District Court jury convicted Buncich on Aug. 24 of bribery, wire fraud and honest services wire fraud charges following a 14-day trial. Martinez joins Schererville Police Chief David Dowling, retired federal law enforcement agent Richard Ligon, Lake County Deputy Police Chief Daniel Murchek, Gary landlord Jim Nowacki, retired San Diego Harbor police Lt. Todd Rakos, of Munster, former Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub and Lake County sheriff's Cpl. Maria Trajkovich. Martinez has been prominent in past years for seizing millions of dollars in illicit drugs and money from drug couriers traveling Lake County's interstates. Martinez said he is running to improve the public trust in law enforcement following the public corruption scandal of the sheriff taking bribes from towing firms seeking more lucrative work from county police. Indiana State Police released a photo of a dog found walking along Interstate 65 early Friday in an effort to reunite the dog and its owner. The dog, a female of German shepherd breed, is about 1 year old, has black fur and brown paws. She's friendly, seems to be well-trained and was wearing a red nylon collar with no tag, police said. Troopers found her on the interstate near Ridge Road about 2:30 a.m., police said. She was taken to the Lowell state police post for temporary care, and a good Samaritan volunteered to take her to a local veterinarian to check for an ownership chip. If a chip isn't found, the volunteer will provide the dog with a home until the owner is located, police said. Anyone with information about the dog is asked to call the Lowell post at 219-696-6242. HOBART The Lake County Sheriff's Department found both drivers at fault in its investigation into Sunday's crash involving a Hobart police officer and a Valparaiso man. The crash report shows Hobart police Officer Jason D. Hayes, 26, and the other driver, George W. Carberry, 65, both failed to yield at an intersection. Hayes told police he was en route to a disturbance call at 6:22 p.m. with emergency lights activated when his squad car collided at an intersection with a 2012 Subaru Outlander driven by Carberry, according to the crash report. Two witnesses confirmed the police vehicle's emergency lights were activated prior to the crash, but the officer had a red light. Hayes and Carberry were injured in the crash, but didn't require hospital transport, according to the report. Carberry's passenger suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported, the report said. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage and were towed, the report said. The report said Carberry told police he was eastbound in the left turn lane on East 73rd Avenue attempting to head northbound onto Colorado Street. According to the report, Carberry told police he saw Hayes' 2017 fully marked Dodge Challenger police vehicle, with lights activated, approaching the intersection from the north. The squad car crashed into the Subaru, sending it into a spin before the Subaru collided with a utility pole. * Editor's note: This story has been updated from a previous version to correct George W. Carberry's age and that Carberry's passenger received hospital transport. Americas tax system is out of control. It takes taxpaying Americans more than 6 billion hours each year to comply with the dizzying rules and regulations that accompany filing the typical Form 1040. Thats probably no real surprise considering there are 241 pages of complex instructions attached to the 79-line form most Americans file every April. While complexity might be the preference of Washington, simplicity and fairness is what Hoosiers prefer. And its what Hoosiers get. Thats why I was pleased to watch President Donald Trump kick off a push for much-needed federal tax reform in Springfield, Missouri, recently. Standing in the city most closely associated with Americas Main Street, Route 66, the president said, Americans know better how to spend their own money and that he wants to help them keep as much of that hard-earned money as we can. Its that very philosophy that has led to explosive job creation and economic growth in Indiana in recent years. We know firsthand what happens when you put Hoosier taxpayers first, and now Trump wants to put American taxpayers first after years of suffering through burdensome regulations. The good news, as the story typically goes these days, is Indiana already has sketched out the blueprint for how tax relief works and how it benefits everyone across the board. In fact, we have proven there is a direct correlation between tax relief namely reducing the number and size of taxes and economic development. As our taxes have been cut, capped and eliminated, jobs have come from across the country and around the world. Case in point: our unemployment rate today sits at 3.1 percent, which is well below the national rate of 4.4 percent and significantly below the rates in neighboring states such as Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. And the news is getting better. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. reported in late July that more than 17,000 new, high-wage jobs have been announced this year. Some of those new jobs are coming from unlikely places. It wasnt that long ago Hoosiers were scurrying across our border with Illinois to live closer to the nations third largest center of commerce. But now, years into making Indiana one of the most business friendly states in the nation, Illinois-based companies are doing the reverse and making Indiana their home. They arent the only ones. In just the three-year period of 2012-2015, Indiana benefited from international investments from foreign-owned companies totaling $6 billion and created 20,000 new Hoosier jobs. Thats just some of the real measurable success that has come as a result of cutting income taxes by 5 percent, taking them from 3.4 percent to 3.23 percent; cutting our corporate tax rate, which topped out at 8.5 percent in 2012, to 4.9 percent by 2021; capping property taxes that were creeping up in localities across Indiana; and eliminating the inheritance tax. This taxpayer-focused mentality, practiced by proven leaders such as Gov, Mitch Daniels, Gov. Mike Pence and Gov. Eric Holcomb, has taken Indiana, as Holcomb says, from laggard to leader. Now, with one of those leaders serving in the White House alongside Trump, Im confident hard-working American taxpayers will reap the rewards of a similar set of forward-looking policies that jumpstart our economy and create good-paying jobs that will help families thrive once again. Hoosiers proved it can be done. Now lets do it. Hurricane Harveys storm status was reduced just after reaching the coast of Texas, but damage was severe. There was destruction in and around Houston and elsewhere before the storm faded further north over Ohio. Today, we expect the White House and federal agencies to provide effective leadership in mitigating national disasters, which people until the 20th century fatalistically viewed as unavoidable acts of God. President Donald Trump and Melania Trump were quick to visit the area. In the past century, American society has steadily expanded disaster relief efforts. Within the same period, the mass media have played a steadily more important role in reporting terrible events in graphic human terms. Reporting on severe storms shows the complex contemporary interplay between media and people. Photography transformed newspapers by adding graphic, sometimes shocking, visual images to text. Radio and television greatly expanded the capacity of the news to communicate the emotional, human aspects of events. The Internet and increasingly visual as well as audio cellphones carry the process further. Simultaneously, Americans have steadily raised the bar regarding expectations of government. President George W. Bush suffered serious political damage from public perception that he seemed both ineffective and uncaring in reaction to the Hurricane Katrina devastation. One very widely distributed photo showed Bush in Air Force One, gazing down at the floodwaters far below. Combined with news that an unqualified socialite friend was in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the image of Bush far above the fray proved costly. By contrast, one century earlier in 1906, another Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, established the precedent of immediate direct White House involvement after the San Francisco earthquake. His initiatives included a quick congressional appropriation of $2.5 million, a radical move and substantial sum for that time. Teddy Roosevelt also involved the military in humanitarian relief. Military methods restored order. Soldiers and police shot an estimated 500 looters, including 34 men who attempted to rob U.S. Mint and Treasury buildings that contained $239 million in bullion and cash. There was no FEMA, which was created during the Carter administration. Roosevelt instead stressed the role of the Red Cross. Future President Herbert Hoover developed a further great expansion of the U.S. approach to disaster relief, including overseas humanitarian assistance. During and after World War I, he led the enormous U.S. Food Administration and American Relief Administration, credited with preventing devastating mass starvation in Europe. In 1927, Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover spearheaded an enormous humanitarian effort after massive Mississippi River flooding. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy became the first Gulf Coast storm to create more than $1 billion in damage. President Lyndon Johnson immediately flew to New Orleans and spent many hours visiting storm victims, slogging through water to isolated shacks, anxious Secret Service agents and local politicians in tow. Follow-up federal relief was comprehensive. U.S. presidents for more than a century have developed this tradition as a leadership test. NEW YORK - The city is sending help south with Irma on track to hit Florida this weekend as a category four hurricane. The NYPD and FDNY deployed a relief task force on Thursday that will go wherever they are needed. Hundreds of men and women from the same team, dubbed New York Task Force-1, were just in Texas to assist with Harvey relief efforts. Warnings have been issued for the southern part of the state and the keys. Forecasters are expecting severe conditions - the storm whipped through Turks and Caicos at category five level - with sustained winds above 150 miles per hour and heavy rain. Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered evacuations, while schools and colleges will be closed through Monday so they can be used as shelters. Nearly 6,000 residents are already in shelters. Highways are packed with drivers trying to go as far north as possible. Georgia has also ordered evacuation for people on the Atlantic Coast, while South Carolina has declared a state of emergency. Florida officials say the potential path of the storm puts both the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast at risk. "Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate. Floridians on the west coast cannot be complacent. Just because models show moving close to the east coast, the west coast will have still have hurricane conditions," Gov. Scott said. So far, Irma is responsible for at least 20 deaths. The U.S. Consulate General says about 6,000 Americans are stranded in St. Martin. Meanwhile, nearly every building on the small island of Barbuda has been damaged, and more than half of its 1,400 hundred residents are now homeless. While many elected officials aspire to assume higher office one day, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is heading in the other direction, at least for now. The speaker will step down from her leadership position and her city council seat at the end of the year, but she is still on the ballot this fall as a district leader, which is an unpaid elected position. NY1's Zack Fink filed the following report. For City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, there aren't many higher offices for her to run for when she is out of a job early next year. The incumbents for all four statewide elected positions have given no indication that they plan on stepping down, and Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who represents Mark-Viverito's district, is likely to run again as well. So, the current speaker is banking on something else: Continue to represent East Harlem, only as an unpaid district leader. "I am, and have always been, an activist, and an a community activist at that," Mark-Viveritotold me. "I am very concerned about what happens in my neighborhood I've always been, even before I was an elected official. So, that is just going to continue." It's an unusual move for someone who ascended to council speaker, one of the most powerful offices in the city. Mark-Viverito has actually been a district leader for eight years and served in that unpaid capacity simultaneously as the elected council person for the district. This year, she is facing an opponent, Pilar de Jesus, who is also active in the community. She is self-described as "Pilar la Problema," which translates roughly into "troublemaker." "I am a resident of the community for 36 years of my life, born and raised," the Democratic candidate said. "There are a lot of changes happening to our community in a not so positive way." So, the question remains what Mark-Viverito will do with the district leader seat if she hangs onto it. Some have speculated that she has her eye on being mayor one day, or maybe even U.S. senator. "I don't know. I am actually engaging, and that is a very general response," Mark-Viverito said. "I don't know. I have had meetings. I'm trying to figure out exactly what role I want to play. I definitely want to be very visible and involved." While it's too late for Mark-Viverito to run for mayor this time around, by remaining in the community as an elected official, she is keeping her options open for the 2021 election cycle; Bill de Blasio will be term-limited out if he is re-elected mayor. RICEVILLE | Reported suspicious activity in Pioneer Park led to discovery of stolen items, drugs, cash, weapons and more, Mitchell County officials say. The Mitchell County Sheriff's Office said in a news release it responded to citizen complaints of suspicious activity in Pioneer Park in the northeast part of the county around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Upon investigation, a 16-foot car hauler trailer, a Polaris four-wheeler with a trailer and numerous power tools and hand tools were recovered. Those items are believed to be stolen from Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties, the sheriff's office said. Methamphetamine, edible marijuana wax, marijuana, cash and two handguns were also recovered at the scene. Danielle Jo Calhoun, 27, of Charles City, was arrested during the investigation. Calhoun was charged with felony theft, with additional charges pending. She was transported to the Mitchell County Jail. Additional suspects have been identified and the investigation continues, the sheriff's office said. The Osage Police Department, Iowa State Patrol and Floyd County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene. Local law enforcement agencies are communicating with the Lee County Emergency Management Agency while monitoring the weather forecast to prepare for any potential bad weather from the effects of Hurricane Irma. In previous years, similar weather has caused power losses and downed trees, said Sheriff Jay Jones, and law enforcement will help address rescue and safety matters if any should emerge due to weather concerns. Jones also said his office will work with the Alabama Department of Transportation to help keep roads clear and enable agencies like Alabama Power to address any potential outages. Forecasts prior to Friday did not indicate that Lee County area will experience severe weather, said Katherine Carson, director of the Lee County Emergency Management Agency. However, models early Friday morning were indicating the storm's path taking a more westerly turn, with the eye of the storm moving toward Atlanta and the width of Irma covering east Alabama. The agency will continue to monitor the weather and is prepared to support evacuees from Florida and the Georgia coast, she added. Hurricane season this year has been very active, Carson said, and people need to be prepared to have shelter, water, secure their medications and be ready to safely manage events during severe weather conditions, suggestions of which are available on the Lee County EMA's website at leecoema.com. Although severe weather is not expected in Lee County, Carson added that people still need to be attentive to the forecast. "If it stays on this track, it appears that we will not experience any major severe weather impacts," she said. Florida reaches out Officials with the Florida state government and its emergency management agency have already reached out to the sheriffs office to request for assistance with the aftermath of the storm if circumstances should warrant that level of response, Sheriff Jones said. Therefore, some local law enforcement personnel may be sent to Florida to help assist with security, water supplies and power generation. Its our mission locally to provide public safety, Jones said. And from a public safety service standpoint, we believe that when people in other areas are put in peril through natural disasters, then we certainly feel responsible to help, just as they would help if the situation were reversed and we were the ones requiring assistance. ORLANDO, Florida | Matt Werner and his family are closely watching the path of Hurricane Irma as it heads toward the Florida mainland. The former North Iowans live just north of Orlando, which is pretty far inland from the path of Irma, but they know from experience they will feel some of its effects. "This isn't our first rodeo," said Werner, a native of Lake Mills, who was one of the original flight nurses at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa and worked in the emergency room for many years. His wife, Erin, the former Erin McMillan, grew up in Manly and Mason City, and is a physician. Her parents, Dennis and Melody McMillan, live in Mason City. "I'm concerned about all of the tourists down here," said Werner. "Many of them are trapped and can't get out. A good thing is they are probably in hotels so they have a place to stay." Werner said he made arrangements for his parents, who now live in Florida, to fly back and stay with relatives in Iowa. "The biggest concern for us is wind damage and power outages," he said, "Last year, during Hurricane Matthew, a neighbor was without power for four days. "We're in a wooded area and a sandy area and trees fall very easily. If we get 80 mile-an-hour winds, I'm going to have some shingle damage." Werner is a stay-at-home dad for the couple's two children. He said last year, with Hurricane Matthew, his wife stayed at the hospital where she works for three days and three nights. This year, he said, it will be someone else's turn. When government closed Old Kampala SS for nearly two weeks after a students strike on July 14, an investigation committee constituted in the aftermath made strong recommendations. In its report, the seven-man committee called for the transfer of two deputy head teachers; Godfrey Ssekandi and Juliet Nesakya. The committee found that the actions of the two deputies compounded an already volatile situation. The students strike was a protest against the transfer of their former head teacher, Azida Ntegana Nsubuga. Students say their peaceful demonstration degenerated into a strike after Ssekandi and Nesakya started beating them indiscriminately, reads report. They also accuse Nesakya of casually stating that she did not care if the injured students [in the strike] died. We have established that the ministry of education finally transferred the two deputies. Ssekandi was posted to Kansanga Seed SS while Nesakya was moved to Kitebi SS in Wankulukuku. Diana Nankya, formerly at Lubiri SS, replaced Nesakya as Peter Opolot also from Kansanga Seed SS took over Ssekandis job. Nankya and Opolot reported for work on August 22, 2017. However, Ssekandi appealed to the ministry of Education against his transfer. Speaking to The Observer on Wednesday, James Mulomi, the current head teacher at Old Kampala SS, confirmed that Ssekandi is awaiting feedback from the ministry. Since last week, I have been asking the ministry to let me know whether he [Ssekandi] is remaining or not so that we plan for third term. I am waiting for a letter to advise me on the rightful person; Ssekandi or Opolot, Mulomi said. Asked whether Ssekandi is still reporting at Old Kampala, he said: Sometimes he comes to school. But, I advised him to go and report at his new station as he waits to hear the appeal. JUDGMENT DAY The commissioner, government secondary education, Sam Kuloba, said the ministry will give its verdict on Ssekandis appeal today, Friday. When an officer is transferred, the law permits him/her to appeal. We have finalised our review of his appeal and communication will be made on Friday [today] on whether to grant his request or not, Kuloba said. In his appeal, Ssekandi states that he is not resisting the transfer but thinks it was a punitive action that would impact on his future in public service. According to Kuloba, Ssekandi was transferred in public interest and the ministry was very fair in re-deploying him. Students and parents said they did not want him at the school because he used a stick to beat students during the strike. Remember, beating is a corporal punishment and banned in schools, Kuloba said. So, we felt that his [Ssekandis] continued stay there would endanger him, he said. Kuloba explained that when he recently held a meeting with Ssekandi, he verbally withdrew the appeal but requested to be taken to another secondary school around Kampala instead of Kansanga Seed SS. Under the regulations, I could not stop the committee from hearing the appeal. This was just a verbal statement, he said, urging teachers to always handle their transfers professionally rather than politicise them. When contacted, Ssekandi had no kind words for this reporter. Why do you want to meet me after writing defamatory stories about me? What are you interested in now? Ssekandi said referring to an earlier story published by this newspaper, (See Old Kampala SS strike: Report says teacher was ring leader, The Observer July 24). When we called him back, he furiously said: Go and met my permanent secretary. I am a public servant and I dont talk to the press. You tarnished my name. CLASSES ONGOING Meanwhile, students at Old Kampala SS reported back to school on Monday, this week while other schools are still on holiday. This followed an August 24 circular in which Kuloba permitted the school to open early for third term. Special permission has been granted to run normal school activities for two weeks; September 4 to 15, 2017 to compensate for the time lost following the official closure of the school, reads the circular. Students will rest for only two days and resume classes normally with other schools across the country for term three on September 18. nangonzi@observer.ug Internal Affairs minister Jeje Odongo Bits of the not-so-new details about the rampant killings of women in Wakiso district, provided by government yesterday, got tongues wagging and drew the anger of MPs. Angry MPs harshly criticized governments handling of the fragile security, so far, in the wake of the 21 murders of young women and girls in Katabi town council, Nansana and Entebbe in the last three months. Parliament on September 7 received a preliminary government report giving statistics and the status of the murder investigations. The minister for Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo told the House, which resumed sittings yesterday, a day after suspending plenary sessions in protest at the lack of an official government explanation, that 44 murder suspects have been arrested and 22 charged in courts of law. The government report found that majority of murders were by strangulation and insertion of sticks in the victims private parts and three bodies of unidentified female victims are yet to be claimed. Gen Odongo said according to preliminary investigations, majority of the murders in Nansana are linked to ritual sacrifice and businessmen, including Philips Tumuhimbise alias Kanyankore. The prime suspect, one Ibrahim Kawesa, is said to have confessed to the killings. Odongo revealed that in the Katabi murders, technical evidence pointed to a serial killer identified as Ivan Katongole, a businessman, who kills for ritual purposes. Some suspects were found with forms given to them by Katongole to enlist in Illuminati. (Illuminati, according to one English dictionary, refers to a secret society of people claiming to possess special enlightenment or knowledge of something.) Others have 999 (sign of Illuminati) tattooed on their bodies. Katongole is physically linked to the death of Rose Nakimuli because he was in her company the night she was killed, Odongo said, amidst murmurs from MPs. The minister tried but failed to convince MPs that government can actually end the murders. They instead accused him of failing on the job and urged him to resign. Your ministry has failed to totally protect Ugandans including a prominent police commander [Andrew Felix Kaweesi]. What can you be proud of in your ministry? I think you should have written your resignation already, Jack Wamanga Wamai (Mbale municipality) said. Monicah Amoding (Kumi Woman) said, When this kind of murder happens, there is a message these killers are trying to send, which has not been put in this report...Isnt this a conflict that is brewing? How come from day one to now, they are murdering in the same manner and all this time the ministry and police have not been able to tell us who is behind it? Saying it is ritual murder is being simplistic. Are you in charge of the internal affairs of this country? Geoffrey Macho (Busia Municipality) said that with the huge police human resource, it is mindboggling that the institution has failed to establish the actual motive behind the murders. Something is wrong in the Internal Affairs docket and they are not in charge. You should put the department of police in order. How can they kill over 20 people and there is no report at all? You should tell Ugandans whether we are a failed state or not, Macho added. Anthony Ssemuli (Mubende municipality) lambasted police for failing to release investigative reports into the recent murder of the former assistant IGP, Andrew Felix Kaweesi, whose murderers, he claimed, are still on the loose. Odonga Otto (Aruu South) accused police of having an ineffective intelligence network, whose officers instead engage in petty fights in bars and nightclubs. Some MPs argued that the disagreements between Security minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde and IGP Gen Kale Kayihura point to a big rift within the security circles. Anna Adeke Ebaju (National Youth Female) said while the NRM government lauds its achievement in the security sector, the murders are an indictment on its ability to protect Ugandans. In his maiden speech, Robert Kyagulanyi (Kyadondo East), asked police to expeditiously conclude the murder investigations. He said failure to apprehend murderers casts a huge shadow on their credibility. Nabilah Naggayi (Kampala Woman) and Margaret Komuhangi (Nakasongola Woman) raised eyebrows over governments insistence on the murders being linked to witchcraft. Highlighting witchcraft in a government statement says a lot. It is absurd that the ministry can present a report that cites witchcraft. Is it scientific? We need to be worried, Nabilah said. Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said government is on top of the situation. He lamented that backwardness and beliefs in witchcraft are still prevalent in different communities, hence the need to transform the country into modernity. The judicial salary strike ended two weeks later on Wednesday but left a new, real problem; a split among lowly and high-ranking judicial officials. The split was so glaringly on public display on Wednesday when Chief Justice Bart Katureebe delivered his speech at the High courts, Criminal division, before a group of magistrates who had hours earlier voted to suspend their industrial action. During the meeting, it was clear the strike had been about the magistrates deplorable welfare. In the gathering, there were only three High court judges; John Eudes Keitirima, Joseph Murangira and Wilson Masalu Musene. The Court of Appeal was represented by only the out-going deputy chief justice Steven Kavuma and Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, the man to replace him. Katureebe held forte for the Supreme court. Chief Justice Bart Katureebe and his outgoing deputy Steven Kavuma Interviewed on Thursday, Judiciary spokesperson Emmy Mugabo said magistrates and registrars attended the meeting in huge numbers because they are automatic members of UJOA, yet judges have to subscribe. But the few justices in attendance didnt dampen the mood of the lowly-ranking judicial officials. A BIRD IN HAND... The atmosphere at the High court was euphoric, and the magistrates had reason to celebrate, given that their industrial action had borne some fruits despite the chief justice having warned them before the strike that industrial action was ill-advised. Katureebe suggested then that instead of strike action, dialogue with government should be given a chance. But the Wednesday meeting, called under the auspices of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA), was celebratory. Among the immediate perks promised by the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, Kahinda Otafiire, were double-cabin trucks, security and computers for magistrates to ostensibly ease their office work. Though the salary issue hasnt been addressed yet, the magistrates and registrars were happy. Indeed, Registrar Tadeo Asiimwe, who was master of ceremonies, emphasized the point by reciting an old adage, a bird in hand is better than a million golden ones in the bush. So, when Asiimwe invited Katureebe to make his speech, the chief justice seemed well aware of the magistrates misgivings. He made a point to emphasize that he supported their cause much as he advised them against the strike. Indeed, the reception he received when he arrived at the High court for the meeting was rather lukewarm compared to the rapturous one given to Justice Yorokamu Bamwine, the principal judge. CJ ON DEFENSIVE Katureebe, in his speech, immediately set out to defend his record as a strong advocate of salary enhancements for judicial officers, more so, magistrates. Katureebe said ever since he took over office in 2015, he has met several times with parliamentary committees and pushed for a sizeable share of the national cake for the judiciary. He also reminded the magistrates that when he was still the attorney general and minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, he pushed for a well-financed judiciary though he met resistance. When I was the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, I remember a remark made by a col- league, who I wont mention, when I talked about salaries for judicial officers. It gave an understanding of how people dont appreciate the judiciary, Katureebe said. The chief justice said he was perplexed by several messages from magistrates posted on WhatsApp suggesting that Katureebe was satisfied with the Shs 20 million he has negotiated for himself. Katureebe said that in several meeting with the president he has pointed out how it is pointless to increase the salary of the chief justice minus increasing that of lower officials in the judiciary. You can say all those sorts of things but the truth will always come out, Katureebe said, adding, I always put the issues to magistrates at the forefront. I am very mindful of the state in which the grade one and grade two magistrates are in. I went to Kyegegwa [district], I nearly cried. Katureebe said that again, on WhatsApp, some people said that he was the one who filed a constitutional petition challenging the current pay structure of judicial officers. Katureebe had advised UJOA to delay its industrial strike until the petition, which was in fact filed by Krispus Ayena-Odongo, is heard. Some people arrived at the conclusion without even knowing the facts. But thats total failure of knowing who your friend is and who your enemy is, Katureebe. With that, Katureebe implored the magistrates to go back to work and also remain calm, measured and sober, to allow their leaders a chance to negotiate with government peacefully and forcefully. Enyama ntono okayaana eri munkwawa, Katureebe said in Luganda, meaning that first accept the little on offer and complain later for more. On his part, UJOA president Godfrey Kaweesa was in bullish mood. He likened the strike he spearheaded to the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 in which, he said, Lord Admiral Hiratio Nelson inflicted one of the greatest naval defeats in history through decimating the combined French and Spanish fleets under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Unlike Lord Nelson who was gunned down at Englands finest hour of victory, Kaweesa, who is the chief magistrate for Iganga, Kaliro and Luuka districts, said thanks to God Almighty, none of the UJOA members has suffered any predicament during this struggle. The strike was suspended but not called off until December 11, 2017, as they evaluate if at all government comes true to its promises like passing the Judiciary Administration bill and enhancing their salaries dkiyonga@observer.ug Justice Steven Kavuma In the third of the four-part series analysing the legacy of outgoing deputy chief justice STEVEN KAVUMA, Derrick Kiyonga looks at how his ties with the ruling party were exposed by rebel MPs. Back in 2014, NRM fired four firebrand party MPs and wanted them to be thrown out of parliament for rejecting the partys positions. The four rebel MPs were Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central), Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga West), Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga) and Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East). NRM filed a constitutional petition in which the party wanted the four MPs to be ejected from parliament. The quartet, however, responded through their lawyer, Peter Walubiri, who asked Kavuma to recuse himself from the case, flashing the NRM constitution as evidence to show that he was a promoter of the ruling party which was protagonist in the petition. Kavumas NRM roots came to the fore during the hearing when it emerged that he was still listed in the NRM constitution as the partys promoter number 163. Nevertheless, Kavuma declined to recuse himself, citing the judicial oath he took before he assumed office as a judge of the Constitutional court/Court of Appeal. In the end, Kavuma and three other judges ruled in favour of the NRM with only Justice Remmy Kasule dissenting. However, the rebel MPs had the final laugh in the Supreme court when it overturned the Constitutional court decision. ISOLATED WITHIN JUDICIARY As he ruffled feathers with lawyers in court, the legal fraternity felt it had heard enough of having Kavuma acting both as chief justice and deputy chief justice. F irst, the Legal Brains Trust (LBT), a human rights watchdog, filed a suit in the High court challenging Kavumas holding both positions. The new law year of 2015 soon set in, and it was Kavuma to preside over as the acting chief justice, something which had never happened before. Uganda Law Society (ULS) ordered its members to boycott the ceremony on the account that President Museveni had failed to appoint a substantive chief justice and the deputy for two years despite endless assurances. They also argued that Kavuma had no legitimacy to preside over the ceremony. In the end, several top lawyers shunned the event but Kavuma, in his carefree style, presided over the function. Shortly afterwards, Kavuma brushed off the absence of advocates, contending that the presence of the [then] Attorney General Peter Nyombi, who is the head of the bar, was enough to legitimize the event, adding that the lawyers attendance was optional. Piling more pressure, the Constitutional court, which Kavuma was heading, by virtue of being the acting deputy chief justice, had earlier ruled that it was illegal for him to hold both positions in acting capacity. JUDGES HAD ENOUGH If that message wasnt clear enough, judicial officers at a February 2015 judges conference left little to imagination. Many booed Kavuma and openly referred to Justice Yorokamu Bamwine, the principal judge, as their leader. But Kavuma kept his cool. In March 5, 2015, President Museveni succumbed to pressure and appointed Justice Bart Katureebe, then the most senior judge at the Supreme court, as chief justice. On the same day, Museveni formally approved Kavuma as the deputy chief justice. The substantive appointments were expected to usher in tranquillity and serenity in the judiciary but it was far from it. DRAMA AT CONSTITUTIONAL COURT Days later, a group of lawyers plunged the judiciary into turmoil when they claimed that, contrary to the law, Kavuma had neither applied for the position [of deputy chief justice] nor been recommended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSO). In an interview with The Observer (Published on March 9, 2015), Kavuma said: I was not interested in the position of the chief justice, I never applied for it. I only applied for the position of deputy chief justice. But Gerald Karuhanga, who was the Western Youth MP, at the time, and city advocate Eron Kiiza did not buy Kavumas explanations. Through their lawyer, Professor George Wilson Kanyeihamba, a retired Supreme court judge, the two plotted to file a petition challenging Kavumas appointment just before he could be vetted by parliament. The petitioners were under the illusion that by filing the petition early, parliament would stay Kavumas vetting. In this showdown, everything was in Kavumas favour. Ironically, he was the head at the Constitutional court where Karuhanga and Kiiza where going to file the petition that would perhaps stop his dream. So, on the morning of March 18, 2015, drama ensued at the Constitutional court when a frustrated Kanyeihamba publically wept after the court staff refused to receive the petition, hours before the parliaments approval of Kavuma as deputy chief justice. When Kanyeihamba reached the third floor of Twed Towers where the courts registry is located, the staff fled; so, the petition was never filed. In the end, the petition wasnt filed and Kavuma was approved by parliament. With his position as deputy chief justice secured, Kavuma tightened his grip on the Constitutional court. GAG ON DEFIANCE CAMPAIGN On April 30, 2016, attorney general filed a petition challenging the Defiance campaign. Kavuma issued an interim order banning Defiance campaign activities orchestrated by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and its former leader Dr Kizza Besigye. The activities which Kavuma banned included weekly prayers and countrywide demonstrations protesting what the political party activists claimed was rigging in the February 18, 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections. The most curious aspect about this order is that Kavuma issued it at around 7pm, without hearing from the lawyers of FDC or Besigye who had been listed as the respondents by the attorney general. Police arrested many activists who had gone ahead to participate in the prayers, accusing them of being in contempt of Kavumas orders. But weeks later, after the swearing-in of President Museveni, the petition was withdrawn with Kavumas interim order having served the purpose of illegalizing Defiance activities. Youth campaigners for the removal of the constitutional age limit for presidential candidates have begun getting public nods of approval from high-profile ruling NRM officials. Top of the list is the prime minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, who confirmed to The Observer in an interview yesterday that he has been meeting the youth. Yes I meet them; they are my young comrades, the prime minister told this newspaper at parliament. I see nothing that provides a scientific or rational reason that somebody who is above 75 years cannot be president, he added. This admission makes Rugunda the first senior government official to publicly throw his weight behind the campaign to lift presidential age limits. President Museveni (L) and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda during the presidential election campaigns last year The youth campaigners are allied to NRM and the National Youth Council (NYC) structures. They are working under a loose coalition named Kick Age Limitations out of the Constitution (KALOC) and are holding meetings with a number of top government and NRM party officials. The group met Rugunda on August 31 at his office at the Twin Towers building, behind Parliament House. According to sources, Rugunda agreed to support KALOC activities and is also reported to have told the youths that the age limit clause enshrined in Article 102(b) of the Constitution has no scientific basis. As a medical doctor, I have not come across any scientific research that shows that someone below 35 years or above 75 years lacks the capacity to lead. Those are unscientific barriers, leaders should be judged by their continued capacity to advance the socio-economic development, Rugunda reportedly told the youths. Article 102(b) states that a person is not qualified for election as president unless that person is not less than thirty-five years and not more than seventy-five years of age. During the interview with The Observer, Rugunda defended his belief that the age limit should not bar anybody from offering themselves for the presidency, saying it gives Ugandans the freedom to elect leaders of their choice. A society should select or choose leaders on the basis of the challenges facing the country and leaders should be selected in response to how he [the leader] relates to the challenges and the solutions that he provides, Rugunda said. The people of Uganda should, therefore, be at complete liberty to elect leaders of their choice in a free and fair election, he added. OTHER NRM BIG SHOTS Besides Rugunda, The Observer understands, the youth group is also working with a number of cabinet ministers, NRM secretariat leaders such as Rose Namayanja Nsereko (NRM treasurer), Richard Todwong (NRM deputy secretary general) and members of the partys central executive committee (CEC) such as Robert Rukari (Entrepreneurs league). While other government and NRM leaders have quietly met the youths, social media has been awash with photos of Namayanja meeting the groups leadership at a public event in Luweero. According to Ibrahim Kitatta, one of the groups coordinators, they got in touch with Namayanja at the burial of the NYC executive secretary Shaft Nasser Mukwayas father. She asked us to brief her about our campaign. She was happy and encouraged us to take it [campaign] further because it had opened the leadership to the need for opening the lower age limit too, Kitatta said. When contacted, Namayanja told The Observer that since the government has allowed the opposition to go ahead with their pro-age limit campaign dubbed Kogikwatako (should you dare touch it), there is no reason why it should bar the NRM-leaning youth from publicising their own views. That is what freedom of expression requires, added the former minister of information. SANITISING FACTOR The proposal to amend Article 102(b), which caps the maximum age for one to be elected president at 75 years, was supposed to be part of the 2015 amendments but was removed after a stormy cabinet meeting on March 20, 2015. (See: First Lady foils age limit plot, The Observer). Museveni turns 73 years of age this year, which implies he will clock the constitutional 75 year age cap midway his current term and will, therefore, not be eligible to stand for re-election in 2021. President Museveni would be the biggest beneficiary of the age limit removal Although the age removal campaigners are careful not to tag their campaign to the person of the president as a beneficiary, it is glaringly clear that the article is the only hurdle standing in the way of Musevenis re-election. The campaign by KALOC, however, came as a big relief to the more senior agitators of the amendment because the youths call for the removal of the lower limit somehow sanitises the debate. We dont want the public to look at this [campaign] as a Museveni project and the coming on board of the youths helps us to bring out the fact that the current [constitutional] provisions are discriminatory, Kassanda South MP Simeo Nsubuga, one of the vocal promoters of the campaign, said on Monday. Nsubuga, along with MPs Peter Ogwang (Usuk), Arinaitwe Rwakajara (Workers), Jacob Oboth-Oboth (West Budama South), Anita Among (Bukedea Woman), Robert Kafeero Ssekitooleko (Nakifuma) and John Bosco Lubyaayi (Mawokota South), have since September last year been quietly campaigning for the lifting of the presidential age-limit. Lubyaayi, however, seems to have gotten a change of heart. Recently, he has publicly bashed the lifting of the age limit. Nonetheless, the MPs team, according to Nsubuga, has been expanded to include regional coordinators. The country has been divided into 15 regions of Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Bukedi, Bugisu, Kampala, Kigezi, Ankole, Bunyoro, Tooro, West Nile, Buganda, Busoga North and Busoga South. The regions have been further subdivided into sub-regions to ease mobilization efforts. There has been some element of fear [among MPs] but efforts by the youths have helped us deal with the fear and I can assure you that more MPs have signed up, Nsubuga said. He confirmed that the groups weekly meetings still continue despite a directive from the speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, prohibiting debate on the matter until it is tabled on the floor of parliament. President Yoweri Museveni has suspended his planned radio talk shows to discuss the proposed constitutional amendment to enable government acquire land for development projects when the need arises. As part of the countrywide radio talk shows aimed at popularising the now controversial proposal, Museveni appeared on Voice of Kigezi in Kabale on Monday September 4 followed by Radio West in Mbarara on September 5. On September 6, the president was on Voice of Tooro in Fort Portal before he moved to Hoima for where he appeared on Spice FM on September 7. President Museveni (R) during one of the talk shows The bill seeks to amend Article 26 of the Constitution to provide for the compulsory acquisition of land for government projects. Article 26 provides for the right of persons to own property and how it can be acquired by the government after compensation. But the government argues that the provision has slowed down the implementation of key projects resulting from compensation disputes. The proposed amendment has attracted wide condemnation from the public, including religious leaders and civil society organisations among others. The president was due to appear on Point FM in Mubende later today and Radio Buddu in Masaka tomorrow, September 9 to engage the listeners on the bill. Since Monday, Museveni's advance team has been at Radio Buddu to secure the venue. State House operatives also registered all staff at the radio and took their contacts. State House media team also installed cameras to record the talk show. The radio management made some changes in the studio located along Elgin Street in Masaka by installing new microphones. The talk shows have however been called off. Hajj Umar Ssekasamba, the Radio Buddu programmes manager, says they received a phone call from State House suspending the planned talk show. He explains that State House told them that Museveni had got an emergency which requires him to travel abroad for an International conference. He however says State House told them that once he returns from abroad, he will inform them of the day he will come for the talk show. Don Wanyama, the senior presidential press secretary wrote on his Facebook explaining that the planned talk-shows have been cancelled "because the president's schedule has changed". "Great thanks to the public that has been following President Museveni's land education campaign through radio. We had a great show for Bunyoro sub-region this evening on Spice FM and a host of other radios. A lot of the lies that had been peddled about government's land policies and proposed constitutional amendments are being exposed. However to our people in Mubende (Point FM), Masaka (Radio Buddu), Kampala and Jinja (Baba FM) who were anticipating to hear from the president on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday respectively, be notified that the shows have been postponed because the president's schedule has changed. New dates will be communicated" Ahead of this suspended show, Uganda Commissions Commission (UCC) had ordered all radio stations in greater Masaka region to loop Radio Buddu signals and broadcast Museveni's talk show. Some of the radio stations ordered to loop Radio Buddu signals are Buladde FM, Radio Equator, Kalangala Community Radio, Ssesse FM, Masaka FM, Mbabule FM, Impact FM and Word of LIFE Radio among others. But the UCC order had angered some of the radio managers. Kassim Mugerwa, one of the managers at Buladde FM says the UCC order was unfair given the fact they had not been given money to broadcast President Museveni's talk show. He says at 7pm, the planned time for the talk show, is prime time for Radio Buladde because sponsors that facilitate broadcasting of the English Premier League would be affected since during the talk show, no commercials are allowed. Mugerwa says he would rather that State House buys this airtime for the president since they need money to cater for their operations. David Ssekayinga, the manager of Kalangala Community Radio says the order is unfair to other players since State House had already chosen Radio Buddu to host the president. He says giving away two hours free of charge is such a big loss for a rural based radio station which survives on local funds. CLEAR LAKE | Rick Knudson has three reasons to run for Clear Lake School Board and they are his children Nathan, Kaitlyn and Samuel, who attend the local district. They are my pride and joy, and I want to do what I can to make sure that they have opportunities that allow them to grow as individuals, he said. I want to see that for all children in Clear Lake. Our school should be a place that offers those types of opportunities for our kids. Knudson, who recently completed his term as Iowa Pharmacy Association president, believes he has the skills to improve the educational experience for students in the district because of his experience in managing large fiscal budgets and his deep understanding of operational management and efficiency. My philosophy is to always look at operational efficiencies as one way to increase the Districts bottom line, he said. I am a firm believer in working smarter rather than harder, and when you can do that you can generally increase efficiency while reducing costs. If elected, he said his top priorities are student assessment and outcomes, student safety and security and finances. Knudson said as the district faces budget constraints in the future, he is opposed to staff cuts and elimination of student-facing programs as a first choice to reduce expenses because the goal of the district is to provide a well-rounded and valuable education experience. Hes an active member of Zion Lutheran Church as well as a past youth mentor for the Clear Lake mentoring program. Knudson is married to Jennifer Knudson, an admissions coordinator for North Iowa Area Community College and is a licensed K-12 guidance counselor. Theyve lived in Clear Lake for the past 15 years. Todd Rapp, president of Minneapolis-based agency Himle Rapp & Company, Inc., has bought CEO John Himles ownership stake in the public affairs, corporate communications and crisis shop. The transaction effectively makes Rapp sole owner and CEO of the firm, which will henceforth be rebranded as Rapp Strategies, Inc. Todd Rapp (top) and John Himle. Himle in a statement said that he ended his tenure with the firm in order to pursue some business and professional opportunities that hes been mulling over for some time. He has since formed a new company, Himle LLC. Himle, former executive director of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, founded Himle & Associates in 1982. That firm was rebranded as Himle Horner Inc. seven years later with the arrival of veteran Republican consultant and public affairs pro Tom Horner. Rapp, who was previously executive director to former Minnesota House Speaker and Majority Leader Phil Carruthers and director of Minnesota Government Affairs for Xcel Energy (formerly Northern States Power Company), joined the company in 2001. He was named partner in 2008 and became a minority shareholder the same year after Horner sold him part of his ownership stake. Horner sold his remaining shares to Rapp two years later and left the firm to mount an Independence Party ticket run for Minnesota governor, and the firm was subsequently re-branded as Himle Rapp & Company, Inc. The company provides counsel and strategy focused on corporate reputation/risk, crisis management, corporate social responsibility and public affairs services to Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, non-profits and government agencies. Himle in today's statement said he plans to assist Rapp with the transition. Nylon, style and culture title, is killing its print edition. The 12 members of the publications print staff were told on Thursday that after its October issue Nylon would become an online-only publication. The move follows the closing down of Nylon Guys in 2015 and the recent demise of such titles as Lucky, More and Self. The shift to a digital platform is expected to result in expanded attempts to appeal to their predominately female audience through video, led by their creative agency Nylon Studios. As platforms emerge and change, our voice, content and brand keep getting stronger, as do our array of marketing solutions, said Nylon Media executive chairman Marc Luzzatto. Univision Communications Inc., the media company whose operations include Univision, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country, has entered into a partnership with language education provider Rosetta Stone Inc. The two companies have come together to launch Univision Aprender con Rosetta Stone, a language learning program that aims to both help the Hispanic audience gain English-language proficiency and assist those looking to gain proficiency in Spanish. When looking at how best to reach the Hispanic audience in the U.S. and beyond, teaming up with Univision was a natural fit, said John Hass, President & CEO, Rosetta Stone. This strategic partnership gives us a new avenue to fulfill our mission. John Foley Reuters has appointed John Foley U.S. editor for Breakingviews, its global brand for financial commentary. Foley joined Breakingviews in 2004, and most recently served as its EMEA editor in London, following postings in Hong Kong and Beijing. Foley succeeds Jeff Goldfarb, who is heading to Hong Kong to oversee Breakingviews coverage in the region as deputy editor. Peter Thal Larsen is taking over for Foley in the EMEA editor position. T.J. Winick Though its been less than 24 hours since Equifaxs bombshell disclosure that the personal information of 143 million people was compromised in a data breach between May and July, the company's response is already being widely condemned. Its a case study in why organizations cant merely go through the motions when it comes to a crisis response. Consumers, policy makers and the press are smarter than that. Its not enough to say sorry and offer a free comprehensive package of identity theft protection and credit file monitoring. Not only did it take Equifax a month after discovering the breach to notify the public, were now learning that three of its executives sold nearly $2 million in stock during that gap in time. In addition, social media was abuzz with the revelation that consumers must, in fact, waive their right to sue Equifax or be part of a class action suit in order to check if their data was stolen. Thats downright offensive. It demonstrates how Equifax doesnt truly understand or appreciate the corporate climate they are operating in. Consumers demand genuine humility, honesty and transparency. Violating these demands is not just be bad for business, it could be illegal. Rightfully so, New Yorks attorney general has already opened an investigation. For many consumers, the Equifax mess perpetuates the belief that big business consists of heartless fat cats looking out only for themselves. This crisis resonates with just about everyone because credit monitoring services possess sensitive personal and financial information. One reporter called Equifax a one-stop shop for potential identity thieves, with databases that include Social Security numbers, addresses, drivers license data and birth dates as well as financial records. That makes credit monitoring services ideal targets for hackers. Consequently, we should expect and hold them to a higher standard when it comes to safeguarding our personal information. Washington is weighing in. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who earned her reputation as a consumer champion, is tweeting that Equifax must be held legally responsible, while the House Financial Services Committee has announced hearings into the breach. This will guarantee Equifaxs crisis remains in the news for days, if not weeks and months. As the heat was being turned up Friday, a story in the NY Post suggested Equifax is now blaming their software provider for the data breach, thus violating another crisis communications commandment: Accept responsibly. Yes, we can all be hacked. But it appears Equifax has no one to blame but itself regarding how it chose to respond and what lies ahead. Thats disappointing, to say the least, for a company that claimed to be looking out for all of us. *** T.J. Winick is a Vice President at Solomon McCown & Company. Prior to SM&, T.J. was a correspondent for ABC News based out of Washington, D.C. and New York City. Jordan Peele, Spike Lee Teaming Up For Black Klansman KKK Movie Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When The film will be an adaptation of the book Black Klansman, in which a black police detective infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. In a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee are collaborating on a film adaptation of Black Klansman, with John David Washington (Denzel Washingtons son) starring in the movie. Peele will serve as producer while Lee will serve as director and producer of the dramatic crime thriller, which the pair have been working on for at least two years. READ: Jordan Peeles Get Out Was The Inspiration Behind A New UCLA College Course On Racism & Horror A synopsis of Black Klansman via the Reporter is as follows: Klansman tells the story of Ron Stallworth, a detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who in 1978 answered an ad in the local newspaper seeking new Klan members. He not only gained membership, but rose through the ranks to become the head of the local chapter. Stallworth, who is black, was able to gather all sorts of intelligence by pretending to be a white supremacist on the phone or via other forms of correspondence but sent a white fellow officer in his place for any in-person meetings. During his undercover work, Stallworth managed to sabotage several cross-burnings and other activities of the notorious hate group. Stallworth wrote about his experience in his 2014 memoir Black Klansman. The memoir, as well as its film adaptation, has no connection The Black Klansman, a 1966 Blaxploitation film centered around a black man who exacts revenge on the KKK after they killed his daughter. The pairing is obviously a big deal considering both Peele and Lee are black directors from different generations coming together to work on a project like this. Back in August, it was revealed that Peeles directorial debut, Get Out, has been the most profitable movie of 2017. Source: hollywoodreporter.com Beef Buzz News US Beef Exports to South Korea Show Impressive Strength Thanks to Beef Council Marketing Efforts US beef exports have performed great so far in 2017, especially exports going into markets in the Asia-Pacific Rim including two very important US beef markets, Japan and South Korea. Oklahoma Beef Council Executive Director Heather Buckmaster explained why South Korea has become and continues to grow as a major buyer of US beef, during a recent visit in studio with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays. "South Korea has been a great market for us the last few years when you consider that at one point in time, they were protesting in the streets," Buckmaster said. "Now, it's one of our highest valued markets today." Currently, beef exports to South Korea for the first half of the year, are up by 13 percent in volume from a year ago; over 83,000 mt.; and over 21 percent in value at $527 million. The US has also captured more than 50 percent of Korea's chilled beef market, totaling near 19,000 mt. valued at $166 million. One of the main reasons our product is doing so well, is thanks to one of the world's largest retailers - Costco - which has 14 storefront locations throughout South Korea. "This past year, we had a huge highlight, and that was when Costco brought in and replaced all Australian beef with US beef," Buckmaster reported, adding that this increased incremental beef sales for the US by 33 million pounds. "That was a result of a multilayer effort by the US Meat Export Federation and in part, by the Beef Checkoff." Listen to Heather Buckmaster of the Oklahoma Beef Council and Farm Director Ron Hays discuss the strength of US beef export performance in South Korea and learn how the Beef Council is working to keep it that way, on today's Beef Buzz. The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today. Listen to Buckmaster and Hays discuss the strength of US beef export performance in South Korea WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Beef News ALBERT LEA, Minnesota | A Mayo Clinic Health System doctor has sent numerous complaints to federal authorities since March 2015 alleging antitrust violations by his employer, a development that comes as tensions continue to spark between the hospital system and the community. Matthew Kumar, who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at the health systems Albert Lea and Austin campuses, has filed three complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and one complaint with the Department of Justice. He informed Freeborn County Attorney David Walker of his complaints last month, and Walker has since been given permission to share the documents, which were obtained by the Tribune on Thursday. Walker sent Kumars complaints to Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and 1st District Congressman Tim Walz. In his letter to Walker, Kumar said he predicted the transition of most inpatient services to Austin. I predicted the current situation that the citizens of Austin and Albert Lea find themselves reduction or elimination of services, rise in cost of health care, loss of choice in treatment options and being forced to seek health care far away from home, he said. Now I am complaining to you, so that you may pursue litigation against the Mayo Clinic on behalf of citizens of Albert Lea and Austin. Many residents of Winnebago and Worth counties -- particularly those in the northern portion of those counties -- have expressed concerns about changes to services at Mayo in Albert Lea, where they receive care. Walker has formally requested officials look into antitrust concerns regarding the planned transition. During an Aug. 21 meeting in Albert Lea, Swanson implied that legal action against the hospital system would be difficult. In a statement on Thursday, the hospital system said it was not previously aware of any antitrust complaints having been filed with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission over the past two years, including the complaints reportedly filed by Dr. Kumar. We have not been contacted by either agency or any government official about these complaints specifically, or about any antitrust concerns. We are confident that we are in full compliance with corporate governance, antitrust statutes and all other applicable Minnesota law. The hospital system cited a Rochester Post-Bulletin article last week that said Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and her staff concluded there was no evidence antitrust laws were broken. However, if the attorney general has any additional questions for us, we will respond accordingly, the hospital system stated. In the letter to Walker, Kumar said Mayo eliminated competition by not allowing hospital privileges for non-Mayo physicians and buying up existing hospitals or building new facilities. Kumar said Mayo Clinic is the single source for health care in 72 adjoining communities. Generally, monopolies eliminate competition, drive up the cost of goods and services, limit consumer choice and bend the political and regulatory processes, he wrote. The adverse effects are worse when the monopoly turns to health care. Kumar predicted that if the monopoly was not broken, Mayo would continue to cut services at its community hospitals. It will lay off physicians, surgeons and nurses whom the Mayo Clinic administrators think are redundant and duplicative, Kumar wrote. They will close facilities and mothball existing resources. In the five-page letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission in April, Kumar alleged Mayo Clinic has created a gigantic healthcare monopoly that is affecting Medicare and Medicaid patients. Now it is using (its) monopoly power to deny health care to elderly, low-income Medicare and Medicaid patients, he said in the letter. It is a blatant violation of our antitrust laws, Center for Medicare Services laws and civil rights laws. In addition, it is morally and ethically wrong. In a July 2016 article to the Federal Trade Commission, Kumar alleged Mayo Clinic engaged in bid-suppression from travel agents in Minnesota, Arizona and Florida. The letters, along with Mayo Clinics announcement on Thursday that it would discontinue clinic services at its LeRoy campus, could further inflame tensions between the hospital and the community as the intensive care unit is planned to be transitioned to Austin in October. The new leader of Childrens Hospital & Medical Center has grand plans for a bigger, better hospital and has already started to act on his vision. Dr. Richard Azizkhan said this week that Childrens has purchased the HDR campus across the street for $33.5 million. Azizkhan also expects to erect another building on his hospitals existing campus for more clinical space and to hire dozens more specialists. The plans indicate that Azizkhan, who took over as CEO in October, has no intention of standing pat. The initiative reflects a desire to treat more patients, some of whom now go to Kansas City, Minneapolis, Denver and other places, and it signals a goal to make Childrens a bigger player in pediatric care nationwide. His concept comes to light as health care costs nationwide are being scrutinized. A proposed $1 billion expansion project at Boston Childrens Hospital, for instance, has been put on hold after questions from state regulators there. Azizkhan said expansion at his hospital is justified. The cost of the total project, including hiring additional pediatric specialists, hasnt been determined. Our unmet potential will be realized in the next 10 to 15 years, he said. We have an incredible opportunity to enhance the services, the depth and caliber of what we have to offer. Soon after Azizkhan won the appointment to replace longtime CEO Gary Perkins, he started to consider the HDR property. Childrens is in an excellent central Omaha location, he said, but the campus is landlocked. HDR had expected to move downtown, but a deal on a site fell through this spring. Childrens now is HDRs landlord and expects to move into the HDR property in 2020. Azizkhan said Childrens will use the buildings on the HDR campus for offices, for teaching space for resident doctors and med students, and for research. The demand exists to justify a much bigger hospital, he said, because Childrens typically is fully occupied. Childrens saw patients from around the nation and from 19 other countries last year, he said, but it mainly serves Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and the Dakotas. Azizkhan aims to strengthen his hospitals role as a regional and national resource for kids with certain health problems. Childrens is known for heart care, among other things. The hospital has done 13 heart transplants since starting its program in 2013. Azizkhan would like to expand or start programs involving gastroenterology, colorectal disease, neurosurgery, pulmonology and others. A new building of up to nine stories on the Childrens campus at 8200 Dodge St. would provide more clinical space. Site work could begin late this year. The hospital has 11 operating rooms, and Azizkhan said he would like to expand to 20 or 24. Surgeries at Childrens increased 13 percent in 2015 and are on pace to go up 7 or 8 percent more this year, he said. Further, Childrens currently has its neonatal ICU at nearby Methodist Hospital. The lease for that space ends in 2021, and the NICU would move into the new clinical space, as might the emergency department, surgery suites and cardiac care. Childrens is one of the smallest freestanding pediatric hospitals in the nation, according to the Childrens Hospital Association in Washington, D.C. Azizkhan said the number of beds will eventually increase from 140 to 230 or 240. Over the next nine years, he hopes to add up to 120 pediatric specialists to the 170 to 180 at the hospital now. The specialists generally have joint roles at Childrens and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Bradley Britigan, dean of UNMCs College of Medicine, said Azizkhans vision is doable and would advance pediatric specialties in Omaha to national prominence. Some of the specialists would be trained in Omaha through fellowships, Britigan said. Those fellowships additional years of specialist training after residency would include pediatric cancer, cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology and others. Other specialists would come from elsewhere in the nation and perhaps from other countries, he said. Britigan said its not unusual for children to have fairly rare diseases, such as certain cancers, liver conditions and neurological problems, for which they must go elsewhere. He cited as an example Jack Hoffman, the Nebraska boy who captured Husker fans hearts in 2013. Jack, who has brain cancer, received treatment in Boston and at Childrens in Omaha. Dr. Beth Rawlings, chief medical officer at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, said her facility transfers kids to Childrens in Omaha for some emergency-department and intensive-care cases. Infrequently, Rawlings said, her hospitals personnel must transfer a child to Kansas City or another city because Childrens doesnt have room. Azizkhan said expanding to meet demand doesnt raise costs. The children otherwise must leave the region for treatment or not receive adequate care. And treating children with complex and chronic disorders benefits them for a lifetime, he said. The positive social and economic impact is enormous. The proposed expansion at Boston Childrens Hospital was put on hold by a state commission because of the $1 billion price tag, said Kimberley Geissler, assistant professor of health policy at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Higher hospital costs tend to land on consumers through higher insurance premiums, deductibles and copays, Geissler said. Nevertheless, she said, giving children the level of care they need in a location as convenient as possible for their families may improve the well-being of families. Azizkhan said Childrens is in a different market position from Boston, which has multiple childrens hospitals. Childrens in Omaha serves a large region and has an obligation to grow, he said, because children and families are counting on us to evolve and be the best. Craig Garthwaite, an assistant professor with Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, said that if a hospital just wants to claim more market share, thats a dubious expenditure. But if an area isnt adequately served and people are driving long distances for care, he said, an expansion isnt an unnecessary expenditure. Those costs are currently being spent somewhere. Childrens board member Diane Duren called Azizkhans vision a little surprising, but it just makes sense that this is what Childrens ought to be doing. She said the hospital already needs more space, services and parking. She said the size of the building that Azizkhan plans for the green space in front of Childrens hasnt been determined. The scope of the expansion still needs to be backed up with more projections and data, she said. Im ready to say, Absolutely, we need to do something. ... Theres a big, bold vision that I agree with, she said. Rodrigo Lopez, chairman of the board at Childrens, said the hospital will use reserves, clinical revenues and a capital campaign, and probably will take on some debt, to pay for the expansion. He declined to say how much the hospital has in reserve or how big a capital campaign would be needed. He developed the vision, Lopez said of Azizkhan. And the board is unanimous in our support. Azizkhan, 62, spent 17 years at Cincinnati Childrens, including serving as its surgeon in chief and senior vice president of surgical services. He also helped raise funds. Cincinnati Childrens at 540 beds the nations largest freestanding childrens hospital has turned into a juggernaut over the past couple of decades, said Britigan, who knew Azizkhan when both were in Cincinnati. Azizkhan said he and his Omaha colleagues are in a stage of intense planning now to assess needs and costs. He said he expects Childrens in Omaha to become a major center for pediatric medicine in the nation. And if we dont do that, he said, Ive fallen short. * * * Childrens hospitals Freestanding or self-governing; numbers from 2012-13 Nations biggest: Cincinnati Childrens, 540 beds Texas Childrens (Houston), 531 Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, 529 Nations smallest: St. Jude, Memphis, 78 beds Childrens, Omaha, 126 (rose to 140 since list was compiled) Dayton (Ohio) Childrens, 133 In the region: Childrens Colorado (Aurora), 512 beds Childrens Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota (Minneapolis), 381 Childrens Mercy Kansas City, 301 Lurie Childrens of Chicago, 288 St. Louis Childrens, 258 St. Louis Cardinal Glennon, 176 Source: Childrens Hospital Association PARIS (AP) Two of the worlds biggest luxury goods conglomerates will stop working with unhealthily thin fashion models, as part of a joint charter that aims to protect their health. The pact adopted by French corporations LVMH and Kering, which own brands like Dior, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, incorporates and goes beyond a new French law that requires models to provide medical certificates proving they are healthy before they can work. While the French law set to take effect Oct. 1 requires both male and female models to present a health certificate obtained within the previous two years, LVMH and Kering said their charter would shorten the time frame to six months of the job. The pact also bans the conglomerates labels from using female models below a French womens size 34, which is typically equivalent to a U.S. size 0-2 and a U.K. size 6. The French law initially included a minimum body mass index requirement, but it was removed after lawmakers deemed the doctors certificate an adequate safeguard. The fashion companies said their agreement would take effect this month, in time for the spring-summer ready-to-wear runway collections. Unlike the French law, the charter also will apply to the international Kering and LVMH brands with runway collections presented in Milan, London and New York. The two groups said they hoped to set a new global standard for the fashion industry. We hope to inspire the entire industry to follow suit, thus making a real difference in the working conditions of fashion models industry-wide, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said in a statement. In addition, the charter requires each brand to put a dedicated psychologist at the disposal of fashion models during working hours either by phone or in person in the workplace. A monitoring committee of representatives from Kering and LVMH will meet annually with brands, modeling agencies and models to ensure that the charter is being correctly implemented. The two giants fashion houses include Dior, Kenzo, Stella McCartney, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and others. Be it pity, alienation or insult, single mothers like me are often the subject of negative rhetoric. Comments like "I could never do what you do" or "it must be tough being you" are common from family, friends and strangers who try to grasp how a woman can balance a family, a career and a social life on her own. On top of that, there are the politicians who have historically blamed single moms for hogging the government's welfare benefits and destroying the traditional family unit. Insulting comments and demeaning politicians aside, single mothers are a rapidly growing demographic. Households run by a single mom are the second-most common household arrangement in the nation at 23 percent, according to the Census Bureau. And from 1960 to 2016, minor children raised in a two-parent home decreased from 88 percent to 69 percent. Single moms are here to stay. So it makes more sense to help these women improve their lives and leave the castigation of single moms behind. I spoke with three single moms two successful entrepreneurs and a counselor on what they believed were strategies that solo mothers could use to better balance home, careers and life. "Stop comparing yourself to others," Emma Johnson suggested plainly during a phone interview. Johnson, a marketing consultant, author and owner of the successful blog WealthySingleMommy.com, says single motherhood is unique to each woman's experience. Additionally, Johnson suggested single moms must know how to objectively prioritize. "You must prioritize your mental health. It can feel like so much pressure to give your kids everything, but if you're worried about paying rent, your focus should be on improving your bottom line so you can position to give your kids the most." Many single moms, including myself, have dealt with feelings of failure over raising a family alone, and it's twice as hard when we feel the father is not more involved. But Angela Benton, a single mother and chief executive of NewME Accelerator, a business development company for women and minorities, recommends single mothers reduce the friction with their ex and focus on themselves. "Battling with an ex has become the norm," Benton said. "But we can choose to force someone to be the parent we want them to be, or we can choose to focus on being the best parent we can be." When it comes to professional life, Johnson recommends taking more risks. "I hear many single moms say they should play it safe," she told me. "They want to stay with a low-paying job because it's stable or they can't invest in stocks because they'll lose money. You can't grow if you don't take risks." In her new book, "The Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Find Your Sexiest Self, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children," Johnson provides a blueprint for single moms to tackle the risks that are unique to them. She gives extensive details on improving finances, building a desirable lifestyle, creating a support system and developing a healthy dating life. Benton also believes single moms need to step out in faith to achieve more goals, such as going back to school. "I think the best way for single moms to invest in themselves is through personal education," she explained. "This could mean traditional school, a training course or just taking a class." It can feel overwhelming for single moms to learn new skills and tend to a household. But baby steps make a huge difference. For example, I taught myself computer programming by dedicating 30 minutes or so a day just for that. I now edit the HTML coding in SharePoint pages as part of my full-time job, and I get paid well do it. I also spoke with Nikia Edwards, a counselor and single mother of three, who said putting her pride away was a necessary strategy. "As an African-American woman, I was raised to always be strong," she told me. "When I became a single mom, I was facing foreclosure and was short on food. I (had a doctorate and) a middle-class income and still struggled to pay bills. It was embarrassing and depressing. I had to put that strong woman on the back burner and seek help." Reaching out for assistance was hard for Edwards at first, but now she wouldn't have it any other way. "Talking with my closest friends and church family helped me get over my depression and tap into hidden resources," she explained. "For example, had I not reached out to people, I would have never gotten my mortgage loan readjusted. Dropping my pride literally kept me in my home." And for single moms trying their luck at love again, don't hide your dating life from your kids, Johnson says. "Kids will pick up on vibes between you and a date, so embrace your dating life," she told me. "They will get involved in romantic relationships themselves as adults. So show them positive, healthy romantic and social influences that they'll hopefully emulate one day." Edwards's single-mom dating advice offers some caution, too. "My kids don't control who or how I date. I refuse to hide that I'm a normal, healthy adult woman who embraces social relationships," she proclaimed. "However, I usually know within a couple of months if a man is worth pursuing a serious relationship with. Then and only then do I entertain the idea of him meeting my children." And about those naysayers who love to remind single moms how bad their life must be? "I think single motherhood is less taboo than it was in the past," Benton says. She adds that spotlighting successful single mothers in the media has helped shatter antiquated views on single parenting. As the population of solo moms grows, Johnson believes everyone will know at least one single mom. "As single moms earn and achieve more, everyone will be surrounded by thriving single moms," she said. "Slowly, cultural and social change will happen." MASON CITY | A man who died after fleeing law enforcement and rolling his vehicle Thursday was wanted in Cerro Gordo County for unpaid child support. The warrant for Jerrick Rinnels was for 30 days in jail for non-payment of child support, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said Friday afternoon. Pals said he didn't know how much Rinnels allegedly owed. Further information was not available, as the Mason City Child Support Recovery Unit had closed for the day. Rinnels, 29, lost control of a 2005 Chrysler 300 at Third Street Northwest and North Jefferson Avenue around 12:45 p.m. He and passenger Jessica Herker, 28, died at the scene, according to law enforcement. According to the Iowa State Patrol crash report, a Cerro Gordo County deputy initiated the pursuit of the vehicle. The crash occurred after a brief pursuit heading southbound on Jefferson, Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Dana Knutson said Thursday afternoon. The deputy pursued Rinnels because there was a warrant for his arrest and he did not have a valid driver's license, Knutson said Friday. The pursuit began near 12th Street Northwest and North Jefferson Avenue, Knutson said. The deputy stopped pursuing the vehicle at Sixth Street. The time between (the chase) was about 35 seconds, Knudtson said. Knudtson said that according to video, the vehicle was out of the deputys view at the time of the crash. The deputy was a ways back, he said. Knutson said the video will not be released at this time, as investigation is ongoing. Local law enforcement asked the State Patrol to handle the investigation, Knutson said. He estimated the full report, which involves a medical examiner's report, could take as long as three to four months. A 53-year-old worker who was collecting garbage Thursday morning in Council Bluffs was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured. Bluffs police said Mario Rodrigues of Omaha, who was making a curbside collection for Red River Waste Solutions of Glenwood, Iowa, was struck about 7:30 a.m. in the 3800 block of Avenue G. Rodrigues was behind a garbage truck, which was facing east, emptying a canister when he was struck by the eastbound vehicle, police said. Chantel Wachner, 27, of the Bluffs told police that she was blinded by the sun and was putting down her visor when the crash occurred. Rodrigues was briefly trapped between the vehicles, police said. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where a spokeswoman said he was in serious condition. The trucks lights were flashing, and Rodrigues was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the crash, police said. Wachner was cited on suspicion of failure to maintain an assured, cleared distance. A 15-year-old North High School student was cited with two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault after being accused of groping a classmate on a school bus on two separate occasions. A North High assistant principal contacted the school resource officer on Sept. 1 after a 15-year-old girl told her she was touched inappropriately on the bus by another student. During the first incident, on Aug. 30, the boy allegedly grabbed her legs and held them in his lap, according to a police report. He proceeded to touch and rub her inner and upper thigh and buttocks, and tried to stick his hands down her pants, all while she told him to stop several times. The girl tried to get away from him, but the bus driver told her to sit down, she told police. Another student witnessed the assault and tried to intervene, police said. The next afternoon, on Aug. 31, the boy grabbed her inner thigh and leg again several times, prompting another student to stand up and make sure the girl was OK. The boy told police that he was just trying to get his phone back from the girl, and only touched her arm. Then, he said, he grabbed her pants and leg, too. When contacted by police, his mother said he didnt have his phone on Aug. 30 she had confiscated it because of bad behavior at school. The boy was released to his family and ticketed on misdemeanor sexual assault or contact. Police have also requested surveillance video from the bus. Omaha Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Farmer said she couldnt comment on the specifics of the case, citing student privacy laws. But the student in question has been disciplined, she said. We take reports of inappropriate contact very seriously, she said in a statement. Once school administration was alerted about the situation, the police were contacted immediately and a police report was filed. We have been working directly with the parents of the students involved. A representative for Student Transportation of America, OPSs busing contractor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kent Griffen can still belt out the old Valley View Junior High fight song without missing a beat. Lets all move forward together with our colors raised on high. Black and white, black and white, youre all right, youre all right, for our own Valley View Junior High. The close-knit school closed in June 1987, amid declining enrollment and a decision by the Westside Community Schools to consolidate its junior high schools into one school, Westside Middle School. But the school lives on in the hearts of its alumni, who will gather Saturday night for an all-class reunion and banquet in the gym at their old school on 108th and Grover Streets, now the location of the Westside Community Conference Center. Griffen, one of the organizers, expects 150 to 200 people to attend, including some members of the Class of 1942. Griffen, 44, now lives in Alliance. He was a seventh-grader at Valley View in 1987, the year it closed. It changed things for the neighborhood, he said. It was one of those watershed moments. It was a little bit like when a small rural town closes the high school. Kids from the Rockbrook neighborhood attended Valley View. Rockbrook was like a small town island in the middle of Omaha, Griffen said, and the central focus of the neighborhood was Valley View. From 1964 to 1987, every child that lived between 90th and Center and 120th and Center (Streets) eventually went to that school, and we all bonded as this close-knit community, he said. The reunion, which starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, is open to anyone who lived in the Rockbrook neighborhood, or anyone who taught at or attended Valley View, Prairie Lane Elementary or Oakdale Elementary. We decided to rally together to bring the people of the neighborhood back together, talk about the past and where weve been, and to reconnect in our relationships, Griffen said. At a deeper level, its reassembling this community. A 22-year-old Omaha motorcyclist was injured Thursday morning in a crash with a car at North 132nd Street and West Maple Road. The crash occurred about 7 a.m. at the northwest Omaha intersection, police said. The injured motorcyclist, Layne Pofahl, was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in critical condition, according to rescue squad personnel at the scene. He suffered a broken leg, police said, and his injury was not considered life-threatening. The driver of the car, Constance Stephens, 74, of Omaha, was not injured. Police said Pofahls 2005 Yamaha was eastbound on West Maple Road and Stephens 2010 Subaru was westbound. The Subaru made a left turn onto 132nd Street, striking the motorcycle. According to witnesses, the motorcycle was speeding, police said. SAN DIEGO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Max Sound Corporation (MAXD) (OTC:MAXD) has and is being victimized by Manipulative Trading Practices and Abusive Naked Short Selling for the past three years with the culprits objective to lower the price and harm the Company. According to an informant, Google Inc. related individuals have allegedly participated in Manipulative Trading Practices and Abusive Naked Short Selling. Max Sound has consistently tracked its shares traded and received many reports during the three year period from shareholders who experienced acquiring shares in the open market and each time immediately after bidding for stock and having their orders filled, within seconds after receiving their confirmation from their brokerage, offers were lowered below their purchase price. On hundreds of occasions, investors report being filled at prices below their bid price and Level 2 consistently demonstrates this manipulative behavior. Max Sound has now registered complaints related to these activities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). We consistently monitor our investor base and they clearly have no interest in regularly being offered stock at prices below what they are bidding or willing to pay. In our opinion, this is just one more way that Google continues to Be Evil, states John Blaisure, Max Sound's CEO. "We anxiously await any regulatory findings in this matter and look forward to the culprits being brought to justice. Max Sound has been in multiple lawsuits with Google, Inc. since 2014. Most recently, the Companys Law firm of Buether Joe & Carpenter LLC filed a Fourth Amended Complaint against Defendants Google, Inc., Flux Factory, Inc., Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Sebastian Thrun, Eric "Astro" Teller, Michelle Kaufmann, Jennifer Carlile, Augusto Roman, Nicholas Chim, and DOES 1-100. The fourth amended filing is a Motion for Leave to add Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1961, et seq. RICO claim links: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/max-sound-amended-filing-against-google-adds-racketeering-influenced-corrupt-organization-otc-pink-maxd-2227796.htm Download the filing from the court here: Amended Complaint or download entire motion from BJC here: Share File Max Sound also recently committed to lead a Coalition against the Internet Giant: https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/08/09/1082613/0/en/Max-Sound-Commits-To-Lead-Anti-Google-Coalition.html About Max Sound Corporation: As creators of the acclaimed MAX-D HD Audio, Max Sound can provide a better solution for Audio, Video and Data transmissions. Max Sound Corporation is the company that brings forth technologies for the betterment of our world, including being co-owners of the Optimized Data Transmission Technology patent portfolio. Max Sound, MAXD and MAX-D Audio Perfected and HD Audio are registered trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. To learn more about the MAX-D Technology, please visit http://maxd.audio. Max Sound Representation: G. Robert Blakey: George Robert Blakey is an American attorney and law professor. He is best known for his work in connection with drafting the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and for scholarship on that subject. Buether Joe & Carpenter: Buether Joe & Carpenter, LLC is an intellectual property and commercial litigation boutique law firm focusing on patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and unfair competition lawsuits, as well as antitrust, contract and other business disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants. BJC offers clients the expertise of attorneys with decades of experience in handling complex litigation in an effective and efficient manner. For more information, visit www.bjciplaw.com. Christian, Smith & Jewell: Christian, Smith & Jewell (CSJ) stands out as a premier law firm in the Houston legal community. CSJ takes pride in handling tough cases, both large and small in state and federal courts across the United States and abroad. CSJ excels in all types of civil litigation, including shareholder and partnership disputes, stock fraud, commercial, oil and gas, real estate, lender liability/debtor litigation, loan work outs, director's liability litigation/arbitration, structured settlements, construction law, personal injury, and international arbitration/litigation. For more information, visit www.csj-law.com SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995: Statements in this press release which are not purely historical, including statements regarding Max Sound's intentions, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in the company's cash flow or adequacy of capital resources, market acceptance risks, technical development risks, and other risk factors. The company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Max Sound disclaims any obligation and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release. Expanded and historical information is made available to the public by Max Sound Corporation and its Affiliates on its website http://maxd.audio or at http://www.sec.gov. William A. Fitzgerald, who died last week at age 79, provided an admirable example of civic dedication in Omaha. The Omaha native showed skilled leadership and energy as chairman and CEO of Commercial Federal Corp. Fitzgerald steered the banking company whose Omaha roots go back to 1887 through the tumult of the savings and loan industry during the 1980s and into notable stability and growth. He was the third generation of his family to lead Commercial Federal, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The Fitzgeralds were associated with Commercial Federal for more than a century before it was purchased in 2005 by Bank of the West of San Francisco. Fitzgerald devoted decades of energetic service to Creighton University, his undergraduate alma mater. He served on the Creighton board of trustees for 40 years, including the chairmanship from 1999 to 2011. Fitzgeralds leadership roles and philanthropic support stretched across a remarkable range of nonprofit organizations, including religious organizations, health care, elementary and secondary education, the arts and social services agencies. Fitzgerald is rightly remembered and honored as an Omahan respected for his laudable civic devotion, leadership ability and character. The recent harassment of a conservative student advocating publicly for her beliefs at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln was troubling. It was encouraging that university leaders NU President Hank Bounds and UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green responded strongly and appropriately. Bounds, for example, rightly observed that NU must allow for the healthy exchange of ideas without personal attacks, especially against young people who are our future. To listen to some critics, one would think contrary to the facts that NU leadership is abandoning its support of free thought and that the state and private donors ought to pull back from supporting the NU system financially. That would be a supremely irresponsible step harmful to Nebraskas future. Consider just a few examples of NUs importance to the state: All NU campuses have adopted initiatives to boost students entrepreneurship knowledge and skills, including for students studying law or medicine. The Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at UNL has proved to be a vital resource for nurturing a skilled high-tech talent supply. Agricultural science and natural resources studies at UNL continue to be among the most respected in the nation, and Nebraska Extension provides a range of support for youths and adults alike. The University of Nebraska at Omaha has repeatedly won national recognition for being a military-friendly campus in terms of its supports and atmosphere. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is showing great vision with its high-tech iExcel medical training program. The University of Nebraska at Kearney continues as a hub for many first-generation college students seeking a smaller campus. UNK and UNMC showed impressive collaboration as they worked together to create the Health Science Education Complex on the UNK campus. This training center is helping Nebraska greatly boost its number of health care professionals across the state. The 2017 fall enrollment figures indicate NUs continued forward momentum. The NU system is at an all-time high with 52,679 students, up slightly from last year. UNL and UNMC both set records for overall enrollment. The freshmen classes at UNL and UNO both were all-time highs. NU strengthens Nebraska in far-ranging ways and is well deserving of continued strong support from state leaders and the public. As if the current Millard Public Schools tax levy and bond issues and inflated property assessments are not enough, the Millard school board cant manage to function within its means without a tax levy override (Board seeks tax hike to get through tough times, Sept. 6 World-Herald). The taxpayers in the private sector have to manage within their means. Millard Public Schools residents shouldnt buy this propaganda. What programs would be cut that other districts dont have and yet still manage to provide quality education? Taxes in Nebraska rarely (if ever) go away. If anything, an extension in the five-year limit and/or increase in a 9-cent levy override are highly probable. Speaking of raises, Millard Public Schools employee compensation and benefits rate among the best in Nebraska. Can the status quo in such costs be implemented for a period? Millard Public Schools can and do provide a quality education in outstanding facilities. The school board needs to balance the basics our students deserve with the demands on the taxpayers who have to also fund the needs of the city, county, state and federal governments. The school board has the resources to do its job just do it. Richard A. Brust, Omaha 13-year-old rape victim gives birth to a baby India oi-Vikas By Vikas A 13-year-old rape victim, whom the Supreme Court had allowed to abort pregnancy, gave birth to a baby on Friday. The 13-year-old was 32 weeks pregnant and delivered a baby boy after a Caesarean-section surgery at Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai. After the court order, the doctors tried to terminate her pregnancy, but the medical team assessed that it would have been risky for mother's life to abort. Because of this they performed C-section delivery, said reports. The baby, which is under weight, is in the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU). The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a 13-year-old rape victim to abort her 32-week-old pregnancy. During the hearing of the case, Centre had opposed termination of the pregnancy on grounds that it was too advanced and could pose risk to mother's life. The apex court, on the other hand, permitted the abortion as it was due to a sexual abuse and that the victim did not want to carry on with it. [SC allows 13-year-old rape victim to abort 32-week foetus] The top court then directed that the victim be admitted to Sir J J Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday so that a medical team could carry out Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP). India has a 20-week legal ceiling on abortion.The pregnancy termination law allows a woman to abort after that but only after doctors confirm it is necessary to save the mother's life. The teen's pregnancy came to light on August 9, when her mother took her to a local doctor to understand the cause of her sudden weight gain. OneIndia News Army to induct 800 women in military police India oi-PTI New Delhi, September 8: In a major step towards breaking gender barriers in the force, the Army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, a senior officer said on Friday. The plan is to induct approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year, Adjuntant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar told reporters. In an interview to PTI in June, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into military police corps. Lt. Gen. Kumar said the decision to induct women in Corps of Military Police would help in investigating allegations of gender specific crimes. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes: handling prisoners of war, extending aid to civil police whenever required, policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 16:38 [IST] Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000 Bihar Congress MLAs urge Rahul Gandhi to break alliance with RJD India oi-PTI Bihar MLAs, who met Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi suggested that the party should have no truck with the RJD "at the moment" and work to strengthen it at the grassroots level. Gandhi had on Wednesday and Thursday met over 20 of the total 27 MLAs of Bihar to elicit their individual views on how the party should tread in future in the state after JD(U) dumped Grand Alliance in July and joined BJP to form the government. The Congress had four ministers in the Grand Alliance government. The interaction was significant as, at this juncture, some Congress MLAs are gravitating towards JD(U) and some others are against going with RJD now because of "past bad experience" with its chief Lalu Prasad. Bhagalpur MLA Ajit Sharma told PTI that he requested Gandhi that the party should work alone "at the moment" assessing its strength to forge alliance with other secular forces to defeat BJP in general and state elections. "Lalu Prasad has always undermined Congress by offering 10-15 seats in Assembly poll and even a smaller number in Parliamentary election," he said. "But, when we strengthen our position in the state by propagating contributions of Congress to the nation, we can dictate terms in the coalition on the eve of general elections and later state polls," Sharma said. After assessing its strength around four to five months before the elections, it would be decided whether to go it alone or an alliance could be forged with RJD, Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Left from a position of strength, he said. "Being a national party, Congress should get lion's share of seats in such an alliance," Sharma said. Recounting "bad past experience" with Lalu, Sharma said "even in the August 27 RJD rally in Patna, posters of Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi were hard to find". Amit Kumar, Congress MLA from Riga in Sitamarhi, also spoke against siding with Lalu. When Gandhi asked him why Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance, Sharma said he told him "Congress should have put pressure on Lalu Prasad to ask his son Tejaswi Prasad Yadav to quit after graft charge. It could have prevented Nitish Kumar from leaving the coalition". The Bhagalpur MLA claimed that this was the majority view of Congress MLAs during interaction with Gandhi. Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, who after skipping summons from Gandhi on Wednesday went to Delhi on Thursday and was the last to meet him, was tight lipped about the meeting and whether the party should side with RJD. "Whatever I had to say I told Rahul Gandhi. These are not for public consumption," Sadanand Singh, ninth term MLA from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, told PTI. Another senior legislator and former minister Vijay Shankar Dubey said "I will be with whatever decision the high command takes as future strategy in Bihar." Congress MLA from Benipatti in Madhubani, Bhavna Jha, however, spoke in favour of Lalu Prasad. "I told Rahul Gandhi that Lalu Prasad has always sided with us in times of trouble and hence we should be with him," she said. The Congress' state chief Ashok Choudhary has been accused by some party leaders of working to split the party in favour of JD(U). PTI Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000 Bihar's Gopalganj by-poll to see a tough fight between BJP and RJD Bihar: Over 200 students sick, claim they saw 'dead lizard' in mid-day meal Bihar journalist shooting: Nitish won't compromise with crime, says BJP India oi-Vikas By Vikas Brushing aside attempts to malign Nitish Kumar-led government over the attack on a journalist in Bihar, the BJP on Friday firmly backed its ally, saying there 'will not be any compromise on crime'. A reporter working with a local daily was attacked and robbed in Bihar's Arwal district on Thursday. Pankaj Mishra, a reporter of Rashtriya Sahara, was carrying Rs. 1 lakh in cash when he was ambushed. Speaking to news agency ANI, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that the culprit will not be spared. "Nitish Kumar is not going to compromise with any criminal activity," he added. BJP leader C.N. Ashwath Narayan told ANI that some people would always try to create a trouble so that they can bring a bad name for a good government. One of the two alleged attackers, Kundan Mahto, was arrested. Pankaj Mishra later told NDTV that he knew the men who attacked him. Kundan Mahto is the son of Anant Kumar Verma, the personal assistant of JD(U) legislator from Kurtha Satyadeo Singh, said an NDTV report. [Journalist shot at in Bihar] The police reportedly said that Verma had helped with the arrest of his son. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 10:32 [IST] Oslo, 8 September 2017 - DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced an agreement with ExxonMobil to join the Baeshiqa license in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. DNO will assume operatorship of the license with a 40 percent paying (32 percent net) interest, acquiring one-half of ExxonMobil's position. ExxonMobil retains a 40 percent paying (32 percent net) interest, the Turkish Energy Company (TEC) its 20 percent paying (16 percent net) interest and the Kurdistan Regional Government its 20 percent carried interest. Pending Government approval, DNO will drill an exploration well in the first half of 2018 with a second exploration well to follow on a separate structure. The 324 square kilometer license is situated 60 kilometers west of Erbil and 20 kilometers east of Mosul. ExxonMobil had previously conducted extensive geological and geophysical studies and constructed a drilling pad before work was interrupted due to security conditions in the region. The Baeshiqa license contains two large, undrilled structures which are expected to have multiple independent stacked target reservoir systems, including in the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic. DNO currently operates two other licenses in Kurdistan: one contains the Tawke and Peshkabir fields which together produce over 110,000 barrels of oil per day and the other the Benenan and Bastora heavy oil fields which are undergoing further appraisal and development. With three rigs currently deployed, the Company is the most active driller among the international operators in Kurdistan. "We are pleased to partner with ExxonMobil, TEC and the Government on this exciting exploration opportunity," said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, DNO's Executive Chairman. "We bring to the project a 10-year record of successful and fast-track operations in Kurdistan, culminating in more than 200 million barrels produced to date," he added. "Following regularization of export payments and a landmark agreement with the Government to close out our historical receivables, our foot is back firmly on the accelerator." -- For further information, please contact: Media: media@dno.no Investors: investor.relations@dno.no Tel: +47 911 57 197 -- DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator focused on the Middle East-North Africa region and the North Sea. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, Oman, Somaliland, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and Yemen. -- This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. BJP high on 'saffron agenda': Polarisation grips Karnataka assembly election 2018 India oi-Anusha The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking beyond the complex caste combinations of Karnataka, at least in the coastal belt of the state, if its recent strategies are anything to go by. Political analysts say that the BJP's attempt to circumvent caste combinations--at least in some parts of the state--is to not waste efforts to reach out to minorities, instead get all the fragmented Hindu voter support is part of to back the saffron party and isolate the Congress ahead of next years polls. "If Congress can use 'casteism or social engineering' to polarise, why should we not use 'religion' seems to be the narrative that the BJP is building. As I look at it, 2018 is likely to be the most polarised election that Karnataka has seen so far. Simply because the BJP has no other issues to raise. Attempts are being made to polarise people on the lines of religion not caste anymore," said Premchand Palety, chief executive at C Fore, a multidisciplinary research organisation that carries out election surveys and reports. The organisation had predicted a big win for the Congress in next years polls, according to a pre-poll survey it published last month. Has Congress already won the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018? Check this survey On Thursday, BJP called for the banning of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) among other organisations by highlighting the recent spate of attacks on Sangh Parivar workers. The BJP's naming the organisations, analysts say, is to brand anyone taking or seeking their support seem anti-Hindu. A senior police official on Thursday said that BJP leaders at the rally called senior Congress leader B.Ramanath Rai as 'Ramzan Rai' to back its claims that he was encouraging radical elements against right wing organisations. Centre at an arm's distance After being pulled up by BJP national president Amit Shah for its lack of enthusiasm in carrying out protests and rallies in July, the youth wing of the party planned its ambitious Mangaluru Chalo bike rally, which senior leaders of the state backed. Missing from the action were union ministers like Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda and the recently inducted Anantkumar Hegde, indicating that the centre did not want to be seen being part of the rally, analysts say. "The central leadership is perhaps waiting and watching. For now, the state leaders are taking the agenda forward. The anger against extreme right in the aftermath of Gauri Lankesh's murder could have played a part too," Palety added. The RSS' moral support does little to help Despite a massive presence of RSS in the coastal city, the BJP were unable to get more than a few thousand people to join the protest. Some even hinting that the RSS and other organisations deliberately did not participate, offering the Congress a better chance. The Congress has played its better than its opposition, at least so far, by backing emotive issues like pro-Kannada, state flag and backing anti-Hindi imposition among others. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, who stormed to power with his AHINDA (acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) support based in 2013, has also done better to consolidate the backward classes votes and continues to hold on to the controversial caste census results which is likely to challenge the Lingayat-Vokkaliga dominant communities narrative. Outmaneuvered, the BJP is now leaving nothing to chance and making no bones about its Hindutva strategy, which could make next years polls one of the most polarised elections in the state's history. OneIndia News Demonetisation deliberate move by 'PayPM' to help his friends: Rahul Gandhi If Cong is elected in HP, decision on 1 lakh govt jobs, pension scheme in 1st cabinet meet: Rahul Himachal will vote for...: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's appeal to people on election day Cong leader Abhay Thipsay who defended Nirav Modi in UK court now at Bharat Jodo Yatra Complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi for linking Gauri Lankesh's murder to BJP-RSS India oi-Vikas By Vikas A complaint was filed against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, on Friday for trying to link journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing with BJP-RSS. BJP workers in Chikmagalur filed a complaint against Rahul for saying that 'anybody who speaks against ideology of BJP-RSS is pressured, even killed'. His came a day after Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru. Rahul attacked RSS over Lankesh's murder and said ideology of the right wing group is to crush voices of dissent. "The truth will never be silenced. Gauri Lankesh lives on in our hearts. My condolences and love to her family. The culprits have to be punished," he said on Twitter. While speaking to media, Rahul said, "Anybody who speaks against the ideology of BJP-RSS is pressured, even killed". Lankesh, who ran her own Kannada publication, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening. Seven bullets were fired at her by bike-borne assailants out of which three hit and four missed her. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 17:05 [IST] Deport Rohingya Muslims, Chennai trust tells SC India oi-Vicky By Vicky A trust from Chennai has moved the Supreme Court seeking deportation of Rohingya Muslims living illegally and said that their presence posed, social, economic and security threat to India. The petition further said that Myanmar should be pressured to resolve the crisis within its borders. "Rohingya conflict is undeniably a massive humanitarian disaster and even United Nation officials have taken note of it. But such cataclysms although irremediable are best addressed locally within the home state i.e. Myanmar, by way of exerting international pressure or by working out a roadmap with the Burmese government or by sending shiploads of aid and so on, and on the other hand, India cannot solve this crisis by importing and welcoming it...", the application filed by Indic Collective Trust through Advocate Suvidutt Sundaram and J Sai Deepak said. Recommended Video Rohingyas beg for mercy, plead Indian govt. to not deport them | Oneindia News The Supreme Court will on September 11 hear a petition filed by two Rohingya Muslims seeking a directive to the government to halt the deportation process. The Chennai based trust has sought to implead itself in the ongoing case. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 5:52 [IST] With another ISIS module busted, TN has become a paradise of Islamic Jihadists Dinakaran loyalists asked to appear before Speaker India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Tamil Nadu assembly speaker on Friday sent notice to the 19 MLAs who support AIADMK sidelined leader TTV Dinakaran and asked them to appear on 14 September. The notice to Dhinakaran's loyalists has been sent a day after they made a beeline to the Raj Bhavan and raised slogans hailing Dhinakaran when he arrived there to call on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao. This was in stark contrast to August 22, when 19 of Dhinakaran's loyalist MLAs arrived at Raj Bhavan seeking the ouster of Palaniswami. That day not much party workers turned up. Dinakaran sought the removal of chief minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam during his meeting with Tamil Nadu governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao even as he asserted that he didn't want the state government to fall. He also urged the Governor to direct Chief Minister K Palaniswami to take a floor test and prove his majority in the floor of the House. (With agency inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 12:24 [IST] Dividing society, modus operandi of BJP: Virbhadra Singh India oi-Oneindia By Vijyender Sharma While addressing a public meeting at Shahpur after announcing and laying foundation stoneof various developmental projects in Shahpur assembly constituency of Kangra district on Friday, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that it had been the modus operandi of many BJP leaders to resort to cheap tactics of dividing the people on basis of caste, region and religion near elections. "There are few leaders who in search of safe haven try to shift loyalties forgetting the life's lesson that those who can't be loyal to themselves can't be faithful to others as well", said Virbhadra Singh. He said that elected representative who works for welfare of people and development of the area never face defeat. Chief Minister said that BJP had spoiled the political atmosphere in the state by involving themselves in hooliganism, and advised the Congress leaders to refrain from such tactics. My party will never resort to such a strategy, which smells of regionalism and casteism and division ignoring welfare of people. He said that the leaders of BJP used derogatory language in Vidhan Sabha thus making mockery of democratic institutions. They never wanted the session to continue but strangely, they did not forget to mark their presence, for the sake of honorarium, said Chief Minister. The opposition is inseparable part of democratic set up which is necessary in running a state or a country but the role of opposition in Himachal is just to create pandemonium in the house, to indulge in sloganeering, mud slinging etc, said Virbhadra Singh. He said it has never been the practice of the Congress and never in his lifetime he has seen political atmosphere, stooping to the lowest ebb, in the state for which, he blamed the opposition. I am being targeted for opening educational institutions in the state by the BJP, said Chief Minister, adding that the BJP wants the people of the state to remain illiterate so that they can easily trap the people by motivating them with their cheap tactics. The Chief Minister said that he would continue with opening up centers of learning wherever required, as literate and educated society, led to a strong nation. He said stand of Union Health Minister is not clear on opening of AIIMS. The State government has provided enough land for construction of AIIMS, but the Union Health Minister, should first decide, where the Union Health Ministry wants to open the institution. Earlier he laid foundation stone of additional block of Government Senior Secondary School building at Lunj to cost Rs. 1.13 crore, laid foundation stone of Morchh-Gharghoon road and foundation stones of two bridges to cost Rs 3.75 crore. He also laid foundation stone of motorable bridge over Gaj river in Mara (Lunj) to be completed with an outlay of Rs 3.71 crore. The Chief Minister also laid foundation stone of Vegetable Collection Centre to be constructed under JICA and to cost Rs. 24 Lakh. Vice-Chairman, HP State Forest Corporation, Kewal Singh Pathania came down heavily on BJP for ignoring interests of the state. He credited the development of the state to Virbhadra Singh. He said Congress would give a befitting reply to those who were conspiring against the party within and outside the party. He also lambasted the sitting MLA, from the region for neglecting the area even during her tenure as a minister in BJP regime. Brigadier Rajinder Rana, Member BoD, HPSIDC, Dev Dutt Sharma and Yogesh Mahajan, were also present on the occasion amongst others. OneIndia News KJ Alphons triggers '#KannanthanamChallenge' with his sleeping pics, Twitterati just can't keep calm Eat beef in your own country and then come to India: K J Alphons India oi-Vicky By Vicky Recommended Video Union Minister KJ Alphons takes U-Turn, two faced opinion on beef | Oneindia News Union Minister, K J Alphons has a suggestion to those who want to eat beef. He says those foreigners visiting India must eat beef in their own country and then come here. Asked whether cow vigilantism and restrictions on beef consumption in several states had affected India's hospitality sector, the minister said on Thursday: "They can eat beef in their country and come to India." He was speaking on the sidelines of the 33rd annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Odisha's capital city. Alphons had purportedly said that people in Kerala would continue to eat beef. "As Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar, has said that beef will be consumed in the state. Similarly, it will be consumed in Kerala," the former bureaucrat was quoted as saying after taking charge as tourism minister. When asked about his earlier comment, Alphons said: "It's a cock-and-bull story. I am not the food minister to decide on it." OneIndia News Gauri Lankesh murder: Cong questions PM's silence, slams Prasad India oi-PTI The blame game between the Congress and the BJP over the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh continued on Friday. While the Congress questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, the ruling side accused the Karnataka government of "failure" in providing adequate security to Lankesh. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was "unfortunate" that Prasad sought to link the slain journalist to the outlawed Naxals. " Barely 72 hours after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, the law minister has embarrassed the entire country with his controversial remarks linking the investigative journalist to Naxals. "It is the country's misfortune that the BJP and the law minister are seeing a murder through political and communal colours," he told reporters. It is "shameful and condemnable", he said, adding that "a killing and the killer have no colour and they have to be dealt with as per the law and the Constitution". A breakthrough eluded investigators three days after the journalist's murder outside her residence in Bengaluru. The Congress governs the state. Surjewala said, "There is a conspiracy to suppress the voice of the writers, journalists and activists." In the three years of the BJP government, 10 journalists have been killed and 142 attacked across the country, he said, without giving further details. He said that the BJP government at the Centre either disclose any evidence it has on Gauri's alleged links with Naxals or stop spreading misinformation. "Why don't they share if they have any such information with the Congress government of Karnataka and we will be happy to look at it. And if they do not have any such information, then they should stop this entire game of misinformation and maligning an independent journalist, who took on BJP and RSS leaders," he said. When asked about the delay in the investigation into the 2015 killing of scholar M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the Congress leader sought to deflect the question, and raised question about the delay in probe into the murder of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra, ruled by the BJP. "The threads of both these murders are allegedly linked to a certain institution in Maharashtra against which no action has been taken so far," he said. Many people have drawn parallels between the gunning down of Gauri and rationalists Dabholkar and Kalburgi. Surjewala said the killing of Lankesh was "celebrated" on the social media by several people who are followed by the prime minister on Twitter. He said this was sought to be justified by the BJP's social media chief, who described it as a part of the freedom of expression of these people. The Congress leader also criticised Karnataka BJP MLA D N Jeevaraj for his statement that Gauri would have been alive if she hadn't written against RSS and BJP. Prasad earlier showed copies of news reports of Gauri's brother, Indrajit Lankesh, claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, and asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security. PTI Gorkha Rifles turn 200: All you need to know about one of world's fiercest soldiers Gorkha agitators meet Union Home Minister, press for tripartite talks India oi-Amitava By Amitava Darjeeling, September 8, 2017: A joint team of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) met Union Minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to initiate tripartite talks to resolve the Darjeeling impasse. Reports state that Rajnath Singh expressed doubts that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee would be keen on tripartite talks. The Minister apprised the visiting team that it is the ambit of the State Government to call for tripartite talks. He however assured the visiting team that he would request the West Bengal Chief Minister to do so. GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri in a press release stated that after a meeting on 29th August, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had clarified that the issue of statehood is not within the ambit of the State Government. "Hence the GJM members urged Minister Rajnath Singh to begin the process of tripartite talks" stated GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri. Acknowledging that an atmosphere of peace has to be created, the GJM members requested the Union Home Minister to speak to West Bengal Chief Minister to halt the continuous raids on GJM leaders and supporters. Incidentally key GJM leaders including Bimal Gurung have been implicated in multiple cases relating to explosions in Hills and have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA.) There ate Look out notices issued by the West Bengal CID against Gurung and Giri also. "The GJM team apprised the Union Home Minister that even today, police disrupted a street corner meeting in the Darjeeling Chowk Bazar and rained batons on the crowd. Tear gas shells were also burst injuring many. The police high handedness in Darjeeling Hills was proving to be a hurdle in creating a conducive atmosphere" stated Giri. The GJM conveyed to the Union Home Minister the intention of the party to attend bipartite talks called by the Chief Minister in Uttarkanya in Siliguri on September 12. Incidentally a GJM and GMCC team had met Minister Singh on August 13 also. The Minister then had asked the agitators to sit in a meeting with the State Government. He had also appealed to the delegation to restore peace and normalcy by withdrawing the indefinite bandh and the fast unto death. Though the fast unto death was immediately lifted the by GJM on August 13, they continued with the bandh. The GJM preferred to remain silent on the bandh issue following Friday's meeting with the Union Home Minister. The indefinite bandh hit the 86thday mark on Friday. The meeting had taken place at 5pm in Minister Singh's residential office. OneIndia News How #BlockNarendraModi gave BJP a reality check on perils of social media India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Sep 8: It seems the entire country is being run by the micro-blogging site, Twitter (at least by what we have seen in the last few days since the brutal murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh). If you are on Twitter (which you must be, otherwise you are considered dead. Isn't it?), you must have seen all important decisions and policies impacting the lives and deaths of people are actually first taking place on Twitter and then all these life-changing theories percolating down to the real world. That is why immediately after unidentified assailants shot dead the 55-year-old journalist-activist at her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening, Twitterati told us who actually "killed her". The irony is that the Bengaluru Police is yet to get any clues about the murderers of the firebrand editor. But Twiterrati (as usual out of their "I know all" habit) are insisting that either the goons of right-wings groups or the Naxals have snuffed out the life of the journalist-activist for writing the truth without fearing anyone. Along with the theorists, there were many, who mourned the death of Lankesh calling it the "murder of democracy", "attack on freedom of speech" and "creation of atmosphere of hatred and bigotry in society". Recommended Video BJP Leader's rhetoric on Gauri's murder indicate right-wing link | Oneindia News There were also surprisingly many who celebrated her death. Imagine these days Indians are not only celebrating uncountable number of festivals, but also deaths of people and that too murders. If this is not horrific, then we don't know what it is. In fact, many of the abusers, who used profane language to justify Lankesh's murder and celebrate it at the same time, are being followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter. Thus, those on the other side of the fence immediately highlighted the fact that PM should block those trolls who gloat at the fact that they are being followed by him and don't shy away from using cuss words like "bitch" to address an upright and honest journalist who has been just assassinated. As Modi and his team did not pay any heed to the suggestion of critics of trolls and PM's twitter account @narendramodi continued to follow the "haters", on Thursday a section of Twitterati decided to trend the hashtag-- #BlockNarendraModi. By trending the hashtag, Twitter users asked others to block PM's account which will result in reducing the number of followers Modi has on the micro-blogging site. In fact, Modi is one of the world's most followed leaders on Twitter. At the time of filing of this report on Friday, Modi had 33.8 million followers and the PM himself followed 1,779 people on Twitter. It is among these 1,779 people whom Modi follows; a couple of them have celebrated the murder of Lankesh and maligned her at the same time. Since, many decided to block Modi's account supporting the hashtag, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started feeling the heat of outrage against the PM's "silence" on trolls. Several supporters of the BJP criticised the attempt to block PM's account and alleged that it was a campaign by the opposition parties. Others claimed that Modi's following had gone up at more than the usual rate after the block campaign began. A Twitter user called @bhaiyyajispeaks tweeted: "Follower count of Namo before #BlockNarendraModi: 33,719,412. Follower count of Namo after 4 hours: 33,764,365. Keep Blocking Guys!" In fact, initially it was journalists like Ravish Kumar who had asked Modi to unfollow the trolls who had abused Lankesh and celebrated her death. "A person called Nikhil Dadhich, who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter, wrote that all the pups were raging against the death of a dog. Will the Prime Minister care to explain what is his compulsion behind following such people?'' asked journalist Kumar, during a meeting to protest the killing of Lankesh in Delhi on Wednesday. After a whirlpool day, the BJP decided to give its official version on the entire controversy. Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's information technology cell, issued a statement in the evening, terming the controversy over the PM following Twitter users as "mischievous and contorted". "PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms. He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues. He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter," the statement said. The statement added, "PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in any way a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself." Malviya's statement also attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. "However, the PM also follows Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in loot and fraud. PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal, who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'settle kar lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her." The AAP has denied the charge labelled by the BJP. The entire episode is a clear message to the PM and his social media team, which over the years has succeeded in wooing millions to support Modi both online and offline, that the virtual world is a tricky one and one needs to tread carefully. The same social media that helped the BJP build the "brand Modi" might one day break the entire 'online castle' if it does not listen to the voices of dissent. It might be true that Modi managed to attract more followers after the #BlockNarendraModi trended on Twitter, but the anti-Modi hashtag also persuaded many to block the PM. A lesson worth remembering for the BJP. OneIndia News If Gauri was dealing with naxals why was security not given: Centre asks Karnataka India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday asked the Karnataka government why the slain journalist Gauri Lankesh was not provided security if she was helping naxals surrender with government's consent. Addressing the media, Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Karnataka CM Siddaramiah whether "a fair probe by SIT" is expected in the case. Gauri was on the committee of Members of the civil society, including freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, advocate A.K. Subbaiah to put pressure on the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to accept the surrender of three Naxals -Kanyakumari and her husband Shivu and their associate Chennamma- in June 2017. Ravi Shankar Prasad also questioned the liberal intelligentsia's silence over the murders of BJP-RSS workers in Kerala and Karnataka. "Condemning every murder correct but why my liberal friends maintained silence after killings of BJP-RSS workers in Kerala and Karnataka". Condemning every murder correct but why my liberal friends maintained silence after killings of BJP-RSS workers in Kerala&K'taka?: RS Prasad pic.twitter.com/lTZDFZEdpZ ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 He slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's allegation against RSS and right wing ideology for the murder of Gauri Lankesh. It may be recalled that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday termed as "irresponsible, baseless and false" the allegations linking the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh to the BJP or people following its ideology. Recommended Video BJP Leader's rhetoric on Gauri's murder indicate right-wing link | Oneindia News "The present government, the BJP or any of its organisations have no connection with the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh," the Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Minister told reporters. Kannada journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views against Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on September 5. Gauri, aged 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said. OneIndia News TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation (the Company or BCC) (CSE:BCC) (OTC:CBICF) further to missing the July 31, 2017 deadline for filing its audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2017 and the managements discussion and analysis and related Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certificates for this period (collectively, the Required Filings), the Company requested and was issued a Management Cease Trade Order (MCTO) by the Ontario Securities Commission. The MCTO only prohibits management officers W. Scott Boyes and Randall G. Stafford from trading in or purchasing the securities of BCC until two business days after all filings are brought up to date. Following the acquisition in January 2017 of a group of Arizona incorporated entities that provide material support, including real estate rental, administrative, general management and advisory services, financing and logistics, to medical marijuana businesses licensed under the provisions of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, A.R.S. Title 36, Section 28.1 (the AMMA), being Health for Life, Inc. (HFL) and Soothing Options Inc. (Soothing Options), both Arizona not for profit corporations, which directly own, possess or sell marijuana or any marijuana-infused products (the Business), the Company has been integrating the Business into the Companys accounting and operational systems, including those of HFL and Soothing Options, as well as converting the accounting procedures of the Business including those of HFL and Soothing Options, from U.S. GAAP to IFRS. The Companys failure to file its Required Filings by the Filing Deadline is due to delays with the integration of the Business into the Companys accounting and operational systems, including those of HFL and Soothing Options, as well as converting the accounting procedures of the Business including those of HFL and Soothing Options, from U.S. GAAP to IFRS. These delays caused a short delay in filing of the year end statements of the Company. The Company filed the Required Filings on September 7, 2017. As stated in its previous bi-weekly status report on August 23, 2017, due to the late filing of its year end statements, filing of its 1st quarter financial statements (due August 29, 2017) have also been delayed. This filing will be completed shortly after the year end filing. The MCTO will continue to be in effect until the filing of the interim financial statements for the three-month period ended June 30, 2017 and managements discussion and analysis and related Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certificates for this period. Until such time as all filings are up to date, the Company will continue to provide bi-weekly status reports to its shareholders and in so doing, comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out in Sections 9 and 10 of National Policy 12-203 - Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults (NP 12-203). About The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation BCC, an Ontario corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S., provides substantial management, staffing, procurement, advisory, financial, real estate rental, logistics and administrative services to two medicinal cannabis enterprises in Arizona operating under the Health for Life (dispensaries) and MPX (high-margin concentrates wholesale) brands. The successful Health for Life (H4L) brand operates in the rapidly growing Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a population of 4.6 million people. The award winning Melting Point Extracts (MPX) brand is carried by over 40% of Arizona dispensaries. The Company is supporting development of a third licensed dispensary in Arizona. Additionally, BCC is expanding its U.S. footprint, acquiring additional assets supporting cultivation, production and up to three dispensaries in Massachusetts and three to-be-developed dispensaries and a concentrate production facility in Maryland, as well as a cultivation and production wholesale business in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both Massachusetts and Nevada are implementing legalization of adult use. The Company also leases a property in Owen Sound, Ontario, for which an application to Health Canada has been made for a cannabis production and sales license. In addition, the Company will continue its efforts related to its legacy nutraceuticals business. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Transaction and BCCs objectives and intentions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; those additional risks set out in BCCs public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other matters discussed in this news release. Although BCC believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, BCC disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. On behalf of the Board of Directors The Canadian Bioceuticals Corporation Scott Boyes, CEO FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir J&K: Clashes break out in Ananthnag, six policemen injured India oi-Madhuri Six policemen, including two officers, were injured after clashes broke out between security forces and protesters in Anantnag's district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. According to media reports, the incident happened when hundreds of protesters were marching towards Lal Chowk raising slogans against the atrocities on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Violence In Anantnag In South Kashmir; Several Receive Injuries; Police Rakshak Tourcherd By Protesters#Kashmirnow pic.twitter.com/LtqEk9nt0m Pulwama Updates (@LivePulwama) September 8, 2017 The angry protestors also set a police vehicle on fire. Meanwhile, a police vehicle was also set ablaze in front of DC Office located in Anantnag by the protesters during clashes. It is learnt that the Police and security forces used tear smoke shells to disperse the stone pelting protesters triggering clashes which were going on. OneIndia News This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones Jammu and Kashmir will remain an integral part: India tells Pak India oi-PTI Criticising Pakistan for using terrorism as "tool of state policy" to covet the Indian territory, India has firmly told Islamabad that Jammu and Kashmir will remain its integral part. Senior Indian diplomat Srinivas Prasad said it was "well known" that Islamabad provides safe havens to terrorists. In a reply to Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi who raised the Kashmir issue during a debate on Thursday, Prasad said Islamabad has used "terrorism as a tool of state policy" and was using the UN platform to "covet Indian territory". "May I remind our neighbour that Jammu and Kashmir is and will remain an integral part of India. It is time that Pakistan too reconciles to this. As a democracy India always abides by the choice of the people and will not allow it to be undermined by terrorists and extremists. India reiterates the principle of the need for promotion of peace through non-violence, a principle Gandhiji so eloquently expressed in his life message," Prasad said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 17:32 [IST] Karnataka BJP MP who threatened policemen during 'Mangalore Chalo' booked India oi-Anusha The Mangaluru police registered an FIR against a BJP MP from Karnataka for threatening policemen and stopping them from arresting BJP workers. A complaint was registered against BJP strongman from coastal Karnataka Nalin Kumar Kateel for stopping policemen from doing their work during the BJP's 'Mangaluru Chalo' bike rally on Thursday. On Thursday, a video of the BJP MP threatening policemen for arresting BJP supporters, who had gathered for the rally despite a ban, went viral. The MP threatened to "shut down Mangaluru if BJP leaders were not released" in the Kadri police station. A complaint was registered by the staff of the police station that accused Kateel of stopping a public servant from discharging their duty. In January, earlier this year, Kateel had threatened to "burn the entire city if the police failed to arrest the accused in the murder of a BJP worker's son." Following the complaint, the Mangaluru police have registered an FIR under IPC section 353 against Nalin Kumar Kateel. BJP leaders and workers courted arrested on Thursday after they defied police order banning processions in the city. Kateel's intimidation was caught on camera. The leader is not new to controversial statements. OneIndia News Chandra Shekhar Aazad likely to attend Gauri Lankeshs birth anniversary on Jan 29 in Bengaluru Karnataka govt sends report to Centre on Gauri Lankesh murder India oi-PTI New Delhi, Sep 8: The Union Home Ministry has received a report from the Karnataka government on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh by unidentified persons in Bangalore, an official said. The state chief secretary in his factual report gave detailed account of the sensational killing and the follow up action by the police. The report also mentioned that the state government had set up a special investigation team to probe the case and find out those involved in the murder of the 55-year-old journalist, the home ministry official said. The report came a day after the ministry asked the Karnataka government to inform it about the details of the incident. On September 6, The Union Home Ministry had sought a report from the Karnataka government on the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The 55-year-old journalist, known for her outspoken views on Hindutva politics, was gunned down at her residence in Bengaluru. PTI Fact Check: No, Raghuram Rajan is not the new Governor of the Bank of England Know what Raghuram Rajan did to exchange his old notes after demonetisation India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Sep 8: If you think only common people like us were in a state of panic and urgency to exchange scrapped currency notes with the legal ones post demonetisation, then you might be little wrong. Because like the rest of us, who were taken aback by the sudden announcement of demonetisation by the Narendra Modi government last year, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan, who was in the United States at that time, too had no clue as when exactly was it coming. That is why Rajan, who is currently a professor of finance at the University of Chicago in the US, had to come back to India to exchange his old Indian currency notes with the valid ones after demonetisation. Actually, like most Indians who go to foreign lands, Rajan too had carried some Indian currency notes with him while leaving the country after the end of his tenure as the RBI chief in September last year to the US to restart his career as an academician. In November last year, Prime Minister Modi in a televised address announced demonetisation, scrapping high-value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. What followed after note ban (as demonetisation is also popularly known as) we all know it pretty well. People in panic of losing their hard-earned money (well, not all in India are corrupt and hoard black money. Right?) rushed to banks to exchange their old notes with the new ones. That resulted in unending queues in front of banks and an estimated 100 people across India died either waiting in bank or ATM queues after demonetisation. Rajan, who is currently in India to promote his latest book, I Do What I Do, in an event in the national capital on Thursday added that he was not in favour of demonetisation as according to him the short-term cost of note ban would outweigh the long-term gains. Rajan said he was asked about his views on demonetisation by the government in February 2016 and he "gave it orally". "There was absolutely no date fixed for demonetisation," Rajan said when asked if he too was taken by surprise on November 8, 2016 that Rs 500/1000 notes have been scrapped. He said he had taken along Indian currency to the US and had to come back to India to "actually change that back" into valid currency notes. Asked if he would be willing to return to India for another position or was happy teaching in the US, Rajan said he is not special among the diaspora and there were many people who, if called upon, would come back and do what is necessary. "Many of us have certainly fairly comfortable lives there...coming back to India and doing what I did, gave a tremendous sense of fulfilment...I think it's very selfish thing to come back. Ya, if called upon...and if there is a place where you can make a big difference, of course," he said. We don't know, when Rajan, one of the best economists in the world and he is the one who predicted the global financial crisis of 2007-2008, will be back in India to work. One thing we all know is that demonetisation is a "failure", especially after the recent RBI data showed that 99 per cent of banned notes were returned to the system that indicated that the whole exercise was indeed a futile one affecting so many people, especially the poor. Recently, when the figures of country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of the current fiscal that ended in June were declared, the negative impact of demonetisation was clearly felt. It showed that India's economic growth has slid to a three-year low, partly due to demonetisation. India's GDP growth has sharply dipped to 5.7 per cent in Q1 Of 2017-18. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 7:42 [IST] Maharashtra: 55 newborns die in Nashik hospital in August due to 'lack of ventilators' India oi-Deepika By Deepika A hospital in Nashik has reported death of 55 newborns, adding to the recent spate of infant deaths that took place in different parts of the country. Hospital authorities, however, denied reports that the deaths were caused by medical negligence. Since April, 187 infants have died in the unit with 55 deaths reported in August, Nashik civil surgeon Suresh Jagdale said. "Most of these deaths occurred because the infants were brought from private hospitals in a stage in which there is less chance of recovery. The deaths were also due to reasons like premature birth and lung weakness," Jagdale said. The civil surgeon said there was "no medical negligence" in any of the cases. "There are 18 incubators, and we have to keep two, sometimes three, children in one due to the paucity of space," he said. Health Minister Deepak Sawant backed the civil surgeon and said it is a "fact" that infants are brought to the government hospital at the last stage and this had led to the high number of deaths. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 21:55 [IST] In CBI bribery case, three politicians from AP-Telangana under scanner Moin Qureshi - the man behind the recent upheaval in the CBI In probe against CBI chief in exile, CVC digs deep into Moin Qureshi case Meat exporter Moin Qureshi sent to 14 days judicial custody India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Controversial Meat exporter Moin Qureshi has been sent to 14 days judicial custody by Delhi court on Friday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Qureshi in connection with money laundering probe against him and others. Qureshi was arrested on August 25 after he was called for questioning in the case. ED had alleged that Qureshi was not cooperating in the probe. The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was booked by the ED in 2015, based on an Income Tax prosecution complaint. The meat exporter is also facing probes by the I-T department and the CBI for alleged tax evasion, money laundering and corruption among others. (With agency inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 16:21 [IST] Mumbai University result 2017: Marks sheet on September 22, CET dates deadline extended India oi-Vicky By Vicky The confusion pertaining to the Mumbai University result 2017 will end by September 19. The University of Mumbai told the Bombay High Court that it will declare all the remaining results and issue all mark sheets by September 19. The varsity said that it is now likely to complete the entire process of assessing answer sheets, declaring results, and issuing mark sheets for its undergraduate regular courses by September 19. "We have completed most of the work and are trying to declare all results for regular undergraduate courses by September 19, besides issuing the mark sheets. The results for courses offered through distance learning, however, will take some more time." Rodrigues went on to blame the recent festivals for the delay in the announcement of result. "Several teaching staff remained unavailable for assessment work on account of the holidays," the university also said. A division bench comprising of Justice Anoop V Mohta and Justice Bharati Dangre said that the university could not point to the unavailability of staff as a reason for the delay. The bench further directed the Common Entrance Test (CET) cell to extend its deadline for filing of online forms for applying to the university's three-year Law courses to September 22 from the earlier deadline of August 31. "Such extension is essential for such helpless students, who had made it to the merit list of the Law CET conducted earlier this year, but were unable to secure admissions to colleges of their choice in the absence of their undergraduate marksheets," the court also said. OneIndia News SC bars agitation over NEET-2017 issue in Tamil Nadu India oi-Anusha The Supreme Court on Friday prohibited protests against National Eligibility cum Entrance Test in Tamil Nadu that affect normal life. The state's Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary have been made accountable to ensure that the order is followed. The Supreme Court has asked the police to book anyone who protests against NEET creating law and order issues in the state. The court also issued a warning to all political parties not to disrupt normal life or indulge in protests. The court has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government over a PIL filed over Anitha, a medical seat aspirant's, suicide. The state has been asked to respond to the notice by September 15. Tamil Nadu has been witnessing multiple protests over the suicide of Anitha, a Dalit student from Tamil Nadu who aspired to be a doctor. Students, political organizations, NGOs have been protesting against NEET even as counseling for medical seats in underway in the state according to NEET merit list. On Wednesday, the Chennai police forcefully removed students who had gathered at Jayalalithaa Memorial at Marina beach to protest against NEET. The police filed cases under CrPC Section 151 against the students for congregation in public places without getting prior permission to stage a protest. OneIndia News No one will sell their ideals here: Farooq Abdullah to Centre on NIA raids India oi-Vikas By Vikas Amid ongoing probe in the Hurriyat terror funding case and multiple raids behind conducted at the residents of separatist leaders, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday, in a veiled remark, asked if the raids were being conducted to threaten the separatists. The NIA has been probing several separatist leaders in the terror funding case. The NIA on Wednesday conducted raids at 11 locations in Srinagar and 5 in Delhi in connection with the Hurriyat Terror Funding case. "I will consider these raids (valid) only if something substantial comes out. If it is just to scare them, then... I would like to tell the Government of India that no matter how much atrocities they commit, people here (in Kashmir) will not sell their ideals," Abdullah told reporters. Abdullah further said, "Those people (separatists) must be released so that they can tell Home Minister what they have to tell." Main tab NIA raids ko manunga jab isme se kuch niklega. Agar ye sirf inko (people being raided) darane ke liye hai....: Farooq Abdullah 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ntqNyAhtop ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 ...ke ye jhuk jaenge to main NIA, GoI se kehna chahte hu vo kitna zulm karenge yahan koi apna imaan bechne ko tayar nahi hai: F.Abdullah 2/2 pic.twitter.com/yirRlzhvkE ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 The National Investigation Agency which conducted raids in Delhi and Srinagar has recovered Rs 2.20 crore cash in connection with the Hurriyat terror funding case. The places searched include houses and business establishments of those (traders/hawala operators etc.) who are suspected of channelising funds to fuel secessionist and anti-India activities. During the searches, cash amounting to approximately Rs. 2.20 Crores had been recovered besides incriminating documents pertaining to financial transactions. On Wednesday a photo journalist from Kashmir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on the charge that he was involved in incidents of stone pelting. Kamran Yousuf, the journalist was arrested along with Javed Bhat from Kulgam by the NIA. [Hurriyat terror funding: NIA recovers Rs 2.20 crore cash following raids] Terming them as alleged ring leaders, the NIA said that the duo also facilitated stone pelting in the Valley. The arrests come in the midst of an NIA probe in the Hurriyat terror funding case. NIA officials say that Yousuf was not just mobilising the stone pelters, but also clicking pictures and circulating them among the local and national newspapers. They also circulated the pictures widely on the social media and chat groups, the NIA also said. The NIA on Thursday raided the house of separatist leader Shabbir Shah's aide Zameer Thakur in connection with the terror funding case. Hurriyat leader Aga Hassan's residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam was also raided. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 12:39 [IST] NEW YORK, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brock Capital Group LLC is pleased to announce that Todd Markin has joined the firm as a Managing Director. Todds arrival also marks the opening of a new Charleston, South Carolina office for Brock Capital Group. Todd has expertise in private lending and bridge financing and has been very actively involved in the Charleston commercial real estate market. Prior to joining Brock Capital Group, Todd spent 16 years in New York as an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley within the Fixed Income Currency and Commodities division. He traded and managed risk across various products in the Credit group ranging from Investment Grade / High Yield Corporate Bonds and Credit Derivatives to Distressed Bonds and Bank Debt. In addition to building fundamental proprietary risk positions across corporate capital structures, Todd advised global asset managers, insurance companies and hedge funds on both macro and sector specific market views and opportunities. After leaving Morgan Stanley, Todd co-founded Coast Capital Partners. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Todd was Vice President at Miller Tabak Roberts where he traded convertible bonds. We are delighted that Todd has joined the firm as a managing director and that he will be leading business out of the new Brock Capital Charleston office, said Charles Brock, the Firms Chairman and CEO. About Brock Capital Group Brock Capital Group is a full-service investment bank organized in 2002 to provide clients with strategic advice and implementation assistance through outstanding executives and professionals from diverse corporate and government backgrounds. Brock teams leverage the broad collective experience of the firm's 45+ partners as investment bankers, senior corporate officers, consultants, government officials, economists, entrepreneurs, accountants, and lawyers to provide comprehensive client solutions that address often-overlooked issues in corporate transactions. Services are provided through Brock Capital Group LLC, Brock Securities LLC, Brock Real Estate LLC, and Brock Fiduciary Services LLC. Brock Securities LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation and Financial Industry Regulation Authority, conducts the capital raising and associated banking activities of Brock. Nuclear cooperation key to future India-Japan ties: Jaishankar India oi-PTI New Delhi, Sep 8: India said on Friday said that Japan can make a substantive difference to its nuclear industry and defence as two domains that portend the future direction of the bilateral ties. Speaking at the 'India-Japan Colloquium', Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar also noted that the growing convergence of views between Japan and India has the capacity to drive Asia's economy and development and stimulate the global growth. "In this regard, the two countries have agreed to cooperate closely to promote connectivity, infrastructure and capacity-building in the regions that occupy the inter-linked waters of the Indo-Pacific," the foreign secretary said. Cooperation in civil nuclear energy and in defence are two domains that portend the future direction of our ties and the difference that Japan can make to our nuclear industry can be quite substantive, he said. India and Japan signed a civil nuclear deal during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Japan visit in November 2016. The deal, which enabled Japan to export nuclear power plant technology to India, came into force in July this year. "Japans openness to supply India with military technology reflects the high level of confidence that the two countries have developed in each other," Jaishankar said. Asserting that the interaction between India and Japan now has significance beyond the bilateral and the Asia- Africa growth corridor was just one example, he said drawing on all these factors, India and Japan stand ready to move their relationship forward with determination. "Prime Minister Abe's forthcoming visit will present an occasion to demonstrate this concretely. But in an increasingly uncertain world, they are now purposefully heading towards a more collaborative future. Their success in doing so has significant implications for the world," he said. Japanese Prime Minister Abe is expected to undertake a three-day visit from September 13. Accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is expected to go to Ahmedabad, where both the leaders will take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project, commonly referred to as the bullet train project, on September 14. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 18:07 [IST] Mark Zuckerberg says 'sorry' as Meta fires over 11,000 employees in one go | Full statement Twitter will do lots of dumb things: What else did Musk say today? PM not giving a character certificate by following someone on Twitter: BJP IT Cell India oi-Vicky By Vicky Recommended Video Gauri Lankesh : BJP reacts to Congress's protest over PM Modi followers | Oneindia News The BJP's social media team said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi following someone on Twitter does not amount to issuing the person a character certificate. The party's national chief for information and technology, Amit Malviya said that, "PM following someone is not a character certificate of the person, and is not in any way a guarantee of how the person would conduct himself." The statement came in the wake of the Congress pointing out how at least four people followed by Modi on the social networking site tweeted hate messages in the wake of journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Malviya further pointed out that Modi follows the Twitter handles of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as well. The BJP's IT cell head also said the Prime Minister still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and "then began abusing him in the worst possible language". "Our Prime Minister is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech, and has never blocked or unfollowed anybody on Twitter," Malviya alsi said. The statement came after the hashtag #BlockNarendraModi --- calling for users to block the Prime Minister on the social media platform --- began trending earlier in the day. OneIndia News Fact Check: No, Raghuram Rajan is not the new Governor of the Bank of England Raghuram Rajan stops short of calling demonetisation a failure, hails GST India oi-Vikas By Vikas Stopping just short of saying that demonetisation could have been better planned, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan called for strong measures to tackle bad loans and debts in the banking sector which are holding back economic growth. Rajan also said that "double-digit economic growth" would be "hard to achieve" without considerable efforts to improve quality of country's education system and skill-building initiatives. The former RBI governors' remark came at a time when India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth during the first quarter (April-June) of financial year 2017-18 was recorded at 5.7 per cent. The GDP growth rate for the same quarter last year was 7.9 per cent. He said the GST would yield positive results in the long run. "I think on the positive side, a number of reforms have been undertaken, some of which, like GST, may have a short-term negative effect, but hopefully in the longer run, will have a very positive effect," he said in an interview to HT. "We have undertaken reforms. We have established a little bit of a reputation for doing the reforms," he added. Speaking on the demonetisation, Rajan said the process of introducing new notes to replace the withdrawn currency had begun in May. " We had started the process of designing the new notes. The new notes - 2000, 500 and a new 1,000 - had been approved in May. To say none was done would be incorrect. But a monetary economist would've liked for all the notes to replaced at one go," he said in an interview to NDTV. When asked if the government should have gone ahead with the note ban, he said, "We don't yet know the full effects of demonetisation. Based on information that we have now, ignoring future dividends, the answer is fairly obvious." He also said businesses which were predominantly cash dependent and operating on thin profit margins took a major hit due to the note ban. "If you're not prepared on Day 1 with all the currency that's being replaced - currency is important for economic activity - you will have a chilling of economic activity. You would see a dramatic slowdown of economic activity," he told NDTV.. "A second factor that you to worry about is putting some companies that operate on thin margins out of business. Sales plummet, they can't ride out the storm, they go out of business. Third element is effects on investor sentiment. If there is a concern it is long-drawn out process, there can be concerns of how it will affect consumption," he added. On his two-year extension as the RBI governor, Rajan said that the government did not offer him a new contract. He also denied rumours that he refused to continue as RBI Governor because the Chicago University had denied him more leaves. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 11:42 [IST] Rajasthan: Australian woman found dead under mysterious circumstances India oi-PTI Jaipur, September 8: A 33-year-old Australian woman, who had settled down in Jaipur, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a posh colony in the city. The body was found in Ashok Nagar police station area and the deceased was identified as Kim, SHO Ashok Nagar, Bala Ram said. Kim got married to Monendra Richard Lathar three years ago and was living here with her relatives since the last 11 days. The couple has both Australian and Indian citizenship. The woman and her three-year-old son had slept in a room at their relative's place on Wednesday and she was found dead yesterday, the SHO said, adding that her body was found lying on the floor. There were no injury marks on the body and the cause of death will be known after post-mortem, he added. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 18:08 [IST] TS DOST: Degree online service dates extended India oi-Vicky By Vicky The TS DOST for degree online services dates have been extended. The decision was taken due to less admissions into the degree colleges. Deputy Chief minister Kadiam Srihari, who held a review meeting on the Degree Online Services of Telangana (DOST), has directed the officials of Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) to extend the date for admissions. Council chairman T Papi Reddy who participated in the meeting said that the date may be extended up to September 12. The government is much concerned with the low number of admissions into the government and private degree colleges in the State. Out of the total four lakh seats, so far only 2 lakh have been filled in the four phases of admissions process. Even after the spot admissions in the fourth round, the colleges could not fill the vacant seats. On the other hand, some students were unable to choose the colleges correctly and are demanding some more time. Several students, who have aspired for courses like pharmacy, polytechnic and other courses and could not get seats there, want to join the degree colleges. Keeping this also in view the TSCHE has been told to extend the date. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 7:46 [IST] Two journalists attacked for doing their job, this after murder of Gauri Lankesh India oi-Shreya By Shreya Just two days after the country mourned the murder of noted journalist Gauri Lankesh, another journalist was shot at in Bihar by two bike-borne unidentified assailants and remains in a critical condition. On the same day, West Bengal based Kolkata TV's Birbhum reporter Anjan De was thrashed for allegedly intervening a mob which was thrashing kids on suspicion of theft. According to agencies, on Thursday, journalist Pankaj Mishra - working with Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara was shot at by two bike-borne men in Arwal district of Bihar. He was also robbed off Rs 1 lakh. So far, one arrest has been made in the case. Speaking to the media, Pankaj said that one of the two men who attacked him was close to the JD(U) legislator Satyadeo Singh for Kurtha. The police reached the spot and investigation has been initiated, Dilip Kumar, SP of Arwal called it a case of personal enmity. Speaking to another News Channel, Pankaj alleged that he one of the arrested assailants Kundan Mahto was the son of Singh's personal assistant Anant Kumar Verma. Mishra said that he had written against Kundan and that could be a possible reason behind the attack on him. On the same day, Anjan De of Kolkata TV was thrashed ruthlessly by local goons in Rampurhat, while the police were present at the spot when he tried to stop few men from thrashing kids on the suspicion of theft. Recommended Video BJP Leader's rhetoric on Gauri's murder indicate right-wing link | Oneindia News Anjan was attacked along with his camera person. The camera was also snatched. Anjan is now critical and will be shifted to Bardhaman hospital. The police did not register any case, however, the local goons lodged a complaint with the police against Anjan accusing him of molesting two women, a cover-up move as the chief reporter of the channel said. The incidents come just days after eminent personalities gathered across the country to protest the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. OneIndia News What does resignation of Republic TV scribe over reporting on Gauris murder say about media India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia New Delhi, Sep 8: The brutal murder of firebrand journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh at the entrance of her home in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Tuesday evening, has clearly created a big fissure between various media houses over the question of who actually are responsible for her gruesome killing. The two prominent theories being propagated in the mainstream media as well as on social media are: a) that the assassination of the editor of the popular Kannada tabloid, Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was the result of her stinging writing and activism against the rise of communalism and right-wing groups associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and b) since Lankesh was a staunch leftist and closely worked with Naxals that resulted in bringing many to the mainstream have angered the banned left outfits. On the one hand, the BJP and its ideological wing, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have been allegedly held guilty of the crime, on the other it's the Naxals who are being blamed for Lankesh's murder. Instead of waiting for the investigation to get over, many media outlets, especially television channels, have already jumped to conclusions about the "culprits" who could have orchestrated the assassination of the 55-year-old editor, known for her anti-establishment stand. Along with fighting with each other over their respective stands in regard to the sensational murder case on social media, now several media houses are facing internal revolts over how to report the entire case that has jolted the soul of the nation. On Wednesday evening, a journalist working for the newly started Republic TV channel, headed by controversial editor and anchor Arnab Goswami, resigned from her job alleging "biased" reporting on the murder of Lankesh by her "bosses". After her resignation, Sumana Nandy took to social media to tell the world the reason behind her decision to quit her job. This is what she wrote on Facebook: Recommended Video BJP Leader's rhetoric on Gauri's murder indicate right-wing link | Oneindia News I have always been proud of the organisations I have worked with in my extremely small career in journalism. But today I am ashamed! An 'independent' news organisation is now batting for a rogue government. And openly so. A journalist is murdered in cold blood days after receiving death threats from the BJP-RSS cadres. And instead of questioning these murderers, you question the opposition? Where is the integrity? Where are we heading? Some 'journalists' are even celebrating the massacre (that she brought it on herself.) Well, yes! This is what happens in Saudi Arabia and North Korea. We are just a few more deaths away from catching up with these countries. If the fourth pillar sells its soul, where will the society go? We have failed you, ma'am. All I know, you are probably in a much much better place. P.S.: For whatever it is worth and whatever significance it has, I have decided to not put Republic TV as one of my employers on my CV and on social media. I regret my association with this rogue organisation. #GauriLankesh Many of her Facebook followers have appreciated her bold move to leave the television channel known to be close to the ruling BJP. Others lamented the fact that the whole media industry has become "corrupt and biased". Nandy herself has raised the pertinent issue about media integrity in today's time, where journalists, especially editors, need to do some soul-searching to sanitise the fourth estate from all its "vices". "If the fourth pillar sells its soul, where will the society go?" asked Nandy. A journalist like Nandy is truly rare. The young scribe, who without thinking twice about her future, decided to leave her job to carry forward the basic "code of ethics" of journalism that teaches all to be honest, truthful and unbiased while reporting any story. The female journalist's conduct becomes more noteworthy at a time when we have just lost one of the country's best editors Lankesh, who never feared speaking truth to power. OneIndia News Zakir Naik targeted for terror not religion: NIA tells Interpol India oi-Vicky By Vicky The National Investigation Agency has told the Interpol that Dr Zakir Naik is being targeted for terrorism and not because of his religion. While sending out a detailed response to the Interpol, the NIA has said that evidence against Naik is strong and his acts violate the Indian law. He is under investigation for funding terror suspects, the NIA also said. The NIA also pointed out that it had repeatedly sent out summons to Naik, but he has not once presented himself before the agency. The NIA also said that his passport had been revoked. Further the NIA also said that Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation had been banned by the Government and the same was upheld by the tribunal. He had funded a few terror suspects through his NGO and hence he needs to be questioned in that connection, the NIA also told the Interpol. The NIA requested the Interpol to help track Naik so that he could be deported to India. The probe against Naik is at a very crucial stage, the NIA said while seeking help in tracking down the Islamic preacher. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 8:30 [IST] There is no 'one-size-fits-all' to curb poverty Thief calls cops for help after being caught by mob Cyclone Sitrang heading towards Bangladesh; Heavy rains likely to pound West Bengal, Odisha and NE 250,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh: UN International oi-Vicky By Vicky Over 250,000 Rohingya Muslims have Bangladesh since fresh violence erupted in Myanmar last October, the United Nations said. In the last two weeks alone 164,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams and triggering warnings of a humanitarian crisis. Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown. Police in Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when at least three boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river that runs along the border. Bangladesh border guards say desperate Rohingya are attempting to cross the river using small fishing trawlers that are dangerously overcrowded. At least five have capsized leaving more than 60 people dead, police and border guards say. Recommended Video Rohingyas beg for mercy, plead Indian govt. to not deport them | Oneindia News Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat to take them to Bangladesh after fleeing her township in Rakhine. "People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink," she told AFP. "Most managed to swim ashore but the children were missing." Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson by Myanmar's army. Most have walked for days to reach Bangladesh and the United Nations says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food and water. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 8:09 [IST] Aung Sang Suu Kyi can't be stripped of prize, says Nobel institute International oi-PTI Copenhagen, September 8: The 1991 prize awarded to Myanmar's Aung Sang Suu Kyi cannot be revoked, said the organisation that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize. Olav Njolstad, head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in an email to The Associated Press that neither the will of prize founder Alfred Nobel nor the Nobel Foundation's rules provide for the possibility of withdrawing the honour from laureates. "It is not possible to strip a Nobel Peace Prize laureate of his or her award once bestowed," Njolstad wrote. "None of the prize awarding committees in Stockholm and Oslo has ever considered revoking a prize after it has been awarded." An online petition signed by more than 386,000 people on Change.org is calling for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Peace Prize over the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority. Suu Kyi received the award for "her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights" while standing up against military rulers. She became the country's de facto leader after Myanmar held its first free election in 2012 and she led her party to a landslide victory. Recommended Video Rohingya muslims under assault; people demand Suu Kyi's Nobel back | Oneindia News Yesterday, former South African archbishop Desmond Tutu urged her to intervene to stop the persecution of the Rohingya. In an open letter, he told his fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner that it is "incongruous for a symbol of righteousness" to lead a country where violence against the Rohingya is being carried out. Suu Kyi has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign. However, Rohingya have described large-scale violence perpetrated by Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately and ordering them to leave or be killed. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 18:56 [IST] September 8, 2017 - release at 7:30 am CET Sophia Antipolis, France Nicox S.A. (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), the international ophthalmic company, today announced its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2017, and provided an update on its activities. "The first half of 2017 was marked by significant developments across our core programs" commented Michele Garufi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nicox. "The recent FDA approval of the ZERVIATE(TM) NDA brings us one step closer to our objective of securing a commercialisation partner for this innovative ophthalmic product for the U.S. market. For VYZULTA(TM), our partner Bausch + Lomb has resolved the FDA's concerns surrounding their Tampa manufacturing plant and rapidly submitted a response to the CRL received in August." Michele Garufi concluded, "Subsequent to the close of the second quarter, we strengthened our balance sheet through a reserved capital increase of ordinary shares, the gross proceeds of which were 26.25 million. These funds allow us to advance our novel, patented pipeline candidates NCX 470 and NCX 4251 and to submit INDs for Phase 2 clinical studies during the first semester 2018." Second Quarter 2017 and Recent Developments In August 2017, Nicox completed a financing through a reserved capital increase of ordinary shares of the Company with a specific category of investors. Gross proceeds from the financing were 26.25 million. On August 7, 2017, Nicox's licensee Bausch + Lomb (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.) announced that it had received a CRL from the FDA concerning the NDA for VYZULTA TM (latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution), 0.024% for intraocular pressure lowering in patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The CRL from the FDA referred to a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) inspection at Bausch + Lomb's manufacturing facility in Tampa, Florida. Bausch + Lomb has informed Nicox that it submitted its response to the FDA on August 17, 2017. The NDA had been resubmitted to the FDA by Bausch + Lomb in February 2016 following receipt of a previous CRL. Neither CRL issued to Bausch + Lomb mentioned any efficacy or safety issues with respect to the NDA for VYZULTA, nor any additional clinical trials for the approval of the NDA. On May 31, 2017, Nicox announced that the FDA had approved the NDA for ZERVIATE(TM) (cetirizine ophthalmic solution 0.24%; formerly AC-170), the first topical ocular formulation of this well-known antihistamine, for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. Nicox is currently seeking a licensing partner for commercialization in the United States. Other Updates Nicox and VISUfarma have amended certain elements of our agreement relating to the August 2016 transfer of Nicox's European and International commercial operations to VISUfarma. Under the terms of the amended agreement, VISUfarma and Nicox have agreed to amend the terms and conditions related to the 5 million potential milestone payments, which would have been made in a combination of ordinary shares and interest-bearing loan notes. As a result, Nicox will receive an additional 1.65 million in deal consideration in a combination of ordinary shares and interest-bearing loan notes, making the total consideration for the assets equal to an aggregate of 22.65 million, increased from the 21 million initially. Nicox is now eligible to receive a milestone payment of up to 3.35 million in a combination of ordinary shares and interest-bearing loan notes if certain business objectives are achieved by VISUfarma. Nicox and VISUfarma also agreed that Nicox will no longer be responsible for completing development and regulatory approval for NCX 4240 in Europe. No payments are due by either party, now or subsequently, as a result of this change. Nicox retains rights to develop NCX 4240 in the United States and Japan. And finally, Nicox will make a one-time cash payment of 479,000 to VISUfarma. H1 2017 Financial Summary Following reclassification in 2016 of the European commercial business as Discontinued Operations, the operating profit and loss account items described below include only the Continuing Operations. The operating expenses for the six month period ended June 30, 2017 were 10.2 million compared to 12.0 million for same period ended June 30, 2016. The decrease in operating expenses in 2017 is mainly due to the significant R&D expenses recorded during the first six months in 2016 due to the filing of an NDA for ZERVIATE TM with the FDA as well as expenses for additional studies undertaken to address potential questions of the FDA as part of their review of this application. The Group recorded a net loss from continuing operations of 12.2 million as of June 30, 2017, compared to a net loss of 12.9 million for the same period in 2016. The Group had cash, cash equivalents of 20.4 million as of June 30, 2017, compared to 28.9 million on December 31, 2016. Following the closing of the 26.25 million financing announced on August 15, 2017, the Group's cash, cash equivalents as of August 31, 2017 are estimated to be 44,07 million (non-audited figures). This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones Benazir Bhutto assassination: Two former cops challenge conviction International oi-Vicky By Vicky The two former senior Pakistani police officers have challenged their conviction in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case. They were convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison. An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi last week convicted additional inspector general Saud Aziz and Senior Superintendent of police Khurram Shehzad for negligence and security lapses and sentenced them to 17 years in prison. The two have challenged the judgement in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court, a court official said. Both the officers contented in the appeal that they had provided adequate security to Bhutto who was killed in Rawalpindi, the official added. Bhutto, the Pakistan Peoples Party chief and a two-time prime minister, was killed along with more than 20 people in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. She was 54. The officers asked the court to overturn the verdict, saying the decision was full of contradictions as the court set free the five prime suspects who were kept in jail since 2008 when they were arrested. Their lawyers said the officers who were providing security services have been made "scapegoats", Dawn news reported. They said the prosecution did not have any solid evidence against the accused. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 7:55 [IST] Deadly Hurricane Irma kills 9 in Caribbean International pti-PTI Cap-Haitien (Haiti), Sep 8: At least 9 people were killed and seven others missing after Hurricane Irma pounded the Caribbean islands, shredding homes before honing in on the United States where up to a million people were ordered to flee. The evacuation of coastal areas of Florida and neighboring Georgia was the biggest seen in the US in a dozen years, as Brock Long, head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned: "It will be truly devastating. "The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention." Barreling across the Caribbean, the rare Category Five Irma yesterday wielded monster winds and torrential rain, wreaking destruction on tiny islands like St Martin, where 60 percent of homes were wrecked, before slamming into the US Virgin Islands. In its westward rampage, Irma packed winds of up to 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour), an intensity that it sustained for 33 hours -- the longest of any storm since satellite monitoring began in the 1970s. The latest bulletin from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center put the winds at 175 mph as the storm headed for the Bahamas. Devastation was left in the storm's wake. The International Red Cross said 1.2 million people had already been hit by Irma, a number that could rise to 26 million. On many islands, roofs were ripped off buildings as if by a giant's hand, shipping containers were tossed aside like matchsticks and debris flung far and wide, and airports, sea ports and mobile phone networks were knocked out. At least four people were killed in the US Virgin Islands, officials told AFP, with the toll expected to rise. "We lost a significant and a good number of assets... in terms of fire stations, police stations," Governor Kenneth Mapp said in a Facebook post, adding that the region's main health facility, the Schneider Regional Medical Center, lost its roof. St Martin, a pristine island resort divided between France and the Netherlands, also suffered the full fury of the storm. France said four had died and 50 were injured, two of them seriously. Sixty percent of homes were so damaged that they were uninhabitable. The Netherlands said the storm killed at least one person and injured several others on the Dutch part of St Martin, where communications were all but cut off. The Netherlands said it was racing to provide food and water for 40,000 people over the next five days, while France said more than 100,000 packages of combat rations were en route. A 200-member French team flew in to Guadeloupe to coordinate rescue efforts, headed by Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin. Britain said it was sending two warships to help victims in the Caribbean, and earmarking $41 million in aid. The first vessel was expected to reach affected territories on Thursday. Irma also laid waste to tiny Barbuda which suffered "absolute devastation," with up to 30 percent of properties demolished, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said. "Barbuda now is literally rubble," Browne added. One person is known to have died on the island of 1,600 residents, apparently a child whose family was trying to get to safer ground. More than half of Puerto Rico's population of three million was without power, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island where Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient for up to 62,000 people. As of yesterday evening the eye of the monster storm was located a few dozen miles north of Haiti, churning past Turks and Caicos and heading for the Bahamas. Poor Haitians were left to face Irma's fury alone as authorities showed little sign of preparing for what forecasters said could be a catastrophic event. Two people were injured when an uprooted coconut tree crashed onto their home near Cap-Haitien, authorities said, while neighboring Dominican Republic had evacuated about 5,500 people. Cuba moved 10,000 foreign tourists from beach resorts in the exposed part of the island, and hiked its disaster alert level to maximum. US President Donald Trump has already declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Florida, while the southern state of Georgia ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas. Florida is expecting to face the brunt of the storm from Friday night, with forecasters warning of sea-level surges of up to 25 feet (almost eight meters) above normal tide levels. Tourists in the popular Key West islands were packing their bags on a mandatory evacuation order, with a similar order for residents due to follow. "We can't save you once the storm starts," Governor Rick Scott told a press conference. James Nickolos, a 69-year-old theology professor in Miami, said: "This morning I went to the beach as I do every morning, and it was very empty and beautiful but I had the feeling of watching a great beauty walking on a gang-plank to their death." Trump said he was "very concerned" about Irma, but added: "Florida is as well prepared as you can be for something like this, now it's just a question of what happens." Irma hit the Caribbean even as two other storms, Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico, were upgraded to hurricane status. Katia, a Category One storm, is expected to hit the coast of the Mexican state of Veracruz before Friday. Jose, following in the path of Irma and located east of the Lesser Antilles late Thursday, strengthened to a Category Three event, packing winds of up to 120 miles per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said. PTI The Western bias and why it cannot digest Indias success Explained: Why has US removed India from its currency monitoring list India refuses to join declaration against Myanmar International oi-Vicky By Vicky India refused to be part of a declaration adopted at an international conference as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh. An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adopted at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held here in Indonesia. Recommended Video Modi in Myanmar:PM expresses concern over violence in Rakhine state | Oneindia News "This was in view of the fact that the declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of 'sustainable development'," said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. India reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the Parliamentary forum was to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which requires inclusive and broad-based development processes, it said. "Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate," the release said. The part of the declaration to which India objected spoke of the forum expressing "deep concern on ongoing violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, amongst others..." The declaration went on to "call on all parties to contribute to the restoration of stability and security, exercise maximum self-restraint from using violent means, respect the human rights of all people in Rakhine State regardless of their faith and ethnicity, as well as facilitate and guarantee safe access for humanitarian assistance." The Indian delegation took the stance on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Myanmar where he expressed solidarity with the government there against the "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 7:19 [IST] Indian-origin teenager stabbed to death in Israel after brawl at birthday party Israel strikes in Syria, targets military facility International oi-Vicky By Vicky Israeli warplanes struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria killing two soldiers. The airstrike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf, in Hama province, described by some as a missile producing factory, amid Israeli outrage over Iran's growing influence in the war-torn country. Other reports suggested the facility was tied to Syria's chemical weapons program. In a statement, the Syrian army said the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese air space, and warned of the "dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region." "We will do everything to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor from Iran to Damascus," said Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who declined commenting directly on the strike in an interview with Israel's 100FM Radio today. He said Israel isn't "looking for adventures, and we don't want to be dragged into this fight or another." "We are determined to prevent our enemies from harming or even creating the possibility of harming the security of Israeli citizens." OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 8:01 [IST] Met Russian lawyer to assess Clinton's 'fitness' : Trump Jr tells Senate Judiciary Committee International oi-PTI Washington, September 8: US President Donald Trump's eldest son said he met a Russian lawyer ahead of the presidential elections to assess the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications" for the highest office. He denied colluding with Russia to hurt rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. In a close-door grilling by the Senate Judiciary Committee that lasted nearly five hours, Donald Trump Jr detailed his account of the June 9 meeting at the Trump Tower in New York with the Russian lawyer. The meeting had attracted close scrutiny from the Congress. In his prepared remarks, Trump Jr said: "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out." "Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration. I also note that at this time there was not the focus on Russian activities that there is today." In a statement issued after nearly five hours of interview with the Senate Committee, the 39-year-old said he answered every question posed by the committee. He also said that the meeting provided "no meaningful information" to him. However, Democratic lawmakers did not agree and said his statement raised more questions. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump Jr's statement "contains a notable omission". "It no longer mentions that President Trump 'knew nothing of the meeting or these events,' raising questions about whether then-candidate Trump was in fact knowledgeable about the meeting in advance, and whether it formed the basis of his contemporaneous public promise of derogatory information about Secretary Clinton." Schiff said the statement also for the first time includes the argument that Trump Jr sought information on the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate. He said that this is far afield of the impression he originally conveyed about a meeting 'about adoptions'. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 15:01 [IST] Qatar crisis could be solved "fairly easily": Trump International oi-PTI Washington, September 8: US President Donald Trump said he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily" and he has offered to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors. "I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily." Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups. Doha denies the claims and accuses the other countries of an attack on its sovereignty. The United States has given mixed signals on its policy to the Gulf crisis while Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator. Trump immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia after the Arab states announced sanctions against Qatar, but some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adopted a more measured tone. Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Two weeks before the Gulf crisis erupted Donald Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May. But Qatar is home to a huge US air base, where the headquarters of Centcom -- the regional command which leads operations against the Islamic State jihadist group -- is based. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 8, 2017, 9:13 [IST] 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. English Latvian Riga, 2017-09-08 07:33 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 7 September, 2017 AS Latvenergo organized its Investor Conference Webinar. During the webinar Guntars Balcuns, AS Latvenergo Chief Financial Officer, analyzed Latvenergo Group financial results of 6 months of 2017, informed about Groups current issues and provided answers to webinar participants questions. The recorded AS Latvenergo webinar is available online: http://ej.uz/Latvenergo_H12017, and the presentation, demonstrated during the webinar, can be found in the previously published AS Latvenergo announcement: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cdsPublic/viewDisclosure.action?disclosureId=790522&messageId=994640. Latvenergo thanks all participants, who joined the webinar, and encourages everybody to follow companys announcements to get information about the next webinar! Additional information: Janis Irbe Group Treasurer Phone: +371 67 728 239 E-mail: investor.relations@latvenergo.lv www.latvenergo.lv About Latvenergo Latvenergo Group is a pan-Baltic energy company, engaging in electricity and thermal energy generation and supply, electricity distribution services and lease of transmission system assets. Latvenergo Group is the leader in the Baltic electricity supply. Latvenergo AS has been acknowledged as the most valuable company in Latvia for several times. International credit rating agency Moodys has assigned Latvenergo AS an investment-grade credit rating of Baa2/stable. Latvenergo Group includes the parent company Latvenergo AS (electricity and thermal energy generation and supply) and its subsidiaries Latvijas elektriskie tikli AS (lease of transmission system assets), Sadales tikls AS (electricity distribution), Elektrum Eesti OU (electricity supply in Estonia), Elektrum Lietuva UAB (electricity supply in Lithuania), Energijas publiskais tirgotajs AS (administration of electricity mandatory procurement process) and Liepajas energija SIA (electricity and thermal energy generation and supply). ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB:KBLB) (Company), the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, today announced that the Company will not renew the equity line with Calm Seas Capital, which expired in June of 2017. The Company has maintained a financial relationship with Calm Seas Capital since before the creation of its first transgenic silkworm in 2010. After careful consideration of its plan for commercialization and expansion, and after reviewing potential alternatives for financing that expansion, the Companys management has determined it has outgrown the financial relationship. In addition to the recently extended U.S. Army contract, the Company implemented several strategic efficiency measures to reduce the Companys fixed expenses. We value Calm Seas Capitals contributions to many of our accomplishments, including the creation of new transgenics and recombinant fibers, however, given our projections for growth, this is the ideal time to transition for our business models next chapters, said CEO and Founder, Kim Thompson. As the Company has grown, and, in light of our plans for future expansion and the Armys recent exercise of its contract option with us for spider silk, it is timely for the Company to explore other avenues that are better aligned with our long term goals. Weve now grown to the point where we believe we have alternative financing options not previously available. To view the most recent edition of Kraigs Spider Sense quarterly newsletter and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/newsletter About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (www.KraigLabs.com), a fully reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Lithuanian English Vilnius, Lithuania, 2017-09-08 12:22 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lietuvos energija, UAB (hereinafter the Company), legal entity code 301844044, registered office address at Zveju St. 14, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. The total nominal value of the issued bonds is EUR 300,000,000; ISIN code XS1646530565. The Company informs that the member of the Supervisory Board, Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Finance Agne Bagociute, has resigned. Gediminas Norkunas, deputy director of the State Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, is replacing her at the Supervisory Board. The members of the Supervisory Board of Lietuvos Energija is appointed and revoked by the Company's shareholder the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. WTHI 18 Nov 2020 Millions of Hoosiers could be eligible for money because of an Equifax settlement. Rumble 30 Aug 2022 Adults attempting to cross into the U.S. from the southern Mexico border are posing as unaccompanied minors with illegitimate.. Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: New York-based event-driven hedge fund firm Twin Capital Management LLC is planning to "substantially increase" its assets under management over the next few years through a series of fundraising efforts. To spearhead the campaign, the hedge fund has appointed Jessica Cass as senior vice president for marketing. In her new role with Twin Capital, Cass is expected to focus on developing and executing the fund's marketing and capital-raising campaigns to significantly increase the firm's assets. David Simon, Twin Capital's founder and CEO, said in a statement, "We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to Twin as she has a wealth of experience in raising capital and managing relationships across a variety of institutional and high net worth investors. Her background in marketing event-driven funds will facilitate a seamless transition while providing her with the knowledge to make a tremendous impact on the firm's growth." Cass joined Twin from Gruss Capital Management, LP, where she oversaw investor relations in addition to raising new assets from prospective investors. Prior to joining Gruss in 2009, she was a vice president of marketing at Galleon Group and held senior sales and relationship management roles at Gerson Lehrman Group and Bloomberg....................... To view our full article Click here Opalesque Industry Update - Man Group, the global active investment management firm, announced that it has successfully registered with the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC) as a private securities investment fund manager. The Private Securities Investment Fund Manager (PFM) license granted will enable Man Group to develop onshore investment products for qualified investors in China. The PFM license has been granted to Man Investment Management (Shanghai) Co, Ltd, a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) incorporated by Man Group in Huangpu District, Shanghai. As a global, diversified asset manager, Man Group has $95.9 billion in funds under management1 through its five investment management businesses and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Man Group's China Office opened in 2012. In 2013 the firm was included within the first cohort of alternative investment managers to be granted a quota to raise funds from qualified Chinese investors for overseas investment under the Qualified Domestic Limited Partnership (QDLP) scheme. Luke Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of Man Group, said: "The PFM license is the next stage of Man Group's long-term strategy to build our presence in the world's second largest economy. We strongly believe that there has been a growing appetite from the Chinese institutional investment community for the products we will offer under the new license, and we look forward to continuing to develop our business in the region." Yifei Li, Chairperson of Man Group China, said: "We are honoured to receive this approval from AMAC to develop onshore investment products for qualified investors in China. This opportunity to build an onshore business opens a new chapter for Man Group in China. The Chinese fund management industry is developing at a rapid pace, and we are excited to play a role in its continued success." Tim Wong, Chairman of Man Group Asia, said: "Man Group endeavours to provide a comprehensive suite of strategies to suit our clients' needs, supported by the firm's longstanding experience and diverse expertise across both quantitative and discretionary investment as well as asset classes and geographies. China's increasingly sophisticated markets offer a wealth of investment opportunities and we look forward to combining our global insight with our local presence as we develop strategies for Chinese investors." Global Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017 Global Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017 https://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-708980.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ The Global Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Tomato Seeds industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Tomato Seeds market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Tomato Seeds industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.In this report, the global Tomato Seeds market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Tomato Seeds for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Tomato Seeds market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Tomato Seeds sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingLimagrainMonsantoSyngentaBayerSakataVoloAgriTakiiEast-West SeedAdvantaNamdhari SeedsAsia SeedMahindra AgriGansu DunhuangDongya SeedOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLarge Tomato SeedsCherry Tomato SeedsOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Tomato Seeds for each application, includingFarmlandGreenhouseOtherTo ask a comprehensive report sample or make an order, please email to tinaning@qyresearch.com or browse our detailed product link:Table of contents:1 Tomato Seeds Market Overview2 Global Tomato Seeds Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application3 United States Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Tomato Seeds (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Tomato Seeds Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data10 Tomato Seeds Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Tomato Seeds Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixList of Tables and Figures:Figure Product Picture of Tomato SeedsFigure Global Tomato Seeds Sales Volume Comparison (K MT) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Tomato Seeds Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Large Tomato Seeds Product PictureFigure Cherry Tomato Seeds Product PictureFigure Global Tomato Seeds Sales Comparison (K MT) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Tomato Seeds by Application in 2016Figure Farmland ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in FarmlandFigure Greenhouse ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in GreenhouseFigure Other ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in OtherRelated Reports:Europe Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017China Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017India Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017Korea Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017Japan Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017USA Tomato Seeds Sales Market Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com Tel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Thermal CTP Market Forecast 2017-2022 Presstek, Heidelberg, Kodak, Amsky, Agfa, Screen, Fujifilm Thermal CTP http://bit.ly/2gJqggk http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-thermal-ctp-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022 Thermal CTP Market Research 2017A market study Global Thermal CTP Market examines the performance of the Thermal CTP market 2017. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA Vacuum Pump Filters Market Forecast 2017-2022 Helapet, Parker Hannifin, Ohio Medical, Mass-Vac Vacuum Pump Filters http://bit.ly/2wLK0I4 http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-vacuum-pump-filters-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022 Vacuum Pump Filters Market Research 2017A market study Global Vacuum Pump Filters Market examines the performance of the Vacuum Pump Filters market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Vacuum Pump Filters market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA TORONTO, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SickKids Foundation is pleased to announce that Sobeys Inc. will be a Major sponsor for the fifth annual Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk presented by Sport Chek to benefit The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk is a camp-themed fundraising event and the only one of its kind in Canada, where participants challenge themselves to walk up to 20 kilometres, starting and ending at Fort York in Toronto. Sobeys five-year commitment to SickKids signature peer-to-peer fundraising event represents an extension of Sobeys support for childrens health through local partnerships with childrens hospitals across the country. Sobeys will be providing healthy recipes in advance of the September 23 Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk as well as fueling participants with snacks, refreshments and healthy meals throughout the event day. Further, Sobeys will have a team competing in the Corporate Challenge, and will match funds raised by their team with a corporate donation. We rely on the generous support from the community and are grateful for the commitment of Sobeys Inc., says Ted Garrard, Chief Executive Officer, SickKids Foundation. This significant and long-term relationship will help SickKids continue to fund the fight against the greatest challenges in child health. Sponsorship and funds raised from events like this are especially important as we embark on the largest health-care fundraising campaign in Canadian history this fall. The difference SickKids makes in the lives of children and their families is wide-reaching and immeasurable, says Michael Medline, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sobeys Inc. Thousands of our employees and customers have experienced first-hand the heroic efforts of the staff and volunteers who make this vital resource in our community possible. They are the inspiration behind our partnership. We are excited to be joining the SickKids Foundation family on September 23 and look forward to standing alongside them in the years to come in their pursuit to push the boundaries of whats possible in childrens health. Funds raised through the Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk go to SickKids Foundation to support its highest priority needs. With unrestricted donations, SickKids Foundation has the ability to respond quickly with flexibility to fund areas such as research, clinical advances or compassionate care. Unrestricted gifts to SickKids Foundation are the best way for donors to ensure the best possible outcomes for kids, now and in the future. To register for the Walk taking place Saturday, September 23, 2017, please visit: WalkForSickKids.ca. About SickKids Foundation Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids one of the worlds foremost paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of the community, and as a result of a record-breaking year in fundraising, SickKids Foundation generated an unprecedented $140 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. For more information, please visit sickkidsfoundation.com. About Sobeys Inc. Proudly Canadian, with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys has been serving the food shopping needs of Canadians since 1907. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited, Sobeys owns or franchises approximately 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and Lawtons Drug Stores as well as more than 350 retail fuel locations. Sobeys, its franchisees and affiliates employ more than 125,000 people. The companys purpose is to help Canadians Eat Better, Feel Better and Do Better. More information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at www.sobeyscorporate.com. Voriconazole Market Forecast 2017-2022 Novartis, Sandoz, Takeda, Aditya Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo Voriconazole http://bit.ly/2xRjJbl http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-voriconazole-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022 Voriconazole Market Research 2017A market study Global Voriconazole Market examines the performance of the Voriconazole market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Voriconazole market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Voriconazole market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Voriconazole Market 2017 report includes Voriconazole market Revenue, market Share, Voriconazole industry volume, market Trends, Voriconazole Growth aspects. 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We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA Wurtzite Boron Nitride Market Forecast 2017-2022 Element Six, Tomei Diamond, Henan Huanghe Whirlwind Wurtzite Boron Nitride http://bit.ly/2xQRfOZ http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-wurtzite-boron-nitride-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022 Wurtzite Boron Nitride Market Research 2017A market study Global Wurtzite Boron Nitride Market examines the performance of the Wurtzite Boron Nitride market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Wurtzite Boron Nitride market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei City 23546 Taiwan Global Barricades Sales Market Report 2017 Global Barricades Sales Market Report 2017 https://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-708985.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ The Global Barricades Sales Market Report 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Barricades industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Barricades market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Barricades industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.In this report, the global Barricades market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Barricades for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Barricades market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Barricades sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingAmerican Barricade CompanyBoston BarricadeNational BarricadeBob's BarricadesTBC SafetyMidwest BarricadeUtah BarricadeSafety Systems BarricadesSouthwest BarricadesAF SecurityOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFixed Type BarricadesMovable Type BarricadesOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Barricades for each application, includingGovernment AgencyRoad Separation AreaPedestrian StreetParkOthersTo ask a professional report sample or make an order, please email to tinaning@qyresearch.com or browse our detailed product link:Table of contents:1 Barricades Market Overview2 Global Barricades Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application3 United States Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Barricades (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Barricades Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data10 Barricades Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Barricades Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixList of Tables and Figures:Figure Product Picture of BarricadesFigure Global Barricades Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Barricades Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Fixed Type Barricades Product PictureFigure Movable Type Barricades Product PictureFigure Global Barricades Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Barricades by Application in 2016Figure Government Agency ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Government AgencyFigure Road Separation Area ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Road Separation AreaFigure Pedestrian Street ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Pedestrian StreetFigure Park ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in ParkFigure Others ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Others......Related Reports:Europe Barricades Sales Market Report 2017China Barricades Sales Market Report 2017India Barricades Sales Market Report 2017Korea Barricades Sales Market Report 2017Japan Barricades Sales Market Report 2017USA Barricades Sales Market Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com Tel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Guangzhou Wireless Patient Monitoring Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022 Some of the key players in wireless patient monitoring market include Cardiocom, GE Healthcare https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/758480-wireless-patient-monitoring-global-market-outlook-2016-2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=758480 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/758480-wireless-patient-monitoring-global-market-outlook-2016-2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com Global Wireless Patient Monitoring IndustryAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Wireless patient monitoring market is accounted for $XX million in 2015 and is expected to reach $XX million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of XX%. Rising healthcare awareness, Advancements in technology for long time storage of data are the major factors fueling the market. However, high cost is hampering the market growth.Hospital segment is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period owing to requirement of advanced healthcare infrastructure. North America accounted for the largest share in the market. While, Asia Pacific is estimated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to rising number of medical treatments.Some of the key players in wireless patient monitoring market include Cardiocom, GE Healthcare, Carematix, American TeleCare, Drager Medical, Cybernet Medical Corporation, Honeywell HomMed and GlobalMedia Group.Try Sample Report @Applications covered: Coronary Heart Disease Monitoring Device Diabetes Monitoring Device Asthma Monitoring Cancer Monitoring Device Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Monitoring Congestive Heart Failure Monitoring Device Other Disease MonitoringProduct Types covered: Blood Glucose Monitor Respiratory Monitoring Devices Prothrombin Time Monitor Hematological Monitors Multi-sign Monitors Cardiac Monitoring Devices Heart Rate Monitors Sleep Apnea Monitor Respiration Rate Monitor ECG Monitoring Fetal Heart Rate Monitor Spirometers BP MonitorsEnd Users covered: Nursing Homes Hospitals Home Healthcare Other End Userso Physician officeso Militaryo First Responderso InstitutionalBuy now @Regions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsWise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune 411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042 Modified Starch Market To Witness Enhanced Usage In Paper Production, Pharmaceuticals and Food & Beverage Industries Till 2024 | Million Insights Million Insights - World's Fastest Growing Market Research Database https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/modified-starch-market?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=openpr_shree_sep08&utm_content=Content https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/modified-starch-market/request-sample https://www.millioninsights.com/industry/food-and-beverage Industry InsightsIn terms of global market size, the modified starch market was valued at USD 8.97 billion in the year 2015 and is projected to experience a significant growth over the forecast period on account of its increasing requirement from numerous application industries which consist of paper, pharmaceuticals and food & beverage.The modified starch products have developed their dominance in the food & beverage sector as it is used as a thickening agent, emulsifier, stabilizer and emulsifier for manufacturing biscuits, noodles, confectionary, bakery and other food products.Increasing demand for modified starch based products from the packaged food andconvenience food sector is expected to drive the market further. This has also caused improving margins of the food processing sector in the recent past.Full Research Report On Modified Starch Market Global Analysis available at:In addition, innovations in processing and packaging technologies in the food & beverage sector in Europe and the U.S. is expected to fuel the growth of packaged food industry. Advantages such as extended shelf life and easy-to-use options are expected to enhance the demand for convenience food products. These numerous factors are anticipated to influence the industry growth over the next eight years.Application InsightsIn terms of global volume, the food & beverage sector accounted for 32.70% share in 2015. The modified starch is added to frosted products to avoid dripping when defrosted. These modified starches, bond with phosphate and let the starch absorb extra water and hold the ingredients together. These properties are anticipated to improve penetration of modified starch in the food industry.The second largest application industry in 2015 was paper production which accounted for over 2 million tons of the total demand. Its wide usage in numerous functions such as sanitary, packaging and stationary are expected to drive the growth for paper market.The capability of the product to form an improved quality of paper by the correct treatment of cellulose obtained is a major factor driving its usage in the paper sector. Initiatives undertaken by numerous governments in emerging economies in APAC to increase literacy among its people is presumed to influence the demand for writing paper, therefore, enhancing the overall growth over the forecast period.Request for Free Sample Copy :Product InsightsIn terms of volume, cationic starchis projected to experience the fastest growth at a CAGR 6.90% over the forecast period. These ingredients have the capability to act as a wet-end additive, which assists in increasing paper strength along with fiber-to-fiber interaction. These properties of cationic starchledthe increasing demand for modified starchin paper sector.The rising penetration of starch ethers & esters in the food industry owing to their excellent properties which such as low fat, texture and improving taste is expected to propel the growth. In terms of value, resistant starch market surpassed USD 1.9 billion in the year 2015 owing to its high necessity in the food & beverage industry.Regional InsightsIn terms of global volume share, North America accounted for more than 40% in the year 2015. The increasing food & beverage sector in North America, particularly in Mexico and the U.S. is presumed to enhance the overall demand.The strong manufacturing base of the food industry together with rising demand in Germany is anticipated to enhance demand in the region over the next eight years. The modified starch market in Europe is projected to account for a market share of 21.50% by 2024.Optimistic outlook towards the textile industry in India, Malaysia and China owing to increasing local consumption, along with favorable regulatory norms to attract investments is presumed to enhance the expansion. In addition, high consumption of modified starch in paper industry is projected to promote market expansion over the next eight years.Competitive InsightsThe modified starch market is highly fragmented andcompetitive in nature. The industry is dominated by limited number of companies which such as Ingredion Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Comp., Roquette Freres, and Cargill Inc., which are integrated across the value chain. These players also consume modified starch to produce finished goods.The players in the market have been emphasizing on R&D activities over the recent past to develop and produce better modified starch-based products. In 2016, Avebe announced that the firm had arrived in the final stage of their potato harvest movement after which it would be possible to harvest greater quality food products to advance potato starch and enlarge their production.Roquette Group modified starch extracted from numerous raw materials which consist of waxy maize, wheat, potato, pea and maize are mostly used in confectionary and bakery market. Roquette Group has acquired three India based starch manufacturing sites establishing joint venture trade to strengthen its foot hold in Asia-Pacific region.Related Reports of this Category available at Million Insights:About Million InsightsMillion Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.Contact Details:Office No. 302, 3rd Floor, Manikchand Galleria,Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, MH, 411016 IndiaPhone: 91-20-65300184Email: sales@millioninsights.com Laser Interferometer Market - Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2024 Laser Interferometer Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/laser-interferometer-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13304 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in Laser Interferometer Market: OverviewLaser interferometer is a system which uses laser as a source of light because of the high intrinsic brilliance and monochromaticity of laser lights. These systems offer the advantages of nano scale and long distance measurements. Laser interferometers also offer the combination of precise resolution and accuracy which makes it applicable for flat panel inspection, wafer steppers and nano scale micromachining. They were developed for meeting the growing demands of high precision displacement calibration in the automotive and semiconductor industries. However, the precision of these interferometers changes with the way they are used and time. Therefore, they are prone to errors if they are not calibrated on a regular basis.Laser Interferometer Market: Growth Enablers and RestraintsThe major application areas of laser interferometers are in electronic manufacturing, automotive and machine shop. Automotive industry accounts for the major application area of these the laser interferometers. These systems are also used widely in the semiconductor industry. The semiconductor and automotive industries continuously require these high-quality systems in order to produce highly precise and complex parts. Laser interferometers are used in machine shops for checking the accurate measuring of the industrial parts. Other application areas of laser interferometers include consumer electronics, ophthalmology and defense & aerospace. The defense and aerospace sector is providing growth opportunities to the global laser interferometer market.Obtain Report Details @The increase in demand for laser interferometers in the automotive sector is primarily driving the global market. The key applications of laser interferometers in this sector include alignment, dimensional measurement, profiling and control. Moreover, potential growth opportunities of the laser interferometer market in Asia Pacific are also boosting its growth globally. Many companies in this region are trying to establish global presence by setting up their plants. Thus APAC is gaining momentum in terms of increased market share. However, high cost of laser interferometers and limited knowledge of customers regarding these high-quality products are hindering the growth of the market. Due of the high cost of the laser interferometers, only large companies are able to procure them. However, small and medium enterprises in Europe such as Lasertex, SSIA and EKMO R&D have developed rigid and compact laser interferometers at lower cost.Make an Enquiry @Laser Interferometer Market: SegmentationThe global laser interferometer market can be segmented, on the basis of types into intelligent single-axis systems and multi-axis systems. The market for laser interferometers can be segmented based on its application areas into a wide range of industries including automotive, consumer electronics, semiconductor, ophthalmology and defense & aerospace. Furthermore, the laser interferometer market is geographically bifurcated into five broad regions, namely: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.The laser interferometer market is witnessing high growth in the Asia Pacific region. The requirement of critical measurement systems in the automotive, electronic manufacturing and defense & aerospace end-user sectors is paving the way for continuous growth of the laser interferometer market in this region.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: Denver, Colo., Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thirty-four accredited tribal colleges and universities provide higher education opportunities to American Indian communities nationwide. Now, thanks to a $450,000 three-year grant from The Kresge Foundation, the American Indian College Fund will conduct a study on student success at three tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). These best practices will then be scaled up and replicated at TCUs and other educational institutions working with Native students. The study will determine how TCUs retain Native students, help them graduate, provide internship opportunities to launch students professional careers, and capture data about these students successes to better serve them and future students, all while engaging TCU faculty and scholars in the study. The findings will be used to assist the American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) in providing programs to better serve Native communities. Since 2013, the Kresge Foundation has provided $1,200,000 for programming that supports the College Funds mission of investing in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities. The Kresge Foundation previously supported a $750,000 Achieving the Dream project at two TCUs to strengthen and build the capacity of the TCUs to serve student needs. Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said The College Fund especially appreciates this opportunity because The Kresge Foundation and the College Fund share the value of student success in grassroots, place-based institutions. Lives are transformed and communities are renewed because we share in the pursuit of higher education. Best practice research is particularly valuable because it directly addresses what works to achieve our graduation goals. TCUs are essential anchors in their communities, creating environments that foster Native American culture, languages, and traditions, said Rebecca Villarreal, Ph.D., Kresge program officer, Education Program. Among other activities, the Kresge grant provides the College Fund an opportunity to learn alongside TCUs, with the focus on long-term sustainability. About the Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation is a $3.5 billion private, national foundation that works to expand opportunities in Americas cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and community development in Detroit. In 2016, the Board of Trustees approved 474 grants totaling $141.5 million, and made 14 social investment commitments totaling $50.8 million. For more information, visit www.kresge.org. About the American Indian College Fund Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nations largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 25 years. The College Fund believes Education is the answer" and has provided more than 100,000 scholarships since its inception and an average of 6,000 scholarships per year to American Indian students. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nations 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/37113f18-688c-471f-b36e-b2ffffadab8f Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c24bbc2-96f5-4117-9492-ff9fe1cb5a1a Vacation Rental Software Market - Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2024 Vacation Rental Software Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/vacation-rental-software-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13535 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in Vacation rental is a house, apartment or a resort rented on temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The term vacation rental is used mainly in North America, whereas in Europe it is known as villa holiday or villa rental. They are also referred as holiday lettings, bed & breakfast, homestay and gites. The vacation rental software enables the house/property managers to manage leads, cash flows, distribution channels and partners or distribution channels. It also offers an efficient point of sale system, efficient documentation system to property managers and increases automation in vendor payables system.Lead management functionality generates the price quote automatically according to the requirements of the customer. Further, it also assists sales managers to create personalized quotes in less time and thus eliminates the hassle of manual price calculation. The vacation rental software contains reporting suite which enables the renting entity to evaluate the financial performance of the rented property. Renting entity refers to the property owner organization, property manager or the property owner.Obtain Report Details @As the Internet penetration is increasing tremendously, the renting entities are moving to online platform. The vacation rental software enables the renting entity in building adaptive/responsive websites which provides optimized viewing experience independent of the type of devices (smartphone, personal computers or tablets) being accessed with. This supports the growth of the vacation rental software market. With the support of rental software, the organizations could enhance automation in their regular processes such as vendor payment, partner management and bulk mail system, driving the growth of vacation rental software market. The rising awareness about vacation rental homes through travel websites such as tripadvisor.com and airbnb.com has also generated a demand of vacation rental software to manage the customers and their details such as check-in time, check-out time and their invoice. The vacation rental software could be easily integrated with the travel websites, thus reduces hassle of deploying different software for different websites. The rising complexities in vacation rental business such as payment processes, check-in & check-out processes and customer management is expected to create ample opportunities for vacation rental software market. However, absence of pricing regulations for vacation rentals and fierce competition by hotels is expected to provide hurdles in the adoption of vacation rentals by the tourists. This is further anticipated to curb the growth rate of vacation rental software market.Vacation rental software market is broadly segmented on the basis of deployment type, end-users and geography. On the basis of deployment type, global vacation rental software market is segmented into on premise and cloud deployment. On the basis of end-users, the global vacation rental software market is further segmented into vacation rental owners, property managers, innkeepers, bed & breakfast (B&B) and vacation rental property agency. Moreover, in terms of geographies, the global vacation rental software market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America region. Europe and North America lead in deployment of vacation rental software due to presence of world famous tourist destinations in the region such as California (the U.S.), Miami (the U.S.), Paris (Europe) and Switzerland (Europe). Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region owing to a large number of vacation rentals present in the tourist destinations such as Maldives, Bangkok and Indonesia.Make an Enquiry @The major participants in the vacation rental software market include companies such as BookingSync, Ciirus Inc., Kigo Inc., VRM Solutions Inc., LiveRez Inc., OwnerRez Inc., 365Villas.com Ltd, Convoyant LLC, Rental Network Software Corp. and Trekadoo LLC.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: EPDM 2017 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 7.36% and Forecast to 2021 EPDM Market Trend https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1815273-global-epdm-market-2017-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1815273-global-epdm-market-2017-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1815273 www.wiseguyreports.com Global EPDM MarketDescriptionWiseGuyReports.Com adds Global EPDM Market 2017-2021 Research To Its Database.Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is classified as a synthetic rubber as well as an elastomer, which is used in various applications including general and specialty purposes. It is made by forming blocks of ethylene and propylene, which act as a backbone for the long molecular chain of EPDM. The pendant diene is used in small amounts to chemically bind the chains during the vulcanized stem. EPDM rubber is resistant to many chemicals, UV, and ozone. This makes it suitable for outdoor use. The unique feature of EPDM is its stability in a wide range of temperatures. Due to this feature, the material can be stored and used in an environment where the temperature ranges between -20.2F and 350.6F. It has resistance to mild acids, alkalis, alcohols, detergents, ketones, silicone oil, and greases but it cannot be exposed to fuel. Thus, it is not recommended for applications in combination with petroleum oils and mineral.The analysts forecast the global EPDM market to grow at a CAGR of 7.36% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global EPDM market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of EPDM.Get sample Report @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: APAC Europe North America ROWThe Global EPDM Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors The Dow Chemical Company ExxonMobil Lion Elastomers LANXESS MITSUI CHEMICALSOther prominent vendors Covestro Carlisle Firestone Building Products Jilin Xingyun Chemical KUMHO PETROCHEMICAL PetroChina SK global chemicalMarket driver Growing demand for synthetic rubber For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Product limitations and lack of awareness For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Increased production of bio-based EPDM For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Report Details @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: Introduction Market outlinePART 05: Market landscape Market overview Market size and forecast Five forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by application Overview: Global EPDM market by application Global EPDM market for automotive Global EPDM market for molded goods Global EPDM market for building and construction Global EPDM market for lubricant additives Global EPDM market for plastic modification Global EPDM market for other applicationsPART 07: Geographical segmentation Overview: Global EPDM market by geography EPDM market in APAC EPDM market in Europe EPDM market in North America EPDM market in ROWPART 08: Decision frameworkPART 09: Drivers and challenges Market drivers Market challengesPART 10: Market trends Increased production of bio-based EPDM High degree of forward integrationPART 11: Vendor landscape Competitive landscape Key market vendors Other prominent vendorsPART 12: Key vendor analysis ExxonMobil MITSUI CHEMICALS LANXESS Lion Elastomers The Dow Chemical Company..CONTINUEDBuy Now@About UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industryresearch reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK) Inkjet Coders Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/inkjet-coders-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9602 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The inkjet technology is a reliable and cost-effective method used to mark and code a whole range of products. Inkjet coders are most commonly used in the packaging industry to differentiate products. These are a non-contact printing coders that can generate dates and batch numbers, and time any information to a variety of packaging products including containers, cartons labels, etc. Inkjet coders are used in industries, such as food and beverages, automotive, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and electronics, for marking purpose. The inkjet coders cost less but have higher maintenance cost, whereas laser coders have high cost and low maintenance cost. Inkjet coders are cost effective and are recommended for economical color printing. The substitute for inkjet coder is laser coder. Inkjet coders comprise different chambers containing different colors of ink. Recently, Videojet Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of coding, marking, and printing products, launched six new inks for larger inkjet printers. Making an innovation in coding solution, Hitachi America, Ltd. recently developed its latest generation of continuous ink jet printers, the UX Series.Obtain Report Details @Drop on Demand (DOD), Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) and Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) are the three types of ink-jet technologies used in the packaging industry for coding applications. The drop on demand technology uses aqueous or UV curable inks to print on a wide range of products; it has a number of chambers which contains ink. Continuous ink jet is a non-contact coding and durable method. The small characters of CIJ coders generate expiry dates, lot codes, graphics, and bar codes on a variety of primary packaging and the large character of CIJ coders generate same for secondary packaging, i.e. for cartons, etc. Thermal ink jet coders make use of print cartridges. They contain a series of small electrically heated chambers, which can be controlled by a flex-circuit, and involve high speed coding for serialized data. (TIJ) technology is usually for generating high-quality graphics and high-grade two-dimensional symbologies such as DataMatrix codes. Generally, industries such as pharmaceuticals, tobacco, health, and beauty make use of TIJ coders.The global inkjet coder market is segmented based on product technology, end user, and geography. By product technology, the global inkjet coder market is segmented into Drop on Demand (DOD), Continuous Inkjet (CIJ), and Thermal Inkjet (TIJ). By end user, the global inkjet coder market is categorized on the basis of different industries, including food and beverages, cosmetics, personal and home care, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, tobacco, automotive and aerospace, building materials, chemicals, commercial printing and addressing, electrical components and electronics, and wire, cable and pipeTechnological developments in inkjet coders, such as advancement in software that controls and monitors ink viscosity and automatic flush systems that help save time by stopping and cleaning daily print head, are anticipated to create excellent growth opportunities for the inkjet coder market. Rise in demand for minimization of solvent evaporation and reducing mixing of air with ink are the major factors expected to drive growth of the inkjet coders market over the forecast period. However, factors such as high running cost and low quality of marks that result in non-permanent mark are expected to hinder the market growth. Also, inkjet coders spill some tiny droplets of ink while printing; therefore, their resolution is lower than the laser printers. Significant factors that influence the demand for ink jet coders are reduced downtime, which helps customers expand the visual and functional coding capabilities. Currently, increasing number of manufacturers are seeking high performance printing and coding equipment, thereby creating significant growth and investment opportunities for players in the inkjet coders market.By geography, the global inkjet coder market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. Currently, North America and Europe dominate the market, accounting for the highest share of the global inkjet coders market in terms of volume. However, most of the major manufacturers in the market are from China, in view of the low capital cost required in the country, advancements in technology, and changing trends and requirements of players in the market. The global commercial and industrial markets play an important role in the development of the overall ink jet coder market.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Some of the key players in the global inkjet coding market are Videojet Technologies, Inc., FoxJet, an ITW Company, Hitachi America, Ltd., ID Technology, LLC., KGK Jet India., Linx Printing Technologies, Domino Printing Sciences plc, Shanghai Rottweil Handyware Printing Technology Co., Ltd, Media Data Systems Pte Ltd, Elmark Packaging, Koenig & Bauer AG, Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc., Markem-Imaje, a Dover Company, and Xaar plc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Zinc Phosphate Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2014-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/zinc-phosphate-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3908 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Zinc Phosphate Market: OverviewZinc phosphate is widely used in corrosion resistance coatings in the form of electroplating or primer coats. It is usually applied on ferrous metals, as they are prone to corrosion by frequent contact with air and moisture. The wide application range of ferrous metals has been a crucial driver for the global zinc phosphate market and is likely to remain the key factor enabling steady growth of the industry in the coming years.The report studies the historical trajectory of the global zinc phosphate market and presents a comprehensive overview of the markets figures in 2015. A solid analysis of the zinc phosphate markets latest figures forms the basis for reliable predictions regarding the markets growth trajectory in the 2016-2024 forecast period. The report uses industry-standard analysis tools and sources to ensure the accuracy of the information it delivers.Obtain Report Details @Global Zinc Phosphate Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe prime driver for the global zinc phosphate market is the flourishing performance of multiple end-use industries. Due to the relatively cheap prices and high mechanical strength of ferrous materials, they are widely utilized in many areas where structural rigidity is valued.The booming construction industry is thus an important driver for the global zinc phosphate market. Following the global economic concerns in 2008-09, the construction industry has benefited from the steady demand for new residential and commercial construction in developing regions and the steady demand for restorative projects in developed regions. The increasing disposable income of consumers in emerging economies is likely to keep the impact of this factor on the global zinc phosphate market high in the coming years.The rapid growth of the automotive industry in recent years has also had a notable impact on the trajectory of the zinc phosphate market. Due to the demand for stronger and more reliable automobiles with components that last much longer than those in older vehicles, zinc phosphate coatings have gained widespread demand from the global automotive industry and are likely to remain popular in the coming years. The rising demand for automotive electronics has also helped the demand for zinc phosphate coatings, as they help keep the components free from corrosion.The rising volume of marine trade has also been a crucial driver for the global zinc phosphate market, as it has driven the demand for new ships. Since ships are constantly exposed to the highly corrosive seawater and salt-rich air, the protective benefits imparted by zinc phosphate have taken on an important role.Make an Enquiry @Global Zinc Phosphate Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsAsia Pacific is likely to be the dominant regional market for zinc phosphate in the coming years due to the rising demand for zinc phosphate coatings in the regions booming construction and automotive industries. The rapid economic progress of developing countries such as China and India has led to steady growth of these industries and is thus a key driver for the Asia Pacific zinc phosphate market. The marine industry is also flourishing in China and is likely to contribute significantly to the growth of the zinc phosphate market in Asia Pacific in the coming years.Many of the leading players in the global zinc phosphate market are enhancing their efforts in emerging regions due to the lucrative prospects offered by these markets. Key players profiled in the report include Hubbard-Hall Inc., Henkel Corporation, Chem Processing Inc., ALFA Chemicals Ltd., Haward Corporation, and Chemetall.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: A Recent Study Says Genotyping Market Will Make a Huge Impact in near Future!! https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/270487/?utm_source=OPR-AN https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/270487 http://www.openpr.com/news/archive/147945/marketsizeforecasters-com.html https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-north-america-europe-and-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east-and-africa-dental-fitting-market/?utm_source=RR-AN http://marketsizeforecasters.com/ https://marketsizeforecasters.com/news The study on the global market for Genotyping has evaluated the historical and current performance of this market, especially highlighting the key trends and growth opportunities. According to the study, the rising demand for this product is driving the global market for Genotyping significantly. The expansion in the various related industry is also expected to reflect positively on the sales of Genotyping product over the next few years.Request Sample Copy for Global Genotyping Market Research Report @This report studies the global Genotyping market, analyzes and researches the Genotyping development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, like Affymetrix, Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, QIAGEN N.V, Agilent Technologies, Beckman CoulterMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Genotyping can be split into Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sequencing, Microarray, ElectrophoresisMarket segment by Application, Genotyping can be split into Pharmacogenomics, Diagnostic Research, Animal Genetics, Agricultural BiotechnologyIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Discount for Global Genotyping Market Research Report @Table of Content for Global Genotyping Market Research Report:Industry Overview of GenotypingGlobal Genotyping Competition Analysis by PlayersCompany (Top Players) ProfilesGlobal Genotyping Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)United States Genotyping Development Status and OutlookEU Genotyping Development Status and OutlookJapan Genotyping Development Status and OutlookMarket Forecast by Regions and Application (2017-2022)Genotyping Market DynamicsMarket Effect Factors AnalysisResearch Finding/ConclusionAppendixFor More Info on Market Research @Related Reports: -Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Dental Fitting Market 2017 Forecast to 2022A dental fitting is an intraoral (inside the mouth) prosthesis used to restore (reconstruct) intraoral defects such as missing teeth, missing parts of teeth, and missing soft or hard structures of the jaw and palate. Prostheses are used to rehabilitate mastication (chewing), improve aesthetics, and aid speech.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market Size ForecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:News: Electroceutical Devices Market - Industry Insights With Key Company Profiles | Forecast To 2024 Electroceutical Devices Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/electroceutical-devices-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14171 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in Electroceutical devices are target specific and stimulate nerves or tissues through electric impulses, which enable to alleviate or relieve various conditions of the body. Electroceutical devices are employed as an alternative to drug-based remediation. Furthermore, the technological enhancements, including wearable devices, and miniaturized devices, among others have been a significant contributing factor for the growth of the market.The technological innovations in the market include the development of the Stimwave electroceutical device which does not contain toxic materials and does not hold any internal batteries. In August 2016, GlaxosmithKline entered into an agreement with Googles life science spinoff, Verily to form a joint venture, Galvani Bioelectronics for the development of miniature electroceutical devices. Through this joint venture, both the companies intend to invest over US$ 700 Mn over a period of four years. In addition, National Institute of Health (NIH) also invested US$ 250 Mn on its project SPARC (Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions).Obtain Report Details @Electroceutical devices market can be segmented based on the products, by application, by end users and by region. The market can be segmented into implantable electroceutical devices and non-invasive devices, on the basis of product. Implantable electroceutical devices can be further segmented into cardiac pacemakers, implantable cardioventer defibrillators, spinal cord stimulators, deep brain stimulators, and vagus nerve stimulators, among others. On the basis of application, electroceutical devices market can be segmented into pain management, neurology, urology, hearing aids, cardiology, gasteroenterology, and ophthalmology, among others. Hospitals, individual users, and research institutes form the major end users of the market. On the basis of region, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Electroceutical devices are gaining importance as an alternative to pharmaceutical products as they do not lead to side effects. In addition, growing prevalence of neurological conditions such as Parkinsons disease, and depression among others contribute to the growth of the market. Furthermore, increasing investments by market players on research and development, along with the cost effectiveness of these devices has been driving the growth of the market. However, the usage of these devices is done as a trial and error method and This might have a negative impact on the growth of the market.Make an Enquiry @Implantable electroceutical devices are the widely employed product category, of which pacemakers and ICDs are the key products contributing to the growth of the market. North America accounts for the major share followed by Europe in the global electroceutical devices market. This can be attributed to increasing geriatric population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, growing technological innovations, and increase in product approvals. In addition, availability of reimbursement and high investments in healthcare infrastructure contribute to the growth of the market. However, the sluggish economic conditions in North America and Europe, and the changing government regulations related to healthcare spending might negatively impact the market. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at an impressive CAGR during the forecast period. The growing healthcare industry, rising medical tourism, increasing awareness among people and the growing economy contribute to the growth of the market in the region. India, China and Brazil are expected to drive strong growth among the emerging countries, owing to the increasing investments by the government to enhance the healthcare facilities.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: Current and Projected Electrophotographic Printing Market size in terms of volume and value 2016-2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/electrophotographic-printing-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9842 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Electrophotographic printing technology enables printing images on an imaging substrate which includes paper, glass, fabric, metal or any other object. The technology ensures quality print at a very high speed in comparison to other types of printers currently in use. Electrophotography or electrophotographic printing is a popularly used in commercial application, owing to its cost economy, ability to print on a large scale, and high-speed functionality. The commercial use of the technique accounts for the majority share of the total electrophotography printing market. Electrophotography is a complex digital printing technology, consisting of two materials and seven process steps.Obtain Report Details @Electrophotography is the oldest of all the non-impact printing technologies. Electrophotographic printing is also known as xerography and/or laser printing. The major advantage associated with the electrophotography printing is its large speed range spanning from 4 PPM to 1,000 PPM. Digital printing processes are undergoing major changes, such as improvements in productivity and reliability, which are making it more cost effective. The output of electrophotographic printing is expected to grow in the coming years, and the growth is likely to be value-driven.The increasing use of electrophotographic printing in the packaging industry is one of the key drivers expected to drive growth of the electrophotographic printing market over the forecast period. The digital print packaging market has benefited the manufacturers of consumer goods through: improved workflow, facilitating the rise in innovative marketing practices, enabling the foray of products into the market at a faster rate, and expediting technological advancements. The brand owners and manufacturers seek innovative packaging and graphics to gain a competitive edge and enhance the shelf appeal of their products. Thus, the rising need from the packaging industry is expected to contribute toward the growth of the global electrophotography printing market in the coming years. The other major driver for the rising demand for the electrophotographic printing technique is the increasing investment in marketing activities by majority of the business customers and companies. In addition, the growth witnessed in the food, healthcare, and retail industries is expected to further fuel growth of the global electrophotographic printing market in the coming years.The color electrophotographic printing market is expected to be the most dominant market segment in the global electrophotographic printing market in the near future. Marketers that are increasingly focused towards improving the packaging standards of their products are further fuelling the market growth. The color photographic printers not only have a strong presence in the current market, but are also expected to continue to witness growth in the coming years as well.One of the major challenges for the global electrophotographic printing market is that the electrophotography is environmentally hazardous, as the printers use a harmful substance called selenium. In addition, increasing availability and application of inkjet technology as its substitute is also acting as one of the major restraints for growth of the global electrophotographic printing market.The global electrophotographic printing market is segmented based on application, type, and geography. By application, the global electrophotographic printing market is segmented into labels and packaging, commercial/other printing, security, office stationery, advertising, directories, catalogues, newspapers, magazines, books, and others. By type, the global electrophotographic printing market is categorized into monochrome and color.By geography, the global electrophotographic printing market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. North America being one of the most innovative and mature markets in terms of printing, accounts for major share of the global electrophotographic printing market currently. In APAC, Japan remains the largest electrophotographic printing market. Besides, APAC is expected to expand at the fastest growth rate in the coming years, owing to the rising disposable income and increasing sales of computers and printers in the region.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Some of the key players in the global electrophotographic printing market are: AB Graphic International Ltd., - Landa, HP, Xeikon, Anglia Labels, Cenveo Labels and Packaging Group, Associated Labels, Consolidated Labels, Kodak, Canon, Konica, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., etc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Luxury Pens Market Estimated to Flourish by 2022 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/9887 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/9887 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com The growing e-communication among the corporates and other social class people around the world has become a threat for written communication. Due to the increasing brand awareness and high disposable income of people (especially among young adults), the luxury pens market is witnessing a decent growth. Likewise, luxury pens key players which are having brands such as Lamy, Aurora, Mont Blanc, Grayson and Parker are trying to encash the opportunities in this growing luxury pens market. The major players are opting to make their luxury pens more royal by making it diamond studded and gold plated, to grab the maximum market share. One of the key trend in the market is that the manufacturers are strategically investing in product development by modifying the luxury pen nib with platinum and other expensive metals. In spite of the sluggish market and curtailed discretionary spending, the luxury pens market is growing at a good rate. Hence, the global luxury pens market has got a great potential in the forecast period. The global luxury pens market is anticipated to witness a moderate single digit growth in the upcoming years.A sample of this report is available upon request @The growing global luxury pens market can be attributed to the growing disposable income and brand awareness amongst people. Growing population coupled with the changing lifestyle of people in the developed countries is anticipated to drive the demand for global luxury pens market. Moreover, possessing a luxury pen has become a status symbol these days and hence, high class society people are opting for luxury pens. Likewise, the attractiveness of luxury pens again plays a great role for boosting its market.The luxury pens market is a niche market, and also there are not much retailers available in the market, which can hamper the luxury pens market. Likewise, the import duty of such luxury pens is high enough to impact its market. Due to its high range the inventory cost of the dealers increases, hence it requires more working capital management which can decline the luxury pens market. Moreover, there is an increase in e-communication among people which would further decline the luxury pens market.Global Luxury Pens Market: SegmentationThe global luxury pens market can be segmented on the basis on product type, raw material and application.Global Luxury Pens Market by Product TypeBall Point Pens, Converter Pens, Fountain Pens, Roller Ball Pens, Fine Liner Pens, Stylus Pens, Multifunctional Pens, Brush Pens, Die Pens;Global Luxury Pens Market By Material Used:-Precious gold metals, Precious resin, Rubber, Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver, Porcelain/ Ceramic, Carbon, Lacquer;Global Luxury Pens Market by Application;Calligraphy, Screen Writing, Document Marking, Global Luxury Pens Market by Region: Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, The Middle East & Africa,Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the global luxury pens market. Countries such as India and China are the upcoming countries where demand for such luxury items are at peak because of the increase in disposable income of people. Even, North America is a flourishing luxury pens market due to the improving brand awareness of luxury pens amongst people.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Luxury Pens Market: - Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the global luxury pens market are Paradise Pen Company, Montblanc International GmbH, C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Grayson Tighe, Parker Pen Company, A.T.Cross Company, Sanford L.P.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Iso-Octane Market Value Share, Analysis and Segments 2015 - 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/iso-octane-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4510 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Iso-octane also known as 2, 2, 4-trimethylpentane is an important component of gasoline, frequently used in relatively large proportions to increase the knock resistance of the fuel. Engine knocking is an unwanted process that can occur during combustion in internal combustion engines. Iso-octane is produced on a massive scale in the petroleum industry by distillation of petroleum. There are other methods of production as well. It can also be produced from isobutylene by dimerization (a variant of alkylation) using an amberlyst catalyst to produce a mixture of iso-octenes. Hydrogenation of this mixture produces 2, 2, 4-trimethylpentane.Obtain Report Details @At present, using iso-octane as a fuel in investigations of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) is a very popular method, in which iso-octane is used both as a neat fuel and as a component in a primary reference fuel blend. This method was introduced by the need to improve the efficiency and performance of currently operating combustors and reduce the production of pollutant species emissions generated in the combustion process. Iso-octane is a primary reference fuel (PRF) for octane rating in spark ignition engines, and when used in compression ignition engines, has a cetane number of approximately 15Increased global automotive activity is expected to drive the iso-octane market in the near future. Global expansions in demand for automotives/automobiles, improved vehicle design capabilities and increasing importance of weight reduction and emission control are the major factors driving the iso-octane market. However, inhalation or ingestion of large quantities of iso-octane or 2, 2, 4-trimethylpentane is harmful. In rare cases a stronger reaction can occur which may be a restraining factor for the growth of the iso-octane market.In terms of demand, Asia Pacific was the leading region in iso-octane market. China had the largest demand for iso-octane owing to huge demand from the automobile industry. However, other countries such as India, Japan and Korea are likely to exhibit more demand for iso-octane in upcoming years. Rising population and changing lifestyles of consumers have been directly or indirectly driving the market and are expected to continue to do so in the next few years as well. Asia Pacific has experienced dynamic economic growth in the past decade. This trend is expected to continue in the next few years. Asia Pacific was followed by North America. U.S. had the largest demand for iso-octane. The demand was huge owing to increasing demand from various applications such as lubricants among others among others. Europe had the third largest market share in iso-octane market.Fill the Form for an Exclusive Sample of this Report @Growing demand from automobile industry is driving the iso-octane market in Europe. European countries such as Germany and the UK were the major consumers of iso-octane in this region. However, stringent environmental regulations associated with paints and coatings industry in European Union can act as a major restraint for the market in upcoming years. Rest of the World market is anticipated to have stable demand for iso-octane market in near future. Latin America is one of the largest markets for iso-octane in the Rest of the World. However, the Middle East region is anticipated to offer more opportunity for iso-octane market in upcoming years.Some of the key players in the iso-octane market are Puyang Zhongwei Fine Chemical Co., Ltd., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and Honeywell among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Chromatography Resin Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 - 2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017 - 2027 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/3305 http://www.mrrse.com/chromatography-resin-market http://www.mrrse.com/ While other players in the global chromatography resin market have contributed around US$ 200 Mn, the top five players in the market such as Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., GE Healthcare, Tosoh Corporation, Merck KGaA, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. hold more than 70% of the revenue share with a contribution of more than US$ 500 Mn in the global chromatography resin market in 2016. The remaining players contributed approximately 30% revenue share to the global chromatography resin market in 2016. Currently, more than 60% revenue contribution comes from Tier 1 players, while Tier 2 players contribute more than 10% and Tier 3 players contribute about 25%. The U.S. based GE Healthcare alone has contributed more than 40% revenue share followed by other key players in the global chromatography resin market.Request For Free Sample Report:Stringent rules and regulations accompanied by available alternatives to chromatography are hampering revenue growth of the technology segment in the global chromatography marketStringent rules and regulations laid down by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission for new products such as chromatography columns and resins for diagnostics and analysis purposes may hinder the growth of the technology segment of the global chromatography resin market. Besides, the regulations laid down by the regional authorities for the use of chromatography technologies may also restrain the growth of the overall market during the period of assessment.Cost is another limiting factor. Higher selling price of resins is anticipated to restrict market growth to a great extent. Column chromatography is usually regarded as a major cost driver. Besides, for the fixed costs, the column membranes that are used for the purification of the proteins swallow a large proportion of the costs. This factor is likely to hamper the growth of the chromatography resin market during the forecast period.Repeated use of chromatography is another reason which is obstructing the growth of the by technology segment over the projected period. For the low-cost manufacturing of bio pharmaceuticals in the developing countries, several tactics are followed to reduce the costs such as repeated use of chromatography column resins during the purification process often stretching their use for more than 100200 cycles which in turn affects the overall by technology segment. Further, many industries use a smaller protein A column instead of using a large ProteinA column and multiple cycles are performed for the single batch of mABs. This also affects the segment.Browse Full Report With TOC:Increasing production of monoclonal antibody through affinity chromatography is expected to fuel market growthThe affinity chromatography segment by technology dominated the global chromatography resin market in revenue terms in 2016 and the trend is projected to continue throughout the forecast period. The affinity chromatography segment is anticipated to be the most lucrative among all technologies, with a market attractiveness index of 1.9. Projected to reach a market valuation in excess of US$ 650 Mn by the end of 2027 from an estimated US$ 279 Mn in 2017, the affinity chromatography segment is slated to witness a substantial CAGR of 9.3% in terms of value during the period 2017-2027.About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: Swedish English The Riksbank's financial independence and balance sheet will be investigated and it will affect the Swedish National Debt Office's foreign currency funding on behalf of the Riksbank. Accordingly, the Debt Office assumes that the foreign currency on-lending will continue. The Swedish government announced today that the Riksbank Committee should analyse the Riksbank's financial independence and balance sheet. This means that the proposal presented by the government in a draft legislative council earlier this year will not be prepared further. The purpose of the proposal was that the foreign currency funding by the Debt Office on behalf of the Riksbank would cease at year end 2017/18. In June, the Debt Office published the report Central Government Borrowing, Forecast and Analysis 2017: 2. The issuance plan for 2018 presented in the report was based on the assumption that the on-lending in foreign currency to the Riksbank would cease. It had previously been estimated to be SEK 105 billion. This assumption therefore no longer applies. The on-lending to the Riksbank is therefore assumed to continue. The Debt Office presents the next report Central Government Borrowing, Forecast and Analysis on October 25, 2017. Contact Goran Robertsson, head of the Debt Management Department, +46 8 613 46 06 Robert Sennerdal, Press Secretary, +46 8 613 46 94 Biochemical Sensor Market Report, Trends, Size, Share, Analysis, Estimations and Forecasts to 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=15875 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biochemical-sensors-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The competition prevailing in the global biochemical sensor market is considerably high. As leading companies fight out for the lead in the market, product innovations and launches are on cards. Besides this, investments in research and development have scaled higher as market players aim for emerging at the fore. In order to boost operations, several players are concentrating on expanding their regional footprint, especially in Asia Pacific. Cheap labor, abundance of raw materials, and the rising demand from emerging nations make the region highly lucrative for investment, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study.Some of the most prominent names in the global biochemical sensor market are GE Healthcare, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Honeywell International, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and Polestar Technologies, Inc., among others. Besides aforementioned strategies, many of the market players are also pushing mergers and acquisitions to capitalize on their expertise and expand their product portfolio.Request Sample:Overall, the global biochemical sensor market will rise at a robust CAGR of 14.7% between 2017 and 2025. At this pace, the market is expected to reach US$58.48 bn by the end of 2025, from its valuation of US$17.1 bn in 2016. Based on product, electrochemical sensors constituted the leading segment with a share of 32% in 2016. Besides this, piezoelectric sensor, thermal sensor, gas sensor, and optical sensor make other key segments in terms of product.Regionally, North America held dominant with a share of over 29% in the global market in 2016. Europe and Asia Pacific followed closely as the second- and third-leading markets for biochemical in the same year. However, over the course of the forecast period, North America is likely to lose its market share, while Asia Pacific and Europe markets will witness accelerated pace of gains.Application across Diverse Industries, Especially Healthcare, to Boost GrowthAs biochemical sensors have found a leading end user in the healthcare sector, growth witnessed in the industry will subsequently fuel their demand. The healthcare infrastructure is a major consideration by governments when planning economic growth. Over the years, the industry has expanded exponentially. Additionally, investments in research and development are forecast to increase in the coming years. Biochemical sensors are used in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of clinical diagnosis in the healthcare sector, said a lead TMR analyst. The increasing aging population, coupled with the rising incidence of chronic ailments, will fuel the demand for precise diagnosis, thus providing significant impetus to the biochemical sensor market, he added.Besides this, government initiatives to ensure superior food quality, advancements in material chemistry and wireless networks, the rising demand for advanced wearable biochemical sensors, and the growing population of point of care diagnostics will create lucrative market opportunities. TMR also prophesized that the rising oil extraction worldwide will tip scales in favor of the market. Rise in oil extraction would result in greater percentage of inflammable and toxic in the air. Spurred by this, the use of biochemical sensors will increase to detect the presence of toxic gas.High Cost of Biochemical Sensors to Limit SalesOn the downside, high cost of biochemical sensors will hinder the sales to an extent. In addition, complex product design and incompatibility with real-world application portend hard-time for the market. Nevertheless, advancements in the wireless technology will help reduce the impact of aforementioned bottlenecks. The market will also gain from the rapid proliferation of wearable technology.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Market to Cross $9 Billion by 2022 http://www.dpiresearch.com/report-details.php?P_ID=103 www.dpiresearch.com Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Market is likely to reach more than US$ 9Billion across the ten major markets (10MM) of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, China, India and Brazil by the year end of 2022.Market growth can be attributed to factors such as growing diabetes patient population, high adoption rate, userfriendly design, rising popularity among consumers, help avoid over/underdosing of insulin, rising market demand for human insulin analogs, government support and technological advancements in the field of insulin pen devices.United States became the worlds biggest market of disposable insulin pen. United States market for disposable insulin pen is expected to reach more than US$ 2.5 Billion by the end of 2022. Japanwill be the secondbiggestmarket for disposable insulin pen which is expected to grow at a CAGR of X% by 2022. Germany is expected to be third biggestdisposable insulin penmarket being followed by Spain by the end of 2022.The research report titled Global Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Market Report: Country Outlook, Analysis, Size, Share and Forecast 2017 2022 examines the market, demand, competitive landscape and trends of the ten major markets of the disposable insulin pen market. The report provides an indepth analysis of overall diabetes population and insulin users. It provides essential insights into disposable insulin pen market and users for the top 10 countries, comprising the US, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan, China, India and Brazil until 2022. The report also explores detailed description of growth drivers and barriers of the disposable insulin pen market.The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the insulin pen market such as Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi. The major market players are evaluated on various parameters such as company overview, product outlook and latest development and trends of the insulin pen market.Complete Reports @All the Ten Major Markets(10MM) Covered in the Report Have Studied from 4 Viewpoints:1. Overall Diabetes Population (2011 2022)2. Insulin Users (2011 2022)3. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Users (2011 2022)4. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market (2011 2022)Ten Major Markets(10MM) Covered in the Report are as follows:1. United States2. United Kingdom3. France4. Italy5. Spain6. Germany7. Japan8. China9. India10. BrazilKey Companies Covered in the Report are as follows:1. Novo Nordisk2. Eli Lilly3. SanofiDPI Research is a business solutions firm which offer bespoke market research reports, custom research solutions and consulting across multi geographies and industry verticals. We deliver wide range of cutting-edge research solutions that helps organizations in making better decisions of the business to business needs.DPI Research provides high standard of business research reports to the clients across industry verticals comprising Life Sciences, Information Technology, Telecom & Internet, Food Beverages & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education and Social Sciences. We are committed to use advanced analytical tools and methodologies to help clients with crucial industry information for decision making.DPI Research approaches for the business research led by a team of dynamic industry experts. DPI Research provides a real insight for effective decisions to help business with the help of current source and accurate data available in the market. DPI Research reach across the globe with global standards from established markets in the North America and Europe to emerging markets in South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa to provide the best business solutions.Maria RaiTel :+91 -7289949987Email: sales@dpiresearch.comWebsite: Monomethylammonium Nitrate Market is Expected to Reach Over US$ 8,569.5 Mn by 2025 http://www.credenceresearch.com/report/monomethylamine-nitrate-market According to a new market report published by Credence Research, Monomethylammonium Nitrate Market Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2017 2025, the global monomethylammonium nitrate market is expected to reach over US$ 8,569.5 Mn by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2017 to 2025.Browse the full Monomethylammonium nitrate market by application Water Gel/Slurry Explosives, Emulsion Explosives and Seismic Explosives - Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2017 2025 report atMarket Insights:The global monomethylamine nitrate market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period 2017 to 2025. Growing use in mining and quarrying industries is anticipated to drive the demand for the monomethylamine nitrate. The global monomethylamine nitrate market is projected to reach US$ 8,569.5 million by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2017 to 2025.On the basis of applications, the global monomethylamine nitrate market is segmented into water gel/slurry explosives, emulsion explosives and seismic explosives. Among these, water gel/slurry explosives segment dominated the market and accounted for more than 50% market share in 2016. This segment is projected to maintain its dominance over the next eight years. The water gels primarily contains a mix of nitroparaffin, an oxidizer salt solution and a gelling agent. The monomethylamine nitrate functions as a sensitizer in the water gel explosives. Furthermore, monomethylamine nitrate is widely used in production of water gel explosives in order to produce low cost blasting agents.For the purpose of this study, the global monomethylamine nitrate market is categorized into regional markets viz., North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America and Middle East and Africa. In base year 2016, Asia Pacific was observed as the largest market for monomethylamine nitrate. In Asia Pacific, China and India serve potential markets for monomethylamine nitrate in the next five to six years. Growing consumption of monomethylamine nitrate as the penetration of the industrial explosive agents is on rise especially in China and India. In India, the demand for automobiles and infrastructure is on rise as the countrys economy is rapidly increasing with almost 7% growth. This generates demand for power and steel which in turn drives the mining sector in the country.Furthermore, companies present in North America and Asia Pacific are extensively focusing on research and development and expanding their business network, across regional markets. Alkyl Amines Chemicals Limited. BOC Sciences Ltd., Balaji Amines Ltd., Haihang Industry Co., Ltd., Tamil Nadu Industrial Explosives Ltd., Yick-Vic Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd., Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp., Merck KGaA, and SPEX CertiPrep. are among the few key manufacturers in monomethylamine nitrate market.Key Trends:Growing Mining IndustryIncreasing array of applicationsAsia pacific is expected to register the highest growth rateReplacing Traditional ExplosivesStrong Demand from Emerging EconomiesThreat from Low Cost Substitute Such As Ammonium NitrateCredence Research is a worldwide market research and counseling firm that serves driving organizations, governments, non legislative associations, and not-for-benefits. We offer our customers some assistance with making enduring enhancements to their execution and understand their most imperative objectives. Over almost a century, we've manufactured a firm extraordinarily prepared to this task.Credence Research Inc.105 N 1st ST #429SAN JOSECA 95103United StatesToll Free(US/CANADA): +1-800-361-8290sales@credenceresearch.com Global Industrial Operational Intelligence Solutions Market to grow at a CAGR of 12.13% during the period 2017-2021 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1300656/global-industrial-operational-intelligence-solutions-market-research-reports.pdf https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1300656 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1300656 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global Industrial Operational Intelligence Solutions Market 2017-2021 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"View Sample PDF :Operational Intelligence (OI) is a real-time dynamic, business analytics solution that provides visibility and understanding of business operations. OI solutions run 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.Technavios analysts forecast the global industrial operational intelligence solutions market to grow at a CAGR of 12.13% during the period 2017-2021.Download Sample copy of this Report at :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:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global 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.Key vendorsDassault SystmesRockwell AutomationSiemensSplunkVitriaOther prominent vendorsAxwayBentley SystemsFeedzaiGuavusIntelligent InSitesKofaxIFSSoftware AGSpaceTime InsightMarket driverAssistance to demand-based manufacturingFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeChange managementFor a full, detailed list, view our reportSend An Enquiry Request :Market trendTransition from operational intelligence to enterprise intelligenceFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Dental Consumables Market is Expected to Surge at a CAGR of 6.1% by 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-consumables-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/554 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=554 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=554 1), Modified Phenolic Resins., On the basis of application, global phenolic resin market is classified as:Wood-adhesives, Insulation, Lamination, Molding compound, Others, On the basis of end-use industries, global phenolic resin market is segmented as:Furniture Industry, Automotive Industry, Electrical & Electronics Industry, Construction Industry, Others,Global Phenolic Resins Market: Regional Outlook,Regionally, global phenolic resins market is segmented into seven key regions, namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa and Japan. APEJ is expected to emerge as one of the fastest growing regions in the global phenolic resins market due to high rise in demand from construction and furniture industry, majorly in China and India. China is expected to remain a prominent consumer of phenolic resins in the global market throughout the forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Phenolic Resins Market Players:Some of the key player of global phenolic resins market are Chang Chun Plastics Co. Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Georgia Pacific Chemicals LLC, Prefere Resins, Kolon Industries, Inc., Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., SI Group, Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd, BASF SE, Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd., and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Pharmaceutical Hot Melt Extrusion Market to Increase from a Value of US$26.6 Million to US$36.4 Million by 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pharmaceutical-hot-melt-extrusion-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/19961 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19961 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=1996199.5% Content 99.0%-99.5% Content?98.0%-99.0%Silicon Metal Market, by Chemistry Accessories Si Fe Al Ca TiSilicon Metal Market, by Key Consumer Aluminum Industry Silicone Compounds Photovoltaic Solar Cells Electronic SemiconductorsRadiant Insights is a market research and consulting company offering syndicated research studies, customized reports, and consulting services. Market research studies are designed to facilitate strategic decision making, on the basis of extensive and in-depth quantitative information, supported by extensive analysis and industry insights. Using a patented and robust research methodology, we publish exhaustive research reports covering a host of industries such as Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. Radiant Insights has a strong base of analysts, consultants and domain experts, with global experience help for delivering excellence in all research projects.Media Contact:Michelle Thoras201 Spear Street 1100,Suite 3036,San Francisco,CA 94105, United StatesTel: 1-415-349-0054Toll Free: 1-888-928-9744Mail: sale@radiantinsights.com Global Fuel Cell Market 2017 - Current and Future Plans 2024 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2111666-global-fuel-cell-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Global Fuel Cell Market Outlook.Market OverviewFuel cells are devices that fuse hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically to produce heat, electricity and water. Unlike conventional batteries, fuel cells are able to generate power continuously as long as source fuel is supplied. Fuel cell is a green technology which do not burn fuel and up to three times more efficient than combustion technologies. Fuel cell system is a zero emission technology to produce electricity when hydrogen is produced from non-polluting sources. In 2015, more than 60,000 fuel cells were shipped across the globe, totaling power over 300 MW. The total megawatts (MW) shipped across the world significantly increased by 65% over 2014. Global fuel cell market growth could be attributed to several factors, such as growth in transportation and logistics sector. Several public utilities in U.S and in South Korea are installing high power, large-scale fuel cell parks. Major manufacturers of U.S such as Fuel Cell energy are exporting multi-megawatt fuel systems to South Korea, accounting for increase in shipments by 20% in 2015. In Japan, continuous growing sale of Ene-Farm residential fuel cell system, also contributing to growth of global fuel cell market. Global fuel cell market is also growing on the back of expansion of transportation sector, fuel cell vehicles were just started to enter the market in 2015 in California, parts of Europe and Japan. In U.S., fuel cell bus deployments and growth in material handling equipments (MHE), account for the growth of fuel cell shipments for transportation applications.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Segmentation By Fuel Cell Typeo Alkaline Fuel Cello Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cello Molten Carbonate Fuel Cello Solid Oxide Fuel Cello Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cello Direct Methanol Fuel Cell By Fuel Cell Applicationo Stationary Power Generationo Portable Power Generationo Power Generation for Transportation By Geographyo North America (US, Canada) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion}o Europe (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Russia, Poland and Rest of Europe) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)}o Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion) }o Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion) }o Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia-Pacific) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion) }o Rest of the World{Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion) }Market Drivers and ChallengesGrowing environmental concerns and favorable incentives from government of several countries across the world for the development and adoption of fuel cell vehicle is one of the major growth factor for global fuel cell market. U.S. Environmental Protection agency (EPA) regulations to curb the green house gases and policies like Clean Air Act may shift the focus of automotive manufacturers towards fuel cell technology over conventional sources to reduce carbon monoxide emission. Hyundai and Daimler are some major players in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) market. Government of South Korea and Japan also providing subsidies up to USD 20,000 for purchasing of fuel cell electric vehicles. Major market player are adopting business strategies to expand their business through mergers with other business or by acquisitions. In 2015, major players such as Canada-based Ballard Power Systems acquired U.S. based Protonex Technology Corp. in 2015. NEL ASA, Norway based clean fuel energy company, acquired a Denmark-based hydrogen refueling stations manufacturer for USD 65.7 Million in 2015. Also, some companies expanded their businesses operation in the past few years. For instance, fuel cell developer PowerCell based in Sweden established a new branch in Germany, fuel cell manufacturer FuelCell Energy expanding its business that will increase the supply of fuel cells into the European market and manufacturing capacity. Developing infrastructure in various countries to provide hydrogen filling facilities for public is expected to raise the demand for fuel cell powered vehicles. The numbers of hydrogen stations are increasing significantly across the globe, reached more than 54 new hydrogen stations opened in 2015. Japan lead the way with more than 28 new fuel stations, Europe with 19 and 7 hydrogen station in United States. In 2016, 64 new hydrogen filling stations were opened in Europe with 34 of those located in Germany. However, high initial investments and high cost of fuel cell electric vehicles are expected to hinder the growth of global fuel cell market.Market Size and Forecast (2016-2024)The global fuel cell market accounted for USD 2.5 billion in 2015 owing to increased shipments across the globe and rising market of fuel cell powered electric vehicles. Global fuel cell market is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 18% over the forecast period i.e. 2016-2024 and expected to reach USD 9.4 billion by the end of 2024.North-America fuel cell market dominated the global fuel cell market with more than 50% revenue share in 2015. Fuel cell manufacturers in North-America shipped fuel cell more than 150 MW across the globe, accounting 30% more than shipments from Europe and Asia-Pacific. Apart from large-scale stationary fuel cell systems, shipments also include fuel cell units for telecommunication backup systems and material handling equipments, exported to Korea, Japan, and some other countries. North-America is closely followed by the Asia-Pacific region with more than 35% market share in global fuel cell market. In 2015, Asian shipments also witnessed significant growth with more than 100 MW shipments in 2015. The growth is attributed to the growing shipments of electric fuel cell vehicles of Toyota and Hyundai, coupled with stationary fuel cell systems from Japan and Korea. Europe is also expected to achieve significant growth on the back of growing sales of fuel cell powered electric vehicles, with major share of Germany in the region.Key Players Toshibao Synopsiso Business strategyo Product Portfolioo SWOT Analysis SFC Energy SolidPower GmbH Hydrogenic Corporation Nuvera Fuel Cells United Technologies AFC Energy PlC Fuel Cell Energy Ballard Power Systems Bloom EnergyScope BackgroundMarket SynopsisMarket SegmentationThe global fuel cell market is segmented as follows: By Fuel Cell Type (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis) By Application Type (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis)Global Fuel Cell Market Report covered insights of below mentioned regions: North America (U.S., Canada) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Rest of Latin America) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, France, The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Rest of Asia Pacific) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East and North Africa (MENA) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis}Market Dynamics: Growth Drivers, Restraints and Opportunities Risk Factors Regional Variations Recent Trends and DevelopmentsKey Market Players Synopsis Business Strategy Product Portfolio SWOT AnalysisPorters Five Force ModelMarket Landscape: Competition and BeyondMarket outlook for business players and entry level players to ascertain their business in dynamic ecosystemExpert AnalysisConcluding Remark..CONTINUEDContact UsEmail Us at : sales@wiseguyreports.comReach Us at : +1 339 368 6938 (US) +44 208 133 9349 (US)For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra CHICAGO, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a member of the Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP), Boise Paper is a corporate leader who makes a difference by pre-investing in the vital work of the American Red Cross. Through a unique partnership, Boise Paper donates a majority of the office paper the Red Cross uses annually, helping reduce a large administrative expense and allowing the Red Cross to invest more funds in critical humanitarian needs. Donations from ADGP members, like Boise Paper, enabled the Red Cross to be among the first responders on the ground, preparing for the large response effort as Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas and Louisiana. Contributions from ADGP members power the ability of the Red Cross to provide compassionate care to those in need from providing relief and support to those in crisis, to helping people be prepared to respond in emergencies. We are so grateful to Boise Paper for their ongoing support of our operations through their in-kind donation, said Don Herring, Red Cross chief development officer. Generous donations from ADGP members are essential to our ability to fulfill the mission of the Red Cross. As of September 5, in response to Hurricane Harvey, the Red Cross has mobilized more than 3,100 trained Red Cross disaster relief workers to support response efforts with another 420 on the way, and more than 32,000 people have sought refuge in hundreds of Red Cross and partner shelters in Texas and Louisiana. More than 80 tractor-trailer loads of cots, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, comfort kits, kitchen supplies and cleaning supplies are now on the ground. The Red Cross has shelter supplies for more than 85,000 people. Nearly half of its emergency response fleet 215 Emergency Response Vehicles have been activated for the operation. The Red Cross is also working in close collaboration with government officials and community partners to coordinate ongoing response efforts. Weve seen firsthand the difference an immediate response from the Red Cross makes in local communities when disasters like Hurricane Harvey occur, said Paul LeBlanc, vice president of Boise Paper, a division of Packaging Corporation of America. We know our donation helps the Red Cross prepare ahead of time, to ensure they have the resources they need to provide help to our friends and neighbors as soon as possible. For more information about ways your organization can help the Red Cross prepare for disasters before they strike, go to www.redcross.org/adgp. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. About Boise Paper: Boise Paper is a division of Packaging Corporation of America, headquartered in Lake Forest, IL. Boise Paper manufactures a full line of quality papers including imaging papers for the office and home, printing and converting papers, and papers used in packaging, such as label and release papers. Through their Paper with Purpose promise, they commit to delivering excellent value while sustaining environmental, economic, and social resources for future generations. Keep current with news and events at www.BoisePaper.com. New Report Offering Detailed Analysis on Attitudes to Advertising in Ireland Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1312633 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/attitudes-to-advertising-ireland-august-2017-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1312633 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ A recent report Attitudes to Advertising - Ireland - August 2017 has been added to Market Research Hubs database. The report offers insights on the overall sentiment towards advertising in Ireland, providing an estimate on the advertising revenues in NI and RoI.Advertising is the best way to communicate to the customers and we all know what it means to the companies to increase their reach to the target customers. In the Republic of Ireland, 2016 had been the third consecutive year of growth in advertising investment levels. However, this increase in 2016 was less than the actual market forecasts due to uncertainty in relation to Brexit, Trump and domestic issues.Request Free Sample Report@Northern Ireland had a huge impact, with ad spend down by 0.3% for the year. Despite the concerns, it is anticipated that overall advertising investment in 2017 will be in line with economic growth. The report throws light on how social media platforms remain a key and most effective online advertising channel. Majority of advertisers use social media and invest heavily to target the right audience and increase traffic to their websites. Advertisers believe social media gives immense exposure to their businesses in increasing brand awareness, higher conversion rates and more customer satisfaction.As per the report, television has been the most effective offline channel in 2016. TV advertising is one of the most popular ways of setting up a mass communication nationally and internationally. TV advertisements can tap very large audience, generate awareness and establish preferences towards products and services. Television advertising allows advertisers the flexibility to use different resources and combinations of audio, video and text to make ads create powerful impact on audiences thereby becoming most preferred channel among for advertisers in offline category.Due to growing popularity of online channels, newspaper ad revenue continued to decline in 2016. The revenue was not as per the forecasts that were made at the beginning of the year. Owing to this, many newspapers have not started to focus on websites rather than print.The report also provides details on top five social media networks that consumers log on to regularly (i.e. log on at least once per week), in NI and RoI, April 2017. It provides a detailed comparison between the reach of Facebook audience versus ONS population estimates.Browse Full Report with TOC@As more companies opt for advertisements online, there is an increase in users that block the ads. The report focuses on how usage of Ad-block software continues to increase no matter how hard tech giants like Facebook and Google try to outsmart it. There is an increase in percentage of Internet users opting for Ad-blockers in 2016 to avoid being tapped by digital advertisements while they surf.The report also touches upon the top concerns for marketers regarding the General Protection Regulation. The report also offers analysis on the competitive strategies of key players in the market. Overall, the report is a detailed source of information for stakeholders in the Ireland advertising sector.Enquire About this Report@About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of retail market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at - United States-Telecommunication Services Market Perspective & Performance Insights during the Period 2016-2021 Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1313641 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/united-states-telecommunication-services-a-technology-focused-market-strategy-performance-and-risk-analysis-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1313641 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ The telecommunication sector is advancing all across the globe in order to offer a solid source of interaction to the population. The market for telecommunication services in the United States is on a significant rise with the surge in the count for mobile subscriptions. Hence, to study further a new report has been added to the vast online database managed by Market Research Hub (MRH). This research study is titled United States-Telecommunication Services: A technology focused market (Strategy, Performance and Risk Analysis), which covers data surrounding around revenue, innovation and growth projections for the current as well as forecasted years.Request Free Sample Report@In telecommunication, a telecommunications service is basically a facility provided by a telecommunications provider, or can be tagged as a specified set of user-information transfer capabilities offered to a group of users by a telecommunications system. With a specific focus on the United States region, this research study works to enlighten the readers about all the major market influential factors along with key evaluations necessary to gain a precise understanding of the market. To be accurate, industry risk & reward, key industry trends and drivers, industry benchmarking to compare key performance indicators with regional and global markets, industry SWOT analysis, competitive landscape, and innovation, all are compiled in a systematic manner.As the report proceeds, the key highlights are offered which reveal that increasing mobile data ARPS offsets fall in voice ARPS. Further, it is mentioned that mobile data ARPS increased at a CAGR of 10.8% during 2012-16, from US$27.7 in 2012 to US$27.2 in 2016, and is likely to further surge with a CAGR of 0.4% during the forecast period. However, on the contrary, side voice ARPS weakened at a CAGR of -18.5%, from US$29 to US$12.8, and is anticipated to decline further, posting a CAGR of -7.5% over 2016-21.Browse Full Report with TOC@Considering different aspects such as mobile subscriptions, the report presents a positive side. It is stated that mobile subscriptions increased at a CAGR of 6.1% during 2012-2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% over 2016-2021. Moreover, mobile service revenue hiked at a CAGR of 1.5% during 2012-2016 and is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 1.6% over 2016-2021. Further, increased usage of mobile data services and M2M cards are likely to boost mobile subscription growth in the coming years.The research study concludes with the competitive analysis that compares the performance of the leading players in the U.S. Telecommunications market based on metrics such as such as ARPU, churn and subscriber and revenue growth.Enquire About this Report@About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of retail market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at - Increasing Demand from North America will Aid in Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market Growth https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13594 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13594 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and ReportingMarket OverviewAggregate spend is a process used in the U.S. to combine and monitor the total expenditure by health care manufacturers on individual healthcare organisations and personnel through payments, honoraria, gifts, travel and other methods. It is also known as the Physician Payment Sunshine Act and was passed in March 2010. The Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market is a growing body of state and federal legislation who intend to address some or all of the following objectivesA sample of this report is available upon request @Provide transparency with regards to who in the medical industry contributes what benefits to which medical professional.Make statutory reports mandatory at least on an annual basis.Limit total spending per physician.The organisations monitored in the Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending market are pharmaceutical, biotechnology and in some U.S states and cases, even medical device organisations. While U.S pharmaceutical companies have been dealing with the Sunshine Act for close to a decade now, new legislation such as Frances disclosure law and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Code on Disclosure of Transfers of Value from Pharmaceutical Companies to HCP and HCO are the latest in transparency legislation and industry codes being implemented worldwide.Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and ReportingMarket DriversWith the rapidly changing and evolving regulatory environment, it is vital that life science organisations keep tracks of payments across the organisation and develop a roadmap to assess aggregate spending needs. The desire to achieve more transparency between the healthcare industry and professionals is the main driver of the Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market.Life science manufacturers in developed nations like the U.S, and France face some of the most stringent government regulations across any industry. Increased legislative pressure forces pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to adjust, by adopting proactive systems that lessen corporate vulnerability, provide transparency and ensure legal compliance.The Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market also aims to cut down on conflict of interest relationships in pharmacy that affect prescription behaviour and can potentially drive up the cost of drugs and services. Transparency regulations like the Sunshine Law shed light on how industry sale tactics impact the cost of medical devices and drugs. Studies have shown the correlation between transfers of value like gifts, meals, travels and doctor prescribing behaviour.As the business relation between sales personnel and medical practitioners grows stronger, the latter becomes less aware of the influence on their prescribing behaviour. Inaccurate information about competitive drugs can also make physicians more likely to prescribe it, driving up the cost.Thus with relatively little effort, medical device manufacturers can influence medical decisions and manipulate the market, driving up prices for the final customer. Greater governmental scrutiny of this kind of unethical behaviour is what will drive the Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market in the days ahead.Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and ReportingMarket RestraintsThe Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market Restraints can be broadly classified into those faced by the pharmaceutical companies and those by the government. Life science companies must aggregate their records from a variety of diverse sources.There is a very strong possibility of data discrepancies being discovered. In some countries like the U.S, there can be differences in state laws and regulation must be according to the state where the organisation is based. This not only adds to the regulatory hassles but also to the compliance cost.The third challenge is the sheer volume of data that must be aggregated, processed, cleansed and filed. The Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market Restraint for the government are handling how the voluminous data generated can be properly analysed for any violations in a reasonable time frame.Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and ReportingTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Market Key Market PlayersSome of the Life Sciences Aggregate-Spending/Sunshine Law Tracking and Reporting Market key players are Polaris, Capgemini, HighPoint Solutions, Porzio Life Sciences, MediSpend, Oracle, and InterplX.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Growing Industrialization will influence the Smart Locks Market Growth 2015 - 2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1063 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1063 www.futuremarketinsights.com A number of emerging devices have attributed to the upsurge of global smart homes over the last few years. Smart locks is expected to be one of the utmost promising offering among all the devices over the succeeding years. Smart locks is not a completely novel industry. There has been efforts to revolutionize the traditional locks and key with numerical keypad locks. In smart locks, instead of accessing the lock with you keys, you can control access to the lock using a phone, wireless key fob or even distantly over the internet. Most of the smart locks are simple and are at-home installable devices that can fit over the thumb turn of a deadbolt contained on the inside portion of the door. The smart locks cost approximate US$ 170 to US$ 260 and is still considered a luxury device for an average residential customer.Smart Locks Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe key drivers driving the growth of global smart locks are increased popularity of smart home services coupled with smartphone penetration, which is expected to reach saturation points in the next two to three years. Moreover, declining costs of ubiquitous mobile broadband and cloud infrastructure have also aided in allowing users to easily remotely monitor and control any device, be it a smart lock or a smart thermostat. Some of the other factors driving the growth of global smart lock includes its various advantages such as allowing users to grant others access to their locks directly from their phones, convenience of being able to walk up to a door and have it automatically unlock without having to reach for ones keys and many others. One of the major challenge for global smart locks market is the issue of ones phone potentially dying. In such a scenario, a physical key still works. Furthermore, phones and back end clouds can be hacked, hence there remains a real and perceived security risk related to smart locks. Also, it will be critical for startups to heavily invest in security since the headline and publicity risk is the largest in the early market. The ubiquity of smartphones and low power communication protocols, along with improved technologies primarily related to geo-locating an individual have created new opportunities to enhance user experience that can be further explored in this market.Request For Report Sample@Smart Locks Market: SegmentationOn the basis of sub-market, the global smart locks market is segmented into,Data Center SecurityEnergy SecurityCasino ManagementPhysical SecurityPort SecurityOn the basis of applications, the global smart locks market is segmented into,Smart HomesOn the basis of sub-product, the global smart locks market is segmented into,Motion SensorTouch ScreenKeypadsSmart Locks: Region-wise OutlookCurrently North America is expected to be the largest market for global smart locks. This market is anticipated to observer the maximum growth in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in countries such as India, China and Japan. Smart Locks market is predicted to expand at a stable rate in other regions of the world as a result of a decelerating worldwide economy in these regions.Visit For TOC@Smart Locks Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global smart locks market are AT&T Intellectual Property, Comcast, Lowes Companies, Inc., Staples, Inc., UniKey Technologies, Inc., Yale Real Living, MIWA Lock Co. and HAVEN among many others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Breath Analyzers Market Size Estimated to Observe Significant Growth During 2015 - 2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1066 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1066 www.futuremarketinsights.com Breath analyzers are the devices which are used to identify the presence of various compounds in the breath sample of individuals. Breathe analyzer devices are mostly used to measure blood alcohol content (BAC) through an exhaled breath. Breath analyzers are considered as fundamental tool for the detection of drugs, alcohol, tuberculosis, asthma and other diseases. Globally large number of road accident cases are noticed owing to the over consumption of alcohol during driving, breath analyzers are recognized as major equipment in enforcing drink and drive laws. Breath analyzers play an important role in the conviction of DUI offenders. By technology, breath analyzer devices market is segmented into fuel cell technology, semiconductor oxide sensor technology, and infrared absorption technology, fuel cell technology being the dominating segment globally. The development in fuel cell technology has been enhanced by number of factors such as accuracy, portability and reliability of the devices. Fuel cell technology followed by infrared absorption technology which is commonly used for desktop machines for evidential breath analyzers. Breath analyzers can be used by personals as well as by professionals to restrict the drunken individuals from entering in the company premises and other social places.Breath Analyzers Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe primary factor for the growth of global breath analyzers market is growing awareness and enforcing strict rules by the government for drink and drive cases. The growth of breath analyzer devices market is primarily attributed to increase in consumption of alcohol, drug abuse and growth in the incidences of diseases like tuberculosis, asthma and other diseases. Over consumption of alcohol has led to the boost in the requirement for blood alcohol content level testing devices such as Breathalyzers. Governments in specific countries have set some legal limit for BAC test and also increased field breath testing activities. Growing use of breath analyzers in medical applications is one of key factor that would increase the demand for breath analyzers market globally. Some factors that restrain the global market of breath analyzers are unhygienic conditions for use and lower accuracy of the devices.Request For Report Sample@Breath Analyzers Market: SegmentationBreath analyzers market is classified on the basis of technology, application, end users and geography.Based on technology, the global breath analyzers market is segmented into the following:Semiconductor Oxide technologyFuel cell technologyInfrared absorption technologyBased on application, the global breath analyzers market is segmented into the following:Alcohol detectionDrug abuse detectionAsthma detectionpylori infection detectionTuberculosis detectionOthersBased on end users, the global breath analyzers market is segmented into following:Law Enforcement AgenciesEnterprisesIndividualsBreath Analyzers Market: OverviewBreath analyzer devices do not estimate blood alcohol concentration or content directly, as it requires blood sample analysis. Although, they measure blood alcohol concentration indirectly by estimating the amount of alcohol in ones exhaled breath. The blood alcohol concentration test is based on the relationship between alcohol in the blood and alcohol in the breath circulation through the lungs. The rapid advancement in technology, multiple applications and increased portability of breath analyzer devices are some of the key factors to drive the growth of breath analysers market globally during the forecast period. Law enforcement agencies on the basis of end users and alcohol testing by application held the largest market share in global breath analyzers market. The global breath analyzers market is expected to expand at healthy CAGR during the forecast period.Breath Analyzers Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic region, global breath analyzer market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America held largest share in the global market of breath analyzers market followed by Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific owing to high occurrence of several diseases and increasing number of road accidents, great advancement in field of breath analyzer devices and developed healthcare infrastructure. The developing nations in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa hold huge potential for growth in the global breath analyzers market, due to its affordable prices and strict rules enforcing by the government entities.Visit For TOC@Breath Analyzers Market: Key PlayersSome of the key participating global players in breath analyzers global market are Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, EnviteC-Wismar GmbH, Lifeloc Technologies, BACtrack, Inc., Quest Products, Inc., Akers Biosciences, Inc., Intoximeter, Inc., AK GlobalTech Corporation, Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corporation. The breath analyzers market is fragmented with few global players and numerous small, domestic players particularly in Europe and Asia Pacific.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Alzheimers Disease Therapeutics and Diagnostics Market - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2024 Alzheimers Disease Therapeutics and Diagnostics Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/alzheimers-disease-therapeutics-diagnostics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14675 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most common reason of progressive dementia in the elderly population. There has been an exponential rise in the number of cases of Alzheimers disease worldwide emphasizing the necessity for developing an effective treatment. According to Alzheimers Association, in 2016, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease. One in nine people aged 65 and above has Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, the number of people aged 65 and above affected with Alzheimer's disease is expected to nearly triple, from 5.2 million to an expected 13.8 million, excluding the development of medical advances to avert or cure the disease. The mortality rates due to Alzheimers disease are quite high. Between 2000 and 2013, deaths due to heart disease, stroke and prostate cancer decreased 14%, 23% and 11%, respectively, while deaths from AD increased 71% in the U.S. Similarly, According to Alzheimers disease International in 2015, there are an estimated 46.8 million people worldwide living with dementia and is further expected to grow in future. Thus, there is an increasing in the demand for Alzheimers therapeutics and diagnostics worldwide.Obtain Report Details @Population aging across the globe is a major factor driving the market for Alzheimers therapeutics and diagnostics. Rising life expectancy is contributing to quick increases in number of aged population, and is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases like dementia. Therapies for AD offer temporary and uncertain improvements in the well-being of individuals, and none of the approved drugs can modify the course of the disease advancement. Thus, the magnitude of the affected population and lack of suitable and effective treatment offers an incredible opportunity for drug manufacturers. However, identification of the primary reasons and mechanisms involved in AD are is limited. Drug manufacturers have been unable to validate significant clinical benefits of treatment for a numerous of new compounds due to strict regulations. One of the significant trend observed in this market is collaboration of the existing players. Precisely, diagnostic technology companies are carefully trying to bring about effective biomarker technologies to support and improve the drug development process for potential drug candidates which is further expected to propel the demand.The Alzheimers disease Therapeutics and Diagnostics market has been segmented by therapeutics, diagnostics, imaging technologies and geography. The market by therapeutics includes biomarkers, Cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists. Based on diagnostics the market has been segmented as brain imaging and blood tests. The market by imaging technologies includes structural imaging, functional imaging and molecular imaging.Make an Enquiry @Geographically, the market has been segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa and Rest of the World. North America was observed to be the largest market for Alzheimers disease Therapeutics and Diagnostics due to increasing prevalence of Alzheimers disease with rise in aging population, and extensive technological advancements in the region. With the increase in aging population developing region of Asia Pacific, this market is expected to grow at maximum rate during the forecast period. Developing countries are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for this market. According to Alzheimers disease International in 2015, 58% of people with dementia live in developing countries, but by 2050 this will rise to 68%. The fastest growth in the elderly population is taking place in China, India, and their south Asian and western Pacific region. According to World Alzheimer Report in 2015, regional estimations of dementia prevalence in people aged 60 years and over vary from 4.6% in Central Europe to 8.7% in North Africa and the Middle East, however all other regional estimates fall in a relatively between 5.6% and 7.6%.The key manufacturers operating in the market are Abbvie Inc., AC Immune SA, Allergan PLC, Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Anavex LifeSciences, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Axon Neuroscience, Axovant Sciences, Daiichi Sankyo Co, Eli Lilly, F. Hoffmann La Roche AG, GE Healthcare, Janssen Pharmaceuticals etc. They have applied strategies, such as mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, agreements, and others to have a strong foothold in the market.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: Global Automotive Tubeless Tires Market 2017- Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Research Report 2024 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2111658-global-automotive-tubeless-tires-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Global Automotive Tubeless Tires Market Outlook.Market OverviewTubeless tires are introduced to overcome the drawbacks of conventional tires. The rim and tire together form an airtight container to seal the air inside. Tubeless tires provide advantage of safety as the tubeless tires does not loose air instantly in case of puncture of tires, giving sufficient time to the driver to control vehicle. Tubeless tire provides various other advantages over conventional tires like better heat dissipation and better fuel efficiency. These advantages of tubeless tires are increasing the demand of these types of tires across the globe. Tubeless tires are preferred by the OEMs as compared to the aftermarket because of its high cost over traditional tires. Tubeless tires are basically of two types radial and bias. Radial tires got an advantage over bias tires in terms stiff construction, better fuel efficiency and better control over ride. Rising sales and production of automobiles are the key factors driving the growth of global tubeless tires market. In aftermarket, tubeless tires expected to witness significant growth due to increased vehicle life span. Moreover, advancement in tire industry in terms of materials such as light weight tubeless tires, using advance methodology to utilize rubber to reduce the cost of tire, is expected to drive the global automotive tubeless tire market.Although, volatility in the price of raw materials such as rubber, metal and others creates pressure on the tubeless tire manufacturers to maintain their profit margin. This factor is one of the major challenges for the industry players to increase the supply into the global market to meet the demand of automotive tubeless tires.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market SegmentationBy Tire Type Radial Tubeless Tire Bias Tubeless TireBy Vehicle Type Passenger Car Commercial Vehicles OthersBy Distribution Channel Original Equipment manufacturer (OEMs) AftermarketBy Region North America (U.S., Canada) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Mexico, Brazil and Rest of Latin America) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, France, The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Rest of Asia Pacific) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East and Africa (MEA) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis}Market Growth Drivers and ChallengesFactors such as positive growth in automotive industry, rising sales of passenger vehicles and growing research and development in tire industry are positively impact on the growth of automotive tubeless tire market. According to OICA (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) data, there were more than 90 million of vehicles sold in 2016 across the globe. The rising number of automotives across the globe further creates huge demand for automotive tubeless tire market in aftermarket. The tire industry is rising on the back of advancement in rubber technology along with the rising demand for tires from OEMs. However, fluctuations in the prices of raw materials such as metal and rubber are hindering the growth of global automotive tubeless tire market. The rising competition in tire industry on the back of presence of well established global players is also a major challenge for the new entrants to enter into the market. Moreover, the robust research and development activities in rubber technology and advanced machinery involved in the manufacturing of automotive tubeless tires further increase the cost of final product which is expected to limit the growth of automotive tubeless tire market across the globe.Market Size and Forecast (2016-2024)Global automotive tubeless market expected to garner USD 192.8 billion by the end of forecast period i.e. 2024. Further the market is anticipated to expand at compound annual growth rate of 6.2% in over the forecast period i.e. 2016-2024. Some of the global players such as Yokohama Rubber, Apollo Tires and others are looking forward to acquire tire manufacturing companies to expand their operations in untapped market. These expansion strategies of major players further boost the growth of automotive tubeless tire market in near future. As per the data of OICA, more than 60 million of passenger cars were sold in 2016.Geographically, Asia-Pacific region is the major market for the automotive tubeless tire market players. Rising sales of automobiles in Asia-Pacific region, especially in China, India and other developing countries further boost the demand for automotive tubeless tire market. China dominated the market with a revenue share of 58.5% in 2016 followed by Japan with a market share of 15% in overall Asia-Pacific market. China is the largest automobile market in the region with increase in sales by 4% in 2016. OEMs segment expected to witness significant growth due to rise in production of vehicles and increasing number of OEMs manufacturing plants in developing countries.Key Players Goodyear Tire and Rubber Companyo Synopsiso Financial Analysiso Business Strategyo Product Portfolioo SWOT Analysis Yokohama Tires Bridgestone Corporation Continental AG Pirelli Tire S.p.A Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd. MICHELIN MRF CEAT Apollo Tyres Kumho Tyre Alliance Tire GroupScope BackgroundMarket SynopsisMarket SegmentationThe global automotive tubeless tire market is segmented as follows: By Tire Type (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis) By Vehicle Type (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis) By Distribution Channel Type (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis)By Regions North America (U.S., Canada) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Rest of Latin America) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, France, The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Rest of Asia Pacific) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East and North Africa (MENA) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis}Market Dynamics: Growth Drivers, Restraints and Opportunities Risk Factors Regional Variations Recent Trends and DevelopmentsKey Market Players Synopsis Business Strategy Product Portfolio SWOT AnalysisPorters Five Force ModelMarket Landscape: Competition and BeyondMarket outlook for business players and entry level players to ascertain their business in dynamic ecosystemExpert AnalysisConcluding Remarks..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra Perfume Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011039684/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/global-perfume-market-research-report-2017-2022 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011039684/discount ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Perfume Market Research Report 2017-2022 The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD) , market share and growth rate of Perfume in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , covering North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India. Global Perfume market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including Lancome, ANNA SUI, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Dior, Giorgio Armani Parfums, Ralph Lauren Parfums, cacharel Parfums, VIKTOR&ROLF, Hugo boss, Locaste, Escada, Dunhill, Valention, Lanvin, Paul Smith, Guerlain, Givenchy and KENZO.Get free sample copy of report atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into 100 ml. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales) , market share and growth rate of Perfume for each application, including Male and Female.Get more information about this report atTable of Content1 Perfume Market Overview2 Global Perfume Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Perfume Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Perfume Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Perfume Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Perfume Market Analysis by Application7 Global Perfume Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Lancome7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Perfume Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Lancome Perfume Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 ANNA SUI7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Perfume Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 ANNA SUI Perfume Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Estee Lauder7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Perfume Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Estee Lauder Perfume Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Perfume Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Perfume Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionGet discount on report purchase atContact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Global Brand IT Major TCS Vice President Hasit Kaji Shares thoughts on Innovation at Banasthali Global Brand IT Major TCS Vice President Hasit Kaji Shares thoughts on Innovation at Banasthali http://www.banasthali.org/ http://www.banasthali.org www.facebook.com/Banasthali.org Learning and innovation which distinguishes between a leader and a follower go hand in hand. Since change is inevitable, it emerges that changes call for innovation which lead to progress.No one has doubt that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has been rated as the Worlds most powerful brand in IT Services. TCS has a global network of innovation labs which are classified as technology labs, academic alliance labs and domain labs. The labs create differentiators and build different innovation capabilities for TCSs businesses, helping its customers with innovation across different time zones. With three decades of existence of these labs, TCS is indeed in a dominating position to show others as to how to go about innovation.Mr Hasit Kaji whose education spans four top ranking institutions IISc Bengaluru, IIM Ahmedabad and University of Michigan Stephen M Ross School of Business is presently Vice President Special Initiatives at TCS with over three decades of domain expertise in the same organization. On08 Sep 2017, he took time from his hectic schedule to visit Banasthali and address the students on various facets of innovation, design thinking, agile for rapid development leading to MVP Minimum Viable Product.He also shared details of Digital Impact Square (DISQ) located at Nashik Maharashtra which is an online open social innovation platform which encourages innovation using digital technologies with the objective to enhance the lives of citizens for the larger task of nation building. He also gave details of Societal Impact projects spanning the entire spectrum of Health and Hygiene, Education and Skills, Financial and Personal Security, Energy Water Environment, Food and Agriculture, Housing and Transportation, Citizen Empowerment and Transparency. He also shared details of financial assistance, mentorship, access to ecosystem and world class infrastructure available at DISQ.He invited students of Banasthali with startup ideas and entrepreneurial flame to transform them from being dreamers to performers and achievers by pursuing Internship at DISQ and assured them that the DISQ experience would make an impact on their creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, collaborative approach, social and cultural values, empathy etc. The session ended with a lively question answer session.Prof Natarajan gave an overview of the evolution of 82 years young Banasthali and highlights of the broad based integrated interdisciplinary approach including the full semester internship which is an integral component of the academic curriculum in the final year. Mr Hasit Kaji was accompanied by Mr Narendra Singh Chandel Head Talent Acquisition North India TCS. Miss Shivangi BTech final year IT student anchored the proceedings.The TCS experts visited the newly commissioned Bajaj Automation Centre and also had interaction with senior officers of the University including the Vice Chancellor and expressed their sincere appreciation of the campus infrastructure and educational philosophy.For more details about Banasthali seeAbout Banasthali: The Institution which is also the largest fully residential womens university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing womens education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Team Banasthali with Vice Chancellor J C Bose Memorial Award for eminent scientist recipient Prof Aditya Shastri a highly acclaimed alumnus of BITS Pilani, SUNY State University of New York Stony Brook and MIT USA is indeed racing forward to be the very best among global women universities. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.Banasthali UniversityP.O. Banasthali VidyapithRajasthan 304022Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341Email: info@banasthali.ac.inWebsite:Facebook: Global Agricultural Robots Market 2017-Facilitate Decision-Making Based on Strong Historic and Forecast Data 2024 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2111673-global-agricultural-robots-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Global Agricultural Robots Market Outlook.Market OverviewWith the rapid pace in urbanization that is taking place now days, people are moving from rural areas to urban areas. Since, with the growing number of population, the demand for high yield crops is also increasing. There are very less number of people left in rural areas because the population is shifting to urban areas. At this time agricultural robots are in great need as they avoid the problem of human labor. Agriculture is one of the oldest and important sector and has evolved from manual agricultural process to mechanical process and has now led to robotics. Now the question arise who are agricultural robots? Agricultural robots are the robots designed for the purpose of agricultural operations. Agricultural robots are the perfect blend of technologies and advance navigation, sensor, mobility etc. They are also known as farmer robots as they are involved in certain harvesting, cultivating of rice, fruits, vegetables etc.Some of the major areas that agricultural robots cover are soil monitoring, proper irrigation, precise weeding and design of cultivated field etc. They have made the process of agriculture much easier than humans do. Agricultural robots have also improved the quality and standard of crops. Agricultural industry is one of the biggest industry and a worth of USD 6 trillion and agricultural robots are a big part of it as the successful market of agriculture is based on robots that work in this sector. Agricultural robots hold approximately more than 50% of market share in agricultural industry. Agricultural robots help farmers to successfully manage labor workforce as the problem of shortage of labor will be eliminated. However, cost of robots used for agricultural purposes are too high will work as a restrain for the growth of this market.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Segmentation On the basis of productso Driverless Tractorso Milking Robotso Potato Sorting Systemo Unmanned Aerial Vehicleso Others On the basis of technologyo Hardware Automation and control system Sensing and monitoring deviceo Software Local/Web based Cloud basedo Services Managed services Connectivity services Maintenance services Support services On the basis of applicationo Field Farmingo Soil Managemento Crop Managemento Graftingo Nursery Operationso Weather Tracking and Forecastingo Pruningo Thinningo Weeding By Regiono North America (US, Canada) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}o Europe (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Russia, Poland and Rest of Europe) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}o Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}o Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}o Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia-Pacific) {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}o Rest of the World{Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion), Product Sales (Units)}Market Size and Forecast (2016-2024)Global agricultural robots market reached USD 3.5 Billion in 2016 and is expected to account USD 17.0 Billion by the end of 2024 with a CAGR of 22.0% over the forecast period.On the basis of technology, hardware segment tend to dominate the market due to extensive use of advanced components such as sensors and monitoring device GPS in field farming. Based on product type, the milking robots are dominating the market due to increase in number of milk yield and dairy farms.Geographically, North America dominates the global agricultural robots market because of rising adoption of advanced robots in agriculture sector. North America agricultural robots market generated a revenue share of more than 50% in overall agricultural robots market owing to rising investment in agriculture sector.Key Trends and Growth Drivers. There are certain factors which are driving the growth of global agricultural robots market. Some of them are mentioned below:o Increasing demand for food, grain, crops and other agricultural products are increasing pressure on the agriculture sector to increase the supply of quality crops.o Agricultural robots help in reducing human errors and offers precise farming.RestraintsThere are several hindrances that may curtail the growth of this market. They are:o Lack of skilled expertise is a major challenge for the agricultural robots market.o High cost of agricultural robots poses a major challenge for the market playersKey Findings Agricultural robots are sought to inject a new life in Japan agricultural workforce.Key Players Agroboto Synopsiso Business Strategyo Product Portfolioo SWOT Analysis Energid Clearpath Robotics Autonomous Solution Wageningen UR Agritronics Kinze Manufacturing Harvest Automation ISO Group Helper Robotech Blue River Technologies Vision RoboticsScope BackgroundMarket SynopsisMarket SegmentationGlobal agricultural robots market is segmented as follows: On the basis of products (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis) On the basis of technologies (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis) On the basis of application (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis)Global agricultural robots market report covered insights of below mentioned regions: North America (U.S., Canada) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Rest of Latin America) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, France, The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Rest of Asia Pacific) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Middle East and North Africa (MENA) {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis} Rest of World {Market Size, Growth Analysis and Opportunity Analysis}Market Dynamics: Growth Drivers, Restraints and Opportunities Risk Factors Regional Variations Recent Trends and DevelopmentsKey Market Players Synopsis Business Strategy Product Portfolio SWOT AnalysisPorters Five Force ModelMarket Landscape: Competition and BeyondMarket outlook for business players and entry level players to ascertain their business in dynamic ecosystemExpert AnalysisConcluding Remarks..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra RICHMOND, British Columbia, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alpha Peak Leisure Inc. (TSX-V:AAP) (the Company) is pleased to announce that Ms. Yuxiu Zhao has become the new Chairperson of the Board of the Company, along with other changes to the Companys Board of Directors and Management. Effective on September 4, 2017, Mr. Bob Hot-Hoi Chong resigned as the Chairman of the Board and as a director of the Company; Mr. Charles Hok-Hei Chong and Mr. Peter Kai-Sing So also resigned as directors of the Company. Ms. Yuxiu Zhao, a current director of the Company, has been elected to serve as the Chairperson of the Board. Ms. Pennie Zong, Mr. Ziqiang Liu and Mr. James Qin were appointed as directors of the Company to fill the vacancies created by resignations of Mr. Bob Hot-Hoi Chong, Mr. Charles Hok-Hei Chong and Mr. Peter Kai-Sing. The Companys Board of Directors also resolved to increase the number of directors to ten (10) and appointed Mr. Jin Ren as an additional independent director. Ms. Yuxiu Zhao, who first became a director of the Company in January 2015, is a successful entrepreneur from Hefei, Anhui, Peoples Republic of China. Ms. Zhao has accumulated a wealth of experience in managing and operating businesses in China over the past decades. She has been the Founder and President of Anhui Hengxin Investment Development Co., Ltd. since 2001 to present; the Founder, President and General Manager of Wuhu Hengxin Auto Interior Trim Co., Ltd. since 2003 to present; the Co-Founder and Director of Hengxin Automobile Engine Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd. since 2007 to present; and the President and General Manager of United Hengxin Limited since 2010 to present. Since 2014, she also served as a director of Xinan Financial Group Co., Ltd. in China. Ms. Pennie Zong is the daughter of Ms. Zhao. After graduating from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013, she has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Shenzhen Yanghong Asset Management Co., Ltd. and as the General Manager of Hong Kong United Heng Shin since January of this year. Mr. Ziqiang Liu has served as the Chairman of Hainan Blue Diamond Import and Export Co., Ltd. since 1996 to present. He also served as the Chairman of Anhui Blue Diamond Industries since 2003 to present and as the Chairman of Blue Diamond Holdings since 2011 to present. Mr. James Qin is the President of HJI Group Corporation, a recognized international engineering consulting company with its head office in Los Angeles. He is also a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of HJI Group. He was a senior executive at two Fortune 500 multinational companies with extensive senior management experience. Dr. Qin was a Vice President at Trigen Energy Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange listed company, Suez Group, which has over 160,000 employees and billions dollars of revenue. Mr. Jin Ren has held various positions at Bank of China International (China) Limited from 1998 to 2012. From 2012 to 2017, Mr. Ren worked JP Morgan First Capital Securities Co., Ltd., serving as its Chief Executive Officer before he left to join Hanfor Capital as its Chief Executive Officer in July of 2017. Accordingly, the ten (10) current directors of the Company are: Yuxiu Zhao (Chairperson), Dennis Tam (Vice Chairperson), Pennie Zong, Ziqiang Liu, James Qin, Ken Poon, Teresa Lin, Neil Labatte, Anthony Tyen and Jin Ren. The Company also announces that Mr. Ken Poon resigned as the Chief Executive Officer and Ms. Yuxiu Zhao has agreed to serve as the acting Chief Executive Officer for the time being. Ms. Katie Lam also resigned as Corporate Secretary of the Company and Mr. Lawrence Tang was appointed to the position of Corporate Secretary as well as serving as the Companys Chief Financial Officer. About Alpha Peak Leisure Inc. The Company, via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Total Wonder Enterprises Limited, has a 40-year operating and development right with the Hailuo Valley Scenic Area Administration for Swallows Gully, a national scenic location in China encompassing an area of approximately 593km. Located in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan and within a cluster of highly frequented tourist landmarks, Swallows Gully is recognized as one of the most pristine and beautiful scenic sights in China. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ALPHA PEAK LEISURE INC. Lawrence Tang Lawrence Tang Chief Financial Officer For more information, please contact: Lawrence Tang; Chief Financial Officer Tel: (852) 9334-2863 lawrence.tang@alphapeak.ca Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, forward-looking statements). These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance relating to the Company which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking statements and are based on Alpha Peaks current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Alpha Peak. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Alpha Peak is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on such statements. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking statements contained herein. 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. Global Protein Labeling Market 2022 Top Players like Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Sorin, SeraCare, F. Hoffman-La Roche http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1317757&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1317757&type=D http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-protein-labeling-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com This report studies the global Protein Labeling market, analyzes and researches the Protein Labeling development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeBoston ScientificMedtronicSorinSt. Jude MedicalThermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.GE HealthcareLI-CORNew England BiolabsSeraCareF. Hoffman-La RocheTo Download Sample @:Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Protein Labeling can be split intoReagentsKitsServicesMarket segment by Application, Protein Labeling can be split intoCell-based AssaysFluorescence MicroscopyImmunological TechniquesMass SpectrometryProtein MicroarrayTo Get Discount Of This Report Click here @Table of ContentsGlobal Protein Labeling Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Protein Labeling1.1 Protein Labeling Market Overview1.1.1 Protein Labeling Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook4 Global Protein Labeling Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Protein Labeling Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Protein Labeling Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Protein Labeling in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Protein Labeling5 United States Protein Labeling Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Protein Labeling Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Protein Labeling Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)View TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Protein Labeling Product ScopeFigure Global Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Protein Labeling Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Protein Labeling Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Global Behenyl Alcohol Market to Raise at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period, 2015 2021 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/behenyl-alcohol-market/toc https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6976 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/6976 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/behenyl-alcohol-market.asp www.persistencemarketresearch.com According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research titled Global Market Study on Behenyl Alcohol: Asia Pacific to Witness Highest Growth by 2021, the global behenyl alcohol market to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period, 2015 2021.Behenyl alcohol (CAS: 661-19-8), often referred to as docosanol, is a saturated fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise formulations. It is categorised on the basis of purity level. Behenyl alcohol with the purity level of 70% is most commonly used. However, behenyl alcohol with purity over 80% is very rarely used. Behenyl alcohol accounted for a mere 1.4% share of the overall fatty alcohols market, and for 14% share of the overall C16+ fatty alcohols market in 2014.Global behenyl alcohol market is projected to account for 54,200.9 metric tons by the end of 2021. In terms of value, the global behenyl alcohol market accounted for US$ 119.4 Mn in 2014. It is projected to witness the increase in volume due to rising demand from end-use segments.To View TOC of this Report is Available Upon Request @The report analyses the global behenyl alcohol market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and market volume (metric tons), by end-use segment, region and application; and provides information regarding market dynamics, value chain, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Globally, Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period and is projected to witness a 1.4X increase in its volume production by the end of 2021. While Japan and India are two major exporters of behenyl alcohol chemicals globally, South Korea is one of the key importers of behenyl alcohol in Asia Pacific. In Asia Pacific, India is the largest producer of rapeseed and behenyl alcohol. A large number of companies based in the country export rapeseed to North America, Europe and other parts of Asia. Sun care products are widely used in Asia Pacific. It accounted for nearly US$ 2.2 Bn in 2014. The increase in demand for sun care products, in turn, is expected to boost overall demand for behenyl alcohol globally. Though the market is gaining traction in Asia-Pacific, low presence of Chinese players in the behenyl alcohol market has significantly reduced price competitiveness among the companies based in Japan, India and Europe. As a result, manufacturers are expected to generate high-profit margins in the Asia Pacific region. Europe is the next lucrative destination for behenyl alcohol manufacturers.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Among the end-use segments, behenyl alcohol finds the largest application in the cosmetics industry, followed by pharmaceuticals and others. The pharmaceuticals end-use segment is expected to gain traction in the near future due to increasing demand for behenyl alcohol in ointments. Increasing demand for high-quality cosmetic products is influencing manufacturers to opt for high-quality ingredients such as behenyl alcohol, which has a relatively non-sticky property as compared to other ingredients.Globally, per capita consumption of cosmetics is increasing at a rate of 3.4% per year. Per capita consumption of cosmetics is expected to grow exponentially in the near future due to a significant rise in geriatric population, especially in Japan and China.Global Market Study on Behenyl Alcohol is available at $4900 @By application type, the behenyl alcohol market is segmented into emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners and others. The emollients segment is expected to dominate the overall behenyl alcohol market by the end of the forecast period, i.e. by 2021. The segment is projected to register an above average growth rate over the forecast period. Global consumption of emollients stood at 130,000 metric tons in 2014. Consumption of behenyl alcohol as an ingredient in emollients accounted for a significant proportion of the total emollients consumed globally.Key market participants covered in the report include BASF SE, Kao Corporation, VVF Chemicals Limited, Godrej Industries Ltd., Sasol Ltd. and Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.To Know About Latest Report Click Here:About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Black Pepper Market Projected to Grow at Steady Rate through (2026) https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1274 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1274 www.futuremarketinsights.com Black Pepper is a pungent hot-tasting powder spice prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, used to flavor food. It is also known as king of spices because it contains rich anti-oxidants and other nutrients. The high demand for pepper presents an attractive market opportunity for new vendors to enter the market. In the present market scenario, it is estimated that the new crop of black pepper accounts for nearly 30% to 35% of the market. The high demand is expected to increase the price of black pepper, thereby increasing the profit margin of the vendors in this market.Apart from this, black pepper powder is also used to make medicines. It often used to cure stomach upset, bronchitis, and cancer. It is sometimes applied directly to the skin for treating nerve pain(neuralgia) and a skin disease called scabies. Black peppers are also used typically as a counterirritant for pain.Request For Report Sample@Black Pepper Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe black pepper market is directly influenced by the growing processed food industry. The rise in consumption of bakery products, confectionery products, and ready-to-eat and ried food in the developed economies is driving the market for the spice. The recent trend of using natural flavor enhancer has also catalyzed the growth of the global market. In the year 2013-15, the global pepper consumption is estimated at around 400,000 tons and has been increasing steadily. Increasing demand from Far East countries, which have started using more pepper in cooking, has been quite significant in driving the global black pepper market. Growth in the cosmetics industry is also directly influencing the pepper market. Due to the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of black pepper, it is often included in skin care products.As stated earlier, that the market is experiencing a major year on year increase in demand for black pepper. But unfortunately, this demand is not backed by adequate supply, which has proved to be a major restraint in this market. This is majorly due to the intensive crop losses in various parts of the world, especially in India & Brazil. Sudden climatic changes and untimely rainfall has significantly led to the fall in the yield of black pepper.Black PepperMarket: SegmentationThe global black pepper market can be broadly segmented on the basis of; type, end use and application. On the basis of type, the market can be further segmented into organic and inorganic. Based on end use, the market can be segmented into bakery and confectionery products, frozen products, soups, sauces & dressing, beverages, meat & poultry products, snacks and convenience food, and others. Based of application, the black pepper market can be segmented into food & beverages, health care and personal care & cosmetics.Black PepperMarket: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global black peppermarket is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan.Vietnam, followed by Brazil, India & Indonesia are the leading producer of black pepper in the year 2014 globally.India saw a fall in its average production in the same year. The leverage of large scale production and productivity helps Vietnam growers to offer world's lowest price tags.In terms of export, Vietnam leads the market globally. U.S. market continues to be the largest importer of black pepper from Vietnam. While most markets like India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Netherlands, Spain have seen an increase in their imports, except Germany. German market recorded a drop in imports from Vietnam. Thus, with a market share of approximately 50% per cent in the global market, Vietnam has been able dominate the market.Visit For TOC@Black PepperMarket: Key PlayersSome of the major companies operating in global black peppermarket are Baria Pepper, British Pepper and Spice, Catch, Everest Spices, McCormick, MDH, Agri food Pacific, Akar Indo, Brazil Trade Business, DM AGRO, Gupta Trading, Pacific Production, PT AF, Silk Road Spices, The Spice House, Vietnam Spice Company, Visimex, and Webb James, Olam International Limited.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Diameter Signaling Control Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The diameter signaling control market has matured at a rapid pace thanks to the participation of a broad range of vendors and strong growth across the globe. Diameter signaling controllers manage and secure significantly increasing data traffic on service provider networks triggered by mobile communication devices, machines, and applications.The research report studies the definition, classification, scope, applications, and dynamics of the global diameter signaling control market and offers key insights and suggestions to capitalize on the opportunities ahead and solve the challenges that businesses face.With the help of various market research tools such as SWOT analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis, market attractiveness, and value chain analysis, the report identifies the many forces that drive the global diameter signaling control market and those that impede its growth.Overview of the Diameter Signaling Control MarketThe diameter signaling control market is relatively new. Nevertheless, the enhanced scalability, reliability, flexibility, and security over legacy protocols has made diameter the de-facto signaling protocol in all mobile and fixed IP-based networks. The tsunamic congestion of network traffic has forced operators to utilize diameter signaling control to efficiently manage and scale data traffic.While North America is the largest consumer of diameter signaling controllers owing to a massive user base of mobile broadband, Asia Pacific has rapidly emerged as the most promising market given the technological developments in the field of diameter signaling control and the surging number of broadband users.Market analysis shows that strong growth is anticipated I the diameter signaling control market, which has attracted vendors from different backgrounds such as traditional signaling vendors, IP experts, telecom software and hardware vendors, pure play vendors, and vendors in the policy and control sector. Even though the competitive landscape of the global diameter signaling control market has been identified as consolidated, it continues to shift with new entrants and acquisitions. Exploding data traffic from smartphones and other mobile devices is likely to intensify the competition in the diameter signaling control market in the coming years.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe players operating in the global diameter signaling control market include Openet, NexNet Solutions, Opencode Systems Ltd., Computaris International Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Genband, Jinny Software Ltd., Marben Products, Tango Telecom Ltd., Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Cisco Systems, Inc., Comptel Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent, Performance Technologies, Inc., Dialogic, Inc., Datatronics SA, Oracle Corporation, Ciskon Technologies, Modulo C.S. Ltd., Metaswitch Networks, Adax, Inc., F5 Networks, Inc., Syniverse Technologies LLC, Aicent, Inc., Verscom Solutions, Alepo USA, Elitecore Technologies Pvt., Ltd., Amdocs, Inc., Ulticom, Inc., Aricent Group, Tieto Corporation, Diametriq LLC, Transaction Network Services, Inc., and Radware Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Agricultural Microbials Market by Type and by Application 2016-2021 Browse And Choose From Our World Class Research Reports http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-agricultural-microbials-market-2156/ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-agricultural-microbials-market-2156/request-sample http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-agricultural-microbials-market-2156/inquire According to the report Global Agricultural Microbials market, published by Market Data Forecast, the Market was worth USD 2.50 billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 15.25%, to reach USD 5.08 billion by 2021. Agrarian microbials are produced from naturally occurring microorganisms, for example, fungi and bacteria.Biosynthetic abilities of microorganisms, in a particular arrangement of ecological condition makes them likely possible for upgrading nutritional value and pest protection properties in agriculture. These microbials are generally applied to seeds or showered on yields to shield them from pests and maladies. Microbials additionally improve efficiency and fertility of the plant. Agricultural microbial items give reasonable and cost effective solutions for increment plant yield, regardless of geographies. Different sorts of bacteria, algae, fungi and viruses are the generally utilized microbials in agribusiness.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Global Agricultural Microbials Industry to 2021 @The immense frequency of crop diseases and rising interest for food in developed and also developing countries is essential driver for the agriculture microbials market. Utilization of microbials helps the farmers to expand the production by protecting his yield from pests and upgrades the supplement transportation procedure of the plants, in this way it enhances crop yield.Free sample of the report is available @The Agricultural Microbials Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Crop Type, Mode of application, Function, Formulation, and by Region. On the basis of Type, market is segmented into Bacteria, Fungi, Virus, Protozoa. On the basis of Crop Type, market is segmented into Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables. On the basis of Mode of Application, market is segmented into Soil treatment, Seed treatment, Foliar Spray. On the basis of Function, market is segmented into Soil amendment & Crop protection. On the basis of Formulation, market is segmented into Dry formulation and liquid formulation. On the basis of Dry formulation, market is further divided into dry granules, water dispersible granules, wettable powder).Inquire before buying @On the basis of Liquid formulation, market is further divided into Emulsifiable Concentrate, Suspension Concentrate, Soluble Liquid Concentrate. On the basis of geography, the global market is analyzed under various regions namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle east and Africa and Latin America. Use of microbes in products of the soil crops represents the dominant part of market share by application. Ecological protection laws in the U.S. furthermore, Europe are significant drivers empowering the utilization of agrarian microbials in these locales. The market is relied upon to extend in Asia Pacific because of the monetary development. North America, trailed by Europe, is expected to be the biggest market for agricultural microbials because of stringent directions requiring environment friendly means for agribusiness and rising interest for natural sustenance in the area.Major significant organizations working in the global agricultural microbials market are Monsanto, Bayer CropScience AG, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., BASF SE, Syngenta AG, Arysta Life Science Limited and Novozymes.About Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@marketdataforecast.com North America Silo Bags Market Size (Value and volume) and Market Share by Players, Type and Application 2026 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1287934 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1287934/silo-bags-grain-storage-anticipated-market-research-reports http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ Increasing demand for storage during harvest season coupled with growing consumer spending are the key growth drivers of the North America silo bags market over the forecast periodThe need for a cost-efficient solution for storage of grains and animal fodder has led to extensive preference for silo bags among farmers in the U.S. and Canada. The North America silo bags market is expected to witness healthy growth rate owing to small farmers demanding silo bags for short-term and affordable packaging and storage purposes. Silo bags, also known as harvest grain bags are used as an alternative storage system for grains such as wheat, corn, maize, sorghum, etc. in order to fulfil shortage of cattle fodder during dry seasons. The North America silo bags market is expected to create good opportunities for suppliers, distributors and manufacturers operating in the market.Revenue generated from the North America silo bags market is estimated to touch nearly US$ 34 Mn in 2017 and is forecast to reach nearly US$ 51 Mn in 2024, registering a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the North America silo bags market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.4% to reach 62,700 units by 2026.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Factors fuelling the demand for silo bags in the North America regionRising demand for convenience packaging among new generation farmers has compelled the manufacturers of silo bags to innovate in terms of optimum space requirements, storage efficiency, high performance and flexible plastic sheets. A growing trend among manufacturers and suppliers of silo bags in North America is to leverage the changing demographics of farmer size. Manufacturers are increasingly addressing the demand from small farmers who prefer silo bags over capital intensive silo systems for storage purposes. Farmers with very short-term storage requirements prefer renting or leasing silo bags as silo bags have good reusability and longer product life.The North America silo bags market is characterised by substantial consolidation among market players. In order to expand their market presence and strengthen order fulfilling capacity, large players are strategically acquiring smaller manufacturers to serve a broader customer base.View Report @Restraints limiting the growth of the North America silo bags marketStringent guidelines issued by regulating authorities concerning food and environment have consequential implications on the silo bags market in North America. Stringent FDA regulations regarding the use of harmful chemical substances, and also various regulations for specific thickness, length and breadth for manufacturing of silo bags has led to market preference for alternative environment friendly products.North America Silo Bags Market Forecast, by Application, 2016-2026Among all applications of silo bags, grains is predicted to be an attractive segment for investment during the forecast periodBy application, the North America silo bags market can be segmented into grains, forages, fertilisers, dried fruits and others. The demand for silo bags is prominently for storage of grains, which is estimated to constitute over 60% of the North America silo bags market.Grains storage is expected to be a highly attractive packaging type among silo bags manufacturers due to its wide usage by farmers. The Forages segment is likely to maintain its market share with a steady rise in CAGR over the forecast period.Increasing production of crops likely to lead to the adoption of silo bags in the North America regional marketThe silo bags market, which saw evolution and growth in the Latin America market, is now gaining substantial footprint in the North America market. With boom in crop production across the North America region, farmers in the U.S and Canada will invest in on-farm storage means, such as silo bags, for temporary and affordable storage of forage, grains and other produce. The North America market for silo bags will witness healthy growth of 1.6X owing to convenient packaging solutions demanded by small farmers as an alternative to large silo systems. The market will also witness additional growth prospects due to affordable silo bags being made available through lease and rentals.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz UK E-retail Market Size, Share And Growth Report To 2017 : Radiant Insights,Inc https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/e-retail-in-the-uk-2017 https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/e-retail-in-the-uk-2017/request-sample https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/france-midstream-oil-and-gas-industry-outlook-to-2022 https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/solar-photovoltaic-pv-in-the-united-kingdom-market-outlook-to-2030-update-2017 "E-retail in the UK - 2017", report offers comprehensive insight and analysis of the online channel in the UK, the main trends and hot issues, major players and consumer shopping behaviour. It also provides forecasts to 2022 across key retail sectors.The online retail sector will continue to experience strong growth over the next five years, propping up the UK retail market. Growth in the online channel will be driven by clothing & footwear, with sales forecast to rise 55.2% over the next five years. The continued success of fast fashion online pureplays and retailers' investment in improving customer experience will ensure clothing & footwear remains a driving force within the online channel.Complete Report Available @Despite the online channel providing a lifeline to multichannel retailers who are experiencing tough offline sales, e-retail imposes challenges such as the management of returned stock and the continuous need to innovate to offer fast and low cost fulfilment options. Online returns are forecast to grow at practically the same rate as online spend driven by consumers becoming more confident with free and simple returns processes offered by retailers along with the rise of delivery saver schemes.The report provides in-depth analysis of the following - The hot issues What people buy Who shops The shopper journey Where people shopRequest A Sample Copy Of This Report at:Scope Sales via smartphone are a key area of growth for the online channel over the next five years, with spend via mobile set to grow 112.0%, overtaking tablet sales in 2018. Mobile growth is predominantly driven by food & grocery and clothing & footwear sectors, with the latter category aided by the 'see now, buy now' mentality of consumers frequently browsing social media. Retailers should prioritise investment in mobile platforms and apps to capitalise on the forecast growth in mobile spend. Due to its fast online growth, clothing & footwear will further dominate the online returns market, with the category forecast to account for almost 70% of all online returns by 2022. Clothing & footwear retailers must enhance the way products are displayed online to curtail the anticipated rise in returns, using by video content, higher image quality and styled model images. Consumers are increasingly shopping online in order to access a wider of products. This year 17.2% of consumers stated they shopped online because a product was not available elsewhere, which was up 1.6 ppts on last year. This is driven by successful online pureplays ASOS and Amazon, the latter using its Marketplace and Handmade platform to supply customers with a huge assortment, with many items unavailable in UK physical stores. Multichannel players should use their online platforms to showcase an extended collection, enabling them to trial ranges, with a view to allocate store space if online sales warrant this.Reasons To Buy Utilise our five year forecasts to 2022 for the online channel, and sector penetration to help form an effective growth strategy. Review our analysis on hot issues and understand the factors driving the market. Identify the key players in the online channel using our in-depth analysis of how and why certain sectors are performing well in the market to gain strategic insight. Understand the journey of consumers throughout the process of purchasing online. Recognise which consumers are shopping online and utilise analysis of shoppers' motivations to enable a better understanding of the online channel moving forward.Explore Other Reports By Radiant Insights,Inc at France Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in the United Kingdom, Market About Radiant InsightRadiant Insights is a market research and consulting company offering syndicated research studies, customized reports, and consulting services. Our market research studies are designed to facilitate strategic decision making, on the basis of extensive and in-depth quantitative information, supported by extensive analysis and industry insights. Using a patented and robust research methodology, we publish exhaustive research reports covering a host of industries such as Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. Radiant Insights has a strong base of analysts, consultants and domain experts, with global experience helping us deliver excellence in all research projects we undertake.201 Spear Street 1100,Suite 3036, San Francisco,CA 94105, United States Portable Charging Units Market Intelligence Research Reports for Actionable Insights 2017-2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2657 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2657 www.futuremarketinsights.com The increased gadgets usage for gaming, surfing the internet, camera, etc. drain out the battery charge swiftly. To combat the unexpected and frequent battery death while travelling or in office, a reliable portable charger is necessary. Portable charging units are commonly called as power banks. Portable charging unit is essentially an external battery in a sealed case. Portable charging units are manufactured in various capacities depending upon the applications of the units. The capacity of portable charging units refers to the maximum charge the battery can hold inside it. The capacity of portable charging units are measured in terms of milliampere-hour (mAh), the higher mAh indicates higher capacity of the power bank. Generally, lithium ion batteries are utilized in the design of power bank for their compactness, affordability and varied market reach. Further, lithium is a highly reactive element that can handle and store energy more efficiently and recharge cycles properly. The most important part of portable charging units are the PCB board and batteries. Currently, portable charging unit batteries are categorized as cylindrical battery, square aluminium case and polymer battery. Portable charging units are available with different number of ports in the market such as one port, two port, three port and four port. Currently, two USB port charging unit holds major market share and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Portable charging units are utilized to charge various products, which include laptops, mobile devices, tablets, digital cameras and others.Global Portable Charging Units Market: SegmentationThe global portable charging units market can be segmented on the basis of capacity range, application, technology and number of ports.Based on the capacity range, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,1,000 mAh-3,000 mAh3,000 mAh-6,000 mAh6,000 mAh-10,000 mAhAbove 10,000 mAhBased on the application, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,SmartphonesMusic PlayersTabletsOthers (microelectronic device, etc.)Request Report Sample@Based on the technology, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,Li-ionLi PolymerOthers (nickel cadmium, etc.)Based on the number of ports, the global portable charging units market can be segmented into,OneTwoThreeFourBased on the technology, it is expected that lithium ion battery would lead the portable charging units market as compared to lithium polymer and other batteries owing to the great cost to energy ratio and high energy density. However, lithium polymer batteries are expected to grow at a higher CAGR than lithium ion batteries owing to the light weight and better safety.Global Portable Charging Units Market: DynamicsEnhanced consumer purchasing power, better living standard and quick economic development have impacted the electronics market well. Some devices are available with lower battery capacity and thus the demand for portable charging units have been rising simultaneously with the rise in number of devices. Moreover, spread of smartphone technology promoted the growth of the portable charging units globally. Rising demands for tablets, smartphones, and other digital gadgets have fuelled the expansion of portable charging units market till date.Visit For TOC@A key trend identified in the global portable charging units market is the introduction of sleek power banks in the market.Global Portable Charging Units Market: Region-wise OutlookConsidering regions, Asia Pacific accounts for the major market share followed by other regions. The region accounts for more than 1/3rd share of the global portable charging units market and is expected to maintain the same trend over the forecast period. China is the most prominent regional market and increased demand for the portable charging units has created significant growth opportunities on a global level as well.Global Portable Charging Units Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the portable charging units market identified across the value chain include Platinet S.A., BIC Graphic, Samsung Sdi Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation, mophie, inc., Panasonic Corporation, SIMPLO TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., GP Batteries, Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd. and Microsoft Corporation, among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Linear Actuators Market Intelligence Report Offers Growth Prospects https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3778 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3778 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Linear actuators assist in converting energy into straight line motions, generally for positioning applications. Most of the linear actuators are either mechanical or electro-mechanical devices that provide controlled movement and positioning. These actuators are primarily used in industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and many other places where linear motion is required. A typical linear actuator generally produces push and pull action. As most processes across a variegated range of industries gets automated, the global linear actuators market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of linear actuators market is rising automation across manufacturing industry. Industrial objectives such as achieving complete factory automation, and integrating Industrial Internet of Things are some of the prime reasons that will drive more demand for linear actuators. While, rising industrialization particularly in the third world countries is another factor that will drive the demand in the global linear actuators market, on the backdrop of increasing number of factories. As the number of research studies conducted increases, demand for telescopic actuators is expected to increase significantly. Also as companies overcome their legacy systems to achieve higher efficiency, and replace existing actuators with new ones, demand for linear actuators is expected to rise. Furthermore, as an increasing number of industrial process adopt self-control and positioning demand in the linear actuators market is expected to continuously rise.Request For Report Sample:However, as concerns regarding employment rises among most countries on the backdrop of increasing automation in factories, demand for linear actuators might get sluggish over the end years of the forecast period. Adoption of 3D printing in many industries is another factor that will restrain the demand for linear actuators, as usage of machines will decrease.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Market SegmentationThe Linear Actuators Market is segmented into two parts based on operation type and end use industry:Based on operation mechanism, the linear actuator market is segmented into:MechanicalHydraulicPneumaticPiezoelectricElectro-mechanical actuatorsBased on End Use Industry, the linear actuator market is segmented into:AutomotiveMedical/HealthcareEnergy and Mining,SteelConstructionMilitaryChemicalOthersLinear Actuators Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, linear actuators market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.A prominent share of the demand for linear actuators comes from North America, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, with more inclination towards shifting manufacturing in US from China and other ASEAN countries, demand for linear actuators will further rise in the region. Asia Pacific Exc. Japan is another prominent shareholder in terms of demand for linear actuators, amid, large manufacturing sector of China. Moreover, with India and Indonesia picking up at a fast pace, demand for linear actuators is expected to expand with a bullish growth rate over the forecast period. Being home to large automotive and research base companies, Western Europe is another prominent region generating huge demand for linear actuators. Eastern Europe is also expected to generate descent demand for linear actuators, particularly from energy and defense sector. Rising industrialization and the already dominant oil and gas industry of Middle East and Africa is the prime reason driving automation in the Middle Eastern region. Thus driving more demand for linear actuators. Japan is another prominent industrial nation, which drives demand for linear actuators, due to high automation penetration in their industries coupled with growing semiconductor industry of the region.Request For TOC:Linear Actuators Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Linear Actuators market are:-Duff-NortonHelix Linear Technologies, Inc.Altra Industrial MotionTolomatic, Inc.Fabco-Air, Inc.Actuonix Motion DevicesTusk Direct, Inc.Bishop-Wisecarver CorporationBEI Kimco MagneticsBurr Engineering & Development CompanyDel-Tron Precision, Inc.Rollon India Pvt. Ltd.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Car Care Products Market 2017 - 3M, Turtle Wax, Illinois Tool Works Car Care Products Market https://goo.gl/7Lu656 https://goo.gl/2JFkcr http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Car Care Products Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Car Care Products Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Car Care Products industry, and estimates the future trend of Car Care Products market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Car Care Products Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This Report3MTurtle WaxIllinois Tool WorksArmored AutoGroupSOFT99SONAXTetrosylNorthern LabsLiqui MolySimonizAutoglymBotnyBullsoneBiaoBangCHIEFRainbowMothersAuto MagicThe market research report explores the Car Care Products market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Car Care Products Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Car Care Products market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Car Care Products. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Car Care Products market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Car Care Products is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Car Care Products market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Car Care Products market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Car Care Products market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Car Care Products production volume, data pertaining to demand and Car Care Products supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Car Care Products along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Car Care Products across the world.About UsApex Research offer latest market research reports and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemica1l and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.bizPhone: +177390426831155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606 SPOKANE, Wash., Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avista Corp. (NYSE:AVA) today announced changes in its officer team, approved by the Board of Directors. Vice President, State and Federal Regulation, Kelly Norwood has announced plans to retire on Nov. 1, 2017, after serving the company and its customers for 36 years. Kevin Christie, currently Avistas Vice President, Customer Solutions, will assume responsibility for the Companys rates and regulatory activities, while continuing his role in Customer Solutions. Norwood started with Avista in 1981 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, majoring in accounting, from Eastern Washington University. Throughout his career, he has served in a variety of roles in the company, contributing in the finance and energy resources areas as well as the rates department. We want to thank Kelly for his 36 years of service to Avista. His leadership in the rates and regulatory area has played an important role in achieving outcomes that benefit all of our stakeholders, said Avista Corp. Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Morris. We appreciate his service and dedication, and wish him the best in his retirement. Kevins leadership and experience in customer solutions, finance, and natural gas supply will provide for a smooth transition. About Avista Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is the operating division that provides electric service to 378,000 customers and natural gas to 342,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Alaska Energy and Resources Company is an Avista subsidiary that provides retail electric service in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska, through its subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Avista stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit www.myavista.com. Avista Corp. and the Avista logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation. To unsubscribe from Avistas news release distribution, send reply message to lena.funston@avistacorp.com Contact: Media: Casey Fielder (509) 495-4916 casey.fielder@avistacorp.com Investors: Lauren Pendergraft (509) 495-2998 lauren.pendergraft@avistacorp.com Avista 24/7 Media Access (509) 495-4174 Global Cloud Engineering Market 2017 : Sogeti, Trianz, Calsoft Inc., Searce Inc., VVDN Technologies Cloud Engineering http://bit.ly/2wdVVfV http://www.marketresearchexplore.com/report/global-cloud-engineering-market-size,-status-and-forecast-2022/6155 Market Research Explore, shares detailed market research study concentrates on the "Cloud Engineering Market" across the globe. The report provides comprehensive analysis of "Cloud Engineering Market" in the sense of manufacturers, regions, product segments and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the factual data along with current achievements of the global Cloud Engineering industry, and estimates the long run trend of Cloud Engineering market on the basis of this detailed study. The study presents "Cloud Engineering Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue. Global Cloud Engineering Market also covers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion of the industries.Access Free Sample Report Here :Key Manufacturers Profiles of This Report areSogeti (France, Europe)Aricent Inc. (California, US)Trianz (California, US)GFT Technologies SE (Germany, Europe)Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA (Rome, Europe)Rapidvalue Solutions Inc. (California, US)ITC Infotech (Karnataka, India)Nitor Infotech (Maharashtra, India)Softcrylic LLC (Minnesota, US)Calsoft Inc. (California, US)Searce Inc. (Texas, US)VVDN Technologies (Haryana, India)The market research report explores the Cloud Engineering market across the world along with regional outlook with countries. The analysis report provides an in depth study on every and each facet of "Cloud Engineering Market". The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all key regions and countries. Moreover, the research study segregates the Cloud Engineering market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Cloud Engineering. Besides, the report additionally covers geographical segmentation for Cloud Engineering market. The report further provides production, capacity, cosumption, growth rate, valuation per region, gross margin, manufacturing cost, for all major regions and countries enlisted in report. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries.On the basis of product, the Cloud Engineering market is primarily split intoBy Service TypeBy Service ModelsBy Organization SizeBy Deployment ModelOn the basis of the end users/applications, this Cloud Engineering market report coversTelecommunication and IT Enabled Services (ITES)Government and defenseBanking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)ManufacturingHealthcare and life sciencesManufacturingRetail and consumer goodsEnergy and utilitiesThe cutthroat view of the world market for Cloud Engineering is set by assessing the key industry participants, production capability, production capacity utilization rate, Cloud Engineering market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Cloud Engineering market worldwide.Get Full Report with TOC :The worldwide Cloud Engineering market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product valuation, Cloud Engineering production volume, data related to demand and Cloud Engineering supply, and therefore the revenue garnered by the merchandise. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Cloud Engineering along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares the major raw material manufacturers along with their locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also integrated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, expediency, SWOT analysis and market tempting analysis has been enforced within the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Cloud Engineering across the globe.About Us :Industry QY provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Industry QY cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us :Enid SteelUnited States Security Door Market 2017 - Larson, Grisham, Precision Door, Provia Security Door Market https://goo.gl/CX8Tgv https://goo.gl/vEwLqz http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Security Door Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Security Door Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Security Door industry, and estimates the future trend of Security Door market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Security Door Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportLarsonGrishamPrecision DoorProviaAndersen CorporationRBDierreHormannSDC (No Security Door Product)Unique Home DesignsShield Security DoorsTeckentrup (Only Europe Business)SkydasRODENBERG Tursysteme (Only Europe Business)Menards (Distributor)KINGS (Only in Australia)ASSA ABLOYWangliSimtoRayi (Only in China)BuyangMexinXingyueshenFeiyunThe market research report explores the Security Door market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Security Door Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Security Door market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Security Door. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Security Door market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Security Door is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Security Door market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Security Door market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Security Door market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Security Door production volume, data pertaining to demand and Security Door supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Security Door along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Security Door across the world.About UsApex Research offer latest market research reports and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemica1l and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.bizPhone: +177390426831155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606 Enterprise File Sync And Share Platform Market Intelligence and Analysis for Period (2017-2027) https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2711 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2711 www.futuremarketinsights.com Enterprise file synchronization and sharing (EFSS) are software services that aids enterprises to securely synchronize and share files including documents, media and others, from multiple devices and across multiple users. The synchronization capability entitles files to be stored in approved data warehouse and then accessed by users from PCs, tablets or smartphones that supports enterprise file sync and share products.The enterprise file sync and share platform providers are continuously enhancing the security capabilities including authentication, containerization, tracking features, data encryption in order to protect the enterprise data. The platform vendors that offer enterprise file sync and share service have multiple options for the enterprises such as hybrid or private cloud, or on-premises service. Mostly in hybrid or on-premise deployments, the files remain in the companys own data warehouse.Enterprise file sync and share platform adoption is driven by security, productivity and accessibility. Few emerging trends in the industry include integration with data loss prevention, enterprise content aggregation, and built-in editing apps. With the advancement in consumer technology, the collaboration and connection of people with their business environment and its enterprise file sync and share solution is becoming easier.Enterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market: Drivers and ChallengesAs cloud storage has become more prominent, the prime factor driving the enterprise file sync and sharing platform market is proliferation of consumer mobility, bring your own device program and media tablets being utilized within the enterprises. Few other drivers to the market that encourage adoption of enterprise file sync and share platform include, growing adoption of virtualization, the ease of accessing the data from mobile devices anywhere and anytime.Data security is among the prime concerns with the usage of enterprise file sync and share platform that slows the adoption of EPSS impacting the market negatively. The lock in period and other regulations that the vendor provide while they offer enterprise file sync and share platform is hindering the rise in adoption of EFSS platform among the small, medium and large enterprises.Request Report Sample@Enterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market: SegmentationEnterprise file sync and share platform market can be segmented on the basis of solution, service, deployment type, end-user, and industryOn the basis of solution, enterprise file sync and share platform market can be segmented into enterprise storage and backup, enterprise content management system, cloud virtualization, enterprise mobility, enterprise document collaboration and othersOn the basis of service, enterprise file sync and share platform market can be segmented into managed service and professional serviceOn the basis of deployment type, enterprise file sync and share platform market can be segmented into on-premise and cloud basedOn the basis of end-user, enterprise file sync and share platform marketcan be segmented into small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprisesOn the basis of industry, enterprise file sync and share platform market can be segmented into banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), retail and e-Commerce, IT and telecommunication, energy and utility, government offices and education, aerospace and defence, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and othersVisit For TOC@Enterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market: Regional OverviewRegionally, Enterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and AfricaNorth America and Western Europe are among the prominent regions in adoption of enterprise file sync and share platform as the number of small, medium and large enterprises in the two regions are very high. Asia Pacific and Japan market are expected to have the highest growth rate in the coming few year as due to the increasing technological trends and industrial development. Latin America and Eastern Europe would witness positive growth in the coming years owing to the adoption of advanced technology in both the regionsEnterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market: Competition LandscapeFew prominent players in the enterprise file sync and share platform market include:Accellion Inc, Acronis International GmbH, Google Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Dropbox Inc., Citrix Systems Inc., Syncplicity Inc., IBM Corporation, Egnyte Inc., VMWare Inc., Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.Recent contracts/deals in Enterprise File Sync and Share Platform Market:In October 2016, Egnyte Inc., signed a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation, to use Microsofts Azure cloud computing platform for its business customer. This alliance would aid the company to offer end-to-end integration services to the customers.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Marine Engines Market to Witness Steady Growth During the Forecast Period 2016-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/marine-engines-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12143 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Marine Engines Market: OverviewMarine engines are machines that supply power to several kinds of vessels, auxiliary equipment, generators, and propulsion systems central to maritime activities and vehicles. Different types of marine engines are available that serve different purposes of various marine vehicles and systems. Marine engines can be classified according to different criteria, including the type of propulsion system in use, the power range of the engine, fuel used to power the engine, and major applications.This report on the global marine engines market provides users a proper understanding of all the crucial elements of the market and its present state. The report presents a 360-degree overview of the market and its major segments, its drivers, restraints, major trends influencing consumer choices, regulatory factors at play across major regional territories, technological and product advancements, and competitive landscape of the market.Obtain Report Details @The exhaustive market data included in the report has been gathered with the help of a number of research methodologies and narrowed-down to conform to the specific needs of business decision makers in the global marine engines market.Global Marine Engines Market: Trends and OpportunitiesRise in the number of leisure marine travelers, vast expansion of the global seaborne transport industry, advent of technologically advanced and highly reliable engines, economic stability, and rising disposable incomes are the major factors that have driven the global marine engines market in the past few years.Stringent government regulations regarding emissions from marine vessels, increased awareness among consumers about the need to adopt greener fuels, and depleting reserves of conventional fuels are likely to boost the growth of the market. The global marine engines market is expected to witness development of products that conform to the stringent regulatory norms about emission and work with greener fuels such as LNG and solar and wind power.Nevertheless, the diesel marine engines segment is anticipated continue to dominate the global marine engines market. Major factors supporting the growth of this segment include easy availability of spare parts and repair networks and availability of trained personnel for repairing diesel engines across the globe. Steam engines have been phased out from several application areas. However, these will continue to dominate traditional and niche application areas such as LNG and coal carriers, icebreakers, and warships.Global Marine Engines Market: Region-wise OverviewThe global marine engines market has been examined from the point of view of the following key regional markets: Middle East & Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.Asia Pacific is the largest market for marine engines due to the flourishing shipbuilding industry in countries such as South Korea, India, China, and Japan. Flourishing seaborne transport in the region will allow the region to sustain its leadership position in the global marine engines market during the forecast period.Presence of some of the worlds largest manufacturers of marine engines in North America and Europe is likely to lead to an increase in investments in the marine engines market in these regions.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Global Marine Engines Market: Competitive LandscapeMarine engine manufacturers are focusing on the design and development of fuel efficient and cleaner engines due to the stringent emission-related regulations laid down by major regions across the globe. Development of engines that will be powered by greener energy sources such as solar and wind power and LNG have gained increased focus in the past few years. Major companies operating in the global marine engines market are GM Powertrain, Caterpillar, Inc., Cummins Engines, Wartsila Corporation, and Rolls Royce.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Trends in the Flexible Plastic Packaging Market 2017-2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4174 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-4174 www.futuremarketinsights.com Plastic packaging can be defined as a casing of any products by bags, pouches, plastic containers or jars which can be used for industrial goods, food & beverages, personal care products, and household products. PET (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (High-density polyethylene), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride) are largely used for plastic packaging. Plastics can be simply altered or molded in any shape as per required in packaging for goods. Flexible plastic packaging is the fastest growing segments of the packaging industry which combines the good qualities of plastic to deliver an extensive range of useful properties while using the minimum amount of material. Plastic packaging is largely used in industrial applications and in consumer products which help the product the products.Flexible plastic packaging is a type of packaging where plastics that are used is thin, light, and which are simply stretchable but yet retain the obstacle properties and tear and puncture resistant features that are why it is used for packaging products. Flexible plastic packaging is cheap, visually appealing and chemically inert which increases the brand demand of the products that are used in packing. Mostly Flexible plastic packaging are used for fast moving unit loads and to pack non-durable which has limited bulk industrial use with the exemption of FIBCs.Request Report Sample@Flexible packaging helps in reducing the waste of food as the shelf life of the food product is increased according to Industry Council for Research and Packaging on the Environment (INCPEN). Advanced packaging for milk pouches is helping the transportation easy and without nay refrigeration possible.Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market: SegmentationBased on the pack type, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market can be segmented into:PouchesFlat PouchesStandup PouchesRetort PouchesBagsGusseted BagsWicketed BagsOthersSleeve LabelsBased on the material, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market can be segmented into:PlasticPoly PropylenePolyester FilmPoly EthyleneLow-Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE)High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE)Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC)Aluminum FoilPaperOthersBased on the application, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market can be segmented into:Food PackagingReady-to-eat foodsProcessed foodsBakery foodsPet FoodsFruits and VegetablesOthersBeverage PackagingWaterDrinksJuicesOthersCosmetics PackagingHealthcare Product PackagingBlood bagsSaline BottlesBased on the Printing Technology, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market can be segmented into:Digital PrintingFlexography PrintingOffset PrintingScreen PrintingRotogravure PrintingBased on the end-use industry, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market can be segmented into:Food and BeverageHealthcarePersonal and HomecareOthersGlobal Flexible Plastic Packaging Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of the geographical market segment, Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market is segmented into seven different regions: North America, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia-Pacific region, Japan and the Middle East and Africa.In regional segments, Asia-Pacific is the leading market for the global flexible plastic packaging market and is anticipated to continue its position during the forecast period. The expansion is mainly attributed to increasing of the packaging industry due to emerging markets in China and India followed by North America. Moreover, the flexible plastic packaging market in Europe is also rising during the forecast period as the application of flexible plastic packaging in food packaging industries is increasing.Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market is expected to witness sustained growth over the forecast period. Flexible plastic packaging has made the life of the consumers easier due to its functionality and sustainability which is the major factor for the growth of flexible plastic packaging market growth across the globe. Nowadays, a variety of pouches can be easily found in the supermarket, grocery stores, and various other stores.Rising Demand of flexible plastic packaging market from Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Industry is also boosting the flexible plastic packaging market.Furthermore, the fluctuating prices of raw materials are the major restraints in the growth for flexible plastic packaging manufacturers.Visit For TOC@Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market: Key PlayersSome of the players operating in the Flexible Plastic Packaging Market includes Amcor, BASF S.E., AEP Industries, Amcor, Bemis Company, Constantia Flexibles, Berry Plastics, DS Smith, Sealed Air, Sonoco, Bischof + Klein SE & Co. KG and few other regional players. As the plastic Packaging is being accepted in most of the products. Manufacturers of flexible plastic packaging are improving their packaging to attract the consumers.About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Catalyst Regeneration Market to Grow 5.68% CAGR 2017 to 2021 Analysis of Eurecat, Haldor Topsoe, NIPPON KETJEN, Porocel, and STEAG SCR-Tech Market Research Nest - Catalyst Regeneration Market https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-catalyst-regeneration-market-2017-2021.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/purchase.php?reportid=258929 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/enquirybuy.php?reportid=258929 MarketResearchNest.com adds Global Catalyst Regeneration Market 2017-2021 new reports to its research database. The report spread across 66 pages with tables and figures in it.The research analysts forecast the global catalyst regeneration market to grow at a CAGR of 5.68% during the period 2017-2021.Catalyst regeneration is a catalyst activity regeneration process by which the performance of the catalyst is recovered. It is a common practice followed by many end-user industries to reduce their operational costs. Regeneration includes a controlled oxidation process by which coke and other combustible elements are removed. Extensive monitoring is required to measure the properties of the spent catalysts and their suitability to the reuse of catalysts after the regeneration process. The catalyst regeneration industry follows the principle of three actions: sample, analyze, and segregate; this helps in maximizing the catalyst activity recovery with increased quantity and quality.Get more details about report atTechnavio recognizes the following companies as the key players in the global catalyst regeneration market: Eurecat, Haldor Topsoe, NIPPON KETJEN, Porocel, and STEAG SCR-Tech.Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: Advanced Catalyst Systems, CORMETECH, EAS, Ebinger Katalysatorservice, EmeraChem, Ranido, and Zibo Hengji chemical.The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is Growing refinery capacities. Refineries are the key sources of crude oil. The demand for energy is growing rapidly every day due to several reasons such as rising population, increasing number of vehicles, industrial growth, and economic development in emerging countries. The rising demand for energy is fueling the production of crude oil. As per the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there is a constant increase in the global crude oil production.Order a Purchase Report Copy at. (This is premium report, Single User License USD 3500 and Five User License USD 4000)According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is High price of unprocessed catalyst. Catalysts own a significant portion of the operational cost in oil refineries, gas processors, chemical, and petrochemical plants. The cost of regenerated catalysts is very low compared to that of the unprocessed catalysts, exhibiting almost similar performance. Currently, advanced spent catalysts can be regenerated to perform activities corresponding to the fresh catalysts.Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is Intricacies in regenerating catalysts contaminated by metals. In oil refineries, gas processors, and chemical and petrochemical industries, catalysts get deactivated during the operations mainly due to three reasons such as sintering, coke deposit, and metal contamination. Coke deposits and sintering can be eliminated by the catalyst regeneration process. The difficulty arises when the metal and other contaminants such as arsenic, lead, silicon, and vanadium contaminate the catalyst. Catalysts contaminated by metal pollutants need a careful monitoring to minimize the chances of contamination and maximize the chances of catalyst recovery.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.Inquiry before buy this report atMarketResearchNest.com is the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services on the Web. We offer reports from almost all top publishers and update our collection on daily basis to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and recent database of expert insights on global industries, organizations, products, and trends.Mr. Jeet JainSales Managersales@marketresearchnest.com+1-240-284-8070 / +44-20-3290-4151Pune, India Sapphire Mining Market - Analysis by Segments, Size and Forecast 2016 - 2024 Sapphire Mining Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sapphire-mining-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=15863 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in Sapphire Mining Market: OverviewSapphire is an aluminum oxide that falls under the corundum metal category. Under general use, sapphires qualify as a jewelry item. Certain sediments or rock formations are the major natural sources for sapphires. Artificial or synthetic sapphires are also manufactured for industrial purposes of the remarkable hardness of sapphires and of aluminum oxide in general. These sapphires are used in some non-ornamental applications, including infrared optical components, such as in scientific instruments, wristwatch crystals, movement bearings, and very thin electronic wafers, which are used as the insulating substrates of very special purpose solid state electronics, especially integrated circuits and LEDs.Most sapphires come from countries with strict guidelines on how mining may proceed. In Sri Lanka, mining is regulated so the land is protected from over-use. Here, sapphire mining is restricted to small-scale operations where heavy machinery is forbidden. Natural untreated sapphires are rare and are mined in a manner that ensures a stable market and secures the deposits for future generations. Strip mining such as in some emerald mining operations creates tremendous environmental damage and only benefits a few large companies that have the capital for a large-scale operation. This type of mining also results in a market that will fluctuate heavily when new deposits are found, as the new production will flood the market and prices will drop. Some sapphire producing countries do not allow mining activities that damage the environment or create unstable economic conditions. These responsible fair trade laws are regulated well and have existed for years.Obtain Report Details @Sapphire Mining Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe sapphire mining market is affected by certain positive drivers, namely the increasing demand of sapphire for the production of jewelry and LEDs. Secondly, new deposits and mining sites have been recently discovered in parts of Australia and South Africa that have attracted a lot of companies to start exploration and mining of the gem.Despite the positive growth, the industry has been facing certain restrictions in terms of extraction methods and the extent of extraction allowed. Government regulations have been put into place over concerns of ecological imbalance and environmental hazards that sapphire mining has caused over the years.Sapphire mining has had a major impact on agricultural lands as well. Intensive capital requirement and availability of expertise for operations are also some of the factors that have hindered the progress of sapphire mining. Despite all the limitations, new opportunities lie in store. With the advent of new eco-friendly mining technologies, sapphire mining could see a spur of growth in the near future.Make an Enquiry @Sapphire Mining Market: SegmentationMost of the worlds sapphire production and mining is carried out in Australia in the Asia-Pacific region followed by Sri Lanka, Myanmar Thailand, Laos, Malawi and Cambodia. The state of Montana in the U.S. leads the market in the North American region. No significant deposits have been discovered in Europe; hence sapphire mining there is limited. The African region also boasts a significant sapphire production dominated by Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar and South Africa.The sapphire mining market can be classified by the mode of mining undertaken for extraction i.e. from alluvial deposits or from primary underground workings. Mining depends on the content of the surrounding materials and the depth of the mine. Among these the shallow reserves can be penetrated by simple hand mining methods. Deeper ground is mined by digging shafts, while some fields consist of large-scale open-cut mining lease operations involving the use of heavy earthmoving equipment.Sapphire Mining Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportA few companies that are involved in sapphire mining are Sino Resources Mining Corp Ltd., Coolamon Mining Pty. Ltd., Herbert Drilling Coy., The Natural Sapphire Company and Lapigems Gem CompanyThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: Aviation Analytics MarketAnalysis and Value Forecast Snapshot by End-use Industry 2017-2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4264 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-4264 www.futuremarketinsights.com Aviation analytics is adopted by most of the enterprises as these solutions facilitates them to improve their operational performance, profitability, and maintenance. Aviation analytics helps enterprises to develop analytical resolution in order to cater future demand such as needs of customer which will also help enterprises to maximize their operating revenue. Aviation analytics solutions are used across the aviation industry for various applications such as fuel management, customer analytics, revenue management, and risk management.Aviation analytics solutions helps enterprises to measure, monitor and analyze their business goals, risk, and future growth of the enterprise.Request Report Sample@Aviation Analytics Market:Drivers and ChallengesPresently, the vendors of aviation analytics market are focusing on intelligence and analytics solutions to boost profitability of their business owing to this it is turning to be the major factor driving the aviation analytics market. The growing emphasis on jet fuel management is another factor driving the demand of aviation analytics market. Moreover, increasing demand for real time analytics in aviation industry is driving the aviation analytics market in positive manner. Additionally, increasing centricity in the aviation industry is also one of the major factor driving the aviation analytics market.The major challenge faced by the vendors of aviation analytics market is due to lack of availability of suitable analytical skills.Aviation Analytics Market: SegmentationSegmentation of aviation analytics market on the basis of end user:AirlinesAirportsSegmentation of aviation analytics market on the basis of verticals:FinanceOperationsSales & MarketingMaintenance & RepairSupply chainAviation Analytics Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players of aviation analytics market are: IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, General Electric, Aviation analytics Ltd. SAS Institute, Ramco International, Mu-Sigma, and Booz Allen Hamilton.Visit For TOC@Aviation Analytics Market: Regional OverviewOn the basis of geography, aviation analytics market can be segmented into seven key regions namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Among various regions, the aviation analytics market in North America is expected to dominate during the forecast period owing to high adoption of industrial aviation analytics by medium and large size enterprises to improve their operational performance. North America region is expected to be followed by Western Europe and APAC.About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: India Solar Rooftop Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation Research Report 2022 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2115761-solar-rooftop-market-in-india-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Solar Rooftop Market in India.Scaling Opportunities in Off-Grid & Decentralized Rooftop ApplicationsWe at enincon consulting llp under our consistent endeavour delve deep to unearth the absolute value preposition of a designate market with intermittent opportunities and barriers to evolve correct and absolute guide for effective business decisions related to the likes of solar rooftop in India. Our analysts have attempted to design different scenarios and asses the opportunities which solar rooftop brings in terms of savings and T&D losses, land costings , storage loss levels and obviously lowered congestion in power transmission systems.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Key Queries ResolvedWhat would be the capacity addition pace track for solar rooftop capacity till 2022 ?What would be the opportunities in terms of savings in T&D losses till 2022 ?What are the financing issues for solar rooftops at domestic consumer levels ?Which states to top the list in terms of business potential for solar rooftop ?What will be the gains for industrial consumers (in USD/INR) till 2022, if go for solar rooftop installations ?What will be the gains for domestic consumers (in USD/INR) till 2022, if go for solar rooftop installations ?What will be the gains for government building & institutions (in USD/INR) till 2022, if go for solar rooftop installations ?What will be the gains for commercial consumers (in USD/INR) till 2022, if go for solar rooftop installations ?What would be the replacement opportunity for DG sets through solar rooftop installations till 2022 ?Key Highlights:Assessing the impact on grid stabilityEvaluating replacement opportunity for DG sets through solar rooftop installationsAnalysing current tariff and discom connected supplyIdentifying gains for commercial consumers for replacement/migration of connection from discoms to self consumption based solar rooftop systemsTracking policy initiative at state level to promote solar rooftop installationsIdentifying initiatives for smart grid & rooftop business segmentExamining disruption for Discoms gainsTable of ContentsSolar Rooftop Market in India: An OverviewBusiness Case Evaluation of Solar Rooftop Systems in IndiaExamining Opportunities in Off-grid and de-centralised Solar Rooftop ApplicationsEvaluating gains for Commercial Consumers: Tariff and Operation based D2I (Data to Information) Model for all major Discoms in India for Rooftop installationsEvaluating gains for Industrial Consumers: Tariff and Operation based D2I (Data to Information) Model for all major Discoms in India for Rooftop installationsEvaluating gains for Large Domestic Consumers: Tariff and Operation based D2I (Data to Information) Model for all major Discoms in India for Rooftop installations..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra Global Circulator Pumps Market Report Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2017 Reportsweb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011033600/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/global-circulator-pumps-industry-market-research-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011033600/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW00011033600/buy/2600 ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Circulator Pumps Industry Market Research 2017 The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.In this report, we analyze the Circulator Pumps industry from two aspects. One part is about its production and the other part is about its consumption. In terms of its production, we analyze the production, revenue, gross margin of its main manufacturers and the unit price that they offer in different regions from 2012 to 2017. In terms of its consumption, we analyze the consumption volume, consumption value, sale price, import and export in different regions from 2012 to 2017. We also make a prediction of its production and consumption in coming 2017-2022.Request a Sample atAt the same time, we classify different Circulator Pumps based on their definitions. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What is more, the Circulator Pumps industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.Browse Complete ReportMajor Points of this report:1. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Circulator Pumps market.2. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Circulator Pumps market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porte five force analysis etc.3. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.4. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective.5. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by application, product type and sub-segments.6. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.7. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Circulator Pumps market.Get discount on report purchase atKey Point from Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of Circulator Pumps1.1 Brief Introduction of Circulator Pumps2 Industry Chain Analysis of Circulator Pumps3 Manufacturing Technology of Circulator Pumps3.1 Development of Circulator Pumps Manufacturing Technology4Major Manufacturers Analysis of Circulator Pumps5 Global Production, Revenue and Price Analysis of Circulator Pumps by Regions, Manufacturers, Types and Applications5.1 Global Production, Revenue of Circulator Pumps by Regions 2012-20176 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Circulator Pumps 2012-20177 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value, Import, Export and Sale Price Analysis of CIRCULATOR PUMPS by Regions 20178 Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Circulator Pumps9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Circulator Pumps10 Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Circulator Pumps Industry10.1 Global and Chinese Macroeconomic Environment Analysis11 Development Trend Analysis of Circulator Pumps 12 Contact information of CIRCULATOR PUMPS13 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Circulator Pumps14 Conclusion of the Global Circulator Pumps Industry 2017 Market Research ReportPurchase Complete Report atContact Information:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air Industries Group (NYSE:AIRI) Air Industries Group (Air Industries or the Company), an integrated manufacturer of precision equipment assemblies and components for leading aerospace and defense prime contractors, received a letter from NYSE Regulation regarding its failure to notify NYSE American LLC of the "record date" for the Companys 2017 Annual Stockholders' Meeting. The Company previously set August 10, 2017, as the record date for its 2017 Annual Meeting, meaning that only stockholders as of the close of business on August 10, 2017 are entitled to vote their respective shares at the Company's Annual Meeting to be held on October 3, 2017. A company listed on the NYSE American LLC is required to provide the Exchange with notice of the record date for its Annual Stockholders' meeting at least 10 days prior to the record date. Air Industries failed to provide the requisite notice of the record date to the Exchange. As a result, it received a letter from NYSE Regulation on September 5, 2017, advising the Company that it did not comply with Section 703 of the NYSE American Company Guide. Concurrently with the issuance of this press release, the Company is filing a Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to this matter. The Company confirms August 10, 2017 as the record date for its upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be held on October 3, 2017. The Company filed its proxy statement in connection with the 2017 Annual Meeting and the proxy statement and annual report materials have been mailed to its stockholders. Any stockholder that has not received the materials should contact the Company which will arrange for their delivery. ABOUT AIR INDUSTRIES GROUP Air Industries Group (AIRI) is an integrated manufacturer of precision equipment assemblies and components for leading aerospace and defense prime contractors. Air Industries operates in three segments: Complex Machining of aircraft landing gear and flight controls, Aerostructures & Electronics, and Turbine & Engine products. Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017 - Baxter, Hospira, B. Braun Melsungen and Fresenius Kabi Global Intravenous Solutions Market https://goo.gl/2zgQfv https://goo.gl/M6h9qR https://market.biz/ http://emarkets.eu/ Synopsis of Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017 Research ReportThe report about Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017 constitute of pervasive fundamental research along with structured analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative facet by assorted industry connoisseurs and main opinion leaders to gain a profound insight of the market and industry performance.The report "Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017" gives a clear sight of the present-day market scenario which comprises of historical and estimated forthcoming market size on the basis of technological growth,value and volume, prominent economical and governing elements in the market.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017 Report at:The report "Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2017" further imparts detail information about approches and tactics used by elite key players in the Intravenous Solutions industry. It also gives a extensive study about different market segments and regions.Leading vendors in the Global Intravenous Solutions market are added based on profile, business performance etc. Vendors mentioned as follows:BaxterHospiraB. Braun MelsungenFresenius KabiClaris LifesciencesGrifolsVifor PharmaJW Life ScienceThe global Intravenous Solutions market 2017 is primarily segmented on the basis of Type, Application and RegionGeographical Analysis of Global Intravenous Solutions Market:The report includes concise analysis of geographical region such as1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)2 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Korea)3 Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Russia etc.4 South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina)5 Middle East and Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia)Get Access to Sample Pages at:Segmentation in terms of Type:CrystalloidsColloidsOtherSegmentation in terms of Application:Basic IV SolutionsNutrient Infusion SolutionOthersKey Findings in Global Intravenous Solutions Market> Historic Intravenous Solutions market data from 2012 to 2016.> Intravenous Solutions industry growth forecast from 2016 to 2022.> Companies that lead the Intravenous Solutions industry> Technological advancements, how will they evolve by 2022?> Leading market products, applications & regions and how will they perform by 2021?> A precise analysis of regulatory trends, drivers, industry drawbacks, challenges and growth opportunities for participantsOverall the Intravenous Solutions report presents consequential analysis of the parent market, key tactics followed by leading industry Players, future segments, former, present and forecast market analysis on the basis of volume and value along with entire research conclusions.The Report serves as a relevant/profitable guide for the industry vendors and other individuals who are keen in studying the Intravenous Solutions market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4,Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns,Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog: Diamond Semiconductor Substrates Market - Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2024 Diamond Semiconductor Substrates Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/diamond-semiconductor-substrates-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=15869 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ http://marketresearchreports2017.blogspot.in A diamond is the hardest material on earth, and has long-since been recognized for its beauty as a gemstone. The major producing countries include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Botswana, Russia and South Africa. The two types of diamond semiconductor substrates available in the global diamond semiconductor substrates market are natural and synthetic. One of the major factors for this segment will be the rising usage of diamonds in sectors such as electronics, healthcare and construction among others. The other factors boosting the market are low cost of synthetic diamond as compared to natural diamond. In addition, identification of new applications in semiconductor and electronics industry is anticipated to act as an opportunity for the diamond semiconductor substrates market for the near future.Based on types, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into natural and synthetic. In 2015, the synthetic segment expected to be the most important market and anticipated to be the same during the forecast period. The major factor driving the market is large number of industrial applications. Some of the other factors are usage of synthetic diamond in different industries such as chip production, construction, mining activities, oil and gas industries, in surgeries and stone polishing and cutting. Thus, the specific increase in these activities has lead to an increase in the demand for the diamond semiconductor substrates market. The synthetic diamond is used in research services and for extremely rough tasks such as polishing and cutting. However, complex manufacturing process is the restraining factor for diamond semiconductor substrates market in the forecast period.Obtain Report Details @Based on the various applications, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into healthcare, consumer electronics, construction & mining, electronics and others. In 2015, the consumer electronics segment anticipated to be the foremost market. There are numerous major factors boosting the diamond semiconductor substrates market such as growing adoption of diamond semiconductor substrates in jewelry making. In addition, rising research and development activity to deliver better products in the forecast period is other factor driving the market for diamond semiconductor substrates market. However, the time consumed for making synthetic diamonds is expected to hinder the expansion of this diamond semiconductor substrates market during the forecast period of 2016 2024.Based on the regions, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia Pacific holds the major market share followed by North America. In addition, North America is the second largest market for diamond semiconductor substrates market followed by Europe and Rest of the World. China and India are the key contributors to the diamond semiconductor substrates market in Asia Pacific. Diamond semiconductor substrates is high in Asia Pacific is due to identification of new applications of synthetic diamond in electronics and semiconductor industry. However, the market for diamond semiconductor substrates has seen the growth in product improvement from companies like Pure Grown Diamonds, Applied Diamond Inc., Washington Diamonds Corporation, Element Six, and ILJIN among others nearly one hundred others company. Furthermore, opening manufacturing plants in rising country of Asia Pacific such as India, Japan and Korea among others will also give output on higher returns on investments this in turn driving the market for diamond semiconductor substrates market.Make an Enquiry @Some of the important players in the diamond semiconductor substrates market includes are Applied Diamond Inc (The U.S.), Pure Grown Diamonds (The U.S.) and Element Six (Luxembourg). These top players are aiming to penetrate increasing economies and are adopting various methods to drive their market share. Some of the others players are New Diamond Technology LLC (The U.S.), Scio Diamond Technology Corporation (United States), Washington Diamonds Corporation (The U.S.) and ILJIN Diamond Co., Ltd (Korea) among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog: Global Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market and Hydrophilic Coatings Market 2017 Analysis and Forecasts to 2021 Market Research Nest - Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market and Hydrophilic Coatings Market https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-hydrophilic-coatings-market-2017-2021.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/purchase.php?reportid=258929 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-anti-corrosion-coatings-market-2017-2021.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/purchase.php?reportid=258936 https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-furniture-wood-coatings-market-2017-2021.html https://www.marketresearchnest.com/global-conformal-coatings-market-for-automotive-electronics-2017-2021.html MarketResearchNest.com adds Global Hydrophilic Coatings Market and Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market 2017-2021 new reports to its research database. The report spread across 84 and 99 pages simultaneously with tables and figures in it.Global Hydrophilic Coatings Market 2017-2021The research analysts forecast the global hydrophilic coatings market to grow at a CAGR of 6.15% during the period 2016-2020.Hydrophilic coatings are water-attracting coatings. They wet the surface they are applied on and provide low contact angle. They are also known as self-cleaning coatings. These coatings form a hydrogen bond with water as they exhibit ionic and negatively charged properties. Moreover, these coatings are lubricious and wettable when applied on substrates for different applications.Get more details about Hydrophilic Coatings Market report atTechnavio recognizes the following companies as the key players in the global hydrophilic coatings market: Aculon, Biocoat, Harland Medical Systems, Hydromer, and DSM.Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: AdvanSource Biomaterials, Applied Medical Coatings, AST Products, COATINGS2GO, ConvaTec, DONTECH, Formacoat, Henkel, Surface Solutions Group, Surmodics, Sono-Tek, and Teleflex.The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is Increasing demand for powder coatings. Among several types of hydrophilic coatings used in different applications, powder coatings are growing at a faster rate. In recent years, powder coating is gaining an advantage over other types due to its eco-friendly coating material. Powder coating eliminates many issues related to liquid coating such as it minimizes the pollutants contained in liquid coatings. Powder coating has no volatile organic compounds (VOCs); it is chemical, corrosion, and wear resistant; it has high durability and increased torque tolerance; it is harder than paint. These factors make powder coating one of the major types of hydrophilic coatings. Moreover, technological innovation and environmental compliance from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for powder coatings is expected to increase their demand during the forecast period.Order a Purchase Report Copy of Hydrophilic Coatings Market at. (This is premium report, Single User License USD 3500 and Five User License USD 4000)Global Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market 2017-2021The research analysts forecast the global anti-corrosion coatings market to grow at a CAGR of 5.33% during the period 2017-2021.Anti-corrosion coatings offer chemical resistance and protect metal surfaces from deterioration caused by corrosion. These coatings (mostly applied on metal surfaces) provide protection against moisture, oxidation, salt sprays, and chemical exposure. They provide a barrier to the metal surfaces by obstructing the contact between chemical compounds.Get more details about Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market report atTechnavio recognizes the following companies as the key players in the global anti-corrosion coatings market: Akzo Nobel, BASF, RPM International, The Dow Chemical Company, and The Sherwin-Williams Company.Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: 3M, Ashland, Axalta Coating Systems, Bluchem, Clariant, Diamond Vogel, DuPont, Hempel, Jotun, KANSAI PAINT, Nippon Paint, PPG Industries, Royal DSM, Solvay, and Wacker Chemie.The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is Increasing demand for waterborne anti-corrosion coatings. Waterborne anti-corrosion coatings are in high demand as these comply with the stringent VOC emission control guidelines. These coatings have very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). The water-based coatings improve the lifespan and durability of the products.Order a Purchase Report Copy of Anti-Corrosion Coatings Market at. (This is premium report, Single User License USD 3500 and Five User License USD 4000)Get More Reports on Coating MarketGlobal Furniture Wood Coatings Market 2017-2021 atResearch analysts forecast the global furniture wood coatings market to grow at a CAGR of 6.16% during the period 2017-2021. Furniture wood coatings are used in wooden furniture to achieve aesthetic properties and prevent mechanical, physical, and chemical damage. These coatings are predominantly used in kitchen cabinets, institutional furniture, partitions and fixtures, household furniture, and office furniture. The growth in APAC and increasing demand for green building are the major drivers of the global market. Growing importance for UV-cured coatings, which has low VOC concentration, is expected to boost the market growth.Global Conformal Coatings Market For Automotive Electronics 2017-2021 atResearch analysts forecast the global conformal coatings market for automotive electronics to grow at a CAGR of 6.21% during the period 2017-2021. Conformal coatings are materials that are applied in thin layers (0.002 to 0.005 inch) on electronic substrates. These coatings protect and cover printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other electrical components from harsh environmental conditions such as moisture, dirt, abrasion, chemical, mechanical stress, and vibration and thereby improving the durability of the electronic components used.MarketResearchNest.com is the most comprehensive collection of market research products and services on the Web. We offer reports from almost all top publishers and update our collection on daily basis to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and recent database of expert insights on global industries, organizations, products, and trends.Mr. Jeet JainSales Managersales@marketresearchnest.com+1-240-284-8070 / +44-20-3290-4151Pune, India Embedded System Market Intelligence and Forecast by Future Market Insights 2016 - 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1510 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1510 www.futuremarketinsights.com An embedded system consists of embedded software into computer-hardware that makes the system devoted for an application or specific portion of an application or part of a larger system. An embedded system is not a microchip deployed in a traditional computing application, but a microprocessor used as a module in another piece of technology. These systems are used to control, assist or monitor the operation of machinery, equipment or plant. The term embedded reflects the fact that they are an integral part of the system, and they offer significant characteristics such as speed, accuracy, size, reliability and adaptability. Automation in processing & manufacturing sectors, and energy metering is seen as a major propeller for embedded system industry growth.Embedded System Market: SegmentationEmbedded system market is segmented on the basis of type, microcontroller performance, functionality, end-use industry and region. By type, embedded system market can be segmented into embedded hardware and embedded software. Embedded system market can be segmented according to microcontroller performance which includes small scale embedded system, medium scale embedded system and large scale embedded system. On the basis of functionality, embedded system market can be segmented into stand-alone embedded system, real time embedded system, mobile embedded system and networked embedded system. Regionally, embedded system market can be segmented into North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Request For Report Sample@Embedded System Market: Regional OutlookEmbedded systems came into existence with the invention of microcontrollers and since then it is being actively used in machine control applications as well as various new verticals. These systems are now equipped with customizable rich features and are thus gaining popularity globally. North America is estimated to be the leading contributor to the regional market share with large deployments of smart meters and smart grids positively impacting the market. Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is anticipated to show highest growth potential in the forecast period.Embedded System Market: DriversThe global embedded system market is primarily driven by factors such as increasing demand for embedded systems with multi-core technologies and embedded graphics and escalating demand for embedded systems in the automobile industry. Moreover, persistent research & development to introduce smarter and energy efficient electronic devices is expected to positively impact the growth of global embedded systems market. Also, widespread application of these systems in application areas such as automotive, aeronautics, space, rail, mobile communication, and electronic payment solutions is set to bolster the growth of the global embedded system market during the forecast period. However, security and smaller lifespan concerns associated with usage of embedded systems in various process-related applications is restraining the growth of this market. Also, design constraints pertaining to real time embedded system are also hindering the progression of embedded system market.Visit For TOC@Embedded System Market: Key PlayersThe key vendors in the embedded system market include Atmel Corporation, Intel Corporation, Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Microsoft Corporation, Samsung Electronics Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, and others. Major players in the embedded system market have invested significantly in developing systems that offer latest technology-based advanced functionality. To expand market presence across the globe, strategic partnership and collaborations with regional vendors is major strategy adopted by the leading vendors of the embedded system market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Telemedicine Market Report 20172025 | Industry Trends and Analysis https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/548 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/548 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com Telemedicine Market Overview:Telemedicine involves the use of information technology and telecommunication for the delivery of healthcare services such as health assessments or consultations over the telecommunications infrastructure. It helps the healthcare professional to diagnose, evaluate and treat patients without the need for an in-person visit and are also very useful to save lives at time of critical care and emergency situations. Telemedicine is of great help for distant rural areas as they help in overcoming the distance barriers to avail medical services at the time of requirement. Telemedicine enables the doctors to be connected through a variety of electronic means, including video conferencing, email and electronic messaging platforms. This reduces the overall cost of medical care for patients and increase healthcare accessibility.Seeing the potential that the telemedicine provides, the World Health Organization (WHO) established global observatory for eHealth (GOe) to analyze the benefits that information and communication technologies can bring to healthcare supporting patients wellbeing. In 2009, the global observatory was assigned to determine the status of telemedicine at the national, regional and global level. The survey examined the four fields of telemedicine which includes telepathology, teledermatogy, telepsychology and teleradiology along with four mechanisms that will help in the development of telemedicine across all nations.Request for sample copy :The conventional form of telemedicine that involved the use of telephone and radio have improved by the involvement of videotelephony, advanced diagnostic methods supported by various applications and tele medical devices to support in-home care.Telemedicine market taxonomy:On the basis of services provided, the telemedicine market is classified into:Tele-monitoringTele-educationTele-consultationTele-trainingTele-careTele-surgeryOn the basis of application, the telemedicine market is classified into:NeurologyOrthopedicsEmergency careCardiologyDermatologyInternal medicineOthersOn the basis of end user, the telemedicine market is classified into:HospitalsClinicsOthersBurgeoning growth of the internet infrastructure and smartphone proliferation creates a conducive environment for growth of the global telemedicine market. Also, the rise in demand for personalized healthcare augments market growth. In 2013, American Telemedicine Association (ATA) stated the cost effectiveness of telemedicine through various research outcomes. For instance, a research was conducted in 2011 with implementation of Health Buddy Program which integrated a telehealth tool for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries. It was found that patients who used this telemedicine had significant savings than patients who did not use it. A similar study was done in 2012 in New Mexico, which proved that costs in Hospital at Home were 19% lower compared to care in hospitals for similar inpatientsMore than 15 million Americans received medical care through telemedicine in 2016, according to American Telemedicine Association (ATA). This number is expected to grow further by 30% in 2017. Alongside ATA also issued several acts such as CHRONIC Care Act and CONNECT for Health Act in 2017 to support the growth of telemedicine across all nations. The Assembly Health Committee of New Jersey recently in 2017 legally defined the practice of telemedicine, user eligible for it and technology that can be used. This is expected to boost the telemedicine market in the region significantly during the forecast period. Another development in North Carolina allows professionals to video monitor and collect data on every far flung ICU patient through TeleICU. Furthermore, telemedicine developments are also observed in Latin America. The Government of Paraiba, Brazil introduced a telemedicine project for remote screening of hearth defects in children in 2015.Alongside there are various medical policies available that support the telemedicine services. For instance, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expanded its Medicare coverage for services like consultation, individual psychotherapy and pharmacologic management on 18th May 2017.Lack of resources, infrastructure and high technological cost may hamper the market growth in emerging economies such as India, Brazil, and African countries.Get a discount on this report :Strategies implemented by market players to tap the emerging markets:Key players in telemedicine market are Siemens Healthcare, McKesson, Cardio Net Inc., Cerner, IBM Corporation, Medtronic, Inc, Philips Healthcare Honeywell Life Care Solutions, GE Healthcare, AMD Telemedicine and Cisco Systems. Market players are implementing various strategies to gain share in the telemedicine market. For instance, Doc+, a Russian digital health company combined telemedicine with digital-enabled house calls through which doctors can offer consultations, sick notes, prescriptions, and a number of diagnostic tests over electronic platform in 2016.Furthermore, in 2017, ZH healthcare collaborated with Curavi Health Telemedicine Company to deliver workflow and electronic health records (EHR) solutions that will help deliver telemedicine solutions and physician care to the nursing-home bedside.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunityContact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +12067016702E-mail:sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite: Hospital Asset Management Market Trends and Segments 2016 - 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hospital-asset-management-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1926 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Hospital Asset Management MarketIn hospitals, the key assets include people, devices, and medication. However, the management of thousands of expensive mobile equipment is labor-intensive and challenging. Asset management is thus of prime importance across hospitals owing to its significant impact on staff productivity, assets performance, operations, and lifestyle costs. Asset tracking is a potential area of improvement for hospitals that can be achieved with quantitative results. With the help of asset management solutions, hospitals are able to improve service quality while reducing managing costs and risk of non-compliance.Obtain Report Details @Hospital asset management solutions are equipped with various technologies such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), infrared, ultrasound, and Wi-Fi based real-time location systems (RTLS). The RFID technology is extensively used across the pharmaceutical sector where manufacturers and distributors are able to precisely track drug products through the supply chain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced guidelines for the implementation of RFID technology in November 2004 to ensure the safety and security of drug supply across the health care industry. For staff management and to provide better service to patients, RTLS is widely used for nurse call automation and real-time locating of patients. RTLS tags are also implemented to monitor, track, and manage strategic assets such as ventilators for critical care, cardiac monitoring devices, machinery for ultrasound diagnostics, and others.Global Hospital Asset Management Market: OverviewThe increasing number of complex equipment in modern-day hospitals, along with the growing incidences of drug counterfeiting and supply chain issues have boosted the demand for hospital asset management solutions. The declining cost of hardware utilized in various systems such as RTLS and their extensive usage across the health care industry have also augmented the growth of the global hospital asset management market. However, initial investment requirements, operational and technical issues, and privacy and ethical concerns will hamper the growth of the global hospital asset management market. Various initiatives taken by government institutions to decrease operational costs at government-run hospitals are expected to define the future outlook of the global hospital asset management market.Hospital asset management includes staff management, patient management, temperature and humidity monitoring, and equipment management. With the growing demand to manage vast supplies of medical equipment across hospitals, equipment management has emerged as one of the largest application segments in the global hospital asset management market.Global Hospital Asset Management Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global hospital asset management market has been segmented into four key regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. In North America, the robust health care infrastructure has propelled the demand for hospital asset management solutions. North America and Europe are the leading regions in the global hospital asset management market. Various government initiatives to boost the health care industry and rising demand for efficient supply chain management in Asia Pacific will fuel the demand for hospital asset management software in the region in the coming years. India and China will significantly contribute toward the growth of the market in the region owing to the standardization of RFID technology through various government initiatives.Some of the prominent players in the global hospital asset management market are GE Healthcare, IBM Corporation, Tyco International Ltd., AeroScout Inc., Vizbee RFID Systems Ltd., Infor, Awarepoint Corporation, Motorola Solutions Inc., Trimble Navigation Ltd., Ekahau Inc., Siemens Healthcare, Versus Technology Inc., Sonitor Technologies Inc., and Zebra Technologies Corporation.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Growing Preference for Global Network Line Market to New Levels Network Line http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/411244 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/411244 https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbis-research Orbis Research delivers key insights on the Global Network Line market in a new report titled Global Network Line Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types and Applications. In this report, Orbis Research sheds light on the various factors and trends impacting market growth over the forecast period (2017 2022).DescriptionThe Global Network Line Market report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Network Line industry. This report evaluates the Global market for " Global Network Line".The Global Network Line Market report provides complete analysis of the Global Network Line Market by analysing all round market dynamics such as regional market opportunities, drivers, challenges, constraints, threats, and other market trends.The Global Network Line Market report contains latest Business Data resulting from various Research sources that helps Decision Makers to deliver a Distinctive and Trustworthy Analysis for Companys Growth.Get a PDF Sample of Global Network Line Market report at:The Global Network Line Market Survey starts with Industry overview of Global Network Line Market covering Major Regions Status, Industry Chain Structure, Definitions and Specifications, with a detailed focus on Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis including Raw Material Suppliers, Equipment Suppliers and Manufacturing Process.In Next Part, the researchers has collected and presented information on Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis which comprises of Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source of Major Manufacturers in 2017.In following segment, with Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin, Business Region Distribution Analysis, Competition between various Company Profile has been given along with Product Pictures and Specifications in Global Network Line Industry Report.The Key Players Mentioned in Global Network Line Market Report are: COMMSCOPE(US) Legrand(France) Siemon(US) DATWYLER(Switzerland) Schneider(France) POTEVIO(China) Panduit(US) Nexans(France) DTT(China) Rosenberger(Germany) Nippon Seisen Cable,Co;Ltd(Japan) AMP(US) TSINGHUA TONGFANG(China) LEVITON(US) GENERAL(US) Belden(US) SHIP(China) YOFC(China)Key Regions North America United States Canada Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina Others Europe Germany United Kingdom France Italy Spain Russia Netherland Others Asia & Pacific China Japan India Korea Australia Southeast Asia Indonesia Thailand Philippines Vietnam Singapore Malaysia Others Africa & Middle East South Africa Egypt Turkey Saudi Arabia Iran OthersMain types of productsNetwork Line Market, by Network Line Classification Twisted Pair Coaxial Cable Optical CableNetwork Line Market, by Material Pure Copper Aluminum Wire Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Iron Wire OtherNetwork Line Market, by Network Line Quality Three Lines Five Lines Super Five Lines Six LinesNetwork Line Market, by Key Consumer Home Use Commercial UseThe Global Network Line Industry Report is also a Great Source of Marketing Type Analysis consisting:1. Global Network Line Regional Marketing Type Analysis2. Global Network Line International Trade Type Analysis3. Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Global Network Line by Regions4. Global Network Line Supply Chain AnalysisFor Any Query, before Purchasing Report Click Here:Major Points from Table of Contents:Chapter One: Methodology and Data SourceChapter Two: Network Line Market OverviewChapter Three: Network Line by Key Players 2012-2017Chapter Four: Network Line by Regions 2012-2017Chapter Five: Network Line Market by Product TypesChapter Six: Global Key Players ProfileChapter Seven: Network Line by Appliance 2012-2017Chapter Eight: Industry Chain and Supply ChainChapter Nine: Global Network Line Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter Ten: Development Trend and Research ConclusionLastly, the Report provides Development Trend Analysis for 2017-2022 years which will forecast Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales Price, Consumption Forecast, Market Trend (Product Type) and Market Trend (Application). Also the List of Major Consumers is analyzed and Contact Details are provided to easy communicating.Finally, the Report is concluded with Various Methodology, Analyst Introduction and Data SourcesOrbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn: New Study On Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry: Global Trends and Forecast, 2017 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1300751 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-marine-antifouling-coatings-industry-2017-trends-and-forecast-report-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "New Study On Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry: Global Trends and Forecast, 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.Marine Antifouling Coatings Report by Material, Application, and Geography Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China).The report firstly introduced the Marine Antifouling Coatings basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) basic information;2.) the Asia Marine Antifouling Coatings Market;3.) the North American Marine Antifouling Coatings Market;4.) the European Marine Antifouling Coatings Market;5.) market entry and investment feasibility;6.) the report conclusion.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsPart I Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry OverviewChapter One Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry Overview1.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Definition1.2 Marine Antifouling Coatings Classification Analysis1.2.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Marine Antifouling Coatings Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Marine Antifouling Coatings Application Analysis1.3.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Marine Antifouling Coatings Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Marine Antifouling Coatings Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Product Market Development Overview1.6 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Marine Antifouling Coatings Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Marine Antifouling Coatings Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market AnalysisBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Worldwide Analysis on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapeutics Market Strategies and Forecasts, 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/post-traumatic-stress-disorder.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1950 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapeutics Market: OverviewPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that occurs in individuals of any age and gender. Its symptoms can show up immediately after a traumatic experience or with the course of time. It is one of the most common psychological disorders, affecting about 8 mn adult Americans and an annual incidence rate of close to 3.5% across the globe. Its first line of treatments includes counseling and psychotherapy. The population at risk includes veterans and soldiers. Some of the drugs that are usually prescribed are Zoloft by Pfizer, Elavil by AstraZeneca, and Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline.Obtain Report Details @The research report provides an in-depth analysis of the dynamics of the global PTSD therapeutics market and the extent to which they impact the growth of the market. It offers insights into the historical data and current scenario of the market to understand the growth rate of the market and also to make predictions about the future trends. For a coherent understanding, it segments the market on the basis of various criteria including treatment and geography. It presents invaluable information regarding the different parameters of the market that help new as well as existing players in making informed business decisions. It extensively covers the competitive landscape of the global PTSD therapeutics market.Global Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapeutics Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe rising prevalence of PTSD is the primary factor driving the global PTSD therapeutics market. Globally, there are increasing cases of cross-border tensions and violence. To control such situations, military troops and police forces are deployed at sights of violence. This is leading to the development of PTSD among military personnel, which in turn is driving the demand for therapeutics for the treatment of this disorder. In addition, the increasing emphasis on rehabilitation programs for injured military personnel is working in favor of the growth of the market. Moreover, the growing number of road accidents, particularly in developing countries, is augmenting the market.On the flip side, the serious side effects of certain drugs are leading to bad publicity and several lawsuits, which in turn is adversely affecting the growth of the market. Consumption of Zoloft and Paxil by pregnant women led to septal heart defects, miscarriage, delayed development, cranial defect, and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). However, the increasing research and development activities for understanding the mechanisms underlying PTSD is likely to pave way for new and safe therapeutics.Global Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapeutics Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key segments studied in the report on the basis of geography are Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. North America will be one of the major revenue contributors to the growth of the global market. The rising prevalence of PTSD is fuelling the demand for its therapeutics in the region. The presence of pharmaceutical giants along with the increasing research and development in the field is providing a fillip to the growth of the region. Asia Pacific will be a potential market owing to the high rate of motor accidents in high population countries.Global Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapeutics Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global PTSD therapeutics market is characterized by high competitive rivalry. The market scenario is anticipated to change after the launch of novel therapies. Some of the prominent players in the market are GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Azevan Pharmaceuticals, and Baylor Research Institute.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Oman: National Broadband Plan to Drive Expansion of Fiber Networks and Support Telecom Growth Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1045253 http://www.researchmoz.us/oman-national-broadband-plan-to-drive-expansion-of-fiber-networks-and-support-telecom-growth-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Oman: National Broadband Plan to Drive Expansion of Fiber Networks and Support Telecom Growth" to its huge collection of research reports."Oman: National Broadband Plan to Drive Expansion of Fiber Networks and Support Telecom Growth" a new Country Intelligence Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Oman today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.In 2016, Oman generated estimated telecom service revenue of $1.9bn according to GlobalData. Revenue grew by 6.5% year-on-year, driven by fixed Internet and mobile data segments. GlobalData expects growth to improve over the forecast period (2016-2021) at a CAGR of 9.8%. The mobile data segment will be a key growth driver for the market, with its revenue growing at a CAGR of 24.9% over 2016-2021.During the next five years, operators should focus on network investments and upgrades and seize opportunities arising from growth in the mobile data segment.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Oman compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Oman.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Oman's telecommunication market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- The overall telecom service revenue in Oman is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% during 2016-2021.- Mobile revenue will account for 79.6% of total telecom revenue by the end of 2021, up from 76.5% in 2016.- The potential entry of a third mobile operator and launch of 4G services by MVNOs will cause competition in the mobile market to further intensify.Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Oman's telecommunications market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying GlobalDatas Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Oman's mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Oman's telecommunication market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Oman.Browse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Todays Throne Speech offered welcome news to members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees in BC. CUPE members are happy to hear plans to deliver on commitments made in the last election, said Paul Faoro, President of CUPE BC. British Columbians now have a government that is working for them. BC Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon outlined BC NDP Premier John Horgans government priorities - from enhancing public education, to protecting the most vulnerable, to improving availability of childcare, to creating good paying jobs in a strong, balanced and environmentally sustainable economy. CUPE members are hearing a very different tone than what we listened to for the last 16 years, said Faoro. We are hearing from a government that wants to work with people and communities, to understand what regular people are dealing with, and to make changes that will improve public services and make life more affordable. The Governments focus on public schools is encouraging for the more than 27,000 CUPE education workers. With the school year just beginning, employees of BC school districts are eager to see changes. The governments attention to public education gives parents and students certainty, said Faoro. CUPE education workers look forward to working with trustees to implement solutions at the local level, and make sure every student experiences a clean, safe and inclusive learning environment in their community school. Todays Throne Speech also presented initiatives long called for by CUPE members and community allies, including building affordable housing, implementing a poverty reduction strategy, and acting to end BCs drug overdose death crisis. CUPE members work on the front lines in every BC community and we see first-hand the serious life-or-death struggles facing too many in our prosperous province, said Faoro. Finally, we are hearing from a government that cares about the least fortunate in our society. CUPE BC represents more than 87,000 workers in BC employed in a multitude of sectors including, education, municipalities, health care, and community social services. Contact: Nathan Allen, CUPE Communications Representative: 604-338-2967 Global and United States Wine-Making Yeast Market 2017-2022 Latest In-Depth Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1313775 http://www.researchmoz.us/global-and-united-states-wine-making-yeast-in-depth-research-report-2017-2022-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1313775 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Wine-Making Yeast In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Wine-Making Yeast industry.Major CompaniesAssociated British Foods (U.K.)Angel Yeast (China)Lesaffre Group (France)Chr. Hansen Holding A/S (Denmark)Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Netherlands)Lallemand Inc (Canada)Leiber GmbH (Germany)Oriental Yeast (Japan)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsWine-Making Yeast Market, by TypeYeast ExtractAutolyzed YeastWine-Making Yeast Market, by Type SourceBakers YeastBrewers YeastWine-Making Yeast Market, by Key ConsumersFoodFeed & Pet FoodPharmaceuticalsBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Wine-Making Yeast In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Wine-Making Yeast Market Overview1.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Wine-Making Yeast, by Type 2012-20171.2.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Type 2012-20171.2.2 Global Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Market Share by Type 2012-20171.2.3 Global Wine-Making Yeast Price by Type 2012-20171.2.4 Yeast Extract1.2.5 Autolyzed Yeast1.3 Wine-Making Yeast, by Type Source 2012-20171.3.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Type Source 2012-20171.3.2 Global Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Market Share by Type Source 2012-20171.3.3 Global Wine-Making Yeast Price by Type Source 2012-20171.3.4 Bakers Yeast1.3.5 Brewers YeastChapter Two United States Wine-Making Yeast Market Overview2.1 United States Wine-Making Yeast Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Wine-Making Yeast, by Type 2012-20172.2.1 United States Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Type 2012-20172.2.2 United States Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Market Share by Type 2012-20172.2.3 United States Wine-Making Yeast Price by Type 2012-20172.2.4 Yeast Extract2.2.5 Autolyzed Yeast2.3 Wine-Making Yeast, by Type Source 2012-20172.3.1 United States Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Type Source 2012-20172.3.2 United States Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Market Share by Type Source 2012-20172.3.3 United States Wine-Making Yeast Price by Type Source 2012-20172.3.4 Bakers Yeast2.3.5 Brewers YeastChapter Three Wine-Making Yeast by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Wine-Making Yeast Price by Regions 2012-20173.4 North America3.4.1 United States3.4.1.1 California3.4.1.2 Texas3.4.1.3 New York3.4.1.4 Others in United States3.4.2 Canada3.5 Latin America3.5.1 Mexico3.5.2 Brazil3.5.3 Argentina3.5.4 Others in Latin America3.6 Europe3.6.1 Germany3.6.2 United Kingdom3.6.3 France3.6.4 Italy3.6.5 Spain3.6.6 Russia3.6.7 Netherland3.6.8 Others in Europe3.7 Asia & Pacific3.7.1 China3.7.2 Japan3.7.3 India3.7.4 Korea3.7.5 Australia3.7.6 Southeast Asia3.7.6.1 Indonesia3.7.6.2 Thailand3.7.6.3 Philippines3.7.6.4 Vietnam3.7.6.5 Singapore3.7.6.6 Malaysia3.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia3.8 Africa & Middle East3.8.1 South Africa3.8.2 Egypt3.8.3 Turkey3.8.4 Saudi Arabia3.8.5 Iran3.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Four Global Wine-Making Yeast by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Wine-Making Yeast Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Wine-Making Yeast Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Wine-Making Yeast by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Wine-Making Yeast Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Wine-Making Yeast Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Wine-Making Yeast Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Wine-Making Yeast Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Wine-Making Yeast by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Wine-Making Yeast Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Food6.3 Feed & Pet Food6.4 Pharmaceuticals6.5 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinued...Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Global Organic Fertilizers Market In Japan, 2017 To 2022: By Crop Type - Cereals & grains, Oilseeds & pulses, Fruits & vegetables & Floriculture crops Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1318795 http://www.researchmoz.us/2017-2022-global-and-japan-organic-fertilizers-market-analysis-report-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Organic Fertilizers Market In Japan, 2017 To 2022: By Crop Type - Cereals & grains, Oilseeds & pulses, Fruits & vegetables & Floriculture crops" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Organic Fertilizers market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2017, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Japan plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2017, with a CAGR of xx%.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the Organic Fertilizers market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits Organic Fertilizers market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includeTata Chemicals Ltd (India)The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (U.S.)Coromandel International Limited (India)National Fertilizers Limited (India)Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (India)Midwestern BioAg (U.S.)Italpollina SpA (Italy)ILSA S.p.A (Italy)Perfect Blend, LLC (U.S.)Sustane Natural Fertilizer, Inc. (U.S.)ABM Bio-Organic Fertilizers (China)Shangdong Woyuan Co., LTD. (China)ShangSha Gangan Haishan Organic Fertilizer Co., LTD. (China)Jintudi Organic Fertilizer (China)Geographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaIndiaOthersEuropeFranceGermanyUnited KingdomItalyRussiaOthersNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoOthersSoutheast AsiaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, the Organic Fertilizers market is primarily split intoBy SourcePlantAnimalMineralBy Crop TypeCereals & grainsOilseeds & pulsesFruits & vegetablesFloriculture cropsOthersBy FormDryLiquidKey ApplicationsFarmingForestryAnimal HusbandryFisheryOthersTable of Contents2017-2022 Global and Japan Organic Fertilizers Market Analysis Report1 Organic Fertilizers Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Organic Fertilizers1.2 Global and Japan Organic Fertilizers Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan Organic Fertilizers Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.1 Japan Organic Fertilizers Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.2 Japan Organic Fertilizers Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities2 Global and Japan Organic Fertilizers Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1 Japan Organic Fertilizers Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1.1 Japan Organic Fertilizers Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Japan Organic Fertilizers Revenue and Share by Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.3 Japan Organic Fertilizers Average Price (USD/Unit) by Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017)Browse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Automatic Door Control Market Competitive Intelligence and Tracking Report 2016 - 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1624 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1624 www.futuremarketinsights.com Automatic door control is widely deployed in public places like theatres, hotels, shopping malls, grocery stores and many others to eliminate the tedious job of opening the door manually.. Sensor based automatic door control technologies include ultrasonic/radio, infra-red and other wireless sensing methods. The automatic door control system is basically based on intention analysis and human detection. This is achieved with the assistance of a passive infrared sensor. A live body emits infrared energy which is sensed by the PIR sensor from a considerable distance. This sensed signal is transferred to a microcontroller which in turn operates the door motor. While the closure of the door is managed through a fixed time delay. Further, interrupt signals are controlled through limit switches to avoid locked rotor condition of the motor. Automatic door control is a widely used product especially in the developed economies to avoid human labor and workforce.Global Automatic Door Control Market: SegmentationThe global automatic door control market can be segmented on the basis of geography, type, operating mechanism, technology and application. On the basis of geography, the global automatic door control market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Japan. On the basis of type, the global automatic door control market can be segmented into glass doors, metal doors, plastic doors and composite doors. On the basis of operating mechanism, the global automatic door control market can be segmented into swinging doors, sliding doors, folding doors, revolving doors and others. On the basis of technology, the global automatic door control market can be segmented into manual, automatic and access control. On account of applications, the global automatic door control market can be segmented into residential, industrial and commercial.Request For Report Sample@Global Automatic Door Control Market: DriversThe key factor driving the global automatic door control market are high disposable incomes. Moreover, changing lifestyles of people also accounts for a major share in driving the global automatic door control market. Improvement and increase in construction activities and adoption of automation in most of the developed regions is another factor driving the growth of the market. Moreover, increased construction of malls, high technology airports, grand hotels and multiplexes have led to the growth of the global automatic door control market.Global Automatic Door Control Market: RestraintsHigh initial costs is one major challenge pulling down the growth of the global automatic door control market. Moreover, heavy maintenance and repair costs and less demands of automation in small and emerging economies restricts the global automatic door control market to grow. Further, increased price of raw materials like metal and glass is another factor restricting the builders or owners to use such automatic doors thus challenging the overall growth of the global automatic door control market.Global Automatic Door Control Market: Region Wise OutlookNorth America and Western Europe are the biggest markets for automatic door control because of high tech developments in the regions. Developed regions like North America and Western Europe are mature markets in terms of automatic door controls. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market followed by Middle East and Africa. Eastern Europe and Latin America are also showing positive growth in the global automatic door control market. Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth due to increasing development and automation in the developing economies like India and China.Visit For TOC@Global Automatic Door Control Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players in the global automatic door control market are GEZE Corporation, Door Controls Inc., Dorma, Automatic Door Controls Inc., Thomas Door and Windows.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Artificial Diamond market 2017 - Sandvik AB, Element Six, JINQU, CR GEMS, HongJing Artificial Diamond Market https://goo.gl/EptgbS https://goo.gl/KpF2r4 http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Artificial Diamond Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Artificial Diamond Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Artificial Diamond industry, and estimates the future trend of Artificial Diamond market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Artificial Diamond Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportSandvik AB (SE)Element Six (ZA)ILJIN Co. Ltd (KR)Applied Diamond Inc. (US)Scio Diamond Technology Corporation (US)Tomei Diamond Co., Ltd. (JP)Pure Grown Diamonds (US)New Diamond Technology, LLC (RU)Washington Diamonds Corporation (US)Centaurus Technologies, Inc. (IN)Crystallume (US)Sino-crystal Diamond (CN)Zhongnan Diamond (CN)Henan Huanghe Whirlwind International Co., Ltd (CN)JINQU (CN)CR GEMS (CN)HongJing (CN)SF-Diamond (CN)Yalong (CN)The market research report explores the Artificial Diamond market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Artificial Diamond Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Artificial Diamond market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Artificial Diamond. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Artificial Diamond market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The report helps answer the following questions:- What is the current size (volume and value) of the Artificial Diamond market in global sector?- How much Artificial Diamonds are produced in global sector?- What is the price for Artificial Diamonds in global sector?- How is the market split into different types of Artificial Diamonds?- How are the overall market and different product types growing?- How is the market predicted to develop in the future?- Who are the market players?The competitive landscape of the global market for Artificial Diamond is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Artificial Diamond market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Artificial Diamond market globally.The latest industry data included in this report:- Demand (volume and value) for Artificial Diamonds, 2010-2021- Production of Artificial Diamonds, 2010-2021- Price for Artificial Diamonds, 2010-2021- Artificial Diamond market size by product type, 2010-2021- Growth rates of the overall market and different product segments, 2010-2021- Shares of different product segments of the overall market, 2010, 2017, and 2021Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Artificial Diamond market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Artificial Diamond production volume, data pertaining to demand and Artificial Diamond supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Artificial Diamond along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Artificial Diamond across the world.Among the key reasons to purchase include the following:- Gain an outlook of the historical development, current market situation, and future outlook of the Artificial Diamond market in global sector to 2021- Track industry developments and identify market opportunities- Plan and develop marketing, market-entry, market expansion, and other business strategies by identifying the key market opportunities and prospects- Save time and money with the readily accessible key market data included in this PDF format industry report. The data is clearly presented and can be easily incorporated into presentations and internal reports.About UsApexResearch offer reports from top publishers and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.biz Micro Irrigation Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015 - 2023 Micro Irrigation Systems Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/micro-irrigation-systems-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=485 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The presence of a large pool of participants characterizes the competitive landscape of the global micro irrigation systems market. As the market faces intense competition, major players are focusing on innovations as well as the integration of latest technologies into their existent offerings in order to retain their position, finds Transparency Market Research.In the recent times, a number of leading companies have introduced advanced micro irrigation systems. For instance, Netafim launched its next-generation low-flow drippers and Toro introduced Aqua-Traxx Flow Control drip tape in 0.13 GPH emitter flow rate. However, over the coming years, manufacturers will undertake strategic partnerships to expand their product portfolios as well as to increase their sales, notes TMR.Micro irrigation systems are widely recognized as one of the fast-emerging segments in the worldwide agriculture industry. The immense rise in the adoption of these systems is mainly attributed to the encouragement by various governments across the world.Obtain Report Details @With water scarcity being a looming concern, micro irrigation can prove beneficial as it is capable of saving 50 to 60% of the ground water compared to other conventional irrigation practices. Consequently, governments in Asian and African countries, where water scarcity is severe, are offering subsidies over the installation costs of micro irrigation systems, prompting farmers to adopt these systems. Besides, farmers are also preferring micro irrigation systems over traditional ones as the former allow them to water plants evenly and when required, optimizing crop yields and improving their quality.Considering these factors, the future of the global micro irrigation systems market looks teeming with opportunities. However, the high cost associated with the installation and maintenance of these irrigation systems may limit their application to large-scale and corporate farming in the coming years.Analysts at TMR estimate the global opportunity in micro irrigation systems, which stood at US$2.6 bn in 2014, to expand at a CAGR of 15.10% during the period from 2015 to 2023 and possibly worth US$9.1 bn by the end of the forecast period.This 101 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Micro Irrigation Systems Market. Browse through 41 data tables and 24 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.Currently, sprinklers dominate the market with a majority share and are expected to remain dominant in the near future. However, drip irrigation systems are poised to report their adoption at the fastest rate over the forecast period. While the demand for pumping units is the highest in the sprinkler segment, filters draw the maximum demand in the drip irrigation systems segment.Regionally, Europe led the global market with a revenue share of 32% in 2014. The region, however, will lose its ground to Asia Pacific in the coming years, thanks to the increasing involvement of technology in agriculture in countries such as Australia, China, India, and Japan.Get Sample copy of the Report @Key Segments of the Global Micro Irrigation Systems Market:By Product TypeSprinkler Irrigation SystemsTraditional SprinklersCenter Pivot SprinklersLateral Move SprinklersDrip Irrigation SystemsBy ComponentsSprinkler Irrigation SystemsTubingPumping UnitFittings & Sprinkler HeadsCouplersOthers (Span, Towers etc.)Drip Irrigation SystemsDrippersTubingBackflow PreventersValvesFiltersPressure RegulatorsFittingsBy ApplicationSmall FarmersGovernmentLarge Corporate FarmingAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Anchor Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Febrile Neutropenia Market To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/febrile-neutropenia-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2857 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Febrile neutropenia is defined as the development of fever with sign of infection. Febrile neutropenia is one of the most severe complications during cancer chemotherapy and is mainly caused by infectious agents like gram positive and gram negative bacteria. This diseased condition significantly reduces white blood cell count of the patients. Blood test is helpful to determine the number of white blood cells and to diagnose febrile neutropenia disease. Additionally, patient with febrile neutropenia is treated with prophylactic antibiotics to recover from persistent or recurrent fever conditions.Obtain Report Details @The market of febrile neutropenia is majorly driven by the efforts of key players to develop novel and cost effective therapeutics. For example, in July 2014, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. filled an application for approval of ZOSYN 2.25 and ZOSYN 4.5 (generic name- tazobactam piperacillin) for additional indication of febrile neutropenia. This product is a combination of antibacterial -lactamase inhibitor and can be used intravenously. Moreover, in April 2014, Amgen, Inc. collaborated with ONS Edge, Inc. to help educate nurses regarding the patients who are at the risk of febrile neutropenia.Thus, these types of efforts will build healthy platform to develop the market of febrile neutropenia hence stimulates the market growth. Additionally, large number of therapeutics under clinical pipelines by key companies will further stimulate the market growth in near future. Positive initiatives by North American and European governments will further drive the market growth of febrile neutropenia. For example, in September 2013, U.S. Food Drug and Administration (U.S. FDA) approved phase III study of Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) by Amgen, Inc. This study demonstrates increase of white blood cells in patients who are undergoing myelo-suppressive chemotherapy. In addition, in June 2010, Nivestim (TM), a new biosimilar filgrastim by Hospira, Inc. is approved by European Commission. This drug is mainly used for the prevention of febrile neutropenia and offers cost-effective treatment option for neutropenia. However, lack of specific treatment that enables to treat all the symptoms of this disorder may restrain the growth of this market. In addition, high generic competition among the key players leads to price erosion and ultimately restrains the overall growth of febrile neutropenia market.The market of febrile neutropenia can be segmented on the basis of:By Therapeutics Molecule TypesPegfilgrastimVancomycin hydrochlorideFilgrastim biosimilarsPegfilgrastim biosimilarsStimuxenOthersGeographically, North America dominates the global febrile neutropenia market. High degree of therapeutic needs for febrile neutropenia coupled with presence of large number of key players like Amgen, Inc., Aequus BioPharma, Inc. and others in North American market will drive the growth of the market. Europe is considered as the second largest market of febrile neutropenia. Large pool of patients under the diagnosis of this disease coupled with increasing demand of treatment fuels the growth of febrile neutropenia market. In addition, Asia-Pacific region is considered as an emerging market for febrile neutropenia due to the launch of novel drugs with improved efficacy by key companies. In addition, growing awareness for this disorder among the people will further stimulate the growth of febrile neutropenia market in Asia-Pacific region.Some of the key players in the febrile neutropenia market include Xenetic Biosciences plc, Richter Gedeon Nyrt., Amgen, Inc., Hospira, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, USV Limited, Aequus BioPharma, Inc., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and others.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Medicated Personal Care Products Market Development & Demand, Growth Analysis, Key Findings, Application and Forecast-2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1008 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/medicated-personal-care-products-market Market Research Future published a research report on Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027.Global Medicated personal care products Market Information by Types (Antiperspirant, Deodorant, Oral Care, Hand Sanitizers, natural personal care product, others) By Beauty care (oils, shampoos, moisturizers, gels, oils, soaps, others) - Forecast to 2027Market Synopsis of Medicated personal care products Market:Market Scenario: Medicated personal care products was founded a few decades ago, this market for medicated personal care products is driven by growing awareness towards a health life and the urge of creating a commanding personality, the change in lifestyle is also playing a major role in the growth of the market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Medicated personal care products Market: Personal Care (US) TWASA (India) KPH Cosmos Pvt. Ltd (India) Edana Johnson & Johnson (US) LOreal (Paris) DCC Health and Beauty Solutions LTD (UK)Study Objectives of Medicated personal care products Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Medicated personal care products Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Global Medicated personal care products Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia, and RoW. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, by beauty care and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Medicated personal care products Market.Browse Full Report Details @Segments:Global Medicated personal care products market has been segmented on the basis of types which consist of Antiperspirant, Deodorant, Oral Care, Body Powders, Hand Sanitizers, Feminine Care and others. On the basis of beauty which includes oils, shampoos, moisturizers, gels, oils, soaps and others.AmericasNorth AmericaUSCanadaLatin AmericaEuropeWestern EuropeGermanyFranceItalySpainU.KRest of Western EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificAsiaChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaRest of AsiaPacificThe Middle East & AfricaThe report for Global Medicated personal care products market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Tanzania Upstream Oil and Gas Sector 2017 - Current and Future Plans https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2111323-tanzania-upstream-fiscal-and-regulatory-report-new-laws-add-substantial-contract https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Tanzania Upstream Fiscal and Regulatory Report.Tanzania Upstream Fiscal and Regulatory Report - New Laws Add Substantial Contract Risk, presents the essential information relating to the terms which govern investment into Tanzanias upstream oil and gas sector. The report sets out in detail the contractual framework under which firms must operate in the industry, clearly defining factors affecting profitability and quantifying the states take from hydrocarbon production. Considering political, economic and industry specific variables, the report also analyses future trends for Tanzanias upstream oil and gas investment climate.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Overview of current fiscal terms governing upstream oil and gas operations in Tanzania- Assessment of the current fiscal regimes state take and attractiveness to investors- Charts illustrating the regime structure, and legal and institutional frameworks- Detail on legal framework and governing bodies administering the industry- Levels of upfront payments and taxation applicable to oil and gas production- Information on application of fiscal and regulatory terms to specific licenses- Outlook on future of fiscal and regulatory terms in TanzaniaKey points to buy- Understand the complex regulations and contractual requirements applicable to Tanzanias upstream oil and gas sector- Evaluate factors determining profit levels in the industry- Identify potential regulatory issues facing investors in the countrys upstream sector- Utilize considered insight on future trends to inform decision-makingTable of Contents1 Table of Contents2. Regime Overview3. State Take Assessment4. Key Fiscal Terms5. Regulation and Licensing6. Outlook7. Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra Spectral Computed Tomography Market Dynamics, Major Companies Analysis and Forecast- 2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1026 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/spectral-computed-tomography-market Market Research Future published a research report on Global Spectral Computed Tomography (CT) Market Research Report- Forecast to 2027 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027.Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) Market Information by types (Cardiac Imaging, Neutral Imaging, Clinical images others) by applications (Cardiovascular, Neurovascular, Spinal others) by end users (Hospitals, diagnostic centers) - Forecast to 2027Computed tomography (CT) has enjoyed in a position of unmistakable quality in medicinal imaging since its creation in the past decades. The methodology gives a more complete picture of the body than X-rays, its predecessor, taking images at a few distinct angles to construct a cross area, including bone and tissue. The inconvenience is that it can be hard to recognize one object from another in the white palette, especially with regards to smaller injuries or metal artifacts inside the body.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Spectral Computed tomography (CT) Market: General Electric Company, Hitachi medical corporation, NeuroLogica Corp, Neusoft Medical Systems, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Shenzhen Anke High-tech Co., LtdStudy Objectives of Spectral Computed tomography (CT) Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia, and RoW To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, by application, by end users and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) MarketBrowse Full Report Details @Segments:Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) market has been segmented on the basis of types which consist of Cardiac Imaging, Neutral Imaging, Clinical images others. On the basis of application which includes Cardiovascular, Neurovascular, Spinal and others On the basis of End Users Diagnostic centers and hospitalsThe report for Global Spectral Computed tomography (CT) market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Spectral Computed Tomography (CT) Market Research Report- Forecast to 2027 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Brachytherapy Market Dynamics, Comprehensive Analysis, Business Growth, Prospects and Opportunities 2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1035 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/brachytherapy-market Market Research Future published a research report on Global Brachytherapy Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2027.Invasive (Microsphere), Non-Invasive (Electronic Brachytherapy)), Applications (Prostate Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Breast Cancer, Skin cancer, Rectum, others) by end users (medical physicist, licensed dosimetrist, radiation oncologist), Level of dose - Forecast to 2027Market Synopsis of Brachytherapy Market:Market Scenario:Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy where a permanent radiation source is set inside or beside the region requiring treatment. Brachytherapy is generally utilized as a convincing treatment for cervical, prostate, bosom, and skin cancer and can likewise be utilized to treat tumors in several other body sites.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players: Modus Medical Devices Inc. (Canada) Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (US) Eckert & Ziegler (Germany) C. R. Bard, Inc (US) Argon Medical Devices, Inc. (US) Elekta AB (Sweden) IsoRay Medical, Inc. (US) IsoAid (US)Study Objectives of Brachytherapy Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Brachytherapy Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Global Brachytherapy Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia, and RoW. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, by application, level of dose, by end users and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Brachytherapy Market.Browse Full Report Details @Segments:Global Brachytherapy market has been segmented on the basis of applications which consist of cervical, prostate, breast, skin cancer, gallbladder, rectum and others. On the basis of types the market is majorly divided into; drugs and devices. Devices are further divide on the basis of mode of operation, i.e. invasive and non-invasive. Invasive if further comprises of; microsphere brachytherapy, while non-invasive includes; electronic brachytherapy. Based on end users the market is classified into; medical physicist, licensed dosimetrist and radiation oncologist.Americas North America US Canada Latin AmericaEurope Western Europe Germany France Italy Spain U.K Rest of Western Europe Eastern EuropeAsia Pacific Asia China India Japan South Korea Rest of AsiaPacificThe Middle East & AfricaThe report for Global Brachytherapy Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Brachytherapy Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Ippudo, the name synonymous with superlative ramen both in NYC and abroad, expands its Midtown reach with another restaurant arriving in the neighborhood next Monday, September 11th. Already with its original stronghold in the East Village and another in Midtown West, Ippudo's next location will serve more of the eastern part of the neighborhood, Eater NY reports, opening at 24 West 46th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Anticipation of bathing in the chain's luxurious tonkotsu broth should be tempered since this location will instead focus on kasane broth, a combination of pork and chicken. "This kind of has the smooth taste and a milky, savory flavor without the heaviness of a complete pork-based broth because half of it is chicken," Kinkela tells Eater. "It's lighter and easier to eat in my opinion." Other shifting focuses include offering takeoutIppudo specialized their food hall spinoff specifically to withstand to-go ordersplus it will only offer lunch until November, when dinner service will launch. This is part of the early phase of a major Ippudo expansion in the United States, Bloomberg reported earlier this year. Locations in San Francisco and Berkeley are next on the horizon, with an Ippudo opening somewhere in Brooklyn (most likely) in 2018. United States Washing Machines Market 2017 Top Players : Whirlpool, LG, Electrolux, Samsung, Panasonic Market Research Reports http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=941700&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-washing-machines-market-report-2017.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=941700&type=D Qyresearchreports include new market research report "United States Washing Machines Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.Notes:Sales, means the sales volume of Washing MachinesRevenue, means the sales value of Washing MachinesThis report studies sales (consumption) of Washing Machines in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringWhirlpoolLGElectroluxSamsungPanasonicToshibaHitachiSharpGEBoschHaierMideaQishuaiLittle DuckAucmaMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisFor more information on this report, fill the form @Split by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoDrum-type washing machineWave-type washing machineAgitator-type washing machineSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Washing Machines in each application, can be divided intoCommercial useHousehold useTable of ContentsUnited States Washing Machines Market Report 20171 Washing Machines Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Washing Machines1.2 Classification of Washing Machines1.3 Application of Washing Machines1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Washing Machines (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Washing Machines Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Washing Machines Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 United States Washing Machines Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Washing Machines Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Washing Machines Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Washing Machines Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Washing Machines Market Competitive Situation and TrendsBrowse Press Release of this Research Report:3 United States Washing Machines Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2011-2016)3.1 United States Washing Machines Sales and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.2 United States Washing Machines Revenue and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.3 United States Washing Machines Price by States (2011-2016)4 United States Washing Machines Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4.1 United States Washing Machines Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.2 United States Washing Machines Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.3 United States Washing Machines Price by Type (2011-2016)4.4 United States Washing Machines Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)5 United States Washing Machines Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)5.1 United States Washing Machines Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)5.2 United States Washing Machines Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)5.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6 United States Washing Machines Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6.1 Whirlpool6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Washing Machines Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Drum-type washing machine6.1.2.2 Wave-type washing machine6.1.3 Whirlpool Washing Machines Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 LG6.2.2 Washing Machines Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Drum-type washing machine6.2.2.2 Wave-type washing machine6.2.3 LG Washing Machines Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Electrolux6.3.2 Washing Machines Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Drum-type washing machine6.3.2.2 Wave-type washing machine6.3.3 Electrolux Washing Machines Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewMake An Enquiry For Discount :List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Washing MachinesTable Classification of Washing MachinesFigure United States Sales Market Share of Washing Machines by Type in 2015Figure United States Sales Market Share of Washing Machines by Application in 2015Figure United States Washing Machines Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Figure United States Washing Machines Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Table United States Washing Machines Sales of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Table United States Washing Machines Sales Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog qyresearch-group.blogspot.in In-Depth Study on U.K. Energy Industry Covering Latest Developments and Future Opportunities http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1312638 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/pr/uk-energy-industry.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=1312638 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Albany, New York, Sep 8, 2017: The UK government is strongly working on its commitments to dealing with climate change and phasing out coal-fired power plants is one of them. A report named U.K. - Energy Industry Market - August 2017 has been added to the repository of Market Research Hub (MRH) that focuses on the energy industry in the UK. The report offers key insights on the numerous factors at play in UKs energy industry. According to the report, coal-fired power plants are under scrutiny, owing to the adverse impact on the environment. There are plans to steadily phase out coal-fired power plants by 2025, with gas-fired power generation gaining traction. According to the report, the share of gas-fired power generation increased from nearly 29% in 2015 to 41% in 2016. Owing to the phasing out of coal-fired power plants, a number of existing power plants have got extension.Request Free Sample Report:-The focus on reducing the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy is not limited to UK alone. In Scotland, the last coal power plant was closed in spring 2016 and also, two of the largest coal plants were decommissioned in England. This led to the fall in electricity generated by coal from 16.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2015, to just 3.6 per cent over the same period in 2016. Scotland, which has demonstrated a strong commitment to renewable energy, now produces 77 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources.Coal has dominated the market in UK throughout the full history of the electricity market. With renewables and nuclear energy also making significant contributions, the fuel mix in 2016 had the lowest carbon intensity since the early markets formation. An analysis by UK-based environmental website Carbon Brief shows that the UK generated more electricity from wind and solar farms than coal in 2016.According to the report, the low cost of gas-fired power generation is sustained compared to the fluctuating cost of coal-fired power generation. Natural gas accounts for the largest increase in world primary energy consumption and holds strong competitive position among other resources. Natural gas remains a key fuel in the industrial sector.The report opines that such tremendous transition from coal to gas has brought in some challenges for the market in terms of ensuring sufficient security of supply and how these challenges are dealt with will determine the future of the market. Moreover, the report also provides in-depth analysis of electricity supplied in the UK, type of fuel used, UK gas supply between 2012-2016, breakdown of average domestic dual fuel bill 2016, and the potential impact of Brexit on the UKs renewable energy policy.Browse Full Report with TOC:-Smart meters are steadily gaining traction in the UK energy industry, with adoption witnessing a gradual increase. The report offers comprehensive analysis on the opportunities smart meters offer to energy suppliers. The report also focuses on the guidelines and regulations impacting the energy industry in the UK. Key market regulations include CMA energy market investigation, EU Renewables Directives, Feed-In Tariffs, The Renewable Heat Incentive, and Energy Company Obligation (ECO).Enquire about this Report-About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of power energy market research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of different categories reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at - Halitosis Treatment Market Revenue is expected to Reach USD 22,153.4 billion by 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3758 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/halitosis-treatment-market-3758 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/3758 Market Research Future adds new report of Halitosis Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast till 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket scenario:Halitosis is a clinical condition characterized by unpleasant odor present in the mouth due to various periodontal and chronic diseases. It has become a social problem affecting large number of people across the world. The most common cause of halitosis is lack of oral hygiene and lack of awareness about diagnosis of this disease. Halitosis treatment market is expected to show a massive growth due to availability of a wide range of dental health care products, increasing geriatric population and rising prevalence of periodontal diseases. The global halitosis treatment market is expected to reach USD 22,153.4 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 18.58% during the forecast period 2017-2023.Get a Sample Report @Market Segments:The global halitosis treatment market is segmented on the basis type of halitosis, indication, diagnostic test and drug treatment. On the basis of Type of Halitosis, the markets are segmented into pathological halitosis and others. Pathological halitosis is divided into oral pathological halitosis and extra oral pathological halitosis. Other types include physiological halitosis. On the basis of Indication, the market is segmented into respiratory, liver, kidney, gastrointestinal, systemic, and others. Respiratory segment is further sub-segmented into sinusitis, tuberculosis, emphysema, pharyngitis, pneumonia, and others. Liver segment is further sub-segmented into liver failure, gall bladder diseases, and others. Kidney segment is further sub-segmented into Uremia. Gastrointestinal segment is further sub-segmented into esophageal reflux, stomach cancer, malabsorption, and pharyngitis. Systemic segment is further sub-segmented into diabetes. On the basis of Diagnostic Test, the market is segmented into halimeter, gas chromatography, BANA test, -galactosidase activity assay, and other tests. On the basis of Drug Treatment, the global halitosis treatment market is segmented into antacids, antiseptic, ranitidine and other drugs. Other drugs available of the treatment of halitosis are cetylpyridinium chloride and cimetidine.Key Players in the Global Halitosis Treatment MarketSome of key players profiled in the report are Colgate-Palmolive Company (U.S) All USA Partners LLC (U.S) Dr. Harold Katz LLC (U.S) Rowpar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S) Abbott (U.S) Listerine (U.S) AstraZeneca (U.S)Browse Report Details @Intended Audience Dental care products manufacturers & suppliers Research and development (R&D) companies Hospitals and clinics Academic institutes and universitiesRegional analysis:The global halitosis treatment market is segmented into four main regions namely America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa.The Americas account for a significant market share owing to rising prevalence of gum diseases and extensive use of oral care products such as toothpastes, mouth washes, mouth sprays, etc. In 2013, in the US, USD 810 million was spent for halitosis treatment.Europe is the second largest market in the world whose growth is attributed to an increase in awareness regarding halitosis and products available for its treatment. Furthermore, increasing demand for new oral care products influence the market growth.Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly due to rising prevalence of chronic diseases such diabetes, respiratory diseases, kidney or liver failure with the increasing population. Rising geriatric population suffering from these diseases also contribute to the market growth.In the Middle East & Africa, the market is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic conditions, and lack of awareness about oral health.Table of Content1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction3 Research Methodology: Halitosis Market4 Marker Dynamics5 Market Factor Analysis6 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Type7 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Indication8 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Diagnostic Test9 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Drug Treatment10 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Region11 Competitive Landscape12 MRFR Conclusion13 AppendixEnquire about this Report @List of TablesTable 1 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Type, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)Table 2 Global Halitosis Treatment Market for Pathologic Halitosis, By Region, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)Table 3 Global Halitosis Treatment Market for Other Halitosis, By Region, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)Table 4 Global Halitosis Treatment Market, By Indication, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)Table 5 Global Halitosis Treatment Market for Respiratory Disorders, By Region, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)Table 6 Global Halitosis Treatment Market for Liver Disorders, By Region, 2014-2023 (Usd Million)ContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Global Halitosis Market, By Type, 2016 (%)Figure 2 Global Halitosis Market, By Indication, 2016 (%)Figure 3 Global Halitosis Market, By Diagnostic Test, 2016 (%)Figure 4 Global Halitosis Market, By Treatment, 2016 (%)Figure 5 Global Halitosis Market, By Region, 2016 (%)Figure 6 Global Halitosis Market: Market StructureContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com The global CAR T cell therapy market is estimated to be valued at US$ 72.0 million in 2017 and is projected to expand exponentially at a CAGR of 46.1% during 2019 2028. https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/102 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/car-t-cell-therapy-market-102 CAR T Cell Therapy Market A Revolution in Cancer TreatmentOver the last few years, CAR T Cell therapy has gained wide recognition in the healthcare industry. CAR T cell is an innovative technique that involves removal of T Cells from patients blood before reinsertion using a genetically altered mechanism. The technology is still in the nascent stage; however, is expected to grow at double digit growth rate creating multi-billion absolute dollar opportunity for industry players in the near future. As of 2016, just over 40 companies are engaged in CAR T cell therapy market. Novartis International AG, Juno Therapeutics, and Kite Pharma Inc. are the only players that are expected to launch products by 2018. With long impending clinical trials and research activities carried out using chimeric antigen receptor cells (CAR-T) cells, these players in the pharmaceuticals industry are expected to launch various products in 2017 and commercialize them in the following two to three years.The competition in the CAR T cell therapy market is projected to intensify following commercial launch of products of other companies by 2022. In 2015, Cellectis entered into clinical alliance with MD Anderson for development of UCARTCS1 in MM, UCART22 in ALL, UCART38 in T-cell ALL and UCART123 in a rare non-curable cancer.Request a sample copy of this report:CD 19 to dominate the market throughout the forecast periodAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is highly prevalent among children. Adults account for over 40% cases of ALL. Changing lifestyle along with increasing incidence of cancer among children necessitates an effective treatment approach in the healthcare industry for effective treatment of the same. As a result, CAR- T cell therapy has emerged as one of the potential therapies to address this issue. CD-19 marker is highly effective in tackling the growing incidence problem of ALL. The CD-19 antigen CAR T Cell segment is expected to be valued at US$ 1.2 billion by 2023 and is expected to continue dominate the market (in terms of revenue) through the remainder of the forecast period.North America to retain its dominance in the CAR T cell therapy market through 2028North America is home to state of the art R&D labs along and is characterized by high prevalence rate of blood cancer. Each year, over 171,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer in the U.S. Of these, around 46% suffer from lymphoma (U.S. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), thereby creating major market opportunity for CAR T cell therapy industry players to capitalize on highly lucrative growth opportunities in the region. North America is expected to account for 52.5% of overall market share by 2020. Kite Pharma Inc. along with Novartis International AG are expected to gain significant market share in the region, as these companies have already applied for U.S. Biologics License Application (BLA). Moreover, these companies have established dedicated manufacturing sites for CAR-T cell therapy products; Kite Pharma established its 43,500 square foot plant in the U.S. for production of CAR-T cell products. The plant is expected to produce up to 5,000 patient therapy products in 2018. In 2016, Juno Therapeutics invested US$ 20 million to set up of CAR-T cell products manufacturing facility in the U.S. These companies are analyzed to greatly benefit from first mover advantage.Europe is expected to second-most prominent market (in terms of revenue) through 2023, post which it would lose it position to Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at the fastest rate, expanding at a CAGR of 62.5% between 2019 and 2028. Japan and China are the key regions in Asia Pacific that market players would focus on during the latter half of the forecast period to pave a way for higher return on investment (ROI).Click here to know more about this publish report:Diversification of CAR T Cell in other therapeutics application is expected to create lucrative market opportunities for market playersCurrently, Juno Therapeutics along with Kite Pharma and Novartis are working on CD 19 antigenresponsible for blood cancers. These companies also have a product roadmap to commercialize products based on CD 30 and 22 responsible for solid cancers. FDA approval of these products by 2025 is projected to drive the market growth over the latter half of the forecast period.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Medical Bionic Implants Market Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/581 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/medical-bionic-implants-market-581 Medical bionic implants are special type of devices made with the help of biological methods and systems found in nature the best known example is cochlear implant, a device for deaf people that is implanted in the human body. Medical bionic implants function same as normal body organ. Bionics is actually a combination of biology and electronics. Instead of robotic versions of implant medical bionic implants serves better. As medical bionic implants can perform original function precisely or can also do even better than it.Medical bionic implants are used for organ transplantation when an organ of person is damaged due to disease and injury. As there are very few organ donors than the demand and if donor is found there are chances of rejection of transplanted organs. Whereas, medical bionic material are made up of biomaterials. Biomaterial is living or non-living substance introduced in the body as the part of bionic substitute to an organ or function associated to it. Furthermore, study of bionics also emphasizes on the implementation of function found in nature other than just imitating the biological structure, which is expected to favor the medical bionic implants market. Whereas, in July 2015, the BBC medical correspondent Fergus Walsh reported that surgeons in Manchester have performed the first bionic eye implant this is expected to fuel the growth of medical bionic implants market. Also, there are various other medical bionic implants present in market such as ear, hand, artificial heart which is also expected to favor the medical bionic implant market.Request a sample copy of this report:Medical Bionic Implants Market TaxonomyBy Product TypeHeart BionicsOrthopedic BionicsEar BionicsVision BionicsBy TechnologyElectronic BionicsMechanical BionicsBy Method of FixationImplantableExternally WornBy End UserHospitalsClinicsRise in scarcity of organ donor expected to fuel the medical bionic implants marketGrowth in road accidents and geriatric population is expected to favor the growth of medical bionic implants market. The most transplanted organs are kidney, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas and intestines. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2014, around 75,000 people are on the active waiting list for organs and only 8,000 organ donors are available each year which favors the growth of medical bionic implants with quick advancement in technology in medical field.Furthermore, orthopedic medical bionic implant is scientifically more advanced than prosthetics and also amputees can have access to limb replacement and enhancement. Additionally, people of Australia with bionic ears will be eligible for an upgrade due to US$ 2.83 million fund boost from NSW government which is expected to favor the growth of medical bionic implants market.Regionals growth engines for medical bionic implants marketMedical bionic implants market is segmented geographically in different regions that are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published that 97% of newborns in the U.S. were screened for hearing loss in 2014, which is expected to boost the market of medical bionic implants. Whereas population based study in Europe and North America also have identified a consistent prevalence of approximately 0.1% of children having hearing loss which is expected to favor the growth of medical bionic market in both the regions. Furthermore, Asia Pacific is also expected to show significant growth in market due to large number consumers, rising government initiatives through some organizations such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Health Working Group (HWG) and APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum (LSIF) and they approved by Health Ministers in Beijing in August 2014 for enhancing healthcare system.Click here to know more about this report:Key players operating in medical bionic implants marketManufacturers are focused towards research and development for innovating medical bionic implants in cost effective price for gaining more competitive edge in the market. The key players operating in medical bionic implants market include Terumo Corporation, Ossur Americas, EKSO Bionics, Orthofix, Nano Retina Inc., Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., Otto Bock, LifeNet Health, Inc., Edwards LifeSciences Corporation, Medtronic Inc., Tibion Corporation, Touch Bionics Limited, and Boston Scientific Corporation.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Feed Probiotics Global Market Data Analysis & Validation, Forecast to 2022 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/feed-probiotics-global-market-outlook-2015-2022 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001216398/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001216398/buying Increasing health awareness regarding animal nutrition, industrialization of livestock industry, expansion of animal meat market are some of the factors boosting the market growth. However, Lack of awareness in under developed regions, regulatory framework and competition for raw materials with other industries are hampering the market. Increasing demand in Asia-Pacific Markets and rise in the cost of natural feeds creates ample of opportunities in the market.For more information about this report:Lactobacillus is the main market and is expected to exhibit major growth during the forecast period. Pet feed segment is likely to exhibit the healthy growth in the next five years due to the increasing demand for meat products across the globe. Asia Pacific is likely to contribute the main market share in the overall feed probiotics market followed by Europe due to the occurrence of relatively large number of consumers in the region. Europe is also expected to show strong growth due to the ban on the usage of antibiotics that support the growth in animal, which in turn increases the demand for the feed probiotics market.Some of the key players in the market include Danone SA, Royal DSM N.V., E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Novus International Inc., Arla Foods, Life Products Inc., Nebraska Cultures Inc., Chr. Hansen A/S, Provita Eurotech Ltd, NestlA Nutrition, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (Japan), Lallemand, Novozymes, General Mills and Calpis Co., Ltd.AnimalTypes Covered:- Aquaculture- Pet Feed- Swine Feed- Ruminant- Horses- Poultry Feed- Cattle Feed- Other Animal TypesType of Bacteria Covered:- Streptococcus- Lactobacillus- Bifidobacteria- Thermophiles- Other bacteriaRequest Sample Copy atRegions Covered:- North America- US- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Germany- France- Italy- UK- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Japan- China- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the World- Middle East- Brazil- Argentina- South Africa- EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsCompany Profiling9.1 Danone SA9.2 Royal DSM N.V.9.3 E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company9.4 Novus International Inc.9.5 Arla Foods9.6 Life Products Inc.9.7 Nebraska Cultures Inc.9.8 Chr. Hansen A/S9.9 Provita Eurotech Ltd9.10 Nestle Nutrition9.11 Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (Japan)9.12 Lallemand9.13 Novozymes9.14 General Mills9.15 Calpis Co., Ltd.Inquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Ventilation Equipment Market Professional Survey Report 2016 : Schaefer, Daikin, HC Groep http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=742661&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-ventilation-equipment-market-professional-survey-report-2016.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=742661&type=D http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Ventilation Equipment Market Professional Survey Report 2016 to its huge collection of research reports.The research report on the global Ventilation Equipment market is a scientific effort to present the performance of the market over the forecast period. The report has been prepared after an extensive research phase followed by data scrutiny. A number of secondary databases and scientific journals have been used for collecting data pertaining to vital technical and business aspects of the Ventilation Equipment industry.Employing a holistic approach, the report presents growth trends and performance analysis of the global market for Ventilation Equipment over the forecast period. It covers demand and supply dynamics, cost structures, and manufacturing processes in this industry. The report also presents granular information on the various segments of the Ventilation Equipment market. This is followed by an analysis of segments and sub-segments for their growth indices over the forecast period.Get Report Sample and Customization:In matters of competition, the report presents information about leading players in the global Ventilation Equipment market with details of the competitive profile of each of them. Key growth strategies of leading players that include mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and product development have also been discussed at length in this report.The report uses standard analytical tools and industry-centric research methodologies to present market attractiveness index and feasibility analysis of new investments in the global Ventilation Equipment market in the upcoming years. The analysis is useful to formulate strategies for profitable ventures in the market in the forthcoming years.Lastly, the research report sheds light on the lucrative market segments that market participants can focus on for competitive gains.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Ventilation Equipment1.1 Definition and Specifications of Ventilation Equipment1.1.1 Definition of Ventilation Equipment1.1.2 Specifications of Ventilation Equipment1.2 Classification of Ventilation Equipment1.3 Applications of Ventilation Equipment1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Ventilation Equipment1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Ventilation Equipment1.5.1 Industry Overview of Ventilation Equipment1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Ventilation Equipment1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Ventilation Equipment1.7 Industry News Analysis of Ventilation EquipmentComplete report with detailed table of content is available at:2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Ventilation Equipment2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Ventilation Equipment3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Ventilation Equipment3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Ventilation Equipment Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Ventilation Equipment Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Ventilation Equipment Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Ventilation Equipment Major Manufacturers in 20154 Global Ventilation Equipment Overall Market Overview4.1 2011-2016E Overall Market Analysis4.2.1 2011-2015 Global Ventilation Equipment Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2015 Ventilation Equipment Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2011-2015 Global Ventilation Equipment Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2015 Ventilation Equipment Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2011-2015 Global Ventilation Equipment Sales Price4.4.2 2015 Ventilation Equipment Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)4.5 Gross Margin AnalysisCheck Discount @QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Children Anti Toe Walker boot Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2026 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13744 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13744 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Toe walking is a common ailment found amongst toddlers and young adults. Toe Walking is a type of gait abnormality in which a child loses the right contact with the ground. If a child continues to walk in a flawed posture without any clinical interruption, then he or she might stumble into a severe neuromuscular problem. Physicians believe that an early detection and treatment of this ailment is always better for the affected person. There are several anti-toe walking cures available in the global market. From simple observations to critical operations all healing processes are distinctly used to cure this postural imbalance. Orthopedics mostly use tenotomies which are an age-old treatment used to cure this disease. Apart from this cure doctors often recommend anti-toe walker boots for these children who are affected by this problem. Studies revealed that children affected by developmental problems or autism become an easy prey of anti-toe walking. Children affected by cerebral palsy lose their healthy posture and starts toe-walking.A sample of this report is available upon request @Toe-walking can be handled through proper medication and apart from that it also needs a backup from an experienced practitioner. Several parents of the children affected by this postural disorder opt out for anti-toe walking shoes. Doctors prefer Anti-toe walking shoes, and it can cure the problem easily with passing time.A proper toe-walking shoe can do wonders on the child who is crippled by this disorder. There are several advantages of ATW shoes which are available in the global market. Anti-toe walking shoes are specially designed to cure this problem which is prevalent amongst children. Toe walking can come into a child from his or her ancestors. Though toe-walking is a normal part of the entire growth process and it does not have a larger effect on the mind and body of a growing child, thus the most of the parents opt for treatments such as buying an anti-toe walking shoe to combat this prevalent disease.Children Anti Toe Walker boot market: DriversChildren anti-toe walker boot market is dependent on several factors. The change in the mentality of the parents is playing a crucial part in the development of the children anti-toe walker boot market. Parents are aware and sensitised about this disease, and they are combating this disease with proper steps. Trends have shown that parents and doctors prefer children anti-toe walker boots for treatment rather than surgeries as this is safe and it cures easily. There are minimal side effects of this treatment, and it is cost effective in comparison to other costly means of treatments. The market of children anti-toe walker boot is expanding as the population affected by toe walking is swelling every day. Overall boom in the healthcare equipment industry is also playing a crucial role in the development of this market. Several new players are pumping in money in the healthcare equipment segment. Emerging startups are also cementing the base of the healthcare equipment market. This fast changing scene of the healthcare market is likely to stretch the periphery of the Children Anti Toe Walker boot market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Children Anti Toe Walker boot market: RestraintsChildren anti-toe walker boot market is expanding with time. But alternative medicines to treat this gait problem might impact the development of the market in the days to come. Minimal awareness about this disorder is also a hurdle in the expansion of this market. Developed healthcare markets in North America, Europe might witness a steady growth, but the developing healthcare markets such as APEJ and MEA will register a slow growth as people are less aware of these boots and customers are economically weak.Children Anti Toe Walker boot market: Key RegionsNorth America, Europe being the leading healthcare markets will dominate the Children Anti Toe Walker boot market. Most of the world-class companies are present in this region which manufactures boots to cure toe walking. Regions such as APEJ, MEA will probably the largest emerging markets as the demand will rise because malnourished children crowd these regions. Millions of children are fighting diseases like cerebral palsy, autism in this region which will probably aid the growth of the Children Anti Toe Walker boot market in this region.Children Anti Toe Walker boot market: Key PlayersSoft Star Shoes, The Good Feet Store, TheFootWorksStore, Bails Custom are some of the suppliers of the children anti-toe walker boots.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, types and applications.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Global Floating Power Plant Industry Report Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2017 ReportsWeb http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011036391/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/global-floating-power-plant-market-professional-survey-report-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011036391/discount ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Floating Power Plant Market Professional Survey Report 2017 The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCiel & Terre InternationalVikram Solar Pvt., Ltd.Principle PowerGeneral Electric CompanySiemens AGWartsilaMan Diesel & Turbo SeCaterpillar, Inc.IdeolSeatwirl ABUpsolarYingli SolarFloating Power Plant A/SKyocera CorporationMitsubishi CorporationOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy Power SourceNon-renewable PowerRenewable PowerBy Capacity1 MW-5 MW5.1 MW-20 MW20.1 MW-100 MW100.1 MW-250 MWAbove 250 MWRequest a sample copy atBy Application, the market can be split intoIndustrial UseCommercial UseBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaFor More information about this report atTable of Content:-1 Industry Overview of Floating Power Plant2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Floating Power Plant2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Floating Power Plant4 Global Floating Power Plant Overall Market Overview5 Floating Power Plant Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Floating Power Plant Market Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Floating Power Plant Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Floating Power Plant Sales by Type7 Global 2012-2017E Floating Power Plant Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Floating Power Plant9 Development Trend of Analysis of Floating Power Plant Market10 Floating Power Plant Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Floating Power PlantDiscount on report purchase atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market : Technological Growth Map Over Time To Understand the Industry Growth Rate http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/semiconductor-production-equipment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19646 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global market for semiconductor production equipment has been covered under the scope of this report. Semiconductor production equipment (SPE) is used in possibly the most advanced and complex manufacturing process in the world, which is, the production of semiconductor devices. Semiconductor products, such as memory devices and microprocessors are used in a wide range of devices such as personal computers, consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment.Technologies used in semiconductor production equipment are constantly changing owing to the dynamic business environment and the rising demand for high performance semiconductors.The demand for semiconductor production equipment is directly proportional to the demand for semiconductors, which, in turn, is proportional to the strength of the economy.Obtain Report Details @The global semiconductor production equipment market, by equipment type, is classified into four categories: Assembly and packaging equipment, wafer processing equipment, test equipment, and other equipment. As of 2016, the wafer processing equipment contributed to the largest revenue share of global semiconductor production equipment market owing to its wide application areas in the production of semiconductors.The global semiconductor production equipment market, by end-user, is segmented into foundry, semiconductor electronics manufacturer, testing house and others. As of 2016, semiconductor electronics manufacturer contributed to largest revenue share of a little short of 55% in the global market. The rise in demand for semiconductor electronics such as tablets, and smartphones, among others are likely to drive the growth of this segment during the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @Regionally, the global semiconductor production equipment market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. By revenue, North America held the dominant share of 43.5% in 2016. The presence of several leading manufacturers as well as rapid advancements in technology are responsible for the dominance of this region. By revenue, Asia Pacific emerged as the second largest market in the same year, followed by Europe.Some of the leading players in the semiconductor production equipment market are Applied Materials, Inc. (U.S.), Tokyo Electron Ltd. (Japan), ASML Holding, N.V. (Netherlands), Lam Research Corporation (U.S.), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), and Advantest Corporation (Japan). Some of the other companies operating in the market are KLA-Tencor Corporation (US), Teredyne (U.S.)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Because hipster consumer culture is a hellscape of ironic branding drizzled over many layers of social decay, an online clothing brand is now selling shirts that make light of neighborhood displacement. First pointed out (and rightfully condemned) by Brokelyn, "Keep Calm and Gentrify Brooklyn" is the latest glib catchphrase printed on numerous graphic tees from Hipster Bullshit, an online retailer that asks customers: "Hate yourself? Cool, we do too." If your Rumsfeld-era "Ski Iraq" T-shirt is now too small to cover your midsection, this is the shirt for you. The "Keep Calm" phrase is of course a long-played-out meme parody of British World War II posters that encouraged Londoners to "Keep Calm and Carry On" despite the brutal bombing of English cities by Nazi Germany. Hipster Bullshit has rescued the phrase at a time when gentrification continues to put Brooklynites out of their homes and out of work. They've slapped "Keep Calm and Gentrify Brooklyn" on two different shirts. One of them includes a cupcake, because nothing's sweeter than working class immiseration! Don't you get it? This product is (maybe?) a nuanced commentary on yupsters "colonizing" neighborhoods. Now do you get it? Here, let Hipster Bullshit explain themselves: Super chill apparel for the modern millennial avocado-toast-eating converted-loft-living $7-cortado-sipping LCD-Soundsystem-liking yuppie hipster seeking to fill the horrible void of existence by buying a bunch of cool-ass bullshit to parade around gentrified neighborhoods all over the Western world (and occasionally Thailand). Also available in Hipster Bullshit's F/W 17 line are "Gentrifier" shirts that feature the "fire" emjoi. Honestly who wants this kind of thing? Who's here for this, other than the Australian bros currently throwing a week-long rave in an illegal Airbnb above your place? What sane person spends $30 on a graphic tee of the Wikipedia Gentrification page stamped with pro-brunch propaganda? Hipster Bullshit doesn't appear to have any other online presence or contact info, but Gothamist did speak with Imani Henry, Executive Directory of Equality 4 Flatbush about the gentrification joke apparel. Henry, who is active in numerous efforts to end NYPD brutality and curb the whitewashing effects of Brooklyn gentrification, described irony as the wrong way to critique gentrification. "Why not wear a Black Lives Matter shirt? If you want to be in clear solidarity, be in clear solidarity. I'm making an assumption that if you're a gentrifier you're not going to wear this shirt. If you're that clueless, that you wold actually wear it, then of course somebody would be upset by it," Henry said. Hate these shirts? Cool, we do too. [h/t Brokelyn] Aerospace Data Recorder Market to Witness Decline in Demand By 2017 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=27674 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/27674 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/aerospace-data-recorder-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The top ten names operating in the global aerospace data recorder market are Honeywell International Inc., AstroNova Inc., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd., L-3 Technologies Inc., SLN Technologies, RUAG Group, Leonardo DRS, and Universal Avionics Systems Corporation.As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global aerospace data recorder market will likely register a lackluster CAGR of 4.6% during the period between 2017 and 2025 to reach a value of US$2.086 mn by 2025 from US$1.422 million in 2016.Request to view Sample Report:Increasing Commercial Airlines Catapults North America MarketDepending upon the different types of components, the global aerospace data recorder market can be classified into flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, quick access recorder, and data recorder. Among them, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder together accounted for over 50.0% of the total revenue grossed in 2016. The cockpit voice recorder, further, is slated to grow at a healthy clip in the years to come.Based on geography again, the market for aerospace data recorder market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. At present, North America holds the leading share in the market and is trailed by Europe. Serving to boost the market in the region is the proliferation of commercial airlines and swift expansion of air traffic in the last couple of years. This has necessitated better technologies such as flight recorders that help in better investigation in case of any untoward eventuality. Further, the U.S is ploughing large amounts in modernization of conventional systems embedded in defense aircrafts. This has resulted in manufacturers developing robust technologies in meet the demand of the U.S Department of Defense.Request to download and view full ToC @Need for Real-time Data Transfer during Flight Boosts MarketAerospace data recorders, better known as flight recorders, are electronic devices that mostly help in carrying out investigations of the aircrafts. Flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders are the most commonly used aerospace data recorders. Serving to generate demand in the global aerospace data recorders market is the demand for real-time data transmission during flight. Explains the lead analyst of the TMR report, The data transmitted to and from cockpit and aircraft, are crucial during an investigation, and because of this, the global aerospace industry are demanding real-time data transmission systems to be incorporated in to the commercial as well as military aircrafts. The surging requirement for real-time data transmission is driving the growth of market for aerospace data recorder.Steep Cost of Next Generation Flight Recorders Hampers MarketOne of the main restraints in the global aerospace data recorder market is the expensiveness of next generation flight recorders. With the aerospace industry making gigantic strides globally, aircraft and component manufacturers are coming up with or leveraging cutting-edge technologies to gather accurate and precise data from an aircraft. Aerospace data recorder manufacturers are developing technologies leveraging sophisticated and expensive electronics and sensors, which in turn is upping the price of the final product, thereby crimping their demand to an extent.In order to overcome such challenges, there is ongoing research for the transmission of real-time data directly to cloud.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Waste to Energy (WTE) Market Rising at 6.5% CAGR to 2024: Analysis of Key Players, Trends, Drivers, & Challenges https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/467721/?utm_source=opr-SK https://www.marketstudyreport.com/enquiry-before-buying/467721/?utm_source=pd-SK https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-north-america-europe-and-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east-and-africa-waste-to-energy-wte-market-2017-forecast-to-2022/?utm_source=RR-SK https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/category/news-releases/ MaketStudyReport.com adds a new Waste to Energy (WTE) market Research Report for the period of 2016-2024 that shows the growth of the market is rising at a 6.5% CAGR to 2024.Increasing municipal solid waste (MSW) adoption as a fuel to generate renewable energy via thermal and biological techniques will drive industry growth. Thermal technology dominated the total share in 2015. In addition, incineration waste to energy market may witness significant growth, the technology was already valued at over USD 12.05 billion in 2015. Converting MSW as feedstock and help to enhance streams process are key factors fostering incineration technology market growth.Request a sample copy of Waste to Energy (WTE) Market Research Report @Waste to Energy Market size is expected to reach USD 35.5 billion by 2024; according to a new research report.Increasing electricity demand along with growing dependency on renewable sources to generate energy due to depleting petrochemical reserves is likely to drive waste to energy market over the forecast timeframe. MSW management programs adopted by regional governments to promote power generation will further boost industry growth. Additionally, the U.S. recognition to include WTE to do their renewable energy targets may spur regional industry growth.WTE can attract stable tipping fees compared to landfills and help in reducing GHG emissions from MSW in landfills. In addition, government has made target towards renewable energy use. EU has set target to derive 20% energy from renewable sources owing to boost waste to energy demand.Growing urban population is forecast to be the key contributing factor for increasing MSW such as plastic, glass bottles, paper, tetra pack, cans, newspaper, cardboard boxes, meta items, aluminum foil, and wood pieces. Other factors such as industrialization, economic development, local climate, and public habits such as leftover food, further contribute towards MSW generation. Increasing MSW is anticipated to positively influence waste to energy market growth from 2016 to 2024. Major countries contributing MSW generation include U.S, China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil002E.Depleting fossil fuel along with the correction in crude oil prices is anticipated to fuel the need for finding petroleum substitutes for power generation.Furthermore, rigorous research activities towards technological development to use MSW for power generation by substituting natural gas, oil, and coal is enduring, which in turn is anticipated to lay massive environmental benefits and technical feasibility to catalyze the waste to energy market growth from 2016 to 2024. However, high cost associated with plant construction as well as expensive components installation may hamper industry demand in the near future. Also, more capital involved in flue gases treatment and other residues produced may negatively impact growth.Enquire about this report @Key insights from the report include:Europe, led by UK, Germany, Italy and France biological waste to energy market should generate over 5.5% growth to exceed USD 2.5 billion by 2024. Anaerobic based biological process is gradually improving and may replace composting step for biodegradable waste treatment generated from MSW.Thermal technology based incineration process in U.S. WTE market size was valued at over USD 1.8 billion in 2015. It is widely used for recovering energy from waste. Modernized thermal incineration equipments can replace existing ageing equipments and contribute towards lowering carbon emissions.Pyrolysis and gasification process in Germany registered demand of over USD 0.69 billion in 2015. It is used to convert waste into energy-rich fuels by heating under controlled conditions and converts into energy and ash.APAC, driven by China, India, Japan and Australia waste to energy market should achieve over 7.5% growth. Stringent environmental regulations coupled with investment spending should stimulate industry growth.LATAM, driven by Argentina, Chile and Brazil WTE market size is set to witness gains at over 7.5%. The Brazilian government has set an initiative to increase electricity production from renewable sources and reduce GHG.Global waste to energy market share is competitive. Keppel Seghers, Tenologies, Wheelabrator, Covanta and Hitachi Zosen are key notable industry players. Other prominent participants include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Foster Wheeler, Xcel Energy, China Everbright International, Plasco Energy, Veolia Environment and Green Conversion Systems.Related Reports: -Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Waste to Energy (WTE) Market 2017 Forecast to 2022WTE (Waste-to-Energy) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste. WTE is a form of energy recovery. Most ...About Us:Centralize market research purchases across your entire organization in one place.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4570,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-270Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News: Kombucha 2017 Global Market Key Players GT's Kombucha, KeVita, The Humm Kombucha, Live Soda Kombucha, Red Bull, HIGH COUNTRY Analysis and Forecast to 2022 Kombucha Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/861279-global-kombucha-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/861279-global-kombucha-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=861279 Kombucha Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Kombucha Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:The report provides in depth study of Kombucha Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Kombucha Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Global Kombucha market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;The top key players including:GT's KombuchaKeVitaThe Humm KombuchaLive Soda KombuchaRed BullKombucha Wonder DrinkTownshend's TeaCelestial SeasoningsKosmic KombuchaHIGH COUNTRYNessAlla KombuchaReed'sBuchi KombuchaThis report has a complete understanding of market value and quantity, technological progress, macro-economic and governmental policy based on past and present data along with the current and upcoming trends in the market.Request a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Kombucha in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBacteriaYeastMoldOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Kombucha for each application, includingOfflineOnlineComplete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Kombucha Market Research Report 20171 Kombucha Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Kombucha1.2 Kombucha Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Kombucha Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Kombucha Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Bacteria1.2.4 Yeast1.2.5 Mold1.2.6 Others1.3 Global Kombucha Segment by Application1.3.1 Kombucha Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Offline1.3.3 Online1.4 Global Kombucha Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Kombucha Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Kombucha (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Kombucha Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Kombucha Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022).7 Global Kombucha Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 GT's Kombucha7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 GT's?Kombucha Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 KeVita7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 KeVita Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 The Humm Kombucha7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 The Humm?Kombucha Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Live Soda Kombucha7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Live?Soda?Kombucha Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Red Bull7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Red?Bull Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Kombucha Wonder Drink7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Kombucha?Wonder?Drink Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Townshend's Tea7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Townshend's?Tea Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Celestial Seasonings7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Celestial Seasonings Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Kosmic Kombucha7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Kosmic?Kombucha Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 HIGH COUNTRY7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Kombucha Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 HIGH COUNTRY Kombucha Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Laser Displacement Sensor Market : Structure and Overview of Key Market Forces Propelling Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/laser-displacement-sensor-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=22106 A laser is predominantly deployed for measuring the distance covered by an object from start to finish. It is also used to determine the thickness, width, and height of the object using a triangulation method.The laser displacement sensor market is anticipated to witness an phenomenal growth due to their increasing across various application areas especially in machine tools, material handling, and robotics among others.According to the research report, the global laser displacement sensor market is expected to be worth US$5,201.4 mn by 2025 as compared to US$2,542.0 mn in 2015. During the forecast period of 2017 and 2025, the overall market is projected to progress at a CAGR of 7.6%.Growing use of laser displacement sensors in automotive and consumer electronics segments and growing demand for laser displacement sensors from other industries are driving factors for the laser displacement sensor market, globally.Obtain Report Details @On the basis of range, the laser displacement sensor market is segmented into less than 100mm, 100mm to 300mm and more than 300mm. The laser displacement.sensors with more than 300mm range holds the largest market share as a wide range of sensors are available in this segment and are expected to grow relatively faster as compared to others during the forecast period from 2017 2025.On the basis of end-use industry, the laser displacement sensor market has been divided into automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial, consumer electronics, and others. Out of these, the automotive sector held the largest market share in 2016 and is expected to dominate the market in the years to come. Factors such as demand for automation in automobiles and increasing expenditure on vehicles are expected to drive the segment in the coming years.Make an Enquiry @The global laser displacement sensor market is expected to be driven by the Asia Pacific region and is estimated to contribute major share in the overall laser displacement sensor market followed by North America. Emerging economies such as China, India and Japan are expected to play an instrumental role in defining the success of the Asia Pacific laser displacement sensor market. The strong presence of laser displacement sensor manufacturers along with growing number of government initiatives such as Make in India are poised to support the growth of this regional market.The key players profiled in the global Laser displacement sensor market include SICK AG, OMRON Corporation, Keyence Corporation, ZSY group LTD, Panasonic Corporation, Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, Cognex Corporation, Banner Engineering Corp., TURCK GmbH Co. KG and Micro-Epsilon.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Walnut Oil Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22667 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=22667 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Walnut Oil Market Introduction:Juglans regia, the most common walnut oil species also known as English walnut or walnut. Walnut oil is a total health, beauty and home remedy available in the market. The walnut oil preparation is obtained by solvent extraction method or a cold pressing method. This oil has abundant Omega 3 essential fatty acids making it excellent for skin care use. The mineral content of walnut includes iron, zinc, sodium, selenium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. The oil is said to have great emollient properties making skin feel smooth and soft. Other skin benefits such as protection from free radical damage, this is due to its antioxidant properties. Thus, market demand for walnut oil from skin care products is higher. Walnut oil also provides relief from fungal infections like ringworm, athletes foot. Walnut oil is a quick drying oil, hence is an excellent choice for body massage giving a soothing relaxing feeling and is gentle to use.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Walnut oil finds its use not only in skin care but also as hair oil, wood finishing oil, used for various cooking purposes. Walnut Oil has several other medicinal properties as well such as lowers cholesterol, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant properties and finds various applications in pharmaceutical industry.Walnut Oil Market Segmentation:The global walnut oil market is segmented on the basis of application, distribution channel, and region. Based on its application, the global walnut oil market is segmented as nutritional supplements, cosmetics products, aromatherapy and others such as wood finish and paint thinners etc.Amongst all application segments cosmetics segment is expected to dominant market over the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand from natural oil based skin care and hair care cosmetics. Nutritional supplements product segment is forecasted to grow due to its popularity in weight loss therapy and nourishment by omega-3 fatty acids. Walnut oil blends well with other massage oils, thus, increasing popularity in aromatherapy is another factor driving growth of walnut oil market. Walnut oils use in wood polishing and paint thinner industry is attributed to it safe for food wood finishing and is an odorless paint remover.Based on distribution channel, the global walnut oil market is segmented as online retail, supermarkets/hypermarkets, and specialty stores. Among which, the online retail is expected to gain major revenue shares over the forecast period.Walnut Oil Market Regional Outlook:On the basis of regions, the walnut market can be segmented into seven key regions; North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan and The Middle East and Africa. North America and Asia Pacific grabs the major share of global walnut oil market and expected to grow at a steady rate. Western Europe regional market is expected to grow at a relatively higher growth rate over the forecast period, due to the increased demand driven by awareness among consumers about the health benefits of walnut oil.Walnut Oil Market Drivers and Trends:Various mergers, acquisitions, partnership and collaboration in the walnut oil market and relatively high investment in food industry have been driving the walnut oil market at a steady rate.Walnut oil manufacturers are focusing on introducing new process refinement for better quality product by introducing production line processing. Macroeconomic factors like changing lifestyle, growing economy, and increase in per capita income are factors expected to lead the growth of global walnut oil market. The increased awareness among consumers regarding health benefits and various other applications of walnut oil in skin and hair care are factors expected to fuel market demand for walnut oil.The rising price of high quality walnut oil products can be a restraining factor for the walnut oil market over the forecast period.Request TOC of the Report@Walnut Oil Market Key Players:Some of the key players participating in the global walnut oil market includes ; La Tourangelle , La Nogalera walnut oil, Proteco , Aromex Industry , Yunnan Guzhiji Nutriment , Shuda Group , Yunnan Huizhiyuan , Shanghai Rongshi, Hebei Sanli etc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Fibromyalgia Treatment Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report -2027 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22697 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=22697 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Fibromyalgia disorder is characterized by musculoskeletal pain along with characteristics of fatigue, sleep disorders, memory and mood issues, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, depression, and anxiety. It is believed that fibromyalgia alters the pain sensations mechanism controlled by the brain. An individual with fibromyalgia also can have symptoms such as tension headaches, migraine, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Symptoms of fibromyalgia can be gradually accumulated with the time, or it can be done by some external factors such as physical trauma, infection, psychological stress, and surgery. However, the real cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown. Prevalence of fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men, and it can be nine times higher in women compare to men.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Fibromyalgia Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsFibromyalgia treatment market is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period as the number of trauma cases and surgeries are increasing across the globe. Although there is no cure for fibromyalgia, however, some drugs in fibromyalgia treatment are used to reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia such as narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants. As fibromyalgia associated with age, increase in geriatric population across the globe is also a factor to increase in the prevalence of fibromyalgia, which in turn, likely to boost the growth of fibromyalgia treatment market. Fibromyalgia is hard to diagnose as most of the symptoms are associated with other diseases as well, which in turn lower the diagnosis rate of patients having fibromyalgia in turn hampering the growth of fibromyalgia treatment market. Fibromyalgia treatment Combination therapies to treat fibromyalgia has many side effects and can cause severe damage to the patients. Also, other indications such as diabetes, kidney problem, heart disease can lead to severe damage to the patients if these drugs are used in fibromyalgia treatment. These factors are expected to hinder the growth of fibromyalgia treatment market over the forecast period.Fibromyalgia Treatment Market: SegmentationFibromyalgia treatment market is classified on the basis of drug class, distribution channels, and regionsBased on drug class, fibromyalgia treatment market is segmented into the following:AntidepressantsVenlafaxineDuloxetine HClMilnacipran HClOthersAnticonvulsantsPregabalinGabapentinOthersMuscle RelaxantsAnalgesicsBased on distribution channels, fibromyalgia treatment market is segmented into the following:Hospitals PharmaciesDrug StoresRetail PharmaciesOnline PharmaciesFibromyalgia Treatment Market: OverviewFibromyalgia is diagnosed with the chronic pain symptoms at tender points, a person has fibromyalgia if he or she has pain in at least 11 of 18 specific tender point sites. However, fibromyalgia treatment involves the high rate of chances of misdiagnosis if the individual does not meet the criteria of ACR. The introduction of new drugs is expected to boost the growth of fibromyalgia treatment market over the forecast period. Most of the drugs in fibromyalgia treatment are prescribed as off-label as these drugs available for other indications in the market such as including antidepressants, opioids, anti-epileptics and muscle relaxants. According to the European Network of Fibromyalgia Associations (ENFA), around 14 million people are affected in Europe by fibromyalgia and approximately 400 million people globally. Along with drug therapies, fibromyalgia treatment includes aerobic exercise which is also recommended to lower the pain and relieve the stress in fibromyalgia patients.Fibromyalgia Treatment Market: Region-wise OutlookThe fibromyalgia treatment market covers the market scenario for North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, Latin America and MEA. There are very few players with approved drugs in the fibromyalgia treatment market giving opportunities for emerging players for market entry. U.S. is the biggest market for fibromyalgia treatment. As North America is strong in terms of international company presence and also active research and development investments coupled with an increase in healthcare expenditure, the North America fibromyalgia treatment market contributes maximum revenue share in global fibromyalgia market. With the increasing number of approvals for new drugs in future, fibromyalgia market is expected to grow faster in developed and emerging economies.Fibromyalgia Treatment Market: Key Market ParticipantsSome of the participants in fibromyalgia treatment market include Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Innovative Med Concepts, Pfizer, Theravance Biopharma, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Innovative Med Concepts, Meiji Seika Pharma, and Tonix Pharmaceuticals. The fibromyalgia treatment market is competitive in nature as many generic drugs are available and used as off-label. Leading companies in fibromyalgia treatment are focusing on various new drug development and expanding their operation in the new countries for maintaining their foothold in the fibromyalgia treatment market.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedValue ChainThe regional analysis includes:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanThe Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macroeconomic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Request TOC of the Report@Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Narrowband Internet of Things Chipset Market : Structure and Overview of Key Market Forces Propelling Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/narrowband-internet-of-things-chipset-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23879 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Narrowband IoT refers to a low power wide area network technology that has been developed to enable network connectivity between a wide variety of devices and services. Narrowband IoT connects devices in a simpler and more efficient manner in an already recognized mobile network.NB-IoT provides features such as very low consumption of power, excellent range in underground sites and buildings, easy deployment in existing cellular networks, and lower cost of component. With the rising adoption of the IoT technology in application areas such as smart metering, smart homes, and smart appliances, the demand for NB-IoT chipsets has also increased significantly across the globe. The trend is expected to remain strong over the next few years.Transparency Market Research estimates that the market will exhibit a staggering 37.9% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, rising from a valuation of US$45.0 mn in 2016 to US$793.7 mn by 2025.Obtain Report Details @In terms of deployment, the global market for NB-IoT chipset is segmented in the report into standalone, guardband, and inband. Of these, the segment of guardband dominated the global market in 2016, accounting for a massive 41.9% share.The segment is expected to exhibit a promising 38.8% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, retaining its position as the leading contributor of revenue to the global market.Other segments are expected to closely follow in terms of growth rate over the forecast period, with the segment of inband exhibiting a 37.8% CAGR and the segment of standalone NB-IoT chipset deployment expanding at a 36.3% CAGR over the forecast period. Despite high growth rate, the segment of standalone NB-IoT deployment is expected to lose its market share by the end of the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @In terms of geography, the market for NB-IoT chipset has been segmented in the report into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America.Of these, the Asia Pacific market held the leading market share in terms of revenue contribution to the global market and is expected to retain its dominance during the forecasted period as well. Expected to exhibit an exponential 43.9% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, the Asia Pacific market for NB-IoT chipset is projected to see a massive increase in its revenue contribution to the global market, from nearly 37.5% in 2016 to 55.2% in 2025, of the overall revenue of the global market.The rising demand for deployment of smart meters and the adoption of smart city concept in countries such as China, Singapore, and India are expected to be the key drivers of the NB-IoT technology in the region.Some of the leading players operating in the global NB-IOT market are Huawei Technologies (China), Qualcomm, Inc. (The U.S.), u-blox Holding AG (Switzerland), Altair Semiconductor (Israel), Sequans Communications (France), Intel Corporation (The U.S.), Verizon Communications, Inc. (The U.S.), Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson (Sweden), and Vodafone Group Plc (United Kingdom).Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Fiber Optic Testing Equipment Market : Future Forecast Assessed on the basis of how the Market is Predicted to Grow http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fiber-optic-testing-equipment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23891 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Fiber optic testing equipment (FOTEs) are systems that are used to measure, inspect, and monitor various aspects like power, faults, quality in various fiber optic devices. Fiber optic testing equipment are also used to measure and test entities such as absolute power, reflections, efficiency, noise distortions, and time in various fiber optics applications.The global fiber optic testing equipment market is poised to witness significant growth over the next few years, chiefly owing to factors such as their high demand in fiber optics devices in the telecommunication industry.In the next few years, the significant rise in demand for measurement solutions and safety and monitoring solutions across the world is anticipated to create numerous growth opportunities for players in the global fiber optic testing equipment.Transparency Market Research estimates that in terms of revenue, the global fiber optic testing equipment (FOTE) market was pegged at US$571.87 mn in 2016. The market is projected to exhibit a healthy 5.7% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, rising to a valuation of US$936.66 mn by 2025.Obtain Report Details @From a geographical standpoint, the Asia Pacific market for fiber optic testing equipment accounted for over 54% of the global market in 2016 and is likely to retain its position over the forecast period as well.On the basis of product type, the fiber optic testing equipment market has been segmented into optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), optical light source (OLS), optical power meter (OPM), optical loss test set (OLTS), remote fiber test system (RFTS), and optical spectrum analyzers (OSA). Of these, the segment of OTDR fiber optic testing equipment held the leading market share in terms of revenue contribution to the global market in 2016 and is expected to retain its leading position during the forecast period as well.Make an Enquiry @The vast increase in demand for fiber optic instruments in telecommunication and defense industry and huge capital investments in communication technologies are expected to emerge as the key driving factors of the Asia Pacific fiber optic testing equipment market over the forecast period. China has the highest number of smartphone and electronic gadget users in the world currently, while Singapore boasts of the highest percentage of smart phone penetration in the world.Middle East & Africa (MEA) held the second leading position in the global fiber optic testing equipment market in terms of revenue in 2016. Increase in demand for portable electronic devices such as smartphones and tablet computers is one of the key driving factors for the fiber optic testing equipment market in Middle East & Africa.Some of the leading players operating in the global fiber optic testing equipment market are Anritsu Corporation, Keysight Technologies, JDS Uniphase Corporation, EXFO Inc, Tektronix Inc, Fluke Networks, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, and OZ Optics Limited.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Zinc Bacitracin Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2016-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22847 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=22847 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Zinc bacitracin is a mixture of high-molecular-weight polypeptides (bacitracin A, B, C, and several minor components). Zinc bacitracin occurs as a yellowish gray-brown to brown powder. It has characteristic odor. It is freely soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid, water, pyridine, and methol. Bacitracin has antibacterial effect on Gram-negative bacteria, actinomycetes, and leptospirae, and strong antibacterial effect on Gram-positive bacteria. It has growth-promoting effect on chickens (including broilers), pigs, and cattle.Based on product type, the zinc bacitracin market can be segmented into light brown and tan. The light brown segment accounted for a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market in 2015. The growing animal feed sector is expected to boost the demand for zinc bacitracin in the near future. The increasing demand for poultry farming, pig farming, and calf farming has fueled the demand for animal feed. This, in turn, has augmented the zinc bacitracin market. Promotional efforts taken by governments to encourage animal farming are likely to fuel the demand for animal feed. This, in turn, is estimated to propel the demand for zinc bacitracin during the forecast period.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Based on application type, the zinc bacitracin market has been segmented into poultry, pigs, and calves. In 2015, the poultry segment accounted for a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market, due to the increasing number of poultry farms. The increasing demand for milk has driven the demand for calve farming. This, in turn, has boosted the demand for zinc bacitracin.In terms of region, the global zinc bacitracin market has been segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific dominated the global zinc bacitracin market in 2015, followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global market during the forecast period, due to increase in demand for feeds from developing economies in the region such as China, India, and Japan. Growth of the agro industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to augment the demand for zinc bacitracin in the region during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand also due to growth of the feed industry in the region. The zinc bacitracin market in Asia Pacific is projected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period, due to efforts from local governments to promote the agro industry in the region. The market in Latin America is also anticipated to expand substantially during the forecast period. France held a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market in Europe in 2015. The country is projected to dominate the market in the region in the near future.Demand for zinc bacitracin is anticipated to rise significantly all over the world in the near future, thereby offering high growth opportunities for the global market. Rapid increase in demand from end-use applications, competitive manufacturing costs, and high economic growth rate are propelling the zinc bacitracin market in Asia Pacific. These factors are prompting companies to adopt expansion and R&D strategies in the region. Companies are focusing on Asia Pacific to gain higher market share. Producers of zinc bacitracin have been compelled to adopt expansion and acquisition strategies to meet the rise in global demand. A large number of producers are shifting their plants to countries such as China and India, due to factors such as high demand and low costs of raw material and labor in these countries.Request TOC of the Report@Major players operating in the global zinc bacitracin market include Akorn Pharmaceuticals, Perrigo, Pfizer, Shenzhou Animal Medicine, Youhua Pharmaceutical, and Lifecome Biochemistry.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: System On Chip Market : Understanding the Key Product Segments and their Future http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/system-on-chip-market-2017-2025.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23996 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com System-on-chip or SoC refers to a singular microchip, which packs a variety of necessary components, such as electronic circuits, communication nodes, and other parts of an electronic device. SoCs comprise both hardware and software that are employed in a number of electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets.Over the past few years, the rising global demand for such mobile computing devices and other miniaturized consumer electronics has led to a significant rise in the use of SoCs.The market is expected to exhibit a promising growth rate over the next few years. Transparency Market Research states that the market will expand at a 8.4% CAGR from 2017 to 2025. With this growth rate, the market, which was valued at US$45.89 bn in 2016, is expected to rise to a valuation of US$89.03 bn by 2025.Obtain Report Details @On the basis of application, the report segments the global market for system on chip into telecommunication, consumer electronics, and automotive. In 2016, the consumer electronics segment, followed by the telecommunication segment, formed one of the most lucrative application areas for SoC. The segment, accounting for a significant 37.1% of the global market in 2016, is expected to remain the leading contributor of revenue throughout the forecast period as well.This growth is attributed to the worlds rising appetite for technologically advanced consumer electronics devices such as smart phones, tablets, and wearables. The rising adoption of the IoT (Internet of Things) technology across industrial as well as consumer sectors and the vast advancements in the field of networking services have also helped in broadening the scope of use of SoC in consumer electronics.Make an Enquiry @In terms of geography, the SoC market has been segmented in the report into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America. On the basis of revenue contribution to the global market, the APAC SoC market dominated in 2016, followed by the North America market. APAC accounted for more than 45% of the global market in the said year.The report estimates that the North America SoC market will exhibit a 9.2% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, much higher than the rate of growth expected in the Asia Pacific market over the same period, 7.9% CAGR.Some of the leading players operating in the global SoC market are Apple Inc. (The U.S.), Broadcom Limited (Singapore), Infineon Technologies (The U.S.), Intel Corporation (The U.S.), Qualcomm Inc. (The U.S.), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Taiwan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), and MediaTek Inc. (Taiwan).Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Despite his campaign pledge to champion infrastructure, President Donald Trump has yet to fund half of the estimated $24 billion Gateway project, as promised last year. The funding question was central at a White House meeting Thursday with Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie, as well as Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. The face-to-face was "inconclusive," according to Cuomo. Gateway would fund a proposed Hudson River tunnel, deemed crucial by politicians and transit experts in New York and New Jersey, that would take pressure off of the two aging, Sandy-damaged tunnels used by New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains to access Penn Station. If emergency repair work shuts off one of the existing tunnels before Gateway's completion, rail capacity into Penn Station would be slashed by 75 percent. The Gateway Development Corporation formed in 2015 with board members from New York, New Jersey, Amtrak and the DOT. This came years after a major setback in 2010, when Christie pulled out of a Hudson Tunnel plan, citing concerns about an increased gas tax. "The leaders from New York and New Jersey reiterated that construction of new passenger rail tunnels under the Hudson is not only urgent, but critical for the entire northeast region and long overdue," Cuomo stated Thursday night. "We confirmed our original agreement with the previous administration whereby the Port Authority would finance 50 percent with user fees and the federal government would contribute 50 percent," Cuomo added. "I also affirmed that it was imperative the project would have to be done using design build like the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge, which the President agreed was a success." "The meeting was positive. The president was receptive and wants to get back to us on Gateway," Schumer added. The White House stated that the Trump administration is "committed to creating a robust infrastructure package that will modernize and transform our nations infrastructure" and that "the president appreciates having the opportunity to hear more details about the program from elected officials representing the region." Trump's Transportation Department, which is staring down a 13 percent funding cut in the president's proposed budget, withdrew from the Gateway Program Development Corporation in July. To date, his promised one trillion dollar stimulus package for infrastructure is nowhere to be seen. "One trillion dollars. Where is it?" Governor Cuomo wondered at a July event. "What happened to it?" Smart Bullets Market : Price Analysis and Strategies 2017 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23873 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/23873 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/smart-bullets-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global market for smart bullets demonstrates a consolidated structure, finds a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The top six players, namely, Lockheed Martin Corp., BAE Systems, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman Corp., and General Dynamics Corp. together held more than 60% of this market in 2016. As these leading players are focusing on product innovation and technological advancements in the current offerings to boost their market share, the competition within this market is likely to strengthen further in the near future, states the reserch study.As per TMRs estimations, the global market for smart bullets, which stood at US$270.4 mn in 2015, is anticipated to expand at a healthy CAGR of 15.20% during the period from 2017 to 2025 and reach US$955.4 mn by the end of the forecast period. The land segment has emerged as the key end user of smart bullets and is expected to remain so over the next few years.Request to view Sample Report:Larger Defense Budget to Ensure North Americas DominanceThe report also presents a geographical analysis of the worldwide market for smart bullets. As per the report, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Europe are the key geographical segments of this market. North America led the global market with a share of more than 42% in 2016 and is anticipated to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. The increasing defense budget and the growing demand for weapons are likely to boost this regional market over the next few years.Apart from this, the presence of a large number of leading smart bullets manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin Corp., The Raytheon Co., General Dynamics Corp., and Northrop Grumman Corp. is also anticipated to boost the North America market for smart bullets. The U.S. is likely to surface as the key domestic market in this region, notes the study.Request to download and view full ToC @Technological Innovation in Smart Bullets to Fuel DemandThe technological innovations in the weapons sector is the key factor behind the growth of the market for smart bullets, says an analyst at TMR. The technological advances, such as the altering of the bullets route according to the target, set through laser beam is also expected to boost this market substantially. Teledyne Scientific & Imaging (TSI) and Lockheed Martin had been awarded with a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop 0.50 caliber smart bullets to have better accuracy to hit the target.In February 2016, the U.S. DARPA awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Corporations fire and missiles segment to design and develop medium-caliber smart bullets, which, upon completion, will help the navy to fight off attacks from missiles, fast attack boats, and aircrafts. All these developments are likely to propel the worldwide market for smart bullets over the forecast period. On the other hand, the lack of awareness among consumers and the high manufacturing costs of these bullets may hamper the growth of this market in the years to come, states the research study.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Reset Integrated Circuit Market : Clear Understanding of The Competitive Landscape and Key Product Segments http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/reset-integrated-circuit-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23387 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global market for reset integrated circuit (IC) is heavily influenced by the growing demand for consumer electronics across the world. The significant increase in the user base of smart phones, tablets, laptops, and wearable gadgets, such as smart watches and smart helmets, is also boosting the demand for reset IC as these electrical gadgets are prone to frequent voltage fluctuations, which can damage their internal circuitry and lead to their malfunctioning, and the usage of reset ICs will prevent the devices from under-functioning and other damaging effects.In 2016, the global market for reset IC was worth US$1.39 bn. Rising at a CAGR of 12.50% between 2017 and 2025, the opportunity in this market is likely to reach a value of US$3.92 bn by the end of 2025. In terms of volume, the market is estimated to account for 6,100.8 mn units over the same period of time.Obtain Report Details @Based on the end user, the global market for reset IC is categorized into the consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, and various other sectors, such as information technology, telecommunication, healthcare, and defense. The demand for reset IC has been higher from the consumer electronics sector and is followed by the automotive industry.Researchers expect this trend to remain so over the forthcoming years, albeit at the cost of a few shares of the consumer electronics industry since it is already matured. Currently, the production of tablets and laptops has slowed down a bit and the manufacturing of smart phones although their demand is significantly high at present will gradually decline in the near future.Make an Enquiry @The global market for reset IC is spread across the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Presently, Asia Pacific is leading the global market and is expected to remain doing so over the next few years. In 2016, this region held a share of more than 60% of the overall market.The significant growth in the Asia Pacific semiconductor industry, thanks to strong government initiative policies in the form of tax exemptions, subsidies, and the increasing grants in research and development activities, is also projected to reflect greatly on the Asia Pacific reset IC market in the near future.Texas Instruments, ST Microelectronics, On Semiconductors, ROHM, Linear Technology, Analog Devices, Maxim Integrated, Cypress Semiconductor, Intersil Corp., and Renesas Electronics are some of the leading manufacturers of reset integrated circuits across the world.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: C4ISR Market Forecasts Healthy Growth 2017 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=18971 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/18971 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/c4isr-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) market features a highly consolidated and intensely competitive landscape as the top four players together accounted for a whopping share of more than 84% in 2016, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR). These leading companies are The Raytheon Company, General Dynamics Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and BAE Systems Plc. The top players are actively focusing on launching innovative products and technologically advanced command and control systems, in order to consolidate their shares in various regions, notes TMR.For instance, Lockheed Martin Corporation is developing next-generation communication technologies for armed forces to accomplish tasks in a variety of combat environments. Recently, the company has entered into a contract with the U.S. Special Operations Forces to provide advanced logistics support services on a global scale. The C4ISR is characterized by a dynamic business landscape that calls for sustained advancement in product technologies by leading players in order to stay competitive, observes TMR.Request to view Sample Report:The global C4ISR market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 3.5% from 2017 to 2025. The global C4ISR market was valued at US$98.46 bn in 2016 and is projected to reach US$134.89 bn by the end of the forecast period.The major end-use segments of the C4ISR market are airborne, land, and naval. Of these, airborne domain has emerged as the dominant segment, holding a market share of 56.5% in 2016. Geographically, the global market was dominated by North America in 2016 which held a significant share of 32.3%. However, the Asia Pacific market for C4ISR is predicted to supersede others and lead the worldwide market by the end of the forecast period.Growing Need for Situational Awareness among Security and Armed Forces to Bolster DemandThe rising demand for surveillance and situational awareness among armed forces in various nations to counter terrorism and security forces is a key factor driving the global command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance market. The intensifying demand for border security in several countries has propelled the demand for electronic warfare products. In the backdrop of mounting cross-border tensions in countries such as India, Australia, Japan, China, and South Korea, there is a growing demand for advanced C4ISR technologies to counter threats. In recent years, defense funding to implement advanced command and control systems has soared in these countries thereby accentuating the market.Request to download and view full ToC @Adoption of Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles in Modern WarfareThe advent of next-generation communication systems by leveraging the potential of sophisticated wireless and satellite technologies has boosted the C4ISR market. The rising threat of cybercrime in various developing and developed nations has propelled the demand for advanced big data analytics by government and private enterprises. These solutions are instrumental in speeding up response time and mitigating security risks.However, decline in military spending in developed nations, attributable to their focus on improving the existing combat systems, is a crucial factor likely to impede the market to an extent. On the other hand, the rising demand for next generation IP systems for improving communication across armored personal carriers, main battle tanks, and combat vehicle crew is expected to unlock exciting opportunities for market players. In addition, the intensifying need for securing networks is anticipated to augur well for the market. Furthermore, the acquisition of unmanned aerial combat vehicles in the airborne warfare segment and the adoption of counter-drone technologies by governments of developed nations is expected to open up lucrative growth avenues in the market.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Document Imaging Market: Advanced Technologies & Growth Opportunities In Global Industry By 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/document-imaging-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20459 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/20459 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Document imaging services continue to gain popularity across all areas of business as it provides better security and confidentiality of critical information. Document imaging is an information technology solution which uses advanced and modern equipment such as scanners, software, and camera. Document imaging also helps to control large volumes of documents. The document imaging market is segmented on the bases of three categories: by service, component, and end use. In terms of service, the market for document imaging is segmented into cloud and on-premises. By component, the market is segmented into software and hardware. Hardware component segment can be further bifurcated into scanners, printers, microfilm, readers and others. In terms of end use, the document imaging market is segmented into government organizations, law firms, physician practice, and educational institutions among others.Document imaging solutions are becoming an integral part of a business entity for big data handling or analytics. The document imaging market is anticipated to witness significant growth during the forecast period owing to the rising demand for big data handing and analytics in many organizations. Big data technology is a new potential revenue generating source of an organization. Therefore, the demand for document imaging is booming in recent times and is anticipated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.Browse Our Report @Currently, the impact of this factor has been analyzed to be high, and can be expected to remain high during the forecast period. However, advanced technology such as IT and manufacturing hubs are facing challenges from short supply of skilled operators. Document imaging solutions are complex to handle and require skilled operators. Advanced scanners come with software that makes scanning and saving documents possible. Operators not only require having knowledge about how to operate the equipment, but also know how to operate associated programs in order to modify and store electronic files. These operators usually lack technical education and skills, and hence require specialized training which is time consuming. Rising demand for document imaging due to its benefits, organizations are ready to invest in training the operators. The impact of this restraint is medium in recent times and is expected to be low during the forecast period.By Service the global document imagingmarket has been segmented into cloud and on-premises. On-premises service is initially dominating the global document imaging market. However, cloud service is expected a robust growth during the forecast period and is anticipated to be the largest market share holder in document imaging market. Cloud helps to accommodate large scale information and scanning and printing online data. In addition, cloud deployment better structured than centralized systems to process large constant data streaming produced across the value chain.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @By way of geography, the global IoT platform market has been divided into the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and North America. North America is the leading revenue generator and the region is projected to witness strong growth over the course of the forecast period thanks to rising adoption of advanced technologies and the increasing presence of major IoT solution providers. However, Europe is estimated to register a growth rate higher than that of North America in terms of revenue, surpassing it to be the dominant regional market. This can be attributed to favorable government initiatives and the growing trend of Industry 4.0. Major contributing countries in the Europe IoT platform market include France, the U.K., and Germany.Browse Our Table Of Content @By region the global document imagingmarket has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. North America which includes U.S. and Rest of North America (Canada and Mexico) captured the largest market share in 2016 due to growth in production facilities and rising demand of digitalized documentation. Europe which includes countries such as Germany, U.K., France, Italy and Rest of Europe captured the second largest market share in 2016. Asia Pacificshowed the fastest growth in 2016 due to its high penetration rateand coupled more high adoption rate of digitalization in document management solutionover the years.The global market of document imagingreport provides company market share analysis of the various key participants. Key players have also been profiled on the basis of company overview. Global key participants of the document imaging market include Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), Hewlett-Packard Company (California, U.S.), Canon Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), Kodak Alaris (Hemel Hempstead, U.K.), Xerox Corporation (Connecticut, U.S.), Qorus Software (Pty) Ltd (Cape Town, South Africa), CBSL Group (Delhi, India), Epson America (California, U.S.), Aramex (Dubai, U.A.E) and Newgen Software Technologies Ltd (Delhi, India) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Rising demand for sterilization of surgical instruments to drive chemical indicator inks market growth https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/769 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/chemical-indicator-inks-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/769 https://www.gminsights.com/ Chemical Indicator Inks Market size worth USD 35 million in 2015, is anticipated to reach USD 78.30 million mark by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 7% over the period of 2016-2024.Robust sterilization equipment & disinfectants demand will propel global chemical indicator inks market size. Sterilization device demand will be driven by increased surgical instruments reprocessing technique, which was valued more than USD 5.5 billion. Furthermore, improvised technologies such as steam, hydrogen peroxide & plasma and ethylene oxide will stimulate demand. For instance, steam sterilization accounted more than 40% of global share in 2015 owing to its widespread medical applications as the process carries no toxic content.Increasing health care spending across Asia Pacific over the last few years has complemented chemical indicator inks market share. Also, rising awareness towards sterilization along with new medical procedures adoption in these countries will enhance growth. Chinas healthcare expenditure was approximately 5% of their GDP in 2014. In addition, favoring government regulations to direct chemical indicator inks use in the sterilization process will further propel industry growth.Request for a sample of this report @Chemical indicator inks are highly dependent on sterilization processes used for sterilizing surgical and other instruments. Ink formulation changes according the sterilant used and significantly affects the accuracy of chemical indicators if the ink is not correctly formulated, which may hamper industry growth by 2024.Commercialization of bio-based inks for food & beverages packaging might be an opportunity towards growth. In canned food, these indicators could be certainly helpful in providing precise information regarding the completion of sterilization based on various sterilants on attainment of certain temperature. This would eventually avoid excessive food overheating, thereby retaining the nutrient value. In 2015, global metal packaging industry size was more than USD 100 billion. Consequently, propelling chemical indicator inks market size by 2024.Browse key industry insights spread across 150 pages with 269 market data tables & 16 figures & charts from the report, Chemical Indicator Inks Market Size By Sterilization Process (Steam, Ethylene Oxide, Vaporized Hydrogen & Plasma, Formaldehyde), By Printing Process (Flexographic, Rotogravure, Screen), By Product (Solvent-based, Water-based, UV-Cured), By Application (Sterile Bags, Sterile Bottles, IV & Blood Containers, Prefillable Syringes, Thermoformed Trays, Pouches, Tags & Labels, Tapes), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024 in detail along with the table of contents:Key insights from the report include: Global chemical indicator inks market size is poised to surpass USD 78.35 million by 2024, at a CAGR of over 8%. In 2015, steam sterilization was valued over USD 15 million. This process is nontoxic, rapidly microbicidal, sporicidal, rapidly heats and penetrates fabrics, which makes it desirable over other sterilization process. Formaldehyde sterilization must experience gains more than 7% CAGR by 2024. Formaldehyde is used disinfectant and sterilant as it deactivates microorganisms by alkylation. However, it has limited health care use due to its irritating fumes and pungent odor. Rotogravure printing must experience gains over 6% CAGR. Water based inks are projected to witness 8% growth. Stringent government regulations favoring ecofriendly solvents such as water, will drive chemical indicator inks market size for water based product. In 2015, sterile bag demand for chemical indicator inks was more than USD 3.5 million. These bags are transparent, perforated and offers sterilant penetration ease for complete sterilization, making them appropriate for medical applications. Chemical indicator inks in tapes will witness highest growth over 9% by 2024. Increasing indicator tapes demand to provide added information will boost chemical indicator inks market share for tapes. Global chemical indicator inks market share is highly consolidated with major industry participants accounting over half of global volume in 2015. Tempil, North American Science Associates (NAMSA), 3M, Terragene SA and STERIS are major industry players. Other prominent industry contributors are NiGK, Riken Chemical, Crosstex and gke Gmbh.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook E Sim Card Market: Current trends, Opportunities, Challenges and Forecast by 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/e-sim-card-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=27668 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/27668 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global E-SIM card market is rising steadily due to the several advantages of E-SIM card over conventional SIM cards. E-SIM card allows changing mobile network operator at a few clicks, a feature distinct to them. For instance, ability to switch network providers over the air in machine to machine systems such as smart meters and connected cars has substantial advantages in terms of reducing logistics and operational costs.The compact design of E-SIM and standardization of technical specifications for Embedded SIM technology is another distinct feature that sets E-SIM cards apart from conventional SIM cards. This is because Embedded SIM technology is standardized by Groupe Speciale Mobile Association, which comprises more than 800 mobile operators worldwide. Further, compact design of E-SIM cards is advantageous to original equipment manufacturers for increasing the battery size or to provide additional storage in electronic devices.A report by Transparency Market Research predicts the global E-SIM card market to rise at a healthy 13.5% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. Progressing at this rate, the market is anticipated to display an opportunity of US$14,613.1 mn by 2025 increasing from US$4,095.6 mn in 2016.Browse Our Report @In terms of application, the global E-SIM card market has been segmented into machine to machine (M2M), wearable and companion devices, smartphones, and tablets and laptops. The segment of M2M, among these, contributed the leading revenue contribution in 2016. M2M is further sub-segmented into connected cars, utility, and others. Of them, connected cars is expected to expand at a CAGR of over 15% between 2017 and 2025 backed by the rising adoption of E-SIM card in the automotive industry for weather information and infotainment.The commercialization of Embedded SIM for smartphones is expected in 2019. The segment is expected to rise at a robust CAGR of 26.3%between 2019 and 2025.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @The key segments into which the global E-SIM card is divided based on geography are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America. In 2016, Europe stood as the leading revenue generation region and is expected to display substantial CAGR over the forecast period. The supremacy of the region is due to the favorable government initiatives for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technology and solutions. The U.K., France, and Germany are the leading revenue contributors to the Europe E-SIM card market.North America held the second-leading revenue share in the global market in 2016 with the U.S. contributing the leading revenue. The region is expected to display significant growth over the forecast period. The increased adoption of technology as well as home to key industry players is driving the growth of this regional market.Browse Our Table Of Content @Asia Pacific, amongst all, is expected to rise with the leading CAGR over the forecast period. The growth of this region is backed by the rising adoption of embedded SIM technology in M2M devices across several countries such as China and Japan.South Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council are the leading revenue generating regions in the Middle East and Africa. The E-SIM card market in South America is driven by the rising adoption of embedded SIM in utilities to provide smart metering solutions. Brazil is the leading revenue contributing domestic market to the E-SIM card market in the region.Some prominent players operating in the global E-SIM card market profiled in this report are Apple Inc., Samsung, Gemalto N.V., Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, NTT DOCOMO Inc., OT-Morpho, Telefonica S.A., Deutsche Telekom AG, Sierra Wireless Inc., and ST Microelectronics.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Metal Oxide Varistors Market : Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Market Via In-Depth Qualitative Insights http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/metal-oxide-varistors-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=15548 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global market for metal oxide varistor (MOV) has been deriving much growth from the rising popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) across the world. The extensive increase in the demand for consumer electronic goods and the upsurge in the adoption of metal oxide varistor in automobile applications are also boosting the markets progress remarkably.Over the forthcoming years, the global market for MOV is likely to witness substantial growth at a healthy CAGR of 11.7% from 2017 to 2025. The opportunity in this market is expected to increase from a value of US$7.73 bn in 2016 to US$20.79 bn by the end of 2025. The market, although looks thriving at present, it may face challenges from the dynamic nature of the semiconductor and electronics industry in the coming years.Obtain Report Details @Based on the type of MOV, the global MOV market has been classified into disc MOV, strap MOV, block MOV, ring MOV, and various other types, such as chip varistor and multilayered chip varistor. The ring MOV segment held the leading position in the global market in 2016 with a share of more than 44%. Analysts expect the segment to remain dominant over the next few years.Disc MOV, however, is anticipated to witness a high-paced rise in the near future on the ground of its increasing demand in industrial power electronics devices across a number of countries, such as China, India, Japan, the U.K., the U.S., Germany, and Singapore.Make an Enquiry @In terms of the geography, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, and Latin America have been considered as the prominent segments of the worldwide MOV market. Driven by the increasing demand for smart devices, Asia Pacific led this market in 2016 with a share of more than 54%.The market for MOV in the Middle East and Africa, which stood second in 2016, is also projected to retain its place in the near future, thanks to the increasing demand for consumer electronics, smart automobile applications, technologically advanced healthcare devices, and process automation systems in the power, and the oil and gas industries. Among others, the Europe MOV market is anticipated to witness healthy growth in the years to come on account of the rising number of smart phone users. Germany and the U.K. are likely to surface as the leading domestic markets for MOV in Europe over the forthcoming years.TDK Corp., General Electric, KEMET Corp., Moda-Innochips Co. Ltd., MDE Semiconductor Inc., Dean Technology Inc., Centra Science Corp., Amotech Corp., Vishay Intertechnology Inc., and Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. are some of the prominent players operating in the global MOV market.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Military Personal Protective Equipment Market to Represent Significant Revenue Growth 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19655 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/19655 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/military-personal-protective-equipment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The top three leading players in the global military personal protective equipment market held a share of 52.2% in the overall market in 2015. These players are determined to bring in product innovation to rise above the stiff competition in the global market. Furthermore, several companies are also emphasizing on achieving technological advancements to cater to the demands of clients.According to the research report, the global military personal protective equipment market was valued at US$11.23 bn in 2015 and is expected to reach US$19.09 bn by the end of 2024. The market is projected to progress at a CAGR of 6.1% between 2016 and 2024.Request to view Sample Report:Body Armor Segment Emerges as Leading Product in Global MarketThe types of products available in the global market are body armor (IBA), advanced combat helmet (ACH), improved outer tactical vest (IOTV), pelvic protection systems (PPS), life safety jackets, military combat eye protection (MCEP), and others. Out of all the products, the body armor product segment is expected to make a significant contribution to the global market. The segment is slated to acquire a share of 33.1% by the end of 2024.In terms of geography, the global market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Saudi Arabia, and Latin America. The report indicates that North America is likely to dominate the global market with Asia Pacific following closely. The North America military personal protective equipment market is estimated to acquire a share of 24.4% by the end of 2024.Request to download and view full ToC @Persistent Conflicts Keep Demand of Military Personal Protective Equipment HighThe highly volatile situation amongst countries in the Middle East, India, and Iraq is the key growth driver for the global military personal protective equipment market. The increasing role of ground troops in combat has augmented the demand for military personal protective equipment in the recent past. The ongoing wars and conflicts have been boosting the uptake of this equipment to ensure safety of the troops. The report states that wars in Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Iraq have collectively kept the demand for protective gear at an all-time high through the past decade.The report also highlights the fact that the growing need for advanced equipment to ensure the safety of troops has also benefited the global market. Furthermore, growing number of government initiatives to increasing expenditure on advanced equipment through several are also expected to drive the global market. Fast pace of developments in countries such as Pakistan, India, and Brazil are also expected to fuel the growth of this market. The increasing tensions between countries such as India and Pakistan among others is another factor propelling the uptake of military personal protective equipment.Cuts to Defense Budgets to Hamper GrowthThe only drawback for the global military personal protective equipment market is the defense budget cuts made by developed countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. Countries such as Germany and Canada along with the U.S. and the U.K. are likely to make major changes to defense budgets. Furthermore, their strict arms allocation policies are also expected to cast a negative spell on the global market.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Enhanced Vision System Market: Key Trends, Industry Opportunities And Projections for Upcoming Years 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/enhanced-vision-system-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19076 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/19076 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global enhanced vision system market is on a growth trajectory on account of radical improvements in the aerospace sector for aircraft safety. Top notch aircraft manufacturers are opting for hi-tech avionics and navigation systems to raise alarm in the event of a possible danger. Enhanced vision systems help to provide a detailed view of the terrain along with monitoring of various obstacles that may pose a challenge to the safety of aircraft.Some of the key factors driving the global enhanced vision system market are the dire need to enhance aircraft safety, especially in limited visibility environments. This is because enhanced vision system collects information from various aircraft based sensors, which includes near-infrared cameras to give complete view of the terrain, especially in extreme weather conditions.Apart from this, in developed countries, regulation and policies in place necessitate aircraft to be equipped with advanced vision systems in the interest of pilot and passenger safety.A report by Transparency Market Research forecasts the global enhanced vision system to expand at a CAGR of 4.4% between 2017 and 2025. At this rate, the global enhanced vision system market is expected to peg an opportunity of US$312.4 mn by 2025 increasing from US$211.1 mn in 2016.Browse Our Report @The global enhanced vision system market can be divided upon system into synthetic vision system and enhanced vision system. Of the two, the segment of synthetic vision leads the market on the back of its low cost and its easy application in aircraft. However, advanced vision system is expected to surpass in terms of revenue over the forecast period.In terms of component, the market has been segmented into sensors, cameras, display screen, and others. In 2016, display screen and camera led the growth of this market revenue-wise. These segments are expected to display strong growth amongst other segments due to technological advancements that have led to the installation of advanced screens and camera for an enlarged view of the terrain. Sensors also form an important segment of the market.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @The application segments into which the global enhanced vision system market is divided are aerospace and defense and others. For 2016, aerospace and defense led the market followed by others. The dominance of aerospace and defense application segment is attributed to the increasing measures to enhance aircraft safety. Enhanced vision system captures radiation emitted from different sensors to help in landing or during extreme weather conditions thereby boosting the growth of this application segment.The key regional segments into which the enhanced vision system market is divided are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. North America and Europe, amongst all, are key regional segments that collectively contribute more than 50% revenue to the global market. The growth of the aerospace sector along with regulations that necessitate aerospace companies to deploy enhanced vision systems in both fixed and rotary wings aircraft have been key factors boosting growth in these regions.Browse Our Table Of Content @Asia Pacific and Latin America are other key regional segments contributing to the growth of global enhanced vision system market. Asia Pacific stood as one of the rapidly growing regional markets in 2016 with China, Japan, India, and South Korea contributing majorly to this regional market.Leading players operating in the global enhanced vision system market include Honeywell International Inc., United Technologies Corporation, Rockwell Collins Inc., Astronics Corporation, FLIR Systems Inc., Thales Group, Safran, HCL Embraer SA, and Elbit Systems Ltd. among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Oxygen Concentrator Market size in terms of volume and value 2012 - 2018 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=292 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=292 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ This study covers, defines and classifies the oxygen concentrator market in terms of volume and value, and provides a qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of the industry. Broadly classifying the market by geography, the report focuses on the high potential countries and tracks the development of the oxygen concentrator market during the forecast period of 2012 to 2018.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The report explains the basic structure of the industry, dynamics and scope, and provides an inclusive review of the growth challenges, drivers, opportunities and trends. The TMR report also identifies and analyses the leading players along with their individual strengths and weaknesses. It tracks the profit or loss incurred by companies, collaboration and investment strategies, market share and their overall contribution to the global oxygen concentrator market.Overview of the oxygen concentrator marketThe market for oxygen concentrators has undergone significant changes and improvement with the introduction of portable technology. The devices have become lighter, more powerful and affordable, leading to increasing demand in the homecare department. Rising worldwide geriatric population means rise in homecare oxygen treatment. People with respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and emphysema have benefitted greatly with innovations in oxygen concentrator technology. Some of the new and improved versions of the standard large and bulky devices include AirSeps LifeStyle Portable Oxygen Concentrator, Inogen One G3, VBOX Trooper, EverGo, Invacare XPO2 and iGo.As the demand for lighter technology by consumers and need for better mobility support for the aged rises, new competitors enter the market, thereby driving innovations. This has resulted in high-quality devices at lower prices.The U.S. accounts for the largest share of the global oxygen concentrator market, followed by Europe, due to growing consumer awareness, rising incidences of COPD and demographic changes. COPD is known to be the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number has been dangerously rising, increasing the use of respiratory care devices. The change in lifestyle across the globe has led to an alarming rise in smoking population which has also fuelled the growth of the oxygen concentrator industry.After the Federal Aviation Administration approved the onboard use of certain portable oxygen concentrators, its applications have widened. Among the Asia-Pacific countries, India, China, Australia and Japan have been identified as emerging markets, and Latin American nations such as Brazil and Mexico are expected to register substantial growth.Companies mentioned in the oxygen concentrator market research reportSome of the major companies that feature in the global oxygen concentrator market report include Bio-Med Devices, Invacare Philips Healthcare, CareFusion, DeVilbiss Healthcare Sequal, Jiangxi Teli Anesthesia and Respiration Equipment, Newport Medical Instruments Inc., Inovo, Impact Instrumentation, Respironics, Providence Global Medical, Percussionaire Corp., Vortran Medical Technology, Intersurgical Ltd., Smiths Medical WinterGreen Research Inc., Eget Hi-Tec Co. Ltd., Race Medical and Beauty Equipments, and Maquet.Request TOC of the Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Feminine Care Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2012 - 2018 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=341 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=341 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Feminine Care Market: OverviewThe global market for feminine care is predicted to witness substantial growth in the coming years. Some of the key products in the global feminine care market are tampons, sanitary pads, disposable razors and blades, internal cleaners, and pant liners and shields. The introduction of innovative and new products is anticipated to supplement the growth of the global feminine care market in the next few years. Additionally, the growing awareness among consumers regarding a healthy lifestyle and benefits offered by feminine care products is likely to bolster global market in the near future.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The research study offers a detailed overview of the global feminine care market, emphasizing on the vital aspects that are likely to encourage the growth of the global market in the near future. In addition, the key segmentation of the market, along with the competitive landscape of the market has been discussed in the scope of the study.Global Feminine Care Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing focus of prominent players on innovations and new product development are expected to fuel the growth of the global feminine care market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the changing lifestyle of consumers and the rising purchasing power are projected to accelerate the growth of the overall market in the next few years.Furthermore, the lack of knowledge among consumers regarding the benefits and non-availability of products, especially in under-developed nations are estimated to restrict the growth of the global feminine care market in the coming years. Nonetheless, the rising expenditure on marketing and advertising activities is expected to supplement the growth of the global feminine care market in the next few years.Global Feminine Care Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global feminine care market is expected to grow at a progressive rate throughout the forecast period. The regional segmentation of the market has been provided in the scope of the research study to provide a clear picture of the overall market to readers and market players. Some of the key segments are Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World. The market share, size, and the growth rate of each segment have been presented in the report.According to the research study, North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe are anticipated to witness a healthy growth throughout the forecast period. The high growth of North America and Europe can be attributed to the high awareness among consumers regarding the benefits of using feminine care products. On the other hand, the rising population and the incraesing disposable income of consumers are some of the factors predicted to encourage the growth of the Asia Pacific feminine care market in the next few years.Request TOC of the Report @Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:Some of the prominent players operating in the feminine care market across the globe are Wal-Mart, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Lloyds, Publix, Delhaize, Sainsbury's, Kroger, Waitrose, Costco, Saver, Body Shop, Co-Op/Somerfield, Boots, Safeway, Asda, Loblaw, Procter & Gamble, Tesco, Ahold, Morrisons, Superdrug, and Johnson & Johnson. A significant rise in the number of players is anticipated to strengthen the competitive scenario of the global feminine care market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Brachytherapy Devices Market size and Key Trends in terms of volume and value 2012 - 2018 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=473 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=473 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The key advantage of brachytherapy devices in comparison to other forms of radiation therapy equipment is the high precision provided by these devices in radiation source placement. These devices enable safe radiation therapy treatment with high localized doses of radiation. These devices form an optimal form of treatment delivery due to the fact that the reoccurrence of cancer in a patient treated with brachytherapy is quite rare.Request Sample Copy of the Report @This research study has been compiled by gathering data from leading industry experts. The report has been collated by using an objective amalgamation of primary as well as secondary research. The growth prospects of the brachytherapy devices market in the forthcoming years, along with the market landscape, have been elaborated in this research report. The report presents an evaluation of the technological developments in the brachytherapy devices market and also incorporates the Porters five force model evaluation along with detailed company profiles of prime players dominant in the market.The report comprises a comprehensive review of the global brachytherapy devices market. An analysis of the global manufacture of brachytherapy devices in terms of volume, value, imports, price trends, and exports during the forecast period from 2012 to 2018 also forms an integral part of this study. A review of the macro and micro factors along with an analysis of the new entrants with in-depth value chain analysis also forms a substantial part of this research report.Overview of the Brachytherapy Devices MarketBrachytherapy is an effective and noninvasive outpatient procedure and can be personalized with ease as per the patients requirements. Brachytherapy is called as sealed source radiation therapy, as the radiation source after sealing is placed near or inside of the body part that needs radiation therapy. Brachytherapy is utilized for treating the majority of tumors and is most commonly utilized for the treatment of cancers of the breast, cervix, prostate, and skin.There are a number of factors fuelling the market for brachytherapy devices. The key factors include less time needed for treatment, enhanced efficiency of brachytherapy devices, and their cost-effectiveness. The globally growing medical tourism industry will have a positive effect on the brachytherapy devices market. In addition, the rising prevalence of cancer worldwide is also stimulating the brachytherapy devices market. Furthermore, brachytherapys increasing applications in other body sites is also predicted to fuel the market in the coming years.On the basis of geography, the market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The market will exponentially rise in the developing economies of China, Brazil, and India.Request TOC of the Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Military Vetronics Market Predicted to Grow at a Moderate Pace Through 2015 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=8704 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/8704 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/military-vetronics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com With only a few established players, namely, Curtiss-Wright Corp., General Electric Co., TE Connectivity Ltd., Rheinmetall A.G., and BAE Systems Plc, in attendance, the global market for military vetronics is displaying a consolidated structure, finds a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). For market penetration, these players have been concentrating especially on the technological advancements of their current offerings, such as power systems and armored personnel carriers, since long. However, they are expected to shift their focus towards mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships in the near future for further expansion of their businesses, states the market report.Request to view Sample Report:According to TMR, the global military vetronics market will rise at a CAGR of 5.30% during the period from 2015 to 2023 and its opportunity will reach a value of US$10.71 by the end of the forecast period. Currently, power systems are witnessing a higher demand among all types of military vetronics systems. Analysts anticipate this trend to continue throughout the period of the forecast. Among vehicles, armored personal carriers report the most prominent demand for military vetronics and is projected to remain doing so in the near future, thanks to their increased usage in military operationsIn terms of the geography, North America have emerged as the most profitable regional market for military vetronics. However, this regional market is soon to reach its maturity level, which may slow down its growth in the years to come. The market in Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is anticipated to experience a significantly high progress rate over the next few years on the grounds of the rising terrorist activities, notes the research study.Request to download and view full ToC @Advent of Power Systems to Boost Demand for Military VetronicsThe global market for military vetronics is highly dynamic. Various factors, such as commonality of embedded systems, network centric warfare, increasing preference for COTS-enabled SWaP specifications, and situational awareness, are driving this market substantially, says a TMR analyst. Over the coming years, the advent of power systems are expected to propel this market, as a number of modern warfare strategies and military vehicular utilities are primarily depended on autonomous and remote controlled military operations.With power systems increasingly being incorporated in communication systems, the need for the deployment of high-end military vetronics is escalating, which will reflect greatly on this market in the years to come, states the research report.Decreasing Defense Budget to Hinder Markets GrowthIn spite of the high demand for military vetronics across the world, the global market may face significant challenges in the near future from the decreasing defense budget in developed countries. The speeding demilitarization in various economies in North America and Europe is dissuading many vendors of conventional vetronics from continuing to expand in these regions, which is expected to impact the overall market negatively over the next few years. However, players are projected to shift their focus towards the scope of deploying vetronics systems in unmanned vehicles, which will normalize the effects of the limitations in the years to come, reports the study.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Pet Snacks & Treats Market Volume Analysis, Segments, Value Share and Key Trends-2027 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23306 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=23306 www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Pet foods are specialized food comprising plant or animal material. The market for the same is segmented as pet snacks, treats, and beverages. Pet snacks usually referred for intake nutrition, with high-quality ingredients. While treats referred as a tool to the reinforcement of positive behavior in pets. Beverages likely to be referred as liquid consumables to satisfy thirst. Pet snacks usually consist of baked products like biscuits, dried vegetables or fruits, and roasted grains. Treats usually consist of jerky, dental chews and others. Being proactive, owner requires more variety of snacks and treats drive market growth and competition. Increased pet humanization and adoption drive the global market forecasted with a positive growth rate. Increased number of nuclear families having pets as a family member creating more demand for pet food products.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Pet Snacks and Treats Market SegmentationPet snacks and treats are basically segmented on the basis of product type, product form, animal type, and distribution channels. Segmentation by product type includes eatable and chewable product. Snack products are mostly eatable, while treats are both eatable and chewable. Among these eatable segment dominates the market in terms of volume. Further segmentation by animal type includes dogs, cats, birds, aquatic animals and others. Products like jerky are offered by the manufacturer for dogs and cats both. While Fillets and grain holders are offered for birds. Similarly, dried products like vegetables, fruits, small fishes, and plankton are offered for aquatic animals. Among all of these, dog segment dominated the market due to more preference for dogs during pet adoption, followed by cat segment. It can also be segmented on the Basis of product form includes dry, wet, powdered, and others. Among all of these dry product segment drive major share in terms of volume. Segmentation can also be done by distribution channels includes specialty outlet, supermarkets, pharmaceutical retail, pet shops and online retailing. Among all of these, the supermarket segment is the leading distribution channel in the market.Segmentation can also be done on the basis of geographical regions includes seven major regions North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Among all of these regions, North America market is expected to represents positive growth in terms of mass consumption over the forecast period. Meanwhile some regions of Europe, Asia-pacific, and Japan is expected to represent continuous growth in terms of pet adoption over the forecast period.Pet Snacks and Treats Market Drivers and TrendsImproving financial conditions and changing consumer behavior towards pet has brought a noticeable shift among people towards pet healthcare and wellness. Increasing acceptance for pet adoption in the high-income group along with the middle-income group is expected to drive an expansion of the market. Online retailing, media advertisement is expected to be an emerging distribution channel. Lack of awareness regarding proper usage of chewable treats leads to improper dental care. So owner consulting vet suggested to adopt products with additional benefit through innovative dental care like rawhide chewable which are easy to consume. Allergies with active ingredients expected to be a restraint for the market. Due to regulatory issues and laws related pet adoption is expected to restraint the market in near future.Pet Snacks and Treats Market Key PlayersSome of the major players operating in Pet Snacks and Treats Market includes Mars Petcare, NestlA Purina PetCare, P&G Pet Care, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Del Monte Pet Products, Nutriara Alimentos Ltda, InVivo NSA, Debifu Pet Products Co. Ltd, Diamond Pet Foods, J.M.Smucker (Big Heart), Royal Canin, Agrolimen Sa etc. Among all of these, NestlA Purina is expected to be a dominating player in the market. Other key players in pet snacks & treats market are focused on high R&D to develop high quality of products with a more application scope.Request TOC of the Report@The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Power Management Ics Market: Advanced Technologies & Growth Opportunities In Global Industry By 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/power-management-ics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=749 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/749 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Power management integrated circuit (PMIC) is an integrated circuit that aids in managing power requirements of the host system. It functions by managing the flow of power from different power sources, namely batteries, USBs, and wall adapters, while maintaining the current limit. They also help in loss of power during distribution. This way they make devices smarter and more efficient and this is one reason why they are seeing steady uptake.Power management integrated circuit (PMIC) find application in consumer electronics such as Bluetooth headsets, smartphones, and MP3 players to portable industrial and medical equipment. On account of continuous product innovation, ICs are becoming cheaper and smaller. This is yet another reason for their steady sales.Besides consumer electronics, the growing demand of battery operated devices in automobiles and telecom and networking are also said to be boosting growth in the global power management integrated circuit market (PMIC).Browse Our Report @As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global power management integrated circuit (PMIC) market will likely rise at a CAGR of 5.8% during the period between 2017 and 2025 to attain a value of US$62.71 bn by 2025.Depending upon applications, the global power management integrated circuit (PMIC) market can be classified into automotive, industry, consumer electronics, and telecom and networking, among others including medical electronics and military applications. At present, the consumer electronics segment accounts for a dominant share in the market because of the exploding market for laptops, smartphones, PCs, tablets, and other consumer electric devices. In the years ahead too, the segment is predicted to lead the market for the very same reasons. Efficient power management, functionality, and features of PMICs have led to their increased demand in automotive application too. In the years ahead, however, the segment of telecom and networking is predicted to surpass all others in terms of growth rate by registering a 6.1% CAGR from 2015 to 2025.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @The different types of power management integrated circuit (PMIC) available in the market are voltage regulators, integrated ASSP power management IC, motor control IC, battery management IC, power factor correctors, microprocessor supervisory IC, switching controllers, and gate drivers. Voltage regulators, which help regulate one or more DC/AC voltages or maintain voltage at a constant level, account for maximum sales at present due to its application in consumer electronics, automobiles, and industries and telecommunication.Based on geography, North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa are the key regions in the global power management integrated circuit (PMIC) market. Asia Pacific, among them, contributes the most to revenue because of the presence of a copious number of consumer electronics manufacturing and automobile companies in this region.Browse Table Of Content @In the upcoming years too, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to progress impressively, mainly on account of China, which is a nerve center of technological innovation in Asia Pacific. The revenue in the Asia Pacific power management integrated circuit (PMIC) market was around US$14.81 bn in 2016. Besides Asia Pacific, North America is another key market which is predicted to expand at a healthy clip in the next couple of years.Prominent participants in the global power management integrated circuit (PMIC) market are Maxim Integrated, Texas Instruments, Inc., STMicroelectronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung Semiconductor, Dialog Semiconductor PLC, Linear Technology Corporation, ON Semiconductor, Rohm Co., Ltd., and Semtech Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Sterilization Equipment and Disinfectants Market | Market Growth Analysis 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sterilization-equipment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/389 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=389 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=1788